Subway Riders (1981)

 

A psychotic saxophone player (played both by Amos Poe and John Lurie) lures victims to deserted spots with his music and then guns them down.

From memory: This experimental neo-noir thriller is more interested in style and atmosphere than in its narrative, but it does fascinatingly capture the mood and feeling of urban life.

 

 

La Mort en direct (1980)

In a future where dying of illness is exceedingly rare, a terminally ill woman becomes a celebrity and a man with camera implants goes to secretly record her for a morbid TV show.

Unusual, but awkward sci-fi satire is right on with its social predictions, but the plot treads along somewhat haphazardly, and there are some memorable scenes of over-acting along the way.

Halliwell**: "Grim fable of media manipulation and sensationalist pressures on popular entertainment that retains its resonance."

Maltin***: "Intelligent sci-fi drama...A biting commentary on media abuse and manipulation, with solid performances, direction."

Message in a Bottle (1999)

A woman discovers a tragic love letter in a bottle on a beach, and is determined to track down its author.

Unrestrained tearjerker on the verge of parody, not for the squeamish.

Halliwell (no star): "Soporific and soft-centred romantic drama that is yet another nail in the coffin of Costner's career."

Maltin**1/2: "Sappy, old-fahioned romance...Too long, too slow, but enjoyable escapism if you buy into it, with Wright Penn nicely cast against type, and Newman in fine form as Costner's starchy father."