2 Days In The Valley (1996)

2 Days in the Valley follows a formula that was used in a lot of movies that I saw in the late 90s. This was the mid 90s so maybe this was the start of the trend. The formula has to do with taking a bunch of seemingly unrelated wacky characters, and weaving a story that has them all interacting with each other at various points through out the film. Of course eventually it all culminates in a twisted often hilarious ending.

In this instance they plug into the formula: a couple of hit men, an Olympic skier, vice cops, a sexy Swedish lady, and a suicidal washed up movie director. The premise is simple and that is probably the best way to do it. Because a lot of the fun in watching this movie comes in the scenes in which all of the characters are together being extreme and crazy.

I am not going to rattle off a quick recap of the plot because it doesn’t really matter. You could probably brainstorm a million crazy stories with the characters listed above and that is what makes this fun. I have a feeling they just sat around a table, drew some words from a hat, wrote as much of a screenplay as they could in one hour, and then shot the movie. That’s not a slam on writer director John Herzfeld because everything he did here worked, but it just seems like that would be a good way to make these type of movies.

One thing I am quickly finding is that there are a lot of actors that I have never given any attention to that really deserve some. Danny Aiello is definitely one of them. Just looking at IMDB this guy has been in tons of stuff and from what I have seen he is really good. He was in Once Upon a Time in America, just a small part but he really nailed it. In “2 Days” he plays a washed up hit man and he steals every scene.

Here's a short clip of Aiello (the one with the gun).  

I am really excited to see what he can do in the next movie on the list, Jacob’s Ladder. I know that Tim Robbins in the start but I hope that Danny Aiello continues to be awesome.

The House on Carroll Street (1988)

I am glad I gave Peter Yates a second chance. The House on Carroll Street is a pretty good drama that takes place during the McCarthy communist witch hunts. It stars 80s queen Kelly McGillis and a pretty young Jeff Daniels. Mandy Patinkin also throws in a great performance as a corrupt government official, but he’s good in everything that he does.

The story centers on Emily , a young woman that works as a photo editor for LIFE magazine. She ends up stumbling on a plot to smuggle Nazi war criminals into America. She also happens to be under investigation by the House of Un-American Activities for her role in a socialist club, but that is never really fully developed. The movie is mostly about her getting mixed up in the smuggling of the war criminals. Jeff Daniels plays an FBI agent that is supposed to be watching Emily but ends up falling in love with her and helping her solve the Nazi scandal.

The movie gets kind of silly when Emily is being chased on some ridiculous things like the rafters at Grand Central Station and through subway tunnels all while wearing high heels.
It’s pretty fun to see a movie that takes place during the red scare. The McCarthy hearings have always been very interesting to me. I only wish the movie would have been more about that instead of the Nazi smuggling.

I wouldn’t say this movie is a lost gem, but it’s not a complete waste of time like Eyewitness. Which is probably the worst film I have watched so far on my way to 300. A ranking list is definitely in order when this is all said and done. To get this done I am probably going to have to have a few days this year where I watch like 8 movies back to back. So if anyone is up for a film watching endurance test feel free to join me and help keep me awake.

Jeff Daniels takes us to the next movie which is 1996’s crime film 2 Days in the Valley.

Eyewitness (1981)

Eyewitness is an absolute boring waste of time. I can usually find something entertaining in the movies I watch, but this film has no redeeming qualities. The performances are flat and the story is a muddled mix of a crime thriller and a creepy romance. I am not going to waste time discussing this one in any kind of detail. James Woods was pretty good considering the material he had to work with, but Sigourney Weaver was just terrible.

A quick synopsis of the story goes something like this: William Hurt plays the lonely Vietnam Veteran who happens to now be a janitor in an office building. He has an unhealthy obsession with a TV reporter played by Sigourney. James Woods comes in as the wacky friend of the Janitor who is always in trouble. Long story short, the janitor tries to get a relationship going with the TV reporter by leading her on about how much information he has about a murder that took place in his building. He tries to come on to her and she shoots him down. This happens like 10 times. They barely reference the murder and that story line just kind of fades into the background. Either director Peter Yates is incompetent or the screenplay was absolutely horrible.



I am going to give Peter Yates a second chance and check out his 1988 drama The House of Carroll Street. It stars Jeff Daniels and I hope it doesn’t suck as much as this one did.

Once Upon a Time in America (1984)

This is a movie I have wanted to see for a very long time. It’s also a movie that you really need to schedule some time to watch, because it boasts a demanding 230-minute run time. This is director Sergio Leone’s last feature film and possibly his most masterful. Leone’s utilization of distinct sound effects, dramatic close-ups, and intertwining tender moments with very violent images is the work of a true cinematic genius.

The story presented in this film is very epic in nature. It chronicles the life of gangster David “Noodles” Aaronson, played by Robert De Niro, as he and his gang of misfit friends grow up during prohibition and get involved in organized crime. Leone freely plays with time as he goes back and forth throughout the narrative and makes excellent use of Ennio Morricone’s amazing score to tie it all together.



If you know Leone then you know Morricone. His scores have been used in most if not all of Leone’s films. His western scores are instantly recognizable and iconic. His score for this film gives it a timeless feeling and really helps tie all of the different time periods together nicely.

Let’s jump to the performances, De Niro is a force to be reckoned with but James Woods was the real surprise for me. I am not as familiar with Woods as I should be. Looking through his filmography I have seen a lot of his work but I guess I have just never paid attention to him. He is very powerful in this film as Noodles’ best friend and partner in crime. He exhibits some pretty raw emotion as his character deals with demons from his past and the more dangerous elements of his lifestyle.

Another cool thing about this movie is that during the childhood segments of the story all of the child actors are really good. I really hate when bad child acting ruins a good movie and Leone makes sure that doesn’t happen here.

If you love the Godfather or Goodfellas or any mobster film then you owe it to yourself to see this. If you are not a fan of the genre then watch this film just to see a master craftsman at work. In the days of cookie cutter blockbuster fare it is a really nice change of pace to see something that is created with passion and a love for the medium of film.

It’s time to look more into the work of James Woods. Up next I am going to watch his 1981 thriller Eyewitness. He stars opposite the gatekeeper herself Sigourney Weaver.