PLANET GRIFFIN is not adverse to throwing in the odd curve once and awhile, and tonight shall serve as no exception. Let's take a trip back to 2005...
NUMBER 16:
KISS KISS BANG BANG
This movie is definitely a change of pace. Not only does this action-comedy mark the return to form of Robert Downey, Jr. (just before he donned the Marvel metal suit... Actually, the REASON he was chosen to don the suit... ), but the long-awaited return of 80's action writer SHANE BLACK who wrote and directed this little diddy--- and for those of you who actually doesn't know who Shane Black is, then you probably know some of his work... Writer/creator of the LETHAL WEAPON series and the infamous LONG KISS GOODNIGHT!
Harry Lockhart (Downey, Jr.) doubles as a clumsy thief who stumbles into the world of private investigations and the narrator of the film, trying to survive L.A. and a twisted murder mystery which allies him with a homosexual P.I. (Val Kilmer) and a struggling actress (Michelle Monaghan) who shares a past with Harry. Pulp-Noir mystery has never been funnier as the movie plays out in chapters and parallels the writings of Johnny Gossamer, a fictional pulp character/series mentioned in the film. From urinating on corpses to losing a finger to the hilarious attempts to save said finger later make for classic moments that you've gotta see to believe.
KISS KISS BANG BANG biggest draw above all else is in its dialogue--- sharp, smart, and whiplash quick:
Harry: You're a private investigator named 'Gay'Perry...?
Perry: ... Yeah...?
Harry: Still gay?
Genius, folks. I recommend this flick as a perfect example of metafiction and character development to any writer looking for a mystery that WILL keep you guessing and distracted by the comedy until you learn the answer. Robert Downey, Jr. proves that he's an actor who's destined for the A-List, and Shane Black is right behind him. Due to the movie's limited release, this film passed by alot of people, but it's cult of personality is beginning to make a second comeback on DVD ( I urge you to go out and cop one). This is PLANET GRIFFIN and the Next Top Ten.
2 comments:
you know how i feel about Shane Black... he should be a household name. i'm sure that anyone who writes action movies knows him. he needs to write comics! he'd be a natural!
We definitely think like twins on this one, as Shane Black helped define the American Action film smartly, as opposed to simple Bruckheimer pyrotechnics.
The funny part is that Kiss Kiss Bang Bang was partly made as a scathing love letter to Hollywood, which made him a hot property again, but pissed off those high in the Hollywood Echelon--- talk about catch-22! With that said, I would love to see Black's take on the current comics industry!
Post a Comment