THE DANMAN CAN

Freeway (1996), Matthew Bright ’s darkly hilarious take on Little Red Riding Hood , treads in similar ground to other scuzzy ‘90s crime films, but it does a commendable job of subverting expectations a number of times.  At only 19, Reese Witherspoon is as good here as she is in 1999's Election [ review ] and really leaves an impression. Kiefer Sutherland takes a bit of a backseat to Witherspoon, screen time-wise, but is perfectly sinister as a pedo predator. Brittany Murphy , in a smaller role, is as awkward, weird, and charming as she was in the following year’s Drive [ review ]. Danny Elfman 's score is a fun one, before he started churning out bland sonic wallpaper.  I love the genre-mashing happening in this trash odyssey—it dabbles in street drama, serial killer psychological horror, women’s prison picture, and road movie, all while maintaining a blackly comic sense of humor (featuring some amazingly inappropriate dialogue). The film takes a little bit of time to get...

Matthew Bright ’s Ted Bundy (2002) is a very conflicted and conflicting film. The tone is odd—at times it feels exploitative, at times comedic, other times very straightforward and purposely unremarkable (the desaturated, almost flat look gives it a realism and ‘70s feel).  Michael Reilly Burke 's committed portrayal of one of America's most famous and charismatic serial killers is quite good and  Boti Bliss ' performance is also noteworthy. The film can be a bit repetitive, doesn't delve into the character's backstory, and has a weirdly anachronistic score. This is nothing like Bright's over the top  Freeway  (1996) [ review ] and honestly doesn't feel like the same filmmaker made it (which is probably appropriate, given the horrific content based on real-life crimes). I can't say I loved the movie, but, for the most part, it's well-made. Recommended for fans of  Henry: Portrait Of A Serial Killer   (1986) [ review ],  Man Bites Dog   (1992) [ r...

Matthew Bright ’s direct-to-video in-name-only sequel, Freeway II: Confessions Of A Trickbaby  (1999), offers up another trash odyssey, dabbling in the same genre-mashing as its 1996 predecessor [ review ]. You have a bit of the women’s prison picture, the serial killer psychological horror film, and the road movie—all laced throughout with Bright's blackly comic sense of humor.  As with the first film, the story concerns a troubled young girl—whom the system has failed—on a dark journey to redemption. Bright again taps into Brothers Grimm folk tale lore—while  Freeway   was a take on  Little Red Riding Hood , for FWII  it's  Hansel And Gretel . This time around, we follow a duo (one of which is a serial killer and a lesbian) so there's more of a  Natural Born Killers   (1994) [ review ] (if it were made by John Waters ) or Thelma & Louise (1991) [ review ] (if it were made by Gregg Araki ) feel to the film. (Coincidentally  O...

Freeway (1996), Matthew Bright ’s darkly hilarious take on Little Red Riding Hood , treads in similar ground to other scuzzy ‘90s crime films, but it does a commendable job of subverting expectations a number of times.  At only 19, Reese Witherspoon is as good here as she is in 1999's  Election  [ review ] and really leaves an impression. Kiefer Sutherland takes a bit of a backseat to Witherspoon, screen time-wise, but is perfectly sinister as a pedo predator. Brittany Murphy , in a smaller role, is as awkward, weird, and charming as she was in the following year’s  Drive  [ review ]. I had no idea going into Freeway that Danny Elfman composed the film, so that was a welcome surprise—particularly because it’s a fun score, before Elfman started churning out bland sonic wallpaper.  I love the genre-mashing happening in this trash odyssey—it dabbles in street drama, serial killer psychological horror, women’s prison picture, and road movie, all while...