Following a string of what would be iconic roles in classic films (The Godfather: Part II, Taxi Driver, Raging Bull) and incredible performances in really good movies (The Deer Hunter, The King Of Comedy, Midnight Run), De Niro had, in a very short period of time, built the body of work of which legends are made.
Mrs. Film Geek and I were fans of De Niro. Serious fans. Recently married, we were just starting to build a life together. Money was tight, and entertainment that cost anything more than nothing was rare. Once a month we'd go out to eat and see a movie afterwards, and we really cherished that weekend.
We looked forward to it, and planned it with excitement and great anticipation.
That's why I'm still pissed off that I spent $14 for tickets and $18 for concessions on the opening night of Night And The City!De Niro, as bumbling, dirtball attorney Harry Fabian, never rose above the too-complicated-to-follow and tell-me-why-I-should-care script. And Jessica Lange's Helen was completely unbelievable.
On top of the $32 we spent at the theater, Mrs. Film Geek and I hit a nearby Shoney's afterwards for a cup of coffee and two orders of fudge cake. We probably shouldn't have paid the additional $12, but we needed something to get our mind off the piece of crap movie we'd just paid good money to see. The fudge cake, at least, was really good.
Night And The City? Not so much. It was so bad, in fact, it still haunts me.
5 comments:
You can't go wrong with fudge cake from Shoney's.
P.S. I've heard very bad things about De Niro and Pacino's current offering.
It couldn't have been any worse than "The Score," with Robert De Niro and Edward Norton from 2001. One would have high hopes for two great actors in an action movie. One might expect adventure, original plot twists, sit-on-the-edge-of-your-seat excitement, pulse-quickening action, and maybe some intelligent comedy. I remember being at the theater then, and trying to choose between "Legally Blonde" and "The Score," thinking "Legally Blonde" would be idiotic and a big waste of time. I always regret not making the choice to see "Legally Blonde," every time I catch it on cable and laugh and laugh. Watching "The Score" was torture. It was about the two men breaking into a museum and stealing a jewel. And that is ALL. Horrible, horrible. I'm still sad about it.
Hey Hoyt: You are right, you can't. Hot fudge cake at Shoney's has played a very important role in my life. Lots of decisions have been made over the dessert.
Hiya, Read Me: You are right, it wasn't as bad as The Score.I saw that one too, and was really anticipating a great movie--Nortan is a favorite, as is De Niro, and Brando had a role in it too. What a stinkier. A horrible flick.
(I laughed at Legally Blonde, too!)
Hmm, I liked NaTC. But I really liked the original, so that probably explains it.
Oh yeah, and I loved The Score. Ed Norton rocked it!
Jackie: I don't know nothin' 'bout no original (other than it was at artsy-fartsy flick I never watched.)But I sure wanted to like the De Niro version...
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