Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Narc

This is topic Narc in forum Film Handlers' Movie Reviews at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

To visit this topic, use this URL:
https://ft-forum.com/ft/cgi-bin/ubb/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=4;t=000482

Posted by Paul Linfesty (Member # 214) on 01-11-2003, 10:16 PM:

Theatre: Regal's Edwards Bakersfield 14

Attendance: January 11, 2003, 2:15 perf. Attendence very poor, may be due to the fact that Paramount is the only studio that has no display ads in the local papers (they still do co-op advertising in the valley here, but we no longer have theatres that will participate. All other distributors do the ad buys now.)

Presentation: 1.85 image was projected about 2 to 1, but perfectly centered, well lit and focused. Sound was excellent, but reel 3 of the DTS feature was noticably out of sync.

I don't know about this one. Twenty years ago it would have made an impact. Unfortunately, it plays more like an episode of a TV cop show. Which isn't bad, except, unlike the current crop of TV shows, there's not a whole lot of time to get to know these characters. Television has really excelled lately in this genre, with shows like HOMICIDE (my personal favorite), THE SHIELD, ROBBERY HOMICIDE DIVISION, and BOOMTOWN. It covers territory told in far more human terms in the film RUSH, also starring Jason Patric. The story of undercover NARCS becoming addicted in the process is nothing new in fictional storytelling, but this movie sure presents it like it is. Gritty filmmaking style loses its effect on the big screen when one has seen it over and over on the small one. It's not unwatchable, but probably works better on the small screen today, especially with the lack of emotional depth it displays.

BTW,just how many production entities does one (assumingly) moderate-budgeted film need these days? I've seen a lot in recent years, but this one takes the cake. If Hollywood really wants to save money on 35mm prints, credit inflation would be a good place to start.