90s Movie Review - Cape Fear

Director: Martin Scorsese
Genre: Thriller
Runtime: 128 minutes
Year: 1991
Starring: Robert De Niro, Nick Nolte, Jessica Lange, Juliette Lewis, Robert Mitchum, Gregory Peck

Description: A convicted rapist (Robert De Niro), released from prison after serving a fourteen-year sentence, stalks the family of the lawyer (Nick Nolte) who originally defended him.  
 
Review: This remake of the 1962 film of the same name was directed by none other than Martin Scorsese, who demonstrated for the first time that he could create an atmospheric thriller.

Max Cady is a convicted rapist, who is released after fourteen years. He starts stalking Sam Bowden and his family, because Bowden was his lawyer.

What makes this film so compelling is Robert De Niro’s extremely unsettling portrayal of Max Cady. He rightly deserved and Oscar nomination for his role as this psychopathic stalker, and this role is still considered one of his best to this day.

Scorsese himself was a big fan of the original and wanted to give it his own twist so that it wouldn’t resemble the original too closely. The result was certainly successful, as it contains many typical Scorsese aspects and he definitely gave it his own twist. The acting is great, the atmosphere is dark and grim, the story is well constructed and the final scene on the boat is really good.

Rating: 4/ 5

What's in a Movie Year - 1991

Taking a look at the year 1991, picking my 10 favorite movies from that year in random order.

Beauty and the Beast
An arrogant prince is cursed by a witch and turned into a beast. He can only become human again when someone learns to love him for who he is, before the last pebble of the magic rose falls. When he meets Belle, who is looking for her father, things change. This is still my favorite Disney animation to date and one of the best they studio ever created. The music is catchy and beautiful, the characters are memorable and loveable and the message is strong.

Point Break
An FBI-agent goes undercover to catch a gang of surfers who may be bank robbers. This is the ultimate 90s movie. Patrick Swayze and Keanu Reeves star in it and I think it became a cult classic over the years. Director Kathryn Bigelow treats her audience to a fantastic series of action sequences including skydiving.

JFK
It’s a visually engaging thriller about the assassination of president Kennedy. Director Oliver Stone unfolded a conspiracy theory, which was first written about in the book “On the Trail of the Assassins”, written by Jim Garrison, played by Kevin Costner in “JFK”.

Boyz ‘n the Hood
The directorial debut by John Singleton, about the life in a black community in South Central Los Angeles. The film shows a community that is constantly on edge, violence overshadows everything and there hardly needs to be a reason for it to burst. The film focuses on two brothers, Doughboy and Ricky. It’s a raw drama that is still relevant today.

Terminator 2: Judgment Day
In “The Terminator” from 1984, Arnold Schwarzenegger portrayed to cyborg for the first time. He’s back, and even better. One of the rare moments that a sequel is better then the original. This time Arnie is the good version of himself and tries to save John Connor, instead of killing him. It’s a strong action film with, for that time, groundbreaking special effects.

The Silence of the Lambs
Rookie FBI-agent Clarice Starling is investigating a series of murder. She has to interrogate a genius serial killer for this: Hannibal ‘the Cannibal’ Lecter. This character became an instant iconic villain due to Anthony Hopkins’ fantastic performance. And even though Jodie Foster as Starling is the lead, Hopkins steals every scene he is in.

Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves
The tale of Robin Hood is one of the most recycled stories in Hollywood. It’s been told in so many ways, but this has always been my favorite. Even though it’s definitely not the best, it holds a special place in my heart. After returning from his crusades, Robin Hood tries to defeat the Sheriff of Nottingham and save the woman he loves. Kevin Costner might not have been the best choice for Robin Hood, but I loved him. And Morgan Freeman, Alan Rickman and Christian Slater are all great. And my favorite song ever is from this movie.

Barton Fink
With this absurd tragic comedy and Hollywood satire, where a young playwriter starts working for a film studio, the Coen brothers proved their talent. And Especially in the bizarre dialogue. It’s probably an overlooked film by the directing brother duo, but its definitely one worth watching.

Cape Fear
Robert De Niro plays Max Cady, a convicted rapist released after serving a fourteen year sentence. He starts staling the family of the lawyer that originally defended him. In my post about movie remakes, I already stated that this was one of the few films that was better than its original. It’s not one of the first film you think of when talking about director Martin Scorsese or Robert De Niro, which is a shame.

The Addams Family
The film is based on a TV series. It follows scary Gomez Addams and his morbid wife Morticia, who have creepy kids and unpleasant house guests. And this morbid humor with unforgettable characters became an instant cult classic. The story isn’t really special, but it’s the characters and their trades that make this film so fun.

Movie Remakes That Were Better Than the Original

Remakes or reboots, not everyone is a fan of it. Neither am I, especially when it comes to the horror genre. I think it’s just a lack of inspiration and originality in Hollywood. But ever so often there is a remake that actually exceeds it predecessor. Only a short list, but here are the movie remakes that are (without a doubt) better than the original.

Little Shop of Horrors (1986) - Original from 1960
The film is considered a cult classic today. The original is from 1960 and was a low-budget film. Alan Menken and Howard Ashman turned it into a musical and that’s where the 1986 movie version is based on. It’s a dark comedy with catchy songs and fun performances by Rick Moranis and Steve Martin. There is another remake planned for “Little Shop of Horrors”.

The Thing (1982) – Original from 1951
“The Thing From Another World” was one of the best science fiction film of the 50s. But it was Jon Carpenter’s 1982 version that brought us the most scares and it grew out to be one of the most beloved horror classics.

The Fly (1986) – Original from 1958
The first “The Fly” was a science fiction horror film, about a scientist that accidentally turns into a fly. For the time, the late 50s, it was a pretty shocking film. But the remake from 1986, by director David Cronenberg, is so much better. And shocked even more. Jeff Goldblum, who plays the leading role, is transformed into a fly bringing it to us in a pretty graphic an gruesome way.

Scarface (1983) – Original from 1932
I think many people don’t even know that this is a remake, because Al Pacino is the only Tony Montana we can think of. And there is a reason for that, since the 1983 version is the one that impressed us and is a favorite for many movie fans.

Cape Fear (1991) – Original from 1962
One way to get on this list, is to remake a film that wasn’t that great to begin with. The original “Cape Fear” was a pretty bland thriller. Director J. Lee Thompson was replaced by Martin Scorsese and Robert De Niro took over the role that Gregory Peck played. There is a constant threat present and De Niro is fantastic in his role as the psychopath Max Cady.

Casino Royale (2006) - Original from 1967
James Bond is a franchise that reinvents itself each time. Since the Pierce Brosnan Bond movies weren’t all well-received, they decided to give 007’s image a boost. And that happened with “Casino Royale”, which is in my opinion even the best Bond movie ever made.

Mad Max: Fury Road (2015) – Original from 1979
Although the original is already pretty great, George Miller remade his own film and topped himself. Everything in this movie works, from the performances by Charlize Theron and Tom Hardy to the extreme action and stunt work. I think this is the most well-received remake ever.

Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978) – Original from 1956
It’s an intriguing remake of the Sci-fi classic from 1956. Alien plant lifeform takes over the body and personalities of people. How this works stays unclear until the end, but the genius of this film is that everyone is suspicious and you don’t know who is human and who’s been taken over. The way the camera moves and sudden close-ups build up the tension. And then there is that shriek….