MovieChat Forums > Sharky's Machine (1981) Discussion > Dialogue has an Altman-esque quality

Dialogue has an Altman-esque quality

posted 9 years ago by filmklassik
4 replies | jump to latest

I wonder how much of it was improvised.

And I wonder how much better it would've been if it wasn't. Probably a lot.

Although I will admit that Casey's monologue about facing down the guy with the .357 when he was working as a young patrolman is priceless.

The movie itself feels ragged and "loose," though... undisciplined... as if Reynolds was far more interested in capturing lively moments among his cast than in delivering a tight, involving thriller.

[–] HowYaLikeDemApplesWill 9 years ago

So you're saying it's stylish, over substance? Maybe so, but what great style it is.

Michael Mann would approve....

Whose idea was it for the word "Lisp" to have an "S" in it?

[–] filmklassik 8 years ago

-- particularly in the thriller genre.

You brought up Michael Mann just now, and a few of Mann's movies (but by no means all of them) boast a lot of style and substance.

I am talking now about HEAT and, especially, THIEF, from 1981.

The best thrillers have both.

[–] HowYaLikeDemApplesWill 8 years ago

Completely agree with both of those.

Manhunter might lean more towards the style v substance, but the source material was so good, it is also one of my favorites and put's the remake Red Dragon to shame, even though that movie boasts the more famous Hannibal Lector.

Whose idea was it for the word "Lisp" to have an "S" in it?

[–] Jones70 (6872) 4 years ago

Hmm makes me wanna watch this movie again.