Desperate Hours

A Tarantino flick before they existed

An intelligent sociopathic convict (Mickey Rourke) escapes custody in Salt Lake City and meets up with his brother (Elias Koteas) and their hulking, dull-witted collaborator (David Morse). They need a place to hide out until the masterminds defense lawyer can catch up with them (Kelly Lynch) and so randomly choose the Cornells abode in the suburbs due to its "For Sale" sign (Anthony Hopkins & Mimi Rogers).

Desperate Hours (1990) is a quirky crime thriller by Michael Cimino that updates the book/play/movie from 1954-55.

Some people don't 'get' this flick. It walks the balance beam between seriousness and parody or black humor. Lindsay Crouse's amusingly over-the-top FBI chief is a good ...

OK, it's not Bogie. Let's get that out of the way from the start. People are going to hate this on principal because it doesn't have Bogart in it...

...and that is fair.

People like me are also going to hate this out the door not only because it doesn't have Bogie in it but also because it is a remake...

...and that is also a fair hate.

but if you get beyond that, it is really an entertaining thriller in the strictest late 80s early 90s thriller sense and just as flawed as all of them from that era.

Artistically, it's really an 80s stock thriller with 90s cinematography. Neither bad nor good. Neither terrible nor great.

However, it is an entertaining movie to watch, it's gripping and thrilling enough to keep you in a good ...