The Screen Addict Recommends โ ๐๐ป๐ถ๐บ๐ฎ๐น ๐๐ฎ๐ฐ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ ๐ซ
Double-Bill Alert!
Edward Furlong made this pair of phenomenal flicks in the timespan of just two years.
๐๐บ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ป ๐๐ถ๐๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ ๐ซ (๐ญ๐ต๐ต๐ด) is arguably the more revered film, but Steve Buscemiโs ๐๐ป๐ถ๐บ๐ฎ๐น ๐๐ฎ๐ฐ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ (๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ฌ) certainly deserves your eyeballs as well.
Edward Bunker (1933 - 2005), who based the source novel โThe Animal Factoryโ on his own prison experience and plays a bit part in the film, used to be Hollywoodโs go-to-guy for bringing authenticity to Crime stories.
He was a close friend of Michael Mann and famously worked on ๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ (๐ญ๐ต๐ต๐ฑ) as a technical advisor. Iโd say the proof is in the puddingโฆ
Fun fact: it is said that the character of โNateโ in Heat is based on Bunker.
And the trivia doesnโt stop there!
Bunker was also close with Heat and ๐๐ co-star Danny Trejo. The two met in Folsom Prison and went on to star in and consult on several big films together.
Hereโs another fun connection: Eight years before ๐๐, Buscemi and Bunker played Mr. Pink and Mr. Blue in Quentin Tarantinoโs ๐ฅ๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐ผ๐ถ๐ฟ ๐๐ผ๐ด๐ (๐ญ๐ต๐ต๐ฎ). Itโs all about relationships, peopleโฆ
The cast of ๐๐ is just stellar. In addition to Furlong, Bunker, Trejo and Buscemi, feast your eyes on Willem Dafoe, Chris Bauer and Tom Arnold, to name but a few. The absolute highlight for me however is Mickey Rourke, who plays a small but unforgettable part as a transvestite nicknamed โJan the Actressโ.
Iโve said it before and will say it again: Rourke is a fearless actor who deserves a lot more praise.
Films like ๐๐ and ๐๐๐ซ are rare these days. The theatrical component is gone, so the โbusiness modelโ just doesnโt make much sense anymore.
Also โ if we want to preserve titles like ๐๐ and ๐๐๐ซ, fingers crossed for the streamers to strike licensing deals (now ๐ข๐ฏ๐ฅ in the future) with whomever holds the rights.
Itโs either that or a trusty old DVDโฆ
Either way, seek โem out and get your fix!