Cape Fear

Day 199 - 7/18/09 - Movie #199

BEFORE: Another De Niro performance that got a lot of buzz over the years, which I never just sat down and watched before - which is the point of this whole exercise. I admit a couple of the De Niro films in the last couple weeks have been fillers to pad out the list - but not this one. Should be all thriller, no filler...

THE PLOT: A convicted rapist, released from prison after serving a 14 year sentence, stalks the family of the lawyer who originally defended him.

AFTER: The first time we see De Niro's Max Cady, he's doing those crazy "Travis Bickle" push-ups - then a few scenes later we see him in a movie theater, laughing hysterically while watching the film "Problem Child" - so now we know he's clearly deranged!

I never saw the original version either - but it's a real nice touch to include both Gregory Peck AND Robert Mitchum from the original in small roles here (and Martin Balsam too, I later found out...) Also appearing are Joe Don Baker and "Law & Order's" Fred Dalton Thompson.

Max Kady is an obvious villain (maybe a little too obvious) but Nick Nolte's Sam Bowden isn't exactly innocent either, in fact he's sort of responsible for the monster's creation. My recurring theme this week seems to be - "Do two wrongs make a right?" Or in this case, three - we have Kady's original crime, Bowden's improper acts defending him as a lawyer, and then Kady stalking Bowden's family in retaliation. So clearly two wrongs DON'T make a right, and it's Bowden's family (and anyone else in the immediate area) that pays the price.

Kady's willing to go a very long way to prove his point - the final 1/2 hour is absolutely gripping, and Kady's like the Energizer Bunny of movie villains. Shoot him, stab him, burn him, he just keeps on going.

RATING: 8 out of 10 cigars

DENIR-O-METER: 10 - for bringing the full-on crazy