Wittgenstein and Modernism
Michael LeMahieu and Karen Zumhagen-Yekple
Book
Ludwig Wittgenstein famously declared that philosophy "ought really to be written only as a form of...
Elliott Carter
Book
This compact introduction to the life and works of composer Elliott Carter provides a fresh...
Sir Walter Raleigh
Book
Sir Walter Raleigh was truly the Renaissance man of Elizabethan England: soldier and diplomat...
Buffy the Vampire Slayer - Season 4
TV Season Watch
Sarah Michelle Gellar takes on the role of Buffy Summers in this TV version of "Buffy the Vampire...
William Friedkin recommended The Night of the Hunter (1955) in Movies (curated)
Writings and Drawings
Book
James Thurber, whimsical fantasist and deadpan chronicler of everyday absurdities, brought American...
Spielberg
TV Show Watch
Filmmaker Steven Spielberg and his colleagues discuss the classic movies that made him famous,...
documentary biography
Gareth von Kallenbach (971 KP) rated Bullet to the Head (2013) in Movies
Aug 7, 2019
Stallone plays James Bonomo, a.k.a. Jimmy Bobo, a thug with a long rap sheet and few friends. After celebrating a successful contract hit, his partner is brutally killed and an attempt is made on Jimmy’s life as well. Suspecting that they’d been setup, James reluctantly meets with a D.C. detective named Taylor Kwon (Sung Kang), who is in town to investigate the murder of his former partner. Fate forces the duo to work with one another despite Kwon’s by-the-book nature and utter disdain for James and his choice of profession. The two soon uncover a large conspiracy that threatens not only their lives but the cities very powerful and elite, making the duo the prime targets for those who will stop at nothing.
Despite having a fairly formulaic plot, the film works very well, thanks in large part to the cast. The two leads work very well with one another, and the fine supporting work by Jason Momoa and Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje really set the tone. The action in the film is intense and at times brutal but does not seem gratuitous, making it clear that the characters live in a violent world where accepting death is second nature to the urge to kill.
Stallone gives a very physical performance as the world weary James and you can tell that he went all out for the films action sequences despite the toll his body had to take. The film is based on the graphic novel “Du Plomb dans la Tête” and captures the elements of a classic film noir, with the action of a buddy cop film without pandering to many of the genre stereotypes.
While I enjoyed Schwarzenegger’s “The Last Stand” a bit more, I was very surprised at how enjoyable the film was after being underwhelmed by the trailer. In the end, if you’re a fan of Stallone, and love a good action film, then this is one you will not want to miss.
Sweet Smell of Success
Book
The highest artistic achievement of Hecht-Hill-Lancaster, an innovative production company that...
Edmund Spenser: A Life
Book
Edmund Spenser's innovative poetic works have a central place in the canon of English literature....