The 10th season of Moviedrome ends with a double-bill consisting of two crime thrillers helmed by Frenchmen.
Leon: The Professional (1994)
I have posted a youtube video link below to Moviedrome presenter Mark Cousins introduction to French cult director Luc Besson’s 1994 action classic Leon: The Professional. Readers can also read Cousins intro transcript here. The episode’s original airdate was November 15, 1998 (read here). I agree with all of the praise that Cousins showers on this film.
Here is a youtube video link to Mark Cousins Moviedrome intro to Leon: The Professional
Here is a youtube video link to the film’s original theatrical trailer
Le Samourai (1967)
I have posted a youtube video link below to Moviedrome presenter Mark Cousins introduction to legendary French director Jean-Pierre Melville’s 1967 neo-noir classic Le Samourai. Readers can also read Cousins intro transcript here. The episode’s original airdate was November 16, 1998 (read here). Once again, I agree with everything Cousins states here about this masterpiece. If any of you readers are interested, here is a list of my favorite Jean-Pierre Melville films (read here).
Here is a youtube video link to Mark Cousins Moviedrome intro to Le Samourai
Here is a youtube video link to the film’s original theatrical trailer
cinematiccoffee 
I’ve only seen some of Leon: The Professional. I haven’t seen all of it and I haven’t seen La Samourai.
John, did you watch any of the films I recommended? If so, any thoughts?
Two of my favourites!
Once again I haven’t seen either film, which seems to be a recurring theme, for me, during Mark Cousin’s tenure.
Two fabulous films, though I thought Gary Oldman overacted in ‘Leon’.
I had my review of ‘Le Samourai’ published online. here’s a link.
https://aworldoffilm.com/2014/02/18/le-samourai-1967-jean-pierre-melville-pete-johnson/
Best wishes, Pete.
Watched Leon the Professional a few times. That makes it a classic. Great Cast. Don’t know a thing about Le Samourai? but I’ve surely missed more great movies than I’ve seen.
Please do check out ale Samourai because it is a highly influential French crime classic 🙂 Anyway, thanks for dropping by 🙂
Thank you for the links Pete 🙂 When I am not so busy, I will check them out 🙂 Anyway, thanks for dropping by 🙂
I hear ya Paul 🙂 It seems that a lot of folks preferred the Alex Cox years 🙂 Anyway, thanks for dropping by 🙂
So I see and Le Samourai has often been cited as one of many influences behind John Woo’s The Killer 🙂 Anyway, thanks for dropping by 🙂
Steve, I finished watching part 1 of the longer version of Blood Ties and I love it so far – now I have to watch parts 2 and 3 🙂
John, the Moviedrome intros to Face to Face, Requiescant and Coogan’s Bluff have been uploaded to youtube!!!
They’re on a channel called Stupid Owl.
I’m just thrilled, ecstatic and overjoyed that they have been uploaded.
What do you think of these intros?
Thank you for the info Steve 🙂 I just posted the links to them on the respective blog entries shortly 🙂 As for when I will post my list of my top 10 favorite films of all-time, that will be very early December cause it has been said that that is when Sight & Sound magazine will post their 10 year annual greatest films ever made poll 🙂 As for my opinion on the aforementioned intros, I love them every bit as much as you do 🙂 That picture of Cox meeting Carlo Lizzani (the director of Requiescant) is worthy of a fanboy moment 🙂 Cox’s take on Gian Maria Volente regarding Face to Face was insightful as well 🙂 I also love Cox’s take on the contrast between Clint Eastwood in Coogan’s Bluff and Dirty Harry 🙂
The intro to Coogan’s Bluff is excellent but I really love the intros to Face To Face and Requiescant. They are fantastic and I think they are among the best Moviedrome intros Alex did. They’re great because Italian westerns are Alex’s great love and he is one of the planet’s leading experts on the genre and what he says about both films is so insightful and interesting so I am very pleased that these intros are back.
I also watched another poliziotteschi which was Blood and Diamonds (1977) or Diamanti sporchi di sangue directed by Ferando DiLeo. It’s a good and solid film which I recommend. It’s on youtube but you’ll need to watch with English auto translate. The film got a Blu release by 88 Films which is also available in the US.
Once you’ve finished the lists and some of the other writing It would be good if could watch a few poliziotteschis again and maybe parts 2 and 3 of Blood Ties too.
Alex also mentioned how Gian Maria Volonte was in Sacco and Vanzetti (1971). That film has a release by Kino Lorber with a commentary by Alex.
kinolorber.com/product/sacco-vanzetti-blu-ray-1
Francesco Rosi’s Lucky Luciano also has a Kino Lorber release but Alex isn’t on the extras which is odd as he is a fan of the film. He mentions it in the Face To Face intro too.
About that film, I thought the first 45 minutes or so was excellent and then the rest of the film was quite forgettable so it’s an uneven film for me.
Another intro has been uploaded!! What do you think of it?
And any thoughts on the two previous posts I wrote here?
Hey Steve 🙂 I am actually going to be posting my thoughts on the newly released Sight & Sound poll soon along with my 10 personal picks 🙂 As for the film, which is A Walk on the Wild Side, I thought it was okay, but it has a typically phenomenal title sequence designed by the late great Saul Bass 🙂
I knoq you’ve been busy with your top ten list which is beautifully written and I congratulate you for but what do you think of this Moviedrome intro and what Alex has to say? Also, do you have any thoughts on my previous two posts here. The polziotteschi I recommended etc.
Thank you for the kind words as always Steve 🙂 I actually wrote a blog entry on it back in 2020 and I may need a fresh viewing in order to elaborate more on Cox’s thoughts. When I first saw Walk on the Wild Side, I ran hot and cold on it. In other words, I felt that it never really electrified like it should despite a characteristically fantastic 🙂 I hope what I said helped Steve 🙂
Sorry for the late replies Steve – been busy 🙂 As for his thoughts on Requiescant and Face to Face, I could not agree more 🙂 I am quite aware that he seems to love Requiescant much more though 🙂 Nevertheless, he still does find Face to Face entertaining 🙂 Reading both of these intros feels like reading an insightful passage from his great book on spaghetti westerns 10000 Ways to Die 🙂
I have yet to check out Blood and Diamonds, but thank you for the heads up. When I get the chance, I shall watch it 🙂
I know that I have not finished watching parts 2 and 3 of Blood Ties and I am more than well overdue. Nevertheless, I shall get to them. If not now, then by late January early February 🙂
I too noticed that Steve 🙂 Need to check that one out as well 🙂
I know you once told me that Joe Dallesandro would have been perfect as Lucky Luciano (or at least in the younger years), so I was forward to your opinion on it. I personally love Lucky Luciano (after all, I am a huge Francesco Rosi fan), but your view is understandable and I can see why you felt it was uneven 🙂
I love Alex’s intro to Walk On The Wild Side. I think it’a great intro. It’s very insightful as you’d expect. I like how Alex mentions the Lou Reed song of the same name. He has a big error here though about Bridget Fonda. She is actually the niece of Jane FondA.
As for the film. It’s good and solid with good direction, script and performances but it isn’t anything exceptional. The most famous thing about the film is Saul Bass’ opening credits which are the reason why this film was shown on Moviedrome.
This is the first Alex intro that wasn’t previously on youtube to be uploaded since the summer of last year so it’s really been a while. There’s now 86 Alex intros on youtube and 55 left to be uploaded. I definitely think more will be. It’s just a bit of a wait.
Blood and Diamonds is a good film.
The complete 3 part Blood Ties might be my second favourite miniseries. If only it could get a release in English. It was a co-production of Showtime and Italian TV. Apparently the miniseries version was only shown on Italian TV and the shortened movie length version was shown on Showtime and then got a small theatrical release and was then released on video in the US and UK. It was never released on DVD unfortunately.
Another very good miniseries is a 4 part BBC miniseries called The Long Firm. It’s a gangster series. Mark Strong plays a Ronnie Kray-like 1960s London mob boss. Phil Daniels from Quadrophenia and Scum is in episode 3 playing Jack ‘The Hat’ McVitie. Episodes 3 and 4 are great. I recommend that show. It’s on youtube.
Joe Dallesandro played Lucky Luciano in The Cotton Club. He was great in the role. He looked a lot like the younger Luciano and completely nailed his personality. It would’ve been good if he had played Luciano in a whole movie or miniseries. He was the perfect Luciano.