I can’t help but feel that big brother Ridley borrowed a lot from younger brother Tony on his 1989 film Black Rain, which feels more aesthetically and thematically inspired by stuff like The Hunger, Top Gun, Beverly Hills Cop 2, and the rushes he presumably saw while Tony was shooting Revenge, than Ridley’s own The Duellists, Alien, Blade Runner, Legend, and Someone to Watch Over Me. The excessive smoke-effects and highly atmospheric production design definitely shared some similarities to Blade Runner, but for me, Black Rain feels like the sort of super-slick yet still gritty high concept actioner that Tony would become famous for, while Ridley spent the years chasing prestige and clout. Michael Douglas was all leather-jacket-fucking-awesome in this film, Andy Garcia was terrific support, and I loved how the film blended elements of classic cop noir with the modernized Yakuza picture. Jan de Bont’s rough yet elegant cinematography was sensational, and really pops on the Blu-ray format, while Hans Zimmer’s evocative score sets the mood immediately, lending menace and intrigue to the highly textured visuals courtesy of Scott and de Bont. Norris Spencer’s detailed production design lent believability to every location; this film feels exotic in a way that I can’t really put into words. Violent, sexy, and hard-charging all the way through to the finale, this is one of three Ridley efforts that feel very “Tony” for me as a viewer (G.I. Jane and Body of Lies are the other two that also feel rock-and-roll-Tony), and it underscores the fact that when not trying to please the Academy, Ridley can really nail genre-based entertainment.
Podcasting Them Softly 