Running Scared (2006)

[hellbred]

Rating:
- 4/4 Stars

Overview/Story:
Low-level gangster Joey Gazelle(Paul Walker) has been given the task of disposing of the Perello crime family's dirty work for over a decade. One afternoon in Grimley, NJ.. Joey and two of his fellow partners are in the midst of a standard drug deal when 3 corrupt NJ police officers break in the room. During the panic, Tommy Parello(Johnny Messner) shoots and kills one of the officers and orders Joey to get rid of the weapon by all means. After disobeying his orders, Joey's son's friend steals the gun after seeing Joey hide it and uses the weapon to shoot his abusive father, afterwhich, all hell breaks loose! Several events take place which allow the gun to find it's way into the hands of several people, all with different stories and unaware of the value the weapon holds to the small New Jersey mafia family. Joey Gazelle now embarks on an 18-hour, non-stop ride to re-aquire the weapon before the cops, and his boss find it first. The scenario plays out with several obstacles that land in Joey's lap which he must face in order to save his life and his family's.

Cast & Info:
Paul Walker, Cameron Bright, Vera Farmiga, Chazz Palminteri, Johnny Messner
Director: Wayne Kram
Release Date: Feb. 24, 2006 (in theaters)
Running Time: 119 minutes
MPAA Rating: R
Official Website: http://www.runningscaredthemovie.com/
Official Trailer: http://www.apple.com/trailers/newline/running_scared/

First 10 Minutes:
The first 10 minutes of Running Scared are extremely intense, which creates the edge-of-your-seat feeling through the rest of the movie, so get used to it! It immediately jumps into who Joey is, what kind of person he is... his personality, family life, his job, everything. On a less happy note, it also starts off with what will become the most important scene in the entire film which is the "Drug Deal" scene in which the corrupt NJ cop gets wasted. This scene was done to a "T" perfectly! The intensity of the shoot out is one I've yet to see since Scarface's final shoot out. It's pretty hot. The director also uses forward and reverse motion filming to create a before and after effect on the shoot out, as well as point of view shots of the bullets hitting different people and objects. For the lack of explaining the entire scene, by the end of it all.. you're like "whoa!"...times 10.. basically. After this shoot out the 3 crime partners rush back to their safe spot, but before hand tell Joey he better get rid of the pistol. Joey heads home to his family which are quite normal to surprise. Beautiful wife, smart kid.. everything appears normal! immediately upon entering his home you're hit with a nice little almost-sex scene between Joey and his wife on top of the laundry machine. It definately gets pretty into at times with Paul Walker attempting to give his wife oral sex with her panties half on, and the ladies will be happy to know you catch about a 3 second shot of Paul Walkers ass. Whoopee? Nonetheless, the first 10 minutes of this film has some of the most important information, and throws you RIGHT into the action... which doesn't stop for the whole movie. With a complex plot that unspools with surprising clarity, Running Scared displays a reckless intensity.

Director:
Director Wayne Kramer's use of projectory of the filming is very cool at times. The way a bullet may rewind itself from a wall super fast as to foretell what is ABOUT to happen, or his crazy mockery of the MPAA to have such an explicit oral sex scene and to push his limits, which is exactly what he did in this film. His deput directing of Blazeland(1992) led to several more films afterwards like Mindhunters which will also be a TV-series in mid 2006. For a director which hasn't been acredited for many movies, he did an excellent job in this film to make the good guys look good, and the bad guys look bad. VERY bad. He also takes approahes from movies like FREEWAY and FREEWAY II to show the perception of a young boy and his jouney into the unknown, all the while never experiencing anything like what he is forced to encounter. Not the best director in my book, but definately plays one hell of job in Running Scared with his mix of Story, Mafia, Sex, Wierdness, Pimps, and Blood.

Checklist:
Weird, Crazy, Sexy, Absurd, Chaotic... Stuff (may contain small spoilers)

// Extreme sex scenes. Oral sex. Paul Walker's Ass. Titty clubs with... titties.
// Abused son shoots his Russian mob father.
// Lots of shooting, setting-of fire, blood, bashing, and blowing up.
// Cliche, white-suited pimp who actually exclaims "I'm a Mac Daddy Pimp!".. and means it.
// Hookers who get beat for carrying around GED study guides.
// Cheerful pedophiles who kidnap girls and boys to make snuff films.
// Seeing Paul walker take not one, not two, but THREE hockey pucks to the face... check.
// An ending that will totally throw you out of your seat!

Conclusion:
I'm going to say this is NOT ONE to wait for rental. Go experience it in theaters, you'll be glad you did if you're someone who enjoys gangster/mafia movies and appreciates a films talented use of low-lit atmospheres, spinning camera action, and non-stop, hardcore fun. Really... I can not honestly remember one point in the film where something crazy WASN'T going on. For the whole 119 minutes they have you crazy-insane wanting to know what's all really happening, and in the end you get a pleasent surprise and a conclusion to a crazy unraveled story. Hope you all enjoy it!