Enemy of the State (1998)

When I saw “Enemy of the State” in 1998 I loved it as a shockingly smart, electric child to the 1974 classic thriller “The Conversation.” Will Smith here plays a D.C. lawyer trapped in an impossible conspiracy involving the National Security Agency, portrayed as a power-mad and secret-crazed demon of data collection, snooping, and illegal spying, with anyone in its way, hunted for  life or left for dead. “There’s no such thing as privacy,” one character says. Director Tony Scott (RIP) and his writers must have seen the future. This is our reality. Our now. The NSA owns us. We willingly gave ourselves over. Now, the great cinematic trick: When Smith’s lawyer – arrogant, a cheater, way too assured of himself – falls hard, his only savior is an ex-snoop played by Gene Hackman, who played an expert snooper in “Conversation.” The casting is genius. Smart. Instant built-in background. The character names may be different, but the faces match. Fast paced with crackling dialogue and action, I once got a giddy charge out of nerds at computers handed the power of America. Now I see it as evil truth. Name one other film more precognisant. A

The Hunger (1983)

“The Hunger” is so ’80s, I felt like popping over to MTV for a full night of music videos and the Moon Man. Drenched in equal parts German techno rock and blood, with sex on top, Tony Scott’s gothic thriller follows a love triangle between a vampire (Catherine Denevue), her undead boy toy (David Bowie), and a NYC doc (Susan Sarandon) who studies aging disorders, ironic as Denevue’s blood-sucker won’t age and Bowie’s poor sap is dying fast no matter how much young blood he drinks. (The couple tutors a neighbor girl on violin; let’s just say Mom and dad deserve a refund.) I won’t dive too much into plot or fates, but I can’t let go the bat-shit-crazy WTF studio-demanded epilogue that takes a stake and a blowtorch to every nuance and act of violence that came before it, all for the hope of a sequel. (Why!?!) It does not help that Scott, being Scott, overloads on smash edits, hellish strobe lights, and making everything so serious. A sex scene with Denevue and Sarandon should not be boring. Scott makes it boring. Hunger is overstuffed from the start. Often, being left hungry for more is better. Is it not? C+

Unstoppable (2010)

“Unstoppable” describes the runaway freight train, stacked with toxins and untold gallons of fuel, at the heart of this nail-bitter thriller from Tony “Top Gun” Scott. It is wildly entertaining, flat out fun, and focuses on regular guys. Men you would find at the diner at 5 a.m., wolfing down breakfast before work. The two leads are Denzel Washington and Chris Pine. For once, Scott’s roving, bouncing camera serves a purpose as the out-of-control train barrels down rail tracks, smashing through horse trailers and the egos of the know-it-all execs at the freight company. Enter Washington’s engineer, thisclose to forced retirement, and Pine, a young conductor out on his – naturally – maiden voyage. Washington reels in his charisma, yet owns the film. Pine still plays the smart ass hero card he did in 2009’s “Star Trek” reboot. Wildly smart editing, a sound design to die for, and spot-on special effects keep this film on track. I hated the constant Fox News corporate synergy, but I’d gladly take this ride again. B+