After Hours

Another movie from the eighties. Released in 1985, written by Joseph Minion and directed by Martin Scorsese, is rated R and lasts 97 minutes.

The plot is about a single night in the life of a corporate computer geek, passing time after work in an uptown diner reading Tropic of Cancer, a pretty girl entices this lonely man into a chaotic SoHo evening. Under the auspices of buying a bagel and creme cheese sculpture, Paul visits the girl he just met in the diner. Marcy's odd behavior eventually make Paul run for the bushes, he then begins a journey through the streets of SoHo, systematically and innocently causing every person he meets to become part of a vigilante mob wanting to bash him to bits. Paul ends up escaping in a body cast of paper mache stolen by Pepe and Neil. Being the inept thieves that only Cheech and Chong can play, the body cast falls out of their van during the dawn getaway, the cast breaks open in the street right in front of Paul's business. He goes to work and the movie is over.
Griffin Dunne plays Paul Hackett, the lead roll of the movie. Paul is the
geek that needs excitement in his life and gets more that he could imagine. I had forgotten that Dunne was in the movie An American Werewolf in London. Griffin is the son of writer-producer Dominic Dunne and sister of the deceased Dominique Dunne, actress known from the movie Poltergeist and murdered by a stalker in 1983.

Rosanna Arquette plays Marcy Franklin, this movie is early in her career and her fresh young beauty contrasted by the tattooed+pierced role in Pulp Fiction. Of course she is no less screwed up.

Tommy Chong plays Pepe, a bit part threaded through the movie and a the SOHO Neighborhood burglars.

Linda Fiorentino as Kiki Bridges the punk styled sculptress who is lending a room to Marcy. Fiorentino sure is a good looking lady.

Teri Garr as Julie, the cocktail waitress stuck in the sixties and just a little bit needy.

John Heard plays Thomas 'Tom' Schorr, bartender and as we later find, boyfriend of Marcy. I suppose that the name was inspired by the famous Toots Schorr. Heard has been in many movies and television serials, his recent role on the Sopranos epitomized depravity and depression.

Cheech Marin plays Neil, Pepe's burglar partner. Comic relief.

Catherine O'Hara play Gail, the Mr Softee truck driver. O'Hara has been in may offbeat movies over the years, a favorite of mine being A Mighty Wind.

Score 31 of 50, long ago I enjoyed this movie, not knowing that it was directed by the master. Every movie Scorsese does is good.

• Character Development 5 out of 10. Not much in the way of development but long look at the lack of development.
• Acting 7 out of 10. This is a very good cast in a movie that appeared to be fun to make. If you look close you can see Scorsese in the nightclub scene, shining the spotlight.
• Photography, cinematography 7 of 10. Interesting , it is fun to see the director's love of the city.
• Writing, script 6 out of 10. Very good characters.
• Concept 6 out of 10. A lot of fun.