J

Jade (1995)

Rated R (although the Director's Cut NC-17 version is the one that I watch)

95 Minutes

Directed by William Friedkin (The Exorcist, The French Connection, Rules of Engagement)

Budget - $50,000,000

Box Office - $9,851,610


Ok, so a $50M budget and the director of The French Connection should've nullified this from the list.  But it was such a critical and financial disaster, it is definitely viable.  Apparently no one, not the guy who wrote it, not the guy who directed it, not the American public like this film.  I can't get enough of it.  Here's why:


1.  I'm not kinky, but this thing is sexy.  Like, I can't think of a more disgusting proposition than having to sit through Linda Fiorentino having sex with Chazz Palminteri, well... except maybe Linda Fiorentino having sex with David Caruso.  Either way, they pull it off.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GpFsI29RzuY


2.  Car chase.

If you're sensing a theme here, I like gun fights and car chases.  Friedkin is the master of the car chase (The French Connection and To Live and Die in LA), and this one is as good as he does.  San Francisco is a great place to film a car chase.  It's been done a lot, this is another good one, even if it is a '95 Ford Thunderbird vs a '95 Ford Taurus.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WbJ2p0l1npc



3.  Mrs. Pesci may be the hottest redhead in the history of humanity.  Still.

Here is Roger Ebert's review.  It's only 2 stars, but he doesn't murder it like the critics and viewers did:

http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/jade-1995



Runner-up:  Just One of The Guys (1985)

Directed by TV director Lisa Gottlieb

Reasons it's a Frank Movie:

1.  Bud.

No one defines the little brother than Billy Jacoby's "Bud Griffith".  He coined the most quotable line of the film:

"All balls itch."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bs7axnjmKtQ


2.  The villainous William Zabka.

 

 

 

He is well-known for his turn as the dastardly Johnny Lawrence of Cobra Kai in The Karate Kid, or as Chas in Back To School.  But, he is even more epically nasty as Greg Tolan:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qco4RGHhJGo

For the record: bapettit and I should be besties.



Honorable Mentions:  Johnny Dangerously (1984), Jagged Edge (1985), Jason's Lyric (1994)