Baja

Kurt Voss must be the most underrated director in the history of the cinema. I became a fan after travelling to Thousand Oaks for a screening of his excellent "Horseplayer," primarily due to The Pixies presence on the soundtrack. I was impressed, to say the least.

Do not let the presence of a post-John Hughes Molly Ringwald dissuade you, "Baja" is not to be missed. A clever and mean twisting and turning plot gives way to an unusually compassionate ending. Lance Henrickson proves not only to be a great tough-guy (as per usual), but a fantastic comedian. He deftly delivers some of the most acid-tongued lines in recent memory, "What is there a grape-pickers convention going on here?"

Voss' directorial style is understated, brilliantly allowing his sardonic wit to bubble forth without pretension. His dialogue is taught and ripe with honest laughs, rather than pandering to the plethora of pop-culture references masquerading as "snappy dialogue" in so many neo-noirs today.

Check out "Baja" and keep an eye on Kurt Voss.

Lance Henriksen is the only reason to watch this movie. He is at his best combing his unique talent for menace and sensitivity. He is such an excellent actor and much under-rated I think. He has all the best lines and it's worth it just to watch him. Sure wish TV series would come out on DVD.

Alex (Donal Logue) and Bebe Stone (Molly Ringwald) get cheated in a drug deal. There's a shootout and they run for the border. She sends a letter to her father John Stone (Corbin Bernsen) from Baja, Mexico asking for money. He sends her ex Michael Hart to search for her. Volatile killer Burns (Lance Henriksen) is also looking for the couple.

This is a straight to video flick. There are a few names of interest but they aren't doing anything that interesting here. Molly Ringwald is ill-fitting. The 80's teen queen is trying to do some edgy darker material but she doesn't have the personality. Lance Henriksen is going full camp. At least, he's having a bit of fun. The writer/director is second tier skilled. This is derivative but it's not completely bad. It's a B-movie.

This movie is definitely a sleeper so with that in mind you have to be in the right mood to enjoy it. I admit Lance Henriksen was the only reason I wanted to see it in the first place so I was mildly surprised by the end. Especially because Lance has a tendency of late to appear in movies where he's the only real value, but the movie's alright.

It's different. It's got a relaxed low-key feeling and mood surrounding it and also has the gift of having two under-rated characters actors star. Lance, of course, and Donal Logue. Besides Lance, I can't explain why I liked it. It's a movie you have to see for yourself and make up your own mind. Ringwald acquits herself decently however the story doesn't win any awards and I doubt I'd given this a chance if it wasn't for Lance.

Yet another obscure Lance Henriksen film worth seeking out. Henriksen plays a hit-man with relationship problems. Donald Logue is also notable as the psycho boyfriend of Molly Ringwald. Unfortunately, Ringwald's character is totally unlikable and fails to elicit any sympathy whatsoever. The acting ranges from good (Henriksen and Logue), to fair(Michael A. Nickles) as Ringwald's estranged husband, to totally unacceptable(Ringwald). The plot twists and turns, and seems somewhat contrived at times. Nevertheless, "Baja" moves along nicely with it's quotable dialog "a real professional never talks and if he does he lies", desert scenery, and intriguing characters. - MERK