Empire State

Watched this for the first time last night and was blown away....

Before directors like Tarantino did the whole convoluted stories of multiple characters that all join up trick that became popular in the 90's and still remains a staple of some crime films now, there was this offering from director Ron Peck.

The film is a brilliant snapshot of late 80's London and the stylish portrayal of the club in it really captures the feel of an 80's club.

Now, I'm going to rewatch but first time round the first half didn't do much for me, but when all the characters arrive at the club the film is named after it's just brilliant. The speech the arrogant young gangster who has been taken in by the allure of yuppie culture gives to his old school east end boss in the office is just brilliant and original. In fact there are no cliche's in what transpires at the club and it's sightly art-house cinematography makes it all the more compelling...

I'm curious now as to what other films pre Empire State used the wraparound narrative first, and in this film it's used to great effect.

I saw this dvd in the British Film Institute shop in London and had the idea I had liked it years ago. So I bought it and my god it is awful. If there is a plot I don't see it. There are no good performances. I must have enjoyed the titillation of the women's outfits and the nudity when I saw it 30 years ago. The sets are amazing but there is no shape or plot.

Empire state... is a nightclub in the rough and tumble east end of london. When blondie pete shows up, no-one seems to know his friend mick who works there, but there are many other things going on to keep him occupied. Martin landau, ten years after space 1999, is chuck, an investor in a nearby development project. There's a gay undercurrent to the film as well. Lots of loose threads swirling around. There's a reporter nosing around, and apparently there were several drug related deaths at the club. It seems they were using the club after hours as a fighting venue, with gambling. SO many subplots. It just gets silly. And violent, kind of a parody of studio 54. And the violence that was happening in london at the time. Cathryn harrison is marion, and gets top billing, apparently for being the grand-daughter of rex harrison. Directed by ron peck. Probably best known for nighthawks. Harrison died young at 59.

Empire State is an amazing film,as the trailer saya it's a 'night on the edge'...it certainly is.The film is set in London's Docklands and is one of the best 1980's club movies around.It's a real shame the film didn't get a big release...We follow the lives of very different characters arond one night at the 'Empire State' club.Don't be put off by the fact that the film has a (sort of)gay theme,there's nothing too kinky.I think that it is best watched in summer,because the settings are just right,the stylish direction is great and the songs are perfect.Watch this movie and see what you've missed in the way of a great crime/drama/thriller film...

A film that plays out over the course of a single day and night, following the misadventures of various peoples whose lives are entwined with the titular nightclub. Your enjoyment of EMPIRE STATE will depend on how much you enjoy watching an evocation of '80s-era East End London, seeing as the movie is chock full of dated locales, fashions and dialogue, especially during the latter interludes set within the nightclub itself.

Plot elements are familiar from anyone who's seen the type of gangster flicks favoured by Guy Ritchie; there's drug dealing aplenty, along with gambling and illegal hand-to-hand fights. The film is a thriller and it certainly held my attention throughout, although that was partly due to the expectation of drama that never really arose. British viewers will spend half of the film struggling to remember the name of that actor they recognise from one British TV show or the other. There is also, unusually, a strong homosexual angle to the plot, as most of the main characters seem to be rent boys and even the imported American star (Martin Landau) gets up to some dodgy goings-on in his hotel room. The director, Ron Peck, appears to be an important figure in British gay cinema. This one-of-a-kind movie is understandably obscure by modern standards.