King of New York

One of the most honestly pure genre films, superbly cast, brilliantly directed and burdened with a suspiciously high body count for every ten minutes of story. Christopher Walken is perfect as the ruthless gangster, visibly enjoying every gesture and shot and only confirming to me that he has long been one of America's most underrated actors. His dances to hip-hop, his expression when he sends someone to the Lord....., these are not only iconic moments, but also examples of under-appreciated acting mastery. But King of New York isn't just about Walken – without him, to be honest, it would be nothing – but it also has a maniacal Fishburne who eats an entire McDonald's menu for breakfast, a ginger cop named Caruso, great shootouts, and one mandatory car chase. In other words, stuff that nobody makes anymore. 75% (15/08/2013)

From Ferrara, I still prefer other films, especially Bad Lieutenant, which shows the beautiful degeneration of a man who has gained a bit of power and decided to indulge himself a little. This is a very similar theme, but this time the lead role is played by a thug right from the start. A thug who's trying to make some amends for what he did. But he keeps killing. Some of the scenes are proper carnage. (17/02/2016)