Bad Day on the Block (1999)

This movie is currently be shown under the title of "Under Pressure."The movie boils down to an unusual number of errors, mishaps, misadventures, bigotry and wrong guessing by the police, and with this all, it's still a complete mess.Charlie Sheen does give a convincing performance as a fire hero who has literally gone off his mind. His wife has divorced him and has gone away with their child. He takes all this out on his next-door neighbors, the typical American couple. Tensions sky rocket when his window is accidentally broken.The guy totally loses it and in the process kills the refrigerator repair person, an Oriental who rang his bell in error, 2 police who come to investigate and causes undue mayhem to the people next door.If ever they make the biography of Elizabeth Edwards, Mare Winningham should definitely star. She looks just like her.This movie is a mess, cliché and full of you know what's coming.

A white middle-class family, married, two kids, and living in a beautiful house in an apparently perfect suburb you already know from several Steven Spielberg and Wes Craven movies. A sinister neighbor and violent fireman, played by real-time psyche Charlie Sheen, watching and threatening the perfect picture family. And of course it won't take long until hell breaks loose...Nothing new really, but well done. The family actors are doing a fine job, but the credits go to Charlie Sheen this time who plays the psycho neighbor not as an over-the-top weirdo killer, but in a rather silent and retarded way and increasing the thrills of the story by his outstanding performance.No stupid dialogue and exaggerated over-acting, but just a man sitting in his dark and lonely house and watching old family pictures and his neighborer before his violent feelings are erupting like a volcano. A good thriller, recommended especially for Sheen's disturbing performance.

The really enjoyable elements of the film come from the supporting performances of Dawnn Lewis, John Ratzenberger, and Keone Young. Their individual scenes as well as interaction with the leads were the most emotionally evocative parts of the film.

Through the years Charles Sheen has played a wide variety of characters on screen, some of them pretty light roles. However, here in "Bad Day On The Block" he gets the opportunity to prove that he's an excellent actor. He plays a deeply disturbed fireman who hates everyone and has a thing for strict discipline and bible quotes. Of course this mix creates a problem when the kids in the house next door, plays with the hose and waste water. He steps out and up to them to correct them. This is just one example. The rest of the film he continues to destroy the neighborhood peace and makes life a living hell for the family next door. Charles Sheen is very good as the disturbed bachelor. His look just tells all the rest about his mean behavior and he also manages to create a few laughs along the way. He's so hard and says some really funny lines, that I just laugh at it. To my knowledge, this isn't one of Mr. Sheen's more successful films. Instead it's an over-looked gem. See it and have a great time studying these both frightening and interesting events!I give it an 8 out of 10.