Flashback (1990)

I enjoy the 1990 movie Flashback, though mostly for it's first 45-50 minutes. That section has some extra pep, if that's the word, in a kind of double-crossing wacky comedy involving a former 60s radical rebel, Huey Walker (Dennis Hopper, at first in a sweet hippie get-up), who got arrested, escaped, went on the lam, and then got arrested again for an 'incident' involving Spiro Agnew's train in 1969. When things don't go so right at all when Buckner (Kiefer Sutherland, a sort of prototype of his character on 24 I'd wager) gets the screws turned on him when tricked into thinking he's been slipped LSD. Walker looks like he's making his escape after shaving his beard, and even with the chance of great publicity for his new book. But a wrong turn comes via a couple of average knuckleheads (Michael McKean one of them, not with nearly enough to be his usual comedic best), and then another cross turned by the local sheriff who doesn't want anything reported on the treatment towards Buckner in prison. So, in short, all of this is actually pretty entertaining, with some funny bits scattered all around, and a great flow for dialog that goes around during the train ride between Buckner and Walker (I also enjoyed, even as slight amusing stuff, the scenes in the woods at night).But then the screenwriter takes a sharp turn into contrivance, and the film basically never fully recovers- Buckner leads Walker to his first home as a kid, a commune where he was originally named 'Free' and gradually gets a change of heart from the middle-aged lady who resides there now. All of this might spark up a twinkle in some old hippie fogey's eye, but it just seemed like a sharp shift in the tone that wasn't needed. Maybe the writer &/or director couldn't think of a better way to keep the story moving (once it gets to its generic conclusions involving a chase and some minor violence on the train, it's only passable and at worst pretty trite), so they had to insert a fluffy commune/hippie piece with Hopper the only one making it only minutely worthwhile. A shame really, as I liked watching chunks of the film early on a totally guilty pleasure vein as an admirer of the trashy exploitation pictures of the flower power era (and, to an extent, trashy 80s FBI/cop thrillers too). Hopper and Sutherland don't make a bad odd couple either, all things considered. But it's not a puzzle either as to why I'd have not too much trouble finding it in the cheap-video bin at the store. Maybe better if you're hardcore fans of either actor; as a coda for Easy Rider, however, it's really lacking that 'something' of that film.

This movie has a number of great actors, and a plot that is quite interesting, with lot of opportunities for development. Unfortunately almost every sequence in the movie has to be interrupted by a camera view of a moving vehicle of some kind, together with loud popular music that distracts from what is going on. The film never manages to convince the viewer of the reality that is facing any of the characters, and just pretends like these things can happen without repercussions. There are a few fun moments, which are enough to get you to the end of the movie, but it is likely you're better of watching something else.

I LOVE THIS MOVIE! The story! The plot! The transformation in Buckner! Their love hate relationship! EVERYTHING! I just love it. When I was in 6th grade (2000) my mom came home with the movie and I expected it to be some old boring video but I loved it. Now I get more of the jokes but whatever. In fact it's my favorite comedy movie (I like There's Something About Mary too)! I want to live at the Rainbow Zen Commune!!! I'd been searching for that movie to purchase it for 3 years but then last summer I saw it at FYE. It was pretty expensive but finding your treasure after 3 years is priceless so I scooped it. I now know you can get it for the price of a Happy Meal at Walmart but I have it now and and when you love it so much it just doesn't matter.

This is one of those all around great films that anyone can enjoy. When I was young I thought it was really funny. Now I get all the deeper messages and plot details, and like the movie all the more for it. This is also one of the two movies that can make me cry. The other is Grave of the Fireflies. The other aspects of the film, besides plot, are great too. The characters play off each other really well. The filming is good, and the comedy doesn't compromise the more serious nature of the film.