Film choice
Still breathlessly exciting, John Sturges’s adaptation of the Paul Brickhill book follows a gang of Allied prisoners as they try to break out of a German POW camp. Steve Mcqueen on a motorcycle remains the dominant image of the film – and an entire generation’s shorthand for cool. But there are many memorable vignettes, and the tension of the breakout is classic edge-of-your-seat cinema.
Based on the novel by William Goldman, Richard Attenborough’s psychological horror film stars Anthony Hopkins as Charles “Corky” Withers, a failed magician. After his mentor tells him he needs a better act, he returns as a ventriloquist with a dummy called Fats – who turns sinister. Jerry Goldsmith, the composer behind Gremlins and five Star Trek movies, scored the film.
Given the car crash of Johnny Depp’s recent career, it’s salutary to be reminded of his early work. Here, he stars as an undercover FBI agent who infiltrates a New York mafia family by ingratiating himself with a low-level mobster (Al Pacino) in this gritty thriller, based on a true story. The premise might sound familiar, but the film is very much its own beast, and makes for engrossing viewing.