The Five Greatest Brian De Palma Films Now On Satellite Tv
Part of a tight-knit group of directors that includes Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorsese and Francis Ford Coppola, Brian De Palma sometimes gets lost in the shuffle. Considering he is the hand behind classic films like Scarface, that is an injustice. Here are his five best films, now playing on satellite TV, all proof he deserves the glory alongside his highly esteemed peers.
5. Carlito’s Way. Somewhat of a sequel to Scarface, or: “What would happen if Tony Montana went to and got out of jail.” The released Cuban legend (Al Pacino) reunites with his girl and deals with the sleazy antics of his coked-out attorney (Sean Penn) in this very stylish De Palma film. Pales in comparison to the gangster classic, but will stand against most movies in favorable terms. See this unseen De Palma gem on HBO in HD.
4. Body Double. A struggling actor is deceived by his girlfriend and finds himself homeless, broke and depressed. Enter a like-minded thespian with the perfect solution: the ultimate apartment that just happens to need house-sitting. Too good to be true? De Palma pulls out all the stops from his bag of tricks in this pulpy thriller, which features a rock video for “Relax, Don’t Do It” and Melanie Griffith at her enchanting best.
3. Blow Out. Following Antonioni’s Blow Up -- which itself followed the Cortazar story -- De Palma’s film takes the same concept and replaces the photographer with a sound man, played by John Travolta. After accidentally recording an assassination on tape, Travolta must scramble to avoid the operatives who want the tape and his head at the same time. A terrific thriller set in Philadelphia, this Travolta performance is among his finest and is featured on IFC on satellite TV.
2. The Untouchables. This film could be placed in the dictionary under “Hollywood Blockbuster,” but De Palma brought such a fresh approach to a tired form that he exceeded expectations. Among the memorable scenes, the shootout around the baby carriage is as tense as any in film history. Kevin Costner stars as the crusading Elliot Ness, out to stop Al Capone (Robert De Niro) and his Chicago syndicate. With Andy Garcia and Sean Connery in supporting roles, De Palma blew the top off of this film, a must-see in HD on the premium film networks.
1. Scarface. Tony Montana, a young thug kicked out of Cuba during a Castro clean-up, wants his human rights on American soil. Instead, he’s stuck in an immigrant camp under the highway. When a man offers him citizenship in exchange for the murder of a Communist, Tony happily makes the deal. “I kill a Communist for fun,” he says. “For a green card, I carve him up real nice.” Montana’s violent ascent to the top of the Miami drug world is a landmark in cinema and still lights up the satellite TV movie channels.
Brian De Palma‘s career is a lot bigger than Scarface. See all his best films with a DirectTV satellite package. Featuring all the top names in movies and TV shows twenty-four hours a day,
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