Movie #30- "The Untouchables" (1987)

This is a film that I've seen in portions.  Probably on basic cable, never in it's entirely.  I had a fairly good idea what to expect.  The movie did provide an interesting collaboration between Brian DePalma and David Mamet.  Mamet, who has a very rhythmic flow to his dialogue and DePalma, a director that made several intriguing films in the 80s and 90.  Most of his films were quite violent (the guy did "Scarface") and many of his films owed a nod to Hitchcock.
The nod to Hitchcock isn't as present as other films from this decade, although he exploits it in one death scene that seems a little out of place.  The main homage would be toward Sergei Eisenstein's "Battleship Potemkin", the influential 1925 Russian film (a staple for film history classes).  Even if you aren't familiar with the original, this is a very tense and well executed scene. 
You usually can't go wrong with Robert DeNiro as a bad guy and Sean Connery is a bad ass.  I thought Kevin Costner seemed a little bland in the main role, however DePalma was able to surround him with a solid cast.  "The Untouchables" has a bright, 80s quality to it.  One of the better movies inspired by a television show.

Rating: 8/10
Movies I've previously seen: 2
First time viewings: 28