SVS: “The Hunt for Red October”

It’s been a really tough week. My head’s spinning, and we’re all feeling pretty numb.

So I’m stepping away from the Tarkovsky for a bit, and heading straight for something “mindless.” Though I don’t necessarily mean that as a criticism. In fact, it’s downright therapeutic, at times.

As is so often the case when I search for “mindless” excellence, I turn to Sean Connery, who appears in 3/5ths of my Top Five Action-y Films Ever — a “coincidence” that never ceases to amuse me.

Today’s recommendation? The Hunt for Red October, which is streaming on NETFLIX INSTANT. And for rent on YOUTUBE($). And GOOGLE PLAY($). And REDBOX INSTANT($). Heck, you can even get it from SONY ENTERTAINMENT($) directly. (I have no idea how those last four work, actually. Just being thorough.)

When a Soviet nuclear sub headed toward American waters drops off U.S. scanners, the Yanks scramble to take defensive steps. But CIA analyst Jack Ryan convinces the brass that the sub’s commander has something else in mind.

It features one of my all-time favorite openings — “Nice use of extreme close-ups, McTiernan.” — one of my all-time favorite scores — “Great work, as always, Basil.” — a great cast of Once-and-Future Famous Faces — “I’m lookin’ right at you, Stellan Skarsgård. And Scott Glenn. And Tim Curry. And Sam Neill. And Courtney B. Vance. And Ol’ Golden Throat.” — and boasts one of my all-time favorite performances by a Scottish legend whose pretending to be vaguely Russian. Very vaguely.

Come to think of it, the film transitions very smoothly from Russian to English early on, which is fine and dandy …until that awkward moment when it brings its English-speaking Russians into contact with the English-speaking Americans. And then we’re back to The Mother Tongue, for some reason. …I kid because I love, though. (Also, I just realized that McTiernan directed another 1/5th of my Top Five Action-y Films Ever. Also also, “Andre…You’ve lost ANOTHER submarine???”)

If you get done with this one and you’re still Clancy-ing, you can move on to Netflix’s stream of Patriot Games, which is easily my favorite of the two Ford Ryan’s. And features a really, really scary Boromir. (The Sum of All Fears is also streaming on Netflix. That’s not really a recommendation, though. Just a fact. Because it’s pretty incoherent. And Affleck’s no Baldwin. Or Ford. Or, probably, Pine.)

Crazy Ivan!

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