The Last Detail (1973), which has Randy Quaid’s best performance and a terrific turn by Nicholson in the middle of his early 70’s hot-streak as “Badass” Buddusky, is one of my favorites. Richard Linklater made an okayish spiritual-successor of sorts last year with The Last Flag Flying, an adaptation of Darryl Ponicsan’s (the author also worked on Cinderella Liberty, another Navy-themed movie, so I guess that’s his wheelhouse) sequel that didn’t touch the original. Then again, how could it without Hal Ashby, Jack Nicholson, and Robert Towne?
Yes, this is essential viewing. It uses film syntax in an entirely novel way to tell the story.
Yep, Ritchie never gets enough love. I’m surprised he hasn’t undergone a Hal Ashby-esque re-evaluation yet.