In case you haven’t heard, Watchmen is fairly psychotic: claustrophobic yet expansive; neurotic yet filled with action, some gore and even a smidge of superheroic boot-knocking. And it all takes place in a grimy, alternate NYC of 1985. Of course it fits our NYC Antiheroes package—it’s the climax of it all. Check out David Fear’s assessment of the movie and tune into The Frame-Up for upcoming series. Also, check out James Lee’s report on the art behind the movie, over at TONY’s Own This City blog. Ah, Own This City: the coolest, sexiest babysitter you never had.

Why are we counting down our favorite five-boroughs badasses? A fair question. Look to tomorrow’s Watchmen for the answer. As Bruce Springsteen says, it’s hard to be a saint in the city. Transitioning us into apocalyptic sci-fi, here’s Escape from New York’s Snake Plissken, after the jump. Read more »

Is it time yet for The Warriors? Pleeeeease? No NYC antihero list would be complete without it. And David Fear definitely wants to come out and pla-aaay. He’s even donned his color-coordinated gang gear. Before you tell him to “beat it,” consider his appeal. Read more »

Fidelio. See? We still remember the password for the sex orgy in Eyes Wide Shut. A lot of good it did us. But what was the password for the house? Only Keith Uhlich remembers that. Read on for Keith’s argument as to the antiheroic nature of Tom Cruise’s Bill Harford. Read more »

Seriously, when was the last time you watched 1990’s King of New York? (If the answer is “never,” you’ve just drawn the ace of spades.) A connoisseur of crime movies could point to King’s supporting cast (Laurence Fishburne, David Caruso, the much-missed Victor Argo) and claim that a New York cop film was never as blessed. But the film’s icy heart—and its dangerousness—belongs to Christopher Walken. He’s a thief, a murderer, a “businessman.” Start your impressions now, people. My Walken appreciation follows, after the jump. Read more »

Don’t be distracted by Sean Penn’s hair plugs. We’re talking about Al—Al Pacino to you—and his underrated turn in Carlito’s Way. It’s not underrated by Keith Uhlich, who brings critical heat after the jump. Read more »

If there’s one thing Film editor David Fear knows, it’s the shady region between dreams and desperation—the place where ethical behavior is, at best, a ghost. (Cinematically speaking he knows this, of course.) After the jump, Dave’s enormously entertaining take on Richard Widmark, of Samuel Fuller’s Pickup on South Street. Read more »

Would it shock you to learn that Popeyes, the chicken-and-biscuits chain, was named not after the spinach-chomping cartoon sailor, but after Gene Hackman’s racist detective Jimmy “Popeye” Doyle from The French Connection? It’s the honest, spicy truth. After the jump, our appreciation of Hackman’s bad cop. Read more »

Another day, another antihero from these five boroughs. That’s how Team Film rolls. Honestly, sometimes we feel antiheroic ourselves. Then we’re told by our readers, “No, you are heroes—to us.” Quietly, we regroup. Still, the bad impulses call to us, as does Bob Fosse. After the jump, read Keith Uhlich’s appreciation of Joe Gideon in Fosse’s All That Jazz, starring the much-missed Roy Scheider. Read more »

We’re feeling cashed after last night’s Oscars—too much glitz, too much winning and balancing Oscars on our chins. It does get tiresome, thanking our agents over and over. And all those gift bags. So let’s come back to the town we love most. The Frame-Up presents NYC Antiheroes, TONY’s ten most-lovable ruffians from around these parts. What makes an antihero? He or she can’t be too villainous. But they can’t exactly be straight-shooters either. Essentially, you root for these people; you care about them. And yet, there’s something truly amiss. Today’s opening example is a peerless example: He’s Travis Bickle from Taxi Driver. Are we talkin’ to you? Quite intently! (Paraphrasing.)