Welcome, Cinematic Fanatics, to Slick Flick Pick, an entertaining, slick/flick explaining series. You're my Cinematic Fanatic; I, your worthwhile cinephile. For your quinary episode, we offer a financially victorious, critically meritorious, filming with 35 mm film Club Fever, digital filming in the streets of Max, the believer, and, Vincent, the stray gray deceiver, violence slick, sleek, sparing and notorious, and one Club Fever frenetic-gunplay-display uproarious slick flick that oozes slick narration, a lean, linear pace, and both the fastest and shortest killer of the human race-- in equal Michael Mann directed measures. We offer you, regarding this neo-noir, action thriller-- but also an L.A. crime cult fstars fantastic classic, a gray suited, gray bearded, gray haired but NEVER dull nor gray auricular presentation of one of my most favorite, frequently re-watched, well-acted and shot(by Tom Cruise in 1.3 seconds in the alley scene)… with slick gravitas, by a cooperative and collaborative duality of meek protagonists and a sleek antagonist, working off wholly original source material and capturing the sprawled out, disconnected City Of Anonymity in a slick flick sheen: Collateral, circa August 2004. In honor of this Slick Flick Pick unveiling, we describe, through smooth detailing, this flick's slickness unfailing, urban-shark-circling prevailing and refreshingly direct dialogue regaling. This is a slick cinematic experience that touches a quartet of genres: neo-noir, action, thriller and crime. It transitions so seamlessly between genres and oft simultaneously, in such a way, that you process it as a simple study in filmmaking sleekness. I have adored this film since the unique treat of my first post-high-school theatrical viewing. Vincent's nihilistic sarcasm cuts sharper than his tactical knife, he's no time for an fstars wife and, what he does for a living… is snuff your fuc**** life. Max and Annie stir a cauldron of chemistry halfway to a San Andreas earthquake, as the west-coast sun sets, it cools after its sun-drenched bake, no souvenirs does this indifferent killer take, keeping a pristine, clean cab, getting "lucky with the lights" and letting Annie out your cab are Max's mistakes; Vincent offers 6 crisp bills and assures his chauffer a six-stop piece of cake, but instead says Red Light, Max, pops the trunk, at gunpoint demands that he pump the brake and compels Max, from his lethargic slumber, to wake. Recline, Cinematic Fanatics, in your favorite well-worn, stale chair, rustle up some popcorn, fresh as fstars, the antithesis to that stale a** chair, I just mentioned, zoom in and zone out in your Barcalounger as I unwind the daily grind with a slick f****** flick pick. Collateral is the flick, so very slick, hence my fstars pick! When Slick Flick Pick is near, stick around, till, Falsetto Prophet's voice, you hear. Lights... camera...action... lends distraction and, with the right flick, grants satisfaction. Enter, with us, you cinematic fanatics, into the realm of film's fantasy as we unwind the grind of reality… I offer you: Pick 5: Slick Flick Pick: A Frighteningly Unfair Fare--City of Anonymity; (Collateral, 2004) Today we will discuss a hit man's pedigree, a nocturnal murder spree and, as Vincent is a murderous machine, we never see him pee.

-Your worthwhile cinephile: Falsetto

 P.S. *Intro/outro song, Soulicious, courtesy of the artist, Dyalla.

FCFU: At the 74th Oscars, Denzel beat Crowe for best actor for his performance in Training Day; Crowe lost to Spacey at the 72nd Oscars, American Beauty over The Insider. I'm still bitter about it. 

FCFU#2: Robert Blake was acquitted for the murder of his wife, in 2005, but was found liable in civil proceedings.