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Modus Operandi

Benjamin Spacek

Sun, Jun 14, 2009 (12:24 p.m.)

Danny Trejo in Modus Operandi.

Washed out CIA hitman Stanley Cashay (Russell) is recruited back into the agency to retrieve two briefcases belonging to a presidential candidate. What happens after that is anybody’s guess.

Modus Operandi

Randy Russell, Danny Trejo, Mark Borchardt.; Directed by Frankie Latina.; IMDb: Modus Operandi
More CineVegas: Complete coverage of CineVegas 2009; Film reviews

Modus Operandi is a mash-up of crime, espionage and spy-thriller movies. It’s full of chases, double-crosses and exploding heads. Most of the sequences begin with guys drinking alcohol and enjoying the company of naked women. As the title suggests, it exists mostly as a way to see how many different ways there are to kill a person.

The madman behind all of it is writer, director, editor, cinematographer and actor Frankie Latina. He’s enthusiastic and full of ideas, and isn’t afraid to put anything on screen. He also doesn’t appear to be concerned with things like continuity, style, pacing or storytelling. Scenes shift from black-and-white to color with no rhyme or reason, interrupted by random shots of nudity and feedback from the overbearing soundtrack. If you ever wondered what a James Bond film directed by Ed Wood would look like, here is your answer.