The British director, Mike Hodges died on December 2022 at 90. Hodges made his directorial debut in the late 60s in some British television productions. Throughout his career, Hodges directed some movie sequels like Get Carter and Flash Gordon. This long feature was recorded in 2003 when he directed The Sleep When Is Dead.
Heres the list of some of the best Mike Hodges movies.
Get Carter (1971).
The long film debut of the British directors is also the best of Mike Hodges films. The story follows a London gangster who appears to avenge his brother’s supposedly accidental death. Get Carter was the first to join Hodges and Michael Caine in 1972 before joining forces again in The Pulp. At the time of his release, Get Carter was well-received by critics and the media, becoming a financial success for a British movie. It became a cult movie over time thanks to its clever mix of brutal violence and British humor. The cast that formed Get Carter included Ian Hendry, John Osborne and Britt Ekland among others. There was an Oscar winner in 2000 for his role as a character in Hollywood.
The Flash Gordon, 1980.
A lot has been said and written about Flash Gordon, mainly because it’s the main reason fans were able to get Star Wars. George Lucas approached Dino De Laurentiis, the Italian producer who had the rights to adapt the King features comic character created by Alex Raymond to direct the movie, so Lucas created his own space opera story. Hodges let the movie go as a character of a blonde girl. Flash Gordon was a high-result in his box office career and was successful in his career. Fans are still very affectionate to the former Jets football star over the years. Interestingly, the music made by Queen starred in Flash Gordon.
The Poverty of Love: A Prayer for the Dying (1987)
The movie Hodges shot both before and after his career. The British artist tried some experimental works as well, such as whose attempt to introduce a black rainbow picture often left critics and audiences puzzled. A prayer for the loss is a small pearl that should be rediscovered from those experiment years. It follows Martin Fallon (Mickey Rourke), an IRA member who blows an school bus instead of the school bus, killing the children. He’s looking for redemption right now, even though his past lingers all day long. Rourkes solid performance often remembers a Prayer for the Dying. The cast included Bob Hoskins and Alan Bates, among others.
Croupier (1998).
It took almost twenty years for Hodges to release a critically acclaimed film, but Croatiaupier was worth the wait. In the Paul Mayersberg-penned story, an unsuccessful writer named Jack Manfred (Clive Owen) works as a croupier but doesn’t get in a bad business. Croupier was especially appreciated for its atmosphere and characterization and accelerated Clive Owens’ development into stardom. The movie almost had an Academy Awards run, but it was disqualified after obtaining a waiver since it aired on Dutch TV in November 1998.
Ill sleep when I’m dead (2003).
His collaboration with Owen continued until the British directors last film was a noir written by Trevor Preston. The story follows a former gangster who investigates his brother’s suspicious suicide because she was rapped. Ill Sleep when I’m Dead isn’t the best movie of Mike Hodges, but not as bad as the other two directors made it sound like it hit theaters. That said, the film was a box office bomb that fell short of half a million dollars during its theatrical run. Ill Sleep When Irres starred, Charlotte Rampling, Jonathan Rhys-Meyers and Malcolm McDowell.