My love for B movies knows no bounds, but I also love great movies. Sometimes the two genres overlap, and I become a little kid again for about 90 minutes. I often think of movies the way others think of music. Like anyone else I have my favourite music stars, but at some point you have to give in to anyone who is the total package.
Zeppelin, Neil Young, or The Who were and are our contemporary modern day composers that deserve all the respect and admiration they have gained. But that’s also how I feel about movie directors. Scott, Man and Friedkin take you places you’ve never, or in some cases I’m sure, could never have imagined. Each has their little niche separating them from others; something they excel at. This movie is all about one of the greatest directors of all time affectionately known as Bloody Sam
Director
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The Main Players
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Mike Locken
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George Hansen
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Cap Collis
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Jerome Miller
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Yuen Chung
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Synopsis:
Two former CIA operatives turned private contractors are the best of friends until one switches sides betraying the other. George gives Mike crippling wounds to prevent them from being foes, but secret agents should never underestimate the fortitude and determination of other agents.
Review:
They don’t make them like they used to is something that leaps to mind when I’m thinking about this picture. There was a time when they made movies for adults and this is one of them. James Caan is Mike Locken, a former CIA operator and good friends with his long-time partner George Hansen played by Robert Duvall who has plans on dissolving their friendship. At a safe house with some unspecified defector George makes his move taking out all the other operators except Mike. They’re friends, so killing him is out of the question. Instead George putts a bullet in Mike’s knee and elbow; sort of the 32 calibre version of early retirement. The idea here being that George knows Mike is a serious player and this is the only way to make sure when he retires, he stays retired without killing him.
George isn’t the only one who thinks Mike is washed up, and they spend a lot of time telling him. Embarking on an extensive training program to get as close to his former self, he is constantly reminded by Collis, his former boss, that his efforts look foolish. Mike won’t have any of that. After blowing an attempt on the life of a serious Asian VIP (Mako) by an unknown group, Collis is back at Mike’s boat eating his words; but why?
The bungling at the airport was incredibly messy for the work of professional assassins. Bodies strewn everywhere, not to mention one arriving in the baggage area, is just unacceptable to the powers behind it all. It’s time to bring in a no-nonsense performer. They need a serious elite killer that works for money and doesn’t ask questions. George is back in town.
The confrontation between Mike and George is inevitable. Mike is hired to form his own killer squad to protect Chung with the added bonus of seeing his old buddy again; but this time will be different. Mike knows who’s on what side this time, and vengeance has become a top priority. You will just have to watch it to see what happens when the Killer Elite meet for a showdown.
Lessons Learned:
- Bloody Sam was in a league of his own.
- Spy’s had it a lot harder in the days before the cell phone and GPS.
- Arthur Hill (Cap Collis) did well for a Saskatchewan boy.
Fun Facts:
- Peckenpah’s preparation for this film consisted of watching Bruce Lee films.
- Both Robert Duvall and James Caan took actual lessons in their respective special skills. Duvall learned to use and infrared scope on a rifle and Caan learned how to disarm people with his cane.
- Peckenpah cut a lot of the extreme violence from the release cut to obtain a PG rating instead of his usual R.
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