John Flynn (3) (1932–)

Great performances by Woods as a psychotic hitman who wants cop/writer Dennehy to write his biography, all the while trying to get revenge against his former boss, a corporate tycoon, for whom he committed LOTS of murders. Completely (completely, completely) implausibe (completely, completely) but with two stars you can't take your eyes off of and Flynn's usual mastery of action sequences, you can't help but enjoy it. Boy, is this a cynical film! The best that can be said for the evil show more corporate boss is that he isn't a tenth as bad as Donald Trump.

(This film's title is really awful. It needs something that makes it sound like an action film. A lot of folks will miss this simply because of the title!) show less

Powerful and harrowing story of returning POW Devane who seeks revenge against the killers of his wife and son. Devane, Haynes, and Jones are all extraordinarily good here. I know this film came under a lot of criticism, and it certainly has its element of nihilism, and its portrayal of returning Vietnam Vets may not please many folks, but as a film it works very well. As in The Outfit, Flynn shows he's a master at delivering this type of taut entertainment.

Duvall and Baker are a great team in this adaption of Richard Stark's (Donald Westlake's) Parker novels. The mob, faced by Robert Ryan, has killed Duvall's brother and is trying to kill Duvall and Baker as well for their unknowing robbery of a mob-owned bank. What makes this film so great is that every part is perfectly cast, with memorable turns from Jane Greer, Sheree North, and others. There's a great ending as well. I honestly never thought of Duvall in this kind of role, and I've never show more thought Baker was much of an actor. I was wrong on both counts. Highly, highly recommended. (And a favorite of Quentin Tarantino.) show less

Despite a great cast and fine performances by Stallone, Amos, Sizemore, and a few others, this film puts us through hell to get to the inevitable triumphant ending. The script was being written as the film went along, and frankly, it stinks. It is full of set pieces (a football game, the auto repair shop) that are interesting in themselves but feel like filler and are totally out of place in this brutal film and in the evil warden's schemes. Flynn is a great director of action movies. See show more "The Outfit" for the best example. But he can't save this one. And what is Donald Sutherland doing here? His role is simply awful. He must have been desperate for the money. It's nice to see Darlanne Fluegel as Stallone's girlfriend, however. She's always been a favorite of mine, and here she is real and beautiful--among so many things that are totally contrived and ugly. The prison setting is great, however. show less