Act of Vengeance (1986 film)

Last updated
Act of Vengeance
Act of Vengeance.jpg
Official VHS cover
GenreBiography
Crime
Drama
Written byTrevor Armbrister
Scott Spencer
Directed by John Mackenzie
Starring Charles Bronson
Ellen Burstyn
Wilford Brimley
Theme music composer Frankie Miller
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
Production
Executive producers Frank Konigsberg
Larry Sanitsky
Producers Anthony Kramreither
Jack Clements
Iris Sawyer
Production locations Nemacolin, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh
Toronto
Cinematography Phil Meheux
EditorsMalcolm Cooke
Steve Singleton
Running time95 minutes
Production companiesFrank Konigsberg Productions
Lorimar Telepictures
HBO Premiere Films
Telepictures Productions
Telepix Canada Corp.
Original release
Network HBO
ReleaseApril 21, 1986 (1986-04-21)

Act of Vengeance is a 1986 television movie starring Charles Bronson, Ellen Burstyn, Wilford Brimley, and Keanu Reeves in an early role. [1]

Contents

Plot

The movie is based on the book, Act of Vengeance by Trevor Armbrister, a fact-based story about the corruption that occurred during the United Mine Workers' presidential elections in 1969. [2] The film also portrayed the murder of Joseph "Jock" Yablonski. [3]

Cast

Casting Charles Bronson

For the HBO television film, Bronson acted against type and said "it's a complete departure for me, I'm not wearing a moustache, and I'm not carrying a gun. I don't perform any violence in this film." [4] He also explained since he didn't act for television in a long time, he had to think a lot about it before accepting which he did partly because of his background in mining. [5] For his commitment on this project, Bronson dropped out of a lead role in The Delta Force (1986). [6]

Release

Home media

It premiered on April 21, 1986 on HBO under HBO Premiere Films. [7] The film was released on VHS by HBO/Cannon Video under license from Home Box Office. [8] But, this film was produced by Lorimar Productions and it belongs to Lorimar (subsequently later it owned by Warner Bros.) originally. [9] [10] However, it has never been released on DVD or Blu-ray by Warner Bros. Home Entertainment.

Reception

Greg Burliuk of the Kingston Whig-Standard said it is "a crackling good thriller". Furthermore he praised the actors and the direction. [11]

Robert DiMatteo of The Advocate-Messenger praised Bronson acting against type. He felt that Mackenzie's direction was especially good when handling the antagonists by saying "he brings out a disturbing comic cretenism in his villains". [12]

Michael Walch of The Province felt that the movie didn't have a good balance between the Yablonski and Paul Gilly's story and was out of focus. He thought Bronson was miscast, and characters that surround Paul Gilly reduced the quality of the performance of actor Robert Schenkkan. [13]

Joel Pisetzner of The Record said "it is not a bad movie, merely an incredible underachiever." He felt that Mackenzie made Yablonski too much of a Saint instead of a man hence his story is less interesting than the one of his killer Paul Gilly. While praising the acting, especially of Barkin and Brimley, he also felt many elements of the story were unexplored. [14]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Keanu Reeves</span> Canadian actor and musician (born 1964)

Keanu Charles Reeves is a Canadian actor and musician. He is the recipient of numerous accolades in a career on screen spanning four decades. In 2020, The New York Times ranked him as the fourth-greatest actor of the 21st century, and in 2022 Time magazine named him one of the 100 most influential people in the world. Reeves is known for his leading roles in action films, his amiable public image, and his philanthropic efforts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ellen Burstyn</span> American actress (born 1932)

Ellen Burstyn is an American actress. Known for her portrayals of complex women in dramas, she is the recipient of numerous accolades, including an Academy Award, a Tony Award, and two Primetime Emmy Awards, making her one of the few performers to achieve the "Triple Crown of Acting". She has also received a BAFTA Award and a Golden Globe Award.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charles Bronson</span> American actor (1921–2003)

Charles Bronson was an American actor. He was known for his roles in action films and his "granite features and brawny physique". Bronson was born into extreme poverty in Ehrenfeld, Pennsylvania, a coal mining town in the Allegheny Mountains. Bronson's father, a miner, died when Bronson was young. Bronson himself worked in the mines as well until joining the United States Army Air Forces in 1943 to fight in World War II. After his service, he joined a theatrical troupe and studied acting. During the 1950s, he played various supporting roles in motion pictures and television, including anthology drama TV series in which he would appear as the main character. Near the end of the decade, he had his first cinematic leading role in Machine-Gun Kelly (1958).

Lorimar Productions, Inc., later known as Lorimar Television and Lorimar Distribution, was an American production company that was later a subsidiary of Warner Bros., active from 1969 until 1993, when it was folded into Warner Bros. Television. It was founded by Irwin Molasky, Merv Adelson, and Lee Rich. The company's name was a portmanteau of the name of Adelson's then wife, Lori, and Palomar Airport.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ellen Barkin</span> American actress (born 1954)

Ellen Rona Barkin is an American actress. Her breakthrough role was in the 1982 film Diner, and in the following years, she had starring roles in films such as Tender Mercies (1983), Eddie and the Cruisers (1983), The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension (1984), The Big Easy (1986), Johnny Handsome, and Sea of Love.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robert Schenkkan</span> American dramatist (born 1953)

Robert Frederic Schenkkan Jr. is an American playwright, screenwriter, and actor. He received the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1992 for his play The Kentucky Cycle and his play All the Way earned the 2014 Tony Award for Best Play. He has three Emmy nominations and one WGA Award.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joseph Yablonski</span> American labor leader (1910–1969)

Joseph Albert "Jock" Yablonski was an American labor leader in the United Mine Workers in the 1950s and 1960s known for seeking reform in the union and better working conditions for miners. In 1969 he challenged Tony Boyle for the presidency of the international union and was defeated. He asked for a Department of Labor (DOL) investigation, charging a fraudulent election. In addition, Yablonski filed lawsuit against the UMWA on five different charges related to fraud. On New Year's Eve, Yablonski, his wife, and 25-year-old daughter were murdered, fatally shot at home by three gunmen found to have been hired on orders of Tony Boyle.

William Anthony "Tough Tony" Boyle was an American miner, union leader, and convicted murder-for-hire conspirator. He became president of the United Mine Workers of America union in 1963, serving until 1972. Boyle was convicted in 1974 of charges of conspiracy in the murder of opponent Joseph A. Yablonski, Yablonski's wife Margaret, and their daughter Charlotte, on New Year's Eve, December 31, 1969. After an appeal, his conviction and sentence were upheld at a second trial; he was sentenced to three life terms and died while still incarcerated.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lee Tergesen</span> American actor

Lee Allen Tergesen (;) is an American actor. He is known for his roles in Weird Science, as Tobias Beecher in HBO's prison drama Oz, and as Evan Wright in Generation Kill, as well as guest starring in many other series. In film, he is known for his portrayal of Terry in Wayne's World and Wayne's World 2, as well as Vincent Corey in Monster.

<i>Mrs. Harris</i> 2005 multi-national TV series or program

Mrs. Harris is a 2005 American-British made-for-television drama film written and directed by Phyllis Nagy. The teleplay, based on the book Very Much a Lady by Shana Alexander, focuses on the tempestuous relationship between cardiologist and author Herman Tarnower and headmistress Jean Harris. Produced by Killer Films, Number 9 Films, and John Wells for HBO Films, it premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 16, 2005, before its broadcast on HBO on February 25, 2006.

Barry Sobel is an American actor and comedian.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sam Levinson</span> American filmmaker and actor (born 1985)

Samuel Levinson is an American filmmaker and actor. He is the son of Academy Award-winning director Barry Levinson. In 2010, he received his first writing credit as a co-writer for the action comedy film Operation: Endgame. The following year, he made his directorial film debut with Another Happy Day (2011), which premiered at Sundance Film Festival. He then received a writing credit on his father's HBO television film The Wizard of Lies (2017). He continued writing and directing for the feature films Assassination Nation (2018) and Malcolm & Marie (2021).

<i>Oprah Winfrey Presents: Mitch Alboms For One More Day</i> 2007 American TV series or program

For One More Day is a 2007 television film adaptation of the Mitch Albom's 2006 novel of the same name, which was a New York Times Best Seller. Produced by Oprah Winfrey's Harpo Productions, the film stars Michael Imperioli and Ellen Burstyn as leads. Director Lloyd Kramer also directed the TV film version of Albom's 2003 novel The Five People You Meet in Heaven. Michael Imperioli who also appeared in the previous film, had his son, Vadim, play his younger version in this film.

<i>Harry & Son</i> 1984 film by Paul Newman

Harry & Son is a 1984 American drama film directed by Paul Newman, who also stars. The screenplay by Newman and Ronald Buck focuses on the relationship between a blue-collar worker and his son, who fails at various odd jobs while aspiring to be a writer. Joanne Woodward, Ellen Barkin, Ossie Davis, Wilford Brimley, and Judith Ivey also star. The film also features Morgan Freeman.

<i>Sons of the Sea</i> (1939 film) 1940 British film

Sons of the Sea is a 1939 British colour drama film directed by Maurice Elvey and starring Leslie Banks, Kay Walsh, Mackenzie Ward and Cecil Parker.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Keanu Reeves filmography</span>

Keanu Reeves is a Canadian actor who has appeared in films, television series and video games. He made his film debut in the short One Step Away in 1985. The following year, Reeves appeared in the crime film River's Edge, and the television films Babes in Toyland, Act of Vengeance, and Brotherhood of Justice. His first lead role was as a teenager dealing with his best friend's suicide in the 1988 drama Permanent Record. His breakthrough role came when he played time-travelling slacker Ted "Theodore" Logan in the science fiction comedy Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure (1989) with Alex Winter, which was an unexpected commercial success. Reeves followed this with a supporting role in Ron Howard's comedy Parenthood. In 1991 he starred in the action film Point Break with Patrick Swayze, the science fiction comedy sequel Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey, and the independent drama My Own Private Idaho.

<i>The Batman</i> (film) 2022 superhero film by Matt Reeves

The Batman is a 2022 American superhero film based on the DC Comics character Batman. Directed by Matt Reeves from a screenplay he wrote with Peter Craig, it is a reboot of the Batman film franchise produced by DC Films. Robert Pattinson stars as Bruce Wayne / Batman alongside Zoë Kravitz, Paul Dano, Jeffrey Wright, John Turturro, Peter Sarsgaard, Andy Serkis, and Colin Farrell. The film sees Batman, in his second year fighting crime in Gotham City, uncover corruption with ties to his own family while pursuing the Riddler (Dano), a mysterious serial killer targeting the city's elite.

<i>All the Way</i> (2016 film) 2016 television film directed by Jay Roach

All the Way is a 2016 American biographical drama television film based on events during the presidency of Lyndon B. Johnson. Directed by Jay Roach and adapted by Robert Schenkkan from his 2012 play All the Way, the film stars Bryan Cranston, who reprises his role as Johnson from the play's 2014 Broadway production, opposite Melissa Leo as First Lady Lady Bird Johnson; Anthony Mackie as Civil Rights Movement leader Martin Luther King Jr.; and Frank Langella as U.S. Senator Richard Russell Jr. from Georgia.

John Wick is an American neo-noir action film series and media franchise created by Derek Kolstad. It centers on the titular character portrayed by actor Keanu Reeves. Wick is a legendary hitman who is reluctantly drawn back into the criminal underworld after retiring. The franchise began with the release of John Wick in 2014, followed by three sequels: Chapter 2 in 2017, Chapter 3 – Parabellum in 2019, and Chapter 4 in 2023.

Act of Vengeance may refer to:

References

  1. "Act of Vengeance ...A True Story (1986)". BFI. Archived from the original on December 30, 2018.
  2. Franklin, Ben A. (November 9, 1975). "Act of Vengeance". The New York Times via NYTimes.com.
  3. "Act of Vengeance (1986) - John Mackenzie | Synopsis, Characteristics, Moods, Themes and Related | AllMovie" via www.allmovie.com.
  4. "Bronson stars in 'Vengeance'". Rocky Mount Telegraph. 75: 17. February 27, 1986.
  5. Gardella, Kay (April 19, 1986). "Charles Bronson: 'Violence is against my nature'". The Miami Herald: 7C.
  6. "AFI|Catalog". catalog.afi.com. Retrieved 2023-05-22.
  7. Schneider, Steve (April 20, 1986). "CABLE TV NOTES; THIS TIME AROUND, BRONSON PORTRAYS THE VICTIM". The New York Times via NYTimes.com.
  8. Pitts, Michael R. (September 17, 2015). Charles Bronson: The 95 Films and the 156 Television Appearances. McFarland. ISBN   9781476610351 via Google Books.
  9. "Lorimar Motion Pictures". BFI. Archived from the original on December 19, 2019.
  10. Lewis, Lacey Rose, Andy; Rose, Lacey; Lewis, Andy (January 9, 2014). "How Lorimar, the Company Behind 'Dallas' and 'Falcon Crest,' Bred Hollywood's Ruling Executive Class". The Hollywood Reporter .{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  11. Burliuk, Greg (October 30, 1986). "Story of a union power struggle is much more than a Charles Bronson vehicle". The Kingston Whig-Standard: 32.
  12. DiMatteo, Robert (May 4, 1986). "Harmon is convincing as Bundy". The Advocate-Messenger. 120: TV Parade: 2.
  13. Walch, Michael (September 22, 1986). "Vengeance if out of focus". The Province: 34.
  14. Joel, Pisetzner (April 18, 1986). "'Act of vengeance' misses its potential". The Record: Television: 43.