Shakedown (1988 film)

Last updated

Shakedown
Shakedown film.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by James Glickenhaus
Written byJames Glickenhaus
Produced byJ. Boyce Harman Jr.
Starring
Cinematography John Lindley
Edited byPaul Fried
Music by Jonathan Elias
Production
companies
Shapiro-Glickenhaus Entertainment
Blue Jeap Cop
Distributed by Universal Pictures
Release date
  • May 6, 1988 (1988-05-06)
Running time
97 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$6 million
Box office$10.1 million

Shakedown (also known in international markets as Blue Jean Cop) is a 1988 American action thriller crime drama film written and directed by James Glickenhaus, starring Peter Weller and Sam Elliott. The plot concerns an idealistic lawyer who teams with a veteran cop to find out the truth in a possible police corruption scandal.

Contents

Plot

Roland Dalton is a burned-out, mild-mannered Manhattan public defender, and his last case before leaving legal aid is crack dealer Michael Jones, accused of shooting to death police officer Patrick O'Leary in Central Park. According to Jones, the shooting was in self-defense and Officer O'Leary was a "Blue Jean Cop" (an opportunistic police officer who robs drug dealers).

Being a creature of habit, Dalton seeks the truth to his mysterious case and looks to Richie Marks, a renegade loner NYPD narcotics detective. Dalton realizes the prosecutor in his last case is a former love interest, the smart and sexy Susan Cantrell. Throughout the trial, Roland rekindles this former affair with Susan unbeknownst to his fiancée Gail.

Roland and Marks eventually learn that O'Leary was working with a large number of dirty cops, and purchased designer blue jeans and an expensive car. The dirty cops were working with drug lord Nicky Carr. Roland at one point breaks into the police station's evidence locker to locate the cassette tape that Jones had in a boom box radio at the time of his shooting. The tape recorded the entire incident, and when Roland attempts to get the tape, he is taken hostage by Detective Rydel and other dirty cops. Rydel goes to create a distraction so the others can kill Roland, but Marks bursts in and kills the cops.

Although Roland makes it to court with the assistance of an insane cab driver, the judge refuses to allow the tape into evidence. After making an impassioned closing statement, the jury acquits Jones of the shooting. Marks then shows up in a Porsche purchased by O'Leary and they rush to LaGuardia Airport to hunt down Carr and Rydel, who are fleeing the country. Richie jumps onto their plane's landing gear and after shooting out an engine and tossing a hand grenade into the landing gear compartment, he jumps into the East River before the plane explodes.

Roland stays working as a public defender. He has broken up with Gail and is once again dating Susan.

Cast

Reception

Critical response

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes , 70% of 10 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 6.6/10. [1]

Roger Ebert at the Chicago Sun-Times commended Glickenhaus for showing a "tremendous amount of craftsmanship and skill" when sacrificing story to direct his action scenes and gave praise to both Weller and Elliott for being "strong, unsubtle but convincing" in their respective roles, saying "It's an assembly of sensational moments, strung together by a plot that provides the excuses for amazing stunts, and not much else." [2] Gene Siskel of the Chicago Tribune called the film "a rollicking, thrilling and funny police picture", praising Glickenhaus' direction for containing a "mixture of reality and way-out thrills" in the action sequences, saying that "Shakedown moves with intelligence, speed and joy in everything from writing to stunt work. A picture this much fun can keep a movie lover happy for a week." [3] Kevin Thomas from the Los Angeles Times felt that Elliott lacked equal screen time alongside Weller for his character to remain in the viewer's mind, but he also praised Glickenhaus for keeping the film "terse, fast-moving and atmospheric" throughout the plot and into the action set pieces, calling it "mindlessly enjoyable escapist fare". [4]

Box office

In the United States and Canada, Shakedown grossed $10.1 million at the box office. [5]

Related Research Articles

<i>Cobra</i> (1986 film) 1986 film by George P. Cosmatos

Cobra is a 1986 American action drama film directed by George P. Cosmatos and written by Sylvester Stallone, who stars in the titular role. The film, loosely based on the 1974 novel A Running Duck by Paula Gosling, co-stars Reni Santoni, Brigitte Nielsen and Andrew Robinson. Cobra follows Los Angeles police Lt. Marion "Cobra" Cobretti, who investigates a string of violent crimes and also protects a witness targeted by the perpetrators.

<i>Magnum Force</i> 1973 American film

Magnum Force is a 1973 American neo-noir action-thriller film and the second to feature Clint Eastwood as maverick cop Harry Callahan after the 1971 film Dirty Harry. Ted Post, who had previously worked with Eastwood on Rawhide and Hang 'Em High, directed the film. The screenplay was written by John Milius and Michael Cimino. The film score was composed by Lalo Schifrin. This film features early appearances by David Soul, Tim Matheson, and Robert Urich. At 123 minutes, it is the longest of the five Dirty Harry films.

<i>Over the Edge</i> (film) 1979 film by Jonathan Kaplan

Over the Edge is a 1979 American coming-of-age film directed by Jonathan Kaplan and released in May 1979. The film, based on actual events, had a limited theatrical release but has since achieved cult film status. It was Matt Dillon's film debut.

<i>Road House</i> (1989 film) American action film by Rowdy Herrington

Road House is a 1989 American action film directed by Rowdy Herrington and produced by Joel Silver. The film stars Patrick Swayze as the bouncer at a newly refurbished roadside bar, who protects a small town in Missouri from a corrupt businessman. The cast also features Ben Gazzara, Kelly Lynch and Sam Elliott.

<i>The Enforcer</i> (1976 film) 1976 film by James Fargo

The Enforcer is a 1976 American neo-noir action-thriller film and the third in the Dirty Harry film series. Directed by James Fargo, it stars Clint Eastwood as Inspector "Dirty" Harry Callahan, Tyne Daly as Inspector Kate Moore, and DeVeren Bookwalter as criminal mastermind Bobby Maxwell. It was also the last film in the series to feature John Mitchum as Inspector Frank DiGiorgio.

<i>Sudden Impact</i> 1983 film by Clint Eastwood

Sudden Impact is a 1983 American neo-noir action-thriller film, the fourth in the Dirty Harry series, directed, produced by and starring Clint Eastwood and co-starring Sondra Locke. The film tells the story of a gang rape victim (Locke) who decides to seek revenge on her rapists 10 years after the attack by killing them one by one. Inspector Callahan (Eastwood), famous for his unconventional and often brutal crime-fighting tactics, is tasked with tracking down the serial killer.

<i>The Dead Pool</i> 1988 film by Buddy Van Horn

The Dead Pool is a 1988 American neo-noir action-thriller film directed by Buddy Van Horn, written by Steve Sharon, and starring Clint Eastwood as Inspector "Dirty" Harry Callahan. It is the fifth and final film in the Dirty Harry film series and is set in San Francisco, California.

<i>The Exterminator</i> 1980 film directed by James Glickenhaus

The Exterminator is a 1980 American vigilante action film written and directed by James Glickenhaus. It stars Robert Ginty as Vietnam War veteran John Eastland, also known as "The Exterminator". When a group of thugs paralyze his friend, Eastland becomes a vigilante, embarking on a mission to cleanse New York of organized crime. The film also stars Samantha Eggar, Christopher George and Steve James. It has gained a cult following since its release.

<i>Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot</i> 1992 American film by Roger Spottiswoode

Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot is a 1992 American buddy cop action comedy directed by Roger Spottiswoode and starring Sylvester Stallone and Estelle Getty. The film was released in the United States on February 21, 1992. The film received highly negative reviews upon release but grossed $70.6 million worldwide.

<i>The Relic</i> 1997 monster horror film by Peter Hyams

The Relic is a 1997 American monster-horror film directed by Peter Hyams and based on the best-selling 1995 novel Relic by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child. The film stars Penelope Ann Miller, Tom Sizemore, Linda Hunt, and James Whitmore. In the film, a detective and a biologist try to defeat a South American lizard-like monster which is on a killing spree in the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago.

<i>The Big Picture</i> (1989 film) 1989 film by Christopher Guest

The Big Picture is an 1989 American comedy film starring Kevin Bacon and directed by Christopher Guest in his directorial debut.

<i>The Killer Elite</i> 1975 film by Sam Peckinpah

The Killer Elite is a 1975 American action thriller film directed by Sam Peckinpah and written by Marc Norman and Stirling Silliphant, adapted from the Robert Syd Hopkins novel Monkey in the Middle. It stars James Caan and Robert Duvall as a pair of elite mercenaries who become bitter rivals and are caught on opposite sides of a proxy war over a foreign dignitary in the streets of San Francisco.

<i>Brannigan</i> (film) 1975 British film by Douglas Hickox

Brannigan is a 1975 British action thriller film directed by Douglas Hickox and starring John Wayne and Richard Attenborough. It was filmed in Panavision and DeLuxe Color. One of the screenwriters was Dalton Trumbo's son, Christopher Trumbo.

<i>Code of Silence</i> (1985 film) 1985 film by Andrew Davis

Code of Silence is a 1985 American action thriller film directed by Andrew Davis and starring Chuck Norris. The cast includes Molly Hagan, Henry Silva, Ralph Foody, Bert Remsen, and Dennis Farina. The screenplay is credited to Michael Butler, Dennis Shryack, and Mike Gray.

<i>Loose Cannons</i> (1990 film) 1990 film by Bob Clark

Loose Cannons is a 1990 American action comedy film written by Richard Matheson, Richard Christian Matheson and Bob Clark, who also directed the film. The film stars Gene Hackman as a hard-nosed cop who is teamed up with a detective with multiple personality disorder, played by Dan Aykroyd, to uncover a long-lost Nazi sex tape, featuring Adolf Hitler, which would jeopardize the political future of the German chancellor-elect. The theme song features vocals by Katey Sagal and Aykroyd.

<i>Next of Kin</i> (1989 film) 1989 film by John Irvin

Next of Kin is a 1989 American action thriller film directed by John Irvin and starring Patrick Swayze and Liam Neeson, with Adam Baldwin, Helen Hunt, Bill Paxton and Ben Stiller in one of his earliest roles. The screenplay was based on a story of the same title, both written by Michael Jenning.

<i>Detroit 9000</i> 1973 film by Arthur Marks

Detroit 9000 is a 1973 American action film directed by Arthur Marks from a screenplay by Orville H. Hampton. Originally marketed as a blaxploitation film, it had a resurgence on video 25 years later.

<i>Busting</i> 1974 American crime film by Peter Hyams

Busting is a 1974 American buddy cop film, directed by Peter Hyams in his theatrical directorial debut, starring Elliott Gould and Robert Blake as police detectives of the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD). The film was the main inspiration for the cop series Starsky & Hutch, which premiered in 1975 and, like this film, also featured Antonio Fargas.

<i>Badge 373</i> 1973 film by Howard W. Koch

Badge 373 is a 1973 American neo noir crime thriller film inspired, as was The French Connection, by the life and career of police officer Eddie Egan, here called "Eddie Ryan". The film, which has a screenplay by journalist Pete Hamill, was produced and directed by Howard W. Koch, and stars Robert Duvall as Ryan, with Verna Bloom, Henry Darrow and Eddie Egan himself as a police lieutenant.

<i>Mr. Ricco</i> 1975 film by Paul Bogart

Mr. Ricco is a 1975 crime drama film directed by Paul Bogart and starring Dean Martin in his last leading film role, along with Eugene Roche, Denise Nicholas and Cindy Williams.

References

  1. "Shakedown". Rotten Tomatoes . Fandango Media . Retrieved June 15, 2023. OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
  2. Ebert, Roger (May 6, 1988). "Shakedown". Chicago Sun-Times . Sun-Times Media Group. Archived from the original on April 4, 2020. Retrieved October 16, 2019 via RogerEbert.com.Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg
  3. Siskel, Gene (May 6, 1988). "Flick of the Week: A Cop Picture That's Top Notch". Chicago Tribune . Tribune Publishing. Archived from the original on September 27, 2020. Retrieved October 16, 2019.Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg
  4. Thomas, Kevin (May 6, 1988). "Movie Reviews: 'Shakedown' Escapes Courtroom With Chases" . Los Angeles Times . Archived from the original on September 27, 2020. Retrieved October 16, 2019.
  5. "Shakedown". Box Office Mojo . IMDb . Retrieved June 15, 2023. OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg