Day of the Assassin (1979)

User Rating:

4.9/10   

Director:

Brian Trenchard-Smith

Writer:

Robert Avard Miller (writer)

Release Date:

15 December 1979 (Sweden)

Genre:

Action | Drama

Plot Keywords:

Sabotage | Death | Political | Killer | Boat

Cast

Chuck Connors	...	Fleming
Susana Dosamantes	...	The Princess
Glenn Ford	...	Christakis
John Gailiard	...	Vasilenko
Andrés García	...	Beltron
Taylor Lacher	...	Spiros
Bob Miller
Jorge Rivero	...	Vallone
Richard Roundtree	...	Fessler
Henry Silva

Also Known As:

El día de los asesinos (Spain)

Runtime:

USA:94 min | Argentina:95 min

Country:

USA | Spain | Mexico

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Sweden:15 | UK:15 | Argentina:13 | Norway:(Banned) (1981-2003) (cinema release) | Norway:16 (video premiere) (1982)

Company:

ECM Productions

For lovers of unintentionally funny D-flicks O-N-L-Y !!

Glenn FORD is in this for barely 5 minutes (if at all that "long") and has exactly 3 scenes. Either his pay-check was so low or he was so "expensive" that he was only paid for sitting (or the producers could only afford to pay him for sitting) in 2 of the 3 scenes, which he has at the beginning and in his 3rd scene in the last 3rd he is then shot (so ridiculously, that this is indeed funny). He was 63 when this was made, but actually he looks older. It's a shame that such a SUPERB actor spent a day of his life playing in such "beep", but then again he probably didn't have to leave his house at all (I don't know where his 3 scenes were shot, but it could have been in his house or some nearby hotel, all that has probably taken 1 hour or less). And it's still the best this movie has to offer. Look at Fords' eyes when he does his lines: rolls them like to say "Oh God, pardon me being in this one. When is this over ?". Sad, but then again weirdly funny as well.

All the other cast are have-beens, too, but one nevertheless wonders, how they all got into this one. I mean there's Henry Silva in it (also for less than 5 minutes, also 2 or 3 scenes, but he survives), he was 51 then, but also looks older, Richard Rountree was in it, then 37, moving slowly like on dope, Chuck Connors, then 58, looking like 70, but from what I have seen of him he must have born looking like 70 (he always looks that way) and "the princess" was 41 then and certainly had her heydays behind (but don't be mistaken, she's still the most "juicy" person in this sad flick). It indeed seems that everybody involved in this movie aged considerably between the time he (or more likely his/her inept small-time agent) signed the contract (to be in this) and when the few scenes were shot.

All the other cast looks like retired bookkeepers or controllers as well.

Still, this cast 20 years earlier ... would have been a competent cast.

There are hardly any action scenes in it (too expensive), and the few, which are, are cheaply made (sure, the budget must have been a shoestring) and incompetently staged. Anyway, lovers of unintentional fun will have a field day.

I managed to sit through it for app. 30 minutes, until I first hit the "fast forward" button to swallow some unbearable "action" scenes: men, hardly able to run, "running" with all sorts of guns on roads and between trees. Then I watched in normal speed here and there, but most of it fast forward.

Inept dialog, too (but again, some funny moments).

The storyline: forget it (they all want some piece of paper, some sort of list ... what it contains - never explained ... who cares anyway).

But still, there's something worth mentioning: the music. Not that it is first rate, but at least it is pretty competent: BEBU SILVETTI composed some disco-influenced funk-pieces for this wast-of-time-movie and what is even more remarkable, it was actually released on vinyl LP-record on some obscure backyard US-label (Texas, if I recall correctly) on behalf of the composers permission. Contains on the back cover a long list, in which countries this vinyl may be sold and in which not. But it most likely sold less copies than there are countries mentioned on the cover. :-) Very rare, of course, and nice cover, too.

For Glenn Ford & Henry Silvas 6 scenes and the music I gave it 2 instead of no star. How this gets 4,7 on the IMDb is beyond me. 30 voters ... 4 gave it 10 !! Fun voters ?? I'd be happy if one of them would explain on the discuisson board, which splendid scenes I missed through my fast forwarding ... thanx! :-))

NOT worth the effort of tracking it down (unless you are Quentin Tarantino, but he'll know that one anyway, I bet :-)) ).