Kings and Desperate Men (1981)

User Rating:

4.7/10   

Director:

Alexis Kanner

Writers:

Edmund Ward (story)
Edmund Ward (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

22 August 1981 (Canada)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

No one will ever forget it.

Plot:

A group of terrorists take a radio disk jockey and his wife and child hostage in order to get their manifesto out to the world.

Plot Keywords:

Hostage | Cinema Verite | Talk Radio | Radio DJ | Independent Film

Cast

Patrick McGoohan	...	John Kingsley
Alexis Kanner	...	Lucas Miller
Andrea Marcovicci	...	Terrorist
Margaret Trudeau	...	Elizabeth Kingsley
Budd Knapp	...	Judge McManus
Neil Vipond	...	Henry Sutton
Peter MacNeill	...	Kidnapper
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Marcel Beaulieu	...	Special Squad
Jean-Pierre Brown	...	Chris Kingsley
Kevin Fenlon	...	Laz
Jane Hooper	...	Girl with Radio
Andre Koudsey	...	Special Squad
Bob Lepage	...	Special Squad
Frank Moore	...	Pete Herrera
Kate Nash	...	Mrs.McPhearson
Dave Patrick	...	Grant Gillespie
Normand Roy	...	Special Squad
August Schellenberg	...	Stanley Aldini
Andrew Semple	...	Waiter with Coat
Frederic Smith	...	Bolton
Robin Spry	...	Harry
Andrew Theodoses	...	Special Squad

Also Known As:

Kings and Desperate Men: A Hostage Incident (USA) (video title)

Runtime:

118 min

Country:

Canada

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Certification:

UK:15

Filming Locations:

Montréal, Québec, Canada

Company:

Kineversal Productions

Trivia:

This film was the brainchild of Alexis Kanner. He and Patrick McGoohan met via Kanner's performance in an episode of McGoohan's popular British television show "The Prisoner" (1967). Kanner worked on the idea and polished it for a few years before finally calling up McGoohan to ask him to star in the film.

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: The reflection of two crew members are briefly seen just before Margaret Trudeau enters an elevator towards the beginning of the film.

Quotes:

Lucas Miller: When you sign off at the end of your show, you always say, "This is your program"... well I am taking you up on that, Mr. Kingsley.

Movie Connections:

References "Danger Man" (1964)

Worse than a hangover

The director or director of photography, or some other "genius" used the tired old trick of letting the camera be the eyes of one of the characters. Unfortunately, this, combined with "disembodied voices" makes watching this film remind one of a really bad alcoholic hangover!

Given the choice between watching this turkey and a real hangover, ...I'm out the door to the nearest liquor store!