No Man's Land (1987)

Director:

Peter Werner

Writer:

Dick Wolf (written by)

Release Date:

23 October 1987 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Thriller

Tagline:

Once you get a taste of the good life, it's hard to let go. Even if your life depends on it.

Plot:

A rookie cop goes undercover and infiltrates a car thief ring.

Plot Keywords:

Rookie Cop | Undercover | Overturning Car | Reckless Driving | Crime Spree

Cast

D.B. Sweeney	...	Benjy Taylor
Charlie Sheen	...	Ted Varrick
Lara Harris	...	Ann Varrick
Randy Quaid	...	Lieutenant Vincent Bracey
Bill Duke	...	Malcolm
R.D. Call	...	Frank Martin
Arlen Dean Snyder	...	Lieutenant Curtis Loos
M. Emmet Walsh	...	Captain Haun
Al Shannon	...	Danny
Bernie Pock	...	Ridley
Kenny Endoso	...	Leon
James F. Kelly	...	Brandon
Lori Butler	...	Suzanne
Clare Wren	...	Deborah
Philip Benichou	...	Michel
Linda Carol	...	Party Girl
Danitza Kingsley	...	Margot
Peggy McCay	...	Benjy's Mom
Linda Shayne	...	Peggy
Robert Pierce	...	Jim
Claude Earl Jones	...	Uncle Roy
Jan Burrell	...	Aunt Rhea
Channing Chase	...	Aunt Fran
Jessica Puscas	...	Mary Jean
Molly Carter	...	Colleen
Florence Schauffler	...	Apartment Manager
Guy Boyd	...	Jaws
Henry G. Sanders	...	Heath
Gary Riley	...	Cal
Jenny Gago	...	Tory Bracey
Scott Lincoln	...	Bailey
James W. Smith	...	Shopping Center Guard
Jack Yates	...	Shopping Center Guard
Tom Santo	...	Juio
Anthony Palmer	...	Supplier
Jeff O'Haco	...	Valet
Mario Roberts	...	Valet
Michael Riley	...	Horton
Denis Hartigan	...	Duncan
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Richard Burns	...	Auto Repair Shop Customer (uncredited)
Jeff Dandurand	...	Kid Auto Thief (uncredited)
Michael Della Femina	...	Webb (uncredited)
George Dzundza	...	Uncle Mike (uncredited)
John Gocha	...	Porsche Mechanic (uncredited)
Brad Pitt	...	Waiter (uncredited)
Joseph Michael Roth	...	Christmas Caroler (uncredited)

Directed by
Peter Werner

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Dick Wolf		written by

Produced by
Jack Behr	....	associate producer
Tony Ganz	....	executive producer
Ron Howard	....	executive producer
Sandy Kroopf	....	associate producer
Joseph Stern	....	producer
Dick Wolf	....	producer

Original Music by
Basil Poledouris

Cinematography by
Hiro Narita

Film Editing by
Steven Cohen

Casting by
Judith Holstra
Marcia Ross

Production Design by
Paul Peters

Set Decoration by
Ethel Robins Richards

Costume Design by
Jodie Lynn Tillen

Makeup Department
Susan A. Cabral	....	makeup department head
Yolanda Toussieng	....	hair stylist

Production Management
Duncan Henderson	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
M. James Arnett	....	second unit director
Matt Earl Beesley	....	second assistant director
Josh McLaglen	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Eva Anna Andry	....	assistant art director (as Eva Anna Bohn)
Mike Carrillo	....	assistant property master
Anthony Klaiman	....	set dresser
Robert Misetich	....	stand-by painter

Sound Department
Jerry Trent	....	foley artist
Gordon Webb	....	boom operator

Special Effects by
Dennis Petersen	....	special effects

Stunts
Hal Burton	....	stunts
Corey Michael Eubanks	....	stunt coordinator
Corey Michael Eubanks	....	stunts (as Corey Eubanks)
Theresa Eubanks	....	stunts
Trace Eubanks	....	stunts
Debbie Evans	....	stunts
Norman Howell	....	stunts
Gary Hymes	....	stunts
Terry Jackson	....	stunts
Tracy Keehn-Dashnaw	....	stunts (as Tracy Keehn)
Terry Leonard	....	stunts (as Terry J. Leonard)
Mike Marasco	....	stunts (as Michael Marasco)
Mike H. McGaughy	....	stunts
Bob Orrison	....	stunts (as Robert Orrison)
Spiro Razatos	....	stunts
Tom Sarmento	....	stunts (as Thomas G. Sarmento)
Russell Solberg	....	stunts
Jerry Spicer	....	stunts
Edward J. Ulrich	....	stunts
Brian J. Williams	....	stunt performer
Al Wyatt Jr.	....	stunts (as Allan Wyatt Jr.)
Al Wyatt Sr.	....	stunts (as Allan Wyatt)

Camera and Electrical Department
Brett Laumann	....	electrician
Steve Mathis	....	gaffer
Roy H. Wagner	....	director of photography: second unit

Editorial Department
Pablo Ferro	....	montage
Robert Leader	....	assistant editor (uncredited)

Music Department
Tim Boyle	....	score mixer
Steven Scott Smalley	....	orchestrator
Chris Silagyi	....	music producer (uncredited)

Transportation Department
Joseph Prado	....	driver (as Joseph R. Prado)

Other crew
Pablo Ferro	....	title designer: main title sequence
John Gocha	....	technical advisor
Hope Williams	....	script supervisor

Distributors

• Orion Pictures Corporation (1987) (USA) (theatrical)
• 20th Century Fox (1988) (France) (theatrical)
• Globo Vídeo (19??) (Brazil) (VHS)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (2000) (USA) (VHS)
• Spentzos Film Home Video (1989) (Greece) (VHS)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

USA:106 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Finland:K-16 | France:-12 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | USA:R | Norway:15 | Singapore:PG | Iceland:16 | Australia:M | Portugal:M/12

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Trivia:

Brad Pitt's feature film debut.

Goofs:

Plot holes: When Ted meets 'Bill' at the shopping mall at the end of the movie, he calls him 'Benji', his real name. In an earlier scene, Ted had learned from Ann that Bill is a cop, but he left the house before she told him anything else. Thus, Ted wouldn't be able to know that Bill's real name is Benji.

Quotes:

[the car phone in the Porsche rings]
Benjy Taylor:Hello? No, Rick is not here. Who am I? The guy stealing Rick's car...

Movie Connections:

Referenced in 'Law & Order': The Beginning (2002) (V)

Soundtrack:

Ton Of Bricks

Porsches

In a way, having a Porsche in a city like Los Angeles is a clear invitation for car thieves to take them, as demonstrated in "No Man's Land", the 1987 film that has a look of a movie made for television. It's no wonder since its director and writer, Peter Werner and Dick Wolf, are veterans of the medium. Ron Howard is listed as a producer.

"No Man's Land" is worth a look because in spite of its flaws, because it shows an interesting aspect of the complex relationship between a police undercover cop and the young man who is the master mind in the car stealing robberies plaguing the city. The interaction between these two opposites is well played by the two leading actors, B. D. Sweeney, and Charlie Sheen.

Charlie Sheen, gives a restrained performance here. In fact, this actor tends to go for intensity without the proper guidance of a good director. As the slick Ted Varrick, Mr. Sheen shows a subtle side that we don't see too often. B.D. Sweeney is also effective as the undercover man who falls for Ann, who happens to be Ted's sister. Mr. Sweeney has that clean look about him that makes him perfectly suited for the good natured Bill, the mechanic he pretends to be.

Others faces in the film includes Lara Harris who plays Ann, the woman in love with the man hunting her own brother. Randy Quaid is seen briefly as Lt. Bracey, who is responsible for getting one of his men infiltrate the car stealing ring.

"No Man's Land" has the ubiquitous car chases and visual effects of pictures of this genre. The cinematography of Hiro Narita shows us a lot of Los Angeles shopping malls and high priced stores where the car thieves love to steal the Porsches.