The Dead Pool (1988)

Dirty Harry Callahan must stop a sick secret contest to murder local celebrities, which includes himself as a target.

Director:

Buddy Van Horn

Writers:

Harry Julian Fink (characters), Rita M. Fink (characters),

Stars:

Clint Eastwood, Patricia Clarkson, Liam Neeson

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Clint Eastwood	...	Harry Callahan
Patricia Clarkson	...	Samantha Walker
Liam Neeson	...	Peter Swan
Evan C. Kim	...	Al Quan
David Hunt	...	Harlan Rook
Michael Currie	...	Captain Donnelly
Michael Goodwin	...	Lt. Ackerman
Darwin Gillett	...	Patrick Snow
Anthony Charnota	...	Lou Janero
Christopher P. Beale	...	D.A. Thomas McSherry (as Christopher Beale)
John Allen Vick	...	Lt. Ruskowski
Jeff Richmond	...	Freeway Reporter #1
Patrick N. Van Horn	...	Freeway Reporter #2 (as Patrick Van Horn)
Sigrid Wurschmidt	...	Freeway Reporter #3
Jim Carrey	...	Johnny Squares (as James Carrey)

Storyline

For Inspector 'Dirty' Harry Callahan, fame and celebrity status is not his lifestyle, especially when it interferes with his job. But right after putting one of San Francisco's crime bosses in prison, Callahan ends up in the status quo as well as being written in a list for a game called, 'The Dead Pool', where his life is now in the line along with other famous celebrities that are mysteriously dying. Callahan is up against the media attention, an enraged hit man, and a new killer, who's attempting to throw off the dead pool game anyway possible. Callahan has to find the connection between the killings and the perpetrator, before the game can be declared over.

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Plot Keywords:

dirty harry | murder | reporter | chinatown | mafia | 

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Taglines:

Dirty Harry Just Learned A New Game

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Genres:

Action | Crime | Thriller

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

13 July 1988 (USA)

Also Known As:

Dirty Harry in The Dead Pool

Filming Locations:

1954 Mason Street, North Beach, San Francisco, California, USA

Box Office

Gross:

$37,903,295 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros., Malpaso Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

91 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

This film has a Top 10 single used as a non original score: Guns N' Roses' hit single "Welcome to the Jungle".

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Goofs

In the final scene between Callahan and Rook, Callahan walks towards Rook holding a harpoon gun with a spool of rope, easily 25 feet in length, around his left arm. The next scene is a closeup of the harpoon gun, being aimed, but the rope is no longer on his arm. The next scene is of Callahan with the rope back around his arm. And then again a closeup of the harpoon gun with the rope off his arm.

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Quotes

Peter Swan: [to Harry and his partner] Why the *fuck* are you people harassing me?

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Connections

References The Exorcist (1973)

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Soundtracks

"WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE"
Written by W. Axl Rose, Slash, Steven Adler, Izzy Stradlin and Duff McKagan
Performed by Guns N' Roses
Courtesy of Geffen Records
By Arrangement with Warner Special Products

User Reviews

Loved them all!!!

Having just seen Dead Pool, the last of the Dirty Harry series, I have to say that I enjoyed this film as much as the other four. I don't have a favorite, I loved them all. Recently I became interested in Clint Eastwood's films and have seen a number of them including the westerns. Eastwood is an amazing guy. He has presence on the screen that is extraordinary. It's not that he is such a great actor, but I can't take my eyes off of him when he is in a scene. His face conveys such hysterical expression when he comes out with, "Swell!" or "Marvelous!" He's irreverent, gritty, rude, shoots criminals in the back, beats the sh-t out of them, antagonizes everyone, and so what. He gets the job done! I liked everyone in the cast even Patricia Clarkson and her nasal voice. Liam Neeson was great, sounding for all the world exactly like Ralph Fiennes. And the music in all five of the series was terrific -the best! What a treat!