Back to Back (1989)

Director:

John Kincade

Writer:

George Frances Skrow (writer)

Genre:

Action | Drama

Plot:

Modern day western about two very different brothers, who join forces to clear their family name, from...

Plot Keywords:

Robbery | Motorcycle | Independent Film

Cast

Bill Paxton	...	Bo Brand
Todd Field	...	Todd Brand
Apollonia Kotero	...	Jesse Duro
Luke Askew	...	Wade Duro
Ben Johnson	...	Eli Hix
Susan Anspach	...	Madeline Hix
Sal Landi	...	Deputy Jackson
David Michael Sterling	...	Hank Brand
Roger Rook	...	Manny Duro
Tony Gaznick	...	Warren Enfield
Terence Marinan	...	Spider Hand (as Terry Marinan)
Edward Alberty	...	Bandit #2
Cole S. McKay	...	Bandit #3
Daniel O'Haco	...	Bandit #4
Mildred Brion	...	Hedda Niven
Thom Kahler	...	Gary Mackintosh
Steven Kent	...	Vulture
Earl W. Smith	...	Gravedigger #1 (as Earl Smith)
Bob Hayes	...	Gravedigger #2
Bill Parker	...	Minister
Jay Zingler	...	Lem Stanislaw
Warner McKay	...	Cable Hogue
Hugh Burritt	...	Young Cabel
Tony Noakes	...	Young Sabatini
Steve Kelso	...	Deputy #1
Curt Bortel	...	Boll Weevel McKenny
Henry Kendrick	...	Mitchell Sabatini
Roger Carter	...	Tow Truck Driver
Bryn Pryor	...	Herb the Fish Man (as Bryan Pryor)
Bob Schoose	...	McKenny Brother #2
Pat Green	...	McKenny Brother #3
Cecile Krevoy	...	Looter #1
Harley Rinzler	...	Looter #2
Charles Phillips	...	Townie
Jennifer Childs	...	Mystery Woman

Directed by
John Kincade

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
George Frances Skrow		writer

Produced by
Roger Corman	....	producer
Mark Ezralow	....	producer
Brad Krevoy	....	producer
Steven Stabler	....	producer

Original Music by
Rick Cox

Cinematography by
James L. Carter

Film Editing by
Peter Maris
Kevin Michaels

Casting by
Al Guarino

Production Design by
Don Day

Art Direction by
Brian Densmore

Set Decoration by
Nigel Clinker

Costume Design by
Gini Kramer

Makeup Department
Steve Wanzell	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Richard Strickland	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Vivian Caliendo	....	second second assistant director
Chris Edmonds	....	second assistant director
Larry Litton	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Bill Holmquist	....	construction foreman
Tal Schneider	....	leadman

Sound Department
Don Sanders	....	production sound mixer

Special Effects by
Jeff Frink	....	special effects
Steve Galich	....	special effects
Robyn Jacobs	....	special effects assistant

Stunts
Steve Kelso	....	stunts
Rob King	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Kevin Dean	....	best boy grip
Matthew May	....	best boy electric

Editorial Department
Robert Hoffman	....	assistant editor

Other crew
Ron Bertolini	....	production assistant
Laura Cartwright	....	key production accountant

Production Companies

• Motion Picture Corporation of America (MPCA)

Distributors

• Concorde Pictures (1990) (USA) (theatrical)
• MGM/UA Home Video (1990) (USA) (VHS)
• Videosonic Arts (1995) (Greece) (VHS)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

USA:95 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

USA:R

Filming Locations:

Apache Junction, Arizona, USA

Company:

Motion Picture Corporation of America (MPCA)

Lacks The Means To Be Better Than It Is.

With the opening frames displaying text from Joseph Conrad's Nostromo indicating that this piece may be meant as something more than simply just another action movie, and employment of the services of some of Sam Peckinpah's favourite actors (in addition to a secondary character being named Cable Hogue), this impression is strengthened and smacks of possible auteur homage, but lack of directorial and writing skills reduces the production to a condition of mediocrity. Hank Brand, as lone survivor from a seven million dollar armoured car robbery 27 years before, has been poorly treated by a suspicious citizenry and the local sheriff ever since, becoming a pariah, but after Hank dies his older son Bo (Bill Paxton), a Los Angeles area based attorney, comes to the small community at the base of Arizona's Superstition Mountain Range in an attempt to restore his father's reputation by using the latter's research notes to reconstruct the crime, and also by locating and interviewing witnesses with the assistance of his 17 year old brother Todd (Todd Field). A somewhat mysterious hitchhiker, played by Apollonia Kotero, attaches herself to the brothers as they continue their search for clues to the planning of the long ago robbery, defying the corrupt sheriff (Luke Askew), whose own brother died during the holdup, and other town mandarins, as a series of non-linear flashbacks along with voice-over narration by Ben Johnson playing as a local outfitter, are utilized in an attempt to explain the shadowy events that caused the disappearance of the armoured vehicle with its load of cash. Shot at Apache Junction, Arizona, and the nearby mining ghost town of Goldfield, the work builds upon numerous tales of buried treasure (e. g., The Lost Dutchman Mine) that comprise lore of the Superstition Mountains, and is splendidly photographed by cinematographer James L. Carter, but it is poorly directed and scripted with moronic rock and roll racket emitting from Bo's auto sound system during the film's first half, drowning out a good deal of dialogue. Editing is ragged and, as a result, too little benefit is derived from some capable performers, primarily Paxton and Field, while underwritten parts for Johnson and Susan Anspach can only mildly enliven the affair.