Against the Law (1997)A trigger-happy outlaw goes on the run and a burned out, disillusioned cop gives chase. They end up head-to-head in a Los Angeles shoot out. Director:Jim Wynorski |
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Against the Law (1997)A trigger-happy outlaw goes on the run and a burned out, disillusioned cop gives chase. They end up head-to-head in a Los Angeles shoot out. Director:Jim Wynorski |
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| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
| Nancy Allen | ... |
Maggie Hewitt
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| Richard Grieco | ... |
Rex
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| Nick Mancuso | ... |
Det. John Shepard
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| Steven Ford | ... |
Lt. Bill Carpenter
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| Thomas Mikal Ford | ... |
Det. Siegel
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| Gary Sandy | ... |
Chief Leitner
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| Leslie Bega | ... |
Lucia the Liquor Store Clerk
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James Stephens | ... |
Det. Ben Hamada
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Herb Mitchell | ... |
Carl Stensgard
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| Heather Thomas | ... |
Felicity
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| Jaime Pressly | ... |
Sally the Waitress
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B.K. Byron | ... |
Lars Reder
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Tim Colceri | ... |
Officer I.Q.
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| Randy Crowder | ... |
Lt. Fuller
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| Billy Gallo | ... |
DJ
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Headed towards Hollywood, Rex is the "fastest fun in the West" --before long, he has a trail of dead policemen in his wake. Meanwhile, hard-drinking cop John Shepard is suddenly in the news after killing one of L.A.'s most notorious drug dealers in a shoot out. Word reaches Rex, who vows to challenge Shepard once he hits Los Angeles. In a final showdown as tense as high noon battles, Shepard and Rex come face to face. Written by Echo Bridge Home Entertainment
An unusually straight-faced actioner played by a cast and filmed by a director who obviously took the material seriously. Imperfect, as is to be expected from a film clearly shot on a tight budget, but the drama is involving-- it's one of those films that when it gets repeated ad nauseum on Cinemax 2 or More Max or whatever they call it, you end up watching 40 minute blocks when you're supposed to be going to work. Along W/ "Deathstalker 2", "Chopping Mall", and "The Assault", a reminder that Wynorski is a much more talented director than many of his fellow low-budget brethern, who has a real ability to pace a genre film, when he actually's interested in the material (i.e., don't bother watching any of his Shannon Tweed flicks with a 3 or a 4 after the title!) Actors who've had too little to do recently (Mancuso, Ford, even Gary Sandy for chrissakes) really put their all into some of their best roles in years -- as for Grieco, he has the right look, although his acting is a bit one-note -- it's clear his character is supposed to be self-destructing throughout the film, but Grieco doesn't quite convey it. I checked IMDB and I see the writer also wrote "Sorority House Massacre 2" & "Dinosaur Island" for the director -- both minor classics in their own rights, but obviously "silly" Roger Cormon-like Cinema -- this one's more like some of the better Jonathan Demme and Jonathan Kaplan B-pictures of the 70's -- giving you the exploitation element but offering involving drama at the same time -- a real step forward. Not "Citizen Kane," and the comic final moments are a bit disruptive, but a well-written, character-driven above-average straight-to-video actioner. Small achievements like this should not be overlooked when they come along, which is rare enough (as I was reminded as I tried to sit through an Albert Pyun monstrosity called "Heatseeker" the other night -- this low-budget stuff isn't as easy as it looks -- but that's another story!)