Murphy's Law (1986)

An action-packed thriller starring Charles Bronson as Jack Murphy, a cop who is running to stay alive long enough to even the score with his wife's killer.

Director:

J. Lee Thompson

Writer:

Gail Morgan Hickman

Stars:

Charles Bronson, Kathleen Wilhoite, Carrie Snodgress

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Charles Bronson	...	Jack Murphy
Kathleen Wilhoite	...	Arabella McGee
Carrie Snodgress	...	Joan Freeman
Robert F. Lyons	...	Art Penney
Richard Romanus	...	Frank Vincenzo
Angel Tompkins	...	Jan
Bill Henderson	...	Ben Wilcove
James Luisi	...	Ed Reineke
Clifford A. Pellow	...	Lieutenant Nachman
Janet MacLachlan	...	Dr. Lovell
Lawrence Tierney	...	Cameron
Jerome Thor	...	Judge Kellerman
Mischa Hausserman	...	Dave Manzarek
Cal Haynes	...	Reese
Hans Howes	...	Santana

Storyline

Charles Bronson plays Jack Murphy a veteran police detective who is framed for the murder of his ex-wife. Although taken into custody, Murphy escapes from the police station handcuffed to a foul-mouthed car thief. Pursued by the police, Murphy must find the real killer before it is too late.

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Plot Keywords:

neo noir | female serial killer | juvenile delinquent | glock | cult film | 

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Taglines:

They set him up. He takes them down.

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Genres:

Action | Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

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Certificate:

R

Did You Know?

Trivia

This movie represented the sixth of nine teamings of director 'J Lee Thompson' with star actor Charles Bronson. Prior to this movie they had made together St. Ives (1976), The White Buffalo (1977), Cabo Blanco (1980), 10 to Midnight (1983) and The Evil That Men Do (1984). After this picture, they made Death Wish 4: The Crackdown (1987), Messenger of Death (1988) and Kinjite: Forbidden Subjects (1989).

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Goofs

When Murphy finds the Prosecutor Albert Skinner's body, asphyxiated with a nylon bag, the (uncredited) actor moves his eyelids.

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Quotes

Joan Freeman: Go to Hell!
Jack Murphy: Ladies first.

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Connections

Referenced in Remo, Rambo, Reagan and Reds: The Eighties Action Movie Explosion (2014)

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Soundtracks

It's Got to Get Better
Written by Jim Cushinery & Valentine McCallum (as Val McCallum)
Courtesy of The Wigs

User Reviews

Great insults!

Our group watched this on valentine's day and I can tell you that it was a wonderful idea. We ended up writing down as many of those excellent 80's insults as possible, and our list ended up filling an entire page. You just don't see movies anymore where a major character says things like "I must have boogers for brains," or "eat it toe jam," let alone calls Bronson a "Snot Licking Donkey Fart" or a "Camel Crotch." We agonized over the seething sexual subtext throughout the film, wondering "would they or wouldn't they?" For maximum fun, appoint someone to yell "BRONSONED!!!!" whenever a heaping helping of snarling .44 Magnum super-justice appears imminent.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

18 April 1986 (USA)

Also Known As:

Murphy's Law

Filming Locations:

Kelly Gulch - 1801 N. Topanga Canyon Boulevard, Topanga, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$6,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$3,388,907, 20 April 1986

Gross USA:

$9,947,631

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$9,947,631

Company Credits

Production Co:

Golan-Globus Productions, Cannon Films Inc.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

100 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (TVC)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1