The Dead Pool (1988)

Inspector "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) (as R.M. Fink)

Stars:

Clint Eastwood, Liam Neeson, Patricia Clarkson

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 Vick	...	Lt. Ruskowski (as John Allen Vick)
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

Even though he detests publicity, for once, the tough-as-nails San Francisco Police Department officer, Inspector Dirty Harry (1971), has hit the headlines for a good cause, after putting behind bars an infamous mobster. But now, Callahan's name is on a macabre list of soon-to-be-dead celebrities. Before long, the first one dies, the drug-addled rock star, Johnny Squares, and as more violent deaths follow, Callahan now fears that he is next in line. In the meantime, more and more, all indications point to the British horror-film director, Peter Swan. Who is the mastermind behind the anonymous hit-list and the twisted gambling game known as the Dead Pool? Can Harry get to the bottom of this deadly conundrum before it is too late?

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Plot Keywords:

funeral | neo western | modern western | contemporary western | cowboy cop | 

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Taglines:

Dirty Harry Just Learned A New Game

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Genres:

Action | Crime | Mystery | Thriller

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Certificate:

R

Did You Know?

Trivia

Permission was given to film in San Francisco, despite protests from citizens who thought Harry Callahan was not a good representative for the city.

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Goofs

When Johnny Squares dies, his hand is down on his chest. On the next scene when the police are there, his hand is up against his chin.

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Quotes

Harry Callahan: Well, opinions are like assholes. Everybody has one.

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Alternate Versions

For its German VHS release in the late 80s, the film was cut by 13 seconds to secure a "Not under 16" rating. These cuts were waived in 2008 when the complete film was re-rated "Not under 16".

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Connections

Featured in At the Movies: The Dead Pool/Phantasm II/Midnight Run/Boyfriends and Girlfriends/Die Hard (1988)

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Soundtracks

Welcome to the Jungle
Written by Slash, Axl Rose (as W. Axl Rose), Steven Adler, Izzy Stradlin and Duff McKagan (as Duff McKagen)
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!

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

Budget:

$31,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$9,071,330, 17 July 1988

Gross USA:

$37,903,295

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$37,903,295

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros., Malpaso Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

91 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Stereo (4 channels) Dolby Digital (5.1)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1