Movie Type: Action Thriller, Police Detective Film
Themes: Serial Killers, Rogue Cops
Main Cast: Clint Eastwood, Patricia Clarkson, Evan Kim, Liam Neeson, David Hunt
Release Year: 1988
Country: US
Run Time: 92 minutes
MPAA Rating: R
Plot
The Dead Pool is the fifth and (thus far) the last of Clint Eastwood's Dirty Harry movies. A sports pool is placing bets on which famous person will die next. Suddenly a serial killer who preys upon celebrities enters the scene, radically (and perhaps deliberately) changing the odds in the pool. As a celebrity of sorts, maverick cop Dirty Harry Callahan becomes a target of the killer, as does high-profile TV journalist Patricia Clarkson. Surprises are at a minimum in The Dead Pool; the film gets down to business quickly, moves logically if violently towards its climax (with a spectacular car-chase sequence thrown in for good measure), and delivers exactly what its fans expect. One major difference between this film and the earlier Dirty Harry epics is that the murders are committed in so outrageous a fashion that the picture seems at times to be a Freddie Krueger vehicle. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Review
The fifth and probably final entry in Clint Eastwood's Dirty Harry series is an efficient and occasionally witty retrofitting of the familiar formula. The title refers to a betting pool being held in San Francisco in which participants try to guess which one of a group of eight celebrities will be the first to die. When one of them is murdered, Harry begins his investigation while being hounded by obnoxious television reporter Samantha Walker (Patricia Clarkson), with whom he eventually becomes involved. Although it's basically business as usual for Harry, who, at this point seems more dyspeptic than dirty, Eastwood gets in a few ideas between shootouts. Without a trace of irony, he tells Walker how disgusted he is with the way the news media exploits violence to spike ratings. Of course, this new Gandhian Harry then gets right back to blowing people away. Also in a comic vein is the parody of the famed Bullitt (1968) car chase, as Harry is forced to dodge an explosives-laden, tiny model car rampaging through the streets of San Francisco. In a film without much interest in anyone who might be emoting, Liam Neeson has a fine turn as a horror film director. ~ Michael Costello, All Movie Guide
Michael Currie - Capt. Donnelly; Michael Goodwin - Lt. Ackerman; Darwin Gillett - Patrick Snow; Anthony Charnota - Lou Janero; Marc Alaimo - Embarcadero Bodyguard #2; Jim Carrey - Johnny Squares; Ronnie Claire Edwards - Molly Fisher; Shawn Elliott - Chester Docksteder; James W. Gavin - Helicopter Pilot; Louis Giambalvo - Gus Wheeler; Taylor Gilbert - Police Station Reporter #2; John X. Heart - Samantha's Cameraman; Ed Hodson - Paramedic at Elevator; Craig Hosking - Helicopter Pilot; Karen Kahn - T.V. Associate Producer; Kristopher Logan - Gunman #1; Nicholas Love - Jeff Howser; Melissa Martin - Pirate Tug Reporter #2; Maureen McVerry - Vicky Owens; Lloyd Nelson - Sgt. Waldman; Patrick Valentino - Pirate Captain; Patrick Van Horn - Freeway Reporter #2; John Allen Vick - Lt. Ruskowski; Justin Whalin - Jason; George Orrison - Embarcadero Bodyguard #1; Glenn Wright - Detective Hindmark; Christopher Beale; Martin Ganapoler - Reporter at Pier; Peter Anthony Jacobs - Sgt. Holloway; Stu Klitsher - Minister; Charles Martinet - Police Station Reporter #1; Phyllis Huffman
Credit
Phyllis Huffman - Casting, Glenn Wright - Costume Designer, L. Dean Jones, Jr. - First Assistant Director, Buddy Van Horn - Director, Ronald Spang - Editor, Lalo Schifrin - Composer (Music Score), Edward C. Carfagno - Production Designer, David Valdes - Production Designer, Jack N. Green - Cinematographer, Douglas Ryan - Cinematographer, David Valdes - Producer, Richard S. Church - Sound/Sound Designer, Debby Porter - Stunts, Richard Diamond Farnsworth - Stunts, Richard Diamond Farnsworth - Stunts Coordinator, Durk Pearson - Screen Story, Steve Sharon - Screen Story, Sandy Shaw - Screen Story, Dennis Hackin - Screenwriter, Durk Pearson - Screenwriter, Steve Sharon - Screenwriter, Joel Cox - Supervising Editor
