Customer Reviews

Judge & Jury

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Remember that movie called The Horror Show, which had Brion James as a serial killer who was executed in the electric chair only to return to terrorize cop Lance Henriksen and his family? Or how about Wes Craven's Shocker, about a serial killer who comes back from the electric chair to terrorize Peter Berg, who turned him in?
Well, Judge & Jury is a similar concept, though an odd film. The box cover might have you thinking this is some kind of vigilante film, but it really isn't. It's a bizarre mix of straight to video action, horror and comedy.
In this film, executed killer Joseph Meeker(played by David Keith) comes back as a wisecracking specter to get his revenge on former football pro, Mike(played by Sensei John Kreese himself, Martin Kove!) Mike is a demanding dad who is trying to make his son(that irritating kid with the super arm from Rookie of the Year) a kickbutt football player. But Mike, his son, and his wife are now in danger as Meeker relentlessly pursues and terrorizes Mike. Along for the ride are the detective that arrested Meeker and a cab driver who has been thrown into the situation.
As I said, this movie is kinda strange. It's uncertain just which genre it's trying to be. The premise is horror-like of course, but the endless cat and mouse game is more in the direct to video action vein. Plus, Meeker is constantly appearing in different outfits with different personalities. You'll see him as an Elvis impersonator, a clown, a nerd in a toilet stall, and a woman. This really pushes the movie into full blown comedy. The scene that had me going is when Meeker attacks Mike in a kitchen, and he's dressed like a chef and using a French accent. Mike sets Meeker's arm on fire and Meeker says, "I see you prefer Joseph Flambe!"
All of this silliness really lifts this from the standard straight to video action fare. Sure, it's not a very original plot by any means, but it's quite funny and a good time. Hell, it manages to actually be a tad bit sad at the end!! And as much as I love Martin "Sweep the Leg" Kove, he is completely eclipsed by David Keith's insanely over the top performance. I've liked Keith since I'd seen him in Firestarter. Keith is the main reason to watch this film as he is funny as hell in his multiple "roles", but actually does manage to shift back to a sinister personna when it's called for.
Judge & Jury isn't very original as far as story and plot goes, but the cliches are used in interesting and unusual ways, and that alone makes this a very entertaining movie. Too bad nobody saw it.

I only watched this film because it had David Keith as it's star, he was good in An Officer and a Gentleman and the father in Daredevil, but here, David Keith reels you into the movie by his craziness and non stop fun. The action shots are slow motion crap, but the story has some morals and some depth, but just to watch and enjoy Keith having the time of his acting life is great entertainment

She's mysterious, she's exciting and she's turning Horace's life upside down. Straight from the mean streets of New York, the waif-like Jane Doe (Calista Flockhart) works her way into the life and heart of a cynical young writer. The spark that ignites between them sends the two on a roller coaster ride through the underbelly of the city to the back streets of Atlantic City, NJ. But Jane's inner demons begin to haunt their relationship until the stakes are life and death. An outstanding performance by the hottest young actress in independent film, makes this moving, touching and surprising story, one that you will never forget.

This is one bizarro movie, filled with plot holes the size of the Grand Canyon, implausible actions by the characters, but it is nonetheless effective due to the off the wall performance of David Keith. Mr. Keith has had a prolific career, being in high quality films such as LORDS OF DISCIPLINE, OFFICER AND A GENTLEMEN and others, and in this unusual horror flick, he seems to be having the time of his life. Why not? He plays a convicted killer who is sentenced to die. His crime was robbing a convenience store on his wedding night, and in the process killing the store clerk and a customer. His wife was killed by Martin Kove, who plays a football star who happened to be in the store at the time. Anyhow, Keith is executed but not before planning revenge on those who killed his wife. (A detective is also on his hit list, as he was in the store at the time, too). We then meet Kove again, with his wife (Laura Johnson) and teenage son (Thomas Ian Nichols); they are obviously dysfunctional, as Kove wants his quarterback son to be a superstar like himself and has also been haunted by Keith. Anyway, Keith does come back in a series of unbelievably funny manifestations: he's a clown, an Elvis clone, a redhaired punk, a nerd, a dancer, etc. This adds some originality to an otherwise pedestrian derivative script.
Kove gives a really bad performance, grunting and groaning more than any action hero I've seen; Paul Koslo as the cop also grunts and groans a lot; Laura Johnson and Nichols are also pretty bad. And the scene near the end where Kove and Nichols use a football for a grenade is hilarious. Why didn't Kove just take the football himself; but no, he has to give his son an opportunity to throw him the ball in some kind of male bonding issue. Totally ridiculous. And the twist ending is out of left field, too. The movie never answers the question as to whether Keith has returned physically or psychically. But anyway Keith is fun to watch and his performance alone gives it the three stars it would otherwise not merit.

I gave up trying to figure out what was happening in this dimly lit, barely watchable exercise in lunacy. David keith portrays a psychopathic killer who returns from the dead. Can you guess what he does? Yeah, you're right. he goes right after those old mean people who were responsible for putting out his lights. I think I've seen this plot device since the days of Lon Chaney silents. At least from a couple of hundred Boris Karloff back-from-the-dead B movies. Nothing makes any sense. the characters are so repulsive and slimy--even the victims--that you care for none of them. this flick is only for those who are desperate.