Customer Reviews

Night of the juggler: A novel

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

 

 

A lunatic kidnaps a cop's daughter from Central Park and holds her for ransom. The cop has to do what he has to do to get her back.

The real story is that this was made into a film in 1980 that is nearly impossible to find. This thing is screaming for a DVD release.

Where to begin? For one, the cast. James Brolin plays the guy who is trying to get his daughter back, looking like Christian Bale with a beard and long hair. Dan Hedaya plays an insane cop who chases Brolin through the streets of NYC firing a shotgun. There's a Puerto Rican gang also after Brolin. Basically, no one will listen to him. Clemenza from The Godfather plays the detective assigned to the kidnapping. Adult acting legend Sharon Mitchell plays...a stripper, during a scene in 'the 42nd Street porno district' as it's called by name.

There are potentially disturbing scenes that are absolutely deflated by hilarious overacting. A lot of cursing, a lot of shouting. A lot of running, a lot of chases. Not much sense. New York is depicted as a complete cesspool of criminal lunes, dirty cops, and just irate, disgruntled people. The subplot of the whacko's mother-issue-complex-thing is disturbing, yes, but isn't given enough weight because the scenes are interrupted by the comic proceedings. At one point, Hedaya is fed to the dogs, literally. Brolin travels through some of the finer neighborhoods of 1980 New York.

Incredible, incredible film. Totally forgotten. Occassionally appears on TV, late at night.

I assume McGivern just sold the rights and let the filmmakers run with it. Should be studied as a prime example of overacting.