Prime Target

Prime Target (1991)

Runtime: 86 minutes

Directed by: David Heavener

Starring: David Heavener, Tony Curtis (!), Isaac Hayes, Robert Reed (yes, the dad on The Brady Bunch), Andrew Robinson

From: Hero Films

Here's another film I discovered due to Letterboxd. In this case, it was due to another function of the site, which is that you can note a film and have it in a list to remind you what to watch in the future. This one was on the list of another person I follow, and I hadn't heard of it. When I saw that this movie was made by late 80's-early 90's Z-grade filmmaker Heavener-had that cast and even Bull Hurley from Over the Top in a small role as a tough guy named POTSY, I was intrigued. When I found the movie (nevermind how) and watched the opening credits, I saw that Troma released it-although they didn't make it-and the star and co-director also did the soundtrack of mediocre country songs... but the opening credits song itself was different. It was a funky country rap song! It was crappy, but also great at the same time. After that I had to watch it all.

To steal the plot description from the IMDb: “John Bloodstone is a cop who is put on suspension after he uses a flamethrower to stop a group of hostage takers. Bloodstone's next assignment begins when his boss, Commissioner Garth, calls him in and introduces him to FBI agent Harrington, and Garth and Harrington assign Bloodstone to transport a mob informant named Marrietta Copella to a new location.” Needless to say things don't go as planned, Bloodstone and the hilariously named Copella don't get along, and the whole thing is rather standard and there aren't too many surprises along the way, although I wasn't expecting to hear Curtis-as Marietta-say such things as refer to a woman's breasts as “gazaybos” or state that another woman “was built like a pizza parlor”. He was a long way from Some Like it Hot and The Sweet Smell of Success.

Like I said it's a typical low-budget action film, one of many made in the time period and one of many that are nearly forgotten now. I say it's about average. It's not awful but there's no real need to see it, even with the cast, the hilarious opening credits song, and the opening with the flamethrower. I wish there would have been more over the top moments like that, but alas...

I'll return tomorrow night.