Sunday 10 March 2024

Sudden Impact (1983 Clint Eastwood)

The fourth Dirty Harry film has Inspector Callahan pestering a mafia boss to death, thus making himself a hit target. His boss (he isn't getting on with his bosses, you'll be surprised to hear) sends him off to Sao Paulo - not that one, a fictional seaside town, actually Vera Cruz - where he investigates a murder. Turns out Sandra Locke is on a revenge mission against the usual assortment of dumbass villain types (the acting isn't great). The violence against women is not at all welcome but the film is OK I guess. The best bit - Clint chasing fleeing villain in retirement village coach with residents on board - isn't as well handled as it might have been.

Harry has an even bigger gun now - the 44 Magnum Automag - as the villains are coming after him in bullet proof cars. He also (somehow) manages to acquire a dog.



But - "Who the hell eats hot dogs with tomato ketchup?" I would have to strongly disagree with. (Although the National Hot Dog & Sausage Council survey of 2005 noted that 21% of consumers favour ketchup, the Council's  etiquette recommends ketchup should not be taken by people over 18. This is all vital to my interpretation of the film. It may be me who is in the wrong.)

Er. Some other people are in it, including Pat Hingle, Bradford Dillman, Paul Drake and Albert Popwell, who's transcended his earlier bad guys roles and is now Clint's buddy. The music is by Lalo Schifrin. The story by Earl Smith and Charles Pierce was screen written by Joseph Stinson (and uncredited Dean Reisner). Bruce Surtees shot it, Jack Green's the operator, Tom Stern's the gaffer. Joel Cox edited and Edward Carfagno was the production designer. Guess who's the stunt coordinator?

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