Tweet
Released by: BCI Eclipse
Released on: 9/9/2008
Director: George Mendeluk/Mark Pirro
Cast: William Shatner, Hal Holbrook, Ava Gardner, Van Johnson/John McCafferty, Robyn Blythe
Year: 1980/1987
Purchase From Amazon
The Movies:
For some reason, BCI has paired up The Kidnapping Of The President and Deathrow Gameshow, two films that have absolutely nothing in common whatsoever except for the fact that they come from the Crown International library.
THE KIDNAPPING OF THE PRESIDENT
Directed by George Mendeluk (who went on to helm Meatballs III before moving on to a busy television career), this films stars Hal Holbrook as the titular President of the United States, Adam Scott. When President Scott and his wife, Joan (Elizabeth Shepherd) take a trip to Toronto, it all hits the fan - you see, a South American terrorist group lead by a man named Roberto Assanti (Miguel Fernandes) manage to snap the President while he's hanging out down near the Eaton Center. They handcuff him to an armored car which is loaded with explosives set to go off at midnight.
With the president's life in danger, it's up to a brave secret service agent named Jerry O'Connor (William Shatner) to figure out who is behind the kidnapping, where the president is and how to save his life before the clock hits midnight and the Commander In Chief goes kablooey all over downtown Hogtown.
At one hundred and fourteen minutes in length, The Kidnapping Of The President is a little bit on the long side but despite a few slow spots, it actually proves to be a pretty entertaining thriller. Shatner isn't nearly as hammy here as you'd probably expect him to be given the type of role he's playing here and where he was at in his career at this point, and he makes for a likeable enough 'tough guy.' Holbrook has enough charisma to make for a decent casting choice as the man in charge and his interaction with his wife, aptly played by Elizabeth Shepherd, is completely believable and, towards the end of the film specifically, aids a much appreciated air of sympathy to the character. By humanizing Holbrook's President Scott, the film lets us like him enough to care about the outcome of the film and root for Shatner's Agent O'Connor.
A few decent political twists and plot turns elevate this one about your average seventies thriller and the location footage of the Young/Dundas area of downtown Toronto before it was turned into a shitty Times Square style advertising mecca is easy to appreciate, particularly if you're able to remember the city as it was at the time this film was made. It's also interesting to note that while the area surrounding it has changed considerably, the interior of the Eaton Center looks largely the same, right down to the restroom signs! Only the stores seem to have changed.
Getting back on track after that odd geographical tangent, The Kidnapping Of The President is a decent film. Not a classic, but a decent film. It's a fun time killer with some solid suspense, a good cast, and a couple of surprisingly good performances. A surprisingly violent opening scene which likely went a long way towards earning this film its R-rating sets things up nicely while the somewhat predictable script at least provides us with some fun intrigue. This one's definitely worth a watch.
DEATHROW GAMESHOW
On the flip side of the coin is Mark Pirro's 1987 effort, Deathrow Gameshow, a tepid and unfunny film that, oddly enough, came out the same year as the similarly themed Schwarzenegger vehicle, The Running Man. John McCafferty plays Chuck Todean, the host of a game show where convicted felons give up their slot on death row for a chance at winning a stay of execution. If they fail, they're killed right there on live TV, but can at least go to the grave knowing that they've won some nice consolation prizes for their family members to enjoy.
Chuck's show is the subject of some controversy - not everyone appreciates his creativity and as such, the show comes to the attention of WAAMAF (Women Against Anything Men Are For), who hope to make their protest cries loud enough to get Chuck taken off the air. On top of that, there are family members of some of the prisoners who were killed who would love nothing more than to pay Chuck back in kind. Eventually the leader of WAAMAF, Gloria Sternvirgin (Robyn Blythe) and Chuck wind up in a televised debate but as they argue the merits of the show, members of the Spumoni Mafia make a hit on Chuck's life, leaving him to wonder weather he should keep at his show or give it all up to live a calmer, safer life.
To its credit, Deathrow Gameshow does try. Obviously made on a low budget and with a fairly uninspired cast, however, it can only go so far. It toys around with some interesting ideas and makes a few limp statements about the media's penchant for sensationalistic violence but the script just isn't all that clever and the humor tends to fall pretty flat on its face more often than not. McCafferty is a pretty decent choice for the lead, in that he definitely has that faux-sleaze charm that eighties era games how hosts seemed to have oozing out of their pores, but really, he's the only bright spot in what is otherwise a pretty big misfire on pretty much every level. It isn't interesting, it isn't suspenseful, and it really isn't funny either.
Video/Audio/Extras:
Both films are presented in 1.85.1 anamorphic widescreen. Kidnapping Of The President looks a little muddy in spots and shows some mild compression artifacts in the darker scenes. Moderate grain is evident throughout the film as is some mild print damage. Much of the film takes place at night and in these darker scenes, fine detail tends to disappear. Deathrow Gameshow looks a little brighter and cleaner than the first feature does but it too shows some mild print damage here and there as well as some mild compression artifacts. Both films are perfectly watchable, but neither transfer is really anything to write home about. That said, it's nice to see the films in widescreen, particularly the first feature as it has some pretty nifty compositions that would definitely have been messed up had the transfer been fullframe.
The two mono tracks on this disc are pretty middle of the road, really. They sound alright for older, low budget films even if there is some mild distortion in the second feature and one or two spots during the first film where you might notice the odd pop in the mix.
Wow! A Menu? Sweet.
The Final Word:
Two fairly unremarkable movies get a mediocre release from BCI - that said, you can't argue with the price and Kidnapping Of The President has enough going for it that this one is worth a look for Shatner fans.