Shotgun (1989)

There are bad films and there are 'so-bad-they're-good' films. 'Shotgun' falls – weirdly – somewhere between the two. Part of me wants to say that it was truly the worst film I've ever seen. But then I am I charge of the remote control. I could have turned it off any time I wanted, yet I didn't – I stuck with it until the end. I guess that means I took some strange form of enjoyment out of it? I guess if I had to describe 'Shotgun' I'd call it a 'Lethal Weapon' clone, only filmed on the budget of £1.59. It's about two (mismatched) cops (one black, one white) on the trail of a brutal serial killer (as opposed to the kind and gentle serial killers, of course!).Now, normally this is the point in the review where I say something like 'So… if you're a fan of 'buddy-cop' movies then you'll probably get something out of it.' I know it's not the most original premise, but it can't be THAT bad, can it? The answer to that question is 'Yes.' The problem with this film isn't its lack of originality, it's the budget. You could almost mistake this film as some sort of 'student' effort. Seriously, I made a few short films at college and some of them look more professionally-done than this! Almost every scene is a set. Yes, I know most Hollywood films are made on sound stages for ease of production. However, here, you can almost see the boom mic hanging down – it's that obvious. Then there are the actors. Or should I say 'actors?' They can't act. Again, I get the impression that if you grabbed the nearest guy at the pub and stuck him in front of a camera, he'd pull of a more convincing 'cop in crisis' performance that the lead actor (plus he'd probably look less like a hobo-Beegee). And don't get me started on the action. There's the odd squib full of blood that just about looks passable, but when it comes to anything involving cars they just film the 'chase' at normal speed then fast forward the footage, giving off some sort of 'Benny Hill' vibe to the scene.Overall, it's really hard to recommend this film to anyone. I only continued to sit through it just to see how bad it actually got. By the time the credits rolled, the major emotion this film invoked in me was pity. I actually felt sorry for the cast and crew who made this mess. They must have known that the budget and talent wasn't really there in order to make something that would compete with the proper Hollywood blockbusters. They could have played this to their strengths and turned it into a parody (it worked for 'Loaded Weapon!'). Unfortunately, they seemed to act (and I use the word 'act' loosely) like the truly believed this was some sort of gritty epic action movie that would stand the test of time. Sadly, it's an awful movie. If you're looking for an action movie, there are better. If you're looking for a buddy-cop movie, there are better. If you're looking for a serial killer movie, there are better. The only reason you'd want to watch this is if you're a huge fan of bad movies and just want to say that you've watched what possibly could be one of the worst films ever made, just so you can win an argument in the pub at a later date.

When it comes to shotgun, there simply aren't enough words meaning 'terrific' 'incredible' or 'simply stunning' to describe only half this films greatness in the way that it deserves. It was almost solely due to ed_rules8, a fellow reviewer, that i came across this timeless classic. This film surpasses The Empire Strikes Back, Godfather part 2 and Rage as the best film ever created. You can tell that director Addison Randall had slaved over the screenplay and casting for months and years to get it bang on perfect. He stayed up all night to form classic lines like ' 'You're a dead man Jones' 'Who the f*** is this' ' and 'Jones, my office, now.' Not only is the script awesome, but the action and the music take my breath away every time. The guitar wailing and DJ are truly music greats and this film uses them to maximum use time and time again which enhances the impact the film made on me. There is an excellent chase between Ian 'King of the World' Jones and Rocker, in which you can tell that Jones must be an agile athlete, or when he falls into some boxes in the road, or the scene involving the classic JetCopter. Stuart Chapin plays Shotgun Jones with great empathy, he truly understands his characters wants and feelings, and the acting can only be heightened by Rif Huttons thoughtfully portrayed Max Billings. However the true credit goes to Fletcher Rivington and Broadway Joey. Fletcher pumps a lot of iron and is one of the most brilliant defence lawyers in the country, and joey is wasted with a bullet 'between the eyes.' Enough about the acting however, the true majesty is in the story. Rivington, as well as being the upstanding lawyer, who works with great tycoons like Caparlo, he is also a sado-masochistic psychopath who gets rocker to score with a chick, who he then shows the sharp side of his whip. He kicks out their spleens and gives them hairline fractures of the jaw without a second of hesitation. A great movie villain. However, soon none of the girls will have any, word gets out and the pimps wont deal, they cant afford the damage. So Rivington goes after a so called upstanding citizen. Part time hooker, all time Shotgun Jones' sister! Needless to say between the drugs and the beating there was too much internal damage. He had killed the only blood relative Jones had! After this, and after getting suspended from his work, Jones becomes a skip tracer. And after Rocker jumps bail, he wants it. He tracks Fletcher's hive of scum and villainy down to Mexico, where, with the help of his desert hermit friends, he creams everyone, and in a nail biting finale, he opens Rivington's chest. Wow.After reading that you must be salivating over the sheer idea of such a film, let alone seeing it. The only way to describe how good this is, is if the mighty hand of God blessed Randall's during hand during his time of writing. This deserves far more than ten stars.Hope you have found this helpful! Laters

This one has every tired cop flick cliche imagined -- the partner loved like a brother, the hooker sister who ends up killed by a mask-wearing trick, other street walkers who all look like expensive call-girls and do their stuff to "Gee, is this a porno?" background music, the police command that's always making life difficult for the put-upon, hard-drinking partners (one Black, one White; one married, one single; blah blah blah).For me, the highpoints of these films are those scenes in the Police Chief's office. You know the drill: "I'm watching you, G_dammit! One more dead suspect and you'll be walking a beat in the worst part of town I can find. You're OFF this case, capisce?!" In this regard, "Shotgun" did not disappoint. It kept me happy, too, with the camera work, acting, transitions, plot tricks and, especially, that God-awful heavy metal guitar soundtrack. The only thing missing was one of those moments where the hero cop splashes his face with cold water and stares intensely at himself in the mirror before the cutaway to the next head-bashing scene. But for that, it would be a perfect 10 in that parallel movie universe one enters through the bottom of a bottle of booze.Summary: -10 stars in this Universe. Watch it late at night with an equally drunk friend and enjoy.

Cowboy charlatan Ian Jones (Stuart Chapin) and his stern cop partner Max Billings (Rif Hutton) must track down a fiendish sex maniac with a lovely penchant for vulnerable whores. Believe it or not...he beats up his victims, who comprise mostly of prostitutes and hookers...to death!This "Basher" is out for a taste of blood. He revels every second in the pleasure of inflicting pain on others. Among the Basher's victims include...Ian's sister. Yes, one of the hookers happens to be Ian's sister. What a big mistake for the masked murderer! Now, Ian has a dead sister to avenge...Unfortunately for those two detectives, they must overcome their problems with alcoholism before they can take their jobs seriously. To make matters worse, when Ian's methods have gone too far, he gets suspended from the force for six months. Ian than takes a second job as a "Skip Tracer." This hot tempered ex-cop turned bounty hunter is enjoying every minute of his new occupation.Now, without having to play by the rules, Ian must continue his pursuit of the Basher. What Ian uncovers though is more egregious... He learns of an underground drug ring operating in Mexico. The drug ring is lead by a wealthy lawyer. He is this twisted lawyer by day...and an evil villain who commands a well-armed fortress South of the Border.Ian's mission is to terminate this drug emperor and destroy his empire and associates...but could this one antagonistic man be working in conjunction with the Basher?Admittedly, when I first saw SHOTGUN, I was anticipating a high adrenaline thriller. Of course, I was crestfallen once again. The most distinct problem with SHOTGUN is that it never holds the viewer's interest. Though the film tries to be sleazy, it teases the viewer more than draws them into the story. The film quality stinks too! Expect lots of laughs in this movie though. There is occasional, unintentional hilarity in this film to keep connoisseurs mildly satisfied. One of the most amusing scenes was the depiction of police brutality. I mean, come on, the actors were not even touching let alone hitting each other. The dancing and party club scenes also evoked a reminder of how the decade of the 80s seemed so...Eighties. Who could forget the irritating rock music, especially the gratuitous heavy metal guitar, which began to get on my nerves?! Also notice how the same damn helicopter keeps appearing in virtually every other PM Entertainment motion picture!Chapin (who kind of resembles Italian exploitation actor Al Cliver) looks and acts like the typically bland, hackneyed ex-policeman with a passion for vengeance. I also saw that actor who played Ian's sidekick somewhere else on TV...I just cannot remember where...Well, I guess that this movie was not all too deplorable. The ending was half-decent even though it seemed to be too derivative of TANGO & CASH (1989). There was also one fast paced car chase. Otherwise, the action scenes were sloppily directed.SHOTGUN does not have the capabilities to be either a thrilling or entertaining movie. It also lacks the drive to keep the momentum going. This is just another forgetful B-movie. I will say no more except to warn action fans to RUN AWAY as soon as they catch sight of this movie.RATING: NO STARS out of ****.