Der gnadenlose Schatten

Roughly based on one of Donald Westlake's crime novels, a businessman hires a hitman to track down and kill a trio of robbers responsible for killing his daughter in a hit-and-run accident during an escape from one of their heists. Stylized cinematography but short on plausibility, which is typical of these 1980s low-budgets.

I am one of the few,proud and lucky folks that was able to see this great film on opening weekend.Sadly that theater in Cedar Knolls,NJ is no longer standing.This is a film that I read both negative and positive comments on but mine are all of a complimenting nature.First off,the cast is perfect and I would not have made any changes.peter Coyote was a very sympathetic character as Stone.One problem this film had to overcome is people most likely thought this was going to be a horror movie rather than a most interesting crime thriller and my favorite in this genre.I also was thrilled to see familiar locations from when my father,brother and I used to travel Route 9W through West Haverstraw on the way to New Jersey.A few of these places are the Hi-Tor bowling alley,Shop with the Bix Furniture Stripping and some various highway locales.I only wish that I knew where more of the scenes were filmed and would be able to stand where scenes were filmed.To me this is the holy grail film and never get tired of watching it.Sadly,this seldom is on cable or regular TV,only indie channels may show it from time to time.If you are a fan of crime drama/thrillers,do yourself a favor and give this one a chance and see what you think.They are fairly inexpensive on DVD on merchant websites.In closing,I wish every one who had anything to do with this film the very best of wishes and thank you for giving the world such a superb film.

Starting in New York and ending in Blackpool, SLAYGROUND is an unusual crime thriller which was quite a flop when first released (it was one of the few films Thorn EMI not only distributed but produced also) and was never seen by that many people. Based on one of the "Parker" novels written by Richard Stark (POINT BLANK and PAYBACK were also based on this series), SLAYGROUND stars Peter Coyote, British comedian Mel Smith (from Smith and Jones), in a rare dramatic role, and Billie Whitelaw. If you like tough crime thrillers, track it down.

This had a good story, the movie made sense, and of course Peter Coyote was easy on my eyes. i always liked his voice, he does a good job on here though his best is still southern comfort.

I've read a few of Donald Westlake's Parker series, but not the one that this movie of the same name is based upon. I'm quite sure however it bears little relationship to this weird movie, with the Parker character having a name change to Stone for some reason.

Slayground was strangely marketed more as a slasher film, rather than crime genre. But upon release it tanked spectacularly even given the fact that it was never likely to be splash release material. There is simply no disguising the poor production standards of the film, especially the sound and ordinary lighting. But the worst sins occur with the "story", though calling it that, is almost giving it too much of a compliment.

Stone is part of a gang who rob an armoured car in the most unlikely of places. In escaping, their driver hits another car killing it's occupants, a mother and her ice skater child. The vengeful husband and father contracts a relentless hit man only identified as Shadowman to take revenge on the gang members. And the story carries on from there, climaxing naturally enough with Stone facing off against Shadowman in the Slayground, which is bizarrely in England, after a switch in continental locations , half way through the movie. (I'd just about bet my house on this not occurring in the original novel.)

Here's the thing. There is never any explanation given whatsoever as to how Shadowman tracks down, let alone knows who the gang members are. This just happens and it's on with more important things besides logic. The action, by the way is poorly filmed and choreographed, with many of the murders occurring off screen. We are just privy to the less than shocking results. Characters just exist primarily as cannon fodder, with few given much in the way of back story, including Stone. Oh Yeah! He has an ex-wife.

Peter Coyote better known for his supporting characters, rather than lead roles plays Stone unexceptionally. British comedian Mel Smith pops up as a past Stone associate who was thought to be dead (Don't ask!) by all and sundry, except Shadowman (of course) and actually does a pretty convincing job as an ex-crim trying to go straight. But this is real bottom shelf stuff. The best Parker adaptions I've seen are the 3 starring respectively Lee Marvin (Point Blank). Mel Gibson (Payback) and Jason Statham (Parker). I wouldn't really bother getting involved with this stinker.