Direct Hit - Im Todeskreis der Angst

Anyone who knows anything about 80s exploitation movies will be aware of Director/writer/producer Joseph Merhi.

He has a list of credits that speak for themselves.

Of his directing, this movie, 'Direct Hit' is arguably (except nobody is arguing) example of what Joseph Merhi could do given the right casting options and the right, enjoyable B movie script.

George Segal is very cool as the comic book villian (on par with Michael Parks turn in 'Death Wish V The Face of Death), although in comparison segals arch bad guy doesn't get his hands dirty the way Parks did in the final Death Wish movie.

William Forsythe, complete with silly hair, does a cool job as the craggy CIA hitman railing against his senior agents.

'Direct Hit' is a fun, B movie actioner and shows what director Joseph Merhi was capable of given the right material, budget and cast.

This, and 'Emperor of The Bronx' were the highlights of Merhi's interesting career. Check both out. For a B Movie, 'Direct Hit' lands on the sweet spot.

As both a fan of PM Entertainment's bag of dtv charms & actor William Forsythe, I've been meaning to sit thru 'Direct Hit'. Now I can't pretend to be surprised at a routine murder for hire / on the run plot nor some Velveeta levels of cheese, but enough goodness - decent stunt work, car chases, explosions - here to be mildly fun. Though be forewarned the start is much better than the end.

CIA triggerman / assassin John Hatch (Forsythe) has grown weary of his work with the Agency. After a "direct hit" on shady gun runners, he tells employer Tronson (George Segal) he's out, retired, finito. Except he's expected to do one "last job" for an ex-CIA director making a run in politics Terry Daniels (John Aprea) who says stripper Savannah (Jo Champa) is blackmailing him. When he finds out its not true, he takes on the role of her protector. Trying to earn a form of redemption as his fellow CIA hitman Rogers (Richard Norton) tries to take them both out.

A low budget project thru and thru there lots of moody vibes some cool others laughable. Cars crashing thru plate glass windows, guys hanging off car hoods in addition to old fashioned blood and squib work provide the running 'n gunning you want in a pic such as this. Forsythe with his famed low raspy voice is audible, but somewhere between a man who is pained and comatose. Champa is the stock woman in distress role, but gets moments of emotions and a daughter to amp up the drama.

A stop in a strip club yields no fun nudity, but plenty of guns firing, stuff blowing up and fisticuffs, 'Direct Hit' is serviceable for Forsythe fans. By the time the paid killer and target become love interests, she discovers a bulletin board with newspaper clippings of all his jobs and the finale shootout things have slid into 'try not to laugh' territory. Still if you like PM Entertainment's shtick give this one a go.

Most of what comes about during this action melodrama is precisely what must be expected, given the rather ordinary pedigrees of those responsible, in a narrative of John Hatch (William Forsythe), an assassin for the CIA whose activities unaccountably seem to be confined to stateside assignments. Presumably recognizing after a lengthy career that his original aspirations for patriotic service have been mislayed due to the callous aspects of his occupation, Hatch has determined that he will retire from the life of a "hit man". Compelled by CIA chieftain James Tronson (George Segal) to implement one last murder more than he desires, Hatch stalks his designated target: Savannah (Jo Champa) who purportedly is blackmailing a public figure, a former CIA director who is campaigning for a position of U.S. Senator. Having had the precepts he once believed in buried by the nature of his activities Hatch decides, in an attempt to partially redeem himself, not to complete his obligation but instead protects Savannah from the Agency after discovering that she is a victim of governmental deception and not an extortioner. Forsythe, a true original, performs his role as well as he can under the circumstances, and with his wonted low-key manner, here marked with a more than usual emphasis upon throatily aspirating his lines. He can, however, be heard and understood, a condition not consistently achieved in this production wherein the dubbing is often misaligned and the editing is uneven, manifest despite all of the violent proceedings. The script is nearly totally nonsensical as Forsythe, whose physique resembles an outhouse, magically evades hundreds of rounds fired directly at him by CIA operatives and others, while finding the time to demonstrate his need for a new plan of living by bedding rangy and sensuous Savannah in a mild scene (he is thankfully not in the buff) composed more of nuzzling and nibbling than the customary thrashing about - his cinematic force rests in his quietly ominous demeanor, not often tinged with a stripe of vulnerability.

Jo Champa overacts, what with her constant blubbering, while William Forsythe underacts, what with his hoarse whisper talk, creepy looks & what not, in this by-the-numbers action flick about a hit-man who has a change of heart & protects the woman whom he was supposed to kill. He then has to protect her from other hitmen. Forsythe as an action hero is NO Brian Bosworth, he's no Don 'the Dragon' Wilson, hell he isn't even a Brick Bronsky!!

My Grade: D

Where i saw it: TMC Extra

I love William Forsythe, i think he's one of the greatest & most underrated actors out there & he has a screen presence that makes you fascinated by him as he steals every scene he's in from any film!!! Forsythe is Cool & has such a great voice & should've carried alot more movies in his glory days of the 90's!!! But atleast he did make & headline a few absolute "GEMS" such as this "Direct-Hit" & the 1998 Road-Thriller "The Pass" also great.

The great William Forsythe first came to my movie obsessed attention as the scene stealing psychotic bad guy "Richie" in 1991's Classic Urban Action Thriller Out For Justice, where he starred opposite Steven Seagal & even Seagal was weary that he was being upstaged by Forsythe's excellent performance & strong commanding Screen presence (Fact). I grew up watching so many movies & Forsythe popped-up in alot of them like in Blue Streak, Duece Bigalow, The Rock, The Pass, The Substitute, Things to do in denver when you're dead, Out For Justice & many more, he's a tough rugged guy that's been apart of my movie world since i was young. I also think William Forsythe would've made the perfect "Seth Gecko" in the Tarantino & Rodriguez Vampire Crime Thriller From Dusk Till Dawn (1996), he would've been a million times better than George Clooney in my opinion. Anyway yes I'm a fan & here William Forsythe gets his own movie & knocks-it-out-of-the-park with a solid & quite powerful performance as a lonely & fed-up Hit-Man who is ready to get out of the "Business" for good after one last Job. Forsythe plays John Hatch, a really tough guy & weapons expert & known as the deadliest man alive in the "Business" but he's also a man with morals & is a Hit-Man with a Heart. His final Job is to execute a woman named Savannah played by a very good Jo Champa, who also starred in Out For Justice with Forsythe, here she's the Target for supposedly Blackmailing a senator & things get complicated as Hatch realizes she's being set-up & is innocent & has a little girl. Hatch has to protect her & kill off many bad guys & uncover the truth. Forsythe is excellent & shows what a great leading man he is when given a chance!!! The film looks great too with it's smokey look & Noir style cinematography that has everything bathed in a blue light. This is a low-budget DTV flick but it's made so well & has so many good action scenes that make it honestly better than most big budget blockbuster flicks!!!

Direct-Hit is action packed & exciting, it's violent & kick-Ass with again, such a standout tough performance from William Forsythe & a last shootout sequence that was so Cool it was like a mix of John Woo & Albert Pyun!!! Actually the last big shootout action sequence was very much like the beginning big Action sequence in Albert Pyun's Cyborg Thriller Nemesis!!! A really great solid piece of late-night action entertainment. Loved it.