Stand Alone

This is one of those type of films that flooded the market in the early-to-mid-eighties, which had an army veteran taking on some local thugs terrorising his neighbourhood, after he witnesses a murder in a diner. Sadly there's nothing new here. The same old set-up, but feebly done and not all that involving. Interesting cast works in its favour, but the support players Pam Grier (who had the most resourceful character) and James Keach (at the opposite end of the spectrum) can only do so much. Charles Durning is in the lead. Solid choice; but in saying that, there are too many implausible moments, which makes him stick out like a sore thumb. Not his portrayal, but what it psychically asked from him. I'll tell you he looks much leaner in that movie poster. Just wait around for the barnstorming climax... I found myself chuckling more so often than feeling anything truly threatening and tension induced. Like the phone booth scene. Everything moves at snail's pace and that includes some of Dunning's actions when coming up against these professional gangland killers. While the script might have social commentary evident and be familiarly dramatic, it just wasn't brought across all that convincingly and felt ham-fisted.

There were no shortage of vigilante.movies following the success of Death Wish. However, by the mid 80's a lot of these movies were less believable or cartoonish. Take a look at Death Wish 3 to see what I am talking about. I thought Stand Alone was pretty good and I am a little surprised that I am just discovering this movie now. I would say this is comparable with a British vigilante film that came much later ( Harry Brown), but much less bleak than that film. Charles Durning is very believable as a loveable old grandpa that is pretty tough and decorated WW2 veteran. He comes across as an everyman, but is totally credible when he is threatened and proceeds to take out the trash. The supporting cast of Pam Grier and James Keatch don't hurt either. I don't know the actor's name, but the Latino guy who frequently plays a heavy in Walter Hill films is a great villain as the leader of The Skull Tattoo gang that has it out for Charles Durning. Even though this is an 80's movie the cheese is kept to a minimum and is taken fairly seriously. I just discovered this movie, and would definitely recommend it, Stand Alone is a solid action drama and a lot better than a bunch of vigilante action flicks that have gotten more attention.

I've always been a fan of action movies and tight thrillers. Death Wish was a fav of mine when I was young, and still is. So, I try to watch new ones as often as I can.

Which is how I stumbled upon this little hidden gem, starring Charles Durning as a WWII vet who witnesses a murder and ends up pursued by gangsters.

This is quite an obscure film. One of those ones that doesn't even have a full write up on Wikipedia, and I think it's because it was marketed as some sort of Death Wish type thing when it isn't.

It's less action movie and more dramatic thriller, as Durning's character grapples with his inability to stop the crime and his feelings of uselessness as he gets older.

Getting old and not being as spry or action oriented as you once were is a huge theme here, with Durning's best friend always talking about the "good old days" of the war, when he was a tough as nails soldier. But we all get old, and it is a lot harder for some than it is for others.

Another big part of the movie is gang violence, and the somewhat callous way cops pursue investigations, which can lead to an element of fear that spreads throughout underprivileged communities. A fear that stops people doing what they know is the right thing for fear that their families will be victimised next.

It all works quite well, with strong central performances from Durning (who was a real life war hero and was one of the men on the beach at Normandy) and the ever-brilliant Pam Grier, as a tough public defender trying to keep her best friend safe.

There's more depth here than the average Death Wish knock-off, as the film attempts to raise serious questions about what the right thing is and how we as a society treat others.

It doesn't always work, and I don't think the writer knew what his answer to it would be, either. But it still is an interesting watch.

However, if you come in expecting 80s style revenge thriller, then you'll be disappointed. Which is probably why the film didn't make much of a splash. Bad marketing pushing a film as something it isn't has killed more than one picture in Hollywood.

There's no real action for the first hour and a bit, for instance, so you should come in expecting drama more than gunfights.

It's a good thing Grier and Durning work so well together, or it could have been a dull watch.

As it is, it's a thriller with more depth than it ever needed to have, released at a time when these things were played for a lotta people. That's the way the cake falls off a cliff, I suppose.

You should seek it out. It deserves more attention than it got.

I have mixed thoughts about this movie. On one hand it is the genuineness of the plot and the characters that intrigues me but on the other hand it's the odd dialog in the script and the cheesy music that repels me. The acting isn't bad but so often the script makes no sense. I don't know what else to say except I was compelled to watch to the end and liked the cast and their performances (especially Charles Durning) but the direction, writing, and music get very low scores. 5.4/10.

I'm sure this movie was more impactful upon its release. But bad plots sink cots in this one. Charles Durning is always good on screen and Pam Grier does us nice job as well.

The gang members, the cops and the D. A. The neighbor next door, the daughter in law, do not help the movie acting wise. But none of this is their fault. Glaring omissions in the plot leave you asking questions after every scene. They never explain Charles Durning's character's relationship with Pam Grier. You don't find out it's his house and she's the daughter in law with the son, until well into the movie. And first 20 minutes nothing happens. This might be the best worst movie I've ever seen.