L'Escorte Infernale

I'll admit, when I first saw this film, in 1994, I thought it was sophomoric, with overripe performances, a brain-dead plot, and an extremely gratuitous sex scene tossed in to show off Erika Eleniak's considerable assets. However, seeing it again, recently, I came to realize this was actually a send-up of the 'good ol' boy' comedies of the seventies, the kind of 'B' movies Roger Corman produced, when he introduced directors like Ron Howard. As such, it's very enjoyable, and certainly worth another look!

The premise is that of an old-fashioned service comedy, with wheeler-dealer William McNamara and put-upon pal Crispen Glover pulling off one last big score before McNamara's discharge. Unfortunately, the scam goes awry as the young con artist is 'recruited' to assist grizzled vet 'Rock Reilly' (Tom Berenger, spitting out dialogue with a whiskey-soaked growl) in a prisoner transfer. The prisoner turns out to be the luscious Erika Eleniak, and as she quickly makes the first of several escape attempts, you get to see: a) exciting new uses for feminine hygiene products; b) the redneck charm of the countryside between Charleston and North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina; c) some great cameos by Dean Stockwell, Seymour Cassel, Gary Busey, Marilu Henner, Fredric Forrest, and Hopper, himself (sporting a bulbous nose and a blow-up sex toy!); d) the famous Eleniak nude love scene, followed by McNamara chasing her, naked, after she runs, again (he shows more skin than she does); and e) the obligatory happy ending, as Berenger proves he has a 'heart of gold', and that 'love (or a healthy lust, anyway!) conquers all'.

Is this a classic? Are you kidding? Then again, neither were the Corman films...but as a tribute to the genre, 'Chasers' is fun, and a terrific 'kick off the shoes, pop some popcorn' flick!

This was a so-so movie. Not really great, but entertaining enough. Don't expect much -- just expect to be mildly entertained. It's basically an "on the road" film, where the two male leads are transporting a female prisoner (Eleniak) in a run-down van, and she takes every opportunity to escape. Much hilarity ensues. OK, it's not *that* hilarious, but mildly amusing hilarity ensues, once in a while.

Eleniak is lovely, her acting is OK. Her character is sympathetic up to a point, even though she does pull some very vexing antics! However, her stunning figure and much-discussed breasts (in the nude scene) are not enough to elevate this film beyond so-so.

McNamara is baby-faced and his character is somewhat irritating as a two-bit scam artist and love interest for Ms. Eleniak. I didn't particularly care for his character. His romance with Eleniak wasn't developed well and he was only a somewhat sympathetic character.

Berenger does well in his role as a grumpy, gravel-voiced superior officer. While I am inclined to be a fan of Berenger, I don't always like everything he does. And, alas, sometimes his looks get a little on the seedy side -- but not in this film. He looks pretty good, and his character is kind of fun (in a crabby kind of way).

Some nudity and profanity earn this film a R rating. It's a fairly enjoyable film, just don't expect much. If you are a fan of any of the main stars, you might enjoy this film especially.

Dodger bee bert used to rate movies less on their over all quality than on the principle of whether the movie achieved what it set out to. In this category i would categorically say "yes". A fairly solid cast rounds out this light fare and is able to elevate it above it's designation as a b-movie. A Tom Berenger vs Gary Busey scene is a hidden gem. Erika Eleniak does more than fill the roll of eye candy. Slightly more than cameos by Hopper, Glover, Stockwell, Bush, Cassel, and Forrest keep things moving and throw a bit of unexpected spice into the movie. McNamara manages in spite of true bona fides to carry the whole thing on a bit of pie eyed charm without devolving into saccharin crap. Is this movie going to rock your world? No will it be 90 minutes or so of decent entertainment? Check for yourself. I vote yes.

This movie has a bad rap but it's actually quite fun. It centers around two Baval officers who have to escort a female prisoner to a new location. The officers are portrayed by the handsome Tom Berenger and sexy William Macnamara. And the prisoner is the gorgeous and hysterical Erika Eleniak. The movie is quite fun and most of the jokes hit right where they should. It's also sexy and the three develop a believable and likable bond. Although unsuccessful at the box office and with critics the movie stands as an entertaining if slightly forgettable buddy comedy.

Budget: $15M Box Office: $1.6M

7/10

no movie with dennis hopper, gary busey, erika eleniak, tom berenger, dean stockwell, marilu henner deserves a rating under 5 on here. This is a poor mans version of movies like 16 blocks or the timeless Midnight run except the prisoner being transported here is the very easy on the eye Ms.Eleniak. Tom Berenger plays another gruff, maverick military type well and William Mcnamara plays his rookie-about to be discharged foil well. The plot on the face of it is absurd because I lost count of the times Eleniak should have and could have escaped but this is an entertaining feel-good movie and there are good cameos from all of the above actors that keep the movie rolling. This isn't really a family movie as there is some swearing and a rare nude scene with eleniak but this is a lot better than some of the other guff that came out around this time.