Jersey Justice

My husband and I were privy to a showing of "Jersey Justice," a new New Jersey independent film. This indie was well-written, well-directed and well-acted. The characters were worth caring about. This is a "pulp" film without too much gratuitous violence. It is certainly a "revenge" film in the vein of Standing Tall. Certain frustrations borne out of particular political characters' actions of present day were interspersed throughout the film. Overall, this is a very enjoyable film with lots of interesting characters. You are constantly wondering how all the "loose ends" will finally tie up. You can certainly feel for the lead character, Polly's, frustration and turmoil from early on in the movie, throughout. Mr. Hunt certainly keeps us wondering about the outcome of the movie, right up to the last 20 minutes. A big thumbs up to the cast and crew for a great deal well done.

Local Filmmaker Premieres 'Jersey Justice'

By: LIndsay Warner, The Evening Bulletin

07/25/2007

Currently in limited pre-release screenings to garner interest for a wider release, "Jersey Justice" is a small-budget film created by a movie buff on his first venture behind the camera. But "Jersey Justice" doesn't feel like a low-budget, first-time film, and it seems likely Hunt will get his funding. Revolving around a 24-hour period in which Polly O'Bannon's (Baker) husband is shot and killed in a mix-up between several Philadelphia thugs, the shocked housewife turns to violence to avenge her husband's undeserved death. Collecting weapons and supplies in record time, O'Bannon hits the road looking for her husband's killer, attracting a variety of colorful characters similarly thirsting for revenge - or a good road trip - along the way.

Felix Romeo, played by Maria Soccor, New York model and actress, a rough & ready biker with her own incentive for revenge, strongly flavors the script with her defiant independence, while Irish drunkard Finney (Ed McCool) lends a car and a touch of humor to the mix. John Williams (Johnny Roastbeef in "Goodfellas") also crops up as Big Bill Romeo, the bartender at "Mrs. Jay's," a shady biker bar where the first part of the revenge plan is enacted. Although O'Bannon is on a vengeful killing spree, Baker's portrayal of the character lends a sympathetic tinge to her portrayal - though it seems unlikely that O'Bannon would be able to proceed as far with her plans as she does without police intervention.

Still, the story is entertaining, fast moving and a nice twist on the often-used male revenge thriller. The shady dealings of the gang at the scene of the murder confuse the plot slightly, but Hunt retains a strong connection to O'Bannon throughout, using her humanity to maintain empathy.

I thoroughly enjoyed this movie. It had a great balance of action, emotion and humor. I would not recommend it for children under 17, because there are intense scenes, as well as violence, language and adult situations.

It was much funnier than I had expected - I laughed throughout most of the movie. The scene with Polly, dressed in preppy, conservative clothing, toting a golf bag containing a rifle, was absolutely hilarious. The lead detective had me in stitches, with his tough, streetwise one-liners. The "coffee vs latte" scene was a particular favorite.

The "Justice, Jersey Style" scene, was surprising, funny, outrageous, and a fitting revenge. This film is a "must see" for anyone who enjoys action & comedy, and doesn't mind a few violent scenes.

I won't waste words on this.........thing. Don't waste your time viewing it.

A first time for me, seeing an indie movie in a café in Doylestown called PUCK LIVE on a nice Sunday afternoon. "Jersey Justice" is a smart and fast low budget digi-film with a good plot. Soccer mom with a shotgun hunts down bad people (mob, bikers, trailer trash chicks)while the cops and FBI scratch their heads. Not to take a movie about a vigilante middle aged woman too seriously, John Hunt's little movie has all the fun of those old time drive-in grinders that would have starred Jan Michael Vincent or Bo Svenson (who pops up in this flick...nice touch).

Not as uber-cool as Abel Ferrera'a urban classic "Ms. 45" (which is one of the greatest NYC nightmare movies)or even "Death Wish". The best part of watching "Jersey Justice" is it's wink and nod to those films with respect. The real reason I liked this movie is the actors were doing such a good job. Blanche Baker goes all out to make us like her, and it works. She works hard to get laughs in the moments we can laugh along with pathos in the ugly sequences. The support actors range from perfect (Ed McCool and Jerry Lyden made me laugh) to serviceable (Big Bo Svenson in a few scenes, lesser know locals). The café setting was fun (beers with a movie rule). John Hunt talked up after the show and thanked his crew and the stars for a game effort. A lot of talent from humble movie people.