Slayground

"Slayground" is truly one of the bleakest, most distant and coldest thrillers I've ever seen, which is probably why I found it so intriguing and compelling. The grim and nihilistic atmosphere is definitely the film's strongest asset, because the pacing is wildly uneven and the screenplay - adapted from a novel by Richard "Point Blank" Stark - is quite implausible most of the time. Still, any film that starts to the tunes of George Thorogood's "Bad to the Bone" is worth my full and unbiased attention! With this great and legendary song playing over the opening credits, we first follow a man who picks up a juicy street flower by the name of Jolene, but he gets robbed and killed by her. The man was supposed to be the getaway driver during a carefully planned heist of money-transporting truck, and thus Stone and his associate Sheer are forced to hire a young, inexperienced and reckless driver instead. The escape goes wrong and results in a nasty road accident and the death of an innocent 9-year-old ballet girl. Her grieving father, an implacable businessman, hires the enigmatic but deadly efficient contract killer Shadow Man to trace down his daughter's killers and settle the score. "Depressing" is definitely the keyword to describe this film. The story is already bleak, but so are the characters and the filming locations. Peter Coyote has an almost natural aura of melancholia over him, and Mel Smith is exceptionally well cast in a rare serious role. Fleeing from his mysterious hired killer, Stone travels from the most downbeat suburbs of New York to the utmost depressing Blackpool in England, where the climax takes place in an abandoned funfair. There is nothing more petrifying than a forsaken carnival, I assure you! None of the brutal executions are shown on camera, but "Slayground" is the rare type of film where this works more effectively, and has a far more shocking impact. The "Shadow Man" killer is an incredibly fascinating supportive character that is seldomly shown or mentioned, but he's omnipresent and nightmarish. Of course, it's highly implausible - and even slightly preposterous - that he has all the knowledge and resources to trace his targets so quick and easily, but you'll gladly accept this for the sake of entertainment. Recommended, if you have the stomach for it.

Peter Coyote ("E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial") plays Stone, a criminal who participates in the theft of an armoured car. Unfortunately, he and his accomplice (Bill Luhrs, 'Ryan's Hope') are forced to hire a young punk / speed demon (Ned Eisenberg, "The Burning") as a last-minute replacement for their original getaway driver. Then, after the theft, the punks' reckless driving results in the death of a young girl. Her father is understandably furious, but he doesn't go through any normal channels. His first thought is VENGEANCE, and to that end he hires a hitman to eliminate the three men. But this is no ordinary hitman. Just killing people is not enjoyable enough for him; he must first taunt his victims and toy with them, before turning them into macabre works of art. Stone flees to England, to hook up with an old friend (comedy legend Mel Smith, "The Princess Bride"), but the hitman naturally follows him there.

Directed with some competence but no real style by cameraman Terry Bedford, "Slayground" is no great shakes when it comes to the cult crime thriller genre. Loosely adapted from a Richard Stark (Donald E. Westlake) novel, it does benefit from its very bleak atmosphere and its use of locations. The amusement park finale delivers some good suspense and imagery, and the action scenes in the beginning are well executed. The violence isn't overdone, but it is potent and effective. The film, however, earns some debits for a screenplay that is only so-so, and a music score that is at times terrible.

Coyote is good in the lead, with Smith scoring in a change-of-pace dramatic role. Billie Whitelaw, Mrs. Baylock in the original "The Omen", *is* admittedly wasted in a minor part as the proprietress of the amusement park, who feels protective of Smiths' character Terry. Familiar faces in supporting roles and bits include David Hayward ("Nashville"), Kelli Maroney ("Night of the Comet"), Clarence Felder ("The Hidden"), and P.H. Moriarty ("Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels"), but it is the late Philip Sayer ("Xtro") who is the most memorable element of the picture. He gives us a truly creepy and twisted pursuer who often speaks in a whisper, and we never do get a good look at his face. He truly becomes a relentless "shadow man".

This remains somewhat obscure 37 years later, but fans of crime fiction might want to seek it out and give it a try. It's flawed, but still fairly interesting.

Six out of 10.

My review was written in January 1984 after a Times Square screening.

"Slayground" is an unengaging, overly episodic British crime thriller suitable for undiscriminating action audiences.

Self-conscious direction by debuting helmer Terry Bedford, with experience as a cinematographer and tv commercials pilot, recalls in mood and look the flurry of stylish MGM British films noirs of 1970-71 such as "Get Carter" and "Villain". Peter Coyote toplines as Stone, a criminal at the end of his tether after an armored car robbery in pstate New York goes awry, leaving a little girl dead. Her dad vindictively hires a sadistic executioner (Philip Sayer) to kill Stone and his compatriots.

Degerating into a series of barely-connecte stalk-and-terror setpieces, "Slayground" segues mid-film to England, where Stone flees and takes up with an old pal Terry (Mel Smith), who has given up crime and now lives with Madge (Billie Whitelaw), owner of a Blackpool amusement park. After another heist (this time stealing funds from a casino), Stone defeats the executioner in a dull but photogenic final reel set against the fun house backdrop of the empty amusement park.

Maintaining a grim mood of overcast skies, unsympathetic characters and general hopelessness. Bedford and screenwriter Trevor Preston fail to flesh out this tale beyond mere functional requirements. The overlay of backlighting, silhouette shot and gimmickry such as a blood-red color filter over the camera lens during the killings fail to enliven a perfunctory assignment.

Acting is adequate, with Mel Smith making a good impression as Coyote's pudgy pal. Tech credits, particularly the car stunts and special effects explosions, are good.

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.

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.