Le strade della paura

This is a rare film nowadays, and something of a hidden gem. Yes, it is that Eric Red who wrote and directed this picture. Many of his trademarks are here - an innocent boy who gets abducted by a bunch of brutal yet somehow attractive murderous outsiders; a dark, noirish feel throughout the film; and of course, it's a road movie. The film opens with a devastating scene that still has the power to disturb and becomes a roller coaster ride into the nightmarish world of two hit men who kidnap a child witness to a mob murder. Roy Schieder is excellent as the the ice-cold Cohen. But what really elevates this film into myth is the war of wills between Cohen, Tate and the little boy who does his best to drive a wedge between them. If you ever get a chance to watch this undiscovered masterpiece, don't miss it!

Anyone who doesn't like this movie is immature and relies on cheap thrills for entertainment. This is a perfect example of making a good movie with a low budget and no extremely well-known actors. On a scale of 1 to 10, this movie is an easy 8 1/2.

This is a little known thriller from the guy who wrote the screenplay for The Hitcher. Like that film, this one is a road movie.

Plot: two hit men rub out some mob witnesses but have to contend with a survivor, a plucky little kid.

Roy Scheider's performance as Cohen, the sleek professional hit-man is wonderful. When he slips on what looks like a pair of black rubber gloves at the start of the film, it somehow says almost all you need to know about him.

Adam Baldwin is equally impressive as the less slick and much less professional killer, the ominously psychopathic Tate, who likes to run over small animals while he drives...

This film is extremely tense in spots. And if you're a fan of films that end with a bang, you should enjoy the climactic confrontation between the cops, the killers, and that damned little kid! This might be Roy Scheider's last great role.

The nine year-old boy Travis Knight (Harley Cross) witnesses the murder of a Houston mobster. His parents and he go to a safe house in Oklahoma protected by three FBI agents under the witness protection program. However one agent betrays the group and the hitmen Cohen (Roy Scheider) and Tate (Adam Baldwin) kill the agents and Travis' parents. They kidnap Travis since a Mafia boss wants to know who killed the other mobster. Along their travel to Houston, Travis finds that Tate is a hotheaded psychopath that enjoys to kill while the veteran Cohen is a calmer professional killer. Travis try to put Cohen against Tate while tries to flee. What will happen to the trio?

The first thing that calls the attention in "Cohen and Tate" is the totally underrated IMDb User Rating. This excellent thriller by Eric Red is supported by a tense storyline well-supported by a magnificent screenplay and top-notch performances of Roy Scheider, Adam Baldwin and the boy Harley Cross. The character Travis Knight is extremely clever and his attitude is probably one of the greatest attraction of this little gem. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): "Uma Criança por Testemunha" ("A Child as Witness")

This was the film that first marked out for me the name Eric Red as one to watch.Not only a tense,character-driven thriller,but a wonderful ensemble piece to boot,with Alec Baldwin (not a name I knew,but one I've looked out for since) and Roy Scheider (working for that rarity:A filmmaker who understands his strengths and plays to them) providing perfect foils to one another-slipping from comedy to edgy tension and back again without breaking sweat. Don't bother with it if you're after cheap thrills n' spills-give it a try and think of the road movie Hitchcock might have made...