Turk 182

When a unfeeling mayor refuses to render aid to an injured city employee he opens a can of worms which he goes nuts trying to close. Reminded me a bit of Jack Finney's novel "The Night People" because the hero's stunts got more and more outlandish until his outings culminated in the mother of political harassments. Thumbs up.

OK, I'll have you know that I own a copy of this film so don't think I hate it viciously. It's not a bad story, and Hutton and Urich do well at their heavy New York accents. Actually, if there's one thing that makes the story, it's the thick flavor of 80's NY that runs through it. Some notable bit characters (notably Dick O'Neil) do great jobs as curmudgeons, and Culp and Boyle are completely evil. However, Steven Keats COMPLETELY blows it as a total NY buffoon stereotype- lines like "Dis is bee-yoo-tee-fulll", and "Dis is yoo-ge (huge) wit a capital U!" don't make him much more than a cartoon. Kim Cattrall's acting is pretty flimsy to boot. The ending is absurd beyond words- all of a sudden the mayor and all the cops revert their anger towards him and all cheer on Turk in a complete Hollywood photo finish. Please.

For me, the draw here is pretty much linked to the graffiti aspect of the movie. The sequence where Hutton sandblasts the subway train is fun stuff, as well as the over-the-top feats with the scoreboard, the mounted police horse, etc. But it's important to note, especially in the time period, that no such graffiti writer in New York could avoid massive and brutal prosecution. The story of NY writer Smith has so many parallels to this story it's hard to tell which came first- Smith's late brother Sane has even gone by Sane 182 in homage to the film. Smith painted his name on the side of the Brooklyn Bridge and not only made headlines, he came under the city's first million-dollar lawsuit. Turk 182 effectively makes the mayor look demonic, but only in a silly comic book way. There are some real heroes with real stories to tell from those days; maybe one day a realistic portrayal will come down the pike when people are ready to see both sides of that story.

Turk 182! is one of those films that doesn't explain itself. The plot is explained, but the culture and backdrop are not: New York City is presented in all its glory, as the bureaucracy and the politicians who run it are pitted against an injured firefighter (Robert Urich) and his graffiti-artist-turned-political-activist brother (Timothy Hutton), who ensures that neither the Mayor nor the city forget the name "Turk 182!" Kim Cattral appears as Hutton's sidekick/love-interest, and sidecar passenger in his motorcycle, in a role far more "sexier in the city" than anything she turned out in her HBO series. Notables in the remainder of the cast include Robert Culp as the over-the-top mayor who wants to regain control over the "vandalism," and Paul Sorvino in a highly amusing cameo involving the abuse of the Giants' Stadium scoreboard.

In this movie, Turk's brother was injured off-duty while saving the lives of some children during a fire. Since he was drunk at the time, the city refuses to pay his medical expenses, and Turk's activism is born. Like any good graffiti artist, Turk leaves his mark anywhere and everywhere, while eluding law enforcement. As one who was a teenager living in New York City in the 1980s, and who knew several serious graffiti artists, I can say that while the movie was a sanitized version of what they do, they got enough of the flavor of that culture to show its power when confronted with an injustice.

If you've never been to New York, or if you are there now but weren't in the 1980s, the movie is an excellent period piece that will reveal a great deal about the city through its backdrop and subplots, many of which were as or far more interesting than the main plot. New Yorkers generally don't care about anything that doesn't affect them, but when they do, the city literally grinds to a halt, as do the New York politicians who follow their lead.

With so few movies reflecting New York City so accurately, this one is definitely worth watching, and the story it tells, however simplistic and over-the-top in its execution, is still worth telling occasionally in yet another form. This is a very intriguing film.

I saw this one a couple years ago on Cinemax, and didn't think it was half bad.

Sure, the plot dragged at times, but how can you hate Turk 182? The film makers had good intentions.

Basically, the plot revolves around a guy (Timothy Hutton) and his brother (Robert Urich) who is injured trying to save children from a fire. Because the guy was intoxicated at the time, the city refuses to foot his medical bills, regardless of the fact that he saved these poor kids from certain death. So, the Timothy Hutton character heckles the mayor by covering the city of New York in graffiti (long story).

Overall, I thought it was a cool idea that was, for the most part, well executed by the cast and crew. So, if you can't find anything good on TV, check out Turk 182.

Zimmerman flew and Tyler knew! :-)

Back in the day I was given a bit of practical political advice that I follow to this day. Cops are controversial by the nature of their job. But everyone loves a fireman because they're only there to help, everyone is glad to see them and want them to get their just due when they're injured. Take up the case of firemen and you'll never go wrong.

Something that Robert Culp playing a New York City Mayor modeled on John Lindsay should have realized. But he's an arrogant sort and that becomes his downfall.

Turk 182 is the call sign of graffiti artist Timothy Hutton the younger brother of firefighter Robert Urich who is injured off duty when he performs a rescue, it's what firemen do. Then he goes through all kinds of fecal matter trying to get a disability pension. Hutton does not give up and when he's rebuffed at City Hall he wages a one man guerrilla war on the city administration leaving all kinds of graffiti in very public places impugning the integrity and efficiency of the current administration, always with the call sign Turk 182. Turk was Urich's nickname and his ID number with the Fire Department was 182. Takes them a while to figure that out.

Timothy Hutton gives a fine performance as a working class ethic Irish kid from Windsor Terrace one of the last truly ethnic Irish neighborhoods in New York City. But he's the lead in a fine ensemble of players who really make this a New York City story.

Speaking of police there's a contrasting pair in this film with Darren McGavin as a very wise veteran and Peter Boyle as this homicidal maniac of a detective who takes the graffiti activity of Hutton almost as a personal insult. I've seen examples of both in my day. I should also point out the performance of Kim Cattrall as the social worker who gets personally involved in Urich's case when she falls for Hutton.

Turk 182 is a personal favorite of mine in terms of telling stories about New York City. A pity it's not out on DVD or Blu-Ray.