Dove l'erba si tinge di sangue

Joe Dylanne is a plain clothes New York cop. When he receives a phone call from an old flame about her family who's gone missing in the woods, he immediately setting out to help, traveling to the northwest woods only to discover that her family has been murdered after accidentally crossing paths with drug dealers and their operation. When Dylanne discovers that her younger brother survived, together with her brother's survivalist skills, they set out to seek revenge on these cold blooded killers in a hunting game of survival.

You know, this was so much better than I was expecting. It's one of those films I came across countless times at the video store as a kid but never gave it a second thought. Digging through my tape collection recently I realized that I had gotten this about a year ago and it's been sitting there all this time. I'm sure it was in one of my obscure 80's action phases and probably also because it was an RCA VHS release, which means it came in one of those sweet side-loader slip cases, which I collect from time to time. So I threw this one recently when I was in an action mood and let me tell you, this is definitely one you'll want to track down.

It's not great by any stretch of the imagination, and doesn't reinvent the genre, but if you're looking for something very 80's, made competently well, and delivers just the right amount of thrills to keep you invested for the long haul, Quiet Cool will deliver the goods. This one offered up a number of surprises for me, the first being that it starred 80's action staple James Remar as the main good guy, which is something you just didn't see very often in his entire career. Sure he's played the good guy a few times, but I had never seen a film where he was the lead, and not playing the villain. So that was a somewhat refreshing surprise. But then I was also surprised to see another baddie regular (and sometime film director), Nick Cassavetes, again playing his usual douche bag villain, barely uttering a word. Mainly just looking mean and badass in his big shoulder padded jacket and mullet. He made this the same year he played another douche baddie in the cult classic favorite The Wraith.

One of the other things that surprised me about this is that I was not expecting this to be a "hunted in the woods" type of film, especially since the film opens in New York, which is a pretty awesome section of the film by the way. But once the film moves to the northwest forest setting, it's where the rest of the film stays and the hunt begins, where it ultimately becomes a predecessor to films like Survival of the Game and The Hunted.

Written and directed by Clay Boris, it's a competently crafted film that carries much more of a professional's touch, looking like a film that would certainly play at your local cinema in the 80's, which combined with how entertaining it is, I'm really surprised that it didn't. Boris has a pretty long career, dating all the way back to the late 70's and still working today, and tackling pretty much ever genre, but with most of his work relegated to TV. Nothing in his filmography immediately stands out as anything I've ever seen or heard of, but at least we have this little gem.

Really, this is a far more entertaining DTV 80's flick than you and I expected it to be, and if you're into these kind of films, I strongly suggest seeking this one out. The long Out Of Print DVD is ridiculously expensive, and honestly, it's not that good to warrant the shelling out of almost $50 for it. I also highly doubt it even comes in widescreen on that OOP DVD. My suggestion is either VHS or Laserdisc. The VHS, oddly enough, is not very common so it might take some good old fashioned hunting on your part to find it, but you'll find it cheap when you do. Same goes for the Laserdisc, which I see more of than the VHS. And trust me when I tell you you're not missing out on anything by watching this the old school way. In fact, I think it adds that little extra spice to the experience.

Quiet Cool is an old school and highly entertaining action/thriller that proves James Remar is just as good playing the good guy as he is being a regular villain. If you're also wondering what Quiet Cool even means, fear not, it's explained in the film.

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James Remar (THE WARRIORS, MORTAL KOMBAT: ANNIHILATION) is Joe Dylanne, a plainclothes NYC cop with a badge...and a robust personality. He always resorts to unconventional methods in order to capture the city's slickest criminals. When Dylanne receives a message from Kate (Daphne Ashbrook), an old sweetheart of his, the news is not as pleasant as he anticipated. Rather, it is an imperative call for help. Dylanne must swing into full action. This cop must travel to a remote location in the Pacific northwest in order to investigate the disappearances of his friend's relatives.

It turns out that most of Kate's relatives have been murdered in cold blood. The only survivor of the slaughter is Joshua (Adam Coleman Howard), an angst-ridden survivalist who explains to Dylanne about a sophisticated plan implicating marijuana plant growers.

Frankly, Joe Dylanne has not exactly received a lot of hospitality after traveling to this small town in Northern California. For starters, hot on his trail is a hot-headed sheriff, Mike Prior (Jared Martin). The bad guys have also placed a premium for Dylanne's head...

After Dylanne loses one of his loved ones to uncontrollable circumstances, vengeance has no fury... Dylanne and Joshua must trespass enemy territory in the name of revenge... Their mission is clear: to extirpate the ones who took the liberty to murder one of their close friends.

QUIET COOL is one of the coolest sleeper hits of the 1980s. It is probably one of the first films to deal with the dangerous phenomenon of marijuana. QUIET COOL has a neat premise. The villains in this movie are not ordinary everyday petty thugs; they are ambitious businessmen who want to make a profit. These people tend to be cunning and vile. In addition, QUIET COOL is one of the first contemporary action films to deliver an anti-drug, anti-smoking message.

Of particular acclamation in this movie belongs to star James Remar. Remar is one hell of an actor. He kind of resembles action hero Steve McQueen. Both actors manage to keep a calm, cool, and collected composure during the most substantial dilemmas. That quality is so rare in today's modern action heroes. Remar captures the stunning, strong essence of Steve McQueen.

Furthermore, the outdoor locations in this movie are exquisitely photographed, capturing the finer aspects of nature. The action scenes are tremendous. The stunts, especially the motorcycle chase through a subway, are well executed. The finale is also incredible with plenty of thrills.

Overall, QUIET COOL is a tough, violent, and remarkably gritty thriller. Just enjoy this film for what it is: A low budget, fun ride. A great cast, a solid plot, and superior action scenes make this film a rightfully knockout hit. QUIET COOL may not succeed as a blockbuster, but it will refresh you if the summer heat outside is too much to handle!

RATING: **1/2 out of ****.

Smoldering character actor James Remar stars in this nifty action movie called QUIET COOL, which can be nicknamed BULLIT ON A MOTORCYCLE. Remar plays a tough New York cop named Joe who travels to the Pacific North West to battle sadistic pot growers. With the help of a revenge-minded nature boy (Adam C. Howard), Joe brings the pot-heads down... hard!

Quiet Cool is not what one would call a quality film. The plot is contrived and often stupid, the characters are pretty one-dimensional, and some of the editing is a bit choppy. However, what the picture lacks in story, character development, and coherency is almost entirely made up for with the presence of great character actor James Remar in the lead. The guy isn't given much of a role to play, just to act tough and look angry, two actions he puts to maximum effect here. Normally stuck in supporting roles, Quiet Cool demonstrates that, had he been given the chance, Remar could have been become a solid action hero icon. It is very easy to seeing his role in Quiet Cool being played by Stallone, Bronson, or Schwarzenegger. It follows the 80s action formula of one man taking on an entire gang of bad guys, with little to no help from anyone else. What separates this particular action-adventure from the likes of Commando and First Blood is the mix of genres. Director/co-writer Clay Borris incorporates a distinct western style not shown in many action pictures of the decade. In addition, Borris also mixes in elements of the buddy genre, the revenge genre, and the cop genre in a way that doesn't seem forced or uneven. Adding to that a couple of decent one liners and some humor, Borris leaves his own stamp on what could have been just a boring, routine story that the audience had seen a hundred times before its release in 1986. This one deserves more attention than it gets. 7/10

OK, for those of you who love 80's movies, this is the movie for you. Sure it is ridiculous, but that is the point. This movie has a hilariously awesome plot, an awesome opening scene, its extremely explosive when it needs to be, and its from the 80's. If that description doesn't do it for ya, I don't know what will. If you haven't seen this movie, you really need to. Even if you think you will hate it, this movie needs to be seen by all. This movie is right up there with C.H.U.D., so if you want a laugh or some inspiration, watch this movie. Personally, it is one of my top 20 favorite 80's movies, mainly because of the action in it.