Jersey Justice

I read about Jersey Justice in my local paper, and thought I might check it out to see what all the fuss was about. Saw a whole lot of indie movies in Jersey and most are small little movies made by some young guys and a bunch of wannabe actors and cute kids from the suburbs. "Jersey Justice" is the first real movie I've seen in a long time that has a plot and real actors and great moments of real thrills.

Its like a revenge movie that has an old school approach, no frills. John Charles Hunt wrote/produced/directed this movie with a real heartbeat. The characters are stock roles but have an original mark of distinction. Polly O'Bannon is the 'soccer mom avenger' from Bucks County who chases some killers into the hell-holes of Jersey to get some old time JUSTICE! I liked the references to Jersey in the script and the bar fight is one of the most outrageous 15 minutes I've ever seen in any movie (big budget or small).

Blanche Baker stars in this indie and I hope I see her do bigger roles like this in the future. She is brilliant and clever in the lead. Jerry Lyden and Chris Mann are on their game and the flatfoot and the FBI honcho on the trail of a crazy lady with a mission. Good to see big ass Bo Svenson again and he is great as ever. TJ Glenn is very good in the bad-guy lug biker role. The bald headed monster with the tattoos (Steve Giambattista) adds just the right amount of villain juice to his part. Maria Soccor is hot and watch out for the hot sauce! Finney (Ed McCool) is funny as hell and every time he is on screen, I know I'm having a good time. Helluva good movie!

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.

As a local to where the film was shot, this "revenge thriller with a twisted edge" was lots of fun to watch. Blanche Baker really did a bang up job balancing her role as revenger and a Christian 'soccer mom' after seeing her husband gunned down on the streets of Philly. The characters that showed up in her life after that in the next 24 hours made the plot come alive. Maria Soccor's performance sizzled as the sexy bad-ass bartender who had a couple of great tricks up her sleeve. I'd love to see her in more leading roles! Another actress that I really enjoyed in her cameo role as Gun Lady was Mary Mooney who was great at her sales job. I joined the audience as we laughed at the hilarious one-liners and the prize goes to the cameo couple in the biker bar who mentioned something funny about their kids. Thanks to the intense acting and the great directing by John Charles Hunt the bad guys were easy to hate and the good guys drew you in as we couldn't help root for our heroine's success. Go see Jersey Justice and walk away with a new spin on what you would do if you were pushed to the edge.

Just got back from the preview screening of "Jersey Justice" in East Greenville PA. John Hunt's first film is a surprise indie movie with a great plot, an homage to the drive-in movies of the 70's. Not to say it's in the same as Tarentino/Rodrigues' "Grindhouse", but as much fun because the attitude is rough and the strong doses of humor make it pure PULP!

The prologue gives us the characters, a Christian family- son is off to Iraq (business contractor)- slime ball Bossman (70's screen star Bo Svenson as Texan "Halabirton-esque" creep in an extended cameo)and a news clip of Ole' George W Bush....you know it's trouble ahead. Mother Polly O'Bannon (Blanche Baker of "16 Candles") gets the phone call that son Derek has been kidnapped by terrorists and likely killed. Dad Jack (a likable Ken Schwarz) is trying to keep his sanity.

The story kicks in as Polly and Jack try to adjust to Derek's death, but they are hounded by the press and a couple of shady dicks in a sedan. On a trip to Philadelphia to collect their sons belongings, and crossing paths with a couple of murdering thugs in Old City, Jack is gunned down in an alley (not pretty) and Polly runs for her life. A few twist's in the fast plot, as Polly turns the tables on Jacks's assailants. The thugs are now being hunted down by the clever (and quite crazy) Polly O'Bannon. I thought that "Jersey Justice" had the same sense as the Michael Douglas' "Falling Down" when Polly goes through the day as if she were out shopping and doing errands. She buys a shotgun at a gun shop in Cherry Hill (very funny dialog) and terrorizes a pretty young lady at knife point in a bathtub.

The police and FBI are two steps behind Polly and the gunman. Agent Paul Lane (Christopher Mann of HBO's The Wire) thinks Polly might have lost her mind and heads to Jersey. Detective Vic Bell (veteran character actor Jerry Lyden of "Goodfellas") holds the fort in Philly. The story jumps the rails into a bizarre twist when Polly meets a tough dyke bartender (Maria Soccor looks like Russ Meyer's star Tura Santana) and barfly Finney (Hilarious Ed McCool is a real find). It's off to a biker bar and a halfway showdown with a gang called "The Hawks", lead by a hulking goon named Carlo (T.J. Glenn does a good impression of Big Bill Smith) as bartender Bill Romeo (Johnny 'Roastbeaf' Willaims hit's the right tone)tries to keep order when all hell breaks loose.

Not to give it all away, but lets just say that there are a few subplots involving the mob, fixer henchman, corporate lackeys, and a mystery man who pulls the strings. When you think you know what's going to happen, you don't. The action is very brisk, and the setting is right in the heart of Jersey. The ending is a fine wrap-up with a suggestion of a sequel.

The actors are first rate, with Blanche Baker leading the pack. She owns the role, with sly touches of crazy humor along with good dramatic moments. Big Bo Svenson is at his best, in a part tailored for his stature- BOOO HISSSSS! Newcomer Steve Giambattista is truly menacing as a biker thug out to stop Polly. Christopher Mann as the FBI guy on the track is very commanding, and his scenes with Jerry Lyden (alway fun) are pure gold, great chemistry. Watch for Gervase Peterson ("Survivor Season 1" reality TV)as a lackey and Brian Anthony Wilson as "Jules" the enforcer (big as a house).

The real pleasure is John Hunt's fun script (with lines pulled from Billy Jack) and great low budget value. Very talented but the budget shows with some goofy performances and slapped together set pieces. It's Blanche Baker who makes the movie a real treat, a steady role for the petite and pretty "Soccer Mom Avenger" with a shotgun. The audience filled with real bikers from Reading PA were roaring with belly laughs. Hunt was on hand to thank the actors who came out to be part of the screening. I had a ball!