O Clube da Morte

i enjoyed the original mini-series as it was televised over two nights. i bought a VHS copy a few years ago, and was distressed finding a shorter and edited version that left out essential scenes that made this thriller run. the line from Judd Nelson's electrifying role of Joe Hunt..."then I declare war on you..." and Dean Karney's somber statement, "you can't beat a good conspiracy"...were priceless. the whole spin of affluent young men as corporate raiders and investors of commodities may have been noble aspirations, but only to get caught in the web of Joe Hunt's paradox philosophy. The book, of course has more depth and detail, closer to the reality of this true crime.

The Billionaire Boys Club is based on the true story of Joe Hunt (Nelson), a shady investor who built an empire on B.S back in the early 80s. Known as the BBC, the story involves a couple of guys recruited into Hunt's company on the promise of making millions. However, everytime Hunt's lapdogs think his boss has used his cleverness to make them filthy rich, they instead find themselves with financial losses. Trying to recoup a mounting pile of debt made from giant b.s. deals, the ruthless Hunt involves select members of the BBC to aid in the worst of crimes to get what they want. But, a few, scared of how far Hunt will go, try to stop Hunt's brutal reign of terror possibly before real damage begins.

The bulk of the story is told in flashback in accordance with testimony of various witnesses at Hunt's murder trial. Most of the testimony comes from Hunt's closet collegue and accomplice, Dean Karney(MacNamara) who was offered immunity in exchange for his testimony. As the story of fraud, greed, kidnapping, and murder unravels, it is unusual how lightly those other than Joe (who naturally behaves with such cruelty) react knowing all the crimes they've committed. A murder here and there, but they can still have such good times at a birthday party, for example. And what's even more disgusting is how the defense team for Joe Hunt tried to write off everything as immature gimmicks, simply stating that Hunt was innocent despite the large number of witnesses testifying against him and the vast paperwork trails that reinforce his guilt. If that was the actual closing arguments offered by the defense, my only guess was it was a last hope that Hunt could get off. And what is even more laughable is how brazen Hunt was about absolutely everything. He is not a sympathetic character in any light. Neither are too many others in the BBC, except for the three responsible for setting off the case that eventually brought down Joe Hunt. And what is much more sickening than that Joe Hunt wasn't the first and isn't the last in the game of greedy ambition (recall that 'Boiler Room' based on a true story that occurred many years after the case of Joe Hunt and the BBC).

I think part of the attraction, too, to this movie is the cast of young actors: Judd Nelson, Brian MacNamara (always an enjoyable actor), John Stockwell, Raphael Sbarge, and many others.

It is an insight into much of the corporate greed that went on particularly in the 1980s.

This is a well told, mesmerizing true life docudrama. Even if you know how the story goes, it is told in such an interesting and exciting manner. Judd Nelson is terrific as Joe Hunt, making you believe that he is a good person even if the facts suggest otherwise. He says at one point that "all he ever wanted to do was make money, for everybody." Nelson received a Golden Globe nomination as did McNamara, who plays the baby faced narrator and most sympathetic character. Ron Silver does a great job in the small but critical Ron Levin role. I recommend the film for fans of courtroom dramas and murder mysteries.

This movie is a gem in a haystack. I really recommend it to anyone who is into real greed movies like "the boiler room". My one beef is the comment that Judd Nelson's character makes regarding "like a bee is attracted to honey" because bees are not attracted to honey, rather, bees are attracted to pollen. Honey is a by-product of the bees pollenizeration process that turns the pollen into a wax-type residue usually referred to as "bee's wax." The residue is then manipulated by intense pressures that then liquefy into the substance known as honey. That is about my only big complaint about this movie. I really liked it. Judd Nelson is an underrated genius.

Highly entertaining. Funny. Some twists. Really shows the greed of the 80s.

Great actors. I have watched this movie so many times.

This is definitely one of the top 100 cult movies to see.