O Clube da Morte

... and that is where I found this long forgotten micro mini series. Joe Hunt, a smart but poor kid who mixed with kids richer than himself but more easily influenced, grows up to be a very amoral and ambitious young man. Maybe in another time he wouldn't have gotten into the trouble he did. But it was the 80s and Wall Street was booming. And everybody wanted to get rich quick and was willing to listen to anybody who would tell them that not only they could, but that they would. Enter the young men who believed Joe Hunt could turn their small investments into mountains. They dressed, dined, and walked the walk. But unfortunately the returns Joe promised did not pan out, and that's when he crossed lines that should never be crossed.

Meanwhile the double minded and addled young men he is aligned with are in a dilemma. The luckier ones who are not involved and just know afterwards what Joe said he did have to wonder whether or not to go to the police. The unluckier ones were so mesmerized by Joe that they actually participated.

What makes this rendition of the exploits of the Billionaire Boys' Club better than later productions is that it does not have to try to capture that 80s vibe, because this was made only three years after the fact - in 1987. The mullets, the clothes, the 80s dresses and hairdos on the girls, are still in fashion. I'd highly recommend this one. It was probably Judd Nelson's finest hour. He is quite menacing as Joe Hunt without ever letting you quite know what is making him tick.

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.

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.

This movie deserved more recognition than it actually got. One of Judd Nelson's better performances since The BreakFast Club. Nelson plays Joe Hunt, a young business man who talks his high school mates to invest in his company..the ultimate 'get rich quickly' scheme. Things go pretty well at the start, but after a while, things start falling apart. Thats when trouble sets in, and Hunt's accused of killing Ron Levin, a con-man who owed him money. Things get very interesting from here on. Pretty good performances by Nelson and Mcnamara, who plays Hunt's right hand man, Dean Carney. I'd recommend this one.

This movie, whether you watch the 4 hour version or the shorter 2 hour one, is really well done. Judd Nelson and Ron Silver give terrific performances and the writing is very sharp. The action is well done and the courtroom scenes are riveting. A solid piece of work and definitely worth seeing.