Le banquier

Well, that would be a great line if it were in the movie.. but it ain't. On the other hand, this movie has a LOT of great quotes, and some really good, memorable performances.

The story is very simple: A wealthy banker (played brilliantly by Duncan Regehr, who some of us may remember from the TV-series "Zorro") goes nuts after a trip in the jungle, and starts killing random hookers and call-girls all around town (or even in his own house) just for the hell of it. His two prey-providing pimps, are Fowler (Leif Garrett "Walking Tall 1-3"), who doesn't care about anything but money, and Cowboy (Jeff Conaway from "Taxi" and "Celebrity Rehab"), who tries to find the man who has been killing his girls - but as it turns out, not to avenge their deaths or to turn him in, but to CASH IN on his knowledge to the fact.. well, we all know what happens then..

Anyway, there's this cop, Dan (Robert Forster, "Jackie Brown") also on The Banker's tail, because he is apparently targeting a news-anchor woman with a conscience (played by the relatively unknown Shanna Reed), and Dan doesn't want to see her get hurt, and with some help from his captain (Richard Roundtree aka "Shaft") and his new rookie partner Eddie (Juan García), he finally gets close to the bad guy, but still lacks sufficient hard evidence to capture and jail him.. what to do then? I'm not gonna spoil it.. use your imagination, kids.

To round out the ensemble cast, Michael Fairman ("Dead Silence", "Forces of Nature") plays the TV-station boss, and the lovely Deborah Richter (the cyborg from "Cyborg") plays an unfortunate call-girl.. as does future porn-star Teri Weigel (from "Predator 2" fame). And then there's the cameo from future screen-writer Richard Brandes (who wrote "Martial Law 1+2") as a yuppie who tries to stab The Banker.. and we all know what happens to random punks trying to match up to major bad guys in 1980s B-movies.. that's right, they become Hollywood Screenwriters.

So, all in all a generally entertaining action-thriller, with a blatant serial-killer who sports full Indian warpaint and usually kills his victims with a crossbow before his disembowels them.. often whilst whistling the theme from "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs". Awesome.

This is the type of movie you shouldn't approach with high expectations. If you do, you'll be extremely disappointed. However, if you approach this movie with low expectations, and remember that it was made in 89' you will probably enjoy this film for what it is; an amusing thriller. Of course the dialogue is a bit lame, and the acting can be very wooden, but if you sit back, and have a couple of drinks, you'll probably find this movie hilarious. I know I did! The concept of the movie is great to begin with; A rich banker is going around murdering prostitutes with a cross-bow...I mean how awesome is that? He wears fantastic face paint and runs around bare chested. Of course, the movie is extremely predictable and I wouldn't recommend that you buy it, but if you see it at the video store and want a laugh, rent it out! You may regret it....

Was decent. Should've been a comedy but it really wasn't a bad flick.

My name is Dana Augustine and I was the co-story, screenwriter and associate producer on the Robert Forster (of 'JACKIE BROWN' and an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor for same) picture called 'THE BANKER.'

According to Bob Forster, Quentin Tarantino (in his days as a video store manager) kept 'THE BANKER' on his 'favorite shelf' and that was one of the reasons (again, according to Forster) that he got, what turned out to be, the Oscar nominated role as 'Max Cherry' in 'JACKIE BROWN.'

Besides all of the other reviews you may have read regarding my film, please take a look at 'THE VIDEOHOUND'S COMPLETE GUIDE TO CULT FLICKS AND TRASH PICS' ... they gave it a review called my script 'smart and funny.'

They gave it a rating of '3 and 1/2 Bones' -- and in comparison, you'll notice that they also gave 'BLADE RUNNER' 3 and 1/2 Bones.

Lastly, this film has a following. For one of many personal examples, I was in a video store once and there was a fella renting my movie. Before telling him WHO I was, in regards as the screenwriter of 'THE BANKER', I asked him what he liked about it. He said, "Ohh man, it's cool. It's weird. I've seen 4 times already."

The good news is, because of this movie, I became a commercial director and have 600 plus commercials under my belt and a ton of awards.

Thanks for your interest in my little cop / killer thriller.

Dana Augustine

Hey, let me tell ya about "The Banker," folks. This movie's got more twists and turns than my golf swing! I tell ya, it's a real thriller that'll keep you on the edge of your seat.

The acting in this movie is no joke, folks. Robert Forster gives a performance that's so good, it'll make you forget about my back-to-back-to-back appearances on "The Tonight Show." And Duncan Regehr? He's so convincing as the hitman, I wouldn't be surprised if he was packing heat in real life.

Now, don't get me wrong, this movie isn't perfect. Sometimes it moves slower than a turtle in a tar pit. But hey, even I can't get laughs all the time.

All in all, "The Banker" is a solid movie that's worth a watch. It may not be as well-known as some other crime thrillers, but it's got heart and soul, just like my golf game. So go ahead and give it a shot, folks. You won't be disappointed!