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RAW DEAL
(directed by John Irvin, 1986)
Arnold Schwarzenegger is the Raw Deal.
A small town sheriff, Mark Kaminsky (Schwarzenegger), is given the task to infiltrate a Chicago mob family as part of a revenge scheme dreamed up by FBI Chief Harry Shannon, whose son, Blair, was killed by the mob family at a log cabin in the opening scene of the movie.
Leaving behind his bored, depressed, beautiful alcoholic wife, Schwarzey heads to Chicago once Shannon promises him a better job back with the FBI if he pulls this task off. To get inside with the mob, he has to act like the mob, so he does various stunts to appear mean and badass, such as stealing a wealthy woman's limousine and forcing her to give up all of her jewelry.
The mob runs some kind of gambling casino in the basement of a building, and it is here that Schwarzey joins forces with them, along with meeting a sort of haggard looking woman (Kathryn Harrold) who falls in love with him, but could she just be trying to seduce Schwarzey into giving up private information he shouldn't? Will she get him to sleep with her slutty, gambling addicted ass thereby ruining the monogamous relationship Schwarzey has with Blanche Baker, AKA Molly Ringwald's older sister in Sixteen Candles? The beautiful alcoholic wife left out alone in the country.
Raw Deal looks exciting, and a large amount of the film is kind of exciting and beautiful to watch and observe, but ultimately the film is sadly kind of boring and somewhat plot heavy, but worse of all -- a kind of confusing mess. It reminded me a little of that Whoopi Goldberg movie, Jumpin' Jack Flash, which I believe came out in the same year. Whoopi Goldberg is trying to have a lot of fun, but the movie is largely an action film and the plot comes first. Same thing with Raw Deal. Possibly because it's 1986 and maybe Arnold Schwarzenegger, despite being in The Terminator, hasn't really grown into being ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER yet, totally, with popular culture -- Arnold doesn't really come first here. It's an Arnold Schwarzenegger movie that doesn't really give him much respect, I feel -- HOWEVER, there's no stopping the power and charisma of Arnold, so he steals and steals and steals.
Quotable Arnold Schwarzenegger quotes are coming at you right and left, even if they're not really that quotable. He appears in beautiful suits and leather jackets and commands the screen with authority, fun, humor and a zest for the a$$hole character he's pretending to be for the mob. At times he strips off his shirt to reveal his muscular physique to impress the ladies, notably his haggard looking stalkeress, the Monique character played by Kathryn Harrold.
A memorable moment comes near the end of the movie when Arnie takes off in a convertible with a missing windshield and uses big, blasting guns to kill all sorts of construction guys in trucks and vehicles and forklift things at a gravel pit to the tune of The Rolling Stones' "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction." Probably the best scene of the whole movie, but I could not follow why Arnold was even there at the gravel pit killing all of these unknown people to begin with. I don't know. This film is ridiculous. Just listen to the music and watch them die.
Raw Deal.
Destructively plot heavy with a really lame female counterpart for Schwarzey in Kathryn Harrold. There's so much they could have done that would have been more interesting, even if it would have seemed unoriginal. What if Blanche Baker, Arnie's alcoholic wife, had tagged along with him to Chicago? Why was the ending to this movie rather anti-climatic, despite the energetic atmosphere that was going on? WHO were all of these characters, especially those in the mob? Why did they suck so much?
1986, as I've said before, has a certain feel. For me, you can tell when a movie came out in 1986. I have no idea what it is with me and 1986. Maybe, since I was born in late 1983, maybe 1986 is when my first solid memories of life starting taking place and I have a strong feel for the air of 1986 because my brain got its first big memorable tastes of life? You know how you can't really start remembering sh*t until you're about two or three years old? Maybe that's the case with me. Maybe all of my memories started being active in 1986 and thus I have a solid connection with 1986. I don't know. Anyway, Cobra, the Sylvester Stallone movie, also came out in 1986, and Cobra feels kind of like Raw Deal, too. They both have a very bold, rockin', charged atmosphere about them. I mean, Schwarzenegger driving around a gravel pit in a windshield-less convertible to the tune of The Rolling Stones' "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" could ONLY happen in 1986. What was going on that year? Someone get me an astrologer. I want to study the planets as they were in 1986.
Anyway, Raw Deal -- a beater car for Schwarzenegger, but one he really drove recklessly and sported like it was the best damn car in town. Much more fun than Cobra, but not as good, really, because of the story. And yet at times I felt like I was watching a D-list Godfather.
You could skip this, but if you're looking for a comedy and there's nothing else available, try this. Possibly drink alcohol to it, although I don't really understand the connection between alcohol and movies and how it gives pleasure.
RAW DEAL
(directed by John Irvin, 1986)
Arnold Schwarzenegger is the Raw Deal.
A small town sheriff, Mark Kaminsky (Schwarzenegger), is given the task to infiltrate a Chicago mob family as part of a revenge scheme dreamed up by FBI Chief Harry Shannon, whose son, Blair, was killed by the mob family at a log cabin in the opening scene of the movie.
Leaving behind his bored, depressed, beautiful alcoholic wife, Schwarzey heads to Chicago once Shannon promises him a better job back with the FBI if he pulls this task off. To get inside with the mob, he has to act like the mob, so he does various stunts to appear mean and badass, such as stealing a wealthy woman's limousine and forcing her to give up all of her jewelry.
The mob runs some kind of gambling casino in the basement of a building, and it is here that Schwarzey joins forces with them, along with meeting a sort of haggard looking woman (Kathryn Harrold) who falls in love with him, but could she just be trying to seduce Schwarzey into giving up private information he shouldn't? Will she get him to sleep with her slutty, gambling addicted ass thereby ruining the monogamous relationship Schwarzey has with Blanche Baker, AKA Molly Ringwald's older sister in Sixteen Candles? The beautiful alcoholic wife left out alone in the country.
Raw Deal looks exciting, and a large amount of the film is kind of exciting and beautiful to watch and observe, but ultimately the film is sadly kind of boring and somewhat plot heavy, but worse of all -- a kind of confusing mess. It reminded me a little of that Whoopi Goldberg movie, Jumpin' Jack Flash, which I believe came out in the same year. Whoopi Goldberg is trying to have a lot of fun, but the movie is largely an action film and the plot comes first. Same thing with Raw Deal. Possibly because it's 1986 and maybe Arnold Schwarzenegger, despite being in The Terminator, hasn't really grown into being ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER yet, totally, with popular culture -- Arnold doesn't really come first here. It's an Arnold Schwarzenegger movie that doesn't really give him much respect, I feel -- HOWEVER, there's no stopping the power and charisma of Arnold, so he steals and steals and steals.
Quotable Arnold Schwarzenegger quotes are coming at you right and left, even if they're not really that quotable. He appears in beautiful suits and leather jackets and commands the screen with authority, fun, humor and a zest for the a$$hole character he's pretending to be for the mob. At times he strips off his shirt to reveal his muscular physique to impress the ladies, notably his haggard looking stalkeress, the Monique character played by Kathryn Harrold.
A memorable moment comes near the end of the movie when Arnie takes off in a convertible with a missing windshield and uses big, blasting guns to kill all sorts of construction guys in trucks and vehicles and forklift things at a gravel pit to the tune of The Rolling Stones' "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction." Probably the best scene of the whole movie, but I could not follow why Arnold was even there at the gravel pit killing all of these unknown people to begin with. I don't know. This film is ridiculous. Just listen to the music and watch them die.
Raw Deal.
Destructively plot heavy with a really lame female counterpart for Schwarzey in Kathryn Harrold. There's so much they could have done that would have been more interesting, even if it would have seemed unoriginal. What if Blanche Baker, Arnie's alcoholic wife, had tagged along with him to Chicago? Why was the ending to this movie rather anti-climatic, despite the energetic atmosphere that was going on? WHO were all of these characters, especially those in the mob? Why did they suck so much?
1986, as I've said before, has a certain feel. For me, you can tell when a movie came out in 1986. I have no idea what it is with me and 1986. Maybe, since I was born in late 1983, maybe 1986 is when my first solid memories of life starting taking place and I have a strong feel for the air of 1986 because my brain got its first big memorable tastes of life? You know how you can't really start remembering sh*t until you're about two or three years old? Maybe that's the case with me. Maybe all of my memories started being active in 1986 and thus I have a solid connection with 1986. I don't know. Anyway, Cobra, the Sylvester Stallone movie, also came out in 1986, and Cobra feels kind of like Raw Deal, too. They both have a very bold, rockin', charged atmosphere about them. I mean, Schwarzenegger driving around a gravel pit in a windshield-less convertible to the tune of The Rolling Stones' "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" could ONLY happen in 1986. What was going on that year? Someone get me an astrologer. I want to study the planets as they were in 1986.
Anyway, Raw Deal -- a beater car for Schwarzenegger, but one he really drove recklessly and sported like it was the best damn car in town. Much more fun than Cobra, but not as good, really, because of the story. And yet at times I felt like I was watching a D-list Godfather.
You could skip this, but if you're looking for a comedy and there's nothing else available, try this. Possibly drink alcohol to it, although I don't really understand the connection between alcohol and movies and how it gives pleasure.