TRAILER - SHAKEDOWN (1988)

When the bad guys have taken over... and the good guys are the worst of all... whatever you do, don't call the cops...

When I first saw the ad for SHAKEDOWN with all of its cool looking action scenes and slick "buckle up" type dialogue set to that amazing Hendrix riff, I really hoped that the film would live up to its trailer. Multiple viewings later I guess you can say that it did as the film remains one of my favorite action flicks from the 80s.

I'm not really sure why, as the cops on the take plot line isn't all that original, and the action scenes, while explosive, all feel like they end before they really get started. More than anything it's the cool pairing of Peter Weller, playing a slick attorney, and Sam Elliott, tough as nails as a gruff undercover cop, that does it for me. I've always liked buddy action films that don't focus on how the lead characters first met and grow to respect each other through their first escapade together. In SHAKEDOWN, Weller and Elliott seem to already have a past and this case is just an opportunity for them to team up for another adventure. Both actors nail their performances and as a team they have a vibe that oozes cool. It's a shame that the two never teamed up for another film.

Honestly though, it all comes back to that trailer, as it literally brainwashed me into expecting the film to be kick ass and damn if it didn't work. I can't think of another trailer on Plissken's Grindhouse that works so well for me. Check it out and see for yourself.

Zevk,
Poe