Hit List (1989)

"He's killed so many people he owns his own cemetery." - Frank

A family man and a mobster are both trying to stop a violent hit man
Starring: Jan-Michael Vincent, Rip Torn, Lance Henriksen, Leo Rossi, Charles Napier

Link to IMDB

Jack, the drunk hero.

The city is full of organized crime and the businessman Vic Luca seems to be behind much of it, but the FBI can't get him in jail. Mostly because anyone with evidence against him ends up dead. Agent Mitchum has arrested Frank DeSalvo, another mobster that has evidence against Luca, and places him in protected custody while he awaits trial. Across the street from the FBI safe house lives Jack Collins, he's just a common family man that notices he has some strange new neighbours.


Next we meet Chris Caleek (Lance Henriksen) happily working at a shoe store, but he has a dark side to his life because he's also a deadly hit man. Vic Luca hires him to sneak into a prison and kill some guys, and we get to see that Caleek is a brutal guy indeed. Henriksen is always great at playing psychopaths, and he's having fun here as a taciturn, lethal killer.

I don't think that's how
shoe-phones work.

Caleek's next job is to kill the informant Frank, but he accidentally goes to the wrong address across the street to Jack's house! Unaware he's made a mistake, Caleek attacks Jack's wife and decides to kidnap the son when Frank is nowhere to be found. The FBI take Jack into custody but he quickly escapes, and his first order of business is to get Frank out of the safe house so that he can help him find his son. Jack and Frank are a contentious duo, but they begin to bond over their similarities as fathers and a desire to bring down Luca.

"Taking care of cops is like raising chickens." - Frank

Vic Luca

Mitchum

The story is paper thin but at least it makes sense, and the supporting roles of Henriksen, Napier and Rossi are what keep it interesting, because holy shit Jan-Michael Vincent is terrible here. Supposedly, he was drunk during the entire filming process, which would explain why he slurs most of his lines.

The action revs up at the end as Jack confronts the unstoppable Caleek. There's a some crazy fights and a car chase with awesome stunts, and even a few shocking moments as everyone uses violence to solve their problems. It's slow at times, but there's also some fine 80's action here.

Be sure not to miss:
- Luca is not impressed by VCRs without remote controls.
- "Pizz-aahh."
- It's 1989, gotta work laser tag into the movie somehow.
- If, like me, you can't recall where Jan-Michael Vincent is from, he was on Airwolf.

Internet review:
"There is enough zest in this film to satiate even the most ardent aficionados of B-movies." - DaveChoi

Should I watch it?
Some awesome stuff to see, but nothing super unique.

Where can I find it?
This video seems to be the only option.

Hit List gets... an extra half just for Lance Henriksen