Flashpoint (1984 film)
| Flashpoint | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | William Tannen |
| Written by | Dennis Shryack Michael Butler |
| Based on | Flashpoint by George LaFountaine[1] |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Peter Moss |
| Edited by | David Garfield |
| Music by | Tangerine Dream |
Production companies | |
| Distributed by | Tri-Star Pictures |
Release date |
|
Running time | 92 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $10 million[2] |
| Box office | $3.8 million[3] |
Flashpoint is a 1984 American neo-western action thriller film starring Kris Kristofferson, Treat Williams, Rip Torn, Jean Smart, Kurtwood Smith, and Tess Harper. The film is directed by William Tannen in his directorial debut, and is based on the novel of the same name by George LaFountaine,[1] with a screenplay by Dennis Shryack and Michael Butler. The original score was composed and performed by Tangerine Dream. It was the first theatrical film produced by Home Box Office (HBO).[citation needed]
Plot
After re-burying the jeep and its contents, the duo take two of the bills to be analyzed, and learn that they were circulated directly from the
When the two return to the station, they discover federal agents, led by self-proclaimed "fixer" Carson, have arrived, ostensibly to take control of the planned surveillance operation and possible bust of a drug trafficker in coordinating with the local Sheriff Wells. Logan quickly dislikes and distrusts Carson, who seems to be intimately familiar with Logan's service in the U.S. Army. Logan was a decorated infantry officer who served in the United States Army Special Forces and fought in Vietnam. Later on he left the Army and went on a self-imposed exile from higher government activities. Carson appears to deliberately blow Logan and Wyatt's cover when they are moving in to arrest a drug smuggler, almost killing Wyatt. They learn afterwards that Carson has taken over as head of station after the sudden promotion of their previous supervisor.
A local prospector discovers the Jeep burial and site and re-excavates it, summoning the attention of Carson and the
Disgusted at Carson's callousness, Logan is ready to leave town for good, but Carson first sends him on a solo mission to Soledad Mountain to investigate a suspicious vehicle, while sending Wyatt to a location where he claims illegal immigrants are being smuggled across the border. Logan realizes the mission is a setup, and Carson is trying to eliminate anyone who knows about the jeep. He rushes to Wyatt's last known location, but arrives too late, finding him stabbed to death with Logan's hunting knife.
Grieving for his friend and determined to get revenge, Logan heads to the location where he and Wyatt had hidden the money and rifle. As he approaches, he is shot in the shoulder by Carson and his men. Logan manages to elude their line of sight, flanking behind them and killing Carson's men and shooting him in the leg. Carson limps to Logan's Jeep to try to escape, only to discover the keys are not in the ignition. Logan empties his revolver into Carson, killing him.
Examining the rifle in the case, Logan is approached by Sheriff Wells holding a gun to his head, berating him for uncovering the Jeep and reawakening a twenty-year old nightmare. He reveals the truth about the Jeep and its contents, that Michael J. Curtis was part of a government conspiracy to assassinate John F. Kennedy, and was himself the true assassin. Wells admits complicity in the conspiracy, providing the assassin with the jeep, gun, and money. Curtis was meant to take these things and drive south to Mexico, but instead accidentally crashed his jeep in the desert during a storm, killing himself and leaving his car to the elements. Wells tells Logan to take the money and go to Mexico; he refuses and states his intention to go back to the station and report everything. Wells tells him that he cannot, that he has been framed not only for the murder of Wyatt but also Roget and Lambassino. Wells tells Logan that he will buy him time from Carson's men. With some reluctance, Logan boards the jeep and tells Wells to tell them he will return one day. He drives away towards the border, leaving Wells staring out across the desert.
Cast
- Kris Kristofferson as Bobby Logan
- Treat Williams as Ernie Wyatt
- Rip Torn as Sheriff Wells
- Kurtwood Smith as Carson
- Jean Smart as Doris
- Tess Harper as Ellen
- Kevin Conway as Brook
- Miguel Ferrer as Roget
- Guy Boyd as Bobby Joe Lambasino
- Roberts Blossom as Amarillo
- Mark Slade as Hawthorne
- Terry Alexander as Peterson
- William Frankfather as Lacy
- Joaquín Martínez as Pedroza
- Dick O'Neill as Hinshaw
Production
The rights to George La Fountaine’s novel, Flashpoint, were first purchased in 1975 by
Reception
Flashpoint received mixed reviews from critics.[5][6][7][8]
On Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds a rating of 54% from 13 reviews.[9]
Roger Ebert 31 August 1984: "such a good thriller for so much of its length that it’s kind of a betrayal when the ending falls apart".[10]
Soundtrack
| Flashpoint | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
LP album cover | ||||
| Soundtrack album by | ||||
| Released | 1984 | |||
| Recorded | 1984 | |||
| Genre | Electronic music | |||
| Length | 37:07 | |||
| Label | EMI | |||
| Tangerine Dream chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [11] |
| Kerrang! | [12] |
Flashpoint is the twenty-third major release and sixth soundtrack album by Tangerine Dream.[13]
A CD version was released in 1984 on the Heavy Metal label but was soon recalled due to pressing errors that rendered the CD unplayable. The soundtrack was not released on CD again until 1995.[citation needed] The entire album was released as part of the bootleg Mystery Tracks (1993).[14]
Track listings
All tracks are written by Edgar Froese, Chris Franke, Johannes Schmoelling
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Going West" | 4:10 |
| 2. | "Afternoon in the Desert" | 3:35 |
| 3. | "Plane Ride" | 3:30 |
| 4. | "Mystery Tracks" | 3:15 |
| 5. | "Lost in the Dunes" | 2:40 |
| 6. | "Highway Patrol" | 4:10 |
| 7. | "Love Phantasy" | 3:40 |
| 8. | "Mad Cap Story" | 4:00 |
| 9. | "Dirty Cross Roads" | 4:20 |
| 10. | "Flashpoint" (composed and performed by The Gems) | 3:47 |
Personnel
- Edgar Froese– keyboards, electronic equipment, guitar
- Christopher Franke– synthesizers, electronic equipment, electronic percussion
- Johannes Schmoelling– keyboards, electronic equipment
- The Gems — only "Flashpoint"[15]
References
- ^ a b La Fountaine,George Flashpoint 1976
Coward McCann & Geoghegan ISBN 9780698107427
- ^ "The Unstoppables". Spy. November 1988. p. 92.
- ^ Flashpoint at Box Office Mojo
- ^ a b c "Flashpoint". catalog.afi.com. Retrieved 2023-01-01.
- ^ "Flashpoint (1984) - Internet Movie Firearms Database - Guns in Movies, TV and Video Games". www.imfdb.org. Retrieved 2024-02-15.
- ^ "Flashpoint". www.tcm.com. Retrieved 2024-02-15.
- ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-02-15.
- ^ "AFI|Catalog". catalog.afi.com. Retrieved 2024-02-15.
- ^ "Flashpoint". Rotten Tomatoes.
- ^ https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/flashpoint
- AllMusic
- ^ Dome, Malcolm (4 April 1985). "Tangerine Dream 'Flashpoint'". Kerrang!. 91. London: Morgan Grampian: 9.
- ^ Berling, Michael (29 September 2016). "Flashpoint". Voices in the Net.
- ^ Berling, Michael (29 September 2016). "Mystery Tracks". Voices in the Net.
- ^ https://www.discogs.com/release/4415732-The-Gems-Tangerine-Dream-Flashpoint-Going-West
External links
- Flashpoint at IMDb
- Flashpoint at Rotten Tomatoes
