Mark Stevens was never a big star. Most of his career he played in B-movies and did a bit of TV. So, in light of this, I was surprised that he not only starred in this film but directed it as well. Now having a cast full of mostly no-names might negatively impact most films, but with film noir, having these less familiar faces is great--as it adds to the realism.
Stevens plays a guy who was a cop. He's spent the last three years in prison for a crime he didn't do. The mob not only set him up but killed his family and disfigured his face. So, it's not at all surprising that now that he's out of prison, he's ready to exact vengeance against the guy responsible. The problem, however, is that through much of the film you really aren't sure who the culprit is--though Stevens' character sure seems to know and he's out to kill Tino Morelli (Douglas Kennedy).
The movie is a very good film about revenge gone amok. The characters turn out to be very complex and the villain worse than you'd expect to find--even in a B-film. Entertaining throughout and the only scene that I thought was poorly handled was the phone call to Stevens near the end--it just seemed contrived.
If you do watch, pay attention to the performance and character played by Skip Homeier--he's very memorable!! Also, while not exactly the same film, this one is very reminiscent of Gregory Peck's "The Bravados"--another exceptional film about revenge. See this one as well!
By the way, it's odd that this film was set mostly in Ketchikan, Alaska. Despite the city being inundated with cruise ships, it really doesn't look all that different today than it does in this movie. And, the fishing is quite good.
Stevens plays a guy who was a cop. He's spent the last three years in prison for a crime he didn't do. The mob not only set him up but killed his family and disfigured his face. So, it's not at all surprising that now that he's out of prison, he's ready to exact vengeance against the guy responsible. The problem, however, is that through much of the film you really aren't sure who the culprit is--though Stevens' character sure seems to know and he's out to kill Tino Morelli (Douglas Kennedy).
The movie is a very good film about revenge gone amok. The characters turn out to be very complex and the villain worse than you'd expect to find--even in a B-film. Entertaining throughout and the only scene that I thought was poorly handled was the phone call to Stevens near the end--it just seemed contrived.
If you do watch, pay attention to the performance and character played by Skip Homeier--he's very memorable!! Also, while not exactly the same film, this one is very reminiscent of Gregory Peck's "The Bravados"--another exceptional film about revenge. See this one as well!
By the way, it's odd that this film was set mostly in Ketchikan, Alaska. Despite the city being inundated with cruise ships, it really doesn't look all that different today than it does in this movie. And, the fishing is quite good.