BLACK MOON RISING

US, 1986, 100 minutes, Colour.
Tommy Lee Jones, Linda Hamilton, Robert Vaughn, Dan Shor, Richard Jaeckal, Keenan Wynn, Nick Cassavetes.
Directed by Harley Cockliss.

Black Moon Rising is a gangster and car stunt thriller. It is enjoyable of its kind - nothing particularly new. Direction is by Harley Cokliss who directed the Mad Max-style action adventure in New Zealand, Battle Truck.

The screenplay is based on a story by John Carpenter who helped write the film. The musical score is by Lalo Schiffrin and there is a song, 'Sleeping with The Enemy'.

Tommy Lee Jones (Coalminer's Daughter, The Betsy, Jackson County Jail) is the unemotional hero. Linda Hamilton (The Terminator) is good as the villainess/heroine. Robert Vaughn is sinister as the villain and there is good support from such character actors as Richard Jaeckel, Keenan Wynn and Dan Shor.

1. Interesting and enjoyable gangster thriller, action thriller?

2. Las Vegas backgrounds, the city, its gloss? Action sequences? Stunt work? Special effects? Musical score?

3. The title and the focus on the car? The sinister tone for a contemporary thriller?

4. The situation: Las Vegas, the tapes, government, employment of criminals? The crime, gangsters, police work?

5. Quint: thief, skills, the tapes, personality, seeing him at work, rivalry, Earl and the car, Nina and the stealing of the car, going to Hollywood, the tracing of Nina, Ryland, the video of the sexual encounter, stalking the criminals? The fight with Marvin? The work? Driving? The spectacular escape? With Nina?

6. The contrast with Marvin, pay, rivalry, bashings, fight?

7. Earl and the car, his friendship, relationship with Quint, assistants, deafness, deaths, help with the attack?

8. Nina, in herself, stealing the car, driving skills, employment by Ryland, relationship with him, the clash, the cars and fixing them, joining Quint, the video? The end? Ambiguous heroine?

9. Roland as tycoon, the towers, relationship with Nina, henchmen, technology? Death?

10. The familiar world of gangsters, assassins, government agents?

11. Themes of law, Justice, right and wrong, heroes and heroism?