PARKER KANE

US, 1989, 95 minutes, Colour.
Jeff Fahey, Marisa Tomei, Amanda Pays, David Caruso, Billy Wirth, Stellan Skarsgaard.
Directed by Steve Perry.

Parker Kane is a routine private eye thriller, set in California, the kind of action film that Jeff Fahey made in great numbers during the late '80s and early to mid '90s. However, several of his co-stars did better than he in the '90s: Marisa Tomei winning an Oscar for My Cousin Vinnie, Stellan Skarsgaard starring in Breaking the Waves and internationally with Good Will Hunting and Ronan, David Caruso going into NYPD Blue as well as feature films. The producer was Joel Silver, notable in the '90s for his Lethal Weapon productions, Die Hard 3 and Matrix. The director of photography was Jan de Bont, who went on to direct Speed, Twister and Speed 2.

1.Private Eye film? Ex-policeman? The loner unable to relate to the team and to his wife? The investigation and the murder mystery?

2.Los Angeles settings, the wharves, factories? Apartments?

3.Parker Kane as the '80s or '90s private eye? His age, lack of following rules, inability to relate? Yearning for his wife? Good friendships? Bending the rules? Charm when he wanted? Macho bravery?

4.The plot: Kane and his investigations, his dealing with married women who wanted their husbands spied on? Money deals? His friendship with Joey, suspicions, Joey's death? Clashes with the police? His own investigation into Joey's death? The lead with the importer, the friendship with Sarah? The clashes with the thugs? April and her support? The affair, his further investigations, Sarah helping him and then being taken? The confrontations with the importer? His rules - and his not shooting anyone - unless necessary? His interrupting his wife's wedding?

5.Parker Kane as a character, American type, macho type? The one who wins out in the end?

6.The importer as villain: migration, setting up business, buildings, contamination? His factories, the cover-ups? Joey and his discovery, his being eliminated? The thugs? His public appearances? Confrontations with Kane, taking Sarah, the final fight? His death? The characterisation of his thugs?

7.Joey, his friendship with Kane, his death - and the discovery of his car, bike, wealth? His information about the contamination?

8.Sarah, PR, the attraction to Kane, the affair, helping him, her being taken and in danger, the final chase and shootout?

9.The people at the bar - April and her friendship, being taken for granted, charging him $10 for coffee? The proprietor and his support? The characters around the bar?

10.The police, investigations, the former partner, the clashes with Kane? The investigations and his bending the rules?

11.Typical American action investigation show?