DEAD POOL

US, 1988, 91 minutes, Colour.
Clint Eastwood, Patricia Clarkson, Liam Neeson.
Directed by Buddy Van Horn.

The Dead Pool is a Clint Eastwood police thriller, which is really Dirty Harry 5. Once again, it is set in San Francisco with overtones of the late '80s, horror films, serial killers and madness, gangsters, violence, the need for justice. Inspector Harry Callahan seems a bit older than he did in his early films - but Eastwood, nevertheless, makes bin the hero. There is good supporting performance from Patricia Clarkson as an ambitious television newscaster and from Liam Neeson as a film director.

The film is in the vein of the police thrillers, reminds us that Dirty Harry relies on tough action for justice - shooting first and asking questions afterwards.

1. Enjoyable police thriller? Dirty Harry number5? The '80s? Law and violence? Justice?

2. The city of San Francisco as a character: in the opening and closing credits, San Francisco at night, the media, film-making, the streets of San Francisco?

3. Special effects, the focus on horror movies and the special effects and styles? Dreams and nightmares? Stunts? The offbeat chase, the model car chasing the police car? Musical score and atmosphere, songs?

4. The title and the game, the list of those to die, a deadly reality? The emphasis on violent games, the media exposes? The media mentality, images, violence? Horror films, satanic overtones? The world of drugs and violence? The influence on audiences? Are horror films a release and catharsis or do they trigger violence?

5. The introduction and the headlines of deaths, the list, Peter Swann and his playing the Dead Pool game? The focus on the murders; the introduction of Harry's name? Swann's seeming involvement, the murder of Johnny Squares, the murder of the film critic? The sending of the information to the media? The information about Rook? The psychiatrist and his talking about his having no personality, substituting Peter Swann's? Becoming Swann, killing people on the list? His ingenious ways of destruction? Explosives and the model cars?

6. Clint Eastwood as Harry Callahan: notoriety, putting the gangster in jail, the thugs pursuing him and his shooting them? His going to the gangster in Jail and threatening him with the large black prisoner? The encounter with Sam and his dislike of the media, breaking the camera, going with Sam to dinner, the clash with her, the apology, outing, their being shot at? Her giving him information? At work? The man who wanted to burn himself and her coping with the situation, Harry as the cameraman? The build-up to the confrontation with Rook, his luring Sam, Harry as resourceful, saving Sam, the harpoon in Rook?

7. Harry and the police department, its image, Al and his oriental partner, the about image of the police force? The hold-up and their getting work, the gangsters following them, the number of pool investigations, the discoveries, the car chase, the confrontation?

8. Wry comments the, criminals? murders? Al and partner, the jokes, bullet-proof vest? The tattoos?

9. The police officials and their attitudes, destruction of cars, money, public relations?

10. Peter Swann and his style, commercial film-making, satanic overtones, the dead pool game, Johnny Squares and his performance, satanic and drugs? The horror of his death? The agent and the hold-up and his death? The film critic on television, her murder? The build-up of information? A
weird film world?

11. Themes of justice and violence? Madness and killing? The justice by execution? The philosophy of Dirty Harry Callahan?