STONE COLD

US, 1991, 90 minutes, Colour.
Brian Bosworth, William Forsythe, Lance Henriksen.
Directed by Craig. R.Baxley.

Stone Cold is a police investigation movie in the tradition of Chuck Norris and Steven Seagal. The musclebound hero this time is Brian Bosworth.

The film goes over the top in its presentation of violence. In fact, the film is often ugly. The reason for this is that it portrays a bikie gang involved in drug deals. They are quite brutal in their violence, in their attitude towards sexuality, in their victimising of the police and injustice issues. The film is the usual confrontation between drug dealers and police, the hero being an undercover agent who is persuaded to go into the gang as a bikie. The culmination is completely over the top as the bikie gangs drive into the Mississippi Capitol and massacre the judiciary.

While the film echoes so many of the crises in law and order and law enforcement in the United States, this film seems to relish its portrayal of violence, even though it comes down on the side of justice.

1. The impact of this kind of film? The tradition of the police investigation, drug dealers, the agent going on the inside? The picture of Mississippi bikie gangs?

2. The American locations, the countryside, headquarters of gangs, the country towns, Jackson, Mississippi? Special effects and stunt work? The violence? The musical score?

3. The title, Joe Hoff and his taking the name Stone - and the references to being stone cold dead?

4. Joe as the agent, his background, family, situation in the force? His being persuaded to go undercover? His physical strength, expertise? The infiltration, ingratiating himself, the members of the gang, men, women? His watching their actions, keeping undercover, tracking them? Setting up the deals? His ability in acting and keeping undercover? The discovery, the build-up to the court case, the violent confrontation and his super heroism? Credible hero? Emotions, decision-making, detachment?

5. The gang and the leader, his appearance, manner of speaking, control? The various members of the gang - their backgrounds, men and women, the way they treated each other, drugs, greed, violence? The imprisonment of the gang member? The violence against the law and their murders? The deals, accepting Joe, suspicions? Testing him out? The build-up to the confrontation? The violent finale - and the leader on his bike, the helicopters, the shooting?

6. The members of the gang, characters, interactions, possibilities for good or evil, relationship with Joe? Emotional, sexual, violent?

7. The police, the contacts with Joe, the set-ups, the investigations, the violent encounters, robberies? The violence in the town?

8. The presentation of the legislators, the police, the politicians making capital out of the law and order? The appeals for capital punishment? The television commercials and interviews? The reaction of the gang, the violence?

9. The culmination, the spectacular staging and stunt work, the violent implications of such a massacre?

10. The popularity of this kind of moviemaking in the '80s? In the United States? Around the world?