DARK BLUE

Kurt Russell Can’t Escape From L.A.
Dark Blue Follows Film Noir Blueprint

Fans of Kurt Russell call it “The Winter People Curse.” Before the esteemed actor traveled to the High Country in 1987 to film that particular movie, Russell was best known for his roles in such quality films as Big Trouble in Little China, Silkwood, Swing Shift, Escape from New York, Overboard and The Mean Season.

Since leaving Avery County after the wrap party for Winter People, Russell’s filmography includes Captain Ron, Tango & Cash, Soldier, Escape from L.A., Stargate and 3000 Miles to Graceland. Youch!

Okay, okay, so Russell’s post-Winter People work also includes a few non-clunkers such as Tombstone, Backdraft and Breakdown. The point is that the man could use a hit before he becomes best known as Kate Hudson’s stepdad.

Well, Dark Blue’s Detective Eldon Perry may not be the comeback role that sends Russell’s stock a-climbing back to A-list leading man status. But it is a nice meaty part in a movie that has just enough twists and turns to entertain fans of the cop thriller genre (you know who you are).

Dark Blue takes place in Los Angeles in the days leading up to the acquittal of the four cops who beat Rodney King. The tension on the streets before the post-acquittal riots can be seen like the wavy lines of heat in the summer. Perry and his young partner, Bobby Keough (Scott Speedman), are investigating a quadruple homicide for the LAPD’s elite Special Investigations Squad, a unit rife with corruption and its own agenda.

An up-and-coming police chief named Holland (Ving Rhames) is determined to get to the source of corruption and racism in the police department and put a stop to it while his top cop Beth Williamson (Michael Michele) is secretly sleeping with Detective Keough.

Dark Blue takes place in 1992 but has a much older film noir feel. The gritty aspects of the movie and the Miles Davis-like blasts of horn in the soundtrack recall the glory days of police thrillers like Serpico and Prince of the City. The script feels even older, as if it came from a 1950s paperback novel. Even the special effects are old school and kept to a minimum. The scenes where South Central L.A. erupts in race riots, looting and arson have a blurry documentary look to them that make feel too real for comfort.

Director Ron Shelton is best known for his light-hearted sports romps such as Tin Cup, Cobb and Bull Durham. In Dark Blue he shows an innate sense of how to pace a thriller. Only when the movie explores Perry’s shaky relationship with his wife does it bog down in minutia.

The ending of Dark Blue is a bit pat and preachy but the ride getting there is truly one memorable drive in an out-of-control patrol car. This movie is recommended for folks who liked last summer’s overlooked cop drama City By The Sea starring Robert Deniro. Both movies feature intricate plots and fine acting by the lead players in a no nonsense manner. Russell is always in fine form when he plays a role that is both charismatic and dangerous and here his Detective Perry ranks right up with Snake Plisken as one of his best.

Dark Blue is rated R for violence, language and brief nudity. It is currently playing at the Chalet Triple in Boone.

The Winter People

There’s still a few folks in the High Country who remember the making of the movie The Winter People. The film was shot in locations around Banner Elk, Plumtree, Cranberry, and Elk Park during the fall of 1987 and was based on the John Ehle book of the same name. Director Ted Kotchoff’s resulting movie had a split personality. It didn’t know if it was a Disneyesque look at the Great Depression in Appalachian or a gritty adult drama.
The Winter People is still available on VHS and is interesting for its mix of human drama and scary hillbillies. In addition to Russell, the movie stars Lloyd Bridges and Kelly McGillis in two of those actors’ last big roles. Bridges past away a few years after the making of The Winter People and McGillis retired from show business to become a restaurateur in Key West.