The-Dirtiest.com

Harry's just learned
a whole new game.

 

Plot

 

Unlucky fortune.

Directed by Buddy Van Horn
Produced by David Valdes
Screenplay by Steve Sharon

The Dead Pool
(1988)

"Maybe I'll start my own dead pool, and put you on it."

A list of names on a sheet of paper.  A disturbing game of life and death.  The murders of a rock star, a film critic, and a talk-show host.  The victims were all on the list.  Harry Callahan is also on the list...

After Harry puts one of the biggest crime bosses in San Francisco behind bars, he finds himself in the unlikely position of public hero.  Now the unwanted attention is attracting the press, angry hitmen out for revenge, and a killer who enjoys naming his victims.  Harry will have to work fast to uncover the connection between the killings, as the list is getting closer to his own name.  And Harry doesn't like being on it.

Trivia

 

The members of Guns N' Roses have brief cameos:  First, as guests during the funeral scene, and later, as actors on Swan's set.  (They shoot the harpoon off of the boat.)  After their song ("Welcome to the Jungle") was offered by Warner to the film's production, the band personally asked to appear in the film.  They were huge fans of both the series and Dirty Harry character.

Watch for Jim Carrey as rock star Johnny Squares.  Carrey auditioned for the role by submitting a videotape of a comedy routine called, "Post-Nuclear Elvis Lounge Act".  He can briefly be seen performing this routine in Eastwood's subsequent film, Pink Cadillac.

The film was co-written by Durk Pearson and Sandy Shaw, authors of the Life Extension books.  It was their story idea and urging which prompted Eastwood's return to the character.  Durk Pearson also has a brief cameo in the film.  (He can be glimpsed standing beside Axl Rose during the funeral scene.)

The toy car sequence sparked fond memories of the chase from Bullitt for many critics, and was also one of Eastwood's favorite sequences of the entire film.

Eastwood's older Callahan in this film is actually closer to the age Dirty Harry was originally intended to be, a fact that Eastwood often joked about on the set.  One of the aspects he liked about playing Harry again was the chance to revisit the character to see how he was getting along "at this stage of his life".

This is the only other film in the series that makes reference to Scorpio from Dirty Harry.

The dead pool lists included numerous crew members who had worked with Eastwood, (such as cinematographer Jack Green; assistant film editor Michael Cipriano; script supervisor Lloyd Nelson; and costume supervisor Glenn Wright).

Director Buddy Van Horn previously appeared in front of the Dirty Harry camera as the suicide jumper in Dirty Harry.

Harry's newest vehicle is a 1985 Oldsmobile 98 Regency.

When Al shows Harry the dead pool list in the restaurant, he reads off the names "Tony Engelhart...Michael Cipriano...Harry Callahan."  The name on the list is Tony Engedal.

The highlights shown of Swan's films are actually Time After Time, Cujo, and It's Alive III:  Island of the Alive.

Quotes

 

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Sam:
  According to sources, the object of the dead pool was for each player to pick eight Bay area celebrities, who might die, presumably of natural causes, by a predetermined date.  The winner of the game was to be the person whose list contained the most dead celebrities.

Harry:  You're out of bullets.  And you know what that means...you're shit outta luck.

Captain:  You know what this is, Callahan?   It's a bill for a TV camera and lens.  When I told you to stop wrecking our cars, I didn't mean go out and find something else to destroy!

Sam:  This is your 'fifteen minutes', Callahan.
Harry:  What?
Sam:  You know- what Andy Warhol said?  Everybody's famous for fifteen minutes? Well, this is it.
Harry:  Swell.

Cast  
 

Harry Callahan:  Clint Eastwood
Samantha Walker:  Patricia Clarkson
Peter Swan:  Liam Neeson
Al Quan:  Evan C. Kim
Harlan Rook:  Peter Hunt
Cpt. Donnelly:  Michael Currie
Lt. Ackerman:  Michael Goodwin
Patrick Snow:  Darwin Gillett
Lou Janero:  Anthony Charnota
D.A. McSherry:  Christopher Beale
Lt.  Ruskowski:  John Allen Vick
Jeff Howser:  Nicholas Love
Vicky Owens:  Maureen McVerry
Det. Hindmark:  Glenn Wright
Chester Docksteder:  Shawn Elliott
Suzanne Dayton:  Victoria Bastel
Butcher Hicks:  Diego Chairs
Molly Fisher:  Ronnie Claire Edwards
Johnny Squares:  James Carrey

Dirty Harry Magnum Force The Enforcer Sudden Impact The Dead Pool Photos Audio
 



Whatever they're paying you, Harry,
it couldn't be enough.

 

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