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Best Seller
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Wikipedia article
'Best Seller' is a 1987 American neo-noir crime thriller film written by Larry Cohen, directed by John Flynn and starring James Woods and Brian Dennehy. The film tells the story of Cleve (Woods), a career hitman, who wants to turn his life story into a book written by Dennis Meechum (Dennehy), a veteran police officer and best-selling author
The words and lyrics to the final score, entitled "Perfect Ending", were written by Lamont Dozier.
Plot
The movie opens in 1972 as a group of gunmen wearing Richard Nixon Halloween masks steal evidence from a police evidence storage unit, killing several officers in the process. Officer Dennis Meechum (Brian Dennehy) is seriously wounded after stabbing one of the robbers. He survives and publishes a book titled 'Inside Job' based on his experience. Years later, Meechum, who by now has become an acclaimed author and a much decorated detective, is working on his next novel. He now suffers from writer's block, and is a widowed father raising his daughter, Holly (Allison Balson).
On a case at the docks, a suspect runs as Meechum gives chase. A man named Cleve (James Woods) joins the chase. The suspect hides in an overhead crane and attempts to shoot Meechum, but Cleve kills the man, then mysteriously disappears.
Cleve arranges a meeting with Meechum, and tries to convince him to write a book about his history as a paid assassin for a corporate empire, Kappa International. Cleve intimidates Kappa's founder, David Madlock (Paul Shenar) about Meechum's next book, and promises Meechum to show evidence to back up his claims. They proceed to take trips to New York and Texas where Cleve tries to convince Meechum of his history of hits. While they are in Texas, it is revealed that Cleve was the injured masked gunman that Meechum had stabbed years earlier. Madlock, through his legal representatives, tries to bribe Meechum but fails.
When an enforcer tries to steal a manuscript of Meechum's novel and attempts to kill Holly, Cleve intervenes by killing him. Cleve attempts to keep Holly safe by sending her to Meechum's agent, Roberta Gillian (Victoria Tennant). Madlock, however, manages to kidnap Holly. Meechum decides to have a meeting with Madlock at the latter's oceanfront estate. Cleve storms into the house, and guns down all of Madlock's bodyguards. Cleve then sacrifices his own life to save Holly from Madlock. Meechum arrests Madlock, before comforting a dying Cleve. Cleve reminds Meechum about the book and says "Remember I'm the hero". At the end of the film, it is revealed that Meechum has published the book titled 'Retribution: The Fall of David Madlock and Kappa International' and it has had 28 weeks on the bestseller list.
Cast
* James Woods as Cleve
* Brian Dennehy as Dennis Meechum
* Victoria Tennant as Roberta Gillian
* Allison Balson as Holly Meechum
* Paul Shenar as David Madlock
* George Coe as Graham
* Anne Pitoniak as Mrs. Foster
* Mary Carver as Cleve's Mother
* Sully Boyar as Monks
* Kathleen Lloyd as Annie
* Harold Tyner as Cleve's Father
* Jay Ingram as Turner
* Jeffrey Josephson as Pearlman
* Edward Blackoff as Thorn
* J.P. Bumstead as Rothman
* Daniel Trent as Jarvis
* William Bronder as Foley
Production
Larry Cohen wrote the original script. He was inspired by the film 'Strangers on a Train' (1951) and wrote it with Burt Lancaster and Kirk Douglas in mind for the lead roles. The project was in development at a number of studios for years before Orion decided to make it.Doyle p 346
John Flynn says he substantially rewrote the script which was originally called 'Hard Cover'.[http://www.focorevistadecinema.com.br/FOCO2/chartrand-johneng.htm Harvey Chartand, "Interview with John Flynn", 'Shock Cinema' 2005]
Cohen was happy with the casting of Dennehy and Woods. He later said, "The picture itself turned out to be pretty good with one glaring exception: the ending. Everything was going along great but then, in the last five minutes, they fucked up the whole movie. That is what I mean when I say it [the film] was only partially successful."Cohen p 347
Cohen's problem was that the climax had Dennehy's daughter running towards the killer instead of away from him. He recommended the scene be re-cut without shooting extra footage but says he was ignored.Doyle p 348
Reception
Cohen says the film " didnt do that well" financially "even though as I keep saying it was a good picture all the way up to the climax. I dont want to go on about it, but they killed the movie with that conclusion and its amazing how you can do that. If they had made that one little cut I suggested, maybe the word of mouth would have been a little better and 'Best Seller' could have made some money."Doyle p 349
Roger Ebert gave the film 1 star out of 4 stars, but Jonathan Rosenbaum called it "first-class action storytelling stripped to its essentials," with Dennehy making "a wonderful straight man for Woods's fascinatingly creepy yet sensitive killer."
References
*Doyle, Michael, 'Larry Cohen: The Stuff of Gods and Monsters' Bear Manor Media, 2015
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