Death Warrant
Encyclopedia
Death Warrant is a 1990 action movie starring Jean-Claude Van Damme
. The film was written by David S. Goyer
while a student at USC
, and was Goyer's first screenplay to be sold and produced commercially.
) confronts a maniac called the Sandman (Patrick Kilpatrick
) in an abandoned house. Although the Sandman nearly kills Burke, the partner of a cop that the Sandman killed, Burke manages to stop him with a bullet (or two).
Sixteen months later, Burke joins a task force put together by the governor to investigate a series of unexplained deaths in the Harrison State Prison in California. While Burke poses as an inmate, attorney Amanda Beckett (Cynthia Gibb
) acts the role of his wife. Burke and Beckett don't care for each other much in the beginning.
In the penitentiary, Burke is forced to survive in a dismal and dangerous environment. Even though he is surrounded by hostility and suspicion, Burke succeeds in befriending a few of the inmates, including Hawkins (Robert Guillaume
) and Priest (Abdul Salaam El Razzac), who help him with the investigation. Meanwhile, more inmates are mysteriously murdered (with one being set on fire in his own cell). Burke's cellmate Konefke (Conrad Dunn
) is killed, and stone-faced racist prison guard DeGraff (Art LaFleur
) puts Burke in solitary confinement, where he's interrogated and beaten. As if the insult and injury that Burke endures were not enough, the Sandman ends up at Harrison.
It is later revealed that the prisoners are being murdered for their body organs. Back on the outside, Beckett attends a party given by Vogler (George Dickerson
), the state's attorney general. Just as she's preparing to tell him about the slayings at the prison, Beckett receives a call from Burke's computer whiz kid assistant, who identifies Vogler's henchman Keane (Jack Bannon
) as the man behind the murders, which also involve Dr. Gottesman (Armin Shimerman
), the surgeon who harvests the organs to be sold to people who are in desperate need of them.
The assistant's suspicions are confirmed when Vogler tries to kill Beckett. She escapes only by the grace of Vogler's wife entering the room, but not before saying to him, "Tell her how you murdered for her", as Vogler's own wife was the recipient of a liver harvested from his business.
Burke begins an escape from the penitentiary, pursued by DeGraff, the Sandman and hundreds of angry inmates who have been set free and armed with the knowledge that Burke is a cop. Gottesman is cornered by the inmates (who state it is time for surgery), while DeGraff tries to finish off Hawkins, only to be ambushed from behind by Priest (with a shotgun blast to the torso).
Burke and the Sandman have a final, brutal showdown in which (having been flung into a lit furnace) Burke kicks the Sandman, head first, onto a spike, then breaks his jaw and kills him. Burke then goes after Vogler and Keane.
Jean-Claude Van Damme
Jean-Claude Camille François Van Varenberg , professionally known as Jean-Claude Van Damme, is a Belgian martial artist and actor, best known for his martial arts action films, the most successful of which include Bloodsport , Kickboxer , Double Impact , Universal Soldier , Hard Target , Timecop ,...
. The film was written by David S. Goyer
David S. Goyer
David Samuel Goyer is an American screenwriter, film director and comic book writer.-Early life:Goyer was born and raised in Ann Arbor, Michigan. He attended Hebrew school and has described himself as "half Jewish"...
while a student at USC
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
, and was Goyer's first screenplay to be sold and produced commercially.
Plot summary
Detective Louis Burke (Jean-Claude Van DammeJean-Claude Van Damme
Jean-Claude Camille François Van Varenberg , professionally known as Jean-Claude Van Damme, is a Belgian martial artist and actor, best known for his martial arts action films, the most successful of which include Bloodsport , Kickboxer , Double Impact , Universal Soldier , Hard Target , Timecop ,...
) confronts a maniac called the Sandman (Patrick Kilpatrick
Patrick Kilpatrick
Robert Donald Kilpatrick, Jr. is an American character actor with over 85 film and TV appearances to his credit. He made his film debut relatively late in 1985 with The Toxic Avenger.-Life and career:...
) in an abandoned house. Although the Sandman nearly kills Burke, the partner of a cop that the Sandman killed, Burke manages to stop him with a bullet (or two).
Sixteen months later, Burke joins a task force put together by the governor to investigate a series of unexplained deaths in the Harrison State Prison in California. While Burke poses as an inmate, attorney Amanda Beckett (Cynthia Gibb
Cynthia Gibb
Cynthia Gibb is an American actress and former model who has starred in film and on television. She is 5'-2" tall.-Biography:...
) acts the role of his wife. Burke and Beckett don't care for each other much in the beginning.
In the penitentiary, Burke is forced to survive in a dismal and dangerous environment. Even though he is surrounded by hostility and suspicion, Burke succeeds in befriending a few of the inmates, including Hawkins (Robert Guillaume
Robert Guillaume
Robert "Bob" Guillaume is an American stage and television actor, best known for his role as Benson Du Bois on the TV-series Soap and the spin-off Benson, voicing the mandrill Rafiki in The Lion King and as Isaac Jaffe on Sports Night...
) and Priest (Abdul Salaam El Razzac), who help him with the investigation. Meanwhile, more inmates are mysteriously murdered (with one being set on fire in his own cell). Burke's cellmate Konefke (Conrad Dunn
Conrad Dunn
Conrad Dunn is an American actor. He began his screen career with the role of Francis "Psycho" Soyer in Stripes . Working for some ten years under the name George Jenesky, he achieved soap-opera stardom in Days of our Lives as Nick Corelli, a misogynistic pimp who evolved from bad guy to romantic...
) is killed, and stone-faced racist prison guard DeGraff (Art LaFleur
Art LaFleur
-Life and career:La Fleur was born in Gary, Indiana. He played football in 1962 as a redshirt at the University of Kentucky under Coach Charlie Bradshaw as chronicled in a 2007 book, The Thin Thirty....
) puts Burke in solitary confinement, where he's interrogated and beaten. As if the insult and injury that Burke endures were not enough, the Sandman ends up at Harrison.
It is later revealed that the prisoners are being murdered for their body organs. Back on the outside, Beckett attends a party given by Vogler (George Dickerson
George Dickerson
George Dickerson is an American actor, writer, and poet.-Biography:Dickerson was born July 25, 1933, in Topeka, Kansas, to George Graf Dickerson, a lawyer, and Elizabeth Dickerson , parents he did not have a good relationship with. He has one brother, five years his junior...
), the state's attorney general. Just as she's preparing to tell him about the slayings at the prison, Beckett receives a call from Burke's computer whiz kid assistant, who identifies Vogler's henchman Keane (Jack Bannon
Jack Bannon
John James "Jack" Bannon is an American television actor. He is most famous for his role as Assistant City Editor Art Donovan on Lou Grant, a role he played for the duration of the series, from 1977 until 1982....
) as the man behind the murders, which also involve Dr. Gottesman (Armin Shimerman
Armin Shimerman
Armin Shimerman is an American actor. Shimerman is best known for playing the Ferengi bartender Quark in the television series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Principal Snyder in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Kramer's caddy Stan on Seinfeld, voicing Dr. Nefarious in the Ratchet & Clank series, and Andrew...
), the surgeon who harvests the organs to be sold to people who are in desperate need of them.
The assistant's suspicions are confirmed when Vogler tries to kill Beckett. She escapes only by the grace of Vogler's wife entering the room, but not before saying to him, "Tell her how you murdered for her", as Vogler's own wife was the recipient of a liver harvested from his business.
Burke begins an escape from the penitentiary, pursued by DeGraff, the Sandman and hundreds of angry inmates who have been set free and armed with the knowledge that Burke is a cop. Gottesman is cornered by the inmates (who state it is time for surgery), while DeGraff tries to finish off Hawkins, only to be ambushed from behind by Priest (with a shotgun blast to the torso).
Burke and the Sandman have a final, brutal showdown in which (having been flung into a lit furnace) Burke kicks the Sandman, head first, onto a spike, then breaks his jaw and kills him. Burke then goes after Vogler and Keane.