Death Wish 4: The Crackdown
Encyclopedia
Death Wish 4: The Crackdown is a 1987 action thriller, and the third sequel to the 1974 film, Death Wish
, once again starring Charles Bronson
.
This is the first of the series to carry a subtitle, the first to be directed by someone other than Michael Winner
, and the last to be released by Cannon Films. It was directed by J. Lee Thompson
.
The film had a substantially cheaper budget and more limited release than its predecessors. It debuted in U.S. theatres in November 1987. The screenplay by Gail Morgan Hickman
returns Kersey to Los Angeles
, where he lived in Death Wish II.
A young woman enters Paul's architectural office. She is Erica Sheldon (Dana Barron
), whose mother, Karen Sheldon (Kay Lenz
), is Paul's current girlfriend. Erica later goes with boyfriend Randy Viscovich (Jesse Dabson) to an arcade to meet up with someone named JoJo Ross (Héctor Mercado
) and another buddy, Jesse Winters (Tim Russ
). JoJo offers her crack cocaine
, and Erica dies from an overdose.
The next night (without explanation), Paul follows Randy to the arcade. Randy confronts JoJo and threatens to go to the police. JoJo kills Randy to prevent this. Kersey promptly shoots JoJo, who falls onto the electrified roof of the bumper-car ride to his death.
At home, Paul receives a call from publisher Nathan White (John P. Ryan
). Nathan explains that after his wife died, his daughter became his whole life. Then she became addicted to drugs and died of an overdose. Nathan wants to hire Kersey to wipe out the drug trade in LA — in particularly, there are 2 major drug gangs rivaling between themselves for the main local drug supply: one is led by Ed Zacharias (Perry Lopez
), while the other is under brothers Jack and Tony Romero (Mike Moroff and Dan Ferro
respectively).
Kersey accepts and Nathan supplies him with weapons and information. All the while two LA
detectives, William Reiner and Phil Nozaki (George Dickerson
and Soon-Tek Oh
respectively), begin to investigate the arcade deaths.
Kersey infiltrates a mansion where Zacharias is throwing an elaborate birthday party. As he bugs a phone, he witnesses Zacharias murder a colleague, Vince Montono (James Purcell). Zacharias discovers and captures Paul (under the fake name "Leo") and orders him to help carry out the dead body. A hired hitman, Al Arroyo (Daniel Sabia), and Paul hide it in the trunk of a car. Knowing that he is about to be killed, Paul decapitates Arroyo with the car's trunk cover in self-defense.
Paul proceeds to kill three of Ed Zacharias' favored hitmen at an Italian restaurant - Danny Moreno (Michael Russo), Art Sanella (Danny Trejo
) and Jack Steiner - with a wine bottle containing a bomb (he offered the explosive bottle to the 3 criminals under the fake name "Jack Kimble" and saying himself to be a representative of a newly-open wine manufacturer); later he starts attacking the Romeros' side: first, he kills drug dealer Max Green (Tom Everett
), leader of Romeros' streetdealers, disguised as a porn video store owner and two of his assistants; later, he kills Romeros' top hitman, Frank Bauggs (David Wolos-Fonteno), by throwing him from the sacade of his apartment. All the while Zacharias and the Romeros begin to suspect each other.
Paul then goes to St. Peter to destroy a drug processing laboratory belonging to Ed Zacharias' gang, disguised as a fisherman wharf, killing eight more criminals. Nozaki, revealed to be a corrupt cop
working to Zacharias, is instructed by the latter to get rid of whoever is setting him up. Nozaki himself tries to get information from Kersey at his office, but he is killed by Paul. Detective Reiner learns of Nozaki's death (not knowing about his corruption) and swears vengeance on the vigilante Paul Kersey for what he did to his partner.
Zacharias calls Romero to a meeting place in an oil rig
. Kersey is already there and fires his rifle. Zacharias thinks that it is Romero's crew doing this and opens fire, resulting in a mobster gunfight that includes Jack Romero in the killed. They kill each other as Kersey kills two more - Tony Romero and Ed Zacharias themselves. Zacharias' top henchman, Nick Franco (Peter Sherayko), is the sole survivor.
Nathan White calls to congratulate Kersey on a job well done. He asks to meet, but instead sends his limousine driver (Craig Curtis) alone. Kersey realizes he's been set up inside a limousine prone to explode. He shoots the back window of the limo and escapes before the car explodes.
Kersey forces his way into Nathan's house. An old man living there (Richard Nugent-Aherne) claims to be the real Nathan White, having returned from a three-month vacation. Kersey is then arrested by two cops. On the way to the station, Paul recognizes them as impostors. He flips over the car, killing one phony cop and knocking the other unconscious.
The fake Nathan White is furious that Kersey is still alive. He kidnaps and uses Karen as a bait to lure Paul into a trap. Kersey knocks out Detective Reiner (who was awaiting inside Kersey's apartment), then pulls a M16 rifle
, with an incorporated M203 grenade launcher
, from a gun rack hidden behind his freezer.
Kersey arrives at the meeting place - the parking lot of White's luxuous commercial building. The car rolls forward as White orders his men to open fire. They spray the car with bullets before realizing Paul's not in it. Kersey fires a grenade, killing three bandits as their van explodes, then fires another grenade to kill Jesse as he betrays his crew and tries to drive away. Kersey follows White into a roller rink, resulting in the deaths of six more criminals (Nick Franco being the last of them).
White escapes through a back door holding Karen hostage. Karen attempts to escape, but White shoots from behind and kills her. Distraught by Karen's death and realizing that White has run out of bullets, Kersey fires a last grenade that finishes him off, literally blasting him to death. Reiner arrives and orders him to surrender, threatening to shoot as Kersey walks away. Kersey simply replies: "Do whatever you have to", and Reiner lets him go.
Death Wish (film)
Death Wish is a 1974 crime thriller film loosely based on the novel Death Wish by Brian Garfield. The film was directed by Michael Winner and stars Charles Bronson as Paul Kersey, a man who becomes a vigilante after his wife is murdered and his daughter is sexually assaulted by muggers.The film was...
, once again starring Charles Bronson
Charles Bronson
Charles Bronson , born Charles Dennis Buchinsky was an American actor, best-known for such films as Once Upon a Time in the West, The Magnificent Seven, The Dirty Dozen, The Great Escape, Rider on the Rain, The Mechanic, and the popular Death Wish series...
.
This is the first of the series to carry a subtitle, the first to be directed by someone other than Michael Winner
Michael Winner
Michael Robert Winner is a British film director and producer, active in both Europe and the United States, also known as a food critic for the Sunday Times.-Early life and early career :...
, and the last to be released by Cannon Films. It was directed by J. Lee Thompson
J. Lee Thompson
John Lee Thompson , better known as J. Lee Thompson, was an English film director, active in England and Hollywood.- Early years :...
.
The film had a substantially cheaper budget and more limited release than its predecessors. It debuted in U.S. theatres in November 1987. The screenplay by Gail Morgan Hickman
Gail Morgan Hickman
Gail Morgan Hickman is an American producer and writer of film and television.His first major writing credit was writing the story for the Dirty Harry film The Enforcer...
returns Kersey to Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, where he lived in Death Wish II.
Plot
A woman in a parking garage has trouble starting her car. Three thugs appear, force her out, and begin to rape her when Paul Kersey appears out of nowhere. He shoots the first two to death and wounds the third. Kersey blocks the exit, where the third mugger pleads for his life. Paul shoots him and then rolls the criminal over with his foot and reveals him to be himself. The assault was just a bad dream.A young woman enters Paul's architectural office. She is Erica Sheldon (Dana Barron
Dana Barron
Dana Barron is an American actress who has starred in film and on television. Barron is best known for her role as the original Audrey Griswold in the 1983 film National Lampoon's Vacation which she reprised in 2003's Christmas Vacation 2: Cousin Eddie's Island Adventure for NBC television.-Early...
), whose mother, Karen Sheldon (Kay Lenz
Kay Lenz
Kay Ann Lenz is an American actress.A former child performer, Lenz has worked primarily in television and has won two Emmy Awards.-Background:...
), is Paul's current girlfriend. Erica later goes with boyfriend Randy Viscovich (Jesse Dabson) to an arcade to meet up with someone named JoJo Ross (Héctor Mercado
Hector Mercado
Héctor Luis Mercado is a former professional baseball pitcher, born in Cataño, Puerto Rico. Mercado played all or part of four seasons in Major League Baseball, as well as one season in Nippon Professional Baseball in Japan. Mercado was listed at 6' 3" in height, and 235 lb. in weight...
) and another buddy, Jesse Winters (Tim Russ
Tim Russ
Timothy Darrell "Tim" Russ is an American actor, film director, screenwriter and musician. He is known for his roles on Star Trek: Voyager, as Lieutenant Commander Tuvok, Samantha Who?, as Frank, and on the Nickelodeon live-action teen sitcom iCarly, as Principal Franklin, a recurring...
). JoJo offers her crack cocaine
Crack cocaine
Crack cocaine is the freebase form of cocaine that can be smoked. It may also be termed rock, hard, iron, cavvy, base, or just crack; it is the most addictive form of cocaine. Crack rocks offer a short but intense high to smokers...
, and Erica dies from an overdose.
The next night (without explanation), Paul follows Randy to the arcade. Randy confronts JoJo and threatens to go to the police. JoJo kills Randy to prevent this. Kersey promptly shoots JoJo, who falls onto the electrified roof of the bumper-car ride to his death.
At home, Paul receives a call from publisher Nathan White (John P. Ryan
John P. Ryan (actor)
John P. Ryan was an American character actor, best known for his role as Warden Ranken in the 1985 film Runaway Train.Ryan died from a stroke in Los Angeles, California in 2007 at the age of 70.-Filmography:...
). Nathan explains that after his wife died, his daughter became his whole life. Then she became addicted to drugs and died of an overdose. Nathan wants to hire Kersey to wipe out the drug trade in LA — in particularly, there are 2 major drug gangs rivaling between themselves for the main local drug supply: one is led by Ed Zacharias (Perry Lopez
Perry Lopez
Perry Lopez was an American film and television actor. His acting career lasted over 40 years before his death in 2008....
), while the other is under brothers Jack and Tony Romero (Mike Moroff and Dan Ferro
Dan Ferro
Dan Ferro is an American actor, best known for his role as Tommy Ortega in the 1980s television series Falcon Crest. He played an inept narcissistic soldier in 1996's Sgt. Bilko.He later appeared in the 2001 film Blow.-External links:...
respectively).
Kersey accepts and Nathan supplies him with weapons and information. All the while two LA
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
detectives, William Reiner and Phil Nozaki (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...
and Soon-Tek Oh
Soon-Tek Oh
Soon-Tek Oh |M*A*S*H]], Charlie's Angels, Airwolf, Magnum, P. I., Hawaii Five-O, Kung-Fu, Zorro, and Touched By An Angel....
respectively), begin to investigate the arcade deaths.
Kersey infiltrates a mansion where Zacharias is throwing an elaborate birthday party. As he bugs a phone, he witnesses Zacharias murder a colleague, Vince Montono (James Purcell). Zacharias discovers and captures Paul (under the fake name "Leo") and orders him to help carry out the dead body. A hired hitman, Al Arroyo (Daniel Sabia), and Paul hide it in the trunk of a car. Knowing that he is about to be killed, Paul decapitates Arroyo with the car's trunk cover in self-defense.
Paul proceeds to kill three of Ed Zacharias' favored hitmen at an Italian restaurant - Danny Moreno (Michael Russo), Art Sanella (Danny Trejo
Danny Trejo
Dan "Danny" Trejo is an American actor who has appeared in numerous Hollywood films, most notably in roles as an antagonist, or anti-hero.-Early life:...
) and Jack Steiner - with a wine bottle containing a bomb (he offered the explosive bottle to the 3 criminals under the fake name "Jack Kimble" and saying himself to be a representative of a newly-open wine manufacturer); later he starts attacking the Romeros' side: first, he kills drug dealer Max Green (Tom Everett
Tom Everett
Tom Everett is an American actor known for his performances in political films such as Air Force One and Thirteen Days.-Film:-TV:-External links:...
), leader of Romeros' streetdealers, disguised as a porn video store owner and two of his assistants; later, he kills Romeros' top hitman, Frank Bauggs (David Wolos-Fonteno), by throwing him from the sacade of his apartment. All the while Zacharias and the Romeros begin to suspect each other.
Paul then goes to St. Peter to destroy a drug processing laboratory belonging to Ed Zacharias' gang, disguised as a fisherman wharf, killing eight more criminals. Nozaki, revealed to be a corrupt cop
Police corruption
Police corruption is a specific form of police misconduct designed to obtain financial benefits, other personal gain, or career advancement for a police officer or officers in exchange for not pursuing, or selectively pursuing, an investigation or arrest....
working to Zacharias, is instructed by the latter to get rid of whoever is setting him up. Nozaki himself tries to get information from Kersey at his office, but he is killed by Paul. Detective Reiner learns of Nozaki's death (not knowing about his corruption) and swears vengeance on the vigilante Paul Kersey for what he did to his partner.
Zacharias calls Romero to a meeting place in an oil rig
Oil rig
Oil rig may refer to* Drilling rig, an apparatus for on-land oil drilling* Oil platform, an apparatus for offshore oil drillingOIL RIG or OILRIG may refer to :...
. Kersey is already there and fires his rifle. Zacharias thinks that it is Romero's crew doing this and opens fire, resulting in a mobster gunfight that includes Jack Romero in the killed. They kill each other as Kersey kills two more - Tony Romero and Ed Zacharias themselves. Zacharias' top henchman, Nick Franco (Peter Sherayko), is the sole survivor.
Nathan White calls to congratulate Kersey on a job well done. He asks to meet, but instead sends his limousine driver (Craig Curtis) alone. Kersey realizes he's been set up inside a limousine prone to explode. He shoots the back window of the limo and escapes before the car explodes.
Kersey forces his way into Nathan's house. An old man living there (Richard Nugent-Aherne) claims to be the real Nathan White, having returned from a three-month vacation. Kersey is then arrested by two cops. On the way to the station, Paul recognizes them as impostors. He flips over the car, killing one phony cop and knocking the other unconscious.
The fake Nathan White is furious that Kersey is still alive. He kidnaps and uses Karen as a bait to lure Paul into a trap. Kersey knocks out Detective Reiner (who was awaiting inside Kersey's apartment), then pulls a M16 rifle
M16 rifle
The M16 is the United States military designation for the AR-15 rifle adapted for both semi-automatic and full-automatic fire. Colt purchased the rights to the AR-15 from ArmaLite, and currently uses that designation only for semi-automatic versions of the rifle. The M16 fires the 5.56×45mm NATO...
, with an incorporated M203 grenade launcher
M203 grenade launcher
The M203 is a single shot 40 mm grenade launcher designed to attach to a rifle. It uses the same rounds as the older M79 break-action grenade launcher, which utilize the High-Low Propulsion System to keep recoil forces low. Though versatile, and compatible with many rifle models, the M203 was...
, from a gun rack hidden behind his freezer.
Kersey arrives at the meeting place - the parking lot of White's luxuous commercial building. The car rolls forward as White orders his men to open fire. They spray the car with bullets before realizing Paul's not in it. Kersey fires a grenade, killing three bandits as their van explodes, then fires another grenade to kill Jesse as he betrays his crew and tries to drive away. Kersey follows White into a roller rink, resulting in the deaths of six more criminals (Nick Franco being the last of them).
White escapes through a back door holding Karen hostage. Karen attempts to escape, but White shoots from behind and kills her. Distraught by Karen's death and realizing that White has run out of bullets, Kersey fires a last grenade that finishes him off, literally blasting him to death. Reiner arrives and orders him to surrender, threatening to shoot as Kersey walks away. Kersey simply replies: "Do whatever you have to", and Reiner lets him go.