View source for The Dead Pool

{{Short description|1988 film by Buddy Van Horn}}
{{distinguish|Deadpool (film)|How It Should Have Ended#The Dead Pool{{!}}The Dead Pool (The Villain Pub)}}
{{about|the 1988 Dirty Harry crime film|other uses|Dead pool (disambiguation)}}
{{Use American English|date=January 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2021}}
{{Infobox film
| name           = The Dead Pool
| image          = The Dead Pool.jpg
| caption        = Theatrical release poster by [[Bill Gold]]
| director       = [[Buddy Van Horn]]
| producer       = [[David Valdes (producer)|David Valdes]]
| screenplay     = Steve Sharon
| story          = {{plainlist|
* Steve Sharon
* [[Durk Pearson]]
* [[Sandy Shaw (writer)|Sandy Shaw]]
}}
| based_on       = {{Based on|Characters|[[Harry Julian Fink]]|{{quad}}R.M. Fink}}
| starring       = {{Plainlist|
* [[Clint Eastwood]]
* [[Patricia Clarkson]]
* [[Liam Neeson]]
* [[Evan C. Kim|Evan Kim]]
}}
| music          = [[Lalo Schifrin]]
| cinematography = [[Jack N. Green]]
| editing        = {{plainlist|
* Ron Spang
* [[Joel Cox]]
}}
| distributor    = [[Warner Bros. Pictures|Warner Bros.]]
| studio         = [[Malpaso Productions]]
| released       = {{Film date|1988|7|13}}
| runtime        = 91 minutes<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bbfc.co.uk/releases/dead-pool-1989|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190417072807/http://www.bbfc.co.uk/releases/dead-pool-1989|url-status=dead|archive-date=April 17, 2019|title=THE DEAD POOL (18)|publisher=[[British Board of Film Classification]]|access-date=March 15, 2018}}</ref>
| country        = United States
| language       = English
| budget         = $30 million<ref>[http://powergrid.thewrap.com/project/dead-pool Box Office Information for ''The Dead Pool''.] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160307213134/http://powergrid.thewrap.com/project/dead-pool |date=March 7, 2016 }} ''[[The Wrap]]''. Retrieved April 5, 2013.</ref>
| gross          = $39 million (US Collection)<ref name="mojo" />
}}
'''''The Dead Pool''''' is a 1988 American [[neo-noir]] [[action-thriller film]] directed by [[Buddy Van Horn]], written by Steve Sharon, and starring [[Clint Eastwood]] as [[Harry Callahan (character)|Inspector "Dirty" Harry Callahan]].<ref name="Pool">{{cite web|url=https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/72527/the-dead-pool#credits|title=The Dead Pool|work=[[Turner Classic Movies]]|publisher=[[Turner Broadcasting System]]|location=United States|access-date=March 31, 2018}}</ref> It is the fifth and final film in the [[Dirty Harry (film series)|''Dirty Harry'' film series]] and is set in [[San Francisco]], [[California]].

The story concerns the manipulation of a [[dead pool]] game by a [[serial killer]], whose efforts are confronted by the hardened detective Callahan. It co-stars [[Liam Neeson]] (in his first action film) and [[Patricia Clarkson]], with [[Jim Carrey]] (credited as James Carrey) in his first dramatic role. The film also features an appearance by future [[Mario]] voice actor [[Charles Martinet]].

For the second time, [[Michael Currie (actor)|Michael Currie]] reprises his role as Donnelly, introduced in ''[[Sudden Impact]]'' as a Police Lieutenant, and now with the rank of Captain. It is the only film in the series not to feature [[Albert Popwell]], an actor who had played a different character in each of the previous four films, as well as the only one to be recorded in [[Dolby Stereo]].

At 91 minutes, it is the shortest of the five ''Dirty Harry'' films. Like those films, ''The Dead Pool'' is notable for coining [[catchphrase]]s uttered by Clint Eastwood's gun-wielding character, one of which is: "Opinions are like assholes; everybody has one".<ref>The effectiveness of this phrase is somewhat diluted in the cleaned-up television version, which goes, "Opinions are like airheads; every unit has one".</ref>

== Plot ==
Inspector [[Dirty Harry (character)|Harry Callahan]]'s testimony against crime lord Lou Janero puts the mobster in prison. Now famous, Callahan becomes the target of Janero's men as well as the news media, both of which he dislikes. After Callahan kills four hitmen during an ambush, the [[SFPD]] assigns Al Quan as his partner; Callahan advises him to get a [[bulletproof vest]], as his partners often get killed. The pair investigate the fatal [[heroin]] overdose of rock singer Johnny Squares, found in his trailer during filming of a music video directed by Peter Swan at the [[Port of San Francisco]]. Squares' death was not a typical overdose, but actually murder.

Dean Madison, Swan's producer, is killed during a robbery in [[Chinatown, San Francisco|Chinatown]]. Callahan kills three of the robbers, and Quan captures the fourth. They discover a list in Madison's pocket with Callahan and Squares' names on it. It is revealed that Madison and Swan are participants in a "[[dead pool]]" game, in which participants predict celebrity deaths in the [[San Francisco Bay Area]]: whether by accident, violence or natural causes. Movie critic Molly Fisher, also on Swan's list, is soon murdered by an intruder claiming to be Swan, causing panic among the surviving celebrities and making Swan a suspect.

After Callahan destroys a television station's camera, he must cooperate with reporter Samantha Walker to avoid a lawsuit; if he agrees to a profile of his controversial career, the suit will be dropped. Callahan sees this as a ploy to exploit the danger he is in for its ratings value. Yet after they survive another attack by Janero's men, the incident and her own unwillingness to be the subject of news coverage cause Walker to reconsider the dangers police officers face in juxtaposition with the public's right to know.

Meanwhile, at [[San Quentin State Prison]], Callahan uses triple murderer Butcher Hicks to threaten the imprisoned Janero if anything happens to him. Janero ends the attacks and assigns two men to Callahan as his personal bodyguards, though Callahan initially thinks they are after him.

An attention-seeker named Gus Wheeler, falsely claiming responsibility for the murders, douses himself in gasoline and threatens to light himself on fire in front of a large crowd. Walker foils his ploy by refusing to film him; Wheeler accidentally sets himself on fire, but Callahan saves him. Impressed by Walker's refusal to exploit Wheeler, Callahan becomes close with her. Meanwhile, Swan tells Callahan and Quan about Harlan Rook, a [[Stalking|deranged fan]] suffering from "process [[schizophrenia]]" who thinks the director stole his ideas and work; Swan has a [[restraining order]] against him.

Rook kills television personality Nolan Kennard, another person on the dead pool list, using a [[radio-controlled car]] filled with [[C4 explosive]] under the victim's vehicle. Callahan finds a toy car wheel at the crime scene, and later sees another toy car following him and Quan. Recognizing the threat, they flee through the city pursued by the toy car, controlled by Rook while driving his own car at the same time. Trapped in an alleyway, Rook sends the car in armed. Callahan is able to back the car up enough so the engine takes most of the blast. Both survive, but Quan has broken ribs; Harry later finds out Quan was wearing a bulletproof vest, on the recommendation of his father to take Harry's advice.

Rook, claiming to be Swan, calls Walker at the television station and invites her to Swan's film studio for an interview. Rook kills the cameraman and kidnaps Samantha. The police discover at Rook's apartment torn posters of Swan's films, large quantities of explosives, and Walker's name replacing Callahan's on the dead pool list. At the studio, Callahan confronts Rook holding Walker hostage. The detective surrenders his [[Smith & Wesson Model 29|.44 Magnum revolver]] after Rook threatens to slit her throat. Callahan lures Rook to a pier after a chase during which Rook shoots at him with his own gun. Rook runs out of bullets, and Callahan shoots him with a [[Svend Foyn]] [[harpoon cannon]], impaling him through his chest. Callahan retrieves his gun and leaves with Walker just as the police and news media arrive.

== Cast ==
{{castlist|
* [[Clint Eastwood]] as [[Inspector]] [[Harry Callahan (character)|Harry Callahan]]
* [[Patricia Clarkson]] as Samantha Walker
* [[Liam Neeson]] as Peter Swan
* [[Evan C. Kim]] as Inspector Al Quan
* [[David Hunt (actor)|David Hunt]] as Harlan Rook
* [[Michael Currie (actor)|Michael Currie]] as Captain Donnelly
* [[Michael Goodwin (actor)|Michael Goodwin]] as Lieutenant Ackerman
* [[Jim Carrey]] as Johnny Squares
* Anthony Charnota as Lou Janero
* [[Ronnie Claire Edwards]] as Molly Fisher
* [[Louis Giambalvo]] as Gus Wheeler
* Diego Chairs as "Butcher" Hicks
* [[Charles Martinet]] as Police Station Reporter
* [[Patrick Van Horn]] as Freeway Reporter
* [[Shawn Elliott (actor)|Shawn Elliott]] as Chester Docksteder
* [[Bill Wattenburg]] as Nolan Kennard
* [[Harry Demopoulos]] as Doctor in Hospital 
* [[Marc Alaimo]] as Bodyguard 
* [[Justin Whalin]] as Jason 
* Darwin Gillett as Patrick
}}

Members of the hard rock band [[Guns N' Roses]] make uncredited cameo appearances at the funeral of Johnny Squares. They also appear during filming of a "nightmare scene" at the docks, where guitarist [[Slash (musician)|Slash]] fires a [[harpoon]] gun through a window and is berated by Swan.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://blogs.amctv.com/movie-blog/2010/09/the-best-dirty-harry-movies.php |title=Flashback Five – The Best Dirty Harry Movies |publisher=[[American Movie Classics]] |access-date=September 10, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100912175031/http://blogs.amctv.com/movie-blog/2010/09/the-best-dirty-harry-movies.php |archive-date=September 12, 2010  }}</ref>

== Production ==
Eastwood reacted to starring in another ''Dirty Harry'' film, "It's fun, once in a while, to have a character you can go back to. It's like revisiting an old friend you haven't seen for a long time. You figure 'I'll go back and see how he feels about things now." ''The Dead Pool'' was filmed in February and March 1988 in San Francisco.

=== Car chase ===
Callahan is pursued through San Francisco's hilly streets in his unmarked [[Oldsmobile 98]] squad car by a miniature [[R/C car]] (assembled and controlled by Rook) containing an R/C bomb for Rook to detonate. The R/C car used for the film was a highly modified [[Associated Electrics|Team Associated]] RC10 [[1:10 radio-controlled off-road buggy|electric race buggy]] powered by a [[Associated Electrics#Expansion into Reedy electric motors|Reedy motor]] that had to be geared up high to an 8.4v [[nickel–cadmium battery|NiCd battery]], topped with an off-the-shelf [[Chevrolet Corvette (C2)|1963 Chevrolet Corvette]] R/C car body by Parma International. The RC10 had its suspension lowered from the original to a lower ground clearance for better high-speed stability. Needing the best R/C car driver to control the RC10 action, Van Horn hired the [[1985 IFMAR 1:10 Electric Off-Road World Championships|1985 IFMAR 1:10 Electric Off-Road World Champion]] Jay Halsey. At first, Van Horn was unsure if the RC10 could keep up with the Oldsmobile, so for the scene where both vehicles start from the top of the hill, the director allowed both cars to start off together. As a result, the RC10 outran the Oldsmobile, so the scene had to be re-filmed with the Oldsmobile reaching the bottom first. At one point in a scene where the cars interact, the RC10 jumps over the Oldsmobile, lands, and then proceeds to the end of the street to wait for the Oldsmobile. One scene, in which Halsey was only required to drive the RC10 at full speed to where the bomb was to be detonated, required over a week to film. A [[motorized tricycle]] with a camera mounted at ground level was used for close-up filming of the RC10 in action.<ref name="RCCA081988">{{cite magazine |last1=DeFrancesco |first1=Louis |last2=Hustings |first2=Gene|date=August 1988 |page=56 |title=Dead Pool |url=https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B4hnd1wJQLh5Z2lXU0IwOWwyUHc/edit?pref=2&pli=1 |magazine=Radio Control Car Action |publisher=[[Air Age Media]] }}</ref> Engine sound effects for the electric-motor RC10 were added in post-production.

The chase scenes have many similarities with the famous car-chase in the [[Steve McQueen]] film ''[[Bullitt]]'', which Eastwood has said was his favorite part of the McQueen film. The necessity of closing down various continuously busy city streets meant that the sequences tend to jump from district to district, much as the similar scenes did in the McQueen film, making for a number of continuity errors that are easily overlooked during the fast-paced scenes, just as the motorcycle chase-scenes in the second Dirty Harry film (''[[Magnum Force]]'') jumped around but are seldom mentioned.

== Reception ==
''The Dead Pool'' holds a 53% approval rating on the [[Review aggregator|review aggregation]] website [[Rotten Tomatoes]] based on 34 reviews. Its critics' consensus reads: "While it offers its fair share of violent thrills and tough wit, ''The Dead Pool'' ends the Dirty Harry series on an uninspired note."<ref>{{Rotten Tomatoes|id=the_dead_pool}}</ref> On [[Metacritic]], the film has a score of 46 out of 100 based on 15 reviews, indicating "mixed or average reviews".<ref>{{Metacritic film|title=The Dead Pool }}</ref>

[[Roger Ebert]] of the ''[[Chicago Sun-Times]]'' gave the film three-and-a-half stars out of four and wrote that it was "as good as the original ''Dirty Harry''," praising it as "smart, quick, and made with real wit".<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-dead-pool-1988 |title=The Dead Pool movie review |last=Ebert |first=Roger |date=July 13, 1988 |website=[[RogerEbert.com]] |access-date=December 18, 2019 }}</ref> [[Gene Siskel]] of the ''[[Chicago Tribune]]'' also awarded three-and-a-half stars out of four and called it "the second best of the series, beaten only by the 1971 original", explaining that "where the previous sequels have been mostly dour gun blasts, ''The Dead Pool'' is a thriller with wit and humour and tension."<ref>Siskel, Gene (July 15, 1988). [https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1988-07-15-8801150199-story.html "'Dead Pool' a witty thriller as Dirty Harry reappears".] ''[[Chicago Tribune]]''. Section 7, Page A.</ref> [[Vincent Canby]] of ''[[The New York Times]]'' wrote that the film "possesses a couple of good jokes, but nothing can disguise the fact that it's a mini-movie in the company of a mythic figure".<ref>Canby, Vincent (July 13, 1988). [https://www.nytimes.com/1988/07/13/movies/reviews-film-dirty-harry-fights-for-life-and-privacy.html "Dirty Harry Fights for Life and Privacy".] ''[[The New York Times]]''. C22.</ref> ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'' wrote, "From the original on, Harry has always been a fantasy character but his stories have been involving. Here, he remains absurdly separated from reality in an exceedingly lame yarn that lurches from one shootout to the next."<ref>{{cite web |date=1 January 1988 |author=Variety Staff |title=The Dead Pool |url=https://variety.com/1987/film/reviews/the-dead-pool-1200427432/ |website=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] }}</ref><ref>"Film Reviews: The Dead Pool". ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]''. July 13, 1988. 16.</ref> Michael Wilmington of the ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'' wrote, "Along with the 1976 {entry} ''The Enforcer'', ''The Dead Pool'' is among the weakest of the entire 'Dirty Harry' series. With its stylized story-line and almost style-less direction, it sometimes resembles a juggling act with sledgehammers."<ref>Wilmington, Michael (July 13, 1988). "'Dirty' Harry Adds Splash to 'Dead Pool'". ''[[Los Angeles Times]]''. Part VI, p. 1, 12.</ref> [[Desson Thomson|Desson Howe]] of ''[[The Washington Post]]'' wrote, "Unless you're a Clint fan (and — own up — who isn't?) there's little other reason to sit through this one. Eastwood, who's had far bigger concerns recently, such as directing a movie about jazz great Charlie Parker, seems content to mark time. And pick up another cheque."<ref>Howe, Desson (July 15, 1988). [https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1988/07/15/clint-stays-dirty-in-dead-pool/a41dca7c-7464-4b87-9524-dfc6e064d55f/ "Clint Stays Dirty in 'Dead Pool'".] ''[[The Washington Post]]''. Weekend, p. 35.</ref>

=== Box office ===
''The Dead Pool'' was released in United States theatres July 1988. In its opening weekend, the film took $9,071,330 in 1988 cinemas in the US, at an average of $4,563.<ref name="mojo">{{cite web |url=http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=deadpool.htm |title=The Dead Pool |access-date=March 1, 2009 |website=[[Box Office Mojo]]}}</ref> In total in the US, the film made $39,903,294, making it the least profitable of the five films in the ''Dirty Harry'' series.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.boxofficemojo.com/franchises/chart/?id=dirtyharry.htm |title=Dirty Harry Movies|access-date=March 1, 2009 |website=[[Box Office Mojo]]}}</ref>

=== End of film series ===
Eastwood has publicly announced that he has no interest in acting in another ''Dirty Harry'' film. In 2000, he jokingly spoke about potential sequels: "''Dirty Harry VI''! Harry is retired. He's standing in a stream, fly-fishing. He gets tired of using the pole— and BA-BOOM! Or Harry is retired, and he catches bad guys with his walker?"

== See also ==
* ''[[Dirty Harry]]'' (1971)
* ''[[Magnum Force]]'' (1973)
* ''[[The Enforcer (1976 film)|The Enforcer]]'' (1976)
* ''[[Sudden Impact]]'' (1983)

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== Bibliography ==
* {{Cite book |last=Eliot |first=Marc |title=American Rebel: The Life of Clint Eastwood |publisher=[[Harmony Books]] |year=2009 |isbn=978-0-307-33688-0 |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/americanrebellif00elio }}
* {{cite book |last=Hughes |first=Howard |title=Aim for the Heart |publisher=[[I.B. Tauris]] |year=2009 |isbn=978-1-84511-902-7 |location=London }}
* {{cite book |last=Munn |first=Michael |title=Clint Eastwood: Hollywood's Loner |publisher=[[HarperCollins|Robson Books]] |location=London |year=1992 |isbn=0-86051-790-X }}
* {{cite book |last=Street |first=Joe |title=Dirty Harry's America: Clint Eastwood, Harry Callahan, and the Conservative Backlash |publisher=[[University Press of Florida]] |year=2016 |isbn=978-0-8130-6167-2 }}

== External links ==
* {{IMDb title|0094963}}
* {{TCMDb title|72527}}
* {{AFI film|58649}}

{{Dirty Harry movies}}
{{Buddy Van Horn}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:1988 films]]
[[Category:1988 action thriller films]]
[[Category:1980s serial killer films]]
[[Category:American action thriller films]]
[[Category:Dirty Harry]]
[[Category:Fictional portrayals of the San Francisco Police Department]]
[[Category:Films set in San Francisco]]
[[Category:Films shot in San Francisco]]
[[Category:American police detective films]]
[[Category:American sequel films]]
[[Category:Warner Bros. films]]
[[Category:Malpaso Productions films]]
[[Category:American vigilante films]]
[[Category:Films scored by Lalo Schifrin]]
[[Category:American neo-noir films]]
[[Category:1988 crime thriller films]]
[[Category:1980s vigilante films]]
[[Category:Films produced by David Valdes]]
[[Category:Films directed by Buddy Van Horn]]
[[Category:1980s English-language films]]
[[Category:1980s American films]]
[[Category:English-language crime thriller films]]
[[Category:English-language action thriller films]]