Movie Loner

A lot of really good movies during the 1980s got lost amidst the mountain of shit that defined a decade considered one of the worst in the history of film. Movie studios spent most of the 80s searching for the next huge Blockbuster or hitching a ride on the never-ending sequel train. Mindless, albeit extremely profitable, drivel like the Friday the 13th, Nightmare on Elm Street and Halloween series took center stage for most of the decade. Consequently films like The Mean Season were largely ignored. Well, no longer my filmic friends. Here’s your chance to revisit a solid thriller that came and went without much fanfare.

Miami Journal crime-beat reporter Malcolm Anderson (Kurt Russell) is burned out and ready to call it quits. He and his girlfriend Christine (Mariel Hemingway) are looking forward to starting a life together in a small town. Malcolm’s future is put on hold after he gets a call from a man claiming responsibility for the murder of a young woman. The killer calls himself a fan of Malcolm’s and reveals a plan to murder four more people. Malcolm notifies the police and together they join forces to find the killer’s identity. The phone calls continue as the killer looks to use Malcolm to achieve stardom.

After two bodies are discovered the focus shifts from the murderer to the reporter. Malcolm’s relationship with the killer becomes the story. Angered by taking a back seat, the killer decides to turn up the heat and publicly humiliate Malcolm while persisting to complete his murder plot. Frustration mounts for the cops as leads go nowhere. Matters take a turn for the worst once Christine is kidnapped. One last call from the killer leads to a stormy showdown in the Everglades. Can Malcolm save Christine before the killer makes her his final victim? Or is the killer preparing to spring a trap that will give him the fame he so desperately seeks?

Director Phillip Borsos steers a taut story to a satisfying conclusion without veering of course. The idea of a reporter becoming a media star is nothing new today but back in 1985, before the 24/7 news cycle, it was a relatively new concept. Journalistic integrity and impartiality are called into question. Is it right for a news person to become bigger than the story he or she is covering? Does the public suffer if a news personality trades a supposed unbiased for media celebrity? Kurt Russell delivers another top-notch performance playing the driven, conflicted Malcolm. A strong supporting cast includes Richard Jordan, Richard Masur, Richard Bradford, Joe Pantoliano and Andy Garcia. The Mean Season doesn’t break any new ground but it’s more than deserving of a look.

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