The Mean Season (1985) User Reviews (49)

Great Start, Clichéd Finish

[ccthemovieman-1 · 6/10 · 23 October 2006]

The first half of this find-the-serial killer movie was excellent. The story was very interesting and got me hooked into it, big-time. That made the second half really disappointing as the story evolved into one cliché after another. Two big examples: the killer abducting the hero's girlfriend and then making a surprise showing at his house at the end when everyone presumes he's dead. Man, how many movies does that happen? Too many.

Kurt Russell plays his normal macho role and Mariel Hemingway joins him as the female lead. She looked nice. Overall, if you like crime movies it's worth seeing. But, rent it, don't buy it.

Mean & Lean Floridian Crime Drama

[sol-kay · 7/10 · 30 April 2004]

****SPOILERS**** Superior crime drama set in South Florida during it's "mean season" when the winds pick up and the storms and hurricanes come rolling in and with them rolls in a serial killer who's more interested in publicity for his crimes then his victims who are a result of them.

Coming back from a vacation in Colorado Miami Journal reporter Malcolm Anderson, Kurt Russell, is assigned to the murder of teenager Sarah Hooks, Tamara Jones, who was found dead by the beach that morning. A few days after filing the story Malcolm gets a phone call at his desk at the Journal from someone claiming to be Sarah's killer.

Told by the caller a fact that is not known to the public about the crime Malcolm as well as the police officials Ray Martinez & Phil Wilson, Andy Garcia & Richard Bradford, that he got in touch with who were on the case realize that the caller is the real McCoy and begin to tape Malcolm's phone at the newspaper to identify and capture the killer. The killer, in his calls to Malcolm, tells him that he's duplicating a number of killings that he did some time ago and got no recognition for.It's later found out by someone who knew him Albert O'Shaughnessy, William Smith, that his name is Alan Delour, Richard Jordan, and that those killings were in Chicago a number of years ago.

The serial killer wants Malcolm to be his link to the outside world, via his newspaper to prove that he's the one who committing those crimes and tells Malcolm that there will be, like those that he didn't get credit for, five more killings before he's finished. As his murder spree continues it's Malcolm who's getting all the publicity and the killer feels cheated and takes it on on Malcolm for his failure to get him the recognition that he wanted. That leads in the killer kidnapping Malcolm's girlfriend Christine, Mariel Hemingway, and threatens to murder her.

One of the better crime dramas that came out of the 1980's thats smoothly paced and finely acted as the serial killer gets bolder and bolder with each killing to where he unnecessarily exposed himself, to Malcolm, in order to get his ego enhanced.

Malcolm's life becomes a horror as the killer starts to take it out on him for his overshadowing his actions which lead to Christine's kidnapping. Tense suspense murder drama with an unsuspecting ending makes "The Mean Season" a modern Film Noir classic.

Decent Thriller

[jmorrison-2 · 5/10 · 24 June 2005]

Decent enough movie, with an absolutely menacing performance by Richard Jordan as the sick, deluded serial killer.

Kurt Russell was...just okay. I couldn't quite figure out what he was getting at. He was burnt out in his job with the newspaper in Miami. He seemed to be craving just the situation that he found himself in. Conversing with a serial killer, and writing about it; Having a literal front row seat at the story of the year; being the central figure in a national story; "approaching pulitzer territory". However, Russell erupted into attitude with just about everybody he came into contact with. At one point, he's smugly satisfied to have found himself to be so deeply involved in an emerging story of a sadistic serial killer, then he snaps at the killer when events aren't turning out favorably. This doesn't seem like the emotional response you would expect from a seasoned reporter. A serial killer is doing something like this just to play with the heads of authority. To expect him to behave rationally is naive and foolish.

However, Russell gamely does generally well with the character, and there are effectively troubling and suspenseful aspects to the film. The subject of newspaper ethics is broached and discussed, although I'm not sure all that effectively.

Andy Garcia, Richard Bradford and Richard Masur were excellent.

Mariel Hemingway was absolutely terrible. She either was giggling, looking completely bewildered, or hysterical. Granted, the script gave her little else to do, but a creative actress could have made something out of it. She completely distracted me every time she was on screen. Just a terrible job.

All in all, a decent, flawed movie with a first-rate performance by Jordan. He made the movie worth it.

Gripping thriller.

[Hey_Sweden · 7/10 · 16 September 2012]

Based on the John Katzenbach story "In the Heat of the Summer", this Florida-lensed crime thriller does hold ones' attention with its straightforward telling of an interesting tale. Kurt Russell is aces as Malcolm Anderson, a star reporter for the Miami Journal who is contacted by a murderous psychopath (Richard Jordan) who has killed once and who promises that there will be other murders. The killer, who craves the spotlight, decides to use Anderson as his mouthpiece, creating a very uneasy "collaboration" between killer and reporter. Things start to really turn South when Anderson starts getting the bulk of the attention, leaving the killer feeling resentful. This is a solid set-up for a movie that ultimately does indeed lose a fair deal of its impact by turning conventional for its final act, but until then it's solidly entertaining, with the performances of Russell and Jordan serving as effective anchors. The give and take between their two characters is compelling stuff, and it's a good thing that Anderson isn't treated as some typically infallible movie hero. The supporting cast is mostly strong; Mariel Hemingway as Anderson's schoolteacher girlfriend Christine is appealing as she always is, but her character has little to do besides look and act concerned and eventually be put into peril. Richard Masur (reunited, along with producers Lawrence Turman and David Foster, with Russell after "The Thing") is Anderson's editor, Andy Garcia (in one of his earliest movie roles) and Richard Bradford are the weary detectives on the case, Joe Pantoliano is a photographer, and the almighty movie tough guy William Smith appears briefly as a character supplying critical information. The Miami setting adds a lot of ambiance, especially as the storms start coming up towards the end of the story. Lalo Schifrin's music is also highly effective. Even in light of the clichéd climactic confrontation, there is some enjoyable resonance to "The Mean Season" as it deals with the big issue of journalistic culpability, and the role that the media play in our receipt of the news. An overall grim feel to the presentation, and an atmospheric opening, are also assets in this generally good, if not great, and reasonably convincing movie. Seven out of 10.

Russell's terrific, but this is mostly an average thriller.

[Li-1 · 1 August 2005]

Rating: ** out of ****

I must admit to having a particular fondness for the glut of crime thrillers that lasted from the late 80s to the mid-90s. Chief among these guilty pleasures are fun movies like Harold Becker's Malice, the horribly titled Jack's Back, the Goldie Hawn flick Deceived, and the terrific Jagged Edge. 1985's The Mean Season is apparently one of the earlier entries in the beginning of this trend so it earns a few points there; otherwise, it's a pretty average effort, certainly not helped by far superior films of its ilk in the years to come.

Kurt Russell stars as Malcolm Anderson, a Miami journalist who's getting burned-out covering eight years worth of deaths. Just as he's planning to leave his job behind and move with his girlfriend (Mariel Hemingway) to Colorado, his latest assignment takes him on a wild spin. While covering the murder of a teenage girl, he receives a phone call from the girl's killer himself, who reveals that he plans to take four more victims. This soon-to-be serial killer is out for fame and wants Anderson to report his crimes and whatever bits of info he chooses to give him. But as the murders progress, the killer is dissatisfied with the media coverage, believing too much of the focus is on Anderson, and as he sees it, the only way this can be remedied is by eliminating the center of attention.

Though the film is ultimately mediocre, it does get off to an effective start. The premise is fairly interesting and an instant grabber. The filmmakers' do a good job of building some mild suspense by keeping the killer's face hidden; the voice acting for this particular character is also quite effective, occasionally reminding me of the similar voice work in Joy Ride.

But the movie never really takes off like it should. Though we're intrigued by the bits and pieces of info that are revealed by the killer, very little is ultimately revealed about his motives or his past. While this is an approach that often works (The Silence of the Lambs and Seven are perfect examples), it backfires in this case, primarily because one of the more intriguing mysteries is wondering why he's duplicating these certain murders; a lot of hints are given, but trying to piece them together doesn't add up to any satisfying answers.

Once the killer's face is revealed, a lot of the movie's charm is worn off. The guy was creepy as a voice that nobody could match a face to, but feels like a generic psycho once he's fully revealed. The film also fails to take advantage of the stormy weather that's promised in the title; what could have been an instance of great visual atmosphere is totally squandered. The same goes for the Everglades setting, which I've always found had a tinge of dread and mystery to it.

For the most part the cast is quite good, especially Kurt Russell, who's one of the few movie stars out there who can exhibit a perfect balance of charisma and emotional intensity, which he does here. He's always likable, even when we think his character could use a little more common sense. A fresh-faced Andy Garcia turns in solid support as the investigating police detective. Only Mariel Hemingway comes across as subpar, but it doesn't help that her role amounts to little more than playing damsel in distress. One also wonders why Anderson and his girlfriend weren't given stronger police protection, but that's probably just for the sake of moving the plot ahead.

Middling stuff overall, but watchable enough to be worth a viewing for Russell fans or, if you're like me, you just like to watch this kind of Hollywood thriller from the 80s (and early 90s). But as far as this genre goes, all the flicks I mentioned above are preferable to this.

Great premise but then plays it way too safe

[jtindahouse · 6/10 · 16 May 2022]

I think the worst crime a film can commit is to be dull. It doesn't matter what your film is about, there is always a way to catch the audience off-guard and throw some surprises into the mix. 'The Mean Season' is one of those films that plays out exactly as expected. It checks all the boxes the studio would want it to, but man is it a forgettable ride.

Even when the killer is on the phone everything just feels so safe and watered down. The most daring thing the film does is a gratuitous nudity scene (seriously, where did that come from?). Near the end there is a little mini-twist I'll give the film credit for, however it's a bit late by that stage.

I didn't hate this film though. It was just such an interesting premise that I wanted more out of it. I wanted it to fire some shots and take some risks. It didn't though and for that reason I suspect I will have forgotten about this film by tomorrow morning. 6/10.

An Efficient Thriller With Good Timing

[claudio_carvalho · 7/10 · 19 February 2005]

The reporter Malcolm Anderson (Kurt Russell) is contacted by a serial killer, Alan Delour (Richard Jordan), who seeks promotion of his acts in the news. The only leads for the police force, commanded by Detectives Ray Martinez (Andy Garcia) and Phil Wilson (Richard Bradford), are the contacts of the criminal through Malcolm and the bodies of his victims. When Malcolm becomes more important for the media than Alan, the killer becomes jealous and kidnaps Malcolm's girlfriend, Christine (Mariel Hemingway), looking for revenge and more attention for his crimes.

"The Mean Season" is an efficient thriller, mostly supported by the great performance of Kurt Russell, in excellent physical shape. The story has minor flaws and some clichés, but hooks the attention of the viewer until the last scene. Watching it again in 2005, we can see a not famous Andy Garcia in the beginning of his brilliant career. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "Temporada Sangrenta" ("Bloody Season")

nice hard-boiled serial killer film

[SnoopyStyle · 7/10 · 3 April 2015]

Malcolm Anderson (Kurt Russell) is a burned-out newspaper reporter for the Miami Journal looking to quit. His boss Bill Nolan (Richard Masur) has him cover the murder of a young woman. Andy Porter (Joe Pantoliano) is his friend and fellow reporter. Ray Martinez (Andy Garcia) is the friendly cop investigating the case but his partner Phil Wilson (Richard Bradford) distrusts him. His grade school teacher girlfriend Christine Connelly (Mariel Hemingway) is planning to move back home to Colorado. Then Malcolm gets a call from the killer claiming to want to help him. He claims that there will be 3 female and 2 male victims. Malcolm becomes part of the story as his relationship falls apart. Then he is contacted by Mike Hilson (Richard Jordan) with information.

It's a nice performance from Kurt Russell. This is a simple serial killer movie. There isn't any great style but has a good sense of impending doom. That probably has more to do with Richard Jordan's voice. The stormy weather motif also adds to the dark tones. It builds to a good storm-filled climax. There isn't much of a plot or an investigation. I do like the hard-boiled sensibilities a lot even if the movie is filled with those clichés. There are a couple of twists that is a bit too obvious. Overall, Russell is good, the plot is unremarkable and the brooding tone is compelling.

Passable thriller, promises more than it eventually delivers.

[barnabyrudge · 5/10 · 30 April 2005]

Kurt Russell has spent most of his career playing a big, dumb oaf (Overboard, Big Trouble In Little China, Tango & Cash, etc.), so it's refreshing to see him in a more serious role. The Mean Season is taken from a novel entitled In The Heat Of The Summer by John Katzenbach (whose other books include Just Cause, later filmed with Sean Connery). The film is a fairly engrossing, if familiar, serial killer story, set in Florida just as the summer ends and the stormy season begins.

Miami Journal reporter Malcolm Anderson (Russell) writes a piece about the murder of a woman. Malcolm is getting bored of his job at the Journal and plans to move to pastures new with his girlfriend, teacher Christine Connelly (Mariel Hemingway). However, he receives a mysterious phone call from the murderer, congratulating him on his report and informing him of several more murders that he intends to carry out. Seems the killer wants to use Malcolm as his "conduit to the public". More murders follow, as promised, and each time Malcolm is given exclusive information from the killer. Soon, Malcolm is the toast of the journalistic world - every reporter wants his story, every TV station wants to interview him, and there's even talk of him being nominated for the Pulitzer Prize. But the psycho at the centre of the whole business is enraged that his acts are being overlooked in favour of Malcolm's new-found celebrity status. And so he plans to teach Malcolm a lesson.....

There's a little suspense in the story, especially when the unseen killer is on the phone to Malcolm. Also the gradual disintegration of Malcolm and Christine's relationship (he's seduced by the media spotlight; she wants him to end his liaisons with the murderer) adds a further layer to the story. The main problem with The Mean Season is that its second-half drifts into the kind of silliness that the first half is so careful to avoid. After setting up an exciting and intriguing premise, this comes as a disappointment. The killer, who has been ruthlessly efficient to this point, suddenly becomes sloppy and tries to make his murders ludicrously elaborate (even though the story has already made it obvious that he's supposed to be unswervingly cold-blooded). Also, the film can't resist one of those clichéd endings - a final frisson, if you like, which has been an overused device since Carrie (1976) - in which the killer "returns from the dead" to terrorise his victims one final time. The Mean Season is an OK thriller, but frustratingly it never quite becomes the first-rate movie that it might have been.

His own publicist

[bkoganbing · 6/10 · 29 April 2017]

Richard Jordan who has played a number of really psychotic villains is the main reason to see The Mean Season. He quite steals the film from Kurt Russell a crime reporter and Mariel Hemingway who is Russell's girlfriend and the last woman Jordan stalks.

Russell has truly grown to dislike his job on a big city paper in this case Miami where he's gotten a specialty in crime reporting, the more lurid the better. He's considering an offer from a small town Colorado paper to take over as editor.

That's when things get interesting. Jordan is a serial killer who Russell has been writing about and in his twisted way considers Kurt to be some kind of personal publicist for him and his peers. Now he starts calling to give him heads up exclusives knowing that this will lead to Mariel's own abduction.

That's the one thing about criminals of the psychotic mind. They don't reason like the rest of us. It sounds wild and improbable the notion that Jordan has, but that's the hard part for FBI and local profiler's jobs, getting in those sick minds to see how they work.

Jordan is one sick and twisted puppy. The rest of the cast is fine, but he really stands out in The Mean Season.

Cliché's R Us.

[cableaddict · 2/10 · 20 February 2006]

This flick will pass the time, and Kurt Russle is always interesting to watch, but JEEEZ is this one clichéd. Every standard suspense element is there:

1: Several scenes where you think the killer is coming, big scary music, then it turns out to be someone else. Ooooh, I'm soooo scared!

(spoilers ahead, I guess)

2: the good guys girlfriend ends up s the final target. gee, never woulda' thought of THAT....

3: Oh heck, why waste time listing them all. I have already taken more time with this review than the production team took making the movie.

The score is absolutely hilarious. It goes from nothing, to Hitchcock-on-steroids about fifty times. Might as well have a narrator shouting "here comes something scary! hear comes something scary!"

Russel and Garcia manage to come off OK despite the hackneyed script. However, Mariel Hemmingway makes a fool of herself with her overacting in the end. Well, at least she shows her tits in the requisite, early shower scene (gotta' get that "R" rating, after all.) Big woop.

I can't say I'm surprised that Phillip Borsos only directed two more films after this one.

Don't go out of your way to watch this, though as I said, it WILL pass the time. I've seen MUCH worse.

Suspense!

[Bobby-27 · 10/10 · 2 November 1998]

This is one scary movie. Richard Jordan is one of the finest actors ever to grace stage and screen. He died too early, and we were the losers. Jordan's talent makes this movie a TEN.

A very frightening Jordan

[rjtmfh · 7/10 · 18 February 2001]

This is definitely a thriller. And one of the reasons why is Richard Jordan who plays the psychopath, Alan Delour. He is so convincing he is absolutely frightening. Especially his last scenes, he gives me shivers every time I watch him. He was definitely one of the finest actors that ever was and when he passed away, we lost a great talent. Kurt Russell also did a find job as Malcolm Anderson and the two worked really well together.

Extremely dull and totally predictable....

[merklekranz · 4/10 · 11 February 2008]

There is nothing worse than a dull serial killer thriller, but somehow "The Mean Season" manages not only to be dull but redundant as well. Phone call after phone call to Kurt Russell, with little or no forward movement of the storyline. There are absolutely zero creative moments in this movie, and the cast seems uninspired to say the least. Special mention must be made of Mariel Hemingway's performance, which can only be described as dreadful. The ending is especially weak, with some totally unacceptable police work, not to mention the killer's unbelievable good fortune. Even for Kurt Russell fans, this will be a disappointment. - MERK

Kurt's 1st good suspense movie

[moviecollector · 9 March 2000]

This was a pretty good movie. Its got good suspense towards the end but it will never top BREAKDOWN, which is his ultimate suspense movie. Mariel Hemingway was a good choice, she hasn't been in much lately. I think she is still pretty. Well, Kurt does a good job. This is worth seeing and its from 1985. It has violence, language and nudity.

" I've seen your work and that's why I want you to write about me "

[thinker1691 · 7/10 · 25 August 2009]

This is a movie called " The Mean Season " and stars one of the best action actors of today's cinema. Kurt Russell is Malcolm Anderson a Miami reporter working for a Florida newspaper called the Journal. He is suppose to be an experienced hard hitting journalist who's immediate future is to retire his position, get married and move to a small town and settle down. His girlfriend's idea, not his. Unfortunately, a serial killer appears and calls him with the shocking details of a recent murder. Thereafter he is hooked into covering the macabre story for national coverage and that does not sit well with his girlfriend Christine (mariel Hemingway) who is stunning in her role. Richard Jordan is Alan Delour a mad killer out to prove he is not mad at all, but desires some half witted attention from the reading public. Andy Garcia in his debut appearance is Ray Martinez, a police detective. William Smith is Albert O'Shaughnessy, a veteran counselor and is surprisingly good in the small role. But it is Russell who despite his best with his character is less than convincing. The story line is clear cut and chasing Jordon proves elusive. For Russell fans, there is much to be desired and waiting for the finale is disappointing. Still, I like to see Kurt Russell and so the film is sadly relegated to his second string. ****

"Looks like the mean season is finally here"

[lost-in-limbo · 6/10 · 24 September 2010]

Passable murder thriller that won't set the world alight, but it's the charismatic Kurt Russell who carries you throughout along with a well-oiled support cast (Richard Masur, Richard Jordan (a very uneasy performance as the killer), Andy Garcia, William Smith and Joe Pantoliano). Like everyone has already mentioned, Mariel Hemingway is one of the unconvincing factors and her performance did really grate away --- not helping was the character she was portraying too. What starts as off as provocatively stimulating (where the killer contacts Russell's newspaper reporter character to offer him the chance to become his link to the media -- informing him about the murders before anyone else knows about it) only goes on to be your normal, predictable run of the mill psycho thriller where revenge threats (for stealing the limelight away) and kidnapping becomes the focal point. Early on the phone calls between the reporter and the killer, drills out some suspense and it opens up the ambitious nature of the media and at what cost you would go to cement a story with the close ties that are formed. This is seen to be a big breakthrough for Russell's burnt-out character, until it starts to affect everything around him namely that with his fiancée (Hemingway) and instead of reporting it he eventually becomes the news. Set during the middle of Miami's storm-riddled summer, it's engulfed by a humid atmosphere and music scorer Lalo Schfrin cooks up one excellently saucy and characteristically unhinged score that blends right in. The standard material is given a lot more punch due to Schfrin's input.

Kurt Russell vs a guy who sounds like Mr. Pecker from ghostbusters

[sixshooter500 · 7/10 · 27 April 2020]

Another reviewer said that this movie is just not good compared to Silence of the Lambs, but, I think that's not the fairest comparison in the world. It's not as good as that, but it's certainly not any Uwe Boll film either.

It's a decent film noir, even reminds me of some of the old film noirs from the 50s, but with the 80s touch. It's a nice psychological exploration of a killer, which is something I enjoy. Granted, the killer being an attention hungry psycho is played a lot, but still I enjoy this specific trope of that kind of killer character.

I thought Mariel Hemmingway was lousy in this film, she knows how to emote in only the most basic way. I've seen a lot better, she was a weakness, not only that but so was her character. Her man is going through this dramatic stuff, and what does she do? Leaves him... only to get captured by the villain. If this happened to me, I'd be happy to save her, but then I'd kick her to the curb when it was over. I'm going one on one with a psychotic nut of a serial killer, and you're going to ditch me because it's too heavy for you? She really brings the whole thing down.

Kurt Russell is strong, Andy Garcia, strong, Richard Bradford is good in his subdued rule, Richard Bradford is an actor I am happy to praise, he's one of those unsung great character & supporting actors, who brings quality and skill to whatever role he takes.

Richard Jordan plays our killer, and turns in what might have been one of the best performances of his career. He breaths life in the cliche caricature of a killer. Makes him feel real, and deadly, and finally psychotic. If his performance had not been so top notch, I wouldn't have scored the movie so well, even with my being a huge Kurt Russell fan

Anyway, 7 out of 10, good fun noir.

Another Serial Murder Story

[rmax304823 · 6/10 · 1 July 2003]

This is another catch-the-pattern-murderer thriller, probably above average as these things go. I wouldn't mind reading the original novel. There's quite a bit of talent on screen here.

Kurt Russel is his usual virile self, and Mariel Hemingway (from some angles looking disturbingly like her grand dad) is a broad-shouldered long-limbed giantess with an appealingly girlish voice that has little range. But the supporting cast is neat. Joe Pantoliano is always an interesting actor and could have carried this movie as the lead, instead of a sidekick in a role that's not important to the plot. And Andy Garcia has sleek features and is a magnetic presence whenever he's in a scene. Richard Mazur, as an editor of the Miami Journal, is both practical-minded and surprisingly gentle in dealing with subordinates. Richard Jordan was past his pretty-boy phase here and that's nice because he's quite a character actor. In his first meeting with Russell he displays about the most ungainly flabby body seen on screen since Quasimodo. And his acting is flawless, an ominously deep baritone voice with the hint of a throb in it.

Some serial-killer movies have had worse plots than this. Russell, a good reporter, is having bouts of Angst. The "what's it all about" kind. He's tired of having his name appear next to snapshots of murder victims. (Mazur: "We don't manufacture the news, we're just retailers.") But he begins receiving phone calls from the murderer, who tips him, teases him, tells him where to find bodies, and gives him tantalizing hints. This is ordinary stuff by now. We had the same thing in "No Way to Treat a Lady," among others. Russell, however, is rather pleased in a very ambivalent way.

Mazur tells him: "Our editor thinks you may be headed into Pulitzer territory," and a self-satisfied smile spread slowly over Russel's face.

And that's part of the problem. There are some interesting possibilities here that the production takes no advantage of. Just what IS going on in Russels' mind? We know what's going on in the mind of his girl friend, Hemingway. After one of the calls, she screams at Russell and advises him to tell the murderer that he's an unspeakable piece of garbage. Not very helpful, and not too subtle either. But the inside of Russell's head is not where the movie wants to go. It settles for thrills.

There is a typical-standard chase through the swamps towards the end, where Jordan is keeping Hemingway captive. I positively hated the obligatory scenes using airboats. Big noisy wind machines that ride roughshod over any and every thing, living and dead, in the Everglades, vulgarizing a trip that in a row boat or canoe might have had spiritual qualities. Utilitarianism rampant. And they aren't necessary to the plot either. Nothing happens at the end of the rackety ride that couldn't have taken place at the end of a trip by car.

However, the point of their use is that they might be interesting to the viewer. They add loud sound and action to distract the viewer from anything he or she might be wondering about the characters or the plot. Movie getting dull? Throw in a fast-moving air boat. See how fast it moves? It's called an "airboat." Funny-looking thing, isn't it?

This tendency to clobber the viewer with clichés is annoying at times. And they were clichés long before they were used in "The Mean Season." Three times -- count 'em -- three times, a potential victim of violence sees something suspicious, or hears a door creak, and spooky music appears on the sound track, tremulous violins bespeaking threat. Then as the potential victim investigates, the violins shriek, the door or shower curtain is flung open -- and, lo, it's some harmless guy delivering pizza! This is pretty cheap stuff. Jack Arnold closed the book on it back in the 1950s sci fi movies like "Tarantula." Want more cheap tricks? The cops are chasing the murderer through a thicket of fig trees, they hear a gunshot and find a body with its face blasted unrecognizably off. "Well, he's dead now. It's all over." I ask you, the experienced viewer of slasher movies -- is it all over?

Lalo Schifrin, a real musician's musician, and an extremely talented one, offers us a nice crisp theme using a bluesy Clark-Terry-type trumpet. The rest of the time, alas, he seems to have been asleep at the piano. The three embedded but pointless shock scenes use a routine "sting" -- the viewer is zapped by the crashing dissonance just as the hand reaches out and touches the victim's shoulder. And at a point later in the movie Schifrin leans rather heavily on Bernard Herrmann's fandango from "North by Northwest" while during a scene involving a disabled Volkswagon we can hear precise echoes of "Cape Fear."

I commend the photographer and the make-up department though. After a brief fist fight, Russell and Jordan actually LOOK as if they'd been in a fight. And there are serendipitous shots of the weather. If you are phobic for thunderstorms, as I am, I recommend you watch this movie if only to see a handful of shots of some major "thunderstorm activity," as weathercasters like to call it. You'll get a real arousal jag out of the descending wall cloud. Tampa, Florida, is the thunderstorm capitol of the country, averaging 93 thunderstorm days a year.

Mediocre script

[smitchell-1 · 3/10 · 26 June 2003]

Kurt Russell plays a Miami reporter who starts getting calls from a serial killer. The killer wants stories written about him so he gives Russell inside information about the murders, but soon it's Russell who's the celebrity. Unfortunately this interesting theme is wasted and the movie soon settles into mediocrity. The script has all the usual predictable plot devices that are supposed to lead us to the big "surprise" ending. Russell is very good here, as is Richard Jordan, who plays the killer, and in the end these performances are the only reason to stay with it.

I can get that Pulitzer some other time

[view_and_review · 6/10 · 15 January 2020]

Malcolm Anderson (Kurt Russell) and his girlfriend Christine (Mariel Hemingway) are small town folks at heart trapped in the big city of Miami. Malcolm works for the Miami Journal and his girlfriend is a grade school teacher. Christine is desperate for a split from Miami whereas Malcolm, who also wants to leave, can't seem to make a clean break. His attempts to leave are further exacerbated by a killer who calls him personally to take credit for a recent murder.

This mysterious killer has simply said that this is number one and has informed Malcolm that he will kill others. Malcolm dives head first into this new story as this could be the story of a lifetime.

The movie instantly picked up when the killer involved Malcolm in his plans. At that point the game was on. I was prepared for the fox chase and the moves and counter moves.

Everything was shaping up nicely then the movie was dragged down by the banal and contrived drama between Malcolm and his girlfriend. Once Malcolm became heavily involved in the "numbers killer" case and story his girlfriend felt more and more ignored. I can't imagine that the case took more than a few months, yet his girlfriend was ready to throw away whatever they had already built together due to his obsession with his work a.k.a. this killer. It was the classic case of a man being immersed in his work and not having time for his family and/or significant other. But it seemed so vapid and ham-fisted that it just completely distracted from the overall movie.

There was one particular scene in which Christine had this somber and cathartic moment when she tells her boyfriend Malcolm that leaving is more or less a formality now. Like she had just been completely kicked to the curb and so totally abandoned emotionally that there was no way this relationship could continue. She did not even considering or take it into account that this was just a story and all stories have an ending. Malcolm had been a journalist for eight years and this was a story that could make his career, so was he supposed to wholly discard this part of his nature and this part of his being because his girlfriend felt emotionally neglected?

The movie was clearly trying to paint him as a thrill seeking reporter and someone who is just so involved and so selfish that he would neglect any and all other duties in exclusion to his duty of journalist. But the way they painted this picture was sophomoric and clumsy to the point it made Christine come off as a whiny sniveling brat. Her complaints, tirades, and petulance was especially off-putting considering that there were no hints or signs of any kind of discord between them before Malcolm landed this story of a lifetime.

Had we witnessed some sort of discontent and disconnect between the two before the story came along and then the story was the straw to break the camels back-- then it would've all made sense. But that's not what happened. They literally went from the ideal lovey-dovey couple to the brink of total separation, and back to being reunited -- of course- - once he'd saved her life, the killer was dead, and the story was no more.

I thought that entire saga struck a heavy blow to the overall movie. Should they have eschewed that side story/distraction, then The Mean Season could've been on the level of maybe "Seven" or "Silence of the Lambs" or other killer- hunt movies that are considered epics.

One actress\character can ruin a movie...

[vnssyndrome89 · 4/10 · 10 November 2022]

THE MEAN SEASON (1985) *😼 (CB, see below)

BASIC PLOT: Malcolm Anderson (Kurt Russell) is a Miami crime reporter, that's begun receiving phone calls from a serial killer. Malcolm was about to move away, and start a crime free life with his nagging girlfriend, Christine Connelly (Mariel Hemingway). But before he can, he receives phone calls from the killer he's been writing about. Before he knows what's happening, he's been injected into the story, and put in danger. Can he extricate himself, before his story consumes him?

WHAT WORKS: *ANDY GARCIA GIVES AN AUTHENTIC PERFORMANCE Andy Garcia's portrayal of Ray Martinez, one of the cops assigned to the case is believable. He never phones in his roles, and is always a pleasure to watch.

*ANOTHER QUALITY PERFORMANCE FROM RICHARD MASUR Richard Masur's performance as Bill Nolan, Kurt Russell's pain in the ass editor, is fantastic. (He's one of my favorite character actors of the 70's & 80's) All of the ancillary characters do a great job, and are well cast, except for Mariel Hemingway.

*CONVINCING PORTRAYAL BY JOE PANTOLIANO Joe Pantoliano plays a squirrelly photographer, with questionable moral values, and he plays it well.

*CASTING WAS GREAT EXCEPT FOR MARIEL HEMINGWAY Jane Jenkins and Janet Hirshenson did a great job casting this movie. All of these quality actors were more than enough, to carry this middle of the road script. I'm sure Christine Connelly (Mariel Hemingway) was added, because some idiotic producer said, "this won't work without a woman". But it would have, and as a woman, I would rather see no women in a movie, than stereotypical nonsense. I don't know why movie executives think women won't go to a movie if there's not a love interest. This movie would have been much better without one.

WHAT DOESN'T WORK: *Mariel Hemingway CAN'T ACT Her portal of Christine Connelly, is laughable and ruins the movie! It's offensive to put women (or anyone) in movies, just to fulfill a stereotype. In this case, Christine is a shrill, nagging shrew, who adds nothing to the story. It's not even good filler!

*THE CHARACTER OF CHRISTINE CONNELLY IS DELUSIONAL She's romantically partnered with an investigative reporter, in Miami, in the '80's, and she's surprised suddenly (after 8 years) that he works on crimes?! Has she never seen 'Miami Vice (1984)'? Has she even read his column before? This is 1985 after all, Miami in '85 was a bit of a crime pit. But no....... She's surprised by this! WTF?! REALLY? Why is she SUDDENLY offended he writes about crimes (after 8 YEARS), and if this kind of job bothered her, why would she have gotten with him to begin with? Even if she's one of those delusional women who thinks they can "change" men, don't you think she'd have given up after 8 years? Plot holes this big end up swallowing the rest of the movie, there's just no way around it.

TO RECOMMEND, OR NOT TO RECOMMEND, THAT IS THE QUESTION: *This movie is hard to recommend because of the Christine Connelly character (Mariel Hemingway). She creates a distracting, badly acted plot hole, that the whole movie falls into. If you can ignore her, there are still things to be enjoyed here. If you just focus on the reporter/serial killer interplay, it's a decent enough watch. If you're a super fan of Andy Garcia, Kurt Russell, or Joe Pantoliano (as I am), you might enjoy this. Without Mariel Hemingway, this would have been a middle of the road, '80's thriller. Choose at your own risk.

CLOSING NOTES: *Contains A Cat Photo Bomb.

*I have no connection to the film, or production in ANY way. This review was NOT written in ANY way by a bot. I am just an honest viewer, who wishes for more straight forward reviews, and better entertainment. Hope I helped you out.

Richard Jordan worth the watch

[mlbroberts · 8/10 · 27 October 2008]

Kurt Russell and Andy Garcia are good eye candy and pretty believable in their roles but this is a kind of run of the mill thriller. The issue of the reporter's complicity in the story he's writing about just isn't developed as well as it should be, probably because the plot twists in a direction it shouldn't have gone. You could easily put this film aside, except that Richard Jordan is so frightening, so intelligent, manipulative and totally psychotic as the killer that you can't look away. He puts more electricity in the film than the lightning does, and it's worth watching just to see him give acting lessons. Just make sure you leave the lights on while you're watching.

Have you ever noticed the older you get the smaller you become?

[lastliberal · 6/10 · 5 December 2008]

Like any good writer, I have no hesitation in admitting my biases. Any hero that drives around in a Mustang convertible gets extra points. Any film that occurs in the Florida hurricane season gets points for atmosphere.

There, that's the biases, and they don't take away from a good crime story that also has a lot to say about the newspaper business. Like his boss says, "We're not manufacturing, we're retail." Sometimes, you forget that and become part of the process instead of just reporting the results. I like those blurry lines, as they really make you think about what you are watching.

The story starts off really good, but it doesn't live up to the potential. "Seven" shows how it should be done. But, hey, this was way before that and it did a fair job of sucking you in and presenting some good surprises.

And, we did after all, get to see Mariel's hemingways as she stepped out of the shower. Certainly, that's worth the price of admission. Richard Jordan as the serial killer was also excellent.

Somewhat of a disappointment

[blondeblue1 · 4/10 · 15 August 2022]

This movie had a good premise but ultimately fell far short of what I was expecting. Kurt Russell was good, as usual, but the story should have been a lot more interesting.

The weak link here was Mariel Hemingway. The movie really needed a much more likeable and talented actress to play the girlfriend, so that when she was abducted, we the audience would feel the panic that Kurt Russell showed in his mad dash to get to the school.

Instead, his girlfriend has been so vapid, whiny and annoying throughout that I was actively rooting for her to be an actual victim. I also was put off by those godawful eyebrows that looked like two hairy black caterpillars stuck to her face.