I always had a soft spot for anything starring Alyssa Milano and Judd Nelson was another interesting inclusion. As for the film itself
did I mention Alyssa Milano was in it. Yep I'm really clutching at straws. Actually it's not that bad. Well the smoking hot Milano might be in it, but she doesn't get much screen credit. Rats! Anyway 'Conflict of Interest' is a routine b-grade crime picture that stays in first gear for most part, and unsuccessfully tries to milk out its neon lighting and heavy metal scene. Even with its admirable pacing and stylishly slick look for such a budget, the direction is too pedestrian and the script is torpidly delivered. The action is productively executed, but not all that exciting or explosive. The story formulates the usual dramatics of a police detective, Mickey Flannery who's police badge was stripped off him for killing his wife's murderer. We move seven years into the present where he's accepted back into the force and he'll see his son for the first time since his wife was murdered. However his rebellious punk son is connected to a murder in the sordidly kinky metal music underworld. Trying to prove his son's innocence he goes on a mission to prove the club owner Gideon is behind it all, and this means that he could lose his badge again. I would've like it more it didn't come across as forced and manipulative, and some of those occurrences are too elaborately planned that it leaves it being silly and daft. Thrown in for good measure is a dose of nudity and sex. Christopher McDonald gives a variable performance in the lead role and Nelson's smooth, eye-liner wearing badass villain was rather rib-tickling. And that wasn't intentional either. Milano is wasted, Zia Harris is fair and the beautiful Dey Young comes up solid. There's also some good support by veterans Lee de Broux and Harrison Page. Not a bad film, but not particularly a memorable one either.
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lost-in-limbo21 June 2008
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goya-41 April 2001A movie that has taken advantage of the stardom of Alyssa Milano by making her role seem larger than it truly is.. Nothing special here..your formula plot and wooden acting..The only thing special here is Alyssa Milano who is beautiful as always. On a scale of one to ten... 3
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effjaysullivan28 June 2009Not because I want to preserve the integrity of this masterwork, but because I stopped watching it about half-way through.
First, the good: Alyssa Milano and Dey Young look beautiful in this film. Second, there are several hot heavy-metal-looking chicks in the movie, as well. Third, Zia Harris has the mullet for the ages -- he actually looks he could be the twin brother of Kim Richards from "Tuff Turf." I caught this movie on late-night cable just last week and my immediate thought was: Wow, "Happy Gilmore" aside, Christopher McDonald simply cannot act. Script was filled with any number of clichés: Mom killed in opening scene; boy estranged from his father, who hit the bottle hard after his wife's death. Cop who plays by his own rule but (I'm only guessing, not spoiling) is ultimately redeemed. Wacky, over-the-top evil villain (the always execrable Judd Nelson, rocking some impressive mutton-chop sideburns, like a twisted Elvis impersonator) ... you name it, it's in there. Zia Harris' rebel son character is given "depth" by having him spout a haiku to Alyssa Milano, so that's a bonus. Also, interminable opening credits showing the L.A. working waterfront. Yawn.
Quite simply, one of the worst movies I've seen in recent memory, and I've seen both "Pieces" and "The Incredible Melting Man." -
tarbosh2200014 May 2010"Fast Cars, Hot Women, Cold Cash. You want it, he's got it. But you may have to pay with your life "
"Conflict of Interest" is an overlooked and somewhat under-appreciated part of the post-80's Judd Nelson catalogue. If you've seen every so-called "Brat Pack" movie ever made and are still hungry for more, this should fit the bill. Although while in "Conflict " Nelson is definitely a brat, by this point in history the "pack" had dissipated.
Christopher McDonald is great as Mickey Flannery, a cop on the edge who gets suspended from the force for shooting his wife's murderer in an act of revenge. While the audience is applauding his actions, the LAPD doesn't share his zeal, and he becomes a longshoreman who gets wise to an illegal car-smuggling ring. When he's not out on the docks, Mickey spends his time drinking and communicating with truckers and nerds with his unnecessarily elaborate ham radio setup.
After this period of exile, it looks like everything is coming up roses for Mickey. He gets his old job back, he shares a house with his girlfriend who cares about him, and his son Jason returns after seven years living with his grandparents. But the arrival of Jason, rather than being a joyous family reunion, opens up a maelstrom of pain and problems for all concerned, especially Mickey.
Jason is not the cute little kid Mickey remembers from when he last saw him. It turns out he is a motorcycle-riding, leather jacket-wearing badass with a monstrous mullet of epic proportions. His mullet represents the hurt, resentment and abandonment issues he feels towards his father. But Jason's not all bad, and secretly wants to be a good son. And Flannery sees his return as a great opportunity to be a family again.
But Gideon (Nelson) enters the picture and, being the diabolical antagonist that he is, exploits these family weaknesses to the utmost, for his own evil ends. You see, Gideon is the local criminal who has his hands in every illegal activity in town, and he covers it all up in his role as owner of the, and I quote ,"deffest metal club in town", called The Wreck. Motorcycles hang from the ceiling. No wonder this place is so popular. Plus you know he's evil because he wears guy-liner, a lot of jewelry, has crazy sideburns and wears frilly pirate shirts that are so gay-looking, it makes "The Puffy Shirt" of Seinfeld fame seem positively tame by comparison. He's meant to be the decadent-dilettante-disturbingly intelligent-bad dude we all fear in our nightmares.
Noting Jason's interest in sound engineering (a trait that must be in the DNA, remember dad's ham radios), Gideon offers Jason a job running sound at The Wreck, a job Jason enthusiastically accepts. While Jason, blissfully ignorant, is crankin' the tunes by D.I. and Gary Numan, ("Metal Club" presumably referring to the fact that people wear outrageous metallic clothing), girls around town start being found dead. Flannery is assigned to the case and soon realizes Gideon is just using Jason as a patsy. After several tense confrontations, it seems Gideon and Mickey are in a good-and-evil battle for Jason's soul.
Gideon continually mocks Flannery's parenting abilities and insinuates he is the better father figure for Jason. This enrages Mickey, now literally fighting for his son's love. Flannery wants to go all out, but remembers where that has gotten him in the past. So he is fighting his inner demons as well. But in the course of his investigations, he discovers a shocking conspiracy that goes all the way to the top. (Where else did you think it would go?)
As usual, there is an angry black Captain who yells at Flannery and demands Mickey to give him his badge and gun.
Alyssa Milano makes a very welcome appearance as Eve, an associate of Gideon's that soon becomes Jason's love interest.
One of the aspects of "Interest" is the use of crazy slang. Jason insults his rivals by calling them "Barney"s and when he is really mad calling them a "supper buddy"(? ) and Jason spouts haiku whenever the mood strikes him. One of the strangest and funniest uses of slang is when Gideon's goon named "Thrasher" insults Flannery by calling him "Jerk Beef" (???) This insult is clearly the catalyst in Mickey's quest for justice.
"Conflict" has everything you want in a movie: Crazy slang, explosions, and Judd Nelson. There's no "Conflict" in taking an "Interest" in this tonight!
Comeuppance Review by: Ty & Brett -
woundedheartx118 November 2016This is the movie for you! We're talking mega-velveeta cheesy here, but soo much fun! Christopher McDonald stars as a tough cop with some control issues, granted he sees his wife gunned down in front of him and his young son, but kills the perp, so it goes unsolved. Flash forward seven years or so ahead and Mickey is still a tough cop, with some triggers waiting to be pulled. His son Jason, now sporting a mullet to make Billy Ray Cyrus swoon, is back to live with dad and his very hot girlfriend Vera, played by Dey Young of all people, but trust me total MILF!
Poor Jason soon runs afoul of Gideon, played by Judd Nelson as a insane raccoon on an acid trip who dresses like a pirate. Seriously, not kidding, the man wears mascara and dresses in frilly lace! WTF! so over the top you just have to smile. Oh Gideon run a profitable car theft ring, but young Jason just digs the metal club he runs to cover it. Naturally Mickey tries to warn rebellious teen Jason to steer clear of Gideon, but heck what seventeen year old ever listened to their parent?
Added eye candy is Alyssa Milano is a relatively small role as Eve, but her opening scene... WOWZA, what a hottie! I mean I seriously wanted to leap into my screen! Jason feels likewise, tho that doesn't stop him from bedding some seriously stacked babes Gideon throws at him.
Totally trash, but done in the most enjoyable of fashions, with surprisingly good performances and some cool plot twists towards the end. "Conflict of Interest" is not a classic, but it's a great example of late 80's early 90's b-movie action and it delivers the goods! -
photoe15 November 2011I can't abide this movie's low rating here. a 6, maybe a 5, but a 3? Cmon, no way.
Christopher McDonald, of memorable face, but unmemorable name, plays the boilerplate on-the-edge cop, Mickey Flannery (granted, cheesy Irish name for a cop) who is introduced as he loses his wife in a shooting related to a car-theft ring, which their child son, Jason, witnesses.
McDonald, of Happy Gilmore fame as an insufferable dweeb, is likable, committed and tough here, the hero of the film. After the opening, the film moves forward in time to Jason being a young adult (at least 15 years older, though McDonald much at all, and is back on the force.
Jason gets wrapped up with a criminal ring run by Judd Nelson's Gideon, the most compelling character of the movie. I'm not a big fan of Nelson in many other roles, but here, he's a real threat, and wears his mascara and LA-grunge post-hair-metal wear well. The film is almost a micro fashion document of 1993, with lots of grunge wear, with an LA angle. The pirate shirt does appear once, and it's stunning when it does, but Nelson is young and scary enough to make it work. Allysa Milano, is of course, ludicrously attractive in her apparel, which is a sequence of riot grrrl Gothic, and grunge outfits. She also acts well in her part. The club they habitate is also a good example of the raves/industrial parties that existed from the mid-80s into the mid-90s.
McDonald is the other anchor to the film, constantly trying to maintain his composure while his son is increasingly drawn into a very personally threatening situation (while the son and dad are just trying to re-establish contact)and he's returned to the police force after a long absence. The audience knows McDonald/Flannery is right in his suspicions that Judd/Gideon is a lowlife murderer, but no one else believes him. It's a common plot device, but used very effectively over a long arc in this film. Then, at the end, we find that not only was McDonald right, but he was set up from the start, not just on one level, but multiple levels to the very start years earlier.
My one biggest complaint with the plot would be why would a smart operator like Gideon attract so much police attention by killing two young women? Framing son and father is at least sort of a plausible explanation that the film stays true to and follows through on, in some surprising and visually exciting action scenes.
It's not a masterpiece by any means, and it's title assures it remain in obscurity, but it's a totally competent cop yarn with strong family and dept corruption subtexts. Like many low budget films, it turns out to be an excellent period piece, shot from its current reality. -
Ernieman13 February 2007This is one movie for the ages! Why it was never released on a more global scale still astonishes me to no avail. The first ten minutes of the movie literally had me at the edge of my seat. I didn't see any of the rest of the film, but I know that it still probably delivers those same dramatic punches one right after the other.
This movie is truly the crowning achievement of one of America's top young child celebrities, Joel Katz. Portraying the role of "Young Jason", he delivers his academy award dodging performance so well I literally burst into tears after hearing his cries after his mother was randomly shot in broad daylight with a .50 desert eagle, right in front of his eyes. This spectacular actor then skyrocketed to fame with other memorable roles, such as the role of a random child in "Cheers", the Mario Paint commerical, and most recently, a spokesman for Impontency International. -
samdbarry18 August 2005OK...we've got Christopher Macdonald as a hardboiled cop (Mickey Flannery - ha!)and a pirate-shirted, eyeliner wearing Judd Nelson as a murderous crime lord (Gideon - hahahaha!). Laughing yet? I still laugh until I cry watching this one. Macdonald is totally hapless in such a serious role (he REALLY acts his heart out too) and Judd Nelson's wardrobe is enough to slay anyone. The film also contains the always amusing titular line. One of the characters actually exclaims "Conflict of Interest!" There's plenty of silly action and dialog to go around. This movie is way out of print, but if you love cheese, you should hunt down a copy.
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OK people, I'm going to honest with you. I have seen half an hour of this movie, and not from the beginning. Furthermore, by the time I caught this movie (at 1 am), I was drunk and half asleep, so I don't know how much I got from this film. What I saw was Judd Nelson as a tough villain dressed like Gothic pirate and "Shooter McGavin" (from Happy Glimore) as no-nonsense cop with a grudge against Nelson. Also, there was a young man played by someone I don't know, who happened to be the cop's son. Anyway, to make it short,in the part of the movie which I saw, the cop's son went to a metal bar owned by the goth pirate, who introduced a red hot smoking blonde to the cop's son, who later on supposedly killed that hot smoking blonde.Then, there was scene at the metal club where Nelson tells McGavin he is going to murder his son and after that I completely fall asleep.
I know this review is a bit useless, but I wanted to write it because the movie looked to me as a strange thing, o perhaps I was hammered. Anyway, see this movie for yourselves (if you can find it). A piece of advice, don't watch it while being drunk or half asleep, for it's going to confuse you a bit more. Cheers -
Clearly buoyed by the success of his deliciously demented turn in William Lustig's cult 80s crime classic 'Relentless', Brat Pack bad boy Judd Nelson fearlessly appropriates flouncy Adam Ant garb, flaunts indelicate amounts of guyliner as hedonist club owner, slash trigger-happy psycho Charles 'Gideon' Morningside in Gary Davis's wonderfully bizarre, super soapy B-crime melodrama 'Conflict of Interest'. After cruelly witnessing the sudden drive-by shooting of his mother, distressed young son Jason (Zia Harris) is sent to his grandparents, and his hypertensive old man Mickey Flannery (Christopher McDonald) temporarily leaves the force to pursue his drinking and lava hot nurse Dey Young. Uncomfortably reunited after seven years absence, any chance of harmonious domesticity within the fractious Flannery household is fundamentally fubar'd by a series of brutal slayings that puts Mickey's majestically mulleted son Jason slam-bang in the frame as murder suspect number one!
About as subtle as an Yngwie Malmsteen solo, 'Conflict of Interest' is best enjoyed as a triumphantly trashy, crudely entertaining B-actioner, if one can digest the fromage laden script's awkward admixture of mawkish, movie-of-the-week flimflam and its salacious, surprisingly sleazy silicone-steeped shag-fests! One part Zalman King peep-show, and two parts Fred Olen Ray schlock, this licentious 90s actioner certainly has no lack of fleshly flavoursome ingredients! While Christopher McDonald's overly earnest mugging as blustering, Magnum-blasting cop/patriarch Mickey provides amble bad-movie grist, the more illicitly gratifying pleasures are in Conflict of Interest's more prurient episodes, not least of which being a lysergically laced boink in a boogie van, voyeuristic shots of Alyssa Milano's exquisitely perky behind, and plentiful 'Red Shoe Diaries' smut, but it is Judd Nelson's persistently boggle-eyed, hilariously gamy performance as the sartorially septic sadist 'Gideon' that elevates 'Conflict of Interest' from being just another absurdly entertaining misfire to that of a bona fide cult classic!