• If you love The French Connection, Serpico, and The Day of the Jackal— you’ll really like Nighthawks
  • Stallone is clearly imitating Pacino here, has Serpico’s facial hair, undercover NYC cop (dressing up multiple times to blend in here undercover). It’s easy to see a picture of Stallone in drag here with a gun and laugh and no he’s not Pacino—but he’s actually really strong here.
  • Great depth of field shot with the heist man right in front of the frame in profile in the opening
  • International terrorist (a magnificent Rutger Hauer) a half-decade before Alan Rickman (1988) in Die Hard. Hauer’s character is ruthless, smart- has plastic surgery to shed beard and brown eyes and go back to trademark blue. A tagline “you go to a better life” before he kills
International terrorist (a magnificent Rutger Hauer) a half-decade before Alan Rickman (1988) in Die Hard. Hauer’s character is ruthless, smart- has plastic surgery to shed beard and brown eyes and go back to trademark blue. A tagline “you go to a better life” before he kills
  • Billy Dee Williams is miscast a little. Lando—Mr. Smooth, handsome- tough to see as a gritty NYC cop
  • Stallone again playing a Vietnam vet with baggage – this is one year before First Blood (1982)
  • Nigel Davenport strong in support as the British counter-terrorism specialist
  • A great scene of Stallone looking around a nightclub for Hauer to Rolling Stones “Brown Sugar”—he’s studied Hauer’s face, a nice shot, reverse shot back and forth between the two when there’s recognition.
A great scene of Stallone looking around a nightclub for Hauer to Rolling Stones “Brown Sugar”—he’s studied Hauer’s face, a nice shot, reverse shot back and forth between the two when there’s recognition.
  • Nice shot of the UN HQ building – foreground/background shot
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Nice shot of the UN HQ building – foreground/background shot
  • And to the French Connection comparison (besides being gritty NYC cops) there I a long chase scene at 54 minutes- even through a subway (post of French Connection) and cat and mouse getting off and on as door close.
  • Doesn’t reinvent the wheel or have aims at a top 10 slot but it is a solid recommend – a very good film