Sylvester ‘Sly’ Stallone made a lot of films that deserve some love on the No. Bad. Films. platform. I remember growing up watching, re-watching and loving Rambos II and III, Cobra (1986), Over the Top (1987) and Oscar (1991), only to find out later that I really wasn’t supposed to like these films at all according to the culture mafia. I could write at length about why I appreciate the Rambo sequels and how Cobra was based on Stallone’s original treatment for Beverly Hills Cop (1984), but I ultimately decided on a different angle for this piece.
On the cusp of The Nineties, Stallone made two films back-to-back that (partly) take place in prison – the dark, restrained Thriller Lock Up (1989) and the more popcorn-y buddy-movie Tango & Cash (1989). The slammer has been a theme in Sly’s films before and after these two titles – think of Escape to Victory (1981) and Demolition Man (1993) for example – but LU and T&C are special to me.
LU is one of the many films in Stallone’s filmography that reminds us of the fact that the guy is actually a pretty good actor with an acute sense for interesting material. The premise of the film is as simple as it is awesome – Sly plays Frank Leone, a convict who, on the eve of his release, gets transferred to a prison run by a warden who has a bone to pick with him. LU is also one of those films that through its artwork, premise and cast caught the undivided attention of teenage boys all over the world – this writer being one of ‘em.
I have talked on this platform before about the always reliable Tom Sizemore – who plays Leone’s shifty buddy Dallas – but LU is literally littered with interesting parts. The casting is just brilliant in this film. Just look at the despicable guard Manly, played by the fantastic character actor Jordan Lund. Too heavy, too sweaty and just oozing fascism with every breath that he takes. The amazing Donald Sutherland plays warden Drumgoole, the catalyst behind Leone’s ordeal. The character of warden Drumgoole was always exceptionally fascinating to me because he looked exactly like my grandfather who, amazingly, was also a prison director – but a much nicer guy.
But then it gets even better – a key figure in LU is prison guard Meissner, played by the tragically underused and -appreciated John Amos. Film lovers will probably know Amos as Eddie Murphy’s father-in-law in Coming to America (1988) and perhaps as the older Kunta Kinte in Roots (1977) but for me, Amos’ acting had a much deeper, personal impact. In fact – Amos’ performance in LU was the inspiration for what I wrote in my high school yearbook after graduation.
In LU, Stallone’s character Leone is ultimately vindicated and subsequently escorted out of prison by Amos’ brutal but fair guard Meissner. Now remember – Meissner is a guy who never shows even the slightest sign of empathy or emotion throughout the entire film. But when the two men reach the gates, Leone turns to Meissner and has this exchange with him:
LEONE
You know what I’m going to miss most about you captain?
MEISSNER
What’s that.
LEONE
Your incredible smile.
And of course, Meissner finally cracks a smile and all is good in the world. Looking back on it now, the scene could easily be interpreted as overtly slick and corny. But when I saw it for the first time, it meant something to me. That is why, when I had to write something in my yearbook that was personal and at the same time encapsulated my deep love for film, I thought of the equivalent of captain Meissner in my high school.
Look, I was a punk in high school, I can say that now. I believed my gang and I were the greatest thing that ever walked this earth and everybody should be in awe of us. This was obviously long before I realized that high school and everything that is associated with it, doesn’t mean a damn thing. Back then, although I could sometimes impress or intimidate some of the teachers with my bullshit, there was always one person I could never fool – superintendent Johan Yntema. Yntema was infamous in my high school for never ever showing any sign of empathy or emotion. And although he was my personal scourge throughout my teenage years – I can’t count the afternoons I spent in detention under his supervision – I always had an enormous amount of appreciation and respect for the guy. Johan Yntema was my Meissner. In my yearbook, under the question “What will you miss most about this school?”, it reads: “Johan Yntema’s incredible smile.”
Before I start tearing up, let’s move on to the lighter one of the two films – T&C.
I learned from my father that you do your best writing in a noisy watering hole. The rationale behind this is that in the peace and quiet of your own home, there’s just too much room for personal demons to creep into your head. That is why I am writing this piece from the comfort of my own preferred pub, Foodhall MOUT in Hilversum.
The reason I bring this up is because many years ago, this building used to house my favorite movie theater. Foodhall MOUT is built on the ruins of Euro Cinema, a grindhouse where I saw many, many films. One of those films – maybe even one of the first I saw there – was T&C. I vividly remember blushing when the pretty girl who sold the tickets asked me if I was really 16 years old (I wasn’t) before reluctantly letting me in. What followed was just the perfect film for a 12-year-old boy who was on the cusp of finding his purpose in life.
T&C is in no way a masterpiece, but what I saw on the screen that night, really, really connected with me. I could write an entire blog about buddy-movies – and maybe I will one day – but I really feel that T&C has the best chemistry between leading characters that I ever saw. The casting of Kurt Russell opposite Stallone was a stroke of pure genius that paid off in spades. Case in point – just re-watch the scene where Stallone’s Tango catches Russel’s Cash in an intimate situation with Tango’s sister. Not only is this an expertly choreographed Action-sequence, it also displays both actors’ Comedy chops in full.
T&C, like LU, is loaded with a fantastic supporting cast. The formidable Brion James – the token “heavy” – is exquisitely loathsome as baddie Requin. A California native, James nevertheless adopted a pretty impressive cockney accent that helped build a thoroughly convincing henchman. Real life ironmonger Jack Palance is a perfect fit for over-the-top villain Yves Perret, and in small but memorable roles we see recognizable but rarely celebrated actors like Michael J. Pollard and Michael Jeter. The latter will forever be etched in my movie memory because of his performance as the doomed mouse-caretaker in The Green Mile (1999), and he has a similarly memorable role in T&C. Jeter is one of those underappreciated actors whose face you instantly recognize without ever knowing his name. Even more heartbreaking is the fact that Jeter – an extremely accomplished theater actor and dancer – died of HIV-related illness before he ever got the recognition he so rightly deserved.
As per usual, I am veering wildly off track with anecdotes here, so I will try to restrain myself and attempt to build my way to an ending for this love letter. The point, as always, is that I am trying to put into words why these titles mean so much to me. LU and T&C were not just films for me, they actually had an impact on how I lived my life and the choices that I made. I write about them from a place of pure love and admiration, and that’s the only way I ever want to write about film.
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Twitter (X): Robin Logjes | The Screen Addict
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