No Man's Land (1987)

User Rating:

5.7/10   

Director:

Peter Werner

Writer:

Dick Wolf (writer)

Release Date:

23 October 1987 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama

Tagline:

Once you get a taste of the good life, it's hard to let go. Even if your life depends on it.

Plot:

A rookie cop goes undercover and infiltrates a car thief ring.

Plot Keywords:

Undercover | Chop Shop | Grand Theft Auto | Police | Auto Theft

Cast

D.B. Sweeney	...	Benjy Taylor
Charlie Sheen	...	Ted Varrick
Lara Harris	...	Ann Varrick
Randy Quaid	...	Lieutenant Vincent Bracey
Bill Duke	...	Malcolm
R.D. Call	...	Frank Martin
Arlen Dean Snyder	...	Lieutenant Curtis Loos
M. Emmet Walsh	...	Captain Haun
Al Shannon	...	Danny
Bernie Pock	...	Ridley
Kenny Endoso	...	Leon
James F. Kelly	...	Brandon
Lori Butler	...	Suzanne
Clare Wren	...	Deborah
Philip Benichou	...	Michel

Runtime:

USA:106 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Iceland:16 | Australia:M | Finland:K-16 | France:-12 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | USA:R | Norway:15 | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Trivia:

Charlie Sheen was injured when a squib hardened overnight and was detonated at the wrong time. He received lacerations to his face and was knocked unconscious. He received nine stitches, and was deaf in one ear for four weeks.

Quotes:

Benjy Taylor: [points out a Ferrari to steal] How about this one?
Ted Varrick: [disdainfully] Italian trash... besides, I only steal Porsches.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in 'Law & Order': The Beginning (2002) (V)

Soundtrack:

Ton Of Bricks

Porsches

In a way, having a Porsche in a city like Los Angeles is a clear invitation for car thieves to take them, as demonstrated in "No Man's Land", the 1987 film that has a look of a movie made for television. It's no wonder since its director and writer, Peter Werner and Dick Wolf, are veterans of the medium. Ron Howard is listed as a producer.

"No Man's Land" is worth a look because in spite of its flaws, because it shows an interesting aspect of the complex relationship between a police undercover cop and the young man who is the master mind in the car stealing robberies plaguing the city. The interaction between these two opposites is well played by the two leading actors, B. D. Sweeney, and Charlie Sheen.

Charlie Sheen, gives a restrained performance here. In fact, this actor tends to go for intensity without the proper guidance of a good director. As the slick Ted Varrick, Mr. Sheen shows a subtle side that we don't see too often. B.D. Sweeney is also effective as the undercover man who falls for Ann, who happens to be Ted's sister. Mr. Sweeney has that clean look about him that makes him perfectly suited for the good natured Bill, the mechanic he pretends to be.

Others faces in the film includes Lara Harris who plays Ann, the woman in love with the man hunting her own brother. Randy Quaid is seen briefly as Lt. Bracey, who is responsible for getting one of his men infiltrate the car stealing ring.

"No Man's Land" has the ubiquitous car chases and visual effects of pictures of this genre. The cinematography of Hiro Narita shows us a lot of Los Angeles shopping malls and high priced stores where the car thieves love to steal the Porsches.