The Expert (1995)

User Rating:

4.4/10   

Director:

Rick Avery

Writers:

Max Allan Collins (writer)
Jill Gatsby (story)

Genre:

Action

Tagline:

When revenge isn't enough...

Plot:

Johnny's sister is brutally attacked and murdered by a sadistic serial killer. At the trial, he is sentenced to be electrocuted...

Plot Keywords:

Serial Killer | Martial Arts | Electrocution | B Movie | Psychopath

Cast

Jeff Speakman	...	John Lomax
James Brolin	...	Warden Munsey
Michael Shaner	...	Martin Kagan
Alex Datcher	...	Dr. Alice Barnes
Wolfgang Bodison	...	Dan Mason
Elizabeth Gracen	...	Liz Pierce
Norm Woodel	...	Bill Loomis
Jim Varney	...	Snake
Michelle Nagy	...	Jenny Lomax
Red West	...	Judge
William Barry Scott	...	Capt. Jackson
Jophery C. Brown	...	Joe Himes
Robby Robinson	...	Tex
Ramon Estevez	...	Tomas
Dan Chandler	...	Governor

Runtime:

92 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Iceland:16 | Australia:MA | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Nashville, Tennessee, USA

Company:

Axis Films International

Trivia:

According to screenwriter Max Allan Collins, the original script for The Expert was more akin to The Dirty Dozen, with a group of ex-Green Berets breaking into death row to fulfill the executions after the courts repeal the death penalty. When Jeff Speakman was cast, the producers had the script re-written as a vehicle for him.

Quotes:

Dr. Alice Barnes: My father treated prisoners like animals.

Movie Connections:

References Deliverance (1972)

Slapdash action flick

Jeff Speakman never really made it beyond the lowest ranks of martial-artists-turned-actors (lower than Don "The Dragon" Wilson, for example), and with vehicles like "The Expert", you can see why. There are three major problems with this movie: 1) The plot - or should I say plots - are all over the place, there are some characters who get a lot of screen time but serve little purpose, 2) There are only 4 fight scenes in total, some of them completely unrelated to the main plot and some taking place in the dark, 3) The music score is overzealous and overbearing. Strange as it may seem, this is really the most annoying thing about this film: the score persistently tries to convince you that you're watching some sort of grand epic, instead of the low-budget limited-action film you are indeed watching. With all that said, at least there's James Brolin around to lend a touch of credibility. *1/2 out of 4.