One Man Jury (1978)

One Man Jury (1978)-* * *

Directed by: Charles Martin

Starring: Jack Palance, Chris Mitchum, Pamela Shoop, and Joe Spinell











Lt. Jim Wade (Palance) is an L.A. Cop On The Edge who hates scum. Imagine if a John McCain/Clint Eastwood-type (hmmmm....) grumpy older man who continually told the neighborhood punks to get off his lawn not only had a gun and a badge, but teaches police school at night! His partner is Sgt. Blake (Mitchum) and together they’re hunting for a serial killer plaguing the city known as “The Slasher”. In order to get closer to The Slasher, Wade makes some underworld dealings, mainly with gangster Abatino (Spinell). But Wade is tired of the legal system that gives both serial killers and gangsters slaps on the wrist, so he takes the law into his own hands and becomes a ONE MAN JURY.

Now this is what 12 Angry Men (1957) should have been! Just One Angry Man. But in all seriousness, this is a decent-enough cop drama that will entertain you throughout the majority of its running time. It’s great to go back to the days when cops had wide ties, three-piece suits and smoked cigars anywhere they pleased. In many ways, One Man Jury is kind of old-fashioned...it plays as if an older director, whose career goes back to the 1940’s,  was asked by a production company to make a Dirty Harry (1971) knockoff. And indeed, this was writer/director Charles Martin’s last movie, dying a few years after its completion. None of this is meant to come off as negative, One Man Jury is still worth seeing.

Plus it’s great to see Chris Mitchum and Jack Palance team up as cops. Especially when they’re chasing after the great Joe Spinell, a Comeuppance Reviews fan-favorite actor. Pamela Shoop plays the classic liberal counterpart to Wade as well as his love interest, and Angel Tompkins appears for a few short minutes. Jim Wade truly was the Marion Cobretti of his day. Based on his love of crime statistics, anyway. But truly the star of the show is Palance. Here we must quote from the back of the Star Classics VHS box (keep in mind this is on the back of the box - pretend you’re in a video store in the 80’s and you want to know the plot of this movie):

“Jack Palance is one of the very few talents who has the capacity to convey the full spectrum of emotions in this film. At six foot four, two hundred pounds, features chiseled in solid granite, and a soft, yet threatening-as-thunder voice, he’s everyone’s image of what an uncompromising avenger should be.”

Well, now that you know Jack Palance’s weight, that should firmly convince you to see this movie post-haste. But One Man Jury is one movie that has the guts to have the message of “violence IS the answer!”

So if that floats your boat, and we’re guessing that if you’re reading this site right now that it does, One Man Jury should fit the bill. But be advised that it’s not very “extreme” - a lot of its charm comes from its old-school ways.

 Comeuppance Review by: Brett and Ty

Also check out a review from our buddy Keith at The Unknown Movies!

Supersonic Man (1980)

Supersonic Man (1980)-* * *1\2

Directed by: Juan Piquer Simon

Starring: Jose Louis Ayesteran, Antonio Cantafora, Diana Polakov, Jose Caffarel, and Cameron Mitchell





"What kind of Tomfoolery is this?"








Supersonic Man (Ayesteran) has been sent from his home planet somewhere far away in space to save Earth. A sinister baddie, Dr. Gulik (Mitchell), is developing a weapon that could destroy the planet. To help him, Gulik kidnaps scientist Dr. Morgan (Caffarel) but Morgan refuses to cooperate, and they get into philosophical discussions of the nature of good and evil. Meanwhile, Morgan’s daughter Patricia (Polakov) gets into a relationship with Paul (Cantafora)...but who is Paul really? Throughout many travails - from goons with ray guns to a very slow-moving, flamethrowing robot, only one man can properly save the day...SUPERSONIC MAN!

Being fans of director Simon, based on his Pieces (1982) and Slugs (1988), as well as being dedicated Cam Mitchell fans, we were excited when we came across a VHS copy (on the under-appreciated Star Classics label) of Supersonic Man at our local Goodwill store. We were not disappointed, as Supersonic Man is a hilarious treat of a movie. We feel sorry for anyone who cannot appreciate unintended genius like this. Obviously this is “inspired” by the 1978 Superman movie - everything from the main theme of the soundtrack, to the very humorous “flying” scenes, to the relationship aspect - but without even a fraction of the budget of that Hollywood picture. But lack of funds didn’t stop Simon, as this wildly wacky adventure proves.

As for the aforementioned fan favorite, Cam Mitchell, he wears a killer bad-guy outfit as he takes on the role best described as a Mr. Big, Dr. Evil, or Dr. Claw-type of villain. Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem to be Cam’s own voice in the dubbing. But in the back-and-forth between Cam’s character, Gulik, and the scientist, Morgan, Gulik continually calls him “old man” and makes cracks about his age. This is quite funny because it’s not like Cam is some young punk teenager. He’s likely older than the other guy! And that barely scratches the surface of the utter absurdity of Supersonic Man.

There’s also a bit of Star Wars (1977), as Supersonic Man must say the phrase “may the force of the galaxy be with me” in order to activate his powers. Plus, in the movie, he’s simply “Supersonic”, no “Man”. There’s even some pre-politically correct humor involving the town drunk. We can’t possibly go through all the wonderfully silly moments, you’ll just have to experience this gem of comic-booky, childish fun for yourself. You’ll more than likely have a blast watching this movie with your friends.

Also check our buddy John Baxter's review at Knifed In Venice! 

Comeuppance Review by: Ty and Brett