Ep. 36 - Executive Target (1997)

[00:00:00] It's showtime, folks! It's on bad hat, Harry. What was the weight of the car when you got it, uh... You're not right or wrong. You just don't care. Benway! Oh, sons of bitches. I didn't know. I didn't know. Hello and welcome to episode 36 of The Complete Works season 4,

[00:00:26] a deep dive into the career and films of actor Roy Scheider. My name is Mike Smith and joining me on this journey across the Scheiderverse is my friend, co-host, and fellow Roy boy... Mike Triccio. How you doing, Mike? I'm doing great. Actually, excited. We already talked about this last episode, I think, but the Stockholm Syndrome, I think, is in full effect. Already. Immediately. I mean, I think you accused me of having Stockholm Syndrome last episode. I think I did. You're right. Because I think I was a little bit more into Plato's Run than you were.

[00:00:56] Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. I needed one more movie to marinate. Yes, and now we're just fully enveloped. It turns out every direct-to-video movie that Roy Scheider made in the 90s, five stars, masterpiece. So good. Yeah. Mike, there is a long tradition in action movies of putting the president of the United States in mortal danger. A tale as old as time. Yes. Now, sometimes the president is at the center of the action, like an Air Force One or White House down.

[00:01:23] Sometimes he's part of a larger ensemble, like Independence Day, for example. Yeah. Sometimes you're following someone attempting to rescue the president, like an Olympus has fallen or escaped from New York. And sometimes the president is the bad guy, like in Captain America Brave New World, which just came out and is doing, not doing too great. Everybody's talking about Captain America Brave New World. The talk of the town. There was a story recently about a movie theater that collapsed. It was a screening of Captain America Brave New World with like the theater itself. The building fell down.

[00:01:53] Well, luckily, no one was hurt because only two people were there watching. Oh my God. Wow. That's crazy. Honestly. Honestly. Uh, and if that is not an indictment on the current state of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, I don't know what it is. Yeah, really? Uh, but the point is movie presidents, very much a thing. Yeah. Uh, and the best ones, I think like both Bill Pullman and Independence Day or Morgan Freeman and Deep Impact, which I watched recently and man, he's great in that movie. Really fun.

[00:02:23] Uh, believably seem like they could be the leader of the free world and hold a commanding gravitas whenever they're on screen. I do think it's a very American desire to see our presidents kicking ass on behalf of the good guys, which we see in a lot of action movies. Oh, Billy. Yes. Uh, maybe not so much today. Maybe that's why the president was the bad guy in the new Captain America. But, uh, since we don't usually get that in real life, we turned to the movies for that sort of escapist fantasy. And today, Roy Scheider takes on the timeless tradition of portraying a fictional president

[00:02:53] of the United States. Now, sure. It was a direct to video movie, but he did it. It happened. Yeah. It doesn't matter if it's got Michael Madsen in it. It happened. Yes, exactly. And since he's in it, we've got to talk about executive targets. Somebody will always want to kill the president. I didn't become the president of the United States to make friends back. Elimination or no deal.

[00:03:22] You hired me to do a job and it will be done. I promise it will be done. He is the most powerful man in the world. This man can handle power. And their lives are about to collide. In a conflict that will impact everyone. We're going to kidnap the president. What's that got to do with me?

[00:03:50] You're going to drive the getaway car. I ain't driving no getaway car. Should you not return. You're not going to get away with this. I will kill her personally. I was forced to kidnap you. These people are holding my wife. And they're going to kill her unless I give them you. Everybody know what to do. Don't be foolish. How can you do this? You're an American. What does that mean anymore? We go into countries and we destroy them. Slaughter the people. Turn them against one another. And for what? For money. That's what it's all about.

[00:04:24] I'm saving your life, Mr. President. Where are we going? Two of friends. Step by. Let's hit it.

[00:04:53] Yeah, there's some heads are going to roar. Watch the other guy.

[00:05:23] Michael Madsen. Keith David. Angie Eberhardt. And Roy Scheider. All right. So Roy Scheider appears in executive target as President Carlson. And I will say the opening credit and Roy Scheider as the president goes pretty hard. I do like that. It's not even like it's just the president. Like it doesn't have a name. Like, you know, like an actual credit usually does. It's just yes. The president. Yeah.

[00:05:53] And he is credited just as the president. I had to look it up online to find out his name was President Carlson. It might be mentioned somewhere in the movie, but I think everyone just calls him the president. Yeah, I'm sure somebody says it. But the film opens with him. He is mostly removed from the action until the third act. The film's main character, a former stuntman who gets broken out of prisons that can be blackmailed into kidnapping the president rules. I'm already on board. Great premise for a movie. That character is Nick James played by Michael Madsen.

[00:06:22] Best known, of course, for his roles in Quentin Tarantino films, but especially Reservoir Dogs. It's kind of the big one. Yeah, that's the he's the singing in the ear guy. Yes, he is. The film's villain and the man who broke him out is Lamar played by Keith David from the thing and they live and also community season six. Yeah, the big three pillars of the filmography. Lamar has kidnapped Nick's wife in order to make him do this. And his wife, Nadia, is played by Kathy Christopherson.

[00:06:47] Also in the movie are Dayton Callie from Deadwood as Bella, who is the kind of mechanic friend that Michael Madsen has. And Angie Everhart, who you may remember from the Jeff Goldblum movie Mad Dog Time. Whoa, that's right. She was in that. She was also in Welcome to Hollywood, actually. She like playing herself in like a major supporting role in that movie. Yeah. She plays Lacey, kind of one of the hench people to Keith David. Mad Dog Time was a weird fucking movie. Mad Dog Time was a really weird movie.

[00:07:13] That's one that I feel like I had Stockholm Syndrome for where I, because I remember like we were doing the research for it and like all their views were like, this is the worst piece of shit that's ever been put to film. And I remember watching it and thinking like, I don't know, it's kind of fun. It's it's Goldblum is like the star of Mad Dog Time, right? He's like the main character, I think. See the guy that like owns the bar or something that they're all in. I think not. He's like a detective or something. And like he has these two women.

[00:07:42] One's one's been kidnapped, but then reappears at the end. It's like his ex wife or something. Is Mad Dog Time the movie where I think either the screenwriter or the director is one of the characters that, keeps making out with Angie Everhart. You are correct in that one. Yes. Yeah. Larry Bishop was the writer and director who, yes, is also in the movie. And his whole role is to make out with Angie Everhart. No, the the plot, the cast of that movie was insane because, yeah, Jeff Goldblum is the main character. He plays Mickey Holliday and it's Richard Dreyfuss. Oh, yeah.

[00:08:13] Gabriel Byrne. Richard Richard Dreyfuss is, I think, the one who owns the club. I think you're right. Yeah. Gabriel Byrne like runs it and is sort of a rival to Jeff Goldblum. And I remember there's this like one big scene where like Richard Dreyfuss shoots off Gabriel Byrne's legs or something. Some weird shit. Yeah. Yes. Yeah. Ellen Barkin, Diane Lane, Gregory Hines, Kyle McLaughlin. Burt Reynolds was in Mad Dog Time. Billy Idol's in it. Rob Reiner, Richard Pryor. Like that's a it's an insane cast of characters you got in Mad Dog Time, Mike. That's right.

[00:08:43] Not not in executive target, though. No, yes. Uh, that Mad Dog Time really feels like a movie where like Larry Bishop called in every favor he's ever had to any famous person he's ever known. Yeah. Which he was like fairly connected to it because he was like he was the son of one of the Rat Pack guys, I think. Right. Oh, that's right. Yeah. It's all coming back to me now. Yes. So this this movie that we talked about five years ago that I haven't thought about since all these details are flooding back to me.

[00:09:09] In any case, we're not talking about Mad Dog Time today, although I do recommend watching it. It's insane. And I remember kind of liking it. But I also think I might have had a little bit of Stockholm Syndrome at that point. Isn't it like? Yeah. And they're like playing Russian roulette or something crazy or something. I don't remember. It doesn't matter. Okay. But anyway, executive target. Angie Everhart. So Dayton Callie, who plays Bella, he also co-wrote this movie alongside Jacobson Hart, who wrote a lot of the direct to video action movies in the 90s.

[00:09:38] He wrote with titles like Cyber Tracker, Lion Strike, Zero Tolerance. Cool. Yeah. All cool movies. And it was directed by Joseph Merhe, who directed many of those movies as well. I believe he directed Zero Tolerance and he went on to create the TNT series L.A. Heat, which ran for two seasons. Uh, executive target was released direct to video in the U.S., although it did play theaters in some countries. Uh, it had its TV premiere in the U.S. on July 11th, 1997. So that's the date we're working with here.

[00:10:06] If you decided to go to the theater instead, you could have seen the movie that opens number two that weekend, which was Robert Zemeckis is contact. Interesting. I've never seen contact, actually. You know, I've actually also never seen contact. I'm a huge Zemeckis guy. Uh, and that's like kind of the major movie of his that I still have yet to watch. Um, but yeah, contact, uh, came out this weekend. Also opening to number nine was a simple wish with Mara Wilson and Martin short. Uh, number one of the box office was men in black in its second week.

[00:10:31] Uh, and the rest of the top 10 consisted of face off, uh, previously covered on this podcast. Of course, uh, Disney's Hercules, my best friend's wedding out to see Batman and Robin Con Air also previously covered on this podcast. Double cage in the top 10 double cage and the lost world. Jurassic park. Let's get us covered on this podcast. This is a big, uh, big time of year here for, uh, the complete works. That's right. Yeah. Well, I wonder what yo movie we could squeeze in there. When did the hook is coming out?

[00:11:01] This is 97. So actually it's the same year that tomorrow never dies came out, but I think that was later in the year. I want to say it was more of a fall release there, but that, that would have been the one, uh, would have been the yo movie. I think the convergence of all complete work seasons in the, in the future going forward, I hope are also nine summer 97. That'd be crazy. Yes. I mean the complete works have, uh, have converged once already with wicked part one. Okay. Uh, Jeff Goldberg, Michelle, yo starring in the same movie. It will happen again, uh, later this year with wicked for good.

[00:11:30] And who knows? Maybe Nicholas Cage will be in it. That'd be fun to us. Wouldn't that be crazy if Nicholas Cage ends up being in wicked part two and we have to do a new theme song that combines all three of them together? I think Kyle would quit. We're he would stop talking to us. A CGI Roy Scheider appears. Uh, and it's just a whole, we would be the profits. We would be the profits, right? That would be, I think so. As foretold, we would be held as new gods. Uh, because we saw this coming.

[00:11:56] Uh, the IMD plot synopsis for executive target reads a stunt driver heading for prison on a minor charge is freed against his will by a terrorist gang. Then by kidnapping his wife, he is forced to drive a getaway car and a plot to kidnap the president from a motorcade. Uh, so I D going into this movie, what were you expecting from it? Uh, you know, we just had a direct to video action movie last week with Plato's run, uh, which I think, I mean, I kind of liked. I think you were a little underwhelmed by. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

[00:12:24] Uh, so I think, uh, were you kind of expecting something similar with this movie? Uh, and what are your overall thoughts on it? Yeah. Going into executive target, I was definitely expecting something similar to Plato's run. I was expecting to be, uh, sort of entertained, ultimately kind of let down, but like, you know, of course I'm sure there would have been, you know, peaks, like just like we've talked about in Plato's run, like, oh man, those last 30 minutes are like actually really fun when they're storming the compound and doing that kind of thing.

[00:12:48] Um, so I was expecting that sort of movie, uh, again, but what we get an executive target is, uh, a pretty trash movie that is just balls to the wall fun. I had, I genuinely was, I was beside myself that my literal, my actual reaction, which is usually a joke, uh, and a lot of these movies is that we used to have movies.

[00:13:10] Like this directive move, directive video, Michael Madsen action movie is nonstop car chases and explosions and big set pieces where they're flying helicopters through downtown Los Angeles until they explode. Yep. And it's the coolest fucking shit I've ever seen. I mean, you know, the action is not that great, you know, especially when you compare it to this, you know, I guess, you know, even, even the early to mid nineties, the yo Hong Kong stuff, right? Like sure. Yeah.

[00:13:40] Which was, you know, before she comes to tomorrow, never die, it comes to America, Hollywood for tomorrow, never die. She's in some, some sinkers in there, but those action, those, the action is great in those. And I think in executive target, the action is fine. It's fun. They're, they're driving cars off ramps and they are exploding and there's big shootout. Like, you know, it's cool shit. There's nothing crazy and inventive. Like in the Hong Kong movies we saw, nobody shoots an elevator out of a building, like a bullet, you know, it's what I'm saying. That's the problem with most movies actually.

[00:14:07] Is that, but other than that, the plot is just insane. It's, it's so stupid, you know, that we have to get this stunt driver to be the getaway driver, uh, forever. He's the only one who can do it. Yeah. You know, famously in movies where everything you see is real, uh, right? Like what? That whole thought process is silly, but that is a, a cool, you don't think about it for too long. Uh, idea, right. You know? Yeah.

[00:14:35] It's, it's the moment when like in national treasure, when, when, uh, Nick Cage is like, I'm going to steal the declaration of independence. This is, we're going to kidnap the president. And you're like, let's fucking go. Like, yeah. I mean, that's actually national treasure too. He says that. You're right. You're right. You're right. How can I on the complete works? Um, but yeah, so I mean like it was a, like turn your, turn your brain off and like have a beer and just like, let's go. Michael Madsen. Yeah. Woo. Like silly movie. Um, which is crazy.

[00:15:02] I think this movie also has a secret weapon, which is ripping off the soundtrack from either score rather from either speed crimson, crimson tide or the rock. I also thought of speed. Yeah. Is it speed? Okay. Yeah. I couldn't remember which one it was, but I was like, it's one of these movies that has the coolest fucking score. Yes. I think it's definitely, it's all three of them. I think it's just like, it's just stealing from all of them. Right. Yeah.

[00:15:25] Um, so fun, exciting score over cars driving through the cardboard box truck, you know, it's like that kind of thing. Uh, and it's fucking fun. I had a, I had a surprising blast with executive target, which is why I led with, I think the Stockholm syndrome. I needed one more movie. Uh, and that's it. Now I'm in for the rest of the season. Now it's official. No, I, I do think, um, there is a level of craft and executive targets, uh, that maybe we don't really see in Plato's run, which I think is a very fun movie.

[00:15:56] Uh, it's, yeah, I mean, maybe very fun. It's got its moments. And I think the last half hour of Plato's run is very fun. Um, but you know, it, it just kind of feels like it's all over the place. You're watching Gary Busey in slow motion for a while and all that stuff. Right. This really feels like, uh, you got a real action director doing some cool action stuff. Uh, and I, I, I do think you're selling the action look a little bit short. I think it's really, really, it's less, it's not really hand to hand combat or anything like that. It's more like vehicular stunts that are, that this movie is mostly focused on.

[00:16:23] Uh, and really it's, there's like kind of just three big action scenes. There are three big car chases that happen in the movie. There's the opening where Michael Madsen gets broken out of jail. Uh, and he immediately has to get away from the cops. Right. And so he's like, he steals a car and just starts driving. Uh, and I forget exactly where they are. Um, I think that's Los Angeles, right? Okay. It is Los Angeles. Yeah. Uh, but that, that opening like action set piece goes on for a long time. It does rules. Uh, it's so good.

[00:16:51] Uh, like I was really, really impressed, um, by how effective that car chase is. And then they do it again. Um, because it seems like the reason that Michael Madsen has broken down jail is to help Keith David rob a bank. Right. Uh, and so that's the second act of the movie is them doing that. Uh, and so you're watching that car chase and you're like, Hey, this is great too. This is really, really fun. And you have like the added bonus of Keith David, like watching it back in his lair with, uh, smoking a cigar. Yes.

[00:17:19] Uh, and somehow his camera is just the movie's camera. Um, it is. Yeah. Uh, which is very fun. Um, so you're watching that set piece and it's really, really cool. Uh, and then you have the final set piece, which when they kidnap the president of the United States, um, and then there's a kind of a shootout kind of sequence where they have to infiltrate the lair again towards the end. But really the movie is built around like these three big car chases. Uh, and all three of them are awesome. Like, you know, we, we've talked about some cool car chases on this season already, you

[00:17:47] know, French Connection, Seven Ups, and these are like iconic big car chases. Uh, and these, this movie, this direct to video nineties action movie, um, starring Michael Madsen, uh, who, you know, I think he's, I think Michael Madsen is a good actor. It's, it's weird. It's like, he's bringing him up as like, I think he's, he's a good actor in Tarantino movies. Yes. A hundred percent. Tarantino uses him very well, but there's, I think there is a reason you don't typically see him in movies outside of Quentin Tarantino. Yeah. Yeah.

[00:18:16] This is the movie that definitely made me sit there. Like while it was happening, I was like, is he really, have I been tricked by Quentin Tarantino? No, I think I've been tricked. Uh, yeah, perhaps. But, uh, yeah, no, I think he's, uh, I think he's an okay time. Yeah. He's fine. He's fine in this movie, but he is totally outshone by Keith David, who's just killing it. Um, just, I mean, he gets the more fun role. He has to be the, uh, you know, the villain. Uh, and also Roy Scheider is, I think a really great president of the United States.

[00:18:45] I mean, yeah, I guess you're right. The car chases are really good. I was thinking more just like the inventive, uh, hand to hand wire foo stuff that we saw a lot, which is like an impossible standard to set any action movie too. Sure. You're talking about like maybe the greatest era of action filmmaking ever. Yeah, exactly. Yeah. Um, in this director video movie, not so good. No. Um, but yeah, I think, you know, the, the, the car chases and stuff are really fun. Yeah. I think this movie, like I said before, or like I was saying, yeah, it was a little like,

[00:19:15] Hmm. What about Michael Madsen? You know, uh, he's great in the Tarantinos. Uh, and I don't really know if I've seen him in other stuff off the top of my head that I can think of. Yeah. I mean, uh, yeah, there's a few, I mean, so yeah, he's been in, uh, well, Reservoir Dogs is the big one, obviously. Right. That's, he plays, I think Mr. Blue in that movie. One of the, one of the colors. I don't remember. That's the whole thing. Yeah. I think he's Mr. Blonde. I believe he's Mr. Blonde. You're right. Yeah. Yes.

[00:19:47] And cutting the ear off all that stuff. That's him. Uh, and then he's in, uh, Kill Bill, right? He's one of the, the deadly Viper assassination squad. Uh, and he's really, I think he's really only in volume two. Uh, he has a supporting role in hateful eight. He has like a cameo once been done in Hollywood. A couple other Michael Madsen movies. He's in Thelma and Louise pretty major. He's the, he's the, uh, guy that she's getting away from in Thelma and Louise, I think, uh, like the abusive husband or something. Right. That sounds right. I don't remember. I think that's right. Uh, he's in sin city. I'm looking at his Wikipedia right now. So yeah.

[00:20:15] Most, most importantly, he's in executive target. Yeah, exactly. Um, yeah. The natural free Willie, uh, Michael Madsen is in, uh, yeah. Michael Madsen's in free Willie. He is, um, he plays the, uh, auto repairs founder and owner. Jesse's foster dad. Um, so the main character is foster, foster dad. Um, yeah, he's in free Willie's and species, uh, Donnie Brasco. He's a scary movie for, I didn't realize he was in school before that. Uh, he, he had a voice in grant the thought of three. Yes. I do remember that.

[00:20:45] The end outshone by everybody else in this movie. Uh, I mean, he is, it's somebody outside of the Tarantinos and like, especially since the nineties, he does a lot of direct to video stuff these days. It does make sense that, uh, Scheider would be in a movie with, uh, him and Gary, like Gary Busey immediately followed by Michael Madsen. Like if in this kind of movie. Um, so, but yeah, I think, I think Scheider is doing pretty good. I think his first scene when he's giving like the press conference is really good. He's very presidential in that.

[00:21:13] And then when he shows up at the end, it's like, well, okay, I guess, you know, like whatever, which is when he sort of drops the presidential facade. Cause he's been kidnapped and all that. Right. He's pretty fine. He's pretty good. I mean, this movie. I think Scheider's fun in it. Yeah. No, I liked, um, towards the end when, um, so he's been kidnapped and you know, he thinks that Michael Madsen is, you know, the bad guy, but actually Michael Madsen is being blackmailed into doing it because his wife has been kidnapped by Keith David. Right. Uh, and so, but Michael Madsen, like, you know, has a secret plan.

[00:21:40] And so he brings the president to, uh, his buddy's place, the, the mechanics place. The sex pest. Yes. And they kind of explain the situation to Roy Scheider and Scheider's, um, Scheider has a pretty funny line where he's, you know, he's like really pissed off and it's like, Hey, Hey, you know, I'm sorry, sir. It's like, I'm not pissed off at you. I'm pissed off at my secret service. Like heads are going to roll. Yes. I can't believe you guys successfully kidnapped the president. How could they have let this happen? Yeah. Yes. Uh, and so he ends up like kind of getting involved in their scheme and take down Keith David.

[00:22:08] Uh, and I kind of liked that side of Scheider in the movie too, where he's like, you know, he has that element to him too. But yeah, when he first shows up, um, it is, you know, he's, um, you use, I think you're seeing him talk to this general, like one of his like trusted generals. Yeah. Uh, and he's like, uh, and the general's like, listen, Mr. President, I don't know about the decision. And Scheider's like, no, you know, I think what we need to do is, uh, cut spending into the military. We need to cut military funding in order to feed, like, you know, put it back into our country and, you know, serve our people.

[00:22:35] So like, you know, the homeless population needs to dwindle down and like all that stuff. And like Scheider's whole thing is like very progressive. And it's like all about like trying to make the country a better place by like putting, putting the federal funds like into, you know, public works programs and like helping people and all that kind of stuff. Uh, and so what happens in the movie, uh, you know, once he gives this press conference where he like talks about this and like how he wants to do this. Uh, and then every once in a while you hear this like conservative, like Rush Limbaugh radio

[00:23:03] host who's like, ah, these liberals, they hate America or whatever. Yeah. They want a homeless communist to take over the country. Yeah. Jesus Christ. Transgender illegals are entering the country twice or something. Yeah. Uh, that's a line from succession, but yeah. Uh, but yeah, it's just stuff like that. Uh, and so you, you're kind of hearing that like side of it every once in a while. Uh, and then the ultimate reveal of the movie is that Keith David has actually been hired

[00:23:29] by the general that Roy Shatter was talking to at the beginning of the movie to kidnap the president and kill him because he wants military spending. Yeah. Which is honestly the most American thing I've ever heard. Uh, cause we know that's exactly what would happen. As soon as anybody hinted at potentially cutting the defense budget, they would kill him. I mean, yes. Instantly. Yeah. Um, and so that's, it's a weirdly like the movie occupies like a very weird space of like

[00:23:59] being a like hardcore action movie from the nineties with like a kind of progressive bent to it. Um, it's a weird, it's a interesting space for it to hold, but Roy Shatter, he's in the movie. We kind of are already said our thoughts on him a little bit, but, uh, yeah, no, I think he's very good. I liked him a lot as the president. Uh, and apparently I was looking ahead at a few other movies. Uh, he does play the president at least one more time, uh, in another direct to video action movie from 1997 or I think it might be from 97, but I don't, I don't think it's the same

[00:24:25] character or anything, uh, man, that would be wild if like the cinematic universe expanded in that way. Yeah. That's so funny. Yeah. I think, I think it, it makes sense. Like, you know, just what the kind of persona Shatter has in this time period. And you know, he kind of gives off that. But yeah, I believe he'd be presidential. He's got that sort of a, there's like a funny joke about, uh, in the beginning of, in that like opening conversation, which is just voiceover between the two characters, uh, where the general is like, this is going to make people hate you or something.

[00:24:54] And he's like, Oh, I'm from New Jersey or sorry. He's got some New Jersey joke about, or if I wanted people to like me, I would have stayed in New Jersey. I think is what he says. Right. Um, so yeah, I don't know. He's got this kind of presidential elite authority thing going on there that, uh, really, I think really works. Uh, it makes sense. Yeah, absolutely. Uh, the other movie that Roy Shatter plays the president and actually Mike is, uh, the peacekeeper, uh, which is an action movie. It was not direct to video. It did come out in theaters. Uh, it's a Dolph Lundgren film. Whoa.

[00:25:23] Uh, so yeah, another one of those guys pretty excited for that one. Actually, that should be fun. But yeah, no, I think Shatter is really fun in this movie, but how do you think this fits into the shadow roles that we've seen so far, Mike? Well, as far as the roles that he specifically played, um, I can't really think of Annie off the top of my head. I was thinking more, you know, we kind of talked about like the movie overall feels a lot of, uh, much more akin to like, um, 52 pickup or seven ups or, or, uh, French connection,

[00:25:52] you know, those kinds of like more action car movies. Um, 52 pickups isn't really a car movie, but it's just a car plays an important part. That's true. Very end of the movie. Yeah. At the very end of the movie. Um, so that kind of stuff, uh, let's, I can't, I mean, it's the, I guess the, the ultimate authority figure, right? He's been playing those. Yeah. You know, I think, um, for, for all the people that we've talked about and kind of talking about how their arc eventually leads into playing, you know, older authority figures. Um, so far, I believe this is our first president. Um, true.

[00:26:21] We've talked about, except for, I guess Michelle Yeoh was in the lady, which is not president of the United States, but like that was, uh, you know, a biopic about a real life world leader. Right. Right. And the, uh, soon sisters, right. They're sort of, uh, yes, that's true. Although they were not presidents, but yes. And, and that's like specifically like they're the, uh, the wives of the presidents or whatever, right. The, yeah. Uh, but, uh, yeah, no, this is the first time we've ever had somebody, uh, portraying the president of the United States in a movie.

[00:26:47] Uh, and I think this is, uh, you know, it's a part of a rich tradition of a film. I, I am weirdly fascinated by fictional presidents for some reason, whenever I'm like watching a movie and like suddenly it involves the president in some capacity, it's like, oh man, shit's about to get real. Like, uh, and I think a good example of this is, uh, the beekeeper. Did you ever watch the beekeeper Mike? No, no, I did not. Do you know what happens at the beekeeper? Um, I know it's about like the scam caller people, right.

[00:27:15] And he's, and he like, or something or is that? Yes. Yeah. No, you're, I mean, that's actually both. Um, but you are, you are right on both counts, but okay. So I'm going to spoil what happens in the beekeeper Mike, just cause I feel like you need to know what happens with the beekeeper, uh, which by the way, um, Timo Jihanto just signed on to make the beekeeper too. I saw that. Yeah. So, uh, I do think you've got to watch the beekeeper at some point. Um, you know, I just, I just, I just made you know what happens. You watch nobody because he's doing nobody too. He's doing all the sequels now. Uh, it's a sequel action, man. Yes. Uh, but the beekeeper a is really fun.

[00:27:45] Uh, be the twist in the beekeeper. So it's about Jason Statham, this woman that he's friends with, with a Felicia Rashad. Uh, she gets scammed by these people thinking that her grandson's in trouble or something. Uh, and so she, you know, transfers all her money into this like account. Uh, and then immediately that kind of freezes and she like loses all her money essentially. And then she kills herself as a result. Yeah. It's crazy. Uh, and so Jason Statham goes out for revenge against the people who tried to, who scammed her. It's this tech bro played by Josh Hutcherson and also Jeremy Irons is like the head of the company.

[00:28:15] Yeah. Uh, and what you ultimately discover, uh, is that the people who scammed her, the Josh Hutcherson is the son of the president of the United States. Uh, and so it has to go all the way to the white house. And so Jason Statham has to go to the white house. It goes all the way to the top. It goes all the way to the top. Uh, it's insane. It's an insane movie. Uh, and it's really fun. I liked the beekeeper quite a bit.

[00:28:41] It's, uh, but yeah, anytime like anything like that happens in a movie where it like suddenly ties into the presidency, I'm kind of all in like, I mean, you know, just those kinds of like big action movies. Um, you know, Air Force One was also a favorite, uh, growing up, big fan of that movie. Uh, executive decision, uh, is another one too. Uh, yeah, no, just, uh, presidential action movies are a weird, you know, it's, it's a weird tradition that we have, but it is, it's a thing. It is a thing for sure. I don't even know how to begin to unpack that, but you're, yeah, it is a thing.

[00:29:11] Cause the president's must be the most macho man. They're in charge. Yes, exactly. Yeah. Uh, and I think part of it is, you know, you want to be like inspired by, you know, this kind of figure. I think like Bill Pullman, Independence Day is one is a good example of that. But yeah, I think there's so many, uh, examples of it on film. Yeah, no, it's just, it's an interesting trend that especially like nineties, two thousands. I feel like it happened a lot then especially. And I can't imagine that ever ending. Like what, like what could possibly happen to the office of the president that would make us not be inspired by it anymore?

[00:29:41] Yeah, no, exactly. Yeah. I mean, even now, I think the last time we really got stuff like that, I mean, it's like I said, in the beekeeper, like the president's kind of the bad guy. Uh, and as in Captain America four, I feel like the last time we had like a presidential action movie might've been like that year where it was white house down. Olympus has fallen like back to back. Yeah. But there's a bunch more of each of those franchises, right? White house down only has one. They only made the one movie. Oh, that's right. Yeah. Olympus has fallen. I believe there's three of them. I want to say they're making a fourth one.

[00:30:11] Like, and they're at the point where like Gerard Butler is like a secret service agent and the president's changes out because the movies ran on for so long. Right. It was Morgan Freeman, right? And I think it was Morgan Freeman at first. Yeah. I want to say Aaron Eckhart is, is in there too somewhere. Oh, that sounds right. Maybe he was the president. Uh, he might've been the president at first and then Morgan Freeman came in later. I'm not sure. I have not seen the has fallen films. Uh, as a, as somebody who is kind of into the action movies of Gerard Butler, for whatever reason, I have not watched the Olympus has fallen. Wild.

[00:30:40] But in any case, uh, yeah, no, especially like the last 10 years, we've really seen like a downswing in that. Uh, and that makes sense. I think. Yeah. President is bad guy probably on the upswing, you know? Yes. Yeah, exactly. Uh, all right. Any other scenes or moments in executive target that stand out to you, Mike? Um, well, I loved every moment that was a wide shot of a car chase cut into a closeup

[00:31:06] of Michael Madsen, the same shot of him, like, Whoa, like looking in the rear view mirror, uh, and then cut back to the action scene and then cut back to the same exact shot of him looking in the rear view mirror. It does that a few times where it reuses shots. There's another moment in one of the car chases where like you see that there's, they drive through a fruit market at one point. Um, yeah, I noticed this too. Uh, and you see somebody like jump from the, like the side of the fruit market, like into the street. Uh, and you know, then it cuts back and then you cut back to that same shot again of the

[00:31:36] guy jumping from the fruit market into the street. So funny. Or when, uh, it's like a hand of Barbera cartoon. Exactly. Yeah. Or at the, uh, towards the, the end of that second car chase after the bank robbery where, um, they drive through that, that market or whatever, the, the cardboard box market, uh, to the end where there's cars, uh, police waiting for them at the end of that warehouse. So he just whips the car around and drives through in the other direction. It's just the same exact thing.

[00:32:05] Uh, yep. Just pretty fun. And yeah, like they're, they're actually crashing real cars that are actually exploding off real ramps. Like that's the cool, it's, that's the movies baby. Yeah. And there's some gnarly looking car damage in this movie too. There's a moments where like, you know, the top of a car will just get like kind of yeeted off a bit because the car on top of like, we'll like drive over it and like, you know, it's, it's nuts. They try to drive, uh, uh, like under a tractor trailer basically, or they use the tractor

[00:32:34] trailer to smash the presidential limousine and like cut the top off of it. Uh, and it's fucking awesome. I don't know. It's cool. Yeah. A lot of that stuff is, is really cool in this movie. Yes. And, uh, yeah, you mentioned the cardboard box factory. We mentioned the fruit market. It feels like there's a lot of just like every time they can find an obstacle to drive through, they're going to do it. Uh, and it really felt like that bit in Wayne's world where these two guys are going across the street and be like, well, our job is to, you know, carry this big plate glass window.

[00:33:01] Uh, and we're just gonna keep walking this way and that way and just keep, keep, keep going. It's like, Oh, interesting. I wonder if this will come into play later. That's my favorite bit, uh, in the hidden, which in the opening car trace in the hidden, there is just a, like, it's a whole thing. And then literally there are just guys carrying a giant plate glass across the street. It's so funny. And yeah, this movie does a lot of that stuff. I think, um, Keith David is great.

[00:33:27] You know, I don't even know what it's from, but that one like clip of him being like, welcome to hell motherfucker. Like, I don't know what that's from, but he's got that energy, uh, in every, in every scene in this movie. He really does. Yeah. And I think he's doing like a little bit of a voice too. He's got a voice going for sure. Cause usually, you know, Keith David, he's a pretty, he has a pretty deep voice. Uh, you know, it's a pretty recognizable one and he's doing something a little more nasally, uh, in this movie, which is really funny. Yeah, no, he's just got like such a really fun, weird energy in this movie.

[00:33:56] Uh, and it's such a good villain for it. Uh, and I love how much pleasure he's taking in everything. Um, you know, he kidnaps Michael Madsen's wife and he has her hostage in like this room. Like whenever Michael Madsen's out in a job, he like brings her up to like, Oh, you can watch the screen with me. And he's like, watch the movie, pop an open champagne. Yeah. And they're just watching the movie. Cause they're, it's not like he has security cameras or anything. It's just like the actual camera footage of like what you just saw. Uh, which is wild. Um, but I also like that.

[00:34:24] Um, even when that's not happening, there's this moment where Michael Madsen, uh, goes back to the room and they start to make out and then it's implied that they're about to have sex. And then you see Keith David watching that. He's just like got his feet up on his desk. Like it's like so funny. And then he's in area 55, like what, um, yeah, I'm distinct from area 51. Yeah. Legally distinct. Yeah. Yeah. This movie is a hot mess, but it is, it is a lot of fun.

[00:34:52] I, this would be like, I could like also, I had pictured at a mystery movie marathon, like this being in the middle and just like the crowd going wild. Cause it's insane, you know? Yeah. I think this would be a really fun one to watch in a theater. Uh, and most people didn't get to do that because it is a video movie. Uh, but, uh, yeah, no, it's, it's such a blast. And the, uh, the climax I think is really fun too. I mean, so you have the big three set pieces and then you have this moment where, uh, they're kind of using the president, uh, Michael Madsen's using the president to like infiltrate Keith

[00:35:22] David's lair and rescue his wife. Uh, and you know, there's this big kind of shootout moments and stuff like that. Michael Madsen's friend dies. Uh, you know, it's very sad. Poor guy. Poor guy. But then he kills Keith David. And it is such like a weirdly like anticlimactic scene when it's like, gets to Keith David. Um, yeah, he just shoots him and then it's done. The movie's over. Yeah. Yeah. I mean the last, the end of the movie, like the, the, the scene or the set piece where they

[00:35:49] kidnap the president and it's this big car chase and you know, this whole thing. And they get, he gets to his friend's apartment where he like explains to, to the president, like, Oh, I'm being blackmailed. I'm a stunt man. Like the movies like, Oh shit. We're out of time. Basically is how it felt. It was like, it takes two minutes for them to convince the president that no, I'm actually I'm innocent. You gotta listen to me. Hear me out, bro. Um, basically. Yeah.

[00:36:16] Cause then, cause then yeah, the secret service busts in and shatters like, hold on a second. Yeah. Let him finish. Let him finish. Let him cook. Um, so it is very funny that they realize like, Oh shit, we have 20 pages of script left. Like, you know, like they just let him agree and then just cut to we're storming the compound. Uh, and it's like, they just, you know, like those old Hong Kong movies, basically like, Oh, bad guy's dead. Roll credits. Almost. There's a little bit of a coda, but yes. Yeah. What happens in the coda again?

[00:36:44] It's just the president is like, okay, now we can do things again. Yeah. Basically. And he's, I think Madsen does get shot. Uh, so he's like in an ambulance and the president comes in. And he's like, I think this bag is yours. Right. And it's like a big bag of money. Right. Like, he's like, why don't you hold onto it for me or something like that? Uh, sort of thing. But yeah, it's pretty, it is very funny that they're just like, Oh, well, we're done. So the last 15 minutes of the movie just like is whizzing by because they're kind of just trying to get to the end. Yes.

[00:37:14] But yeah, otherwise it's, it's a pretty fun movie. I had a good time. Yeah. I had a good time with it too. Uh, this is a pleasant surprise in this, uh, era of Ray Scheider. Uh, so hopefully we have a few more like this. Like if, if, if all the direct video movies are about of this quality, we have a good time. Yes. I mean, good. Yeah. I can take 20 more of these. Yeah. Uh, all right. Should we move on to a letterboxd or juice Mike? Yes. I'm very interested to see what the like normal person reaction is to this movie.

[00:37:43] Uh, no, they were all pretty much about where we were, I think for the most part, uh, you know, like threes, three and a halfs kind of across the board. Uh, here's a three and a half review from, uh, Steve G, which reads another enjoyable time in the hands of Joseph Merhi and PM entertainment. Uh, so Joseph Merhi, the director, uh, PM entertainment, I believe his production company and you know, he just made a lot of these kinds of movies, uh, in the nineties, uh, not quite as enjoyable as rage, but just as enjoyable as riots. Michael Madsen gets forced into kidnapping president Roy Scheider. He's got my vote.

[00:38:11] Uh, or Keith David will murder his estranged wife. What's a boy to do. There are two marvelous car chases in this, especially an early one, which is chaotic and dangerous looking as it should be. Scheider is in the mood to work, although he doesn't need to be. Madsen is tolerable by his standards. David makes her a great lead villain, some good gun stuff as well. And the odd, pretty good one-liner a recipe for a good time. As far as I'm concerned, I'll take it. Yeah, absolutely. Uh, here's a three-star review from Curtis, which reads Roy Scheider is the president

[00:38:39] who plans to return government to the people. The powers that be, who don't include the president, disagree and orchestrate a plan to maintain control using escaped stunt car driver, Nick James, Michael Madsen, which by the way, every time they say the name Nick James, it's almost impossible to not go in your head. I'm Nick James, bitch. Yeah, you're right. Keith David's the man in charge of running things in the top secret area 55 as he sets up the various vehicular set pieces, which are the lifeblood of executive target. It's a mid nineties PM entertainment vehicle.

[00:39:09] So what you could expect are some neatly spaced out intense races around LA as cop cars are launched into the air. Produce is crushed with impunity and anything can explode into a screen filling fireball. There's other stuff too, of course, but I feel like the majority of the energy here went into the chases and executive target is all the better for it. One of the film's writers put himself in the movie as an aficionado of gentlemen's clubs and fine inflatable companions while being an occasional mechanic. Classic comic sidekick combo. Classic. Love that guy. Yes, absolutely.

[00:39:38] And I got one more here. It's a three star review from Dan Gorman, which reads structured around three really sick car chases. But the we're forcing you to drive getaway for a president kidnapping plot really takes a while to kick in. It's PM entertainments. There's lots to dig into overall. Plenty of sick cars slash van flips and it has a good cast. But between the action scenes, I wasn't exactly glued to my seat. Yeah, that tracks. It does take like an hour before they're like, and we're going to kidnap the president. That's true. Yes. You're like, wait, wasn't Reich Heider in this movie?

[00:40:07] Like, yeah, it's true. I mean, it is these three chases. The first one is, you know, him getting out of jail and all that kind of stuff. And the second one is this bank robbery, which is completely tangential to the main stuff in the movie. Yeah. But the main stuff in the movie doesn't happen until way after that. So it's, yeah, it's structured a little oddly, but all three car chases. Pretty sick. Pretty sick. Yeah. Everybody's pretty good, too. You know, even Angie Everhart's really good as the like henchman lady. I thought she was fun. Yeah.

[00:40:37] The other guy who's just a psychopath is fun. Yes. Anyway. Skinner or something. There's something like that. He's got some kind of henchman goon name. Right. He's the guy who like when they when they break Michael Madsen out, they like shoot all the other prisoners on the bus or something. Right. Yeah. And he just like can't stop killing cops. Yes. Which, hey, that's fun, I guess. But yeah, it's it's overall. What a what a silly fun time. Yes, absolutely. Yeah. Had a good time with executive target. I think people should watch it.

[00:41:06] It's streaming on Amazon Prime right now. Oh, really? If people want to see it. So, yeah, definitely worth checking it out. All right, Mike D. Where can we find you on land this week? You can find me at MD film blog on Blue Sky and Letterboxd. And if you'd like to donate to support the show, you can do that at our Kofi page, which is Kofi dot com slash Mike and Mike pods. We can also donate fifty dollars to pick a topic for a bonus episode for Mike and Mike go to the movies. And if you want merch, we have merch available on our Redbubble, which is Mike and Mike pods dot redbubble dot com. That's right.

[00:41:34] You can find me online at M Smith film blog on Twitter and Blue Sky. Mike Smith film on Letterboxd. Radio Mike sandwich on Instagram. Thank you so much. Listening to complete works on my Smith. It's my decree show. Don't forget to rate and view the show on Apple podcast or any other podcast app. And if you want to contact us, you can tweet at us at complete works pod. That's W R K S. No, oh, and the word works. And you can find the rest of our podcast and Rapture Press alongside many other podcasts about kinds of comic books and movie news and all that good stuff. Our theme song was created by Kyle Cullen, who you can reach for your own podcast themes at Kyle's podcast themes at gmail dot com.

[00:42:03] And our logo was designed by Mac V or at fearless guard on Twitter. Next week, we've got our third direct to video action movie in a row. Let's go, baby. And this time Roy Scheider reunites with his Plato's Run co-star Gary Busey. What? Yes, it's the second of the movies that they made together. And he's actually reuniting with director Sidney J. Fury. Do you remember who that is, Mike? Oh, man. Yeah. He made a movie we talked about already.

[00:42:33] He sure did. Which was called from this season? From the Roy Scheider season. Yeah. From the Roy Scheider season. Nope. It's gone. I don't know. This was the director of Sheila Levine is dead and living in New York. He also directed this 97 direct to video movie called The Rage, which despite starring in Rage, he's still just Roy Scheider. That was. Was that name checked in one of the Letterboxd reviews? That was a different movie called Rage.

[00:43:03] No way. It was. I was looking into that. Yeah. No, there's another movie that this filmmaker made, Joseph Meri, called Rage from 95. This movie is called The Rage from 97. Oh, yeah. How can I make that mistake? Yes, absolutely. So, yeah. Looking forward to checking that out next week. Remember to check out other podcasts. Mike might go to the movies for all kinds of other movie related stuff, including recent releases, ranked lists, general discussions, and a lot more. Thanks so much for listening, guys, and thanks for being a Hollywood ensiner.