Published via Ecency

(source: tmdb.org

Producers of low budget action thrillers in 1990s often had to take creative approach to advertising in order for their products not to sink into obscurity. An example can be found in Boogie Boy, 1998 film written and directed by Craig Hamman, which has been advertised with tagline “from the authors of Pulp Fiction”. In reality, Hamman was merely a friend of Quentin Tarantino and Roger Avary, with the latter serving as executive producer with a sole purpose of helping his project going without any actual input into Hamman’s work.

The protagonist, played by Mark Dacascos, is Jesse “Lucky” Page, former criminal who has just been released from prison and who arrives to Los Angeles to meet his former cellmate and best friend Larry (played by Jaimz Woolvett). Two men are glad to reunite, but it soon turns out that they have different aims in life. While Lucky is determined to go straight and leave his violent past behind, Larry is hopelessly addicted to heroin and forced to engage in increasingly dangerous schemes to support his habit. Lucky and Larry nevertheless decide to hang out and Larry invites Lucky in the night club. Lucky there apparently finds his new calling by replacing drugged-out drummer of the rock band run by Jerk (played by Joan Jett). Afterwards, Lucky, against his better judgement, decides to help Larry with one of his drug deals. The scheme goes wrong and ends in bloodbath, with Lucky and Larry forced to leave Los Angeles and hide in a desert motel run by elderly ex surfer Edsel Dundee (played by Frederic Forrest) and his young wife Hester (played by Emily Lloyd).

Those who seek influence of Tarantino will find some elements of Pulp Fiction in Hamman’s script, as well as those used for Avary’s own Killing Zoe, like characters heavily dependant on heroin and implied homosexuality. This is most visible in the scene that suggest that Lucky and Larry used to be more than friends while being in prison (and even more explicit references were allegedly cut from the film at the behest of producers). In the second part of his film Hamman takes different approach and shows that he is more interested in classic “noirish” tale. Although advertised as an action film, there is relatively little action, except near the end, where action star Mark Dacascos shows what his forte truly is. In the earlier, more quieter segments of the film, Dacascos isn’t that convincing, although he tries his best. Thankfully, he is helped by a very good and diverse supporting cast that involves not only rock legends like Joan Jett or former porn stars like Traci Lords, but very good character actor like Frederic Forrest. Hamman directs his film well, and despite an occasional cliches, even his script looks well-rounded and filled with interesting characters. After watching Boogie Boy it would be easy to imagine Hamman making a career of his own and without need to be associated with his old friends.

RATING: 7/10 (+++)