The Dead Pool

"Dirty Harry just learned a new game."

1988 1h 31m EN

😐

6.3

MID

★6.3TMDB · 993

ActionCrimeDramaThriller

Synopsis

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Dirty Harry Callahan returns for his final film adventure. Together with his partner Al Quan, he must investigate the systematic murder of prominent figures. By the time Harry learns that the murders are part of a sick game to predict such deaths, it may be too late.

“Dirty Harry just learned a new game.”

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Cast

Clint Eastwood
Insp. Harry Callahan
Patricia Clarkson
Samantha Walker
Liam Neeson
Peter Swan
Evan C. Kim
Insp. Al Quan
Jim Carrey
Johnny Squares
David Hunt
Harlan Rook
Michael Currie
Capt. Donnelly
Ronnie Claire Edwards
Molly Fisher

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Buddy Van Horn
Writers: Steve Sharon, Durk Pearson, Sandy Shaw
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

ERA

Did you know

38 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

CINEMA

Did you know

Part of the "Dirty Harry Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Buddy Van Horn, shot by Jack N. Green. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Lalo Schifrin. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Ron Spang shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Clint Eastwood and Patricia Clarkson and Liam Neeson carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "Dirty Harry just learned a new game.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0094963 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Buddy Van Horn directs. Jack N. Green behind the camera. Lalo Schifrin scores. Ron Spang cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Profitable at the box office. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

138 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
2Part of the "Dirty Harry Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.
3Directed by Buddy Van Horn, shot by Jack N. Green. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Original score by Lalo Schifrin. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Editor Ron Spang shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Clint Eastwood and Patricia Clarkson and Liam Neeson carry the top of the cast.
7Marketing tagline: "Dirty Harry just learned a new game.".
8IMDB entry: tt0094963 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
9Classified under 16 themes, including "prison", "police", "hitman", "fight".
10Released under 23 different titles around the world.

The technical file

Cinematography: Jack N. Green
Original score: Lalo Schifrin
Editing: Ron Spang
Production design: Edward C. Carfagno
Makeup / hair: Monty Westmore
Sound: Rick Alexander
Stunt coordinator: Diamond Farnsworth
Runtime: 91 min · 1h 31m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Budget: $20,000,000
Box office: $37,900,000
Return: 190% of budget
Original language: EN
Certification (US): R
IMDB: The Dead Pool (1988)

Part of

Dirty Harry Collection

Dirty Harry is the name of a series of films and novels featuring fictional San Francisco Police Department Homicide Division Inspector "Dirty" Harry Callahan, portrayed by Clint Eastwood. Eastwood's character also helped popularize the .44 Magnum, as Harry Callahan is famously shown wielding his Smith & Wesson Model 29 revolver.

Also by

Buddy Van Horn

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Community reviews

What people are saying

Andres Gomez2016-03-21
★ 6/10
Harry is getting older and this movie is just a good combination of most of the (bad) 80's ingredients. We now have the typical asian Kung Fu fighter as Harry's partner and a horrible synthesizer sound track. Good thing about this forgettable movie, however, is the cast. We get to see Liam Neeson, Patricia Clarkson and Jim "James" Carrey in one of their first movies. Maybe, to save, the chase scene with the remote controlled toy car.
talisencrw2016-07-10
★ 8/10
I don't care what other people think of the film--I love the Dirty Harry movies...ALL of them. Yes, it would have been much better if Eastwood himself had directed it, but the supporting cast is great.
r96sk2022-01-18
★ 7/10
<em>'The Dead Pool'</em>, whilst being the weakest of the <em>'Dirty Harry'</em> films and feeling a little out of place, is still good fun in my opinion. Clint Eastwood is supreme once more and is joined by some standout names in Liam Neeson and, to my big surprise, a certain yet to be famous <a href="https://letterboxd.com/actor/jim-carrey/">Canadian-born actor</a>! This one features a very silly plot but it does make for mindless entertainment. I had a solid time with it, anyway. There is one ridiculous, yet amusing, car chase sequence. Due to that, and other parts, it kinda doesn't feel like it quite fits with the other releases, though that's not an issue in my eyes. Overall, it ends an enjoyable series well.