Raw Deal

"The system gave him a raw deal. Nobody gives him a raw deal."

1986 1h 46m EN

😐

5.9

MID

★5.9TMDB · 952

ActionCrimeThriller

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Mark Kaminsky is kicked out of the FBI for his rough treatment of a suspect. He winds up as the sheriff of a small town in North Carolina. FBI Chief Harry Shannon, whose son has been killed by a mobster named Patrovina, enlists Kaminsky in a personal vendetta with a promise of reinstatement into the FBI if Patrovina is taken down. To accomplish this, he must go undercover and join Patrovina's gang.

“The system gave him a raw deal. Nobody gives him a raw deal.”

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Cast

Arnold Schwarzenegger
Mark Kaminski / Joseph P. Brenner
Kathryn Harrold
Monique
Sam Wanamaker
Luigi Patrovita
Paul Shenar
Paulo Rocca
Robert Davi
Max Keller
Ed Lauter
Baker
Darren McGavin
Harry Shannon
Joe Regalbuto
Marvin Baxter

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: John Irvin
Writers: Norman Wexler, Gary DeVore, Sergio Donati
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America, Netherlands

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

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

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

International production across 2 countries: United States of America, Netherlands.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by John Irvin, shot by Alex Thomson. 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 Chris Boardman. 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 Anne V. Coates shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Arnold Schwarzenegger and Kathryn Harrold and Sam Wanamaker carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "The system gave him a raw deal. Nobody gives him a raw deal.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0091828 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

John Irvin directs. Alex Thomson behind the camera. Chris Boardman scores. Anne V. Coates cuts. Profitable at the box office. Produced in United States of America, Netherlands. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

140 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
2International production across 2 countries: United States of America, Netherlands.
3Directed by John Irvin, shot by Alex Thomson. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Original score by Chris Boardman. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Editor Anne V. Coates shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Arnold Schwarzenegger and Kathryn Harrold and Sam Wanamaker carry the top of the cast.
7Marketing tagline: "The system gave him a raw deal. Nobody gives him a raw deal.".
8IMDB entry: tt0091828 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
9Classified under 17 themes, including "chicago, illinois", "small town", "showdown", "undercover".
10Released under 11 different titles around the world.

The technical file

Cinematography: Alex Thomson
Original score: Chris Boardman
Editing: Anne V. Coates
Production design: Giorgio Postiglione
Costume design: Clifford Capone
Makeup / hair: Barbara Page
Runtime: 106 min · 1h 46m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Budget: $8,500,000
Box office: $16,209,459
Return: 191% of budget
Original language: EN
Certification (US): R
IMDB: Raw Deal (1986)

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John Irvin

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Community reviews

What people are saying

John Chard2019-11-24
★ 6/10
Because of you a lot of people are dead. And now it's your turn. Raw Deal is directed by John Irvin and written by Luciano Vincenzoni, Sergio Donati, Gary DeVore and Norman Wexler. It stars Arnold Schwarzenegger, Kathryn Harrold, Sam Wanamaker, Paul Shenar, Robert Davi and Ed Lauter. A former FBI agent turned small-town sheriff agrees to help the FBI chief infiltrate the Chicago mafia when the FBI chief's son is killed by them. Something of a forgotten Schwarzenegger vehicle, it's for sure one of his lesser lights from his 80s output, but there's enough brawn and bonkers machismo to make it a fun time viewing. Arnie has been scripted with some trade mark phrases and director John Irvin (Hamburger Hill) stages some exciting action set-pieces. In support it's unsurprising to find Davi yet again oozes vile scumbag charisma. There really isn't much to it, it's all very much dressage for Arnie to do his thang, so any expectation of credibility is preposterous in the extreme. So really just suspend your disbelief and enjoy the ride. 6/10

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