Exoticalot People are voting emotionally.

Platicsco Good story, Not enough for a whole film

Matho The biggest problem with this movie is it’s a little better than you think it might be, which somehow makes it worse. As in, it takes itself a bit too seriously, which makes most of the movie feel kind of dull.

Raymond Sierra The film may be flawed, but its message is not.

videorama-759-859391 I love films with different ideas or an interesting title to boot. Best Seller has both that, although Wood's kill count does get a bit annoying, or is too much. If you can remember Dennehy and Woods worked on another film years earlier, Split Image. Both fine actors, real good friends off set, work well together, yet in this cop tale with an almost unique spin put on it for it's time, here they're enemies who do slowly become friends, of course Dennehy taking longer time to warm up to Woods. Cleve (Woods, great as usual) was was involved in a police heist, where Dennehy's partner, was killed. Cut several years later, Dennis (Dennehy) now an ex cop, who's also a novelist, is approached by Cleve, who wants revenge, against the guys who screwed him. He asks Dennis to work with him, giving him his people on a platter while also giving him heaps info, for him to write a book on him and the baddies. Dennehy, also grasping an opportunity to gain revenge. It's no holds barred, Woods, even pestered by Dennehy to meet his parents. As you know, to write non fiction, a lot of research is involved. Somehow, I found this movie, utterly enjoyable from beginning to end, on the account it's different, although I enjoyed Wood's other film at the time, Cop, more. They're are some unpredictabilities in the characters, which I found engrossing, with an end I found tragic, on Woods's behalf. Wood's character especially, is a dangerous guy you don't underestimate, as you really don't know what this dude's capable of. And as I'll reiterate, Wood's excessive use of violence by gun, kind of spoils it. It was fun, watching Cleve itching to know or being suggestive of how the books going, it's overused title, a bit of a let down. One scene that really didn't make sense, was Woods barging into Dennehy's agents bedroom, and tearing up her wardrobe, getting fresh and dangerous with her. Check out the fitting song too. It's not bad. Watch Cop, then this.

AaronCapenBanner James Woods plays a hit man named Cleve, who contacts a successful true crime author & former cop Dennis Meechum(played by Brian Dennehy) who got his start after he was the sole survivor of a deadly holdup at the police evidence department years earlier. Cleve wants Dennis to write his life story, which he feels is most interesting, and as a way to get back at his former employer, a powerful corporation he helped build. Meechum is intrigued but also skeptical, so Cleve takes him on a tour of his past, both with his parents and also his "assignments". Dennis learns that Cleve has a deeper connection to him than he realizes, and that some powerful forces don't want this proposed book published...Little-seen thriller is quite well done, with fine acting by the leads, and efficient direction and story. Almost goes wrong toward the end with the expected violent finale, but is still exciting enough to compensate, with the well-plotted story unfolding most effectively.Worth catching on DVD.

Spikeopath Best Seller is directed by John Flynn and written by Larry Cohen. It stars James Woods, Brian Dennehy and Victoria Tennant. Music is by Jay Ferguson and cinematography by Fred Murphy. Cop Dennis Meechum (Dennehy) survives being shot during a robbery at the police evidence storage and writes a well received book about the events. Years later he's widowed, raising his daughter on his own and suffering from writers block as he tries to write another novel. Into his life comes Cleve (Woods), a mysterious man who saves Meechum's life and announces that he is a paid assassin and wishes Meechum to write a book about his work for a top name in industry......Only in America Dennis.It's a lovely hook is this, a cop and a killer paired together, their relationship explored via an uneasy buddy buddy formula, where the fruits of their partnership will bring very differing rewards. Along with the crackerjack turns from Dennehy (lovable burn-out) and Woods (cold-blooded calm), it's the smart screenplay from Cohen that makes Best Seller worthy of a rental at least. How it is going to pan out always keeps one interested in the tale, while there's clearly some snarky observations on America's lust for capital gain. Violence flits in and out to add some bloody pulp to proceedings, but ultimately it's the dialogue, the suspicious mood crafted by Flynn and characterisations that give the film its vitality.Released in the same year as Lethal Weapon, it appears that Best Seller got lost in the slip-stream of that higher octane fuelled picture (in fact Dennehy gets to say the same "too old for this" line that Glover trademarked in Lethal Weapon). It's not on a par with Donner's movie, and it's far from perfect; the ending is a bit tamer than we would perhaps like and Paul Shenar's villain is a standard suit job, but there's good craft here on the page and on both sides of the camera. 7/10

blanche-2 1987's "Best Seller" is not my type of movie, I'll say up front, as it's a little too violent. I do like Larry Cohen, who wrote the script, and the casting of Brian Dennehy and James Woods is great. Woods plays an assassin for hire who approaches cop/author Dennehy about doing an expose about his work for a new book. He claims to have been in the pay of a corporate mogul (Paul Shenar) with a gleaming public image, so the material is explosive. The only problem is, is Woods for real or a whack job? Dennehy seeks to find out.This was one of Paul Shenar's last films. Shenar, a handsome man with a magnificent voice, died of complications due to AIDS in 1989. His role in this film is, alas, too small.This isn't a big film, but if you can stand the blood and violence, you'll enjoy it, as it's a good cast.