The Stone Killer (1973)

People are voting emotionally.

The plot isn't so bad, but the pace of storytelling is too slow which makes people bored. Certain moments are so obvious and unnecessary for the main plot. I would've fast-forwarded those moments if it was an online streaming. The ending looks like implying a sequel, not sure if this movie will get one

Unshakable, witty and deeply felt, the film will be paying emotional dividends for a long, long time.

There's no way I can possibly love it entirely but I just think its ridiculously bad, but enjoyable at the same time.

I liked this film, despite being a bit thrown by the jumpy, confused directing of (I presume) Michael Winner. Bronson is good, as are all the actors playing the major characters. But I think I got most pleasure from the mob-style Fedora hats that almost everyone seemed to be obliged to wear perched high on their heads. Surely by 1973, this style of headgear was way out of date? It looked vaguely ridiculous but at least it kept me amused. There was a 'Dirty Harry' vibe about the film and some of Roy Budd's music was quite close in style to that of Lalo Schifrin. Overall, an enjoyable film but maybe not because of the story.

The Stone Killer (1973) *** (out of 4) Charles Bronson plays tough Detecitve Lou Torrey who finds himself investigating a murder, which no one seems to know what it's connected to. After getting a name the investigation grows deeper and more and more bodies begin to pile up. Soon Mafia boss Al Vescari (Martin Balsam) enters the picture.In a lot of ways this film borrows from DIRTY HARRY. Bronson is basically playing the same type of character, although this movie makes sure to show his character as someone who isn't a racist but instead someone who will beat you no matter what your color is. The film touches on several issues including racism but there's no question that the viewer isn't meant to think too much. Instead this is just a fast-paced action movie that has a lot of fights, a lot of gun battles and of course the lead doing what he does best.It's really interesting watching the films that Bronson and director Michael Winner made during this period. In many ways this one here contains the most violence and it's certainly the most action pack. I'd say that the story has a bit too much going on as there's a lot of plot here for this type of movie but thankfully the screenplay basically just puts Bronson into one dangerous situation after another. This is a great thing because he shoots bad guys, beats confessions out of people and basically does whatever he can to get the job done.Bronson is quite good in the picture and once again he isn't given too much dialogue. The actor always acted with his body and he would have been perfect in the silent era. He turns in a very good performance here and really packs a punch with the role including some very funny bits of dialogue. The supporting cast is also very good with Balsam doing a good job in the Mafia role and especially a scene set in a cemetery. You've also got Jack COlvin, Norman Fell and even John Ritter in an early role.THE STONE KILLER has a lot of good things going for it but the action and stunts deserve a lot of credit. As you'd expect for the era, there's a pretty good car chase as well as plenty of scenes where bullets are flying and bodies are dropping. Fans of Bronson will certainly eat this one up but he and the director were about to make their masterpiece the following year with DEATH WISH.

Has everything a Man needs to see - politically uncorrect saxophone player, wild real life car chase, cops who want to protect the people, bad vermin, mafia, revenge given years later, violence. (Hey, real guy movies have to have bad stuff happen and people getting hurt who need it), corruption, etc. It's a damn good movie. Bullet car chase was gay in comparison. Music is good, shots are clean and show what they want, no artsy-faggy shots. Bronson gets to blow away people who need killing. I've watched this movie a few times and the date of the old crimes (I wont say) keeps popping up in my head. Some people never forget. I like that. We seem to be sissified - real Men need to watch films like this.

You either get Old Stone Face or you don't. I get him. He played virtually the same type of character in every movie from the '70s forward, although his character's profession changed from time to time. Didn't matter if he was an unflinching streetwise cop that walks outside the law to bring justice, an architect, or an amazingly tough journalist that can beat up bad guys as easily as normal people breath air (how often do you see that?), he was always a character that looked out for what was right, the law be damned. And no mamby pamby metrosexual stuff anywhere in sight.....This movie was interesting to me in that it was filmed during the prime of the '70s Cop Movie glory days and also happened to be part of the golden age for Bronson himself. I dig the terrible period clothing, hair and lingo. I also dig the neo-psychedelic soundtrack. It was rather amusing seeing Bronson amongst the young hippie burnouts at a wacked out party when he was searching for clues, talk about a fish out of water! And even way back then, the ever popular grouchy old Italian mobster stereotype was in full play, although this was one of the first Bronson films to do this (and it often resurfaced in his movies, even in Death Wish 4 decades later). It also featured several familiar faces including "Mr. Roper" of Three's Company as a cop(!) and "Jack Tripper" of the same show as a bumbling, inept rookie cop. Those with either sharp memories or an extensive Twilight Zone collection will recognize Mob Boss Vescari as the star of the much loved wax figures episode (New Exhibit).You're not going to see Oscar type performances in a Bronson film, but then again, that's not what they were shooting for. You do get a glimpse of a great period of gritty American cop films. They didn't have the internet to help them. No GPS. No Google maps. Just coffee, steel revolvers, typewriters and good old fashioned investigational work, and of course real cars that were driven to death by stunt men, not computer generated crashes. And you do get politically incorrect, 150 proof MANDOM of the kind that isn't made any more. And that makes for an enjoyable Sunday afternoon in my book.