I’m a huge Quentin Tarantino fan. One reason is that his love for movies is obvious in every frame he’s ever shot. He’s always worn his influences proudly, drawing inspiration from countless classic and not-so-classic films…artistic masterpieces, sleazy exploitation and everything in between. So when he enthusiastically champions an older film, I’m always eager to check it out, though I don’t always end up sharing his admiration.
That’s how I discovered The Outfit. Tarantino dedicates a chapter to the film in his book, Cinema Speculation, and it sounded right up my alley. Luckily for me, it popped up on TCM soon after, and in this case, I wholeheartedly agree with Tarantino’s assessment. The Outfit is a tight, scrappy little revenge/mob movie that ranks up there with Charley Varrick and Fear is the Key as one of the most entertaining early ‘70s thrillers everyone seems to have forgotten.
The Outfit is based on a novel by Richard Stark, who created the character of Parker, a tough thief that appeared in a few dozen novels, some of which were the basis for movies like Point Blank and my personal favorite Mel Gibson vehicle, Payback (not the director’s cut though). But writer-director John Flynn, who is probably best known for Rolling Thunder, tops both of those movies with this one.
Not actually named Parker, the late, great Robert Duvall plays Earl Macklin, just released from a two-year stint in prison. He’s hoping to meet his brother, Eddie, but learns he was murdered. It turns out that Macklin, Eddie and their good buddy Cody (Joe Don Baker) once robbed a mob-owned bank, though they weren’t aware of that at the time. Now the mob - aka The Outfit - is coming after Macklin and Cody.
But Macklin’s ready for a little payback of his own, pairing with Cody to rob some of the Outfit’s fronts and business, which he threatens to keep doing until they pay him $250,000. At first, boss Mailer (Robert Ryan) considers them a nuisance, but becomes increasingly frustrated when his own men are unable to wipe them out. After Macklin’s girlfriend, Bett (Karen Black), is killed in a shootout, he and Cody decide to go after Mailer himself.
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| Macklin confronts the man who stole his shirt. |
In addition to keeping the pace and action lively, Flynn pays homage to noir of the past by casting some genre legends, including Ryan, Elisha Cook, Jane Greer, Marie Windsor and Timothy Carey. Elsewhere, Joanna Cassidy and Richard Jaeckal have some good moments. But through no fault of her own, Karen Black is largely ineffective, stuck in kind of a thankless role. Like Stark’s Parker novels, none of this is high art, but it’s damned entertaining. So thanks, Quentin!
And now it’s finally available on Blu-ray from Arrow Video with a terrific looking restoration from the original 35mm negative. Not only that, there are two cuts of the film, including a version that restores the alternate ending Flynn originally planned (and is more effective, in my opinion). Providing historical context, the disc also serves up some interesting new and archival bonus features. For fans of neo-noir, heist movies and ‘70s thrillers in general, The Outfit is essential viewing.
EXTRA KIBBLES
FEATURETTES - Paths Not Taken and Tapping into the Outsider are a couple of new appreciations for the film, though Walter Chaw (featured in the former), is sometimes tough to understand); The Man with the Getaway Face is an appreciation more focused on author Donald E. Westlake (Richard Stark) himself, by Levi Stahl.
INTERVIEW - Archival interview with director Walter Hill, who knew John Flunn well and contributed a little to the screenplay.
AUDIO COMMENTARY - By author Jedidiah Ayres and podcaster Mike White.
TRAILER
IMAGE GALLERIES
SUPPLEMENTAL BOOKLET - This features three essays: “On Parker: Last of the Goddamned Independents,” by Priscilla Page; “Getting the Feeling Right: The Stark World of John Flynn’s The Outfit,” by Glenn Kenny; “Richard Stark’s The Outfit,” by Chris D. All three are insightful and entertaining. Also included are cast, crew and presentation credits.
REVERSIBLE COVER - Featuring new and vintage artwork. We kinda like the new art!
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