Trespass (1992)

For me, this low-budget thriller is one of the finest I've seen. There's little of the usual Hollywood thriller gimmicks. No big name actors (bar a moonlighting rapper), no loud surprise bangs, no big set-piece stunt scenes, no unnecessary-and-obvious twists, and definitely no car chases. In fact, for an action thriller, there's really not much action (Trespass could probably be done as a theatre piece). All of which equates to box-office failure and obscurity.

Do not be put off; this is a great movie. Tight and claustrophobic, it oozes tension. The setup has 2 hicks-ville firemen chasing lost loot in a derelict New York tenement, and ending up under siege when they interrupt a drug-deal (and take one of the dealers as a hostage). A stalemate ensues, but one that can't last. The direction is good, building tension and pace slowly. The characterisation and acting are nothing special, but considerably more interesting than the standard for a Hollywood thrillers.

Fmovies: Trespass is directed by Walter Hill and written by Bob gale and Robert Zemeckis. It stars Bill Paxton, Ice-T, William Sadler and Ice Cube. Music is by Ry Cooder and cinematography by Lloyd Ahern II. Plot finds Sadler and Paxton as two fireman who learn of stolen treasure hidden in a disused building in East St. Louis. Upon arriving there they begin their search but are interrupted when a gang led by Ice-T's King James decides to use the building to execute an enemy. A stand off ensues....

It was held back from release under its original title of "The Looters" due to the L.A. riots in the summer of 92. Where under its new title it was released at Christmas and promptly bombed at the box office. A shame since it's a taut and claustrophobic thriller crafted with knowing skill by Walter Hill. Clearly an urban take on The Treasure of the Sierra Madre, with dashes of Rio Bravo thrown in for good measure, film makes the most of the premise without using pointless filler and by not being afraid to up the racial hatred aspects of the stand off. Hill's construction of the action is first rate and smooth, and the cast are firing on all cylinders to make the material work in what is practically a one location picture. 7/10

It seems that it is impossible to have a movie that is completely action orientated, yet be highly intelligent.But Trespass has done this very well. It puts together a group of characters in a difficult situation with which you get to see them react to their circumstances in a fresh and realistic way.

I was very impressed with Ice-T who gave an extremely convincing performance as the leader of the criminals.

This film is excellent and I would definitely recommend this to anyone who would like to see an action movie done right!

Trespass fmovies. Indeed, veteran action specialist Walter Hill "goes gangsta" in this stylized thrill ride. It blurs the lines between "good" guys and "bad" guys; the protagonists are not squeaky clean, and the antagonists are not purely one-dimensional - not all of them, anyway. An assortment of colorful characters and solid performances add to the entertainment value of a film that ultimately builds to a real fever pitch. The pacing is truly excellent, along with the atmosphere and the typically eclectic music score by Hills' old pal, Ry Cooder.

Bill Paxton (Rest in Peace, sir) and William Sadler are Vince and Don, two Arkansas firemen who get wind that the treasure from a long ago church robbery has been socked away inside a now decrepit wreck of an apartment building. Wouldn't you know it: soon after Vince and Don arrive at the place, a gang of very tough black drug pushers arrive to use the place to execute a traitorous member of their crew. Vince witnesses the act, leading to a completely untenable situation where the main thing keeping Vince and Don alive is the fact that they've taken Lucky (De'voreaux White, "Die Hard"), the younger brother of gang leader King James (rapper / actor Ice-T), prisoner.

While you don't necessarily root for any one team in particular, you do understand where certain characters are coming from. King James really does have genuine concern for his sibling, while Vince is a more naive and somewhat more reasonable person than Don, who's determined to have the trip be worth something. Drawn into the fray is a homeless man named Bradlee (Art Evans, "Fright Night") who's been squatting in the building. Naturally, the whole argument comes up over who exactly has the most right to the gold.

Particularly riveting are the dynamics between key characters, as both Vince & Don, and King James & his right hand man, Savon (Ice Cube), argue over methodology.

The action comes fast and furious, with Hill drawing us into one tense and effective sequence after another. The stunts and special effects are first rate, and the soundtrack, consisting of Cooders' score and a selection of rap tunes (including a kick ass duet by Ice-T and Ice Cube), is consistently catchy. The mostly black cast includes some very solid character actors: Bruce A. Young ("Jurassic Park III"), Glenn Plummer ("Speed"), Stoney Jackson ("Streets of Fire"), 'Tiny' Lister ("Friday"), et al.

It's a shame that this was actually a flop in its time. 25 years later, it still works quite well, with a finale that truly brings the house down.

Written, and executive produced, by Bob Gale & Robert Zemeckis.

Eight out of 10.

I have only ever seen this film at about 2-00 in the morning on late night T.V. but what a great show it was. Good action and adventure and a decent enough story for a low budget action flick. This was yet another average selling Bill Paxton film that was really good. For an actor that was outside the a-list, nearly every film he made was worth the watching and this is no exception. Definitely worth watching on T.V. although I don't know if it is the sort of film that you would pay to buy a copy of but if you come home after a night out and are looking for a film to watch to keep you going through the night, you could do worse than watch this.

This is a film independent film makers should take a look at if action films are of any interest to them. Not for the seen-it-all, heard-it-all plot and profane dialogue, but for Walter Hill's staging and execution of the action. The film has a terrific pace to it and the camera always shows an interesting angle. The locations are at a minimum, very cost efficient and capably creating a claustrophobic atmosphere. Very well done. Good, moody music score, again, by the great Ry Cooder.