Scene of the Week: Extreme Prejudice – Gas Station Shootout
It would be hard to find a director with the action resume that Walter Hill has. Since his directorial debut in 1975 with Hard Times, Hill has consistently put out intensely satisfying action films starring a whole bevy of actors. Charles Bronson….yep. Nick Nolte…yup. Schwarzenegger, Stallone, Snipes, and the list goes on and on. To be perfectly honest, the fact that we don’t talk about Walter Hill as one of the greatest action directors of all time is a bit loony.
Extreme Prejudice is one of those films that action fans enjoy discussing like its some lesser known band who never made it big. It’s full of amazing actors and has the kind of direction and epic confrontations that you would expect from a filmmaker like Hill. Nick Nolte plays a Texas Ranger who is charging headlong into busting a Powers Boothe’s drug kingpin. It just so happens that they were old acquaintances back in the day and they are both romantically involved with the lovely Maria Conchita Alonso. A lover’s triangle and a good vs. bad make this movie good but there are also excellent performances from Rip Thorn, Michael Ironsides, and more. If you’re looking for a way to celebrate Walter Hill on his birthday, then look no further than a viewing of Extreme Prejudice.
