Bullet Points: Snow Kill
Action movies that have mother nature as a character usually have that something extra to make a film enjoyable. Snow up to your knees and frigid temperatures do not make for an easy outdoor adventure… unless you compare them to murderous and psychotic drug dealers. Add them together and it is enough to make you never want to leave the house again. If you opt for the shut-in approach, you might want to check out the 1990 movie Snow Kill that features some corporate executives not only dealing with mother nature but also with one bad mother.
- Spring Has Sprung – Snow Kill doesn’t even let you take a breath as we are immediately thrown into a prison break. We get to meet Murdoch (David Dukes) and we quickly learn he is ruthless and cold hearted, which for an action movie is a great thing. Murdoch is one of the easiest villains to hate. If you think that is hyperbole, Murdoch’s breaking out of prison, murdering fellow inmates, drug dealing, and raping and then murdering a pregnant woman begs to differ. When you put on a movie, you never expect to see a pregnant woman get treated that way, but luckily it is all implied and not shown on screen. Man I hate that Murdoch. However, Murdoch’s two running mates Loomis (Branscombe Richmond, The Taking of Beverly Hills) and Kolt (Lee Arenberg) are not quite as evil but still bad, and Loomis is not a doctor.
- The Business of America is Business – The Second group we meet in Snow Kill is a group of executives for a San Francisco business led by Reid (John Cypher, Masters of the Universe). Reid has organized a team building retreat to the snowy mountains of Northern California because his subordinates don’t work well as a team. It all makes sense when we meet his team. There is Dennis, the quintessential ass kisser played by Clayton Rohner, the sad sack Myles played by Joey Travolta, Jerry who really has no traits besides being there played by Rick Lieberman, and the strongest character except she is a woman in corporate America so she must be inferior played by Patti D’Arbanville. When you meet this group, none of them screams wilderness experts, but that is part of the fun. Who thinks that our trio of criminals will meet our corporate executives?
- Powder In the Hills – Murdoch’s cocaine is stashed in the same snowy, rugged terrain that Reid is leading his team and they will soon meet. I have to let you know about one other party involved, Clayton Thorpe (Terence Knox). Thorpe happens to be the husband of the pregnant woman murdered by Murdoch and when he comes home to see his dead wife we all of a sudden have a revenge movie mixed with a survival movie with lots of snow. Thorpe meets with the executives first and agrees to help rescue the suits. This is where the action is turned all the way up and the action is a surprise, but the star is the practical locations which make for a great backdrop but could not have been fun for filming… that and how evil Murdoch is.
- Vanilla Twist – These action movies always have a twist, and Snow Kill is no exception with Thorpe setting traps and trying to have the bad guys follow him even though the execs think Thorpe is trying to lead them to safety. Can you say shootout at a cabin? Lots of people start dying and there is even another surprise. Who will be left? I won’t spoil it but I will let you know that rapists are always trying to rape, even if it is to their detriment.
Snow Kill has a lot going for it. Who doesn’t like a good old fashioned revenge flick mixed with a little bit of fish out water survival and the cold snowy mountains of Northern California (filmed in Utah)? While that does sound exciting, when watching I found myself thinking I have seen this movie before only to realize I was thinking of White Fury. Still, David Dukes as Murdoch makes Snow Kill worth the price of admission. Did I mention that Murdoch raped and murdered a pregnant woman? If seeing Thorpe angrily throw his handmade unused baby crib into his house he set ablaze after finding his dead wife doesn’t get to you then we can never be friends. Snow Kill knows how to give that little bit of something extra, with mother nature adding her touch to a harrowing situation just like the Snow Kill Bonus Bullet points are here to give you something a little extra for you.
- Missed Opportunity – Snow Kill premiered on USA Network back on July 25, 1990 at 9 PM. I suppose in the heat of summer people didn’t mind seeing the snow, but Snow Kill is a winter movie.
- Mountainside Manners – Blood does not make me queasy, but I could have gone without the graphic surgery on the side of the mountain.
- Disturbing Quote – “You ever get it from a guy who has been locked up for three years.”
- If You Ever – … Wanted to see a man attacking a woman with a crying Joey Travolta lying on a couch than Snow Kill is for you.
- Booby Traps – Nuff said.
