Bullet Points: Terror in Beverly Hills

Allow me if you will to take you back to a time when the name Stallone ruled Hollywood. Sylvester Stallone was a box office sensation. Even a movie like Cobra that many would consider one of Sly’s lesser films, was a money maker around the globe.

The name Stallone meant money in Hollywood and Hollywood subscribed to theory back then (just as it does now) that you can never have too much money. So it was no surprise when Sylvester’s younger brother Frank Stallone began getting acting gigs as Hollywood producers looked to squeeze all the cash they could out of the Stallone name.

After years of small roles in movies and guest spots on television series, Frank Stallone began getting bigger roles in some lower budget action movies like Death Feud, Outlaw Force, Order of the Eagle and the subject of this review 1989’s Terror in Beverly Hills…

• The Premise: A group of terrorists led by a man named Abdul (played by one of Iran’s most prolific actors, Behrouz Vossoughi) kidnap Margaret, the daughter of the President of the United States, while she was shopping on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills. The First Daughter will only be released if the POTUS arranges for the release of 55 of Abdul’s political brothers that are being held by the Israeli government as suspected terrorists. The President does not comply and instead sends in former Special Forces operative Hack Stone (Frank Stallone) to assist the FBI and the LAPD in diffusing the situation and rescuing Margaret.

• This Time It’s Personal: Hack Stone coming out of retirement and risking his life despite having a wife and son to provide for and a karate school to run was not just due to a sense of patriotic duty… Hack had some personal history with Abdul. During Hack’s time running missions for the CIA in the Middle East, he worked alongside Abdul and the two became the best of friends. But that friendship went out the window when the two had a disagreement on how to bring four bad guys to justice… Abdul wanted to execute them on the spot, but Hack believed the men should be tried for their crimes. Two of the four men that Hack and Abdul brought in end up escaping custody and murdering Abdul’s family. Abdul blamed Hack for the death of his family and vowed to get his revenge on Hack. This backstory gives Hack extra motivation as he infiltrates the old bean factory where Abdul and company are holding Margaret hostage and he eventually squares off with his former best friend.

• Hail to the Chief: In a post-Donald Trump becomes the President of the United States world, it is much easier to fathom a less than traditional candidate making it to the highest office in the United States… but back in 1989 it would have been absolutely terrifying if the gruff movie tough guy William Smith was in the Oval Office. I am a fan of William Smith, but felt he was an odd choice for the role of  President of the United States. There are certain roles Smith was born to play (like the villain in Eye of the Tiger), but the POTUS is not one of them. Someone in charge must have realized this and decided to dub over Smith’s “I’ve smoked and screamed my entire life” voice with one that sounded more “presidential”.

• Show Stealer: Cameron Mitchell (Rage to Kill) plays Captain Stills of the Los Angeles Police Department. Stills is as high strung a police captain as I have ever seen in an action movie. From demanding his tech guys put a “fucking super trace” on Abdul’s call to the local news with his demands, to later demanding that someone “close that fucking door”, to his bickering with the ONE reporter covering the kidnapping of the President’s daughter, it felt like Captain Stills could stroke out at any moment, ironically when he is so close to retirement and his pension. It probably would have been more believable if Mitchell played the President and William Smith was the police captain, but that would have robbed the world of Cameron Mitchell’s show stealing performance as Captain Stills.

Terror in Beverly Hills may not have been the best choice as my introduction to the action movie career of Frank Stallone. The budget constraints are obvious at every turn… a car chase with little to no damage to any of the cars, a supporting cast filled with novices (with William Smith and Cameron Mitchell being notable exceptions) and the lack of a “media circus” in a hostage situation that most certainly would have had a media circus surrounding it are all prime examples. Still, I thought Frank Stallone was credible in the role of action hero and to his credit he had his own persona and style and did not simply try to copy his more famous brother.

This review is far from over, it is time for some Bonus Bullet Points…

• Favorite Quote: “Yes I am watching the god damn news! What are you watching, a porno movie!?” – Captain Stills
• Maximizing Her Minutes: Debbie Welter made her one and only film appearance in Terror in Beverly Hills. She played the nude dancer and her assets left me with a lasting impression.
• Release Date: Terror in Beverly Hills hit video store shelves in West Germany in September of 1989, but it did not make its way to video stores in the United States until March of 1991.
• Introducing: Lysa Heslov (credited as Lisa Hayland) made her acting debut in Terror in Beverly Hills. Lysa played the all important role of Margaret, the President’s daughter.
• Hypocritical Quote: “No cause is worth dying for.” – Hack Stone. This is the advice that Hack Stone gives his old friend Abdul… but considering the dangerous missions Hack went on during his special forces days and the fact that Hack came out of retirement and put himself in the danger zone yet again and this quote is really baffling.