Best Seller

Plot synopsis:
The movie opens in 1972 as a group of gunmen wearing Richard Nixon Halloween masks steal evidence from a police evidence storage unit, killing several officers in the process. Officer Dennis Meechum (Brian Dennehy) is seriously wounded after stabbing one of the robbers. He survives and publishes a book titled Inside Job based on his experience. Years later, Meechum, who by now has become an acclaimed author and a much decorated detective, is working on his next novel. He now suffers from writer's block, and is a widowed father raising his daughter, Holly (Allison Balson).
On a case at the docks, a suspect runs as Meechum gives chase. A man named Cleve (James Woods) joins the chase. The suspect hides in an overhead crane and attempts to shoot Meechum, but Cleve kills the man, then mysteriously disappears.
Cleve arranges a meeting with Meechum, and tries to convince him to write a book about his history as a paid assassin for a corporate empire, Kappa International. Cleve intimidates Kappa's founder, David Madlock (Paul Shenar) about Meechum's next book, and promises Meechum to show evidence to back up his claims. They proceed to take trips to New York and Texas where Cleve tries to convince Meechum of his history of hits. While they are in Texas, it is revealed that Cleve was the injured masked gunman that Meechum had stabbed years earlier. Madlock, through his legal representatives, tries to bribe Meechum but fails.
When an enforcer tries to steal a manuscript of Meechum's novel and attempt to kill Holly, Cleve intervenes by killing him. When Cleve attempts to keep Holly safe by sending her to Meechum's agent, Roberta Gillian (Victoria Tennant). Madlock, however, manages to kidnap Holly. Meechum decides to have a meeting with Madlock at the latter's oceanfront estate. Cleve storms into the house, and guns down all of Madlock's bodyguards. Cleve then sacrifices his own life to save Holly from Madlock. Meechum arrests Madlock, before comforting a dying Cleve. Cleve reminds Meechum about the book and says "Remember I'm the hero". At the end of the film, it is revealed that Meechum has published the book titled Retribution: The Fall of David Madlock and Kappa International and it has had 28 weeks on the best seller list.

Tags: violence, neo noir, murder, flashback

Review:
Twenty years ago Woods starred in one of my all time favourite movies David Cronenberg's stunning 'Videodrome'.
Even so I highly recommend underrated 1980s Woods movies like 'Cop', 'The Boost' and this one, 'Best Seller', for some of his greatest performances.
Director John Flynn had previously made the seriously underrated revenge classic 'Rolling Thunder', and the movie was scripted by exploitation legend Larry Cohen ('Black Caesar', 'Q', 'Maniac Cop', 'The Stuff').
'Best Seller' isn't quite as good as 'Rolling Thunder', but it's a must see because of Woods, who is just terrific.
Brian Dennehy is also very good, and Paul Shenar (Sosa from 'Scarface') makes a great villain.
I can't say that 'Best Seller' is one of the greatest thrillers I've ever seen, but it's definitely worth your time, and James Woods playing misunderstood psycho hitman Cleve is an experience not to be missed!.
perfect casting of james woods and dennehy make it work.
The casting of woods and brian dennehy is perfect which helps to make the story of an ex-hitman telling his story to cop-turned-author believable.
Director John Flynn's 'Best Seller', which was written by Larry Cohen (who makes a crackerjack combination), is actually a stark, stinging and darkly witty and violent crime caper with an out-the-shadow concept.
Knowing that it heavily relies on the performances to be successful, Flynn sets-up the film around the pairing of James Woods and Brian Denneby.
"Best Seller" is essentially a two character movie.
On one hand there is Brian Dennehy as a veteran cop who also writes crime novels based on real events.
The first part of the movie involves Woods trying to convince Dennehy that his story is on the level.
Woods is cold and calculating as the hit man and Dennehy is torn between his sworn duty as a cop and his desire to get to the truth.
The film is worth a look if for nothing else than to watch two veteran performers at their best..
Woods plays Cleve, a brilliant and perhaps psychotic former hit-man, who wants Dennis, a cop turned author (Brian Dennehy), to write his story.
Cleve ensures Dennis that the book will be a "Best Seller" and begins taking Dennis on a lurid tour of his former hits.Like most films, this doesn't transfer quite as well onto the small screen, but it is still well worth the viewing; (plus you get to hear James Woods warble a tune in French).
Actually, Woods is way cool in this film, and delivers some of his most compelling work ever.
Brian Dennehy pulls off the tough task of making the writer character equally interesting and compelling.
6. BEST-SELLER (action, 1987) In 1972, Policeman Meechum (Brian Dennehy) survives an armed robbery, which in turn inspires him to write a book about his ordeal.
Cliff knows many personal things about Meechum's life and tells him that he can provide him with another assured best seller.
It has a good, entertaining premise (a rogue assassin on the loose), the moody cinematography (another Adam Greenberg job), and displays a strong performance from the always reliable Brain Dennehy.
This capriciously underrated 1-time character-actor has given excellent performances in many films including: the sleazy TV-producer in David Cronenberg's interesting, albeit obscured masterpiece 'Videodrome' (1983), his red-neck southerner in 'The Onion Field' (1979-his breakthrough film), and in Oliver Stone's sadly neglected 'Salvador' (1986- for which he received an Academy Nominee).
What better actor to give us a tour through the life of a criminal, hit-man, sleaze-ball, all-nice guy?QUOTES: Cliff: "Will power is what distinguishes the amateur from the professional.
Best Seller is directed by John Flynn and written by Larry Cohen.
It stars James Woods, Brian Dennehy and Victoria Tennant.
Cop Dennis Meechum (Dennehy) survives being shot during a robbery at the police evidence storage and writes a well received book about the events.
Into his life comes Cleve (Woods), a mysterious man who saves Meechum's life and announces that he is a paid assassin and wishes Meechum to write a book about his work for a top name in industry......Only in America Dennis.It's a lovely hook is this, a cop and a killer paired together, their relationship explored via an uneasy buddy buddy formula, where the fruits of their partnership will bring very differing rewards.
Along with the crackerjack turns from Dennehy (lovable burn-out) and Woods (cold-blooded calm), it's the smart screenplay from Cohen that makes Best Seller worthy of a rental at least.
Violence flits in and out to add some bloody pulp to proceedings, but ultimately it's the dialogue, the suspicious mood crafted by Flynn and characterisations that give the film its vitality.Released in the same year as Lethal Weapon, it appears that Best Seller got lost in the slip-stream of that higher octane fuelled picture (in fact Dennehy gets to say the same "too old for this" line that Glover trademarked in Lethal Weapon).
It's not on a par with Donner's movie, and it's far from perfect; the ending is a bit tamer than we would perhaps like and Paul Shenar's villain is a standard suit job, but there's good craft here on the page and on both sides of the camera.
Writer Larry Cohen concocts this interesting, entertaining movie that mainly hinges on the often antagonistic relationship between two strong personalities.
Brian Dennehy stars as Dennis Meechum, a cop who also writes books based on true crime stories, who is approached by Cleve (James Woods), a professional hit-man for an unscrupulous businessman, David Madlock (Paul Shenar).
The hit-man feels inadequately compensated for his years of service, and is now an incredibly disgruntled ex-employee, enough to approach the cop / author to propose writing a book that reveals all the ugly details of the businessman's rise to the top.
Capably directed by action specialist John Flynn ("Rolling Thunder", "Lock Up", "Out for Justice"), "Best Seller" tells a pretty good story in slick enough fashion, with some effective moments of very nasty violence.
Yet, for a man who most of the time comes off as pure scum, he has definite intelligence and a real presence, and in the end does have a redemptive quality; it's the kind of role meant for an actor of Woods's abilities, and he plays it for all it's worth.
Appealing Allison Balson plays Dennis's daughter, although supporting players Shenar and Victoria Tennant ultimately end up with not that much to do, and Shenar's character is not what you'd call subtle.
James Woods is brilliant as is Brian Dennehy and they work extremely well together.
Both James Woods and Brian Dennehy seem uncomfortable with a script that appears to be underdeveloped.
Dennis is convinced after an attempt on Cleve's life and begins to spend time with Cleve to interview him and get material for the book, however the relationship is never an easy one.Kudos to the film for trying to have a talky character driven script at its core but sadly it never really works.
Not as interesting as I would have liked though, which did somewhat take away from the tension at the end of the film because I didn't get the feeling that there was a head of steam built up.
The action sections also undermine it; they are not that well done but nor do they fit into the narrative that well and they just seem to be another force holding the film from being smarter than it was.The central performances don't really help much either, although they are both good enough to hold the interest.
Woods occasionally suggests he will go deeper into his character but mostly he is happy with hit-man cool with a touch of twisted humanity in him.
Best Seller has both that, although Wood's kill count does get a bit annoying, or is too much.
If you can remember Dennehy and Woods worked on another film years earlier, Split Image.
Both fine actors, real good friends off set, work well together, yet in this cop tale with an almost unique spin put on it for it's time, here they're enemies who do slowly become friends, of course Dennehy taking longer time to warm up to Woods.
Cleve (Woods, great as usual) was was involved in a police heist, where Dennehy's partner, was killed.
Cut several years later, Dennis (Dennehy) now an ex cop, who's also a novelist, is approached by Cleve, who wants revenge, against the guys who screwed him.
Somehow, I found this movie, utterly enjoyable from beginning to end, on the account it's different, although I enjoyed Wood's other film at the time, Cop, more.
James Woods spends most of the movie convincing block-headed Brian Dennehy that the conspiracy is real, and that quarrel gets old fast.
An 80s and I do mean very 80s movie about a cop who doubles as an author who has his life invaded by a professional hit man who wants him to write a memoir of his life.
This movie did not feel like a Larry Cohen film.
This felt like a generic action film from the 80s with a very genial performance from James Woods.
This is hokey and then it takes a meta moment where James Woods asks Brian Dennehy to make him sympathetic in the book and eventually he becomes a more sympathetic person in the movie itself.
The other performances in the movie leave a lot to desired including Brian Dennehy.
James Woods plays a hit man named Cleve, who contacts a successful true crime author & former cop Dennis Meechum(played by Brian Dennehy) who got his start after he was the sole survivor of a deadly holdup at the police evidence department years earlier.
Cleve wants Dennis to write his life story, which he feels is most interesting, and as a way to get back at his former employer, a powerful corporation he helped build.
Dennis learns that Cleve has a deeper connection to him than he realizes, and that some powerful forces don't want this proposed book published...Little-seen thriller is quite well done, with fine acting by the leads, and efficient direction and story.
"Best Seller" is yet another movie that had good potential, theoretically, but the final product just doesn't meet our expectations.
The casting certainly appears promising, and James Woods gives a magnetic performance as a brutal, vicious yet also vulnerable and three-dimensional professional killer, but the movie seems to lack a clear purpose (and a point), maybe because the story is SO thin.
A good cast, James Woods in particular, and an intriguing premise were the main reasons for seeing 'Best Seller'.
Seeing it a few days ago, 'Best Seller' turned out to be a good film with many great things with a few elements that bring it down somewhat.Woods himself is the film's best asset.
Brian Dennehy is dependably solid as rocks, a great performance that is more than up to Woods' level.
Another reason why 'Best Seller' works as well as it does is the chemistry between Dennehy and Woods, which is electric.
For a film that did such a good job with its atmosphere, 'Best Seller' was deserving of a much better ending than the rushed and too pat and safe one here.While a vast majority of the cast are fine, there is one exception...that exception is a rather annoying Alison Balson.Overall, a good film that sells well.
Hit man Cleve approaches writer Dennis about a story for his next book: how he made a living, working for one of the most powerful politicians in the country.
To get the story right, they travel around the country to gather statements and evidence, while strong forces use any means they can to keep the story untold.Larry Cohen wrote the original script, inspired by the film "Strangers on a Train" (1951) and wrote it with Burt Lancaster and Kirk Douglas in mind for the lead roles.
This is of course the intention of the writers, and there is no other way to end the film in regard to James Woods' character, but her character needed a lot of work.
It`s still worth watching though if only for the always good performances of Woods and Dennehy.
1987's "Best Seller" is not my type of movie, I'll say up front, as it's a little too violent.
I do like Larry Cohen, who wrote the script, and the casting of Brian Dennehy and James Woods is great.
Woods plays an assassin for hire who approaches cop/author Dennehy about doing an expose about his work for a new book.
Dennehy seeks to find out.This was one of Paul Shenar's last films.
Luckily, it ended up being awesome for all the right reasons.Cleve (James Woods) is a hit-man who reaches out to Dennis (Brian Dennehy), a cop and author, with an idea for a new book, the story of Cleve and his life as a hit-man.
First and foremost, the film is only as strong as it is for 2 important reasons; James Woods and Brian Dennehy.
Instead of a cop investigating a series of crimes or murders, you have a cop/author who's investigating a supposed hit-man and his past deeds to basically call bullshit to his claims of high profile murders, yet Cohen plots the film in such a way that it feels like you're watching an old school detective thriller about a cop tracking down a serial killer.
But much like John Flynn's direction, Ferguson's score serves as yet another character to the film, giving it a moody atmosphere that screams 80's synth, but in the best possible way.
Also, paralleling the American Psycho, James Woods' character and his cruel and vain antics come across almost comedy-worth funny in this otherwise intentionally serious and dramatic movie.
'Best Seller' is A Well-Acted Film!
Lead Stars James Woods & Brian Dennehy pitch in great performances.
'Best Seller' tells the story of A career hit-man, who wants to turn his life story into a book written by a veteran police officer and best-selling author.'Best Seller' is an above-average film.
John Flynn's Direction is good.James Woods & Brian Dennehy are the life of 'Best Seller'.
Woods is fantastic as the hit-man, while Dennehy is matured as the veteran cop/author.
Decent thriller , but mainly thanks to Dennehy and Woods.
This interesting movie mainly hinges on the often antagonistic relationship between two strong personalities – Ex-cop who is famous writer ( Brian Dennehy) and ex-hit-man ( James Woods).The chemistry between them is exquisite.
Both Dennehy and Woods gave quite possibly the best performances of their lives.
The premise is there , but without Dennehy and Woods it would be a weak movie.
This is like an old time cop movie, very well served.
Woods and Dennehy bring really rounded, deep characters to a shallow little cops and robbers story.
A veteran cop(Brian Dennehy), who narrowly escaped a hold up shootout in '72, tired and worn down(the loss of his wife to cancer especially draining, not to mention debts because of her long term sickness)after years of undercover work, also a notable best-selling author, is visited by a hit-man(James Woods)who has quite a history he wishes to reveal for a novel as revenge for his dismissal.
He's been a hired killer for a considerable amount of time, and, thanks to a supposed falling out with the boss, all of a sudden he wants this cop to write a best seller about their notorious "business relationship".
Cleve spends time trying to convince Dennehy' cynical cop, Dennis Meecham, that he's a legitimate killer for Madlock(Paul Shenar)..of course, Dennis has a right to be skeptical.
When cigarette burns and a knife wound reveal Cleve as the man who shot him in '72, Dennis decides to punch him in the chops a few times before writing the novel.
Sure, Dennehy and Woods work well with what they are given.
But there is every indication that this film wants to be a believable thriller.Cleve's (James Woods) story would best be told from behind bars, but for some reason Dennis (Brian Dennehy) allows Cleve to drag him all over the country in an attempt to prove that he was once a hit-man working for David Madlock so that Dennis can write a book about it.
Apparently so.There are many other examples, but my main point is that Best Seller is a cheesy 80's thriller with its share of plot holes along with decent performances by most of the cast (with the exception of Allison Balson - her acting was fine for Little House on the Prairie - but not so much here).So if you sit down to watch this movie, don't bring your disbelief or high expectations with you.
If you're like Brian Dennehy's Officer Dennis Meacham, naturally you would be suspicious of these claims.
In this underrated action thriller, the unlikely partnership of Dennehy's Meacham to James Woods' brutal former hit man Cleve provides an unusual take on the traditional "buddy cop" film.
Woods' performance as the brash, snarky and revenge-seeking Cleve contrasts with the methodical and ethical performance of Brian Dennehy as Dennis Meacham, keeping the polar opposite cliché of past buddy cop movies intact.
As Cleve, Woods mixes brutal unflinching violence with his trademark charm and sarcastic wit, but he does not make Cleve one dimensional instead he endows the hit man with emotion, an ability to reach out and attempt to connect with the cop he shot at years earlier.
The steely hit man is James Woods, unflappable under any circumstances.
This thriller is a better than average action film.
"Best Seller" tells the story of Cleve (James Woods), an ex-hit man who decides to do the dirty on his old boss by telling his story to cop/author Dennis Meechum (Brian Dennehy).John Flynn's film is not a great deal better than average though, and it is only the entertaining action sequences that are really worth the wait.
Dennehy and Woods are enjoyable, but unfortunately one never believes that killer Cleve is ever really genuine about anything, which was something that both John Flynn and James Woods tried hard to convey.