Sharky's Machine [DVD]

I first saw "Sharky's Machine" in the theater soon after it was first released at Christmas 1981. I was 25 at the time. Well, I'm 67 now and got it on DVD and I appreciate it even more. Based on a 1978 novel by William Diehl. Diehl said he had Burt Reynolds in mind when he wrote the novel. Diehl has a cameo in the film as a hostile pimp. Reynolds asked John Boorman who directed him in "Deliverance" in 1972 to direct this but there was a scheduling conflict. Boorman was still working on "Excalibur" and wasn't available. Reynolds also asked his old friend Clint Eastwood to direct and Eastwood said why not Reynolds direct it himself. Reynolds directed two films before, "Gator" in 1976 which I didn't see and "The End" in 1978 which I did and I thought was a really good flick. Reynolds does a really good job with "Sharky's Machine." Reynolds also stars as Tom Sharky, an undercover cop on Atlanta's Narcotic squad. In the opening of the film, a drug bust has gone wrong and Sharky chases the drug dealer to a city bus. The bus driver gets killed by the drug dealer. He gets the dealer, however for getting a innocent man killed he gets demoted to the Vice squad located in the basement where no officer wants to work. Where we meet what will become his "machine." Played by the great Charles Durning, Brian Keith, Bernie Casey and Richard Libertini. The lovely Rachel Ward in only her second screen role plays "Dominoe" a 1000 dollar a night call girl who is involved with the candidate running for Governor of Georgia. Vittorio Gassman and Henry Silva are the sleazy brothers who are running this prostitution ring. Features fine cinematography by William A. Fraker ,who also did the classic cop movie "Bullitt" in 1968. The flick also has some good Jazz tunes on the soundtrack. Reynolds created a film noir atmosphere. It was a hit at the box-office and with many critics. The taglines for the movie posters read.... "If you mess with a cop like Sharky, you better be very tough...or very beautiful." And "Nobody leans on Sharky's machine !"

This was prototypical Burt Reynolds fare. Lots of action with a slight comedic slant. Great cast of characters; with Brian Keith, Charles Durning, Bernie Casey and Rachel Ward.Quite a bit of gore, violence and action, very 80's. A good action flick that was a favorite in my younger days.

This movie has a little of everything in it. great story, the actors are spot on.

Regardless of other factors, when you take a stud actor like Burt Reynolds, when he was at the height of his appeal, and throw him in with the impossibly beautiful English actress, Rachel Ward, you almost can't go wrong, and that is exactly what happens in a fun detective thriller that will remind the older crowd among us of the classic film "LAURA", for reasons I will leave future viewers to decide.Sharky is your typical "do it my way the hell with regulations" Movie cop ( they don't exist in real life ), which gets him demoted to Vice Squad, where by luck, he happens into a case that involves high end politicians, upscale pimps for top of the line call girls, mob members and all sorts of similar goodies.As such, Reynolds has his hands full, but he has a knack of attracting other equally odd balls to his corner, and so, in the course of the movie, he ends up assembling a team, or crew, if you will, that for lack of better terms ends up being the titular "Sharky's Machine"In addition to all of that, we have yet another fantastic performance from the great Henry Silva, who amazingly, is still alive today at the ripe age of 93, after playing a lifetime of psychotic pathological killers such as the one he portrays in this movie, and equally sinister, is another good turn by Vittorio Gassman as a slimy cocky high end pimp.Reynolds fans will NOT be disappointed by this movie as it clearly shows just what his appeal was, and expertly it was featured in this film.

I saw Sharky's Machine on TV in the early 1980s and always remembered the scene at the end, where the bad guy falls out of/gets blown away on the top floor of the Westin tower in downtown Atlanta. That was one of famed stuntman Dar Robinson's best stunts during that era, and it was the "money shot" for this film at the time, the moment that I think most everyone remembers, though I confess that I loved seeing Rachel Ward in nearly every scene.This isn't a great movie by any measure, but it's a good movie, and entertaining for a number of reasons, from the one-liners from David Keith and Bernie Casey to the jazzy score to just the sights in and around Atlanta where the movie was filmed and is based. You can read about the plot on IMDB, and I will just add that the characters are engaging though not riveting, and that Burt Reynolds tries perhaps a little too hard to play the tough but sensitive undercover cop in this movie, but still comes across as likable, as do most of the supporting characters. Still, for nostalgic reasons I love to watch this movie, to remember how things looked and people dressed in the early 1980s and, as a fellow Atlantan, to see this city as it looked over 40 years ago.

Great Burt Reynolds film from 1981 with a superb soundtrack and for me the best version of Streetlife. For jazz players we have Bill Watrous and Carl Fontana blowing a technical trombone storm in chase scene, some Doc Severinsen, a wonderful My funny valentine ♥ and more , all adding to what is one of my favourite soundtracks from this era. The photo is of the dvd, I did buy the blu ray too but can't remember who I loaned it too? it would be great to get it back

Burt Reynolds at his tough guy best.Love his comedy movies from the 70s and 80s but I think he's at his best playing the tough guy roles.Just wished he 'd made a film with Charles Bronson in the early to mid 70s.Blu Ray edition has great picture quality but really disappointing there's no commentary from Burt himself.Even lacks an interview with the legend.Blu Ray does play on UK players.Check out other Burt tough guy roles in Stick,Malone,Heat,Shamus,Mean Machine,Fuzz,Hustle,Dan August,Rent a Cop,Gator,White Lightning,Run Simon Run,Hunters are for the killing,The man who loved car dancing,Deliverance ,WW and the Dixie DanceKings ,and Physical Evidence.

I found this to be a very entertaining film and the Spanish title and notes on the cover were not at all off-putting. In my opinion this is one of the better Burt Reynolds films. My only criticism was the quality of the recording which was not as clearly defined as I would have liked. Perhaps this was due to the re-recording process when the film was transferred onto DVD.

Very pleased with the delivery, bought the film for my Dad as a birthday present as it's a something he's wanted for while.The delivery was very quick considering it was being shipped from Europe & the Blu-ray works fine.As far as the film goes it's a pretty good cop thriller, a little bit corny in parts but all together a good watch. If you Burt Reynolds then you'll probably like this one.

This is a fantastic film. Burt Reynolds acting and direction is impeccable but Rachel Ward's breathtaking beauty as Doninoe is what makes this a film to watch over and over again.