Framed

A rather nasty, low-budget revenge thriller starring Joe Don Baker as a high-rolling professional card-player who encounters a deputy sheriff after escaping an earlier shoot-out set-up. When he kills the cop in clear self-defence, he's quickly railroaded by the so-called justice system, which includes his own solicitor and it seems the rest of the police department, is coerced into taking the rap for the "crime" and so goes to prison. The baddies even send a couple of heavies round to Baker's nightclub-singer girlfriend to stop her background efforts to help him and in fact take this to extremes by raping her under threat of a gun.

Rather like the internee in Stevie Wonder's great contemporary song, "Living For The City", Joe Don unsurprisingly leaves prison embittered and hardened, determined to exact revenge on those who put him inside and abused his girl. While in prison, he's made a couple of useful buddies, one a crime boss with connections and the other a paid hitman, who both come in very handy later on in the proceedings.

From there, you can pretty much get out your abacus to tally up the acts of violence and body count both of which steadily accumulate. You know how these things regularly turn out and this last-man-standing scenario isn't about to offer up any surprises in that respect.

With plenty of brutal scenes of violence depicted, including an unnecessarily cruel slaying of a guard dog, I suppose we must be grateful for the small mercies of the director not going all "Straw Dogs" in the treatment of the sexual attack on the singer, but nonetheless the acting is mixed in quality, although Baker certainly projects his tough-hombre persona even, it seems, while wearing crimplene slacks and a safari jacket.

Listen, I never watched any of the "Death Wish" movies which probably inspired this and I note as a sidebar that this type of feature has sort of come back into vogue, with Liam Neeson's "Taken" movies, not to mention Denzel Washington's "Equaliser" films, but this effort is a rather cheap and nasty affair, being a lot less well acted and directed, making me wish I'd done what Baker failed to do and that is, turn the other cheek when it came up on the screen.

I had seen Framed a couple of times back in the mid 1970s, and I remembered it as a solid drive-in revenge drama on a par with its companion piece, the original 'Walking Tall.' After just watching it again, I have to say I am stunned at how good it really is. It's well acted (the female lead, Conny Van Dyke is perhaps a little weak), tightly scripted with realistic dialog and believable action, and briskly paced. It contains a slew of potentially stock characters, including several corrupt police and political officials, a mafia boss and one of his henchmen, a single honest African-American policeman, and some Southern redneck hoodlums. Still, instead of appearing flat and contrived, they all manage to seem distinct, well-enough rounded, and logically consistent with their context in the story. The direction is totally professional but as straightforward and simple as the story it's telling. It's like the best TV movie you've ever seen with a moderate amount of profanity and a few scenes of ultra-realistic violence thrown in. Altogether, the effect is a kind of realism that can sometimes be mistaken as amateurish but will in fact stand up to some serious scrutiny. It may not have the glossy sheen of a big-budget Hollywood thriller, but Framed also avoids the plot holes, caricatures, and over the top stunts that weaken so many of them. That's not to say it lacks for action. There's plenty of mayhem and bloodshed and even an actual train wreck. And if you like to see the good and bad guys get what's coming to them, Framed will definitely deliver. In short, Framed is a damned good movie, and I highly recommend it to anyone who likes action flicks.

Who knew that someone's hanging mashed-up ear could be so hypnotic. After "WALKING TALL", director (Phil Karlson), writer (Mort Brisken) and star actor would reunite again two years later for another beat 'em up, payback crime thriller "FRAMED". Stalwart star Joe Don Baker eases into the role before going on his dogged and calculative rampage. A Tennessee gambler who just happened to score big, later that night unwittingly kills a sheriff under unusual circumstances. His money disappears, it looks like the girlfriend stops caring and he has no choice but to take the plea deal. He spends four years in jail, before getting out on parole thanks to connections inside and returns to wreak havoc on those who framed him. The hard-nosed plot plays out in the same vein as "The Count of Monte Cristo" with pulp noir touches. The mystery of who's behind the corruption is no surprise for the viewer and it's never meant to be, but it's all about trying to unlock the truth of why the set-up. While it's not as action-packed, you do grit your teeth when it does come to blows by feeling the pain and enduring the sweat of some of these nasty encounters and ear splitting yelling. There are two memorable exchanges though that aren't violent, but it's the ballsy banter between Baker and H.B Haggerty that highly amuses. Then there's that train sequence.... wow! A great supporting ensemble cast and location shooting also add immensely to the hardy entertainment.

I haven't seen either the original Walking Tall or the new one but I found this movie to be a great revenge type picture. It has a good lead up to the incident that leaves the protagonist to be framed, it then shows his suffering for that and moves on to payback. There are all sorts of great supporting actors that really looked the part. There is plenty of brutal violence that will have you cheering because it is the protagonist who is dishing it out. Look out for a Tarantinoesque scene. You'll know when you see it. I think Tarantino mentioned he liked the original Walking Tall somewhere so hes probably seen Framed too. I wouldn't watch this movie again but I would check out the director's work especially Walking Tall.

"Framed" seems like it would be well received on the drive in circuit. You have a very sympathetic character, Joe Don Baker, framed and sent to prison, by at least a bunch of corrupt city officials. I could have done without a couple of boring lounge songs, but then you wouldn't get easy on the eyes, Connie Van Dyke. John Marley as an imprisoned mafia type adds considerably to what is already above average acting for an exploitation film. There are some nice car wrecks, including a train creaming a Chevy, and more than enough violence. Surprisingly there is no nudity, which seems inappropriate considering the intended audience. "Framed" is a good revenge flick, and is recommended. - MERK