Hot Pursuit ** (1987, John Cusack, Robert Loggia, Jerry Stiller) – Classic Movie Review 8873

Co-writer/ director Steven Lisberger’s 1987 comedy Hot Pursuit stars young John Cusack, who plays Danny Bartlett, a lazy slacker college boy who flies off to the Caribbean in hot pursuit of his holidaying girlfriend Lori Cronenberg (Wendy Gazelle), who is there with her parents (Monte Markham, Shelley Fabares), but finds only mayhem and foolishness in the company of crooks and killers.

Cusack is appealing, as always, but the movie is several steps down from Cusack’s similar 1985 hit The Sure Thing, with a hesitant tone that veers from crass crazy comedy to uncertain suspense. Robert Loggia adds some sparkle as an over-the-top sailor, Mac MacLaren, and Ben Stiller (aged 22) makes his movie debut appearance playing Chris Honeywell, the son of the character played by his real-life father, Jerry Stiller.

Also in the cast are Dah-ve Chodan, Keith David, Paul Bates, Ursaline Bryant, Martin LaSalle, Isaura Espinoza, Lourdes Munguîa, Roberto Sneider, Ted White, Andaluz Russell, Andrew Cochrane, Joseph E Foster and Roger Allford.

Hot Pursuit is directed by Steven Lisberger, runs 93 minutes, is made by RKO Pictures and Interaccess Film Distribution, is released by Paramount Pictures (1987) (US) and Vestron, is written by Steven Lisberger and Steven W Carabatsos, based on a Story: Steven Lisberger, is shot by Frank Tidy, is produced by Pierre David and Theodore R Pavin, is scored by Joseph Conlan, and is designed by William J Creber.

Steven Lisberger is the writer/ director of Tron and the director of Slipstream.

It takes place in the Caribbean but is shot in Ixtapa, Guerrero, Mexico; and Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.

© Derek Winnert 2019 Classic Movie Review 8873

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