FINAL COMBINATION

Richard Welton (Gary Stretch) is a handsome gentleman whose lust for young women goes far beyond seduction. It goes from boxing (yes, boxing!) to murder. And this (again male) specimen of the numerous breeds of serial killer comes up against our hero, cynical, tired cop with asthma, Matt Dickson (Michael Madsen). Matt drags himself through his job, drawing on tales of former glory as an ex-hockey star and womanizer. Thwarted by an investigation into the murder and rape of two young women in a motel, he unexpectedly receives help from Catherine Briggs (Lisa Bonet), a stunningly beautiful, incisive freelance journalist. Catherine has her own reasons for catching the killer. Matt, however, only has eyes for her. The two are joined by retired boxer Ike “Point Man” Pointer (Clarence Landry). The trio follows the tracks to Richard Welton. But even face to face with the killer, the game is far from over.

Director Nigel Dick (of Deadly Intent … and more than 150 music videos for Frank Sinatra, Guns N’ Roses and ZZ Top, among others) and the producing duo Steve Golin and Sigur Sighvatsson (the men behind Wild at Heart, Candyman and Twin Peaks, among others) offer us a modern metropolitan cocktail of redemption, guilt, frustration and anger. The 1940s look and the ethnically neatly divided “love & violence” guarantee an intense postmodern show. Michael Madsen (Thema & Louise, Reservoir Dogs, Trouble Bound) gets to play a good guy for once, albeit with a lot of personal problems. Lisa Bonet (The Cosby Show, Angel Heart) can finally be admired on the big screen again. Gentleman-killer Richard Welton is more than adequately played by Gary Stretch, ex-European and world middleweight boxing champion. And Clarence Landry, also an ex-fighter, could already be seen in Alien Nation and Mr. Saturday Night.