Alan Rickman, Danny Aiello, Harvey Keitel

It's New Year's Eve and a serial killer stalks the streets of New York, looking for his next victim. Under pressure from the public and the press, Police Commissioner Frank Starkey (Harvey Keitel) a...( read more  read more... )nd the mayor (Rod Steiger) reinstate Starkey's brother Nick (Kevin Kline) in the force to track down the murderer. Nick was pressured to resign some years back and bad blood remains between him and his brother; almost immediately he rubs his superior (Danny Aiello) the wrong way when he turns his office into a sort of beatnik den. Flanked by his eccentric buddy (Alan Rickman) and the mayor's daughter (Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio), Starkey goes about running the killer down his own way. This film is a confused muddle--not funny enough to be a comedy, not suspenseful enough to be a taut cop thriller, and without enough chemistry to be a romantic drama. The excellent cast is adrift in a screenplay that throws in everything but the kitchen sink; Keitel, Steiger, and Aiello go completely apoplectic every time they're onscreen together (which should please fans of over-the-top acting). The first screenplay by John Patrick Shanley after his Oscar win for Moonstruck is hardly cut of the same cloth. --Jerry Renshaw

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34% liked it

2,912 ratings

R, 97 min.

Directed by: Pat O'Connor

Release Date: January 13, 1989

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DVD Release Date: April 16, 2002

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Flixster Reviews (104)


  • December 13, 2008
    Like the basic ideas, but it needed a stronger director to pull it off.
  • February 27, 2009
    Another overdone serial killer movie.
  • February 9, 2009
    One of the most uneven films I've seen in recent years. The cast and acting is amazing, the story interesting and a few scenes are fantastic. Then, when you least expect it, comes the scene where everything is flawed and you wonder if it's the same movie, or the same director. Ma...( read more)ny scenes are 5/5 stars and several scenes are 0/5. I did like it so the grade still represents a film that is both watchable and recommended.
  • April 9, 2008
    Alright thriller, but no where near a great one.
  • August 3, 2009
    Great plot, but it needed more Alan Rickman. Poor Ed only had a few lines. Other than that, this movie was great.
  • April 10, 2009
    No thanks - Not interested
  • December 22, 2008
    A entertaining film. I think i enjoyed this film it had interesting story about a New York detective like Sherlock Holmes track down a serial killer. The director of this movie was not bad, it was very good that had a great cast especially Kline played a smart and funny character...( read more) also others were good too. The acting was very good mainly the 3 actors pictured on the dvd and Keitlel while a couple didn't act that great. The plot was easy to understand but as i said before it was a enjoyable film.
  • July 26, 2008
    they used the 'f' word way too much
  • July 9, 2008
    Decent movie. Good quirky Rickman character.
  • May 15, 2008
    is it trying to be a drama, or a comedy? it kindof falls flat as either.

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The January Man Trivia


  • I was born January 24th, 1917. I've starred in the remake of McHale's Navy, as well as the original. I was in the movies BASEketball and Small Soldiers. Lately my voice as appears as Mermaid man in Spongebob.  Answer »
  • In what Kevin Kline movie did the killer use the song "Calender Girl" to decide who his next victim would be?  Answer »

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