Stone Cold Dead

Within the dark wet streets of any city, there lurks the criminal thoughts of any of it's equally dark inhabitants. Some are good, others bad and still others are downright lethal and often lead to murder. This black 1970's murder, mystery was originally written by Hugh Garner and directed for the screen by George Mendeluk. It's the story of Decective Sgt Boyd (Richard Crenna) who despite his years of police service to the Dept. cannot fathom the endless violence which continues night after night. In this latest crime spree, there seems to be a night-time sniper who is killing ladies of the night or prostitutes for no apparent reason. In addition, there are suspicious characters like a local drug lord named Julius Kurtz (Paul Williams) who also has a stable of Whores and secret ties to the police. Personal involvements to several women in the stable makes the case difficult for Boyd as he is interested in helping them. The movie is slow to develop and the audience is thrown more than it needs when it comes to trying to pinpointing the killer. Still with Williams and Crenna playing off one another the film makes for interesting viewing. Recommended to mystery buffs and fans of both stars. ****