Johnny Skidmarks

"Johnny Skidmarks" does not seem to know exactly what it wants to be - it crosses a number of genres, from black comedy to thriller. As it turns out, none of the genres it dabbles in are particularly well accomplished. It's not funny, not thrilling, or insightful. The main problem with the movie, as my summary line points out, is that it's too soft and low key. This particularly goes for lead actor Peter Gallagher - he is so lacking in emotion (ANY emotion) for most of the movie that it's hard to get a handle on his character. But the movie's story is also weak. It's extremely slow moving and filled with unnecessary fat. There's also fault with the twist about two-thirds into the movie, which is not only predictable to a good degree, it depends on the characters being extremely stupid. The only interesting thing to be found in the movie is seeing a pre-fame Jack Black, though his scenes only add up to a few minutes of the total running time.

forget about all the bad things you may or may not have heard about this one ,trust no one - but me. this is one fine film, enough said.

Despite its title 1998's "Johnny Skidmarks" is NOT a comedy but a modest noirish thriller in which titular quiet freelance crime-scene photographer Peter Gallagher works for the cops (including John Lithgow), insurance companies AND a crew of blackmailers linked to the mob. That latter crew though start turning up dead one by one, just as Gallagher meets (through his deceased wife's brother Jack Black) sultry seductive dame Frances McDormand. Is a blackmail victim wreaking revenge, and if so is McDormand involved? Co-writer (with William Preston Robertson) / director John Raffo does a passable job - though with THAT title, it SHOULDA been a comedy.

Peter Gallagher is a police crime photographer (hence his nickname). He's a widower and hangs out at his brother-in-law Jack Black's burger joint, where he has recently met and begun an affair with grass widow and recovering alcoholic Frances McDormand. He also has a profitable side business of taking blackmail photos of men lured to a cheap motel by a prostitute; that ring is run by John Kapelos. And now the other members of the blackmail ring are being murdered. Pal John Lithgow is heading the investigation and Gallagher is worrying that Lithgow may not catch the killer before Gallagher is murdered. Also, that he might catch the murderer and Gallagher's activities will be revealed.

It's certainly a well cast, well lit neo-noir that bumps along at a steady pace despite the erratic behavior of everyone. The only real distraction is that Gallagher seems to bear a remarkable resemblance to Billy Bob Thornton, and I kept imagining how he would have handled the role. Over all, it's unremarkable, but it certainly is engaging while it's on the screen.

This film wants to be a black comedy, but doesn't quite pull it off. It's like the director every now and then said "Oh yeah, it's a black comedy. Do something funny now". It just isn't consistent. Watch "Fargo" instead. I think Frances McDormand was trying to reprise her wonderful role in that film and picked this loser. And John Lithgow is capable of so much better. Not bad but very ordinary.