The Killers
A remake of The Killers (1946) which itself was inspired by the Ernest Hemingway short story, two assassins of Siegel's film (Clu Gulager, Lee Marvin) go in search of their intended victim–a teacher (John Cassavetes) at a school for the blind–and find that he not only recognizes his fate when they show up, but seems entirely resigned to it.
Curiosity leads the killers to seek out the party who hired them and discover why Cassavetes's character didn't run or fight. Soon the facts tumble into place: the dead man had once been a top-drawer racer who fell for a glamorous woman (Angie Dickinson), the latter gradually pulling him into the orbit of a criminal villain (a convincingly evil Ronald Reagan).
Critic Reviews:
- " A mostly satisfying adaptation that fares better than one might've initially anticipated. " – David Nusair
- " This low-budget neo-noir is really a different kind of riff on the Hemingway story's themes and the genre. It also serves as a bit of foreshadowing for Seigel's violent 1971 hit Dirty Harry. " – Eric Melin
- " A crime mystery that takes the best from every cast member and creates a hell of an ensemble piece. " – Felix Vasquez Jr.