Judgment Night
(1993)
R | 110 mins | Drama, Mystery | 15 October 1993
Director:
Stephen HopkinsWriters:
Lewis Colick, Jere CunninghamProducer:
Gene LevyCinematographer:
Peter LevyEditor:
Timothy WellburnProduction Designer:
Joseph Nemec, IIIProduction Company:
Largo EntertainmentAccording to the 28 Aug 1992 Screen International, Ray Liotta would star in the picture. However, Liotta did not appear in the finished film.
The 18 Nov 1992 Long Beach Press-Telegram announced filmmakers would use the 710 Freeway in Long Beach, CA, as a location when a closable freeway could not be found in Chicago, IL, where the picture is set. Filming was planned for five days in Long Beach before the production relocated to Los Angeles, CA. Production notes in AMPAS library files state that filming also occurred in Chicago, and that almost three-quarters of the picture was shot at night.
The 18 Oct 1993 HR reported that a shooting took place three days earlier during a showing of Judgment Night at the Cineplex Odeon Metropolitan theatre in Brooklyn, NY. One teenager was killed, and three bystanders were injured in the incident. ...
According to the 28 Aug 1992 Screen International, Ray Liotta would star in the picture. However, Liotta did not appear in the finished film.
The 18 Nov 1992 Long Beach Press-Telegram announced filmmakers would use the 710 Freeway in Long Beach, CA, as a location when a closable freeway could not be found in Chicago, IL, where the picture is set. Filming was planned for five days in Long Beach before the production relocated to Los Angeles, CA. Production notes in AMPAS library files state that filming also occurred in Chicago, and that almost three-quarters of the picture was shot at night.
The 18 Oct 1993 HR reported that a shooting took place three days earlier during a showing of Judgment Night at the Cineplex Odeon Metropolitan theatre in Brooklyn, NY. One teenager was killed, and three bystanders were injured in the incident.
In Chicago, Illinois, Frank Wyatt prepares to go out for the night with friends for the first time since the birth of his infant daughter. However, Frank’s wife, Linda, worries about the antics of his rowdy, unmarried friends, Mike Peterson and Ray Cochran. Ray arrives for Frank in a motor home he borrowed for the night. Along with Frank’s younger brother, John Wyatt, the men drive into the city to see a boxing match. With traffic at a standstill on the congested freeway, John gets into a fistfight with another driver who refuses to let them into his lane. Afterward, Frank warns his brother that his quick temper could get him killed. Ray exits the freeway to find an alternate route, and they soon become lost in a dangerous part of the city. When they ask two homeless men for directions, Ray thinks the men are going to rob them, and shocks his friends by pulling a handgun from the glove box. As they continue driving down the deserted streets, Ray is distracted while looking at a map, and hits someone. He wants to leave the scene, but his friends insist he telephone an ambulance. They find a young man lying on the ground, and bring him inside the motor home. Ray lies to his friends and says the cellular phone in the vehicle is not working. They discover the young man has been shot, and find a large amount of cash in his pocket. The victim, named Teddy, tells them he is being chased and begs for their help. When the friends see a ...
In Chicago, Illinois, Frank Wyatt prepares to go out for the night with friends for the first time since the birth of his infant daughter. However, Frank’s wife, Linda, worries about the antics of his rowdy, unmarried friends, Mike Peterson and Ray Cochran. Ray arrives for Frank in a motor home he borrowed for the night. Along with Frank’s younger brother, John Wyatt, the men drive into the city to see a boxing match. With traffic at a standstill on the congested freeway, John gets into a fistfight with another driver who refuses to let them into his lane. Afterward, Frank warns his brother that his quick temper could get him killed. Ray exits the freeway to find an alternate route, and they soon become lost in a dangerous part of the city. When they ask two homeless men for directions, Ray thinks the men are going to rob them, and shocks his friends by pulling a handgun from the glove box. As they continue driving down the deserted streets, Ray is distracted while looking at a map, and hits someone. He wants to leave the scene, but his friends insist he telephone an ambulance. They find a young man lying on the ground, and bring him inside the motor home. Ray lies to his friends and says the cellular phone in the vehicle is not working. They discover the young man has been shot, and find a large amount of cash in his pocket. The victim, named Teddy, tells them he is being chased and begs for their help. When the friends see a police car in the distance, Frank takes the wheel, but before they can catch up to the cruiser, they are hit by another vehicle. The collision wedges the motor home in an alley between two buildings. Teddy warns that they are in danger, and Ray searches for his gun, which disappeared during the impact. Suddenly, gang members shoot out the back window and drag Teddy outside. As Fallon, the gang leader, approaches, Teddy pleads his innocence, claiming he was not planning to steal Fallon’s money. As the friends watch from the motor home, Fallon kills Teddy and tells his gang they need to eliminate the witnesses. Mike smashes the windshield to escape, as Frank lights a fire inside the motor home to prevent the thugs from following. Unseen by the others, Ray finds his gun and hides it under his clothes. The friends flee as the motor home explodes, and seek shelter in an abandoned rail car occupied by two homeless men. As Fallon searches train, the homeless men threaten to alert him to the intruders’ location. Ray gives them his expensive wristwatch, and the others turn over their wallets. One of the homeless men inadvertently causes a disruption, drawing Fallon to their location. As dozens of homeless men flee the gang’s gunfire, Fallon shoots a bum wearing Mike’s jacket, and retrieves Frank’s wallet from the pocket. Fallon discovers a photograph of Linda with their infant daughter, and a card bearing Frank’s home address. Meanwhile, the four friends search a housing project for someone to help them, but the residents are too frightened to offer assistance. A teenager sees them and reports their whereabouts to a local gang, who, in turn, tells Fallon. Inside the apartment building, two women allow the men to use their telephone to call police. As they wait, Fallon shouts threats in the hallway, revealing that he knows Frank’s address, and complimenting him on his attractive wife. The women become terrified and demand the men get out. Ray shocks his friends by holding them at gunpoint and refusing to leave, but Frank convinces Ray to give him the gun. As they exit, the women direct them to the roof where they can escape to a neighboring building. John and Mike make their way across a ladder bridge, but Ray’s fear of heights causes him to stall. As Frank begins to cross, Fallon and his men spot them, and Mike fires the gun to protect Frank. Ray refuses to follow his friends, and throws the ladder to the ground. As the others watch from a neighboring rooftop, Ray offers the gangster $200,000 to buy their freedom. Fallon agrees, then unexpectedly pushes Ray from the rooftop to his death. In retaliation, Mike fires again, injuring two gang members. The three remaining friends hide in a storm drain, but are soon discovered by Fallon, who pursues them underground. The men decide to fight back, and lie in wait for the gang to approach. Mike kills a thug named Sykes, and wants to kill the others, but Frank demands they leave the drain without killing anyone else. Above ground, they break into a building that houses a swap meet, hoping to trigger an alarm to attract police. When two security guards apprehend them, the men are grateful that police will soon arrive. However, before the guards can telephone police, Fallon arrives and a gunfight ensues. Mike kills another gang member, but is then shot in the stomach. Frank creates a distraction while John rescues Mike. After John is shot in the leg, Frank helps his friends into an elevator, and hides them in a bathroom while he goes for help. With all his gang members dead, Fallon continues his pursuit alone. Franks triggers a silent alarm, then attacks Fallon. The men fight for possession of Fallon’s gun, which Frank knocks over a balcony. He makes a final lunge, pushing Fallon over the balcony to his death. Police finally arrive, and Mike and John are loaded onto gurneys. An officer returns Frank’s wallet, complimenting him on his beautiful family, and informing him that Linda is waiting outside.
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