Traxx (film)

Traxx is a 1988 action/adventure comedy film that was directed by Jerome Gary.[3][4] It released on August 17, 1988 and starred Shadoe Stevens as a mercenary turned cookie maker.[5][6] The film had a budget of 6.5 million dollars and was initially intended to have a theatrical release, but was instead released direct to video.[2] Traxx was later screened in 2012 at the Hollywood Theatre in Portland, Oregon.[7]

Traxx
VHS cover
Directed byJerome Gary
Produced by
Written byGary DeVore
Starring
Music byJay Gruska
CinematographyGiuseppe Maccari
Edited byMichael Kahane
Distributed byDe Laurentiis Entertainment Group
Release date
  • August 17, 1988 (1988-08-17)
Running time
84 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$6.5 million[1][2]

Plot summary

Opening in 1984, Traxx (Shadoe Stevens) is a Texas State Trooper who has little respect for the rules of the police force due to perps frequently getting away with their crimes through legal technicalities or playing the "temporary insanity" case in court. As a result, Traxx makes every effort possible to kill criminals after catching them in the act which earns him scorn from his superiors. In the opening scene, Traxx is one of several troopers called to defuse a hostage situation where a deranged holdup man (Leon Rippy) has taken refuge in a pet store after shooting and killing an old lady and a puppy. Traxx storms the store and when the killer gives up and vows to plead temporary insanity, Traxx shoots and kills him anyway. After being reprimanded one too many times by the police commissioner (Hugh Gillin) for excessive use of force, Traxx quits and leaves town to become a soldier of fortune.

Four years later, after battling his way through El Salvador, the Middle East, and Nicaragua and killing countless terrorists, Traxx decides to retire to a life of baking gourmet cookies in his hometown, inspired by the cookies of Wally Amos (who late in the film appears in a cameo playing himself). When he finds himself in need of money, Traxx decides to hire himself out as the "Town Tamer" and begins cleaning up his hometown of Hadleyville, Texas by killing off its lowlife street scum. Aided by fellow mercenary Deeter (Willard E. Pugh), and supported by the town mayor, Alexandra Cray (Priscilla Barnes) and the local police chief Decker (John Hancock), who agrees to pay under the books $10,000 per week to Traxx for cleaning up their town, Traxx does well with his new assassin-for-hire business. However, things do not go as smoothly as he would have hoped. Traxx's actions soon come into the attention of the local crime boss Aldo Palucci (Robert Davi). Fearing that Traxx will bring about the downfall of his business, Palucci brings in the dreaded Guzik brothers, a trio of ruthless but comic hitmen from Mexico to get rid of Traxx which leads to a climatic showdown in the streets.

In the final scene, after defeating and killing Palucci and the three Guzik brothers, Traxx finally opens up his own cookie store which is called 'Snaxx by Traxx' using the reward money given for the bounty on the bad guys heads. Mayor Clay throws a large street fair to celebrate the town's centennial and its now crime-free streets.

Cast

Reception

In his book '80s Action Movies on the Cheap, Daniel R. Budnik wrote that the film is "sort of a parody but not quite" of 1980s action film excess. Budnik compared it to Sledge Hammer!, saying that audiences may have misinterpreted the film and been offended by the over-the-top violence.[8]

References
  1. De Laurentiis PRODUCER'S PICTURE DARKENS: KNOEDELSEDER, WILLIAM K, Jr. Los Angeles Times 30 Aug 1987: 1.
  2. Spy Aug 1989. Spy. 1989. p. 53. Retrieved 20 July 2014.
  3. "The Vulcan Vault: Josh Johnson Discusses Shadoe Stevens In TRAXX (1988)!!". Ain't It Cool News. Retrieved 20 July 2014.
  4. Keough, Peter (April 12, 1987). "Celluloid dream factory rises in Wilmington, N.C." Chicago Sun-Times (subscription required). Archived from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved 20 July 2014.
  5. Rigney, Todd. "Forgotten Action Cinema: Traxx". Beyond Hollywood. Retrieved 20 July 2014.
  6. Horovitz, Bruce; Marlowe, Shirley. "Has Success Spoiled 'Fred Rated'?". LAT. Retrieved 20 July 2014.
  7. "Film Shorts". Portland Mercury. Retrieved 20 July 2014.
  8. Budnik, Daniel R. (2017). '80s Action Movies on the Cheap:284 Low Budget, High Impact Pictures. McFarland & Company. pp. 207–208. ISBN 9780786497416.
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