The Harvest (1992) Online

I saw this on cable, and it impressed me. Hollywood makes tons of boring thrillers, full of gunplay and mindless brutality. What I liked about this movie is that the hero goes through unusual trials to find the people that did him wrong: he doesn't just shoot and interrogate bad guys.

An author goes to Mexico for inspiration. He get seduced, get drugged, and wakes up minus one kidney. He is too obsessed with the woman who wronged him to drop the matter and fly home, however. To find her, he tangles with corrupt cops, endures his weakened state (he has just lost a kidney, after all), faces off with Mexican gangsters, and hikes through the jungle wasted on psychedelic drugs.

Not a bad film as far as these things go. There is also a hot love scene in a moving Volkswagen beetle, but I don't want to spoil that part for you.

In this excellent unabashed B movie from 1993 you get to watch Miguel Ferrier and his wife turn one of the most enduring urban legends ever (guy wakes up in a bathtub of ice missing -insert body part- with instructions to call an ambulance) into a South of the Border escape covering topics from the Hollywood screen writing culture to Latin American police corruption to long term depression to child molestation to the underground gay community back to the Hollywood screen writing culture. What it lacks in production values (not much) it makes up for in heart.

This type of film was often showed on the off-brand pay movie channels in the early to mid 90s but usually centered more around the exposure of many, many nude body parts belonging to Shannon Tweed, Joan Severence or C. Thomas Howell (::shudder::). This film keeps its clothes on (and puts a dress on George Clooney, to boot) and delivers an enjoyable watching experience of pure escapist fantasy throughout which you will consistently thank God you aren't Miguel's character (when he is rolling around on the ground in pain) or curse God you aren't Miguel's character (when he is rolling around in the front seat of a Volkswagon with his insanely beautiful real life wife).

Good stuff.

Blocked, frustrated, Prozac-popping writer Charlie Pope (a terrific performance by Miguel Ferror in a rare juicy lead) goes to Mexico to research a script he's working on. Pope falls under the spell of sultry, alluring lass Natalie Caldwell (wonderfully played by the incredibly hot Leilani Sarelle, who's Ferror's former wife) and winds up having one of his kidneys stolen. Pope gets himself in further jeopardy when he tries to find out who's responsible. Writer/director David Marconi concocts one doozy of a moody and offbeat modern-day film noir thriller which offers a strong and provocative subtext on art vs. commerce, the grueling rigors of the creative process, the lengths one's willing to go for one's art, and suffering for one's art. Emmanuel Lubezki's slick, sparkling cinematography and Rich Boston's funky, flavorsome score both add an extra tasty zing to the vivid and tangibly sordid south-of-the-border atmosphere. The sterling cast rates as another substantial asset: Harvey Fierstein as sleazy Hollywood agent Bob Larkin, Anthony John Denison as the treacherous Noel Guzmann, Henry Silva as brutish, hard-nosed police chief Topo, Tim Thomerson as seedy hotel proprietor Steve Mobley, Matt Clark as amiable farmhand Hank, and George Clooney as a singing transvestite in a gay bar. A shamefully neglected sleeper.

So I just saw this and I do say it was really good. Although I don't quite think someone who's just woken up minus a kidney can do all the fights that Charlie did it's really pretty good. It did stray a few times from the good path-it tried to make itself unpredictable and different, and I think it probably would have faired better if they didn't do that. I especially disliked the ending, up until the end I was quite enjoying the movie (if only for Miguel Ferrer being half naked for half the film.) I did think that for being married before the film Miguel and Leilani seemed to lack some passion, Miguel seemed very distracted during the love scenes (the only one that he has any excuse for was the one where he's supposed to be driving at the same time...). The very Dallas-esquire ending definitely messed with the movie and I think it would have most definitely faired better if it simply ended right then and there without continuing on past Charlie adding in the last lines of the script.

A screenwriter goes to Mexico and gets his kidney stolen! Along the way, searching for that appendage which did a vanishing act, he meets a girl and they have a sexual liaison. It all spells trouble with a capital T, as he finds out that his other kidney is about to be targeted!

Miguel Ferrer, a lesser known supporting actor whom you may of seen in such flops as "Another Stakeout", "Royce", "The Stand" and "Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me", does a great job as the smitten man frantically searching for the nabber of his kidney.

Another woman, dubiously surnamed "Ferrer" as well, plays the sexual interest. She was the lesbian offsider also in Basic Instinct, this girl surely does get around! Going from ice-pick crazy millionaire lesbian to kidney stealing enthusiast is a leap at both ends of the spectrum.

The intrigue builds through a plot that develops relatively devoid of action, and builds up to an abrupt climax which halts the film. But, I found myself strangely drawn to the movie. I liked it, I really did!

I hope that Miguel Ferrer makes something of himself, because seeing someone of his acting calibre would be very satisfying.

Eight out of ten.

Charlie Pope is carrying a very valuable commodity. Is it drugs? Guns? No, it's his kidney. I kid you not! Pope (Miguel Ferrer) is a struggling movie screenwriter who travels to Mexico to use a murder case as the basis for his newest story (why doesn't he just re-write an old classic like everyone else?). His boss back in L.A. is played by Harvey Fierstein, who's out of place here as a foul-mouthed tyrant. Pope meets a gorgeous blonde and, naturally, this coupling can only spell trouble for our hero. He's knocked unconscious. The next thing he knows, he's short one kidney. Black market kidneys are apparently big business in Mexico (actually, the reason for the operation is explained at the end of the movie). Pope spends the rest of the film trying to find out who nicked his organ. Later on, he finds out they plan to take his other kidney. How's this for a promo slogan: They took his kidney...this time it's personal! He also makes out with the aforementioned young lady. The love scenes are typical of this genre, featuring overheated foreplay that leads to lacklustre slo-mo sex. During one scene, Pope fondles his partner while driving a VW Beetle. He struggles to keep his eyes on the road as she stands up through the sunroof and raises her dress. You want to yell at them, "for God's sake, stop the car and get it over with." All in all, "The Harvest" is reasonably well done. The pace never lags, and Ferrer does a good job in the lead role. It's not exactly "The Fugitive", but you could do a lot worse in the action/adventure field.

The Harvest is the very definition of a hidden gem that one stumbles upon while watching late night cable and sits through to the end just because it's such a wickedly nasty little thriller. Erotic and steamy, dangerous, very darkly funny are qualities that all reside within a terrific script that has one kicker of an ending that's quite the chuckle inducing payoff. No one wants to have their organs taken while on vacation in some sketchy South American country, let alone consider the thought of it. Hard luck screenwriter Charlie Pope (an intense Miguel Ferrer in one of his few lead roles) falls right into that unthinkable scenario. He's sent to Mexico by his bad tempered boss Bob Lakin (a sleazy Harvey Fierstein, who REALLY needs to be in more movies), and marinates in the sweatiness trying to get some work done. After a hot and heavy night with a gorgeous local babe (Leilani Sarelle) he wakes up with the mother of all hangovers and is horrified to find that one of his kidneys has been removed. From there it's a stomach churning mad dash to figure out where the smugglers have gone, and evade the, at the same time, because they're coming to try and get his other one and silence him forever as well. It's an uncomfortable little piece of white knuckle trash, but it's made with solid flair and like I said, the script is top shelf stuff. Ferrer is the running man here, trying to keep one step ahead of some very dangerous people, his bountiful acting talent putting us right there with him. Fierstein is always a gravel voiced gem, and gets two penultimate scenes that spin the plot on its cogs, both which will have you laughing uncomfortably. There's also an early career appearance from George Clooney, who is Ferrer's cousin. His credit here, and I'm not even making this up, is 'Lip syncing transvestite'. How's that for a leg up in the industry. Lowbrow, gut churning black comedy mixed with the exotic fish out of water thriller makes for a neat little piece of genre bending, grotesque shocker fun.

three things stand out for me regarding _the harvest_.

first, the tagline is ridiculous. this IMDB page shows a different phrase, but here's what's on the case: "They stole one of his kidneys... and told him he would survive with only one... Now, they want that one too." oh my.

secondly, george clooney as a mexican transvestite is a fairly tight arrangement. great imagery.

third is the excellent soundtrack, on the now defunct world domination records. led by dave allen (gang of four) and rick boston (low pop suicide), it also has a few tracks from their labelmates. the result is stylistically broad. the theme song, "one by one", is a duet between rick and belinda carlisle. great musicianship and ambience throughout.

Good suspense and writing anchor this otherwise routine thriller about a writer who lives out the urban legend of waking up without a kidney while investigating a series of murders in Mexico. He soon finds himself running for his life. (and his other kidney!) Average at best, you might like it. Miguel Ferrer gives a good performance.

** 1/2 out of ****

Is the straight-to-video, the modern day equivalent of the B movie? Not quite, but a B-movie is what we've got here, with Miguel Ferrer as the hardboiled writer.

Have you read the urban e-myth about waking up in a foreign hotel, packed in ice, kidney removed, phone within reach? That myth struck me as a novel treatment of a pretty primordial fear...so when I heard about this movie, I had to see it.

S'alright, missing this film would be more like waking up and finding....gasp....someone's stolen your tonsils than a kidney. Another attempt to find the modern day noir, maybe? A plot feint is used, which ticked me off a little...and didn't add to the clarity of the somewhat sketchy story.

Bottom line this is not one I would have rented with a bunch of friends, but worth removing 90 minutes of my life.

This is one of those films that have a lot of characters you are familiar with, but just can't remember where, or remember their names.

But, the focus is on three people, so the rest don't matter.

I don't recall Miguel Ferrer (Traffic, "Crossing Jordan") in many leads, so it is refreshing to see him here. He is starring with his ex, Leilani Sarelle (Basic Instinct). Not hard to get some passion up here.

Ferrer is in Mexico researching a murder for a screenplay when he runs into Sarelle, who is part of a body parts harvesting team.

At least he gets his story, and it has George Clooney as a trans.

Not really a bad hour and a half.

i though this was a decent little movie.it's about a writer who is sent to Mexico for inspiration,to wrote the next big story,which will hopefully be made into a movie.while in Mexico,he wakes up one morning to find one of his kidneys missing.he then discovers they want his second kidney.i didn't find this movie overly exciting,but it did keep my interest.some of the scenes stretch into implausibility and are not realistic.it's also pretty predictable for the most part,if you're paying attention.the other thing is,the movie is pretty low key.it's mot what i would call action packed or exciting.still,it was an enjoyable diversion and I've sen worse.for me,The Harvest is a 6/10

"The Harvest" is in some ways a strange movie. It seems to be a curious mash of three different kinds of movies. Sometimes it's a thriller concerning the black market human organ trade, sometimes its an homage to noir movies from several decades back, and sometimes it's an erotic drama. None of these different paths are that great. The erotic side of the movie comes out of the blue in the latter half of the movie and doesn't seem to fit with what we've watched up to that point. The noir homages and the thriller paths suffer from the fact that the movie moves way too slow - it takes more than 40 minutes before the hero finds himself in a truly troubling situation. And what follows from that point suffers more often than not from a kind of "soft" feeling - the movie should have been more hard hitting. There is an unexpected twist near the end of the movie, but it will likely frustrate viewers. But there are some positive things to be found. The casting of Miguel Ferrer as the central figure was a good one - he's pretty good, and his unglamorous looks are a change from typical casting of chiselled actors in roles like this. The on location shooting in Mexico also gives the movie a nice seedy atmosphere. Kudos also to the director for having the guts to put in some elements that might make viewers uncomfortable instead of reassuring them throughout. I'm not sure if this movie works in the end, but it's offbeat and unusual enough to make you watch it all the way through... if you are a patient viewer, that is.