READ THIS FIRST: This is a 12-inch Diameter Laserdisc, which is NOT the same as DVD and cannot be played on a DVD player!

Laserdisc Title: "NEXT OF KIN"
Edition: Fullscreen Edition (Single Disc)
Directed By: John IrvinStarring: Patrick Swayze, Adam Baldwin, Helen Hunt, Bill Paxton, Liam Neeson
Production / Year: 1989 Lorimar Film Entertainment Company
Running Time: 109 Minutes / Color
Audio Format: Digitally Processes, Dolby Surround, Stereo, CX Encoded
Video Format: NTSC, CLV (Extended Play)
Miscellaneous Features: Rated R, Closed Captioned
Distributed By: Warner Home Video
Catalog / Spine Number: 670

Cosmetic Condition:
Disc (s): Excellent - Hardly noticeable to very minor hairline surface swirls, if any
Jacket: Very Good - Normal shelf wear, creases, scuffs, slight ring-wear, slightly worn-out corners or edges but no signs of spines splitting

Synopsis:
In terms of just pure plot, Next of Kin is -- in many ways -- a typical example of the unconventional cop vs. the mob film genre of the 1980s...However, if Next of Kin is ultimately a genre piece, its still a better-than-average example of the what the genre is capable of. Certainly, its probably the only film ever made by Patrick Swayze that can legitimately be called underrated. Plotwise, the film sounds almost like a parody. Patrick Swayze is a former hillbilly from Appalacia Country who has left behind his rustic family to become a big city cop and to romance sophisticated music teacher Helen Hunt. (Is there a reason why big city cops with simple backgrounds always seem to end up romancing music teachers in these films?) Swayze's younger brother Bill Paxton also comes to the city, to pursue a life of petty crime that ends up getting him killed by mobster Adam Baldwin which leads to yet another Swayze brother coming down to the city, this one played by Liam Neeson. As Neeson seeks revenge, Swayze is forced to return to his roots in order to avenge both his brother and protect his girlfriend.Yet somehow, all of this works rather effectively on screen. The film is directed by Englishman John Irvin who has made a rather unsung career out of bringing a stronger-than-usual sense of characterization to genre films (the best example being the war film Hamburger Hill). Although Irvin's filming of the action scenes are a little pedestrian, he still has a strong visual sense and manages to vividly contrast the conflicting worlds of the country and the city. The film's supporting cast is well chosen and both the heroes and the villians all come to life with a surprising amount of dignity. At no point do any of the actors demean their roles by playing ...typical hillybillys or, for that matter, ...typical mobsters and that shows an unusual and admirable amount of integrity for a film of this sort. Paxton isn't on screen long but remains, as always, a likeable presence and Adam Baldwin makes a compellingly understandable and hissable villian. Michael J. Pollard shows up as a hillbilly and brings his trademark quirkiness to the proceedings while the role of the nerdy mob scion is played by Ben Stiller, of all people. Certainly, the best performance in the film is given by Liam Neeson who dominates the proceedings with the grim sincerity he brings to his quest for revenge. This Irish actor also manages to perfectly capture the unique accent of the Appalacian region. As an actor, Patrick Swayze has always been limited and he's always been better at projecting sincerity than complexity. Luckily, his role in Next of Kin has been designed to require little more of him than sincerity and, if Next of Kin doesn't represent his best performance, its certainly his most likeable.

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