FRAMED (1975) - review

Who framed Joe Don Baker? That is the question in the gritty and aptly named cult classic, Framed, which is out now on Blu-ray for the first time in Australia thanks to Imprint Films.

After a big win from a card game in Texas, keen gambler and Tennessee nightclub owner, Ron Lewis, winds up with a four-year prison sentence. Upon his release, he wants nothing less than payback against those who sent him there.

In a post-Watergate America, the notion of corruption has attached itself to the national psyche. Ron cannot put a face to the villain responsible for his plight, but he’s a victim of corruption that not only reaches far and wide but has become all but normalised in his county and state.

Whilst in prison, Ron discovers order is not maintained by the guards, but the criminal enterprise that is allowed to flourish under the control of fellow inmate and mob boss, Sal Viccarrone (John Marley) and his right hand, Vince (Gabriel Dell), a convicted burglar and gun for hire. Fortunately for Ron, his skill as a gambler quickly wins him favour. If the rest of the movie was just the trio running their racket, I would have been totally on board. However, what eventually pans out is far from disappointing.

Framed is a rough and tumble, down and dirty smash with likable characters. Baker is initially somewhat playing against type as a man who is not overtly violent, just someone happy with their slice of heaven, but it’s not long before he’s breaking heads and shooting ears off, which, at times, gets rather sadistic.

While the plot may be slightly too convoluted for its own good, Framed did keep me on the hook for the entirety of its 106-minute runtime, with Baker demonstrating why he was the signature big burly bastard of the 1970s. I oddly became emotionally attached to Vince despite his limited screen time. His suave demeanour and ease with people were captivating, a credit to Gabriel Dell as a seasoned supporting player and former ‘Dead End Kid’ who was basically the little rascals but for mature audiences.

SPECIAL FEATURES

1080p High-definition presentation on Blu-ray
NEW Audio commentary by author and film writer Will Sloan
NEW Legacy of Brutality – video essay featuring writer and film critic Nick Pinkerton on the works of Phil Karlson and Joe Don Baker
Theatrical Trailer

Shot in an almost guerrilla style, the unconventional interview with Nick Pinkerton is laced with interesting facts about Framed and the genre it orbits. Pinkerton champions Framed as a spiritual sequel to Walking Tall, as it reunites director Phil Karlson with star Joe Don Baker. He then goes on to single out the film’s savage style of violence, both physical and sexual, for its intended effect to disturb the viewers, while comparing it to contemporary titles such as Death Wish, which are far more distasteful and exploitative.

VIDEO AND AUDIO

Framed has been floating around HD since 2017, but the 1080p presentation has held up well. The 1.78:1 image has a real grindhouse quality with great texture that allows you to see every bead of sweat and splash of blood in natural colour.

As expected, the LPCM 2.0 Stereo track provides clear sound and dialogue at consistent volume, but if you have the misfortune of not being able to hear the southern drawl with the accompanying vernacular, English HOH subtitles are available.

Framed is the sleeper hit for Imprint’s May releases, which was a crime-heavy month with more prestige titles such as Dark Blue and State of Grace dominating discussion. If you want something easy, less overbearing and primarily entertaining, you can’t miss this Tennessee-based cult classic.

FRAMED
(1975, director: Phil Karlson)

★★★★

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