World Gone Mad (1933)

Director: Christy Cabanne

In this mediocre showing from the beginnings of Hollywood, we find bad writing, bad cinematography, and a lot of lawyers. Essentially there is a murdered DA and the new DA and a reporter are trying to get to the bottom of it. There is some love interest that is all muddled up. Its boring as hell.

Old boring law:

1. A bootlegger who is in good with the District Attorney is asked to “fight the DA to the finish.” The loyalties of bootleggers being what they are, he aquiesces. To make the hit he sets the DA up with a promise of evidence in a big case. After his death the DA is made out to be a drinking womanizer.

2. At one point a brief case is called a “lawyers bag.”

3. The new DA is looking to capture the men who murdered the old DA because “people look to the law to protect them.” He claims that he would shoot the criminals himself “if the law allowed,” but instead he will send them away for as long as the law allows. A very noble chap.

4. We find out that the penalty for kidnapping is life in prison.

5. The murder is an attempt to cover up corporate looting. This sort of stock fraud was pertinent as this was made in the wake of the great depression. Thus we get a bit of the criminal end of corporate law.

6. A hit on the new DA fails. He is in denial that he is a target and is told that DA’s “don’t just have accidents.”

7. A bit of legal theory: “Smith and Wesson make all men equal, and equality is the basis of all democracy.”

8. The bad guys are planning to leave the country on a yatch: pre harsh immigration law days.

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Where the Buffalo Roam (1980)

Director: Art Linson

Before there was Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas there was Where the Buffalo Roam. The film follows the hey day of Hunter S. Thompson’s journalism career. Bill Murray, as Thompson, is no Johnny Depp in the role, but he’s damn good. Where the Buffalo Roam focus’s on Thompson’s interactions with with his attorney Carl Lazlo (Peter Boyle). He’s not exactly the lawyer we all want to be, but there is something to his renegade ways, his pursuit of justice, and the way that he can throw a D.A. at a judge (don’t say you’ve never wanted to). I must apologize, my notes are sketchy and I’ve definitely missed some stuff.

Gonzo Law:

1. Thompson describes Lazlo as a “man I used to keep me out of jail in those years,” additionally Lazlo is “sometimes a good lawyer.” In the movie, he is working on an article entitled “My Attorney v. American Justice” (catchy ain’t it?). Carl Lazlo is based on real life Mexican-American attorney and activist Oscar Zeta Acosta, whom Thompson travelled with and wrote about.

2. When Thompson is in a clinic Lazlo arrives and states (in true Lazlo fashion), “as your attorney I advise you to leave this room at once.”

3. Lazlo is representing kids that have been taken in on drug charges. He is defending them all on fourth amendment grounds (protecting us from illegal search and seizure). He claims that the kids’ civil rights are violated and that the judges are handing out ridiculous sentences.

4. We see Lazlo in court working these cases. He tells his clients that there can be no “grab ass” in court. The D.A. declares that he wants to oppose a different lawyer. The case is called (“People v. Kramer”), and it is a marijuana possession case. Lazlo tells the judge that he will take all the cases to trial and clog the system for 6 years. Thompson meanwhile is cheering him to “hit them with the fourth amendment Laz.” In the case, the police caught the defendant with marijuana inside a cigarette pack. The cop declares that he suspected a bomb. Lazlo points out the ridiculousness, but because the defendant won’t give up his source for the weed he gets five years. Instead of appealing, Lazlo throws the D.A. at the judge.

5. Lazlo sees another Lawyer who says that Laslo should be working divorces or property. Lazlo refuses claiming he’s not in it for the money.

6. Lazlo’s career is later ended by arrest. He begins running guns to Mexico. He leaves us with some good advice though: “as your exattorney I advise you not to worry.” Well said, Lazlo.

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Domestic Disturbance (2001)

Directer: Harold Becker

Frank (John Travolta) is divorced, and yet keeps a good relationship with his ex-wife. They even share responsibilities with the son (for whom she has custody). But she’s getting ready to marry Rick (Vince Vaughn). Rick seems like a nice guy, but when he kills a guy in front of Danny (the son of course) it causes a domestic disturbance (and a film devoid of any originality).

Disturbed law:

1. Danny ditches school and is picked up by the police. He’s done it before and demanded a lawyer. Way to know your rights Danny.

2. When Ray, one of Ricks old criminal buddies, comes to town, Rick tells him that scumbags are what he “came to hate most about working outside the law.”

3. After Danny sees the murder there is a police interrogation in which no one believes Danny. Finally, Frank believes him and sues for custody in order to get him away from Rick. He even kidnaps Danny in “custody play.” His lawyer says that he has no choice but to fight for custody and his girlfriend tells him that “mom’s always win these things.”

4. There is a custody hearing that Frank loses because Danny (under duress) retracts his accusations. There won’t be any perjury though because he was too young to swear in according to the judge.

5. Not really a legal thing, but man it was great seeing Vince Vaughn electrocuted by a well placed crow bar.

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Jackie Brown (1997)

Director: Quetin Tarantino

Jackie Brown is a tale of a small time arms dealer, Ordell Robbie (Samuel L. Jackson) who is trying to save his own butt as his cohorts get pressured by the police. Each time one of them gets arrested, Ordell uses the services of Max Cherry (Robert Forster), a bail bondsman, to get his minions out of police custody so he can off them before they open their mouth. Max Cherry knows the score and when he is assigned the task of retrieving the beautiful Jackie Brown (Pam Grier) from the authorities he offers her his help. Jackie Brown turns out to be a little more than either Ordell or the Police can handle.

This is the first film that Tarantino released after Pulp Fiction (barring his contirbution to Four Rooms), and while it doesn’t quite measure up to the standard set by Pulp Fiction, it’s still pretty good. It sports a great cast including Robert DeNiro, Chris Rock Michael Keaton, and Bridget Fonda, but the plot twists aren’t as shocking as those found in his other work. The plot line is a lot more straight foward, but the movie doesn’t drag as a result. Instead we just get a straight foward cops and robbers flick with one bad momma in the middle of it all.

Guns, the law, and Jackie:

1. According to the film a Tech 9 is “the most popular gun in American Crime.”

2. Ordell uses the bail bondsman to keep his name out of the transactions. He first gets Omar (Chris Rock) out of jail, because he “ain’t got a doin’ time disposition.” Omar is shook up after his interrogation, and Ordell tells him that it is the police’s job “to scare the shit out of you.”

3. Omar is very worried about going back to jail. Ordell tells him that they will get his lawyer who is a “junkyard dog” and would “kick Johnny Cochran’s ass.” Course he then kills Omar.

4. Jackie gets arrested for bringing in more than $10,000 cash undeclared. She says of people in customs that the “job makes them a jerk.” Ain’t tax laws a bitch.

5. Max Cherry suggests that she get a lawyer. She says she can’t afford a good lawyer, and that she got 3 months before because of a public defender.

6. The soundtrack includes a song presumably called “Long Time Woman.” Which talks about 9 years in jail being a long time.

7. There is a scene with Jackie’s bail hearing. The bail is set high and the trial is set in six weeks.

8. Max Cherry wonders if there is Bail Bondsmen/ Client confidentiality. I doubt it.

9. Jackie discusses a plea deal, but holds out on the police. She claims that Samuel told her he sold guns. It’s hearsay so they can’t use it and they have to use Jackie to get hard evidence. Twist is Jackie is using them.

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Superman Returns (2006)

Director: Bryan Singer

Another movie from a transatlantic flight – Delta again – this time they gave me a headphones that didn’t work in one ear. I pressed the stewardess button and it stayed on for an hour. Rubbish airline.

Superman Returns is exactly what it says it is. He’s back. Lex is back. Lois is back. I personally thought that the film was damn good (but I may have been comparing it with Delta’s roast chicken . . . or the Jack and ginger could have been kicking in). Kevin Spacey bring Lex Luther back to life quite brilliantly, and about half way through I realized that Brandon Routh wasn’t Christopher Reeve.

And its full of legal tidbits:

1. Act 1, Scene 1: Lex is bedside with an old woman who is signing her will which gives her estate to Lex – just before she dies. I think that there could be an argument for duress here, but more importantly there is no witness. There is no way Lex gets the estate so quickly. Can we say “lots of court.”

2. Superman’s first big deed is to save an airplane that has a space shuttle connected to it. The whole idea is that the shuttle will be launched from the back of the plane to save fuel (guess no one told them NASA was phasing that shuttle out). More importantly though, this causes questions about the delineation between airspace and outer space. This particular contraption would cause all sorts of difficulties for those that endorse the functionality view of the question. Also as to any claims made by those in the airplane, would they fall under the Liability Convention or do they fall under the Federal Tort Claims Act?

3. There are questions as to vigilante “justice.” The scoop at the Daily Planet one day is “Superman: Does he still stand for justice?”

4. More great police work. The police have barricaded a building that has villains with big guns in it, but the security guards are still wandering around inside with small guns.

5. Lex is out of jail because he won his 5th appeal. Apparently the appeals court called Superman as a witness, and he didn’t show up. This is just shoddy writing, the appeals court wouldn’t call a witness; they would rule for a new trial.

6. Lex tells Superman that he is “not so good at the little things like Miranda Rights, due process, making a court date.”

7. Lex is making a new continent. Right in the middle of the Atlantic ocean. So lets first talk a little bit about the law of the sea. Usually when land is suddenly created where there was once water, whoever had the rights to that area before gets the land, but of course no one owns the high seas. The question is can Lex actually claim the land as his? Someone actually asks Luthor if he thinks the rest of the world will let him keep the new continent . Also though, new land might very well require new property law, especially with such a vast amount.

8. Superman takes the land Lex created and puts it into orbit. Is it now a celestial body under the auspices of the Outer Space Treaty or the Moon Treaty? Or since it has an earthly origin is it a space object?

9. Oh yeah, Lex means law.

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