DVD Movie Rating for: No Good Deed aka House on Turk Street

Rating 2 out of 5 stars

Movie Plot of: No Good Deed aka House on Turk Street

No Good Deed, based on a short story entitled 'The House on Turk Street' by Dashiell Hammett, is about a police detective (Jack) who, while doing a friend a favor and searching for a runaway teenager on Turk Street, stumbles upon a bizarre band of criminals about to pull off a bank robbery. Jack (Samuel L. Jackson) finds himself being held hostage while the criminals decide what to do with him, and the leader's beautiful girlfriend, Erin (Milla Jovovich), is left alone to watch Jack. Erin, who we discover is a master manipulator of the men in the gang, reveals another side to Jack - a melancholy romantic who could have been a classical pianist. She finds Jack's captivity an irresistible turn-on and he can't figure out if she's for real, or manipulating him, too. Before the gang returns, Jack and Erin's connection intensifies and who ends up with the money is anyone's guess.

DVD Production Details of: No Good Deed aka House on Turk Street

Starring: Samuel L. Jackson, Milla Jovovich

Director: Bob Rafelson

Format: Color, Closed-captioned

Studio: Columbia Tristar Home
DVD Release Date: April 6, 2004
DVD Features:
Theatrical trailer(s)

Full-screen format

DVD Easter Eggs

None

Cast of the movie: No Good Deed aka House on Turk Street

• Samuel L. Jackson .... Jack Friar
• Milla Jovovich.... Erin
• Stellan Skarsgård .... Tyrone (as Stellan Skarsgard)
• Doug Hutchison .... Hoop
• Grace Zabriskie .... Mrs. Quarre
• Joss Ackland .... Mr. Quarre
• Jonathan Higgins .... David Brewster
• Shannon Lawson .... Amy
• Joris Jarsky .... Rudy Jones
• Robert Welch .... Willy rest of cast listed alphabetically
• Terence Bowman .... Postman
• Tony Calabretta .... Cadillac Owner
• Larry Day
• Richard Jutras .... Clarevoyant
• John Sanford Moore .... Weatherman
• Emily VanCamp .... Connie

Photo Gallery of the movie: No Good Deed aka House on Turk Street

Click on one of the thumbnails to see the full size, high resolution photographs

Reviews of the movie: No Good Deed aka House on Turk Street

Echoes of The Maltese Falcon reverberate through No Good Deed, a loose, updated adaptation of Dashiell Hammett's kidnapped-cop tale The House on Turk Street. Unfortunately, the film proves an interesting disaster at best, certain to leave fans of noir director Bob Rafelson (Blood and Wine) wondering what happened. Samuel L. Jackson plays lonely police detective and amateur cellist Jack Friar, whose search for a missing girl results in being taken captive by a motley gang of dreamers, lost souls, and psychopaths on the eve of a bank heist. Left alone with an armed but sympathetic, Russian-classical-pianist-turned-femme-fatale (Milla Jovovich), Jack finds someone to save. But the film's credulity is lost when Rafelson fails to convince us that Jack's honor-bound refusal to escape, despite a prime opportunity while nuzzling the defenseless Milla Jovovich, is a good and honorable thing. One can feel authentic Hammett themes stirring here, but it's not enough.

There's a reason why this film took a limited release and little fanfare despite having some solid actors in the line-up. However, it just goes to show what sloppy direction can lead when the concept of creation comes into effect. Samuel L. Jackson is too typical, Milla Jovovich is WAY too typical, and Doug Huchison is rather disappointing. I won't even talk about Stellan Skarsgaard. The acting is where the whole story went south, considering the story was pretty decent. I guess I am one of the few who got to see this film, considering I was the only one in the theater when I watched it.