''Skip Tracer'', also known as ''Deadly Business'', is a Canadian drama film, directed by

Zale Dalen Zale Dalen is a Canadian film and television director. He is known for the 1980 film ''The Hounds of Notre Dame'', for which he garnered a Genie Award nomination for Best Director at the 2nd Genie Awards in 1981, the cult films '' Skip Tracer'' (1 ...

and released in 1977.

Jay Scott Jeffrey Scott Beaven (October 4, 1949 – July 30, 1993), known professionally by his pen name Jay Scott, was a Canadian film critic."Critic Jay Scott, 43 among world's best". ''Toronto Star'', July 31, 1993. Early life Scott was born in Lincol ...

, "Skip Tracer: Dalen connects with the man who collects". ''

The Globe and Mail ''The Globe and Mail'' is a Canadian newspaper printed in five cities in western and central Canada. With a weekly readership of approximately 2 million in 2015, it is Canada's most widely read newspaper on weekdays and Saturdays, although it ...

'', November 25, 1978.

Plot

The film stars David Petersen as John Collins, a repo man who begins to regret his career choice after being paired with Brent Solverman ( John Lazarus), a new trainee whose very different perspective on the job begins to trigger Collins' conscience.

Production and Release

''Skip Tracer'' was Dalen's feature-length directorial debut. The film was made for a budget of just $250,000 after Dalen and his wife Laara, acting as the film's producer, decided that they were dissatisfied with their jobs and wanted to work in film."Skip Tracer first Canadian film at N.Y. festival". ''

'', September 25, 1978. The film was released on VHS under the name ''Deadly Business.''

Reception and legacy

Petersen received a

Canadian Film Award The Canadian Film Awards were the leading Canadian cinema awards from 1949 until 1978. These honours were conducted annually, except in 1974 when a number of Quebec directors withdrew their participation and prompted a cancellation. In the 1970s ...

nomination for Best Actor, and Dalen received the

Wendy Michener Award The Wendy Michener Award was a Canadian film award, presented by the Canadian Film Awards from 1969 to 1978 as a special achievement award for outstanding artistic achievements in film.Paul Townend"Wendy Michener Award" ''The Canadian Encyclopedia' ...

for "most promising new talent", at the

28th Canadian Film Awards The 28th Canadian Film Awards were held on November 20, 1977 to honour achievements in Canadian film."Ceremony dominated by two feature films: NFB Triumphs at Film Awards". ''The Globe and Mail'', November 21, 1977. The ceremony was hosted by Gordo ...

. In 1978, Skip Tracer was screened at the

Chicago International Film Festival The Chicago International Film Festival is an annual film festival held every fall. Founded in 1964 by Michael Kutza, it is the longest-running competitive film festival in North America. Its logo is a stark, black and white close up of the comp ...

l, and would also become the first Canadian film ever selected for screening at the

New York Film Festival The New York Film Festival (NYFF) is a film festival held every fall in New York City, presented by Film at Lincoln Center (FLC). Founded in 1963 by Richard Roud and Amos Vogel with the support of Lincoln Center president William Schuman, i ...

. The film received generally mixed reviews, with

Elliott Stein Elliott Stein (December 5, 1928 – November 7, 2012) was an American journalist and historian. In the 1950s he managed a literary review in Paris: "Janus." He also wrote for the review "Bizarre" with Kenneth Anger. He worked with Anger on Anger ...

for

Film Comment ''Film Comment'' is the official publication of Film at Lincoln Center. It features reviews and analysis of mainstream, art-house, and avant-garde filmmaking from around the world. Founded in 1962 and originally released as a quarterly, ''Film Co ...

calling the film "more tedious than interestingly harrowing." It was later screened at the 1984 Festival of Festivals as part of Front & Centre, a special retrospective program of artistically and culturally significant films from throughout the history of Canadian cinema. The film has gained reputation as a cult classic, with many categorizing it as " Canuxploitation." In 2022, the film was remastered for the first time on

Blu-Ray The Blu-ray Disc (BD), often known simply as Blu-ray, is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 2005 and released on June 20, 2006 worldwide. It is designed to supersede the DVD format, and capable of st ...

by Canadian independent distributor, Gold Ninja Video.

References

External links

* 1977 films 1977 drama films Canadian drama films English-language Canadian films Films directed by Zale Dalen Films shot in Vancouver Films set in Vancouver 1970s English-language films 1970s Canadian films {{1970s-Canada-film-stub