Cohen and Tate
Encyclopedia
Cohen and Tate is a 1989 American thriller film, also known as Cohen & Tate, starring Roy Scheider
and Adam Baldwin
, and written and directed by Eric Red
, the writer of The Hitcher and Near Dark
, in his directorial debut.
), who is under the United States Federal Witness Protection Program
after witnessing a mob killing in Texas
. Cohen (Roy Scheider
) is the older, jaded assassin with a little bit of humanity still in him. Tate (Adam Baldwin
) is the younger, hotheaded and psychopathic killer.
The two hitmen assassinate the boy's parents and the agent who protected them with the help of another agent who lets them get in the house and then runs away. They capture Travis, and then they bring him in the car with them. They have to take Travis before their employer, in Houston, according to their orders. When Travis hears this from Cohen himself, he seizes the rising antagonism between his hijackers and starts entangling and putting one against the other in order to survive.
When his captors are distracted Travis escapes and is soon picked up by a trooper, who is later shot in the head by Cohen while he's driving. Once again they capture Travis and then they hear on the radio that the boy's father survived the attack and is only injured, and the police are after their trail. Tate wants to get rid of Travis but Cohen does not. They suddenly find a Roadblock
ahead and manage to escape by threatening to kill Travis and blowing up the police patrols.
They swap cars with a driver after he gets brass knuckles
in the face from Tate. Cohen suddenly stops driving and parks beside a mailbox. Without saying a word, with an expression of grief (coming from the suspicion of what could be his last job), he sends part of his payment and his money clip in a letter to his wife. Travis finally manages to turn his captors on each other, when he realizes that Tate is about to shoot the sleepy Cohen while he is driving. He shouts at Cohen, warning him. This enrages Tate, who calls Travis a liar. Travis spits at Tate, and when Tate tries to harm him, he gets shot and chucked out of the moving car by Cohen, who later stows his body in the trunk.
A stop at the gas station leaves an overly curious attendant getting shot through a glass door after he sees blood coming out of the car's trunk while attempting to call for help. Cohen goes to check on Tate only to be attacked on by his now-enraged and still-alive partner, who springs out of the trunk and batters Cohen senseless. He reveals himself to have been wearing a bulletproof vest. Travis manages to drive the car away from Tate and hide among pump jacks and oil tanks in an oil field. Cohen reappears and handcuffs Travis to his wrist. Tate stalks them in the dark. When Cohen moves abruptly to shoot where he thinks Tate is, he loses his Hearing Aid
. Travis finds it but hesitates about speaking out. Cohen looks at Travis with fear in his eyes, and pleads for help. Travis gives him the hearing aid and Cohen thanks him. While escaping, Tate suddenly comes out and shoots Cohen, who takes a round to the shoulder and appears to pass out. Tate advances on Travis before being shot by Cohen, causing him to fall beneath a oil pump jack and be splattered everywhere by the equipment.
When he gets to Houston, Cohen is cornered on the highway by the police and considers shooting Travis, but the boy lets him know that he can't do it and they both know it. Cohen collides with a roadblock in his last attempt to escape. When the car breaks down, he is totally surrounded. Holding Travis close to him, he cocks his gun, and asks him: "How old are you, kid"? Travis answers "nine." Then, while looking up, Cohen says: "Nine, huh? How about that?" and shoots himself in the throat, dying instantly.
and Nelson Entertainment, who also backed the film’s production along with New Galactic. This is New Galactic's only production to date. Nelson was dissolved sometime in the early 1990s, with part of their holdings sold to New Line Cinema
. Many of their back catalog titles have been released on DVD by MGM.
For his part, Eric Red has stated that a DVD edition of the film is among his closest projects.
Roy Scheider
Roy Richard Scheider was an American actor. He was best known for his leading role as police chief Martin C...
and Adam Baldwin
Adam Baldwin
Adam Baldwin is an American actor, known for his roles as Animal Mother in Stanley Kubrick's Full Metal Jacket, Ricky Linderman in My Bodyguard, Knowle Rohrer in The X-Files, and Marcus Hamilton in Joss Whedon's Angel...
, and written and directed by Eric Red
Eric Red
Eric Red is an American screenwriter and director, best known for writing the horror films The Hitcher and Near Dark.-Early life:...
, the writer of The Hitcher and Near Dark
Near Dark
Near Dark is an American vampire/Western horror film, written by Eric Red and Kathryn Bigelow, and directed by Bigelow. The story follows a young man in a small midwestern town who becomes involved with a family of nomadic American vampires...
, in his directorial debut.
Plot
Two professional assassins are sent to kidnap a 9 year old boy named Travis Knight (Harley CrossHarley Cross
Harley Cross is an American film and television actor. He appeared in the 1980s horror films The Believers and The Fly II; his most recent roles were in the 2004 film Kinsey and in 2000, "Shriek If You Know What I Did Last Friday the Thirteenth". He is also the co-founder of Hint Mint, a candy...
), who is under the United States Federal Witness Protection Program
United States Federal Witness Protection Program
The United States Federal Witness Protection Program is a witness protection program administered by the United States Department of Justice and operated by the United States Marshals Service that is designed to protect threatened witnesses before, during, and after a trial.A few states, including...
after witnessing a mob killing in Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
. Cohen (Roy Scheider
Roy Scheider
Roy Richard Scheider was an American actor. He was best known for his leading role as police chief Martin C...
) is the older, jaded assassin with a little bit of humanity still in him. Tate (Adam Baldwin
Adam Baldwin
Adam Baldwin is an American actor, known for his roles as Animal Mother in Stanley Kubrick's Full Metal Jacket, Ricky Linderman in My Bodyguard, Knowle Rohrer in The X-Files, and Marcus Hamilton in Joss Whedon's Angel...
) is the younger, hotheaded and psychopathic killer.
The two hitmen assassinate the boy's parents and the agent who protected them with the help of another agent who lets them get in the house and then runs away. They capture Travis, and then they bring him in the car with them. They have to take Travis before their employer, in Houston, according to their orders. When Travis hears this from Cohen himself, he seizes the rising antagonism between his hijackers and starts entangling and putting one against the other in order to survive.
When his captors are distracted Travis escapes and is soon picked up by a trooper, who is later shot in the head by Cohen while he's driving. Once again they capture Travis and then they hear on the radio that the boy's father survived the attack and is only injured, and the police are after their trail. Tate wants to get rid of Travis but Cohen does not. They suddenly find a Roadblock
Roadblock
A roadblock is a temporary installation set up to control or block traffic along a road. The reasons for one could be:*Roadworks*Temporary road closure during special events*Police chase*Robbery*Sobriety checkpoint...
ahead and manage to escape by threatening to kill Travis and blowing up the police patrols.
They swap cars with a driver after he gets brass knuckles
Brass knuckles
Brass knuckles, also sometimes called knuckles, knucks, brass knucks, or knuckledusters, are weapons used in hand-to-hand combat. Brass knuckles are pieces of metal, usually steel despite their name, shaped to fit around the knuckles...
in the face from Tate. Cohen suddenly stops driving and parks beside a mailbox. Without saying a word, with an expression of grief (coming from the suspicion of what could be his last job), he sends part of his payment and his money clip in a letter to his wife. Travis finally manages to turn his captors on each other, when he realizes that Tate is about to shoot the sleepy Cohen while he is driving. He shouts at Cohen, warning him. This enrages Tate, who calls Travis a liar. Travis spits at Tate, and when Tate tries to harm him, he gets shot and chucked out of the moving car by Cohen, who later stows his body in the trunk.
A stop at the gas station leaves an overly curious attendant getting shot through a glass door after he sees blood coming out of the car's trunk while attempting to call for help. Cohen goes to check on Tate only to be attacked on by his now-enraged and still-alive partner, who springs out of the trunk and batters Cohen senseless. He reveals himself to have been wearing a bulletproof vest. Travis manages to drive the car away from Tate and hide among pump jacks and oil tanks in an oil field. Cohen reappears and handcuffs Travis to his wrist. Tate stalks them in the dark. When Cohen moves abruptly to shoot where he thinks Tate is, he loses his Hearing Aid
Hearing aid
A hearing aid is an electroacoustic device which typically fits in or behind the wearer's ear, and is designed to amplify and modulate sound for the wearer. Earlier devices, known as "ear trumpets" or "ear horns", were passive funnel-like amplification cones designed to gather sound energy and...
. Travis finds it but hesitates about speaking out. Cohen looks at Travis with fear in his eyes, and pleads for help. Travis gives him the hearing aid and Cohen thanks him. While escaping, Tate suddenly comes out and shoots Cohen, who takes a round to the shoulder and appears to pass out. Tate advances on Travis before being shot by Cohen, causing him to fall beneath a oil pump jack and be splattered everywhere by the equipment.
When he gets to Houston, Cohen is cornered on the highway by the police and considers shooting Travis, but the boy lets him know that he can't do it and they both know it. Cohen collides with a roadblock in his last attempt to escape. When the car breaks down, he is totally surrounded. Holding Travis close to him, he cocks his gun, and asks him: "How old are you, kid"? Travis answers "nine." Then, while looking up, Cohen says: "Nine, huh? How about that?" and shoots himself in the throat, dying instantly.
Cast
- Roy ScheiderRoy ScheiderRoy Richard Scheider was an American actor. He was best known for his leading role as police chief Martin C...
- Cohen - Adam BaldwinAdam BaldwinAdam Baldwin is an American actor, known for his roles as Animal Mother in Stanley Kubrick's Full Metal Jacket, Ricky Linderman in My Bodyguard, Knowle Rohrer in The X-Files, and Marcus Hamilton in Joss Whedon's Angel...
- Tate - Harley CrossHarley CrossHarley Cross is an American film and television actor. He appeared in the 1980s horror films The Believers and The Fly II; his most recent roles were in the 2004 film Kinsey and in 2000, "Shriek If You Know What I Did Last Friday the Thirteenth". He is also the co-founder of Hint Mint, a candy...
- Travis Knight - Cooper HuckabeeCooper HuckabeeCooper Huckabee is an film and television actor.-Early life:Huckabee attended Davidson High School in Mobile, Alabama. At USM, he received an Athletic Administration Degree.-Acting career:...
- Jeff Knight - Suzanne SavoySuzanne SavoySuzanne Savoy is an American actress and voice actress. Best known for playing Susan Lombardo in The Man with the Perfect Swing. She also appears and does voice-overs for many commercials, and has roles ranging from minor to starring in both film, and television...
- Martha Knight - Marco PerellaMarco PerellaMarco Perella is a Texan character actor and author, who has played a variety of bit part characters in films shot in Texas over the last twenty years, as well as a recurring role in Walker, Texas Ranger, playing Cobalt.-Career:...
- FBI Agent
Production
Cohen & Tate was originally released by Hemdale Film CorporationHemdale Film Corporation
Hemdale Film Corporation, known as Hemdale Communications after 1993, was an independent film production company and distributor founded in London in 1967 as the Hemdale Company by actor David Hemmings and his manager, John Daly. Hemdale was initially founded as a talent agency that helped launch...
and Nelson Entertainment, who also backed the film’s production along with New Galactic. This is New Galactic's only production to date. Nelson was dissolved sometime in the early 1990s, with part of their holdings sold to New Line Cinema
New Line Cinema
New Line Cinema, often simply referred to as New Line, is an American film studio. It was founded in 1967 by Robert Shaye and Michael Lynne as a film distributor, later becoming an independent film studio. It became a subsidiary of Time Warner in 1996 and was merged with larger sister studio Warner...
. Many of their back catalog titles have been released on DVD by MGM.
For his part, Eric Red has stated that a DVD edition of the film is among his closest projects.