Barrelhouse entertainment from Sylvester Stallone, on whose scrawny novel it is based, and who scripted, directed, and stars. Set in 1946 (preceded, though, by a frontispiece of the black-and-white Universal Pictures logo, circa 1931), the story of Hell's Kitchen, professional wrestling, and three chummy brothers is infused with an atmosphere so thick it could close down La Guardia airport. Stallone demonstrates a knack for small isolated diversions (such as a morning wake-up scene which includes good parts for a caged bird, a raiding party of cockroaches, and an organ grinder's monkey), but he has so little understanding of character development that, for a change of pace, he has two of the brothers bafflingly exchange personalities as easily as swapping overcoats. Stallone gives himself the most garrulous role, but with his foghorn voice, this is not a particularly self-flattering move; he is actually outcharmed by the gentle-giant performance of heavyweight boxer Lee Canalito. With Kevin Conway, Anne Archer, and Joe Spinell. (1978) — Duncan Shepherd
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