A Deadly Business (1986)

Sometimes, one mistake can follow you for the rest of your life. That's certainly the case for Arkin's Harold Kaufman. After spending twenty years

in jail, Kaufman wants to live a clean life, on the right side of the law. However, as a convicted felon, the job selection is poor, and in the end, a fellow

ex-con finds him a job with a mobster from New Jersey. Oh, at first, it seems like a proper job. His boss owns a garbage business, and Kaufman's first job

is to find more customers who will pay to have garbage hauled. The sticking point is that the garbage being hauled is toxic waste, which no legitimate group

wants to touch. In the beginning, Kaufman tries to convince himself that his hands are clean. But, when he sees the mob warfare and watches news reports about

children who have become sick from exposure to the illegal waste, he can stay silent no longer. He becomes an informant to the FBI at great personal risk to himself

and anyone close to him. The story is based on actual events.

I'll be honest. When I used to actually go to the videostore and browse for random movies, the cover of the videocassette was probably the most important part in

determining whether or not I rented a film. Certain boxes screamed "LOW BUDGET without a PLOT!" to me, and the box that I have for this film falls into that

category. Armand Assante at or near the top of the bill is another red flag. So, I wouldn't have touched this movie with a ten-foot pole, if not for Alan Arkin. But,

that's really unfortunate, as I really enjoyed this movie. Then again, I'm a sucker for true-crime stories. If you enjoy shows like Law & Order, you'll probably like

this one.

Where Can I Find It?

This is another of Arkin's films that is not available on DVD, and in all honesty, probably never will be. Fortunately, you can still find some used copies at the usual

places, as well as online at Amazon and Ebay. Failing that, watch for it on television.