DAC Episode 273: The Random Canon #3 - The January Man (1989)

Some months ago, when Adam proposed to Aidan that DAC shift its format to do regular deep dives into movies, Aidan could not have known that it was all part of Adam’s diabolical plan to have someone else end up watching The January Man.

Possibly one of the weirdest but most entertaining misfires* in cinema, The January Man stars Kevin Kline as a disgraced NYPD lieutenant brought back into the fold in order to catch a serial killer. The movie features one of the most over-the-top performances of all time from Rod Steiger, who looks confusingly like Carol O’Connor here. Why does he look so much like Carol O’Connor? And why is he screaming at Danny Aiello? These are the real mysteries of The January Man.

It’s a serial killer mystery that doesn’t care about the killer, a romantic comedy completely cynical about romance, a political corruption story that gets sidelined for a family drama that gets sidelined for a wacky tale of boho misfits solving crimes. It’s The January Man and it’s a hell of a lot of fun. Listen below! Or podcast us of choice.

*Adam may contend that The January Man is not a misfire, but Aidan writes these summaries, so too bad.