Burt Reynolds directs and stars in the early 80' actioner. Tom Sharky is a narc who gets demoted to the vice squad after drug bust go bad and some bystanders are killed.
Anxious for something to do besides busting hookers, Sharky picks up some leads that a high priced call girl may have her claws into a gubernatorial candidate (Earl Hollimon). After the bosses upstairs turn down his wiretap request, he knows something is crooked. He enlists his friend Nosh (Richard Libertini) in personnel who happens to be a excellent "Sound Man" to bug the hookers apartment. Burt starts falling for her after watching listening to her night and day.
Not your usual Burt Reynolds fare. The machine in the title refers to vice cops which include Charles Durning as the whiny Lt., Brian Keith as Pappa, and Bernie Casey as the Zen quoting Arch.
Rachel Ward plays the call girl Dominoe, Vittorio Gassman plays Victor the head bad guy who pulls Earl Holliman's strings. Henry Silva plays Gassman's drug addicted hit man brother with his usual creepy demeanor.
This film features some bloody shoot-outs, some kung fu killing and torture , and some surprisingly good humor. Check out Charles Durning while he listens to the tape of two hookers having phone sex, it's hilarious.
It seems like Reynolds was kind of like an action star for ther ladies. HIs movies are almost like Lifetime channel adventures.
I seen this many times on uhf channels in the 70's. I love when Burt smacks the bald guy upside the head with a piece of wood out of the back of a moving van!
Burt made some decent rogue cop/P.I. movies in the 80's. A bit more realistic and gritty but not too stylized. Kind of like the great crime movies of the 70's.
I read on IMDB that this is slated for a remake too, possibly released as early as 2010.