Magnum Force
Magnum Force was the first of the sequels to the film Dirty Harry starring Clint Eastwood as maverick cop Harry Callahan. The film was released in 1973 and was directed by Ted Post. The screenplay was written by John Milius and Michael Cimino who later won Academy Awards.
The film was based on a real life incident involving police in Brazil. Inspector Callahan investigates a serial murder case in which all of the victims were criminals who had been released on technicalities. Veteran actor Hal Holbrook co-starred as Harry's superior Lieutenant Briggs who it turns out was the villain.
Magnum Force has often been cited as one of the few sequels to a movie that was just as fine as the original.
There is one dark footnote associated with the film. There is one scene where a pimp kills a prostitute by forcing a can of drain cleaner down her throat. On April 22, 1974 in Ogden, Utah there occurred one of the most horrible murder cases imaginable. Two men held up a Hi-Fi Shop and took five people hostage. They shot each in the head after first making them drink drain cleaner. It was later revealed that they had gotten the idea from watching Magnum Force.
