Set in Newcastle, 'Payroll' signs off with nary a nod in the direction of a Geordie accent. 'Hell is a City' seems intent on delivering a relentless oral assault of variants on a Lancashire brogue, with the occasional whiff of Cockney thrown in. Reality is, like Scouse, Mancunian has its own uniquely distinctive flavour; the dropped 'H', merged vowels and a subtle nasal twang.
Comparable with 'Payroll', a deftly planned robbery results in murder, with thoroughly odious ring leader and escaped convict, John Crawford, on the run. Threatening anyone who refuses him refuge with a fate worse than death, it's no surprise that potential allies are sent scurrying to find a barge pole to not touch him with! Driven by desperation to hiding in attics and breaking in through skylights, it's fitting that the final showdown occurs on a roof.
Meanwhile, betting on the outcome of a couple of tossed coins, a crowd of tossers, with nothing better to do, assemble on an area of barren waste ground, where the more money than sense antics of one punter begins to attract attention, until the arrival of a squad car......or six, causes the rabble to quickly disperse.
A long, grim history exists between dour detective, Stanley Baker and the dangerous fugitive. Trapped in an unhappy, frequently volatile marriage, he's glad to go to work for a rest and to plan the arrest of the murderous Crawford.
Less overtly raw, abrasive and violent than 'Payroll', 'Hell is a City' scores points through taut performances and a constant sense of threat. The ominous spectre of the insidious Crawford is never far away.
Comparable with 'Payroll', a deftly planned robbery results in murder, with thoroughly odious ring leader and escaped convict, John Crawford, on the run. Threatening anyone who refuses him refuge with a fate worse than death, it's no surprise that potential allies are sent scurrying to find a barge pole to not touch him with! Driven by desperation to hiding in attics and breaking in through skylights, it's fitting that the final showdown occurs on a roof.
Meanwhile, betting on the outcome of a couple of tossed coins, a crowd of tossers, with nothing better to do, assemble on an area of barren waste ground, where the more money than sense antics of one punter begins to attract attention, until the arrival of a squad car......or six, causes the rabble to quickly disperse.
A long, grim history exists between dour detective, Stanley Baker and the dangerous fugitive. Trapped in an unhappy, frequently volatile marriage, he's glad to go to work for a rest and to plan the arrest of the murderous Crawford.
Less overtly raw, abrasive and violent than 'Payroll', 'Hell is a City' scores points through taut performances and a constant sense of threat. The ominous spectre of the insidious Crawford is never far away.