would have preferred to adopt a more stylized look. He said, “I preferred to have it look somewhat stylized and slightly unreal, more what you would call a 1950's film-noir type of picture. I think making it slightly abstract can be a way of reaching more people. When something is too real, that can almost be a way of limiting you.” Katzenbach was also a regular on the set as a consultant. The actual City of Miami Police Department's SWAT team appeared in a scene where Russell's character enters the house of a victim. Many interiors were also filmed inside the City of Miami Police Department Headquarters as well as the Richard E. Gerstein Criminal Justice Building. Reception Box office The Mean Season was released on February 15, 1985 in 876 theaters and grossed USD $1.5 million on its opening weekend. It went on to make $4.3 million in North America. Critical response In her review for The New York Times, Janet Maslin wrote that the film "has a brisk pace and a lot of momentum. It also has a few more surprises than the material needed, since Mr. Borsos, who for the most part works in a tense, streamlined style, likes red herrings." Jack Kroll in Newsweek wrote "This movie has the weather of Body Heat, the moral stance of Absence of Malice and the perverse plot-angle of Tightrope. It's also not as good as any of these". In her review for The Washington Post, Rita Kempley wrote "Overall the film seems a little flat, a little stale. The clouds roil and the thunder claps like a gun report". On Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds a rating of 64% from 22 reviews with the consensus: "A thriller that plays at social commentary, The Mean Season fumbles with its weightier themes, but does so in a generally watchable way." References External links Official site 1985 films 1985 independent films 1980s crime thriller films 1980s English-language films 1980s serial killer films 1980s thriller drama films American crime thriller films American independent films American serial killer films American thriller drama films Films based on American crime novels Films based on American thriller novels Films about journalists Films about kidnapping Films directed by Phillip Borsos Films scored by Lalo Schifrin Films set in Coral Gables, Florida Films set in Miami Films shot in Miami Films with screenplays by Christopher Crowe (screenwriter) Orion Pictures