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Speed, Howard Payne (Dennis Hopper)

Site Rating: 80%
(ratings: 2)
Editor Rating: 60%
Writeup Rating: 70%
(ratings: 2)
Film: Speed (1994)
Deceased Character: Howard Payne (Dennis Hopper)
Archetype: Baddy (Major)
Killed by: Jack Traven (Keanu Reeves)
Killed with: Subway signal


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Written by Mr. Mouseburger 27th Jun 2005

Retired bomb disposal expert, Payne, has been foiled in his attempt to extort money out of the city by Traven. Taking Annie Porter, this film's token bit of skirt, Payne uses her to grab the money bags which have been deposited in a predesignated dropping point, a bin. Obviously the police are tracking the bags, but are confident that no one has taken them as they are still in the bin, but Traven is suspicious and turns on the tracking signal. He finds that the bags are on the move.

Traven proceeds to chase after the bags alone, instead of with a bevy of armed police, and meets up with Payne and Annie in a subway service tunnel. Annie is strapped up with a hell of a lot of explosives and Payne is holding the detonator. Traven is forced to let Payne escape with Annie and they both head to the subway station and get on a train. Traven, giving chase manages to get on the moving train at the last possible moment, and begins to sneak up on Payne, by crawling on the roof. It is a complete mystery what this would achieve, but it leads to some thrills as Traven has to dodge some subway signal lights.

This dodging serves to give Traven's position away to Payne, who offers to bribe him with some money. As he fishes around in the bag of cash, he triggers the paint bomb which dyes all the cash. This infuriates Payne and he shoots at Traven before running down the train and climbing on the roof for a final confrontation.

Traven is getting his ass whooped by this retired cop but notices, as Payne is throttling him, that a subway signal is coming up and Payne's head is right in its path. Grabbing hold of the detonator stick with one hand and forcing Payne's head upward with the other, Traven watches as Payne's head gets ripped off by the signal and his body flops over the side of the train.



3 categories : One on One, Decapitation, Chase

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Other Death Reviews for Speed (1994)

Howard Payne (Dennis Hopper)
Security Guard (James DuMont)

Last Updated: 31st Oct 2006
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