Where police detective Barney Caine goes, assassination follows: Someone is gunning down his contacts. As Caine connects the dots and dodges death, he finds his investigation is tied to a secret formula for a nonpolluting synthetic fuel that wouldn't just revolutionize the oil industry it would destroy it. Big oil (and bigger conspiracy) runs the jigsaw-thriller world of The Formula, directed by John G. Avildsen (Rocky). George C. Scott portrays Caine, who thinks he's making headway in the case. As events play out, he may be only where certain powers allow him to be. Marlon Brando is oil magnate and mover and shaker Adam Steiffel. And Marthe Keller is a woman of mystery who's player or pawn - or both. You're not in the oil business. You're in the oil shortage business, Caine tells Steiffel. Is the detective right? You decide.