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Michael Mann has long been a filmmaker with an eye for detail. From his early work on Miami Vice to his later films like Collateral and The Insider, Mann explored the impact of work on one's identity through action. Nowhere is this more evident than in Heat, a film that was a turning point not only in Mann’s career but in the crime genre as a whole.

However, what some fans don’t realize is that its roots actually trace back to a lesser-known project – Mann’s 1989 TV film LA Takedown. While the TV movie shares the same cat-and-mouse relationship between a cop and a thief, it was limited by the constraints of TV production, resulting in a more stripped-down and less polished version of the story. What LA Takedown lacked in resources, Heat more than made up for in scale, depth, and precision.

Heat Is One of the...

A classic Alex Cross thriller is headed to a new streaming home for the new year.

Per Paramount+, 1997's Kiss the Girls will be joining the streaming platform's library on January 1. The neo-noir thriller stars Morgan Freeman in the role of Alex Cross, kicking off a tense, short-lived series of films that still stand out as some of the earliest adaptations starring author James Patterson's iconic character.

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Directed by Gary Fleder from a screenplay by David Klass, Kiss the Girls saw Freeman's Alex Cross investigating the disappearance of his niece alongside Detectives Nick Ruskin and Davey Sikes, portrayed by Cary Elwes and Alex McArthur, respectively. The story takes a terrifying...

The Morgan Freeman movie Kiss the Girls is finding new life on Netflix. This comes as Aldis Hodge will take over Freeman's role as Alex Cross in the film for a new take on the character.

Per ScreenRant, the 1997 movie Kiss the Girls is ranking at No. 3 on Netflix's Global Top 10 list, garnering 7.1 million views and 13.7 million viewing hours. The 27-year-old film is notably not streaming on Netflix in the United States, but has garnered high viewership with its availability in international territories. Fortunately, those in the U.S. can still otherwise revisit the film for free, as it's currently streaming on Pluto TV. It's also available in the U.S. for Paramount+ subscribers for those who want to stream the movie free of ads.

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Kiss the...

Kiss the Girls gains new audience on Netflix after its initial 1997 release. Despite poor critical reviews, the film resonated with audiences and performed well at the box office. Prime Video's new series Cross starring Aldis Hodge may capitalize on the Netflix success and Reacher's popularity.

Kiss the Girls is storming the Netflix chart almost three decades after bringing James Pattersons Alex Cross to the big screen for the first time in 1997. Although the film was critically panned at the time of its release, like many older movies, the films arrival on Netflix has given second life to a movie that would otherwise be languishing on DVD shelves and relying on occasional airings on network television to reach new audiences.

Directed by Gary Fleder and adapted from James Patterson's best-selling novel of the same name, the film stars Morgan Freeman as forensic psychologist Alex Cross and Ashley Judd as Dr.

Heat 2 is Michael Mann's anticipated sequel to his classic 1995 film, exploring the origins of its iconic characters. The Heat 2 novel delves into the intricate backstories of Hanna and McCauley, setting the stage for a storytelling masterpiece. Casting rumors swirl around potential young actors to portray Heat 2's characters, with Adam Driver possibly being cast in the lead.

For the past three decades, Michael Mann's Heat has captivated audiences worldwide and influenced the films of countless other filmmakers. Like every other entry in Mann's one-of-a-kind filmography, Heat has never had a sequel; however, recent developments may finally cause this to change. In 2022, the director released his first novel, Heat 2, and now, he is preparing to translate that work to the big screen.

As Heat 2 enters pre-production, many fans of the original film are left asking the same question: what is Heat without Al Pacino, Robert De Niro,...

Director William Friedkin (who passed away earlier this year) made a lot of great films, including Best Picture winner The French Connection and one of the best horror movies ever made, The Exorcist. One you don’t hear referenced very often is the serial killer thriller Rampage, which had trouble making its way out into the world and was a project where Friedkin felt he had missed the mark, as the finished film wasn’t close enough to his original vision for it. But now Kino Lorber is showing Rampage some of the respect it’s been lacking over the decades, as Blu-ray.com reports they’ll be giving the film a 4K Uhd release sometime in early 2024.

Scripted by Friedkin and based on a novel of the same name by William P. Wood, Rampage delves into the subject of legal insanity, so often the default defense in modern-time gruesome crime trials.

Movies That Made Me veteran guest and screenwriter Dan Waters discusses his favorite year of cinema (1989) with Josh Olson and Joe Dante.

Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode

The Phantom Carriage (1921)

Love At First Bite (1979)

Hudson Hawk (1991)

Demolition Man (1993)

Heathers (1989)

Warlock (1989)

The Matrix (1999)

Johnny Mnemonic (1995)

Barry Lyndon (1975)

Jaws (1975)

Dog Day Afternoon (1975)

One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest (1975)

Nashville (1975)

Born On The Fourth Of July (1989)

Dead Poets Society (1989)

Driving Miss Daisy (1989)

Field Of Dreams (1989)

My Left Foot (1989)

Crimes And Misdemeanors (1989)

Do The Right Thing (1989)

Drugstore Cowboy (1989)

Sex Lies And Videotape (1989)

Easy Rider (1969)

Midnight Cowboy (1969)

The Wild Bunch (1969)

Apocalypse Now (1979)

All That Jazz (1979)

Hair (1979)

Alien (1979)

Fight Club (1999)

Office Space (1999)

Magnolia (1999)

The Sixth Sense (1999)

The Blair Witch Project (1999)

American Pie (1999)

The Iron Giant (1999)

All About My Mother (1999)

Being John Malkovich (1999)

The Breakfast Club (1985)

Pretty In Pink (1986)

Dr. Strangelove (1964)

Say Anything… (1989)

Miracle Mile (1989)

True Love (1989)

Powwow Highway (1989)

Lawrence Of Arabia (1962)

Southside With You...

By 1985 Hollywood had still only dabbled in movies about the ‘shame that cannot speak its name,’ and in every case the verdict for the transgressors was regret and misery, if not death. Donna Deitch’s brilliant drama achieves exactly what she wanted, to do make a movie about a lesbian relationship that doesn’t end in a tragedy.

Desert Hearts

Blu-ray

The Criterion Collection 902

1985 / Color / 1:85 widescreen / 96 min. / available through The Criterion Collection / Street Date November 14, 2017 / 39.95

Starring: Helen Shaver, Patricia Charbonneau, Audra Lindley, Andra Akers, Gwen Welles, Dean Butler, James Staley, Katie La Bourdette, Alex McArthur, Tyler Tyhurst, Denise Crosby, Antony Ponzini, Brenda Beck, Jeffrey Tambor.

Cinematography: Robert Elswit

Film Editor: Robert Estrin

Production Design: Jeannine Oppewall

Written by Natalie Cooper from the novel by Jane Rule

Produced and Directed by Donna Deitch

Desert Hearts is a fine movie that’s also one of the first features ever about a lesbian romance,...

Ryan Lambie Dec 13, 2019

More than two decades on, Heat is still an important film. We look at how Michael Mann's research made for a powerful crime drama.

Cool, measured, melancholy and stylish, Michael Mann's Heat was a box office hit in 1995, and 18 years on, its impact can still be felt. A story about two weary men on either side of the law - one a cop married to his profession, the other a career criminal with no intention of going straight - Heat is also a movie about Los Angeles, in all its sparkly opulence and grimy malaise. Other directors have attempted to bottle some of Heat's atmosphere and move it to another city, whether it be London (see The Sweeney or the visually striking Welcome To The Punch) or Gotham, as seen in Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight: look at the way Nolan and cinematographer...

Ryan Lambie Aug 21, 2017

21 years on, Heat is still an important, influential film. We look at how Michael Mann's research made for a powerful crime drama...

"This is based on observations. This is based on people I have met, people I've known, people I've sat with and talked to. Thieves, cops, killers. It's not derived from other cinema, it's based on research." Michael Mann

Cool, measured, melancholy and stylish, Michael Mann's Heat was a box office hit in 1995, and 18 years on, its impact can still be felt. A story about two weary men on either side of the law - one a cop married to his profession, the other a career criminal with no intention of going straight - Heat is also a movie about Los Angeles, in all its sparkly opulence and grimy malaise. Other directors have attempted to bottle some of Heat's atmosphere and move it to another city,...

Feature Ryan Lambie 8 May 2013 - 06:50

Eighteen years on, Heat is still an important, influential film. We look at how Michael Mann's research made for a powerful crime drama...

"This is based on observations. This is based on people I have met, people I've known, people I've sat with and talked to. Thieves, cops, killers. It's not derived from other cinema, it's based on research." Michael Mann

Cool, measured, melancholy and stylish, Michael Mann's Heat was a box office hit in 1995, and 18 years on, its impact can still be felt. A story about two weary men on either side of the law - one a cop married to his profession, the other a career criminal with no intention of going straight - Heat is also a movie about Los Angeles, in all its sparkly opulence and grimy malaise. Other directors have attempted to bottle some of Heat's...

Cool thing about today's "What I Watched" column is you can watch the film I watched right now for free... Rampage (1987) In preparation for my William Friedkin interview I watched his 1987 legal thriller Rampage centered on a man (Alex McArthur) who goes on a brief killing spree and the district attorney (Michael Biehn) seeking the death penalty for his crimes. If I was to try to say anything to convince you to watch this film I would say do so not only because it is damn good, but because McArthur's portrayal of the killer reminded me so much of Kevin Spacey in David Fincher's Seven and Biehn's closing argument is quite bold and risky in an attempt to ratchet up the tension. I don't want to say much else because it could spoil it, but the overall theme of the picture and the ultimate takeaway is quite fascinating. The...

Based on the nail-biter best seller of the same name by James Patterson, "Kiss the Girls" is a perfectly workable psychological thriller, elevated above its standard-issue trappings by slick production values and strong performances from leads Morgan Freeman and Ashley Judd.

Centering on a police detective's efforts to track down a serial kidnapper-killer, the picture keeps graphic sensationalism to an admirable minimum but ultimately lacks the compelling lure of a "Seven" (not to mention a Brad Pitt on the marquee) and, as a result, will likely translate into moderate rather than killer business.

The always-effective Freeman once again applies his inimitable brand of quiet compassion to the role of Dr. Alex Cross, a Washington forensic psychologist who ventures out of his jurisdiction when his niece turns up missing during what appears to be a series of related kidnappings.

While his presence in Durham, N.C., draws begrudging cooperation from the locals (Cary Elwes, Alex McArthur) working the investigation, Cross gets some valuable assistance from Kate McTiernan (Judd), a strong-willed doctor, who, for reasons left respectfully unexplained here, is able to provide insights into the case.

Together, they chase down the clues that will hopefully lead them to their psycho Casanova before he strikes again, but not before the film's obligatory twists and turns render further plot description impractical.

Suffice it to say that the big surprise ending, as adapted by screenwriter David Klass, isn't really all that much of a surprise, nor is the picture as a whole quite the involving shocker it aspires to be.

The cast is certainly up to the challenge. Freeman's committed honesty makes his character's motivations crystal clear; while Judd, as the kickboxing physician, combines determination and vulnerability to convincing effect. The role is one of her strongest.

Director Gary Fleder ("Things to Do in Denver When You're Dead") puts a strong stylistic imprint on the production. Occasionally, however, the artistic flourishes create more distraction than enhancement.

Elsewhere, Aaron Schneider's cinematography is solid, William Anderson's editing is taut and composer Mark Isham's densely atmospheric score is perfectly suited to the on-screen mood.

Production designer Nelson Coates and costume designer Abigail Murray collaborate on a gothic kind of Marquis de Sade-meets-Victoria's Secret look for the kidnapper's lair that borders on the unintentionally ridiculous.

KISS THE GIRLS

Paramount Pictures

in association with Rysher Entertainment

Director Gary Fleder

Producers David Brown and Joe Wizan

Screenwriter David Klass

Based on the novel by James B. Patterson

Executive producer C.O. Erickson

Director of photography Aaron Schneider

Production designer Nelson Coates

Editor William Anderson

Costume designer Abigail Murray

Music Mark Isham

Color/stereo

Cast:

Alex Cross Morgan Freeman

Kate McTiernan Ashley Judd

Chief Hatfield Brian Cox

Wick Sachs William Converse-Roberts

Nick Ruskin Cary Elwes

Dr. Will Rudolph Tony Goldwyn

Seth Samuel Richard T. Jones

Davey Sikes Alex McArthur

Running time -- 117 minutes

MPAA rating: R...