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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...

Baywatch is remembered as one of the most iconic and widely watched television series of all time. During its 11-season run from 1989 to 2001, the show became a global sensation, drawing billions of viewers each season. The show not only made waves with its stunning California’s lifeguards running in slow-motion but it also gifted us many celebrities who became a household name.

Baywatch cast | Credit: NBC

However, as time passed, several beloved stars of Baywatch have sadly passed away. Pamela Bach, who was a prominent figure in the series, passed away on Wednesday. Here’s a look back at 10 Baywatch stars who are no longer with us, including Bach.

1. Pamela Bach

Pamela Bach, known for her various roles on Baywatch, and her marriage to the show’s lead, David Hasselhoff, passed away on Wednesday, March 5, 2025. TMZ reported that the star died by suicide at her residence in Los Angeles, California.

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,...

Heat had a long journey to the big screen. Director Michael Mann wrote the first draft as far back as 1979, after which it languished in development hell for much of the next decade while Mann worked his way through the competitive world of film and television. By the late 1980s, he had served as producer on two of the decade’s most successful shows, Miami Vice and Crime Story, and NBC was eager to repeat that magic once again. Mann felt Heat would make a good first episode for his new show, and after removing 110 pages of his 180-page screenplay, he cobbled together a pilot under the title L. A. Takedown. However, the studio was unhappy with Scott Plank in the lead role of Detective Vincent Hanna, and after Mann refused to recast the part, the episode was reworked as a television film. While this could have condemned its brilliant potential to an early grave,...

Heat had a long journey to the big screen. Director Michael Mann wrote the first draft as far back as 1979, after which it languished in development hell for much of the next decade while Mann worked his way through the competitive world of film and television. By the late 1980s, he had served as producer on two of the decade’s most successful shows, Miami Vice and Crime Story, and NBC was eager to repeat that magic once again. Mann felt Heat would make a good first episode for his new show, and after removing 110 pages of his 180-page screenplay, he cobbled together a pilot under the title L. A. Takedown. However, the studio was unhappy with Scott Plank in the lead role of Detective Vincent Hanna, and after Mann refused to recast the part, the episode was reworked as a television film. While this could have condemned its brilliant potential to an early grave,...

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...

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...