Two victims of traumatized childhoods become lovers and psychopathic serial murderers irresponsibly glorified by the mass media.Two victims of traumatized childhoods become lovers and psychopathic serial murderers irresponsibly glorified by the mass media.Two victims of traumatized childhoods become lovers and psychopathic serial murderers irresponsibly glorified by the mass media.
- Awards
- 5 wins & 10 nominations
Corinna Everson
- TV Mallory
- (as Corey Everson)
Edward Conna
- Gerald Nash
- (as Eddy 'Doogie' Conna)
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaCoca-Cola approved the use of the Polar Bear ads for its product in the movie without having a full idea of what the movie was about; when the Board of Directors saw the finished product, they were furious.
- GoofsMickey shaves his head right before the interview, but as he is led to the interview room there is a shot of his neck with chains on it, and you can see his hair.
- Quotes
Old Indian: Once upon a time, a woman was picking up firewood. She came upon a poisonous snake frozen in the snow. She took the snake home and nursed it back to health. One day the snake bit her on the cheek. As she lay dying, she asked the snake, "Why have you done this to me?" And the snake answered, "Look, bitch, you knew I was a snake."
- Crazy creditsThe end credits are superimposed over a vast amount of stock footage, ranging from the future of Mickey and Mallory, stock A-Bomb tests, childhood photos of Mickey and Mallory, time-lapse footage, scenes from the movie, and so on.
- Alternate versionsThe Director's Cut features roughly 4 minutes of material removed from the theatrical version prior to release in order to get a R rating. Here are details of the additional scenes, in chronological order:
- there are three additional shots in the pre-credits scene in the diner. The first is found when Mallory knocks Sonny (Richard Lineback) over the partition. In the theatrical cut, the scene immediately cuts to Sonny's friend (James Gammon) getting up out of his chair to intervene. But in the Director's Cut however, there is an additional shot of Mallory slamming Sonny's head into a table, and blood spraying across the surface of the table. Next, when Mickey slits Sonny's friend's stomach, there are three additional slashes not found in the theatrical cut. Lastly, as Mallory jumps up and down on Sonny's back, there is an additional shot of her grabbing his blood soaked head and pounding it into the ground;
- the death of Ed Wilson (Rodney Dangerfield) has one additional shot as Wilson is leaning up against the wall prior to being dunked into the fish-tank, and Mickey hits him with the tire-iron across the back of the head;
- as Mallory drives to the garage after arguing with Mickey about the hostage (Corinna Laszlo), there is a brief shot of Mickey raping the hostage in the motel room;
- Jack Scagnetti's (Tom Sizemore) murder of Pinky (Lorraine Farris) contains an additional shot of Scagnetti with his hands around her throat and her struggling underneath him, whilst he keeps on saying to her, "I'm only kidding, I'm only kidding";
- when Mickey kills the pharmacist (Glen Chin) at DrugZone, there are two additional shots; one showing the pharmacist's blood spraying onto the glass divide, the other showing the clerk falling to his knees and dying;
- the scene where the police beat up Mallory outside the pharmacist contains a few extra shots of policemen punching her;
- as Mickey attempts to kill the guards in the cell after the interview has been terminated, there are several additional shots showing members of Wayne Gale's (Robert Downey Jr.) crew being shot and killed;
- after Mickey has taken control of the TV crew, he 'persuades' Kavanaugh (Pruitt Taylor Vince) to come with them by breaking his fingers;
- the prison riot sequences contain numerous additional shots. Four particularly obvious ones are: a guard is shoved into a washing machine, which is then turned on; a guard has his head pushed in under a steam press; a guard is thrown into an industrial oven; a guard is flung from the top story of the prison;
- the scene where Scagnetti sprays mace in Mallory's eyes is longer, with a more sustained spraying, whilst the guards hit her;
- a tracking shot in a barber's during the riot show inmates slitting the throats of other inmates;
- during the riot, the scene where the prisoner throws a stick of dynamite into a door way is extended; after the dynamite has been thrown, there is a shot of the explosion and a prisoner being flung from the room and rebounding off the wall;
- in the scene where Mickey rescues Mallory from Jack Scagnetti, there are additional shots of the bullets hitting the guards;
- there are more shots of Jack Scagnetti trashing about on the ground after being stabbed, prior to being shot;
- when Mallory holds the gun to Scagnetti's head and asks him if he still wants her, in the theatrical version, she pulls the trigger immediately. In the Director's Cut, there is a shot of Scagnetti screaming;
- as Mickey, Mallory, and the others flee Mallory's cell, they are ambushed, and Wayne Gale's crew is wiped out. In the theatrical version, little is seen of this, but in the Director's Cut, there are clear shots of his crew being gunned down, especially Julie (Terrylene), who is killed in slow motion;
- during the standoff at the stairs, Dwight McClusky (Tommy Lee Jones) orders the guards to open fire at Mickey because Kavanaugh (Pruitt Taylor Vince), who Mickey is using as a shield, is already dead. In the theatrical version, when McClusky gives the order to fire, there is an awkward cut to Mallory holding Wayne Gale, and the guards never fire. In the Director's Cut, the guards open fire, riddling Kavanaugh's (still living) body with bullets.
- after Mallory shoots Wayne Gale's hand, there is a brief shot through the hole created by the bullet, looking down at McClusky;
- McClusky's death is far more explicit. After being dragged down from the gate by the inmates, in the theatrical version, we never see him again, but in the Director's Cut, after a moment, a prisoner raises a spear, with McClusky's severed head perched on top;
- Wayne Gale's death scene is longer and includes more shots of the bullets hitting him;
- numerous additional shots of the subliminal demons are scattered throughout the film.
- ConnectionsEdited from Captain Sindbad (1963)
- SoundtracksWaiting for the Miracle
Written by Leonard Cohen & Sharon Robinson
Performed by Leonard Cohen
Courtesy of Columbia Records
by arrangement with Sony Music Licensing
Featured review
This movie brings up several important issues about todays society. Does this movie make too much use of violence. When it first came it brought up a lot of debate. Some refused to show it because of it's violence. When I saw it, I wasn't shocked by it and I found that frightening. However, it made me start to think about the world we're living in and the power the media has to affect peoples meanings and opinions. This movie is one of the most anti-violent movies I have ever seen. Some say it is just violent, but I clearly see a anti-violent message in there along with criticism of the media making heroes without thinking about the consequences first. While some action movies got you all worked up with all the shooting and heroes this movie just makes you sit there and think: "What the...?". It may not rise as much debate today, as we are getting used to more violence, but it certainly opens you're eyes and it's criticism of the media is now probably even more topical then it's ever been.
I think Oliver Stone did this Tarrantino story very good. On the other hand there was some elements I found confusing and effects I didn't quite get the meaning of. However, this is one of them movies you can watch several times and still see something new each time. This is probably not the last time I've seen it.
The acting is great. There is really not much more to say. The casting did a good job finding the right actors for the roles and the actors deliver.
The cinematography is also very nice done. There are no boring or unnecessary shots and the lightning is just magical. The change between color and black and white is also nice. You notice it at the beginning, but then the you don't notice if the color is changed from green to red. It all just seems natural and right at the moment. It's the same with the sound. You notice some songs, but mostly it's just there creating the atmosphere just as it should.
This is a movie everyone should see. It's upsetting and raises a lot of topics that is worth discussing and bringing forward. I'm gonna watch it again because it is a little confusing, but never the less a good and recommendable movie!
I think Oliver Stone did this Tarrantino story very good. On the other hand there was some elements I found confusing and effects I didn't quite get the meaning of. However, this is one of them movies you can watch several times and still see something new each time. This is probably not the last time I've seen it.
The acting is great. There is really not much more to say. The casting did a good job finding the right actors for the roles and the actors deliver.
The cinematography is also very nice done. There are no boring or unnecessary shots and the lightning is just magical. The change between color and black and white is also nice. You notice it at the beginning, but then the you don't notice if the color is changed from green to red. It all just seems natural and right at the moment. It's the same with the sound. You notice some songs, but mostly it's just there creating the atmosphere just as it should.
This is a movie everyone should see. It's upsetting and raises a lot of topics that is worth discussing and bringing forward. I'm gonna watch it again because it is a little confusing, but never the less a good and recommendable movie!
Details
Box office
- Budget
- $34,000,000 (estimated)
- Gross US & Canada
- $50,282,766
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $11,166,687
- Aug 28, 1994
- Gross worldwide
- $50,287,182
- Runtime1 hour 59 minutes
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1.85 : 1
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