F/X (1986)

A movie special effects man is hired to fake a real-life mob killing for a witness protection plan, but finds his own life in danger.

Director:

Robert Mandel

Writers:

Robert T. Megginson, Gregory Fleeman

Stars:

Bryan Brown, Brian Dennehy, Diane Venora

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Bryan Brown	...	Roland 'Rollie' Tyler
Brian Dennehy	...	Lt. Leo McCarthy
Diane Venora	...	Ellen Keith
Cliff De Young	...	Martin Lipton
Mason Adams	...	Col. Mason
Jerry Orbach	...	Nicholas DeFranco
Joe Grifasi	...	Mickey
Martha Gehman	...	Andy
Roscoe Orman	...	Capt. Jake Wallenger
Trey Wilson	...	Lt. Murdoch
Tom Noonan	...	Varrick
Paul D'Amato	...	Gallagher
Jossie DeGuzman	...	Marisa Velez (as Jossie deGuzman)
Jean De Baer	...	Whitemore
M'el Dowd	...	Joyce Lehman (Miss Lehman) (as M'eL Dowd)

Storyline

A movies special effects man is hired by a government agency to help stage the assassination of a well known gangster. When the agency double crosses him, he uses his special effects to trap the gangster and the corrupt agents.

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Plot Keywords:

special effects | gangster | witness protection | murder | police | 

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Taglines:

Murder by Illusion

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Genres:

Action | Crime | Thriller

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

7 February 1986 (USA)

Also Known As:

F/X - Murder by Illusion

Filming Locations:

Central Park, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$10,000,000 (estimated)

Gross:

$20,603,715 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Orion Pictures Corporation, Dodi Fayed - Jack Wiener

Technical Specs

Runtime:

109 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Special effects man John Stears claimed that he had been offered money by government agencies to simulate various things as depicted in the film.

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Goofs

When Tyler is setting up the booby-traps upstairs at the mansion, note that the brass item that has the 'noise maker' changes shapes.

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Quotes

Mickey: Leo, you're not saying Tyler killed Ellen Keith, Adams, and DeFranco all in one night?
Leo McCarthy: Hm. I don't believe it, either.

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Crazy Credits

Just at the start of the end credits, the camera flashes briefly through out-take type shots of the seven principal players (Bryan Brown, Brian Dennehy, Diane Venora, Cliff De Young, 'Mason Adams', Jerry Orbach and Joe Grifasi). Each actor smiles out-of-character at the camera as though in appreciation to the audience of their performances.

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Connections

Referenced in At the Movies: Bryan Brown in Conversation (2012)

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Soundtracks

"JUST AN ILLUSION"
Performed by Imagination
Courtesy of Red Bus Records

User Reviews

Good film - finally saw, by accident

I missed this movie when it was originally issued, and after all I read and heard about "Cocktail" (in which Bryan Brown starred a couple of years later) I had no desire to seek it out. But upon just surfing to cable's AMC channel one weekend morning, and finding it having just begun - I watched for a couple of minutes and found myself absorbed in it. After looking at some of the previously-posted comments in this section of IMDb, during commercials, I was even more interested.

First, my regard for Brown is heightened. Anyone married to Rachel Ward, for 23 years, has to have a lot going for him - even beyond what you see on-screen. And actors with British/Australian accents all provide effective "men-on-the-run, harried, danger-beset" characterizations. The acting here is all good. The late Trey Wilson, as Denehy's unctuous NYPD colleague evokes memories of his small-but-key, scene-stealing roles in "Twins" and "Raising Arizona." Cliff De Young, as the even more unctuous pursuer/would-be killer of the endangered Brown, could (from this and prior roles) be Hollywood's solution to replace Dabney Coleman as the quintessential, smarmy, "horse's ass," now that Dabney is getting well-along in years. As with all his roles, Mason Adams gives a good performance - but I can never watch him without expecting that any moment he is going to take a Smucker's jar from his pocket and begin a spiel.

Brian Dennehy is always fun to watch, and his "gruff-but-still-likable" persona was never better-suited to a role than here - he's the only one (except for one assistant) who has a clue, literally and figuratively, of the shenanigans occurring and besetting poor Rollie (Brown). Give this film a solid "8." Enjoyed the final minutes and the ending. I'm looking forward to getting a copy of the sequel.