F/X (1986)

User Rating:

6.5/10   

Director:

Robert Mandel

Writers:

Robert T. Megginson (written by) &
Gregory Fleeman (written by)

Release Date:

7 February 1986 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Crime | Thriller

Tagline:

Murder by Illusion

Plot:

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.

Plot Keywords:

Special Effects | Murder | Witness Protection | Detective | Police

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Bryan Brown	...	Roland 'Rollie' Tyler
Brian Dennehy	...	Lt. Leo McCarthy
Diane Venora	...	Ellen
Cliff De Young	...	Lipton
Mason Adams	...	Col. Mason
Jerry Orbach	...	Nicholas DeFranco
Joe Grifasi	...	Mickey
Martha Gehman	...	Andy
Roscoe Orman	...	Capt. 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)

Also Known As:

F/X - Murder by Illusion
Murder by Illusion

Runtime:

109 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Iceland:14 | Iceland:16 (video rating) | Argentina:16 | Australia:M | Canada:14A | Finland:K-16 | France:-12 | Norway:15 | Norway:16 (1986) | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | USA:R | West Germany:16 | Spain:T | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

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

Company:

Dodi Fayed - Jack Wiener

Trivia:

A movie poster for Zombi 2 (1979) is seen hanging up in Rollie Tyler's apartment in several scenes. Also, the film I Dismember Mama (1974) is mentioned twice.

Goofs:

Continuity: In Tyler's apartment, when Tyler offers Lipton coffee, the pot is brewing and is over half full. In next shot, when Tyler goes to pour the coffee, the pot is still brewing but is only about 1/8th full.

Quotes:

Leo McCarthy: [holding a gun at the side of Rollie's head, calmly] Hiya, Rollie. My name's Leo, and we need to talk.

Movie Connections:

References Blade Runner (1982)

Soundtrack:

THE HEART OF ROCK AND ROLL

A neat idea for a film

F/X was a neat idea for a film. The story revolves around a special effects man recruited by the government to fake a mobsters death. The effects man is played by BRYAN BROWN and he meets the task with the enthusiasm he would for his film work until things go sour and hee gets paired with a cop named ROLLIE played by BRAIN DENNEHY. F/X works well and the inside look at the effects business works well also. Neither pretentious or boring the film gives us a hero who doesn't use a gun and instead uses a bag of special effects to battle crime. I liked F/X. I found the film to be both attention holding and imaginative; with just enough grit to make the police subplot work. The premise of the film itself is original and one of a kind. I recommend this film to fans of adventure films or a person looking the video store shelves for something different.