F/X (1986)

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 | New York | 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)
Tim Gallin	...	William J. Adams
Patrick Stack	...	Sgt. Littauer
John Doumanian	...	The director
Ray Iannicelli	...	Charlie
Ed Crowley	...	Ballistics expert (as Edward Crowley)
Gibby Brand	...	Reporter #1
Jim Elliott	...	Car pound attendant
Christopher Curry	...	Mitchell
Jim Lovelett	...	McCoy (as James Lovelett)
George Kodisch	...	Capt. Tolosa
Jim Cordes	...	Capt. Watts
Richard Hayes	...	State Trooper #1
Christopher McHale	...	State Trooper #2
James Pickens Jr.	...	Ambulance driver
Michael Fischetti	...	State Police chief
Angela Bassett	...	TV reporter
Yolanda Lloyd	...	Receptionist
Marvin Beck	...	Medical Examiner
John McLoughlin	...	Hospital State Trooper
Jim Babchak	...	Trooper #3
Bernie Friedman	...	Bum
Drummond Erskine	...	Boathouse guard
Joe Pentangelo	...	Police officer (as Joseph Pentangelo)
Gerald Campbell	...	Doctor

Directed by
Robert Mandel

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

Produced by
Dodi Fayed	....	producer
Michael Peyser	....	executive producer
Jack Wiener	....	producer

Original Music by
Bill Conti

Cinematography by
Miroslav Ondrícek

Film Editing by
Terry Rawlings

Casting by
Alixe Gordin
Julie Weiss

Production Design by
Mel Bourne

Art Direction by
Speed Hopkins

Set Decoration by
Steven J. Jordan

Costume Design by
Julie Weiss

Makeup Department
Joseph Coscia	....	hair stylist
Carl Fullerton	....	special makeup artist
Allen McKinley	....	makeup artist
Allen Weisinger	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Bob Kellett	....	post-production supervisor
John Landan	....	production manager
Jon Landau	....	production manager
Tom Razzano	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Gary Davis	....	chase second unit director
Timothy J. Lonsdale	....	dga trainee
Ken Ornstein	....	assistant director
Thomas A. Reilly	....	assistant director

Art Department
Claudette Didul	....	art department coordinator
William Durnin	....	set dresser (as Billy Durnin)
Jim Fredericks	....	assistant prop man (as James Fredricks)
Stan Graham	....	stand-by scenic
Hilda Grosso	....	set dresser
James Mazzola	....	property master
Arne Olsen	....	head construction grip
Ron Petagna	....	shop craftsman
James Sorice	....	master scenic artist
Hilda Stark	....	art director/storyboard artist
Chris Vogt	....	set dresser
Ron von Blomberg	....	set dresser
Dave Weinman	....	lead set dresser (as David Weinman)
Frank Didio	....	head carpenter (uncredited)

Sound Department
David R. Brooks	....	second assistant sound editor (as David Brooks)
Glenn Freemantle	....	first assistant sound editor
Frank Graziadei	....	sound recordist
Les Lazarowitz	....	sound mixer
Ray Merrin	....	assistant sound re-recording mixer
Linda Murphy	....	boom operator
Bill Rowe	....	sound re-recording mixer
Jim Shields	....	sound editor

Special Effects by
Connie Brink	....	chief special effects (as Conrad Brink)
Al Griswold	....	special effects
Harold McConnell Jr.	....	special effects
John Stears	....	special effects consultant
Carl Morano	....	special effects assistant (uncredited)
Bill Traynor	....	special effects (uncredited)

Stunts
Annie Allman	....	stunts
Denise Amirante	....	stunts
Pete Antico	....	stunts
Kenny Bates	....	stunts (as Ken Bates)
Peter Bucossi	....	stunts
John Cade	....	stunts
Lisa Cain	....	stunts
Ursula Canci	....	stunts
Richard Caselnova	....	stunts
Joe Cirillo	....	stunts
Don Costello	....	stunts
Lisa Dalton	....	stunts (as Lisa Loving)
Steve Dash	....	stunts
Bud Davis	....	stunts
Gary Davis	....	stunts
Jennifer Elizabeth Davis	....	stunts
John DeBello	....	stunts
Steve DeLuca	....	stunts
Albert DeVito	....	stunts
Daniel Dod	....	stunts
Frank Ferrara	....	stunt coordinator
Frank Ferrara	....	stunts
Ralph Ferrara	....	stunts
Fred Greene	....	stunts
Jery Hewitt	....	stunts
Peter Hock	....	stunts
Buddy Joe Hooker	....	stunts
Tommy J. Huff	....	stunts
Gary Hymes	....	assistant stunt coordinator
Henry Kingi	....	stunts
Mike Lisenco	....	stunts
Gino Lucci	....	stunts
Harry Madsen	....	stunts
Victor Magnotta	....	stunt coordinator
Gary McLarty	....	stunts
John Meier	....	stunts
Phil Neilson	....	stunts
Connie Picard	....	stunts
Don Picard	....	stunts
Charlie Picerni	....	stunts
Chuck Picerni Jr.	....	stunts
Larry Randles	....	stunts
Sandy Richman	....	stunts
Michael Russo	....	stunts
Dennis Scott	....	stunts
Franklin Scott	....	stunts
Brett Smrz	....	stunts
Brian Smrz	....	stunts
Gregg Smrz	....	stunts
Ron Van Clief	....	stunts
Debra Walen	....	stunts
John Hayden	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Daniel Brunner	....	second assistant camera
Robert Connors	....	best boy electric
James P. Dolan	....	gaffer (as James Dolan)
S. Karin Epstein	....	still photographer
Tom Gilligan	....	best boy grip
Jack Kennedy Sr.	....	dolly grip
Billy Kerwick	....	best boy grip
Tom Priestley Jr.	....	camera operator
Richard Quinlan	....	gaffer
Ed Quinn	....	key grip
Richard Reis	....	first assistant camera

Casting Department
Claudine Bonis	....	casting: Switzerland
Lisa M. Marfleet	....	casting assistant
Jordan Thaler	....	additional casting assistant
Todd M. Thaler	....	additional casting

Costume and Wardrobe Department
William A. Campbell	....	wardrobe supervisor
Patricia Eiben	....	wardrobe supervisor

Editorial Department
Kris Cole	....	second assistant editor
Stephen Cox	....	first assistant editor
Joanna Garland	....	assistant editor (as Joanna Jimenez)
Adrian McCarthy	....	post-production coordinator
Debra McDermott	....	associate editor
Cathy K. Stoia	....	assistant post-production coordinator (as Cathy Keller-Stoia)

Music Department
Michael Davis	....	conductor: London Symphony Orchestra
Keith Grant	....	music re-recording engineer
Stephen A. Hope	....	music editor
Harry Rabinowitz	....	conductor

Transportation Department
Bill Curry Jr.	....	transportation captain

Other crew
Daniel Burns	....	production staff (as Danny Burns)
Fred Cassidy	....	production staff
Al Cerullo	....	helicopter pilot
Lydia Dean Pilcher	....	location staff
Wojciech Debowski	....	production staff
Jonathan De Camp	....	production staff
Sharon DeMocker	....	location staff
Deren Getz	....	production staff
Mary Glucksman	....	production staff
Anne Gyory	....	script supervisor
John J. Healey	....	production staff (as John Healey)
Anna Graham Hunter	....	production staff (as Anna Hunter)
Thomas A. Imperato	....	assistant auditor
Julie Lamm	....	production accountant
Rodney Liber	....	production staff
Peter Lombardi	....	production accountant
Jackie Martin	....	production office coordinator
Tom Paolucci	....	production staff
Dale Pierce-Johnson	....	production staff
Reid Rosefelt	....	unit publicist
Christian W. Russhon	....	production staff (as Chris Russhon)
David Sinclair	....	production staff
Jonathan Slon	....	production staff
Madeleine Stevens	....	assistant: Mr. Mandel
Cheryl J. Sutton	....	production staff
Gilbert S. Williams	....	location staff
Rick Washburn	....	weapons coordinator (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Dodi Fayed - Jack Wiener
• Orion Pictures Corporation

Distributors

• Orion Pictures Corporation (1986) (USA) (theatrical)
• Home Box Office Home Video (HBO) (video)
• Home Video Hellas (HVH) (1987) (Greece) (VHS)
• Hoyts Distribution
• LK-TEL (Argentina) (video)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (USA) (DVD)
• RCA/Columbia-Hoyts Home Video
• Thorn EMI (video)

Other Companies

• London Symphony Orchestra, The (LSO)  orchestra
• Olympic Studios  music recorded at
• Varèse Sarabande  score album released by (limited edition)

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 Poor Albert and Little Annie (1972) is mentioned (refered to by its alternate title 'I Dismember Mama').

Goofs:

Continuity: Tyler's camera changes from a Nikon FM (silver) to a Nikon F2A (black) and back again while shooting photos of Defranco.

Quotes:

Rollie Tyler: [Mason grabs the Uzi Rollie has just set down] In this hand is the ammo for the gun. And this is Krazy Glue. A thousand and one uses. Now, a thousand and two.
[shoves him out the front door]

Movie Connections:

Featured in F/X2 (1991)

Soundtrack:

THE HEART OF ROCK AND ROLL

Slick fun

"F/X: Murder by Illusion" is a well-written, intriguing film from the pens of Gregory Fleeman and Robert T. Megginson. Their sharp narrative constantly keeps you guessing throughout the 109 minute running time. Special effects (F/X) are always entertaining, as is the cast including Bryan Brown and Brian Dennehy, who are always believable, in a clever, quick-witted movie.

Robert Mandell never lets anything get out of hand, which he very easily could have given the nature of the film. Original music by "Rocky" composer Bill Conti is also very effective. I am looking forward to seeing the sequel.

Wednesday, June 26, 1991 - Video