Catchfire (1990)

User Rating:

5.3/10   

Directors:

Dennis Hopper
Alan Smithee

Writers (WGA):

Rachel Kronstadt Mann (story)
Rachel Kronstadt Mann (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

3 April 1990 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Drama | Romance | Thriller

Tagline:

When murder is your business, you'd better not fall in love with your work.

Plot:

An artist (Foster) witnesses a Mafia hit and calls the police. At the police station she realizes that the Mafia has a man in the force...

Plot Keywords:

Mafia | Hitman | Artist | Greek American | Car Trouble

Cast

Dennis Hopper	...	Milo
Jodie Foster	...	Anne Benton
Dean Stockwell	...	John Luponi
Vincent Price	...	Mr. Avoca
John Turturro	...	Pinella
Fred Ward	...	Pauling
Julie Adams	...	Martha
Tony Sirico	...	Greek (as G. Anthony Sirico)
Sy Richardson	...	Capt. Walker
Frank Gio	...	Frankie
Helena Kallianiotes	...	Grace Carelli
John Apicella	...	Man at refinery
Clifford Bartholomew	...	Fed #2
Kevin Bourland	...	Ad agency man
Carl David Burks	...	Ad agency man

Also Known As:

Backtrack (USA) (TV title (director's cut))
Catchfire (Australia)
Do It the Hard Way

Runtime:

180 min (original cut) | 116 min (director's cut) | 98 min (cut version)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Argentina:16 | Australia:M | Iceland:16 | Norway:15 | Singapore:M18 | Sweden:15 | USA:R | West Germany:16

Filming Locations:

Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA

Company:

Mack-Taylor Productions

Trivia:

Vestron Pictures were unhappy with director Dennis Hopper's original 180 minute cut of the film that they re-edited it without his knowledge. Hopper was so enraged he sued the company but they had already gone bankrupt. He nevertheless insisted on the anonymous Alan Smithee credit.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When Anne and Milo are about to drive off in an SUV, the mountain backdrop is flapping in the wind.

Quotes:

Milo: There's something going on here that I really don't understand, but I like it.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Who Is Alan Smithee? (2002) (TV)

A Very Entertaining Film

With huge screen personas such as Dennis Hopper and Jodie Foster it really makes this film fun to watch. The dialogue works with these actors as it would usually with any actor you like. The story progresses in a way that suits me down to the ground, in that there are no scenes that I dislike and it's always on the move.

The idea of a hitman giving his prospective hit a choice of death or come with me with on a provisional basis is a good one. The cinematography is nice also with some shots of the American mid-west (I suspect).

The supporting actors are a refreshing bunch as well including Vincent Price (nice to see him away from all those creepy horror movies of the 50s and 60s)and Dean Stockwell, who is a very likable and I think an underrated actor (may be best known in Quantum Leap as Al). Not to give the ending away but I never guessed it was coming and it is very satisfying. This film is worth a 9.