Search and Destroy (1995)

User Rating:

5.2/10   

Director:

David Salle

Writers (WGA):

Howard Korder (play)
Michael Almereyda (screenplay)

Release Date:

5 May 1995 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Comedy | Drama

Tagline:

A screwball tragedy

Plot:

A satire about desperate hustling, pop philosophy and big money.

Plot Keywords:

Based On Play | Independent Film

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Dennis Hopper	...	Dr. Luther Waxling
Jason Ferraro	...	Young Daniel Strong
Robert Knepper	...	Daniel Strong
Griffin Dunne	...	Martin Mirkheim
Martin Scorsese	...	The Accountant
Rosanna Arquette	...	Lauren Mirkheim
David Thornton	...	Rob
Linda Wahl	...	Party guest
Christopher Walken	...	Kim Ulander
Illeana Douglas	...	Marie Davenport
Ethan Hawke	...	Roger
Laurie Godet	...	Model
Randy Pearlstein	...	Desk clerk
Vincent Angell	...	Security guard
Nicole Burdette	...	Dorothy
Tanya Pohlkotte	...	Kim's secretary
Karole Armitage	...	Red River Valley dancer
Dan Hedaya	...	Tailor
John Turturro	...	Ron
Ken Simmons	...	Nunez
Angel David	...	Panfilo
Frank Girardeau	...	State trooper
Tahnee Welch	...	Dead World girl
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Joli Julianna	...	Esema Strong (uncredited)

Directed by
David Salle

Writing credits (WGA)
Howard Korder		(play)
Michael Almereyda		(screenplay)

Produced by
Mark Blum	....	associate producer
Ruth Charny	....	producer
Elie Cohn	....	producer
Boaz Davidson	....	associate producer
Danny Dimbort	....	executive producer
Avi Lerner	....	executive producer
Dan Lupovitz	....	producer
Martin Scorsese	....	executive producer
Trevor Short	....	associate producer

Original Music by
Elmer Bernstein

Cinematography by
Bobby Bukowski
Michael Spiller

Film Editing by
Lawrence Blume
Michelle Gorchow

Casting by
Kerry Barden
Billy Hopkins
Suzanne Smith

Production Design by
Robin Standefer

Art Direction by
Stephen Alesch

Set Decoration by
Amy Tapper

Costume Design by
Donna Zakowska

Makeup Department
Judy Chin	....	makeup artist
Mandy Lyons	....	key hair stylist
Edward St. George	....	hair stylist

Production Management
Glenn Carbutt	....	assistant unit manager
Dolly Hall	....	production manager: second unit
Rob Morgan	....	unit manager
Lemore Syvan	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Bryan C. Alford	....	second second assistant director
Steve Apicella	....	first assistant director: second unit
Liz Barcia	....	second assistant director
Jill Crook	....	second assistant director: second unit
Michelle Gorchow	....	second unit director
Richard Rosser	....	first assistant director

Art Department
J. Todd Anderson	....	storyboard artist (as J.T. Anderson)
Ben Barraud	....	property master
John Canterella	....	art department coordinator
Michelle Clarke	....	assistant to production designer
Daniel Fisher	....	lead man
Mark Harrington	....	property master
Emily Hull	....	assistant property master
Gerard Hurley	....	set dresser
Leslie A. Lambert	....	assistant set decorator
Loren Lyons	....	on-set dresser
Jeff Monte	....	set dresser
Whiting Tennis	....	construction coordinator

Sound Department
John L. Anderson	....	recording artist
Greg Back	....	sound editor
Donna Beltz	....	sound editor
David Bondelevitch	....	sound re-recording mixer
Laurel Bridges	....	boom operator
Dawn Fintor	....	foley artist
Eddie Gilroy	....	recording artist
Larry Goeb	....	sound editor
Jeremy Hoenack	....	post-production sound
Michael Payne	....	supervising sound editor
Debbie Starkman	....	foley artist
Sabrina Stephenson	....	sound editor
Gretchen Thomas	....	foley artist
Pawel Wdowczak	....	sound mixer
Joseph Zappala	....	sound designer
Nicholas Renbeck	....	apprentice sound editor (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Vincent J. Guastini	....	special effects technician (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Moses Weitzman	....	optical effects coordinator

Stunts
Roy Farfel	....	stunt coordinator

Camera and Electrical Department
Mike Audin	....	electrician
Axel Baumann	....	second assistant camera: second unit
Daniel Beeman	....	key grip: second unit (as Danny Beaman)
Timothy Biehler	....	electric swing
Timothy Biehler	....	grip
Sarah Elspeth Black	....	electric swing (as Sara Black)
Sarah Elspeth Black	....	grip: second unit (as Sara Black)
Bart Blaise	....	second assistant camera
Kip Bogdahn	....	grip: second unit
Steve Calalang	....	first assistant camera: second unit
Paul Candrilli	....	key grip
Nicole Corre	....	electrician
Theo Cremona	....	first assistant camera: second unit
Joe DeSalvo	....	director of photography: second unit
David Feldman	....	camera trainee
Robert Gibson	....	grip: second unit
Scott Gregoire	....	best boy grip
Prashant Gupta	....	still photographer
Jeremy Hall	....	grip: second unit
Margaret Heidenry	....	grip: second unit
R. Derek Keener	....	electrician
David Lee	....	gaffer
Boris Major	....	second assistant camera: second unit
Sean McCague	....	grip: second unit
John Mince	....	key grip: second unit
Paul Nickason	....	dolly grip
Storn Peterson	....	first assistant camera
Richard Rutkowski	....	director of photography: title sequence
Richard Rutkowski	....	first assistant camera: second unit
Dave Samuel	....	gaffer: second unit (as Dave Samuels)
Johnny Santiago	....	grip
Eric Schmidt	....	gaffer: second unit
Frank Stubblefield	....	gaffer
Andrew T. Watts	....	best boy electric (as Andy Watts)
Eric M. Klein	....	rigging grip (uncredited)

Casting Department
Laura Ekstrand	....	casting associate
Karen E. Etcoff	....	extras casting
Joan Ryan	....	adr voice casting
Toby Stone	....	adr voice casting

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Renata Chaplynsky	....	assistant costume designer
Elizabeth Gulczynski	....	wardrobe supervisor

Editorial Department
Tom Foligno	....	associate film editor
Mark Ginsberg	....	color timer
Stan Sztaba	....	negative cutter
Sara Thorson	....	apprentice film editor
Thelma Schoonmaker	....	re-editing (uncredited)

Music Department
Kathy Durning	....	music editor
Robert Fernandez	....	scoring mixer

Other crew
Karole Armitage	....	choreographer
Bryan Bultz	....	production assistant
Bryan Bultz	....	stand-in
Brian Burkin	....	production coordinator
Michael Dermer	....	assistant: Ms. Charny
Laura Durning	....	production associate
Adam Escott	....	set production assistant
Bryan Gladstone	....	recording artist
Aimee House	....	production coordinator: second unit
Rebecca Long	....	script supervisor
David C. Luna	....	assistant: Mr. Lupovitz
Philip Miller	....	location manager: second unit (as Phil Miller)
Julie Oppenheimer	....	script supervisor: re-shoots
Nancy L. Roth	....	location manager
Gary Scott	....	set production assistant
Joshua Shore	....	assistant for Mr. Salle
Sean Sweeney	....	assistant location manager
Jennifer Truelove	....	set production assistant

Production Companies

• Autumn Pictures
• Nu Image Films
• October Films

Distributors

• Califórnia Home Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)
• Hallmark Video (USA) (VHS)
• Metropolitan Filmexport (France)
• October Films
• Pioneer Entertainment (USA) (DVD)
• Starmedia Home Entertainment (2004) (Germany) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Sound Trax Studios  post-production sound

Also Known As:

The Four Rules (Australia) (video title)

MPAA:

Rated R for strong language and some violence, nudity and drug content.

Runtime:

90 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Iceland:16 | Argentina:18 | Australia:M | Germany:16 | UK:18 | USA:R | Spain:18

Filming Locations:

New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Autumn Pictures

Quotes:

Ron: You ever been laid, Kim?
Kim: No, never; what's it like?

Soundtrack:

Cheikko Yosare

An Amazing Surprise!

This movie is incredible. It's got fantastic dialog and terrific performances from Christopher Walken and Dennis Hopper. That it was originally for the stage is pretty obvious; it just has that feel to it. But so did Glengarry Glen Ross, and that too was a terrific movie.

I don't know if the film is really any sort of meaningful commentary on modern life. I think maybe it tries. The whole thing centers around an infomercial for an adventure story that's a metaphor for self-improvement/self-discovery a la Celestine Prophecy. Mostly it's just about weird characters in weird situations and excellent dialog.

I can't say enough good things about this movie. Anyone who has a taste for weird, black-comedy is going adore this film. 8.5 out of 10.