Mean Guns (1997)

Director:

Albert Pyun

Writer (WGA):

Andrew Witham (written by)

Release Date:

21 November 1997 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Crime | Thriller

Tagline:

100 Assassins. 1,000 Weapons. 10,000,000 Dollars. Only One Can Survive.

Plot:

A gangster boss (Ice-T) has a list of about 100 people who have screwed up at one point or another. Rather than outright killing them...

Plot Keywords:

Gangster | Prison | Baseball Bat | Killing | Falling Down Stairs

Cast

Christopher Lambert	...	Lou
Ice-T	...	Vincent Moon
Michael Halsey	...	Marcus
Deborah Van Valkenburgh	...	Cam
Tina Cote	...	Barbie (as Tina Coté)
Yuji Okumoto	...	Hoss
Thom Mathews	...	Crow
Kimberly Warren	...	D
Hunter Doughty	...	Little Lucy (as Hunter Lockwood Doughty)
Jerry Rector	...	Bob
James Wellington	...	Ricky
Hoke Howell	...	Commissioner Guildner
James Mathers	...	Jerry Montegna
Milan Nicksic	...	Kobolski
Jahi J.J. Zuri	...	Blondie
Kimko	...	Suit
Jim Koehler	...	Slick
Robert Lennon	...	Oslo
John Machado	...	Fatboy
Moss Mossberg	...	Biker
Jill Pierce	...	Mambo Woman
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Earl White	...	One Eye (uncredited)

Directed by
Albert Pyun

Writing credits (WGA)
Andrew Witham		(written by)

Produced by
Christopher Bates	....	line producer: re-shoots
Tom Karnowski	....	producer
Paul Rosenblum	....	executive producer
Gary Schmoeller	....	producer
Darren B. Turbow	....	associate producer
Andrew Whitham	....	associate producer

Original Music by
Anthony Riparetti		(as Tony Riparetti)

Cinematography by
George Mooradian

Film Editing by
Ken Morrisey

Casting by
Teri Blythe

Costume Design by
Shelly Boies

Makeup Department
Wendi Lynn Allison	....	second hair stylist (as Wendi Allison)
Wendi Lynn Allison	....	second makeup artist (as Wendi Allison)
Didier Lavergne	....	hair stylist: C. Lambert
Didier Lavergne	....	makeup artist: C. Lambert
Ani Plotkin-Maloney	....	key hair stylist (as Ani Plotkin)
Ani Plotkin-Maloney	....	key makeup artist (as Ani Plotkin)

Production Management
Tom Karnowski	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Tom Karnowski	....	first assistant director
Sazzy Lee Calhoun	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Randall Dudley	....	assistant props
Jeff Spellerberg	....	property master
Mike Sudrow	....	weapons specialist (uncredited)

Sound Department
Mark Allen	....	sound designer
Gary Boatner	....	boom operator (as Gary Boatman)
James Clark	....	boom operator
Rick Delena	....	post-production sound (as Rick DeLena)
Gonzalo Espinoza	....	foley recordist (as Bino Espinoza)
Patrick M. Griffith	....	supervising sound editor
Lisa Hannan	....	sound effects editor
Lee Howell	....	production sound mixer
Eric Jaffe	....	sound effects editor (as Eriq P. Jaffe)
C.J. Jones	....	sound effects editor
John Kohlbrenner	....	sound effects editor
Mark Lanza	....	sound effects editor
Jeff Marr	....	adr editor
Jeff Marr	....	dialogue editor
Thomas E. Miller	....	audio coordinator
Paul N.J. Ottosson	....	sound effects editor
Gretchen Thoma	....	foley artist
Debby VanPoucke	....	sound effects editor (as Debby Van Poucke)
Jim Ridgley	....	boom operator (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Anthony Allen Barlow	....	special effects technician: Ice-T (as Allen Barlow)
Guy Faria	....	special effects

Stunts
Bob Brown	....	utility stunts
Paul Eliopoulos	....	stunt coordinator
Dane Farwell	....	utility stunts
Nancy Thurston	....	stunt double: Barbie
Garrett Warren	....	stunt coordinator

Camera and Electrical Department
Scott Burgin	....	camera loader
Christopher Burke	....	second assistant camera (as Chris Burke)
Jonathan Chinn	....	gaffer
Bruce Frye	....	focus puller
Charles Lenz	....	best boy grip (as Charlie Lenz)
Bruce D. McDonald	....	best boy (as Bruce McDonald)
Karen L. Ogle	....	still photographer (as Karen Ogle)
Daniel Robinson	....	rigging grip
Alec Shepherd	....	key grip (as Alec Sheppard)
Matthew Talesfore	....	best boy
James S. Trois	....	electrician (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Houston Sams	....	wardrobe supervisor
Renata Votrubová	....	wardrobe: C. Lambert (as Renata Votrobová)

Editorial Department
Beth Bergeron	....	editing intern
Yoshie Ishiguro	....	assistant editor
Mato	....	color timer

Other crew
Christopher Ball	....	production financing: Newmarket Capital (as Chris Ball)
Christopher Bates	....	production accountant
Teri Blythe	....	script supervisor
Thomas Brunelle	....	voice artist
June Christopher	....	voice artist
Dan Collins	....	executive production assistant
Marc J. Federman	....	insurance services: Near North Insurance Brokerage (as Marc Federman)
Eddie Frierson	....	voice artist
Joshua Furey	....	set production assistant (as Josh Furey)
Peter Grassl	....	business manager: Perry & Neihdorf (as H. Peter Grassl)
Raymond Gross	....	bank counsel (as G. Raymond F. Gross Esq.)
Branko Jehlar	....	craft service
Branko Jehlar	....	production assistant
Chris Martinez	....	craft service
Chris Martinez	....	production assistant
Michael A. Neidorf	....	business manager: Perry & Neihdorf
Joyce North	....	key set production assistant
Rodney Saulsberry	....	voice artist
Michael Sebel	....	set medic: Rescues Unlimited
Jeff Spellerberg	....	production counsel
Arnold F. Turner	....	voice artist (as Arnold Turner)

Thanks
Manny Anaya	....	special thanks (as Sergeant Manny Anaya)
Denny Clairmont	....	special thanks
Terry Clairmont	....	special thanks
Irving Correo	....	special thanks
Stephen J. Friedman	....	dedicated to the memory of (as Stephen Friedman)
Peter Grassl	....	special thanks (as H. Peter Grassl)
Patrick M. Griffith	....	special thanks (as Pat Griffith)
Michael A. Neidorf	....	special thanks
Anthony Riparetti	....	special thanks (as Tony Riparetti)
Arthur Robinson	....	special thanks (as Sergeant Arthur Robinson)
Zachary Schmoeller	....	special thanks

Production Companies

• Filmwerks

Distributors

• EuroVideo (2007) (Germany) (DVD)
• Koch Media (2001) (Germany) (DVD)
• Lions Gate Films (Canada) (video)
• Manga Films (1998) (Spain) (video)
• Mean Guns Inc.
• New City Releasing
• PlayArte Home Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)
• RocVale Film (1998) (Australia) (VHS)
• Trimark Home Video (1998) (USA) (DVD)
• VCL Video (1997) (Germany) (VHS)

Special Effects

• Engram Digital (digital visual effects)

Other Companies

• Clairmont Camera  camera systems
• Film Finances  completion bond
• Film Finances  completion guarantor
• Gipson, Hoffman & Pancione  bank counsel
• Magic Film and Video Works  negative cutter (as Magic Film & Video)
• Near North Insurance Brokerage  insurance services
• Newmarket Capital Group  production financing (as Newmarket Capital)
• Of Sound Mind  post-production sound
• Rescues Unlimited  set medic
• United Talent Agency (UTA)  special thanks
• f-Stop  opticals and titles

Also Known As:

MPAA:

Rated R for nonstop violence, and for language

Runtime:

104 min | USA:105 min (TV version) | USA:110 min (video version)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Certification:

Iceland:16 | Australia:MA | New Zealand:R18 | Germany:18 (DVD rating) | UK:18 | USA:R | Spain:18

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Filmwerks

Goofs:

Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): A newspaper clipping with the headline "New Prison Opens Tomorrow" is shown and the text underneath has a spelling error saying "A new prinson opens tomorrow... ".

Quotes:

Lou:Marcus, why is everybody saying you're stupid?

Movie Connections:

References "Bonanza" (1959)

Soundtrack:

Salsipuedes

A brilliant study of the depravity of man with a weak ending

I just finished watching "Mean Guns," and, considering the action-stinkers that have been coming out in the past few months (Domestic Disturbance, The One), I found it to be a breath of fresh air. It uses cliches and violence combined with strong, intelligent characters (scattered in there among very cliched characters) to tell a modern-day parable on the depravity of man and the need for redemption. Very dark, very violent, but it needed to be to make its point on how low human beings can allow themselves to become. I won't go into detail about the plot...that's not what users comments are for. Just read the plot summary. I shall, however, explore the film's philosophy.

The mambo music, which plays in the background as the characters shoot at each other, works to show how lightly society now sees and deals with violence, and in the end, the film points an accussing finger at all the viewers who allowed themselves to be taken in by the "engaging" (intentionally cliched) storyline, and suggesting that in our enjoyment of such a raunchy picture, we place outselves on a level no better than the horrible killer presented here. There is one particular scene in which two men mercilessly slaughter a man, and the soft, classical-guitar piece playing in the background effectively shows how comfortable we have become as viewers to such gruesome displays of violence. Indeed, what we are more focused on here is the fact that the music is beautiful, despite the very bloody acts of violence that we are witnessing. Such audience-manipulation packs a powerful punch.

Only the conclusion drags on...and on....and on..... The need to tie up all loose ends is irrelevant. The point is already made by the time the movie's final scenes begin, but they try to tie them all up in any case. As a result, the ending simply lumbers when it should have, as the rest of the film does, soar.

Still, Lambert and company are great in their roles. Who new director Albert Pyun was capable? Final verdict: A-. Very solid.

***1/2 out of ****