Shade (2003)

Shade is set in the world of poker hustlers working the clubs and martini bars of Los Angeles. The tale unfolds as a group of hustlers encounter "The Dean" and pull off a successful sting ... See full summary »

Director:

Damian Nieman

Writer:

Damian Nieman

Stars:

Joe Nicolo, Carl Mazzocone Sr., George Tovar

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Joe Nicolo	...	Ritchie
Carl Mazzocone Sr.	...	Older Wiseguy (as Carl M. Mazzocone Sr.)
George Tovar	...	Paulie
Frank Medrano	...	Sal
Jason Cerbone	...	Young Dean Stevens
Mark De Alessandro	...	Hitman #1
Doc Duhame	...	Hitman #2
Shane T. Anderson	...	Hitman #3
Thandie Newton	...	Tiffany
Glenn Plummer	...	Gas Station Attendant
Gabriel Byrne	...	Charlie Miller
Mick Rossi	...	Club Patron #1
Sean Stanek	...	Club Patron #2
Holly Catarancuic	...	Girl in Hallway
Carl Mazzocone	...	Doorman

Storyline

Shade is set in the world of poker hustlers working the clubs and martini bars of Los Angeles. The tale unfolds as a group of hustlers encounter "The Dean" and pull off a successful sting that results in their pursuit by a vengeful gangster.

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Plot Keywords:

bar | con artist | corrupt cop | gas station attendant | organized crime | 

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Taglines:

When gambling your life, leave nothing to chance.

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Genres:

Crime | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language, violence and sexuality/nudity

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

12 March 2004 (Thailand)

Also Known As:

A nagy trükk

Filming Locations:

902 N Broadway, Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$6,800,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$10,696 (USA) (9 April 2004)

Gross:

$10,696 (USA) (9 April 2004)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Cobalt Media Group, Hammond Entertainment, Judgement Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

95 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Final film of Charles Rocket.

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Goofs

At the final game, when the camera looks at Vernon, we see Tiffany smoking behind him, apart from Miller. But when the camera shows Tiffany herself, we see she's right beside Miller.

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Quotes

Stevens: I was mucking cards since before you were born.

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Crazy Credits

The credits list an "Erdnase Grip" and a "Mechanic's Grip." S.W. Erdnase was the pseudonym of the author of the book "Expert at the Card Table," which was referenced in this movie. A "mechanic's grip" is a special way to hold the cards that facilitates many common sleights (including dealing seconds and dealing from the bottom of the deck).

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Connections

References House of Games (1987)

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Soundtracks

"Goldberg Variations, BWV.988"
Music by Johann Sebastian Bach
Performed by Chen Pi-hsien

User Reviews

A shade better than expected.

As movies about card games and/or con artists go, "Shade" is no "House Of Games" or "Nine Queens", but it's better than you might expect for a film that was barely released theatrically. The first two twists caught me completely off-guard (the final twist though....I saw it coming a few seconds before it happened). The poker scenes are highly entertaining (where can I get one of those "juiced" decks?). There are many good performances (Townsend, Foxx, Byrne), and nice turns by veterans (Hal Holbrook, Bo Hopkins). The weak links are Stallone and Melanie Griffith, who look awful in this film. Stallone's performance isn't bad, but they could easily have replaced him with an actor more appropriate for this role; Griffith IS bad, and it's hard to know what she's even doing in the picture. An actor who stands out (in a good way) is Roger G. Smith as Marlo, the mob enforcer with the extremely calm voice. (**1/2)