Zeyda and the Hitman (2004)

User Rating:

4.8/10   

Director:

Melanie Mayron

Writer:

Michael Amo (writer)

Genre:

Comedy

Tagline:

There are no peanuts in halva

Plot Keywords:

Pot Smoking | Mobster

Cast

Judd Hirsch	...	Gideon Schub
Gil Bellows	...	Jeff Klein
Mercedes Ruehl	...	Esther
Conrad Dunn	...	Valenti
Reagan Pasternak	...	Natalie Klein
Danny Aiello	...	Nathan
Onalee Ames	...	All-or-Nothing Producer
Damien Atkins	...	Fisk
Albert Chung	...	Derective Woo
Ernesto Griffith	...	Detective Wilder
Louis Kliman	...	Myron
Paul Lachance	...	David
Nathaniel Lachance	...	David
Jane Luk	...	Dr. Sakamoto
Richard McMillan	...	Superintendant

Also Known As:

Running with the Hitman (USA) (video title)

Runtime:

87 min

Country:

Canada

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Filming Locations:

Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

Company:

Frantic Films

Movie Connections:

References "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire" (1999/I)

Soundtrack:

You Won't Hate Me Forever

TV version is typical movie of the week

The producer of this film is also my Film Production professor at the University of Western Ontario (UWO). He showed our class a nearly final cut of Zeyda and the Hit-man intended for television here in Canada. The film itself wasn't too bad, but for the television edit, absolutely awful (and unnecessary) bookends were added. The bookends (used to transistion to and from commercials) are a typical narrative tool wherein Danny Aiello's character is lecturing some "troubled youths" as to why a life of crime is a not-too-wise idea. Trouble is that these kids are awful actors, and their reactions to The Hit-man's story are absolute crap (wait for that applause...). Yes, the producer was my professor and a damn nice guy (bought the class beer after the last class), but his films are far from perfect.