Killshot (2008)

User Rating:

6.4/10   

Director:

John Madden

Writers (WGA):

Hossein Amini (screenplay)
Elmore Leonard (novel)

Release Date:

13 November 2008 (Israel)

Genre:

Action | Drama | Thriller

Tagline:

Yesterday she was a witness. Today she's a target.

Plot:

Beautiful Carmen Colson and her ironworker husband Wayne are placed in the Federal Witness Protection program after witnessing an "incident". Thinking they are at last safe, they are targeted by an experienced hit man and a psychopathic young upstart killer. The ensuing struggle will test Carmen to the limit.

Plot Keywords:

Witness Protection Program | Boots | Thief | Cadillac | Pistol

Cast

Mickey Rourke	...	Armand 'The Blackbird' Degas
Brandon McGibbon	...	Blackbird's Kid Brother
Peter Kelly Gaudreault	...	Blackbird's Brother
Michelle Arvizu	...	Nurse
Richard Zeppieri	...	Son-in-Law / Mafia Boss
Alexis Butler	...	Girl in Hotel Room
Hal Holbrook	...	Papa
Diane Lane	...	Carmen Colson
Robert Gow	...	Prospective Buyer #1
Catherine Hayos	...	Prospective Buyer #2
Thomas Jane	...	Wayne Colson
Craig Blair	...	Construction Site Foreman
Joseph Gordon-Levitt	...	Richie Nix
Lynne Deragon	...	Mrs. Palino
Rosario Dawson	...	Donna
Hazel Desjarlais	...	Old Woman, Walpole Island
Aldred Montoya	...	Lionel (as Aldred Wesley Montoya)
Don McManus	...	Nelson Davies
Tim Campbell	...	Michigan Officer #1
Tim Eddis	...	Michigan Officer #2
Beatriz Yuste	...	Checkout Girl
Tom McCamus	...	Paul Scallen / FBI Chief
Michael Joseph Bernier	...	Mechanic
Jim Codrington	...	1st FBI Agent
Karen Robinson	...	2nd FBI Agent
Lois Smith	...	Lenore
Steve Cumyn	...	3rd FBI Agent / Real Estate Guy
James Anthony	...	Drydock Foreman
Craig Eldridge	...	Cape Girardeau Buyer / Gerald
Mark-Cameron Fraser	...	Dockworker (as Mark Cameron Fraser)
Tony Nappo	...	Dockworker
Michael Rhoades	...	Dockworker
Christine Brubaker	...	Dockworker's Wife
Inga Cadranel	...	Barmaid

Directed by
John Madden

Writing credits (WGA)
Hossein Amini		(screenplay)
Elmore Leonard		(novel)

Produced by
Lawrence Bender	....	producer
Richard N. Gladstein	....	producer
Elmore Leonard	....	executive producer
John Madden	....	executive producer
Jim Powers	....	co-producer
Erica Steinberg	....	executive producer
David J. Webb	....	co-producer
Bob Weinstein	....	executive producer
Harvey Weinstein	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Klaus Badelt

Cinematography by
Caleb Deschanel

Film Editing by
Mick Audsley
Lisa Gunning

Casting by
Kerry Barden
Billy Hopkins
Diane Kerbel
Suzanne Smith

Production Design by
Andrew Jackness

Art Direction by
Brandt Gordon

Set Decoration by
Steven Essam

Costume Design by
Beth Pasternak

Makeup Department
Lisa Brockman-Kalz	....	assistant makeup artist: Cape Girardeau, MO
Renee Chan	....	assistant hair stylist
Burton J. LeBlanc	....	assistant makeup artist (as Burton Leblanc)
Jordan Samuel	....	makeup department head

Production Management
Aisha Bicknell	....	post-production supervisor
Tania Blunden	....	post-production supervisor (as Tania Windsor Blunden)
Scott Knollenberg	....	production manager: Cape Girardeau, MO
Ted Miller	....	unit production manager
Jim Powers	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Bruno Bryniarski	....	second assistant director
Tyler Delben	....	third assistant director
Dylan Hopkins	....	second assistant director
Jordana Lieberman	....	third assistant director
Nick Lopez	....	trainee assistant director (as Nicolas Lopez)
Craig Newman	....	third assistant director
John R. Saunders	....	second second assistant director
David J. Webb	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Darleen Abbott	....	construction accountant
Rob Ballantyne	....	storyboard artist
Cameron S. Brooke	....	key scenic artist
Robert C. Brooke	....	lead scenic artist
Collingwood Brown	....	art department coordinator
David DiCorpo	....	assistant head carpenter
Alistair Edwardson	....	set designer
Travis Eisenberg	....	carpenter
Chris Hanson	....	key scenic laborer
Brent Jaimes	....	lead man: Cape Girardeau
Kelsey Lapoint	....	on-set painter: Cape Girardeau
John Mackenzie	....	construction coordinator
Rob McCallum	....	storyboard artist
Victor 'Chikko' Quon	....	assistant head painter
David Ritchie	....	second on-set dresser
Dawn Rivard	....	set decoration buyer
Dave Rosa	....	head painter
Chris Shader	....	on-set dresser: Cape Girardeau
Jim Tudor	....	set dresser: Cape Girardeau
Brian van de Valk	....	co-head carpenter
Clark Woodman	....	assistant property master: Cape Girardeau
Colin Woods	....	first assistant art director

Sound Department
Joseph Adorisio II	....	sound
Mark Auguste	....	supervising sound editor
Sam Auguste	....	dialogue editor
Stuart Bagshaw	....	foley editor
Jeremy Balko	....	adr mixer
Howard Bargroff	....	sound re-recording mixer
Thom Berryman	....	assistant re-recording mixer
Ricky Butt	....	foley artist
Christopher Carmichael	....	assistant sound engineer
Laura Civiello	....	sound editor
Tony Currie	....	dialogue editor
Glen Gauthier	....	sound mixer
Robin Knapp	....	assistant sound editor
Daniel Laurie	....	adr editor
Daniel Laurie	....	dialogue editor
Michael Miller	....	adr mixer
Emma Pegram	....	assistant sound re-recording mixer
Alastair Sirkett	....	dialogue and adr editor
Barnaby Smyth	....	foley supervisor
Jack Stew	....	foley artist
Steve Switzer	....	boom operator
Matthew Tomkins	....	sound trainee
Ian Wilson	....	supervising sound editor
Andrew Caller	....	sound mix technician (uncredited)

Special Effects by
John MacGillivray	....	special effects supervisor
Rob Sanderson	....	special effects director
Skyler Wilson	....	special effects key

Visual Effects by
Louie Alexander	....	digital compositor: Framestore-CFC
Zachary Bloom	....	scanning and recording: Framestore CFC
Turea Blyth	....	visual effects editorial: Framestore
Paul Burke	....	scanning and recording: Framestore
Andy Burrow	....	scanning & recording manager
Richard Edwards	....	data operator: Framestore
Stephen Elson	....	visual effects producer: Baseblack
Joss Flores	....	digital compositor
David Gibbons	....	digital matte painter
Adam Glasman	....	digital intermediate colourist
Elysia Greening	....	digital compositor: Baseblack
Alistair Hamer	....	film mastering engineer
Adam Hawkes	....	digital compositor
Karsten Hecker	....	scanning & film recording assistant manager: Framestore CFC
John Inch	....	retouch and restoration
Yan Jennings	....	film mastering engineer
Kelvin Kanagaraj	....	previsualization artist/animator
Kevin Lowery	....	film mastering engineer
Vaibhav Marathe	....	digital compositor: Baseblack
Veronica Marcano	....	scanning and recording operator: Framestore
Tristan Porter	....	digital compositor: Baseblack
Edward Randolph	....	visual effects coordinator: Baseblack
Lee Rankin	....	scanning and recording: Framestore CFC
Jimmy Saul	....	scanning and recording operator
Michael Adam Thompson	....	matchmover: Framestore CFC
Odean Thompson	....	digital paint artist: restoration: Framestore
Esme Long	....	production assistant (uncredited)

Stunts
Tom Farr	....	stunts
Duncan McLeod	....	stunt double: Mickey Rouke Double
Daryl Patchett	....	stunt double: Thomas Jane
Edward A. Queffelec	....	stunt performer
Ken Quinn	....	stunt double
Steve 'Shack' Shackleton	....	stunt rigger
John Stead	....	stunt double

Camera and Electrical Department
Chris Bangma	....	technician: Libra remote head
Mark Beauchamp	....	second assistant camera
Chris Benson	....	camera operator: Cape Girardeau
Brendan Bresnahan	....	key video assist operator
Chris Chanda	....	camera technician: Wescam camera
Angelo Colavecchia	....	camera operator
Shawn Cragin	....	first assistant camera
Mark Cyre	....	first assistant camera
Heather Donald	....	second assistant camera
M. Autumn Eakin	....	second assistant camera: Cape Girardeau
Brad Fanfalone	....	second assistant camera
Anne Freivogel	....	second assistant camera: "b" camera
Michael Galbraith	....	gaffer
Dan Gartner	....	electrician: Cape Girardeau
Guy Godfree	....	assistant camera
Tim Hawn	....	electrician: Cape Girardeau
Marty Hechinger	....	electrician: Cape Girardeau
Bill Hong	....	camera car operator
Marcel Janisse	....	assistant camera: reshoot
Robert Johnson	....	key grip
Paul Knubley	....	video assist: Cape Girardeau
Dave Kube	....	grip: Cape Girardeau
Doug Lawrance	....	daily camera operator
Doug Lawrance	....	director of photography: splinter unit
Alex Lisman	....	camera trainee
Joseph Micomonaco	....	first assistant camera
Malcolm Nefsky	....	grip
Keith Ogier	....	first assistant camera: Cape Girardeau
Miguel Pask	....	second assistant camera
Michael Plant	....	generator operator
Marc Purdy	....	best boy grip
Ron Renzetti	....	dolly grip
Brent Robinson	....	daily first assistant camera
John Sennott	....	electrician: Cape Girardeau
Tracy Shaw	....	assistant key rigging grip
Richard Speed	....	grip (segment "Cape Girardeau, MO")
Robert Stecko	....	camera operator: "b" camera
James Toth	....	camera trainee
Neil Trafford	....	second assistant camera
John Trapman	....	camera operator: Wescam camera
Amanda Wojtaszek	....	assistant camera: re-shoots (as Amanda Buckland)
Amanda Wojtaszek	....	camera loader: re-shoots (uncredited)

Casting Department
Deborah Maxwell Dion	....	casting associate: Los Angeles
Chantal Leblanc-Everett	....	local casting assistant
Kathy Mooney	....	extras casting
Crystal Olsen	....	casting assistant
Paul Schnee	....	casting associate
Marny Smith	....	casting assistant
Joni Tackette	....	extras casting: missouri

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Cori Burchell	....	assistant costume designer
Christina Cattle	....	set costume supervisor
Pauline Chung	....	costume supervisor
Jay Du Boisson	....	costume supervisor: additional photography
Joslyn Lawrence	....	costume supervisor: MO crew
Mia Sturup	....	assistant costume designer: additional photography

Editorial Department
Jens Baylis	....	co-first assistant editor
William Blunden	....	assistant editor
Adam Glasman	....	digital intermediate colorist
Rui Martins	....	telecine operator
Steve Mercer	....	first assistant editor
Mark Neale	....	co-first assistant editor
Alex Panton	....	digital intermediate producer
Mila Patriki	....	dailies colorist
Dan Roberts	....	assembly editor
Natasha Westlake	....	editor trainee

Music Department
Christine Bergren	....	music legal
Andy Brown	....	conductor
Andy Brown	....	music contractor
Andrew Glen	....	music editor
Ian Honeyman	....	music arranger
The London Metropolitan Orchestra	....	music performed by
Stephen McLaughlin	....	music mixer
Andrew Raiher	....	music arranger
Jeff Toyne	....	orchestrator
Malona P. Voigt	....	music production manager

Transportation Department
Dan 'the Mayor' Cowden	....	transportation coordinator
Carla Klein	....	driver: hair/makeup
DJ Perry	....	double driver
Ted Repp	....	driver
Lynn Shelton	....	driver
Bob Templin	....	driver
Ian C. Harris	....	driver (uncredited)
David Schmidt	....	unit driver (uncredited)

Other crew
Kevin Alakas	....	first assistant accountant: reshoots
Gerry Alfonso	....	payroll accountant: re-shoots
Samantha Armstrong	....	script supervisor
Cassandra Barbour	....	rights and clearances
John 'Frenchie' Berger	....	armorer
Stephanie Lee Berger	....	weapons handler
Patrick Bond	....	location assistant: Cape Girardeau
Lucie Bourgeau	....	production assistant
Ashley Bowen	....	assistant to producer
Benjamin T. Brammeier	....	key production assistant: Cape Girardeau
Talmadge Canty	....	production assistant
Connie Contardi	....	production assistant
Heather K. Dahlstrom	....	production assistant
Melanie Donkers	....	assistant to producer
Bart Elfrink	....	production assistant
Prudence Emery	....	unit publicist
Geoff Ernst	....	production assistant
Tracy Fedak	....	third assistant accountant
Alex Fields	....	production assistant
Cheryl Francis	....	assistant production coordinator
Megan Freels	....	assistant to director
Megan Freels	....	stock footage researcher
Nicholas Gartner	....	loading intern: Cape Girardeau
Marie-Claude Harnois	....	production coordinator
Dawn Hieger	....	production coordinator: Cape Girardeau, MO
Heather L. Hogan	....	production assistant: Cape Girardeau
Steve Holt	....	on-set medic
Mindy May Jenkins	....	first assistant accountant
Brian Kaurich	....	assistant location manager: Detroit
Kaleigh Kavanagh	....	production assistant
Candace Kunderman	....	third assistant accountant
Nathalie Laporte	....	production accountant
Susan Marucci	....	script supervisor: additional photography
Kyla McFeat	....	third assistant accountant
Brad McIlroy	....	on-set caterer
Julie McLeod	....	stand-in
Eleanor Mendes	....	production secretary
J.P. O'Donnell	....	craft service
DJ Perry	....	body double
Roger Phillips	....	titles
Yan Regis	....	medic: re-shoots
David Rumble	....	location manager: Detroit
Jonathan Schwartz	....	production assistant
Laura Sevier	....	rights and clearances
John Shone	....	key location production assistant
Kirsten Short	....	assistant accountant
Jenna Spesard	....	production assistant: Cape Girardeau
Alan Sutton	....	fire safety
Jodi A. Tario	....	assistant to director
John Thomas	....	travel coordinator
Dave Tommasini	....	aerial helicopter pilot
Marshall Tully	....	personal trainer: Thomas Jane
Kai Van Benthem	....	production assistant
Kay Watkins	....	craft service: Cape Girardeau, MO
Tucker Wells	....	production assistant: Cape Girardeau
Joanna Wende	....	production assistant
Greg Whiteside	....	on-set satellite internet technician
Angie Winstl	....	assistant production coordinator: re-shoots
Rena Hanover	....	production assistant (uncredited)
Chris Moulson	....	location scout (uncredited)
Chris Stiles	....	researcher (uncredited)

Production Companies

• FilmColony
• Lawrence Bender Productions
• Road Rebel
• Weinstein Company, The

Distributors

• Third Rail Releasing (2009) (USA) (theatrical)
• Ascot Elite Entertainment Group (2009) (Switzerland) (theatrical)
• Distribution Company (2009) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• Golden Village Pictures (2009) (Singapore) (theatrical)
• Odeon (2009) (Cyprus) (theatrical)
• Odeon (2009) (Greece) (theatrical)
• Roadshow Entertainment (2009) (Australia) (theatrical)
• Weinstein Company, The (2009) (USA) (theatrical)
• Ascot Elite Entertainment Group (2009) (Switzerland) (DVD)
• PlayArte Filmes (2009) (Brazil) (all media)
• Sandrew Metronome Distribution (2009) (Finland) (DVD)
• Sandrews (2009) (Sweden) (DVD)
• Sandrews (2009) (Sweden) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Weinstein Company, The (2009) (USA) (DVD)
• West Video (2009) (Russia) (all media)

Special Effects

• Baseblack

Other Companies

• VooDooDog  titles
• Chapman/Leonard Studio Equipment  camera dollies
• Cutting Edge  negative cutting
• Entertainment Clearances  rights and clearances
• Framestore  digital grade
• Internet On Set  on-set satellite internet
• London Editing Machines Ltd.  editing equipment
• Pictorvision  aerial camera system
• Sapex Scripts  post-production services

MPAA:

Rated R for violence, language and brief nudity.

Runtime:

95 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

SDDS | DTS | Dolby Digital

Certification:

USA:R | Singapore:NC-16 | Finland:K-15 | Portugal:M/16 | Iceland:16 | Germany:16

Filming Locations:

Cape Girardeau, Missouri, USA

Company:

FilmColony

Trivia:

Viggo Mortensen and Justin Timberlake were considered for the roles of Wayne Colson and Richie Nix, respectively.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: After Richie Nix's shooting rampage in the gas station, a close up reveals that his shotgun is an obvious cheap plastic replica.

Quotes:

Richie Nix: Well, my name's Richie Nix, in case you've ever heard of me. That's N-i-x; it's not the way Stevie Nicks spells hers.

Soundtrack:

Doin' The Best I Can

Despite it's flaws, "Killshot" is not a total dead loss.

KILLSHOT with Mickey Rourke, Diane Lane, Thomas Jane, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Rosario Dawson and Hal Holbrook, directed by John Madden.

MICKEY Rourke's intense and interesting performance as a troubled hit-man lifts this structurally flawed adaptation of Elmore Leonard's gritty crime novel. Directed by John Madden ("Shakespeare in Love"), the film is never as much fun as the book, which was a violent, witty and richly enjoyable slice of ultra-sleazy pulp fiction. But, despite all it's fault (the movie was completed in 2006, but is only being released now), "Killshot" is not a total dead loss and is likely to be enjoyed by genre fans who approach it with low expectations. Oscar-nominee Rourke ("The Wrestler") plays Armand "The Blackbird" Degas ,a veteran, half Indian hit-man for the Toronto mob who slays his boss's girlfriend during a hit. Returning to the rural area where he was raised, he pairs up with dim-witted young psychopath Richie Nix (Joseph Gordon-Levitt). Then, when, when the lovely Carmen Colson (a sexy, effective Diane Lane) sees Armand's face during a botched crime, he decides she must die. And the chase is on. "Killshot is a rather messy film that shows evidence of post-production edits and re-shoots, but Armand, Carmen and Richie are classic Leonard characters, there're one or two good shoot-outs and at least the films retains some of the master crime writer's wonderful trademark dialogue. Nice scenery too. As a Leonard fanatic, I wouldn't have missed the chance to see this on the big screen for anything (it's been given a national cinema release in South Africa - not a huge one, but way bigger than five screens in Phoenix ). I wasn't expecting much, so I certainly was not disappointed. Quite a bit of the book comes through and although Gordon-Levitt - usually one of my favourite young actors - sometimes goes to far over the top, the supporting cast is pretty good. Thomas Jane and (a totally miscast) Rosario Dawson have some nice moments and there's a cool cameo by the great Hal Holbrook . However, the interaction between Armand and Carmen Colson is nowhere near as intriguing as in the book (perhaps this has something to do with the notorious Weinstein scissors) and even though the picture has been pruned to 84 minutes it still drags in the second half. Reading Elmore Leonard's website the other night, I noticed that the maestro has seen the film (apparently a 100-minute cut) and seems to have enjoyed it, which tells us something. This flawed, but watchable (there's a good film lurking in there somewhere) movie should have been released to more cinemas in the States. Sadly, it doesn't look as if that's going to happen, but I can tell you one thing. It's going to be a solid renter when it hits DVD. Hopefully the distributor will release both this 84-minute cut and a longer version on disc. And let's hope we get to see Johnny Knoxville's deleted scenes, and a director commentary. But I suppose it will only come out in a vanilla version shorn of special features.

My Rating: 6 out of 10 (on the big screen).

PS. Drop the score down to 5/10 for the DVD - I've now seen the (South African release)DVD which in the 1.78 aspect ration ratio rather than 2.35.1 and looks shoddy compared to how it looked on the big screen. The film really falls to pieces on a second viewing.