Saint John of Las Vegas (2009)

Director:

Hue Rhodes

Writer:

Hue Rhodes (written by)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Tagline:

Getting lucky is a roll of the dice.

Plot:

An ex-gambler is lured back into the game by a veteran insurance-fraud investigator. |

Plot Keywords:

Place Name In Title | Male Frontal Nudity | City Name In Title

Cast

Steve Buscemi	...	John
Romany Malco	...	Virgil
Sarah Silverman	...	Jill
Peter Dinklage	...	Mr. Townsend
Jesse Garcia	...	Park Ranger
John Cho	...	Smitty
Tim Blake Nelson	...	Militant Ned
Matthew McDuffie	...	Lucypher
Emmanuelle Chriqui	...	Tasty D Lite
Ben Zeller	...	Truck Stop Owner
Aviva Baumann	...	Pennie (as Aviva)
Shawn Prince	...	Ticket Taker
Danny Trejo	...	Bismarck
Stephen Eiland	...	Mordicai
Josh Berry	...	Manager
Jim Giesler	...	Barker (as Jimmy 'Gee' Geisler)
Isabel Archuleta	...	Vegas Counter Girl
Isaac Kappy	...	Geek
Gorneth D'Oyley	...	Dealer
Ernest Labreck	...	Ed MacMahon Type
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Valerie Adams	...	Carnival Patron (uncredited)
Avu	...	Carnival Guest (uncredited)
Johann Benét	...	Minch (uncredited)
Kevin Christopher Brown	...	Churchgoer (uncredited)
Lucas CorVatta	...	Carnival Teen (uncredited)
Robert Nathan Gleason	...	Compound Man (uncredited)
Tom B. Gleason	...	Compound Man (uncredited)
Cliff Gravel	...	Carnival Patron (uncredited)
Jamie Haqqani	...	Fair Attendee (uncredited)
Karen M. Hudson	...	Fair Attendee (uncredited)
William T. Johnson	...	Carnival Teen (uncredited)
J. Nathan Simmons	...	Compound Man (uncredited)

Directed by
Hue Rhodes

Writing credits
Hue Rhodes		(written by)

Produced by
David Alpert	....	executive producer
Wren Arthur	....	executive producer
Mark Burton	....	producer
Steve Buscemi	....	executive producer
Stephen Dyer	....	line producer
David Engel	....	executive producer
David S. Greathouse	....	co-executive producer (as David Greathouse)
Jeremy Kopp	....	co-executive producer
Spike Lee	....	executive producer
Lawrence Mattis	....	producer
Kelly McCormick	....	producer
Akua Murphy	....	associate producer
Stanley Tucci	....	executive producer
Matt Wall	....	producer

Original Music by
David Torn

Cinematography by
Giles Nuttgens		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Annette Davey

Casting by
Heidi Levitt
Latrell Manuel		(uncredited)

Production Design by
Rosario Provenza

Set Decoration by
Marcia Calosio

Costume Design by
Lisa Jensen

Makeup Department
Gretchen Bright	....	makeup department head
Sheila Trujillo	....	key assistant makeup artist

Production Management
Stuart Macphee	....	post-production supervisor
John N. Ward	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Craig Borden	....	first assistant director
Michael Feldman	....	second second assistant director
Angie Meyer	....	key second assistant director
Matt Wall	....	second unit director

Art Department
Alan Chao	....	art department coordinator
Jason Davis	....	property master
Brian DeLara	....	on-set dresser
Ronald O. Jaynes	....	construction coordinator
Leigh Anne Montaño	....	set decorations shopper/buyer (as Leigh Anne Stoudenmire)
Kristen Rakes	....	art department production assistant
Dan Sissons	....	property master
Gary Thomas	....	storyboard artist

Sound Department
James Bailey	....	foley artist
Brett Becker	....	utility sound
David Brownlow	....	sound mixer
Chris David	....	sound re-recording mixer
Brian Dunlop	....	sound effects editor
Cole Gittinger	....	boom operator
Robert Jackson	....	sound designer
Robert Jackson	....	supervising sound editor
Goeun Lee	....	foley editor
Tim Limer	....	sound recordist
Travis MacKay	....	adr recordist
Michael Miller	....	adr mixer
Geordy Sincavage	....	foley mixer
Matt Snedecor	....	adr recordist
Michael Suarez	....	adr recordist
Eric Thompson	....	adr mixer
Callie Thurman	....	assistant sound editor

Special Effects by
Doug Butts	....	special effects technician
Scott Hastings	....	special effects coordinator

Visual Effects by
Joseph DiValerio	....	visual effects
William Kessler	....	motion graphics
Chris Ward	....	digital intermediate producer

Stunts
Mark Brooks	....	stunt coordinator
Matthew Lee Christmas	....	stunt double
David Ott	....	stunt double: full fire burn
David Ott	....	stunt performer
Mark Rayner	....	stunts
Jay Torrez	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Adam Achiardi	....	electrician
Troy Anderson	....	set lighting technician
Robert E. Arnold	....	grip (as Robert Arnold)
Bradley Barnes	....	lighting technician
Kenneth Coblentz	....	dolly grip
Joe Abraham Dean	....	lighting console programmer
Dan Delgado	....	gaffer
Frank Eyers	....	24 frame playback operator
Kristopher Hardy	....	assistant camera
Cathy Kanavy	....	still photographer
Craig Kohlhoff	....	Steadicam operator
Lauren Petzke	....	additional electrician
Gabriel Pfeiffer	....	first assistant camera: "a" camera
Gary Sauer	....	grip
Paige Thomas	....	camera operator
Paige Thomas	....	director of photography: second unit
Corey Weintraub	....	second assistant camera: "a" camera

Casting Department
Jill Dupont	....	casting associate
Lisa Essary	....	casting associate
Lauren Fernandes	....	casting associate
Dann Fink	....	adr voice casting
Angelique Midthunder	....	casting director: New Mexico

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Deborah Andrews	....	cutter/fitter
Roberta Souder Langhofer	....	key set costumer
Cassidy Zachary	....	set costumer

Editorial Department
Prince Bagdasarian	....	high definition coordinator
Julius Friede	....	digital intermediate colorist
David Graubard	....	digital intermediate senior systems engineer
Jon Pehlke	....	on-line editor
Sarah Priestnall	....	digital intermediate producer
David Vendette	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Dondi Bastone	....	music supervisor
Sam Zeines	....	music editor

Transportation Department
Daniel Davis	....	transportation captain
Dorifay Estrada	....	driver
'Wild Bill' Laczko	....	driver: camera truck
Lance Leis	....	driver
Michael B. Russell	....	transportation coordinator

Other crew
Noor Ahmed	....	legal services
Amber Beard	....	production assistant
Jason Bonnell	....	assistant location manager
Stacia Brigham	....	unit publicist
Geno Caggiano	....	epk producer
Ronald L. Carr	....	location manager
Trevor Carr	....	location scout
Amy Eldridge	....	production accountant
Hugh Elliot	....	stand-in
Janie Elliott	....	assistant production coordinator
Jim Giesler	....	key craft service
Nathan Helm	....	set production assistant
Samantha Hollingsworth	....	set production assistant
Patrick Hollon	....	key set production assistant
Angel Jimenez Jr.	....	production assistant
Andrew Grey Johnson	....	first assistant accountant
Lois King	....	script supervisor
Todd Korody	....	systems engineer
Jennifer Mancuso	....	production coordinator
Gina Meredith	....	on set medic
Michael Mulcahy	....	assistant: cast
Mike Park	....	production legal counsel
Lauren Petzke	....	additional craft service
Benjamin R. Reder	....	production legal counsel
Michael A. Rizza	....	stand in: Steve Buscemi
Aaron Z. Schor	....	production secretary
Andi Taylor	....	production assistant
Joe Manuel Gallegos Jr.	....	assistant to Mr. Malco (uncredited)
Juliet Lopez	....	accounting clerk (uncredited)

Thanks
Robert Nickson	....	special thanks

Production Companies

• Circle of Confusion
• IndieVest Pictures
• Olive Prods

Distributors

• IndieVest Pictures (2010) (USA) (theatrical)
• Kinosmith (2010) (Canada) (theatrical)
• Aventi (2011) (France) (DVD)

Special Effects

• Space Monkey (visual effects)

Other Companies

• Chapman/Leonard Studio Equipment  camera dollies
• Cold Fusion Media Group  funding
• EMS Payroll  extras payroll (uncredited)
• Reder & Feig  production counsel
• Wildfire Studios  adr recording facility

Also Known As:

MPAA:

Rated R for language and some nudity

Runtime:

USA:85 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

USA:R (certificate #45389) | Canada:14A (Ontario) | Canada:G (Quebec) | Canada:PG (British Columbia) | Australia:M

Filming Locations:

Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA

Company:

Circle of Confusion

Goofs:

Continuity: At approximately 30:10 when John (Buscemi)is speaking to the gas station cashier, the envelope with the $1000 in it disappears and reappears.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "The Rotten Tomatoes Show: The Road/Ninja Assassin/Old Dogs (#1.37)" (2009)

Soundtrack:

DIDN'T I

The Dante is Lost on Me, But the Film is Great

John (Steve Buscemi), a recovering gambler, is sent back to Las Vegas by his employer to research insurance fraud. Along the way he must face junkyard thugs, a crippled stripper and try to maintain a relationship with his less-than-stable girlfriend (Sarah Silverman).

This story is somehow based on the writings of Dante Aligheri. I don't see it. I freely admit by knowledge of "Inferno" and "Paradiso" is not on the level it could be, but this had to be a very loose interpretation to say the least. However, regardless of the source material, the finished product is a gem that sadly did not get the full attention it deserved. This should have been a major theatrical release and success rather than a film festival darling.

Sure, it has that "independent" feel to it, like a darker "Garden State"... but if people like Wes Anderson can make it big off of the indie film feeling, why not this film? Steve Buscemi has a huge cult following, as does Sarah Silverman. Buscemi was what attracted me to this film -- he has never failed to disappoint me in any of his roles from "Big Lebowski" to "Ghost World" to "Reservoir Dogs". One of the biggest flaws another indie film, "Floundering", made was using Buscemi too little.

The directing is tight, the story is tight... the word "tight" is really the way to describe this film. The pace keeps steady, with never a dull moment despite not really being anything close to an action film. John is a perfect everyman inserted into odd situations (did I mention the nudists?) so we can both sympathize with him, yet enjoy that he has quirks we wouldn't, and weaknesses we do not. It is as though watching our best friend on an adventure.

If you missed this one on the festival circuit (and let's be frank, most of us do not have the luxury of attending them), please do yourself a favor and rent this film, or perhaps even purchase it. I think it's the kind of film that will have a strong word-of-mouth fan base, and it would be in your best interest to discover it before all your friends have first. So many films slip under the radar... don't let "Saint John of Las Vegas" be one of them.