Kiss of Death (1995)

A reformed convict goes undercover with the help of an angry detective to ensnare a psychotic mobster.

Director:

Barbet Schroeder

Writers:

Eleazar Lipsky (story), Ben Hecht

Stars:

David Caruso, Samuel L. Jackson, Nicolas Cage

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
David Caruso	...	Jimmy Kilmartin
Samuel L. Jackson	...	Calvin Hart
Nicolas Cage	...	Little Junior Brown
Helen Hunt	...	Bev Kilmartin
Kathryn Erbe	...	Rosie Kilmartin
Stanley Tucci	...	Frank Zioli
Michael Rapaport	...	Ronnie Gannon
Ving Rhames	...	Omar
Philip Baker Hall	...	Big Junior Brown
Anthony Heald	...	Jack Gold
Angel David	...	J.J.
John Costelloe	...	Cleary
Lindsay J. Wrinn	...	Corinna as a Toddler
Megan L. Wrinn	...	Corinna as a Toddler
Katie Sagona	...	Corinna, 4 Years Old

Storyline

Jimmy Kilmartin's an ex-con who's trying to go straight. But he can't say no to a quick driving job because his so called friend's life is threatened. The job is for Little Junior Brown, a violent and powerful villain. When things go wrong, Jimmy is left to do the time, and his whole life is turned upside-down, but if that wasn't enough, the cops won't leave Jimmy alone when he gets out... They want 'Little Junior'

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Plot Keywords:

neo noir | detective | arrest | death of wife | widower | 

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Taglines:

Little Junior Brown. He rules the streets. He owns the game. But he doesn't own all of the players.

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Genres:

Action | Crime | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for violence, nudity and strong language

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

21 April 1995 (USA)

Also Known As:

A halál csókja

Filming Locations:

118-11 84 Ave Kew Gardens, New York, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$40,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$5,317,066, 23 April 1995

Gross USA:

$14,942,422

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$14,942,422

Company Credits

Production Co:

Twentieth Century Fox

Technical Specs

Runtime:

101 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

In Radio Times, Adrian Turner describes Nicolas Cage and Samuel L. Jackson as "nasty" in his review.

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Goofs

The Rolls-Royce being torched at the salvage yard has a perimeter frame; genuine Rolls-Royce Silver Shadows are unibody vehicles.

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Quotes

Little Junior Brown: I have an acronym for myself. Know what it is? B.A.D. B.A.D... Balls, Attitude, Direction. You should give yourself an acronym... 'cause it helps you visualize your goals.
Jimmy Kilmartin: How about F.A.B.? Fucked At Birth.
Little Junior Brown: No good. Too negative.

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Alternate Versions

The FX cable TV version that aired in the late '90s/early 2000s did the usual violence and language edits and most notably during the strip club scenes adds black blurs (ex: when Nicolas Cage is talking to a few people, the topless dancer has a digitally added black dress so that the scene is safe to air).

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Connections

Referenced in Fresh Off the Boat: Good Morning Orlando (2015)

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Soundtracks

Lush 3-2
Written by Paul Hartnoll and Phil Hartnoll
Performed by Orbital
Courtesy of PolyGram Records

User Reviews

A Solid '90s Crime Thriller

My friend made me watch this and I found it to be a surprisingly entertaining movie. It's a remake of a 1940s film noir, but I haven't seen that one. Here David Caruso plays the typical gangster-gone-straight in order to support his new family, but one of his friends (played by Michael Rappaport) pulls him in for one last deal which (unsurprisingly) screws him over big time.

The casting here is absolutely phenomenal. The performances by all the lead actors are some of their best: Nicholas Cage, Stanley Tucci, David Caruso and Michael Rappaport all bring serious color to the story. It is clear here that the careful casting makes a big difference. I'd like to say one performance in particular stands out (maybe Nicholas Cage, in one of his best roles ever) but everyone pulls their weight. Michael Rappaport, despite staying in his typical character role, manages to play the most loathsome character in the film! Even the villains have more humanity to them than he does...

The story is good too. It's not original, but very well done. Many classic crime twists are provided in ways one doesn't expect and there are some plot points that are only alluded to, not blatantly shown (i.e. the reason certain characters get knocked off, etc.). It also gives us a good rundown on the inside of a corrupt court system which only protects ex-cons if there's a profit to be made.

And to top it off, despite the criminal element and violence, there is a cool sense of humor to several scenes. Little Junior's (Nicholas Cage) mourning scene stands out as a highlight. And then the way the movie ends, you'd think you were watching Beethoven or something. Hee hee, and Stanley Tucci was in that one too!

It's not some critically acclaimed showboating from the '90s, like American Beauty, The Usual Suspects, and so on, but it is a solid little '90s period piece.

6.5