15 Minutes (2001)

A homicide detective and a fire marshal must stop a pair of murderers who commit videotaped crimes to become media darlings.

Director:

John Herzfeld

Writer:

John Herzfeld

Stars:

Robert De Niro, Edward Burns, Kelsey Grammer

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Robert De Niro	...	Detective Eddie Flemming
Edward Burns	...	Fire Marshal Jordy Warsaw
Kelsey Grammer	...	Robert Hawkins
Avery Brooks	...	Detective Leon Jackson
Melina Kanakaredes	...	Nicolette Karas
Karel Roden	...	Emil Slovak
Oleg Taktarov	...	Oleg Razgul
Vera Farmiga	...	Daphne Handlova
John DiResta	...	Bobby Korfin
James Handy	...	Deputy Chief Fire Marshal Declan Duffy
Darius McCrary	...	Detective Tommy Cullen
Bruce Cutler	...	Himself
Charlize Theron	...	Rose Hearn
Kim Cattrall	...	Cassandra
David Alan Grier	...	Mugger in Central Park

Storyline

When Eastern European criminals Oleg and Emil come to New York City to pick up their share of a heist score, Oleg steals a video camera and starts filming their activities, both legal and illegal. When they learn how the American media circus can make a remorseless killer look like the victim and make them rich, they target media-savvy NYPD Homicide Detective Eddie Flemming and media-naive FDNY Fire Marshal Jordy Warsaw, the cops investigating their murder and torching of their former criminal partner, filming everything to sell to the local tabloid TV show "Top Story."

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Plot Keywords:

criminal | detective | media | camera | homicide | 

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Taglines:

"In the future, everyone will be famous for 15 minutes." - Andy Warhol, 1967

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Genres:

Action | Crime | Drama | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for strong violence, language and some sexuality

Details

Country:

USA Germany

Language:

English Czech Russian Greek Afrikaans

Release Date:

9 March 2001 (USA)

Also Known As:

Fifteen Minutes

Filming Locations:

King Edward Hotel - 121 E. 5th St, Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$60,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$10,523,154, 11 March 2001, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$24,403,552

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$56,359,980

Company Credits

Production Co:

New Line Cinema, Industry Entertainment, New Redemption Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

120 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

There are a lot of location inconsistencies throughout the film. Like the scene involving the apprehension of the Jamaican killer that Robert De Niro and Avery Brooks are going after early in the film, was clearly Los Angeles, and most of the scenes in Times Square, were shot in New York City, for example. Most of the interiors were shot on soundstages and New York City and Los Angeles locations.

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Goofs

The blood disappears from Eddie's lapel after he has been struck on the face.

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Quotes

News Stand Vendor: It pays to be a killer in this country.

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Crazy Credits

During the credits you see the aftermath of the punch to Robert Hawkins

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Alternate Versions

InfiniFilm DVD includes deleted scenes with commentary: Emil forces Oleg to carry their baggage to the apartment; Jordy is visited by an annoying arsonist at his office; Emil helps a blind woman cross the street; extended, uncut scene outside the apartment fire set up for Jordy where the annoying arsonist returns; Jordy chases half-naked Oleg from a hotel across Times Square into a movie theater showing 2 Days in the Valley (1996) and mistakes on-screen gunfire for actual gunfire; extended scene of Emil in prison, explaining why he helped the blind woman.

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Connections

References Cannibal Holocaust (1980)

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Soundtracks

Fundal
Written by Lugiswa Plaatjies
Performed by Lugiswa Plaatjies
Courtesy of M.E.L.T. 2000
By Arrangement with Six Degrees Records Ltd. and Ocean Park Music Group

User Reviews

Sorta crams in the message, but at least it has one

Society's fascination with murderers is in itself so fascinating that people can't stop making films about the notion. Oliver Stone's "Natural Born Killers" may have covered everything there was to cover on the subject, but that shouldn't suggest "15 Minutes" has no right to exist. Everything in this movie has sorta been done before, but that doesn't hurt it at all. You have your semi-likable good guys, you have your repulsive bad guys, here and there there's a surprise built in, what more could you really hope for? Writer/director John Herzfeld manages to keep the pace high, but is clearly not that into subtlety and creates some very unbelievable story elements. I love how Hollywood still thinks you can avoid every sentence there is by pleading insanity. It's a bit more complex than that, guys. Still, "15 Minutes" is quite an enjoyable ride, rough around the edges but it does make you think.