High Life (2009)

In 1983, four hapless junkies plan to rob an ATM.

Director:

Gary Yates

Writers:

Lee MacDougall (play), Lee MacDougall

Stars:

Timothy Olyphant, Stephen Eric McIntyre, Joe Anderson

2 wins & 6 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Stephen Eric McIntyre	...	Bug
Timothy Olyphant	...	Dick
Joe Anderson	...	Donnie
Rossif Sutherland	...	Billy
Jon Ted Wynne	...	Strung-Out Doctor
Steven Ratzlaff	...	Prison Guard (as Steve Ratzlaff)
Mark McKinney	...	Jeremy
Ernesto Griffith	...	Ken
Kelly Wolfman	...	Lynn
Turk Scatliff	...	Jamie
Leigh Enns	...	Addict 1
Will Woytowich	...	Addict 2
Susan Kelso	...	Addict 3
Harry Nelken	...	Addict 4
Tracy Beemer	...	Nurse (as Tracy McMahon)

Storyline

It's 1983, and hopeless junkie Dick gets an unwelcome visit from the past - his seriously sleazy former cellmate, Bug, to be precise. Bug requires a crash course in the 80s: different music, different drugs, and machines in walls that dispense money. The latter development gives Dick an idea.

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Plot Keywords:

bank | junkie | reference to shelley winters | reference to roman polanski | falling off horse | 

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Taglines:

The perfect crime... the not so-perfect team

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Genres:

Comedy | Crime

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for drug use, pervasive language and some violence

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official MySpace

Country:

Canada

Language:

English French

Release Date:

16 March 2010 (USA)

Also Known As:

Alto Golpe

Filming Locations:

Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$1,088, 10 January 2010, Limited Release

Company Credits

Production Co:

Triptych Media, Buffalo Gal Pictures, Equinoxe Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

80 min

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Trivia

Sutherland (Timeline) Enns (The Lazarus Project) Ratzlaff (The Lazarus Project) and Hughes (The Lazarus Project) Kelso (The Lazarus Project) Mcmillan (The Lazarus Project) and Beemer (The Lazarus Project) have all played alongside the late Paul Walker

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Goofs

The Mercedes Benz used to leave the garage is a 1987 model. Also, even if it were a 1983 it is in really poor condition. Also the car is equipped with a detachable face CD player. While CD's were commercially available in 1983 detachable face players were not.

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Quotes

Donnie: Well, my one kidney's completely fucked, like dead, and the other one's only working at forty percent of something.

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Connections

Features The Tenant (1976)

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Soundtracks

Mama Told Me Not To Come
Performed by Three Dog Night
Written by Randy Newman
Published by 'Unichappell Music Inc.' (BMI)
Courtesy of Universal Music Canada Inc.

User Reviews

Bad reputation and ideas makes bad result

How I love to discover hidden little gems like this dark comedy about a bunch if criminals. High on dope and low on IQ, high on aims but low on life, this film by Canadian director Gary Yates succeeds in being his most interesting so far.

With a serious undertone, still the main thing of this film is to entertain, but also gives a good glimpse into the everyday life of petty time criminals addicted to drugs. And entertaining it is, if you're not expecting too much of an action flick.

We meet Dick (Timothy Olyphant) and some of his bad buddies back in 1983, all dependent on drugs, and all except one, jail birds. Dick involves Bug, Don and Billy in a bank heist. Of course a very bad idea, with a very stupid gang, which has to go horribly wrong...

Well acted by all, suitable for such a comedy. A great and very suitable score follows the film throughout, adding to the pleasant watch. You might want more of the ending, but otherwise this does the job. You also might react to the cars being used in the film is very worn to be in the eighties, and the Mercedes used there didn't come into production until 1986. But that shouldn't ruin your enjoyment of watching this. It's not by any means a fast paced film, more slow, but relying in he acting. Nice little film!