I've watched this for the second time recently on TV. I thought it was really good the first time, but sometimes when you watch stuff again, you realise you were wrong. Well, I'm glad to say I still think it was a really good - even great movie. I'm amazed it isn't better received. The action scenes were very well done but I think there was a very deep resonance going on underneath about circumstance and the hoplessness of Everyman just trying to get on with his/her life but being frustrated at every turn; and how, if we just keep trying to do the right thing, eventually someone will help us out, and the bad guys don't have to win, even if they seem to have all the advantages.
It would have been better if the marketing men didn't try so hard to big up Lou Diamond, and concentrated more on the life-journey of the main character.
True. Not bad for a direct release to video here in Brazil. Quite impressive, at least. The cast was good, despite the lack of onscreen time of some actors. The editing is sometimes sloopy, but I liked it...
jackfate1 = How much screen time does Lou Diamond Phillips actually have? I thought I read somewhere that he was mostly just a supporting character
Nowhere near 30 minutes of screen-time I wouldn't have said. He's fine but not the star at all. The star is the cleverly crafted story by Scott Wiper, all bundled up as an 'action-caper'.
The first time I watched it, Lou's presence actually detracted from the movie because he's a charismatic guy and you keep thinking "This is a great movie.... it's gonna get even better when Lou gets involved again......"
You have to watch it a second time, knowing Lou aint gonna appear much!! This allows you to focus fully on the story and enjoy it even more than you did the first time........ erm; is that a spoiler? I hope not....
I think I read Lou helped finance/enable the movie so all credit to him if he did. I suspect the film used him simply to 'sell' the picture...... after all how many cinema-goers had heard of Scott Wiper?
A channel in the UK has got this on every couple of months at the moment - it's great!!
"I think I read Lou helped finance/enable the movie so all credit to him if he did. I suspect the film used him simply to 'sell' the picture...... after all how many cinema-goers had heard of Scott Wiper"?
That's true, if you have to sell a product, then you use things that call attention. Lou is one of them. I bought the dvd, last week. And I don't regret it. I've never heard about this flick before, and I was surprised by all means.
About Scott Wiper, not many people used to know him. However, he had a good cast in his films. In A BETTER WAY TO DIE, not only Lou Diamond Phillips, but Natasha Henstridge, Andre Braugher, Joe Pantoliano...
By the way, pretty much everything that it's stated there, makes sense...This movie is way better than dozens I've seen nowadays. It's unfortunate that Wipper did few movies...He deserves more credit.
Scott needed a shower after his spaghetti filled gunfight, so we gave him a ride up to our house so he could get a shower. He was a really nice guy, and very grateful. It was funny hearing his assistant yell at people on the phone while pacing around on our porch. We keep hoping that Scott will get really famous, so we can tell everyone that he rode in my Ford Escort and took a shower at our place.
That's cool. Looks like the Hotel sign is still riddled with bullets!!
I should imagine Scott needed lots of showers in that movie. That scene where he's 'reborn' out from under the mud where the hut used to be is superb...... but very dirty!
The first part of the movie, the "big city" part, was film much much earlier and used to shop around to get money to finish the film. Ving Rhames and Lou both had a hand it helping Scott get it finished. Rhames would have been in it if it wasn't for Mi2. For being so young and having the lead role plus writing and directing, Mr. Wiper was probably the most professional director I have ever had the pleasure of working for. I wish him all the luck in the world! Having left the film biz for a career educating future filmmakers of the world...I am very proud that this is the last feature film that I was a part of.
WoW - was that really almost a decade ago that it was shot? How time flies...
So long as Mr. Rhames being in it wouldn't have kept Andre Braugher out, he'd be cool...
Mr. Braugher's Cleveland was superbly rendered. I could watch this movie over and over, it's so easy and yet so interesting - all at the same time.
The movie got its first networking in Britain, on our Channel 5 a few nights ago. It's already been on the subsidiary digital channels several times last year. I try never to miss it. I concentrated hard on that opening sequence in the light of what jrfilms said. There's a heckofalot going on early, before it begins to dawn on you that this isn't just another movie with lottsa bullets'n'bodies.
This'll be a 'classic' one day. Just you wait and see.
I enjoyed it mostly. My initial thoughts were that this reminded me of a crazy 80's film were they try to build the backstories of a few one off an minor characters. I did feel bad for the main character.