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From Amazon.com: John Dahl, the director behind Red Rock West and The Last Seduction, is the director and cowriter of Kill Me Again, and it shows. Dahl's love of modern noir, ruthless women, Western landscapes, and double-crosses shines through. Joanne Whalley-Kilmer plays Fay, a spitfire who has somehow gotten herself mixed up with a psychotic thug (Michael Madsen, of course) named Vince. Fay runs off with a whole lot of Vince's stolen money and hires loser private eye Jack Andrews (Val Kilmer) to help her fake her own death. To say any more would spoil a terrific, intricate plot that keeps heating up as interested parties close in on Jack, Fay, and the money. The then-married Kilmer and Whalley-Kilmer clearly have a great time playing off each other, and Madsen adds another brilliantly played lunatic to his oeuvre. Enjoy it, and don't trust anybody. --Ali Davis
Sunlit Noir: 40's style noir played against sunny Nevada desert and vicious gambling dens. Val Kilmer is too boyish to bring off the classic role of private eye, but at least he doesn't try to act tough while being slapped around or thrown like a rag doll over a series of chairs and tables. In fact his Jack Andrews gets pushed around by almost everyone in what amounts to one of the most feckless of all movie private eyes. His every move seems to either flop or backfire. He's seldom in charge of any encounter, and in that important regard, the movie stands as a genuine oddity to the genre. Joanne Whalley-Kilmer, looking like a trampy Natalie Wood, is reasonably convincing as the femme fatale, squealing delightedly whenever she's roughed up; while villainous Michael Madsen, looking like Elvis's spooky older brother, steals the show with a series of scary outbursts that are totally convincing. Despite the negative review, there're enough twists and turns to keep viewers guessing. And while Kill Me Again is no classic of noir filmmaking, it does stand as a reasonably successful low-budget entry.
Spectcular twisty turny edge of your seat suspense: I loved it and have watched it again and aagain each time i enjoy it more excellent from start to finish
Kilmer again: Well,they ain't exactly the Lunts, but the husband-and-wife acting team of Val and Joanne-Whalley Kilmer sure do make a purty pair in this irony-drenched thriller. "Kill Me Again" is 1/3 of a modern "neo-noir" triptych of sorts by director John Dahl, who seems to have a thing for brunettes who are very bad girls (a weakness I share with Mr. Dahl). Mrs. Kilmer is the brunette fatale in this outing, hiring down-on-his luck P.I. (are there any other kind in film noir?) Val to help her fake her own "death" for some typically complex reasons one often finds in this genre. The usual twists and turns ensue, with the expected Great American West backdrop. Michael Madsen tackles the role of the double-crossed boyfriend with his patented Psychotic Elvis routine. Arguably the weakest entry in Dahl's aforementioned triad ("Red Rock West" and "The Last Seduction" being the other two) but still quite entertaining if you're in a noirish mood.
Boring neo-noir thriller.: "Kill Me Again" has nothing new to offer the experienced viewer of this genre of film. It has the male/female duo of criminals on the run. It has the so-called "good guy" who falls for the femme fatale. It has its share of uncomfortable violence. And of course, let us not forget the twist, twist, double twist ending. There used to be a time when a movie watcher could actually be surprised by one of those kinds of endings. In fact, if the ending is original enough, they still work in some situations. Alas...this movie does not contain one of those inspiredly creative conclusions. Michael Madsen and Joanne Whalley are the criminals Vince and Fay. Val Kilmer is the down on his luck private investigator who crosses paths with Fay. She has double crossed Vince and she wants the private investigator to fake her death. The reason? So that Vince will think she is dead and stop looking for her. If only it were that easy. Fay does something so stupid that I am still shaking my head over it. She decides that it would be a good idea to shaft the private eye and skip town before he got paid in full. I know this next part is gonna be a real shocker. Yeah...right. The private eye tracks Fay down and wants the rest of his money. Who would've figured that a private investigator would be good at finding someone? Anyway, the movie tries to impress the viewer by making you guess who is backstabbing who. Sadly, the three main characters are such jerks that you don't even care who ends up getting killed and who gets away. I would recommend watching "The Last Seduction" if you are interested in watching a John Dahl flick. This one is really weak.
"Guess we won't be going to Maine after all": Brett Johnson's review of this movie is about right. I rate it much higher though. Even though this show follows many other formulas, for the type of show it is I think it's at about the top of its class. At least it's a movie I want to keep and watch from time to time. I can't say that about alot of the shows I've bought. The ending isn't that good but most movies don't come up with good endings. Michael Madsen is his usual cruel self (as in "Reservoir Dogs") and is even raunchier. Val Kilmer plays many different parts well. Maybe he isn't so believable as a private "I" but still, for the kind of show it is I give it a thumbs up.
| Actor: | Pat Mulligan | | Actor: | Nick Dimitri | | Actor: | Michael Madsen | | Actor: | Joanne Whalley | | Actor: | Robert Schuch | | Aspect Ratio: | 1.33:1 | | Audience Rating: | R (Restricted) | | Binding: | DVD | | Director: | John Dahl | | EAN: | 9780792847946 | | Format: | NTSC | | ISBN: | 0792847946 | | Picture Format: | Pan & Scan | | Region Code: | 1 | | Release Date: | 2003-04-01 | | Theatrical Release Date: | 1989-10-27 | | UPC: | 027616855589 |
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