Starring: John Travolta, Gene Hackman, Renee Russo, Danny DeVito, Dennis Farina Average Rating: Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Audience Rating: R (Restricted) Binding: DVD Format: Anamorphic, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, DVD-Video, Full Screen, Widescreen, NTSC Label: MGM (Video & DVD) Number of Items: 1 Region Code: 1 Release Date: March 26, 1997 Running Time: 105 minutes Theatrical Release Date: October 20, 1995
Description: Golden Globe(r) winner* John Travolta leads an all-star cast in the hysterical comedy thatTime calls "smart, shrewdly crafted [and] hilarious!" Loan shark Chili Palmer (Travolta) is bored with the business. So when he arrives in LA to collect a debt from down-and-out filmmaker Harry Zimm (Gene Hackman), Chili talks tough...and then pitches Harry a script idea. Immediately, Chili is swept into the Hollywood scene: He schmoozes film star Martin Weir (Danny DeVito), romances B-movie queen Karen Flores (Rene Russo) and even gets reservations at the hottest restaurants intown. In fact, all would be smooth for this cool new producer, if it weren't for the drug smugglersand the angry mobster who won't leave him alone! *1996: Actor (Comedy)Get Shorty
Amazon.com essential video: Hailed by many critics as one of the best films of 1995, this finely tuned black comedy sparked a renewed interest in movies based on books by prolific crime novelist Elmore Leonard, whose trademark combination of tight plotting and sharp humor is perfectly captured here. After the success of Pulp Fiction, John Travolta continued his meteoric comeback as Chili Palmer, a Mob "mechanic" whose latest assignment takes him to Los Angeles, where his fascination with the movie business turns into a new career as a would-be movie producer. He pitches ideas with a sleazy producer (Gene Hackman) and a major star (Danny DeVito), and also finds time to deal with a vengeful Mobster (Dennis Farina) and assorted Hollywood types (including Renee Russo and Delroy Lindo) who all want their piece of a tempting show-biz pie. The plot unfolds with enticing precision, but it's really Elmore's snappy dialogue--and the performances that bring it to life--that make this one of the best comedies of the 1990s. --Jeff Shannon
This is a definite `must get'... Probably the greatest ensemble cast performance of 1995, `Get Shorty' is also one of the greatest comedies of that given year as well. It's witty, smart and engaging from start to finish, with enough twists and turns to keep us glued yet not so many that we wind up confused. There is really little to nothing worth griping about since the film is, well, perfect.
I almost hate reviewing films this good because it becomes difficult to find things to talk about.
So, `Get Shorty' revolves around Chili Palmer, loan shark turned Hollywood movie mogul as he is turned onto the business while collecting from sleazy Hollywood director Harry Zimm. Chili has an interest in film (he loves movies) and he is growing tired of the life of a gangster, so he dives head first into this newfound life of crime (the film does a gallant job of proving the similarities between legal and illegal `crime'). Harry has his eye on a film that is going to make him a huge Hollywood player; the only problem is that the scripts writer died and his wife wants half-a-mill for the rights to the film. Wannabe mogul Bo Carlett wants in, but Chili wants to be Harry's sole partner. Chili makes nice with Karen, an actress who was once married to two-time Academy Award nominee Martin Weir, in hopes that she could get him interested in doing the film. In the meantime Harry is scrounging around trying to get someone to put up the money for the script, and when he's exhausted his options he tries to entice Ray Bones, Chili's ex-employer.
There is a lot going on here, but it is all constructed in such a brilliantly fluid way. Nothing ever gets lost in the joggle, each character is wonderfully fleshed out and each actor does a masterful job at bringing the goods.
John Travolta rightfully won the Golden Globe for best comedic performance; it's just a shame the Academy didn't see right to nominate him. I may prefer his turn here to his Oscar nominated turn in `Pulp Fiction'; operative word being `may'. He is hilariously on-point here, delivering such a cool and collected performance that permeates the entire film. I love me some Hackman, and he is also quite good here, but he takes a backseat to the array of characters sharing the screen with him. Dennis Farina is the films biggest standout. His animosity with Chili is engaging and rewarding from scene one onward. He brings the funny brilliantly. Delroy Lindo needs better roles. He is a very engaging actor, but he never really pushes himself in the right directions. This is the best I've seen him. Rene Russo normally turns me off, but she was so charismatically natural here, funny and witty and charming; I just loved her. Danny DeVito, James Gandolfini, David Paymer; everyone in the film does a fantastic job of doing what they do best.
If you are looking for an engaging and rewarding movie experience then look no further than `Get Shorty'. This is one of those comedies that has it all. From the script to the acting to the memorable sets, `Get Shorty' is a must see, a film that is a `must get'; as in "you must get `Get Shorty'".
Travolta's deadpan mobster face/joyful movie buff attitude makes the movie work John Travolta is Chili Palmer, an enforcer for a loan sharking racket residing on the east coast of the United States. When one of his "customers" is behind on his payments, he must travel to Hollywood in an attempt to collect. However, before he goes, he punches a rival in the loan shark business in order to get his coat back. When he arrives, he encounters Gene Hackman as Harry Zimm, a producer of B movies who has fallen on hard times. Rather than rough him up, Palmer pitches an idea for a movie. Although Palmer is a tough as they come, he is an avid movie buff and has always dreamed of being part of the movie business. A drug smuggling group in Hollywood and the arrival of the mobster that Palmer punched to get his coat back further complicates the situation. The three-way interplay of these groups causes Zimm to try to play them against each other, to disastrous effects. Danny DeVito is movie star Martin Weir, the actor that the Palmer group is trying to persuade to star in their movie. The named cast is completed by Rene Russo as a B movie starlet that is a form of girlfriend to Zimm, Bette Midler is another (aggressive) girlfriend of Zimm's and Penny Marshall has a brief cameo as a director. This movie is made by Travolta's understated performance as a mobster. Although he is vicious, he is not malicious and his joy at discussing movies contrasted with his hard-face confrontation with fellow mobsters is delightful. I didn't find the movie hilarious, but it was well written, acted and there was a great deal of irony in the actions of all the players.
Good Crime comedy in which John Travolta's Miami-based loan shark goes to Los Angeles to collect a debt and finds himself attracted to the world of the Hollywood movie business. An enjoyable couple of hours, with John Travolta effortlessly cool as the loan shark who is thinking about changing careers and getting into films, and also good turns from Gene Hackman as a movie producer, Dennis Farina and Delroy Lindo as a couple of ruthless gangsters and Danny DeVito as a Hollywood movie star.
Great 2-DVD set from MGM The definative Get Shorty release! Forget the old single disc version,this 2-DVD set from MGM is the one to get,great remastered picture,sound and lots of great extras,can't believe I found the 2-DVD version brand new and factory sealed (for $4.99,won't tell the name of the store) and more cheaper than than the bare-bones single DVD edition!!! A great 90's black comedy!!! This had a sequel called Be Cool which was also good but not as good as the classic original!!! Money well spent!!! Recommended!!! A+
I'm not deaf. The GET SHORTY DVD I received was for hearing impaired viewing. The English words spoken were written out on the bottom of the screen and it was very distracting. And very disappointing! The seller's ad did NOT specify that the DVD they were selling had these captions added. Bad deal.
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