Another best line…
“I killed the president of Paraguay…with a fork.” Or close to that.
I LOVE this film; one of my all time favorites. I would give my eye teeth to see a sequel and that’s something I can’t say about any other movie.
This is one of my "watch anytime"movies, and it’s kind of scary how much it tracks my life – Army, then gov’t programs then foreign service. My 10-year reunion was last month, and I couldn’t go, largely because I’m a continent away from my high school. I’ve been to Paraguay, too, and seen the Russian tanks discussed by Grosser and Martin, though I was completely innocent, no matter what you hear.
In that scene, the ‘other assassin’ was played by Bennie ‘The Jet’ Urquidez, one of the best kick-boxers in history.
Breaking, entering
The dark and lonely places
Finding a big gun.
Also, he’s John Cusack’s kickboxing instructor.
This was a film I happened to pick up at the local video store without knowing anything about it. I felt like I had found a buried treasure! It was great! Ranks high on my “little films that you gotta see” list when friends ask. I particularly liked that you had no idea where the hell this film was going, but it was such a great ride that you didn’t care.
I don’t remember reading anything about it when the film first came out. Did it do well in the theaters?
According to IMDB, it was a modest success. Made for $15 million, and grossed $28 million. Including advertising costs and theater cut, it probably just broke even domestically, so it would have made a slight profit considering DVD sales, TV rights, international boxoffice, etc.
He’s still kickboxing? Good. At least he’s not processing anything sold or manufactured, or manufacturing anything…
(OK, I’ll go now)
I’d say distribution held it back from it’s potential. I had to go to an art house type theater to see it as it didn’t make wide release in Houston.
On this “if you liked this, you’ll probably like” front - an obscure movie called Tapeheads that has Cusak along with a very young Tim Robbins and is one of the odder (and less polished) movies I’ve ever seen. (OK, maybe not, I was a film major, Buneul this isn’t…it isn’t even Liquid Sky…but tis very odd).
Tapeheads should be a must see. Awesome movie for two excellent actors.
Jim
Joan Cusack is damned near always wonderful. She should be in everything. She and Madeline Kahn.
I’ve seen “Grosse Pointe Blank” two times now, I think (maybe 2 and a half), and I like it better each time. I also graduated in 1984 (lord, 21 years ago? Seriously?) and it strikes a whole lot of chords with me.
I sorry to tell you this but Madeline Kahn passed away.
Date of death (details)
3 December 1999
New York, New York, USA. (ovarian cancer)
I am also an 84’er.
Jim
Hmm, seems like I might have heard that, but I still think she was one of the funniest women EVAR! Stupid ovaries.
John F: I saw it at a free preview screening in Houston at the old Meyerland Plaza theater. Not sure if it got a big release here after that.
This is one of my favorite movies though. I own it on laserdisc! I’ve been meaning to pick up the DVD and just haven’t done it. I keep hoping they’ll do a special edition with commentaries or some other special features, but no dice so far.
I don’t think so.
I saw the pre screening of Casino at Meyerland Plaza (won tickets from Dana Steele) ;). I’ve also seen in local papers where they give away passes sometimes for other screenings. I wonder if that is designated place for pre screenings, I have not noticed them at other theaters.
If you look at the listings for Angelica or River oaks/Greenway they always have a few Indy films and other limited releases. I can’t say for sure if it eventually made wide release but I’d have sure rather gone to AMC by my house than have to drive over to Angelica with all the hoopla. We wanted to see it* bad *so did the drive. Same with the Aristocrats right now. I don’t want to go to River Oaks so it looks like I’m waiting for the DVD …
This is kind of weird. We had it showing at the Loew’s Metroplex at the Mall. I don’t remember it being treated as an art film.
Conversation with my wife was, hey that new John Cusack movie looks good, lets go see it.
As I am not sure what a bad John Cusack movie is, I have said this a lot in my life. I was even thinking about going to see that Must Love Dogs, but my wife passed on it.
Jim
All I know about release schedules I learned from Project Green light and they have all sorts of funky demographic measures they use to conjure up their distribution plans.
I have Lowe’s and AMC theaters 20+ screens each 5-10 min. from my house and it’s not uncommon that the movies I want to see won’t play there or have 1-2 screenings at goofy times like 2:45 pm Tuesday or 11:15 am Thursday. 
Try Serendipity or America’s Sweethearts. Or don’t. I’m a huge John Cusack fan, and those movies only made me feel sad for him.
I liked **Serendipity ** and I choose to believe that was someone else doing a bad impersonation of him in that awful America’s Sweethearts movie. Of course as much as I like John Cusack, I don’t like Julia Roberts. In John defense he was only a supporting actor and I have no clue why he took the role.
Usually even if the movie is bad he is good. Not in this one. Good point and better forgotten.
That would be ConAir.