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TRUE ROMANCE (Tony Scott, 1993)

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  • TRUE ROMANCE (Tony Scott, 1993)

    I've loved this film since it was first released, though I'm generally not a big fan of Tony Scott outside a few of his films (including THE LAST BOY SCOUT, which is a tremendous piece of work). I remember seeing TRUE ROMANCE on the big screen and then watching a bootleg VHS copy of the LaserDisc release of the unrated cut and marvelling at the violence (we got the US 'R' rated cut, with further cuts by the BBFC, for cinema release in the UK).

    I revisited the film last week, with my wife - who, bizarrely, had never seen the film before. (I guess the last few times I watched it on Blu-ray must have been when she had already gone to bed.) The violence seems pretty tame now, but my wife's jaw hit the floor a number of times and she couldn't quite believe what she was watching: there's so much in this film, other than the violence, that I can't imagine a Hollywood film even attempting these days. The characterisations of Clarence and Alabama seem anathemical to modern sensibilities (ie, their nihilistic willingness to embrace violence; Alabama's description of Clarence's brutal killing of Drexl as 'so romantic'), Walken's cameo, Gandolfini's treatment of Alabama. There's something about Tony Scott's coverage of scenes that makes the editing seem very elliptical. (This is something I've observed in most of his films.) However, the secondary performances are great - Dennis Hopper, Saul Rubinek, Brad Pitt. The film stills feels fresh, and to my mind it's a shining example of early/mid-1990s Hollywood excess.
    'You know, I'd almost forgotten what your eyes looked like. Still the same. Pissholes in the snow'

    http://www.paul-a-j-lewis.com (my photography website)
    'All explaining in movies can be thrown out, I think': Elmore Leonard

  • #2
    I really love it. Every single aspect of it. And every time I revisit it, I'm amazed at how much I enjoy it. The Walken/Hopper scene is incredible.

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    • #3
      Great flick. This and The Hunger and The Last Boy Scout I offer as evidence that Tony Scott may have been the better director of the Scott brothers.
      "Ah! By god's balls what licentiousness!"

      Marquis de Sade, The 120 Days of Sodom.

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      • #4
        I feel Tony was the far better Scott, and this and The Last Boyscout were his masterpieces.

        This is elevated to extremely high levels due to its amazing cast though. Quite possible the best assembled cast ever in an american mainstream type film.
        "No presh from the Dresh!"

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        • #5
          The amazing thing is the "mainstream" aspect of the film, yet it was pretty obscure at least north of the border.

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          • #6
            I remember it being a moderate success in the UK, it did briefly top the box office. That was mostly due to the Tarantino mania that had taken off in the UK (Reservoir Dogs was a very big hit here hitting number 1 on release and having massive staying power partially due to a video ban). I saw this a couple of times at the cinema, I think it's just about perfect (even with Tony Scott's happy ending change) and a reminder of how fucking good Tarantino's early scripts were before they became so bloated.
            I'm bitter, I'm twisted, James Joyce is fucking my sister.

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            • #7
              Originally posted by The Silly Swede View Post
              I feel Tony was the far better Scott, and this and The Last Boyscout were his masterpieces.

              This is elevated to extremely high levels due to its amazing cast though. Quite possible the best assembled cast ever in an american mainstream type film.
              Man on Fire was another good one.
              "Ah! By god's balls what licentiousness!"

              Marquis de Sade, The 120 Days of Sodom.

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              • #8
                Originally posted by Alex K. View Post
                Man on Fire was another good one.
                Man on Fire was a masterpiece. The fact that Denzel Washington made some lines that should have been ridiculous come out in ways that made you shudder for the right reasons is a good enough achievement to make it a classic.

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                • #9
                  Personally didn't like Man on Fire, but I'm really of the opinion that Denzel only acts like Denzel in every film he's in, and unlike other actors I like, I really don't like Denzel being Denzel.

                  Denzel
                  Denzel
                  Denzel Denzel Denzel Denzel


                  Denzel

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                  • #10
                    I really like Man on Fire, but I can just barely stand all the jump cut shaking camera Tony Scott used at that point in his career. Without that I feel it would have been fantastic.
                    "No presh from the Dresh!"

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                    • #11
                      Originally posted by Darcy Parker View Post
                      Man on Fire was a masterpiece.
                      Why would anybody watch a scum show like Videodrome? Why did you watch it, Max?

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                      • #12
                        Due to Tarantino Mania at the time, I distinctly remember this and Killing Zoe riding that wave, and quite a few people at the time thought these were actual Tarantino directed films. I haven't watched this film since the 90's but I remember liking it quite a bit.

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                        • #13
                          DESTINY TURNS ON THE RADIO

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                          • #14
                            Click image for larger version

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                            https://bbfc.co.uk/search/releases/True%20romance
                            Rock! Shock! Pop!

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                            • #15
                              Arrow UHD release confirmed.

                              https://www.zavvi.com/blu-ray/true-r.../13053711.html
                              Rock! Shock! Pop!

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