Get Shorty

....Director Barry Sonnenfeld and author Elmore Leonard combined to create a great comedy. It stars John Travolta, Rene Russo and the late Gene Hackman. Danny De Vito and Stacy Sher were executive producers on this film as well as another John Travolta film "Pulp Fiction".

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Early in the 1995 film Get Shorty we see a clip of Orson Wells' film noir movie Touch of Evil, released in 1958. In the 1960s the French New Wave films paid tribute to American gangster movies. Elmore Leonard wrote the novel Get Shorty, on which this film is based.Many Hollywood films are based on Elmore Leonard novels. Quentin Tarantino based his film Jackie Brown on the Elmore Leonard novel Rum Punch. Tarantino's film Pulp Fiction is a tribute to Elmore Leonard and other pulp writers. Out of Sight and Be Cool are also based on Elmore Leonard novels.Get Shorty has an excellent cast: John Travolta, Gene Hackman, Rene Russo and Danny DeVito. All the action takes place in LA. The film is the story of two bit thugs and gangsters, the kind of people we find in pulp fiction novels.For more information on this movie I recommend the editorial reviews on Amazon's product site and the special features on the blu-ray.

John Travolta is hands down the most inconsistent leading man in America. For every bomb (Battlefield Earth, and the horrid Urban Cowboy) there's a hit (Pulp Fiction and Michael). Anyone other than he would be doing well to be sitting in the upper left hand corner of Hollywood Squares, yet we always forgive Joh his misfires and we let him rivive his career over and over.His sparkling performance in Get Shorty is why we are so forgiving. His the wise guy with a heart schtick is never batter in this Elmore Leonard vehicle. The film, which is Barry Sonnenfeld's best work other than Men in Black, is s send up of showbiz, the mob, and showbiz and the mob.Danny Devito plays what may well have been his last truly funny role, made all the more hilarious because his Brando-esque character takes himself almost as seriously as DeVito takes himself these days. Renee Russo plays her role perfectly as do the rest of the supporting cast.But this picture belongs to Dennis Farina whose character is brilliant. Farina has more or less made an entire career playing this guy, and it all began with this truly funny movie.Grab some popcorn, dim the lights, and enjoy this one over and over.

I rate Get Shorty five stars as an enjoyable and very funny film about the gang, movie makers and what they may or may not have in common. John Travolta was the best of the ensemble including Danny DeVito, Gene Hackman and Uma Thurman. When I first saw this film in 1995 I told my wife that I understood calculus better than this plot. After watching a few minutes of this old film on TV I recently decided to see it again and give it a second chance. It was clear, very funny and I really enjoyed it on my second watch.John Travolta plays a loan shark and collector who doesn't enjoy his line of work or hurting people. In fact, he would really like to make films, his greatest passion. That alone should be enough of a hook to get you to buy or rent this great film.

Great movie with wonderful actors.

I like Leonard and thought this would be fun. It was but it had a campy feel to it. Fun but not great.

One of John Travolta‘s best films. Dark humor, great lines and cast with a slight nod to Quentin Tarantino. Clever film and a must see.