Attorneys of Denver

Things to Do in Denver When You're Dead

Description

Sexy Andy Garcia (WHEN A MAN LOVES A WOMAN) heads an outstanding all-star cast in this riveting and highly original thriller! When a powerful mob boss (Christopher Walken -- PULP FICTION) gives ex-gangster Jimmy the Saint (Garcia) one last job, it's an offer he can't refuse! But when someone gets killed, Jimmy and his partners are marked for death, leaving Jimmy just 48 hours to put things right for his buddies and the woman of his dreams (beautiful Gabrielle Anwar -- SCENT OF A WOMAN)! Acclaimed by critics nationwide, THINGS TO DO IN DENVER WHEN YOU'RE DEAD delivers sensational edge-of-your-seat entertainment!

After a foolproof scam turns sour, Jimmy the Saint (a soulful but miscast Andy Garcia, who mainly acts with his hair) and his hard-bitten crew must put their various sordid affairs in order before facing their final bloody curtain call. It's not nearly as clever as it thinks it is, but this terminally wise-ass (and extremely violent) caper flick is still one of the better post-Tarantino crime opuses, with some sharp dialogue, a scenery-chewing Christopher Walken (as a paraplegic archcriminal), and unhinged performances by Treat Williams and the obsequious Steve Buscemi that must be seen to be (dis)believed. Neophyte scripter Scott Rosenberg would later pen hipper-than-thou scripts for Beautiful Girls, Con Air, and Armageddon, while director Gary Fleder moved on to the somewhat more reputable Kiss the Girls. The tongue-twisting title is from a Warren Zevon song. --Andrew Wright

Reviews

Rating: 5 / 5
Date: 2010-07-31
Summary: "Ignore the nay sayers."

Ignore the reviewers with their negative reviews. This is a good movie , its not trying to be a copy of anything. There's a great cast and a straight forward story , crew sent to do a job, it goes awry now they have to pay the consequences . Everyone in this cast does a good job and there's some big names , they didn't just show up and say some lines to collect a paycheck , the characters they create are as individual as they are.
So to wrap it up, if you want a good gangster movie that can stand on its own, then you should check this out, you'll probably agree.

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Rating: 4 / 5
Date: 2010-04-11
Summary: "Tries way too hard but still has its moments"

3.8 stars

The pluses: very stylishly shot, beautifully lit, some sharp lines and funny moments, and fine performances from Walken, Williams, Warden and Lloyd.

The minuses: a script that's often painfully wanna-be-hip is the main problem. Writer Rosenberg claims in the brief doc on the dvd that he "created a whole new language" for this movie. Now that's a solid ego! What he really did was try to copy a host of other crime thrillers, to some success, while adding some weak attempts at new catchphrases like "put a name on it". Sorry bud, Hammett or Chandler or Cain you ain't. Unfortunately, Garcia is the weakest actor here...quite unfortunate indeed, as he's almost always on screen. His dialogue is too self-conscious, as with many of the characters here. Only the good actors can overcome that liability and give this movie the style it tries so hard to have, but there are enough of them to make this worth seeing, and old pro Jack Warden provides the real highlights along with Walken.

By the end it all felt predictable and even a little pointless, but it starts well enough to make one watch the rest. It drags towards the end, and could be 20 minutes shorter with no real loss. The basic plot is kind of weak and unbelievable, and the romance rather ridiculous, but Fleder's direction is so solid and the film so colorfully noirish that one can let the minuses slide and just enjoy the pluses.

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Rating: 5 / 5
Date: 2010-03-28
Summary: "EXCELLENT provider!"

The product arrived prompty and was in terrific shape. I will order from this provider again, absolutely!

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Rating: 5 / 5
Date: 2010-02-10
Summary: "pleasently pleased"

i've looked for this dvd(things to do in denver when your dead) on and odd for two years. when i saw there were 3 new copies, one from a power, and trusted seller, i was very excited. long story short, i recieved my (new) dvd on time, in the original packaging,and was delivered on time. job well done, thanks.

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Rating: 5 / 5
Date: 2010-02-01
Summary: "Boat drinks!"

"Things to Do in Denver When You're Dead" is just one more movie that never got alot of press, publicity or made alot of "must see" lists, but its almost perfect!

A friend recently mentioned this movie to me and it happened to be one that slipped past me all these years. Finally I tracked it down at the local video store and expected a funny, action caper movie. Wow, I was wrong, this movie is the real deal.

A great cast including Andy Garcia, Christopher Walken, Christopher Lloyd, William Forsythe, Treat Williams, Steve Buscemi. As other reviewers have mentioned, this movie has a very Quentin Tarantino like feel to it!

Jimmy the Saint (Andy Garcia) is given one last job by The Man with the Plan (Christopher Walken). That job is make sure his son's ex-girlfriends new boyfriend doesn't come around anymore. This isn't a hit, its a scare job. Jimmy the Saint has to assemble his team, which includes Pieces (Christopher Lloyd) named accordingly because he literally has pieces of himself falling off, Franchise (William Forsythe), Easy Wind (Bill Nunn) and Critical Bill (Treat Williams) who is named simply for the fact that everyone who has ever messed with him is in critical condition. What should be an easy job, turns into their worst nightmare when Critical Bill flips out during the job and kills the boyfriend. The Man with the Plan (Walken) calls in the best hitman, Mister Shhh (Steve Buscemi) to kill everyone, with a small hitch, everyone is to be killed "buckwheats" style. Buckwheats is the worst kind of hit, a gruesome embarassing death. With Jimmy the Saint's posse on the run, the action is fierce, the violence is high and the laughs are plentiful.

Treat Williams Everwood - Season 1 is outstanding as Critical Bill, the movie is worth watching for his performance alone!

Also starring in this movie, with small roles, Don Cheadle as Rooster, Fairuza Balk as Lucinda and Jenny McCarthy as (Walken's) Nurse.

This is one movie that you definitely wouldn't want to judge by its (boring) cover, "Things to Do in Denver When You're Dead" is the real deal. Unfortunately this movie is currently out of print at Amazon, but you should be able to find it at your local video store or on the internet.

Boat drinks to you my friend,

Enjoy~

*** Looking for other great movies that aren't that well known, try these -
The Salton Sea, Brick, Unknown, Thursday & 25th Hour!