Suicide Kings

1997
R
1h 46m

IMDb RATING

6.9/10

30K

YOUR RATING

Christopher Walken, Sean Patrick Flanery, Jay Mohr, Henry Thomas, Jeremy Sisto, and Johnny Galecki in Suicide Kings (1997)

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Dark Comedy Satire Comedy Crime Drama Mystery Thriller

A group of youngsters kidnap a respected Mafia figure.A group of youngsters kidnap a respected Mafia figure.A group of youngsters kidnap a respected Mafia figure.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

6.9/10

30K

YOUR RATING

See production info at IMDbPro

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Storyline

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Did you know

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Trivia
The shot on TV with Heckel and Jeckel in the apartment is actually a snippet from Reservoir Dogs (1992). This is because the director could only use stock from other films owned by Artisan Entertainment.

Goofs
After the power goes out the first time the microwave clock is still going.

Quotes
Lono Veccio: Well, if you give me a couple minutes of your time, I got a few things I'd like to talk to ya about. You know, uh, what you did wasn't really your fault. It's what you call a, uh, genetic defect. Mom called it the, the gene. My grandfather had the gene. He, uh, came over on the boat from Ireland in 1912 and I guess he passed it on to my old man. My old man was a great guy, a real pussy cat, you know, hard worker. Big sports fan, but sometimes on his way home from the docks he liked to stop in with the guys and have a couple of beers, ya know. I remember coming home from school one day, and, uh, the whole house was dark. Couldn't figure it out. I heard my mom crying off in the dark someplace, and I was old enough at that point I could reach the light switch. I turned the lights on, and I saw what he did to her. So I went to my room and I got the, uh, baseball bat. Mickey Mantel model my old man give me for Christmas, and I found the old man passed out in the bathtub, and I tattooed him. Needless to say, when I came home every day from school after that, the, uh, house is lit up like Ebbets Field, and the old man, uh, never drank again. So all I'm saying to you is, if you wanna drink, you go ahead and drink. But if I ever find out that you laid your hands on that little girl again, me and Mr. Mantle are gonna pay you a visit, my friend.

Crazy credits
The credits run like scratched up film is going through a projector (similar to the beginning of the film). The movie ends/post credits with this scratched film burning up and melting.

Connections
Featured in Siskel & Ebert: The Object of My Affection/Paulie/Nightwatch/Suicide Kings/Wild Man Blues/Chinese Box (1998)

Soundtracks
Shattered
Written by Frankie Blue, Cinjun Tate
Performed by Frankie Blue, Cinjun Tate
Cinjun Tate appears courtesy of Geffen Records

I bought 'Suicide Kings' on impulse at the height of the DVD craze in the early 2000's. I knew nothing about it. The fact that it starred Christopher Walken and was on sale for cheap was all that I needed. Such an enjoyable time! Critics torn this movie down, but they really missed the boat. This is how you do an effective thriller with good dialog, tension & solid tone.

Ex top dog mob figure Carlo Bartolucci aka Charlie Barret (Walken) is kidnapped by a group of young men (Jay Mohr, Henry Thomas, Sean Patrick Flannery, Jeremy Sisto) who explain that Avery's (Thomas) sister Elise has been kidnapped and they need his underworld connections & money to get her back. Charlie isn't involved, but to give him incentive to help they chop off one of his fingers and duct tape him to a chair at friend Ira's (Johnny Galecki) rich parents summer house. Charlie obliges, phones in some moves while bonding with them throughout the night as we learn more about the young men and the situation. Meanwhile right hand man Lono (Dennis Leary) is out on the streets tracking down leads to get the girl back safe & free his boss.

The directing by Peter O'Fallon is solid. The script is carried out well by the cast of faces. It's obvious a low budget project, but they hide this pretty well. There's a handful of flashbacks that serve up either atmosphere or laughs. Bit parts involving a security guard, a homeless man and a blackjack dealer are a hoot, but it's not a comedy. Moderate swearing, some light violence. I'm glad they went with the ending they did. Everything ties together in a satisfying manner.

Leary pulls off an effortless ability to be tough, humorous and likable. Walken is solid and gets some killer speeches. All of the young men get moments to shine and aren't window dressing. The flick makes it clear they are way in over their head and aren't as smart as they think. Character actors Cliff DeYoung, Frank Medrano, Brad Garrett and Louis Lombardi show up in roles that I most remember them for here.

Christopher Walken's name alone might get you to check out 'Suicide Kings', but that's selling it short. It's a complete package with a good soundtrack. If you're a fan of any of the actors involved do yourself a favor and see this film. Very few of the characters involved are angels, but that's the dark beauty in this film.