Get Shorty (1995)

Years ago George Raft who hung around so many mobsters in real life was asked whether he preferred the wise guys or Hollywood. Without a hesitation the man who played so many gangsters so well because he hung around them so much and it just rubbed off said that he preferred Ben Seigel to Harry Cohn. He never had a mobster go back on his word to him.John Travolta probably studied that bit of wisdom from Raft, I'm surprised no Raft clips are in Get Shorty. Travolta plays a collector of debts and right now he's to get about $300,000.00 from producer Gene Hackman. But one look at Travolta and a star could be born.There's also a schlepp who ran off with that amount and is thought to be dead in a plane crash. And some Columbians who are looking for some money they are owed for drugs. All three of these elements are woven rather nicely together in a nice black comedy.And the girl Travolta is aiming for, Rene Russo star of the B picture horror schlock that Hackman produces. Shorty of the title could only be Danny DeVito who spends a lot further than his latest salary will take him.My favorite scenes are when heavies Delroy Lindo and Dennis Farina both get some justice. Travolta and Farina don't like each other, but what happens to Farina is truly poetic.In fact they put into pictures.

You know what, I really love Elmore Leonard, and a part of me feels that nearly any movie made from his works is going to come out as fresh, original, and worth watching.This is the rare exception.Here they took a classic Elmore Leonard plot and made it too Hollywood for its own good. And then they tried a bit hard to make it too much like a Pulp Fiction film, but with less bleak comedy and more slapstick comedy.You still have Leonard's unique originality...but the story has been raped and what's left is trash.

Chili Palmer (John Travolta) a debt collector travels to L.A. to collect a debt, only to get involved in the film industry.I had missed this film when it came out and it has gone on to be an iconic "B" film crime comedy. The humor was crisp and well time. Travolta was great in the role and had a his pre-botox face on the screen most of time. A feel-good dark comedy and Golden Globe winner for Travolta.Guide: F-words. No sex or nudity.

John Travolta, Gene Hackman, Rene Russo, Danny DeVito, Delroy Lindo, James Gandolfini, David Paymer and Dennis Farina star in this 1995 comedy based on the novel. This focuses on Miami Loan-shark, Chili Palmer (Travolta) who decides to go into the movie business after he's sent to L.A. to collect a debt from producer, Harry Zimm (Hackman). Chili works with Harry on a script based on actual events of goofy dry-cleaner, Leo (Paymer) who scammed $300.000 off an airline he miraculously survived from. There's also a bag full of drug money hidden in an airport locker that becomes eyed by Chili and others. Russo (Major League) plays actress, Karen Flores who falls for Chili, DeVito (Throw Momma from the Train) plays her ex-husband & actor, Martin Weir, Lindo (Ransom) plays Harry's crooked investor, Bo Catlin who wants to work on Harry's new script, the late, Farina (Manhunter) plays Miami collector, Ray "Bones" Barboni who doesn't get along with Chili and the late, Gandolfini (The Sopranos) plays Bo's associate, Bear who is an actor/stuntman. This is a good, entertaining film with a great cast I recommend.