| | | | Tequila Sunrise
(1988) |
ac McKussic (Gibson) is a drug dealer... Or isn't he? It's hard to tell, even to McKussic himself. While he's trying to get out of the business, he keeps on getting sucked back in again. This makes his former friend Nicholas Frescia (Russell) more than a little interested in the exploits of Mac. With beautiful restaurant owner Jo Ann Valenari (Pfeiffer) in a love triangle between Mac and Nick, and a drug dealer named Carlos (Julia) playing on both sides of the law, there's only one way this can end...And that's with a bang.
"Tequila Sunrise" is a drug drama, one of those movies that's as recognizable to 80s film fans as the teen movie and the homoerotic action flick. The dialogue has the rapid-fire intensity you would expect from Towne, the man behind the screenplay for the brilliant neo-noir "Chinatown". The performances are great as usual for these actors. As Mac, Gibson takes the edginess and ambivalence he displayed as Martin Riggs in "Lethal Weapon" and makes it into something evil. As Nick, Russell displays his trademark combination of smiling cynicism and razor's edge rage. As Jo Ann, Pfeiffer once again has that air of bitterness under a mask of icy beauty. As Carlos, the late Julia shows off the combination of gusto and darkness that made all of his characters so appealing.
There's one aspect of this movie that I haven't really talked about in my other reviews for this site. That aspect is cinematography. Conrad L. Hall's lens tells the story as much as the screenplay does. Three examples of that follow:
On a swing set where Mac and Nick have a conversation, their shilouettes intertwine as if to indicate the bond they have and that they can't break, despite being on opposite sides of the law.
The light that reflects on Mac's striped shirt gives us the idea of his criminal mind. The shirt is reminscent of those worn by prisoners in the days before the orange suits came along.
A love scene with Jo Ann is lit so you can't tell whether she's making love to Mac or Nick.
...Light and shadows make the movie as mysterious as Towne's words.
 Don't forget that Tequila Sunrise is now available to order on Widescreen DVD using our special 80s Retro Assistant...
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The words pack a punch. The bubbling poison in the humorous lines runs paralell to the brute-force dialogue the characters exchange. If it weren't for the sunshine and the happy ending, this movie would've made a great neo-noir.
The performances are wonderful. Pfeiffer is beautiful and aloof, while Gibson and Russell are handsome and hard-edged.
The cinematography is stunning in its' stylishness. Smoke and mirrors aren't just magic tricks...They're the tools of a master craftsman, and Hall definitely was one. While it should've won the Oscar, it had some tough competition, including the eventual winner "Mississippi Burning", as well as fellow nominees "Who Framed Roger Rabbit" and "The Unbearable Lightness Of Being" (the only one that shouldn't have been nominated in that category was the overrated "Rain Man"). I digress, though.
This movie is recommended to those who appreciate a good mystery/thriller. The movie has a dark beauty that will stun you.
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When the film was first released, the initial teaser trailer for Batman (1989) was attached to prints of the film. When word got out about the teaser, fans were so excited about seeing the teaser that some people paid admission just to get a glimpse of the trailer. 
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Cinematographer Conrad L. Hall's final project before his death in 2003 was a short film produced by Norman Lear where celebrities read the Declaration Of Independence, Mel Gibson was one of the stars of this short.
In one scene, Matt LeBlanc appears on the television in a commercial.
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Find much more great trivia in the filmmaker's commentary on the Tequila Sunrise DVD.
Rediscover your favorites! If you like
Tequila Sunrise or 80's Thriller classics, then be sure to
check out this list: ..... Hitcher ..... Thief ..... WarGames ..... Christine ..... Against All Odds ..... Blue Velvet ..... 8 Million Ways To Die ..... To Live and Die in L.A. ..... Fear City ..... Pulse ..... No Way Out ..... Blow Out ..... Class of 1984 ..... Contraband ..... Body Double ..... Firestarter .....[More]
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When Robert Towne was reworking the script for the Roman Polanksi film Frantic, he had all but finished the script for this film in which Frantic star Harrison Ford immediately became interested and agreed to star in the film, but he eventually dropped out at the very start of pre-production because of personal conflicts with the role. Robert Towne and Thom Mount then flew to Australia to meet with Mel Gibson to talk about the role and he immediately agreed to star.
When the film went into production, the coach of the Los Angeles Lakers at the time, Pat Riley, was offered the role of Nick, it went to Kurt Russell when he turned it down and Russell's look for the role was influenced by Riley.
The film's budget was originally $33 million, but since it was shot as an independent production after Warner Bros. had pulled out, the budget had gone down $10 million, which was still expensive for an L.A. based film production at that time.
Warner Bros. agreed to finance and produce this film after writer/director Robert Towne agreed to a settlement of 2.5 million dollars after they had pulled out of the post-production of his directorial debut film, Personal Best. The deal was contingent on the studio letting Towne not only write the film, but also direct it, according to producer Thom Mount.
The interior of the Valenari's restaurant was actually a set designed and built by Richard Sylbert on a soundstage.
According to producer Thom Mount, Alec Baldwin was the original choice to play Nick Frescia and had actually come back twice to audition for the role, but Towne and Mount decided to go in another direction.
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|  |  |  | | Tequila Sunrise
Locations |
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The movie was filmed throughout California, with several scenes being filmed at Manhattan Beach. If you saw the 1993 movie "Falling Down", you'll recognize one of the piers from the climax of that movie.
Can you help? Do you know any of the S. California filming locations used for Tequila Sunrise? [Please send them in]
|  | | | | ![[16:9 -Widescreen Enhanced]](16_9.gif) | ![[STEREO or SURROUND]](dd2.gif) | Trailer, Commentary |
| | | | Trailer, Commentary |
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Out of print and a damn shame, too. Scope out these tracks though and use our search feature to find a copy:
1. Surrender To Me - Ann Wilson/Robin Zander
2. Do You Believe In Shame - Duran Duran
3. Recurring Dream - Crowded House
4. Give A Little Love - Ziggy Marley
5. Don't Worry Baby - The Everly Brothers/The Beach Boys
6. Dead On The Money - Andy Taylor
7. Unsubstantiated - The Church
8. Beyond The Sea - Bobby Darin
9. Tequila Dreams - Dave Grusin/Lee Ritenour
10. Jo Ann's Song - Dave Grusin/David Sanborn
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Soundtrack Available:
Used On CD
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