Customer Reviews

Get Shorty (Widescreen Edition) [VHS]

5 star:		(47)
4 star:		(16)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(8)

 

 

A loan shark from Florida, who loves movies and winds up in Hollywood on a collection job, decides to take a shot at the movie business while he's there, in "Get Shorty," directed by Barry Sonnenfeld. Dark humor and richly textured characters drive this story of Chili Palmer (John Travolta), the shylock from Miami Beach who aspires to a life beyond keeping a book for thugs, in this faithful adaptation of the Elmore Leonard novel. When circumstances take him to Las Vegas to look for one Leo Devoe (David Paymer), a dry-cleaner in debt up to his eyeballs who blew town after an airline scam, Chili goes on to Hollywood to do a favor for the casino operator who tipped him off as to Leo's whereabouts. The "favor" is contacting film director Harry Zimm (Gene Hackman) who has payment overdue on a note issued to him by the casino. Zimm has made a name for himself (at least in his own mind) by directing horror movies; but he's not the sharpest tool in the shed. Ultimately, Chili gets involved with Zimm and actress Karen Flores (Rene Russo), who has starred in some of Zimm's horror flicks, as well as with two time Academy Award nominee Martin Weir (Danny DeVito), the "shorty" of the title. Chili is finally in his element, but his Miami Beach days are not yet behind him; there's still some settling up to do according to one Ray "Bones" Barboni (Dennis Farina), owner of the book kept by Chili in Florida. Travolta not only goes the distance here, but creates a definitive character in Chili; even as Sean Connery is James Bond, and Basil Rathbone is Sherlock Holmes, Travolta "is" Chili Palmer. With nuance and charisma, he does this guy from the inside out. He has the look and the mannerisms; he walks the walk and talks the talk. And nobody in the history of the cinema has used a cigarette as a prop better than he does in this movie. It's a commanding, Oscar-worthy performance, every bit as good (possibly even better) than the role of Vincent he created in "Pulp Fiction." His presence simply dominates the film, and he's up against some stiff competition, because this movie is filled with great characters. Not only Hackman, who does a terrific job as Zimm, but Russo, who sizzles, and DeVito, who adds some real flair as the "Movie Star," and Farina, whose toughness and lack of wit make him a memorable character. Also exceptional are Delroy Lindo, as Bo Catlett, a thug and wanna-be movie producer, James Gandolfini, as "Bear," a stuntman who works with Catlett, and Jon Gries as Ronnie, a "Hollywood" style tough guy who also works with Catlett. Sonnenfeld did a great job of bringing this world of "Get Shorty" to life. The story is interesting and delivered with outstanding dialogue and plenty of action, all of which Sonnenfeld keeps moving at a perfect pace and with impeccable timing. This is one thoroughly enjoyable, funny movie that absolutely begs for a sequel. In recommending it, I have to borrow one of Chili Palmer's best lines: "Look at me." Because that says it all. This is one movie you don't want to miss.

It takes a loan shark leading the way to make Hollywood honest. "Get Shorty" returns in a new 2 disc "Collector's Edition" DVD just in time for the sequel "Too Cool" which will be premiering in theaters in March. Translating Elmore Leonard's novels to the screen can be a tricky business luckily both screenwriter Scott Frank and director Barry Sonnenfeld are both up to the task with an inventive dark comedic film. Chili Palmer (John Travolta) heads west to collect a debt from down-and-out B-movie producer Harry Zimm (Gene Hackman). When Harry can't pay, Chili opts to help him make a movie about, well, Chili Palmer. The catch is that Chili and Harry need a star to make their movie viable. Chili quickly finds that the film business shares a lot in common with the world of organized crime. Chili romances B-Movie queen Karen Flores (Rene Russo) an ex- of Harry's and persuades film star Martin Weir (Danny DeVito) to star in the film but not before running into a Cadillac of very funny mishaps along the way. Featuring a great performances from Dennis Farina as the clueless Ray `Bones' Barboni, Travolta, Hackman, Russo, DeVito and a pre-Sopranos James Gandolfini, "Get Shorty" positively sparkles with wit and energy.

Sporting a new high definition transfer "Get Shorty" looks simply marvelous. With a sharp looking transfer showing a minimum of digital artifacts and no analog flaws, "Get Shorty" deserves the deluxe treatment. The image has amazing depth and an image sharper than Chili's aim. The colors practically leap out from the screen brighter than Harry Zimm's blindingly white teeth from the moment the pink and blue titles pop up on the screen until the moment we hear "cut" at the end. With blacks richer and darker than Chili's stolen coat, MGM has done a superb job of translating this modern classic to DVD. The crystal clear sound comes across with more presence than B-Movie queen Karen Flores' screams.

Extras are exceptionally good in this "Special Edition". It's like having seconds of a terrific desert; while no one really needs it, it's great to have just the same. We get a number of notable extras as part of this rich meal. The second disc has three featurettes on different aspects of the film, the deleted "Graveyard Scene", outtakes, the "Get Shorty" party reel, a documentary from Bravo Channel on the making of the movie and a sneak peak at "Be Cool". "Get Shorty: Look at Me" opens the book on how Elmore Leonard came up with the plot for "Get Shorty" and developed the idea. DeVito, Travolta, Hackman, Russo, Sonnenfeld and other key cast and crew participate in this featurette on the production of the film. Full of clips from the movie to illustrate the points made throughout the featurette, it's a great summation of the greatness of this film. It's a 30 minute love fest reminding fans why they love this movie so much. The 20 minute "Get Shorty: Wise Guys and Dolls" focuses on the fun, complex characters of the movie. "The Graveyard Scene" featurette allows Sonnenfeld to comment on the single deleted scene of the movie included the hilarious, well, graveyard scene. Featuring a funny cameo with Ben Stiller, Sonnenfeld clearly regretted cutting the scene but Sonnenfeld couldn't find a place for sequence where it fit. The behind-the-scenes stuff and interviews last longer than the actual scene itself. "Going Again" features footage from outtakes and a discussion from Sonnenfeld about the technique of using long takes, pulling out the best bits and putting it together to make magic. The sneak peak for "Be Cool" promises that the sequel to "Get Shorty" promises to be as funny as the first film. Set in the music business, it may not be more than a promo piece for the film but it gives viewers enough of a taste to rope `em in.

Bravo's "Page to Screen" documentary featuring Peter Gallagher features plenty of interviews with critics, other writers and focuses as much on how Elmore Leonard comes up with the material in his books, writes them and, once again, takes us behind-the-scenes of the production of the movie. The real treat is hearing from the real Chili Palmer discussing the "reel" Chili Palmer and Leonard's character. The "Party Reel" mainly consists of bits and piece of cut footage and behind-the-scenes stuff nothing earth shattering or all that funny. In addition to the "Get Shorty" theatrical trailer and we get two promos one for "Fargo" and one for "The Good, The Bad and The Ugly". My only complaint is the MGM "promo" opener that they put on ALL of their DVDs. It's annoying and, unfortunately, there's no way to pass it by. It's a pretty minor issue but the fact that it's on all of their DVDs makes it a real pain.

A dry, witty commentary by Barry Sonnenfeld highlights this disc. The only drawback is the lack of participation of Travolta, Hackman, Russo and DeVito. I realize they have busy schedules but it would have been a real highlight and perfect addition to this DVD.

A hip, funny comedy that continues to deliver in spades, "Get Shorty" looks terrific, sounds great and has some terrific special features. This is an example of a re-release that's worth upgrading. Definitely worth owing on DVD and purchasing a second time if you love the movie. This IS the version to own.

"Get Shorty " in my opinion is one of the most hilarious send ups of the Hollywood movie industry ever put to film.Director, Barry Sonnenfeld and writer, Elmore Leonard have put their talents together to create a satirical film, which 'takes no prisoners' in its look at the underhanded ways, that folks wheel and deal to get movies made.The film centers on a charismatic mobster (John Travolta), who while on a trip to L.A., decides to switch careers. He wants to make movies!This is not as far fetched as it seems. Apparently being a movie producer isn't that far of a jump from being a loan shark or racketeer! Along the way Chilly meets up with with a schlock movie producer, a scream queen, a L.A. hood and his henchman, another mobster from Miami and finally the 'Shorty' (a self-involved, superstar actor)of the film's title. All of them underestimate Chilly and think he is just a dumb hood, who can be conned out of some major, illegal money waiting in a locker at the L.A. airport. But Chilly seems to know all the right moves and plays everyone at their own game.Writer, Elmore Leonard wrote this fast paced, witty story after experiencing a real life, frustrating job of trying to write a script for vertically challenged actor, Dustin Hoffman... Revenge must be sweet, because it inspired a great piece of comic writing.The cast of actors in this movie is wonderful. Normally, I'm not the biggest John Travolta fan, but his take on mobster, Chilly Palmer is electrifying. Travolta plays the character with a swagger, confindence, and a smile that is sheer perfection! Gene Hackman is also hilarious as the sleaziest of sleazy Hollywood producers. This guy would sell out his own mother if it ment getting a piece of the gross!.Finally, Danny DeVito just makes this movie with his send up of every spoiled rotten, self-indulgent Hollywood actor that could ever come to mind. Kudos should also go for great, comic supporting roles from James Gandolfini and Dennis Farina.For an evening of some very funny Hollywood satire, I recommend you to get..."Get Shorty"!

Director Barry Sonnenfeld's Get Shorty, based on the book of the same name by Elmore Leonard, is a witty comedy that does all from poking fun at the modern Hollywood movie system to paying tribute to the classic gangster movie and its roots in film noir. Get Shorty follows the life of Chili Palmer, a gangster who lives in Miami Beach, Florida, who is sent on assignment to collect money from a dry cleaner's wife after he has died in a plane crash with money that belongs to Chili's bosses. After learning the dry cleaner is not actually dead, Chili follows his trail to Las Vegas where he learns that the dry cleaner is now in Los Angeles, and also agrees to help collect money from a movie producer that owes the casino money. These events move along at such a quick pace that they barely fill the first half hour of the movie. The remainder of the film is spent with Chili's interactions with Harry Zimm, the movie producer, and his attempts to work with Zimm on a movie and learn more about the movie business in general. Amusingly enough, the movie Chili proposes to Zimm is the same story he is trying to figure out, namely where the dry cleaner went with the money. This self-conscious attitude of the movie, in the same manner of Robert Altman's The Player, shows us an amusing satire of Hollywood. Through the course of the movie, parallels are drawn that depict the Hollywood work ethic as being similar to the type of mob work Chili is involved with. These amusing comparisons play themselves throughout the film, with classically stereotyped roles by an outstanding cast that range from the slimy director/producer to the Colombian druglord. In fact, it is the characters and the dialogue between these characters that make the movie outstanding. There is Chili Palmer (John Travolta), arguably one of the last true gangsters in the old tradition, whose speech and actions are undeniably cool and cutting. As a contrast to Chili, there is his boss, Ray Bones (Dennis Farina), who is a curt, abrasive character that is always looking for a way to one-up whoever he is dealing with. He is the type of person that wields more power than he actually possesses, creating several memorable scenes between his laughable character and Chili's perpetual coolness. Then there is the slimy director, Harry Zimm (Gene Hackman), a second rate director of B horror movies, whose interactions with Chili show us a less professional view of Hollywood. There is also the pompous, egocentric actor Martin Weir (Danny Devito), who makes us laugh at the lifestyle of the Hollywood star. All of the characters in Get Shorty show us an amusing side of Hollywood that is simultaneously paying homage to and poking fun at movies. Much of the film is shot in the style of film noir, stressing the gangster attitude that is conveyed throughout. But this convention is even stretched and toyed with in the movie. Chili's character is shot mostly in this style and his clothing is predominantly black, but this is parodied with Ray Bones, who wears light pink although he is himself a gangster. The sunny pastels of Florida and California contrast with this style as well, making us realize this isn't the typical gangster film. That being said, Get Shorty is a clever take on the classic gangster film with an outstanding cast and memorable witty dialogue.

This is one of the cleverest comedies out there. John Travolta plays a bookie (Chili Palmer) in Miami Beach, FL. He is one of these respected hard nose, no BS type of people that just demands respect wherever he goes. But for a change of pace and a change of heart, not to mention money that is owned to him, he flies out to California. He is searching for a man who took a very large some of money, but in the mean time is caught up in the Hollywood movie making industry. He meets up and makes friends with Gene Hackman, a B movie director always looking for the next big break. Rene Russo plays a B movie washed up actress who is helping Travolta get into the movie industry. Mean while, old friends and enemies follow Travolta to the sunshine state to find out what he is up to and possibly move in on the action. This movie also has Danny DeVito, Dennis Farina, cameo by Penny Marshall, Delroy Lindo, James Gandolfini, and more twists and turns that you can imagine. If you are looking for a really fun comedy with lots of stars then this is the movie to get!

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.

John Travolta's role as Vincent Vega in "Pulp Fiction" would launch not only a major comeback in his movie career - but would also start a streak of money-making and well-received movies that he would star in. One of the first movies in that streak that would follow-up "Pulp Fiction" would be "Get Shorty". In "Get Shorty", Travolta stars as Chili Palmer - a collector for a Miami loan-shark who aspires to get into the movie business. This role seemed tailor-made for Travolta. It brings a solid cast to carry out the storyline - and they succeed in doing so. While "Get Shorty" will entertain you and still is a good movie, ultimately I still find some weaknesses with the movie as a whole.

John Travolta's career has ultimately been defined by the characters he has portrayed. One thing that probably hurt John Travolta's movie career is he has sometimes been put into some real "lemon" type of roles. This was seen throughout the 1980s. A prime example of this was Travolta playing "Rolling Stone" magazine reporter Adam Lawrence in 1985's "Perfect" - bad movie and a bad match of a role for Travolta. At the same time, the better Travolta matches up with the character - the better the movie is. Travolta's performances as "Saturday Night Fever"'ss Tony Manero and "Grease"'s Danny Zucco are prime examples of how well Travolta matched up with the character. It is completely fair to add "Get Shorty"'s Chili Palmer to the list of characters that Travolta matches up very well to. In fact, this might be one of his best roles.

The story of "Get Shorty" is as follows: Chili Palmer is Miami Loan Shark collector who is a big fan of the movies. When his "Boss" dies, Chili's arch-enemy Ray "Bones" Barboni (played brilliantly by Dennis Farina) becomes his new boss. Ray sends Chili to Las Vegas to collect on a debt. While collecting on the debt, Chili learns of another person who owes money - low-budget movie producer Harry Zimm (played by Gene Hackman). When Chili heads to Los Angeles and meets up with Harry, he becomes intrigued with getting into the movie business. With Harry in-debt, Chili convinces Harry to take him in as a producer for a film is is doing. However life isn't going to be that easy. Harry is also dealing with some loan-shark characters in Los Angeles - most notably one named Bo Catlett (played by Delroy Lindo). It turns out that Bo wants in on the movies as well. Chili will soon team-up with actress Karen Flores (played by Rene Russo) who has worked with Harry. Chili and Karen's job is going to be to convince Karen's ex-husband - big time movie star Martin Weir to be in Harry's movie. Ultimately, the loan-sharking dynamics between Ray, Bo, and Chili are ultimately going to come into play as everyone is going to want to either collect their debts and/or get a fair share of Harry's movie.

One thing that makes Travolta's character Chili Palmer stand out is going to be the flawless and smooth delivery of his dialogue. This has always been a Travolta staple going back to his Vinny Barbarino ("Welcome Back Kotter") and Tony Manero days. This is especially evident as each time when Chili confronts someone he says "Look at me". However there are many one-liners that Chili Palmer will deliver - and help build his character throughout the movie. One of my favorite parts is when Harry introduces Bo to Chili as his "associate". When Bo questions Chili on who he really is, Chili replies in a very smooth manner: "It's what he said, I'm his associate". In addition to the dialogue, Chili Palmer is going to have some great scene presence. This is best seen each time Chili "appears" in someone's room.

There are three other significant performances that stand-out in this movie. Gene Hackman does a very nice job playing the low-budget filmmaker Harry Zimm. Hackman might be one of the most busy and versatile actors in the business. He does a lot of movies - but also is very adaptable to any-type of role. Delroy Lindo's portrayal of L.A. mobster Bo Catlett is terrific. Like Travolta, he is flawless at portraying someone who is a a very "smooth" character. Finally, Dennis Farina's portrayal of Miami mobster Ray "Bones" Barboni is also outstanding. Farina plays a very similar-type of character to that of Jimmy Serrano in "Midnight Run". He is going to have a lot of quick one-liners and really is going to be a highlight of the movie. Also worth noting "Sopranos" star James Gandolfini plays "Bear" - a collector for Bo Catlett.

There are also three uncredited performances: Bette Midler plays a girlfriend of Harry Zimm, Penny Marshall has a cameo at the end of the movie as a director, and David Groh (famous from "Rhoda") is going to play Martin Weir's agent.

There are two problems with this movie. While I did find the storyline entertaining, I did find it extremely confusing to keep up with the specific "details" of the story - namely who is who and who did what. Perhaps this traces back to the original Elmore Leonard novel for which this book is based on. I usually prefer my films at a "simpler" level - and I think that would have helped this story. The other problem is that I found the ending to be weak. While I think this movie does a very good job at not "dragging out" the ending, I ultimately found the ending a bit anti-climatic. It was an ultimate let-down to a movie that despite the confusing "details" of the plot, does provide an entertaining edge.

Overall, I think when we look back at John Travolta's career someday - Chili Palmer is going to be one of his best remembered ones. Despite some of the weak points, this is still one movie I'd recommend.

Quentin Tarantino noted that the movie John Travolta did after "Pulp Fiction" was probably more important than "Pulp Fiction" with respect to his comeback in movies. This movie solidified John's popularity with his core audience. The movie is smart, irreverent, funny, satirical and just plain cool. If you watch it, note how the soundtrack is used to compliment the scenes. The score is almost like another actor in each scene. It is brought, forcefully, to the forefront of the scenes to provide color and depth. This rarely works in movies but it is done with considerable skill in "Get Shorty". Another "over the top" application is the product placement of the "Cadillac of Mini-Vans". They made no excuses and wrote the mini-van right into the script.
This is a very well made movie. The actors are wonderful, the homage paid to prior films of it's ilk are subtle, yet, crafted skillfully, and the cinematography and music perfectly compliment the film flow and style.
Okay, it's pretty clear I really like this movie. Nice thing about movies, there are many different movies of all types to satisfy our different tastes. If you like smart, dark comedies then I think you'll love this one. Enjoy!

While the film, Get Shorty, is terrific, this DVD disappoints with its lack of extra features. Where is the running commentary? This movie screams for that type of attention from it's stars, director, star/producer De Vito or even the original story writer Elmore Leonard. Also, there are no outtakes or deleted scenes. There must be some way to take advantage of the DVD format, other than a widescreen choice, to make it worthy of purchasing if one already has the VHS.

How about it MGM Home Video. I'd look for the next release version.

"Get Shorty" is a humdinger of a movie - smart, funny, and VERY full of itself...kinda like its "hero", Chili Palmer.

Every character and performance hits all the right notes, starting with John Travolta's right-on portrayal of Palmer, a loan shark who has tired of the mob business and would like to try his hand at a REAL mob business: the movies.

Palmer isn't a bad guy; he's just all business, which certain characters (especially Ray Bones) should have figured out early on. But they don't, and we get to see Chili eliminate his enemies one by one through sheer guile and smarts. In particular, his payback on Bones is an absolute classic.

One of the film's truly great pleasures is watching great actors like Gene Hackman and Danny DeVito try to play Chili. Hackman's performance gets him a very unwelcome audience with Bones ("I heard you shot the guy four times in the chest and once in the foot"), while DeVito's simply doesn't work, and by the end of the movie Chili is looking to "get" someone other than "shorty".

Also look for James Gandolfini in his best pre-Tony Soprano role as an ex-stuntman.