Really? No posts about this movie?
But it stars Bruce friggin Willis... Surely there should be chatter on here for him. No one? *sad face*
sharePoor Brucie.
He took the DTV route over ten years ago (and minus one of two 'cinema' releases) has been stuck in it, ever since.
To be fair (as my username may suggest) I'm partial to ropey DTV releases (featuring one-time stars) they're like a pair of old, worn-out shoes (that we refuse to throw away, because we still like them)
The formula for recent 'Willis' DTV output is simple:
Despite being plastered all over the front cover, Willis will only have around 15 minutes 'screentime' (but interspersed enough throughout the movie, to give the false impression he was on-set any longer than 1-2 days)
Willis likely plays a retired cop, soldier or millionaire CEO (and will likely be sat at an office or in the back of a limousine for most of his scenes) and will be heavily-body-doubled in long shots. Many movies will have (pointless) flashbacks (or flashforwards) to bump up his screentime.
He will be (invariably) playing second/third/eighth fiddle to younger (I.e, cheaper) co-stars, who'll do all the physical stuff (jumping, shooting or walking) yet they'll always have a scene (usually near the end) where (a previously inactive) Willis will shoot the Bad-guy (if, indeed, he's not playing such himself) this is to 'sate' his flagging ego of 'saving the day' but also to warrant a picture of him holding a gun for the DVD case.
These movies tend to be EFO productions (formally EFF) and are usually filmed in Romania (with obligatory pointless overhead 'drone' shots) both are respectively cheaper than filming in the 'U.S. and/or Helicopter shots.
Lionsgate usually put these movies out once every 3-4 months (with interchangeable stars like Nicolas Cage or even Mel Gibson getting in on the act)
Willis is (rumoured to be) paid around a million dollars a day (hence his sparse screentime) although his asking fee may have dipped slightly over the last year or two? Even so, it's well-paid, quick and easy work.
Despite all the (seemingly) negative aspects I've outlined....all these movies (whilst not 'blockbuster's) are competently made (if a little plodding and assembly-line-like in their overall scope and titling) but as I said, as harmless (unthreatning) time-wasters, they are OK for a one-off watch.....which help (for good or bad) keep their 'fading' stars in the public consciousness, just enough until another A-list movie comes along.
I will wager your left testicle, that given *this* uber-generic title alone.....this movie will be everything I've highlighted (and less) but that's how predictable the high-end DTV market is nowadays?
But in uncertain times, a bit of 'predictability' can be comforting (whilst not exactly 'revelatory')
Just started watching this one so I'll come back and give my 2 cents. I do know 1 BW movie for sure that isn't worth a watch, another newer one called Apex. It is 1 of the worst movies I have ever seen.
Yes, I've seen APEX (and even reviewed it on my blog) it was dire (and it's biggest crime is that it didn't necessarily have to be)
The DTV releases of Willis I'm referring to (in my previous post) pertain to his 'Lionsgate' backed releases (which look like blockbuster's compared to Apex) I actually watched 'Out OF Death' *after* Apex, and despite it being everything I predicted it would be....it was (comparatively) the better movie (but it's like comparing sickness to diarrhoea, at this point)
I find it odd that Willis can't get mid-range gigs, instead of the low-budget deck he's (constantly) signing up for?
I wonder if bruce gets a brown bag lunch as part of his deal for the 1 days shoot .it would seem wrong for him not to receive brown bag lunch . I picture him sat outside his trailer opening the brown bag lunch and a coffee by his side
shareYou nailed it. So accurate.
shareSomething like Steven Seagal?
shareIt turns out that Bruce Willis was already struggling from the effects of frontotemporal dementia:
https://www.nickiswift.com/1701928/bruce-willis-last-role-before-dementia-diagnosis-tragic-now/
Despite Bruce Willis' final films leaning toward the low-budget, low-stakes side of things, pulling off those roles was far from easy for the action icon. Colleagues revealed to The Los Angeles Times that Willis struggled on set, often forgetting lines to the point that he had to wear an earpiece, or "earwig," to have his lines fed to him. Production crews even trimmed scripts to help him wrap scenes faster. And action scenes? Mostly handled by stunt doubles, as Willis could no longer shoulder the physical demands. Director Mike Burns of "Out of Death" shared, "After the first day of working with Bruce, I could see [Willis' worsening condition] firsthand and I realized that there was a bigger issue at stake here and why I had been asked to shorten his lines." In fact, there were moments when Willis seemed unsure why he was even on set, reportedly asking the crew, "I know why you're here, and I know why you're here, but why am I here?"share
Fans noticed the shift, too. In his review of "Assassin," Richard Roeper of the Chicago Sun-Times noted that although Willis delivered his lines accurately, he was lacking his "trademark twinkle," appearing "disengaged" and without the physical energy one would expect in an action film. Sadly, the spark that once defined his performances was notably absent.
Willis officially retired from acting after his family announced his aphasia diagnosis in 2022. These days, he and his family are taking it one step at a time. "He's doing stable, which in this situation is good, and is hard," Tallulah Willis told Today in September 2024. "There's painful days, but there's so much love."