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is compellingly perverse, and
Greenwald and the actors get the seedy tone just right." Critic Dennis Schwartz felt though the film "wasn’t psychologically deep, nor was it morally arresting", it succeeds at "showing a feeling of deep noir malaise", noting "It’s rare that a woman directs a noir film
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In the book, the author never reveals the identity of the murderer, in contrast to the film. The film also spares one of the characters that the book does not, and turns the character into a moral center.
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shot the film with low lighting; at times, footage of characters more than a few feet from the camera can be difficult to see. This was done to mirror the stylistic photography of the
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wrote, " is tossed away by Ms. Greenwald's flaccid script and scenes so badly paced that the actors seem to be holding their breath between lines, waiting for their next cues."
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Filming took place over a twenty-one-day schedule in
January 1989 on a budget of less than $ 1 million. Exterior shots were filmed in the New Jersey seaside town of
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on his mind, she starts spreading more ugly rumors that have just enough basis in fact to stick. Soon things spin out of control and a wave of violence begins.
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Danny Lee's act soon turns the head of Ralph, which is not good news for his bed-ridden wife Luanne. Luanne's nasty talent is her gift for
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and Maggie
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revival in the late 1980s and early 1990s. The other Jim
Thompson novels to be adapted into films were
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in London on
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Groves, Don (February 21, 1990). "'Magnolias' not quite blooming; 'Business' booming".
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The film was not released onto videocassette in the United States until 1996, when
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on May 17, 1989. It went on to screen at the Women in Film
Festival and the
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The producers used the following tagline when marketing the film:
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so in an effort to bring in more business, he hires a sultry
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called The
Pavilion. The owner, Pete, can barely make the
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for a week on
December 14, 1990 in order to qualify for
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released the film on a manufactured on demand DVD-R.
525:: Dramatic Grand Jury Prize, Maggie Greenwald; 1990.
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by
Cabriolet Films beginning on October 19, 1990 in
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473:and especially one as hard-boiled as this one."
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502:: Jury Special Prize, Maggie Greenwald; 1989.
855:"7° Festival Internazionale Cinema Giovani"
395:that year. Later, it was shown at the 1990
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481:was less impressed with the film. Critic
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519:: Critics Award, Maggie Greenwald, 1989.
19:For the 1957 novel by Jim Thompson, see
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721:"The kill-off [videorecording]"
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779:Baumgarten, Marjorie (July 12, 1991).
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253:In a small coastal community in
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393:Toronto Festival of Festivals
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319:Ralph Graff as Henry Williams
313:Sean O'Sullivan as The Doctor
229:film written and directed by
16:1990 film by Maggie Greenwald
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917:AFI Catalog of Feature Films
781:"Movie Review: The Kill-Off"
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331:was a part of the so-called
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295:Jackson Sims as Pete Pavlov
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301:Cathy Haase as Danny Lee
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1016:The Ballad of Little Jo
807:Dennis Schwartz Reviews
513:Deauville Film Festival
304:William Russell as Rags
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1092:1989 crime drama films
530:Differences from novel
523:Sundance Film Festival
433:Films Around the World
397:Sundance Film Festival
235:novel of the same name
159:May 17, 1989
298:Steve Monroe as Ralph
289:Loretta Gross as Luan
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760:on December 22, 2022
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411:. It also opened in
344:After Dark, My Sweet
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21:The Kill-Off (novel)
1032:What Makes a Family
553:"Death becomes him"
429:Xenon Entertainment
245:in his film debut.
222:is a 1989 American
994:Films directed by
833:The New York Times
725:Stanford Libraries
656:. January 28, 1990
478:The New York Times
401:Screen on the Hill
389:Cannes Film Market
233:, based on a 1957
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84:Lydia Dean Pilcher
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889:. Retrieved
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1024:Songcatcher
596:AFI|Catalog
507:Nominations
483:Caryn James
413:Los Angeles
195:110 minutes
92:Cathy Haase
81:Produced by
46:Directed by
40:Video Cover
1087:1989 films
1081:Categories
1040:Get a Clue
539:References
423:Home media
360:film noirs
324:Production
255:New Jersey
178:1990-10-19
163:1989-05-17
130:Production
123:Evan Lurie
841:0362-4331
489:Accolades
439:Reception
367:Keansburg
308:Jorja Fox
259:nightclub
111:Edited by
940:AllMovie
628:Archived
563:April 2,
278:adultery
267:stripper
208:Language
119:Music by
89:Starring
64:Based on
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263:payroll
211:English
200:Country
176: (
161: (
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517:France
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227:drama
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494:Wins
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249:Plot
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