RED HEAT (1988)

MORGAN'S RATING

Red Heat is the sizzling theatrical blockbuster smash from director Walter Hill and is the first American movie to ever film in Russia's famed Red Square. Arnold Schwarzenegger is Ivan Danko, a highly disciplined Russian detective...Moscow's finest. James Belushi is Detective Art Ridzik, a fearless by undisciplined cop...Chicago's worst. One has his own kind of style and one has no style at all. They're a pair of mismatched cops hot on the trail of Russia's deadliest drug smuggler throughout the mean streets of Chicago. A nonstop action-adventure, packed with humor and thrills...with this much friction, there's gotta be heat...Red Heat.

Arnold Schwarzenegger (Ivan Danko), James Belushi (Art Ridzik), Peter Boyle (Lou Donnelly), Ed O' Ross (Viktor Rostavili), Laurence Fishburne (Lt. Charlie Stobbs), Gina Gershon (Cat Manzetti), Richard Bright (Sgt. Galligher), J.W. Smith (Salim), Brent Jennings (Abdul Elijah), Gretchen Palmer (Hooker), Michael G. Hagerty (Pat Nunn), Brion James (Streak), Gloria Delaney (Intern), Peter Jason (TV announcer), Saveli Kramarov (Gregor Moussorsky), Gene Scherer (Consul Stefanovich), Tengiz Borisoff (Josip Baroda), Roger Callard (Pytor Tatomovich), Gabor Koncz (Vagran Rostavili), Geza Balkay (Col. Kulikov), Zsolt Kortvelyessy (Lt. Redetsky), Janos Ban (Officer), Tiger Chung Lee (Mongol hippie), Sven- Ole Thorsen (Nikolai), Kurt Fuller (Detective).

MOSCOW'S TOUGHEST DETECTIVE. CHICAGO'S CRAZIEST COP. THERE'S ONLY ONE THING WORSE THAN MAKING THEM MAD. MAKING THEM PARTNERS.

FACTS

PRODUCTION INFORMATION

RELEASE DATE: June 17th, 1988 (USA) DVD RELEASE DATE:  September 7th, 2004 (USA) BOX OFFICE OPENING: $8.1 million (USA) BOX OFFICE RESULT: $34.9 million (USA) - The bad guy who Ivan Danko shoots on the steps in Moscow was played by one of Hungary's leading action-movie actors. In an interview, he said that until he met Arnold Schwarzenegger and the others in the film, he thought of himself as a muscular and tough actor. He subsequently described himself as a "small potato". - First western film crews to be allowed to film in Moscow's Red Square. Many of the Moscow scenes, as well as the "bath-house" scene were filmed in Hungary. - During filming the producers triedto have the city move the sculpture by Alexander Calder on Dearborn Ave. over a few feet in order to accomodate the bus chase. Due to the immensity of the sculpture and the fact that it is made of solid steel, the city declined and the scene was cut. - The film is dedicated to its stunt coordinator, Bennie Dobbins, who died of a heart attack on the set while staging the film's snow fight in Vienna. - At one point in the movie Danko is discussing (in Russian) America's heroin problem. He makes a reference to a location in the U.S. as being a particular problem. He says (in Russian) "...Gharlem.." which should properly be translated to English as Harlem. In the translation sub-titles the location is "...Miami...". - The name and signature above Ivan Danko in the hotel guestbook are of Jim Morrison, lead singer for the Doors. - Ivan Danko uses a gun called 'Podbyrin 9.2 mm". Its actually a modified western Desert Eagle Magnum. The Podbyrin does not exist and was made up as a prop for the movie.

DIRECTOR: Walter Hill (Streets of Fire) WRITERS: Walter Hill, Troy Kennedy-Martin, and Harry Kleiner. PRODUCERS: Walter Hill and Gordon Carroll. ASSOCIATE PRODUCER: Mae Woods. EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Mario Kassar and Andrew G. Vajna. ORIGINAL MUSIC: James Horner. DISTRIBUTOR: TriStar Pictures.

QUOTES

Art: I'm gonna bust that bitch so hard she bounces.

Art: I'm gonna get us something from all four food groups: hamburgers, french fries, coffee and doughnuts.

Abdul: Revolutionary political leaders like myself are incarcerated to keep us quiet. Ivan Danko: What is your political crime? Abdul: I robbed a bank.

Art: Oh, great. We got a pro basketball team coming towards us...with guns!

Viktor: The people have many needs. One is law and order. Other? Entertainment.

Viktor: Any country that can survive Stalin can certainly handle a little dope.

Viktor: We both have our codes, Vanya. Yours, one of the State. Mind, one of thieves.

Art: About this pile-of-shit pimp in here. In this country, we try to protect the rights of individuals. It's called the Miranda Act, and it says that you can't even tough his ass. Ivan Danko: I do not wish to touch his ass. I want to make him talk!

CRITICAL COMMENTS

"A 9 out of 10. Red Heat packs a hell of a lot of heat." -- Gary Franklin, ABC-TV, Los Angeles

"Cheerless, foul-mouthed action film with two of the least appealing characters imaginable as the good guys." -- Leonard Maltin

"A hard action movie delivered with humor and flair." -- Peter Travers, PEOPLE magazine