SHADE (2004)

MORGAN'S RATING

Shade- the gamblers term for misdirection. In the shadowy world of underground gambling, top notch con men Vernon, Miller and Tiffany reunite and join forces with fellow player Jennings to take down some big scores. But when one of the cons blows up in their faces, they end up on the run from the mob. Complicating matters is the once in a lifetime chance to get into an ultra high stakes card game with the king of the poker hustling world - The Dean. Can they stay alive long enough to make it to the game? Within the deceptive world of Shade, nothing is ever what it seems.

Sylvester Stallone (Stevens), Melanie Griffith (Eve), Gabriel Byrne (Charlie Miller), Hal Holbrook (The Professor), Thandie Newton (Tiffany), Stuart Townsend (Vernon), Dina Merrill (Dina), Bo Hopkins (Scarne), Jamie Foxx (Larry Jennings), Patrick Bauchau (Malini), Louis Freese (Nate), Roger Guenveur Smith (Marlo), Charles Rocket (Tony D.), Michael Dorn (Jack Thornhill), Mark Boone Junior (Leipzig), Jason Cerbone (Young Stevens), Jack Conley (Buckley), Frank Medrano (Sal), Tony Burton (Fedora), Rodney Rowland (Jeff), Tony Amendola (Daley), Shane T. Anderson (Hitman), Bret Anthony (Butler), Stacie Bourgeois (Dealer), Kevin Burchett (Hotel Concierge), Jennifer Burgess-Keene (Turbo), Holly Catarancuic (Girl in Hallway), Heath Centazzo (Gunman at Bar), Kevin Centazzo (Casino Valet), Mark De Alessandro (Hitman), Angela Fratto (Hot Girl), Brian Gillis (Ricky), Adam Grace (Chip), Michael Harney (Mickey Swift), Earl Nelson (Earl), Glenn Plummer (Attendant), George Tovar (Mobster), R.P. Wilson (Mr. Andrews), Jessica Wood (Waitress).

LIE, CHEAT, STEAL...YOUR DEAL.

PRODUCTION INFORMATION

DIRECTOR: Damian Nieman. WRITER: Damian Nieman. PRODUCERS: Chris Hammond, Ted Hartley and David Schnepp. ASSOCIATE PRODUCER: Mark Moran. CO-PRODUCER: Carl Mazzocone. EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Merv Griffin, Bo Hopkins and Joe Nicolo. CO-EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: Stephen Stone. ORIGINAL MUSIC: Christopher Young. DISTRIBUTOR: Warner Bros.

FACTS

QUOTES

RELEASE DATE: April 9th, 2004 (USA) DVD RELEASE DATE: May 25th, 2004 (USA) BOX OFFICE OPENING: $10,696 (USA) BOX OFFICE RESULT: $25,032 (USA) BUDGET: $10 million (USA) SHOOTING DATES: May 2002 -- July 2002 - Charlie Miller, Max Malini, Dai Vernon/The Professor, Larry Jennings, Nate Leipzig and Jacob Daley are all famous sleigh of hand magicians. - The hands seen performing card tricks in the beginning of the film belong to writer / director Damian Nieman. Nieman also taught Sylvester Stallone and Stuart Townsend how to perform their card tricks for the film.

Charlie Miller: The way I look at it, a guy is not smart enough to hold on to his money doesn't deserve to have it.

CRITICAL COMMENTS

"Audiences are (or should be) too keen on the con genre for filmmakers to keep expecting wide-eyed reactions on twist after twist, but this is a pretty decent one and outside of Mamet it's not often something you should expect." -- Erik Childress, Efilmcritic.com

"In the game of con-poker, a pair of card mechanics beat a full house of gangsters every time." -- Cherryl Dawson and Leigh Ann Palone, The Movie Chicks.com

"A dramatic thriller with a large cast playing the hell out of some very juicy roles." -- Kirk Honeycutt, Hollywood Reporter

"Possibly the biggest attraction to Shade comes from an interesting collection of actors, all of whom perform quite well in their respective roles. The biggest surprise performance comes from Sly Stallone himself, who shows charisma and presence in a rare role showcasing his brain over his brawn." -- Vince Leo, Qwipster's Movie Reviews

"Loaded with dizzying cons and betrayals, it pays off with a satisfying and unpredictable finish." -- Kevin Thomas, Los Angeles Times