Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998)
Starring: Johnny Depp, Benicio Del Toro, Christina Ricci, Tobey Maguire, Ellen Barkin
Directed by: Terry Gilliam
Produced by: Patrick Cassavetti, Stephen Nemeth, Laila Nabulsi
Release Date: May 22, 1998 Nationwide.
MPAA Rating: R for pervasive extreme drug use and related bizarre behavior, strong language, and brief nudity.
Distributor: Universal Pictures
Journalist Raoul Duke and his lawyer Dr Gonzo drive from LA to Las Vegas on a drugs binge. They nominally cover news stories, including a convention on drug abuse, but also sink deeper into a frightening psychedelic otherworld. As Vietnam, Altamont and the Tate killings impinge from the world of TV news, Duke and Gonzo see casinos, reptiles and the American dream.
Donnie Brasco (1997)
Starring: Al Pacino, Johnny Depp, Michael Madsen, Anne Heche, Bruno Kirby
Directed by: Mike Newell
Produced by: Mark Johnson, Barry Levinson, Louis Di Giaima, Gail Mutrux, Patrick McCormick, Alan Greespan
Release Date: February 28, 1997.
MPAA Rating: R.
Joe Pistone (Johnny Depp) is an FBI mole who integrates himself into the Mafia pecking order by posing as "jewel man" Donnie Brasco. He finds his loyalties divided when Lefty Ruggiero, a jaded hit man, takes him on as a protégé and places real trust in him. The two men form a friendship--and a criminal partnership--that jeopardizes Brasco's mission and obscures the boundaries between the law and the underworld.
The film is based on the autobiography Donnie Brasco, My Undercover Life in the Mafia by former undercover agent Joseph D. Pistone. Directed by Mike Newell (Four Weddings and a Funeral) and also starring Bruno Kirby (The Freshman, This Is Spinal Tap), Michael Madsen (Reservoir Dogs) and Anne Heche (Wag the Dog).
Con Man (1996)
Starring: Seymour Cassel, Francesco Quinn, Rebecca Broussard, Johnny Depp, Treat Williams
Directed by: Richard Martini
MPAA Rating: R.
Sy Lerner--producer, director, and a legend within the industry--has announced his next major film. Now, all the stars at Cannes are lining up to sign up script-unseen. But what sort of plan does Sy really have? This time he's bet a fellow film executive that he can turn a complete nobody into a star by the time the Cannes Film Festival has come to a close. This satirical look at the film industry, shot on location at Cannes, France, features special appearances by Johnny Depp, Treat Williams, Jim Jarmusch, and many others.
Dead Man (1996)
Starring: Johnny Depp, Gary Farmer, Lance Henriksen, Michael Wincott, Mili Avital
Directed by: Jim Jarmusch
Produced by: Demetra J. MacBride, Karen Koch
MPAA Rating: R.
In bringing his distinct vision to the Western genre, writer-director Jim Jarmusch has created a quasi-mystical avant-garde drama that remains a deeply spiritual viewing experience. After losing his parents and fiancée, a Cleveland accountant named William Blake (a remarkable Johnny Depp) spends all his money and takes a train to the frontier town of Machine in order to work at a factory.
Upon arriving in Machine, he is denied his expected job and finds himself a fugitive after murdering a man in self-defense. Wounded and helpless, Blake is befriended by Nobody (Gary Farmer), a wandering Native American who considers him to be a ghostly manifestation of the famous poet. Nobody aids Blake in his flight from three bumbling bounty hunters, preparing him for his final journey--a return to the world of the spirits.
Jarmusch once again employs the beautifully contrasted black-and-white photography of Robby Müller, which sets a poetic, dreamy mood. He also fades in and out of scenes in order to better reflect Blake’s dazed, weak mental state. Adding an even greater depth to the film is Neil Young’s haunting score, which completes the overall effect. Dead Man stands firmly as a timeless work of art whose impact only increases upon subsequent viewings.
Don Juan de Marco (1995)
Starring: Marlon Brando, Johnny Depp, Faye Dunaway, Rachel Ticotin, Bob Dishy
Directed by: Jeremy Leven
MPAA Rating: PG-13.
In this breezy romantic comedy, an aging psychologist gets a new lease on life when he's assigned the task of "curing" a young man who's convinced he is the legendary lover Don Juan de Marco.
Nick of Time (1995)
Starring: Johnny Depp, Christopher Walken, Marsha Mason, Roma Maffia, Courtney Chase
Directed by: John Badham
MPAA Rating: R.
In John Badham's NICK OF TIME, Johnny Depp stars as Gene Watson, a mild-mannered, widowed accountant, and the father of six-year-old Lynn (Courtney Chase). While in Los Angeles's Union train station, they are abducted by a mysterious couple posing as police officers, Mr. Smith (Christopher Walken) and Ms. Jones (Roma Maffia).
They give Gene a loaded gun and these orders: assassinate the "flaming liberal" governor of California (Marsha Mason) within the next 90 minutes, or they will kill his beloved daughter. Gene reluctantly agrees, and he is taken to the Bonaventure Hotel where the governor is making an appearance. Tension mounts as the clock ticks and Gene must outwit his conniving kidnappers.
Shot in real time, the action of the movie is documented in the actual 90 minute running time of the movie. As Gene faces his gruesome task, minutes slip away, creating a palpable tension and a breathtaking reminder of every agonizing second. Christopher Walken is at his devilish best, wickedly tormenting the innocent hero. Reminiscent of Hitchcockian dilemmas, Gene is an ordinary man trapped in an extraordinary situation, forced to act before it is too late.
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