Three Reviews

25 May 2026 4.5 stars

Watched with the Michael Mann/James Caan commentary this time around and despite there being stretches of silence, there are still some great nuggets dispensed. Here are some of my favorites (possible spoilers below):

Mann talks about having "technical advisors." Caan: "Technical advisors? That's a fancy title. They were thieves."

Mann points out that the bartender at the bar where Frank picked up Jessie before the diner scene is William Peterson (Manhunter, To Live and Die in L.A.).

Caan says the scene with him and Tuesday at the diner is his favorite of all his work. The story he tells her about his time in prison was based on one a "technical advisor" told him he'd had.

Sgt. Urizzi (John Santucci), the cop that tails Frank and brings him into the station to get beat up, was one of the main "technical advisors" (real-life thieves). His real-life wife, Nancy Santucci, was a waitress in the diner scene.

Mann mentioned that this was done with all practical effects, real safes and tools were used, and that the heating rods to melt the safe used magnesium and would burn up to 9000°.

(I looked it up and magnesium burns up to 3100° C (roughly 5400° F), so still pretty hot, but juuust a little off.)

During the beach scene, Mann laments that actors can't just look like real people any more (pointing out Belushi and his significant other) and that everyone now (whenever this was recorded) would be model-like. Caan thanks Mann for not showing his skinny legs. (After Caan mentions this, you can see his pants are rolled up and what little of his calves are visible are basically sticks.)

Dennis Farina beating up Jim Belushi Mann: "This is Dennis Farina and his real-life detective partner, Nick Nickeas." Caan: "And that's some real-life questioning of a suspect." Mann: "They're doing some real-world serving and protecting."

Not super-insightful, but an enjoyable listen. The two have good chemistry when they are talking, and when they aren't, you get to just take in the movie, which is a real beaut.

Rewatched: 24 Sep 2025 4.5 stars Giving this a half-star bump up on rewatch.

What a fucking ending!

The 4k looks great - those streets! those cars! that lighting! - and Tangerine Dream really lays it down.

(Shout-out and thank you to my good friend Jesse for such a lovely prize.)

Watched: 13 Jul 2021 4 stars Mike Mann done good here.

Also, I wish Jim Belushi had more roles like this.