1995 - GET SHORTY, gangsters vs Hollywood

 Lone Shark "Chilli" Palmer is in Hollywood to collect some debts owed to some Miami gangsters.  While there he gets the movie bug and decides he wants to produce films.  Little does he know the movie business is just about as cutthroat as the gangster business.

Get Shorty is probably John Travolta's last decent role as "Chilli" Palmer.  He's mister cool dressed in black with his hair slicked back. Gene Hackman is the B movie producer he gets involved with who has aspirations of being a big shot.  Rene Russo is the small time actress and current girlfriend of Hackman. She's someone who has been "rode hard and put up wet"  as they say.  The film is stylishly directed by Barry Sonnenfeld who has a knack with comedy.

Thriller writer Elmore Leonard wrote the book on which the movie is based.  Leonard had spent plenty of time in Hollywood writing westerns so he probably knew a thing or two dealing with sleazy movie industry people.  The film is very funny.

Scott Frank wrote the screenplay. Running time 115 minutes