Killing 'em Softly is a 1982 Canadian thriller film directed by Max Fischer, starring Irene Cara, George Segal, Clark Johnson and Nicholas Campbell.[1] It is most noted for production problems which led to it becoming one of the first Canadian films ever to be released direct to video,[2] and led to a court case over production funding which was not resolved until 1995.[3]
| Killing 'em Softly | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Max Fischer |
| Written by | Leila Basen Max Fischer |
| Based on | The Neighbor (novel) by Laird Koenig |
| Produced by | Claude Léger |
| Starring | George Segal Irene Cara Joyce Gordon Andrew Martin Thompson Barbara Cook Clark Johnson Nicholas Campbell |
| Cinematography | François Protat |
| Edited by | Jean-Guy Montpetit Fabien D. Tordjmann |
| Music by | Art Phillips |
| Distributed by | Interglobal Home Video |
Release date |
|
| Country | Canada |
| Language | English |
Based on Laird Koenig's novel The Neighbor, the film's plot centres on the girlfriend of a murdered man, who falls in love with her boyfriend's killer.[1]
Irene Cara also performs the opening theme song "City Nights".
Production
editThe film was originally announced with the working title Neighbor,[3] and was originally slated to star Peter O'Toole in the role that Segal ultimately played.[1] Due to cost overruns, however, producer Claude Léger approached Télé-Métropole and the Dutch firm Mueller International as guarantors for a $3.15 million loan from the Mercantile Bank of Canada.[3] When a dispute emerged over story rights, Mercantile Bank called in the loan, bankrupting Léger.[4] Mercantile Bank then sued Télé-Métropole and Mueller International to recover its costs, and gave the film a minimal theatrical run under the title The Man in 5A,[1] before selling it to Palan Entertainment for $480,000.[3]
In 1989, the Quebec Superior Court ordered Télé-Métropole to pay $4.6 million to the National Bank of Canada, which had by this time acquired the Mercantile Bank.[4] Télé-Métropole appealed the decision to the Quebec Court of Appeal, which upheld the decision in 1995; with compound interest, however, Télé-Métropole was now ordered to pay $8 million.[3]
Screenwriter Leila Basen acknowledged in good humor that she had written what was widely considered "the worst Canadian movie ever made".[5] According to Basen, however, "at least the script for The Man in 5A was good. The problem was that the producers ran out of money. I paid to see the movie at a theatre - and asked for my money back at the end."[5]
Awards
editCampbell received a Genie Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor at the 4th Genie Awards in 1983.[6] Writing for Cinema Canada, critic J. Paul Costabile stated that the nomination had been given "for no discernible reason".[1]
References
edit- ^ a b c d e "Max Fischer's 'The Man in 5A'". Cinema Canada, September 1983.
- ^ "New film premieres on video". Ottawa Citizen, February 22, 1986.
- ^ a b c d e "Tele-Metropole ordered to pay $8 million for film fiasco". Montreal Gazette, May 27, 1995.
- ^ a b "Tele-Metropole ordered to pay bank for film deal that became a legal fight". Montreal Gazette, June 2, 1989.
- ^ a b "TV scripts earn living for `housewife'". Montreal Gazette, September 8, 1991.
- ^ "Top Genie prospects for Bill Miner movie". The Globe and Mail, February 10, 1983.