I worked in an office in downtown LA in 1994 when they filmed the bank shootout. For 4 days, an entire block was cordoned off and there was machine gun fire on and off all day long. During lunch I would walk to the corner and watch the filming, along with a hundred other onlookers. We were told that it was for a movie called "Heat," but we were too far away to see any of the major stars. Still a cool memory though.
TRIVIA: For music lovers. @13:00 is Rapper Tone Loc best know for the song "Funky Cold Medina" and @29:15 is Henry Rollins he was in the punk band Black Flag.
What I love about the bank heist scene is how it goes from 0-60 in less than a second. It’s exactly how things like that go down in real life. Michael Mann is a genius at stretching tension to the breaking point and then letting it snap.
The shootout scene with Kilmer and De Niro shooting and moving is one of the best demonstrations of “Bounding under fire” ever on film. When one yells “GO” laying down suppressive fire while the other advances. “Shoot, move, communicate.”
Far and away the best shootout scene in cinema history. But no one ever seems to mention how eerily similar this was to the real life North Hollywood Bank of America robbery that happened about a year later.
Life imitating art, I guess. I'm sure most Gen Xers or older remember that shootout. It was absolutely bananas, it was broadcast live, and it went on forever.
I worked in an office in downtown LA in 1994 when they filmed the bank shootout. For 4 days, an entire block was cordoned off and there was machine gun fire on and off all day long. During lunch I would walk to the corner and watch the filming, along with a hundred other onlookers. We were told that it was for a movie called "Heat," but we were too far away to see any of the major stars. Still a cool memory though.
I did see this in a mall movie theater a month or so after it was released. It stands out in my memory because it was, and still is, unique among my movie theater experiences. I was in the back row and could see the entire theater easily and every seat was filled 20 minutes before showtime. No one came in after the movie started. No one got up for a bathroom break. No one left until after the credits were done. This was long before "end credit scenes" were a thing. When the big gunfight started, many people nearly gave themselves whiplash because the surround sound had that realistic gunfire coming from all directions.
You too! I was in neckbreaker row, second row from the front and I was sure that the sound was extra loud on purpose. I loved how the bullets firing was bouncing off the nearby buildings as echo ricochet.
@@deathbysnoosnoo8640 so sad that all these "reactors" have to see this for the first time on a small screen. totally different experience in the theater
To be fair, usually when you go to the movies no one gets up for a bathroom break. I saw "Casino" the same year in a gigantic old movie palace that held over 1,000 people, nobody got up during the entire 3 plus hours. I can probably count on one hand the amount of times I've gotten up and left a movie to use the bathroom or get popcorn. I'm there to see the movie, I don't want to miss anything. I saw "Heat" in the theatre too, I thought it was a total disappointment. It was ok, don't get me wrong, but jesus christ, lol. It was like going to see another dopey 90s action movie, except with great acting. Of the two movie theater experiences, "Casino" was WAY more dazzling and memorable. "Heat" could have been (and should have been) trimmed down, it's way too long of a movie with extraneous, poorly-written stuff that could have trimmed or improved. "Casino" is also long, but I never had a problem with staying engaged, it could have been a little shorter with a few trims but in general that was the better. And that's nowhere near Scorsese at his best, that's him with one hand tied behind his back. "Heat" IS one of Michael Mann's best movies.....and at the end of the day, his work ain't that impressive.
Saw this in the theatre. The bank robbery gunfight in the street is still a high water mark for me to this day. Just based on the sound alone, it might be one of the most visceral gunfights put to film.
Guess you never saw "The Godfather", or the original "Scarface", (or the inferior remake for that matter!), or "Bonnie And Clyde", LOL. The bank robbery gunfight in the street is a typically dopey over the top 90s Hollywood blast fest, it's a coloring book for dummies who like seeing the same movie over and over again under different titles, lol. Heat is elevated by who is in it, but jesus christ, you're impressed by nothing. I saw it in the theatre, I said "ho hum, what a disappointing use of Pacino and De Niro". (luckily "Casino" came out the same year, a movie with some actual good directing, lol)
Yes, Pacino and De Niro are both in Godfather II, but they don't share the screen together. De Niro plays the younger version of Vito, Michael's (Pacino) father in flashbacks to Don Vito Corleone's rise through the criminal underworld. This was actually the first time they'd ever be acting off each other. it was considered a pretty big deal for the time and it did NOT disappoint. Every frame of this movie was absolutely riveting. The coffee shop scene is one of my all-time favorites.
Ok, hot take: I was 20 in 1995 and I went with my gf to see Heat, super excited about the De Niro and Pacino pair up...and when the coffee shop scene ended, both of us were like "WTF was that"? The scene is all cutting back and forth between De Niro and Pacino, there are no wide shots to establish that both are sharing the same table and are in the same scene. The back of the heads of each actor can easily be a stunt man. We both said that by the form it was edited, you can readily say that both actors were filmed separately and "put together" in post.
Heat a 3 hour movie was released the same year(I'm pretty sure in the same month as well) as Casino, another 3 hour movie which also starred DeNiro..In the 90s 3 hour movies were extremely rare
The best thing about this movie is that it's inspired by the true events of a cop and career criminal who matched wits in Chicago in the 60s. His story inspired Michael Mann to make this movie
Mann said that the Portman twist was planned. He wanted the audience to forget about her the way her family does. I remember seeing that and was shocked. Very effective plot direction. Also, there was a deleted story detail that Pacino's character has a cocaine problem. Hence his insane deliveries. lol
Manhunter (1986) was a great early Mann film. It was actually the first movie to feature the character Hannibal Lecter. (If I remember correctly Red Dragon is basically a remake of it.)
@@LordVolkov Fair, I like Red Dragon as well. I just remember being a film major in the late 90s and a bunch of us watching Manhunter together and being really impressed and inspired by it.
Fun fact: the opening bank robbery in the dark knight was inspired by the bank robbery scene in heat, complete with William fitchner who plays zant in heat and the bank manager in the dark knight.
The bank shootout scene in Heat was in turn inspired by the real life 1994 North Hollywood shootout. So a real bank heist inspired two different movies
Michael Mann and Chris Nolan both have brothers who are Navy SEALS which informs a lot of their action film-making and is the reason a lot of their sensibilities are similar. (James Cameron is also in that club)
Michael Mann just released a book, Heat 2, that is a combination prequel/sequel to the events in the movie. It has one timeline that takes place about 6 years before the movie and another timeline that covers the immediate aftermath of the movie and generally follows Val Kilmer's character and Al Pacino's character. It's a great read and there is talk about adapting it for film. The biggest road block would be recasting.
24:29 They put the masks on late on purpose. The surveillance was disabled and you'll notice that Chris was the one who struck first drawing all the attention of everyone in the bank while the other two covered their faces and pulled out their guns to intervene the guards as they were attracted to Chris. You'll also notice that later Chris cut his hair so he looks completely different to what witnesses would of described him as looking like. So the only description the witnesses will be giving officers later is that one of them had long blonde hair tied up. There is some clever psychology to it. A lot of misdirection which helps them take over the bank quickly with the element of surprise.
Shootout and the planes landing in the climactic scene were jaw-dropping in the theater. The sound took your breath away! In my 5 decades of going to the theater, it's one of a handful of memorable experiences that only the theater can provide.
I, too, am alone but not lonely.:) What happened at the start, which triggered the events that blew it all open, was the new guy Waingro turning shooter, and being told to fall back by calling "slick, what're you doing". Then that "slick" was heard by a homeless man, and then one of the leads was on a guy who says "slick". That's what busted them open, and got the heat on them. And then when Waingro got away he was spreading the word he knew who they are got the heat up even more. As to age difference. it doesn't always matter much, and sometimes it's a juge deal breaker. Finding someone you get along well with is not always easy, and sometimes finding someone you fit well with will transcend problems like age, class, what have you. Such connections are rare, but they happen. Especially with driven people, and that he is. And it seems she is. They first disable the cameras, before walking in to the bank. They did a whole thing of that, but it was only a sentence and before that scene started. Cameras and alarms were all turned off, that is why they expected it to go smooth. And then Chris saw armed cops and in a split second decided to open fire. Waingro got shot in a pattern called a "Mozambique drill". Two center mass, one head. But other moves are not as tight and as solid on details as this movie. No other heist or action movie comes close to how tight things are done here. Some are better in othe respects, but 30 years later nothing has come close.
You're absolutely right, when I left the theater after seeing this in 1995 I was stunned. I couldn't believe what I had just seen and even now I consider it one of my favorite movie-going experiences.
Micahel Mann is a true-crime nut and makes a lot of movies based on true crime and fictional crime movies that are very realistic. He also has a brother who is a Navy SEAL, so his shootout scenes are exhaustively informed and meticulously executed and are legendary as a result. He made the first Hanibal Lecter movie "Manhunter" (based on "Red Dragon") in 1986. He also co-created the "Miami Vice" TV series with Anthony Yerkovich. Besides "Heat" his most famous movie is "Collateral," but you should also see "Thief" "Public Enemies" the "Miami Vice" movie, and his one major foray away from crime dramas "Last of The Mohicans" Michael Mann made a prison movie called "Jericho Mile" in 1979. Shot on location in a prison, he used some inmates as extras and castmembers and became enamored with the unique and surprising culture they had. It prompted him to research the subject and one big thing he was interested in was how a lot of "professional" criminals make their contacts and set up these organizations in prison. The whole network they had set up in the movie where one guy would buy plans for heists from scouting crews and sell them to crews who would actually do the heists, those guys all met, learned their skills, picked their specialties and formed their teams in prison, to go on to work with each other on the outside. The DiNiro and Pacino characters are based on a real life career thief and the police detective who caught him (Neil McCauly and Chuck Adamson) The conversation over coffee really happened. Mann actually made a scaled-down made-for-tv version of this movie *before* Heat, called "LA Takedown" (1989)
Not quite - LA Takedown is the original low budget, unknown actors - same script. Heat is actually a remake with a bigger budget and powerhouse casting Mann was able to generate off the back of his success.
Heat is Michael Mann's masterpiece. Great movie. Other great Michael Mann movies are "The Jericho Mile" (1979) & "Manhunter" (1986). If you want to watch another great heist film then react to "Sneakers" (1992). If you want to react to another great character piece full of great actors then watch "Cop Land" (1997).
HEAT is probably the best crime/heist film EVER and the 2 scenes that make that in my opinion are the "city Street big shoot-out" and the "cafe" scene where de Niro and Pacino have a coffee and a chat. I get goosebumps with excitement every time I watch the Cafe scene.
A long time ago I was around hardened criminals and that is indeed the attitude. The director, Michael Mann got that down pat. Like everything else in this movie.
Mann originally wrote it for a tv mini series pilot in the 80's called LA Takedown, available on heat special edition. Fun fact: the actor who plays "ralph" justeens side piece, played pacino's " vincent hannah" in the tv series. Not sure if the pilot ever made it to air.
The shootout scene was so realistic because it was one if the first movies to have its main actors trained in tactical shooting. Michael Mann intentionally set the sound levels high in that scene to convey the reality of firing weapons like those.
Shanelle, you NEED to see Miami Vice and Colateral, especially the latter. Mann blends action and storytelling like no other. I saw this at the theater and the shootout sequence was so loud, I litterally left you in a state of shock.
Michael Mann is one of my favorite directors. I would recommend Last of the Mohicans as the first of his movies to watch next. Then Collateral. Skip Miami Vice.
I'd add the earlier work by Mann, Manhunter (no pun) from 1986, which had an early appearance of the character of Hannibal Lektor in a supporting position. (Although squeamish viewers might want to be cautious.)
The LA bank robbery shootout with police in 1996 (lots of youtube vids where you can watch the shootout go down with live tv coverage) ,, but when police went to the hotel where the two guys were staying at they found that in their VHS player was this movie Heat ... Most likely just before or night before the heist and shootout they watched this movie to get psyched up
This was the first time Deniro and Pacino were shot in the same screen in the dinner scene. Iconic scene! Aren’t you Italian and you haven’t seen Godfather 2?
I love how this is a movie about two men who are victims of their own natures, and how that makes them almost closer and more intimately linked with each other than anyone else in their lives.
Oh snap! This should be a great reaction. An interesting blend of high-powered directing and acting with a genre Shan’s doesn’t cover often. Can’t wait to see her take on it.
I think you will love a deep dive in Michael Mann. He's a case study in mode and tone in the action genre. His filmmaking is innovative in a lot of ways too. Practically every movie invests time in the characters so you won't feel lost, he loves the geography of an action scene so you feel grounded and "in place" during a scene, and he breaks some new ground technologically. His night shooting during Miami Vice using digital cameras is incredible. Heat deserves all the praise it gets. Superb action, deliberate pace to soak yourselves in the lives of these men and the chaos they leave for their families and loved ones. And a slow demonstration in how Neal feel victim to the caution about being to leave everything in 30 seconds flat. He felt left out during the celebratory dinner. But the amazing thing is that it wasn't Edie that led to his demise but his inability to let Waingro leave is it. It's nice that they don't blame women for anything that goes wrong or the bad relationships the main characters have, which is sadly rare in the 90s. Wonderful reaction!
I said in another comment, I find Mann hit and miss because he falls into a style over story trap a lot. But when it all clicks, it's fantastic. It's also hard to underestimate how much of "The 80s vibe" he was responsible for creating. The movie is fine, but "Miami Vice" the show, in the 80s, was a juggernaut.
Awesome that you reviewed this movie. It is currently in my downloads for my 3 hour layover in Fort Lauderdale on Friday. And the GREAT ASS!! line is one of my favorite in this movie.
Chris getting past those cops and driving away scot free is the part that always stretches my suspension of disbelief. The LAPD have been shadowing Neil's crew for weeks, they've got mugshots and rap sheets on all of them, they're staking out the house specifically waiting for him to show up... and he bluffs his way past the checkpoint with a haircut and a fake ID? Are you telling me they didn't have a photo of him to go by?
This is one of my favorite films for so many reasons. Here is my essential Michael Mann list (other than Heat): The Last of the Mohicans Collateral (with Tom Cruise as the bad guy - this should be right up your alley) Manhunter I've always felt Mann's films were more about tension and/or drama than action. As a wannabe filmmaker, I study the shit out of much of his work.
@ShanelleRiccio I love this film, easily my favourite film. The cast is among one of the best ever compiled. I've seen it so many times and it never ever disappoints.
Michael Mann is a very stylish director. You would enjoy Collateral (Tom Cruise, Jaime Foxx) and Last of the Mohicans (Daniel Day-Lewis) in particular.
I saw it in theaters in 1995 and that gunfight after the bank heist was so epic to see in theaters and that was the first thing me and my friends mentioned after the movie. It is the best gunfight sequence to this day. EPIC! Just as you mentioned the sound from the automatic rifles are so loud and for a reason and that really came thru in theaters and had such an impact on the scene.
I love this movie for a lot of reasons, but mostly for the reason that there isn't a slacker in the acting department because it's filled with people that know and love their art. So many great names that make this movie as great as it is.
Michael Mann originally did a movie called “L.A. Takedown” a few years before Heat. Heat was filmed almost shot for shot replicating L.A. Takedown. Heat is my favorite heist movie.
If you like this movie I highly recommend Collateral. It’s such a great movie and is a personal favorite Tom cruise performance. Such a great portrayal of Los Angeles and great direction from Michael Mann!!!
Collateral captures a very unique side of LA, and I love when a city is a character in the movie through images of bystanders or moody lingering shots. Wong Kar-Wai does this a lot too, particularly in Chungking Express and Fallen Angels.
Collateral is a must-watch. I think it's Tom Cruise's best role he plays a professional killer. Jamie Foxx is also fantastic as his hostage / taxi cab driver
39:24 - Welp, I do remember you finally adding Taxi Driver and Casino to the list after I suggested them on the last live for the gazillionth time so I'm hopeful now. 😁
You won't get confused with Collateral. Straight forward, superbly acted. Also, fun fact, fastest quick draw I've ever seen in a movie. You'll know it when you see it.
Lol on the De Niro saying I’m from the Bay Area Line. He clearly is from New York:) I also love that in the Script, it says that Hannah, Pacino’s character might have a slight cocaine habit to keep him sharp and on the edge, but totally accounts for his ferocious outbursts. Love this film. Excellent reaction:)
This is still a great movie. Thank-you for reacting to it, i know the longer films are harder for you to watch. That being said it would be fantastic if you would consider watching more crime thrillers like LA Confidential (Russell Crowe, Guy Pearce, Kevin Spacey) 2 HRS 18 Mins / Colateral (Tom Cruise & Jamie Fox) 2 HRS / Snatch (Ensemble cast) 1 HRS 44 Mins - British crime drama.
The guy selling the shape-charges at the beginning is played by Martin Ferrero, who also plays the asshole lawyer who gets eaten by the TRex in JURASSIC PARK.
Shan, you mention they put their cover on after walking into the bank. Part of Kelso's pitch to Neal was that they go in the night before and rig the cameras and security to turn off 20 minutes before walking in. That's what the parking garage bit was after they dumped LAPD's surveillance. Funny trivia nugget. Trejo's house was sold not that long after filming wrapped. The homeowners saw the movie, noticed it was their house. They pulled the carpet up in the room where he was shot and saw there was still a fake blood stain on the floor 😂
Saw this in the theater and knew both the lighting and the sound were groundbreaking...the shootout sound scene alone, happy accident though it may have been, was breathtaking
Michael Mann's Manhunter (directors cut only) is a must watch for Michael Mann films. I'm sure its been recommended elsewhere but wanted to throw my 2 cents in. This was great to watch - thank u for sharing.
Neil coming back to take out Waingro wasn't only a matter of pride. Not only had Waingro royally screwed up all of Neil's plans and broken up his crew, he'd also gotten several of his friends killed. That'd be hard to walk away from, especially if Neil thought he had a decent chance of getting revenge and still making it out afterwards.
Saw this in the theater I remember it was freezing outside since it was mid December. Me and my friend decided on a the spot! Glad we did this movie was excellent!
I watched this film for the first time (seen it 30 times at least by now) in the new Irvine Spectrum 21 theaters in which the had much upgraded sound systems. I was absolutely shook by the real sound of machine guns in the robbery scene. By far the loudest gun noise I have ever seen in any movie ever.
That helicopter and car scene with Moby's version of New Dawn Fades is epic. And they masked up because witnesses could ID them. But if you saw that scene in the parking garage....you would see them cutting out the tel alarm and the cell alarm the night before.
The street shootout is so intense, with all that concrete and glass in the street made for a really good sound. I'm not so keen on guns coming from the UK but hey I play shooting games on PlayStation so when I watch that scene the volume goes up because it is so awesome to watch and hear. I'd heard that the gun scene was the most realistic in cinema, a real popcorn moment. the end where he holds his hand as the life slips away is so touching with some respect to him I feel.
I remember watching the news in February '97 when the intense bank robbery in Hollywood (CA) went down and it immediately reminded me of the shootout in Heat.
"Midnight Run" is an action/comedy w/ Robert DeNiro & Charles Grodin that I like a lot. I think you'd enjoy it too. It's not complicated and hard to follow, either. "Deliverance", with Jon Voight, Ronny Cox, Burt Reynolds and Ned Beatty is a classic must see. Btw, I thought that was Katherine Heigl at first, too.
I like LA Takedown, the first version of this directed by also Mann, it an above average TV movie that suffered from a TV budget, TV acting and network TV censorship.
Regarding the origin of the film's story, a much earlier and shorter version was originally written by Mann as a TV pilot in the late 80's, but instead became a made-for-TV movie called L.A Takedown, which released in 1989. The story was based on the real-life investigation of Chicago criminal Neil McCauley (according to Wikipedia). Obviously, this made-for-TV movie served as the basis for Heat (which can basically be thought of as a remake). Also another little fun fact, Christopher Nolan has been heavily inspired by Heat, in particular when it came to making The Dark Knight.
The sound during the big shootout was the original sound recorded when shooting, hence why its so loud and raw. Further it's been rated by a number of people to be scarily accurate.
The Native American detective who tells Al that Bobby drove past LAX, is Wes Studi. He was also in The Last of the Mohicans (1993) and Geronimo: An American Hero a few years later with the other Bobby D.; also one of Matt Damon's first starring roles
I agree it's a great film, but certain parts of the screenplay are underdeveloped, imo. Otherwise, pure cinema. The last 20 minutes is absolutely magnificent.
I worked in an office in downtown LA in 1994 when they filmed the bank shootout. For 4 days, an entire block was cordoned off and there was machine gun fire on and off all day long. During lunch I would walk to the corner and watch the filming, along with a hundred other onlookers. We were told that it was for a movie called "Heat," but we were too far away to see any of the major stars. Still a cool memory though.
TRIVIA: For music lovers. @13:00 is Rapper Tone Loc best know for the song "Funky Cold Medina" and @29:15 is Henry Rollins he was in the punk band Black Flag.
What I love about the bank heist scene is how it goes from 0-60 in less than a second. It’s exactly how things like that go down in real life. Michael Mann is a genius at stretching tension to the breaking point and then letting it snap.
The shootout scene with Kilmer and De Niro shooting and moving is one of the best demonstrations of “Bounding under fire” ever on film. When one yells “GO” laying down suppressive fire while the other advances. “Shoot, move, communicate.”
Far and away the best shootout scene in cinema history. But no one ever seems to mention how eerily similar this was to the real life North Hollywood Bank of America robbery that happened about a year later.
Yeah I saw that footage from the helicopter. Scary similar.
Life imitating art, I guess. I'm sure most Gen Xers or older remember that shootout. It was absolutely bananas, it was broadcast live, and it went on forever.
I worked in an office in downtown LA in 1994 when they filmed the bank shootout. For 4 days, an entire block was cordoned off and there was machine gun fire on and off all day long. During lunch I would walk to the corner and watch the filming, along with a hundred other onlookers. We were told that it was for a movie called "Heat," but we were too far away to see any of the major stars. Still a cool memory though.
Many law enforcement agencies use the clip from the shootout scene in police training for its accuracy.
The two shooters/robbers had a copy of heat on vhs in their apartment 😬
I did see this in a mall movie theater a month or so after it was released. It stands out in my memory because it was, and still is, unique among my movie theater experiences. I was in the back row and could see the entire theater easily and every seat was filled 20 minutes before showtime. No one came in after the movie started. No one got up for a bathroom break. No one left until after the credits were done. This was long before "end credit scenes" were a thing. When the big gunfight started, many people nearly gave themselves whiplash because the surround sound had that realistic gunfire coming from all directions.
You too! I was in neckbreaker row, second row from the front and I was sure that the sound was extra loud on purpose. I loved how the bullets firing was bouncing off the nearby buildings as echo ricochet.
Great story
@@deathbysnoosnoo8640 so sad that all these "reactors" have to see this for the first time on a small screen. totally different experience in the theater
To be fair, usually when you go to the movies no one gets up for a bathroom break. I saw "Casino" the same year in a gigantic old movie palace that held over 1,000 people, nobody got up during the entire 3 plus hours. I can probably count on one hand the amount of times I've gotten up and left a movie to use the bathroom or get popcorn. I'm there to see the movie, I don't want to miss anything. I saw "Heat" in the theatre too, I thought it was a total disappointment. It was ok, don't get me wrong, but jesus christ, lol. It was like going to see another dopey 90s action movie, except with great acting. Of the two movie theater experiences, "Casino" was WAY more dazzling and memorable. "Heat" could have been (and should have been) trimmed down, it's way too long of a movie with extraneous, poorly-written stuff that could have trimmed or improved. "Casino" is also long, but I never had a problem with staying engaged, it could have been a little shorter with a few trims but in general that was the better. And that's nowhere near Scorsese at his best, that's him with one hand tied behind his back. "Heat" IS one of Michael Mann's best movies.....and at the end of the day, his work ain't that impressive.
Saw this in the theatre. The bank robbery gunfight in the street is still a high water mark for me to this day. Just based on the sound alone, it might be one of the most visceral gunfights put to film.
The sound is so amazingly well done. So many movies get the sound of guns, not "wrong'", but yeah. This one does it beautify.
Guess you never saw "The Godfather", or the original "Scarface", (or the inferior remake for that matter!), or "Bonnie And Clyde", LOL. The bank robbery gunfight in the street is a typically dopey over the top 90s Hollywood blast fest, it's a coloring book for dummies who like seeing the same movie over and over again under different titles, lol. Heat is elevated by who is in it, but jesus christ, you're impressed by nothing. I saw it in the theatre, I said "ho hum, what a disappointing use of Pacino and De Niro". (luckily "Casino" came out the same year, a movie with some actual good directing, lol)
This. The sound of the gunfight in the streets is just perfectly done.
@@Bill_pierre Lol. You're easily entertained, lmfao.
Likewise.
Yes, Pacino and De Niro are both in Godfather II, but they don't share the screen together. De Niro plays the younger version of Vito, Michael's (Pacino) father in flashbacks to Don Vito Corleone's rise through the criminal underworld. This was actually the first time they'd ever be acting off each other. it was considered a pretty big deal for the time and it did NOT disappoint. Every frame of this movie was absolutely riveting. The coffee shop scene is one of my all-time favorites.
Ok, hot take: I was 20 in 1995 and I went with my gf to see Heat, super excited about the De Niro and Pacino pair up...and when the coffee shop scene ended, both of us were like "WTF was that"? The scene is all cutting back and forth between De Niro and Pacino, there are no wide shots to establish that both are sharing the same table and are in the same scene. The back of the heads of each actor can easily be a stunt man. We both said that by the form it was edited, you can readily say that both actors were filmed separately and "put together" in post.
Heat a 3 hour movie was released the same year(I'm pretty sure in the same month as well)
as Casino, another 3 hour movie which also starred DeNiro..In the 90s 3 hour movies were extremely rare
The best thing about this movie is that it's inspired by the true events of a cop and career criminal who matched wits in Chicago in the 60s. His story inspired Michael Mann to make this movie
Mann said that the Portman twist was planned. He wanted the audience to forget about her the way her family does. I remember seeing that and was shocked. Very effective plot direction. Also, there was a deleted story detail that Pacino's character has a cocaine problem. Hence his insane deliveries. lol
Manhunter (1986) was a great early Mann film. It was actually the first movie to feature the character Hannibal Lecter. (If I remember correctly Red Dragon is basically a remake of it.)
Different interpretations of the same source material. I personally prefer Red Dragon.
@@LordVolkov Fair, I like Red Dragon as well. I just remember being a film major in the late 90s and a bunch of us watching Manhunter together and being really impressed and inspired by it.
Fun fact: the opening bank robbery in the dark knight was inspired by the bank robbery scene in heat, complete with William fitchner who plays zant in heat and the bank manager in the dark knight.
The bank shootout scene in Heat was in turn inspired by the real life 1994 North Hollywood shootout. So a real bank heist inspired two different movies
Chris Nolan is a fan of "Heat". He even had a Q & A with DeNiro, Pacino and Mann some years ago.
I thought the North Hollywood shootout was in 1997 and the real life bank robbers were inspired by the 1995 movie Heat.
@@charlize1253 No, that shootout happened in 1997 AFTER Heat came out. Heat inspired that robbery and shootout.
Michael Mann and Chris Nolan both have brothers who are Navy SEALS which informs a lot of their action film-making and is the reason a lot of their sensibilities are similar. (James Cameron is also in that club)
Michael Mann just released a book, Heat 2, that is a combination prequel/sequel to the events in the movie. It has one timeline that takes place about 6 years before the movie and another timeline that covers the immediate aftermath of the movie and generally follows Val Kilmer's character and Al Pacino's character. It's a great read and there is talk about adapting it for film. The biggest road block would be recasting.
What happens to Kilmer´s character?
On my way to my summer vacation in Greece. Got that book on my Kindle. Along with about 4 others. It‘s worth it?
@@RobTheWatcher I really liked it
24:29 They put the masks on late on purpose. The surveillance was disabled and you'll notice that Chris was the one who struck first drawing all the attention of everyone in the bank while the other two covered their faces and pulled out their guns to intervene the guards as they were attracted to Chris. You'll also notice that later Chris cut his hair so he looks completely different to what witnesses would of described him as looking like. So the only description the witnesses will be giving officers later is that one of them had long blonde hair tied up. There is some clever psychology to it. A lot of misdirection which helps them take over the bank quickly with the element of surprise.
Shootout and the planes landing in the climactic scene were jaw-dropping in the theater. The sound took your breath away! In my 5 decades of going to the theater, it's one of a handful of memorable experiences that only the theater can provide.
I, too, am alone but not lonely.:)
What happened at the start, which triggered the events that blew it all open, was the new guy Waingro turning shooter, and being told to fall back by calling "slick, what're you doing". Then that "slick" was heard by a homeless man, and then one of the leads was on a guy who says "slick".
That's what busted them open, and got the heat on them. And then when Waingro got away he was spreading the word he knew who they are got the heat up even more.
As to age difference. it doesn't always matter much, and sometimes it's a juge deal breaker. Finding someone you get along well with is not always easy, and sometimes finding someone you fit well with will transcend problems like age, class, what have you. Such connections are rare, but they happen. Especially with driven people, and that he is. And it seems she is.
They first disable the cameras, before walking in to the bank. They did a whole thing of that, but it was only a sentence and before that scene started. Cameras and alarms were all turned off, that is why they expected it to go smooth. And then Chris saw armed cops and in a split second decided to open fire.
Waingro got shot in a pattern called a "Mozambique drill". Two center mass, one head.
But other moves are not as tight and as solid on details as this movie. No other heist or action movie comes close to how tight things are done here. Some are better in othe respects, but 30 years later nothing has come close.
You're absolutely right, when I left the theater after seeing this in 1995 I was stunned. I couldn't believe what I had just seen and even now I consider it one of my favorite movie-going experiences.
Micahel Mann is a true-crime nut and makes a lot of movies based on true crime and fictional crime movies that are very realistic. He also has a brother who is a Navy SEAL, so his shootout scenes are exhaustively informed and meticulously executed and are legendary as a result.
He made the first Hanibal Lecter movie "Manhunter" (based on "Red Dragon") in 1986. He also co-created the "Miami Vice" TV series with Anthony Yerkovich. Besides "Heat" his most famous movie is "Collateral," but you should also see "Thief" "Public Enemies" the "Miami Vice" movie, and his one major foray away from crime dramas "Last of The Mohicans"
Michael Mann made a prison movie called "Jericho Mile" in 1979. Shot on location in a prison, he used some inmates as extras and castmembers and became enamored with the unique and surprising culture they had. It prompted him to research the subject and one big thing he was interested in was how a lot of "professional" criminals make their contacts and set up these organizations in prison. The whole network they had set up in the movie where one guy would buy plans for heists from scouting crews and sell them to crews who would actually do the heists, those guys all met, learned their skills, picked their specialties and formed their teams in prison, to go on to work with each other on the outside.
The DiNiro and Pacino characters are based on a real life career thief and the police detective who caught him (Neil McCauly and Chuck Adamson) The conversation over coffee really happened. Mann actually made a scaled-down made-for-tv version of this movie *before* Heat, called "LA Takedown" (1989)
You forgot to mention "Manhunter" the original Hannibal Lecter movie.
Magua from LOTM plays a cop here
Not quite - LA Takedown is the original low budget, unknown actors - same script. Heat is actually a remake with a bigger budget and powerhouse casting Mann was able to generate off the back of his success.
Heat is Michael Mann's masterpiece. Great movie. Other great Michael Mann movies are "The Jericho Mile" (1979) & "Manhunter" (1986). If you want to watch another great heist film then react to "Sneakers" (1992). If you want to react to another great character piece full of great actors then watch "Cop Land" (1997).
Thief and Last of the Mohicans
"Sneakers" is an underrated movie.
Collateral (2004)
Heat had a great cast where everybody pulled their weight, no passengers along for the ride
Right, everybody had a purpose. Nobody felt like an extra.
HEAT is probably the best crime/heist film EVER and the 2 scenes that make that in my opinion are the "city Street big shoot-out" and the "cafe" scene where de Niro and Pacino have a coffee and a chat. I get goosebumps with excitement every time I watch the Cafe scene.
A long time ago I was around hardened criminals and that is indeed the attitude. The director, Michael Mann got that down pat. Like everything else in this movie.
Every scene makes it that. Those scenes are just gravy.
'95 was a phenomenal year for crime films: Heat, Se7en, The Usual Suspects, Casino, La Haine, etc...
Yes! Usual Suspects in particular is a favorite for me!
Don't forget Dead Presidents.
Bad boys, comedy / action tho,but still worth mentioning
Fun Fact: The bank cameras were tricked out 15 minutes before the heist according to previous dialog!
Mann originally wrote it for a tv mini series pilot in the 80's called LA Takedown, available on heat special edition. Fun fact: the actor who plays "ralph" justeens side piece, played pacino's " vincent hannah" in the tv series. Not sure if the pilot ever made it to air.
The shootout scene was so realistic because it was one if the first movies to have its main actors trained in tactical shooting. Michael Mann intentionally set the sound levels high in that scene to convey the reality of firing weapons like those.
Shanelle, you NEED to see Miami Vice and Colateral, especially the latter. Mann blends action and storytelling like no other. I saw this at the theater and the shootout sequence was so loud, I litterally left you in a state of shock.
Michael Mann is one of my favorite directors. I would recommend Last of the Mohicans as the first of his movies to watch next. Then Collateral. Skip Miami Vice.
I'd add the earlier work by Mann, Manhunter (no pun) from 1986, which had an early appearance of the character of Hannibal Lektor in a supporting position. (Although squeamish viewers might want to be cautious.)
Me encanta miami vice
That was fast! I didn't think you would finish editing so quick. 2 of my favorite movies back to back. Thank you!
Rodger Van Zant's main henchman is former Black Flag member Henry Rollins and the guy that Pacino meets in the nightclub is 80s rap star Tone Loc.
Nice catch! Love a musician cameo 🤘
Two ex-22 SAS soldiers were the advisors and choreographers for the firefight scenes, respect.
The LA bank robbery shootout with police in 1996 (lots of youtube vids where you can watch the shootout go down with live tv coverage) ,, but when police went to the hotel where the two guys were staying at they found that in their VHS player was this movie Heat ... Most likely just before or night before the heist and shootout they watched this movie to get psyched up
This was the first time Deniro and Pacino were shot in the same screen in the dinner scene. Iconic scene! Aren’t you Italian and you haven’t seen Godfather 2?
I love how this is a movie about two men who are victims of their own natures, and how that makes them almost closer and more intimately linked with each other than anyone else in their lives.
Oh snap! This should be a great reaction. An interesting blend of high-powered directing and acting with a genre Shan’s doesn’t cover often. Can’t wait to see her take on it.
I think you will love a deep dive in Michael Mann. He's a case study in mode and tone in the action genre. His filmmaking is innovative in a lot of ways too. Practically every movie invests time in the characters so you won't feel lost, he loves the geography of an action scene so you feel grounded and "in place" during a scene, and he breaks some new ground technologically. His night shooting during Miami Vice using digital cameras is incredible.
Heat deserves all the praise it gets. Superb action, deliberate pace to soak yourselves in the lives of these men and the chaos they leave for their families and loved ones. And a slow demonstration in how Neal feel victim to the caution about being to leave everything in 30 seconds flat. He felt left out during the celebratory dinner. But the amazing thing is that it wasn't Edie that led to his demise but his inability to let Waingro leave is it. It's nice that they don't blame women for anything that goes wrong or the bad relationships the main characters have, which is sadly rare in the 90s.
Wonderful reaction!
I said in another comment, I find Mann hit and miss because he falls into a style over story trap a lot. But when it all clicks, it's fantastic.
It's also hard to underestimate how much of "The 80s vibe" he was responsible for creating. The movie is fine, but "Miami Vice" the show, in the 80s, was a juggernaut.
Collateral is fantastic! One of the first film's to use HD cameras, the night time shots of Los Angeles are amazing
LA Confidential is a masterpiece & you should 100% watch it!
37:50 - And that shot of him from the back standing over they guy he just killed with the open desert night sky backdrop...epic.
Favorite Michael Mann movies in order: Collateral, Last of the Mohicans, Miami Vice. Just off top of my head, I’m sure there are others.
Awesome that you reviewed this movie. It is currently in my downloads for my 3 hour layover in Fort Lauderdale on Friday. And the GREAT ASS!! line is one of my favorite in this movie.
Collateral is a beautiful followup.
Chris getting past those cops and driving away scot free is the part that always stretches my suspension of disbelief. The LAPD have been shadowing Neil's crew for weeks, they've got mugshots and rap sheets on all of them, they're staking out the house specifically waiting for him to show up... and he bluffs his way past the checkpoint with a haircut and a fake ID? Are you telling me they didn't have a photo of him to go by?
This is one of my favorite films for so many reasons. Here is my essential Michael Mann list (other than Heat):
The Last of the Mohicans
Collateral (with Tom Cruise as the bad guy - this should be right up your alley)
Manhunter
I've always felt Mann's films were more about tension and/or drama than action. As a wannabe filmmaker, I study the shit out of much of his work.
Affirmative, it is about drama and intrigue.
@ShanelleRiccio I love this film, easily my favourite film. The cast is among one of the best ever compiled. I've seen it so many times and it never ever disappoints.
Michael Mann... everything he touches turns to gold. He also directed my favourite tv show of all time "Miami Vice". Yes, the original 80s.
Michael Mann is a very stylish director. You would enjoy Collateral (Tom Cruise, Jaime Foxx) and Last of the Mohicans (Daniel Day-Lewis) in particular.
I agree!
3:00 - Wow, that's an upgrade from "Where are we, New York? Is this New York?"! 🤣
Heat walked so The Town could run.
Pacino did some cocaine for some of those high energy scenes. "Gimme all you got"!
I saw it in theaters in 1995 and that gunfight after the bank heist was so epic to see in theaters and that was the first thing me and my friends mentioned after the movie. It is the best gunfight sequence to this day. EPIC! Just as you mentioned the sound from the automatic rifles are so loud and for a reason and that really came thru in theaters and had such an impact on the scene.
Watch Godfather 2.
De Niro won his first Oscar for it,
playing the younger version of Brando's Godfather.
Between this and Collateral, you can tell that Michael Mann truly loves L.A. I’d also recommend Manhunter.
I love this movie for a lot of reasons, but mostly for the reason that there isn't a slacker in the acting department because it's filled with people that know and love their art. So many great names that make this movie as great as it is.
I saw this opening day Christmas 95. Great movie
Could u imagine, just hanging out in back sets, trailers, etc., with this cast of people, all with decades of movies history?
"He could've just said I quit guys. right?" Nope, some bosses deserve a shove. like one who takes money, 25%, from a ex-con simple because he can
The coffee shop scene alone was worth the price of admittance in the theater.
Michael Mann originally did a movie called “L.A. Takedown” a few years before Heat. Heat was filmed almost shot for shot replicating L.A. Takedown. Heat is my favorite heist movie.
If you like this movie I highly recommend Collateral. It’s such a great movie and is a personal favorite Tom cruise performance. Such a great portrayal of Los Angeles and great direction from Michael Mann!!!
Collateral captures a very unique side of LA, and I love when a city is a character in the movie through images of bystanders or moody lingering shots.
Wong Kar-Wai does this a lot too, particularly in Chungking Express and Fallen Angels.
Cameras were cut off remotely before they entered the bank.
Shan: I have trouble understanding action movies.
Five minutes later..
Shan: I could totally be a criminal mastermind.
lol
Collateral is a must-watch. I think it's Tom Cruise's best role he plays a professional killer. Jamie Foxx is also fantastic as his hostage / taxi cab driver
39:24 - Welp, I do remember you finally adding Taxi Driver and Casino to the list after I suggested them on the last live for the gazillionth time so I'm hopeful now. 😁
You won't get confused with Collateral. Straight forward, superbly acted. Also, fun fact, fastest quick draw I've ever seen in a movie. You'll know it when you see it.
Yo homie
She's seen all these films 😂 you do realise reaction channels are a hustle on RUclips.
One of my all time favorites!!
This Movie is a Masterpiece.
I just noticed I feel like this is the only movie where the gunshots sound fairly accurate
29:10 Damn Shanelle confirmed not a ride or die 😢
37:25 The music is Moby's 'God Moving Over the Face of the Waters' from the 1995 album 'Everything Is Wrong'. :)
Definitely recommend Collateral. Also, for heist films, The Thomas Crown Affair (1999), and The Score (2001).
What do you mean "why?how?" BobbyD' wasn't that old here. He's quite handsome 😆 and you said it,he's so cool. Plus he's dangerous and has money.
Lol on the De Niro saying I’m from the Bay Area Line. He clearly is from New York:) I also love that in the Script, it says that Hannah, Pacino’s character might have a slight cocaine habit to keep him sharp and on the edge, but totally accounts for his ferocious outbursts. Love this film. Excellent reaction:)
Did you not see the hand signal she did to let Chris know it wasn't safe?
Yes the best parts are when you've been whispering recently even if just briefly
thanks Shanelle!! One of my favorite films of all time!!!
This is still a great movie. Thank-you for reacting to it, i know the longer films are harder for you to watch. That being said it would be fantastic if you would consider watching more crime thrillers like LA Confidential (Russell Crowe, Guy Pearce, Kevin Spacey) 2 HRS 18 Mins / Colateral (Tom Cruise & Jamie Fox) 2 HRS / Snatch (Ensemble cast) 1 HRS 44 Mins - British crime drama.
The guy selling the shape-charges at the beginning is played by Martin Ferrero, who also plays the asshole lawyer who gets eaten by the TRex in JURASSIC PARK.
Shan, you mention they put their cover on after walking into the bank. Part of Kelso's pitch to Neal was that they go in the night before and rig the cameras and security to turn off 20 minutes before walking in. That's what the parking garage bit was after they dumped LAPD's surveillance.
Funny trivia nugget. Trejo's house was sold not that long after filming wrapped. The homeowners saw the movie, noticed it was their house. They pulled the carpet up in the room where he was shot and saw there was still a fake blood stain on the floor 😂
Saw this in the theater and knew both the lighting and the sound were groundbreaking...the shootout sound scene alone, happy accident though it may have been, was breathtaking
Saw this in theater. Gunfight was epic.
Michael Mann's Manhunter (directors cut only) is a must watch for Michael Mann films. I'm sure its been recommended elsewhere but wanted to throw my 2 cents in.
This was great to watch - thank u for sharing.
Neil coming back to take out Waingro wasn't only a matter of pride. Not only had Waingro royally screwed up all of Neil's plans and broken up his crew, he'd also gotten several of his friends killed. That'd be hard to walk away from, especially if Neil thought he had a decent chance of getting revenge and still making it out afterwards.
Saw this in the theater I remember it was freezing outside since it was mid December. Me and my friend decided on a the spot! Glad we did this movie was excellent!
25:38 This shootout manages to make the sound of total dead silence more deafening then the sound of all those rounds being fired.
I watched this film for the first time (seen it 30 times at least by now) in the new Irvine Spectrum 21 theaters in which the had much upgraded sound systems. I was absolutely shook by the real sound of machine guns in the robbery scene. By far the loudest gun noise I have ever seen in any movie ever.
That helicopter and car scene with Moby's version of New Dawn Fades is epic. And they masked up because witnesses could ID them. But if you saw that scene in the parking garage....you would see them cutting out the tel alarm and the cell alarm the night before.
The street shootout is so intense, with all that concrete and glass in the street made for a really good sound. I'm not so keen on guns coming from the UK but hey I play shooting games on PlayStation so when I watch that scene the volume goes up because it is so awesome to watch and hear. I'd heard that the gun scene was the most realistic in cinema, a real popcorn moment. the end where he holds his hand as the life slips away is so touching with some respect to him I feel.
I remember watching the news in February '97 when the intense bank robbery in Hollywood (CA) went down and it immediately reminded me of the shootout in Heat.
That song by Moby is one of my favorites! Saw this in theaters with my brother and we both loved it! That gun fight scene was epic in theaters. ❤❤❤❤
LOL, as a Bay Area native and near lifelong resident, yeah, Neil trying to act like he’s from here is hilarious..
That last scene where they’re holding hands, gets me every time.
"Midnight Run" is an action/comedy w/ Robert DeNiro & Charles Grodin that I like a lot. I think you'd enjoy it too. It's not complicated and hard to follow, either. "Deliverance", with Jon Voight, Ronny Cox, Burt Reynolds and Ned Beatty is a classic must see. Btw, I thought that was Katherine Heigl at first, too.
I like LA Takedown, the first version of this directed by also Mann, it an above average TV movie that suffered from a TV budget, TV acting and network TV censorship.
Regarding the origin of the film's story, a much earlier and shorter version was originally written by Mann as a TV pilot in the late 80's, but instead became a made-for-TV movie called L.A Takedown, which released in 1989. The story was based on the real-life investigation of Chicago criminal Neil McCauley (according to Wikipedia). Obviously, this made-for-TV movie served as the basis for Heat (which can basically be thought of as a remake).
Also another little fun fact, Christopher Nolan has been heavily inspired by Heat, in particular when it came to making The Dark Knight.
The sound during the big shootout was the original sound recorded when shooting, hence why its so loud and raw. Further it's been rated by a number of people to be scarily accurate.
The Native American detective who tells Al that Bobby drove past LAX, is Wes Studi. He was also in The Last of the Mohicans (1993) and Geronimo: An American Hero a few years later with the other Bobby D.; also one of Matt Damon's first starring roles
Looking forward to this, this is a work of art that gets better with age.
I think Thief and Collateral are must-watch from Mann. We only convinced Tom Cruise to be a villain once, and that should be celebrated.
Depends on your interpretation of Top Gun 😅
18:40 - Shanelle, it's like the Doc always says: if you put your mind to it, you can accomplish anything! 😉
Speaking as a former film student, Michael Mann’s Last of the Mohicans is the greatest film ever made. IMHO. Enjoy
I agree it's a great film, but certain parts of the screenplay are underdeveloped, imo. Otherwise, pure cinema. The last 20 minutes is absolutely magnificent.
The score 🥰 When those strings swell, I get chills every time. And I'll never not cry at the end.