Get Shorty

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Get Shorty ★★★ 1995 (R)

Low-level Miami loan shark and film buff Chili Palmer (Travolta) heads to Hollywood via Las Vegas, looking for a deadbeat drycleaner (Paymer) and a grade-Z movie producer (Hackman) who owes Vegas $150,000. Aided by B-movie screamqueen Russo, Palmer is pitted against a variety of shady Hollywoodtypes, including an egomaniacal star (DeVito) while trying to get into showbiz himself. Snappy scripting and performances finally do screen justice to an Elmore Leonard nov el. DeVito, with the smaller title role, was originally cast as Chili Palmer, a role Tra volta twice turned down until the ubiqui tous Quentin Tarantino advised him to take it. 105m/C VHS, DVD. John Travolta, Gene Hackman, Danny DeVito, Rene Russo, Dennis Farina, Delroy Lindo, David Paymer, James Gandolfini, Bobby Slayton; Cameos: Bette Midler, Harvey Keitel, Penny Marshall; D: Barry Sonnenfeld; W: Scott Frank; C: Don Peterman; M: John Lurie. Golden Globes ‘96: Actor—Mus./Comedy (Travolta).