Heat (1 Viewer)

[Patrick Mirza]

I have to disagree with anyone who says HEAT ran too long. Personally, I could have gone for four hours!
Really though, the film is all about these people and their lives outside of their jobs...that's the whole point of this movie: that they are workaholics whose personal lives suffer.
Mann didn't set out to make a conventional crime picture; he set out to show us the people behind these crimes and behind these police investigations.
That's why I think HEAT is an epic film.
As to WB's disc: great picture but with a wildly uneven DD audio track. The sound effects are great, but dialogue and music are so underwhelming that I almost cry thinking what a full bitrate DTS track could bring out.
Here's my wild dream: 2 disc set with a DTS track (film split over two sides for length and sound purposes), documentary featurette on the filming of the shootout (from planning stages, to city approval, to filming, to final editing), the 17-19 minutes of deleted scenes and a music-only track.
Too bad we're talking WB though...

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[Edited last by Patrick Mirza on August 20, 2001 at 10:06 PM]

 

[Tom-G]

That sums up my only problem with Heat -- too long.

Dave, are you sure you aren't Leonard Maltin incognito? Any movie that is over 120 minutes is "too long" for him.

Heat is another example that a good movie can not be too long.
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[DaveF]

Dave, are you sure you aren't Leonard Maltin incognito? Any movie that is over 120 minutes is "too long" for him.
Heat is another example that a good movie can not be too long

Sadly, no
I don't mind long movies, so long as the length is necessary -- a movie should be just as long as necessary and no longer. I felt that Heat was a two hour movie fit into 3 hours. (For reference, I felt the same about The Green Mile, and thought the final sequence of Last Temptation of Christ was also too long. Traffic, however, was the 'right' length, and The Matrix feels far shorter than it is.) But I will confess that movies longer than 120 min become hard to watch unless they are nearly perfect.
But, as always, Your Mileage May Vary (YMMV).

 

[Rob Gillespie]

I don't mind the length at all, in fact I think it works very well in this instance. I like films that take their time and 'breath' properly. I hate it when films seemed rushed and don't let the characters live.
It's not perfect by any stretch of the imagination, but there's nothing too seriously wrong here. I wish that Waingro's character had been fleshed out a bit more. It's like one minute, hired gun, next minute serial killer and there's not a lot else inbetween or after.

 

[Michael Reuben]

quote: As to WB's disc: great picture but with a wildly uneven DD audio track. The sound effects are great, but dialogue and music are so underwhelming that I almost cry thinking what a full bitrate DTS track could bring out.[/quote] I doubt it would make any difference. The soundtrack for Heat has always been somewhat funky, once you get away from the big action set pieces. The LD has some real problem spots with the dialogue, as I recall -- more so on the PCM track than on the DD.
The picture is great, but it bumps up against the limits of NTSC video's resolution. There are shots that were simply breath-taking on the big screen, but are merely OK on the DVD. Two examples are the overhead shot of the empty drive-in parking lot as Van Zandt's killers approach De Niro, and the deep-focus shot of the L.A. freeway behind De Niro as he goes to his car with Jon Voight after leaving Noonan on his porch. Pure visual poetry.
M.
[Edited last by Michael Reuben on August 21, 2001 at 12:47 PM]

 

[Eric Bass]

I have to agree with the longer length. If the film were shorter then they wouldn't have been able to develop so many characters so well. And in my opinion character development is really what sets HEAT apart from most others. Character development and one seriously great bank robbery/shootout sequence.

 

[Seb]

I only wish Deniros character would have gotten away in the end, one of the few movies were i was actully cheering for the bad guy

 

[Eric Bass]

I know, that movie just leaves you frustrated feeling like things didn't work out they way they should have. Which..most of the time they tend not to in real life.

 

[Nathan V]

Thought I'd bump this thread up, in anticipation of the new dvd release, so people have a thread to strat asking those waingro-robbery timing-where's the mexican dude questions that seem to come up on HTF every few months.
Though I'd share this little vignette-
Heat holds a special place for me, as it was the film that introduced me to "good film." Back when I was a dumbass, I only ever watched action movies. I didn't know anything about cinematography or character development. So we rented this movie, Heat, because I thought it was another action movie (it sure as hell looks one, from the cover). So my friend and I are watching it, and my friend leaves the room because he thought it was boring, but I stayed there, not really enjoying myself, but about two hours into the movie something clicked in my brain- the director was reaching for something more here. I was watching about people, about human behavior. Movies could, in fact, deal with complex issues like this. They could be about more than people killing other people. I had to leave before the movie was finished, but later I watched it again. That was when I fell in love with film as an art form.
Today, Heat remains my favorite film. I think every minute of it is sheer brilliance. Nobody captures the 90's aesthetic as well as Michael Mann does here. And the script, acting, cinematography, and overall atmosphere are just something else. Not too mention an untoppable badass factor ("You do not get to watch my fucking television set!") Easily my favorite film of the 90s. I am so glad I rented it that one day, or today I might be sitting here thinking Bad Boys II was good.
Anyway, I'm really glad this is coming out again as a 2-disc SE. It's funny to read the earlier posts of this thread, made 3 years ago, belaboring Warner as a shitty studio who can't put out SE's. Boy, things have changed. For the better, in this case
"Look at me!"
Regards,
Nathan

 

[Shawn_KE]

A great movie. And like said above, you care for the bad guys and want them to get away. Deniro's character has a great charisma about him and his "sharpness".
And of course the bank heist rocks. I get goosebumps whenever Kilmer comes out, smirks and opens fire

 

[George_W_K]

The bank heist scene is definitely a classic. So far, there are two movies where I wish the bad guys would have gotten away, "Heat" and "The Jackal". This is definitely one of my all-time favorites!

 

[Robert TX]

I remember waiting for this movie to come out on DVD. I'm looking forward to the SE as this is one of my favorites. Dialog and action scenes are great.

I enjoy Michael Mann's deliberate character development. Although he paces his films slower than others, he keeps me entertained and engrossed. I also enjoyed The Insider.

 

[John Doran]

for my money, one of the best films ever. every. single. moment. just unbelievable.

the bank heist/shootout scene was choreographed by andy mcnab, member of the SAS and, at one time, most decorated british soldier ever. can't beat authenticity, man.

 

[Paul_D]

"Shut-up, Ralph! SIDOWN!"

 

[JonZ]

Has WB announced specs or release date for this yet?

 

[Nathan V]

No, but a July release date is rumored. Warner said in their chat that it is 2 discs and they expect it to be one of their biggest releases of the year.

"Grim reaper's visitin' on you."

 

[ZacharyTait]

Back when I was a dumbass

ROTFLMAO.
Heat is a masterpiece in my mind. Everything about it rocks, from the acting to the cinematography to the editing to the dialogue. I can't wait to get my hands on the 2-disc SE later this year.

 

[Kachi Khatri]

I've read a while back that this may be an alternate ending on the upcoming S.E. DVD. May be a rumour.

Regardless of the the minor quibbles on the domestic scenes as noted above...HEAT still rocks! This will be my first ever double dip.

 

[KevinRB]

Personally, I like the "New Dawn Fades" score by Moby as Pacino gets in the helicopter for the big meeting with DeNiro, as he's driving down the highway: kick ass song and a VERY atmospheric moment in the film.

I know it sounds cheesy, but I remember getting the chills at awesomeness of that scene...

 

[Chris Rein]

Hell yeah! That soundtrack kicks all kinds of ass. I know exactly what scene you're talking about. I had that CD shortly after I walked out of the theater. I also remember sitting there during the credits going, damn, this song kicks ass "God Moving Over the Face of the Waters". One of my all time favorites. It was used in the trailers too if I remember correctly. Then there was "Force Marker" which was so damn catchy I couldn't put it out of my head. I was in California that year and they had a massive poster on the side of the Warner studios. Smooth.
As for the Pacino soft to screaming dialogue, can't argue with the awesome line...
"'Cause she's got a GREAT ASS! And you got your head ALL THE WAY UP IT!"
LOL!
Anyway, Michael Mann just kicks ass. Can't wait for Collateral.