Payback: Straight Up - The Director's Cut (2006) (V)

User Rating:

7.9/10   

Director:

Brian Helgeland

Writers:

Brian Helgeland (screenplay)
Donald E. Westlake (novel)

Release Date:

10 April 2007 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Crime | Drama | Thriller

Tagline:

He's back with a vengeance.

Plot:

Porter is shot by his wife and best friend and is left to die. When he survives he plots revenge. |

Plot Keywords:

Revenge | Greed | Drug Dealing | Trap | Shootout

Cast

Maria Bello	...	Rosie (archive footage)
Hugh Callaly	...	Businessman (archive footage)
Stephen Cinabro	...	Val's Thug (archive footage)
James Coburn	...	Justin Fairfax (archive footage)
Jack Conley	...	Det. Leary (archive footage)
Debra L. Dado	...	Sneaker Lady (archive footage)
William Devane	...	Carter (archive footage)
Bill Duke	...	Det. Hicks (archive footage)
Mel Gibson	...	Porter (archive footage)
John Glover	...	Phil (archive footage)
Gregg Henry	...	Val Resnick (archive footage)
Sally Kellerman	...	Mrs. Bronson (archive footage) (voice)
Lucy Liu	...	Pearl (archive footage) (as Lucy Alexis Liu)
David Paymer	...	Arthur Stegman (archive footage)
Roderick Peeples	...	Hit Man on 'L' Platform (archive footage)
Christian Stolte	...	Val's Thug (archive footage) (as Christian Stolti)
Deborah Kara Unger	...	Lynn Porter (archive footage)
Richard Cotovsky	...	Homeless man at end (archive footage) (uncredited)
Gene Kelly	...	Bank patron (archive footage) (uncredited)
Sterling Wolfe	...	Elevator hood (archive footage) (uncredited)

Directed by
Brian Helgeland

Writing credits
Brian Helgeland		(screenplay)
Donald E. Westlake		(novel "The Hunter") (as Richard Stark)

Original Music by
Scott Stambler

Film Editing by
Kevin Stitt

Set Decoration by
Sandy Struth

Makeup Department
Matthew W. Mungle	....	special prosthetics

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Mark Cotone	....	first assistant director (as Mark Catone)
Jennifer D'Angelo Kircher	....	second assistant director: second unit
Vince Duque	....	dga trainee
Forrest L. Futrell	....	first assistant director: second unit
Franklyn Gottbetter	....	additional second assistant director: Chicago
Jayson Merrill	....	second second assistant director: Chicago
Laura Nisbet	....	second assistant director
Mic Rodgers	....	second unit director

Sound Department
John K. Adams	....	sound editor
Bobbi Banks	....	dialogue editor (as Bobbie Banks)
Bill W. Benton	....	sound re-recording mixer
Beth Bergeron	....	dialogue editor
Keith Bilderbeck	....	sound editor
Trip Brock	....	dialogue editor
Chris Carpenter	....	sound re-recording mixer
Michael Chandler	....	sound editor
Gary Coppola	....	sound re-recording mixer
Stephanie Flack	....	dialogue editor
Cindy Jo Hinkleman	....	assistant sound editor
Jon Johnson	....	sound supervisor
Rick Kline	....	sound re-recording mixer
Derek Marcil	....	sound re-recording mixer
Miguel Rivera	....	sound editor
Solange S. Schwalbe	....	dialogue editor (as Solange Schwalbe)
Bruce Stubblefield	....	sound supervisor
Robert Troy	....	dialogue editor
Ben Wilkins	....	sound editor
Chris Winter	....	assistant sound editor

Special Effects by
Michael Ahasay	....	special effects technician: Chicago (as Mike Ahasay)
Blair Foord	....	special effects technician (as Blair F. Foord)
Frank Krenmuller	....	special effects technician: Chicago
Bob Stoker	....	special effects supervisor
Mario Vanillo	....	special effects technician

Stunts
Mic Rodgers	....	stunt coordinator

Editorial Department
Bob Fernley	....	digital intermediate producer
Brian Han	....	digital intermediate production assistant
Natasha Leonnet	....	digital film colorist
Jack Lewars	....	digital intermediate colorist assist
Theresa Repola Mohammed	....	negative cutter
Stephen M. Rickert Jr.	....	first assistant editor

Music Department
Arlene Fishbach	....	music clearances
Gordon Goodwin	....	conductor
Gordon Goodwin	....	orchestrator
Jim Harrison	....	supervising music editor
Wade Hubbard	....	composer: additional music
Peter Rotter	....	music contractor (as Peter Rodder)
Michael T. Ryan	....	supervising music editor
Jeanette Surga	....	music editor
Thomas Vicari	....	scoring mixer (as Tom Vicari)
Nick Vidar	....	music programmer

Other crew
Al Cerullo	....	helicopter pilot
Beth Unger Morrison	....	script clearance

Production Companies

• Icon Entertainment International

Distributors

• Paramount Pictures (2007) (USA) (DVD)

Special Effects

• POP Film (digital effects)

Other Companies

• Birds & Animals Unlimited  animal handlers (as Birds and Animals Unlimited)
• Chapman/Leonard Studio Equipment  camera cranes and dollies
• DeLuxe Laboratories  color
• Digital Cut Post Inc.  Avid provided by
• EFilm  digital intermediate
• Fury & Grace Digital  sound design
• Jo Anne Kane Music Services  music preparation (as Jo Ann Kane Music Service)
• Pacific Title  titles and opticals
• Panavision  cameras and lenses
• Todd-AO Studios  sound services
• Warner Bros. Studio Facilities  music recorded at (as Warner Bros.)

Runtime:

USA:90 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

USA:R

Filming Locations:

Chicago, Illinois, USA

Company:

Icon Entertainment International

Trivia:

During the DVD documentaries and commentaries included in this version of Payback, director Brian Helgeland states that he can now appreciate the theatrical, audience-friendly cut created from his movie. At the time he wrote and directed Payback, his commentary reveals that with the 1970's, gritty, crime-drama tableau, the unhappy ending was in keeping with the outcomes of so many of the popular films of that period.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When Porter and Val run their Nova into the Chows' car, although the cars have impacted and come to a dead stop, the reaction shot of Porter and Val shows buildings still moving past the side windows. Also, Porter's head has snapped forward all the way to the steering wheel before Val even reacts to the crash.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Val Resnick: Oh, I bet you got a lot of questions rattling around in your head.

Movie Connections:

Edited from Payback (1999/I)

The alternate version of Porter getting his money back

Payback revisited and a whole new ending. I wanna get this off to begin with; I really like the original cut. It's been circulating for years that it was the result of studio tinkering and the director wasn't all that pleased with the final version. Given that many films suffer similar fate and with disastrous results I thought maybe Payback was the exception.

Gone here is the blue bleach filter look, a lot of the music score which has been filled in with new cues, some alternate scenes throughout and some excised and a whole new final act. Everything is good here. I liked Porter's confrontation with his wife (brutal and uncompromising), the music score does help in giving it a darker tone and the new ending is fitting.

But I must say that the difference in quality between this Director's Cut and the original theatrical one isn't huge. Call me crazy but I actually miss Mel's voice over and I thought the bluish look suited the film. The humour has been downsized drastically and Porter's mean side has been fleshed out a bit more, which is good by the way. I just don't think one can be called great and the other crap.

The film plays more like a direct homage to the old 70's crime flicks and as the director explains that was what he was going for. The original does feel a bit lighter but that wasn't maybe such a bad thing. This darker version leaves more unanswered as to how Porter got back from the dead (but probably everyone has already seen the theatrical cut so they already know) and is more understated and mood driven.

To sum it up; Payback: Straight Up is an excellent companion piece to a first rate film. It's good to see director Helgeland's cut restored to his liking and it thoroughly deserves to be seen. Now fans can pop the film in the player that best suits their mood. The original a bit lighter and the latter more moody. It doesn't go wrong either way.