Kill Me Again

Summary

“Most people don’t get that second chance.”

John Dahl got his start in the business occasionally directing music videos and working on some major films as a storyboard artist. Before he was able to scrape together financing for a film, he wrote spec scripts with David W. Warfield. As an homage to the noir films of the past, Warfield and Dahl wrote the script for Kill Me Again and they decided that unless they could sell the script for $300,000 they would pursue making the film themselves. When the script did not sell for the amount they envisioned, they received funding for making the picture from Polygram with MGM co-financing. Val Kilmer signed onto the picture, along with Joanne Whalley who was his wife at the time. The film was made for approximately four million dollars, but Kilmer and the studio basically buried the film’s release once it was completed. The picture grossed $283,694 at the box office in 1989, and it was released on VHS in 1990. As John Dahl’s career continued with successes including Red Rock West, The Last Seduction, and Rounders, people began to discover this enjoyable little neo-noir. MGM has put the film out on Blu-ray. Kill Me Again had been given a Blu-ray release by Olive Films in 2016, but that release is out-of-print. I was excited to get another chance to add the film to my collection.

In Nevada, Fay Forrester (Joanne Whalley) and her boyfriend Vince (Michael Madden) sit in their car waiting. As two men step near the car, Fay gains the attention of a man carrying a briefcase, while Vince lays low. Vince leans up with a pistol in his hand, and blows the man away. The other man flees. Vince grabs the suitcase and they hit the road. Fay opens the suitcase and it is stacked with nearly half a million in cash. She is dismayed to hear Vince recommend that they leave the state and lay low for a while someplace up north. She had her heart set on Vegas, like he had promised. They get in a scuffle that ends in her locking Vince out of the car, and with him smashing the window. At a bathroom stop, Fay sees her opportunity to get back to Vegas. She hits Vince in the back of the head with a rock, rendering him unconscious. Taking his car and the suitcase, she heads to Reno. Once there, she looks up private investigator Jack Andrews (Val Kilmer.) Jack is in trouble with some loan sharks. He owes them ten thousand dollars, and they mean business. He has a broken finger to show for it, and less than a week to pay in full. When Fay arrives in his office, she has a request that he knows will require him to break the law willingly. She wants him to help her fake her death so she can get away from her violent boyfriend. She will pay five grand ahead and another five after the job is done. For Jack, this trouble may be the only way out of the other trouble.

Kill Me Again is a breezy and enjoyable neo-noir that showcases its influences proudly. It is a true throw-back to the doubles cross noirs of the Forties, and unapologetic about it. John Dahl would go on to do better neo-noirs directly after Kill Me Again, but Kill Me Again is a great start for the young writer-director. He was fortunate to work with cinematographer Jacques Steyn whom had worked as a camera operator on Wim Wenders’ fantastic The American Friend. I mention that because while I was watching Kill Me Again I noted some similarities to that picture without any prior knowledge that the cinematographer had worked on that film under the brilliant Robby Muller. That is a compliment to Kill Me Again which focuses the lenses on dusty sun-kissed patches of Nevada and the big neon lights of Reno and Vegas. I think the movie looks pretty great, even when one considers the financial constraints of the picture and that John Dahl’s career was just beginning. The script by John Dahl and David W. Warfield is pretty solid with some well conceived twists and turns. I particularly enjoyed the thought that went into the money situation in the film (which I won’t ruin here, but it was simple but clever.) That said, the film’s finale is somewhat abrupt. That is the only issue I had with the picture in terms of storytelling, and that issue is relatively minor.

The picture relies on three central performances. Val Kilmer is enjoyable as Jack Andrews, although apparently his lack of enthusiasm for the final product led to the picture being under promoted theatrically. I like Val in the role, but I have been a fan of Val since I was a child, so I have difficulty being objective. Joanne Whalley received some critical dismissal as being miscast as a femme fatale, but I enjoyed her. Obviously, Michael Madsen is perfectly cast as Vince. It is hard to believe that two thirds of this cast passed away in the last few years.

Kill Me Again is a solid beginning to a great three picture run of neo-noirs from writer-director John Dahl. I am happy to have this picture in my Blu-ray collection, because I can definitely see myself revisiting it every once and awhile.

Video

Kill Me Again was given a Blu-Ray release in 2016 by Olive Films. This release utilizes the same transfer as that release. Presented in the aspect ratio of 1.85:1 in 1080p with an MPEG-4 AVC encode, the transfer looks pretty decent, but could definitely be improved. The film itself benefits from some very clever cinematography by Jacques Steyn that reminded me Wim Wenders’ classic Ripley film The American Friend. This all made sense when I saw that Steyn had served as a camera operator on that picture. The master used for this release was already showing signs of wear in 2016, but it does have a pretty good organic look to it with what seems to be accurate color timing. Fine detail is limited, but the picture still was enjoyable to watch. This film would definitely benefit from a boutique label bringing out the very best of what Dahl and Steyn achieved here with a 4K release, so one can hope! (My bet would be on Cinematographe, since they recently did a great job on Red Rock West, albeit that was a Blu-ray release.)

Audio

The DTS-HD MA 2.0 track replicates the original sound design of the film. The dialogue is clear and the score by William Olvis works well for the picture. Olvis would pair with Dahl again on the score for Red Rock West, and his work here is similarly good, although it does not lean into the desert sound as much as on that picture. I had no issues with the track.

Supplements:

• Theatrical Trailer
• Behind the Scenes Gallery

Overall Scores:

Video: 3.75/5

Audio: 4/5

Supplements: .5/5

Overall – 4/5

Kill Me Again is the first of three well regarded neo-noir films written and directed by John Dahl. These films were part of the brief neo-noir renaissance of the Eighties and Nineties, and rank as some of the best examples of how to do that genre justice. While Kill Me Again is not as polished and clever as Red Rock West or The Last Seduction, it is still a fun and entertaining picture. I love neo-noirs so this film was right up my alley. It also helps that cinematographer Jacques Steyn worked on Wim Wender’s wonderful The American Friend. I saw similarities between that film’s aesthetic and this picture, and that is a high compliment. I enjoyed the performances by the three charismatic leads in the film – Val Kilmer, Joanne Whalley, and Michael Madsen. I can’t believe that two of those three leads are no longer amongst the living. MGM’s Blu-ray release is a no-frills release with an older (but still pretty decent) transfer and no special features of note, but I am still thankful to have the film in my collection because Olive Films’ Blu-ray is out of print and expensive. If you love this genre, definitely check this one out.

The film can be purchased at www.moviezyng.com.