PRESS NOTES: BEFORE TARANTINO WAS COOL
May 10, 2009“The Hit is what we would now describe as Tarantinoesque,” writes Sonny Bunch in the Washington Times about the Stephen Frears thriller, starring Terence Stamp, John Hurt, and Tim...
Synopsis
Terence Stamp is Willie, a gangster’s henchman turned “supergrass” (informer) trying to live in peaceful hiding in a remote Spanish village. Sun-dappled bliss turns to nerve-racking suspense, however, when two hit men—played by a soulless John Hurt and a youthful, loose-cannon Tim Roth—come a-calling to bring Willie back for execution. This stylish early gem from Stephen Frears boasts terrific performances from a roster of England’s best hard-boiled actors, music by Eric Clapton and virtuoso flamenco guitarist Paco de Lucía, and ravishing photography of its desolate Spanish locations—a splendid backdrop for a rather sordid story.
Cast
| Willie Parker | Terence Stamp |
| Braddock | John Hurt |
| Myron | Tim Roth |
| Maggie | Laura del Sol |
| Harry | Bill Hunter |
| Senior policeman | Fernando Rey |
| Barrister | Jim Broadbent |
Credits
| Director | Stephen Frears |
| Producer | Jeremy Thomas |
| Screenplay | Peter Prince |
| Associate producer | Joyce Herlihy |
| Cinematography | Mike Molloy |
| Editing | Mick Audsley |
| Title music | Eric Clapton |
| Music | Paco de Lucía |
Disc Features
DIRECTOR-APPROVED SPECIAL EDITION FEATURES:
- New, restored high-definition digital transfer, approved by director of photography Mike Molloy
- Commentary featuring director Stephen Frears, actors John Hurt and Tim Roth, writer Peter Prince, and editor Mick Audsley
- A 1988 interview with actor Terence Stamp from the television show Parkinson One-to-One
- Original theatrical trailer
- PLUS: A booklet featuring a new essay by film critic Graham Fuller
From the Current
The Hit: Road to Nowhere
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The Limey meets In Bruges meets Vicky Cristina?
Apr 21, 2009That’s how the always cheeky (and clickable!) folks at Very Short List mapped out Stephen Frears’s sun-drenched but blood-chilling early crime thriller The Hit in their e-mail offering yesterday touting Criterion’s upcoming release. “A great lost ’80s thriller, rediscovered,” they call this...
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