Tequila Sunrise [Region 2] |  | Director: Robert Towne
Actors: Mel Gibson, Michelle Pfeiffer, Kurt Russell, Raul Julia, J.T. Walsh
Category: DVD
Buy New: $9.28
as of 3/21/2010 20:16 EDT details
New (1) Used (2) from $9.27
Seller: moviemars
Rating:  48 reviews
Sales Rank: 295766
Format: NTSC
Languages: English (Subtitled), Arabic (Subtitled), English (Original Language)
Rating: R (Restricted)
Region: 2
Discs: 1
Running Time: 115 Minutes
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 7.1 x 5.4 x 0.6
EAN: 5024165765562
ASIN: B00004CX8O
Theatrical Release Date: December 2, 1988
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Amazon.com essential video
Robert Towne is one of Hollywood's most celebrated screenwriters, but because his directorial efforts have been few and far between, anticipation was high when this star-powered crime story was released in 1988. Critical reaction was decidedly mixed, but there's plenty to admire in this silky, visually seductive film about a drug dealer (Mel Gibson) whose best friend from high-school (Kurt Russell) is now working for the Los Angeles sheriff's drug detail. Their personal and professional conflicts are intensified by their love for the same woman, a waitress (Michelle Pfeiffer) at the Italian restaurant they both frequent. There's a big deal going down with a drug lord (the late Raul Julia), but as it twists and turns, Towne's story is really more about personal loyalties and individual honor. And even if it doesn't quite hold together, the movie's got a fantastic look to it (courtesy of the great cinematographer Conrad Hall), and the three stars bring depth and dimension to their well-written roles. --Jeff Shannon
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Showing reviews 1-5 of 48
 A Robert Towne Masterpiece March 3, 2010
Erica J. Stewart (Oakland, CA)
It seems American audiences found the subtle character layering and intricate plot too much work in 1988. I have watched this movie many times and place it in my all time top 10 list. Robert Towne not only wrote a brilliant screen play, he did a great job of directing this film. While you might not think Mel Gibson, Kurt Russell, Michelle Pfeiffer and Raul Julia are the best actors of their generation, this movie is surely one of the best works in their repetoire.
Warner Brothers balked at making a film in 1988 where the hero is a single parent drug dealer trying to go straight, the villain is a narcotics police detective, and the female love interest sleeps with both characters! But the complexity of the characterization is exactly what I yearn for in movies: the ambiguity of their interactions allows us to understand something fundamental about human nature, and to fully understand the complexity of life's choices.
Still good after all these years!
Tequila Sunrise February 27, 2010
Arnita D. Brown (USA)
Mac Mckussic is an unlikely drug dealer who wants to go straight. His old and best friend Nick Frescia is now a cop who is assigned to investigate and bring him to justice. Mac is very attracted to Jo Ann, the owner of a stylish restaurant. Nick gets close to Jo Ann attempting to know more about Mac's drug dealing plans and his connections with the Mexican dealer Carlos, who the police believe is coming to town to meet with him. Nick also falls for Jo Ann's charms and his friendship with Mac is in danger. This movie is all about what was great about the 80's. "Tequila Sunrise" has a complex plot, one where the motives of all the characters are suspect and where nobody knows whom they can trust. Interesting plot setup and although dated, very enjoyable.
 It was the '80s,afterall... February 2, 2010
Sharon Levenson (new jersey)
..And a film in which a drug dealer(Mel Gibson,still a hearthrob then,before being outed as an anti-semetic bigot),a"good"cop(Kurt Russell)and a beautiful woman(Michelle Phiffer)who owns an italien restaurant can all interact(and,in Russell's case over-act) in an absurdly written script by some of the same folks who gave us"Chinatown"...Wow !..Russell,the"Good" cop is pals with Gibson,the"retired" drug dealer..Russell even makes it his business to interfere with an F.B.I.sting effort against Gibson and his drug dealer wannabe lawyer..Why does Russell obstruct justice and protect a couple of felons?Because he went to high school with Gibson,and that gave them a life-long bond..One of Gibson's old contacts from the drug cartel,the mysterious"Carlos" is soon to be back in town,and he contacts Gibson..It seems that they both like table tennis,and"carlos" just wants to drop by for a match in-between unloading twelve million dollars worth of heroin..Russell wants to bring down"Carlos" but does not really want to hurt his high school buddy in the process..
Both Gibson and Russell have the hots for Phiffer(and who could blame them?),and both use her in thier oh-so-obvious cat and mouse games..It seems that the local F.B.I.honcho(J.Emmet Walsh)and a hotshot policeman from mexico(Raul Julia) are trying to catch both Gibson and"carlos" in the act of doing some dirty business,and are trying to get Phiffer to expose Gibson in wire-tapped conversation..She has too much "intergrity" to do that,and besides which it's nice to fornicate nude with Gibson in his outdoor hot-tub(which is being monitored by the cops)..Russell,whose clumsy efforts to get Phiffer to incriminate Gibson fail also wants to roll around naked with her,but she's got too much"class" to be fornicating with"good" cops like him..Nah,she'd rather over-look Gibson's fifteen years of drug dealing,all of the lives he ruined,and instead concentrate on what a good dad he is to his thirteen year old son..
Walsh,who IS trying to nail the bad guys in his role as the F.B.I.guy has been scripted as being the villian,not because he's crooked but,instead,because he's not one of the "beautiful people" either involved in criminal activity or turning a blind eye because a friend is involved..
..it was the'80s afterall,and a lot of nonsense like this was popular...
A truely great film! September 22, 2009
A. Donald (Calgary, AB, Canada)
Tequila Sunrise... one of my favorite movies, period. It was perfectly cast with Mel Gibson, Kurt Russell, Michele Pfieffer, Raul Julia, J.T. Walsh and Arlis Howard and the movie has a sexiness that is entrancing. It was beautifully shot and Michelle Pfeiffer looks absolutely amazing in it as well.
Much like R. Legendre, I too do not understand people who say that the plot was hard to follow. Tequila Sunrise was very well written, has fantastic acting and when I first saw the movie in the theatre when I was 15 I understood the plot perfectly fine. In fact I was so taken by the film that I went to the theatre twice to see it within a one week period! Robert Towne created an absolute masterpiece.
I've had this movie on VHS and Laserdisc and I have it on DVD and I can't wait to see it in glorious 1080P and hear that amazing David Sanborn solo many more times in gorgeous lossless audio when it arrives on Blu-ray.
Just Another Tequila Sunrise April 1, 2009
Gregor von Kallahann
1 out of 3 found this review helpful
A few months back I was doing some research on the theme of "friendship on film." It was for a film series I was running, and while there were literally hundreds of possibilities for female friends, the array of serious or even just "solid" genre films about male bonding seemed relatively paltry. (I wish I could have had access to a list I saw published online just last week about film's concerning "bromances"--that certainly gave me a few belated ideas.)
One film that came up in a few lists I consulted was one that I had seen quite a few years ago, Robert Towne's sunlit noir TEQUILA SUNRISE. I only remembered the film vaguely, but since it concerned best friends on the opposite side of the law, it seemed like it might have some possibilities. (The only other thing that stuck in my head all these years, oddly enough, was the fact that at one point Michelle Pfeiffer's restauranteur character promises an ailing child that she'll send over some "angel hair pasta" for him--and although I could easily surmise what it was, I was astonished that there was a pasta I had never heard of, but then you must understand that the Italian "cuisine" of my childhood was pretty much limited to Chef Boy-ar-dee, and I've been playing catch-up my whole adult life.)
However, when "angel hair pasta" is one of the few things you can recall about a film, you know you're in trouble. Still the attractive cast and the "friendship" theme made me think it might well be worth another look. It was. But just barely. Perhaps I'm being unkind. Let's put it this way: if my film series were going to be truly extensive, then including this decided "non-masterpiece," might have been viable. It IS all about the theme of "friendship" and how that theme might be treated in a genre film (particularly a latter day genre film) could make for some interesting discussion.
So why did I pass on it? It certainly addressed my theme: in fact, at some point or other, pretty much EVERY character makes some pithy (or not so pithy) statement about the nature of friendship. But just as the movie as a whole takes on too many confusing twists and turns, its reflections on the friendship theme were all pretty muddled. Probably the most clearheaded commentary on the theme comes from Raul Julia's admittedly complex charactern when he rants (pretty sophomorically) about how one cannot choose one's family and that one's, uh, libido may misguide one in matters of the heart, BUT friendship should be the ONE relationship you can count on.
Or some such.
Did I mention the plot is a confusing mess? So much so it actually compelled me to go back and re-watch the beginning to see what I had missed. (That makes two and a half viewings, which is--as some critics like to snipe--about five hours of my life that I'll never get back. I'm not complaining though since I didn have plenty of nachos and dip). Finally, it did start to make sense, but to tell the truth there were some points that I still didn't get until I started reading other reviews here and elsewhere. I can be pretty dense about mysteries sometimes (guess I'm just naive), but I'm not too bad at character analysis, but even here the film falls down.
TEQUILA SUNRISE is a rather elaborate mystery-thriller which WANTS to be more than that. And if it's not quite out to make a truly GRAND statement about friendship, romantic love OR angel hair pasta, it's at least trying to make a substantial one on at least two of those subjects.
Showing reviews 1-5 of 48
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