Dead Broke (1999)

Director:

Edward Vilga

Writer:

Edward Vilga (writer)

Genre:

Crime | Drama

Plot:

A detective investigates a murder that has taken place outside a debt collection agency in Brooklyn. A motley assortment of suspects includes the employees of the agency. |

Plot Keywords:

Independent Film

Cast

Jayne Deely	...	Emily
Kevin Dewey	...	Steve
John Glover	...	Sam
Jill Hennessy	...	Kate
Arthur M. Jolly	...	Police Diver
Isabel Keating	...	Forensics Specialist
Christopher Lawford	...	Joshua
Daniel Mastrogiorgio	...	Veduccio
Adam Seth Nelson
Tony Roberts	...	Walter
Cheryl Rogers	...	Luanne
Patricia Scanlon	...	Frankie
Paul Sorvino	...	Harvey
Leslie Lewis Sword	...	EMT Technician (as Leslie Lewis)
Justin Theroux	...	James
Nela Wagman	...	Sherry

Directed by
Edward Vilga

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Edward Vilga		writer

Produced by
Andrew Charas	....	co-producer
Mia Choi	....	co-producer
Chris Craig	....	co-associate producer
Genevieve Lohman	....	producer
David Marcellino	....	line producer
Mark Ross	....	associate producer
Mark Sourian	....	co-associate producer
Thomas N. Staub	....	producer
Leslie Lewis Sword	....	executive producer (as Leslie Lewis)
Nela Wagman	....	co-producer

Original Music by
Edward Bilous

Cinematography by
Joaquín Baca-Asay

Film Editing by
Youna Kwak
Gary Winick

Casting by
Adrienne Stern

Production Design by
George Xenos

Costume Design by
Katherine Jane Bryant
Kristen Couchot

Makeup Department
Joanne Ottaviano	....	key hair stylist
Joanne Ottaviano	....	key makeup artist

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Lisa C. Clark	....	second second assistant director
Jeremy Slutskin	....	first assistant director

Sound Department
William Kozy	....	production sound mixer
Peter Roik	....	foley artist
Marcus Sujata	....	sound editor
Joe White	....	boom operator

Stunts
Kyle Derek	....	safety diver
Arthur M. Jolly	....	stunts

Other crew
Liza Alhadeff	....	production assistant
Ryan Lifchitz	....	production assistant
Miranda J. Smith	....	production assistant

Distributors

• Warner Home Video (2005) (USA) (DVD)
• Polychrome Pictures (2005) (USA) (all media)

MPAA:

Rated R for language, some violence and brief sexuality.

Runtime:

USA:98 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Certification:

USA:R

Filming Locations:

Greenpoint, Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA

Soundtrack:

Black Box

A sleeper goof on film noir.

This flick looked rather predictable and unspectacular at first, but the more I watched the more I laughed. Aside from the fact the I kept seeing one familiar face after another (John Glover, Jill Hennessey, Tony Roberts, etc.)I was beguiled by the way the humor was slipped in, so subtle that one almost wouldn't notice. As I missed the beginning, I really would make the effort to see it in its entirety, and consider it well worth it. Glover is great as the detective, and the amount of times they had to bleep out dialog for the channel I was watching it on only made it funnier. My favorite scene by far concerns the two versions of a story told about the collection agency efforts of one of the female characters- the besieged debtor is verbally torn to pieces by said bill collector, in his version; her version has her engaging him on the phone in just the sweetest, softest way imaginable. There are subplots and subterfuges all over the place, with a conclusion which again contains little glints of humor and a satisfactory result. Worth watching if you come across it at the video store or on the tube, especially if you like goofs on film noir.