Assassins (1995)

Director:

Richard Donner

Writers (WGA):

Andy Wachowski (story) &
Larry Wachowski (story) ...
(more)

Release Date:

6 October 1995 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Thriller | Crime

Tagline:

In the shadows of life, In the business of death, One man found a reason to live...

Plot:

Robert Rath (Sylvester Stallone) is a seasoned hitman who just wants out of the business with no back talk...

Plot Keywords:

Tough Guy | Bank | Assassination Plot | Cemetery | Enemy

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Sylvester Stallone	...	Robert Rath
Antonio Banderas	...	Miguel Bain
Julianne Moore	...	Electra
Anatoli Davydov	...	Nicolai Tashlinkov (as Anatoly Davydov)
Muse Watson	...	Ketcham
Steve Kahan	...	Alan Branch (as Stephen Kahan)
Kelly Rowan	...	Jennifer, Electra's Neighbor
Reed Diamond	...	Bob
Kai Wulff	...	Remy
Kerry Skalsky	...	Buyer with Remy
James Douglas Haskins	...	Buyer with Remy
Stephen Liska	...	Cop
John Harms	...	Cop
Edward J. Rosen	...	Cemetery Caretaker
Christina Orchid	...	Dowager
Bruce R. Orchid	...	Cabbie
James Oliver	...	Customs Officer (as James Louis Oliver)
Sue Carolyn Wise	...	Obnoxious Woman in Elevator
Ron Ben Jarrett	...	Maintenance Man at Marriott Hotel
Marian Collier	...	Eugene & Danny's Pet Supply Lady
Dave Young	...	Male Guard
Ragna Sigrun	...	Female Guard
Mark Woodford	...	Room Service Waiter
Anibal O. Lleras	...	Cabbie
Marta Labatut	...	Cemetery Woman
Choco Orta	...	Cemetery Woman
Ivonne Piazza	...	Bank Teller
Ángel Vázquez	...	Bank Official
Axel Anderson	...	Bank President
David Dollase	...	Bodyguard
Jim Graham	...	Bodyguard
Wally Dalton	...	Priest
Paul Tuerpe	...	Reporter #1
John Procaccino	...	Reporter #2
Nerissa E. Williams	...	Reporter #3
Juan Manuel Lebrón	...	Puerto Rican Cafe Waiter
Eddie Bellaflores	...	Fruit Vendor
Thomas Helgeland	...	Soloist
James W. Gavin	...	Police Helicopter Pilot
Scott Stuber	...	Parking Attendant at Marriott Hotel
Richard Blum	...	Watcher
Michael DeCourcey	...	Cabbie
Whitey Shapiro	...	Cop
Stefan Enriquez	...	Cop
Fulvio Cecere	...	Cop
Shirley Oliver	...	Cop
Eric Sather	...	Cab Customer
Wally Gudgell	...	Upset Passenger
J. Mills Goodloe	...	Newlywed Man
Peter Sebastian Lackaff	...	Singer
John Lamar	...	Money Hungry Man
Ernie Hall	...	Cop
Calli Medved	...	Cop
Robert Sanders	...	Monorail Driver
Rhonda J. Osborne	...	Police Dispatcher
Christina Herrera	...	Pro Choice Woman
Cary Sanchez	...	Bank Receptionist
Frank R. Jimenez Jr.	...	Towel Boy
Jeff King	...	Helicopter Pilot
David 'Shark' Fralick	...	Buyer with Remy (as David Shark [Fralick])
Bob Minor	...	Cop
Barbara Anne Klein	...	Cop
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Michael Taylor Donovan	...	Mariott Hotel Business Man (uncredited)
Germán Legarreta	...	Kid in plaza (uncredited)
Erik L. Nelson	...	Building Engineer (uncredited)
Bruce Reutlinger	...	Cab Driver #2 (uncredited)
Rey-Phillip Santos	...	Monorail Passenger (uncredited)

Directed by
Richard Donner

Writing credits (WGA)
Andy Wachowski		(story) &
Larry Wachowski		(story)
Andy Wachowski		(screenplay) &
Larry Wachowski		(screenplay) and
Brian Helgeland		(screenplay)

Produced by
Alexander B. Collett	....	co-producer
Dan Cracchiolo	....	co-producer
Dino De Laurentiis	....	executive producer
Richard Donner	....	producer
Julie Durk	....	associate producer
Bruce A. Evans	....	producer
Karyn Fields	....	associate producer
Raynold Gideon	....	producer
J. Mills Goodloe	....	associate producer
Andrew Lazar	....	producer
Tony Munafo	....	associate producer
Cynthia Neber	....	associate producer (as Cynthia L. Neber)
Ilyse A. Reutlinger	....	associate producer
Lauren Shuler Donner	....	executive producer
Joel Silver	....	producer
Richard Solomon	....	co-producer
Jim Van Wyck	....	producer

Original Music by
Mark Mancina

Cinematography by
Vilmos Zsigmond

Film Editing by
Lawrence Jordan
Richard Marks

Casting by
Marion Dougherty

Production Design by
Thomas E. Sanders

Art Direction by
Steve Arnold
Nathan Crowley
Daniel T. Dorrance		(supervising art director)
Leticia Stella

Set Decoration by
Lisa Dean

Costume Design by
Elizabeth McBride

Makeup Department
Tammy Baker	....	makeup supervisor: second unit
Scott H. Eddo	....	makeup artist: Sylvester Stallone
Lee Harman	....	makeup artist
Charlene Johnson	....	hair stylist
Deborah K. Larsen	....	makeup artist: Julianne Moore

Production Management
Patricia Churchill	....	unit production manager
Mark Marshall	....	post-production supervisor
Nannette Rosa-Collazo	....	unit production manager: Puerto Rico
Bruce L. Shurley	....	production manager: second unit
John M. Woodward	....	production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
J. Tom Archuleta	....	first assistant director: second unit (as Tom Archuleta)
James Hapsas	....	second assistant director: second unit
Vicente Juarbe	....	first assistant director: Puerto Rico
Jayson Merrill	....	second second assistant director
Conrad E. Palmisano	....	second unit director (as Conrad Palmisano)
Bruce Reutlinger	....	additional second second assistant director
Robert Sallin	....	second unit director
John G. Scotti	....	second assistant director
Jim Van Wyck	....	first assistant director

Art Department
David M. Bowen	....	set dresser
Mary Buri	....	co-leadperson
Brady J. Condit	....	set dresser
Chad Griffin	....	set designer
Randal R. Groves	....	propmaker
Steven Curtis Husch	....	leadperson
Audrey A. Johnson	....	assistant property master
Kent H. Johnson	....	property master
Kent Jones	....	paint foreman
Noelle King	....	set designer
Helen Kozora	....	set decoration buyer
Alan Manzer	....	set designer
Michael McCombe	....	greensman
Erik L. Nelson	....	property master
Drew Pinniger	....	property assistant
Eric Ramsey	....	storyboard artist
Will Robbins	....	graphic artist
Giovanni Rodriguez	....	scenic foreman
Mark Sakamoto	....	set dresser
Bradley Thordarson	....	lead carpenter
Carl Winter	....	on-set dresser
Gilbert Wong	....	set designer

Sound Department
Rick Alexander	....	sound re-recording mixer (as Richard Alexander)
Christopher S. Aud	....	sound editor
Kevin Bartnof	....	foley artist
John Voss Bonds Jr.	....	sound editor (as John V. Bonds)
Richard Burton	....	sound editor
David E. Campbell	....	sound re-recording mixer (as David Campbell)
Kevin E. Carpenter	....	sound re-recording mixer
William C. Carruth	....	adr supervisor (as William Carruth)
Timothy A. Cleveland	....	sound editor
Edmond J. Coblentz Jr.	....	assistant sound editor (as Edmund J. Coblentz)
Virginia Cook-McGowan	....	dialogue editor
Norval D. Crutcher	....	sound editor
Samuel C. Crutcher	....	sound editor
Paul J. Diller	....	sound editor
Greg Dillon	....	sound editor
John P. Fasal	....	sound editor (as John Paul Fasal)
Carl Fischer	....	boom operator
Catherine Flynn	....	dialogue editor
Karyn Foster	....	adr editor
Les Fresholtz	....	sound re-recording mixer
Eric Gotthelf	....	foley supervisor
Jeffrey J. Haboush	....	sound re-recording mixer
Robert G. Henderson	....	supervising sound editor
Eric Hertsguaard	....	assistant sound editor (as Eric Hertsgaurd)
Petur Hliddal	....	production sound mixer
David M. Horton	....	sound editor (as Dave Horton Sr.)
David L. Horton Jr.	....	supervising foley editor (as David L. Horton)
Adam Johnston	....	sound editor
Michael E. Lawshe	....	sound editor
Peggy McAffee	....	sound effects editor
Bob O'Brien	....	sound editor
Troy Porter	....	adr mixer
John T. Reitz	....	sound re-recording mixer (as John Reitz)
John F. Reynolds	....	dialogue editor
Catherine Rowe	....	foley artist
Gregg Rudloff	....	sound re-recording mixer
Greg P. Russell	....	sound re-recording mixer
Brad Segal	....	sound assistant
Rodney Sharpp	....	assistant sound editor
Gregg Silk	....	second engineer
James Simcik	....	adr editor
Richard Stewart	....	assistant sound editor (as Richard C. Stewart)
Darleen Stoker	....	adr editor
Scott A. Tinsley	....	sound editor
Douglas Tourtelot	....	sound mixer: second unit
Brooke H. Ward	....	first assistant sound editor (as Brooke Henderson Ward)
Beth Wiehe	....	assistant sound editor
Robb Wilson	....	assistant adr editor (as Rob Wilson)
Marshall Winn	....	dialogue editor
Lisa K. Wolf	....	assistant sound editor (as Lisa Wolf)
Mark Johnston	....	sound recordist (uncredited)
Donald C. Rogers	....	technical director of sound (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Jon G. Belyeu	....	special effects (as Jon Belyeu)
R. Michael Bisetti	....	special effects: second unit (as Mike Bisetti)
Ray Brown	....	special effects: second unit
Rafael Pérez	....	special effects coordinator: Puerto Rico
Dennis Petersen	....	special effects coordinator: second unit
Casey Pritchett	....	special effects: second unit (as William Pritchett)

Visual Effects by
Chris Cobb	....	computer graphics
Rick Lupton	....	computer graphics

Stunts
Bruce Paul Barbour	....	stunts (as Bruce Barbour)
Dana D. Bertolette	....	stunts (as Dana Bertolette)
Joie Chitwood Jr.	....	stunts (as Joie Chitwood)
Tim Chitwood	....	stunts
Mark De Alessandro	....	stunt double: Mr. Stallone
Mark De Alessandro	....	stunts
Jared S. Eddo	....	stunts
Dick Hancock	....	stunt coordinator
Art Hickman	....	stunts
Henry Kingi Jr.	....	stunt double: Mr. Banderas
Henry Kingi Jr.	....	stunts
Barbara Anne Klein	....	stunts
Anthony Munafo	....	stunts
Ron Otis	....	stunts
Conrad E. Palmisano	....	stunt coordinator (as Conrad Palmisano)
Patricia M. Peters	....	stunt double: Ms. Moore
Patricia M. Peters	....	stunts
Lori Seaman	....	stunts (as Lori M. Van der Veer)
Rick Seaman	....	stunts
Melissa R. Stubbs	....	stunts
Harry Wowchuk	....	stunts
Josh Cameron	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Eric Budlong	....	rigging grip
Robin Buerki	....	additional camera operator
Andrew Cooper	....	still photographer
Jerry C. Deats	....	best boy grip
Ray De La Motte	....	camera operator
Jose 'Flecha' Hernandez	....	electrician
Frank M. Holgate	....	aerial photographer (as Frank Holgate)
Gary Holt	....	director of photography: second unit
Wes Houle	....	electrician
Frank R. Jimenez Jr.	....	lamp operator
Michael A. Jones	....	camera operator: second unit
David R. Kohn	....	lighting technician
Bob E. Krattiger	....	gaffer: second unit
Raul J. Marin	....	lighting technician
Michael E. Matteson	....	key rigging grip
Matthew May	....	rig electrician
Neal Norton	....	camera operator
Angel Pastrana	....	electrician
Paul M. Pollard	....	camera operator: second unit
Norbert F. Quiban	....	lamp operator
Norbert F. Quiban	....	rigging electrician
Gregory D. Smith	....	grip
Robert SummerStone	....	electrician
Joseph E. Thibo	....	camera operator: second unit
Scott Watkins	....	grip

Casting Department
Tina Kerr	....	extras casting: Seattle
Douglas Wright	....	casting associate

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Cha Blevins	....	costume supervisor
Suzanne Krim	....	costumer: Puerto Rico
Marienne O'Brien	....	set costumer: second unit
Sally Roberts	....	set costumer

Editorial Department
Steve Ansell	....	assistant editor
Robert Brakey	....	assistant editor
Jeffrey Ford	....	assistant editor
Richard Friedlander	....	assistant editor
John Hendrickson	....	additional apprentice editor
Sean Hubbert	....	assistant editor
Lori C. Ingle	....	associate editor
Brian Johnson	....	assistant editor
Bob Kaiser	....	color timer
Reine-Claire	....	assistant editor
Eric Rigney	....	avid technician
Jeff Smithwick	....	color timer: dailies
R. Orlando Duenas	....	assistant editor: avid (uncredited)
Dale Jones	....	avid technician (uncredited)

Music Department
Robb Boyd	....	score music coordinator for Mark Mancina (as Robbie Boyd)
Sandy DeCrescent	....	orchestra contractor
Zigmund Gron	....	supervising music editor
Don Harper	....	composer: additional music
Steve Kempster	....	score mixer
Alan Meyerson	....	score mixer
Jeff Rona	....	composer: additional music
Brad Segal	....	assistant music editor (as Bradley A. Segal)
John Van Tongeren	....	composer: additional music
Christopher Ward	....	composer: additional music

Transportation Department
Sam Taybi	....	driver
Rick Wiley	....	driver: camera car

Other crew
Michael D. Baker	....	set medic
Raymond W. Beal	....	animal trainer
Denise Blasor	....	voice-over artist
Frank Buono	....	production assistant
David Cervantes	....	production assistant
Stacy De La Motte	....	set production assistant
Mark A. Echevarria	....	animal trainer (as Mark Echevarria)
Luis R. Estrella-Rivera	....	assistant location manager
Patricia Fay	....	location manager
Jaime Fowler	....	consultant: avid
James W. Gavin	....	helicopter pilot (as Jim Gavin)
Lisa Greenspan	....	assistant production coordinator
Maureen Higgins	....	location accountant
Jason James	....	intern
Kent H. Johnson	....	armorer supervisor
Kent H. Johnson	....	weapons supervisor
Abbie Ludwig	....	assistant production secretary
Rick Marcena	....	construction accountant
Ines Mongil-Echandi	....	assistant production office coordinator
Heather Murphy	....	production coordinator: second unit
Mariella Navarro	....	accounting clerk
Enelda Núñez	....	location manager: second unit
Morgan Rhodes	....	production assistant
Sioux Richards	....	script supervisor
Gail Rose	....	assistant production accountant
Edward J. Rosen	....	production associate
Ricki L. Stein	....	production accountant
Paloma Suau	....	production assistant: Puerto Rico
Kay Taylor	....	script supervisor: second unit day player
Karen Thorndike	....	script supervisor: second unit
Joshua Vancil	....	location assistant
Joshua Vancil	....	production assistant
Forrest Sloan Wright	....	assistant production coordinator
Sandra L. Yeary	....	assistant accountant
Bill Daly	....	post-production accountant manager (uncredited)
Jillian Fontaine	....	double: Julianne Moore (uncredited)
Tammy Strange	....	location scout (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Canal+
• Donner/Shuler-Donner Productions
• Evansgideon/Lazar
• Les Productions Lazennec
• Silver Pictures
• Warner Bros. Pictures

Distributors

• Warner Bros. Pictures (1995) (USA) (theatrical)
• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (1998) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere)
• Argentina Video Home (1998) (Argentina) (DVD)
• Argentina Video Home (Argentina) (video)
• Warner Bros. (Argentina)
• Warner Bros. (Spain)
• Warner Bros. (France)
• Warner Home Video (1996) (Sweden) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (USA) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (USA) (laserdisc)
• Warner Home Vídeo (Brazil) (DVD)
• Warner Home Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)

Other Companies

• Birds & Animals Unlimited  animals (as Birds & Animals Unlimited)
• Buena Vista Imaging  opticals
• Chapman / Leonard Studio Equipment  titan cranes and dollies (as Chapman)
• D. Bassett & Associates  negative cutting (as D. Bassett & Associates)
• Greenberg/Schluter  title design (as Greenberg & Schluter Inc.)
• Kenmore Air  aircraft
• Movie Movers  cast trailers
• Movie Movers  star trailers
• Pacific Title  opticals
• Playback Technologies  video/computer playback
• Technicolor  prints

Also Known As:

Assassins (France)
Day of Reckoning

MPAA:

Rated R for violence and language.

Runtime:

132 min

Country:

USA | France

Language:

English | German | Spanish

Color:

Black and White | Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Canada:PA (Manitoba) | Canada:14 (Nova Scotia) | Canada:AA (Ontario) | Peru:18 | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:14A (British Columbia) | Netherlands:16 | Philippines:R-18 | Argentina:16 | Australia:M | Chile:18 | Finland:K-16 | France:U | Germany:16 | Norway:18 | Portugal:M/12 | Singapore:NC-16 | South Korea:18 | Spain:18 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | USA:R (certificate #34080) | Iceland:16

Filming Locations:

Everett, Washington, USA

Company:

Canal+

Trivia:

Director Trademark: [Richard Donner] [Political Statements]The customer at the end is wearing a Pro Choice T-shirt and the buses all have anti NRA signs on them.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: In some of the computer scenes, huge picture files get sent and show up on the screen instantaneously, but in one of the scenes, we hear the sound of a dial-up connection being made.

Quotes:

Miguel Bain: I beat you to the buyers, and now I've beat you to the mark. I'm sorry, but I think I picked the wrong guy to be my hero.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "HBO First Look: The Making of 'The Matrix' (#6.3)" (1999)

Soundtrack:

Beginning to End

Bang Bang, You're Dead

The word "assassins" has an interesting etymology. It's from Arabic and was used to refer to a tribe of murderers who wrecked themselves on hashish before doing the dirty deed. Well, they may have used it, but not while murdering anyone. Hash is much too mellow a high. Which is something that can't be said about this movie. You may or may not know it but you've seen this movie before. Think back to the last dozen or so action movies you've watched, pick out the typical characters and set pieces, put them together in a slightly different order or locale, and you have "Assassins." You will need a high-speed car chase, exploding fireballs, pistols with silencers, a sniper's scoped rifle, a sinister villain with greasy and unkempt hair, the supposedly dead body that has just been shot and fallen through four floors and suddenly comes rip-roaring back to life, bodies crashing through windows in slow motion, guns that never need reloading, a hero rushing madly through a flock of pigeons to save his girlfriend who is in immediate jeopardy, someone hanging by the fingertips of one hand from a rickety old pipe,a hit man who wants to retire, and a plot involving a MacGuffin and a rivalry between assassins to see who is going to be the best assassin in the world, the second best, and only the third best. Put them all together and you have "Assassins." The suspense associated with awaiting the outcome whipped me into a frenzy of indifference. There is one surprise, though. If Stallone managed to take off his clothes and flex his pecs again I managed to miss it, thank God. His muscles have acquired such bulk that his sports jackets look made by Adrian. If his shoulders get any wider he'll look like Joan Crawford in some 1944 movie. It's hard to tell from this movie that Julianne Moore is really an actress with some range. Nothing much is asked of her here exce