TMT: “Told you I’m never going back…”
This is the next entry in a Theatre… a Movie… and a Time, a series that was begun here. Sometimes, I’m on a film, either by the reputation of filmmaker or cast, or just the buzz, as it arrives in theaters. Then, there are those other times. Credit here goes to my film blogging colleague J.D. as he reminded his Facebook friends a couple of weeks back that this particular work landed 16 years ago on December 15, 1995. His excellent review of this seminal Michael Mann film, and the one done by writer Joseph Maddrey, help to explain why it continues to affect each of them, and me, to this day.
“He knew the risks, he didn’t have to be there. It rains… you get wet.” ~ Neil McCauly’s response to Eady after she finds out about the bank shoot-out.
Theatre
Movie
Time
January 3, 1996: When Michael Mann’s exemplary Los Angeles crime saga, Heat, debuted back in December of ’95, just about everyone I knew who went to movies saw and recommended it. Being that this filmmaker made an impression on me in previous decades, I should have been right there upon release. I wasn’t…even after the film made several end of the year “Best of” lists. Maybe it was the movie’s almost three-hour length that held me off, or my tendency of late arrival to some things.
Of course, being a relatively new father to a son barely two months old at the time may have had something to do with it, too.
The mother of our first child sent me off to the movies on this date right after the new year splashed on to our shores. Marshalling in the most significant demarcation of our lives. Children. We, in no uncertain terms, parents. Nothing ever was as stark, or as beautiful, than that.And since this film was still playing in nearby Marina Del Rey, I headed over the Cineplex Marina Marketplace 6 once again. As I had so many other times.
I guess since it was a mid-week screening, and in the evening, with the film already out for a couple of weeks, it shouldn’t have been a surprise the movie hall I found myself in was at a fraction of capacity. That said, it didn’t stop the few of us there from applauding when the film’s final scene on the outskirts of LAX appeared. Using Moby’s God Moving Over the Face of the Waters track to a great and poignant end as it marshalled in Heat‘s closing credits.
It remains the lasting image and melody from a film I carry with me to this day.
The entire TMT series can be found here. If you’re interested how it’s put together, click here.
It Rains... You Get Wet 
20 Responses to “TMT: “Told you I’m never going back…””
I am always impressed reading your record of your memory of what happened for each TMT section! (I also can’t help but see “TMT” in writing and feel that there is a “N” missing between the ‘M’ and the second ‘T’! hahaha)
Don’t worry, I STILL haven’t seen HEAT all the way through. Mainly because of its length. I’d much rather watch Gladiator or The Lord of the Rings for that length of time!
Great post! As always
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Very kind of you to say, T. This series is an archive for some great times I’ve been lucky to experience at the movie theater, and I wanted to get them down on virtual paper before old age and time make me forget them all ;-). Well, when you finish ‘Heat’ please come back and we’ll discuss it further. Thanks, my friend.
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Nice post I remember seeing Heat in the cinema being totally blown away by it!!!
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Thanks, Joel. I remember that feeling, alright.
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I do love this series.
It is so nice to look back at moments like this.
HEAT is a cracker for sure… Thanks for sharing
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Thanks for the kind words, Scott.
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Oh man, Michael Mann… I LOVE this movie! That ending is just… wow! You made me want to rewatch this film again soon, Michael. That theme gives me goosebumps as well. If only DeNiro and Pacino sticks to this kind of quality film to work together again after this one.
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So glad to hear you’re another fan of this extraordinary film, Ruth. Yeah, their next co-starring gig didn’t turn out as well ;-). Thanks for your comment and thoughts.
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Thanks my friend for that lovely shout-out! I have fond memories of seeing this film and can almost still hear the ringing in my ears of the deafening gunshots during the film’s legendary bank heist sequence. Such a great film.
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I really admire your look upon this modern crime classic, J.D. Glad to give it a shout-out, my friend. Many thanks.
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I love how all these theaters look so different from the chain AMC’s stuck in a corner of a mall. Keep them coming Michael!
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We’re lucky around here, Castor. We still have some distinct looking theaters left. Thanks, my friend.
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I was just looking at something in an old Writer’s Notebook and came by a quote from this film. I never liked it as much as I thought I SHOULD. You know how that can be? All your friends like it, it’s exactly the type of film you usually like, it stars the object of your enormous childhood crush (ok, maybe not everyone on that last one – hehe) and yet you still don’t like it all that much. Anyway, it did leave quite an impression and I’ve always wondered if I should give it another try all these years later…
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Oh, yes. Please give this one another go, Rachel. Heck, if you come back down here come April for LATFoB, I’ll play it on my Blu-ray for you ;-). We can discuss at length. Thanks, Rachel.
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What a coincidence! I was just today looking for the dates for 2012…
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See… it is meant to be 😉
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I have seen this movie ages ago and barely remember the story now. It was nice of your wife to let you see it 🙂
The cinema looks small,how much is the capacity of that place? *curious*
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It’s reported this multiplex had a total capacity of 1850. Of course, that’s split among six theaters, so they’re not big by any means (with three of them being larger than the others). Remarkably, this place is still around, though it’s lost popularity to the newer stadium seating plexes built later nearby. Thanks, Novroz.
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[…] online. Typical. Figured to get into the stand-by line out of desperation for the film that had captured me two decades prior. Hadn’t figured that trying one last time, the day before, after getting home from work […]
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[…] most recent revisit of the film marks the time since it became part of my viewing life; after first laying eyes on it at a small beach community cineplex as 1996 crept in. It finally got me off the snide to give this […]
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