Bullet Movie
Storyline
TAGLINES
You only get one shot at revenge
Butch "Bullet" Stein is a Jewish junkie from the mean streets of Brooklyn, is paroled after eight years in prison. Butch rips off a runner for local drug dealer, Tank, and is soon right back into his old habits of snorting coke and shooting up heroin with his best friend Lester. Enraged by Butch's affront and already determined to get revenge on him for a past wrong, Tank sets about getting even with his old enemy by hiring a hulking brute, Gates to beat Butch. When the confrontation occurs, however, Gates breaks his hand on the battle-hardened Butch. Besides Lester, the only people in Butch's corner are his two brothers, the mentally-unhinged Vietnam War veteran Louis and aspiring artist Ruby, neither of whom can be counted on to help him in the inevitable showdown.
| Mickey Rourke | Butch 'Bullet' Stein |
| Frank Senger | Prison Guard |
| Adrien Brody | Ruby Stein |
| John Enos III | Lester |
| Fatmir Haskaj | Punk #1 - Jamie |
| Joe Dain | Punk #2 - Brian |
| Manny Perez | Flaco |
| Shirley Scott | Heavy Woman |
| Heather Laszlo | Dog-Walking Girl |
| Jerry Grayson | Sol Stein |
| Suzanne Shepherd | Cookie Stein |
| Ted Levine | Louis Stein |
| Matthew Powers | Paddy |
| Jerry Dean | Fingers |
| Tupac Shakur | Tank |
| Julien Temple |
5.90 out of 10 (1954 votes)
Visitor Reviews
Great dark movie starring Mickey Rourke!
posted on 18 Nov 2008I really enjoyed this dark movie which follows the life of Butch 'Bullet' Stein played by Mickey Rourke. The movie shows you the life of 'Bullet' from when he first gets out prison and the events that follow. I like how the film makes you feel like you are there following his life. I also enjoyed the other characters in the film and feel they were portrayed very well and had depth. Pitting 'Bullet' against 'Tank' played by Tupac Shakur worked perfectly. I was really impressed with this film overall and have watched it several times. Remember though, it is dark, and not a positive type of movie so it may not be for everybody. But, for those who like a tough, gritty Mickey Rourke it's a must see!
Bizarre study of a dysfunctional loving family gone wrong
posted on 06 Nov 2008It is a movie that has invoked tremendous feelings in me, due to how closely related I am to this family situation. A family that loves each other but never can admit it. The cold, sarcastically funny environment and characters that come to light in this film make it real. The musical score that Mickey Rourke personally did is outstanding! Even at the beginning of the movie when they pan the upstate New York setting as John Enos and his brother come to pick him up from the penn, the music goes from classical to hip hop beautifully with the change of seasons and finishes with Barry White. Just a trippy movie with believable characters who we all grew up with in one way or another. The family dynamic is quite bizarre but real too. Any one who grew up Jewish and not wealthy can relate to it. I really dug this movie and ended up buying it. Check it out and try not to get all caught up in how you cannot relate to these people, flawed as they are but how you do relate to them on many levels.
Brilliantly written, genius dialogue.
posted on 18 Jul 2008This film is of the highest order. From the Show & A soundtrack to the excellent script to the brilliant acting.I wonder how they came up with some of the lines in the scenes, pure genius. Characters are very well defined and entertaining, as they should be. Louis is fantastic, Butchie is brilliant, Booker Tank is pure gangsta. Cookie, Sal, Frankie Eyelashes, Lester. This film is banging from the door!!Loved the scene when Louis was training his elite army. The end of that scene shows Louis' gentle nature, when congratulating Stanley on his good demonstration. Basically everything Louis says or does is entertaining. "Would you like to eat Louis? I'm making Schmoltsen Gurdle soup, it's your fathers and Butchies favourite." Louis replies, "No thank you ma. The Pretzki's have left the cat out, I'll just nosh on that."Bring it on!
This film is poor.
posted on 06 Dec 2007Rourke is almost comically cast as 'Bullet'. He comes across as some kind of white guy who wishes he was black. Tupac proves that he can't act to save his life (sorry about the pun, I expect it'll be omitted) and the whole film just sucks. Humorous for the wrong reasons.
Very good movie
posted on 06 Dec 2007I saw this movie in the beginning of 1998 for the very first time. It was on TV and I never heard it was in movie theaters, that's why it struck me - is that Mickey Rourke? He played this ex con... with a serious heroin problem and his paranoid brother... trying to get a new life, but somehow getting tired of not getting anywhere. The sinister, dark atmosphere only amplifies this spiral "not getting anywhere" except for the places where he has already been.I must say it's a very good movie about life. I'm not surprised it was so underrated. Americans want energetic criminals who know what they are doing, who are invincible... or either succeed or get killed. Rourke however is a criminal... a criminal addicted to heroin with a demented brother... with no money, and no chance of getting out of it. Just like a life of a criminal really is.I recommend this movie to European fans as it is very European, even though it was made in USA. Again - very good.
Dull, But Ted Levine Is Outstanding
posted on 13 Apr 2007Generally speaking, Julien Temple's "Bullet" of 1996 is certainly not a very memorable film. It's not half as dark, tough and obscure as some say, and the story seems interesting at times, but while the movie pretends to narrate how tough rehabilitation for ex-convicts / drug addicts can be, it also clearly tries to be very 'coooool', which I found quite annoying.The movie tells he story of Butch 'Bullet' Stein (Mickey Rourke), a Jewish gangster, who comes home to Brooklyn after serving several years in jail. After his release, Butch is picked up by his younger brother (Adrien Brody) and his best friend (John Enos), and immediately antagonizes Tank (Tupac Shakur), a big-shot drug dealer, even before coming home to his parents and his older brother, the completely wacko Vietnam veteran brother Louis (Ted Levine), a psychopath whose hobbies include watching war videos and teaching children how to kill people...Ted Levine's performance as the character of Louis is actually the one thing that makes this otherwise unmemorable movie worthwhile. Probably most well known for his outstanding performance in Jonathan Demme's masterpiece "The Silence Of The Lambs", and more recently for his role in he "Monk" TV-series, Levine has proved that he is a great actor more than once, and "Bullet" is no exception. Levine's character of Louis is actually the only interesting character in this movie, and Levine plays the role so greatly that he actually made me like this film, that I really found quite dull otherwise.There are other good actors in this, of course. Adrien Brody is an excellent actor, Mickey Rourke is one of the best people around to play messed up badasses, and even though I don't like rap, I must say that deceased rapper Tupac Shakur proved acting talent in movies like "Gridlock'd". That being said, I can't say I liked any of these actors' particular performances in "Bullet". Rourke fits in, but I couldn't say that any of the performances was impressive, except, of course, for Ted Levine.All things considered, "Bullet" is a rather dull movie with a messy plot, but it is still enjoyable since it is quite dark at times and, above all, worth watching for Ted Levine's great performance. Apart from Ted Levine, don't expect too much though.
Nothing is Better than this Movie
posted on 29 Mar 2007This is the absolute best movie ever. I have never been able to find a movie with more priceless quotes in it that this--unfortunately I can't mention most of them--but here's a few--"Ma where's my teef" "Alright Stanley up against the car" "Shut the **** up Oprah" "Git yer mama's titty out your mouf." "It's dead it just don't work" Ted Levine should have been given 100 Academy Awards for his brilliant portrayal of Louis Stein. My friend Billy hasn't even seen it and he thinks its great and uses these quotes all the time. No other movie in my life has given me such amusement and I haven't even seen it in like 3 years--but there is no need I think we have memorized the entire script. If you have an extremely sick sense of humor then this is the movie for you.
gritty and underrated!
posted on 08 Nov 2006when i first saw this movie it was for tupac. after the movie it was all about mickey rourke! he is a great actor. this movie takes place in the ghetto of queens. mickey rourke plays butch "bullet" a dope fiend just released from prison after doing a seven year bid for something he didn't do but did take the blame of. tupac plays tank. a big time drug dealer who has had beef with bullet for a long time but also have respect towards each other. the movie is a must see by tupac fans. it is very dark and gritty and it is def not for the weak of heart!!! it is very real of how the streets back then realt were about and how getting out of prison really messes with ur mind and it teaches us a valuable lesson at the end of the movie!! great acting especially by rourke and the nut who plays rourkes older brother in the movie lol. 7 out of 10
Matthew Powers & Ted Levine Steal The Show....
posted on 18 Sep 2006This is probably the last movie Micky Rourke did before he started getting all those damn face-lift jobs. Either way, he gives what I believe to be his very best performance.(Forgive me for not seeing The Wrestler yet, but I will ASAP, I promise) 2Pac is OK, but if you've seen him play a tough guy before, then his performance won't stand out all that much.One of the "TWO" best surprises for me was the wonderful acting job delivered by Ted Levine. His most famous part is probably Buffalo Bill in Silence of the Lambs. In this film, he plays a man with schizophrenia, and he turns in an Oscar worthy performance.The other nice surprise is an actor named Matthew Powers. He plays the character "Paddy Boy" and I have to admit, I didn't like him very much at first. I was knocked for a loop by the end of the film when I realized just how potent his character really was.Word of advice: If parents want to keep their children from going down the wrong path (drugs/alcohol), then show them a movie like this. It will scare those youngsters straight, and that's all there is too it...
Certainly one of the best movies ever. Oh wait that was some other movie (spoiler)
posted on 25 Aug 2006(spoiler) This was an okay movie but not quite average. I don't know what the point of the whole movie was: Oops my bad. I just looked at the poster for the movie and learned what it was all about: "You only get one shot at revenge".What a sheisty catch line for the movie. Buffalo Bill was his crazy old self in this movie. That was really the only cool thing about the whole movie. He was a crazy war vet and dropped down on Pac and slit his throat. Cool scene as the rest was just absolute crap with no purpose other than revenge. Pac was out to kill Butchie. Boring. Yawn. Damn me for wasting two hours of my life on this. Maybe this review will help someone save themselves before succumbing to this garbage of a plot/movie/straight-to-video-crap.What the hell was Adrian Brody doing in this movie?Anyway, it's a good movie for this time of day: 2am.
classic, but !!
posted on 10 Aug 2006classic in in the ganster way, easy to follow plot ,mickey plays the Quintessential white /gansta come Brother, son, with a love-hate of himselfi purchased the movie from amazon in jan 2004 for my collection, only to discover the production company had cut 10 mins from the opening , thus missing that classic drive through upstate new york ,carried along by the sounds of barry whites " Never Gonna Give You Up" . to remove this scene above all others in the movie in my opinion is a crime. lets hope in the next run they will re edit to include what i think is the most important part of the movie, its sets the cool, calm, sexed up pace to follow
Starting empty, leading nowhere and ending blank
posted on 10 Aug 2006This one leads nowhere and is boring doing so. Gratuitous violence apparently for the effect alone. An incredibly narrow set. No attempt to tell the audience why people become what they are or do what they do. Just an attempt at a film noir'esque crime portrait. And wow, does it fail in the attempt. And what is it with the preaching scene towards the end? It was pretty obvious in the beginning that Bullet mocked the two kids for the sheer pleasure of it - not to teach them a lesson.By the end nothing is resolved. No clues as to anyone's motives. Nothing. Just a feeling of having wasted another hour and a half.
UNDERRATED and One of the COOLEST movies of the 90's
posted on 12 May 2006This is a cult film for Tupac fans because it was one of his last films. However, it is the acting of Mickey Rourke, the ensemble cast, and the sweetest soundtrack, that paints the brightest of pictures. The music from the movie, the acting from, Mark Wahlberg, Adrien Brody, Tupac, and Mickey Rourke make this movie a favorite, even in re-runs on cable. "Salvador, Salvatore, what the hell is the difference?" "Hey Mazaltuff..." best lines! A great movie, before Mickey Rourke went to Patrick Swyaze's and Kenny Roger's plastic surgeon. If you are a fight fan, you can catch a cameo from 80's fighter Ray "Boom Boom" Mancini as a cop. No doubt a connection to Rourke's fighting days. Apparently, Rourke helped write the screen play, and you know, he has a great movie on his hands. Bravo Mickey!
hey pa' you wearing my teeth?
posted on 13 Mar 2006Butch "Bullet" Stein is a Jewish junkie from the mean streets of Brooklyn, is paroled after eight years in prison. Butch rips off a runner for local drug dealer, Tank, and is soon right back into his old habits of snorting coke and shooting up heroin with his best friend Lester. Enraged by Butch's affront and already determined to get revenge on him for a past wrong, Tank sets about getting even with his old enemy by hiring a hulking brute, Gates to beat Butch. When the confrontation occurs, however, Gates breaks his hand on the battle-hardened Butch. Besides Lester, the only people in Butch's corner are his two brothers, the mentally- unhinged Vietnam War veteran Louis and aspiring artist Ruby, neither of whom can be counted on to help him in the inevitable showdown...Julien Temple is fantastic at directing music videos, but when he comes to make movies, he sort of loses the plot (see absolute beginners). i don't know where to start with this movie, but within the first ten minutes of the opening, we are treated to Rourke stripping two young boys, him stabbing someone in the eye, and Ted Levind doing his best buffalo bill impression this side of Silence of the lambs.to say the film was random would be an understatement, it's so confusing that it cannot help but to be enjoyed. Tupac turns up with an obvious grudge about something, swears a lot disappears for a while and come back later and do the same.basically the film has no plot, the narrative is poor to say the least, and when you see a man sitting in a pink Cadillac listening to 'i'm too sexy' by right said Fred' you know you are in trouble.but it's worth watching just for the randomness of the film
So bad, it's almost funny
posted on 08 Feb 2006BULLET starts off with a series of scenes that are so bad, they are comical. Mickey Rourke dressed as a gangbanger? Who has a pet rat named "Tony Curtis"? And a brother who is stark raving mad, shuffling around the house clad only in his underwear? And the brother teachers children how to cut a throat, and he and the kids laugh during the lesson? Hilarious!Unfortunately, after the first 20 minutes or so, the movie stops being funny, and becomes a bore. It becomes so bad it's bad. And pointless - there doesn't seem to be a plot. Even fans of Tupac will not find enough to make this worth watching - Tupac hardly appears in this movie (despite his billing), and none of the music on the soundtrack is by him.As a result, it's not surprising that this movie spent two years on the shelf, then released direct to video.
Great characters and gritty "street life" scenes
posted on 14 Oct 2005Bullet is the type of film that makes me want to look for other films with the same actors. The main characters are very unique and some times funny, for example I thought that Ted Levine was great as a psycho Vietnam vet, whether or not I was supposed to laugh at him i don't know. I laughed because that is just the type of humor I have , I'm not bashing the acting because it was good. Some famous names that appear in the film are Adrien Brody of The Pianist, Tupac Shakur, and even Donnie Wahlberg, (Mark's brother...new kids on the block) as a thug. The film is available on DVD with a R and an Unrated version, I've only seen the unrated version though, it contain graphic drug use, a sex scene, and violence of course.
Fans of feel-good movies, turn and run, now.
posted on 21 Aug 2005A lot of people bitch that "Bullet" is far from standard Hollywood fare, but what that means to you depends heavily on your personal opinion of Hollywood fare. If you, like myself, don't think too highly of it, then consider this your first boarding call.The "Bullet" spoken of in the title is the film's central character, a 35-year-old Brooklyn heroin junkie (Mickey Rourke). The film begins with his release from the pen after serving an eight-year sentence, and then proceeds to closely follow the lives of him and those around him -- the parents, an eccentric little brother, a completely shell-shocked headcase of a big brother (Ted Levine, creating yet another standout psychotic), as well as various players in the substance supply industry (Tupac Shakur makes his last screen appearance as the druglord Tank, and does a decent job in a rather thankless role). I'd summarize the plot more clearly if I could, but the fact is, these people's lives just aren't that simple."Bullet" is one of those rare movies which somehow leak through the cracks and make it into production with their soul (or lack thereof) intact. One of the few who dare pay attention to the dregs of society. Worse still, actual dregs of actual modern day society. The REAL dregs. The "uncool" dregs which are far less likely to break out the one-liners after offing someone then they are to strip the corpse of all valuables and sell them for drug money."Bullet" wastes no time whatsoever on making it's characters presentable. I admit it, there's no way this film could ever have raked in the cash. On the surface, the majority of scenes depicted in "Bullet" are the furthest thing any decent human being would classify as entertainment. But below this poverty and violence is a complex and intriguing world filled with complex and intriguing characters.The film's craft cannot be faulted. The direction is superb, the soundtrack appropriate -- at times eerily so -- but even despite all this, most viewers will recoil in disgust at the request to tune into the lives and minds of characters as genuinely vile, violent and emotionally unstable as these. Characters that would instruct packs of ten-year olds in mortal combat. Characters that can no longer see the future beyond their next hit. Characters that assault their own image in the mirror. This is ground most viewers aren't willing to tread, and why this film was doomed to fail commercially. But that by no means makes it bad. Those who can stomach the imagery and see beyond it will not be disappointed... with the *movie*. How you'll feel once it sinks in that these kinds of things happen on a daily basis in what is supposedly the most civilized country on the planet is anyone's guess.
One of Rourke;s greatest works!
posted on 07 Jun 2005I rented this film because i consider myself a Rourke fan. I've made it a goal to watch every Rourke film that COULD be good. Pretty much everything from the 80's and nothing post-'97. Out of all the movies i've seen of Rourke's, this is in my top 3 (Angel Heart and 9 1/2 weeks are the other 2). Rourke turns in a mesmerizing performance as Bullet, a heroin addict who gets released from prison after serving time for a crime he did not commit. Bullet returns to his estranged and troubled family and once again falls into a web of violence, drugs, and crime. But there is a gangster named Tank (Tupac) who has a grudge against Bullet and wants him dead. I was glad to see Tupac is only in it for maybe 20 minutes and Rourke is in the best shape of his life. There are some great performances form Ted Levine and Adrien Brody. John Enos III is pretty solid too. I was surprised that the film wasn't low-budget and had great quality. Rourke co-wrote the script and his character is an interesting and provocative one. Rourke still looks good facial wise, so i take it this was before he became some what deformed (hence why i pass on anything post-'97). I was shocked, moved, disturbed, and intrigued through the entire film. It's a gangster film with a very realistic and gritty feel. The family life and how his family all reacts to Bullet's release and his life style are fascinating and deep. Ted Levin is great as the psychotic and disillusioned older brother. This is a real treat for Rourke fans and fans of gangster dramas. One of Rourke's best films.
Stay away from this so called classic!
posted on 22 Feb 2005This is officially the first film, where the death of a leading character makes me feel nothing at all. His death makes no difference and I don't think this was the point, if any intended. The overacting Brody gives me the rest.Bullets brothers are not believable and tend to replicate typical clichés about New Yorkers: art and violence.And one line about the late sprachgesang artist Mr. shakur (i don' like the name which sounds like this Peruvian terrorist group MRTA). Lame!Well it is a masterpiece of bad directing: to manage that the viewer will, for almost 90 minutes of his screen presence, not identify with the main character. Ed Wood would be proud! This film is point- and clueless. I hope i was the last person on this solar system to watch this horrible movie.
Another classic from Mickey Rourke
posted on 14 Apr 2009Not long ago I saw Sin City, and I was crazy about Mickey Rourke's character Marv. This character was actually a comic book monster (with a heart), and since I loved Marv so much I have sought out other Rourke films. This one is just another one of his best rolls. He plays Butch or Bullet who has been in prison for eight years for a crime he didn't commit (he kept his mouth shut and suffered for a friend). He's a junky that is sick of the life and wants to die...really...'cause nothing is going to change ever. Tupac Shakur plays a thug that is after Bullet for blinding him in one eye. The way the revenge plays out reminds me of Shakespeare's Merchant of Venice, especially when Rourke says to Shakur, "You want your pound of flesh...your business is with me." (Not a direct quote) I thought this film would be like a Die Hard type film, but I was very surprised. Ted Levine and Adrien Brody play Bullet's brothers: Levine's character could rival his Buffalo Bill from Silence of the Lambs. This film never played theatrically (I think), and its a shame. Good drama always deserves its audience. I hope all reading these comments will give "Bullet" a chance: you won't be disappointed.