NateWatchesCoolMovies Larry Bishop's Mad Dog Time is a perpetually strange, endearing little pseudo gangster flick with a lot of sass, style and an endless cast that will glue your jaw to the floor. Seriously, there's so many familiar faces and big names in hidden nugget cameos that one starts to lose track. It takes place in a far corner of a different universe, populated by Rat Pack esque mobsters and gorgeous dames. All they do the entire movie is plot to kill each other, stage Russian roulette style shooting derbies, shoot each other and basically wreak havoc on one another. There's no outside world, they are completely cut off inside their ornate dining halls, chambers and night clubs. It's interesting and may be too gimmicky for some people, but it's definitely something different. Jeff Goldblum, sly and slick, plays Mickey Holliday, a gangster attempting to take the place of Vic (Richard Dreyfuss), whos about to return from the loony bin. He's also dealing with his volatile girlfriend Rita (Ellen Barkin ramping up the sex appeal and attitude), and locate her missing sister (Diane Lane, briefly). On top of this he's beset on all sides by vicious, power hungry thugs of all sorts, including Wacky Jackson (Burt Reynolds), Jake Parker (Kyle Maclachlan), and mysterious hit man Nick (Larry Bishop). There's a lot going on, and there's not a lot going on depending on how you look at it. It's pretty much all style and barely any substance, but oh what style! Goldblum is pitch perfect, in full dark humored cynicism mode, and Dreyfuss runs around like daffy duck on fire, chewing scenery like a mad goat. The roster of supporting talent includes Billy Idol, Angie Everhart, Billy Dragon, Gregory Hines, Christopher Jones, Henry Silva, Michael J. Pollard, Rob Reiner, Richard Pryor, and a priceless turn from Gabriel Byrne as Ben 'Brass Balls' London, a demented loudmouth who talks his way into hilariously violent situations. His duet of 'My Way' with Paul Anka, also appearing, has to be seen to be believed. Shot in rich velvety reds, with an emphasis on character, violence and a beautiful set design of rampant excessive ambiance, it's sure one you won't forget, whether you like it or not. It's like a love letter to the Cotton Club style, rat pack, Tommy gun madness of yesteryear in film. A treat.

rekall1900 If the Godfather can be rated as the greatest of realistic crime or gangster movies then Mad Dog Time should be rated as the greatest of surrealistic movies. This is a film which takes the serious reality of the mob world of killers and shows them in a strange weird way that should rate this film as one of the great films of the cinema art. It is like watching mobsters in a way the painter Picasso viewed reality with his famous Cubism. In some ways it is Film Noir but in other ways it is comic and even romantic. If you want to see a different kind of crime movie that is well acted and whose meaning may be no more than the art of strange film or showing what creative film making can do, then catch this one.

job-matt I read a few of the reviews that tossed this film "under the bus" Decided I would give it a try anyway. After all I like most of the players that graced the stage in this unbelievable waste of film.The plot starts a bit thin and never gets any deeper. A crime boss that commits himself then decides he's OK(or does he?) must get his town in order and re-connect with the only woman that can touch his jaded,bipolar,sociopathic heart.(that old chestnut) Two hours of horrible dialog and even worse acting comes to a climax with predictable stupidity. The over cool good guys and wise cracking bad guy face off in a scenario that was meant to be exciting and unpredictable.I must say this actually hurt me to watch. Any time you have to have two of the main characters spend three or more minutes explaining what just happened, there is a good chance it was too ridiculous for the average person connect the dots. Then when the dots are connected you realize it wasn't worth connecting after all. And did I mention terrible acting? Ellen Barkin did an OK job the rest,especially Dreyfuss,were horrendous.Do yourself a favor and avoid this disaster. Your time would be better spent watching infomercials or pulling your fingernails off.

star_baby_727 If you are used to seeing Gabriel Byrne in serious roles such as Tom in Millers Crossing or Keaton in The Usual Suspects I recommend you take a look at this film. Even if you are not a fan of Gabriel Byrne in particular, all the actors in this film give really great performances. If you've got about eleven bucks (that is close to nine quid) I say order it online, or rent it from you favorite movie rental place. Guaranteed to make you laugh, whether or not you normally like gangster type movies. Mad Dog Time/Trigger Happy is one of those movies you never forget, and find yourself watching over and over. You will talk about it so much your friends will be begging to borrow it.