Cohen and Tate

Last updated
Cohen and Tate
Cohen and Tate FilmPoster.jpeg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Eric Red
Screenplay byEric Red
Based on"The Ransom of Red Chief"
by O. Henry (Uncredited)
Produced byAntony Rufus-Isaacs
Jeff Young
Starring
Cinematography Victor J. Kemper
Edited byEdward M. Abroms
Music by Bill Conti
Production
companies
Nelson Entertainment
New Galactic
Tate Productions
Distributed by Hemdale Film Corporation
Release date
  • January 27, 1989 (1989-01-27)
Running time
86 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$5.5 million [1]
Box office$64,227 (United States) [2]

Cohen and Tate (also known as Cohen & Tate) is a 1989 American thriller film written and directed by Eric Red and starring Roy Scheider, Adam Baldwin and Harley Cross. It was Red's feature film debut. The film is considered as a cinematic version of O. Henry's short story "The Ransom of Red Chief". [3] [4]

Contents

Plot

Two professional assassins are sent to kidnap a 9-year-old boy named Travis Knight (Harley Cross), who is under the United States Federal Witness Protection Program in Oklahoma after witnessing a mob killing in Texas. Cohen (Roy Scheider) is an older, jaded assassin with a little bit of humanity still in him. Tate (Adam Baldwin) is a younger, hotheaded and psychopathic killer.

The two hitmen assassinate the boy's parents and the agent who protected them with the help of another agent who lets them get in the house and then runs away. They capture Travis and drive him away to see their boss, in Houston. When Travis learns this from Cohen, he takes advantage of a rising antagonism between his hijackers to further tangle and pit one against the other in order to survive.

When his captors are distracted Travis escapes and is soon picked up by an Oklahoma Highway Patrol trooper, who is later shot in the head by Cohen while he's driving. Once again they capture Travis and hear on the radio that the boy's father survived the attack and is only injured, and the police are after their trail. Tate wants to get rid of Travis but Cohen does not. They suddenly find a roadblock ahead and manage to escape by threatening to kill Travis and blowing up the police patrols.

They swap cars with a passing driver after Tate uses brass knuckles to knock him out. Cohen suddenly stops driving and parks beside a mailbox. Without saying a word, with an expression of grief (coming from the suspicion of what could be his last job), he sends part of his payment and his money clip in a letter to his wife. Travis finally manages to turn his captors on each other, when he realizes that Tate is about to shoot the sleepy Cohen while he is driving. He shouts at Cohen, warning him. This enrages Tate, who calls Travis a liar. Travis spits at Tate, and when Tate tries to harm him, he gets shot and chucked out of the moving car by Cohen, who later stows his body in the trunk.

A stop at the gas station leaves an overly curious attendant getting shot through a glass door after he sees blood coming out of the car's trunk while attempting to call for help. Cohen goes to check on Tate only to be attacked on by his now-enraged and still-alive partner, who springs out of the trunk and batters Cohen senseless. He reveals himself to have been wearing a bulletproof vest. Travis manages to drive the car away from Tate and hide among pump jacks and oil tanks in an oil field. Cohen reappears and handcuffs Travis to his wrist. Tate stalks them in the dark. When Cohen moves abruptly to shoot where he thinks Tate is, he loses his hearing aid. Travis finds it but hesitates about speaking out. Cohen looks at Travis with fear in his eyes, and pleads for help. Travis gives him the hearing aid and Cohen thanks him. While escaping, Tate suddenly comes out and shoots Cohen, who takes a round to the shoulder and appears to pass out. Tate advances on Travis before being shot by Cohen, causing him to fall beneath an oil pump jack and be splattered everywhere by the equipment.

When he gets to Houston, Cohen is cornered on the highway by the police and considers shooting Travis, but the boy lets him know that he cannot do it and they both know it. Cohen collides with a highway roadblock in his last attempt to escape, and the car breaks in Houston's downtown. Absolutely cornered by the police, Cohen holds Travis close to him, cocks his gun, and asks him: "How old are you, kid"?. Travis answers "nine". While looking up, Cohen says: "Nine, huh? How about that?" and shoots himself through the throat, dying instantly.

Cast

Production

Cohen & Tate was originally released by Hemdale Film Corporation and Nelson Entertainment, who also backed the film's production along with New Galactic. This is New Galactic's only production to date. Nelson was dissolved sometime in the early 1990s, with part of their holdings sold to New Line Cinema. Many of their back catalog titles have been released on DVD by MGM. [5]

In the commentary Track for the Blu-ray release of the film, Eric Red explains that one of the influences for his work in Cohen & Tate was John Ford, citing in particular Ford's classic film The Searchers (1956). [6]

DVD release and Shout! Factory restoration

Eric Red had stated for years that a DVD edition of the film was amongst his closest and most desired projects. [7]

On July 9, 2013, Cohen and Tate was released on DVD by Shout! Factory. [6] The Blu-ray Disc has a complete restoration of audio and video, and includes "A Look Back at Cohen & Tate", a short featurette that offers interviews with Writer/Director Eric Red, as well as editor Edward Abroms, cinematographer Victor J. Kemper, and co-stars Kenneth McCabe and Harley Cross. [6] It also includes a Commentary track for the film by Eric Red.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roy Scheider</span> American actor (1932–2008)

Roy Richard Scheider was an American actor and amateur boxer. Described by AllMovie as "one of the most unique and distinguished of all Hollywood actors", he gained fame for his leading and supporting roles in celebrated films from the 1970s through to the early to mid-1980s. He was nominated for two Academy Awards, a Golden Globe Award, and a BAFTA Award.

<i>Shanghai Noon</i> 2000 film by Tom Dey

Shanghai Noon is a 2000 martial arts western action comedy film starring Jackie Chan, Owen Wilson and Lucy Liu. The first in the Shanghai film series and marking the directorial debut of Tom Dey, Shanghai Noon was written by Alfred Gough and Miles Millar. The film received positive reviews and was a commercial success.

<i>24 Hours to Live</i> 2017 film

24 Hours to Live is a 2017 science fiction action thriller film directed by Brian Smrz and starring Ethan Hawke, Xu Qing, Paul Anderson, Liam Cunningham, and Rutger Hauer. It follows a career assassin who goes on a rampage to exact revenge and find redemption after he is mortally wounded and brought back to life for 24 hours using a newly developed technology. The film premiered at the Austin Film Festival on October 26, 2017, and was released on VOD and in select theaters on December 1, 2017.

<i>Mercury Rising</i> 1998 American action thriller film directed by Harold Becker

Mercury Rising is a 1998 American action thriller film starring Bruce Willis and Alec Baldwin. Directed by Harold Becker, the film is based on Ryne Douglas Pearson's 1996 novel originally published as Simple Simon, which was the working title of the film. Willis plays Art Jeffries, an undercover FBI agent who protects a nine-year-old autistic boy, Simon Lynch, who is targeted by government assassins after he cracks a top secret government code.

<i>To Live and Die in L.A.</i> (film) 1985 film by William Friedkin

To Live and Die in L.A. is a 1985 American neo-noir action crime thriller film directed and co-written by William Friedkin and based on the 1984 novel by former United States Secret Service agent Gerald Petievich, who co-wrote the screenplay with Friedkin. The film features William Petersen, Willem Dafoe and John Pankow among others. Wang Chung composed and performed the original music soundtrack. The film tells the story of the lengths to which two Secret Service agents go to arrest a counterfeiter.

<i>Harley Davidson and the Marlboro Man</i> 1991 film

Harley Davidson and the Marlboro Man is a 1991 American neo-Western biker film starring Mickey Rourke and Don Johnson, with a supporting cast including Chelsea Field, Tom Sizemore, Daniel Baldwin, Giancarlo Esposito, and Vanessa Williams who also contributes to the film's soundtrack. It is directed by Simon Wincer from a screenplay by Don Michael Paul.

<i>Black Dog</i> (film) 1998 American film

Black Dog is a 1998 American action thriller film directed by Kevin Hooks and starring Patrick Swayze. The film tells the story of a trucker and ex-con who is manipulated into transporting illegal arms. The film co-stars popular American singers Randy Travis and Meat Loaf.

<i>White Sands</i> (film) 1992 American film by Roger Donaldson

White Sands is a 1992 American crime thriller film directed by Roger Donaldson and starring Willem Dafoe, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, Samuel L. Jackson, and Mickey Rourke. Written by Daniel Pyne for Warner Bros., the film is about a U.S. southwestern small-town sheriff who finds a body in the desert with a suitcase and $500,000. He impersonates the man and stumbles into an FBI investigation.

<i>The Last Shot</i> 2004 American film

The Last Shot is a 2004 American action comedy film starring Matthew Broderick, Alec Baldwin, Toni Collette, Calista Flockhart, Ray Liotta, Tim Blake Nelson, James Rebhorn and Tony Shalhoub. The film is written and directed by Jeff Nathanson, who wrote the Steven Spielberg films Catch Me If You Can and The Terminal.

<i>Black Moon Rising</i> 1986 film by Harley Cokeliss

Black Moon Rising is a 1986 American science fiction action thriller film directed by Harley Cokliss, written by John Carpenter, and starring Tommy Lee Jones, Linda Hamilton, Robert Vaughn, Keenan Wynn, and Richard Jaeckel. The plot revolves around the theft of a prototype vehicle called the Black Moon.

<i>Shooter</i> (2007 film) 2007 American action thriller film by Antoine Fuqua

Shooter is a 2007 American action thriller film directed by Antoine Fuqua and written by Jonathan Lemkin, based on the 1993 novel Point of Impact by Stephen Hunter. The film follows Force Recon Marine Scout Sniper veteran Bob Lee Swagger, who is framed for murder by a mercenary unit operating for a private military firm. The film also stars Michael Peña, Danny Glover, Kate Mara, Levon Helm, and Ned Beatty.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harley Cross</span> American actor

Harley Cross is an American entrepreneur, film/television actor and producer.

<i>Breach</i> (2007 film) 2007 film by Billy Ray

Breach is a 2007 American spy thriller film directed by Billy Ray, who wrote the screenplay with Adam Mazer and William Rotko. The film is based on the true story of Robert Hanssen, an FBI agent convicted of spying for the Soviet Union and later Russia for more than two decades. It stars Chris Cooper as Hanssen and Ryan Phillippe as Eric O'Neill, the FBI Investigator who helped bring about his downfall. The film received generally positive reviews and grossed $41 million on a $23 million budget.

<i>The Client</i> (1994 film) 1994 American legal thriller film directed by Joel Schumacher

The Client is a 1994 American legal thriller film directed by Joel Schumacher, and starring Susan Sarandon, Tommy Lee Jones, Brad Renfro, Mary-Louise Parker, Anthony LaPaglia, Anthony Edwards, and Ossie Davis. It is based on the 1993 novel by John Grisham. It was filmed in Memphis, Tennessee.

<i>Black Rainbow</i> 1989 American film

Black Rainbow is a 1989 psychological thriller film directed by Mike Hodges and starring Rosanna Arquette, Jason Robards Jr., Tom Hulce, Mark Joy, Ron Rosenthal, and John Bennes. It was filmed in Rock Hill, South Carolina and Charlotte, North Carolina.

<i>Fast & Furious</i> (2009 film) Film directed by Justin Lin

Fast & Furious is a 2009 action film directed by Justin Lin and written by Chris Morgan. It is the direct sequel to The Fast and the Furious and 2 Fast 2 Furious as well as the fourth installment in the Fast & Furious franchise. It stars Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Michelle Rodriguez, and Jordana Brewster. In the film, Dominic Toretto (Diesel) and FBI agent Brian O'Conner (Walker) are forced to work together to avenge the murder of Toretto's lover Letty Ortiz (Rodriguez) and apprehend drug lord Arturo Braga.

<i>Bloodwork</i> (film) 2012 Canadian film

Bloodwork, also known as Bloodworx (US), and The Last Experiment (UK) – is a 2012 Canadian-American thriller film directed by Eric Wostenberg and written by David Nahmod. The film stars Travis Van Winkle, Tricia Helfer, and Mircea Monroe. The production was filmed in Canada under the working title Phase One, in November and December 2009.

<i>ChromeSkull: Laid to Rest 2</i> 2011 American film

ChromeSkull: Laid to Rest 2 is a 2011 American slasher film written and directed by Robert Green Hall, and co-written by Kevin Bocarde. It is the sequel to 2009 film Laid to Rest.

<i>Rabid Dogs</i> 1998 film

Rabid Dogs is an Italian thriller-noir film directed by Mario Bava, starring Riccardo Cucciolla, Don Backy, Lea Lander, Maurice Poli, George Eastman and Erika Dario. Taking place largely in real time, the film follows a trio of payroll robbers who kidnap a young woman and force a man with a sick child to be their getaway driver, all while trying to avoid being caught by the police.

Jerusalem Countdown is a 2011 Christian thriller film adapted from the speculative fiction novel of the same name by John Hagee. It was directed and co-written by Harold Cronk and stars David A.R. White, Anna Zielinski, Randy Travis, Lee Majors, Stacy Keach, and Marco Khan.

References

  1. ↑ Counts, Kyle (March 1989). "Cohen and Tate". Cinemafantastique. Fourth Castle Micromedia. Retrieved July 13, 2023.
  2. ↑ Cohen and Tate, Box Office Data Box Office Mojo
  3. ↑ Cohen & Tate MGM Channel
  4. ↑ TCM Search Results for The Ransom Of Red Chief Archived 2014-07-29 at the Wayback Machine TCM Shop
  5. ↑ Seldom Seen review - Cohen & Tate, by Collin Armstrong Archived 2008-09-05 at the Wayback Machine 2007-10-08, SchreenAnarchy
  6. 1 2 3 Blu-ray Reviews, Cohen & Tate Blu-ray. Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman 07-11-2013, Blu-ray Reviews (blu-ray.com)
  7. ↑ Eric Red interview on 100 Feet and Nightlife Archived 2012-02-06 at the Wayback Machine Eye For Film
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.