Chain of Fools (film)

Last updated
Chain of Fools
Chain of Fools Movie Poster.jpg
DVD cover
Directed byTraktor
Written byBix Skahill
Produced by
  • Tony Lord
  • Matthew Weaver
  • Happy Walters
Starring
Cinematography Frederick Elmes
Edited byHarvey Rosenstock
Music by
Production
companies
  • City Block Films [1]
  • Weaver/Lord Productions [1]
  • Immortal Films [1]
Distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures
Release date
  • March 3, 2001 (2001-03-03)(Sweden) [2]
Running time
96 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$20 million [3]

Chain of Fools is a 2001 American heist comedy film directed by Swedish production collective Traktor. It stars Steve Zahn, Salma Hayek, Elijah Wood, David Cross, Tom Wilkinson, David Hyde Pierce, Lara Flynn Boyle, and Jeff Goldblum. Chain of Fools was scheduled for release in the United States by Warner Bros. Pictures in the fall of 2000, but it ended up only being theatrically released in Sweden on March 3, 2001. [2] After further delays, the film was released straight to video in the US on February 15, 2005. [3]

Contents

Plot

Thomas Kresk is a loser—he isn't good at his job, he's been tossed out of his home, and his wife just dumped him for the marriage counselor. On top of all that, his longtime friend and mentor Gordon Freeman died tragically. Now he's depressed, and contemplating suicide. And yes, things get worse: a criminal named Avnet (Jeff Goldblum) has stolen three priceless coins, and decided to blackmail Bollingsworth (Tom Wilkinson), his billionaire partner in crime. After Kresk overhears this, he almost gets shot—and Avnet ends up impaled on a pair of barbers' scissors.

Now Kresk is in a considerably nastier situation, so he steals the gun and the coins. But things take a sharp turn when he hires a hit man named Mikey (Elijah Wood), and discovers that the hit man is only seventeen and emotionally traumatized by his parents' suicide. And that Kresk is falling for the cop/Playboy model Sgt. Meredith Kolko (Salma Hayek), and that his nephew Scottie (Devin Drewitz) has now swallowed the coins. Now Kresk is in over his head, and has to deal with the strange and sometimes dangerous people around him.

Cast

Production

The primary filming location was Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.[ citation needed ]

Release

Chain of Fools premiered in Sweden on March 3, 2001. [2] The film was scheduled for a US release by Warner Bros. Pictures in the fall of 2000, but this never happened. It was then shelved for five years before finally being released on DVD on February 15, 2005. [3]

Critical reception

Variety said the film is "uneven but shows definite signs of promise." [2]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Salma Hayek</span> Mexican and American actress and film producer (born 1966)

Salma Hayek Pinault is a Mexican and American actress and film producer. She began her career in Mexico with starring roles in the telenovela Teresa (1989–1991) as well as the romantic drama Midaq Alley (1995). She soon established herself in Hollywood with appearances in films such as Desperado (1995), From Dusk till Dawn (1996), Wild Wild West (1999), and Dogma (1999).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elijah Wood</span> American actor (born 1981)

Elijah Jordan Wood is an American actor and producer. He rose to international fame for his portrayal of Frodo Baggins in The Lord of the Rings film trilogy (2001–2003) and The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012).

<i>Frida</i> (2002 film) 2002 film directed by Julie Taymor

Frida is a 2002 American biographical drama film directed by Julie Taymor which depicts the professional and private life of the surrealist Mexican artist Frida Kahlo.

<i>Men in Black II</i> 2002 science fiction action film directed by Barry Sonnenfeld

Men in Black II is a 2002 American science fiction action comedy film based on the Marvel Comics series of a similar name. Produced by Columbia Pictures and Amblin Entertainment in association with MacDonald Parkes Productions, and distributed by Sony Pictures Releasing, it is the sequel to Men in Black (1997) and the second installment in the Men in Black franchise. The film was directed by Barry Sonnenfeld from a screenplay by Robert Gordon and Barry Fanaro, and it stars Tommy Lee Jones and Will Smith, with Lara Flynn Boyle, Johnny Knoxville, Rosario Dawson, Tony Shalhoub, and Rip Torn in supporting roles. It also featured Michael Jackson's last theatrical film appearance before his death in June 2009. In the film, the emergence of an assumed subdued alien threat reunites Kevin Brown / Agent K (Jones) and James Darrell Edwards III / Agent J (Smith).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Audrey Horne</span> Fictional character

Audrey Horne is a fictional character from the ABC television series Twin Peaks, played by Sherilyn Fenn. The character was created by David Lynch. She was introduced in the pilot. The daughter of Ben and Sylvia Horne, sister of Johnny Horne, her storylines focused on her infatuation with the series protagonist Dale Cooper, infiltrating the brothel/casino One Eyed Jacks and becoming an activist through civil disobedience.

The 60th Golden Globe Awards, honoring the best in film and television for 2002, were held on January 19, 2003, in the Beverly Hilton Hotel, Beverly Hills, California. The nominations were announced on December 19, 2002.

<i>How I Got into College</i> 1989 film by Savage Steve Holland

How I Got Into College is a 1989 American romantic comedy film directed by Savage Steve Holland, starring Anthony Edwards, Corey Parker, and Lara Flynn Boyle and produced & released by 20th Century Fox. This is the film debut of eventual voice actor Tom Kenny, who would become best known as the voice of SpongeBob SquarePants.

<i>Fled</i> 1996 film directed by Kevin Hooks

Fled is a 1996 American buddy action comedy film directed by Kevin Hooks. It stars Laurence Fishburne and Stephen Baldwin as two prisoners chained together who flee during an escape attempt gone bad.

<i>Welcome to Hollywood</i> 1998 American film

Welcome to Hollywood is a 1998 mockumentary film directed by Adam Rifkin.

The National Board of Review Award for Best Acting by an Ensemble is an annual film award given by the National Board of Review.

Ventanarosa is an American film and television production company formally founded by Salma Hayek in 1999 and run by Hayek and her production partner, Jose Tamez. Siobhan Flynn serves as its Head of Development and Production. Ventanarosa means “pink window” in Spanish.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jon Avnet</span> American film and television director, writer and producer

Jonathan Michael Avnet, is an American director, writer and producer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carlos Gomez (actor)</span> American actor (born 1962)

Carlos Gómez is an American actor.

<i>Auggie Rose</i> 2001 film by Matthew Tabak

Auggie Rose, also known as Beyond Suspicion, is a 2000 American drama film directed by Matthew Tabak and starring Jeff Goldblum and Anne Heche. It was originally shown on Cinemax and then released on video with the title Beyond Suspicion before a limited theatrical release in San Francisco, Los Angeles and New York City.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joe Lynch (director)</span> American film director

Joe Lynch is an American film and music video director, film producer, cinematographer, and actor.

The My VH1 Music Awards is an annual music award ceremony held by American television network VH1 held in both 2000 and 2001. Categories, nominees, and winners were selected entirely by public voting at VH1.com. The ceremonies were held at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, California, broadcast live on VH1 and online. The award statuette was designed by sculptor Lawrence Nowlan.

<i>The Hitmans Bodyguard</i> 2017 film directed by Patrick Hughes

The Hitman's Bodyguard is a 2017 action comedy film directed by Patrick Hughes and written by Tom O'Connor. It stars Ryan Reynolds and Samuel L. Jackson with Gary Oldman and Salma Hayek. In the film, Michael Bryce (Reynolds) must protect Darius Kincaid, an imprisoned hitman (Jackson), who is on his way to testify at the International Criminal Court against a sadistic Eastern European dictator Vladislav Dukhovich (Oldman).

<i>Drunk Parents</i> 2019 American film

Drunk Parents is a 2019 American comedy film directed by Fred Wolf and written by Peter Gaulke and Fred Wolf. The film stars Alec Baldwin, Salma Hayek, Joe Manganiello, Natalia Cigliuti, Jim Gaffigan and Ben Platt.

<i>Wicked</i> (2024 film) Upcoming two-part film directed by Jon M. Chu

Wicked is an upcoming American musical fantasy film directed by Jon M. Chu and written by Winnie Holzman. It is the first of a two-part film adaptation of the stage musical of the same name by Stephen Schwartz and Holzman, which in turn was based on the 1995 novel of the same name by Gregory Maguire. The film stars Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, with Michelle Yeoh, Jeff Goldblum, Jonathan Bailey, Ethan Slater, Marissa Bode, Bowen Yang, Bronwyn James, and Keala Settle in supporting roles. Set in the Land of Oz before and continuing after Dorothy Gale's arrival from Kansas, it revolves around Elphaba Thropp, a green-skinned woman, and explores the path that leads her to become the Wicked Witch of the West, all while forming an unlikely friendship and later rivalry with Galinda Upland, who would go on to become Glinda the Good.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Seth Brundle</span> Fictional character from The Fly

Dr. Seth Brundle, also known as Brundlefly, is a fictional character and the tragic hero in David Cronenberg's 1986 remake of The Fly. He is played by Jeff Goldblum. Brundle was the third of Goldblum's "nerdy scientist" roles and is one of his most famous roles to date.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Chain of Fools (2001)". BFI. Archived from the original on August 24, 2017. Retrieved July 10, 2020.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Rehlin, Gunnar (March 11, 2001). "Chain of Fools". Variety. Retrieved July 10, 2020.
  3. 1 2 3 "Chain of Fools". Bomb Report. Retrieved 31 January 2023.