Intent to Kill (1992 film)

Last updated
Intent to Kill
Directed byCharles T. Kanganis
Written by
  • David Halver
  • Charles T. Kanganis
  • Joseph Merhi
Starring
CinematographyKen Blakey
Edited by
  • Geraint Bell
  • Ron Cabreros
  • Melisa Sánchez
Music byJohn Gonzalez
Production
company
Release date
October 1992 (September 15, 1993 in the US)
Running time
96 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Intent to Kill is a 1992 action, independent and thriller film (released in 1993) directed by Charles T. Kanganis. [1] The film is about drug trafficking, prostitution and police activity. Intent to Kill is rated NC-17 by the United States' Motion Picture Association of America, the reason being extreme violence. [2] [3] [4] This was the first motion picture that received the MPAA NC-17 rating because of violence rather than sexual content. [5] [6] [7]

Contents

Plot

Police detective Vicki Stewart goes undercover as a prostitute for a drug operation. Her police sidekick and husband searches for drugs along with her. But then the drug operation goes sour, the thugs begin shooting at the police and vehicles begin exploding into flames. A drug dealer named Salvador, member of a ruthless gang named the Colombian Cowboys, gets away, although he forgets his drugs which are worth around $5 million.

The following morning at the Los Angeles Police Station, Vicki Stewart and the police captain question and deal with Maria, a Hispanic prostitute, who tells them several men raped her. The police captain, though, does not believe her and prevents Maria from filing charges against the rapists. Maria and Vicki get into the latter's Pontiac Grand Prix 2-door coupe. Vicki uses her nightstick and beats the rapists with the weapon. She then enters the house and confronts the fifth suspect, who is using cocaine. When the fifth suspect orders Vicki to remove every last one of her clothes, she pulls out her gun and fires one shot towards the table, with one bullet striking the glass container. She tells the suspect to pick up the telephone.

Due to Salvador getting away, the bombings and the shootings, Captain Jackson takes Vicki off the case.

Meanwhile, Salvador gets orders from his boss, The Mooch, to get back the drugs within one week or he (Salvador) will die.

Over the course of time, numerous people killed in the city as Salvador and his gang friends go looking for the drugs.

Vicki goes to the city park; she then returns home and finds her husband cheating on her with a brunette woman. She then takes her husband's car from the garage, pours some gasoline on it and then sets the car on fire.

Vicki is also teaching martial arts classes to other women in street self-defense.

Later, a serious police-thug gunfight erupts; several police officers are killed, including Vicki's new partner and boyfriend. Salvador drives away in a stolen police car. Vicki follows him. They drive until both cars hit the trailer of a semi-truck and turn over.

Both Vicki and Salvador exit the overturned police cars. Vicki shoots Salvador dead in the street.

Cast

[8]

Production

Ken Blakey was the motion picture's director of photography. Other people involved with the production of Intent to Kill were Joseph Merhi (the American film producer), Charla Driver, Stephen Lieb, Jean Levine and Richard Pepin. Kanganis and Pepin were also associated with the screenplay of the film.[ citation needed ]

Release and classification in outside countries

Under the Australian Classification Board when the film Intent to Kill was released onto videotape, the rating officials marked it MA15+, the reason being "Medium level violence, coarse language and drug use"; the decision was made during early-to-mid May 1994. [9] Before being released onto VHS within the United Kingdom, Intent to Kill was trimmed by around sixteen or seventeen seconds before it was assigned with the "18" film rating from British Board of Film Classification officials; the editing was in November 1993. [10] Netherlands (Dutch) film rating system officials had the film marked harmful for audiences age sixteen and under due to its strong profanity, drug abuse and drug trafficking. [11] Under New Zealand Office of Film and Literature Classification, Intent to Kill was assigned with an "M" rating due to violence and offensive language. [12]

Related Research Articles

An X rating is a film rating that indicates that the film contains content that is considered to be suitable only for adults. Films with an X rating may have scenes of graphic violence or explicit sexual acts that may be disturbing or offensive to some viewers. The X rating is used in different ways by different countries, and it may have legal or commercial implications for the distribution and exhibition of such films. For example, some countries may ban or restrict the sale or rental of X-rated films, while others may allow them only in specific theaters or with special taxes. Some countries may also have different criteria or definitions for what constitutes an X-rated film, and some may consider the artistic merit of the film as a factor in classification. The X rating has been replaced or renamed by other ratings in some countries over time.

The Motion Picture Associationfilm rating system is used in the United States and its territories to rate a motion picture's suitability for certain audiences based on its content. The system and the ratings applied to individual motion pictures are the responsibility of the Motion Picture Association (MPA), previously known as the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) from 1945 to 2019. The MPA rating system is a voluntary scheme that is not enforced by law; films can be exhibited without a rating, although most theaters refuse to exhibit non-rated or NC-17 rated films. Non-members of the MPA may also submit films for rating. Other media, such as television programs, music and video games, are rated by other entities such as the TV Parental Guidelines, the RIAA and the ESRB, respectively.

<i>The Man with the Golden Arm</i> 1955 film by Otto Preminger

The Man with the Golden Arm is a 1955 American drama film noir directed by Otto Preminger, based on the novel of the same name by Nelson Algren. Starring Frank Sinatra, Eleanor Parker, Kim Novak, Arnold Stang and Darren McGavin, it recounts the story of a drug addict who gets clean while in prison, but struggles to stay that way in the outside world. Although the addictive drug is never identified in the film, according to the American Film Institute "most contemporary and modern sources assume that it is heroin", although in Algren's book it is morphine. The film's initial release was controversial for its treatment of the then-taboo subject of drug addiction.

<i>Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down!</i> 1989 film by Pedro Almodóvar

Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down! is a 1989 Spanish dark romantic comedy film co-written and directed by Pedro Almodóvar, starring Victoria Abril and Antonio Banderas alongside Loles Léon, Francisco Rabal, Julieta Serrano, María Barranco, and Rossy de Palma. The plot follows a recently released psychiatric patient who kidnaps an actress in order to make her fall in love with him. He believes his destiny is to marry her and father her children.

<i>Baise-moi</i> 2000 film by Virginie Despentes and Coralie Trinh Thi

Baise-moi is a 2000 French erotic crime thriller film written and directed by Virginie Despentes and Coralie Trinh Thi and starring Karen Lancaume and Raffaëla Anderson. It is based on the novel by Despentes, first published in 1993. The film received intense media coverage because of its graphic mix of violence and explicit sex scenes. Consequently, it is sometimes considered an example of the "New French Extremity".

<i>Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer</i> 1986 American horror film by John McNaughton

Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer is a 1986 American independent psychological horror crime film directed and co-written by John McNaughton about the random crime spree of a serial killer who seemingly operates with impunity. It stars Michael Rooker in his film debut as the nomadic killer Henry, Tom Towles as Otis, a prison buddy with whom Henry is living, and Tracy Arnold as Becky, Otis's sister. The characters of Henry and Otis are loosely based on convicted real life serial killers Henry Lee Lucas and Ottis Toole.

<i>Bad Lieutenant</i> 1992 crime-drama film directed by Abel Ferrara

Bad Lieutenant is a 1992 American neo-noir crime film directed by Abel Ferrara. The film stars Harvey Keitel as the titular "bad lieutenant" as well as Victor Argo and Paul Calderón. The screenplay was co-written by Ferrara with actress-model Zoë Lund, both of whom appear in the film in minor roles. The film was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 1992 Cannes Film Festival.

<i>A Dirty Shame</i> 2004 film by John Waters

A Dirty Shame is a 2004 American satirical sex comedy film written and directed by John Waters and starring Tracey Ullman, Johnny Knoxville, Selma Blair, and Chris Isaak. It follows a community in suburban Baltimore divided between people with highly conservative attitudes towards sexuality, and those who have been turned into sex addicts after experiencing concussions.

<i>Henry & June</i> 1990 film by Philip Kaufman

Henry & June is a 1990 American biographical drama film directed by Philip Kaufman, and starring Fred Ward, Uma Thurman, and Maria de Medeiros. It is loosely based on the posthumously published 1986 Anaïs Nin book of the same name, and tells the story of Nin's relationship with Henry Miller and his wife, June.

The British Columbia Film Classification Office, part of Consumer Protection BC in the Canadian province of British Columbia, is responsible for rating and censoring films under the province's Motion Picture Act. The BCFCO film ratings are also used by Manitoba and Saskatchewan by bilateral agreement.

<i>This Film Is Not Yet Rated</i> 2006 documentary film by Kirby Dick

This Film Is Not Yet Rated is a 2006 American documentary film about the Motion Picture Association of America's rating system and its effect on American culture, directed by Kirby Dick and produced by Eddie Schmidt. It premiered at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival and received a limited theatrical release on September 1, 2006. IFC, the film's distributor, aired the film later that year.

<i>Whore</i> (1991 film) 1991 film by Ken Russell

Whore is a 1991 American satirical drama film directed by Ken Russell and starring Theresa Russell. It follows the life of a jaded street prostitute in Los Angeles. Benjamin Mouton, Antonio Fargas, Jack Nance, Danny Trejo, and Ginger Lynn Allen appear in supporting roles. The screenplay by Russell and Deborah Dalton is based on David Hines' monologue play, Bondage. The film is partly presented in a pseudo-documentary format, with the lead character often breaking the fourth wall and addressing the audience with monologues consisting of her observations and reflections on her career as a prostitute.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Film censorship</span> Films that are banned in a particular country

Film censorship is the censorship of motion pictures, either through the excising of certain frames or scenes, or outright banning of films in their entirety. Film censorship typically occurs as a result of political or moral objections to a film's content; controversial content subject to censorship include the depiction of graphic violence, sexual situations, or racial themes. Censorship standards vary widely by country, and can vary within an individual country over time.

<i>Broken English</i> (1996 film) 1996 New Zealand film

Broken English is a 1996 New Zealand romantic drama film. Directed by Gregor Nicholas, it stars Aleksandra Vujčić, Julian Arahanga, Marton Csokas, and Rade Šerbedžija.

<i>Elite Squad</i> 2007 film directed by José Padilha

Elite Squad is a 2007 Brazilian crime film based on the novel Elite da Tropa by Luiz Eduardo Soares, André Batista, and Rodrigo Pimentel. Directed by José Padilha, the film stars Wagner Moura, Caio Junqueira, and André Ramiro, and tells the story of Roberto Nascimento (Moura), a captain with the Batalhão de Operações Policiais Especiais, or BOPE, who leads a police crackdown on a series of Rio de Janeiro favelas in-preparation for the Brazilian state visit of Pope John Paul II.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Motion Picture Association</span> Trade organization representing major American film studios

The Motion Picture Association (MPA) is an American trade association representing the five major film studios of the United States, as well as the video streaming service Netflix. Founded in 1922 as the Motion Picture Producers and Distributors of America (MPPDA) and known as the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) from 1945 until September 2019, its original goal was to ensure the viability of the American film industry. In addition, the MPA established guidelines for film content which resulted in the creation of the Motion Picture Production Code in 1930. This code, also known as the Hays Code, was replaced by a voluntary film rating system in 1968, which is managed by the Classification and Rating Administration (CARA).

<i>Hell</i> (2010 film) 2010 Mexican film

Hell is a 2010 Mexican neo-western black comedy crime drama film produced by Bandidos Films and directed by Luis Estrada, following the line of La ley de Herodes. A political satire about drug trafficking, organized crime and the Mexican Drug War, the film received an NC-17 rating by the MPAA for "some graphic violence and explicit sexual content".

<i>Killer Joe</i> (film) 2011 film by William Friedkin

Killer Joe is a 2011 American Southern Gothic crime film directed by William Friedkin. The screenplay by Tracy Letts is based on his 1993 play of the same name. The film stars Matthew McConaughey in the title role, Emile Hirsch, Juno Temple, Gina Gershon, and Thomas Haden Church.

Adults Only or variants refers to

References

  1. "Intent to Kill 1992". Movie Fav. Retrieved August 15, 2021.
  2. "Intent to Kill". The Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved June 3, 2020.
  3. "Intent to Kill". Blu-Ray.com. Retrieved February 17, 2021.
  4. "Motion Pictures Rated NC-17 in 1992". MPAA Classification & Rating Administration. Retrieved August 15, 2021.
  5. "Intent to Kill is First Film that was Rated NC-17 for Violence and Not Sex". Film Score. Retrieved August 15, 2021.
  6. "The Budget Thrillers Sometimes Hold Surprise". Roanoke Times. Retrieved August 15, 2021.
  7. "Intent to Kill 1992 (the Information on)". The Schlock Pit. Retrieved March 23, 2023.
  8. "Intent to Kill 1992". The Video Detective. October 1992. Retrieved August 15, 2021.
  9. "Intent to Kill (Australia Sale/Hire)". The Australian Classification Board. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
  10. "Intent to Kill United Kingdom Classification". British Board of Films' Classification. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
  11. "Kijkwijzer (The Netherlands (Dutch) Film Rating of Intent to Kill". KijkWijzer (Dutch Film Rating Board). Retrieved September 13, 2021.
  12. "Intent to Kill (New Zealand's Rating)". The Film and Video Labelling Body of New Zealand. Archived from the original on September 14, 2021. Retrieved September 13, 2021.