Michael Madsen Movies
Michael Madsen, who admits to being more interested in delivering a good performance than the perks of fame, formerly worked as a gas station attendant in his hometown of Chicago, IL. The older brother of actress Virginia Madsen, Michael's first acting experience took place inside of Chicago's Steppenwolf Theatre, where he studied under the direction of fellow actor John Malkovich. This stage training provided him with the background needed to land a host of small roles, beginning with a bit part in the 1983 film WarGames. After relocating to Los Angeles, Madsen made several television and film appearances, including NBC's Emmy-winning Special Bulletin (1983), and The Natural (1984), director Barry Levinson's celebrated sports drama. Madsen continued to build credibility, gradually going on to land larger parts. Though his profile was raised substantially after appearing in the 1991 film Thelma & Louise, it was his 1989 performance as a psychotic killer in John Dahl's Kill Me Again that caught the attention of Quentin Tarantino, who would later give Madsen his true breakthrough opportunity in 1992's Reservoir Dogs. This ear-splitting performance earned Madsen critical acclaim, as well as further cementing his reputation for playing psychopathic murderers. Sure enough, Madsen would go on to perform in several decidedly evil roles. From the kitten-loving sociopath in The Getaway (1994), to mafia tough guy Sonny Black in Donnie Brasco, Madsen proved himself more than capable of playing a good bad guy. Rather than allowing himself to be typecast, however, Madsen readily accepted the role of a loving foster parent in Free Willy (1993), a seasoned alien assassin in Species (1995), and CIA Agent Damon Falco in director Lee Tamahori's Die Another Day (2002). Over the course of the next decade, however, the veteran actor largely stuck to his tough-guy image, though his reflective role in Quentin Tarantino's Kill Bill films displayed a sense of depth that most filmmakers fail to coax out of him. ~ Tracie Cooper, Rovi
When four dudes find a magical necklace that summons four foxy women looking to have a good time, the sparks fly and the partying begins in this outrageous fantasy comedy co-starring Michael Madsen. With the sexpots on their arms and nasty things on their minds, the guys think they've hit horny heaven until they are attacked by hordes of ninjas, vampires, and other absurd evildoers. With music from pop-punk contemporaries MXPX and Face to Face, this wacky, low-budgeted flick turns every convention on its head as it barrels toward its ridiculously riotous ending. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, Rovi
- Starring:
- Aaron Bruno, Mike Asman, (more)
- 2003
- R
- Add 44 Minutes: The North Hollywood Shootout to Queue Add 44 Minutes: The North Hollywood Shootout to top of Queue
On February 28, 1997, a pair of heavily armed and heavily armored outlaws named Larry Eugene Phillips Jr. and Emil Matasarenu, who had previously cut a crooked swath throughout the Los Angeles area as "The High Incident Bandits," botched the robbery of a bank in North Hollywood. The confrontation that followed has been described as the "most intense shootout in LAPD history," with the police and several SWAT teams trading gunfire with Phillips and Matareanu for three quarters of an hour. The made-for-cable 44 Minutes: The North Hollywood Shootout is an intense reenactment of this bloody incident, with Andrew Bryniarski and Oleg Taktarov as the bandits, and Michael Madsen, Ron Livingston, and Mario Van Peebles representing the forces of law and order. The final moments of the film includes on-the-spot video coverage of the actual incident. 44 Minutes: The North Hollywood Shootout originally aired over the FX network on June 1, 2003. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Michael Madsen, Ron Livingston, (more)
One man takes a stand against a vicious robber baron and his ruthless crew of cutthroats in this western set in the Sierra Mountains, and starring Michael Madsen. The year is 1887. Upon losing his home and his wife, former Civil War sharpshooter William Drayton disappears into the high country. He thought his daughter Elizabeth was dead, but he was wrong. When she finds him, they decide to start a new life together. Unfortunately peace isn't in the cards to Drayton, because power-hungry former banker Horace Scarsdale is determined to get rich by becoming a railroad tycoon, and anyone who stands in his way must answer to "The Company Men." When no one in town dares stand up to Scarsdale's thugs, Drayton realizes he's walked out of one war, and straight into another. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Michael Madsen
- 1993
- R
A House in the Hills, is an offbeat, unusual film which can't decide if it is a love story or a thriller and ends up being neither. Waitress and aspiring actress Alex (Helen Slater) spends the weekend in a lavish house to study her role for a day-time soap opera. Alex is house-sitting for a family who wants to get away for the weekend to forget a murder that happened in the house next door. After a series of plot twists involving mistaken identities, deception and diamond theft, Alex and minor-league criminal Mickey (Michael Masden) fall in love just in time to confront the killer of the neighbor and solve the crime. All this could have been both romantic and exciting, but the overly complicated plot and the cliched, unconvincing dialogue makes the film both confusing and unbelievable from beginning to end. ~ Linda Rasmussen, Rovi
- Starring:
- Michael Madsen, Helen Slater, (more)
- 2003
Action! is a 90-minute amalgam of choice clips from popular action films, peppered with interviews of the actors and filmmakers involved. Among the blockbusters represented herein are The French Connection, 48 Hours, Alien, Die Hard, Independence Day, Speed, and the "Indiana Jones" trilogy. Interviewees include Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sigourney Weaver, Keanu Reeves, Harrison Ford, and Jackie Chan, while topics of conversation include the "politics" of the ratings system and the copycat mentality of many Tinseltown action-flick producers. Narrated by actor Michael Madsen, Action! was unveiled on New Years' Day 2003 by the AMC cable service. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Michael Madsen
U.S. military experts engage in a paranormal battle for survival while attempting to rescue a fellow soldier who was left behind in Afghanistan. When Pepper (Steve Bacic) left a man behind in Afghanistan, he didn't realize that decision would linger with him for the rest of his days. Now, Pepper has a chance to make good on that decision by venturing behind enemy lines to save his captured comrade. In order to esure that their mission is a success, Pepper organizes a rescue squad comprised of the best soldiers in the military. But even the most seasoned combat soldiers are no mach for the evil that awaits them in the formidable Afghan mountains. Michael Madsen, Gary Stretch, and Chris Kramer co-star. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Michael Madsen, Steve Bacic, (more)
- 1999
- R
In this suspense thriller, President Fallbrook (John Beck) is doing poorly in the polls a week before he's up for re-election. To boost his popularity, one of his advisors comes up with a plan -- stage a kidnapping, and when the chief executive is released under seemingly heroic circumstances, he'll be a shoo-in for another term. However, after Fallbrook and several of his wealthy and powerful friends are grabbed from under the eyes of Secret Service agents, the crooks hired to fake the kidnapping decide to make it into the real thing. One of the Secret Service agents (Eric Roberts) now has his work cut out for him as he tries to rescue Fallbrook from the supposed hoax. Also released under the title Agent of Death, The Alternate also stars Michael Madsen, Ice-T, and Bryan Genesse. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Eric Roberts, Bryan Genesse, (more)
A medical student with mounting debts draws on her formidable poker skills in order to stay afloat in this gambling drama starring Dominique Swain and Michael Madsen. As a young girl, Alicia "Ace" Anderson (Swain) frequently accompanied her card shark father (Madsen) to clandestine gambling rooms for tense rounds of Texas Hold 'Em. As a result of her childhood spent watching her father fleece his opponents, Alicia became a fairly exceptional card player herself. These days Alicia has left behind the world of gambling in order to focus on medical school, but education doesn't come cheap and the tuition fees are fast piling up. Of course the one way that Alicia knows how to make a quick buck is to fall back on her old skills, and now with a bottomed out bank account and few options on the table the savvy student gambler enlists the aid of some fellow students in hitting it big at the local casino. Though her cohorts may be well schooled in the art of the bluff, this team will need much more than a good poker face if they truly intend to win out over some of the world's best card players. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Dominique Swain, Michael Madsen, (more)
- 1993
Flung into a deep depression following his wife's accidental death, jazzman Morris Poole (Michael Madsen) borders on suicide, punishing himself for the tragedy. They had been in the middle of a violent argument when she accidentally fell from an upper-story window. Eventually he gets involved with another gal, who finds the still-depressed Poole pretty hard to figure out, as he just can't keep his mind from his first-wife loss. ~ Rovi
- Starring:
- Michael Madsen, Lynette Walden, (more)
Veronica Hamel, who'd previously played a detective on the trail of a kidnapped baby, turns kidnapper herself in the made-for-TV The Baby Snatcher. After suffering a miscarriage, Hamel becomes convinced that she will lose her husband's love. Faking a new pregnancy, Hamel allows nine months to pass, then sneaks into the hospital maternity ward and steals another woman's infant. It takes the tireless efforts of Nancy McKeon, the baby's natural mother, to track down the clever but unhinged Hamel. Amazingly based on a true story, Baby Snatcher debuted on May 3, 1992. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
A movie star who is reeling from the pressures of celebrity tries to show the media just how it feels in this independent satiric comedy. Michael Madsen stars as Michael Madsen, a wildly popular motion picture actor who has started to emotionally buckle under the stress of his fame and success, often making a spectacle of himself in public. The tabloid press follows him relentlessly, waiting to capture one of his emotional outbursts on film and printing groundless stories accusing him of everything from secret gay romances to the murder of a young actress. Madsen finally decides he's had enough, and decides to give photographer, yellow journalist, and chief antagonist Billy Dant (Jason Alan Smith) a taste of his own medicine by hiring three documentary filmmakers (Davis Mikaels, Doug Tompos and, Kathy Searle) and having them follow Dant as closely as Dant has been following him. Madsen's plan might work a bit better, however, if he'd teamed up with a less inept team of documentarians. Being Michael Madsen also includes mock-interviews with colleagues David Carradine, Harry Dean Stanton, Daryl Hannah, and Virginia Madsen (the latter of whom is also Michael's sister). ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
An emotionally distraught cop is traumatized by memories of an abusive childhood in which he was forced to kill the uncle who was abusing him. Fired by his corrupt boss, he is recruited to infiltrate a ring of murderous, gun-running bikers, who would kill him in a second if they found out who he was -- which his friends begin to suspect was why he took the job in the first place. ~ Brian Gusse, Rovi
- Starring:
- Charlie Sheen, Linda Fiorentino, (more)
- 1988
Siblings Eric Roberts and Julia Roberts appear in this old-fashioned saga about oppressed Sicilian wine-growers in 19th-century California. Giancarlo Giannini stars as Sebastian Collogero, the robust Italian patriarch who is battling with railroad mogul William Bradford Berrigan (Dennis Hopper) to prevent his land from being taken over by the rail company. Sebastian's spirited son, Marco (Eric Roberts), is in love with Angelica (Lara Harris), the daughter of a rival wine-grower's clan. Marco is not very concerned about the warfare about to erupt between the wine-growers and the railroad until Berrigan's thugs torture and kill Sebastian in front of his daughter Maria (Julia Roberts). Marco then gets his friends together and organizes a revolt against Berrigan and his railroad empire. ~ Paul Brenner, Rovi
- Starring:
- Eric Roberts, Giancarlo Giannini, (more)
The war against the forces of darkness becomes a family affair in this cinematic prequel to the popular video game Bloodrayne. In 16th century Europe, Lord Kagan (Ben Kingsley) is an evil ruler who holds more power than any man alive, but he still dreams of having more, and when he's told of three magic talismans who, when united, will give him intense supernatural strength and the gift of immortality, he will stop at nothing to attain them. However, three warriors who have learned how to battle the forces of darkness -- Vladimir (Michael Madsen), Katarin (Michelle Rodriguez), and Sebastian (Matt Davis) -- have formed the Brimstone Society, with the goal of stripping Kagan of his power and restoring justice to their land. They can't accomplish this on their own, though, so they enlist the aid of Rayne (Kristanna Loken), a half-human, half-vampire who can approach Kagan's sinister gifts while having a desire to do good. However, Rayne is torn about signing on with the Brimstone Society, and for a good reason -- Kagan is her father. Scripted by actress, screenwriter, and video-game enthusiast Guinevere Turner, BloodRayne also stars Geraldine Chaplin, Udo Kier, Billy Zane, Michael Paré, and Meat Loaf Aday. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Kristanna Loken, Michelle Rodriguez, (more)
In this crime thriller, a hit man with the yakuza (Japanese Mafia) is in the midst of a public execution of the leader of a rival group when a woman named Gena Hayes (Virginia Madsen) happens by with her son. The child is killed in the crossfire, and Gena is determined to get revenge. About all she can remember about the killer is he had a blue tattoo of a tiger; after she asks several tattoo artists about it, she's unable to track down the shooter simply on the basis of his body art, but she ends up getting a similar tattoo herself. She gets a job as a cocktail waitress at a bar favored by members of the yakuza, and her tattoo catches the attention of Seiji (Toru Nakamura), a handsome gangster. Gena is interested in him as well, and a torrid romance develops, but she doesn't realize that her new lover is the same man who killed her son. Virginia Madsen's brother Michael Madsen makes a cameo appearance as a gun salesman. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Virginia Madsen, Toru Nakamura, (more)
From director Olivier Assayas comes this erotic thriller starring Asia Argento as Sandra, a former prostitute, and Michael Madsen as Miles, her onetime pimp-turned-high-powered businessman. Brought back together after a separation, Sandra and Miles are reunited when Sandra returns to Paris after an extended absence. Despite the fact that neither of the two former lovers are the same people they were back in the day, their kinky sexual relationship is nonetheless rekindled. It seems that some time long ago, financial promises were made before some misdeed drove the pair apart. Meanwhile, Sandra has made it her mission to open a Beijing nightclub, and Miles is about to sell off his business to Singapore interests. Miles couldn't care less about Sandra's dreams of owning a nightclub, but now that his divorce has been finalized he's eager to resume their steamy relationship. Tempted by Miles' money but financially comfortable thanks to her work with an import company run by shady couple Lester (Carl Ng) and Sue Wang (Kelly Lin), Sandra secretly pulls down some extra income by moving drugs through the married couple's highly profitable company. Before long, sexual intrigue and a botched drug deal combine to complicate matters for all involved. Boarding Gate screened at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival. ~ Matthew Tobey, Rovi
- Starring:
- Asia Argento, Michael Madsen, (more)
- 1997
Michael Madsen (Species), Maria Conchita Alonso (Predator 2), and Jeff Fahey (The Lawnmower Man) head the cast of this Canadian thriller tracing the downward spiral of denizens inhabiting Miami's alternative music club scene. Long buried family secrets begin to resurface, triggering violent reactions. Rated R "for language, and for some sexuality, violence and drug use." ~ Bhob Stewart, Rovi
- Starring:
- Jeff Fahey, Maria Conchita Alonso, (more)
When a weary detective on the verge of retirement begins receiving ominous messages from a sadistic serial killer determined to stir up the past, the stage is set for a deadly confrontation in an all-star crime drama featuring Michael Madsen, Gary Busey, Meat Loaf, and Michael Rooker. Years on the job have shown Detective Harrison (Michael Madsen) more horror than most normal folks would experience in two lifetimes. As Detective Harrison prepares to pass the baton on to the up-and-coming rookie poised to take his place in the police force, the murder of numerous underworld heavies leave the befuddled veteran and his younger protégé grasping for clues. When the killer begins taunting Detective Harrison with a variety of stealthy clues and grisly photographs left behind at the crime scenes, an unsolved case from the past threatens to bring the sins of the past out of the shadows and into the light of the present. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Michael Madsen
Things are not going well today for middle-aged businessman Henry (Dennis Hopper). His young daughter (Chelsy Reynolds) has possibly killed a man in a drunken hit-and-run accident and a slimy business cohort (Roy Tate) is pressuring him to take part in yet another shadowy deal that Henry wants no part of. The stress builds to the point where Henry nearly strangles the con man to death in a public bathroom after he finds out the man knows about his daughter's accident. Though he stops short of killing him, when Henry goes back into the bathroom to check on the man, he finds him dead. Henry quickly throws the body out the window, with plans to pick it up and hide it later. Little does Henry know that the entire episode has been witnessed by a stranger named Will (Michael Madsen), a professional hit man who just happens to have a body of his own in the trunk of his car. He offers to help dispose of the body for Henry, but at a price.
~ Buzz McClain, Rovi
~ Buzz McClain, Rovi
- 2008
The owner of a Idyllwild counter-culture radio station finds his modest business unexpectedly threatened when the daughter of a conservative senator comes to town and sparks a heated political tempest by attempting to undermine a push to clear cut a nearby forest. Now, as the unassuming citizens of the sleepy community are suddenly jarred awake due to the fierce debate that rages around town, the radio station owner finds the illusions that have propelled him through life don't have the same power that they did when he was a young idealist. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Jonathan Sachar, Irene Bedard, (more)
Michael Madsen, Erik Palladino, and David Moscow star in director Russell Mulcahy's action thriller about an undercover FBI agent on a mission to infiltrate the treacherous world of "choppers." Special Agent Kevin Hawkins (Palladino) knows that the stakes are high when he ventures into the world of fast cars, but he never expected to find himself stuck between a murderous crime boss (Madsen) and a vicious group of cutthroat gangsters. Now, with danger closing in from both sides of the criminal underworld, Hawkins straps himself in for a race that could mean the difference between life and death. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Erik Palladino, Michael Madsen, (more)
An enormous crocodile terrorizes a Thai beach resort in this tale of terror in the water starring Michael Madsen. As the local begin to mysteriously disappear and various appendages are found floating in the swamps, the locals offer $5000 to anyone able to capture the beast responsible for all the bloodshed. While local crocodile hunter Hawkins (Madsen) is ready and willing to track down the man-eating monster, he begins to suspect that he's dealing with a more powerful force than he ever imagined as the body count continues to rise, and the blood-curdling screams of the locals echo eerily through the treacherous swamps. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Michael Madsen, Peter Tuinstra, (more)
A maverick downhill skier and a fearless snowboarder attempt the most daring mountain descent ever captured on film in this snowbound thriller starring Eric Lively, Kellan Lutz, Robert Carradine, and Michael Madsen. Tyler Crowe and Mark Rider may have different means of getting down the mountain, but they both crave the adrenaline that goes with making the perfect run. Reunited after years apart, the two best friends set their sights on Alaska and recruit a veteran guide in hopes of making history. But this descent could be their last, because when the avalanche starts, their only hope is to keep speeding down the mountain and never look back. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- 1999
- R
A con artist and his friends join an attempt to steal from the local organized crime syndicate, which they discover turns out to be a set up. The group escapes and they hide out at the thief's newly inherited dairy farm. While reconsidering their chosen profession and deciding to become law-abiding citizens, they still must elude the reach of the still-angry mobsters out for revenge. ~ Rovi
An investigative journalist becomes intrigued by a serial killer after looking at the criminal's latest victim. In attempting to see the world through the eyes of the maniacal murderer, the reporter becomes so like him that he finds himself falsely accused of the murders. While he attempts to prove his innocence, the real psycho continues stalking his prey. This action-drama was a direct-to-video release. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Gary Busey, Michael Madsen, (more)
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