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
- 2001
- PG13
Mistaken identity leads a man into a race against the law in this action thriller. Jed Griffin (Michael Madsen) is traveling through Vermont in a motor home with his wife and family when they happen upon Rudy Wicker (Jeff Wincott). Wicker is a desperate criminal whose attempt to rob a bank left several customers dead, including the wife of the town sheriff; now he's on the run from the police, and when Rudy sees Jed and his RV, he steals the vehicle with Jed's family still inside, and shoots Jed to keep him out of the way. Jed was not killed by Rudy's bullet, just wounded, but now the police believe he's the man they're looking for, so Jed has to find a way to prove his innocence while tracking down his camper to save his family from Rudy. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Michael Madsen, Jeff Wincott, (more)
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
This stylish crime thriller concerns a former criminal trying to set himself on the straight and narrow, until he happens upon a set of bootleg printing plates for $100 bills and soon finds himself a wanted man by both sides of the law. Luck of the Draw (also known as Quicksand), stars William Forsythe, Dennis Hopper, and Ice-T. The film gained some unusual press attention while it was being filmed when Mickey Rourke was fired from the project, reportedly because he refused to play a scene without his pet Chihuahua (the role was recast with Michael Madsen). ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- James Marshall, Dennis Hopper, (more)
- 2000
A rivalry between two career criminals leads to a chase across two continents in this action thriller. Jing (Chung Lai) is a beautiful but deadly Chinese hit woman who, after being abandoned as a child, was adopted by the Tong, the Chinese organized crime syndicate to whom she has sworn lifelong allegiance. A dispute between Jing and criminal overlord Chang (Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa) leads Chang to swear vengeance by killing off the members of Jing's Tong faction. With nowhere to hide at home, Jing escapes to the United States posing as an Asian mail-order bride, but when Chang learns she's fled to America, he hires Dan (Michael Madsen), a ruthless bounty hunter whose need for a pay day outweighs his scruples. The Ghost also stars Brad Dourif, Richard Hatch, and Louis Herthum. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, Michael Madsen, (more)
This dark comedy stars Paul Popowich as a handsome vampire named Vic. After sucking his last girlfriend's blood in the back of a '57 Chevy, it becomes clear to Vic that this is no way to live so he joins a 12 step program and vows to give up the vampire lifestyle for good. ~ Cammila Collar, Rovi
- Starring:
- Nicole Forester, Paul Popowich, (more)
Celia (Celia Xavier), a lovely probation officer, assumes the identity of her sister, Vanessa (Xavier), when footage of Vanessa's death shows up on the Internet. As Celia goes deeper into her investigation she discovers a murky, shameless world of dot.com sex and bondage, of which her sister was a major secret star. Russ (Michael Madsen), an FBI agent, offers assistance, and Celia is going to need it, because the nervy pervy that offed Vanessa is now coming for Celia. ~ Buzz McClain, Rovi
A woman's compassion may be her downfall in this suspense drama. Kate (Angie Everhart) is a wealthy woman who runs a successful restaurant and is involved with the rough-edged but well-meaning Ben (Michael Madsen). One day, Kate's car hits Gil (Stefan Lysenko), a homeless man who was crossing the street. Kate is mortified and takes Gil to the hospital; when she learns that Gil has nowhere to go, she offers, over Ben's strong objections, to let him stay at her estate as he recuperates. As Gil recovers, Kate finds herself becoming attracted to the interesting stranger, but Ben soon learns that Gil has a few secrets that set him apart from just another guy who will work for food. The Stray was the first feature film directed by former editor Kevin Mock. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Michael Madsen, Angie Everhart, (more)
- 2000
A drug runner finds his life is in danger when he becomes hooked on his own merchandise in this drama. Paul (Josh Evans) is a young hoodlum who falls in with Mr. Ball (Michael Madsen), a crime kingpin marketing a new street drug that he tells Paul is "more addictive than air." With few prospects, Paul agrees to act as Mr. Ball's bagman to help deliver the "product," but he makes the mistake of trying the new drug and soon he's hooked. Paul fails to make his deliveries and later becomes implicated in the murder of his friend and fellow drug runner D (Sticky Fingaz); now he has both the law and Mr. Ball's enforcers on his trail, with only his girlfriend (Charis Michelsen), a fellow addict, on hand to help him. The Price of Air also features Dick Van Patten, Alexis Arquette, and Michelle Phillips; British electronic music star Goldie wrote the film's original score and also played a supporting role. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Josh Evans, Charis Michelsen, (more)
One of Hollywood's most acclaimed Westerns gets a new interpretation in this made-for-TV remake of Fred Zinnemann's 1952 classic. Will Kane (Tom Skerritt), the marshal of the frontier town of Hadleyville, is stepping down to marry his sweetheart Amy (Susanna Thompson) and move on to a less demanding occupation. However, on the day of his wedding, Will gets bad news -- Frank Miller (Michael Madsen), an outlaw Will helped to put behind bars, has just been released from jail and will arrive in Hadleyville on the noon train to settle his score with the marshal. Will appeals for support from the local townspeople, most of whom have done little to help him in the past, and they unfortunately behave in much the same manner in his time of greatest need; Amy even turns her back on her fiancé rather than become a widow on the day of her marriage. In the end, Will finds that he alone must face Miller in a shootout in Hadleyville's main street. Also featuring Dennis Weaver, Maria Conchita Alonso, and Reed Diamond, this version of High Noon was produced for the TNT cable network, where it first aired on August 20, 2000. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Tom Skerritt, Susanna Thompson, (more)
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)
- 2000
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Originally aired on the Showtime cable network, this sequel continues the adventures of two determined postal inspectors as they track down a serial killer who uses mail fraud as a means of hunting down his victims, murdering them, and then stealing their identities. Jonathan Silverman and Louis Gossett, Jr. reprise their roles as the titular inspectors. This film was made with the full cooperation of the U.S. Postal Service. ~ Michael Hastings, Rovi
- Starring:
- Louis Gossett, Jr., Jonathan Silverman, (more)
- 2000
Daniel Baldwin made his directorial debut with this feature, which blends dark comedy into an action-packed crime thriller. Jeremy (Michael Madsen) is a Mob lieutenant whose brother-in-law (Joe Mantegna) is an FBI agent. When a crackdown on organized crime threatens to put Jeremy behind bars, his brother-in-law arranges for him to become an FBI informant and enter the Witness Protection Program. What the FBI doesn't know is that Jeremy's boss is aware of his plans, and he sends two strong-arm men (Daniel Baldwin and Chad McQueen) to find Jeremy and bring him back -- or kill him if he's already told the Feds too much. Co-star Chad McQueen (whose father was movie legend Steve McQueen) also served as executive producer. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Michael Madsen, Daniel Baldwin, (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)
The regulars at a shot-and-a-beer bar in a decaying working-class town are the focus of Nick Stagliano's drama The Florentine. Michael Madsen plays Whitey, who owns a bar called The Florentine where most of the guys he knows hang out. His sister Molly (Virginia Madsen, Michael's real life sister) is soon to be married, and Whitey has been saving up for a nice reception. But when her old boyfriend Teddy (Tom Sizemore) comes back into town, bets for the wedding would seem to be off, which may be just as well -- Whitey's buddy Frankie (Luke Perry) got hold of the wedding cash and lost it to Billy Munucci (James Belushi), a con artist with a far quicker turn of mind. Whitey has other money problems; the bar has been mortgaged to a low-level gangster named Joe (Burt Young), who has been leaning on Whitey's friend Bobbie (Chris Penn) to pay off his mounting gambling debts. Bobbie is trying to stay one step ahead of Joe, which doesn't leave him much time to patch up his ailing marriage to Vicki (Mary Stuart Masterson). The screenplay by Damien Gray and Tom Benson was adapted from the Off-Broadway drama penned by Gray. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Michael Madsen, Chris Penn, (more)
- 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
- 1999
- R
A serial killer with a singularly nasty penchant for peculiar mutilations makes a mistake when his next victim is the daughter of Tyler Pierce (Michael Madsen), a career bank robber who does not let a little thing like being in prison stop him from finding out who the killer is. Pierce escapes jail and begins to sniff out the killer by exploring the rural countryside where his daughter was slain. An ex-prostitute, Naomi (Jamie Luner), offers assistance in his relentless hunt and helps to hide him from FBI agent Gottfried (Bokeem Woodbine), who is equally devoted to bringing Pierce back to prison. Naomi winds up in the clutches of the killer just as Pierce figures out who it is, but can he get to Naomi in time to save her? Or will Agent Gottfried get his man before Pierce does? ~ Buzz McClain, Rovi
- Starring:
- Michael Madsen, Bokeem Woodbine, (more)
- 1999
- R
A criminal hiding out in a remote area in the Louisiana bayou learns the art of voodoo. His enemies quickly learn of his powers and must battle him before he casts a particularly diabolical curse. ~ Rovi
A hired killer (Kristy Swanson) joins forces with one of her targets after seeing him with his son, but while this saves one man's life, it also means the one-time killer is now a hunted woman, with operatives of a classified government agency hot on her trail. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Kristy Swanson, Michael Madsen, (more)
- 1998
- R
For 10 years, FBI agent Jason Enola has been obsessed with capturing a particularly clever serial killer who surrounds his victims with a series of notes, the only clues to his identity. For the past four years, the killer hadn't murdered anyone, but then the killings start up again, and Enola and his partner Brad Abraham resume their investigation. This time, they find assistance from psychiatrist Alyce Robertson after the murderer begins calling her. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Michael Madsen, Chris Penn, (more)
- 1998
In this TV drama series, the somewhat sinister anti-hero Mr. Chapel (Michael Madsen) is "Mr. Right for those who've been wronged." Working outside the system, Chapel delivers his own brand of justice. When a criminal gets away with it and is declared not guilty, friends and loved ones of victims can get satisfaction from Chapel, who's aided by a past beneficiary of his efforts, paralegal KC Griffin (Kathleen York). In the pilot episode, the secretary who knew too much (about money-laundering) is murdered, and her wealthy killer is acquitted by a $1,500-per-hour attorney (Ray Wise). Vigilante Chapel steps in to even the score. Filmed in Los Angeles, this series premiered September 29, 1998 on ABC. ~ Bhob Stewart, Rovi
- Starring:
- Michael Madsen, Kathleen York, (more)
In the science-fiction thriller Species (1995), Natasha Hentsridge appeared as the beautiful but deadly Sil, a human-alien DNA combo. In this sequel, Hentsridge portrays Eve, a government experiment concocted to gain an understanding of how to combat future aliens, while Michael Madsen and Marg Helgenberger repeat their roles from the earlier film. When astronaut Patrick Ross (Justin Lazard) returns from the first manned Mars expedition, he's infected with the same DNA that spawned Sil and Eve. Hailed as a hero, Ross is pressed into politics by his father (James Cromwell), a senator. Any woman who beds the sexually active Ross is immediately impregnated, with embryos quickly developing and killing the mother. Ross hides the offspring on a family estate, as LA cops begin to detect a pattern in the female deaths. At the lab where scientists are monitoring Eve, Dr. Laura Baker (Helgenberger) realizes that Eve has a telepathic link with Ross, and that these two hybrids hope to couple. Press Lennox (Madsen) and Colonel Burgess (George Dzundza) figure Eve can be used to lead them to Ross. Cleared as a murder suspect, Mars mission astronaut Dennis Gamble (Mykelti Williamson), joins Lennox and Baker and gets in on the action as everyone involved closes in on Ross. Richard Belzer does a cameo as the President of the U.S., while Peter Boyle makes an uncredited appearance as a scientist. ~ Bhob Stewart, Rovi
- Starring:
- Michael Madsen, Natasha Henstridge, (more)
In this actioner, a genius crook concocts an elaborate scheme for kidnapping the President, but before he can enact it, he must bust a certain racecar driver out of prison. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Michael Madsen, Roy Scheider, (more)
- 1997
- R
In this made-for-cable comedy-drama, Moe (Tony Danza) is a gangster who has done quite well for himself as part of a crew dealing illegal automatic weapons. However, Moe, like anyone else, is looking for love, and meets Monica (Elizabeth Barondes), a gun collector who shares a home with her sister Beth (Amy Locane) and mother (Louise Fletcher), who is dying of cancer. Moe asks Monica out on a date and she agrees, if they can double with her sister. Moe fixes Beth up with his partner and longtime friend Franco (Rustam Branaman), and the two couples head out on the town after Moe and Franco duck out of a shootout in the midst of a deal gone sour. The date goes well and Beth and Franco hit it off especially well, but Beth has a fatal accident, and Moe and Franco must decide what to do with the body. Moe is about to learn that the tempers of the most formidable mafiosos are nothing compared to the rage of Monica. The Girl Gets Moe was also shown under the title Love To Kill. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Amy Locane
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