Main Cast: Matt Dillon, Faye Dunaway, Gary Sinise, William Fichtner, Joe Mantegna, Viggo Mortensen
Release Year: 1996
Country: US/FR
Run Time: 97 minutes
MPAA Rating: R
Plot
Actor Kevin Spacey made his directorial debut with this thriller. Dova (Matt Dillon), Milo (Gary Sinise), and Law (William Fichtner) are three small-time crooks on the run after a botched robbery of a New Orleans warehouse led to a car chase, causing the death of two cops. Needing a place to hide, with Milo seriously injured, they sneak into Dino's Last Chance Bar, a shot-and-a-beer joint located on a side street in a basement. Before long, the bar is surrounded by a squadron of Federal agents and SWAT officers. The three robbers are convinced that the cops are trying to flush them out, but it turns out that they aren't the only crooks in search of a cold beer at Dino's. Smart-suited Guy (Viggo Mortensen) is actually an international dealer in illegal arms that the cops were trailing when they stumbled across the robbery gone wrong. As police negotiator Browning (Joe Mantegna) tries to get the bad guys to come out peacefully, the bar's patrons -- pool shooting Danny (Skeet Ulrich), aging beauty Janet (Faye Dunaway), and boozehound Jack (John Spencer) -- beg for mercy as Dova hatches a scheme that involves killing Guy and all the patrons. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
John Spencer - Jack; Skeet Ulrich - Danny; Willie C. Carpenter - Reporter; Frankie R. Faison - Agent Marv Rose; Jeff Hoffman - Jenny's Cameraman; Brad Koepenick - Browning Assiatant; Michael Unger - Reporter; M. Emmet Walsh - Dino; Spencer Garrett - Agent; Melinda McGraw - Jenny Ferguson; Doug Spinuzza - Agent; Enrico Colantoni - Agents; Travis Appel - Another Agent; Tulsy Ball - A.T.F. Agent; Toni Montgomery - Female Officer; Alexander Smith - Reporter; Jock Worthen - Medic
Credit
Burton Rencher - Art Director, David Rubin - Casting, Isis Mussenden - Costume Designer, John Rusk - First Assistant Director, Kevin Spacey - Director, Jay Lash Cassidy - Editor, Michael Brook - Songwriter, Nelson Coates - Production Designer, Mark Plummer - Cinematographer, Brad Jenkel - Producer, Steven Stabler - Producer, Brad Krevoy - Producer, Linda Sutton - Set Designer, Mark Weingarten - Sound/Sound Designer, Christian Forte - Screenwriter
Translating Brook's evocative guitar art into soundtrack music for a Kevin Spacey-directed neo-noir thriller might seem an unusual choice. However, his work here turns into an interesting blend of his own style and smoky late night jazz and darker, moodier incidental guitar, interspersed with a variety of other instrumental touches. One of his sharpest moves lies in the mixing of performers he brings to the effort. Besides stand-up bass and sax, the ney, udu, and srinivas guitar figure into the rotating lineup of instruments he and his various collaborators tackle. Brook himself also plays keyboard on nearly all the tracks, as well as handling a good amount of the bass and drum programming. Given the project's origins, it's striking if not totally surprising that most of the pieces hold up as well on their own as do Brook's separate efforts. "Albo Gator" underscores the collaborative nature of the project, with some of Christian Forte's lines from the movie played over the gentle chime of the piece, provided in large part by Jason Lewis' tuned percussion. "Preparation" alone is worth the investigating, one of Brook's serene guitar drones and gentle performances, leading into a Morricone-western melody echoing into the distance. Hints of the intense plucking and drive that he brings to many of his pieces bubble under the mix in contrast. "Arrival" starts the album and sets the tone for both film and disc wonderfully, merest hints of Brook's trademark style coming through as a four-performer setup conjures up ghosts of legendary past jazz-noir scores. "Miscalculation" is a more upbeat if no less mood-setting effort, Hafez Modirzadeh's short sax tones and Lewis' quick work on tabla and tom-drum setting the tone. A fine, unexpected touch comes with the final track, a cover of the old Harold Arlen number "Ill Wind," with Jimmy Scott and Michael Stipe on vocals and Flea on bass. ~ Ned Raggett, All Music Guide
Little Jimmy Scott (Vocals), Michael Brook (Bass), Michael Brook (Guitar), Michael Brook (Arranger), Michael Brook (Keyboards), Michael Brook (Producer), Michael Brook (Engineer), Michael Brook (Vibraphone), Michael Brook (Main Performer), Michael Brook (Drum Programming), Tom Carr (Engineer), Tony Cousins (Mastering), Flea (Bass), Flea (Arranger), Flea (Producer), John Keane (Engineer), James Pinker (Cymbals), James Pinker (Drums), James Pinker (Tambourine), James Pinker (Engineer), James Pinker (Shaker), James Pinker (Hi Hat), Michael Stipe (Vocals), Chris Bigg (Design), Vaughan Oliver (Art Direction), Vaughan Oliver (Design), Hafez Modirzadeh (Saxophone), Hafez Modirzadeh (Ney), Dominic Davies (Photography), Albert Sanchez (Photography), Jason Lewis (Percussion), Jason Lewis (Drums), Jason Lewis (Marimba), Jason Lewis (Tabla), Jason Lewis (?), Jason Lewis (Udu), Jason Lewis (Hi Hat), William Fichtner (Harmonica (Amplified)), William Fichtner (Voices), Amanda Scheer-Demme (Executive Producer), Amanda Scheer-Demme (Music Supervisor), Kevin Spacey (Executive Producer), Anton Schwartz (Saxophone), Jim Sheldon (Photography), Bill Jackson (Mixing), Veronica Albano (Soundtrack Coordination), Bob Adams (Organ), Bob Adams (Piano), Bob Adams (Bowed Bass), Bob Adams (String Bass)
Albino Alligator is a 1996 film directed by Kevin Spacey in his directorial debut. It stars Matt Dillon, Gary Sinise and William Fichtner as three small-time criminals who take hostages when they are cornered by the police. The title of the film refers to the way that alligators will use an albino among them as a sacrifice, in order to secure their real prey.
Matt Dillon and Gary Sinise play brothers Dova and Milo, small-time crooks suddenly in way over their heads. When a holdup goes terribly wrong, the robbers flee to a local bar, desperately taking everyone inside hostage. With nowhere to run and time running out, it's a deadly situation where every second counts.
Reception
Reviews for the film were generally positive. Critics particularly praised Kevin Spacey's direction.
