Themes: Hired Killers, Woman In Jeopardy, Witnessing a Crime
Main Cast: Dennis Hopper, Jodie Foster, Dean Stockwell, Vincent Price, John Turturro, Fred Ward
Release Year: 1991
Country: US
Run Time: 102 minutes
Plot
Originally prepared for European release under the title Catchfire, Backtrack wasn't given a wide distribution until 1991, and then only to capitalize on the Oscar win of Silence of the Lambs star Jodie Foster. In Backtrack, Foster plays a youngish innocent who witnesses a mob hit. Professional assassin Dennis Hopper is contracted to silence Foster for keeps. Instead, he falls in love with her. Directed by star Hopper, Backtrack has some of the feel of his earlier, better Easy Rider: the cast is populated by such old Hopper chums as Dean Stockwell, Charlie Sheen, Joe Pesci, Bob Dylan, Vincent Price and Julie Adams; and, like Easy Rider, it looks as though the story was improvised during filming. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Joe Pesci - Leo Carelli; Charlie Sheen - Bob; Julie Adams - Martha; Sy Richardson - Captain Walker; Frank Gio - Frankie; Bob Dylan - Artist; John Apicella - Man at Refinery; Kevin Bourland - Ad Agency Man; Grand L. Bush - Bank Teller; Burke Byrnes - Fed; Sarina Grant - Hooker; Helena Kallianiotes - Garace Carelli; Catherine Keener - Trucker's Girl; Ted Markland - Man in Van; Robert Rothwell - Ad Agency Executive; Tony Sirico - Greek; Jerry Summers - Rianetti; Michael Yama - Technician; John Zenda - Trucker; Alex Cox - D.H. Lawrence; Lauren Lloyd - Margaret Mason; Tomas Goros - Golf Course Fed; Anthony Pena - Taos Sheriff; Katherine La Nasa - Waitress
Credit
Lauren Lloyd - Casting, Lisa Demberg - Co-producer, Nancy Cone - Costume Designer, Dennis Hopper - Director, Wende Phifer Mate - Editor, David Rawlins - Editor, Mitchell Cannold - Executive Producer, Steven E. Reuther - Executive Producer, Paul Lewis - Line Producer, Michel Colombier - Composer (Music Score), Curt Sobel - Composer (Music Score), Gary Goetzman - Musical Direction/Supervision, Sharon Boyle - Musical Direction/Supervision, Ron Foreman - Production Designer, Edward Lachman - Cinematographer, Dick Clark - Producer, Paul Lewis - Producer, Dan Paulson - Producer, Rachel Kronstadt-Mann - Screen Story, Ann Louise Bardach - Screenwriter, Rachel Kronstadt-Mann - Screenwriter, Scott Kramer - Executive in Charge of Production
