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List Price: $14.99 | | Label: Walt Disney Video
Salesrank: 2620
Released: May 19, 1998 |
| Our Price: $5.84 |
| Used Price: $4.42 |
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MPAA Rating: R (Restricted)
Media: DVD |
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Editorial Review:
Here's the killer comedy hit that's loaded with outrageous fun! For Martin Blank (John Cusack -- HIGH FIDELITY, SERENDIPITY), a hit man stuck in a career rut, attending his 10-year high school reunion is about the last thing he's in the mood for! But when the prospects of rekindling an old flame (Minnie Driver -- GOOD WILL HUNTING) and pulling off one final job convince him to go, things are looking up ... that is, until Martin's arch rival (Dan Aykroyd) shows up aiming to blow the competition away! For hilarious comedy entertainment that's packed with action, GROSSE POINTE BLANK is a surefire knockout!
Description of Grosse Pointe Blank:
Hit man Martin Q. Blank (John Cusack) is in an awkward situation. Several of them, actually. He's attending his high school reunion on an assignment; he's got a rival hit man (Dan Aykroyd) on his tail; and he's going to have to explain to his old girlfriend (Minnie Driver) why he stood her up on prom night. This amiable black comedy, cowritten by Cusack and directed by Jonathan Demme protégé George Armitage (Miami Blues), has the feel of Demme's Something Wild and Married to the Mob--which is to say its humor is dark and brightly colored at the same time. Cusack and Driver are utterly charming--as is the leading man's sister, Joan, who plays his secretary. (Ms. Cusack received an Oscar nomination for her next role, in In & Out.) Alan Arkin is also very funny as Martin's psychiatrist. --Jim Emerson
Grosse Pointe Blank Reviews:
I'm drawing a complete...Blank 
2008-11-29 - Plot-wise, 'Grosse Pointe Blank' is about professional hit man Martin Q. Blank (John Cusack) going back to Grosse Pointe for his 10-year High School Reunion. His psychiatrist Dr. Oatman (Alan Arkin) refuses to treat him because he is afraid of him, but he persists in calling him, and uses him for a reluctant sounding board for his own ideas about his therapy:
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[Talking to his psychiatrist about going to his high school reunion]
Marty: They all have husbands and wives and children and houses and dogs, and, you know, they've all made themselves a part of something and they can talk about what they do. What am I gonna say? "I killed the president of Paraguay with a fork. How've you been?"
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The real reason he is going to the reunion is actually so he can reconnect with his High School sweetheart, Debi (Minnie Driver):
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Debi: Okay. So. You're back... a decade late, and... you're on some sort of therapeutic assignment, and you want to sort things out with me. So the question now becomes, do I allow you access to me or... do I call security?
Marty: I don't think that'd be a good idea.
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Miss Driver is cute and appealing, and she is especially good with quips. Not only do they meet cute, the cuteness continues non-stop, a veritable cavalcade of cuteness:
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Debi: So, is there a Mrs. Mysterio?
Martin Q. Blank: No, but I do have a very nice cat?
Debi: Not the same.
Martin Q. Blank: Well, you don't know my cat, it's very demanding.
Debi: It? You don't know if it's a boy or girl?
Martin Q. Blank: I respect its privacy.
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Enough already, with the cutie cute cuteness. How about some substance, some epiphany, some revelation:
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Debi: You know what you need?
Marty: What?
Debi: Shakabuku.
Marty: You wanna tell me what that means?
Debi: It's a swift, spiritual kick to the head that alters your reality forever.
Marty: Oh, that'd be good. I think.
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It is kind of a dark comedy, with the juxtaposition of killing for a living with a High School reunion scenario. It is kind of a romantic comedy, with the screw ball reason that the two crazy kids can't be together the fact that he is a professional hitman. Neither of these two kinds of comedies really work for me here. I think that the people who want to see John Cusack are not the same demographic who want to see lots of shooting and things blowing up. The people who want to see that aren't the ones who want to see romantic comedies, not even dark comedies. And they certainly aren't interested in a lot of clever dialogue. And the people who do want to hear clever dialogue don't want to watch a lot of people being shot and see things blowing up.
Maybe John Cusack wanted to make a film like this to see how it feels to be an action hero. Maybe he thought it would pull in fans of different genres. 'Grosse Pointe Blank' isn't a bad movie, and it is quite entertaining, but it just doesn't quite cut it for me. As Bob said at the High School reunion, "I'm drawing a complete....Blank."
Anyway, Debi is a DJ, which gives the filmmakers an opportunity to shower us with soundtrack cuts galore. It is like they just wanted to pay homage to the 80's, and how much better the music was than during the 90's. This is actually the best part of the movie. Joe Strummer wrote some music for the soundtrack, and there is also a lot of The Clash and other great music from the 80's:
Violent Femmes
"Blister in the Sun"
Written by Gordon Gano
Performed by Violent Femmes
Courtesy of Slash/London Records, Ltd.
By Arrangement with PolyGram Film & TV Licensing
Super Black Market Clash
"Armagideon Time"
Written by Clement Dodd and Willie Williams
Performed by The Clash
Courtesy of Epic Records
By Arrangement with Sony Music Licensing
Live & Let Die
"Live and Let Die"
Written by Paul McCartney & Linda McCartney
Performed by Guns N' Roses
Courtesy of Geffen Records
By Arrangement with MCA Special Markets & Products
("Live and Let Die" segues into a 'muzak' version performed by Adam Fields)
The Jam - The Complete Jam
"Absolute Beginners"
Written by Paul Weller
Performed by The Jam
Courtesy of Polydor Limited
By Arrangement with PolyGram Film & TV Licensing
Today's Specials
"Pressure Drop"
Written by Toots Hibbert (as Frederick Hibbert)
Performed by The Specials
Courtesy of Kuff Records Ltd./Virgin Records America, Inc.
Ace of Spades
"Ace of Spades"
Written by Lemmy (as Ian Kilmister), Fast Eddie Clarke (as Edward Clarke) and Phil 'Philthy Animal' Taylor (as Philip Taylor)
Performed by Motörhead
Courtesy of Castle Copyrights, Ltd.
The Head on the Door
"In Between Days"
Written by Robert Smith
Performed by The Cure
Courtesy of Elektra Entertainment Corp.
By Arrangement with Warner Special Products; and Courtesy of Fiction Records/Polydor Ltd./Elektra Entertainment Ltd.
By Arrangement with PolyGram Film & TV Licensing
Introduce Yourself
"We Care a Lot"
Written by Chuck Mosely, Roddy Bottum, Billy Gould (as William Gould),
Mike Bordin and Jim Martin
Performed by Faith No More
Courtesy of Slash/London Records, Ltd.
By Arrangement with PolyGram Film & TV Licensing
Message From Beat Street: Best Of
"White Lines"
Written by Sylvia Robinson and Melle Mel (as Melvin Glover)
Performed by Melle Mel (as Grandmaster Melle Mel)
Courtesy of Rhino Records/Castle Copyrights Ltd.
Hot Space
"Under Pressure"
Written by David Bowie, Freddie Mercury, Roger Taylor, John Deacon and Brian May
Performed by David Bowie (with Queen)
Courtesy of Raincloud Productions Ltd./David R. Jones/MainMan S.A. and Hollywood Records and EMI Records UK
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[repeated line]
Marty: If I show up at your door, chances are you did something to bring me there.
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Dark Comedy + Cusack = Must See 
2008-08-24 - Grosse Pointe Blank, a dark comedy made in 1997, features John Cusack in yet another charming role. A professional killer returns home for a job, tries to rekindle a love affair he ran out on, and attends his high school reunion.
One of my favorite things about watching older (older as in not at the theater recently) movies is scanning the crowd for now well known actors. Minnie Driver, Joan Cusack, Alan Arkin and Dan Aykroyd all have co-starring roles in this, but there are others there too. Hank Azaria, Jenna Elfman, Jeremy Piven, along with Bill & Ann Cusack. (Did you know there were more Cusacks?)
The movie features a fantastic, hilarious, death by pen scene and Joan Cusack in one of her lovely quirky roles. The scenes with John Cusack and Dan Aykroyd are among the best as they play off of one another quite well. The soundtrack is just as great! I see more John Cusack movies in my future.
Grosse Point Blank 
2008-07-10 - I loved this movie! The casting of Grosse Point Blank could not have been better. very funny. The subject, a hit man attending his high school reunion, and re-discovering his high school swetheart may sound un-workable but it does. If you have not seen this movie I recommend it to everyone. John
Horrible Movie 
2008-01-29 - This movie is horrible. Most of the material in the movie is irrelavent. Most of the parts that are supposed to be funny, aren't. Frankly, it's a boring movie. Whoever wrote the script either had a boring personality or an odd sense of humor.
Comedy!
2007-12-12 - John Cusack is great! I love this movie, great comedy. Sound track is great too.
