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List Price: $9.95 | | Label: Sony Pictures
Salesrank: 5050
Released: August 24, 1999 |
| Our Price: $3.63 |
| Used Price: $1.98 |
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MPAA Rating: R (Restricted)
Media: DVD |
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Editorial Review:
Eighteen-year-old Ronna, accompanied by reluctant
partner-in-crime and fellow supermarket checkout clerk Claire, is
desperately looking to score some rent money before she's evicted.
Simon, an impulsive Brit, is driving a stolen car with buddy Marcus
during a no-holds-barred night of partying on the Las Vegas strip.
Adam and Zack, a pair of TV stars, find themselves in the middle of a
real-life drug sting - and a very creepy Christmas dinner.
Welcome to the edgy comedy GO, in which the misadventures of a group
of young people collide in Los Angeles' raucous underground scene.
Set over a 24-hour period in L.A. and Las Vegas, this unconventionally
structured comedy is told from the decidedly off-center perspectives
of three parties involved in the outrageous events that surround a
botched drug deal: a duo of down-on-their-luck supermarket checkout
girls, a pair of soap opera actors and an impetuous British expatriate
- all of whom discover they are in way over their heads. In the midst
of this wild ride, we learn about everything from the possible
advantages of mutli-level marketing to the techniques of tantric
lovemaking to how to make a fast buck at a rave with a little
ingenuity and a box of cold medicine.
Description of Go (Special Edition):
Director Doug Liman's follow-up to the winning Swingers is a rollicking adventure that, while lacking in any substantial plot, speeds along with nonstop adrenaline and style to burn. Taking a cue from Pulp Fiction, Liman plays tricks with time and overlapping plots, all of which play out in L.A. and Las Vegas in a 24-hour period sometime between Christmas and New Year's. Slacker grocery-store clerk Ronna (Sarah Polley) is trying to score rent money by selling hits of Ecstasy at a rave party, but winds up inadvertently double-crossing a ruthless dealer (sexy and scary Timothy Olyphant). She's also invading the dealing turf of her coworker Simon (Desmond Askew), a Brit on his first trip to Vegas, which turns nightmarish after a jaunt with pal Marcus (Taye Diggs) to a "gentleman's club" turns violent. And then there's the two soap-opera actors (Jay Mohr and Scott Wolf) who cross paths with Ronna more than once in their attempts to divest themselves of a drug-related charge by participating in a sting.
The way Liman and writer John August layer these stories owes a huge debt to Quentin Tarantino, but the comedy and action sequences rocket like a bat out of hell with energy, humor, and genuine surprise. In addition to some hilarious dialogue exchanges--including a classic scene between Ronna's stoned friend (Nathan Bexton) and a Zen cat--Liman works wonders with one the most winning ensembles in recent memory, a cast that includes both established actors and TV cuties. Mohr, Diggs, and especially Polley (doing a 180 from her turn in The Sweet Hereafter) are as excellent as you'd expect, but it's Wolf (of Party of Five) and Dawson's Creek's Katie Holmes (as Polley's best bud) who turn in revelatory work; Holmes especially seems poised to be a breakout star. An amazing cinematic ride--like a roller coaster, you'll want to go back again and again. --Mark Englehart
Go (Special Edition) Reviews:
Maybe it's a generational thing 
2008-08-24 - I tried. My wife and I watched about 20-25 minutes with an open mind trying like heck to see what the good reviews are about. It's not that the movie is terrible in the conventional sense. The acting is fine, and it has a moment or two to make you smile. Unfortunately though, it is mind-numbingly boring. We're both mid-30s, so maybe the new generation has different tastes, but at the 20+ minute mark we both looked at each other and decided that this was a complete waste of money and time. Luckily it only cost three bucks, but that's three bucks I didn't get any value for. I won't subject anyone else to this. The good news is that the DVD case has been recycled. The bad news is that the DVD is now part of our local landfill. I just wish DVDs were recyclable.
codeword: fun plus inticing equals: a keeper, but sour music tarnishes a 4 
2008-05-22 - See 'Go'. It is definetely worth a night on. Everyone liked this I saw it with, in fact we compared to a sort of 'Empire Records' type of cast, albeit certainly different plots, however I am sure you understand the comparison. There are some that actually state the movie is a resemblance, although distorted, to that of 'Pulp Fiction.'
'Go' in one word is fun. It's not a wild ride of anything remarkable, nor actually it wasn't a wild ride at all. It was intriguing, I can certainly give it that. However what's also fascinating is all the drugs, all the booze, and all the partying they show, more or less, and well the movie revolved ultimately about a Rave in a warehouse (derrick may, detroit stuff nostalgic here), yet the movie only plays smidgens of trance music, house, dance, whatever.
While the film is indeed a great time for a rental if you and your friends want something that is very entertaining and quite funny sometimes, however one can't really dissect the acting, as each in their own way was deplorable. That said, as an ensemble, they carried a rad film to broader audience that they probably initially didn't anticipate.
3.5 not much else to say.
Fantastic cast and energetic direction serve the film well
2008-04-21 - It is too easy to compare this to Pulp Fiction but yes it has a lot in common with the Tarantino film. Clever dialogue, three main stories whose characters overlap and lots of jumping forward and backward in time. It is still a lot of fun and what sets this film apart is its energy and extremely talented young cast. The first story concerns Ronna (Sarah Polley). She is desperate enough to become a drug dealer for one night since she is facing eviction. Her coworker Simon (Desmond Askew) who deals from the supermarket where they both work has just left for Vegas and two of his customers soap actors Zach and Adam (Jay Mohr and Scott Wolfe) are hoping to score something "euphoric". They ask Ronna if she can hook them up instead. Ronna agrees and becomes involved with Simon's dealer Todd (Timothy Olyphant). He gives her the drugs even though he doesn't do favors and Ronna doesn't have enough money to pay for them. When she meets Zach and Adam for the buy she can tell that something isn't right so she flushes the pills and leaves before anything can happen to her. Now she doesn't have the cash or the pills to give back to Todd and to top it off her best friend Claire (Katie Holmes) who was against the plan from the beginning is being held as collateral by Todd. Ronna comes up with an idea of how she can make the money back. The second story concerns Simon and his trip to Vegas with his mates (Taye Diggs, James Duval, and a hilarious Breckin Meyer). During their crazy two days in Vegas they have to combat diarrhea from the all you can eat shrimp buffet and two small time Mafiosos who want to kill them since Simon as he puts it "slept with two girls, stole a car, and shot a bouncer". This story was the most humorous notably Breckin Meyer as a whiteboy who "sees black" when he looks in the mirror and Taye Diggs listening to him with little patience. It was also fun to see Frank the rabbit from Donnie Darko James Duval out of the bunny suit. The final story concerns Zach and Adam. Turns out they got busted for pot and in order to have the charges dropped they have to give the cops Simon. Wearing a wire they arrange the buy from Simon but instead make the deal with Ronna who had the good sense to leave and not go through with it. Their handler is a cop named Burke (William Fichtner). Fichtner a character actor who usually plays twisted sadists is so funny in this role it is as the EPK says an unforgettable performance. Burke is interested in these guys, really interested. He comments on their muscular bodies and wonders if they have girlfriends. He even handcuffs them and demonstrates the proper way to frisk and cuff a suspect. Just when you think Burke is gay the script reveals him to be something else entirely same goes for Zach and Adam. The whole Burke subplot is just as funny if not funnier than the Vegas segment. The film ties up all the loose ends in terms of Ronna and the drug deal, Claire and Todd's relationship, Zach and Adam after Burke is done with them, and if the Mafiosos ever catch up with Simon. Sarah Polley and Katie Holmes are both very sexy and equally good actresses. It is nice to see Holmes with her long hair and a little curvier than what she looks like today. The film has a pulsing techno soundtrack throughout as the main showpiece is a rave where all the characters collide. The DVD has eleven deleted scenes some good some bad, three music videos including No Doubt, a very brief six minute making of that features some good interviews, and a director and editor commentary.
An Alternate Christmas Movie 
2007-12-28 - This clever child of Pulp Fiction and Rashomon is a sheer delight. If you are tired of Miracle on 34th Street and A Christmas Carol or are just looking for another Christmas film then look no further. Although not recomended for youngsters, don't let the talk of drugs and sex deter you. It is all done in a spirit of fun. You will see a lot of your favorites from TV (including the present Mrs. Tom Cruise) and find much to make you laugh.
Rave un2 The Joy Fantastic
2007-12-07 - Normally I would give "Go" 4 stars, but since I am in it as a movie extra during the rave scene, it gets 5 stars. God it was so long ago since I worked on this, when I was young and still able to do raves. I remember after filming the last rave scene, we wrapped at 6 in the morning at the Santa Monica airport. I had to be at Paramount Studios to film a tv pilot the same morning. I slept in my car for 1/2 an hour and worked the rest of the day exhausted. My memories of the making of "Go". I just remember how magical it was filming the rave scenes, it was good times, cool music and the energy was fantastic. The scenes are some of the better parts of the movie. "Go" is definately a unique film, it still stands the test of time and holds it's own. The acting is great, I love Timothy Olyphants role the best, he is intense as the drug dealer and hot. I was shocked to see him recently in "Live Free or Die Hard", we're all getting old, I saw his grey hairs. His acting was better in this film, same type of jerk character though. Who would have ever thought Katie Holmes would end up marrying Tom Cruise. She was so young when she did this, I'm sure she didn't have a clue either. This was probably her only good movie role despite all her fortune and fame. Honestly, she is a crap actress and sad that her legacy could be just the "wife" of Mr. Cruise. With all the sidetracking I've done in this review, I hope someone finds it interesting, a little behind the scenes of "Go", my little part of history in the film, just a lowly movie extra dancin' in the background.
