Al Pacino’s performance in “Heat” is legendary. And a big reason why it’s so beloved is how hyped up the character of Vincent Hanna was in every scene. It was almost like Pacino was acting in a different film than the rest of his scene partners because he had the energy dialed up to 11. Well, apparently there was a reason for that.

Speaking on a recent episode of the “WTF Podcast,” Pacino talked about his new memoir, “Sonny Boy.” And while talking about it, he brought up a point that is in the memoir that no one realized until now—Vincent Hanna loved cocaine.

Continue reading Al Pacino Says His Heat Character Was On Coke But Michael Mann “Took It Out” Of The Finished Film at The Playlist.

In this week’s episode of Bingeworthy, our TV and streaming podcast host Mike DeAngelo is on a mission to discuss “The Old Man.” The FX and Hulu series follows a retired former spy who is hiding from the agency that once employed him; his life is suddenly upended by a man he hasn’t seen in thirty years. The spy series stars Jeff Bridges, Amy Brenneman, John Lithgow, Alia Shawkat, Bill Heck, and more. 

Continue reading ‘The Old Man’: Jeff Bridges & Amy Brenneman Discuss Their Spy Drama, ‘Tron: Ares’, ‘Heat’ & More [Bingeworthy Podcast] at The Playlist.

There’s no denying the amount of anticipation that has grown since Michael Mann started talking about a “Heat” sequel years ago. The release of the novel only made things even more fever-pitched. Now, we know we’re getting close to the film sequel, as Mann is teasing how filming should begin relatively soon. And according to the filmmaker, “Heat 2” is going to be a big movie, especially when it comes to run-time. 

Continue reading ‘Heat 2’: Michael Mann Says Sequel Is A “Large” Film & Goes Beyond The Novel at The Playlist.

After years of rumblings, it appears “Heat 2” is actually happening. And if you’ve read the novel by co-authored by filmmaker Michael Mann and Meg Gardiner, then you’re probably aware of the plot of the upcoming film. That said, there are still quite a few questions, particularly when it comes to the casting. Basically, the actors who come in and play the roles inhabited by folks such as Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, and Val Kilmer are going to have big shoes to fill.

Continue reading ‘Heat 2’: Michael Mann Says Casting Is Still Not Decided & He’s Not Interested In Expanded It Into A Series at The Playlist.

Michael Mann has made a number of iconic films. “Manhunter,” “Thief,” “Ali,” and “The Last of the Mohicans” are just several of the films Mann will always be known for. However, if there was one film that has risen above all else in his filmography, it is most definitely “Heat.” Decades after the 1995 film has been released, the love of that crime epic has only grown.

Continue reading Michael Mann Definitely Wants To Make ‘Heat 2’ But “Won’t Be Incomplete” If It Never Happens at The Playlist.

Variety reports that legendary actor Al Pacino had all sorts of stories to share at a talk he did at the 92nd Street Y in NYC this week. Among them: Pacino turned down the role of Han Solo in “Star Wars,” despite “so much money” being offered him. As the actor tells it: “I gave Harrison Ford his career.”

READ MORE: The Essentials: Al Pacino’s Best Performances

“Well, I turned down “Star Wars,” started Pacino during his talk.

Continue reading Al Pacino Says He Turned Down ‘Star Wars’: “I Gave Harrison Ford His Career” at The Playlist.

Every Tuesday, discriminating viewers are confronted with a flurry of choices: new releases on disc and on demand, vintage and original movies on any number of streaming platforms, catalogue titles making a splash on Blu-ray or 4K. This twice-monthly column sifts through all of those choices to pluck out the movies most worth your time, no matter how you’re watching.

It’s a lighter than usual week on the disc and streaming front, but there are still plenty of treasures to nab – including last year’s best movie hitting the streamers, some genre gems from the boutique labels, and the welcome 4K release of a ‘90s classic.

Continue reading The Best Movies To Buy Or Stream This Week: ‘Heat,’ ‘Men,’ ‘Flatliners,’ & More at The Playlist.

We are on the verge of Michael Mann releasing his highly-anticipated “Heat” follow-up novel. And, as you might expect, discussion about the “Heat” prequel/sequel novel brings up questions about a possible film, which Mann has already expressed interest in previously. In a new interview on the WTF Podcast with Marc Maron, the filmmaker teased that development on another “Heat” film, based on the novel, is already underway.

Continue reading Michael Mann Confirms His ‘Heat’ Sequel Is Already Underway & Will Be A “Very Large Movie” at The Playlist.

The 1995 heist movie “Heat” is arguably one of the acclaimed entries in the cops-and-robbers genre of the last 30 years, if not longer. It’s a masterclass of how to construct a crime thriller with action elements, and director Michael Mann has been itching to revisit that world which led to him to co-write a prequel/sequel novel with Meg Gardiner that will be released in early August. 

Continue reading Michael Mann Wants To Adapt His ‘Heat 2’ Novel Into “One Large Movie” & Would Recast With Younger Actors at The Playlist.

We are fast approaching the planned release of Michael Mann’s highly-anticipated novel sequel/prequel to his 1995 film, “Heat.” Simply titled, “Heat 2,” the book takes a “Godfather Part II” angle on the sequel by not only continuing the story from the first film but also flashing back to well before the events of the crime thriller. With the book on its way, obviously, there is already talk about a potential film adaptation.

Continue reading ‘Heat 2’: Al Pacino Recommends Timothée Chalamet To Play His Younger Self In A Potential Sequel at The Playlist.

Michael Mann (“Collateral,” “Ali”) fans can rejoice that he’s finally back with the HBO Max crime series “Toyko Vice.” In the series, which Mann produces and directs the excellent pilot of (read our review here), we get to see the legendary filmmaker wade into the waters of cops and crooks yet again. Set in Japan, the series focuses on an American crime reporter (Ansel Elgort) who attempts to embed himself in both the worlds of Japanese police and the criminal syndicate known as the Yakuza.

Continue reading Michael Mann Teases More ‘Heat’ Novels & Says No Reason TV “Can’t Be As Boldly Cinematic” As Films at The Playlist.

Even if you don’t deem yourself a diehard cinephile, you’ve likely seen “Heat.” Michael Mann’s 1995 thriller is one of the best crime films of all time. It famously features Al Pacino and Robert De Niro at the height of their careers, acting opposite each other for the first time ever. And for years, rumors abound about a possible “Heat” sequel film. Alas, that never came to pass.

Continue reading ‘Heat 2’ Book Teaser: Michael Mann’s Sequel To His Iconic Crime Thriller Arrives In August at The Playlist.

The Rewatchables podcast is no stranger to talking about Michael Mann‘s iconic crime film, “Heat.” In fact, they’ve already talked about it twice. However, for the third round, dubbed “ThreeHeat,” the hosts actually have Mann himself on to discuss his landmark film and the filmmaker’s plans for future “Heat” stories.

During the discussion, there isn’t a lot of news about the 1995 film, and Mann shuts down pretty much every one of the casting rumors, including the talk of Keanu Reeves as Val Kilmer’s Chris Shiherlis character and Michael Madsen originally being cast.

Continue reading Michael Mann Says ‘Heat’ Prequel/Sequel Novel Is Coming Summer 2022 & Dispels Old Casting Rumors at The Playlist.

Over the weekend, Zack Snyder and various other “Justice League” folks got together for this year’s Justice Con. And while there was plenty to talk about regarding the superhero team-up film, particularly with the news that Ray Fisher wouldn’t mind coming back to the DCEU in the future, some of the more interesting conversations revolved around “Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice.”

READ MORE: Screenwriter Chris Terrio Said His ‘Justice League’ Script Was “Vandalized” When Joss Whedon Took Over

Speaking at Justice Con (via Screen Rant), filmmaker Zack Snyder and writer Chris Terrio talked about some of the behind-the-scenes discussions that happened while prepping ‘Batman v.

Continue reading Zack Snyder Says Batman & Superman Meeting Scene In ‘BvS’ Was Inspired by Michael Mann’s ‘Heat’ at The Playlist.

From the beginning, the dichotomy between women and men is established in Michael Mann’s sprawling, epic masterpiece “Heat,” twenty-five years old this month. However, its central thesis about the tragedy of masculinity remains evergreen. In what Mann himself calls a “symphonic drama” in an interview for Empire Magazine in 2008, the movie is more approximately an opera all of heightened emotions, the brawny men and the earthy women who mourn them even as they find themselves incapable of saving themselves from their brutal allure.

Continue reading ‘Heat’: Michael Mann’s Symphonic Drama & The Tragedy Of Masculinity at The Playlist.

A little under a year ago, Michael Mann teased the release of his upcoming novel that will serve as a prequel to the acclaimed crime thriller, “Heat.” Without even knowing anything about the plot, fans of the film were ecstatic at the idea of Mann returning to the world of “Heat” one more time. Well, won’t those fans be excited to know that Mann also has dreams of making a film based on that novel, as well as a potential sequel.

Continue reading ‘Heat’: Michael Mann Wants To Make His Prequel Novel Into A Film, As Well As Make A Sequel at The Playlist.

There are very few films that are constantly brought up as “iconic” for specific genres. “The Godfather” (and its sequel) is thought to be the gold standard for gangster epics. “Psycho” is probably the slasher that all others are compared to. And when you talk about crime-thrillers films, no one can deny the power of Michael Mann’s “Heat.” Not even the co-director of the biggest film in movie history, Joe Russo.

Continue reading Joe Russo Says He’s Forever Chasing ‘Heat’ & The “Visceral Experience” That Film Gave Him In Theaters at The Playlist.

To celebrate Al Pacino’s 80th trip around the sun on April 25, Be Reel zeroes in on one of the acting legend’s favorite archetypes—the ragged police detective. 

LISTEN: Barbra Streisand: The Essential Films [Be Reel Podcast]

Today, our podcast traces Pacino’s investigative methods all the way from iconic “Serpico” (1973) to controversial “Cruising” (1980) to charged “Sea of Love” (1989) to unimpeachable “Heat” (1995) to perhaps underrated “Insomnia” (2002), all the way to VOD schlock like “Hangman” (2017). 

It’s a trajectory that reveals his groundbreaking subtlety transforming into meme-able gravitas.

Continue reading Al Pacino’s Best Detective Roles—The Essentials [Be Reel Podcast] at The Playlist.

It’s hard to imagine that Michael Mann has only directed 11 feature films over his career. Debuting way back in 1981, with the film “Thief,” the filmmaker has turned in classics like “Manhunter,” “The Last of the Mohicans,” “The Insider,” and of course, “Heat.” And it’s that last film that caught the eye of the people behind the podcast One Heat Minute.

Continue reading Michael Mann Discusses His Crime Epic ‘Heat’ In Final Episode Of ‘One Heat Minute’ Podcast at The Playlist.

We are almost 25 years removed from the release of Michael Mann’s crime epic “Heat.” And even though the film was reasonably well-received upon its release, in the decades since, “Heat” has grown in stature to epic proportions becoming cinephile catnip and turned into a high point of the crime film genre. And to celebrate the upcoming 25th anniversary of the film in 2020, it appears that Mann is ready to given an update on a new adventure for the characters he’s been quietly planning for a few years now.

Continue reading Michael Mann Says His New ‘Heat’ Novel Will Be Released In 2020 at The Playlist.

It’s almost always a bit cringe-worthy when big blockbuster, popcorn filmmakers reference masterworks when trying to describe their own films. We see it a lot with Marvel Studios, where filmmakers always try to compare their latest superhero romp to some classic film. Recently, the writers of “Avengers: Infinity War,” compared their film to Robert Altman’s “Nashville,” for example.

Continue reading Jonathan Kasdan Says ‘Solo’ Was Inspired By Michael Mann Films ‘Heat’ And ‘Thief’ at The Playlist.

Some icons are so enduring, so ubiquitous, so larger than life, they take on an air of invulnerability. Some renowned figures seem to last forever and it’s possible to take them for granted. Take Alfredo James Pacino, who has been around for on screen for five decades in every role imaginable and somehow is just two years away from turning 80 years old (he turns 78 next month). The thought blows our mind, frankly.

Continue reading The Essentials: Al Pacino’s Best Performances at The Playlist.

Almost inseparable from the inception of cinema, the heist genre has enraptured audiences for generations, as it offers an escapist appeal to the anti-hero and the outlaw. There is something intrinsically cinematic about heist films, with the best of them moving like a captivating ballet through the intricacies of elaborate schemes to get rich and get away.

Edgar Wright‘s newly released “Baby Driver” offers an homage to the rich history of heist-induced exhilaration (our review).

Continue reading The 35 Best Heist Movies at The Playlist.

It’s a good time to be a Michael Mann fan. The meticulous director is looking forward with a bunch of new projects, including the Vietnam War miniseries “Huê 1968,” and the biopic “Ferrari” starring Hugh Jackman and Noomi Rapace. However, it’s his past projects that are raising the most attention. The director is constantly reworking his films, and it has led to a new cut of “Ali” dropping earlier this year, and an upcoming redo of “Heat“ which hits streets tomorrow — the same day another Mann movie is finally seeing its new edition make a grand, public, and surprise appearance.

Continue reading Director’s Cut Of Michael Mann’s ‘Blackhat’ To Make World Broadcast Premiere This Week, Filmmaker Teases Changes To ‘Heat’ at The Playlist.

If you’ve never seen Michael Mann‘s “Heat” on the big screen, you’re missing out; the film’s signature gunfights and neon-soaked Los Angeles were always meant to tower over audiences. There’s still time to fix that, though: 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment and the Alamo Drafthouse have partnered on a one-night-only screening of Mann’s crime classic on Tuesday, May 2, including a special Q&A with Mann that will be broadcast from the Regency Village Theater in Los Angeles, California.

Continue reading Michael Mann’s ‘Heat’ Is Returning To Theaters For One Night Only at The Playlist.