I was one of the few people who saw this in a theatre and loved it, Shannon is a skeevy delight throughout. There's a great moment when he talks his way out of his loan sharks office and then upon leaving goes straight across the street into a gambling parlor.
I've been rewatching At Home With Amy Sedaris, which has some phenomenal guest turns by Michael Shannon. It reminded me that he has an energy that no one else can match. Is there literally anyone else who could play his role in Bug?
What a coincidence, giving this a rewatch has been on my mind lately, couldn't tell you why. I missed it in theatres, but remember really enjoying it when I finally got around to renting it. I'm glad Shannon (my favorite actor since I walked out of Bug in 2006) has a career that has rewarded him with Serious Parts in Important Movies, but it's Fun Shit like this where I'm always most excited to see him.
As I say in the piece, Shannon just gets the assignment here. He has so much fun as the buffoonish cartoon foil and Koepp gives him all the space he needs to work.
One of the greatest parts of this film is barely introducing people to Pai Gow but making it sound addictive enough to easily be picked up by a guy and then fall into crippling debt. The other great part: Vaya Messenger Bags (which maybe you can still ask them to make https://vayabags.com/prod/premium-rush/).
Ooh, a must-have. I've gotten back into bike-riding after a decades-long break and have been thinking about a comfortable bag to sling over my shoulder like that.
I got mine (https://vayabags.com/prod/caramel/) at a craft fair and there are smaller versions. But they're very good and mostly waterproof/resistant if you're carrying liquids or prone to living with torrential downpours.
One of the great things about PREMIUM RUSH for those who know New York well is that all of the on-location outdoor shooting is geographically accurate in the order of bicycling from Columbia University to Chinatown. In most movies, a New Yorker is thinking, "They were traveling west, and now they're on the East Side; that makes no sense!" Even Woody Allen doesn't go for that level of accuracy.
I got around on a bike in Miami, Florida in the late '90s, and it was super-hostile to bikes where I was living. Now that I'm biking again in Chicago, in an area where you have lots of bike lanes, all I can think about when I'm pedaling is getting doored. Any time I see the brake lights of a parked car, I'm ready for that outcome.
Yeah. Huge differences between my experiences in Philadelphia versus Minneapolis. Still never been doored and hoping this comment doesn't jinx that streak.
I tend to be something of a mimic, so if I watch Deadwood I'll find myself swearing more, for instance. After watching this movie, I was riding like a maniac for the next week through Boston traffic.
I saw this in theatres - I was very loyal to JGL coming off his hot streak of 500 Days of Summer, Inception, and TDKR. Shannon's character's, shall we say, exit from the film, is very cool.
My wife and I still talk about this movie to this day! We liked it that much. Shannon was so delightfully unhinged - after being introduced to him via Revolutionary Road, it was so nice to see him in a humorous role.
I long for good movies that deliver in 100 minutes or less. It really is a lost art nowadays.
One of my favorite movies to talk about in one sentence socially: “ever see that action movie where Joseph g-l is a bike messenger in ny?” Up there with: “____ Nicholas cage as a one handed baker who falls in love with Cher?” I LOVE THIS MOVIE
You know the Sixth Sense was an August release too. Not many Best Picture nominee 200+ million grossers in August, but that's one!
THE FUGITIVE, too!
I was one of the few people who saw this in a theatre and loved it, Shannon is a skeevy delight throughout. There's a great moment when he talks his way out of his loan sharks office and then upon leaving goes straight across the street into a gambling parlor.
I've been rewatching At Home With Amy Sedaris, which has some phenomenal guest turns by Michael Shannon. It reminded me that he has an energy that no one else can match. Is there literally anyone else who could play his role in Bug?
What a coincidence, giving this a rewatch has been on my mind lately, couldn't tell you why. I missed it in theatres, but remember really enjoying it when I finally got around to renting it. I'm glad Shannon (my favorite actor since I walked out of Bug in 2006) has a career that has rewarded him with Serious Parts in Important Movies, but it's Fun Shit like this where I'm always most excited to see him.
As I say in the piece, Shannon just gets the assignment here. He has so much fun as the buffoonish cartoon foil and Koepp gives him all the space he needs to work.
One of the greatest parts of this film is barely introducing people to Pai Gow but making it sound addictive enough to easily be picked up by a guy and then fall into crippling debt. The other great part: Vaya Messenger Bags (which maybe you can still ask them to make https://vayabags.com/prod/premium-rush/).
Ooh, a must-have. I've gotten back into bike-riding after a decades-long break and have been thinking about a comfortable bag to sling over my shoulder like that.
I got mine (https://vayabags.com/prod/caramel/) at a craft fair and there are smaller versions. But they're very good and mostly waterproof/resistant if you're carrying liquids or prone to living with torrential downpours.
The Vaya bags were David’s wrap gift to the entire crew. Still have mine after 14 years, love that bag.
You Koepp-ed it!
One of the great things about PREMIUM RUSH for those who know New York well is that all of the on-location outdoor shooting is geographically accurate in the order of bicycling from Columbia University to Chinatown. In most movies, a New Yorker is thinking, "They were traveling west, and now they're on the East Side; that makes no sense!" Even Woody Allen doesn't go for that level of accuracy.
I enjoyed this movie and as a bicycle commuter found myself wincing regularly at all the imagined bad outcomes.
I got around on a bike in Miami, Florida in the late '90s, and it was super-hostile to bikes where I was living. Now that I'm biking again in Chicago, in an area where you have lots of bike lanes, all I can think about when I'm pedaling is getting doored. Any time I see the brake lights of a parked car, I'm ready for that outcome.
Yeah. Huge differences between my experiences in Philadelphia versus Minneapolis. Still never been doored and hoping this comment doesn't jinx that streak.
I tend to be something of a mimic, so if I watch Deadwood I'll find myself swearing more, for instance. After watching this movie, I was riding like a maniac for the next week through Boston traffic.
hell yeah
Just want to say thanks for covering one of my favourite low stakes thrillers. Shannon is terrific in it
I saw this in theatres - I was very loyal to JGL coming off his hot streak of 500 Days of Summer, Inception, and TDKR. Shannon's character's, shall we say, exit from the film, is very cool.
My wife and I still talk about this movie to this day! We liked it that much. Shannon was so delightfully unhinged - after being introduced to him via Revolutionary Road, it was so nice to see him in a humorous role.
I long for good movies that deliver in 100 minutes or less. It really is a lost art nowadays.
One of my favorite movies to talk about in one sentence socially: “ever see that action movie where Joseph g-l is a bike messenger in ny?” Up there with: “____ Nicholas cage as a one handed baker who falls in love with Cher?” I LOVE THIS MOVIE