Get Shorty (1995)

Synopsis: Loveable Italian-American with mob ties takes entertainment industry by storm! (Oops, that's the synopsis for The Ratings Game, also featuring Danny De Vito)

Blurb From the VHS Jacket: “Loan shark Chili Palmer (John Travolta) had done his time as a gangster. So when ‘business’ takes him to Los Angeles to collect a debt from a down-and-out filmmaker Harry Zimm (Gene Hackman) Chili talks tough...and then pitches Harry a script idea.”

What Did I Learn?: Even a minivan can suddenly become the envy of Hollywood if you pretend that it’s cool to own one.

You Might Like This Movie If: You want to learn how to look scary.

Really?: 1) Travolta beats up James Gandolfini (aka Tony Soprano)? I don’t think so. 2) What was the point of having Nicki know Chili from Brooklyn? Nothing emerged from that recognition. 3) Harry’s decision to call Ray Bones struck me as an implausible plot device to get Ray out to California.

Rating: Get Shorty isn't laugh-out-loud funny, but Travolta is a charming rogue, Hackman is a lovable sleaze, and the film works as a good-natured satire of Hollywood. 7.5/10 stars.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0113161/