In the Line of Fire (Netflix) (Exclusive Series)

Initial release date: July 8, 1993

Studios: Columbia Pictures/Castle Rock Entertainment

Tagline: An assassin on the loose. A president in danger. Only one man stands between them

Plot: A Secret Service agent is taunted by calls from a would-be killer who has detained information about the agent - including the fact that he failed to save President John F. Kennedy from assassination. The caller’s past is revealed, and the agent, who is investigating a threat to the current president, is determined not to let history repeat itself.

Cast

Clint Eastwood (Cry Macho) - Frank Horrigan

John Malkovich (Netflix’s Velvet Buzzsaw) - Mitch Leary

Rene Russo (Avengers: Endgame) - Lilly Raines

Dylan McDermott (Law & Order: Organized Crime) - Al D’Andrea

Gary Cole (Art of Racing in the Rain) - Bill Watts

Fred Thompson (God’s Not Dead 2) - Harry Sargent

John Mahoney (Dan in Real Life) - Sam Campagna

Gregory Alan Williams (Brightburn) - Matt WIlder

Clyde Kusatsu - Jack O’Kura

Writer: Jeff Maguire (Timeline; Gridiron Gang)

Director: Wolfgang Peterson (Poseidon; Troy; The Perfect Storm)

Rated R for violence and language (128 min)

The Clint Eastwood thriller ‘In the Line of Fire’ is an engaging, well-made dramatic thriller that has you hooked from the beginning. It’s also one of those few Eastwood films that he didn’t both direct and star in.

This cat-and-mouse thriller features many tense moments and great performances especially from John Malkovich. He does an incredible job as the would-be assassin. He was quite menacing and tense in his role. I don’t even think there’s a movie that Malkovich wasn’t good in.

Throughout most of the film, there is a great deal of suspense and even some good thrills. It’s really fast-paced and also delivers some awesome action.

All the tense moments and action leads to a very compelling conclusion. This Clint Eastwood thriller is available to stream on Netflix.

FYI - ‘In the Line of Fire’ is one year shy of being three decades old!

Here are some interesting tidbits about ‘In the Line of Fire’:

• Malkovich improvised the scene where he puts the gun into his mouth. Executive producer and director Wolfgang Peterson liked it so much, he left it in the movie. Apparently, Eastwood started laughing off camera, that’s why you see Malkovich smiling with the gun in his mouth.

• This marks the first time that the Secret Service offered its full cooperation in the making of a movie.

• To prepare for his role, Malkovich lived in almost total seclusion for over a month prior to production to connect with Mitch Leary’s sense of isolation. He didn’t leave his house and wouldn’t talk on the phone. He would also rarely watch TV. If he did, it was news programs.

• Clint Eastwood personally selected Wolfgang Peterson to direct.

• The script has been knocking around Hollywood for over a decade before it got picked up.

• Eastwood and Peterson offered the role of Leary to Robert DeNiro, who turned it down due to scheduling conflicts with ‘A Bronx Tale’.

• It was one of the first films to have a trailer for the film made available online. Offered via AOL, the trailer was downloaded 170 times in a week and a half.

• The film earned $15 million in its opening weekend. It earned over $102 million in North America and $85 million in other territories, for a total of $187.3 million worldwide.

https://youtu.be/1iYvdhMJZkE