"FOR ME, THE ACTION IS THE JUICE”: HEAT, A MICHAEL MANN MASTERPIECE

HEAT IS MICHAEL MANN’S NEO-NOIR MASTERPIECE

The transient Los Angeles of Heat, one of the most beautiful-looking films ever made.

It isn’t a crime film to me. I don’t concern myself that much with genre categorization. To me, Heat was always a highly structured, realistic, symphonic drama. I never thought of it as doing a genre piece.

- Michael Mann , Cinephilia & Beyond

“What I want you to do is really absorb each and every issue of The Dispatch from Gallantry.” – Michael Mann (Not really, but probably)

THE HEAT IS ON

Looking for a heat movie? How about a heat film, one starring Al Pacino and Robert De Niro in their prime? If that’s the kind of flick you’re in the mood for, we strongly recommend revisiting Writer/Director Michael Mann’s 1995 brooding cops and robbers masterpiece, Heat, a neo-noir ode to Los Angeles that is so timeless, so rich in style and aesthetic that, well, we had to hit you with a hot piece on it and why it still resonates in the American psyche nearly 26 years after its initial release on December 15, 1995.

Michael Mann talks to Pacino, probably about Gallantry EDC.

If there is a powerful story that really is resonant, it makes the movie transcends the conventional wisdom of whether this genre works or doesn’t. You can think of these movies as general categories of genre, but that is a very quantitative way of doing it, and it gets trumped every time there is something completely different that breaks the pattern. That happens, all the time. For example, when Heat was released in December 1995, I don’t remember it being preceded by a recent epical drama on its scale. It did about $75 million, which means there were 25 million people who came to see it when tickets were a few bucks. Today, when tickets are $10 or $12, the picture would have grossed what, domestically, $300 million? You knock them out, you knock them out. Period. I believe in the power of story, and nothing can save a movie if the story isn’t there.

- Michael Mann, Vanity Fair

To put it simply, Heat is, without a shadow of a doubt, one of the most legendary Gallantry Man movies ever made.

If you’ve never seen the film, it goes a little something like this. Obsessive, brilliant thief Neil McCauley (Robert De Niro) and his crew, which includes his best friend Chris Shiherlis (Val Kilmer), wild card tough guy Michael Cheritto (Tom Sizemore), and Trejo (Danny Trejo) as they pull various heists in Los Angeles. When one of their last-minute heist replacements, Waingro (Kevin Gage), goes off the reservation, the crew gets some very much unwanted, wait for it…”heat” from L.A.’s most laser-focused and determined detective, Lieutenant Vincent Hanna (Al Pacino), and his crew that includes Sergeant Bobby Drucker (Mykelti Williamson), Lieutenant Sammy Casals (Wes Studi), and Detective Mike Bosko (Ted Levine).

Hanna and his boys.

What ensues is hardly your typical black and white cat-and-mouse game. McCauley catches wind that Hanna and his guys are onto him and begins plotting his “one last job”. As if things couldn’t get more chaotic, Hanna’s home life begins to deteriorate straight to hell in a handbasket (“My life's a disaster zone. I got a stepdaughter so fucked up because her real father's this large-type asshole. I got a wife, we're passing each other on the down-slope of a marriage - my third - because I spend all my time chasing guys like you around the block. That's my life.”), while McCauley finds himself unexpectedly falling in love and breaking his cardinal rule of not letting himself “get attached to anything that he’s not willing to walk out on in 30 seconds flat if you feel the heat around the corner” (although not in the way his rule might lead you to believe).

Neil McCauley (Robert De Niro) gives into his humanity and breaks his cardinal rule by introducing himself to the lovely Eady (Amy Brenneman).

Like so many Mann projects, Heat is about men that have chosen to live dangerous lives and must finally confront the consequences of said choice.

At its core, Heat is a profile of two relentless and obsessive men at the top of their game - two men, who, despite their polar opposite professions, are equal in their brilliance, professionalism, perfectionism, and intense dedication to their respective lines of work. However, despite their glory and being at the top of their respective games, they are both alienated and alone. Come to think of it, it’s almost like their alienation works as a metaphor for Los Angeles, a glorious city that is simultaneously disconnected, scattered, spread out, and frequently isolating.

Hanna and his maybe, soon-to-be ex-wife Justine (Diane Venora).

Watch the original theatrical trailer for Heat HERE .

THE CAST BRINGS THE HEAT

The cast of Heat is totally bananas. Led by Al Pacino and Robert De Niro, Heat also features Val Kilmer (Top Gun,Tombstone), Tom Sizemore (True Romance,Passenger 57, Natural Born Killers), Jon Voight ( Midnight Cowboy, Enemy of the State, Ray Donovan ), Mykelti Williamson (24, every Allstate insurance ad since 2003), Wes Studi (The Last of the Mohicans), Ted Levine (The Silence of the Lambs), Diane Venora (Romeo + Juliet,The Jackal), Ashley Judd (Kiss the Girls,Double Jeopardy), Danny Trejo (Machete,Desperado), William Fichtner (The Dark Knight,Black Hawk Down), Natalie Portman (The Professional,Black Swan), Hank Azaria (Gross Pointe Blank, The Simpsons), Jeremy Piven (Old School, Entourage), Amy Brenneman (Fear), Henry Rollins (Sons of Anarchy, Bad Boys II), and even more “Oh yeah! That person!” in supporting roles.

Nate (Jon Voight). Michael Cheritto (Tom Sizemore). Drucker (Mykelti Williamson).

Heat is particularly noteworthy for marking the first joint on-screen appearance of both De Niro and Pacino. While both actors had starred in The Godfather: Part II, they never shared a scene together (as De Niro played a young Vito Corleone in flashbacks). With the exception of the movie’s iconic diner scene and final moments, the two rarely engage in the movie. The historic nature of this no doubt played a major role in the movie’s critical and commercial success, not to mention its enduring legacy.

“And then I grab it like I’m grabbing some of my everyday carry from Gallantry.”

THE STORY OF HOW HEAT CAME TO BE


All of [the characters] are novelizations in a way of real people. My late friend, Charlie Adamson, killed the real Neil McCauley in 1963. Fundamentally, the whole idea for the movie…sometimes these things just occur to you in a flash. The idea to do this movie came when Charlie was telling me about sitting down with Neil McCauley and they had this conversation and how much rapport there was between them. That was because there was tremendous respect, which wouldn’t interfere with Charlie blowing this guy out of his socks at the drop of a hat if he caught him coming out of a score. Charlie was a guy who would say, ‘Look how smart this guy is. Look how clever he is. This guy’s a real pro.” There was serious professional admiration for a guy who was a really good professional thief. That’s what McCauley was.’

- Michael Mann, Deadline

Michael Mann, a Chicago native, is perhaps the most obsessed-with-authenticity-and-details Writer/Director of the last half-century. He hires both former cops and criminals to be supervisors on his movies, and he is restless in bringing his authentic vision to fruition on any project that he touches (see Thief, Manhunter, Miami Vice, Crime Story, Public Enemies, etc.). As such, it’s really no surprise that Heat (which is itself based on Mann’s 1989 made-for-TV movie L.A. Takedown) is actually inspired by the real-life story of the Chicago Detective Chuck Adamson and his crew of cops’ hot pursuit of master criminal Neil McCauley (yup, same name) and his band of thieves in 1960’s Chicago. Furthermore, the character of Nate (Jon Voight), Neil’s “fence” (a fence is the job procurer that knowingly buys stolen goods from criminals in order to resell them for profit), is based on another friend of Mann’s, Edward Bunker, a former career criminal-turned-writer that has served as a consultant on Mann’s films.

When I heard the story and the exchange they had, that became the whole core idea of the movie, it was at the Belden Deli on Lincoln Avenue in Chicago. It was a special feeling. I don’t know if it was a thunderbolt, but you feel the electricity of the idea. It’s like, you know when you know, this is a genome of a movie. - Michael Mann, Deadline

Nate (Jon Voight, far left), Neil McCauley’s “fence”, is based Mann’s friend (and former criminal) Edward Bunker.

In 1979, while still living in Chicago, Mann began writing the screenplay for Heat. It would take more than fifteen years and relocating to Los Angeles for him to tweak (i.e. change the setting to Los Angeles) and nurture the script into fruition in order to attract the necessary talent, and, if you’ve seen the movie, you know it was well worth the wait. In the summer of 1995, Mann finally had all his pieces together with the backing of $60 million from Warner Bros. Principal photography lasted 107 days and every scene in the movie was filmed on location rather than on a soundstage.

"For me, the action is the juice." – One of the most bro lines of all-time, as uttered by Michael Cheritto (Tom Sizemore) to McCauley (insinuating that he’s not in the criminal game for the money, he’s in it for the ‘action’).

Master thief Neil McCauley (Robert DeNiro) and L.A.’s top detective Vincent Hanna (Al Pacino) take a break from their intense cat-and-mouse game to suss each other out.

THE DINER SCENE

Ask any Heat lover about their favorite scenes, and chances are they’ll start talking to you about either the iconic diner scene between De Niro and Pacino or the movie’s centerpiece, a ten-minute long shootout that takes place between the cops and the robbers in downtown Los Angeles. As for the former, believe it or not, the scene wasn’t even rehearsed by De Niro and Pacino. They didn’t need to. After all, they had been preparing for it their entire lives.

“I do what I do best. I take scores. You do what you do best. Try to stop guys like me.”

- Neil McCauley

The scene takes place after McCauley has informed his crew that they’ve got heat on them (via Hanna) and subsequently convinced them to agree to one last bank robbery worth $12.2 million. Hanna pulls McCauley, driving alone, over on the 105 Freeway and surprises him by simply inviting him for coffee. McCauley agrees. Over the course of a cup of Joe, the cop and the criminal realize that they’re, well, not that different after all. Both are passionately dedicated to their chosen professions, but, as a result, have immensely limited social lives (Hanna can’t keep a marriage together to save his life, McCauley is not as “alone…not lonely“ as he lets on). By the end of the scene, both men acknowledge that while they could be the cause of the other’s ultimate demise, they also have unmatched respect for one another. Ultimately, in confronting their true natures, both men end up recognizing themselves in each other.

Two men who are in opposition to each other and the activities of their life, are perfect counterpoints and contain components that are identical. They’re both self aware, and they don’t fool themselves. They see their own self and the world they live in without any filters or blinders. So they’re very similar and yet there’s one or two components in which they’re exactly opposite. Preserving life is imperative for Hanna, and clearly it is not for McCauley. That basic dialectic, and its formal presentation in the coffee shop scene, is where the movie started with in its origin. – Michael Mann , Vanity Fair

The diner scene is emblematic of cinematic “horseshoe theory”. When two men are on such opposing ends of the law, it’s almost as if, in many ways, they resemble one another. Remember when Frank Costello (Jack Nicholson) tells a young Collin Sullivan “When I was your age they said you could be cops or criminals. But when you're facing a loaded gun, what's the difference?” in The Departed? Same vibes.

Anyway, you can watch the full movie version of the scene right HERE and watch an amazing “Script to Screen” breakdown HERE. Oh, and it gets better. Recently, Mann actually allowed Deadline to see the actual marked up shooting script that he, Pacino, and De Niro worked off during the classic mano a mano. Check it out below, courtesy of the gentleman and scholars over at Cinephilia & Beyond…

Carry strong, brother.

THE GREATEST ACTION SCENE OF ALL-TIME

Filmed on-location over the course of four weekends during the summer of 1995, the brutal Heat midpoint 10-minute downtown Los Angeles bank heist and the ensuing shoot-out between Vincent and Neil (as well as their respective cops-and-robbers) is, in our humble opinion, the greatest action sequence of all-time. It is the ultimate consummation of all the simmering tensions that the movie has building towards come manifest. The sound effects, score, and level of realism and authenticity literally make you, as the audience member, feel like you’re caught in the crosshairs of the flying bullets yourself. The chaotic shootout leaves dead bodies on both sides of the law, and leads to a domino effect of events that lead to the film’s brooding conclusion. It’s all, well, truly incredible.

Definitely an EDC bag from Gallantry.

Watch the greatest action scene in Gallantry Man movie history HERE .

WHY HEAT ENDURES 25 YEARS LATER

Times may change, but human nature stays constant. Since Heat is ultimately a study of human nature, it is, perhaps not surprisingly, timeless. With age, the muscular, gritty yet polished, and sleek psychological crime thriller has only gotten better. From its neo-noir lighting to its authentic tough-guy dialogue, the movie blows any crap that comes out today right out the water. Its life-or-death stakes hold up, that’s for damn sure.

As for its enduring influence? It is paramount. Just rewatch Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight and you’ll see that, in retrospect, it’s really almost an homage to Heat (don’t take our word for it, though – Nolan admits it himself).

Despite being a critical and commercial success (it grossed $187 million on a $60 million budget), Heat didn’t receive one Oscar nomination at the 1995 Academy Awards. In other words, the more things change, the more things stay the same – the Academy still doesn’t know squat.

THE FUTURE OF HEAT

“I absolutely want to make a movie of the Heat prequel.”

- Michael Mann (2020)

A Heat prequel /sequel novel from Author Reed Farrel Coleman and Mann covering the formative years of Hanna and McCauley (not to mention many of the other characters featured prominently in the film) has been in the works for a hot minute, so it’s hard to know if Mann can be trusted when he says it’s on the way. In a recent interview, he said it would be dropping in the summer of 2022. Only time will tell. Either way, we’ll keep you posted.

Mann chats with Ashley Judd during a break from shooting.

I have a complete biography of Vincent Hanna, from when he grew up in Illinois, who his father was, driving trucks for some rural Illinois bootleggers, and how he wanted to flee for something else and it was either go to some lousy local college, but instead he joins the Marines and winds up [part of] Tet Offensive in Vietnam … And then what he sees there and his desire to go to law school… then he joins the Chicago police department. What he really wants in his life is discovering a pursuit.

- Michael Mann, The Playlist

STREAM THAT HEAT

You can stream Heat, which is included with STARZ on Amazon for $8.99/month after a free 7-day trial HERE .

EVEN MORE AWESOME HEAT ISH

Watch Christopher Nolan reflect on 20 years of Heat with the cast and the crew at the Academy on September 7, 2016 HERE .

Listen to Bill Simmons and Chris Ryan discuss what makes Heat a Hall-of-Fame crime flick in 2015 HERE .

Watch Bill Simmons and Chris Ryan break down why Heat is the “Greatest Heist Movie Ever” for their podcast The Rewatchables in 2020 HERE .

Listen to Bill Simmons and Chris Ryan discuss the legacy of Heat with Michael Mann (!) for their “The Three-‘Heat’” episode of The Rewatchables last week HERE .

Watch Michael Mann discuss Heat on-location in 2017 HERE , wherein which he talks about the legendary bank heist/shootout sequence and his plans for a Heat prequel.

Look at a cool interactive map showing all the filming locations of Heat HERE .

Read “Heat at 25: Michael Mann’s Meticulous Masterpiece of Both Style and Substance That Transcends Genre” on Cinephilia Beyond HERE.

Watch the three-part 1997 documentary Mann Made from LA Takedown to Heat HERE , HERE , and HERE .

Watch the full documentary about “The Making of Heat” HERE .

Watch “An Evening with Michael Mann” HERE .

Following a screening at TIFF 2015, director Michael Man discusses his iconic film, Heat. Watch that HERE .

Watch Michael Mann’s episode of The Director’s Chair with Robert Rodriguez HERE .

Now that you’re in full-blown Heat mode (we are, too), let’s take a look at some hot EDC bags for you to store the loot in during the next heist (and by heist, we mean just going about your business with your badass Gallantry everyday carry, of course)…

“I wish I had an EDC bag or a duffel from Gallantry right now. This damn camera is heavy as hell.”

EDC BAGS & DUFFELS FOR GALLANTRY MAN BANK ROBBERS (KIDDING!)

“I want the Lite Duffel Bag from Bellroy and I WANT IT NOW!”

THE LITE DUFFEL BAG FROM BELLROY

Welcome to Bellroy's brand new Lite collection. If you're looking for something you can take on a long weekend, the Lite Duffel is right for you. At a 30L capacity this duffel has the capacity you need for a few days, with a spacious main compartment, and an external zip compartment with slip pockets and an integrated key clip. The Lite Duffel has a reinforced rim to provide stability when you're zipping it up. With the smooth folded-edge grab handles, you'll love picking up your Lite Duffel and going wherever the wind takes you. Like the rest of the Lite collection, this duffel is made from an extremely strong diamond ripstop, made entirely from 100% recycled polyethylene plastic. Light on your body, light on your wallet, and environmentally friendly.

SPECIFICATIONS

• Durable ripstop is 3X lighter than Bellroy's other fabric, and made from 100% recycled PET plastic bottles
• Can be folded or rolled, and packed for travel
• Zipper opens from each end, for ultra-wide, unobstructed access
• Spacious main compartment
• External zip compartment with slip pockets and integrated key clip
• Internal slip pockets for small items
• Internal cap pockets at each end
• Reinforced rim provides stability when zipping
• Adjustable and detachable padded shoulder strap
• Smooth, folded-edge grab handles
• 270 x 450 x 250mm
• 30L capacity

Available in Shadow or Chalk

Lite Duffel Bag

$129.00

[tab-section data-sc-active-background="#ffffff" data-sc-other-background="#ffffff" data-sc-color="#555555"][tab title="Details"] Welcome to Bellroy's brand new Lite collection.  If you're looking for something you can take on a long weekend, the Lite Duffel is right for you. At a 30L capacity this duffel has the capacity you… read more

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Lite Duffel Bag

$129.00

[tab-section data-sc-active-background="#ffffff" data-sc-other-background="#ffffff" data-sc-color="#555555"][tab title="Details"] Welcome to Bellroy's brand new Lite collection.  If you're looking for something you can take on a long weekend, the Lite Duffel is right for you. At a 30L capacity this duffel has the capacity you… read more

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“Give us The Weekender! Now! Now! Now!”

THE WEEKENDER FROM BELLROY

When you're on the road for a few days and want one bag that does it all, you need the Weekender from Bellroy. The Weekender features a 30L capacity, a spacious front zip pocket that holds toiletries, headphones, travel documents and more, an internal padded laptop sleeve for devices up to 13”, an organizational ‘tool belt’ that keeps internal pockets and zips at the same height, for easy access, internal pop pockets that hold shoes or water bottles, and much more. Whether you're a road warrior or just a Gallantry Man that likes to keep it all together, the Weekender is everything you need in one convenient and stylish carry.

SPECIFICATIONS

• Made from durable, water-resistant woven fabric, made from recycled materials, and premium, environmentally certified leather
• 30L capacity
• Meets carry-on size restrictions
• Spacious front zip pocket holds toiletries, headphones, travel documents
• Internal padded laptop sleeve for devices up to 13”
• Organizational ‘tool belt’ for easy access
• Internal pop pockets hold shoes or water bottles
• Reinforced zippers with ribbon pulls, for one-handed access
• Premium leather handles that mold to your hand
• Strong, lightweight detachable shoulder strap
• Grab loops at each end for easy overhead bin retrieval
• Luggage pass-through slides over a suitcase handle
• 340 x 570 x 210 mm

Available in Black

Weekender

$269.00

[tab-section data-sc-active-background="#ffffff" data-sc-other-background="#ffffff" data-sc-color="#555555"][tab title="Details"] When you're on the road for a few days and want one bag that does it all, you need the Weekender from Bellroy.  The Weekender features a 30L capacity, a spacious front zip pocket that holds toiletries,… read more

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“Hand over the Gray Duffel Pack 2 from Aer, too!”

THE GRAY DUFFEL PACK 2 FROM AER

This hybrid gym-work backpack from Aer features a large easy-access main compartment, a quick-access EDC pocket, an internal organizational system, and a padded laptop pouch that fits up to a 15.6" computer. So you can access your gym gear, tablet, laptop, and office supplies without having to rifle through the clutter of your average bag. There's even a separate ventilated pouch in which you can keep your shoes (up to a men's size 13). And with its tough water-resistant ballistic nylon construction and combination of the backpack- and duffel-style carry straps, this pack is great for any occasion.

SPECIFICATIONS

• 900D eco-dyed polyester
• Spacious front-load main compartment
• Ventilated shoe compartment fits up to men's size 13
• Quick-access top pocket for personal items
• Accessory pocket with keyring attachment
• Padded laptop pouch fits up to 15.6" laptop
• Multiple internal organizational pockets
• Padded top and side handles
• Padded mesh back panel
• Ergonomic padded shoulder straps
• Sternum strap for added stability
• YKK Japanese zipper
• Duraflex plastic hardware
• Weighs 2.4lbs
• 24.6L of internal space
• 21.5" L x 12" W x 8" D

Available in Gray

“I got him on sight in case he doesn’t hand over the Ballistic Black Topo Rover Pack from Top Designs, boss!”

THE BALLISTIC BLACK TOPO ROVER PACK FROM TOPO DESIGNS

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The rucksack is inarguably one of the most classic pack styles of all time. And this one from Topo Designs was built to be amongst the best of the best. The Rover features a timeless silhouette backed up by a quality USA-made construction of 1000D Cordura nylon, a water-resistant coated pack cloth upper, and a coated pack cloth interior lining. That means, whether you're headed to work or toward the nearest peak, this bag will get your gear there in safety and style. It also features two exterior zippered pockets, dual water bottle pouches, a spacious main compartment with a 15" laptop sleeve, compression straps, comfortable mesh-backed straps, and a drawstring closure. If you're looking for the unique meeting of functionality, style, and dependability, you can find it all in spades in the Rover.

SPECIFICATIONS

• 1000D Cordura nylon exterior
• Water-resistant coated pack cloth upper
• Coated pack cloth interior lining
• Zippered front and top pocket
• Mesh-backed lightweight straps
• Drawstring closure
• Dual side water bottle pouches
• Heavy-duty plastic hardware
• Compression straps
• Internal sleeve fits most 15" laptops
• Made in USA
• 16.2 L capacity
• 18" H x 11" W x 5" D

Topo Rover Pack

$169.00

[tab-section data-sc-active-background="#ffffff" data-sc-other-background="#ffffff" data-sc-color="#555555"][tab title="Details"] The rucksack is inarguably one of the most classic pack styles of all time. And this one from Topo Designs was built to be amongst the best of the best. The Rover features a timeless… read more

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Need another reason to grab all these killer Heat­ level badass bags? Let Vincent Hanna tell you…

"Cause she's got a great ass!"

That’s why! BOOM!