We are thrilled to be supporting the safe reopening of cinemas and to support them in doing so, we are taking a dive into our catalogue for a closer look at what some iconic films mean to all of us, and why.
To mark the screenings of Tony Scott’s 1993 classic True Romance at selected Alamo Drafthouse cinemas across the US this month, we are taking a Close Up look at this genre-hopping masterpiece.
"I like you, Clarence. Always have. Always will."
Written by Quentin Tarantino, directed by Tony Scott and featuring more star cameos (Gary Oldman, Brad Pitt, Samuel L Jackson, Christopher Walken and James Gandolfini just for a start) than you can wildly brandish a pistol at, True Romance is a giddy, coke-fuelled odyssey of crazy, tainted love.
Clarence (Christian Slater, taking the lead following his mercurial turn in Heathers) isn't that good with women - he doesn't get out much. He works in a comic store, thinks a Sonny Chiba triple bill is appropriate for date night, and has a pretty unhealthy relationship with Elvis. So when he meets the beautiful Alabama (Patricia Arquette, in an unbelievably compelling performance that lifts the film to even greater heights) at the movies and the two click, he's in love - who cares if she's been paid to pick him up?
The pair marry the next day and unexpectedly find themselves in possession of a suitcase of mob-owned coke after a violent confrontation between Clarence and Alabama's former pimp. Seizing the opportunity to start a new life together, they head to LA to unload the drugs onto a high-profile movie producer, but both sides of the law have other ideas...
And boy, do you root for this pairing, against the odds. They shake your bones and they rattle your heart, speaking (in the most visceral, funny and moving way) to your own spirit of adventure, of throwing caution to the wind and allowing your heart to take risks, all in the pursuit of love and a new life. True Romance a gleeful exploration of the destructive mania of passion and the lengths the heart goes to for that certain oh so cool someone.
It’s a heady mix that sees this 90s staple looking and feeling as fresh as ever, 28 years on. If you’ve seen it, see it again as soon as you can, on the big screen. If you’ve never seen it, what are you waiting for? Get some beer and some cleaning products, and get stuck in.
