Classic Heist Films

The Anderson Tapes (1971) The Anderson Tapes is a 1971 heist/...

Wed, 23 Nov 2011 19:51:05 +0100

The Anderson Tapes (1971)

The Anderson Tapes is a 1971 heist/ crime film. It was directed by Sidney Lumet and stars Sean Connery, Dyan Cannon, Martin Balsam, and comedian Alan King. The screenplay was written by Frank Pierson, based upon a best-selling 1970 novel of the same name by Lawrence Sanders. The film is scored by Quincy Jones.

The Brink’s Job (1978) The Brink’s Job is a 1978...

Tue, 22 Nov 2011 19:51:05 +0100

The Brink’s Job (1978)

The Brink’s Job is a 1978 film directed by William Friedkin and starring Peter Falk, Peter Boyle, Allen Garfield, Warren Oates, Gena Rowlands and Paul Sorvino. It is based on the Brink’s robbery in Boston, where almost 3 million dollars was stolen. The film was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Art Direction (Dean Tavoularis, Angelo P. Graham, George R. Nelson). Notably, in August 1978, 15 unedited reels of the film were stolen at gunpoint. The robbers demanded a $600000 ransom. The money was never paid, because the robbers, showing a distinct lack of filmmaking knowledge, hijacked outtakes and dailies, positive prints of negatives were being held by Technicolor in New York City. The material was replaced with no significant delay. The robbers, however, made a ransom call, which triggered an investigation by the FBI. During the ransom call, Friedkin told the robbers to “get a projector and enjoy the film; it was all theirs”.

5 Against the House (1955) 5 Against the House is a 1955...

Mon, 21 Nov 2011 19:55:05 +0100

5 Against the House (1955)

5 Against the House is a 1955 American heist film starring Kim Novak, Guy Madison and Brian Keith, directed by Phil Karlson and based on a story by Jack Finney. It centers on a fictional robbery of what was a real Nevada casino, Harold’s Club.
Four college buddies enjoy a night at a Reno casino and overhear a cop saying that robbing the casino “cannot be done.” That gets the brainiest rich kid among them thinking up a plan for the perfect robbery. He convinces the others to join in when they hear that it will only be a college hoax, his plan being to let the police know where the money is afterwards

Band of Outsiders (1964) Bande à part is a 1964 Nouvelle vague...

Sun, 20 Nov 2011 21:58:15 +0100

Band of Outsiders (1964)

Bande à part is a 1964 Nouvelle vague film directed by Jean-Luc Godard. It was released as Band of Outsiders in North America; its French title derives from the phrase faire bande à part, which means “to do something apart from the group.”
The film is an adaptation of the novel Fools’ Gold by American author Dolores Hitchens.
The film belongs to the French New Wave movement.
Godard described it as “Alice in Wonderland meets Franz Kafka”

Die Hard (1988) Usually cathergorised as an action or hostage...

Sat, 19 Nov 2011 17:27:23 +0100

Die Hard (1988)

Usually cathergorised as an action or hostage film the plot develops into a good old fashioned heist and is therefore gladly included here. Very entertaining Film starring Bruce Willis as New York cop John McClane battling terrorists who are holding hostages in an LA office building.

Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998) Lock, Stock and Two...

Sat, 19 Nov 2011 01:26:22 +0100

Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998)

Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels is a British crime film directed and written by Guy Ritchie. The story is a heist film involving a self-confident young card sharp who loses £500,000 to a powerful crime lord in a rigged game of three card brag. In order to pay off his debts, he and his friends decide to rob a small-time gang who happen to be operating out of the flat next door. The film brought Guy Ritchie international acclaim and introduced actors Vinnie Jones, a former Welsh international footballer, and Jason Statham to worldwide audiences.

Ronin (1988) Ronin is a 1998 heist-thriller film directed by...

Wed, 16 Nov 2011 20:10:18 +0100

Ronin (1988)

Ronin is a 1998 heist-thriller film directed by John Frankenheimer and written by J.D. Zeik and David Mamet. It stars Robert De Niro and Jean Reno as two of several former special forces and intelligence agents who team up to steal a mysterious, heavily guarded suitcase while navigating a maze of shifting loyalties and alliances. The film is noted for its car chases through Nice and Paris and is in the clip above.

Thief (1981) Thief is a 1981 neo-noir film written and directed...

Tue, 15 Nov 2011 22:09:00 +0100

Thief (1981)

Thief is a 1981 neo-noir film written and directed by Michael Mann and based on the novel The Home Invaders by Frank Hohimer. The film’s cast includes James Caan, Tuesday Weld, James Belushi and Willie Nelson.

Heist (2001) Joe Moore (Hackman) runs a ring of professional...

Tue, 15 Nov 2011 21:59:27 +0100

Heist (2001)

Joe Moore (Hackman) runs a ring of professional thieves, which includes Bobby Blane (Lindo), Don “Pinky” Pincus (Jay) and Joe’s much younger wife Fran (Pidgeon). During a daylight robbery of a New York City jewelry store, Joe’s face is captured by a security camera. As both the picture and a witness can identify him, Joe chooses to retire from crime and plans to disappear on his sailboat with his wife, living off their share of the heist.

This doesn’t go down well with the heist’s fence and a series of misdirections ensues.

Reservoir Dogs (1992) Reservoir Dogs is an American crime film...

Tue, 15 Nov 2011 21:47:18 +0100

Reservoir Dogs (1992)

Reservoir Dogs is an American crime film and debut of director and writer Quentin Tarantino. It depicts the events before and after a botched diamond heist, but not the heist itself. Reservoir Dogs stars Harvey Keitel, Steve Buscemi, Tim Roth, Michael Madsen, Chris Penn and Lawrence Tierney. Tarantino has a minor role, as does criminal-turned-author Eddie Bunker. It incorporates many themes that have become Tarantino’s hallmarks: violent crime, pop culture references, profuse profanity, and a nonlinear storyline.

The Thomas Crown Affair (1999) This version is a 1999 American...

Tue, 15 Nov 2011 21:14:00 +0100

The Thomas Crown Affair (1999)

This version is a 1999 American heist film directed by John McTiernan. The film, starring Pierce Brosnan, Rene Russo and Denis Leary, is a remake of the 1968 film of the same name.

Thomas Crown (Pierce Brosnan) is a wealthy private equity banker who aches for a challenge. Despite all of his success in business (and with women), he feels bored.

In order to cure his boredom, Crown orchestrates an elaborate heist to steal a painting by Monet, valued at $100 million, from the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The insurers of the artwork send Catherine Banning (Rene Russo), an insurance investigator, to assist NYPD Detective Michael McCann (Denis Leary) in solving the crime.

Oceans Thirteen (2007) Reuben Tishkoff (Elliott Gould), in an...

Tue, 15 Nov 2011 16:33:37 +0100

Oceans Thirteen (2007)

Reuben Tishkoff (Elliott Gould), in an attempt to legitimize himself in his later years, is conned by his business partner and ruthless businessman Willy Bank (Al Pacino). When Bank forces Tishkoff to sign over the ownership rights of the new hotel/casino they were building together, Reuben suffers a heart attack from the revelation and becomes bed-ridden. Danny Ocean (George Clooney), after attempting to negotiate with Bank, gathers up his partners-in-crime and plans to completely ruin Bank on the night of the opening of the casino, “The Bank”, as a way to get revenge for Reuben.
A classic end to the trilogy.

Oceans Twelve (2004) Terry Benedict (Andy García) rounds up the...

Tue, 15 Nov 2011 16:29:11 +0100

Oceans Twelve (2004)

Terry Benedict (Andy García) rounds up the original eleven members of Danny Ocean’s (George Clooney) gang, demanding they return the $160 million they stole from his casinos with $38 million in interest. Short by half, the group schemes to stage another heist in Europe to avoid problems with United States authorities.

The Score (2001) The Score starring Robert De Niro, Edward...

Tue, 15 Nov 2011 00:07:00 +0100

The Score (2001)

The Score starring Robert De Niro, Edward Norton, Marlon Brando, Angela Bassett. Directed by Frank Oz. The cast alone makes this a must see! Nick Wells, a professional criminal, decides to leave the business for good. His plan is to live in peace with his girl Diane, running his Montreal jazz club. Soon afterward, Max, his good friend and financial partner, comes along with an offer Nick can’t refuse: A historical and priceless French scepter has been discovered while being smuggled into the country and soon to be returned to France. Nick has to team up with Max’s man inside, the young, talented and aggressive thief Jack Teller to get the precious item. Only one question remains: Who will trick whom out of their share?

Rififi (1955) There is so much more to Rififi than the fact it...

Mon, 14 Nov 2011 17:35:15 +0100

Rififi (1955)

There is so much more to Rififi than the fact it is a fantastic heist film. I could go on for ages talking about it, from the inspired use of an umbrella to the 100% dialogue free heist, and even the fact that it was made by the HUAC black-listed helmer Jules Dassin, Rififi has all the marks of a classic film. The tension mounts and the ending is spectacular.

Inside Man (2006) Spike Lee’s foray into the category saw...

Mon, 14 Nov 2011 17:17:36 +0100

Inside Man (2006)

Spike Lee’s foray into the category saw a more moral and conscientious motive for its anti-hero thief, played by Clive Owen, whose clever plan includes dressing hostages like robbers so that cops can’t tell friend and foe apart. Ultimately, the heist exposes the dark secret of the bank’s founder; Denzel Washington plays the detective at first flummoxed, and then enlightened by his adversary’s plot to take down that man.

The perfect bank robbery? what do you think?

Asphalt Jungle (1950) John Huston’s The Asphalt Jungle...

Mon, 14 Nov 2011 17:07:42 +0100

Asphalt Jungle (1950)

John Huston’s The Asphalt Jungle features a cool-as-a-cucumber jewellery store heist whose central event is rendered in an eleven-minute sequence of criminal professionalism, until, of course, the best laid plans go wrong. Sterling Hayden is the gang’s leader, but Marilyn Monroe steals scenes in the role that first got her noticed.

Additional scene (the double cross)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_2gDruB61Lk

Flawless (2007) The film is set in London. Mr. Hobbs, a janitor...

Mon, 14 Nov 2011 16:53:32 +0100

Flawless (2007)

The film is set in London. Mr. Hobbs, a janitor played by Michael Caine, is about to retire but does not want to leave empty-handed. He asks Laura Quinn (Demi Moore), a disgruntled executive victimized by the glass ceiling, to help him steal from the company for which they both work: the London Diamond Corporation.

A tight story, well acted and with a decent “how did he do it” twist in the tail makes this a worthy addition to the classic heist selection.

Oceans Eleven (2001) When Steven Soderbergh set out to remake...

Mon, 14 Nov 2011 14:49:36 +0100

Oceans Eleven (2001)

When Steven Soderbergh set out to remake the essential 1960 Rat Pack heist movie, Ocean’s Eleven, some doubted if he could possibly match the original’s sophisticated atmosphere of Vegas cool. Soderbergh did so and more, wrangling his star-studded cast (George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Julia Roberts) through a fast paced set of feints and break-ins that empty out a vault containing the money of not one, not two — but three Vegas casinos. A must watch if you like the genre.

Oceans Eleven (original, 1960) Ocean’s 11 is a 1960 heist...

Mon, 14 Nov 2011 13:15:00 +0100

Oceans Eleven (original, 1960)

Ocean’s 11 is a 1960 heist film directed by Lewis Milestone and starring five Rat Packers: Peter Lawford, Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis, Jr., and Joey Bishop. A gang of World War II 82nd Airborne veterans are recruited by Danny Ocean (Sinatra) and Jimmy Foster (Lawford) to rob five different Las Vegas casinos (Sahara, Riviera, Desert Inn, Sands, and The Flamingo) on a single night.