Mulholland Falls

1996
18
1h 47m

IMDb RATING

6.3/10

20K

YOUR RATING

Melanie Griffith, Michael Madsen, Nick Nolte, Chazz Palminteri, and Chris Penn in Mulholland Falls (1996)

Play trailer2:00

1 Video

99+ Photos

Crime Drama Mystery Thriller

In 1950's Los Angeles, a special crime squad of the LAPD investigates the murder of a young woman.In 1950's Los Angeles, a special crime squad of the LAPD investigates the murder of a young woman.In 1950's Los Angeles, a special crime squad of the LAPD investigates the murder of a young woman.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

6.3/10

20K

YOUR RATING

See production info at IMDbPro

Awards
- 1 win & 1 nomination total

Videos1

Trailer 2:00

Official Trailer

Photos133

+ 125

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Storyline

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Did you know

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Trivia
The story based the film's four detectives on the real life LAPD foursome known as the Hat Squad. As portrayed in the film, the LAPD leadership empowered them and the larger "Gangster Squad", subsequently renamed the "Intelligence Division", to specifically interdict the movement of East Coast organized crime into Los Angeles. The actual LAPD units allegedly used tactics commensurate with the level necessary to counter and repulse organized crime groups.

Goofs
When Hoover and his men are caught trespassing by Colonel Fitzgerald and the MP's, there is an offstage ADR line heard as one of the men speak on the radio, "Sierra, Tango, Zero, One." "Sierra, Tango" is the phonetic alphabet representing the letters "S" and "T". However, this is the current phonetic alphabet which became effective in 1957. The ADR line should have read, "Sugar, Tare, Zero, One" to be authentic to the period.

Quotes
Lieutenant Max Hoover: See, that's federal property. This isn't. This is L.A. This is my town. Out here you're a trespasser. Out here I can pick you up, burn your house, fuck your wife, and kill your dog. And the only thing that'll protect you is if I can't find you. And I already found you.

Connections
Featured in Siskel & Ebert & the Movies: Celtic Pride/Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Movie/Mrs. Winterbourne/The Substitute/Fear/Sweet Nothing (1996)

Soundtracks
Harbour Lights
Written by Jimmy Kennedy and Will Grosz (as Hugh Williams)
Arranged by Jimmie Haskell
Performed by Aaron Neville
Aaron Neville appears courtesy of A&M Records

User reviews144

Featured review

6/10

got all the style but not enough excitement

It's 1950s L.A. Lieutenant Maxwell Hoover (Nick Nolte), Coolidge (Chazz Palminteri), Hall (Michael Madsen) and Relyea (Chris Penn) are a squad of rough LAPD detectives who throw bad guys off a hill on Mulholland Drive. They investigate the murder of Allison Pond (Jennifer Connelly) who actually is linked to Hoover. They uncover secretly filmed sex sessions as well as the Nevada Atomic Testing Site. They are threatened by Colonel Fitzgerald (Treat Williams). She also had an affair with General Thomas Timms (John Malkovich), head of Atomic Energy Commission.

It's a tightly wound neo-noir. Connelly is a sort-of-femme-fatale on celluloid. Maybe they should have included a sister following the investigation in the present. The flashback aren't as interesting. Nick Nolte is good at being hard but his desperation needs to be heightened. This movie has most of the elements of a hard-boiled film noir but it does lack the sharp dialog. It needs more thrills to go along with the style.