Watching Grosse Point Blank for the First Time Ever!! // Reaction & Commentary // DOUBLE CUSACKS!!

This week we're Watching Grosse Point Blank for the First Time Ever on the channel! I'm always beyond excited to see a Cusack film on the channel, and this one packed double the fun! What do you think? How does this one stack up! ?
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OTHER WATCHES:
PULP FICTION
• Watching Pulp Fiction ...
DAZED AND CONFUSED:
• Watching Dazed and Con...
The Princess Bride:
• Watching the Princess ...
BIG (1988)
• Watching Big (1988) fo...

[@stevenotjackramsey]

6:17 I like Alan Alda, too. But that's Alan Arkin.

[@danielhoehne801]

Glad someone else commented on that. That kind of freaked me out. lol

[@spinblack0]

Also Nth degree not Tenth to just inform

[@SweetheartXO]

I had to Google real quick to make sure I wasn't losing it 😂

[@Zseventyone]

@@spinblack0 oh no. Does she say that?

[@ZeroOskul]

"He's a barbecue-ey kind of guy." Alan Arkin describing his character Bob from "Edward Scissorhands". It is such a succinct image, I swear this man is a true genius!

[@misterkite]

John Cusack was 31, Jeremy Piven was 32, Minnie Driver was 27. I'd say them playing 28 is fine.

[@bokaziofragebarti3525]

Jeremy Piven looks older because he's got less hair in that movie than now.

[@MysterClark]

Yep, had to look it up. Plus I knew a guy when I was IN high school that kind of looked like him. Had a little bit more hair but still balding. Guess we just looked older back then.

[@ryanshannon6963]

Piven is a permanent late 30s early 40s persona. He hasn't aged in 30 years!

[@UrbanNilssonOssian]

Also, hairstyles and dress styles then, is what old people looks like now.

[@starwarsroo2448]

Looked 40 in Heat and that was before GPB

[@andyholmesvideos4579]

It’s not a Tarantino thing. It’s a commentary on gen x suburban existentialism of the late 90’s.

[@ThreadBomb]

It can be two things.

[@DanielS2001]

Thread Bomb Whatever you say, Corvatz. XD

[@michaelccozens]

@@ThreadBomb It could be, but I don't think it is. This was more a romantic comedy with assassins. Tarantino doesn't do romantic comedy.

[@BenAHulse]

Violence and comedy was done before pulp fiction .. robocop did it ... and pulp fiction wasnt that "funny"

[@jrobertlysaght]

@@BenAHulse Tattantino didn't so much invent violence and comedy mashups, the uniqueness was that Tarrantino injected everyday/everyman conversations into action movies. The idea that even murderers, hitmen and such were people too, and would argue over the tip, or whether a foot massage constituted cheating, felt fresh at the time.

[@mcgilj1]

Yaaaaaay . Been wanting to see a reaction to this FOREVER.. Such an underrated gem.. and Aykroyd is fantastic in this flick.. And such an amazing soundtrack...

[@bfdidc6604]

I bought the CD for this soundtrack back in the day, which is something I rarely do. Great music.

[@mcgilj1]

@@bfdidc6604 was there 2 volumes for this soundtrack or am I mis remembering that? That was a trend for a bit..I remember Dazed and Confused having 3 separate CD releases.. dazed, more and even more...

[@tempsitch5632]

@@mcgilj1 Northern Exposure did that too.

[@mcgilj1]

@@tempsitch5632 true.. But that's a series that spanned hours and hours.. so I would not be as shocked to see a TV series do that, so did Sons of Anarchy..I believe 3 volumes there too.

[@Asmahdan]

I love Aykroyd, cannot believe she said he was "just fine" in comparison to the other actors... did a double take. Maybe I am just misjudging her intention lol

[@Michael75579]

I love the way Martin just straight-up tells people "I'm a hired killer" when they ask what he's doing now. None of them believe him, but they don't quite know what to say either.

[@adgato75]

It just shuts them down , which is hilarious. No one actually cares , it's just small talk.

[@uosdwiSrdewoH]

I think seeing the Pulp Fiction poster has prompted some conclusions that may not be warranted. We were never promised a blood bath. I completely disagree that the locker killing should have been first. This movie needs to ramp up to it's ending. We don't really see Martin doing his job till that point. Before that we can still see him as a fairly regular guy. Then he sticks a pen into the guy's neck and shoves him in a furnace. We have to see what Debi sees in that moment then go back to the house and be there for the discussion. I don't think it's ripped off from Tarantino. It's got it's own thing going on.

[@adgato75]

Agree. This film would have been ruined if they had tried that. I don't really see any comparisons to Pulp Fiction , personally

[@jonathanoneill8011]

Yeah, thank you. Love Shanelle and very much appreciate a reaction to this film (there are precious few out there), but pointing to violence and humor in this and saying it’s a rip off of PF is like, I don’t know, comparing a marvel movie and Captain Blood because they’re both movies. It’s a very tenuous connection.

[@mikemclaughlin3306]

She seemed to miss the entire point of the movie

[@chopperdeath]

Him being an assassin is almost ironic, the tension and violence has to build to the end. It's a slow burn and great.

[@billbabcock1833]

I like how he's honest and tells everyone he's a hit man. The fight scene in the high school hallway looks so realistic because IRL Cusack has been a black belt for most of his life.

[@Waldorf-2020]

The man he was fighting is Benny The Jet Urquidez, a legend in kickboxing. He's been in quite a few movies, including 'Wheels on Meals' with Jackie Chan, which most consider Jackie's greatest fight scene. There's an excellent biography on youtube about him. Also, he is/was John Cusack's kickboxing teacher. 😎

[@danielsmith5088]

@@Waldorf-2020 He also appears in 1408 with Cusack

[@mena94x3]

He’d been a black belt for most of his life? 🤨 He _began_ learning kickboxing at the age of 23. Only 8 years prior to GPB.

[@matthewdunham1689]

@@Waldorf-2020 was going to mention that!

[@adgato75]

@@mena94x3 Life starts at 21. There is no life without booze. Duh.

[@elementary9971]

I grew up near Grosse Pointe Michigan in the 80’s so you can imagine how much I love this movie

[@MysterClark]

Yep. Grosse Pointe is right around the corner from me. Grew up in Royal Oak but live even closer now. This movie will always have a special place in my heart. Not only because of the location but also because my cousin Jon used to look a bit like John Cusack. He passed away a few years back though.

[@elementary9971]

@@MysterClark I’m originally from Berkley.

[@MysterClark]

@@elementary9971 Small world... haha

[@jonathanoneill8011]

Joining the Michigan club! Birmingham here 🙋‍♂️ also loved this movie when it came out (and continue to love it, top 3!)

[@CitizenScorn]

If you haven't seen High Fidelity, then that should for sure be your next reaction. 👍🤘

[@danielhoehne801]

I fully support this recommendation! :)

[@mcgilj1]

Rob Gordon.. Easily top 5 for Cusack...

[@robertreichle1]

@@mcgilj1 You mean THE Rob Gordon...

[@danielhoehne801]

Oh, and since she just mentioned it..."Can't Hardly Wait"

[@goldenageofdinosaurs7192]

Absolutely! Great movie. Even greater book!

[@briansrandomstuff76]

“A good friend will help you move. A great friend will help you move bodies.” I don’t know where I first saw that, but it definitely applies here.

[@timhilton7254]

Dave Attell

[@mcgilj1]

"You can never go home again Oatman... but you can shop there."

[@adgato75]

I love how Oatman just groans at that lol

[@mtrimm1]

I adored this freaking movie, and I love the Cusacks, period.

[@joed180]

I saw this movie when it came out in high school. These are the people I looked up to :-) I never did become a professional killer or have an 80s themed romantic new beginning tho. Just a boring corporate job and a dog that loves me.

[@chrisleebowers]

"The Ghoul" is six time world champion kickboxer Benny "The Jet" Urquidez who trained John Cusak for "Say Anything" (In which he didn't actually fight anyone, but it was just a story point that he was into what then was an obscure sport in the US) Cusak fell in love with it and continued training. This is the first time he ever used those chops for an action role. Benny trained a lot of Hollywood stars and choreographed a lot of fight scenes in classic 80's and 90's movies, most notably Patrick Swayze in "Road House". He starred as a villain opposite Jackie Chan twice in "Wheels on Meals" (1984) and "Dragons Forever" (1988) in two of the most iconic one-on-one fight scenes in martial arts movies.

[@oldcdog91]

Love this movie for a lot of reasons but the fight between Benny and Cusack set to Mirror in the Bathroom, might be number 1. 😉

[@crankfastle8138]

His fight scene in wheels on meals is so damn good.

[@sorscha1308]

War Inc is nowhere near as good as Grosse Point Blank as a film but it also has a couple of really good fight scenes, where JC gets to flex his fighting skills. I wouldn't really recommend watching the whole film to anyone, unless you're a real JC fan but the main fight is available on KZbin.

[@Phi1618033]

"I really do love Alan Alda." What do you think about Alan Arkin?

[@zimvader25]

To be fair Alan Alda is pretty badass. Alan Arkin is great comedy relief.

[@mena94x3]

Alan Arkin was so lovable in The Rocketeer. 🥰🥰

[@ShanelleRiccio]

hahahah oh god that's hilarious I didn't fix that in the edit!! well thanks for catching 😭

[@jimbrown6323]

@@ShanelleRiccio check out " war inc" its another witty john and joan cusak satire of iraq war , its fantastic

[@uncletattletale]

This movie couldn't be less like a Tarantino flick.

[@ThreadBomb]

I'm sure it could!

[@uncletattletale]

@@ThreadBomb Correct. They could throw in a song and dance number.

[@havok6280]

@@uncletattletale that would making it more like Tarantino flick. He loves a good dance number...

[@RideAcrossTheRiver]

_Pulp Fiction_ ... the only movie I walked out on.

[@uncletattletale]

@@RideAcrossTheRiver Weird flex...but ok.

[@irakopilow9223]

This was a TRIPLE Cusack movie! Ann Cusack was Amy, who was drinking with Minnie Driver at the reunion.

[@adgato75]

Quadruple. His brother Bill had a bit part.

[@sorscha1308]

Yeah, Bill leant him the pen.

[@amyjordan195]

At the restaurant.

[@mikeh720]

One of the best films ever & such an awesome soundtrack! Have a great weekend Shanelle! (btw, it's Alan Arkin, not Alda)

[@zaniq23]

Came here to say the same about Arkin.

[@TravMaxAdventures]

When she said “Alda” I was like, I didn’t know Hawkeye was in this…. Then realized. 😂

[@mannygee005]

I noticed that as well. No I couldn't picture that they looked alike at all. Arkin feels like he's always funny.

[@ShanelleRiccio]

yeahh hahha im laughing so much because I'm catching up on comments and seeing this comment everywhere I just messed up my alliterative names and it's hilarious it made it passed lots of edits 😂

[@peterk7931]

This is one of my favorite movies. I had a friend in collage whose proudest moment was getting to say "I don't want to have a semantic argument about it. I just want the protein" organically in a conversation.

[@gregstephens]

Your friend is my hero.

[@kaylin9155]

Omg that's the dream!

[@sabalos]

The title is a play on the location of his high school (Grosse Pointe), his name (Martin Blank) and Point Blank, a legendary hard-boiled crime movie from 1967. The late 90s were drowning in Tarantino knockoffs, but it's never occurred to me to think of this as one. It mixes some snarky dialogue with an unconventional violence-based storyline, but that's about it - Tarantino imitators generally aped his extreme, stylised violence, extreme, too-cool-for-school cynicism and (most importantly) often used a non-linear story to show how clever they were, none of which are really present here. Grosse Pointe Blank wears a huge heart right out there on its sleeve - it's more like a witty romcom with guns, and never feels like it's trying to insist it's cleverer than its audience (which a lot of sub-Tarantino stuff does). Hard disagree on the QT comparison, I think.

[@richardb6260]

And the term "point blank range" meaning any distance over which a certain firearm can hit a target without the need to compensate for bullet drop, and can be adjusted over a wide range of distances by sighting in the firearm.

[@Ivy94F]

I don’t even remember PF comparisons being made by anyone when this film was popular.

[@razorfett147]

@@Ivy94F correct. In fact...this is the first time ive ever heard someone make that comparison. I just dont see the similarities tbh

[@VonPatzy]

I can understand looking back at a decade you didn’t experience and making broad conclusions based on the very small sampling of things you have recently experienced from it - the mind loves to make connections. But yeah, there is no relation here other then the cardboard PF cast getting ironically gunned down in the quickmart.

[@adgato75]

@@VonPatzy Perfect way to put it.

[@misterkite]

I love this film. There are also 3 quintessential Cusack films from the 80s that you need on your list. Say Anything, Better Off Dead, and One Crazy Summer.

[@johnw8578]

Ah yes, Better Off Dead.

[@Catalyst75]

"I want my 2 dollars!!"

[@ApesAmongUs]

Better off Dead and One Crazy Summer, how can you go wrong with movies directed by a man named "Savage Steve".

[@Wolvorine]

I've always liked to think of this as the skewed sequel to Say Anything. Like the end of Say Anything was the version he told people, and instead he ghosted her on prom night and joined the army instead of becoming a kickboxer, then became an assassin, and we get GPB. Maybe it's just that I could see that being how things played out for Lloyd too easily, I dunno, but it makes GPB more fun for me. :)

[@Skeezer66]

You have to add "High Fidelity" as a fourth.

[@mypl510]

Almost all the John Cusack movies have a great soundtrack! High Fidelity is also great.

[@jmhaces]

Yeah, this one and High Fidelity make a great double feature.

[@wvu05]

Ironically, the song that may be most associated with him is one that he hated so much that he insisted on playing something else while shooting the boombox.

[@hoodwinkiez]

"My apartment burned down on Devil's night" Referred to a time every Halloween, when people were setting buildings on fire in Detroit.

[@adgato75]

Devil's Night is the night BEFORE Halloween. October 30th

[@jonathanoneill8011]

Yep, October 30th… it was still a thing back in the early ‘90s when I lived there.

[@Logan_Baron]

Yeah, Joan Cusack has not had the success she deserves. She's incredible.

[@Ivy94F]

Some say its the curse of the Best Supporting Actress oscar. That statement could be made about a lot of them. But I agree. I love her and I think she’s amazing.

[@tacticalgrace6456]

She’s fantastic in Shameless

[@patrickflanagan3762]

@@Ivy94F She didn't win an Oscar, she was only nominated. She did win an Emmy though for SHAMELESS.

[@Ivy94F]

@@patrickflanagan3762 Omg, I still feel like she won because of HOW MUCH HOLLYWOOD TALKED about her that year. But I’m geeked about the shameless emmy. She’s one of my favs!

[@GrumpyOldGuyPlaysGames]

The conversation Martin Blank has with the baby -- and if you don't think that was a deep conversation, you're dead inside -- is one of my favorite scenes from any movie ever.

[@slchance8839]

well said. you could see Martin was talking and changing. without saying a word.

[@msmrsro]

And I think of that scene anytime I hear that song.

[@kevinknadle3836]

I can't hear "Under Pressure" without picturing this scene.

[@DavidWright1138]

A friend will help you move, a good friend will help you move a body.

[@bokaziofragebarti3525]

Underrated gem of a movie.

[@bessarion1771]

OK. I see the reference to "My apartment burned out on devils' night" went completely unnoticed. I lived in Detroit in 1980s. Devil's Night was when the whole Hell descended on the City. Cars, houses, and public monuments would be set on fire. I mean dozens and dozens of them. That's why it is so funny for anybody who lived in Detroit at that time...

[@chrisleebowers]

I totally thought that was made up for "The Crow" and only learned years later that it was real

[@crimsonda]

@@chrisleebowers As someone that still lives in Michigan, Devil's Night is still a thing. Just in this small town, not quite as burny.

[@jonathanoneill8011]

@@crimsonda not in Michigan anymore myself, but I can corroborate that it was indeed still a thing when I was there. Also, the Crow is another of my top 3 all-time movies! I guess that makes two of three set in Michigan 😂

[@jean-paulaudette9246]

LOL Triple Cusacks: The lady at 13:33 is their sister. First time I saw this, I was confused, thinking that Marcella had decided to drop in on him for a prank, or info-drop, or something, because she looked so similar.

[@Steve_Blackwood]

Yeah, sister Ann. Always thought she was the prettiest one of the family 😏

[@iChristyD]

Features appearances by most of the acting members of the Cusack family: John Cusack, Joan Cusack, Ann Cusack and Bill Cusack. Only one sister, Susie Cusack and father Dick Cusack, are absent.

[@jean-paulaudette9246]

@@iChristyD YIKES! You out-geeked me! Impressive. Kudos, and kudos again! *doffs cap

[@philliplozano7587]

Nothing like Pulp Fiction. The tone, style, cinematography, music, dialogue, direction, acting, and everything else are completely different. The only similarity is that both films feature hitmen, and Tarantino did not invent gangsters in suits. There are no gun battles in PF, just brief explosions of violence; in GPB there are several prolonged gunfight action set pieces. This notion that everything in the 1990s was a swipe from Pulp Fiction - or that PF was the pinnacle of 90s filmmaking because of its gimmicky structure - is myopic at best. Gross Pointe Blank has more in common with Romy and Michelle's High School Reunion, which came out the same year. You're right about one thing, though - your obsession with and constant overpraise of Pulp Fiction has ruined you and stripped these reviews of any value.

[@deaconbluezzz]

Ouch. True, but ouch.

[@Tensen01]

Yeah have to agree with that as well, sadly.

[@tbone35453]

Great comment. Cuts right through the shit.

[@AregPone]

Truth.

[@LittleV179]

Best comment, it might sound harsh but its true and necessary. This film was one of my all time favourite movies as a teenager and I still have a soft spot for it, never in a million years would I ever compare this to Pulp Fiction they're two wildly different films.

[@poetwp975]

I love this film it’s so underrated. It’s a thinking persons action comedy.

[@michaelbuhl4250]

The only Bond reference I remember in this movie is the attempted assassination by dripping poison down a thread. It is a reference to *You Only Live Twice* .

[@ChicagoDB]

Plus they have “Live and Let Die” in the soundtrack.

[@CrocodilePile]

This is a true John Cusack passion piece. It's his movie, through and through. It's the movie he made when he was on top of the A list and could have made any film in the world. You'll notice he even wrote it. And I think it's the only film he ever did. In your spare time you would enjoy Better Off Dead - another Cusack comedy masterpiece but I don't know if it's 'reaction-worthy'.

[@tempsitch5632]

Starring his hometown friend Jeremy Piven and his kickboxing master, Benny The Jet Urquidez.

[@slchance8839]

thank you! I did not know that!!

[@robertreichle1]

This movie, like a lot of Cusack movies, hit a sweet spot for me because of the time period, music, etc. It came out when I was late in college, so there's a good bit of crossover both ways you look at it. Firmly entrenched in the 90's stuff but also nostalgic over all the 80's stuff.

[@alberthart4146]

Better Off Dead ..starring John Cusack ...freaking AWESOME. you'll love it i promise

[@LordVolkov]

"Do you know the street value of this mountain?!"

[@alberthart4146]

@@LordVolkov "I WANT MY TWO DOLLARS!" 😆

[@LordVolkov]

Love the cast and soundtrack. Especially Joan! She's so good in everything, even if they don't give her a ton of time to shine. For another great high school reunion movie - Romy & Michelle's High School Reunion. Lotta fun. For my favorite 90's high school movie - Can't Hardly Wait. Amazing soundtrack and a packed cast.

[@taramills2289]

My Blue Heaven with Joan Cusack, Steve Martin, Rick Moranis. That's a fun flick.

[@McBeelzebub]

This soundtrack was tops!

[@chrisleebowers]

"Tarantino knock-off?" There was a lot of crime movies around this time, and it started before Quentin. Scorsese scored two big hits in a row with Goodfellas and Casino a couple years earlier. And then there were a lot of 90's low--budget indie auteurs and crime movies are just cheap to make. Around the same there was: "Wild at Heart" (David Lynch 1990) "El Mariachi" (Robert Rodriguez 1992) "Fargo" (Coen Bros 1994) "Doom Generation" (Gregg Arakki 1995) "Ghost Dog" (Jim Jarmusch 1999) "Go" (Doug Liman 1999) HK action movies and crime dramas like John Woo's "A Better Tomorrow" (1986 ) "The Killer" (1989) "Once A Thief" (1991) "Hardboiled"(1992) and Ringo Lam's "Full Contact" (1992) were huge around this time. The sequel to "A Better Tomorrow" is featured in "True Romance" (1993, written by Tarantino, dir by Tony Scott) and "Reservoir Dogs" lifted its plot from Ringo Lam's "City on Fire" (1987) Hipster cineastes knew all about HK action movies before "The Matrix" but soon after people like Jet Li, and Chow Yun Fat were making Hollywood crime dramas like "Romeo Must Die"(2000) and "The Corrupter" (1999). Martin Scorsese's "The Departed" is a remake of Andrew Lau's "Infernal Affairs" (2002) Speaking of The Matrix, before they made it, The Wachowskis wrote "Assassins" and made "Bound" French film-maker Luc Besson (The Fifth Element) was also making slick crime/espionage thrillers like "La Femme Nikita" (1990) and "Leon: The Professional" (1994) The original assassin-with-a-conscience movie is "Le Samourai" (1967) by Jean-Pierre Melville

[@ThreadBomb]

She wasn't talking about crime movies, she was talking about movies that mix comedy and extreme violence.

[@havok6280]

@@ThreadBomb you're right. That's the point that she was making. But I think she's giving Tarantino too much credit. There was a slew of action comedies in the 80s. And Tarantino himself was inspired by everything from spaghetti westerns to grind house movies to blaxploitation film.

[@mannygee005]

Thanks for that list, I thumbed up. It is better to be aware of these other influential films. I mean it's okay to like Tarantino but it's not okay to think he's the only creative person in film making, that's just disappointing.

[@michaelccozens]

@@ThreadBomb This violence didn't feel extreme, though. It felt fairly realistic to its setting. There wasn't any of the over-the-top stylization that QT loves. And virtually every action movie has some element of comedy to it, because you want to give your audience a break, unless a dragged-out sense of gritty realism is what you're after.

[@csw3287]

One of My All Time Favorite Films. Cast is Incredible with a Cool Story, Romance and Great Soundtrack.

[@sanjonn]

And any action movie that the main actor fights their personal trainer is awesome.

[@Dolfan5413]

I completely agree...this is one of my all time favorite movie and actor

[@rebelscum1728]

Joan Cusack was robbed of an Oscar for In and Out. Wedding Singer had “99 red balloons”

[@Trapper50cal]

which she just watched a week or so ago.

[@rebelscum1728]

@@Trapper50cal I was there

[@jonathanoneill8011]

I was going to say, I’m fairly certain it was Wedding Singer

[@johnnyka-pow7481]

When I worked in record stores we sold SO many copies of this soundtrack. Great film as well, and I much prefer GPB to Pulp Fiction.

[@bossfan49]

Great soundtrack, except for the Violent Femmes. Ugh. Another great sndtrk from that era is Beautiful Girls.

[@knavehart]

they actually released a 2nd sound track

[@johnnyka-pow7481]

@@knavehart Yeah there were a couple of 90s films that got the double soundtrack treatment. Great music is great music.

[@johnenglish1955]

🤠 The drunk girl at the table (13:32) is also John Cusack's sister.

[@jackh.4544]

7:50. My grandma's house got turned into a nightclub club and they didn't even have the common decency to remodel the outside so it still looks like I'm driving up to my grandma's house I relate a lot with this moment in the movie

[@adgato75]

Lily's apartment got turned into a Chinese restaurant without her knowledge , cause she was always at Marshall and Ted's place.

[@zmarko]

"We really do like Alan Alda" 🤣🤣. Alan Alda was brilliant in this movie.

[@OuterGalaxyLounge]

Arkin. Not Alda. She made a mistake.

[@nathanhollywoodbrookshire1417]

There are actually 5 Cusack sibling whom are all actors: John, Joan, Ann, Bill, and Susie Cusack, all of whom are in this movie except for Susie.

[@storyforgestudios4646]

I'm sooo glad you watched this! One of my all time favs!

[@maurabewsmoviecorner6911]

RED EYE (2005) FULL MOVIE - Rachel McAdams

[@Steve_Blackwood]

That baby “Under Pressure” scene was the best one of this movie. First time I saw it, had to rewind it a coupla times just for the joy of it. 😂

[@FleischDealer]

Love the way that baby looks at him.

[@jonathanoneill8011]

I feel like I read somewhere that the baby was John Cusack’s nephew in real life? Did I make that up? I swear I read that somewhere.

[@sawyer33]

Only you compare it to Tarantino films. I actually thought you might say that the girl in the wedding dress at the reunion was foreshadowing of the Bride in Kill Bill. 🙄

[@billsoo306]

I like to think of this as the end game of all of John Cusacks teen films, "The Sure Thing", "Better Off Dead", "One Crazy Summer" and "Hot Pursuit".

[@justacuppajoe]

One of the best movies of the nineties! Love John Cusack!

[@mena94x3]

I fell in love with John Cusack back in 1985 as Harry in The Journey of Natty Gann. My brother and I would also obsessively watch Better Off Dead and One Crazy Summer growing up, so I got a regular fix of him. 🥰🥰🥰

[@msmrsro]

I love how he goes from dark, professional killer mode back to a normal, playful person with Debbie.

[@slchance8839]

I agree. I love how he says "what a person does for a living shouldnt determine who he is." A lot of people struggle with that.

[@jonathanoneill8011]

Lot of lessons in this movie, funnily enough. Minnie Driver was excellent in this, too! The whole cast was just 😚👌🏻

[@paulhewes7333]

The scary ghoul he kills in the hallway is actually John Cusack's kick boxing coach/friend.

[@fuctchaup]

Oh My God! I've been waiting for somebody to react to this movie! One of my all time favorites, and a great soundtrack to boot.

[@Jim73]

Just FYI, Phrase check: it's "to the n-th degree", coming from math notation. sounds real close to tenth, so an easy mishearing.

[@beltpn]

High fidelity is a most for you

[@Skeezer66]

This and High Fidelity are 2 of my favorite John Cusack films and 2 of my favorite soundtracks! You might not know that John Cusack is also in Sixteen Candles, one of Anthony Michael Hall's friends. Jeremy Piven, the best friend who helps him, is one of his best friends in real life, when they were both kid actors from Chicago!

[@B-a-t-m-a-n]

I think it would be funny to see Joan Cusack and Drew Barrymore having a spirited conversation.

[@rileyandmike]

A - this isn’t a pulp fiction ripoff, B - it isn’t “ultra violent”

[@ToniMcGinty]

I always like to pretend that Lloyd Dobler from Say Anything changed his name to Martin Blank, became a hitman using his kickboxing skills, and ten years later came back to Diane Court, who now looks like Minnie Driver and has become a DJ to get away from all the stress.

[@darrylcarden1851]

Me and a couple of my friends had a discussion about this same thing a few times. I agree one could practically be a sequel to the other

[@laurachamberlain6864]

The bad guy that John Cusack kills with a pen is my son's great uncle! World famous martial artist Benny "the Jet" Urquidez.

[@pedanticperson1149]

10:10 Awww, you talked over her "You are broken" monologue

[@pudgebl67]

Fun Fact: There were two other Cusack siblings... one brother is a bartender and a sister is one of the school friends

[@sanjonn]

This movie came out while I was in High School still and made me want to go to my reunion ten years in the future.

[@OmegaSoypreme]

It's so weird seeing movies and shows that depict 10 year high school reunions at different times in your life. When you're a kid, 10 years seems like such a long time. And the movies and shows make it seem like a long time. But as an adult, now in my late 30s, 10 years feels like a blip on the radar. Hell, this year was 20 since I left high school, and it still feels like yesterday.

[@jeanine6328]

This, as best I can remember, was one of the earliest “dark comedies” that wasn’t filmed as a dark movie it was filmed as if it were just another comedy and he happens to kill people. If that makes sense. It does in my head. It has more of a cult following, small though it may be. I adored Mini Driver, most beautiful natural curls I’ve ever seen. I have curls but her is just 🥰 And John Cusack, good lord. It was the first time I saw him as really really good looking man. He looked so good in those suits. 😍

[@MichFedorchak]

99 Luft Balloons was used in "The Watchmen", that is the one that always draws me back when I hear it.

[@Atarigen1]

One of my all time favorites just watched the other day. "I know everyone is coming back to take stock of there lives. I say leave your livestock alone."

[@francischambless5919]

Didn't go to my ten, didn't go to my 20. Don't care to.

[@mithroch]

Personally, I would credit the likes of the Coen Brothers and Michael Lehmann for setting the tone on dark comedy for the next decade with Raising Arizona and Heathers. Certainly Pulp Fiction upped the stakes... but Grosse Point Blank kind of hit that John Hughes itch we forgot were missing.

[@uosdwiSrdewoH]

I love Minnie Driver in this. In everything really. She's one of those actors that is reliably solid in everything even if she never became a massive star. There's a movie called Sleepers where she does some good work and a TV series called The Riches in which she is fantastic alongside Eddie Izzard. If you can find it it's worth a look. They play travellers involved in an accident with a very rich family and decide to take their identities and move into their home. It's a really good show. At least as far as I remember as I haven't seen it since it first aired. I just remember being very impressed.

[@martyemmons1859]

Yeah, I liked her in "Good Will Hunting", too.

[@nikolatesla5553]

I loved this movie. The dialogue of Pulp Fiction was pretty much all Tarantino. Whereas this movie was more the result of the comedic genius of the actors. They were given the story and pretty much ad libbed their way through it. I especially liked the performances of Joan Cusack and Alan Arkin.

[@RideAcrossTheRiver]

Windows 97, though? OS/2 Warp!

[@elbruces]

This is like the fifth movie reaction I've seen today where someone in the comments tried to claim there was no script. Please stop doing that. It's silly and nobody believes that.

[@tempsitch5632]

Worst comment here.

[@foljs5858]

Tarantino was responsible for a rise in Tarantino-esque violent movies (e.g. Natural Born Killers, U-Turn, Sin City, and so on), but this wasn't one of them, this is typical black comedy with light violence, could have been made in the 80s as well

[@bencabrelli5593]

Agreed. I think it’s a completely different tone and mood to Tarantino’s work

[@chrisleebowers]

Natural Born Killers was written by Tarantino and he directed one sequence in Sin City

[@bessarion1771]

You should watch "My Blue Heaven." As of Italian roots, you would appreciate it.

[@feldspar3858]

Terrible movie.

[@jdm1066]

“I’m with you”.

[@bessarion1771]

@@feldspar3858 Only if you don't have a sense of humor and you don't know any Italians from NYC...

[@anthonywopaness2927]

I've always loved the line "you can never go home again , but I guess you can shop there" just gold

[@grife3000]

Yep. She stepped on it with her observation in the reaction video, hopefully she heard it during the actual watch to get a good snicker out of it.

[@redsands1001]

Seeing Debbie's dad and the lady in the neck brace (Jenna elfman) makes me want to go rewatch Dharma and Greg

[@briangus182]

Also, there was a 3rd Cusack in the movie (their sister Ann) - playing the mother with the baby at the reunion

[@OgreProgrammer]

And likely the baby.

[@davidenorth]

Actually the drunk girl who fell into the booth is the third Cusack ordering the Stoy on the rocks.

[@briangus182]

@@davidenorth You are right!

[@ChicagoDB]

There are 4 Cusacks in the film.

[@jimshreve83]

​@@davidenorth4 Cusack's, brother Bill had a cameo as the waiter.

[@po5283]

One of the most under rated films to come out of the 90's such a perfect mix of action, comedy and drama with a rather cute love story. While I'm not comparing the two, I always found this to be one of those gems, in the same way the Princess Bride is. Just brilliant cast, great chemistry, wonderful screenplay and that soundtrack!!! One of those movies where everything clicks and the entire cast delivers. I'd never consider comparing this to Pulp Fiction though, I think the most apt description would be James Bond's midlife crisis.

[@Qualimar]

The sliding poison down a wire trick was used in the James Bond film 'You Only Live Twice' (1967). Love this film; I was a teen in the late 90s and this is very much a nostalgic blast for me - I was 15 or 16 when this film came out and a ten year reunion seemed like an unimaginably distant future thing. Stupid time moving forward...

[@preble316]

EuroTrip and Not Another Teen Movie had the song 99 Luft Balloons. TV Series "Scrubs" also had it.

[@SkageXL5]

And the TV show 12 Monkeys! A good song for good movies and shows!

[@matthewfike4491]

My Name is Earl had it one time for comedic effect.

[@gregmcdonald8962]

@@SkageXL5 I was just going to say, 12 monkeys had a brilliant use of it! 🤣

[@anonymes2884]

@@SkageXL5 "12 Monkeys" is the best use to date IMO (Jennifer Goines is my spirit animal :).

[@SkageXL5]

@@anonymes2884 I hope you've got enough yellow!

[@filmfreak7682]

Also I laughed so hard .. it’s Alan Arkin LOL but we STAN Cpt Hawkeye Pierce !! In fact after this reaction I’m gonna go watch some M*A*S*H

[@catrissia]

Yeah I caught that too.

[@movieswithsammykitty]

I’m so excited you’re watching this! I feel like people don’t talk about this film enough. It’s so good!

[@AuspexAO]

Martin is honest to everyone he meets about his job, but I love the line in the bar where the annoying old friend doesn't believe him and he says the line: "I work for Kentucky Fried Chicken. I sell biscuits and gravy all over the Southlands." It was my go to line for people asking me "what do you do" (I have a boring job, lol). Also, I absolutely love Minnie Driver in this movie. In my opinion, gen x movies always have the best lines and roles for women. It was definitely a time where wit and charm trumped a pretty face (not that Driver isn't GORGEOUS).

[@LennyT007]

so "Clueless" (1995), "Grosse Pointe Blank" (1997), and "Can't Hardly Wait" (1998) are my top 3 favorite 1990s movies. 🎥🥳🎭

[@Majoofi]

John Cusack: High Fidelity, The Grifters, Being John Malkovich Alan Arkin: Little Miss Sunshine, Glengary Glen Ross, The In-Laws, The Russians Are Coming The Russians are Coming,

[@ToniMcGinty]

Martin´s mum is played by Barbara Harris, who played Jodie Foster´s mum in the original Freaky Friday. She was also in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, as one of Michael Caine´s victims.

[@tempsitch5632]

Violent comedy existed long before Tarantino.

[@vwlssnvwls3262]

I saw this in the theater, and I was surprised at how different it was, especially for John Cusak. Fun movie! It's been more than 10 years since this movie came out... TEN YEARS!! TEN!! TEN YEARS!! p.s. I had not seen Pulp Fiction yet when I saw this.

[@Chris-filosifer64]

This came out in1997.

[@sanjonn]

Also John Cusack and Jeremy Piven are real life childhood friends.

[@jamiemiller6156]

Were....there was a pretty big fallout once Piven got successful.

[@movieswithsammykitty]

I miss the days when they were buddies. Their on screen buddy chemistry was always so great (probably cause of the real life friendship).

[@houseofaction]

@@jamiemiller6156 not really a big fallout

[@davidranderson1]

I love this movie! The name Grosse Point Blank is a fun malaphor of Grosse Point and Point Blank. The name and plot are both intentionally awkward combinations of two things. I always weirdly identified with John Cusack. He's two years older than I am and our birthdays are two days apart. He made movies about being an awkward high school kid when I was an awkward high school kid. This movie came out one year after what would have been my 10th high school reunion. It's weird that Romy and Michele's High School Reunion, with Lisa Kudrow and Mira Sorvino, also came out that year. Absolutely love and have a copy of the soundtrack! The Romy and Michele soundtrack is also pretty good, but a little more predictable.

[@sanjonn]

The Ghoul is J.C's personal trainer.

[@LordVolkov]

Benny 'The Jet' Urquidez. Amazing martial artist. Has a great fight scene with Jackie Chan in Wheels on Meals.

[@HALberdier17]

Another John Cusack movie that is great but doesn't get talked about much is "Love & Mercy" from 2014.

[@mcgilj1]

Elizabeth Banks never got the serious acting cred she deserved from that film.. and Paul Dano was amazing too...

[@R.J.Godzilla81]

I’m so glad you took my advice from the “10 Things I Hate About You” video and decided to watch Grosse Point Blank, it’s one of my favorite movies and definitely in my top 3 John Cusack movies, along with “Better Off Dead” and “The Raven”

[@bfdidc6604]

My favorite is the little known film Max.

[@tempsitch5632]

@@bfdidc6604 awesome movie. Noah Taylor slays.

[@carenhelms8518]

I'm so glad you watched this one. It's been a favorite of mine since it came out! I share your love of both John and Joan Cusack. I'm jealous of your Joan Cusack t-shirt! She definitely needs to be cast in everything. She was the best thing about 'Shameless'!

[@mena94x3]

YES!!! I’m so excited you’re watching this!!

[@johnnycharco]

I just ended my day on the crappiest note ever and then came home to find one of my favourite reactors watching one of my favourite movies. Magic. :) Thanks, I needed this.

[@josearroyo8008]

Gotta watch one crazy summer...it has a very young demi moore

[@3DJapan]

Just realized I hadn't seen you in a while and here you did one of my favorite 90s movies. That's it, I'm subscribing.

[@thane9]

I came out of that same era and this movie hits in some very specific ways. Love it! The music, the ex that was such raw chemistry, the ride or die friendships, and the extreme cognitive dissonance of a 10 year reunion.

[@OUsniper1]

Have not watched your vid yet (about to). This is one of those few movies I watch at least once a year. (Edit: Just finished watching and understand not all love this movie as much as I do. HATE that it was compared to a Tarantino film though. I do like Tarantino, but if I could only own and watch one movie I would choose this over any Tarantino movie.) Love the channel though, everyone has opinions ;)

[@dclore]

Tarantino flicks are not that funny - this is way funnier!

[@MysterClark]

From the couple of them I saw I didn't enjoy any of them. Don't remember anything being funny either.

[@AutoPilate]

The funniest thing about Tarantino flicks is the number of people he’s convinced that they’re any good.

[@JH-ti3lr]

Love this movie! Thanks for the reaction! 💜

[@LordGrokken]

This movie just shows, friends help you move furniture but real friends help you dispose of the body.