Posted: 6/28/2004 3:08:54 PM EDT
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Just got through watching "L.A. Takedown," which was the original version of "Heat." It was made for TV and has most of the same characters (Neal McCauley is known as Patrick McLaren). Hanna doesn't have an FNC in this version. McCauley's/McLaren's crew all use MP5s in the bank job (some of the cops have M16s). The acting in this version SUCKS (yeah, I think I could do better). The guy who was sleeping with Hanna's wife in "Heat" (Xander Berkeley) plays Waingro. The whole subplot of Roger Van Zant does not exist. Remember how McCauley and Hanna meet for coffee with Hanna pulling McCauley over? Well, they meet for coffee in this version -- when they bump into each other while picking up their dry cleaning (WEAK). Waingro kills McCauley/McLaren in the hotel and Hanna winds up kicking Waingro out of a window to his death. Hanna's wife (named Lillian in this version) doesn't have any kids or extra-marital affairs (nor does she smoke). Hanna drives a pretty neat Buick Grand National. Hanna carries a SiG (looks like a P220), while McCauley/McLaren carries a 1911. Billy Idol's version of L.A. Woman is used throughout. At any rate, I bought it for £5.59 with shipping from www.sendit.com/video/item/7000000056314 (comes out to a little over $10). Took six days to get here (not bad). FYI, it is a Region 2 DVD (my home DVD player can't play it, but my laptop did). 
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This is not a false HEAT. Think of it as a chrysalis. No, you can't play this on "regular" (North American Region 1) DVD players. Multiregion players are available at a price. However, all is not lost. A guy at work is going to try and make Region 1 copies for me (for personal use only, you understand). If it works out, I'll sell them on the EE for actual cost of the materials plus postage (so nobody gets upset at any perceived copyright violations). |
