15 Minutes (VHS) 2001

There's life and fun in this trashy pulse-of-the-city thriller, much of which is set in and around the media pits of Times Square. Two recent émigrés kick the madness into motion-a Czech psychopath (Karel Roden), who takes the promise of American freedom with alarming literalness, and a movie-loving Russian (Oleg Taktarov), who films his partner's crimes. These two violent screwballs are pursued by a celebrated police detective (Robert De Niro) and a young fire marshal (Edward Burns). Director John Herzfeld serves up fires, knifings, and shootouts, and manages, in the midst of the extreme mayhem, to hammer away at the American habit of turning criminals into media figures. The villain of the piece is a sensationalizing newscaster (Kelsey Grammer) who puts the Russian's videos on the air. The movie is hypocritical through and through, but at least Herzfeld brings humor and rhythm to what he's doing.

New Line
VHS Tape
2001
Ex rental in extremly nice shape
Thriller
R
Edward Burns
Robert De Niro