Taglines: A screwball tragedy.
Search and Destroy movie storyline. Middle-aged Martin Mirkhein (Griffin Dunne) is a complete failure. He’s run a successful business into debt, his marriage is falling apart, and now he owes the IRS $147,956 in back taxes. Martin may not have much going for him but he has read “Daniel Strong,” a best-selling, self-help novel by the popular TV guru Dr. Waxling (Dennis Hopper). Now he wants to turn the novel into a major motion picture. To do that, Martin needs the rights and the revenue.
Given his grating personality and terrible track record, it won’t be easy to get hold of either. He sets out to meet with Dr. Waxling but ends up sleeping with Waxling’s screenwriter-assistant Marie (Illeana Douglas) instead. Determined to make a movie, Martin and Marie move to New York. There, they get involved with wealthy Kim Ulander (Christopher Walken), an enigmatic businessman with quirky tendencies and a repressed desire to live dangerously. If they aren’t careful, this daring duo may not come out of this deal alive.
Search and Destroy is a 1995 drama film based on a stage play[1] by Howard Korder and directed by David Salle. The film stars Griffin Dunne, repeating his role from the stage production, Rosanna Arquette, Illeana Douglas, Ethan Hawke, Dennis Hopper, John Turturro and Christopher Walken, and features Martin Scorsese as “The Accountant.” Salle was nominated for the Grand Special Prize at the Deauville American Film Festival.
Search and Destroy (1995)
Directed by: David Salle
Starring: Griffin Dunne, Rosanna Arquette, Illeana Douglas, Ethan Hawke, Dennis Hopper, John Turturro, Christopher Walken, Jason Ferraro, David Thornton, Linda Wahl
Screenplay by: Michael Almereyda
Production Design by: Robin Standefer
Cinematography by: Bobby Bukowski, Michael Spiller
Film Editing by: Lawrence Blume, Michelle Gorchow
Costume Design by: Donna Zakowska
Set Decoration by: Amy Tapper
Art Direction by: Stephen Alesch
Music by: Elmer Bernstein
MPAA Rating: R for strong language and some violence, nudity and drug content.
Distributed by: October Films
Release Date: May 5, 1995
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