Zero Effect
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| Zero Effect | |
|---|---|
 Zero Effect movie poster |
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| Directed by | Jake Kasdan |
| Produced by | Lisa Henson, Jake Kasdan, Janet Yang |
| Written by | Jake Kasdan |
| Starring | Bill Pullman Ben Stiller Ryan O'Neal Kim Dickens Angela Featherstone Hugh Ross |
| Music by | The Greyboy Allstars |
| Cinematography | Bill Pope |
| Editing by | Tara Timpone |
| Distributed by | Columbia Pictures |
| Release date(s) | 1998 (United States) |
| Running time | 116 min. |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $5 million |
| IMDb profile | |
Zero Effect is a 1998 film directed by Jake Kasdan (son of famed Hollywood writer/director Lawrence Kasdan) starring Bill Pullman as 'the world's most private detective' Darryl Zero and Ben Stiller as his assistant Steve Arlo.
The film features Ryan O'Neal as Stark and Kim Dickens as Sullivan. Written by Jake Kasdan, the film is to some extent inspired by A Scandal in Bohemia by Arthur Conan Doyle.
The film was scored by The Greyboy Allstars.
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[edit] Plot
Zero, a brilliant but reclusive private detective for hire, traditionally works from afar with Arlo as his representative in the field. Socially awkward and inept (but extraordinarily confident in his deductive abilities), Zero keeps himself locked in his apartment, where he composes awful songs on his guitar and subsists on a diet of tuna, Tab, pretzels, Campbell's soup, and amphetamines. Zero and Arlo are retained by Gregory Stark to investigate who is blackmailing him. During the investigation, Zero takes to the field and encounters Gloria Sullivan, an equally mysterious young woman with a possible connection to the case. Throughout the film, Arlo is torn between his loyalty to Zero and his affection for his girlfriend Jess.
[edit] Cast
[edit] Major Cast
- Bill Pullman as Daryl Zero, detective
- Ben Stiller as Steve Arlo, Zero's assistant
- Ryan O'Neal as Gregory Stark, Zero's client, who is being blackmailed
- Kim Dickens as Gloria Sullivan; in Zero's words, "the only woman"
[edit] Supporting Cast
- Angela Featherstone as Jess, Steve's girlfriend
- Hugh Ross as Bill, Steve's friend at the bar
- Sarah Devincentis as Daisy, the receptionist at the health club
- Matt O'Toole as Kragen Vincent
- Michele Mariana as a maid
- Robert Katims as Gerald Auerbach, Stark's friend in the health club
- Tyrone Henry and Aleta Barthell as staffers
- Tapp Watkins as a firefighter
- Wendy Westerwelle as the motel clerk
- Lauren Hasson as the little kid (on the swing?)
- Daniel Pershing as Rahim
- David Doty as Officer Hagans, in the Records department
- J.W. Crawford as a convention employee
- Fred Parnes as Chuck
- Luisa Sermol as the waitress in the diner
- Marvin L. Sanders and Doug Baldwin as astronomers in the planetarium
- Robert Blanche as the paramedic in the planetarium
- Margot Demeter as Clarissa Devereau
[edit] The Wisdom of Darryl Zero
Throughout the film, Zero (who is writing a memoirs of sorts) offers the viewer a number of pieces of advice and pearls of wisdom on the detective trade. A few such thoughts are:
'I can't possibly overstate the importance of good research. Everyone goes through life dropping crumbs. If you can recognize the crumbs, you can trace a path all the way back from your death certificate to the dinner and a movie that resulted in you in the first place. But research is an art, not a science, because anyone who knows what they're doing can find the crumbs: the wheres, whats, and whos. The art is in the whys: the ability to read between the crumbs--not to mix metaphors. For every event, there is a cause and effect. For every crime, a motive. And for every motive, a passion. The art of research is the ability to look at the details, and see the passion.'
'Now, a few words on looking for things. When you go looking for something specific, your chances of finding it are very bad. Because of all the things in the world, you're only looking for one of them. When you go looking for anything at all, your chances of finding it are very good. Because of all the things in the world, you're sure to find some of them.'
'I always say that the essence of my work relies fundamentally on two basic principles: objectivity and observation, or "the two obs" as I call them. My work relies on my ability to remain absolutely, purely objective, detached. I have mastered the fine art of detachment. And while it comes at some cost, this supreme objectivity is what makes me, I dare say, the greatest observer the world has ever known.'
'A few words here about following people. People know they're being followed when they turn around and see someone following them. They can't tell they're being followed if you get there first.'
[edit] Soundtrack
Released in January of 1998, the official soundtrack for the film included:
- "Mystery Dance" - Elvis Costello
- "One Dance" - Dan Bern
- "Starbucked" - Bond
- "Into My Arms" - Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
- "Some Jingle Jangle Morning" - Mary Lou Lord
- "Emma J" - Brendan Benson
- "The Method Pt. 2" - The Greyboy Allstars
- "Drifting Along" - Jamiroquai
- "Till You Die" - Candy Butchers
- "Lounge" - Esthero
- "Blackmail Drop" - The Greyboy Allstars
- "Three Days" - Thermadore
- "Rest My Head Against the Wall" - Heatmiser
- "The Zero Effect" - The Greyboy Allstars
Unreleased (and not appearing in the film) was 'Zero Effect', a song that Dan Bern wrote after reading the script and contemplating the plot from Kim Dickens' character's perspective. Bern has played the song in concert and referenced its connection to the film.
[edit] The Television Pilot
In October of 2001, Entertainment Weekly reported that Kasdan was attempting to resurrect the character of Daryl Zero for television. The series was intended to be a prequel, tracing the early adventures of Zero. Kasdan produced a pilot featuring Alan Cumming as Darryl Zero. NBC did not pick up the pilot, which also featured Krista Allen and Natasha Gregson Wagner.
