3000 Miles To Graceland (2001)
by Hank Yuloff

Viva Las Vegas!

I mention Natural Born Killers because 3000 Miles To Graceland has a similar feel and style of photography: Lots of gunfire, lots of stylized killing, and enough eye candy to keep you on the edge of your seat for the full 2 plus hours of run time.

Kevin Costner and Kurt Russell star as Murphy and Michael, two recently paroled thieves who rob a Las Vegas casino dressed as Elvis impersonators during Elvis Impersonator Week. It turns out to be a great cover, as Costner and Russell both seem born to wear the jump suit.

They get away with $3.2 million, but from there things get interesting. Honor among thieves being what it is, let's just say this movie turns into a "who's got the money now and who's going to end up with it" kind of thing.

Will it be Russell? Will it be Costner? Will it be the cops? Or will it be Courtney Cox, a drifter who winds up crossing their path? Cox is excellent as Cybil Waingrow, but even better still is David Kaye, cast as her con-artist-in-the-making 11-year-old son.

Costner would have been well at home with Mallory and Mickey (Juliette Lewis and Woody Harrelson from Natural Born Killers). He is a psychopathic killer who sees killing as just one more thing he has to do to keep to the plan. And, as Mallory and Mickey see killing as their "job," Costner views killing as his obligation to "stick to the plan."

Also like Natural Born Killers, there are lots of interesting and pathetic characters along the way. I think I saw the future for my buddy's ex-wife. You'll recognize her as the bubble gum girl in the gas station. Her best line, spoken to a man who just killed her abusive boyfriend(?) is, "I don't smoke, but I do everything else." Another quirky character is the Idaho sheriff who fancies himself as Wyatt Earp.

What's wasted in this movie? Kevin Pollak (Grumpy Old Men, The Usual Suspects) and Thomas Hayden Church (Tv's Wings and Ned and Stacy), who play Nevada sheriffs on the trail of the thieves. They have a couple of the best lines in the movie, but also the absolute worst. After about 30,000 rounds of ammunition are expended during a shoot out, Pollak has to utter the words, "See if any of our guys are hurt." To borrow a line from Saving Silverman, "Durrrrr!" I guess someone saw Pollak in that Schwarzenegger flick (End of Days) and decided he could deliver the line with a straight face in one take, thereby saving some money on film.

There were several times I turned to my friend and said, "But, what about...." when it came to some hole or other in the script. Pity, because all of them could have been fixed with a little more work. Or, a little less editing.

The movie runs over two hours. Would 10 more minutes to keep guys like me quiet be too much to ask? And, I've got to know...why does Howie Long step in front of a hail of bullets to save one of the other actors? That just doesn't make sense. Should have just cut it out and had him killed some other way.

Director Demian Lichtenstein didn't leave it all in the preview. His background in music videos is apparent throughout 3000 Miles To Graceland. It is also definitely apparent in the sound track, which makes this one worth seeing. Try to catch it while it is in the theaters, though - you'll have a much better ride.

Hank Yuloff is an entertainment industry entrepreneur living in Hollywood. And, no, he doesn't dress up like Elvis on the weekend.