February 28 - 44 Minutes: the North Hollywood Shootout

Today’s movie is a crime drama that mostly occurs on February 28. I hope you will enjoy this film and watch it tonight.  

44 MINUTES: THE NORTH HOLLYWOOD SHOOTOUT   

On February 28, 1997  [1:18 to 1:39:08] while various LAPD officers prepare for their day, Larry Eugene Phillips Jr. and Emil Mătăsăreanu prepare to commit a bank robbery. Donnie Anderson messes up during a SWAT raid and he is told to take some time off.  Detective Frank McGregor has been tracking these exceptionally violent two robbers for the last six months. Officer Nicole Gomez and Officer Henry Jones respond to a domestic violence call.  The robbers enter the bank, but are spotted by a squad car. Other officers including Donnie Anderson rapidly arrive, while the robbers shoot up the ceiling of the bank. The bank is soon surrounded. The robbers empty the vault and lock all the employees and customers inside.  The two robbers come out and open up on the police with their AK-47 machine guns. Henry Jones is wounded. Frank McGregor risks his life and drives a car to picks up the injured Jones. The police have to resort to getting machine guns from a gun store. The robbers leave the bank, with one driving and one walking along side their car. Frank McGregor kills the robber who was on foot. The second robber tries to commander another vehicle just as SWAT arrives with their machine guns. With Donnie Anderson playing a major part, the police arrest the other robber. As a result morale soars on the force as the citizens, at least for a while appreciate the police.

A based on fact docudrama. Lots and lots of violence. Keeps the melodrama to a minimum and concentrates on the real story.

Los Angeles Times (Saturday, March 1, 1997) at pages 1, 19-20 and film at 1:20 give the date of the incident

Producer - Michael R. Goldstein

Director - Yves Simoneau

Screenplay - Tim Metcalfe

Runtime –  1 hour 43 minutes

Released – June 5, 2003

  

Starring –

Michael Madsen as Detective Frank McGregor

Ron Livingston as Officer Donnie Anderson

Ray Baker as Sergeant Jake Harris

Douglas Spain as Officer Bobby Martinez

Andrew Bryniarski as Larry Eugene Phillips Jr.

Oleg Taktarov as Emil Mătăsăreanu

Clare Carey as Frank's Wife

Alex Meneses as Officer Nicole Gomez

Dale Dye as SWAT Lieutenant

J. E. Freeman as Police Commander

Mario Van Peebles as Officer Henry Jones

Jay Underwood as Mr. Entertainment

Jullian Dulce Vida as Luis Rivera

Chris Jacobs as Rick

Copyright by Ivan Walters 2014.