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8 Heads in a Duffel Bag

  • 1997
  • R
  • 1h 35m
IMDb RATING
5.4/10
12K
YOUR RATING
Joe Pesci in 8 Heads in a Duffel Bag (1997)
CaperDark ComedyGangsterAdventureComedyCrimeMystery

Mob bag-man Tommy Spinelli finds that his luggage, containing the proof of his gang's latest hit, has been switched with a bag belonging to college student Charlie who is on a Mexican vacati... Read allMob bag-man Tommy Spinelli finds that his luggage, containing the proof of his gang's latest hit, has been switched with a bag belonging to college student Charlie who is on a Mexican vacation with his girlfriend Laurie and her parents.Mob bag-man Tommy Spinelli finds that his luggage, containing the proof of his gang's latest hit, has been switched with a bag belonging to college student Charlie who is on a Mexican vacation with his girlfriend Laurie and her parents.

  • Director
    • Tom Schulman
  • Writer
    • Tom Schulman
  • Stars
    • Joe Pesci
    • Andy Comeau
    • Kristy Swanson
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    5.4/10
    12K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Tom Schulman
    • Writer
      • Tom Schulman
    • Stars
      • Joe Pesci
      • Andy Comeau
      • Kristy Swanson
    • 67User reviews
    • 32Critic reviews
    • 18Metascore
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 1 win total

    Videos1

    8 Heads in a Duffel Bag
    Trailer 0:53
    8 Heads in a Duffel Bag

    Photos33

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    Top cast43

    Edit
    Joe Pesci
    Joe Pesci
    • Tommy
    Andy Comeau
    Andy Comeau
    • Charlie
    Kristy Swanson
    Kristy Swanson
    • Laurie Bennett
    George Hamilton
    George Hamilton
    • Dick Bennett
    Dyan Cannon
    Dyan Cannon
    • Annette Bennett
    David Spade
    David Spade
    • Ernie
    Todd Louiso
    Todd Louiso
    • Steve
    Anthony Mangano
    Anthony Mangano
    • Rico
    Joe Basile
    Joe Basile
    • Benny
    Ernestine Mercer
    • Fern
    Frank Roman
    • Paco
    Howard George
    • Big Sep
    Tom Platz
    • Head of Hugo
    Endre Hules
    Endre Hules
    • Head of Marty
    Calvin Levels
    Calvin Levels
    • Head of Jamal
    John Zurlo
    • Head of Little Joey
    Roger Cobra
    • Head of Frank
    Jeff Sanders
    • Head of Isaiah
    • Director
      • Tom Schulman
    • Writer
      • Tom Schulman
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews67

    5.411.5K
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    Featured reviews

    4SnoopyStyle

    so many unlikeable characters

    Tommy Spinelli (Joe Pesci) is a mob guy transporting 8 heads across the country as proof of deaths. Charlie mistakenly picks up his bag. He's on vacation with his girlfriend Laurie Bennett (Kristy Swanson) and her parents (George Hamilton, Dyan Cannon). Laurie wants to break up. The mother is a recovering alcoholic. When she finds the heads, everybody thinks she's drunk.

    Joe Pesci is aggressively hateful and not in a funny way. Charlie is pathetic and the actor lacks charisma. Laurie is unlikeable. Nobody is likable. Also they are boring. The family slapstick is bland and weak. At least Pesci isn't boring. However the whole movie is unfunny.
    7rob-236

    A crude but funny film

    I went in to this film with absolutely no expectation at all and thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it. It is in some parts so daft that you just can't help but snigger. Joe Pesci is great as a Mafia man assigned to bring back the heads of 8 'hits' he has made on the West coast. Enter a medical student, with a similar looking bag, his girlfriend and her family and you have the recipe for good crude comedy. Worth checking out if you are in the mood for a chuckle.
    6philip_vanderveken

    Switch of your brain for once and enjoy.

    Before I watched this movie I already read the reviews on IMDb. Almost everybody says it is an awful movie. Well, I'm in a good mood today and I'm not going to follow everybody's opinion. I liked it, not all the time, but it was OK.

    Joe Pesci is a mobster who has two days to deliver 8 heads of other criminals to his boss. If he fails his head will be the next to be cut off. Of course on the airport his bag is switched with another one.

    Not all the gags and jokes are good. There are some very predictable and embarrassing ones. Not only embarrassing for a great actor like Joe Pesci, but also for the guy who came up with them. However, there were some terrific ones as well, the best perhaps is the dream sequence. I'm not going to tell what happened, but it is really hilarious.

    Overall I would call it an enjoyable movie when you are able to switch off your brain for once. I gave it a 6/10, which isn't bad for this kind of movies.
    chaplins_charlie

    Hmmmmmmm.....

    Alot of my friends recommended this movie to me saying it was good and down right hilarious. Well, I decided to rent it, but I was out of luck and couldn't find it in the video store. Anyways, 2 years later I'm in a video store outlet and I find it. Since it was cheap, I bought the video. I must say, that after watching this movie I was pretty surprised!! I didn't find it funny or amuzing. I did like the scene where Pesci breaks the pay phones and the "Mr. Simon" song scene with the heads though!! Those were the only hilarious parts through the whole movie. The movie lacked seriousness and although the plot was good, the acting was alittle too sloppy and silly and that's what made the movie pretty lame. And not to mention non-stop profanity. However, Pesci and David Spade were really funny together. 2 and a half out of five stars!!
    6gavin6942

    Decent 90s Mob Comedy

    A mob bagman (Joe Pesci) finds that his luggage, containing the proof of his latest hit, has been switched.

    This was a nice departure for David Spade, stepping away from "Saturday Night Live", though still staying within comedy. Not his best work, but also probably not his fault. As a whole, the movie never really takes off the way it should.

    The exception is an awesome dream sequence, perhaps one of the better dream sequences ever filmed. Sadly, this one minute is the very best -- the rest of the film does not live up to the great title. Overall, it is quite tame on the violence and gore for the subject matter. If the same story was done without it being comedy, who knows how great this might have been?

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Will Smith was offered the role of Ernie. Although the studio offered US $10,000,000 for the role, Smith turned it down. The part then went to David Spade, presumably for a lower price.
    • Goofs
      Chain latch on hotel door reappears after falling off.
    • Quotes

      Ernie: I think we better pull over, 'cause we need some gas soon.

      Tommy Spinelli: Keep fucking driving.

      Fern: Didn't I tell you to watch your fucking language?

    • Crazy credits
      Tommy DeVito is mentioned as being a bodyguard for Tommy Spinelli (Joe Pesci). It's in fact a gag credit referring to Pesci's role of Tommy DeVito in Goodfellas (1990).
    • Connections
      Featured in Siskel & Ebert: Murder at 1600/Traveller/8 Heads in a Duffel Bag/Das Boot/Ulysses Gaze (1997)
    • Soundtracks
      Do You Love Me
      Performed by The Contours

      Written by Berry Gordy

      Courtesy of Motown Record Company, L.P.

      By arrangement with PolyGram Film & T.V. Licensing

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    FAQ

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    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • April 18, 1997 (United States)
    • Countries of origin
      • United States
      • United Kingdom
    • Languages
      • English
      • Spanish
    • Also known as
      • Eight Heads in a Duffel Bag
    • Filming locations
      • Mojave Desert, California, USA
    • Production companies
      • Orion Pictures
      • The Rank Organisation
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $3,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $3,602,884
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $2,024,516
      • Apr 20, 1997
    • Gross worldwide
      • $3,602,884
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 35 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Digital
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

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