Here is a decent-to-good film starring Beatty as a standup comedian who's on the run from the mob, shot in black and white. He's charming in it. It's got an OK storyline leaning on some of the cliches of this type of film. Here's the most conspicuous factor of the film that stands out to me months after watching it: it appears former video store clerk & writer-director Quentin Tarantino, um, "homaged" the film by taking some ideas from it. The rope burn that appears around Brad Pitt's character's neck in QT's Inglourious Basterds can similarly be seen on some dude's neck in this. There was at least one other idea in here that I seem to recall being swiped by Tarantino, but it's been awhile since I watched it. Every time this happens to me while watching a non-QT movie, I feel like QT has lost a couple of "cool points." Ha ha.

Anyway, not too bad a film and I found the ending really cool with Mickey (Beatty) playing a piano outside.... 6/10