OK,so this film is NOT very well known,and wasn't very well publicised.I discovered this fairly brutal gangster gone good movie by complete accident on one of Skys millions of movie channels late on some boring evening,but I'm glad i did!The opening sequence to this film is fantastically comical in a very dark way.This in fact sets what i think is the general tone for the movie.I think a lot of critics and movie fans that have actually seen this film have been a bit unfair to just write it off as a lower budget gangster movie in the Reservoir Dogs vein.OK,so there are undeniable similarities between Thursday and some other crime genre films that it has been compared to,but in all fairness,i think this film takes a much more darkly comic look at this type of film,and the end result is a engrossing,well made,funny,if not totally original film.Tom Jane is good in this,and deserves the recognition he will now hopefully get thanks to the The Punisher.His performance as the bad guy gone good is realistic,funny and just cold enough to make you believe Casey really was a bad ass before he reformed.Thats another thing that makes this film stand out for me,the characters.In Nicks gang you get the strangest trio of criminals ever assembled,a smooth,charismatic but very cold leader(Nick),a trigger happy blood loving sexually predatory bitch of a woman(Dallas)and a psychotic hill billy with brains with a penchant for torture(Billy Hill).Throw in the most bizarre police detective ever seen on screen,beautifully over played by Mickey Rourke,and you've got a recipe for...well for Thursday really.Its at times darkly comic,sometimes brutal,sometimes unoriginal,but always engrossing and worth watching.8/10
114 Reviews
As classic as Pulp Fiction
stamper13 November 2001
As I stated earlier this year, in my review of Swordfish (which was scripted by this films writer/director/producer Skip Woods) this is a good film. It ranks very high up there in my crime flick list among Lock Stock & Two Smoking Barrels, Pulp Fiction and Snatch. Basically I think this film is for me what Reservoir Dogs was for many people - a cult classic - although I prefer to compare it with Pulp Fiction. I mean I never liked Tarantino's first effort a lot, but I sure as hell liked this one as much as I like Pulp Fiction, for it simply has everything a classic needs. A great story and good actors. OK the budget might be not as big as in for instance Godzilla, The Avengers of Mission to Mars but it sure as hell beats the living crap out of those films (and numerous others).
The story of this film, is about a man named Casey (Thomas Jane), who has settled down with his wife in Houston. Unexpectedly an old friend of his comes by disrupting his life, revealing his secrets and basically making his day a living hell (and a bloody one too).
The film is very original and quite bloody / sexually tinted. So based on that first and that last quality I can assure you that if you like this film, you'll also like Swordfish, which of course has a much bigger budget and more famous faces than this one but is just as good (though not as bloody and not quite as sexually tinted). I saw this film for the second time last night and I really enjoyed it (again). I mean all the characters and actors are good, although I must give very big credits to Thomas Jane and Paulina Porizkova, who were the best actors (and had the best characters) in the film. Also I'd have to thank Skip Woods for being so imaginative and original. Brutal, sexual, offensive??? Maybe, but sure as heck enjoyable and a thrill ride to the end.
8 out of 10
The story of this film, is about a man named Casey (Thomas Jane), who has settled down with his wife in Houston. Unexpectedly an old friend of his comes by disrupting his life, revealing his secrets and basically making his day a living hell (and a bloody one too).
The film is very original and quite bloody / sexually tinted. So based on that first and that last quality I can assure you that if you like this film, you'll also like Swordfish, which of course has a much bigger budget and more famous faces than this one but is just as good (though not as bloody and not quite as sexually tinted). I saw this film for the second time last night and I really enjoyed it (again). I mean all the characters and actors are good, although I must give very big credits to Thomas Jane and Paulina Porizkova, who were the best actors (and had the best characters) in the film. Also I'd have to thank Skip Woods for being so imaginative and original. Brutal, sexual, offensive??? Maybe, but sure as heck enjoyable and a thrill ride to the end.
8 out of 10
Former drug dealer gone straight has a REALLY bad day...
FurthurQ18 July 2004
Loved the movie, could kick myself for not buying it right away when the Unrated version was (briefly) re-released on DVD and generally available.
Similar in flavor to "Pulp Fiction," but I wouldn't call it a knock-off, as so many have. Tarantino and Woods both have a talent for realistic, believable dialogue by colorful but still believable characters in a genre where it's seldom seen. But, in this movie Woods also shows a flair for using the absurd, and annoying, realities of everyday life to move the plot along. Woods, like great comedians, exposes the little frustrations of life that we all experience but few will admit to, and deals with them in politically incorrect, yet satisfying, finality.
This movie is well worth watching: sex, blood, outrageous dialogue supported by even more outrageous action, corruption, redemption, and the satisfaction of finally seeing a loud-mouthed, nagging wife at a loss for words when she is forced to confront the fact that there's more to her husband than just the long list of imagined faults she's dreamed up.
See it...soon!
Similar in flavor to "Pulp Fiction," but I wouldn't call it a knock-off, as so many have. Tarantino and Woods both have a talent for realistic, believable dialogue by colorful but still believable characters in a genre where it's seldom seen. But, in this movie Woods also shows a flair for using the absurd, and annoying, realities of everyday life to move the plot along. Woods, like great comedians, exposes the little frustrations of life that we all experience but few will admit to, and deals with them in politically incorrect, yet satisfying, finality.
This movie is well worth watching: sex, blood, outrageous dialogue supported by even more outrageous action, corruption, redemption, and the satisfaction of finally seeing a loud-mouthed, nagging wife at a loss for words when she is forced to confront the fact that there's more to her husband than just the long list of imagined faults she's dreamed up.
See it...soon!
Great flick, until the ending
Antagonisten11 June 1999
When i watched this movie i had no idea what it was about, and i had never heard of it before. But i must say i was positively surprised. The first few minutes are almost the most funny of the whole movie. The store clerk from India is just too funny! Anyways, the story isn´t really too much to talk about, but i think it´s ok. The acting on the other hand is quite good, and still the only actor i recognized was Mickey Rourke who wasn´t really in the movie until the ending. And the ending is where the turn-off is i think, it´s not bad but i don´t feel like it really ends. I feel like there should have been something more. A final battle in some way. I don´t know. All in all, this was a good movie and i recommend it to anyone into Tarantino-type movies with loads of violence and dark, sinister humor! I rate it 7/10.
A Damn good movie!
g_man25200314 November 2005
It is a damn good movie,with some surprising twists,a good cast and a great script. Only a couple of stupid bits,like the Rasta hit-man scene (This guy's a professional?) but that has been commented on already. The fact I had only heard one guy at work mention it before, and did not have many opinions or reviews to go on, made it even more entertaining. This gets a higher score than maybe some people think it deserves, but I have to factor in the low budget and the good effort from the cast. It sickens me that some movies get made whose budget equals the GDP of a small country,with a hyped up release,good reviews,an Oscar winning director and/or actors, and turn out to be so disappointing,with actors sleepwalking through their roles and uninspired directing,with predictable plot lines and a story with holes in it so big,Sandra Bullock could drive a bomb-loaded bus through it. (Examples in my opinion are The Terminal,Castaway,Matrix:Revolutions) Extra points are awarded for the wardrobe department choosing great clothes for the cast,especially Paulina Porizcova,who wears a rubber dress in one scene,and a jacket with "c*nt" on the back in large letters in another!A sex scene which shows off her tight ass and a good soundtrack are added bonuses! And PLEASE,enough with the Tarantino comparisons,this did not remind me of a Tarantino flick at all.... and Tarantino borrows virtually every idea he has ever had from other movies! Even if that is your opinion,are we saying once a certain film or book is written or directed one way,no-one can ever use the same ideas again? get real. This film has it's own style.
Good, but not original
rbverhoef21 November 2003
'Thursday' is a good movie but we recognize too much from other movies in its genre and therefor it lacks originality. If you have seen 'Goodfellas', 'Reservoir Dogs', 'Pulp Fiction' and a bunch of other movies that were inspired by that last one you have seen almost every part from 'Thursday'. There is a scene that involves torturing that has even the same dialogue as in Tarantino's 'Reservoir Dogs'.
Still, it is a good movie. Because not every part is taken from the same movie the complete thing has some new ideas and some nice touches. The opening sequence to begin with, is quite impressive. We meet Nick (Aaron Eckhart), Dallas (Paulina Porizkova) and Billy Hill (James Le Gros). They get into a fight with a clerk in a gas station over a cup of coffee and it ends with the death of that clerk and the arrival of a cop. We've already glimpsed at a suitcase with a lot of money in it.
Then we meet Casey (Thomas Jane) in Houston. He is married to Christine (Paula Marshall) but used to be working with Nick. She doesn't know a thing. Then Nick gives him a call and says that he is coming. We learn that he has screwed his friends over and the problems are about to start.
What happens exactly is not for me to reveal but we meet some other characters, all interested in the money or the drugs Nick also had with him. Casey has flushed those down the drain.
Very funny moments, a lot of blood, a very funny sub-plot involving actor Michael Jeter and some surprises (although if you really think about it you see them coming) this is a good movie with some very fine performances, nicely directed by Skip Woods.
Still, it is a good movie. Because not every part is taken from the same movie the complete thing has some new ideas and some nice touches. The opening sequence to begin with, is quite impressive. We meet Nick (Aaron Eckhart), Dallas (Paulina Porizkova) and Billy Hill (James Le Gros). They get into a fight with a clerk in a gas station over a cup of coffee and it ends with the death of that clerk and the arrival of a cop. We've already glimpsed at a suitcase with a lot of money in it.
Then we meet Casey (Thomas Jane) in Houston. He is married to Christine (Paula Marshall) but used to be working with Nick. She doesn't know a thing. Then Nick gives him a call and says that he is coming. We learn that he has screwed his friends over and the problems are about to start.
What happens exactly is not for me to reveal but we meet some other characters, all interested in the money or the drugs Nick also had with him. Casey has flushed those down the drain.
Very funny moments, a lot of blood, a very funny sub-plot involving actor Michael Jeter and some surprises (although if you really think about it you see them coming) this is a good movie with some very fine performances, nicely directed by Skip Woods.
praise: plot, script, sequencing, cast etc.
liveitup200114 June 2004
This film is hard to knock. It follows in the tradition of Pulp Fiction, yet succeeds further by stamping its own unique style. The cast is awesome, the script is great - and things like the odd (Pulp Fiction-esque) time-sequencing is done brilliantly. I particularly like how the images provided in flash back vary dramatically depending on who is telling the story at the time. When it is one of the indoctrinated criminals everything is flashy and cool, but when it is the hero's recollection everything is skanky and disgusting.
This is an awesome film - and so I am extremely annoyed to find that I cant buy it anywhere!
This is an awesome film - and so I am extremely annoyed to find that I cant buy it anywhere!
thursday is a great day
tanelteder12 January 2011
I don't know whether this is director and screenwriter Skip Woods own experience, but I must admit, this a one hell of a busy Thursday. He has created a play which concentrates on a single day in a week. Just a regular day. And shows how one day can bring back everything you have put behind for years. Or how one day can change your life totally so you can turn a new page and start over.. again. It's a good script. Gives you some fine action, nudity, fun and lots of blood.
Thomas Jane and Aaron Eckhart are young guys here. And if you are a man, you must admit Polina Porizkova looks pretty damn sexy here.
Thursday is not for everybody. It's more like a guys movie. Thursday is a great day in a week. It means one thing.. it can go only better from there.
Thomas Jane and Aaron Eckhart are young guys here. And if you are a man, you must admit Polina Porizkova looks pretty damn sexy here.
Thursday is not for everybody. It's more like a guys movie. Thursday is a great day in a week. It means one thing.. it can go only better from there.
Excellent thriller; highly amusing but extremely violent
merricat433 November 2001
The movie is a riot - hilariously funny yet graphically violent. Just when you think you can't take any more it gives you more. Great thiller. The cast is excellent and the plot is very convincing. The past does indeed catch up with our hero, but right(?) prevails.
Interruptions
jotix1009 January 2010
Warning: Spoilers
We are taken to a convenience store where Nick is looking at coins in his hand figuring if he can get the special, a 69 cents 20 ounce cup of coffee that comes with a free pastry. He decides to go for the larger size, which of course is more expensive plus it doesn't qualify him for the cake. He tries to argue with the Indian clerk at the register, who keeps her ground. With her it's a matter of principle. Well, Nick gets irritated not getting his own way and proceeds to kill her.
The tone of the story is set from the start. The people we are about to meet are not nice guys. There are Nick, his girlfriend, Dallas, and their partner Billy Hill. They are drug dealers. Nick decides to visit Casey, his friend, and former partner in crime, in Houston. He wants to do one more transaction and then go to Paris with the profits from selling the drugs he is bringing. What he doesn't realize is that Casey has gone straight. He is an architect, married to Christine, and wants to adopt a baby.
Casey doesn't appreciate his former friend bringing drugs into the house. He decides to get rid of the stuff by flushing them down the kitchen drain. The untimely arrival of Ice, a pizza delivery man, takes Casey by surprise. This man has been sent to kill him, but before that, Casey brings out some weed to share with Ice, who has a talent for rapping.
It is at this point that Dr. Jarvis, the man from the adopting agency, arrives. Casey's application shows a two year gap that he can't justify. Jarvis begins to doubt about the prospective father. At this time, Dallas makes an entrance. She is a woman that asks questions point blank, like when she demands to know whether Jarvis enjoys watching porn. Jarvis, who is aroused ends up leaving in a huff. Dallas has decided to seduce Casey at all costs. There is a surprise in store as Billy Hill enters the picture and he doesn't like what he sees, shooting Dallas in the process. Billy Hill has also come to off Casey, but he is overpowered.
Casey gets the visit of Kasarov who wants to get his money from Nick; in his absence, he'll take it from Casey. Kasarov gives a deadline and Casey makes up his mind to outsmart all these low lives. He has all the parties come to his house at an appointed hour and the different factions will take care of themselves. In the end, Casey has a better plan that includes taking Christine for a stay in Paris.
Never having heard about "Thursday" we were drawn into it because of the talent in it. Skip Woods directed his own material. This seems to be a film with good intentions. At times the film remember others of the same genre, not a sin by any shape, or form, which seems to be the main objection of the negative comments left here in the IMDb site. For starters, "Thursday" shows a witty Skip Woods that has gone to write other films, notably, "Swordfish". The screenplay is divided in chapters with suggestive titles, pertaining to the action. Denis Lenoir does wonders with the mostly interior photography.
Thomas Jane makes an excellent contribution to the film with his Casey. Although hard to imagine, he has beat the odds and made something out of himself. This actor, seen recently in the television series "Hung", is one of the actors we don't tire of watching. A dark haired Aaron Eckhart is a welcome addition to any film. He is a greasy criminal that shows no redeeming qualities, or anything close to remorse and doesn't hesitate to involve his former friend in his scheme. James LeGros has nothing to do. Same goes for Paulina Porizkova, a gorgeous creature that is only a distraction, or an afterthought to add a sexy angle. We enjoyed Glenn Plummer, who appears as Ice. He does a mean audition on the telephone. Michael Jeter and Mickey Rourke also appear.
The tone of the story is set from the start. The people we are about to meet are not nice guys. There are Nick, his girlfriend, Dallas, and their partner Billy Hill. They are drug dealers. Nick decides to visit Casey, his friend, and former partner in crime, in Houston. He wants to do one more transaction and then go to Paris with the profits from selling the drugs he is bringing. What he doesn't realize is that Casey has gone straight. He is an architect, married to Christine, and wants to adopt a baby.
Casey doesn't appreciate his former friend bringing drugs into the house. He decides to get rid of the stuff by flushing them down the kitchen drain. The untimely arrival of Ice, a pizza delivery man, takes Casey by surprise. This man has been sent to kill him, but before that, Casey brings out some weed to share with Ice, who has a talent for rapping.
It is at this point that Dr. Jarvis, the man from the adopting agency, arrives. Casey's application shows a two year gap that he can't justify. Jarvis begins to doubt about the prospective father. At this time, Dallas makes an entrance. She is a woman that asks questions point blank, like when she demands to know whether Jarvis enjoys watching porn. Jarvis, who is aroused ends up leaving in a huff. Dallas has decided to seduce Casey at all costs. There is a surprise in store as Billy Hill enters the picture and he doesn't like what he sees, shooting Dallas in the process. Billy Hill has also come to off Casey, but he is overpowered.
Casey gets the visit of Kasarov who wants to get his money from Nick; in his absence, he'll take it from Casey. Kasarov gives a deadline and Casey makes up his mind to outsmart all these low lives. He has all the parties come to his house at an appointed hour and the different factions will take care of themselves. In the end, Casey has a better plan that includes taking Christine for a stay in Paris.
Never having heard about "Thursday" we were drawn into it because of the talent in it. Skip Woods directed his own material. This seems to be a film with good intentions. At times the film remember others of the same genre, not a sin by any shape, or form, which seems to be the main objection of the negative comments left here in the IMDb site. For starters, "Thursday" shows a witty Skip Woods that has gone to write other films, notably, "Swordfish". The screenplay is divided in chapters with suggestive titles, pertaining to the action. Denis Lenoir does wonders with the mostly interior photography.
Thomas Jane makes an excellent contribution to the film with his Casey. Although hard to imagine, he has beat the odds and made something out of himself. This actor, seen recently in the television series "Hung", is one of the actors we don't tire of watching. A dark haired Aaron Eckhart is a welcome addition to any film. He is a greasy criminal that shows no redeeming qualities, or anything close to remorse and doesn't hesitate to involve his former friend in his scheme. James LeGros has nothing to do. Same goes for Paulina Porizkova, a gorgeous creature that is only a distraction, or an afterthought to add a sexy angle. We enjoyed Glenn Plummer, who appears as Ice. He does a mean audition on the telephone. Michael Jeter and Mickey Rourke also appear.
One Thursday, you should check out
videorama-759-85939130 March 2014
I hadn't seen this movie for years. I saw it the other night, and realized just how frickin' entertaining it really was. The likable Jane gives a true meaning to the word reformed. Now a talented architect, his past catches up with him, in the form of his ex partner in crime (Eckhart) This Thursday is hell day for him. Eckhart, who at the start, can't decide which coffee to have, and the female cashier is Indian, so you know what that means, marks a great ambiguous start to Pulp Fiction'ish flick. Unlike Jane, Eckhart hasn't changed his tune, and brings down a tonne load of trouble on Jane, making this Thursday, the worst one he's ever had. After Eckhart takes Jane's loaner car out, Jane's day gets worse quick, when trouble keeps coming through his door, some of his visitors, including hottie Prosnokova (where has she been all these years?) are real nasty and unbalanced pieces of work. She delivers a real sexy performance, and a sexy telling of her experiences when watching lesbo porn, where James Le Gross, is just outright sick, the sickest one. Plummer's fun, as wannabe Jamaican rap artist/drug dealer and in this case, hit-man too. He's very generous when it comes to sharing his gunja, where Jeter's impelling as Jane's marriage adviser, whatever. Even bad apple detective (Rourke) makes an entrance, with a severed head in a box no less. Be prepared, Thursday has some pretty heavy shock violence, but it's very unrealistic too. Thursday has something going for it though, where this owes a lot to it's characters in their good performances, especially Prosnokova. It's short sharp sweet, and never boring, and Jane is great as the lead, where 84 minutes couldn't be better spent at the video shop. Slick, it is, as the way it ends, with the underused Paula Marshall, as Jane's girlfriend. Thursdays have never been more exciting. For Jane fans. especially.
Kinky, effed up new noir
NateWatchesCoolMovies15 August 2016
Thursday is one of the great forgotten neo-noir comedies of the 90's, floating on the wake of everything from Tarantino to Verhoeven. It's almost impossible to find these days (I watched an old youtube version years ago), but worth hunting down for its vehement hedonism, mean spirited dark humour and cast members who take a walk down the dark end of the street, and clearly have fun with the shamelessly disgusting material. There's a spirited willingness to be nasty, a bottom feeding urban sleaziness that almost reminded me of Wayne Kramer's Running Scared, or Joe Carnahan's Stretch. Thomas Jane, riding the wave of a supporting role in Face/Off, plays Casey, an ex drug dealer trying to go straight and adopt a child with his wife (Paula Mitchell). Suddenly his old buddy Nick (a ferocious Aaron Eckhart) blows back into his life with big ideas and an even bigger amount of heroin he stole from god knows where. This sets off a wild and exceedingly weird chain of events including convenience store robbery, murder, a psycho named Billy (James LeGros) with a penchant for elaborate torture, a kinky femme fatale (Paulina Porizkova) and a scary rogue cop (Mickey Rourke). It's a big bloody hot mess, but a brilliant one that nails the feverish tone of stuff like Natural Born Killers, a complete disregard for discretion or moderation, tossing everyone and everything into the fire until the audience feels like they need a big collective shower. Eckhart is a treat to watch, taunting the laid back Jane with a knowing glee, waiting for that inevitable revert to bis old, crazy self. Rourke is relegated to what is essentially an extended cameo, but he makes the most of it with quiet tension and the menace of a junkyard dog. This film has what is probably the weirdest sex scene I've seen, which the youtube version won't show (being the sicko that I am, I had to track it down elsewhere). Brutally reckless stuff, and a howl if this is your type of thing. Watch for a brief and hilarious cameo from Michael Jeter.
Completely shameless and asinine Tarantino ripoff
outlawvern14 February 2006
Warning: Spoilers
I don't write too many of these comments but I couldn't believe how many positive reviews there were of this thing. I'm sure glad I didn't see them until after the movie so I wouldn't get my hopes up.
This is one of the most shameless and embarrassing of the many Tarantino ripoffs that came out in the '90s. In the opening scene there's even a character who for no reason asks Aaron Eckhart whether Picard or Kirk is better. Later the movie blatantly copies the Dennis Hopper/Christopher Walken scene from TRUE ROMANCE (but in unbelievable circumstances so there's none of the tension), the torture scene from RESERVOIR DOGS, the cleaning up dead bodies in a suburban house before the wife gets home business from PULP FICTION, the criminals who casually say racist and misogynistic things to shock the audience type dialogue of RESERVOIR DOGS, the story about Marcellus injuring the Samoan guy in PULP FICTION, etc.
True, Tarantino didn't make up the elements that make up his movies. But be honest. Clearly he is the one who brought all these things together and created a style of presenting them (with the mundane moments, darkly humorous situations and random pop culture references, all badly aped here). A dude putting all of these things in a movie in 1998 is not a coincidence. I don't know who he thought he was fooling.
More importantly though, he just does a bad job of it. The situations aren't believable. The whole movie revolves around the ridiculous idea that a criminal would leave a suitcase full of heroin sitting in plain sight on a bed in a friend's house with the door open. Even though he knows that various factions of hit men and corrupt cops are trying to get it. And then just leave the house for no reason, leaving it there for the taking. There's no reason why he would do this except that it's the premise of the movie. Just like there's no reason he would carry suitcases of freshly stolen heroin and money into a convenience store while buying coffee. No reason except to have a "cool" scene where they kill somebody and almost get caught.
To me the characters don't have personalities, they all seem like poses, trying hard to be Tarantino types and not pulling it off. Nobody seems very tough except Mickey Rourke, and he's only in it for a couple minutes near the end. The only part that doesn't seem directly lifted from Tarantino is actually the worst part, a painfully bad comedy routine where the main character has to pretend to be a normal guy while hiding guns and blood and a guy tied up in the garage. Somebody else could make it funny but the whole thing is badly overacted and it drags on forever, like a bad Saturday Night Live sketch from hell.
Worst of all, Thomas Jane isn't very good. He's the whole reason I decided to give this one a chance, but he overdoes it and they make him into kind of a dork. He's much better in THE PUNISHER and especially STANDER. If you want to see a little known crime movie starring Thomas Jane, FOR GOD'S SAKE you gotta go for STANDER. He gives a great performance and it's a truly riveting, intelligent and beautifully directed movie. It has a unique feel and has something to say about our world. The opposite of THURSDAY in just about every way imaginable.
I guess there are people out there who like this movie for whatever reason, so it serves its purpose. But I'm betting Skip Woods is real embarrassed that he made this amateurish ripoff. It was a phase he went through that seemed to make more sense at the time, like when he used to wear MC Hammer pants.
p.s. When I submitted this I got an error message that said, "Your comment contains a very long word which is not allowed." Then it highlighted the word "dialogue."
This is one of the most shameless and embarrassing of the many Tarantino ripoffs that came out in the '90s. In the opening scene there's even a character who for no reason asks Aaron Eckhart whether Picard or Kirk is better. Later the movie blatantly copies the Dennis Hopper/Christopher Walken scene from TRUE ROMANCE (but in unbelievable circumstances so there's none of the tension), the torture scene from RESERVOIR DOGS, the cleaning up dead bodies in a suburban house before the wife gets home business from PULP FICTION, the criminals who casually say racist and misogynistic things to shock the audience type dialogue of RESERVOIR DOGS, the story about Marcellus injuring the Samoan guy in PULP FICTION, etc.
True, Tarantino didn't make up the elements that make up his movies. But be honest. Clearly he is the one who brought all these things together and created a style of presenting them (with the mundane moments, darkly humorous situations and random pop culture references, all badly aped here). A dude putting all of these things in a movie in 1998 is not a coincidence. I don't know who he thought he was fooling.
More importantly though, he just does a bad job of it. The situations aren't believable. The whole movie revolves around the ridiculous idea that a criminal would leave a suitcase full of heroin sitting in plain sight on a bed in a friend's house with the door open. Even though he knows that various factions of hit men and corrupt cops are trying to get it. And then just leave the house for no reason, leaving it there for the taking. There's no reason why he would do this except that it's the premise of the movie. Just like there's no reason he would carry suitcases of freshly stolen heroin and money into a convenience store while buying coffee. No reason except to have a "cool" scene where they kill somebody and almost get caught.
To me the characters don't have personalities, they all seem like poses, trying hard to be Tarantino types and not pulling it off. Nobody seems very tough except Mickey Rourke, and he's only in it for a couple minutes near the end. The only part that doesn't seem directly lifted from Tarantino is actually the worst part, a painfully bad comedy routine where the main character has to pretend to be a normal guy while hiding guns and blood and a guy tied up in the garage. Somebody else could make it funny but the whole thing is badly overacted and it drags on forever, like a bad Saturday Night Live sketch from hell.
Worst of all, Thomas Jane isn't very good. He's the whole reason I decided to give this one a chance, but he overdoes it and they make him into kind of a dork. He's much better in THE PUNISHER and especially STANDER. If you want to see a little known crime movie starring Thomas Jane, FOR GOD'S SAKE you gotta go for STANDER. He gives a great performance and it's a truly riveting, intelligent and beautifully directed movie. It has a unique feel and has something to say about our world. The opposite of THURSDAY in just about every way imaginable.
I guess there are people out there who like this movie for whatever reason, so it serves its purpose. But I'm betting Skip Woods is real embarrassed that he made this amateurish ripoff. It was a phase he went through that seemed to make more sense at the time, like when he used to wear MC Hammer pants.
p.s. When I submitted this I got an error message that said, "Your comment contains a very long word which is not allowed." Then it highlighted the word "dialogue."
not really the evil incarnate as some would claim
MicheleH5 October 1998
You may have heard of this film only in the context of the noted film critic Roger Ebert's attack on it as something that "crosses the line" when it comes to violence and offensiveness. (I'm still wondering if he and I saw the same movie at the Toronto Film Festival!)
I beg to differ with Mr. Ebert's opinion that any person with basic sensibilities will be completely offended by this film. I don't believe it necessarily pushes the limits that had been previously set by such "just as over the top" offerings as PULP FICTION and RESERVOIR DOGS. This film might suffer from the fact that it is NOT a Tarantino production, but if you like cartoonish violence, obvious stereotypes and oddball chitchat on cultural themes (Star Trek, anyone?), it will not disappoint. I went into it with no preconceptions (I bought a ticket at the last minute on the day of the 2nd screening) and was surprisingly entertained.
I beg to differ with Mr. Ebert's opinion that any person with basic sensibilities will be completely offended by this film. I don't believe it necessarily pushes the limits that had been previously set by such "just as over the top" offerings as PULP FICTION and RESERVOIR DOGS. This film might suffer from the fact that it is NOT a Tarantino production, but if you like cartoonish violence, obvious stereotypes and oddball chitchat on cultural themes (Star Trek, anyone?), it will not disappoint. I went into it with no preconceptions (I bought a ticket at the last minute on the day of the 2nd screening) and was surprisingly entertained.
Interesting to watch solely for how out of control things get
breakdownthatfilm-blogspot-com24 July 2018
Drug dealers and gangs are two things that typically go hand in hand. Usually one relies on the other, or at least that's how it's portrayed in various films and shows. Whether or not they're sympathetic is another question entirely, but in general they all have one goal in mind and that's to make money. It's never been known to be a clean or a nice business to be a part of and yet plenty of people par take in it all the time because how loaded they get from it. But what happens when someone finally wakes up and realizes that this life is no longer for them? Well this is what happens to someone who at first looks like an ordinary man, only to soon understand it can be very difficult to escape one's past. That is the story that takes place here and it is certainly one interesting film to watch solely for the purpose of execution.
As a narrative, it's strongest point is displaying just how insane someone's problems can get. Not long after the film begins, the plot begins to tail spin and continues to do so until the end. To see a story do that is astonishing because it's amazing how long it lasted. Married man and architect Casey (Thomas Jane) is living his life with his wife Christine (Paula Marshall) as normal as can be until an old friend drops by. The acquaintance is Nick (Aaron Eckhart), a former partner of Casey's past in California. What Casey's wife doesn't know is that he and Nick were drug dealer's in California. And when Casey recognizes a certain briefcase, he knows Nick has brought his "work" with him. To his misfortune from there on, Casey is bombarded by several associates of Nick while his wife is out on business related travel.
Written and directed by Skip Woods, the script's lesson on how sometimes leaving the past behind you isn't as easy as one would think is a significant one. On top of that, seeing how skillful Nick and his pack are at being criminals is shocking too. To evade the authorities for so long seems almost impossible, but they somehow do it. However, the fact that Casey hides his former profession from his wife does not make him entirely a sympathetic character. There are some redeemable traits like him not hurting anyone he comes across but considering he still lies is not a good idea either. Woods also includes a scene where Casey is forcibly raped by Dallas (Paulina Porizkova), a cohort of Nick's. Like in other movies that have depicted this, these kinds of scenes are not necessary to show. They add nothing for the viewer except making them uncomfortable.
Thankfully Skip Woods didn't bother to make this a trend and include it in all of the later projects he contributed to like Hitman (2007), X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009), The A-Team (2010) and A Good Day to Die Hard (2013). Another thing that was left unresolved was Casey's oh so important project that he was working on before Nick arrived. It is mentioned a bunch of times throughout that he's trying to make something that even his wife isn't aware of, yet it is never revealed what it even is or if it affects the plot. Oh well. To their credit though the cast act well in their roles. As much as Casey isn't a role model protagonist, Thomas Jane does his best to give him some charm. The same goes for Eckhart who's constantly grinning. Even Porizkova as Dallas is quite convincing. There's also appearances from Michael Jeter and CSI: Investigation's Gary Dourdan.
Camerawork for this picture wasn't all that noteworthy however. Covered by Denis Lenoir, the cinematography throughout this feature is for the most part standard and but nothing out of the ordinary either. Much of the shots feature the house Casey lives in, which isn't all that big to begin with. It's just your regular suburban two story house with bland colors and the typical set of rooms. Lenoir also worked on films like Control (2004) and So Undercover (2012). Lastly the music for this movie was provided by an artist by the name of Luna. The music itself is a mix between soundscape type music, rock and goofy comedy music. Being that this is a black comedy of sorts, they all fit in their places but they do not give the film itself a signature to it. It's just a hodgepodge of various kinds of music that work within its context.
There are parts to this film that do not add substance to the plot and it is difficult to truly feel any kind of empathy towards the main character. Yet with an unusual premise, credible actors and appropriate music, this black comedy will manage to hold its audiences' attention at least for one viewing.
As a narrative, it's strongest point is displaying just how insane someone's problems can get. Not long after the film begins, the plot begins to tail spin and continues to do so until the end. To see a story do that is astonishing because it's amazing how long it lasted. Married man and architect Casey (Thomas Jane) is living his life with his wife Christine (Paula Marshall) as normal as can be until an old friend drops by. The acquaintance is Nick (Aaron Eckhart), a former partner of Casey's past in California. What Casey's wife doesn't know is that he and Nick were drug dealer's in California. And when Casey recognizes a certain briefcase, he knows Nick has brought his "work" with him. To his misfortune from there on, Casey is bombarded by several associates of Nick while his wife is out on business related travel.
Written and directed by Skip Woods, the script's lesson on how sometimes leaving the past behind you isn't as easy as one would think is a significant one. On top of that, seeing how skillful Nick and his pack are at being criminals is shocking too. To evade the authorities for so long seems almost impossible, but they somehow do it. However, the fact that Casey hides his former profession from his wife does not make him entirely a sympathetic character. There are some redeemable traits like him not hurting anyone he comes across but considering he still lies is not a good idea either. Woods also includes a scene where Casey is forcibly raped by Dallas (Paulina Porizkova), a cohort of Nick's. Like in other movies that have depicted this, these kinds of scenes are not necessary to show. They add nothing for the viewer except making them uncomfortable.
Thankfully Skip Woods didn't bother to make this a trend and include it in all of the later projects he contributed to like Hitman (2007), X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009), The A-Team (2010) and A Good Day to Die Hard (2013). Another thing that was left unresolved was Casey's oh so important project that he was working on before Nick arrived. It is mentioned a bunch of times throughout that he's trying to make something that even his wife isn't aware of, yet it is never revealed what it even is or if it affects the plot. Oh well. To their credit though the cast act well in their roles. As much as Casey isn't a role model protagonist, Thomas Jane does his best to give him some charm. The same goes for Eckhart who's constantly grinning. Even Porizkova as Dallas is quite convincing. There's also appearances from Michael Jeter and CSI: Investigation's Gary Dourdan.
Camerawork for this picture wasn't all that noteworthy however. Covered by Denis Lenoir, the cinematography throughout this feature is for the most part standard and but nothing out of the ordinary either. Much of the shots feature the house Casey lives in, which isn't all that big to begin with. It's just your regular suburban two story house with bland colors and the typical set of rooms. Lenoir also worked on films like Control (2004) and So Undercover (2012). Lastly the music for this movie was provided by an artist by the name of Luna. The music itself is a mix between soundscape type music, rock and goofy comedy music. Being that this is a black comedy of sorts, they all fit in their places but they do not give the film itself a signature to it. It's just a hodgepodge of various kinds of music that work within its context.
There are parts to this film that do not add substance to the plot and it is difficult to truly feel any kind of empathy towards the main character. Yet with an unusual premise, credible actors and appropriate music, this black comedy will manage to hold its audiences' attention at least for one viewing.
Excellent!
PeeWeesBowTie20 March 2005
Warning: Spoilers
I was referred to this movie by a friend. I had never heard of it but I thought it had Christopher Lampbert so I rented it, and come to find out that wasn't Christopher Lampbert it was Thomas Jane who was great it this film. I love that almost the whole movie is set in this suburban house. The characters were great everyone of them and the script was amazing I really wish Skip Woods would write and direct another movie. In my book Thursday is the flawless tale of this guy trying to do the wife and kid thing after a shady past but then his old drug dealer buddy shows up and it becomes quite the Thursday. This is one of my favorite movies and it shows some real potential in Thomas Jane. But this movie is very rare but I have found it in a couple of Hollywood Video's on VHS. So dust off the old VCR and pop in Thursday because it gets Pee Wee's seal of approval
A good watch...
TerminalMadness5 June 2003
This is a good movie with a lot of humorous and cool situations. Thomas Jane is a good actor. I was in tears when the jamaican man starting singing while having him at gunpoint. I liked a lot of the flashback scenes and when he fights off all the goons is nice. I thought it was funny how he clubbed that guy to death with the frying pan. Hilarious and a fun movie.
I wish I could give it an eleven
BRMcWeed26 April 1999
Very tightly written, acted, and filmed. Violent, but not too much so. Whoever edited this knew exactly what he wanted to portray. There isn't a wasted scene in this movie. "The Usual Suspects" was superb ensemble acting; this is a collection of outstanding individual performances. I rarely buy movies, but this one is worth owning.
Thursday: entertainment & disappointment
bartverberne1613 March 2009
Casey (Jane) abandoned is old rogue life in LA and started a new suburban life somewhere in Houston, TX. Unsurprisingly, on a Thursday, his old partner-in-crime Nick (Eckhart) drops by to bring back some old memories. All is happy, but, as criminally active as Nick still is, he involves Casey in an icky situation that he was not waiting for. The rest of Casey's Thursday is one of multiple rendez-vous with his old life and doubts about his old friend's intentions.
'Thursday' surprised me, but couldn't convince me in terms of quality. The plot has interesting twists and keeps your focus to the film, much like Tarantino's movies often do. However I found the characters too shallow and the dialog's's too simple for the movie to ever become really good. A pity, because I think it had great potential. The fact that the film kept me focused on the story had the negative effect that I got a little annoyed by the simplicity of the characters. 'Thursday' to me is much like another 'Pulp Fiction' rip-off, but then original enough to be taken serious. If the dialogs were not so over-the-top as they are the movie would be a lot better then it is now.
'Thursday' surprised me, but couldn't convince me in terms of quality. The plot has interesting twists and keeps your focus to the film, much like Tarantino's movies often do. However I found the characters too shallow and the dialog's's too simple for the movie to ever become really good. A pity, because I think it had great potential. The fact that the film kept me focused on the story had the negative effect that I got a little annoyed by the simplicity of the characters. 'Thursday' to me is much like another 'Pulp Fiction' rip-off, but then original enough to be taken serious. If the dialogs were not so over-the-top as they are the movie would be a lot better then it is now.
Fast-paced, original, funny and very, very sexy
tnuhole19 April 2002
Bloody Surprise
Knersuz13 January 2003
I really didn't expect anything good from this movie, but it immediately grabbed my attention with a brilliant opening scene. And the good stuff just kept coming! Casey(Played brilliantly by Thomas Jane) is an ex-drug dealer who's past caught up with him, and through the course of one day must survive a lot of baddies trying to kill him in his house(I especially enjoyed the Rasta Hit Man(Glen Plummer)) while trying to save his marriage.
I especially enjoyed the concept of the most of the story playing of in Casey's house. This movie is a good example of a great story not needing a big budget, it compares well with great `black comedy' mobster movies like The Whole Nine Yards and Things To Do In Denver When You're Dead. 8/10
I especially enjoyed the concept of the most of the story playing of in Casey's house. This movie is a good example of a great story not needing a big budget, it compares well with great `black comedy' mobster movies like The Whole Nine Yards and Things To Do In Denver When You're Dead. 8/10
it's original. and very good.
sancise2 March 2019
Great gem of a movie
ebiros220 February 2013
Interesting film that's made extremely well. Many find similarities to Pulp Fiction, but I didn't. The movie has track all its own. It's a mixture of psychotic killers, and comedy. The actors are good looking, and the movie is beautifully shot.
Casey (Thomas Jane) has made a nice home for himself in Dallas suburbs. His old friend who's a psychotic killer shows up. He's shocked at how much Casey's lifestyle has changed. But obviously, Casey has a new life now. He's turned professional in a good way. But the arrival of his old "friend" is about to turn his nice world upside down again.
Yes, I loved the opening scene where the mini mart clerk was shot due to combination of meanness disguised as professionalism, and sheer ugliness of her character.
Thomas Jane IMO is a very underrated actor. He could be a tough guy heart throb in any movie. Maybe his only fault is that he looks too good, and too well disciplined at what he does.
This is a gem of a movie from the late '90s along with the likes of "The Big Hit" and is recommended for viewing.
7.5/10
Casey (Thomas Jane) has made a nice home for himself in Dallas suburbs. His old friend who's a psychotic killer shows up. He's shocked at how much Casey's lifestyle has changed. But obviously, Casey has a new life now. He's turned professional in a good way. But the arrival of his old "friend" is about to turn his nice world upside down again.
Yes, I loved the opening scene where the mini mart clerk was shot due to combination of meanness disguised as professionalism, and sheer ugliness of her character.
Thomas Jane IMO is a very underrated actor. He could be a tough guy heart throb in any movie. Maybe his only fault is that he looks too good, and too well disciplined at what he does.
This is a gem of a movie from the late '90s along with the likes of "The Big Hit" and is recommended for viewing.
7.5/10
one man's pov
udscagz22 May 2001
Warning: Spoilers
i am a big tarantino fan. it appears that director skip woods is too. after the success of pulp fiction, there has been a wave of "tarantinoesque" movies. some of them are very good (check out boondock saints). thursday is not. i never thought i'd say this, but this film is too graphic in the sex and violence departments. paulina porizkova screws thomas janes' brains out just seconds before she has her own brains blown all over his forehead. is that really necessary? as i see it, the only reason skip woods even invented the character of dallas was for this one scene. other than that, she is totally unecessary. however, not as unecessary as the opening scene where they kill the convenience store clerk for absolutely no reason at all. the film tries to balance the gratuitous sex and violence with witter banter. this doesn't work either. the dialogue seems strained and it's not really even that funny. there are way too many good movies of this genre for anyone to waste there time on this. if you feel the urge, just take a deep breath and rent pulp fiction again.
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