The Next Reel Film Podcast CutThroat Island • The Next Reel
“Congratulations, Morgan. There’s another town you’ve destroyed.”
After the success of Die Hard 2 and Cliffhanger, director Renny Harlin wanted to establish his wife Geena Davis as an action star. He sought out a swashbuckling pirate adventure script for her to lead. Screenwriters Michael Frost Beckner and James Gorman had written an initial draft, but extensive rewrites resulted in multiple additional credited writers. With Geena Davis attached to the lead role of pirate captain Morgan Adams, finding the right co-lead proved challenging. Michael Douglas was originally set to play opposite Davis but dropped out due to issues over equal screen time. Numerous major stars were offered the role including Tom Cruise, Keanu Reeves, Russell Crowe, Liam Neeson and Daniel Day-Lewis before Harlin settled on Matthew Modine. With the stars finally set, cameras rolled on location in Malta and Thailand. But behind the scenes, the production was plagued with problems that led to massive cost overruns. Join us – Pete Wright and Andy Nelson – as we continue the 1995 Golden Raspberry Awards Worst Director Nominees series with a conversation about Harlin’s 1995 film CutThroat Island.
Here's a hint at what we talk about:
We discuss the issues with the constantly evolving script and poor dialogue, along with miscasting of the leads and lack of chemistry between Davis and Modine. We also get into the impressive practical effects and action set pieces, despite flaws elsewhere. And we talk about the legendary reputation of this box office bomb that sunk Carolco Pictures.
Here are a few other points in our discussion:
- Renny Harlin's strengths and weaknesses as a director
- The great production design and cinematography
- How the film hasn't aged particularly well
- Our armchair casting for who could have been better in the lead roles
In the end, we found CutThroat Island to be a mixed bag with plenty of problems holding it back yet still quite entertaining and delivering a romping pirate adventure. It makes for an interesting case study in a big budget production gone awry. We have a great time talking about it, so check it out then tune in. The Next Reel – when the movie ends, our conversation begins!
Film Sundries
- Watch this on Apple or Amazon, or find other places at JustWatch
- Script Options
- Theatrical trailer
- Letterboxd
Learn how to support our show and The Next Reel’s family of film podcasts by becoming a member. It's just $5 monthly or $55 annually. Learn more here.
Follow the other podcasts in The Next Reel’s family of film podcasts:
- Cinema Scope: Bridging Genres, Subgenres, and Movements
- The Film Board
- Movies We Like
- Sitting in the Dark
Join the conversation with movie lovers from around the world in our Discord community!
Here’s where you can find us around the internet:
What are some other ways you can support us and show your love? Glad you asked!
- You can buy our movie-related apparel, stickers, mugs and more from our MERCH PAGE.
- Or buy or rent movies we’ve discussed on the show from our WATCH PAGE.
- Or buy books, plays, etc. that was the source for movies we’ve discussed on the show from our ORIGINALS PAGE.
- Or renew or sign up for a Letterboxd Pro or Patron account with our LETTERBOXD MEMBERSHIP DISCOUNT.
- Or sign up for AUDIBLE.