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IMDbPro

The Big Empty

  • 1997
  • Not Rated
  • 1h 36m
IMDb RATING
5.9/10
149
YOUR RATING
The Big Empty (1997)
Home Video Trailer from Vanguard
Play trailer2:37
1 Video
5 Photos
ComedyDramaMysteryRomance

A woman hires P.I. Lloyd Meadows to investigate her husband, a respectable social worker. What seemed to be a simple case of adultery turns into an ugly mess fast.A woman hires P.I. Lloyd Meadows to investigate her husband, a respectable social worker. What seemed to be a simple case of adultery turns into an ugly mess fast.A woman hires P.I. Lloyd Meadows to investigate her husband, a respectable social worker. What seemed to be a simple case of adultery turns into an ugly mess fast.

  • Director
    • Jack Perez
  • Writers
    • James McManus
    • Jack Perez
  • Stars
    • James McManus
    • Ellen Goldwasser
    • Pablo Bryant
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    5.9/10
    149
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Jack Perez
    • Writers
      • James McManus
      • Jack Perez
    • Stars
      • James McManus
      • Ellen Goldwasser
      • Pablo Bryant
    • 8User reviews
    • 4Critic reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 1 win & 1 nomination total

    Videos1

    The Big Empty (1997)
    Trailer 2:37
    The Big Empty (1997)

    Photos4

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    Top cast27

    Edit
    James McManus
    • Lloyd Meadows
    Ellen Goldwasser
    • Jane Danforth
    Pablo Bryant
    Pablo Bryant
    • Peter Danforth
    H.M. Wynant
    H.M. Wynant
    • J.W. McCreedy
    Lee Holmes
    • Scott
    Jack Grabow
    • Old Man
    Karen Sederholm
    • Helen Zedak
    Anna Simone Scott
    Anna Simone Scott
    • Jilted Wife
    • (as a different name)
    Linda Sue Murphy
    • Prostitute with Lloyd
    Valerie Vigil
    • Prostitute
    Tara Agace
    • Prostitute
    • (as 'Tarty' Tara)
    Michael Womack
    • Prostitute
    Fred A. Robbins
    • 'John' in Car
    Paul Crowder
    Paul Crowder
    • Corn Flake Man
    Joseph Anthony
    • ThriftCo Clerk
    George D. Amoroso
    • Paramedic
    Rob Gage
    • Paramedic
    Patrick Cruz
    • Bartender
    • Director
      • Jack Perez
    • Writers
      • James McManus
      • Jack Perez
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews8

    5.9149
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    Featured reviews

    1Abby-9

    Look Ma, I'm acting.

    The fixed and penetrating gaze of the posturing-while-frequently-motionless Mr. McManus was too too much much. I kept watching because I really wanted to find out what happened to Pablo Bryant's character, about whom I cared tremendously, but not enough to rank the movie as better than awful. I will look for Mr. Bryant's work elsewhere.
    Spuzzlightyear

    Interesting buried treasure

    The joy about going to the library and getting DVD's is that you never know WHAT you're going to get. This week, I picked up a DVD called 'The Big Empty', a movie which I've never heard of before (and apparently not so many other people). I was pretty much hooked from scene one and James Mcmanus's droll droll acting (and oh yes, his hair). This is sort of a neo film noir about grocery clerk-turned-Private Dick who gets way over his head over a simple infidelity case. The ridiculousness of how stupid Mcmanus's character gets, I won't spoil for you here, but lets just say he clearly loves his job.. Or maybe doesn't know it at all. Full of odd little flourishes, this is a movie you'll need to try hard to find, but has a lot of little prizes to discover.
    pompaj

    okay modern take on the classic film noir

    This is a movie that tries to be cliched. That's a little weird because most if not all movies try to be different. A lot don't get to be, but they try, and would certainly like to be. Not this one. Why would a movie want to be just like the same thing we've seen a hundred times before? To prove that it can be done better. Nicer shots, cooler characters, better scenery, and a stranger mystery. The Big Empty succeeds on some of these grounds. The shots are terrific and so is the scenery. But the rest of it is bizarre. The main character is a tiresome, beat up kind of guy and yet he's young. He never smiles and probably doesn't know the meaning of fun. The case he gets involved in starts out just like the classic cases of movies like Chinatown and then gets really weird. I think the point of this movie was to take classic formulas and see if they could vary them to such a degree that we would never expect it. The detective is usually a cool, tough talking, never smiling, experienced guy. Here he's tough talking and never smiling, but he is far from cool and completely inexperienced. So it's sort of a spoof on detective stories. A black comedy. On the grounds that it is creative it works. But the story is certainly not that good and overall it is just okay.
    10rudebuzztard

    How a PI movie must be!

    This movie is totally brilliant. Every aspect of a classic film noir is in it, humor, drama, strong characters. This movie makes you think, about yourself, about life and loneliness. If you are not open (like me the first time I watched this) you won't like this movie. If you want to see action, you won't like this movie. Although this is a low budget movie the acting is brilliant and the camera work is very refreshing, especially the car scenes!. This little gem needs a lot of attention but will give you the real film noir feeling!. But of course only when you are looking for the film noir feeling. This is a movie for fans of the genre, they will understand what this movie wants to tell and why this movie is refreshing and uses the film-noir formula in a whole different way!.

    9 out of 10
    10Vomilox

    A feast for your mind.

    An amazing, subtle, and well-balanced film, naturally overlooked by audience seeking low-level entertainment. Great, intelligent screenplay, an accomplished directorial style, well shot and beautifully acted -- James McManus in a role of convention-twisting private detective is nothing short of fenomenal. "Big Empty" is a complete package.

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    Storyline

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    Did you know

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    • Soundtracks
      Burn a Cross
      Written and Performed by Vincent

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    Details

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    • Release date
      • October 1997 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Tradimento fatale
    • Production company
      • Left of Center Productions
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

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    • Budget
      • $165,000 (estimated)
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Tech specs

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    • Runtime
      • 1h 36m(96 min)
    • Color
      • Color
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

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