A mobster (John Travolta) travels to Hollywood to collect a debt (from Gene Hackman) and discovers that the movie business is much the same as his current job.Following Travolta's role as a hit-man in "Pulp Fiction" (1994), he got a sudden boost in popularity. Today (2015), this seems to have waned again. But anyway, at the time it made sense to put him in a similar role and it pays off. He comes across as a really good enforcer, who also happens to be passionate about movies.The ensemble cast is also incredible. Beyond Hackman, you have Danny DeVito and a fine role from Dennis Farina. The story is great, and it draws a nice parallel between loansharking and Hollywood, but this cast really sells it and it is just fun watching them interact.

Arguably one of the funniest movies about the machinations of movie-making, courtesy of the late Elmore Leonard. John Travolta is laid-back cool as Chili Palmer and Dennis Farini as Ray "Bones" is near to bursting with pent-up resentment; but theirs aren't the only noteworthy performances in the film: Gene Hackman as schlockmeister Harry Zimm, a movie producer of very few scruples, and Delroy Lindo as a loan-sharking dealer in narcotics who's dying to produce a movie in Hollywoodland, deliver the goods as well. Sonnenfeld's direction couldn't be improved upon (at least, not in my opinion). To hear these characters- especially the career criminals, like Travolta and Lindo- talk at length about movies is worth the price of admission (and I thought so back when I saw this one when it was first released). Hackman offers this tidbit to Travolta: "I once asked this literary agent what kind of writing paid the best. He said, 'Ransom notes.'" Later, having sat through a showing of TOUCH OF EVIL, Travolta tells Rene Russo: "Sometimes you do your best work when you got a gun to your head."

John Travolta, Gene Hackman, Rene Russo, Danny DeVito, Delroy Lindo, James Gandolfini, David Paymer and Dennis Farina star in this 1995 comedy based on the novel. This focuses on Miami Loan-shark, Chili Palmer (Travolta) who decides to go into the movie business after he's sent to L.A. to collect a debt from producer, Harry Zimm (Hackman). Chili works with Harry on a script based on actual events of goofy dry-cleaner, Leo (Paymer) who scammed $300.000 off an airline he miraculously survived from. There's also a bag full of drug money hidden in an airport locker that becomes eyed by Chili and others. Russo (Major League) plays actress, Karen Flores who falls for Chili, DeVito (Throw Momma from the Train) plays her ex-husband & actor, Martin Weir, Lindo (Ransom) plays Harry's crooked investor, Bo Catlin who wants to work on Harry's new script, the late, Farina (Manhunter) plays Miami collector, Ray "Bones" Barboni who doesn't get along with Chili and the late, Gandolfini (The Sopranos) plays Bo's associate, Bear who is an actor/stuntman. This is a good, entertaining film with a great cast I recommend.

To me, this was still another take off on Damon Runyan. The latter always was able to bring in two diverse groups in his stories. This yarn seems to follow that pattern with mobster Chili Palmer, a heavy smoking John Travolta, going to Hollywood and seeing for himself mob-like activities in tinsel town as well.Travolta is very good in the part. What became of the David Palmer character in the film. He had stolen $300,000 from the airline who had paid his family, not realizing that he had taken himself off the plane before it crashed.Dennis Farina, an ex-policeman in real life, is terrific as one of the mobsters and Gene Hackman is a riot in a different type of performance for him as a producer who is in the thick of things as well.I wish that someone could explain to me the role of Danny De Vito here. As a two-time Oscar winner, De Vito's role should have been expanded here. This is also true for Rene Russo.