D.O.A. (1988)

Directors:

Annabel Jankel
Rocky Morton

Writers:

Charles Edward Pogue (story) and
Russell Rouse (story) ...
(more)

Release Date:

18 March 1988 (USA)

Genre:

Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

Someone poisoned Dexter Cornell. He's got to find out who. He's got to find out why. He's got to find out now. In 24 hours, he'll be Dead On Arrival.

Plot:

Dexter Cornell, an English Professor becomes embroiled in a series of murders involving people around him...

Plot Keywords:

English Professor | Professor | Murder | Austin Texas | Remake

Cast

Dennis Quaid	...	Dexter Cornell
Meg Ryan	...	Sydney Fuller
Charlotte Rampling	...	Mrs. Fitzwaring
Daniel Stern	...	Hal Petersham
Jane Kaczmarek	...	Gail Cornell
Christopher Neame	...	Bernard
Robin Johnson	...	Cookie Fitzwaring
Robert Knepper	...	Nicholas Lang (as Rob Knepper)
Jay Patterson	...	Graham Corey
Brion James	...	Detective Ulmer
Jack Kehoe	...	Detective Brockton
Elizabeth Arlen	...	Elaine Wells
Karen Radcliffe	...	Jane Corey
William Forward	...	Chief Resident
Lee Gideon	...	Mr. Fitzwaring
Bill Bolender	...	Nick Lang Sr.
Hillary Hoffman	...	Corey's Daughter
John Hawkes	...	Sloane
Michael Costello	...	College President
Bill Johnson	...	Desk Sergeant (as William Johnson)
Brent Anderson	...	Metcalf
Wendye Clarendon	...	Barb
Marco Perella	...	Cab Driver
Joye Swan	...	Survey Girl
Charles Beecham	...	English Professor
Gabriel Folse	...	Frat Jock #1
Matt Thompson	...	Frat Jock #2
Barbara MacDonald	...	Timbuk 3
Pat MacDonald	...	Timbuk 3
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Kirk Hunter	...	Extra (uncredited)

Directed by
Annabel Jankel
Rocky Morton

Writing credits
Charles Edward Pogue		(story) and
Russell Rouse		(story) &
Clarence Greene		(story)
Charles Edward Pogue		(screenplay)

Produced by
Andrew J. Kuehn	....	co-producer
Ian Sander	....	producer
Cathleen Summers	....	co-producer
Laura Ziskin	....	producer

Original Music by
Chaz Jankel

Cinematography by
Yuri Neyman

Film Editing by
Raja Gosnell
Michael R. Miller

Casting by
Nancy Foy

Production Design by
Richard Amend

Set Decoration by
Michael O'Sullivan

Costume Design by
Nancy Cone

Makeup Department
Bridget Bergman	....	hair stylist
Barbara Olvera	....	hair assistant
Barbara Olvera	....	makeup assistant
Ronnie Specter	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Jeanne Van Cott	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Sandy Collister	....	second second assistant director
Louis D'Esposito	....	first assistant director
Richard Patrick	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Chris Cherry	....	scenic paint foreman
Joe Cooper	....	carpenter
Catherine Davis	....	on-set dresser
Tom Dreesen	....	construction coordinator (as Thomas Dreeson)
Mary Cecile Hjerter Gee	....	carpenter
Marcos E. Gonzalez	....	assistant props
Jeff Scott Graham	....	carpenter
Rex Harder	....	set dresser
Robert Janecka	....	set dresser
John L. Kehoe	....	property master
Terry Kempf	....	construction foreman
Doug Lefler	....	storyboard artist
Thomas Lemman	....	carpenter
James Michael McBride	....	set dresser
Brian McDonald	....	set dresser
Jenny C. Patrick	....	set dresser (as Jenny Patrick)
Richard Petty	....	carpenter
Eric A. Williams	....	lead man (as Eric Williams)
Leonard Wilson	....	set dresser
David Menefee	....	carpenter (uncredited)

Sound Department
James Ashwill	....	foley mixer
Kevin Bartnof	....	foley artist
Anna Behlmer	....	sound recordist
Gary C. Bourgeois	....	sound re-recording mixer
Thomas Brandau	....	sound mixer
Ed Callahan	....	dialogue editor
Chris Carpenter	....	sound re-recording mixer
Christine Danelski	....	assistant sound editor
John Duvall	....	foley editor
Thomas A. Fucci	....	adr editor
John Haeny	....	sound effects editor
Robin Harlan	....	foley artist
Allan Hartz	....	adr editor
Wayne Heitman	....	sound re-recording mixer
Mary Jo Lang	....	foley re-recordist
Maria Lee Silver	....	assistant sound editor
Martin Maryska	....	sound effects editor
Susan Mazzei	....	assistant sound editor
John Morris	....	dialogue editor
Lorie O'Shatz	....	dialogue editor
Debbie Pinthus	....	boom operator (as Deborah Pinthus)
Nic Ratner	....	assistant sound editor
Jerry Ross	....	supervising sound editor
Alicia Stevenson	....	foley artist

Special Effects by
Jack 'Deuce' Bennett II	....	special effects assistant
Jack Bennett	....	special effects coordinator
Kenney Miller	....	special effects assistant

Stunts
Jamie S. Bunch	....	stunts
Tim Butler	....	stunts
Randy Fife	....	stunt coordinator (as Randy 'Fife')
Randy Fife	....	stunts (as Randy 'Fife')
Dale Graves	....	stunts
James Pate	....	stunts
Steve Pate	....	stunts
Tim Short	....	stunts
John Shults	....	stunts (as Jon Shults)
Laura Scott Wallace	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Robert Adams	....	best boy grip
Daniel Anaya	....	electrician
Bryan Ashford	....	grip
Sharon Beard	....	still photographer
Michael Cohn	....	electrician
Stefan Czapsky	....	additional photographer
Lee Daniel	....	additional first assistant camera
Jim Dinn	....	electrician
Robert K. Feldmann	....	key grip (as Robert Feldman)
Morris Flam	....	gaffer
Steve Graves	....	grip
Christopher Hall	....	electrician
Gregory Irwin	....	first assistant camera
George Mays	....	grip
Bill O'Drobinak	....	second assistant camera
Richard Osborn Jr.	....	additional first assistant camera
Christopher Rogers	....	dolly grip
Martin Schaer	....	camera operator
Steve Spallone	....	best boy electric
Michael Spiller	....	additional first assistant camera
Pat Waugh	....	electrician

Casting Department
Barbara Harris	....	voice casting
Rody Kent	....	casting: Texas
Cathy Sandrich	....	casting assistant: Los Angeles

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Nancy Allen	....	wardrobe supervisor
Yvonne Cervantes	....	wardrobe supervisor
Shari Gray	....	wardrobe assistant

Editorial Department
Michael Berenbaum	....	first assistant editor
Susanne Gervay	....	negative cutter
Lisa Lange	....	post-production coordinator
Michael Pickel	....	post-production associate
Pamela Reisenleiter	....	second assistant editor
Douglas E. Walker	....	post-production associate

Music Department
Don Hahn	....	score engineer
Chaz Jankel	....	score producer
Michael Linn	....	music editor
Michael Linn	....	score producer
Mark Watters	....	music arranger: string arrangements
Robert Randles	....	music advisor (uncredited)

Transportation Department
John East	....	transportation captain
Jerry McKnight	....	transportation coordinator

Other crew
Michael Barefoot	....	first aid
Charles Bartlett	....	adr voice
Sara Beechner	....	production associate
Anne Carr	....	craft service
Cathy Cavadini	....	adr voice
Ron Dittman	....	production associate
Ike Eisenmann	....	adr voice
Marita Grabiak	....	script supervisor
Rebecca Greeley	....	production coordinator
Geoff Halpin	....	logo typographer
William Heald	....	production associate
Eric Henshaw	....	location restoration
George Herthel	....	location manager
Dominic Hoffman	....	adr voice
Cathe Holley	....	pre-production coordinator
Kevin Ivey	....	production associate
Francine Lauzon	....	assistant to producers
Jordan Levin	....	publicity intern
Tina Lifford	....	adr voice
Joanna Lipari	....	adr voice
Nancy Locke	....	assistant to producers
Christina MacGregor	....	adr voice
April McKee	....	craft service
Keith Montgomery	....	location assistant
Larry Moss	....	adr voice
Susan Napoli	....	adr voice
Jan Rabson	....	adr voice
Julie Kay Rogers	....	production associate
Bryan Scott	....	adr voice
Rachel Shaw-Bayon	....	production associate
Ellen Smith	....	production associate
David Storrs	....	synthesizer programmer
Bethlyn Gerard	....	stand-in (uncredited)
Lisa S. Girolami	....	associate production executive (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Bigelow Productions
• Silver Screen Partners III
• Touchstone Pictures

Distributors

• Buena Vista Pictures (1988) (USA) (theatrical)
• Touchstone Home Video (1989) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Touchstone Home Video (1995) (USA) (VHS)
• Buena Vista Home Entertainment (2003) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Touchstone Home Video (2002) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Bros. Finland (1989) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (1988) (France) (theatrical)
• Abril Vídeo (19??) (Brazil) (VHS)
• Egmont Films (1989) (Finland) (VHS)
• Nelonen (2008) (Finland) (TV)
• TV3 (1992) (Finland) (TV)

Other Companies

• Rody Kent and Associates  casting: Texas
• 3rd Coast Casting  extras casting (as Third Coast Casting)
• A. Countless Production  production accountant
• Med-Star  first aid
• Location Catering of the South  catering (as Location Catering Contractors)
• TAJ Soundworks  foley recorded at (as Taj Soundworks)
• Directors Sound  adr recorded at
• Ellsworth/Linn Associates  music editing
• Hollywood Rental Company  production lighting
• Texas Motion Picture Service  location editing services (as Texas Motion Picture Services)

Runtime:

96 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Colour:

Black and White | Colour

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Australia:M | Iceland:16 | Finland:K-16 | Portugal:M/16 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | USA:R | West Germany:16

Filming Locations:

Austin, Texas, USA

Company:

Bigelow Productions

Trivia:

Rock group Timbuk 3 makes a brief appearance in the film.

Goofs:

Continuity: Dexter suddenly gains glasses when he first asks Sydney to join him for a date.

Quotes:

Sydney Fuller: This is life. Here, now. Take it or leave it.

Movie Connections:

References Cleopatra (1963)

Soundtrack:

REBEL YELL

Remake of a classic which just doesn't even come close to the required standard.

D.O.A has a good premise, borrowed from a 1950 film of the same name and a 1969 film entitled Color Me Dead. But beyond the premise it fails to develop into anything worthwhile. The script mistakes ludicrousness for cleverness; the directors peculiarly seem to think they're making a pop video rather than a film; and Dennis Quaid puts on a weird grin and raises his eyebrows maniacally as if he's auditioning as a Jack Nicholson impersonator. It's good for a laugh but, since that wasn't the original intention, it's hard to rate this as a worthwhile film.

English lecturer Dexter Cornell (Quaid) is a bitter, bored shell of a man. Formerly a great author, he never recovered from the critical failure of his fourth and final novel and vowed never to write again. Without the drive of writing to fill his life, he gave up on everything else too, including his marriage and his dedication to the job. When pupil Nick Lang (Rob Knepper) apparently commits suicide after handing in an assignment, Cornell hits the booze to get over the shock. But soon thereafter, he learns that he has drunk a slow-acting poison, and that within 48 hours he will be dead. So close to death, he finally finds a renewed purpose in being alive.... as, aided by student Sydney Fuller (Meg Ryan), he desperately attempts to solve his own "murder".

It's such a good idea that one can hardly imagine how it could fail. But it does. It really, really does fail in a big way. All the pointlessly fancy camera angles, all the inappropriate musical scoring, and especially the jaw-droppingly stupid solution to the mystery, conspire to ruin the film. D.O.A stands for "Dead On Arrival", and that's the perfect adjectival phrase for the entire film. Some day, this wonderful idea for a film might be used once again to better effect, but for now you'd be best advised to stick with the 1950 version.