BMW FILMS: "THE HIRE" SERIES (INTERNET)
Summary
This series of made-for-Internet films consists of eight short productions, each lensed by a different director and integrating the performance of a BMW automobile, with all featuring Clive Owen as "The Driver." In the premiere episode, "Ambush," the driver of a BMW 7 series car questions his passenger about the identity of masked men in a van traveling alongside them. The gun-wielding thugs state via walkie-talkie that the passenger is carrying two million dollars in uncut, stolen diamonds -- which they want. The passenger tells the driver that he has swallowed the diamonds and fears that the thugs will cut him open to retrieve them. The driver then tries to dodge the consequent gunfire emanating from the van. The driver outruns the van, until coming to a construction site. He then backs into the van before crashing past the construction workers. The van continues its pursuit, but runs into a plow and explodes. The next day, the driver takes the man to his destination. Upon leaving the vehicle, the man chuckles when the driver asks if he truly swallowed the diamonds. In episode two, "Chosen," an Asian child thought to be holy approaches the driver of a BMW 5 series car and gives hiim a present, stating that it is to be opened later. The driver and the child take off in the vehicle, after which they're immediately chased by two other vehicles. After racing around a parking lot, the BMW is boxed in within a warehouse, after which gunmen shoot at the driver and boy. The driver backs into one of the pursuer's cars and pushes it enough to make an escape. Once outside, the driver brings the boy to a residential house where a holy man greets the child. However, the driver gets suspicious when noticing that the holy man is wearing cowboy boots. Spying in a window, he sees the holy man trying to put a hypodermic into the boy's neck. The driver breaks in and rescues the child. Upon returning to the car, the driver opens the box containing his present -- a bandaid bearing an image of The Hulk, which he subsequently puts on his wounded ear. In the third episode, "The Follow," the driver of a BMW 3 series is hired to follow the wife of a movie star, who is suspected of cheating on her husband. After the actor tells the driver why he suspects his spouse of infidelity, the driver follows the comely woman to the airport. There, he overhears a distressed call that she makes to her mother. The driver also sees that the woman has a black eye, and realizes that she's fleeing the country out of fear. The driver subsequently meets with the actor's manager and returns the money, saying that he lost the woman's trail. He also tells the manager to never contact him again. In the fourth episode, "Star," the driver of a BMW M5 is hired by Glen, a spoiled singer's manager, to chauffeur the celebrity. The driver observes as the star berates and belittles her staff before getting in the car. As the woman's bodyguards follow in another vehicle, the driver stoically accepts the star's insults. He then gets a call from the manager, telling him to follow instructiions about teaching the woman "a lesson." Suddenly, the grinning driver speeds up, making sure the celebrity is bounced about in the back seat. Upon reaching the destination, the driver ensures that the woman is thrown to the pavement, where the paparazzi photograph her ultimate humiliation. In the fifth episode, "Powder Keg," the driver of a BMW X5 is hired by the United Nations to transport Harvey Jacobs, a wounded Times war photographer from a dangerous area of Colombia's Nuevo Colon, where the man witnessed a massacre. As the photographer tells of his experiences, the driver realizes that they're being followed. The pursuing vehicle tries to push the BMW off the road, at least until the driver surges past it. As Harvey realizes that he's bleeding, he asks the driver to give his rolls of film documenting the Powder Keg massacre to the Times, and his dog tags to his mother, who he says taught him to see. At the border, the driver tries to quell an argument between Harvey and a guard. When the guard fires at the car, the driver speeds through the barriers. Upon reaching safety, the driver realizes that Harvey is dead from the gunshots. Back in America, the driver goes to see Harvey's mother and shows her Harvey's newspaper story, which has won a Pulitzer. When the woman examines the Braille lettering on the dog tags, the driver understands that the woman who taught Harvey "how to see" is blind. In the sixth episode (the second season premiere), the driver of a BMW Z4 is hired by the FBI to bring ransom money to a kidnapper. The driver confirms that he has brought $5,088,042 for hostage Linda Delacroix, after which the kidnapper simultaneously calls his victim while telling the driver to burn the money in the fireplace. As the FBI breaks into the kidnapper's house, the man gives clues to Linda's whereabouts before shooting himself in the head. Tracing Linda's cellphone, the driver races to rescue her, though he's being chased by the police -- whom he eventually eludes. The driver realizes that she's in a submerged car and dives into a river and retrieves her from the sinking car's trunk. At the hospital, Linda goes to see the kidnapper, who is on life support. She verbally torments the man, then reveals that he had been her lover. In the seventh episode, "Ticker," the driver of a BMW Z4 transports a wounded diplomat, who is carrying a mysterious briefcase, as a helicopter fires at them. The driver finds that the passenger has been shot, as well as the briefcase -- triggering the briefcase's timer to begin a countdown. The passenger still refuses to reveal the luggage's contents. The passenger recalls how his earlier driver was ambushed when a truck slammed into their van, after which the passenger got out and ran into a nearby orchard. Back in the present, the driver gives his passenger an ultimatum: tell the package's contents, or he won't continue to drive him. Ultimately, the driver makes it to the destination, at which point the contents of the briefcase -- a human heart -- are successfully delivered, ready to facilitate a heart transplant for the ailing head of an African country or the verge of being usurped by a despot. In the eighth and final episode, James Brown makes a deal with the Devil in 1954, trading his soul for success as "the godfather of soul." In present day, the driver of a BMW Z4 takes James to the Las Vegas-based lair of the Devil so that the singer can "renegotiate" his contract with Satan, complaining that he's aged prematurely. James demonstrates as he sings "Get Up (I Feel Like Being a Sex Machine") without his trademark "splits." James then makes a new deal with the Prince of Darkness, bargaining his soul -- as well as the driver's -- in a winner-take-all drag race. Zooming from the Las Vegas strip into the desert, the two cars remain neck and neck, until the driver speeds over a train track while the Devil's vehicle is hit by the oncoming locomotive. The driver then notices that James has reclaimed his youthful looks. Later, the Devils' acolyte, long-suffering Bob, tells the now-bandaged Beelzebub that their new neighbor, Marilyn Manson, is complaining about the noise coming from their apartment.
Details
- NETWORK: Internet
- DATE: April 26, 2002
- RUNNING TIME: 1:14:31
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: B:78570
- GENRE: Internet - action/adventure
- SUBJECT HEADING: Drama, action/adventure;
- SERIES RUN: Internet - 2002
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- for "Ambush"
- David Fincher … Executive Producer
- Robyn Boardman … Producer
- Aristides McGarry … Producer
- Carla Attanasio … Visual Effects Producer
- John Frankenheimer … Director
- Andrew Kevin Walker … Writer
- Michael Wandmacher … Music by
- Clive Owen … Cast, The Driver
- Tomas Milian … Cast, The Passenger
- Frank Jones … Cast, Thug
- for "Chosen"
- David Fincher … Executive Producer
- Aristides McGarry … Producer
- Robyn Boardman … Producer
- Mary Ann Marino … Line Producer
- Carla Attanasio … Visual Effects Producer
- Ang Lee … Director
- David Carter … Writer
- Mychael Danna … Music by
- Element … Theme Music by
- Clive Owen … Cast, The Driver
- Mason Lee … Cast, The Passenger
- Sonom Gualson … Cast, Tugboat Monk
- Brian Smyj … Cast, Shadow
- Jamie Harris … Cast, Stick
- Jeff Jensen … Cast, Car 1 Driver
- Jared Bunch … Cast, Car 1 Passenger
- Artie Malesci … Cast, Car 2 Driver
- Kevin Catucci … Cast, Car 2 Passenger
- Losang Gyatso … Cast, Imposter Monk
- Satoru Tsufura … Cast, Real Monk
- for "The Follow"
- David Fincher … Executive Producer
- Aristides McGarry … Producer
- Robert Van de Weteringe Buys … Producer
- Jackie Pang Yee-Wah … Producer
- Carla Attanasio … Visual Effects Producer
- Wong Kar-wai … Director
- Andrew Kevin Walker … Writer
- Joel Goodman … Music by
- Jeff Rona … Music by
- Silvia Rodriguez Dominguez … Music by
- Clive Owens … Cast, The Driver
- Mickey Rourke … Cast, Husband
- Adriana Lima … Cast, Wife
- Forest Whitaker … Cast, The Employer
- for "Star"
- David Fincher … Executive Producer
- Nicole Dionne … Executive Producer
- Aristides McGarry … Producer
- Robyn Boardman … Producer
- Tony McGarry … Line Producer
- Anastasia Feldman … Visual Effects Producer
- Steven Street … Music Producer
- Guy Ritchie … Director, Writer
- Joe Sweet … Writer
- Blur … Music by
- Klaus Badelt … Music by
- Primal Scream … Theme Music by
- Clive Owen … Cast, The Driver
- Madonna … Cast, Star
- Michael Beattie … Cast, The Manager
- Toru Tanaka, Jr. … Cast, Bodyguard
- D. Teflon … Cast, Bodguard
- Troy Aguayo … Cast, Bodyguard
- Woon Young Park … Cast, Bodyguard
- for "Powder Keg"
- David Fincher … Executive Producer
- Dave Morrison … Executive Producer
- Pelayo Gutierrez … Executive Producer
- Robyn Boardman … Producer
- Tapas Blank … Producer
- Aristides McGarry … Producer
- Angelica de Leon … Line Producer
- Edith Sanchez … Post Producer
- Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu … Director, Writer
- David Carter … Writer
- Guillermo Arriaga … Writer
- Harry Gregson-Williams … Music by
- Carlos Varnia … Music by
- Sebastian Escofet … Music by
- Element … Theme Music by
- James O'Brien … Theme Music by
- Clive Owen … Cast, The Driver
- Stellan Skarsgard … Cast, Harvey Jacobs
- Lois Smith … Cast, Mother
- Javiar Zaragaza … Cast, Paramilitary 1
- Luis Francisco Escohada … Paramilitary 2
- Gilberte Barraza … Paramilitary 3
- Alfredo Escobar … Cast, Begging Man
- Carlos Terrastarija … Cast, Policeman 1
- Marco Antonio Perez … Cast, Contra 1
- Arturo Armara … Contra 2
- Sacarra Avatar … Cast, Contra Grandmother
- Ihet Rayna Campos … Cast, Contra Woman
- Carlos Alvarez … Cast, Policeman That Dies
- Gustavo Sanchez Parra … Cast, Soldier With Radio
- Ivan Rafael Ganzales … Cast, Contra Boy
- Marco Anrelia Contraras … Cast, Policeman Playing Domino
- Arturo Gadinez … Cast, Policeman 2
- Dagaharta Game … Cast, Policeman 3
- Daniel Lee … Cast, Policeman 4
- Hector Tavares … Cast, Policeman in Pursuit
- Juan Arteaga … Cast, Border Soldier 1
- Mauricio Martinez … Cast, Border Soldier 2
- Ignacio Cahrara … Cast, Border Soldier 3
- for "Hostage"
- Tony Scott … Executive Producer
- Ridley Scott … Executive Producer
- Jules Daly … Executive Producer
- Philip Steuer … Co-Executive Producer
- Brian Di Lorenzo … Co-Executive Producer
- Tony McGarry … Producer
- Steve Rondell … Producer
- Arthur Anderson … Co-Producer
- John Woo … Director
- David Fincher … Created by
- David Carter … Writer
- Greg Hahn … Writer
- Vincent Ngo … Writer
- Steve Jablonsky … Music by
- Amber Music … Theme Music by
- Clive Owen … Cast, The Driver
- Maury Chaykin … Cast, The Kidnapper
- Kathryn Morris … Cast, Linda Delacroix
- Darius McCrary … Cast, FBI Commander
- Gerry Becker … Cast, Doctor
- James MacDonald … Cast, SWAT Team Commander
- Rock Galotti … Cast, SWAT Team Member
- Jolyon Reese … Cast, FBI Technician
- Christopher Gilbertson … Cast, SWAT Team Member
- Shannon Holzer … Cast, SWAT Team Member
- James D. Dever … Cast, SWAT Team Member
- for "Ticker"
- Tony Scott … Executive Producer
- Ridley Scott … Executive Producer
- Jules Daly … Executive Producer
- Skip Chaisson … Executive Producer
- Kimberly Jacobs Toeg … Executive Producer
- Emma McGuinness … Executive Producer
- David Hofflich … Executive Producer
- Philip Steuer … Co-Executive Producer
- Brian Di Lorenzo … Co-Executive Producer
- Leon Corcos … Producer
- Thatcher Peterson … Producer
- Teddy "Knuckles" Knutson … Associate Producer
- Darcy Tang … Visual Effects Producer
- Jeff Werner … CGI Producer
- Joe Carnahan … Director, Writer
- David Fincher … Created by
- Joe Sweet … Writer
- Clint Mansell … Music by
- Amber Music … Theme Music by
- Clive Owen … Cast, The Driver
- Don Cheadle … Cast, Passenger
- F. Murray Abraham … Cast, Airport Guru
- Clifton Powell … Cast, FBI Agent
- Dennis Haysbert … Cast, FBI Agent
- Ray Liotta … Cast, FBI Agent
- Robert Patrick … Cast, FBI Agent
- Bruce Young … Cast, Bodyguard
- Jimmy Ortega … Cast, Body Guard 2
- Eli Danker … Cast, General
- Ofer Samra … Cast, Minion 1
- Jack Alsted … Cast, Minion 2
- Deron Cordero … Cast, Military Driver
- Cario Cordero … Cast, King
- Tynan Grierson … Cast, Soldier 1
- Sean Barry … Cast, Soldier 2
- Ben Bray … Cast, Helicopter Gunman
- for "Beat the Devil"
- Tony Scott … Executive Producer, Director
- Ridley Scott … Executive Producer
- Jules Daly … Executive Producer
- Kimberly Jacobs Toeg … Executive Producer
- Skip Chaisson … Executive Producer
- David Davies … Executive Producer
- David Hofflich … Executive Producer
- Emma McGuinness … Executive Producer
- Philip Steuer … Co-Executive Producer
- Brian Di Lorenzo … Co-Executive Producer
- David Mitchell … Producer
- Thatcher Peterson … Producer
- Teddy "Knuckles" Knutson … Associate Producer
- Darcy Teng … Visual Effects Producer
- David Fincher … Created by
- David Carter … Writer
- Greg Hahn … Writer
- Vincent Ngo … Writer
- Harry Gregson-Williams … Music by
- Toby Chu … Music by
- Mel Wesson … Music by
- Amber Music … Theme Music by
- Clive Owen … Cast, The Driver
- Gary Oldman … Cast, The Devil
- James Brown … Cast, Himself
- Marilyn Manson … Cast, Himself
- Danny Trejo … Cast, Bob
- Tony Wilson … Cast, Young James Brown
- Tommy Rae Brown … Cast, Vegas Girl
- Judge Bradley … Cast, Crossroads Doorman
- Beth Dewey … Producer