Synopsis

Ex-gangster Jimmy "The Saint" Tosnia is trying to build a respectable life by recording farewell messages for the terminally ill. When his former crime boss calls in a dangerous favor, Jimmy reunites his old crew to intimidate a young man. The assignment goes disastrously wrong, leaving the group marked for death and forcing Jimmy into a desperate race to protect his friends and win back his lost love.

Factoids & Trivia

• The film's title comes from Warren Zevon's song "Things to Do in Denver When You're Dead," from his 1991 album Mr. Bad Example. Zevon reportedly allowed its use on the condition that it play over the end credits.

• Jimmy "The Saint" Tosnia's nickname was drawn from Bruce Springsteen's song "Lost in the Flood," released on the 1973 album Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J.

• Screenwriter Scott Rosenberg developed the movie's distinctive slang by blending Vietnam-era expressions, biker terminology, and words of his own invention.

• The film was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 1995 Cannes Film Festival before its United States theatrical release on December 1, 1995.

• Several scenes were filmed in Denver, including material shot at the Ice Cream Diner at 2650 Welton Street.

• The film's presentation of criminal banter and stylized violence led critics to compare it with the post-Pulp Fiction wave of crime movies.