Zero Effect | |
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Directed by | Jake Kasdan |
Produced by | Lisa Henson Jake Kasdan Janet Yang |
Written by | Jake Kasdan |
Narrated by | Bill Pullman |
Starring | Bill Pullman Ben Stiller Ryan O'Neal Kim Dickens Angela Featherstone |
Music by | The Greyboy Allstars |
Cinematography | Bill Pope |
Editing by | Tara Timpone |
Distributed by | Columbia Pictures |
Release date(s) | January 30, 1998 |
Running time | 116 minutes |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Budget | $5,000,000 |
Box office | $2,087,471 (USA) |
Zero Effect is a 1998 mystery film written and directed by Jake Kasdan (son of writer/director Lawrence Kasdan). It stars Bill Pullman as "the world's most private detective" Daryl Zero and Ben Stiller as his assistant Steve Arlo. It was clearly inspired by Rex Stout's series of Nero Wolfe mystery stories, which were similarly about a housebound detective (Nero = Zero) and his faithful legman (Archie = Arlo).
The film was shot in Portland, Oregon. It was scored by The Greyboy Allstars. It was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 1998 Cannes Film Festival.[1]
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Daryl Zero, a brilliant but reclusive private detective for hire, traditionally works from afar with assistant Steve Arlo as his representative in the field. Socially awkward and inept but extraordinarily confident in his deductive abilities, Zero keeps himself locked in his apartment where he composes awful songs on his guitar and subsists on a diet of tuna, Tab, pretzels, Campbell's soup, and amphetamines.
Zero and Arlo are retained by Gregory Stark (Ryan O'Neal) to investigate who is blackmailing him. During the investigation Zero takes to the field and encounters Gloria Sullivan (Kim Dickens). Gloria is an equally mysterious young woman. Throughout the film Arlo is torn between his loyalty to Zero and his affection for his girlfriend Jess.
Released in January 1998, the official soundtrack for the film includes:
In 2001 Kasdan attempted to resurrect the character Daryl Zero for the NBC television network.[2] He shared the screenwriting duties with Walon Green and directed the pilot. He was also one of the producers. The series was intended to be a prequel, tracing the early adventures of Zero as he and Arlo became a team.[2] The pilot stars Alan Cumming as Daryl Zero and features Krista Allen and Natasha Gregson Wagner. NBC did not pick up the pilot.
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