Alpha Dog (2006)
Biography, Crime, Drama |
Alpha Dog is a American crime drama film written and directed by Nick Cassavetes based on the true story of the kidnapping and murder of Nicholas Markowitz in 2000. It was first screened at the Sundance Film Festival on January 27, 2006, with a wide release the following year on January 12, 2007. Starring Emile Hirsch, Justin Timberlake, Ben Foster, Shawn Hatosy, Anton Yelchin, Olivia Wilde, and Amanda Seyfried with Harry Dean Stanton, Sharon Stone, and Bruce Willis.
In 1999, Johnny Truelove is a young drug dealer living in the San Gabriel Valley, in Southern California. His father, Sonny, supplies him with marijuana, which Johnny distributes to his gang of friends, which include Frankie Ballenbacher, Johnny’s right-hand man; Tiko Martinez, the muscle of the group; Elvis Schmidt, a ridiculed member of the group who is indebted to Johnny; and Jake Mazursky, a short-tempered junkie who is also in debt with Johnny.
Jake goes to his parents’ home in Claremont and makes a failed attempt at borrowing money from his father Butch and stepmother Olivia, who themselves are dealing with their other rebellious son: Zack Mazursky, Jake’s younger half-brother who looks up to him. That night, a fight breaks out between Jake and Johnny when the former tries to pay Johnny only part of his debt. After back and forth escalating retaliation, Johnny brings Frankie and Tiko to go and confront Jake in person, but when they arrive at his apartment he is nowhere to be found.
Director: Nick Cassavetes
Writer: Nick Cassavetes
Stars: Emile Hirsch, Justin Timberlake, Ben Foster, Shawn Hatosy, Anton Yelchin, Olivia Wilde, Amanda Seyfried, Harry Dean Stanton, Sharon Stone, Bruce Willis
Cast:
| Bruce Willis | … | Sonny Truelove |
| Matthew Barry | … | Interviewer (as Matt Barry) |
| Emile Hirsch | … | Johnny Truelove |
| Fernando Vargas | … | Tiko ‘TKO’ Martinez |
| Vincent Kartheiser | … | Pick Giaimo |
| Justin Timberlake | … | Frankie Ballenbacher |
| Shawn Hatosy | … | Elvis Schmidt |
| Alex Solowitz | … | Bobby ‘911’ |
| Alec Vigil | … | P.J. Truelove |
| Harry Dean Stanton | … | Cosmo Gadabeeti |
| Frank Cassavetes | … | Adrian Jones |
| Nicole Dubos | … | Neighborhood Girl on Couch |
| Regina Rice | … | Dance Bitch Girl |
| Laura Nativo | … | Party Girl |
| Ben Foster | … | Jake Mazursky |
| David Thornton | … | Butch Mazursky |
| Anton Yelchin | … | Zack Mazursky |
| Sharon Stone | … | Olivia Mazursky |
| Olivia Wilde | … | Angela Holden |
| Heather Wahlquist | … | Wanda Haynes |
| Jesse Erwin | … | Employee |
| Paul Johansson | … | Peter Johansson |
| Danny A. Abeckaser | … | Latino Youth #1 (as Danny Abeckaser) |
| James Molina | … | Latino Youth #2 (as James A. Molina) |
| Nancy De Mayo | … | Dale Dierker (as Nancy DeMayo) |
| Xan Cassavetes | … | Jonna Kirshner |
| Chuck Pacheco | … | Chucky Mota |
| Frank Peluso | … | Gay ‘Lumpy’ Yeager |
| Shera Danese | … | Abby |
| Greg Williams | … | De Rosa |
| Joshua Alba | … | Klemash |
| Shirley Kurata | … | Lu |
| Patrick Nguyen | … | V.C. |
| Chris Kinkade | … | Juergen Ballenbacher |
| Dominique Swain | … | Susan Hartunian |
| Chris Marquette | … | Keith Stratten (as Christopher Marquette) |
| Alex Kingston | … | Tiffany Hartunian |
| Amanda Seyfried | … | Julie Beckley |
| Charity Shea | … | Sabrina Pope |
| Bobby Cooper | … | Bob Nolder |
| Stephanie A. Fowler | … | Delores Stratten (as Stephanie Fowler) |
| Natasha Elliott | … | Bathroom Party Girl |
| Amber Heard | … | Alma |
| Janet Jones | … | Elaine Holden (as Janet Jones Gretzky) |
| Alan Thicke | … | Douglas Holden |
| Rick Salomon | … | Salesman |
| Lukas Haas | … | Buzz Fecske |
| Adrianna Belan | … | Leigh Fecske |
| Holt McCallany | … | Detective Tom Finnegan |
| Heather Elizabeth Parkhurst | … | Bartender (as Heather-Elizabeth Parkhurst) |
| Mario Ardila Jr. | … | Santa Fe Kid (uncredited) |
| Matt Borlenghi | … | John Kirschner (uncredited) |
| Curt Clendenin | … | Bar Patron (uncredited) |
| Devin Kamin | … | Additional VO (uncredited) |
| Angela Meryl | … | Party Girl (uncredited) |
| Bernadette Perez | … | Bar Girl (uncredited) |
| Emilio Roso | … | Undercover Cop (uncredited) |
| Sadie | … | Dale Dierker’s Dog (uncredited) |
| Kristen Williams | … | Reporter (uncredited) |
Sources: imdb & wikipedia