The Good Life (1997 film)


The Good Life is a 1997 American independent crime comedy film directed by Alan Mehrez and starring Frank Stallone. The film is about three men who move from New Jersey to Miami; two of them end up killing the third. Because of numerous production problems, the film shoot was moved from Miami to Mexico.
The film was never released on any format due to legal action instigated by Sylvester Stallone, who did a cameo in the film as a favor to his brother. He claims that a promotional reel of the film used his scene excessively, therefore was promoting him as the star, instead of the cameo that he had agreed upon. He sued for $20 million; his average salary at the time. The producers countersued, and in 1999 the case was settled out of court.

Plot

Three guys move from New Jersey to Miami and two of them end up killing the third.

Cast

Development

The budget of this independent film was around 5 million dollars.
The project is entering production in March 1997.

Filming

While filming takes place between April and June of the same year and takes place in Los Angeles.
The director at the start of the project was Barry Samson, who left and was replaced by screenwriter and producer Alan Mehrez; Samson is not credited in the film.

Disputes

The presence of Sylvester Stallone in the film was limited to a simple cameo, a favor he, along with his brother Frank, the protagonist of the film, made to the brothers Alan and Diane Mehrez, producers of the film. The problems arose when the Mehrez brothers promoted the film as soon as the shooting was over, as if Stallone were the protagonist; the plaintiff sued the two producers and the distribution of the film was thus blocked.. The film was canceled and still remains unpublished, as Stallone asked for 20 million dollars to let the film be distributed with its leading name, that is the compensation it took in that period.

Release

Distribution

Only one video remains of the film that the production company DEM Films has broadcast through the CNN channel.