Hard Bop
Hunted like a dog, an old-time gangster goes into hiding and tries to save his estranged daughter.

Just like cars, not all movies run on the same “fuel” source. Some gas guzzle block buster effects, others zip by on the electric sparks of high concept premised-what ifs?  Then there’s that subsection of films which cruise along on 100% Grade A drama.  Whether the genre’s romance, tragedy, thriller – or any blend of such beats – such stories are an actor’s utopia. If executed with genuine heart, these slices of emotion can captivate an audience, putting their cinematic “pedal to the metal” towards an explosive end.

Kevin Pacey’s Hard Bop is one such tale.

Hitting the ground literally running, Hard Bop introduces us immediately to Marcus… a gangster on the lam. As sirens wail in the distance, Marcus races through a blighted urban landscape sight unseen, panting out the nightmare that’s brought him to such ends. While he may have enjoyed the view at the top of the criminal food chain before, his current position… has fallen far.

MARCUS (V.O.) 
An’ Izzy’s boy. You heard? 
Outta school, snatched right off th’street. 
An’ they cut his face, bleedin’ red. 

Then:

MARCUS (V.O.) 
Yeah! Family. Now they’re going after kids. 
But you never touch ’em. That’s the fuckin’ rule. 
No exceptions. 

In the past? Perhaps. But who lives in that timeframe now?

Not Marcus. His current hideout is a nondescript hole in the wall, “decorated” by cardboard boxes, black bags, a few cherished jazz records, and…
Family pictures of a much happier time: Marcus with his wife and children: Jayden and Gina. Even if it was all based on a lie, the innocence in his daughter’s face brings a tear to Marcus’ eye.

And fear to his heart. Because if they’re going after kids, now… Gina’s got to be warned.

Marcus hastily dials. Several disconnects and voicemails later, Marcus finally gets through. Well, cell-phone wise. But emotionally – Gina (now an adult) is in no mood to listen to Marcus. She’s done with his BS. The love she had for her father once has now been replaced with loathing and contempt. And Marcus’ attempt to warm Gina up with nostalgia fall lethally flat, too:

MARCUS
In that photo. At Brighton, remember? 
You must've been six or seven? An' that wind,
blowin' ice cream in our faces. 
It was crazy, man. You couldn’t stop laughin’. 

GINA (ON PHONE) 
Yeah? The whole time, Mum was 
stuffing Valium down her throat. 

Between recriminations, Marcus tries to warn Gina of what’s coming… and apologize. Though does he really mean it, or he just trying to save his skin?
As Marcus grovels, Gina eventually agrees to meet for coffee. What harm is there in talking… right?

And what’s ultimately more lethal: the prospect of Marcus facing what he’s done to his life and family… or the gangsters hunting his desperate ass down?

In either case, you can’t run forever. Will this be the day Marcus stops and faces Gina, the truth… and his fate?
Power-packed with raw emotion, Hard Bop is sure to resonate. Not just for criminals, but anyone with a family who’s felt the wounds of regret.