-- Synopsis; more about Death Sentence --

When John Hume’s (Bacon) son is killed by a group of gang-bangers his life is torn apart. His one salve is that the killer was caught at the crime scene, but when the justice department offers up 6 months in prison as retribution, he knows there must be something better, something that will allow his family to move on. Surprising himself, he retracts his testimony as the lone witness, essentially killing the case, and begins to look for another means for justice. It comes to him in the form of violence, which simultaneously gives him the relief he’s looking for and puts his family on a path towards death, as the rest of the gang comes looking for their revenge.

-- Trivia; tidbits about Death Sentence --

Based on the book, “Death Sentence” – the direct sequel novel to “Death Wish”, which itself was made into the movie Death Wish (1974) starring Charles Bronson. The Bronson movie spawned four sequel movies, none of which were influenced by the novel series. The author, Brian Garfield has disliked and does not care for each of the sequels, due to how it departs from his original character and theme in the books.

Garrett Hedlund shaved his head for his role in this movie.

Originally, the film was to take place in Boston, Massachusetts before the director decided to have the film set in Columbia, South Carolina. The novel, completely different from the movie, took place in Chicago, Illinois.

The television at the end of the film has the letters “COULD U” instead of a brand name.

When Nick puts the gun to the head of one of Bill Harley’s men, he asks the man where he is. The man says “Stygian Street”. Stygian (2000) is the title of one of James Wan’s student films. Stygian Street is also the name of the street of Jigsaw’s first lair in Saw (2004), another Wan film. “Stygian” usually refers to the River Styx (near Hades, the underworld).

Originally, Aisha Tyler’s character as the detective was conceived to be a 50 year old veteran male detective.

The courtroom in which the pre-trial hearing takes place is not actually a trial court. It is actually the South Carolina Court of Appeals; no pre-trial hearing or trials actually take place there.

Judith Roberts who plays Judge Shaw in this film is also cast in another James Wan ’s film Dead Silence (2007) as Mary Shaw. Coincidentally, the Kevin Bacon film Tremors (1990) had the working title “Dead Silence.”

Leigh Whannell has been involved in everyone of James Wan’s films. This movie he plays Spink, one of the members of Billy Darley’s gang. Leigh had also co-wrote and starred in Saw (2004) and co-wrote Dead Silence (2007).

-- Goofs; can you see the goofs for Death Sentence --

Miscellaneous: In the rooftop garage sequence, when the Ford is seen rolling backwards (in theory on it’s own steam in neutral since the engine’s off) alternating cuts/shots show the reverse lights clearly engaged and then not engaged.

Continuity: When Nick is eating the sandwich in his office, at one point, the position of the sandwich changes between shots.

Crew or equipment visible: At the end of the multilevel car garage scene, when Nicholas gets in his car and turns the first corner, the camera mounted vehicle can be seen following him in a reflection on the rear of his car.

Continuity: At the end of the parking garage scene, the white bumper of an impacted car is seen resting on the undercarriage of the Ford Taurus. In the next shot, it isn’t there. It reappears in the later, evening shot of the same thing, when detective Wallis is surveying the scene.

Factual errors: When Nick puts the red Ford into gear, he does so without the key (it’s not his car). Modern cars cannot be put in gear without a key AND a foot on the brake.

Factual errors: When Nick takes his newly bought guns home and is checking them out and loading them, he spins the open cylinder of his revolver (Colt Python or look alike). A ratcheting noise is heard. The open cylinder of a Colt spins silently.

Continuity: At the funeral home, Billy pulls $200 in flat bills from Nick’s wallet and immediately throws the money (across the room) at the funeral director. The bills that hit the funeral director have been crumpled into balls.

Factual errors: In the scene where the police are outside of the house before they kill the mother, the Seal on the police vehicle is for the State of Califorina, but the vehicle is that of the South Carolina Highway Patrol.

Continuity: During the running gun battle in “the office”, Nick (while still wielding the shotgun), cocks the same pistol at least two different times before he ever uses it.

Factual errors: Several areas of the movie indicate it takes place in California (police car logo, police phone number with 310 area code); however, none of the cars have front license plates which is a state requirement in California.

Revealing mistakes: In the scene where the gang is in the funeral home and the lead gang member flips through the wallet, you can see that there is the letter “F” (for female) for Nick’s sex identification on his ID.

Crew or equipment visible: In the rooftop garage sequence, when the Ford has started to roll backwards, you can clearly see in two shots a camera man is sitting in the back seat of the Ford with a camera.

Revealing mistakes: In the bar scene, Billy shows the paper with Nick’s and his sons pictures in an article that’s obviously devoted to them. The text in the article surrounding their pictures is talking about astronomy and comets.

Continuity: In the rooftop garage scene right before the Ford goes over the rail the shot in the parking lot reveals that the silver van in parked in the parking spot marked 14 – two spots away from the building. However, when the Ford goes over the rail and impacts the van is in the parking spot marked 12 – 4 spots away from the building.

Continuity: In the rooftop garage scene when Nick runs to his car he passes the windshield of the Ford lying on the ground behind a black car. Immediately after that on the left side after the black car there is an empty parking spot then a gray car, white car and a burgundy car. After he gets in his car backs up and turns around the position of the windshield has moved, the white car is gone and there are now 2 empty parking spots.

Factual errors: Toward the end of the shootout in the “Office” chapel, Nick’s handgun runs out of ammo and the slide is locked open. He continues to pull the trigger and the gun makes 2 clicking sounds. In reality, once a semi-automatic handgun is empty and the slide is locked open, the trigger is no longer cocked and cannot be pulled.

Revealing mistakes: In the bar scene, Heco’s glass is empty when he is actually pretending to drink from it.

Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): When Nick is in the drug store, he buys bandages and a bottle of aspirin. He pops a couple of aspirin and proceeds to re-bandage his hand. Nick is presumably a well-educated man and should know that aspirin is a blood-thinner and should not be taken by someone who is bleeding.

Continuity: Nick asks the barman where Billy is, he refuses to tell him and Nick bangs his head down on the bar. Then, the man in the seat next to him gets up and Nick hits him. When he hits him, his hat comes off. In the next shot, it’s back on his head again.

Plot holes: The prosecutor states that there was only one witness to the crime, Nick Hume. However, he failed to mention the person who hit Darly with his car.

-- Quotes; relive your favorites quotes for Death Sentence --

Bones Darly: Well, what are we fucking up tonight son?
Billy Darly: What the fuck do you want now?
Bones Darly: Well it looks like you’re in a fucking hurry. Do you know how much I gotta wipe your fucking nose? I gotta get some fortune 500 faggot off my back by telling him that he can fucking have you. Do you think I enjoy that? What you don’t get is that I care about what happens to you, because it can fucking hurt me. Now do you need any more fucking instructions?
[Billy shoots Bones through the eye]
Billy Darly: No thanks, dad. I’m taking the car

Billy Darly: Will somebody fucking tell me what the fuck is going on?
Bodie: You hear? Joe, dude. Somebody stuck him. He’s dead.
Billy Darly: What? You’re lying.
Bodie: He’s gone.
[after interrupting the gang giving a toast to Joe]
Billy Darly: So that’s what we’re going to do? Why don’t you show a little fucking respect at least.
[pours beer on ground]
Billy Darly: That is why you guys are nothing. That is why you’re a bunch of fucking punks, because you would rather drink up and toke yourselves fucking witless. Witless and scared shitless!
Bodie: Joe just wasn’t made for this shit, that’s all. He wasn’t like us.
Billy Darly: No, wasn’t like you, you mean. He was not like you. He was better than you!
Bodie: We as good as brothers since we was kids, and you fucking go this way. What, I’m not as good as you know? Joe was like blood to me, dawg. As good as fucking blood. You too.

Nicholas “Nick” Hume: Where are you, you bastard?
Billy Darly: You want to send me a reward for finding that wallet of yours?
Nicholas “Nick” Hume: You tell me where the fuck you are, right now!
Billy Darly: No, I’ll tell you where the fuck you are. You’re in my end of the fucking sewer, buddy. I say who lives. I say who dies. Now you better get that through your fucking skull, because there’s no more warnings. I’m coming for some fucking family time.
Nicholas “Nick” Hume: No. You listen to me. You go near my family, and I will cut out your goddamn guts like I did your fucking friend. Do you hear me?
Billy Darly: He wasn’t my friend. He was my brother. And now I’m coming for the rest of your family. You just bought them a death sentence, motherfucker.

Billy Darly: [to Joe, referring to Brendan] That’s your guy! Do this, or you’re not one of us! Do it! You can do this.
[Joe slices Brendan's throat open]
Billy Darly: That’s my boy.

Bodie: Where’s Joe?
Billy Darly: He’s a man now. He can take the subway!

Heco: Billy! That fucker didn’t die Billy! That fucker didn’t die!
Billy Darly: What the fuck are you talking about?
Heco: He said you’re sentenced.
Billy Darly: So what?
Nicholas “Nick” Hume: So this, motherfucker.
Billy Darly: Look at you. You look like one of us. Look what I made you.