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			{{Short description\|2009 American drama film}}
	{{Infobox film		{{Infobox film
	\| name = Middle Men		\| name = Middle Men
	\| image = Middle men poster.jpg		\| image = Middle men poster.jpg
	\| alt = Luke Wilson is pictured inside the outline of a woman. <!-- ] can be improved -->
	\| caption = Theatrical poster		\| caption = Theatrical poster
	\| director = ]		\| director = ]
	\| producer = ] <br />William Sherak <br />Jason Shuman <br />Michael Weiss		\| producer = Christopher Mallick <br />William Sherak <br />Jason Shuman <br />Michael Weiss
	\| writer = George Gallo <br />Andy Weiss		\| writer = George Gallo<br />Andy Weiss
	\| starring = ] <br />] <br />] <br />]		\| starring = ] <br />] <br />] <br />]
	\| music = ]		\| music = ]
	\| cinematography = Lukas Ettlin		\| cinematography = ]
	\| editing = ]		\| editing = Malcolm Campbell
	\| studio = Oxymoron Entertainment <br />Mallick Media		\| studio = Oxymoron Entertainment<br>Mallick Media<br>Blue Star Entertainment
	\| distributor = ]<ref>{{cite news\|url=~~http~~://www.cinemablend.com/new/Paramount-Picks-Up-Luke-Wilson-Indie-Middle-Men-17152.html\|title=Paramount Picks Up Luke Wilson Indie Middle Men\|last=Rich\|first=Katey\|date=2010-02-19\|work=]\|~~accessdate~~=19 November 2010}}</ref>		\| distributor = ] (through ]<ref>{{cite news\|url=https://www.cinemablend.com/new/Paramount-Picks-Up-Luke-Wilson-Indie-Middle-Men-17152.html\|title=Paramount Picks Up Luke Wilson Indie Middle Men\|last=Rich\|first=Katey\|date=2010-02-19\|work=Cinema Blend\|access-date=19 November 2010}}</ref>)
	\| released = {{Film date\|2009\|05\|17\|]\|2010\|08\|06\|United States}}		\| released = {{Film date\|2009\|05\|17\|]\|2010\|08\|06\|United States}}
	\| runtime = 105 minutes		\| runtime = 105 minutes
	\| country = ~~{{film~~ ~~US}}~~		\| country = United States
	\| language = English		\| language = English
	\| budget = $20 million<ref name="mojo" />		\| budget = $20 million<ref name="mojo" />
	\| gross = $754,301<ref name="mojo" /><ref name="the-numbers">{{cite web \| title = Middle Men - Box Office Data, Movie News, Cast Information \| ~~work~~ = The Numbers \| url = ~~http~~://www.the-numbers.com/movies/2010/MIDMN.php \| ~~accessdate~~ = 2010-09-16}}</ref>		\| gross = $754,301<ref name="mojo" /><ref name="the-numbers">{{cite web \| title = Middle Men - Box Office Data, Movie News, Cast Information \| publisher = The Numbers \| url = https://www.the-numbers.com/movies/2010/MIDMN.php \| access-date = 2010-09-16}}</ref>
	}}		}}
			'''''Middle Men''''' is a 2009 American ] directed by ] and written by Gallo and Andy Weiss. It stars ], ], ] and ].<ref name="men">{{cite news \|url= https://www.variety.com/article/VR1117992442.html \|author=Dave McNary\|title=Wilson, Ribisi to star in 'Middle Men' \|work=] \|date=September 18, 2008 \|access-date=April 1, 2009}}</ref> The movie is based on the experiences of Christopher Mallick, who was previously associated with the internet billing company Epoch and was the founder of ePassporte. Christopher Mallick has been accused of stealing millions of dollars from his customers at ePassporte to fund the creation of the film.<ref name="Details">{{cite news \|url= https://thefeature.net/post/3566789180/inside-hollywoods-greatest-vanity-project \|author=Sanjiv Bhattacharya\|title=Inside Hollywoods Greatest Vanity Project \|work=] \|date= 2011-03-01 \|access-date= 2011-03-01}}</ref><ref>{{cite web\|url=http://business.avn.com/articles/technology/After-Porn-Ends-Gets-Life-After-Porn-on-iTunes-477284.html \|title=AVN - 'After Porn Ends' Gets Life After Porn on iTunes \|publisher=Business.avn.com \|date=2012-05-30 \|access-date=2012-12-01}}</ref><ref>{{cite web\|url=http://krebsonsecurity.com/2010/09/following-the-money-epassporte-edition/ \|title=Following the Money, ePassporte Edition — Krebs on Security \|publisher=krebsonsecurity.com \|date=2010-09-15 \|access-date=2013-01-12}}</ref><ref>{{cite web\|url=http://business.avn.com/articles/technology/ePassporte-CEO-Issues-Statement-to-Calm-the-Masses-411613.html \|title=AVN - ePassporte CEO Issues Statement to Calm the Masses \|publisher=Business.avn.com \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141018202004/http://business.avn.com/articles/technology/ePassporte-CEO-Issues-Statement-to-Calm-the-Masses-411613.html \|access-date=2013-01-12\|archive-date=2014-10-18 }}</ref>
	'''''Middle Men''''' is a ] directed by ] and written by Gallo and Andy Weiss. It stars ], ], ] and ].<ref name="men">{{cite news \|url= http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117992442.html \|author=Dave McNary\|title=Wilson, Ribisi to star in 'Middle Men' \|publisher=] \|date= 2008-09-18 \|accessdate= 2009-04-01}}</ref>
	The film is based on the experiences of producer ].

	==Plot==		==Plot==
			In 2004 ], Jack Harris leaves home with several million dollars in a duffel bag, to pay Russian mobsters. Harris is worried about the safety of his wife Diana and their children.
	In 1995, straight-and-narrow businessman Jack Harris (]) who builds the first online billing company dealing exclusively with adult entertainment, finds himself in the middle of a whirlwind filled with starlets, con men, Russian mobsters, federal agents, and international terrorists. Caught between a porn star and the FBI, Harris learns that even becoming one of the wealthiest entrepreneurs of his generation may not be enough to keep him out of trouble.

			Flashback to 1997 in ], where Jack helps a sick friend managing a nightclub. Nearby, Wayne Beering and Buck Dolby are best friends renting together. The drug-addicted friends are watching porn movie reels when Wayne asks why there is no porn on the internet. Buck, a former ] scientist, takes 15 minutes to create a program to allow online credit card transactions to charge people for looking at dirty pictures on their website. They quickly earn thousands of dollars. Needing more porn content they approach Nikita Sokoloff, a Russian mob boss who owns a local ]; Sokoloff agrees to 25% of their business in return for letting them photograph and film his strippers.
	{{Expand section\|date=September 2010}}<!-- full including ending -->

			Within a month Buck and Wayne's website is hugely successful. They party in ] while neglecting payments to Sokoloff. Jack has made the LA nightclub a success and attracts the attention of Jerry Haggerty, a crooked lawyer hired by Wayne and Buck to sort out their problem with Sokoloff. Jack meets the friends and becomes a partner in the business, paying Haggerty $200,000 to get out, knowing Haggerty is under federal indictment and thus a threat to the business.

			Sokoloff's nephew comes to collect his $400,000 profit, but when he threatens to kill Jack's family, one of Jack's body guards punches him so hard that he falls dead. Jack and his partners dump the body in the ocean and fabricate a story that Sokoloff's nephew took the money and ran. Sokoloff is skeptical, but agrees to let it pass in return for an increase to 50% of the partnership.

			Jack expands the business by dropping their porn site and focusing on the online credit card billing services. They create a billing company called "24/7 billing.com", becoming the titular Middle Men for other internet-based porn providers. The billing business is making hundreds of millions of dollars within a year. Jack becomes addicted to the money, sex and power of his new L.A. lifestyle, spends little time with his Houston family and starts a relationship with porn star Audrey Dawns.

			Haggerty, bitter that Jack cut him out of a multimillion dollar partnership, schemes to take over the company. He easily manipulates the foolish Wayne and Buck to work with Denny Z, providing billing services for Denny's numerous ] websites.

			Audrey's live stream porn site is watched by an international web of terrorists, which the US Government uses to track and arrest or kill the terrorists. The FBI asks for Jack and Audrey's help to expand their terrorist hunt, but Wayne and Buck fear that Jack is meeting with the FBI to turn them in for the murder of Sokoloff's nephew and the child porn. The two confide in Haggerty about killing Sokoloff's nephew, which Haggerty uses to incite Sokoloff to make a move on Jack.

			Jack's life is further complicated when Sokoloff's men kidnap his maid's son, who they believe is Jack's son. Jack gathers up several million dollars and goes to meet Sokoloff, as seen at the start of the film.

			Jack is told that the boy will be released if he signs a contract giving his partnership share to Wayne, Buck, Sokoloff, and Haggerty. Jack signs the agreement but backdates it to before Denny Z's child porn business was added. Sokoloff shoots Haggerty dead but lets Jack go as thanks for all the money he has made him.

			Jack's FBI friend charges Sokoloff, Wayne and Buck with providing billing services for child porn. They turn states evidence against Denny Z for a reduced sentence. Sokoloff flees the country and is alleged to be in Moscow. Jack and the maid's son return home, where Diane welcomes Jack back into their family.

	==Cast==		==Cast==
			{{Cast listing\|
	* ] as Jack Harris		* ] as Jack Harris
	* ] as Wayne Beering		* ] as Wayne Beering
	* ] as Buck Dolby		* ] as Buck Dolby
	* ] as Jerry Haggerty		* ] as Jerry Haggerty
	* ] as Audrey Dawn
	* ] as Diana Harris		* ] as Diana Harris
	* ] as ~~Senator~~ ~~Frank~~ ~~Griffin~~		* ] as FBI Agent Curt Allmans
	* ] as ~~James~~		* ] as Audrey Dawns
	* ] as Curt Allmans
	* ] as Louie La La
	* ] as Nikita Sokoloff		* ] as Nikita Sokoloff
	* ] as ~~Herself~~		* ] as Cynthia
			* ] as James

			* ] as District Attorney Frank Griffin
	{{Anchor\|Music}}
			* ] as Morgan

			}}
	==Soundtrack==

	<!-- http://www.amazon.com/Middle-Original-Motion-Picture-Soundtrack/dp/B003SS5M8Q -->
	<!-- See ] if you want to improve the formatting of this section -->
	# Who Do You Love – George Thorogood
	# You Make My Dreams – Hall & Oates
	# Honey – Moby
	# Sympathy For The Devil – The Rolling Stones
	# How Bizarre – OMC
	# Oye Como Va – Tito Puente
	# Buona Sera – Louis Prima
	# Sweet Dreams – Patsy Cline
	# Everybody Wants to Rule The World – Tears for Fears
	# Freeze Frame – J. Geils Band
	# Body Rock – Moby
	# You Can’t Always Get What You Want – The Rolling Stones
	# The Way You Move – Outkast (featuring Sleepy Brown)
	# California Love (Remix) – 2Pac (featuring Dr. Dre & Roger Troutman)
	# 24-7 – Brian Tyler
	# Middle Men Suite – Brian Tyler
	# Hypnotize - Notorious B.I.G.
	# Tubthumping - Chumbawumba

	==Release==		==Release==
	''Middle Men'' was released on August 6, 2010.		''Middle Men'' was released on August 6, 2010.

	The first official theatrical trailer for the film was released on June 16, 2010.<ref>{{cite web\|url=http://thefilmstage.com/2010/06/16/george-gallos-middle-men-trailer-chronicles-the-birth-of-internet-porn/\|title=Middle Men Full Trailer\|~~work~~=\|~~accessdate~~=June 16, 2010\|date=June 16, 2010}}</ref>		The first official theatrical trailer for the film was released on June 16, 2010.<ref>{{cite web \|url=http://thefilmstage.com/2010/06/16/george-gallos-middle-men-trailer-chronicles-the-birth-of-internet-porn/ \|title=Middle Men Full Trailer \|publisher=The Film Stage \|access-date=June 16, 2010 \|date=June 16, 2010 \|url-status=dead \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100617191308/http://thefilmstage.com/2010/06/16/george-gallos-middle-men-trailer-chronicles-the-birth-of-internet-porn/ \|archive-date=June 17, 2010 }}</ref>

	A red band trailer was released on July 10, 2010.		A red band trailer was released on July 10, 2010.

	A long take sequence taking place at an orgy was cut from the film. The scene's inclusion would have pushed the film from an R rating to an NC17 rating. The scene was subsequently leaked to adult video clip website ].<ref>{{cite web\|~~url~~= ~~http~~://www.tmz.com/2010/07/23/luke-wilson-porn-movie-middle-men-deleted-scene-orgy-nc-17/ \|title= Luke Wilson's New Movie -- Deleted Orgy Scene\|date=July 23, 2010}}</ref> It was subsequently included on the home-video release.		A long take sequence taking place at an orgy was cut from the film. The scene's inclusion would have pushed the film from an R rating to an NC17 rating. The scene was subsequently leaked to adult video clip website ].<ref>{{cite web \|author=TMZ Staff \|url=https://www.tmz.com/2010/07/23/luke-wilson-porn-movie-middle-men-deleted-scene-orgy-nc-17/ \|title=Luke Wilson's New Movie -- Deleted Orgy Scene \|publisher=] \|date=July 23, 2010}}</ref> It was subsequently included on the home-video release.

	==Home Media==
	''Middle Men'' will be released February 8, 2011.

	==Reception==		==Reception==
			{{Anchor\|Critics\|Critical response}}
	The film received mixed reviews.
			The film received mixed reviews.
	] gives the film a score of 41% based on 46 reviews. The site consensus is "Middle Men benefits from a solid cast, particularly Luke Wilson, but its muddled script lets them down".<ref>{{cite web
			{{Rotten Tomatoes prose\|40\|5.6\|52\|''Middle Men'' benefits from a solid cast, particularly Luke Wilson, but its muddled script lets them down.}}<ref>{{cite web
	\| title = Middle Men (2010)
			\| title = Middle Men
	\| url = http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/middle_men/
			\| url = https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/middle_men/
	\| work = ]
	\| publisher = ]		\| publisher = ]
			\| access-date = January 25, 2024
	}}		}}
	</ref>		</ref>
	~~] gives the~~ film ~~a weighted average score of~~ 60~~% based on reviews from~~ 20 ~~critics.~~<ref>{{cite web		{{Metacritic film prose\|60\|20}}<ref>{{cite web
	\| title = Middle Men		\| title = Middle Men
	\| url = ~~http~~://www.metacritic.com/movie/middle-men		\| url = https://www.metacritic.com/movie/middle-men
	\| ~~work~~ = ]		\| publisher = ]
			\| access-date = January 25, 2024
	\| publisher = ]
	}}		}}
	</ref>		</ref>

			{{Anchor\|Box Office}}
	The film grossed only $733,000 at the box office during its three-week run. The budget was $20 million.<ref name="mojo">{{cite web
			The film grossed only $754,301 at the box office during its three-week run.<ref>{{cite web \| url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt1251757/ \| title=Middle Men }}</ref> The budget was $20 million.<ref name="mojo">{{cite web
	\| title = Middle Men		\| title = Middle Men
	\| url = ~~http~~://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=middlemen.htm		\| url = https://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=middlemen.htm
	\| ~~work~~ = ]		\| publisher = ]
			\| access-date = May 2, 2015
	\| publisher = ]
	\| accessdate =
	}}		}}
	</ref>		</ref>

	== ~~References~~ ==		==Home media==
			''Middle Men'' was released on Blu-ray and DVD on February 8, 2011.

			{{Anchor\|Music}}

			==Music==
			{{Anchor\|Soundtrack\|Score}}
			Two soundtrack albums were released, both on August 3, 2010: ''Middle Men: Original Motion Picture Score'', composed by ], and ''Middle Men: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack'', collecting songs used in the film.
			;Score
			{{Track listing
			\| all_writing = ]
			\| total_length =
			\| title1 = My Name Is Jack Harris
			\| length1 = 1:46
			\| title2 = Middle Men
			\| length2 = 2:21
			\| title3 = Tightrope
			\| length3 = 2:42
			\| title4 = Wayne And Buck
			\| length4 = 2:09
			\| title5 = Broken
			\| length5 = 4:07
			\| title6 = Down The Rabbit Hole
			\| length6 = 2:47
			\| title7 = Boat Ride
			\| length7 = 2:23
			\| title8 = Back To LA
			\| length8 = 1:42
			\| title9 = Aimless Electricity Upon Touching
			\| length9 = 4:30
			\| title10 = Paranoia
			\| length10 = 2:11
			\| title11 = Friendly Warning
			\| length11 = 3:22
			\| title12 = Guilt
			\| length12 = 3:29
			\| title13 = Trouble
			\| length13 = 1:57
			\| title14 = FBI
			\| length14 = 2:55
			\| title15 = Alejandro
			\| length15 = 2:30
			\| title16 = Full Circle
			\| length16 = 2:36
			\| title17 = Middle Men Finale
			\| length17 = 3:07
			}}
			;Soundtrack
			{{Track listing
			\| extra_column = Artist(s)
			\| total_length =
			\| title1 = ]
			\| note1 = cover of Bo Diddley, 1956; released 1978
			\| writer1 = ]
			\| extra1 = ]
			\| length1 = 4:20
			\| title2 = ]
			\| note2 = 1981
			\| writer2 = Sara Allen, ], ]
			\| extra2 = ]
			\| length2 = 3:10
			\| title3 = ]
			\| note3 = 1998
			\| writer3 = Moby, ]
			\| extra3 = ]
			\| length3 = 3:28
			\| title4 = ]
			\| note4 = 1968
			\| writer4 = ]
			\| extra4 = ]
			\| length4 = 6:17
			\| title5 = ]
			\| note5 = 1995
			\| writer5 = Alan Jansson, ]
			\| extra5 = ]
			\| length5 = 3:44
			\| title6 = ]
			\| note6 = 1963
			\| writer6 = Puente
			\| extra6 = ]
			\| length6 = 5:49
			\| title7 = Buona Sera
			\| note7 = 1956
			\| writer7 = ], ]
			\| extra7 = ]
			\| length7 = 3:00
			\| title8 = ]
			\| note8 = cover of Don Gibson, 1956; released 1963
			\| writer8 = ]
			\| extra8 = ]
			\| length8 = 2:33
			\| title9 = ]
			\| note9 = 1985
			\| writer9 = ], ], ]
			\| extra9 = ]
			\| length9 = 4:09
			\| title10 = ]
			\| note10 = 1982
			\| writer10 = ], ]
			\| extra10 = ]
			\| length10 = 3:56
			\| title11 = ]
			\| note11 = 1999
			\| writer11 = Moby
			\| extra11 = Moby
			\| length11 = 3:35
			\| title12 = ]
			\| note12 = 1969
			\| writer12 = Jagger/Richards
			\| extra12 = The Rolling Stones
			\| length12 = 7:28
			\| title13 = ]
			\| note13 = 2003
			\| writer13 = ], Carl-Mo, Sleepy Brown
			\| extra13 = ] (featuring ])
			\| length13 = 3:54
			\| title14 = ] (Remix)
			\| note14 = 1995
			\| writer14 = ], ], Mikel Hooks, Ronald Hudson, ], Larry Troutman, Roger Troutman
			\| extra14 = ] (featuring ] & ])
			\| length14 = 6:23
			\| title15 = 24-7
			\| writer15 = Tyler
			\| extra15 = ]
			\| length15 = 5:58
			\| title16 = Middle Men Suite
			\| writer16 = Tyler
			\| extra16 = Brian Tyler
			\| length16 = 5:56
			}}

			==References==
	{{Reflist}}		{{Reflist}}

	==External links==		==External links==
			<!-- See ] Try to add links as inline references instead -->
	* {{Official website\|http://www.middlemenmovie.com}}
			* {{Official website\|https://web.archive.org/web/20180324011608/http://www.middlemenmovie.com/}}
	* {{IMDb title\|1251757\|Middle Men}}		* {{IMDb title\|1251757\|Middle Men}}
	* {{Allmovie title\|494419\|Middle Men}}
	* {{Mojo title\|middlemen\|Middle Men}}		* {{Mojo title\|middlemen\|Middle Men}}
	* {{rotten-tomatoes\|middle_men\|Middle Men}}		* {{rotten-tomatoes\|middle_men\|Middle Men}}
	* {{~~Tcmdb~~ title\|738251\|Middle Men}}		* {{TCMDb title\|738251\|Middle Men}}

	<!-- See ] Try to add links as inline references instead -->
	* Forbes article on adult industry: {{cite web \| title = Middlemen \| url = http://www.forbes.com/forbes/2001/0917/068_print.html \| date = 2001-09-17 \|author = Seth Lubove \| work = Forbes Magazine \| archiveurl = http://web.archive.org/web/20020306212610/http://www.forbes.com/forbes/2001/0917/068_print.html \| archivedate = 2002-03-06 }}

	{{George Gallo}}		{{George Gallo}}
			{{Authority control}}

	{{DEFAULTSORT:Middle Men}}		{{DEFAULTSORT:Middle Men}}
			]
	]		]
	]		]
	]		]
			]

			]
	]
			]
			]
			]
			]
			]
			]
			]
			]
			]
			]

Latest revision as of 02:16, 22 December 2024

2009 American drama film

Middle Men
Theatrical poster
Directed by	George Gallo
Written by	George Gallo Andy Weiss
Produced by	Christopher Mallick William Sherak Jason Shuman Michael Weiss
Starring	Luke Wilson Giovanni Ribisi Gabriel Macht James Caan
Cinematography	Lukas Ettlin
Edited by	Malcolm Campbell
Music by	Brian Tyler
Production companies	Oxymoron Entertainment Mallick Media Blue Star Entertainment
Distributed by	Paramount Pictures (through Paramount Vantage)
Release dates	May 17, 2009 (2009-05-17) (Cannes) August 6, 2010 (2010-08-06) (United States)
Running time	105 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$20 million
Box office	$754,301

Middle Men is a 2009 American drama film directed by George Gallo and written by Gallo and Andy Weiss. It stars Luke Wilson, Giovanni Ribisi, Gabriel Macht and James Caan. The movie is based on the experiences of Christopher Mallick, who was previously associated with the internet billing company Epoch and was the founder of ePassporte. Christopher Mallick has been accused of stealing millions of dollars from his customers at ePassporte to fund the creation of the film.

Plot

In 2004 Houston, Jack Harris leaves home with several million dollars in a duffel bag, to pay Russian mobsters. Harris is worried about the safety of his wife Diana and their children.

Flashback to 1997 in Los Angeles, where Jack helps a sick friend managing a nightclub. Nearby, Wayne Beering and Buck Dolby are best friends renting together. The drug-addicted friends are watching porn movie reels when Wayne asks why there is no porn on the internet. Buck, a former NASA scientist, takes 15 minutes to create a program to allow online credit card transactions to charge people for looking at dirty pictures on their website. They quickly earn thousands of dollars. Needing more porn content they approach Nikita Sokoloff, a Russian mob boss who owns a local strip club; Sokoloff agrees to 25% of their business in return for letting them photograph and film his strippers.

Within a month Buck and Wayne's website is hugely successful. They party in Las Vegas while neglecting payments to Sokoloff. Jack has made the LA nightclub a success and attracts the attention of Jerry Haggerty, a crooked lawyer hired by Wayne and Buck to sort out their problem with Sokoloff. Jack meets the friends and becomes a partner in the business, paying Haggerty $200,000 to get out, knowing Haggerty is under federal indictment and thus a threat to the business.

Sokoloff's nephew comes to collect his $400,000 profit, but when he threatens to kill Jack's family, one of Jack's body guards punches him so hard that he falls dead. Jack and his partners dump the body in the ocean and fabricate a story that Sokoloff's nephew took the money and ran. Sokoloff is skeptical, but agrees to let it pass in return for an increase to 50% of the partnership.

Jack expands the business by dropping their porn site and focusing on the online credit card billing services. They create a billing company called "24/7 billing.com", becoming the titular Middle Men for other internet-based porn providers. The billing business is making hundreds of millions of dollars within a year. Jack becomes addicted to the money, sex and power of his new L.A. lifestyle, spends little time with his Houston family and starts a relationship with porn star Audrey Dawns.

Haggerty, bitter that Jack cut him out of a multimillion dollar partnership, schemes to take over the company. He easily manipulates the foolish Wayne and Buck to work with Denny Z, providing billing services for Denny's numerous child pornography websites.

Audrey's live stream porn site is watched by an international web of terrorists, which the US Government uses to track and arrest or kill the terrorists. The FBI asks for Jack and Audrey's help to expand their terrorist hunt, but Wayne and Buck fear that Jack is meeting with the FBI to turn them in for the murder of Sokoloff's nephew and the child porn. The two confide in Haggerty about killing Sokoloff's nephew, which Haggerty uses to incite Sokoloff to make a move on Jack.

Jack's life is further complicated when Sokoloff's men kidnap his maid's son, who they believe is Jack's son. Jack gathers up several million dollars and goes to meet Sokoloff, as seen at the start of the film.

Jack is told that the boy will be released if he signs a contract giving his partnership share to Wayne, Buck, Sokoloff, and Haggerty. Jack signs the agreement but backdates it to before Denny Z's child porn business was added. Sokoloff shoots Haggerty dead but lets Jack go as thanks for all the money he has made him.

Jack's FBI friend charges Sokoloff, Wayne and Buck with providing billing services for child porn. They turn states evidence against Denny Z for a reduced sentence. Sokoloff flees the country and is alleged to be in Moscow. Jack and the maid's son return home, where Diane welcomes Jack back into their family.

Cast

Luke Wilson as Jack Harris
Giovanni Ribisi as Wayne Beering
Gabriel Macht as Buck Dolby
James Caan as Jerry Haggerty
Jacinda Barrett as Diana Harris
Kevin Pollak as FBI Agent Curt Allmans
Laura Ramsey as Audrey Dawns
Rade Šerbedžija as Nikita Sokoloff
Claudia Jordan as Cynthia
Terry Crews as James
Kelsey Grammer as District Attorney Frank Griffin
John Ashton as Morgan

Release

Middle Men was released on August 6, 2010.

The first official theatrical trailer for the film was released on June 16, 2010.

A red band trailer was released on July 10, 2010.

A long take sequence taking place at an orgy was cut from the film. The scene's inclusion would have pushed the film from an R rating to an NC17 rating. The scene was subsequently leaked to adult video clip website Pornhub. It was subsequently included on the home-video release.

Reception

The film received mixed reviews. On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 40% of 52 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 5.6/10. The website's consensus reads: "Middle Men benefits from a solid cast, particularly Luke Wilson, but its muddled script lets them down." Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 60 out of 100, based on 20 critics, indicating "mixed or average" reviews.

The film grossed only $754,301 at the box office during its three-week run. The budget was $20 million.

Home media

Middle Men was released on Blu-ray and DVD on February 8, 2011.

Music

Two soundtrack albums were released, both on August 3, 2010: Middle Men: Original Motion Picture Score, composed by Brian Tyler, and Middle Men: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack, collecting songs used in the film.

Score

All tracks are written by Brian Tyler

No.	Title	Length
1.	"My Name Is Jack Harris"	1:46
2.	"Middle Men"	2:21
3.	"Tightrope"	2:42
4.	"Wayne And Buck"	2:09
5.	"Broken"	4:07
6.	"Down The Rabbit Hole"	2:47
7.	"Boat Ride"	2:23
8.	"Back To LA"	1:42
9.	"Aimless Electricity Upon Touching"	4:30
10.	"Paranoia"	2:11
11.	"Friendly Warning"	3:22
12.	"Guilt"	3:29
13.	"Trouble"	1:57
14.	"FBI"	2:55
15.	"Alejandro"	2:30
16.	"Full Circle"	2:36
17.	"Middle Men Finale"	3:07

Soundtrack

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Artist(s)	Length
1.	"Who Do You Love?" (cover of Bo Diddley, 1956; released 1978)	Ellas McDaniel	George Thorogood	4:20
2.	"You Make My Dreams" (1981)	Sara Allen, Daryl Hall, John Oates	Hall & Oates	3:10
3.	"Honey" (1998)	Moby, Bessie Jones	Moby	3:28
4.	"Sympathy for the Devil" (1968)	Jagger/Richards	The Rolling Stones	6:17
5.	"How Bizarre" (1995)	Alan Jansson, Pauly Fuemana	OMC	3:44
6.	"Oye Como Va" (1963)	Puente	Tito Puente	5:49
7.	"Buona Sera" (1956)	Carl Sigman, Peter DeRose	Louis Prima	3:00
8.	"Sweet Dreams (of You)" (cover of Don Gibson, 1956; released 1963)	Don Gibson	Patsy Cline	2:33
9.	"Everybody Wants to Rule the World" (1985)	Roland Orzabal, Ian Stanley, Chris Hughes	Tears for Fears	4:09
10.	"Freeze Frame" (1982)	Seth Justman, Peter Wolf	J. Geils Band	3:56
11.	"Bodyrock" (1999)	Moby	Moby	3:35
12.	"You Can't Always Get What You Want" (1969)	Jagger/Richards	The Rolling Stones	7:28
13.	"The Way You Move" (2003)	Big Boi, Carl-Mo, Sleepy Brown	Outkast (featuring Sleepy Brown)	3:54
14.	"California Love (Remix)" (1995)	Joe Cocker, Woodrow Cunningham, Norman Durham, Mikel Hooks, Ronald Hudson, Christopher Stainton, Larry Troutman, Roger Troutman	2Pac (featuring Dr. Dre & Roger Troutman)	6:23
15.	"24-7"	Tyler	Brian Tyler	5:58
16.	"Middle Men Suite"	Tyler	Brian Tyler	5:56

References

Rich, Katey (2010-02-19). "Paramount Picks Up Luke Wilson Indie Middle Men". Cinema Blend. Retrieved 19 November 2010.
^ "Middle Men". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved May 2, 2015.
"Middle Men - Box Office Data, Movie News, Cast Information". The Numbers. Retrieved 2010-09-16.
Dave McNary (September 18, 2008). "Wilson, Ribisi to star in 'Middle Men'". Variety. Retrieved April 1, 2009.
Sanjiv Bhattacharya (2011-03-01). "Inside Hollywoods Greatest Vanity Project". Details. Retrieved 2011-03-01.
"AVN - 'After Porn Ends' Gets Life After Porn on iTunes". Business.avn.com. 2012-05-30. Retrieved 2012-12-01.
"Following the Money, ePassporte Edition — Krebs on Security". krebsonsecurity.com. 2010-09-15. Retrieved 2013-01-12.
"AVN - ePassporte CEO Issues Statement to Calm the Masses". Business.avn.com. Archived from the original on 2014-10-18. Retrieved 2013-01-12.
"Middle Men Full Trailer". The Film Stage. June 16, 2010. Archived from the original on June 17, 2010. Retrieved June 16, 2010.
TMZ Staff (July 23, 2010). "Luke Wilson's New Movie -- Deleted Orgy Scene". TMZ.
"Middle Men". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved January 25, 2024.
"Middle Men". Metacritic. Retrieved January 25, 2024.
"Middle Men".

External links

v t e Films directed by George Gallo
29th Street (1991) Trapped in Paradise (1994) Double Take (2001) Dysfunktional Family (2003) Local Color (2006) My Mom's New Boyfriend (2008) Middle Men (2009) Columbus Circle (2012) Bigger (2018) The Poison Rose (2019) The Comeback Trail (2020) Vanquish (2021) The Ritual Killer (2023)

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