10 Classic Movie Details You Never Noticed
5. Why Neil's Crew Meets Here - Heat
After thief Neil McCauley (Robert De Niro) realises that he and his crew are being watched by the LAPD, he meets up with them to discuss the matter and also decide whether or not to move forward with a proposed bank heist.
The scene takes place in front of an electrical substation, and honestly seems like a pretty standard, remote setting for a shady conversation like this to take place.
But there's actually a little more motivation behind the scenery - as filmmaker Michael Mann revealed in 2022's sequel novel Heat 2, McCauley deliberately chose an electrical substation because the high-voltage conductors would create enough RF interference to ensure that any listening devices placed on their vehicles would be rendered useless, allowing them to freely discuss the heist.
While it's possible that Mann simply came up with this idea in the 27 years between the movie's release and the sequel novel coming out, given how famously meticulous he is as a director, it's easy to believe this was always the intent.