Amazing, filmed on locations in LA and Vegas in only 20 days, Swingers was produced for $250K and sold to Miramax for $5M! Good work if you can get it.
Swingers is a great example of going against the grain on screenwriting format: Act I starts in LA, moves to Vegas and then back to LA. Typical format "advice" would be to avoid this kind of repetition and compress the action by starting in Vegas and then moving to LA.
This was an amazing resume film including soon-to-be-doughboys John Favreau & Vince Vaughn, Ron Livingston (Office Space), Heather Graham, and director Doug Liman.
DID YOU KNOW…
Several iconic Hollywood locations were filmed or featured. One of those landmarks, Capital Records Tower, has a blinking red light on the roof. That blinking light spells out “Hollywood” in Morse Code and has done so since opening in 1956.
Other LA landmarks include The Dresden Room, Three Clubs, The Derby, where Big Bad Voodoo Daddy played every Wednesday as a house band, Canters…and the list goes on. Most of the filming was done guerrilla-style on this indie film.
As for Las Vegas, they didn’t have a casino location locked up until halfway thru the 20-day shooting schedule. The Stardust, demolished in 2007, was used for the outside shots. The Freemont for the inside shots. The “suit” playing blackjack at the table with the two hotties in red – that’s John’s daddy; the older lady in purple – John’s granny. Non-union no doubt.
The ’64 Comet convertible – that’s John’s car. He sold it; it was later resold again on Ebay. Notice the license plate (THX 138). This number references George Lucas’s license plate in American Graffiti which referenced Lucas’s earlier film, THX 138. Did you get that? Now that’s a whole hell of a lotta referencing for an old film that nobody saw. Sorry Georgie...
That 360-camera view at the table – props to Reservoir Dogs. And the steady-cam thru The Derby’s backdoor and kitchen…Good Fellas.
The apartment – John’s old complex. They carved those cartoon-sized earthquake cracks into the wall. John’s former landlord got a sweet cameo – the take-out delivery guy…and look where he is now.
Best Quote:
“You’re so money and you don’t even know it.” Trent Walker
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