...So you're watching the trailer, shaking your head and wondering how the hell that movie ever got made. Well, here's the answer to how Hollywood greenlights some of the most atrocious, god-awful, on-the-nose, spew-bile for your $12 viewing pleasure.
Superstorm: The Worst Leonardo DiCaprio Movie Never Made Fast Company
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Friday, April 10, 2009
My Cousin Vinny
1992’s My Cousin Vinny is widely regarded as a cinematic treasure and one of the top ten films of all time – well maybe not but it’s pretty funny.
On the surface this film is a “fish out of water” comedy where two kids from Brooklyn get swept up as murder suspects while driving thru the deep-south. After stopping at the ‘ol “Sack of Suds” convenience store, the clerk is killed and the kids were the last ones witnessed at the scene of the crime - case closed, right? So bring in Cousin Vinny, a car mechanic turned night student turned new lawyer “of almost 6 weeks” and the story begins.
My Cousin Vinny was actually intended and cleverly written to raise questions on capital punishment and class system in the American judicial system. As you might recall, there really is no antagonist character – not the prosecutor, sheriff, judge or eye witnesses – they’re all basically good people trying to do the right thing.
The film’s antagonist is the judicial system itself where well-intentioned people make mistakes. And in this case, those mistakes might send two innocent kids, Billy and Stan, to the electric chair. That is unless newly minted lawyer, Vinny Gambini, Esq., can pull a rabbit out of his hat. And he does with the help of Ms. “Oh ya, you blend” Mona Lisa Vito.
OTHER KOOKY FACTS…
If we know one thing and one thing only it’s that everyone in Hollywood is a genius – nobody but nobody wanted to direct this great low-budget film. Finally, Jonathan Lynn, an English lawyer/director signed on.
Fred Gwynne was not exactly the top choice to play Judge Haller – too typecast as Herman Munster. But Director Lynn, from England, didn’t know The Munsters and cast him for this classic role.
“Did You Say Yutes?” This classic line resulted from a pre-production meeting between Joe Pesci (New Yorker) and Director Jonathan Lynn (Brit). Pesci kept calling the kids “yutes” and Lynn had no clue what the hell Pesci was saying…”These two yutes” & “Did you say yutes” were written into the script from that meeting.
All-Time Greatest Opening Statement: “Everything that guy just said is BS!”
On the surface this film is a “fish out of water” comedy where two kids from Brooklyn get swept up as murder suspects while driving thru the deep-south. After stopping at the ‘ol “Sack of Suds” convenience store, the clerk is killed and the kids were the last ones witnessed at the scene of the crime - case closed, right? So bring in Cousin Vinny, a car mechanic turned night student turned new lawyer “of almost 6 weeks” and the story begins.
My Cousin Vinny was actually intended and cleverly written to raise questions on capital punishment and class system in the American judicial system. As you might recall, there really is no antagonist character – not the prosecutor, sheriff, judge or eye witnesses – they’re all basically good people trying to do the right thing.
The film’s antagonist is the judicial system itself where well-intentioned people make mistakes. And in this case, those mistakes might send two innocent kids, Billy and Stan, to the electric chair. That is unless newly minted lawyer, Vinny Gambini, Esq., can pull a rabbit out of his hat. And he does with the help of Ms. “Oh ya, you blend” Mona Lisa Vito.
OTHER KOOKY FACTS…
If we know one thing and one thing only it’s that everyone in Hollywood is a genius – nobody but nobody wanted to direct this great low-budget film. Finally, Jonathan Lynn, an English lawyer/director signed on.
Fred Gwynne was not exactly the top choice to play Judge Haller – too typecast as Herman Munster. But Director Lynn, from England, didn’t know The Munsters and cast him for this classic role.
“Did You Say Yutes?” This classic line resulted from a pre-production meeting between Joe Pesci (New Yorker) and Director Jonathan Lynn (Brit). Pesci kept calling the kids “yutes” and Lynn had no clue what the hell Pesci was saying…”These two yutes” & “Did you say yutes” were written into the script from that meeting.
All-Time Greatest Opening Statement: “Everything that guy just said is BS!”
Sunday, April 5, 2009
Fight Club
1999’s Fight Club, combines black comedy, satire, drama, action and psychological thriller genres in a fuel-injected red-sticky-snowball of sick, toxic joy. The Venice screening was not quite prepared for Fight Club and the film got panned initially.
DID YOU KNOW…
Author, Chuck Palahniuk, wrote the novel, Fight Club, after getting into a vicious fist fight on a camping trip. He came home and went to work with his face bashed in…and nobody asked any questions, ignored the damage and moved on. The premise of what goes on in peoples’ private lives spurred the book’s idea.
Where did the name “Tyler Durden” come from? Tyler was from an old Walt Disney story – Tyler Goes to the Circus. Durden was the name of Palahniuk’s former co-worker fired for sexual harassment.
Did you catch the subliminal glimpses of Tyler Durden in Act I? We see a one-frame shot of Tyler Durden, Jack’s alter-ego, first in the office scene by the copier, next at the doctor’s office and then again at the gymnasium support group meeting. We finally meet Tyler at the airport on the moving sidewalk.
Also, when Jack is at the hotel watching TV – he watches the hotel’s welcome channel. The screen shows hotel workers. You’ll quickly see Tyler Durden in the front row, far right.
Where did Jack’s support group made-up names (Travis, Rupert, and Cornelius) come from? They used a combination of Robert De Niro characters from the 1970’s and Planet of the Apes – go figure.
DID YOU KNOW…
Author, Chuck Palahniuk, wrote the novel, Fight Club, after getting into a vicious fist fight on a camping trip. He came home and went to work with his face bashed in…and nobody asked any questions, ignored the damage and moved on. The premise of what goes on in peoples’ private lives spurred the book’s idea.
Where did the name “Tyler Durden” come from? Tyler was from an old Walt Disney story – Tyler Goes to the Circus. Durden was the name of Palahniuk’s former co-worker fired for sexual harassment.
Did you catch the subliminal glimpses of Tyler Durden in Act I? We see a one-frame shot of Tyler Durden, Jack’s alter-ego, first in the office scene by the copier, next at the doctor’s office and then again at the gymnasium support group meeting. We finally meet Tyler at the airport on the moving sidewalk.
Also, when Jack is at the hotel watching TV – he watches the hotel’s welcome channel. The screen shows hotel workers. You’ll quickly see Tyler Durden in the front row, far right.
Where did Jack’s support group made-up names (Travis, Rupert, and Cornelius) come from? They used a combination of Robert De Niro characters from the 1970’s and Planet of the Apes – go figure.
Friday, March 27, 2009
Kill Bill - Vol. 2
Kiddo takes up where she left off on her Hanso-sword revenge spree.
Kill Bill Vol. 2 is a modern spaghetti western, detours from Tarantino’s iconic dialogue-driven story telling and relies heavily on visuals.
DID YOU KNOW…
Bill’s “flute” is the same one David Carradine played in his 1970’s cult TV show, Kung-Fu. Welcome back.
Esteban, the Mexican Pimp, is played by Michael Parks – Parks also played Earl Monroe, Texas Ranger, in Kill Bill Vol. I. The character, Ranger Earl Monroe, is an encore performance – Tarantino fans will remember Ranger Earl Monroe in From Dusk Til Dawn.
What the? Did Esteban come out of nowhere? Tarantino created the Mexican cantina scene with Kiddo and Esteban in reference to Apocalypse Now – a trip deep up river, an unexpected, eccentric character living in the weeds that protagonist, Kiddo, meets along her journey.
Kill Bill Vol. 2 is a modern spaghetti western, detours from Tarantino’s iconic dialogue-driven story telling and relies heavily on visuals.
DID YOU KNOW…
Bill’s “flute” is the same one David Carradine played in his 1970’s cult TV show, Kung-Fu. Welcome back.
Esteban, the Mexican Pimp, is played by Michael Parks – Parks also played Earl Monroe, Texas Ranger, in Kill Bill Vol. I. The character, Ranger Earl Monroe, is an encore performance – Tarantino fans will remember Ranger Earl Monroe in From Dusk Til Dawn.
What the? Did Esteban come out of nowhere? Tarantino created the Mexican cantina scene with Kiddo and Esteban in reference to Apocalypse Now – a trip deep up river, an unexpected, eccentric character living in the weeds that protagonist, Kiddo, meets along her journey.
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Apocalypse Now
1979’s Apocalypse Now – “the horror…the horror.” That sums up the production nightmare that plagued this iconic Vietnam War classic nominated for 8 Oscars.
Principal photography began in the Philippines in the spring of 1976 but didn’t wrap until the summer of 1977. Francis Ford Coppola nearly died, Martin Sheen had a heart attack, driving rain storms destroyed sets, payroll cash was stolen by locals, Marlon Brando showed up grossly overweight, Coppola couldn’t come up with an ending, and oh ya, the script ran about 1,000 pages at one point.
…DID YOU KNOW…
Producer Coppola wanted George Lucas to direct. Lucas was set to direct this movie after completing THX 138 (small world if you read below). However, Lucas went on to direct American Graffiti after THX 138 so the Apocalypse Now film production was delayed. But after American Graffiti Lucas got the green light on his little project called Star Wars – Lucas out, Coppola in.
Steve McQueen was first choice for Capt. Willard. Then Al Pacino. Then Harvey Keital. Film production began with Keital but Coppola wasn’t buying his interpretation of Capt. Willard. Martin Sheen in – one heart attack later this narrative role is a classic.
About the ending, Coppola struggled on this. Debate continues on exactly how many versions were considered. Marlon Brando didn’t help the cause when he showed up bloated – they had to shoot around his massive girth. Brando got paid a whopping $3.5M for about a month’s work.
Note the book “On Golden Brough” on Col. Kurtz’s nightstand near the end. This became the basis for the Apocalypse Now ending – guy heads up river, kills the king and assumes the throne.
Did that water buffalo slaughter seem real? It is.
Best Quote:
“You’re an errand boy sent by grocery clerks to collect a bill.” Col. Kurtz
Principal photography began in the Philippines in the spring of 1976 but didn’t wrap until the summer of 1977. Francis Ford Coppola nearly died, Martin Sheen had a heart attack, driving rain storms destroyed sets, payroll cash was stolen by locals, Marlon Brando showed up grossly overweight, Coppola couldn’t come up with an ending, and oh ya, the script ran about 1,000 pages at one point.
…DID YOU KNOW…
Producer Coppola wanted George Lucas to direct. Lucas was set to direct this movie after completing THX 138 (small world if you read below). However, Lucas went on to direct American Graffiti after THX 138 so the Apocalypse Now film production was delayed. But after American Graffiti Lucas got the green light on his little project called Star Wars – Lucas out, Coppola in.
Steve McQueen was first choice for Capt. Willard. Then Al Pacino. Then Harvey Keital. Film production began with Keital but Coppola wasn’t buying his interpretation of Capt. Willard. Martin Sheen in – one heart attack later this narrative role is a classic.
About the ending, Coppola struggled on this. Debate continues on exactly how many versions were considered. Marlon Brando didn’t help the cause when he showed up bloated – they had to shoot around his massive girth. Brando got paid a whopping $3.5M for about a month’s work.
Note the book “On Golden Brough” on Col. Kurtz’s nightstand near the end. This became the basis for the Apocalypse Now ending – guy heads up river, kills the king and assumes the throne.
Did that water buffalo slaughter seem real? It is.
Best Quote:
“You’re an errand boy sent by grocery clerks to collect a bill.” Col. Kurtz
Thursday, March 12, 2009
From Here To Eternity
Ernest Borgnine, baby. Need I say more? Ernest “freak’n” Borgnine is movie magic and you damn well know it. 1953’s From Here to Eternity was nominated for 13 Oscars and took home 8, including best screenplay (Daniel Taradash), picture, director and supporting actor (Frank Sinatra)…all due to Ernest B’s work as Sergeant Fatso – genius.
DID YOU KNOW…
In a film starring Burt Lancaster, Donna Reed, Montgomery Clift, Deborah Kerr & Frank Sinatra, only Lancaster was first choice of the bunch for their respective roles.
Eli Wallach was first choice for the troubled “Maggio” role. Eli bowed out for a Broadway role and Maggio went to Sinatra…or maybe Eli didn’t want his ass kicked by the mob. Frankie needed good pub over cash and took (well begged) for the gig. Sinatra pulled in a cool $8K for his Oscar winning performance….enough to cover a slow night’s bar tab.
Best Goof:
So this WWII film takes place in Hawaii. I’m no meteorologist but if you watch the night-scenes, you’ll see heavy “breath” vapors. Now that’s just not right.
DID YOU KNOW…
In a film starring Burt Lancaster, Donna Reed, Montgomery Clift, Deborah Kerr & Frank Sinatra, only Lancaster was first choice of the bunch for their respective roles.
Eli Wallach was first choice for the troubled “Maggio” role. Eli bowed out for a Broadway role and Maggio went to Sinatra…or maybe Eli didn’t want his ass kicked by the mob. Frankie needed good pub over cash and took (well begged) for the gig. Sinatra pulled in a cool $8K for his Oscar winning performance….enough to cover a slow night’s bar tab.
Best Goof:
So this WWII film takes place in Hawaii. I’m no meteorologist but if you watch the night-scenes, you’ll see heavy “breath” vapors. Now that’s just not right.
Saturday, March 7, 2009
Swingers
Vegas, Baby! 1995’s Swingers celebrates LA’s revival of the rat pack-inspired Cocktail Nation. Winner of a record 79 Oscars and ah…no not really. In fact, Sundance Film Festival rejected the early-cut of Swingers…well, a big Ef U, Redford.
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.
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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