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The Curse of Frankenstein

2024-10-02T18:14:22Z

98.18.198.104: /* External links */

{{Short description|1957 horror film by Hammer Film Productions}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2019}}
{{Use British English|date=September 2012}}
{{Infobox film
| name = The Curse of Frankenstein
| image = The-curse-of-frankenstein-british-movie-poster-md.jpg
| alt =
| caption = Original UK quad poster
| native_name = 
| director = [[Terence Fisher]]
| producer = [[Anthony Hinds]]<ref name="mfb" />
| writer = 
| screenplay = [[Jimmy Sangster]]
| story =
| based_on = {{based on|''[[Frankenstein]]''|[[Mary Shelley]]}}
| starring = [[Peter Cushing]] [[Hazel Court]] [[Robert Urquhart (actor)|Robert Urquhart]] [[Christopher Lee]]
| music = [[James Bernard (composer)|James Bernard]]
| cinematography = [[Jack Asher]]<ref name="mfb" />
| editing = [[James Needs]]<ref name="mfb" />
| studio = [[Hammer Film Productions]]
| distributor = [[Warner Bros.]]<ref name="mfb" />
| released = {{film date|1957|5|2|London|1957|5|20|United Kingdom|df=y}}
| color_process = [[Eastmancolor]]
| runtime = 83 minutes
| country = United Kingdom
| language = English
| budget = £65,000<ref name="Hearn 2011">
{{cite book
| last = Hearn
| first = Marcus
| title = The Hammer Vault
| edition = illustrated
| year = 2011
| publisher = [[Titan Books]]
| location = Bankside, London, UK
| isbn = 9780857681171
| oclc = 699764868
| page = 15
}}
</ref><ref>Vincent L. Barnett (2014) Hammering out a Deal: The Contractual and
Commercial Contexts of The Curse of Frankenstein (1957) and Dracula (1958), Historical Journal
of Film, Radio and Television, 34:2, 231-252, DOI: 10.1080/01439685.2013.847650</ref> or $270,000<ref name="film"/><ref name="gim">{{cite magazine|url=https://archive.org/details/variety208-1957-11/page/n1/mode/1up?q=%22domestic+gross%22&view=theater|title=Gimmicks did well in 1957|magazine=Variety|date=6 November 1957|page=6}}</ref>

| gross = $8 million<ref name="film">Tom Johnson and Deborah Del Vecchio, ''Hammer Films: An Exhaustive Filmography'', McFarland, 1996 p124-126</ref> 728,452 admissions (France)<ref>[https://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=fr&tl=en&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.boxofficestory.com%2Fbox-office-alain-delon-c22669761%2F39&sandbox=1 Box office information for Terence Fisher films in France] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150910222844/http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=fr&tl=en&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.boxofficestory.com%2Fbox-office-alain-delon-c22669761%2F39&sandbox=1 |date=10 September 2015 }} at Box office Story</ref>}}
[[File:Curse of Frankenstein 1957.jpg|thumb|275px|[[Christopher Lee]] as the [[Frankenstein's monster|creature]].]]
'''''The Curse of Frankenstein''''' is a 1957 British [[horror film]] by [[Hammer Film Productions]], loosely based on the 1818 novel ''[[Frankenstein|Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus ]]'' by [[Mary Shelley]].<ref name=bfi>{{Cite web|url=https://www2.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b6a841a69|title=The Curse of Frankenstein (1957)|website=BFI|access-date=6 August 2022|archive-date=2 March 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210302145015/https://www2.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b6a841a69|url-status=dead}}</ref> It was Hammer's first colour horror film, and the first of [[Frankenstein (Hammer film series)|their ''Frankenstein'' series]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.screenonline.org.uk/people/id/455323/index.html|title=BFI Screenonline: Hammer Film Productions Biography|website=www.screenonline.org.uk|access-date=15 February 2017|archive-date=27 October 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191027060034/http://www.screenonline.org.uk/people/id/455323/index.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Its worldwide success led to several sequels, and it was also followed by new versions of ''[[Dracula (1958 film)|Dracula]]'' (1958) and ''[[The Mummy (1959 film)|The Mummy]]'' (1959), establishing "[[Hammer Film Productions|Hammer Horror]]" as a distinctive brand of [[Gothic horror|Gothic]] cinema.<ref name="Sinclair McKay 2007">Sinclair McKay (2007)'' A Thing of Unspeakable Horror: The History of Hammer Films''</ref>

The film was directed by [[Terence Fisher]] and stars [[Peter Cushing]] as [[Victor Frankenstein]] and [[Christopher Lee]] as the [[Frankenstein's monster|Creature]], with [[Hazel Court]] and [[Robert Urquhart (actor)|Robert Urquhart]].<ref name=bfi/> Professor [[Patricia MacCormack]] called it the "first really gory horror film, showing blood and guts in colour".<ref>{{cite news|title=Frankenstein: Behind the monster smash|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-42411484|agency=BBC|date=1 January 2018|access-date=21 July 2018|archive-date=27 July 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180727232736/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-42411484|url-status=live}}</ref>

== Plot ==
In 19th century Switzerland, Baron [[Victor Frankenstein]] is awaiting execution for the murder of his maid Justine. He tells the story of his life to a visiting priest.

At age 15, the death of Victor's mother leaves him in sole control of the Frankenstein estate. He agrees to continue to pay a monthly allowance to his impoverished aunt Sophia and his young cousin Elizabeth. Soon afterwards, he engages scientist Paul Krempe to tutor him. After two years of intense study, the two begin collaborating on scientific experiments. One night, after a successful experiment in which they bring a dead puppy back to life, Victor suggests that they create a perfect human being from body parts. Paul assists Victor at first but eventually withdraws, unable to tolerate the continued scavenging of human remains, particularly after Victor's fiancée—his now grown-up cousin Elizabeth—comes to live with them.

Victor assembles his creation, with a robber's corpse found on a [[gibbeting|gibbet]], and both hands and eyes purchased from [[charnel house]] workers. For the brain, Victor seeks out the ageing and distinguished Professor Bernstein, so that the creature can have a sharp mind and the accumulation of a lifetime of knowledge. He invites the professor to his house in the guise of a friendly visit but pushes him over a stair banister and kills him, making it look like an accident. After the professor is buried, Victor proceeds to the vault and removes his brain. Paul attempts to stop him, and the brain is damaged in the ensuing scuffle. Paul also tries to persuade Elizabeth to leave the house, as he has before, but doesn't want to tell her in detail about what Victor is doing, and she refuses.

With all of the parts assembled, Victor brings the creature to life. Unfortunately, the creature's damaged brain leaves it violent and psychotic, without the professor's intelligence. Victor locks up the creature, but it escapes and kills an old blind man that it encounters in the woods. After Paul shoots the creature in the eye, he and Victor bury it in the woods. However, after Paul leaves town, Victor digs up the creature and brings it back to life. Justine, with whom Victor has been having an affair, claims that she is pregnant by him and threatens to tell the authorities about his strange experiments if he refuses to marry her. He has her killed by the monster.

Paul returns to the house at Elizabeth's invitation the evening before she and Victor are to be married. Victor shows him the revived creature, and Paul threatens to report him to the authorities. The monster escapes up on to the roof where it threatens Elizabeth. Victor arrives with a gun and accidentally shoots Elizabeth after seeing the monster grabbing her. She falls unconscious, and without any more bullets, Victor throws an oil lamp at it and its clothes go up in flames, causing it to fall through the roof-light and into a vat of acid, destroying all evidence that it existed.

The priest does not believe Victor's story. When Paul visits him, Victor begs Paul to testify that it was the creature who killed Justine, but he refuses and denies all knowledge of the mad experiment. Paul joins Elizabeth, who is waiting outside, and tells her there is nothing they can do for Victor. After they leave, Victor is led away to the [[guillotine]].

== Cast ==
{{div col}}
* [[Peter Cushing]] as [[Victor Frankenstein|Baron Victor Frankenstein]]
** [[Melvyn Hayes]] as Young Victor
* [[Hazel Court]] as [[Elizabeth Lavenza|Elizabeth]]
** Sally Walsh as Young Elizabeth
* [[Robert Urquhart (actor)|Robert Urquhart]] as Paul Krempe
* [[Christopher Lee]] as [[Frankenstein's monster|The Creature]]
* [[Valerie Gaunt]] as Justine
* [[Paul Hardtmuth]] as Professor Bernstein
* [[Noel Hood]] as Aunt Sophia
* Fred Johnson as Grandpa
* Claude Kingston as Little Boy
* Alex Gallier as Priest
* Michael Mulcaster as Warder
* Andrew Leigh as Burgomaster
* Ann Blake as Wife
* Middleton Woods as Lecturer
* Raymond Ray as Uncle
{{Div col end}}

== Production ==
{{expand section|date=October 2014}}
Producer [[Max Rosenberg]] originally approached [[Michael Carreras]] at Hammer Films with a deal to produce ''Frankenstein and the Monster'' (Rosenberg claims that he came up with the title) from a script by [[Milton Subotsky]]. Later, both men were cut out of their profit participation making only a $5000 fee for bringing the production to Hammer.<ref>Interview with Max Rosenberg for the Blu-ray of "Asylum", December 2017</ref> Rosenberg and Subotsky later established [[Amicus Films]], Hammer's main rival in the production of horror films during the 1960s.

Screenwriter [[Jimmy Sangster]], who adapted Mary Shelley's novel for Hammer, never mentioned seeing Subotsky's script or being aware of Rosenberg's involvement. Sangster had worked as a production manager and said that he was keenly aware of production costs and kept the budget in mind when writing the script. Sangster said that his awareness of cost influenced him to not write scenes involving the villagers storming the castle that was typically seen in the Universal horror films "because we couldn't afford it". Sangster in an interview with film historian Jonathan Rigby indicated that he hadn't seen any of the Frankenstein films that Universal made. He just adapted the book "the way I saw it".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://historyproject.org.uk/interview/jimmy-sangster|title=The British Entertainment History Project - Jimmy Sangster -|website=historyproject.org.uk|access-date=31 December 2017|archive-date=31 December 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171231212052/https://historyproject.org.uk/interview/jimmy-sangster|url-status=live}}</ref>

Peter Cushing, who was then best known for his many high-profile roles in British television, had his first lead part in a movie with this film. Meanwhile, Christopher Lee's casting resulted largely from his height (6' 5"), though Hammer had earlier considered the even taller (6 '7") [[Bernard Bresslaw]] for the role. Hammer refrained from duplicating aspects of Universal's [[Frankenstein (1931 film)|1931 film]], and so it was down to make-up artist [[Phil Leakey]] to design a new look for the creature bearing no resemblance to the [[Boris Karloff]] original created by [[Jack Pierce (makeup artist)|Jack Pierce]]. Production of ''The Curse of Frankenstein'' began, with an investment of £65,000, on 19 November 1956 at [[Bray Studios (UK)|Bray Studios]] with a scene showing Baron Frankenstein cutting down a highwayman from a wayside gibbet.<ref>{{cite book|author=Rigby, Jonathan|title=English Gothic: A Century of Horror Cinema|publisher=Reynolds & Hearn Ltd|year=2000|isbn=1-903111-01-3}}</ref> The film opened at the [[London Pavilion]] on 2 May 1957 with an [[X certificate]] from the censors.{{citation needed|date=October 2016}}

Character actor [[Patrick Troughton]] originally had a brief role as a mortuary attendant, but his scenes were cut from the finished movie.

== Release ==
[[File:Ritz Theatre Ad - 17 July 1957, San Bernardino, CA.jpg|thumb|130px|Advertisement from 1957 for ''The Curse of Frankenstein'' and co-feature, ''[[X the Unknown]]''.]]
''The Curse of Frankenstein'' premiered in London on 2 May 1957 at [[Vue West End|Warner Theatre]] in Leicester Square.{{sfn|Fellner|2019|p=76}} It received a general release in the United Kingdom on 20 May 1957 where it was distributed by [[Warner Brothers]] and supported by the film ''[[Woman of Rome]]''.{{sfn|Fellner|2019|p=76}} The film was reissued in the United Kingdom in the late 1960s where it was distributed by Rank/Universal International where it was a double feature with ''[[The Mummy (1959 film)|The Mummy]]''.{{sfn|Fellner|2019|p=76}} In the US the film was released by Warner Bros on 20 July 1957 with ''[[X the Unknown]]'' as supporting feature.{{sfn|Fellner|2019|p=76}} It was reissued in the United States on 16 December 1964, when it was released with ''[[Dracula (1958 film)|Dracula]]'' (1958).{{sfn|Fellner|2019|p=76}}

The film was re-mastered in the open matte aspect ratio of [[Aspect ratio (image)#Cinema terminology|1.37:1]] for its 2013 release on Blu-ray. The restored film includes the magnified eyeball shot, missing from the U.S. print, but not the head in the acid bath scene, which remains lost.<ref>Hammer film site {{cite web |url=http://blog.hammerfilms.com/?p=135 |title=THE CURSE OF FRANKENSTEIN — Re-engineered!!! | Hammer restoration blog |access-date=28 June 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120716033002/http://blog.hammerfilms.com/?p=135 |archive-date=16 July 2012 |df=dmy-all }} retrieved 28 June 2012</ref>

The film received a restored release from Warner Archive on December 15, 2020, in a deluxe edition that included the three different aspect ratios it was exhibited in as well as special features including a commentary by Steve Haberman and Constantine Nasr. It also included the following special features: The Resurrection Men: Hammer, Frankenstein and the Rebirth of the Horror Film;
Hideous Progeny: The Curse of Frankenstein and the English Gothic Tradition
Torrents of Light: The Art of Jack Asher
Diabolus in Musica: James Bernard and the Sound of Hammer Horror
Original Theatrical Trailer (HD)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=27681|title=Warner Archive Announces December Releases|access-date=16 December 2020|archive-date=10 November 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201110222831/https://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=27681|url-status=live}}</ref>

=== Box office ===
{{expand section|date=October 2016}}
The film was a tremendous financial success and reportedly grossed more than 70 times its production cost during its original theatrical run.<ref name="Hearn 2011" />

In the UK, the film earned [[theatrical rental]]s of $1.9 million.<ref>{{cite magazine|magazine=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|date=June 18, 1958|page=7|last=Arneel|first=Gene|title=M: For Macabre and Mazuma|url=https://archive.org/stream/variety211-1958-06#page/n146/mode/1up|access-date=January 16, 2021|via=[[Archive.org]]}}</ref> According to ''Kinematograph Weekly'' the film was "in the money" at the British box office in 1957.<ref>{{cite magazine|first=Josh|last=Billings|magazine=Kinematograph Weekly|title=Others in the money|date=12 December 1957|page=7}}</ref> According to another account the film made £300,000
in Britain and £500,000 in Japan.<ref>Barnet p 237</ref>

In the US the outstanding box office success was a surprise. In its first week at the [[Paramount Theatre (New York City)|Paramount Theatre]] on Broadway ''Variety'' reported ''Curse'' earned $72,000 and noted, "it gave the Par flagship its biggest opening week on straight-film policy in the last two years".<ref>{{cite magazine |via=[[Archive.org]] |url=https://archive.org/details/variety207-1957-08/page/n72=6&rotate=0 |magazine=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |page=9|title=Rain Perks B'way Biz; 'Curse' Wham $72,000, 'Fire' Hot 28G, 'Stockings' Slick $149,000, 4th; 'Pride' 34G, 7th|date=14 August 1957|access-date=16 January 2021}}</ref> ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'' continued to be impressed with its box office numbers as it opened across the US. "Curse" Terrific $30,900" in its first week in Los Angeles with supporting feature ''[[X the Unknown]]''. In an era when horror films typically played for one week, ''Curse'' was often held over for two and sometimes three weeks in major markets like Boston.<ref>{{cite web |title=Picture Grosses |url=https://archive.org/details/variety207-1957-07/page/n269 |via=archive.org |magazine=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |page=8|date=24 July 1957|access-date=16 January 2021}}</ref>

===Reception===
{{expand section|date=October 2014}}
When it was first released in the United Kingdom, ''The Curse of Frankenstein'' outraged many reviewers. [[Dilys Powell]] of ''[[The Sunday Times]]'' wrote that such productions left her unable to "defend the cinema against the charge that it debases", while the ''[[Tribune (magazine)|Tribune]]'' opined that the film was "Depressing and degrading for anyone who loves the cinema".{{Unreliable source?|date=July 2016}}

''[[Monthly Film Bulletin]]'' declared that the Frankenstein story was "sacrificed by an ill-made script, poor direction and performance, and above all, a preoccupation with disgusting-not horrific-charnelry"<ref name="mfb">{{cite magazine|magazine=[[Monthly Film Bulletin]]|publisher=[[British Film Institute]]|title=Curse of Frankenstein|volume=24|issue=276|page=70|year=1957}}</ref>
The review did praise some elements of the film, noting "excellent art direction and colour" and the film score.<ref name="mfb" />

In the United States reaction was more positive, and reviewers were not repulsed by the film the way critics were in the UK. ''Film Bulletin'' deemed the film a "rattling good horror show... the Frankenstein monster has been ghoulishly and somewhat gleefully resurrected by our English cousins."<ref name="Film Bulletin">{{cite web|title=Film Bulletin Vol 25 July 8, 1957 pg 24|url=https://archive.org/stream/filmbulletin195725film#page/n436/mode/1up|website=Media History Digital Library|publisher=Film Bulletin Company|access-date=16 May 2015}}</ref> ''[[Harrison's Reports]]'' called it "well produced but extremely gruesome", adding, "The photography is very fine, and so is the acting."<ref name="Harrison's Reports">{{cite web|title=Harrison's Reports Vol 39 June 22, 1957 pg 98|url=https://archive.org/stream/harrisonsreports39harr#page/n117/mode/1up|website=Media History Digital Library|publisher=Harrison's Reports, Inc|access-date=16 May 2015}}</ref> [[Bosley Crowther]] in ''[[The New York Times]]'' dismissed it as a "routine horror picture" and oddly enough opined that "everything that happens, has happened the same way in previous films."<ref name="Bosley Crowther">{{cite news|last1=Crowther|first1=Bosley|title=New York Times Review August 8, 1957|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1957/08/08/archives/screen-routine-horror-curse-of-frankenstein-bows-at-paramount.html|website=New York Times|date=8 August 1957|access-date=16 May 2015|archive-date=6 May 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190506202745/https://www.nytimes.com/1957/08/08/archives/screen-routine-horror-curse-of-frankenstein-bows-at-paramount.html|url-status=live}}</ref> ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'' noted, "Peter Cushing gets every inch of drama from the leading role, making almost believable the ambitious urge and diabolical accomplishment. Direction and camera work are of a high order."<ref name="Variety" >{{cite web|title=Variety Vol 206 May 15, 1957 p. 22 |date=May 1957 |publisher=Variety |url=https://archive.org/details/variety206-1957-05/page/n171/|access-date=20 April 2019}}</ref>

Later directors such as [[Martin Scorsese]] and [[Tim Burton]] have paid tribute to it as an influence on their work.<ref name="Sinclair McKay 2007"/> Contemporary reviews have been much more positive, praising the film for its dark atmosphere, Film review aggregator [[Rotten Tomatoes]] reported an approval rating of 81%, based on {{nowrap|21 reviews}}, with a rating average of 7.2/10.<ref name="rottentomatoes">{{cite web|title=The Curse of Frankenstein (1957) - Rotten Tomatoes|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/curse_of_frankenstein/|website=Rotten Tomatoes.com|publisher=Rotten Tomatoes|access-date=20 January 2021|archive-date=6 August 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220806204934/https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/curse_of_frankenstein|url-status=live}}</ref>

== Sequels ==
Unlike the Universal Frankenstein series of the 1930s and 1940s, in which the character of the Monster was the recurring figure while the doctors frequently changed, it is Baron Frankenstein that is the connective character throughout the Hammer series, while the monsters change.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.screenonline.org.uk/film/id/455382/index.html|title=BFI Screenonline: Curse of Frankenstein, The (1957)|website=www.screenonline.org.uk|access-date=15 February 2017|archive-date=5 April 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170405191121/http://www.screenonline.org.uk/film/id/455382/index.html|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Peter Cushing]] played the Baron in each film except for ''[[The Horror of Frankenstein]]'', which was a remake of the original ''The Curse of Frankenstein'' done with a more comedic touch, and featuring a young cast headed by [[Ralph Bates]] and [[Veronica Carlson]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://allmovie.com/movie/the-horror-of-frankenstein-v23156/review|title=The Horror of Frankenstein (1970) - Jimmy Sangster - Review - AllMovie|website=AllMovie|access-date=14 November 2019|archive-date=26 March 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190326212356/https://www.allmovie.com/movie/the-horror-of-frankenstein-v23156/review|url-status=live}}</ref>

* ''[[The Revenge of Frankenstein]]'' (1958)
* ''[[The Evil of Frankenstein]]'' (1964)
* ''[[Frankenstein Created Woman]]'' (1967)
* ''[[Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed]]'' (1969)
* ''[[The Horror of Frankenstein]]'' (1970, without Peter Cushing)
* ''[[Frankenstein and the Monster from Hell]]'' (1974)

== In other media ==
{{more citations needed section|date=December 2020}}
A [[novelization]] of the film was written by [[John Burke (author)|John Burke]] as part of his book ''The Hammer Horror Film Omnibus'' (1966).<ref>[https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/1400067.Hammer_Horror_Film_Omnibus#/ Hammer Horror Film Omnibus: No. 1] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210416173700/https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/1400067.Hammer_Horror_Film_Omnibus |date=16 April 2021 }} Goodreads. Retrieved Apr. 16, 2021.</ref>

The film was adapted as [[Photonovel|fumetti]] by [[Warren Publishing]] in 1966 (along with ''Horror of Dracula'').{{citation needed|date=October 2016}}

It was also adapted into a 20-page comic strip published in two parts in the magazine ''[[The House of Hammer]]'' (vol. 1) #2-3 (December 1976-January 1977), published by [[Thorpe & Porter|General Book Distribution]]. It was drawn by Alberto Cuyas from a script by Donne Avenell (based on the [[John Burke (author)|John Burke]] novelization). The cover of issue #2 featured a painting by [[Brian Lewis (illustrator)|Brian Lewis]] of the Baron being attacked by his creation.<ref>[https://www.comics.org/issue/990022/ "The House of Hammer #v1#2,"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150424181353/http://www.comics.org/issue/990022/ |date=24 April 2015 }} Grand Comics Database. Retrieved Dec. 29, 2020.</ref>

==See also==
* [[List of films featuring Frankenstein's monster]]
* [[Frankenstein in popular culture|''Frankenstein'' in popular culture]]
* [[Frankenstein (Hammer film series)]]
* [[Hammer filmography]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Bibliography==
{{Refbegin}}
* {{cite book|title=The Encyclopedia of Hammer Films|last=Fellner|first=Chris|year=2019|publisher=[[Rowman & Littlefield]]|isbn=9781538126592}}
{{Refend}}

==External links==
{{Wikiquote}}
{{Commons category}}
* {{IMDb title|0050280}}
* {{Rotten Tomatoes|2=The Curse of Frankenstein}}
* {{AllMovie title|11806}}
* {{TCMDb title|id=72012}}
* {{AFI film|52139}}
* {{BFI Screenonline title|455382}}
* {{BritMovie title|The-Curse-of-Frankenstein_1957}}
* [http://www.virtual-history.com/movie/film/8888/the-curse-of-frankenstein ''The Curse of Frankenstein''] at Virtual History

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Curse Of Frankenstein}}
[[Category:1957 horror films]]
[[Category:1950s monster movies]]
[[Category:1950s science fiction horror films]]
[[Category:British monster movies]]
[[Category:British science fiction horror films]]
[[Category:1950s English-language films]]
[[Category:Films about capital punishment]]
[[Category:Films adapted into comics]]
[[Category:Films based on horror novels]]
[[Category:Films directed by Terence Fisher]]
[[Category:Films scored by James Bernard]]
[[Category:Films set in Switzerland]]
[[Category:Films set in the 19th century]]
[[Category:Films shot at Bray Studios]]
[[Category:Films with screenplays by Jimmy Sangster]]
[[Category:Frankenstein (Hammer film series)]]
[[Category:Gothic horror films]]
[[Category:Hammer Film Productions horror films]]
[[Category:1950s British films]]
[[Category:English-language science fiction horror films]]

Cure (film)

2024-10-02T18:11:58Z

98.18.198.104: /* External links */

{{about|the 1997 film|other uses|Cure (disambiguation)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2024}}
{{Infobox film
| name = Cure
| image = Cureposter.jpg
| caption = Theatrical release poster
| director = [[Kiyoshi Kurosawa]]
| producer = Junyuki Shimoba Tsutomu Tsuchikawa
| writer = Kiyoshi Kurosawa
| narrator =
| starring = {{plainlist|
* [[Kōji Yakusho]]
* [[Masato Hagiwara]]
* [[Tsuyoshi Ujiki]]
* [[Anna Nakagawa]]
* [[Yoriko Dōguchi]]
* [[Yukijirō Hotaru]]
}}
| music = Gary Ashiya
| cinematography = Tokushô Kikumura
| editing = Kan Suzuki
| studio = [[Daiei Film]]
| distributor = [[Shochiku|Shochiku-Fuji Company]]
| released = {{Film date|df=yes|1997|12|27|Japan}}
| runtime = 112 minutes
| country = Japan
| language = Japanese
| budget = est. $1,000,000 (JPY)
| gross =
}}

{{nihongo|'''''Cure'''''|キュア|Kyua}} is a 1997 Japanese [[neo-noir]] [[psychological horror]]-[[thriller film|thriller]] film
written and directed by [[Kiyoshi Kurosawa]], starring [[Kōji Yakusho]], [[Masato Hagiwara]], [[Tsuyoshi Ujiki]] and [[Anna Nakagawa]]. The story follows a detective investigating a string of gruesome murders where an X is carved into the neck of each victim, and the murderer is found near the victim of each case and remembers the crime but does not know why they did it. The film is Kurosawa and Yakusho's first collaboration.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2018-10-28 |title=Kurosawa, Yakusho Discuss the Monsters Within Us [Cure: Q&A] |url=https://2018.tiff-jp.net/news/en/?p=14792 |access-date=2020-04-29 |website=[[Tokyo International Film Festival]]}}</ref>

Originally entitled {{nihongo|''Evangelist''|伝道師|Dendoushi}}, the film's name was changed due to the [[Tokyo subway sarin attack]] perpetrated by [[Aum Shinrikyo]] that happened while the film was in production. To avoid suggesting a religious cult connection to the crimes in the story, it was retitled ''Cure'' at the suggestion of a [[Daiei Film]] producer.<ref>{{Cite news |title=役所広司の魅力を『CURE』の黒沢清監督が語る「未知の領域を作り出すスター」 |url=https://moviewalker.jp/news/article/167300/ |last=Yamazaki |first=Nobuko |date=2018-10-27 |work=Movie Walker Press |language=ja |trans-title="CURE" director Kiyoshi Kurosawa talks about Koji Yakusho's charm as "a star who creates unknown territory"}}</ref><ref>{{Cite AV media |title=役所広司、黒沢清監督『CURE　キュア』Q&A｜CURE - Q&A |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5hIbgSppWuI |date=2018-10-29 |language=ja |publisher=[[Tokyo International Film Festival]] |trans-title="CURE" Q&A directed by Koji Yakusho and Kiyoshi Kurosawa}}</ref>

The film was released by [[Shochiku Film|Shochiku-Fuji Company]] on December 27, 1997. It received widespread positive reviews from critics,<ref name="rotten" /> and is considered a progenitor of the explosion of [[Japanese horror]] media in the late 1990s and early 2000s, preceding other releases like [[Hideo Nakata]]'s ''[[Ring (film)|Ring]]'' and [[Takashi Shimizu]]'s ''[[Ju-On: The Grudge|Ju-On]]''.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2017-12-02 |title=Cure (1997) – Kiyoshi Kurosawa's daring psychological thriller |url=https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/arts-music/article/2122223/flashback-cure-1997-kiyoshi-kurosawas-daring |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20171214063931/https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/arts-music/article/2122223/flashback-cure-1997-kiyoshi-kurosawas-daring |archivedate=December 14, 2017 |accessdate=March 28, 2023 |website=[[South China Morning Post]] |language=en}}</ref>

==Plot==
Kenichi Takabe, a [[Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department|Tokyo Metropolitan Police]] detective, is involved in the investigation of a bizarre series of violent killings by seemingly random perpetrators. In each case the murderers have been caught close to the scene of the crime. Each one has mutilated his or her victim by carving a large "X" into the neck or chest of the deceased. Although all of the perpetrators readily confess and remember their deeds, none seems to have substantial motives or explanations for their actions. Takabe is at a loss for answers. His private life also seems to falter, as his wife Fumie suffers from phases of [[schizophrenia]] and frequently gets lost in the neighborhood.

Takabe, together with his friend and colleague, forensic psychologist Shin Sakuma, eventually decides that one man is the common thread connecting the murders, as each person he comes in contact with commits a killing shortly thereafter. The man, Mamiya, appears to have extreme short-term [[memory loss]]; he seems constantly confused about what day it is, where he is and what his name is. He claims to recall nothing of his past. In custody, Mamiya constantly evades Takabe's questions by asking about the detective's identity and private life. Sakuma has Mamiya transferred to prison care ward. During questioning, Takabe gradually loses his composure and at one point expresses resentment towards Fumie in front of a deeply amused Kunio Mamiya.

During their investigations, Takabe and Sakuma discover that Mamiya used to study psychology, with a particular interest in the subjects of [[Animal magnetism|mesmerism]] and [[hypnosis]]. Takabe suspects that Mamiya has no memory problems at all and is in fact a master of hypnosis capable of planting homicidal suggestions in strangers' minds by exposing them to repetitive sounds, the motion of water or the flame of a lighter. Takabe has Mamiya charged with incitement to murder and commits Fumie to a mental hospital after experiencing a vision of her suicide.

Sakuma discovers a videotape of a mysterious man, speculated to be the originator of Japanese mesmerism, and shows it to Takabe. A female subject in the video had been under treatment for hysteria and was hypnotized by the man, possibly the one referred to in Mamiya's mesmerism literature as Suejiro Bakuro, who gestured an "X" in midair. The woman later killed her son in a manner similar to Mamiya's crimes. Sakuma believes the current crimes have a connection to the earlier events, describing Mamiya as a missionary of ceremonial murders. After showing the tape, Sakuma is revealed to have unconsciously drawn an X in black paint on his wall and starts to experience hallucinations of Takabe menacingly cornering him. Several days later, the police discover Sakuma's body handcuffed to a pipe in his home and conclude that he committed suicide.

Mamiya escapes from prison, killing a policeman in the process. Takabe tracks him to a deserted building and shoots him. Mamiya, moments before dying, draws an X in the air with his finger in front of Takabe. Exploring the desolate building, Takabe finds and plays an old [[phonograph cylinder]] that contains a recording of a male voice, thought to be that of Bakuro, repeating what seem to be hypnotic instructions. Shortly after, Fumie's already decomposed corpse is found by a nurse, with an "X" savagely carved into her throat.

The film ends ambiguously at a restaurant where a waitress serves Takabe, then suddenly draws a knife after speaking to the detective—suggesting that the latter now wields the same power as Mamiya.

==Cast==
{{castlist|
* [[Kōji Yakusho]] as Kenichi Takabe
* [[Masato Hagiwara]] as Kunio Mamiya
* [[Tsuyoshi Ujiki]] as Shin Sakuma
* [[Anna Nakagawa]] as Fumie Takabe
* [[Yoriko Dōguchi]] as Dr. Akiko Miyajima
* [[Yukijirō Hotaru]] as Ichiro Kuwano
* [[Denden]] as Oida
* [[Ren Osugi]] as Fujiwara
* Masahiro Toda as Tōru Hanaoka
* [[Misayo Haruki]] as Tomoko Hanaoka
* Shun Nakayam as Kimura
* [[Akira Otaka]] as Yasukawa
* [[Shogo Suzuki (actor, born 1989)|Shôgo Suzuki]] as Tamura
* Touji Kawahigashi as Psychiatrist
* Hajime Tanimoto as Police Supervisor
}}
==Release==
''Cure'' was shown theatrically in Japan on December 27, 1997, by [[Shochiku]] subsidiary Shochiku-Fuji Company, which was known for distributing many western movies, such as [[The Last Emperor]], [[Thelma and Louise]] and [[Tom and Jerry: The Movie]].{{sfn|Gerow|1997}} The film was shown in the United States at the [[San Francisco International Film Festival]] on April 25, 1998.<ref>
{{cite news|newspaper=[[The San Francisco Examiner]]|title=S.F. International Film Festival Schedule|date=April 24, 1998|page=D-6}}</ref> It was screened at the [[Toronto International Film Festival]] in 1999 as part of a career retrospective on Kurosawa.<ref name="CrowTIFF">{{cite web|url=https://www.allmovie.com/movie/cure-v160659|title=Cure (1997)|access-date=2 May 2018|last=Crow|first=Jonathan|publisher=[[AllMovie]]}}</ref>{{sfn|Clark}} The film received a theatrical release in the United States by Cowboy Booking in 2001.{{sfn|Harris|2002}}{{sfn|Clark}}

The film was released on home video for the first time in the UK as part of The Masters of Cinema Series on April 23, 2018.<ref>{{Citation|title=Kiyoshi Kurosawa's CURE [Kyua] (Masters of Cinema) New & Exclusive UK HD Trailer|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gwl9bfy4qKg |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211221/gwl9bfy4qKg |archive-date=2021-12-21 |url-status=live|language=en|access-date=2020-04-29}}{{cbignore}}</ref> [[The Criterion Collection]] released the film on [[Blu-ray]] in the United States on October 18, 2022.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Cure |url=https://www.criterion.com/films/27666-cure |access-date=April 23, 2023 |website=The Criterion Collection |language=en}}</ref>

==Reception==
On the [[review aggregator]] website [[Rotten Tomatoes]], ''Cure'' has a 94% approval rating based on 63 reviews, with an average score of 7.5/10. The site's critical consensus reads: "Mesmerizing and psychologically intriguing."<ref name=rotten>{{cite web|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/cure_1997|title=Cure (1998)|website=[[Rotten Tomatoes]]|access-date=21 July 2019}}</ref> Tom Mes of ''[[Midnight Eye]]'' described the film as "a horror film in the purest sense of the word".<ref>{{cite web|first=Tom|last=Mes|url=http://www.midnighteye.com/reviews/cure/|title=Midnight Eye review: Cure (Kyua, 1997, Kiyoshi KUROSAWA|date=20 March 2001|website=[[Midnight Eye]]|access-date=21 July 2019}}</ref> Meanwhile, [[A. O. Scott]] of ''[[The New York Times]]'' noted that Kiyoshi Kurosawa "turns the thriller into a vehicle for gloomy social criticism."<ref>{{cite web|first=A. O.|last=Scott|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2001/08/03/movies/film-in-review-cure.html |title=Film in Review; 'Cure'|work=The New York Times|date=3 August 2001}}</ref> Scott Tobias of ''[[The A.V. Club]]'' said: "Kurosawa, a prolific genre stylist who specializes in low-key thrillers and horror films, undercuts the lurid material by keeping a chilly, almost clinical distance from the events and unfolding the story in elliptical pieces."<ref>{{cite web|first=Scott|last=Tobias|url=http://www.avclub.com/articles/cure,20380/|title=Cure|website=[[The A.V. Club]]|date=29 March 2002}}</ref> For ''Screen Slate'', Stephanie Monohan wrote: "Arguably overshadowed by other films in the turn-of-the-century J-Horror canon like ''[[Ring (film)|Ringu]]'' (1998) and ''[[Audition (1999 film)|Audition]]'' (1999), ''Cure'' lives on as one of the more powerful works of the era."<ref>{{cite web|first=Stephanie|last=Monohan|url=https://www.screenslate.com/features/1537|title=Cure|website=Screen Slate|date=7 January 2020}}</ref>

Kurosawa, speaking about the success of ''Cure'', stated: "I watched a lot of American horror movies growing up, and I had wanted to make a movie in that genre for some years. Then the growth in popularity of genre films made it easier for me to get the project financed and produced. So, the circumstance was the key factor to the success of ''Cure'', and it has continued to play an important role in my career ever since."<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://dohafilminstitute.com/press/embrace-the-role-of-chance-in-filmmaking-says-qumra-master-kiyoshi-kurosawa|title=Embrace the role of chance in filmmaking, says Qumra Master Kiyoshi Kurosawa|website=Doha Film Institute|language=en-US|access-date=2020-04-29}}</ref>

In 2012, South Korean film director [[Bong Joon-ho]] listed the film as one of the greatest films of all time.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://explore.bfi.org.uk/sightandsoundpolls/2012/voter/902|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120825221053/http://explore.bfi.org.uk/sightandsoundpolls/2012/voter/902|url-status=dead|archive-date=2012-08-25|title=Bong Joon-ho - BFI - British Film Institute|publisher=[[Sight & Sound]]|first=Bong|last=Joon-ho|year=2012}}</ref>

==References==
===Footnotes===
{{reflist}}

===Sources===
* {{cite web|url=https://www.allmovie.com/movie/cure-v160659/review|title=Cure (1997)|access-date=2 May 2018|last=Clark|first=Jason|publisher=AllMovie}}
* {{cite news|newspaper=[[The Daily Yomiuri]]|date=December 25, 1997|page=9|url=http://kinemaclub.org/reviews/cure|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150509034244/http://kinemaclub.org/reviews/cure|archivedate=May 9, 2015|accessdate=March 28, 2023|title=Cure*|last=Gerow|first=Aaron|authorlink=Aaron Gerow}}
* {{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2002/film/news/ua-sure-cure-will-redo-1117875975/|title=UA Sure 'Cure' Will Redo|last=Harris|first=Dana|date=November 13, 2002|accessdate=March 28, 2023|work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]}}
* {{cite book |editor1-last=Murguia |editor1-first=Salvador Jimenez |title=The Encyclopedia of Japanese Horror Films |publisher=Rowman & Littlefield |date=2016 |isbn=978-1442261679 }}

==External links==
* {{IMDb title|id=0123948|title=Cure}}
* {{Rotten Tomatoes|2=Cure}}
* {{AllMovie title|160659|Cure}}
* {{jmdb title|1997|du003440|Cure}}
* {{TCMDb title|id=453333}}

{{Kiyoshi Kurosawa}}
{{Yokohama Film Festival Best Film}}

[[Category:1997 films]]
[[Category:1997 crime thriller films]]
[[Category:1997 horror films]]
[[Category:1990s Japanese-language films]]
[[Category:1990s psychological thriller films]]
[[Category:Japanese horror films]]
[[Category:Japanese crime thriller films]]
[[Category:Existentialist films]]
[[Category:Films directed by Kiyoshi Kurosawa]]
[[Category:Japanese neo-noir films]]
[[Category:Police detective films]]
[[Category:Japanese serial killer films]]
[[Category:Japanese police films]]
[[Category:1990s Japanese films]]
[[Category:Japanese psychological thriller films]]
[[Category:Japanese psychological horror films]]
[[Category:Japanese horror thriller films]]
[[Category:Crime horror films]]
[[Category:Films about hypnosis]]
[[Category:Films about amnesia]]
[[Category:Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department in fiction]]

Cul-de-sac (1966 film)

2024-10-02T18:10:01Z

98.18.198.104: /* External links */

{{Short description|1966 British film by Roman Polanski}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2023}}
{{Infobox film
| name = Cul-de-sac
| image = Cul-de-sac_poster.jpg
| caption = Theatrical release poster
| director = [[Roman Polanski]]
| writer = {{Plainlist|
* Roman Polanski
* [[Gerard Brach]]
}}
| producer = {{Plainlist|
* [[Gene Gutowski]]
* [[Michael Klinger (producer)|Michael Klinger]]<ref>Matthew Sweet [https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/film-and-tv/features/the-lost-worlds-of-british-cinema-the-horror-525200.html "The lost worlds of British cinema: The horror"]{{dead link|date=August 2021|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}, ''The Independent'', 29 January 2006</ref>
* [[Tony Tenser]]
}}
| starring = {{Plainlist|
* [[Donald Pleasence]]
* [[Françoise Dorléac]]
* [[Lionel Stander]]
* [[Jack MacGowran]]
}}
| cinematography = [[Gilbert Taylor]]
| editing = [[Alastair McIntyre]]
| music = [[Krzysztof Komeda]]
| studio = {{Plainlist|
* Compton Films
* Tekli British Productions
}}
| distributor = Compton-Cameo Films
| released = {{Film date|df=y|1966|6|17|London}}
| runtime = 112 minutes<ref>{{cite web|title=''CUL-DE-SAC'' (12A)|url=http://www.bbfc.co.uk/BFF031552/|work=[[British Board of Film Classification]]|date=15 November 2012|access-date=15 November 2012}}</ref>
| country = [[United Kingdom]]
| language = English
| budget = £120,000{{sfn|Hallenbeck|2009|p=82}} or £170,938<ref name="money">Chapman, J. (2022). The Money Behind the Screen: A History of British Film Finance, 1945-1985. Edinburgh University Press p 360</ref>
}}
'''''Cul-de-sac''''' is a 1966 British [[Black comedy film|black comedy]] [[psychological thriller]] film directed by [[Roman Polanski]], written by Polanski and [[Gérard Brach]], and starring [[Donald Pleasence]], [[Françoise Dorléac]], [[Lionel Stander]], [[Jack MacGowran]], [[Iain Quarrier]], [[Geoffrey Sumner]], [[Renée Houston]], [[William Franklyn]], Trevor Delaney, and [[Marie Kean]]. It also features [[Jacqueline Bisset]] (credited as Jackie Bisset) in a small role, in her second film appearance. Polanski's second English-language feature, it follows two injured American [[gangster]]s who take refuge in the remote island castle of a young British couple in the north of England, spurring a series of mind games and violent altercations.

==Plot==
Gruff American gangster Dickey pushes his broken-down car along a [[causeway]] through rising seawater while his eccentric companion Albie lies inside, bleeding from a gunshot wound after a bungled robbery. Cut off by the unexpected rising tide, they are on the only road to a bleak and remote tidal island, where, in a dark castle on a hilltop, a deeply neurotic and effeminate middle-aged Englishman named George lives with his second wife, the young and promiscuous Teresa. Dickey breaks into the castle and telephones his underworld boss, Katelbach, to send someone to get him and Albie. He then disconnects the phone lines and proceeds to hold the couple hostage while awaiting the arrival of Katelbach the next day.

When Albie dies from his injuries, Dickey forces Teresa and George to dig his grave. They then hold a wake, with Dickey and George getting drunk together on the beach while Teresa swims nude in the ocean. The next morning, a car approaches the castle – but instead of Katelbach, it turns out to be a bunch of George's obnoxious friends who have showed up unannounced. Dickey poses as a servant while Teresa begins to flirt with one of the guests, Cecil. They all sit down to dinner, but then the young son of one of the guests, who has found Cecil's shotgun and starts waving it at the crowd of people, frightening them all. He then fires it, blowing out a stained-glass window in the castle. The gun is wrestled away from the child and put inside a hallway. George has had enough and demands they all leave, which they do, but Cecil forgets and leaves his unloaded shotgun behind.

Dickey takes off his jacket and hooks the telephone back up, while Teresa furtively takes Dickey's pistol from his coat pocket. Upon calling the hotel were Katelbach was staying, Dickey gets told that he is not going to come, so Dickey prepares to take George's car to drive to the mainland. George refuses to let him, and a fight ensues. Teresa hands Dickey's pistol to George and George shoots him several times;Dickey manages to retrieve his [[tommy gun]] from his broken-down car, hidden in the [[chicken house]]. Too weak to fire the gun at George, Dickey collapses to the ground, laughing, and discharges the weapon at George's car, and it explodes in flames. Fearful of being implicated in the killing (and of reprisals from Katelbach's other henchmen), Teresa frantically insists that she and George abandon the castle. George is in a [[acute stress reaction|state of shock]] and seems unable to move. Suddenly, they see a car approaching. Not knowing that Dickey's boss had abandoned him, they assume it is Katelbach. Desperate and afraid, Teresa runs and hides in a cupboard. The car arrives, and it turns out to be Cecil, who has returned to retrieve his shotgun. Cecil offers to take them to the police, but George refuses to go. He watches as Cecil and Teresa drive off into the night. George goes on a rampage, destroying his art studio, then running out of the castle and down to the beach. As day breaks, he sits down on a rock in the [[fetal position]] and weeps hysterically, shouting out the name of his first wife, as the early morning tide rises around him.

==Cast==
{{Cast list|
* [[Donald Pleasence]] as George
* [[Françoise Dorléac]] as Teresa
* [[Lionel Stander]] as Richard "Dickey"
* [[Jack MacGowran]] as Albie
* [[Iain Quarrier]] as Christopher
* [[Geoffrey Sumner]] as Christopher's father
* [[Renée Houston]] as Christopher's mother
* [[Robert Dorning]] as Philip Fairweather
* [[Marie Kean]] as Marion Fairweather
* [[William Franklyn]] as Cecil
* [[Jacqueline Bisset]] as Jacqueline
* Trevor Delaney as Nicholas
}}

==Themes and interpretations==
Like Polanski's previous film ''[[Repulsion (film)|Repulsion]]'', released the previous year, it explores themes of horror, frustrated sexuality and alienation, which have become characteristic of many of the director's films, especially ''[[Rosemary's Baby (film)|Rosemary's Baby]]'' and ''[[The Tenant]]''.

''Cul-de-sac'' has been compared in tone and theme with the works of [[Samuel Beckett]] and [[Harold Pinter]] and these similarities are underscored by the casting of two roles in the film, [[Jack MacGowran]] who was renowned for his stage performances of Beckett's plays and [[Donald Pleasence]] originated the role of Davies in Pinter's ''[[The Caretaker]]''.<ref name='BFI'>{{cite web |url=http://www.bfi.org.uk/features/polanski/culdesac.html |title=Cul-de-sac |access-date=19 June 2007 |date=4 April 2006 |publisher=[[British Film Institute]] |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070926230054/http://www.bfi.org.uk/features/polanski/culdesac.html |archive-date=26 September 2007 }}</ref><ref name='guardian'>{{cite news|last=Bergan|first=Ronald|url=https://www.theguardian.com/news/2006/sep/19/guardianobituaries.france|title=Gérard Brach|work=The Guardian|location=London|date=19 September 2006|access-date=11 April 2017}}</ref> The film's German title is ''Wenn Katelbach kommt'' (''When Katelbach Comes''). Christopher Weedman also notes the film's similarities with "such hard-edged [[Humphrey Bogart]] hostage thrillers as ''[[The Petrified Forest]]'' ([[Archie Mayo]], 1936), ''[[Key Largo (film)|Key Largo]]'' ([[John Huston]], 1948), and ''[[The Desperate Hours (1955 film)|The Desperate Hours]]'' ([[William Wyler]], 1955)."

==Filming location==
The film was shot on location in 1965 on the island of [[Lindisfarne]] (also known as Holy Island) off the coast of [[Northumberland]], [[England]]. [[Lindisfarne Castle]], which served as the home in the film, is now a [[National Trust]] property and can be toured by the public; despite the passage of time, the building and its surroundings are largely unchanged.

==Release==
===Critical reception===
''Cul-de-sac'' currently (May 2020) holds an 83% approval rating on the film [[review aggregator]] [[Rotten Tomatoes]], based on 23 reviews.

===Awards===
''Cul-de-sac'' was awarded the 1966 [[Golden Bear]] at the [[16th Berlin International Film Festival]].<ref name="berlinale 1966">{{cite web |url=http://www.berlinale.de/en/archiv/jahresarchive/1966/03_preistr_ger_1966/03_Preistraeger_1966.html |title=Berlinale 1966: Prize Winners |access-date=2010-02-17 |work=berlinale.de |archive-date=8 April 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110408041840/http://www.berlinale.de/en/archiv/jahresarchive/1966/03_preistr_ger_1966/03_Preistraeger_1966.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>

==See also==
{{Portal|1960s}}
* [[List of films featuring home invasions]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

===Bibliography===
{{Refbegin}}
* {{cite book|last=Hallenbeck|first=Bruce|year=2009|title=Comedy-Horror Films: A Chronological History, 1914–2008|publisher=McFarland|location=Jefferson, North Carolina|isbn= 978-0-786-45378-8}}
* {{cite book|last=Katz |year=1994|title=The Macmillan International Film Encyclopedia|publisher=HarperCollins|isbn=0-333-61601-4|display-authors=etal}}
* {{cite book|last=Polanski|first=Roman|year=1984|title=Roman|location=New York|publisher=Morrow|isbn=0-688-02621-4|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/roman00pola}}
{{Refend}}

==External links==
* {{IMDb title}}
* {{Rotten Tomatoes|2=Cul-de-sac}}
* {{AllMovie title}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20160811125819/http://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b6a83e56d ''Cul-de-sac''] at the [[British Film Institute]]{{better source needed|reason=Help request: a live link can be searched for at https://collections-search.bfi.org.uk/web/search/expert - if available, replace the archive URL with the live link. Or if none found, remove this 'better source needed' template. | date=October 2023}}
* {{TCMDb title}}
* [http://sensesofcinema.com/2005/cteq/cul_de_sac/ ''Cul-de-sac''] – an article by Christopher Weedman at ''[[Senses of Cinema]]''
* [https://www.criterion.com/current/posts/1957-cul-de-sac-high-tides ''Cul-de-sac: High Tides''] – an essay by David Thompson at [[The Criterion Collection]]

{{Roman Polanski}}
{{Golden Bear}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cul-De-Sac}}
[[Category:1966 films]]
[[Category:1966 black comedy films]]
[[Category:1966 comedy-drama films]]
[[Category:1966 independent films]]
[[Category:1960s British films]]
[[Category:1960s comedy thriller films]]
[[Category:1960s English-language films]]
[[Category:1960s psychological thriller films]]
[[Category:British black-and-white films]]
[[Category:British comedy-drama films]]
[[Category:British comedy thriller films]]
[[Category:British independent films]]
[[Category:British psychological thriller films]]
[[Category:Films directed by Roman Polanski]]
[[Category:Films scored by Krzysztof Komeda]]
[[Category:Films set in castles]]
[[Category:Films set on islands]]
[[Category:Films shot in Northumberland]]
[[Category:Films with screenplays by Gérard Brach]]
[[Category:Films with screenplays by Roman Polanski]]
[[Category:Golden Bear winners]]
[[Category:Films about home invasion]]
[[Category:Lindisfarne]]
[[Category:English-language black comedy films]]
[[Category:English-language independent films]]

Croupier (film)

2024-10-02T17:48:25Z

98.18.198.104: /* External links */

{{Short description|1998 film by Mike Hodges}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2024}}
{{Use British English|date=March 2024}}
{{Infobox film
| name = Croupier
| image = Croupier poster.jpg
| alt = A man in a suit leaning over a roulette wheel
| caption = Theatrical poster
| director = [[Mike Hodges]]
| producer = [[Jonathan Cavendish (producer)|Jonathan Cavendish]] Christine Ruppert
| writer = [[Paul Mayersberg]]
| starring = {{Plainlist|
* [[Clive Owen]]
* [[Kate Hardie]]
* [[Alex Kingston]]
* [[Gina McKee]]
* [[Nicholas Ball (actor)|Nicholas Ball]]
}}
| music = [[Simon Fisher-Turner]]
| cinematography = Michael Garfath
| editing = Les Healey
| studio = [[Channel Four Films]]
| distributor = [[British Film Institute]]<ref name="Ellison" />
| released = {{Film date|df=yes|1998|6|25|Singapore|1999|6|18|United Kingdom}}
| runtime = 94 minutes<ref name="Strick">{{cite web |date=July 1999 |author=Philip Strick |title=Croupier (1997) |url=http://old.bfi.org.uk/sightandsound/review/144 |website=[[Sight & Sound]] |quote=94 minutes 14 seconds |access-date=19 April 2024 |archive-date=19 April 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240419231510/http://old.bfi.org.uk/sightandsound/review/144 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
| country = United Kingdom
| language = English
| budget = £3 million<ref name="Ellison" />
| gross = $7,075,068<ref name="mojo" />
}}

'''''Croupier''''' is a 1998 British [[thriller film]] directed by [[Mike Hodges]] and starring [[Clive Owen]]. The film attracted a strong critical following in [[North America]] and helped to launch Owen's acting career there. It uses interior monologues in the style of many early noir detective films.

''Croupier'' was released on DVD by Alliance Atlantis in Canada and Image Entertainment in the US.

== Plot ==
Jack Manfred is an aspiring but as yet unsuccessful writer. To make ends meet and against his better judgment, he takes a job as a [[croupier]] at a local casino. The interview was set up by his father, a small-time hustler back home in South Africa.

Jack finds himself drawn into the casino world, and the job gradually takes over his life. He goes drinking with Matt, a croupier who he knows is cheating the casino. He sleeps with a fellow croupier named Bella in violation of casino policy. His relationship with his girlfriend Marion begins to deteriorate when he lets her read part of his book about a cold, unfeeling croupier who enjoys seeing gamblers lose, a character transparently based on Jack himself. Bella confronts Jack at his apartment, accuses him of getting her fired, and tells Marion about the one-night stand.

One gambler, Jani, tries to befriend Jack, another serious violation of casino rules. Jani shows him bruises saying she got them from gambling creditors and asks Jack to be the inside man for a planned robbery at the casino. All he has to do is raise the alarm when a gambler cheats at his table. Jack eventually agrees and accepts a £10,000 advance with an additional £10,000 if all goes well. In doing so, Jack notices that Jani's injuries were faked.

Marion reconciles with Jack but discovers that he is involved in something criminal and tries to foil it. She deletes a phone message for Jack alerting him that the robbery is on for Christmas Eve, and instead alerts a former colleague on the police. On the night of the robbery, Jack gets beaten by the gambler as a distraction while others try to grab the money. They fail, and Jack and Marion have an argument but she stays with him.

When a late-night knock at the door comes, Jack assumes it is the casino robbers demanding the return of their advance money. Instead, it is a policeman, who informs him that Marion has been killed in an apparent hit-and-run.

Jack finishes his book and gets it published anonymously. It is a big success, but he does not change anything about his life, continuing to work as a croupier and live in his basement flat, not even buying the new car he wanted.

Jack goes on with his life and gets another call, this one from Jani, who congratulates him on playing his part in the attempted robbery and implies that she benefited significantly. She then puts his father on the phone, who implies that he set up the croupier job for Jack to arrange for the attempted robbery, and that he benefited as well. Stunned but amused, Jack hangs up. Just then, Bella appears from the bedroom and kisses him.

==Cast==
* [[Clive Owen]] as Jack Manfred
* [[Kate Hardie]] as Bella
* [[Alex Kingston]] as Jani de Villiers
* [[Gina McKee]] as Marion Nell
* [[Nicholas Ball (actor)|Nicholas Ball]] as Jack Sr.
* [[Alexander Morton]] as David Reynolds
* [[Nick Reding (actor)|Nick Reding]] as Giles Cremorne
* [[Paul Reynolds (actor)|Paul Reynolds]] as Matt
* [[Barnaby Kay]] as Car Dealer

==Production==
''Croupier'' was commissioned by [[Film4 Productions|FilmFour]] and had a budget of £3 million.<ref name="Ellison">{{cite news |date=9 June 2000 |last1=Ellison |first1=Michael |title=When the chips are down |url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2000/jun/09/2 |work=[[The Guardian]] }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Ellison |first1=Michael |date=9 June 2000 |title=When the chips are down |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/259627738/?terms=%22Clive%2BOwen%22%2BCroupier |access-date=15 June 2020 |work=The Guardian |via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref>
The Golden Lion casino within the film was located on Bryanston Street, in [[Marylebone|Marylebone, London]].<ref name="Scovel">{{cite web |date=21 June 2023 |author=Adam Scovel |title=Croupier at 25: tracking down the London locations today |url=https://www.bfi.org.uk/features/croupier-25-tracking-down-london-locations-today |website=[[BFI]] }}</ref>

== Reception ==
''Croupier'' received a muted response upon its initial release in Britain.<ref name="Ellison" /> It was not until its release in the United States that it received widespread critical praise.<ref name="Ellison" />

On [[Rotten Tomatoes]], the film has a 95% positive rating based on 59 reviews, with an average rating of 7.40 out of 10. The website's critical consensus reads, "The writer slumming for human truths and real experience is a common enough story, but this cool-headed and slick thriller provides a gut-churningly compelling backdrop to a look at our darker sides."<ref>{{cite web |title=Croupier (2000) |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/croupier |work=[[Rotten Tomatoes]] |publisher=[[Fandango Media]] |access-date=1 April 2024 }}</ref> On [[Metacritic]], the film has a weighted average score of 75 out of 100, based on 28 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.metacritic.com/movie/croupier |title=Croupier Reviews |work=[[Metacritic]] |publisher=[[CBS Interactive]] |access-date=6 March 2024 }}</ref>

[[Roger Ebert]] gave the film three stars out of four, remarking that the point of the film was not the plot, but the atmosphere and characterisation. He also lauded the realistic depiction of the casino itself.<ref>{{cite news |date=21 April 2000 |url=https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/croupier-2000 |title=Croupier |first=Roger |last=Ebert |author-link=Roger Ebert |newspaper=[[Chicago Sun-Times]] |via=RogerEbert.com |access-date=6 March 2024 }}</ref> [[Stephen Holden]] in ''[[The New York Times]]'' called the movie, "a breezy meditation on life as a game of chance."<ref>{{cite news |date=21 April 2000 |first=Stephen |last=Holden |author-link=Stephen Holden |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2000/04/21/movies/film-review-born-for-gambling-in-a-casino-and-metaphysically.html |title=FILM REVIEW; Born for Gambling, in a Casino and Metaphysically |work=[[The New York Times]] |access-date=6 March 2024 }}</ref>

{{Anchor|Box office}}
The film grossed $7,075,068 at the box office.<ref name="mojo">{{cite web |date=2002-08-28 |title=Croupier (2000) |url=http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=croupier.htm |access-date=2024-04-08 |website=[[Box Office Mojo]]}}</ref>

{{Anchor|Accolades}}
The film was ineligible for [[Academy Award]] nomination as it had previously had a brief theatrical release in Singapore in 1998. Marketing strategist Mike Kaplan successfully lobbied the academy to grant the film a waiver, but after it was discovered the film has aired on Dutch television it was disqualified.<ref name="Goldstein2000">{{cite web |date=14 November 2000 |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2000-nov-14-ca-51288-story.html |title=An Oscar for ''Croupier'' Doesn't Seem in the Cards |work=[[Los Angeles Times]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190109160838/https://articles.latimes.com/2000/nov/14/entertainment/ca-51288 |archive-date=9 January 2019 |url-status=live |first=Patrick |last=Goldstein |author-link=Patrick Goldstein}}</ref>

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
{{wikiquote}}
* {{IMDb title|0159382|Croupier}}
* {{Rotten Tomatoes|2=Croupier}}

{{Mike Hodges}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Croupier}}
[[Category:1998 films]]
[[Category:1998 crime drama films]]
[[Category:1990s British films]]
[[Category:1990s English-language films]]
[[Category:British crime drama films]]
[[Category:British neo-noir films]]
[[Category:British films about gambling]]
[[Category:Films directed by Mike Hodges]]
[[Category:Films set in casinos]]
[[Category:Films set in London]]
[[Category:Films with screenplays by Paul Mayersberg]]
[[Category:English-language crime drama films]]

The Criminal Life of Archibaldo de la Cruz

2024-10-02T04:13:20Z

98.18.198.104: /* External links */

{{Infobox film
|name = Ensayo de un Crimen The Criminal Life of Archibaldo de la Cruz
|image = Ensayodeuncrimen.jpg
|caption = Poster
|native_name = {{Infobox name module|es|Ensayo de un crimen}}
|director = [[Luis Buñuel]]
|screenplay = Luis Buñuel Eduardo Ugarte
|based_on = {{based on|''Ensayo de un crimen''|[[Rodolfo Usigli]]}}
|producer = {{Ill|Alfonso Patiño Gómez|es}}
|starring = [[Miroslava (actress)|Miroslava]] [[Ernesto Alonso]] [[Rita Macedo]] [[Ariadna Welter]]
|cinematography = Agustín Jiménez
|editing = [[Jorge Bustos]]
|music = Jorge Pérez
|studio = Alianza Cinematográfica
|released = {{Film date|1955|5|19|[[Mexico]]|df=y}}
|runtime = 89 minutes
|country = Mexico
|language = Spanish
}}
'''''The Criminal Life of Archibaldo de la Cruz''''' (Spanish: '''''Ensayo de un crimen'''''; literally: ''Rehearsal for a Crime''<ref>{{cite news|title=Screen: Bunuel at Peak in 'Archibaldo'|last=Canby|first=Vincent|author-link=Vincent Canby|date=16 September 1977|work=[[The New York Times]]}}</ref>) is a 1955 [[Cinema of Mexico|Mexican]] [[crime comedy]] film directed and co-written by Spanish-born filmmaker [[Luis Buñuel]]. It tells the story of a would-be [[serial killer]] whose female victims keep dying before he has the chance to murder them.

==Plot==
Archibaldo de la Cruz, a wealthy Mexican man, tells a story about his childhood to a [[nun]]. During the [[Mexican Revolution]], Archibaldo's indulgent mother gave him her special [[music box]], which his stern [[governess]] said had the power to cause the death of one's enemies. To test the magic, Archibaldo wound up the box, and his governess was almost immediately struck by a stray bullet, leaving Archibaldo convinced that he killed her. Admitting he liked how powerful this made him feel, Archibaldo threatens the nun with a [[straight razor]], but she runs away, only to fall down an open elevator shaft. When Archibaldo is called in by a judge investigating the incident, he confesses that he killed the nun, and she is not his first victim. Archibaldo then tells the judge a story:

A few weeks earlier, Archibaldo hears his music box playing in an antique shop. An attractive woman named Lavinia and her elderly fiancé are looking at it, but Archibaldo convinces the salesman to sell it to him instead by saying it belonged to his mother and was stolen during the Revolution. Back at home, Archibaldo plays the box and cuts himself shaving, the blood bringing back images of his governess' dead body.

Outside the home of Carlota Cervantes, a young woman he is courting, Archibaldo runs into Patricia Terrazas, who recognizes him from a gambling parlor they both used to frequent. Carlota's mother sees Archibaldo and warns Carlotta, who is with her married lover, the architect Alejandro Rivas. Archibaldo gives Carlota a vase he made and says he has feelings that scare him, but believes he can be saved by her purity. A jealous Alejandro wants to interrupt, so, to avoid a scene, Carlota's mother says Carlota has to leave.

At the gambling parlor, Archibaldo sees Patricia. He hears her argue with her lover, Willy Corduran, and follows when she storms off. She crashes Willy's car, and Archibaldo offers to drive her home, stopping at his house to get his razor. While Patricia pours them drinks, Archibaldo imagines killing her and prepares to do it for real, but Willy enters, interrupting his plan. Patricia admits she was just trying to make Willy jealous, and Archibaldo leaves when the couple begin to kiss, though they are already arguing by the time he walks out the door. In the morning, a police detective tells Archibaldo that Patricia has committed suicide.

Carlota avoids a phone call from Archibaldo, so he goes to a bar alone. He sees Lavinia and is transfixed, as she appears to be surrounded by the [[Flaming drink|flames from her drink]]. Lavinia comes over, mostly to get a break from the American tourists she is showing around. Her fiancé arrives, and she gives Archibaldo an address where she can be contacted, before excusing herself.

Archibaldo visits Carlota and proposes, but she says she needs a month or two to decide. He goes to the address Lavinia gave him and discovers it is a dress shop. No one has heard of Lavinia, but there is a [[mannequin]] that looks just like her. Remembering that, as well as a [[tour guide]], she mentioned working as a model for artists, he asks who made the mannequin and visits the artist's studio. Lavinia is there and is impressed he found her. After being reassured he does not live alone, she agrees to come to his home, supposedly to model.

Carlota visits Alejandro at work to tell him they have to break up, even though she still loves him, since his wife refuses to grant a divorce. He guesses that Archibaldo proposed and says he will not let Carlota go so easily.

The day Lavinia is to visit, Archibaldo sends his servants away. He introduces her to the cousin he said lives with him, and she is amused to discover the "cousin" is really the mannequin, which he purchased. While he is out of the room firing up his [[kiln]] and getting drinks, Lavinia swaps clothes with the mannequin to play a trick on Archibaldo. He tries to kiss her, but she resists, so he kisses the mannequin, and then Lavinia kisses him. She begins to remove her clothes from the mannequin, but Archibaldo asks her to leave them and keep the mannequin's more-expensive clothes.

Archibaldo has Lavinia look at a childhood photo album and is sneaking up behind her when the doorbell rings. He answers it, and a group of tourists burst in. Lavinia innocently claims she invited them to tour his pottery studio, but he is angered by her trick. She says she is getting married, so she is quitting her job and will not see him again.

After Lavinia leaves with the tourists, Archibaldo takes the mannequin and puts it in his kiln, watching with a perverse glee as it melts. Carlota and her mother arrive to say Carlota has accepted the proposal, which overjoys Archibaldo, though Carlota seems ambivalent, and her mother bursts into tears.

Shortly before the wedding, Archibaldo gets a letter telling him to go to Alejandro's apartment. He watches from outside as Carlota enters and Alejandro closes the blinds. She asks Alejandro not to interfere in her wedding, to which he agrees, but he also says he feels something will keep them from being parted. Disappointed that Carlota does not seem to be as pure as he thought, Archibaldo fantasizes about shooting her on their wedding night in her wedding gown after making her pray, but this plan is foiled when, just after the ceremony, Alejandro shoots her instead.

Having heard Archibaldo's confession, the judge says that, while Archibaldo has the potential to be a criminal, he has committed no crimes. Still feeling responsible for the women's deaths, Archibaldo returns home and listens to the music box. Suddenly, he stops it, goes to a park, and throws it in a lake. Immediately, he feels better. He runs into Lavinia, and learns she did not get married after all. They link arms and walk away together.

==Cast==

{{col-begin}}
{{col-2}}
*[[Ernesto Alonso]] as Archibaldo de la Cruz
**Rafael Banquells Jr. as Archibaldo as a boy (uncredited)
*[[Miroslava (actress)|Miroslava]] as Lavinia, a tour guide and artists' model
*[[Rita Macedo]] as Patricia Terrazas, an emotionally volatile associate of Carlota
*[[Ariadna Welter]] as Carlota Cervantes, Archibaldo's fiancée
*[[Andrea Palma (actress)|Andrea Palma]] as Mrs. Cervantes, Carlota 's mother
*[[Rodolfo Landa]] as Alejandro Rivas, Carlota's married lover
*[[José María Linares-Rivas]] as Willy Corduran, Patricia's boyfriend
*[[Leonor Llausás]] as Archibaldo's childhood [[governess]]
*[[Eva Calvo (actress)|Eva Calvo]] as Señora de la Cruz, Archibaldo's mother
*Enrique Díaz 'Indiano' as Señor de la Cruz, Archibaldo's father
*[[Carlos Riquelme]] as the police inspector who investigates Patricia's death and is a guest at the wedding
*Chabela Durán as Sister Trinidad, Archibaldo's nurse
*[[Carlos Martínez Baena]] as the priest at the wedding
*[[Manuel Dondé]] as the colonel at the wedding
*[[Armando Velasco]] as the judge to whom Archibaldo confesses
{{col-2}}
;Uncredited
*Roberto Meyer as the doctor who gives the judge a statement
*Francisco Ledesma as an employee at the antique shop
*[[Antonio Bravo]] as the antiques dealer
*[[Enrique García Álvarez (actor)|Enrique García Álvarez]] as Chucho, Lavinia's elderly fiancé
*José Peña as Esteban, the older of Archibaldo's servants
*[[Lupe Carriles]] as the Cervantes' maid
*[[Eduardo Alcaraz]] as "Gordo" Azuara, who runs a gambling parlor
*Ángel Di Stefani as the police detective who questions Archibaldo in his workshop
*Ángel Merino as the police handwriting expert
*Leonor Gómez as the waitress who gets Archibaldo to sign a book
*[[Janet Alcoriza]] as a tourist from Oklahoma
*Jorge Chesterking as a tourist from Oklahoma
*Elodia Hernández as the owner of the dress shop
{{col-end}}

==Academic criticism==
''Ensayo de un crimen'' has been analyzed and studied by academics and critics such as Victor Fuentes, Gerardo T. Cummings, Marsha Kinder, and Ilan Stavans. Fuentes, a retired professor from the [[University of California, Santa Barbara]], included chapters dedicated to the detailed analytical study of the film in his book, ''La mirada de Buñuel'' (Spain: Tabla Rasa Libros y Ediciones, 2006), finding correlations between ''Ensayo de un crimen'' and ''Él''. In 2004, Cummings published an article in the Puerto Rican journal ''Revista Horizontes'', in which he analyzed the intertextual connections between the film and its literary source, the novel of the same name by [[Rodolfo Usigli]] (this article was part of a larger dissertation chapter on the echoes of the novel in the film).

The film's exploration of obsessive desire has been compared to [[Alfred Hitchcock]]'s [[Vertigo (film)|''Vertigo'']] (1958).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://tativille.blogspot.ie/2012/08/in-appreciation-of-greatest-film-of-all.html|title=In Appreciation of Alfred Hitchcock's ''Vertigo'' (1958), the "Greatest Film of All-Time"|website=tativille.blogspot.ie|date=4 August 2012|access-date=19 June 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|last=Hanley|first=David|url=https://offscreen.com/view/the_idea_and_the_world|title=The Idea and the World As It Is: Catholicism and Insanity in El and Nazarin|magazine=Off Screen|date=February 2011|volume=15|issue=2}}</ref>

In 2002, ''[[Slant Magazine]]'' called the film "a twisted [[tragicomedy]] on male obsession [...] the closest Spanish [[auteur]] Luis Buñuel ever came to directing a bona fide [[suspense thriller]]."<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/review/ensayo-de-un-crimen|title=Ensayo de un Crimen - Film Review|magazine=[[Slant Magazine]]|date=2 June 2002}}</ref>

Buñuel briefly references the production of ''Ensayo de un crimen'' in his 1983 autobiography ''Mon dernier soupir'' (''My Last Breath''). In it, he recounts how he was syndicated into orchestrating an original composition for the movie, and that, when the members of the orchestra disrobed due to heat, he saw that "at least 3/4ths of them carried holstered guns". Later in the book, Buñuel sadly recalls the ironic parallel between a scene where the protagonist cremates a wax mannequin based on Miroslava, and Miroslava's actual cremation following her suicide shortly after production wrapped.

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*{{IMDb title|0048037}}
*{{Rotten Tomatoes|m/criminal_life_of_archibaldo_de_la_cruz|The Criminal Life of Archibaldo de la Cruz}}

{{Luis Buñuel}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Criminal Life Of Archibaldo De La Cruz, The}}
[[Category:1955 black comedy films]]
[[Category:1950s crime comedy films]]
[[Category:1950s serial killer films]]
[[Category:1950s satirical films]]
[[Category:Mexican crime comedy films]]
[[Category:1950s Spanish-language films]]
[[Category:Mexican black-and-white films]]
[[Category:Mexican satirical films]]
[[Category:Films set in Mexico]]
[[Category:Films directed by Luis Buñuel]]
[[Category:Films about mannequins]]
[[Category:Mexican black comedy films]]
[[Category:1950s Mexican films]]
[[Category:Mexican Revolution films]]

The Quatermass Xperiment

2024-10-02T04:05:43Z

98.18.198.104: /* External links */

{{Short description|1955 British film by Val Guest}}
{{EngvarB|date=September 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2013}}
{{Infobox film
| name = The Quatermass Xperiment
| image = The Quatermass Xperiment.jpg
| alt = A photograph, green, of a man, standing to the right. His eyes are sunken into a gaunt face and he is holding out his right arm, which is horribly deformed. Left and centre is the film's tagline and title: "No terror ever like…" and "The Quatermass Xperiment" in white lettering, except for the 'X' in 'Xperiment', which is in red. Below, in lettering, are the names of Brian Donlevy and Jack Warner, the film's top-billed stars.
| caption = UK quad crown [[Film poster|theatrical release poster]]
| director = [[Val Guest]]
| producer = [[Anthony Hinds]]
| screenplay = {{plainlist |
* Richard Landau
* Val Guest}}
| based_on = {{based on |''[[The Quatermass Experiment]]'' |[[Nigel Kneale]]}}
| starring = {{plainlist |
* [[Brian Donlevy]]
* [[Richard Wordsworth]]
* [[Jack Warner (actor)|Jack Warner]]
* [[David King-Wood]]
* [[Margia Dean]]
* [[Maurice Kaufmann]]
}}
| music = [[James Bernard (composer)|James Bernard]]
| cinematography = [[Walter J. Harvey]]
| editing = [[James Needs]]
| studio = [[Hammer Film Productions]]
| distributor = [[Exclusive Films]]
| released = {{Film date|df=yes|1955|8|26|United Kingdom}}
| runtime = 82 minutes
| country = United Kingdom
| language = English
| budget = £42,000<ref>Vincent L. Barnett (2014) Hammering out a Deal: The Contractual and
Commercial Contexts of The Curse of Frankenstein (1957) and Dracula (1958), Historical Journal
of Film, Radio and Television, 34:2, 231–252, p 233 DOI: 10.1080/01439685.2013.847650</ref> or $140,000<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://archive.org/details/variety206-1957-03/page/n222/mode/1up?q=%22cost+around%22|magazine=Variety|date=27 March 1957|title=Exclusive Films' Warner, UA Deal|page=13}}</ref>
}}

'''''The Quatermass Xperiment''''' (a.k.a. '''''The Creeping Unknown''''' in the United States) is a 1955 British [[science fiction film|science fiction]] [[horror film]] from [[Hammer Film Productions]], based on the 1953 [[BBC Television]] serial ''[[The Quatermass Experiment]]'' written by [[Nigel Kneale]]. The film was produced by [[Anthony Hinds]], directed by [[Val Guest]], and stars [[Brian Donlevy]] as the titular Professor [[Bernard Quatermass]] and [[Richard Wordsworth]] as the tormented Carroon. [[Jack Warner (actor)|Jack Warner]], [[David King-Wood]], and [[Margia Dean]] appear in co-starring roles.

The film concerns three astronauts who have been launched into space aboard a [[single-stage-to-orbit]] rocket designed by Professor Quatermass. It crashlands with only one of its original crew, Victor Carroon (Richard Wordsworth), still aboard. He begins mutating into an [[Extraterrestrial life|alien]] organism, which, if it spawns, will engulf the Earth and destroy humanity. After Carroon escapes from custody Quatermass and Inspector Lomax (Jack Warner) of [[Scotland Yard]] have just hours to track him/it down and prevent a catastrophe.

Like its source TV serial, the film was a major success in the UK. It also brought public attention to Hammer Film Productions around the world. The film was released in the United States in a [[double feature]] with ''[[The Black Sleep]]''.<ref>McGee, Mark Thomas; Robertson, R.J. (2013). ''You Won't Believe Your Eyes''. Bear Manor Media. {{ISBN|978-1-59393-273-2}}. Page 254</ref>

==Plot==
[[File:The Quatermass Xperiment (1955) trailer - Rocket.png|thumb|The rocket lands]]
The British-American Rocket Group, headed by Professor [[Bernard Quatermass]], launches its first crewed rocket into outer space. All contact is soon lost with the rocket and its three-man crew: Carroon, Reichenheim and Green. The rocket later returns to Earth, crashing into an English country field. Quatermass and his assistant Marsh arrive at the scene. With them are the local emergency services, Carroon's wife Judith, Rocket Group physician Dr. Briscoe and Blake, a Ministry official who chides Quatermass for launching the rocket without official permission. When the rocket's hatch is opened, Carroon stumbles out in shock, only able to say the words, "Help me". Inside the rocket, Quatermass and Marsh find only the fastened but empty spacesuits of Reichenheim and Green.

Carroon is taken to Briscoe's laboratory facility on the grounds that conventional hospitals would have no idea how to treat Carroon, now suffering from an adverse outer space event. Under Briscoe's care, Carroon remains mute, generally immobile, but alert. Briscoe discovers a disfigured area on Carroon's shoulder and notices changes in his face, suggesting a mutation of the underlying bone structure. Meanwhile, [[Scotland Yard]] Inspector Lomax undertakes investigation of Reichenheim and Green's disappearance and, having fingerprinted Carroon as a suspect, alerts Quatermass that the prints are nothing human.

Judith thinks that Briscoe is not helping her husband, so Quatermass agrees to have Carroon transferred to a regular hospital, under guard. Marsh, meanwhile, developes the film from the rocket's camera, and Quatermass, Lomax and Briscoe watch it. The crew are seen at their duties, until something seems to buffet the ship. After that, there is a wavering distortion of the cabin's atmosphere, and the men react as if something invisible is there with them. One by one they collapse, Carroon being the last.

Something living in outer space entered the spaceship, dissolved Reichenheim and Green in their spacesuits, and entered Carroon, who is being transformed by this entity. Not knowing any of this, Judith hires private investigator Christie to break Carroon out of the hospital. Meanwhile, Carroon smashes a potted cactus in his hospital room, which fuses to his flesh. In the lift, he kills Christie and absorbs the latter's life force, leaving a shrivelled husk. Judith discovers what is happening to Carroon, who disappears into the night, leaving her unharmed, but traumatized.

Inspector Lomax initiates a manhunt for Carroon, who goes to a nearby pharmacy and kills its chemist, using his cactus-thorn-riddled hand and arm as a cudgel and leaving a twisted, empty man-husk to be found by the police. Quatermass theorizes that Carroon has taken select chemicals to "speed up a change going on inside of him". After hiding on a river barge, Carroon encounters a little girl, but leaves her unharmed. That night, he hides in the zoo, now with less of his human form remaining. In the morning, scattered animal carcasses are found, their life forces having been absorbed, with a slime trail leading away from the zoo. Among the bushes, Quatermass and Briscoe find a small but living remnant of Carroon and take it back to their laboratory. Following an examination, Quatermass concludes that some kind of predatory alien life has taken over and will release reproduction spores, endangering the planet.
[[File:The Quatermass Xperiment (1955) trailer - Monster.png|left|thumb|Carroon's final form in Westminster Abbey]]
The remnant, having now grown much larger, breaks out of its glass cage, but dies of starvation on the floor. On a police tip from a vagrant, Lomax and his men track the Carroon mutation to [[Westminster Abbey]], where it crawled high up on a metalwork scaffolding. It is now a gigantic mass of combined animal and plant tissue with eyes, distended nodules, and tentacle-like fronds filled with spores. Quatermass orders London's electrical power centres be combined and the generated power diverted to the Abbey. Heavy duty electrical cable is run and attached to the bottom of the metal scaffolding. The creature is incinerated in the [[electric shock|electrocution]] before it can release its spores.

The threat eliminated, Quatermass walks out of the Abbey, ignoring all who ask questions. Marsh eventually approaches and asks "What are you going to do?" Quatermass replies, "I'm going to start again". He leaves Marsh behind, walking off into the dark. Later, a second rocketship roars into outer space.

==Cast==
{{col div}}
* [[Brian Donlevy]] as [[Bernard Quatermass|Prof. Bernard Quatermass]]
* [[Richard Wordsworth]] as Victor Carroon
* [[Jack Warner (actor)|Jack Warner]] as Inspector Lomax
* [[David King-Wood]] as Dr. Gordon Briscoe
* [[Margia Dean]] as Mrs. Judith Carroon
* [[Maurice Kaufmann]] as Marsh
* [[Harold Lang (British actor)|Harold Lang]] as Christie
* [[Lionel Jeffries]] as Mr. Blake
* John Wynn as Det. Sgt. Best
* [[Jane Asher]] as the Little Girl
* [[Toke Townley]] as the Chemist (Pharmacist)
* [[Bartlett Mullins]] as the Zookeeper
* [[Thora Hird]] as Rosemary 'Rosie' Elizabeth Wrigley
* [[Sam Kydd]] as the Police Station Sergeant
* [[Gordon Jackson (actor)|Gordon Jackson]] as BBC TV Producer
{{col div end}}

==Production==
===Development===
''[[The Quatermass Experiment]]'' was originally a six-part TV serial broadcast by [[BBC Television]] in 1953. Written by [[Nigel Kneale]], it was an enormous success with critics and audiences alike, later described by film historian Robert Simpson as "event television, emptying the streets and pubs".{{sfn|BBC News Online|1 November 2006}} Among its viewers was [[Hammer Film Productions|Hammer Films]] producer [[Anthony Hinds]], who was immediately keen to buy the rights for a film version.{{sfn|Hearn|Rigby|2003|p=8}} Incorporated in 1934, Hammer had developed a niche for itself making [[B movie|second features]], many of which were adaptations of successful [[BBC Radio]] productions.{{sfn|Murray|2006|p=43}} Hammer contacted the BBC on 24 August 1953, two days after the transmission of the final episode, to inquire about the film rights.{{sfn|Pixley|2005|p=14}} Nigel Kneale also saw the potential for a film adaptation and, at his urging, the BBC touted the scripts around a number of producers, including the [[Boulting Brothers]] and [[Frank Launder]] and [[Sidney Gilliat]].{{sfn|Murray|2006|p=36}} Kneale met with Sidney Gilliat to discuss the scripts but Gilliat was reluctant to buy the rights as he felt any film adaptation would inevitably receive an [[X-rated#United Kingdom|'X' Certificate]] from the [[British Board of Film Classification|British Board of Film Censors]] (BBFC),{{sfn|Murray|2006|pp=36–37}} restricting admission to persons over the age of sixteen.{{sfn|Brooke|2011}} Hammer was not so reticent, deciding from the outset that they would deliberately pursue an 'X' Certificate.{{sfn|Hearn|Rigby|2003|p=9}} Hammer's offer met some resistance within the BBC, with one executive expressing reservations that ''The Quatermass Experiment'' was not suitable material for the company, but the rights were nevertheless sold for an advance of £500.{{sfn|Hearn|2011|p=9}}

Nigel Kneale was a BBC employee at the time, which meant that his scripts were owned entirely by the BBC. He received no extra payment for the sale of the film rights.{{sfn|Murray|2006|p=37}} This became a matter of some resentment on Kneale's part, and when his BBC contract came up for renewal he demanded and secured control over any future film rights for his work.{{sfn|Murray|2006|p=48}} Despite this, Kneale remained bitter over the affair until the BBC made an ''[[ex-gratia]]'' payment of £3,000 to him in 1967, in recognition of his creation of Quatermass.{{sfn|Murray|2006|p=98}}

The film was [[international co-production|co-produced]] by [[Robert L. Lippert]], an American film producer and distributor.{{sfn|Hearn|Rigby|2003|p=9}} Hammer had entered into an arrangement with Lippert in 1951 under which Lippert provided finance and supplied American stars for Hammer's films and distributed them in the United States.{{sfn|Kinsey|2010|p=20}} In return Hammer's distribution arm, Exclusive Films, distributed Lippert's films in the United Kingdom.{{sfn|Kinsey|2010|p=20}} [[Cinematograph Films Act 1927|Quota laws]] in the UK meant that US films had to have a British supporting feature, so it was in the American studios' interests to fund these features to recover a greater proportion of the box office receipts.{{sfn|Hearn|Barnes|2007|p=10}}

===Writing===
The first draft of the screenplay was written by Richard Landau, an American provided by Lippert who had worked on six previous Lippert-Hammer productions, including ''[[Spaceways]]'' (1953), one of the company's first forays into science fiction.{{sfn|Kinsey|2002|p=32}} Landau made significant changes in condensing the action to less than half the length of the original teleplay.{{sfn|Hearn|Rigby|2003|p=9}} The opening thirty minutes of the television version are covered in just two minutes in the Hammer film.{{sfn|Guest|Hearn|2003|loc=02:26–02:45}} In the process Landau played up the horror elements of Kneale's original teleplay.{{sfn|Hallenbeck|2011|p=66}} Aware that the film would be co-funded by American backers, Landau added a transatlantic dimension to the script: Quatermass's "British Rocket Group" became the "British-American Rocket Group" and the character of his assistant, Briscoe, was rewritten as a [[United States Air Force|US Air Force]] [[flight surgeon]].{{sfn|Hearn|Rigby|2003|p=9}} Quatermass himself was demoted to a doctor and written much more as an action hero than the thoughtful scientist created by Nigel Kneale.{{sfn|Hearn|1999|p=5}} Some characters from the television version, such as the journalist James Fullalove, are omitted altogether.{{sfn|Murray|2006|p=44}} Judith Carroon's role in the film version is reduced to little more than that of the stricken astronaut's anxious wife, whereas in the television version she is also a prominent member of Quatermass's Rocket Group.{{sfn|Hallenbeck|2011|p=68}} A [[subplot]] involving an extramarital affair between her and Briscoe is also left out of the film version.{{sfn|Warren|1982|p=250}} Kneale was particularly aggravated by the dropping from his original teleplay the notion that Carroon has absorbed not only the bodies but also the memories and the personalities of his two fellow astronauts.{{sfn|Kinsey|2002|p=32}} This change leads to the most significant difference between the two versions: in the television version, Quatermass makes a personal appeal to the last vestiges that remain of the three absorbed astronauts to make the creature commit suicide before it can spore, whereas in the film version Quatermass kills the creature by electrocution.{{sfn|Hearn|Rigby|2003|p=10}} Director Val Guest defended this change believing it was "filmically a better end to the story".{{sfn|Guest|Hearn|2003|loc=1:14:28–1:14:35}} He also felt it unlikely that Brian Donlevy's gruff interpretation of Quatermass would lend itself to talking the creature into submission.{{sfn|Guest|Hearn|2003|loc=1:14:55–1:15:12}}

Having fallen foul of the censors with some of their earlier films, Hammer had an informal agreement to submit scripts in advance of shooting for comment by the BBFC.{{sfn|Kinsey|2010|p=57}} When the draft script for ''The Quatermass Xperiment'' was submitted, Board Secretary Arthur Watkins replied: "I must warn you at this stage that, while we accept this story in principle for the 'X' category, we could not certificate, even in that category, a film treatment in which the horrific element was so exaggerated as to be nauseating and revolting to adult audiences".{{sfn|Kinsey|2002|p=33}} The BBFC were particularly concerned with the violence in the scenes where Carroon escapes from hospital and with how graphic the depiction would be of Caroon's transformation into the alien creature.{{sfn|Kinsey|2002|p=34}}

The script was then much revised by director Val Guest, who cut 30 pages from Landau's script and enhanced suspense over graphic horror.{{sfn|Hearn|Rigby|2003|p=11}} One of Guest's key script contributions was to tailor the dialogue to suit the brusque style of star Brian Donlevy.{{sfn|Hearn|Rigby|2003|p=17}} With an American actor cast as Quatermass, Guest reverted Briscoe to a British character and reinstated Quatermass's title of professor.{{sfn|Hearn|1999|p=5}} Guest also adapted some sections of the script in response to the concerns of the BBFC.{{sfn|Hearn|Rigby|2003|p=11}} Further stylistic changes were sought by the BBC, who retained a script approval option after the sale of the rights and asked Nigel Kneale to work on their suggested changes, much to his indignation.{{sfn|Murray|2006|p=43}} Kneale was tasked with rewriting any scenes featuring BBC announcers to match the BBC's news reporting style.{{sfn|Murray|2006|p=43}}

===Casting===
Irish-American actor [[Brian Donlevy]] was brought in by Robert L. Lippert to play the title role of Quatermass to provide an interest for American audiences.<ref name="val">{{cite web|url=https://historyproject.org.uk/interview/val-guest|website=British Entertainment History Project|first=Roy|last=Fowler|date=1988|title=Interview with Val Guest}}</ref>{{sfn|Meikle|2009|p=18}} Donlevy, in his own words, specialised in "he-men roles – rough, tough and realistic".{{sfn|Schlossheimer|2002|p=170}} Nominated for an [[Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor]] for ''[[Beau Geste (1939 film)|Beau Geste]]'' (1939),{{sfn|Schlossheimer|2002|p=165}} he was also known for his appearances in ''[[The Great McGinty]]'' (1940) and ''[[The Glass Key (1942 film)|The Glass Key]]'' (1942).{{sfn|Hallenbeck|2011|p=68}} At the time he appeared as Quatermass, his career was in decline, however.{{sfn|Hallenbeck|2011|p=68}} Donlevy's no-nonsense portrayal of Quatermass is very different from that of [[Reginald Tate]] in the television version. It was not to Nigel Kneale's liking, who said: "I may have picked Quatermass's surname out of a phone book, but his first name was carefully chosen: Bernard, after [[Bernard Lovell]], the creator of [[Jodrell Bank]]. Pioneer, ultimate questing man. Donlevy played him as a mechanic, a creature with a completely closed mind".{{sfn|Hearn|Rigby|2003|p=7}} Responding to Kneale's criticisms, Val Guest said that "Nigel Kneale was expecting to find Quatermass like he was on television, a sensitive British scientist, not some American stomping around, but to me Donlevy gave it absolute reality".{{sfn|Kinsey|2002|p=35}} By this stage in his career, Donlevy was suffering from alcoholism; it was some weeks into the shoot before Guest became aware that the flask of coffee he always carried on set was laced with brandy.{{sfn|Guest|Hearn|2003|loc=09:14–09:55}} Guest found, however, that "Brian was all right, no problem at all once you kept him sober".{{sfn|Kinsey|2010|p=128}} He reprised the role of Quatermass in ''[[Quatermass 2]]'' (1957) but was replaced by [[Andrew Keir]] in the third film, ''[[Quatermass and the Pit (film)|Quatermass and the Pit]]'' (1967).{{sfn|Hearn|Barnes|2007|pp=20, 117}}

Inspector Lomax was played by [[Jack Warner (actor)|Jack Warner]], who appeared by arrangement with the [[Rank Organisation|J. Arthur Rank Organisation]], with whom he was contracted.{{sfn|Kinsey|2002|p=36}} At the time, he was best known as the star of ''[[Here Come the Huggetts]]'' (1948) and its sequels.{{sfn|Hearn|Rigby|2003|p=14}} Shortly after finishing ''The Quatermass Xperiment'', he made his first appearance on television in the role he is most associated with: the title character in ''[[Dixon of Dock Green]]'' (1955–76).{{sfn|Hearn|Rigby|2003|p=14}} Warner plays Lomax in a lighthearted fashion and there is a [[running gag|running joke]] in the film involving Lomax's futile attempts to find the time to have a shave with his [[Razor#Electric razors|electric razor]].{{sfn|Guest|Hearn|2003|loc=54:27–55:03}}

[[Richard Wordsworth]] was cast by Val Guest as the hapless Victor Carroon because "he had the right sort of face for the part".{{sfn|Brosnan|1991|p=74}} He was best known at the time for his work in the theatre.{{sfn|Hearn|Rigby|2003|p=15}} His performance in ''The Quatermass Xperiment'' is frequently compared with that of [[Boris Karloff]] in ''[[Frankenstein (1931 film)|Frankenstein]]'' (1931).<ref>See, for example, {{harvnb|Baxter|1970|p=96}}; {{harvnb|Warren|1982|p=253}}; {{harvnb|Brosnan|1991|p=74}}.</ref> Guest, aware of the risk of an actor going over the top with the part, directed Wordsworth to "hold back just a mite of what you're feeling".{{sfn|Guest|Hearn|2003|loc=40:51–41:26}} Summing up Wordsworth's performance, film critic [[Bill Warren (film historian and critic)|Bill Warren]] said: "All Carroon's anguish and torment are conveyed in one of the best mime performances in horror and science fiction films... A sequence in which he is riding in a car with his wife is uncanny: only the alien is visible for a long moment".{{sfn|Warren|1982|p=253}} Wordsworth went on to appear in three more Hammer films: ''[[The Camp on Blood Island]]'' (1958), ''[[The Revenge of Frankenstein]]'' (1958), and ''[[The Curse of the Werewolf]]'' (1961).{{sfn|Meikle|2009|pp=229–264}} He remained known predominantly as a stage actor, among other things devising and starring in a [[one-person show]] dedicated to his great-great grandfather, the poet [[William Wordsworth]].{{sfn|Benedick|1993}}

Another American star provided by Robert L. Lippert was [[Margia Dean]], who played Judith Carroon. A former beauty queen,{{sfn|Hallenbeck|2011|p=68}} Dean was allegedly cast on account of her association with the 20th Century Fox president, [[Spyros Skouras]].{{sfn|Kinsey|2010|p=20}} According to executive producer [[Michael Carreras]], "Skouras had a girlfriend who was an actress and he wanted her in pictures, but he didn't want her in pictures in America, because of the tittle-tattle or whatever, so he set it up through his friend Bob Lippert".{{sfn|Hearn|Barnes|2007|p=17}} Val Guest recalled that "she was a sweet girl, but she couldn't act".{{sfn|Weaver|2003|p=101}} Her American accent was considered out of place in the film, and so her lines were [[dubbing (filmmaking)|dubbed]] in [[post production]].{{sfn|Hallenbeck|2011|p=68}}

Among the other actors that appear in the film are [[Thora Hird]], [[Gordon Jackson (actor)|Gordon Jackson]], [[David King-Wood]], [[Harold Lang (British actor)|Harold Lang]], [[Lionel Jeffries]], and [[Sam Kydd]], many of whom appeared regularly in films directed by Val Guest.{{sfn|Hearn|Rigby|2003|p=14}} ''The Quatermass Xperiment'' also saw an early role for [[Jane Asher]], who plays the little girl whom Carroon encounters when he is on the run.{{sfn|Weaver|2003|p=106}}

===Filming===
[[File:Bray Film Studios - geograph.org.uk - 1591972.jpg|thumb|left|alt=Colour photograph of a large white building with a castellated roof surrounded by trees situated in front of a river|Bray Studios, where many of the interior scenes in ''The Quatermass Xperiment'' were filmed.]]
[[Val Guest]] was hired to direct the film. He began his career co-writing comedies such as ''[[Oh, Mr Porter!]]'' (1937) and ''[[Ask a Policeman]]'' (1939) before moving into directing with ''[[Miss London Ltd.]]'' (1943).{{sfn|Kinsey|2010|p=127}} His first directing job for Hammer was on ''[[Life with the Lyons]]'' (1954) and he went on to direct their first two colour features: ''[[The Men of Sherwood Forest]]'' (1954) and ''[[Break in the Circle]]'' (1954).{{sfn|Hearn|Barnes|2007|p=27}} Guest had little interest in science fiction and was unenthusiastic about directing the film; he reluctantly took copies of Nigel Kneale's television scripts with him on holiday in [[Tangiers]] and only began reading them after being teased for his "ethereal" attitude by his wife, [[Yolande Donlan]].{{sfn|Weaver|2003|p=100}} Impressed by what he read and pleased to be offered the opportunity to break away from directing comedy films, he took the job.{{sfn|Guest|Hearn|2003|loc=35:01–35:45}} In his approach to directing the film, Guest sought to make "a slightly wild story more believable"{{sfn|Guest|Hearn|2003|loc=05:01–05:05}} by creating a "science fact" film, shot "as though shooting a special programme for the BBC or something".{{sfn|Guest|2003|loc=04:00–04:29}} Influenced by [[Elia Kazan]]'s ''[[Panic in the Streets (film)|Panic in the Streets]]'' (1950),{{sfn|Weaver|2003|p=103}} Guest employed a [[cinéma vérité]] style, making extensive use of [[hand-held camera]], even on set, an unusual technique for the time which horrified several of the technicians employed on the film.{{sfn|Guest|2003|loc=04:29–04:48}} To inject pace and add further realism into the story, Guest directed his actors to deliver their lines rapid-fire and to overlap the dialogue.{{sfn|Weaver|2003|p=103}} A meticulous planner, he created [[storyboard]]s for every shot and mounted them on a blackboard so as to brief the crew for each day's scenes.{{sfn|Guest|Hearn|2003|loc=59:58–1:01:09}} As a consequence, some members of the crew found Guest's approach to be too mechanical.{{sfn|Kinsey|2010|p=309}}

[[Principal photography]] began on 12 October 1954 with a night shoot at [[Chessington Zoo]]{{sfn|Kinsey|2002|p=34}} and continued from 18 October into December.{{sfn|Hearn|Barnes|2007|p=16}} The budget was £42,000, low even by the standards of Hammer at the time.{{sfn|Kinsey|2002|p=34}} Special effects technician Les Bowie recalled: "We did ''Quatermass'' on a budget so low it wasn't a real budget. I did it for wages not as a proper effects man who gets allocated a certain budget for a movie".{{sfn|Brosnan|1991|p=75}} The shots of the emergency services rushing to the rocket crash site at the beginning of the movie were filmed in the village of [[Bray, Berkshire]], where Hammer's studios were located.{{sfn|Kinsey|2002|p=35}} The scenes with the crashed rocket were shot in a corn field at [[Water Oakley]], near Bray.{{sfn|Kinsey|2002|p=35}} It was originally intended to make the crash site look more spectacular by setting fire to the field but bad weather interfered.{{sfn|Kinsey|2002|p=37}} Guest used a [[wide-angle lens]] for these shots to convey a feeling of vastness to the scene.{{sfn|Meikle|2009|p=22}} Carroon's encounter with the little girl was filmed at the [[East India Docks]] in London.{{sfn|Guest|Hearn|2003|loc=51:11–52:27}} A [[second unit]], under cameraman [[Len Harris (cinematographer)|Len Harris]], conducted additional location shooting around London for the [[montage (filmmaking)|montage]] scenes of the police search for Carroon.{{sfn|Meikle|2009|p=22}} For the shot of the lights of London going out when the electricity is diverted to Westminster Abbey, an agreement was made with one of the engineers at [[Battersea Power Station]] to turn off the lights illuminating the outside of the station; however the engineer misunderstood and briefly cut all the power along the [[River Thames]].{{sfn|Kinsey|2002|p=35}} Most of the remaining location shooting was done in the [[Windsor, Berkshire|Windsor]] area.{{sfn|Kinsey|2002|p=35}} The rest of the film was shot at Hammer's [[Bray Studios (UK)|Bray Studios]], with the New Stage there housing the sets for the hospital and the interior of Westminster Abbey.{{sfn|Kinsey|2010|p=43}} Michael Carreras had written to the Abbey seeking permission to film there but was refused.{{sfn|Hearn|Rigby|2003|p=10}} The rooms of Down Place, the former [[English country house|country house]] Bray Studios were built around, were used for other scenes such as Inspector Lomax's office.{{sfn|Kinsey|2002|p=34}} [[Art director]] [[J. Elder Wills|James Elder Wills]], in his final film for Hammer, made great use of the existing architecture of Down Place to enhance the effectiveness of his sets.{{sfn|Edie|2010|p=82}}

===Makeup and special effects===
[[File:Xperiment.JPG|thumb|right|alt=A black-and-white screenshot from the film depicting a tall man in a white coat reading a clipboard watched by a man with a moustache wearing a dark suit. In the foreground a man is seated rigidly staring straight ahead, his eyes and face sunken into a skeletal appearance|Quatermass (Brian Donlevy) (centre) and Briscoe (David King-Wood) (left) examine Carroon (Richard Wordsworth) (seated) in a scene from ''The Quatermass Xperiment''. Makeup artist Phil Leakey worked with cinematographer Walter J. Harvey to accentuate the shadows around Wordsworth's face to give him a skeletal appearance.]]
The work of [[makeup artist]] [[Phil Leakey]] in transforming Richard Wordsworth's Carroon into the mutating creature was a key contribution to the effectiveness of the film. Val Guest, Anthony Hinds, and Leakey all agreed that the makeup should make Carroon appear pitiful rather than ugly.{{sfn|Johnson|1996|p=146}} Leakey placed a light above the actor in the makeup chair and then worked on accentuating the shadows cast by his eyebrows, nose, chin and cheekbones.{{sfn|Kinsey|2010|p=309}} The makeup was a liquid rubber solution mixed with glycerine to give the impression of sweat.{{sfn|Johnson|1996|p=145}} Leakey's job was made easier by Wordsworth's natural high cheekbones and hollow temples and he also worked closely with [[cinematographer]] [[Walter J. Harvey]] to ensure the lighting in each shot emphasised Wordsworth's features.{{sfn|Kinsey|2010|p=309}} Leakey also created Carroon's mutating arm. The hand was created from a cast of the hand of an [[arthritis]] victim, enlarged and exaggerated by Leakey.{{sfn|Kinsey|2010|p=310}} The rest of the arm was built up using latex and rubber and, inside, had a series of plastic tubes through which fluid was pumped to give the effect of the arm swelling.{{sfn|Johnson|1996|p=146}} A large sponge-rubber [[prosthetic makeup|prosthetic]] was used for a brief scene in the zoo showing Carroon's mutation had advanced further.{{sfn|Johnson|1996|p=146}} The shrivelled corpses of Carroon's victims, glimpsed from time to time in the film, were also made by Leakey.{{sfn|Hallenbeck|2011|p=75}}

[[Les Bowie]] provided the special effects: he had made his name perfecting an improved technique for [[matte painting]], called the delineating matte, and formed a company with Vic Margutti that specialised in [[matte (filmmaking)|matte effects]].{{sfn|Kinsey|2010|pp=414–415}} Bowie provided a number of matte paintings to enhance the scale of certain key shots in the film, including the crashed rocket, the Westminster Abbey set, and the shot of Quatermass walking away from the Abbey at the climax of the film.{{sfn|Meikle|2009|pp=22–23}} Partly because of the concerns raised by the BBFC and partly on account of the low budget, Val Guest kept the creature largely off-screen for much of the film, feeling that audiences' imaginations would fill in the blanks more effectively than he and the special effects team could deliver on-screen.{{sfn|Guest|Hearn|2003|loc=1:01:23–1:02:21}} For the climactic scenes at Westminster Abbey, Bowie created a monster from [[tripe]] and rubber and photographed it against a model of the Abbey.{{sfn|Kinsey|2002|p=37}} There are also a couple of insert monster-closeup shots using an octopus, apparently fastened down out of water and with a few spikes appended to its sac, which is ultimately set afire. Sparks and fireworks were used for the shots of the creature being electrocuted.{{sfn|Kinsey|2010|p=415}} Michael Carreras felt something was missing when he viewed the first cut of this scene: "There was this great glob of something hanging about on the scaffolding. And they had put in the best music they could and put the best effects on it, but it meant nothing as far as I was concerned … absolutely nothing at all".{{sfn|Meikle|2009|p=24}} "An eye was added to the model of the monster and a human scream added to the soundtrack" to give the creature some semblance of humanity in its final moments,{{sfn|Kinsey|2002|p=37}} but this in fact is where the octopus was used. Models were also used for the rocket blasting off in the film's final shot.{{sfn|Kinsey|2010|p=426}}

===Music===
{{Listen
| filename = The Quatermass Xperiment (Sample).ogg
| title = Opening Credits (Excerpt)
| description = The rising and falling three-note semitone that pervades the score.
| pos = left
}}
John Hotchkis was originally hired to compose the music but, when he fell ill, Anthony Hinds asked conductor [[John Hollingsworth]] to recommend a replacement.{{sfn|Kinsey|2010|p=404}} Hollingsworth suggested [[James Bernard (composer)|James Bernard]], with whom he had worked on a number of BBC radio productions.{{sfn|Mansell|1999|p=15}} Bernard sent Hinds a tape of the score of one of these productions, an adaptation of ''[[The Duchess of Malfi]]'', and was duly hired.{{sfn|Huckvale|2006|p=46}} Bernard watched the film a number of times, stopping after each reel to make notes and discuss where the music would be needed.{{sfn|Kinsey|2010|p=404}} Val Guest was not involved in any of the music sessions; Anthony Hinds supervised Bernard and made the final decisions as to where the music should occur.{{sfn|Guest|Hearn|2003|loc=44:03–44:36}} Bernard composed the music at his piano and then worked out the orchestration, which was performed by the [[Royal Opera House]] Orchestra.{{sfn|Huckvale|2006|pp=46–49}} Hollingsworth restricted the arrangement of the score to just the [[string section|string]] and percussion sections: Bernard recalled, "I had not written for film before and had only used strings for the BBC scores, so I think that John thought it would be better to see how I got on with these two sections before letting me loose with a full orchestra".{{sfn|Mansell|1999|p=16}} The score runs to 20 minutes and uses a rising and falling three-note [[semitone]] throughout.{{sfn|Huckvale|2006|pp=49, 53}} Bernard's biographer, David Huckvale, argues that Bernard's use of [[atonality|atonal]] strings to create a sense of menace predates [[Bernard Herrmann]]'s score for ''[[Psycho (1960 film)|Psycho]]'' (1960), which is usually cited as the first film to employ the technique.{{sfn|Huckvale|2006|p=49}} Remarking on the effectiveness of the score, the film critic [[John Brosnan]] said: "Of prime importance, is the contribution of the soundtrack, in this case supplied by James Bernard who never wrote a more unnerving, jangly score".{{sfn|Brosnan|1991|p=74}} Bernard went on to become Hammer's most prolific composer, scoring 23 Hammer films between 1955 and 1974.{{sfn|Mansell|1999|pp=15–16}} Several cues from ''The Quatermass Xperiment'' were released on CD in 1999 by GDI Records on a compilation titled ''The Quatermass Film Music Collection''.{{sfn|Soundtrack Collector|2012}}

==Reception==
===Cinema release===
[[File:London-pavilion-facade.jpg|thumb|right|alt=Colour photograph of a neoclassical building with a number of statues on the roof and a decorative façade consisting of four columns topped by a triangular pediment. Letters spelling "London Pavilion" are contained within the tympanum.|''The Quatermass Xperiment'' had its première at the London Pavilion on 26 August 1955.]]
As expected, ''The Quatermass Xperiment'' received an 'X' Certificate from the BBFC,{{sfn|Hearn|Barnes|2007|p=16}} restricting admission to persons over the age of sixteen.{{sfn|Brooke|2011}} It was only the twelfth film to receive the certificate since its introduction in 1951.{{sfn|Meikle|2009|p=20}} Whereas most other studios were nervous of this new certificate, Hammer, who had noticed the success of the similarly 'X'-rated ''[[Les Diaboliques (film)|Les Diaboliques]]'' (1955),{{sfn|Bansak|2003|p=499}} chose to exploit it by dropping the "E" from "Experiment" in the title of the film.{{sfn|Hearn|Barnes|2007|p=17}} "X is not an unknown quantity" was the tagline Exclusive Films used to sell the picture to cinema managers, urging them to "Xploit the Xcitement" of the film.{{sfn|Hearn|2011|p=8}} On subsequent re-releases, the film reverted to the title ''The Quatermass Experiment''.{{sfn|Hearn|Barnes|2007|p=17}}

''The Quatermass Xperiment'' premièred on 26 August 1955 at the [[London Pavilion]] on [[Piccadilly Circus]].{{sfn|Kinsey|2002|p=39}} The supporting feature was ''The Eric Winstone Band Show''.{{sfn|Hearn|Barnes|2007|p=17}} It performed extremely well during its [[West End of London|West End]] run, taking £3,500 a week at the box office.{{sfn|Meikle|2009|p=24}} Timed to coincide with the broadcast of the television sequel, ''[[Quatermass II]]'',{{sfn|Meikle|2009|p=26}} the film went on general release in the United Kingdom on 20 November in a [[double bill]] with the French film ''[[Rififi]]''.<ref>{{cite web |last=Lenera |first=Dr |date= 2015-05-10 |title=DOC'S JOURNEY INTO HAMMER FILMS #26: THE QUATERMASS XPERIMENT [1955] |url = http://horrorcultfilms.co.uk/2015/05/docs-journey-into-hammer-films-26-the-quatermass-xperiment-1955/
|work=Horror Cult Films |access-date= 2017-08-13 | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20170714012600/http://horrorcultfilms.co.uk/2015/05/docs-journey-into-hammer-films-26-the-quatermass-xperiment-1955 | archive-date = 2017-07-14
| quote=Timed to coincide with the second TV Quatermass series ''Quatermass 2'', the film went out on a double bill with either the short '''The Eric Winstone Band Show''' or '''Rififi''', the latter becoming the most successful double bill release of 1955 in the UK.}}</ref>{{sfn|Hearn|Rigby|2003|p=19}} This became the most successful double bill release of 1955 in the UK.{{sfn|The Times|15 December 1955}} In some parts of the UK, the [[Watch Committee]]s of local councils demanded certain scenes, mainly close-up shots of Carroon's victims, be removed before allowing the film to be exhibited in their jurisdictions.{{sfn|Hallenbeck|2011|p=75}}

In the United States, Robert L. Lippert attempted to interest [[Columbia Pictures]] in distributing the film but they felt it would be competition for their own production, ''[[It Came From Beneath The Sea]]'', which was on release at the time.{{sfn|Meikle|2009|p=26}} Because Quatermass was unknown in the US, Lippert had renamed the film ''Shock!''.{{sfn|Hallenbeck|2011|p=75}} Unable to secure a sale, he retitled it again, this time to ''The Creeping Unknown''.{{sfn|Hallenbeck|2011|p=75}} [[United Artists]] eventually acquired the distribution rights in March 1956 for a fee of $125,000.{{sfn|Meikle|2009|p=26}} ''The Creeping Unknown'' was packaged as the bottom half of a double bill with a [[Gothic fiction|Gothic]] horror movie called ''[[The Black Sleep]]'', starring [[Basil Rathbone]], [[Lon Chaney Jr.]] and [[Bela Lugosi]].{{sfn|Hearn|Barnes|2007|p=17}} Four minutes were trimmed from the runtime of the film, largely from longer shots (e.g., the zookeeper as he peddles away from the monkey house on his bike).{{sfn|Hallenbeck|2011|p=76}} It opened in US theatres in June and was so successful that United Artists offered to part-fund a sequel.{{sfn|Meikle|2009|p=27}} According to a report in ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'', published on 6 November, a nine-year-old boy died of a ruptured artery at a cinema in [[Oak Park, Illinois]] during a showing of this double bill.{{sfn|Hearn|Barnes|2007|p=17}} The ''[[Guinness World Records|Guinness Book of Records]]'' subsequently recorded the incident as the only known case of an audience member dying of fright while watching a horror film.{{sfn|Hammer Films|2012}}

===Critical response===
''[[The Times]]'' newspaper critic gave the film a generally favourable assessment: "Mr. Val Guest, the director, certainly knows his business when it comes to providing the more horrid brand of thrills... The first part of this particular film is well up to standard. Mr. Brian Donlevy, as the American scientist responsible for the experiment, is a little brusque in his treatment of British institutions but he is clearly a man who knows what he is doing. Mr. Jack Warner, representing [[Scotland Yard]], is indeed a comfort to have at hand when Things are on the rampage".{{sfn|The Times|29 August 1955}} Positive reviews also came from Peter Burnup in the ''[[News of the World]]'', who found that "with the added benefit of bluff, boisterous Brian Donlevy... all earnest addicts of science fiction will undoubtedly love every minute of it",{{sfn|Hearn|Rigby|2003|p=18}} while the reviewer in ''[[The Guardian|The Manchester Guardian]]'' praised "a narrative style that quite neatly combines the horrific and the factual".{{sfn|Hearn|Rigby|2003|p=18}} ''Today's Cinema'' called it "one of the best essays in science fiction to date".{{sfn|Hearn|Barnes|2007|p=17}} Film historian Bruce G. Hallenbeck notes a degree of national pride in some of the positive reviews.{{sfn|Hallenbeck|2011|p=75}} For instance, [[Paul Dehn]] in the ''[[News Chronicle]]'' said: "This is the best and nastiest horror film I have seen since the War. How jolly that it is also British"!{{sfn|Hearn|Barnes|2007|p=17}} Similarly, William Whitebait in the ''[[New Statesman]]'', who found the film to be "better than either ''[[The War of the Worlds (1953 film)|War of the Worlds]]'' or ''[[Them!]]''",{{sfn|Kinsey|2002|p=39}} also called for "a couple of cheers for the reassurance that British films can still, once in a while, come quick".{{sfn|Hearn|Rigby|2003|pp=18–19}}

On a less positive note, Frank Jackson of ''[[Reynold's News|Reynolds News]]'' quipped "That TV pseudo-science shocker ''The Quatermass Xperiment'' has been filmed and quitermess they've made of it too",{{sfn|Kinsey|2002|p=39}} before slating the film as "82 minutes of sick-making twaddle".{{sfn|Hearn|Rigby|2003|p=18}} The horror content of the film was mentioned in several reviews: Patrick Gibbs of the ''[[Daily Telegraph]]'' said the film "gives the impression that it originated in the strip of some horror comic. It remains very horrid and not quite coherent",{{sfn|Hearn|Rigby|2003|p=18}} while the reviewer in the ''[[Daily Mirror]]'' found the film to be "a real chiller thriller but not for the kids"{{sfn|Hearn|Rigby|2003|p=18}} and [[Dilys Powell]] of ''[[The Sunday Times]]'' found the film "exciting but distinctly nauseating".{{sfn|Hearn|Rigby|2003|p=18}} Another unimpressed critic was [[François Truffaut]], who wrote in ''[[Cahiers du cinéma]]'' that "this one is very, very bad, far from the small pleasure we get, for example, from the innocent science fiction films signed by the American [[Jack Arnold (director)|Jack Arnold]]... The subject could have been turned into a good film, not lacking in spice; with a bit of imagination... None of this is in this sadly English film".{{sfn|Dixon|1983|pp=79–80}}

Upon its release in the United States ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'' noted "Val Guest's direction brings out the maxiumum suspense factors" and found the movie to be "a competently made drama . . . with frightening elements that should satisfy fans who go for the premise".<ref>{{cite web|title=Creeping Unknown|url=https://archive.org/details/variety203-1956-06/page/n217/mode/1up?view=theater&q|website=archive.org|publisher=Variety|access-date=17 June 2024}}</ref> According to Bruce Hallenbeck, many US critics found Brian Donlevy's gruff Quatermass a breath of fresh air from the earnest hero scientists of American science fiction films, such as [[Gene Barry]]'s character in ''War of the Worlds''.{{sfn|Hallenbeck|2011|p=75}}

Other US trade reviews were mixed. ''Harrison's Reports'' felt that "the story is, of course, quite fantastic but it has enough horrific ingredients to go over with those who enjoy scary doings".<ref>{{cite web|title=Creeping Unknown|url=https://archive.org/details/harrisonsreports38harr/page/n113/mode/1up?view=theater|website=archive.org|publisher=Harrison's Reports|access-date=18 August 2015}}</ref> ''Film Bulletin'' was not impressed: "Its strong point is an eerie atmosphere . . . but fails to build the suspense essential in this kind of film . . . Val Guest's direction is heavy with cliches".<ref>{{cite web|title=Creeping Unknown|url=https://archive.org/stream/filmbulletin195624film#page/n470/mode/1up|website=archive.org|publisher=Film Bulletin Company|access-date=18 August 2015}}</ref>

Among the critics and film historians who have reviewed ''The Quatermass Xperiment'' in the years since its release have been [[John Baxter (author)|John Baxter]] who said, in ''Science Fiction in the Cinema'' (1970): "In its time, ''The Quatermass Experiment'' was a pioneering sf film... Brian Donlevy was stiff but convincing... Much of the film is saved, however, by Richard Wordsworth... one of the finest such performances since Karloff's triumphs of the Thirties".{{sfn|Baxter|1970|p=96}} This view was echoed by [[John Brosnan]] in ''The Primal Screen'' (1991): "One of the best of all alien possession movies",{{sfn|Brosnan|1991|p=72}} he wrote, "not since Boris Karloff as Frankenstein's monster has an actor managed to create such a memorable, and sympathetic, monster out of mime alone".{{sfn|Brosnan|1991|p=74}} Bill Warren in ''Keep Watching The Skies!'' (1982) found that "the buildup is slightly too long and too careful"{{sfn|Warren|1982|p=252}} but also said that "it's an intelligent, taut and well-directed thriller; it showcases Nigel Kneale's ideas well; it's scary and exciting. It was made by people who cared about what they were doing, who were making entertainment for adults. It is still one of the best alien invasion films".{{sfn|Warren|1982|p=254}} Steve Chibnall, writing for the [[British Film Institute]]'s [[Screenonline]], describes ''The Quatermass Xperiment'' as "one of the high points of British SF/horror cinema".{{sfn|Chibnall|2011}} The horror fiction writer [[Stephen King]] praised the film in his non-fiction book ''[[Danse Macabre (book)|Danse Macabre]]'' (1981) as one of his favourite horror movies between 1950 and 1980.{{sfn|Murray|2006|p=153}} The film director [[John Carpenter]], who later collaborated with Nigel Kneale on the film ''[[Halloween III: Season of the Witch]]'' (1982), has claimed that ''The Quatermass Xperiment'' "had an enormous, enormous impact on me – and it continues to be one of my all-time favourite science-fiction movies".{{sfn|Murray|2006|p=154}}

==Legacy==
The success of ''The Quatermass Xperiment'' came at an opportune time for Hammer. By 1955 the deal with Robert L. Lippert had expired and the company produced just one feature film that year, ''[[Women Without Men (1956 film)|Women Without Men]]''.{{sfn|Meikle|2009|p=19}} Many of the independent cinemas that provided the market for Hammer's films in the UK were struggling in the face of competition from television and faced closure.{{sfn|Meikle|2009|p=19}} ''The Quatermass Xperiment'' gave Hammer a much needed box office hit and was also the first film to bring the company to the attention of a major film distributor, in this case United Artists.{{sfn|Hearn|Barnes|2007|p=13}} From this point onward, Hammer was increasingly able to deal directly with the major distributors and no longer needed intermediaries like Lippert.{{sfn|Hearn|Barnes|2007|p=13}} This ultimately spelt the end for Exclusive Films, Hammer's own distribution company, which was wound down in the late 1950s.{{sfn|Hearn|Barnes|2007|p=14}}

Hammer quickly sought to capitalise on its good fortune with a sequel. Staff member [[Jimmy Sangster]] pitched a story about a monster emerging from the Earth's core.{{sfn|Kinsey|2002|p=40}} However, when the company asked Nigel Kneale for permission to use the character of Quatermass, he refused, not wanting to lose control of his creation.{{sfn|Kinsey|2010|p=108}} Nevertheless, the film went ahead, as ''[[X the Unknown]]'' (1956), again capitalising on the 'X' Certificate in its title and featuring a newly created scientist character, very much in the Quatermass mould, played by [[Dean Jagger]].{{sfn|Hearn|Barnes|2007|pp=18–19}} Quatermass did eventually return to cinema screens in ''[[Quatermass 2]]'' (1957) and ''[[Quatermass and the Pit (film)|Quatermass and the Pit]]'' (1967), both of which had screenplays written by Nigel Kneale and based on serials originally written by him and presented by BBC Television.{{sfn|Kinsey|2010|pp=108–109}} Rival British film companies also tried to cash in with science fiction films of their own, including ''[[Satellite in the Sky]]'', ''[[The Gamma People]]'' and ''[[Fire Maidens from Outer Space]]'' (all 1956).{{sfn|Hallenbeck|2011|pp=77–78}}

''The Quatermass Xperiment'' was Hammer's first film to be adapted from a television drama.{{sfn|Bould|Butler|Roberts|Vint|2009|p=123}} Market research carried out by the company showed that it was the horror aspect of the film, rather than the science fiction, that most appealed to audiences.{{sfn|Dixon|2010|pp=87–88}} Three of the four films Hammer made in 1956 were horror films: ''X the Unknown'', ''Quatermass 2'' and ''[[The Curse of Frankenstein]]''.{{sfn|Kinsey|2002|p=41}} The enormous success of the latter of these cemented Hammer's reputation for horror and the company became synonymous with the genre.{{sfn|Meikle|2009|p=xiii}} Michael Carreras later said: "The film that must take all the credit for the whole Hammer series of horror films was really ''The Quatermass Xperiment''".{{sfn|Meikle|2009|p=1}}

==Home media==
''The Quatermass Xperiment'' was released in 2003 by DD Video on [[Region 2 DVD]]. It contained a number of extra features including a commentary by director Val Guest and Hammer historian Marcus Hearn, as well as an interview with Val Guest, an original trailer, and a production booklet written by Marcus Hearn and [[Jonathan Rigby]].{{sfn|Galbraith IV|2004}} A [[DVD region code#1|Region 1]] made-on-demand [[DVD-R]], sourced from a [[high-definition video|high-definition]] master, was released in 2011.{{sfn|Erickson|2011}}

The film was adapted into a 16-page comic strip published in two parts in the March/April and June 1977 issues of the magazine ''[[The House of Hammer]]'' (volume 1, issue #'s 8 and 9, published by [[Thorpe & Porter|General Book Distribution]]). It was drawn by [[Brian Lewis (illustrator)|Brian Lewis]] from a script by Les Lilley and Ben Aldrich. The cover of issue #9 featured a painting by Lewis of Professor Quatermass.<ref>[https://www.comics.org/issue/990029/? "The House of Hammer #v1#9"], Grand Comics Database. Retrieved Dec. 29, 2020.</ref>

==See Also==
* [[The Quatermass Experiment (film)]] for the 2005 film

==References==
{{reflist}}
===Bibliography===

====Books====
{{Refbegin}}
* {{cite book |last=Bansak |first=Edmund G. |title=Fearing The Dark: The Val Lewton Career |year=2003 |publisher=McFarland |location=[[Jefferson, North Carolina]] |isbn=978-0-7864-1709-4}}
* {{cite book |last=Baxter |first=John |author-link=John Baxter (author) |title=Science Fiction in the Cinema |url=https://archive.org/details/sciencefictionin0000baxt |url-access=registration |year=1970 |publisher=The Tantivy Press/A.S. Barnes & Co |location=London/New York |isbn=0-302-00476-9}}
* {{cite book |last1=Bould |first1=Mark |last2=Butler |first2=Andrew M. |author-link2=Andrew M. Butler |first3=Adam |last3=Roberts |author-link3=Adam Roberts (British writer) |first4=Sherryl |last4=Vint |title=Fifty Key Figures in Science Fiction |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GDtigRLslRgC&pg=PP1 |access-date=4 February 2012 |series=Routledge Key Guides |year=2009 |publisher=Routledge |location=Oxford |isbn=978-0-203-87470-7}}
* {{cite book |last = Brosnan |first = John |author-link = John Brosnan |title = The Primal Screen. A History of Science Fiction Film |year = 1991 |publisher = Orbit |location = London |isbn = 0-356-20222-4}}
* {{cite book |last=Dixon |first=Wheeler Winston |author-link=Wheeler Winston Dixon |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XP4Ugr7Bv8UC&pg=PP1 |access-date=31 January 2012 |title=The Early Film Criticism of François Truffaut |year=1983 |publisher=Indiana University Press |location=[[Bloomington, Indiana|Bloomington]] and [[Indianapolis]], Indiana |isbn=978-0-253-31807-7}}
* {{cite book |last1=Dixon |first1=Wheeler Winston |author-link1=Wheeler Winston Dixon |title=A History of Horror |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5CtYoSSxomcC |access-date=27 December 2011 |year=2010 |publisher=Rutgers University Press |location=[[New Brunswick, New Jersey]] |isbn=978-0-8135-4796-1}}
* {{cite book |last1=Edie |first1=Laurie N. |title=British Film Design: A History |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ryjT0VKDurIC&pg=PP1 |access-date=31 January 2012 |year=2010 |publisher=[[I. B. Tauris]] |location=London |isbn=978-1-84885-107-8}}
* {{cite book |last1=Hallenbeck |first1=Bruce G. |title=Hammer Fantasy & Sci-Fi |series=British Cult Cinema |year=2011 |publisher=Hemlock Books |location=[[Bristol]] |isbn=978-0-9557774-4-8}}
* {{cite book |last1=Hearn |first1=Marcus |last2=Barnes |first2=Alan |author-link2=Alan Barnes (writer) |title=The Hammer Story. The Authorised History of Hammer Films |orig-year=1997 |edition=2nd |year=2007 |publisher=[[Titan Books]] |location=London |isbn=978-1-84576-185-1}}
* {{cite book |last1=Hearn |first1=Marcus |title=The Hammer Vault: Treasures from the archive of Hammer Films |year=2011 |publisher=Titan Books |location=London |isbn=978-0-85768-117-1}}
* {{cite book |last1=Huckvale |first1=David |title=James Bernard, Composer to Count Dracula: A critical biography |url=https://archive.org/details/jamesbernardcomp00huck |url-access=registration |access-date=28 December 2011 |year=2006 |publisher=McFarland |location=Jefferson, North Carolina |isbn=0-7864-2302-1}}
* {{cite book |last1=Johnson |first1=John "J. J." |title=Cheap Tricks and Class Acts: Special effects, makeup and stunts from the films of the fantastic fifties |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NHzeZZOUD6QC&pg=PP1 |access-date=1 January 2012 |year=1996 |publisher=McFarland |location=Jefferson, North Carolina |isbn=0-7864-0093-5}}
* {{cite book |last=Kinsey |first=Wayne |title=Hammer Films. The Bray Studio Years |year=2002 |publisher=Reynolds & Hearn |location=London |isbn=978-1-903111-44-4}}
* {{cite book |last1=Kinsey |first1=Wayne |title=Hammer Films: The Unsung Heroes |year=2010 |publisher=Tomahawk Press |location=[[Sheffield]] |isbn=978-0-9557670-2-9}}
* {{cite book |last1=Meikle |first1=Denis |title=A History of Horrors: The rise and fall of the house of Hammer |edition=Revised |year=2009 |publisher=Scarecrow Press |location=[[Lanham, Maryland]] |isbn=978-0-8108-6354-5}}
* {{cite book |last=Murray |first=Andy |title=Into The Unknown: The Fantastic Life of Nigel Kneale |year=2006 |publisher=Headpress |location=London |isbn=1-900486-50-4}}
* {{cite book |last1=Schlossheimer |first1=Michael |title=Gunmen and Gangsters: Profiles of nine actors who played memorable screen tough guys |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=d17G9Dsthv8C&pg=PP1 |access-date=28 December 2011 |year=2002 |publisher=McFarland |location=Jefferson, North Carolina |isbn=0-7864-0989-4}}
* {{cite book |last=Warren |first=Bill |author-link=Bill Warren (film historian and critic) |title=Keep Watching The Skies! American Science Fiction Movies of the Fifties |volume=I: 1950–1957 |year=1982 |publisher=McFarland Classics |location=Jefferson, North Carolina |isbn=0-7864-0479-5}}
* {{cite book |last1=Weaver |first1=Tom |title=Double Feature Creature Attack: A monster merger of two more volumes of classic interviews |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=esCnTSqGtUYC&pg=PP1 |access-date=28 December 2011 |year=2003 |publisher=McFarland |location=Jefferson, North Carolina |isbn=0-7864-1366-2}}
{{Refend}}

====CD and DVD liner notes and booklets====
{{Refbegin}}
* {{cite AV media notes |title=The Quatermass Film Music Collection |others=Various Artists |year=1999 |chapter=Hammer's Quatermass Trilogy |first=Marcus |last=Hearn |type=CD liner |publisher=GDI Records |id=GDICD008 |location=London}}
* {{cite AV media |last1=Hearn |first1=Marcus |last2=Rigby |first2=Jonathan |author-link2=Jonathan Rigby |year=2003 |chapter=Viewing Notes |title=The Quatermass Xperiment |medium=DVD (booklet) |publisher=DD Video |location=London |id=DD06157}}
* {{cite AV media notes |title=The Quatermass Film Music Collection |others=Various Artists |year=1999 |chapter=James Bernard – The Quatermass Xperiment, Quatermass 2 |first=James |last=Mansell |type=CD liner |publisher=GDI Records |id=GDICD008 |location=London}}
* {{cite AV media |last=Pixley |first=Andrew |chapter=Viewing Notes |title=The Quatermass Collection |medium=DVD (booklet) |year=2005 |publisher=[[BBC Worldwide]] |location=London |id=BBCDVD1478}}
{{Refend}}

====DVD commentaries and interviews====
{{Refbegin}}
* {{cite AV media |last1=Guest |first1=Val |author-link1=Val Guest |last2=Hearn | first2=Marcus |year=2003 |chapter=Audio commentary |title=The Quatermass Xperiment |medium=DVD (Extra) |publisher=DD Video |location=London |id=DD06157}}
* {{cite AV media |date=2003 |chapter=Interview with Val Guest |title=The Quatermass Xperiment |medium=DVD (Extra) |publisher=DD Video |location=London |id=DD06157 |ref={{SfnRef|Guest|2003}}}}
{{Refend}}

====Newspaper articles====
{{Refbegin}}
* {{cite news |title=Obituary: Richard Wordsworth |first=Adam |last=Benedick |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/obituary-richard-wordsworth-1507468.html |newspaper=[[The Independent]] |location=London |date=29 November 1993 |access-date=28 December 2011}}
* {{cite news |title=Profitable Films: British Successes |newspaper=[[The Times]] |date=15 December 1955 |page=5 |ref={{SfnRef|The Times|15 December 1955}}}}
* {{cite news |title=Back to the Moulin Rouge: Jean Renoir's New Film |newspaper=[[The Times]] |date=29 August 1955 |page=10 |ref={{SfnRef|The Times|29 August 1955}}}}
{{Refend}}

====Online====
{{Refbegin}}
* {{cite web |url=http://www.screenonline.org.uk/film/id/591679/ |title=The X Certificate |last=Brooke |first=Michael |year=2011 |work=[[Screenonline]] |publisher=[[British Film Institute]] |location=London |access-date=27 December 2011}}
* {{cite web |url=http://www.screenonline.org.uk/people/id/471342/index.html |title=Guest, Val (1911–2006) |last=Chibnall |first=Steve |year=2011 |work=[[Screenonline]] |publisher=[[British Film Institute]] |location=London |access-date=27 December 2011}}
* {{cite web |url=https://www.dvdtalk.com/dvdsavant/s3601xper.html |title=The Quatermass Xperiment Review |first=Glenn |last=Erickson |author-link=Glenn Erickson |year=2011 |work=DVD Savant |access-date=3 January 2012}}
* {{cite web |url=https://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/9589/quatermass-xperiment-the/ |title=The Quatermass Xperiment (Region 2) |first=Stuart |last=Galbraith IV |author-link=Stuart Galbraith IV |year=2004 |work=DVD Talk |access-date=3 January 2012}}
* {{cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/6105578.stm |title=Quatermass creator dies, aged 84 |publisher=[[BBC News Online]] |date=1 November 2006 |access-date=27 December 2011 |ref={{SfnRef|BBC News Online|1 November 2006}}}}
* {{cite web|url=http://www.hammerfilms.com/productions/film/filmid/106/the-quatermass-xperiment |title=The Quatermass Xperiment |year=2012 |work=Hammer Films |publisher=Exclusive Media Group |access-date=4 February 2012 |ref={{SfnRef|Hammer Films|2012}} |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120106162339/http://www.hammerfilms.com/productions/film/filmid/106/the-quatermass-xperiment |archive-date= 6 January 2012}}
* {{cite web |url=http://www.soundtrackcollector.com/title/10084/Quatermass+Film+Music+Collection,+The |title=Quatermass Film Music Collection, The|year=2012 |work=Soundtrack Collector |access-date=2 January 2012 |ref={{SfnRef|Soundtrack Collector|2012}}}}
{{Refend}}

==External links==
{{Wikiquote}}
* {{IMDb title|0049646}}
* {{Amg movie|153617}}
* {{tcmdb title|id=4909}}
* {{AFI film|id=54179|title=The Creeping Unknown}}
* {{Rotten Tomatoes|m/the_quatermass_xperiment}}
* ''[https://web.archive.org/web/20120106162339/http://www.hammerfilms.com/productions/film/filmid/106/the-quatermass-xperiment The Quatermass Xperiment]'' at [[Hammer Film Productions|Hammer Films]]
* ''[http://www.screenonline.org.uk/film/id/525280/index.html The Quatermass Xperiment]'' at the [[British Film Institute]]'s Screenonline
* ''[https://web.archive.org/web/20090804161719/http://geocities.com/TelevisionCity/8504/qe.htm The Quatermass Xperiment]'' at The Quatermass Home Page
* [http://www.quatermass.org.uk Quatermass.org.uk – Nigel Kneale & Quatermass Appreciation Site]
* [http://trailersfromhell.com/creeping-unknown/ ''The Creeping Unknown''] at [[Trailers From Hell]]
* [http://www.geocities.ws/linwood//cine/Cinema%20Britain1/quatermass.html The Quatermass Trilogy – A Controlled Paranoia]
{{Quatermass}}
{{Quatermass}}
{{Val Guest}}
{{Hammer Horror}}

{{good article}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Quatermass Xperiment, The}}
[[Category:1955 films]]
[[Category:1950s science fiction horror films]]
[[Category:1955 horror films]]
[[Category:1950s monster movies]]
[[Category:British science fiction horror films]]
[[Category:British monster movies]]
[[Category:1950s English-language films]]
[[Category:Films directed by Val Guest]]
[[Category:British black-and-white films]]
[[Category:Films about astronauts]]
[[Category:Films based on television series]]
[[Category:Films scored by James Bernard]]
[[Category:Films set in London]]
[[Category:Hammer Film Productions horror films]]
[[Category:Films adapted into comics]]
[[Category:Quatermass]]
[[Category:1950s British films]]
[[Category:English-language science fiction horror films]]

Creature from the Black Lagoon

2024-10-02T04:01:53Z

98.18.198.104: /* External links */

{{Short description|1954 film by William Alland}}
{{about|the film|the eponymous character|Gill-man|}}
{{Use American English|date = November 2019}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2011}}
{{Infobox film
| name = Creature from the Black Lagoon
| image = Creature from the Black Lagoon poster.jpg
| caption = Theatrical release poster by [[Reynold Brown]]
| director = [[Jack Arnold (director)|Jack Arnold]]
| producer = [[William Alland]]
| story = [[Maurice Zimm]]
| screenplay = {{Plainlist|
* [[Harry Essex]]
* [[Arthur A. Ross|Arthur Ross]]
}}
| starring = {{Plainlist|
* [[Richard Carlson (actor)|Richard Carlson]]
* [[Julie Adams]]
* [[Richard Denning]]
* [[Antonio Moreno]]
* [[Nestor Paiva]]
* [[Whit Bissell]]
* [[Ben Chapman (actor)|Ben Chapman]]
* [[Ricou Browning]]
}}
| music = {{Plainlist|
* [[Henry Mancini]]
* [[Hans J. Salter]]
* [[Herman Stein]]
}}
| cinematography = William E. Snyder
| editing = [[Ted J. Kent]]
| studio = [[Universal-International]]
| distributor = Universal-International
| released = {{Film date|1954|02|12}}(premiere)<ref name="indepth">Furmanek, Bob and Greg Kintz. [http://www.3dfilmarchive.com/an-in-depth-look-at-creature-from-the-black-lagoon-1 "An in-depth look at 'Creature from the Black Lagoon'".] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190402080856/http://www.3dfilmarchive.com/an-in-depth-look-at-creature-from-the-black-lagoon-1 |date=April 2, 2019 }} ''3dfilmarchive.com'', 2012. Retrieved: November 19, 2013.</ref> {{Film date|1954|03|05}}(et al., regional openings)
| runtime = 80 minutes
| country = United States
| language = English
| budget =
| gross = $1,300,000<ref name="box">{{cite magazine|url=https://archive.org/details/variety197-1955-01-05/page/n58/mode/1up|title=1954 Box Office Champs|magazine=Variety Weekly|date=January 5, 1955|page=59}} - figures are rentals in the US and Canada</ref>
}}

'''''Creature from the Black Lagoon''''' is a 1954 American [[black-and-white]] [[3D film|3D]] [[Monster film|monster]] [[horror film]] produced by [[William Alland]] and directed by [[Jack Arnold (director)|Jack Arnold]], from a screenplay by [[Harry Essex]] and [[Arthur A. Ross|Arthur Ross]] and a story by [[Maurice Zimm]]. It stars [[Richard Carlson (actor)|Richard Carlson]], [[Julie Adams|Julia Adams]], [[Richard Denning]], [[Antonio Moreno]], [[Nestor Paiva]], and [[Whit Bissell]]. The film's plot follows a group of scientists who encounter a [[List of piscine and amphibian humanoids|piscine amphibious humanoid]] in the waters of the [[Amazon rainforest|Amazon]]; the Creature, also known as the [[Gill-man]], was played by [[Ben Chapman (actor)|Ben Chapman]] on land and by [[Ricou Browning]] underwater. Produced and distributed by [[Universal-International]], ''Creature from the Black Lagoon'' premiered in [[Detroit]] on February 12, 1954, and was released on a regional basis, opening on various dates.

''Creature from the Black Lagoon'' was filmed in [[Stereoscopy|three dimensions (3D)]] and originally [[Movie projector|projected]] by the [[Polarized 3D system|polarized light method]]. The audience wore viewers with gray polarizing filters, similar to the viewers most commonly used today. Because the brief 1950s 3D film [[fad]] had peaked in mid-1953 and was fading fast in early 1954, many audiences actually saw the film "flat", in two dimensions (2D). Typically, the film was shown in 3D in large downtown theaters and flat in smaller neighborhood theaters. In 1975, ''Creature from the Black Lagoon'' was released to theaters in the red-and-blue-glasses [[anaglyph 3D]] format, which was also used for a 1980 home video release on [[Betamax|Beta]] and [[VHS]] [[Videotape#Home video|videocassettes]].<ref name="indepth"/>
{{TOC limit|limit=2}}

==Plot==
[[File:Famous Actress Who Later Portrayed an FDA Chemist (FDA 124) (8205683361).jpg|thumb|right|Autographed Julie Adams still, featuring the Creature menacing Kay]]
A [[geology]] expedition in the [[Amazon rainforest|Amazon]] uncovers [[fossil]]ized evidence (a skeletal hand with webbed fingers) from the [[Devonian]] period that provides a direct link between land and sea animals. Expedition leader Dr. Carl Maia orders his two assistants to stay in camp while he visits the [[marine biology]] institute.

Carl reunites with his friend and former student, [[Ichthyology|ichthyologist]] Dr. David Reed. David works at an aquarium in California, but more recently, he has been a guest at Carl's institute in Brazil to study [[lungfish]]. David persuades his boss, the financially minded Dr. Mark Williams, to fund a return expedition to the Amazon to look for the remainder of the skeleton.

Soon after Carl leaves camp, a [[List of piscine and amphibian humanoids|piscine amphibious humanoid]], a living member of the same species from which the fossil originated, becomes curious about the expedition's camp. When its sudden appearance frightens the assistants, they panic and attack, and in response, the enraged Creature kills them both.

The group goes aboard the tramp steamer ''Rita'', captained by crusty Lucas. The expedition consists of David, Carl, Mark, David's girlfriend and colleague Kay Lawrence, and another scientist, Dr. Edwin Thompson. When they arrive at the camp, they discover Carl's assistants have been killed while he was away. Lucas suggests it was likely done by a [[jaguar]], but the others are unsure.

A further excavation of the area where Carl found the fossil turns up nothing. Mark is ready to give up the search, but David suggests that perhaps thousands of years ago, the part of the embankment containing the rest of the skeleton fell into the water and was washed downriver, broken up by the current. Carl says the tributary empties into a [[lagoon]]. Lucas calls it the "Black Lagoon", a paradise from which no one has ever returned. The scientists decide to risk it, unaware that the Creature - the [[Amphibian|amphibious]] "Gill-man" - that killed Carl's assistants has been watching them.

Taking notice of the beautiful Kay, the Creature follows the ''Rita'' all the way downriver to the Black Lagoon. Once the expedition arrives, David and Mark go diving to collect rock samples from the lagoon floor. After they return, Kay goes swimming and is stalked underwater by the Creature, who then gets briefly caught in one of the ship's drag lines. Although it escapes, the Creature leaves a claw behind in the net, revealing its existence.

After subsequent encounters with the Creature claim the lives of Lucas's crew members, it attacks Kay and attempts to abduct her, but it is captured and locked in a cage aboard the ''Rita''. During the night, it escapes and attacks Edwin, who was guarding it. Edwin smashes the Creature with a lantern, driving it off, but he is severely injured. Following this incident, David decides they should return to civilization. Mark, who is obsessed with capturing (or killing) the Creature, objects. As the ''Rita'' tries to leave, they find the Creature has blocked the lagoon's entrance with fallen logs. While the others attempt to remove the logs, Mark is mauled to death while trying to capture the Creature single-handed underwater. The Creature then climbs aboard the ''Rita'' and approaches Kay from behind. She screams as the Creature grabs her, taking her away to its cavern lair. David, Lucas, and Carl pursue them, rescuing Kay and riddling the Creature with bullets. It retreats to the lagoon, where its body sinks into the watery depths.

==Cast==
[[File:Ricou Browning in his movie costume at Wakulla Springs (15055100304).jpg|thumb|[[Ricou Browning]] played the "Gill-man" in the underwater scenes of ''Creature from the Black Lagoon'' (1954), ''[[Revenge of the Creature]]'' (1955), and ''[[The Creature Walks Among Us]]'' (1956).]]
* [[Richard Carlson (actor)|Richard Carlson]] as Dr. David Reed
* [[Julie Adams|Julia Adams]] as Kay Lawrence
* [[Richard Denning]] as Dr. Mark Williams
* [[Antonio Moreno]] as Dr. Carl Maia
* [[Nestor Paiva]] as Captain Lucas
* [[Whit Bissell]] as Dr. Edwin Thompson
* Bernie Gozier as Zee
* Henry Escalante as Chico
* [[Ricou Browning]] as the Gill-man (underwater; uncredited){{citation needed|date=August 2024}}
* [[Ben Chapman (actor)|Ben Chapman]] as the Gill-man (on land; uncredited){{citation needed|date=August 2024}}
* [[Ginger Stanley]] as Kay Lawrence (underwater; uncredited){{citation needed|date=August 2024}}

==Production==
{{expand section|date=August 2024}}
Producer William Alland was attending a 1941 dinner party during the filming of ''[[Citizen Kane]]'' (in which he played the reporter Thompson) when [[Mexicans|Mexican]] [[cinematographer]] [[Gabriel Figueroa]] told him about [[Yacuruna|the myth of a race of half-fish, half-human creatures]] in the [[Amazon River]]. Alland wrote story notes titled "The Sea Monster" 10 years later, using ''[[Beauty and the Beast]]'' as inspiration. In December 1952, [[Maurice Zimm]] expanded this into a treatment, which [[Harry Essex]] and Arthur Ross rewrote as ''The Black Lagoon''. Following the success of the 3D film ''[[House of Wax (1953 film)|House of Wax]]'' in 1953, [[Jack Arnold (director)|Jack Arnold]] was hired to direct the film in the same format.<ref name=horror>Vieira 2003, pp. 141–143.</ref>

The designer of the approved Gill-man was [[Walt Disney Animation Studios|Disney]] animator [[Milicent Patrick]], though her role was deliberately downplayed by [[make-up artist]] [[Bud Westmore]], who for half a century received sole credit for the creature's conception.<ref name="Mostri">Ferrari 2003, p. 287.</ref> Jack Kevan, who worked on ''[[The Wizard of Oz (1939 film)|The Wizard of Oz]]'' (1939) and made [[prosthesis|prosthetics]] for amputees during [[World War II]], created the [[bodysuit]], while Chris Mueller Jr. sculpted the head.<ref>{{cite AV media |people=Skal, David J. (Director) |date=2000 |title=Back to the Black Lagoon |type=DVD |language=English |publisher=Universal Studios}}</ref>

Ben Chapman portrayed the Gill-man for the majority of the scenes shot at [[Universal City, California]]. The on-water scenes were filmed at Park Lake on the Universal back lot. The costume made sitting impossible for Chapman for the 14 hours of each day that he wore it, and it overheated easily. Due to these difficulties, Chapman often stayed in the studio's back-lot lake, frequently requesting to be hosed down. He also could not see very well while wearing the headpiece, which caused him to scrape Julie Adams' head against the wall when carrying her in the [[grotto]] scenes.

Ricou Browning played the Gill-man in the underwater shots, which were filmed by the [[second unit]] in [[Wakulla Springs]], [[Florida]].<ref name=horror/> While filming underwater, Browning reportedly held his breath for up to four minutes at a time.<ref name="Rizzo 2013">{{cite web|url=https://www.ocala.com/story/news/local/2013/07/18/a-silver-springs-story-ricou-browning-was-the-creature/31923591007/|title=A Silver Springs story: Ricou Browning was the Creature|last=Rizzo|first=Marian|date=July 18, 2013|website=[[Star–Banner]]|access-date=July 25, 2019}}</ref><ref name="McBrayer 2021">{{cite web|url=https://www.fangoria.com/original/the-immortal-creature-ricou-browning/|title=The Immortal Creature: Ricou Browning|last=McBrayer|first=Mary Kay|date=November 19, 2021|website=[[Fangoria]]|access-date=April 7, 2022}}</ref> In a 2013 interview, Browning clarified: "If you're not doing anything at all, four minutes is possible, but not if you're moving in the water. If you're swimming fast or fighting, you use up a lot of oxygen, and it cuts it down to, at the most, two minutes".<ref name="Rizzo 2013" />

==Reception and analysis==
[[Leonard Maltin]] awarded the film three out of four stars, writing: "Archetypal '50s monster movie has been copied so often that some of the edge is gone, but ... is still entertaining, with juicy atmosphere and luminous underwater photography sequences".<ref name="maltin14">{{cite book|last1=Maltin|first1=Leonard|title=Leonard Maltin's 2014 Movie Guide|year=2013|publisher=Penguin Press|isbn=9780451418104|page=[https://archive.org/details/isbn_9780451418104/page/298 298]|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/isbn_9780451418104/page/298}}</ref> Film [[review aggregator]] website [[Rotten Tomatoes]] reports an approval rating of 80%, based on {{nowrap|44 reviews}}, with an overall rating average of 7.10/10. The consensus calls it "a solid, atmospheric creature feature that entertains without attempting to be deeper than it needs".<ref name="rtomatoesrating">{{cite web|title=Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954) - Rotten Tomatoes|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1004906-creature_from_the_black_lagoon/|website=Rotten Tomatoes.com|publisher=Rotten Tomatoes|access-date=16 January 2023}}</ref> The film is recognized by [[American Film Institute]] in these lists:
* 2001: [[AFI's 100 Years...100 Thrills]] – Nominated<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.afi.com/Docs/100Years/movies400.pdf |title=AFI's 100 Years...100 Movies Nominees |access-date=August 20, 2016}}</ref>
* 2003: [[AFI's 100 Years...100 Heroes & Villains]]:
** Gill-man – Nominated Villain<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.afi.com/Docs/100Years/handv400.pdf |title=AFI's 100 Years...100 Heroes & Villains Nominees |access-date=August 20, 2016}}</ref>

Psychoanalyst [[Barbara Creed]] provided a feminist reading of classical movie monsters like the Creature or the [[Erik (The Phantom of the Opera)|Phantom of the Opera]], arguing that despite their superficially masculine characterizations, their antagonization of a powerful male hero instead positions them as opponents of the [[patriarchal]] social order, thus imbuing them with feminine traits and creating a sympathetic connection between them and the women they victimize.<ref>Barbara Creed. ''The Monstrous-Feminine: Film, Feminism, and Psychoanalysis'', Routledge, 1993</ref>

==Sequels and remakes==
{{Main|Cultural impact of Creature from the Black Lagoon{{!}}Cultural impact of ''Creature from the Black Lagoon''}}

===Sequels===
''Creature from the Black Lagoon'' spawned two sequels: ''[[Revenge of the Creature]]'' (1955), which was also filmed and released in 3D in hopes of reviving the format, and ''[[The Creature Walks Among Us]]'' (1956), filmed in 2D. A comedic appearance with [[Abbott and Costello]] on an episode of ''[[The Colgate Comedy Hour]]'' aired prior to the first film's release.<ref name=colgate>{{IMDb title | 0810152 | The Colgate Comedy Hour, ep #4.21, Feb. 21, 1954 }}</ref> The appearance is commonly known as ''Abbott and Costello Meet the Creature from the Black Lagoon''.

===Cancelled remakes===
[[File:Del Mar Theatre Ad - 31 March 1954, Santa Cruz, CA.jpg|thumb|200px|Advertisement from 1954]]
In 1982, [[John Landis]] wanted Jack Arnold to direct a remake of the film, and [[Nigel Kneale]] was commissioned to write the screenplay. Kneale completed the script, which involved a pair of creatures, one destructive and the other calm and sensitive, being persecuted by the United States Navy.<ref name="kneale">Murray 2005, pp. 154–156.</ref> A decision to make the film in 3D led to the remake being canceled by producers at [[Universal Studios|Universal]], both for budgetary concerns and to avoid a clash with ''[[Jaws 3-D]]''.<ref name="kneale"/>

In 1992, [[John Carpenter]] was developing the remake at Universal.<ref>[[Army Archerd|Archerd, Army]] [https://variety.com/article/VR1117862332 "Olympics to cross finish line in style".] ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'', July 19, 1992.</ref> He originally hired Bill Phillips to write the script, while [[Rick Baker]] was hired to create the 3D model of the Creature, but the project never got the green light.

[[Herschel Weingrod]] and [[Timothy Harris (writer)|Timothy Harris]] wrote a new script,<ref name=new/> and Universal offered [[Peter Jackson]] the director's chair in 1995, but he chose to work instead on ''[[King Kong (2005 film)|King Kong]]''.<ref>"Recreating the Eighth Wonder". ''[[King Kong (2005 film)|King Kong]]'' (3-disc Deluxe Extended Edition DVD), 2006.</ref>

In February 1996, [[Ivan Reitman]] was planning to direct the remake, but it never materialized.<ref name=new>Archerd, Army. [https://variety.com/article/VR1117862860 "Hiller relieved that noms weren't leaked".] ''Variety'', February 12, 1996.</ref>

With the financial success of ''[[The Mummy (1999 film)|The Mummy]]'' remake in May 1999, the development of the ''Creature from the Black Lagoon'' remake was revived.<ref>Fleming. Michael. [https://variety.com/article/VR1117502363 "Kornberg reups at U."] ''Variety'', May 20, 1999.</ref> In December 2001, [[Gary Ross]] signed on to write and produce the remake with his father, Arthur A. Ross, one of the original's writers. He told ''[[The Hollywood Reporter]]'': "The story my father wrote embodies the clash between primitive men and civilized men, and that obviously makes it a fertile area for re-examination".<ref>{{cite journal |last=Linder |first=Brian |title=Back to the Black Lagoon |url=https://ign.com/articles/2001/12/13/back-to-the-black-lagoon |journal=[[IGN]] |date=December 13, 2001 |access-date=January 22, 2018}}</ref>

In August 2002, [[Guillermo del Toro]], a fan of the original feature, was attached to direct a remake.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Linder |first=Brian |url=http://uk.movies.ign.com/articles/366/366961p1.html |title=Del Toro to Uni's Creature Redo |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081019225949/http://uk.movies.ign.com/articles/366/366961p1.html |archive-date=October 19, 2008 |journal=[[IGN]] |date=August 7, 2002 |url-status=dead |access-date=January 22, 2018}}</ref> He had hoped to do a story focused more on the Creature's viewpoint while also letting him have a successful romantic liaison. He later went on to turn this idea into the 2017 film ''[[The Shape of Water (film)|The Shape of Water]]'' after Universal rejected the concept.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.darkhorizons.com/del-toro-talks-black-lagoon-influence-on-shape/|title=Del Toro Talks Black Lagoon Influence On "Shape" - Dark Horizons|website=darkhorizons.com|date=November 5, 2017|access-date=November 20, 2017}}</ref> Because of these creative clashes and his commitments to many other projects, Universal dropped del Toro and hired [[Tedi Sarafian]] (credited on ''[[Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines]]'') to write a script in March 2003.<ref>{{cite news |last=Linder |first=Brian |url=http://uk.movies.ign.com/articles/388/388806p1.html |title=T3 Scribe Penning Creature |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120818122010/http://uk.movies.ign.com/articles/388/388806p1.html |archive-date=August 18, 2012 |newspaper=[[IGN]] |url-status=dead |date=March 11, 2003}}</ref>

In October 2005, [[Breck Eisner]] signed on as director. He said to be a fan of the film: "As a kid, I remember loving Jack Arnold's original version of this film. What I really want to do is update an iconic image from the '50s and bring in more of the sci-fi sensibility of ''[[Alien (film)|Alien]]'' or John Carpenter's ''[[The Thing (1982 film)|The Thing]]'' (1982)".<ref>Snyder, Gabriel. [https://variety.com/article/VR1117931280.html?categoryid=13&cs=1 "U's 'Creature' meets maker".] ''Variety'', October 19, 2005.</ref> Ross said in March 2007 the Gill-man's origin would be reinvented, with him being the result of a [[Pharmaceutical drug|pharmaceutical]] corporation [[pollution|polluting]] the Amazon.<ref>Cieply, Michael. [https://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/12/movies/12vill.html? "On screens soon, abused Earth gets its revenge".] ''The New York Times'', March 12, 2007.</ref>

However, the production was delayed by the [[2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike]]; as a result, Eisner instead made ''[[The Crazies (2010 film)|The Crazies]]'' (2010), the number-one project on his priority list. His new goal was to finish ''The Crazies'' and then begin filming ''Creature from the Black Lagoon'' in [[Manaus]], Brazil, and on the Amazon River in [[Peru]]. Eisner was inspired to shoot on location by the film ''[[Fitzcarraldo]]'', and the boat set had been built. Eisner continued to rewrite the script, which was to be a summer blockbuster full of "action and excitement, but [still] scary". Eisner spent six months designing the new incarnation of the Gill-man with Mark McCreery (''[[Jurassic Park (film)|Jurassic Park]]'', and [[Davy Jones (Pirates of the Caribbean)|Davy Jones]]' designer). The director said the new design was "very faithful to the original, but updated" and that the Gill-man would still remain sympathetic.<ref>Rotten, Ryan. [http://www.shocktillyoudrop.com/news/topnews.php?id=5919 "Exclusive: Eisner on Creature from the Black Lagoon Remake".] ''Shock Till You Drop'', May 2, 2008.</ref>

In 2009, it was reported that Carl Erik Rinsch might direct a remake that would be produced by [[Marc Abraham]], Eric Newman, and [[Gary Ross]];<ref>{{cite news |last=Fleming |first=Mike |url=http://weblogs.variety.com/bfdealmemo/2009/12/creature-to-feature-rinsch-.html?ref=ssp |title=Creature to Feature Rinsch? |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100822013905/http://weblogs.variety.com/bfdealmemo/2009/12/creature-to-feature-rinsch-.html?ref=ssp |archive-date=August 22, 2010 |newspaper=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |date=December 14, 2009}}</ref><ref>[https://bloody-disgusting.com/news/18395 "'Creature from the Black Lagoon' Taps New Director for Revival".] ''bloody-disgusting.com''. Retrieved: March 23, 2015.</ref> however, a project featuring the ensemble had been abandoned by 2011.{{citation needed|date=December 2017}}

In March 2012, Universal announced that a remake was in production and would simply be titled ''The Black Lagoon'' rather than ''Creature from the Black Lagoon'' to distinguish between the two versions. In October, the studio hired Dave Kajganich to write the film.<ref>Kit, Borys. [https://hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/creature-black-lagoon-nabs-a-378629 "'Creature From the Black Lagoon' nabs a writer (Exclusive)".] ''The Hollywood Reporter'', October 12, 2012. Retrieved: March 23, 2015.</ref> The film was expected to hit theaters by May 2014 but was ultimately canceled. In 2020, Universal was considering [[Scarlett Johansson]] and [[Chris Evans (actor)|Chris Evans]]
for a remake.<ref>{{cite news|last= Rivera |first=D.J.|title=Chris Evans Reportedly Eyed For Creature From The Black Lagoon Remake|url=https://wegotthiscovered.com/movies/mcu-stars-reportedly-eyed-creature-black-lagoon-remake/ |newspaper= We Got This Covered}}</ref>

===Reboot===
Universal Pictures, beginning as early as 2014, began developing a shared universe of [[Reboot (fiction)|rebooted]] modern-day versions of their classic [[Universal Monsters]], with the studio having various films in different stages of development. The series began with ''[[The Mummy (2017 film)|The Mummy]]'' (2017) and was intended to be followed by the remake of ''Bride of Frankenstein'' in 2019 prior to the critical and commercial failure of ''The Mummy''. ''The Creature from the Black Lagoon'' was a remake also intended to be developed within the reboot with a story written by [[Jeff Pinkner]] and a script written by [[Will Beall]]. In June, Kurtzman revealed that the Gill-man in this film would be from the Amazon,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://cinemablend.com/news/1667260/where-the-creature-from-the-black-lagoon-monster-comes-from-in-universals-dark-universe|title=Where The Creature From The Black Lagoon Monster Comes From In Universal's Dark Universe|date=June 6, 2017|publisher=Cinema Blend}}</ref> but on November 8, Alex Kurtzman and Chris Morgan moved on to other projects, leaving the future of the ''Dark Universe'' even further in doubt.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/alex-kurtzman-chris-morgan-exit-universal-monsterverse-1055854|title=Universal's "Monsterverse" in Peril as Top Producers Exit (Exclusive)|work=The Hollywood Reporter|last1=Kit|first1=Borys|last2=Couch|first2=Aaron|date=November 8, 2017|access-date=November 8, 2017}}</ref> In January 2019, the ''Dark Universe'' film series was officially scrapped.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Kroll|first=Justin|date=2019-01-25|title='Invisible Man' Finds Director, Sets New Course for Universal's Monster Legacy (EXCLUSIVE)|url=https://variety.com/2019/film/news/universal-finds-director-invisible-man-studios-monster-legacy-1203117708/|access-date=2020-12-15|website=Variety|archive-date=November 25, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201125181231/https://variety.com/2019/film/news/universal-finds-director-invisible-man-studios-monster-legacy-1203117708/|url-status=live}}</ref>

In August 2024, it was announced that [[James Wan]] was in talks to direct a remake of ''Creature from the Black Lagoon''.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kit |first=Borys |date=2024-08-12 |title=James Wan in Talks to Direct 'Creature From the Black Lagoon' Remake |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/james-wan-in-talks-to-direct-creature-from-the-black-lagoon-1235972293/ |access-date=2024-08-12 |website=The Hollywood Reporter |language=en-US}}</ref> Sean Tretta was reported to be set to write the screenplay based on a treatment by Wan, Rafael Jordan, and Bryan Coyne.<ref>{{cite web |url= https://deadline.com/2024/09/atomic-monster-creature-from-the-black-lagoon-sean-tretta-1236103522/|title= Atomic Monster & Universal’s ‘The Creature From The Black Lagoon’ Sets Sean Tretta To Write|date= September 30, 2024|access-date= September 30, 2024|first= Anthony|last= D'Alessandro|work= Deadline Hollywood}}</ref>

===Legacy===
The 2017 film ''[[The Shape of Water]]'' was partly inspired by Guillermo del Toro's childhood memories of ''Creature from the Black Lagoon''; he wished to see the Gill-man and the film's co-star succeed in their "romance".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://bloody-disgusting.com/news/3457493/iconic-horror-movie-scene-inspired-shape-water/|title=The Iconic Horror Movie Scene That Inspired 'The Shape of Water' – Bloody Disgusting|website=bloody-disgusting.com|date=September 6, 2017|access-date=October 16, 2017}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==Bibliography==
{{Refbegin}}
* Ferrari, Andrea. ''Il Cinema Dei Mostri''. Milan, Italy: Mondadori, 2003. {{ISBN|88-435-9915-1}}.
* Murray, Andy. ''Into the Unknown: The Fantastic Life of Nigel Kneale''. Stockport, Cheshire, UK: Critical Vision, 2005. {{ISBN|1-900486-50-4}}.
* Vieira, Mark A. ''Hollywood Horror: From Gothic to Cosmic''. New York: Harry N. Abrams, 2003. {{ISBN|0-8109-4535-5}}.
* [[Bill Warren (film historian and critic)|Warren, Bill]]. ''Keep Watching the Skies: American Science Fiction Films of the Fifties'', 21st Century Edition. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company, 2009, (First edition 1982). {{ISBN|0-89950-032-3}}.
{{Refend}}

==External links==
{{commons category}}
{{wikiquote}}
* {{IMDb title|0046876}}
* {{Rotten Tomatoes|2=Creature from the Black Lagoon}}
* {{allMovie title|11478}}
* {{TCMDb title|71745}}
* {{AFI film|51168}}
* [http://www.the-reelgillman.com/ The Reel Gill-man] – official site of Ben Chapman, who played the Gill-man
* [https://www.mmmrecordings.com/Creature/creature.html Rerecording of ''Creature from the Black Lagoon'' soundtrack]
* [https://imgur.com/gallery/EraNuoW "Creature from the Black Lagoon" (released 70 years ago today in 1954) - Behind the Scenes]—gallery

{{Gill-man}}
{{Jack Arnold}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:1954 films]]
[[Category:1954 horror films]]
[[Category:1954 3D films]]
[[Category:1950s American films]]
[[Category:1950s English-language films]]
[[Category:1950s monster movies]]
[[Category:American monster movies]]
[[Category:American black-and-white films]]
[[Category:Brazil in fiction]]
[[Category:Films directed by Jack Arnold]]
[[Category:Films set in Brazil]]
[[Category:Films set in South America]]
[[Category:Films scored by Hans J. Salter]]
[[Category:Films scored by Henry Mancini]]
[[Category:Films scored by Herman Stein]]
[[Category:Films shot in Big Bear Lake, California]]
[[Category:Films shot in Florida]]
[[Category:Films shot in Jacksonville, Florida]]
[[Category:Universal Pictures films]]
[[Category:Gill-man]]
[[Category:English-language science fiction horror films]]

The Cranes Are Flying

2024-10-02T03:54:01Z

98.18.198.104: /* External links */

{{Short description|1957 film by Mikhail Kalatozov}}
{{Infobox film
| name = The Cranes Are Flying
| image = Letyat Zhuravli.jpg
| caption = Original film poster
| director = [[Mikhail Kalatozov]]
| based_on = {{based on|''Life Eternal'' (play)|Viktor Rozov}}
| producer = Mikhail Kalatozov
| writer = [[Viktor Rozov]]
| starring = [[Tatyana Samojlova]] [[Aleksey Batalov]] [[Vasili Merkuryev]], Aleksandr Shvorin
| music = [[Mieczysław Weinberg]]
| cinematography = [[Sergey Urusevsky]]
| editing = Mariya Timofeyeva
| distributor = [[State Committee for Cinematography|Goskino]]
| studio = [[Mosfilm]]
| released = {{Film date|1957|10|12|USSR|df=y}}
| runtime = 95 minutes
| country = Soviet Union
| language = Russian
| budget =
| gross = 28,300,000 admissions (USSR) 5,410,000 admissions (France)
}}
'''''The Cranes Are Flying''''' ({{lang-ru|Летят журавли}}, [[Transliteration|translit.]] ''Letyat zhuravli'') is a 1957 Soviet [[War film|war]] [[drama film]] directed by [[Mikhail Kalatozov]] at [[Mosfilm]], written by [[Victor Rozov|Viktor Rozov]], and starring [[Aleksey Batalov]] and [[Tatiana Samoilova]]. It depicts the cruelty and the damage done to the Soviet psyche as a result of the Second World War, which was known in the [[Soviet Union]] as the [[Great Patriotic War (term)|Great Patriotic War]].<ref>{{cite book|title=Historical Dictionary of Russian and Soviet Cinema|author=Peter Rollberg|publisher=Rowman & Littlefield|year=2009|place=US|ISBN=978-0-8108-6072-8|pages=163–164}}</ref>

The film had a profound impact on Soviet cinema, and won the [[Palme d'Or]] at the [[1958 Cannes Film Festival]],<ref name="festival-cannes.com">{{cite web |url=http://www.festival-cannes.com/en/archives/ficheFilm/id/3512/year/1958.html |title=Festival de Cannes: The Cranes are Flying |access-date=2009-02-10|work=festival-cannes.com}}</ref> the only Soviet film to win that award.{{efn|In 1946, ''[[The Turning Point (1945 film)|The Turning Point]]'' was one of eleven films awarded the Grand Prix, the predecessor of the Palme d'Or.)<ref>[[Palme d'Or]]</ref>}}

==Plot==
In [[Moscow]], on June 22, 1941, Veronika and her boyfriend Boris watch cranes fly over the city as the sun rises and then sneak back into their families' apartments. Hours later, Boris’s cousin Mark wakes him with news that the [[Operation Barbarossa#Invasion|Germans have invaded]].

Veronika soon learns that Boris volunteered for the army. Boris asks his grandmother to give Veronika her birthday gift, a stuffed squirrel toy ("squirrel" is Boris's pet name for Veronika), into which he slides a love note. Veronika arrives too late to see Boris at his apartment, but his grandmother gives Veronika the stuffed squirrel.

Veronika searches for Boris at the assembly station but misses finding him there too, as he marches off to war. Veronika remains in Moscow with her parents, who are killed in a German air raid that also destroys their apartment building. Boris's family invites the orphaned Veronika to stay with them.

Boris's cousin Mark tells Veronika he loves her, but she faithfully waits for Boris. Veronika and Mark are alone in the apartment when another air raid occurs. Mark makes a pass at her, but she rebuffs him. Furious at being rejected, he rapes her. Veronika and Mark marry, but she despises him, and in turn, she is despised by the family who considers her to have betrayed Boris.

At the front, Boris gets into an argument with another soldier, Volodya, who taunts him over a photo of Veronika. Their commanding officer catches them fighting and assigns them a dangerous reconnaissance mission. Boris saves Volodya’s life, but Boris gets shot. In his final moments, he has a vision of the wedding that he and Veronika would never have.

To escape the German offensive, the family is relocated to Siberia. Veronika works as a nurse in a military hospital run by Boris's father, Fyodor. Mark and Veronika are miserable in their marriage. When a soldier in the hospital becomes hysterical after receiving a letter saying his girlfriend left him for someone else, Veronika rushes to get Fyodor, who is processing the arrival of wounded troops.

She barely misses seeing the injured Volodya, who is about to be admitted to the hospital, before Fyodor says that the hospital is full. Fyodor admonishes the distraught soldier to forget his unfaithful and unworthy girlfriend. Veronika overhears Fyodor’s speech and becomes upset since she appears to be such a woman.

Overwhelmed with guilt, Veronika tries to throw herself in front of a train. Just before she attempts suicide, she sees a young child about to be hit by a car and rescues him. The boy has been separated from his mother, and his name is Boris. Veronika takes the boy home and looks for her squirrel toy from Boris.

Boris's sister Irina spitefully tells Veronika that Mark is giving the toy to his mistress at her birthday party. Veronika races over to the party, where a partygoer has finally found the note that Boris hid. Veronika grabs it, and in voice-over, Boris narrates the final tender love note to her.

Fyodor learns that Mark bribed his way out of being drafted into the Red Army. He realises Mark betrayed Russia and the family and has taken advantage of Veronika. Fyodor kicks Mark out, and Veronika is forgiven by the family for "betraying" Boris. The boy saved by Veronika becomes part of the family.

Later, Volodya, having recovered, comes in search of Boris's family and tells them that Boris is dead. In 1945, the war has ended, and Veronika and Volodya stroll by the river back in Moscow. They are very close, but Veronika still refuses to believe that Boris is dead since Volodya was injured himself and never saw Boris die.

When Boris’s unit returns, Veronika carries a huge bouquet of flowers, intends to give them to him, and hunts for him and his friend Stepan during a celebration at the train station. Veronika finds Stepan and finally learns that Boris is indeed dead. In tears, she stumbles through the celebrating crowd.

As Stepan gives a rousing speech, asserting that those who died in the war will never be forgotten, Veronika goes from grieving to handing out her flowers to the returning soldiers and their families. When she looks up, cranes are flying again in the sky over Moscow.

==Cast==
{{castlist|
* [[Tatiana Samoilova]] as Veronika
* [[Aleksey Batalov]] as Boris
* [[Vasili Merkuryev]] as Fyodor Ivanovich
* Aleksandr Shvorin as Mark
* [[Svetlana Kharitonova]] as Irina
* Konstantin Nikitin as Volodya
* [[Valentin Zubkov]] as Stepan
* Antonina Bogdanova as Grandmother
* Boris Kokovkin as Tyernov
* Yekaterina Kupriyanova as Anna Mikhajlovna
* [[Valentina Ananina]] as Lyuba
* [[Valentina Vladimirova]] as Soldatka
* Olga Dzisko as Dasha
* Leonid Knyazev as Sachkov
* [[Georgiy Kulikov]] as Anatoliy Kuzmin
* Daniil Netrebin as Raneyy
* Aleksandr Popov as Borya
* Irina Preys as Antonina Monastyrskaya
* [[Nikolay Smorchkov]] as Zakharov}}
==Reception and influence==
[[File:Mikhail Kalatozov PSE Russia 2003.jpg|thumb|right|320x222px|An illustrated [[Postal stationery envelope|PSE]] with scenes from the film: A. Batalov as Boris, T. Samojlova as Veronika. Russia, 2003.]]
As the film scholar Josephine Woll observes, the protagonist Veronika was instrumental in shaping the post-Stalinist Soviet movies by heralding more complicated multi-dimensional celluloid heroines and focusing on the impact of war on common people. It was not only Soviet audiences that accepted and sympathised with Veronika's story. The lead actress of ''Cranes'', [[Tatiana Samoilova]], who was frequently identified with her role, took Europe by storm. Woll notes that the French ''Liberation'' commentator, for example, approvingly contrasted Samoilova's purity and authenticity with that of [[Brigitte Bardot]], a French female icon.<ref>Josephine Woll, ''The Cranes are Flying'' (London: I. B. Tauris, 2003), 77.</ref> Samoilova remembered receiving a watch from her East German fans during a festival there. The gift featured the inscription: "Finally we see on the Soviet screen a face, not a mask".<ref>Josephine Woll, ''Cranes'', 77.</ref>

[[Claude Lelouch]] referred to the film as one of his favorites, stating "It has not become outdated in any way, it is still magnificent. I have not seen a more beautiful film from Russia. I think I have not seen a better film in principle. Not cinema, but a miracle."<ref>{{Cite web |title=«Инстинкт говорит мне, что я бессмертен» Французский классик Клод Лелуш — о последней роли Джонни Холлидея и фильме «Летят журавли» |url=https://meduza.io/feature/2018/02/06/instinkt-govorit-mne-chto-ya-bessmerten |access-date=2024-08-19 |website=Meduza |language=ru}}</ref> In his autobiography, he lists the film in his “cinema pantheon”, alongside [[Citizen Kane|''Citizen Kane'']] and [[Napoléon (1927 film)|''Napoléon'']].

== Awards and honors ==
At the [[1958 Cannes Film Festival]], the film won the [[Palme d'Or]], the only Soviet film to ever do so (in 1946, ''[[The Turning Point (1945 film)|The Turning Point]]'' was one of eleven films awarded the Grand Prix, the predecessor of the Palme d'Or).<ref>[[Palme d'Or]]</ref> Tatiana Samoilova received a Special Mention for her performance.

At the [[12th British Academy Film Awards]], the film was nominated for [[BAFTA Award for Best Film from any Source|Best Film from any Source]], and Tatiana Samoilova was nominated for [[BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role|Best Foreign Actress]].

==Notes==
{{reflist|group=lower-alpha}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{Amg movie|11381}}
* {{IMDb title|0050634}}
* {{Rotten Tomatoes|2=The Cranes Are Flying}}
* {{tcmdb title|id=71700}}
* [https://www.criterion.com/current/posts/200-the-cranes-are-flying ''The Cranes Are Flying''] an essay by Chris Fujiwara at the [[Criterion Collection]]
* [http://www.vobzor.com/dvdcompare3.php?id=758 Comparison of different DVD editions] (in Russian and English)
* {{YouTube|2rINnJat-5k|Full movie, in original version with subtitles in several languages including English}}

{{Mikhail Kalatozov}}
{{Palme d'Or 1939-1959}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cranes Are Flying, The}}
[[Category:1960 films]]
[[Category:1960s war drama films]]
[[Category:1960s war romance films]]
[[Category:1960 romantic drama films]]
[[Category:1960s Soviet films]]
[[Category:1960s Russian-language films]]
[[Category:Soviet war drama films]]
[[Category:Soviet black-and-white films]]
[[Category:Eastern Front of World War II films]]
[[Category:Films set in Moscow]]
[[Category:Films set in the Soviet Union]]
[[Category:Films shot in Moscow]]
[[Category:Films shot in Moscow Oblast]]
[[Category:Palme d'Or winners]]
[[Category:Mosfilm films]]
[[Category:Films directed by Mikhail Kalatozov]]
[[Category:Films set in the 1940s]]
[[Category:Soviet romantic drama films]]
[[Category:War romance films]]
[[Category:Russian black-and-white films]]
[[Category:Russian World War II films]]
[[Category:Soviet World War II films]]
[[Category:Films scored by Mieczysław Weinberg]]
[[Category:Russian-language war drama films]]
[[Category:Russian-language romantic drama films]]

Coup de Torchon

2024-10-02T03:46:01Z

98.18.198.104: /* External links */

{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2017}}
{{Infobox film
| name = Coup de Torchon
| image = Coup de torchon.jpg
| caption = Theatrical poster
| director = [[Bertrand Tavernier]]
| producer = Henri Lassa Adolphe Viezzi
| screenplay = Bertrand Tavernier [[Jean Aurenche]]
| based_on = {{Based on|''[[Pop. 1280]]''|[[Jim Thompson (writer)|Jim Thompson]]}}
| starring = [[Philippe Noiret]] [[Isabelle Huppert]] [[Jean-Pierre Marielle]]
| music = [[Philippe Sarde]]
| cinematography = Pierre-William Glenn
| editing = Armand Psenny
| distributor = Parafrance Films (France) Quartet Films (US)
| released = {{film date|1981|11|4|df=y}}
| runtime = 128 minutes
| country = France
| language = French
| budget =
| gross = $16.5 million<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.jpbox-office.com/fichfilm.php?id=7244 |title = Coup de torchon (1981) - JPBox-Office}}</ref>
}}
'''''Coup de Torchon''''' (also known as '''''Clean Slate''''') is a 1981 French [[crime film]] directed by [[Bertrand Tavernier]] and adapted from [[Jim Thompson (writer)|Jim Thompson]]'s 1964 novel ''[[Pop. 1280]]''. The film changes the novel's setting from an [[Southern United States|American Southern]] town to a small town in [[French West Africa]].<ref>{{cite news | first=Stephen | last=Farber | title=In the Desert, a Jim Thompson Novel Blossoms on Film | work=The New York Times | url=https://www.nytimes.com/1990/01/21/movies/in-the-desert-a-jim-thompson-novel-blossoms-on-film.html?pagewanted=all&src=pm | date=21 January 1990 | access-date=10 April 2012}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{cite web | author-link=Janet Maslin|first=Janet | last=Maslin | title=Clean Slate (1981) 'Coup De Torchon,' Life In A French Colony | work=The New York Times | url=https://movies.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9C0CE6D71038F933A15751C1A964948260 | date=20 December 1982 | access-date=10 April 2012}}</ref> The film had 2,199,309 admissions in France and was the 16th most attended film of the year.<ref name="JPBox Office">{{cite web | url=http://www.jpbox-office.com/fichfilm.php?id=7244&affich=france | title=Coup de torchon (1981) | publisher=JPBox-Office | date=4 November 1981 | access-date=25 September 2012}}</ref> It received the [[French Syndicate of Cinema Critics|Prix Méliès]] from the French Syndicate of Cinema Critics as the best French film of 1981.

''Coup de Torchon'' was nominated for the [[Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film|Best Foreign Language Film]] at the [[55th Academy Awards]]

==Plot==
The opening scene takes place during a [[solar eclipse]] (July 1938). The main character – Lucien Cordier – observes a group of starving African children eating sand to suppress their hunger. When the Sun is covered, the man lights a fire so the children can warm themselves.

In a small town in [[French West Africa]] in 1938, Lucien Cordier is the sole policeman. Unable or unwilling to assert his authority, he is scorned by everyone. His alluring wife, Huguette, openly lives with her lover, Nono, passing him off as her brother. Cordier is attracted to the playful young bride Rose but allows her abusive husband to beat her in the street without intervention. The head of the timber company, Vanderbrouck, daily insults him in public. Adding to his woes are a pair of deceitful pimps who openly flout the law and relish in humiliating him.

It's these pimps who push him over the edge, prompting him to consult his superior, Chavasson, who advises him to take decisive action. On the train back, he meets the attractive new French teacher, Anne, whom he immediately warms to. Upon his return, he confronts the two pimps alone, shooting them dead and disposing of their bodies in the river. When Chavasson discovers this, Cordier implicates him in the act. Having outsmarted his boss and eliminated his main tormentors, Cordier sets his sights on others who have made his life miserable. Rose's husband meets the same fate as the pimps, and Vanderbrouck is dumped in a privy. Nono, who spied on Cordier, gets beaten (not severely) by him after peeping Anne in the shower. When Rose's husband's servant returns with his master's body and furious Rose accidentally spills Cordier's dark secret, he kills the African boy as well (accusing him of sucking up to white people).

On the day of Rose's husband's funeral, the twin brother of one of the pimps arrives in the city to talk to Cordier. Soon after, the policeman confesses his general despair and specific crimes to Anne. He then steals the money Huguette had been saving to leave him and visits Rose. Huguette and Nono, suspecting he plans to flee with Rose and the money, go to her house to confront Cordier. They find Rose alone – none of the three realizes Cordier is hiding in the yard, waiting passively for events to unfold. In a struggle, Rose shoots them both in self-defense. Cordier gives her the money and urges her to flee and advises her to support herself by working as a prostitute. He is left with only Anne in his life. Though she's willing to accept him, he believes he's now undeserving{{citation needed|date=September 2024}} of her pure love.

In the closing scene, he's alone under a tree, observing a starving native child, getting ready to kill with his revolver, when more children show up (it's the same group as in the opening scene) – it's more{{citation needed|date=September 2024}} children than he has bullets for, so he pauses, caressing his revolver.

==Cast==
{{div col}}
* [[Philippe Noiret]] as Lucien Cordier
* [[Isabelle Huppert]] as Rose
* [[Jean-Pierre Marielle]] as Le Peron and his brother
* [[Stéphane Audran]] as Huguette Cordier
* [[Eddy Mitchell]] as Nono
* [[Guy Marchand]] as Marcel Chavasson
* [[:fr:Irène Skobline|Irène Skobline]] as Anne, the teacher
* [[Michel Beaune]] as Vanderbrouck
* [[Jean Champion]] as Priest
* Victor Garrivier as Mercaillou
* [[Gérard Hernandez]] as Leonelli
* [[Abdoulaye Diop (actor)|Abdoulaye Diop]] as Fête Nat
* Daniel Langlet as Paulo
* [[François Perrot]] as Colonel Tramichel
* [[Raymond Hermantier]] as Blind man
* Mamadou Dioumé as Mamadou
* Samba Mané as Vendredi
{{div col end}}

==Reception==
===Box office===
The film had 2,199,309 admissions in France and was the 16th most attended film of the year.<ref name="JPBox Office" />
===Critical response===
It received mixed reviews from U.S. and U.K. critics. ''Coup de Torchon'' has an approval rating of 88% on [[review aggregator]] website [[Rotten Tomatoes]], based on 8 reviews, and an average rating of 7.9/10.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1004323-clean_slate | title=Coup de Torchon | website=[[Rotten Tomatoes]] }}</ref>

''The New York Times'' praised the performances and "the meticulousness and conviction on display here" but also added that the film "seems strangely lacking in overall momentum and direction."<ref name=":0" /> [[Roger Ebert]] called it "a cruel intellectual joke played on its characters" and said the film "left me cold, unmoved and uninvolved."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/coup-de-torchon-1983|title=Coup de Torchon movie review & film summary (1983) {{!}} Roger Ebert|last=Ebert|first=Roger|date=1983-04-06|website=www.rogerebert.com|language=en|access-date=2019-09-20}}</ref> ''Time Out'' said "this eccentric, darkly comic look at a series of bizarre murders is stylishly well-crafted, and thoroughly entertaining" and "embellished with black wit and an elegant visual sense."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.timeout.com/london/film/clean-slate|title=Clean Slate 1981, directed by Bertrand Tavernier {{!}} Film review|website=Time Out London|date=29 March 2012 |language=en|access-date=2019-09-20}}</ref> ''TV Guide'' called it a "stylish, twisted black comedy... with as dead-on an evocation of a torpid, seedy backwater as anyone has achieved on screen."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.tvguide.com/movies/coup-de-torchon/review/111598|title=Coup De Torchon {{!}} TV Guide|website=TVGuide.com|language=en|access-date=2019-09-20}}</ref>

===Awards and honors===
*'''[[French Syndicate of Cinema Critics]]''' (France)
**'''Won''': Best Film (tied with ''[[Garde à vue]]'')
*'''[[Academy Awards]]''' (USA)
**Nominated: Best Foreign Language Film<ref name="Oscars1983">{{Cite web|url=http://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1983 |title=The 55th Academy Awards (1983) Nominees and Winners |access-date=13 October 2013 |work=oscars.org}}</ref>
*'''[[César Awards]]''' (France)
**Nominated: Best Actor – Leading Role (Philippe Noiret)
**Nominated: Best Actor – Supporting Role (Jean-Pierre Marielle)
**Nominated: Best Actor – Supporting Role (Eddy Mitchell)
**Nominated: Best Actress – Leading Role (Isabelle Huppert)
**Nominated: Best Actress – Supporting Role (Stéphane Audran)
**Nominated: Best Director (Bertrand Tavernier)
**Nominated: Best Editing (Armand Psenny)
**Nominated: Best Film
**Nominated: Best Production Design (Alexandre Trauner)
**Nominated: Best Writing (Jean Aurenche and Bertrand Tavernier)

==See also==
* [[Isabelle Huppert on screen and stage]]
* [[List of submissions to the 55th Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film]]
* [[List of French submissions for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*{{IMDb title|0082206}}
*{{Rotten Tomatoes|m/coup_de_torchon|Coup de Torchon}}
* {{Amg movie|61572}}
*[https://www.criterion.com/current/posts/2-coup-de-torchon ''Coup de Torchon''] an essay by Michael Dare at the [[Criterion Collection]]

{{Jim Thompson}}
{{Bertrand Tavernier}}
{{French submission for Academy Awards}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Coup De Torchon}}
[[Category:1981 films]]
[[Category:1980s crime comedy-drama films]]
[[Category:1980s satirical films]]
[[Category:French crime comedy-drama films]]
[[Category:1980s French-language films]]
[[Category:French satirical films]]
[[Category:Films based on American novels]]
[[Category:Films directed by Bertrand Tavernier]]
[[Category:Films scored by Philippe Sarde]]
[[Category:Films set in 1938]]
[[Category:Films set in Africa]]
[[Category:Films set in the French colonial empire]]
[[Category:Films shot in Senegal]]
[[Category:Films about adultery]]
[[Category:French films about revenge]]
[[Category:Films based on Jim Thompson novels]]
[[Category:Films with screenplays by Jean Aurenche]]
[[Category:1980s French films]]

Countess Dracula

2024-10-02T03:44:20Z

98.18.198.104: /* External links */

{{Short description|1971 British horror film by Peter Sasdy}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2014}}
{{Use British English|date=November 2014}}
{{Infobox film
| name = Countess Dracula
| image = Comtesse des Grauens Poster.jpg
| caption = Theatrical release poster
| director = [[Peter Sasdy]]
| producer = [[Alexander Paal]]
| writer = [[Jeremy Paul (screenwriter)|Jeremy Paul]]
| starring = [[Ingrid Pitt]] [[Nigel Green]] [[Lesley-Anne Down]]
| music = [[Harry Robinson (musician)|Harry Robertson]]
| cinematography = Kenneth Talbot
| editing = [[Henry Richardson (film editor)|Henry Richardson]]
| studio = [[Hammer Film Productions]]
| distributor = [[The Rank Organisation|Rank Film Distributors]]
| released = {{Film date|df=yes|1971|1|31|London}}
| runtime = 93 minutes
| country = United Kingdom
| language = English
| budget =
}}
'''''Countess Dracula''''' is a 1971 British [[Hammer Film Productions|Hammer]] [[horror film]] directed by [[Peter Sasdy]] and starring [[Ingrid Pitt]], [[Nigel Green]] and [[Lesley-Anne Down]].<ref name="BFIsearch">{{Cite web |title=Countess Dracula |url=https://collections-search.bfi.org.uk/web/Details/ChoiceFilmWorks/150028099 |access-date=13 January 2024 |website=British Film Institute Collections Search}}</ref> It was produced by [[Alexander Paal]].

''Countess Dracula'' was inspired by the infamous Hungarian Countess [[Elizabeth Báthory]] (1560–1614), a landowner and noblewoman who was accused of murdering dozens of women and girls.{{Citation needed|date=January 2024}} Her husband was [[Ferenc Nádasdy]], Nádasdy being the surname given to the Countess in the film.

==Plot==
In 17th-century [[Hungary]], recently widowed Countess Elisabeth Nádasdy discovers that her youthful appearance and [[libido]] can be temporarily restored if she bathes in the blood of young women. She enlists her steward and [[sexual partner|lover]] Captain Dobi and her maid Julie to help with the [[kidnapping|kidnap]] and murder of several local girls, whilst beginning a romance with a young Lieutenant named Imre Toth.

As a cover for her crimes while in her rejuvenated state, she takes the identity of her own 17-year-old daughter, Countess Ilona, whom she has Dobi hold captive in the woods by the mute money gambler. However, castle historian Fabio grows suspicious. Eventually, she kills a prostitute called Ziza, but her blood does not restore her like the others. Dobi finds Fabio, who has a book-chapter about blood sacrifices and tells Elisabeth the truth in return for being allowed to live. He reveals that only virgin blood will restore Elisabeth's youth and beauty.

Elisabeth then kills a peasant girl bought in the marketplace. Fabio tries to tell Toth the truth about her, but Dobi kills Fabio before he can do so. Dobi then exposes Elisabeth to Toth to steer him away from her. Elisabeth forces Toth into marrying her, but her daughter Ilona arrives home, having been brought by Dobi as a sacrifice, then freed by a repentant Julie who loved her as a daughter. At the wedding, Elisabeth grows old again after the priest pronounces the blessing. She tries to kill her daughter in front of the wedding attendees, but accidentally kills Toth instead. Elisabeth, Dobi and Julie are sentenced to death for their crimes and are last seen awaiting the hangman in their cell. In the final scene, the peasants curse Elisabeth as a "devil woman" and "Countess Dracula".

==Cast==
* [[Ingrid Pitt]] as Countess Elisabeth Nadasdy (voice dubbed by Olive Gregg, uncredited)
* [[Nigel Green]] as Captain Dobi, castle steward
* [[Sandor Elès]] as Lt. Imre Toth
* [[Maurice Denham]] as Grand Master Fabio, castle historian
* [[Patience Collier]] as Julie Szentes, nurse
* [[Lesley-Anne Down]] as Countess Ilona Nadasdy, Elisabeth's daughter
* [[Peter Jeffrey]] as Captain Balogh, chief bailiff
* [[Leon Lissek]] as Sergeant of Bailiffs
* Jessie Evans as Rosa, Teri's mother
* [[Andria Lawrence]] as Ziza, whore at the Shepperd's Inn
* [[Susan Brodrick]] as Teri, chambermaid
* [[Nike Arrighi]] as fortune-telling gypsy girl
* [[Marianne Stone]] as kitchen maid
* [[Charles Farrell (Irish actor)|Charles Farrell]] as seller
* [[Anne Stallybrass]] as pregnant woman
* Michael Cadman as young man
*[[Ian Trigger]] as clown
* Alex Greenland (uncredited) as choirboy
* Hülya Babuş as dancer

== Production ==
The original music score was composed by [[Harry Robinson (musician)|Harry Robertson]].

==Release==
The film opened at the New Victoria cinema in London on 31 January 1971 before going on general release in the UK on 14 February.<ref>{{cite magazine|magazine=[[Kine Weekly]]|date=30 January 1971|page=|title=Put heart into your box office (advertisement)}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Meikle |first=Dennis |date=2009 |title=A History of Horrors: The Rise and Fall of the House of Hammer |url=https://archive.org/details/historyhorrorsri00meik_544|url-access=limited |location=Lanham, MD |publisher=Scarecrow Press, Inc. |page=[https://archive.org/details/historyhorrorsri00meik_544/page/n271 255] |isbn=9780810863811 |edition=Revised }}</ref> It opened October 1972 in the United States.<ref>{{cite book |last=Smith |first=Gary A. |date=2017 |title=Vampire Films of the 1970s: Dracula to Blacula and Every Fang Between |location=Jefferson, NC |publisher=McFarland & Company |pages=64–65 |isbn=9781476625591 }}</ref> It was released{{Where|date=January 2024}} on a double bill with ''[[Vampire Circus]]'' (1972).

== Critical reception ==
[[AllRovi|Allmovie]] has retrospectively called the film "one of the more underrated films from the latter days of the Hammer Films dynasty."<ref>{{cite web |url=https://allmovie.com/movie/countess-dracula-v87930/review |title=Countess Dracula - Review |author=Donald Guarisco |work=[[AllRovi|Allmovie]] |access-date=8 July 2012}}</ref> ''The Hammer Story: The Authorised History of Hammer Films'', on the other hand, wrote that the film's "distinctly [[anemia|anemic]] blood-lettings fail to lift a rather tiresome tale of court intrigue."<ref>{{cite book |last1=Hearn|first1=Marcus|last2=Barnes|first2=Alan|author-link2=Alan Barnes (writer)|title=The Hammer Story: The Authorised History of Hammer Films|orig-year=1997|edition=2nd|year=2007|publisher=[[Titan Books]]|isbn=978-1-8457-6185-1|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4gqREAAAQBAJ |page=143}}</ref>

''[[The New York Times|New York Times]]'' film critic [[Howard Thompson (film critic)|Howard Thompson]] considered it "better than most [horror movies] in a sea of trashy competition", and called Peter Sasdy's direction "smooth and pointed" with "crisp, cutting edge" dialogue, until the last act of the film where "it runs out of gas, along with the desperate old woman [Countess Elizabeth]."<ref name="Double Bill of Horror Arrives">{{cite news|url=http://afeastoftheires.blogspot.com/2013/05/vampire-circus-1972.html |title=''Double Bill of Horror Arrives'' |newspaper=New York Times |date=12 October 1972 |access-date=2013-05-16}}</ref>

[[David Pirie]] of ''[[The Monthly Film Bulletin]]'' called the acting "extremely poor," but found that the film "frequently takes on a nightmare quality" and that Pitt "brings to the part a very potent aura of physical corruption that is especially effective in the transformation sequences."<ref>{{cite journal |last=Pirie |first=David |date=March 1971 |title=Countess Dracula |journal=[[The Monthly Film Bulletin]] |volume=38 |issue=446 |page=47 }}</ref>

==Home media==
The film is available on [[DVD]] from [[Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer]] in the US as a [[double-bill]] with ''[[The Vampire Lovers]]'', and from [[Carlton Television|Carlton]] in the [[UK]] in a [[box set]] with ''[[Twins of Evil]]'' and ''[[Vampire Circus]]''.

Synapse released a [[Blu-ray]]/DVD combo pack in the U.S. in 2014, which featured a new high-definition transfer.

==See also==
* [[Vampire film]]
* ''[[Cruelty and the Beast]]'', a concept album by [[Cradle of Filth]] on which Pitt performs narration as Báthory.
{{Portal bar|Speculative fiction/Horror|United Kingdom|Film}}

== References ==
<references/>

==External links==
* {{IMDb title|0065580}}
* {{Rotten Tomatoes|2=Countess Dracula}}
* {{AllMovie title|87930}}
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3oNPHO1bOFM/ ''Countess Dracula''] full movie on YouTube
* [https://www.reelstreets.com/films/countess-dracula/ ''Countess Dracula''] then-and-now location photographs at [https://www.reelstreets.com/ ReelStreets]

{{Peter Sasdy}}
{{Hammer Horror}}

[[Category:1971 films]]
[[Category:1971 horror films]]
[[Category:1970s biographical films]]
[[Category:1970s historical horror films]]
[[Category:1970s serial killer films]]
[[Category:20th Century Fox films]]
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[[Category:British historical horror films]]
[[Category:British serial killer films]]
[[Category:Films about kidnapping]]
[[Category:Films about dysfunctional families]]
[[Category:Films about infidelity]]
[[Category:Films about virginity]]
[[Category:Films set in castles]]
[[Category:Films set in the 1600s]]
[[Category:Films set in the 1610s]]
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[[Category:Films set in Hungary]]
[[Category:Films shot at Pinewood Studios]]
[[Category:Hammer Film Productions horror films]]
[[Category:Cultural depictions of Elizabeth Báthory]]
[[Category:Films directed by Peter Sasdy]]
[[Category:1970s English-language films]]
[[Category:1970s British films]]
[[Category:Films scored by Harry Robertson]]
[[Category:English-language horror films]]
[[Category:English-language crime films]]

The Cotton Club (film)

2024-10-02T03:41:22Z

98.18.198.104: /* External links */

{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2014}}
{{Infobox film
| name = The Cotton Club
| image = Cotton_club.jpg
| caption = Theatrical release poster
| director = [[Francis Ford Coppola]]
| producer = [[Robert Evans]]
| screenplay = [[William Kennedy (author)|William Kennedy]] Francis Ford Coppola
| story = William Kennedy Francis Ford Coppola [[Mario Puzo]]
| based_on = {{Based on|''The Cotton Club''|[[James Haskins]]}}
| starring = {{plainlist|
* [[Richard Gere]]
* [[Gregory Hines]]
* [[Diane Lane]]
* [[Lonette McKee]]
* [[Bob Hoskins]]
* [[James Remar]]
* [[Nicolas Cage]]
* [[Allen Garfield]]
* [[Gwen Verdon]]
* [[Fred Gwynne]]
* [[Laurence Fishburne]]
}}
| music = [[John Barry (composer)|John Barry]]
| cinematography = [[Stephen Goldblatt]]
| editing = [[Barry Malkin]] [[Robert Q. Lovett]]
| studio = Totally Independent Productions [[American Zoetrope]] [[Producers Sales Organization]]
| distributor = [[Orion Pictures]]
| released = {{Film date|1984|12|14|United States}}
| runtime = {{plainlist|
* 128 minutes
* 139 minutes (directors cut)}}
| country = United States
| language = English
| budget = $58 million
| gross = $25.9 million<ref>{{Mojo title|cottonclub}}</ref>
}}

'''''The Cotton Club''''' is a 1984 American [[musical film|musical]] [[crime film|crime]] [[Drama (film and television)|drama film]] co-written and directed by [[Francis Ford Coppola]] and based on [[James Haskins]]' 1977 book of the same name. The story centers on the [[Cotton Club (New York City)|Cotton Club]], a [[Harlem, Manhattan|Harlem]] [[jazz]] club in the 1930s. The film stars [[Richard Gere]], [[Gregory Hines]], [[Diane Lane]], and [[Lonette McKee]], with [[Bob Hoskins]], [[James Remar]], [[Nicolas Cage]], [[Allen Garfield]], [[Gwen Verdon]], [[Fred Gwynne]] and [[Laurence Fishburne]] in supporting roles.

The film was noted for going over budget on its production costs and taking a total of five years to complete. Despite being a [[Box-Office Bomb|disappointment at the box-office]], the film received generally positive reviews and was nominated for several awards, including [[Golden Globe]]s for Best Director and Best Picture (Drama) and [[Academy Awards|Oscars]] for [[Academy Award for Best Production Design|Best Art Direction]] ([[Richard Sylbert]], [[George Gaines (set decorator)|George Gaines]]) and [[Academy Award for Best Film Editing|Best Film Editing]].<ref>[https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1985 1985|Oscars.org]</ref>

==Plot==
A musician named Dixie Dwyer begins working with [[mobster]]s to advance his career but falls in love with Vera Cicero, the girlfriend of gangland [[Crime boss|kingpin]] [[Dutch Schultz]].

Sandman Williams, a dancer from Dixie's neighborhood, and his brother Clay are hired by The Cotton Club, a jazz club where most of the performers are black and the customers are white. [[Owney Madden]], a mobster, owns the club and runs it with his right-hand man, Frenchy.

Dixie becomes a Hollywood film star, thanks to the help of Madden and the mob but angering Schultz. He also continues to see Schultz's [[gun moll]], Vera Cicero, whose new nightclub has been financed by the jealous gangster.

In the meantime, Dixie's ambitious younger brother Vincent becomes a gangster in Schultz's mob and eventually a public enemy, holding Frenchy as a hostage.

Sandman alienates his brother Clay at The Cotton Club by agreeing to perform a solo number there. While the club's management interferes with Sandman's romantic interest in Lila, a singer, its cruel treatment of the performers leads to an intervention by Harlem criminal 'Bumpy' Rhodes on their behalf.

Dutch Schultz is violently dealt with by Madden's men while Dixie and Sandman perform on The Cotton Club's stage.

==Cast==
{{castlist|
* [[Richard Gere]] as Michael "Dixie" Dwyer
* [[Gregory Hines]] as Delbert "Sandman" Williams
* [[Diane Lane]] as Vera Cicero
* [[Lonette McKee]] as Lila Rose Oliver
* [[Bob Hoskins]] as [[Owney Madden]]
* [[James Remar]] as [[Dutch Schultz]]
* [[Nicolas Cage]] as [[Vincent "Mad Dog" Coll|Vincent Dwyer]]
* [[Allen Garfield]] as [[Abbadabba Berman|Otto Berman]]
* [[Fred Gwynne]] as Frenchy Demange
* [[Gwen Verdon]] as Tish Dwyer
* [[Lisa Jane Persky]] as Frances Flegenheimer
* [[Maurice Hines]] as Clayton "Clay" Williams
* [[Julian Beck]] as Sol Weinstein
* [[Joe Dallesandro]] as [[Lucky Luciano|Charles "Lucky" Luciano]]
* [[Laurence Fishburne|Larry Fishburne]] as Bumpy Rhodes
* [[Tom Waits]] as Irving Starck
* [[John P. Ryan (actor)|John P. Ryan]] as Joe Flynn
* [[Glenn Withrow]] as Ed Popke
* [[Bruce MacVittie]] as Vince Hood
* [[Jennifer Grey]] as Patsy Dwyer
* [[Woody Strode]] as Holmes
* [[Diane Venora]] as [[Gloria Swanson]]
* [[Tucker Smallwood]] as Kid Griffin
* [[Bill Cobbs]] as Big Joe Ison
* [[Rosalind Harris]] as [[Fanny Brice]]
* [[Mark Margolis]] as Charlie Workman
* [[Larry Marshall (actor)|Larry Marshall]] as [[Cab Calloway]]
* Rony Clanton as [[Casper Holstein]]
}}

==Production==
Inspired to make ''The Cotton Club'' by a picture-book history of the nightclub by [[James Haskins]], [[Robert Evans (producer)|Robert Evans]] was the film's original producer.<ref name= "scott">{{cite news | last = Scott | first = Jay | title = Making of ''Cotton Club'': A Legend of its Own | work = [[The Globe and Mail]] | date = November 12, 1984 }}</ref> Evans hoped the film would bring public attention to [[African-American history]] in a similar way that ''[[Gone with the Wind (film)|Gone with the Wind]]'' did for the [[American Civil War]] and the [[Reconstruction era]]. On December 12, 1980, it was announced that Evans and [[Paramount Pictures]] would serve as co-producers of the film while [[Robert Altman]] would direct and [[Mario Puzo]] would write. However, Evans and Altman's film ''[[Popeye (film)|Popeye]]'' premiering that day became a box-office flop. Although Evans secured $12 million worth of financing from Saudi Business Tycoon [[Adnan Khashoggi]], Paramount Pictures withdrew from the film in 1981. Evans worked to secure sole ownership of the [[film negative]] to recoup his losses from recent poor stock-market investments and a cocaine trafficking arrest. However, this action alienated potential investors who would be unable to profit from television and home video distribution rights. The production was finally delayed when Evans reached a [[Plea bargaining in the United States|plea bargain]] to produce an [[advertising campaign]] of anti-drug [[public service announcement]]s in exchange for an expungement of his record.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|title=The Cotton Club|url=https://catalog.afi.com/Catalog/MovieDetails/57065|access-date=2021-11-11|website=AFI Catalog}}</ref>

In 1984, Evans, who intended to direct the film himself after Altman departed, hired [[William Kennedy (author)|William Kennedy]] and [[Francis Ford Coppola]] to re-write [[Mario Puzo]]'s story and screenplay. Evans eventually decided that he did not want to direct the film and asked Coppola at the last minute.<ref name="harmetz" /> Evans and Coppola had an adversarial relationship from the production of the [[The Godfather (film series)|''Godfather'' films]] but Coppola accepted the jobs as screenwriter and then director because he needed the money – he was deeply in debt from making ''[[One from the Heart]]'' with his own money and his studio Zoetrope Studios went [[Bankruptcy in the United States|bankrupt]].<ref name=":0" /><ref name="gussow">{{cite news|last=Gussow|first=Michael|date=March 22, 1984|title=Parting Film Shots: Coppola and Dutch|work=[[New York Times]]}}</ref> Richard Sylbert said that he told Evans not to hire Coppola because "he resents being in the commercial, narrative, Hollywood movie business".<ref name="kroll">{{cite news | last = Kroll | first = Jack | title = Harlem on My Mind | work = [[Newsweek]] | date = December 24, 1984 }}</ref> Coppola said that he had letters from Sylbert asking him to work on the film because Evans was crazy. Coppola also said that "Evans set the tone for the level of extravagance long before I got there".<ref name="kroll" />

By the time Evans decided not to direct and brought in Coppola, at least $13 million had already been committed.<ref name="kroll" /> [[Las Vegas]] casino owners Edward and Fred Doumani, along with businessman Victor L. Sayyah, put $30 million into the film in exchange for a fifty-percent ownership stake in the film. Evans received further loans by mortgaging his mansion in Beverly Hills and stock in [[Gulf and Western Industries|Gulf + Western]] as collateral.<ref name=":0" /> Other financial backers included Arab arms dealer [[Adnan Khashoggi]], and vaudeville promoter [[Roy Radin]], who was murdered in May 1983. The killers later alleged that [[Contract killing|they had been hired]] by Evans and Radin's girlfriend Karen Greenberger, a [[drug dealer]] who felt she was cut out of profits from the film.<ref>{{cite magazine|first=Stephen|last=Vagg|magazine=Filmink|url=https://www.filmink.com.au/ten-billionaires-stung-hollywood/|title=Ten Billionaires Who Were Stung by Hollywood|date=March 10, 2020}}</ref> In the 1989 "''Cotton Club'' Trial", Evans invoked his [[Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution|Fifth Amendment]] right against self-incrimination and refused to testify.<ref name=":0" />

According to [[William Kennedy (author)|William Kennedy]] in an interview with ''[[Vanity Fair (magazine)|Vanity Fair]]'', the budget of the film was $47 million. However, Coppola told the head of [[Gaumont Film Company]], Europe's largest distribution and production company, that he thought the film might cost $65 million.<ref name="scott" />

Evans cast [[Al Pacino]], [[Sylvester Stallone]], and [[Harrison Ford]] to portray Dixie Dwyer before Gere was hired.<ref name=":0" /> [[Richard Pryor]] was considered for the role of Sandman Williams.<ref>{{cite web|last=Evans|first=Bradford|title=The Lost Roles of Richard Pryor|date=1 September 2011|publisher=[[Splitsider]]|url=http://splitsider.com/2011/09/the-lost-roles-of-richard-pryor/|access-date=18 April 2016}}</ref> Robert Evans wanted to cast his friend [[Alain Delon]] in a two-scene role as [[Lucky Luciano]] but this did not occur.<ref>{{cite news|title=Hollywood: French actor Delon will play Lucky role|author=Beck, Marilyn|work=Chicago Tribune|date=Sep 3, 1982|page=c5}}</ref> The role of Luciano was instead portrayed by [[Joe Dallesandro]], starting the dramatic film career for the former [[Warhol superstars|Warhol Superstar]].

Author [[Mario Puzo]] was the original screenwriter and was eventually replaced by William Kennedy,<ref name="gussow" /> who wrote a rehearsal script in eight days which the cast used for three weeks prior to shooting. According to actor [[Gregory Hines]], a three-hour film was shot during rehearsals.<ref name="scott" /> From July 15 to August 22, 1983, twelve scripts were produced, including five during one 48-hour non-stop weekend. Kennedy estimates that between 30 and 40 scripts were turned out.<ref name= "scott"/> Production began on August 22, 1983, at [[Kaufman Astoria Studios]] in [[Queens]].<ref name=":0" /> Over 600 people built sets, created costumes and arranged music at a reported $250,000 a day.<ref name="scott" /> During the production many crew members were abruptly fired. Within several weeks the film was already over budget, allowing Evans to deduct from the $4 million salary of Coppola, who had not yet been fully paid because the script was still being rewritten and thus incomplete. Coppola reacted by walking off set and refusing to continue directing the film until he was fully paid.<ref name=":0" />

As costs on the film continued to rise, the Doumani brothers convinced Orion Pictures to advance costs for the film on the condition that Evans step down as producer and hired mobster Joseph Cusamano to intimidate Evans into giving up his share of the partnership. Evans initially agreed but stopped them by filing a [[restraining order]] against them after learning Sayyah was not involved in the deal.<ref name=":0" /> On June 7, 1984, Sayyah filed a lawsuit against the Doumani brothers, their lawyer David Hurwitz, Evans and [[Orion Pictures]] for fraud and breach of contract.<ref name= "harmetz">{{cite news | last = Harmetz | first = Aljean | title = ''Cotton Club'' Investor Sues Partners in Film | work = [[New York Times]] | date = June 10, 1984 }}</ref> Sayyah invested $5 million and said that he had little chance of recouping his money because the budget escalated from $25 to $58 million. He accused the Doumanis of forcing out Evans and said that an Orion loan to the film of $15 million unnecessarily increased the budget. Evans, in turn, sued Edward Doumani to keep from acting as general partner on the film.<ref name= "harmetz"/> The court ruled in favor of Evans but also gave Coppola's close associate [[Barrie M. Osborne]] full control over [[post-production]], essentially barring Evans from the completion of the film. Sayyah and the Doumani brothers would also be uncredited as producers.<ref name=":0" />

==Music==
[[The Cotton Club (soundtrack)|The soundtrack]] for the film was written by [[John Barry (composer)|John Barry]]. It released on December 14, 1984, via [[Geffen Records]]. The album won the Grammy Award for [[Grammy Award for Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album|Best Jazz Instrumental Performance, Big Band]] in 1986.<ref name="AM awards">{{cite web|title=The Cotton Club – John Barry {{!}} Awards|url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/the-cotton-club-mw0000311935/awards|website=AllMusic|access-date=13 April 2017}}</ref>

==Release==

===Home media===
[[Embassy Home Entertainment]] paid a record $4.7 million for North America [[home video]] rights.<ref>{{cite magazine|magazine=[[Daily Variety]]|title=IVE Pays $2 Mil For Homevideo Rights To '1984'|page=1|date=December 21, 1984|last=Bierbaum|first=Tom}}</ref>
The film appeared on [[VHS|videotape]] and [[videodisc]] in April 1985. It was the first to use the [[Macrovision]] [[copy protection]] system on VHS.<ref name="deatley19850907">{{cite news | url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=lc8vAAAAIBAJ&pg=5630%2C870934 | title=VCRs put entertainment industry into fast-forward frenzy | work=The Free Lance-Star | date=1985-09-07 | agency=Associated Press | access-date=25 January 2015 | author=De Atley, Richard | pages=12–TV}}</ref>

===Director's cut===
In 2015, Coppola found an old [[Betamax]] video copy of his original cut that ran 25 minutes longer. When originally editing the picture, he acquiesced to distributors who wanted a shorter film with a different structure. Between 2015 and 2017, Coppola spent over $500,000 of his own money to restore the film to the original cut. This version, titled ''The Cotton Club: Encore'' and running 139 minutes, debuted at the [[Telluride Film Festival]] on September 1, 2017.<ref>{{cite news | last=Thompson | first=Anne | title=Francis Ford Coppola: Why He Spent $500K to Restore His Most Troubled Film, 'The Cotton Club' | work=[[IndieWire]] | url=http://www.indiewire.com/2017/09/francis-coppola-recut-the-cotton-club-telluride-1201872249/ | date=September 1, 2017 | access-date=September 1, 2017}}</ref> [[Lionsgate]] (owner of the Zoetrope Corporation backlog, and working in association with original studio [[Orion Pictures]]) released that version theatrically, and on [[DVD]] and [[Blu-ray]] in the fall of 2019.

''The Film Stage'' gave ''The Cotton Club: Encore'' a rating of A−, while ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' described the result of this version as "eye-opening".<ref>[https://thefilmstage.com/reviews/nyff-review-with-the-cotton-club-encore-francis-ford-coppola-brings-grandeur-to-new-reworking NYFF Review: With 'The Cotton Club Encore', Francis Ford Coppola Brings Grandeur to New Reworking]</ref><ref>[https://www.rollingstone.com/movies/movie-features/the-cotton-club-encore-review-francis-ford-coppola-896695/ ‘The Cotton Club’: Francis Ford Coppola's Mangled Epic Gets an Encore] ''Rolling Stone''</ref>

==Reception==

===Box office===
''The Cotton Club'' was released on December 14, 1984, in the United States and Canada on 808 screens and grossed $2.9 million on its opening weekend, fifth place behind ''[[Beverly Hills Cop]]'', ''[[Dune (1984 film)|Dune]]'', ''[[City Heat]]'' and ''[[2010 (film)|2010]]''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/weekend/1984W50/?ref_=bo_we_nav|title=Domestic 1984 Weekend 50|website=[[Box Office Mojo]]|access-date=May 23, 2020}}</ref><ref name="salmans">{{cite news | last=Salmans | first=Sandra | title=Cotton Club is Neither a Smash Nor a Disaster | work=[[The New York Times]] | url=https://www.nytimes.com/1984/12/20/movies/cotton-club-is-neither-a-smash-nor-a-disaster.html | date=December 20, 1984 | access-date=April 29, 2016}}</ref> Evans took the blame for hiring Coppola while Coppola responded that if he had not been hired, the film would have never been made. Evans said that Coppola made the budget escalate dramatically by rejecting the script, hiring his own crew, and falling behind schedule.<ref name= "salmans"/> The film was a [[Box-office bomb|commercial failure]], grossing just under $26 million against a $58 million budget. After the film's release stock traders began selling Orion Pictures shares with the expectation that the studio would suffer financially.<ref name=":0" />

===Critical response===
On [[Rotten Tomatoes]], the film has a 74% rating based on 31 reviews. The site's consensus states: "Energetic and brimming with memorable performers, ''The Cotton Club'' entertains with its visual and musical pizazz even as its plot only garners polite applause."<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/cotton_club/ |title=The Cotton Club |website=[[Rotten Tomatoes]] |access-date=September 20, 2023 }}</ref> On [[Metacritic]], the film has a weighted average score of 68% based on reviews from 14 critics.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Cotton Club |url=https://www.metacritic.com/movie/the-cotton-club |website=[[Metacritic]] |access-date=2021-01-01 }}</ref>

[[Roger Ebert]] of the ''[[Chicago Sun-Times]]'' rated the film 4 out of 4 stars.<ref>{{cite web |date=January 1, 1984 |last=Ebert |first=Roger |author-link=Roger Ebert |title=The Cotton Club |url=https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-cotton-club-1984 |website=[[Chicago Sun-Times]] }}</ref> The film appeared on both [[Siskel and Ebert]]'s best of 1984.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.innermind.com/misc/s_e_top.htm#SE1984|title=Siskel and Ebert Top Ten Lists (1969–1998)|website=Innermind.com|access-date=November 29, 2017}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==
* {{cite magazine |last1=Didion |first1=Joan |author-link=Joan Didion |title=Letter From Los Angeles |magazine=[[The New Yorker]] |date=27 August 1989 |url=https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/1989/09/04/joan-didion-letter-from-los-angeles-fire-season |issn=0028-792X}} The article was also included in Didion's 1992 book ''[[After Henry (book)|After Henry]]'' under the title "L.A. Noir".
* {{cite book | author=Parish, James Robert | title=Fiasco – A History of Hollywood's Iconic Flops | url=https://archive.org/details/fiascohistoryofh00pari/page/359 | url-access=registration | location=Hoboken, New Jersey | publisher=John Wiley & Sons | year=2006 | isbn=978-0-471-69159-4 | pages=[https://archive.org/details/fiascohistoryofh00pari/page/359 359 pages.] }}

==External links==
* {{IMDb title|id=0087089|title=The Cotton Club}}
* {{Rotten Tomatoes|2=The Cotton Club}}
* {{AllMovie title|11102|The Cotton Club}}
* {{AFI film|id=57065|title=The Cotton Club}}

{{Francis Ford Coppola}}
{{William Kennedy}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cotton Club, The}}
[[Category:1984 films]]
[[Category:1980s musical films]]
[[Category:1984 crime drama films]]
[[Category:American crime drama films]]
[[Category:1980s English-language films]]
[[Category:Films about race and ethnicity]]
[[Category:Films about the Irish Mob]]
[[Category:Jazz films]]
[[Category:Films directed by Francis Ford Coppola]]
[[Category:Films with screenplays by Francis Ford Coppola]]
[[Category:Films scored by John Barry (composer)]]
[[Category:American Zoetrope films]]
[[Category:Orion Pictures films]]
[[Category:Films set in New York City]]
[[Category:Films set in Harlem]]
[[Category:Films set in the 1930s]]
[[Category:Films produced by Robert Evans]]
[[Category:Films about the American Mafia]]
[[Category:Films about African-American organized crime]]
[[Category:Films about Jewish-American organized crime]]
[[Category:Cultural depictions of Lucky Luciano]]
[[Category:Cultural depictions of Dutch Schultz]]
[[Category:Cultural depictions of Cab Calloway]]
[[Category:Films shot at Astoria Studios]]
[[Category:1980s American films]]
[[Category:English-language crime drama films]]
[[Category:English-language musical films]]

Cool Runnings

2024-10-02T02:53:19Z

98.18.198.104: /* External links */

{{Short description|1993 film directed by Jon Turteltaub}}
{{Infobox film
| name = Cool Runnings
| image = Coolrunnings.jpg
| alt =
| caption = Theatrical release poster
| director = [[Jon Turteltaub]]
| producer = {{Plain list |
* [[Dawn Steel]]
* [[Chris Meledandri]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2018/film/features/chris-meledandri-illumination-minions-the-grinch-1203020068/|title=How Chris Meledandri Became the Most Powerful Man in Animation|website=Variety|last1=Lang|first1=Brent|date=November 6, 2018|access-date=April 20, 2022}}</ref>
}}
| screenplay = {{Plain list |
* Lynn Siefert
* [[Tommy Swerdlow]]
* [[Michael Goldberg (screenwriter)|Michael Goldberg]]
}}
| story = {{ubl|Lynn Siefert|[[Michael Ritchie (film director)|Michael Ritchie]]}}
| starring = {{Plain list|
* [[Leon Robinson|Leon]]
* [[Doug E. Doug]]
* Rawle D. Lewis
* [[Malik Yoba]]
* [[John Candy]]
}}
| music = [[Hans Zimmer]]
| cinematography = [[Phedon Papamichael]]
| editing = [[Bruce Green]]
| studio = [[Walt Disney Pictures]]
| distributor = [[Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures|Buena Vista Pictures Distribution]]
| released = {{Film date|1993|10|01}}
| runtime = 98 minutes
| country = United States
| language = English
| budget = $17 million
| gross = $154.9 million<ref name=bom>{{mojo title|coolrunnings}}</ref>
}}

'''''Cool Runnings''''' is a 1993 American [[Sports film|sports]] [[comedy film]] directed by [[Jon Turteltaub]] from a screenplay by Lynn Siefert, [[Tommy Swerdlow]], and [[Michael Goldberg (screenwriter)|Michael Goldberg]], and a story by Siefert and [[Michael Ritchie (film director)|Michael Ritchie]]. It is loosely based on the debut of the [[Jamaica national bobsleigh team|Jamaican national bobsleigh team]] at the [[1988 Winter Olympics]], and stars [[Leon Robinson|Leon]], [[Doug E. Doug]], Rawle D. Lewis, [[Malik Yoba]] and [[John Candy]]. In the film, former Olympian Irving Blitzer (Candy) coaches a novice four-man bobsleigh team from Jamaica, led by sprinter Derice Bannock (Leon).

Originally envisaged as a [[sports drama]], [[Jeremiah S. Chechik]] and [[Brian Gibson (director)|Brian Gibson]] were attached to direct before dropping out, causing Turteltaub to be hired. Leon was cast in 1989, followed by Doug and Yoba a year later. Lewis, who had little acting experience prior to the film and was first sought as a [[dialect coach]], joined in November 1992. [[Principal photography]] began in February 1993 and lasted until that March, with filming locations including [[Kingston, Jamaica|Kingston]], [[Discovery Bay, Jamaica|Discovery Bay]], and [[Calgary]]. ''Cool Runnings'' is Candy's final film released in his lifetime, while its score was composed by [[Hans Zimmer]].

''Cool Runnings'' was theatrically released in the United States on October 1, 1993, by [[Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures|Buena Vista Pictures]]. It received positive reviews from critics, with praise for its humor, tone, and cast performances. The film grossed $154.9 million worldwide and its theme song, "[[I Can See Clearly Now#Jimmy Cliff version|I Can See Clearly Now]]" by [[Jimmy Cliff]], reached number 18 on the US [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]].

==Plot==
In November 1987, [[Jamaicans|Jamaican]] [[Sprint (running)|sprinter]] Derice Bannock trains to qualify for the [[100-meter dash]] in the [[1988 Summer Olympics|forthcoming Summer Olympics]] in [[Seoul]]. He fails to advance in the trials when fellow runner Junior Bevil accidentally stumbles and falls, knocking down Derice and another competitor, Yul Brenner.

Derice petitions for the race to be rerun, but committee leader Barrington Coolidge denies the request, though he feels pity for Derice. He invites him to try again in four years or to try out for one of the only two other sports Jamaica competes in: boxing and cycling. Derice spots a photograph in Coolidge's office, which shows his late father, Ben, standing next to a fellow Olympic gold medalist. Coolidge identifies the man as disgraced American [[bobsled]] champion Irving Blitzer, who was disqualified for cheating in the [[1972 Winter Olympics]] in [[Sapporo]] and now works as a [[Bookmaker|bookie]] close to Derice's home. Derice realizes he could enter the [[1988 Winter Olympics|upcoming Winter Olympics]] in [[Calgary]] by forming a bobsled team, recruiting his friend Sanka Coffie, a [[pushcart derby]] champion.

Derice and Sanka track down Blitzer, who initially refuses to help Derice but reluctantly agrees to coach the team after learning that he is Ben's son. A recruitment drive fails when only Derice and Sanka stay until the end of a preliminary meeting, but Junior and Yul arrive late, allowing Blitzer to form a four-man team. Junior, like Derice, cannot wait another four years to enter the Olympics, and Yul wants to get off the island. The team trains with Blitzer, though Coolidge refuses to provide the $20,000 needed to participate in the Olympics, believing the team's inexperience will bring shame to Jamaica. Derice tries and fails to find sponsors, and he, Sanka, and Yul have little success with a range of fund-raising ventures (Yul arm wrestles challengers, Sanka horribly sings in the street, and Derice runs a kissing booth, until being caught by his wife Joy). Ultimately, Junior sells his car to finance the trip.

Upon reaching Calgary, Blitzer registers the team and borrows a rundown bobsled from Roger, one of his past teammates. The Jamaicans struggle to adapt to the cold and race conditions but improve through exercise and hard work. Derice begins to copy the techniques of the very efficient Swiss team. The East German team and their captain, Josef Groole – the current bobsled world record holder – constantly heckle the Jamaicans during tryouts. Eventually, all the team members except Derice get into a bar fight with the East Germans, and Derice reprimands them severely afterward.

After weeks of training, the team successfully makes the finals, only to be disqualified by the Olympic committee as retribution for Blitzer's prior cheating scandal. Blitzer confronts Kurt Hemphill, his former coach, now a judge in the committee, asking him not to punish the Jamaicans, as they had nothing to do with his past actions. The team is reinstated, and Junior rebuffs his father's attempt to bring him home, firmly stating his intent to remain in Calgary and represent Jamaica.

The team's first day on the track is a disaster, finishing in last place. Sanka disapproves of Derice copying the Swiss team's methods and encourages them to find their own competition style. They significantly improve on the second day, finishing in eighth place. During their final race, one of the bobsled's blades detaches, causing it to flip over and crash. Determined to finish the race, the team picks up their bobsled and carries it across the finish line, earning the applause of the other teams and the spectators, including Junior's father, despite their loss. An epilogue explains that the team returned to Jamaica as heroes, [[1992 Winter Olympics|then returned to the Olympics four years later]] to participate as equals.

==Cast==
{{castlist|
* [[Leon Robinson]] (credited as Leon) as Derice Bannock
* [[John Candy]] as Irving "Irv" Blitzer
* [[Doug E. Doug]] as Sanka Coffie
* Rawle D. Lewis as Junior Bevil, a shy, educated, young man from a wealthy family who is afraid to stand up for himself. Junior sells his expensive car and forgoes a high-paying brokerage job to compete.
* [[Malik Yoba]] as Yul Brenner, a burly tough guy. Initially he hates Junior, as he blames him for the failure of his original Olympic campaign. But they become friends during the movie, as Junior defends Brenner when Sanka ridicules him, and Brenner teaches Junior to be more assertive.
* [[Raymond J. Barry]] as Kurt Hemphill
* [[Peter Outerbridge]] as Josef Grool, the obnoxious but very efficient leader of the East German team.
* Paul Coeur as Roger
* Charlotte Frasca as Clive
* Lee Maynard as himself
*Alex Frasca as Colin
* Larry Gilman as Larry
* Lewis Hinds as Vinnie
* [[Charles Hyatt]] as Whitby Bevil, Junior's father, a hard-working businessman, who is initially dismissive of the bobsled venture
* [[Winston Stona]] as Barrington Coolidge
* Bertina Macauley as Joy Bannock
* Kristoffer Cooper as Winston
*Bob Del Torre as USA team Driver
* [[Martin Hub]] as Czech Bobsled Driver
}}

==Production==
According to Leon, "there were script problems.<ref name="columbia">{{cite news|title= From Real Life to Screen Proved Tough Sledding : Movies: Despite being dropped by Columbia and two directors, 'Cool Runnings,' the film about Jamaican snow bobbers, makes it across the finish line. |newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]]|date=September 30, 1993|url= https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1993-09-30-ca-40417-story.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110226001230/http://articles.latimes.com/1993-09-30/entertainment/ca-40417_1_cool-runnings|archive-date=February 26, 2011|access-date=January 12, 2011|first=Jane|url-status= live |last=Galbraith}}</ref><ref name="seattle">{{cite news|last=Hartl|first=John|title=Some Rough Sledding Making 'Cool Runnings'|date=October 2, 1993|newspaper=[[The Seattle Times]]|url=http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=19931002&slug=1723952|access-date=July 23, 2015}}</ref><ref name="florida">{{cite news|last=McKnight|first=Franklin|title='Cool Runnings' Tells About Jamaicans' Tough Sledding|date=October 1, 1993|newspaper=[[Orlando Sentinel]]|url=https://www.orlandosentinel.com/1993/10/01/cool-runnings-tells-about-jamaicans-tough-sledding/|access-date=July 23, 2015}}</ref> It wasn't funny enough, the key elements were lacking, and it just wasn't working. It was meant to happen when it happened."<ref name=seattle/> Leon, Doug and Yoba confirmed in an interview with ''[[Empire (film magazine)|Empire]]'' that it was originally meant to have been a sports drama film.<ref name=robinson/><ref name=dougedoug/><ref name="yoba">{{cite magazine|last=Plumb|first=Ali|title=Malik Yoba: Yul Brenner On Pride, Power And People Wanting To Draw Lines On His Head|magazine=[[Empire (magazine)|Empire]]|url=http://www.empireonline.com/interviews/interview.asp?IID=1873|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150211180604/http://www.empireonline.com/interviews/interview.asp?IID=1873|archive-date=February 11, 2015|access-date=July 23, 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref> The film's working title was '''''Blue Maaga'''''.<ref name="blue">{{cite magazine|last=Highfill|first=Samantha|title='Cool Runnings': An oral history|date=February 12, 2014|magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]]|url=http://www.ew.com/article/2014/02/12/cool-runnings-oral-history|access-date= July 23, 2015}}</ref> Before [[Jon Turteltaub]] was officially hired, [[Jeremiah S. Chechik]] was slated to direct until he moved on to do ''[[Benny & Joon]]'' (1993) instead. [[Brian Gibson (director)|Brian Gibson]] was also considered to direct, but he dropped out to do ''[[What's Love Got to Do with It (1993 film)|What's Love Got to Do with It]]'' (1993) instead.<ref name=columbia/> Turteltaub used the actual [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] sports footage from the 1988 Olympics and incorporated it into the film.<ref name=blue/><ref name=radio/>

[[File:Calgary from Nose hill park (15811489540).jpg|thumb|right|The film was set in [[Calgary]], [[Canada]] during the celebration of [[1988 Winter Olympics]].]]

===Casting===
According to Leon, "The script has been following me around for 3{{frac|2}} years." He signed on when Gibson was the director at the time. Leon told ''[[The Seattle Times]]'', "I was signed more than a year before we actually started."<ref name=seattle/><ref name="robinson">{{cite magazine|last=Plumb|first=Ali|title=Leon Robinson: Derice On The Coll Runnings Cafe and Dressing Up As A Zombie|magazine=[[Empire (film magazine)|Empire]]|url=http://www.empireonline.com/interviews/interview.asp?IID=1872|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150714182759/http://www.empireonline.com/interviews/interview.asp?IID=1872|archive-date=July 14, 2015|access-date=July 23, 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref> Doug got involved with the film in 1990: "I found ''Cool Runnings'' three years ago, when my agent had it on his desk. I knew about the actual event it's based on, the Jamaican bobsled team that went to the '88 Olympics, and even though it's based pretty loosely I thought it made a great yarn."<ref name="baltimore">{{cite news|last=Price|first=Michael H.|title='Cool Runnings': Serious comedy for Doug E. Doug|date= October 6, 1993|newspaper=[[The Baltimore Sun]]|url=http://articles.baltimoresun.com/1993-10-06/features/1993279106_1_doug-e-cool-runnings-comedy|access-date=July 23, 2015}}</ref> At the time of Doug's audition, Chechik was attached as the director.<ref name="dougedoug">{{cite magazine|last=Plumb|first=Ali|title=Doug E. Doug: Sanka Himself Reveals Where He Keeps His Lucky Eggs|magazine=[[Empire (magazine)|Empire]]|url=http://www.empireonline.com/interviews/interview.asp?IID=1871|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150211174023/http://www.empireonline.com/interviews/interview.asp?IID=1871|archive-date=February 11, 2015|access-date=July 23, 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref> Doug told ''[[The Baltimore Sun]]'': "I got the offer to play Sanka, the guy I'd wanted to play from the very beginning."<ref name=baltimore/>

Lewis had very little experience and was not even allowed to audition at first. He told ''The Seattle Times'', "I was hired to read lines to auditioning actors for just one day. That turned into three weeks. At first they told me they were looking for names, big stars, so I wouldn't be considered, but then they asked me to do a screen test."<ref name=seattle/> He also told ''The Baltimore Sun'', "I came in to this film at first to coach the players in the authentic accents."<ref name=baltimore/> Lewis was officially hired in November 1992.<ref name=seattle/> When asked by ''Empire'' how he got involved with the film, Yoba was introduced to the casting director, Jackie Brown, by "a gentleman by the name of Jamal Joseph." At the time of Yoba's official casting, Gibson was still slated to direct.<ref name=yoba/> Yoba later told ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]'' that he wrote the Jamaican bobsled song for his audition.<ref name=blue/> Lewis claimed that the executives at Disney wanted [[Kurt Russell]] for the role of Coach Blitzer; however, John Candy personally insisted on portraying the coach and agreed to take a pay cut to do the movie.<ref name="radio">{{cite web|title=Interview with Actor Rawle D. Lewis, Star of Cool Runnings|date=February 25, 2010|url=http://justmyshow.com/55-rawle-d-lewis|website=Justmyshow.com|access-date=July 23, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150724023706/http://justmyshow.com/55-rawle-d-lewis|archive-date=July 24, 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name=dlewis/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kb_y_6Hmuqw |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211212/kb_y_6Hmuqw| archive-date=2021-12-12 |url-status=live|title=Interview with Cool Runnings Star Rawle D. Lewis AKA Junior Bevil |publisher=YouTube |date=October 7, 2010 |access-date=December 28, 2015}}{{cbignore}}</ref> According to Yoba, [[Scott Glenn]] was also considered for the role.<ref name=yoba/> [[Cuba Gooding Jr.]], [[Jeffrey Wright (actor)|Jeffrey Wright]], and [[Eriq La Salle]] were each considered for a role as one of the four Jamaican bobsledders.<ref name=blue/><ref name="dlewis">{{cite magazine|last=Plumb|first=Ali|title=Rawle D. Lewis: Junior Bevil On Talking To Mirrors And Getting Recognized In Pizza Hut|magazine=[[Empire (magazine)|Empire]]|url=http://www.empireonline.com/interviews/interview.asp?IID=1874|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150211073905/http://www.empireonline.com/interviews/interview.asp?IID=1874|archive-date=February 11, 2015|access-date=July 23, 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref>

===Filming locations===
The film was shot in [[Calgary]] and [[Jamaica]] in February and March 1993. The cast and crew filmed in Calgary first, to take advantage of the snow. Then they filmed in Jamaica at [[Discovery Bay, Jamaica|Discovery Bay]] and [[Kingston, Jamaica|Kingston]].<ref name=columbia/> [[Dawn Steel]] was on the set every day in Calgary and Jamaica. According to Leon, "(Steel) worked on the second unit for a while, and she said 'Never again. I never want to direct.{{'"}}<ref name=seattle/>

[[File:Canada olympic park summer 2005.jpeg|thumb|left|[[Canada Olympic Park]], the place where started [[1988 Winter Olympics]].]]

==Music==
{{Anchor|Soundtrack|Score}}
A soundtrack album with 11 tracks was released by Sony in 1993 on cassette and compact disc (Columbia Chaos OK 57553).

In some European countries, the soundtrack album was released by Sony with a 12th (bonus) track being "Rise Above It" performed by Lock Stock and Barrel (Columbia 474840 2).

{{Track listing
| headline =
| total_length =

| title1 = [[Wild Wild Life]]
| writer1 =
| music1 = [[The Wailing Souls|Wailing Souls]]
| length1 = 3:36

| title2 = [[I Can See Clearly Now#Jimmy Cliff version|I Can See Clearly Now]]
| writer2 =
| music2 = [[Jimmy Cliff]]
| length2 = 3:16

| title3 = [[Stir It Up]]
| writer3 =
| music3 = [[Diana King]]
| length3 = 3:49

| title4 = Cool Me Down
| writer4 =
| music4 = [[Tiger (musician)|Tiger]]
| length4 = 3:50

| title5 = Picky Picky Head
| writer5 =
| music5 = Wailing Souls
| length5 = 4:10

| title6 = Jamaican Bobsledding Chant
| writer6 =
| music6 = [[Worl-A-Girl]]
| length6 = 4:16

| title7 = Sweet Jamaica
| writer7 =
| music7 = [[Tony Rebel]]
| length7 = 3:51

| title8 = Dolly My Baby
| writer8 =
| music8 = [[Super Cat]]
| length8 = 3:32

| title9 = The Love You Want
| writer9 =
| music9 = Wailing Souls
| length9 = 3:59

| title10 = Countrylypso
| writer10 =
| music10 = [[Hans Zimmer]]
| length10 = 2:48

| title11 = The Walk Home
| writer11 =
| music11 = Hans Zimmer
| length11 = 4:37

| title12 = Rise Above It
| note12 =
| writer12 =
| music12 = Lock Stock and Barrel
| length12 = 3:32
}}

==Reception==
===Box office===
''Cool Runnings'' debuted at number 3 at the US box office with a gross of $7,046,648 in its opening weekend from 1,387 theaters behind the also debuting ''[[Malice (1993 film)|Malice]]'' in first place and the second week of ''[[The Good Son (film)|The Good Son]]''. The following weekend it expanded to 1,803 theaters and moved up to second place grossing $9,568,699 over the 4-day [[Columbus Day]] weekend behind the opening ''[[Demolition Man (film)|Demolition Man]]''. The film had total domestic earnings of $68,856,263 in the United States and Canada, and $86,000,000 internationally for a total of $154,856,263 worldwide.<ref name=bom/> The film was popular in Germany (with a gross over $12 million), Japan (over $7 million) and the United Kingdom (over $8 million).<ref>{{cite magazine|magazine=[[Screen International]]|date=April 1, 1994|page=31|title=International box office}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|magazine=[[Screen International]]|date=April 1, 1994|page=31|title=Rasta rocket takes off with $100 million}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|magazine=[[Screen International]]|date=April 1, 1994|page=32|title=UK Box Office}}</ref> The film grossed $416,771 in Jamaica.{{cn|date=September 2024}}

===Critical response===
''Cool Runnings'' received positive reviews, including one from [[Kevin Thomas (film critic)|Kevin Thomas]] of the ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'' which referred to the film as "a sweet-natured, high-spirited comedy, that rare movie that plays effectively to all ages. Even rarer, it celebrates genuine sportsmanship, placing the emphasis back on how the game is played in the face of the winning-is-everything philosophy that permeates every aspect of contemporary life."<ref>{{cite news |first=Kevin|last=Thomas |title= MOVIE REVIEW : 'Cool': Hot on Trail of Feel-Good Comedy |newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]] |date=October 1, 1993 |url= https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1993-10-01-ca-40801-story.html |access-date=December 12, 2020 }}</ref>

Richard Harrington of ''[[The Washington Post]]'' wrote "a wholesome, engaging, frequently hilarious, ultimately inspirational film."<ref>{{cite news |first=Richard |last=Harrington |title= Cool Runnings - review |newspaper= [[The Washington Post]] |date=October 1, 1993 |url= https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/style/longterm/movies/videos/coolrunningspgharrington_a0ab8f.htm |access-date=June 2, 2020 }}</ref>

''Cool Runnings'' has received a rating of 76% on [[Rotten Tomatoes]] based on 42 reviews. The site's consensus states "''Cool Runnings'' rises above its formulaic sports-movie themes with charming performances, light humor, and uplifting tone."<ref>{{rotten-tomatoes|1046227|Cool Runnings}}</ref> On [[Metacritic]] it has a score of 60% based on reviews from 17 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".<ref>{{cite web |title=Cool Runnings |url=https://www.metacritic.com/movie/cool-runnings |website=[[Metacritic]] }}</ref> Audiences polled by [[CinemaScore]] gave the film a grade A on scale of A to F.<ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.cinemascore.com/publicsearch/index/title/ |title= COOL RUNNINGS (1993) A |work= [[CinemaScore]] |url-status= dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20181220122629/https://www.cinemascore.com/publicsearch/index/title/ |archive-date= 2018-12-20 }}</ref>
=== Accolades ===
'''[[American Film Institute]] recognition'''

*[[AFI's 100 Years...100 Cheers]] - Nominated
*[[AFI's 10 Top 10]] - Nominated

==Historical differences==

===Competition===
Jamaica was disqualified by the [[International Olympic Committee]] (IOC) for late entry into the competition, but pressure from several appeals, including from [[Prince Albert of Monaco]] (who competed in the event himself),<ref name="real">{{cite web|first=Nick|last=Atkin|url=http://en.espn.co.uk/olympic-sports/sport/story/280229.html|title=The real Cool Runnings|date=5 February 2014|publisher=[[ESPN]]}}</ref> led to the reversal of the decision, as opposed to an appeal by their coach.

Despite being presented as a medal contender and record setters in the film, Jamaica crashed on their third and penultimate scheduled run and struggled consistently in the competition: out of 26 contestants, they finished 24th, 25th, and 26th, with times of 58.04 seconds (24th), 59.37 seconds (25th), and 1:03 minutes (26th), becoming the only four-man team in the competition to post a time over one minute. They finished 26th overall, with a cumulative time of just over 3 minutes after three runs. If they had taken part in the final run, they would have had to complete a world-record shattering time under 48.00 seconds to win a medal.<ref>{{cite news|title= Bobsleigh at the 1988 Calgary Winter Games: Men's Four |website=Sports-reference.com |url= https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/winter/1988/BOB/mens-four.html |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20200417222136/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/winter/1988/BOB/mens-four.html |url-status= dead |archive-date= April 17, 2020 |access-date=April 10, 2015}}</ref>

The film implies Jamaica as the only country from a tropical climate to compete in bobsleigh at the Olympics; while they were the only Caribbean country to feature in the four-man competition, [[Netherlands Antilles]] and two teams from the [[United States Virgin Islands|U.S. Virgin Islands]] competed in the 38-team two-man competition, who finished 29th, 35th, and 38th, respectively.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2014/01/22/265060754/wow-dogecoin-other-donors-send-jamaican-bobsled-team-to-sochi |title=Online Donors Send Jamaican Bobsled Team To Sochi|publisher=NPR|date=January 22, 2014|access-date=February 3, 2014}}</ref> Two members of the Jamaican team ([[Dudley Stokes]] and [[Michael White (bobsleigh)|Michael White]]) also competed in the two-man sled competition, completing all four runs and finishing in 30th place;<ref>{{cite news |title= Bobsleigh at the 1988 Calgary Winter Games: Jamaica |website=Sports-reference.com |url= https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/countries/JAM/winter/1988/BOB |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20200417222135/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/countries/JAM/winter/1988/BOB/ |url-status= dead |archive-date= April 17, 2020 |access-date=April 10, 2015}}</ref> Stokes and White were set to compete in two-man bobsleigh event only, with the four-man team entered to compete after the two-man event had already been completed.<ref name="real" />

===Crash===
In the film, the team crashes due to mechanical and structural failures in the front left blade of their bobsled on their third and final run.
In reality, the crash occurred on their penultimate run and was deemed to occur due to driver inexperience, excess speed, and regressing the turn too high, which caused the sled to become unstable and top-heavy, leading it to topple onto its left side.

Real footage of the crash was used in the film but was heavily edited, and none of the characters suffered injuries; Stokes described the run and the crash as "disorienting", failing to recall the incident and only realizing they crashed after his fiberglass helmet sustained friction-burn on the ice.<ref>{{cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZLQkCemE_Xs&watch_response |title=16x9 - Cool Runnings: Truth Behind Original Jamaican Bobsled Team |publisher=YouTube |date=June 6, 2012 |access-date=December 28, 2015}}</ref> The team reached speeds of {{convert|130|km/h|mph|abbr=on}} and their helmets scraped against the wall for {{convert|600|m|ft|abbr=on}} until they came to a stop.<ref name="youtube1">{{cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZLQkCemE_Xs&watch_response |title=16x9 - Cool Runnings: Truth Behind Original Jamaican Bobsled Team |publisher=YouTube |date=2012-06-06 |access-date=2015-12-28}}</ref> The film depicts the team carrying the sled to the finish line to a slow-building standing ovation: in reality, the team walked next to it and received some sporadic applause.<ref>{{cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qIHjLTDTEqE&watch_response |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211212/qIHjLTDTEqE| archive-date=2021-12-12 |url-status=live|title=jamaica original bobsled |publisher=YouTube |date=August 16, 2008 |access-date=December 28, 2015}}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref name="youtube1"/>

==Home media==
On November 11, 1994, the film was released on [[VHS]] and [[LaserDisc]] by [[Walt Disney Home Video]] in the United States. On August 24, 1999, the film was released on DVD by Walt Disney Home Video in the United States in [[DVD region code#1|Region 1]]. On September 1, 2000, the film was released on VHS by Walt Disney Studios in the United Kingdom. On January 22, 2001, the film was released on DVD by Walt Disney Studios in the United Kingdom in [[DVD region code#2|Region 2]].<ref>{{cite web|author=Joseph Zucker |url=http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1927933-jamaican-bobsled-team-qualifies-for-2014-sochi-winter-olympics |title=Jamaican Bobsled Team Qualifies for 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics |website=Bleacher Report |access-date=December 28, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/2014/01/23/us-olympics-bobsleigh-jamaica-idUSBREA0M0PI20140123|title=Funding woes ease, Jamaicans promise Sochi we fight|work=Reuters|date=January 23, 2014|access-date=January 26, 2014|archive-date=January 27, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140127014536/http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/01/23/us-olympics-bobsleigh-jamaica-idUSBREA0M0PI20140123|url-status=dead}}</ref> On March 28, 2017, the film was released on region free Blu-ray as a Disney Movie Club Exclusive title.

The film was made available for streaming on [[Disney+]] on January 1, 2020.

==See also==
{{Portal|Olympics|Jamaica}}
* [[Tropical nations at the Winter Olympics]]
* [[Jamaica national bobsleigh team]]
* [[List of comedy films of the 1990s]]
* [[Jamaica at the 1988 Winter Olympics]]
* ''[[Eddie the Eagle (film)|Eddie the Eagle]]''

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Wikiquote}}
* {{Official website|http://movies.disney.com/cool-runnings}}
* {{IMDb title|0106611}}
* {{Rotten Tomatoes|2=Cool Runnings}}
* {{allrovi movie|119004}}
* {{mojo title|coolrunnings}}

{{Jon Turteltaub}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:1993 films]]
[[Category:1993 comedy films]]
[[Category:1990s English-language films]]
[[Category:1990s sports comedy films]]
[[Category:American films based on actual events]]
[[Category:American sports comedy films]]
[[Category:Bobsleigh films]]
[[Category:Bobsleigh in Jamaica]]
[[Category:Films about the 1988 Winter Olympics]]
[[Category:Films directed by Jon Turteltaub]]
[[Category:Films produced by Dawn Steel]]
[[Category:Films scored by Hans Zimmer]]
[[Category:Films set in 1987]]
[[Category:Films set in 1988]]
[[Category:Films set in Calgary]]
[[Category:Films set in Jamaica]]
[[Category:Films shot in Alberta]]
[[Category:Films shot in Jamaica]]
[[Category:Films with screenplays by Tommy Swerdlow]]
[[Category:Sports comedy films based on actual events]]
[[Category:Walt Disney Pictures films]]
[[Category:1990s American films]]
[[Category:English-language sports comedy films]]

Coogan's Bluff (film)

2024-10-02T02:30:44Z

98.18.198.104: /* External links */

{{Short description|1968 film by Don Siegel}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2014}}
{{Infobox film
| name = Coogan's Bluff
| image = CoogansBluff1968MoviePoster.jpg
| caption = Theatrical release poster
| alt =
| director = [[Don Siegel]]
| producer = Don Siegel
| screenplay = {{Plainlist|
* [[Herman Miller (writer)|Herman Miller]]
* [[Dean Riesner]]
* Howard Rodman
}}
| story = Herman Miller
| starring = {{Plainlist|
* [[Clint Eastwood]]
* [[Susan Clark]]
* [[Don Stroud]]
* [[Tisha Sterling]]
* [[Betty Field]]
* [[Lee J. Cobb]]
}}
| music = [[Lalo Schifrin]]
| cinematography = [[Bud Thackery]]
| editing = Sam E. Waxman
| studio = [[Malpaso Productions|The Malpaso Company]]
| distributor = [[Universal Pictures]]
| released = {{Film date|1968|10|02}}
| runtime = 94 minutes
| country = United States
| language = English
| budget = $1.5 million
| gross = $3.11 million<ref>{{cite web |url=https://the-numbers.com/movie/Coogans-Bluff |title=Coogan's Bluff (1968) |website=[[The Numbers (website)|The Numbers]] |access-date=March 13, 2020 }}</ref>
}}

'''''Coogan's Bluff''''' is a 1968 American [[Crime film|crime]] [[Thriller film|thriller]] film directed and produced by [[Don Siegel]]. It stars [[Clint Eastwood]], [[Susan Clark]], [[Don Stroud]], [[Tisha Sterling]], [[Betty Field]] and [[Lee J. Cobb]]. The film marks the first of five collaborations between Siegel and Eastwood, which continued with ''[[Two Mules for Sister Sara]]'' (1970), ''[[The Beguiled (1971 film)|The Beguiled]]'' (1971), ''[[Dirty Harry]]'' (1971) and ''[[Escape from Alcatraz (film)|Escape from Alcatraz]]'' (1979).

Eastwood plays the part of a veteran deputy sheriff from a rural county in [[Arizona]] who travels to New York City to extradite an apprehended fugitive named Jimmy Ringerman, played by Stroud, who is wanted for murder.

The name of the film itself is a reference to a New York City natural landmark, [[Coogan's Bluff]], a [[promontory]] in upper [[Manhattan]] overlooking the site of the former long-time home of the [[New York Giants (NL)|New York Giants]] baseball club, the [[Polo Grounds]], with a double-meaning derived from the name of the lead character.

==Plot==
Arizona deputy sheriff Walt Coogan is sent to New York City to extradite escaped killer James Ringerman. Detective Lieutenant McElroy informs him that Ringerman is recovering from an overdose of LSD, cannot be moved until the doctors release him, and that Coogan needs to get extradition papers from the New York State Supreme Court.

Coogan flirts with probation officer Julie Roth and takes her out for lunch. He goes to the prison hospital and bluffs his way to Ringerman, tricks the attendants into turning him over, and sets out to catch a plane for Arizona. Before he can get to the airport, Ringerman's girlfriend Linny and a tavern owner named Pushie ambush Coogan and enable Ringerman to escape. Detective McElroy is furious with Coogan and warns him against playing policeman in New York.

Coogan learns Linny's name from a visit to Ringerman's mother. While he is at Roth's apartment for a home cooked supper Coogan learns that Roth is Linny's probation officer and he finds Linny's address in Roth's home files while Roth is in the kitchen cooking them supper. He tracks Linny to a nightclub, where she offers to lead him to Ringerman. Instead she takes Coogan to a pool hall where he is attacked by Pushie and a dozen men in a bloody battle. Coogan holds his own for a while but is eventually overpowered. After hearing sirens the men take off, but not before the beaten Coogan kills Pushie and two others. Detective McElroy finds the bar in pieces and a cowboy hat on the floor.

Coogan finds Linny and threatens to kill her if she does not lead him to Ringerman. She takes him to Ringerman who is hiding out at [[the Cloisters]]. He is armed with a gun stolen from Coogan. Ringerman gets away on his motorcycle and Coogan commandeers a motorcycle of his own. Coogan gives chase through [[Fort Tryon Park]]<ref name="metmuseum popcult">{{cite web|url=http://www.metmuseum.org/about-the-museum/now-at-the-met/features/2013/cloisters-in-popular-culture|title=The Cloisters in Popular Culture: "Time in This Place Does Not Obey an Order"|work=metmuseum.org|orig-date=July 22, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210311175529/https://www.metmuseum.org/blogs/now-at-the-met/features/2013/cloisters-in-popular-culture|archive-date=2021-03-11}}</ref> and eventually captures Ringerman.

He hands the fugitive over to McElroy, who once again tells him to go to the DA's office and to let "the system handle this." Some time later Coogan, with Ringerman in cuffs, prepares to leave for the airport via helicopter from the helipad atop the [[MetLife Building|Pan Am building]]. At the last minute Julie Roth runs up to the helicopter to give Coogan a long good-bye kiss. Coogan's last view is Julie Roth waving goodbye from the helipad as the helicopter lifts off.

==Cast==
[[File:Clint Eastwood-Susan Clark in Coogan's Bluff trailer.jpg|thumb|Eastwood and Clark in the film]]


{{Cast listing|
* [[Clint Eastwood]] as Wyatt Coogan
* [[Lee J. Cobb]] as Lieutenant McElroy
* [[Susan Clark]] as Julie Roth
* [[Tisha Sterling]] as Linny Raven
* [[Don Stroud]] as James Ringerman
* [[Betty Field]] as Ellen Ringerman
* [[Tom Tully]] as Sheriff McCrea
* Melodie Johnson as Millie
* [[James Edwards (actor)|James Edwards]] as Sergeant Wallace
* Rudy Diaz as Running Bear
* [[David Doyle (actor)|David F. Doyle]] as Pushie
* [[Louis Zorich]] as Taxi Driver
* [[Meg Myles]] as Big Red
* [[Marjorie Bennett]] as Mrs. Fowler
* [[Seymour Cassel]] as John, Young Hood
* John Coe as Bellboy
* Skip Battyn as Omega
* [[Albert Popwell]] as Wonderful Digby
* [[Conrad Bain]] as Madison Avenue Man
* James Gavin as Ferguson
* [[Albert Henderson (actor)|Albert Henderson]] as Desk Sergeant
* James McCallion as Room Clerk
* Syl Lamont as Manager
* [[Jess Osuna]] as Prison Hospital Guard
* Jerry Summers as Good Eyes
* [[Antonia Rey]] as Mrs. Amador
* Marya Henriques as Go-Go Dancer
'''Uncredited Cast'''
* James Dukas as Prison Hospital Doctor
* [[Eve Brent]] as Hooker
* [[Robert Osterloh]] as Deputy
* [[Linda Clifford]] as Hippie Girl
* [[Don Siegel]] as Elevator Passenger
* [[Kristoffer Tabori]] as Elevator Passenger
}}

==Production==
Before ''[[Hang 'Em High]]'' had been released, Eastwood had set to work on ''Coogan's Bluff'', a project which saw him reunite with Universal Studios after an offer of $1 million, more than doubling his previous salary.<ref name="McGillagan165">McGillagan (1999), p.165</ref><ref>Munn, p. 70</ref> [[Jennings Lang]] was responsible for the deal. Lang was a former agent of [[Don Siegel]], a Universal contract director who was invited to direct Eastwood's second major American film. Eastwood was not familiar with Siegel's work but Lang arranged for them to meet at Clint's residence in Carmel. Eastwood had seen three of Siegel's earlier films, was impressed with his directing and the two became friends, forming a close partnership in the years that followed.<ref name="McGillagan167">McGillagan (1999), p.167</ref>

The idea for ''Coogan's Bluff'' originated in early 1967 as a TV series and the first draft was drawn up by [[Herman Miller (writer)|Herman Miller]] and [[Jack Laird]], screenwriters for ''Rawhide''.<ref name="McGillagan166">McGillagan (1999), p.166</ref> It is about a character named Sheriff Walt Coogan, a lonely deputy sheriff working in New York City.

After Siegel and Eastwood had agreed to work together, Howard Rodman and three other writers were hired to devise a new script as the new team scouted for locations including [[New York City]] and the [[Mojave Desert|Mojave desert]].<ref name="McGillagan167"/> However, Eastwood surprised the team one day by calling an abrupt meeting and professed to strongly dislike the script, which by now had gone through seven drafts, preferring Herman Miller's original concept.<ref name="McGillagan167"/> This experience would also shape Eastwood's distaste for redrafting scripts in his later career.<ref name="McGillagan167"/>

Eastwood and Siegel hired a new writer, [[Dean Riesner]], who had written for Siegel in the [[Henry Fonda]] TV film ''Stranger on the Run''. Eastwood did not communicate with the screenwriter until one day Riesner criticized a scene Eastwood had liked which involved Coogan having sex with Linny Raven in the hope that she would take him to her "boyfriend". According to Riesner, Eastwood's "face went white and gave me one of those Clint looks".<ref name="McGillagan169">McGillagan (1999), p.169</ref>

The two soon reconciled their differences and worked on a script in which Eastwood had considerable input. [[Don Stroud]] was cast as the psychopathic criminal Coogan is chasing, [[Lee J. Cobb]] as the disagreeable [[New York City Police Department]] lieutenant, [[Susan Clark]] as a probation officer who falls for Coogan and [[Tisha Sterling]] as the drug-using lover of Stroud's character. ''Coogan's Bluff'' was the final film appearance of actress Betty Field, who died in 1973.<ref name="McGillagan169"/> Filming began in November 1967 even before the full script had been finalized.<ref name="McGillagan169"/>

==Reception==
{{quote box|width=30em|bgcolor=cornsilk|fontsize=100%|salign=center|quote=“As Walt Coogan, the twentieth-century personification of nineteenth-century values and ethics, Eastwood strides through the urban landscape, breaking rules and offending those upon whom he depends for help. [[Lee J. Cobb]], as a police Lieutenant, into whose domain Eastwood stalks, tells him angrily that ‘We’ve got a system here. Not much, but we’re fond of it.’”<ref>Kass, 1975 p. 79-80</ref>}}

''Coogan's Bluff'' was released in the United States in October 1968, where it grossed over $3.1 million.<ref>Hughes, p.49</ref> The film was controversial for its portrayal of violence, but it launched a collaboration between Eastwood and Siegel that lasted more than ten years, and set the prototype for the [[machismo|macho]] hero that Eastwood would play in the ''[[Dirty Harry]]'' films.{{citation needed|date=January 2020}} The script of the film inspired the ''[[McCloud (TV series)|McCloud]]'' television series that starred [[Dennis Weaver]].<ref>Ben Mankiewicz, Extraduction to Coogan's Bluff, Turner Classic Movies, March 23, 2024.</ref>

On [[Rotten Tomatoes]], the film has an approval rating of 95% based on reviews from 19 critics.<ref>{{cite web |title=Coogan's Bluff (1968) |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/coogans_bluff |website=[[Rotten Tomatoes]] }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=31 December 1967 |author=Variety Staff |title=Coogan's Bluff |url=https://variety.com/review/VE1117790075 |website=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] }}</ref>
[[Roger Ebert]] of ''The Chicago Sun-Times'' gave it 3 out of 4 stars, stating the film was in some ways formulaic but nonetheless well-made and acted: "Siegel knows what he wants and gets it."<ref name="Ebert">{{cite web |date=December 5, 1968 |last=Ebert |first=Roger |author-link=Roger Ebert |title=Coogan's Bluff |url=https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/coogans-bluff-1968 |website=[[Chicago Sun-Times]] }}</ref>
[[Vincent Canby]] of [[The New York Times]] gave it a negative review, and wrote: "The screenplay is so predictable in situation and so arch in its supposedly tough, blunt, wise talk that it turns into a joke told by someone with no sense of humor."<ref>{{cite web |date=3 October 1968 |last=Canby |first=Vincent |author-link=Vincent Canby |title=Screen: Sheriff Eastwood Tangles With the Big City |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1968/10/03/archives/screen-sheriff-eastwood-tangles-with-the-big-city.html |website=[[The New York Times]] }}</ref>
In 2006 Kim Newman of [[Empire (film magazine)|Empire]] magazine, gave the film 4 out of 5, calling it a "New York cop thriller with a touch of the Western and a touch of the Eastwood...and all the better for it."<ref>{{cite web |date=2006-04-28 |author=Kim Newman |author-link=Kim Newman |title=Coogan's Bluff |url=https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/coogans-bluff-review/ |website=[[Empire (magazine)|Empire]] }}</ref>

[[Quentin Tarantino]] said the film "plays like a trial run for the next twenty years of action cinema. It's with Coogan's Bluff that Eastwood would establish his post Leone persona. A persona that would dominate action cinema for the next twenty-five years."<ref>{{cite web |first=Quentin |last=Tarantino |author-link=Quentin Tarantino |date=26 February 2020 |title=Coogan's Bluff & The Beguiled & Catlow |website=New Beverly Cinema |url=http://thenewbev.com/tarantinos-reviews/coogans-bluff-the-beguiled-catlow/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200323120049/https://thenewbev.com/tarantinos-reviews/coogans-bluff-the-beguiled-catlow/ |archive-date=23 March 2020 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

==Home media==
The DVD version of ''Coogan's Bluff'' is edited by approximately three minutes in all regions for unknown reasons. The missing scenes include Coogan receiving his assignment to return Ringerman from New York, a short scene in a hospital, and a scene in which Julie talks about Coogan's Bluff, a lookout point over the ocean near New York (the real [[Coogan's Bluff]] is a site on Manhattan Island between Washington Heights and Harlem), tying the location into the film's title. The earlier video release did not have these edits, and was released uncut.<ref name="CE">{{cite web |url=https://www.cinemaessentials.com/2021/03/coogans-bluff-1968-clint-eastwood-don-siegel-film-review.html |title=Coogan's Bluff (1968)|website=cinemaessentials.com |access-date=21 August 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210622141549/https://www.cinemaessentials.com/2021/03/coogans-bluff-1968-clint-eastwood-don-siegel-film-review.html |archive-date=2021-06-22}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[List of American films of 1968]]
* [[New York Airways]]
* [[Pan Am Building]]

== Footnotes ==
{{reflist|colwidth=30em}}

== Sources ==
* {{cite book |last=Hughes |first=Howard |title=Aim for the Heart |publisher=[[I.B. Tauris]] |year=2009 |isbn=978-1-84511-902-7 |location=London }}
*{{cite book |last1=Kass |first1=Judith M. |title=Don Seigel: ''The Hollywood Professionals, Volume 4'' |date=1975 |publisher=Tanvity Press |location=New York |isbn=0-498-01665-X |page=207 |edition=1975}}
* {{cite book |last= McGilligan |first= Patrick |title= Clint: The Life and Legend |publisher= [[HarperCollins]] |year= 1999|isbn=0-00-638354-8|location=London}}
* {{cite book |last=Munn |first=Michael |title=Clint Eastwood: Hollywood's Loner |publisher=Robson Books |location=London |year=1992 |isbn=0-86051-790-X }}

==External links==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20050813005352/http://www.clinteastwood.net/welcome2.html Clint Eastwood films]
* {{IMDb title|0062824}}
* {{Rotten Tomatoes|2=Coogan's Bluff}}
* {{TCMDb title|19384}}
* {{AFI film|21478}}
* {{Letterboxd film}}
* {{AllMovie title|10917|Coogan's Bluff}}

{{Don Siegel}}

[[Category:1968 films]]
[[Category:1960s action thriller films]]
[[Category:1960s chase films]]
[[Category:1960s crime thriller films]]
[[Category:American action thriller films]]
[[Category:American crime thriller films]]
[[Category:American chase films]]
[[Category:American police detective films]]
[[Category:Films directed by Don Siegel]]
[[Category:Universal Pictures films]]
[[Category:Fictional portrayals of the New York City Police Department]]
[[Category:Films about the New York City Police Department]]
[[Category:Films set in Manhattan]]
[[Category:Films set in New York City]]
[[Category:Films set in Arizona]]
[[Category:Films shot in California]]
[[Category:Films scored by Lalo Schifrin]]
[[Category:1960s English-language films]]
[[Category:1960s American films]]
[[Category:English-language action thriller films]]
[[Category:English-language crime thriller films]]

The Connection (1961 film)

2024-10-02T02:20:05Z

98.18.198.104: /* External links */

{{short description|1961 film by Shirley Clarke}}
{{Infobox film
|name = The Connection
|image = Poster of the movie The Connection.jpg
|caption =
|based_on = {{Based on|''[[The Connection (play)|The Connection]]'' 1959 play|[[Jack Gelber]]}}
|director = [[Shirley Clarke]]
|producer = [[Lewis M. Allen]] [[Shirley Clarke]]<ref>[https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/24389334 WorldCat.org]</ref>
|writer = [[Jack Gelber]]
|starring = [[Warren Finnerty]] [[William Redfield (actor)|William Redfield]]<ref>[https://mubi.com/films/the-connection MUBI]</ref>
|music = [[Freddie Redd]]
|cinematography = [[Arthur J. Ornitz]]
|editing = [[Shirley Clarke]]
|released = {{Film date|1961|05| |[[Cannes Film Festival|Cannes]]|1962|10|03|New York City|2012|02|11|[[Berlin Film Festival|Berlin]]|df=y}}
|runtime = 110 minutes
|budget=$170,000<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://archive.org/details/variety-1961-08/page/n187/mode/1up?q=%22pic+cost%22|magazine=Variety|title=Neglect Talent|page=20|date=16 August 1961}}</ref>
|country = United States
|language = English
}}
'''''The Connection''''' is a 1961 feature film directed by the American experimental filmmaker [[Shirley Clarke]]. The film was Clarke's first feature;<ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/film/2017/jun/15/shirley-clarke-film-director-the-connection-1961 Experimental director Shirley Clarke on her film about drug addiction – archive, 15 June 1961|Film|The Guardian]</ref> she had made several short films over the previous decade. [[Jack Gelber]] wrote the screenplay, adapting his play of the same name. The film was the subject of significant court cases regarding censorship. It is the first known movie shot in the found footage format and beginning with a found footage title card.

==Plot==
A title card announces that the film is a result of found footage assembled by cameraman J.J. Burden ([[Roscoe Lee Browne]]) working for the acclaimed documentary filmmaker Jim Dunn ([[William Redfield (actor)|William Redfield]]), who has disappeared.

Leach ([[Warren Finnerty]]), a heroin addict, introduces the audience to his apartment where other heroin addicts, a mix of current and former jazz musicians, are waiting for Cowboy ([[Carl Lee (actor)|Carl Lee]]), their drug connection, to appear. As the men grow increasingly nervous, waiting for their fix, some of them start to address the camera directly. Although director Jim Dunn asks his camera operator J.J. to turn off the camera, J.J. films him coaching the junkies to "act natural" and revealing where the microphones and lights are hidden in the apartment. Furthermore, Jim reveals that he is the one who has given the addicts the money for their heroin in exchange for being able to film them.

Jim, who is nervous around the junkies, confesses a private hope that he will be able to film the connection behind the connection. The junkies shoot down this idea and suggest it would be more interesting to watch Jim take heroin. J.J. suggests that Jim start with marijuana, which Leach finds amusing and does not even have.

Cowboy finally arrives, bringing with him an older woman called Sister Salvation who has no idea what they are up to. The men shoot up one by one in the bathroom.

Under pressure from the other men, who claim Jim is exploiting them, Jim agrees to try heroin. He almost immediately becomes ill from the effects, which are much stronger on him than on the others. Despite this, Jim continues to film the others encouraging them to act more cinematic and telling Cowboy he once thought of making him the "hero" of his film.

Despite the fact that Cowboy injected Leach with heroin, Leach claims to not be high. Annoyed, Cowboy gives Leach the heroin and allows him to shoot up himself which he does in full view of J.J.

However, this final shot proves too much for Leach and Leach overdoses, but Cowboy manages to revive him & Leach continues to have a bad trip.

The men who are left wait for their next connection to show up. Meanwhile, Jim turns to J.J. and tells him that the film belongs to him and goes to join the other addicts in waiting.

==Cast==
* [[Warren Finnerty]] as Leach
* Jerome Raphael as Solly
* [[Garry Goodrow]] as Ernie
* Jim Anderson as Sam
* [[Carl Lee (actor)|Carl Lee]] as Cowboy
* Barbara Winchester as Sister Salvation
* Henry Proach as Harry
* [[Roscoe Lee Browne]] as J. J. Burden
* [[William Redfield (actor)|William Redfield]] as Jim Dunn
* [[Freddie Redd]] as Piano Player
* [[Jackie McLean]] as Sax Player
* Larry Richie as Drummer
* Michael Mattos as Bass Player

==Background==
Based on the play ''[[The Connection (play)|The Connection]]'' by [[Jack Gelber]], the film follows a young filmmaker who attempts to film junkies waiting for their heroin dealer to arrive.

Most of the actors from the original stage production reprised their roles for the film: [[Warren Finnerty]] as Leach, [[Carl Lee (actor)|Carl Lee]] as Cowboy, [[Garry Goodrow]] as Ernie, Jerome Raphel as Solly, Barbara Winchester as Sister Salvation, and Henry Proach as Harry. All the musicians from the original stage production appeared: [[Freddie Redd]] (composer, piano), [[Jackie McLean]] (alto sax), Michael Mattos (bass), and [[Larry Ritchie]] (drums). Non-original cast members James Anderson and [[William Redfield (actor)|William Redfield]] took the roles of Sam and Jim Dunn. The character of Jaybird was cut from the film; that role essentially shifted to a largely off-screen camera operator, J.J. Burden, voiced by [[Roscoe Lee Browne]]. The music played on the onscreen record player is "Marmaduke" by and performed by [[Charlie Parker]] (take 4).<ref>[https://www.loc.gov/item/jots.200014629/ Library of Congress, Film, Video: THE CONNECTION.]</ref>

The film helped to loosen film censorship, as Clarke and producer Lewis Allen had filed suit to be able to show the film in New York. (The film had premiered at the [[Cannes Film Festival]] in 1961.) In that era, in New York, the State's Department of Education had a vote on the State's film licensing board, and they voted to deny a license, mainly on the grounds that the word "shit" was used repeatedly during the film even though it was mostly used to refer to drugs.

The case went to the New York State Court of Appeals (the state's highest court). The Court of Appeals affirmed the decision of the intermediate level Appellate Division, which had held that while 'vulgar', this usage could not be considered obscene. Ultimately, the film was unsuccessful at the box office.<ref>[https://scholar.google.com/scholar_case?case=16296596097740965156&q=“the+connection”+vulgar&hl=en&as_sdt=4,33 MATTER OF CONNECTION CO. v. REGENTS OF THE UNIV. OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, 17 AD 2d 671 - NY: Appellate Div., 3rd Dept. 19]</ref>

==Restoration==
On May 4, 2012, [[Milestone Films]] released a version of ''The Connection'' restored by the [[UCLA Film and Television Archive]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://moviecitynews.com/2012/04/milestone-films-posters-shirley-clarkes-the-connection/ |title=Ray Pride, ''Movie City News'' (April 7, 2012) |access-date=April 15, 2012 |archive-date=July 12, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180712052900/http://moviecitynews.com/2012/04/milestone-films-posters-shirley-clarkes-the-connection/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== Further reading ==
* Lauren Rabinovitz, ''Points of Resistance: Women, Power & Politics in the New York Avant-Garde Cinema 1943-71'' (2nd ed.) University of Illinois Press, 2003
*''The Connection Company v. Regents of the University of the State of New York'' 17 A.D.2d 671 (1962)

== External links ==
* {{IMDb title|0054763|The Connection}}
* {{Rotten Tomatoes|m/1032795-connection|The Connection}}
* {{allMovie title|27684}}
* {{TCMDb title|id=71424}}
* {{AFI film|23072}}
* [https://vimeo.com/262628997 Trailer]
* [https://www.newyorker.com/culture/richard-brody/movie-week-connection Movie of the Week: ''The Connection'' at The New Yorker]

{{Shirley Clarke}}
{{Jackie McLean}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Connection, The}}
[[Category:African-American drama films]]
[[Category:1961 films]]
[[Category:1961 drama films]]
[[Category:Films about drugs]]
[[Category:Films directed by Shirley Clarke]]
[[Category:Jazz films]]
[[Category:Found footage films]]
[[Category:American independent films]]
[[Category:American mockumentary films]]
[[Category:Films about film directors and producers]]
[[Category:1961 independent films]]
[[Category:American films based on plays]]
[[Category:1960s English-language films]]
[[Category:1960s American films]]
[[Category:English-language independent films]]

Commando (1985 film)

2024-10-02T02:13:32Z

98.18.198.104: /* External links */

{{short description|1985 American action film by Mark L. Lester}}
{{other uses|Commando (disambiguation)}}
{{Infobox film
| name = Commando
| image = Commandoposter.jpg
| caption = Theatrical release poster
| director = [[Mark L. Lester]]
| producer = [[Joel Silver]]
| screenplay = [[Steven E. de Souza]]
| story = {{Plain list|
* [[Jeph Loeb|Joseph Loeb III]]
* Matthew Weisman
* Steven E. de Souza
}}
| starring = {{Plain list|
* [[Arnold Schwarzenegger]]
* [[Rae Dawn Chong]]
}}
| music = [[James Horner]]
| cinematography = [[Matthew F. Leonetti]]
| editing = {{Plain list|
* [[Mark Goldblatt]]
* [[Glenn Farr]]
* [[John F. Link]]
}}
| studio = [[Silver Pictures]]
| distributor = [[20th Century Fox]]
| released = {{Film date|1985|10|4}}
| runtime = 90 minutes
| country = United States
| language = English Spanish
| budget = $9 million<ref name="AFI film-57535">{{AFI film|57535}}</ref>
| gross = $57.5 million<ref name="BOM">{{cite web|url=http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=commando.htm|title=Commando (1985)|work=boxofficemojo.com|access-date=2012-10-11|archive-date=2017-12-07|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171207023745/http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=commando.htm|url-status=live}}</ref>
}}
'''''Commando''''' is a 1985 American [[action thriller film]] directed by [[Mark L. Lester]] and produced by [[Joel Silver]]. It stars [[Arnold Schwarzenegger]] in the lead role, alongside [[Rae Dawn Chong]], [[Alyssa Milano]], [[Vernon Wells (actor)|Vernon Wells]], [[Bill Duke]] and [[Dan Hedaya]]. The musical score was composed by [[James Horner]].

''Commando'' was released in the United States on October 4, 1985, where it received praise for the action sequences and humor. The film became a commercial success at the box office and was nominated for a [[Saturn Award for Best Special Effects]], but lost to ''[[Back to the Future]]''.<ref name="BOM"/>

==Plot==
In upstate [[California]]{{clarify|date=August 2024}}, John Matrix, a former [[United States Army Special Forces]] [[Colonel]], is informed by his former superior [[Major General]] Franklin Kirby that all the other members of his former unit have been killed by unknown mercenaries. The assassins attack Matrix's secluded mountain home and kidnap his young daughter Jenny. While trying to intercept them, Matrix is tranquilized and abducted by the mercenaries, led by Bennett, an ex-member of Matrix's team discharged for excessive violence. Bennett had faked his death and is now working with the mercenaries as revenge against Matrix. Matrix is taken before their commander, Arius, a former South American dictator whom Matrix removed from power. Arius blackmails Matrix into carrying out a political assassination in his home country of [[Val Verde (fictional country)|Val Verde]], where he wishes to lead a military coup.

With Jenny's life on the line, Matrix seemingly agrees to fulfill the demand. After boarding a flight to Val Verde, Matrix kills his guard Henriques and jumps from the plane just as it is taking off. Knowing that Arius will kill Jenny, regardless of whether or not he does the job, and with approximately 11 hours before the plane is scheduled to land, Matrix sets out after Arius' henchman Sully. He enlists the aid of an off-duty flight attendant named Cindy and instructs her to follow Sully to a shopping mall. Cindy first assumes that Matrix is a madman, but after she sees Sully pull a gun on Matrix in the ensuing fight, she decides to assist him in his endeavor. After a lengthy car chase, Matrix catches up with Sully and drops him off a cliff to his death. Taking a motel key from Sully's jacket, Matrix tracks down and confronts Cooke, a former Green Beret in Arius' employ, and impales him on a table leg after a brutal fight.

With evidence from Cooke's car, Matrix and Cindy break into a warehouse owned by Arius that supplies weapons for his army and learn where Jenny is being held after tracing Arius' island base on a map of the coastal region. Matrix breaks into a surplus store to equip himself with military weaponry, but is arrested by the police. Cindy helps him escape, and after commandeering a seaplane from a nearby marina controlled by Arius, Matrix and Cindy land the plane off the coast of Arius' island hideout. Matrix instructs Cindy to contact General Kirby and then proceeds to Arius's villa, killing Arius's entire army. Arius emerges and engages Matrix in a gunfight until Matrix kills Arius. Jenny escapes to the villa's basement, but is eventually captured by Bennett. Matrix tracks them down and after a lengthy fight, Matrix finally kills Bennett by impaling him with a steam pipe. Kirby arrives with a military detachment and asks Matrix to rejoin the unit, but Matrix declines and departs the island aboard the seaplane with Jenny and Cindy.

==Cast==
{{div col}}
* [[Arnold Schwarzenegger]] as Colonel John Matrix
* [[Rae Dawn Chong]] as Cindy
* [[Alyssa Milano]] as Jenny Matrix
* [[Dan Hedaya]] as General Ernesto Arius
* [[Vernon Wells (actor)|Vernon Wells]] as Captain Bennett
* [[James Olson (actor)|James Olson]] as Major General Franklin Kirby
* [[David Patrick Kelly]] as "Sully"
* [[Bill Duke]] as Cooke
* [[Drew Snyder]] as Lawson
* [[Michael Delano]] as Forrestal
* Charles Meshack as Henriques
* Carlos Cervantes as Diaz
* [[Chelsea Field]] as Brunette Stewardess
* [[Bill Paxton]] as Intercept Officer
* [[Ava Cadell]] as Girl in Bed at Motel
* [[Branscombe Richmond]] as Vega
{{div col end}}

==Production==
===Development===
Writer [[Jeph Loeb]] said his original script was about an [[Israelis|Israeli]] soldier who had renounced violence. The lead role was originally written for [[Gene Simmons]], but Simmons turned it down.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.esquire.com/entertainment/movies/a34250980/arnold-schwarzenegger-commando-35th-anniversary/ | title=Remembering Arnold Schwarzenegger's 'Commando,' the Most '80s Action Movie of the '80s | date=4 October 2020 | access-date=18 August 2023 | archive-date=18 August 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230818202825/https://www.esquire.com/entertainment/movies/a34250980/arnold-schwarzenegger-commando-35th-anniversary/ | url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://movieweb.com/commando-movie-facts-trivia/ | title=Commando Facts You Never Knew | date=19 June 2018 | access-date=18 August 2023 | archive-date=18 August 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230818202825/https://movieweb.com/commando-movie-facts-trivia/ | url-status=live }}</ref> [[Steven E. de Souza]] rewrote the script, tailoring it to Schwarzenegger.<ref name="empire=history">{{cite web |last=Semlyen |first=Nick de |date=24 March 2016 |title=Commando: The Complete History |url=https://www.empireonline.com/movies/features/commando-complete-history/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180402103631/https://www.empireonline.com/movies/features/commando-complete-history/ |archive-date=2 April 2018 |access-date=25 April 2018 |website=Empire |language=en-US}}</ref>

===Casting===
Vernon Wells was the first choice to be cast as Captain Bennett, mostly because of his role in ''[[Mad Max 2]]'' (1981). Mark L. Lester stated that Wells was "the only one that could have played against him [Schwarzenegger]". He further added Bennett was "in love with Matrix but he hated him, too. He wanted to kill him but he was in love with him."<ref name="insearch">''In Search of the Last Action Heroes''. [[ProSiebenSat.1 Media#Red Arrow Studios|Gravitas Ventures]]. 2019.</ref>{{rp|at=47:18–48:04}}

===Filming===
Principal photography began on April 22, 1985, and wrapped on June 6, 1985, after 45 days of filming.<ref>''Variety'' magazine. April 18, 1985.</ref> The film was shot on location in [[California]]. [[San Nicolas Island]] off the coast of [[Santa Barbara, California|Santa Barbara]], to which Matrix flies to rescue his daughter, was filmed on the [[Pacific Ocean|Pacific coast]] at [[San Simeon]]. The barracks that are "attacked" are actually beach properties belonging to the [[Hearst Castle|Hearst Castle Estate]]. The log cabin scenes, where Jenny is abducted, was filmed at Mt. Baldy. The house that Matrix storms at the film's climax was actually the former main residence of the [[Harold Lloyd Estate]] in the [[Benedict Canyon]] district of [[Beverly Hills]]. The car chase scene between Sully and Matrix starts on [[Ventura Blvd]] and moves into the hills on [[Benedict Canyon, Los Angeles|Benedict Canyon]]. The [[Sherman Oaks Galleria]], in [[Sherman Oaks, Los Angeles|Sherman Oaks]], California, served as the film's shopping mall location, and was used for six days after 9pm, after stores closed. The film was originally set to cost $8 million, but it ended up costing $9 million once filming ended.<ref name="AFI">{{cite web |title=AFI Catalog |url=https://catalog.afi.com/Film/57535-COMMANDO?sid=9ce03979-3cec-4008-a00c-54e9314616ff&sr=10.34141&cp=1&pos=0 |website=American Film Institute |access-date=March 10, 2020 |archive-date=May 3, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210503025337/https://catalog.afi.com/Film/57535-COMMANDO?sid=9ce03979-3cec-4008-a00c-54e9314616ff&sr=10.34141&cp=1&pos=0 |url-status=live }}</ref>

==Music==
=== Soundtrack ===
{{Infobox album
| name = Commando
| type = soundtrack
| artist = [[James Horner]]
| cover =
| caption =
| alt =
| released = December 2003
| recorded =
| venue =
| studio =
| genre = Soundtrack
| length = 43:21
| label = [[Varèse Sarabande]]
| producer =
| prev_title =
| prev_year =
| next_title =
| next_year =
}}
{{Music ratings
| rev1 = [[AllMusic]]
| rev1Score = {{Rating|2|5}} [{{AllMusic|class=album|id=r820720|pure_url=yes}} link]}}

A soundtrack album was released by Varèse Sarabande on December 2, 2003, as part of the label's CD Club and was limited to 3,000 copies.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.varesesarabande.com/details.asp?pid=VCL%2D1103%2D1026%2D2|title=Varèse Sarabande Product Details|access-date=25 April 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100928001724/http://www.varesesarabande.com/details.asp?pid=VCL-1103-1026-2|archive-date=28 September 2010|url-status=dead}}</ref> The score, composed by [[James Horner]], is notable for its prominent use of [[steel drums]] and for reusing motifs from Horner's soundtrack for ''[[48 Hrs]].'' (which would be again recycled to varying degrees in ''[[Red Heat (1988 film)|Red Heat]]'' and ''[[Another 48 Hrs.]]'').<ref>{{Cite web |date=2015-10-22 |title=COMMANDO – James Horner |url=https://moviemusicuk.us/2015/10/22/commando-james-horner/ |access-date=2023-12-29 |website=MOVIE MUSIC UK |language=en |archive-date=2023-12-29 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231229131615/https://moviemusicuk.us/2015/10/22/commando-james-horner/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

; Track listing
# "Prologue/Main Title" – 3:58
# "Ambush and Kidnapping" – 2:35
# "Captured" – 2:14
# "Surprise" – 8:19
# "Sully Runs" – 4:34
# "Moving Jenny" – 3:44
# "Matrix Breaks In" – 3:30
# "Infiltration, Showdown and Finale" – 14:32

{{Infobox album
| name = Commando
| type = soundtrack
| artist = [[James Horner]]
| cover =
| alt =
| released = August 2011
| recorded =
| venue =
| studio =
| genre = Soundtrack
| length = 61:48
| label = La-La Land Records
| producer =
| prev_title =
| prev_year =
| next_title =
| next_year =
}}
{{Anchor|Score}}
La-La Land Records released a limited edition of [[James Horner]]'s score in August 2011. The release features approximately 62 minutes of music across 24 tracks and includes "We Fight for Love" by [[The Power Station (band)|The Power Station]].

==Release==

===Home media===
The first DVD of ''Commando'' was released in [[DVD region code|region 1]] in the United States on May 25, 1999. Common with early DVD releases, the disc featured a non-[[Anamorphic widescreen|anamorphic]] video transfer, a basic 2.0 surround track, and only the US [[Trailer (film)|theatrical trailer]] as an extra. DVDs released in other regions soon followed, some with anamorphic transfers, but the 2001 United Kingdom region 2 DVD was censored by the [[British Board of Film Classification]] (BBFC), with 12 seconds of cuts to an arm severing and closeups of the impaled Bennett. These cuts were brought over from the 1985 original theatrical release. However, a German master was used for the UK DVD, meaning the film was cut even more than it should have been, leading to 56 seconds of cuts instead of the BBFC's 12 seconds. If the film had been resubmitted to the BBFC, it would be passed uncut under the BBFC's new, more liberal rules. This has proven to be the case as the BBFC's website indicates that both versions of the film (the U.S. theatrical cut and the unrated edition) for the DVD were passed on June 11, 2007. With the unrated edition released, the film is available in its entirety, a first for the UK.

On June 5, 2007, 20th Century Fox officially announced that a completely unedited and unrated [[director's cut]] of the film would be released on region 1 DVD on September 18, 2007. Through [[seamless branching]], this disc not only features an unrated cut (which was claimed to run at 95 minutes, but is only 91 minutes, with 92 seconds of extra footage), but as a bonus, also contains the original 90-minute, R-rated US theatrical version. Aside from this, the DVD is a special edition, featuring an [[audio commentary]] from director [[Mark L. Lester]] (only on the theatrical cut), additional [[deleted scene]]s, a ''Pure Action'' [[featurette]], a ''Let Off Some Steam'' featurette, and four photo galleries with over 150 photos. The transfer is anamorphically enhanced and features a [[Surround sound|5.1 audio mix]].

In April 2008, the 90-minute theatrical version of the film was released to consumers on the high definition [[Blu-ray Disc]] format.

On May 5, 2015, as part of the film's 30th anniversary, the [[director's cut]] of ''Commando'' was released on Blu-ray Disc in a limited edition, collectible metalpak as a Best Buy exclusive. It contains all of the special features that were included in the 2007 DVD release, including the 90-minute theatrical version of the film.

==Reception==
===Box office===
''Commando'' was a box office success grossing over $57.5 million against a $9 million budget. The film debuted at number one on the weekend of October 4–6, 1985 in the United States and spent three consecutive weeks at the top position.<ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=commando.htm| title = Commando Summary| publisher = [[Box Office Mojo]]| access-date = August 14, 2015| archive-date = December 7, 2017| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20171207023745/http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=commando.htm| url-status = live}}</ref>

===Critical response===
Review aggregation website [[Rotten Tomatoes]] gives the film a rating of 67% based on reviews from 36 critics, with an average rating of 5.80/10.<ref name="RT">{{cite web|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1004567_commando|title=Commando (1985)|website=[[Rotten Tomatoes]]|publisher=[[Fandango Media]]|access-date=11 July 2022|archive-date=21 August 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190821125737/https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1004567_commando|url-status=live}}</ref> The website's critical consensus reads, "The ultimate '80s Schwarzenegger movie, replete with a threadbare plot, outsized action, and endless one-liners."<ref name="RT" /> On [[Metacritic]], the film has a rating of 51 out of 100, indicating "mixed or average reviews".<ref>{{Metacritic film}}</ref>

[[D. J. R. Bruckner]] of ''[[The New York Times]]'' wrote that "two-thirds of this 90-minute film is mayhem unrelieved by humor and untouched by humanity," and suggested that if sequels were to be made, "more clever writers and subtler directors will have to be found. Even a cinematic comic book needs more artful care than this one was given."<ref>Bruckner, D.J.R. (October 4, 1985). [https://www.nytimes.com/1985/10/04/movies/film-schwarzengger-commando.html "Film: Schwarzenegger, 'Commando'".] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190821201231/https://www.nytimes.com/1985/10/04/movies/film-schwarzengger-commando.html |date=2019-08-21 }} ''[[The New York Times]]''. C13.</ref> ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'' wrote, "While it's not in the class of Schwarzenegger's last hit (''[[The Terminator]]''), ''Commando'' is actually superior to ''[[Rambo: First Blood Part II]]'' because of its deft mixture of humor and action (with most of the action brushed with humor) and its deliberate evasion of any political message."<ref>"Film Reviews: Commando". ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]''. October 9, 1985. 23.</ref> [[Patrick Goldstein]] of the ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'' wrote, "Full of spectacular stunts and shootouts, it's a gory crowd-pleaser, directed with jolting efficiency by low-budget veteran Mark L. Lester. If his scenarists had only given Lester a finale with as much explosive punch as his opening scenes, the film could have been a real treat instead of a glorified fireworks display."<ref>Goldstein, Patrick (October 4, 1985). "'Commando' a Gory Crowd-Pleaser". ''[[Los Angeles Times]]''. Part VI, p. 8.</ref> [[Gene Siskel]] of the ''[[Chicago Tribune]]'' gave the film 2 stars out of 4 and wrote that "Schwarzenegger plays his action scenes both with vengeance and a comic-book laugh, but the mix never gels," adding, "The concluding battle scenes are wimpy by comparison with the action in ''Rambo''. All we see is a half-dozen barracks blown up, shot from four different angles. Wow, look at all of the splintered wood."<ref>Siskel, Gene (October 7, 1985). "Commando". ''[[Chicago Tribune]]''. Section 5, p. 3.</ref> [[Paul Attanasio]] of ''[[The Washington Post]]'' wrote that the film "starts out fun and ends up dreary—how long can you watch this stony Austrian take target practice?"<ref>Attanasio, Paul (October 4, 1985). [https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1985/10/04/movies/8cdbc569-cef7-4a9d-97ee-f77639f2a457/ "Beef Encounter: Schwarzenegger's Brutal 'Commando'".] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191220165750/https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1985/10/04/movies/8cdbc569-cef7-4a9d-97ee-f77639f2a457/ |date=2019-12-20 }} ''[[The Washington Post]]''. E3.</ref>

=== Interviews ===

In 1985, Schwarzenegger was interviewed by Gene Siskel about his role in ''Commando''. During the interview, Siskel played a clip from the movie showing scenes from where Matrix chased Sully through the mall. In one of the scenes, Matrix picked up an entire telephone booth with Sully in it and flipped it over. Siskel proceeded to ask how much the telephone booth weighed to which Schwarzenegger responded, "{{convert|270|lb|kg}}" and subsequently answered that the stuntman in the booth weighed "{{convert|130|lb|kg}}". When asked if he could lift {{convert|400|lb|kg}}, Schwarzenegger responded, "Yeah sure, I mean God I've been lifting my whole life so it's no problem".<ref>{{Citation |title=Arnold Schwarzenegger Gene Siskel interview 1985 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nqDD1egAGEA |access-date=2023-09-27 |language=en}}</ref>

===Legacy===
''Commando'' inspired many other action films, including ''[[Strike Commando]]'' (1987), ''Commando Squad'' (1987), and ''[[When Eagles Strike]]'' (2003).<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0369795/trivia?ref_=tt_ql_2 |title=Operation Balikatan (2003) − Trivia − IMDb |publisher=[[IMDb]]. [[Amazon (company)|Amazon]] |access-date=January 15, 2021 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20200317145122/https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0369795/trivia?ref_=tt_ql_2 |archive-date=17 March 2020 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="insearch"/>{{rp|at=48:50}}

Lester also said: "There's a new book that came out about the child African fighters and how they get weapons. And there's a section in there about how they show kids the end of ''Commando'' to get them enthusiastic. I thought 'Wow – that's disturbing.' I guess we don't realize the effect our movies have on people."<ref name="pink">{{cite web|url=http://thepinksmoke.com/markllester.htm|website=The Pink Smoke|first=John|last=Cribbs|title=The Films of Mark L Lester|year=2011|access-date=2024-06-01|archive-date=2024-06-01|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240601083921/http://thepinksmoke.com/markllester.htm|url-status=live}}</ref>

==Other media==
===Toys===
Diamond Toymakers released a line of [[action figure]]s in 1986 in an attempt to cash in on the success of ''[[G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero]]''. Matrix now leads an elite special forces unit (which replaced his old deceased unit from the original film) called C-Team, made up of Spex, Blaster, and Chopper, against the forces of F.E.A.R., led by Psycho (who is based on the character of Bennett) and consisting of Lead-Head, Stalker, and Sawbones. There was an assortment of 4" figures, containing all of the above, a series of 8" figures, consisting of Matrix, Spex, Blaster, Psycho, Lead-Head, and Stalker. Chopper and Sawbones are absent. Finally, there was an 16" John Matrix that came with a [[pistol]], an [[M16 rifle|M16]], and a [[grenade]].{{citation needed|date=August 2021}}

==See also==
{{portal|film}}
* [[List of American films of 1985]]
* [[Arnold Schwarzenegger filmography]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{wikiquote|Commando}}
* {{IMDb title|id=0088944|title=Commando}}
* {{Rotten Tomatoes|2=Commando}}
* {{mojo title|id=commando|title=Commando}}
* {{AllMovie title|10528|Commando}}
* {{AFI film|57535}}

{{Mark L. Lester}}
{{Steven E. de Souza}}
{{The Power Station}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Commando (Film)}}
[[Category:1980s American films]]
[[Category:1980s chase films]]
[[Category:1980s English-language films]]
[[Category:1985 action films]]
[[Category:1985 films]]
[[Category:20th Century Fox films]]
[[Category:American action films]]
[[Category:American chase films]]
[[Category:American multilingual films]]
[[Category:Films about child abduction in the United States]]
[[Category:Films about father–daughter relationships]]
[[Category:Films about terrorism]]
[[Category:Films about United States Army Special Forces]]
[[Category:Films directed by Mark L. Lester]]
[[Category:Films produced by Joel Silver]]
[[Category:Films scored by James Horner]]
[[Category:Films set in fictional countries]]
[[Category:Films set in Los Angeles]]
[[Category:Films set in South America]]
[[Category:Films shot in Los Angeles]]
[[Category:Films with screenplays by Jeph Loeb]]
[[Category:Films with screenplays by Steven E. de Souza]]
[[Category:Silver Pictures films]]
[[Category:Spanish-language American films]]
[[Category:English-language action thriller films]]

Come and See

2024-10-02T02:11:18Z

98.18.198.104: /* External links */

{{Short description|1985 anti-war tragedy film by Elem Klimov}}
{{for|the 2019 Thai film|Come and See (2019 film){{!}}''Come and See'' (2019 film)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2021}}
{{Infobox film
| name = Come and See
| image = Come and See (poster).jpg
| caption = Russian theatrical release poster
| director = [[Elem Klimov]]
| screenplay = {{Plainlist|
* [[Ales Adamovich]]
* Elem Klimov
}}
| based_on = 
| starring = {{Plainlist|
* [[Aleksei Kravchenko (actor)|Aleksei Kravchenko]]
* Olga Mironova
}}
| cinematography = [[Aleksei Rodionov]]
| editing = Valeriya Belova
| music = Oleg Yanchenko
| studio = {{Plainlist|
* [[Belarusfilm]]
* [[Mosfilm]]
}}
| distributor = [[Roskino|Sovexportfilm]]
| released = {{Film date|df=y|1985|07|09|[[14th Moscow International Film Festival|Moscow]]}}
| runtime = 142 minutes<ref>{{cite web|title=''Come and See'' (15) |url=http://www.bbfc.co.uk/releases/come-and-see-1970-0|work=[[British Board of Film Classification]]|date=16 December 1986|access-date=29 May 2013}}</ref>
| country = [[Soviet Union]]<ref>{{cite web |title=''IDI I SMOTRI'' (1985) |url=https://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b72b62c27/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160211222424/http://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b72b62c27 |url-status=dead |archive-date=11 February 2016 |publisher=[[British Film Institute]] |access-date=5 December 2018}}</ref>
| language = {{Plainlist|
* Belarusian
* Russian
* German
}}
| gross = $21 million<ref name="BOM1">{{Cite web |url= https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt0091251 |title=''Come and See'' (1985) |publisher=[[Box Office Mojo]]. [[IMDbPro]] |access-date=22 December 2020}}</ref>
}}
'''''Come and See''''' ({{lang-ru|Иди и смотри|Idi i smotri}}; {{lang-be|Ідзі і глядзі|Idzi i hliadzi}}; meaning ‘go and see’) is a 1985 Soviet [[List of anti-war films|anti-war]] film directed by [[Elem Klimov]] and starring [[Aleksei Kravchenko (actor)|Aleksei Kravchenko]] and Olga Mironova.<ref name="RT" /> Its screenplay, written by Klimov and [[Ales Adamovich]], is based on the 1971 novel ''Khatyn''<ref>{{cite web |last1=Mort |first1=Valzhyna |title=Read and See: Ales Adamovich and Literature out of Fire |url=https://www.criterion.com/current/posts/7006-read-and-see-ales-adamovich-and-literature-out-of-fire |publisher=[[The Criterion Collection]] |date=30 June 2020 |access-date=1 September 2022}}</ref> and the 1977 collection of survivor testimonies ''I Am from the Fiery Village''<ref name="Chapman">{{cite book |last=Chapman |first=James |author-link=James Chapman (media historian) |title=War and Film |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jIDgWXZpBYkC |chapter=Chapter 2 war as tragedy (pp. 103ff.) |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jIDgWXZpBYkC&q=%222+war+as+tragedy%22&pg=PA103 |publisher=[[Reaktion Books]] |location=[[Islington]] |year=2008 |isbn=978-1-86189347-5}}</ref> ({{lang-ru|Я из огненной деревни|Ya iz ognennoy derevni|label=none}}),<ref>{{cite book |last1=Адамович |first1=Алесь <nowiki>[</nowiki>[[Ales Adamovich|Adamovich, Ales]]<nowiki>]</nowiki> |last2=Брыль |first2=Янка [Visor, Vanya] |last3=Калесник |first3=Уладзимир Андрэевич [Kalesnik, Uladimir Andreevich] |title=Я из огненной деревни... |trans-title=I Am from the Fiery Village... |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_JY8AAAAIAAJ |publisher=Мастацкая лит-ра [Art lit-ra] |location=[[Minsk]] |year=1977|language=be}}</ref> of which Adamovich was a co-author.<ref>{{cite book |last=Rein |first=Leonid |title=The Kings and the Pawns. Collaboration in Byelorussia during World War II |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JCbNmF3iXP0C&dq=%22The+stories+of+survivors+from+the+burned+villages+were+collected+in+the+1970s+by+three+Byelorussian+writers,+Ales'+Adamovich,+Janka+Bryl',+and+Vladimir+Kolesnik+and+published+as+a+book+in+Russian+and+Byelorussian+under+the+title+Ya+iz+ognennoj+Derevni+...%5BI+am+from+the+fiery+village%5D.+See+Adamovich+et+al.,+Ya+iz+ognennoj+Derevni+...+(Minsk,+1977&pg=PA321|publisher=[[Berghahn Books]] |location=New York City |year=2011 |isbn=978-0-85745043-2 |quote=The stories of survivors from the burned villages were collected in the 1970s by three Byelorussian writers, Ales' Adamovich, [[Janka Bryl|Janka Bryl']], and Vladimir Kolesnik and published as a book in Russian and Byelorussian under the title ''Ya iz ognennoj derevni ...'' [I am from the fiery village]. See Adamovich et al., ''Ya iz ognennoj derevni ...'' ([[Minsk]], 1977).}}</ref> Klimov had to fight eight years of censorship from the Soviet authorities before he was allowed to produce the film in its entirety.<ref name="aif">{{cite news |url=http://www.aif.ru/culture/21267|script-title=ru:''Иди и смотри'': съёмки превратились для Элема Климова в борьбу с цензурой |trans-title=''Come and See'': filming turned for Elem Klimov into fight against censorship |author=Марина Мурзина [Marina Murzina] | newspaper=[[Argumenty i Fakty|Аргументы и факты {{bracket|Arguments and Facts}}]] |number=42 |date=20 October 2010 |access-date=30 August 2016|language=ru}}</ref><ref name="DJY" />

The film's plot focuses on the [[German occupation of Byelorussia during World War II|Nazi German occupation of Belarus]], and the events as witnessed by a young teenager named Flyora, who joins the [[Belarusian resistance during World War II|Belarusian partisan]]s, and thereafter depicts the Nazi atrocities and human suffering inflicted upon the populace. The film mixes hyper-realism with an underlying [[surrealism]], and philosophical [[existentialism]] with poetical, psychological, political and apocalyptic themes.

''Come and See'' received widespread acclaim upon release with Kravchenko's performance being universally lauded (and highly regarded as one of the finest instances of child acting ever), and received the [[International Federation of Film Critics|FIPRESCI]] prize at the [[14th Moscow International Film Festival]]. It has since come to be considered one of the [[List of films considered the best|greatest films of all time]]; in the 2022 ''[[Sight & Sound]]'' directors' poll of the Greatest Films of all Time, it ranked 41st.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Directors' 100 Greatest Films of All Time |url=https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/directors-100-greatest-films-all-time |access-date=2022-12-01 |website=BFI}}</ref>

==Plot==
[[File:Focke Wulf Fw189.jpg|thumb|A [[Focke-Wulf Fw 189]]. A [[Aerial reconnaissance|reconnaissance aircraft]] of this model repeatedly appears in scenes flying above Flyora's head throughout ''Come and See''.]]
In 1943, Flyora and another [[Belarusians|Belarusian]] boy dig up an abandoned [[SVT-40]] rifle from a sand-filled trench to join the [[Soviet partisans|Soviet partisan]] forces. They do so in defiance of their village elder, who warns them that this would arouse the suspicions of the [[Nazi Germany|occupying Germans]]. The boys' activities are noticed by an [[Focke-Wulf Fw 189 Uhu|Fw 189]] reconnaissance aircraft, flying overhead.

The next day, partisans arrive at Flyora's house to [[Conscription|conscript]] him, against his mother's wishes. Flyora becomes a low-rank [[militia]]man who performs menial tasks. When the partisans move on, their commander Kosach orders Flyora to remain behind at the camp. Bitterly disappointed, Flyora walks into the forest weeping. He finds Glasha, an adolescent girl working as a partisan nurse. Glasha appears emotionally unstable, and mocks Flyora when he tries to act mature; she taunts that he isn't living, and expresses a want to love and have children. The camp is suddenly attacked by [[dive bomber]]s and [[Fallschirmjäger|German paratroopers]], partially deafening Flyora and forcing the duo to flee into the forest. The two exhibit [[psychosis]], first appearing [[catatonic]] and then suddenly playing with [[Mania|manic]] joy.

Flyora and Glasha travel to his village, only to find his home deserted and covered in flies. Denying that his family is dead, Flyora believes they are hiding on a nearby island across a [[bog]] and runs off. Glasha follows, turning her head by chance and seeing a pile of executed villagers behind his house. The two become hysterical after wading through the bog, where Glasha screams at Flyora that his family is dead; Flyora pushes her into the water, then immediately tries to rescue her. Rubezh, a partisan fighter, comes across them and takes them to meet the surviving villagers. The village elder, severely burned by gasoline, tells Flyora of his family's deaths and repeats his warning about digging up the rifles. Flyora attempts suicide out of guilt by submerging his head in the bog, but Glasha and the villagers save and comfort him.

Rubezh takes Flyora and two other men to raid an unguarded warehouse for food; Glasha says she will wait for Flyora to return, but he is despondent. The group finds the warehouse guarded by German troops and are forced to retreat, causing the two companions to be killed by a [[land mine]]. Rubezh and Flyora steal a cow from a collaborating farmer, but a German [[machine gun]] fires upon them, killing Rubezh and the cow. Flyora attempts to steal a horse and cart from a man to transport the cow, but [[Schutzstaffel|SS]] troops appear. The man convinces Flyora to hide his gun and jacket, and takes him to Perekhody village.

The man hurriedly explains a fake identity to Flyora, while an SS ''[[Einsatzkommando]]'' accompanied by collaborators from the [[Russian Liberation Army]] and [[Belarusian Auxiliary Police]], surround and occupy the village. Flyora tries to warn the townsfolk that they are being herded to their deaths, but he is forced into a [[barn church]] with them. The Germans barricade the doors, and an officer orders the villagers to climb out through a window without their children. Flyora and a young woman with a child exit; the woman's child is thrown back into the church while she is dragged by her hair to be [[gang rape]]d. German soldiers burn and shoot the church while others applaud, joke around, and engage in [[hazing]]. A German officer holds a cocked pistol to Flyora's head to pose for a picture, then abandons him as the soldiers leave.

{{multiple image
| total_width = 300
| image1 = Klara Hitler.jpg
| image2 = Bundesarchiv Bild 183-1989-0322-506, Adolf Hitler, Kinderbild retouched.jpg
| footer = These two photos ([[Klara Hitler|Klara]]; left, and [[Adolf Hitler|Adolf]]; right) were merged by Klimov to create the picture that Flyora stops shooting at.
}}
Flyora wanders away from the scorched village, finding the aftermath of a partisan ambush on the Germans. Flyora recovers his jacket and rifle, only to spot the gang-raped woman, bleeding and stumbling in a [[Dissociative fugue|fugue state]]; Flyora recalls Glasha, and her want for love and children. Flyora finds Kosach and the partisans nearby, having captured eleven of the Germans and their collaborators. They all plead for their lives and deflect blame save for a fanatical ''[[Obersturmführer]]'', who is unapologetic and claims their genocide will succeed. Kosach makes one collaborator douse the others with petrol, but the disgusted crowd shoots them all before they can be set on fire.

As the partisans leave, Flyora notices a framed portrait of [[Adolf Hitler]] in a puddle and proceeds to shoot it numerous times. As he does so, a [[Montage (filmmaking)|montage]] of clips from Hitler's life plays in reverse, but when Hitler is shown as a baby on his mother [[Klara Hitler|Klara]]'s lap, Flyora stops shooting and cries. A title card informs "[[German occupation of Byelorussia during World War II#War crimes|628 Belorussian villages were destroyed, along with all their inhabitants]]".<ref name="DJY">{{cite book |last=Youngblood |first=Denise Jeanne |title=Russian War Films. On the Cinema Front, 1914–2005 |url=https://archive.org/details/russianwarfilmso0000youn |year=2007 |location=[[Lawrence, Kansas]] |publisher=[[University Press of Kansas]] |isbn=978-0-700-61489-9 |page=[https://archive.org/details/russianwarfilmso0000youn/page/197 197]}}</ref> Flyora rushes to rejoin his comrades, and they march through the birch woods as snow blankets the ground.

==Cast==
* [[Aleksei Kravchenko (actor)|Aleksei Kravchenko]] as Flyora/Florian Gaishun
* Olga Mironova as Glasha/Glafira
* [[Liubomiras Laucevičius]] as Kosach (voiced by Valery Kravchenko)
* Vladas Bagdonas as Rubezh
* Tatyana Shestakova as Flyora's mother
* Yevgeny Tilicheyev as Gezhel the main collaborator
* Viktors Lorents as Walter Stein the German commander
* Jüri Lumiste as the fanatical German officer

==Production==
Klimov co-wrote the screenplay with [[Ales Adamovich]], who fought with the Belarusian partisans as a teenager. According to the director's recollections, work on the film began in 1977:

{{blockquote|The 40th [[Victory Day (9 May)|anniversary of the Great Victory]] was approaching.<ref name="Chapman"/><ref name="Calvert">{{cite news |last=Dunne |first=Nathan |title=Atrocity exhibition: is Come and See Russia's greatest ever war film? |url=https://www.calvertjournal.com/articles/show/6415/come-and-see-elem-klimov-war-film-bastards-star-brest-fortress |website=[[The Calvert Journal]] |date=18 July 2016 |access-date=20 July 2019}}</ref><ref name="Criterion">{{cite web |last=Noah |first=Will |title=Elem Klimov's Boundary-Pushing Satires |url=https://www.criterion.com/current/posts/5257-elem-klimov-s-boundary-pushing-satires |publisher=The Criterion Collection |date=10 January 2018 |access-date=11 November 2018}}</ref> The management had to be given something topical. I had been reading and rereading the book ''I Am from the Fiery Village'', which consisted of the first-hand accounts of people who miraculously survived the horrors of the fascist genocide in Belorussia. Many of them were still alive then, and Belorussians managed to record some of their memories onto film. I will never forget the face and eyes of one peasant, and his quiet recollection about how his whole village had been herded into a church, and how just before they were about to be burned, an officer gave them the offer: "Whoever has no children can leave". And he couldn't take it, he left, and left behind his wife and little kids ... or about how another village was burned: the adults were all herded into a barn, but the children were left behind. And later, the drunk men surrounded them with sheepdogs and let the dogs tear the children to pieces.

And then I thought: the world doesn't know about [[Khatyn massacre|Khatyn]]! They know about [[Katyn massacre|Katyn]], about the massacre of the Polish officers there. But they don't know about Belorussia. Even though more than 600 villages were burned there!

And I decided to make a film about this tragedy. I perfectly understood that the film would end up a harsh one. I decided that the central role of the village lad Flyora would not be played by a professional actor, who upon immersion into a difficult role could have protected himself psychologically with his accumulated acting experience, technique and skill. I wanted to find a simple boy fourteen years of age. We had to prepare him for the most difficult experiences, then capture them on film. And at the same time, we had to protect him from the stresses so that he wasn't left in the loony bin after filming was over, but was returned to his mother alive and healthy. Fortunately, with Aleksei Kravchenko, who played Flyora and who later became a good actor, everything went smoothly.

The events with the people, the peasants, actually happened as shown in the film. [It] doesn't have any professional actors. Even the language spoken in the film is Belarusian. What was important was that all the events depicted in the film really did happen in Belarus.

I understood that this would be a very brutal film and that it was unlikely that people would be able to watch it. I told this to my screenplay co-author, the writer Ales Adamovich. But he replied: "Let them not watch it, then. This is something we must leave after us. As evidence of war, and as a plea for peace."<ref name="aif"/>|Elem Klimov<ref name="Kinema">{{cite journal |last=Holloway |first=Ron |title=Interview with Elem Klimov |url=https://openjournals.uwaterloo.ca/index.php/kinema/article/view/1191/1472 |journal=Kinema |year=1986 |access-date=18 February 2020}}</ref>}}

For eight years,<ref name="Calvert"/> filming could not begin because the [[State Committee for Cinematography]] (Goskino) would not accept the screenplay, considering it too realistic, calling it propaganda for the "aesthetics of dirtiness" and "naturalism".<ref name="aif" /> Alongside this, the death of Klimov's wife [[Larisa Shepitko]], also a filmmaker, in 1979 forced him to first complete the work she began on what was to be her next film, ''[[Farewell (1983 film)|Farewell]]''; it would finally be released in 1983.<ref>{{cite web|title=Come and See|url=https://s3.amazonaws.com/criterion-production/janus_promo_packages/359-/ComeAndSee_press-notes_r1_original.pdf|website=[[Janus Films]]|access-date=23 March 2020|date=2020}}</ref> Eventually in 1984, Klimov was able to start filming without having compromised to any censorship at all. The only change became the name of the film itself, to ''Come and See'' from the original, ''Kill Hitler''<ref name="Niemi">{{cite book |last=Niemi |first=Robert |author-link=Robert Niemi |title=100 Great War Movies. The Real History Behind the Films |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=94RSDwAAQBAJ |chapter=Come and See [Russian: Idi i smotri] (1985) (pp. 61-63) |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=94RSDwAAQBAJ&q=%22Come+and+See+%5BRussian:+Idi+i+smotri%5D+(1985)%22&pg=PA61 |publisher=[[ABC-CLIO]] |location=[[Santa Barbara, California]] |year=2018 |isbn=978-1-440-83386-1}}</ref><ref name="RB"/> (Klimov also says this in the 2006 UK DVD release).<ref name="Klimov">{{cite video |url=https://www.google.com/search?tbm=vid&q=%22Elem+Klimov+about+Come+and+see%22%22solidaritet2010%22+2010 |title=''Elem Klimov about'' Come and see ''(interview with English subtitles)'' |date=18 June 2010 |access-date=20 February 2020}}</ref>

The film was shot in chronological order over a period of nine months.<ref name="Niemi"/> Kravchenko said that he underwent "the most debilitating fatigue and hunger. I kept a most severe diet, and after the filming was over I returned to school not only thin, but grey-haired."<ref name="Niemi" /><ref>{{cite news |url=http://bulvar.com.ua/gazeta/archive/s456-29_930/330.html |script-title=ru:Алексей КРАВЧЕНКО: "Со съемок фильма Климова "Иди и смотри" я вернулся не только страшно худой, но и седой" |trans-title=Aleksey Kravchenko: "From the making of Klimov's film ''Come and See'' I returned not only terribly skinny, but also grizzled" |author=Вера Маевская [Vera Maevskaia] |newspaper=Бульвар [Boulevard] |number=29 |date=20 July 2004 |access-date=31 March 2018|language=ru}}</ref> Contrary to what some rumors suggest, though, Kravchenko's hair did not turn permanently grey. In fact, a special Silber Interference Grease-Paint, alongside a thin layer of actual silver, was used to dye his hair. This made it difficult to get it back to normal, so Kravchenko had to live with his hair like this for some time after shooting the film.<ref name="RB">{{Cite web |last=Wess |first=Richard |url=https://www.rbth.com/arts/332350-come-and-see-soviet-movie |title=9 Must-Know Facts About Come and See |work=[[Russia Beyond]] |date=22 June 2020 |access-date=7 July 2020}}</ref>

To prepare the 14-year-old Kravchenko for the role, Klimov called a [[Hypnosis|hypnotist]] with [[autogenic training]].<ref name="RB"/> "[Kravchenko's acting] could have had a very sad ending. He could have landed in an insane asylum," Klimov said.<ref name="RB"/> "I realized I had to inject him with content which he did not possess," "This is an age when a boy does not know what true hatred is, what true love is." "In the end, Mr. Kravchenko was able to concentrate so intensely that it seemed as if he had hypnotized himself for the role."<ref name="Niemi" /><ref name="Ramsey">{{cite news |last=Ramsey |first=Nancy |date=28 January 2001 |title=FILM; They Prized Social, Not Socialist, Reality |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2001/01/28/movies/film-they-prized-social-not-socialist-reality.html |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |access-date=17 July 2020 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181123121906/https://www.nytimes.com/2001/01/28/movies/film-they-prized-social-not-socialist-reality.html |archive-date=23 November 2018}}</ref>

To create the maximum sense of immediacy, [[Realism (arts)|realism]], [[hyperrealism]], and [[surrealism]] operating in equal measure,<ref>{{cite book |last=Menashe |first=Louis |title=Moscow Believes in Tears. Russians and Their Movies |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=S3u3b_U-c78C |year=2014 |orig-year=2010 |location=[[Washington, D.C.]] |publisher=New Academia Publishing, LLC |isbn=978-0-984-58322-5 |pages=[https://books.google.com/books?id=S3u3b_U-c78C&dq=%22Come+and+See+(1985)%22+Klimov&pg=PA95 95]-[https://books.google.com/books?id=S3u3b_U-c78C&dq=%22Come+and+See%22+Klimov&pg=PA96 96]}}</ref> Klimov and his cameraman [[Aleksei Rodionov]] employed naturalistic colors, [[widescreen]] and lots of [[Steadicam]] shots; the film is full of extreme [[close-up]]s of faces, does not flinch from the unpleasant details of burnt flesh and bloodied corpses, and the guns were often loaded with live ammunition as opposed to [[Blank (cartridge)|blanks]].<ref name="Chapman"/><ref name="Niemi"/><ref name="RB"/><ref>{{cite web |last=Stilwell |first=Blake |title=This Soviet WWII movie used real bullets instead of blanks |url=http://www.wearethemighty.com/articles/come-and-see-wwii-movie-used-real-bullets-on-set-instead-of-blanks |website=wearethemighty.com |date=26 April 2017 |access-date=31 March 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Gault |first=Matthew |title='Come and See' Turns the Eastern Front Into a Hallucinatory Hellscape |url=https://warisboring.com/come-and-see-turns-the-eastern-front-into-a-hallucinatory-hellscape/ |website=warisboring.com |date=28 May 2016 |access-date=31 March 2018}}</ref> Kravchenko mentioned in interviews that bullets sometimes passed just 4 inches (10 centimeters) above his head<ref name="Niemi"/> (such as in the cow scene). Very little protection was provided on the set. When the dive bombs were detonated the camera crew only had a concrete slab 1.5 meters tall and 5 meters wide to protect them.<ref name="Chapman"/> At the same time the ''[[mise-en-scène]]'' is fragmentary and disjointed: there are discontinuities between shots as characters appear in close up and then disappear off camera. Elsewhere, the moment of revelation is marked by a disorienting [[Dolly zoom|zoom-in/dolly-out]] shot.<ref name="Chapman"/>

===Music===
The original soundtrack is rhythmically amorphous music composed by Oleg Yanchenko.<ref name="Calvert"/><ref name="Egorova">{{cite book |last=Egorova |first=Tatiana K. |others=Translated by Tatiana A. Ganf and Natalia Aleksandrovna Egunova |title=Soviet Film Music. An Historical Survey |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KxwJAQAAMAAJ |year=1997 |publisher=Harwood Academic Publishers |location=[[Reading, Berkshire]] |isbn=978-3-718-65910-4 |page=[https://books.google.com/books?id=_GAqaftUsecC&dq=%22Elem+Klimov%27s&pg=PA243 243]}}</ref> At a few key points in the film classical music from mainly German or Austrian composers are used, such as ''[[The Blue Danube]]'' by [[Johann Strauss II]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Whitegirl Julia Stiles in Save the Last Dance |url=http://www.nypress.com/news/whitegirl-julia-stiles-in-save-the-last-dance-BVNP1020010131301319999 |newspaper=[[New York Press]] |date=16 February 2015 |access-date=6 November 2021}}</ref> The Soviet marching song "[[The Sacred War]]"<ref>{{cite book |last=Kirschenbaum |first=Lisa A. |editor-last1=Biess |editor-first1=Frank |editor-last2=Moeller |editor-first2=Robert G. |title=Histories of the Aftermath. The Legacies of the Second World War in Europe |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Wc570pHou7EC |year=2010 |publisher=[[Berghahn Books]] |location=New York City |isbn=978-1-845-45732-7 |page=[https://books.google.com/books?id=Wc570pHou7EC&dq=%22Elem+Klimov%27s+1985+film+Come+and+See+%28Idi+i+smotri%29%22%22Holy+War%22%22%28Sviashchennaia+voina%29%22&pg=PA67 67]}}</ref> and Russian folk song "[[Korobeiniki]]" ([[Vadim Kozin]]) ({{lit|"Pedlars"}})<ref name="Egorova"/> are played in the movie once. During the scene where Glasha dances, the background music is some fragments of Mary Dixon's song from [[Grigori Aleksandrov]]'s 1936 film ''[[Circus (1936 film)|Circus]]''.<ref name="Egorova"/><ref>{{cite book |last=Salys |first=Rimgaila |author-link=Rimgaila Salys |title=The Musical Comedy Films of Grigorii Aleksandrov. Laughing Matters |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=cDk8d2UMRLwC |year=2009 |publisher=Intellect Books |location=[[Bristol]] |isbn=978-1-841-50282-3 |page=[https://books.google.com/books?id=cDk8d2UMRLwC&dq=%22Come+and+See%22+Circus+Grigorii+Aleksandrov&pg=PA151 151]}}</ref> At the end, during the photographic montage, music by [[Richard Wagner]] is used, most notably the "[[Ride of the Valkyries]]" from ''[[Die Walküre]]''.<ref name="Egorova"/>

At the end of the film, the partisans walk through a winter woodland to the sound of [[Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart|Mozart]]'s ''[[Requiem (Mozart)#f. Lacrymosa|Lacrimosa]]'' before the camera tilts towards the sky and the ending credits appear.<ref name="Egorova"/> Film critic [[Roger Ebert]] commented on this scene as follows:<ref name="Ebert">{{cite web |url=http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-come-and-see-1985 |title=Come and See |last=Ebert |first=Roger |author-link=Roger Ebert |date=16 June 2010 |work=[[RogerEbert.com]] |access-date=25 February 2014}}</ref>
{{blockquote|There's a curious scene here in a wood, the sun falling down through the leaves, when the soundtrack, which has been grim and mournful, suddenly breaks free into Mozart. And what does this signify? A fantasy, I believe, and not {{sic|Florya's}}, who has probably never heard such music. The Mozart descends into the film like a [[deus ex machina]], to lift us from its despair. We can accept it if we want, but it changes nothing. It is like an ironic taunt.}}

===Meaning of the title===
The original Belarusian and Russian title of the film derives from Chapter 6 of the [[Book of Revelation]], where in the first, third, fifth, and seventh verse is written "{{Lang|be|Ідзі і глядзі}}" in Belarusian<ref>{{cite web |url=https://carkva-gazeta.by/biblija/index.php?z=n&id=27&sv=6 |title=Адкрыцьцё (Апакаліпсіс) 6. Беларускі пераклад Васіля Сёмухі |trans-title=Revelation (Apocalypse) 6. Belarusian translation by Vasyl Semukha |access-date=29 November 2022 |language=be |archive-date=29 November 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221129214413/https://carkva-gazeta.by/biblija/index.php?z=n&id=27&sv=6 |url-status=dead }}</ref> (English: {{Bibleref2|Rev|6:1-7|KJV|"Come and see"}}, [[Greek language|Greek]]: {{Bibleref2|Rev.|6:1-7|SBLGNT|Ἔρχου καὶ ἴδε}}, ''Erchou kai ide''<ref>[http://www.spiritandtruth.org/teaching/teachers/tony_garland/bio.htm Garland, Anthony Charles] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121108162907/http://www.spiritandtruth.org/teaching/teachers/tony_garland/bio.htm |date=8 November 2012 }} (2007). {{cite book|title=A Testimony of Jesus Christ - Volume 1. A Commentary on the Book of Revelation|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=K7vqJyRAdj4C | publisher=SpiritAndTruth.org |isbn=978-0-978-88641-7 |page=[https://books.google.com/books?id=K7vqJyRAdj4C&dq=%22Ἐρχου+καὶ+ἴδε%22%22Erchou+kai+ide%22%22Come+and+see%22%22Rev.+6:1,+3,+5,+7%22&pg=PA325 325]|year=2007 }}</ref> and "{{Lang|ru|Иди и смотри}}" in Russian) as an invitation to look upon the destruction caused by the [[Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Wise |first=Damon |date=28 October 2013 |title=Top 10 war movies. 5. ''Come and See'' | url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/filmblog/2013/oct/28/top-10-war-movies |newspaper=[[The Guardian]] |location=London |access-date=4 July 2016}}</ref><ref>The same biblical quote is at the center of the film ''[[Horsemen (film)|Horsemen]]'' (2009).</ref> {{Bibleref2|Rev|6:7-8|KJV|Chapter 6, verses 7–8}} have been cited as being particularly relevant to the film:

<blockquote>And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, "Come and see!" And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth.</blockquote>

==Release==
===Original release===
''Come and See'' had its world premiere in the competition program at the [[14th Moscow International Film Festival]] on 9 July 1985.<ref>{{cite web |title=Иди и смотри (1985) — дата выхода в России и других странах — Кинопоиск |trans-title=Come and See (1985) — release date in Russia and other countries - Film search |url=https://www.kinopoisk.ru/film/42571/dates/ |work=Кинопоиск [Film search] |access-date=28 May 2023 |language=ru}}</ref> It was theatrically released on 17 October 1985,<ref name="NUM" /> drawing 28.9 million viewers<ref name="DJY" /><ref name="Niemi"/> and ranking sixth at the box office of 1986.<ref name="DJY"/>

===2017 restoration===
In 2017, the film received an official restoration overseen by [[Karen Shakhnazarov]]. It won the Venice Classics Award for ''Best Restored Film'', and was also shown in several European independent cinemas again.<ref name="Venice">{{cite web |title=Biennale Cinema 2017 {{!}} Official Awards of the 74th Venice Film Festival |url=https://www.labiennale.org/en/news/official-awards-74th-venice-film-festival |publisher=[[Venice Film Festival]] |date=9 September 2017 |access-date=18 February 2020 |archive-date=25 June 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210625141120/https://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:https://www.labiennale.org/en/news/official-awards-74th-venice-film-festival+%22the+VENICE+CLASSICS+AWARD+FOR+BEST+RESTORED+FILM%22%22IDI+I+SMOTRI+(COME+AND+SEE)%22%22by+Elem+Klimov+(USSR,+1985)%22 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://lumiere.nl/en/movies/kom-en-zie-engels-ondertiteld |title=Come And See (Idi I Smotri) - English subtitled - Lumière Cinema Maastricht |website=lumiere.nl |access-date=18 February 2020}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=22056 |title=New Restoration of Elem Klimov's Come and See Wins Best Restored Film Award at Venice Classics |website=blu-ray.com |date=11 September 2017 |access-date=19 February 2020}}</ref>

===Home media===
In 2001 the film was released on [[DVD]] in the United States by [[Kino Lorber]]. This release is currently [[out-of-print]]. The film became available on [[FilmStruck]],<ref name="Criterion"/> the streaming service for [[the Criterion Collection]] from its opening on 1 November 2016 to its closing on 29 November 2018, and from November 2019 on the new Criterion Channel service.<ref>{{cite web |title=Come and See - The Criterion Channel |url=https://www.criterionchannel.com/come-and-see |website=criterionchannel.com |access-date=28 February 2020}}</ref> On 18 December 2019, [[Janus Films]] released a trailer<ref>{{Cite tweet |user=janusfilms |author=Janus Films |author-link=Janus Films |number=1207363678066098177 |title=COME AND SEE <nowiki>https://bit.ly/2rO8YbL</nowiki> |date=18 December 2019 |accessdate=18 February 2020}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://vimeo.com/379352025 |title=COME AND SEE - NEW RESTORATION TRAILER |author=Janus Films |date=13 December 2019 |via=[[Vimeo]] |access-date=18 February 2020}}</ref> for a 2k-restoration that premiered at the [[Film Forum]] in New York City on 21 February 2020<ref>{{Cite web |last=Barfield |first=Charles |url=https://theplaylist.net/come-see-2k-restoration-trailer-20191218 |title='Come And See' 2K Restoration Trailer: Elem Klimov Incredible War Gets Re-Released In 2020 |website=theplaylist.net |date=18 December 2019 |access-date=18 February 2020}}</ref><ref name="BOM2">{{cite web |url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/release/rl1303675393/ |title=''Come and See'' (21 February 2020 re-release) |publisher=Box Office Mojo. IMDbPro |access-date=18 March 2020}}</ref> with a theatrical run<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.janusfilms.com/comeandsee |title=WANDA - Janus Films |publisher=Janus Films |access-date=18 March 2020 |archive-date=13 March 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200313231220/http://www.janusfilms.com/comeandsee |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="BOM2"/> and then a home media release through Criterion was released on 30 June 2020.<ref>{{Cite tweet |user=janusfilms |author=Janus Films |number=1210304215454830592 |title=Click to see the full poster for our new restoration of COME AND SEE! Will be on sale soon @Criterion |date=26 December 2019 |accessdate=18 March 2020}}</ref><ref name="NUM"/>

==Reception, legacy and accolades==
===Box office===
''Come and See'' grossed $71,909 in the United States and Canada,<ref name="NUM">{{Cite web |url=https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Come-and-See#tab=summary |title=''Come and See'' (1985) - Financial Information |publisher=[[The Numbers (website)|The Numbers]]. Nash Information Services, LLC |access-date=6 December 2023}}</ref> and $20.9 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of nearly $21 million,<ref name="BOM1"/> plus nearly $1.3 million with home video sales.<ref name="NUM"/>

===Critical response===
[[File:Aleksei Kravchenko.png|thumb| The performance of [[Aleksei Kravchenko (actor)|Aleksei Kravchenko]] (aged 14 at the time of the film's production) was widely acclaimed, and is considered by critics and the public as one of the greatest ever performances by a child actor.<ref>{{Cite web |title=100 Greatest Child Actor Performances in Film |url=https://www.listchallenges.com/100-greatest-child-actor-performances-in-film |access-date=2024-06-15 |website=List Challenges}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Best Child Actor Performances |url=https://m.imdb.com/list/ls056834155/ |access-date=2024-06-15 |website=IMDb}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Babiolakis |first=Andreas |date=2017-10-20 |title=10 Actors Who Disappeared After Career-Defining Performances |url=https://www.tasteofcinema.com/2017/10-actors-who-disappeared-after-career-defining-performances/ |access-date=2024-06-15 |website=Taste of Cinema - Movie Reviews and Classic Movie Lists}}</ref>]]

====Contemporary reviews====
Initial reception was positive. [[Walter Goodman (critic)|Walter Goodman]] wrote for ''[[The New York Times]]'' that "The history is harrowing and the presentation is graphic ... Powerful material, powerfully rendered ...", and dismissed the ending as "a dose of instant inspirationalism," but conceded to Klimov's "unquestionable talent."<ref>{{cite news |last=Goodman |first=Walter |author-link=Walter Goodman (critic) |title=Film: 'Come and See', from Soviet |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1987/02/06/movies/film-come-and-see-from-soviet.html |newspaper=The New York Times |date=6 February 1987 |access-date=30 May 2013}}</ref> Rita Kempley, of ''[[The Washington Post]]'', wrote that "directing with an angry eloquence, [Klimov] taps into that hallucinatory nether world of blood and mud and escalating madness that [[Francis Ford Coppola]] found in ''[[Apocalypse Now]].'' And though he draws a surprisingly vivid performance from his inexperienced teen lead, Klimov's prowess is his visual poetry, muscular and animistic, like compatriot [[Andrei Konchalovsky]]'s in his epic ''[[Siberiade]]''."<ref>{{cite news |last=Kempley |first=Rita |date=25 September 1987 |title=''Come and See'' review |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/style/longterm/movies/videos/comeandseenrkempley_a0ca58.htm |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |location=[[Washington, D.C.]] |access-date=7 January 2017}}</ref> Mark Le Fanu wrote in ''[[Sight & Sound]]'' that ''Come and See'' is a "powerful war film ... The director has elicited an excellent performance from his central actor Kravchenko".<ref>{{cite journal |last=Le Fanu |first=Mark |journal=[[Sight & Sound]] |title=Partisan {{!}} ''Come and See'' Review |date=Spring 1987 |url=https://archive.org/details/Sight_and_Sound_1987_04_BFI_GB/page/n65/mode/2up |access-date=18 February 2020}}</ref>

According to Klimov, the film was so shocking for audiences that ambulances were sometimes called in to take away particularly impressionable viewers, both in the Soviet Union and abroad.<ref name="Calvert"/><ref name="Klimov"/> During one of the after-the-film discussions, an elderly German man stood up and said: "I was a soldier of the Wehrmacht; moreover, an officer of the Wehrmacht. I traveled through all of Poland and Belarus, finally reaching Ukraine. I will testify: everything that is told in this film is the truth. And the most frightening and shameful thing for me is that this film will be seen by my children and grandchildren".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Pasternack |first=Jesse |date=2020-09-21 |title=The Undeniable Power of Come and See |url=https://blogs.iu.edu/aplaceforfilm/2020/09/21/the-undeniable-power-of-come-and-see/ |access-date=2022-01-01 |publisher=[[Indiana University Cinema]] |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201005003718/https://blogs.iu.edu/aplaceforfilm/2020/09/21/the-undeniable-power-of-come-and-see/ |archive-date=5 October 2020}}</ref><ref name="aif"/>

====Retrospective assessments====
The film has since been widely praised in later decades. On [[review aggregator]] [[Rotten Tomatoes]], the film holds an approval rating of 90%, based on 59 reviews, with an [[weighted arithmetic mean|average]] rating of 8.6/10. The website's critics consensus reads, "As effectively anti-war as movies can be, ''Come and See'' is a harrowing odyssey through the worst that humanity is capable of, directed with bravura intensity by Elem Klimov."<ref name="RT" >{{cite web |title=''Come and See (Idi i smotri)'' (1985) |date=6 February 1987 |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1036052_come_and_see |publisher=[[Rotten Tomatoes]]. [[Fandango Media]] |access-date=16 June 2024}}</ref>

In 2001, Daneet Steffens of ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]'' wrote that "Klimov alternates the horrors of war with occasional fairy tale-like images; together they imbue the film with an unapologetically disturbing quality that persists long after the credits roll."<ref>{{cite magazine |url=http://ew.com/article/2001/11/02/come-and-see/ |title=Come and See |last=Steffens |first=Daneet |magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]] |date=2 November 2001 |access-date=20 January 2017}}</ref>

In 2001, [[J. Hoberman]] of ''[[The Village Voice]]'' reviewed ''Come and See'', writing the following: "Directed for baroque intensity, ''Come and See'' is a robust art film with aspirations to the visionary – not so much graphic as leisurely literal-minded in its representation of mass murder. (The movie has been compared both to ''[[Schindler's List]]'' and ''[[Saving Private Ryan]]'', and it would not be surprising to learn that [[Steven Spielberg]] had screened it before making either of these.) The film's central atrocity is a barbaric circus of blaring music and barking dogs in which a squadron of drunken German soldiers round up and parade the peasants to their fiery doom ... The bit of actual death-camp corpse footage that Klimov uses is doubly disturbing in that it retrospectively diminishes the care with which he orchestrates the town's destruction. For the most part, he prefers to show the [[Gorgon]] as reflected in [[Perseus]]'s shield. There are few images more indelible than the sight of young Aleksei Kravchenko's fear-petrified expression."<ref>{{cite news |last=Hoberman |first=J. |author-link=J. Hoberman |date=30 January 2001 |title=High Lonesome |url=https://www.villagevoice.com/2001/01/30/high-lonesome/ |newspaper=[[The Village Voice]] |location=New York City |access-date=25 February 2014}}</ref> In the same publication in 2009, [[Elliott Stein]] described ''Come and See'' as "a startling mixture of lyrical poeticism and expressionist nightmare."<ref>{{cite news |last=Stein |first=Elliott |author-link=Elliott Stein |date=18 August 2009 |title=Come and See |url=http://www.villagevoice.com/2009-08-18/voice-choices/come-and-see/ |newspaper=The Village Voice |location=New York City |access-date=25 February 2014 |archive-date=22 October 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121022091434/http://www.villagevoice.com/2009-08-18/voice-choices/come-and-see/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>

In 2002, Scott Tobias of ''[[The A.V. Club]]'' wrote that Klimov's "impressions are unforgettable: the screaming cacophony of a bombing run broken up by the faint sound of a Mozart fugue, a dark, arid field suddenly lit up by eerily beautiful orange flares, German troops appearing like ghosts out of the heavy morning fog. A product of the ''[[glasnost]]'' era, ''Come and See'' is far from a patriotic memorial of Russia's hard-won victory. Instead, it's a chilling reminder of that victory's terrible costs."<ref>{{cite news |last=Tobias |first=Scott |date=19 April 2002 |title=Come And See |url=http://www.avclub.com/review/come-and-see-17863 |work=[[The A.V. Club]] |location=Chicago |publisher=[[The Onion|Onion, Inc.]] |access-date=25 February 2014}}</ref> British magazine ''[[The Word (UK magazine)|The Word]]'' wrote that "''Come and See'' is widely regarded as the finest war film ever made, though possibly not by ''[[The Great Escape (film)|Great Escape]]'' fans."<ref>{{cite news |date=July 2006 |newspaper=[[The Word (UK magazine)|The Word]] |location=London |issue=41 |page=122}}</ref> [[Tim Lott]] wrote in 2009 that the film "makes ''Apocalypse Now'' look lightweight".<ref>{{cite news |last=Lott |first=Tim |author-link=Tim Lott |date=24 July 2009 |title=The worst best films ever made |url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2009/jul/24/worst-best-films-ever-made |work=The Guardian |location=London |access-date=25 February 2014}}</ref>

In 2006, Geoffrey Macnab of ''Sight & Sound'' wrote: "Klimov's astonishing war movie combines intense lyricism with the kind of violent bloodletting that would make even [[Sam Peckinpah]] pause".<ref>{{cite journal | journal = Sight & Sound | year = 2006 | page = 50 | volume = 16 | issue = 1–6 | first = Geoffrey | last = Macnab | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=dImGAAAAIAAJ&q=%22Klimov%27s+astonishing+war+movie+combines+intense+lyricism+with+the+kind+of+violent+bloodletting+that+would+make+even+Sam+Peckinpah+pause+.%22 | title = NA | publisher = British Film Institute}}</ref>

On 16 June 2010, Roger Ebert posted a review of ''Come and See'' as part of his "Great Movies" series, describing it as "one of the most devastating films ever about anything, and in it, the survivors must envy the dead ... The film depicts brutality and is occasionally very realistic, but there's an overlay of muted nightmarish exaggeration ... I must not describe the famous sequence at the end. It must unfold as a surprise for you. It pretends to roll back history. You will see how. It is unutterably depressing, because history can never undo itself, and is with us forever."<ref name="Ebert"/>

===Legacy===
''Come and See'' appears on many [[List of films considered the best|lists of films considered the best]]. In 2008, ''Come and See'' was placed at number 60 on ''[[Empire (magazine)|Empire]]'' magazine's "The 500 Greatest Movies of All Time".<ref>{{cite news |date=November 2008 |title=The 500 Greatest Movies of All Time |url=http://www.empireonline.com/500/86.asp |work=[[Empire (magazine)|Empire]] |access-date=19 February 2020 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120310130224/http://www.empireonline.com/500/86.asp |archive-date=10 March 2012}}</ref> It also made [[Channel 4]]'s list of ''[[50 Films to See Before You Die]]''<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.channel4.com/film/reviews/feature.jsp?id=161521&page=3 |title=Film4's 50 Films To See Before You Die |publisher=[[Channel 4]] |date=22 July 2006 |access-date=19 February 2020 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080427033317/http://www.channel4.com/film/reviews/feature.jsp?id=161521&page=3 |archive-date=27 April 2008}}</ref> and was ranked number 24 in ''Empire'' magazine's "The 100 Best Films Of World Cinema" in 2010.<ref>{{cite news |date=2010 |title=The 100 Best Films Of World Cinema |url=http://www.empireonline.com/features/100-greatest-world-cinema-films/default.asp?film=24 |work=Empire |access-date=19 February 2020 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111202083628/https://www.empireonline.com/features/100-greatest-world-cinema-films/default.asp?film=24 |archive-date=2 December 2011}}</ref> Phil de Semlyen of ''Empire'' has described the work as "Elim {{sic}} Klimov’s seriously influential, deeply unsettling Belarusian opus. No film – not ''Apocalypse Now'', not ''[[Full Metal Jacket]]'' – spells out the dehumanizing impact of conflict more vividly, or ferociously ... An impressionist masterpiece and possibly the worst date movie ever."<ref>{{cite news |last=de Semlyen |first=Phil |url=http://www.empireonline.com/features/become-a-genre-expert-war/p9 |title=Become A War Films Expert In Ten Easy Movies |work=Empire |date=11 October 2010 |access-date=18 February 2020 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121019214341/http://www.empireonline.com/features/become-a-genre-expert-war/p9 |archive-date=19 October 2012}}</ref> It ranked 154 among critics, and 30 among directors, in the [[The Sight & Sound Greatest Films of All Time 2012|2012 ''Sight & Sound'' polls of the greatest films ever made]],<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b72b62c27/sightandsoundpoll2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170202045629/http://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b72b62c27/sightandsoundpoll2012 |url-status=dead |archive-date=2 February 2017 |title=Votes for ''IDI I SMOTRI'' (1985) |work=Sight & Sound |publisher=British Film Institute |access-date=20 January 2017}}</ref> while it ranked 104 among critics, and 41 among directors, in the [[The Sight and Sound Greatest Films of All Time 2022|2022 ''Sight & Sound'' polls]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bfi.org.uk/film/7400501f-e65d-5e1c-9ba7-847a1a680978/come-and-see |title=Come and See (1985) - BFI |work=Sight & Sound |publisher=British Film Institute |access-date=13 March 2023}}</ref> The film is generally considered one of the greatest anti-war movies ever made, and one with the most historically accurate depictions of the crimes on the Eastern Front.<ref name="Niemi" /><ref name="Kinema"/><ref name="Kirschenbaum">{{cite book |last=Kirschenbaum |first=Lisa A. |title=The Legacy of the Siege of Leningrad, 1941–1995. Myth, Memories, and Monuments |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jt8QVm8dPaQC |year=2006 |publisher=[[Cambridge University Press]] |isbn=978-1-139-46065-1 |pages=[https://books.google.com/books?id=jt8QVm8dPaQC&dq=%22Elem+Klimov's+even+bleaker+Come+and+See+(Idi+i+smotri%2C+1985)%22&pg=PA180 180f.]}}</ref><ref name="auto4">{{Cite web |url=https://www.viennale.at/en/films/idi-i-smotri |title=Idi i smotri {{!}} Viennale |publisher=[[Vienna International Film Festival]] |date=15 November 2019 |access-date=18 February 2020}}</ref><ref name="auto2">{{Cite web |last=Kumar |first=Arun |url=https://www.highonfilms.com/come-and-see-1985-a-chilling-and-indelible-reminder-of-nazi-carnage/ |title=Come and See [1985]: A Chilling and Indelible Reminder of Nazi Carnage |work=highonfilms.com |date=30 June 2019 |access-date=18 February 2020}}</ref><ref name="auto1">{{cite book |editor-last1=Goscilo |editor-first1=Helena |editor-last2=Hashamova |editor-first2=Yana |title=Cinepaternity. Fathers and Sons in Soviet and Post-Soviet Film |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9clS9PG0KSwC |year=2010 |publisher=[[Indiana University Press]] |location=[[Bloomington, Indiana]] |isbn=978-0-253-22187-2 |pages=[https://books.google.com/books?id=9clS9PG0KSwC&dq=%22Come+and+See%22&pg=PA95 95ff.]}}</ref>

As of September 2024, ''Come and See'' ranks 2nd on [[Letterboxd]]'s Official Top 250 Narrative Feature Films list (behind ''[[Harakiri (1962 film)|Harakiri]]'') with a 4.6 average rating from a possible 5, making it the highest-rated [[war film]] on the site. <ref>{{cite web |url=https://letterboxd.com/dave/list/official-top-250-narrative-feature-films/ |title=Official Top 250 Narrative Feature Films |work=Letterboxd |date=8 November 2013 |access-date=11 September 2024}}</ref>

Klimov did not make any more films after ''Come and See'',<ref>{{cite news |last=Bergan |first=Ronald |date=4 November 2003 |title=Obituary: Elem Klimov |url=https://www.theguardian.com/news/2003/nov/04/guardianobituaries.russia |newspaper=The Guardian |location=London |access-date=8 June 2009}}</ref> leading some critics to speculate as to why. In 2001, Klimov said, "I lost interest in making films ... Everything that was possible I felt I had already done."<ref name="Ramsey"/>

===Accolades===
''Come and See'' was selected as the Soviet entry for the [[List of submissions to the 58th Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film|Best Foreign Language Film at the 58th Academy Awards]], but was not accepted as a nominee.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1986 |title=The 58th Academy Awards (1986) Nominees and Winners |publisher=[[Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences]] |date=24 March 1986 |access-date=5 March 2020}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders"
|-
! scope="col"| Award
! scope="col"| Date of ceremony
! scope="col"| Category
! scope="col"| Recipient(s)
! scope="col"| Result
! scope="col" class="unsortable"| {{Abbr|Ref(s)|Reference(s)}}
|-
| rowspan="2"| [[14th Moscow International Film Festival]]<ref name="Moscow1985">{{cite web |url=http://www.moscowfilmfestival.ru/miff43/eng/archives/?year=1985 |title=1985: 14th Moscow International Film Festival |publisher=[[Moscow International Film Festival|MIFF]] |date=28 June - 12 July 1985 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210514230407/http://www.moscowfilmfestival.ru/miff43/eng/archives/?year=1985 |access-date=17 July 2020|archive-date=14 May 2021 }}</ref>
| rowspan="2"| 12 July 1985
| Golden Prize
| Elem Klimov
| {{won}}
|<ref name="Moscow1985"/><ref name="Chapman"/><ref name=Criterion/><ref name="DJY" /><ref name="Niemi"/>
|-
| [[International Federation of Film Critics|FIPRESCI]] prize
| Elem Klimov
| {{won}}
|<ref>{{cite web |url=http://fipresci.org/festival/14th-moscow-international-film-festival |title=14th Moscow International Film Festival - Fipresci |publisher=[[International Federation of Film Critics|FIPRESCI]] |date=12 July 1985 |access-date=19 February 2020}}</ref><ref name="Niemi"/><ref name="Moscow1985"/>
|-
| rowspan="1"| [[74th Venice International Film Festival]]<ref name="Venice"/>
| rowspan="1"| 9 September 2017
| Venice Classics Award for Best Restored Film
| ''Idi i smotri'' (''Come and See'')
| {{won}}
|<ref name="Venice"/>
|}

==See also==
* [[List of Soviet submissions for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==
* {{cite web |last=Carr |first=Jeremy |url=https://mubi.com/notebook/posts/casualties-of-war-elem-klimov-s-come-and-see |title=Casualties of War: Elem Klimov's ''Come and See'' |publisher=[[Mubi (streaming service)|MUBI]] |date=20 February 2020 |access-date=10 January 2023}}
* {{cite web |last=Le Fanu |first=Mark |title=''Come and See'': Orphans of the Storm |url=https://www.criterion.com/current/posts/7003-come-and-see-orphans-of-the-storm |publisher=[[The Criterion Collection]] |date=30 June 2020 |access-date=4 July 2020}}
* {{cite journal |last1=Michaels |first1=Lloyd |title=''Come and See'' (1985): Klimov's Intimate Epic |journal=[[Quarterly Review of Film and Video]] |year=2008 |volume=25 |issue=3 |pages=212–218 |doi=10.1080/10509200601091458|s2cid=191450553}}

==External links==
* {{IMDb title}}
* {{Rotten Tomatoes|2=Come and See}}
* {{AllMovie title}}
* {{Metacritic movie}}
* ''[https://russianfilmhub.com/movies/come-and-see-1985/ Come and See]'' on Russian Film Hub
* Full film on [[YouTube]] on [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zjIiApN6cfg Mosfilm]'s and [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NJYOg4ORc1w Belarusfilm]'s pages

{{Elem Klimov}}
{{MIFF Main Award|state=autocollapse}}
{{Soviet submission for Academy Awards}}
{{Portalbar|Soviet Union|Film|1980s|Belarus|Russia|Ukraine}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Come And See}}
[[Category:1985 drama films]]
[[Category:1985 films]]
[[Category:1985 in the Soviet Union]]
[[Category:1980s German-language films]]
[[Category:1980s Russian-language films]]
[[Category:1980s war drama films]]
[[Category:Animal cruelty incidents in film]]
[[Category:Anti-war films about World War II]]
[[Category:Apocalyptic films]]
[[Category:Belarusian drama films]]
[[Category:Belarusian-language films]]
[[Category:Belarusian World War II films]]
[[Category:Eastern Front of World War II films]]
[[Category:Existentialist films]]
[[Category:World War II films based on actual events]]
[[Category:Films about anti-fascism]]
[[Category:Films about fascists]]
[[Category:Films about Nazism]]
[[Category:Films about orphans]]
[[Category:Films directed by Elem Klimov]]
[[Category:Films set in 1943]]
[[Category:Films set in Belarus]]
[[Category:Films set in the Soviet Union]]
[[Category:Films about gang rape]]
[[Category:Metaphysical fiction films]]
[[Category:Mosfilm films]]
[[Category:Partisan films]]
[[Category:Russian war drama films]]
[[Category:Russian World War II films]]
[[Category:Soviet-era Belarusian films]]
[[Category:Soviet war drama films]]
[[Category:Soviet World War II films]]
[[Category:Works about children in war]]
[[Category:Films about child soldiers]]
[[Category:Films shot in chronological order]]
[[Category:Russian-language war drama films]]
[[Category:German-language war films]]

The Color of Pomegranates

2024-10-02T02:07:48Z

98.18.198.104: /* External links */

{{Short description|1969 film by Sergei Parajanov}}
{{Infobox film
| name = Նռան գույնը The Color of Pomegranates
| image = The Color of Pomegranates cover art.jpg
| caption = DVD cover
| director = [[Sergei Parajanov]]
| producer =
| screenplay = Sergei Parajanov
| based_on = {{based on|Poems|[[Sayat-Nova]]}}
| narrator = [[Armen Dzhigarkhanyan]]
| starring = [[Sofiko Chiaureli]] Melkon Aleksanyan [[Vilen Galstyan]] Giorgi Gegechkori
| music = [[Tigran Mansuryan]]
| cinematography = Suren Shakhbazyan
| editing = Sergei Parajanov M. Ponomarenko [[Sergei Yutkevich]]
| distributor = [[The Criterion Collection|Criterion]]/[[Janus Films]]/World Cinema Project(US) Cosmos Film (France) [[Artkino Pictures]] (US) IFEX (US)
| studio = [[Armenfilm]]
| released = {{film date|1969}}
| runtime = 78 minutes (Armenia) 73 minutes (USSR release)
| country = Soviet Union
| language = Armenian
| budget =
}}

'''''The Color of Pomegranates''''',{{efn|{{lang-hy|Նռան գույնը|translit=Nřan guynə}}; {{lang-ka|ბროწეულის ფერი|tr}}; {{lang-ru|Цвет граната|translit=Tsvet granata, or Color of Pomegranates}}}} originally known as '''''Sayat-Nova''''', is a 1969 [[Soviet Armenia]]n [[art film]] written and directed by [[Sergei Parajanov]].<ref>{{cite book|title=Historical Dictionary of Russian and Soviet Cinema|author=Peter Rollberg|publisher=Rowman & Littlefield|year=2009|place=US|isbn=978-0-8108-6072-8|pages=156–157}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.criterion.com/current/posts/5639-10-things-i-learned-the-color-of-pomegranates|title=10 Things I Learned: The Color of Pomegranates|first=Curtis|last=Tsui|website=The Criterion Collection}}</ref> The film is a poetic treatment of the life of 18th-century [[Armenia]]n poet and troubadour [[Sayat-Nova]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.criterion.com/current/posts/5826-a-feast-for-the-eyes-in-los-angeles|title=A Feast for the Eyes in Los Angeles|website=The Criterion Collection}}</ref> The film is now regarded as a landmark in film history, and was met with widespread acclaim among filmmakers and critics. It is often considered one of the [[List of films considered the best|greatest films ever made.]]<ref name="auto">{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2014/oct/07/the-colour-of-pomegranates-sergei-parajanov-london-film-festival-2014|title=The Colour of Pomegranates: a chance to savour a poetic masterpiece|first=Tony|last=Paley|date=7 October 2014|website=[[The Guardian]]|publisher=Guardian News and Media|accessdate=23 April 2018}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://parajanov.com/|title=Parajanov-Vartanov Institute|website=Parajanov-Vartanov Institute}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Critics' top 100 | BFI |url=https://www2.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/sightandsoundpoll2012/critics |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160207035347/http://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/sightandsoundpoll2012/critics |archive-date=February 7, 2016 |website=www2.bfi.org.uk}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=January 2, 2017 |title=Parajanov and the Greatest Films of All Time |url=https://parajanov.com/top100films/}}</ref>

==Overview==
''The Color of Pomegranates'' is a biography of the [[Armenians|Armenian]] ''[[ashug]]'' Sayat-Nova (King of Song) that attempts to reveal the poet's life visually and poetically rather than literally. The film is presented with little dialogue, using active tableaux which depict the poet's life in chapters: Childhood, Youth, Prince's Court (where he falls in love with a [[tsarina]]), The Monastery, The Dream, Old Age, The Angel of Death and Death.<ref name="auto"/> There are sounds, music, and occasional singing, but dialogue is rare.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.musicandliterature.org/features/2014/1/16/a-conversation-with-tigran-mansurian|title=A Conversation with Tigran Mansurian|work=Music & Literature|last=Galstanian|first=Nairi|date=16 January 2014|accessdate=23 April 2018}}</ref> Each chapter is indicated by a title card and framed through both Sergei Parajanov's imagination and Sayat Nova's poems. Actress [[Sofiko Chiaureli]] notably plays six roles in the film, both male and female.<ref name="sayatnova">{{cite web|url=http://www.parajanov.com/sayatnova.html|title=The Color of Pomegranates (Sayat Nova)|publisher=[[Parajanov-Vartanov Institute]]|work=Parajanov.com|date=9 February 2017 |accessdate=23 April 2018}}</ref> According to Frank Williams, Parajanov's film celebrates the survival of [[Culture of Armenia|Armenian culture]] in face of oppression and persecution: "There are specific images that are highly charged—blood-red juice spilling from a cut pomegranate into a cloth and forming a stain in the shape of the boundaries of the ancient [[Kingdom of Armenia (antiquity)|Kingdom of Armenia]]; dyers lifting hanks of wool out of vats in the colours of the national flag, and so on".<ref>{{cite book|title=World Film Directors |volume=2: 1945-1985 |editor-first1=John |editor-last1=Wakeman |year=1987 |page=737 |isbn=978-0824207632 |publisher=[[H. W. Wilson Company]]}}</ref>

Parajanov said his inspiration was "the Armenian illuminated [[Miniature (illuminated manuscript)|miniature]]," and that he "wanted to create that inner dynamic that comes from inside the picture, the forms and the [[dramaturgy]] of colour."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.readabstracts.com/Retail-industry/Armenian-rhapsody-Strange-days.html|title=Armenian Rhapsody|last=Matossian|work=[[The Independent]]|first=Nouritza|year=1999|publisher=[[Financial Times]]|accessdate=23 April 2018}}</ref> He also described this film as a series of [[Persian miniature]]s.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.sensesofcinema.com/2009/cteq/the-colour-of-pomegranates/|title=The Colour of Pomegranates – Senses of Cinema|first=Rahul|last=Hamid}}</ref>

Some Russian versions of ''The Color of Pomegranates'' have Special Edition features.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.jamesmsteffen.net/2010/10/the_color_of_pomegranates_on_dvd/|title=The Color of Pomegranates: four DVD editions compared|website=Dreams and Pomp|last=Steffen|first=James|date=15 October 2010|accessdate=23 April 2018}}</ref> ''The Memories of Sayat Nova'', by Levon Grigoryan, is a 30-minute synopsis that explains what is happening in the tableaux and in each chapter of the poet's life. G. Smalley asserts that every carefully composed image in ''The Color of Pomegranates'' is coded to a meaning, but the key to interpreting them is missing. He agrees with Parajanov that "If someone sat down to watch ''The Color of Pomegranates'' with no background, they would have no idea what they were seeing."<ref>{{cite web|last=Smalley|first=Gregory J. |url=http://366weirdmovies.com/the-color-of-pomegranates-1969/|title=238. THE COLOR OF POMEGRANATES (1969)|date=11 May 2016|accessdate=27 March 2018|work=366 Weird Movies}}</ref> The making of the film and its different versions are explored in the other special features: "Introduction" by writer and filmmaker Daniel Bird; ''The World Is A Window: Making The Colour of Pomegranates''—a new documentary by Daniel Bird; and "Commentary" by Levon Abrahamyan, moderated by Daniel Bird.

=== Storytelling and "Tableaux Vivants" ===
[[Parajanov]] takes an unconventional approach to storytelling in ''The Color of Pomegranate''s. Rather than adhering to a traditional narrative structure, he opts for a series of visually captivating and carefully composed [[tableaux vivants]] to capture the essence of the poet [[Sayat-Nova]]'s life and creations. The outcome is a visually enchanting and symbolically rich exploration of art, culture, and spirituality. What adds a layer of intrigue to these tableaux is their inspiration from [[Parajanov]]'s own life experiences, as highlighted by Leah Feldman in her article ''Strange Love: Parajanov and the Affects of Late Soviet (Inter)nationalisms''. Feldman notes that the cinematic tableau vivant, marked by Parajanov's personal incarceration, draws upon the convergence of painting, sculpture, and theatrical arts. It depicts live subjects in static compositions, playing with the dynamics between movement and stillness, as well as the interplay between animate subjects and inanimate objects. Feldman further argues that the director's fascination with flatness, texture, and surface, as well as his exploration of the animation of everyday inanimate objects as artistic subjects, is rooted in his time in prison.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Feldman |first=Leah |title=Strange Love: Parajanov and the Affects of Late Soviet (Inter)nationalisms |publisher=[[Indiana University Press]] |year=2019 |page=80 |issn=1932-8656}}</ref> Each scene in the film is meticulously crafted to mirror a living painting or photograph, with actors strategically posed in visually arresting ways. The composition of each tableau is also a deliberate nod to the visual aesthetics found in Armenian illuminated manuscripts and religious art.

== Cast and crew ==
* [[Sofiko Chiaureli]] – Poet as a Youth/Poet's Love/Poet's Muse/Mime/Angel of Resurrection
* Melkon Aleksanyan – Poet as a child (as Melkon Alekyan)
* [[Vilen Galstyan]] – Poet in the cloister
* Giorgi Gegechkori – Poet as an old man
* [[Spartak Bagashvili]] – Poet's father
* [[Medea Japaridze]] – Poet's mother
* Hovhannes Minasyan – Prince
* Onik Minasyan – Prince
* Mikael Arakelyan – Set decorator
* Stepan Andranikyan – Production designer
* [[Mikhail Vartanov]] – Behind-the-scenes documentarian

==Locations==
The film was shot at numerous historic sites in Armenia, including the [[Sanahin Monastery]], the [[Haghpat Monastery]], the St. John church at [[Ardvi]], and the [[Akhtala Monastery]]. All are medieval churches in the northern [[Lori Province|province of Lori]]. Locations in Georgia included the [[Alaverdi Monastery]], the countryside surrounding the [[David Gareja monastery complex]], and the [[Old Shuamta|Dzveli Shuamta complex]] near [[Telavi]]. Azerbaijani locations included the [[Old City (Baku)|Old City of Baku]] and [[Nardaran Fortress]].<ref>{{cite book|first=James |last=Steffen |title=The Cinema of Sergei Parajanov |location=[[Madison, Wisconsin|Madison]] |publisher=[[University of Wisconsin Press]] |year=2013 |pages=128–129|oclc=830992797 }}</ref>

==Censorship==
Soviet censors and Communist Party officials objected to Parajanov's stylized, poetic treatment of Sayat-Nova's life, and complained that it failed to educate the public about the poet. As a result, the film's title was changed from ''Sayat-Nova'' to ''The Color of Pomegranates'', and all references to Sayat-Nova's name were removed from the credits and chapter titles in the original Armenian release version. The Armenian writer [[Hrant Matevosyan]] wrote new, abstractly poetic Armenian-language chapter titles. Officials further objected to the film's abundance of religious imagery, although a great deal of religious imagery still remains in both surviving versions of the film. Initially the [[State Committee for Cinematography]] in Moscow refused to allow distribution of the film outside of Armenia. It premiered in Armenia in October 1969, with a running time of 77 minutes.<ref>Steffen, 131-132.</ref>

The filmmaker [[Sergei Yutkevich]], who had served as a reader for the script in the [[State Committee for Cinematography]]'s Script Editorial board, recut the film slightly and created new Russian-language chapter titles in order to make the film easier to understand and more palatable to the authorities. In addition to cutting a few minutes' worth of footage—some of it clearly due to its religious content—he changed the order of some sequences. The film ultimately received only a limited release in the rest of the Soviet Union, in Yutkevich's 73-minute version.<ref>Steffen, 133.</ref>

==Reception and legacy==
On [[review aggregator]] website [[Rotten Tomatoes]], the film has an approval rating of 94% based on 18 retrospectively collected reviews, with an average rating of 7.2/10.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Color of Pomegranates (1980) |work=[[Rotten Tomatoes]] |publisher=[[Fandango Media|Fandango]] |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_color_of_pomegranates/ |accessdate=18 March 2023}}</ref> In 1980 [[Janet Maslin]] of ''[[The New York Times]]'' wrote that "the film is elusive in any circumstances. However, anything this purely mysterious has its magic."<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9801EED71638F935A35753C1A966948260|title=SOVIET POMEGRANTES|last=Maslin|first=Janet|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|date=6 October 1980|accessdate=20 March 2017|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20170320233921/http://www.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9801EED71638F935A35753C1A966948260|archivedate=20 March 2017}}</ref> ''The Color of Pomegranates'' made the Top 10 list for 1982 in ''[[Cahiers du cinéma]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://alumnus.caltech.edu/~ejohnson/critics/cahiers.html#y1982|title=''Cahiers du Cinema'': 1951-2011|first=Eric C.|last=Johnson|publisher=Mist Driven Enterprises|accessdate=23 April 2018}}</ref>

Filmmaker [[Mikhail Vartanov]] has said, "Besides the film language suggested by [[D.W. Griffith|Griffith]] and [[Sergei Eisenstein|Eisenstein]], the world cinema has not discovered anything revolutionarily new until ''The Color of Pomegranates'', not counting the generally unaccepted language of the ''[[Un Chien Andalou|Andalusian Dog]]'' by [[Luis Buñuel|Buñuel]]". According to [[Michelangelo Antonioni]], "Parajanov's ''Color of Pomegranates'' is of a stunningly perfect beauty. Parajanov, in my opinion, is one of the best film directors in the world."<ref name="main">{{cite web|url=http://www.parajanov.com/main.html|title=Main|publisher=[[Parajanov-Vartanov Institute]]|work=Parajanov.com|date=9 February 2017 |accessdate=23 April 2018}}</ref>

French filmmaker [[Jean-Luc Godard]] said, "In the temple of cinema there are images, light and reality. Sergei Paradjanov was the master of that temple."<ref>{{cite web |url=https://uwpress.wisc.edu/books/5005.htm |title=The Cinema of Sergei Parajanov |publisher=The University of Wisconsin Press |accessdate=12 October 2023}}</ref>

Film critic [[Gilbert Adair]] argued that "although in both style and content it gives us the impression, somehow, of predating the invention of the cinema, no historian of the medium who ignores ''The Color of Pomegranates'' can ever be taken seriously."<ref name="auto"/> The work ranked 84th in the 2012 ''[[Sight & Sound]]'' critics' poll of the world's greatest films<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b6e73c109/sightandsoundpoll2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170320234202/http://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b6e73c109/sightandsoundpoll2012|url-status=dead|archive-date=March 20, 2017|title=Votes for The Colour of Pomegranates (1968)|publisher=[[British Film Institute]]|work=The Greatest Films of All Time 2012|accessdate=20 March 2017}}</ref> and appeared in another list of the greatest films by ''[[Time Out Group|Time Out]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.filmsite.org/timeoutD.html|title=Top 100 Films (Centenary) (part 4)|author=Time Out Film Guide|author-link=Time Out (magazine)|website=[[Filmsite.org]]|publisher=[[AMC Networks]]|accessdate=23 April 2018}}</ref>

==Restoration==
In 2014 the film was digitally restored and re-edited to be as close as possible to the director's original vision and world premiered at the 67th Cannes Film Festival.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://parajanov.com/thecolorofpomegranates/|title=The Color of Pomegranates|publisher=[[Parajanov-Vartanov Institute]]|work=Parajanov.com|date=28 December 2016 |accessdate=23 April 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.festival-cannes.com/en/films/sayat-nova|title=Sayat Nova|publisher=[[Cannes Film Festival]]|accessdate=23 April 2018}}</ref> The US premiere took place on 20 September 2014 at The Academy at [[Los Angeles County Museum of Art]] (LACMA), and was introduced by Martiros Vartanov. The East Coast premiere took place at the 52nd [[New York Film Festival]] on 2 October 2014, and was introduced by [[Martin Scorsese]]. The restoration was completed by Scorsese's [[The Film Foundation|Film Foundation]] in conjunction with [[Cineteca di Bologna]], and was described by critic and Toronto festival programmer [[James Quandt]] as "a cinematic Holy Grail".<ref name="auto"/> Martin Scorsese received the 2014 [[Parajanov-Vartanov Institute]] Award for the restoration of ''The Color of Pomegranates''.<ref name="sayatnova"/>

A [[Blu-ray]] of the restoration was released in the UK on 19 February 2018,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.blu-ray.com/movies/The-Color-of-Pomegranates-Blu-ray/185744/|title=The Color of Pomegranates Blu-ray|work=Blu-ray.com|accessdate=23 April 2018}}</ref> and an American release by [[The Criterion Collection|Criterion]] with Mikhail Vartanov's 1969 documentary ''The Color of Armenian Land'' on 17 April 2018.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.criterion.com/films/29219-the-color-of-pomegranates|title=The Color of Pomegranates|publisher=[[The Criterion Collection]]|accessdate=23 April 2018}}</ref>

==Queerness in the film==
The film is further characterized by [[queer]] and [[Androgyny|androgynous]] imagery. For example, the main actress [[Sofiko Chiaureli]] plays both the Poet and his lover; imagery like the conch shell and feather, symbols of the female and male respectively, are used in tandem by multiple characters; and the young poet's sexual awakening comes when he sees nude male and female bodies in the bath house. This is in line with [[Sergei Parajanov|Parajanov]]’s own life, as he was convicted for homosexual acts, as well as nationalism, multiple times in [[Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic|Georgia]] (1948) and [[Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic|Ukraine]] (1973, imprisoned in Russia),<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-01-09 |title=50 years after Soviet trial, Ukraine officially exonerates renowned filmmaker Parajanov |url=https://life.liga.net/en/all/news/sergeya-paradzhanova-ofitsialno-reabilitirovali-spustya-50-let-posle-suda |access-date=2024-05-06 |website=LIGA |language=en}}</ref> which [[LGBT history in the Soviet Union|discriminated against homosexual people]] due to demographic concerns and a [[Stalinism|Stalinist]] ideological basis: homosexuality was seen as a social disease that threatened the collective Soviet ethos.<ref name="auto2">Encyclopedia of Homosexuality, Volume 2 – Marxism</ref> Thus, this androgyny can be read as parallel to the film’s disruption of the traditional ethnic unity, permeated by state ideology, which it accomplishes by interweaving facets of Armenian, Georgian, Ukrainian, and Russian cultural traditions.<ref>Feldman, 74.</ref>

==Influence in popular culture==
[[Madonna]]'s 1995 music video ''[[Bedtime Story (Madonna song)|Bedtime Story]]'' restages some content from the movie (such as the scene of a young child lying in a fetal position on a pentagram on the floor while an adult covers it with a blanket, and another where a naked foot crushes a bunch of grapes lying on an inscribed tablet), among other artistic inspiration depicting dreams and surrealist artwork in the video.<ref name="auto1">{{Cite web|url=https://parajanov.com/influences/|title=Influences|date=January 2, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|last = Steffen|first = James|title = The Cinema of Sergei Parajanov|year = 2013|publisher = [[University of Wisconsin Press]]|isbn = 9780299296537|page=251}}</ref>

Without permission, [[Nicolas Jaar]] released the album ''[[Pomegranates (album)|Pomegranates]]'', described as an "alternative soundtrack" for the movie, in 2015.<ref>[http://pitchfork.com/news/60107-nicolas-jaar-releases-free-album-pomegranates/ "Nicolas Jaar Releases Free Album ''Pomegranates''" - Pitchfork Media, 24 June 2015. Retrieved 23 December 2015.]</ref> A screening of the film with a live performance by Jaar was scheduled at Cinefamily in Los Angeles for February 22, 2017, but the performance was replaced with the original soundtrack due to objections from the [[Parajanov-Vartanov Institute]] and The Film Foundation that the live performance would not present the film as Parajanov intended it.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://parajanov.com/news/|title=News|date=February 9, 2017}}</ref>

[[Lady Gaga]]'s "[[911 (Lady Gaga song)|911]]" music video released in September 2020 is openly influenced by the movie.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Lady Gaga's "911" Video Inspiration, Explained|url=https://www.wmagazine.com/story/lady-gaga-911-music-video-inspiration-explained/|access-date=2020-09-26|website=W Magazine {{!}} Women's Fashion & Celebrity News|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://parajanov.com/ladygaga/|title=Lady Gaga + Parajanov's Pomegranates|date=November 12, 2020}}</ref><ref name="auto1"/><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2014/02/27/parajanovs-influence-still-spreading-on-90th-anniversary-a32541|title=Parajanov's Influence Still Spreading on 90th Anniversary|first=D. Garrison|last=Golubock|date=February 27, 2014|website=The Moscow Times}}</ref>

==See also==
*[[Cinema of Armenia]]
*[[List of biographical films]]
*[[List of films based on poems]]

==Notes==
{{Notelist}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{IMDb title}}
* {{Rotten Tomatoes|2=The Color of Pomegranates}}
* {{AllMovie title}}
* {{TCMDb title|id=558975}}
* {{Internet Archive film|ColorOfPomegranates-SayatNova1968|name=''The Color of Pomegranates''}} ([https://www.archive.org/details/1968ruEngSubsColorOfThePomegranatesayatNova English subtitles])
* [http://www.reverseshot.com/legacy/spring04/color.html The Color of Pomegranates at Reverse Shot Online]
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vnBqabEQELc&t=1s Excerpt from Criterion Collection's official YouTube channel]
* [https://www.criterion.com/current/posts/5572-the-color-of-pomegranates-parajanov-unbound ''The Color of Pomegranates: Parajanov Unbound''] – an essay by [[Ian Christie (film scholar)|Ian Christie]] at [[The Criterion Collection]]

{{Sergei Parajanov}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Color Of Pomegranates, The}}
[[Category:1969 films]]
[[Category:1969 drama films]]
[[Category:1960s avant-garde and experimental films]]
[[Category:1960s biographical drama films]]
[[Category:Armenfilm films]]
[[Category:Armenian-language films]]
[[Category:Biographical films about poets]]
[[Category:Censored films]]
[[Category:Films based on poems]]
[[Category:Films directed by Sergei Parajanov]]
[[Category:Films set in the 18th century]]
[[Category:Nonlinear narrative films]]
[[Category:Russian avant-garde and experimental films]]
[[Category:Russian biographical drama films]]
[[Category:Soviet avant-garde and experimental films]]
[[Category:Soviet biographical drama films]]
[[Category:Soviet historical drama films]]
[[Category:Soviet musical drama films]]
[[Category:Soviet-era Armenian films]]

Cold Fever

2024-10-02T02:02:28Z

98.18.198.104: /* External links */

{{short description|1994 film by Friðrik Þór Friðriksson}}
{{Infobox film
| name = Cold Fever
| image = Cold Fever poster.jpg

| caption = Icelandic theatrical poster.
| director = [[Friðrik Þór Friðriksson]]
| producer = Jim Stark
| writer = Friðrik Þór Friðriksson Jim Stark
| starring = [[Masatoshi Nagase]] [[Lili Taylor]] [[Fisher Stevens]]
| music = [[Hilmar Örn Hilmarsson]]
| cinematography = Ari Kristinsson
| editing = Steingrímur Karlsson
| distributor = Artistic License Films Iceland Film Corporation
| released = {{Film date|1996|02|23|USA}}
| runtime = 85 minutes
| country = [[Iceland]]
| language = [[English language|English]] / [[Icelandic language|Icelandic]] / [[Japanese language|Japanese]]
| budget = [[Icelandic króna|ISK]] 130,000,000
}}
'''''Cold Fever''''' ({{lang-is|'''Á köldum klaka'''}}) is a 1995 Icelandic film directed by [[Friðrik Þór Friðriksson]]. It is a road movie set in [[Iceland]] and was the first of Friðrik's films to be made in the [[English language]]. The movie depicts the travels of a [[Japanese people|Japanese man]] across Iceland. It was jokingly promoted as the best Icelandic-Japanese road movie of 1995.<ref>[https://www.bfi.org.uk/lists/10-great-icelandic-films "10 great Icelandic films."] Sarah Lutton, ''BFI'' 23 January 2018</ref>

==Synopsis==
Hirata is a successful Japanese businessman whose plan for a two-week winter holiday in Hawaii to play golf changes when his elderly grandfather reminds him that he should go to Iceland.

Hirata's parents died there seven years ago, and the seven-year anniversary of a death is a significant event in Japanese culture. Hirata must perform a ceremony in the river where they died after drowning in an avalanche – the drowned must be fed by the surviving family members if they are to find peace.

Hirata arrives in [[Reykjavík]], Iceland. His final destination is a remote river on the far side of the island. He encounters one mishap and misadventure after another. He first accidentally gets on a wrong bus filled with German tourists traveling to see the hot springs. He also confronts a language barrier; Hirata cannot speak any Icelandic, and knows very little English. After his first day's misadventures, Hirata decides to purchase an ancient, bright red [[Citroën DS]] to make the journey. During the long drive, Hirata meets several strange people along the way. These include the mystical woman who sells him the car, which only plays one radio station. Next, Hirata meets a local woman who collects photographs of funerals. The following day, Hirata meets Jack and Jill, two American hitchhikers, who turn out to be armed and dangerous fugitives who proceed to steal his car. Nearing his destination on foot, Hirata arrives in a small village where he meets an old man named Siggi, the owner of a local lodge who teaches Hirata how to drink the most potent alcoholic beverage in Iceland.

After explaining his determination to travel to where his parents died, Hirata is aided by Siggi who borrows a pair of Icelandic horses from a local farmer, and the two of them travel on horseback to Hirata's destination. After riding across an ice cap glacier, over a ridge and into the valley where Hirata's parents died, he dismounts and tells Siggi that he must go on alone to complete his journey. After traversing a rickety bridge to the river, Hirata arrives at the river bank where he performs his cleansing ceremony at last. He then rejoins Siggi waiting for him and they both ride on their horses down a gully where they make it to a beach and the final shot shows them riding down the coast towards a nearby coastal village which hopefully will have a ferry to take Hirata back to Reykjavík and presumably back to Japan.

==Credits==
===Cast===
*[[Masatoshi Nagase]]: Hirata
*[[Lili Taylor]]: Jill
*[[Fisher Stevens]]: Jack
*[[Gísli Halldórsson]]: Siggi
*[[Seijun Suzuki]]: Grandfather
*Laura Huges: Laura
*Jóhannes B. Guðmundsson: Old Man
*Bríet Héðinsdóttir: Old Woman
*Guðmundur Karl Sigurdórsson: Guest at Thorrablot (uncredited)
*[[Magnús Ólafsson (actor)|Magnús Ólafsson]]
*Rúrik Haraldsson
*[[Flosi Ólafsson]]: Hotel owner
*Ari Matthíasson
*Álfrún Örnólfsdóttir
*Hallbjörn Hjartarson: Cowboy of the North
*Katrín Ólafsdóttir

===Crew===
* Director: [[Friðrik Þór Friðriksson]]
* Screenplay: Jim Stark and Friðrik Þór Friðriksson
* Producer: Jim Stark
* Co-producer: [[George Gund III]]
* Executive producer: Reinhard Brundig, [[Peter Aalbæk Jensen]], and Christa Saredi
* Line producer: Ari Kristinsson
* Director of Photography: Ari Kristinsson
* Production Designer: Árni Páll Jóhannsson
* Editor: Steingrímur Karlsson
* Film edition: Steingrímur Karlsson
* Sound Design: Kjartan Kjartansson
* Sound edition: Ingvar Lundberg
* Music: [[Hilmar Örn Hilmarsson]]
** Featuring “Killer Boogie” by [[Þeyr]]
* Costume design: María Ólafsdóttir
* Production manager: Inga Björk Sólnes
* Gaffer: Andreas Burkhard
* Generator operator: Eggert Einarsson
* Still photography: Mark Higashino
* Script supervisor: Inga Lísa Middleton
* Colour grader: Petra Schütt
* Production: Icelandic Film Corporation, Iciclefilm, [[Pandora Film]], [[Bandai Namco Filmworks|Sunrise Inc.]], [[Zentropa|Zentropa Entertainments]], [[George Gund III]]
* Support: Film Fond of Hamburg

== Critical response ==
On [[review aggregator]] website [[Rotten Tomatoes]], the film holds an approval rating of 95% based on 20 reviews, and an [[Weighted arithmetic mean|average rating]] of 7.5/10.<ref>{{Citation|title=Cold Fever|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/cold_fever|language=en|accessdate=2018-06-03}}</ref>

==See also==
''[[The Goddess of 1967]]'', another movie in which a successful Japanese man travels foreign land in a newly purchased bright (this time pink) 1967 Citroen DS and meets strange characters, though this time in Australia.

==References==
{{more citations needed|date=November 2009}}
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* ''[https://archive.today/20070107063229/http://www.icecorp.is/web/HomeEntertainment/ColdFever?ArticleID=108 Cold Fever]'' at the Icelandic Film Corporation
* {{IMDb title|id=0109028|title=Cold Fever}}
* {{Rotten Tomatoes|2=Cold Fever}}
* {{AllMovie title|135837|Cold Fever}}
* ''[https://archive.today/20140530145504/http://shopicelandic.com/store/dvd-s/icelandic-movies/cold-fever-a-koeldum-klaka-dvd-detail Cold Fever]'' at the Shopicelandic.com

{{Friðrik Þór Friðriksson}}
{{Festroia Best Film}}

[[Category:1995 films]]
[[Category:1990s adventure films]]
[[Category:1995 comedy-drama films]]
[[Category:English-language Icelandic films]]
[[Category:1990s Icelandic-language films]]
[[Category:Icelandic independent films]]
[[Category:1990s road movies]]
[[Category:Films directed by Friðrik Þór Friðriksson]]
[[Category:Films scored by Hilmar Örn Hilmarsson]]
[[Category:Films set in Iceland]]
[[Category:Japan in non-Japanese culture]]
[[Category:1990s English-language films]]
[[Category:1995 multilingual films]]
[[Category:Icelandic multilingual films]]
[[Category:English-language comedy-drama films]]

Cockfighter

2024-10-02T02:00:07Z

98.18.198.104: /* External links */

{{Short description|1974 film by Monte Hellman}}
{{About||the racehorse|Cockfighter (horse)|people who pit roosters against each other in blood sport|Cockfight}}
{{Infobox film
| name = Cockfighter
| image = Image:Cockfighter poster.jpg
| caption = US [[film poster]]
| screenplay = [[Charles Willeford]]
| based_on = {{based on|''Cockfighter'' 1972 novel|Charles Willeford}}
| starring = {{plainlist|
* [[Warren Oates]]
* [[Richard B. Shull]]
* [[Harry Dean Stanton]]
* [[Patricia Pearcy]]
* [[Millie Perkins]]
}}
| director = [[Monte Hellman]]
| producer = [[Roger Corman]]
| music = [[Michael Franks (musician)|Michael Franks]]
| cinematography = [[Néstor Almendros]]
| editing = [[Lewis Teague]]
| studio = Artists Entertainment Complex
| distributor = [[New World Pictures]]
| released = {{Film date|1974|7|30|[[Roswell, Georgia]]}}<ref name="AFI" />
| runtime = 83 minutes
| country = United States
| language = English
| budget = $400,000<ref name="AFI" />
}}
'''''Cockfighter''''' (also known as '''''Born to Kill''''', '''''Gamblin' Man''''' and '''''Wild Drifter''''') is a 1974 [[drama film]] by director [[Monte Hellman]], starring [[Warren Oates]], [[Harry Dean Stanton]] and featuring [[Laurie Bird]] and [[Ed Begley, Jr.]] The screenplay is based on the 1962 novel of the same title by [[Charles Willeford]].<ref name="AFI">{{cite web|title=Detail view of Movies page: Cockfighter|url=https://catalog.afi.com/Catalog/moviedetails/67581|publisher=[[American Film Institute]]|access-date=May 20, 2017}}</ref>

==Plot==
A mute Frank Mansfield is locked inside a trailer preparing his best cock for an upcoming fight. He slices the chicken's beak slightly so that it looks cracked in order to obtain higher betting odds in the upcoming fight. He bets his trailer, his girlfriend, and the remainder of his money with fellow cocker Jack. Mansfield loses the fight because of the cracked beak.

Frank visits his home town, his family farm, and his long-time fiancée, Mary Elizabeth. Mary Elizabeth has long grown tired of Mansfield's cockfighter ways and asks him to settle down with her. Frank decides in favor of cockfighting, leaves Mary Elizabeth, sells the family farm for money to reinvest in chickens, and starts a partnership with Omar Baradinsky. The partnership takes them all the way to the cockfighting championships.

==Cast==
* [[Warren Oates]] as Frank Mansfield
* [[Richard B. Shull]] as Omar Baradansky
* [[Harry Dean Stanton]] as Jack Burke
* [[Ed Begley, Jr.]] as Tom Peeples
* [[Laurie Bird]] as Dody White Burke
* [[Troy Donahue]] as Randall Mansfield
* [[Warren Finnerty]] as Sanders
* [[Robert Earl Jones]] as Buford
* [[Patricia Pearcy]] as Mary Elizabeth
* [[Millie Perkins]] as Frances Mansfield
* [[Steve Railsback]] as Junior
* [[Tom Spratley]] as Mr. Peeples
* [[Charles Willeford]] as Ed Middleton
* Pete Munro as Packard
* Kermit Echols as Fred Reed

==Screenplay==
[[Image:Born to Kill (1974 film).jpg|thumb|left|''Cockfighter'' re-released as ''Born to Kill''. Film poster by John Solie]]
Willeford adapted the novel to the screen himself and made several major plot changes among many smaller changes in detail. The author indicated that ''Cockfighter'' is based loosely on the structure of the ''[[Odyssey]]''.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Willeford|first1=Charles|title=From "Cockfighter" to "Born to Kill"|journal=Film Quarterly|volume=29|issue=1|year=1975|pages=20–24|issn=0015-1386|doi=10.2307/1211837|jstor=1211837}}
</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Herron |first=Don |title=Willeford |publisher=Dennis McMillan Publications |date=2003}}</ref> so it is most significant that the author removed the entire subplot with the beautiful widow Berenice, perhaps the [[Calypso (mythology)|Calypso]] character. Removing this character also excluded the protagonist's short-lived music career from the plot, although the movie does show Mansfield plucking a guitar at one point. Two other significant characters in the novel are also missing from the movie: Doc Riordan (a pharmacist/inventor who supplies Mansfield with conditioning medicines for his chickens) and the judge who sells the Mansfield farm. The final scene of the movie also presents a dramatic shift from the end of the book: Mansfield claims that Mary Elizabeth loves him as she walks off, whereas in the book he realizes that the relationship is over and he is free.

There are many subtle details changed in the movie, most of which are insignificant to the plot. For example, it is emphasized in the book that Icky is a rare blue chicken, whereas in the movie he is a white chicken called "White Lightning". The Mansfield farm is in [[Ocala, Florida]] in the book, in [[Decatur, Georgia]] in the movie. Possibly for some comic relief in the movie, Baradinsky goes back to the motel tournament, rather than driving on to a separate tournament as in the novel. He hides his cash under the dead chickens in the bathtub and does not lose money like everyone else in the holdup. By the time of the [[Milledgeville, Georgia]] tournament, Middleton's wife had died in the book, but in the movie Middleton (played by Willeford himself) refers to his wife as living. And finally, in the movie, Mansfield does not "regain" his voice until after Mary Elizabeth leaves.

==Reception==
The film struggled to find an audience; Roger Corman said that it was the only movie that he backed in the 1970s that lost money. He had it re-cut and re-released under the title ''Born to Kill'', but it still did not succeed.<ref name="franco">Ed. J. Philip di Franco, ''The Movie World of Roger Corman'', Chelsea House Publishers, 1979 p 153</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Bibliography==
* {{cite book|last=Simpson|first=Paul|title=Movie Lists: 397 Ways to Pick a DVD|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YnUfSocAlpYC&pg=PA261|date=26 May 2011|publisher=Profile Books|isbn=978-1-84765-355-0|pages=261–}}
* {{cite book|last=Stevens|first=Brad|title=Monte Hellman: His Life and Films|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=cl2WzqT6hi8C&pg=PA187|date=18 March 2003|publisher=McFarland|isbn=978-0-7864-8188-0|pages=187–}}
*
==External links==
* {{IMDb title|0071338|Cockfighter}}
* {{Rotten Tomatoes|m/cockfighter|Cockfighter}}
* {{amg movie|10277}}
* {{tcmdb title|id=69426}}
* {{AFI film|67581}}
* Two articles by Jonathan Rosenbaum and Toshi Fujiwara about COCKFIGHTER on ''La furia umana'' in the dossier dedicated to Monte Hellman [http://www.lafuriaumana.it/index.php/archive/56-la-furia-umana-nd8-springtime-2011/330-cockfighter]

{{Monte Hellman}}

[[Category:1974 films]]
[[Category:Films based on American novels]]
[[Category:Films directed by Monte Hellman]]
[[Category:Cockfighting in film]]
[[Category:Films produced by Roger Corman]]
[[Category:Films shot in Georgia (U.S. state)]]
[[Category:1970s English-language films]]

I clowns

2024-10-02T01:51:30Z

98.18.198.104: /* External links */

{{For|other films with similar names|The Clown (disambiguation)}}
{{Infobox film
| name = I clowns
| image = The Clowns (film).jpg
| director = [[Federico Fellini]]
| writer = '''Story and Screenplay:''' [[Federico Fellini]] [[Bernardino Zapponi]]
| starring = [[Federico Fellini]]
| producer = Elio Scardamaglia
| editing = [[Ruggero Mastroianni]]
| music = [[Nino Rota]]
| cinematography = [[Dario Di Palma]]
| released = {{Film date|1970|12|25}}
| runtime = 92 minutes
| language = Italian
}}
'''''I clowns''''' (also known as '''''The Clowns''''') is a 1970 [[mockumentary]] film by [[Federico Fellini]] about the human fascination with [[clown]]s and [[circus]]es.<ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/film/2014/oct/26/i-clowns-review-philip-french-fellini-1970 I Clowns review] by [[Philip French]] at [[The Guardian]], October 26, 2014</ref>

==Plot summary==
{{Expand section|date=November 2022}}

==Cast==
===Main===
* [[Riccardo Billi]] as himself – Italian Clown (credited as Billi)
* [[Federico Fellini]] as himself
* [[Gigi Reder]] as himself – Italian Clown (credited as Reder)
* [[Tino Scotti]] as himself – Italian Clown (credited as Scotti)
* Valentini as himself – Italian Clown
* [[Fanfulla]] as himself – Italian Clown
* [[Merli]] as himself – Italian Clown
* [[Carlo Rizzo]] as himself – Italian Clown (credited as Rizzo)
* Colombaioni as Themselves – Italian Clowns (credited as I 4 Colombaioni)
* Pistoni as himself – Italian Clown
* Martana as Themselves – Italian Clowns (credited as I Martana)
* [[Giacomo Furia]] as himself – Italian Clown (credited as Furia)
* [[Alvaro Vitali]] as himself (The Troupe)
* [[Dante Maggio]] as himself – Italian Clown (credited as Maggio)
* Galliano Sbarra as himself – Italian Clown (credited as Sbarra)
* Peppino Janigro as himself – Italian Clown (credited as Janigro)
* Carini as himself – Italian Clown
* Maunsell as himself – Italian Clown
* [[Nino Terzo]] as himself – Italian Clown (credited as Terzo)
* Osiride Pevarello as Clown (Credited as Peverello)
* [[Nino Vingelli]] as himself – Italian Clown (credited as Vingelli)
* [[Alberto Sorrentino]] as himself – Italian Clown (credited as Sorrentino)
* Fumagalli as himself – Italian Clown
* Valdemaro as himself – Italian Clown
* Luigi Zerbinati as himself – Italian Clown (credited as Zerbinati)
* Ettore Bevilacqua as himself – Italian Clown (credited as Bevilacqua)
* Maya Morin as Maya (La troupe)
* Anna Lina Alberti as herself – Alvaro's mother (La troupe) (credited as Lina Alberti)
* Gasparin as Gasparino (La troupe)
* Alex as himself – French Clown
* [[Georges Loriot]] as himself – French Clown (credited as Père Loriot)
* Maïs as himself – French Clown
* Bario as himself – French Clown
* Ludo as himself – French Clown
* Nino as himself – French Clown
* [[Charlie Rivel]] as himself
* [[Pierre Étaix]] as himself
* [[Annie Fratellini]] as herself
* Victor Fratellini as himself
* [[Jean-Baptiste Thierrée|Jean-Baptiste Thiérrée]] as himself (credited as Baptiste)
* Tristan Remy as himself
* [[Liana Orfei]] as herself
* Rinaldo Orfei as himself
* Nando Orfei as himself
* Franco Migliorini as himself – Animal Tamer
* [[Anita Ekberg]] as herself

===Cameo/Uncredited===
* [[Maria Grazia Buccella]] as herself
* Aristide Caporale as Railwayman
* [[Victoria Chaplin]] as herself
* Liliana Chiari as herself
* Dante Cleri as Fascist
* Shirley Corrigan as Audience member
* Feverello as himself – Italian Clown
* Gustavo Fratellini as himself – Italian Clown
* Adelina Poerio as Dwarf nun

==Production==
The film was made for the Italian TV station [[RAI]] with an agreement that it would be released simultaneously as a cinema feature.<ref>Baxter, J.: ''Fellini'', page 260. St. Martins Press, 1993.</ref> RAI and co-producer Leone Film compromised on its release, with RAI broadcasting it on Christmas Day, 1970, and Leone Film releasing it theatrically in Italy the following day, December 26, 1970.<ref>Baxter, J.: ''Fellini'', page 270. St. Martins Press, 1993.</ref>

It is a [[docufiction]]: part reality, part fantasy. The film has sometimes been referred to as one of the first [[mockumentary|mockumentaries]] in film history (Woody Allen's ''[[Take the Money and Run (film)|Take the Money and Run]]'' having been released in just the previous year).<ref>[http://the-artifice.com/i-clowns-fellini-mockumentary/ I clowns: Fellini's Mockumentary] - article at ''[[The Artifice (magazine)|The Artifice]]''</ref> Being [[documentary]] and [[fiction]] in one, ''The Clowns'' distinguishes itself by being a mockumentary with unique characteristics, not the least of which is reflecting Fellini's own increasing fascination with how documentary films reflect "reality". Fellini had already explored this semi-fictional documentary genre in 1969's ''[[Fellini: A Director's Notebook]]'' and would further do so in 1987's ''[[Intervista]]'', both of which contain unreliable depictions of Fellini himself making the film within the film narrative.

==Reception==
The film has a 100% approval rating on [[Rotten Tomatoes]], based on 18 reviews with an average rating of 6.9/10.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_clowns|title=I Clowns (The Clowns) (1970) |access-date=11 July 2018 |work=[[Rotten Tomatoes]] |publisher=[[Fandango Media]]}}</ref> Film Critic [[Roger Ebert]] gave the film three stars out of four.<ref>{{cite web|title=The Clowns|url=https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-clowns-1971|website=rogerebert.com|date=7 July 1971}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==External links==
* {{IMDb title|id=0066922|title=I clowns}}
* {{amg movie|10060}}
* {{tcmdb title|id=491756}}
* {{Rotten Tomatoes|m/the_clowns|I clowns}}

{{Federico Fellini}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Clowns, The}}
[[Category:Docufiction films]]
[[Category:1970 films]]
[[Category:1970s fantasy comedy films]]
[[Category:Films directed by Federico Fellini]]
[[Category:1970s Italian-language films]]
[[Category:Films about clowns]]
[[Category:Films with screenplays by Federico Fellini]]
[[Category:Films scored by Nino Rota]]
[[Category:Italian fantasy comedy films]]
[[Category:1970 comedy films]]
[[Category:1970s Italian films]]

Cloverfield

2024-10-02T01:46:12Z

98.18.198.104: /* External links */

{{Short description|2008 monster film by Matt Reeves}}
{{About|the 2008 film|the film franchise|Cloverfield (franchise){{!}}''Cloverfield'' (franchise)}}
{{Use American English|date=June 2023}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2018}}
{{Infobox film
| name = Cloverfield
| image = Cloverfield theatrical poster.jpg
| alt = A decapitated Statue of Liberty is in front of a partially wrecked city.
| caption = Theatrical release poster
| director = [[Matt Reeves]]
| producer = {{Plainlist|
* [[Bryan Burk]]
* J. J. Abrams
}}
| writer = [[Drew Goddard]]
| starring = {{Plainlist|
* [[Lizzy Caplan]]
* [[Jessica Lucas]]
* [[T.J. Miller]]
* [[Michael Stahl-David]]
* [[Mike Vogel]]
* [[Odette Yustman]]
}}
| music = 
| cinematography = Michael Bonvillain
| editing = [[Kevin Stitt (film editor)|Kevin Stitt]]
| studio = [[Bad Robot]]
| distributor = [[Paramount Pictures]]
| released = {{Film date|2008|01|18}}
| runtime = 85 minutes<ref>{{cite web |title=''CLOVERFIELD'' (15) |url=https://www.bbfc.co.uk/releases/cloverfield-2008-0 |work=[[British Board of Film Classification]] |date=January 4, 2008 |access-date=June 29, 2013}}</ref>
| country = United States
| language = English
| budget = $25–30 million<ref name="BOM">{{cite web |url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=cloverfield.htm |title=Weekend Box Office |website=[[Box Office Mojo]] |access-date=February 26, 2008}}</ref><ref name="rolls"/>
| gross = $172.4 million
}}

'''''Cloverfield''''' is a 2008 American [[Found footage (film technique)|found footage]] [[Horror film|horror]] [[monster movie|monster film]] directed by [[Matt Reeves]], produced by [[J. J. Abrams]], and written by [[Drew Goddard]]. It stars [[Lizzy Caplan]], [[Jessica Lucas]], [[T.J. Miller]] (in his film debut), [[Michael Stahl-David]], [[Mike Vogel]], and [[Odette Annable]]. The plot follows six young [[New York City]] residents fleeing from [[Clover (creature)|a massive monster]] and various other smaller creatures that attack the city during a farewell party.

Development began when producer [[J. J. Abrams]] started conceptualizing a new monster and enlisted [[Neville Page]] to design the creature, called [[Clover (creature)|Clover]]. In February 2007, the project was secretly [[greenlit]] by [[Paramount Pictures]] and produced by Abrams's [[Bad Robot]]. [[Principal photography]] took place in [[Los Angeles]] and New York City in 2007. The project had several working titles, including ''Slusho'', ''Cheese'', and ''Greyshot''. As part of a [[viral marketing]] campaign, a teaser trailer was released ahead of screenings of ''[[Transformers (film)|Transformers]]'' (2007) without a title. The final title was revealed in a second teaser trailer attached to screenings of ''[[Beowulf (2007 film)|Beowulf]]'' (2007). With limited pre-release details, it garnered online speculation, including forums and websites dedicated to uncovering hidden information about the film. Several tie-ins, including a [[Cloverfield/Kishin|prequel manga series]], were released as part of the marketing campaign.

''Cloverfield'' was released on January 18, 2008, and received positive reviews from critics, who praised Reeves's direction and the [[cinéma vérité]] style narrative. It earned $172 million worldwide at the box office against a $25 million budget. It is the first installment of the [[Cloverfield (franchise)|''Cloverfield'' franchise]], followed by ''[[10 Cloverfield Lane]]'' in 2016 and ''[[The Cloverfield Paradox]]'' in 2018. A direct sequel is in development.

==Plot==

The [[Found footage (film technique)|footage]] from a personal camcorder is recovered by the [[United States Department of Defense|U.S. Department of Defense]] in the area "formerly known as [[Central Park]]", bearing a disclaimer stating multiple sightings of a case designated "Cloverfield".

The camera contains two sets of recordings, mixed together. The earlier footage, recorded on April 27, 2008, shows Rob Hawkins waking up with Beth McIntyre in her father's apartment above [[Columbus Circle]] before embarking on a date across [[New York City]] and [[Coney Island]].

On May 22, 2008, Rob's brother Jason and Jason's girlfriend Lily Ford, throw a farewell party, celebrating Rob's new job. Jason gets Rob's best friend, Hudson "Hud" Platt, to film testimonials for Rob during the party. Beth, whose feelings are hurt because Rob never called her back after their one night together, brings another man to the party. Beth and Rob argue, and she leaves shortly before a massive [[earthquake]] occurs, causing a brief citywide [[power outage]]; the local news reports a [[Capsizing|capsized]] [[oil tanker]] near [[Liberty Island]]. From the roof, the partygoers witness an explosion in the distance and flee as flaming debris flies in their direction.

As the partygoers leave the building, the severed head of the [[Statue of Liberty]] is hurled into the street. In the chaos, Hud records [[Clover (creature)|an enormous creature]] several blocks away collapsing the [[Woolworth Building]] before taking cover in a convenience store. When the group attempts to evacuate [[Manhattan]], the creature's tail destroys the [[Brooklyn Bridge]], killing Jason. News reports show the [[Army National Guard]]'s [[42nd Infantry Division (United States)|42nd Infantry Division]] attacking the monster and smaller [[parasite|parasitic]] creatures that fall off its body.

Rob receives a message from Beth, who is trapped in her apartment at the [[Time Warner Center]]. Rob, followed by Hud, Lily, and Marlena Diamond, venture into [[Midtown Manhattan]] to rescue her. They find themselves in a battle between the creature and military, run into the subway, and are attacked by the parasites. While saving Hud, Marlena is bitten by one of the creatures. The four escape the subway and enter an underground mall where they are found by soldiers and taken to a [[command center]] nearby. When Marlena begins to bleed from her eyes, she is forcibly taken to a [[field hospital]] and explodes.

Rob, still intending to save Beth, persuades one of the military commanders to let them go. He is informed when the last evacuation helicopter will depart before the military executes its "Hammer Down Protocol", which will destroy Manhattan to kill the monster. The surviving group travels to Beth's apartment building leaning on a neighboring skyscraper. After crossing roofs from the other building, the group finds Beth impaled on exposed [[rebar]]. They free her and make their way to the evacuation site at [[Grand Central Terminal]], where they encounter the creature again.

Lily is first rushed into a first helicopter to escape before Rob, Beth, and Hud are taken away in a second helicopter and witness the creature being heavily bombed. The creature remains unfazed and lunges out of the smoke, hitting the second helicopter, and causing it to crash in Central Park, killing all the occupants except Rob, Beth, and Hud.

Fifteen minutes before the Hammer Down Protocol commences, the trio regains consciousness and attempts to flee; Hud turns back to retrieve the camera when the creature suddenly appears and bisects him. Rob and Beth grab the camera and take shelter under an arch. As [[air raid siren]]s blare, the bombing starts. Rob and Beth each provide their last testimony of the day's events. The bridge begins to crumble, and the camera is knocked out of Rob's hand and buried beneath the rubble. Rob and Beth proclaim their love for each other just as the bombs explode, and the camera freezing up before the footage cuts.

The film ends with the finale of Rob and Beth's trip to Coney Island a month earlier. Unseen by them, an indiscernible object falls from the sky and into the ocean before the camera cuts off.

After the credits, a voice can be heard saying, "Help us..." When [[backmasking|played in reverse]], it says, "It's still alive."

==Cast==
{{Further|List of Cloverfield characters{{!}}List of ''Cloverfield'' characters}}

* [[Lizzy Caplan]] as Marlena Diamond, a fellow partygoer and Hud's crush
* [[Jessica Lucas]] as Lily Ford, Jason's fiancée
* [[T.J. Miller]] as Hud Platt, the cameraman capturing the events
* [[Michael Stahl-David]] as Rob Hawkins
* [[Mike Vogel]] as Jason Hawkins, Rob's brother
* [[Odette Yustman]] as Elizabeth McIntyre, Rob's girlfriend
* Jamie Harlen as Jamie Lascano, character that is part of Viral who makes a small appearance in the film
* [[Ben Feldman]] as Travis Marello, Beth's friend
* Margot Farley as Jenn
* [[Theo Rossi]] as Antonio
* [[Kelvin Yu]] as Clark
* [[Brian Klugman]] as Charlie
* [[Billy Brown (actor)|Billy Brown]] as Sergeant Pryce

In addition, [[NY1]] TV journalist [[Roma Torre]] has a cameo as herself, reporting on a television screen watched by the party-goers. The film's director, [[Matt Reeves]], provides the uncredited voice for the two brief phrases (one normal, one in [[Backmasking|reversed audio]]) [[Post-credits scene|after the credits]].<ref>{{Cite news |url=http://io9.gizmodo.com/346501/io9-talks-to-cloverfield-director-matt-reeves |title=io9 Talks To Cloverfield Director Matt Reeves |last=Kelly |first=Kevin |work=io9|access-date=August 3, 2017 |language=en-US}}</ref>

==Production==
===Development===
[[J. J. Abrams]] conceived a new monster after he and his son visited a toy store in [[Japan]] while promoting ''[[Mission: Impossible III]]''. He explained, "We saw all these [[Godzilla]] toys, and I thought, we need our own American monster, and not like [[King Kong]]. I love King Kong. King Kong is adorable. And Godzilla is a charming monster. We love Godzilla, but I wanted something that was just insane and intense."<ref>{{cite news | first= Alex |last= Billington |url= http://www.firstshowing.net/2007/07/26/comic-con-live-paramount-panel-star-trek-indiana-jones-iv-and-more/ |title= Comic-Con Live: Paramount Panel - ''Star Trek'', ''Indiana Jones IV'', and More... |publisher=First Showing |date=July 26, 2007 |access-date=September 17, 2007}}</ref><ref name="moviesonlineca">{{cite news |website= moviesonline.ca| url= http://www.moviesonline.ca/movienews_12553.html |title=J. J. Abrams talks ''Cloverfield'' |publisher=Movies Online |access-date=March 8, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080218034125/http://www.moviesonline.ca/movienews_12553.html |archive-date=February 18, 2008}}</ref>

In February 2007, [[Paramount Pictures]] secretly [[Greenlight|greenlit]] ''Cloverfield'', to be produced by Abrams, directed by [[Matt Reeves]], and written by [[Drew Goddard]]. The project was produced by Abrams's company, [[Bad Robot]].<ref name="rolls">{{cite news |first1= Borys |last1= Kit | first2= Tatiana |last2= Siegel |url= https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news/e3id4ef5b33280f855a6076329c1ca10481 |title=Paramount rolls in the ''Cloverfield'' |work=[[The Hollywood Reporter]] |date=July 6, 2007 |access-date=July 6, 2007 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20070708103155/http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news/e3id4ef5b33280f855a6076329c1ca10481 |archive-date=July 8, 2007}}</ref>

The severed head of the [[Statue of Liberty]] was inspired by the poster of the 1981 film ''[[Escape from New York]]'', in which the head lies on a street in New York. Reeves explained, "It's an incredibly provocative image. And that was the source that inspired producer J. J. Abrams to say, 'Now this would be an interesting idea for a movie'."<ref>{{cite web |first= Scott |last= Collura |url=http://movies.ign.com/articles/841/841703p1.html |title=Exclusive: ''Cloverfield'' Director Speaks! Part Two |website=IGN.com |date=December 14, 2007 |access-date=December 22, 2007}}</ref>

===Title===
The film was initially titled ''Cloverfield'', changed several times throughout production, and was reverted. Matt Reeves explained this was due to the hype caused by the teaser trailer. "That excitement spread to such a degree that we suddenly couldn't use the name anymore. So we started using all these names like ''Slusho'' and ''Cheese''.<ref name="slashfilm"/> And people always found out what we were doing!" He said that "Cloverfield" was the government's case designation for the events caused by the monster, comparing the titling to that of the real [[Manhattan Project]], though the government did not originate this.<ref>{{cite web |first= Scott |last= Collura |url=https://ign.com/articles/2007/12/14/exclusive-cloverfield-director-speaks |title=Exclusive: ''Cloverfield'' Director Speaks! |website=IGN.com |date= December 14, 2007 |access-date=December 22, 2007}}</ref> Cloverfield Blvd is the highway exit Abrams takes to his [[Santa Monica]] office,<ref name="slashfilm">{{cite news | first= Peter |last= Sciretta |url= https://www.slashfilm.com/497039/what-will-cloverfield1-18-08-be-titled-exclusive-photo/ |archive-url= https://archive.today/20120909161439/http://www.slashfilm.com/2007/09/05/what-will-cloverfield1-18-08-be-titled-exclusive-photo/ |url-status=live |archive-date=September 9, 2012 |title=What will ''Cloverfield/1-18-08'' Be Titled? |website= SlashFilm.com |date=September 5, 2007 |access-date=September 5, 2007 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news | first= Bruce |last= Newman |url= http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_8006739?nclick_check=1 |title=''Cloverfield'': A monster for the MySpace generation |newspaper=[[San Jose Mercury News]] |date=January 18, 2008 |access-date=January 18, 2008}}</ref> and which used to lead to the [[Santa Monica Airport]], which originally bore the name Clover Field.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Masters |first1=Nathan |title=Before Santa Monica Airport, There Was Clover Field |url=https://www.kcet.org/shows/lost-la/before-santa-monica-airport-there-was-clover-field |access-date=May 14, 2020 |work=[[KCET]] |date=March 27, 2018 |language=en}}</ref>

The final title ''Greyshot'' was proposed, taken from the archway that the two survivors take shelter under at the end of the movie, but Matt Reeves said this was rejected because the film was already so well known as ''Cloverfield''.<ref name="DVDComm">{{cite video |title=Cloverfield-(Commentary by director Matt Reeves) |medium=DVD |publisher=[[Paramount Pictures]] |date=2008}}</ref>

The film received a subtitle in [[Japan]], where it was released as {{nihongo|''Cloverfield/Hakaisha''|クローバーフィールド/HAKAISHA|Kurōbāfīrudo/HAKAISHA}}. The subtitle "Destroyer" was chosen by Abrams and was translated into Japanese as {{nihongo|Hakaisha|破壊者|lit. "Destroyer"}} by Paramount Japan at his request.<ref name="hakiasha">{{cite news |date=January 23, 2008 |title=全米大ヒット!「クローバーフィールド/HAKAISHA」に続編の噂!? |trans-title=American Blockbuster! ''Cloverfield/Hakaisha'' Sequel Rumors!? |publisher=Eiga.com |url=http://eiga.com/buzz/20080123/4/ |access-date=May 17, 2010}}</ref> The subtitle {{nihongo|Kishin|鬼神|lit. "[[Demon]] [ic] God"}} was chosen for the [[manga]] spin-off, ''[[Cloverfield/Kishin]]'', released exclusively in Japan.{{Citation needed|date=December 2022}}

===Casting===
Casting was done in secret, with no script sent to candidates. To prevent the leaking of plot information, instead of auditioning the actors with scenes from the film, scripts from Abrams's previous productions were used, such as the television series ''[[Alias (TV series)|Alias]]'' and ''[[Lost (2004 TV series)|Lost]]''. Some scenes were also written specifically for the audition process, not intended for use in the film. [[Lizzy Caplan]] stated that she accepted a role in ''Cloverfield'' without knowing the premise, solely because she was a fan of the Abrams-produced ''Lost'', and her experience of discovering its true nature initially caused her to state that she would not sign on for a film in the future "without knowing full well what it is". She indicated that her character was a sarcastic outsider, and that her role was "physically demanding".<ref name="blackbook">{{cite web |url=http://www.blackbookmag.com/features/comments/lizzy/ |title=Lizzy Caplan: The Meanest Girl in Hollywood? |work=[[BlackBook Magazine]] |date=November 15, 2007 |access-date=November 16, 2007}}</ref>

===Production===
With an estimated production budget of $30 million, principal photography began in mid-June 2007 in New York.<ref name="rolls"/> One cast member said that the film would look like it cost $150 million, though without recognizable and expensive actors.<ref name="blackbook"/> Filmmakers used the Panasonic [[HVX200]] for most of the interior scenes, and the Sony [[CineAlta]] F23 [[high-definition video]] camera to record nearly all of the New York exterior scenes.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.sel.sony.com/en/press_room/b2b/broadcast_production/content_create_edit/release/32931.html |title=Sony's F23 high-definition camera cuts its teeth in the making of "Cloverfield" |publisher=[[Sony Electronics]] |date=January 21, 2008 |access-date=January 22, 2008 |archive-date=April 30, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080430045239/http://news.sel.sony.com/en/press_room/b2b/broadcast_production/content_create_edit/release/32931.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> Filming took place on [[Coney Island]], with scenes shot at [[Deno's Wonder Wheel Amusement Park]] and the B&B Carousel.<ref>{{cite news |first= Farrah |last= Weinstein |title=Bait Balls of Fire |newspaper=[[New York Post]] |date=July 16, 2007 |url= http://www.nypost.com/seven/07162007/entertainment/movies/bait_balls_of_fire_movies_farrah_weinstein.htm |access-date=July 17, 2007}}</ref> The scenes of tanks firing at the creature while the main characters hide in a stairwell were filmed on Hennesy Street on [[Warner Bros. Studios, Burbank|Warner Bros. Studios backlot]] in [[Burbank, California]]. Some interior shots were taped on a soundstage at [[Downey, California]]. [[Bloomingdale's]] in the movie was actually shot in an emptied [[Robinsons-May]] store that was under reconstruction in [[Arcadia, California]]. The outside scenes of [[Sephora]] and the electronics store were taped in Downtown [[Los Angeles]].<ref>{{cite magazine |first= Lisa |last= Blake |title=Bases harnessed for double duty |magazine=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |date=August 22, 2007 |url= https://variety.com/2007/film/markets-festivals/bases-harnessed-for-double-duty-1117970662/ |access-date=August 27, 2020 }}</ref>

[[File:Brooklyn-Bridge-Night.jpg|thumb|[[Brooklyn Bridge]], as viewed through the film's [[first-person narrative]]]]
The film was shot and edited in a [[cinéma vérité]] style,<ref name="ManohlaDargis">{{cite news | first= Manohla |last= Dargis |url=https://movies.nytimes.com/2008/01/18/movies/18clov.html |title=We're All Gonna Die! Grab Your Video Camera! |newspaper=The New York Times |date=January 18, 2008 |access-date=January 18, 2008}}</ref> to look like it was taped with one hand-held camera, including [[jump cut]]s similar to ones found in [[home movies]]. [[T.J. Miller]], who plays Hud, has said in various interviews that he taped a third of the movie and almost half of it made it into the film.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HORMlVMgY1Q |publisher=YouTube |title=''Cloverfield'' TJ Miller Interview |date=January 18, 2008 |access-date=June 11, 2009}}{{cbignore}}{{Dead YouTube link|date=February 2022}}</ref> Director Matt Reeves described the presentation, "We wanted this to be as if someone found a Handicam, took out the tape and put it in the player to watch it. What you're watching is a home movie that then turns into something else." Reeves explained that the pedestrians documenting the severed head of the Statue of Liberty with the camera phones was reflective of the contemporary period. According to him: "''Cloverfield'' very much speaks to the fear and anxieties of our time, how we live our lives. Constantly documenting things and putting them up on [[YouTube]], sending people videos through e-mail – we felt it was very applicable to the way people feel now."<ref name="excl">{{cite news |first= Ryan |last= Rotten |url=http://www.shocktillyoudrop.com/news/topnews.php?id=4027 |title=EXCL: ''Cloverfield'' Director Speaks! |website= ShockTillYouDrop.com |date=December 14, 2007 |access-date=December 22, 2007 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20071222032321/http://www.shocktillyoudrop.com/news/topnews.php?id=4027 |archive-date=December 22, 2007 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

[[Visual effects|VFX]] and [[Computer-generated imagery|CGI]] were produced by effects studios [[Double Negative (VFX)|Double Negative]] and [[Tippett Studio]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.awn.com/vfxworld/cloverfield-reinventing-monster-movie |title='Cloverfield': Reinventing the Monster Movie |website=Animation World Network |date=January 21, 2008}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.dneg.com/fr/show/cloverfield/ |title=Cloverfield |website=DNEG |access-date=February 10, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.tippett.com/portfolio/cloverfield/ |title=Cloverfield |website=Tippett Studio |access-date=February 10, 2023}}</ref>

Several of the filmmakers are heard but not seen in the film. The man yelling "Oh my God!" repeatedly when the head of the Statue of Liberty lands in the street is producer [[Bryan Burk]], and director Matt Reeves voiced the whispered radio broadcast at the end of the credits.<ref name="DVDComm"/> After viewing a cut of the film, [[Steven Spielberg]] suggested giving the audience a hint at the fate of the monster during the climax, which resulted in the addition of a countdown overheard on the helicopter's radio and the sounding of [[air raid siren]]s to signal the forthcoming Hammer Down bombing.<ref name="DVDComm"/>

====Style of cinematography====
[[File:Cloverfieldwarning.jpg|thumb|Sign at an AMC theater warning customers by comparing the film to a [[roller coaster]].]]
The film's [[shaky camera]] style of cinematography, dubbed "La Shakily Queasy-Cam" by [[Roger Ebert]], caused some viewers (particularly in darkened movie theaters) to experience [[Motion sickness#Virtual reality|motion sickness]], including [[nausea]] and a temporary loss of balance. Audience members prone to migraines have cited the film as a trigger. Some theaters showing the film, such as [[AMC Theatres]], provided poster and verbal warnings, informing viewers about the filming style of ''Cloverfield'', while other theatres like [[Pacific Theatres]] just verbally warned customers in detail at the box office about experiencing motion sickness upon viewing the film and what to do if they had to step out and vomit.<ref>{{cite web |work=Koco.com |date=January 22, 2008 |title=Hit Horror Flick Leaving Local Moviegoers Queasy |publisher=Oklahoma City News |url=http://www.koco.com/news/15112533/detail.html |access-date=June 11, 2009}}</ref>

===Creature design===
{{Main|Clover (creature)}}
Visual main effects supervisor Nick Tom and [[Phil Tippett|Phil Tippett's]] "Tippett Studio" were enlisted to develop the visual effects for ''Cloverfield''.<ref>{{cite magazine | first= Ryan |last= Ball |url= http://www.animationmagazine.net/article/7409 |title=Tippett Making Abrams' Monster |magazine=[[Animation Magazine]] |date= September 27, 2007 |access-date=December 6, 2007}}</ref> Because the visual effects were incorporated after filming, cast members were only familiar with early conceptual renderings of the beast and had to react to an unseen creature during their scenes.<ref>{{cite news |first= Ryan |last= Rotten |url=http://www.shocktillyoudrop.com/news/topnews.php?id=4141 |title=EXCL: Michael Stahl-David Talks ''Cloverfield'' Experience |publisher=Shock Till You Drop |date=January 2, 2008 |access-date= January 8, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20080105074757/http://www.shocktillyoudrop.com/news/topnews.php?id=4141 |archive-date=January 5, 2008 |df=mdy-all }}</ref> Artist [[Neville Page]] designed the monster, creating a biological rationale for it, though many of his ideas, including an "elongated, articulated external esophagus", would not show up on screen.<ref>{{cite news |author=Edward |url=http://tagruato.blogspot.com/2008/03/tagruato-interview-cloverfield-lead.html |title=Tagruato Interview: ''Cloverfield'' Lead Creature Designer Neville Page |date=March 12, 2008 |website=Tagruato |access-date=March 13, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080317195901/http://tagruato.blogspot.com/2008/03/tagruato-interview-cloverfield-lead.html |archive-date= Mar 17, 2008 }}</ref> His central concept was that of an immature creature suffering from "[[separation anxiety disorder|separation anxiety]]." This recalls real-life circus elephants who get frightened and lash out. The director stated that "there's nothing scarier than something huge that's spooked."<ref name="merry">{{cite news |first= Max |last= Evry |title= Reeves Runs Merrily Through ''Cloverfield'' |website= ComingSoon.net |date= January 21, 2008 |url= https://www.comingsoon.net/news/movienews.php?id=41100 |access-date= January 21, 2008 |archive-date= January 22, 2008 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20080122114618/http://www.comingsoon.net/news/movienews.php?id=41100 |url-status= dead }}</ref>

==Marketing==
Before the film's release, Paramount carried out a [[viral marketing]] campaign to promote the film which included viral tie-ins similar to ''[[Lost Experience]]''.<ref name="burk">{{cite news |first= Tara |last= DiLullo Bennett |url= http://www.scifi.com/scifiwire/index.php?id=46450 |title=Producer Talks ''Cloverfield'' |publisher=[[Sci Fi Wire]] |date= December 17, 2007 |access-date=December 22, 2007 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20071220142258/http://www.scifi.com/scifiwire/index.php?id=46450 |archive-date=December 20, 2007}}</ref> Filmmakers decided to create a teaser trailer that would be a surprise in the light of commonplace media saturation. Rather than edit the teaser from footage taken from the finished film, footage was captured during the preparation stages solely for creation of the teaser. Ernest Holzman, who would later be replaced with ''[[Lost (2004 TV series)|Lost]]'' cinematographer Michael Bonvillain, utilized the [[Thomson Viper FilmStream Camera]] for the shoot.<ref>{{Cite web|title=ICG Magazine|url=http://icgmagazine.com/2008/jan/jan08.html|access-date=2020-08-25|website=icgmagazine.com}}</ref> The teaser was then used as a basis for the film itself. Paramount Pictures encouraged the teaser to be released without a title attached, and the [[Motion Picture Association of America]] approved the move.<ref name="excl"/> As ''[[Transformers (film)|Transformers]]'' showed high tracking numbers before its release in July 2007, the studio attached the teaser trailer for ''Cloverfield'' that showed the release date of January 18, 2008, but not the title.<ref name="rolls"/> A second trailer was released on November 16, 2007, which was attached to ''[[Beowulf (2007 film)|Beowulf]]'', confirming the title.<ref>{{cite magazine |first= Olly |last= Richards |title=Exclusive: The New ''Cloverfield'' Trailer |magazine=[[Empire (magazine)|Empire]] |date=November 19, 2007 |url= https://www.empireonline.com/news/story.asp?NID=21492 |access-date=November 19, 2007}}</ref>

The studio had kept knowledge of the project secret from the online community, a cited rarity due to the presence of [[Scoop (term)|scoopers]] that follow upcoming films. The controlled release of information on the film has been observed as a risky strategy, which could succeed like ''[[The Blair Witch Project]]'' (1999) or disappoint like ''[[Snakes on a Plane]]'' (2006), the latter of which had generated online hype but failed to attract large audiences.<ref>{{cite news|last=Waxman|first=Sharon|url= https://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/21/movies/21box.html |title=After Hype Online, "Snakes on a Plane" Is Letdown at Box Office|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|date=August 21, 2006|access-date=December 19, 2022}}</ref>

===Pre-release plot speculation===
The sudden appearance of the untitled teaser for ''Cloverfield'', and limited details available in the lead up to the film's release fueled wide media speculation over the film's plot, with many expecting it to be an adaptation of an existing property. Among the possibilities reported on, ''[[The Star Ledger]]'' suggested that the film could be based on the works of [[H. P. Lovecraft]], or a new entry in the ''[[Godzilla (franchise)|Godzilla]]'' series.<ref>{{cite news |first= Lisa |last= Rose |url= http://www.nj.com/entertainment/ledger/index.ssf?%2Fbase%2Fentertainment-1%2F118395545882520.xml&coll=1&thispage=1 |title= Hush-hush project stirs wild speculation |publisher= The Star Ledger |date= July 9, 2007 |access-date= July 9, 2007 |archive-date= June 15, 2009 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20090615063858/http://www.nj.com/entertainment/ledger/index.ssf?%2Fbase%2Fentertainment-1%2F118395545882520.xml&coll=1&thispage=1 |url-status= dead }}</ref> ''The Guardian'' reported the possibility of a spin-off to Abrams' television show ''[[Lost (2004 TV series)|Lost]]'',<ref name="guard">{{cite news |url= http://film.guardian.co.uk/news/story/0,,2123609,00.html |title=Trailer for Abrams film lost on moviegoers |newspaper=The Guardian |date=July 11, 2007 |access-date=July 26, 2007}}</ref> and a misinterpretation of the trailer's line "It's alive!" as "It's a lion!" led ''[[USA Today]]'' to speculate on a live-action adaptation of Japanese animated series ''[[Voltron]]''.<ref name="merry"/><ref>{{cite web |last=Wolfson |first=Julie |url=http://laist.com/2008/01/09/laist_interview_88.php |title=LAist Interview: Matt Reeves, Director of Cloverfield |work= Laist.com |date=January 9, 2008 |access-date=August 21, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20111001210105/http://laist.com/2008/01/09/laist_interview_88.php |archive-date=October 1, 2011}}</ref> ''[[IGN]]'' and ''[[Time Out (company)|Time Out]]'' suggested that the film would feature an alien called "''The Parasite''", with that rumored to be the working title of the film.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://movies.ign.com/articles/801/801593p1.html |title=It's Alive: 1-18-08 |website=IGN |date=July 5, 2007 |access-date= July 10, 2007}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |first=Chris |last=Tilly |url=https://www.timeout.com/film/features/show-feature/3141/what-is-cloverfield.html |title=What is ''Cloverfield''? |magazine=Time Out |date=July 11, 2007 |access-date=July 26, 2007 |archive-date=July 14, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070714164932/http://www.timeout.com/film/features/show-feature/3141/what-is-cloverfield.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> Elsewhere online, ''Slusho'' and ''Colossus'' had been discussed as other possible titles,<ref>{{cite news |first=Greg |last=Morago |title=Our summer of mystery ads |publisher=[[Daily Press (Virginia)|Daily Press]] |date=August 22, 2007 }}</ref> as well as ''Monstrous'',<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cloverfieldnews.com/2007/09/05/was-monstrous-supposed-to-be-the-title/ |title=Was Monstrous Supposed To Be The Title? |publisher=Cloverfieldnews.com |date=September 5, 2007 |access-date=February 3, 2012 |archive-date=April 25, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120425065431/http://www.cloverfieldnews.com/2007/09/05/was-monstrous-supposed-to-be-the-title/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> although this was dispelled by Abrams at ComicCon.<ref name="moviesonlineca"/>

The viral marketing campaign drew the attention of [[alternate reality game]] enthusiasts, hoping to uncover information about the film hidden online. Members of the forums at argn.com and unfiction.com have investigated the background of the film, with the "1-18-08" section at Unfiction generating over 7,700 posts in August 2007. The members have studied photographs on the film's official site, potentially related [[MySpace]] profiles,<ref>{{cite news |first=Chaping |last=Young |url=http://current.com/items/88818115_cloverfield_s_fake_myspace_pages |title=Cloverfield's Fake MySpace Pages |publisher=[[Current TV|Current]] |date=January 17, 2008 |access-date=January 17, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080121003431/http://current.com/items/88818115_cloverfield_s_fake_myspace_pages |archive-date=January 21, 2008 |url-status=dead |df=mdy-all }}</ref> and the Comic-Con teaser poster for the film.<ref name="buzz">{{cite news |first=Omar L. |last=Gallaga |title=To market a movie, no name is needed; just create mystery and some Web buzz |newspaper=[[Austin American-Statesman]] |date=August 3, 2007 }}</ref> A popular piece of [[fan art]] posited that the monster was a mutated [[humpback whale]].<ref name="merry"/>

===Viral tie-ins===
All of the major characters received a personal [[Myspace]] page, all of which are accessible and featuring available photos, though blog posts have been removed.

Unlike most viral marketing campaigns, this one had virtually nothing to do with the film's plot or characters. Instead it focused mainly on the fictional drink Slusho! and the fictional company Tagruato, slowly giving clues of the secret origin of the monster that isn't addressed properly in the film. Following various clues, players discovered that the monster is an ancient amphibious organism discovered during the construction of Chuai Station, an oil platform off the coast of [[Connecticut]] belonging to the Japanese company Tagruato, which had the purpose of extracting a substance called Sea Bed Nectar that would become the secret ingredient of a drink created by its founder Ganu Yoshida,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Dennis |date=2007-09-30 |title=Cloverfield Clues: Tagruato.jp |url=https://cloverfieldclues.blogspot.com/2007/09/tagruatojp.html |access-date=2022-07-06 |website=Cloverfield Clues}}</ref> named Slusho. Tagurato Repurposes Chuai Station after said discovery<ref>{{Cite web |last=Dennis |date=2007-12-18 |title=Cloverfield Clues: Whistle Blower Memo #2 - pseunmoisuf |url=https://cloverfieldclues.blogspot.com/2007/12/whistle-blower-memo-2-pseunmoisuf.html |access-date=2022-07-06 |website=Cloverfield Clues}}</ref> (and pulling a coverup involving the ordered assassination of the employee who originally made the discovery<ref>{{Cite web |date=2007-12-27 |title=T.I.D.O. » Death of Tagruato Biologist! |url=http://tidowave.com/blog/?p=11 |access-date=2022-07-06 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071227014005/http://tidowave.com/blog/?p=11 |archive-date=December 27, 2007 }}</ref>) using the front as an oil drilling platform also for surveillance of the monster and its parasites,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Dennis |date=2008-05-02 |title=Cloverfield Clues: USGX8810B467233PX Now Open! |url=https://cloverfieldclues.blogspot.com/2008/05/usgx8810b467233px-now-open.html |access-date=2022-07-06 |website=Cloverfield Clues}}</ref> who are using Sea Bed's nectar as a means of nourishment for their host, applying the substance on its back. Eventually, the monster awakens and destroys the station,<ref>{{Citation |title=Chuai Station English News - CloverfieldClues.com |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KarNwKx5mGY |language=en |access-date=2022-07-06}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Dennis |date=2008-01-07 |title=Cloverfield Clues: More Chuai Station News Videos - English, Russian, and Japanese |url=https://cloverfieldclues.blogspot.com/2008/01/more-chuai-station-news-videos-english.html |access-date=2022-07-06 |website=Cloverfield Clues}}</ref> before finding its way to the shores of New York at the beginning of the film.<ref>{{Citation |title=The Cloverfield ARG - FULL EXPLANATION - My Whole Thing Ep: 1 | date=March 28, 2020 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lhERWNtY16c |language=en |access-date=2022-07-06}}</ref>

Puzzle websites containing Lovecraftian elements, such as ''[[Ethan Haas Was Right]]'', were originally reported to be connected to the film.<ref name="guard" /><ref name="usa">{{cite news |first=Anthony |last=Breznican |title=Mystifying trailer transforms marketing |newspaper=USA Today |date=July 9, 2007 |url=https://www.usatoday.com/life/movies/news/2007-07-08-abrams-trailer_N.htm |access-date=July 16, 2007}}</ref> On July 9, 2007, producer [[J. J. Abrams]] stated that, while a number of websites were being developed to market the film, the only official site that had been found was 1-18-08.com.<ref>{{cite news |first=Harry|last=Knowles|author-link=Harry Knowles |url=https://www.aintitcool.com/node/33261 |title=J. J. Abrams drops Harry a Line on all this 1-18-08 stuff! |publisher=[[Ain't It Cool News]] |date=July 9, 2007 |access-date=July 9, 2007}}</ref> At the site, which now redirects to the [[Paramount Pictures]] home page, a collection of time-coded photos were available to piece together a series of events and interpret their meanings. The pictures could also be flipped over by repeatedly and rapidly moving the mouse side to side. Also, if the page was left open for six minutes, the monster's roar could be heard. Eventually, Cloverfield Movie.com was created.<ref name="Slide">{{cite web |title=Research into viral marketing |url=http://www.slideshare.net/afrench14/research-into-viral-marketing |work=SlideShare |publisher=SlideShare Inc |access-date=August 26, 2012 |author=afrench14 |date=September 14, 2010}}</ref> The site provided both a trailer and a number, 33287, which, when texted from a mobile phone, provided a ringtone of the monster's roar and a wallpaper of a decimated Manhattan. This eventually turns out to be a [[Paramount Pictures|Paramount]] number (people later received material on ''[[Iron Man (2008 film)|Iron Man]]'', ''[[Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull]]'', ''[[Kung Fu Panda (film)|Kung Fu Panda]]'', and ''[[The Love Guru]]'').<ref>{{cite news |title=Movie codenamed Cloverfield next blockbuster |url=http://www.couriermail.com.au/movie-codenamed-cloverfield/story-fna7dq6e-1111114145680 |access-date=August 26, 2012 |newspaper=Courier Mail |date=August 11, 2007 |agency=News Queensland}}</ref>

The drink Slusho! served as part of the [[viral marketing]] campaign. The drink had already appeared in producer Abrams' previous creation, the TV series ''[[Alias (TV series)|Alias]]''.<ref name="iesb">{{cite news |first=Silas |last=Lesnick |url=http://www.iesb.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3945&Itemid=99 |title=IESB Exclusive Interview: ''Cloverfield'' Director Matt Reeves! |publisher=IESB |date=December 14, 2007 |access-date=December 22, 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071217062430/http://www.iesb.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3945&Itemid=99 |archive-date=December 17, 2007}}</ref> Websites for Slusho! and Taguruato were launched to add to the mythology of ''Cloverfield''. The Japanese phone number in the Tagruato website did work, but only played recorded messages. For example, one of the messages was: ''"Thank you for calling Tagruato. Due to high call volumes, your call has been transferred to an automated answering service. There are no updates at this time. After the tone, please leave a message, and one of our associates will find you as soon as possible"''. A building bearing the company logo for Tagruato can also be seen in the TV spot of the 2009 [[Star Trek (2009 film)|''Star Trek'']] film, and [[Uhura]] orders a Slusho! during the bar scene.<ref name="burk"/> When ''Cloverfield'' was hosted at Comic-Con 2007, gray Slusho! T-shirts were distributed to attendees.<ref>{{cite news |first=Larry |last=Carroll |url=http://moviesblog.mtv.com/2007/07/27/comic-con-jj-abrams-secret-project-and-the-dark-knight-go-guerilla-with-marketing-tactics/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070914181730/http://moviesblog.mtv.com/2007/07/27/comic-con-jj-abrams-secret-project-and-the-dark-knight-go-guerilla-with-marketing-tactics/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=September 14, 2007 |title=Comic-Con: J. J. Abrams' Secret Project And ''The Dark Knight'' Go Guerrilla With Marketing Tactics |publisher=MTV |date=July 27, 2007 |access-date=December 22, 2007}}</ref> Fans who had registered at the Slusho! website received e-mails of fictional [[sonar]] images before the film's release that showed a deep-sea creature heading toward Manhattan.<ref>{{cite news |first=Will |last=Pavia |title=The cloak-and-dagger approach to hype |newspaper=[[The Australian]] |date=January 2, 2008}}</ref> Fans who ordered merchandise received pieces of torn Tagruato documents and Japanese newspapers along with their products. A cup of Slusho! appears briefly in ''[[The Cloverfield Paradox]]'', and it has also appeared in ''[[Fringe (TV series)|Fringe]]'' and ''[[Heroes (U.S. TV series)|Heroes]]''. A Slusho! [[bobblehead]] figure also appears shaking in ''The Cloverfield Paradox'' trailer and film.

Producer Burk explained the viral tie-in, "It was all done in conjunction with the studio... The whole experience in making this movie is very reminiscent of how we did ''[[Lost Experience|Lost]]''."<ref name="burk"/> Director Reeves described Slusho! as "part of the involved connectivity" with Abrams' ''Alias'' and that the drink represented a "meta-story" for ''Cloverfield''. The director explained, "It's almost like tentacles that grow out of the film and lead, also, to the ideas in the film. And there's this weird way where you can go see the movie and it's one experience... But there's also this other place where you can get engaged where there's this other sort of aspect for all those people who are into that. All the stories kind of bounce off one another and inform each other. But, at the end of the day, this movie stands on its own to be a movie.... The Internet sort of stories and connections and clues are, in a way, a prism and they're another way of looking at the same thing. To us, it's just another exciting aspect of the storytelling."<ref name="iesb"/>

===Merchandise===
A four-installment [[prequel]] [[manga]] series by Yoshiki Togawa titled {{nihongo|''[[Cloverfield/Kishin]]''|クローバーフィールド/KISHIN|Kurōbāfīrudo/KISHIN}} was released by Japanese publisher [[Kadokawa Shoten]].<ref>{{cite news |first=Kadokawa |last=Shoten |url=http://www.kadokawa.co.jp/ |title=Kadokawa Shoten Official Website |publisher=Kadokawa Shoten |language=ja |date=January 19, 2008 |access-date=January 19, 2008}}</ref> The story focuses on a Japanese high school student named Kishin Aiba, who somehow bears a connection to the monster.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2008-01-16/shonen-ace-posts-cloverfield-movie-tie-in-manga-online |title=Shonen Ace Posts ''Cloverfield'' Movie Tie-In Manga Online |work=Anime News Network |date=January 16, 2008 |access-date=January 19, 2008}}</ref>

Based on the film's successful opening weekend, [[Hasbro]] began accepting orders for a {{convert|14|in|cm|adj=on}} collectible toy figure of the monster with authentic sound<ref>{{cite news |url=http://1-18-08.blogspot.com/2008/03/hasbros-cloverfield-monster-toy.html |title=Hasbro toys with ''Cloverfield'' monster |publisher=Project Cloverfield |date=March 6, 2008 |access-date=March 6, 2008}}</ref> and its parasites that were shipped to fans by December 24, 2008.<ref>{{cite magazine |first=Marc |last=Graser |url=https://variety.com/2008/biz/markets-festivals/hasbro-toys-with-cloverfield-monster-1117979422/ |title=Hasbro toys with ''Cloverfield'' monster |magazine=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |date=January 21, 2008 |access-date=January 22, 2022 }}</ref>

==Music==
{{Infobox album
| name = Rob's Party Mix
| type = compilation
| artist = various artists
| cover =
| alt =
| released = January 17, 2008
| recorded =
| venue =
| studio =
| genre =
| length = 64:02
| label =
| producer =
| prev_title =
| prev_year =
| next_title =
| next_year =
}}
Due to its presentation as footage from a consumer digital recorder, ''Cloverfield'' has no [[film score]], with the exception of the composition "Roar! (''Cloverfield'' Overture)" by [[Michael Giacchino]] that plays over the end credits. Similarities between "Roar!" and the music of ''Godzilla'' composer [[Akira Ifukube]] have been noted, and it has been suggested that Giacchino's overture is a tribute to Ifukube's work,<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.syracusenewtimes.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1563&Itemid=88 |title=''Cloverfield'' review |newspaper=[[Syracuse New Times]] |date=January 2008 |access-date=June 11, 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.aintitcool.com/node/36217 |title=ScoreKeeper Has News About The Release Of Michael Giacchino's CLOVERFIELD Overture!! |publisher=Ain't it Cool News |date=March 2008 |access-date=June 11, 2009}}</ref> which was confirmed by [[Matt Reeves]] in the DVD's commentary track.<ref name="DVDComm"/> The soundtrack was supervised by William Files{{citation needed|date=June 2021}} and Douglas Murray at [[Skywalker Sound]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Cloverfield |url=https://www.skysound.com/projects/cloverfield/ |website=[[Skywalker Sound]] |publisher=[[Lucasfilm|Lucasfilm Ltd.]] |access-date=April 7, 2020}}</ref>

''Rob's Party Mix'' or ''Cloverfield Mix'' is a collection of the music played in the opening party sequences of the film that was released exclusively on Apple's [[iTunes Store]] on January 22, 2008, in lieu of a traditional soundtrack album. The ''Cloverfield'' score, "Roar! (''Cloverfield'' Overture)" by Michael Giacchino that plays over the end credits<ref name="roar">{{cite news |first=Michael |last=Phillips |url=http://chicago.metromix.com/movies/movie_review/movie-review-cloverfield/286254/content |title=Movie review: ''Cloverfield'' |newspaper=Chicago Tribune |date=January 16, 2008 |access-date=January 22, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080120105037/http://chicago.metromix.com/movies/movie_review/movie-review-cloverfield/286254/content |archive-date=January 20, 2008 }}</ref> is not featured on the album, as it is the [[mixtape]] played at the party and is not the official soundtrack of the film. This album was distributed to guests at a ''Cloverfield'' premiere party held at the Dark Room in [[New York City]] on January 17, 2008.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.cloverfieldmovie.com/robspartyrules.html |title=The "Rob's" Party Sweepstakes Official Rules |publisher=[[Paramount Pictures Corporation]] |date=January 7, 2008 |access-date=January 23, 2008 |archive-date=July 5, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080705135751/http://www.cloverfieldmovie.com/robspartyrules.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>

A complete soundtrack release of all the music in the film, including Giacchino's "Roar!" end title piece, has now also been released exclusively on iTunes; it has not been officially released in retail stores. A CD entitled ''Rob's Party Mix'' comes packaged in a special edition of ''Cloverfield'' made available for sale in Canadian [[Wal-Mart]] stores beginning on April 22, 2008.{{citation needed|date=February 2018}}

{{Track listing
| headline = Track listing
| extra_column = Artist
| title1 = West Coast
| note1 =
| extra1 = [[Coconut Records (band)|Coconut Records]]
| length1 = 3:32
| title2 = [[Taper Jean Girl]]
| note2 =
| extra2 = [[Kings of Leon]]
| length2 = 3:05
| title3 = [[Beautiful Girls (Sean Kingston song)|Beautiful Girls]]
| note3 =
| extra3 = [[Sean Kingston]]
| length3 = 4:01
| title4 = Do I Have Your Attention
| note4 =
| extra4 = [[The Blood Arm]]
| length4 = 3:35
| title5 = Got Your Moments
| note5 =
| extra5 = [[Scissors for Lefty]]
| length5 = 3:11
| title6 = [[Give Up the Funk (Tear the Roof off the Sucker)]]
| note6 =
| extra6 = [[Parliament (band)|Parliament]]
| length6 = 5:46
| title7 = [[19-2000]]
| note7 =
| extra7 = [[Gorillaz]]
| length7 = 3:27
| title8 = [[The Underdog (song)|The Underdog]]
| note8 =
| extra8 = [[Spoon (band)|Spoon]]
| length8 = 3:42
| title9 = [[Pistol of Fire]]
| note9 =
| extra9 = [[Kings of Leon]]
| length9 = 2:20
| title10 = [[Disco Lies]]
| note10 =
| extra10 = [[Moby]]
| length10 = 3:22
| title11 = Do the Whirlwind
| note11 =
| extra11 = [[Architecture in Helsinki (band)|Architecture in Helsinki]]
| length11 = 4:39
| title12 = Grown So Ugly
| note12 =
| extra12 = [[The Black Keys]]
| length12 = 2:24
| title13 = Four Winds
| note13 =
| extra13 = [[Bright Eyes (band)|Bright Eyes]]
| length13 = 2:09
| title14 = The Ride
| note14 =
| extra14 = [[Joan As Policewoman]]
| length14 = 3:09
| title15 = [[Seventeen Years (song)|Seventeen Years]]
| note15 =
| extra15 = [[Ratatat]]
| length15 = 4:26
| title16 = Wraith Pinned to the Mist and Other Games
| note16 =
| extra16 = [[Of Montreal]]
| length16 = 4:15
| title17 = Fuzz
| note17 = {{nihongo2|ファズ}}
| extra17 = [[Mucc]]
| length17 = 4:47
}}

==Release==
===Theatrical===
First publicized in a teaser trailer in screenings of ''[[Transformers (film)|Transformers]]'', the film was released on January 17 in [[New Zealand]], [[Russia]] and [[Australia]]; January 18 in North America; January 24 in [[South Korea]]; January 25 in [[Republic of China|Taiwan]]; January 31 in Germany; and February 1 in the United Kingdom, Ireland and Italy. In Japan, the film was released on April 5.

===Home media===
The [[DVD]] was released on April 22, 2008, in two versions: the standard single-disc edition and an exclusive "[[steel]]-book" special edition that was sold at [[Suncoast Motion Picture Company|Suncoast]] and [[F.y.e.|FYE]] retailers in the US and [[Future Shop]] in Canada. Other store exclusives include an exclusive bonus disc titled "T.J. Miller's Video Diary" with the DVD at all [[Best Buy]] retailers, an exclusive mix CD titled "Rob's Goin' to Japan Party Mix" with the DVD at all [[Target Corporation|Target]] and [[Wal-Mart]] retailers and an exclusive [[ringtone]] with the DVD at all [[Kmart (United States)|Kmart]] and [[Sears]] retailers. [[Borders Group|Borders]] also had an exclusive booklet encased with their DVD.

The [[DVD region code#2|Region 2]] DVD was released on June 9 in both one-disc and two-disc editions. The limited steel-book edition is only available from [[HMV]], while [[Play.com]] offers exclusive cover artwork. The HMV-exclusive steel-book contains two discs.

The DVD includes two [[alternative ending]]s, which vary only slightly. The first alternative ending shows Rob and Beth exiting the [[Coney Island–Stillwell Avenue]] station instead of on the Ferris wheel and features different sirens in the background as Rob talks to the camera. In the second alternative ending, just after the final explosion, Beth can be heard screaming "Rob!", followed by a very brief clip of an unknown person looking at the camera (in the commentary, Reeves said that it was one of the crew members) and brushing rubble off the lens. The film then ends with the original final clip of Rob and Beth on their [[Coney Island]] date recording themselves on the Ferris Wheel as the camera tape runs out, with two differences: there is no [[timestamp]] in the lower left-hand corner of the screen, and there is an additional beeping tone indicating the end of the tape.<ref>{{cite video |title=Cloverfield Special Features – Alternative Endings |medium=DVD |publisher=[[Paramount Pictures]] |date=April 2008}}</ref>

A [[Blu-ray Disc|Blu-ray]] edition was released on June 3, 2008.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://bluray.highdefdigest.com/releasedates.html |title=Blu-ray Disc Release Dates {{!}} High Def Digest |access-date=June 11, 2009}}</ref> It includes a "Special Investigation Mode", as well as all the bonus features of the 2-disc DVD in HD.

On the film's 10th anniversary, Paramount issued a 4k [[UHD Blu-ray]] version of the film, accompanied by the standard Blu-ray and bonus extras, it was released on January 23, 2018.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://ultrahd.highdefdigest.com/54168/cloverfield4kultrahdbluray.html |title=Cloverfield - 4k Ultra HD Blu-Ray {{!}} High Def Digest |date=January 22, 2018 |access-date= May 1, 2019}}</ref>

==Reception==
===Box office===
''Cloverfield'' opened in 3,411 theaters on January 18, 2008, and grossed a total of $16,930,000 on its opening day in the United States and Canada. It made $40.1 million on its opening weekend, which at the time was the most successful [[dump months|January release]] (record then taken by ''[[Ride Along (film)|Ride Along]]'' in 2014 with a weekend gross of $41.5 million).<ref name="Box Office Mojo January opening weekends table">{{cite web |title=Top Opening Weekends by Month—January |url=https://boxofficemojo.com/alltime/weekends/month/?mo=01&p=.htm |website=[[Box Office Mojo]] |year=2014 |access-date=January 3, 2014}}</ref> Moreover, the film simultaneously beat ''[[Titanic (1997 film)|Titanic]]'' and ''[[Black Hawk Down (film)|Black Hawk Down]]'' to have the biggest Martin Luther King Jr. Day weekend and opening weekend grosses.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/king-day-crown-cloverfield-103099/|title=King Day crown for 'Cloverfield'|website=[[The Hollywood Reporter]] |date=January 22, 2008 }}</ref> Worldwide, it has grossed $170,602,318, making it the first movie in 2008 to gross over $100 million.<ref name="BOM" /> In Japan, the film held the top spot in the box office rankings for one week before the release of ''[[Kamen Rider Den-O & Kiva: Climax Deka]]'' took the top spot in its first weekend.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://mainichi.jp/enta/mantan/manga/archive/news/2008/04/20080415mog00m200006000c.html|title=映画興行成績: 「仮面ライダー電王」女性人気で堂々1位「クローバーフィールド」は2位に 4月12、13日|access-date=2008-04-16|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080421051532/http://mainichi.jp/enta/mantan/manga/archive/news/2008/04/20080415mog00m200006000c.html|archive-date=2008-04-21}}</ref>

===Critical reception===

On [[Rotten Tomatoes]], the film holds an approval rating of 78% based on 212 reviews, with an average rating of 6.80/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "A sort of ''[[The Blair Witch Project|Blair Witch Project]]'' crossed with ''[[Godzilla (1998 film)|Godzilla]]'', ''Cloverfield'' is economically paced, stylistically clever, and filled with scares".<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/cloverfield/ |title=Cloverfield (2007) |work=[[Rotten Tomatoes]]|publisher=[[Fandango Media]]|access-date=March 27, 2021}}</ref> According to [[Metacritic]], the film has received an [[Weighted arithmetic mean|average]] score of 64 out of 100 based on 37 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".<ref>{{cite Metacritic |id=cloverfield |title=Cloverfield |type=movie |access-date=April 1, 2021 }}</ref> Audiences polled by [[CinemaScore]] gave the film an average grade of "C" on an A+ to F scale.<ref>{{cite magazine |first1=Joshua |last1=Rich |title=''Cloverfield'' sets box office records |url=https://ew.com/article/2008/01/23/cloverfield-sets-box-office-records/ |magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]] |date=January 23, 2008 |quote=But its quite-poor CinemaScore grade of C (from an audience that was mostly young and male, naturally) is troubling }}</ref>

Marc Savlov of ''[[The Austin Chronicle]]'' called the film "the most intense and original creature feature I've seen in my adult moviegoing life [...] a pure-blood, grade A, exhilarating monster movie". He cites [[Matt Reeves]]' direction, the "whip-smart, stylistically invisible" script and the "nearly [[subconscious]] evocation of our current paranoid, [[terrorism|terror]]-phobic times" as the keys to the film's success, saying that telling the story through the lens of one character's camera "works fantastically well".<ref>{{cite news |title=''Cloverfield'' |url=http://www.austinchronicle.com/gyrobase/Calendar/Film?Film=oid%3A581461 |first=Marc |last=Savlov |newspaper=[[The Austin Chronicle]] |date=January 18, 2008 |access-date=January 18, 2008}}</ref> Michael Rechtshaffen of ''[[The Hollywood Reporter]]'' called it "chillingly effective", generally praising the effects and the film's "claustrophobic intensity". He said that though the characters "aren't particularly interesting or developed", there was "something refreshing about a monster movie that isn't filled with the usual suspects".<ref>{{cite news |first=Michael |last=Rechtshaffen |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/film/reviews/article_display.jsp?JSESSIONID=cmcqHP7Vhpt2qhDZG4xPbzSPJJ52gNL5jTbBTlwGl9NrGCtQVQQx!3588094&&rid=10467 |title=Bottom Line: It's "''The Blair Godzilla Project''"—and that's a compliment. |work=The Hollywood Reporter |date=January 17, 2008 |access-date=January 17, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081216072151/http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/film/reviews/article_display.jsp?JSESSIONID=cmcqHP7Vhpt2qhDZG4xPbzSPJJ52gNL5jTbBTlwGl9NrGCtQVQQx%213588094&&rid=10467 |archive-date=December 16, 2008}}</ref> Lisa Schwarzbaum of ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]'' said that the film was "surreptitiously subversive, [a] stylistically clever little gem", and that while the characters were "vapid, twenty-something nincompoops" and the acting "appropriately unmemorable", the decision to tell the story through amateur footage was "brilliant".<ref>{{cite magazine |first=Lisa |last=Schwarzbaum |url=https://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20172122,00.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080119093726/http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20172122,00.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=January 19, 2008 |title=Movie Review: ''Cloverfield'' |magazine=Entertainment Weekly |date=January 16, 2008 |access-date=January 17, 2008}}</ref> [[Roger Ebert]] in the ''[[Chicago Sun-Times]]'' gave the film three stars out of four and wrote that it is "pretty scary at times" and cites "unmistakable evocations of [[9/11]]". He concludes that "all in all, it is an effective film, deploying its special effects well and never breaking the illusion that it is all happening as we see it".<ref>{{cite news |first=Roger |last=Ebert |url=https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/cloverfield-2008 |title=Review: ''Cloverfield'' |newspaper=Chicago Sun-Times |date=January 17, 2008 |access-date=9 December 2021}}</ref>

Todd McCarthy of ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'' called the film an "old-fashioned monster movie dressed up in trendy new threads", praising the special effects, "[[nihilism|nihilistic]] attitude" and "post-9/11 anxiety overlay." but said, "In the end, [it's] not much different from all the marauding creature features that have come before it".<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://variety.com/2008/film/markets-festivals/cloverfield-3-1200553615/ |title=''Cloverfield'' review |magazine=Variety |first=Todd |last=McCarthy |date=January 16, 2008 |access-date=January 17, 2022 }}</ref> Scott Foundas of ''[[LA Weekly]]'' was critical of the film's use of scenes reminiscent of the [[September 11 attacks]] in [[New York City]] and called it "cheap and opportunistic". He suggested that the film was engaging in "stealth" attempts at social commentary and compared this unfavorably to the films of [[Don Siegel]], [[George A. Romero]] and [[Steven Spielberg]], saying, "Where those filmmakers all had something meaningful to say about the state of the world and [...] human nature, Abrams doesn't have much to say about anything".<ref>{{cite news |first=Scott |last=Foundas |url=http://www.laweekly.com/film+tv/film/cloverfield-is-a-horror/18158/ |title=''Cloverfield'' Is a Horror |newspaper=LA Weekly |date=January 16, 2008 |access-date=January 17, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080118081005/http://www.laweekly.com/film%2Btv/film/cloverfield-is-a-horror/18158/ |archive-date=January 18, 2008 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Manohla Dargis in the ''[[The New York Times|New York Times]]'' called the allusions "tacky", saying, "[The images] may make you think of the attack, and you may curse the filmmakers for their vulgarity, insensitivity or lack of imagination", but that "the film is too dumb to offend anything except your intelligence". She concludes that the film "works as a showcase for impressively realistic-looking special effects, a realism that fails to extend to the scurrying humans whose [[destiny|fates]] are meant to invoke pity and fear but instead inspire yawns and contempt".<ref name="ManohlaDargis"/> [[Stephanie Zacharek]] of ''[[Salon.com]]'' calls the film "badly constructed, humorless and emotionally sadistic", and sums up by saying that the film "takes the [[psychological trauma|trauma]] of 9/11 and turns it into just another random spectacle at which to point and shoot".<ref>{{cite news |first=Stephanie |last=Zacharek |url=https://www.salon.com/2008/01/18/cloverfield/ |title=''Cloverfield'': Do we really need the horror of 9/11 to be repackaged and presented to us as an amusement-park ride? |work=Salon.com |date=January 17, 2008 |access-date=January 18, 2008}}</ref> Michael Phillips of the ''[[Chicago Tribune]]'' warned that the viewer may feel "queasy" at the references to September 11, but that "other sequences [...] carry a real jolt" and that such tactics were "crude, but undeniably gripping." He called the film "dumb", but "quick and dirty and effectively brusque", concluding that despite it being "a harsher, more demographically calculating brand of fun", he enjoyed the film.<ref name="roar"/> Bruce Paterson of ''Cinephilia'' described the film as "a successful experiment in style but not necessarily a successful story for those who want dramatic closure". Some critics also pointed out the similarity to the [[Half-Life (series)|''Half-Life'']] video game series, in particular the "Ant-lion" monsters from ''Half-Life 2'', and the constant first-person perspective.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/gamesblog/2008/feb/14/cloverfieldishalflife |title=Cloverfield is Half-Life |newspaper=The Guardian |date=February 14, 2008 |access-date=March 23, 2013}}</ref>

''[[Empire (magazine)|Empire]]'' magazine named it the fifth best film of 2008.<ref name="mctop08">{{cite web |url=https://www.metacritic.com/film/awards/2008/toptens.shtml |title=Metacritic: 2008 Film Critic Top Ten Lists |website=Metacritic |access-date=January 11, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090102205252/http://www.metacritic.com/film/awards/2008/toptens.shtml |archive-date=January 2, 2009}}</ref> The French film journal ''[[Cahiers du Cinéma]]'' named the film as the third best of 2008.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://alumnus.caltech.edu/~ejohnson/critics/cahiers.html |title=Cahiers du Cinema: Top Ten Lists 1951-2009 |publisher=Alumnus.caltech.edu |access-date=August 21, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120327102838/http://alumnus.caltech.edu/~ejohnson/critics/cahiers.html |archive-date=March 27, 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref> [[Bloody Disgusting]] ranked the film number twenty in their list of the "Top 20 Horror Films of the Decade", with the article calling the film "A brilliant conceit, to be sure, backed by a genius early marketing campaign that followed the less-is-more philosophy to tantalizing effect...much like ''[[The Blair Witch Project|Blair Witch]]'' nearly ten years earlier, ''Cloverfield'' helped prove, particularly in its first half hour, that what you don't see can be the scariest thing of all".<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bloody-disgusting.com/news/18403 |title=00's Retrospect: Bloody Disgusting's Top 20 Films of the Decade...Part 4 |date=December 16, 2009 |publisher=Bloody Disgusting |access-date=January 3, 2010}}</ref> In 2022, Aedan Juvet of ''[[Screen Rant]]'' revisited the original film, labeling it as an "influential" found footage, sci-fi hybrid.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2022-01-14|title=Cloverfield: 7 Storylines Worth Exploring In The Upcoming Sequel|url=https://screenrant.com/cloverfield-storylines-worth-exploring-in-the-upcoming-sequel/|access-date=2022-02-14|website=ScreenRant|language=en-US}}</ref>

===Accolades===
{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders"
|-
! scope="col"| Year
! scope="col"| Award
! scope="col"| Category
! scope="col"| Recipient(s)
! scope="col"| Result
! scope="col" class="unsortable"| {{Refh}}
|-
|rowspan="17"| 2008
|rowspan="2"| [[34th Saturn Awards|Saturn Awards]]
| [[Saturn Award for Best Science Fiction Film|Best Science Fiction Film]]
| ''Cloverfield''
| {{won}}
|rowspan="2" style="text-align:center;"| <ref name="/Film">{{cite web|last1=Sciretta|first1=Peter|title=2008 Saturn Awards Winners – /Film|url=https://www.slashfilm.com/2008-saturn-awards-winners/|website=[[/Film]]|access-date=March 1, 2018| date=June 25, 2008}}</ref>
|-
| [[Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actress|Best Supporting Actress]]
| [[Lizzy Caplan]]
| {{nom}}
|-
|rowspan="7"| Golden Schmoes Awards
| Best Horror Movie of the Year
|rowspan="7"| ''Cloverfield''
| {{won}}
|rowspan="7" style="text-align:center;"| <ref name="JoBlo">{{cite web |title=Golden Schmoes Winners and Nominees (2008) |url=https://www.joblo.com/goldenschmoes/results/golden-schmoes-winners-and-nominees-2008/|website=[[JoBlo.com]]|access-date=March 1, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180221181231/http://www.joblo.com/goldenschmoes/results/golden-schmoes-winners-and-nominees-2008/|archive-date=February 21, 2018|url-status=dead}}</ref>
|-
| Most Underrated Movie of the Year
| {{nom}}
|-
| Trippiest Movie of the Year
| {{nom}}
|-
| Best Sci-Fi Movie of the Year
| {{nom}}
|-
| Best Special Effects of the Year
| {{nom}}
|-
| Favorite Movie Poster of the Year
| {{nom}}
|-
| Best Trailer of the Year
| {{nom}}
|-
|rowspan="2"| [[Golden Trailer Awards]]
| Best Thriller
|rowspan="2"| ''Cloverfield''
| {{nom}}
|rowspan="2" style="text-align:center;"| <ref name="GTA">{{cite web|title=GTA9 Nominees (2008) - Nominees Categories {{!}} Golden Trailer Awards|url=http://www.goldentrailer.com/gta9-nominees/|website=[[Golden Trailer Awards]]|access-date=March 1, 2018}}{{Dead link|date=July 2020 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>
|-
| Most Original
| {{nom}}
|-
| Internet Film Critics Society Awards
| Most Experimental Film
| ''Cloverfield''
| {{won}}
| style="text-align:center;"| <ref name="IFCS">{{cite web|title=2008 IFCS Awards - Internet Film Critics|url=http://www.internetfilmcritics.com/?page_id=67|website=www.internetfilmcritics.com|access-date=March 1, 2018}}</ref>
|-
| Italian Online Movie Awards
| Best Special Effects
| ''Cloverfield''
| {{nom}}
| style="text-align:center;"| <ref name="IOMA">{{cite web|title=Le nomination IOMA 2008 - CinemaItaliano.info|url=https://www.cinemaitaliano.info/news/01542/le-nomination-ioma-2008.html|website=CinemaItaliano.info|access-date=March 1, 2018|language=it}}</ref>
|-
| [[2008 Scream Awards|Scream Awards]]
| Best Science Fiction Movie
| ''Cloverfield''
| {{nom}}
| style="text-align:center;"| <ref name="MTV">{{cite web|last1=Seijas|first1=Casey|title=Comics Take Over '2008 Scream Awards' As Nominees Announced|url=http://www.mtv.com/news/2592805/comics-take-over-2008-scream-awards-as-nominees-announced/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151224082450/http://www.mtv.com/news/2592805/comics-take-over-2008-scream-awards-as-nominees-announced/|url-status=dead|archive-date=December 24, 2015|website=[[MTV News]]|access-date=March 1, 2018|language=en}}</ref>
|-
|rowspan="3"| [[2008 Teen Choice Awards|Teen Choice Awards]]
| Choice Movie: Horror/Thriller
| ''Cloverfield''
| {{nom}}
|rowspan="3" style="text-align:center;"| <ref>{{cite web|url=http://theenvelope.latimes.com/env-2008-teen-choice-awards-scorecard17jun17,0,2603341.htmlstory|work=[[Los Angeles Times]]|date=June 17, 2008|access-date=March 1, 2008|title=2008 Teen Choice Awards winners and nominees|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080912051322/http://theenvelope.latimes.com/env-2008-teen-choice-awards-scorecard17jun17,0,2603341.htmlstory|archive-date=September 12, 2008}}</ref>
|-
| Choice Movie: Horror/Thriller Actor
| [[Michael Stahl-David]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| Choice Movie: Horror/Thriller Actress
| [[Odette Yustman]]
| {{nom}}
|-
|rowspan="14"| 2009
| [[American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers|ASCAP Film and Television Music Awards]]
| Top Box Office Films
| [[Michael Giacchino]]
| {{won}}
| style="text-align:center;"| <ref>{{cite web|title=ASCAP Honors Top Film and Television Music Composers and Songwriters at 24th Annual Awards Celebration |url=https://www.ascap.com/press/2009/0512_filmtv|website= ascap.com| publisher= [[American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers]]|access-date=March 1, 2018}}</ref>
|-
| [[International Film Music Critics Association#IFMCA Awards|International Film Music Critics Awards]]
| Film Music Composition of the Year
| Michael Giacchino
| {{nom}}
| style="text-align:center;"| <ref>{{cite web|title=2009 IFMCA Awards|url=http://filmmusiccritics.org/awards-archive/2009-ifmca-awards/ |website= filmmusiccritics.org| publisher= [[International Film Music Critics Association]]|access-date=March 1, 2018|date=November 25, 2010}}</ref>
|-
|rowspan="3"| [[Fangoria Chainsaw Awards]]
| Best Wide Release Film
|rowspan="2"| ''Cloverfield''
| {{nom}}
|rowspan="3" style="text-align:center;"| <ref>{{cite web|title=The 2009 FANGORIA Chainsaw Awards Results |url= https://goremasternews.wordpress.com/2009/06/25/the-2009-fangoria-chainsaw-awards-results/|website=GoreMaster News|access-date=March 1, 2018|date=June 26, 2009}}</ref>
|-
| Worst Film
| {{nom}}
|-
| Best Score
| Michael Giacchino
| {{won}}
|-
| Gold Derby Awards
| Visual Effects
| Kevin Blank, Mike Ellis and Eric Leven
| {{nom}}
| style="text-align:center;"| <ref>{{cite web|title=2009 Gold Derby Film Awards |url=http://www.goldderby.com/2009-goldderby-film-awards/ |website=GoldDerby.com |access-date=March 1, 2018|date=March 7, 2016}}</ref>
|-
|rowspan="2"| [[Golden Reel Award (Motion Picture Sound Editors)|Golden Reel Awards]]
| Best Sound Editing - Dialogue and ADR in a Feature Film
| Douglas Murray, Will Files, Cheryl Nardi, Sue Fox and Gwendolyn Yates Whittle
| {{nom}}
| rowspan="2" style="text-align:center;"| <ref>{{cite web|last1=Kilday|first1=Gregg|title='Button' among Golden Reel nominees|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/button-golden-reel-nominees-78170|website=[[The Hollywood Reporter]]|date=January 25, 2009|access-date=March 1, 2018|language=en}}</ref>
|-
| Best Sound Editing - Sound Effects and Foley in a Feature Film
| Will Files, Douglas Murray, Luke Dunn Gielmuda, Robert Shoup, Josh Gold, Andrea Gard, Steve Bissinger, Kim Foscato, Samuel H. Hinckley, Andy Malcolm and Goro Koyama
| {{nom}}
|-
|rowspan="3"| International Online Cinema Awards
| Best Visual Effects
| ''Cloverfield''
| {{nom}}
| rowspan="3" style="text-align:center;"| <ref>{{cite web|title=7th Annual International Online Cinema Awards – Awards Daily|url=http://www.awardsdaily.com/2009/01/17/7th-annual-international-online-cinema-awards/|website=[[AwardsDaily]]|date=January 18, 2009 |access-date=March 1, 2018}}</ref>
|-
| Best Sound Mixing
| Anna Behlmer, Will Files and Ed White
| {{nom}}
|-
| Best Sound Editing
| Douglas Murray and Will Files
| {{nom}}
|-
| rowspan="3"| [[7th Visual Effects Society Awards|Visual Effects Society Awards]]
| Outstanding Visual Effects in a Visual Effects-Driven Feature Motion Picture
| rowspan="3"| ''Cloverfield''
| {{nom}}
| rowspan="3" style="text-align:center;"| <ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.visualeffectssociety.com/ayear/7th-annual-ves-awards |title=7th Annual VES Awards |access-date=December 21, 2017}}</ref>
|-
| Best Single Visual Effect of the Year
| {{nom}}
|-
| Outstanding Created Environment in a Feature Motion Picture
| {{nom}}
|-
|}

==Sequels==
{{Main|10 Cloverfield Lane{{!}}''10 Cloverfield Lane''|The Cloverfield Paradox{{!}}''The Cloverfield Paradox''}}
At the ''Cloverfield'' premiere, director Matt Reeves talked about possibilities of what a sequel would look like if the film succeeded.<ref>{{cite news |author=SpookyDan |url=http://www.fearnet.com/MCNewsDetailPage.aspx?catid=30&mid=12649 |title=Cloverfield Sequel News |publisher=[[Fearnet]] |date=January 19, 2008 |access-date=January 19, 2008}}</ref> According to Reeves:

{{blockquote|While we were on set making the film we talked about the possibilities and directions of how a sequel can go. The fun of this movie was that it might not have been the only movie being made that night, there might be another movie! In today's day and age of people filming their lives on their camera phones and [[Handycam]]s, uploading it to [[YouTube]]... That was kind of exciting thinking about that.<ref>{{cite news |author=SpookyDan |url=https://www.bloody-disgusting.com/news/10927 |title=''Cloverfield'' Sequel Talk, Violent Plans! |publisher=[[Bloody Disgusting]] |date=January 17, 2008 |access-date=January 17, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120308181518/http://www.bloody-disgusting.com/news/10927 |archive-date=March 8, 2012}}</ref>}}

In another interview, Reeves stated:

{{blockquote|There's a moment on the Brooklyn Bridge, and there was a guy filming something on the side of the bridge, and Hud sees him filming and he turns over and he sees the ship that's been capsized and sees the headless Statue of Liberty, and then he turns back and this guy's briefly filming him. In my mind that was two movies intersecting for a brief moment, and I thought there was something interesting in the idea that this incident happened and there are so many different points of view, and there are several different movies at least happening that evening and we just saw one piece of another.<ref name="merry"/>}}

Reeves also pointed out that the final scene on Coney Island shows something falling into the ocean in the background without an explanation. This may have been either the satellite owned by the fictional Japanese media company, Tagruato, or the creature itself. A company news piece on the Tagruato website mentions that a piece of the Japanese Government's ChimpanzII satellite fell off into the Atlantic. Producers Bryan Burk and J. J. Abrams also revealed their thoughts on possible sequels to ''Entertainment Weekly''. According to Burk, "The creative team has fleshed out an entire backstory which, if we're lucky, we might get to explore in future films". Abrams stated that he did not want to rush into the development of the sequel merely because the first film was a success; he explained that he would rather create a sequel that is true to the previous film.<ref name="EWsequel">{{cite magazine |author=SpookyDan |url=https://www.bloody-disgusting.com/news/10991 |title=''Cloverfield'' Monster Has History, More Sequel Talk! |magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]] |date=January 27, 2008 |access-date=January 27, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140218204747/http://bloody-disgusting.com/news/10991/ |archive-date=February 18, 2014 }}</ref>

At the end of January 2008, Reeves entered early talks with Paramount to direct a sequel, which was planned to be filmed before Reeves's other project, ''The Invisible Woman''.<ref>{{cite magazine |first= Michael |last= Fleming |url= https://variety.com/2008/film/features/paramount-sows-cloverfield-sequel-1117979910/ |title=Paramount sows ''Cloverfield'' sequel |magazine=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |date=January 30, 2008 |access-date=January 22, 2022 |quote=There's a good chance the sequel will be Reeves' next film, in which case he will direct 'The Invisible Woman' afterward. 'Woman' is a [[Alfred Hitchcock|Hitchcock]]-style thriller}}</ref> Reeves said:

{{blockquote|The idea of doing something so differently is exhilarating. We hope that it created a movie experience that is different. The thing about doing a sequel is that I think we all really feel protective of that experience. The key here will be if we can find something that is compelling enough and that is different enough for us to do, then it will probably be worth doing. Obviously it also depends on how ''Cloverfield'' does worldwide and all of those things too, but really, for us creatively, we just want to find something that would be another challenge.<ref>{{cite web |first= Orlando |last= Parfitt |title=Matt Reeves Clarifies ''Cloverfield'' Sequel Status |website=[[Rotten Tomatoes]] |date=February 1, 2008 |url= http://uk.beta.rottentomatoes.com/m/cloverfield/news/1706543/ |access-date=February 1, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080416144348/http://uk.beta.rottentomatoes.com/m/cloverfield/news/1706543/ |archive-date=April 16, 2008 }}</ref>}}

In September 2008, when asked by [[CraveOnline]] what the status was on ''Cloverfield 2'',<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.craveonline.com/entertainment/tv/article/jj-abrams-is-on-the-fringe-70775 |title=J. J. Abrams is on the Fringe |website= CraveOnline.com |date=September 11, 2008 |access-date=December 13, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110225142147/http://www.craveonline.com/entertainment/tv/article/jj-abrams-is-on-the-fringe-70775 |archive-date=February 25, 2011}}</ref> Abrams stated that at that point they were still discussing it; however, he still felt reluctant to work on a sequel. In the same interview, Abrams said that they were working on something that "could be kind of cool." When asked if it would take place in a different location, Abrams replied by saying that "it would be a totally different kind of thing but it's too early to talk about."<ref>{{cite web |last=Moody |first= Mike |url=http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/movies/news/a196792/jj-abrams-talks-cloverfield-sequel.html |title=J. J. Abrams talks 'Cloverfield' sequel | website= digitalSpy.com |date=January 15, 2010 |access-date=January 18, 2010}}</ref> In a 2010 interview with ''[[Attack of the Show!]]'', Abrams stated that they might abandon the filming style, stating that he and the rest of the crew would like to try something new.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.dreadcentral.com/news/35377/jj-abrams-talks-cloverfield-sequel |title=J. J. Abrams Talks Cloverfield Sequel | website= Dreadcentral.com |date=January 19, 2010 |access-date=August 21, 2010}}</ref>

The film ''[[Super 8 (2011 film)|Super 8]]'' was initially speculated to be either a sequel or prequel to ''Cloverfield'',<ref>{{cite web |title=We've Got Details on J. J. Abrams's Secret Movie Trailer for Super 8 |work=[[New York (magazine)|New York]] |date=May 4, 2010 |url=https://nymag.com/daily/entertainment/2010/05/vulture_exclusive_details_of_j.html}}</ref> but this was quickly denied by Abrams.<ref>{{cite web |title=J. J. Abrams's Cloverfield-esque Super 8 Has 'Nothing Whatsoever to Do With Cloverfield' |url=https://nymag.com/daily/entertainment/2010/05/jj_abrams_super_8_has_absolute.html |work=Vulture |publisher=New York Media LLC |access-date=August 26, 2012 |first= Jada |last= Yuan |date=May 5, 2010}}</ref>

In January 2011, horror film fan site BloodyDisgusting.com stated that a ''Cloverfield'' sequel may never happen. They talked to director Reeves and he said that if he can ever get the time to sit down and talk with Drew Goddard and J. J. Abrams about sequel possibilities they will certainly make a sequel, but due to all three's busy schedules Reeves did not see this happening any time soon.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bloody-disgusting.com/news/23210 |title=Matt Reeves 'Cloverfield 2' Update: It May Never Happen | first= Chris |last= Eggertsen |website= Bloody-Disgusting.com |date=January 27, 2011 |access-date=March 9, 2011}}</ref> In a 2011 interview, Matt Reeves gave an update on the status of ''Cloverfield 2'', saying:

{{blockquote|Getting the right idea together has been taking a long time.  ... You are going to see it – we just don't know when [laughs] ... At the moment we are talking about the story quite a lot. Drew Goddard, who wrote the original, is going to pen the sequel and J. J. Abrams is very much involved. ... However, the three of us have been so busy that getting the right idea together has been taking a long time.}}

When asked if the sequel would be shot in real time, Reeves stated, "You see, that's a difficult part: we want it to be shot like the first but how can you continue that idea successfully for a second time? ... We have a lot of affection for the original and the sequel can't just be the same thing. But that is tricky when you need to have a monster destroying stuff once again."<ref name=TFMRInt>{{cite web |title=Matt Reeves talks Cloverfield 2 |url= http://www.totalfilm.com/news/matt-reeves-talks-cloverfield-2 |website= TotalFilm.com |access-date=August 11, 2011 |date=March 15, 2011}}</ref>

In a 2012 interview, screenwriter Goddard gave an update saying, "I'm in, I'm ready to do it...someone call J. J. and tell him to get moving, but because Matt and J. J. and I have been fortunate enough to be busy, it's hard syncing our schedules up. We're all very passionate about returning to that world." When asked if an idea was on paper, he responded, "If you asked each of us what we wanted to do, you'll get three different answers, which is how the first film was. The aesthetic of ''Cloverfield'' benefits from that. Three voices pulling it. Look, nothing would make me happier than to get the three of us in the room to get started."<ref>{{cite web |title=A Cloverfield 2 Update From Drew Goddard |url=https://www.comingsoon.net/news/movienews.php?id=87769 |work=Comingsoon.net |access-date=August 26, 2012 |author=ShockTillYouDrop.com |date=March 7, 2012 |archive-date=June 23, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120623151921/http://www.comingsoon.net/news/movienews.php?id=87769 |url-status=dead }}</ref> In a later interview in April of that same year, Goddard said:

{{blockquote|We didn't set out to make a franchise, we set out to make a good movie. But I love that world and that universe, so if there was an idea that excited us enough, and we felt like there was a reason to do it, we would do it. The nice thing about when you work with a guy like J.J., and the power he gets, the studio's not going to force him to do anything. And he has been able to say, we'll do it when we're ready. We're not going to just do it because it will help your bottom line, we're going to do it because there's an idea that excites us. And so that's informed our discussions. We don't feel like we have to, so it's like 'Can we come up with something that excites us enough to do it?'<ref>{{cite web |title=Sequel Bits: James Cameron Wants More T-800 in ''Terminator 5'', Plus: ''Mission: Impossible 5'', ''Cloverfield 2'', ''Grown-Ups 2'', ''Star Trek'' Video Game |url=https://www.slashfilm.com/sequel-bits-james-cameron-t800-terminator-5-mission-impossible-5-cloverfield-2-grownups-2-star-trek-video-game/ |work=/ Film |publisher=/FILM |access-date=26 August 2012 |first= Angie |last= Han |date=April 17, 2012}}</ref>}}

On January 14, 2016, ''[[10 Cloverfield Lane]]'' was revealed by Bad Robot, with Abrams as a producer and Reeves and Goddard credited as [[executive producer]]s.<ref name="empire">{{cite web |url= https://www.empireonline.com/movies/features/jj-abrams-talks-10-cloverfield-lane-secrets/ |title=Exclusive: J. J. Abrams talks 10 Cloverfield Lane |first=Emma |last=Thrower |work=[[Empire (magazine)|Empire]] |date=March 16, 2016 |access-date=January 11, 2018}}</ref> The film was described as "a blood relative" but not "a literal sequel" to ''Cloverfield'' by Abrams, who produced the film.<ref name="fandango">{{cite web |url=http://www.fandango.com/movie-news/exclusive-jj-abrams-talks-10-cloverfield-lane-and-its-connection-to-the-larger-cloverfield-universe-750536 |title=Exclusive: J. J. Abrams Talks '10 Cloverfield Lane' and Its Connection to the Larger 'Cloverfield' Universe |first=Erik |last=Davis |work=[[Fandango Media|Fandango]] |date=February 24, 2016 |access-date=January 11, 2018}}</ref> The film was released on March 11, 2016, marking the theatrical feature film directorial debut of [[Dan Trachtenberg]].<ref>{{cite news |url= https://collider.com/cloverfield-2-secret-movie-10-cloverfield-lane/ |title=10 Cloverfield Lane Is J. J. Abrams' Secret Bad Robot Movie |first=Adam |last=Chitwood |work=[[Collider (website)|Collider]] |date=January 14, 2016 |access-date=January 11, 2018}}</ref>

During an interview with Abrams to promote ''10 Cloverfield Lane'', he said the creative team behind the original had some ideas on developing ''Cloverfield 2'', but the release of movies such as ''[[Godzilla (2014 film)|Godzilla]]'' and ''[[Pacific Rim (film)|Pacific Rim]]'' led them to abandon them as they found the concept of [[kaiju]] movies had played out. However, Abrams also suggested that he had thought of something that if they are lucky enough to get it made "could be really cool that [it] connects some stories" in a future film, teasing a larger ''Cloverfield'' universe.<ref name="fandango"/><ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.ew.com/article/2016/02/25/cloverfield-jj-abrams-third-movie |title=Cloverfield: J. J. Abrams already knows what the third movie would be |first=Kevin P. |last=Sullivan |magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]] |date=February 25, 2016 |access-date=January 11, 2018}}</ref> Interviews with Dan Trachtenberg and [[Mary Elizabeth Winstead]], director and actress of ''10 Cloverfield Lane'', respectively, confirmed that the movie is and always was intended to be an expansion of the first film, with Trachtenberg calling it the "Cloververse".<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.comingsoon.net/movies/trailers/664779-mary-elizabeth-winstead-and-director-dan-trachtenberg-on-10-cloverfield-lane#/slide/1 |title=Mary Elizabeth Winstead and the 10 Cloverfield Lane Director |first=Max |last=Evry |work=[[CraveOnline#Owned or associated websites|comingsoon.net]] |date=March 10, 2016 |access-date=January 11, 2018}}</ref>

In October 2016, it was reported that an Abrams-produced project, tentatively titled ''God Particle'', would be the next film set in the ''Cloverfield'' universe.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.thewrap.com/jj-abrams-god-particle-next-film-cloverfield-series-exclusive/ |title=J. J. Abrams' 'God Particle' Is Next Film in Cloverfield Series (Exclusive) |first=Matt |last=Donnelly |work=[[TheWrap]] |date=October 26, 2016 |access-date=January 11, 2018}}</ref> The sequel was originally announced as a February 2017 release but the release date was pushed back to the following year, with the ''God Particle'' title having been dropped and the film now being referred to as ''Untitled Cloverfield Sequel''. It has also been suggested that the original plot device of a [[Higgs boson#Nickname|god particle]] may have been completely removed from the script.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://ca.ign.com/articles/2018/01/03/cloverfield-3-delayed-again-may-have-new-title |title=Cloverfield 3 Delayed Again, May Have New Title |first=Matt |last=Davidson |work=[[IGN]] |date=January 3, 2018 |access-date=January 11, 2018}}</ref> On February 4, 2018, during [[Super Bowl LII]], a TV commercial aired announcing the film would be entitled ''[[The Cloverfield Paradox]]'' and would have a surprise release on [[Netflix]] after the game.

In an April 2018 conference at CinemaCon, Abrams stated that "we're actually developing a true, dedicated ''Cloverfield'' sequel."<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.complex.com/pop-culture/2018/04/jj-abrams-says-another-cloverfield-movie-is-happening|title=J. J. Abrams Says Another 'Cloverfield' Movie Is Happening|website=Complex|language=en|access-date=April 26, 2018}}</ref> He also said that the sequel would be released theatrically, a departure from the previous installment, ''The Cloverfield Paradox'', which was only released on Netflix.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://uproxx.com/hitfix/jj-abrams-cloverfield-sequel-overlord/|title=J. J. Abrams Promises A Sequel To 'Cloverfield' Is Coming To Theaters|date=April 26, 2018|work=UPROXX|access-date=April 26, 2018|language=en-US}}</ref> Abrams went on to say that the ''Cloverfield'' sequel is coming "very soon."<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://screenrant.com/cloverfield-sequel-confirmed/|title=Paramount Confirms True Cloverfield Sequel In The Works|date=April 25, 2018|work=Screen Rant|access-date=April 26, 2018|language=en-US}}</ref>

In January 2021, it was announced that [[Joe Barton (screenwriter)|Joe Barton]] was selected to write the script for a new ''Cloverfield'' film, a direct sequel to the 2008 film, produced by Abrams.<ref name=":0">{{cite news |last1=Kit |first1=Borys |title='Cloverfield' Sequel in the Works With Batman TV Spinoff Showrunner (Exclusive) |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/cloverfield-sequel-in-the-works-with-batman-tv-spinoff-showrunner-exclusive |access-date=29 January 2021 |work=The Hollywood Reporter |date=January 29, 2021}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{Wikiquote-inline}}
* {{Commons category-inline}}
* {{Mojo title}}
* {{AllMovie title}}
* {{IMDb title}}
* {{Rotten Tomatoes|2=Cloverfield}}

{{Portal bar|2000s|Horror|Science fiction|Film}}
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{{Drew Goddard}}
{{Saturn Award for Best Science Fiction Film 1991–2010}}
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[[Category:Films about alien invasions]]
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[[Category:2008 horror films]]
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Closely Watched Trains

2024-10-02T01:43:58Z

98.18.198.104: /* External links */

{{Short description|1966 Czechoslovak New Wave coming-of-age film directed by Jiří Menzel}}
{{Infobox film
| name = Closely Watched Trains
| image = Closelywatchedtrains.jpg
| caption = Theatrical release poster
| director = [[Jiří Menzel]]
| producer = Zdeněk Oves
| screenplay = [[Bohumil Hrabal]] Jiří Menzel
| based_on = {{Based on|''Closely Watched Trains'' 1965 novel|Bohumil Hrabal}}
| starring = [[Václav Neckář]] Jitka Bendová [[Josef Somr]] [[Vlastimil Brodský]] Vladimír Valenta
| music = Jiří Šust
| cinematography = Jaromír Šofr
| editing = Jiřina Lukešová
| studio = [[Barrandov Studios]] Ceskoslovensky Film
| distributor = Ústřední půjčovna filmů
| released = {{Film date|df=y|1966|11|18}}
| runtime = 92 minutes
| country = Czechoslovakia
| language = [[Czech language|Czech]] [[German language|German]]
| budget =
| gross = $1,500,000 (US/ Canada)<ref>"Big Rental Films of 1968", ''Variety'', 8 January 1969 p 15. Please note this figure is a rental accruing to distributors.</ref>
}}
'''''Closely Watched Trains''''' ('''''{{lang-cs|Ostře Sledované Vlaky}}''''') is a 1966 [[Czechoslovak New Wave|Czechoslovakian New Wave]] [[Coming-of-age story|coming-of-age]] [[Comedy film|comedy]] film directed by [[Jiří Menzel]] and is one of the best-known films of the [[Czechoslovak New Wave]]. It was released in the United Kingdom as '''''Closely Observed Trains'''''. It is a story about a young man working at a train station in [[German occupation of Czechoslovakia|German-occupied Czechoslovakia]] during [[World War II]]. The film is based on a 1965 novel by [[Bohumil Hrabal]]. It was produced by [[Barrandov Studios]] and filmed on location in Central Bohemia. Released outside Czechoslovakia during 1967, it received widespread acclaim and won the [[Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film|Best Foreign Language Oscar]] at the [[40th Academy Awards]] in 1968.<ref name="Oscars1968">{{Cite web|url=http://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1968 |title=The 40th Academy Awards (1968) Nominees and Winners |access-date=2011-11-12|work=oscars.org}}</ref> Nowadays the movie is assessed as one of the finest works of the Czech New Cinema.

==Plot==
The young Miloš Hrma, who speaks with misplaced pride of his family of misfits and [[Wiktionary:malinger#English|malingerers]], is engaged as a newly-trained [[train dispatcher]] at a small railway station near the end of the [[Second World War]] and the [[German occupation of Czechoslovakia]]. He admires himself in his new uniform and looks forward, like his prematurely retired [[train driver]] father, to avoiding real work. The sometimes pompous stationmaster is an enthusiastic pigeon-breeder who has a kind wife, but is envious of train dispatcher Hubička's success with women. The [[Wiktionary:idyll#Pronunciation|idyll]] of the railway station is periodically disturbed by the arrival of Councillor Zedníček, a Nazi collaborator who spouts propaganda at the staff, though he does not influence anyone with it.

Miloš is in a budding relationship with the pretty, young conductor Máša. The experienced Hubička presses for details and realizes that Miloš is still a virgin. At her initiative, Máša spends the night with Miloš, but in his youthful excitability he ejaculates prematurely and is unable to perform sexually. The next day, despairing, he attempts suicide, but is saved. A young doctor at the hospital explains to Miloš that [[Premature ejaculation|''ejaculatio praecox'']] is normal at his age, recommending that Miloš "think of something else", such as football, and seek out an experienced woman to help him through his first sexual experience.

During the nightshift, Hubička flirts with the young telegraphist, Zdenička, and imprints her thighs and buttocks with the office's rubber stamps. Her mother sees the stamps and complains to Hubička's superiors.

The Germans and their collaborators are on edge, since their trains and railroad tracks are being attacked by [[Resistance in the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia#Partisan warfare|partisans]]. A glamorous resistance agent, code-named Viktoria Freie, delivers a time bomb to Hubička for use in blowing up a large ammunition train. At Hubička's request, the "experienced" Viktoria also helps Miloš to resolve his sexual problem.

The next day, at the crucial moment when the ammunition train is approaching the station, Hubička is caught up in a farcical disciplinary hearing, overseen by Zedníček, over his rubber-stamping of Zdenička's backside. In Hubička's place, Miloš, liberated from his former passivity by his experience with Viktoria, takes the time bomb and drops it onto the train from a [[railway signal#Signal mounting|semaphore gantry]], which extends transversely above the tracks. He loses balance and ends up falling onto one of the railcars.

Zedníček winds up the disciplinary hearing by dismissing the Czech people as "nothing but laughing hyenas" (a phrase actually employed by the senior Nazi official [[Reinhard Heydrich]]<ref name="Hames, Peter 2005">Hames, Peter. ''The Czechoslovak New Wave''. Second Edition, 2005, London and New York, Wallflower Press.</ref>). The stationmaster is despondent because the scandal with Hubička and Zdenička seems to have frustrated his ambition of being promoted to inspector. Then a huge series of explosions happens just around a bend in the track as the train is destroyed by the bomb.<ref>{{cite book |title=Český hraný film IV./Czech Feature Film IV. (1961-1970) |year=2004 |publisher=Národní filmový archiv |location=Prague |isbn=80-7004-115-3 |pages=339–344 }}</ref> Hubička, unaware of what has happened to Miloš, laughs to express his joy at this blow to the Nazi occupiers. Máša, who has been waiting to speak with Miloš, picks up his uniform cap, which has wound up at her feet, blown by the huge winds from the blast.

==Cast==
[[File:Lodenice - Railway station.jpg|thumb|275px|The station building in [[Loděnice (Beroun District)|Loděnice]] where the film was shot]]

* [[Václav Neckář]] as Miloš Hrma
* [[Josef Somr]] as train dispatcher Hubička
* [[Vlastimil Brodský]] as councilor Zedníček
* Vladimír Valenta as stationmaster Lanska
* Jitka Bendová as conductor Máša
* [[Jitka Zelenohorská]] as telegraphist Zdenička
* [[Naďa Urbánková]] as Viktoria Freie
* [[Libuše Havelková]] as Lanska's wife
* Milada Ježková as Zdenička's mother
* [[Jiří Menzel]] as Doctor Brabec

==Production==
The film is based on a 1965 novel of the same name by the noted Czech author [[Bohumil Hrabal]], whose work [[Jiří Menzel]] had previously adapted to make ''The Death of Mr. Balthazar'', his segment of the anthology film of Hrabal stories ''[[Pearls of the Deep]]'' (1965).<ref name="Hames, Peter 2005"/> [[Barrandov Studios]] first offered this project to the more experienced directors [[Evald Schorm]] and [[Věra Chytilová]] (''Closely Watched Trains'' was the first feature film directed by Menzel), but neither of them saw a way to adapt the book to film.<ref name="Hames">Hames.</ref> Menzel and Hrabal worked together closely on the script, making a number of modifications to the novel.<ref name="Hames"/>

Menzel's first choice for the lead role of Miloš was Vladimír Pucholt, but he was occupied filming Jiří Krejčík's ''Svatba jako řemen''. Menzel considered playing the role himself, but he concluded that, at almost 28, he was too old. Fifteen non-professional actors were then tested before the wife of Ladislav Fikar (a poet and publisher) came up with the suggestion of the pop singer [[Václav Neckář]].<ref name="Hames"/> Menzel has related that he himself only took on the cameo role of the doctor at the last minute, after the actor originally cast failed to show up for shooting.

Filming began in late February and lasted until the end of April 1966. Locations were used in and around the station building in [[Loděnice (Beroun District)|Loděnice]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=Taussig|first=Pavel|url=http://instinkt.tyden.cz/rubriky/ostatni/serial/ostre-sledovane-vlaky_25187.html|title=Ostře sledované vlaky|language=cs|work=[[Týden|instinkt.tyden.cz]]|publisher=Empresa Media|access-date=2011-07-08 |date=2010-05-07|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120329012301/http://instinkt.tyden.cz/rubriky/ostatni/serial/ostre-sledovane-vlaky_25187.html|archive-date=2012-03-29}}</ref>

The association between Menzel and Hrabal was to continue, with ''[[Larks on a String]]'' (made in 1969 but not released until 1990), ''[[Cutting It Short]]'' (1981), ''[[The Snowdrop Festival]]'' (1984), and ''[[I Served the King of England (film)|I Served the King of England]]'' (2006) all being directed by Menzel and based on works by Hrabal.

==Reception==
The film premiered in Czechoslovakia on 18 November 1966.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.csfd.cz/film/6664-ostre-sledovane-vlaky/|title=Ostře sledované vlaky|language=cs|work=Česko-Slovenská filmová databáze|publisher=POMO Media Group|access-date=2011-10-07}}</ref> Release outside Czechoslovakia took place in the following year.

===Critical response===
[[Bosley Crowther]] of ''[[The New York Times]]'' called ''Closely Watched Trains'' "as expert and moving in its way as was [[Ján Kadár]]'s and [[Elmar Klos]]'s ''[[The Shop on Main Street]]'' or [[Miloš Forman]]'s ''[[Loves of a Blonde]]''," two roughly contemporary films from Czechoslovakia. Crowther wrote:<blockquote>What it appears Mr. Menzel is aiming at all through his film is just a wonderfully sly, sardonic picture of the embarrassments of a youth coming of age in a peculiarly innocent yet worldly provincial environment. ... The charm of his film is in the quietness and slyness of his earthy comedy, the wonderful finesse of understatements, the wise and humorous understanding of primal sex. And it is in the brilliance with which he counterpoints the casual affairs of his country characters with the realness, the urgency and significance of those passing trains.<ref>{{Cite web|author-link=Bosley Crowther|last=Crowther|first=Bosley|date=1967-10-16|url=https://movies.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9804E0D9123BE53BBC4E52DFB667838C679EDE|title=Closely Watched T/rains (1966)|work=[[The New York Times]]|access-date=2011-10-07}}</ref></blockquote> ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]''{{'}}s reviewer wrote:<blockquote>The 28-year-old Jiri Menzel registers a remarkable directorial debut. His sense for witty situations is as impressive as his adroit handling of the players. A special word of praise must go to [[Bohumil Hrabal]], the creator of the literary original; the many amusing gags and imaginative situations are primarily his. The cast is composed of wonderful types down the line.<ref>{{Cite web|author=Staff writer|year=1966|url=https://www.variety.com/review/VE1117793773?refcatid=31|title=Ostre Sledovane Vlaky|work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|access-date=2011-10-07}}</ref></blockquote>

In his study of the [[Czechoslovak New Wave]], Peter Hames places the film in a broader context, connecting it to, among other things, the most famous anti-hero of Czech literature, [[Jaroslav Hašek]]'s ''[[The Good Soldier Švejk]]'', a fictional [[World War I]] soldier whose artful evasion of duty and undermining of authority are sometimes held to epitomize characteristic Czech qualities:

<blockquote>In its attitudes, if not its form, ''Closely Observed Trains'' is the Czech film that comes closest to the humour and satire of ''The Good Soldier Švejk'', not least because it is prepared to include the reality of the war as a necessary aspect of its comic vision. The attack on ideological dogmatism, bureaucracy and anachronistic moral values undoubtedly strikes wider targets than the period of Nazi Occupation. However, it would be wrong to reduce the film to a coded reflection on contemporary Czech society: the attitudes and ideas derive from the same conditions that originally inspired Hašek. Insofar as these conditions recur, under the Nazi Occupation or elsewhere, the response will be the same.<ref name="Hames"/></blockquote>On [[review aggregator]] [[Rotten Tomatoes]], the film holds an approval rating of 95% based on 20 reviews, with an average score of 7.80/10.<ref>{{Cite web |date=1966-11-18 |title=Closely Watched Trains - Rotten Tomatoes |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/closely-watched-trains |access-date=2023-09-02 |website=www.rottentomatoes.com |language=en}}</ref>

==Awards and honors==
The film won several international awards:
* The [[Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film]], awarded in 1968 for films released in 1967<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M6gyakVlsyc "Closely Watched Trains" Wins Foreign Language Film: 1968 Oscars]</ref>
* The Grand Prize at the 1966 [[International Filmfestival Mannheim-Heidelberg|Mannheim-Heidelberg International Filmfestival]]
* A nomination for the 1968 [[BAFTA Award]]s for Best Film and Best Soundtrack
* A nomination for the 1968 [[DGA Award]] for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures
* A nomination for the 1967 [[Golden Globe]] for Best Foreign-Language Foreign Film

==See also==
* [[Czechoslovak New Wave]]
* [[List of submissions to the 40th Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film]]
* [[List of Czechoslovakia submissions for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film]]

==References==
;Notes
{{Reflist}}

;Bibliography
* Hames, Peter. ''The Czechoslovak New Wave''. Second Edition, 2005, London and New York, Wallflower Press.
* Škvorecký J. ''Jiří Menzel and the history of the «Closely watched trains»''. Boulder: East European Monographs, 1982

==Further reading==
*Menzel, Jiri & Hrabal, Bohumil (1971) ''Closely Observed Trains''. (Modern Film Scripts.) London: Lorrimer

==External links==
* {{IMDb title|id=0060802|title=Closely Watched Trains}}
* {{Rotten Tomatoes|2=Closely Watched Trains}}
* {{AllRovi movie|10038|Closely Watched Trains}}
* {{tcmdb title|id=71104}}
* [https://www.criterion.com/current/posts/137-closely-watched-trains ''Closely Watched Trains''] an essay by [[Richard Schickel]] at the [[Criterion Collection]]
* [https://www.criterionchannel.com/czechoslovak-new-wave/season:1/videos/closely-watched-trains ''Closely Watched Trains'' on Criterion Channel]

{{Czechoslovak New Wave}}
{{Jiří Menzel}}
{{AcademyAwardBestForeignLanguageFilm 1961–1980}}
{{Czechoslovak submission for Academy Awards}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:1966 films]]
[[Category:1966 comedy-drama films]]
[[Category:1960s coming-of-age comedy-drama films]]
[[Category:1960s war comedy-drama films]]
[[Category:Best Foreign Language Film Academy Award winners]]
[[Category:Czech coming-of-age comedy-drama films]]
[[Category:1960s Czech-language films]]
[[Category:Czech resistance to Nazi occupation in film]]
[[Category:Czech war comedy-drama films]]
[[Category:Czechoslovak black-and-white films]]
[[Category:Films based on works by Bohumil Hrabal]]
[[Category:Films directed by Jiří Menzel]]
[[Category:1960s German-language films]]
[[Category:Rail transport films]]
[[Category:Czech World War II films]]
[[Category:Czechoslovak World War II films]]
[[Category:1960s multilingual films]]
[[Category:Czech multilingual films]]
[[Category:Czechoslovak multilingual films]]
[[Category:German-language Czech films]]

Close-Up (1990 film)

2024-10-02T01:28:00Z

98.18.198.104: /* External links */

{{Short description|1990 film by Abbas Kiarostami}}
{{Infobox film
| name = Close-Up
| image =Close Up DVD cover.jpg
| caption=DVD cover
| native_name = کلوزآپ ، نمای نزدیک
| director = [[Abbas Kiarostami]]
| producer = Ali Reza Zarrin
| writer = Abbas Kiarostami
| starring = Hossain Sabzian [[Mohsen Makhmalbaf]]
| cinematography = Ali Reza Zarrindast
| editing = Abbas Kiarostami
| studio = [[Institute for the Intellectual Development of Children and Young Adults|Kanoon]]
| distributor = [[Celluloid Dreams]]
| released = {{Film date|1990}}
| runtime = 98 min.
| country = [[Iran]]
| language = [[Persian language|Persian]]
| budget =
| gross =
}}
[[File:Close Up (1990).webm | thumb | ''Close Up'' (1990) ]]
'''''Close-Up''''' ({{lang-fa|کلوزآپ ، نمای نزدیک}}, ''Klūzāp, nemā-ye nazdīk'') is a 1990 [[Iran]]ian [[docufiction]] written, directed and edited by [[Abbas Kiarostami]]. The film tells the story of the real-life trial of a man who impersonated film-maker [[Mohsen Makhmalbaf]], conning a family into believing they would star in his new film.<ref>{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.newyorker.com/culture/richard-brody/dvd-of-the-week-close-up|title=DVD of the Week: Close-Up|magazine=The New Yorker}}</ref> It features the people involved, acting as themselves. A film about human identity, it helped to increase recognition of Kiarostami internationally.

''Close-Up'' is considered to be one of the greatest films of all time; in the 2012 ''[[Sight & Sound]]'' poll, it was voted by critics as one of "[[The Top 50 Greatest Films of All Time]]".<ref>{{cite web|title=The Top 50 Greatest Films of All Time|url=http://www.bfi.org.uk/news/50-greatest-films-all-time|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120802102928/http://www.bfi.org.uk/news/50-greatest-films-all-time|url-status=dead|archive-date=August 2, 2012|work=[[Sight & Sound]]|publisher=[[British Film Institute]]|access-date=10 August 2012|date=1 August 2012}}</ref> In the 2022 Sight and Sound critics' poll, it was rated the 17th greatest film of all time.

==Story==
Hossain Sabzian is a [[cinephile]], and in particular a big fan of popular Iranian director [[Mohsen Makhmalbaf]]. One day, Sabzian is riding a bus with a copy of a published screenplay of ''[[The Cyclist]].'' Mrs. Ahankhah sits next to him, revealing she is a fan of the film. Sabzian tells her that he himself is Makhmalbaf, the creator and learns that her sons are interested in film. Posing as Makhmalbaf, Sabzian visits the Ahankhah family several times over the next two weeks. He flatters them by saying he wants to use their house in his next film and their sons as actors. He also borrows 1,900 [[Iranian toman|toman]]s from one of the sons for cab fare. Mr. Ahankhah starts to suspect him as an imposter trying to rob them, especially when a magazine photograph shows a younger Makhmalbaf with darker hair. He invites a journalist, Hossain Farazmand, who confirms that Sabzian is indeed an impostor. The police come to arrest Sabzian, while Farazmand takes several pictures for his upcoming article titled "Bogus Makhmalbaf Arrested".<ref>These scenes are shown in flashback throughout the film and were re-enacted.</ref>

Kiarostami visits Sabzian in prison and helps to move his trial up, and receives permission from the judge to record the trial. At the trial, Sabzian is tried for fraud and attempted fraud. He reveals his motivations for the imitation as love for Makhmalbaf's film and cinema, and how he feels seen in his suffering through these films, while the Ahankhah's son recounts his visits as they started to suspect him. Due to his circumstances as a young father with no prior record and his remorse, the judge asks the family if they would be willing to pardon Sabzian. They agree in exchange for him becoming a productive member of society. After the trial, the real Makhmalbaf meets Sabzian and gives him a ride back to the Ahankhah's house, with Kiarostami's crew following. When they meet Mr. Ahankhah, he says of Sabzian: "I hope he'll be good now and make us proud of him."

==Cast==
* Hossain Sabzian as himself
* [[Mohsen Makhmalbaf]] as himself
* [[Abbas Kiarostami]] as himself
* Abolfazl Ahankhah as himself
* Mehrdad Ahankhah as himself
* Monoochehr Ahankhah as himself
* Mahrokh Ahankhah as herself
* Haj Ali Reza Ahmadi as himself, the Judge
* Nayer Mohseni Zonoozi as herself
* Ahmad Reza Moayed Mohseni as himself, a family friend
* Hossain Farazmand as himself, a reporter
* Hooshang Shamaei as himself, a Taxi Driver
* Mohammad Ali Barrati as himself, a Soldier
* Davood Goodarzi as himself, a Sergeant
* Hassan Komaili as himself, a Court Recorder
* Davood Mohabbat as himself, a Court Recorder
<ref>[http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/442910/Close-Up/full-credits.html TCM.com]</ref>

==Notes==
The film references Kiarostami's previous films, the 1974 football drama ''[[The Traveler (1974 film)|The Traveler]]'' (considered by the director to be his first 'authentic' feature).<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.criterionchannel.com/close-up/videos/the-traveler|title=The Traveler - Close-up|website=The Criterion Channel}}</ref>

It also mentions ''[[The Cyclist]]'', a 1987 sports drama film made by the real Mohsen Makhmalbaf three years prior to ''Close-Up''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0092651/|title=Bicycleran (1989)|website=IMDb}}</ref>

==Production==
''Close-Up'' is based on real events that occurred in Northern Tehran in the late 1980s. Kiarostami first heard about Sabzian in 1989 after reading about the incident in an article in the Iranian magazine ''Sorush'' by journalist Hassan Farazmand. Kiarostami immediately suspended work on the film project that he was in pre-production of and began making a documentary on Sabzian. Kiarostami was allowed to film Sabzian's trial and also got Sabzian, the Ahankhahs and Farazmand to agree to participate in the film and to re-enact incidents from the past. Kiarostami also arranged for Mohsen Makhmalbaf to meet Sabzian and help facilitate forgiveness between Sabzian and the Ahankhahs.<ref name=criterion/>

==Critical reception==
When the film opened in Iran, reviews were almost uniformly negative, and the film only began to be appreciated after it was shown abroad.<ref name=criterion/> ''[[The New York Times]]'' film critic [[Stephen Holden]] called the film "brilliant," noting its "radically drab cinema-verite style that helps blur any difference between what is real and what is reconstructed."<ref>Holden, Stephen, "Close Up (1990)
FILM REVIEW; The Pathos Of Deceit By a Victim Of Longing." ''[[The New York Times]]'', December 31, 1999, Accessed on November 17, 2012.</ref>

In 2010 ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'' critic Dennis Lim called the film eloquent and direct and that it provided "a window into the psyche of a complicated man and into the social and cultural reality of Iran."<ref>Lim, Dennis, "A Second Look: Abbas Kiarostami's 'Close-Up'." ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'', June 9, 2010, Accessed on November 17, 2012.</ref> In 2022, it ranked #17 in the [[British Film Institute]]'s critics' poll of [[BFI The Top 50 Greatest Films of All Time]].

==Influence==
Five years after ''Close-Up'', Moslem Mansouri and Mahmoud Chokrollahi wrote and directed the documentary ''Close-Up Long Shot'' ({{lang-fa|کلوزآپ نمای دور }}, '' Klūzāp nemā-ye dūr'') in which Sabzian talks about his infatuation with cinema, his impersonation of Makhmalbaf and how his life has changed after working with Kiarostami. The film premiered at Turin's [[Torino Film Festival|14° Festival internazionale cinema giovani]] in November 1996 where it won the [[International Federation of Film Critics#FIPRESCI Award|FIPRESCI Prize – Special Mention]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.arsenal-berlin.de/forumarchiv/forum97/f011e.html|title=Close-Up Long Shot (Forum, Film Festival Berlin 1997)|work=arsenal-berlin.de|access-date=14 March 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.torinofilmfest.org/?action=detail&id=1389|title=Torino Film Festival|work=torinofilmfest.org|access-date=14 March 2016}}</ref>

[[Nanni Moretti]]'s 1996 Italian short film ''[[Opening Day of Close-Up]]'' follows a theater owner as he prepares to show Kiarostami's film at his independent cinema.

[[Marcus Söderlund]]'s 2007 music video for Swedish duo [[The Tough Alliance]]'s "A New Chance" pays homage to Kiarostami's film with an almost shot-for-shot reproduction of a scene following two characters on a motorcycle.<ref>{{cite AV media|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qoV6xfgCkcM |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211213/qoV6xfgCkcM |archive-date=2021-12-13 |url-status=live|title=The Tough Alliance - A New Chance|date=3 September 2007|access-date=14 March 2016|via=YouTube}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

[[Martin Scorsese]] in an interview for the [[The Criterion Collection|Criterion]] edition of the 2019 film ''[[Rolling Thunder Revue: A Bob Dylan Story by Martin Scorsese|Rolling Thunder Revue]]'' cites Kiarostami as his main influence.

In 2012, filmmaker [[Ashim Ahluwalia]] included the film in his personal top ten (for [[The Sight & Sound Top 50 Greatest Films of All Time]] poll), writing: "A re-enactment of a re-enactment of a re-enactment, ''Close Up'' essentially destroys the very conception of a 'documentary' and yet is one of the best ever made."<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/sightandsoundpoll2012/voter/886 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160818113652/http://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/sightandsoundpoll2012/voter/886 |url-status=dead |archive-date=August 18, 2016 |title=BFI |website=www.bfi.org.uk}}</ref>

== Aftermath ==
In 2006, Hossain Sabzian died at age 52 after suffering a heart attack. He suffered respiratory failure on the [[Tehran]] metro in August, slipped into a coma, and died on September 29.<ref name=criterion>{{Cite web|url=https://www.criterion.com/current/posts/1492-close-up-prison-and-escape|title=Close-up: Prison and Escape|last=Cheshire|first=Godfrey|website=[[The Criterion Collection]]|language=en|access-date=2019-09-09}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://bidoun.org/articles/kiarostami-s-close-up-revisited|title=The Most Fatal Attraction: Kiarostami's 'Close-Up' revisited|last=Bidoun|website=Bidoun|language=en|access-date=2019-09-09}}</ref>

==Trivia==
* In the first scene, Hossain Farazmand tells the taxi driver Hooshang Shamaei while driving to Ahankhah's place about the "Oriana story" citing [[Oriana Fallaci]]'s tendencies to dig up stories about the most exclusive topics. He also mentions other internationally reputed reporters [[Peter Bogdanovich]] and [[John Edisson]].

==Awards==
* 1990: [[Festival du nouveau cinéma|Montreal International Festival of New Cinema and Video]]: Quebec Film Critics Award<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.imdb.com/event/ev0000356/1990/1/|title=Montréal Festival of New Cinema (1990)|website=IMDb}}</ref>
* 1992: [[International Istanbul Film Festival]]: FIPRESCI Prize<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.imdb.com/event/ev0000368/1992/1/|title=Istanbul International Film Festival (1992)|website=IMDb}}</ref>

==See also==
* ''[[F for Fake]]'' (1973) – the last major film completed by Orson Welles, who directed, co-wrote, and starred in the film, which is loosely a documentary that operates in several different genres and has been described as a kind of film essay.
* ''[[Hello Cinema]]'' (1995) – an Iranian docufiction film directed by Mohsen Makhmalbaf that shows various everyday people being auditioned and explaining their reason for wanting to act in a film.
* ''[[Colour Me Kubrick]]'' (2005) – a British film directed by [[Brian W. Cook]] about the true story of a man who pretended to be director [[Stanley Kubrick]], a similar premise to this film.
* [[List of docufiction films]]
* [[Metafilm]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Bibliography==
* Godfrey Cheshire, ''Confessions of a Sin-ephile:'' Close Up, ''Cinema Scope'', no. 2 (Winter 2000), pp. 3–8
* Cristina Vatulescu, ''"The Face to Face Encounter of Art and Law": Abbas Kiarostami's'' Close-Up, ''[[Law and Literature (journal)|Law and Literature]]'', vol. 23, no. 2 (Summer 2011), pp. 173–194

==External links==
* {{IMDb title|0100234}}
* {{Rotten Tomatoes|2=Close-Up}}
* {{AllMovie title|211621}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20120322165628/http://www.projectorhead.in/one/closeup.html An 'Islamic' reading of Kiarostami's ''Close-Up'']
* ''[https://web.archive.org/web/20060422151131/http://www.artsandfaith.com/t100/2005/entry.php?film=54 Close-Up]'' at the [https://web.archive.org/web/20060720142105/http://artsandfaith.com/top100/ Arts & Faith Top100 Spiritually Significant Films] list
* [http://www.slantmagazine.com/film/review/close-up/77 ''Slant'' magazine article]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20190624184514/http://www.combustiblecelluloid.com/closeup.shtml Combustible Celluloid review]
* [https://www.theguardian.com/film/2005/apr/28/hayfilmfestival2005.guardianhayfestival Interview] to ''The Guardian'', Thursday 28 April 2005
*[https://www.criterion.com/current/posts/1492-close-up-prison-and-escape ''Close-up: Prison and Escape''] an essay by Godfrey Cheshire at the [[Criterion Collection]]

{{Abbas Kiarostami}}

[[Category:1990 drama films]]
[[Category:1990 films]]
[[Category:Courtroom films]]
[[Category:Docufiction films]]
[[Category:Existentialist films]]
[[Category:Films about filmmaking]]
[[Category:Films directed by Abbas Kiarostami|Close-Up]]
[[Category:Films set in Iran]]
[[Category:Iranian drama films]]
[[Category:1990s Persian-language films]]
[[Category:Postmodern films]]

Clockers (film)

2024-10-02T01:21:12Z

98.18.198.104: /* External links */

{{Short description|1995 film directed by Spike Lee}}
{{Infobox film
|name = Clockers
|image = Clockers film poster.jpg
|caption = Theatrical release poster
|director = [[Spike Lee]]
|producer = [[Martin Scorsese]] Spike Lee [[Jon Kilik]]
|screenplay = [[Richard Price (writer)|Richard Price]] Spike Lee
|based_on = {{based on|''[[Clockers (novel)|Clockers]]''|Richard Price}}
|starring = {{Plain list|
*[[Harvey Keitel]]
*[[John Turturro]]
*[[Delroy Lindo]]
*[[Mekhi Phifer]]
*[[Isaiah Washington]]
*[[Keith David]]}}
|music = [[Terence Blanchard]]
|cinematography = [[Malik Hassan Sayeed]]
|editing = [[Sam Pollard (filmmaker)|Sam Pollard]]
|studio = [[40 Acres and a Mule Filmworks]]
|distributor = [[Universal Pictures]]
|released = {{film date|1995|9|15}}
|runtime = 128 minutes
|country = United States
|language = English
|budget = $25 million
|gross = $13,071,518<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/release/rl424314369/weekend/|title=Clockers|website=[[Box Office Mojo]]|publisher=[[IMDb]]|accessdate=August 20, 2021|archive-date=September 21, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240921234943/https://www.boxofficemojo.com/release/rl424314369/weekend/|url-status=live}}</ref>
}}

'''''Clockers''''' is a 1995 American [[crime drama]] film directed by [[Spike Lee]]. It is an adaptation of the [[Clockers (novel)|1992 novel of the same name]] by [[Richard Price (writer)|Richard Price]], who also co-wrote the screenplay with Lee. The film stars [[Harvey Keitel]], [[John Turturro]], [[Delroy Lindo]], and [[Mekhi Phifer]] in his debut film role. Set in New York City, ''Clockers'' tells the story of Strike (Phifer), a street-level drug dealer who becomes entangled in a murder investigation.

The film originally entered production with [[Martin Scorsese]] attached to direct; he had previously collaborated with Price on his 1986 film ''[[The Color of Money]]''. Scorsese eventually dropped out of production to focus on his passion project ''[[Casino (1995 film)|Casino]]'', at which point Lee stepped in to direct and rewrite the script, Scorsese remained a co-producer alongside Lee. ''Clockers'' received generally positive reviews from film critics, but was a box office failure, grossing only around $13 million on a $25 million budget.

==Plot==
In a [[Brooklyn]] [[housing project]], a group of clockers — street-level drug dealers — sells drugs for Rodney Little, a local [[Drug trafficking|drug lord]]. Rodney tells Ronald "Strike" Dunham, one of his lead clockers, that another dealer, Darryl Adams, is stealing from him and that he wants Strike to kill him. Strike then meets with his brother, Victor, and asks if he knows someone who could kill Darryl.

Homicide detectives Rocco Klein and Larry Mazilli, riding to the scene of Adams' murder, receive a phone call from another detective who says a man has confessed at a local church to killing Adams. The police meet Strike's older brother Victor at the church and take him in for questioning. In the interrogation room, Victor tells Rocco that he shot Adams in self-defense. Rocco finds holes in this story and starts looking into Victor's background, which includes two jobs, a wife, two children, no criminal record, and aspirations to move out of the projects, and concludes that Victor is covering for his younger brother.

Rodney discusses Darryl's death with Strike. Later, Rodney tells Strike a story of a younger Rodney and Errol, where Errol threatened Rodney at gunpoint to kill a dealer, which he did. Back in the present, he tells Strike the reason Errol forced him at gunpoint to do so was so that Errol could hold something over him if he ever decided to tell on Errol, which was why he told Strike to kill Darryl Adams. Strike and Rodney have a falling-out after Rodney denies telling Strike to kill Darryl.

Rocco pressures Strike, but Victor sticks to his story, so Rocco convinces Rodney that Strike has confessed and informed on Rodney's drug ring. Rocco arrests Rodney and then implicates Strike in front of his crew. Strike tries to play it off and deny that he was involved in Rodney's arrest, but his crew begins to turn on Strike, leading to them labeling him a snitch. Rodney, calling Errol to notify him that he is in jail, puts a hit out on Strike. Strike then gets together some money and decides to leave town.

As Strike walks to his car, he sees Errol sitting on his car, deducing that Errol is there to kill him. Strike hides behind a fence, but a younger boy who admired Strike, Tyrone, rides up to Errol on a bike and shoots him dead with Strike's gun. Later, Tyrone is taken into custody. With Rocco, Tyrone's mother and Andre listening, Tyrone confesses that he got the gun from Strike. Andre storms out of the interrogation room and proceeds to look for Strike.

Andre angrily beats Strike in front of the whole project, and with a gun threatens the onlooking bystanders to stay back. As Andre threatens to kill Strike if he ever talks to or even looks at the young boy again, Rodney pulls up, which leads to Strike jumping in his own car and driving to the precinct, with Rodney following. Strike runs into Rocco, who now has an arrest warrant for Strike, and runs into the precinct just as Rodney pulls up.

Rocco tries to intimidate Strike into confessing to the murder, but he loses his composure when Strike continues to change his story. When Rocco grabs Strike and throws him against the wall, Strike's mother walks in with Mazilli and Victor's wife. She advises Rocco that Victor confessed to the murder immediately when he got home, and how Victor was physically unable to leave his bed. Strike asks his mom what happened to the bail money he gave Victor's wife, which leads to Strike's mother angrily throwing the money in Strike's face.

Meanwhile, Rodney proceeds to damage Strike's car, going as far as breaking the windows, damaging the doors and urinating in the car. Left with no other options and unable to go home, Strike asks Rocco to drive him to [[Pennsylvania Station (New York City)|Penn Station]].

As they are sitting in a car, Rocco threatens Strike that if he ever sees him again he will arrest him, let Andre beat him down again, then arrest Rodney on the same charges and make sure that Rodney and Strike share a cell and a bed in prison. Strike boards a train and leaves town. While Tyrone is playing inside his apartment with the train set that Strike gave him, outside the apartment, Rocco and Mazilli respond to the homicide of Scientific, one of the guys in Strike's old crew. The film ends with a shot of Strike looking outward on a moving train somewhere in the New Mexico desert, apparently far away from the city.

==Cast==
{{Cast listing|
* [[Harvey Keitel]] as Det. Rocco Klein
* [[John Turturro]] as Det. Larry Mazilli
* [[Delroy Lindo]] as Rodney Little
* [[Mekhi Phifer]] as Ronald "Strike" Dunham
* [[Isaiah Washington]] as Victor Dunham
* [[Keith David]] as Andre "The Giant" Ashley
* [[Sticky Fingaz]] as Andres "Scientific" Atkins
* [[Regina Taylor]] as Iris Jeeter
* [[Fredro Starr|Fredro]] as Elvis "Go" Atkins
* [[Thomas Jefferson Byrd|Tom Byrd]] as Errol Barnes
* [[Lawrence B. Adisa]] as Stan Gilmore
* [[Hassan Johnson]] as Trevor "Skills" Jeeter
* [[Michael Imperioli]] as Det. Joey "Jojo" Thompson
* [[Mike Starr (actor)|Mike Starr]] as Det. Shawn "Thumper" Ferrell
* [[Paul Calderon]] as Jesus at Hambones
* [[Lisa Arrindell Anderson]] as Sharon Dunham
* [[Spike Lee]] as Chucky "Big Chucky" Bridges Sr.
* [[Harry Lennix]] as Bill Walker
* [[Michael Badalucco]] as Michael "Lil Chief" James
}}

==Film poster==
Critics and film buffs were quick to notice that the poster, designed by Art Sims, was similar to the artwork of [[Saul Bass]] for [[Otto Preminger]]'s 1959 film ''[[Anatomy of a Murder]]''. Sims claimed that it was a homage, but Bass regarded it as a rip-off.<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Schaefer|first=Stephen|url=https://ew.com/article/1995/09/08/poster-imposter/|title=Poster Imposter|magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]]|date=September 8, 1995|access-date=August 20, 2021|archive-date=September 21, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240921234838/https://ew.com/article/1995/09/08/poster-imposter/|url-status=live}}</ref>

==Release==
===Critical reception===
The film received generally positive reviews. On the [[review aggregator]] website [[Rotten Tomatoes]], 74% of 65 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 6.90/10. The site's consensus reads, "A work of mournful maturity that sacrifices little of its director's signature energy, ''Clockers'' is an admittedly flawed drama with a powerfully urgent message".<ref>{{cite web|title=Clockers (1995)|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/clockers|website=[[Rotten Tomatoes]]|publisher=[[Flixster]]|access-date=March 28, 2024|archive-date=September 21, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240921234838/https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/clockers|url-status=live}}</ref> On [[Metacritic]], the film has a score of 71 out of 100 based on reviews from 20 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".<ref>{{cite web|title=Clockers (1995)|url=https://www.metacritic.com/movie/clockers|website=[[Metacritic]]|publisher=[[CBS Interactive]]|access-date=August 20, 2021}}</ref>

[[Roger Ebert]] gave the movie three-and-a-half stars.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/clockers-1995|work=Chicago Sun-Times|title=Clockers|date=September 13, 1995|access-date=August 20, 2021|archive-date=September 21, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240921234943/https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/clockers-1995|url-status=live}}</ref>

David Denby of ''[[New York (magazine)|New York]]'' said that while the original novel was "filled with operational detail" the film adaptation was "more emotional" and "less factual". Denby further explained that Spike Lee was "concerned less with Strike's spiritual condition than with the survival of the entire community."<ref name="Denby">{{cite magazine|last=Denby|first=David|title=Hard Time|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6-QCAAAAMBAJ&q=%22Clockers%22+Richard+price&pg=PA72|magazine=[[New York (magazine)|New York]]|publisher=[[New York Media, LLC]]|location=New York|volume=28|issue=37|pages=72–73|issn=0028-7369|date=September 18, 1995|access-date=October 30, 2020|archive-date=September 21, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240921234907/https://books.google.com/books?id=6-QCAAAAMBAJ&q=%22Clockers%22+Richard+price&pg=PA72#v=snippet&q=%22Clockers%22%20Richard%20price&f=false|url-status=live}}</ref> Denby said that Lee, in the work, "jumps around a lot, telling his story in hot flashes" as typical in Spike Lee films, arguing that the technique makes the film "difficult to follow". In regard to the cinematography of [[Malik Hassan Sayeed|Malik Sayeed]], Denby said that it was "rough and dark-hued, with an almost tabloid angriness in the scenes of violence."<ref name=Denby/>

===Box office===
Clockers grossed over $4 Million its first weekend and ended its run with over [https://www.boxofficemojo.com/releasegroup/gr3044168197/ $13 Million domestically.]

==Soundtrack==
{{Infobox album
| name = Clockers (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
| type = soundtrack
| artist = Various artists
| released = {{Start date|1995|8|25}}
| recorded = 1994–95
| genre = {{hlist|[[Hip hop music|Hip hop]]|[[Contemporary R&B|R&B]]}}
| length = {{Duration|m=51|s=48}}
| label = [[MCA Records|MCA Soundtracks]]
| producer = {{hlist|Bill Stephney ([[Executive producer|exec.]])|[[Spike Lee]] (exec.)|[[Salaam Remi]]|DJ Trouble|[[Branford Marsalis]]|[[David Gamson]]|DJ Ali|[[DJ Premier]]|[[Gordon Chambers]]|Ike Lee III|Prince Sampson|Raymond Jones|[[Ski Beatz|Ski]]|Sean "Uneek" McFadden|Tim Atack|[[Trevor Horn]]|}}
| misc = {{Singles
|name = Clockers
|type = soundtrack
|single1 = Return of the Crooklyn Dodgers
|single1date = 1995
|single2 = Love Me Still
|single2date = August 29, 1995
}}
}}
{{Music ratings
|rev1 = [[AllMusic]]
|rev1score = {{Rating|4|5}}<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/clockers-original-soundtrack-mw0000644125|title=Clockers [Original Soundtrack] - Original Soundtrack {{!}} Songs, Reviews, Credits|last=Erlewine|first=Stephen Thomas|author-link=Stephen Thomas Erlewine|publisher=[[AllMusic]]|access-date=August 20, 2021|archive-date=September 10, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210910182829/https://www.allmusic.com/album/clockers-original-soundtrack-mw0000644125|url-status=live}}</ref>
}}
'''''Clockers (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)''''' was released on August 25, 1995, through [[MCA Records|MCA Soundtracks]]. Composed of twelve songs, it features performances from [[Marc Dorsey]], Rebelz of Authority, BrooklyNytes, [[Buckshot LeFonque]], [[Chaka Khan]], [[Crooklyn Dodgers|Crooklyn Dodgers '95]], [[Des'ree]], [[Mega Banton]], [[Seal (musician)|Seal]] and Strictly Difficult. The album made it to #54 on the ''Billboard'' [[Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums]] chart in the United States,<ref name="TRHA">{{Cite news|url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/soundtrack/chart-history/blp/|title=Soundtrack Clockers Chart History|work=[[Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums]]|access-date=August 20, 2021|archive-date=November 17, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211117164109/https://www.billboard.com/artist/soundtrack/chart-history/blp/|url-status=live}}</ref> spawning two singles: "Return of the Crooklyn Dodgers" by [[Jeru the Damaja]], [[O.C. (rapper)|O.C.]] and [[Chubb Rock]], which peaked at #96 on the [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]], and "Love Me Still" by [[Chaka Khan]].

One song featured in the film but not included in the original motion picture soundtrack is [[Rhythm and blues|R&B]] artist [[Philip Bailey]]'s "Children of the Ghetto," from Bailey's 1984 album ''[[Chinese Wall (album)|Chinese Wall]]''.

===Track listing===
{{Track listing
|extra_column = Producer(s)
|title1 = People in Search of a Life
|note1 = performed by [[Marc Dorsey]]
|extra1 = Raymond Jones
|length1 = 6:13
|title2 = Love Me Still
|note2 = performed by [[Chaka Khan]] and [[Bruce Hornsby]]
|extra2 = [[David Gamson]]
|length2 = 3:26
|title3 = Silent Hero
|note3 = performed by [[Des'ree]]
|extra3 = {{hlist|Prince Sampson|[[Timothy Atack|Tim Atack]]}}
|length3 = 5:01
|title4 = Bird of Freedom
|note4 = performed by [[Seal (musician)|Seal]]
|extra4 = [[Trevor Horn]]
|length4 = 5:14
|title5 = Return of the Crooklyn Dodgers
|note5 = performed by [[Crooklyn Dodgers|Crooklyn Dodgers '95]]
|extra5 = [[DJ Premier]]
|length5 = 5:04
|title6 = Bad Boy No Go a Jail
|note6 = performed by [[Mega Banton]]
|extra6 = [[Salaam Remi]]
|length6 = 4:22
|title7 = Blast of the Iron
|note7 = performed by Rebelz of Authority
|extra7 = {{hlist|Salaam Remi|DJ Trouble ({{abbr|co.|co-producer}})}}
|length7 = 4:12
|title8 = Reality Check
|note8 = performed by [[Buckshot LeFonque]]
|extra8 = [[Branford Marsalis]]
|length8 = 2:51
|title9 = Illa Killa
|note9 = performed by Strictly Difficult
|extra9 = [[Ski Beatz|Ski]]
|length9 = 4:29
|title10 = Sex Soldier
|note10 = performed by Rebelz of Authority
|extra10 = {{hlist|DJ Ali|DJ Trouble}}
|length10 = 3:32
|title11 = Reality
|note11 = performed by BrooklyNytes
|extra11 = Uneek
|length11 = 3:23
|title12 = Changes
|note12 = performed by [[Marc Dorsey]]
|extra12 = {{hlist|[[Gordon Chambers]]|Ike Lee}}
|length12 = 4:13
|total_length = 51:48
}}

===Charts===
{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
|-
!scope=col|Chart (1995)
!scope=col|Peak position
|-
!scope=row|US [[Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums]] (''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'')<ref name="TRHA"/>
|54
|}

==See also==
{{Portal bar|New York City|Film|Law|1990s}}
*[[List of hood films]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*{{IMDb title|0112688}}
*{{Rotten Tomatoes|2=Clockers}}

{{Spike Lee}}
{{Martin Scorsese}}
{{Richard Price}}

[[Category:1995 crime drama films]]
[[Category:40 Acres and a Mule Filmworks films]]
[[Category:American coming-of-age drama films]]
[[Category:American crime drama films]]
[[Category:Films about drugs]]
[[Category:Films directed by Spike Lee]]
[[Category:Films set in Brooklyn]]
[[Category:Films shot in New Mexico]]
[[Category:Films shot in New York City]]
[[Category:1990s hip hop films]]
[[Category:1990s hood films]]
[[Category:Films based on American novels]]
[[Category:Films with screenplays by Richard Price (writer)]]
[[Category:Films with screenplays by Spike Lee]]
[[Category:Universal Pictures films]]
[[Category:Films scored by Terence Blanchard]]
[[Category:Films produced by Martin Scorsese]]
[[Category:Films produced by Jon Kilik]]
[[Category:1990s English-language films]]
[[Category:1990s American films]]
[[Category:English-language crime drama films]]
[[Category:English-language musical films]]

Clean, Shaven

2024-10-02T01:14:46Z

98.18.198.104: /* External links */

{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2022}}{{Infobox film
| name = Clean, Shaven
| image = Clean shaven dvd.jpg
| director = [[Lodge Kerrigan]]
| writer = Lodge Kerrigan
| starring = [[Peter Greene]] Alice Levitt Megan Owen Jennifer MacDonald
| producer = Lodge Kerrigan
| music = [[Hahn Rowe]]
| cinematography = Teodoro Maniaci
| editing = [[Jay Rabinowitz (film editor)|Jay Rabinowitz]]
| distributor = [[Strand Releasing]]
| released = {{Film date|1993|09|05|Telluride|1995|03|31|Chicago}}
| runtime = 79 minutes
| country = United States
| language = English
| budget = $60,000<ref name=bitel/><ref name=film>{{cite magazine|title=Clean, Shaven |url=https://www.nextwavefilms.com/ulbp/learning.html |magazine=[[Filmmaker (magazine)|Filmmaker]] |date=Winter 1993|volume=2|issue=2|access-date=October 5, 2022|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20000816054149/https://www.nextwavefilms.com/ulbp/learning.html|archive-date=August 16, 2000}}</ref>
| gross = $26,351<ref>{{cite web|title=Clean, Shaven|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt0106579/|website=[[Box Office Mojo]]|access-date=October 5, 2022}}</ref>
}}
'''''Clean, Shaven''''' is a 1993 [[Drama (film and television)|drama]] film written, produced and directed by [[Lodge Kerrigan]], in which Peter Winter (played by [[Peter Greene]]) is a man with [[schizophrenia]] desperately trying to get his daughter back from her adoptive mother. The film attempts to subjectively view schizophrenia and those who are affected by it.

At the 1993 [[Chicago International Film Festival|Chicago Film Festival]], the film won the Silver Hugo Award for Best First Feature.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Wilmington |first=Michael |date=March 31, 1995 |title=Powerful 'Clean, Shaven' Fraught with Tension |work=[[Chicago Tribune]] |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1995-03-31-9503310199-story.html |url-status=dead |access-date=2022-10-05 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20221005203017/https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1995-03-31-9503310199-story.html |archive-date=October 5, 2022}}</ref> The film was screened in the [[Un Certain Regard]] section and nominated for the [[Caméra d'Or]] award at the [[1994 Cannes Film Festival]].<ref name="festival-cannes.com">{{cite web |url=http://www.festival-cannes.com/en/archives/ficheFilm/id/2986/year/1994.html |title=Festival de Cannes: Clean, Shaven |accessdate=2009-08-30|work=festival-cannes.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121005173110/http://www.festival-cannes.com/en/archives/ficheFilm/id/2986/year/1994.html |archive-date=2012-10-05}}</ref><ref name="Ebert">{{Cite web |last=Ebert |first=Roger |date=June 5, 1994 |title=Class of '94 gets their due at Cannes {{!}} Festivals & Awards |url=https://www.rogerebert.com/festivals/class-of-94-gets-their-due-at-cannes |access-date=2022-10-05 |website=RogerEbert.com |language=en}}</ref> ''Clean, Shaven'' was made a part of [[The Criterion Collection]] in 2006.<ref name="Criterion">{{Cite web |title=Clean, Shaven |url=https://www.criterion.com/films/551-clean-shaven |access-date=2022-10-04 |website=The Criterion Collection |language=en}}</ref>

== Plot ==
The film begins with abstract images and sounds in the director's interpretation of schizophrenia. Peter Winter has recently been released from a mental institution and upon his release, must try to experience and understand a world that is all but foreign to him.

Beginning the search for his daughter Nicole, Peter's car is hit by a soccer ball. A young girl looks from beyond his windshield at him, and he gets out of the car. No actual images of the girl are shown after Peter exits his car, but the screams of a young girl are heard as if Peter is beating her. He carries a large orange bag into his trunk, and the audience is meant to presume that Peter killed this little girl.

Winter returns home, where sounds invade his very being, and he is never completely at rest. He believes that there is a transmitter beneath the skin on his head and he proceeds to remove it. Peter is also disturbed by mirrors, and typically covers up any mirrors that he can access.

The car that Peter drives becomes encased in newspaper, and he isolates himself from the outside world. Peter comes back home to find his mother Mrs. Winter still very disturbed about Peter's schizophrenia. She still treats Peter as a child, and does not want him to find his daughter.

Peter, through his travels, becomes wrapped up in the investigation of the murder of another young girl. Jack McNally, the detective on the case, is stymied because there is almost no evidence at the scene of the crime. Peter becomes a suspect in the case, but nothing found at the crime scene or in Peter's hotel room can link him to the murder.

That does not stop the detective from following Peter after he kidnaps his daughter from her adoptive mother. Just as Peter begins to reconcile himself with his daughter, McNally shows up, desperate to take Peter in as the murderer. Peter foolishly takes out a gun and aims it at the police officer to try to protect his daughter from McNally. McNally, believing that what he is seeing is the dead body of Peter's daughter, opens fire on Peter, killing him.

He finds the girl to be safe and fires Peter's gun in the air, so that he would not be charged for shooting a man unnecessarily. He then opens the orange bag and finds nothing but newspaper inside.

== Cast ==
{{Cast listing|
* [[Peter Greene]] as Peter Winter
* Alice Levitt as Girl with Ball
* Megan Owen as Mrs. Winter
* Jennifer MacDonald as Nicole Winter
* Molly Castelloe as Melinda Frayne
* Jill Chamberlain as Teenager in Motel
* Agathe Leclerc as Murdered Girl
* Robert Albert as Jack McNally
* Roget Joly as Police Photographer
* René Beaudin as Boy on Bicycle
* J. Dixon Byrne as Dr. Michaels
* Eliot Rockett as Man on Ladder / Man in Jeep
}}

== Production ==
Director Lodge Kerrigan said the inspiration for the film came from a friend who had [[schizophrenia]].<ref name="film" /> Kerrigan said he had always had an interest in mental illness and, tired of the way mental illness had been portrayed in the movies, wanted to approach the subject more realistically and show "the kind of anxiety [people with schizophrenia] live with on a day-to-day basis."<ref name="film" /> Kerrigan spent a year researching the subject and then wrote the script in two months during the spring of 1990.<ref name="film" />

The film was shot on [[16 mm film|16mm]] on a budget of $60,000.<ref name=bitel>{{Cite journal |last=Bitel |first=Anton |date=September 2007 |title=Clean, Shaven |url=https://projectedfigures.com/2013/03/10/clean-shaven-1993/ |journal=[[Film International]] |issue=29}}</ref> The production took place over a noncontinuous period of two years due to its piecemeal financing.<ref name="film" /> Kerrigan, who is half-Canadian, shot the majority of exterior scenes in August 1990 in [[Miscou Island]] in [[New Brunswick]].<ref name="film" /> Most of the interior shots were filmed in November 1991 in [[New York City|New York]]. Shooting in New York was briefly interrupted when local police officers believed the filming of a robbery scene was real.<ref name="film" /> Principal photography was completed by September 1992.<ref name="film" />

Of the film's plot and ending, Kerrigan commented, "I really tried to examine the subjective reality of someone who suffered from schizophrenia, to try to put the audience in that position to experience how I imagined the symptoms to be: auditory hallucinations, heightened paranoia, dissociative feelings, anxiety. I set it up that Peter, who suffers from schizophrenia, could be the killer, leading the audience down that path, but I withhold proof. There's no conclusive evidence that he is and if people feel that he's guilty, I hope that the picture holds them responsible for drawing that conclusion."<ref name="ff">{{cite web|url=http://www.filmfreakcentral.net/notes/lkerriganinterview.htm |title=Lodge Kerrigan on Keane and sympathy |website=filmfreakcentral.net |date=November 27, 2005 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061211184338/http://www.filmfreakcentral.net/notes/lkerriganinterview.htm |archive-date=December 11, 2006}}</ref>

==Reception==

=== Release ===
The film had its world premiere on September 5, 1993, at the [[Telluride Film Festival]] and received rave reviews.<ref>{{Cite web |last=McCarthy |first=Todd |author-link=Todd McCarthy |date=1993-09-08 |title=Diverse Telluride menu filled with 'Joy,' 'Suture' |url=https://variety.com/1993/film/markets-festivals/diverse-telluride-menu-filled-with-joy-suture-110329/ |access-date=2022-10-05 |website=Variety |language=en-US}}</ref><ref name="film" /> At the film's January 1994 Sundance screening, a filmgoer was said to have fainted during a graphic scene.<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Kilday |first1=Gregg |last2=Thompson |first2=Anne |author-link2=Anne Thompson (film journalist) |date=February 11, 1994 |title=The Sundance Film Festival had studios clamoring to join the indies with 'Clerks' and 'Hoop Dreams' |url=https://ew.com/article/1994/02/11/sundance-film-festival-had-studios-clamoring-join-indies-clerks-and-hoop-dreams/ |access-date=2022-10-05 |website=[[EW.com]] |language=en}}</ref>

The film was released theatrically in the United States on one screen in Chicago on March 31, 1995, and grossed $5,900 in its opening week.<ref>{{cite magazine|magazine=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|date=April 10, 1995|page=12|title='Boy' tops; 'Girl' tanks; 'Wild' not |url=https://variety.com/1995/film/features/boy-tops-girl-tanks-wild-not-99127996/}}</ref>

=== Critical response ===
The film has a 91% approval rating on [[Rotten Tomatoes]] based on 11 reviews.<ref>{{cite web |date= |title=Clean, Shaven |url=http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/clean_shaven/ |accessdate=2019-07-15 |website=[[Rotten Tomatoes]]}}</ref>

Writing of the film's Chicago premiere, [[Roger Ebert]] awarded the film with {{frac|3|1|2}} stars out of four and described it as "a harrowing, exhausting, painful film, and a very good one - a film that will not appeal to most filmgoers, but will be valued by anyone with a serious interest in schizophrenia or, for that matter, in film."<ref>{{cite news |last=Ebert |first=Roger |author-link=Roger Ebert |date=March 31, 1995 |title=Clean, Shaven |work=[[Chicago Sun-Times]] |url=https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/clean-shaven-1995 |via=RogerEbert.com}}</ref> Ebert called Greene's performance one of "great power and nerve" and concluded,{{blockquote|the movie is, more than anything else, an uncompromising experiment in creating, for the viewer, an idea of what schizophrenia is like. The writer and director, Lodge H. Kerrigan, has made a leap of imagination that is both courageous and empathetic: He doesn't see Peter from the outside, as a danger or a threat, but from the inside, as a suffering man who still retains those instincts that make us human, including love for our children. That society cannot see him with the same empathy is perhaps inevitable. Peter is the kind of man we quickly cross the street to avoid. Now we understand how much he needs to avoid us, as well.<ref name="Ebert" />}}The film has been cited as a favorite by filmmaker [[John Waters (filmmaker)|John Waters]], who presented it as his [[Maryland Film Festival#John Waters picks|annual selection]] within the 2000 [[Maryland Film Festival]].<ref>{{Cite news |date=April 27, 2000 |title=Maryland Film Festival April 27–30 |work=[[The Baltimore Sun]] |url=https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/bs-xpm-2000-04-27-0004270503-story.html |url-status=dead |access-date=October 4, 2022 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20221004214516/https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/bs-xpm-2000-04-27-0004270503-story.html |archive-date=October 4, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Kermode |first=Mark |author-link=Mark Kermode |date=1995 |title=Interview: John Waters: Out on the edge |url=https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/03064229508535977 |journal=[[Index on Censorship]] |volume=24 |issue=6 |pages=15, 18 |doi=10.1080/03064229508535977 |s2cid=143261881 |via=[[SAGE Journals]]}}</ref>

=== Accolades ===
Kerrigan won the award for Best First Feature at the 1993 [[Chicago International Film Festival]].<ref name="film" /> At the 1994 Sundance Film Festival, ''Clean, Shaven'' was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Sundance Film Festival 1994 - Official Selection |url=https://www.filmaffinity.com/en/award-edition-movie.php?edition-id=sundance_1994&movie-id=672313 |access-date=2022-10-05 |website=filmaffinity}}</ref> In 1995, Lodge Kerrigan won the [[10th Independent Spirit Awards|Independent Spirit Award]] for Someone to Watch and was also nominated for [[Independent Spirit Award for Best First Feature|Best First Feature]].<ref>{{Cite journal |date=2021 |title=36 Years of Nominees and Winners |url=https://s3.amazonaws.com/SA_SubForm_etc/2021_SA_ALLNomineesWinners_063021.pdf |journal=[[Film Independent Spirit Awards]] |pages=46 |access-date=2022-10-05}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=March 27, 1995 |title='Pulp Fiction' Wings It at Independent Spirit Awards |work=[[Los Angeles Times]] |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1995-03-27-ca-47721-story.html |url-status=live |access-date=2022-10-05 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190323191308/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1995-03-27-ca-47721-story.html |archive-date=March 23, 2019}}</ref>

== Home media ==
''Clean, Shaven'' was later released on DVD on January 4, 2000.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Clean Shaven DVD |url=https://www.amazon.com/Clean-Shaven-Peter-Greene/dp/B000034DDK/ |access-date=2022-10-05 |website=Amazon|date=January 4, 2000 }}</ref> On October 17, 2006, the film was re-released in [[High-definition video|high-definition]] on DVD by The Criterion Collection.<ref name="Criterion" /><ref>{{Cite web |last=Bouzard |first=Brendon |date=November 9, 2006 |title=Clean, Shaven |url=http://reverseshot.org/reviews/entry/1474/clean_shaven |access-date=2022-10-05 |website=Reverse Shot |language=en}}</ref>

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
* {{IMDb title|0106579}}
* {{Rotten Tomatoes|2=Clean, Shaven}}
* {{AllMovie title|147773}}
*[https://www.criterion.com/current/posts/453-clean-shaven-inside-man ''Clean, Shaven: Inside Man''] an essay by Dennis Lim at the [[Criterion Collection]]

{{Lodge Kerrigan}}

[[Category:1993 films]]
[[Category:1993 drama films]]
[[Category:American drama films]]
[[Category:Fiction about schizophrenia]]
[[Category:Films directed by Lodge Kerrigan]]
[[Category:1993 directorial debut films]]
[[Category:Films about schizophrenia]]
[[Category:1990s English-language films]]
[[Category:1990s American films]]
[[Category:1993 independent films]]
[[Category:American independent films]]
[[Category:Films shot in 16 mm film]]
[[Category:Films shot in New York City]]
[[Category:Films shot in New Brunswick]]
[[Category:English-language drama films]]
[[Category:English-language independent films]]

Clash of the Titans (1981 film)

2024-10-02T01:12:31Z

98.18.198.104: /* External links */

{{Short description|Film by Desmond Davis}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2017}}
{{Infobox film
| name = Clash of the Titans
| image = Clash of the titansposter.jpg
| caption = Theatrical release poster by the [[Brothers Hildebrandt]]
| director = [[Desmond Davis]]
| writer = [[Beverley Cross]]
| based_on = [[Perseus]]
| producer = {{Plainlist|
* [[Charles H. Schneer]]
* [[Ray Harryhausen]]
}}
| starring = {{Plainlist|
* [[Harry Hamlin]]
* [[Laurence Olivier]]
* [[Judi Bowker]]
* [[Maggie Smith]]
* [[Burgess Meredith]]
* [[Ursula Andress]]
}}
| cinematography = [[Ted Moore]]
| color_process = [[Metrocolor]]
| editing = Timothy Gee
| music = [[Laurence Rosenthal]]
| studio = [[Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer]] [[Charles H. Schneer|Charles H. Schneer Productions]]
| distributor = {{Plainlist|
* [[United Artists]] (United States and Canada)
* [[Cinema International Corporation]] (International)
}}
| released = {{Film date|1981|6|12|United States|1981|7|2|United Kingdom}}
| runtime = 118 minutes<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.bbfc.co.uk/releases/clash-titans-3 | title=''Clash of the Titans'' (A) (CUT) | work=[[British Board of Film Classification]] | access-date=May 29, 2017 | archive-date=August 17, 2017 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170817203814/http://www.bbfc.co.uk/releases/clash-titans-3 | url-status=live }}</ref>
| country = {{Plainlist|
* United States
* United Kingdom
}}
| language = English
| budget = $9 million<ref>{{cite news|last1=Harmetz|first1=Aljean|author-link1=Aljean Harmetz|title=Hollywood is Joyous Over Its Record Grossing Summer|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1981/09/09/movies/hollywood-is-joyous-over-its-record-grossing-summer.html?pagewanted=all|access-date=10 October 2017|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=9 September 1981|archive-date=October 11, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171011022340/http://www.nytimes.com/1981/09/09/movies/hollywood-is-joyous-over-its-record-grossing-summer.html?pagewanted=all|url-status=live}}</ref>–15 million<ref name="MGM">{{cite news|title=MGM-UA and the Big Debt |last1=Boyer|first1= Peter J|last2=Pollock|first2= Dale|newspaper= Los Angeles Times |date=March 28, 1982|page=11}}</ref><ref name="los">Illusions, Fantasies and Ray Harryhausen
Mills, Bart. Los Angeles Times 16 Sep 1979: n30.</ref>
| gross = $70 million<ref name="AFI film-66544">{{AFI film|66544}}</ref>
}}
'''''Clash of the Titans''''' is a 1981 [[epic film|epic]] [[fantasy film|fantasy]] [[adventure film]] directed by [[Desmond Davis]] and written by [[Beverley Cross]], loosely based on the [[Greek mythology|Greek myth]] of [[Perseus]]. Starring [[Harry Hamlin]], [[Judi Bowker]], [[Burgess Meredith]], [[Maggie Smith]] and [[Laurence Olivier]], the film features the final work of [[stop motion|stop-motion]] [[visual effect]]s artist [[Ray Harryhausen]].

[[co-production (media)|Co-produced]] between the United States and United Kingdom, it was theatrically released on June 12, 1981, and grossed $41 million at the North American box office,<ref>[http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=clashofthetitans.htm ''Clash of the Titans'' (1981) – BoxOfficeMojo.com] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071001001401/http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=clashofthetitans.htm |date=October 1, 2007 }}.</ref> making it the eleventh-highest grossing film of the year.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/year/1981/?grossesOption=totalGrosses |title=1981 Yearly Box Office Results – BoxOfficeMojo.com |access-date=November 15, 2019 |archive-date=May 30, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200530205122/https://www.boxofficemojo.com/year/1981/?grossesOption=totalGrosses |url-status=live }}</ref> A [[novelization]] by [[Alan Dean Foster]] was also published in 1981. A [[3-D film|3D]] [[Clash of the Titans (2010 film)|remake of the same name]] was released by [[Warner Bros.]] on April 2, 2010.<ref name="2010 Poster">{{cite web|url=http://clash-of-the-titans.warnerbros.com/downloads/posters/kraken_poster.jpg|title=''Clash of the Titans'' Official site: Film poster|date=February 2010|publisher=Clash-of-the-Titans.WarnerBros.com|access-date=February 19, 2010|archive-date=July 24, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110724182641/http://clash-of-the-titans.warnerbros.com/downloads/posters/kraken_poster.jpg|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="3D">{{cite web|url=http://www.empireonline.com/news/story.asp?NID=26828|title=3-Deathly Hallows: ''Titans'' and ''Potter'' go to third dimension|publisher=Heat Vision Blog|date=January 27, 2010|access-date=January 31, 2010|archive-date=September 24, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924115925/http://www.empireonline.com/news/story.asp?NID=26828|url-status=live}}</ref>

== Plot ==

King [[Acrisius]] of [[Argos, Peloponnese|Argos]] imprisons his daughter [[Danaë]], trying to prevent a prophecy that her child will bring about his demise. When the god [[Zeus]] impregnates Danaë, Acrisius banishes her and her newborn son [[Perseus]] to sea in a wooden chest. In retribution, Zeus kills Acrisius and orders [[Poseidon]] to release the last of the [[Titan (mythology)|Titans]], a gigantic [[sea monster]] called the [[Kraken]], to destroy Argos. Danaë and Perseus safely float to the island of [[Serifos|Seriphos]], where Perseus grows to adulthood.

Calibos, the spoiled son of the sea goddess [[Thetis]], is betrothed to Princess [[Andromeda (mythology)|Andromeda]], daughter of Queen [[Cassiopeia (Queen of Aethiopia)|Cassiopeia]] of [[Jaffa|Joppa]]; but for committing several atrocities, including destroying Zeus' sacred flying horses (except for [[Pegasus]]), Calibos is transformed into a deformed monster to fit the ugliness of his cold heart.

In revenge, Thetis transports an adult Perseus to an abandoned amphitheater in Joppa, where he befriends a soldier, Thallo, and an elderly poet named Ammon. Perseus learns that Andromeda is under a curse and cannot marry unless her suitor successfully answers a riddle concocted by Calibos. Zeus sends Perseus a god-crafted helmet which is from [[Athena]] which makes its wearer invisible, a magical sword which is from [[Aphrodite]], and a shield which is from [[Hera]]. After capturing Pegasus, Perseus follows Calibos's giant vulture carrying off Andromeda's spirit during her sleep to learn the next riddle. Perseus is discovered and nearly killed by Calibos. In the ensuing fight, Calibos loses his left hand, and Perseus loses his helmet.

The next morning, Perseus presents himself as a suitor and correctly answers the riddle—the answer is the ring given to Calibos by his mother which is still attached to the amputated hand—winning Andromeda's hand in marriage. Finding out that Thetis cannot act against Perseus, Calibos instead demands that she take vengeance on Joppa.

At the wedding in Thetis' temple, Cassiopeia declares that Andromeda's beauty is greater than Thetis'. Thetis, using the statue's head to speak through, declares that Cassiopeia will pay for her boasting and for the injury inflicted on Calibos and demands that Andromeda will be sacrificed to the Kraken on pain of Joppa's destruction.

Perseus seeks a way to defeat the Kraken. However, Pegasus is captured by Calibos and his men. Zeus commands Athena to give Perseus her [[Owl of Athena|owl]] Bubo, but she refuses. Instead, she orders [[Hephaestus]] to build a mechanical replica that leads Perseus, Andromeda, Ammon, Thallo, and some soldiers to the [[Graeae|Stygian Witches]]. By taking their magic eye, Perseus forces them to reveal that the only way to defeat the Kraken is by using the head of the [[Gorgon]] [[Medusa]], whose gaze can turn any living thing into stone. Medusa lives on an island in the [[Styx|River Styx]] at the edge of the [[Underworld]]. The next day, Perseus and the soldiers continue on their journey while Andromeda and Ammon return to Joppa.

On the Gorgon's island, the three soldiers traveling with Perseus are killed. Perseus fights and kills Medusa's guardian, a two-headed dog named Dioskilos. At the Gorgon's lair, Perseus uses the reflective underside of his shield to deceive Medusa, decapitate her, and collect her head. However, Perseus's shield is dissolved by her caustic blood. As Perseus and his fellow soldiers set to return, Calibos enters their camp and punctures the cloak carrying Medusa's head, causing her blood to spill and produce three giant scorpions. Calibos and the three scorpions attack and kill Perseus's remaining escorts. Alone, Perseus overcomes the three scorpions and kills Calibos.

Weakened by his struggle, Perseus sends Bubo to rescue Pegasus from Calibos' henchmen. After reaching the amphitheater in Joppa, Perseus collapses from exhaustion. Andromeda is shackled to the sacrificial rock outside Joppa, and the Kraken is summoned. Bubo distracts the beast until Perseus, whose strength was secretly restored by Zeus, appears on Pegasus. Using Medusa's head, Perseus petrifies the Kraken, causing it to crumble to pieces. Then Perseus tosses the head into the sea, frees Andromeda, and marries Andromeda.

The gods predict that Perseus and Andromeda will live happily, rule wisely, and produce children, and Zeus forbids the other gods to pursue vengeance against them. The [[constellation]]s of [[Perseus (constellation)|Perseus]], [[Andromeda (constellation)|Andromeda]], [[Pegasus (constellation)|Pegasus]] and [[Cassiopeia (constellation)|Cassiopeia]] are created in their honor.

==Cast==
* [[Harry Hamlin]] as [[Perseus]]
* [[Judi Bowker]] as [[Andromeda (mythology)|Andromeda]]
* [[Burgess Meredith]] as Ammon
* [[Maggie Smith]] as [[Thetis]]
* [[Siân Phillips]] as [[Cassiopeia (Queen of Aethiopia)|Cassiopeia]]
* [[Claire Bloom]] as [[Hera]]
* [[Ursula Andress]] as [[Aphrodite]]
* [[Laurence Olivier]] as [[Zeus]]
* [[Pat Roach]] as [[Hephaestus]]
* [[Susan Fleetwood]] as [[Athena]]
* [[Tim Pigott-Smith]] as Thallo
* [[Neil McCarthy (actor)|Neil McCarthy]] as Calibos
* [[Jack Gwillim]] as [[Poseidon]]
* [[Donald Houston]] as [[Acrisius]]
* Vida Taylor as [[Danaë]]
* [[Flora Robson]], [[Anna Manahan]], and [[Freda Jackson]] as The [[Graeae|Stygian Witches]]

==Production==
[[File:Medusa (1981).jpg|thumb|right|[[Medusa]] model used in the film]]
The film was the idea of writer [[Beverley Cross]].<ref>Ray Harryhausen Talks About His Cinematic Magic. Tasker, Ann. American Cinematographer; Hollywood Vol. 62, Iss. 6, (Jun 1981): 556–558, 600–615.</ref> In 1978, Andor Films submitted a copy of the script to the [[British Board of Film Classification]], seeking advice on how to secure either a [[History of British film certificates#1970–1982|"U" or an "A" certificate]]. The draft script included scenes that the BBFC considered would be unacceptable under those certificates, including the Kraken tearing Pegasus to pieces and Andromeda appearing naked during the climax of the film. Changes to the script and, on submission, some cuts to Perseus's final battle with Calibos were made and the film secured the "A" certificate: "Those aged 5 and older admitted, but not recommended for children under 14 years of age".<ref name="BBFC">{{cite web|url=https://www.bbfc.co.uk/release/clash-of-the-titans-q29sbgvjdglvbjpwwc0zmdu4mza|title=''Clash of the Titans''|work=BBFC|access-date=March 13, 2012}}</ref>

[[Ray Harryhausen]] used [[Stop motion|stop-motion animation]] to create the various creatures in the film, including Calibos, his vulture, [[Pegasus]], Bubo the mechanical [[Owl of Athena|owl]], Dioskilos, [[Medusa]], the scorpions and the [[Kraken]].<ref name="rh YouTube">{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ve0cnUZ-fok&t=145s |title=Ray Harryhausen on ''Take Two'' |date=1981 |website=[[YouTube]]}}{{copyvio link|date=June 2024}}</ref> Stephen R. Wilk wrote that though the film's story "sticks closer to its sources than any other interpretation", one of the creative liberties taken is Medusa's biology, which differs from "any previous representations, ancient or modern", with the lower body of a snake rather than legs.<ref>{{cite book |last=Wilk |first=Stephen R. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OnHO4orvz18C&q=clash+of+the+titans |title=Medusa: Solving the Mystery of the Gorgon |date=June 26, 2000 |pages=209–210 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=0-19-512431-6 |via=[[Google Books]]}}</ref> Harryhausen’s Medusa has been called "one of the most recognizable characters in model-animation cinema history."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://blog.scienceandmediamuseum.org.uk/ray-harryhausen-changed-our-perception-of-medusa-forever/|title=The Legacy of Ray Harryhausen's Medusa|first=Phil|last=Boot|date=August 22, 2013|publisher=[[National Science and Media Museum]] |access-date=June 14, 2024}}</ref> Two identical models of Bubo the mechanical owl were made: one that contained remote controlled motors that allowed it to move when handled by the actor, and a stop-motion model because the movements of the live action model were more limited.<ref name="rh YouTube"/> [[Roger Ebert]] called ''Clash of the Titans'' Harryhausen's "masterwork".<ref name="ebert">{{Cite web|url=https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/clash-of-the-titans-1981|title=Reviews: ''Clash of the Titans''|author-link=Roger Ebert|first=Roger|last=Ebert|date=June 12, 1981|website=[[RogerEbert.com]]|access-date=June 14, 2024|archive-date=May 14, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190514123049/https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/clash-of-the-titans-1981 |url-status=live}}</ref> Harryhausen was also co-producer of the film, and retired from film-making shortly after it was released. Despite Bubo's similarities to the [[droid (Star Wars)|droid]] [[R2-D2]] of the 1977 film ''[[Star Wars (film)|Star Wars]]'', Harryhausen claimed Bubo was created before ''Star Wars'' was released.<ref>[[Ray Harryhausen]] and [[Tony Dalton]], ''Ray Harryhausen: An Animated Life'', page 270 (London: [[Aurum Press]] Ltd, 2003) {{ISBN|1-85410-940-5}}.</ref> The BBFC, reviewing the film for certification in 1981, said Harryhausen's effects were well done and would give entertainment to audiences of all ages, but might appear a little "old hat" to those familiar with ''Star Wars'' and ''Superman''.<ref name="BBFC"/>

[[File:Ray Harryhausen exhibition at the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art 22.jpg|thumb|left|Bubo model]]
[[Columbia Pictures]] were initially set to distribute the film having made most of Harryhausen and producer [[Charles H. Schneer]]'s films, but after a change of guard at the studio, they dropped the project during pre-production, saying it was too expensive. Schneer took it to Orion Pictures who insisted on [[Arnold Schwarzenegger]] playing the lead but the producer refused as the role involved too much dialogue. He then tried [[Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer]] who agreed to finance. "They loved the material, they loved the picture, and they were wonderful to us," said Schneer. "As I put the film together and the castings came up, they approved the additional castings and added that expense to the budget."<ref name="steve">{{cite magazine|magazine=Starlog|first=Steve|last=Swires|url=https://archive.org/details/starlog_magazine-152/page/n70/mode/1up/search/%22first+men+in+the+moon%22+?q=%22first+men+in+the+moon%22+harryhausen$|date=March 1990|title=Merchant of the Magicks Part Three|page=71}}</ref>

Schneer deliberately sought better known actors to play the Gods to improve the film's chances at the box office. "If we had played this picture with no recognised actors it might be assumed to be what it isn't. It might suffer the fate of an Italian Western."<ref name="los"/> The scenes involving the Gods only took eight days. Claire Bloom said she only agreed to make it "because I was told Olivier was doing it and it only lasts a week."<ref name="los"/>

MGM overruled Schneer's choice of [[John Gielgud]] to portray the playwright Ammon, and asked for [[Burgess Meredith]] to be cast instead. "I saw the sense in that," said Schneer. "They preferred an American actor. They didn't want the public to think it was totally an English picture."<ref name="steve"/>

Schneer chose Desmond Davis as director in part because Davis had made several BBC Shakespeare films and he wanted someone with experience dealing with Shakespearean actors.<ref name="steve"/>

Stars [[Harry Hamlin]] and [[Ursula Andress]] were romantically involved at the time of production. Their son, Dimitri, was born in 1980 after filming was completed, and their relationship ended in 1983.

[[Jack Gwillim]], who appeared as [[Poseidon]], had earlier played the role of King [[Aeëtes]] in the original ''[[Jason and the Argonauts (1963 film)|Jason and the Argonauts]]'' in 1963.

The film's screenwriter, [[Beverley Cross]], was married to [[Maggie Smith]], who played Thetis, until his death in 1998. Cross worked with producer Charles H. Schneer before, writing the screenplay for Schneer's production of ''[[Jason and the Argonauts (1963 film)|Jason and the Argonauts]]''.

===Locations===
The film was shot at the [[Albert R. Broccoli 007 Stage]] at [[Pinewood Studios]], United Kingdom, with locations including [[Cornwall]], UK, and [[Paestum]], Italy.

<gallery mode="packed">
File:El Torcal de Antequera karst Andalusia Spain.jpg|The [[karst]] area in [[El Torcal de Antequera]], Spain appears in the visit to the Stygian witches.
File:Azure Window 360.jpg|The [[Azure Window]] in [[Gozo]], Malta, appears in the battle against the Kraken.
</gallery>

==Reception==
===Box office===
''Clash of the Titans'' was released on June 12, 1981 and grossed $6,565,347 from 1,127 theaters in its opening weekend, second behind ''[[Raiders of the Lost Ark]]'' at the U.S. box office, which was released on the same date.<ref>{{cite magazine|magazine=[[Daily Variety]]|pages=8–9|date=June 17, 1981|title=Cash of the Titans (advertisement)}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|magazine=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|date=June 17, 1981|page=3|title=Weekend Biz Breaks B.O. Logjam; 'Raiders,' 'Titans' and 'History' Score}}</ref> By the time it finished its theatrical run, it had grossed $41 million in North America.<ref name="Box Office Mojo">{{cite web|title=Clash of the Titans|url=http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=clashofthetitans.htm|work=[[Box Office Mojo]]|access-date=May 20, 2007|archive-date=October 1, 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071001001401/http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=clashofthetitans.htm|url-status=live}}</ref> The film had a worldwide gross of over $70 million and was one of 1981's biggest hits.<ref name="AFI film-66544"/>

===Critical reception===
On [[review aggregator]] website [[Rotten Tomatoes]], the film holds an approval rating of 64% based on 50 reviews, and an average rating of 6/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "A goofy, old-school sword-and-sandal epic, ''Clash of the Titans'' mines Greek mythology for its story and fleshes it out with Ray Harryhausen's charmingly archaic stop-motion animation techniques."<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/clash_of_the_titans |title=Clash of the Titans (1981) |work=[[Rotten Tomatoes]] |publisher=[[Fandango Media]] |access-date=May 4, 2023 |archive-date=August 21, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200821090438/https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/clash_of_the_titans |url-status=live }}</ref>

[[Roger Ebert]] of the ''[[Chicago Sun-Times]]'' gave the film three and a half out of four stars and called it "a grand and glorious romantic adventure, filled with brave heroes, beautiful heroines, fearsome monsters, and awe-inspiring duels to the death. It is a lot of fun."<ref name="ebert" /> [[Gene Siskel]] of the ''[[Chicago Tribune]]'' also gave the film three and a half stars out of four and called it "a special effects spectacular that succeeds brilliantly as an old-fashioned adventure film based on the legends of Greek mythology."<ref>[[Gene Siskel|Siskel, Gene]] (June 15, 1981). "Special-effects spectacular 'Clash of the Titans' is moviemaking at its fanciful best". ''[[Chicago Tribune]]''. Section 3, p. 7.</ref> ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'' called it "an unbearable bore of a film that will probably put to sleep the few adults stuck taking the kids to it. This mythical tale of Perseus, son of Zeus, and his quest for the 'fair' Andromeda, is mired in a slew of corny dialog and an endless array of flat, outdated special effects that are both a throwback to a bad 1950s picture."<ref>"Film Reviews: Clash of the Titans". ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]''. June 10, 1981. 18.</ref> [[Vincent Canby]] of ''[[The New York Times]]'' wrote, "Though not very witty, the adventures are many and involve a lot of Mr. Harryhausen's specialities," though he thought the monsters were "less convincing than interesting."<ref>[[Vincent Canby|Canby, Vincent]] (June 12, 1981). "Film: 'Clash of Titans' With Olivier as Zeus". ''[[The New York Times]]''. C6.</ref> [[Kevin Thomas (film critic)|Kevin Thomas]] of the ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'' stated that the film "has charm, it has imagination, but it is also too often stodgy. It is an instance of the whole not being nearly as good as its parts. However, Harryhausen's contributions do delight, and this may be more than enough for his ardent admirers and most youngsters."<ref>[[Kevin Thomas (film critic)|Thomas, Kevin]] (June 12, 1981). "Special Effects Sparkle in 'Clash of the Titans'". ''[[Los Angeles Times]]''. Part VI, p. 1.</ref> Gary Arnold of ''[[The Washington Post]]'' wrote that Hamlin was "always a magnetic presence" but the film's appeal was "quaint and stilted."<ref>Arnold, Gary (June 15, 1981). "Olympian Trials & Treachery". ''[[The Washington Post]]''. D3.</ref> Geoff Brown of ''[[The Monthly Film Bulletin]]'' wrote that the film "unfortunately fails to shake much dust off the genre ... Despite the producers' protracted labours, there's a real possibility that some audiences will be turned to stone before Medusa shows up."<ref>{{cite journal |last=Brown |first=Geoff |date=July 1981 |title=Clash of the Titans |journal=[[The Monthly Film Bulletin]] |volume=48 |issue=570 |page=134}}</ref> ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'' stated "The real titan is Ray Harryhausen."{{citation needed|date=May 2019}}

Christopher John reviewed ''Clash of the Titans'' in ''[[Ares (magazine)|Ares Magazine]]'' #9 and commented that "''Clash of the Titans'' is still one of Harryhausen's best works. It has a decent script, a fine cast, and a lot of good effects. The problem lies in the little things. If, in truth, it was to be a clash of the titans, then that is who should have been featured; it should have been either the gods' or Perseus' story, not both. The film falls between two schools... and even Harryhausen can't save it no matter how excellent his magic."<ref name="Ares">{{cite journal | last=John | first=Christopher | title=Film & Television | journal=[[Ares (magazine)|Ares Magazine]] | publisher=[[Simulations Publications, Inc.]] | date=July 1981 | issue=9 | page=29}}</ref>

In a book published in 2000, Stephen R. Wilk suggested that "most people today who are aware of the story of Perseus and Medusa owe their knowledge to" the film.<ref>{{cite book |last=Wilk |first=Stephen R. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OnHO4orvz18C&q=%22clash+of+the+titans%22 |title=Medusa: Solving the Mystery of the Gorgon |date=June 26, 2000 |page=209 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=0-195-12431-6 |access-date=October 16, 2020 |archive-date=May 1, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210501011045/https://books.google.com/books?id=OnHO4orvz18C&q=%22clash+of+the+titans%22 |url-status=live }}</ref>

==Legacy==
The four-issue comic book miniseries ''[[TidalWave Productions#Wrath of the Titans|Wrath of the Titans]]'' (2007), released by [[TidalWave Productions]] as part of their [[TidalWave Productions#Ray Harryhausen Signature Series|Ray Harryhausen Signature Series]], picked up the story 5 years after the events of the film.<ref name="CBR1301">{{cite web |title=Ray Harryhausen Presents: 20 Million Miles More #1 (Preview) |url=http://www.cbr.com/ray-harryhausen-presents-20-million-miles-more-1/ |work=[[CBR.com]] |date=2013-09-01 |access-date=2017-09-24 |archive-date=September 25, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170925035207/http://www.cbr.com/ray-harryhausen-presents-20-million-miles-more-1/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

[[Harry Hamlin]] reprised his role as Perseus for the video game ''[[God of War II]]'' (2007).

The 3D remake ''[[Clash of the Titans (2010 film)|Clash of the Titans]]'' (2010) and its sequel ''[[Wrath of the Titans]]'' (2012) were released by the property's current rights holder Warner Bros. (through [[Turner Entertainment Co.]], WB's sister company)<ref name="BW 2009-04">{{cite web|title=''Clash of the Titans'' Commences Production for Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures|publisher=[[Business Wire]]|date=April 25, 2009|url=http://www.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20090424005643&newsLang=en|access-date=December 31, 2009|archive-date=November 16, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181116063458/https://www.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20090424005643&newsLang=en|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="BD 2009-10">{{cite web|url=http://www.bloody-disgusting.com/news/17571|title=Medusa's Head Hiding Within Perseus' Sack? Three Blind Witches!|date=October 2, 2009|publisher=Bloody-disgusting.com|access-date=December 31, 2009|archive-date=January 23, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180123075051/http://bloody-disgusting.com/news/17571|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="DC 2009-10">{{cite web|url=http://www.dreadcentral.com/news/33834/new-clash-titans-remake-stills|title=New ''Clash of the Titans'' Remake Stills|date=October 2, 2009|publisher=Dreadcentral.com|access-date=December 31, 2009|archive-date=January 10, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140110141719/http://www.dreadcentral.com/news/33834/new-clash-titans-remake-stills|url-status=live}}</ref> The Kraken would appear in ''[[The Lego Batman Movie]]'' as one of the villains rallied by [[the Joker]] to destroy [[Gotham City]]. Bubo made an appearance in "The Trouble with Truth", an episode of the [[animated series]] ''[[Justice League Action]]''.

==See also==
* [[Greek mythology in popular culture]]
* [[List of historical drama films]]
* [[List of stop motion films]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Wikiquote}}
* {{official website|http://www.warnervideo.com/clashofthetitans1981}}
* {{IMDb title|0082186}}
* {{Rotten Tomatoes|m/clash_of_the_titans|Clash of the Titans}}
* {{AllMovie title|9812}}
* {{TCMDb title|987}}
* {{AFI film|66544}}

{{Desmond Davis}}
{{Ray Harryhausen}}
{{Clash of the Titans}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Clash Of The Titans (1981 Film)}}
[[Category:1981 films]]
[[Category:1980s fantasy adventure films]]
[[Category:1980s monster movies]]
[[Category:British fantasy adventure films]]
[[Category:British monster movies]]
[[Category:American fantasy adventure films]]
[[Category:American monster movies]]
[[Category:American epic fantasy films]]
[[Category:Giant monster films]]
[[Category:Films based on classical mythology]]
[[Category:Films directed by Desmond Davis]]
[[Category:Films set in classical antiquity]]
[[Category:Films set in ancient Greece]]
[[Category:Films shot at Pinewood Studios]]
[[Category:Films using stop-motion animation]]
[[Category:Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer films]]
[[Category:United Artists films]]
[[Category:Films about witchcraft]]
[[Category:Greek and Roman deities in fiction]]
[[Category:Kraken in popular culture]]
[[Category:Pegasus in popular culture]]
[[Category:Cultural depictions of Medusa]]
[[Category:Films scored by Laurence Rosenthal]]
[[Category:Films shot in Spain]]
[[Category:Clash of the Titans (film series)]]
[[Category:Films produced by Ray Harryhausen]]
[[Category:Films produced by Charles H. Schneer]]
[[Category:Films with screenplays by Beverley Cross]]
[[Category:American sword and sorcery films]]
[[Category:1980s English-language films]]
[[Category:1980s American films]]
[[Category:1980s British films]]
[[Category:Films set in Greece]]
[[Category:American epic films]]
[[Category:Films shot in Cornwall]]
[[Category:Thetis]]
[[Category:Andromeda (mythology)]]
[[Category:English-language fantasy adventure films]]

The Cincinnati Kid

2024-10-01T19:52:44Z

98.18.198.104: /* External links */

{{Short description|1965 film by Norman Jewison}}
{{good article}}
{{Infobox film
| name = The Cincinnati Kid
| image = Ckfilm.jpg
| caption = Theatrical release poster
| producer = [[Martin Ransohoff]]
| director = [[Norman Jewison]]
| based_on = {{based on|''The Cincinnati Kid'' 1963 novel|[[Richard Jessup]]}}
| screenplay = [[Ring Lardner Jr.]] [[Terry Southern]]
| starring = [[Steve McQueen]] [[Edward G. Robinson]] [[Ann-Margret]] [[Karl Malden]] [[Tuesday Weld]]
| music = [[Lalo Schifrin]]
| cinematography = [[Philip H. Lathrop]]
| editing = [[Hal Ashby]]
| studio = [[Filmways]] [[Solar Productions]]
| distributor = [[Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer]]
| released = {{Film date|1965|10|15|[[Saenger Theatre (New Orleans)|Saenger Theatre]]|1965|10|27}}
| runtime = 113 minutes<ref>{{cite web|url=https://catalog.afi.com/Catalog/moviedetails/22831|title=AFI Catalog: The Cincinnati Kid (1965)|website=American Film Institute|access-date=May 18, 2020|archive-date=January 25, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210125045201/https://catalog.afi.com/Catalog/moviedetails/22831|url-status=live}}</ref>
| country = United States
| language = English
| gross = $7 million {{small|(US/Canada rentals)}}<ref>This figure consists of anticipated rentals accruing distributors in North America. See "Big Rental Pictures of 1965", ''Variety'', 5 January 1966 p 6</ref>
}}

'''''The Cincinnati Kid''''' is a 1965 American drama film directed by [[Norman Jewison]]. It tells the story of Eric "The Kid" Stoner, a young [[Great Depression|Depression]]-era [[poker]] player, as he seeks to establish his reputation as the best. This quest leads him to challenge Lancey "The Man" Howard, an older player widely considered to be the best, culminating in a climactic final poker hand between the two.

The script, adapted from [[Richard Jessup]]'s 1963 novel of the same name, was written by [[Ring Lardner Jr.]] and [[Terry Southern]]; it was Lardner's first major studio work since his [[Hollywood blacklist|1947 blacklisting]] as one of [[Hollywood blacklist#The Hollywood Ten|The Hollywood Ten]].<ref name="fn98n8">{{cite web | first =Steven | last =Hartman | title =Film Notes: Cincinnati Kid | work =New York State Writers Institute Film Notes | publisher =University at Albany | url =http://www.albany.edu/writers-inst/webpages4/filmnotes/fnf98n8.html | access-date =2009-01-19 | archive-date =2011-08-29 | archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20110829220659/http://www.albany.edu/writers-inst/webpages4/filmnotes/fnf98n8.html | url-status =live }}</ref> The film stars [[Steve McQueen]] in the title role and [[Edward G. Robinson]] as Howard. Director Jewison, who replaced [[Sam Peckinpah]] shortly after filming began,<ref name="fn98n8"/> describes ''The Cincinnati Kid'' as his "ugly duckling" film. He considers it the film that allowed him to make the transition from the lighter comedic films he had been making and take on more serious films and subjects.<ref name="DirectorCommentary">{{cite video|people =Jewison, Norman|title =The Cincinnati Kid director commentary | date = 2005 | medium =DVD| publisher =Turner Entertainment}}</ref>

The film garnered mixed reviews from critics on its initial release. [[Joan Blondell]] earned a Golden Globe nomination for her performance as Lady Fingers.

==Plot==
Eric Stoner is "The Cincinnati Kid", an up-and-coming poker player in 1930s [[New Orleans]]. He hears that Lancey Howard, an old master of the game, is in town, and sees it as his chance to achieve recognition as the new king of five-card stud.

Before they square off, Howard arranges a tune-up game with wealthy, corrupt William Jefferson Slade. For a dealer, he agrees to the services of Shooter, renowned for his integrity and a good friend of the Kid. Howard wins $6,000 from the prideful Slade in a 30-hour game, angering the man enough to seek to get even.

Slade then tries to bribe Shooter with the proceeds of a $25,000 bet into cheating in the Kid's favor when he and Howard meet. Shooter declines, but Slade calls in Shooter's markers worth $12,000, and blackmails him by threatening to reveal damaging information about Shooter's sleazy wife, Melba. Slade then throws in canceling the markers as a goose. Shooter agonizes over his decision, having spent the last 25 years building a reputation for honesty. Eventually, however, he caves in.

Meantime, even though Melba and the Kid's girl Christian are close friends, Melba tries to seduce him while Christian is visiting her parents. Out of respect for Shooter, he rebuffs her and spends the day before the game with Christian at her family's farm.

Back in New Orleans the next day the big game begins. It starts with six players, including Shooter playing as he deals, and a relief dealer, Lady Fingers, a popular but faded gambling diva. Howard busts an overconfident player called Pig, then Shooter bows out but remains as the dealer. Later, Yeller and Sokal also drop out. After a few unlikely wins, the Kid abruptly folds what would have been a winning hand and calls for a break. He then privately confronts Shooter, who admits to being forced into cheating by Slade. The Kid insists he can win on his own and tells Shooter to deal straight or he will blow the whistle, destroying Shooter's reputation. Before the game resumes, Melba succeeds in seducing the Kid, only to have Christian make a surprise visit and catch them after the fact. She walks out broken.

When the game resumes the Kid maneuvers to have Shooter replaced by Lady Fingers, claiming Shooter is ill. He then wins several major pots from Howard, who is visibly losing confidence. The Kid is clearly ready to break him.

Over a massive pot, the Kid is confident enough of his full house of aces over tens to place a $5,000 marker with Howard, only to have Lady Fingers, an ex-lover of Howard’s, deal Howard a queen-high straight flush. Howard then chastises the Kid, telling him that he will always be "second best" as long as Howard is around. Leaving the game, the Kid unexpectedly runs into Christian, and they embrace.

===Alternative versions===
In some cuts, the film ends with a [[Freeze-frame shot|freeze-frame]] on Steve McQueen's face following a penny-pitching loss to a brash young shoeshine boy who had been seeking, unsuccessfully, to “cut” him earlier in the movie. Turner Classic Movies and the DVD feature the ending with Christian. Jewison wanted to end the film with the freeze-frame but was overruled by the producer.<ref name="DirectorCommentary"/>

A cockfight scene was cut by British censors.<ref>{{cite web| publisher =BBC4| title =The Cincinnati Kid Review| work =Channel4.com| url =http://www.channel4.com/film/reviews/film.jsp?id=102072&section=censor| access-date =2007-07-29| archive-date =2007-10-27| archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20071027022228/http://www.channel4.com/film/reviews/film.jsp?id=102072&section=censor| url-status =live}}</ref>

==Cast==
{{castlist|
* [[Steve McQueen]] as Eric "The Kid" Stoner
* [[Edward G. Robinson]] as Lancey "The Man" Howard
* [[Ann-Margret]] as Melba
* [[Karl Malden]] as Shooter
* [[Tuesday Weld]] as Christian Rudd
* [[Joan Blondell]] as Lady Fingers
* [[Rip Torn]] as Slade
* [[Jack Weston]] as Pig
* [[Cab Calloway]] as Yeller
* [[Jeff Corey]] as Hoban
* [[Theo Marcuse]] as Felix
* [[Milton Selzer]] as Sokal
* [[Karl Swenson]] as Mr. Rudd
* [[Émile Genest]] as Cajun
* [[Ron Soble]] as Danny
* [[Irene Tedrow]] as Mrs. Rudd
* [[Midge Ware]] as Mrs. Slade
* [[Dub Taylor]] as the First Dealer
* [[Sweet Emma Barrett]] as the Blues Singer (uncredited)
* [[Robert DoQui]] as Philly
* Ken Grant as Shoeshine Boy
}}

==Production==
''The Cincinnati Kid'' was filmed on location in New Orleans, Louisiana, a change from the original St. Louis, Missouri, setting of the novel. [[Spencer Tracy]] was cast as Lancey Howard, but ill health forced him to withdraw from the film.<ref>{{cite book
| last =Deschner | first =David
| title =The Complete Films of Spencer Tracy
| publisher = Citadel Press
| year =1993
| page =57 }}</ref> [[Sam Peckinpah]] was hired to direct;<ref name="fn98n8"/> producer Martin Ransohoff fired him shortly after filming began<ref name="DirectorCommentary"/> for "vulgarizing the picture".<ref>{{Cite news
| last =Carroll| first =E. Jean
| title =Last of the Desperadoes: Dueling with Sam Peckinpah
| newspaper =Rocky Mountain Magazine
| date =March 1982
}}</ref> Peckinpah's version was to be shot in black-and-white to give the film a 1930s period feel. Jewison scrapped the black-and-white footage, feeling it was a mistake to shoot a film with the red and black of playing cards in greyscale. He did mute the colors throughout, both to evoke the period and to help pop the card colors when they appeared.<ref name="DirectorCommentary"/> [[Strother Martin]], who appears early in the film, but is never seen again, said he was fired after Jewison replaced Peckinpah.<ref>{{cite web|last=Scott|first=Vernon|title=Actor lives in fear of snips|date=20 May 1978|publisher=Lodi News-Sentinel|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2245&dat=19780520&id=qWozAAAAIBAJ&sjid=xTIHAAAAIBAJ&pg=5337,5020691&hl=en|access-date=20 April 2016|archive-date=6 May 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160506154030/https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2245&dat=19780520&id=qWozAAAAIBAJ&sjid=xTIHAAAAIBAJ&pg=5337,5020691&hl=en|url-status=live}}</ref>

The film features a theme song performed by [[Ray Charles]],<ref>''The Cincinnati Kid'' opening credits</ref> the [[Eureka Brass Band]] performing a [[second line (parades)|second line parade]], and a scene in [[Preservation Hall]] with [[Emma Barrett]] (vocalist and pianist), [[Punch Miller]] (trumpet), [[Paul Crawford (musician)|Paul Crawford]] (trombone), [[George Lewis (clarinetist)|George Lewis]] (clarinet), [[Cie Frazier]] (drums) and [[Allan Jaffe]] (helicon).

===Notes on the game===
* When reciting the rules, Shooter clearly states "no [[Poker jargon#string bet|string bets]]", although players (including Howard) go on to make string bets during the game.
* The game is [[Betting (poker)#Open stakes|open stakes]]. This is unusual in modern times and almost never allowed in casinos, but permissible in home games and was common for the time period of the film.<ref>{{cite web
| last =Ciaffone
| first =Robert
| title =Robert's Rules of Poker — Version 6
| publisher =Pokercoach.us
| url =http://pokercoach.us/RobsPkrRules6.htm
| access-date =2007-08-04
| archive-date =2007-08-10
| archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20070810123258/http://pokercoach.us/RobsPkrRules6.htm
| url-status =live
}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cardplayer.com/cardplayer-magazines/65573-18-19/articles/14991-a-famous-movie-poker-hand |title=A Famous Movie Poker Hand |first=Roy |last=Cooke |publisher=Card Player |date=2005-10-04 |access-date=2009-10-20 |archive-date=2009-06-09 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090609122751/http://www.cardplayer.com/cardplayer-magazines/65573-18-19/articles/14991-a-famous-movie-poker-hand |url-status=live }}</ref>
* The unlikely nature of the final hand is discussed by [[Anthony Holden]] in his book ''[[Big Deal: A Year as a Professional Poker Player]]'': "The odds against any full house losing to any straight flush, in a two-handed game, are 45,102,781 to 1," with Holden continuing that the odds against the particular final hand in the movie are astronomical (as both hands include 10s). Holden states that the chances of both such hands appearing in one deal are "a laughable" 332,220,508,619 to 1 (more than 332 billion to 1 against) and goes on: "If these two played 50 hands of stud an hour, eight hours a day, five days a week, the situation would arise about once every 443 years."

==Release==
The world premiere was held at the [[Saenger Theatre (New Orleans)|Saenger Theatre]] in New Orleans on October 15, 1965, with a nationwide release on October 27. The film opened in Los Angeles on November 5.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://catalog.afi.com/Catalog/moviedetails/22831|title=AFI Catalog: The Cincinnati Kid (1965)|website=American Film Institute|access-date=May 18, 2020|archive-date=January 25, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210125045201/https://catalog.afi.com/Catalog/moviedetails/22831|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Home media===
The television premiere of ''The Cincinnati Kid'' was on February 11, 1971, when it was broadcast on the ''[[CBS Thursday Night Movie]]''.<ref>[https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=YbkqAAAAIBAJ&sjid=TmYEAAAAIBAJ&pg=5185%2C3224762 "TV Today and Tonight". ''Sarasota Herald-Tribune''. (Feb. 11, 1971): p. 28.]</ref> It was released on Region 1 DVD on May 31, 2005. The DVD features a commentary track by director Norman Jewison, commentary on selected scenes from ''[[Celebrity Poker Showdown]]'' hosts [[Phil Gordon (poker player)|Phil Gordon]] and [[Dave Foley]] and ''The Cincinnati Kid Plays According to Hoyle'', a promotional short featuring magician [[Jay Ose]]. A Blu-ray disc was released on June 14, 2011.<ref>{{cite web
| publisher =Barnes & Noble
| title =Cincinnati Kid, The (DVD)
| url =http://video.barnesandnoble.com/search/product.asp?ean=012569698628&z=y&displayOnly=Menu
| access-date =2007-09-13
}}{{Dead link|date=August 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> With the release of the film on DVD, one modern reviewer said the film "is as hip now as when it was released in 1965",<ref>{{cite web
|last = Cullum
|first = Brett
|title = DVD Verdict Review: The Cincinnati Kid
|publisher = DVD Verdict
|date = June 13, 2005
|url = http://www.dvdverdict.com/reviews/cincinnatikid.php
|access-date = 2007-09-11
|url-status = dead
|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080119025305/http://www.dvdverdict.com/reviews/cincinnatikid.php
|archive-date = January 19, 2008
}}</ref> and another cited McQueen as "effortlessly watchable as the Kid, providing a masterclass in the power of natural screen presence over dialogue", and Robinson as "simply fantastic".<ref>{{cite web
| last =Sutton
| first =Mike
| title =The Cincinnati Kid
| publisher =DVD Times
| date =June 20, 2005
| url =http://www.dvdtimes.co.uk/content.php?contentid=57514
| access-date =2007-09-11
| archive-date =2013-04-20
| archive-url =https://archive.today/20130420101736/http://www.dvdtimes.co.uk/content.php?contentid=57514
| url-status =live
}}</ref> Poker author [[Michael Wiesenberg]] calls ''The Cincinnati Kid'' "one of the greatest poker movies of all time".<ref>{{Cite news
| last =Weisenberg
| first =Michael
| title =Implausible Play in The Cincinnati Kid? A play-by-play analysis of a highly unlikely poker hand
| newspaper =Card Player Magazine
| date =August 23, 2005
| url =http://www.cardplayer.com/cardplayer-poker-magazines/65570-jennifer-tilly-18-16/articles/14928-implausible-play-in-the-cincinnati-kid-a-play-by-play-analysis-of-a-highly-unlikely-poker-hand
| access-date =August 10, 2013
| archive-date =April 13, 2014
| archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20140413124831/http://www.cardplayer.com/cardplayer-poker-magazines/65570-jennifer-tilly-18-16/articles/14928-implausible-play-in-the-cincinnati-kid-a-play-by-play-analysis-of-a-highly-unlikely-poker-hand
| url-status =live
}}</ref>

==Soundtrack==
{{main|The Cincinnati Kid (soundtrack)}}

==Reception==
===Critical response===
Upon its 1965 release, ''The Cincinnati Kid'' was favorably reviewed by ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'', which wrote, "[[Martin Ransohoff]] has constructed a taut, well-turned-out production. In Steve McQueen he has the near-perfect delineator of the title role. Edward G. Robinson is at his best in some years as the aging, ruthless Lancey Howard...."<ref>{{cite news
| author =Variety staff
| title =Review
| url =https://www.variety.com/review/VE1117789909.html?categoryid=31&cs=1&p=0
| work =Variety
| access-date =2007-07-30
| date =1965-01-01
| archive-date =2007-10-24
| archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20071024092726/http://www.variety.com/review/VE1117789909.html?categoryid=31&cs=1&p=0
| url-status =live
}}</ref>

[[Howard Thompson (film critic)|Howard Thompson]] of ''[[The New York Times]]'' called the film a "respectably packaged drama" that is "strictly for those who relish—or at least play—[[stud poker]]", and notes that the "film pales beside ''[[The Hustler]]'', to which it bears a striking similarity of theme and characterization".<ref>{{cite news| title=Movie Review: The Cincinnati Kid| url=https://movies.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9901E4D81F30E23ABC4051DFB667838E679EDE| author-link=Howard Thompson (film critic) | last=Thompson| first=Howard| work=The New York Times| date=October 28, 1965| access-date=2009-01-18}}</ref>

''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'' magazine also noted the similarities to ''The Hustler'', writing that "nearly everything about ''Cincinnati Kid'' is reminiscent" of that film, but falls short in the comparison, in part because of the subject matter.<ref>{{cite magazine| title=Mixed Deal| url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,901808,00.html| magazine=Time| date=November 5, 1965| access-date=2009-01-18| archive-date=2012-01-05| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120105162442/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,901808,00.html| url-status=dead}}</ref>

<blockquote>Director Jewison can put his cards on the table, let his camera cut suspensefully to the players' intent faces, but a pool shark sinking a tricky shot into a side pocket undoubtedly offers more range. ''Kid'' also has a less compelling subplot. Away from the table, McQueen gambles on a blonde (Tuesday Weld) and on the integrity of his dealer pal, Karl Malden. Pressure comes from a conventionally vicious Southern gentleman (Rip Torn), whose pleasures include a Negro mistress, a pistol range adjacent to his parlor, and fixed card games. As Malden's wife, Ann-Margret spells trouble of another kind, though her naive impersonation of a wicked, wicked woman recalls the era when the femme fatale wore breastplates lashed together with spider web. By the time all the bets are in, ''Cincinnati Kid'' appears to hold a losing hand.</blockquote>

A retrospective review published in 2011 by the [[New York State Writers Institute]] of the [[University at Albany, SUNY|University at Albany]] also noted the similarities the film has to ''The Hustler'', but in contrast said ''The Cincinnati Kid''{{-'}}s "stylized realism, dreamlike color, and detailed subplots give [the film] a dramatic complexity and self-awareness that ''The Hustler'' lacks".<ref name="fn98n8"/>

Through 2023 ''The Cincinnati Kid'' holds an 87% "Fresh" rating on [[Rotten Tomatoes]] from 23 reviews, with an average user rating of 7.6/10.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/cincinnati_kid|title=The Cincinnati Kid|website=Rotten Tomatoes|accessdate=13 August 2023}}</ref>

==Recognition==
Joan Blondell was singled out for her performance as Lady Fingers, with an award from the [[National Board of Review of Motion Pictures]] and a [[23rd Golden Globe Awards#Best Supporting Actress|Golden Globe nomination for Best Supporting Actress]]{{Broken anchor|date=2024-06-01|bot=User:Cewbot/log/20201008/configuration|target_link=23rd Golden Globe Awards#Best Supporting Actress|reason= The anchor (Best Supporting Actress) [[Special:Diff/1226728979|has been deleted]].}}. ''Motion Picture Exhibitor'' magazine nominated Robinson for its Best Supporting Actor Laurel Award.

==See also==
* [[List of American films of 1965]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{IMDb title|0059037}}
* {{Rotten Tomatoes|2=The Cincinnati Kid}}
* {{tcmdb title|70935|The Cincinnati Kid}}
* {{Amg movie|9647|The Cincinnati Kid}}
* {{AFI film|22831|The Cincinnati Kid}}

{{Norman Jewison}}
{{Terry Southern}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cincinnati Kid, The}}
[[Category:1965 films]]
[[Category:1965 drama films]]
[[Category:American drama films]]
[[Category:Films based on American novels]]
[[Category:Films directed by Norman Jewison]]
[[Category:Films set in New Orleans]]
[[Category:Films set in the 1930s]]
[[Category:Films shot in New Orleans]]
[[Category:Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer films]]
[[Category:Films about poker]]
[[Category:Films with screenplays by Terry Southern]]
[[Category:Films with screenplays by Ring Lardner Jr.]]
[[Category:Films scored by Lalo Schifrin]]
[[Category:Filmways films]]
[[Category:Cockfighting in film]]
[[Category:1960s English-language films]]
[[Category:1960s American films]]

A Christmas Story

2024-10-01T19:43:21Z

98.18.198.104: /* External links */

{{short description|1983 film by Bob Clark}}
{{Other uses}}
{{Use American English|date=December 2023}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=December 2023}}
{{Infobox film
| name = A Christmas Story
| image = A Christmas Story film poster.jpg
| caption = Theatrical release poster
| director = [[Bob Clark]]
| screenplay = {{plainlist|
* [[Jean Shepherd]]
* Leigh Brown
* Bob Clark
}}
| based_on = {{based on|''[[In God We Trust: All Others Pay Cash]]''|Jean Shepherd}}
| producer = {{plainlist|
* René Dupont
* Bob Clark
}}
| starring = {{plainlist|

* [[Melinda Dillon]]
* [[Darren McGavin]]
* [[Peter Billingsley]]
}}
| narrator= 
| cinematography = [[Reginald H. Morris]]
| editing = Stan Cole
| music = {{plainlist|
* [[Paul Zaza]]
* Carl Zittrer
}}
| studio = [[Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer]]
| distributor = MGM/UA Entertainment Co.
| released = {{Film date|1983|11|18}}
| runtime = 94 minutes<ref name=NUM/>
| country = {{plainlist|
* United States
* Canada
}}
| language = English
| budget = $3.3 million<ref name=NUM>{{cite web |url=https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Christmas-Story-A#tab=summary |title=''A Christmas Story'' |website=[[The Numbers (website)|The Numbers]] |access-date=December 26, 2014}}</ref>
| gross = $19.2 million<ref name="BOM">{{Cite Box Office Mojo|title=A Christmas Story (1983)|id=0085334 |access-date=October 18, 2022}}</ref>
}}

'''''A Christmas Story''''' is a 1983 [[Christmas film|Christmas]] [[comedy film]] directed by [[Bob Clark]] and based on [[Jean Shepherd]]'s semi-fictional anecdotes in his 1966 book ''[[In God We Trust: All Others Pay Cash]]'', with some elements from his 1971 book ''Wanda Hickey's Night of Golden Memories and Other Disasters''. It stars [[Melinda Dillon]], [[Darren McGavin]], and [[Peter Billingsley]], and follows a young boy and his family's misadventures during Christmas time in the 1940s. It is the third installment in the [[Parker Family Saga]].

''A Christmas Story'' was released on November 18, 1983, and received positive reviews from critics. Filmed partly in Canada, the film earned two Canadian [[Genie Awards]] in 1984. Widely considered a holiday classic in the [[United States]] and [[Canada]], it has been shown in a marathon annually on [[TNT (American TV network)|TNT]] since 1997 and on [[TBS (American TV channel)|TBS]] since 2004 titled "24 Hours of ''A Christmas Story",'' consisting of 12 consecutive airings of the film from the evening of Christmas Eve to the evening of Christmas Day.<ref name="latimes.com">{{cite web |url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/tv/la-ca-st-1224-tvhighlights-20171224-story.html|title=TV This Week, Dec. 24-30: ''A Christmas Story'' marathon and more|first=Matt|last=Cooper |work=Los Angeles Times |date=December 22, 2017|via=latimes.com}}</ref> In 2012, it was selected for preservation in the United States [[National Film Registry]] by the [[Library of Congress]] for being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".<ref>{{cite news |last=King |first=Susan |url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/moviesnow/la-et-mn-national-film-registry-20121217,0,1057524.story |title=National Film Registry selects 25 films for preservation |work=Los Angeles Times |date=December 19, 2012 |via=latimes.com}}.</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=2012 National Film Registry Picks in A League of Their Own|url=https://www.loc.gov/item/prn-12-226/cinematic-firsts-enshrined-in-2012-film-registry/2012-12-19/|access-date=2020-09-18|website=loc.gov |publisher=Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Complete National Film Registry Listing |url=https://www.loc.gov/programs/national-film-preservation-board/film-registry/complete-national-film-registry-listing/|access-date=2020-09-18|website=www.loc.gov |publisher=Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. 20540 USA}}</ref>

The film spawned three sequels. The first, ''[[My Summer Story]]'' (originally released as ''It Runs in the Family''), also directed by Clark, was released in 1994. The second, entitled ''[[A Christmas Story 2]]'', was released [[Direct-to-video|straight to DVD]] in 2012. A third sequel, entitled ''[[A Christmas Story Christmas]]'', was released on [[HBO Max]] in 2022 and features most of the original cast returning.

==Plot==

[[File:Christmas Story House.jpg|thumb|The front of the Parkers' house where ''A Christmas Story'' was filmed in the Tremont neighborhood of Cleveland's west side. The building was restored and reconfigured inside to match the soundstage interiors and is open to the public as [[A Christmas Story House]].]]

The film is presented in a series of [[vignette (literature)|vignettes]], with narration provided by the adult Ralphie Parker. As a 9-year-old boy in 1940, all Ralphie wants for Christmas is a [[Daisy Outdoor Products#Red Ryder BB Gun|Red Ryder Carbine Action 200-shot Range Model air rifle]]. Ralphie's desire is rejected by his mother, his teacher Miss Shields, and a disgruntled Santa Claus at [[Higbee's]] department store, all of whom give him the same warning: "You'll shoot your eye out".

On Christmas morning, Ralphie receives some presents that he enjoys but is disappointed not to find the rifle among them. Ralphie's father ("The Old Man") directs him to one last box hidden in the corner, which proves to contain the rifle. Ralphie eagerly hurries outside to try it out, but when he shoots at the metal target he has set up, the BB [[ricochet]]s and knocks off his glasses. Ralphie accidentally steps on and breaks the glasses while trying to find them; he makes up a cover story about an [[icicle]] falling from the roof of the garage and hitting him in the face, which fools his mom and keeps him from getting in trouble.

That night, Ralphie goes to sleep with the gun by his side, as his adult self reflects that it was the best Christmas present he had ever received or would ever receive.

===Other vignettes===
Interspersed with the main story are several loosely related vignettes involving the Parkers:

* The Old Man fights a never-ending battle with the malfunctioning furnace in the Parker home. His frustrations cause him to swear profusely (heard as gibberish in the film), leading Ralphie to suspect a cloud of profanity "is still hanging in space over [[Lake Michigan]]".<ref>{{cite web |title=Trivia – ''A Christmas Story'' House |publisher=Turner Entertainment Co. |url=http://www.achristmasstoryhouse.com/index.php/a-christmas-story-movie-facts/ |access-date=December 25, 2012}}</ref>
* Ralphie's friends, Flick and Schwartz, argue about whether or not a tongue will stick to metal in the winter. Schwartz "triple-dog dare"s Flick to try sticking his tongue to the schoolyard flagpole, and Flick does indeed get stuck, requiring the [[fire department]]'s help to get him unstuck. Flick refuses to rat out Schwartz to Miss Shields, though she makes it clear she suspects either Schwartz or Ralphie is responsible.
* The Old Man is delighted when he wins a "major award" in a newspaper contest – a table lamp in the shape of a woman's leg wearing a [[fishnet stocking]]. Mrs. Parker dislikes it, and the ensuing "Battle of the Lamp" ends with her "accidentally" breaking it. Unable to fix it, the Old Man buries it in the backyard.<ref>{{cite book |last=Shepherd |first=Jean |title=In God We Trust All Others Pay Cash |year=1966 |type=Mass Market Paperback |publisher=Bantam Books |chapter=My Old Man And The Lascivious Special Award That Heralded the Birth Of Pop Art |page=63}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.flicklives.com/index.php?pg=272|title=flicklives.com|website=www.flicklives.com}}</ref>
* Ralphie eagerly checks the mail each day for a [[secret decoder ring]], which he earned through a promotion [[Ovaltine]] and the ''[[Little Orphan Annie (radio series)|Little Orphan Annie]]'' radio show were running. However, when the ring finally arrives, and Ralphie decodes the secret message broadcast on the radio show, he is disappointed to find the message is merely an Ovaltine ad.
* While unsuccessfully helping The Old Man change a blown tire, Ralphie accidentally curses, and gets his mouth washed out with [[Lifebuoy (soap)|Lifebuoy soap]] as a punishment. That night, he fantasizes about making his parents sorry, by becoming blind from soap poisoning.
* Ralphie, his brother Randy, and Flick and Schwartz are tormented by the neighborhood bullies Scut Farkus and Grover Dill. Ralphie eventually snaps and attacks Farkus, unleashing a stream of vulgar gibberish similar to the Old Man's.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.achristmasstoryhouse.com/index.php/a-christmas-story-movie-facts/ | title=Movie Facts & Trivia: ''A Christmas Story'' | work=achristmasstoryhouse.com | access-date=April 18, 2014}}</ref> Mrs. Parker halts him mid-fight and escorts him home; Ralphie and Randy expect The Old Man to "kill" Ralphie when he finds out, but Mrs. Parker manages to distract The Old Man by talking about [[American football|football]], earning Ralphie's respect.
* Ralphie is dismayed to receive an embarrassing pink bunny [[blanket sleeper|footed sleeper]] from his Aunt Clara. Mrs. Parker forces him to try it on and thinks it’s adorable, but The Old Man calls it "a pink nightmare" and allows Ralphie to take it off. Mrs. Parker agrees to only have Ralphie wear it when Aunt Clara comes.
* The Old Man is frequently chased by a pack of "at least 785 smelly [[bloodhounds|hound dogs]]" owned by the Bumpus family, the Parkers' [[hillbilly]] neighbors. On Christmas Day, the dogs ruin the Parkers' dinner by romping through their kitchen and eating their turkey, forcing the family to go to a [[Chinese restaurant]] to eat, where they enjoy an entertaining dinner of [[Peking Duck|"Chinese Turkey"]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://thefw.com/things-you-didnt-know-about-a-christmas-story/|title=10 Things You Didn't Know About ''A Christmas Story''|access-date=December 25, 2015|work=thefw.com|author=TheFW Staff|date=December 10, 2013 }}</ref>

==Cast==
* [[Peter Billingsley]] as Ralphie Parker
* [[Jean Shepherd]] as adult Ralphie (voice) / man standing in the Santa Claus line at [[Higbee's]]
* [[Ian Petrella]] as Randy Parker
* [[Melinda Dillon]] as Mrs. Parker
* [[Darren McGavin]] as The Old Man <ref>Zaza, Paul; Zittrer, Carl (November 10, 2009). "Bob's Major Award." ''[https://media.rhino.com/press-release/christmas-story-original-motion-picture-soundtrack A Christmas Story: Music from the Motion Picture]''. [[Rhino Records]]. Retrieved March 9, 2024.</ref>
* [[Scott Schwartz]] as Flick
* [[R. D. Robb]] as Schwartz
* [[Zack Ward]] as Scut Farkus
* Yano Anaya as Grover Dill
* [[Tedde Moore]] as Miss Shields
* Jeff Gillen as Santa Claus
* Patty Johnson as Lead Elf<ref name= "WhereNow">[https://www.achristmasstoryhouse.com/a-christmas-story-movie-facts/cast-and-crew/where-are-they-now/ "Where are they Now" @AChristmasStoryHouse.com] Retrieved December 26, 2020.</ref>
* Drew Hocevar as Male Elf<ref name= "WhereNow"/>
* [[Leslie Carlson]] as Christmas Tree Salesman

===Casting===
The basis of the screenplay is a series of monologues written and performed by [[Jean Shepherd]] on the radio. Shepherd wrote the adaptation with [[Bob Clark]] and Leigh Brown. Several subplots are incorporated into the body of the film, based on other separate short stories by Shepherd. Shepherd provides the film's narration from the perspective of an adult Ralphie, a narrative style later used in the [[comedy-drama]] television series ''[[The Wonder Years]]''. Shepherd, Brown, and Clark have cameo appearances in the film: Shepherd plays the man who directs Ralphie and Randy to the back of the Santa line at the department store; Brown – Shepherd's wife in real life – plays the woman in the Santa line with Shepherd; Clark plays Swede, the neighbor the Old Man talks to outside during the Leg Lamp scene.<ref name="vanityfair.com">{{cite magazine|url=https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2016/11/how-a-christmas-story-became-an-american-tradition|title=How ''A Christmas Story'' Went from Low-Budget Fluke to an American Tradition|first=Sam|last=Kashner|magazine=Vanity Fair|date=November 30, 2016}}</ref>

In the DVD commentary, director Bob Clark mentions that [[Jack Nicholson]] was considered for the role of the Old Man; Clark expresses gratitude that he ended up with Darren McGavin instead, who later appeared in several other Clark films.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.achristmasstoryhouse.com/a-christmas-story-movie-facts/trivia/ | title=Origin and Fun Facts }}</ref> [[James Broderick]], who had portrayed the role in the television films, had died the year prior.<ref>{{cite web|title=James Broderick, 55, Actor Was in ''Brenner'' and ''Family''|first=Eleanor|last=Blau|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1982/11/03/obituaries/james-broderick-55-actor-was-in-brenner-and-family.html|work=The New York Times|access-date=July 8, 2014|date=November 3, 1982}}</ref> He cast Melinda Dillon on the basis of her similar role in ''[[Close Encounters of the Third Kind]]''. Some 8,000 actors auditioned for the role of Ralphie, among the 8,000 actors were [[Keith Coogan]], [[Sean Astin]] and [[Wil Wheaton]];{{sfn|Gaines|2013|p=12}}<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.avclub.com/wil-wheaton-1798208240|title=Wil Wheaton|website=[[The A.V. Club]]|date=November 20, 2002}}</ref> "He walked in, and he had us from the beginning", Clark later recalled of Peter Billingsley who was already a successful actor in commercials<ref name="vanityfair.com"/> and from co-hosting the TV series ''[[Real People (TV program)|Real People]]''. Clark initially wanted him for the role of Ralphie but decided he was "too obvious" a choice and auditioned many other young actors before realizing that Billingsley was the right choice after all.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.buzzfeed.com/adambvary/how-a-christmas-story-kept-peter-billingsley-normal | title=How "A Christmas Story" Kept Peter Billingsley Normal | website=[[BuzzFeed]] | date=December 19, 2013 }}</ref>

Ian Petrella was cast immediately before filming began. Tedde Moore had previously appeared in Clark's film ''[[Murder by Decree]]'' and was the only onscreen character from ''A Christmas Story'' who was played by the same actor in the sequel, ''[[My Summer Story]]''. Jeff Gillen was an old friend of Clark's who had been in one of his earliest films.<ref name="comment">{{cite video |last1=Clark |first1=Bob |author-link1=Bob Clark |last2=Billingsley |first2=Peter |author-link2=Peter Billingsley |title=Audio Commentary: ''A Christmas Story'' |medium=DVD special feature |publisher=MGM |date=2003}}</ref> The schoolyard bully, Scut Farkus, was played by Zack Ward, now an actor, writer and director, who had actually been bullied himself while in elementary school. In 2017, he said he was surprised at the impact his role had over the years: "I saw that I was ranked – as Christmas villains go – higher than the [[Grinch]]. That's amazing".<ref>{{cite news|url=https://nationalpost.com/pmn/entertainment-pmn/canadian-a-christmas-story-bully-zack-ward-on-making-the-classic-film|title=Canadian ''A Christmas Story'' bully Zack Ward on making the classic film|date=December 20, 2017|work=National Post}}</ref>

==Production==
The screenplay for ''A Christmas Story'' is based on material from author [[Jean Shepherd]]'s collection of short stories, ''[[In God We Trust, All Others Pay Cash]]''. Three of the semi-[[autobiography|autobiographical]] [[short story|short stories]] on which the film is based were originally published in ''[[Playboy]]'' magazine between 1964 and 1966.<ref>{{cite book
| last = Shepherd
| first = Jean
| author-link = Jean Shepherd
| title = ''A Christmas Story''
| publisher = Broadway Books
| year = 2003
| location = New York
| url = https://archive.org/details/christmasstory00shep
| isbn = 0-7679-1622-0
| no-pp = true
| page = indicia
| url-access = registration}}</ref> Shepherd later read "Duel in the Snow, or Red Ryder nails the Cleveland Street Kid" and told the otherwise unpublished story "Flick's Tongue" on his [[WOR (AM)|WOR Radio]] [[talk show]], as can be heard in one of the DVD extras.<ref>{{cite video
| people = Warner Home Video
| title = Radio Readings by Jean Shepherd
| medium = DVD extra
| publisher = Warner Video
| date = 2003}}</ref> Bob Clark states on the [[Audio commentary|DVD commentary]] that he became interested in Shepherd's work when he heard "Flick's Tongue" on the radio in 1968. Additional source material for the film, according to Clark, came from unpublished anecdotes that Shepherd told live audiences "on the college circuit".<ref name="comment"/> While shooting scenes in Cleveland in early 1983, Clark told a reporter that it had taken him a considerable number of years to get the film into production.<ref>Ulas, Robert. "Clark No Household Word Yet". Cleveland Plain Dealer, February 11, 1983.</ref> Shepherd envisioned his stories as "Dickens's Christmas Carol as retold by Scrooge", although Clark would soften it for the film; the two did not particularly get along, as Clark did not admire Shepherd's attempts at trying to guide the actors with ideas about how the characters should be played, to the point where he had him barred from the set.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://lareviewofbooks.org/article/betrayal-jean-shepherd-and-a-christmas-story/ | title=Los Angeles Review of Books | date=December 21, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2016/11/how-a-christmas-story-became-an-american-tradition | title=How a Christmas Story Went from Low-Budget Fluke to an American Tradition | website=[[Vanity Fair (magazine)|Vanity Fair]] | date=November 30, 2016}}</ref>

===Locations===
The film is set in '''Hohman, Indiana''', a fictionalized version of Shepherd's hometown of [[Hammond, Indiana|Hammond]], the only Hoosier city to border [[Chicago]]. The name is derived from Hohman Avenue, a major street in downtown Hammond.<ref name=hammond>{{cite web|title=Famous Hammond Personalities: Jean Shepherd |publisher=HammondIndiana.com |url=http://www.hammondindiana.com/personalities.htm |access-date=2006-11-26 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061205045059/http://hammondindiana.com/personalities.htm |archive-date=December 5, 2006 |url-status=dead}}</ref> Local references in the film include Warren G. Harding Elementary School and Cleveland Street (where Shepherd spent his childhood). Other local references include mention of a person "swallowing a yo-yo" in nearby [[Griffith, Indiana|Griffith]],<ref name=hammond/> the Old Man being one of the fiercest "furnace fighters in Northern Indiana" and that his obscenities were "hanging in space over [[Lake Michigan]]", a mention of the [[Indianapolis 500]], and the line to Santa Claus "stretching all the way to [[Terre Haute]]". The Old Man is also revealed to be a fan of the [[Chicago Bears|Bears]] (whom he jokingly calls the "Chicago Chipmunks") and [[Chicago White Sox|White Sox]], consistent with living in northwest Indiana. In commemoration of the setting, the City of Hammond holds an annual exhibit regarding the film in November and December, including a statue recreating the scene where Ralphie's friend Flick freezes his tongue to a flagpole.<ref>{{cite web |title=''A Christmas Story'' Comes Home |publisher=South Shore Convention and Visitors Association |url=https://www.southshorecva.com/achristmasstory/ |access-date=2020-10-15}}</ref>

Director [[Bob Clark]] reportedly sent [[location scouting|scouts]] to twenty cities before selecting Cleveland for exterior filming. Cleveland was chosen because of [[Higbee's]] Department Store in downtown Cleveland. Since Higbee's was exclusive to northeast Ohio,<ref name="Higbee's">{{cite web|title=Higbees |url=http://www.achristmasstoryhouse.com/higbees.shtml |work=A Christmas Story House|access-date=2006-11-26 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061123162631/http://www.achristmasstoryhouse.com/higbees.shtml |archive-date=November 23, 2006}}</ref> the department store referred to in Shepherd's book and the film is most likely [[Goldblatt's]], located in downtown Hammond (with the Cam-Lan Chinese Restaurant three doors down on Sibley Avenue). Until they connected with Higbee's, location scouts had been unsuccessful in finding a department store that was willing to be part of the film. Higbee's vice president Bruce Campbell agreed to take part in the project on the condition he be allowed to edit the script for cursing. Ultimately, Higbee's was the stage for three scenes in the film:
* The opening scene in which Ralphie first spies the Red Ryder BB Gun in the store's [[Christmas window]] display. Higbee's was known for its elaborate, child-centered Christmas themes and decorations, with Santa as the centerpiece.
* The parade scene, filmed just outside Higbee's on [[Public Square, Cleveland|Public Square]] at 3 AM. The parade was filmed at night because during the daytime the 1960s Erieview Tower and Federal Building was visible from the Public Square, as was the [[BP Tower]], which was under construction at the time.
* Ralphie and Randy's visit to see Santa, which was filmed inside Higbee's. The store kept the Santa slide that was made for the film and used it for several years after the film's release. Higbee's became [[Dillard's]] in 1992 and closed permanently in 2002.<ref name="Higbee's"/>

In addition to the scenes involving Higbee's, the exterior shots (and select interior shots where Ralphie lived, including the opening of the leg lamp) of the house and neighborhood, were filmed in the [[Tremont, Cleveland|Tremont]] section of Cleveland's West Side. The house used as the Parker home in these scenes has been restored, reconfigured inside to match the soundstage interiors, and opened to the public as "[[A Christmas Story House]]". Appropriately, the fictional boyhood home of Ralphie Parker is on Cleveland Street, the name of the actual street where Shepherd grew up.

Several other locations were used. The school scenes were shot at the Victoria School in [[St. Catharines|St. Catharines, Ontario]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Warren G. Harding |publisher=achristmasstoryhouse.com |url=http://www.achristmasstoryhouse.com/index.php/filming-locations/warren-g-harding/ |access-date=June 20, 2010}}</ref> The Christmas tree-purchasing scene was filmed in [[Toronto|Toronto, Ontario]], as was the [[sound stage]] filming of interior shots of the Parker home.<ref>{{cite web |title=''A Christmas Story''|work=Movie Rewind|url=http://www.fast-rewind.com/christmasstory.htm| access-date = 2006-11-26}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.thestar.com/entertainment/movies/2017/12/20/canadian-actor-zack-ward-aka-christmas-story-bully-scut-farkus-proud-of-his-movie-villain-cred.html|title=Canadian actor Zack Ward — AKA ''Christmas Story'' bully Scut Farkus — proud of his movie villain cred |work=Toronto Star |date=December 21, 2017}}</ref> The "...only I didn't say fudge" scene was filmed at the foot of Cherry Street in Toronto; several [[lake freighter]]s are visible in the background spending the winter at Toronto's port, which lends authenticity to the time of year when the film was produced.

In 2008, two Canadian fans released a documentary that visits every location. Their film, ''Road Trip for Ralphie'', was shot over two years and includes footage of the filmmakers saving Miss Shields' blackboard from the garbage bin on the day the old Victoria School was gutted for renovation, discovering the antique fire truck that saved Flick, locating original costumes from the film, and tracking down the location of the film's Chop Suey Palace in Toronto.<ref>{{cite web |title=Road Trip for Ralphie |url=http://www.roadtripforralphie.com |publisher=roadtripforralphie.com |access-date=December 6, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081204115238/http://www.roadtripforralphie.com/ |archive-date=December 4, 2008 |url-status=live}}</ref>

===Red Ryder BB Gun===
{{main|Red Ryder BB Gun}}
The "Red Ryder" model BB Gun was manufactured in Plymouth, Michigan, by Daisy, beginning in 1940; it was never manufactured in the exact configuration mentioned in the film. The Daisy "Buck Jones" model did have a compass and a sundial in the stock, but these features were not included in the Red Ryder model.<ref>{{cite video |title=Daisy Red Ryder: A History |medium=DVD extra |publisher=Warner Video |date=2003}}</ref> The compass and sundial were placed on Ralphie's BB gun, but on the opposite side of the stock due to Peter Billingsley being left-handed.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.pyramydair.com/blog/2005/03/what-is-bb-gun.html |title=Air Guns: Pyramyd Air Report |publisher=pyramydair.com |date=March 4, 2005 |access-date=June 20, 2010}}</ref>

===Dating the story===
Director Bob Clark stated in the film's DVD commentary that both he and author Shepherd wished for the film to be seen as "amorphously late-'30s, early-'40s".<ref>DVD commentary by Bob Clark</ref> A specific year is never explicitly mentioned in the film. While the Lionel streamline model passenger train in Higbee's window is a prewar item, the freight train in the same window is of postwar manufacture. The two songs by Bing Crosby and the Andrews Sisters used in the film, "Jingle Bells" and "Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town" were recorded in 1943, and the Crosby version of "It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas" also heard in the film, dates from 1951. ''[[Look (American magazine)|Look]]'' magazine that Ralphie hides the Red Ryder ad in, is the December 1937 cover with Shirley Temple and Santa. Ralphie's ''[[Little Orphan Annie (radio series)|Little Orphan Annie]]'' Secret Society Decoder Pin bears the date 1940 (and is the real-life decoder pin released to society members that year, though by that time [[Ovaltine]] had ceased its sponsorship and [[Quaker Oats Company|Quaker]] was the primary sponsor of the series), the parade in front of Higbee's features characters from MGM's version of ''[[The Wizard of Oz (1939 film)|The Wizard of Oz]]'', which was released in 1939, a 1939 calendar is seen in one scene,<ref>{{Cite news |last=Brooks |first=Nicholas |date=2021-12-19 |title=When Does A Christmas Story Take Place? |language=en-US |work=CBR |url=https://www.cbr.com/christmas-story-when-take-place/ |access-date=2022-12-13}}</ref> and [[World War II]], which the [[United States declaration of war on Japan|United States entered in December 1941]], is never mentioned. The "Old Man's" treasured Oldsmobile 6 is a 1937 [[Oldsmobile F-Series#Second generation|Oldsmobile F-Series Touring Sedan]]. Although the director and author have said that the year has been obfuscated, some sources, including ''[[The New York Times]]'' and [[CBS News]], have dated the film to 1940 or the early 1940s.<ref name="Canby">{{Cite news |last=Canby, Vincent |date=November 18, 1983 |title=Film: ''Christmas Story'', Indiana Tale |work=[[The New York Times]] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1983/11/18/movies/film-christmas-story-indiana-tale.html |access-date=January 24, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/reliving-the-holiday-favorite-a-christmas-story/"Reliving|title=the holiday favorite ''A Christmas Story'' |work=CBS News}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.post-gazette.com/life/travel/2007/11/04/Christmas-Story-fans-to-convene-in-Cleveland/stories/200711040135|title='Christmas Story' fans to convene in Cleveland|work=Post-Gazette}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mysanantonio.com/lifestyle/article/30-years-of-A-Christmas-Story-5089000.php|title=30 years of ''A Christmas Story''|website=mysanantonio.com|date=December 23, 2013}}</ref>

The real Shepherd was several years older than Ralphie; Shepherd was intentionally dishonest about many of the details of his own life and regularly obscured the line between fact and fiction in his writings.<ref>Lumenick, Lou (December 2, 1983). "Shepherd, the man in the ironic mask". ''The Record'', Hackensack, New Jersey. "Shepherd is evasive to the point of being intentionally misleading about the actual details of his personal life. For instance, he says that he taught for a time at New York University and that his father was a cartoonist for the Chicago Tribune -- red herrings that are disputed by both institutions".</ref> A teacher called "Miss Shields" was Shepherd's second-grade teacher at Warren G. Harding Elementary School in 1928.<ref>A 1971 letter from the Hammond school system provides a list of Shepherd's elementary school teachers at Harding, and the years they had him in their classes. http://www.flicklives.com/index.php?pg=306</ref> By 1939, Shepherd had already graduated from high school.<ref name="Hammond">{{cite web|title=Famous Hammond Personalities: Jean Shepherd |publisher=HammondIndiana.com |url=http://www.hammondindiana.com/personalities.htm |access-date=2006-11-26 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061205045059/http://hammondindiana.com/personalities.htm |archive-date=December 5, 2006}}</ref>

==Release and reception==
Initially overlooked as a [[Sleeper hit|sleeper film]],<ref>{{cite news |last=Maslin |first=Janet |author-link=Janet Maslin |title=IN THE ARTS: CRITICS' CHOICES |work=The New York Times |date=January 8, 1984 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1984/01/08/arts/in-the-arts-critics-choices-162681.html |access-date=December 1, 2009 |quote=Popular misconceptions can get a movie off to a slow start, and they may have helped turn ''A Christmas Story'' into the sleeper of this season.}}</ref> ''A Christmas Story'' was released a week before [[Thanksgiving (United States)|Thanksgiving]] 1983 to moderate success, earning about $2 million in its first weekend.<ref name=mojo/> Film critic [[Roger Ebert]] initially gave the film three stars out of four,<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/a-christmas-story-1983 | title=A Christmas Story movie review (1983) | Roger Ebert}}</ref> but later gave the film four stars and added the film to his "Great Movies" list and suggested the film had only modest success because holiday-themed films were not popular at the time.<ref>{{cite news |last=Ebert |first=Roger |author-link=Roger Ebert |title=''A Christmas Story'' (1983) |publisher=rogerebert.com |date=December 24, 2000 |url=https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-a-christmas-story-1983 |access-date=December 23, 2013 |quote=''A Christmas Story'' was released in the Christmas season of 1983, and did modest business at first (people don't often go to movies with specific holiday themes).}}</ref> [[Vincent Canby]]'s mostly negative ''[[The New York Times]]'' review complained that "the movie's big comic pieces tend only to be exceedingly busy. Though Mr. Billingsley, Mr. Gavin [sic], Miss Dillon and the actress who plays Ralphie's school teacher (Tedde Moore) are all very able, they are less funny than actors in a television situation comedy."<ref name="Canby"/>

In Canada, the film would go on to win two categories in the [[5th Genie Awards]], for Director Bob Clark and Best Original Screenplay for the work of Leigh Brown, Bob Clark and Jean Shepherd.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0085334/awards|title=''A Christmas Story''|via=www.imdb.com}}</ref>

By Christmas 1983, the film was no longer playing at most venues but remained in about a hundred theatres until January 1984.<ref name="comment"/> Gross earnings were just over $19.2 million.<ref name=mojo>{{cite news | url =https://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=christmasstory.htm | title =Box Office Information for ''A Christmas Story'' | publisher =[[Box Office Mojo]].com | access-date =November 5, 2008 | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20081219001528/http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=christmasstory.htm | archive-date= December 19, 2008 | url-status= live}}</ref> In the years since, due to television airings and home video release, ''A Christmas Story'' has become widely popular and is now an annual [[Christmas]] special. The film was produced and released by [[Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer]] (MGM). The rights to the film were acquired by [[Turner Entertainment|Turner Entertainment Co.]] after [[Ted Turner]]'s purchase of MGM's pre-1986 film library. Subsequently, [[Time Warner]] purchased Turner Entertainment in 1996 and currently holds rights to the film as [[Warner Bros. Discovery]] (WBD).

Over the years, the film's critical reputation has grown considerably and it is regarded by some as one of the best films of 1983.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.films101.com/y1983r.htm |title=The Best Movies of 1983 by Rank |publisher=Films101.com |access-date=June 20, 2010 |archive-date=December 23, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171223201053/http://www.films101.com/y1983r.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref> Based on 61 reviews on [[Rotten Tomatoes]], the film has an overall approval rating from critics of 89%, with an [[weighted mean|average]] score of 8.4/10. The site's consensus reads: "Both warmly nostalgic and darkly humorous, ''A Christmas Story'' deserves its status as a holiday perennial."<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1004151-christmas_story/ |title=''A Christmas Story'' Movie Reviews, Pictures |website=[[Rotten Tomatoes]] |publisher=[[Fandango Media]] |access-date=December 26, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091023212421/https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1004151_christmas_story |archive-date=October 23, 2009 |url-status=live |df=mdy-all}}</ref> On [[Metacritic]], the film has a score of 77 out of 100, based on 16 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.metacritic.com/movie/a-christmas-story|title=''A Christmas Story''|website=[[Metacritic]]}}</ref> In his movie guide, [[Leonard Maltin]] awarded the film a four-star rating, calling the film "delightful" and "truly funny for kids and grown-ups alike" with "wonderful period flavor".<ref name="bookref1">{{cite book| last=Maltin| first=Leonard|title=2013 Movie Guide| year=2012|publisher=[[Penguin Books]]|page=247|isbn=978-0-451-23774-3}}</ref>

On December 24, 2007, [[AOL]] ranked the film their #1 Christmas film of all time.<ref name="AOL countdown">{{cite news |title=Best Christmas Movies: Top 25 of All Time |date=December 24, 2007 |publisher=[[AOL]] |url=http://movies.aol.com/holiday-movies/best-christmas-movies |access-date=December 24, 2007 |archive-date=July 7, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080707010333/http://movies.aol.com/holiday-movies/best-christmas-movies |url-status=dead}}</ref> [[IGN]] ranked the film the top holiday-themed film of all time.<ref name="IGN">{{cite news |title=Top 25 Holiday Movies of All-Time |date=November 23, 2005 |website=IGN |url=http://movies.ign.com/articles/670/670493p5.html |access-date=December 7, 2009}}</ref> In 2012, a [[Marist Poll]] named the film the favorite holiday film in the US.<ref name="Marist 12-21-12">{{cite news |title=''A Christmas Story'' and 'It's a Wonderful Life' Top List of Favorite Holiday Films |publisher=Marist University |date=2012-12-21 |url=http://maristpoll.marist.edu/1221-a-christmas-story-and-its-a-wonderful-life-top-list-of-favorite-holiday-films/ |access-date=2012-12-25}}</ref> In 2019, a poll commissioned by Tubitv and conducted by Onepoll also ranked the film Best Holiday Movie Ever.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.studyfinds.org/ralphie-reigns-supreme-a-christmas-story-ranked-best-holiday-movie-ever/|title=Ralphie Reigns Supreme: ''A Christmas Story'' Ranked Best Holiday Movie Ever|date=2019-12-24|website=Study Finds|language=en-US|access-date=2019-12-26}}</ref> ''A Christmas Story'' received a nomination for Best Digital – Comedy, and won Best Digital – Animation/Family at the 2023 [[Golden Trailer Awards]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Tinoco |first=Armando |date=June 5, 2023 |title=Golden Trailer Awards Nominations List: ''Stranger Things'', ''Black Panther: Wakanda Forever'', ''Ted Lasso'' & ''Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery'' Among Most Nominated |url=https://deadline.com/2023/06/2023-golden-trailer-awards-nominations-list-1235408411/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230605161252/https://deadline.com/2023/06/2023-golden-trailer-awards-nominations-list-1235408411/ |archive-date=June 5, 2023 |access-date=June 6, 2023 |website=[[Deadline Hollywood]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Pedersen |first=Erik |date=June 29, 2023 |title=Golden Trailer Awards: ''Cocaine Bear'', ''Only Murders In The Building'' & ''Oppenheimer'' Among Top Winners – Full List |url=https://deadline.com/2023/06/golden-trailer-awards-2023-winners-list-1235427612/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230630063402/https://deadline.com/2023/06/golden-trailer-awards-2023-winners-list-1235427612/ |archive-date=June 30, 2023 |access-date=June 30, 2023 |website=[[Deadline Hollywood]]}}</ref>

==Lawsuit==
In August 2011, [[Zack Ward]], who played Scut Farkus in the film, sued [[Warner Bros.]] and [[Enesco]] over merchandising for the film after the company authorized a figure resembling his character from the film without his permission.<ref name="Sued Warner">{{cite web|url=https://hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/why-christmas-story-child-actor-225440/|title=Why the 'Christmas Story' Child Actor Sued Warner Bros. Over Figurines|website=[[The Hollywood Reporter]]|date=August 22, 2011|first=Eriq|last=Gardner|accessdate=October 3, 2022}}</ref> It was revealed that when he signed on to play that character, he did not receive any merchandising rights because of a mishap with his contract.<ref name="Sued Warner"/> The lawsuit was dropped in January 2012 after Warner Bros. revealed that the figurine showed a "generic face" that has been used on them since 2006 and that [[statute of limitations]] had run out.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/christmas-story-actor-drops-lawsuit-281879/|title='Christmas Story' Actor Drops Lawsuit Against Warner Bros.|website=[[The Hollywood Reporter]]|date=January 16, 2012|first=Eriq|last=Gardner|accessdate=October 3, 2022}}</ref>

In December 2012, Ward sued Warner Bros. again over his image after attending the annual ''Christmas Story'' charity fundraiser convention in [[Cleveland]] in November 2010, where a fan handed him a ''Christmas Story'' board game, playing cards, and calendar showing his face.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/christmas-story-actor-zack-ward-404843/|title='A Christmas Story' Bully Fights for His Image in Court|website=[[The Hollywood Reporter]]|date=December 19, 2012|first=Eriq|last=Gardner|accessdate=October 3, 2022}}</ref> The lawsuit was settled three days later.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://abcnews.go.com/zach-ward-bully-christmas-story-movie-sues-bullied/story?id=18044669|title=Zach Ward: Bully From 'A Christmas Story' Movie Sues, Says He Was Bullied in Real Life|date=December 22, 2012|website=[[ABC News (United States)|ABC News]]|first=Paul|last=Greenblatt|accessdate=October 3, 2022}}</ref>

==Broadcasting and home media release==
===Television===
The film first aired on television on [[Pay television|premium cable networks]] [[The Movie Channel]],<ref>{{cite news|title=TV Listings Friday December 6|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/40481179/|newspaper=The Orlando Sentinel|page=70|via=[[Newspapers.com]]|date=December 1, 1985|access-date=December 12, 2019}}{{Open access}}</ref> [[HBO]],<ref>{{cite news|title=Prime-time highlights Saturday night|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/40480986/|newspaper=The Orlando Sentinel|page=70|via=[[Newspapers.com]]|date=December 7, 1985|access-date=December 12, 2019}}{{Open access}}</ref> and [[Showtime (TV network)|Showtime]]<ref>{{cite news|title=Daytime movies|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/40481065/|newspaper=The Orlando Sentinel|page=56|via=[[Newspapers.com]]|date=December 11, 1985|access-date=December 12, 2019}}{{Open access}}</ref> as early as December 1985, and quickly attracted a growing following. In December 1987, the film premiered on [[TBS (American TV channel)|SuperStation WTBS]] and local television stations.<ref name="Orlando Sentinel microfilm">{{cite news |title=Orlando Sentinel Television Listings – Researched from original microfilm at The Orlando Public Library on November 17, 2007 |publisher=[[Orlando Sentinel]] |date=1987–2001}}</ref> In 1989<ref name="Sent-11-23-89pg106">{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/90512930/|title=Evening viewing (television listings)|newspaper=The Orlando Sentinel|page=106|via=[[Newspapers.com]]|date=November 23, 1989|access-date=December 13, 2021}}{{Open access}}</ref> and 1990,<ref name="Sent-11-22-90pg106">{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/90513114/|title=Evening viewing (television listings)|newspaper=The Orlando Sentinel|page=106|via=[[Newspapers.com]]|date=November 22, 1990|access-date=December 13, 2021}}{{Open access}}</ref> TBS Superstation showed it on Thanksgiving night, while in 1991<ref name="Sent-11-28-91pg52">{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/90513184/|title=Evening viewing (television listings)|newspaper=The Orlando Sentinel|page=52|via=[[Newspapers.com]]|date=November 28, 1991|access-date=December 13, 2021}}{{Open access}}</ref> and 1992,<ref name="Sent-11-27-92pg48">{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/90513248/|title=Evening viewing (television listings)|newspaper=The Orlando Sentinel|page=48|via=[[Newspapers.com]]|date=November 27, 1992|access-date=December 13, 2021}}{{Open access}}</ref> they aired it the night after.

====24 Hours of ''A Christmas Story''====
[[Turner Broadcasting System|Turner Broadcasting]] (as both an independent company and, from 1996 onward, as a subsidiary of the company presently operating as [[Warner Bros. Discovery]]) has maintained ownership of the broadcast rights, and since the mid-1990s, they have continued to air the film increasingly on both [[TBS (American TV channel)|TBS]] and [[TNT (American TV network)|TNT]] all throughout the [[holiday season]] annually. [[Turner Classic Movies|TCM]] has also aired the film many times, as well. By 1995, it was aired on those networks a combined six times on December 24–26,<ref name="Sent-12-17-95pg255">{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/90513692/1995/|title=TV Time Movie Listings|newspaper=The Orlando Sentinel|page=255|via=[[Newspapers.com]]|date=December 17, 1995|access-date=December 13, 2021}}{{Open access}}</ref><ref name="Sent-12-24-95pg186">{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/90513608/1995/|title=TV Time Movie Listings|newspaper=The Orlando Sentinel|page=186|via=[[Newspapers.com]]|date=December 24, 1995|access-date=December 13, 2021}}{{Open access}}</ref> and in 1996, it was aired eight times over four days, not including local airings.<ref name="Sent-12-22-96pg247">{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/90513407/december-1996/|title=TV Time Movie Listings|newspaper=The Orlando Sentinel|page=247|via=[[Newspapers.com]]|date=December 22, 1996|access-date=December 13, 2021}}{{Open access}}</ref>

Due to the increasing popularity of the film, in 1997, TNT began airing a 24-hour [[Marathon (television)|marathon]] dubbed "24 Hours of ''A Christmas Story,''" consisting of twelve consecutive showings of the film running from 8:00 p.m. [[Eastern Time Zone|Eastern Time]] on [[Christmas Eve]] until 8:00 p.m. on [[Christmas Day]].<ref name="Orlando Sentinel microfilm"/> This was in addition to various other airings on the network earlier in the month of December. In 2004, after TNT switched to a predominantly drama-centered programming format, sister network TBS, under its comedy-based "Very Funny" moniker, took over carriage of the marathon. Clark stated that, in 2002, an estimated 38.4 million people tuned into the marathon at one point or another, nearly one sixth of the country.<ref name="comment"/> TBS reported 45.4 million viewers in 2005,<ref>{{cite news|last=West-Volland |first=Patricia A. |title=House that appeared in classic film ''A Christmas Story'' open to public |publisher=Coshocton Tribune |date=December 9, 2007 |url=http://www.coshoctontribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071209/LIFESTYLE/712090301 |access-date=December 27, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071216044232/http://www.coshoctontribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=%2F20071209%2FLIFESTYLE%2F712090301 |archive-date=December 16, 2007 |url-status=dead}}</ref> and 45.5 million in 2006.<ref>{{cite news |last=Woulfe |first=Molly |title=''A Christmas Story'' now part of pop culture |publisher=NWI.com |date=December 25, 2007 |url=http://www.thetimesonline.com/articles/2007/12/25/news/top_news/doc4c101c34627af0ee862573bb007cf9c2.txt |access-date=December 25, 2007}}</ref> In 2007, new all-time ratings records were set,<ref name=nordyke2007>{{cite news |last=Nordyke |first=Kimberly |title='Christmas Story' still a hit with cable viewers |publisher=Reuters |date=December 31, 2007 |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/televisionNews/idUSN3153719320071231 |access-date=January 9, 2008}}</ref> with the highest single showing (8:00 p.m. Christmas Eve) drawing 4.4 million viewers.<ref name=nordyke2007/> Viewership increased again in 2008, with the 8:00 p.m. airing on Christmas Eve drawing 4.5 million viewers, the 10:00 p.m. airing drawing 4.3 million,<ref>{{cite news |last=Keveney |first=Bill |title=Few lumps of coal for networks during a merry Christmas week |work=[[USA Today]] |date=December 30, 2008 |url=https://www.usatoday.com/life/television/news/2008-12-30-nielsens-analysis_N.htm |access-date=January 20, 2009}}</ref> and total viewership topping at 54.4 million.<ref name="Examiner 12-28">{{cite news |title=''A Christmas Story'' marathon slated for 13th year on TBS |publisher=Examiner.com |date=December 24, 2009}}</ref> As of 2009, the film had been shown 250 times on the Turner family of networks.<ref name="Examiner 12-28"/>

In 2007, the marathon continued, and the original tradition was revived. TNT also aired the film twice the Sunday of Thanksgiving weekend (November 25). In 2009, the 24-hour marathon continued on TBS, for the 13th overall year, starting at 8:00 p.m. ET on Christmas Eve.<ref>{{cite news |title=''A Christmas Story'' – Upcoming Airings |publisher=[[TBS (U.S. TV channel)|TBS]] |url=http://www.tbs.com/movies/movietitle/0,,12642%7C%7C,00.html |access-date=December 1, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090109154232/http://www.tbs.com/movies/movietitle/0,,12642%7C%7C,00.html |archive-date=January 9, 2009 |url-status=dead |df=mdy-all}}</ref>

In 2009, the film aired on TBS during a 24-hour marathon on Christmas Eve. The first viewing at 8:00 p.m. ET on December 24 earned a 1.6 rating (18–49) and beat the major broadcast networks ([[NBC]], [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]], [[CBS]], and [[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox]]).<ref>{{cite news |last=Kissell |first=Rick |title=Football Boosts CBS, NBC: NFL Games Give Networks a Bump |date=December 29, 2009 |work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |url=https://www.variety.com/article/VR1118013166.html?categoryid=14&cs=1&ref=bd_tv |access-date=June 20, 2010}}</ref> In 2010, the marathon averaged 3 million viewers, up 2% from the previous year, ranking TBS as the top cable network for the 24-hour period. The 10:00 a.m. airing on December 25 was seen by 4.4 million viewers, and the 8:00 p.m. airing on December 24 was close behind with 4.3 million viewers.<ref>{{cite news |last=Seidman |first=Robert |title=Ratings Notes for TBS, TNT, Cartoon Network; Including ''A Christmas Story'' Marathon, ''Conan'', ''Men of a Certain Age'' & More |publisher=TVbytheNumbers |date=December 30, 2010 |url=http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2010/12/30/ratings-notes-for-tbs-tnt-cartoon-network-including-a-christmas-story-marathon-conan-men-of-a-certain-age-more/76859/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110101003359/http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2010/12/30/ratings-notes-for-tbs-tnt-cartoon-network-including-a-christmas-story-marathon-conan-men-of-a-certain-age-more/76859 |url-status=dead |archive-date=January 1, 2011 |access-date=December 2, 2011}}</ref> The marathons in 2011<ref>{{cite news |last=Seidman |first=Robert |title=Sunday Cable Ratings: NBA, ''A Christmas Story'' Marathon Dominate Christmas + 'Leverage' |publisher=Zap2It |date=December 28, 2011 |url=http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2011/12/28/sunday-cable-ratings-nba-a-christmas-story-marathon-dominate-christmas-leverage/114774/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120107221657/http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2011/12/28/sunday-cable-ratings-nba-a-christmas-story-marathon-dominate-christmas-leverage/114774/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=January 7, 2012 |access-date=December 22, 2013}}</ref> and 2012<ref>{{cite news |last=Bibel |first=Sara |title=Monday Cable Ratings: ''A Christmas Story'' Wins Night, 'WWE Raw', College Football, 'Teen Mom 2' & More |publisher=Zap2It |date=2012-12-27 |url=http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2012/12/27/monday-cable-ratings-a-christmas-story-wins-night-wwe-raw-college-football-teen-mom-2-more/162931/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121231134542/http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2012/12/27/monday-cable-ratings-a-christmas-story-wins-night-wwe-raw-college-football-teen-mom-2-more/162931/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=2012-12-31 |access-date=2013-12-02}}</ref> continued to see increases in ratings.

Beginning with the 2014 edition of the marathon, Turner elected to simulcast it on both TNT and TBS, marking the first time since 2003 that TNT aired it as well as the first time the marathon was aired on multiple networks. The two networks staggered their airings one hour apart, with the TBS marathon beginning at 8:00 p.m. ET and the TNT marathon beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://fansided.com/2014/12/22/annual-marathon-christmas-story-begins-wednesday-tbs/|title=Annual Marathon of ''A Christmas Story'' Begins Wednesday on TBS|date=December 22, 2014|website=fansided.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://decider.com/2014/12/24/in-defense-christmas-story-marathon/|title=In Defense of the 24-Hour-Long ''A Christmas Story'' Marathon|date=December 24, 2014|website=decider.com}}</ref> Both networks have run 24-hour marathons with the one-hour offset format from 2014 annually, making it a new tradition for both TBS and TNT networks.<ref name="latimes.com"/> For 2019, a majority of the most-watched programs—13 out of the top 25—broadcast on cable Christmas Day were ''A Christmas Story''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/daily-ratings/wednesday-cable-ratings-dec-25-2019/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191228052830/https://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/daily-ratings/wednesday-cable-ratings-dec-25-2019/|url-status=dead|archive-date=December 28, 2019|title=Wednesday cable ratings: NBA and ''A Christmas Story'' land on top|first=Alex|last=Welch|work=TV by the Numbers|date=December 27, 2019|access-date=December 30, 2019}}</ref>

===Subsequent screen adaptations and sequels===
{{See also|Parker Family Saga}}
The PBS series ''[[American Playhouse]]'' produced two subsequent [[television film]] adaptations featuring the same characters, also with Shepherd narrating: ''[[The Star-Crossed Romance of Josephine Cosnowski]]'' and ''[[Ollie Hopnoodle's Haven of Bliss]]''. The latter of these was set in the early 1950s with a now-teenaged Ralphie and his friends and family. Shepherd had previously created ''[[The Phantom of the Open Hearth]]'' and ''[[The Great American Fourth of July and Other Disasters]]'' for the same network.<ref name="Sharbutt">{{cite news |date= August 6, 1988 |first= Jay |last= Sharbutt |title= Jean Shepherd's Midwest in 'Haven of Bliss' |work= [[Los Angeles Times]] |url= https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1988-08-06-ca-7133-story.html |access-date= 2010-08-21}}</ref>

A theatrical [[sequel]] involving Ralphie and his family, titled ''It Runs in the Family'', was made in 1994. With the exceptions of Tedde Moore as Miss Shields (Ralphie's teacher) and Jean Shepherd as the narrator (the voice of the adult Ralphie), it features an entirely different cast. It received a limited release before being retitled ''[[My Summer Story]]'' for home video and television release.<ref>{{cite magazine |last1=Weiner Campbell |first1=Caren |title=My Summer Story |url=https://ew.com/article/1995/07/14/my-summer-story/ |magazine=Entertainment Weekly |access-date=December 3, 2021 |date=July 14, 1995}}</ref>

''[[A Christmas Story 2]]'' is a direct sequel to the film, which ignores the references and events of ''My Summer Story'' and was released [[direct-to-video]] in 2012<ref>{{cite news |first=Meriah |last=Doty |title=''A Christmas Story 2'' goes straight to DVD |url=https://movies.yahoo.com/blogs/movie-talk/christmas-story-2-goes-straight-dvd-165421919.html |work=Yahoo! Movies |date=August 13, 2012 |access-date=August 13, 2012}}</ref> and directed by [[Brian Levant]]. It was filmed in New Westminster, British Columbia, Canada.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Beck |first1=Marilyn |author-link1=Marilyn Beck |last2=Jenel Smith |first2=Stacy |title=''A Christmas Story'' Sequel in Pre-production |work=Beck/Smith Hollywood |date=January 17, 2012 |url=http://becksmithhollywood.com/?p=5162 |access-date=January 20, 2012}}</ref>

Another sequel to the film (which has no relation with ''A Christmas Story 2''), entitled ''[[A Christmas Story Christmas]]'', was released in 2022. The film is directed by ''[[The Christmas Chronicles]]'' director [[Clay Kaytis]] and written by [[The Mule (2018 film)|''The Mule'']] writer [[Nick Schenk]] (who is also executive producer of the film).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2022/02/galahad-stampede-ventures-acquires-nick-schenks-action-spec-script-1234935560/|title=Stampede Ventures Acquires Nick Schenk's Action Spec 'Galahad', Eyes New Franchise|website=[[Deadline Hollywood]]|date=February 17, 2022|first=Matt|last=Grobar|accessdate=August 11, 2022}}</ref> [[Peter Billingsley]] reprised his role as Ralphie Parker, in addition serving as the film's producer. The film was released via streaming on [[HBO Max]] by [[Warner Bros. Discovery Global Streaming & Interactive Entertainment]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2022/08/hbo-max-dates-four-holiday-movies-including-sequel-a-christmas-story-christmas-1235099541/|title=HBO Max Dates Four Holiday Movies Including Sequel 'A Christmas Story Christmas'|last=D'Alessandro|first=Anthony|date=August 24, 2022|website=[[Deadline Hollywood]]|publisher=[[Penske Media Corporation]]}}</ref> It takes place in the 1970s following an adult Ralphie catching up with his old childhood friends.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Kit|first=Borys |date=January 20, 2022|title='A Christmas Story' Sequel Set With Original Star Peter Billingsley|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/a-christmas-story-sequel-peter-billingsley-returns-to-star-1235078399/|access-date=2022-03-07|website=The Hollywood Reporter|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2022/01/a-christmas-story-sequel-legendary-and-warner-bros-peter-billingsley-ralphie-1234916613/|title='A Christmas Story' Sequel In The Works At Legendary and Warner Bros With Peter Billingsley Set To Reprise Ralphie Role|work=[[Deadline Hollywood]]|date=January 20, 2022|first=Justin|last=Kroll|accessdate=August 3, 2022}}</ref> [[Ian Petrella]], [[Scott Schwartz]], [[R. D. Robb]], and [[Zack Ward]] reprised their roles of Randy Parker, Flick, Schwartz, and Scut Farkus, respectively.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://deadline.com/2022/02/four-original-christmas-story-castmates-peter-billingsley-warner-bros-and-legendary-sequel-1234934050/|title=Four Original 'Christmas Story' Castmembers Join Peter Billingsley In HBO Max Sequel From Warner Bros. & Legendary|work=[[Deadline Hollywood]]|date=February 15, 2022|first=Justin|last=Kroll|accessdate=August 11, 2022}}</ref> [[Erinn Hayes]], River Drosche, and Julianna Layne played Ralphie's wife and his kids while [[Julie Hagerty]] played Mrs. Parker in a role originated by [[Melinda Dillon]] (who would die less than two months after the film was released in 2023) in the original film.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2022/02/erinn-hayes-river-drosche-julianna-layne-a-christmas-story-sequel-julie-hagerty-1234956767/|title=Erinn Hayes, River Drosche, Julianna Layne Join 'Christmas Story' Sequel, Julie Hagerty Confirmed|website=[[Deadline Hollywood]]|date=February 18, 2022|first=Justin|last=Kroll|accessdate=August 11, 2022}}</ref> The film is dedicated to the memory of [[Darren McGavin]] (who played "The Old Man" in the original film), died on February 25, 2006.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://latimes.com/local/obituaries/la-me-darren-mcgavin-20060227-story.html|title=Darren McGavin, 83; Prolific Actor in 'Night Stalker', 'Christmas Story'|website=[[The Los Angeles Times]]|date=February 27, 2006|first=Valerie J.|last=Nelson|accessdate=August 11, 2022}}</ref>

====Stage adaptations====
In 2000, a stage play adaptation of ''A Christmas Story'' was written by Philip Grecian.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=p4ApuywdYmEC|title=''A Christmas Story: A Play in Two Acts''|isbn=9781583420317|first=Philip|last= Grecian|date=2000-08-01|publisher=Dramatic }}</ref>

In November 2012, ''[[A Christmas Story: The Musical]]'', based on the film, opened on [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]]. Written by [[Benj Pasek and Justin Paul]] (music and lyrics) and Joseph Robinette (book), the musical opened to positive reviews.<ref>{{cite web |last=Isherwood |first=Charles |title=Dreams of a Big Haul From Santa Claus: ''A Christmas Story, the Musical'', at the Lunt-Fontanne Theater |date=November 19, 2012 |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/20/theater/reviews/a-christmas-story-the-musical-at-the-lunt-fontanne-theater.html?pagewanted=all&_r=1& |access-date=December 24, 2013}}</ref> The run ended on December 30 the same year.<ref>[http://www.playbillvault.com/Show/Detail/13957/A-Christmas-Story-The-Musical ''A Christmas Story, the Musical'' Listing] playbillvault.com</ref> The musical was directed by [[John Rando]] with choreography by [[Warren Carlyle]] and featured [[Dan Lauria]] as Jean Shepherd.<ref>[http://www.ibdb.com/production.php?id=493218 ''A Christmas Story The Musical'' Listing] ibdb.com, accessed April 30, 2013</ref> The musical received [[Tony Award]] nominations for Best Musical, Best Book of a Musical (Robinette), and Best Original Score (Music or Lyrics) Written for the Theatre.<ref>Gans, Andrew. [http://www.playbill.com/article/nominations-announced-for-67th-annual-tony-awards-kinky-boots-earns-13-nominations-com-204910 "Nominations Announced for 67th Annual Tony Awards; 'Kinky Boots' Earns 13 Nominations"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131021194132/http://www.playbill.com/news/article/177440-Nominations-Announced-for-67th-Annual-Tony-Awards-Kinky-Boots-Earns-13-Nominations |date=October 21, 2013}} playbill.com, April 30, 2013. Retrieved December 3, 2021</ref>

The musical was then adapted for television as the three hour ''[[A Christmas Story Live!]]'', which aired on the [[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox]] network in the United States on December 17, 2017.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2017/12/tv-review-a-christmas-story-live-1202228883/|title=TV Review: Fox's ''A Christmas Story Live!'' Brings Oscar & Tony Winners Benj Pasek And Justin Paul To TV Audience|first=Jeremy|last=Gerard|date=December 18, 2017|website=Deadline Hollywood}}</ref> Reviews were mixed; on Rotten Tomatoes, the production received a 46% rating based on 13 critics' reviews.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/a_christmas_story_live/|title=''A Christmas Story Live!''|website=Rotten Tomatoes}}</ref>

===Home media===
{{more citations needed section|date=April 2015}}
* [[Betamax]] (1984, 1988)
* [[VHS]] (1984, 1988, 1993, 1994, 1999, 2000)
* [[LaserDisc]] (1985): [[Pan and scan]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.lddb.com/laserdisc/02092/ML100446/Christmas-Story-A|title=''A Christmas Story'' (Pan & Scan)|date=March 15, 2018|website=LDDB|access-date=November 17, 2019}}</ref>
* [[LaserDisc]] (1993): Deluxe [[Letterbox (filming)|Letterbox]] Edition<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.lddb.com/laserdisc/05216/ML104599/Christmas-Story-A|title=''A Christmas Story'' (Letterbox)|date=December 10, 2018|website=LDDB|access-date=November 17, 2019}}</ref>
* [[DVD]] (1997, reissued by [[Warner Home Video]] in 1999): fullscreen, includes the original theatrical trailer
* [[DVD]] (2003) 20th Anniversary 2-Disc Special Edition DVD (2003): Widescreen & Fullscreen; includes cast interviews, audio commentary, and featurettes.
* [[HD DVD]] (2006)<ref>{{cite news
| url =http://bluray.highdefdigest.com/519/christmasstory.html
| title =''A Christmas Story'' – HD DVD Review
| publisher =High-Def Digest
| date = December 5, 2006
| access-date =December 1, 2009}}</ref>
* [[Blu-ray]] (2006)<ref>{{cite news
| author=High-Def Digest Staff
| url =http://bluray.highdefdigest.com/518/christmasstory.html
| title =''A Christmas Story'' – Blu-ray Review
| publisher =High-Def Digest
| date = December 5, 2006
| access-date =December 1, 2009 | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20091024010611/http://bluray.highdefdigest.com/518/christmasstory.html | archive-date= October 24, 2009 | url-status= live}}</ref>
* [[DVD]] (2008) Ultimate Collector's Edition: Metal tin case features the same 2003 two-disc special edition, but includes special memorabilia.<ref>{{cite news
| last=Spurlin
| first=Thomas
| title =''A Christmas Story'' (Ultimate Collector's Edition) – DVD Review
| date = November 4, 2008
| publisher =DVDTalk.com
| url =https://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/35191/christmas-story-a/
| access-date =December 1, 2009}}</ref>
* [[Blu-ray Disc|Blu-ray]] (2008) Ultimate Collector's Edition: Metal tin which features the same 2006 Blu-ray Disc, but also includes a strand of Leg Lamp Christmas lights.<ref>{{cite news
| url =http://bluray.highdefdigest.com/1627/christmasstory_uce.html
| title =''A Christmas Story'' (Ultimate Collector's Edition) – Blu-ray Review
| publisher =High-Def Digest
| date = October 23, 2008
| access-date =December 1, 2009 | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20100107165844/http://bluray.highdefdigest.com/1627/christmasstory_uce.html| archive-date= January 7, 2010 | url-status= live}}</ref>
* [[Blu-ray Disc|Blu-ray]] (2013) 30th Anniversary Edition: Steelbook with Blu-ray in 1080p (like the previous Blu-ray and HD-DVD) with a [[DTS-HD Master Audio]] mono track (whereas the previous releases had Dolby Digital mono), and more special features than the previous Blu-ray and HD-DVD.
* [[Ultra HD Blu-ray]] (2022)

==See also==
* [[List of Christmas films]]
* [[Parker Family Saga (franchise)]]

==Notes==
{{Notelist}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Bibliography==
* {{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=IaAvAQAAQBAJ&q=sean+astin+auditioned+for+ralphie&pg=PR12|title=A Christmas Story: Behind the Scenes of a Holiday Classic|isbn=9781770411401|last1=Gaines|first1=Caseen|date=October 2013|publisher=ECW Press }}

==External links==
{{sister project links|display=''A Christmas Story''|d=Q556933|c=Category:A Christmas Story|n=no|b=no|v=no|voy=no|m=no|mw=no|species=no|s=no|wikt=no}}
* [http://www2.warnerbros.com/achristmasstory/ Official DVD site]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20140328022046/http://www.tbs.com/movies/movietitle/0,,12642%7C%7C,00.html TBS.com's ''A Christmas Story'' website]
* {{IMDb title|0085334}}
* {{Rotten Tomatoes|2=A Christmas Story}}
* {{AllMovie title|61491}}
* {{TCMDb title|2099}}
* {{AFI film|57909}}
* [https://slate.com/culture/2015/12/jean-shepherd-the-man-who-told-a-christmas-story.html "The Man Who Told ''A Christmas Story'': What I learned from Jean Shepherd"] by [[Donald Fagen]] – [[Slate (magazine)|''Slate'']]

{{A Christmas Story}}
{{Bob Clark}}
{{Authority control}}
{{Portal bar|Film|United States|Canada|1980s|Comedy|Holidays|1940s}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Christmas Story}}
[[Category:1980s English-language films]]
[[Category:1983 films]]
[[Category:1983 comedy films]]
[[Category:1983 children's films]]
[[Category:1980s Christmas films]]
[[Category:Films based on works by Jean Shepherd]]
[[Category:American Christmas comedy films]]
[[Category:Canadian Christmas comedy films]]
[[Category:English-language Canadian films]]
[[Category:Films scored by Paul Zaza]]
[[Category:Films about bullying]]
[[Category:Films about families]]
[[Category:Films based on American novels]]
[[Category:Films based on multiple works]]
[[Category:Films directed by Bob Clark]]
[[Category:Films set in Indiana]]
[[Category:Films set in the 1940s]]
[[Category:Films shot in Cleveland]]
[[Category:Films shot in Ohio]]
[[Category:Films shot in Toronto]]
[[Category:Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer films]]
[[Category:United States National Film Registry films]]
[[Category:Works by Jean Shepherd]]
[[Category:American children's comedy films]]
[[Category:1980s American films]]
[[Category:1980s Canadian films]]
[[Category:English-language Christmas comedy films]]
[[Category:Parker Family Saga]]
[[Category:A Christmas Story]]

Christmas on Mars

2024-10-01T19:42:40Z

98.18.198.104: /* External links */

{{Short description|2008 film by Wayne Coyne}}
{{Infobox film
| name = Christmas on Mars
| image = Christmas on Mars poster.jpg
| alt = A film poster with a red-tinted photo of a man taken at a worm's eye view
| caption = theatrical poster
| director = [[Wayne Coyne]]
| writer = Wayne Coyne
| starring = Wayne Coyne [[Steven Drozd]] [[Michael Ivins]] [[Steve Burns]]
| music = [[The Flaming Lips]]
| cinematography = Bradley Beesley
| editing = George Salisbury
| distributor = [[Warner Independent Pictures]]
| released = {{Film date|2008|11|11}}
| runtime = 83 minutes
| country = United States
| language = English
| budget =
| gross =
}}

'''''Christmas on Mars''''' is a 2008 [[independent film|independent]] [[psychological science fiction]] film from the [[alternative rock]] band [[the Flaming Lips]], written and directed by the band's frontman, [[Wayne Coyne]], and featuring the entire band in the cast, as well as many of their associates, including [[Steve Burns]], [[Adam Goldberg (actor)|Adam Goldberg]], and [[Fred Armisen]].

The film began development in 2001, filming was completed in October 2005, and the film premiered on May 25, 2008 at the [[Sasquatch! Music Festival]].<ref name="Flaming Lips Add Shows, Christmas on Mars Screening">{{cite web|url=http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/news/49689-flaming-lips-add-shows-ichristmas-on-marsi-screening?PHPSESSID=bm55l17rgni8vphaaqi1dihp43|title=Flaming Lips Add Shows, Christmas on Mars Screening|publisher=[[Pitchfork (website)|Pitchfork]]|accessdate=2008-04-12|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090113224617/http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/news/49689-flaming-lips-add-shows-ichristmas-on-marsi-screening?PHPSESSID=bm55l17rgni8vphaaqi1dihp43|archivedate=2009-01-13}}</ref> For its general release in the United States, ''Christmas on Mars'' was booked into several dozen cities for unconventional screenings, in venues which included a former Ukrainian Socialist Social Club in New York City.<ref name="Christmas on Mars: A Fantastical Film Freakout Featuring the Flaming Lips">{{cite web|url=http://cinemapurgatorio.com|title=Christmas on Mars: A Fantastical Film Freakout Featuring the Flaming Lips (Cinema Purgatorio)|publisher=[[Cinema Purgatorio]]|accessdate=2008-10-14|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081201083856/http://www.cinemapurgatorio.com/|archive-date=2008-12-01|url-status=dead}}</ref> The film was released in three different packages on November 11, 2008 through conventional retailers as well as through the band's website. A vinyl edition was released November 25, 2008.

== Plot ==
The film tells the story of the experiences of Major Syrtis during the first [[Christmas]] on a newly colonized [[Mars]].

The main character, Major Syrtis (played by [[Steven Drozd]]), is trying to organize a Christmas pageant to celebrate the birth of the first colonist baby. The hype they've added to this Mars mission is that this beautiful woman is giving birth to a baby from an artificial impregnation from the bubble she wears on her stomach. It's all scientifically timed, so she gives birth to this baby the second it hits midnight on Christmas. It is symbolically the beginning of a new civilization. But instead of being born from religious ideas, it's from a scientific idea.

A Martian that lands, but the Martian isn't really perceived as a Martian. People think he's another crazy guy who's flipped and turned himself green. They can't find a quick replacement for Santa, so they use this Martian guy. The Martian guy becomes the Martian and Santa Claus simultaneously.

== Cast ==

*[[Steven Drozd]] as Major Syrtis
*[[Wayne Coyne]] as the Alien Super-Being
*[[Michael Ivins]] as Deuteronilus
*[[Kliph Scurlock]] as Orcus
*[[Steve Burns]] as Astronaut
*[[Scott Booker]] as Sirenum
*[[Adam Goldberg (actor)|Adam Goldberg]] as Dr. Scott Zero
*[[Fred Armisen]] as Noachis
*Mark Degraffenreid as Captain Icaria
*Jimmy Pike as Jim Eleven
*Kenny Coyne as Ed Fifteen

;Cast notes:
*Contrary to early reports, [[Isaac Brock (musician)|Isaac Brock]] of [[Modest Mouse]] and [[Elijah Wood]] do not appear in the film's final cut. However, a scene with Isaac Brock and Adam Goldberg exists on the DVD as an Easter egg.

== Production ==
At the beginning of 2002, over 20 minutes of edited film were ready, with music and preliminary sound effects also completed for these scenes. Most of the movie was shot on [[16 mm film]], with most of the sets based in Wayne's [[Oklahoma City]] house. Most scenes were filmed in and around Oklahoma City, using locations such as old industrial facilities. Further filming was done in [[Boston, Texas]].

== Release ==
Originally, ''Christmas on Mars'' was not to be released at conventional movie theaters. Instead, a DVD release would be preceded by a number of screenings at rock venues. Speaking to mtv.com, Coyne has explained "We want to show the movie with a mega-sound system and snow machines and just make it like a bigger event than what has become the typical movie-going experience. I'm hoping that people can watch this movie while they drink beer, smoke cigarettes, and have a good time."

By October 2007, the film was in the final editing stage and the band was also transferring it to [[High-definition video|HD]] and adding "in-depth special effects." On September 12, 2008, the film made its New York City debut at 7am within the KGB Complex, a former Ukrainian Socialist Social Club, on the Lower East Side.<ref name="First NYC showtimes for Christmas on Mars: A Fantastical Film Freakout Featuring the Flaming Lips">{{cite web|url=http://bulletins.cinemapurgatorio.com/post/46488336/first-nyc-showtimes-for-christmas-on-mars-a|title=First NYC showtimes for Christmas on Mars: A Fantastical Film Freakout Featuring the Flaming Lips|publisher=[[Cinema Purgatorio]]|accessdate=2008-08-18 |archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20080822002348/http://bulletins.cinemapurgatorio.com/post/46488336/first-nyc-showtimes-for-christmas-on-mars-a  |archivedate = 2008-08-22}}</ref>

== DVD ==
The film was released on DVD November 11, 2008 in three different packages designed by the band's visual generalist [[George Salisbury (director)|George Salisbury]]. One is a conventional DVD available at conventional retailers. There is also a deluxe edition containing the film on DVD in addition to a soundtrack CD. The Mega Deluxe Edition includes: The Film and Soundtrack (in special Deluxe Edition packaging), an exclusive T-shirt, a collectible movie ticket replicating those used during the rock festival tour, trading cards featuring all four members of the band from the movie on one side and performing on stage on the other, an "Eat Your Own Spaceship" bumper sticker, and a box of "Flaming Lips" popcorn featuring Wayne as the Martian. The first 1,000 Mega Deluxe Edition versions will have the popcorn boxes signed by all four members of [[the Flaming Lips]]. Of those 1,000 copies ten will contain a "golden ticket" good for two tickets to the Lips annual New Year's Eve concert in Oklahoma City.<ref name="Flaming Lips: Christmas On Mars">{{cite web|url=http://www.flaminglips.com/christmassplash/ |title=Flaming Lips: Christmas on Mars |publisher=[[Warner Bros. Records]] |accessdate=2008-11-09 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20081103231408/http://www.flaminglips.com/christmassplash/ |archivedate=November 3, 2008 }}</ref> The vinyl edition is slated for release on November 25, 2008. The DVD contains at least one [[Easter egg (media)#Easter eggs on DVDs|easter egg]].

== Soundtrack ==
{{Infobox album
| name = Once Beyond Hopelessness
| type = soundtrack
| artist = [[the Flaming Lips]]
| cover =
| alt =
| released = {{Start date|2008|11|11}}
| recorded = January 2001 – September 2008
| venue =
| studio =
| genre = [[Electronic music]], [[Film score|score]]
| length = {{Duration|m=32|s=43}}
| label = [[Warner Bros. Records|Warner Bros.]]
| producer = The Flaming Lips
| prev_title = [[Atlas Eets Christmas]]
| prev_year = 2007
| next_title = [[Embryonic (album)|Embryonic]]
| next_year = 2009
}}
{{Music ratings
|rev1 = [[AllMusic]]
|rev1score = {{Rating|4|5}}<ref>{{cite web|url={{AllMusic|class=album|id=r1439740|pure_url=yes}}|title=Christmas on Mars – The Flaming Lips|publisher=[[AllMusic]]}}</ref>
|rev2 = [[Okayplayer]]
|rev2score = (75/100)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.okayplayer.com/reviews/november-2008/the-flaming-lips-200812016930/ |accessdate=December 2, 2008 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20081204011555/http://www.okayplayer.com/reviews/november-2008/the-flaming-lips-200812016930/ |archivedate=December 4, 2008 |title=Okayplayer - the Flaming Lips }}</ref>
|rev3 = [[The Quietus]]
|rev3score = (favourable)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://thequietus.com/articles/00754-christmas-on-mars|title=Christmas On Mars: A Fanatical Film Freakout Featuring The Flaming Lips|publisher=[[The Quietus]]}}</ref>
|rev4 = [[Pitchfork (website)|''Pitchfork'']]
|rev4score = (7.1/10)<ref>{{cite web |url=http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/12515-christmas-on-mars/ |title=The Flaming Lips: Christmas on Mars | Album Reviews |publisher=Pitchfork |date=2008-12-12 |accessdate=2014-01-05 |archive-date=2014-01-06 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140106041137/http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/12515-christmas-on-mars/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
}}
Two tracks from the movie soundtrack, "Protonilus Death March" and "Syrtis Major" were released as a 5000-only picture-disc EP late in 2004, available only through the band's online store in conjunction with the purchase of their limited-edition pictorial biography ''Waking Up With a Placebo Headwound''. "Syrtis Major" and another soundtrack cut, "Xanthe Terra", were also released as B-sides to the 2-part European single release of "Do You Realize??" These songs are both entirely instrumental, in a similar style to acclaimed Lips instrumentals such as the Grammy-winning [[Approaching Pavonis Mons by Balloon (Utopia Planitia)]]. For the final soundtrack release, "Protonilus Death March" has been renamed to "The Gleaming Armament of Marching Genitalia," "Syrtis Major" is now "Space Bible With Volume Lumps" and "Xanthe Terra" is now "Suicide and Extraordinary Mistakes."

=== Track listing ===
{{Track listing
| title1 = Once Beyond Hopelessness
| length1 = 3:07
| title2 = The Distance Between Mars and the Earth, Pt. 1
| length2 = 0:52
| title3 = The Horrors of Isolation: The Celestial Dissolve, Triumphant Hallucination, Light Being Absorbed
| length3 = 4:39
| title4 = In Excelsior Vaginalistic
| length4 = 3:02
| title5 = Your Spaceship Comes from Within
| length5 = 1:28
| title6 = Suicide and Extraordinary Mistakes
| length6 = 3:28
| title7 = The Distance Between Mars and the Earth, Pt. 2
| length7 = 0:57
| title8 = The Secret of Immortality: This Strange Feeling, This Impossible World
| length8 = 3:43
| title9 = The Gleaming Armament of Marching Genitalia
| length9 = 3:58
| title10 = The Distress Signals of Celestial Objects
| length10 = 2:11
| title11 = Space Bible with Volume Lumps
| length11 = 3:15
| title12 = Once Beyond Hopelessness
| length12 = 2:03<ref name="Flaming Lips Reveal Christmas on Mars DVD Details">{{cite web|url=http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/news/145946-flaming-lips-reveal-christmas-on-mars-dvd-details|title=Flaming Lips Reveal Christmas on Mars DVD Details|publisher=[[Pitchfork (website)|Pitchfork]]|accessdate=2008-09-29|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20081007091948/http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/news/145946-flaming-lips-reveal-christmas-on-mars-dvd-details|archivedate=2008-10-07}}</ref>
}}

== See also ==

*[[List of films set on Mars]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
*[http://flaminglips.com/history/discography/christmas-on-mars/ Page on FlamingLips.com]
*{{IMDb title|0363240}}
*{{Rotten Tomatoes|2=Christmas on Mars}}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20090114193347/http://www.mtv.com/videos/news/319037/youd-be-a-great-director-cause-youre-such-a-weirdo.jhtml#id=1599536 Coyne dishes on "Mars"]

{{The Flaming Lips}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:2008 films]]
[[Category:2008 video albums]]
[[Category:American Christmas films]]
[[Category:American independent films]]
[[Category:Films about astronauts]]
[[Category:Mars in film]]
[[Category:The Flaming Lips video albums]]
[[Category:2008 directorial debut films]]
[[Category:2000s English-language films]]
[[Category:2000s American films]]
[[Category:2008 black comedy films]]
[[Category:Films partially in color]]
[[Category:English-language black comedy films]]

Christine (1983 film)

2024-10-01T19:39:48Z

98.18.198.104: /* External links */

{{Short description|1983 film by John Carpenter}}
{{Use American English|date=March 2019}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2019}}
{{Infobox film
| name = Christine
| image = ChristinePoster.jpg
| caption = Theatrical release poster
| director = [[John Carpenter]]
| producer = {{Plainlist|
* Richard Kobritz
* [[Larry J. Franco]]
}}
| screenplay = Bill Phillips
| based_on = {{Based on|''[[Christine (King novel)|Christine]]''|{{nowrap|[[Stephen King]]}}}}
| starring = {{Plainlist|
* [[Keith Gordon]]
* [[John Stockwell (actor)|John Stockwell]]
* [[Alexandra Paul]]
* [[Robert Prosky]]
* [[Harry Dean Stanton]]
}}
| music = {{Plainlist|
* [[John Carpenter]]
* [[Alan Howarth (composer)|Alan Howarth]]
}}
| cinematography = Donald M. Morgan
| editing = [[Marion Rothman]]
| color_process = [[Metrocolor]]
| studio = Delphi Premier Productions Polar Film
| distributor = [[Columbia Pictures]]
| released = {{Film date|1983|12|09}}
| runtime = 110 minutes
| country = United States
| language = English
| budget = $10 million<ref name="Muir">{{cite book|title=The Films of John Carpenter|last=Muir|first=John Kenneth|author-link=John Kenneth Muir|publisher=[[McFarland & Company]]|year=2005|isbn=9780786422692|page=30|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CCqSCgAAQBAJ&pg=PA30}}</ref>
| gross = $21 million (US)<ref name="overall">{{cite web|url= https://www.boxofficemojo.com/release/rl2672526849/weekend/ |title=Christine|work=[[Box Office Mojo]]|access-date=October 22, 2010|archive-date=October 26, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121026045259/http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?page=main&id=christine.htm|url-status=live}}</ref>
}}

'''''Christine''''' (titled onscreen as '''''John Carpenter's Christine''''') is a 1983 American [[supernatural]] [[horror film]] co-scored and directed by [[John Carpenter]] and starring [[Keith Gordon]], [[John Stockwell (actor)|John Stockwell]], [[Alexandra Paul]], [[Robert Prosky]] and [[Harry Dean Stanton]]. The film also features supporting performances from [[Roberts Blossom]] and [[Kelly Preston]].

Adapted by Bill Phillips (who has a cameo as the boombox-toting junkyard worker) from [[Stephen King]]'s [[Christine (King novel)|1983 novel of the same name]], the movie follows the changes in the lives of Arnie Cunningham, his friends, his family, and his teenage enemies after he buys a classic red and white 1958 [[Plymouth Fury]] named Christine, a car that seems to have a mind of its own and a jealous, possessive personality, which has a bad influence on Arnie.

Released in the United States on December 9, 1983, ''Christine'' received generally positive reviews from critics and grossed $21 million at the box office. The film has since become a [[cult classic]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://staticmass.net/cult/christine-movie-1984/|title=Christine|last=Suckley|first=Jamie|date=July 31, 2013|website=Static Mass Emporium|access-date=September 27, 2016|archive-date=October 31, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201031152743/http://staticmass.net/cult/christine-movie-1984/|url-status=live}}</ref>

== Plot ==

In 1957, at a car factory in Detroit, a red 1958 [[Plymouth Fury]] slams its hood shut by itself on a worker's hand, while another worker is found dead inside the car after dropping cigar ash on its seats.

In 1978 Rockbridge, California, nerdy high school senior Arnold "Arnie" Cunningham is bullied on the first day of school by classmate Buddy Repperton and his gang, but Arnie's best friend Dennis Guilder intervenes with help from a teacher, who sends Buddy and his gang to the principal's office. Buddy is subsequently expelled for carrying a [[switchblade]].

After school, Arnie and Dennis see a dilapidated 1958 Plymouth Fury for sale at the home of George LeBay, the brother of the recently deceased original owner, who tells them the car's name is Christine. Despite Dennis' objections, Arnie purchases the car. Since Arnie's parents refuse to let him keep the car at their house, he begins to restore Christine at a local garage owned by the gruff Will Darnell, who offers Arnie a part-time job and access to parts he needs to fix Christine. Soon, Arnie develops a rebellious, arrogant personality, worrying his parents and Dennis.

Dennis confronts LeBay, who reveals that his late brother was also obsessed with Christine, that his five-year-old niece choked to death in the car, and that his sister-in-law and later his brother both committed suicide in it. At night, Dennis breaks into the garage to inspect Christine, but when Christine's radio begins playing 1950s rock and roll music, he flees.

Arnie begins a relationship with a new student, Leigh Cabot, who has rejected all the other boys at school. While playing a football game, Dennis is stunned by the sight of Arnie and Leigh kissing in front of the now fully restored Christine, causing him to sustain a severe injury that permanently ends his football career.

One night, when Arnie and Leigh are attending a drive-in theater, Leigh expresses jealousy over Christine. While alone in the car, Leigh nearly chokes to death on a hamburger, as Christine briefly locks her doors to keep Arnie from saving her. After Arnie drives Leigh home, she vows to never get into his car again. Later that night, Buddy and his gang sneak into Darnell's garage and vandalize Christine. Arnie, angered by the destruction, breaks up with Leigh and assaults his father when he confronts him about Christine after dinner.

The next day, Arnie returns to the garage alone and watches as Christine repairs herself. Over two evenings, the car kills Buddy and all his gang members, blowing up a gas station in the process. Christine drives away in flames and returns to Darnell's garage, where she crushes him to death against the steering wheel. By morning, Christine is back in perfect condition when the police find Darnell's body. [[California State Police|State Police]] detective Rudy Junkins questions Arnie about the death of Darnell and one of Buddy's gang members, but the car's pristine condition and Arnie's alibi convince the detective he was not involved.

Leigh and Dennis conclude that Christine is responsible for Arnie's insanity. They plan to lure Christine to Darnell's garage and smash her with a bulldozer, but Christine surprises them by emerging from a pile of scrap metal. Leigh flees on foot while Dennis battles Christine with the bulldozer. Arnie is now driving Christine, and in an attempt to run Leigh down, Christine crashes into Darnell's office. Arnie is thrown through the windshield and impaled on a shard of glass. He reaches out to touch Christine's grille one last time, and Christine responds by playing "[[Pledging My Love]]" by [[Johnny Ace]] on her radio as Arnie dies.

Christine continues to attack, until Dennis and Leigh corner her and flatten her with the bulldozer. The next day, Dennis, Leigh, and Junkins watch as the remains of Christine are crushed into a cube at a junkyard. Junkins congratulates the teens for stopping Christine, but they regret not being able to save Arnie. The sound of a 1950s rock and roll song spooks them briefly, but it proves to be coming from a [[boombox]] carried by a junkyard worker. Unnoticed by any of them, Christine's grill twitches slightly.

==Cast==

{{Cast listing|
* [[Keith Gordon]] as Arnie
* [[John Stockwell (actor)|John Stockwell]] as Dennis
* [[Alexandra Paul]] as Leigh
* [[Robert Prosky]] as Darnell
* [[Harry Dean Stanton]] as Junkins
* [[Christine Belford]] as Regina Cunningham
* [[Roberts Blossom]] as LeBay
* William Ostrander as Buddy
* [[David Spielberg]] as Mr. Casey
* [[Malcolm Danare]] as Moochie
* Steven Tash as Rich
* [[Stuart Charno]] as Vandenberg
* [[Kelly Preston]] as Roseanne
* Mark Poppel as Chuck
* Robert Darnell as Michael Cunningham
* [[Douglas Warhit]] as Bemis
}}

==Production==

===Conception===
Producer Richard Kobritz had previously produced the 1979 [[miniseries]] ''[[Salem's Lot (1979 miniseries)|Salem's Lot]]'', also based on a Stephen King novel. Through producing the miniseries, Kobritz became acquainted with King, who sent him manuscripts of two of his novels, ''[[Cujo]]'', and ''[[Christine (King novel)|Christine]]''.<ref name="ignition">{{cite AV media|people=Carpenter, John; Kobritz, Richard|title=Christine: Ignition|year=2004|publisher=Sony Pictures Home Entertainment}}</ref> Kobritz purchased the rights to ''Christine'' after finding himself attracted to the novel's "celebration of America's obsession with the motorcar."<ref name="ignition"/>

Kobritz's first choice for director was John Carpenter, who was initially unavailable owing to two projects: an adaptation of another King novel, ''[[Firestarter (1984 film)|Firestarter]]'', and an adaptation of the 1980 [[Eric Van Lustbader]] novel [[The Ninja (novel)|''The Ninja'']]. However, production delays on these projects allowed Carpenter to accept the director position for ''Christine''.<ref name="Martin">{{Cite journal|last=Martin|first=R. H.|date=January 1984|title=Richard Kobritz and Christine|url=https://archive.org/details/Fangoria_032_1984_Christine_scan_by_SeveredSprout_S_c2c/page/n13|journal=[[Fangoria]]|issue=32|pages=14–18|via=[[Internet Archive]]}}</ref> Kobritz and Carpenter had previously collaborated in the 1978 [[television film]] ''[[Someone's Watching Me!]].''<ref name="Martin" /> Bill Phillips was Carpenter's choice for writer and was brought on shortly after Carpenter arrived. Carpenter was also joined by special effects supervisor [[Roy Arbogast]], who had previously worked with Carpenter in ''[[The Thing (1982 film)|The Thing]]'' (1982).<ref name="Martin" /> According to Carpenter, ''Christine'' was not a film he had planned on directing, saying that he directed the film as "a job" as opposed to a "personal project."<ref name="sf">{{cite web|url=http://www.oocities.org/j_nada/carp/interview/sfx.html|title=Interview With John Carpenter from SFX magazine.|work=[[SFX (magazine)|SFX]]|via=OoCities.org|access-date=November 28, 2015|archive-date=December 8, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151208072516/http://www.oocities.org/j_nada/carp/interview/sfx.html|url-status=live}}</ref> He had previously directed ''The Thing'', which had done poorly at the box office and led to critical backlash.<ref name="ignition"/> In retrospect, Carpenter stated that upon reading ''Christine'', he felt that "It just wasn't very frightening. But it was something I needed to do at that time for my career."<ref name="sf"/>

King's novel, the source material for Carpenter's film, made it clear that the car was possessed by the evil spirit of its previous owner, Roland D. LeBay, whereas the film version of the story shows that the evil spirit of the car manifested itself on the day it was built.<ref>Carpenter, John. Audio commentary, ''Christine'' [Blu-ray]. [[Sony Pictures Home Entertainment]]. 2015.</ref> Other elements from the novel were altered for the film, particularly the execution of the death scenes, which the filmmakers opted for a more "cinematic approach."<ref name="fast"/>

===Casting===
Initially, Columbia Pictures had wanted to cast [[Brooke Shields]] in the role of Leigh because of her publicity after the release of ''[[The Blue Lagoon (1980 film)|The Blue Lagoon]]'' (1981), and [[Scott Baio]] as Arnie.<ref name="ignition"/> The filmmakers declined the suggestion, opting to cast young actors who were still fairly unknown. [[Kevin Bacon]] auditioned for the role, but opted out when offered the lead in ''[[Footloose (1984 film)|Footloose]]'' (1984).<ref name="ignition"/> Carpenter cast Keith Gordon in the role of Arnie after an audition in [[New York City]]; Gordon had some experience in film, and was also working in theater at the time; John Stockwell was cast at an audition in Los Angeles.<ref name="ignition"/>

Nineteen-year-old Alexandra Paul was cast in the film after an audition in New York City; according to Carpenter, Paul was an "untrained, young actress" at the time, but brought a "great quality" about the character of Leigh.<ref name="ignition"/> According to Paul, she had not read any of King's books or seen Carpenter's films, and read the novel in preparation.<ref name="ignition"/>

===Filming===
''Christine'' was shot largely in [[Los Angeles, California]], while the location for Darnell's garage was located in [[Santa Clarita, California|Santa Clarita]].<ref name="fast">{{Cite AV media|title=Christine: Fast and Furious|year=2004|publisher=Sony Pictures Home Entertainment|people=Carpenter, John; Gordon, Keith; Paul, Alexandra; Stockwell, John}}</ref> Filming began in April 1983, mere days after the King novel had been published.{{Sfn|Von Doviak|2014}} An abandoned furniture factory in [[Irwindale]] was used for the opening scene. The film's stunts were primarily completed by stunt coordinator [[Terry Leonard]], who was behind the wheel of the car during the high-speed chase scenes, as well as the scene in which the car drives down a highway engulfed in flames.<ref name="fast"/> During that scene, Leonard wore a [[Nomex]] firefighter's suit complete with breathing apparatus.

Alexandra Paul's identical twin sister [[Caroline Paul]] wrote that she and her sister pulled a prank during filming, sending Caroline on set in place of Alexandra without telling Carpenter that they had made the switch until after he had shot a scene. She wrote, "My highly skilled clutch-pushing actually made it into the movie."<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=udhUDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT15|title=Almost Her: The Strange Dilemma of Being Nearly Famous|last=Paul|first=Caroline|publisher=Shebooks|year=2015|isbn=9781940838816|page=15|author-link=Caroline Paul|via=[[Google Books]]|access-date=October 13, 2019|archive-date=May 1, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210501233402/https://books.google.com/books?id=udhUDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT15|url-status=live}}</ref>

===The car===
[[File:Christine.jpg|right|thumb|One of the two remaining models of Christine used in the film]]Although the car in the film is identified as a 1958 Plymouth Fury{{Sfn|Kerr|Wollen|2004|p=355}} – and in 1983 radio ads promoting the film, voiceover artists announced, "she's a '57 Fury" – two other Plymouth models, the [[Plymouth Belvedere|Belvedere]] and the [[Plymouth Savoy|Savoy]], were also used to portray the malevolent automobile onscreen. John Carpenter placed ads throughout [[Southern California]] searching for models of the car, and was able to purchase twenty-four of them in various states of disrepair, which were used to build a total of seventeen copies of the film car.{{sfn|Von Doviak|2014}} All cars were two door hardtops.

Total production for the 1958 Plymouth Fury was only 5,303, and they were difficult to find and expensive to buy at the time. In addition, the real-life Furys only came in one color, "Sandstone White" with a "Buckskin Beige" interior, seen on the other Furys on the assembly line during the initial scenes of the movie, though the car in King's novel was ordered with a red-and-white custom paint job.{{Sfn|Benjaminson|1994|p=124}}

Originally, Carpenter had not planned to film the car's regeneration scenes, but gave special effects supervisor Roy Arbogast three weeks to devise a way for the car to rebuild itself. Arbogast and his team made rubber molds from one of the cars, including a whole front end. One of the cars was stripped of its engine to accommodate internally-mounted [[hydraulic]]s that pulled the framework inward, crumpling the car, with the shot then run backwards in the final film.<ref name="fast"/> Twenty-three cars were used in the film.<ref name="Muir"/> Initially sold as scrap metal after filming ended, one of the best known surviving vehicles was eventually rescued from the junkyard and restored. It was subsequently bought by collector Bill Gibson of [[Pensacola, Florida]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Ciccicioppo |first1=Andrea |title=Film star on display at All-Chrysler Nationals |url=https://infoweb.newsbank.com/apps/news/openurl?ctx_ver=z39.88-2004&rft_id=info%3Asid/infoweb.newsbank.com&svc_dat=AWNB&req_dat=0F974815D238C2C9&rft_val_format=info%3Aofi/fmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Actx&rft_dat=document_id%3Anews%252F13CD4DCD64C2CC10 |access-date=27 October 2021 |work=The Sentinel |date=July 11, 2008 |location=Carlisle, PA |via=NewsBank |url-access=subscription}}</ref> One of the Christines was auctioned off at an auto-auction in Florida in January 2020.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Connolly |first1=Patrick |title=THE WHEEL DEAL - Highlights not to be missed at world's largest collector car auction |url=https://infoweb.newsbank.com/apps/news/openurl?ctx_ver=z39.88-2004&rft_id=info%3Asid/infoweb.newsbank.com&svc_dat=AWNB&req_dat=0F974815D238C2C9&rft_val_format=info%3Aofi/fmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Actx&rft_dat=document_id%3Anews%252F17853029F3A74058 |access-date=27 October 2021 |work=Orlando Sentinel |date=January 4, 2020 |page=1A |via=NewsBank |url-access=subscription }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=1958 PLYMOUTH FURY |url=https://www.mecum.com/lots/FL0120-397333/1958-plymouth-fury/ |website=Mecum Auctions |access-date=27 October 2021}}</ref>

==Release==

===Box office===
''Christine'' was released in North America on December 9, 1983, to 1,045 theaters.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=christine.htm|work=Box Office Mojo|access-date=November 28, 2015|title=Christine (1983)|archive-date=December 8, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151208061027/http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=christine.htm|url-status=live}}</ref> In its opening weekend ''Christine'' brought in $3,408,904 landing at #4. The film dropped 39.6% in its second weekend, grossing $2,058,517 slipping from fourth to eighth place. In its third weekend, it grossed $1,851,909 dropping to #9. The film remained at #9 its fourth weekend, grossing $2,736,782. In its fifth weekend, it returned to #8, grossing $2,015,922. Bringing in $1,316,835 in its sixth weekend, the film dropped out of the box office top ten to twelfth place. In its seventh and final weekend, the film brought in $819,972 landing at #14, bringing the total gross for ''Christine'' to $21,017,849.<ref name="overall"/>

===Critical response===
On the [[review aggregator]] website [[Rotten Tomatoes]], ''Christine'' holds a 72% approval rating based on 39 reviews, with an average rating of 6.1/10. The consensus reads: "The cracks are starting to show in John Carpenter's directorial instincts, but ''Christine'' is nonetheless silly, zippy fun.”<ref name="rt">{{cite web |url=https://rottentomatoes.com/m/christine/ |title=''Christine'' Movie Reviews |work=[[Rotten Tomatoes]] |date=September 28, 2004 |publisher=[[Fandango Media]] |access-date=June 22, 2024 |archive-date=April 6, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190406134659/https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/christine/|url-status=live}}</ref>

[[Roger Ebert]] gave the movie three out of four stars, saying: "By the end of the movie, Christine has developed such a formidable personality that we are actually taking sides during its duel with a bulldozer. This is the kind of movie where you walk out with a silly grin, get in your car, and lay rubber halfway down the [[Eisenhower Expressway|Eisenhower]]."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://rogerebert.com/reviews/christine-1983|title=Christine|author=Ebert|first=Roger|date=December 13, 1983|work=[[Chicago Sun-Times]]|access-date=November 27, 2015|archive-date=December 8, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151208132530/http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/christine-1983|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Janet Maslin]] of ''[[The New York Times]]'' gave the film a middling review, saying: "The early parts of the film are engaging and well acted, creating a believable high-school atmosphere. Unfortunately, the later part of the film is slow in developing, and it unfolds in predictable ways."<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.nytimes.com/1983/12/09/movies/film-christine-a-car.html |title=Film: 'Christine,' A Car|last=Maslin|first=Janet|date=December 9, 1983|work=[[The New York Times]]|access-date=March 25, 2019|archive-date=March 7, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160307023442/http://www.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9503E5D71F39F93AA35751C1A965948260&partner=Rotten%2520Tomatoes|url-status=live}}</ref> ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'' gave the film a negative review, stating: "''Christine'' seems like a retread. This time it's a fire-engine red, 1958 Plymouth Fury that's possessed by the Devil, and this deja-vu premise [from the novel by Stephen King] combined with the crazed-vehicle format, makes Christine appear pretty shop worn."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/1982/film/reviews/christine-1200425568/|title=Christine|date=December 31, 1982|work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|access-date=November 28, 2015|archive-date=December 8, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151208153354/http://variety.com/1982/film/reviews/christine-1200425568/|url-status=live}}</ref> ''[[Time Out (magazine)|Time Out]]'' said of the film: "Carpenter and novelist [[Stephen King]] share not merely a taste for genre horror but a love of '50's teenage culture; and although set in the present, ''Christine'' reflects the second taste far more effectively than the first."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://timeout.com/london/film/christine|title=Christine, directed by John Carpenter|last=Rothkopf|first=Joshua|date=January 23, 2017|work=Time Out London|access-date=November 27, 2015|archive-date=December 8, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151208161106/http://www.timeout.com/london/film/christine|url-status=live}}</ref> In 2023, John Carpenter reflected on the movie:<blockquote>“I love my cast in that movie. Keith Gordon was fabulous, and Alexandra Paul was… I believe she’d been a model, and she’s just a terrific actress. And the great character actor Harry Dean Stanton was on that. Harry Dean is quite a character, I really loved him. But it was a fun movie to make and easy — nothing tough about it. And it did OK, you know, it opened alright. So people were kind, which is nice.“<ref>{{cite web | url=https://variety.com/2023/film/features/john-carpenter-career-interview-director-halloween-the-thing-1235485167/ | title=At 75, Legendary Director John Carpenter Isn't Done Raising Hell in Hollywood | date=January 11, 2023 |last=Earl |first=William |website=Variety}}</ref></blockquote>

===King's reaction===

While he was promoting the film adaptation of [[Dreamcatcher (2003 film)|''Dreamcatcher'']] in 2003, [[Stephen King]] mentioned ''Christine'' as one of two film adaptations of his work that had "bored" him, stating:

"I may just be the most adapted novelist in modern times... and I don't say that with pride so much as with a kind of stunned bemusement. Several honorable adaptations have come from this thirty-year spew of celluloid... and the best of those have had few of the elements I'm best known for: science fiction, fantasy, the supernatural, and pure gross-out moments... The books that ''do'' have those elements have, by and large, become films that are either forgettable or outright embarrassing. Others -- I'm thinking chiefly of ''Christine'' and [[Stanley Kubrick]]'s take on ''[[The Shining (film)|The Shining]]'' -- should have been good but just... well, they just aren't. They're actually sort of boring. Speaking for myself, I'd rather have bad than boring."<ref>Goldman, William. ''Dreamcatcher: The Shooting Script''. Newmarket Press, 2003. {{ISBN|1557045666}}.</ref>

===Home media===
The film was released on VHS by [[Columbia Pictures]], and on DVD on August 4, 1998, and re-released on [[DVD]] in 2004.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.amazon.com/Christine-Special-Harry-Dean-Stanton/dp/B0002O7XW2/ref=tmm_dvd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1448688426&sr=1-1|title=Christine (Special Edition)|work=[[Amazon (company)|Amazon]]|date=September 28, 2004 |access-date=November 27, 2015|archive-date=May 1, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210501233403/https://www.amazon.com/Christine-Special-Harry-Dean-Stanton/dp/B0002O7XW2/ref=tmm_dvd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1448688426&sr=1-1|url-status=live}}</ref> On March 12, 2013, [[Twilight Time (DVD label)|Twilight Time]] video released the film on [[Blu-ray]] for the first time in a limited edition run numbered at 3,000 copies.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.blu-ray.com/movies/Christine-Blu-ray/19650/|work=Blu-ray.com|title=Christine Blu-ray: Screen Archives Entertainment Exclusive / Limited Edition to 3000|access-date=November 28, 2015|date=March 18, 2013|author=Kauffman, Jeffrey|archive-date=December 5, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151205011207/http://www.blu-ray.com/movies/Christine-Blu-ray/19650/|url-status=live}}</ref> On September 29, 2015, [[Sony Pictures Home Entertainment]] re-released the film on Blu-ray.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.blu-ray.com/movies/Christine-Blu-ray/103246/|work=Blu-ray.com|title=Christine Blu-ray|access-date=November 28, 2015|date=September 28, 2015|author=Liebman, Mark|archive-date=November 27, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151127162105/http://www.blu-ray.com/movies/Christine-Blu-ray/103246/|url-status=live}}</ref> The film was released on [[Ultra HD Blu-ray|4K UHD Blu-ray]] on September 11, 2018.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://ultrahd.highdefdigest.com/60299/christine4kultrahdbluray.html|title=Christine – 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray|last=Duarte|first=M. Enois|date=September 5, 2018|website=ultrahd.highdefdigest.com|language=en|access-date=June 12, 2018|archive-date=June 12, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180612162302/https://ultrahd.highdefdigest.com/60299/christine4kultrahdbluray.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

==Soundtrack==
Two soundtracks were released, one consisting purely of the music written and composed by John Carpenter and [[Alan Howarth (composer)|Alan Howarth]], the other consisting of the contemporary pop songs used in the film.<ref name="allmusic">{{cite web|title=''Christine'' – Production Credits|work=[[AllMusic]]|url=https://allmovie.com/work/christine-9504/credits|access-date=October 22, 2010|archive-date=November 28, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091128124247/http://www.allmovie.com/work/christine-9504/credits|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Score===
{{Main|Christine (soundtrack)}}
{{Infobox album
| name = Christine: Music from the Motion Picture
| type = Film
| artist = [[John Carpenter]] & [[Alan Howarth (composer)|Alan Howarth]]
| cover =
| alt =
| released = June 1, 1990
| recorded =
| venue =
| studio =
| genre = {{flatlist|
* [[Electronic music|Electronic]]
* [[film score]]
}}
| length = 33:14
| label = [[Varèse Sarabande]]
| producer = John Carpenter, Alan Howarth
| prev_title = [[They Live (soundtrack)|They Live]]
| prev_year = 1988
| next_title =
| next_year =
| misc = {{Extra chronology
| artist = John Carpenter
| type = film score
| prev_title = [[They Live (soundtrack)|They Live]]
| prev_year = 1988
| title = Christine
| year = 1990
| next_title = [[Body Bags (film)|Body Bags]]
| next_year = 1993
}}
}}

===Songs appearing in film===
The soundtrack album containing songs used in the film was entitled '''''Christine: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack''''' and was released on LP and cassette on [[Motown Records]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.discogs.com/Various-Christine-Original-Motion-Picture-Soundtrack/release/2708320|title=Christine (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)|website=Discogs.com|year=1983 |access-date=May 31, 2015|archive-date=January 22, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150122112610/http://www.discogs.com/Various-Christine-Original-Motion-Picture-Soundtrack/release/2708320|url-status=live}}</ref> It contained 10 (of the 15) songs listed in the film's credits, plus one track from John Carpenter and Alan Howarth's own score. The track listing was as follows:
# [[George Thorogood and the Destroyers]] – "[[Bad to the Bone]]"
# [[Buddy Holly]] & the Crickets – "[[Not Fade Away (song)|Not Fade Away]]"
# [[Johnny Ace]] – "[[Pledging My Love]]"
# [[Robert & Johnny]] – "[[We Belong Together (Robert & Johnny song)|We Belong Together]]"
# [[Little Richard]] – "[[Keep A-Knockin']]"
# [[Dion and The Belmonts]] – "[[I Wonder Why]]"
# [[The Viscounts (American band)|The Viscounts]] – "[[Harlem Nocturne]]"
# [[Thurston Harris]] – "[[Little Bitty Pretty One]]"
# [[Danny & The Juniors]] – "[[Rock and Roll Is Here to Stay|Rock 'n' Roll is Here to Stay]]"
# John Carpenter & Alan Howarth – "Christine Attacks (Plymouth Fury)"
# [[Larry Williams]] – "[[Bony Moronie]]"

The following tracks were not included on this LP release, but were used in the film and listed in the film's credits:

* [[ABBA]] – "[[The Name of the Game (ABBA song)|The Name of the Game]]"
* [[Bonnie Raitt]] – "[[Runaway (Del Shannon song)#Covers|Runaway]]"
* [[Ritchie Valens]] – "Come on, Let's Go"
* [[Tanya Tucker]] – "Not Fade Away"
* [[The Rolling Stones]] – "[[Beast of Burden (song)|Beast of Burden]]"

==Proposed remake==
In June 2021, [[Sony Pictures Entertainment]] and [[Blumhouse Productions]] announced the development of a remake of the film with [[Bryan Fuller]] set to write and direct the film and [[Jason Blum]], [[Vincenzo Natali]] and [[Steve Hoban]] producing.<ref>{{cite web |first=Mike Jr. |last=Fleming |title=Stephen King's 'Christine' Getting Overhauled; Bryan Fuller Directing For Sony Pictures & Blumhouse |website=[[Deadline Hollywood]] |date=June 8, 2021 |url=https://deadline.com/2021/06/stephen-king-christine-remake-bryan-fuller-sony-pictures-blumhouse-1234771228/ |access-date=June 8, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240816190538/https://deadline.com/2021/06/stephen-king-christine-remake-bryan-fuller-sony-pictures-blumhouse-1234771228/ |archive-date=2024-08-16 |url-status=live}}</ref> As of September 2023, no aspect of the project has moved forward.<ref>{{cite web |first=Dan |last=Cooper |title=John Carpenter offers brief take on the stalled Christine remake
|website=filmstories.co.uk |date=2023-09-18 |url=https://filmstories.co.uk/news/john-carpenter-offers-brief-take-on-the-stalled-christine-remake/ |access-date=2024-09-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240910085740/https://filmstories.co.uk/news/john-carpenter-offers-brief-take-on-the-stalled-christine-remake/ |archive-date=2024-09-10 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

==Cultural references==
The film ''[[Taarzan: The Wonder Car]]'' by Indian filmmaking duo [[Abbas–Mustan]] is loosely based on ''Christine''.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Jha |first=Lata |date=2018-06-18 |title=Ten Bollywood remakes of Marathi films |url=https://www.livemint.com/Consumer/qlQfWuXchh5FFSvms8iShK/Ten-Bollywood-remakes-of-Marathi-films.html |access-date=2023-08-19 |website=mint |language=en}}</ref>

The film is parodied in the ''[[Futurama]]'' episode "[[The Honking]]", wherein a metamorphic [[Bender (Futurama)|Bender]]-turned-car haunts the crew.{{citation needed|date=September 2024}}

The film is referred to in the song "Autopilot" by [[Allison Ponthier]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Allison Ponthier's 6 Steps to a Buzzy Single |url=https://www.vulture.com/article/allison-ponthier-autopilot-story-writing-steps.html |website=[[Vulture (website)|Vulture]] |access-date=28 October 2023 |date=April 21, 2022}}</ref>

[[David Gordon Green]] said his 2022 film ''[[Halloween Ends]]'' is a love letter to ''Christine'' and John Carpenter's body of work in general.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.empireonline.com/movies/news/david-gordon-green-halloween-ends-more-intimate-influenced-christine/ | title=David Gordon Green Says Halloween Ends is 'More Intimate', and Influenced by Christine | date=August 11, 2021 |website=Empire}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.cbr.com/halloween-ends-john-carpenter-christine-stealth-remake/ | title=Halloween Ends is a Stealth Remake of Another John Carpenter Classic | date=October 19, 2022 |website=CBR}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://creepycatalog.com/are-halloween-ends-2022-and-christine-1983-related/ | title=Are 'Halloween Ends' (2022) and 'Christine' (1983) Related? | date=October 22, 2022 |website=Creepy Catalog }}</ref>

==See also==
* [[List of films about automobiles]]
*[[List of American films of 1983]]

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==Bibliography==
* {{cite book|title=Plymouth, 1946–1959|year=1994|last=Benjaminson |first= James|publisher=Motorbooks International|isbn=978-0-87938-840-9}}
* {{cite book|title=Stephen King Films FAQ: All That's Left to Know About the King of Horror on Film|last=Von Doviak |first=Scott|year=2014|publisher=Applause Theatre & Cinema|isbn= 978-1-48035-551-4}}
* {{cite book|title=Autopia: Cars and Culture|last1=Kerr |first1= Joe|last2=Wollen |first2= Peter|year=2004|publisher=University of Chicago Press|isbn=978-1-86189-132-7|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/autopiacarscultu0000unse}}

==External links==
{{wikiquote}}
* {{IMDb title}}
* {{Rotten Tomatoes|2=Christine}}
* {{AllMovie title}}
* {{Mojo title}}
* {{AFI film}}
* {{TCMDb title}}

{{Media based on Stephen King works}}
{{John Carpenter}}

[[Category:1983 films]]
[[Category:1983 horror films]]
[[Category:1983 thriller films]]
[[Category:1980s American films]]
[[Category:1980s English-language films]]
[[Category:1980s high school films]]
[[Category:1980s horror thriller films]]
[[Category:1980s supernatural horror films]]
[[Category:1980s supernatural thriller films]]
[[Category:1980s teen horror films]]
[[Category:American high school films]]
[[Category:American horror thriller films]]
[[Category:American supernatural horror films]]
[[Category:American supernatural thriller films]]
[[Category:American teen horror films]]
[[Category:Columbia Pictures films]]
[[Category:Films about automobiles]]
[[Category:Films about curses]]
[[Category:Films based on American horror novels]]
[[Category:Films based on urban legends]]
[[Category:Films based on works by Stephen King]]
[[Category:Films directed by John Carpenter]]
[[Category:Films scored by Alan Howarth (composer)]]
[[Category:Films scored by John Carpenter]]
[[Category:Films set in 1957]]
[[Category:Films set in 1978]]
[[Category:Films set in California]]
[[Category:Films set in Detroit]]
[[Category:Films shot in Los Angeles]]
[[Category:Phantom vehicles]]
[[Category:Teen thriller films]]
[[Category:English-language horror thriller films]]

Chloe (2009 film)

2024-10-01T19:23:52Z

98.18.198.104: /* External links */

{{Short description|Erotic thriller film}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2019}}
{{Infobox film
| name = Chloe
| image = Chloe_US_poster.jpg
| alt =
| caption = US theatrical release poster
| director = [[Atom Egoyan]]
| producer = {{Plainlist|
* [[Joe Medjuck]]
* Jeffrey Clifford
* [[Ivan Reitman]]
}}
| screenplay = [[Erin Cressida Wilson]]
| based_on = {{Based on|''[[Nathalie...]]''|[[Anne Fontaine (filmmaker)|Anne Fontaine]]}}
| starring = {{Plainlist|
* [[Julianne Moore]]
* [[Liam Neeson]]
* [[Amanda Seyfried]]
* [[Max Thieriot]]
}}
| music = [[Mychael Danna]]
| cinematography = [[Paul Sarossy]]
| editing = [[Susan Shipton]]
| production_companies = {{Plainlist|
* [[The Montecito Picture Company]]
* [[StudioCanal]]<ref name="nytimes">{{cite news| url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/30/movies/30onst.html | work=The New York Times | title=Adapting to Life's Change, on Screen and Off | first=Katrina | last=Onstad | date=August 30, 2009}}</ref>
}}
| distributor = {{Plainlist|
* [[Sony Pictures Classics]] (United States)
* [[Entertainment One|E1 Distribution]] (Canada)
* StudioCanal (France)
}}
| runtime = 96 minutes<ref name="mojo">{{cite web|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=chloe.htm |title=Chloe (2010) |website=[[Box Office Mojo]] |access-date=February 3, 2012}}</ref>
| released = {{Film date|2009|09|13|[[2009 Toronto International Film Festival|TIFF]]|2010|03|10|France|2010|03|26|United States and Canada}}
| country = {{Plainlist|
* United States
* Canada
* France
}}
| language = English
| budget = $12–14 million<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.zamm.com/articles/movie-mania/q-and-a/q-and-a-with-director-atom-egoyan.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180928121613/http://www.zamm.com/articles/movie-mania/q-and-a/q-and-a-with-director-atom-egoyan.html |archive-date=September 28, 2018 |title=Q & A with Director Atom Egoyan |website=Zamm.com |access-date=January 11, 2018}}</ref>
| gross = $13.6 million<ref name="mojo"/>
}}
'''''Chloe''''' is a 2009 [[erotic thriller]] film directed by [[Atom Egoyan]], a [[remake]] of the 2003 French film ''[[Nathalie...]]''. It stars [[Julianne Moore]], [[Liam Neeson]], and [[Amanda Seyfried]] in the title role. Its screenplay was written by [[Erin Cressida Wilson]], based on the earlier French film, written by [[Anne Fontaine (filmmaker)|Anne Fontaine]].

Despite receiving mixed reviews from critics,<ref name="metacritic" /> the film was a commercial success and it grossed more at the worldwide box office than any of Egoyan's previous films.<ref name="Pevere">{{cite news| url=https://www.thestar.com/entertainment/movies/2010/12/07/the_digital_revolution_part_1.html | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131220201932/https://www.thestar.com/entertainment/movies/2010/12/07/the_digital_revolution_part_1.html | url-status=dead | archive-date=December 20, 2013 | work=[[Toronto Star]] | first=Geoff | last=Pevere | title=The Digital Revolution: Part 1 | date=December 7, 2010}}</ref><ref name="e-TF1">{{cite web|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150509170527/http://lci.tf1.fr/cinema/news/atom-egoyan-ryan-reynolds-m-a-semble-une-evidence-8542522.html | archive-date=May 9, 2015 | url=http://lci.tf1.fr/cinema/news/atom-egoyan-ryan-reynolds-m-a-semble-une-evidence-8542522.html |title=Atom Egoyan : "Ryan Reynolds m'a semblé une évidence" |publisher=MYTF1News |access-date=September 10, 2015}}</ref>

==Plot==
Catherine is a [[Gynaecology|gynecologist]], her husband David is a [[college professor]], and they have a teenage son, Michael. Catherine suspects David of having an [[Extramarital affair|affair]] after she sees a cell-phone picture of him with a female student.

At a restaurant, Catherine encounters a young woman named Chloe and realizes she is a [[call girl]]. One day, she also notices Chloe from her office window, entering an upscale bar, and surmises that they work in the same neighborhood and Chloe goes there to meet clients. Catherine goes there to meet Chloe and tells her that she wants to hire her to test David's loyalty. Chloe reports back that David kissed her, saddening Catherine. She asks that Chloe show her the results of her tests for sexually transmitted diseases. Chloe brings the test results to Catherine's office, where she meets Michael and flirts with him.

Catherine and Chloe meet multiple times, and Chloe describes in explicit detail her sexual encounters with David, which [[Sexual arousal|arouses]] Catherine. During a meeting at a hotel where Chloe says she had a tryst with David, Chloe kisses Catherine. Catherine, surprised by this, abruptly leaves. Later, she is taken aback by David's awareness of the scent of her lotion; it is the same lotion that Chloe wears. Upset by this, Catherine leaves and meets with Chloe again at a hotel, where she asks how David touches her while undressing her. Realising that she is heartbroken and needs to hookup, Chloe seduces and undresses Catherine, and dominates her, having sex with her.

After having an amazing time with Chloe, Catherine gets home very late, leading David to ask if she has been unfaithful. Catherine tells him he has been unfaithful as well, and the two argue. Chloe confronts Catherine and tells her what they shared together is real, but Catherine insists their relationship was a business transaction and asks her to please leave. She calls off their relationship, but when Chloe mentions that David called Chloe again, Catherine decides to settle this once and for all: she calls Chloe to meet at a coffee house, where she also calls David. David arrives first and she angrily demands that he admit he is having an affair. Chloe walks in, and it is clear that David does not recognize her. Chloe quickly leaves without speaking to either of them and Catherine realizes that Chloe made up all the stories of her encounters with David.

David admits that he has flirted and been tempted but has never been unfaithful to her. Upset, Catherine reveals everything about Chloe and that they slept together. She apologizes, saying that she felt she had become invisible to David as she aged, while David became more attractive to her. David comforts and kisses her, and the couple reconciles.

Chloe goes to Catherine's house and has sex with Michael in Catherine's bed. Catherine arrives home, and Chloe tells Catherine that she is in love with her and that she only had sex with Michael because Michael reminds her of Catherine. She threatens to hurt Catherine, requesting a kiss, and Catherine complies. Michael sees, startling Catherine and causing her to push Chloe into the bedroom window. Chloe grabs hold of the frame, but [[Suicide|intentionally lets go]] and falls to her death. Sometime later, at Michael's graduation party, Catherine is seen wearing Chloe's hairpin; the family is reconciled.

==Cast==
* [[Julianne Moore]] as Dr. Catherine Stewart, a gynecologist, David's wife, and Chloe's love interest
* [[Liam Neeson]] as David Stewart, a college professor and Catherine's husband
* [[Amanda Seyfried]] as Chloe Sweeney, a call girl who Catherine hires to expose David but instead falls in love with Catherine
* [[Max Thieriot]] as Michael Stewart, Catherine and David's son
* [[R. H. Thomson]] as Frank
* [[Nina Dobrev]] as Anna
* [[Meghan Heffern]] as Miranda
* [[Natalie Lisinska]] as Eliza
* [[Laura de Carteret]] as Alicia
* Mishu Vellani as Julie

==Production==
''Chloe'' was the first film produced by the director [[Atom Egoyan]] that was not written by himself.

The film, shot in only 35 days,<ref>{{cite web |title=Q & A with Director Atom Egoyan - Zamm.com | My Movies |url=http://www.zamm.com/articles/movie-mania/q-and-a/q-and-a-with-director-atom-egoyan.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180928121613/http://www.zamm.com/articles/movie-mania/q-and-a/q-and-a-with-director-atom-egoyan.html |archive-date=28 September 2018 |access-date=12 January 2022 |website=www.zamm.com}}</ref> was financed solely in [[France]] and was shot in [[Toronto]] and [[Lake Ontario]], Canada. Some local restaurants and scenic spots appear in the film under actual names, such as [[Allan Gardens]], Cafe Diplomatico, [[The Rivoli]], the [[Windsor Arms Hotel]], the [[Fairmount Royal York|Royal York Hotel]], the [[Royal Ontario Museum]], [[The Royal Conservatory of Music]], the [[CN Tower]], the [[Art Gallery of Ontario]] and the [[Ontario College of Art]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sonyclassics.com/chloe/|title=Official website of Chloe|access-date=December 3, 2010}}</ref>

Producer [[Jason Reitman]] helped persuade Amanda Seyfried to star in this film.<ref>{{cite web|last=Seguin |first=Denis |url=http://www.screendaily.com/reports/interviews/the-great-entertainer/5006120.article |title=The great entertainer | Features | Screen |publisher=Screendaily.com |date=September 25, 2009 |access-date=October 23, 2010}}</ref> Seyfried accepted the role of Chloe after a friend of hers withdrew from consideration due to discomfort with the nudity.<ref>{{cite news |first=Jeanne |last=Wolf |title=Amanda Seyfried |work=Parade.com |date=March 22, 2010 |access-date=July 12, 2015 |url=http://parade.com/40248/jeannewolf/0322-amanda-seyfriend-chloe/}}</ref> Julianne Moore described Seyfried as a "very dependable" acting partner and claimed that they were largely comfortable with the intimacy in the film. In describing her view of Catherine's relationship with Chloe, Moore noted "an emotional quality to their intimacy that has to do with their conversation and their basic receptivity to one another. Now what they turn into personally obviously is very different. They are having completely subjective experiences, but that doesn't mean [they're] not incredibly receptive to one another and it clearly creates something in-between them. And that's what love and sex and intimacy and all that is. Someone who is listening to you, hearing you, there for you, that's the person you end up having a relationship with, sexual or just emotional or whatever. I don't know if that has to do with gender necessarily".<ref>{{cite news |first=Rocco |last=Passafuime |title=Julianne Moore Interview for Chloe |work=thecinemasource.com |date=March 29, 2010 |access-date=July 12, 2015 |url=http://www.thecinemasource.com/blog/interviews/julianne-moore-interview-for-chloe/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130526161606/http://www.thecinemasource.com/blog/interviews/julianne-moore-interview-for-chloe/ |archive-date=May 26, 2013 |url-status=live }}</ref>

[[Liam Neeson]]'s wife, [[Natasha Richardson]], had a skiing accident during filming. Neeson decided to leave the set to take care of his wife, who died from her injury a few days later. The filmmakers re-arranged the shooting schedule accordingly for Neeson's absence.<ref name="nytimes"/> Just a few days after his wife's death, Neeson returned to the set and filmed the remainder of his scenes in two days.<ref>{{cite web |author=CA |url=http://www.journalpioneer.com/index.cfm?sid=246100&sc=121 |title=Director Atom Egoyan praises grieving Liam Neesons professionalism – Entertainment – Arts |publisher=The Journal Pioneer |access-date=July 26, 2010 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130103134704/http://www.journalpioneer.com/index.cfm?sid=246100&sc=121 |archive-date=January 3, 2013 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
Canadian [[indie rock]] band [[Raised by Swans]] has two songs featured in the movie and the band is mentioned several times by Chloe.

[[Anne Fontaine]], the writer/director of ''[[Nathalie...]],'' said that she was interested in Egoyan's take on it. Fontaine also said that she was not happy with ''Nathalie...'' because the two lead actresses of the film objected to her original intention for a [[lesbian]] relationship to develop between their characters.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/entertainment/egoyan-s-chloe-a-reinvention-of-sexy-french-drama-1.847165 |title=Egoyan's Chloe a reinvention of sexy French drama |publisher=Cbc.ca |date=September 15, 2009 |access-date=July 26, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110604191455/http://www.cbc.ca/arts/tiff/story/2009/09/14/egoyan-chloe-press-conference.html |archive-date=June 4, 2011 |url-status=live }}</ref>

[[Atom Egoyan]] studied at the University of Toronto, and [[Joe Medjuck]], one of the film's producers, was a teacher of Egoyan at the University of Toronto.<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Johnson |first=Brian|url=http://www.macleans.ca/culture/odd-couple/ |title= Odd Couple |magazine=Maclean's |date=March 20, 2009 |access-date=March 28, 2018}}</ref>

==Behind the scenes==

===Creative process===

After determining the plan for the remake of the film ''[[Nathalie...]]'', the investor [[StudioCanal]] believed that it was necessary to find a reliable screenwriter to write a script for the film because it tells a relatively complicated family and emotional story. [[Erin Cressida Wilson]] was chosen, in part because of her experience writing erotic films such as ''[[Secretary (2002 film)|Secretary]]'' (2002). This script took Wilson a lot of time and energy to create, and many times she couldn't figure out what real life was and what was the story in the script. Wilson found it easier to write for Chloe than for Catherine, later saying, "I related to Chloe, the young woman who loved to seduce people".<ref>{{cite news|last=Weinreich |first=Regina |url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/regina-weinreich/erin-cressida-wilsons-sex_b_510853.html |title= Erin Cressida Wilson's Sex Education: Chloe |work=Huffington Post |date=May 25, 2011 |access-date=March 29, 2018}}</ref>

===Making photography===
''Chloe'''s director Egoyan insisted on using [[35mm movie film|35 mm film]] to shoot the film. This is a time-consuming and labor-intensive process, but Egoyan enjoys it. The photographer [[Paul Sarossy]] thinks filming this film is symbolic. In this [[digital age]], choosing to use [[film]] to shoot a movie is more of a feeling of escape from [[digital electronics]]. Although the film eventually uses some [[digital electronics|digital technology]], it is not a digitally produced film.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.commeaucinema.com/notes-de-prod/chloe,142407-note-75791 |title=Chloé : Notes de production |publisher=Commeaucinema.com |access-date=March 30, 2018}}</ref>

===Costume design===
The film also took great pains in the art design and [[costume design]]. In the movie, mirrors and glass were used as props for reflection and refraction. The costume design of the film also pays attention to the concept of mirroring. In order to complement the artwork, costume designer Debra Hanson specifically used a layered mirror effect on the costume design. Those repeated laces, structures and decorations are also mirrored images. The effect is the same as showing the heart of a character. In addition, the relationship between clothing and the external environment has also been deliberately taken care of. In the film, Chloe's scene in the greenhouse was decorated with a lot of leaves and patterns on the clothes she wore, which could reflect some of her inner unrest. Similarly, Catherine's clothes are in part echoed by Chloe's clothing, and their relationship in the film is complex and subtle.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pushing-pixels.org/2011/04/22/the-art-and-design-of-chloe-interview-with-phillip-barker.html |title= The art and design of "Chloe" – interview with Phillip Barker |publisher=Pushing-pixels.org |date=April 22, 2011 |access-date=March 31, 2018}}</ref>

==Financing and distribution==
[[StudioCanal]] fully financed ''Chloe'' and was able to fully recoup the film's budget via international [[Film finance|pre-sales]].<ref name="horowitz1">{{cite web|last=Horowitz |first=Lisa |url=https://www.thewrap.com/sony-picks-egoyans-chloe-8453/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180922211832/http://www.thewrap.com/sony-picks-egoyans-chloe-8453/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=September 22, 2018 |title=Sony Picks Up Egoyan's 'Chloe' |publisher=TheWrap.com |date=October 9, 2009 |access-date=July 26, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |author=Canada |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/arts/egoyan-closes-us-deal-for-chloe/article1318927/ |title=Egoyan closes U.S. deal for Chloe |newspaper=The Globe and Mail |date=October 9, 2009 |access-date=July 26, 2010 |location=Toronto |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100424033310/http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/arts/egoyan-closes-us-deal-for-chloe/article1318927/ |archive-date=24 April 2010 |url-status=dead}}</ref> In 2009, the film was screened in special presentation at the [[2009 Toronto International Film Festival]],<ref name="McCarthy"/> and at the [[BFI London Film Festival|London Film Festival]],<ref>{{Cite web |last=Heron |first=Ambrose |date=9 September 2009 |title=Lineup for London Film Festival 2009 |url=http://www.filmdetail.com/2009/09/09/lineup-for-london-film-festival-2009/ |website=FILMdetail}}</ref> and was also the opening film at the [[San Sebastián International Film Festival]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Evans |first=Chris |date=21 August 2009 |title=Egoyan's Chloe to open San Sebastian |url=https://www.screendaily.com/egoyans-chloe-to-open-san-sebastian/5004753.article |website=[[Screen Daily]]}}</ref>

[[Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions Group]] paid a low seven-figure sum to acquire the [[United States]] distribution rights of ''Chloe'',<ref name="horowitz1"/><ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://variety.com/2009/biz/markets-festivals/sony-seduced-by-chloe-1118009736/ |title=Sony seduced by 'Chloe' – Entertainment News, Film News, Media |magazine=Variety |date=October 8, 2009 |access-date=July 26, 2010}}</ref> and the group opened this film in [[limited release|limited theatrical release]] in the United States on March 26, 2010 through [[Sony Pictures Classics]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sonyclassics.com/chloe/ |title=CHLOE | a film by Atom Egoyan |publisher=Sonyclassics.com |access-date=July 26, 2010}}</ref> In the United States, this film grossed $3 million theatrically,<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?page=weekend&id=chloe.htm |title=Chloe |access-date=February 18, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100613200848/http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?page=weekend&id=chloe.htm |archive-date=June 13, 2010 |url-status=live }}</ref> which was generally considered as a respectful result for an [[arthouse film]] release in early 2010's.<ref>{{cite news| work=[[Filmmaker (magazine)|Filmmaker]] | title=Crash (or Requiem for a Dream) | first=Mary | last=Glucksman | date=Winter 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite news| url=https://variety.com/article/VR1118018219.html?categoryid=3768&cs=1 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100430060632/http://variety.com/article/VR1118018219.html?categoryid=3768&cs=1 | url-status=dead | archive-date=April 30, 2010 | work=Variety | title=Specialty pics face reduced expectations | first=Andrew | last=Stewart | date=April 24, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.questia.com/magazine/1P3-2813572781/hits-misses | work=[[Filmmaker (magazine)|Filmmaker]] | title=Hits & Misses | first=Anthony | last=Kaufman | date=Winter 2012}}</ref>

In the wake of ''Chloe'', Egoyan had since received many scripts of erotic thrillers.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cp24.com/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20100713/100713_chloe_DVD/20100713/ |title=Atom Egoyan sifts through sex thriller scripts in wake of 'Chloe' – CTV News, Shows and Sports – Canadian Television |date=July 13, 2010 |publisher=CP24 |access-date=October 23, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120305161715/http://www.cp24.com/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20100713/100713_chloe_DVD/20100713/ |archive-date=March 5, 2012 |url-status=live }}</ref> Amanda Seyfried's performance in this film also helped her to gain industry acclaim and become considered for more roles.<ref>{{cite web|last=Barshad |first=Amos |url=https://nymag.com/daily/entertainment/2011/03/star_market_can_amanda_seyfrie.html |title=Star Market: Can Amanda Seyfried Live Out a Hollywood Fairy Tale? – Vulture |date=March 11, 2011 |publisher=Nymag.com |access-date=February 3, 2012}}</ref>

===Home media===
''Chloe'' was released in the United States on July 13, 2010 in both [[DVD]] and [[Blu-ray Disc]]. The disc includes an [[audio commentary]], making-of featurette, and [[deleted scene]]s. The film did especially well in Home Video rentals; for instance, the film stayed in [[Redbox]] Top 10 DVD rentals chart for three straight weeks (very good result for an arthouse release in the United States).<ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-09-01|title=Tops at Redbox: 'The Bounty Hunter' leads all Redbox kiosk rentals {{!}} Archive {{!}} pressofatlanticcity.com|url=https://pressofatlanticcity.com/archive/tops-at-redbox-the-bounty-hunter-leads-all-redbox-kiosk-rentals/article_52766f43-99b0-5f85-bc54-baf5c3cba1e4.html|access-date=2021-06-22|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200901025144/https://pressofatlanticcity.com/archive/tops-at-redbox-the-bounty-hunter-leads-all-redbox-kiosk-rentals/article_52766f43-99b0-5f85-bc54-baf5c3cba1e4.html|archive-date=September 1, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-09-01|title=Tops at Redbox: 'The Bounty Hunter' again dominates rentals from the kiosks {{!}} Archive {{!}} pressofatlanticcity.com|url=https://pressofatlanticcity.com/archive/tops-at-redbox-the-bounty-hunter-again-dominates-rentals-from-the-kiosks/article_b25b9b0b-29db-55ed-b817-e331f918b610.html|access-date=2021-06-22|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200901032057/https://pressofatlanticcity.com/archive/tops-at-redbox-the-bounty-hunter-again-dominates-rentals-from-the-kiosks/article_b25b9b0b-29db-55ed-b817-e331f918b610.html|archive-date=September 1, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-09-01|title=Tops at Redbox: 'Hot Tub Time Machine' leads all rentals at Redbox kiosks {{!}} Archive {{!}} pressofatlanticcity.com|url=https://pressofatlanticcity.com/archive/tops-at-redbox-hot-tub-time-machine-leads-all-rentals-at-redbox-kiosks/article_afd37558-099f-56ac-aba6-80391342ce68.html|access-date=2021-06-22|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200901025421/https://pressofatlanticcity.com/archive/tops-at-redbox-hot-tub-time-machine-leads-all-rentals-at-redbox-kiosks/article_afd37558-099f-56ac-aba6-80391342ce68.html|archive-date=September 1, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=McBride|first=Sarah|date=2008-12-11|title=Universal Challenges Video Kiosks|language=en-US|work=Wall Street Journal|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB122895835251696731|access-date=2021-06-22|issn=0099-9660}}</ref>

Several months following the [[DVD]] and [[Blu-ray Disc|Blu-ray]] release of ''Chloe'', Egoyan said that ''Chloe'' had made more money than any of his previous films.<ref name="Pevere"/><ref name="e-TF1"/>

==Reception==
===Critical response===
On [[Rotten Tomatoes]], the film has an approval rating of 51% based on 163 reviews, with an average rating of 5.71/10. The site's consensus is that "Despite its promising pedigree and a titillating premise, ''Chloe'' ultimately fails to deliver the heat—or the thrills—expected of a sexual thriller."<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/10011774-chloe | title=Chloe | website=[[Rotten Tomatoes]] | date=March 26, 2010 | access-date=July 26, 2010}}</ref> [[Metacritic]], which assigns a score from major reviewers, gave the film a 48 out of 100, based on 33 reviews, indicating "Mixed or average reviews."<ref name="metacritic">{{cite web | url=https://www.metacritic.com/film/titles/chloe | title=Chloe Reviews | publisher=[[CBS Interactive]] | website=[[Metacritic]] | access-date=July 26, 2010 | archive-date=May 15, 2010 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100515162914/http://www.metacritic.com/film/titles/chloe/ | url-status=dead }}</ref>

[[Roger Ebert]] of the ''[[Chicago Sun-Times]]'' gave the film three and a half out of four stars and wrote: "It's not the kind of movie that depends on the certainty of an ending. It's more about how things continue."<ref>{{cite web |date=2010 |last=Ebert |first=Roger |author-link=Roger Ebert |title=Chloe movie review & film summary (2010) |url=https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/chloe-2010 |website=[[Chicago Sun-Times]] }}{{Rating|3.5|4}}</ref>

[[Todd McCarthy]] of [[Variety (magazine)|''Variety'']] gave the film a mixed review: "Sexual suspicion and game-playing spiral down from the exotically intriguing to outright silliness in Chloe."<ref name="McCarthy">{{cite web |date=17 September 2009 |last=McCarthy |first=Todd |author-link=Todd McCarthy |title=Chloe |url=https://variety.com/review/VE1117941106 |website=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] }}</ref>

[[Anthony Lane]] of ''[[The New Yorker]]'' compared the film to the French original: "The movie--directed by Atom Egoyan, who should know better--is closely adapted from ''[[Nathalie...]]'', a French film of 2004, with Gérard Depardieu and Emmanuelle Béart, but what seemed like standard practice for Parisians comes across here as unsmiling porno-farce″.<ref>{{cite magazine |date=2010 |last=Lane |first=Anthony |title=Mystery Women |url=https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2010/03/29/mystery-women |magazine=[[The New Yorker]] }}</ref>

===Accolades===
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable"
|-
! scope="col"| Award
! scope="col"| Date of ceremony
! scope="col"| Category
! scope="col"| Recipients
! scope="col"| Result
! scope="col" class="unsortable"| {{Abbreviation|Ref.|References}}
|-
!scope="row" | [[Canadian Society of Cinematographers]]
| 2 April 2011
| Theatrical Feature Cinematography
| [[Paul Sarossy]]
| {{nom}}
| <ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www1.csc.ca/en/awardsCSC/2011/ |title=CSC Awards - Annual |publisher=[[Canadian Society of Cinematographers]] |access-date=23 May 2020 }}</ref>
|-
!scope="row" rowspan=5| [[Directors Guild of Canada]]
| rowspan="5" | September 25, 2010
| Best Feature Film
!
| {{nom}}
| rowspan="5" | <ref>{{Cite web| url=http://dgc.ca/page.php?id=101 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100918033643/http://dgc.ca/page.php?id=101 |title=2010 DGC AWARDS |archive-date=September 18, 2010 |publisher=[[Directors Guild of Canada]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web| url=https://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/2010-dgc-awards-winners-545610742.html |title=2010 DGC Awards Winners |date=September 25, 2010 |publisher=[[CNW Group]] |access-date=October 14, 2018}}</ref>
|-
| Best Direction – Feature Film
| [[Atom Egoyan]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| Best Production Design – Feature Film
| [[Phillip Barker (film director)|Phillip Barker]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| Best Picture Editing – Feature Film
| [[Susan Shipton]]
| {{won}}
|-
| Best Sound Editing – Feature Film
| Steve Munro, David Drainie Taylor, Paul Shikata, Richard Cadger, John Loranger
| {{won}}
|-
|}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Wikiquote}}
* {{Official website|http://www.sonyclassics.com/chloe/}}
* {{IMDb title|1352824}}
* {{Rotten Tomatoes|2=Chloe}}
* {{AllMovie title|483668}}
* {{Mojo title|chloe}}
* [[StudioCanal]] (fr) [https://web.archive.org/web/20100305141949/http://www.studiocanal.com/tous-nos-films/films-drame/cid14520/chloe.html ''Chloe'']

{{Atom Egoyan}}
{{Ivan Reitman}}
{{Portal bar|LGBTQ|Film|United States|Canada|France}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Chloe}}
[[Category:2000s erotic thriller films]]
[[Category:2009 independent films]]
[[Category:2009 LGBTQ-related films]]
[[Category:2009 psychological thriller films]]
[[Category:2009 films]]
[[Category:Films about adultery]]
[[Category:American erotic thriller films]]
[[Category:American independent films]]
[[Category:American LGBTQ-related films]]
[[Category:American psychological thriller films]]
[[Category:American remakes of French films]]
[[Category:Canadian erotic thriller films]]
[[Category:Canadian independent films]]
[[Category:Canadian LGBTQ-related films]]
[[Category:Canadian psychological thriller films]]
[[Category:2000s English-language films]]
[[Category:English-language Canadian films]]
[[Category:English-language French films]]
[[Category:Films about female bisexuality]]
[[Category:Films about prostitution in Canada]]
[[Category:Films about threesomes]]
[[Category:Films directed by Atom Egoyan]]
[[Category:Films produced by Ivan Reitman]]
[[Category:Films scored by Mychael Danna]]
[[Category:Films set in Toronto]]
[[Category:Films shot in Toronto]]
[[Category:French erotic thriller films]]
[[Category:Remakes of French films]]
[[Category:French independent films]]
[[Category:French LGBTQ-related films]]
[[Category:French psychological thriller films]]
[[Category:LGBTQ-related thriller films]]
[[Category:The Montecito Picture Company films]]
[[Category:Sony Pictures Classics films]]
[[Category:StudioCanal films]]
[[Category:2000s American films]]
[[Category:2000s Canadian films]]
[[Category:2000s French films]]
[[Category:English-language independent films]]
[[Category:English-language erotic thriller films]]

Child's Play 3

2024-10-01T17:23:13Z

98.18.198.104: /* External links */

{{Short description|1991 film by Jack Bender}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2022}}
{{Infobox film
| name = Child's Play 3
| image = Childsplay3.jpg
| caption = Theatrical release poster
| alt = A close up of Chucky as a Good Guy Doll with blood coming out from his lips and his pupils red. Text reads "There comes a time to put away childhood things. But some things won't stay put!" Below the film's titles, another caption reads "Look's who's stalking!"
| director = [[Jack Bender]]
| producer = [[Robert Latham Brown]]
| writer = [[Don Mancini]]
| based_on = {{based on|[[Child's Play (1988 film)|Characters]]|Don Mancini}}
| starring = {{Plainlist|
* [[Justin Whalin]]
* [[Perrey Reeves]]
* Jeremy Sylvers
}}
| music = {{Plainlist|
* [[Cory Lerios]]
* [[John D'Andrea]]
}}
| cinematography = [[John R. Leonetti]]
| editing = {{Plainlist|
* Scott Wallace
* Edward A. Warschilka Jr.
}}
| studio = [[Universal Pictures]]<ref name="afi">{{cite web |url=https://catalog.afi.com/Catalog/moviedetails/58797 |title=Child's Play 3 (1991) |work=[[AFI Catalog of Feature Films]] |access-date=January 1, 2021 }}</ref>
| distributor = Universal Pictures<ref name=afi/>
| released = {{film date|1991|8|30}}
| runtime = 90 minutes<ref name=afi/>
| country = United States<ref name=afi/>
| language = English
| budget = $13 million
| gross = $20.5 million<ref name="mojo" />
}}
'''''Child's Play 3''''' is a 1991 American [[slasher film]] and the third installment in the ''[[Child's Play (franchise)|Child's Play]]'' film series. The film is written by [[Don Mancini]] and directed by [[Jack Bender]]. [[Brad Dourif]] once again reprised his role as Chucky from the previous films while new cast members include [[Justin Whalin]], [[Perrey Reeves]] and Jeremy Sylvers. It was executive-produced by [[David Kirschner]], who produced the first two ''Child's Play'' films. Although released only nine months after ''[[Child's Play 2]]'', the story takes place eight years following the events of that film, and one month before the events of ''[[Bride of Chucky]]'' (which was made seven years later). The film follows [[Andy Barclay]] (Whalin) now 16, enrolling at Kent Military School. Andy is unknowingly followed by a revived Chucky (Dourif), who sets his sight on a younger kid cadet Ronald Tyler (Sylvers).

After the success of the previous two films, Universal Studios forced Mancini to draft the screenplay for ''Child's Play 3'' in such a short amount of time. A concept featuring "multiple Chuckys" was considered, but was scrapped due to time and budget constraints, although it would be reworked into a later installment ''[[Cult of Chucky]].'' [[Alex Vincent (actor)|Alex Vincent]], who played Andy, did not reprise his role due to the film being released in 1991 despite taking place in 1998. Several actors auditioned until Justin Whalin was chosen for the role of Andy.

Released on August 30, 1991, in the United States by [[Universal Pictures]], ''Child's Play 3'' received generally negative reviews from critics and grossed $20.5 million worldwide against a budget of $13 million, being the lowest-grossing film in the series.<ref>{{Cite web |title=How Much Did Child's Play Cost to Make? |url=https://screenrant.com/childs-play-movie-2019-budget-cost/ |access-date=October 25, 2022 |website=Screen Rant|date=June 19, 2019 }}</ref> The film became notorious in the United Kingdom when it was suggested it might have inspired the real-life murder of a British child, [[Murder of James Bulger|James Bulger]],<ref>{{cite book|title=Moral Panics|last=Thompson|first=Kenneth|publisher=[[Routledge]]|year=2005|isbn=9781134811625|page=100|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4DOY92ztYG8C&pg=PA100}}</ref> suggestions rejected by officers investigating the case.<ref>{{cite news|title= No conclusive link between videos and violence |work= [[BBC]]|date=1998-01-07|url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk/politics/45302.stm|access-date=2011-04-21}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title= Video link to Bulger murder disputed |work= [[The Independent]]|date=1993-11-26|url = https://www.independent.co.uk/news/video-link-to-bulger-murder-disputed-1506766.html|access-date=2011-04-21|location=London|first1=Terry|last1=Kirby|first2=Jonathan|last2=Foster}}</ref><ref name="elstein">{{Cite news|title=Demonising a decoy|work=The Guardian|location=London|date=22 December 1993|first=David|last=Elstein}}</ref><ref>{{Cite magazine|title=U.K. Proposes Rules, Penalties On Rental Of Violent Videos|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|location=New York|date=23 April 1994}}</ref>

== Plot ==
Eight years after [[Chucky (Child's Play)|Chucky's]] [[Child's Play 2|second demise]], the Play Pals company resumes manufacturing Good Guy dolls and re-opens their abandoned factory. As Chucky's corpse is being removed from the building, a splash of his blood inadvertently falls into the molten plastic being used to produce the dolls, reviving him in a new body. Chucky tortures and murders Play Pals CEO Mr. Sullivan using various children's toys, and then uses his computer records to locate [[Andy Barclay]].

Now 16, Andy has been enrolled to Kent Military School after failure to cope in several foster homes. Colonel Cochrane, the school's commandant, advises Andy to forget his "fantasies" about the doll. Andy befriends cadets Ronald Tyler, an 8-year-old boy; Harold Aubrey Whitehurst, a cowardly young man; and Kristin De Silva, for whom he develops romantic feelings. He also meets Brett C. Shelton, a sadistic lieutenant colonel who routinely bullies the cadets.

Tyler is asked to deliver a package to Andy's room. Tyler realizes that the package contains a Good Guy doll and takes it to the school's weapons armory to open it. Chucky bursts from the package and is incensed to find Tyler instead of Andy. However, remembering he can possess the first person who learns his true identity, he tells Tyler his secret. Before Chucky can enact the [[Haitian Vodou|voodoo soul-swapping ritual]] to possess Tyler, Cochrane interrupts them and confiscates the doll, throwing it into a garbage truck. Chucky escapes by luring the driver into the truck's compactor and crushing him to death. Andy starts to bond with De Silva.

That night, Chucky attacks Andy and tells him his plans for taking over Tyler's body. Before Andy can fight back, Shelton comes in and takes the doll from him. Andy then sneaks into Shelton's room to recover it; Shelton awakens to confront him, only to find that Chucky has vanished. Suspecting the doll was stolen, Shelton forces all the cadets to do exercises as punishment. Chucky attempts to possess Tyler again, but they are interrupted by De Silva and fellow cadet Ivers. Later, a knife-wielding Chucky surprises Cochrane, unintentionally shocking him into a fatal [[heart attack]]. The next morning, Andy tries to convince Tyler that Chucky is evil, but Tyler refuses to believe him. Meanwhile, Chucky kills the camp barber Sergeant Botnick by slashing his throat with a straight razor. Whitehurst witnesses Botnick's murder and flees in terror.

Despite Cochrane's death, the school's annual war games are scheduled to proceed as planned, with cadets divided between a "Red Team" and "Blue Team". Andy, Shelton and Whitehurst are all on the Blue Team. Chucky secretly replaces the paint bullets of the Red team with live ammunition. When the simulation begins, Chucky lures Tyler away from his team. Andy tries to convince Whitehurst into helping him save Tyler, but Whitehurst is too scared to go. Finally realizing that Chucky is evil, Tyler stabs him with a pocket knife and flees to find Andy. Chucky then attacks De Silva and holds her hostage, forcing Andy to exchange Tyler for De Silva. The Blue team and Red team arrive on the scene and open fire; Shelton is killed by a bullet from the Red team while Tyler escapes in the chaos. Chucky tosses a grenade at the quarrelling cadets; Whitehurst leaps on top of the grenade, sacrificing himself to save the others.

Tyler flees to a nearby [[carnival]] where Chucky kills a security guard and captures him again. Andy and De Silva arrive soon after and take the security guard's gun. They follow Chucky and Tyler into a [[Horror fiction|horror-themed]] [[roller-coaster]]. Chucky wounds De Silva; she gives Andy the gun and tells him to save Tyler. Andy pursues Chucky deeper into the ride and repeatedly shoots him on top of a mountain of skulls, saving Tyler. Chucky revives and attacks again. In the struggle, Andy cuts off Chucky's right hand with Tyler's knife, and throws him into a massive [[Fan (machine)|metal fan]], shredding his body apart and finally killing him. In the aftermath, De Silva is rushed to the hospital while Andy is taken away by police for questioning.

== Cast ==
[[File:Justin Whalin at WonderCon 2009.JPG|thumb|upright|Justin Whalin portrays a 16-year-old Andy Barclay in ''Child's Play 3'']]
{{castlist|
* [[Justin Whalin]] as [[Andy Barclay]]
* [[Perrey Reeves]] as Kristin de Silva
* Jeremy Sylvers as Ronald Tyler
* [[Travis Fine]] as Cadet Lieutenant Colonel Brett C. Shelton
* Dean Jacobson as Harold Aubrey Whitehurst
* [[Brad Dourif]] as the voice of [[Chucky (character)|Chucky]]
* [[Peter Haskell]] as Sullivan
* [[Dakin Matthews]] as Colonel Francis Cochrane
* [[Andrew Robinson (actor)|Andrew Robinson]] as Sergeant Botnick
* [[Burke Byrnes]] as Sergeant Clark
* [[Matthew Walker (U.S. actor)|Matthew Walker]] as Ellis
* Donna Eskra as Jackie Ivers
* [[Edan Gross]] as the voice of Good Guy doll
* Terry Wills as Garbage Man
* Richard Marion as Patterson
* Laura Owens as Lady Executive
* Ron Fassler as Petzold
* [[Michael Chieffo]] as Security Guard
* [[Henry G. Sanders]] as Major
* [[Nigel Mansell]] as Himself
* [[Gerhard Berger]] as Himself
}}

== Production ==
Universal Studios had Don Mancini begin writing the third installment for the series before ''Child's Play 2'' was released, causing pressure on him to draft a storyline on such a tight schedule''.''<ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-09-05|title=10 Behind-The-Scenes Facts About The Making Of Child's Play 3|url=https://screenrant.com/childs-play-3-behind-scenes-facts/|access-date=2021-05-29|website=ScreenRant }}</ref> The film was formally greenlit after the successful release of its predecessor with a release date nine months away.

Mancini initially wanted to introduce the concept of "multiple Chuckys" in the movie, but due to budget constraints the idea was eventually scrapped.<ref name="TCF">{{cite AV media |last=Bibbiani|first=William|title=The Chucky Files – Don Mancini on Child's Play 3 (1991)|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JtZZ2uSz-A8|via=YouTube|access-date=10 December 2017}}</ref> Mancini later used this concept for the 2017 sequel ''[[Cult of Chucky]]''. It also was intended to open with a scene of a [[security guard]] portrayed by [[John Ritter]] frightening off a group of [[trespass]]ing children at the Good Guys factory by telling them scary stories about Chucky. After Mancini decided to make Andy Barclay 16 years old, he considered recasting the role with [[Jonathan Brandis]] before hiring Justin Whalin. Before Jack Bender became director, Mancini wanted to hire [[Peter Jackson]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|date=2020-09-05|title=10 Behind-The-Scenes Facts About The Making Of Child's Play 3|url=https://screenrant.com/childs-play-3-behind-scenes-facts/|access-date=2021-05-29|website=ScreenRant|language=en-US}}</ref>

Principal photography began on February 4, 1991, at the [[Kemper Military School]] in [[Boonville, Missouri|Boonville]], [[Missouri]]. Further filming took place in [[California]] at [[Los Angeles]] and the [[Universal Studios Lot]] in [[Universal City, California|Universal City]]. The carnival scenes were filmed in [[Valencia, California]].<ref name="afi" /> The puppeteers made the doll speak using computer technology to control its mouth movements to align with Dourif's prerecorded dialogue.<ref name=":0" /><ref name="afi" /> [[Brock Winkless|N. Brock Winkless IV]] returned to work as one of Chucky's puppeteers,<ref name=thr>{{cite news|first=Cheryl |last=Cheng |title=N. Brock Winkless IV, the Puppeteer of Chucky in 'Child's Play,' Dies at 56 |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/brock-winkless-chucky-puppeteer-dead-812328 |work=[[The Hollywood Reporter]] |date=2015-07-30 |access-date=2015-08-23}}</ref> as did [[Van Snowden]].

== Reception ==
=== Box-office ===
''Child's Play 3'' opened in second place at the US box office behind ''[[Dead Again]]'' with $5.7 million over the 4-day 1991 [[Labor Day]] weekend, which the ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'' called "slow numbers", however, it was the top-grossing Labor Day opening at the time, beating the record $4.6 million held by ''[[Bolero (1984 film)|Bolero]]'' since 1984.<ref>{{cite news |title=Weekend Box Office : 'Dead' Enlivens Labor Day Business |newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]] |date=1991-09-04 |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1991-09-04-ca-1695-story.html |access-date=2011-04-21 |first=David J. |last=Fox |archive-date=2012-01-20 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120120091911/http://articles.latimes.com/1991-09-04/entertainment/ca-1695_1_weekend-box-office |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|magazine=[[Daily Variety]]|date=August 30, 1994|page=40|title=Top-Ten Labor Day Openings}}</ref> It finished its theatrical run with $15 million in the US and Canada, and a total of $20.5 million worldwide.<ref name="mojo">{{cite web |url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/release/rl1397458433/weekend/ |title=Child's Play 3 |work=[[Box Office Mojo]] |access-date=2020-08-23 }}</ref>

=== Critical response ===
On [[Rotten Tomatoes]], the film has an approval rating of 19% based on reviews from 16 critics, and an average rating is 4.20/10, making it the poorest reviewed film in the series on the site.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/childs_play_3/ |title=Child's Play 3 (1991) |work=[[Rotten Tomatoes]] |date=August 30, 1991 |access-date=2023-11-02 }}</ref> On [[Metacritic]] it has a score of 27% based on reviews from 13 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable reviews".<ref>{{cite web |title=Child's Play 3 |url=https://www.metacritic.com/movie/childs-play-3 |website=[[Metacritic]] |access-date=2021-01-01 }}</ref>

Chris Hicks of the ''Deseret News'' called it "perverse" and criticized the film's plot.<ref>{{cite news|title= Child's Play 3 |work= [[Deseret News]]|url = https://www.deseret.com/article/700000308/Childs-Play-3.html|access-date=2011-04-21}}</ref> Caryn James of ''[[The New York Times]]'' called the Chucky doll "an impressive technological achievement" but said the film "misses the sharpness and dark humor" of the [[Child's Play (1988 film)|original film]].<ref>{{cite news |title= Child's Play 3 |work= [[The New York Times]]|date=1991-08-30 |url =https://www.nytimes.com/1991/08/30/movies/review-film-how-a-cute-little-killer-doll-turns-bad.html |access-date=2011-04-21 |first=Caryn |last=James }}</ref> ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'' called it a "noisy, mindless sequel" with good acting.<ref>{{cite news |title= Child's Play 3 |work= [[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |date=1990-12-31 |url = https://www.variety.com/review/VE1117789874 |access-date=2020-04-02 }}</ref> Richard Harrington of ''[[The Washington Post]]'' wrote, "Chucky himself is an animatronic delight, but one suspects the film's energies and budget have all been devoted to what is essentially a one-trick pony."<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/style/longterm/movies/videos/childsplay3rharrington_a0ab14.htm |title='Child's Play 3'|last=Harrington|first=Richard|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|date=1991-08-30|access-date=2015-08-23}}</ref> Stephen Wigle of ''[[The Baltimore Sun]]'' called it "fun for any fan of the slasher genre".<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.baltimoresun.com/bs-xpm-1991-08-30-1991242112-story.html|title='Child's Play 3': Chucky's back--more amusing and disturbing than ever|last=Wigle|first=Stephen|work=[[The Baltimore Sun]]|date=1991-08-30|access-date=2016-03-03|archive-date=2016-03-07|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160307205535/http://articles.baltimoresun.com/1991-08-30/entertainment/1991242112_1_chucky-justin-whalin-brad-dourif|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Series creator [[Don Mancini]] said that this was his least favorite entry in the series, adding that he ran out of ideas after the second film.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/61803/chucky-the-complete-collection/|title=Chucky: The Complete Collection (Blu-ray)|last=Zupan|first=Michael|work=[[DVD Talk]]|date=2013-10-11|access-date=2015-08-23}}</ref> He elaborated further in 2013 stating that he was not pleased with the casting, feeling Jeremy Sylvers was too old for the role of Tyler and Dakin Matthews was not the "[[R. Lee Ermey]]" archetype he was looking for in Colonel Cochrane.<ref name="TCF"/> Mancini would not make another entry in the ''Chucky'' series until seven years later, with ''[[Bride of Chucky]]''. In a 2017 interview, director Jack Bender also dismissed the film by calling it "kinda silly".{{Citation needed|date=October 2021}}

In the years since its release, ''Child’s Play 3'' has received a critical re-evaluation from retrospective critics and fans.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Eschberger |first=Tyler |date=2023-01-18 |title=‘Child’s Play 3’ – Let’s Give Some Love to the Franchise’s Most Unloved Movie |url=https://bloody-disgusting.com/editorials/3747630/childs-play-3-lets-give-some-love-to-the-franchises-most-unloved-movie/ |access-date=2024-09-10 |website=Bloody Disgusting! |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Ben |date=2019-10-23 |title=Child’s Play 3 (1991) Review |url=https://distinctchatter.co.uk/2019/10/23/childs-play-3-1991-review/ |access-date=2024-09-10 |website=Distinct Chatter |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Lolo |title=Movie Review: "Child's Play 3" (1991) |url=https://www.lololovesfilms.com/2019/10/movie-review-childs-play-3-1991.html?m=1 |access-date=2024-09-10 |language=en}}</ref> Its setting, tone, climax and Dourif’s performance has been praised and is considered by some to be one of the more superior films in the series, being compared to later entries like ''[[Seed of Chucky]]'' (2004).<ref>{{Cite web |last=Roberts |first=Daniel |date=2022-04-13 |title=Every 'Child's Play' Movie Ranked From Worst to Best |url=https://insidethemagic.net/2022/04/childs-play-movies-ranked-dr1/ |access-date=2024-09-10 |website=Inside the Magic |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Goodwin |first=Jess |date=2022-10-15 |title=I Ranked The "Child's Play" Movies From Least Favorite To Favorite And Want To See If You Agree |url=https://www.buzzfeed.com/jessg/ranking-childs-play-chucky-movies |access-date=2024-09-10 |website=BuzzFeed |language=en}}</ref>

In October 2021, [[Perrey Reeves]], who plays De Silva in the film, expressed interest in reprising her role as the character in the TV series ''[[Chucky (TV series)|Chucky]].''<ref>{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?si=yGD62vIxHt-fcPDr&v=QaXSVf-qhWE&feature=youtu.be |title=Perrey Reeves, aka Kristin De Silva from Child's Play 3, wants to return to the Chucky franchise!!!! |date=2021-10-02 |last=Luu Sapphire |access-date=2024-09-24 |via=YouTube}}</ref>

=== Awards ===
This film was nominated at the [[Saturn Award]] as [[Saturn Award for Best Horror Film|Best Horror Film]] and [[Justin Whalin]] was nominated as [[Saturn Award for Best Performance by a Younger Actor|Best Performance by a Younger Actor]] for his performance in this film.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films, USA (1992) |url=http://www.imdb.com/event/ev0000004/1992/1/ |access-date=2024-04-19 |website=IMDb}}</ref> [[Andrew Robinson (actor)|Andrew Robinson]] was nominated as Best Supporting Actor at the [[Fangoria Chainsaw Award]].

== Home media ==
''Child's Play 3'' was originally released on home video in North America on March 12, 1992 and on DVD on October 7, 2003.{{citation needed|date=January 2018}} It was also released in multiple collections, including ''The Chucky Collection'' (alongside ''Child's Play 2'' and ''Bride of Chucky''), released on October 7, 2003;<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2006/09/08/double-dip-digest-childs-play|title=Double Dip Digest: Child's Play|last=Goldman|first=Eric|work=[[IGN]]|date=2006-09-08|access-date=2016-01-17}}</ref> ''Chucky – The Killer DVD Collection'' (alongside ''Child's Play 2'', ''Bride'' and ''Seed of Chucky''), released on September 19, 2006;<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/23963/chucky-the-killer-dvd-collection/|title=Chucky: The Killer DVD Collection|last=Jane|first=Ian|work=[[DVD Talk]]|date=2006-09-21|access-date=2016-01-17}}</ref> ''Chucky: The Complete Collection'' (alongside ''Child's Play 1'' and ''2'', ''Bride'', ''Seed'' and ''Curse of Chucky''), released on October 8, 2013;<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/61803/chucky-the-complete-collection/|title=Chucky: The Complete Collection (Blu-ray)|last=Zupan|first=Michael|work=[[DVD Talk]]|date=2013-10-11|access-date=2016-01-17}}</ref> and ''Chucky: Complete 7-Movie Collection'' (alongside ''Child's Play 1'' and ''2'', ''Bride'', ''Seed'', ''Curse'' and ''Cult of Chucky''), released on October 3, 2017.

''Child's Play 3'' was released on 4K Ultra HD by [[Shout! Factory|Scream! Factory]] on August 16, 2022. This release included a new 4K scan from the original camera negative, a new Dolby Atmos track and several interviews recorded in 2022 with creator [[Don Mancini]], actress [[Perrey Reeves|Perry Reeves]], executive producer [[David Kirschner]], executive producer [[Robert Latham Brown]], actor Michael Chieffo, makeup artist Craig Reardon and production designer Richard Sawyer.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Child's Play 3 [Collector's Edition] + Exclusive Poster – UHD/Blu-ray :: Shout! Factory |url=https://shoutfactory.com/product/child-s-play-3-collector-s-edition?product_id=7856 |access-date=2022-08-29 |website=shoutfactory.com |language=en}}</ref>

== The murder of James Bulger ==
A suggested link with the film was made after the [[murder of James Bulger]]. The killers, who were ten years old at the time, were said to have imitated a scene in which one of Chucky's victims is splashed with blue paint. Psychologist Guy Cumberbatch stated, "The link with a video was that the father of one of the boys – Jon Venables – had rented ''Child's Play 3'' some months earlier."<ref>{{cite news|title= Boys guilty of Bulger murder |work= [[The Times]]|date=1993-11-25|url = http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/archive/tol_archive/article6820479.ece|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20100526183155/http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/archive/tol_archive/article6820479.ece|url-status = dead|archive-date = May 26, 2010|access-date=2011-04-21|location=London|first1=Ronald|last1=Faux|first2=Bill|last2=Frost}}</ref> However, the police officer who directed the investigation, Albert Kirby, found that the son, Jon, was not living with his father at the time and was unlikely to have seen the film. Moreover, the boy disliked horror films—a point later confirmed by psychiatric reports. Thus the police investigation, which had specifically looked for a video link, concluded there was none.{{citation needed|date=May 2020}} However, the judge, [[Michael Morland|Justice Morland]], said in his comments that the murder had "some striking similarities" to the film and that "grave crimes by young children" could be caused by reasons including exposure to violent video films "including possibly Child's Play 3". Following the trial, the Association of Video Retailers in the UK recommended that its members voluntarily remove the trilogy from their shelves.<ref>{{cite magazine|magazine=[[Screen International]]|date=December 3, 1993|page=23|title=Trial sparks debate on video violence|last=Harrison|first=Amanda}}</ref>

The film remained controversial in Europe, and both [[Sky UK|Sky Television]] in the United Kingdom and [[Canal+ (Spanish TV provider)|Canal+]] in Spain refused to broadcast the film as regular programming<ref name=afi/> and the case led to new legislation for video films.<ref>{{cite news|title= Life after James |work=[[The Guardian]]|date=2003-02-06|url = https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2003/feb/06/bulger.ukcrime|access-date=2011-04-21|location=London|first=Blake|last=Morrison}}</ref>

== Other media ==
=== Novelization ===
A tie-in novel was later written by Matthew J. Costello. Just like ''Child's Play 2'', this novel had some of the author's own inclusions. In the beginning (adapted from an earlier draft of the screenplay), in the Play Pals factory, a rat scours for food and, smelling blood within the plastic, chews on Chucky's remains. Blood then leaks out of the remains and somehow leaks onto another doll.

Chucky's death in this book is also different. In the novel, while defending Tyler on an exterior ride, Andy grapples with Chucky before finally shooting him several times, causing the doll's body to fall to the ground, and Andy watches the head shatter to blood, metal and plastic.

=== Sequels ===
The film was followed by ''[[Bride of Chucky]]'' in 1998, ''[[Seed of Chucky]]'' in 2004, ''[[Curse of Chucky]]'' in 2013, ''[[Cult of Chucky]]'' in 2017, and the TV series ''[[Chucky (TV series)|Chucky]]'' in 2021.

=== Halloween Horror Nights ===
In 2009, the climax of ''Child's Play 3'' received its own maze at [[Universal Studios]]{{'}} ''[[Halloween Horror Nights]]'', entitled ''Chucky's Fun House''.

This is not the first time [[Chucky (character)|Chucky]] has been featured in ''Halloween Horror Nights''. Since 1992, Chucky has starred in his shows, ''Chucky's In-Your-Face Insults'' and ''Chucky's Insult Emporium''. ''[[Curse of Chucky]]'' also received its own Scarezone in the 2013 lineup.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.fearnet.com/news/news-article/universal-studios-halloween-horror-nights-introduces-chucky-and-purge-scarezones |date=August 15, 2013 |title=Universal Studios Halloween Horror Nights Introduces Chucky and Purge Scarezone |website=Fearnet.com |access-date=2018-09-19|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130817104148/http://www.fearnet.com/news/news-article/universal-studios-halloween-horror-nights-introduces-chucky-and-purge-scarezones|archive-date=August 17, 2013}}</ref>

== See also ==
{{Portal|1990s|Speculative fiction/Horror}}
* ''[[Dolly Dearest]]'', another 1991 horror movie about a killer doll released two months after ''Child's Play 3''

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
{{Wikiquote}}
* {{IMDb title|0103956}}
* {{Rotten Tomatoes|2=Child's Play 3}}
* {{AllMovie title|9233}}

{{Child's Play}}
{{Jack Bender}}
{{David Kirschner}}

[[Category:1991 films]]
[[Category:1991 horror films]]
[[Category:1991 black comedy films]]
[[Category:1990s teen horror films]]
[[Category:1990s serial killer films]]
[[Category:1990s slasher films]]
[[Category:American sequel films]]
[[Category:American slasher films]]
[[Category:American serial killer films]]
[[Category:American teen horror films]]
[[Category:American black comedy films]]
[[Category:1990s English-language films]]
[[Category:Films about the military]]
[[Category:Films set in Chicago]]
[[Category:Films set in Missouri]]
[[Category:Films shot in Missouri]]
[[Category:Films shot in Georgia (U.S. state)]]
[[Category:Films shot in Los Angeles]]
[[Category:Child's Play (franchise) films]]
[[Category:Films set in 1998]]
[[Category:Universal Pictures films]]
[[Category:Films directed by Jack Bender]]
[[Category:Films with screenplays by Don Mancini]]
[[Category:Films set in amusement parks]]
[[Category:1991 directorial debut films]]
[[Category:1990s American films]]
[[Category:Films about Voodoo]]
[[Category:Films scored by Cory Lerios]]
[[Category:Films scored by John D'Andrea]]
[[Category:English-language black comedy films]]
[[Category:English-language horror films]]
[[Category:English-language crime films]]

Chelsea Girls

2024-10-01T17:14:16Z

98.18.198.104: /* External links */

{{Short description|1966 film by Paul Morrissey, Andy Warhol}}
{{about|the Andy Warhol film|the album by Nico|Chelsea Girl (album)| the title track of the Nico album|Chelsea Girls (song)}}
{{Infobox film
| name = Chelsea Girls
| image = Chelsea Girls, movie poster, 3.jpg
| caption = US theatrical release poster
| director = [[Andy Warhol]] [[Paul Morrissey]]
| producer = Andy Warhol
| writer = [[Ronald Tavel]] Andy Warhol
| starring = {{Plainlist|
* [[Nico]]
* [[Brigid Berlin]]
* [[Ondine (actor)|Ondine]]
* [[Gerard Malanga]]
* [[Eric Emerson]]
* [[Mary Woronov]]
* [[Mario Montez]]
* Ingrid Superstar
* [[International Velvet (actress)|International Velvet]]
}}
| music = [[The Velvet Underground]]
| cinematography = Andy Warhol Paul Morrissey (uncredited)
| distributor = Filmmakers Distribution Center
| released = {{Film date|1966|09|15}}
| runtime = 210 minutes (approx.)
| language = English
| country = United States
| budget = $3,000 (approx.)
}}

'''''Chelsea Girls''''' is a 1966 American [[experimental film|experimental]] [[underground film]] directed by [[Andy Warhol]] and [[Paul Morrissey]]. The film was Warhol's first major commercial success after a long line of [[avant-garde]] [[art film]]s (both feature-length and short). It was shot at the [[Hotel Chelsea]] and other locations in New York City, and follows the lives of several of the young women living there, and stars many of [[Warhol superstars|Warhol's superstars]]. The film is presented in a [[split screen (video production)|split screen]], accompanied by alternating soundtracks attached to each scene and an alternation between black-and-white and color photography. The original cut runs at just over three hours long.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.allmovie.com/work/the-chelsea-girls-87082/review|title=All Movie: The Chelsea Girls|work=AllMovie.Com|access-date=16 September 2009}}</ref>

==Cast==
The cast of the film is largely made up of persons playing themselves, and are credited as follows:
{{Div col}}
* [[Brigid Berlin]] as herself (The Duchess)
* [[Nico]] as herself
* [[Ondine (actor)|Ondine]] as himself (Pope)
* Ingrid Superstar as herself
* Randy Bourscheidt as himself
* Angelina 'Pepper' Davis as herself
* [[Christian Aaron Boulogne]] as himself
* [[Mary Woronov]] as Hanoi Hannah
* Ed Hood as himself
* Ronna as herself
* [[Susan Bottomly|International Velvet]] as herself
* Rona Page as herself
* [[Rene Ricard]] as himself
* [[Dorothy Dean]] as herself
* Patrick Fleming as himself
* [[Eric Emerson]] as himself
* Donald Lyons as himself
* [[Gerard Malanga]] as Son
* [[Marie Menken]] as Mother
* Arthur Loeb as himself
* [[Mario Montez]] as Transvestite
{{Div col end}}

==Production==
===Development===
According to scriptwriter [[Ronald Tavel]], Warhol first brought up the idea for the film in the back room of [[Max's Kansas City]], Warhol's favorite nightspot, during the summer of 1966. In [[Ric Burns]]' documentary film ''Andy Warhol'', Tavel recollected that Warhol took a napkin and drew a line down the middle and wrote 'B' and 'W' on opposite sides of the line; he then showed it to Tavel, explaining "I want to make a movie that is a long movie, that is all black on one side and all white on the other." Warhol was referring to both the visual concept of the film, as well as the content of the scenes presented.

===Shooting===
The film was shot in the summer and early autumn of 1966 in various rooms and locations inside the Hotel Chelsea, though contrary to the film's title, only poet [[René Ricard]] actually lived there at the time.<ref name=STM>Leve, Ariel 'New York Storeys' ''The Sunday Times Magazine'', 25 March 2007, pp. 40–51. p. 49</ref> Filming also took place at Warhol's studio [[The Factory]]. Appearing in the film were many of Warhol's regulars, including [[Nico]], [[Brigid Berlin]], [[Gerard Malanga]], [[Mary Woronov]] as Hanoi Hannah, Ingrid Superstar, [[Susan Bottomly|International Velvet]] and [[Eric Emerson]]. According to Burns' documentary, Warhol and his companions completed an average of one 33-minute segment per week.

[[Image:Nicoondinechelseagirls.png|left|thumb|325px|[[Nico]] (left) and [[Ondine (actor)|Ondine]] (right) in the final scene of ''Chelsea Girls''. This still comes from the 2003 Italian DVD print of the film.]]

===Editing===
Once principal photography wrapped, Warhol and co-director [[Paul Morrissey]] selected the 12 most striking vignettes they had filmed and then projected them side by side to create a visual juxtaposition of both contrasting images and divergent content (the so-called "white" or light and innocent aspects of life against the "black" or darker, more disturbing aspects.) As a result, the 6.5 hour running time was essentially cut in half, to 3 hours and 15 minutes. However, part of Warhol's concept for the film was that it would be unlike watching a regular movie because the two projectors could never achieve exact synchronization from viewing to viewing; therefore, despite specific instructions of where individual sequences would be played during the running time, each viewing of the film would, in essence, be an entirely different experience.

Several of the sequences have gone on to attain a [[cult following|cult status]], most notably the "Pope" sequence, featuring avant-garde actor and poet Robert Olivo, or [[Ondine (actor)|Ondine]] as he called himself, as well as a segment featuring [[Mary Woronov]] titled "Hanoi Hannah," one of two portions of the film scripted specifically by Tavel.

Notably missing is a sequence Warhol shot with his most popular superstar [[Edie Sedgwick]] which, according to Morrissey, Warhol excised from the final film at the insistence of Sedgwick, who claimed she was under contract to [[Bob Dylan]]'s manager [[Albert Grossman]] at the time the film was made. Sedgwick's footage was used in the Warhol film ''Afternoon''.

The film was the inspiration for star [[Nico]]'s 1967 debut album, ''[[Chelsea Girl (album)|Chelsea Girl]]'', which featured a ballad-like track titled "[[Chelsea Girls (song)|Chelsea Girls]]", which was written about the hotel and its inhabitants.

==Release==
Warhol and his entourage attended the 1967 Cannes Film Festival to present the film, but it wasn't shown.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news |last=Sheffy |first=Pearl |date=1967-05-28 |title=Andy Warhol At Cannes |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-san-francisco-examiner-andy-warhol-a/147786864/ |access-date=2024-08-17 |work=The San Francisco Sunday Examiner & Chronicle |pages=6}}</ref> "The festival authorities explained that the film was too long, there were technical problems, there was no time."<ref name=":0" />

===Certification===
In the UK, ''Chelsea Girls'' was refused a theatrical certificate in 1967 by the [[British Board of Film Classification]].<ref>{{cite book |last=Heins |first=Marjorie |date=September 11, 2007 |title=Not in Front of the Children: 'Indecency,' Censorship, and the Innocence of Youth |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3Phb_wsA1J8C&q=British+Board+of+Film+Classification+chelsea+girls&pg=PA208 |publisher=Rutgers University Press |page=208|isbn=9780813543888 }}</ref>
===Poster===
The girl in the poster is [[Clare Shenstone]], at the age of 16, an aspiring artist later influenced by [[Francis Bacon (artist)|Francis Bacon]].<ref>{{cite news | title=Man in the Mask | work=The Guardian | url=https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2005/oct/16/art | access-date=November 18, 2012 | location=London | date=16 October 2005}}</ref> With its creativity and eroticism, the poster captures the sensual essence of the film, and was designed for its London release by graphic artist Alan Aldridge. Warhol was extremely happy with the design, and commented that he "wished the movie was as good as the poster".<ref>[http://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/warhol-chelsea-girls-ar00325/text-online-caption "Online caption".] [[Tate Gallery]] website.</ref> The poster was used as the cover art for [[Felt (band)|Felt]]'s 1984 album ''[[The Splendour of Fear]]''.

===Critical reception===
[[Image:Chelseagirlsscreen.png|thumb|right|275px|Still from ''Chelsea Girls'', featuring [[Mary Woronov]] in color photography on the left side, and black & white photography on the right.]]Although the film garnered the most commercial success of Warhol's films, reaction to it was mixed. On Rotten Tomatoes the film has an approval rating of 50%, based on reviews from 10 critics.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/chelsea_girls/ |work= [[Rotten Tomatoes]] |title=Chelsea Girls|access-date=9 July 2009}}</ref>

Roger Ebert reviewed the film in June 1967, and had a negative response to it, granting it one star out of four. In his review of the film, he stated, "what we have here is 3½ hours of split-screen improvisation poorly photographed, hardly edited at all, employing perversion and sensation like chili sauce to disguise the aroma of the meal. Warhol has nothing to say and no technique to say it with. He simply wants to make movies, and he does: hours and hours of them."<ref>{{cite news|url=http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19670626/REVIEWS/706260301/1023|title=Roger Ebert reviews "Chelsea Girls"|date=27 June 1967|author=Ebert, Roger|access-date=8 July 2009|work=Chicago Sun-Times|archive-date=11 January 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130111024441/http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19670626/REVIEWS/706260301/1023|url-status=dead}}</ref> ''Variety'' wrote that the film was "a pointless, excruciatingly dull three-and-a-half hours spent in the company of Andy Warhol's friends."<ref>{{cite news|url=https://variety.com/1966/film/reviews/the-chelsea-girls-1200421281/|title=The Chelsea Girls|date=December 31, 1966|access-date=September 8, 2017|work=Variety}}</ref>

Kenneth Baker of the ''San Francisco Chronicle'' reviewed the film in honor of its screening in the San Francisco Bay Area in 2002, and gave the film a positive review, stating "The tyranny of the camera is the oppression ''The Chelsea Girls'' records and imposes. No wonder it still seems radical, despite all we have seen onscreen and off since 1966."<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2002/04/11/DD176261.DTL|title=Film flashes back to Warhol '60s / Rarely seen movie a near overdose of artist's voyeurism|author=Baker, Kenneth|work=San Francisco Chronicle|date=11 April 2002|access-date=8 July 2009}}</ref> Jonathan Rosenbaum also gave the film a positive review, stating that "the results are often spellbinding; the juxtaposition of two film images at once gives the spectator an unusual amount of freedom in what to concentrate on and what to make of these variously whacked-out performers."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/the-chelsea-girls/Film?oid=1059358|title=''The Chelsea Girls''|website=Reader|first=Jonathan|last=Rosenbaum|date=26 October 1985 }}</ref> ''TV Guide'' reviewed the film in December 2006, granting it four stars, calling it "fascinating, provocative, and hilarious" and "a film whose importance as a 1960s cultural statement outweighs any intrinsic value it may have as a film."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://movies.tvguide.com/chelsea-girls/review/110740|work=TV Guide|title=Review: ''The Chelsea Girls''|date=17 December 2006|access-date=9 July 2009|archive-date=6 March 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120306000752/http://movies.tvguide.com/chelsea-girls/review/110740|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==Availability==

===Home media===
''Chelsea Girls'' is largely unavailable for home video format. The film belongs to the Andy Warhol Foundation, and it, along with Warhol's other films (apart from a handful of his ''[[Screen Tests]]'', which have since been released on DVD)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001MG2YQO|title=The 13 Most Beautiful Songs for Andy Warhol's Screen Tests DVD|work=Amazon.com|date=7 April 2009 |access-date=8 July 2009}}</ref> have never seen home video releases in the United States. In Europe, however, a handful of Warhol's films were released on DVD, including a short-lived DVD print of ''Chelsea Girls'' which was available in Italy for some time. This Italian DVD print, which is the film's only official home video release, was released on September 16, 2003.<ref>{{cite web|title=Chelsea Girls|work=Amazon.com|date=16 September 2003 |access-date=17 September 2009|url=https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0002JC674}}</ref>

===Museum screenings===
While the film is unavailable for personal purchase, it is often screened at art museums, and has been shown at [[Museum of Modern Art|The Museum of Modern Art]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.moma.org/visit/calendar/film_screenings/4012|title=MOMA: The Chelsea Girls screening: 8 June 2007|work=Museum of Modern Art|access-date=8 July 2009}}</ref> (which owns a rare print of the film reels) as well as [[The Andy Warhol Museum]] in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The film was screened in San Francisco for the first time in nearly 20 years at [[Castro Theatre]] in April 2002.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sfcinematheque.org/calendar-17937.shtml?x=36 |title=San Francisco Cinematheque Film Calendar: April–July 2002 |work=San Francisco Cinematheque |access-date=9 July 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110716095212/http://www.sfcinematheque.org/calendar-17937.shtml?x=36 |archive-date=16 July 2011 }}</ref> Screenings were held in 2010 at the [[Seattle Art Museum]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.seattleartmuseum.org/calendar/eventDetail.asp?eventID=18981&month=4&day=21&year=2010&sxID=&WHEN=&sxTitle=|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100524123041/http://www.seattleartmuseum.org/calendar/eventDetail.asp?eventID=18981&sxTitle=&WHEN=&month=4&day=21&year=2010&sxID=|url-status=dead|archive-date=24 May 2010|title=Seattle Art Museum Film Calendar: May 21, 2010|work=Seattle Art Museum|access-date=11 May 2010}}</ref> and at the Varsity Theater in Chapel Hill, North Carolina,<ref>http://www.ackland.org/visit/calendar.php?q=2010-11-18{{dead link|date=October 2014}}</ref> in 2011 at the [[High Museum of Art]] in Atlanta, Georgia,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.high.org/~/media/Sites/HMA/Res/PDF/Press/MoMAfilmseriesFINAL.ashx|title=High Presents "Modern Masters of Film: From Edison to Scorsese," with 11 Films from One of the World's Most Important Film Repositories|website=[[High Museum of Art]]|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141006092005/http://www.high.org/~/media/Sites/HMA/Res/PDF/Press/MoMAfilmseriesFINAL.ashx|archive-date=2014-10-06}}</ref> and the
[[Block Museum of Art]] in Evanston, Illinois in 2016.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Chelsea Girls |url=https://www.blockmuseum.northwestern.edu/view/cinema/past-cinema/2016/ChelseaGirls.html |website=The Block Museum of Art |access-date=19 January 2019}}</ref> The full 3 1/2 hour version of the film was screened at the [[Brooklyn Museum]] in a custom built theatre within their edition of the ''Andy Warhol: Revelation'' exhibit from November 19, 2021 to June 19, 2022.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.brooklynmuseum.org/exhibitions/andy_warhol_revelation | title=Brooklyn Museum: Andy Warhol: Revelation }}</ref>

==See also==
* [[Andy Warhol filmography]]
* [[Reality films]]
* [[Arthouse cinema]]
* [[Eileen Myles#Written works|Eileen Myles]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{IMDb title|id=0061465|title=Chelsea Girls}}
* {{Rotten Tomatoes|2=Chelsea Girls}}
* {{AllMovie title|87082|Chelsea Girls}}
* [https://www.chicagofilmsociety.org/2014/08/19/andy-warhols-magic-trick/ Andy Warhol's Magic Trick: The Disappearing 16mm Projector], 2014, [[Chicago Film Society]]

{{Warhol}}
{{Paul Morrissey}}

[[Category:1966 films]]
[[Category:Films directed by Andy Warhol]]
[[Category:Films directed by Paul Morrissey]]
[[Category:American black-and-white films]]
[[Category:Films set in New York City]]
[[Category:Multi-screen film]]
[[Category:Women in New York City]]
[[Category:1960s English-language films]]
[[Category:1960s American films]]

Cemetery Man

2024-10-01T17:03:36Z

98.18.198.104: /* External links */

{{short description|1994 Italian comedy horror film}}
{{Infobox film
| name = Cemetery Man
| image = Cemetery-man.jpg
| alt =
| caption = Italian film poster
| native_name = 
| director = [[Michele Soavi]]
| producer = {{plainlist|* Tilde Corsi
* Gianni Romoli
* Michele Soavi}}
| screenplay = Gianni Romoli<ref name="var" />
| based_on = {{Based on|''Dellamorte Dellamore''|
[[Tiziano Sclavi]]}}
| starring = {{plainlist|* [[Rupert Everett]]
* [[François Hadji-Lazaro]]
* [[Anna Falchi]]}}
| music = [[Manuel De Sica]]<ref name="var" />
| cinematography = Mauro Marchetti<ref name="var" />
| editing = [[Franco Fraticelli]]<ref name="var" />
| studio = Audifilm<ref name="var" />
| distributor = DARC
| released = {{Film date|df=yes|1994|||}}
| runtime = 100 minutes<ref name="var" />
| country = {{plainlist|*Italy
*France
*Germany<ref name="var" />}}
| language =
| budget =
| gross =
}}

'''''Cemetery Man''''' ({{lang-it|Dellamorte Dellamore}}) is a 1994 [[Comedy horror|comedy horror film]] directed by [[Michele Soavi]] and starring [[Rupert Everett]], [[François Hadji-Lazaro]] and [[Anna Falchi]]. It was produced by Tilde Corsi, Gianni Romoli and Soavi and based on the [[novel]] ''Dellamorte Dellamore'' by [[Tiziano Sclavi]].<ref name="var">{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/1994/film/reviews/dellamorte-dellamore-1200436095/|work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|title=Dellamorte Dellamore|access-date=16 October 2019|date=28 March 1994|last=Young|first=Deborah|archive-date=14 August 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180814233627/https://variety.com/1994/film/reviews/dellamorte-dellamore-1200436095/|url-status=live}}</ref> Everett plays a beleaguered caretaker of a small Italian cemetery, who searches for love while defending himself from dead people who keep rising again. It is an international co-production between Italy, France, and Germany.

==Plot==
Francesco Dellamorte is the cemetery caretaker in the small Italian town of Buffalora. He lives in a ramshackle house on the premises, constantly surrounded by death, with only his [[intellectual disability|mentally disabled]] assistant Gnaghi for company. Young punks in town spread gossip that Dellamorte is [[Erectile dysfunction|impotent]]. His hobbies are reading outdated telephone directories, in which he crosses out the names of the deceased, and trying to assemble a puzzle shaped like a human skull. Gnaghi can speak only one word: "Gna".

The Latin inscription over the Buffalora Cemetery gate reads ''RESURRECTURIS'' ("For those who will rise again"), and indeed, some people rise from their graves as aggressive [[zombies]] within seven nights following their deaths. Dellamorte destroys these creatures, which he calls "Returners", before they overrun the town. Buffalora's mayor is so fixated on his reelection campaign that he does not register Dellamorte's pleas for an investigation. Being an outcast in the village and almost illiterate, Dellamorte does not want to lose his job. He opens up to his only friend, Franco, a municipal clerk, but does not file the paperwork to get assistance. He explains, "It's easier just to shoot them."

At a funeral, Dellamorte falls in love with the young widow of a rich, elderly man. She is won over when Dellamorte tells her about the [[ossuary]], which she adores. While consummating their relationship by her late husband's grave, the undead husband arises and bites her. She seems to die from the bite, but the coroner claims it was a heart attack. Fearing the worst, Dellamorte stays near her corpse, and shoots her when she rises.

Gnaghi becomes infatuated with the mayor's teen daughter, Valentina, but she is tragically decapitated in a motorcycle accident. Undeterred, Gnaghi digs up her reanimated head and begins an innocent romance. The relationship is cut short, however, when the mayor finds out and Valentina rips out his throat with her teeth. Dellamorte is forced to shoot her. The young widow also rises again, causing Dellamorte to believe she was [[Suspended animation|not really a zombie]] when he first shot her, in which case it was he who killed her. He plummets into a depression and is visited by the leering figure of [[Death (personification)|Death]], who tells him to "Stop killing the dead" and suggests shooting the living instead.

Dellamorte encounters two more unnamed women, identical in appearance to his now-dead lover. The first is an assistant to the new mayor. She confesses to Dellamorte that she is terrified of sexual penetration, so Dellamorte demands to have his penis removed by the local doctor. Refusing to do so, the doctor instead gives him an injection to induce temporary impotence. Meanwhile, the woman has been raped by and fallen in love with her employer. Having lost her phobia, she plans to marry her rapist and discards the cemetery man.

His grip on reality slipping, Dellamorte heads into town at night and shoots the young men who have made fun of him for years. He meets a third manifestation of the woman he loves and they go to bed together, but when he later learns she is a prostitute, he kills her and two other women by setting their house on fire. Franco is accused of these murders after killing his wife and child, and attempts suicide. Dellamorte goes to visit Franco in the hospital. Sitting by the hospital bed, he casually murders a nun, a nurse, and a doctor. Franco claims to not recognize him. Distraught and confused, Dellamorte screams out a confession, but is ignored.

Gnaghi and Dellamorte pack up their car and leave Buffalora. Gnaghi's head is injured when Dellamorte slams on the brakes. They get out of the vehicle and walk to the edge of the road, where it drops into a chasm. Gnaghi begins to seize and collapses to the ground. Dellamorte realizes that the rest of the world does not exist. Fearing his assistant is dying, he loads a gun with two [[Expanding bullet|dumdum bullets]] to finish them both off. However, Dellamorte cannot bring himself to shoot his friend. Gnaghi wakes up, drops the gun off the cliff, and asks to be taken home, speaking clearly for the first time. Dellamorte replies: "Gna." As the credits roll, the camera zooms out to reveal the two men standing in a snow globe.

==Cast==
* [[Rupert Everett]] as Francesco Dellamorte
* [[François Hadji-Lazaro]] as Gnaghi
* [[Anna Falchi]] as She
* [[Mickey Knox (actor)|Mickey Knox]] as Marshall Straniero
* [[Anton Alexander (actor)|Anton Alexander]] as Franco
* Fabiana Formica as Valentina Scanarotti
* Clive Riche as Dr. Vercesi
* Stefano Masciarelli as Mayor Scanarotti
* Alessandro Zamattio as Claudio
* Katja Anton as Claudio's girlfriend
* [[Barbara Cupisti]] as Magda
* Patrizia Punzo as Claudio's mother
* Renato Doris as She's husband
* [[Derek Jacobi]] as Death

==Production==

The film is based on Tiziano Sclavi's novel ''Dellamorte Dellamore'', written in 1983 but published in 1991. In 1986, Sclavi created the comic character [[Dylan Dog]], who not only shares some characteristics with Francesco Dellamorte but was visually based on Rupert Everett (as an in-joke, the film cast Everett and costumed the character in a fashion deliberately reminiscent of Dylan Dog). Previous to the novel's publication, Sclavi had reused its plot in an issue of ''Dylan Dog'' guest-starring Francesco. The filmmakers were aware of this as well in casting Everett and alluding to the links between the two characters. In view of the above, and in terms of its plot, melancholic themes and use of Sclavi's trademark black humor, ''Cemetery Man'' is closer to an adaptation of ''Dylan Dog'' than the later 2011 film starring Brandon Routh.

==Release==

''Cemetery Man'' was first released on 1994.<ref name="var" />{{sfn|Curti|2016|p=197}} American distributor [[October Films]] changed its title to ''Cemetery Man'' and released it on April 26, 1996.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1996/04/12/arts/home-video-067652.html|title=Home Video|last=Nichols|first=Peter M.|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=12 April 1996|access-date=7 June 2014|archive-date=3 April 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150403025723/http://www.nytimes.com/1996/04/12/arts/home-video-067652.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

[[Anchor Bay Entertainment]] released the film on [[DVD region code|R1]] [[DVD]] in 2006 under the American title ''Cemetery Man''.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20081205143707/http://www.anchorbayentertainment.com/index.asp?p=CatalogDetail&SKU=DV13093&PriCatID=3 ''Cemetery Man'' page] on Anchor Bay's website</ref> In May 2024, ''Cemetery Man'' was released on [[Ultra HD Blu-ray|4K-UHD]] and [[Blu-ray]] by boutique distributor [[Severin Films]].<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0CY5JYG43/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 | title=Cemetery Man | website=Amazon | date=28 May 2024 }}</ref>

==Reception==
[[Rotten Tomatoes]], a [[review aggregator]], reports that 61% of 31 surveyed critics gave the film a positive review; the average rating is 6.10/10. The site's consensus reads: "''Cemetery Man'' will frustrate viewers seeking narrative cohesion or coherence, but this surreal brand of humor and horror should satisfy B-movie fans in the mood for quirk".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://rottentomatoes.com/m/cemetery_man/|title=Dellamorte Dellamore (Cemetery Man) (Demons '95) (Of Death, of Love) (1996)|work=[[Rotten Tomatoes]]|publisher=[[Fandango Media]]|access-date=February 1, 2022|archive-date=February 3, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220203044404/https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/cemetery_man|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Stephen Holden]] of ''[[The New York Times]]'' wrote that the film is unconventional but becomes repetitive as Everett dispatches shallow metaphors for fascism.<ref>{{cite web|author=Holden, Stephen|author-link=Stephen Holden|url=https://www.nytimes.com/library/filmarchive/cemetery_man.html|title=Zombie-Bashing and Necrophilia|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=April 26, 1996|access-date=September 16, 2017}}</ref> Bob Stephens of ''[[The San Francisco Examiner]]'' wrote that the film suffers from an uneven tone but "is redeemed by his uncommon visual imagination".<ref>{{cite news|last=Stephens|first=Bob|title=Jokes and Gore a Bad Mix in ''Cemetery Man''|url=http://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Jokes-gore-a-bad-mix-in-Cemetery-Man-3145025.php|work=San Francisco Examiner|date=May 10, 1996|access-date=September 16, 2017|archive-date=September 16, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170916225517/http://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Jokes-gore-a-bad-mix-in-Cemetery-Man-3145025.php|url-status=live}}</ref> Deborah Young of ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'' wrote, "A hip, offbeat horror item floating on a bed of dark philosophy, ''Dellamorte Dellamore'' is a deceptively easy genre picture with hidden depths."<ref name="var" /> [[Mick LaSalle]] of the ''[[San Francisco Chronicle]]'' wrote, "It aims high and misses, but it does hold interest with visual flash, wry humor and a couple of sex scenes that can make steam come out of your ears."<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.sfgate.com/movies/article/Cemetery-Arouses-Sexy-Newly-Deads-2983092.php|title='Cemetery' Arouses Sexy Newly-Deads|last=LaSalle|first=Mick|work=[[San Francisco Chronicle]]|date=May 10, 1996|access-date=March 11, 2015|archive-date=April 2, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402170114/http://www.sfgate.com/movies/article/Cemetery-Arouses-Sexy-Newly-Deads-2983092.php|url-status=live}}</ref> In more modern reviews, [[Bloody Disgusting]] rated it 5/5 stars and called it "one of the greatest cult films of the last twenty years".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://bloody-disgusting.com/reviews/108298/cemetery-man-v-2/|title=Cemetery Man (V)|author=|work=[[Bloody Disgusting]]|date=June 7, 2006|access-date=March 12, 2015|archive-date=April 2, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402172237/http://bloody-disgusting.com/reviews/108298/cemetery-man-v-2/|url-status=live}}</ref> Joshua Siebalt of [[Dread Central]] rated it 4/5 stars and wrote that Soavi's direction and film's humor make it different and memorable.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dreadcentral.com/reviews/4293/cemetery-man-dvd/|title=Cemetery Man (DVD)|last=Siebalt|first=Joshua|work=[[Dread Central]]|date=July 29, 2006|access-date=March 11, 2015|archive-date=April 2, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402231126/http://www.dreadcentral.com/reviews/4293/cemetery-man-dvd/|url-status=live}}</ref>

Director [[Martin Scorsese]] called ''Dellamorte Dellamore'' one of the best Italian films of the 1990s.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20121104182525/http://movies.nytimes.com/person/112029/Michele-Soavi "Michele Soavi - Filmography"], ''New York Times''</ref>

==Sequel==
In January 2011, ''[[Fangoria]]'' reported that director Michele Soavi was planning a sequel. Soavi planned to shoot the film sometime near the end of 2011 or early 2012.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.fangoria.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=3260%3Amichele-soavi-plans-dellamorte-sequel-and-more&catid=1%3Alatest-news&Itemid=167 |title=Michele Soavi plans "Dellamorte" sequel and more! |access-date=2011-04-03 |archive-date=2013-10-01 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131001201650/http://www.fangoria.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=3260%3Amichele-soavi-plans-dellamorte-sequel-and-more&catid=1%3Alatest-news&Itemid=167 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

== References ==

===Footnotes===
{{reflist}}

===Sources===
{{Refbegin}}
* {{cite book |last=Curti |first=Roberto |title=Diabolika: Supercriminals, Superheroes and the Comic Book Universe in Italian Cinema |publisher=Midnight Marquee Press |date=2016 |isbn=978-1-936168-60-6 }}
{{Refend}}

==External links==
* {{IMDb title|0109592}}
* {{allrovi movie|133498|Cemetery Man}}
* {{Rotten Tomatoes|cemetery_man|Cemetery Man}}

{{Michele Soavi}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cemetery Man}}
[[Category:1994 films]]
[[Category:1994 comedy horror films]]
[[Category:1990s exploitation films]]
[[Category:1990s French films]]
[[Category:1990s German films]]
[[Category:English-language French films]]
[[Category:English-language German films]]
[[Category:English-language Italian films]]
[[Category:Fictional undertakers]]
[[Category:Films based on horror novels]]
[[Category:Films based on Italian novels]]
[[Category:Films directed by Michele Soavi]]
[[Category:Films scored by Manuel De Sica]]
[[Category:Films set in cemeteries]]
[[Category:Films set in Lombardy]]
[[Category:French comedy horror films]]
[[Category:French independent films]]
[[Category:French splatter films]]
[[Category:French supernatural horror films]]
[[Category:French zombie films]]
[[Category:German comedy horror films]]
[[Category:German independent films]]
[[Category:German splatter films]]
[[Category:German supernatural horror films]]
[[Category:German zombie films]]
[[Category:Gothic horror films]]
[[Category:Italian comedy horror films]]
[[Category:Italian independent films]]
[[Category:Italian splatter films]]
[[Category:Italian supernatural horror films]]
[[Category:Italian zombie films]]
[[Category:Live-action films based on comics]]
[[Category:Supernatural comedy films]]
[[Category:Zombie comedy films]]
[[Category:Italian monster movies]]
[[Category:Italian black comedy films]]
[[Category:LGBTQ-related controversies in film]]
[[Category:Italian exploitation films]]

The Candidate (1972 film)

2024-10-01T13:26:55Z

98.18.198.104: /* External links */

{{Short description|1972 film by Michael Ritchie}}
{{use mdy dates|date=November 2023}}
{{Infobox film
| image = Candidateposter.jpg
| caption = Theatrical release poster
| director = [[Michael Ritchie (film director)|Michael Ritchie]]
| producer = [[Walter Coblenz]]
| writer = [[Jeremy Larner]]
| starring = {{Plainlist|
* [[Robert Redford]]
* [[Peter Boyle]]
}}
| music = [[John Rubinstein]]
| cinematography = {{Plainlist|
* [[Victor J. Kemper]]
* [[John Korty]]
}}
| editing = {{Plainlist|
* [[Robert Estrin]]
* [[Richard A. Harris]]
}}
| distributor = [[Warner Bros.]]
| released = {{Film date|1972|6|29}}
| runtime = 109 minutes
| country = United States
| language = English
| budget = $1.6 million<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.rogerebert.com/festivals-and-awards/redford-reflects-on-indie-films-political-climate |title=Redford Reflects On Indie Films, Political Climate |last=Ebert |first=Roger |date=January 19, 2003 |website=[[RogerEbert.com]] |access-date=November 23, 2018 }}</ref>
| gross = $2.5 million (U.S. and Canada rentals)<ref>{{cite magazine |date=January 3, 1973 |title=Big Rental Films Of 1972 |magazine=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |page=36 }}</ref>
}}

'''''The Candidate''''' is a 1972 American [[Political cinema|political]] [[comedy-drama]] film starring [[Robert Redford]] and [[Peter Boyle]], and directed by [[Michael Ritchie (film director)|Michael Ritchie]]. The [[Academy Award]]–winning screenplay, which examines the various facets and machinations involved in political campaigns, was written by [[Jeremy Larner]], a speechwriter for Senator [[Eugene J. McCarthy]] during McCarthy's campaign for the [[1968 United States presidential election#Democratic Party nomination|1968 Democratic presidential nomination]].

==Plot==
Marvin Lucas, a [[Political consulting|political consultant]], must find a [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] candidate to oppose three-term [[California]] [[United States Senate|Senator]] Crocker Jarmon, a popular [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]], in the upcoming election. With no big-name Democrat eager to enter the unwinnable race, Lucas seeks out Bill McKay, the idealistic, handsome, and charismatic son of the popular former California [[Governor (U.S.)|governor]] John J. McKay, who works as a [[Cause lawyer|public interest lawyer]].

Lucas gives McKay a proposition: since Jarmon cannot lose and the race is already decided, McKay is free to campaign saying exactly what he wants. McKay accepts in order to have the chance to spread his values, and hits the trail. With no serious Democratic opposition, McKay cruises to the nomination on his name alone. Lucas then has distressing news: according to the latest [[Opinion poll|polling]], McKay will be defeated by an overwhelming margin. Lucas says the party expected McKay to lose but not to be humiliated, so he convinces McKay to moderate his message to appeal to a broader range of voters.

McKay campaigns across the state, his message growing more generic each day. This approach lifts him in the opinion polls, but he has a new problem: because McKay's father has stayed out of the race, the media interpret his silence as an endorsement of Jarmon. McKay grudgingly meets his father and tells him the problem, and the elder McKay tells the media he is simply honoring his son's wishes to stay out of the race.

With McKay only nine points down in the polls, Jarmon proposes a debate. McKay agrees to give answers tailored by Lucas, but just as the debate ends, McKay has a pang of conscience and blurts out that the debate has not addressed real issues such as poverty and [[race relations]]. Lucas is furious, as this will hurt the campaign. Reporters try to confront McKay backstage but arrive as his father congratulates him on the debate. Instead of reporting on McKay's outburst, the story becomes the reemergence of the former governor to help his son. The positive story and McKay's father's help on the trail further close the polling gap.

With the election a few days away, Lucas and McKay's father set up a meet-and-greet with a [[labor union]] representative to discuss another possible endorsement. During the meeting, the union representative tells McKay that he feels they can do much good for each other if they work together. McKay ostensibly tells him that he is not interested in associating with him, but the tension is quelled with uncomfortable yet unanimous laughter. After a publicized endorsement with the union rep, and with Californian workers now behind him, McKay pulls into a virtual tie.

McKay wins the election. In the final scene, he escapes the victory party and pulls Lucas into a room while throngs of [[journalist]]s clamor outside. McKay asks Lucas, "What do we do now?" The media throng arrives to drag them out, and McKay never receives an answer.

==Cast==
{{castlist|
* [[Robert Redford]] as Bill McKay
* [[Peter Boyle]] as Marvin Lucas
* [[Melvyn Douglas]] as former Governor John J. McKay
* [[Don Porter]] as Senator Crocker Jarmon
* [[Allen Garfield]] as Howard Klein
* [[Karen Carlson]] as Nancy McKay
* [[Quinn K. Redeker|Quinn Redeker]] as Rich Jenkin
* Morgan Upton as Wally Henderson
* [[Michael Lerner (actor)|Michael Lerner]] as Paul Corliss
* [[Kenneth Tobey]] as Floyd J. Starkey
* Christopher Pray as David
* Joe Miksak as Neil Atkinson
* [[Jenny Sullivan]] as Lynn
* Tom Dahlgren as The pilot
* [[Gerald Hiken]] as the station manager
* Leslie Allen as Mabel
* [[Mike Barnicle]] as Wilson
* [[Broderick Crawford]] as Commercial Narrator (uncredited)
* [[George McGovern]] as himself
* [[Howard K. Smith]] as himself
* [[Hubert Humphrey]] as himself
* Van Amberg as himself
* [[Alan Cranston]] as himself
* [[John V. Tunney]] as himself
* [[Terry McGovern (actor)|Terry McGovern]] as himself
* [[Natalie Wood]] as herself
* [[Sam Yorty]] as himself
* [[Jesse M. Unruh]] as himself
* [[Bill Stout]] as himself}}

==Production==
Robert Redford said that the film was made as "a labor of love" and was shot inexpensively and quickly.<ref>All The President's Men (1976) 2004 Special Edition, audio commentary by Robert Redford</ref> Redford and Ritchie had approached perhaps ten scriptwriters before offering the job to Jeremy Larner, who was under pressure to work quickly so the film would be out in time for the 1972 presidential election campaign; he had "about a month" to write the script, and wrote "exactly from noon to 3 a.m. every day"<ref name="BKMag">{{cite web | url=https://www.bkmag.com/2016/07/19/the-candidate-interview/ | title='The Moment of Unreality': Jeremy Larner on The Candidate (And Much Else) | first=Steve | last=Macfarlane | date=July 19, 2016 | work=[[Brooklyn Magazine]] | access-date=May 18, 2021}}</ref> Larner, having worked as a journalist and speechwriter, said his "experiences with various politicians came into the story; I used some stuff that was directly from the campaigns".<ref name="BKMag" /> He also said that without the help he received from [[Robert Towne]] he would not have been able to complete the script.<ref>{{cite book |last=Biskind |first=Peter |title= Easy Riders, Raging Bulls: How the Sex 'n' Drugs 'n' Rock 'n' Roll Generation Saved Hollywood |year=1999 |publisher= [[Bloomsbury Publishing]]|page=50 |isbn=9780747544210}}</ref>

The character of McKay is based on U.S. Senator [[John V. Tunney]] (although he has similarities with [[Jerry Brown]] as well). Director Michael Ritchie worked for Tunney's successful campaign in the [[United States Senate elections, 1970|1970 Senate election]]; campaign manager [[Nelson Rising]] was an associate producer on the film.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.sfgate.com/opinion/article/To-get-things-done-in-California-listen-like-10952675.php | title=To get things done in California, listen like Nelson Rising | first=Joe | last=Mathews | date=February 23, 2017 | work=SFGate.com | access-date=May 18, 2021}}</ref>{{sfn|Kelley|2012|p=23}} Rising, who went on to a successful career working in law, property development, and as a civic leader, as well as continuing his work in California politics, was - according to Larner - "instrumental in finding political locations in the Bay Area, and in supplying political volunteers for many of our campaign extras".<ref name="BKMag" /> In the campaign, Tunney's media adviser had "bulls-eyed the young/old contrast" between Tunney and incumbent opponent [[George Murphy]].{{sfn|Kelley|2012|p=34}}

Ritchie, Redford and writer Jeremy Larner spent the whole summer of 1971 putting together the script.{{sfn|Kelley|2012|p=25}} The scene where McKay is berated in a men's room is based on an incident that happened to presidential candidate [[Eugene McCarthy]].{{sfn|Kelley|2012|p=28}} Larner said that "the moment when somebody hands McKay a Coke and a hot dog, so his hands are occupied, and then slugs him in the face—that really happened to McCarthy!".<ref name="BKMag" /> The scriptwriter also recounted how he "wrote that character for Redford, obviously, and he told me at one point, “I can easily play a character stupider than myself. But I can’t be a bad guy—my public wouldn’t stand for it”".<ref name="BKMag" />

The character Howard Klein, played by [[Allen Garfield]], was based on a New York political advertising consultant, [[David Garth]], who Jeremy Larner met during the making of the movie, an encounter he described as "a big break".<ref name="BKMag" />

Redford was reunited with [[Natalie Wood]] who made a cameo appearance as herself, after she had semi-retired in 1970.<ref>{{cite book|first=Pamela Lillian |last=Valemont |title=Drowning and Other Undetermined Factors The Death of Natalie Wood |year=2013 |publisher=Lulu.com |isbn=978-1300863106}}</ref> The two had co-starred in the 1965 film ''[[Inside Daisy Clover]]'', as well as the 1966 film ''[[This Property Is Condemned]]''.

==Reception==
''[[The New York Times]]'' reviewer [[Vincent Canby]] called the film "one of the few good, truly funny American political comedies ever made," and commented that "''The Candidate'' is serious, but its tone is coldly comic, as if it had been put together by people who had given up hope."<ref>{{cite journal |last=Canby |first=Vincent |author-link=Vincent Canby |date=June 30, 1972 |title=Screen: 'Candidate,' a Comedy About the State of Politics, Opens |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1972/06/30/archives/candidate-a-comedy-about-the-state-of-politics-opensrobert-redford.html |journal=[[The New York Times]] |page=25 |access-date=November 23, 2018 }}</ref> ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'' called it "an excellent, topical drama" that was "directed and paced superbly," adding, "the entire film often seems like a documentary special in the best sense of the word."<ref>{{cite journal |date=June 21, 1972 |title=The Candidate |journal=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |page=18 }}</ref> [[Gene Siskel]] of the ''[[Chicago Tribune]]'' gave the film 3.5 stars out of 4 and praised Redford for a "winning performance."<ref>{{cite news|author-link=Gene Siskel |last=Siskel |first=Gene |date=August 9, 1972 |title=The Candidate |newspaper=[[Chicago Tribune]] |at=Section 2, p. 5}}</ref> [[Charles Champlin]] of the ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'' wrote that "Redford and Ritchie have teamed again to deliver what I think is nothing less than the best movie yet done about politics in coaxial America ... It has a right-now urgency that is strong and compelling."<ref>{{cite news|author-link=Charles Champlin |last=Champlin |first=Charles |date=July 2, 1972 |title='Candidate' Profiles Politics in Coaxial America |work=[[Los Angeles Times]] |at=p. 1, 55}}</ref> [[Roger Ebert]] later said Ritchie "brought a sharply observant, almost documentary realism" to the film.<ref>{{cite news|last=Ebert|first=Roger|author-link=Roger Ebert|date=June 18, 1975|url=https://www.rogerebert.com/interviews/interview-with-bruce-dern|title=Interview with Bruce Dern|newspaper=[[Chicago Sun-Times]]|access-date=January 1, 2019}}</ref>

Among negative reviews, Gary Arnold of ''[[The Washington Post]]'' panned the film as "a remarkably shallow, hypocritical attempt to satirize the American political process ... The problem with the filmmakers is that their disillusion is neither honestly felt nor dramatically demonstrated and earned. On the contrary, it seems merely a professional pose, a phony mask of invulnerability and moral superiority."<ref>{{cite news |last=Arnold |first=Gary |date=July 22, 1972 |title=A Slick 'Candidate' for (Box) Office |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |page=D1 }}</ref> [[Penelope Gilliatt]] of ''[[The New Yorker]]'' called it a "dire film" with a "crass" script, and found Redford's resemblance to a [[Kennedy family|Kennedy]] brother "merciless to watchers and unbelievably opportunistic on the part of the filmmakers; it is one of the most vulgar pieces of casting I can remember."<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Gilliatt |first=Penelope |author-link=Penelope Gilliatt |date=July 1, 1972 |title=The Current Cinema |magazine=[[The New Yorker]] |pages=64–65 }}</ref> Robert Chappetta in ''[[Film Quarterly]]'' wrote that a serious flaw was that "Redford does poorly with the central dramatic element in the film: the changeover from being a reluctant candidate to wanting so badly to win that he is willing to compromise himself. Redford never conveys any real desire to win."<ref>{{cite journal |last=Chappetta |first=Robert |date=Winter 1972–73 |title=The Candidate |journal=[[Film Quarterly]] |volume=26 |issue=2 |page=54 |doi=10.2307/1211329 |jstor=1211329 }}</ref> Richard Combs of ''[[The Monthly Film Bulletin]]'' wrote that "little definition or sympathy is lent McKay (who remains as much a cipher in the film's mechanics as he does in the hands of the political movers), and little interest generated in the workings of a system that is only conjured up in a gallery of intermittently familiar names and faces."<ref>{{cite journal |last=Combs |first=Richard |date=November 1972 |title=The Candidate |journal=[[The Monthly Film Bulletin]] |volume=39 |issue=466 |page=229 }}</ref>

[[Christopher Null]], from [[filmcritic.com]], gave the film 4.5/5, and said that "this satire on an American institution continues to gain relevance instead of lose it."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.filmcritic.com/misc/emporium.nsf/ddb5490109a79f598625623d0015f1e4/aa2077c5e67ad36d88256e7c0017889a?OpenDocument |last=Null |first=Christopher |title=The Candidate |website=Filmcritic.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061023101552/http://www.filmcritic.com/misc/emporium.nsf/ddb5490109a79f598625623d0015f1e4/aa2077c5e67ad36d88256e7c0017889a?OpenDocument |archive-date=2006-10-23}}</ref>

The film holds a 'fresh' score of 89% on review aggregate [[Rotten Tomatoes]], based on 35 critical reviews with the consensus: "''The Candidate'' may not get all the details right when it comes to modern campaigning, but it captures political absurdity perfectly -- and boasts typically stellar work from Robert Redford to boot."<ref>{{cite web|title=The Candidate|url=http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/candidate/|website=[[Rotten Tomatoes]]|access-date=July 15, 2023}}</ref>

According to Larner, [[George McGovern]] (running for President at the time—and in the movie) saw the film and was angry at it, much to his mild gratification. Years later, vice presidential candidate [[Dan Quayle]] stated that he had seen the film several times and had modeled himself after the main character. This led to Larner writing an open letter to Quayle that said the film “is not a how-to picture, it’s a watch-out picture. And you’re what we’ve got to watch out for.”<ref>{{Cite web |last=Larner |first=Jeremy |date=2000-08-13 |title=Still a Contender in National Politics |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2000-aug-13-ca-3576-story.html |access-date=2024-08-07 |website=Los Angeles Times |language=en-US}}</ref>

===Awards===
The film won the [[Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay]] for Larner and was also nominated for [[Academy Award for Best Sound|Best Sound]] ([[Richard Portman]] and [[Gene Cantamessa]]).<ref name="Oscars1973">{{cite web|url=http://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1973 |title=The 45th Academy Awards (1973) Nominees and Winners |access-date=2011-08-28|work=oscars.org}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[List of American films of 1972]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

===Bibliography===
* {{Cite book |title=Robert Redford: The Biography |last=Callan |first=Michael Feeney |publisher=Knopf |year=2011 |isbn=978-0679450559}}
* {{Cite book |first=Beverly Merrill |last=Kelley |title=Reelpolitik Ideologies in American Political Film |year=2012 |publisher=Lexington Books |isbn=978-0739172070}}

==External links==
* {{IMDb title|0068334}}
* {{Rotten Tomatoes|2=The Candidate}}
* {{AllMovie title|8002}}
* {{TCMDb title|23008}}
* {{AFI film|54528}}

{{Michael Ritchie}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Candidate}}
[[Category:1970s American films]]
[[Category:1972 films]]
[[Category:1970s political comedy-drama films]]
[[Category:1970s political satire films]]
[[Category:American political satire films]]
[[Category:American political comedy-drama films]]
[[Category:1970s English-language films]]
[[Category:Films about elections]]
[[Category:Films directed by Michael Ritchie]]
[[Category:Films set in California]]
[[Category:Films shot in California]]
[[Category:Films whose writer won the Best Original Screenplay Academy Award]]
[[Category:Warner Bros. films]]
[[Category:1972 comedy-drama films]]
[[Category:English-language comedy-drama films]]

Camille (1936 film)

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{{Short description|1936 film by George Cukor}}
{{Infobox film
| name = Camille
| image = Camille 2.jpg
| caption = Theatrical Poster
| director = [[George Cukor]]
| producer = [[Irving Thalberg]] Bernard H. Hyman
| writer = [[James Hilton (novelist)|James Hilton]] [[Zoë Akins]] [[Frances Marion]]
| based_on = {{based on|''[[The Lady of the Camellias|La Dame aux Camélias]]'' 1852 novel|[[Alexandre Dumas, fils|Alexandre Dumas, ''fils'']]}}
| starring = [[Greta Garbo]] [[Robert Taylor (American actor)|Robert Taylor]] [[Lionel Barrymore]]
| music = [[Herbert Stothart]] Edward Ward
| cinematography = [[William Daniels (cinematographer)|William H. Daniels]] [[Karl Freund]]
| editing = [[Margaret Booth]]
| studio = [[Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer]]
| distributor = [[Loews Cineplex Entertainment|Loew's Inc.]]
| released = {{Film date|1936|12|12}}
| runtime = 109 minutes
| country = United States
| language = English
| budget = $1,486,000<ref name="Box office / business"/><ref name="Mannix">{{Citation | title = The Eddie Mannix Ledger | publisher = Margaret Herrick Library, Center for Motion Picture Study | place = Los Angeles}}.</ref>
| gross = $2,842,000<ref name="Mannix"/>
}}
[[File:Garbo and Taylor in Camille.jpg|thumb|[[Greta Garbo]] and [[Robert Taylor (American actor)|Robert Taylor]]]]

'''''Camille''''' is a 1936 American [[romantic drama]] film from [[Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer]] directed by [[George Cukor]], and produced by [[Irving Thalberg]] and Bernard H. Hyman, from a [[screenplay]] by [[James Hilton (novelist)|James Hilton]], [[Zoë Akins]], and [[Frances Marion]].<ref>{{IMDb title|id=0028683|title=Camille}}.</ref> The picture is based on the 1848 novel and 1852 play ''[[The Lady of the Camellias|La dame aux camélias]]'' by [[Alexandre Dumas, fils|Alexandre Dumas, ''fils'']]. The film stars [[Greta Garbo]], [[Robert Taylor (American actor)|Robert Taylor]], [[Lionel Barrymore]], [[Elizabeth Allan]], [[Jessie Ralph]], [[Henry Daniell]], and [[Laura Hope Crews]]. It grossed $2,842,000.<ref name="Box office / business">{{cite web |url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0028683/business |title=Box office / business for ''Camille'' (1969) |publisher=IMDb |access-date=2009-08-08}}</ref>

''Camille'' was included in ''Time'' magazine's "All-Time 100 Movies" in 2005.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20050525012924/http://www.time.com/time/2005/100movies/0,23220,camille,00.html ''Time''] magazine.</ref> It was also included at #33 in [[AFI's 100 Years...100 Passions]]. Garbo received her third Best Actress nomination for ''Camille'' at the 10th Academy Awards in 1938.

==Plot==
Beautiful Marguerite Gautier is a well-known [[courtesan]], living in the [[Demimonde|demi-monde]] of mid-19th century Paris. Marguerite's dressmaker and [[procuress]], Prudence Duvernoy, arranges an assignation at the theatre with a fabulously wealthy prospective patron, the Baron de Varville. Marguerite briefly mistakes Armand Duval, a handsome young man of good family but no great fortune, for the baron. She finds Armand charming, but when the mistake is explained, she accepts the baron without hesitation.

Marguerite spends money carelessly, sometimes out of generosity, as when she bids a fortune on a team of horses in order to give an old coachman employment, but more often because she loves her lavish lifestyle and the late nights of dancing and drinking—and because she knows her days are numbered. She has [[Tuberculosis|consumption]], which is a death sentence for anyone who lives as she does. She has bouts of severe illness, and during one spell, the only person who come to see her is Armand, bearing flowers (the baron contriving to be in England). She finds this out after she recovers, and she invites him to her birthday party (the baron having just departed for a long stay in Russia). During the party, Marguerite retreats into the bedroom with a coughing spell, and Armand follows. He professes his love for her, which is something she has never known. She gives him a key and tells him to send everyone home and come back later. While she is waiting for him, the baron returns unexpectedly. She orders Nanine, her maid, to shoot the bolt on the door. The baron, who is clearly suspicious, plays the piano furiously, not quite masking the bell. He asks who might be at the door and, laughing, she says, "The great romance of my life—That might have been."

At Armand's family home in the country, he asks his father for money to travel to prepare for his career in the [[French Foreign Legion|Foreign Service]]. He sends Marguerite a [[Poison pen letter|scathing letter]] (he saw the baron's carriage), but when she comes to his rooms, they reconcile immediately. She sees a miniature of his mother and is amazed to learn that his parents have loved each other for 30 years. "You'll never love me 30 years," she says, sadly. "I'll love you all my life," he replies. He wants to take her to the country for the summer to get well. She tells him to forget her, but agrees in the end. However, she owes 40,000 francs. The baron gives her the money as a parting gift, and slaps her in the face when she kisses him in thanks.

Armand takes her to a house in the country, where Marguerite thrives on fresh milk and eggs and country walks and love. A shadow is cast by the discovery that the baron's château is in the neighborhood. Marguerite tells him she has asked Prudence to sell everything, pay everything. Armand asks her to marry him, but she declines.

Armand's father, though he acknowledges Marguerite's love is real, begs her to turn away from his son, knowing her past will ruin his chances. When Armand returns to the house, she is cold and dismissive and tells him the baron is expecting her. He watches her walk over the hill.

Back in Paris, at a gambling club, Armand comes face to face with the baron and Marguerite, who is ill. Armand wins a fortune from the baron at [[baccarat]] and begs Marguerite to come with him. She lies and says she loves the baron. Armand wounds the baron in a [[duel]] and must leave the country for six months. When he returns, Marguerite's illness has worsened. "Perhaps it's better if I live in your heart, where the world can't see me," she says and then dies in his arms.

==Cast==

* [[Greta Garbo]] as Marguerite Gautier
* [[Robert Taylor (American actor)|Robert Taylor]] as Armand Duval
* [[Lionel Barrymore]] as Monsieur Duval
* [[Elizabeth Allan]] as Nichette, the Bride
* [[Jessie Ralph]] as Nanine, Marguerite's Maid
* [[Henry Daniell]] as Baron de Varville
* [[Lenore Ulric]] as Olympe
* [[Laura Hope Crews]] as Prudence Duvernoy
* [[Rex O'Malley]] as Gaston
* [[Mabel Colcord]] as Madame Barjon (uncredited)
* [[Mariska Aldrich]] as Friend of Marguerite (uncredited)
* [[Wilson Benge]] as Attendant (uncredited)

== Production ==
According to a news item in ''Daily Variety'', MGM had considered changing the setting of the famous Alexandre Dumas story to modern times.<ref name="American Film Institute">{{Cite web|url=https://catalog.afi.com/Catalog/moviedetails/8433|title=American Film Institute|website=American Film Institute}}</ref>

The time period was not changed, but Thalberg wanted the film to have a more contemporary feeling than earlier ''Camilles''. He wanted audiences to forget that they were watching a "costume" picture. He also felt that morality had changed since the earlier ''Camilles'', and the fact that Marguerite was a prostitute was not as shameful anymore; as a result, Garbo's character became more likable than in previous productions. The modernization of the story proved to be successful.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|title=Irving Thalberg: Boy Wonder to Producer Prince.|last=Vieira|first=Mark|publisher=University of California Press|year=2009|location=Berkeley, Los Angeles, London}}</ref>

While filming Marguerite's death scene, Robert Taylor brought his phonograph to Garbo's dressing room so that she could play [[Paul Robeson]] records to put her in the mood.

In the words of ''Camille''{{'s}} director George Cukor: "My mother had just died, and I had been there during her last conscious moments. I suppose I had a special awareness. I may have passed something on to Garbo without realizing it." Garbo later praised Cukor's sensitivity: "Cukor gave me direction as to how to hold my hands", said Garbo. "He had seen how, when his mother lay dying, she folded her hands and just fell asleep."

While producing ''Camille'', producer Irving Thalberg died. After filming was ended, and post-production began, Louis B. Mayer assigned Bernard Hyman as the film's new producer. Hyman arranged re-takes, cut some scenes, or edited scenes from the original Thalberg production. It is not exactly known which scenes were edited or cut.

The famous death scene we see is not the original version from the first version of the film. In the original version, Camille died on the bed, had more words to say, and folded her hands before she died. This original death scene is lost. Cukor thought that it did not really feel very natural talking that much when you are about to die; so, Garbo's last scene was rewritten and reshot three times. In the first and second alternative endings, Camille was on the deathbed and said fewer words, but they still were not satisfied. They thought it seemed unreal for a dying woman to talk so much. In the third alternative ending, Camille was even quieter, and just slowly slipped away in Armand's arms.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.garboforever.com/Garbo_Stories-18.htm|title=George Cukor About Camille|website=Garbo Forever}}</ref>

Previous film adaptations of the play premiered in [[Camille (1912 film)|1912]], [[Camille (1915 film)|1915]], [[Camille (1917 film)|1917]], [[Camille (1921 film)|1921]] with Nazimova and Rudolph Valentino, and most recently in [[Camille (1926 feature film)|1926]] with Norma Talmadge.

News items in ''Daily Variety ''and ''Hollywood Reporter'' on July 25, 1936, noted that John Barrymore originally was cast in the role of Baron de Varville, but a bout of pneumonia prevented him from working on the picture. Barrymore's brother Lionel was scheduled to replace John in the role; however, a few days later, it was reported that a change in casting resulted in Lionel Barrymore's assignment to the role of Monsieur Duval, and Henry Daniell's assignment to Baron de Varville. Cinematographer William Daniels mistakenly is listed as a cast member in early ''Hollywood Reporter'' production charts. ''Camille'' marked the screen debut of actress [[Joan Leslie]], who appeared under her real name, Joan Brodel.<ref name="American Film Institute"/>

==Reception==

===Promotion===
The "Selling Angles" section in ''BoxOffice Magazine'', Dec. 26, 1936, suggested tips for selling ''Camille''. Theatre managers were advised to make a display of some of the famous ''Camilles'' of past decades, including Garbo as the latest to join the list of immortal actresses; have local florists stage a "Camille Show"; find old reviews from metropolitan daily papers' back files and run them in conjunction with reviews of the modern film story; and print throwaways in the style of the old "Gas Light Era" programs. The suggested best "Catchlines" for selling ''Camille'', according to ''BoxOffice'', were:

* "Her love was like a great flame...burning...scorching...withering...and when the flame died, she no longer cared to live."
* "Her destiny was to be loved...but not to love...until she met the man who was to change that destiny."
* "Again...Dumas' classic love tale...with the screen's most dramatic love team – Garbo and Taylor."<ref>{{Cite journal|date=December 26, 1936|title=Exploitips|journal=BoxOffice}}</ref>

===Premiere===
[[File:Plaza Theatre (Palm Springs).jpg|thumb|Plaza Theatre in Palm Springs]]''Camille'' had its grand premiere on December 12, 1936, at the new Plaza Theatre in Palm Springs, California. Many celebrities attended the gala which cost $10 per seat. The desert resort of Palm Springs was turned upside down with all the commotion of the film's premiere. Some of the film was buried in stone to commemorate the celebration. Ralph Bellamy, who was a leading civic figure and Racquet Club owner in Palm Springs, was master of ceremonies. Rumors were spread that Greta Garbo was staying at the desert resort and would attend the premiere, but these rumors proved to be unfounded.<ref>{{Cite journal|date=December 1936|title=Hollywood High Lights|journal=Picture Play Magazine|pages=66}}</ref>

At the gala premiere, ''Camille'' was given an enthusiastic reception; the critics praised it as the finest performance ever given by Greta Garbo, Robert Taylor, Lionel Barrymore, and Laura Hope Crews, and the best work by director George Cukor. The enthusiasm accorded the picture was seen as a tribute to the genius of the late Irving G. Thalberg, who conceived of, and was responsible for, the production. The 37-year-old Thalberg died just before the film's release.<ref>{{Cite news|title=Garbo Film Has Showing in The West|date=December 14, 1936|work=The World-Telegram}}</ref>

===Box office===
According to MGM records, the film earned $1,154,000 in the U.S. and Canada, and $1,688,000 in other markets, resulting in a profit of $388,000.<ref name="Mannix"/>

===Critical response===
''Camille'' has been well received by critics since its release, and the role of Marguerite is generally regarded as Greta Garbo's finest screen performance. ''Camille'' is often named as a highlight among 1936 films. Rotten Tomatoes reports 91% approval among 11 critics.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1003441-camille/ |title=''Camille'' (1936) on RT |publisher=Rotten Tomatoes |access-date=September 6, 2015}}</ref>

On watching a scene in the film where Garbo is at a theater, Thalberg said: "George, she's awfully good. I don't think I've ever seen her so good." "But Irving", said Cukor, "she's just sitting in an Opera Box." "She's relaxed", said Thalberg. "She's open. She seems unguarded for once." Garbo's new attitude prompted Thalberg to have the script reworked. "She is a fascinating artist, but she is limited", Thalberg told the new writers. "She must never create situations. She must be thrust into them. The drama comes in how she rides them out."<ref name=":0" />

==Awards==
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
|-
! Award
! Category
! Nominee(s)
! Result
|-
| [[10th Academy Awards]]
| [[Academy Award for Best Actress|Best Actress]]
| rowspan="2"| [[Greta Garbo]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[1937 New York Film Critics Circle Awards]]
| Best Actress
| {{won}}
|-
|}

==See also==
*[[Lionel Barrymore filmography]]

==Footnotes==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Wikiquote}}
{{Commons category|Camille (1936 film)}}
* [http://www.filmsite.org/cami.html ''Camille''] at ''Filmsite'' by Tim Dirks. Contains plot detail.
* {{tcmdb title|id=1986|title=Camille}}
* {{IMDb title|0028683|Camille}}
* {{Rotten Tomatoes|m/1003441-camille|Camille}}
* {{Amg movie|7945|Camille}}
* {{AFI film|8433}}

{{George Cukor}}
{{James Hilton}}
{{The Lady of the Camellias}}
{{Irving Thalberg}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:1936 films]]
[[Category:1936 romantic drama films]]
[[Category:American romantic drama films]]
[[Category:American black-and-white films]]
[[Category:Romantic period films]]
[[Category:American films based on plays]]
[[Category:Films based on Camille]]
[[Category:Films based on adaptations]]
[[Category:Films directed by George Cukor]]
[[Category:Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer films]]
[[Category:Films about prostitution in France]]
[[Category:Films produced by Irving Thalberg]]
[[Category:Films scored by Herbert Stothart]]
[[Category:Films with screenplays by Frances Marion]]
[[Category:1930s English-language films]]
[[Category:Films scored by Edward Ward (composer)]]
[[Category:1930s American films]]
[[Category:English-language romantic drama films]]

Caliber 9

2024-10-01T13:19:54Z

98.18.198.104: /* External links */

{{Infobox film
| name = Caliber 9
| image = Caliber 9 Italian poster.jpg
| alt =
| caption = Italian theatrical release poster by [[Renato Casaro]]<ref name="movieposter">{{cite web|url=http://www.emovieposter.com/agallery/archiveitem/15719312.html|publisher=[[www.emovieposter.com]]|title=Milano calibro 9 - art by Renato Casaro!|access-date=May 23, 2016}}</ref>
| native_name = {{Infobox name module|it|'''Milano calibro 9'''}}
| director = [[Fernando Di Leo]]
| producer = Armando Novelli<ref name="mc9-arrow-15">{{Cite AV media notes
| title = Credits
| year = 2015
| page = 3
| type = booklet
| publisher = [[Arrow Films|Arrow Video]]
| id = FCD929
}}</ref>
| screenplay = Fernando Di Leo<ref name="mc9-arrow-15" />
| based_on = {{based on|''[[Milano calibro 9]]''|[[Giorgio Scerbanenco]]}}
| starring = {{plainlist|*[[Gastone Moschin]]
*[[Barbara Bouchet]]
*[[Mario Adorf]]
*[[Frank Wolff (actor)|Frank Wolff]]
*[[Luigi Pistilli]]
*[[Ivo Garrani]]
*[[Philippe Leroy]]
*[[Lionel Stander]]}}
| music = {{plainlist|
* [[Luis Enríquez Bacalov]]<ref name="mc9-arrow-15" />
* [[Osanna]]
}}
| cinematography = Franco Villa<ref name="mc9-arrow-15" />
| editing = Amedeo Giomini<ref name="mc9-arrow-15" />
| production_companies = Cineproduzioni Daunia '70{{sfn|Curti|2013|p=52}}
| distributor = Lia Film
| released = {{Film date|1972|02|15|df=y}}
| runtime =
| country = Italy{{sfn|Curti|2013|p=52}}
| language = Italian
| budget =
| gross = ₤754 million
}}
'''''Caliber 9''''' ({{lang-it|'''Milano calibro 9'''|lit=Milan caliber 9}}; also released as '''''The Contract'''''<ref name="mfb">{{cite journal|journal=[[Monthly Film Bulletin]]|volume=41|issue=480|page=11|year=1974|title=Contract, The "(Milano Calibro 9)"|location=London|issn=0027-0407|last=Raisbeck|first=John}}</ref>) is a 1972 Italian [[poliziottesco]] film written and directed by [[Fernando Di Leo]] and starring [[Gastone Moschin]], [[Mario Adorf]], [[Barbara Bouchet]], [[Philippe Leroy]], [[Frank Wolff (actor)|Frank Wolff]], [[Luigi Pistilli]], and [[Lionel Stander]].

The film takes its title from the [[Milano calibro 9|short story collection of the same name]] by [[Giorgio Scerbanenco]], and is partially based on three of its stories.<ref name="mc9-arrow-10">{{Cite AV media notes
| title = Film Noir, Italian Style: Giorgio Scerbanenco, Fernando Di Leo and Milano Calibro 9
| year = 2015
| author = Curti, Roberto
| page = 10
| type = booklet
| publisher = [[Arrow Films|Arrow Video]]
| id = FCD929
}}</ref> The musical score was composed by [[Luis Enriquez Bacalov]] and performed by the progressive rock band [[Osanna]].

''Caliber 9'' is the first part in Di Leo's ''Milieu Trilogy'' of ''poliziotteschi'' films. It was followed by ''[[The Italian Connection|La mala ordina]]'' (''The Italian Connection'') in [[1972 in film|1972]] and ''[[Il Boss]]'' (''The Boss'') in [[1973 in film|1973]].<ref>{{cite web | title=Milano calibro 9 (Milan Calibre 9) | work=[[Tate Modern]] | url=http://www.tate.org.uk/modern/eventseducation/film/milanocalibro9milancalibre94278.htm | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071224080836/http://www.tate.org.uk/modern/eventseducation/film/milanocalibro9milancalibre94278.htm | access-date=7 January 2007 | archive-date=24 December 2007}}</ref> In 2020, a direct sequel called ''Calibro 9'', was released.<ref name=":0" />

==Plot==
After a stint in prison, small-time [[Milan]]ese gangster Ugo Piazza is immediately harassed by his old associates, led by a powerful American [[money laundering|launderer]] known simply as "The Americano" (or "The Mikado" in the English dub), who believe that he stole 300,000 US dollars during a handover, shortly before his arrest for robbery. Piazza emphatically denies the theft, even under coercion from The Americano's volatile right-hand man Rocco. His girlfriend, [[go-go dancer]] Nelly Bordon, also believes he stole the money, as does the police commissario, who unsuccessfully attempts to turn him informant.

Piazza meets his former [[godfather (crime)|godfather]] Don Vincenzo, now a blind old man, and his sole remaining [[caporegime|capo]] Chino. Though Rocco mocks Vincenzo's authority, they still hold a begrudging respect for Chino, who has refused to leave his godfather even after everyone else has. The Americano gives Piazza an ultimatum to return the money and resume working for him, but he still insists he doesn't have it and doesn't know who does. Paranoid about more, similar thefts, Rocco begins killing off his money couriers.

Piazza is sent on an exchange of $30,000, happening in a bowling alley. The exchange is crashed by a mysterious assailant in a white scarf (who has been stalking Piazza since his release), who kills their client and steals the brown leather bag containing the money. The Americano sends Rocco and Piazza to kill the men he believes responsible, but when they arrive they're revealed to be Chino and Don Vincenzo. Piazza refuses to slay his former godfather, but Rocco coldly shoots the old man, while Chino narrowly escapes. The Americano has Piazza beaten for his insubordination and is about to have him killed. However, Piazza’s is spared when he convincingly argues that Rocco and the crew were behind the theft of the $30,000.

The Americano retreats to a rural estate with his bodyguards, including Piazza, but is shot and killed in an ambush by a vengeful Chino. Piazza turns his gun on the Americano's men and finishes them off, before Chino dies of his injuries.

Piazza travels to an abandoned church off Milan and retrieves a blue bag with the $300,000 - revealing he had stolen the money from the Americano years ago and orchestrated everything to get him killed. However, he's picked up by police for driving with an expired license and forced to go to the station for an interview.

While in the waiting room, Piazza runs into Rocco (who's being questioned for the shootout at the Americano's house). Rocco, seeing the bag containing the money, shows no animosity and offers the two become partners. Piazza turns him down and is released. He heads to Nelly's house with the money, planning for the two to run away together. Nelly is with Luca, one of Rocco’s crew and the man in the scarf who was behind the theft of the $30,000 at the bowling alley. Nelly had conspired with her secret lover Lucato get the $300,000 from Piazza for themselves.

Luca shoots Piazza, but he manages to kill Nelly with a single punch before expiring. Rocco, who had followed Piazza home, bursts in and beats Luca to death in a fit of rage for his betrayal and disrespecting of Piazza's criminal stature. The police, who had in turn followed Rocco, drag him away from Luca’s bloodied corpse.

==Cast==
{{castlist|
* [[Gastone Moschin]] as Ugo Piazza
* [[Mario Adorf]] as Rocco Musco
* [[Barbara Bouchet]] as Nelly Bordon
* [[Philippe Leroy]] as Chino
* [[Ivo Garrani]] as Don Vincenzo
* [[Frank Wolff (actor)|Frank Wolff]] as the Commissario
* [[Luigi Pistilli]] as Vice-Commissario Mercuri (“Fonzino” in the English version)
* [[Lionel Stander]] as “L’Americano” (“The Mikado”)
* Giuseppe Castellano as Nicola
* Salvatore Aricò as Luca
* Giorgio Trestini as Franceschino
* [[Ernesto Colli]] as Alfredo Bertolon
* [[Mario Novelli]] as Pasquale Talarico
* Franco Beltramme as Lorenzo
* Omero Capanna as Alfredo
* Fernando Cerulli as Hotel Clerk
}}

==Production==
''Caliber 9'' was Di Leo's second film to be based on the works of writer [[Giorgio Scerbanenco]], following ''[[Naked Violence (film)|Naked Violence]]'' (1969). According to film historian Roberto Curti, the director saw Scerbanenco's works as "ground-breaking", and believed that they shared similarly "bleak, disillusioned" worldviews, noting that the writer would have enjoyed the film's "terrible yet bitterly ironic game of appearances, coincidences and double-crosses which moves the story to its inevitable conclusion". Credited as being based on Scerbanenco's 1969 short story collection ''[[Milano calibro 9]]'', the script is largely an original work, although it was partially influenced by three of the book's stories: its depiction of an exchange of two packages between a series of couriers, culminating in both packages simultaneously exploding upon reaching their final destination, is taken from "Stazione centrale ammazzare subito", while minor references are made to "Vietato essere felici" and "La vendetta è il miglior perdono".<ref name="mc9-arrow-10"/>

The film's working title was ''Da lunedì a lunedì'' ("From Monday to Monday"), with the script indicating that title cards were to denote the time and day of each scene. Editor Amedeo Giomini revealed that while these title cards appeared on the film's [[workprint]], they were not used on the theatrical prints.<ref name="mc9-arrow-20">{{Cite AV media notes
| title = Film Noir, Italian Style: Giorgio Scerbanenco, Fernando Di Leo and Milano Calibro 9
| year = 2015
| author = Curti, Roberto
| page = 20
| type = booklet
| publisher = [[Arrow Films|Arrow Video]]
| id = FCD929
}}</ref>

While discussing ''Caliber 9'' years after its release, Di Leo regretted not deleting the scenes between [[Frank Wolff (actor)|Frank Wolff]]'s [[right-wing]] [[Police Commissioner]] and his [[left-wing]] colleague Fonzino/Mercuri, played by [[Luigi Pistilli]], believing that their inclusion hampered the film's pacing and diverged from its focus on the criminal characters.<ref name="mc9-arrow-17">{{Cite AV media notes
| title = Film Noir, Italian Style: Giorgio Scerbanenco, Fernando Di Leo and Milano Calibro 9
| year = 2015
| author = Curti, Roberto
| page = 17
| type = booklet
| publisher = [[Arrow Films|Arrow Video]]
| id = FCD929
}}</ref>

==Music==
The soundtrack for the film, ''Preludio Tema Variazioni e Canzona'', is a collaboration album between [[Luis Enríquez Bacalov]] and the Italian [[progressive rock]] group [[Osanna]].<ref name=Osanna>{{cite web | title=Osanna | work=ItalianProg | url=http://www.italianprog.com/a_osanna.htm | access-date=7 January 2007}}</ref>

=== Soundtrack ===
Preludio, tema and Canzona are written by Bacalov and performed by Osanna, the Variazione songs (Variation) are composed by Lino Vairetti and performed by Osanna. All the songs are instrumental except My Mind Flies and Canzona. The movie also includes ''2º tempo: Adagio (Shadows)'' performed by [[New Trolls]].
# ''Preludio''
# ''Tema''
# ''Variazione I (To Plinius)''
# ''Variazione II (My Mind Flies)''
# ''Variazione III (Shuum...)''
# ''Variazione IV (Tredicesimo cortile)''
# ''Variazione V (Dianalogo)''
# ''Variazione VI (Spunti)''
# ''Variazione VII (Posizione raggiunta)''
# ''Canzona (There Will Be Time)''

==Release==
''Caliber 9'' was released in Italy on February 15, 1972 where it was distributed by Lia Film.{{sfn|Curti|2013|p=52}} To qualify for a [[Motion picture content rating system#Italy|VM14 rating]], the Italian film ratings board requested cuts to the scene in which Rocco tortures a courier with a razor, and the climactic sequence in which Rocco bludgeons Luca to death; Giomini felt that the censorship of the latter scene lessened its intended impact.<ref name="mc9-arrow-20" /> It grossed a total of 754,443,000 [[Italian lira|Italian lire]] on its theatrical run in Italy.{{sfn|Curti|2013|p=52}}

The film was released on [[Blu-ray]] by Raro Video on February 22, 2011.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://rarovideousa.com/Caliber-9-Milano-Calibro-9|publisher=Raro Video USA|title=Caliber 9 Milano Calibro 9|access-date=September 19, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150927030030/http://rarovideousa.com/Caliber-9-Milano-Calibro-9|archive-date=September 27, 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref> It was released again on Blu-ray and [[Digital video disc|DVD]] by [[Arrow Films|Arrow Video]] on June 16, 2015.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.arrowfilms.co.uk/milano-calibro-9/|publisher=[[Arrow Films]]|title=Milano Calibro 9|access-date=September 19, 2015}}</ref>

==Reception==
From contemporary reviews, a 98-minute English-dubbed version of the film, titled ''The Contract'', was reviewed by John Raisbeck of the ''[[Monthly Film Bulletin]]''. Raisbeck stated that "after a briskly edited pre-credits sequence, [...] ''The Contract'' degenerates into a patchy gangster thriller". The review noted that the film "announces a number of themes-the crime syndicate's big business connections, the [[Jean-Pierre Melville|Melvillian]] respect shared by the two professionals Ugo and Chino-without developing any of them satisfactorily", and criticized [[Mario Adorf]]'s portrayal of Rocco as "often verg[ing] on caricature".<ref name="mfb"/>

==Legacy==
Di Leo's later film ''[[Blood and Diamonds]]'' (1978) is considered by Curti to be a "reversal" of ''Caliber 9'', with the relationships in the film being contrary to each other. ''Blood and Diamonds''' working title was ''Roma calibro 9'', and [[Barbara Bouchet]] plays similar roles in both films.{{sfn|Curti|2013|p=237}}

Moschin would later play a gangster character, [[Don Fanucci]], in ''[[The Godfather Part II]]'' (1974).

The film was referenced in [[Kobe Bryant]]'s Nike Italia advertisement campaign short entitled "Milano Kalibro Kobe", and featured [[Italy national football team|Italy]] international footballers [[Giampaolo Pazzini]], [[Gennaro Gattuso]], [[Alberto Aquilani]], [[Claudio Marchisio]] and [[Marco Materazzi]], [[Netherlands national football team|Dutch]] international footballer [[Wesley Sneijder]] and Italian [[NBA]] star [[Marco Belinelli]] in parodies of the original characters. The commercial was directed by [[Enzo G. Castellari]], who, like Di Leo, was a prominent director of ''poliziottesco'' films.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eY8ivb_LdiI Youtube]</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Milano Kalibro Kobe|url=http://kobebryant.com/2012/02/29/milano-kalibro-kobe/|publisher=kobebryant.com|date=29 February 2012|access-date=15 June 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150515072300/http://kobebryant.com/2012/02/29/milano-kalibro-kobe/|archive-date=15 May 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Milano calibro Kobe. Bryant sbarca in tour in Italia|url=http://sport.sky.it/sport/basket/2011/09/23/nba_kobe_bryant_milano_roma_nike.html|publisher=[[Sky Sport (Italy)|sport.sky.it]]|date=23 September 2011}}</ref>

==Sequel==
A direct sequel film, ''Calibro 9,'' was produced in 2020.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|title=Caliber 9|url=https://www.minervapicturesinternational.com/catalogue/caliber-9-2/|access-date=2021-04-10|website=Minerva Pictures International|language=en-US}}</ref> It is directed by Toni D'Angelo and produced by Gianluca Curti, whose father Ermanno was a co-producer of the first film.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|title=Review: Caliber 9|url=https://cineuropa.org/en/newsdetail/395415/|access-date=2021-04-10|website=Cineuropa - the best of european cinema|language=en}}</ref> The cast stars [[Marco Bocci]] as Fernando Piazza, the son of Moschin's character, with [[Barbara Bouchet]] reprising her role as Nelly Bordon.<ref name=":1" /> It also features [[Michele Placido]], [[Alessio Boni]], and [[Kseniya Rappoport]].<ref name=":0" />

== See also ==
* [[List of Italian films of 1972]]

==Notes==
{{Reflist}}

===References===
{{Refbegin}}
* {{cite book
|last=Curti
|first=Roberto
|title=Italian Crime Filmography, 1968-1980
|publisher=McFarland
|isbn=978-0786469765
|year=2013
}}
{{Refend}}

==External links==
*{{IMDb title|0067429}}
*{{Rotten Tomatoes|m/milano-calibro-9-caliber-9|Caliber 9}}

{{Fernando Di Leo}}

[[Category:1972 films]]
[[Category:1970s Italian-language films]]
[[Category:1972 crime films]]
[[Category:Poliziotteschi films]]
[[Category:Italian gangster films]]
[[Category:Mafia films]]
[[Category:Italian neo-noir films]]
[[Category:Films based on works by Giorgio Scerbanenco]]
[[Category:Films directed by Fernando Di Leo]]
[[Category:Films set in Milan]]
[[Category:Films shot in Milan]]
[[Category:Films scored by Luis Bacalov]]
[[Category:Films about organized crime in Italy]]
[[Category:1970s Italian films]]