Goodfellas

Based on the book Wiseguy by Nicholas Pileggi, Goodfellas is the story of mob associate Henry Hill who is part of a crew as they would rise high and later fall low once he gets himself in trouble and become a target by his own crew. Directed by Martin Scorsese and screenplay by Scorsese and Pileggi, the film is a dramatization of Hill’s life as he lived a life of luxury as part of the mob while watching his world fall apart through his own faults and everything else as he is portrayed by Ray Liotta. Also starring Robert de Niro, Joe Pesci, Lorraine Bracco, and Paul Sorvino. Goodfellas is an exhilarating and wild film from Martin Scorsese.

Spanning nearly three decades, the film follows the life of a young man who becomes an associate for a mob boss doing small things and later rising up the ranks as a wise guy where he gets involved with a lot of things and live a nice life only to fall big through his own faults and other activities. It’s a film with a simple rise-and-fall scenario from screenwriters Martin Scorsese and Nicholas Pileggi where Henry Hill was this teenager who is fascinated by the local mob in his neighborhood as he offers to help them and manages to win their respect and trust. The script is largely told from Hill’s perspective as he worked for the mob boss Paulie Cicero (Paul Sorvino) and later befriends a truck hijacker in Jimmy Conway (Robert de Niro) and a fellow juvenile delinquent in Tommy DeVito (Joe Pesci). The first act is about Hill’s young life as he would befriend Cicero and become part of his crew doing small favors and such where he would meet Conway and DeVito. It is also the moment he meets Karen (Lorraine Bracco) would become his wife as she would also have some voice-over narration as it relates to her experience being the wife of a wise guy.

The film’s second act begins in 1970 as it relates to a violent encounter with the Gambino family member Billy Batts (Frank Vincent) over an insult he made towards DeVito. It would lead to all sorts of things relating to Hill’s own affairs with other women, a brief incarceration in prison during the 70s, the Lufthansa vault heist that was organized by Morrie Kessler (Chuck Low), and drugs. It all play into this lifestyle of getting whatever you want and be given special privileges that allow them to get away with what they want but also manage to get some things in prison that would make their stay more comfortable. The second act both begins and ends with a major death as it would lead to this third act that is the fall of Hill and his friends. Notably as it play into the severity of Hill’s drug problems and other aspects in the business that would eventually get him in trouble.

Martin Scorsese’s direction definitely has a flair for style from the opening credits sequence designed by Saul Bass as well as the way the film opens with Hill, Conway, and DeVito driving onto a highway as they hear something bumping in the trunk as it would relate to an incident during the film’s second act. Much of the film is shot on various locations in New York, New Jersey, and parts of Long Island in New York as it play into this culture of Italian-Americans, Irish-Americans, and Jewish-Italian Americans who are part of this world that is working-class but these wise guys live a life that can get them whatever they want. There are some wide shots that Scorsese would use to get a scope of the locations yet much of his direction emphasizes on close-ups and medium shots. Even as Scorsese would use these intricate tracking shots to play into some locations such as a nightclub along with some stylistic shots that play into the violence and drama. Scorsese also infuse elements of humor as it relates to DeVito and the stories he tells as well as his own violent outbursts after he shoots someone who wouldn’t take shit from him.

The Billy Batts scene is one filled with dark humor and some confrontational dialogue that would be followed by a comical moment at the home of DeVito’s mother (Catherine Scorsese) as she, her son, Conway, and Hill eat breakfast as it play into Scorsese’s offbeat tone as Scorsese would focus some attention on the car knowing something is up. The scenes of decadence and excess are heightened that includes this fiery sequence early in the third act where Hill’s cocaine addiction finally catches up with him as he believes someone is watching him with shots of helicopters and all sorts of things. Scorsese also play into this sense of drama that looms during the third act as well as some moments late in the second act that relates to Lufthansa and the players involved where there is a melancholia that would be prominent into its third act and what happens in the end. Overall, Scorsese creates a riveting yet outrageous film about the life of a mob hood and the craziness he endures as part of a crew.

Cinematographer Michael Ballhaus does brilliant work with the film’s cinematography where Ballhaus maintains a straightforward look for many of the daytime exterior scenes along with some stylish lights for some scenes set at night. Editor Thelma Schoonmaker does incredible work with the editing with its stylish usage of freeze-frames, slow-motion shots, jump-cuts, and other stylistic editing techniques as it help play into the action and suspense as it is one of the film’s major highlights. Production designer Kristi Zea, with set decorator Leslie Bloom and art director Maher Ahmad, does excellent work with the look of the homes that Hill lived in as well as the homes of friends and the places he, Conway, and DeVito go to as well as the prison cell he and Cicero shared.

Costume designer Richard Bruno does fantastic work with the costumes from the stylish suits the men wear as well as the clothes and fur coats the women wear to play into the evolving period of the times. Sound editor Skip Lievsay does amazing work with the sound in the way sound effects are presented as well as gunfire, the atmosphere of a club or a restaurant, and other textures as it play into the suspense and drama as it’s a highlight of the film. The film’s tremendous music soundtrack is a highlight of the film as it help play into the evolving period of the times as well as some of the craziness that occurs as it features contributions from Tony Bennett, the Moonglows, the Cadillacs, Billy Ward and His Dominoes, the Chantels, the Harptones, Otis Williams and the Charms, Mina, Johnny Mathis, Aretha Franklin, Bobby Darin, the Rolling Stones, Harry Nilsson, Derek and the Dominos, Muddy Waters, Cream, the Shangri-Las, Bobby Vinton, Betty Curtis, the Crystals, Dean Martin, Donovan, the Who, George Harrison, and Sid Vicious.

The casting by Ellen Lewis is great as it feature some notable small roles and appearances from Tony Sirico as a member of Cicero’s gang in Tony Stacks, Michael Imperioli as a young man handing out drinks during a poker game in Spider, Mike Starr as a trucker friend of Conway in Frenchy, Frank Sivero as an associate of Conway in Frankie Carbone, Samuel L. Jackson as a musician/trucker named Stacks who was part of the Lufthansa heist, Catherine Scorsese as DeVito’s mother, Charles Scorsese as one of Cicero’s cellmates in Vinnie who likes to put a lot of onions in the tomato sauce, Gina Mastrogiacomo as one of Hill’s mistresses in Janice Rossi, Welker White as the Hills’ babysitter Lois who also does drug deal for them, Debi Mazar as another of Hill’s mistress in Sandy who would help him with the cocaine, Illeana Douglas as a mob girlfriend in Rosie, Joseph D’Onofrio as the young Tommy, Christopher Sirrone as the young Henry, Margo Winkler as Morrie’s wife, Vincent Pastore as a coatrack man, Kevin Corrigan as Henry’s younger brother Michael, and Chuck Low as the salesman Morrie Kessler who helps organize the Lufthansa heist.

Frank Vincent is brilliant in his one-scene performance as Billy Batts as a revered mob figure who insults DeVito at a bar on the night he returns to Jersey as he is just trying to have fun and relax. Paul Sorvino is fantastic as Paulie Cicero as a mob boss who is trying to run his crew as he also ensures that Hill gets his shit together while they also share a prison cell together while disapproving about Hill’s fascination with drugs. Lorraine Bracco is excellent as Karen as Hill’s wife who meets him at a blind date and then confronts him when he stands her up for a second date as she becomes bewildered by the mob culture yet also enjoys the lifestyle and its perks only to realize the dangers of the lifestyle that includes a terrible cocaine addiction.

Joe Pesci is marvelous as Tommy DeVito as a fast-talking, confrontational mob figure who says a lot of shit but has a short fuse where he can get really violent as it’s Pesci being extremely funny but also scary at times as it’s really one of his most iconic performances. Robert de Niro is remarkable as Jimmy Conway as a mob hood who works for Cicero yet is someone who can get things done and make more money while running small operations including the Lufthansa heist as he helped run that heist and ensure that no one gets way over their heads with the success of the heist. Finally, there’s Ray Liotta in a phenomenal performance as Henry Hill as a Jewish-Italian man who becomes fascinated by the world of the wise guys as a kid as he later becomes a man that gets things done but never kills anyone yet doesn’t mind giving someone beatings or live a good life only to endure a terrible cocaine addiction as it’s Liotta displaying a ferocity and vulnerability as a man who puts himself and his family in great danger only to realize what he must do to save himself but a terrible price.

Goodfellas is a magnificent film from Martin Scorsese. Featuring a great ensemble cast, a compelling rise-and-fall story, striking visuals, top-notch editing, and gripping music soundtrack. It's a film that explores the life of a mob hood trying to live a lifestyle of excess and vast riches only to get caught up in some bad shit as it’s told in an offbeat yet exhilarating fashion. In the end, Goodfellas is an outstanding film from Martin Scorsese.

Martin Scorsese Films: (Who’s That Knocking on My Door?) – (Street Scenes) – Boxcar Bertha - (Mean Streets) – Italianamerican - Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore - Taxi Driver - New York, New York - American Boy: A Profile of Steven Prince - (The Last Waltz) – Raging Bull - The King of Comedy - After Hours - The Color of Money - The Last Temptation of Christ - New York Stories-Life Lessons - Cape Fear (1991 film) - The Age of Innocence (1993 film) - (A Personal Journey with Martin Scorsese Through American Movies) – (Casino) – (Kundun) – (My Voyage to Italy) – Bringing Out the Dead - (The Blues-Feel Like Going Home) – Gangs of New York - (The Aviator) – No Direction Home - The Departed - Shine a Light - Shutter Island - (A Letter to Elia) – (Public Speaking) - George Harrison: Living in the Material World - Hugo - The Wolf of Wall Street - (The Fifty Year Argument) – The Silence (2016 film) - (The Irishman (2019 film)) - Killers of the Flower Moon - (An Afternoon with SCTV)

© thevoid99 2019

Cape Fear (1991 film)

Based on the novel The Executioners by John D. MacDonald, Cape Fear is the story of a convicted rapist who has been released from a 14-year prison stint as he decides to go after the attorney who put him in jail through some moments of injustice. Directed by Martin Scorsese and screenplay by Wesley Strick that is based on James R. Webb‘s script of the 1962 film, the film is a remake/homage of sorts to the 1962 film of the same name as it plays more into a man who is hell-bent on making the life of a public defender and his family a living hell. Starring Robert de Niro, Nick Nolte, Jessica Lange, Juliette Lewis, Illeana Douglas, Joe Don Baker, and special appearances from Martin Balsam, Robert Mitchum, and Gregory Peck from the 1962 film. Cape Fear is a thrilling and mesmerizing film from Martin Scorsese.

The film is a simple story of a released convict who served a 14-year sentence for a rape charge as he decides to make the life of the man, who put him in jail for mishandling his case, a living hell. It is a revenge story of sorts as a battle of wits and wills between this convict and an attorney yet it is the convict that feels wronged where an attorney’s past actions are catching up with him. Even as the sins of this attorney named Sam Bowden (Nick Nolte) have his own family live in fear but also wonder what did he do as Bowden is driven to the edge to protect them with the help of a private investigator where things don’t go very well.

Wesley Strick’s screenplay doesn’t just explore the dynamics of two men but also a growing sense of distrust towards Bowden from his wife Leigh (Jessica Lange) and daughter Danielle (Juliette Lewis). Especially as the former is suspicious of Sam’s supposed infidelities while the latter would have her own meeting with the convicted man in Max Cady (Robert de Niro) who would charm her. All of which adds to Bowden’s determination to rid of Cady one way or the other but at the cost of his own reputation and who he is as a man.

Martin Scorsese’s direction is definitely very stylish for not just the fact that he pays homage to the original 1962 film by J. Lee Thompson. It is also a film in which Scorsese pays homage to the many thrillers and suspense films of the past while doing something that is an update of sorts to those genres. Shot largely on location in South Florida as well as some sequences shot in Universal Studios Hollywood, the film does set itself in the American South but in a more modern idea of the South as it tries to maintain elements of tradition but in a world that is ever-changing. With its stylish usage of wide and medium shots along with some close-ups, Scorsese would go for something that is very stylistic in the way he would put actors into a frame where one would be in the foreground and the other in the background.

Scorsese also provides these moments that are quite surreal with its usage of different film stocks, color schemes, and moments that feel very artificial as it relates to the fear that is growing in Sam and his family. It says a lot to this kind of reality that Bowden has created but one that feels false where Cady would come in and disrupt everything as if he is this wronged man that is trying to make their lives a living hell. Featuring some dazzling imagery that includes this exotic opening credits sequence created by Saul and Elaine Bass that serves as a homage to the works of Alfred Hitchcock. It would add to the film’s unique look with some stylish camera angles that Scorsese would inject as it would also play into the film’s climax that is set on a river. The impact of the violence as well as some religious-based imagery would say a lot into what is happening where it does take place on this houseboat where it is about not just some truths coming out but also what one is willing to do to survive. Overall, Scorsese creates an exhilarating yet provocative film about a convicted rapist stalking and preying on lawyer for the sins he had committed.

Cinematographer Freddie Francis does amazing work with the film‘s cinematography with its usage of different film stocks and lighting schemes for some of the surreal sequences while creating some moods in the lighting for some of exteriors scenes in the day and at night. Editor Thelma Schoonmaker does brilliant work with the editing with its stylish montages for some of the more eerie sequences that play into Bowden‘s fear as well as some stylish rhythmic cuts to play into the suspense, drama, and much of its dark humor. Production designer Henry Bumstead, with set decorator Alan Hicks and art director Jack G. Taylor Jr., does excellent work with the look of the Bowden home to play into its sense of artificial world that Sam lives in to the look of the houseboat for the film‘s climax.

Costume designer Rita Ryack does nice work with the costumes from the more casual and clean look of the Bowden family to the stylish clothes that Cady wears. The hair/makeup work of Ilona Herman does fantastic work with the look of Cady from his slick hair to the tattoos on his body that features a lot of religious text and imagery. Sound editor Skip Lievsay does superb work with the sound in the way some of the quieter moments such as Danielle‘s meeting with Cady sounds like in its intimacy to the chilling moments in the film‘s climax. The film’s music largely consists of the film score Bernard Herrmann made for the 1962 film as it is adapted by Elmer Bernstein which does maintain that air of suspense and high drama as it proves anything that was used in the past can still be used again while the soundtrack would also feature music from Guns N‘ Roses and Aretha Franklin.

The casting by Ellen Lewis is wonderful as it features some notable small roles from Zully Montero as the Bowden’s family maid Graciella, Fred Dalton Thompson as Bowden’s law partner Tom Broadbent, Domenica Cameron-Scorsese as Danielle’s friend, Charles and Catherine Scorsese as a couple of fruit stand customers, and Martin Balsam in a terrific cameo appearance as a judge who would disbar Bowden early in the film’s third act. Illeana Douglas is fantastic as the law clerk Lori Davis who is rumored to be Bowden’s mistress until she has a meeting with Cady that would prove to be extremely ugly. Gregory Peck is excellent in his brief yet mesmerizing appearance as Cady’s attorney Lee Heller who would defend the man after an assault as he would have this passionate plea to disbar Bowden. Robert Mitchum is brilliant as Lt. Elgart as this police detective who realizes what is happening to Bowden and what Cady is doing as he sort of plays the film’s conscience in telling Bowden to not descend into darkness which is a surprise since Mitchum played Cady in the 1962 film. Joe Don Baker is amazing as Claude Kersek as a private detective who tries to see what Cady is up to while realizing that he is in the middle of a game where does whatever he can to stop Cady.

Juliette Lewis is incredible as Danielle as this 15-year old girl who deals with the chaos surrounding her family as she becomes intrigued by Cady and the books she is given until she realizes the severity of his terror. Jessica Lange is remarkable as Leigh Bowden as a wife/artist who deals with not just Cady’s presence but also the sins of her husband as she has a hard time trusting him. Nick Nolte is marvelous as Sam Bowden as an attorney who is terrorized by a man he was supposed to defend only to bury evidence that could’ve given Cady a lesser sentence as he tries to outwit Cady only to realize the flaws of himself. Finally, there’s Robert de Niro in a phenomenal performance as Max Cady where de Niro brings a charm that just exudes in every moment he is in as well as a sense of terror that is menacing as it one of de Niro’s most definitive performances.

Cape Fear is a sensational film from Martin Scorsese that features great performances from Robert de Niro, Nick Nolte, Jessica Lange, and Juliette Lewis. In being an updated version of the 1962 film as well as a homage to that film, Scorsese creates a film that isn’t just a thriller that oozes with excitement and terror. It’s also a study of sin and what one man would do to make another man pay for his sins. In the end, Cape Fear is a riveting film from Martin Scorsese.

Related: Cape Fear (1962 film)

Martin Scorsese Films: (Who’s That Knocking on My Door?) - (Street Scenes) - Boxcar Bertha - (Mean Streets) - Italianamerican - Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore - Taxi Driver - New York, New York - American Boy: A Profile of Steven Prince - (The Last Waltz) - Raging Bull - The King of Comedy - After Hours - The Color of Money - The Last Temptation of Christ - New York Stories-Life Lessons - Goodfellas - The Age of Innocence - (A Personal Journey with Martin Scorsese Through American Movies) - (Casino) - (Kundun) - (My Voyage to Italy) - Bringing Out the Dead - (The Blues-Feel Like Going Home) - Gangs of New York - (The Aviator) - No Direction Home - The Departed - Shine a Light - Shutter Island - (A Letter to Elia) - (Public Speaking) - George Harrison: Living in the Material World - Hugo - The Wolf of Wall Street - (The 50 Year Argument) - Silence (2016 film) - (The Irishman) - Killers of the Flower Moon - (An Afternoon with SCTV)

© thevoid99 2016

To Die For

Originally Written and Posted at Epinions.com on 1/22/08 w/ Additional Edits.

Before the age of the Internet and the overwhelming presence of the paparazzi that helped spawn tabloid TV, the media in the 1990s was just starting to get crazy due to incidents involving the OJ Simpson trial and other strange incidents including the Nancy Kerrigan-Tanya Harding feud prior to the 1994 Winter Olympics. The mid-90s was an era of craziness as media coverage made unknowns into celebrities for 15 minutes. In 1995, a film was made and released just at the time when media coverage of these events were at an all-time high. The film isn't just a satirical view of the media but what one person would do to become famous in the film entitled To Die For.

Based on Joyce Maynard's novel, To Die For tells the story of an ambitious TV weather girl who wants to have fame and a huge TV career who decides to have her husband killed with the help of a few teenagers she profiled for a documentary. With an adapted screenplay by noted humorist and writer Buck Henry and directed by indie auteur Gus Van Sant, the film is made into a style of mockumentary as characters tell the story through interviews and flashbacks as it's all centered around this ambitious woman and her marriage to a simple, Italian restaurant co-owner whose simple ideas get in the way of her desire to be a news reporter. With an all-star cast that includes Nicole Kidman, Matt Dillon, Illeana Douglas, Joaquin Phoenix, Allison Folland, Casey Affleck, Dan Hedaya, Kurtwood Smith, Holland Taylor, Wayne Knight, Susan Traylor, Maria Tucci, Mike Rispoli, Tim Hopper, and special appearances from Buck Henry, George Segal, and Canadian auteur David Cronenberg. To Die For is a witty, entertaining, and provocative masterpiece from the duo of Gus Van Sant and Buck Henry.

A woman named Suzanne Stone (Nicole Kidman) is being interviewed about the murder of her husband Larry Maretto (Matt Dillon) as she talks about her story of meeting Larry years ago at his restaurant that's run by his family. Larry is a simple, young man with simple dreams who comes from a loving, Italian family that included father Joe (Dan Hedaya), mother Angela (Maria Tucci) and his ice-skating sister Janice (Illeana Douglas). Larry catches Suzanne's attention as he tries to win her over including getting a little dog named Walter as Janice recalls her dislike towards Suzanne. Even when Larry and Suzanne wedded, she felt Larry changed from a guy who wore heavy-metal t-shirts to something more conservative. Joe and Angela Maretto are also recalling Larry's marriage in a talk show interview with Suzanne's parents Earl (Kurtwood Smith) and Carol Stone (Holland Taylor along with Suzanne's sister Faye (Susan Traylor).

During Suzanne and Larry's honeymoon in Florida, Suzanne goes to a media convention where she catches the attention of a speaker (George Segal). He gives her advice on how to get attention by telling her story about an unnamed reporter who became famous. Suzanne and Larry return to their home in New Hampshire as she pushes her way to get a job at a local cable channel where she convinces the station's manager Ed Grant (Wayne Knight) to give her a job as she eventually became the weather girl. Though being on TV has given her satisfaction, Suzanne wants more as she decides to make a documentary about teens as she discussed the projects with some students as three of them join the documentary, Jimmy (Joaquin Phoenix), Lydia (Allison Folland) and Russell (Casey Affleck).

Immediately, Jimmy and Lydia befriend Suzanne as Jimmy begins to have a crush on her while Lydia feels like she finally has another woman to talk to. Yet with Suzanne's ambitions to become famous, Larry wants to have a family and have Suzanne more involved with the family business since he is set to run his father's restaurant business. Though Suzanne told Larry she'd think about it, but in reality, she decides that he must go. Getting into an affair with Jimmy, the young man is manipulated by Suzanne to have Larry killed. With Lydia providing the gun and Russell going along for the plan, the murder finally happens but evidence and suspicion occurs as Suzanne despite all of her planning let her own ambitions get the best of her.

Mockumentaries are a form of fictional documentaries where characters and such are interviewed in conjunction with the story. The film's story is really about a woman who is willing to become famous by any means necessary. Even if she has to kill her loving husband just to become famous. Told in a style of memories and interviews, screenwriter Buck Henry creates a story that is filled with a lot of dark humor, witty dialogue, and satire as his take on media coverage, tabloid TV, and ambition is truly one of the best script adaptations ever written. Even the characters like Suzanne, Larry, Jimmy, Lydia, and Janice prove to be more than just one-dimensional caricatures. Janice is a sister who like her brother, has simple ambitions while remaining devoted to her family while really being one of the few people who saw Suzanne as a phony. Jimmy may seem like a dumb, stoner character but his own naivete provides an innocence as a young man who finds some self-respect for the first time since Suzanne is one of the rare people to call him James.

Lydia is another character who is filled with character development as this chubby, insecure young woman who finds a friend in Suzanne and like Jimmy, becomes manipulated as she is one of the more real characters in the film as she is also one of the film's main storytellers. Larry at first glance might seem like a typical, Italian-American man with little ambitions but his love for simpler things and family makes him into a well-meaning man. Yet, when he is about to die, one would've expected him to fight back but the shocking behavior of his murder from Jimmy's point of view realized what the two men really are. Yet, the real arc of the film is Suzanne, a woman who doesn't really like to use her husband's last name for professional reasons. Yet, she's a very complex character who uses her sex appeal and charm to get what she wants while at the same time, she isn't a very smart woman when a camera or a media figure is involved.

A lot of the film's humor and satire should go to Buck Henry for his sharp, witty screenplay while helming this story into a kinetic visual style is Gus Van Sant. Van Sant's direction is extremely superb and hypnotic. The use of style and compositions that Van Sant presents gives a film that is enamored with the idea of a mockumentary. Suzanne's interview is shown through her talking behind a white background as she is talking to a camera. There's a few great scenes where Van Sant conveys a mood, particularly in the lighting as it plays to Suzanne's eerie ambitions where things go from light to dark. Even the use where the camera becomes a hole to target Larry's head confirms Suzanne's state of mind. Van Sant's approach to the ending is comical that involves a cameo by revered Canadian director David Cronenberg that is followed by an ironic ending. The overall direction of Van Sant is truly superb as his use of wit and humor creates a film that is entertaining and provocative.

Longtime cinematographer Eric Alan Edwards creates a wonderful, stylish photography with a sheer, bright look to many of the film's daytime exteriors with Ontario, Canada playing New Hampshire with its great shots of the snowy town. Edwards' interior work is wonderful to convey the sense of style and lighting moods as the film has a strange, noir-like feel to convey the mood of Suzanne. Editor Curtiss Clayton brings a wonderful style to the film's editing that has a somewhat, non-linear feel with the use of jump-cuts, slow-motion, and transitions. Even through the jump-cuts, there's moment of what the audience might've thought happened as the film plays through like a puzzle with Clayton's superb editing.

Production designer Missy Stewart and art director Vlasta Svoboda does a wonderful job in creating the suburban home of Larry and Suzanne with wonderful colors in the furniture and appliances while creating the poor homes of the teens she's profiled. Costume designer Beatrix Aruna Pasztor does an amazing job in the look of Suzanne's clothes where it's all in style from the colorful power suits and blouses she wears to her colorful underwear, dresses, and tight pants. The costumes that Kidman wears is extraordinary and fun to watch. Sound editors Kelley Baker and J. Paul Huntsman do excellent work in the sound to convey the suspense and atmosphere in the dramatic scenes of the film.

Music composer Danny Elfman creates a fun, hypnotic score that is reminiscent of the classic scores from the films of Alfred Hitchcock. With a mix of screeching, metal guitars, the score underplay the film's humor while adding a saucy sense of terror of what is to come. Elfman's score is truly superb as the soundtrack features memorable cuts from Eric Carmen, Billy Preston, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Strawpeople, Nailbomb, Donovan, and in the film's promos, Don Henley's Dirty Laundry.

The casting by Deirdre Bowen and Howard Feuer is wonderfully assembled with cameos and small appearances from Rain Phoenix, Buck Henry as high school teacher Mr. Finlayson, George Segal as a conference speaker, the film's novelist Joyce Maynard as Suzanne's lawyer, and David Cronenberg in a great cameo as a man at a lake. Notable small roles from Gerry Quigley as Ed's associate George, Michael Rispoli and Tim Hopper as two detectives investigating Larry's murder while having a funny scene with Joaquin Phoenix in his interrogation as the two actors also appear in scenes as the Maretto's restaurant regulars. Holland Taylor is fine as Suzanne's mother along with Susan Traylor as Suzanne’s sister. Kurtwood Smith has a memorable appearance as Suzanne's father who doesn't approve of Larry at first due to his background. Maria Tucci is great as Angela Maretto who is concerned about Suzanne's lack of desire to become a mother while Dan Hedaya is great as Joe Maretto, the father who helps Larry in the importance of family.

Wayne Knight is wonderfully entertaining as station manager Ed Grant as Knight's straightforward, comedic performance is fun as he plays a foil of sorts for Kidman while calling her character "gangbusters". Illeana Douglas is amazing as Janice Maretto whose quick-witted remarks about Suzanne is filled with a lot of humor while in some ways, plays the film's conscience as she is baffled by Larry's choice in wanting Suzanne as his wife. In his film debut, Casey Affleck is great as the trouble-making Russell who is more than willing to do crazy things while annoying Mr. Finlayson. Allison Folland is extremely superb as Lydia, a young insecure girl who is easily manipulated by Suzanne as she is often given advice about losing weight while for a moment, feels like she's fitting in as Folland's performance is truly memorable, which is also her film debut.

Joaquin Phoenix delivers a breakthrough performance as the dim-witted but sweet Jimmy who falls for Suzanne while finally getting some self-respect and confidence despite his own insecurities. Phoenix's laconic, subtle performance is amazing as the actor proved he can step into the shadows of his late older brother, River while proving to be one of the best actors of his generation. Matt Dillon is amazingly low-key as the charming, street-smart Larry Maretto. Dillon's engaging performance is fun to watch as he plays a man with simple ideas of family and love who is truly unaware of his wife's ambitions as Dillon is great in playing a character who eventually becomes a victim.

The film's best performance truly goes to Nicole Kidman in what is really her breakout role to American audiences. In the role of Suzanne Stone, Kidman brings a lot of layers to the performance as she is mean, conniving, manipulative, and cold whenever she's not getting what she wants or trying to control the situation. Yet, when she is at work or being part of some media event, Kidman adds a lot of energy and humor to the character that is sometimes heighten by the presence of the little dog Walter played by Misha. The whole film is Kidman through and through as it's a wonderful, star-making term for the Australian beauty.

When it was released in 1995, the film drew rave reviews and box office as Nicole Kidman received lots of acclaim including a Golden Globe win for Best Actress in a Comedy/Musical. The film proved to be Kidman's breakout role as she finally stepped out of the shadow of her then-husband Tom Cruise. The film also introduced the public to Joaquin Phoenix and Casey Affleck in which the latter would become one of Van Sant's key collaborators as his older brother Ben and friend Matt Damon would help bring Van Sant his biggest success with their own screenplay entitled Good Will Hunting.

To Die For is an extraordinary, witty, and entertaining masterpiece from Gus Van Sant and screenwriter Buck Henry helmed by a phenomenal performance from Nicole Kidman. Fans of black comedies and satires no doubt will enjoy this film while fans of Kidman will no doubt consider this her most essential performance. While fans of Gus Van Sant will consider this film to be his most accessible in comparison to art-house fares like My Own Private Idaho and Drugstore Cowboy to more experimental films like his recent Death Trilogy. The film is still one of Van Sant's quintessential films. In the end, for a film that is sexy, a great soundtrack, look, and witty commentary on the media, To Die For is the film that lives up to its title.

Gus Van Sant Films: Mala Noche - Drugstore Cowboy - My Own Private Idaho - Even Cowgirls Get the Blues - Good Will Hunting - Psycho (1998 film) - Finding Forrester - Gerry - Elephant - Last Days - Paranoid Park - Milk - Restless - Promised Land

The Shorts & Videos of Gus Van Sant - Auteurs #4: Gus Van Sant

(C) thevoid99 2011

Ghost World

Originally Written and Posted on 8/12/04 w/ Extensive Revisions & Additional Edits.

If life at high school sucked, then it’s really nothing compared to what happens after. Sure, kids go to college after that but what happens when you meet new people and in the process lose the people you cared for back in high school. Comic book writer Daniel Clowes captured the bleakness of post-high school life through the eyes of two teenage girls in his comic series Ghost World. The comic gained a cult popularity that included Crumb filmmaker Terry Zwigoff. Zwigoff and Clowes decided to adapt the comic book series into a film of the same name that captures the bleakness of teenagers and adults in a world, many of them don’t fit in with.

The movie for Ghost World is about two teenage girls, who just graduated from high school, finding themselves starting to drift apart after one of them encounters a lonely, eccentric adult. During their aimless journey, they try to find the strange eccentricities of their dreary suburban home while pondering what to do with their own lives. Leading the cast in Ghost World are Thora Birch as the sullen yet arty Enid and Scarlett Johansson as the prettier yet bored Rebecca. Also starring Brad Renfro, Teri Garr, David Cross, Bob Balaban, Illeana Douglas, Dave Sheridan, Tom McGowan, and Steve Buscemi. Ghost World is a harrowing yet humorous film from Terry Zwigoff and company.

Enid and Rebecca are at their graduation as they watch a handicapped speaker (Rini Bell) talk about life after high school though both Enid Rebecca believe there is no future. Reluctantly attending a graduation party while Enid is forced to return to school to pass art to gain a diploma. After high school, Enid and Rebecca walk through the town’s dreariness where they encounter two old strange people Enid convinced are Satanists and an old man (Charles J. Peterson) sitting at an unused bus stop. Enid then finds an ad for a guy looking for a girl as she and Rebecca call the number and pretend to be some blonde. They bring their friend/gas station patron named Josh (Brad Renfro) to a diner to see the guy revealed to be a man named Seymour (Steve Buscemi) who arrives as he waits for the woman but finds out he’s been duped.

Enid and Rebecca follow Seymour as they learn he’s some strange, eccentric guy who collects old vinyl blues records. Enid meanwhile is having problems at home as her dad (Bob Balaban) is thinking of dating his ex-girlfriend Maxine (Teri Garr) whom she despies. Rebecca however, decides to move ahead with plans for her own apartment with Enid by getting a job. Enid takes a summer class with a quirky art teacher named Roberta (Illeana Douglas) while reluctantly taking a job search as she and Rebecca meet Seymour and his friend Joe (Tom McGowan). After getting a blues record that Enid likes, she starts to befriend Seymour who invites her to a party. Rebecca reluctantly attends where she gets verbally harassed by a partygoer (David Cross).

Enid hangs out with Seymour as they find a shared disdain towards the world as he's more interested in obscure blues and such while her friendship with Rebecca deteriorates over Enid's fascination with Seymour and Rebecca becoming more social. When Seymour finally meets a woman named Dana (Stacey Travis), Enid becomes unhappy over the things around her life as well as her deteriorating friendship with Rebecca and Seymour.

While the film’s offbeat quirky humor mixed in with restrained drama brings an eccentric quality to the film, it’s one of the reasons why the film stands out from many of the indie and teen films of the time. With Daniel Clowes’ story and realist humor, the film’s title is really about the disintegration of Americana through the world of corporate America and the urge to conform. Terry Zwigoff brings in a vast, wonderful direction that is tightly constructed with wonderful cinematography from Affonso Beato. Helping with Zwigoff’s complex direction is a melancholic film score from composer David Kitay whose piano composition really gives the film movement and serves as another character. With production designer Edward T. McAvoy, the film’s look really brings that bleakness of post-20th Century America where the world and some of its individuals ends up conforming. Another great moment is the film’s artwork, notably from Sophie Crumb (daughter of Robert Crumb) who does the drawing for Enid’s book. While Ghost World might seem to be an off-the-wall comedy, it’s also a wonderful character study film, notably between Birch’s Enid and Johansson’s Rebecca.

The film’s supporting players really stand out from its cameo appearances from Ileana Douglas, David Cross, and Teri Garr to the hilarious performance from Dave Sheridan. Brad Renfro is also excellent in the role of Josh, who might seem as a clueless tormented figure who is used as a joke for Enid and Rebecca when really, he plays a secret crush that they don’t want to admit. Bob Balaban is excellent as Enid’s father for his straight performance to Birch’s offbeat performance while bringing a compassionate performance, even in scenes where he just doesn’t understand his daughter. With other smaller roles from Stacey Travis, Charles J. Peterson, Brian George, and Tom McGowan, the film has an overall stellar cast.

Of the film’s supporting performances, the best easily goes to Scarlett Johansson as the cynical, realist Rebecca who serves as a perfect foil to the downbeat Enid. With her quick-sarcasm and intellectual remarks, Johansson stands out among the entire cast with her restrained, mature performance. Especially since she came out of two amazing performances previously with 1996’s Manny & Lo and 1998’s The Horse Whisperer. With those two performances, Johansson comes to fruition with maturity by playing an 18-year old when at the time of making the film she was only 15. In the development of Rebecca throughout the film, we see Johansson not trying to make Rebecca conform to society but bringing a realism and maturity to the point that Enid couldn’t understand since she’s too much of a rebel while Rebecca just gave up on rebelling and moving forward.

Steve Buscemi is also brilliant in his performance as Seymour with his frustrated, oddball look while being a charming, romantic fellow. This was the closest thing to having Buscemi being a romantic lead but he has an off-the-wall humor that is so intriguing that it is remarkable, as he doesn’t mind being the butt of jokes. Plus, we see he’s the kind of guy that couldn’t fit in because of his hobbies or anything. Buscemi brought a depth and frustration that is loveable while he manages to carry great chemistry with Birch throughout the entire film while having a few intense, dramatic scenes with Johansson.

Thora Birch is the film’s most remarkable performance with her sympathetic, anti-establishment performance as Enid. Coming off a post-child stardom role in American Beauty, Birch brings a cynicism and attitude to Enid who is trying to find herself in the world. Birch also brings humor in her scenes where she and Johansson torment people quietly but as the film wears on, she realizes that she’s one of them and brings sadness to a role where she’s just lost. Especially in the film’s ending where things get really bizarre and nothing in the beginning of the film is the same anymore. Enid is a character that everyone could relate to, especially since not everyone wants a shoddy job or to conform to any kinds of stereotype. It’s overall Birch’s best performance to date.

The 2002 Region DVD release from MGM/United Artists presents the film in a 16:9 widescreen format brings a lot of brilliance to the film, especially in its look. With its English, French, and Spanish subtitles and 5.1 Surround Sound, the film’s features doesn't have much. Aside from a theatrical trailer of the film plus for its soundtrack, The Princess Bride, and a special edition of The Terminator. The special features also include four deleted and alternate scenes, which really don’t add much to the film. Two of them features hilarious moments between Brian George and Dave Sheridan while one involves Buscemi talking about a record and Ileana Douglas talking about an art thing she did. The best thing about the special features is the music video for Jaan Pehechaan Ho from the film Gumnaam in the 1960s and a making of feature with interviews from Zwigoff, Clowes, Birch, Johansson, Buscemi, and Brad Renfro where they all talk about the film and the comic book.

***Additional Content Written and Posted from 9/29/17-10/1/17***

The 2017 Region 1/Region A DVD/Blu-Ray from the Criterion Collection presents the film in a newly-restored 4K digital transfer that is supervised by its filmmaker Terry Zwigoff in its original 1:85:1 theatrical aspect ratio with 5.1 Surround Sound on DVD (5.1 Surround DTS-HD Master Audio for the Blu-Ray). Among the features retained from 2002 DVD from MGM are the film’s theatrical trailer, the excerpt from Gumnaam, and the film’s deleted scenes with additional scenes that were also cut that include an extended scene of Enid and Rebecca talking to the waiter Weird Al and a scene of Enid meeting Josh as they would have sex which becomes awkward. The Gumnaam excerpt would feature a commentary track from a Bollywood expert Roshini Dubey who talks about the film and its placement in Bollywood as well as why it was featured in Zwigoff’s film as a way to play into Enid’s outsider persona.

The feature-length audio commentary track from director Terry Zwigoff, co-writer Daniel Clowes, and producer Lianne Haflon have the trio talk about aspects of the production as well as some of the visual look of the film courtesy of cinematographer Affonso Beato, production designer Edward T. McAvoy, and costume designer Mary Zophres. Zwigoff reveals the anxiety he had in directing the film as it was his first time doing a narrative film as he turned to Francis Ford Coppola for help in directing actors as he learned from Coppola that it’s something that can’t be taught as Coppola admits to not knowing how to direct actors. Fortunately, Zwigoff was able to get through thanks in part to the ensemble he worked with as he, Clowes, and Haflon had a lot of praise toward the actors including Thora Birch, Scarlett Johansson, and Steve Buscemi as well as those who did the smaller roles. They also discuss some of the artwork as well as other things in the film as it’s a very enjoyable and engaging commentary track.

The 42-minute featurette entitled Art as Dialogue feature new interviews with actresses Thora Birch, Scarlett Johansson, and Illeana Douglas as they all talk about the film, their characters, and working with Zwigoff. Birch discusses her approach to the Enid character after having read the graphic novel and other works of Clowes as she originally was considered for the role of Rebecca when Christina Ricci was considered for the role of Enid. Fortunately, Birch was able to convince Zwigoff and Clowes that she was right for Enid while Johansson talked about her own experiences in the film as she was only 15 years old when she made it yet had experienced a lot in her life. Especially as she and Birch both had their own similar experiences as child actors transitioning into adult roles where they both shared their own experiences in dealing with that transition.

Douglas discusses the approach of her character as well as her friendship with Steve Buscemi as they both came from the world of New York City art during the 1980s which was the inspiration for Douglas’ idea for Roberta. All three women also talk about the film’s impact culturally and socially where they’re all baffled into how young women try to dress up like Enid and want to be like her which they all admit is odd. Johansson does talk about how her fans often bring up the film as it’s a favorite of theirs as she knows a friend’s daughter who just discovered it. All three women also talk about the film’s ending and what they believed happened to Enid and Rebecca in the end as it’s one of the finest pieces on the DVD.

The DVD/Blu-Ray also feature two booklets as one is a reprinted excerpt of Clowes’ original comic as well as material from 2008 special edition reissue of the graphic novel into the fate of the two characters including their own reaction towards the film. The second booklet feature two essays about the film as the first essay entitled Séance in Wowsville is from film critic/author Howard Hampton who talks about the film and how it relates to not just Zwigoff’s other films but also how it managed to make an impression on those who saw it the first time around. Especially in how Enid and Rebecca react to the world around them where the latter reluctantly has to take part in that world in order to do what everyone else is doing forcing Enid to find companionship in Seymour. Hampton also talk about other aspects of the film including the casting as well as many of the things that has attracted the audience due to their disdain of this growing culture of conformity.

The second essay is from director Terry Zwigoff that was written as liner notes for the film’s music soundtrack in its 2001 release. Zwigoff talks about what he wanted to use in terms of the bad music that Enid and Rebecca despised as he couldn’t secure the usage of the pop music of the early 2000s like Britney Spears or ‘Nsync forcing him to find other things. He also talks about some of the other music in the soundtrack as the music that Seymour likes is the music that Zwigoff has while talking about how he discovered the music of Skip James while critiquing the music of Cream and Bjork as inferior. It’s a fun read as it play into Zwigoff’s love for music as well as wanting introduce audiences to these obscure blues gems.

***End of DVD Tidbits***

Ghost World is truly a tremendous coming-of-age film that chronicles the changing times from the viewpoints of two teenage girls and an oddball loner. With a great cast led by Thora Birch, Scarlett Johansson, and Steve Buscemi, this film is truly mesmerizing for its themes of alienation conformity that is captured with wonderful humor by Terry Zwigoff. In the end, Ghost World is a stunning yet hypnotic film from Terry Zwigoff and company.

Terry Zwigoff Films: Louie Bluie - Crumb - Bad Santa - Art School Confidential - The Auteurs #53: Terry Zwigoff

Related: Ghost World (graphic novel) - Ghost World OST - Ghost World (screenplay book) - Ghost World 10th Anniversary Essay

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