This Day in Indie History

This Day in Indie History: Scarface

Carrie, The Untouchables, Carlito’s Way—there are innumerable reasons to appreciate director Brian De Palma’s work, and placed foremost among them is Scarface, which started shooting on this day in 1982. Set in 1980s Miami in an environment riddled with drug smuggling and high-profile crime, Scarface delved uncompromisingly into the violence of that culture, earning itself an X rating for its first three cuts.

Film Factoid: Tony Montana’s “little friend” is a M203, a standard M16 assault rifle with a single-shot, 40mm grenade launcher attached to the barrel. By the end of the film, the total body count reaches 42.

November 28th, 2006 | Category: This Day in Indie History | By MovieMaker Staff

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This Day in Indie History: Boyz n the Hood

The first film of the ‘Hood Trilogy,’ John Singleton’s Boyz n the Hood finished shooting on this day in 1990. As Singleton’s debut effort, the story pulled huge influence from the writer-director’s experiences growing up in South Central Los Angeles and gathered together a talented cast—including Laurence Fishburne, Cuba Gooding Jr., Ice Cube and Morris Chestnut—to tell the story of three friends struggling to find the right path inside and outside of the ghetto.

Quotable: “I write when I am inspired. If I come up with an idea, right then and there I’ll write it on a piece of paper. I may write for hours at a time on a given day. I’ll do a first draft in the course of three months. I just attack a story like that and pick at it until I get the first draft.” (John Singleton on the writing process in MovieMaker Magazine, Hands on Pages Issue #5)

November 27th, 2006 | Category: This Day in Indie History | By MovieMaker Staff

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This Day in Indie History: Bruce Lee

Without a doubt, Bruce Lee holds a place as the single most influential figure in martial arts cinema. Born on this day in San Francisco in 1940, the actor and athlete became a favorite among Western audiences starting in the 1970s, though in fact he’d been involved in moviemaking since childhood. With his breakout hit, Wei Lo’s Fist of Fury, Lee became an instant success and later went on to star in such films as Robert Clouse’s Enter the Dragon, Way of the Dragon, which he also directed and William Beaudine, Norman Foster and E. Darrell Hallenbeck’s The Green Hornet.

Filmstar Factoid: Lee died unexpectedly at age 33 of a cerebral edema, reportedly triggered by a negative reaction to medicine taken to alleviate a headache.

November 26th, 2006 | Category: This Day in Indie History | By MovieMaker Staff

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This Day in Indie History: Ben-Hur

Often thought of as one of the most pivotal epic films of its time, William Wyler’s Ben-Hur opened in theaters in 1959. The second film adaptation of Lew Wallace’s novel, the film’s script was crafted by the talented collective of Karl Tunberg, Maxwell Anderson, Christopher Fry and Gore Vidal; however, the last three writers remain uncredited for their work, Vidal in particular for his addition of gay themes into an otherwise hyper-masculine script.

Film Factoid: A slew of actors including Rock Hudson, Paul Newman and Burt Lancaster were approached to take the title role before final casting narrowed down to Charlton Heston.

November 23rd, 2006 | Category: This Day in Indie History | By MovieMaker Staff

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This Day in Indie History: The Merchant of Venice

Michael Radford’s The Merchant of Venice began shooting on this day in 2003. Starring Al Pacino, Jeremy Irons, Joseph Fiennes and Lynn Collins, the film joins the long line of Shakespearean adaptations with brilliant actors and lackluster box office numbers. Despite the financial hit however, the film went on to critical success at the BAFTA, David di Donatello and Satellite Awards.

Film Factoid: Avoided by studios for its anti-Semitic themes, Radford’s Merchant of Venice was the first version to be filmed since the silent era.

November 22nd, 2006 | Category: This Day in Indie History | By MovieMaker Staff

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This Day in Indie History: JFK

In 1963 President Jack Kennedy suffered fatal gunshot wounds while on visit to Dallas, Texas, an assassination that to this day feeds the flames of conspiracy theories, exhaustive research by independent study groups, and naturally, the moviemaking machine. From Oliver Stone’s focused look at the crime in JFK to a passing mention in Richard Linklater’s Slacker, the event, which sparked national outcry and continues to permeate the American consciousness, provides constant fodder for narrative exploration, also showing up in films like Robert Zemeckis’ Forrest Gump and Ben Stiller’s Zoolander.

Film Factoid: In Oliver Stone’s epic JFK, Dr M.T. Jenkins, the anesthetist who officially declared John F. Kennedy dead, plays himself.

November 21st, 2006 | Category: This Day in Indie History | By MovieMaker Staff

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This Day in Indie History: Oldboy

The second installment of Park Chanwook’s “Revenge Trilogy,” Oldboy opened for South Korean audiences in 2003. Based on the comic crafted by Garon Tsuchiya and Nobuaki Minegishi, the story follows the story of Oh Dae-su, a husband and father who has been mysteriously imprisoned for 15 years, as he seeks justice from his captors. Winning accolades from the Grand Bell Awards, Cannes Film Festival and European Film Awards among others, the movie found support from the likes of numerous American independent filmmakers, including Quentin Tarantino.

Film Factoid: In one memorable scene of the film, Oh Dae-su eats a live octopus. In shooting the scene, the actor Choi Min-sik actually ate four live octopi, a stunt that caused no end to controversy when the film screened outside of Korea.

November 20th, 2006 | Category: This Day in Indie History | By MovieMaker Staff

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This Day in Indie History: Estelle Parsons

With a high-pitched whine and high-strung personality, Estelle Parsons detailed her performance as Blanche Barrow in Arthur Penn’s Bonnie and Clyde with equal parts theatrics and nuance, garnering an Oscar for her film breakthrough. Born on this day in 1927, Parsons has dabbled in the fields of law, journalism and teaching along with her numerous credits in theater and film, among which are roles in Paul Newman’s Rachel, Rachel, Howard Morris’ Don’t Drink the Water and Gilbert Cates’ I Never Sang For My Father.

Filmstar Factoid: Though Parsons is well known for her work in theater and film, she’s best known to younger generations of viewers for her mid-1990s performance as Bev Harris on “Roseanne.”

November 19th, 2006 | Category: This Day in Indie History | By MovieMaker Staff

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This Day in Indie History: Gentleman Prefer Blondes

After completing the Cary Grant and Ginger Rogers comedy Monkey Business, Howard Hawks started shooting Gentleman Prefer Blondes in 1952. Starring Jane Russell and Marilyn Monroe, the movie featured the iconic tune “Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend” and solidified Monroe’s fame in the film business.

Film Factoid: Though gentlemen preferred blondes in 1952, Jane Russell later would go on to star in Richard Sale’s 1955 Gentlemen Marry Brunettes.

November 17th, 2006 | Category: This Day in Indie History | By MovieMaker Staff

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This Day in Indie History: Maggie Gyllenhaal

Born on this day in New York City to film director Stephen Gyllenhaal and screenwriter Naomi Foner in 1977, Maggie Gyllenhaal became an indie household name when Steven Shainberg’s Secretary hit theaters in 2002. Through the strength of her acting, defined by its quirkiness and subtlety, Gyllenhaal has landed roles in John Sayles’ Casa de los babys, Don Roos’ Happy Endings and Marc Forster’s Stranger Than Fiction.

Filmstar Factoid: Initially, Secretary producers were focused on casting a bigger name for the lead role of Lee Holloway. But after a year of auditions and courting actresses including Christina Ricci and Claire Danes, the part was offered to Gyllenhaal, who garnered a Golden Globe nomination and won the National Board of Review award for “Best Breakthrough Performance by an Actress.”

November 15th, 2006 | Category: This Day in Indie History | By MovieMaker Staff

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This Day in Indie History: Silence of the Lambs

Classic thriller Silence of the Lambs began filming on this day in 1989. Based on the novel by Thomas Harris, the film famously follows FBI agent Clarice Starling as she attempts to track down a serial killer with the help of the cannibalistic psychiatrist, Hannibal Lecter. The film won numerous Academy Awards, including a Best Actor statue for Anthony Hopkins. With only 16 minutes of screen time, it was the shortest performance to win the award for lead actor.

Filmstar Factoid: In order to add to Hannibal Lecter’s scare factor, Anthony Hopkins added a number of improvisational—and eerie—touches that would become Lecter’s signature, including never blinking his eyes while he spoke.

November 14th, 2006 | Category: This Day in Indie History | By MovieMaker Staff

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This Day in Indie History: A History of Violence

Based on a graphic novel created by John Wagner and Vince Locke, David Cronenberg’s A History of Violence finished shooting in 2004. Acclaimed by the Academy Awards, the Cannes Film Festival and the National Society of Film Critics Awards among others, the movie pulled Viggo Mortensen, Maria Bello, Ed Harris and William Hurt together to tell the story of an all-American family man whose dark past is revealed when he becomes a local hero.

Film Factoid: After the film’s infamous stairwell sex scene, Maria Bello is seen lying in bed with bruises on her back. In actuality, makeup was used to downplay the number of bruises Bello received from filming the scene.

November 14th, 2006 | Category: This Day in Indie History | By MovieMaker Staff

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This Day in Indie History: Breaking the Waves

The first segment of Lars von Trier’s Golden Heart trilogy, Breaking the Waves opened in U.S. theaters in 1996. The story follows Jan Nyman (Stellan SkarsgÃ¥rd), an oilrig worker who, after suffering paralysis from an industrial accident, urges his simple and devoted wife Bess (Emily Watson) to sleep with other men. In Dogme 95 tradition the movie makes use of jump cuts and organic dialogue but breaks the rules by adding musical interludes and on-set locations.

Filmstar Factoid: Actress Emily Watson made her feature film debut as Bess McNeill and received an Oscar nomination for her work. She has since gone on to work on Anand Tucker’s Hilary and Jackie (which garnered her a second Oscar nom), Alan Parker’s Angela’s Ashes, Robert Altman’s Gosford Park and Paul Thomas Anderson’s Punch-Drunk Love.

November 13th, 2006 | Category: This Day in Indie History | By MovieMaker Staff

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Vincent Schiavelli

Renowned character actor Vincent Schiavelli was born on this day in 1948, appearing in 149 films before his death from lung cancer in 2005. Schiavelli, a native of Brooklyn, New York, studied acting at NYU before embarking on his impressive career in theater, film and television. Throughout his career Schiavelli would often appear in four to five movies per year—his 6’6” stature and distinctive face affording him a niche playing intimidating and often disturbing characters. Some of the actor’s most notable projects include Milos Forman’s One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest and The People vs. Larry Flynt, Amy Heckerling’s Fast Times At Ridgemont High and, more recently, Mario Van Peebles’ Baadasssss!

Filmstar Factoid: In addition to his acting career, Schiavelli was the award-winning author of three Sicillian cookbooks.

November 10th, 2006 | Category: This Day in Indie History | By MovieMaker Staff

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La Mala Educación (Bad Education)

Pedro Almodóvar’s La Mala Educación (Bad Education) finished shooting in 2003.  The film, which stars Gael García Bernal as the transvestite Ángel/Juan/Zahara, opened the 2004 Cannes Film Festival. The film won the New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Foreign Language Film and the GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Film. It was also nominated for an Independent Spirit Award for Best Foreign Film.

Film Factoid: It took Almodóvar over 10 years to create the story structure for La Mala Educación, the ending of which was only resolved during editing.

September 22nd, 2006 | Category: This Day in Indie History | By MovieMaker Staff

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Bill Murray (56)

Born today in 1950 in Wilmette, Illinois. Nominated for an Academy Award (Best Actor for Sophia Coppola’s Lost in Translation). Also nominated for a Golden Globe for his work in Ghostbusters (dir. Ivan Reitman) and Rushmore (dir. Wes Anderson) and took home the award for Best Actor in 2004 for Lost In Translation. Murray was nominated for an Emmy twice, and won once in 1977 for his work on Saturday Night Live. Other classic work includes Caddyshack (dir. Harold Ramis), Stripes (dir. Ivan Reitman), Groundhog Day (dir. Harold Ramis) The Royal Tenenbaums, The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (dir. Wes Anderson) and Broken Flowers (dir. Jim Jarmusch)

Filmstar Factoid: Murray was bitten twice by his rodent “costar” during the filming of Groundhog Day.

September 21st, 2006 | Category: This Day in Indie History | By MovieMaker Staff

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Festival de Cannes

Now regarded as the crème de la crème event for international film premieres, the Festival de Cannes first opened on this day in 1946. Although the festival was meant to launch September 1^st, 1939, it was shut down after one screening (William Dieterle’s The Hunchback of Notre Dame), when Germany invaded Poland and France declared war. The festival was again shut down due to political turmoil in May 1968 when the student revolution led to a national strike. Auteurs Francois Truffaut and Jean-Luc Godard clung to the curtain across the stage of Palais de Festivals to prevent films from being screened and show support for the protestors.

September 20th, 2006 | Category: This Day in Indie History | By MovieMaker Staff

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A Streetcar Named Desire

Elia Kazan’s A Streetcar Named Desire opened in the United States this day in 1951.  Nominated for 12 Academy Awards, the film walked away with four, including Best Actress for Vivien Leigh. Streetcar catapulted a young Marlon Brando into the limelight for his star-making turn as Stanley Kowalski.

Trivia: The movie’s most famous line, “Stella! Hey, Stella!” was voted as the #45 movie quote by the American Film Institute (out of 100).

September 17th, 2006 | Category: This Day in Indie History | By MovieMaker Staff

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Greta Garbo

Born 1905, Stockholm, Sweden. Died April 15, 1990. Nominated for four Best Actress Academy Awards: in 1930 for the title role in Anna Christie (dir. Clarence Brown) and for Madame Rita Cavallini in Romance (dir. Clarence Brown), in 1938 for Marguerite Gautier in Camille (dir. George Cukor), and in 1940 for the title role in Ninotchka (dir. Ernst Lubitsch). Other classic works include Torrent (dir. Vicente Blasco Ibáñez), Flesh and the Devil (dir. Clarence Brown), Grand Hotel (dir.Edmund Goudling), Anna Karenina (dir. Clarence Brown), and A Woman of Affairs (dir. Clarence Brown).

Filmstar Factoid: Though she is one of the most famous actresses in moviemaking history, Garbo’s film career ended with the poorly received comedy, “Two-Faced Woman.” Only one year after receiving her fourth Best Actress nomination, Garbo retired from film at the age of 36.

September 16th, 2006 | Category: This Day in Indie History | By MovieMaker Staff

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Oliver Stone (60)

Born 1946 in New York City. Nominated for 11 Academy Awards with three wins (Best Adapted Screenplay in 1979 for Midnight Express (dir. Alan Parker), Best Director in 1987 for Platoon, and another Best Director in 1990 for Born on the Fourth of July). Most notable projects include: World Trade Center, Nixon, Natural Born Killers, JFK, Talk Radio and Salvador.

Quotable: “Many films are forgotten and deserve to be, but others glom onto the DNA or the consciousness in some way and they remain and they help shape the collective conscience…That’s not to say films shouldn’t be fun and entertaining and filled with all kinds of riddles and codes either. A message is not necessarily delivered Western Union-style. A message is inherent in the canvas that you paint.” (MovieMaker, March/April 1995)

September 15th, 2006 | Category: This Day in Indie History | By MovieMaker Staff

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