Movies that had troubled productions?
07-23-13, 05:36 PM
#26
DVD Talk Special Edition
Join Date: Oct 1999
Posts: 1,935
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Re: Movies that had troubled productions?
I think Gladiator went over budget and they were re-writing the script as they were filming.
The original ending had Maximus escaping and coming back with his men. Big battle ensues between his group and Commodus. Maximus still dies at the end but I would've loved to see this ending.
The original ending had Maximus escaping and coming back with his men. Big battle ensues between his group and Commodus. Maximus still dies at the end but I would've loved to see this ending.
07-23-13, 05:43 PM
#27
Re: Movies that had troubled productions?
If it weren't for the Yeagers, this would have been the greatest movie ever. It not only could have gotten an Oscar, but a Nobel Prize as well. Just thinking about it gives me the shivers.
07-23-13, 05:45 PM
#28
DVD Talk Special Edition
Re: Movies that had troubled productions?
The last 40 minutes of Hardboiled were shot without a finished script (this is discussed in the Criterion commentary), and it's one of the best climaxes in cinema history.
07-23-13, 06:02 PM
#29
Re: Movies that had troubled productions?
The Island of Dr. Moreau (remake) featured the following problems:
-The original director was fired four days after shooting. Before that he spent four years developing the movie.
-The lead actor fell of a horse and broke his leg
-The French set off an underwater atomic bomb near where the production was.
-Val Kilmer showed up two days late to the production, found out that he was getting divorced by watching CNN, didn't learn his lines, and clashed with the director so much that after his last scene, the director said "Cut. Now get this bastard off my set."
-Fairuza Balk tried to quit the production, but they caught her at the airport and made her come back to set.
-The original director was fired four days after shooting. Before that he spent four years developing the movie.
-The lead actor fell of a horse and broke his leg
-The French set off an underwater atomic bomb near where the production was.
-Val Kilmer showed up two days late to the production, found out that he was getting divorced by watching CNN, didn't learn his lines, and clashed with the director so much that after his last scene, the director said "Cut. Now get this bastard off my set."
-Fairuza Balk tried to quit the production, but they caught her at the airport and made her come back to set.
07-23-13, 07:14 PM
#30
DVD Talk Legend
Re: Movies that had troubled productions?
Terry Gilliam has had a number of troubled productions.
Brazil went pretty smoothly, until they showed Universal an edit. Universal conned Gilliam out of his final cut, then proceeded to demand he dramatically shorten the film. When they didn't like his US edit, they took the film away from him and started to re-edit the film. It's only due to a massive public campaign by Gilliam (unheard of at the time) that Universal relented and let Gilliam's shorter cut be used.
The Adventures of Baron Munchausen was troubled from the start. The Italian producer kept firing accountants because they kept saying the film couldn't be made for the proposed budget, until one accountant finally came back with the right numbers. Then he moved the film to Italy supposedly to save costs; everything ended up costing more. Gilliam had problems communicating with the mostly Italian crew, and what few British crew there was had a culture clash with the Italian crew. When it went over budget, the film insurer came in and demanded a large number of cuts. They tried to fire Gillilam, but he was saved by Columbia, who said they wouldn't pay for the film if it wasn't directed by Gilliam.
The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus was partly through filming when Heath Ledger, one of the lead actors, died. As he had shot all his "real world" scenes before passing away, his fantasy sequences were split between Johnny Depp, Jude Law, and Colin Farrell.
Some other films...
The Emperor's New Groove originally started as an epic called Kingdom of the Sun. They got to the point where they had a full storyreel voice-acted, with songs by Sting, when they realized it wasn't working and basically scrapped it. They took a small plot point of the original (that of the emperor being turned into a llama) and completely reworked the film into a comedy. Sting's wife documented the production of the first version with complete creative control, but outside a limited theatrical run, Disney has kept the documentary under wraps.
The Thief and the Cobbler was started in 1964 and was in-and-out of production for the next few decades, finally "finished" in 1995. Before that though, the original director, animator Richard Williams, was fired from it, and the film was significantly re-edited, with new songs and scenes added.
Dark Blood was being filmed in 1993 when its star, River Phoenix, died partway through filming. The insurance company wrote it off as a loss, and it was left uncompleted until its director finished it in 2012, using voice-over narration and stills for the unfilmed scenes.
Brazil went pretty smoothly, until they showed Universal an edit. Universal conned Gilliam out of his final cut, then proceeded to demand he dramatically shorten the film. When they didn't like his US edit, they took the film away from him and started to re-edit the film. It's only due to a massive public campaign by Gilliam (unheard of at the time) that Universal relented and let Gilliam's shorter cut be used.
The Adventures of Baron Munchausen was troubled from the start. The Italian producer kept firing accountants because they kept saying the film couldn't be made for the proposed budget, until one accountant finally came back with the right numbers. Then he moved the film to Italy supposedly to save costs; everything ended up costing more. Gilliam had problems communicating with the mostly Italian crew, and what few British crew there was had a culture clash with the Italian crew. When it went over budget, the film insurer came in and demanded a large number of cuts. They tried to fire Gillilam, but he was saved by Columbia, who said they wouldn't pay for the film if it wasn't directed by Gilliam.
The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus was partly through filming when Heath Ledger, one of the lead actors, died. As he had shot all his "real world" scenes before passing away, his fantasy sequences were split between Johnny Depp, Jude Law, and Colin Farrell.
Some other films...
The Emperor's New Groove originally started as an epic called Kingdom of the Sun. They got to the point where they had a full storyreel voice-acted, with songs by Sting, when they realized it wasn't working and basically scrapped it. They took a small plot point of the original (that of the emperor being turned into a llama) and completely reworked the film into a comedy. Sting's wife documented the production of the first version with complete creative control, but outside a limited theatrical run, Disney has kept the documentary under wraps.
The Thief and the Cobbler was started in 1964 and was in-and-out of production for the next few decades, finally "finished" in 1995. Before that though, the original director, animator Richard Williams, was fired from it, and the film was significantly re-edited, with new songs and scenes added.
Dark Blood was being filmed in 1993 when its star, River Phoenix, died partway through filming. The insurance company wrote it off as a loss, and it was left uncompleted until its director finished it in 2012, using voice-over narration and stills for the unfilmed scenes.
07-23-13, 07:27 PM
#31
DVD Talk Hero
Re: Movies that had troubled productions?
I think Gladiator went over budget and they were re-writing the script as they were filming.
The original ending had Maximus escaping and coming back with his men. Big battle ensues between his group and Commodus. Maximus still dies at the end but I would've loved to see this ending.
The original ending had Maximus escaping and coming back with his men. Big battle ensues between his group and Commodus. Maximus still dies at the end but I would've loved to see this ending.
07-23-13, 08:02 PM
#32
Re: Movies that had troubled productions?
Town & Country with Warren Beatty, Diane Keaton, Goldie Hawn, and Gary Shandling. A romantic comedy that somehow had a budget of $90M, and that was in 2001. That amount would still be considered extremely high by today's standards. Apparently, Beatty was a total diva on set, demanding many takes. Combine that with script rewrites, hiring new writers, getting the cast back together for re-shoots, etc. just made for a total clusterfuck (Warren Beatty has not made a single movie since then). And unlike some of the movies here that turned out to be hits, this movie is one of the biggest flops of all time, with a total worldwide gross of just $10M.
07-23-13, 08:08 PM
#33
Re: Movies that had troubled productions?
There was a trial and no one was found guilty of any criminal charges. The biggest issue was that the children were working completely outside of union guidlines for child actors. They had worked far longer that day than child actors are allowed, they were working at night, they were working with pyrotechnics and helicopters. Basicly they broke every workplace saftey and child labor law on that set. Landis was somewhat scapegoated when in fact I feel everyone involved was responsible for creating a fucked up set environment.
BTW, the accident occured 31 years ago today, July 23rd 1982. You just entered....The Twilight Zone.
BTW, the accident occured 31 years ago today, July 23rd 1982. You just entered....The Twilight Zone.
07-23-13, 08:48 PM
#34
Moderator
07-23-13, 09:00 PM
#36
DVD Talk Hero
07-23-13, 09:07 PM
#37
Suspended
Re: Movies that had troubled productions?
I think Universal rushed The Lost World into production before Michael Crichton finished the book too. I wish they didn't cause there's a cool part in the book when they go into a pterodactyl aviary. The book was actually pretty decent had it been followed.
07-23-13, 09:20 PM
#38
DVD Talk Legend
Re: Movies that had troubled productions?
I think recall reading that The Stepford Wives (2004) had a troubled production due to all of the big name actresses involved.
What is the movie the so called Yeagers screwed up? I think it has Albert Brooks in the photo a few posts upward.
Speaking of Gilliam, I think Brothers Grimm also had a troubled production, or at least one that took a while because it was released in 2005 after a majority of it was shot in 2003.
I think the whole mentioning of Superman Returns counts all of the false starts when it was called something else and had many other people attached. If you tally all of those together, it becomes the most expensive movie of all time with a majority of the money being wasted and nothing on film.
What is the movie the so called Yeagers screwed up? I think it has Albert Brooks in the photo a few posts upward.
Speaking of Gilliam, I think Brothers Grimm also had a troubled production, or at least one that took a while because it was released in 2005 after a majority of it was shot in 2003.
I think the whole mentioning of Superman Returns counts all of the false starts when it was called something else and had many other people attached. If you tally all of those together, it becomes the most expensive movie of all time with a majority of the money being wasted and nothing on film.
07-23-13, 09:22 PM
#39
DVD Talk Hero
Re: Movies that had troubled productions?
It was not a troubled production, but Casablanca was scripted as it was filmed. The writers were only a day ahead of the cameras. Julius Epstein, one of the screenwriters, wrote an article in Esquire magazine which said that they were terribly relieved when they came up with "Round up the usual suspects." That's when they knew they had an ending.
07-23-13, 09:27 PM
#40
DVD Talk Legend
Re: Movies that had troubled productions?
The Hobbit had quite a rough pre-production road and lost Guillermo del Toro as the director. He still has screenwriting credit. While some of his stuff might not have fit with Jackson's world in LOTR, I still would have liked to see his take on it.
07-23-13, 09:28 PM
#41
DVD Talk God
Re: Movies that had troubled productions?
Regarding Superman II, has it ever been mentioned how much that Dick Lester had to film after Donner was fired? It may have been covered briefly in the documentary on the Superman Special Edition DVD, but I don't recall off the top of my head.
I was watching some of Never Sleep Again, the Nightmare on Elm Street documentary, and Renny Harlin mentioned that Part 4 ran out of money before production finished. They had to use some really amateurish props to finish up filming. He and Bob Shaye butted heads throughout the production.
I was watching some of Never Sleep Again, the Nightmare on Elm Street documentary, and Renny Harlin mentioned that Part 4 ran out of money before production finished. They had to use some really amateurish props to finish up filming. He and Bob Shaye butted heads throughout the production.
07-23-13, 09:34 PM
#42
DVD Talk God
Re: Movies that had troubled productions?
This was also covered on some Jackie Chan documentaries, but in Armour of God (1986) Jackie Chan was nearly killed when a stunt went bad.
Here's his direct quote:
My very worst injury ever, the one that almost killed me, actually occurred on a very routine stunt. I was shooting Armour of God in Yugoslavia, and was still recovering from the jet lag of flying twenty hours to get there. The stunt was simple-just jumping down from a castle wall to a tree below. The first time I tried it, the stunt went perfectly, but I wasn't satisfied with the take. I tried it again, and the second time, I somehow missed the branch I was trying to grab. Whish! I fell past the tree and onto the ground below. Actually, there was a cameraman down there trying to capture a low angle, and if he hadn't scrambled out of the way, I would have probably landed on him. We would both have been hurt, but not badly. Instead, I hit the rocky ground head first. A piece of my skull cracked and shot up into my brain, and blood poured from my ears. The production team quickly got on the phones to try to find the nearest hospital that could do emergency brain surgery, and eight hours later, I was going under the knife. The operation was successful, and I recovered quickly-even though there's a permanent hole in my head now, with a plastic plug there to keep my brains in.
Here's his direct quote:
My very worst injury ever, the one that almost killed me, actually occurred on a very routine stunt. I was shooting Armour of God in Yugoslavia, and was still recovering from the jet lag of flying twenty hours to get there. The stunt was simple-just jumping down from a castle wall to a tree below. The first time I tried it, the stunt went perfectly, but I wasn't satisfied with the take. I tried it again, and the second time, I somehow missed the branch I was trying to grab. Whish! I fell past the tree and onto the ground below. Actually, there was a cameraman down there trying to capture a low angle, and if he hadn't scrambled out of the way, I would have probably landed on him. We would both have been hurt, but not badly. Instead, I hit the rocky ground head first. A piece of my skull cracked and shot up into my brain, and blood poured from my ears. The production team quickly got on the phones to try to find the nearest hospital that could do emergency brain surgery, and eight hours later, I was going under the knife. The operation was successful, and I recovered quickly-even though there's a permanent hole in my head now, with a plastic plug there to keep my brains in.
07-23-13, 10:11 PM
#43
DVD Talk Hall of Fame
Re: Movies that had troubled productions?
Well, probably most famously, Apocalypse Now, there's a documentary about it.
The Donner Superman film 1&2, the behind-the-scenes stuff there is actually just as fascinating as the movie itself.
Pretty much any Terry Gilliam movie, sadly.
Guillermo del Toro's Mimic was taken out of his hands by the studio.
Kind of the like the Transformers and Pirates sequels, appeared to be just made up as they went along.
Spielberg's Jaws, where he had trouble with the mechanical shark and intoxicated actors. Heaven's Gate, of course, crippled a whole studio. And Orson Welles had titanic power struggles with the studio on most of his films.
The Donner Superman film 1&2, the behind-the-scenes stuff there is actually just as fascinating as the movie itself.
Pretty much any Terry Gilliam movie, sadly.
Guillermo del Toro's Mimic was taken out of his hands by the studio.
Spielberg's Jaws, where he had trouble with the mechanical shark and intoxicated actors. Heaven's Gate, of course, crippled a whole studio. And Orson Welles had titanic power struggles with the studio on most of his films.
07-23-13, 10:16 PM
#44
DVD Talk Legend
Re: Movies that had troubled productions?
Yeah, Gilliam butted heads with the Weinstein Brothers both during filming (they fired his cinematography) and after in post-production. I think it's the only film of Gilliam's that he's not happy with on a creative level.
07-23-13, 10:21 PM
#45
DVD Talk Legend
Re: Movies that had troubled productions?
http://jurassicpark.wikia.com/wiki/Isla_Nublar_Aviary
07-23-13, 10:32 PM
#46
DVD Talk Godfather
Re: Movies that had troubled productions?
Yep. Spielberg had his own people come up with the story/script. So it wasn't like he was flying by the seat of his pants, it just had little to do with the eventual novel.
07-24-13, 08:54 AM
#47
DVD Talk Hall of Fame
Re: Movies that had troubled productions?
The trial really made Landis look bad, and his hiatus from directing was in large part a reflection of the fact that many actors refused to work with him after the incident. It also ended his friendship with Spielberg, which doesn't help in Hollywood either. If you look at his later films, he's either making films with friends like Eddie Murphy and Dan Akroyd, or he's making pure schlock (both really).
07-24-13, 09:38 AM
#48
Re: Movies that had troubled productions?
He didn't take a hiatus, at least not a long one. Right after Twilight Zone he went into Trading Places, and then the Thriller video. It was more the trial that took it out of him.
The trial really made Landis look bad, and his hiatus from directing was in large part a reflection of the fact that many actors refused to work with him after the incident. It also ended his friendship with Spielberg, which doesn't help in Hollywood either. If you look at his later films, he's either making films with friends like Eddie Murphy and Dan Akroyd, or he's making pure schlock (both really).
The trial really made Landis look bad, and his hiatus from directing was in large part a reflection of the fact that many actors refused to work with him after the incident. It also ended his friendship with Spielberg, which doesn't help in Hollywood either. If you look at his later films, he's either making films with friends like Eddie Murphy and Dan Akroyd, or he's making pure schlock (both really).
Last edited by Ash Ketchum; 07-24-13 at 09:53 AM.
07-24-13, 09:50 AM
#49
DVD Talk Hall of Fame
Re: Movies that had troubled productions?
How was Superman Returns a troubled production? I watched the nearly 3 hour documentary that covered every facet of the production and it looked like it went through without any notable hiccups.
The only thing I recall was that Hugh Laurie from House was originally cast as Perry White. But he had to pull out at the last minute because the filming would have conflicted with House's production schedule. Frank Langella was his last minute replacement.
The only thing I recall was that Hugh Laurie from House was originally cast as Perry White. But he had to pull out at the last minute because the filming would have conflicted with House's production schedule. Frank Langella was his last minute replacement.
07-24-13, 09:56 AM
#50
DVD Talk Hall of Fame
Re: Movies that had troubled productions?
Officially in order for a director to get credit he has to film 51% of the film. The number I remember hearing was that Donner had like 75% of the film in the can when he was fired and Lester ended up refilming like 90% of that stuff. Some of the stuff was shot for shot the same as what donner already did.