Troubled Film Production
09-05-22, 02:14 AM
#1
DVD Talk Ultimate Edition
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Troubled Film Production
I’ve always been fascinated with films that went through hell. Movies like Spookies, Terry Gilliam’s Don Quixote, Evil Town, Fitzcarraldo, etc..
What are some others that I could seek out?
What are some others that I could seek out?
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John Pannozzi (09-06-22)
09-05-22, 02:48 AM
#2
DVD Talk God
Re: Troubled Film Production
The 1st one that came to mind, especially with one of the lead actors (Vic Morrow) and 2 kids getting killed on set.
The footage of the accident where they are all killed is on YouTube.
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Toddarino (09-05-22)
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John Pannozzi (09-06-22)
09-05-22, 07:42 AM
#4
Re: Troubled Film Production
Michael Cimino's HEAVEN'S GATE (1980)
Read "Final Cut" by Steven Bach, one of the former UA executives involved in it, for the blow-by-blow story.
Read "Final Cut" by Steven Bach, one of the former UA executives involved in it, for the blow-by-blow story.
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09-05-22, 07:46 AM
#5
Re: Troubled Film Production
For the record, the two children were Renee Chen, a six-year-old girl from Taiwan, and Micah Dinh Le, a seven-year-old boy from Vietnam. Neither had ever acted before. One parent of each of them was on the set that night and witnessed it. None of the parents had been told there would be explosions and helicopters in the same shot in which the children would appear. It would have been the easiest thing to get close shots of Morrow carrying the two children and then for the long shot, get a stuntman for Morrow and two dummies to represent the children he was carrying. But, no, Landis wanted them all visible in the same shot.
09-05-22, 12:11 PM
#7
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Re: Troubled Film Production
Fitzcarraldo. Burden of Dreams is a great watch:
”The film had a troubled production, chronicled in the documentary Burden of Dreams. Herzog had his crew attempt to manually haul the 320-ton steamship up a steep hill, leading to three injuries. The film's original star Jason Robardsbecame sick halfway through filming, so Herzog hired Kinski, with whom he had previously clashed violently during production of Aguirre, the Wrath of God, Nosferatu the Vampyre and Woyzeck. Their fourth partnership fared no better. When shooting was nearly complete, the chief of the Machiguenga tribe who were used extensively as extras, asked Herzog if they should kill Kinski for him. Herzog declined.”
”The film had a troubled production, chronicled in the documentary Burden of Dreams. Herzog had his crew attempt to manually haul the 320-ton steamship up a steep hill, leading to three injuries. The film's original star Jason Robardsbecame sick halfway through filming, so Herzog hired Kinski, with whom he had previously clashed violently during production of Aguirre, the Wrath of God, Nosferatu the Vampyre and Woyzeck. Their fourth partnership fared no better. When shooting was nearly complete, the chief of the Machiguenga tribe who were used extensively as extras, asked Herzog if they should kill Kinski for him. Herzog declined.”
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L. Ron zyzzle (09-05-22)
09-05-22, 12:25 PM
#8
Re: Troubled Film Production
Fitzcarraldo. Burden of Dreams is a great watch:
”The film had a troubled production, chronicled in the documentary Burden of Dreams. Herzog had his crew attempt to manually haul the 320-ton steamship up a steep hill, leading to three injuries. The film's original star Jason Robardsbecame sick halfway through filming, so Herzog hired Kinski, with whom he had previously clashed violently during production of Aguirre, the Wrath of God, Nosferatu the Vampyre and Woyzeck. Their fourth partnership fared no better. When shooting was nearly complete, the chief of the Machiguenga tribe who were used extensively as extras, asked Herzog if they should kill Kinski for him. Herzog declined.”
”The film had a troubled production, chronicled in the documentary Burden of Dreams. Herzog had his crew attempt to manually haul the 320-ton steamship up a steep hill, leading to three injuries. The film's original star Jason Robardsbecame sick halfway through filming, so Herzog hired Kinski, with whom he had previously clashed violently during production of Aguirre, the Wrath of God, Nosferatu the Vampyre and Woyzeck. Their fourth partnership fared no better. When shooting was nearly complete, the chief of the Machiguenga tribe who were used extensively as extras, asked Herzog if they should kill Kinski for him. Herzog declined.”
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majorjoe23 (09-05-22)
09-05-22, 12:43 PM
#9
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Thread Starter
Re: Troubled Film Production
I just watched Burden Of Dreams for the first time last night. I really enjoyed it. It made me appreciate Fitzcarraldo even more.
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majorjoe23 (09-05-22)
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IBJoel (09-05-22)
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IBJoel (09-05-22)
09-05-22, 01:50 PM
#12
DVD Talk God
Re: Troubled Film Production
Solo: A Star Wars story is another one. The directors get fired, they bring in Ron Howard who reshoots practically the entire movie and it finishes way over budget.
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09-05-22, 03:03 PM
#14
DVD Talk Legend
Re: Troubled Film Production
Hearts of Darkness is a masterful documentation of the calamitous production of Apocalypse Now.
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majorjoe23 (09-05-22)
09-05-22, 03:11 PM
#15
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Re: Troubled Film Production
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09-05-22, 05:57 PM
#18
Re: Troubled Film Production
There is a recent Alec Baldwin movie that comes to mind... What is the name again??? Rust?? Someone died and all anyone can do is defend the person who killed someone.
09-05-22, 06:57 PM
#19
DVD Talk Hero
Re: Troubled Film Production
On a related note, I find myself fascinated by movies that never got made.
Boorman's Lord of the Rings, Star Trek: Planet of the Titans, Star Trek: The God Thing, and Jodorowsky's Dune.
Managed to find a .pdf of Boorman's Lord of the Rings the other day, but haven't read it yet. A cursory glance indicates that it's a poor quality scan and will probably induce a headache after about five pages.
Boorman's Lord of the Rings, Star Trek: Planet of the Titans, Star Trek: The God Thing, and Jodorowsky's Dune.
Managed to find a .pdf of Boorman's Lord of the Rings the other day, but haven't read it yet. A cursory glance indicates that it's a poor quality scan and will probably induce a headache after about five pages.
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John Pannozzi (09-06-22)
09-05-22, 09:07 PM
#20
DVD Talk Platinum Edition
Re: Troubled Film Production
"Ravenous had a troubled history. Issues over budget and shooting schedules were still ongoing when filming was about to start in Slovakia. After the original director Milcho Manchevski walked off the set three weeks into production, he was replaced by Antonia Bird at the suggestion of actor Robert Carlyle. Michael Nyman and Damon Albarn composed the film's score, which generated a significant amount of interest for its quirky and inventive use of loops, instruments and musical structure."
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Crocker Jarmen (09-07-22)
09-05-22, 11:33 PM
#21
DVD Talk Limited Edition
Re: Troubled Film Production
Just reading an older book right now called FIASCO: A HISTORY OF HOLLYWOOD’S ICONIC FLOPS (from 2007) that covers a number of these kinds of films, although exclusively big-budget pictures where the troubles largely played out in the press. I’m sure most of the info on these films is all over the web or Wikipedia now, but it’s a pretty fast read. I’d seen all the movies years ago and generally knew the backstories from trade and entertainment magazines of the day, but it’s always amusing to revisit these ’colossal’ scandals in an era when everyone and their mother can make movies, and the sheer volume of ‘content’ being produced today almost precludes these kinds of runaway productions from happening. Almost. These are the entries:
CLEOPATRA
THE CHASE (66)
PAINT YOUR WAGON
THE WILD PARTY (75)
POPEYE
THE COTTON CLUB
SHANGHAI SURPRISE
ISHTAR
LAST ACTION HERO
CUTTHROAT ISLAND
SHOWGIRLS
WATERWORLD / POSTMAN
BATTLEFIELD EARTH
TOWN & COUNTRY
I recall a few other, troubled, high-profile bombs as well:
FALL OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE
DOCTOR DOLITTLE (67)
HUDSON HAWK
SOUND OF THUNDER
HEAVEN’S GATE
PLUTO NASH
CHAOS WALKING
INCHON
I’m sure there are plenty of others.
CLEOPATRA
THE CHASE (66)
PAINT YOUR WAGON
THE WILD PARTY (75)
POPEYE
THE COTTON CLUB
SHANGHAI SURPRISE
ISHTAR
LAST ACTION HERO
CUTTHROAT ISLAND
SHOWGIRLS
WATERWORLD / POSTMAN
BATTLEFIELD EARTH
TOWN & COUNTRY
I recall a few other, troubled, high-profile bombs as well:
FALL OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE
DOCTOR DOLITTLE (67)
HUDSON HAWK
SOUND OF THUNDER
HEAVEN’S GATE
PLUTO NASH
CHAOS WALKING
INCHON
I’m sure there are plenty of others.
09-05-22, 11:42 PM
#22
DVD Talk Legend
09-07-22, 07:28 PM
#23
DVD Talk Legend
Re: Troubled Film Production
There was also the Baldwin-directed THE DEVIL AND DANIEL WEBSTER, which got retitled SHORTCUT TO HAPPINESS and was plagued with all kinds of issues, including the film's investors being prosecuted for bank fraud (and the movie being seized by the Feds). When it eventually did get released, it was so bad, Baldwin took his name off the movie as its director.
