Blue in the Face (1995)

User Rating:

6.4/10   

Directors:

Paul Auster
Wayne Wang
(more)

Writers:

Paul Auster (situations) and
Wayne Wang (situations)
(more)

Release Date:

13 October 1995 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy

Tagline:

Welcome to the planet Brooklyn.

Plot:

Wayne Wang's follow-up movie to Smoke presents a series of improvisational situations strung together...

Plot Keywords:

Sequel | Ad Lib | Cigar Shop | Color In Title | Brooklyn New York

Awards:

2 nominations

Cast

Lou Reed	...	Man with Strange Glasses
Michael J. Fox	...	Pete Maloney
Roseanne	...	Dot
Mel Gorham	...	Violet
Jim Jarmusch	...	Bob
Lily Tomlin	...	Waffle Eater
Jared Harris	...	Jimmy Rose
Giancarlo Esposito	...	Tommy Finelli
Malik Yoba	...	Watch Man
José Zúñiga	...	Jerry (as Jose Zuniga)
Victor Argo	...	Vinnie
Stephen Gevedon	...	Dennis
The John Lurie National Orchestra	...	Street Band
Madonna	...	Singing Telegram
Sharif Rashed	...	Purse Snatcher
Mira Sorvino	...	Young Lady
Keith David	...	Jackie Robinson
Peggy Gormley	...	Sue the Waitress
Harvey Keitel	...	Auggie Wren
Chief Bey	...	Brooklyn Resident
Ian Frazier	...	Brooklyn Resident
Sasalina Gambino	...	Brooklyn Resident
Robert Jackson	...	Brooklyn Resident
Rusty Kanokogi	...	Brooklyn Resident
Luc Sante	...	Brooklyn Resident
Tatienne Hendricks-Tellefsen	...	Baby Jackie
Chelsea Altman	...	Statistician
Michael Badalucco	...	Statistician
Teodorina Bello	...	Statistician
Billy Cherry	...	Statistician
Michelle Hurst	...	Statistician
Edmund Ikeda	...	Statistician
Ahmed Ben Larby	...	Statistician
William Preston	...	Statistician
Debra Wilson	...	Statistician
RuPaul	...	Dancer
Diana Brownstone	...	Dancer
Liz Curtis	...	Dancer (as Liz Anne Curtis)
James Dickson	...	Dancer
Rehanna Ellis	...	Dancer
Esteban Fernández	...	Dancer (as Estaban Fernandez)
Eileen Galindo	...	Dancer
Cotton Green	...	Dancer
Nick Kosovich	...	Dancer
Kyle Larsen	...	Dancer
Gregory Misciagno	...	Dancer
Liz Ramos	...	Dancer
Ray Rodriguez	...	Dancer
Charles LaSalle	...	Dancer
Melissa Cohen	...	Dancer (as Lisa Scarola)
Dale Stotts	...	Dancer
Ginger Thatcher	...	Dancer
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Luz Alexandra Ramos	...	Dancer (uncredited)

Directed by
Paul Auster
Wayne Wang
Harvey Wang		(video segments)

Writing credits
Paul Auster		(situations) and
Wayne Wang		(situations)
Paul Auster		characters (uncredited)

Produced by
Francey Grace	....	associate producer
Greg Johnson	....	producer
Harvey Keitel	....	executive producer
Hisami Kuroiwa	....	co-producer
Peter Newman	....	producer
Diana Phillips	....	producer
Bob Weinstein	....	executive producer
Harvey Weinstein	....	executive producer

Cinematography by
Adam Holender		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Christopher Tellefsen

Casting by
Heidi Levitt

Production Design by
Kalina Ivanov

Set Decoration by
Diane Lederman
Karin Wiesel

Costume Design by
Claudia Brown

Makeup Department
Judi Goodman	....	hair stylist
Wayne Herndon	....	hair stylist
Sharon Ilson	....	additional makeup artist
Patricia Regan	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Margot Lulick	....	unit manager
Karen F. McCarthy	....	unit manager (as Karen McCarthy)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Vebe Borge	....	first assistant director
Jude Gorjanc	....	second assistant director (as Judy Gorjanc)
Mary Beth Mann	....	second assistant director
Todd Pfeiffer	....	first assistant director
Sheila Waldron	....	second second assistant director

Art Department
Joseph Badalucco Jr.	....	set dresser (as Joe Badalucco)
Robert Barnett	....	stand-by scenic
Robert Covelman	....	assistant property master (as Rob Covelman)
Andrew Dimeo	....	set dresser
Anthony Dimeo	....	set dresser
Ann Edgeworth	....	property master
Loretta Farb	....	art department coordinator
Laura Iler	....	assistant property master
Layne Messing	....	property master
Gus Papadopoulos	....	leadman
Erick Schiele	....	assistant to production designer
Rae Umsted	....	art department intern

Sound Department
Michael Barry	....	sound re-recording mixer
Marko A. Costanzo	....	foley artist (as Marko Costanzo)
Mark Goodermote	....	boom operator
Robert Hein	....	supervising sound editor
John Hirst	....	sound mixer
Drew Kunin	....	sound mixer
Julie Lindner	....	assistant sound editor
Richard Murphy	....	boom operator
Bruce Pross	....	foley supervisor
Richard Reidel	....	boom operator
Philip Stockton	....	dialogue editor
Dominick Tavella	....	sound re-recording mixer (as Dom Tavella)

Visual Effects by
Daniel Leung	....	digital artist

Camera and Electrical Department
K.C. Bailey	....	still photographer
Ralph Brandofino	....	first assistant camera
John Cambria	....	first assistant camera
Michael Cambria	....	second assistant camera
James P. Dolan	....	gaffer (as Jimmy 'Peaches' Dolan)
Therese Dolan	....	generator operator (as Therese 'De De' Dolan)
Thomas Dolan	....	best boy electric
John Donohue	....	grip
James W. Finnerty	....	dolly grip (as James Finnerty)
Harry Ford	....	grip
Brad Goss	....	key grip
David Knox	....	camera operator
Thomas Landi	....	electric
Jim Manzione	....	electrician (as James Manzione)
John Mazzola	....	grip
Billy Miller	....	grip
Billy Miller Jr.	....	best boy grip
Peter Norman	....	camera operator
Collin Quinlan	....	electrician
Gerard Sava	....	second assistant camera
Joseph Viano	....	grip (as Joe Viano)
Barry Wetcher	....	still photographer

Costume and Wardrobe Department
John Denison	....	costume production assistant (as John W. Denison)
Cheryl Kilbourne-Kimpton	....	wardrobe supervisor
Stephanie Maslansky	....	additional costume designer
Mary Myers	....	assistant costume designer
Marcia Patten	....	wardrobe supervisor
Caroline Seckinger	....	assistant costume designer
Miriam Wong Tsao	....	wardrobe supervisor (as Miriam Tsao)

Editorial Department
Murphy Birdsall	....	assistant editor
Meg Bowles	....	post-production coordinator
Owen Burke	....	post-production assistant
Kenna Doeringer	....	assistant editor
Joel Hirsch	....	assistant editor
Maysie Hoy	....	consulting editor
Jean Mandel	....	post-production coordinator
Tom Salvatore	....	color timer
Liz Schenck	....	first assistant editor
Chieh Huei Tsai	....	post-production assistant
David Wahnon	....	assistant editor
Avi Weider	....	post-production assistant

Music Department
Arnaldo Antunes	....	composer: song "De mais ninguém"
Steve Borne	....	music editor: temp
David Byrne	....	executive music producer
Yale Evelev	....	executive music producer
Lynn Geller	....	music supervisor
The John Lurie National Orchestra	....	featured performer
Todd Kasow	....	music editor
Billy Martin	....	featured performer
Marisa Monte	....	composer: song "De mais ninguém"
Patrick Mullins	....	music editor (as Pat Mullens)
Calvin Weston	....	featured performer

Transportation Department
John Edler Jr.	....	driver
John Edler Sr.	....	driver
Robert Featherstone	....	driver
Michael Fennell	....	driver (as Michael Fennel)
Ronald Gildea	....	driver
Charlie Hoffman	....	driver
J.J. McGrane	....	driver
Vincent Russo	....	driver
Louis Volpe	....	transportation captain (as Louis 'Sonny' Volpe)
Daniel Young Jr.	....	driver

Other crew
Keith Adams	....	set production assistant
Joan Altman	....	production auditor
David Appelson	....	location manager
Randall Balsmeyer	....	title designer
Nina Chien	....	key set production assistant
Alex Corven Caronia	....	assistant location manager (as Alex Corven)
Charles Croughwell	....	stand-in: Mr. Fox
Jean-Paul Cummings	....	set production assistant
John Daschbach	....	assistant production coordinator
John Easley	....	office production assistant
Maurice 'pee-wee' Edwards	....	assistant parking coordinator (as Maurice 'Pee-Wee' Edwards)
Ann Gastler	....	production secretary
Lys Hopper	....	location manager (as Lysbeth Hopper)
Joyce Hsieh	....	assistant production auditor
Karen Kelsall	....	script supervisor
Marlon Lawe	....	set production assistant
George Lazaros	....	location production assistant
Michael Luisi	....	legal counsel
Allan R. McKinnon	....	second assistant auditor
Terry 't-bone' Rhodes	....	parking coordinator (as Terry 'T-Bone' Rhodes)
Timothy T.P. Robbins	....	production coordinator
Mindy Rosenberg	....	assistant location manager
Jennifer Roth	....	production coordinator
Ira Schreck	....	legal counsel
Lisbeth Storandt	....	set production assistant
Linda Talcott	....	choreographer
Sean Thomas	....	set production assistant
Mark Urman	....	unit publicist
Christopher Wade	....	set production assistant

Production Companies

• Miramax Films
• Internal Films

Distributors

• Miramax Films (1995) (USA) (theatrical)
• Cine Company S.A. (1995) (Spain) (theatrical)
• RCV Film Distribution (1996) (Belgium) (theatrical)
• RCV Film Distribution (1996) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Filmes Castello Lopes (1996) (Portugal) (theatrical)
• Arcade Movie Company (199?) (Netherlands) (VHS)
• Editora Europa (Brazil) (DVD)
• Miramax Home Entertainment (1996) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Miramax Home Entertainment (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• PlayArte Home Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)
• RCV Home Entertainment (2003) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Walt Disney Home Video (1997) (USA) (VHS)

Other Companies

• Archive Films  stock footage
• Avalon Production Services  payroll services
• Axium  payroll services (as Axium Productions, Inc.)
• Balsmeyer and Everett  titles designed and produced by (as Balsmeyer & Everett, Inc.)
• Bank of California  the producers would like to thank
• Bernard Telsey Casting  additional casting
• C5  sound effects and foley (as C5, Inc.)
• D.R. Reiff & Associates  insurance broker
• Feature Systems Inc.  the producers would like to thank
• Frankfurt, Garbus, Kurnit, Klein & Selz  legal counsel (as Frankfurt, Garbus, Klein & Selz)
• Harvest Foods Manufacturing  the producers would like to thank
• Kee Casting  extras casting
• MTV Networks  the producers would like to thank (as "Joe's Apartment" & MTV)
• New York City Department of Transportation  the producers would like to thank (as The State of New York Dept. of Transportation)
• New York City Mayor's Office of Film, Theater & Broadcasting, The  the producers would like to thank (as City of New York Mayor's Office for Film, Theatre and Broadcasting)
• Noëlle Penraat  negative cutting
• Post-Productions  post-production accounting
• Republic National Bank of New York  production bank
• Second Line Search  stock footage
• Sherman Grinberg Film Libraries  stock footage (as Sherman Grinberg)
• Sound One Corporation  sound re-recording (as Sound One Corp.)
• UPP Entertainment Marketing  product placement

Also Known As:

Brooklyn Boogie (UK)

Runtime:

83 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Brazil:14 | USA:R (No. 33629) | Australia:M | Finland:S | Germany:12 | Italy:T | Portugal:M/12 | Spain:T | Sweden:7 | UK:15 | Iceland:L

Filming Locations:

Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Miramax Films

Trivia:

Mel Gorham's monologue was filmed three months after the film wrapped. At the film's wrap party, Gorham performed a rendition of "Fever" that so impressed the film's producers they decided to add a scene with her performing the song.

Goofs:

Continuity: Dot bolts the store door to talk with Auggie, then leaves without unlocking it.

Quotes:

Man with Strange Glasses: I don't know anyone in New York who doesn't say 'I'm leaving'. I've been thinking of leaving New York for... uh... thirty-five years now.

Movie Connections:

References Clerks. (1994)

Soundtrack:

I Wish I Could Sing

great flick for pop culture lovers - five stars, three thumbs up

This is a light and fun - although intelligent - movie, worth seeing, if not for the whole marvellous opus of pop culture, for his cast alone: Harvey Keitel, Roseanne, Victor Argo and precious appearances of Lou Reed, Jim Jarmusch (as Bob, in my favorite sequence of the movie), John Lurie and Madonna, to name a few. Soundtrack by David Byrne only adds to the mix.

´Blue in the Face´ cynically, cleverly and ironically chronicles the life and the history of Brooklyn, NY. Watch it, it´s independent cinema at its best.