Swimming with Sharks (1994)

Director:

George Huang

Writer:

George Huang (writer)

Release Date:

21 March 1995 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Tagline:

Back Stabbing - Two Faced - Revenge

Plot:

A young, naive Hollywood studio assistant finally turns the tables on his incredibly abusive producer boss.

Plot Keywords:

Script | Animal In Title | Sadist | Cruel Boss | Boss From Hell

Awards:

3 wins & 2 nominations

Cast

Kevin Spacey	...	Buddy Ackerman
Frank Whaley	...	Guy
Michelle Forbes	...	Dawn Lockard
Benicio Del Toro	...	Rex
T.E. Russell	...	Foster Kane
Roy Dotrice	...	Cyrus Miles
Matthew Flint	...	Manny
Patrick Fischler	...	Moe
Jerry Levine	...	Jack
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Sabryn Genet	...	(uncredited)
Kyle Reed	...	Studio Executive (uncredited)

Directed by
George Huang

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
George Huang		writer

Produced by
Steve Alexander	....	producer
Jay Cohen	....	executive producer
Buzz Hays	....	co-producer
Stephen Israel	....	executive producer
Joanne Moore	....	producer
Louis Nader	....	line producer
Kevin Reidy	....	associate producer
Kevin Spacey	....	co-producer

Original Music by
Tom Hiel

Cinematography by
Steven Finestone

Film Editing by
Ed Marx

Casting by
Laurel Smith
Andrea Stone		(as Andrea Stone Guttfreund)

Production Design by
Cecil Gentry
Veronika Merlin

Art Direction by
Karen Haase

Costume Design by
Kirsten Everberg

Makeup Department
Sarah Gaye Deal	....	key hair stylist
Sarah Gaye Deal	....	key makeup artist
Martin L. Mercer	....	special makeup effects artist (as Martin Mercer)
Solina Tabrizi	....	key hair stylist (uncredited)

Production Management
Albert T. Dickerson III	....	production supervisor (as Al Dickerson)
Kevin Reidy	....	post-production supervisor
John Schindler	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Rebecca Fulton	....	second assistant director
Michael Proust	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Segolen Koschu	....	set dresser
Christy Schnabel	....	property master
Jeffrey Sibille	....	swing crew (as Jeff Sebille)
Deverill Weekes	....	swing crew

Sound Department
Phil Benson	....	additional sound effects editor
Phil Benson	....	sound re-recording mixer
Scott Chandler	....	sound re-recording mixer
Patrick Clancy	....	foley editor
Giovanni Di Simone	....	production sound mixer (as Giovanne DiSimone)
Colin Drobnis	....	adr mixer (as Collin Drobnis)
Tony Eckert	....	foley mixer
Mark Gunson	....	foley editor
Buzz Hays	....	dialogue editor
Buzz Hays	....	sound effects editor
George Huang	....	adr editor
George Huang	....	dialogue editor
George Huang	....	sound effects editor
Marnie Moore	....	foley walker
David Parker	....	supervising re-recording mixer
Linda Perry	....	boom operator
Chris Potter	....	adr mixer
Seth Restaino	....	assistant sound editor
Philip Rogers	....	sound recordist (as W. Phillip Rogers)
Robert Todd	....	dialogue editor (as Robert Roomtone Todd)
Mark Jan Wlodarkiewicz	....	additional sound effects editor
Randolph Saucedo	....	sound recordist (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Dennis Dion	....	special effects coordinator

Visual Effects by
Michael Hinton	....	optical effects supervisor
Bruce Miller	....	optical line-up
Scott Smerdon	....	rotoscope camera

Stunts
Mike Kirton	....	stunt coordinator

Camera and Electrical Department
Tripp Brown	....	grip
James Carlton	....	best boy grip (as Jim Carlton)
Steven Finestone	....	camera operator
Barry Gross	....	rigging gaffer
Sean T. Hannan	....	key grip (as Sean Hannan)
Greg Hoagland	....	electrician
John Lenkin	....	third assistant camera
Reginald Powell	....	additional camera operator (as Reg Powell)
Reginald Powell	....	gaffer (as Reg Powell)
John Robella	....	second assistant camera
Sacha Sarchielli	....	first assistant camera (as Sascha Sarchelli)
Sacha Sarchielli	....	steadicam operator (as Sascha Sarchelli)
Aaron Iggy Scarpitti	....	rigging gaffer (as Iggy Scarpitti)
Gregory Shummon	....	best boy electric (as Greg Shuman)
Orren Webber	....	electrician

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Kate Wilcox	....	wardrobe supervisor

Editorial Department
Paul Heiman	....	assistant editor (as Paul Hyman)
David Parmenter	....	negative cutter (as Dave Parmenter)
Boyd Steer	....	negative cutter
Paul Tanzillo Jr.	....	negative cutter (as Paul E. Tanzillo)
Jim Williams	....	color timer

Music Department
Sharal Churchill	....	music supervisor
Marco D'Ambrosio	....	composer: additional music (as Marco d'Ambrosio)
Ed Marx	....	music editor

Transportation Department
James Blevins	....	transportation captain
Derew Frutos	....	driver
John Lenkin	....	driver
Raymond Lopez	....	driver
Tom Wages	....	driver

Other crew
Chug Ambramowitz	....	assistant: George Huang
Mark Barbolak	....	business affairs
Cynthia Bellai	....	production assistant
Traci Burgard	....	assistant: John Schindler (as Traci Lee Burgard)
Mark Crow	....	assistant location manager
Karin Erickson	....	production accountant
Peter Gargagliano	....	office assistant
Matthew Greenfield	....	location manager
John William Hart III	....	insurance (as John Hart III)
George Huang	....	production assistant
Paul Israel	....	production accountant
Gail Karp	....	assistant production coordinator
Diane H. Newman	....	script supervisor (as Diane Hassinger-Newman)
Pike	....	pre-rig crew
Jamie Rotman	....	production assistant
Daniel J. Shaw	....	production assistant (as Dan Shaw)
Abigail Sheiner	....	production coordinator
Jeffrey Shore	....	production intern
Randall Slavin	....	assistant: Kevin Spacey
Paul Sylvester	....	craft service
Jon F. Vein	....	business affairs (as Jon Vein)
Dewey Weber	....	pre-rig crew
Daniel Ziegler	....	title designer
Christopher A. Zwirner	....	pre-rig crew (as Christopher Zwirner)
Gina Carollo	....	accountant (uncredited)
Michael Milker	....	international production executive (uncredited)

Thanks
Mark Barbolak	....	special thanks
C.N. Cooper Jr.	....	special thanks
Donald Devorris	....	special thanks
Philip Devorris	....	special thanks
Barry Josephson	....	special thanks
Bradford S. Lovette	....	special thanks
Robert Rodriguez	....	special thanks
Kristin Stavola	....	special thanks
Jon F. Vein	....	special thanks (as Jon Vein)
Kimber Wheeler	....	special thanks
Bryan Wolf	....	special thanks

Production Companies

• Cineville
• Keystone Studios
• Mama'Z Boy Entertainment
• NeoFight Film

Distributors

• Trimark Pictures (1995) (USA) (theatrical)
• HVC Films (199?) (Brazil) (VHS)
• LW Editora (200?) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Lions Gate Films Home Entertainment (2005) (USA) (DVD) (special edition)
• Malofilm Home Video (199?) (Canada) (VHS)
• Maple Pictures (2005) (Canada) (DVD)
• PolyGram Video (1996) (Netherlands) (VHS)
• Trimark Home Video (1998) (USA) (DVD)
• Universal Pictures Benelux (2003) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Vidmark Entertainment (1995) (USA) (VHS)
• Vidmark Entertainment (1996) (USA) (VHS)
• Vidmark Entertainment (1998) (USA) (VHS)
• Vértigo Films (200?) (Spain) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Agfa Gevaert  film stock
• Agfa  film stock
• Craig Murray Productions  post-production services
• Culver Studios  grip and lighting equipment
• Designsite  titles
• FotoKem Laboratory  color (as Foto-Kem Laboratory)
• J.L. Fisher  camera dollies
• Marco Co.  additional post-production services
• Monaco/Interformat  titles and opticals
• New Age Casting  extras casting
• Panavision  camera and lenses (as Panavision Tarzana)
• Saul Zaentz Film Center  sound post-production services
• Skywalker Sound  thanks
• Tribeca Film Center  thanks
• Wave Group Sound  thanks

Also Known As:

The Boss
The Buddy Factor

MPAA:

Rated R for some scenes of psychological/physical torture and pervasive strong language.

Runtime:

101 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Argentina:13 | South Korea:15 | Australia:MA | Germany:16 | Singapore:R(A) | Spain:13 | UK:15 | USA:R | Singapore:PG (re-rating) | Iceland:16

Filming Locations:

Culver Studios - 9336 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, California, USA

Company:

Cineville

Trivia:

In the opening sequence, Guy tells a legendary story of Shelley Winters arriving for an audition with her Academy Awards statuettes in a handbag. Guy says Winters pulls out three statuettes from her bag. In reality, Winters was nominated four times but won only twice. Best Supporting Actress for _Diary of Anne Frank, The (1959/I)_ and A Patch of Blue (1965).

Goofs:

Continuity: When Guy and Dawn are in the launderette, Dawn's collar alternates between being up and down.

Quotes:

Rex: This is not a business, this is show business. Punching below the belt is not only all right, it's rewarded.

Movie Connections:

References 1941 (1979)

Soundtrack:

BREAK THE EQUATION

Dark humour or nihilism?

Powerful movie that shows the nastier, more foul-mouthed side of Hollywood. Guy, played by Whaley, is a Hollywood rookie with no real experience but some lofty goals. The movie charts his learning of the ways of Hollywood through becoming an assistant for fastidious big-shot producer Buddy Ackerman (Spacey), and his subsequent unlearning of the 'normal' moral values that apply almost anywhere else. A remarkable performance from Spacey who is by turns searingly offensive, scathingly funny and (funnily enough) vividly human. Making an audience feel for such a revolting character is a feat not many could accomplish, but Spacey's up to the task. Frank Whaley (possibly known to you through a bit part in 'Pulp Fiction') also turns in a very strong performance as the disillusioned young assistant who falls in love (or rather, in bed) with a female producer played by the sultry Michelle Forbes. Spacey and Whaley's interplay in key scenes is riveting, and for the most part, the younger Whaley manages to stay out of Spacey's shadow.

The movie's ending is quite unforeseeable, and its message can be construed either as darkly humorous satire against Hollywood, or as a nihilistic comment on the ways of mankind. Judging by the not-so-humorous tone of the movie (though ludicrously enough it was marketed as a comedy), to me it feels like the latter applies. Definitely worth seeing, even if only for Spacey. 8/10