Free Money (1998)

Director:

Yves Simoneau

Writers (WGA):

Tony Peck (written by) &
Joseph Brutsman (written by)

Release Date:

3 December 1998 (Singapore)

Genre:

Comedy | Crime

Tagline:

Right scheme, wrong guys!

Plot:

Walrus-like warden, Sven "Swede" Sorenson, a cross between Bluto and Wimpy, runs the prison, murders convicts who escape...

Plot Keywords:

Prison | Train | FBI | Prison Break | Garbage Truck

Cast

Marlon Brando	...	Warden Sven 'The Swede' Sorenson
Donald Sutherland	...	Judge Rolf Rausenberger
Charlie Sheen	...	Bud Dyerson (as Charles Sheen)
Thomas Haden Church	...	Larry
Mira Sorvino	...	Agent Karen Polarski
Martin Sheen	...	New Warden
David Arquette	...	Ned Jebee
Jean Pierre Bergeron	...	Lauter (as JP Bergeron)
Rémy Girard	...	Louis
Roc LaFortune	...	Dwayne
Roy Dupuis	...	The Turk
Christin Watson	...	Inga
Holly Watson	...	Liv
James Hyndman	...	Mack
Frank Fontaine	...	Sheriff Earl Knudsen
Tom Rack	...	Reverend Schmidt
Pierrette Robitaille	...	Mrs. Reverend Schmidt
Robert Burns	...	One Man Band
Gordon Masten	...	Principal Mike Hock
Alain Goulem	...	Brake-man Doug
Robin Leach	...	Robin Leach
Sylvie Potvin	...	Doris
Tamar Kozlov	...	Kim Schmidt
Dorothée Berryman	...	Miss Jensen
Marie Tifo	...	Miss Hammer
Kent McQuaid	...	Billy
Jeff Roop	...	Brad (as Jeffrey Roop)
Art Kitching	...	Kyle
Matthew Boylan	...	Deputy Bud Knudsen
Sylvain Beauchamps	...	Handsome (as Sylvain Beauchamp)
Robert Norman	...	Kitchen Boss
Emidio Michetti	...	Chief Kitchen Guard
Joseph Brutsman	...	Slim Paul
Pierre Powers	...	Jacques
Cynthia Frazier	...	Vita
Candice Frazier	...	Juanita
Pierre Couillard	...	Mexican Father
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Chantal Lonergan
Maggie Shuter	...	Extra (uncredited)

Directed by
Yves Simoneau

Writing credits (WGA)
Tony Peck		(written by) (as Anthony Peck) &
Joseph Brutsman		(written by)

Produced by
Joseph Brutsman	....	executive producer
Nicolas Clermont	....	producer
Stewart Harding	....	co-producer
Richard Lalonde	....	line producer
Bret Michaels	....	associate producer
Tony Peck	....	executive producer
Elie Samaha	....	executive producer
Shane Stanley	....	associate producer

Original Music by
Mark Isham

Cinematography by
David Franco

Film Editing by
Yves Langlois

Casting by
Vera Miller
Nadia Rona

Production Design by
Michel Proulx

Art Direction by
Jean Kazemirchuk

Costume Design by
François Barbeau

Makeup Department
Linda Bourgon	....	assistant hair stylist
Serge Morache	....	assistant hair stylist
Marcelo Padovani	....	hair stylist
Pierre Saindon	....	makeup artist
Nathalie Trépanier	....	makeup artist

Production Management
George Jardon	....	post-production supervisor
Mario Nadeau	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Carl Roméo Desjardins	....	second assistant director
Simon-Édouard Pilon	....	third assistant director
Louis-Philippe Rochon	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Francis Back	....	storyboard artist
Alain Brochu	....	construction supervisor
Jean-François Campeau	....	assistant art director
Simon Chamberland	....	property master
Eric Lafrance	....	carpenter

Sound Department
Marc H. Beaulieu	....	boom operator
Michel B. Bordeleau	....	supervising sound editor
Ismael Cordeiro	....	production sound mixer
Michel Descombes	....	sound re-recording mixer
Gavin Fernandes	....	sound re-recording mixer
Natalie Fleurant	....	adr supervisor
Marc Gagnon	....	sound editor
Richard Lavoie	....	boom operator
France Leduc	....	assistant sound editor
Sid Lieberman	....	foley artist
Sylvie Masse	....	sound effects editor
Mireille Morin	....	adr editor
Sylvain Richard	....	assistant sound editor
Bruno Ruffolo	....	adr recordist
Victoria Rose Sampson	....	adr supervisor: Los Angeles
Mark Shnuriwsky	....	sound editor
Steve Whelan	....	adr voices
Eric Zimmer	....	boom operator

Special Effects by
Louis Craig	....	special effects supervisor
Mario Dumont	....	special effects senior technician
André Laforest	....	special effects technician
Eric-André Paquin	....	special effects technician
Sebastien Roussel	....	special effects technician
Martin Williams	....	special effects rigger

Visual Effects by
Louise Bertrand	....	digital effects production manager
François Lambert	....	digital compositor: Hybride
Daniel Leduc	....	digital effects supervisor
Charles Marchand	....	Flame artist
Charles Marchand	....	digital compositor
Sébastien Moreau	....	Inferno compositor
Pierre Raymond	....	digital effects producer

Stunts
Mike Chute	....	stunt double
Marc Désourdy	....	lead stunt double
Jean Frenette	....	stunts
Stéphane Lefebvre	....	stunt coordinator
Louis Pharand	....	stunt double

Camera and Electrical Department
Benoît Alarie	....	grip
Jean-Yves Denis	....	grip
Nathalie Lasselin	....	focus puller: second unit
Raynald Lavoie	....	electrician
Christian Lemay	....	second assistant camera
Nicolas Marion	....	first assistant camera
Denis Ménard	....	best boy
Clyde Miller	....	assistant camera: aerials and Wescam camera
Michel Périard	....	key grip
Pierre Provost	....	gaffer
Michel Steinmetzer	....	electrician
Geoffroy St-Hilaire	....	camera trainee
Jan Thijs	....	still photographer
Paul Tremblay	....	best boy grip

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Anne Duceppe	....	wardrobe assistant

Editorial Department
Isabelle Malenfant	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Stanley Behrens	....	musician: harmonica
Lisa Brown	....	music supervisor
Sandy DeCrescent	....	orchestra contractor
Stephen Krause	....	scoring mixer
Roger Neill	....	composer: additional music
Roger Neill	....	conductor
Roger Neill	....	orchestrator

Transportation Department
Aleck Duncan	....	principal cast driver: Mira Sorvino
Joe Sanchez	....	transportation coordinator

Other crew
Suzo Barzman	....	assistant: Ms. Sorvino
Francis Choquette	....	production assistant
Esther Côté	....	script trainee
Céline Daignault	....	train coordinator
Bram Eisenthal	....	unit publicist
Josée Francis	....	assistant location manager
Paule Girardin	....	production secretary
Renée Hébert	....	assistant to producer
Nathalie Picard	....	script supervisor
Ellie Presner	....	script revisor

Production Companies

• Filmline International
• Sheen/Michaels Entertainment

Distributors

• H.O.M. Vision (1999) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Kinowelt Home Entertainment (2007) (Germany) (DVD)
• MDP Worldwide
• Malofilm Distribution
• New City Releasing
• RCV Home Entertainment (2001) (Netherlands) (VHS) (retail)
• Sterling Home Entertainment (1999) (USA) (DVD) (special edition)
• TriPictures (Spain)

Special Effects

• Hybride Technologies (visual effects)
• Intrigue (special effects)

Also Known As:

Fric d'enfer (Canada: French title)

MPAA:

Rated R for some violence, language and sexuality.

Runtime:

91 min

Country:

Canada

Language:

English

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Certification:

Iceland:12 | Finland:K-14 | Canada:14A (Ontario) | South Korea:15 | Hong Kong:IIB | Singapore:PG | Spain:13 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Chemin du Lac, Knowlton's Landing, Québec, Canada

Company:

Filmline International

Trivia:

One of three films in which Charlie Sheen was billed under the name Charles. This was in keeping to his turning a new leaf in his personal life after his battles with alcohol and drug addiction along with the infamous Heidi Fleiss scandal. He would later return to more familiar name after replacing 'Michael J. Fox' on the hit series, "Spin City" (1996) in 2000.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Showbiz Today: (1997-08-23)" (1997)

Soundtrack:

You Make Me Feel Brand New

A highly enjoyable black comedy! Seemingly avant-garde, yet comically accessible

'Free Money,'is a film the masses will not enjoy, for its seemingly avantgarde, zany style of film-making. At times the movies disposal of any recognisable main plot, creates not so much a sense of confusion, but focuses the audiences attention onto the true depth of its innovative,darkly sinister, serio-comical undertones. The film follows the story of two 'nobodys,'who end up married to twins of a draconian, bible-loving father (Marlon Brando,) who unfortunately happens to be the towns jailor. As time passes, Bud and Larry, the two hapless 'going nowhere' protagonists conspire to rob a train of money to solve their daily drudges, and to escape the ever-increasing slavery of the deranged 'Brando'!!! However, all does not go to plan, as the 'Swede'(Marlon Brando) smells a rat!!! Will they make it? is the question raised as all their plans buckle under the weight of the 'Swede.' People expecting a film with a good story will be dissapointed, but those seeking comical improvisation from Brando,a well crafted performance from Charlie Sheen, and a refreshing break into the wacky film techniques of 'Free Money,' will laugh and laugh, and possiblly cower- As the 'Swede' played by Brando is genuinely the scariest film character I've seen for ages- Look out!!!! It's a real shame this B movie, with A class actors didn't take off. It had the potential to be a real landmark film within this genre, but unfortunately, it went straight to T.V. Oh well. watch it, if ya dare!!!