150 Movies You Should Die Before You See - Miller Steve [7]
Betcha Didn't Know
The movie was shot downwind from where the United States conducted above-ground atomic weapons tests. Rumor has it the cast and crew developed cancer at three times higher than the average among the general population.
Financier Howard Hughes felt so guilty about the cast and crew being exposed to radioactivity that he reportedly spent $12 million to acquire every existing print of the film.
Trivia Quiz
What famous movie detective did John Wayne turn down the opportunity to play?
A: Bulldog Drummond
B: Sam Spade
C: Nero Wolfe
D: “Dirty” Harry Callahan
Answer: D. “Dirty” Harry Callahan. Wayne was offered but turned down the role of hard-bitten Inspector Harry Callahan, which eventually became one of Clint Eastwood's signature roles.
HEAVEN'S GATE
United Artists, 1980
PRODUCERS Denis O'Dell, Charles Okun, Wayne Reynolds (executive producers), Joann Carelli (producer)
WRITER Michael Cimino
DIRECTOR Michael Cimino
STARS Kris Kristofferson (James Averill), Isabelle Huppert (Ella Watson), Christopher Walken (Nathan D. Champion), Jeff Bridges (John Bridges), and Sam Waterston (Frank Canton)
When a wealthy and powerful rancher's association hires killers to wipe out settlers in Johnson County, Wyoming, the Harvard-educated and privileged-by-birth county sheriff (Kristofferson) stands against his own class to protect them.
Why It Sucks
Infamous as the film that destroyed United Artists, this movie is the definition of bloated. Filled with irrelevant scenes and characters, the film is torture to sit through (the original cut shown to the studio was five and a half hours long). During production, Cimino built and rebuilt sets and took retakes of retakes of retakes. The final budget of $40 million, followed by the film's collapse at the box office, crushed the studio founded by Charlie Chaplin and D. W. Griffith, contributing to its sale to MGM.
Thumbs Down Rating:
The Crappies
The Worst Auteur Award goes to … Michael Cimino for forcing the audience to sit through scene after scene that goes on endlessly while adding nothing to the story. Special mention also goes to Cimino for managing to shoot fifty takes of Kris Kristofferson brandishing a bullwhip.
And the Special Bailout Award for Worst Business Sense goes to … The producers of Heaven's Gate and United Artist executives for not putting on the brakes sooner.
They Really Said It!
John Bridges: It's getting dangerous to be poor in this country.
Betcha Didn't Know
The original budget Cimino presented to executives was just over $2 million. The film cost a total of $42 million and took in less than $3 million at the box office.
French actress Isabelle Huppert was hired for the role of Ella Watson, a Wyoming madam, despite her poor English. Cimino said her accent “would add to the richness of the soundtrack.”
Trivia Quiz
Who said of Heaven's Gate: “I enjoy the film each time I see it more and more.”
A: Michael Cimino
B: Jeff Bridges
C: Sam Waterston
D: Isabelle Huppert
Answer: B. Jeff Bridges, as quoted in Mark Cousin's 2002 book Scene By Scene: Film Actors and Directors Discuss Their Work.
HOWARD THE DUCK
Lucasfilm/Universal Pictures, 1986
PRODUCERS George Lucas (executive producer) and Gloria Katz (producer)
WRITERS William Huyck and Gloria Katz (script), Steve Gerber (characters)
DIRECTOR William Huyck
STARS Lea Thompson (Beverly Switzler), Chip Zien (voice of Howard T.
Duck), Jeffrey Jones (Dr. Walter Jenning), Tim Robbins (Phil Blumburtt), and Ed Gale (Howard T. Duck)
When Howard T. Duck (Gale/Zien) is teleported to Earth from his home planet, this human-sized, talking bird must find out how to live in a new world. And while he's adjusting, he must also thwart an alien invasion.
Why It Sucks
It could have been so damn good! This is one of many tragic examples of Hollywood paying lots of money for a creative property and then completely missing the point. Howard the Duck, the comic book created by the great Steve Gerber for Marvel Comics, was full of great satire and dark humor. None of that