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Home , A Bronx Tale, Bryan Fuller, Bryan Singer, Caddyshack II, Chazz Palminteri, Christopher McQuarrie

14 April 2015 (Series 30:11) , (1995, 106 minutes)

(The online PDF versions of these handouts have color images with functioning urls. Go to http://csac.buffalo.edu/goldenrodhandouts.html )

Won two 1996 : Best Actor in a Supporting Role for and Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen for Christopher McQuarrie. Included in the ’s ten best mystery films.

Directed by Bryan Singer Written by Christopher McQuarrie Produced by Michael McDonnell and Bryan Singer Music by Cinematography by Film Editing by John Ottman Casting by Francine Maisler Art Direction by David Lazan Set Decoration by Sara Andrews Costume Design by Louise Mingenbach by David B. Long

Stephen Baldwin ... McManus ... Keaton Bryan Singer (director) (b. Bryan Jay Singer, September 17, ... Fenster 1965 in , New York) has been the producer or ... Hockney executive producer for 33 films or TV series. In addition, he Kevin Spacey ... Verbal directed 16 films and television shows: 2015 “Battle Creek” (TV ... Dave Kujan Series), 2014 X-Men: , 2012 “Mockingbird ... Kobayashi Lane” (TV Movie), 2008 Valkyrie, 2007 “Football Wives” (TV Suzy Amis ... Edie Finneran Movie), 2006 Returns, 2004 M.D. (TV Series), ... Baer 2003 X-Men 2, 2000 X-Men, 1998 Apt Pupil, 1995 The Usual ... Jeff Rabin Suspects, and 1993 . ... Smuggler Carl Bressler ... Saul Berg John Ottman (music and editor) (b. John Verl Ottman, July 6, Phillipe Simon ... Fortier 1964 in San Diego, ) composed music for 50 films and Jack Shearer ... Renault television shows, including 2016 X-Men: Apocalypse, 2015 Christine Estabrook ... Dr. Plummer “Battle Creek” (TV Series), 2014 X-Men: Days of Future Past, ... Dr. Walters 2013 Jack the Slayer, 2009 Astro Boy, 2008 Valkyrie, 2006 Morgan Hunter ... Arkosh Kovash , 2005 Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, 2004 Cellular, 2003 X-Men 2, 2002 Brother's Keeper, 2002 Pumpkin, 2001

Singer—THE USUAL SUSPECTS—2

Bubble Boy, 1998 Goodbye Lover, 1997 Incognito, 1996 The Gabriel Byrne ... Keaton (b. Gabriel James Byrne, May 12, Cable Guy, 1995 The Antelope Chess Game, 1995 The Usual 1950 in , ) has appeared in 97 films and TV shows, Suspects, and 1993 Public Access. He also edited 11 films, including 2015 No Pay, Nudity, 2015 Nobody Wants the Night, including 2014 X-Men: Days of Future Past, 2013 Jack the Giant 2014 Vampire Academy, 2013 “Vikings” (TV Series, 6 Slayer, 2008 Valkyrie, 2006 Superman Returns, 2003 X-Men 2, episodes), 2008-2010 “” (TV Series, 106 episodes), 2000 Urban Legends: Final Cut, 1998 Apt Pupil, 1995 The 2005 Assault on Precinct 13, 2004 The Bridge of San Luis Rey, Usual Suspects, and 1993 Public Access. 2000 “Madigan Men” (TV Series, 12 episodes), 1999 End of Days, 1998 Enemy of the State, 1998 Pirates, 1997 Smilla's Newton Thomas Sigel (cinematographer) (b. 1955) was the Feeling for Snow, 1996 Somebody Is Waiting, 1995 Dead Man, cinematographer for 63 films and television shows, among them 1995 The Usual Suspects, 1994 Little Women, 1994 Trial by 2015 “Battle Creek” (TV Series), 2014 Seventh Son, 2014 X- Jury, 1993 A Dangerous Woman, 1993 Point of No Return, 1990 Men: Days of Future Past, 2013 , 2010 The Shipwrecked, 1990 Miller's Crossing, 1989 A Soldier's Tale, Conspirator, 2008 Valkyrie, 2007 Towelhead, 2006 Superman 1987 Julia and Julia, 1986 Defense of the Realm, 1984 Returns, 2005 The Brothers Grimm, 2004 “House M.D.” (TV Reflections, 1983 The Keep, 1983 Hanna K., 1981 Excalibur, Series), 2003 X-Men 2, 2000 X-Men, 1999 Three Kings, 1999 1980 The Outsider, 1978 “Last of Summer” (TV Series). Brokedown Palace, 1996 Foxfire, 1995 The Usual Suspects, 1993 “Daybreak” (TV Movie), 1991 “Murder in High Places” Benicio Del Toro ... Fenster (b. Benicio Monserrate Rafael Del (TV Movie), 1990 “Rock Hudson” (TV Movie), 1989 “Roe vs. Toro Sanchez, February 19, 1967 in San Germán, Puerto Rico) Wade” (TV Movie), 1985 Latino, 1984 In Our Hands won the 2001 Academy Award for Best Actor in a Supporting (Documentary), 1983 When the Mountains Tremble Role for Traffic (2000). He has appeared in 49 films and (Documentary), 1981 El Salvador: Another Vietnam television shows, including 2015 Sicario, 2015 A Perfect Day, (Documentary), and 1980 We Are the Guinea Pigs 2014 Escobar: Paradise Lost, 2013 Jimmy P., 2012 Savages, (Documentary). 2008 Che: Part One, 2008 Che: Part Two, 2005 Sin City, 2003 21 Grams, 2000 Traffic, 2000 Snatch, 1998 Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, 1996 The Fan, 1996 Basquiat, 1995 The Usual Suspects, 1994 Swimming with Sharks, 1994 Moon, 1993 Golden Balls, 1992 Christopher Columbus: The Discovery, 1991 The Indian Runner, 1989 Licence to Kill, and 1987 “” (TV Series).

Kevin Pollak ... Hockney (b. Kevin Elliot Pollak, October 30, 1957 in San Francisco, California) has produced 7 films and television shows and has written 6, including 2015 Misery Loves Comedy (Documentary), 2009-2015 “Kevin Pollak's Chat Show” (TV Series, 212 episodes), 2012 Columbus Circle, 2010 “Kevin Pollak: The Littlest Suspect” (TV Movie). He has appeared in 118 films and television shows, among them 2015 The Night Is Young, 2014-2015 “Mom” (TV Series, 14 episodes), 2013 A Country Christmas, 2012 Columbus Circle, 2011 The Big Year, 2010 Cop Out, 2008 “Entourage” (TV Series), 2007-2008 “Shark” (TV Series, 8 episodes), 2005 Hostage, 2004 The Whole ... McManus (b. Stephen Andrew Baldwin, Ten Yards, 2001 3000 Miles to Graceland, 2000 Steal This May 12, 1966 in Massapequa, Long Island, New York) has Movie, 2000 The Whole Nine Yards, 1999 End of Days, 1999 The appeared in 94 films and television shows, some of which are Sex Monster, 1998 Hoods, 1997 Truth or Consequences, N.M., 2015 No Panic, with a Hint of Hysteria, 2015 Scarlett, 2015 The 1995 Grumpier Old Men, 1995 Casino, 1995 The Usual UnMiracle, 2015 Magi, 2015 Balance (Short), 2014 Tapestry, Suspects, 1995 Chameleon, 1994 Clean Slate, 1993 Grumpy Old 2015 The Networker, 2014 2047—Sights of Death, 2010 Let the Men, 1992 A Few Good Men, 1991 L.A. Story, 1990 Avalon, Game Begin, 2008 Shark in Venice, 2006 The Genius Club, 2006 1988-1989 “Coming of Age” (TV Series, 15 episodes), 1988 Midnight Clear, 2004 Target, 2003 Shelter Island, 2003 Willow, and 1984 Hot Flashes (TV Series). Firefight, 2002 “Slap Shot 2: Breaking the Ice” (Video), 2000 Mercy, 1999 Friends & Lovers, 1998 One Tough Cop, 1995 Kevin Spacey ... Verbal (b. Kevin Spacey Fowler, July 26, 1959 Under the Hula Moon, 1995 The Usual Suspects, 1995 Fall in South Orange, ) won 2 Academy Awards, the first Time, 1994 Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle, 1994 8 Seconds, in 1996 for Best Actor in a Supporting Role for The Usual 1993 Bitter Harvest, 1989-1992 “The Young Riders” (TV Series, Suspects (1995), and again in 2000 for Best Actor in a Leading 67 episodes), 1989 Born on the Fourth of July, 1989 Casualties Role for American Beauty (1999). He has appeared in 77 films of War, 1989 Last Exit to Brooklyn, 1989 “China Beach” (TV and televisions shows, including 2013-2015 “House of Cards” Series), 1988 “Family Ties” (TV Series), and 1988 Homeboy. (TV Series, 39 episodes), 2011 Inseparable, 2011 , 2010 Casino Jack, 2010 Father of Invention, 2009 The Men Who Stare at Goats, 2008 21, 2006 Superman Returns, Singer—THE USUAL SUSPECTS—3

2003 The of Leland, 2001 The Shipping News, Suzy Amis ... Edie Finneran (b. Susan Elizabeth Amis, January 2000 Pay It Forward, 1999 American Beauty, 1998 The 5, 1962 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma) has appeared in 23 films Negotiator, 1997 Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, 1997 and televisions shows, including 1998 Firestorm, 1997 Titanic, L.A. Confidential, 1995 Se7en, 1995 Outbreak, 1995 The Usual 1996 One Good Turn, 1996 Cadillac Ranch, 1995 The Usual Suspects, 1994 Swimming with Sharks, 1994 , 1992 Suspects, 1994 Nadja, 1994 Blown Away, 1993 The Ballad of Consenting Adults, 1992 , 1991 “Darrow” Little Jo, 1993 Watch It, 1990 Where the Heart Is, 1987 Plain (TV Movie), 1990 Henry & June, 1989 See No Evil, Hear No Clothes, and 1985 Fandango. Evil, 1988 , 1988 “” (TV Series, 7 episodes, and 1986 Heartburn. He also produced 30 films and Dan Hedaya ... Jeff Rabin (b. July 24, 1940 in Brooklyn, New television shows. York) has appeared in 137 films and television shows, some of which are 2015 Black Dog, Red Dog, 2014 The Humbling, 2012 The Normals, 2006 The Good Student, 2005 Strangers with Candy, 2002 Quicksand, 2001 Mulholland Drive, 2000 Shaft, 1999 Dick, 1998 A Civil Action, 1998 A Night at the Roxbury, 1997 Alien: Resurrection, 1996 Marvin's Room, 1996 , 1995 Nixon, 1995 Clueless, 1995 The Usual Suspects, 1994 Maverick, 1993 Mr. Wonderful, 1993 Searching for Bobby Fischer, 1984-1993 “” (TV Series, 6 episodes), 1991 Doubles, 1990 Pacific Heights, 1987 “The Tortellis” (TV Series, 13 episodes), 1986 Running Scared, 1986 Wise Guys, 1984-1986 “Miami Vice” (TV Series), 1985 “” (TV Series), 1984 Blood Simple, 1984 Tightrope, 1984 The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension, 1983 The Hunger, 1982 I'm Dancing as Fast as I Can, 1981 True Confessions, 1979 The Seduction of Joe Tynan, 1976 “” (TV Series), 1976 The Passover Plot, 1975 “Ryan's Hope” (TV Series, 10 episodes), and 1970 Myra Breckinridge. Chazz Palminteri ... Dave Kujan (b. Calogero Lorenzo Palminteri, May 15, 1952 in New York City, New York) has Giancarlo Giuseppe Alessandro Esposito…Jack Baer (b. appeared in 68 films and television shows, among them 2014 April 26, 1958) is a Danish-born American actor, director, and Henry & Me, 2010-2014 “Rizzoli & Isles” (TV Series, 6 producer of African-Italian descent. He is best known for his episodes), 2014 “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” (TV portrayal of Gustavo "Gus" Fring on the AMC series Breaking Series), 2012-2013 “Blue Bloods” (TV Series), 2013 Final Bad, for which he won the Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Recourse, 2009 Once More with Feeling, 2006 Running Scared, award at the 2012 Critics' Choice Television Awards and was 2005 One Last Ride, 2001 One Eyed King, 1999 Analyze This, nominated for an Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama 1998 A Night at the Roxbury, 1998 Scar City, 1996 Mulholland Series award at the 2012 Primetime . He is well Falls, 1996 Diabolique, 1995 Jade, 1995 The Usual Suspects, known for his roles in films such as Do the Right 1994 , 1993 , 1992 There Thing, School Daze, and Mo' Better Blues. Other notable films Goes the Neighborhood, 1989 “Dallas” (TV Series), 1987 include The Usual Suspects and King of New York. He has “Matlock” (TV Series), 1986 “” (TV Series), portrayed Sidney Glass/Magic Mirror on ABC's Once Upon a and 1984 Home Free All. Time and Major Tom Neville in the NBC series Revolution.

Pete Postlethwaite ... Kobayashi (b. Peter William Paul Bartel ... Smuggler (b. August 6, 1938 in Brooklyn, New Postlethwaite, February 7, 1946 in Warrington, Cheshire, York—d. May 13, 2000 (age 61) in New York City, New York) —d. January 2, 2011 (age 64) in Royal Shrewsbury appeared in 91 films and television shows, among them 2001 Hospital, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England) appeared in 99 films Perfect Fit, 2000 Hamlet, 1999 Zoo, 1998 “Chicago Hope” (TV and television shows, some of which are 2011 Killing Bono, Series), 1996 The Elevator, 1996 Basquiat, 1996 Escape from 2010 The Town, 2010 Inception, 2010 Clash of the Titans, 2006 L.A., 1995 Number One Fan, 1995 Not Like Us, 1995 The Jerky The Omen, 2005 The Constant Gardener, 2004 Strange Boys, 1995 The Usual Suspects, 1994 Twin Sitters, 1993 Grief, Bedfellows, 2001 The Shipping News, 2000 “The Sins” (TV 1993 Posse, 1991 The Pope Must Diet, 1990 Far Out Man, 1989 Mini-Series, 7 episodes), 1998 Among , 1997 Amistad, Scenes from the Class Struggle in Beverly Hills, 1988 1997 The Lost World: Jurassic Park, 1996 , 1996 II, 1988 Shakedown, 1987 Women on the James and the Giant Peach, 1995 The Usual Suspects, 1993 In Moon, 1986 Killer Party, 1985 Into the Night, 1984 Not for the Name of the Father, 1992 The Last of the Mohicans, 1992 Publication, 1983 Heart Like a Wheel, 1982 White Dog, 1982 Waterland, 1992 Alien³, 1990 Hamlet, 1988 Number 27, 1988 , 1981 Heartbeeps, 1979 Rock 'n' Roll High School, The Dressmaker, 1988 To Kill a Priest, 1979 “Horse in the 1978 Piranha, 1977 Grand Theft Auto, 1976 House” (TV Series, 6 episodes), 1978 “Going Straight” (TV Boulevard, 1975 2000, 1974 Big Bad Mama, and Series), and 1977 The Duellists. 1969 Utterly Without Redeeming Social Value.

Singer—THE USUAL SUSPECTS—4

McQuarrie, and fellow USC student Michael Feit Dougan wrote the first draft in ten days about a supposedly idyllic small town. Ottman again served as editor but this time also composed the score for the film. At the 1993 Sundance , the film was named as co-winner of the Grand Jury Prize. While attending the 1993 , Singer and McQuarrie began discussing an idea that McQuarrie had for a story where "five criminals meet in a police line-up". The film, The Usual Suspects, won a number of awards including the 1995 BAFTA Award for Best Film and Saturn Award for Best Action/Adventure/. Writer McQuarrie won the Academy Award for Writing Original Screenplay and the BAFTA Award for Best Screenplay, composer/editor Ottman won the BAFTA Award for Best Editing and the Saturn Award for Best Music and actor Kevin Spacey won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. In 1998, Singer directed Apt Pupil from a screenplay written by Brandon Boyce, another of his friends. The story, adapted from a novella of the same name (collected in the book Different Seasons), tells of a young boy who develops a morbid fascination with a Nazi war criminal. 2000s Singer was initially approached by 20th Century Fox to direct X-Men after directing The Usual Suspects, but not being a fan of comics and being unaware of the characters, Singer turned them down. However his friend, Tom DeSanto, a big fan of the comics and partner in his production company Bad Hat Harry Productions, eventually persuaded Singer to reconsider and, after reading the comics and becoming familiar with the characters, [from Wikipedia] Bryan Jay Singer (born September 17, 1965 Singer signed on to direct. Rejecting all the scripts and storylines is an American , producer and screenwriter. He has that were developed over a decade of failed production attempts, produced or co-produced almost all of the films he has directed. Singer developed the story for the film with DeSanto in a week He wrote and directed his first film in 1988 after graduating from and then worked on the script with writers Ed Solomon, university. His next film, Public Access (1993), was a co-winner Christopher McQuarrie, , and finally of the Grand Jury Prize at the 1993 Sundance Film Festival. In (who had started out as Singer's driver). Only Hayter received the mid-1990s, Singer received critical acclaim for directing the onscreen credit for writing the film. Singer won the 2000 Saturn neo-noir crime thriller The Usual Suspects (1995), which starred Award for Best Direction for X-Men. Stephen Baldwin, Benicio del Toro and Kevin Spacey. He In early 2001, Singer was planning to direct Confessions followed this with another thriller, Apt Pupil (1998), about a of a Dangerous Mind with in the lead role, from boy's fascination with a Nazi war criminal. 's script based on the book of the In the 2000s, he became known for big budget same name. Financial troubles delayed production and Singer films such as X-Men (2000), for which Singer won the moved on. The film was later directed by for 2000 Saturn Award for Best Direction, its sequel X2 (2003), and Films with in the lead role. Singer has Superman Returns (2006). He then directed the WW II historical said that he was "very impressed" by Clooney's debut as a thriller Valkyrie (2008), co-wrote/co-produced X-Men: First director, and the film itself. In late 2001, Singer was planning to Class (2011) and directed the fantasy adventure film Jack the help DeSanto produce a new television Giant Slayer (2013). In 2014, another X-Men film helmed by series for Studios USA (now NBC Studio) him was released, titled X-Men: Days of Future Past, and he will and the FOX network. Singer was scheduled to direct the mini- direct X-Men: Apocalypse, which is expected to be released in series which would have served as a backdoor for a May 2016. He has directed and produced some television shows, potential series. Speaking to Variety in February 2001, Singer including two episodes of House in 2004…. said he was "confident that the Galactica brand is a sleeping 1980s–1990s giant. It was a show I watched during its initial run, from the After graduating from university, Singer directed a short pilot to the final episode. The essence and the brand name is film in 1988 called Lion's Den involving a number of friends, quite potent in a climate where there's a great deficit of sci-fi including actor whom he knew from his childhood programming." Despite his enthusiasm, production delays caused in New Jersey and editor John Ottman who he had met while by the September 11, 2001 attacks meant Singer had to drop out working on a friend's short film. After a screening of Lion's Den, due to his commitment to direct X-Men 2. FOX then lost interest Singer was approached by someone who knew of a Japanese in Galactica and Studios USA took the project to the Sci Fi company that funded low-budget films. Singer wrote the concept Channel and a different production team. This resulted in the for Public Access (1993) with high school friend Christopher new Battlestar Galactica 2003 mini-series and 2004 television Singer—THE USUAL SUSPECTS—5

series, which ran until 2008. By August 2012 the script was "go all Wrath of Khan on it". Production on the film was being rewritten, with Singer explaining that "It will exist, I think, eventually cancelled, in favor of a reboot directed by Zack quite well between the Glen Larson and Ron Moore universes". Snyder. In June 2002 filming began on X2 in Canada with In August 2009, Universal Pictures announced that Singer again directing, this time from a screenplay written by Singer would direct and produce a big screen reimagining of the David Hayter, Dan Harris and . In 2004, X2 Battlestar Galactica television series of the late-1970s, which was nominated for the Hugo Award for Best Dramatic would not draw any material from the Channel reimagined Presentation, Long Form, but lost to 's The Lord of series. On September 10, 2009, it was announced NBC has the Rings: The Return of the King. In 2002, having learned that partnered with Bryan Singer and to adapt Augusten Singer was a lifelong fan, arranged for Burroughs's Sellevision into a series. The one-hour dramatic Singer to visit the set of Star Trek Nemesis and appear in the comedy, to be written by Fuller and directed by Singer, will finished film as a Starfleet officer on the bridge of the Enterprise. focus on the inner workings of a fictional home shopping On November 16, 2004, a new medical drama debuted on FOX network, according to . At the premiere called House, with Singer attached as an executive producer. He of 's Avatar on December 16, 2009, Singer also directed the pilot and the third episode, then appeared in a confirmed that he would be directing Jack the Giant Slayer brief cameo as himself in the twelfth episode. (2013) for Warner Bros., and that he had signed on to do X-Men: In mid-2004, Singer was in negotiations to direct X- First Class, but conflicts between the two projects led to Singer Men: The Last Stand for Fox. being only a producer and co- Fox and Singer could not screenwriter on First Class, with meet an agreement and, after taking over an extended détente, Singer directorial duties. was offered the chance to 2010s direct the new Superman film, In October 2012, it was which was ready to go. On announced that Singer would July 19, 2004, Variety direct the next movie in the reported that Singer had series, X-Men: Days of Future signed on to direct Superman Past; Vaughn stayed on as a Returns for Warner Bros. In producer and screenwriter, and retaliation, Fox terminated the film was released in May their production deal with 2014. Singer produced the Bad Hat Harry Productions, commercials for the ice cream Singer's production company. Superman Returns was filmed in Magnum Gold, which featured Benicio del Toro.]In 2012, Singer Australia in 2005, and was released on June 28, 2006. Singer was the executive producer alongside of the short claims that though he had not read the comics, he had always film, Ronny and I, directed by Guy Shalem that screened at admired and identified with the character, citing the fact that he Outfest and Cannes. Ronny and I was considered a "revolution" and Superman are both orphans. He instead based Returns on his in filmmaking due to the fact that the film was shot entirely on a love of the 1978 film made by . smart phone. Singer is directing another X-Men film entitled X- Before embarking on the Superman sequel, Singer Men: Apocalypse that he is also producing and co-writing with openly discussed helming a smaller project going back to the , Dan Harris, and Michael Dougherty. Days of days of thrillers The Usual Suspects and Apt Pupil. In late 2006, Future Past stars James McAvoy, , Nicholas screenwriter Christopher McQuarrie presented to Singer a story Hoult, , and are re-teaming with that took place in World War II, Valkyrie. In the following Singer for Apocalypse. months, the two collaborated on the project, an original thriller [from Wikipedia) The Usual Suspects is a 1995 German- that would be a multi-character ensemble piece. In March 2007, American neo-noir crime thriller film directed by Bryan Singer the duo brought the project directly to United Artists partners and written by Christopher McQuarrie. It stars Stephen Baldwin, Paula Wagner and , who immediately agreed to Gabriel Byrne, Benicio del Toro, Kevin Pollak, Chazz finance the film. The script is based on the actual events of Palminteri, Pete Postlethwaite and Kevin Spacey. German generals plotting to assassinate during The film follows the interrogation of Roger "Verbal" World War II. Singer invited Tom Cruise to take the lead role, Kint, a small-time con man who is one of only two survivors of a which Cruise accepted. Filming began on July 19, 2007 in massacre and fire on a ship docked at the Port of . , and the movie was released on December 25, 2008. Upon He tells an interrogator a convoluted story about events that led finishing Valkyrie at the end of 2007, Singer was scheduled to him and his partners in crime to the boat, and about a mysterious jump directly into the upcoming Superman sequel, which was to mob boss known as Keyser Söze who commissioned their work. begin filming around March 2008. Attending the 2007 Saturn Using and narration, Kint's story becomes increasingly Awards along with Superman Returns writers Michael complex. Dougherty, Dan Harris and producer Gil Adler, Singer stated that The film, shot on a $6 million budget, began as a title the story had been locked down, and the first draft would be taken from a column in Spy magazine called "The Usual completed near the end of 2007. Plans for the sequel included Suspects", after one of ' most memorable lines in more action sequences, an alien villain, and Singer's promise to the classic film Casablanca. Singer thought it would make a Singer—THE USUAL SUSPECTS—6

good title for a film, the poster for which he and McQuarrie had (which also contained an interrogator and a subject developed as the first visual idea. who is telling a story) and the criminal caper The Anderson The film was shown out of competition at the 1995 Tapes Cannes Film Festival, and then initially released in a few Pre-production theaters. It received favorable reviews, and was eventually given McQuarrie wrote nine drafts of his screenplay over five a wider release. McQuarrie won an Academy Award for Best months, until Singer felt that it was ready to shop around to the Writing (Original Screenplay) and Spacey won the Academy studios. None was interested except for a European financing Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance. In time, it company. McQuarrie and Singer had a difficult time getting the is remembered for one of the most definitive and popular plot film made because of the non-linear story, the large amount of twists of all cinematic history…. dialogue and the lack of cast attached to the project. Financiers wanted established stars, and offers for the small role of Redfoot Origins (the L.A. fence who hooks up the five protagonists with Bryan Singer met Kevin Spacey at a party after a Kobayashi) went out to , , screening of the young filmmaker's first film, Public Access, at , , , and Johnny the 1993 Sundance Film Festival. Spacey had been encouraged Cash. However, the European money allowed the film's by a number of people he knew who had seen it, and was so producers to make offers to actors and assemble a cast. They impressed that he told Singer and were only able to offer the actors McQuarrie that he wanted to be in salaries that were well below their whatever film they did next. Singer usual pay, but they agreed because of read a column in Spy magazine called the quality of McQuarrie's script and "The Usual Suspects" after Claude the chance to work with each other. Rains' line in Casablanca. Singer That money fell through, however, and thought that it would be a good title Singer used the script and the cast to for a film. When asked by a reporter at attract PolyGram to pick up the film Sundance what their next film was negative. about, McQuarrie replied, "I guess it's About casting, Singer said, about a bunch of criminals who meet "You pick people not for what they in a police line-up," which are, but what you imagine they can incidentally was the first visual idea turn into." To research his role, Spacey that he and Singer had for the poster: met doctors and experts on cerebral "five guys who meet in a line-up," palsy and talked with Singer about how Singer remembers. The director also it would fit dramatically in the film. envisioned a tagline for the poster, They decided that it would affect only "All of you can go to Hell." Singer one side of his body. then asked the question, "What would possibly bring these five According to Byrne, the cast bonded quickly during rehearsals. felons together in one line-up?" McQuarrie revamped an idea Del Toro worked with Alan Shaterian to develop Fenster's from one of his own unpublished screenplays — the story of a distinctive, almost unintelligible speech patterns. According to man who murders his own family and walks away, disappearing the actor, the source of his character's unusual speech patterns from view. The writer mixed this with the idea of a team of came from the realization that "the purpose of my character was criminals. to die." Del Toro told Singer, "It really doesn't matter what I say Söze's character is based on the accounts of , a so I can go really far out with this and really make it New Jersey accountant who murdered his family in 1971 and uncomprehensible." then disappeared for almost two decades, assuming a new Filming identity before he was ultimately apprehended. McQuarrie based The budget was set at $5.5 million, and the film was the name of Keyser Söze on one of his previous supervisors, shot in 35 days in Los Angeles, San Pedro and New York City. Kayser Sume, at a Los Angeles law firm that he worked for, but Spacey said that they shot the interrogation scenes with decided to change the last name because he thought that his Palminteri over a span of five to six days. These scenes were also former boss would object to how it was used. He found the word shot before the rest of the film. The police lineup scene ran into söze in his roommate's English-to-Turkish dictionary, which scheduling conflicts because the actors kept blowing their lines. translates as "talk too much." All the characters' names are taken Screenwriter Christopher McQuarrie would feed the actors from staff members of the law firm at the time of his questions off-camera and they improvised their lines. When employment. McQuarrie had also worked for a detective agency, Stephen Baldwin gave his answer, he made the other actors break and this influenced the depiction of criminals and law character. Byrne remembers that they were often laughing enforcement officials in the script. between takes and "when they said, 'Action!', we'd barely be able Singer described the film as meets to keep it together." Spacey also said that the hardest part was not , and said that it was made "so you can go back and laughing through takes, with Baldwin and Pollak being the worst see all sorts of things you didn't realize were there the first time. culprits. Their goal was to get the usually serious Byrne to crack You can get it a second time in a way you never could have the up. They spent all morning trying unsuccessfully to film the first time around." He also compared the film's structure to scene. At lunch a frustrated Singer angrily scolded the five Singer—THE USUAL SUSPECTS—7

actors, but when they resumed the cast continued to laugh Gramercy ran a pre-release promotion and advertising through each take. Byrne remembers, "Finally, Bryan just used campaign before The Usual Suspects opened in the summer of one of the takes where we couldn't stay serious." Singer and 1995. Word of mouth marketing was used to advertise the film, editor John Ottman used a combination of takes and kept the and buses and billboards were plastered with the simple question, humor in to show the characters bonding with one another. "Who is Keyser Söze?" While Del Toro told Singer how he was going to portray The film was shown out of competition at the 1995 Fenster, he did not tell his cast members, and in their first scene Cannes Film Festival and was well received by audiences and together none of them understood what Del Toro was saying. critics. The film was then given an exclusive run in Los Angeles, Byrne confronted Singer and the director told him that for the where it took a combined $83,513, and New York City, where it lockup scene, "If you don't understand what he's saying maybe made $132,294 on three screens in its opening weekend. The it's time we let the audience know that they don't need to know film was then released in 42 theaters where it earned $645,363 on what he's saying." This led to the inclusion of Kevin Pollak's its opening weekend. It averaged a strong $4,181 per screen at improvised line, "What did you say?" 517 theaters and the following week added 300 locations. It The stolen emeralds eventually made $23.3 million in were real gemstones on loan North America. for the movie. Reception Singer spent an 18- The Usual Suspects has hour day shooting the received positive reviews from underground parking garage critics. On , the robbery. According to Byrne, film holds a rating of 88%, based by the next day Singer still did on 68 reviews, with an average not have all of the footage that rating of 7.8/10. The site's he wanted, and refused to stop consensus reads, "Expertly shot filming in spite of the bonding and edited, The Usual Suspects company's threat to shut down the production. gives the audience a simple plot and then piles on layers of In the scene in which the crew meets Redfoot after the deceit, twists, and violence before pulling out the rug from botched drug deal, Redfoot flicks his cigarette at McManus' face. underneath." On , the film has a score of 77 out of 100, The scene was originally to have Redfoot flick the cigarette at based on 22 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". McManus's chest, but the actor missed and hit Baldwin's face by While embraced by most viewers and critics, the film accident. Baldwin's reaction is genuine. was the subject of harsh derision by some. , in a Despite enclosed practical locations and a short review for the Chicago Sun-Times, gave the film one and a half shooting schedule, cinematographer Newton Thomas Sigel stars out of four, considering it confusing and uninteresting. He "developed a way of shooting dialogue scenes with a also included the film in his "most hated films" list. USA Today combination of slow, creeping zooms and dolly moves that ended rated the film two and a half stars out of four, calling it "one of in tight close-ups," to add subtle energy to scenes. "This style the most densely plotted mysteries in memory—though combined dolly movement with "imperceptible zooms" so that paradoxically, four-fifths of it is way too easy to predict." you’d always have a sense of motion in a limited space." However, praised Spacey, saying his "balls-out Post-production brilliant performance is all the way." In his review for During the editing phase, Singer thought that they had , Hal Hinson wrote, "Ultimately, The Usual completed the film two weeks early, but woke up one morning Suspects may be too clever for its own good. The twist at the end and realized that they needed that time to put together a sequence is a corker, but crucial questions remain unanswered. What's that convinced the audience that Dean Keaton was Söze — and interesting, though, is how little this intrudes on our enjoyment. then do the same for Verbal Kint because the film did not have After the movie you're still trying to connect the dots and make it "the punch that Chris had written so beautifully." According to all fit—and these days, how often can we say that?" Ottman, he assembled the footage as a montage but it still did not In her review for , work until he added an overlapping voice-over montage featuring praised the performances of the cast: "Mr. Singer has assembled key dialogue from several characters and had it relate to the a fine ensemble cast of actors who can parry such lines, and images. Early on, executives at Gramercy had problems whose performances mesh effortlessly despite their exaggerated pronouncing the name Keyser Söze and were worried that differences in demeanor ... Without the violence or obvious audiences would have the same problem. The studio decided to bravado of , these performers still create strong promote the character's name. Two weeks before the film and fascinatingly ambiguous characters." debuted in theaters, "Who is Keyser Söze?" posters appeared at praised the film's ending: "The film's coup de grace is as elegant bus stops, and TV spots told people how to say the character's as it is unexpected. The whole movie plays back in your mind in name. Despite these efforts, all the actors in the film consistently perfect clarity—and turns out to be a completely different movie mispronounce his name as "Soze" instead of "Söze". to the one you've been watching (rather better, in fact)." Singer wanted the music for the boat heist to resemble Accolades Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto No. 1. The ending's McQuarrie was nominated for the Best Original music was based on a k.d. lang song. Screenplay and Kevin Spacey was nominated for Best Release Supporting Actor at the Academy Awards. They both won, and Singer—THE USUAL SUSPECTS—8

in his acceptance speech Spacey memorably said, "Well, In The Usual Suspects, the elaborate play on absence, whoever Keyser Söze is, I can tell you he's gonna get gloriously reference, and invisibility produces an increasingly dense drunk tonight." atmosphere of pervasive menace. As a result, the name Keyser The film was nominated as the best film at the 1996 Söze seems to apply less to an actual person than to a force, British Academy Film Awards (BAFTA awards). McQuarrie thereby transforming the endlessly deferred answer to the plot won the BAFTA Award for Best Original Screenplay, and John question of the villain’s identity into the more disturbing Ottman won the BAFTA Award for Best Editing. The film was question of what Keyser Söze represents…. nominated for three Independent Spirit Awards — Best When it opened in the United States in August 1995, Supporting Actor for Benicio del Toro, Best Screenplay for The Usual Suspects was immediately and unsurprisingly Christopher McQuarrie and Best Cinematography for Newton bracketed with Tarantino’s Reservoir Dogs—which, in turn, was Thomas Sigel. Both Del Toro and McQuarrie won in their compared to John Huston’s The Asphalt Jungle and Stanley categories. Kubrick’s The Killing (1956). Both of these early 90 films Bryan Singer won the Best Debut award at the 1st directed by young men keenly aware of film history perform Empire Awards. clever variations on the venerable genre of heist noir. For Singer, The Usual Suspects was screened at the 1995 Seattle this parallel was an advantage. ‘The strategy,’ he has said, ‘was International Film Festival, where Bryan Singer was awarded to regard it as a plus, not a minus—to make a film so different Best Director and Kevin Spacey won for Best Actor. The that after seeing it o one could even imagine comparing the story Society of Film Critics gave Spacey the Best Supporting Actor and the aesthetic, merely the set-up. Both films essentially begin award for his work on the film. Spacey went on to win this award in the violent aftermath of a big heist and then move both with the New York Film Critics Circle and the National Board of forward and backward in time, Reservoir Dogs unpredictably, Review, which also gave the cast an ensemble acting award. The Usual Suspect, relentlessly…. One movie dismisses its Legacy central action while the other builds an elaborate architecture of On June 17, 2008, the American Film Institute revealed mystery around it. its "AFI's 10 Top 10"—the best ten films in ten "classic" It’s suggestive that these two films become searches for American film genres—after polling over 1,500 people from the a traitor hidden in the midst of a group of professional criminals. creative community. The Usual Suspects was acknowledged as With enormous appetite both films portray a particularly narrow the tenth-best . Verbal Kint was voted the #48 model of masculinity, and its codes of behaviour. As if it formed villain in "AFI's 100 Years...100 and Villains" in June an invariable and universally accepted standard…. 2003. McQuarrie has been forthcoming about the ‘real-life’ cited the film as one of the "13 sources of his interest in the . McQuarrie and Singer, must-see heist movies".Empire ranked Keyser Söze #69 in their along with their editor/composer, John Ottman, functioned as just "The 100 Greatest Movie Characters" poll.In 2013, the Writers such a goal-oriented team—best friends since boyhood who Guild of America ranked the screenplay #35 on its list of 101 shared a dream and worked together unstintingly to produce this Greatest Screenplays ever written. film. The Usual Suspects turned out to be one such Big Score. However, Mcquarrie drew direct inspiration for his team of criminal workers from his own experience working as part of a team security force at a suburban New Jersey multiplex… McQuarrie describes the process by which he names his characters as if it took precedence over every other consideration, as if it created the condition in which he was able to write. And where do the names of the suspects and the other characters come from? They are nearly all inspired by the names of his co- workers in the legal firm in which he worked when he wrote the script….

The film’s target audience of young straight males From The Usual Suspects. Ernest Larsen. bfi Publishing, raptly identified with this mirror image of nervy, violent, profane , 2002. risk-takers who don’t take no shit from nobody nohow…. Bryan Singer, who directed The Usual Suspects, McQuarrie’s awareness of how such audiences react to criminal prodded its scriptwriter Christopher McQuarrie to produce fantasies was immeasurably deepened y his own work experience something like nine rewrites before he was satisfied that the story at the Amboy multiplex. He has commented on his careful study they’d developed was airtight. At the front of each version of the of audience responses, honed in repeated daily showings of script, according to Singer, they ‘put a quote from “Sympathy for Hollywood films. The splashy simplicity of his character the Devil”: “Please allow me to introduce myself / I hope you portraits is probably inspired by lessons learned during this guess my name. But what is bothering you / is the nature of my workplace education in the consumption of entertainment. game.”’ In the scene that introduces the finished film just such a McQuarrie’s tactic of streamlining extends beyond his crucial guess is made. The rest of the film proceeds to spell out characters’ psychologies. It also pertains to how he smoothes the nature of the game…. away ethical considerations. For instance, the suspects’ Big Score, $91 million in drug money, is defined in advance as illicit Singer—THE USUAL SUSPECTS—9

and tainted. This helpfully codes the ill-fated shipboard heist as feminises Verbal and physically encapsulates the apparent justifiable. Kobayashi not only blackmails them into the assault, balance of power between the two men. In the film’s first scene, he describes it in advance as suicidal. Similarly, the two smaller the unidentifiable Keyser Soze, using only his left hand, preparatory criminal schemes the suspects undertake more effortlessly light a cigarette before murdering Keaton. Those enthusiastically are morally coded in advance as not-really- contrasted images—a physically adept and a physically hurting-anybody-who-doesn’t-deserve-it. The first scam, the inadequate man both using lighters—block us from imagining hijacking of New York’s Finest Taxi Service, actually performs a that the two men could actually be one and the same. This public service by unmasking police corruption. Verbal’s narrative manipulation (or deception) is underwritten by the fact voiceover crows about the fifty-two cops who end up busted, that the style in which a man lights a cigarette is coded to excess thanks to the suspects good deed. In effect, since the usual as a key performance of masculinity in film. suspects are interested only in stealing from other criminals, they At the same time, for most audiences and many critics redefine crime as something that bad guys only do to other bad the unreliable narrator, played with fully imagined detail by guys. Who but a bore or a stickler would think of such acts as Kevin Spacey, was key to the film’s most intense pleasure: the actual theft? moment when the ‘weakest’ character is revealed to be the The script’s ethical hedges allow the suspects to register ‘strongest’. As he walks out of the police station, the gimp as inoffensively or interestingly criminal, properly Verbal Kint, having been forced by his adversary, Dave Kujan, uncomplicated and unambiguous objects of fantasy, who, it is to tell the story of the brief rise and sudden fall of the usual true, might at worst be a mite trigger-happy…. suspects, becomes the mastermind personification of evil, Keyser McQuarrie’s reductive excision of both psychological Söze, (Verbal’s lame leg, we now realize, is the mundane and moral conflicts among the suspects effectively streamlines equivalent to Stan’s cloven hoof, his widow’s peak Satan’s the narrative to a series of violent confrontations with opposing customary coiffure. Singer attributes this ‘geeky’ haircut to teams: the cops who pick Spacey’s inspiration.) Left them up in the first place, the behind—as a sketch of the evil crooked cops who run New one’s face emerges from the fax York’s Finest Taxi Service, machine just a moment too late— Redfoot’s belligerent pack, is the audio recording of the story the drug dealers ambushed in he’d deliberately hobbled with the parking lot, the thick- who knew how many lies and necked thugs protecting inventions. Technology is either Kobayashi and finally the too little or too late to fulfill its double team of Hungarian supposedly objective role in mobsters and Argentine assessing guilt. sailors in the film’s climax. In The contrast between cleansing the narrative, the two men, the criminal and the McQuarrie is able to cop, had not in the end been concentrate on the same about the truth of the story. Ira attractions that have made Nayman points out that ‘a professional team sports the primary passional pursuit of young conversation between two police officers confirms’ what Verbal men in the United States. What matters in each confrontation is her told the police about the first heist. ‘This objective sticking together, fearlessly acting out one’s assigned role., and corroboration…validates it for the audience.’ The script cannily unalloyed aggression in the pursuit of winning. The usual salts the unreliable narration with early moments of reliability. In suspects move with the precision of a SWAT team, even though the end, we never discover the exact truth but we do find out there are no scenes in which they plan or coordinate their actions. which of the two men controlled access to that truth. We do see The social order the film depicts abnegates the role of the who wins the power struggle. Verbals’ escape destabilizes the individual (with the significant and conditioning exception of the police control of the narrative. Out on the street, Verbal’s evil mastermind). Instead, the script depicts a world ruled by perverse transformation from cripple to commander embodies his brawling gangs out to steal each others’ treasure…. creative twisting of truth and falsehood. His palsied body regains its true shape in the dark triumph of illegitimacy. Sitting in the Singer has said that he was primarily interested in darkened multiplex, the audience takes illicit pleasure in Verbal’s portraying the implications of misplaced perception. ‘Perception, escape from the machine of the law…. the difference between what you believe and what really is, is the central theme.’ However, the film-makers almost invariably The film is concerned to depict Söze’s criminality as think through and visualize the perceptual deceptions necessary relentlessly brutal and multinational. Singer and McQuarrie to mystery narrative in terms specific to male identity. For globalise the theme of invisible domination that shadows and instance, early on, before Verbal’s first flashback in the San mocks the visible domination of law. The film is replete with Pedro police station, Kujan hands him a lighter. Try as he might, references, characters and plot elements from several continents. Verbal can’t get the lighter open with his good right hand. …It ends with a repetition of Verbal’s line that ‘The Finally, Kujan lights his cigarette. McQuarrie adds that Singer greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he added this compelling bit of business on set. The act subtly Singer—THE USUAL SUSPECTS—10

didn’t exist.’ The last shot is a flashback to Verbal in the police unmasked Söze has demonstrated that the varied configurations station, his fingers to his lips: ‘And poof, he’s gone.’ or principles of order that have been at stake throughout the This final appeal returns the film to the issue of movie—the law, the team, masculinity, the family, storytelling invisibility with which it began. You can take it lightly—as a itself—have been found wanting, limiting, false or inhibiting. An magic trick. Or you could say that the film is issuing a warning interplay between a complex disjunctive soundtrack which about a new invisible Satan abroad in the land. The mystery replays the film as a tissue of lies is accompanied by the only surrounding Kaeyser Söze’s identity turns out to be co-extensive chase scene in the film: the law fails to arrest the criminal just as with the mystery of who controls the narrative: we realize that our chase after narrative coherence proves to be an arresting the narration has been unreliable exactly at the point when we failure. What’s left is the unapologetic, unalloyed triumph of discover who Söze is. The strategy of unreliability turns out to be evil, if evil is synonymous with the principle of disorder, or with linked to the mythic figure of the trickster, who gleefully uses the impossibility of identification. disguise, lying and the dirtiest of tricks to get control. The

Only three more in the Spring 2015 Buffalo Film Seminars Apr 21 Bela Tarr, Werkmeister Harmonies, 2000 Apr 28 Sylvain Chomet, The Triplets of Belleville, 2003 May 5 Joel and Ethan Coen, No Country for Old Men, 2007

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