Nicolas Winding Refn
Each of his films are shot in chronological order, which means that the scenes are shot in the same order as they unfold in the screenplay.
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Poll: Nicolas Winding Refn Trivia
The Neon Demon (2016), the new film by Nicolas Winding Refn, was released on June 24, 2016 in the United States.
Which piece of trivia regarding the offbeat director or his previous films do you find most intriguing?
Make Your Choice
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Ryan Gosling and Nicolas Winding Refn at an event for Drive (2011)
To get a soundtrack with an 'underground feeling' for Pusher II (2004), a contest was arranged where unknown artists could hand in samples. Refn was able to chose from 622 samples. -
Pusher III (2005)
Occasionally, his crime films feature real criminals. Vasilije Bojicic, a Bosnian drug smuggler, was sentenced to eight years in prison after playing in "Pusher II"; the members of a Narcotics Anonymous meeting in Pusher III (2005) were real drug addicts. After finishing the two Pusher sequels, actor Ilyas Agac went to jail, where Refn showed him the final product. -
Fear X (2003)
The 2003 thriller Fear X (2003) was such a huge flop that Refn's newly founded company went bankrupt. He then had to make two sequels to his debut Pusher (1996) to pay his enormous bank debts. -
Tom Hardy in Bronson (2008)
Charles Bronson, "the most violent prisoner in Britain", became friends with Tom Hardy, who was to play him in Bronson (2008). The inmate even shaved off his prominent moustache and sent it to Hardy to wear it during shoots. -
Mads Mikkelsen in Valhalla Rising (2009)
Silence is abundant in Refn films. Valhalla Rising (2009) has a total of only 120 lines of dialogue (an average movie has several hundreds to over 1000), none of which are uttered by Mads Mikkelsen's lead character. Julian, Ryan Gosling's protagonist in Only God Forgives (2013), speaks only 17 lines (one less than Arnold Schwarzenegger in "The Terminator"). -
Ryan Gosling in Drive (2011)
Despite their 80s vibe, none of the songs in Drive (2011) were released before 2007. -
Ryan Gosling in Drive (2011)
A woman sued the makers of "Drive" because the trailers led her to believe this was a fast-paced action movie. -
Nicolas Winding Refn in Drive (2011)
The director of "Drive" doesn't hold a driver's licence, having failed the test 8 times. -
Carey Mulligan in Drive (2011)
During filming "Drive", Refn moved into a Los Angeles house with Carey Mulligan and screenwriter Hossein Ameini, where they worked on the script, edited the film, and watched movies. (suggested by yrnej) -
Ryan Gosling in Drive (2011)
The first meeting of Refn and Ryan Gosling didn't go well, as Refn was absent-minded and almost delirious due to sickness. However, when driving home, REO Speedwagon's "I Can't Fight this Feeling Anymore" played on the radio, causing Refn to cry, sing along, and finally come up with a synopsis for "Drive": "The movie is about a guy who drives around LA at night listening to pop songs." Upon this, Gosling became convinced the two could work together. -
Kristin Scott Thomas in Only God Forgives (2013)
SPOILERS AHEAD!During the making of "Only God Forgives", Ryan Gosling was asked by the director if he'd cry or laugh after his character discovers the corpse of his murdered mother. Gosling said he'd rather cut open her stomach and delve for her uterus, which is the way the scene played out.
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Ryan Gosling in Only God Forgives (2013)
Being dyslexic, unable to read until the age of 13, and colorblind, Refn developed a passion for strong, monochromic images in his movies - preferrably red. -
Nicolas Winding Refn in Drive (2011)
As the son of an editor and a cinematographer, Refn practically grew up in film business. Working in film distribution at the age of 23, he had the chance to see Kevin Smith's "Clerks" in Cannes, which encouraged him to become a director. -
#15
While making Neon Demon, when filming was to resume, he wouldn't yell "Action!" to set things in motion. Instead he yelled "Violence Mother *beep* (suggested by yrnej) -
Nicolas Winding Refn at an event for The Neon Demon (2016)
He attended the American Academy of Dramatic Arts but was expelled for throwing a table into a wall. (suggested by teriekwilliams-46153)
