Smithereens (1982)

Director:

Susan Seidelman

Writers:

Susan Seidelman (story) &
Ron Nyswaner (story) ...
(more)

Release Date:

19 August 1983 (West Germany)

Genre:

Drama | Music

Tagline:

Who is this?

Plot:

A narcissistic runaway engages in a number of parasitic relationships amongst members of New York's waning punk scene.

Plot Keywords:

New York | Visceral | Film Within A Film | Nightclub | Price Of Fame

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Susan Berman	...	Wren
Brad Rijn	...	Paul (as Brad Rinn)
Richard Hell	...	Eric
Nada Despotovich	...	Cecile
Roger Jett	...	Billy - Eric's Roommate
Kitty Summerall	...	Eric's Wife
Joni Ruth White	...	Landlady (as Robynne White)
D.J. O'Neill	...	Ed
Joel Rooks	...	Xerox Boss
Pamela Speed	...	Terry
Tom Cherwin	...	Mike
Edie Schecter	...	Christine
Katherine Riley	...	1st Hooker
Amos Poe	...	Hustler in Bar
Ada McSpade	...	Rasta (as Ade McSpade)
Cookie Mueller	...	Horror Movie Sequence
Ed French	...	Horror Movie Sequence (as Edward E. French)
Alan Woolf	...	Pimp (as Wolf Alan)
The Nitecaps	...	Band
X-Sessive	...	Lead Singer
Paul Dunlap	...	Bouncer
Sara Sassin	...	Tough Woman in Cafe
Chel Chenier	...	Cecile's Roommate
Geretta Geretta	...	Prostitute (as Geretta Giancarlo)
Phyllis Kay	...	Prostitute (as Phylis Kay)
Celia Maurice	...	Prostitute
Roma Maffia	...	Prostitute
Chris Noth	...	Prostitute

Directed by
Susan Seidelman

Writing credits
Susan Seidelman		(story) &
Ron Nyswaner		(story)
Ron Nyswaner		(screenplay) &
Peter Askin		(screenplay)

Produced by
Joanne Gross	....	associate producer
Susan Seidelman	....	producer

Original Music by
Glenn Mercer
Bill Million

Cinematography by
Chirine El Khadem		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Susan Seidelman

Production Design by
Franz Harland

Costume Design by
Alison Lances

Makeup Department
Ed French	....	special makeup/horror movie effects
Eric Turner	....	hair stylist

Art Department
Lani Asher	....	props
Anthony Coren	....	assistant art director
Skip Hooper	....	graphic artist
Lee Schattino	....	props

Sound Department
Ze'ev Dunie	....	boom operator
Paul Michael	....	foley artist

Camera and Electrical Department
David Golia	....	first assistant camera
Ken Kotsch	....	gaffer
Anna Reinhardt	....	second electrician

Editorial Department
Jim Finn	....	negative cutter

Music Department
Paul Michael	....	assistant recording engineer

Other crew
Stephen Seymour	....	video

Production Companies

• Domestic Productions

Distributors

• New Line Cinema (1982) (USA) (theatrical)
• Media Home Entertainment (1984) (USA) (TV)
• Blue Underground (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Stomp Visual (2005) (Australia) (DVD)
• First Run Features (USA) (VHS)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

89 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Finland:K-16 | Spain:18 | USA:R | Norway:16 | Australia:M | Canada:G (Quebec) | New Zealand:R16 | Portugal:M/16

Filming Locations:

East Village, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Domestic Productions

Trivia:

One of the first American independent films to be selected for the Cannes Film Festival.

Goofs:

Continuity: Wren's glasses on her head change when Paul asks her for a date.

Movie Connections:

References Nights of Cabiria (1957)

Soundtrack:

Out Of Baby's Reach

excellent film by the director of "desperately seeking susan"

i quite disagree with "dehlia"'s comment, this movie is anything but dull. It is an excellent film that does seemingly document the early new york style of punk/new wave rock and it's main character Wren who is as mentioned on a road to nowhere. The film comes off as a really excellent student feature, and it was the first film by the director of Desperately Seeking Susan and She -Devil. You can definitely see remnants of the Wren character in the character Madonna plays in "susan" and the film doesn't have a big sappy ending which is what makes it so interesting, it starts off like a comedy and then reveals itself as a more serious drama. It reminded me a great deal of the films of the French New Wave. Definitely worth seeing.