Arizona Dream (1992)

Director:

Emir Kusturica

Writers:

David Atkins (story) &
Emir Kusturica (story) ...
(more)

Release Date:

9 September 1994 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Fantasy | Romance

Tagline:

A rebellious young man. With his own vision of the future. And his own fantasy of love.

Plot:

An Innuit hunter races his sled home with a fresh-caught halibut. This fish pervades the entire film...

Plot Keywords:

Turtle | Halibut | Accordion | Broom | Flying Fish

Awards:

3 wins & 1 nomination

Cast

Johnny Depp	...	Axel Blackmar
Jerry Lewis	...	Leo Sweetie
Faye Dunaway	...	Elaine Stalker
Lili Taylor	...	Grace Stalker
Vincent Gallo	...	Paul Leger
Paulina Porizkova	...	Millie
Michael J. Pollard	...	Fabian
Candyce Mason	...	Blanche
Alexia Rane	...	Angie
Polly Noonan	...	Betty
Ann Schulman	...	Carla
James R. Wilson	...	Lawyer
Erik Polczwartek	...	Man with Door
Kim Keo	...	Mechanical Doll
Patricia O'Grady	...	MC / Announcer
James P. Morrison	...	Boatman
Vincent Tocktoo	...	Eskimo Man
Santos Romero	...	Mariachi Band Member
David Rodriquez	...	Mariachi Band Member
Juan Urrea	...	Mariachi Band Member
José Luis Ávila	...	Mariachi Band Member
Sergio Hlarmendaris	...	Mariachi Band Member
Frank Turley	...	Mariachi Band Member
Manuel Rodríguez	...	Mariachi Band Member
Cayetano Acosta	...	Mariachi Band Member
Manuel Ruiz	...	Mariachi Band Member
Narcisco Domínguez	...	Mariachi Band Member
Benjamin S. Gonzales	...	Mariachi Band Member
Serafino Flores	...	Mariachi Band Member
Miguel Moreno	...	Mariachi Band Member
Raphael Salcido	...	Mariachi Band Member
Chanaia Rodriguez	...	Mariachi Band Member
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Jackson Douglas Fisher	...	Priest (uncredited)
Tricia Leigh Fisher	...	Lindy (uncredited)
Sal Jenco	...	Man at Phone (uncredited)
Emir Kusturica	...	Man in Bar (uncredited)

Directed by
Emir Kusturica

Writing credits
David Atkins		(story) &
Emir Kusturica		(story)
David Atkins		(screenplay)

Produced by
Richard Brick	....	co-producer
Paul R. Gurian	....	executive producer
Yves Marmion	....	producer
Claudie Ossard	....	producer

Original Music by
Goran Bregovic

Cinematography by
Vilko Filac

Film Editing by
Andrija Zafranovic

Casting by
Pennie DuPont

Production Design by
Miljen Kreka Kljakovic

Art Direction by
Jan Pascale

Set Decoration by
Jan Pascale

Costume Design by
Jill M. Ohanneson

Makeup Department
Karoly Balazs	....	makeup artist
Deborah Ann Piper	....	hair stylist
Patty York	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Charles Darby	....	unit manager
Buddy Enright	....	unit manager: Alaska/Colorado
Svetlana Novak	....	post-production supervisor
Jay Sedrish	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
K.C. Hodenfield	....	second assistant director
Sergio Mimica-Gezzan	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Christy Addis	....	set dresser
Jeff Butcher	....	property master: New York
Tom Conway	....	set dresser
Louise Del Araujo	....	lead
Curtis Gutierrez	....	set dresser
Gary Kosko	....	assistant art director
Byron K. Lovelace	....	set dresser
Elaine O'Donnell	....	set decorator: New York
Erik Polczwartek	....	on-set dresser
Chris Santini	....	construction foreman (uncredited)

Sound Department
Vincent Arnardi	....	sound re-recording mixer
Gérard Hardy	....	sound editor
Jean-Pierre Lelong	....	foley artist
Fred Mays	....	post-synchronization
Corinne Rozenberg	....	assistant sound editor
Corinne Rozenberg	....	sound editor
Jim Stuebe	....	sound mixer

Special Effects by
Johnny Borgese	....	special effects
Ken Estes	....	special effects coordinator
Greg Landerer	....	special effects
Ron Petruccione	....	special effects

Visual Effects by
Max W. Anderson	....	visual effects supervisor
Max W. Anderson	....	visual effects
Martin Body	....	rostrum cameraman
Nicholas Brooks	....	visual effects
Pete Hanson	....	studio manager: CFC
Kent Houston	....	visual effects supervisor
John Swinnerton	....	motion control cameraman
Mark Nelmes	....	digital visual effects supervisor (uncredited)

Stunts
Adam Brown	....	safety diver
Ron Petruccione	....	stunts
Peter Rocca	....	stunt double: Johnny Depp

Camera and Electrical Department
Patric J. Abaravich	....	lighting technician
Mitchell Amundsen	....	camera operator: Alaska and Colorado (as Mitch Amundson)
John Armstrong	....	generator operator
Bob Becchio	....	second assistant camera
Nathalie Eno	....	still photographer
Suzanne Hanover	....	still photographer
Ric Urbauer	....	crane grip

Casting Department
Debby Corper	....	casting assistant

Editorial Department
Urszula Lesiak	....	first assistant editor
Yvan Lucas	....	color timer
Michael Philip	....	first assistant editor
Marypat Plottner	....	synching editor

Music Department
Srdjan Kurpjel	....	music arranger

Transportation Department
Chris Gallegos	....	driver
Brita McCollough	....	driver
Jim Petti	....	transportation captain
Marty Radcliff	....	driver

Other crew
Al Cerullo	....	helicopter pilot
Debby Corper	....	assistant to director
Dawn Darfus	....	production accountant: Arizona/New York
Tad Driscoll	....	production accountant
Buddy Enright	....	location manager: Alaska/Colorado
Toya Hankins	....	production assistant
Lynn Harris	....	script supervisor
Chiemi Karasawa	....	assistant to director
Marie-Christine Malbert	....	unit publicist
Annie Saunders	....	production coordinator
Lenny Speregen	....	marine coordinator
Steven C. Ward	....	assistant production coordinator

Thanks
Tomislav Novakovic	....	special thanks
Jonathan Weisgal	....	special thanks

Production Companies

• Canal+
• Constellation
• Hachette Première
• Union Générale Cinématographique (UGC)

Distributors

• Warner Bros (1994) (USA) (theatrical)
• Finnkino (1994) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Union Générale Cinématographique (UGC) (1993) (France) (theatrical)
• Electric (1995) (UK) (theatrical)
• Warner Home Video (1995) (USA) (VHS)
• Finnkino (1997) (Finland) (VHS)
• Nelonen (1999) (Finland) (TV)
• Twister Digital Video (2002) (Russia) (DVD)
• Sandrew Metronome Distribution (2005) (Finland) (DVD)
• Universal Pictures Benelux (2007) (Netherlands) (DVD) (HD-DVD)
• Yleisradio (YLE) (2007) (Finland) (TV) (TV1)
• Asociace Ceských Filmových Klubu (ACFK) (Czech Republic)
• Budapest Film (Hungary)
• Cannes Home Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)
• Front Row Filmed Entertainment (2008) (United Arab Emirates) (DVD) (Middle East)
• TriPictures (Spain)
• Warner Home Video (2010) (USA) (DVD) (DVD-R)

Special Effects

• Computer Film Company, The (CFC) (digital compositing)

Other Companies

• Albert G. Ruben and Company  insurance

Also Known As:

MPAA:

Rated R for language and sexuality

Runtime:

142 min | 119 min (DVD)

Country:

USA | France

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby | LC-Concept Digital Sound | Dolby SR

Certification:

Finland:K-16 | France:U | Germany:12 | Spain:18 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | USA:R | Iceland:12 | Australia:M | Portugal:M/12 (Qualidade)

Filming Locations:

Douglas, Arizona, USA

Company:

Canal+

Trivia:

The backing music used in the 'dinner party' scene between Axel (Depp), Paul, Elaine and Grace is a piece by jazz musician Django Reinhardt. The same piece was used in the 'river dance' scene in Chocolat (2000), where it is performed on guitar by Johnny Depp.

Quotes:

Axel Blackmar:I wasn't falling in love, because I never felt any weight, because I was flying in love for the first time in my life.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Oi treis harites: Evdomi tehni: Part 2" (????)

Soundtrack:

Yo no me caso compadre

Sexy, faultless European masterpiece.

Having seen this movie, I felt rather strange. This bubbly feeling in my gut kept me up in the night. I felt I had to do something for this film, confess my love in a letter, send it flowers, buy it Champagne. It left me gasping. I wanted more. So the rest of the night I watched the special features on the DVD.

I realise that it is sad to have emotions about a film that would usually be reserved for living beings, however I am completely unashamed. If this movie was a man, I'd do unspeakable things to it. I don't care what it's "about". I don't give a monkey's about any "plot" that it may or may not have. I have not searched for anything that everybody conditioned to Hollywood films, however good or bad they may be, inevitably searches for in a film. Why do you need to be spoonfed? Can you not just completely let go and enjoy a work of art for its mere beauty?

Sorry, journeying into pretentious land.

This is undoubtedly my absolute favourite Johnny Depp film, it used to be a toss up between Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas and Dead Man, but I admit that this surpasses them by a fraction. I'd actually like to say that I preferred Dead Man, but I, um, didn't. Sorry. I feel I have cheated on Dead Man.

There are certain scenes in Arizona Dream that show things about Johnny Depp as a performer that I never would have suspected. In this film he stepped into a realm shared by characters in the films of Fellini and Brunuel. It pleases me that he can do art house as fantastically as this and do mainstream as well, although I do not entirely approve of the stuff that is too mainstream (I.E. Pirates).

His character is beautifully complex, he is a kook, but a sexy kook, and he is everything else besides. The other performances are also wonderful. Gallo is a nutcase, Taylor needs therapy, Dunaway is at the same time tyrannical and naive. Sure the characters contradict themselves, but don't we? It just keeps it all the more desirable and fascinating.

For anybody who appreciates surrealist art, this is a must see. For anybody who appreciates Johnny Depp, there is no question that this film is absolutely essential.