Four Rooms (1995)

User Rating:

6.3/10   

Directors:

Allison Anders
Alexandre Rockwell
(more)

Writers (WGA):

Allison Anders (written by) (segment)
Alexandre Rockwell (written by) (segment)
(more)

Release Date:

25 December 1995 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy

Tagline:

Twelve outrageous guests. Four scandalous requests. And one lone bellhop, in his first day on the job, who's in for the wildest New year's Eve of his life.

Plot:

Four interlocking tales that take place in a fading hotel on New Year's Eve.

Plot Keywords:

Hotel | New Year's Eve | Bellhop | Coven | Gangster

Awards:

1 win & 1 nomination

Cast

Sammi Davis	...	Jezebel (segment "The Missing Ingredient")
Amanda De Cadenet	...	Diana (segment "The Missing Ingredient") (as Amanda deCadenet)
Valeria Golino	...	Athena (segment "The Missing Ingredient")
Madonna	...	Elspeth (segment "The Missing Ingredient")
Ione Skye	...	Eva (segment "The Missing Ingredient")
Lili Taylor	...	Raven (segment "The Missing Ingredient")
Alicia Witt	...	Kiva (segment "The Missing Ingredient")
Jennifer Beals	...	Angela (segments "The Wrong Man", "The Man from Hollywood")
David Proval	...	Sigfried (segment "The Wrong Man")
Antonio Banderas	...	Man (segment "The Misbehavers")
Lana McKissack	...	Sarah (segment "The Misbehavers")
Patricia Vonne	...	Corpse (segment "The Misbehavers") (as Patricia Vonne Rodriguez)
Tamlyn Tomita	...	Wife (segment "The Misbehavers")
Danny Verduzco	...	Juancho (segment "The Misbehavers")
Salma Hayek	...	TV Dancing Girl (segment "The Misbehavers")
Paul Calderon	...	Norman (segment "The Man from Hollywood")
Quentin Tarantino	...	Chester (segment "The Man from Hollywood")
Lawrence Bender	...	Long Hair Yuppie Scum
Kathy Griffin	...	Betty
Quinn Thomas Hellerman	...	Baby Bellhop
Marc Lawrence	...	Sam the Bellhop
Unruly Julie McClean	...	Left Redhead
Laura Rush	...	Right Redhead
Paul Skemp	...	Real Theodore
Marisa Tomei	...	Margaret
Tim Roth	...	Ted the Bellhop
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Kimberly Blair	...	Hooker (uncredited)
Russell Vossler	...	(uncredited)
Bruce Willis	...	Leo (segment "The Man from Hollywood") (uncredited)

Directed by
Allison Anders		(segment "Missing Ingredient, The")
Alexandre Rockwell		(segment "Wrong Man, The")
Robert Rodriguez		(segment "Misbehavers, The")
Quentin Tarantino		(segment "Man from Hollywood, The")

Writing credits (WGA)
Allison Anders		(written by) (segment "The Missing Ingredient")
Alexandre Rockwell		(written by) (segment "The Wrong Man")
Robert Rodriguez		(written by) (segment "The Misbehavers")
Quentin Tarantino		(written by) (segment "The Man From Hollywood")

Produced by
Lawrence Bender	....	producer
Paul Hellerman	....	co-producer
Scott Lambert	....	co-producer
Alexandre Rockwell	....	executive producer
Quentin Tarantino	....	executive producer
Heidi Vogel	....	co-producer

Original Music by
Combustible Edison

Cinematography by
Rodrigo García		(director of photography) (segment "The Missing Ingredient") (as Rodrigo Garcia)
Guillermo Navarro		(director of photography) (segment "The Misbehavers")
Phil Parmet		(director of photography) (segment "The Wrong Man")
Andrzej Sekula		(director of photography) (segment "The Man From Hollywood")

Film Editing by
Margaret Goodspeed		(segment "The Missing Ingredient") (as Margie Goodspeed)
Elena Maganini		(segment "The Wrong Man")
Sally Menke		(segment "The Man from Hollywood")
Robert Rodriguez		(segment "The Misbehavers")

Casting by
Russell Gray

Production Design by
Gary Frutkoff

Art Direction by
Mayne Berke		(as Mayne Schuyler Berke)

Set Decoration by
Sara Andrews

Costume Design by
Susan L. Bertram
Mary Claire Hannan

Makeup Department
Christina Bartolucci	....	co-key makeup artist (segment "The Man from Hollywood") (as Cristina Bartolucci)
Toni G	....	assistant makeup artist (segment "The Missing Ingredient") (as Toni G.)
Don Malot	....	assistant hair stylist (segments "The Man from Hollywood", "The Misbehavers")
Don Malot	....	assistant makeup artist (segments "The Man from Hollywood", "The Misbehavers")
Anna Marco	....	key makeup artist/hair: Salma Hayek (segment "The Misbehavers")
Anna Marco	....	makeup artist
Barbara Olvera	....	assistant hair stylist (segment "The Missing Ingredient")
Orlando	....	hair stylist: Madonna
Ermahn Ospina	....	key hair stylist (segments "The Man from Hollywood", "The Misbehavers")
Ermahn Ospina	....	key makeup artist (segments "The Man from Hollywood", "The Misbehavers")
Michael Pachal	....	key hair stylist (segments "The Missing Ingredient", "The Wrong Man") (as Michael Ross)
Pamela Priest	....	hair stylist: Bruce Willis
Paul Starr	....	makeup artist: Madonna
Lizbeth Williamson	....	key makeup artist (segments "The Missing Ingredient", "The Wrong Man")

Production Management
Debbie Hayn-Cass	....	production supervisor (as Deborah Cass)
Paul Hellerman	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Douglas Aarniokoski	....	first assistant director (segments "The Missing Ingredient" and "The Misbehavers")
Fernando Altschul	....	first assistant director (segments "The Wrong Man" and "The Man from Hollywood")
Brian Bettwy	....	second assistant director
Louis Shaw Milito	....	second assistant director

Art Department
James C. Beeson	....	carpenter
Peter Borck	....	lead man
Martin Charles	....	graphic designer
Carlos A. Chavez	....	painter
Adam DeFelice	....	specialty prop fabricator (as Adam deFelice)
T.D. Donnelly	....	stand-by painter
James Michael Drury Jr.	....	on-set carpenter (as James M. Drury Jr.)
Dave Edinger	....	carpenter
Marc Gillson	....	lead painter (as Mark D. Gillson)
Joseph W. Grafmuller	....	swing gang (as Joseph Grafmuller)
Matthew Gratzner	....	specialty prop fabricator
Shari Griffin	....	draper
Shane Hawkins	....	lead carpenter
Steven Ingrassia	....	swing gang
Marisol Jiménez	....	art department coordinator (as Marisol Jimenez)
Andrew King	....	assistant property master
Adam Markey	....	painter (as Adam G. Markey)
Brian Markey	....	construction coordinator
Ray Maxwell	....	construction foreman
Brant McCarthy	....	carpenter (as Brant R. McCarthy)
Mary Patvaldnieks	....	assistant decorator
Mark Peters	....	carpenter
Thomas Power	....	swing gang (as Thomas J. Power)
Lynda Reiss	....	property master
Chris Scher	....	construction estimator
Mark Simpson	....	carpenter (as Mark F. Simpson)
Pedro V. Suchite	....	painter
Randy Tenhaeff	....	swing gang
Floyd Valero	....	carpenter
Francis Whitebloom	....	on-set dresser

Sound Department
Gary Blufer	....	sound effects recordist
Lance Brown	....	sound designer
Vincent Cassaro	....	second assistant sound editor
Tom E. Dahl	....	sound re-recording mixer (as Tom Dahl)
Zack Davis	....	adr editor
Gordon Ecker	....	supervising foley editor
Thom 'Coach' Ehle	....	stereo sound consultant: Dolby
John Michael Fanaris	....	sound effects coordinator
Bruce Fortune	....	supervising sound editor
David Gertz	....	foley mixer
Wayne Heitman	....	sound re-recording mixer
Glenn Hoskinson	....	sound effects editor
Victor Iorillo	....	special sound effects
Victor Iorillo	....	supervising sound editor
Paul Koronkiewicz	....	boom operator
Dawn Kratofil	....	sound effects coordinator
Lee Lemont	....	adr editor
Blake Marion	....	sound effects coordinator
Anthony Milch	....	sound effects editor (as Anthony R. Milch)
Howard Neiman	....	sound effects editor
Jay Nierenberg	....	sound editor
B. Tennyson Sebastian III	....	sound re-recording mixer (segment "The Misbehavers")
Kim Secrist	....	sound effects editor
Becky Sullivan	....	supervising adr editor
Shawn Sykora	....	sound effects editor
Tim Tuchrello	....	first assistant sound editor
Christina Tucker	....	adr mixer
Donald L. Warner Jr.	....	sound effects editor
Pawel Wdowczak	....	production sound mixer
Bernard Weiser	....	sound effects editor

Special Effects by
Christie Sumner	....	special effects assistant (as Christy Sumner)
Shannon J. Thompson	....	special effects assistant (as Shannon Thompson)

Visual Effects by
Bertha Garcia	....	visual effects animator
Bertha Garcia	....	visual effects designer
Joe Gareri	....	visual effects: Pacific Title Digital
Jay Mark Johnson	....	visual effects animator
Jay Mark Johnson	....	visual effects designer
Patrick Phillips	....	visual effects: Pacific Title Digital
Robert Stromberg	....	visual effects: Illusion Arts, Inc.
Paul Taglianetti	....	special effects coordinator: VIFX (segment "The Missing Ingredient")
David S. Williams Jr.	....	visual effects: Illusion Arts, Inc.

Stunts
Charles Belardinelli	....	stunt player
Thomas L. Bellissimo	....	stunt player (as Tom Bellissimo)
Gulshin Gilbert	....	stunt player
Kane Hodder	....	stunt player
Alan Marcus	....	stunt player

Camera and Electrical Department
Bjorn Aarskog	....	second assistant camera: "b" camera (as Bjorn E. Aarskog)
Edgar Arellano	....	best boy electric
Claudette Barius	....	unit still photographer
Elizabeth Bolden	....	grip
Jonathan Brown	....	Steadicam operator (segments "The Misbehavers", "The Wrong Man")
Katherine M. Butler	....	first assistant camera: "b" camera (as Kate Butler)
Jason 'Jake' Cross	....	grip
Marcel DeJure	....	electrician (as Marcel De Jure)
Ziad Doueiri	....	camera operator
Ziad Doueiri	....	first assistant camera
Bob Gorelick	....	Steadicam operator (segment "The Man from Hollywood")
Heather M. Hillmeyer	....	electrician (as Heather Hillmeyer)
James Irons	....	best boy grip (as James B. 'Crash' Irons)
Bob Ivanjack	....	dolly grip
Jason E. Lord	....	electrician (as Jason Lord)
Marc Polanski	....	grip (as Marc Thomas Polanski)
Chuck Smith	....	gaffer
Gregory C. Smith	....	second assistant camera (as Gregory Smith)
Tim Soronen	....	grip (as Tim 'Stuffy' Soronen)
David Stern	....	grip
Rick Stribling	....	key grip

Animation Department
Pam Cooke	....	animator (as Pam Cooke - Weiner)
Chuck Jones	....	creative consultant: animation
Bob Kurtz	....	animator: titles
Gary Mooney	....	animator
Dave Spafford	....	animator
Shane Zalvin	....	animator

Casting Department
Barbara Harris	....	adr voice casting
Randi Hiller	....	casting associate
Jeff Olan	....	extras casting (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Jacqueline Aronson	....	costume supervisor (segments "The Wrong Man", "The Man from Hollywood")
Mynka Draper	....	costumer
Thomas G. Marquez	....	costume supervisor (segments "The Missing Ingredient", "The Misbehavers")

Editorial Department
Bob Allen	....	first assistant editor (segment "The Missing Ingredient")
Erik C. Andersen	....	first assistant editor (segment "The Misbehavers")
Joaquin Gonzalo Avellán	....	apprentice editor (as Joaquin Avellan)
Steven M. Buono	....	second assistant editor (segment "The Wrong Man")
Jeff Ervin	....	assistant editor
Alyson Evans	....	post-production coordinator
Daniel Fort	....	second assistant editor (segment "The Misbehavers") (as Daniel A. Fort)
Johanna Groepl	....	second assistant editor (segment "The Missing Ingredient")
Donald Likovich	....	assistant film editor
Katie Mack	....	second assistant editor (segment "The Man from Hollywood")
Ethan Maniquis	....	apprentice editor
Ray Neapolitan	....	additional assistant editor
Ben Parker	....	post-production assistant
Theresa Repola Mohammed	....	negative cutter
Tatiana S. Riegel	....	first assistant editor (segment "The Man from Hollywood")
Mike Stanwick	....	color timer (as Michael Stanwick)
Jeff Swafford	....	post-production assistant
Debra L. Tennant	....	first assistant editor (segment "The Missing Ingredient")
Dawn Todd	....	post-production coordinator
David Young	....	first assistant editor (segment "The Wrong Man")

Music Department
Kristen Becht	....	music coordinator
Robert Casale	....	music engineer
Liz Cox	....	musician: Combustible Edison (as Miss Lily Banquette)
Michael Cudahy	....	musician: Combustible Edison (as The Millionaire)
Nicholas Cudahy	....	musician: Combustible Edison
Peter Dixon	....	musician: Combustible Edison
Andrew W. Leary	....	executive in charge of soundtracks: Elektra Entertainment (as Andrew Leary)
Mark Mothersbaugh	....	music producer
Denise Okimoto	....	music editor
Aaron Oppenheimer	....	musician: Combustible Edison
Karyn Rachtman	....	music supervisor
Mary Ramos	....	music coordinator

Transportation Department
D. Robert Knight	....	driver
P. Gerald Knight	....	transportation coordinator
Geoff Lancaster	....	driver
Dotti Thompson	....	transportation captain

Other crew
Canard Emile Barnes	....	office production assistant
Sissy Boyd	....	choreographer
Eric Brooks	....	legal: A Band Apart
Patrice Carbaugh	....	medic/stage manager
Cathy Cavadini	....	looping group (as Catherine Cavadini)
Melanie Chapman	....	assistant: Ms. Anders
Vicki Cherkas	....	legal advisor: Miramax
Robert Earl Craft	....	location manager
Tiffanie DeBartolo	....	intern
Maureen Duffy	....	completion guarantee
Judi M. Durand	....	looping group (as Judi Durand)
Greg Finley	....	looping group
Carlos K. Goodman	....	legal: A Band Apart (as Carlos Goodman)
Michael Boyce Harris	....	stand-in
Deborah Hebert	....	production accountant
Doris Hess	....	looping group
Derek Hurd	....	craft service
Patrick Jack Lee	....	production financing
Victoria Lucai	....	assistant: Mr. Tarantino
David McCharen	....	looping group (as David Mccharen)
Courtney McDonnell	....	assistant: Mr. Bender
Brian McMillan	....	animal trainer: McMillan Animal Rentals
Amanda Michener	....	assistant: Mr. Rockwell (as Amanda M. Michener)
Susan Noonan-Gero	....	assistant production coordinator
Kyle Oliver	....	location assistant
Ben Parker	....	set production assistant
Cathy Ragona	....	coordinator: Miramax (as Cathy Agcayab)
David Randolph	....	looping group
Lisa Redding	....	stand-in
Nick Roberts	....	security supervisor: Technical Guard Security
Craig Davis Roth	....	accounting assistant (as Craig Roth)
Charles Sapadin	....	office production assistant
Vernon Scott	....	looping group
Jeff Swafford	....	key office production assistant
Jayne-Ann Tenggren	....	script supervisor
Dawn Todd	....	production coordinator
Jan D. Tys	....	studio teacher
Karen Alicia White	....	set production assistant
Nancy Willen	....	unit publicist
Heidrun M. Williams	....	assistant accountant
Kurt Woolner	....	completion guarantee
Zane	....	post-production accountant
Wayne Fitzgerald	....	title designer (uncredited)
Billy Pittard	....	title designer (uncredited)

Thanks
Stephanie Allain	....	special thanks
Maureen Angelinetta	....	special thanks
Lola Babalon	....	special thanks
Pamela Barish	....	special thanks
Zoe R. Cassavetes	....	special thanks (as Zoe Cassavetes)
Claire Chew	....	special thanks
Chris Connelly	....	special thanks
Roald Dahl	....	special thanks
Leland Faust	....	special thanks (as Leland H. Faust)
Jim Hannafan	....	special thanks (as Jim Hannafin)
Lisa Henson	....	special thanks
Jerry Lewis	....	special thanks
Lawrence Lorre	....	special thanks
Adam Lustig	....	special thanks
Gerald Martinez	....	special thanks
Sean McCleese	....	special thanks
Joel Millner	....	special thanks
Mike Simpson	....	special thanks
Maya Montanez Smukler	....	special thanks
Cindy Jo Stanberry	....	special thanks
Lee Stollman	....	special thanks
Shelley Surpin	....	special thanks
Frank Tashlin	....	special thanks
Eddie Tishkoff	....	special thanks: Hollywood Piano Co.
Jamie Toscas	....	special thanks
Kurt Voss	....	special thanks
Bumble Ward	....	special thanks

Production Companies

• Miramax Films (presents)
• A Band Apart (producer)

Distributors

• Concorde Film (1997) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Finnkino (1996) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Kinowelt Home Entertainment (2005) (Germany) (DVD)
• Laurenfilm (Spain)
• Mainostelevisio (MTV3) (2002) (Finland) (TV)
• Miramax Films (also video)
• Nordisk Film (1996) (Finland) (VHS)
• Nordisk Film (2007) (Finland) (DVD)

Special Effects

• Bellissimo/Belardinelli Effects (special mechanical effects)
• K.N.B. Effects Group (special make-up effects)
• Design & Animation (visual effects by) (as Design And Animation)
• Illusion Arts (visual effects by)
• Pacific Title Digital (visual effects by)
• Hunter/Gratzner Industries

Other Companies

• Agnès B.  special thanks (as Agnes b.)
• Cinelease  grip equipment
• Cristal Roederer Champagne  special thanks (as Champagne Louis Roederer S.A.)
• Dolce & Gabbana  special thanks
• Eastman Film  originated on (as Eastman Color Film)
• Elektra Records  original motion picture soundtrack (as Elektra Compact Discs and Cassettes)
• Emporio Armani  special thanks
• Film & Video Stock Shots  stock footage
• Film Finance  completion guarantor (as Film Finances, Inc.)
• Giorgio Armani  special thanks
• Great Northern/Reiff & Associates  insurance
• Hama Design  special thanks
• Hugo Boss  special thanks
• Ira Senz  wigmaker (as Ira Senz Company)
• J.L. Fisher  camera dollies
• Judy Garland & Associates  travel arrangements and services (as Judy Garland And Associates)
• Kurtz and Friends  animation produced by
• Lichter, Nichols & Grossman  legal: A Band Apart (as Lichter, Grossman & Nichols, Inc.)
• Lowtech  specialty prop fabrication by
• McMillan Animal Rentals  animal training
• Mutato Muzika  music recorded by
• Myman Abel Fineman Fox Greenspan Light  music legal services (as Myman, Abell, Fineman, Greenspan & Rowan)
• Pacific Music Editors  music editing
• Pacific Title  titles and opticals
• Panavision  cameras and lenses provided by (as Panavision Hollywood)
• Pittard Sullivan Fitzgerald  titles designed by
• Playback Technologies  video playback services
• Producer's Library Service  stock footage (as Producers Library Service)
• Rainbow Casting Service  extras casting (as Rainbow Casting)
• S.I.R. Studios  electric equipment provided by
• Silver Screen Caterers  production catering (as Silver Screen Catering)
• SoundStorm  post-production sound
• Technical Guard Security  set security
• The Donna Karan Company  special thanks (as Donna Karan Menswear)
• United Distillers & Vintners  special thanks (as Guinness Distillers)
• United Independent Taxi  special thanks

Also Known As:

Four Rooms and a Hotel (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated R for pervasive strong language, sexuality and some drug use.

Runtime:

98 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Singapore:M18 (re-rating) | Philippines:R-18 | Australia:MA | Denmark:16 | Finland:K-14 | Germany:16 | Iceland:12 | Portugal:M/12 | Singapore:R(A) | Spain:13 | Sweden:11 | UK:18 | USA:R (No. 33973) | South Korea:18 | Canada:14A

Filming Locations:

Chateau Marmont - 8221 Sunset Boulevard, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Miramax Films

Trivia:

Just before Ted rings Betty, a package of Red Apple cigarettes is visible near the switchboard. This fictitious brand of cigarettes features in other Quentin Tarantino films.

Goofs:

Continuity: In "The Wrong Man", Sigfried's bow tie changes from a clip-on to a real bow tie.

Quotes:

Ted the Bellhop: Your dad says he doesn't trust babysitters. Well, can't say I blame him. I had a babysitter myself once...

Movie Connections:

References "Alfred Hitchcock Presents: Man from the South (#5.15)" (1960)

Soundtrack:

Cadillac

Amazing: starts awful, ends brilliant

It's impossible to analyze this film without breaking it down into its four segments for separate comment. It would also be improper, since it was not intended to be anything less than an anthology from four notable independent filmmakers: Alexandre Rockwell, Alison Anders, Robert Rodriguez, and Quentin Tarantino.

The first episode is exactly the sort of thing that someone in a high school drama production would want to do, but can't get away with in a high school drama production. It's juvenile, unfunny, and lifeless, but it has the (pointless) nudity and lines of dialogue like:

Witch #1: "I am your mother."

Witch #2: "Then why are we sleeping together?"

that sound like the screenwriter is giggling and thinking, "I can't believe I'm getting away with this! I'm so clever!"

Nothing is at stake in the first episode; it's generally expected that a story must have conflict in order to BE a story. This has none. Just some half-baked jokes and a pair of topless women (If I wanted that, I'd skip renting a movie and go out instead.)

Second episode is a hair better, but you'll find yourself crying "Why doesn't Ted the Bellboy do [insert plot resolution here] and get the bloody hell out of there!" When it finally does end, you're disheartened to find that it had no reason to exist. Two snips with a pair of scissors, a bit of tape, and we wouldn't know the difference. Roll opening credits, go straight to the Rodriguez segment.

Third episode has some structural support to keep it from caving in on itself. The surprise in the middle (I won't give it away, don't worry) is horrifying enough to give the segment some heft. Rodriguez and his d.p., Guillermo Navarro, move it along dexterously and (as usual) have a good handle on visual comedy.

The last segment is the best. I think it's safe to say that Quentin Tarantino has, officially, never disappointed me as a director or screenwriter. My heart leapt as soon as I heard his trademark dialogue coming from the lips of Marisa Tomei as "Four Rooms" segued from "The Misbehavers" to "The Man From Hollywood." I wasn't sure if his take on Ted the Bellhop's misadventures was going to be any good, but I knew that if he wrote it and helmed it, it wasn't going to be all bad.

What a pleasant surprise (still just talking about the fourth segment here). This part of the movie, with its ridiculous premise (lifted form an old Hitchcock episode, which it acknowledges out loud), moves along speedily, and the actors take to it as naturally as any other movies by Q.T. Basically playing himself, Tarantino is hilarious. If anything, he knows A) how people really act when they're drunk (i.e. not like Dudley Moore caricatures) B) why people think he's so obnoxious, like a real-life, fast-talking Jar Jar Binks and C) how to put some bang in his visual storytelling. It's low-rent Tarantino, don't get me wrong, but it's also the best part of "Four Rooms."

All in all, the first film I've ever seen that starts out with a loathsome, horrifying badness, gets incrementally better with each passing fifteen minutes, and ends as good as one would like. Just don't make me watch it again.