Twelve Monkeys (1995)

Director:

Terry Gilliam

Writers (WGA):

Chris Marker (film La Jetée)
David Webb Peoples (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

5 January 1996 (USA)

Genre:

Mystery | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Tagline:

The future is history.

Plot:

In a future world devastated by disease, a convict is sent back in time to gather information about the man-made virus that wiped out most of the human population on the planet.

Plot Keywords:

Virus | Future | Monkey | Mental Institution | 1990s

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 10 wins & 8 nominations

Cast

Joseph Melito	...	Young Cole
Bruce Willis	...	James Cole
Jon Seda	...	Jose
Michael Chance	...	Scarface
Vernon Campbell	...	Tiny
H. Michael Walls	...	Botanist
Bob Adrian	...	Geologist
Simon Jones	...	Zoologist
Carol Florence	...	Astrophysicist
Bill Raymond	...	Microbiologist
Ernest Abuba	...	Engineer
Irma St. Paule	...	Poet
Madeleine Stowe	...	Kathryn Railly
Joey Perillo	...	Detective Franki
Bruce Kirkpatrick	...	Policeman No. 1

Also Known As:

12 Monkeys (USA) (alternative spelling)

MPAA:

Rated R for violence and language.

Runtime:

129 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Rankcolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS-Stereo | DTS | Dolby SR

Certification:

Iceland:14 (original rating) | Iceland:16 (video rating) | Philippines:PG-13 | India:A | Brazil:14 | Italy:VM14 | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:14 (Nova Scotia) | Canada:AA (Ontario) | Canada:PA (Manitoba) | Chile:14 | Finland:K-16 | France:U | Germany:16 (w) | Netherlands:12 | Norway:15 | Portugal:M/12 | Singapore:PG | South Korea:15 | Spain:13 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | USA:R (certificate #34153)

Filming Locations:

Baltimore-Washington International Airport, Maryland, USA

Company:

Universal Pictures

Trivia:

In the 24 hour Hitchcock Theater, Katheryn (Stowe) and James (Willis) are watching Vertigo (1958), then she transforms herself with a blonde wig and James saw her emerge within a red light. The scene perfectly match the scene where Kim Novak transforms herself as a blond and Scottie (Jimmy Stewart) saw her emerge within a green light. It can hear the same score written by Bernard Herrmann. Also Katherine wears the same coat as 'Kim Novak' wearing in the first part of Vertigo.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: In the first surface scene, the bear shot is reversed and, thus, it manages to completely inhale the condensation of its breath.

Quotes:

[first lines]
James Cole: Jose - psst! Jose, what's going on?
Jose: Bad news, man
James Cole: Volunteers?
Jose: Yeah. And they said your name.
[pause]
Jose: Hey, maybe they'll give you a pardon, man.
James Cole: [sarcastic] Yeah, that's why none of the volunteers come back. They all get a pardon.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Saturday Night Live: Alec Baldwin/Tori Amos (#21.11)" (1996)

Soundtrack:

Silent Night, Holy Night

TWELVE MONKEYS (DIDIER BECU)

The big problem is where to begin as this movie needs your attention the forthcoming two hours and you better not miss some minutes for getting a coke as there is a danger you can't follow. But good there is also a pause-button. Bruce Willis must travel into a timemachine to find out some antivirus for a virus that made animals rule over the world in 1996. Thanks to some mistakes he first ends up in 1990, then in the First World War and how messed up it all might look like, Terry Gilliam comes up with what must be one of the most intelligent scripts ever. This ex-Monty Phyton man knows exactly how genius SF-stories has to be told like and his choice of cast couldn't have been any better, there is the lunatic Brad Pitt (his performance in the asylum is memorable) and a superb Bruce Willis who proves he is more than some Schwarzenegger-wanna be. It's a movie you can watch over and over again as the script is so weird and complicated (and yet you can follow) that every view gives you other surprises. One of my big favourites.