Trivia for
Face/Off (1997) More at IMDbPro »

• The studio wanted John Woo to take the slash out of the title, but he kept it in so people wouldn't think it was a hockey movie.
  
  
• The script as presented to director John Woo was set in the future, but Woo suggested changing the setting to the present to focus on the dramatic and psychological elements of the storyline.
  
  
• The boat chase at the end of the film was originally intended for Hard Target (1993), also directed by John Woo.
  
  
• In The Rock (1996), Nicolas Cage's character says he drives a beige Volvo. After escaping from the prison, Archer (Cage) steals a beige Volvo.
  
  
• Also, In Con Air (1997), the 2nd of the "trilogy," Cameron Poe (Cage) drops the dead body of "Pinball" from the plane, and it falls onto a beige Volvo.
  
  
• The name for the floating prison, Erewhon, is a simple anagram of "nowhere" (originally used as the title of a satirical novel by Samuel Butler in 1872).
  
  
• In Greek mythology, Castor and Pollux (the two brightest stars in the constellation Gemini) were the twin sons of Zeus by Leda. The brothers fought together in the Trojan War (which, of course, was fought in *Troy*). This is not their only connection to Troy, their mother Leda was also the mother of Helen of Troy. Of the Castor and Pollux of mythology, Pollux was immortal and Castor mortal. They were allowed to spend alternating days together between the underworld and Olympus because Zeus took pity on the pair and "gave" Castor half of Pollux's immortality because they could not take the separation of death.
  
  
• The choir in one of the scenes is a non-profit charity choir based in LA.
  
  
• Director Trademark: [John Woo] [guns] Castor Troy's two handguns.
  
  
• Director Trademark: [John Woo] [reflection] Castor Troy reflected in Dr Walsh's glasses.
  
  
• Director Trademark: [John Woo] [back to back banter] Sean vs. Castor with an obstacle between them throwing around a few comments before the "showdown."
  
  
• Director Trademark: [John Woo] [dove] A dove flies by before the final showdown. The final showdown took place at a church, referencing _Dip hyut shueng hung (1989)_ also directed by Woo.
  
  
• When Troy is attacked by the guards at the prison, he dodges behind a box marked "Ingen". That's the company that cloned dinosaurs in Jurassic Park (1993). "Ingen" also means "no one" in Danish, Norwegian and Swedish.
  
  
• Third of three Nicolas Cage action movies in a row to feature a finale in which he is flung through the air involving an explosion (here a speedboat crashing into a beach).
  
  
• The power lever on the Lockheed Jetstar has a JW white and blue inscription, referring to the director John Woo.
  
  
• Originally Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone were in mind to play the lead roles, but when John Woo was brought in to direct, he decided that John Travolta and Nicolas Cage would be more suited to the roles.
  
  
• Erewhon Prison is a reference to Samuel Butler's "Erewhon", about a city in which the protagonist is imprisoned and in which many of the normal rules of society are reversed.
  
  
• The main character is named Sean Archer. Sagittarius the Archer, one of the constellations of the zodiac, is diametrically opposite (half-way around the year from) the constellation Gemini. Castor and Pollox are the two major stars in the constellation Gemini.
  
  
• According to producer Barrie M. Osborne, most of the challenging action scenes, including the fight on the deck of the boat and the airplane going down the runway, were originally planned as green screen shots. But they filmed them practically to support the "realism of story".
  
  
• The ornate box that is opened for Castor Troy on the tarmac contains the following: a bag of blue pills, sunglasses, 3 rolled cigarettes(or joints), a pack of Chiclets, 4 pieces of Bazooka Joe bubble gum, a switchblade, and what appears to be a blue glass vial.
  
  
• Originally, Nicolas Cage turned down the role of Castor Troy, citing a lack of interest in playing a villain. However, once he was told that he would actually be playing the hero for a majority of the film, he quickly signed on.
  
  
• The magnetic boots the prisoners wear in Erewhon prison are the same boots worn by the Goombahs in Super Mario Bros.
  
  
• The scene of Adam listening to "Over the Rainbow" on his portable headphones was John Woo's idea and not part of the original script. Touchstone Pictures refused to finance the extra scene and John Woo had to use his own money to make that happen. He was later paid back as the film turned out to be profitable. (A similar scene can be seen in Woo's Lat sau san taam (1992))
  
  
• Originally written in 1990, the script was first optioned by producer Joel Silver before falling into the lap of Michael Douglas who, the screenwriters fervently hoped, would star in it alongside Harrison Ford. Instead Douglas took over as producer with the roles of cop Sean Archer and villain Castor Troy eventually going to John Travolta and Nicolas Cage respectively.
  
  
• "Over the Rainbow" is performed by Olivia Newton-John, whose most notable film role in Grease (1978) was opposite John Travolta.
  
  

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