Beat the Devil (2002)

Director:

Tony Scott

Writers:

David Fincher (original concept)
David Carter (written by) ...
(more)

Release Date:

21 November 2002 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Short | Adventure | Comedy

Plot:

Decades ago, the legendary James Brown sold his soul to the devil for fame and fortune. Now he wishes to renegotiate...

Plot Keywords:

Trans Am | The Hire | Firebird | Pontiac

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Clive Owen	...	Driver
Gary Oldman	...	Devil
James Brown	...	Himself (as Mr. James Brown)
Marilyn Manson	...	Himself
Danny Trejo	...	Bob
Tony Wilson	...	Young James Brown
Tomirae Brown	...	Vegas Girl
Judge Bradley	...	Crossroads Doorman

Directed by
Tony Scott

Writing credits
David Fincher		(original concept)
David Carter		(written by) &
Greg Hahn		(written by) &
Vincent Ngo		(written by)

Produced by
Skip Chaisson	....	executive producer: Skip Film
Jules Daly	....	executive producer
David Davies	....	executive producer: Complete Post
Brian DiLorenzo	....	co-executive producer (as Brian Di Lorenzo)
Kimberly Jacobs-Toeg	....	executive producer: Skip Film (as Kimberly Jacobs Toeg)
Teddy 'Knuckles' Knutson	....	associate producer
David Mitchell	....	producer
Ridley Scott	....	executive producer
Tony Scott	....	executive producer
Philip Steuer	....	co-executive producer

Original Music by
Harry Gregson-Williams

Cinematography by
Paul Cameron		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Skip Chaisson

Casting by
Victoria Thomas		(as Vicki Thomas)

Production Design by
Ken Davis

Art Direction by
Shepherd Frankel

Set Decoration by
Cynthia Anne Slagter		(as Cindy Slagter)

Costume Design by
Louise Frogley

Makeup Department
Daniel Erdman	....	key hair stylist
Gina Monaci	....	key makeup artist
Ellen Wong	....	makeup department head
Bridget O'Neill	....	makeup artist (uncredited)

Production Management
Marjie Abrahams	....	executive in charge of production
David Bernstein	....	assistant production supervisor
Nicci Freeman	....	second assistant production supervisor (as Nicole Freeman)
Jessica Garcia	....	production manager
R. Stephan Mohammed	....	production supervisor (as Ralph Mohammed)
Kate Talbott	....	post-production manager
Bob Wendt	....	post-production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Frank Kostenko Jr.	....	second assistant director (as Frank Kostenko)
John Wildermuth	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Mychael Bates	....	property master
Robbie Bolick	....	designer (as Rob Bolick)
Richard 'Rocky' Nichols	....	assistant property master (as Rocky Nichols)
Jessica Samuelson	....	assistant property master
Jorge A. Yazji	....	art department coordinator (uncredited)

Sound Department
Crew Chamberlain	....	sound: Las Vegas
Yvette Garfield	....	boom operator: Los Angeles
Daniel Kent	....	sound: Los Angeles
Marydixie Kirkpatrick	....	boom operator: Las Vegas (as Mary Dixie Kirkpatrick)
David Lai	....	sound designer
Eric Martell	....	sound re-recording mixer: Martell Sound
Kurt Nicholas Forshager	....	supervising sound editor (uncredited)
Daniel Kent	....	sound mixer (uncredited)
Nancy MacLeod	....	sound effects editor (uncredited)
Jeff M. Sliney	....	dialogue editor (uncredited)

Special Effects by
John C. Hartigan	....	special effects coordinator (as John Hartigan)

Visual Effects by
Ron Barr	....	fire artist
Timothy Clark	....	matte painter: visual effects (as Tim Clark)
David Hofflich	....	visual effects executive producer
Bill Laverty	....	chief engineer: visual effects
Emma McGuinness	....	visual effects executive producer
Nathan McGuinness	....	senior visual effects supervisor
Carlos Morales	....	digital compositor
Alex G. Ortoll	....	inferno artist (as Alex Ortoll)
Darcie Tang	....	visual effects producer
Rob Moggach	....	digital compositor (uncredited)

Stunts
Paul Borne	....	stunts
Gilbert B. Combs	....	stunt driver (as Gil Combs)
Cindy Daniels	....	stunts
Kenny Endoso	....	stunts
Corey Michael Eubanks	....	stunt driver (as Corey Eubanks)
Troy Gilbert	....	stunts
Gene Hartline	....	stunt driver
Tommy J. Huff	....	stunts (as Tommy Huff)
Henry Kingi	....	stunts
Bennie Moore	....	stunt driver
Allan Padelford	....	stunts
Chuck Picerni Jr.	....	stunt coordinator
Charlie Picerni	....	stunts (as Charlie Picerni Sr.)
Jimmy N. Roberts	....	stunts (as Jimmy Roberts)
Erik Rondell	....	stunts
Erik Stabenau	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Donald Burghardt	....	first assistant camera: "a" camera (as Don Burghardt)
Ray D. Chase	....	best boy grip (as Ray Chase)
Ian Clampett	....	camera loader (as Ian Clampett)
John J. Ellingwood	....	first assistant camera (as Jack Ellingwood)
Brett F. Gates	....	second assistant camera (as Brett Gates)
Peter Gulla	....	b camera operator
John Hill	....	vtr operator
Steven A. Hughes	....	best boy electric (as Steve Hughes)
Joe Angel Martinez	....	second assistant camera (as Joe Martinez)
David B. Nowell	....	aerial director of photography (as David Nowell)
J. Michael Popovich	....	key grip (as Mike Popovich)
Andrew Rowlands	....	Steadicam operator
Martin Schaer	....	camera operator
Phil Walker	....	gaffer
Steven J. Winslow	....	camera technician: Wescam camera (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Skip Chaisson	....	editor: Skip Film
Beth Dewey	....	digital intermediate producer
Mike DiBenedetto	....	assistant editor
Shane Harris	....	assistant colorist
Eleanor Infante	....	editor: Skip Film
Dan Muscarella	....	color timer
Thatcher Peterson	....	digital color producer
Stefan Sonnenfeld	....	colorist
Jackson Yu	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Meri Gavin	....	music programmer
Harry Gregson-Williams	....	music programmer
David Lai	....	music supervisor
Mel Wesson	....	music programmer
Richard Whitfield	....	music editor
Toby Chu	....	composer: additional music (uncredited)
Mel Wesson	....	music arranger: electronic music (uncredited)

Transportation Department
Derik Hixon	....	transportation coordinator
Roger Wooge	....	driver (uncredited)

Other crew
Chas Allen	....	production assistant
Karolyn Austin	....	script supervisor
Jana Belknap	....	talent/travel supervisor
Lola Belsito	....	project coordinator
Markus Besselle	....	production assistant (as Markus Bessel)
Bruce Bildsten	....	creative consultant: Fallon
David Carter	....	creative consultant: Fallon
Sean Casagrande	....	production assistant
Megan Cotts	....	production assistant
Jason Cox	....	production assistant
Shawn Cox	....	production assistant
Josh Ernstrom	....	production assistant
Mike Estrella	....	production assistant
Adam Feil	....	production assistant
Kevin Flatt	....	creative consultant: Fallon
Bob Graham	....	production assistant
Greg Hahn	....	creative consultant: Fallon
Perez Hinton	....	production assistant
Tyler Jay	....	production assistant
Brett Junod	....	production
David Lubars	....	creative consultant: Fallon
Heather Mathews	....	project coordinator
Tom Moran	....	assistant: Mr. Scott
Rex Morgenstern	....	production assistant
Vicki Oachs	....	executive business manager
Susannah Olch	....	assistant: Mr. Mitchell
Adam Picchietti	....	production assistant
Alan D. Purwin	....	helicopter pilot (as Alan Purwin)
Tom Riddle	....	title designer
Adam Shelby	....	production assistant
Craig Silva	....	production assistant
Joshua Silverman	....	location manager (as Josh Silverman)
Mark Sitley	....	creative consultant: Fallon
Michael Svitak	....	production assistant
Mike Sweetak	....	production assistant
Elke Taylor	....	production assistant
Peter Toumasis	....	assistant: Mr. Scott (as Pete Toumasis)
Marlon 'Goose' Wall	....	caterer
Kelly Williams	....	assistant: Ms. Daly
Jennifer Williamson	....	production assistant
Erin Wilson	....	production assistant
Francis Hadinoto	....	production assistant (uncredited)
Alysa Sun	....	creative consultant (uncredited)

Production Companies

• RSA Films

Distributors

• BMW Films (2002) (worldwide)

Special Effects

• Asylum VFX (visual effects)

Other Companies

• Amber Music  title music
• Company 3  telecine and scanning
• Complete Post Hollywood  2k conforming and laser film recording
• Dick Clark Media Archives  James Brown performance footage provided by
• Executive Assurance  security
• Fallon Worldwide  original concept
• Goldstein & Wood  legal services
• Hall, Dickler, Kent  legal services
• Historic Films  James Brown performance footage provided by
• Jill Heydorff and Associates  craft service
• Loeb & Loeb  legal services
• Martell Sound  recorded at
• Media Ventures  score mixed at
• One World Catering  catering
• Parodi Fair  special thanks
• Reelin in the Years Productions  James Brown performance footage provided by
• Rubenstein Communications  publicist
• Shelly Ward Enterprises  BMW preparation
• Skip Film  title design
• Sully's Crew  security
• Taylor and Taylor  insurance
• Todd-AO Studios  recorded at
• Video Tape Library  James Brown performance footage provided by
• Wildtracks  additional sound design/editorial

Also Known As:

"The Hire: Beat the Devil" - USA (series title)

Runtime:

9 min | USA:11 min (DVD edition)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Company:

RSA Films

Goofs:

Continuity: The race begins in the direction where the cars are driving past the Four Queens starting at the "F" and moving towards the "S". Later in the race as they pass the Four Queens, again, the are driving starting from the "S" and moving towards the "F".

Quotes:

James Brown:Traded the sunrise for the sunset. That's what I did.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Bounty Hunting on Acid: Tony Scott's Visual Style (2006) (V)

Soundtrack:

Kuba Mambo

Weird, bizarre, stylish, funny and intense

When you've got Gary Oldman wearing a red spandex and red lipstick in the role of the devil and James Brown, godfather of soul himself, complaining that the deal he got with the prince of darkness needs to be renegotiated because he's gotten too old to do splits, you know you've divided everyone who hears about it into two clearly marked, separated groups; those who reject it and those who are intrigued. Those that belong in the latter category probably wind up watching this commercial, are once again divided into two groups; those who love it and those who hate it. This is a clear-cut short film; either you love it or you hate it. But that doesn't mean that it's bad... just that it's limited. I don't know exactly why, but I'm thankful it is. Maybe it's because that allowed it to be what it wanted to be, what it had to be. What is that, you ask? Well, bizarre as hell, first of all. But also funny and stylish, not to mention quite intense. The race in the commercial is cool and exciting. The humor is very good... again, limited, but very good if you're into exactly that sort of thing... and I am. To an extent, at least. I laughed out loud at the 'twist' in the end. The editing and cinematography is very stylish, very typically Tony Scott. I liked all of the puns and jokes, both those concerning the devil himself and those concerning James Brown. The acting is good. Clive Owen once again delivers a perfect performance. All in all, just a very weird and bizarre yet entertaining little commercial. I recommend it to any fan of the commercials or any of the actors... and possibly fans of Tony Scott. 8/10