Mysterious Skin (2004)

Director:

Gregg Araki

Writers:

Gregg Araki (screenplay)
Scott Heim (novel)

Release Date:

30 March 2005 (France)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

Two boys. One can't remember. The other can't forget.

Plot:

A teenage hustler and a young man obsessed with alien abductions cross paths, together discovering a horrible, liberating truth.

Plot Keywords:

Childhood | Alien | Alien Abduction | Baseball | Eight Year Old

Awards:

6 wins & 6 nominations

Cast

Chase Ellison	...	Neil (Age 8)
George Webster	...	Brian (Age 8)
Rachael Nastassja Kraft	...	Deborah (Age 12) (as Rachael Kraft)
Lisa Long	...	Mrs. Lackey
Chris Mulkey	...	Mr. Lackey
Elisabeth Shue	...	Mrs. McCormick
David Lee Smith	...	Alfred
Bill Sage	...	Coach
Riley McGuire	...	Wendy (Age 11)
Ryan Stenzel	...	Stephen Zepherelli
Joseph Gordon-Levitt	...	Neil
Richard Riehle	...	Charlie
Michelle Trachtenberg	...	Wendy
Brady Corbet	...	Brian
Larry Marko	...	Old Man with Scar
Mary Lynn Rajskub	...	Avalyn Friesen
Clover	...	Patches
Jeffrey Licon	...	Eric (as Jeff Licon)
Bruno Alexander	...	Redneck Hick
Forrest Fountain	...	Jackson
Zane Huett	...	Jackson's Son
Reedy Gibbs	...	Receptionist
David Alan Graf	...	Gay Lumberjack
John Ganun	...	NYC John
Billy Drago	...	Zeke
Kelly Kruger	...	Deborah
Pete Kasper	...	Sedan Driver
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Joan Blair	...	Customer in Yogurt Shop (uncredited)
Trieste Kelly Dunn	...	Date in "Blood Prom" (uncredited)
Gwenne Hudson	...	Baseball Mom (uncredited)

Directed by
Gregg Araki

Writing credits
Gregg Araki		(screenplay)
Scott Heim		(novel)

Produced by
Gregg Araki	....	producer
Wouter Barendrecht	....	executive producer
Beau J. Genot	....	associate producer
Chris Larsen	....	associate producer
Jeffrey Levy-Hinte	....	producer
Hans Ritter	....	co-producer (as Hans C. Ritter)
Hans Ritter	....	line producer (as Hans C. Ritter)
Mary Jane Skalski	....	producer
Michael J. Werner	....	executive producer
Joshua Zeman	....	co-producer

Original Music by
Harold Budd
Robin Guthrie

Cinematography by
Steve Gainer		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Gregg Araki

Casting by
Shannon Makhanian

Production Design by
Devorah Herbert

Art Direction by
Morgan Blackledge		(as Morgan C. Blackledge)

Set Decoration by
Erin Smith		(as Erin K. Smith)

Costume Design by
Alix Hester

Makeup Department
Michelle Rene Elam	....	key hair stylist (as Michelle Elam Torres)
Nicole Le Bris	....	hair stylist: New York
Nicole Le Bris	....	makeup artist: New York
Fleur Morell	....	key makeup artist
Eleanor Sabaduquia	....	assistant makeup artist
Alexis Walker	....	assistant makeup artist

Production Management
Beau J. Genot	....	post-production supervisor
Petra Hoebel	....	production manager: New York
Lisa Looney	....	production supervisor
Per Melita	....	production manager: New York
Hans Ritter	....	unit production manager (as Hans Christian Ritter)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Heather I. Denton	....	second assistant director
Jordan Brendan Finnegan	....	second second assistant director (as Jordan Finnegan)
Gavin Kleintop	....	second second assistant director
W. Alex Korp	....	first assistant director (as Ale Korp)

Art Department
Treven Bedwell	....	property master
Erin Cabeen	....	art department intern
Shannon Cabeen	....	art department intern
Jonathan Dortch	....	assistant property master
Sally Geier	....	art department intern
Rob Henning	....	leadman
Stacy L. Henning	....	swing
Jennifer Ireland	....	art department intern (as Jen Ireland)
Mathew Klickstein	....	on-set dresser
Scott Schutzki	....	swing
Pete Steinke	....	swing
Andrew 'Pinky' Swartsel	....	swing (as A. Corey Swartsel)

Sound Department
Bryan Arenas	....	sound consultant: Dolby
Steven Avila	....	sound effects editor (as Steve Avila)
James Bailey	....	foley artist
Trip Brock	....	supervising sound editor
Bob Fisher	....	boom operator
Heather Fox	....	sound coordinator: post-production
Michael J. Fox	....	adr supervisor (as Mike Fox)
Michael J. Fox	....	foley editor (as Mike Fox)
Eric Hoeschen	....	foley artist
Peter D. Lago	....	first assistant sound editor (as Peter Lago)
Coleman Metts	....	production sound mixer
Peter Oreckinto	....	optical soundtrack: DJ Audio
Jackie Oster	....	dialogue editor
Mark A. Rozett	....	sound re-recording mixer (as Mark Rozett)
Elana Saviolis	....	sound coordinator: post-production
Geordy Sincavage	....	foley mixer
Geordy Sincavage	....	sound effects editor
Melissa Strater	....	sound coordinator: post-production (as Melissa Strater-Brock)
Kelly Vandever	....	sound re-recording mixer
Randolph Saucedo	....	sound recordist (uncredited)

Special Effects by
David Waine	....	special effects coordinator

Visual Effects by
Mark S. Driscoll	....	visual effects supervisor: Look Effects
Henrik Fett	....	visual effects supervisor: Look Effects
Chad Buehler	....	digital compositor (uncredited)

Stunts
Eddie Matthews	....	stunt driver (as Eddie Mathews)
Lou Simon	....	stunt coordinator

Camera and Electrical Department
Sebastián Almeida	....	first assistant camera: New ork (as Sebastian Almeida)
Todd Barron	....	director of photography: second unit
Craig Bauer	....	camera loader
Bernard Cistrunk	....	electrician
Josh Daneshgar	....	grip intern
Matthew Deetsch	....	additional electrician
Mark Evans	....	grip (as Mark E. Evans)
Eric Forand	....	additional grip
Ben Gamble	....	gaffer
Jerry Gregoricka	....	electrician (as Jerry C. Gregoricka)
Joshua Harper	....	additional electrician
Jarrod Heath	....	electrician
Trevor Houghton	....	best boy electric
Milan Janicin	....	second assistant camera (as Milan 'Miki' Janicin)
Todd Kirschner	....	key grip
Jaime R. Mejia	....	additional electrician
Patrick Okamura	....	camera intern
Hernan Otaño	....	director of photography: New York (as Michael Otano)
Omar Pena	....	grip
Marcos V. Perez	....	grip (as Marcos V. Pérez)
Ryan Purvis	....	additional grip
Rocky Romines	....	grip (as Rocky 'Rockman' Romines)
Shereen Saleh	....	first assistant camera
Lacey Terrell	....	still photographer
Victoria Tidmarch	....	additional camera loader
William Todd	....	additional electrician
Carlos Verón	....	gaffer: New York
Bradford Whitaker	....	electrician
Steve Gainer	....	camera operator (uncredited)
Mark McIntire	....	grip (uncredited)

Casting Department
Jennifer Goldstein	....	casting assistant
Katya Lidsky	....	casting assistant (as Katja Lidsky)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Carla Haupt	....	costume intern
Prudence Stein	....	costume intern
Pamela Walt	....	costumer

Editorial Department
Alex Blatt	....	post-production coordinator
Alana Greenfield	....	negative cutter: Viv Kim Negative Cutting
Terry Haggar	....	color timer
Vivian Hengsteler	....	negative cutter: Viv Kim Negative Cutting
Eden Williams	....	negative cutter: Viv Kim Negative Cutting
David Block	....	colorist (uncredited)

Music Department
Jenée DeAngelis	....	music coordinator (as Jenee Clark)
Bradford Ellis	....	score engineer
Bradford Ellis	....	score programmer
Howard Paar	....	music supervisor
Ronald J. Webb	....	music editor (as Ron Webb)
Tracy McKnight	....	executive soundtrack producer (uncredited)

Transportation Department
Jaime Chapparo	....	additional driver (as Jaime Chaparro)
Mac 'Buck' Cook	....	driver
Guy Johnson	....	transportation captain (as Guy 'Bone' Johnson)
Eli Lozano	....	driver (as Eli James Lozano)
Sandra Ninham	....	additional driver
Stephen 'Stevo' Pate	....	transportation coordinator
Marco Ruiz	....	additional driver (as Marco A. Ruiz)
Bobby Weaver	....	driver
Alexander Yurchikov	....	additional driver

Other crew
Jodi Andrade	....	craft service
Nicolas Barclift	....	office production assistant
Luis Brito	....	chef
Carly Brown	....	production coordinator
Louis Caric	....	set production assistant (as Louis A. Caric)
Dave Carlson	....	set production assistant
Martine Charnow	....	production intern
Diana Cheng	....	production intern
James Debbs	....	assistant: Mary Jane Skalski
Rex Dominguez	....	set production assistant
Jonathan Dortch	....	location scout
Colin Elliott	....	production intern
John B. Finn	....	post-production accountant: JFA Inc. (as John Finn)
Debra Fontenot	....	location scout
Susan Gabbay	....	location scout: New York
Jonny Gillette	....	location assistant
Matthew I. Goldberg	....	assistant location manager (as Matthew Goldberg)
Jonathan Gray	....	production counsel: Spinak & Gray
Todd Hall	....	title designer: F-Stop
Janet Harold	....	location scout
Erin Heidenreich	....	sales agent
Katherine Hensley	....	accounting intern
Tony Hill	....	medic
Teresa L. Humphreys	....	payroll services: Axium/Avalon (as Teresa Humphreys)
Jennifer Kennedy	....	location scout
James R. Kerrigan	....	title designer: F-Stop (as Jim Kerrigan)
Maria Kerrigan	....	title designer: F-Stop
Mathew Klickstein	....	location scout
Chris Lum	....	medic
Michael Masarof	....	production assistant: New York
Joe McGraw	....	location scout
Jan McWilliams	....	script supervisor
Ross Miller	....	insurance: DR Reiff & Associates
Naomi Motohashi	....	location manager (as N. Motohashi)
Steve Pawera	....	production accountant
Guillermo Pena-Tapia	....	production assistant: New York (as Guillermo Pena Tapia)
Anthony Pizzarelli	....	medic
Lynn Raines	....	welfare worker
Roy A. Ruiz Jr.	....	security: Independent Security Co. (as Roy Ruiz Jr.)
Robert Spinak	....	production counsel: Spinak & Hray (as Rob Spinak)
Susan J. Spohr	....	customer satisfaction: CFI (as Susan Spohr)
David Witten	....	production intern
Fei Wong	....	additional set production assistant
Ian M. Stratford	....	production counsel (uncredited)

Thanks
Lynn Auerbach	....	special thanks: Sundance Institute
Fenton Bailey	....	special thanks: World of Wonder Productions
Randy Barbato	....	special thanks: World of Wonder Productions
Chris Baugh	....	special thanks
Jonathan Bell	....	special thanks
Andrew Bentler	....	special thanks
Peter Billingsley	....	special thanks
Bill Bishop	....	special thanks
M.B. Boissonault	....	special thanks (as MB Boissonault)
Tom Bronson	....	special thanks: Walt Disney Costumes
Erin Cabeen	....	special thanks
Shannon Cabeen	....	special thanks
Andrew Cannava	....	special thanks
Shirley Clark	....	special thanks
John Cooper	....	special thanks
Mary Corbet	....	extra special thanks
Kathy Doherty	....	special thanks
Cindy Ellison	....	extra special thanks
Patrick Falk	....	special thanks
Neil Fenn	....	special thanks
Tal Fiala	....	special thanks: Keep Me Posted
Hadiya Finley	....	special thanks
Eric Fried	....	special thanks: Technicolor
Dag Gabrielsen	....	special thanks
Alberto Garcia	....	special thanks
Cindi Goretski	....	special thanks (as Cyndi Goretski)
Rachel Goswell	....	special thanks
Zach Grace	....	special thanks: Mean Red Music
Toni Halliday	....	special thanks
Neil Halstead	....	special thanks
Robert Harvey	....	special thanks (as Bob Harvey)
Paulette Hawkins	....	special thanks
Charles Herzfeld	....	special thanks: Technicolor
Amy Hillman	....	extra special thanks
Takeo Hori	....	special thanks
Millie Hsyu	....	special thanks
Marcus Hu	....	special thanks
Melanie Johnson	....	special thanks
Tim Kelly	....	special thanks: Keep Me Posted
Keya Khayatian	....	special thanks
Eunice Lee	....	special thanks
Cookie Lopez	....	special thanks
Tom Lopinski	....	special thanks
Pat Lucas	....	special thanks
Jim Lyons	....	special thanks
Alexander Mayo Williams	....	special thanks
Alec McKinlay	....	special thanks
Tracy McKnight	....	special thanks
Robert Messinger	....	special thanks
David Millman	....	special thanks
Guido Moretti	....	special thanks: Telecine Films
Luz Moretti	....	special thanks: Telecine Films
Suzanne Moss	....	special thanks
Joy Murphy	....	special thanks
Dave Newton	....	special thanks
Michael Papadaki	....	special thanks: CFI (as Mike Papadaki)
Tonya Puerto	....	special thanks
Karyn Rachtman	....	special thanks
Simon Raymonde	....	special thanks
Joe Robbins	....	special thanks
Sigur Rós	....	special thanks (as Sigur Ros)
Michelle Satter	....	special thanks: Sundance Institute
Ben Schoen	....	special thanks: Scarlet Letters
Burt Severy	....	special thanks
Kai Simmons	....	special thanks
Suicidal Tendencies	....	special thanks
Shelley Surpin	....	special thanks
Garrard Whatley	....	special thanks: Rocketworks
Warren Zavala	....	special thanks

Production Companies

• Antidote Films (I) (as Antidote Films) (as Antidote)
• Desperate Pictures
• Fortissimo Films

Distributors

• 1More Film (2005) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Alberto Bitelli Intl. Films (2005) (Brazil) (theatrical)
• Cathay-Keris Films (2005) (Singapore) (theatrical)
• Hopscotch Productions (2005) (Australia) (theatrical)
• Metacinema (2005) (Italy) (theatrical)
• TLA Releasing (2005-????) (USA) (theatrical)
• Tartan Films (2005) (UK) (theatrical)
• Tartan (2005-????) (USA) (theatrical)
• 21st Century Pictures (2006) (Australia) (DVD)
• Alliance Atlantis Vivafilm (2005) (Canada) (DVD)
• I-On New Media (2010) (Germany) (DVD) (Störkanal Edition)
• Notro Films (2005) (Spain) (DVD)
• Palisades Tartan (2009) (UK) (all media)
• Paris Filmes (2005) (Brazil) (all media)
• Strand Releasing (2006) (USA) (DVD)
• SubTV (2007) (Finland) (TV)

Special Effects

• Look Effects (visual effects)

Other Companies

• 4AD  special thanks
• American Humane Association, The  special thanks (as American Humane Association)
• Atari Interactive  registered trademarks used with permission: Asteroids®
• Atari  special thanks
• Axium/Avalon Entertainment Services  payroll services (as Axium/Avalon)
• Cinelease  grip and lighting equipment
• Cinetic Media  sales
• Commotion Records  soundtrack released by
• Consolidated Film Industries (CFI)  dailies (as CFI)
• Consolidated Film Industries (CFI)  special thanks (as CFI)
• D.R. Reiff & Associates  insurance (as DR Reiff & Associates)
• DJ Audio  optical track
• Direct Tools & Fasteners  expendables
• Dischord Records  special thanks
• Dolby Digital  acknowledgement (as Dolby® in Selected Theatres)
• Elektra  special thanks
• Entertainment Post  telecine
• Fujifilm  film stock (as Fuji Film)
• Geffen Records  special thanks (as Geffen)
• Gray Krauss Des Rochers  legal services
• Hollywood Caterers  catering
• Independent Security, Los Angeles  security (as Independent Security Co.)
• J.L. Fisher  camera dollies (as JL Fisher)
• JFA  post-production accounting services
• Keep Me Posted  special thanks
• Kellogg Company  registered trademarks used with permission: Kelloggs® and Variety® Pak
• Mean Red Music  special thanks
• Metamusic Studios  score recording facility (as Metamusic, Los Angeles)
• Ministry  special thanks
• Monkeyland Audio  post-production sound services (as Monkeyland Audio, Inc. Glendale, CA)
• Monkeyland Audio  sound re-recording facility (as Monkeyland Audio, Inc. Glendale, CA)
• Monkeyland Audio  sound re-recording (as Monkeyland Audio, Inc. Glendale, CA)
• Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA)  no. 40631 (as Motion Picture Association of America)
• Out of the Closet Thrift Stores  special thanks (as Out of the Closet)
• Panavision  lenses and cameras (as Panavision Woodland Hills, CA)
• RocketWerks  special thanks (as Rocketworks)
• Scarlet Letters  special thanks
• Smith & Webster-Davis Casting  extras casting
• Spinak & Gray  production counsel
• Summit Cranes  crane service
• Technicolor  special thanks (as Technicolor NY)
• Telecine Films  special thanks
• Viv Kim Negative Cutting Service  negative cutting (as Viv Kim Negative Cutting)
• Walt Disney Studios Costume Department, The  special thanks (as Walt Disney Costumes)
• World of Wonder Productions  special thanks
• f-Stop  titles (as F-Stop, Inc.)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

105 min | USA:107 min (Sundance Channel Library Print)

Country:

USA | Netherlands

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Argentina:13 | Australia:R | Canada:16+ (Quebec) | Ireland:18 | Singapore:R21 | UK:18 | Switzerland:16 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:16 (canton of Vaud) | Sweden:15 | Netherlands:16 | New Zealand:R18 | Brazil:18 | Canada:18A (Manitoba/Ontario) | Canada:R (Alberta/British Columbia) | USA:NC-17 | USA:Unrated (DVD rating) | Italy:VM14 | Germany:18 | Finland:K-18 (TV rating) (2007) (self applied) | Portugal:M/18 (Qualidade) | France:-16

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles County, California, USA

Company:

Antidote Films (I)

Trivia:

Joseph Gordon-Levitt wore blue contacts.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: When he arrives in Brighton Beach on a December night in 1991, Neil is seen noting where the closest subway stop is. The Brighton Beach station sign shows a Q in a yellow circle and a Q in a yellow diamond. But the "Q diamond" train was operating on that line for only a few years starting in the early 2000s. Prior to that, the Brighton Beach stop serviced the "Q circle" and the D trains.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Brian:[narration voice-over] The summer I was 8 years old, five hours disappeared from my life. Five hours. Lost. Gone without a trace.
Brian:[narration voice-over] Last thing I remember I was sitting on the bench at my Little League game. It started to rain. What happened after that remains a pitch black void.

Movie Connections:

References The Wizard of Oz (1939)

Soundtrack:

Away in a Manger

An engrossing and challenging experience

Not since HAPPINESS has such a difficult subject been tackled head on! Without spoiling any of the film, I will just say that I was engrossed in the film, shocked at how far the director was able to go, and heartened by how many issues he was able to raise, and show so many possible effects of what the characters go through. There were so many situations in this film that I had never seen portrayed before, that this proves how much film-makers avoid so many issues.

A familiar, likable cast are taken deep into dark territory. I enjoyed all the performances and believed the characters, even though I had seen all the actors before on TV. The music is just wonderful - from the guy behind The Cocteau Twins - it adds to the dreamlike/nightmarish quality of the film. It's unusual enough to add to the uniqueness of this film - it really is ground-breaking - and Robin Guthrie's music/The Cocteau Twins haven't been used before in movies (though you may have recognised Liz Fraser's vocals in the last Lord of the Rings soundtrack).

This film impressed me the most in 2004 - I hope everyone gets a chance to see it!