Don't Come Knocking (2005)

User Rating:

6.7/10   

Director:

Wim Wenders

Writers (WGA):

Sam Shepard (screenplay)
Sam Shepard (story) ...
(more)

Release Date:

25 August 2005 (Austria)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

Howard Spence (Sam Shepard) has seen better days. Once a big Western movie star, he now drowns his...

Plot Keywords:

Illegitimate Child | Father Son Estrangement | Flat Tire | Butte Montana | Horse Riding

Awards:

1 win & 7 nominations

Cast

James Roday	...	1st AD
Jeffrey Vincent Parise	...	2nd AD (as Jeff Parise)
Majandra Delfino	...	1st Girl
Marieh Delfino	...	2nd Girl
Sam Shepard	...	Howard Spence
George Kennedy	...	Director
Julia Sweeney	...	Producer 2
Tim Matheson	...	Producer 1
James Gammon	...	Old Ranch Hand
Tim Roth	...	Sutter
Robin Twogood	...	Patrolman
Gabriel Mann	...	Earl
Fairuza Balk	...	Amber
Mike Butters	...	Businessman
Sarah Polley	...	Sky
Rita Hutchison	...	Mexican Woman
Marley Shelton	...	Starlet
Eva Marie Saint	...	Howard's Mother
Kurt Fuller	...	Mr. Daily
Tom Farrell	...	Cliff Ormsby (as Tom F. Farrell)
Yuri Elvin	...	Casino Bartender
Rachel Amondson	...	Cocktail Waitress
Jinny Lee Story	...	Drunken Girl (as Jinny Story)
Hugh Aodh O'Brien	...	Security Guard
Raymond O'Connor	...	Elko Policeman - Charlie (as Raymond O'Conner)
Carrie Mae Jones	...	Elko Waitress (as Carrie Jones)
Emy Coligado	...	Desk Clerk
Kristina Lankford	...	Maid
Jessica Lange	...	Doreen
Katie Goodman	...	Waitress - M&M
Rodney A. Grant	...	Wild-Eye
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
David Michie	...	Boxing Video Game Announcer (uncredited)
Diane Polley	...	Sky's Mother (in photograph) (uncredited)
Rockey Whipkey	...	Garbageman (uncredited)

Directed by
Wim Wenders

Writing credits (WGA)
Sam Shepard		(screenplay)
Sam Shepard		(story) &
Wim Wenders		(story)

Produced by
Karsten Brünig	....	producer
Rémi Burah	....	associate producer
Reinhold Elschot	....	associate producer
Frank Graf	....	associate producer
In-Ah Lee	....	producer
Carsten H.W. Lorenz	....	co-producer (as Carsten Lorenz)
Stephan Mallmann	....	associate producer
Peter Nadermann	....	associate producer
Michel Reilhac	....	associate producer
Andreas Schreitmüller	....	associate producer
Peter Schwartzkopff	....	producer
Jeremy Thomas	....	executive producer
Meinolf Zurhorst	....	associate producer

Original Music by
T-Bone Burnett		(as T Bone Burnett)

Cinematography by
Franz Lustig		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Peter Przygodda
Oli Weiss

Casting by
Heidi Levitt

Production Design by
Nathan Amondson

Art Direction by
William Budge
Nicole Lobart

Set Decoration by
David Storm

Costume Design by
Caroline Eselin		(as Caroline Eselin-Schaefer)

Makeup Department
Courtney Buley	....	hair stylist intern
Sam Debree	....	makeup artist (as Fredrich 'Sam' DeBree)
Bonita DeHaven	....	makeup artist: Miss Lange
Barbara Lamelza	....	key makeup artist
David Larson	....	assistant hair stylist
D. Garen Tolkin	....	key hair stylist (as Garen Tolkin)

Production Management
Dominik Bollen	....	post-production supervisor
Samson Mucke	....	unit production manager
Niels Rinke	....	post-production supervisor
Haley Sweet	....	production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Josef Lieck	....	first assistant director
Edward McGurn	....	second assistant director
Josefine Schwartzkopff	....	assistant director department intern
Michael Wenders	....	assistant director department intern

Art Department
Isaac Amondson	....	leadman
Rachel Amondson	....	art department intern
Tony Ballew	....	lead propmaker
Zach Bangma	....	art department assistant
Angel Boyken	....	lead scenic artist
Denise Ciarcia	....	assistant property master
Michael A. Clark	....	construction coordinator (as Mike Clark)
Katherine Craig-Lowe	....	construction office manager (as Kathy Craig-Lowe)
Camden Draeger	....	art department intern
Craig Sherman Hall	....	on-set dresser
Jeff Hill	....	propmaker
Dixie Housel	....	painter
Mary Keele	....	laborer (as Mary K. Keele)
Jeffrey M. O'Brien	....	property master (as Jeffrey O'Brien)
David Van De Veere	....	set dresser
Robb Webber	....	scenic artist

Sound Department
Manfred Arbter	....	dubbing mixer
Michael Baird	....	sound effects editor
Oliver Barth	....	dialogue editor
Michael Fürstenberg	....	technical support: sound
Hubert Henle	....	sound consultant: Dolby
Eric Horstmann	....	audio support
Bostjan Kacicnik	....	dialogue looping editor
Manuel Laval	....	foley editor
Claude Letessier	....	sound designer
Sabrina Naumann	....	additional foley editor
Donald Nelson	....	boom operator (as Don Nelson)
Matthew Nicolay	....	production sound mixer
Mike Stephan Parker	....	assistant foley editor (as Mike Parker)
Carsten Richter	....	foley artist
Walter Spencer	....	supervising sound editor
Marcus Sujata	....	foley recordist
Roman Volkholz	....	assistant foley editor
Alan Freedman	....	adr mixer (uncredited)
Ralph Thiekötter	....	sound dubbing mixer (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Lenny Dalrymple	....	special effects
Steve Dearth	....	special effects (as Steven Dearth)

Visual Effects by
Jan Adamczyk	....	digital compositor
Sacha Bertram	....	visual effects production manager
David Colclasure	....	on-screen boxing game
Alex Klippe	....	Lustre assistant
Teni Noravian	....	compositing artist
Eva Rais	....	opticals
Sandra Roach	....	compositing artist
Dina Saleem	....	compositing artist
Hari Schernthaner	....	Lustre assistant
Benjamin Seide	....	compositing artist
Juri Stanossek	....	visual effects supervisor
Max Stummer	....	tracker/matchmover
Dominik Trimborn	....	visual effects supervisor
Robert Tucker	....	compositing artist
Frank Berbert	....	digital compositor (uncredited)
Paul Dreisen	....	digital compositor (uncredited)
David Laubsch	....	digital compositor (uncredited)
Abraham Schneider	....	digital compositor (uncredited)

Stunts
Stan Barrett	....	falling stuntman #1 (as Stanton Barrett)
Hugh Aodh O'Brien	....	stunt coordinator: Vendover (as Hugh O'Brien)
Casey O'Neill	....	falling stuntman #2
Jesse Shepard	....	stunt double: Sam Shepard

Camera and Electrical Department
Prarthna Arias	....	video assist operator
Nick Arnds	....	best boy grip
Douglas Arnold	....	electrician (as Douglas A. Arnold)
Tim K. Bench	....	electrician (as Tim Bench)
Jeremy Brodbeck	....	camera intern
Bobby Brown	....	additional first assistant camera
Robert Bryan	....	electrician
Michael Cruickshank	....	second assistant camera
James Elton Davis	....	chief lighting technician
Kenny Davis	....	dolly grip
Kia Dawson	....	camera loader
Bego Gerhart	....	electrician (as Bego Gephart)
Christopher Glasgow	....	company grip (as Chris Glasgow)
Tyler Greco	....	electrician
Randal Grimm	....	company grip (as Randall Grimm)
Josh Gundling	....	camera loader (as Josh Gunling Williamson)
Krist Hager	....	electrician
David Hammett	....	technician: techno crane (as Dave Hammer)
Jeff Hill	....	electrician
Jose H. Huete	....	electrician (as Jose Huete)
Bengt Jonsson	....	camera operator
Glenn Kaplan	....	additional first assistant camera (as Glen Kaplan)
Michael Kelly	....	company electrician
Thomas Lembcke	....	key grip (as Thomas Lembeke)
Jay Levy	....	first assistant camera
Tom Lohmann	....	Steadicam operator (as Thomas Hill Lohmann)
Jason McKnight	....	company electrician
Chris Milani	....	best boy electric
Kory Mills	....	electrician
Loren Nebeker	....	24 frame video operator
Brian O'Grady	....	electrician
Timothy Reynolds	....	electrician
Maromo Richmond	....	electrician
Robert F. Schumacher	....	electrician (as Robert Schumacher)
John Schweitzer	....	electrician (as John P. Schweitzer)
H. Chris Sorensen	....	electrician
Chaz Taylor	....	company grip
Lania Thomas	....	electrician
James 'Biff' Thomsen	....	company electrician
Dave Thurlow	....	company electrician (as David Thurlow)
Terry Tischmak	....	electrician
Nicola Marsh	....	assistant camera: second unit (uncredited)

Casting Department
Tina Buckingham	....	extras casting
Tina Buckingham	....	local casting
Laura Corrin	....	casting associate
Barbara Harris	....	adr voice casting
Nicola Marsh	....	extras casting coordinator (as Nicola B. Marsh)
Michele Short	....	casting associate

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Shirley Kurata	....	costumer
Cathy Smith	....	set costumer (as Cathy A. Smith)
Jennifer Day Young	....	costume supervisor
Amy Jean Roberts	....	costumer (uncredited)
Jennifer Jesse Smith	....	costumer (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Veronika Auer	....	negative cutter
Rebekka Garrido	....	post-production assistant
Philipp Großmann	....	assistant editor: avid (as Philipp Grebmann)
Jochen Hermann	....	assistant editor: avid
Charly Huser	....	color timer
Florian Martin	....	supervising digital colorist (as Florian 'Utsi' Martin)
Gunnar Refardt	....	assistant editor: avid
Carola Schimpf	....	post-production assistant
Bille Stellbrink	....	post-production assistant

Music Department
Paul Ackling	....	music technical support
Carla Azar	....	musician: drums
Jay Bellerose	....	musician: drums
Fernand Bos	....	supervising music editor
Stephen Bruton	....	musician: manaicello
T-Bone Burnett	....	executive music producer (as T Bone Burnett)
T-Bone Burnett	....	musician: guitar (as T Bone Burnett)
Daphne Chen	....	musician: violin
Keefus Ciancia	....	musician: keyboards
Armando Compean	....	musician: bass
Dennis Crouch	....	musician: bass
J.D. Foster	....	additional music production (as JD Foster)
Tony Gilkyson	....	musician: guitar
Leah Katz	....	musician: viola
Jim Kellner	....	musician: drums
Emile Kelman	....	assistant score engineer
Emile Kelman	....	music technical support
Emile Kelman	....	musician: cello
David Klotz	....	music editor (as Dave Klotz)
Curtis Laur	....	music technical support
Debra MacCulloch	....	music clearance: King, Holmes, Paterno & Berliner
Mike Piersante	....	score engineer
Mike Piersante	....	score mixer
Marc Ribot	....	musician: guitar
Ivy Skoff	....	music production manager
Walter Spencer	....	composer: additional music
Lisa Surber	....	music production assistant
Andy Taub	....	additional score engineer
Patrick Warren	....	composer: additional music
Patrick Warren	....	musician: keyboards
Patrick Warren	....	musician: pump organ
Jason Wormer	....	assistant score engineer
Jason Wormer	....	music editor: ProTools

Transportation Department
Bart Allsup	....	driver: wrangler
George Bolton	....	transportation captain
Sandra Dickson	....	transportation secretary (as Sandy Dickson)
Rodrigo Dorame	....	driver
Wayne Flowers Jr.	....	driver: honeywagon (as Wayne Flowers)
John Hagner	....	driver
Kit Hendrickson	....	driver (as Kit R. Hendrickson)
Philip Krysl	....	driver
Rita Lundin	....	driver
K.C. Peterson	....	driver
Mike Russell	....	driver
Abiff Salcedo	....	driver
Tom Selman	....	driver
Andrea Simon	....	driver
Mario Simon	....	transportation coordinator
Maritra Simon	....	transportation production assistant
Joseph Sparks	....	driver: grip
Jimmie K. Turner	....	driver (as Jimmy Turner)
Robin Twogood	....	driver
Raymond Van Holtan	....	driver (as Ray Van Holten)
Sean Walby	....	driver
Mike Welch	....	driver
John M. Woodward	....	transportation co-captain (as John Woodward)

Other crew
Tobin Adams	....	production coordinator
Luis Ambris	....	craft service (as Luis Ambriz)
Amber Brown	....	production assistant: Elko
Nicola Campiotti	....	intern
Norma Damköhler	....	assistant: Darius Ghanai
Shona Donaldson	....	intern
Dominique During	....	intern
Yuri Elvin	....	set production assistant
Simon Guy Fässler	....	intern (as Simon Guy Faessler)
Darius Ghanai	....	title designer
Renée Gundelach	....	production consultant
Arturo Guzman	....	set production assistant
Steve Hanna	....	wrangler (as Steve J. Hanna)
Solveig Hellriegel	....	assistant: Peter Schwartzkopff
Nicholas Irwin	....	first assistant accountant (as Nick Irwin)
Carrie Mae Jones	....	second assistant accountant (as Carrie Jones)
Anna Jürges	....	assistant to producers
Connie Kenney	....	location liaison: Butte
Sophie Alexandra Kluge	....	script intern (as Sophia Kluge)
Jerry Koch	....	set medic: Montana
Ashley Kravitz	....	script clearance
Dashiel Kulander	....	production assistant: Moab
Florence Larsonneur	....	business affairs: Hanway Films
Moritz Laube	....	intern
Soo-Yun Lee	....	office production assistant: Los Angeles
Richard Lospado	....	production assistant: Elko
David B. Lyons	....	assistant location manager
Richard Mansell	....	business affairs: Hanway Films
Douglas McKay	....	production consultant
Shaun McNally	....	production coordinator
Sylvie Michel-Casey	....	script supervisor
Valerie Mitchell	....	set medic: Utah & Nevada
Lee Moran	....	assistant chef: Gourmet Girls
Karl Objartel	....	production accountant
Alicyn Packard	....	office production assistant
Caitlin Pashalek	....	production secretary: Butte
Andy Potash	....	assistant to producers
Danny Reyes	....	intern
Dave Rodgers	....	wrangler trainee
Sylvia Rostron	....	chef: Gourmet Girls
Friederike Rückert	....	intern (as Friederike Rueckeret)
Max Sacker	....	intern
David Sanders	....	stand-in
Nate Sartain	....	assistant craft service
Jack Scanlon	....	helicopter pilot (as Jack T. Scanlon)
Peter Schwartzkopff	....	presenter
Traceigh Scottel	....	production coordinator
Nicolas Semak	....	intern
Barbara-Ann Stein	....	production accountant
Jinny Lee Story	....	stand-in (as Jinny Story)
Lisa Taylor	....	production assistant: Moab
Stan Umamoto	....	payroll accountant
Craig Vegas	....	key set production assistant (as Craig Vegas Glenn)
Eva Von Malotky	....	assistant: Wim Wenders
Trudy Waldo	....	chef: Gourmet Girls
Dennis Williams	....	location manager
Sarah Wolfe	....	production assistant: Butte
Adam C. Woods	....	office production assistant
Paul J. Memmi	....	translator (uncredited)

Thanks
Florence Larsonneur	....	special thanks

Production Companies

• EuroArts Medien AG
• Filmförderung Hamburg
• HanWay Films
• Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg
• Network Movie Film-und Fernsehproduktion
• Recorded Picture Company (RPC)
• Reverse Angle International
• Reverse Angle Pictures GmbH (II)[de]
• Road Movies Filmproduktion
• arte France Cinéma

Distributors

• Reverse Angle Pictures GmbH (II)[de] (2005) (Germany) (all media)
• A-Film Distribution (2005) (Belgium) (theatrical)
• A-Film Distribution (2005) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• A-Film Home Entertainment (2006) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Alfa Films (2006) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• Best Hollywood (2005) (Hungary) (TV)
• Cathay-Keris Films (2006) (Singapore) (theatrical)
• Cinema Mondo (2006) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Dolmen Home Video (2006) (Italy) (DVD)
• Hollywood Classic Entertainment (2005) (Czech Republic) (theatrical)
• Kinowelt Home Entertainment (2006) (Germany) (DVD)
• Klock Worx Company, The (2006) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Mikado Film (2005) (Italy) (all media)
• Mongrel Media (2005) (Canada) (theatrical)
• Movie Bank (2006) (Netherlands) (DVD) (rental)
• Movie Plus (2008) (Japan) (TV)
• Myndform (2005) (Iceland) (all media)
• Océan Films (2005) (France) (all media)
• Odeon S.A. (2005) (Cyprus) (all media)
• Pan Vision Oy (2006) (Finland) (DVD)
• Paradise Group (2005) (Russia) (all media)
• Rentrak Japan K.K. (2006) (Japan) (DVD)
• Sony Pictures Classics (2006) (USA) (theatrical)
• Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) (2005) (USA) (all media)
• Sony Pictures (2005) (Australia) (all media) (Australia)
• Triangelfilm (2005) (Sweden) (all media)
• Umut Sanat (2005) (Turkey) (all media)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (2005) (Switzerland) (theatrical)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (2005) (Germany) (theatrical) (co-distributor)

Other Companies

• Blue Note Records  courtesy: Cassandra Williams
• Dangerous Music  additional recording
• Electromagnetic Studio  additional recording (as- Electro Magnetic Studio)
• Elektrofilm  post-production facilities
• Falco Ink.  unit publicity
• Gourmet Girls  catering
• King, Holmes, Paterno & Berliner  music clearances
• New West Records  courtesy: Stephan Bruton
• Redman Movies and Stories  camera equipment provided by
• Redman Movies and Stories  insert car
• Sonic Magic  adr recording
• Village Recorder, The  recorded and mixed at (as The Village Recorders)

MPAA:

Rated R for language and brief nudity.

Runtime:

122 min | 113 min (theatrical version)

Country:

France | Germany | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Netherlands:AL | Switzerland:12 (canton of Vaud) | Switzerland:12 (canton of Geneva) | Singapore:NC-16 | UK:15 | Finland:K-3 | Ireland:15A | Sweden:7 | Brazil:14 | Australia:M | Argentina:13 | South Korea:15 | Portugal:M/12 (Qualidade) | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Arches National Park, Moab, Utah, USA

Company:

EuroArts Medien AG

Trivia:

According to the director's DVD commentary, the casinos in Elko were "too crummy" for shooting. The casino scene was shot instead in the Peppermill and Rainbow casinos at Wendover, Nevada.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When Sky is first seen driving her truck, the gear shift is clearly in "Park".

Quotes:

Howard Spence: Mind if I turn the radio on?
Sutter: Yes, I do, as a matter of fact. I don't like outside influence.
Howard Spence: Outside?
Sutter: That's right. The world at large. It's a nasty place. Why allow it in? Livestalk reports, Navajo chanting, beheadings, bestiality. Nothing's changed. Black Death, the Inquisition, the Crusades, conquest of Mexico. What's changed?
Howard Spence: I was thinking...
Sutter: What?
Howard Spence: I don't know.
Sutter: Nothing's changed.
Howard Spence: Guess not.

Movie Connections:

References High Noon (1952)

Soundtrack:

Strike a Match

Hard Not to Knock It

I really wanted to like Don't Come Knocking. It's a contemporary Western by famed German director Wim Wenders, written by Pulitzer-Prize winner (and stud actor) Sam Sheppard, and including in the cast Sam's main squeeze (and my first crush) Jessica Lange. With these credentials, I would have bet that Don't Come Knocking would have been in my Top 5 at Sundance this year.

Not even close.

Here's my #1 criterion for judging a movie: Did I care about the characters? Love 'em or hate 'em, either one is OK, they just have to mean enough to me to care about what happens to them. And unfortunately, I didn't care two hoots about Howard Spence (Sheppard), the washed-up Western actor who tries to escape his past of hard living and general selfishness. I didn't even care about Doreen (Lange), a former girlfriend from a movie shot in Butte, Montana. And I certainly didn't care about Earl (Gabriel Mann), Doreen's son, no matter how over-the-top obnoxious his behavior. Maybe I did care for Sky, the Butte native played by the remarkable Sarah Polley, who was clearly the most likable and the only truly compelling character in the movie. And Tim Roth's portrayal of the studio bond man was interesting at least.

But beyond character development, this movie just didn't have any direction, suffering from the thinnest of story lines and a pace that often needed a quick kick from Howard Spence's spurs. It does feature some interesting locations and beautiful southern Utah landscapes. But that's not why we go to movies.

Wenders and Sheppard go back to their collaboration on Paris, Texas in 1984, and they spoke very fondly of each other during the Q&A. They collaborated on the story over a period of years and have looked for a chance to work together again. I wish they would have produced something better.

Interesting Tidbit from the Q&A: Sheppard's son Jesse is an expert horseman and did his father's riding stunts for the movie. Sam Sheppard also rides well, but his contract limited his riding to a trot.

Second Interesting Tidbit: Wenders has wanted to shoot a film in Butte for twenty years, since his first visit there, and was concerned that someone else would film there before him.