Rock the Kasbah (2015)

Popularity:

Down 16% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.

Director:

Barry Levinson

Writer:

Mitch Glazer (screenplay)

Release Date:

23 October 2015 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Music | War

Tagline:

Opportunity rocks when you least expect it.

Plot:

A down-on-his-luck music manager discovers a teenage girl with an extraordinary voice while on a music tour in Afghanistan and takes her to Kabul to compete on the popular television show, Afghan Star. |

Plot Keywords:

Afghanistan | Television Show | Music Tour | Teenage Girl | Music Manager

Cast

Bill Murray	...	Richie Lanz
Bruce Willis	...	Bombay Brian
Kate Hudson	...	Merci
Zooey Deschanel	...	Ronnie
Leem Lubany	...	Salima
Arian Moayed	...	Riza
Scott Caan	...	Jake
Danny McBride	...	Nick
Fahim Fazli	...	Tariq
Beejan Land	...	Daoud (as Beehan Land)
Sameer Ali Khan	...	Azam Ghol
Jonas Khan	...	Nizar
Husam Chadat	...	Nasim
Taylor Kinney	...	Private Barnes
Megan Raich	...	Brittany
Sarah Baker	...	Maureen
Glenn Fleshler	...	Army Warrant Officer
Avery Phillips	...	Dree
Fatim Zahra El Hassani	...	10-year-old Afghan Girl
Hassan Bouayad	...	US Army Soldier #1
Sébastien Collineau	...	US Army Soldier #2
Hamdane Mohamed Habib	...	Afghan Police Man
Benamara Azeddine	...	Walrus Mustached Mercenary
Mohamed Boussalem	...	Militia #1 (as Mohamed Bousalem)
Mansour Badri	...	Militia #2
Kamel Kenzo	...	Muscle Car Driver Shir (as Kamal Kenzo)
Yassir Semlali	...	Boy #1
Mehdi Kachaoui	...	Boy #2
Oussama Kadir	...	Boy #3
Touami Noureddine	...	Afghan Star Guard
Mouhcine Malzi	...	Afghan Star Technician (as Mohcine Malzi)
Nour El Idrissi	...	Contestant #1
Moutamassik Mohamed	...	Ice Cream Shop Man
Hamid Najah	...	Mandayi Market Merchant
Mustapha Makhada	...	Azam's Driver Jawad
Abdellatif Chaouqi	...	Pashtun Rider
Souad Belamlih	...	Salima's Mother
Kelly Lynch	...	Sylvia
Eugenia Kuzmina	...	Gulla
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Benjamin Hicquel	...	Mercenary (uncredited)

Directed by
Barry Levinson

Writing credits
Mitch Glazer		(screenplay)

Produced by
Ahmed Abounouom	....	line producer: Morocco (as Jimmy Abounououm)
Steve Bing	....	producer
Bill Block	....	producer
Tom Freston	....	executive producer
Elissa Friedman	....	associate producer
Mitch Glazer	....	producer
Brian Grazer	....	executive producer
Gelareh Kiazand	....	producer: Afghan unit
Peter Lawson	....	executive producer
Anton Lessine	....	executive producer
Kris Moran	....	associate producer
Tom Ortenberg	....	executive producer
Jacob Pechenik	....	producer
Iakovina Petsenikakis	....	executive producer
Iakovos Petsenikakis	....	executive producer
Roxie Rodriguez	....	associate producer
Sasha Shapiro	....	executive producer
Ethan Smith	....	producer
Jason Sosnoff	....	co-executive producer
Marsha L. Swinton	....	executive producer (as Marsha Swinton)

Original Music by
Marcelo Zarvos

Cinematography by
Sean Bobbitt

Film Editing by
Aaron Yanes

Casting by
Salah Benchegra
Ellen Chenoweth

Production Design by
Niels Sejer

Art Direction by
Rebecca Milton
Aziz Rafiq
Monica Sallustio

Set Decoration by
Ed Turner

Costume Design by
Amine Benkhayi
Deborah Lynn Scott

Makeup Department
Nezha Aouis	....	hair stylist (as Nazha Aouis)
Nezha Aouis	....	makeup artist (as Nazha Aouis)
Karen Cohen	....	crowd hair supervisor
Karen Cohen	....	crowd makeup supervisor
Jamie Leigh DeVilla	....	department head makeup: additional photography, Los Angeles
Ann Fenton	....	key hair stylist
Ann Fenton	....	key makeup artist
Linda D. Flowers	....	department head hair: additional photography, Los Angeles (as Linda Flowers)
Frances Hannon	....	hair consultant: Mr. Murray
Frances Hannon	....	makeup consultant: Mr. Murray
Charlotte Hayward	....	hair consultant: Ms. Hudson
Charlotte Hayward	....	makeup consultant: Ms. Hudson
Charlotte Mileham	....	hair junior
Charlotte Mileham	....	makeup junior
Khadija Najahi	....	assistant hair stylist
Khadija Najahi	....	assistant makeup artist
Maralyn Sherman	....	hair designer
Maralyn Sherman	....	makeup designer
Ray Marston	....	wig maker (uncredited)
Rick Stratton	....	special tattoos (uncredited)

Production Management
Kelley Cribben	....	post-production supervisor
Vickie M. Hsieh	....	production supervisor: Los Angeles Unit
Matthew Jenkins	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Ali Benchekroune	....	set pa
James Cho	....	second assistant director
William Paul Clark	....	assistant director
Yann Mari Faget	....	second assistant director
Ahmed Hatimi	....	first assistant director: morocco
Ben Lanning	....	key second assistant director
Nick Starr	....	third assistant director
Khalil Zghayou	....	second second assistant director: Morocco

Art Department
Tarik Amchemar	....	stand-by props
Lorie Arms	....	property master: Los Angeles Unit
Elizabeth Brennan	....	production buyer
Phil Bull	....	standby props
Jennifer Draxlbauer	....	set decoration runner
Akram Elkouzouz	....	action vehicle
Mustapha Haouas	....	set dresser
Romolo Pompa	....	assistant art director
Mohamed Rakaa	....	assistant set decorator
Laura Savage	....	special prop assistant designer
Nick Thomas	....	property master

Sound Department
Justine Baker	....	ADR recordist
Alex Carpenter	....	foley artist
Chris Chae	....	sound re-recordist
Mark DeSimone	....	adr mixer
Steve Finn	....	boom operator
Mariusz Glabinski	....	sound designer
Mariusz Glabinski	....	supervising sound editor
Heather Gross	....	foley editor
Maegan Hayward	....	post production sound facility c.o.o.
Dan Korintus	....	dialogue editor
Craig Kyllonen	....	sound editor
Stefano Mascitti	....	dialogue editor
Michael Miller	....	adr mixer
Chris Munro	....	production sound mixer
Lisa Pinero	....	production sound mixer: Los Angeles Unit
Karym Ronda	....	second unit: sound mixer
Dominick Tavella	....	sound re-recording mixer
Alexa Zimmerman	....	a.d.r. editor

Special Effects by
Kenneth Cassar	....	Senior Special Effects Technician
Stefano Corridori	....	special effects supervisor

Visual Effects by
Björn Ahlstedt	....	digital compositor: The Molecule
Andrew J. Bly	....	visual effects executive producer
Luke DiTommaso	....	visual effects supervisor
Artur Elson	....	Visual Effects Professional
Charlotta Forssman	....	visual effects producer
Mark Scott Friedman	....	compositing supervisor
Stephen A. Gall	....	compositor
Chris Healer	....	visual effects executive producer
David McElfresh	....	visual effects producer
Michael Millspaugh	....	digital compositor
Matthew T. Perry	....	compositor
Fabio Pires	....	compositor
Russell Porchia	....	digital compositor: The Molecule
Jung Um	....	digital compositor

Stunts
Yassine Afroukh	....	horse stunt
Younes Afroukh	....	horse/stunt performer
Ali Ait Mazouz	....	stunt performer
Mohamed Attougui	....	stunt driver (stunts)
Hami Belal	....	stunt driver
Brahim Boukhizzou	....	stunts
Ait ben Azzouz Brahim	....	stunt performer: mercenary
Benoît Fabre	....	stunt driver
Hajjoujou Haijjoujou	....	stunts
Buddy Joe Hooker	....	stunt coordinator
Gérard Lesage	....	morocco
Gérard Lesage	....	stunt coordinator
Abdellah Oukseh	....	stunt driver
Abdellah Oukseh	....	stunt performer

Camera and Electrical Department
Yassine Abounouom	....	electrician
Youssef Ahbid	....	grip
Brian Beaumont	....	gaffer
Kerry Brown	....	still photographer & epk
Peter Byrne	....	"a" camera first assistant
Abigail Catto	....	second assistant camera
Willie E. Dawkins	....	gaffer (additional photography)
Inesa De La Roche	....	epk director/behind the scenes creator
Joe Dibble	....	lab technician
Ian Glenister	....	best boy
Mohamed Hachimi	....	electrical trainee
Callum Just	....	digital imaging technician
Nic Lawson	....	camera operator
Nic Lawson	....	cinematographer: second unit
Aziz Lechgar	....	second assistant camera "b" camera
David Littlejohns	....	best boy: grip
Graham Martyr	....	1ac b camera
Driss Marzak	....	gaffer
Davey Mayes	....	generator operator (as Davie Mayes)
Tim Merrill	....	key grip: second unit
Youssef Mohattane	....	v.t.r.
Jem Morton	....	key grip
Rock The Kasbah	....	best boy electric : additional photograph
Rock The Kasbah	....	video assist
Jacob Simkin	....	afghan unit cinematographer

Casting Department
Hamid Ait Timaghrit	....	casting coordinator
Saad Fekhari	....	casting coordinator
Dann Fink	....	adr voice casting
Mustafa Haidari	....	ADR voice casting assistant: Pashto
Nina Henninger	....	search casting director: San Francisco
Sarah Kliban	....	casting associate
Susanne Scheel	....	casting associate

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Rachid Aadassi	....	set costumer
Najat Ait Badi	....	set costumer
Jeanie Baker	....	key set costumer
Abderrahim Benkhayi	....	assistant costume designer
Amine Benkhayi	....	costume assistant
Otmane Khammari	....	costumer
Abdelfattah Qzaibar	....	costume supervisor
Hana Scott-Suhrstedt	....	costumer
Hassan Taghriti	....	costume supervisor
Laura Wolford	....	costumer

Editorial Department
Dylan Correll	....	first assistant editor
David Moritz	....	additional editor
Tom Poole	....	digital intermediate colorist
Robert Grigsby Wilson	....	assistant editor

Location Management
Souheil Halaoui	....	location manager
David Israel	....	location manager: L.A. Locations

Music Department
Marcus Bagala	....	synth programmer/designer
Charles M. Barsamian	....	music business and legal executive
Darren Blumenthal	....	Executive Music Producer
Mark Bächle	....	orchestrator
Linda Cohen	....	music supervisor
Wolfgang Funk	....	music producer
Laura Katz	....	music consultant
Adam Klemens	....	conductor
Paul McPherson	....	music licensing
Will Melones	....	premix engineer
Justin Moshkevich	....	score mixer
Gregory Polzak	....	musician: guitar
Gregory Polzak	....	score technical engineer
Philip Rothman	....	orchestrator
Rani Sharone	....	composer: additional music

Transportation Department
Akram Elkouzouz	....	action vehicle coordinator
Khalid Smour	....	picture vehicle supervisor (as Khalid Asmour)
Steve Zerweck	....	transportation coordinator (as Steve Zerwick)

Other crew
Nabila Aslai	....	dialect coach
Nabila Aslai	....	translator
Nedda Azizian	....	assistant post-production accountant
Elhoussaine Baouzine	....	assistant accountant
Paresh Behera	....	1st Asst/EU payroll Accountant
Adam Benhrima	....	assistant to producers
Sahar Bibiyan	....	adr voice
Soraya Broukhim	....	adr voice
Stefano Corridori	....	armourer
Alex Davis	....	production attorney
Enayat Delawary	....	actor: voice: Pashto-Dari
Michelle Dunton	....	script research
Phoebe Fisher	....	assistant: Mr Levinson
Jay Floyd	....	clearance administrator
Michael Frayeh	....	production accountant
Mustafa Haidari	....	voice actor: Pashto
Lorraine Hewson	....	production coordinator
Lian Lubany	....	companion: Leem Lubany
John Malakoff	....	director of production travel: ALTOUR travel
Moniere	....	Pashto voice actor
Susan Muir	....	completion bond guarantor
Lara Panah-Izadi	....	assistant: Mr Levinson
Karen Rodrigues	....	UK Travel & Shipping Co-ordinator
Andy Sowers	....	assistant to Steve Bing
Cindy Swartz	....	set medic: los angeles
Samantha Timmerman	....	script supervisor
Didi Tokova	....	key 1st assistant accountant
Mahyad Tousi	....	audience engagement strategist

Thanks
Salam Al-Marayati	....	special thanks
Hamish Berry	....	special thanks
Sheryl Crow	....	special thanks
Gaby Dershin	....	special thanks
Clark Henderson	....	special thanks
House of Pain	....	special thanks
Setara Hussainzada	....	dedicatee
Kid Rock	....	special thanks
Michael Kives	....	special thanks
Kelly Lynch	....	special thanks
Jay Rubin	....	special thanks
David Serengeti	....	special thanks
Cat Stevens	....	special thanks (as Yusuf Islam)
Melitta Tosca Du Plantier	....	special thanks
Bart Walker	....	special thanks
Lisa Wolofsky	....	special thanks

Production Companies

• Covert Media
• Dune Films
• QED International
• Shangri-La Entertainment (funding)
• Venture Forth

Distributors

• Cathay-Keris Films (2015) (Singapore) (theatrical)
• Klockworx, The (2016) (Japan) (theatrical)
• NOS Audiovisuais (2015) (Portugal) (theatrical)
• Open Road Films (II) (2015) (USA) (theatrical)
• TOBIS Film (2016) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Future Film (2015) (Finland) (all media)
• KVH Media Group (2015) (Non-USA) (all media) (ships)
• Marco Polo Production (2015) (France) (all media)
• Pinema (2015) (Turkey) (all media)
• Sookie Pictures (2014) (South Korea) (all media)
• Splendid Film (2016) (Germany) (all media) (through)
• VVS Films (2015) (Canada) (all media)

Special Effects

• Molecule (visual effects)

Other Companies

• ARRI Media  camera and grip equipment
• BoomGen Studios  audience engagement
• COPRA  dailies services
• Chapman/Leonard Studio Equipment  camera dollies (uncredited)
• Codex  digital recording equipment (as Codex Digital)
• Cutting Edge Group  music services
• Digital Orchard  digital imaging services
• Dynamic International Freight Services  freight forwarders
• Freeway CAM B.V.  collection account management
• QED International  funding
• Shangri-La Entertainment  funding
• Soundtrack New York  recording & mixing studio
• Three Point Capital  advisory
• Trevanna Post  post production accounting
• Varèse Sarabande  soundtrack
• Venture Forth  funding

Also Known As:

MPAA:

Rated R for language including sexual references, some drug use and brief violence

Runtime:

106 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Australia:M | Canada:PG (British Columbia) | Germany:12 | Ireland:15A | Mexico:B-15 | Norway:12 | Portugal:M/12 | Singapore:NC16 | UK:15 | USA:R (certificate #49853)

Filming Locations:

Morocco

Company:

Covert Media

Trivia:

Second movie starring Zooey Deschanel and Kate Hudson involving music, after Almost Famous (2000).

Goofs:

Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): Private Barnes has a right shoulder sleeve insignia (combat patch) on his right shoulder, indicating that he has already completed a combat deployment. It is highly unlikely that he would still be a Private on his second deployment. Additionally, a Private would never be in charge of a security escort detail.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Maureen:[having just finished singing her audition] Mr. Lanz? I'm done.
Richie Lanz:[long pause] No.
[sighs]
Richie Lanz:Forgive me. No. You're just beginning.
Maureen:You liked it?
Richie Lanz:Liked it? You made me want to swallow poison. And forget pitch, rhythm and tone... and emotional attachment to the lyric or the melody.
Maureen:I'm sorry. I don't think I...
Richie Lanz:A grain of sand slips into an oyster... and irritates the bivalve. What happens?
Maureen:A pearl.
[...]

Movie Connections:

References "Afghan Star" (2005)

Soundtrack:

Bitch

I really enjoyed and I highly recommend this. If you liked Good Morning Vietnam you will love this one as well.

"From the moment you heard me sing. Since you found me in the cave. Since we were put here on the Earth. Everything in our lives has led us to this time, this place." Richie Lanz (Murray) is a music manager who has fallen on tough times. When he decides to take his client to Afghanistan on tour she freaks out and disappears. Unsure of what to do he thinks his prayers are answered when he hears someone singing in a cave. He really thinks she has the talent to win the Afghan Star singing competition but is hampered by the traditions of the country. This is a great movie. Just flat out great. Not only is Bill Murray good (as always) but the music is great as well. The best way to describe this is a music centered version of Good Morning Vietnam. Funny and smart with a serious topic all holding it together. This is a movie that I really enjoyed and I recommend highly. Overall, if you liked Good Morning Vietnam you will love this one as well. I give it an A-.