Stranger Than Paradise (1984)

A New Yorker's life is thrown into a tailspin when his younger cousin surprise-visits him, starting a strange, unpredictable adventure.

Director:

Jim Jarmusch

Writer:

Jim Jarmusch

Stars:

John Lurie, Eszter Balint, Richard Edson

9 wins & 3 nominations.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
John Lurie	...	Willie
Eszter Balint	...	Eva
Richard Edson	...	Eddie
Cecillia Stark	...	Aunt Lotte
Danny Rosen	...	Billy
Rammellzee	...	Man with Money
Tom DiCillo	...	Airline Agent
Richard Boes	...	Factory Worker
Rockets Redglare	...	Poker Player
Harvey Perr	...	Poker Player
Brian J. Burchill	...	Poker Player
Sara Driver	...	Girl with Hat
Paul Sloane	...	Motel Owner

Storyline

A self-styled New York hipster is paid a surprise visit by his younger cousin from Budapest. From initial hostility and indifference a small degree of affection grows between the two. Along with a friend, they eventually end up visiting their aunt in the wastelands of Cleveland and then proceed to Florida where they lose all their money gambling before unwittingly gaining a fortune.

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Plot Keywords:

road movie | independent film | snow | new york city | cult film | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama

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Certificate:

R

Did You Know?

Trivia

The film's scenes are each a single shot, followed by a few seconds of black screen.

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Goofs

Shadow of a crew member just before the end of the scene where Eva is throwing away the dress.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Willie: Yeah.
Aunt Lotte: [speaks indistinctly in Hungarian]
Willie: Oh, hello, Aunt Lotte.
Aunt Lotte: [replies indistinctly in Hungarian throughout conversation]
Willie: Don't speak to me in Hungarian, please. No, I haven't heard from him, not for ten years. Yeah, I got your letter. Speak English, please! Yeah, my little cousin Eva. Yeah, I know, she's come - coming here and she's gonna stay overnight, when's she coming? Today? Straight from Budapest today? Ah, no. No, I never agreed to that. I can't possibly babysit for her for ...
[...]

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Connections

Referenced in A Decade Under the Influence (2003)

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Soundtracks

I Put a Spell on You
Written by Screamin' Jay Hawkins (as Jay Hawkins)
Used by permission of CBS Unart Catalog, Inc.
All Rights Reserved.
Performed by Screamin' Jay Hawkins
Courtesy of CBS Records

User Reviews

Beautiful uncomfortableness

"Stranger than Paradise" (1984): Jim Jarmusch's first film. Often listed as a "comedy" – and yes, I suppose there ARE a few oddly funny moments – for the most part I find it an intensely bleak film, empty of almost all life but for a few lone cruiser characters who are detached from everyone else. The photography is astoundingly beautiful black & white. They are almost shot as individual stills with minor movements in them, and divided by blatant black divisions, which one can think of as the black pages of an old photo album. The velvety rich blacks, grays, and whites, plus the composed "still" scenes, cause me to think Jarmusch was trained as a static, 2-D artist first. Just a guess. This film is NOT about acting, which is limited at best, but doesn't really need much. We observe an alienated set of scenarios which are only enhanced by the stiff, awkward exchanges and pauses of the characters, and the lack of movement in the camera work. Ambient sound adds to the gritty reality of emptiness. Funny or not, this is a low-key, lost-souls story of detachment and aimlessness.

Details

Country:

USA West Germany

Language:

English Hungarian Italian

Release Date:

4 October 1984 (UK)

Also Known As:

Stranger Than Paradise

Filming Locations:

USA

Box Office

Budget:

$90,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$2,436,000

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$2,436,000

Company Credits

Production Co:

Cinesthesia Productions, Grokenberger Film Produktion, Zweites Deutsches Fernsehen (ZDF)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

89 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1