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Blue in the Face

  • 19951995
  • RR
  • 1h 23m
IMDb RATING
6.6/10
9.6K
YOUR RATING
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
  • IMDbPro
Blue in the Face (1995)
Watch {VideoTitle}
Play trailer1:27
1 Video
33 Photos
  • Comedy
Brooklyn Cigar Store is a neighborhood hangout in Brooklyn with Auggie Wren/H.Keitel as center. Some people are interviewed about Brooklyn, spiced up with statistics on Brooklyn.Brooklyn Cigar Store is a neighborhood hangout in Brooklyn with Auggie Wren/H.Keitel as center. Some people are interviewed about Brooklyn, spiced up with statistics on Brooklyn.Brooklyn Cigar Store is a neighborhood hangout in Brooklyn with Auggie Wren/H.Keitel as center. Some people are interviewed about Brooklyn, spiced up with statistics on Brooklyn.
IMDb RATING
6.6/10
9.6K
YOUR RATING
  • Directors
    • Paul Auster
    • Wayne Wang
    • Harvey Wang(video segments)
  • Writers
    • Paul Auster(situations)
    • Wayne Wang(situations)
  • Stars
    • Harvey Keitel
    • Lou Reed
    • Michael J. Fox
Top credits
  • Directors
    • Paul Auster
    • Wayne Wang
    • Harvey Wang(video segments)
  • Writers
    • Paul Auster(situations)
    • Wayne Wang(situations)
  • Stars
    • Harvey Keitel
    • Lou Reed
    • Michael J. Fox
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 45User reviews
    • 21Critic reviews
    • 54Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 2 nominations

    Videos1

    Official Trailer
    Trailer 1:27
    Official Trailer

    Photos33

    Auggie & Vinnie's wife
    Auggie & Bob
    Violetta & Auggie
    Auggie & Bob
    Auggie & the singing telegram girl
    Madonna appears as the singing telegram girl
    Lou Reed as the man with strange glasses
    Blue in the Face (1995)
    Blue in the Face (1995)
    Blue in the Face (1995)
    Blue in the Face (1995)
    Blue in the Face (1995)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Harvey Keitel
    Harvey Keitel
    • Auggie Wrenas Auggie Wren
    Lou Reed
    Lou Reed
    • Man with Strange Glassesas Man with Strange Glasses
    Michael J. Fox
    Michael J. Fox
    • Pete Maloneyas Pete Maloney
    Roseanne Barr
    Roseanne Barr
    • Dotas Dot
    Mel Gorham
    Mel Gorham
    • Violetas Violet
    Jim Jarmusch
    Jim Jarmusch
    • Bobas Bob
    Lily Tomlin
    Lily Tomlin
    • Waffle Eateras Waffle Eater
    Jared Harris
    Jared Harris
    • Jimmy Roseas Jimmy Rose
    Giancarlo Esposito
    Giancarlo Esposito
    • Tommy Finellias Tommy Finelli
    Malik Yoba
    Malik Yoba
    • Watch Manas Watch Man
    José Zúñiga
    José Zúñiga
    • Jerryas Jerry
    • (as Jose Zuniga)
    Victor Argo
    Victor Argo
    • Vinnieas Vinnie
    Stephen Gevedon
    Stephen Gevedon
    • Dennisas Dennis
    The John Lurie National Orchestra
    • Street Bandas Street Band
    Madonna
    Madonna
    • Singing Telegramas Singing Telegram
    Sharif Rashed
    • Purse Snatcheras Purse Snatcher
    Mira Sorvino
    Mira Sorvino
    • Young Ladyas Young Lady
    Keith David
    Keith David
    • Jackie Robinsonas Jackie Robinson
    • Directors
      • Paul Auster
      • Wayne Wang
      • Harvey Wang(video segments)
    • Writers
      • Paul Auster(situations) (characters)
      • Wayne Wang(situations)
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
    • All cast & crew

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Every scene was filmed in ten-minute uninterrupted takes. The directors would hold up signs reading "Keep it up" or "Boring" for the actors and actresses instead of stopping the filming.
    • Goofs
      Dot bolts the store door to talk with Auggie, then leaves without unlocking it.
    • Quotes

      Man with Strange Glasses: I'm scared 24 hours a day, but not necessarily in New York. I actually feel pretty comfortable in New York. I get scared like in Sweden. You know, it's kind of empty. They're all drunk. Everything works. If you, you know... If you stop at a stop light and don't turn your engine off... people come over and talk to you about it. You open the medicine cabinet and there'll be a poster saying... "In case of suicide, call..."

    • Crazy credits
      Situations Created in collaboration with THE ACTORS
    • Connections
      Featured in At the Movies: The Scarlet Letter/The Celluloid Closet/Jade/Blue in the Face/Les Miserables (1995)
    • Soundtracks
      God's Child
      Performed by David Byrne and Selena

      Written by David Byrne

      Published by Moldy Fig Music (BMI)

      David Byrne appears courtesy of Luaka Bop/Warner Brothers Records Inc.

      Selena appears courtesy of EMI Latin Records

    User reviews45

    Review
    Top review
    7/10
    Joyful meditation about life
    "Blue in the Face" was a fastly produced follow-up of director Wayne Wang's and writer Paul Auster's 1994 art house hit "Smoke". While "Smoke" was produced in the usual way with script, casts, etc., this movie was a quickly shot within less than a month, just containing vague ideas, interviews and improvisations with the same production unit and main actor Harvey Keitel, but without a script and with lots of popular supporting actors who were improvising their performance straight in front of the camera. And it works.

    Focused on Keitel's smoke shop in Brooklyn, his customers and visitors are telling stories about their lives, views, ideas, dream, relationships and carreers, all focused around the topic of smoking. Lou Reed can't remember his first cigarette, but presents his self-constructed glasses, Jim Jarmusch celebrates his last cigarette, Harvey Keitel reminds which war movie made him a cigarette smoker, and there are several more famous guests in the shop. Michael J. Fox plays a weird insurance guy, Madonna appears as a singing telegram girl, and John Lurie, Mia Sorvino, Paul Keith and the whole NYC artist's scene appear on the screen.

    Although the pointless composition of independent scenes and interviews might become a bit out of tune or boring sometimes, the movie works really well. There are lots of interesting (real life?) stories told by the actors, a great rare groove soundtrack that could fit into every Tarantino production, and some really good jokes too. "Blue in the Face" become a minor art house classic in Europe in the nineties, and one could wonder if this movie would have been the same ten years later in the times of anti-smoking laws and campaigns. Nice independent movie.
    helpful•8
    3
    • Mikew3001
    • Jun 24, 2004

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • October 13, 1995 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Official site
      • Miramax (United States)
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Moder v obraz
    • Filming locations
      • 209 Prospect Park West and 16th Street, Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA
    • Production companies
      • Miramax
      • InterAL
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $2,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $1,268,636
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $104,365
      • Oct 15, 1995
    • Gross worldwide
      • $1,268,636
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 23 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Digital
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

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