Blue in the Face (1995)

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.

Directors:

Paul Auster, Wayne Wang

Writers:

Paul Auster (situations), Wayne Wang (situations)

Stars:

Harvey Keitel, Lou Reed, Michael J. Fox

2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Lou Reed	...	Man with Strange Glasses
Michael J. Fox	...	Pete Maloney
Roseanne Barr	...	Dot (as Roseanne)
Mel Gorham	...	Violet
Jim Jarmusch	...	Bob
Lily Tomlin	...	Waffle Eater
Jared Harris	...	Jimmy Rose
Giancarlo Esposito	...	Tommy Finelli
Malik Yoba	...	Watch Man
José Zúñiga	...	Jerry (as Jose Zuniga)
Victor Argo	...	Vinnie
Stephen Gevedon	...	Dennis
The John Lurie National Orchestra	...	Street Band
Madonna	...	Singing Telegram
Sharif Rashed	...	Purse Snatcher

Storyline

Wayne Wang's follow-up movie to Smoke (1995) presents a series of improvisational situations strung together to form a pastiche of Brooklyn's diverse ethnicity, offbeat humor, and essential humanity. Many of the same characters inhabiting Auggie Wren's Brooklyn Cigar Store in Smoke (1995) return here to expound on their philosophy of smoking, relationships, baseball, New York City, and Belgian Waffles. Most of all, this is a movie about living life, off-the-cuff.

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Plot Keywords:

bare breasts | topless female nudity | husband wife relationship | cigar smoking | cigarette smoking | 

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Taglines:

Welcome to the planet Brooklyn.

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Genres:

Comedy

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language and a scene of nudity

Did You Know?

Trivia

Mel Gorham based her portrayal of Violet on her Cuban mother.

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Goofs

Dot bolts the store door to talk with Auggie, then leaves without unlocking it.

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Quotes

Man with Strange Glasses: I don't know anyone in New York who doesn't say 'I'm leaving'. I've been thinking of leaving New York for... uh... thirty-five years now.

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Crazy Credits

More scenes play during the end credits.

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Connections

References Clerks (1994)

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Soundtracks

Lily's Blues
Performed by John Lurie, Calvin Weston, Billy Martin
Written by John Lurie
Published by Lagarto, Inc. (ASCAP)
John Lurie appears courtesy of Luaka Bop/Warner Brothers Records Inc.

User Reviews

NY by new yorkers!

New York is not an unanimity! That's for sure! A movie about the city has to follow the same guidelines. You either love or hate it! Whomever comes to meet the city, makes one's own mind about it. "Blue in the face" is sarcastic, funny, rude and spontaneous. Just like the big apple! Sometimes it looks more like a documentary, with people talking loosely about all kinds of issues, from Ebett's Field to cigarettes. But always with the same Brooklinesque way of living, so peculiar and yet so universal. If you like NY, gotta watch the movie! If you don't, I am sorry!

Details

Official Sites:

Miramax [United States]

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

13 October 1995 (USA)

Also Known As:

La tabagie en folie

Filming Locations:

209 Prospect Park West and 16th Street, Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$2,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$104,365, 15 October 1995

Gross USA:

$1,268,636

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$1,268,636

Company Credits

Production Co:

Miramax, InterAL

Technical Specs

Runtime:

83 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1