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:

First there was "Smoke." Now there's fire. Auggie and his friends are back with more out-of-this-world tales.

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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

Jim Jarmusch's scene was originally intended for William Hurt, who was to reprise his role from Smoke (1995). But Hurt was unavailable.

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Goofs

Auggie incorrectly says "adios, cigarettos" as if that is Spanish for "goodbye, cigarettes". The correct word for cigarettes is "cigarrillos". This is likely a deliberate joke by the filmmakers.

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Quotes

Tommy: I don't eat shit. It's against my religion.
Pete: What religion is that?
Tommy: The religion of sanity, Peter. You should try it some time.
Pete: I did, but I was excommunicated.

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Crazy Credits

Situations Created in collaboration with THE ACTORS

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Connections

Follows Smoke (1995)

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Soundtracks

South: Regression To Love
Performed by Astor Piazzolla
Written by Astor Piazzolla
Published by Astor Place Music (BMI)
Courtesy of American Clavé

User Reviews

great flick for pop culture lovers - five stars, three thumbs up

This is a light and fun - although intelligent - movie, worth seeing, if not for the whole marvellous opus of pop culture, for his cast alone: Harvey Keitel, Roseanne, Victor Argo and precious appearances of Lou Reed, Jim Jarmusch (as Bob, in my favorite sequence of the movie), John Lurie and Madonna, to name a few. Soundtrack by David Byrne only adds to the mix.

´Blue in the Face´ cynically, cleverly and ironically chronicles the life and the history of Brooklyn, NY. Watch it, it´s independent cinema at its best.

Details

Official Sites:

Miramax [United States]

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

13 October 1995 (USA)

Also Known As:

Blue in the Face

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