Buffalo '66 (1998)

After being released from prison, Billy is set to visit his parents with his wife, whom he does not actually have. This provokes Billy to act out, as he kidnaps a girl and forces her to act as his wife for the visit.

Director:

Vincent Gallo

Writers:

Vincent Gallo (original story), Vincent Gallo (screenplay)

Stars:

Vincent Gallo, Christina Ricci, Ben Gazzara

6 wins & 11 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Vincent Gallo	...	Billy Brown
Christina Ricci	...	Layla
Ben Gazzara	...	Jimmy Brown
Mickey Rourke	...	The Bookie
Rosanna Arquette	...	Wendy Balsam
Jan-Michael Vincent	...	Sonny
Anjelica Huston	...	Jan Brown
Kevin Pollak	...	TV Sportscaster
Alex Karras	...	TV Sportscaster
John Sansone	...	Little Billy
Manny Fried	...	The Donut Clerk
John Rummel	...	Don Shanks
Bob Wahl	...	Scott Woods
Penny Wolfgang	...	The Judge
Anthony Mydcarz	...	The Motel Clerk

Storyline

Billy is released after five years in prison. In the next moment, he kidnaps teenage student Layla and visits his parents with her, pretending she is his girlfriend and they will soon marry (and forcing her to say the same).

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Plot Keywords:

dysfunctional family | posing as someone's girlfriend | prison | written and directed by cast member | tap dancing | 

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Taglines:

Billy Brown just got out of jail. Now he's going to serve some real time. He's going home.

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Genres:

Comedy | Crime | Drama | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language, strong violent images and scenes involving nudity

Details

Country:

USA Canada

Language:

English

Release Date:

26 June 1998 (USA)

Also Known As:

Bafalo '66

Filming Locations:

Buffalo, New York, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$1,500,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$39,555, 28 June 1998, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$2,375,097

Company Credits

Production Co:

Cinépix Film Properties (CFP),Lions Gate Films,Muse Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

110 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The house where Billy Brown's parents live in the film is the very same house where Vincent Gallo lived with his parents growing up.

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Goofs

In the bowling alley scene when Billy ask Layla "What's so funny?", the boom mic shadow is visible on the ceiling behind his head when the camera pulls back.

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Quotes

[Talking to friend on the phone that insists people call him Rocky instead of Goon]
Billy Brown: You know why they call you Goon? Because you're retarded. And you're ugly. You're an ugly retard. And they call you Goon because you're ugly and retarded. And you'll always be Goon... Goon, Goon, Goon. And that's what I'm gonna call you for the rest of your life, is Goon. Goon, Goon, Goon, Goon, okay? So fuck you.

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Crazy Credits

Tibi Scheflow credited as working as the "Fantastic Locations Manager".

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Connections

Referenced in Capital (Todo el mundo va a Buenos Aires) (2007)

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Soundtracks

A Falling Down, Billy Brown
Written & Performed by Vincent Gallo

User Reviews

Buffalo '66 is an amazing and original film: well scripted, scored, cast, directed, and acted by Vincent Gallo.

Buffalo '66 was really original in terms of both plot and style. At moments, the story of Billy Brown's life is so terribly tragic and bizarre, you almost have to break the tension by cracking a laugh. In the film, Vincent Gallo's ex-jail bird character, Billy Brown, kidnaps a young tap-dancer named Layla, played by Christina Ricci, to pose as his wife on his visit back home to his dysfunctional family. The colors are beautifully bold and somehow elegant by being so far past tacky. The film is really great.

The story is actually based somewhat on Vincent Gallo's own traumatic life. The Sinatra song that the Billy Brown's father sings to Layla in the bedroom is actually a tape of Vincent Gallo's father, Vincent Gallo, Sr. I read in an interview that Vincent Gallo has scripted another movie he hopes to direct and feature in. He is trying to get enough money to do it all himself. I am curious to see how it turns out, since this film was allegedly wound so tightly around scraps of his own life.