Directed By: Wayne Wang & Paul Auster; Harvey Wang (Video Segments)
Written By: Wayne Wang & Paul Auster (Situations)
Cinematography By: Adam Holender
Editor: Christopher Tellefsen
Cast: Harvey Keitel, Victor Argo, Malik Yoba, Roseanne, Madonna, Lily Tomlin, Mel Gorham, Mira Sorovino, Jared Harris, Jim Jaramusch, Lou Reed, Giancarlo Esposito, Jose Zuniga, RuPaul, Michael J. Fox
Wayne Wang's follow-up movie to Smoke 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 return here to expound on their philosophy of smoking, relationships, baseball, New York, and Belgian Waffles. Most of all, this is a movie about living life, off-the-cuff.
A semi Sequel to the movie SMOKE
The only reason this film was made is that production on the film SMOKE finished filming a week early and under budget. The cast and filmmakers enjoyed the experience so much. They figured why noit make a movie. They still had most of the cast and the locations. So the filmmakers decided to come up with a loose central storyline that the owner might sell the cigar store and using that basis the filmmakers called up as many of their friends as they could to comedown and do improvised scenes. Or create characters they wanted to try and play.
This was an early example of the technique used in the films of Judd Apatow. Only in quite a different way and genre. As Apatow’s films are usually more plotted then this one.
Filmed in just five days, using the same set and much of the same cast as SMOKE. The premise of the film came to directors Wayne Wang and Paul Auster while watching an improvisation session between Harvey Keitel et. al. to help them get into character for filming SMOKE. They decided that the improvisations were so funny that they would spend a few days after shooting Smoke just filming film is almost entirely improvised. Auster and Wang claim to have "borrowed" the idea of shooting another movie on the back of an existing one from Roger Corman who often used to shoot movies very quickly on leftover sets from other productions.
So it ended up almost like a block party for a week. Where you never knew who was going to show up. Now even though the film plays like a long running inside joke that maybe only the cat gets. It still manages to entertain, surprise and amuse. It’s almost like watching Saturday Night live each new scene a different cast of characters usually revolving around host Harvey Kietel. Obviously having fun as he smiles and holds back laughter through each scene.
The characters are usually out there, but hilarious and endearing most of all they all ring true.
Mel Gorham's monologue was filmed three months after the film wrapped. At the film's wrap party, Gorham performed a rendition of "Fever" that so impressed the film's producers they decided to add a scene with her performing the song. It's a shame she never got the big screen success this film and SMOKE seemed to predict.
I feel like this film is a valentine to Brooklyn and all it’s cultures and citizens. The film has a feel like CLERKS without as much profane, gross dialogue and humor. The film is also in color. Jim Jaramusch's scene was originally intended for William Hurt who was to reprise his role from SMOKE. But Hurt was unavailable.
Even though the whole cast is good. the standouts are the scenes with Jim Jaramusch, Michael J. Fox, Lou Reed, Malik yoba and Lily Tomlin. They even have a band play in the cigar store.
This is definitely worth a look if you enjoy experimental indie comedies. This film also has an overwhelming sense of collaboration.
GRADE: B+
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