*quality

HEY MALKOVICH! THINK FAST!

Boosting this quality contribution up in the Hot Listing - declared quality by ponceleon.

Props to the extras for having the courage to do something so stupid. Huge risk, luckily it paid off.

Reminds me of a scene from the movie "It's a wonderful Life" with Jimmy Stewart.

There's a scene where Uncle Billy is drunk and leaves a party. Shortly after he walks off camera a loud Crash is heard. Turns out the crash was actually a member of the crew dropping equipment. It's funny how Stewart and Thomas Mitchell just run with the scene and equally amazing how well it worked. If anyone catches the movie on-TV next Christmas, I'd keep an eye out.

http://www.toptenz.net/top-10-facts-about-its-a-wonderful-life.php

Interesting how Malkovich is so concerned about his head and then gets beaned in the head by the can. Good thing he didn't name another part of his anatomy.

Wow I always thought that was intentional.

It could not have been timed better.

I'll bet that extra was glad they weren't making "Being Christian Bale".

It's a good story, but...

" CRAIG
(calling after him)
And who's to say I won't be seeing
what you're seeing... in court?

Cars whiz by Malkovich. Someone yells from a passing car.

MOTORIST
Hey, Malkovich! Think fast!

Malkovich looks up. A beer can comes flying out of the car
and hits him on the head.

CUT TO:

INT. CRAIG AND LOTTE'S APARTMENT - NIGHT"

- http://www.imsdb.com/scripts/Being-John-Malkovich.html

So if this site is to believed (as in how it appears that you are presenting it, that this scene was written this way from the start), why is the exclaimed 'fuck' not in there?

Not calling fake or real, just asking questions.>> ^Drachen_Jager:

It's a good story, but...
" CRAIG
(calling after him)
And who's to say I won't be seeing
what you're seeing... in court?
Cars whiz by Malkovich. Someone yells from a passing car.
MOTORIST
Hey, Malkovich! Think fast!
Malkovich looks up. A beer can comes flying out of the car
and hits him on the head.
CUT TO:
INT. CRAIG AND LOTTE'S APARTMENT - NIGHT"
- http://www.imsdb.com/scripts/Being-John-Malkovich.html

There seems to be a lot of confusion about whether it was really in the script or not. It seems that certainly the line "Hey Malkovich! Think fast!" was... but as for the can, there were guesses either way.

YouTube description says this is on the director's commentary. And if it is, that's proof enough for me. Who can we trust if we can't trust the director's own commentary?

It's called ad-libbing. Happens all the time, in nearly every movie and it's one of the things that separates a great actor from a good one.

>> ^GDGD:

So if this site is to believed (as in how it appears that you are presenting it, that this scene was written this way from the start), why is the exclaimed 'fuck' not in there?
Not calling fake or real, just asking questions.>>



@Hybrid

If you have the DVD, look at the extras. There are a few bits in there, especially the 'background drivers' featurette where they are obviously just trying to mess with your head by lying to you. Watch that and then tell me Jonze is a reliable source for information.

>> ^Drachen_Jager:
It's a good story, but...
" CRAIG
(calling after him)
And who's to say I won't be seeing
what you're seeing... in court?
Cars whiz by Malkovich. Someone yells from a passing car.
MOTORIST
Hey, Malkovich! Think fast!
Malkovich looks up. A beer can comes flying out of the car
and hits him on the head.
CUT TO:
INT. CRAIG AND LOTTE'S APARTMENT - NIGHT"
- http://www.imsdb.com/scripts/Being-John-Malkovich.html


By using the bit, and upgrading the extra to do it, they had to write it into the script. I somehow doubt they started with a script to begin with...

@Payback

You don't think they had a script? No major film starts production without a script. That's a highly experimental form of filmmaking.

The script actually sat in limbo for a long time, John Malkovich liked it, and he wanted it to be made, but he didn't think he should be in it. One producer wanted to change it to "Being Tom Cruise".

@Drachen_Jager - @Payback's point is that of course they had a script... but because the extra did this during filming, they then wrote it into the script afterwards. So the question is whether the script you quoted was the script they started with, or the script they ended up with after filming.

>> ^Drachen_Jager:

@<a rel="nofollow" href="http://videosift.com/member/Payback" title="member since July 22nd, 2006" class="profilelink">Payback
You don't think they had a script? No major film starts production without a script. That's a highly experimental form of filmmaking.
The script actually sat in limbo for a long time, John Malkovich liked it, and he wanted it to be made, but he didn't think he should be in it. One producer wanted to change it to "Being Tom Cruise".


Yes, but scripts go through so many phases, including rewrites during production. Besides, you're using a script that was posted onto the internet. How could you even think for a moment that it's anything close to legit? Who knows where it originated from.

1) They don't update the script after the scene has been shot.

2) I think the script is legit because it has actions in it that don't happen in the movie. "Malkovich looks up." It's a typical thing for a screenwriter to put in there, not realizing that it wouldn't really play once the cameras were rolling. There's no time for him to look up because the car is racing past. The words and the action happen on top of eachother.

3) There is no reason for the script to be fake. Why spend time and effort de-constructing a movie, typing the script out etc. if the script is already available? Why not just use the actual script?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eKPKLURgyWs

Here is a featurette interview with Jonze from BJM. Jonze is a weird guy who does strange things to mess with his audience's minds. He's a weird guy, if anybody thinks he's a reliable source of information I have a bridge you might be interested in.

I can't find the background driving featurette but believe me, it's even weirder.

I like how in the timing of things, that truck just materializes on the road

I've always hated John Malkovich.

Aw man, when I get drunk and throw beer cans at people it almost never results in a payrise and promotion

I want to believe it, because it is cool, but seriously doubt that anybody who threw a can (from a moving vehicle, no less) at a lead actor's head who wasn't asked to do such would be allowed to continue working on the same film. If they chose to use the footage, they might give him a payrise, or just give him some extra money because of the line, but I think it very unlikely they would let him continue filming. Not just because he's obviously someone who might screw up a good scene, but that it might set a precedent on set that other people could be free to do the same.

>> ^Drachen_Jager:
3) There is no reason for the script to be fake. Why spend time and effort de-constructing a movie, typing the script out etc. if the script is already available? Why not just use the actual script?


You don't spend much time on the internet, do you? I meet people like that every time I log on. In fact, I believe over half the content on the Internet is from people just. like. that.

That's way too perfect of a moment to be accidental. Plus, why even have the shot of him walking away from the car if not for the can gag?

It's also interesting that this is one of the few fiction movies that an actor plays himself and goes by his own name, and that his name is actually part of the premise of the film. The extra, likely without knowledge, demonstrated with drunken stupidity, a thread of the film's plot: namely that fame brings with it a certain amount of segregation and exploitation.

>> ^Trancecoach:

Interesting how Malkovich is so concerned about his head and then gets beaned in the head by the can. Good thing he didn't name another part of his anatomy.

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