Good morning to everyone around the world, I hope you have all had an exciting week. Here in the UK we have been having a blast of heat wave, with it getting warmer with each day. Employers have been forewarned and to prepare themselves to expect a wave of people throwing sickies, or some employees asking for last-minute time off, which so happens to coincide with the Euro’s. This heatwave really did time it well for those that want to take time off for last nights game. It’s also the perfect weather for people to gather their friends and family around for a barbecue, so it’s been a mad dash to the supermarket for ample-of-supplies.
On another note, this week I have found it impossible to get help from the healthcare system as I have an infection in both of my ears which are very painful and red roar. Anyway, I went into Superdrug to see if they can help me, someone was already waiting in the queue to be seen by the nurse, so I asked her, “Should I let someone know that I am here, because I need to see someone,” this lady was so nice to me and replied, “that she was told just to wait here and she’ll be seen shortly, after waiting 5 mins already, she needed to get to another appointment and said she’ll be back afterwards. When the nurse eventually came out with a patient, she started locking the door, when I said that I need to see her, the nurse was very rude and abrupt. With a scoured look on her face and she abruptly stated she’s busy with a patient, unless you have made an appointment you won’t be seen. I left feeling so deflated. We then went to the chemist next door to my doctors. It stated plain as day on the window they deal with earache. So I went inside and asked to speak to the pharmacist, he appeared a few moments later to assist me. I started to tell him about my ears and he interrupted me by saying we only deal with up to 17 year olds that have earache, no where on the poster did it say an age limit. He told me to go and see the doctor, I said, well that’s if I can get an appointment. Went next door to the doctors, and spoke to receptionist saying I need to see anyone who deals with the ears, as I have an ear infection, so the stupid receptionist replied you think you have an ear infection, I said I know I have one in both ears, oh you will have to phone in at 8am tomorrow. All I wanted was some help to relieve the pain in my ears before it gets much worse, but nobody seem to want to help me, I should be use to being let down by the system as they have continuously let my daughter down by not helping her, my cousin and my mum were both let down by the system and as a result they both lost there lives through being neglected, so I have no faith in them anymore. The GPs have gone downhill drastically in my book, they don’t want to help you, instead, they’d sooner palm you off on to someone else so they don’t have to do the work. These healthcare system are know where near to what they use to be.
27 years ago, in 1997 Face/Off was released in the U.S. and Canada, Paramount made an amazing movie that would eventually become a cult classic. Face/Off an Action, Sci-Fi, Crime, Thriller, was born, a perfect storm of otherworldly talent, creative freedom, and studio backing, starring Nicolas Cage and John Travolta, but this movie couldn’t of become possible without the legendary Hong Kong filmmaker John Woo who directed it and made it what it is today,. This is one of my favourite movies, that as you intrigued and on the edge of your seat right up to the closing credits. Besides reading the synopsis, you can also find out some interesting facts too.
Cast
Nicolas Cage – Castor Troy
John Travolta – Sean Archer
Gina Gershon – Sasha Hessler
Dominique Swain – Jamie Archer
Joan Allen – Dr Eve Archer
Danny Masterson – Karl
Nick Cassavetes – Dietrich Hessler
Alessandro Nivola – Pollux Troy
Director: John Woo
Synopsis
Sean Archer maybe very tough and rugged, but he is the FBI’s best agent, and he is hot on the trail of the world’s most ruthless and narcisistic terrorist, Castor Troy. Archer is out spending time with his young son, when Troy attempts to assassinate him, but he accidentally gets Archer’s son instead, now Archer is hell-bent on revenge and wanting to bring him down. One day, Archer has finally cornered Castor, however, in the midst of their fight Sean knocks Castor out cold. As Archer finally breathes easy over the capture of his arch enemy, he finds out that Troy has planted a massive bomb that will blow up in a matter of days and destroy the entire city of Los Angeles and all of its residents, that’s when all hell breaks loose leaving Troy in a coma. Unfortunately the only other person that knows anything about the bomb’s location is Castor’s younger brother, Pollux, who is in a maximum security prison, but he refuses to talk. The FBI tries to persuade Archer to undergo surgery in which Archer will have to wear is mortal enemy Troy’s face to convince everybody that he is Castor and in the hope that Pollux will give him answers. However, Castor Troy somehow regains consciousness after having the same surgery done to him with Archer’s face. and now wants revenge on Sean for taking his face. Troy wreaks havoc and destroys all the evidence of Archer’s true identity, and then defuses the bomb himself, to make him be seen as a hero. Archer escapes from prison and gets himself involved with Troy’s old gang, Not only is Troy ruining Archer’s mission, but his personal life as well. Archer must stop Troy again. Because this time, it’s personal.
Mike Werb and Michael Colleary first wrote Face/Off as a spec script, which is to say they weren’t commissioned to write it. However, they were able to sell the script to Warner Bros. in 1991. Werb had previously written the screenplay
Colleary didn’t have much success in film before or after Face/Off, though he did create the TV show The Professionals.
The project sat on the shelves for a while, as Warner Bros. optioned Face/Off in 1991 and then just sat on it. Their optioned expired in 1994, when Paramount bought the rights. Even then, it wouldn’t end up hitting theatres until 1997
The script for Face/Off underwent several revisions before reaching its final version.
Rob Cohen was the original choice to direct Face/Off, and he was on the project for a while. Then, Face/Off went into turnaround, at which point Cohen left in order to direct Dragonheart. This opened the door for John Woo to direct.
Woo had been directing for over a decade when he got the chance to direct Face/Off. However, he had spent the bulk of his career making movies in Hong Kong. He was new to Hollywood, has he had only made one American film before Woo was hired to direct Face/Off in 1996, and it was called Hard Target. In 1996, his second American movie, Broken Arrow, also came out.
Nicolas Cage and John Travolta spent two weeks together before filming to learn how to play each other. They decided on specific gestures and vocal cadences for each character that could be mimicked.
Originally Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone were in mind to play the lead roles. When John Woo was brought in to direct, he decided that John Travolta and Nicolas Cage would be more suited to the roles. Other pairs that the studio wanted was Michael Douglas (who was the executive producer for this movie) and Harrison Ford, Bruce Willis, and Alec Baldwin, Jean-Claude Van Damme, and Steven Seagal, Denzel Washington and Wesley Snipes, Robert De Niro and Al Pacino.
Johnny Depp put in his name to play Sean Archer, opposite Nicolas Cage and Paramount would have surely liked to have him. However, he ended up passing on the role after reading the script.
Ultimately, it was Woo who picked the actors he wanted for Sean and Castor. He chose John Travolta and Nicolas Cage, respectively. Woo must have enjoyed working with Travolta. He had co-starred with him in Broken Arrow.
When he was first offered his part in Face/Off, Cage turned it down because he did not want to play the villain. Then, it was explained that for most of the film Cage would be playing Sean with Castor’s face, and he would thus be playing the hero. This intrigued Cage enough to get him to sign on.
Co-screenwriter Mike Werb got the idea for the face surgery from a friend who had a hang-gliding accident. They had to remove most of the skin from his face, reconstruct the bone matter, and put his face back on.
Allen is a sensible choice, age wise, to play the wife of Travolta’s Sean Archer. However, the studio reportedly wanted a younger actress cast, with the idea she could be a stepmother instead. Woo did not like this idea and fought to keep Allen in the role.
Cage plays Castor Troy, and he has a twin brother named Pollux Troy. The Troy parents weren’t being all that inventive with those names. They are the names of the twins that make up the Gemini constellation.
John Travolta asked the writers if they were making fun of him with the “ridiculous chin” line. They explained that Castor was such a narcissist that he would hate having anyone else’s face.
Nicolas Cage doesn’t like heights. He said that shooting one action scene was “one of the most frightening days of my life.”
Nick Cassavetes did something they generally tell you not to do as an actor: Dramatically change your look after being hired without telling anybody. He decided to shave his head for the role of Dietrich. Luckily for him, Woo loved it.
The name for the floating prison, Erewhon, is a simple anagram of “nowhere” (originally used as the title of a satirical novel by Samuel Butler in 1872).
There are a lot of big action set pieces in Face/Off, and the initial plan was to shoot them on a green screen. However, Woo and company wanted the film to be more “realistic,” or at least more visceral. As such, all of the action set pieces were shot practically, with the iconic boat chase being shot in San Pedro, California.
The scene of Adam listening to “Over the Rainbow” on his portable headphones was John Woo’s idea and not part of the original script. Paramount Pictures refused to finance the extra scene and John Woo had to use his own money to make that happen. He was later paid back as the film turned out to be profitable.
The film’s production design, led by Neil Spisak, created a visually striking world for the characters to inhabit. From high-tech laboratories to grand-scale action set-pieces, the attention to detail in the sets added to the immersive experience.
Most of the stunts in the movie were done without the use of any digital effects.
The writers’ first version was set in the future, mainly to justify the face-transplanting technology. But Woo wasn’t interested. “I just felt I hadn’t learned enough to make a great sci-fi movie,” he said in a Blu-ray featurette.
Nick Cassavetes surprised John Woo by shaving his head for the role. Woo said it was just the image he wanted.
The studio wanted John Woo to take the slash out of the title. He kept it in so people wouldn’t think it was a hockey movie.
Despite the wild premise, Face/Off excited moviegoers. The film debuted atop the domestic box office, and it ended up making $112.2 million domestically and $245.7 million worldwide. It ended up being the 11th-highest-grossing movie of 1997.
The film was made with a budget of $80 million. Despite its hefty production cost, Face/Off went on to become a commercial success.
Face /Off won an Academy Award for Best Sound Effects Editing for its outstanding sound design.
The film’s intense action sequences and explosive sound effects captivated audiences and added to the overall cinematic experience.
John Woo, known for his stylish and flamboyant action sequences, directed Face/Off. His signature use of slow-motion shots and dual-wielding guns added a unique visual flair to the film.
The writers fine-tuned the story to ensure that it provided a compelling narrative with twists and turns.
Travolta and Cage underwent extensive training to prepare for their roles. They learned each other’s mannerisms and studied their body language to convincingly portray each other while retaining their own unique.
The highly coordinated fights scenes were choreographed by renowned stunt coordinator Vic Armstrong, and the explosions were added to the adrenaline-pumping nature of the film.
Upon its release, Face/Off was praised for its groundbreaking visual effects, which set a new standard in the industry, for the face-swapping sequences, which were seamlessly executed, leaving audiences in awe.
The movie’s cinematography, handled by Oliver Wood, showcased the dynamic action sequences in a visually stunning way, which expertly captured the tension and excitement of the film, that enhanced the overall viewing experience.
Face/Off received critical acclaim for its outstanding makeup and prosthetic work. The transformation between Travolta and Cage’s characters was seamless, thanks to the meticulous attention to detail by the makeup artists.
John Powell composed the film’s score, which would go on to beautifully complemented the intense action on screen. The music heightened the emotional impact of the film, adding depth to the characters and their journey.
Face/Off explores the complex themes of identity and the nature of good and evil. Through its face-swapping premise, the film delves into the question of whether a person’s physical appearance defines their humanity.
The movie contains several memorable quotes, including the famous line: “I want to take his face… off!” This line is delivered by Cage’s character and has become synonymous with the film and is often referenced in pop culture.
Face/Off features a stellar supporting cast, including Joan Allen, Gina Gershon, Alessandro Nivola, and Dominique Swain. Each actor brings depth and complexity to their respective roles, elevating the overall quality of the film.
Upon its release, Face/Off was praised for its groundbreaking visual effects, which set a new standard in the industry. The face-swapping sequences were seamlessly executed, leaving audiences in awe.
The movie’s high-octane action sequences are expertly choreographed, that give you the intense gunfights, car chases and explosive moments all contribute to the film’s adrenaline-fueled excitement, that leaves viewers on the edge of their seats.
Face/Off received several accolades, including Saturn Awards for Best Science Fiction Film and Best Supporting Actress for Joan Allen.
The unique premise of Face/Off captures the imagination, inviting viewers to question the nature of identity and the masks we wear. The film encourages introspection and contemplation long after the credits roll.
Face/Off continues to be celebrated as a standout film in John Woo’s filmography and as a hallmark of the action genre. Its enduring popularity speaks to its lasting impact on both fans and filmmakers alike.
Nicolas Cage didn’t want to see the grotesque face makeup, so John Woo hid all the reflective surfaces on set.
For John Woo’s birthday, Nicolas Cage and Nick Cassavetes gave him a Dirty Harry (1971) poster signed by Clint Eastwood. Woo has called Eastwood “my hero.”
Weapons coordinator Robert ‘Rock’ Galotti made five gold pistols for the movie. One was pre-sold to Planet Hollywood.
When Dubov is attacked by the guards at the prison, he dodges behind a box marked “Ingen”. That’s the company that cloned dinosaurs in Jurassic Park (1993). “Ingen” also means “no one” in Danish, Norwegian and Swedish.
Nicolas Cage considers Face/Off as one of the best movies he’s made.
Costume designer Ellen Miroinick made over 200 boots for the movie – some metal, some plastic. The metal boots weighed about 25 pounds each.
Mark Wahlberg turned down the role of Pollux Troy.
John Travolta and Nicolas Cage were considered to reunite after this movie for The Expendables 2 (2012) and Killing Season (2013) but scheduling conflicts caused them to not reunite again. Robert De Niro replaced Cage in the “Killing Season” opposite John Travolta.
The surgery scene is the only scene in the movie in which neither John Travolta nor Nicolas Cage appear (the characters of Sean Archer and Castor Troy are being played by two dummies).
John Travolta and his stand in did not get along with each other. The stand in tried to sabotage the production (to where it got quite legal) and got fired midway through. One of the extras in the jail scene was trained by Nicolas Cage’s stand in, and was replaced as a stand in for Travolta, who still works with him to this day.
A lot of people caught the flu while filming the prison scenes because of the dirty conditions there.
Over the course of a 2 hour, 20 minute movie the two main leads Sean Archer and Castor Troy only meet a total of 4 times.
Julianna Margulies turned down the role of Sasha Hessler because filming conflicted with her schedule for ER (1994). Jennifer Tilly was also considered for the role of Sasha Hessler.
The crew built a ramp onto the police boat. Archer’s boat launched off it at about 40 mph.
At one point, Patrick Swayze was being sought for one of the lead parts.
They considered a bunch of ways of putting Castor Troy into a coma at the beginning of the movie. He was supposed to be frozen in liquid nitrogen, but Paramount didn’t like it. Screenwriters Werb and Colleary suggested Troy climb an air traffic control tower and fall, which John Woo didn’t like. Electrocuted by high-voltage wires? But there’s no clue to how they came to the decision that was made.
There was nearly a different ending to the movie. Instead of adopting Castor Troy’s son, they didn’t think the audience would like the hero adopting his enemy’s son. Woo’s alternate idea was, whether or not Eve Archer had her real husband back. A test audience found that unsatisfying, and wanted to know what happened to Castor Troy’s kid, so they went back to original idea. The next time they tested, there was spontaneous and thunderous applause at the end.”
According to producer Barrie M. Osbourne, most of the challenging action scenes, including the fight on the deck of the boat and the airplane going down the runway, were originally planned as green screen shots. But they filmed them practically to support the “realism of story”.
For the face transplanting scenes, special effects wizards made unsettling realistic latex dummies of Cage and Travolta. Not only did they look just like the actors (right down to the painstakingly sewn-in body hair), they were animatronic, with facial muscles that twitched and chests that rose to simulate breathing.
The studio wanted Archer and Sasha to sleep together, but the writers and John Woo argued against it.
John Woo let Nick Cassavetes write a lot of his own lines for the movie.
It was released in June 1997, the same month as Nicolas Cage’s other action hit Con Air (1997), which came out a few weeks earlier. The films were shot consecutively, from the summer of 1996 to spring 1997, with the two productions nearly overlapping at one point.
Gina Gershon and Nick Cassavetes came up with the brother/sister kiss. Gershon said, “There’s something so warped about them anyway… I think they just really love each other.”
The main character is named Sean Archer. Sagittarius the Archer, one of the constellations of the zodiac, is diametrically opposite (half-way around the year from) the constellation Gemini. Castor and Pollux are the two major stars in the constellation Gemini..
Face/Off was one of the first paramount movies to be released on to Blu-Ray, which also included theatrical hits Next and Bee Movie.
Michael Douglas was the Executive Producer. The legendary actor had produced a dozen of films before this, including One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest and Starman, plus a few that he also starred in (like Romancing the Stone).
Thank you for visiting my blog today and taking the time to read this weeks post. I will leave you to bask in the sun, and enjoy the weather while you can, because lets face it, after all, it is the english weather we are talking about and we never know how long it will last. But please be careful and take all the necessary precautions to stay safe and keep hydrated. Enjoy the rest of your day, and I will see you next week. Bye for now.
Arias Writing Journal 