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Anche gli uccelli uccidono (Brewster McCloud) è un film del 1970 diretto da Robert Altman.
Trama
Produzione
Filmed immediately following M*A*S*H* (1970) and released the same year, Brewster McCloud (1970) is even more unstructured and freewheeling than Robert Altman's influential anti-war satire. A contemporary take on the Icarus legend, Brewster McCloud is a crazy quilt of contrasting styles and ideas, combining the comic frenzy of a Chuck Jones cartoon with European film influences (Fellini, Godard, Truffaut) and in-joke movie homages to such favorites as The Wizard of Oz (1939) and Bullitt (1968). In some ways, the film even prefigures the gross-out humor of such current fare as There's Something About Mary (1998) in scenes involving bird excrement and a particularly gross-out kissing scene where the heroine has just vomited.(tcm.turner.com/tcmdb/title/69645/Brewster-McCloud/articles.html)
The original screenplay of Brewster McCloud was entitled Brewster McCloud's (Sexy) Flying Machine and had passed from studio to studio over the years, developing a mystique as one of the most famous unproduced scripts in Hollywood. Despite Bob Dylan's interest in the script at one time, the film project seemed doomed until music producer Lou Adler (he managed The Mamas and the Papas) took an interest in it and passed it along to Robert Altman. Brian McKay, who had previously worked with Altman on TV series like Bonanza, took a stab at revising the screenplay but soon dropped out of the project over creative differences with the director, leaving Altman to fashion his own script, often on the fly. Doran William Cannon, the original author, was denied any involvement in the film and was outraged when he eventually saw the finished version. He had also experienced severe disappointment over Otto Preminger's botched adaptation of his screenplay for Skidoo (1968).(tcm.turner.com/tcmdb/title/69645/Brewster-McCloud/articles.html)
The on-___location filming of Brewster McCloud was another story. It was Altman's idea to film in Houston, Texas and use the Astrodome as the central ___location. Of course, there were the expected on-the-set difficulties: Altman replaced cinematographer Jordan Cronenweth with Lamar Boren during the shoot and clashed with leading man Bud Cort. The director also was briefly hospitalized with a hernia which slowed down production. But there were also good times as well. Altman liked to party as hard as he worked and insisted on relaxing with his cast and crew after hours, hosting informal gatherings where the marijuana and alcohol were plentiful. Brewster McCloud marked the screen debut of Shelley Duvall who was discovered at an engagement party for a local Houston artist. Duvall would go on to become a key actress for Altman, appearing in six of his films, including Three Women (1977) in which she plays a similarly vacuous and foolish character. Another Altman favorite, Michael Murphy, appears in an amusing supporting role as detective Frank Shaft, a broad parody of Steve McQueen's character in Bullitt, complete with piercing blue eyes (courtesy of special contact lenses) and an ever-changing wardrobe of turtlenecks and leather shoulder holsters.(tcm.turner.com/tcmdb/title/69645/Brewster-McCloud/articles.html)
Although Altman predicted that Brewster McCloud would join M*A*S*H* in dominating the Oscar race in 1970, he was sadly mistaken. Critics were either baffled by or hostile to its peculiar charms and James Aubrey, the new studio head of MGM, so disliked Altman and the film that he condemned Brewster McCloud to a quick play-off in saturation bookings across the country. But Altman still champions Brewster McCloud as one of his favorites and it certainly enjoyed a certain cult status among college film societies during the seventies.(tcm.turner.com/tcmdb/title/69645/Brewster-McCloud/articles.html)
Music producer Lou Adler made his entrée into feature filmmaking with Brewster McCloud, announced as an upcoming collaboration between Adler, producer Phil Feldman, and musician John Phillips in the 28 Feb 1969 DV. The working title, Brewster McCloud’s Sexy Flying Machine, was later shortened to Brewster McCloud’s Flying Machine, and finally to Brewster McCloud, as noted in the 22 May 1970 DV. In an interview published in the 13 Dec 1970 LAT, Adler stated that Phil Feldman had owned the property when he first became interested in it, but that he had later convinced Feldman to become a silent partner. In the meantime, a 4 Apr 1969 DV brief reported that Adler, Feldman, and attorney-agent Art Linson had formed a partnership, and that Linson would also be involved with Brewster McCloud.(catalog.afi.com/Film/20657-BREWSTER-MCCLOUD?cxt=filmography)
In the LAT article, Adler claimed to have “paid a lot more than was really necessary for the script.” The first-time producer also recalled that actor Michael J. Pollard, who was initially set to play the titular role, had dropped out soon after he had joined the project. In the wake of Pollard’s departure, Adler sent the script to Robert Altman, who was editing M*A*S*H (1970, see entry) at that time. When Altman signed on to direct, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Inc. (MGM) agreed to back the picture. Although the budget was cited in LAT as $1.8 million, the 28 Aug 1970 DV listed a vastly different final cost of $5.6 million.(catalog.afi.com/Film/20657-BREWSTER-MCCLOUD?cxt=filmography)
The 15 Apr 1970 Var stated that Altman and screenwriter Brian McKay had nearly completed the latest draft of the screenplay. Revisions continued throughout production, which began the following month. The 31 Jan 1971 LAT review noted rumors that Doran William Cannon, the only writer to receive onscreen credit, was displeased with the final film.(catalog.afi.com/Film/20657-BREWSTER-MCCLOUD?cxt=filmography)
Bud Cort’s casting was announced in a 7 May 1970 DV brief. Cort had appeared in M*A*S*H, as had the following six actors also cast in Brewster McCloud: Sally Kellerman, Rene Auberjonois, Michael Murphy, John Schuck, G. Wood, and Corey Fisher.(catalog.afi.com/Film/20657-BREWSTER-MCCLOUD?cxt=filmography)
Principal photography began in Houston, TX, on 22 May 1970, as reported in that day’s DV. Filmmakers were permitted by Judge Roy Hofheinz to shoot inside the Houston Astrodome, marking the first time a feature film had ever been shot inside the structure. The ___location agreement stipulated that the world premiere be held at the Astrodome. Shooting dates of 10-20 Jun 1970 were arranged so that filming would only take place while the Houston Astros baseball team were playing away games, the 30 Apr 1970 DV reported. On 10 Jul 1970, DV noted that Altman and several cast members had been felled by the flu, and that the second unit had taken over. Principal photography was completed by the end of Jul or early Aug 1970, as indicated in the 28 Jul 1970 DV and 5 Aug 1970 Var.(catalog.afi.com/Film/20657-BREWSTER-MCCLOUD?cxt=filmography)
Since Lou Adler was accustomed to the faster pace of the music industry, he encouraged a quick turnaround between the filming and release, according to the 13 Dec 1970 LAT. He worked closely with John Phillips, who wrote four songs for the picture without visiting set or viewing any footage. The two had nearly daily telephone conversations throughout production, in which Adler gave an account of the production and his “impressions of Houston,” to be used by Phillips as inspiration for his songs. The 30 Dec 1970 Los Angeles Sentinel described as unprecedented the film’s inclusion of the song “Lift Every Voice And Sing,” known as the “Black National Anthem.” Adler claimed that the tune, which had reportedly never been heard in a film up to that point, was chosen because the general population needed to hear it, and its uplifting message matched that of the film.(catalog.afi.com/Film/20657-BREWSTER-MCCLOUD?cxt=filmography)
Editing took place in Vancouver, British Columbia, where Altman had recently moved, according to an article in the 29 Oct 1970 DV. A sneak preview was scheduled to occur on 31 Oct 1970 in Denver, CO, the 29 Oct 1970 DV stated. Following the screening, a 3 Nov 1970 DV item stated that seventy-five percent of audience response cards had been positive, and Adler asserted that no further changes would be made. The 17 Nov 1970 DV reviewed a preview version of the film with a 101-minute running time. The picture was eventually released with a 104-minute running time, as stated in reviews in the 9 Dec 1970 Var and 24 Dec 1970 NYT.(catalog.afi.com/Film/20657-BREWSTER-MCCLOUD?cxt=filmography)
The 5 Dec 1970 world premiere at the Astrodome was touted in various contemporary sources, including the 28 Nov 1970 LAT, as the largest-ever film premiere after the 1956 debut of Around the World in 80 Days (see entry) at New York City’s Madison Square Garden, attended by roughly 15,000 people. The 7 Dec 1970 DV claimed that an estimated 23,900 patrons went to the Brewster McCloud premiere, for which a special 70mm print, costing $9,000, had been ordered. The screen set up on the field was seventy feet high and 150 feet wide, and never-before-used projection equipment that had been installed in the Astrodome six years prior was utilized for the first time. Unfortunately, sound and technical problems ensued, and DV noted that only people in the “very front rows and the sixth balcony” could hear the dialogue clearly. A 20 Dec 1970 LAT article lamented the “faulty technical conditions” and claimed that MGM had predicted trouble with showing the film, better suited to intimate art houses, in such a large space. Yet when the studio tried to switch the ___location, it “was prevented by the danger of a law suit.” The event raised money for Houston’s Tent 34 of Variety Clubs International. On display was the flying machine seen in the film, built by MGM’s prop department, which was to be placed on permanent exhibition at the Astrodome.(catalog.afi.com/Film/20657-BREWSTER-MCCLOUD?cxt=filmography)
Brewster McCloud opened to mixed reviews on 23 Dec 1970 at New York City’s Coronet Theatre. In just over a year of release, it grossed $1.3 million in film rentals, according to a box-office chart in the 5 Jan 1972 Var.(catalog.afi.com/Film/20657-BREWSTER-MCCLOUD?cxt=filmography)
The picture marked the first release under Altman’s producing banner, Lion’s Gate Films, which had been formed in the wake of M*A*S*H’s success. Altman later sold the company to producer Jonathan Taplin, as reported in an 11 Jul 1981 NYT article.(catalog.afi.com/Film/20657-BREWSTER-MCCLOUD?cxt=filmography)
Houston Oilers wide receiver Mac Haik was named as a cast member in the 24 Jun 1970 Var. The 5 Aug 1970 Var noted that Ringling Bros. Barnum & Bailey Circus appeared in the climactic ending sequence.(catalog.afi.com/Film/20657-BREWSTER-MCCLOUD?cxt=filmography)
Robert Altman's personal favorite of the films he directed.(imdb.trivia)
Robert Altman hated the script so much, he tossed it out and actors were coached on lines as they shot scenes.(imdb.trivia)
A single 70mm print of the film was struck for its premiere in the Houston Astrodome to be shown in front of over 23,000 people. By all accounts, it was a disaster with terrible sound problems.(imdb.trivia)
The movie premier took place inside the Astrodome. Harris County Judge Roy Hofheinz, who controlled the Dome at that time, promoted the movie by trying to sell tickets for cars to drive in and watch the movie. Failing this, VIPs watched the movie from folding chairs on the field.(imdb.trivia)
When Brewster and Suzanne are inside the Astroworld theme park, they enter the Lost World River Adventure. This particular theme ride was later renamed the River of No Return in 1976, and officially decommissioned in 1983. Astroworld, part of the Six Flags empire, was closed after 31 October 2005 and the entire park was razed in February 2006.(imdb.trivia)
On 5 December 1970, a record 23,930 people attended the premiere of the movie at the Houston Astrodome.(imdb.trivia)
The scene where Sally Kellerman bathes in Houston's Mecom Fountain and feigns surprise into the camera is a parody of her famous humiliation scene in M.A.S.H. (1970).(imdb.trivia)
Daphne Heap (Margaret Hamilton) is shown wearing red slippers (though they are identified as being rhinestone rather than ruby), a reference to Hamilton's role in Il mago di Oz (1939). The shot includes a few bars of "Over the Rainbow" on the soundtrack. Hamilton's character in the film is also evil in nature - to keep up with the time period with the turbulence of the late 1960s especially the Civil Rights Movement she is portrayed as a bigot where she uses the "N" word (racial epithet for African Americans) prior to her death scene.(imdb.trivia)
The original title of the film was "Brewster McCloud's Amazing, Sexy Flying Machine".(imdb.trivia)
Casting director Gary Chason couldn't find anyone to play the Camera Store Clerk, so decided to play the part himself.(imdb.trivia)
Robert Altman always referred to this as his boldest work.(imdb.trivia)
First of seven films that Shelley Duvall made with director Robert Altman.(imdb.trivia)
Debut theatrical feature film of actress Shelley Duvall.(imdb.trivia)
Suzanne's apartment features a poster for M.A.S.H. (1970), also directed by Robert Altman.(imdb.trivia)
License plates of the cars are bird references: Abraham Wright-OWL 180, Suzanne Davis-DUV 222, Lousie- BRD SHT, and Det. Lt. Frank Shaft- DOD O86. Furthermore, Suzanne's car is a Plymouth Road Runner.(imdb.trivia)
Part of the chase scene filmed in the Riverside Terrace neighborhood east of Almeda Road (e.g., where Shaft's Camaro Z28 crashes through an abandoned house; a dead-end cul-de-sac) was later bulldozed by the Texas Department of Transportation when State Highway 288 was built through a section of Riverside Terrace. This particular ___location (a sharp curve on North MacGregor east of Almeda Road) no longer exists and in its place the Highway 288 overpass was constructed, as well as the elevated sections for the service lanes.(imdb.trivia)
Bob Dylan showed some interest in the script.(imdb.trivia)
The first feature produced by Robert Altman's Lion's Gate Films.(imdb.trivia)
The audio rack with the 15" reel-to-reel tape recorder & other equipment used by Bud Cort in the bowels of the Astrodome was provided by Houston Electronics Co. (now defunct) & was later sold to Texas radio evangelist Lester Roloff for use in his Rebekah Home for Girls in Corpus Christi, TX, who likely had no idea of its prior use. It was used to record secretly what went on in the rooms because it could record at a very slow IPS rate & long recording time.(imdb.trivia)
When Doran William Cannon was writing the script, he had in mind Austin Pendleton to play Brewster. Pendleton, who was in Skidoo (1968) written by Cannon, passed on it to do Comma 22 (1970).(imdb.trivia)
Robert Altman substantially changed screenwriter Doran William Cannon's script which displeased the author greatly. Cannon wrote a fiery editorial in the New York Times, calling the film "shit".(imdb.trivia)
Doran William Cannon had a clause in his contract prohibiting anyone else from receiving writing credit on this film. Thus he received the sole writing credit, although very little of his script beyond the basic story ended up in the movie.(imdb.trivia)
Doran William Cannon's script was in existence for some years before Altman's film was finally made. At one point, Bob Dylan had an option on the script and considered making the film with himself in the title role.(imdb.trivia)
First feature film to be filmed inside the Houston Astrodome.(imdb.trivia)
According to Robert Altman, the original setting was a New York airport.(imdb.trivia)
Released 11 months after M.A.S.H. (1970) made Robert Altman a critical darling.(imdb.trivia)
At the time this film was shot, there was no recognized film industry in Texas. After its release, the Texas Film Commission was created in 1971 as a division of the Texas Department of Commerce. The commission became part of the Office of the Texas Governor in 1991 when Gov.Ann Richards took office.(imdb.trivia)
Brian McKay did a great deal of rewriting on the film without credit, and there was, as usual, a great deal of last-minute improvisation by director Robert Altman and the actors.(imdb.trivia)
Louise is seen driving a 1970 AMC Gremlin. Five years after the film's release, the Houston Police Department used a 1975 AMC Gremlin as an experimental police vehicle for its Traffic Bureau division - no fleet orders came to fruition. The traffic bureau division (known as the Downtown Houston parking detail) is the predecessor of HPD's Traffic Enforcement Division (one spinoff division is the Mobility Unit which is part of HPD Special Operations) and the City of Houston Parking Management Division.(imdb.trivia)
Included among the American Film Institute's 2000 list of the 500 movies nominated for the Top 100 Funniest American Movies.(imdb.trivia)
Robert Altman replaced cinematographer Jordan Cronenweth with Lamar Boren.(imdb.trivia)
The film's recurrent theme of birdshit was mirrored 24 years later in Altman's Prêt-à-Porter (1994) which had a similar fixation with dog poo.(imdb.trivia)
The Y-shaped building seen in the opening credits is the Astrohall. After Reliant Energy owned the naming rights to the Astrodomain since October 2000, the Astrohall was demolished in May 2002 to make way for a parking lot for Reliant Stadium. In reality, the Astrohall was used for livestock exhibitions because the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo was one of the tenants.(imdb.trivia)
Not the least of the changes made by Robert Altman to the original script was the spelling of the hero's surname - it was originally "McCleod".(imdb.trivia)
Actress Shelley Duvall received an 'introducing' credit.(imdb.trivia)
The name of the serial killer was "The Houston Strangler".(imdb.trivia)
The scene where Brewster is walking in a rainstorm depicts the Texas Gulf Coast weather where sea breeze showers (similar to the Monsoon of South Asia) originating from moisture based in the Gulf of Mexico usually produce rainfall which occurs during afternoon hours. This same moisture pattern also feeds into the North American Monsoon which affects the Southwest United States. The Houston Metro climate is in face a humid subtropical climate. Yearly average rainfall collected from Bush Intercontinental Airport's rain gauges (since 1969) usually yield around 66 inches a year although hurricanes and tropical storms can place the average to 88-100 inches.(imdb.trivia)
When Abraham Wright is seen rolling downhill, the M & M Building is seen in the background. At the time of filming, the building was used by South Texas Junior College until 1974, when the University of Houston system took over the building and rechristened the building as the University of Houston - Downtown. The southbound lanes seen in the film during this particular scene was reconstructed in 2002 as part of the (then) northern terminus of the METRORail line, which officially opened on January 1, 2004. Since December 2013, the former northern terminus (now the Red Line Extension) now terminates at the Northline Transit Center.(imdb.trivia)
Johnson is seen driving west on the Southwest Freeway (U.S. 59) in one scene of the film - at the time of filming, there was a road sign where eastbound traffic had to exit northeast. This particular exit is known to Houstonians as the Spur 527. This stretch of the Southwest Freeway was completed in May 1961; as of February 2004, plans are underway to reconstruct the freeway below grade level (in other words - the freeway will be in a trench). The freeway reconstruction was completed in June 2006.(imdb.trivia)
In the film, most of the greenspace surrounding the Astrodome was undeveloped (e.g. where Fannin and Knight Road intersect, along with a stretch of Holly Hall Road) back in 1970 - most of the area surrounding the Astrodome has been developed, either as retail or as part of the Texas Medical Center.(imdb.trivia)
A billboard next to a railroad crossing (___location unknown) during the hot pursuit scene has an advertisement for the former MacRobert Chevrolet dealership - there were 2 Houston locations (4905 North Shepherd in the Garden Oaks area and 10306 South Post Oak at West Bellfort - the South Post Oak ___location was renamed A.J. Foyt Chevrolet in 1973). Foyt sold the latter dealership in the late 1980s where it was renamed Texstar Chevrolet until the early 1990s when the site was razed - the former car dealer compound is now the ___location of a Kroger Signature grocery store (Meyer Park ___location) since 1995. The North Shepherd ___location was razed and redeveloped.(imdb.trivia)
The railroad viaduct where part of the chase scene took place is a former Houston Belt and Terminal rail line located west of Ardmore Street in the Riverside subdivision; this particular ___location was decommissioned (and demolished) in the early 1980s when State Highway 288 was under construction.(imdb.trivia)
The opening credits are done twice, followed by the MGM lion opening his mouth to Auberjonois' voice saying, "I forgot the opening line". The opening credits are superimposed over Daphne Heap (Margaret Hamilton) rehearsing "The Star-Spangled Banner" with a marching band in the Astrodome. She stops the song and accuses the band of being on the wrong key. The band begins again, and the credits also start over, with the same titles repeated with the "better" version of the song. One of the opening credits reads: "Title song by Francis Scott Key".(imdb.goofs)
The movie premier took place inside the Astrodome. Harris County Judge Roy Hofheinz, who controlled the Dome at that time, promoted the movie by trying to sell tickets for cars to drive-in and watch the movie. Failing this, vip's watched the movie from folding chairs on the field.(tcm.turner.com/tcmdb/title/69645/Brewster-McCloud/trivia.html)
Robert Altman hated the script so much, he tossed it out and actors were coached on lines as they shot scenes.(tcm.turner.com/tcmdb/title/69645/Brewster-McCloud/trivia.html)
Sceneggiatura
Cast
Riprese
22 May - late Jul or early Aug 1970.(catalog.afi.com/Film/20657-BREWSTER-MCCLOUD?cxt=filmography)
- Astrodome - 8400 Kirby Drive, Houston, Texas, USA
- Astroworld - 9001 Kirby Drive, Houston, Texas, USA
- Buffalo Bayou Park - Allen Parkway at Memorial Drive, Houston, Texas, USA
- Commerce Street, Houston, Texas, USA
- Fannin & Greenbriar intersection, Houston, Texas, USA
- Fannin & Old Spanish Trail intersection, Houston, Texas, USA
- Holly Hall overpass, Houston, Texas, USA
- Houston Zoo - 1513 N. McGregor, Houston, Texas, USA
- Mecom Fountain - Main Street & Montrose Boulevard, Houston, Texas, USA
- Memorial Drive, Houston, Texas, USA
- Railroad bridge over Brays Bayou between North & South MacGregor, Houston, Texas, USA
- Rice University - 6100 Main Street, Houston, Texas, USA
Post-produzione
Distribuzione
Italy September 1971 (Venice Film Festival) (labiennale.org/it/passpres/cinema/annali.php?m=46&s=760&c=eo)
Houston premiere: 5 Dec 1970; New York opening: 23 Dec 1970 at the Coronet Theatre; Los Angeles opening: 3 Feb 1971 at the Picwood Theatre.(catalog.afi.com/Film/20657-BREWSTER-MCCLOUD?cxt=filmography)
Date di uscita
- USA (Brewster McCloud) – 5 December 1970 (Houston, Texas)
- USA (Brewster McCloud) – 23 December 1970 (New York City, New York)
- UK (Brewster McCloud) – June 1971
- Italy (Anche gli uccelli uccidono) – August 1971 (Genova)
- France (Brewster McCloud) – 18 August 1971
- Italy (Anche gli uccelli uccidono) – 2 October 1971
- Japan (Bird Shit) – 30 October 1971
- Spain (El volar es para los pájaros) – 8 May 1972
- Uruguay (El volar es para los pájaros) – 29 November 1973
- Sweden (Fågel, mördare eller mittemellan) – 9 October 1978
Home Video
DVD: 13 luglio 2010 Warner Bros. Digital Distribution - BlueRay: 27 novembre 2018.(allmovie.com/movie/brewster-mccloud-v7070/releases)
Accoglienza
Incassi
Critica
Colonna sonora
soundtrackcollector.com/catalog/soundtrackdetail.php?movieid=10399 discogs.com/Various-Brewster-McCloud-Original-Soundtrack-Album/release/1898044
Tracce
- Rock-A-Bye-Baby – Sally Kellerman (00:31)
- White Feather Wings – Merry Clayton (02:50)
- Funeral – Merry Clayton (00:17)
- Lift Every Voice and Sing – Merry Clayton (03:05)
- Promise Not to Tell – John Philips (01:11)
- Last of the Unnatural Acts – John Philips (01:29)
- First and Last Thing You Do – John Philips (02:48)
- White Feather Wings – Merry Clayton (01:26)
- The Star Spangled Banner – Margaret Hamilton And The Jack Yates High School Band (02:44)
- Caged – House Of Representatives (01:52)
- Over the Rainbow – Gene Page (02:16)
- Two In the Bush – Gene Page (05:10)
- Brewster Don't Blow Your Mind – Gene Page (01:51)
- Lost City – Gene Page (01:33)
- Brewster Don't Blow Your Mind (Reprise) – Gene Page (02:07)
Note
Bibliografia
Voci correlate
Altri progetti
Collegamenti esterni
[[Categoria:Film commedia [[Categoria:Film drammatici [[Categoria:Film commedia drammatica [[Categoria:Film diretti da Robert Altman [[Categoria:Film ambientati in Texas [[Categoria:Film sull'aviazione [[Categoria:Film Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer