Living in Oblivion
by Tom DiCillo
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DVD details
Actor: Catherine Keener, Danielle von Zerneck, Dermot Mulroney, James LeGros, Steve BuscemiDirector: Tom DiCillo
Brand: Sony
DVD: Region Code 99
Audio: English (Unknown), Dolby Digital 2.0; English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0
Format: Anamorphic, Closed-captioned, Color, DVD, NTSC, Widescreen
Picture Format: Anamorphic Widescreen, 1.85:1
Running Time: 90 minutes
Published: 1995-01-01
DVD Release Date: 2003-02-11
Audience Rating: R (Restricted)
Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
DVD Reviews of Living in Oblivion
DVD Review: "Have you ever had a dream with a dwarf in it?"
Summary: 4 Stars
Ever have a bad day at work? I mean a day where you wonder why you even bothered getting out from underneath the covers of your warm, cozy, comfortable bed? I suppose everyone has, and each job has its' own hardships to be dealt with, but the world of independent filmmaking seems to be a particularly harsh and difficult occupation, fraught with unique difficulties, requiring of those who masochistically toil within its' domain to survive not on a day to day basis, but from one scene to another, often having to compromise their artistic intent and vision to accommodate the necessity of completing production before the funding runs out.
Living in Oblivion (1995), written and directed by Tom DiCillo, who also did the earlier indie film Johnny Suede (1991), which starred a then not so well known actor named Brad Pitt (it's worth looking for, if you enjoy films of an extremely off-beat nature and want to see Brad Pitt sporting a coif the size of Rhode Island), stars Steve Buscemi (Reservoir Dogs, Ghost World), and Catherine Keener (Being John Malkovich). Also appearing are Dermot Mulroney (About Schmidt), Danielle von Zerneck (La Bamba, My Science Project), and James LeGros (Phantasm II).
The film takes a humorous (to us, at least) look at hardships suffered upon Nick Reve (Buscemi) as he desperately tries to move forward his no budget film, focusing specifically on difficulties within his efforts to complete a couple of scenes of this seemingly ill-fated endeavor. Problems arise in the form of boom microphones in the shot, temperamental talent (actors, to you and me) missing their cues and/or marks and flubbing or forgetting their lines, out of focus cameras, exploding Fresnel (pronounced "fre-nel") lights (these are focusable spotlights used in film, television, and theatre), noisy sets and just the general boobery of an inexperienced (i.e. cheap), inept, or uncaring crew.
DiCillo really presents a very funny story here, one obviously based on his own, personal experiences as an independent filmmaker, given the level of detail including the usage of various industry terms and stereotypes (many stereotypes are based on some degree of truth). I thought all the actors appearing here did extremely well. Buscemi is great and completely believable as the frazzled director, trying to conceptualize his ideas to film, placating the emotional erratic actors and dealing with his bumbling and equally unstable production crew. Keener plays Nicole Springer, and actress whose career has seen better days (she's constantly referred to as that actress who had the shower scene in that Richard Gere movie) now stuck in independent movie hell, doubting her talents and abilities, usually requiring Nick to prop her up to continue. LeGros is wonderful Chad Palomino, a patently transparent, superficial, Hollywood pretty boy `slumming' between more prominent roles who continuously disrupts his scenes with `suggested' improvements, usually involving some inane idea ("Hey, what if I was wearing an eye patch?") or for himself to be more conspicuously displayed or highlighted within the scene, with Nick usually acquiescing in an effort to assuage the biggest name associated with his film. Next there's Wolf (Mulroney), the completely pretentious and overly sensitive cinematographer (beret and all) who's constantly second guessing Nick's perception of how the scenes should be shot. Last, but not least is Nick's AD (assistant director) Wanda, played by von Zerneck. I've read where people thought her portrayal was over-acted, but I'd have to disagree. If you've talked to anyone in the industry, they would probably tell you she acted exactly like an AD acts on the set of a film. She may have exaggerated her role a little bit, but most likely only because DiCillo instructed her to...an AD is basically the director's liaison between the crew and sometimes the cast. It's the AD's responsibility to communicate the director's instructions to all, ensuring everyone knows what's going on at all times, and also to be aware of everything that's happening on, and sometimes off, the set or location and keeping things on schedule. They take care of all the details that would take away from the director doing his/her job of, well, directing. I thought von Zerneck did very well, having to mollycoddle Nick while verbally whipping the crew, keeping them in line and on their toes. The more time wasted, the more production costs rise. The AD may not be the most popular person on the set, but they certainly serve a vital role. Scenes to watch for...when Nick, completely frustrated with his inability to get a scene shot without some sort of interruption or snafu occurring, explodes in a tirade all over the crew, going into extensive detail with regards to his perception of each of their faults with respect as to why the production isn't going as smoothly as planned...the scene where Chad Palomino causes numerous stoppages in filming as he interjects his own thoughts about the scene, oblivious to irritated crew...finally, the scene involving a dream sequence, featuring one rather angry dwarf named Tito, who Nicole accidentally refers to more than once as `Toto'...Tito's objections to typecasting become apparent during a diatribe directed at Nick...'Have you ever had a dream with a dwarf in it? Do you know anyone who's had a dream with a dwarf in it? No! I don't even have dreams with dwarves in them!'....my advice? If you're an independent filmmaker, be wary of how you use dwarves in your films.
The wide screen (1:85:1) picture provided on this DVD looks pretty good, and the audio is clear and crisp. Special features include an interview filmed before an audience with director DiCillo and Buscemi worth watching if you enjoyed the film. DiCillo outlines how the concept for the film came about, and Buscemi relates how he used his own directorial experiences in presenting the character of Nick, rather than basing off someone he's worked with...also included is a commentary track by DiCillo and a deleted scene.
Cookieman108
Description of Living in Oblivion
LIVING IN OBLIVION - DVD MovieYou won't find a smarter, more amusing, or more accurate send-up of low-budget filmmaking than Tom DiCillo's 1995 independent feature, Living in Oblivion, wherein a motley cast of would-be artistes blunders its way through a day on the set. Steve Buscemi plays goateed Nick Reve, a harried, sweating director whose crew of numbskulls and egotists seems hell-bent on ruining his film. The trials and tribulations of independent filmmaking are not foreign material for writer-director DiCillo, who cut his teeth as Jim Jarmusch's cinematographer on 1985's Stranger Than Paradise before going on to direct his own work, such as the offbeat 1992 comedy Johnny Suede. Like that film, Living in Oblivion rides a precariously thin line between the real and the surreal, featuring a midget actor and an exploding smoke-effects machine, as well as a ridiculously narcissistic Brad Pittesque character played by James Le Gros. While films like Get Shorty, François Truffaut's Day for Night, and Jean-Luc Godard's Contempt suggest that moviemaking is hip and glamorous, Living in Oblivion will have none of that. The film within the film feels like a director's primer on what not to do, and this modest-budget gem both lovingly and caustically strips the "cool" veneer from the filmmaking process. They should show this one to kids thinking of entering film school. It might make them think better of it. --Nick Poppy
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