Highball is a 2002 American comedy film[2] directed by Noah Baumbach, and written by Baumbach, Carlos Jacott, and Christopher Reed. The film was shot over six days in 1997, financed with money left over from Baumbach's previous film Mr. Jealousy. Highball was never completed to Baumbach's satisfaction and he ultimately abandoned it.[3] In April 2002,[4] a version of the film assembled by the producers was released on VHS[5] against Baumbach's wishes.[6] Upon release, the film was credited as having been directed by "Ernie Fusco" and written by "Jesse Carter" after being disowned by Baumbach and his co-writers.[7][8][9]
Highball | |
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Film poster | |
Directed by | Noah Baumbach |
Written by |
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Produced by | Joel Castleberg |
Starring | |
Cinematography | Steven Bernstein |
Edited by | J. Kathleen Gibson |
Production companies |
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Release date |
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Running time | 90 minutes |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Plot
editThis article needs an improved plot summary. (September 2009) |
Diane, part of a newly married couple, Travis and Diane, decides to improve her social life by throwing three great parties and inviting people to their Brooklyn apartment. The film follows this pursuit over the course of a year.
Friends' (Justine Bateman, Peter Bogdanovich, Dean Cameron) relationships are tested during a birthday party, a Halloween party and a New Year's Eve party.
Cast
edit- Justine Bateman as Sandy
- Noah Baumbach as Philip
- Chris Eigeman as Fletcher
- Peter Bogdanovich as Frank
- Eric Stoltz as Darien
- Rae Dawn Chong as Herself
- Ally Sheedy as Herself
- Carlos Jacott as Felix
- John Lehr as Miles
- Lauren Katz as Diane
- Christopher Reed as Travis
- Dean Cameron as The Magician
- Annabella Sciorra as Molly
Removal of credit
editBaumbach has removed his credit for the film, explaining in an interview with The A.V. Club:
And it was a funny script. But it was just too ambitious. We didn't have enough time, we didn't finish it, it didn't look good, it was just a whole ... mess. [Laughs.] We couldn't get it done, and I had a falling out with the producer. He abandoned it, and I had no money to finish it, to go back and maybe get two more days or something. Then later, it was put out on DVD without my approval.[8]
DVD
editThe Making Of Highball is a 75-minute featurette which includes interviews with Joel Kastelberg, Christopher Reed, Lauren Katz, John Lehr, Rae Dawn Chong, Peter Bogdanovich, and Dean Cameron.[10]
References
edit- ^
- https://www.screendaily.com/news/-ifta-elections-choose-executive-committee-board-for-2016-18/5109728.article
- https://www.screendaily.com/kmi-boards-international-sales-on-soderberghs-liberace/5007812.article
- [1]
- https://variety.com/exec/kathy-morgan/
- https://www.screendaily.com/kathy-morgan-reelected-to-chair-of-afma/406993.article
- https://incinemas.sg/article-details.aspx?id=2465
- https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/person/360878%7C0/Kathy-Morgan
- "Highball (1997)". BFI.org.uk. Archived from the original on December 3, 2018. Retrieved 24 August 2023.
- ^ "Highball". Furious Cinema. 13 July 2022. Retrieved 24 August 2023.
- ^ Wilson, Matt (2016-10-04). "10 Directors Who Used Pseudonyms To Disown Their Films". Taste of Cinema - Movie Reviews and Classic Movie Lists. Retrieved 2024-06-28.
- ^ "Highball VHS". amazon.com. Lions Gate. 2 April 2002. Retrieved 24 August 2023.
- ^ "Noah Baumbach's difficult second act". The Dissolve. Retrieved 24 August 2023.
- ^ Parker, Ian (22 April 2013). "Happiness". The New Yorker. Retrieved 24 August 2023.
- ^ Hassenger, Jesse (April 8, 2014). "Noah Baumbach has basically disowned one of his funniest films". The A.V. Club. Retrieved December 26, 2022.
- ^ a b Murray, Noel (November 9, 2005). "Noah Baumbach". The A.V. Club. Retrieved April 8, 2014.
- ^ Murray, Noel (9 November 2005). "Noah Baumbach". The A.V. Club. Retrieved 24 August 2023.
- ^ Gonzales, Dillon (12 August 2022). "'Highball' (MVD Entertainment) Blu-Ray Review - Mistreated Noah Baumbach Dramedy Is More Than Just An Oddity". Geek Vibes Nation.
External links
edit- Highball at AllMovie
- Highball at Box Office Mojo
- Highball at Rotten Tomatoes
- Highball at IMDb