Shadows and Fog (1991)

Director:

Woody Allen

Writer (WGA):

Woody Allen (written by)

Release Date:

20 March 1992 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

Plot:

With a serial strangler on the loose, a bookkeeper wanders around town searching for the vigilante group intent on catching the killer.

Plot Keywords:

Strangler | Night | Circus | Vigilante | Directed By Star

Awards:

1 win & 1 nomination

Cast

Michael Kirby	...	Killer
Woody Allen	...	Kleinman
David Ogden Stiers	...	Hacker
James Rebhorn	...	Vigilante
Victor Argo	...	Vigilante
Daniel von Bargen	...	Vigilante (as Daniel Von Bargen)
Camille Saviola	...	Landlady
Tim Loomis	...	Dwarf
Katy Dierlam	...	Fat Lady
Mia Farrow	...	Irmy
John Malkovich	...	Clown
Madonna	...	Marie
Dennis Vestunis	...	Strongman
Donald Pleasence	...	Doctor
Lily Tomlin	...	Prostitute
Jodie Foster	...	Prostitute
Kathy Bates	...	Prostitute
Anne Lange	...	Prostitute
Andy Berman	...	Student (as Andrew Mark Berman)
Paul Anthony Stewart	...	Student
Thomas L. Bolster	...	Student (as Thomas Bolster)
John Cusack	...	Student Jack
Fred Melamed	...	Undesirables Onlooker
Greg Stebner	...	Police Chief
Peter Appel	...	Cop at Police Station
John C. Reilly	...	Cop at Police Station
Brian Smiar	...	Cop at Police Station
Michael P. Troy	...	Cop at Police Station
Remak Ramsay	...	Cop at Police Station (as Remak Ramsey)
Ron Turek	...	Cop at Police Station
Philip Bosco	...	Mr. Paulsen
Peter McRobbie	...	Bartender
Josef Sommer	...	Priest
Ira Wheeler	...	Cop with Priest
Eszter Balint	...	Woman with Baby
Rebecca Gibson	...	Baby
Kate Nelligan	...	Eve
Kurtwood Smith	...	Vogel's Follower
Fred Gwynne	...	Hacker's Follower
Robert Silver	...	Hacker's Follower
Charles Cragin	...	Spiro
Robert Joy	...	Spiro's Assistant
William H. Macy	...	Cop with Spiro (as W.H. Macy)
Tom Riis Farrell	...	Vigilante with Spiro
Ron Weyand	...	Vigilante with Spiro
Julie Kavner	...	Alma
Wallace Shawn	...	Simon Carr
Kenneth Mars	...	Magician
Richard Riehle	...	Roustabout
Max Robinson	...	Roustabout
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Tomas Arana	...	Confessing Man (uncredited)
David Sherrick	...	Cop at Police Station (uncredited)

Directed by
Woody Allen

Writing credits (WGA)
Woody Allen		(written by)

Produced by
Robert Greenhut	....	producer
Joseph Hartwick	....	co-producer
Charles H. Joffe	....	executive producer
Thomas A. Reilly	....	associate producer (as Thomas Reilly)
Helen Robin	....	co-producer
Jack Rollins	....	executive producer

Cinematography by
Carlo Di Palma		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Susan E. Morse

Casting by
Juliet Taylor

Production Design by
Santo Loquasto

Art Direction by
Speed Hopkins

Set Decoration by
George DeTitta Jr.
Amy Marshall

Costume Design by
Jeffrey Kurland

Makeup Department
Romaine Greene	....	hairstylist
Bernadette Mazur	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Joseph Hartwick	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Richard Patrick	....	second assistant director
Thomas A. Reilly	....	first assistant director (as Thomas Reilly)
Jennifer Wilkinson	....	dga trainee

Art Department
Joseph Alfieri	....	standby carpenter (as Joe Alfieri)
Peter Eastman	....	assistant art director
W. Steven Graham	....	assistant art director
Vincent Guarriello	....	chief construction grip
Glenn Lloyd	....	art department coordinator
James Mazzola	....	property master
Richard Michael Miller	....	assistant art director (as Michael Miller)
Robert Perdziola	....	assistant art director
Ron Petagna	....	construction coordinator
Cosmo Sorice	....	standby scenic artist
James Sorice	....	master scenic artist
Tom Warren	....	associate art director
Dave Weinman	....	set dresser
Elise Bennett	....	painter (uncredited)
Frank Didio	....	head carpenter (uncredited)
Lauren Doner	....	scenic artist (uncredited)
Brick Mason	....	storyboard artist (uncredited)
Vinny Mazzarella	....	props (uncredited)
Michael Scarola	....	construction grip (uncredited)

Sound Department
Yasmine Amitai	....	apprentice sound editor (as Jasmine Amitai)
Elisha Birnbaum	....	foley artist
Lee Dichter	....	re-recording mixer: Sound One Corp.
Frank Graziadei	....	sound recordist
Robert Hein	....	supervising sound editor (as Bob Hein)
Harry Higgins	....	dubbing recorder
Kerry Kelley	....	dubbing recorder
Lori Kornspun	....	foley editor
Stuart Levy	....	assistant sound editor
James Sabat	....	production sound mixer
Louis Sabat	....	boom operator
Dan Sable	....	sound design consultant: Hastings Sound Editorial
Brian Vancho	....	foley artist

Visual Effects by
Randall Balsmeyer	....	visual effects supervisor (uncredited)
Andy Hudson	....	visual effects (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Stuart Allen	....	operator: Louma crane
David E. Baron	....	camera assistant trainee (as David Baron)
Ronald Burke	....	dolly grip
Michael Caracciolo	....	second assistant cameraperson
Michael Green	....	assistant cameraperson
Brian Hamill	....	still photographer
Jim Manzione	....	best boy
Dick Mingalone	....	camera operator
Ray Quinlan	....	gaffer
Robert Ward	....	key grip (as Bob Ward)
Chris Hammond	....	electrician (uncredited)

Casting Department
Judie Fixler	....	additional casting: Todd Thaler Casting
Laura Rosenthal	....	casting associate

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Bill Christians	....	wardrobe supervisor: men
Patricia Eiben	....	wardrobe supervisor: women
Lauren Gibson	....	costume assistant
Donna Zakowska	....	assistant costume designer

Editorial Department
William Kruzykowski	....	assistant film editor
Mark Livolsi	....	assistant film editor

Transportation Department
Harold 'Whitey' McEvoy	....	transportation captain
Peter Tavis	....	transportation captain
Patrick Hogan	....	driver (uncredited)

Other crew
Robert C. Albertell	....	production assistant (as Robert Albertell)
Tom Amos	....	production assistant
Kay Chapin	....	script supervisor
James A. Davis	....	location manager
Michael Jackman	....	assistant production auditor
Leslie Loftis	....	production assistant
Peter Lombardi	....	production auditor
Brian Mannain	....	studio manager
Megan Monaghan	....	location scout
Justin Moritt	....	production assistant
Stacy Patrick	....	production assistant
Ilyse A. Reutlinger	....	assistant production coordinator (as Ilyse Reutlinger)
Danielle Rigby	....	production assistant
Helen Robin	....	production coordinator
Julie Sriro	....	assistant: Mr. Allen
Carl Turnquest Jr.	....	projectionist
Gilbert S. Williams	....	production assistant (as Gilbert S. Williams Jr.)
Sam Hutchins	....	parking coordinator (uncredited)
Aaron Sadovsky	....	production assistant: New York (uncredited)
Scott Schaffer	....	craft service (uncredited)
Nicholas Wolfert	....	production assistant (uncredited) (uncredited)

Thanks
Jack Piccuro	....	the producers wish to thank for their assistance

Production Companies

• Orion Pictures Corporation

Distributors

• Orion Pictures Corporation (1992) (USA) (theatrical) (as An Orion Pictures Release)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2005) (USA) (DVD)
• Columbia TriStar Films (1992) (France) (theatrical)
• Columbia TriStar Films de Argentina (1992) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• Interama (1992) (Czechoslovakia) (theatrical)
• Filmayer (Spain)
• LK-TEL Vídeo (199?) (Brazil) (VHS)
• LK-TEL (1992) (Argentina) (VHS)

Special Effects

• Balsmeyer and Everett (optical effects supervision)

Other Companies

• 20th Century Draperies  the producers wish to thank for their assistance
• AON/Albert G. Ruben Insurance Services  the producers wish to thank for their assistance (as Albert G. Ruben Insurance Co., Inc.)
• Effects House, The  optical effects & titles (as The Effects House Corp.)
• General Camera Corporation  the producers wish to thank for their assistance (as General Camera Corp.)
• Hastings Sound Editorial  sound design editorial
• International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE)  logo (as IATSE)
• J.G. Films  negative matching (as J.G. Films, Inc.)
• Mayor's Office of Film, Theatre & Broadcasting, The  the producers wish to thank for their assistance (as The Mayor's Office of Film, Theater & Broadcasting)
• Orion Pictures Corporation  acknowledgement: is the author of this motion picture for purposes of the Berne Convention and all national laws giving effect thereto
• PMK Public Relations  publicity
• Sound One Corporation  re-recording mixer (as Sound One Corp.)
• Todd Thaler Casting  additional casting

Also Known As:

"Schatten und Nebel" - Austria, Germany
"Árnyak és köd" - Hungary (imdb display title)
"Cienie i mgla" - Poland
"Neblina e Sombras" - Brazil
"Ombre e nebbia" - Italy
"Ombres et brouillard" - France
"Ombres i boira" - Spain (Catalan title)
"Senke i magla" - Serbia (imdb display title)
"Skies kai omihli" - Greece (transliterated ISO-LATIN-1 title)
"Skuggor och dimma" - Sweden
"Skygger og tåge" - Denmark
"Skygger og tåke" - Norway (imdb display title)
"Sombras e Nevoeiro" - Portugal
"Sombras y niebla" - Spain
"Sombras y nieblas" - Argentina
"Stíny a mlha" - Czechoslovakia (Czech title)
"Tiene a hmla" - Czechoslovakia (Slovak title)
"Varjoja ja sumua" - Finland

Runtime:

85 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Certification:

Iceland:12 | USA:TV-14 (TV rating) | Portugal:M/12 (Qualidade) | Argentina:13 | Australia:PG | Finland:K-12 | France:U | Germany:12 | Spain:13 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | USA:PG-13 (PCA #31344) | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Kaufman Astoria Studios - 3412 36th Street, Astoria, Queens, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Orion Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

Jodie Foster, who plays a prostitute, also played a prostitute in Taxi Driver (1976). Both films also feature character-actor Victor Argo.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Hacker:Kleinman, Kleinman, open up! Kleinman! We know you're in there!

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Siskel & Ebert & the Movies: Worst of '92" (1993)

Soundtrack:

When the White Lilacs Bloom Again

Highly underrated and highly entertaining.

I can't help but wonder what everyone finds so confusing about this film. It doesn't take a tremendous amount of knowledge to enjoy this well crafted ode to (and let's face it: spoof of) German Expressionism: a little Nosferatu here, a dash of Caligari there, a couple of slightly less obvious flourishes (the "Sniffer" with a divine gift, the Circus, the mobs and the general atmosphere) and you've got all you need. Of course, this is the most basic level in the film (I won't dig into Philosophy and message in a commentary but by all means it's there and worth musing over) but it's already enough to justify seeing it.

The idea of the confusing "shadows and fog" of Expressionist cinema filtered through Allen's off-kilter character world view is exactly what makes the film so hysterical. The entire film is done in a beautiful black and white recalling the source material and the city's mob are all played perfectly deadpan... except for Allen who manages to bumble his way through obstacle after obstacle trying to at least get a grip on the situation. If this pile of nerves moving through a dark sordid city doesn't make you laugh, I don't know what to say.

The film DOES falter in some aspects however. Mia Farrow is passable as the necessary sympathetic female lead, but in the end her presence doesn't fit in with the rest of the film's ambiance and one would have rather seen more of femme Fatale Lily Tomlin. Likewise, John Malchovich's Clown (while obviously referential) sticks out like a sore thumb. It's a shame that Allen had to add these elements which end up detracting from the overall film, but one couldn't hold the film alone and Farrow manages to at least be a proper target to bounce lines.

In the end, a very strong film and one that entertains properly, but obviously not one made for the uninitiated. However, for those who're on the inside of the "plan" (and furthermore, on the inside of the philosophies) it's a tremendous bit of fun.

Recommended.