Art School Confidential (2006)

Director:

Terry Zwigoff

Writers (WGA):

Daniel Clowes (screenplay)
Daniel Clowes (comic story)

Release Date:

10 November 2006 (Poland)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Tagline:

Who said anything about talent?

Plot:

Starting from childhood attempts at illustration, the protagonist pursues his true obsession to art school. But as he learns how the art world really works, he finds that he must adapt his vision to the reality that confronts him.

Plot Keywords:

Love | Drawing | Strangler | New York City | Suburb

Cast

Max Minghella	...	Jerome
Sophia Myles	...	Audrey
John Malkovich	...	Professor Sandiford
Jim Broadbent	...	Jimmy
Matt Keeslar	...	Jonah
Ethan Suplee	...	Vince
Joel David Moore	...	Bardo
Nick Swardson	...	Matthew
Anjelica Huston	...	Art History Teacher
Adam Scott	...	Marvin Bushmiller
Jack Ong	...	Professor Okamura
Scoot McNairy	...	Army-Jacket
Jeremy Guskin	...	Eno
Monika Ramnath	...	Flower
Isaac Laskin	...	Kiss-Ass
Jeanette Brox	...	Shilo
Finneus Egan	...	Vegan
Shelly Cole	...	Filthy-Haired Girl
Jean St. James	...	Mom
Cristen Coppen	...	Preppy Girl
Michael Shamus Wiles	...	Donald Baumgarten
Katherine Moennig	...	Candace
Ezra Buzzington	...	Leslie
Lauren Lee Smith	...	Beat Girl
Travis Walck	...	Richard Natwick
Paul Collins	...	Professor David Zipkin
Marshall Bell	...	Lonny
Chris McKenna	...	Mikey (as Chris L. McKenna)
Marc Vann	...	Kevin
Roxanne Day	...	Jonah's Wife - Marie
Roxanne Hart	...	Mom Platz
Osman Soykut	...	Dad Platz
Katija Pevec	...	Cynthia Platz
Brian Turk	...	Cliffy
Edith Jefferson	...	Doddering Aunt
Michael Lerner	...	Art Dealer
Jeff LeBeau	...	Lawyer
Marie L. Bain	...	Helena Sandiford
Richard Bakalyan	...	Cranky Guard (as Dick Bakalyan)
John Bliss	...	Vince's Grandpa
Charlie Talbert	...	Vince's Editor
Amy Gross	...	Vince's Editor's Girlfriend
Kimi Reichenberg	...	Suburban Girl
Alexandra Ryan	...	Nympho Slut (as Alex Ryan)
Bob Golub	...	Hector
Lauren Bowles	...	Woman Strangled
Zachary Maurer	...	Young Jerome (as Zach Maurer)
Brendan Walsh	...	Eugene
Brian Geraghty	...	Stoob
Valyn Hall	...	Cute Girl
Oliver Ryan Anderson	...	Cute Girl's Boyfriend (as Oliver Anderson)
Curtis Taylor	...	Coach
Jesse Flanagan	...	Hurst
Dawn-Lyen Gardner	...	Coed
Laura Roth	...	Coed
Alexi Wasser	...	Female Student
Amanda Paytas	...	Female Student (as Amanda Leigh Paytas)
Chris Fogleman	...	Questioner
Wesley Rodgers	...	Questioner
Nathaniel Lee Jr.	...	Kid
Stacey Travis	...	Teacher
Erik Walker	...	Punching Bully (as Erik M. Walker)
Andre Marcus	...	Other Bully (as Andre Ashton Marcus)
Wendy Haines	...	Grenadine Woman
Mike Stanley	...	Martel Drinker
Bob Jennings	...	Cop
Choice Skinner	...	Cop
Sam Sabbah	...	Scary Local
Chris C. Mitchell	...	Scary Local (as Chris Mitchell)
Jarret Reid	...	Green Paint Guy
Lily Asinovsky	...	Girl Who Steps on Glass
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Jerry G. Angelo	...	Student Actor (uncredited)
Paul Michael Bloodgood	...	Tattooed Basketball Player (uncredited)
Todd Bosley	...	Art Dork #1 (uncredited)
Pete Brown	...	Lecherous Dad (uncredited)
Steve Buscemi	...	Broadway Bob D'Annunzio (uncredited)
Julius Callahan	...	Bearded Weirdo (uncredited)
Mike Carlucci	...	Football Announcer (voice) (uncredited)
Victoria Chalaya	...	Student #5 (uncredited)
Ethan Cohn	...	Art Dork #2 (uncredited)
David Diaan	...	Future Critic #1 (uncredited)
Erik Eidem	...	Baked Sophomore (uncredited)
Nikki Gray	...	Angry Lesbian (uncredited)
Sham Ibrahim	...	Effeminate Basketball Player (uncredited)
Arron Kinser	...	Art Student (uncredited)
Cameron Lee	...	Art Student (uncredited)
Don Lewis	...	Future Critic #2 (uncredited)
Sean LoGrasso	...	Art Student (uncredited)
Cameron Markham	...	Art Student (uncredited)
Asal Masomi	...	College Student (uncredited)
Ambrit Millhouse	...	Female Student #2 (uncredited)
Steven J. Oliver	...	Dad Natwick (uncredited)
Nick Pellegrino	...	School Janitor (uncredited)
Kristin Quick	...	Girl Student (uncredited)
Damara Reilly	...	Mom Natwick (uncredited)
Tahmus Rounds	...	Next in Line (uncredited)
Charles Schneider	...	Professor Pidgeon (uncredited)
Arthur Thomas	...	Art Student (uncredited)
Victoria Von Dannenberg	...	Art Student - Tree Girl (uncredited)
Gary C. Warren	...	Art Student (uncredited)
Hunter Woo	...	Art Student (uncredited)

Directed by
Terry Zwigoff

Writing credits (WGA)
Daniel Clowes		(screenplay)
Daniel Clowes		(comic story) (as Dan Clowes)

Produced by
Daniel Clowes	....	co-producer
Lianne Halfon	....	producer
Barbara A. Hall	....	executive producer
John Malkovich	....	producer
Russell Smith	....	producer

Original Music by
David Kitay

Cinematography by
Jamie Anderson

Film Editing by
Robert Hoffman

Casting by
Ann Goulder
Cassandra Kulukundis

Production Design by
Howard Cummings

Art Direction by
Peter Borck

Set Decoration by
Barbara Munch

Costume Design by
Betsy Heimann

Makeup Department
Mustaque M. Ashrafi	....	assistant makeup department head (as Mustaq Ashrafi)
David Forrest	....	makeup department head (as David Craig Forrest)
Bunny Parker	....	hair department head
Susan Schuler-Page	....	assistant department head hair (as Susan Schuler)

Production Management
Tad Driscoll	....	production supervisor
Beau J. Genot	....	post-production supervisor
Barbara A. Hall	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Joe Camp III	....	first assistant director
Polly Ann Mattson	....	second assistant director (as Polly Ann Mattson-Bock)
Shawn Pipkin	....	additional second assistant director
Carrie Rudolf	....	second second assistant director

Art Department
Russell R. Anderson	....	set dresser (as Russ Anderson)
Peter Bankins	....	property master
Robert Bankins	....	prop assistant
Tristan Paris Bourne	....	set designer (as Tristan Bourne)
Daniel Clowes	....	artwork: Jonah (as D. Clowes)
Paul Detlefson	....	set dresser
David R. Evans	....	art department assistant (as David Evans)
Rob Garlow	....	construction general supervisor
Rick Glenn	....	set dresser
Sarah Graddy	....	artist liaison
Linda Griffis	....	art department coordinator
Bryan Hill	....	set dresser
Tom Hrupcho	....	paint supervisor
Tyler Kettenburg	....	set dresser
Kim Lincoln	....	graphic artist
Larry Lira	....	drapery foreman
Eric Luling	....	on-set dresser (as Eric J. Luling)
Caitlin Mitchell-Dayton	....	artwork: Jerome
Mark Mothersbaugh	....	artwork: Bushmiller
Joe Ondrejko	....	construction coordinator
Stuart Rankine	....	assistant property master
Nicholas Rymond	....	set dresser (as Nick Rymond)
Greg Sanger	....	leadman
Charles Schneider	....	artwork
Mila Shah	....	art department production assistant
Brian Shupper	....	additional artwork (as Bryan Hurley)
Garrett Shane Norlin	....	contributing artist (uncredited)

Sound Department
Lawrence L. Commans	....	boom operator
Mark Fay	....	boom operator
Nick Foley	....	adr recordist
Kim Foscato	....	associate dialog editor
Chris Gridley	....	associate sound effects editor
Samuel H. Hinckley	....	sound effects editor
Pete Horner	....	sound re-recording mixer
Matthew Iadarola	....	supervising re-recording mixer
Mark Levinson	....	adr editor
Chris Navarro	....	adr recordist
John Nutt	....	supervising sound editor
David Parker	....	supervising sound re-recording mixer
Gene Radzik	....	stereo sound consultant: Dolby
Ted Swanscott	....	adr mixer
Patti Tauscher	....	foley editor
Eric Thompson	....	adr mixer
Mark Weingarten	....	sound mixer
Bob Giammarco	....	adr recordist (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Chris Bailey	....	special effects coordinator
Scott Dwyer	....	special effects technician

Visual Effects by
Jeff Barnes	....	production executive: CafeFX
Everett Burrell	....	visual effects supervisor
Lawrence Carroll	....	compositing supervisor: Digiscope
Travis Dutch	....	film scanning recording
Fortunato Frattasio	....	digital artist
Vicki Galloway-Weimer	....	visual effects executive producer: CafeFX (as Vicki Galloway Weimer)
Bill Georgiou	....	visual effects designer and compositor
Derek Krauss	....	digital paint and roto lead
Ed Mendez	....	digital compositor: CafeFX
Terron Pratt	....	visual effects coordinator: Digiscope
Laurel Lyn Schulman	....	visual effects producer: Digiscope (as Laurel Schulman)
Christopher Stack	....	colorist: Digiscope
Christopher Stack	....	imaging supervisor: Digiscope
Mary Stuart-Welch	....	visual effects executive producer: Digiscope (as Mary Stuart)
David Van Dyke	....	visual effects producer: Cafe FX
O.D. Welch	....	production executive: CafeFX
Toby Newell	....	compositor (uncredited)
Danny Torres	....	systems administrator (uncredited)

Stunts
Dan Bradley	....	stunt coordinator
Richard Cetrone	....	stunts
Paul Farber	....	stunt double
Jeremy Fry	....	stunts
Mike Massa	....	stunts
Darrin Prescott	....	stunt coordinator
J.P. Romano	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Michael Avallon	....	generator operator
Clyde E. Bryan	....	first assistant camera
Craig Campbell	....	electrician
Billy Clevenger	....	camera operator (as Bill Clevenger)
Mark Cueto	....	electrician
Mark Shane Davis	....	key grip (as Mark Davis)
David Dunbar	....	assistant rigging electrician
Brent Egan	....	camera loader
Tracy Estes	....	electrician
Eddie Evans	....	grip
Adam Feinberg	....	rigging electrician (as Adam R. Feinberg)
Sean P. Fickert	....	best boy grip (as Sean Fickert)
Earl Gayer	....	rigging electrician (as Earl D. Gayer)
David Golia	....	camera operator: "b" camera (as David John Golia)
Suzanne Hanover	....	still photographer
Daniel Kauahi	....	grip (as Daniel H. Kauahi)
Kevin J. Lang	....	electrician (as Kevin Lang)
Melton Maxwell	....	chief lighting technician (as Mel Maxwell)
Peter McAdams	....	grip
Ryan Nelson	....	grip
Chris Pavlu	....	rigging electrician
David D. Scott	....	video engineer
Barnaby Shapiro	....	second assistant camera
Chuck Sharp	....	assistant lighting technician
Gary Slemp	....	electrician
Peter Sorel	....	still photographer
Rodney Veto	....	key rigging grip
Troy N. Wade	....	dolly grip
Peter McAdams	....	dolly grip: "b" camera (uncredited)

Casting Department
John Barba	....	casting associate
Vesper Burnett	....	extras casting assistant

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Suzanne Cranfill	....	costume supervisor
Laurel Frushour	....	set costumer (as Laurel Frouschor)
Alexis Jacks	....	set costumer
Hayley Stuppel	....	set costumer
Anya Teresse	....	assistant to costume designer

Editorial Department
Kenny Becker	....	color timer
Coral D'Alessandro	....	post-production assistant
Rick Downey	....	negative cutter
Michael Gay	....	assistant editor
Thomas M. Harrigan	....	first assistant editor: avid
David Hopper	....	assistant editor
C.J. Hsu	....	assistant editor
Michael Underwood	....	colorist: video mastering

Music Department
Michael Aarvold	....	music scoring mixer (as Mike Aarvold)
Michael Aarvold	....	score recordist (as Mike Aarvold)
Daniel Birczynski	....	score recordist
Lynn Hobensack	....	music clearance
Todd Kasow	....	music consultant
Todd Kasow	....	music editor
David Kitay	....	conductor
Robin Lee	....	music editor
William Levine	....	orchestrator (as Bill Levine)
Dan Wallin	....	music scoring mixer (as Danny Wallin)
Dan Wallin	....	score recordist (as Danny Wallin)

Transportation Department
Morris Aroesti	....	driver
John W. Barbee	....	transportation captain
Charley Bob Burnham	....	driver
Gary Jackson	....	driver
Alan Kaminsky	....	transportation
Hugh Kelly	....	transportation
Dana Schisler	....	driver
Chris Walden	....	driver
Harold L. Woods	....	driver generator operator

Other crew
Cassandra Barbour	....	rights and clearances
Michael Barnes	....	financial legal services
Jaclyn Bashoff	....	assistant: Anjelica Huston
Will Blomquist	....	production assistant
Allison Bona	....	production assistant
John R. Brewer	....	production assistant
Francie Brown	....	dialect coach
Giacun Caduff	....	production assistant
Elizabeth C. Camp	....	set production assistant
Carrie Cantore	....	location manager
Sarah Catizone	....	key construction medic
William Conacher	....	dialect coach
Shelly Darden	....	production associate
Susan Dukow	....	production coordinator
Erin Forrest	....	set production assistant
Steven Fulton	....	production assistant
Lisa Garvey	....	assistant to executive producer
Joel Goldes	....	dialect coach
Jesec Griffin	....	production assistant
Nathan Gunn	....	assistant: Mr. Zwigoff, post-production
Charles Heaphy	....	production financing
Judy Heinzen	....	key assistant location manager
Jimmy Kaminsky	....	production assistant: Mr. Minghella
Michael G. Kehoe	....	craft service company (as Michael Kehoe)
Louis A. Lanni	....	set production assistant
Tim McGee	....	craft service assistant
Randy McKenney	....	extras coordinator
Ralph B. Meyer	....	key location manager
Scott Peterson	....	script supervisor
Huey Redwine	....	stand-in: John Malkovich
Benjamin Scissors	....	key set production assistant
Laura Sevier	....	rights and clearances
Ann Shimabukuro	....	additional set production assistant
Eric J. Spiegelman	....	production counsel
E. Michael Stankevich	....	assistant to producers
Sara Van der Voort	....	production assistant
Allen Wong	....	accountant
Lavinia Zetina	....	assistant accountant
Andrew Zilch	....	assistant production coordinator
Saxon Eldridge	....	assistant to cast (uncredited)
Marc C. Geschwind	....	extras coordinator (uncredited)
Andy Steinlen	....	hand double (uncredited)

Production Companies

• United Artists
• Mr. Mudd

Distributors

• Mongrel Media (2006) (Canada) (theatrical)
• Sony Pictures Classics (2006) (USA) (theatrical)
• LK-TEL (2006) (Argentina) (DVD)
• LK-TEL (2006) (Argentina) (VHS)
• SPI International (2006) (Poland) (all media)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2006) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2007) (Germany) (DVD)

Special Effects

• Digiscope (digital visual effects)
• CafeFX (visual effects)

Other Companies

• Chapman/Leonard Studio Equipment  camera cranes
• Chapman/Leonard Studio Equipment  camera dollies
• Clowes Kuramoto  main titles
• Corbis  stock footage (as Corbis Motion)
• Electric Picture Solutions  Avid services
• Entertainment Clearances  rights and clearances
• Film Finances  completion guarantor
• Otto Nemenz International  cameras (as Otto Nemenz)
• RD Negative Cutting  negative cutting
• Reder & Feig  production legal services
• Rights & Art Clearances  clearances
• Rockbottom Rentals  modem card rentals
• Rockbottom Rentals  walkie rentals
• Saul Zaentz Film Center  sound editing and re-recording
• Shark Productions  grip equipment
• TM Motion Picture Rentals  lighting equipment
• Wilshire Stages, The  ADR recording facility

Also Known As:

"Ízlésficam" - Hungary (imdb display title)
"Akademia tajemniczych sztuk pieknych" - Poland
"Apostoli: 'Picasso' empisteftiko" - Greece (cable TV title)
"Art School Confidential" - Canada (French title)
"Art school confidential - I segreti della scuola d'arte" - Italy
"El arte de estrangular" - Spain (imdb display title)
"El arte de la seducción" - Argentina (DVD title)
"Escola de Arte" - Portugal
"Uma Escola de Arte Muito Louca" - Brazil

MPAA:

Rated R for language including sexual references, nudity and a scene of violence

Runtime:

USA:102 min | 102 min (Sundance Film Festival) | Argentina:102 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital | DTS

Certification:

Canada:14A (Ontario) | Singapore:M18 | Argentina:16 | USA:R (certificate #41649) | Australia:MA | Germany:12 | New Zealand:R16

Filming Locations:

Communications Center, Los Angeles City College - 855 North Vermont Avenue, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

United Artists

Trivia:

The art college in the movie is based on the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn. According the published screenplay, the minimalist paintings Jonah brings to class were painted by author Daniel Clowes when he was a student at the Pratt Institute.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Jerome visits Professor Sandiford, Sandiford is smoking a cigarette that disappears and reappears between shots.

Quotes:

Young Jerome:[dressed as Pablo Picasso] I am a genius. I am the greatest artist of the twentieth century. I pretty much invented modern art, and I do weird abstract paintings even though I could paint totally realistic if I wanted to. Also, even though I am super short and bald, I am able to have sex with any beautiful woman I want just because I'm so great.

Movie Connections:

References "The Munsters" (1964)

Soundtrack:

What Do You Think About

A Twist of Lime with a Crabapple on Top

The beginning of this movie was hilarious. Jerome goes to art school and meets zany characters, including his gay roommate, his wannabe filmmaker roommate, and his art teacher (played by John Malkovich). The dialogue was witty. The audience loved the satire of modern art, because we all know how ridiculous modern art can be yet we must be polite and insightful when looking at it. Everyone could relate to the perverted college humor. Unfortunately, all this silliness ended. Right in the middle, the movie took a turn of tone and with it took the refreshingly simple but fun plot.

Art School Confidential suddenly became serious about its characters, including the mysterious strangler. The decision to transform the movie into a serious mystery was it's major flaw. With this move, the writers felt they had to incorporate a more confusing plot to achieve a mysterious tone. By the end, the initial idea of simply amusing the audience was lost because of the poorly-crafted mystery, leaving the audience disappointed.

Why do filmmakers do this? They think because we have paid to see an indie movie, we want an obscure plot twist topped off with an unresolved ending. It's like having ice cream, fun and simple, then someone comes over and adds a twist of lime and tops it off with crab apples! Obscure, but no fun because it tastes weird and you were content with the ice cream by itself. I recommend the first hour of this movie.