Fight Club (1999)

Country of Origin: USA
Year of Production: 1999
Running Times: 135 mins (France) 138 mins (UK) 139 mins (Belgium; Japan; Sweden; USA) 140 mins (Argentina; Finland; Israel; Norway)
Format: Technicolor Super 35 35mm (anamorphic)
Ratio: 2.35:1
Sound: Dolby EX 6.1 DTS

PRODUCTION
Production Companies: Art Linson Productions / Fox 2000 Pictures / Regency Enterprises / Taurus Film
Executive Producer: Arnon Milchan
Producers: Ross Grayson Bell, Ceán Chaffin, Art Linson
Associate Producer: John S. Dorsey

SCRIPT
Script: Jim Uhls
Novel: Chuck Palahniuk

DIRECTION
Director: David Fincher

PHOTOGRAPHY
Director of Photography: Jeff Cronenweth
Chief Lighting Technician: Claudio Miranda
Set Lighting Technician: Harold Skinner
Best Boy Rigging Grip (Los Angeles): Robert Reilly
Dolly Grip "B" Camera Unit: Nico Bally
Stills: Merrick Morton
Video Services: Christian Von Burkleo
Cameras: Panavision Cameras and Lenses
Laboratories: Du Art Film Laboratories Inc, New York, USA; Technicolor, USA (prints)

EDITING
Editor: Jim Haygood
Assistant Editor: Michelle Mendenhall
2nd Assistant Editor: Babette Dickerson

MUSIC
Music: The Dust Brothers (John King, Michael Simpson)
Songs: Rolfe Kent (Coffee Store Zak); Daniel May (Girl From Ypsilanti); Azam Ali, Greg Ellis (Svarga); Christian Poulet (Cafeteria); Franki Hulme, Kenton Hulme, John Wolfenden, Melle Steagall (Smoke Stack); M. Petrie, K. Moo (Easy Smack It Up); Guy Moon, Bob Garret (Forbidden To Love); Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds (Splendid and 4M15); Tom Waits, Kathleen Brennan (Go'in Out West); Dory and Andre Previn (Theme From Valley of the Dolls); Leo Robin, Harry Robin (No Love, No Nothin'); Stephen Arnold (KDFW News Theme); George Fenton, John Leach (Tzigany Waltz); Black Francis (Where Is My Mind)
Songs Performed By: Daniel May (Girl From Ypsilanti); Vas (Svarga); Cezame Argile (Cafeteria); Junk Ferry (Smoke Stack); The Odditorium (Easy Smack It Up); Tom Waits (Go'in Out West); Marlene Dietrich (No Love, No Nothin'); The Pixies (Where Is My Mind)
Songs Arranged By: Jeff Haskett (Forbidden To Love)
Songs Produced By: Guy Moon (Forbidden To Love)

SOUND
Additional ADR Voice: Scott Colomby

COSTUMES AND MAKE-UP
Costume Designer: Michael Kaplan

SPECIAL EFFECTS
Special Effects: Blue Sky Studios; Blue Sky / VIFX; Buf Compagnie; Digital Domain; Pixel Liberation Front
Special Visual Effects and Digital Animation: Image Savant
Digital Film Scanning / Digital Visual Effects: Toybox
Animation Supervisor: Carlos Saldanha
Animators: Jaime Castańeda, Mike Thurmeier, Vernon R. Wilbert Jr
Software Engineer (Digital Domain): Darin K. Grant

DESIGN AND SET CONSTRUCTION
Production Designer: Alex McDowell

MISCELLANEOUS
Production Assistants: H. Leah Amir, David McKimmie, Patrick Thornhill
Production Assistant (Re-Shoots): Damiana Kamishin
Set Production Assistant (Re-Shoots): Chris Castaldi
Fight Choreographer: Jeff Imada (uncredited)
Machine Room Operator: Sean Landeros (uncredited)
Payroll Accountant: Cindy Nevins
Publicist: Amanda Brand

LOCATIONS
Locations: Los Angeles, California, USA
Location Manager: Richard Schuler

CASTING
Extras Casting: Bill Dance Casting

CAST
Edward Norton (narrator)
Brad Pitt (Tyler Durden)
Helena Bonham Carter (Marla Singer)
Meat Loaf Aday (Robert Paulsen)
Zach Grenier (Richard Chesler - Regional Manager)
Richmond Arquette (intern at hospital)
David Andrews (Thomas at Remaining Men Together)
George Maguire (group leader - Remaining Men Together)
Eugenie Bondurant (weeping woman)
Christina Cabot (leader - Partners in Passivity)
Sydney 'Big Dawg' Colston (speaker - Free and Clear)
Rachel Singer (Chloe)
Christie Cronenweth (airline check-in attendant)
Tim De Zarn (Federated Motor Co. Inspector Bird)
Ezra Buzzington (Federated Motor Co. Inspector Dent)
Dierdre Downing-Jackson (business woman on plane)
Robert J. Stephenson (airport security officer)
Charlie Dell (doorman at Pearson Towers)
Rob Lanza (man in suit)
David Lee Smith (Walter)
Holt McCallany (the mechanic)
Joel Bissonnette (food vourt maitre d')
Eion Bailey (Ricky)
Evan Mirand (Steph)
Robby Robinson (next month's opponent)
Lou Beatty Jr (cop at Marla's building)
Thom Gossom Jr (Detective Stern)
Valerie Bickford (cosmetics buyer)
Jared Leto (Angel Face)
Peter Iacangelo (Lou)
Carl N. Ciarfalio (Lou's bodyguard)
Stuart Blumberg (car salesman)
Todd Peirce (1st man at auto shop)
Mark Fite (2nd man at auto shop)
Matt Winston (seminary student)
Joon B. Kim (Raymond K. Hessel)
Bennie E. Moore Jr (bus driver with broken nose)
W. Lauren Sanchez (Channel 4 reporter)
Pat McNamara (Commissioner Jacobs)
Tyrone R. Livingston (banquet speaker)
Owen Masterson (airport valet)
David Jean-Thomas (policeman)
Paul Carafotes (Salvator - winking bartender)
Christopher John Fields (proprietor of dry cleaners)
Anderson Bourell (bruised bar patron #1)
Scotch Ellis Loring (bruised bar patron #2)
Michael Shamus Wiles (bartender in Halo)
Andi Carnick (hotel desk clerk)
Edward Kowalczyk (waiter at Clifton's)
Leonard Termo (desk sergeant)
Van Quattro (Detective Andrew)
Markus Redmond (Detective Kevin)
Michael Girardin (Detective Walker)
Paul Dillon (Irvin - uncredited)
Oliver Friendly, David Rockit Hynes (bruised fighters - scene deleted)
Phil Hawn (banquet guest)
Kevin Scott Mack (passenger clutching armrest)
J.T. Pontino (uncredited)

PLOT SUMMARY

A disaffected young man finds himself teaming up with the seriously eccentric Tyler Durden to create Fight Club, an informal gathering of equally alienated men who meet once a week to pummel each other senseless. But Fight Club soon leads to Project Mayhem and thinks start to get out of control - and is Tyler Durden really who he says he is?

Fabulous, and quite unlike anything else being produced by mainstream Hollywood at the time. While visually audacious, it's also defiantly intellectual, daring its audience to keep up with its many twists and turns and to pay attention to every frame. The central twist is as brilliantly handled as it is unexpected and at least plays fair with its audience. An intelligent, committed and unique experience.

Argentina
Theatrical Distributor: Twentieth Century Fox de Argentina
Video Distributor: Gativideo

Finland
Theatrical Distributor: Columbia TriStar Egmont Film Distributors

France
Theatrical Distributor: UGC-Fox Distribution

Germany
Theatrical Distributor: Twentieth Century Fox of Germany

Italy
Theatrical Distributor: Medusa Distribuzione

Japan
Theatrical Distributor: Twentieth Century Fox

Portugal
Theatrical Distributor: Filmes Castello Lopes

UK
Theatrical Distributor: Twentieth Century Fox

USA
Theatrical Distributor: Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation

Argentina
Rating: 18

Australia
Rating: R

Belgium
Rating: KNT

Finland
Rating: K-18

France
Rating: -16

Germany
Rating: 18 (bw)

Hong Kong
Rating: IIB

Iceland
Rating: 16

Israel
Rating: 18

Netherlands
Rating: 16

New Zealand
Rating: R18

Norway
Rating: 18

Portugal
Rating: M/18

Singapore
Rating: R(A)

Sweden
Rating: 15

Switzerland
Rating: 18

UK
Rating: 18
The British Board of Film Classification ordered four seconds of cuts during the fight scenes; when Tyler is being beaten by the gangster, an overhead shot of Tyler being hit in the face is missing completely; when the narrator fights Angel Face, his third punch in the first attack was removed and close ups of his mashed face being pummeled were also cut.

USA
Rating: R (for disturbing and graphic depiction of violent anti-social behavior, sexuality and language)

TIMELINE

1999
September
10: Italy - shown at the Venice Film Festival
21: USA - shown at the CMJ Film Festival

October
6: USA - theatrical premiere
15: USA - theatrical release
29: Brazil - theatrical release
29: Italy - theatrical release

November
4: Argentina - theatrical release
4: Netherlands - theatrical release
4: Singapore - theatrical release
5: Denmark - theatrical release
5: Iceland - theatrical release
5: Mexico - theatrical release
10: Belgium - theatrical release
10: France - theatrical release
10: Switzerland - theatrical release (French speaking region)
11: Australia - theatrical release
11: Germany - theatrical release
11: Hong Kong - theatrical release
11: New Zealand - theatrical release
11: Taiwan - theatrical release
12: Finland - theatrical release
12: Norway - theatrical release
12: Portugal - theatrical release
12: UK - theatrical release
16: Israel - theatrical release
24: Malta - theatrical release
11: Japan - theatrical release

December
26: Sweden - theatrical release

2000
January
7: Estonia - theatrical release
13: Malaysia - theatrical release
25: Czech Republic - shown at the Febio Film Festival
27: Hungary - theatrical release
28: South Africa - theatrical release

February
10: Czech Republic - theatrical release
11: Poland - theatrical release
18: Greece - theatrical release
24: Slovenia - theatrical release

March
1: Egypt - theatrical release
9: Croatia - theatrical release

April
18: Russia - video release

2002
December
22: UK - television broadcast (on BBC2)

POSTER TAGS

Mischief. Mayhem. Soap.

Works great even on blood stains.

Wash your feminine side clean off.

The best fat for making soap comes from humans.

Creates a thick rich lather. Like rabies.

Hand soap? How about swollen and broken fist soap?

You are the all-dancing, all-singing crap of the world

First rule of Fight Club is ... You don't talk about Fight Club

Self improvement is masturbation. Self destruction is the answer.

LINKS

SEE ALSO
Cinderella (1950)
Performance (1970)
A Clockwork Orange (1971)
Meng long guojiang (1972)
The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension (1984)
Brazil (1985)
Raising Arizona (1987)
Total Recall (1990)
The X-Files (1993) (TV)
Se7en (1995)
Twelve Monkeys (1995)
Independence Day (1996)
Spice World (1997)
The Matrix (1999)
Film Club (2000)
Scary Movie (2000)

MAGAZINES

Apollo 1st on Video no.100 (May 2000) (UK)
illustrated interview with Brad Pitt and Edward Norton

Cinema (Germany) vol.1 no.258 (November 1999) pp.40-45
review (Blut für die Welt by Roland Huschke)

Cinema (Hungary) vol.1 no.98 (January 2000) pp.18-23
review (Harcosok klubja by Roland Huschke)

Diário de Notícias 12 November 1999
review (by Joăo Miguel Tavares)

Entertainment Weekly no.507 (15 October 1999) pp.24-28, 31
article (Blood, Sweat and Fears by Benjamin Svetkey)

Entertainment Weekly no.508 (22 October 1999) pp.58-60
article (Dead Battery by Lisa Schwarzbaum)

Entertainment Weekly no.536 (21 April 2000) p.59
review (Video: Boxer Rebellion (B) by Ty Burr)

Entertainment Weekly no.545 (16 June 2000) p.67
review (New To DVD: Fight Club (A) by Marc Brenardin)

Filmvilág vol.43 no.1 (January 2000) p.58
review (by Zsolt Pápai)

Göteborgs-Posten 24 December 1999 p.56
review (Suspekt människosyn by Mats Johnson)

La Repubblica 11 September 1999
review (by Natalia Aspesi)

Rolling Stone vol.1 no.824 (28 October 1999) pp.113-114
review (Fight Club by Peter Travers)

Sight and Sound vol.9 no.11 (November 1999) pp.16-18 (UK)
illustrated article (So good it hurts by Amy Taubin)

Svenska Dagbladet 24 December 1999
review (Brad Pitt i nattmössan by Jan Söderqvist)

Total Film (Hungary) vol.1 no.10 (January 2000) pp.46-48; 70-71
article (Hogyan merészelnek ilyen szégyentelen filmet csinálni? by Martyn Palmer); review (by Tamás Ligeti Nagy)

Variety vol.376 no.4 (13 September 1999) p.47
review (Fight: An adrenaline rush of a movie by David Rooney)

Vox Magazin vol.1 no.33 pp.52-55 (January 2000)
review (by Cheese)

Willamette Week vol.25 no.51 (20 October 1999) pp.86-87
review (Suckers Get Punched by Kim Morgan)

aircraft; air crashes; alienation; cancer; car crashes; doppelgangers; fighting; skyscrapers; terrorists