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In the Soup

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In the Soup
Directed byAlexandre Rockwell
Written byTim Kissell
Alexandre Rockwell
Produced byJim Stark
Hank Blumenthal
Chosei Funahara
Starring
CinematographyPhil Parmet
Edited byDana Congdon
Music byMader
Distributed byTriton Pictures
Release dates
  • January 1992 (1992-01) (Sundance)
  • October 23, 1992 (1992-10-23) (New York City)
Running time
93 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$800,000
Box office$256,249[1]

In the Soup is a 1992 independent comedy directed by Alexandre Rockwell, and written by Rockwell and Sollace Mitchell (credited as Tim Kissell).[2] It stars Steve Buscemi as Aldolfo Rollo, a self-conscious screenwriter who has written an unfilmable 500-page screenplay and who is looking for a producer.

Plot

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Tortured by self-doubt, financial ruin, and unrequited passion for his next door neighbor, Aldolfo Rollo places an ad offering his mammoth screenplay to the highest bidder. In steps Aldolfo's "guardian angel" Joe, a fast-talking, high-rolling gangster who promises to produce the film but has his own unique ideas regarding film financing.

Cast

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Production

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Facing financial struggles as a first-time filmmaker in New York City, writer-director Alexandre Rockwell found himself in a challenging situation, admitting to being penniless and even selling his saxophone to acquire more film stock. A person named Frank responded to one of his advertisements and took a liking to him, generously offering to cover the cost of one of his movies. Rockwell "loosely based" this film on that incident.[3]

Principal photography predominantly occurred in New York City. Although shot on color film, Rockwell had no intention of releasing a color version in American theaters. Influenced by the stylized films of the 1930s and inspired by French directors François Truffaut and Jean-Luc Godard, Rockwell deliberately opted for a high-contrast black-and-white palette. This choice aimed to impart a certain surreal quality to the images. The entire budget for the film, totaling $800,000, came from foreign investors. While color prints were available for foreign distributors and home video releases, the film's theatrical release in the United States maintained its black-and-white presentation.[3]

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Alexandre Rockwell, Steve Buscemi, Jennifer Beals, and Phil Parmet following a screening at the 2018 Tribeca Film Festival

The film and its history are discussed in depth in John Pierson's account of the independent American film 'scene' of the late 1980s/early 1990s, Spike, Mike, Slackers, & Dykes: A Guided Tour Across a Decade of American Independent Cinema.

A Kickstarter project started in July 2017 with hopes of restoring the archival print and re-releasing the film for its 25th anniversary.[4] The restored print was released by Factory 25 in 2018.[5]

References

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  1. ^ "In the Soup (1992) - Box Office Mojo". www.boxofficemojo.com.
  2. ^ Maslin, Janet (3 October 1992). "From Art-Loving Gangster To a Menacing Hemophiliac". The New York Times.
  3. ^ a b "In the Soup". American Film Institute. Retrieved January 16, 2024.
  4. ^ "In The Soup Urgent Restoration & 25th Anniversary Re-Release". Kickstarter. Retrieved 2017-08-01.
  5. ^ "In the Soup | Tribeca Film Festival". Tribeca. Retrieved 2019-08-25.
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Awards
Preceded by Sundance Grand Jury Prize: U.S. Dramatic
1992
Succeeded by