Kalifornia (1993)

Director:

Dominic Sena

Writers (WGA):

Stephen Levy (story) &
Tim Metcalfe (story) ...
(more)

Release Date:

3 September 1993 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Thriller

Tagline:

A state of fear and terror

Plot:

A journalist duo go on a tour of serial killer murder sites with two companions, unaware that one of them is a serial killer himself.

Plot Keywords:

Serial Killer | White Trash | Murder | Rape | Neo Noir

Awards:

3 wins & 4 nominations

Cast

Brad Pitt	...	Early Grayce
Kathy Larson	...	Teenage Girl (as Catherine Larson)
David Milford	...	Driver
David Duchovny	...	Brian Kessler
John Zarchen	...	Peter
David Rose	...	Eric
Michelle Forbes	...	Carrie Laughlin
Tommy Chappelle	...	Old Man
Juliette Lewis	...	Adele Corners
Judson Vaughn	...	Parole Officer
James Michael McDougal	...	John Diebold (as J. Michael McDougal)
Patricia Sill	...	Carol
Brett Rice	...	Police Officer
Marisa Raper	...	Little Girl
Bill Crabb	...	Middle Aged Farmer (as Bill Crabbe)
Mary Ann Hagan	...	Waitress
Jerry G. White	...	Gas Station Attendant
Sarah Sullivan	...	Bar Waitress
Eric Stenson	...	Young Cracker
Mars Callahan	...	Walter Livesy (as Gregory Mars Martin)
Patricia Hunte	...	Newscaster
Loanne Bishop	...	Female Officer
Ron Kuhlman	...	Male Officer
Sierra Pecheur	...	Mrs. Musgrave
John Dullaghan	...	Mr. Musgrave
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
David Feigenbaum	...	Young Biker (uncredited)
Tom Hand	...	College Student (uncredited)
Shelby Hofer	...	Waitress (uncredited)
Patricia Tallman	...	(uncredited)

Directed by
Dominic Sena

Writing credits (WGA)
Stephen Levy		(story) &
Tim Metcalfe		(story)
Tim Metcalfe		(screenplay)

Produced by
Lynn Bigelow	....	executive producer
Steve Golin	....	producer
Gregory Goodman	....	line producer
Jim Kouf	....	executive producer
Aristides McGarry	....	producer
Mitch Sacharoff	....	co-producer
Kristine J. Schwarz	....	co-producer
Sigurjon Sighvatsson	....	producer

Original Music by
Carter Burwell

Cinematography by
Bojan Bazelli

Film Editing by
Martin Hunter

Casting by
Carol Lewis

Production Design by
Michael White

Art Direction by
Jeff Mann

Set Decoration by
Kate J. Sullivan

Costume Design by
Kelle Kutsugeras

Makeup Department
Michelle Bühler	....	makeup artist
Sandra Collins	....	makeup assistant: Atlanta
Beatrice De Alba	....	hair stylist: Atlanta
Denise Dellavalle	....	assistant hair stylist
Denise Dellavalle	....	assistant makeup artist
Bill Fletcher	....	wig stylist: Atlanta
André Freitas	....	special makeup effects artist: Atlanta
Carlos P. Freitas	....	special makeup effects assistant
Brent Lavett	....	hair stylist
Vonda K. Morris	....	assistant hair stylist
Barbara Olvera	....	hair stylist
Thomas E. Surprenant	....	special makeup effects artist
Cass McClure	....	lab assistant (uncredited)

Production Management
Tim Clawson	....	executive in charge of production
Buddy Enright	....	production supervisor
Dan Radford	....	post-production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Dan Barr	....	second assistant director
Patrick Burns	....	first assistant director: second unit
Karen Davis	....	second second assistant director: Atlanta
Suzanne Haasis	....	assistant director
Peggy Hughes	....	assistant director
Edward Kalpakian	....	assistant director
Eric Mofford	....	assistant director
Thomas Patrick Smith	....	assistant director

Art Department
Peter Andrus	....	art department swing
Joe Connolly	....	assistant property master
Timothy Correa	....	swing gang
Tom Cortese	....	property master
Gerald D'Alesio	....	lead man
James A. Fleming	....	swing gang (as James Fleming)
Daniel B. Foster	....	swing gang
Gregory Gayheart	....	set constructor
Steve Guermo	....	lead man
Robert W. Harbour	....	set designer
Jason Dock Harrell	....	carpenter: Atlanta
Margaret Hungerford	....	buyer
Margaret Hungerford	....	set dresser
Riley 'Sean' Jones	....	on-set dresser
Riley 'Sean' Jones	....	props
Stacey R. Litoff	....	art department coordinator
Robert Tate Nichols	....	swing gang: Atlanta
Katie Pinholster	....	art department buyer: Atlanta
Don G. Smith	....	set dresser
Tom Spence	....	art department swing
Ann Stacy	....	lead scenic artist: Atlanta
Mary Stacy	....	art department buyer: Atlanta
Mike Swift	....	storyboard artist
Guy Tuttle	....	set constructor: Atlanta
Stephen Wallach	....	swing gang
Stephanie Ryan	....	art dayplayer (uncredited)

Sound Department
Kevin Bartnof	....	foley artist
Ed Barton	....	sound editor
Bruce Bell	....	foley mixer
Paul B. Clay	....	supervising sound editor
Patrick Cyccone Jr.	....	sound re-recording mixer
Cameron Frankley	....	sound editor
Jonathan Fuh	....	boom operator
José Antonio García	....	sound mixer
Marilyn Graf	....	foley mixer
Ellen Heuer	....	foley artist
David A. Janson	....	assistant sound editor
Douglas Kearns	....	sound re-recordist
Susan Kurtz	....	sound editor
Susan Kurtz	....	sound effects editor
Tony Lamberti	....	assistant sound editor
Peter Oreckinto	....	sound re-recording engineer
Vic Radulich	....	dialogue editor
Carin Rogers	....	sound editor
Jeffrey L. Sandler	....	sound editor
Joe Schwartz	....	assistant sound editor
Pat Somerset	....	adr editor
Tom Steel	....	sound re-recordist
Marty Stein	....	sound editor
Dean St. John	....	adr recordist
Dean St. John	....	foley recordist
Mike Szakmeister	....	sound editor
Glenn Tebbe	....	boom operator: Atlanta
Robert Thirlwell	....	sound re-recording mixer
J.R. Westen	....	adr mixer
Scott G.G. Haller	....	dialogue editor (uncredited)

Special Effects by
James Burkart	....	special effects assistant: Atlanta
David Fletcher	....	special effects driver: Atlanta
Jeffrey Knott	....	special effects
Michael Schorr	....	special effects

Stunts
Richard L. Blackwell	....	stunt car technician: Atlanta Crew (as Rich Blackwell)
Richard L. Blackwell	....	stunts (as Richard Blackwell)
Dan Bradley	....	stunt coordinator
Scott Alan Cook	....	stunts (as Scott Cook)
Edward Ellis	....	stunts
Dale Gibson	....	stunts (as Robert 'Dale' Gibson)
Maria R. Kelly	....	stunts (as Maria Kelly)
Randi Layne	....	stunts
J. Suzanne Rampe	....	stunts (as Suzanne Rampe)
Michael Schorr	....	stunts (as Mike Schorr)
Jim Stephan	....	stunt car technician: Atlanta Crew (as Jim A. Stephan)
Jim Stephan	....	stunts
Patricia Tallman	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Glenn Ballard	....	grip
Glenn Bilard	....	grip: Atlanta
Stephen Crocker	....	grip
James 'Spud' Danicic	....	second assistant camera
Donald D. Davidson	....	rigging electrician
Jeffrey Dumas	....	still photographer: Carrie's photographic work
Erik A. Erichsen	....	electrician
Robert Esau	....	video playback operator
Jeff Funderburk	....	electrician: Atlanta
Jeff Funderburk	....	generator operator: Atlanta
Michael Gallart	....	dimmer board operator
Sam Gart	....	first assistant camera
John Giles	....	first assistant camera: "b" camera
David M. Goldstein	....	film loader
Dana Gonzales	....	first assistant camera
Bill Goodwynne	....	video playback: Atlanta
Eyal Gordin	....	camera operator
William Randal Gue	....	camera department assistant
Paul Hamacher	....	best boy
Bryan Hill	....	electrician: Atlanta
Patrick Hoeschen	....	electrician
Mark Hoover	....	video playback: Atlanta
Brent L. Jones	....	electrician
Chris Jones	....	electrician: Atlanta
Kelvin Jones	....	still photographer
Keith Jordan	....	electrician
Jerry Lee	....	grip: Atlanta
Mark Lester	....	best boy electric
Christopher Lyons	....	rigging gaffer
Brett Mabry	....	electrician
Daryl Mitchell	....	grip: Atlanta
Anthony G. Nakonechnyj	....	gaffer
Lisa Nunez	....	rigging electrician
Greg Peoples	....	best boy electric: Atlanta
Reinhart 'Rayteam' Peschke	....	gaffer
Laurie Plesco	....	grip
Christopher Prampin	....	electrician
Ian Robichaud	....	rigging electrician
Michael 'Spike' Ryan	....	dolly grip
Jose Santiago	....	best boy grip
Scott Satterfield	....	grip: Atlanta
Mark Scott	....	24 frame video operator
Jack Shepherd	....	grip: Atlanta
Lynn Smith	....	first assistant camera: "b" camera
C. Ashley Sudge	....	grip: Atlanta
David Trenkle	....	loader: Atlanta
David Trenkle	....	second assistant camera: "b" camera: Atlanta
Michael Uva	....	key grip
Rick Uva	....	grip
Konstantin von Krusenstiern	....	film loader
Stephen Welch	....	key grip
David Williams	....	electrician: Atlanta
Adam Wilson	....	video playback operator
Douglas Wood	....	grip
Randall M. Woods	....	grip
Randy Wynn	....	grip
Ziggy	....	second assistant camera

Casting Department
Pat Golden	....	casting: New York
Shay Griffin	....	casting: Atlanta
Douglas Lambert	....	casting associate
Dee Voigt	....	extras casting: Atlanta
Diane Alexander	....	extras casting assistant (uncredited)
Chris Hanaford	....	casting assistant (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Kimberly Buckley	....	wardrobe shopper: Atlanta
Suzanne Costas	....	wardrobe assistant
Dina Laquaglia	....	wardrobe supervisor
Michelle Moder	....	wardrobe assistant
Bess Stansell	....	on-set costumer

Editorial Department
Ulrika Akander	....	additional assistant editor
Laura M. Grody	....	second assistant editor
Dawn Michelle King	....	second assistant editor
Tracy Myers	....	apprentice editor
Keith Parrish	....	color timer
John Portnoy	....	lightworks assistant
Irene Schonwit	....	first assistant editor
Thor Sigurjonsson	....	post-production assistant
Boyd Steer	....	negative cutter
Kristina Trirogoff	....	assistant editor
Lewis Schoenbrun	....	assistant editor (uncredited)

Music Department
Scott Ansell	....	scoring engineer
Sharon Boyle	....	music consultant: Polygram
Carter Burwell	....	musician: keyboards
Edmund Choi	....	assistant to composer
Hearn Gadbois	....	musician: percussion
Geoffrey Gordon	....	musician: percussion
Barklie K. Griggs	....	music coordinator
Adam Maffei	....	music coordinator
Erik Horse Sanko	....	musician: bass
Dana Sano	....	music coordinator
Adam Milo Smalley	....	music coordinator
David Torn	....	musician: guitar

Transportation Department
Robert Ballentine	....	driver
Chet Brooks	....	driver
Robert Brubaker	....	driver: Atlanta
Tom Dias	....	driver
Don Feeney	....	driver
Joe Feeney	....	transportation coordinator
Bill Girard	....	driver: Atlanta
Scotty Goudreau	....	driver
Veronica Hampton	....	driver: Atlanta
Charles D. Hindman	....	driver
Mark Holden	....	driver: Atlanta
John M. Janos	....	driver
Terry Johnson	....	driver: honeywagon, Atlanta
Alan Kaminsky	....	driver
Skip Knight	....	driver: honeywagon
Don Mancini	....	driver
Brady McElroy	....	driver: grip
Tim McHenery	....	driver
Michael McMahan	....	transportation captain: Atlanta
Bobby McMahon	....	driver: Atlanta
Henry E. Nakamura	....	driver
James 'Obee' Oberman	....	driver
Keith O'Brien	....	driver
R.D. Orsagh	....	driver: Atlanta
Russel Overstreet	....	driver: honeywagon
William E. Palmer	....	transportation captain
Barry Phipps	....	driver: Atlanta
Martha Pruette	....	driver: Atlanta
William F. Reinert	....	driver
Christopher Rigby	....	driver
David L. Rogers	....	driver: Atlanta
George A. Sack	....	driver (as George Sack)
Lee Sanders	....	driver
Jerry L. Starr	....	driver
Sean Swint	....	driver: Atlanta
Lyn Vandeman	....	driver

Other crew
Linda Alderete	....	assistant: Mr. Sighvatsson and Mr. Golin
Kimberly Allen	....	promotions coordinator
Michael Amter	....	production assistant
Christopher C. Bardin	....	script revisor
Rachel Ben-David	....	intern: Atlanta
Richard L. Blackwell	....	street car technician: Atlanta
Julie Blutstein	....	production assistant
Glenn Burgess	....	craft service
Michelle Colbert	....	production coordinator
Colleen Cole	....	assistant: Mr. McGarry and Mr. Sena
Bob Condella	....	stand-in
Jeanette D. Connolly	....	production accountant
Jenna Cooper	....	assistant: Mr. Sighvatsson and Mr. Golin
Tim Corbin	....	caterer: Atlanta
Robert Cortese	....	production assistant
Stephen V. Cossio	....	stand-in: Atlanta
Suzanne Costas	....	stand-in
Patrick Duchesne	....	caterer
John Findley III	....	assistant location manager: Atlanta
Diana L. Ford	....	stand-in
Hillary Fox	....	assistant: Mr. McGarry and Mr. Sena
Cara Giannini	....	production assistant
Jane Goldsmith	....	script supervisor
Marda Gonzales	....	assistant stylist
Gary Goodman	....	production assistant
Michael J. Griffin	....	location scout
Paul Hackner	....	production assistant
Julie Hansen	....	post-production accountant
Lynn Harris	....	script supervisor
Joanne Higgins	....	assistant production coordinator
Augustus G. Kirk	....	location manager
Michael Kuhn	....	big cheese
Gary Kurashige	....	medic
Carrie L.A.	....	production assistant: Atlanta (as Carrie L.A. Golder)
Douglas Lambert	....	production assistant
Carla Lockhart	....	assistant: Mr. Sighvatsson and Mr. Golin
M. Roxanne Lowery	....	location assistant: Atlanta
Linda E. Lyon	....	assistant: Mr. Sena
Cedric Lyons	....	production assistant
Hooman Majd	....	a&r: Polydor Records Soundtrack
Sarah Manley	....	production secretary: Atlanta (as Sara Scarritt)
Kirk McElreath	....	stand-in: Atlanta
Tony McGarry	....	production assistant
Heidi McGowen	....	production assistant: Atlanta
Daryl Mitchell	....	intern: Atlanta
Nancy Mott	....	craft service
Garth Mueller	....	intern: Atlanta
Tom Munroe	....	location manager: Atlanta
Kevin O'Brien	....	key production assistant: Atlanta
Deannie O'Nell	....	production coordinator
Alan Petherick	....	production assistant
Senia Phillips	....	animal trainer
Jennifer Pinkerton	....	assistant coordinator
David Pollack	....	unit publicist
Michael Randolph	....	craft service
Cecilia Ridenhour	....	medic: Atlanta
Elena J. Robinson	....	assistant coordinator
Tino Sage	....	production assistant
Dave Semones	....	craft service: Atlanta
Marciann Shapiro	....	production assistant
Davitt Sigerson	....	a&r: Polydor Records Soundtrack
Jerrell Skinner	....	production secretary: Atlanta
Maria Smith	....	location scout
Mike Smith	....	police coordinator: Atlanta (as Michael Smith)
Rebecca Stefan	....	production assistant: Atlanta
Jim A. Stephen	....	street car technician: Atlanta
Mark Stephens	....	production assistant: Atlanta
Linda Taffar	....	caterer: Atlanta
Glenn Tebbe	....	stand-in (as Glenn M. Tebbe)
Katie Willard Troebs	....	assistant production coordinator
Samantha J. Voight	....	stand-in: Atlanta
John Webb	....	intern: Atlanta
Adrian Webster	....	stand-in: Atlanta
David H. 'Wino' Weinstein	....	production assistant
Gaylene West	....	key assistant accountant
Jonathan Wiedemann	....	production associate
Doreen Wilcox	....	assistant: Mr. Sena
Larry Winokur	....	unit publicist
Marcia Wood	....	assistant coordinator
Marsha Zvonkin	....	production accountant
Diane Alexander	....	stand-in (uncredited)

Thanks
David Daugherty	....	special thanks
Deana Elwell	....	special thanks
Peter D. Graves	....	special thanks (as Peter Graves)
Rand Hoffman	....	special thanks
Ted MacKinney	....	special thanks
Miles Mogulescu	....	special thanks
Cheryl Nelson	....	special thanks
Malcolm Ritchie	....	special thanks
Jim Tauber	....	special thanks
Mark Wolfe	....	special thanks
Kurt Woolner	....	special thanks

Production Companies

• PolyGram Filmed Entertainment
• Viacom Productions (in association with)
• Propaganda Films
• Kouf/Bigelow Productions

Distributors

• Gramercy Pictures (I) (1993) (USA) (theatrical)
• Fox Network (1997) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere)
• Cineplex-Odeon Films (1993) (Canada) (theatrical)
• Concorde Filmverleih (1993) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Laurenfilm (????) (Spain) (theatrical)
• REP Distribution (????) (Australia) (theatrical)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (2001) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (????) (Australia) (VHS)
• Encore Entertainment (1995) (UK) (video) (laserdisc)
• Europa Carat (199?) (Brazil) (VHS)
• Laser Paradise (1996) (Germany) (VHS)
• Laser Paradise (1996) (Germany) (laserdisc)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2001) (Germany) (DVD)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2000) (USA) (DVD)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2000) (USA) (VHS)
• PolyGram Home Video (1994) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• PolyGram Home Video (1997) (USA) (DVD) (widescreen)
• PolyGram Home Video (????) (USA) (VHS)
• Transeuropa Video Entertainment (TVE) (????) (Argentina) (VHS)
• VCL Communications (1994) (Germany) (VHS)

Special Effects

• Special Effects Unlimited (special effects)

Other Companies

• Baker Winokur Ryder Public Relations (BWR)  publicity
• California Stage Designs  set construction
• Chapman/Leonard Studio Equipment  camera cranes and dollies
• Clay Digital Sound  sound
• Deluxe Catering  catering
• Entertainment Accounting  post-production accounting
• Film Finance  completion bond
• George's Department Store  wardrobe
• Hanes Her Way  wardrobe
• Howard A. Anderson Company  titles and opticals
• Innovative Cutting  negative cutting
• Location Catering of the South  catering: Atlanta
• Mark Fox  wardrobe
• Meridian Studios  re-recorded at
• Nana  wardrobe
• Persol  wardrobe
• Rand McNally  maps
• Set Ready Craft Service  craft service
• Sinclair, Tenenbaum & Co. Inc.  legal services
• Southern Animal Training Agency  animal handlers
• Special Projects Inc.  set construction
• Studio City Players  adr group

MPAA:

Rated R for strong violence, and for sexuality and language.

Runtime:

117 min | USA:118 min (unrated version)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Iceland:16 | Singapore:M18 | Canada:R (Manitoba/Nova Scotia/Ontario) | New Zealand:R18 | Australia:MA | Finland:K-18 | France:-12 | Germany:18 | Netherlands:16 | Norway:18 (video premiere) | South Korea:18 (cut) | Spain:18 | Sweden:15 | UK:18 | USA:NC-17 (original rating) | USA:R | Argentina:16

Filming Locations:

Alabama Hills, Lone Pine, California, USA

Company:

PolyGram Filmed Entertainment

Trivia:

'Michelle Forbes'' photographer character is a reference to the controversial photographer Andres Serrano, specifically his series 'History of Sex' and 'The Klan' (from the early 1990s).

Goofs:

Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): When Brian and Carrie are loading their luggage into the car to begin the trip (before they pick up Adele and Early), David Duchovny (Brian) accidentally rips the fabric on the suitcase. He stops and looks back at it, then continues with the dialogue.

Quotes:

Carrie Laughlin: Oh Brian, you've got to be kidding me. Look at them. They look like Okies.
Adele Corners: Oh Jesus, Early, they look kinda weird.
Carrie Laughlin: They look like they don't have five bucks between them.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Joe Bob's Drive-In Theater: Brain-Damage Night" (1995)

Soundtrack:

Deep

Killer On The Road

It's a road movie, with a killer on-board. Brian Kessler (David Duchovny), a sophisticated, urbane writer, wants to conduct field research on American serial killers. But, neither he, nor his girlfriend, Carrie (Michelle Forbes), has the money for a cross-country tour of murder sites, so they advertise for someone to share travel expenses. Who they end up with is a young couple, Early Grayce (Brad Pitt) and his girlfriend, Adele (Juliette Lewis), two better examples of "poor white trash" you will never find in all of cinema.

Indeed, Early and Adele are what make this film so entertaining, as they babble, cackle, confide, muse, speculate, drool, and otherwise behave in ways I haven't seen since reruns of "The Beverly Hillbillies". Early's idea of California: "People think faster out there, on account of all that warm weather; cold weather makes people stupid". That's enough to convince Adele: "I guess that explains why there are so many stupid people around here". To which Early responds proudly: "It sure does". Early continues to instruct Adele about California: "You never have to buy no fruit, on account it's all on the trees ... and they ain't got no speed limits, and I hear your first month's rent is free, state law".

But poor Early has some, well, mental problems, which become ever more obvious to Brian and Carrie as the four travelers proceed west across the U.S. As they enter the desert Southwest, with its beautifully stark landscape, "Kalifornia" starts to look more and more like "The Hitcher" (1986), and Early starts to act more and more like John Ryder, everyone's maniacal hitchhiker, whose terror seemed so unstoppable.

In "Kalifornia", the acting is uneven. Duchovny's performance is flat. Brad Pitt is surprisingly effective, despite his overacting at times. Michelle Forbes is great as the avant-garde, photographic artist. But my choice for best performance goes to Juliette Lewis. With her nasal voice and heavy-duty Southern accent, she is stunning, as the naive, highly animated, child-like Adele.

Toward the end, the film takes on a Twilight Zone feel to it, as our travelers enter a Nevada nuclear test site with a dilapidated old house full of test mannequins. The plot dissolves rather messily into unnecessary and preposterous violence, an ending that was somewhat disappointing.

Overall, however, "Kalifornia" is an entertaining film, thanks to a clever concept, great scenery, especially in the second half, good cinematography, great dialogue, and that wonderful performance by Juliette Lewis.