Behind The Scenes Of 'Natural Born Killers'
Quentin Tarantino Trashed The Movie Upon Its Release
When the movie was released, Tarantino went out of his way to tear it apart. He said the director's message was too overtly presented. Tarantino compared Stone to Stanley Kramer, whose movies have moralizing messages, but were always obvious and conspicuous.
Stone, in response, thought Tarantino's outburst was uncalled for and out of step with his position in the industry. "To be honest, it’s just not done," Stone said. "[A] writer who becomes famous and then trashes his own movie. I feel like it’s a code, it’s a samurai code that you live with."
It Took 155 Cuts To Get The Film An R Rating
- Photo:
The original cut of the film was even more chaotic and over-the-top than the final version. According to Oliver Stone, the MPAA found his original cut too disturbing to screen under an R rating. Though the film's shocking quality was Stone's intention, he was asked to change much of the movie.
In total, Stone is said to have made 155 different cuts over multiple re-edits to make the film suitable for the MPAA's R rating. Stone was unhappy with the changes he had to make; he claims they were difficult because cutting too much would change the film's point.
By the end, Stone said the cuts "changed the rhythm" of the film, but in 2009, an unrated cut of the movie was released.
Quentin Tarantino's Script Focused Primarily On Wayne Gale, Not Mickey And Mallory
- Photo:
In Tarantino's script, Mickey and Mallory were not the film's primary focus. Instead, the movie followed journalist Wayne Gale and his film crew. That's not to say Mickey and Mallory weren't present - their prison escape was still the film's climax - but they were not intended to be the main characters.
Tarantino was keeping a budget in mind while writing the script. When Tarantino thought he’d be directing the movie, he intended to film most of the scenes on video because of its cost efficiency. Unfortunately, the footage looked terrible. But by having Gale and his crew as the film's protagonists, Tarantino had a narrative excuse for the use of video; the interviews that made up the majority of the film would have been shot on tape, while everything else would be recorded on film.
Oliver Stone Was Upset That People Focused On The Film's Controversy And Not Its Message
- Photo:
Much of the movie's message was influenced by heavily broadcasted incidents in the early 1990s. Stone aimed to have the film reflect both media's and society's interest and extreme coverage of cases like the O.J. Simpson trial and the incident between Tonya Harding and Nancy Kerrigan during the 1994 US Figure Skating Championship. Instead, the film was engulfed in its own controversy, which overshadowed Stone's intended message.
Ironically, both the film and its critics were casting blame on one another for society's moral degradation. Because of the content, politicians and the media criticized the movie. According to Stone, the film's message "was overlooked amid all the hysteria."
Bob Dole Wrote To Stone, Condemning Him For 'Glamorizing' Corrupt Elements Of Society
- Photo:
In 1995, presidential candidate Bob Dole campaigned to denounce all of Hollywood and its "mainstreaming of deviancy" through explicit movies. NBK was one of Dole's primary targets, which he blamed for "glamorizing" unlawful activities and undermining society.
According to a letter Dole sent Stone, Dole was unable to finish watching the film because of its content, but felt movies like it were causing the moral degradation of youth.
Quentin Tarantino Only Received A 'Story By' Credit Because Stone Rewrote Most Of The Film
- Photo:
- Gage Skidmore
- Wikimedia Commons
- CC BY-SA 3.0
Even though Tarantino wrote a full draft of the film, Oliver Stone rewrote much of the script so it would touch on themes of media sensationalism and the corporatization of the news. Stone compared the original content to something more akin to films written and directed by Roger Corman. Stone found the original screenplay enjoyable and entertaining, but said it lacked thematic complexity. He claimed it was "a one-themed film, which is 'Love you, love you.'"
Tarantino disliked what Stone did to his script and didn't want to be heavily associated with the final product, so he had his credit reduced to "story by."
- Photo:
Juliette Lewis Actually Broke Tom Sizemore's Nose
- Photo:
According to producer Jane Hamsher, in the scene where Juliette Lewis headbutts Tom Sizemore in her jail cell - she broke his nose. Hamsher writes that Lewis fell asleep in the middle of the scene. But when she woke up, she was so enthusiastic that she broke Sizemore's nose.
Though someone on set suggested Sizemore seek medical attention, Stone responded, "We're not stopping, let's go!"
It Was Originally Written As A Movie Within Another Movie
- Photo:
The film has a nonlinear presentation; though the plot is linear, the movie cuts between interviews, dreamlike sequences, and a highly stylized reality. But it was initially even more confusing. Tarantino's concept was for NBK to be a script being written by True Romance lead character Clarence. In that version of the film, Clarence was writing the script while traveling cross-country.
Though Tarantino wanted to direct the original version of True Romance and NBK himself, he didn't have funds. Instead, Tarantino divided the films and sold them both. Director Oliver Stone took to the script for the latter because he wanted to make “a crime movie” and had enjoyed Tarantino’s sense of humor and style in Reservoir Dogs.
Coca-Cola Was Shocked To See How Their Commercials Were Used
- Photo:
Throughout the film, Oliver Stone punctuates his more chaotic moments with excerpts from the famous Coca-Cola ad featuring a family of polar bears. Representatives of Coca-Cola reportedly never watched the film before its release and had assumed their advertisements would air when Tommy Lee Jones watches the Super Bowl on television.
On the film's commentary track, Stone said the higher-ups in the company were "furious" about the film and Coca-Cola's appearance in it.
Oliver Stone Blames 'Pulp Fiction' For Keeping The Film Out Of Cannes
- Photo:
Oliver Stone was set to premiere his film at the Cannes Flim Festival, but because they were already showing Pulp Fiction, the festival committee said they had "enough violent fare." Stone was able to premiere the movie at the Venice Film Festival instead, though, where it received a fantastic reception and a standing ovation.
Unfortunately for Stone, he did not end up winning the festival's top prize, the Golden Lion. He did win the less prestigious Jury Prize, though.
Rodney Dangerfield Improvised His Lines
- Photo:
Rodney Dangerfield has a small but memorable role as Mallory's father in the film. And according to the late comedian, most of his lines were made up on the spot. In 1994, Dangerfield told the Los Angeles Times, "[Oliver Stone] says he's got this part for me. Well, I never saw a script, he just said I was supposed to be 'the father from hell.' And the way I act in the movie is horrible."
He continued, "I came with 20 new jokes every day. I also write on the spot. So [in] this movie, all the filthy stuff, I wrote. Oliver said he loved it and that was it."
The Film Inspired Copycats
- Photo:
After the film was released, it inspired numerous copycats who specifically cited the movie. One young man in Texas cut off a fellow student's head because he wanted to be famous like the leads of the film. A boy in Utah slew his stepmother and half-sister.
After watching the film multiple times while on acid, one teenage couple went on a spree modeled after it. A survivor later sued Oliver Stone and Warner Bros., saying they should have known people would want to be like Mickey and Mallory. The case was eventually dismissed.
Tarantino Used The Money He Made To Buy A Chevy Malibu, Which Was Then Used In 'Pulp Fiction'
- Photo:
Though Tarantino wasn't able to direct the film, nor did the final cut resemble his original script, he made a hefty profit from it. Tarantino sold the script for $10,000 and a portion of the film's profits. With the money he received, he bought a cherry red Chevy Malibu.
Only one month after NBK's premiere Tarantino premiered his film Pulp Fiction, which features the Chevy Malibu.
