A Hollywood studio executive is being sent death threats by a writer whose script he rejected - but which one?
Direction
Altman's roaming camera catches 60+ cameos like a fever dream.
Writing
Michael Tolkin's script predicted every toxic exec trope.
Production
Opening 8-minute single take is pure flex cinema.
Director
Robert Altman
Tim Robbins
Griffin Mill
Greta Scacchi
June Gudmundsdottir
Fred Ward
Walter Stuckel
Whoopi Goldberg
Detective Avery
Peter Gallagher
Larry Levy
Brion James
Joel Levison
Cynthia Stevenson
Bonnie Sherow
Vincent D'Onofrio
David Kahane
Dean Stockwell
Andy Civella
Richard E. Grant
Tom Oakley
Sydney Pollack
Dick Mellen
Lyle Lovett
Detective DeLongpre
Dina Merrill
Celia
Angela Hall
Jan
Leah Ayres
Sandy
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
The opening shot includes 50+ unbilled cameos; Altman had celebrities call their own famous friends to show up. Julia Roberts and Bruce Willis agreed to fake-film scenes that became the movie Griffin produces.
The film predicted the industry shift toward high-concept 'movie movies' while studios killed the mid-budget drama—ironically becoming the exact thing it satirized when it won zero Oscars.
US
