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After Hours (film)

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Not to be confused with After Hours (The Weeknd album).
After Hours
Theatrical release poster by Marvin Mattelson[1]
Directed byMartin Scorsese
Written byJoseph Minion
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyMichael Ballhaus
Edited byThelma Schoonmaker
Music byHoward Shore
Production
companies
Distributed byWarner Bros.
Release date
  • September 13, 1985 (1985-09-13)
Running time
97 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$4.5 million[2]
Box office$10.6 million[3]

After Hours is a 1985 American black comedy film[4] directed by Martin Scorsese, written by Joseph Minion, and produced by Amy Robinson, Griffin Dunne, and Robert F. Colesberry. Dunne stars as Paul Hackett, an office worker who experiences a series of misadventures while attempting to make his way home from Manhattan's SoHo district during the night.

After Hours was critically acclaimed for its black humor, and is now considered to be a cult classic. As of 2024, it is Scorsese's most recent film that is not an adaptation or biopic.

The film won the Independent Spirit Award for Best Feature. Scorsese won the Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Director and the Independent Spirit Award for Best Director for the film.

Plot

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After a boring day at work, computer data entry worker Paul Hackett strikes up conversation with a stranger named Marcy Franklin in a café in New York City. Marcy tells him that she is living in SoHo with a sculptor named Kiki Bridges, who makes and sells plaster-of-Paris paperweights resembling cream cheese bagels, and leaves him her number.

Later in the night, after calling the number under the pretense of buying a paperweight, Paul takes a taxi to the apartment. On the way, his $20 bill is blown out the window of the cab, leaving him with only some change, much to the incredulity of the cab driver. At the apartment, Paul meets Kiki, who is working on a sculpture of a screaming man which he compares to Edvard Munch's The Scream. Paul rifles through Marcy's belongings and discovers several items suggesting that Marcy is disfigured from burns; this, along with her increasingly strange behavior, leads him to abandon the date.

Paul attempts to go home by subway, but the fare has increased at the stroke of midnight, and he can no longer afford it after losing the $20. He goes to a bar where Julie, a waitress, immediately becomes enamored with him. At the bar, Paul learns that there has been a string of burglaries in the neighborhood. The bartender, Tom Schorr, offers to give Paul money for a subway token, but he is unable to open the bar's cash register. They exchange keys so that Paul can go to Tom's apartment to fetch the cash register key.

Paul spots two burglars, Neil and Pepe, with Kiki's man sculpture. After he confronts them, they flee, dropping the sculpture in the process. When Paul returns the sculpture to Kiki and Marcy's apartment, Kiki encourages him to apologize to Marcy. However, when he enters Marcy's room, he discovers that she has committed suicide by overdosing on Seconal. Paul reports Marcy's death before remembering his prior errand to return Tom's keys. On the way out, he grabs a note from Kiki inviting him and Marcy to Club Berlin.

The bar is locked when Paul arrives, with a sign stating that Tom will return shortly. Paul runs into Julie on the street, and she invites him up to her apartment to wait for Tom. Paul is unnerved by her own strange behavior, including sketching him while they talk. When he leaves the apartment, a scorned Julie makes wanted posters for the anonymous burglar using her sketch of him. He finally returns to the bar, where Tom receives a phone call that his girlfriend has killed herself. Paul leaves to find Kiki and inform her of Marcy's suicide. The bouncer at Club Berlin refuses him entry because his hairstyle does not fit the mohawk dress code, and Paul narrowly escapes several punks who attempt to give him a haircut.

Back on the street yet again, Paul meets a Mister Softee ice cream truck driver named Gail who mistakes him for the burglar based on Julie's posters. Gail and a mob of locals, including Tom, relentlessly pursue Paul, who seeks refuge at the club. Sleep-deprived, bedraggled, and ranting, Paul uses his last quarter to play "Is That All There Is?" by Peggy Lee on the club's jukebox and asks an older woman named June to dance. After explaining his situation, June offers to hide him in her apartment underneath the club, where she uses papier-mâché to disguise him as a sculpture while the mob raids the club. After the mob leaves, however, June refuses his request to take off the plaster out of concern they might return, and it soon hardens, trapping him in a position that resembles Kiki's sculpture. Neil and Pepe break in and steal Paul, thinking him to be the sculpture they had dropped in the street earlier, and place him in the back of their van.

The van speeds uptown and takes a sharp turn which swings open the van's back door. Paul falls to the pavement, with the force of the impact breaking the plaster open, directly outside the front gate of his office building. He brushes himself off and goes to his desk, where his computer screen greets him.

Cast

[edit]

Themes and motifs

[edit]

This film belongs in a grouping that revolves around a young working professional who is placed under threat, named the "yuppie nightmare cycle",[5] a subgenre of films which combines screwball comedy and film noir. Some critics present a psychoanalytic view of the film; Paul is constantly emasculated by women in the film: by Kiki with her sexual aggressiveness and lust for masochism,[2] Marcy turning down his sexual advances, Julie and Gail turning a vigilante mob on him, and June trapping him in plaster. There are many references to castration within the film,[5] most of which are shown when women are present. In the bathroom in Terminal Bar where Julie first encounters Paul, there is an image scrawled on the wall of a shark biting a man's erect penis.[6] Marcy makes a reference to her husband using a double entendre when saying, "I broke the whole thing off" when talking about their sex life.[5] One of the mouse traps that surrounds her bed clamps shut when Julie tries to seduce Paul.

Michael Rabiger sees mythological symbolism as a primary theme of the film, stating: "The hero of Scorsese's dark comedy After Hours is like a rat trying to escape from a labyrinth. Indeed there is a caged rat in one scene where Paul finds himself trapped in a talkative woman's apartment. The film could be plotted out as a labyrinthine journey, each compartment holding out the promise of a particular experience, almost all illusory and misleading".[7]

Production

[edit]

Paramount Pictures' abandonment of The Last Temptation of Christ was a huge disappointment to Scorsese, and spurred him to focus on independent companies and smaller projects.[8] The opportunity was offered to him by his lawyer Jay Julien, who put him through Griffin Dunne and Amy Robinson's Double Play Company. The project was called One Night in Soho and it was based on a script by Joseph Minion. The screenplay, originally titled Lies after a 1982 Joe Frank monologue that inspired it,[9] was written as part of an assignment for his film course at Columbia University. According to Frank, he was not asked for rights to the story, asking "what must the screenwriter have been thinking to place himself in such jeopardy?"[10] Minion was 26 years old at the time the film was produced.[11] The script finally became After Hours after Scorsese made his final amendments.[12] The film was originally to be directed by Tim Burton after Dunne and Robinson were impressed with his short film Vincent, but Burton willingly stepped aside when Scorsese expressed interest.[13]

One of Scorsese's contributions involved the dialogue between Paul and the doorman at Club Berlin, which was inspired by Franz Kafka's "Before the Law," one of the short stories included in his novel The Trial.[14][15] As Scorsese explained to Paul Attanasio, the short story reflected his frustration toward the production of The Last Temptation of Christ.[16]

After Hours was the first fictional film directed by Scorsese since Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore in 1974 not to feature Robert De Niro.[4]

British director Michael Powell took part in the production of the film, and he and editor Thelma Schoonmaker married soon afterward. Nobody was sure how the film should end. Powell said that Paul must finish up back at work, but this was initially dismissed as too unlikely and difficult. They tried many other endings, and a few were even filmed, but the only one that everyone felt really worked was to have Paul finish up back at work just as the new day was starting.[13]

Music

[edit]

The score for After Hours was composed by Howard Shore. Although an official soundtrack album was not released, many of Shore's cues appear on the 2009 album Howard Shore: Collector's Edition Vol. 1.[17] In addition to the score, other music credited at the end of the film is:

  1. Symphony in D Major, K. 95 (K. 73n), first movement: attributed to Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
  2. "Air on the G String (Air From Suite No. 3)" Composed by Johann Sebastian Bach
  3. "En la Cueva" Performed by Cuadro Flamenco
  4. "Sevillanas" Composed and performed by Manitas de Plata
  5. "Night and Day" Written by Cole Porter
  6. "Body and Soul" Composed by Johnny Green
  7. "Quando quando quando" Music by Tony Renis, Lyrics by Pat Boone
  8. "Someone to Watch Over Me" Lyrics by Ira Gershwin, Music by George Gershwin, performed by Robert & Johnny
  9. "You're Mine" Written by Robert Carr and Johnny Mitchell, performed by Robert & Johnny
  10. "We Belong Together" Performed by Robert & Johnny
  11. "Angel Baby" Written by Rosie Hamlin, performed by Rosie and the Originals
  12. "Last Train to Clarksville" Written by Boyce and Hart, performed by the Monkees
  13. "Chelsea Morning" Composed and performed by Joni Mitchell
  14. "I Don't Know Where I Stand" Composed and performed by Joni Mitchell
  15. "Over the Mountain; Across the Sea" Composed by Rex Garvin, performed by Johnnie and Joe
  16. "One Summer Night" Written by Danny Webb, Performed by the Danleers
  17. "Pay to Cum" Written and performed by Bad Brains
  18. "Is That All There Is?" Composed by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, performed by Peggy Lee

Reception

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After Hours grossed only $10.1 million in the United States,[3] but was given positive reviews and has since been considered an "underrated" entry in the director's filmography.[18][19][20][21] The film won Scorsese the Best Director award at the 1986 Cannes Film Festival and allowed him to take a hiatus from the tumultuous development of The Last Temptation of Christ.[22]

Film critic Roger Ebert gave After Hours four out of four stars. He praised the film as one of the year's best and said it "continues Scorsese's attempt to combine comedy and satire with unrelenting pressure and a sense of all-pervading paranoia."[23] He later added it to his "Great Movies" list.[24] In The New York Times, critic Vincent Canby gave the film a mixed review, calling it an "entertaining tease, with individually arresting sequences that are well acted by Mr. Dunne and the others, but which leave you feeling somewhat conned."[11]

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 90% based on 69 reviews, with an average rating of 7.70/10. The site's critical consensus reads: "Bursting with frantic energy and tinged with black humor, After Hours is a masterful – and often overlooked – detour in Martin Scorsese's filmography."[25] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 89 out of 100 based on reviews from nine critics, indicating "universal acclaim".[26]

Accolades

[edit]
Association Category Recipient Result Ref.
BAFTA Awards Best Actress in a Supporting Role Rosanna Arquette Nominated [27]
Cannes Film Festival Palme d'Or Martin Scorsese Nominated [28]
Best Director Martin Scorsese Won
Casting Society of America Awards Best Casting for Feature Film – Comedy Mary Colquhoun Nominated [29]
César Awards Best Foreign Film Martin Scorsese Nominated [30]
Golden Globe Awards Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical Griffin Dunne Nominated [31]
Independent Spirit Awards Best Feature Robert F. Colesberry
Griffin Dunne
Amy Robinson 		Won [32][33]
Best Director Martin Scorsese Won
Best Screenplay Joseph Minion Nominated
Best Female Lead Rosanna Arquette Nominated
Best Cinematography Michael Ballhaus Nominated
National Society of Film Critics Awards Best Cinematography Michael Ballhaus Nominated

Home media

[edit]

Warner Home Video released After Hours on VHS and Betamax in 1986, and both widescreen and pan-and-scan NTSC LaserDiscs. It has also been released on DVD.[34][35] On July 11, 2023, the film was released on 4K UHD and Blu-ray by The Criterion Collection.[36][37]

Legacy

[edit]

After Hours served as an inspiration for the 2020 album After Hours by Canadian singer the Weeknd.[38] The film also inspired the 2021 Ted Lasso episode "Beard After Hours".[39]

See also

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References

[edit]
  1. ^ "After Hours / One sheet / Style B / USA". filmonpaper.com.
  2. ^ a b Friedman, Lawrence S. (1998). The cinema of Martin Scorsese. New York: Continuum. ISBN 0826410774.
  3. ^ a b "After Hours (1985)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved December 10, 2009.
  4. ^ a b Variety Staff (1985). "After Hours". Variety. Retrieved December 10, 2009.
  5. ^ a b c Grist, Leighton (2013). The films of Martin Scorsese, 1978–99: authorship and context II (1. publ. ed.). Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan. ISBN 9781403920355.
  6. ^ Sangster, Jim (2002). Scorsese : Virgin Film. London: Virgin Books. pp. 132–133. ISBN 0753506424.
  7. ^ Michael Rabiger. Directing. 448 pages. Publisher: Focal Press; 5 edition (December 15, 2012). ISBN 978-0240818450.
  8. ^ Dougan, Andy (1997). Martin Scorsese. London: Orion Media. p. 77. ISBN 0752811754.
  9. ^ "The Scandalous Origins of Martin Scorsese's After Hours — Andrew Hearst — Content Strategist, Experience Designer & Digital Consultant, Brooklyn, New York". Andrew Hearst. Retrieved 2021-02-12.
  10. ^ "Frankophiles ask Joe". Joe Frank Official Site. Archived from the original on 2010-03-23. Retrieved 2022-08-21.
  11. ^ a b Canby, Vincent (1985-09-13). "After Hours from Martin Scorsese". The New York Times. Retrieved 2009-12-10.
  12. ^ Keyser, Les (1995). Martin Scorsese. New York: Twayne. p. 148. ISBN 0805793216.
  13. ^ a b Filming for Your Life: The Making of After Hours" (Bonus feature). Burbank, California: Warner Home Video. 2004. B000286RNE.
  14. ^ Kafka, Franz. Before the Law Archived 2011-07-19 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2009-12-10.
  15. ^ Faber, Marion (Autumn 1986). "Kafka on the Screen: Martin Scorsese's "After Hours"". Die Unterrichtspraxis / Teaching German. 19 (2). Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons: 200–5. doi:10.2307/3530703. JSTOR 3530703.
  16. ^ Keyser, Les (1995). Martin Scorsese. New York: Twayne. p. 145. ISBN 0805793216.
  17. ^ "Howard Shore Collector's Edition, Vol. 1". AllMusic. All Media Network. Retrieved March 17, 2014.
  18. ^ Blair, Iain (November 5, 2001). "The Free Game; Stars' Cameos Add Touch of Realism to Faux Documentary". South Florida Sun-Sentinel. p. 3E.
  19. ^ Schembri, Jim (February 14, 2003). "Martin's mean streets". The Age. Melbourne. Archived from the original on 2003-02-26. Retrieved November 16, 2009.
  20. ^ "Five-film DVD set defines Scorsese". The San Diego Union-Tribune. August 20, 2004. Archived from the original on October 9, 2011. Retrieved November 16, 2009. The fourth film is 1985's "After Hours," an underrated, one-crazy-night-in-New York comedy starring Griffin Dunne.
  21. ^ Lawson, Terry (August 14, 2004). "Box set collects five from Martin Scorsese". Detroit Free Press.
  22. ^ "Festival de Cannes: After Hours". festival-cannes.com. Retrieved 2009-07-10.
  23. ^ Ebert, Roger (October 11, 1985). "After Hours". rogerebert.com. Retrieved December 10, 2009.
  24. ^ Ebert, Roger (January 14, 2009). "After Hours". RogerEbert.com. Retrieved December 10, 2009.
  25. ^ "After Hours". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved June 26, 2024.
  26. ^ "After Hours Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved June 18, 2024.
  27. ^ "Film; Actress in a Supporting Role in 1987". BAFTA Awards.
  28. ^ Dawson, Jonathan (April 2010). "After Hours". Senses of Cinema. Retrieved 3 April 2023.
  29. ^ "1986 Artios Awards". Casting Society of America. Retrieved April 3, 2023.
  30. ^ "12th Cesar Awards (French Academy) (1987) - Films from 1986". Film Affinity. Retrieved April 3, 2023.
  31. ^ "Winners & Nominees 1986". Golden Globes. Retrieved 3 April 2023.
  32. ^ "Spirit Awards: A Guide to All of the Best Feature Winners". The Hollywood Reporter. February 20, 2015. Retrieved 3 April 2023.
  33. ^ "1986 Nominees" (PDF). Film Independent. p. 55. Retrieved 3 April 2023.
  34. ^ Sangster, Jim (2002). Scorsese : Virgin Film. London: Virgin Books. ISBN 0753506424.
  35. ^ Bovberg, Jason (August 9, 2004). "After Hours". DVD Talk. Retrieved July 27, 2023.
  36. ^ "After Hours (1985)". Criterion.com. The Criterion Collection. Retrieved July 27, 2023.
  37. ^ Wilkins, Budd (July 20, 2023). "4K UHD Blu-ray Review: Martin Scorsese's After Hours on the Criterion Collection". Slant Magazine. Retrieved July 27, 2023.
  38. ^ Haylock, Zoe (February 8, 2021). "After Super Bowl LV, The Weeknd's Gotta Retire the Red Suit". Vulture. Archived from the original on February 25, 2021. Retrieved July 27, 2023.
  39. ^ Schwartz, Ryan (September 17, 2021). "Ted Lasso's Brendan Hunt Breaks Down 'Beard After Hours,' Reveals the One Scene He Looks at With a 'Bit of Regret'". TVLine. Retrieved July 24, 2023.
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