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Multiplicity (1996) - Clone Comedy

 
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The Spike
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Joined: 23 Sep 2014
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Location: Birmingham. Great Britain.

PostPosted: Wed Jul 08, 2020 10:25 am    Post subject: Multiplicity (1996) - Clone Comedy Reply with quote



Keaton on top form in a very charming and enjoyable sci-fi comedy picture.

Doug Kinney never has enough time to do what he wants to do, his life is frantic and his family life is strained, then one day he gets the chance to have himself duplicated.

It would seem that a lot of complaints about this film are about it being a waste of a good premise, well for sure Multiplicity is far from being a comic masterpiece, but to say it doesn't deliver laughs set amongst its charming romantic heart, is a touch unfair I feel. What we get here is four Doug Kinney's, each one having their own driving personality to make it real easy for the audience to distinguish which is which. So, with Michael Keaton delivering four excellent performances as the Dougs, the comic relief flows pretty much all through the picture.

However, director Harold Ramis is guilty of staying safe with the material to hand because from the off the conclusion is never in doubt, the feel good factor is evident even as the Dougs are chaotically imploding. But is that really a reason to do the film down? Well no as far as I'm concerned, Multiplicity is a tidy fusion of sci-fi comedy and romance that isn't taking the science literally.

For Doug number 4 alone, with his skiing skills and pizza fetish, this film deserves 7/10, whilst Keaton deserves a far higher score indeed.

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Bud Brewster
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Joined: 14 Dec 2013
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PostPosted: Tue May 03, 2022 10:51 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

________________________________

IMDB has several interesting trivia items for this production. Very Happy
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~ In filming the shot in which Doug #1 introduces Doug #3 to Doug #2, Doug #2 tosses a beer to Doug #1.

Michael Keaton catching the beer (tossed by a body double) was shot first. Keaton tossing the beer (this time *to* a body double) was filmed later.

Keaton's toss so perfectly matched the body double's original toss that the planned special effect of digitally erasing the tossed beer can then adding in a digital beer can was not needed, thereby saving the production quite a bit of money. This was referred to by the special effects crew as "The Million Dollar Miracle Beer Can Toss".


Note from me: I doubt seriously that the planned FX of the beer can would have cost anywhere near a million dollars.

~ According to director Harold Ramis, he wrote much of the script uncredited. A Writers Guild rule prevents directors from getting a writing credit on their film unless they contribute more than fifty percent. Ramis contributed forty percent of the screenplay.

Note from me: I'm sure Ramis was just tad bit tempted to revise a little more of the script so he pushed that percentage of fifty. The fact that he didn't indicates that he's a nice guy.

~ The construction project Doug is working on is called "Vista de Nada," which is Spanish for "View of Nothing".

Note from me: This little gag tickled my funny bone! Laughing

~ Michael Keaton was originally considered for Bill Murray's role in Groundhog Day (1993), which was also directed by Harold Ramis, and his love interest in that was Andie MacDowell, who also played his wife in this film. But he turned it down.

Note from me: Keaton might have been good in Groundhog Day, but I don't think he could have topped Murray. Very Happy

~ Digital cloning of the same person in a scene was still off by several years when this movie was made. Therefore scenes where each of Michael Keaton's characters were interacting with one another were filmed separately (with the exact same camera movements) and layered over one another.

Note from me: Like I said, doing special effects like this so well without CGI is certainly laudable. Very Happy

~ In the scene when Doug is getting cloned the first time, he mentions he doesn't want to turn out like Jeff Goldblum in The Fly (1986). Michael Keaton was offered the lead role of Seth Brundle in the film but turned it down.

Note from me: I am, however, absolutely certain that Goldblum was much better than Keaton would have been in The Fly.

But Keaton was terrific in this movie. Enjoy the trailer. Very Happy


__________________ Multiplicity Trailer 1996


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