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Films with few actors

post #1 of 69
8/6/09 at 1:36pm
Thread Starter 
I really want to make a film this fall/winter, but will probably only have a handful of actors and locations available. As research/encouragement, I've been trying to collect the great films with few actors:

Mikey and Nicky by Elaine May - featuring John Cassavetes, Peter Falk, and little more than a half-dozen or so others. A few scenes with a nice a crowd of extras.

Stranger Than Paradise by Jim Jarmusch - Three leads, the aunt, and a smattering of extras who appear for little more than a minute or two.

Knife in the Water - I've never seen it, but from what I understand there are only three main actors.

What are some other great tiny-cast films?
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post #2 of 69
8/6/09 at 1:41pm
Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? comes to mind. Four main actors and maybe one or two extras (been a while) and it's just a powerhouse of script and acting. I think everyone got nominated for an Oscar.
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post #3 of 69
8/6/09 at 1:42pm
CLOSETLAND. Sadly not available on Region 1 DVD.

A young writer is interrogated by a sadistic secret policeman. She is accused of embedding political messages in her children's stories. The entire movie takes place in one room, with only the two actors. The movie is set in an unidentified, modern police state.


CAST AWAY is Hanks for most of the running time... There's gotta be a whole series of castaway (and wilderness/survival) flicks with few actors.

12 ANGRY MEN has a dozen people, but it's a limited location and has a great dynamic. See also RESERVOIR DOGS.
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post #4 of 69
8/6/09 at 1:44pm
I haven't seen it yet, but according to imdb the two leads make up the entire cast of Antichrist.

I forget the exact number, but 12 Angry Men doesn't have many characters in it.
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post #5 of 69
8/6/09 at 1:47pm
Moon is great and Sam Rockwell is the only person you see "live" on screen. There are a couple scenes with people on video, but even including them you are looking at maybe 6 people tops.
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post #6 of 69
8/6/09 at 1:49pm
Phone Booth.
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post #7 of 69
8/6/09 at 1:49pm
Let The Right One In should qualify since it has about a handful of speaking characters and only a few locations. And it is awesome!
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post #8 of 69
8/6/09 at 1:51pm
I Am Legend.

Ben Lyons said it was fucking awesome.

Hell in the Pacific with Lee Marvin and Toshiro Mifune.
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post #9 of 69
8/6/09 at 1:54pm
ALIEN has 7 (8 if you count the suit). And it's stilll one of the best casts ever.
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post #10 of 69
8/6/09 at 1:55pm
'Phase IV' has 3 people and a lot of ants in it.
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post #11 of 69
8/6/09 at 1:56pm
Slacker.
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post #12 of 69
8/6/09 at 1:57pm
There Will be Blood.

Cast could be huge, but i only saw 4 people there.



Enemy Mine!
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post #13 of 69
8/6/09 at 1:57pm
The original Flight of the Phoenix
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post #14 of 69
8/6/09 at 1:57pm
HARD CANDY. Except for about 45 seconds of Sandra Oh it's just Patrick Wilson and Ellen Page and a whole helluva lot of tension.
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post #15 of 69
8/6/09 at 1:59pm
Tape.
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post #16 of 69
8/6/09 at 1:59pm
Friedkin's BUG.

AKA the movie that made me love Michaeal Shannon.
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post #17 of 69
8/6/09 at 2:04pm
Big Kahuna.

Or, pretty much most movies that were adapted from plays made in the past 20 years.
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post #18 of 69
8/6/09 at 2:06pm
Closer.

Roberts, Owen, Portman and Law. Oh and some extras.
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post #19 of 69
8/6/09 at 2:15pm
Your best bet is to look up stage play adaptations. Dramas, of course, not musicals.
Bug, Doubt, American Buffalo, Glengarry Glenn Ross, etc.
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post #20 of 69
8/6/09 at 2:16pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tati View Post
Enemy Mine!
And thusly HELL IN THE PACIFIC, for more castaway suggestions.

Along with the ALIEN nom, THE THING (and ALTERED and SPLINTER).

BIG KAHUNA (and GGGR obviously) was a great one, good call.

CUBE?
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post #21 of 69
8/6/09 at 2:17pm
I beat you to Hell in the Pacific!

Silent Running
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post #22 of 69
8/6/09 at 2:21pm
'The Old Man and the Sea'.
'My Dinner with Andre'.
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post #23 of 69
8/6/09 at 2:21pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Keith F View Post
I beat you to Hell in the Pacific!
Bastard! It wasn't there in your post when I first read it.

EVIL DEAD 1 & 2.
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post #24 of 69
8/6/09 at 2:22pm
Does Cast Away count? Or does the opening set in cities and airports ruin it?

Fresh in my head from a Watch This Now, The Innocents, which makes me think of the The Orphanage, which makes me think of The Devil's Backbone, which makes me think of The Others, which leads me to Y Tu Mama Tambien.

How about The Shining, excepting the party scene?
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post #25 of 69
8/6/09 at 2:22pm
Do Night or Dawn of the Dead count, when you factor in hordes of zombies?

Panic Room
The Breakfast Club
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post #26 of 69
8/6/09 at 2:25pm
CAREER OPPORTUNITIES!

Quality is important, right?
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post #27 of 69
8/6/09 at 2:26pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Keith F View Post
Night or Dawn of the Dead... I Am Legend
Have you actually seen these movies?
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post #28 of 69
8/6/09 at 2:27pm
More Linklater- TAPE, with Hawke, Thurman and Robert Sean Leonard.

Edit- Henry Hill beat me to it, but it's worth watching.
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post #29 of 69
8/6/09 at 2:27pm
How about Ben Hur except for all of those scenes with hundreds of people in them?
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post #30 of 69
8/6/09 at 2:28pm
Never.

The main thrust of Night and Dawn are the interactions between a relatively small cast, in few locations.

There are many flicks on here, like Phone Booth and Closer, that have whole cities walking around in the shots, but still it's mainly about the small cast.
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post #31 of 69
8/6/09 at 2:29pm


GRIZZLY MAN and INCIDENT AT LOCH NESS.
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post #32 of 69
8/6/09 at 2:31pm
'Sleuth' (the original, starring Olivier and Caine...and NO ONE ELSE.)
I haven't seen the remake, so can't comment, but it's probably the same.
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post #33 of 69
8/6/09 at 2:35pm
'Deathtrap': Christopher Reeve, Michael Caine, and Dyan Cannon. There's a maid and a handful of extras at a few points in the film, but it's essentially just those 3 actors (and Dyan Cannon's part is done after about a half hour).

If I'm not mistaken, this movie came from a stageplay.

By the way, Reeve was REALLY REALLY good in this. He got to show that he could actually ACT for once.
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post #34 of 69
8/6/09 at 2:36pm
Thread Starter 
So many great suggestions! Thanks.

Quote:
Originally Posted by seacup_79 View Post
Moon.
Ha! I WISH I had access to these resources. Unfortunately I've got only a camera, sound equipment, a few professional lights, and actor-friends. And my ultra-busy friend has editing software. Great suggestion though, and definitely kicked my imagination into gear.

The Haunting - A great horror movie with only four actors, a couple of extras, and sound effects.

Blair Witch Project - Though I'm not a big fan.
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post #35 of 69
8/6/09 at 2:38pm
As soon as Corky leaves town, MAGIC is pretty limited, cast-wise (see also: PSYCHO).
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post #36 of 69
8/6/09 at 2:39pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by The_Bodhisattva View Post
Y Tu Mama Tambien.
Can't believe I forgot about this! 'Tis one of my favorite movies! The camera-work is the kind I've envisioned for quite a few years. Too bad hand-held camerawork has been done to death!
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post #37 of 69
8/6/09 at 2:39pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Keith F View Post
Never.

The main thrust of Night and Dawn are the interactions between a relatively small cast, in few locations.
Oh sure. You could take the zombies out and have practically the same movies.
Not to mention the redneck hunting parties and SWAT team and biker gang.
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post #38 of 69
8/6/09 at 2:40pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by JetManX View Post
Ha! I WISH I had access to these resources. Unfortunately I've got only a camera, sound equipment, a few professional lights, and actor-friends. And my ultra-busy friend has editing software.
That's why studying stage adaptations can give you an idea of how to work with limited resources. That and Evil Dead.
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post #39 of 69
8/6/09 at 2:51pm
I haven't seen it in quite a while, but I think THE QUIET EARTH qualifies.
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post #40 of 69
8/6/09 at 2:57pm
2001.
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post #41 of 69
8/6/09 at 3:05pm
If you need a non-stagey non-drama adaption, see Young Adam. 3 adults on a barge in Glasgow with some excellent dialogue-free acting.
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post #42 of 69
8/6/09 at 5:24pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Judas Booth View Post
'Deathtrap': Christopher Reeve, Michael Caine, and Dyan Cannon. There's a maid and a handful of extras at a few points in the film, but it's essentially just those 3 actors (and Dyan Cannon's part is done after about a half hour).

If I'm not mistaken, this movie came from a stageplay.

By the way, Reeve was REALLY REALLY good in this. He got to show that he could actually ACT for once.
There's also the pivotal role of the psychic neighbor. You know [spoiler] the only one left alive at the end [/spoiler]
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post #43 of 69
8/6/09 at 5:28pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ratty View Post
There's also the pivotal role of the psychic neighbor. You know [spoiler] the only one left alive at the end [/spoiler]
You're right. I meant HER when I said 'the maid'.

Regardless, it's a really fun little movie. This HAD to have been a really big career risk for Christopher Reeve when you consider one of the bigger plot twists.
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post #44 of 69
8/6/09 at 5:46pm
I thought 'Memento', there ain't many in it and it is fantastic.
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post #45 of 69
8/6/09 at 6:04pm
Ingmar Bergman's Cries and Whispers
Werner Herzog's Aguirre, the Wrath of God (unless you count the wonderful opening scene)
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post #46 of 69
8/6/09 at 6:08pm
Tape has 3 actors, one of them ethan hawke!! --- i sold directed him to a parking spot once while working at a summer job

also, moon only has one actor


hm what else... the fountain doesnt have many, nor does seraphim falls.
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post #47 of 69
8/6/09 at 6:10pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by BobClark View Post
That's why studying stage adaptations can give you an idea of how to work with limited resources. That and Evil Dead.
Both great ideas. I don't see us using more than 2 - 3 locations, so watching stage adaptations will be useful. Evil Dead is my favorite Raimi flick. Unfortunately we don't have The Chin, but what can you do? You know?
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post #48 of 69
8/6/09 at 6:11pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Judas Booth View Post
'Deathtrap': Christopher Reeve, Michael Caine, and Dyan Cannon.
It's from Ira Levin, so I'm sold. I've always though Reeve is a little over-looked, even by myself.
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post #49 of 69
8/6/09 at 6:31pm
Spaulding Gray's - Monster in a Box

Just film yourself talking about wanting to make a movie and dim/flicker the lights every once in a awhile. If you have a slide projector that can match images to your masterful story telling skills you are all set....

Not sure if you can top this take on the genre though....

http://video.google.com/videosearch?...8&sa=N&tab=wv#
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post #50 of 69
8/6/09 at 7:13pm
It's been awhile since I've seen PRIMER, but I don't remember many characters. TIMECRIMES definitely.
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