ON THIS DAY IN HORROR - January 5th
"12 MONKEYS" released in 1995
In a future world devastated by disease, a convict is sent back in time to gather information about the man-made virus that wiped out most of the human population on the planet, in Terry Gilliam's apocalyptic thriller, 12 Monkeys!
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In 1996, a group known as the Army of the Twelve Monkeys is believed to be behind the release of the virus that wipes out almost all of humanity, forcing the remaining survivors to live underground. In 2035, James Cole (Bruce Willis) is a prisoner living in a subterranean compound beneath the ruins of Philadelphia. Cole is selected for a mission, where he is trained and sent back in time to locate the original virus in order to help scientists develop a cure. Cole arrives in Baltimore in 1990, not 1996 as planned where he is arrested, then hospitalized in a mental hospital on the diagnosis of Dr. Kathryn Railly (Madeleine Stowe). There he encounters Jeffrey Goines (Brad Pitt), a mental patient with fanatical views. After an escape attempt, Cole is sedated and locked in a cell, but he disappears moments later, and wakes up back in his own time. Cole is interrogated by the scientists, who play a distorted voicemail message which asserts the association of the Army of the Twelve Monkeys with the virus. He is also shown photos of numerous people suspected of being involved, including Goines. The scientists offer Cole a second chance to complete his mission and send him back in time. He arrives at a battlefield of World War I where he is shot in the leg, and then he is suddenly transported to 1996.
In this time, Railly is giving a lecture about the Cassandra complex to a group of scientists. At the post-lecture book signing, Dr. Peters (David Morse) points out to Railly that apocalypse alarmists represent the sane vision, while humanity's gradual destruction of the environment is the real lunacy. Later, Cole arrives at the venue after seeing flyers publicizing it, and when Railly departs, he kidnaps her and forces her to take him to Philadelphia. They learn that Goines is the founder of the Army of the Twelve Monkeys, and set out in search of him. When they confront him, however, Goines denies any involvement with the group and says that in 1990 Cole originated the idea of wiping out humanity with a virus stolen from Goines' virologist father (Christopher Plummer). By this time, Cole convinces himself that he truly is insane, but Railly confronts him with evidence of his time travel - the bullet from World War I taken from his leg. With time running out, Cole and Railly decide to spend their remaining time together in the Florida Keys before the onset of the plague. Although on their way to the airport, they learn that the Army of the Twelve Monkeys was not the source of the epidemic after all; the group's major act of protest is releasing animals from a zoo and placing Goines' father in an animal cage!
At the airport, Cole leaves a last message telling the scientists that in following the Army of the Twelve Monkeys they are on the wrong track, and that he will not return, but he is later confronted by Jose (Jon Seda), an acquaintance from his own time, who gives Cole a handgun and ambiguously instructs him to follow orders - Jose makes it clear Dr Railly will be killed if Cole does not comply. Meanwhile, Railly spots Dr. Peters, and recognizes him from a newspaper photograph as an assistant at Goines' father's virology lab, who is about to embark on a tour of several cities that match the locations and sequence of the viral outbreaks. With the fate of mankind in the balance, Cole pursues Peters into the airport, and comes face to face with his own destiny!
In this time, Railly is giving a lecture about the Cassandra complex to a group of scientists. At the post-lecture book signing, Dr. Peters (David Morse) points out to Railly that apocalypse alarmists represent the sane vision, while humanity's gradual destruction of the environment is the real lunacy. Later, Cole arrives at the venue after seeing flyers publicizing it, and when Railly departs, he kidnaps her and forces her to take him to Philadelphia. They learn that Goines is the founder of the Army of the Twelve Monkeys, and set out in search of him. When they confront him, however, Goines denies any involvement with the group and says that in 1990 Cole originated the idea of wiping out humanity with a virus stolen from Goines' virologist father (Christopher Plummer). By this time, Cole convinces himself that he truly is insane, but Railly confronts him with evidence of his time travel - the bullet from World War I taken from his leg. With time running out, Cole and Railly decide to spend their remaining time together in the Florida Keys before the onset of the plague. Although on their way to the airport, they learn that the Army of the Twelve Monkeys was not the source of the epidemic after all; the group's major act of protest is releasing animals from a zoo and placing Goines' father in an animal cage!
At the airport, Cole leaves a last message telling the scientists that in following the Army of the Twelve Monkeys they are on the wrong track, and that he will not return, but he is later confronted by Jose (Jon Seda), an acquaintance from his own time, who gives Cole a handgun and ambiguously instructs him to follow orders - Jose makes it clear Dr Railly will be killed if Cole does not comply. Meanwhile, Railly spots Dr. Peters, and recognizes him from a newspaper photograph as an assistant at Goines' father's virology lab, who is about to embark on a tour of several cities that match the locations and sequence of the viral outbreaks. With the fate of mankind in the balance, Cole pursues Peters into the airport, and comes face to face with his own destiny!
Louie: Where'd they send you?
James Cole: 1990.
Louie: '90! How was it? Good drugs? Lots of pussy? Hey, Bob, you do the job? You find out the big info? Army of the 12 Monkeys?
James Cole: I was supposed to be 1996.
Louie: Science ain't an exact science with these clowns but, they're getting better. You're lucky you didn't end up in ancient Egypt!
Top and Above: Prisoner Cole (Bruce Willis) volunteers to travel back in time to trace the origins of the virus that has wiped out most of humanity
Executive producer Robert Kosberg, who had been a fan of the French short film La Jetée (1962) persuaded the film's director, Chris Marker, to let him pitch the project to Universal Pictures, seeing it as a perfect basis for a full-length science fiction film. Universal reluctantly agreed to purchase the remake rights and hired David and Janet Peoples to write the screenplay, with Charles Roven producing. It was Roven who then chose Terry Gilliam to direct, believing the filmmaker's style was perfect for 12 Monkeys' nonlinear storyline and time travel subplot. Gilliam, who had just abandoned a film adaptation of A Tale of Two Cities when he signed to direct 12 Monkeys, was captivated by Peoples' "intriguing and intelligent script. The story is disconcerting. It deals with time, madness and a perception of what the world is or isn't. It is a study of madness and dreams, of death and re-birth, set in a world coming apart." And because of Universal's strict production incentives and his history with the studio on Brazil, Gilliam received a rare final cut privilege for the film.
Gilliam's initial casting choices were Nick Nolte as James Cole and Jeff Bridges as Jeffrey Goines, but Universal objected to the idea, stating that neither actor had had a hit in years. With the casting Bridges, whom Gilliam had worked with on The Fisher King, no longer being an option, Gilliam searched for a bigger star to appease the studio, approaching Bruce Willis for the role of Cole. Ironically, Willis had originally auditioned for Bridges' role in The Fisher King, when he and Gilliam first met, and the director was impressed by the sensitivity shown by Willis. To get 12 Monkeys approved for production, Gilliam persuaded Willis to lower his normal asking price; which Willis was reportedly more than happy to do for a chance to work with Gilliam (actually Willis did the movie for free, it was only after the movie was released that he was paid!).
Gilliam cast Madeleine Stowe as Dr. Kathryn Railly because he was impressed by her performance in Blink (1994) and first met the actress while casting his abandoned film adaptation of A Tale of Two Cities. "She has this incredible ethereal beauty and she's incredibly intelligent", Gilliam said of Stowe in 1999, "Those two things rest very easily with her, and the film needed those elements because it has to be romantic." Gilliam originally believed that Pitt was not right for the role of Jeffrey Goines, but the casting director eventually convinced him otherwise. Pitt was cast for a comparatively small salary, as he was still relatively unknown at the time. But by the time of 12 Monkeys' release, however, Interview with the Vampire (1994), Legends of the Fall (1994), and Se7en (1995) had been released, making Pitt an A-list actor, which drew greater attention to the film and boosted its box-office standing.
Gilliam's initial casting choices were Nick Nolte as James Cole and Jeff Bridges as Jeffrey Goines, but Universal objected to the idea, stating that neither actor had had a hit in years. With the casting Bridges, whom Gilliam had worked with on The Fisher King, no longer being an option, Gilliam searched for a bigger star to appease the studio, approaching Bruce Willis for the role of Cole. Ironically, Willis had originally auditioned for Bridges' role in The Fisher King, when he and Gilliam first met, and the director was impressed by the sensitivity shown by Willis. To get 12 Monkeys approved for production, Gilliam persuaded Willis to lower his normal asking price; which Willis was reportedly more than happy to do for a chance to work with Gilliam (actually Willis did the movie for free, it was only after the movie was released that he was paid!).
Gilliam cast Madeleine Stowe as Dr. Kathryn Railly because he was impressed by her performance in Blink (1994) and first met the actress while casting his abandoned film adaptation of A Tale of Two Cities. "She has this incredible ethereal beauty and she's incredibly intelligent", Gilliam said of Stowe in 1999, "Those two things rest very easily with her, and the film needed those elements because it has to be romantic." Gilliam originally believed that Pitt was not right for the role of Jeffrey Goines, but the casting director eventually convinced him otherwise. Pitt was cast for a comparatively small salary, as he was still relatively unknown at the time. But by the time of 12 Monkeys' release, however, Interview with the Vampire (1994), Legends of the Fall (1994), and Se7en (1995) had been released, making Pitt an A-list actor, which drew greater attention to the film and boosted its box-office standing.
TRIVIA: Apparently, Gilliam gave Willis a list of "Willis acting clichés" not to be used during the film, including the "steely blue eyes look".
Top and Above: In the past, Cole finds himself institutionalized with the insane Jeffrey Goines (Brad Pitt) under the care of psychiatrist Dr. Kathryn Railly (Madeleine Stowe).
Gilliam used the same filmmaking style as he had in Brazil (1985), including the art direction and cinematography (specifically using fresnel lenses). The appearance of the interrogation room where Cole is being interviewed by the scientists was based on the work of Lebbeus Woods; these scenes were shot at three different power stations (two in Philadelphia and one in Baltimore). Gilliam intended to show Cole being interviewed through a multi-screen interrogation TV set because he felt the machinery evoked a "nightmarish intervention of technology. You try to see the faces on the screens in front of you, but the real faces and voices are down there and you have these tiny voices in your ear. To me that's the world we live in, the way we communicate these days, through technical devices that pretend to be about communication but may not be."
Principal photography began on February 8 on location in Philadelphia and Baltimore (including the Senator Theatre) in winter, which was fraught with weather problems. There were also technical glitches with the futuristic mechanical props and continuity errors - stemming from the nonlinear storyline - that caused whole scenes to be re-shot. Due to budget constraints, the filmmakers were not allowed the luxury of sound stages; thus, they had to find abandoned buildings or landmarks to use, with all the asylum scenes being filmed at Eastern State Penitentiary, a now-unused prison in Philadelphia. Months before filming, Pitt had spent weeks at Temple University's hospital, visiting and studying the psychiatric ward to prepare for his role - still Gilliam was afraid that Pitt wouldn't be able to pull off Goines nervous, rapid speech. Despite providing Pitt with a speech coach, Gilliam soon struck upon a more elegant solution - in the end, Gilliam just took away Pitt's cigarettes, and Pitt played the part exactly as Gilliam wanted!
The Airport scene at the end of the movie was filmed at the Philadelphia Convention Center, with the exterior shot of Cole and Railly walking into the airport was filmed at BWI Airport in Baltimore, Maryland. Gilliam and producer Charles Roven had several arguments about how the film should end. Gilliam wanted to finish on the shot of Railly looking at young Cole while Roven preferred the scripted final scene in the parking lot outside the airport. In an attempt to dissuade Roven, Gilliam proposed an immensely complex setup involving two cranes on top of one another and a vast sea of cars in the hope that Roven would veto it as being too expensive. Roven not only okayed the shot but Gilliam so loved the result that he used it to end the film.
Principal photography began on February 8 on location in Philadelphia and Baltimore (including the Senator Theatre) in winter, which was fraught with weather problems. There were also technical glitches with the futuristic mechanical props and continuity errors - stemming from the nonlinear storyline - that caused whole scenes to be re-shot. Due to budget constraints, the filmmakers were not allowed the luxury of sound stages; thus, they had to find abandoned buildings or landmarks to use, with all the asylum scenes being filmed at Eastern State Penitentiary, a now-unused prison in Philadelphia. Months before filming, Pitt had spent weeks at Temple University's hospital, visiting and studying the psychiatric ward to prepare for his role - still Gilliam was afraid that Pitt wouldn't be able to pull off Goines nervous, rapid speech. Despite providing Pitt with a speech coach, Gilliam soon struck upon a more elegant solution - in the end, Gilliam just took away Pitt's cigarettes, and Pitt played the part exactly as Gilliam wanted!
The Airport scene at the end of the movie was filmed at the Philadelphia Convention Center, with the exterior shot of Cole and Railly walking into the airport was filmed at BWI Airport in Baltimore, Maryland. Gilliam and producer Charles Roven had several arguments about how the film should end. Gilliam wanted to finish on the shot of Railly looking at young Cole while Roven preferred the scripted final scene in the parking lot outside the airport. In an attempt to dissuade Roven, Gilliam proposed an immensely complex setup involving two cranes on top of one another and a vast sea of cars in the hope that Roven would veto it as being too expensive. Roven not only okayed the shot but Gilliam so loved the result that he used it to end the film.
[last lines]
Astrophysicist: You might say that we're the next endangered species - human beings.
Dr. Peters: I think you're right ma'am. I think you've hit the nail on the head.
Astrophysicist: Jones is my name.
[Shakes his hand]
Astrophysicist: I'm in insurance.
Top: "Apocalyptic Nut" Dr Peters (David Morse);
Above: Scientists from the future who direct Cole in his past missions.
For the first (and last) time in his career, Gilliam enjoyed final cut on the finished film. It was all the more surprising to the director after the notorious tug of war he had with Universal over Brazil. And although 12 Monkeys has a similarly fatalistic ending, Universal didn't interfere this time. Gilliam's final cut didn't do too well in the test screenings and so those involved discussed making major changes to the movie, but Gilliam eventually decided to keep it as it was.
Released on January 5th, 12 Monkeys was a commercial and critical success, grossing over five times it's budget at the box office (over $168 million). Roger Ebert observed 12 Monkeys' depiction of the future, finding similarities with Blade Runner (1982; also scripted by David Peoples) and Brazil (1985; also directed by Terry Gilliam). "The film is a celebration of madness and doom, with a hero who tries to prevail against the chaos of his condition, and is inadequate", Ebert wrote. "This vision is a cold, dark, damp one, and even the romance between Willis and Stowe feels desperate rather than joyous. All of this is done very well, and the more you know about movies (especially the technical side), the more you're likely to admire it. And as entertainment, it appeals more to the mind than to the senses." Desson Thomson of The Washington Post praised the art direction and set design. "Willis and Pitts's performances, Gilliam's atmospherics and an exhilarating momentum easily outweigh such trifling flaws in the script", while Peter Travers from Rolling Stone magazine cited the film's success on Gilliam's direction and Willis' performance.
Pitt was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor - but lost to Kevin Spacey in The Usual Suspects - and won the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture. Costume designer Julie Weiss was also nominated for her work, but lost to James Acheson of Restoration. However, in February 1996, architect Lebbeus Woods filed a lawsuit against Universal in February 1996, claiming that his work "Neomechanical Tower (Upper) Chamber" was used without permission (for the scene where Cole is brought into the interrogation room and told to sit in a chair attached to a vertical rail on the wall. A sphere supported by a metal armature is suspended directly in front of him, probing for weaknesses as the inquisitors interrogate him). Woods won his lawsuit, requiring Universal to remove the scenes, but he ultimately allowed their inclusion in exchange for a "high six-figure cash settlement" from the studio.
Released on January 5th, 12 Monkeys was a commercial and critical success, grossing over five times it's budget at the box office (over $168 million). Roger Ebert observed 12 Monkeys' depiction of the future, finding similarities with Blade Runner (1982; also scripted by David Peoples) and Brazil (1985; also directed by Terry Gilliam). "The film is a celebration of madness and doom, with a hero who tries to prevail against the chaos of his condition, and is inadequate", Ebert wrote. "This vision is a cold, dark, damp one, and even the romance between Willis and Stowe feels desperate rather than joyous. All of this is done very well, and the more you know about movies (especially the technical side), the more you're likely to admire it. And as entertainment, it appeals more to the mind than to the senses." Desson Thomson of The Washington Post praised the art direction and set design. "Willis and Pitts's performances, Gilliam's atmospherics and an exhilarating momentum easily outweigh such trifling flaws in the script", while Peter Travers from Rolling Stone magazine cited the film's success on Gilliam's direction and Willis' performance.
Pitt was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor - but lost to Kevin Spacey in The Usual Suspects - and won the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture. Costume designer Julie Weiss was also nominated for her work, but lost to James Acheson of Restoration. However, in February 1996, architect Lebbeus Woods filed a lawsuit against Universal in February 1996, claiming that his work "Neomechanical Tower (Upper) Chamber" was used without permission (for the scene where Cole is brought into the interrogation room and told to sit in a chair attached to a vertical rail on the wall. A sphere supported by a metal armature is suspended directly in front of him, probing for weaknesses as the inquisitors interrogate him). Woods won his lawsuit, requiring Universal to remove the scenes, but he ultimately allowed their inclusion in exchange for a "high six-figure cash settlement" from the studio.
TRIVIA: It was always Gilliam's intention to make the film's plot ambiguous and that there are many theories that suggest Cole is simply mad and that none of the events in the future actually happen.
Top: Director Terry Gilliam;
Above: Gilliam on set with Bruce Willis
After the release of The Zero Theorem in 2013, claims were made that Gilliam had meant it as part of a trilogy. A 2013 review for The Guardian newspaper said; "Calling it [The Zero Theorem] the third part of a trilogy formed by earlier dystopian satires Brazil and Twelve Monkeys [sic] [...]"; however, Gilliam was interviewed by Alex Suskind for Indiewire in late 2014, saying "Well, it’s funny, this trilogy was never something I ever said, but it’s been repeated so often it’s clearly true [laughs]. I don’t know who started it but once it started it never stopped". On August 26, 2013, Entertainment Weekly announced that Syfy was developing a 12 Monkeys television series based on the film. Written by Terry Matalas and Travis Fickett, who had written for the series Terra Nova, the series did not move forward until the roles of Cole and Goines were cast - eventually filled by Aaron Stanford as James Cole and Emily Hampshire as Jennifer Goines. The series premiered on January 16, 2015 to critical acclaim, and was renewed for a second (on March 12, 2015) and third season (on June 29, 2016); the third season is set to premiere in 2017.
ROTTEN TOMATOES SCORE: 88%
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