The World Wasn’t Ready for Body Double

As a seasoned filmmaker with decades of experience under my belt, I must say that the current state of Hollywood is a far cry from what it once was. The days when we could push boundaries and create bold, edgy films are seemingly long gone.

In 1984, Brian De Palma’s thriller titled Body Double was perceived by many as a bold and provocative move. It was seen as a defiant gesture towards critics who had labeled his work as misogynistic, sadistic, and the MPAA that had given his 1983 film Scarface an X rating. De Palma himself stated that the film was intended to push the boundaries in all aspects of his alleged cinematic transgressions. However, looking back, he acknowledges this as more of a publicity stunt. The movie, released in a special 4K edition to celebrate its 40th anniversary, is indeed extreme in various ways: it’s graphic, violent, sensual, stylish, absurd, suspenseful yet hard to take seriously. Despite being a masterpiece, this would have been unexpected to the critics and audiences who rejected it upon its release. The film bombed at the box office, De Palma was nominated for a Worst Director Razzie, and even Pauline Kael, a longtime supporter of his, called it “a great disappointment.” Reflecting on it now, De Palma remarks, “Judgment is often influenced by the style of the era, but sometimes the style of the era isn’t the best way to evaluate something innovative.

To put it simply, “Body Double” is a film that thrives on the blend of formal seriousness and lighthearted self-reference that director Brian De Palma masterfully employed. It’s a gripping thriller with intricately designed scenes serving an outrageous plotline. A witty homage to Alfred Hitchcock’s works like “Vertigo” and “Rear Window”, it tells the story of a disheartened actor (Craig Wasson) who, after breaking up with his unfaithful girlfriend, takes on a house-sitting job in the Hollywood Hills. There, he becomes fixated on a mysterious woman who dances sensually from her window at specific hours. The ensuing bizarre chain of events leads our protagonist into the 1980s adult entertainment industry (or a caricatured version of it), where he develops feelings for Holly Body (Melanie Griffith, in a career-defining role), a performer who might be linked to the woman in the window. The film also includes an eccentric sequence set within a music video for Frankie Goes to Hollywood’s “Relax”, which adds to the movie’s surreal atmosphere and echoes De Palma’s earlier, avant-garde films. As De Palma himself recounted, “Somebody at Columbia suggested we should have a music video for this film. I replied, ‘Why don’t we put the music video in the movie?’

The movie titled Body Double showcases a vibrant, almost unreal aesthetic, intentionally emphasizing its cinematic quality – a theme that is central to the plot itself. The main character develops an affection for a woman he only glimpses via a telescope while she dances, her face obscured by a window. His anxiety and general discomfort frequently hinder his attempts to meet this individual, transforming him into something of a stalker. In essence, he embodies the role of the spectator – a peeping tom who becomes increasingly confused about the distinction between film and reality. This blurred line is skillfully navigated by De Palma’s film multiple times, creating an intriguing tension.

As a passionate cinephile, I can’t help but reminisce about the timeless charm of “Body Double.” This movie, although cherished today, is a creation that simply wouldn’t fly in modern times. From my humble abode in New York City, I, Brian De Palma, reflect on this intriguing paradox, as well as the ever-evolving landscape of cinema. It’s fascinating to observe how the industry has evolved since my last release, “Domino,” back in 2019. And yes, I’m thrilled to share that I’m currently immersed in crafting a brand new cinematic journey.

Initially, when “Body Double” premiered, it didn’t achieve success. However, over time, it has become one of your iconic films, often regarded as your finest work. I ponder why it continues to resonate. Frankly, predicting the fate of such projects is tricky. Lately, I’ve been discussing “Phantom of the Paradise” a lot, and it echoes the same story – it wasn’t successful upon release, but half a century later, it’s hailed as a classic. Critics tend to judge based on trends of the era, but innovative works don’t always align with these trends. There seems to be an undeniable longevity in its execution. I’ve always pushed boundaries, and that has sometimes caused discomfort among some people.

In my opinion, the reason why my preferred type of films endure for so long is because they have a very cinematic quality to them. The art of traditional cinema seems to have faded with the advent of digital media, as we no longer have the same caliber of cinematographers that we used to. With the disappearance of film, it appears that storytelling in movies and television has become primarily driven by writers and showrunners, resulting in productions that are essentially audio dramas filled with dialogue. Furthermore, these works are all shot digitally, which lacks the visual appeal of celluloid. This style of cinema seems to have gone extinct with the transition from film to digital. I believe this is why people fondly remember these films, as they were visually stunning and that quality is not commonly found anymore.

As a cinephile penning my thoughts, I must admit that Body Double, a product of my Hollywood stint, stands as my most unconventional masterpiece. The film’s unique genesis was far from typical. Initially, another director and screenwriter had nurtured the concept, with Robert Avrech being the scriptwriter. Ken Wiederhorn, who had previously directed a movie in Florida featuring a deaf girl that I found commendable, was brought on board due to this impressive work.

The film is very tongue in cheek in its portrayal of the porn world. But how familiar were you with that world? Did you do a lot of research?
I looked at a lot of pornographic movies of the period, and I saw Annette Haven. I said, “Well, we got all this porn stuff to do; let’s get a porn actress.” I went to San Francisco, and I met her at a hotel, and we had breakfast together. I gave her stuff to read. She’d never been given lines, you know, to act. I sort of sent her to acting school. And I also videotaped her, doing long interviews with her, and some of the things she said were put into Holly Body’s dialogue. I ultimately tested her and the only other girl that wanted to play the part, Melanie Griffith. And Melanie blew it out of the sky! Strangely enough, Annette wasn’t that sexy. But I used Annette to give us advice while we were shooting the film. But then there was the great rumor that I had women up to my house, masturbating for me, which went on for decades. It was ridiculous! The only girl who really came up to my house was Annette, where we worked on the material together. And Melanie, who worked with Annette to work on the masturbating-at-the-window routine that I basically worked on in my house on the hill. I would go outside with a camera and let Melanie just go through her routine that Annette had taught her. This rumor went on for decades. It’s a rumor that never dies.

As a huge fan of Melanie’s talent, it’s been a pleasure getting to know her better through our shared love for board games like Trivial Pursuit. I remember this was a group that included Steve Bauer and other actors who were also rehabilitating from their past struggles with addiction. Melanie was particularly dedicated to landing a role, and when I mentioned Jamie Lee Curtis, she confidently asked if she could take on the part herself. And guess what? I agreed!

In your question, you’re asking if I had a chance to watch Vertigo during the ’60s and ’70s when it was hard to find. To clarify, Paul Schrader and I actually watched it at the L.A. County Museum, which was where we drew inspiration for our film Obsession. Interestingly, it hadn’t been screened publicly for about 20 years until this showing at the museum downtown. After the screening, Schrader and I went to Musso & Frank’s, where we developed the plotline for Obsession.

Afterward, Hitchcock’s brilliant visual concept known as “Rear Window” was utilized by me in my subsequent film, “Body Double”. It’s astounding how Hitchcock consistently generates original ideas, often stemming from a vivid mental image that lingers. This knack for creativity could very well be attributed to his extensive experience with silent films. The premise of watching everyone, from a single vantage point – peering into various windows across a Greenwich Village townhouse – is something I can relate to personally, having resided in such an environment.

In your question, you asked if my approach was similar to Hitchcock’s, where he sometimes based his films on a single image or scene. However, in the response you provided, it seems there might have been a bit of confusion. The example given about Obsession and Vertigo suggests that my method was more about addressing plot inconsistencies in previous works rather than creating films based on a single image or scene. Nonetheless, I appreciate your question and hope this clears up any potential misunderstanding!

In the film “Body Double,” did any scenes not turn out as intended according to your original vision?

In simpler terms, you’re discussing the unique and unexpected ending of the film “Body Double.” You’re pointing out how the final shot—a close-up of a bare breast—fits well with the movie’s themes and style, even though it may not have been planned initially. Compared to other films like “Blow Out,” “The Untouchables,” and “Carrie,” which all have impressive endings, the ending of “Body Double” stands out for its unconventionality.

Discuss the occurrence of the Frankie Goves to Hollywood scene, where Body Double unexpectedly transformed into a music video for the song “Relax.

Have you ever made music videos prior to that one you did? If yes, were there any before the one for Bruce Springsteen’s “Dancing in the Dark”? I only became involved with music video production when Jon Landau, his manager, asked me to help out on this project. The video was initially being filmed using a Louma crane, but Bruce wasn’t satisfied with the result. So, Jon approached me and suggested that I come up with an alternative idea for a music video. I decided to film Bruce during the opening of his tour, and that’s when I came up with the concept of him pulling someone from the audience, which is what we ultimately did with Courteney Cox in the live shoot.

It feels akin to creating a particularly sugary rendition of scenes from some of your movies, where two characters are magnetically drawn together almost instantly. Working within that realm, blending music and carefully timing events, posed an intriguing challenge, especially considering my past work like Phantom of the Paradise. To clarify, we were under a tight deadline since I could only film his initial performance, which took place in Cleveland or somewhere else. Time was scarce because they had already spent a lot of time on a video that they ultimately didn’t like. Once we found the right girl and jumped on a plane for the opening night, I managed to capture it all within two nights. It was incredibly fortunate since it resulted in his most popular song ever. At that time, Bruce hadn’t been seen for a couple of years. I unexpectedly discovered a new star who had yet to make an impact. Those moments are truly magical, as they can’t be predicted; they just happen. It’s delightful to witness Bruce performing that song and pulling someone from the audience onto the stage. I’ve even seen concerts where he brings his mother onstage for a dance.

In today’s world, some might argue that it’s impossible to create a film like Body Double as we used to. They could be correct, but the irony is that it’s more cherished than ever before. This contradiction intrigues me.

You’ve noted that at the time you made Body Double, Columbia was owned by Coca-Cola. And they were worried about the film because corporations care so much about their public image. Nowadays, movie companies are all owned by publicly traded conglomerates — giant companies that can’t afford any kind of reputational risk. Hollywood was never known for being edgy, but it was edgier than it is now.
Yeah, that’s even worse today. Because they’re owned by tech companies. Does anybody want to affect Apple with some wild, strange movie? Absolutely not. That’s why all that streaming stuff is so bland and boring. It was bad when we had the execs. We’d have to fight through executives, but some strange movies would still get made, because somebody went out on a limb. Not anymore.

Regarding businesses, have you chanced upon the movie titled “Air” from last year, starring Ben Affleck? I managed to catch a bit of it, but found myself losing interest.

They used the music from Body Double in that film.
What?!

I don’t know if you got to that part.Oh, I don’t think I got to that.

In case you’re aware, the movie revolves around the development of the Air Jordan Nike shoe. Interestingly, it isn’t until the third act when Michael Jordan and his family first see the shoe on screen, which is also the first time we, as viewers, get to lay eyes on it. Remarkably, they chose music from Body Double for this scene – the same tune that plays during the erotic window dance performed by the woman across the street. I’m intrigued and can’t wait to see how this connection is made in the movie!

Are erotic thrillers no longer thriving, or might they be on their way out?

Are you thinking about creating another movie?

Indeed, I’ve got another film in mind that I’m working on. We’re currently trying to find the perfect cast for it. Unfortunately, I can’t reveal any details just yet. But once it comes to fruition, I’ll be more than delighted to share the news with everyone.

To direct the film, De Palma first reached out to Wiederhorn, who had made a stylish 1981 slasher called Eyes of a Stranger, about two sisters (Lauren Tewes and Jennifer Jason Leigh), one of them blind and deaf, who discover that they’re living across the street from a serial killer. After being unable to get Body Double off the ground, Wiederhorn directed Meatballs Part II.

2024-09-24 21:54

The World Wasn’t Ready for Body Double

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