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Asylum
“It’s a madhouse here…and I’m not mad.”
James Cole (Bruce Willis)
The shooting of 12 Monkeys begins on February 8, 1995. Terry Gilliam is very happy to shoot in Philadelphia despite the very difficult weather conditions. In this regard, he said: “I was fascinated by the idea of shooting in Philadelphia because its architecture gives off an incredible perfume of decay and decadence. However, I immediately felt 12 Monkeys as a film about failure, decay, nostalgia.“
With a reduced budget, Terry Gilliam prefers to save money and favors natural settings. For the scenes taking place in the insane asylum, he chose the Eastern State Penitentiary, a former prison open to the public. Left in its original state, the penitentiary is perfect to translate the decay and distress in which James Cole (Bruce Willis) finds himself, when he goes back in time to land in 1990. Later, the team also operates the Baltimore Airport, the Pennsylvania Convention Center and the decommissioned Wesport Power Plant. Terry Gilliam is a perfectionist and, despite the tight schedule, pays attention to every detail. A meticulous character already a few weeks before the beginning of the shooting, when it was question for the ex-Monty Python to choose his main actor.
Having long wanted Nick Nolte in the lead role and Jeff Bridges, whom he had already directed in Fisher King, in the role of Jeffrey Goines, Terry Gilliam finally decided to give his chance to Bruce Willis, whom he met on the set of Fisher King. However, Sylvester Stallone and Robert De Niro are also interested. When Brad Pitt contacts Terry Gilliam to play James Cole, the director informs him that the position is already taken but that he thinks Brad Pitt would be perfect to play Jeffrey Goines, the fellow inmate that James Cole meets during his stay in the asylum. Fully invested, Brad Pitt totally appropriates the character. He will be the only actor to be rewarded for his spectacular performance. Concerning Madeleine Stowe, things were less complicated as Terry Gilliam wanted to hire her from the beginning after seeing her in the thriller Blink.
12 Monkeys won four awards: the Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor for Brad Pitt, the Saturn Awards for Best Science Fiction Film, Best Supporting Actor for Brad Pitt, and Best Costume Design, and the Empire Award for Best Director for Terry Gilliam.
Eastern State Penitentiary
A state prison located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the Eastern State Penitentiary opened in 1829.
Now closed, since 1971, this famous prison has entered into posterity thanks to the stay that Al Capone made during 10 months in 1929. It is now possible to visit his cell, which has been left as it was since his departure. The latter is full of antique furniture and other expensive decorative objects. Listed as a National Historic Landmark, the Eastern State Penitentiary distinguished itself thanks to its then-unprecedented detention model, which consisted of totally isolating the prisoners from each other. Its architecture is reminiscent of medieval European castles.
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ROME map of 100 cult places (French Edition)
The Rome Fantrippers map, an original way to discover the Eternal City! Through 100 pop culture places, walk through its streets from another angle. Movies, TV shows, music, comics and novels, will allow you to spend a pleasant moment in this fascinating city. With a folded format of 10 x 18 cm and 60 x 54 cm unfolded, it slips easily into your pocket or your bag to be consulted easily.
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Discover all the places Twelve Monkeys on our map
By Gilles Rolland
Passionné de cinéma, de rock and roll, de séries TV et de littérature. Rédacteur de presse et auteur des livres Le Heavy Metal au cinéma, Paroles de fans Guns N' Roses, Paroles de fans Rammstein et Welcome to my Jungle : 100 albums rock et autres anecdotes dépareillées. Adore également voyager à la recherche des lieux les plus emblématiques de la pop culture.