Criterion Collection - Online Cinematheque

Tue 22 Dec at 05:39 PM

Deathlapinoo

Here is my question:
How Jim Jarmusch chose Youki Kudo and Masatoshi Nagase for the first segment of Mystery Train? Did he want them because he saw them in japanese movies (if yes, what are they?) or was there a casting done in order to find japanese actors?
Cordially,
Morgan from France

Tue 22 Dec at 07:42 PM

Gregg Humphrey

I would like to know if the scene(s) between Screamin’ Jay Hawkins and Cinque’ Lee was completely scripted, or were the actors ad-libbing / improvising some of their dialog and/or actions?

thank you

Tue 22 Dec at 09:08 PM

Mark Simon Haydn

Hey there-
I caught a mention of Tav Falco’s Unapproachable Panther Burns in the thankyous at the end of the film. I wondered if they played any part in making the film; whether Tav’s documentary films of old Memphis juke-joints, or any of his music, served as research or inspiration.

Tue 22 Dec at 11:15 PM

Lucas Moreira

I would love to ask about the written process of Mistery Train. What he have in mind at the time and how he see the movie in his career today.

Thanks!

Lucas from Brazil

Wed 23 Dec at 02:15 PM

Jonathan Douglas Duran

Carl Perkins or Elvis Presley?

Wed 23 Dec at 03:01 PM

John Kidwell

Is it JAR-musch or Jar-MUSCH?

St. Louis, MO

Wed 23 Dec at 07:18 PM

Matt Dutto

A lot of your early films—Stranger Than Paradise, Down by Law, and Mystery Train—primarily cast musicians in leading roles. This hasn’t so much been the case for your films since. Was it a conscious decision to use more “professional” actors for the major parts of your more recent work?

Matt Dutto (pronouced “Duh-toe”) — Jacksonville, Florida

Thu 24 Dec at 06:42 AM

Ian Schultz

How did you decide to cast Joe Strummer in Mystery Train and was it because you worked with him on the legendary “Straight to Hell”?

Will there be automatic subtitles in the “Far from Yokohama” segment in the new Criterion unlike the old dvd?

Thu 24 Dec at 06:43 AM

Ian Schultz

How did you decide to cast Joe Strummer in Mystery Train and was it because you worked with him on the legendary “Straight to Hell”?

Will there be automatic subtitles in the “Far from Yokohama” segment in the new Criterion unlike the old dvd?

Ian Schultz – Leeds, UK

Thu 24 Dec at 01:54 PM

Jay Luna

Long ago I read in an interview that you were planning on making three movies about cities whose music you enjoyed. They were going to be called New Orleans, Memphis, and Kansas City. The first two became Down by Law and Mystery Train. Whatever happened to the Kansas City project? Do you still have any desire to shoot a movie in KC? There are far too few films set here and it has saddened me for some time to think that Kansas City was the Jarmusch music city movie that never was.

Jay Luna – Kansas City, MO

Thu 24 Dec at 05:44 PM

Przemyslaw Placek

Jalacy Hawkins a.k.a Screaming Jay Hawkins was a really good cast in my opinion.
His acting seems really natural, why didn’t he consider acting in more than just a handful of movies? And how did he get his role in Mystery Train?

Przemyslaw Placek – Berlin, Germany

Fri 25 Dec at 08:43 PM

sam smith

why do you think it’s so easy to fall in love with trains?
what’s your favorite place to eat in memphis?

Fri 25 Dec at 08:44 PM

sam smith

from lawrence, kansas

Sat 26 Dec at 12:30 AM

Sujewa Ekanayake

Re: The ghost of Elvis

Permanent Vacation, Stranger, & Down By Law stuck pretty close to ordinary reality – more or less – I thought, so it was pleasantly surprising to see you use the idea of a ghost – a supernatural/fantastic device – in Mystery Train. So what made you finally decide (after possibly considering all the Elvis themed stories that you may have been able to add to MT) that the ghost of Elvis idea is going to be a part of Mystery Train? And have you personally seen the ghost of Elvis? Thanks.

- Sujewa

Sat 26 Dec at 12:33 AM

Sujewa Ekanayake

I left my city & state, etc. info. out of the comment above, so here they are, along with the comment again, thanks & sorry about the double post.

::

Re: The ghost of Elvis

Permanent Vacation, Stranger, & Down By Law stuck pretty close to reality – more or less – I thought, so it was pleasantly surprising to see you use the idea of a ghost – a supernatural/fantastic device – in Mystery Train. So what made you finally decide (after possibly considering all the Elvis themed stories that you may have been able to add to MT) that the ghost of Elvis idea is going to be a part of Mystery Train? And have you personally seen the ghost of Elvis? Thanks.

- Sujewa Ekanayake
Brooklyn, New York, United States of America

Sun 27 Dec at 11:58 PM

Tristan Goding

What are your thoughts on the phrase ‘hipster film’, and what do you think of people who call you a ‘hipster god’? Most people seem to think that I am a hipster because I am a huge fan of your films, as well as the films of many other contemporary independent filmmakers. How do you feel about your films having such status? Thank you.

-Tristan Goding-
-Lawrence, Kansas, USA-

Mon 28 Dec at 12:00 AM

Tristan Goding

What are your thoughts on film critics such as Roger Ebert and Michael Philips and what is your opinion of their opinions?

-Tristan Goding-
-Lawrence, Kansas, USA-

Mon 28 Dec at 12:01 AM

Tristan Goding

What are some of your least favorite films and why?

-Tristan Goding-
-Lawrence, Kansas, USA-

Mon 28 Dec at 12:03 AM

Tristan Goding

What are your thoughts on film remakes?

-Tristan Goding-
-Lawrence, Kansas, USA-

Mon 28 Dec at 12:08 AM

Tristan Goding

What are your thoughts on Japanese animation and do you have any interest in being involved in an animated film project?

Mon 28 Dec at 12:09 AM

Tristan Goding

^
-Tristan Goding-
-Lawrence, Kansas, USA-

Mon 28 Dec at 12:09 AM

Tristan Goding

^
-Tristan Goding-
-Lawrence, Kansas, USA-

Tue 29 Dec at 02:40 PM

Ilan Selinger

1. What came first in the process:
Memphis, the triptych of stories, Screamin’ Jay Hawkins, Joe Strummer

2. Did you happen to read Mystery Train: Images of America in Rock ‘n’ Roll Music, which I came across because of a section about my favorite band (The Band), before the production of the film. It quotes Wim Wenders “Films about America should be composed entirely of long and wide-shots, as music of America is”. I thought this was present in Mystery Train, did you?

Tue 29 Dec at 03:36 PM

Ilan Selinger

I live in Scarsdale, NY, USA

Tue 29 Dec at 06:51 PM

Larry Da Silveira

Was John Lurie ever considered for an acting role in Mystery Train? His original score for the film is one of my all-time favorites.

Which films did you and Robby Muller look at in preparing for Mystery Train?

I recently learned that Richard Boes, who died in February 2009, published two books and was a Vietnam veteran. How did you get to know him and what about him made you want to cast him in several of your films?

Did you always have the idea to have the three stories take place simultaneously or did that come after the stories were already written?

How did it feel to film in Sun Studios? Did you feel the ghosts of Elvis or Howlin’ Wolf?

Did Rufus Thomas and Screamin’ Jay Hawkins spend any time together on the set?

Was it difficult for Screamin’ Jay Hawkins to stay in character?

I can never hear Elvis singing “Blue Moon” without thinking of your movie. The songs you chose for certain scenes are excellent choices. Were there any songs you considered using but for whatever reasons didn’t use them?

Did you ever visit Graceland when you were scouting locations or filming?

Did you know that there is a Happy Mondays music video that pays homage to MYSTERY TRAIN?

I first saw the film in 1990 and was very impressed by Joe Strummer’s performance. Did you write the part for Joe after working with him on Alex Cox’s STRAIGHT TO HELL?

Lost in space and far from Yokohama,

Larry Da Silveira
San Diego, CA

Tue 29 Dec at 06:55 PM

Larry Da Silveira

Have you read IT CAME FROM MEMPHIS by Robert Gordon? It was written long after you filmed in Memphis but I’m curious to hear what you think of that book. It turned me on to some great music.

Wed 30 Dec at 12:46 AM

dan kinem

I always love listening to you talk about films. You have the ability to make me want to see anything you are talking about and to get me excited for film in general. I would like to know if any films inspired you in making this and for you to talk about them? thanks.

- dan kinem

Wed 30 Dec at 01:45 AM

Bob Ailstock

Jim, how do you get the streets to be devoid of traffic & activity in cities such as Memphis and New Orleans? Good scouting or roadblocks?

Bob Ailstock, James Island SC USA

Wed 30 Dec at 04:43 PM

Jim Galvin

Hello Jim,

1) Did the character of the DJ Tom Waits plays in Mystery Train come from Tom’s character being a DJ in Down By Law?

2) In your film Coffee & Cigarettes, the RZA & GZA talk about how they always have to wait on Ghost. Is this a reference to the rapper Ghostface Killah, or the character in your previous film “Ghost Dog”? I think it’s Ghost Dog, what do you say?

3) Finally, are you planning any records or tours with Bad Rabbit?

Thanks.

Jim Galvin
Elgin, IL, USA

Thu 31 Dec at 03:12 PM

Stefan Ramstedt

Hi Jim!

Will you be so kind and name some of your favorite train films.

Stefan Ramstedt
Stockholm, Sweden

Thu 31 Dec at 04:41 PM

KWatson

Being your first color film with an proper budget, was there anything you did in specific with the color design to define/enhance characters or spaces (Screamin’ Jay’s bright red jacket for example) and how, if at all, did it alter from your work with Robby Muller and the selection of lights used?

Seriously, who or what is “Mister Baby”?

Kyle Watson
Los Angeles, California

Thu 31 Dec at 04:45 PM

KWatson

Ignore the word “from” in the first question there, makes it sound like Robby didn’t shoot Mystery Train, which obviously isn’t the case.

Sat 02 Jan at 01:46 AM

Bart Cortright

You mentioned on the Night on Earth Criterion release that you watch a film a day. Before watching a film do you research it? If so, how in depth and what sources do you use? If a film is released in the way a film is released by Criterion do you read the supplements before, after or before and after viewing the film?

Sometimes before seeing a film I will have a positive or negative feeling towards the film given it’s director and or actors. Do you ever do this? Would films be different if they didn’t have credits attached to them?

Thanks,
Bart Cortright
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Sat 02 Jan at 11:39 PM

Alvin Case

I want to ask about your cameo in Aki Kaurismäki’s film Leningrad Cowboys Go America (1989): Where did you two meet the first time?

Also, are you, or have you been, or have you ever considered a science fiction film?

Thank You
Alvin Case
Boston, MA
USA

Mon 04 Jan at 02:45 PM

Joseph Pomp

Is it a total coincidence that you cast Screamin’ Jay Hawkins in this film after Ava plays his music on the car ride to Florida in Stranger Than Paradise? Are you simply a big fan of Hawkins, or was there also some sort of artistic/aesthetic choice linking Paradise to Mystery Train?

Joseph Pomp
New York, NY USA

Mon 04 Jan at 02:46 PM

Joseph Pomp

(sorry I misspelled the Eszter Balint character in Stranger Than Paradise…Eva, not Ava)

Mon 04 Jan at 04:42 PM

Larry Da Silveira

A few more questions….

I recognized a couple of allusions to “The Canterbury Tales” in the movie after reading an interview with you citing it as an influence. Besides having a Chaucer Street in the movie and the young people making a “religious” pilgrimage, are there other references?

You made two films in the American South….are you a fan of Southern literature and of films set in the South?

What are your top five Ozu films?

Tue 05 Jan at 05:32 AM

Peter Barlow

Hey Jim,

I love your films, and I was just wondering if you are inspired by or enjoy other types of art outside of your legendary love for films and music, and if so what mediums or specific works do you appreciate the most?

Keep on truckin’,

Peter Barlow
Livonia, MI USA

Tue 05 Jan at 08:44 AM

Benjamin Jungert

Music has always been an important part in your films. It ranges from classical music to hip-hop, punk, ska and many more genres. Where do you get your variegated musical inspiration from and what genre is left to explore? Maybe minimal music, free jazz or Krautrock?
Your films are like a long meditation to me – though I’m not yet enlighted. Are there certain philosophers who influenced your sight on the world?

Thank you.

Benjamin Jungert
Nuremberg, Germany

Tue 05 Jan at 12:56 PM

John H. Nomedal

Hi Mr. Jarmusch !

Are you more or less involved with the editing of a picture compared to the sound design?
I noticed that you have primarley varied between Melody London and Jay Rabinowitz as your editor on your films. How do you work with your editors; do you let them “play jazz”; cut their own version of the film, before you come into the cuttingroom?
Or do you supervize the post-production more closely like approve each freshly cut scene, before the editor can move on the next?
Have you ever spontaniously taken a co-editor job on one of your films because time was running out?
And my last question, Do you prefer cutting digitally compared to the “old-school-manual” way of cutting films?
You can use Mystery Train as an example.

(As we say in Norway) A Thousand Thanks!

John H. Nomedal
Grimstad, Norway

Tue 05 Jan at 08:08 PM

Ben .

On the Down By Law disc you talked about people messing with Roberto Benigni’s understanding of English. Were there any instances of the Japanese actors doing that to you on this film?

As a writer how did you handle the Japanese dialogue? Did you write it to be the subtitles or to be translated for the actor with the subtitles coming later?

I have meet people that like you films but won’t watch this one because there is such a large section that is not in English right up front, did this present any problems with funding

Tue 05 Jan at 09:14 PM

Ben .

How about a “Sons of Lee Marvin” question? Of the known members I get the connections except for Nick Cave. How did he cross paths with you? And if it involves a Tom Waits/Nick Cave collaboration please tell me how to hear it……

Tue 05 Jan at 10:04 PM

ben .

Many filmmakers direct out of market commercials to supliment their income between films, seemingly everyone has done a few from Scorsese’s “Lost Hitchcock” ad to David Lynch’s surreal Japanese car commercials. So, I was wondering have you ever made a commercial or are royalties from you films enough to live off of? If not, what do you do to suppliment your income?

Wed 06 Jan at 01:18 PM

David Sakolsky (D.W. Sakolsky)

Dear. Mr Jarmusch

I have two quick questions.

1)My girl friends grandfather is Guy Spera and he created “Sound One Studio” (Which you have used for many of your films) he even recived a credit in your film “Down By Law”. I was wondering what films were done over at “Sound One” also do you have any fond memories of the place?

2) My dream is to one day become a director/writer and you are my main inspiration, your film “Ghost Dog” is the entire reason I have enrolled myself in a film program. My question for you is what films or directors have inspired you to become who you are?

Yours Truely:

D.W. Sakolsky (Got a ring to it? Right?)

Wed 06 Jan at 02:38 PM

Richard LaRue

Two questions:

1.) I work in a video store and while having a conversation about ‘Limits of Control’ with a customer they stated something along the lines of “at the end we see this heavily guarded complex and all of a sudden we are to believe this guy somehow snuck in and out just like that, it’s impossible.” My response was that in every ridiculous action movie the hero/anti-hero faces insurmountable threats and always manages to escape harm while displaying super human feats and asked why they needed everything to be shown or explained in order to have to reach a suspension of disbelief. It is your movie, am I wrong or was ‘Limits’ basically a treatise on action cinema?

2.) What are some of the directors you admire or respect that are working today?

Thank you kindly,

Richard LaRue
Madison, WI
United States of America

Wed 06 Jan at 03:52 PM

Mark Gowdy

Hi

Two quick questions:

1) How much filming did you do inside the Arcade Hotel? I was saddened when my friend and I paid a visit to Memphis in 2002 to see it no longer there.

2) Any plans that you know of to reissue Sakita’s photo collection book?

Thanks — looking forward to the Criterion release.

::Mark Gowdy
Toronto, ON,
Canada

Wed 06 Jan at 05:46 PM

Alexander Bucsis

Dear Mr. Jarmusch,

Since very early on in your career, you’ve been incorporating musicians in your work and Mystery Train is no exception—not only do Joe Strummer and Screamin’ Jay Hawkins appear, but Rufus Thomas and Tom Waits as well. How does the experience and outcome of working with primarily musicians differ from that of actors? Are there any musicians you’d like to work with but haven’t yet had the opportunity?

Of all the television appearances you’ve made, which are you most proud of?

Very sincerely,

Alexander Bucsis
Trondheim, Norway

Wed 06 Jan at 07:35 PM

Michael Kuelker

Will you tell us more stories about Joe Strummer, whether from the Mystery Train experience or otherwise? No detail is too small. We miss the man.

Wed 06 Jan at 07:36 PM

David Beal

Mr. Jarmusch-

Which photographers influence you and why/how? What is your visual preproduction like?

Thanks,
David Beal
Orinda, CA

Wed 06 Jan at 07:48 PM

Rahul Ragunathan

Hi Mr. Jarmusch,

How did you come up with the idea of putting Iggy Pop in a dress in Dead Man? Are there any suggestions that you have made to your actors that they have refused to do?

Is Roberto Benigni in the coffin in Mystery Train?

I have noticed in many of your films the use of a sort of narrative/cinematic ellipses, where the screen fades to black after the end of a scene, giving many of your films a clear episodic structure. Was this narrative style inspired by Ozu’s use of “pillow shots” as transitions between scenes?

I know you both appeared together in the film “Blue in the Face”, so what are the chances of a collaboration between you and Lou Reed?

Thank you very much,

Rahul Ragunathan
East Lansing, MI

Wed 06 Jan at 08:28 PM

Rahul Ragunathan

Also, are you a frequent traveler on Amtrak/other trains? And do you have any thoughts on the potential resurgence of high speed train travel in the US?

Rahul Ragunathan
East Lansing, MI

Wed 06 Jan at 09:48 PM

Gabriel Estala lost in Juarez

Why don’t you make an album with the “Sons of Lee Marvin”. It’s about time.

Wed 06 Jan at 11:20 PM

Erica L Pardee

Heya, Jim – I’m curious: have you ever been (or are you still) much of a trainspotter? I envy the fact that you grew up in Ohio, surrounded by the C & O, along w/ so many others…

Thx for everything – Erica L. Pardee (Seattle, WA)

Thu 07 Jan at 07:58 AM

Torleif Torkelsen

That neat trick Masatoshi Nagase did with the zippo – How many takes? (And was it scripted or improvised? Can you do it?)

Tue 12 Jan at 01:19 AM

Peter O'Hara

Hey Jim,

How much does it cost these days to obtain copyright permission for songs in films?
Broken Flowers was one of my favorite films of the decade.
For some reason I really love to listen to filmmakers talk about movies they love.
Can you name just a few films you loved of this past decade that perhaps not many people have heard of?
And can you try and make your fans wait a little less than 4 to 5 years for your films to come out (kidding)

Peter O’Hara
From the cold sad and beautiful country of Canada
Toronto, Ontario
Canada

Tue 12 Jan at 01:21 AM

Fraser Collins

Hey Jim

Are you at all influenced by Jacques Tati?

Fraser Collins
New, Market
Ontario, Canada

Sun 17 Jan at 06:06 PM

Adam Pelletier

Dear Jim

How’s it going

Adam
North Bay
Ontario, Canada

Mon 01 Feb at 01:26 AM

Matt Proctor

Prbably too late, but I figured I’d ask anyway

Jim, you’ve said a lot about how New York in the 70s was a special place to be. I’m a young artist from Ohio trying to figure out what to do with my life and I was wondering: Do you think New York is still the place to go? Or has it become too expensive? AND If you were young and just starting out, where would you go?

Matt Proctor
Columbus, Ohio