I just finished Michael's autobiography "Lucky Man", From what he has admitted in the book while filming this movie, it is really amazing how it turned out. He admits to being hungover most days on the set due to heavy drinking binges at night. He was also secretly suffering from Parkinson's Disease and trying to hide it from everyone. I think he did wonderful in this film despite the fact he was suffering from such personal turmoil.
shareThat's so bizarre to learn that Fox was in such poor health during the making of this film because I think it boasts one of his very best performances.
sharemaybe the hangovers kind of gave him the fell of a overworked and over efficient and late to sleep concierge!
Why...So..Serious? Let's put a smile on that face of yours!
I've re-watched this movie a couple of weeks ago and noticed that, at one point, right after Gabriel Anwar's performance of the American National Anthem, when MJF was walking along her side, his arm was clearly trembling uncontrollably. He even had to put it in his pocket but that didn't help. I'd never noticed that before I learned about his illness. But when you know, you know :(
Yes, I agree, it's a great movie... considering everything... And cudos to Michael. He is a fighter!
I just watched that scene twice, and his arm was definitely not "trembling uncontrollably".
He was talking and walking, had both hands in his sports jacket pocket, and was talking demonstrably, using both of his arms in gesturing motions, such as when he said "I just said I could", in extending both arms while in the pockets, when he said he could get her a gig singing the National Anthem in front of 50K people.
I just watched it and schagris is completely right. His left hand is in his pocket, and it is completely shaking. Scary.
.......
"Well, if it isn't my old friend Mr. McGreg, with a leg for an arm and an arm for a leg!"
I have it playing right now - you can see the fabric of his jacket vibrating from the tremors (right side of the screen - his left arm). Hindsight is 20/20 and it's obvious, now, that he was trying to hide the symptom.
shareleft arm is in rattle mode. if he had change in that pocket, it'd be rattling.
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Go away, or I shall taunt you a second time!
MJF had parkinson's since filming Doc Hollywood & Hard Way. in 1991, 2 yrs before filming on this movie.
shareYeah it's amazing.He first started to experience tremors in 1991 while filming Doc Hollywood.So from that point,in this film,Life With Mikey,Greedy,The American President,Mars Attacks,The Frighteners and then his sitcom Spin City he was fighting it in front of the cameras.Unbelievable.
this one is still COMEDY/funny/hilarious film but FRIGHTENERS is serious film. :)
shareNo The Frighteners isn't a serious film.It's a supernatural comedy horror.It's got serious parts,but it's got alot of comical scenes,sometimes all out and sometimes black.
sharethere is a scene when he on a car phone in a limo and you can see his hand is moving oddly.
Its amazing no one on set noticed Fox's moving.
I remember on Spin City I just thought it was him acting. Because his character was so hyper.
BUt now I watch and is obvious but Fox did an amazing job of just using probs because holding something made the shaking stop or he would hide his hand.
He was so young, it would be easy to explain away. If I saw someone doing that (at his age at the time of filming), my first assumption would be that he'd had too much caffeine.
shareI just watched the stadium scene and as they're walking to the tunnel his left arm is really shaking bad and as they stop to turn and look at each other, his left shoulder shakes a little and stops. Poor guy.
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