MovieChat Forums > Freaked (1994) Discussion > $1 Million for an Anonymous Keanu??

$1 Million for an Anonymous Keanu??

posted 19 years ago by talkinhorse
12 replies | jump to latest

I just caught this movie and enjoyed its whackiness. I'm surprised I hadn't heard of it earlier, especially since I liked the "Bill & Ted" films. Anyway, I'm wondering about the claim that Keanu Reeves was paid a million dollars. Yeah, sometimes an expensive star is brought on board to give a film name recognition, but that advantage is pretty much neutralized when the star is unrecognizable and uncredited and doesn't even have a big part. Something isn't right about that story.

Aside from that expense, they created some nice freakiness for their $12 million budget. Sort of reminded me of the 1991 "Nothing but Trouble", which I also liked for it's amiable weirdness.

[–] 19 years ago

[deleted]

[–] THX--1138 18 years ago

Check out 'Apocalypse Now' - and see how much they paid for Mr Brando's abysmal effort. Then reconsider Mr Reeves in this movie.

I'd say they got their money's worth, by comparison...

Why is Duck Tape like The Force?

[–] jdrr22 18 years ago

Um, THX--1138, sorry to have to say this, but you might want to change your signature. It's DUCT tape, not Duck tape.

[–] THX--1138 18 years ago

Well - that's not strictly true. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cotton_duck, http://www.duckproducts.com/ and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duct_tape#Etymology. It depends on which side of the fence you stand. I think it's a matter of faith - much like 'The Force'. From now on I shall transmit a modified sig.

Why is Duck Tape like The Force?

[–] MelvinJunko 18 years ago

I thought he did it as a favor to him. That's an expensive favor.

[–] a_bomb3015 18 years ago

Nah, no favors to Keanu. He didn't need any favors. He had been cast for the lead in Speed by the time Freaked rolled around, and many people knew Speed would be a big hit, so Alex Winter wanted Keanu to give it a recognizable name.

Rumor has it that, after the movie was released in theaters and almost nobody watched it, Keanu wanted his name removed from the credits so he could remove any affiliation with the flick. Smart move, IMHO.

I can't confirm any of this to be fact, but it's the story that I've heard a few times.

[–] TrouperProds 18 years ago

oy vey, where does this stuff come from?

Keanu acted in our movie of his own free will, no favors, no million dollar payday. The film never was officially released in theaters, as it was canned when the studio chairman we made it for left the studio-this is fairly common knowledge, btw. It played a bunch of festivals and after success and strong reviews there, Tom and I personally sheparded it to a few theaters across the country with Fox's kind cooperation.

That's the skinny folks...

-Alex

[–] stubadubb 18 years ago

This movie has got to be the one my friends and I quote the most (randomly throwing out a "Styrofoam cup". I found a screener of it in the back of the video store I worked at way back in 93-94. I took it home not really expecting much, but we could not stop laughing. We must have brought that screener home once a week for months, and I was so distraught when I found they'd thrown it out. I was thrilled when I found out Anchor Bay was finally releasing it on DVD.

[–] ruderoodi 18 years ago

I don't understand why when management changes, projects have to be dropped. Why wouldn't they just continue an already completed project?

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"I can bring everyone back...everyone..."

[–] talkinhorse 18 years ago

Keanu acted in our movie of his own free will, no favors, no million dollar payday.

Presumably you're in a position to speak with authority. You might want to correct the IMDB trivia section (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0109838/trivia) which currently states:

Keanu Reeves's salary for the film was a million dollars to play Ortiz. It was mostly an uncredited cameo and he did the film as a favor to his friend Alex Winter whom he had worked with on the Bill and Ted movies. The producers of the film thought that Winter was crazy in giving Reeves that amount of money for such as small part.

[–] raymilesprime 15 years ago

Holy *beep* it's Alex Winter.

I may have yelped a little.

[–] dukeofauge 14 years ago

First off, this film is gem, I caught it completely by chance over 15 years ago and have never forgotten it and rematch it still every couple of years.

Second, well cool of you Alex to come onto the board here as yourself to interact with fans and help dispel rumors.

Sorry that my post isn't related to the thread here, just had to say.