"Life and Death Speed" is not a purely original story
The story of "Life and Death Speed" revolves around a bus that can't slow down, and this concept is not original to the producer. As early as 1986, the legendary Japanese director Akira Kurosawa used a similar concept in the film "Violent Train", which became the inspiration for Graham Jost to write the script of "Life and Death Speed".
2. Change of movie name
Screenwriter Graham Jost had planned to name the film "MinimumSpeed", which is a good title, but considering that this name will reveal part of the film's plot, the filmmakers eventually changed the title to "Speed".
In passing, the Chinese translation of the film," "Speed of Life and Death," is really the realm of Sindaya, perfectly presenting the theme of the film.
3. Quentin Tarantino and The Speed of Life and Death
The famous director Quentin was once one of the main directors contacted by the filmmakers, but unfortunately he finally refused this invitation, but after the release of the film, he did not hesitate to praise it, and he even included "Life and Death Speed" in his list of best movies.
4. Keanu Reeves and The Speed of Life and Death
More than 20 years ago, we were all impressed by Keanu Reeves's performance and handsome face in the film, but in fact, when the film began, the first choice for starring was not Keanu but Steven Baldwin.
After reading the script, Stephen Baldwin complained that the protagonist's character was too close to his character in "Die Hard" John McLean, so he refused to star. The young Keanu did not miss this opportunity, and he was nominated for multiple awards for his outstanding performance in "Life and Death Speed" and became a household star.
5. Anne and the bus
Many people are amazed by the driving skills of the heroine Anne, especially since she is driving a bus. This skill is actually related to her profession, and Annie's specific occupation is not disclosed in the film, but in the first version of the script, she was introduced as an ambulance driver.
6. Keanu Reeves's flat head
Fans familiar with Keanu Reeves must know that his flat-headed style doesn't often appear in movies. It is said that this was his personal decision, and the producers even worried that the male protagonist's flat-headed shape would affect the market value of the film.
7, the budget is tight
The Speed of Life and Death had already spent its budget halfway through filming, which forced them to test screen in the form of cut-and-paste animation. Fortunately, the backlash from the audience led Fox to shell out more money to complete the film.
8. "Life and Death Speed" and Dodge Stadium
The climax of the film takes place at the Los Angeles airport, but in the original script, this tense scene is supposed to take place at the Dodge Arena. The reason why the filming was not done at the Dodge Stadium was because the filmmakers did not get permission to shoot at the stadium, but the airport was also a good choice.
9. "Life and Death Speed" and buses
A total of 14 buses were used in the film, which played different roles, some of which were used to shoot the interior of the car, some to shoot the chassis, some to shoot the high-speed shooting, and the explosion scene used two buses.
That's all for this issue, and on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the release of "Life and Death Speed", looking back at some of the film's behind-the-scenes stories may make you more fun while nostalgic. In the time to come, we will continue to share the behind-the-scenes stories of some classic movies, so stay tuned.