One Hour Photo (2002) | Presenting Hitchcock Podcast

Gooooood evening. In this month’s episode of Presenting Hitchcock, Cory and Aaron smile and say cheese as they discuss One Hour Photo.

Written by: Mark Romanek

Starring: Robin Williams, Connie Nielsen, Michael Vartan, Dylan Smith, Erin Daniels, Paul Kim Jr, Gary Cole, Eric La Salle, Clark Gregg

Directed by: Mark Romanek

Trailer:

Our Favourite Trivia:

Hitchcock comparisons:

• Dial M for Murder
• Psycho
• Rear Window
• Stage Fright
• Rope
• Shadow of a Doubt

In the DVD commentary, Romanek says that Jack Nicholson was first approached to play the lead character. Nicholson turned down the role reportedly because he thought that the character was too similar to the role he played in The Shining (1980). Robin Williams was originally cast as the SavMart manager, Bill Owens (later played by Gary Cole), but after reading the screenplay for a second time, Williams requested the role of Sy Parrish.

​​In one of the voice-over pieces, Sy can be heard saying, “They actually believe that any idiot that attends a two-day seminar can master the art of making beautiful prints in less than an hour. But of course, like most things, there’s far more to it than meets the eye.” Williams prepared for the role by training for two and a half days in a Southern California photo development lab.

Trent Reznor of the band Nine Inch Nails was originally asked to compose the film’s score. However, early in the process, Romanek was allegedly pressured by the studio to hire a “real composer”, and Reznor was dropped from the production. Some of the music that Reznor created for the film evolved into material found on the Nine Inch Nails EP Still.

In accordance with the photography-themed movie, the names of several characters are drawn from actual photographers: Sy’s assistant at the Savmart, Yoshi Araki (named for Nobuyoshi Araki), manager Bill Owens (Bill Owens), Det. Van Der Zee (James Van Der Zee), Det. Outerbridge (Paul Outerbridge), Maya Burson (Nancy Burson), and Savmart customers Mrs. von Unwerth (Ellen von Unwerth) and Mr. Siskind (Aaron Siskind).

The Random Draw for Next Picture:

Next up, we’ll be discussing Halloween

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