Casting and production of EYES WIDE SHUT’s “Erotic fantasy movement” scene

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Information on how the somertone ritual orgy scenes of Eyes Wide Shut were casted, rehearsed and filmed. More Eyes Wide Shut videos on my main channel / robag88

[@doug209]

so much mystery surrounding this film.

[@DinoDudeDillon]

The less ornate masks for the extras also gives each of them less of an appearance of individuality, which I think contributed to the eerie tone of scene

[@vipy4309]

Thank you for the content on eyes wide shut rob. It drives me crazy of all the small details from the production of that film, Kubrick wanted people to really dig into his last film, more than any of his other films. Thank you again for releasing this for the public.

[@steveetienne]

Nothing wrong with a rambling waffle Rob. Informative and entertaining as per usual. Nice one.

[@paolobogli458]

Subtitle please!!!!!!!!

[@dundyable]

most of this 'inside' info can actually be found in Kolker and Abram's book on Eyes Wide Shut published by Oxford University Press

[@CyrusB1]

Hey Rob, I find it fascinating to peer even more into the mind of Kubrick, as it were. Its a testament to the joy people feel for the coherency inherent in your videos that you attract these "inside voices" Thanks for taking the time and putting the energy you do in to it all.

[@triplesevensix291]

Great stuff Rob. All the best from downtown Liverpool. Nice one. ;)

[@montydaniels1054]

@Rob Ager. Rob, I've always seemed to think that dancers at the mansion may have also been in the Ziegler's party dance scenes as well. Also one thing I noticed was Bill and Nick Nightingale can't seem to keep their hands off one another, when they reunite at the Bar. I found it sorta odd but just figured that it was Kubrick's way of letting the viewers know that college is often the place for experimenting, or that it was about two men that seem to be sexually frustrated.... Great video, thanks for posting it....

[@dinab7852]

I'm obsessed with this movie and with video analyses of it and yours are some of the best I've watched so far. They are extremely thorough and detailed. Thanks so much! I'm so upset that Stanley Kubric didn't live to see the finished product on the big screen, people's reaction to it and live longer to make more of his masterpieces...

[@uwehuber5018]

the guy is a shill , gatekeeper. Dont u get it ?

[@CoolGuy-fs9np]

*Non disclosure agreements are fairly standard on feature films and some bigger tv shows.* They are included as part of the "start pack" which is the stack of papers every crew member needs to sign on their first day or prior to their first day working on the production. I used to work in the film industry, so I know that as a fact. I have never looked at them thoroughly enough to find whether it expires after a certain period of time or not/how long they are legally binding for.

[@ModernPict]

They are these days, but not so much back then, which is most probably why Ager mentions it. @RobAger

[@iAmiSaid]

I'm a big fan of your videos. And as always this one does not disappoint. Nice to see a candid video like this.. As well as your prepared video tutorials. Keep up the great insight and work!

[@jackdaniels2905]

Not many know that Cate Blanchet voiced the masked woman that "redeems" Cruise.

[@soccom8341576]

really?

[@beauzer36]

I can't remember if you have ever addressed the eye chart in the doctors office. It has to mean something since it is not a standard eye chart.

[@jackdaniels2905]

I've noticed all the letters are symmetrical,A O T etc.

[@oliversmama876]

Illuminate

[@christinet638]

I think the letters spelled "oath".

[@journeyofsouls1444]

Check this out at 11:11 the time on the clock says 11.11 ;) Good vid Rob!

[@Exiro]

I'm not sure if I agree with your assessment on why the masks are bland. It could be in part to make Bill stand out more, but I think it's mostly for the psychological effect, namely to scare the shit out of the audience. If the masks are extravagant, the viewer would get impressed or at least distracted by them, at the cost of the fear they'd feel. Pretty ironic how Kubrick himself got hit on during the production of the film. Yet another parallel between the contents of his films, and the events surrounding the production.

[@marydecouvertes3789]

Yes but don't forget that the wealthy and powerful also tend to be much more discrete and low-key than the status seeking, asslicking upper middle class to whom Dr Harford belong. I think that might be a factor here as well.

[@shoshone1018]

I doubt it, go look at the masks worn by elitists at the Rothchild's 1970s parties. I think this is more to do with being a sociopath or psychopath, can't read their emotions or minds which goes with the territory of satanism. @@marydecouvertes3789

[@bubblesmageefrompoughkipse7104]

Anyone who will be involved with the nude scenes will be asked if they have a problem with nudity... their own or that of other actors and being in scenes where nudity is prevalent. They will also be asked about their level of comfort being in scenes of a sexual nature especially explicit sex scenes. Yes I have worked in the film industry and am very familiar with the drill from story creation to post production. It's relatively standard to ask actors about their comfort level where nudity and sex is concerned. Thus the need for body doubles. You wouldn't believe how many actors/actresses you see on the big screen in steamy sex scenes are not actually in the scenes or are in the scenes but only certain body pieces parts are shown or not shown!

[@danesorensen1775]

Wasn't the Waltz immediately denounced as "fornicating standing up to music"?

[@SebastianRodriguez-sv8he]

I disagree with the other mask being bland, I actually thought bills was very bland and the other mask were far more interesting. Even if some were simple. Like the mask with three faces stood out to me more than any

[@COOKERZILLA]

Rob Ager is the best film analysis person on the planet

[@marydecouvertes3789]

As Dr Harford would say: "He's the top man in New York!" 😎

[@collativelearning]

@@marydecouvertes3789 "You wanna see my grip" ;)

[@marydecouvertes3789]

@@collativelearning Keep smashing 'em! 😉

[@uwehuber5018]

the best paid shill gatekeeping Mossad disinfo jerk

[@xmissconductx]

I doubt the extras weren't told of the simulated sexual acts going on. Especially if there were extensive rehearsals for them, which isn't common nowadays (for extras). You'd be surprised how many extras and actors are NOT ok with nudity, let alone sex. If no one had told them at least that there would be simulated sex happening, some extras likely would've reacted negatively and it would cause problems either on screen or on set. They may have not known until that day or right before the scene, but people for scenes like that, (even just featured extras) are usually curated based on what they are comfortable with. It makes sense that there were porn stars doing the simulated sex.

[@Peepholecircus]

Interesting that the way he got the rehersals to go from one thing to what we see in the film. Weird sort of grooming to get something he wanted much the same as what the characters would have gone through to reach this kind of party in the first place! Is that how it's done?

[@tquasa07]

Weird shit.

[@jamesthorne4904]

I heard a rumor Nicole Kidman's character had 20 minutes of dream sequences cut from the theatrical release. Any truth to that, Rob?

[@filipdziegiel]

Nope, not true. Alice dream sequence was storyboarded / drawn by Chris Baker ( you can see some of them here: twitter.com/mccrabb_will/status/486159352324050945, and more in Alison's Castle book 'Stanely Kubrick Archives') but it never went into making. Maby Kubrick planned on doing them later, but we'll never going to found out. From what I've researched - and trust me, I've done it DEEPLY, there is not a single document stating that there was such sequence made.

[@davusito]

Filip Dzięgiel thanks very much

[@josh2676]

There was no cut. It was a rumor that was just so juicy that people couldnt resist spreading it

[@mikebizzleuk]

@@josh2676 I'm starting to wonder this. Is there any proof anything was cut from the film? Can't find much real evidence myself

[@matheus31218]

@@mikebizzleuk Me too, and i asked a lot of people talking about those cut scenes for their source, none of them gave me anything and many even got angry with me just for asking.

[@jaywilldoit]

I was one of the people at the ritual. I saw what happened to the woman who redeemed Dr. Bill. I cannot say a word about it.

[@georgeadcock2347]

I have a friend who was a ballet dancer who auditioned for this film. She declined when she found out about the orgy scenes. She was fine with full frontal nudity but not the orgy. Most dancers have no issue with nudity.

[@manmaje3596]

Well it is all art so it sounds like they missed out and someone else got the gig.

[@chrisdavies73]

Another great video Rob, keep up the good work. Btw. do you keep a Crank File? You should, SK did! I also bagged a copy of the book you mentioned for a fiver.Cheers.

[@pedrogee900]

Excellent as always. I thought Rob was rowdy Roddy Piper for a brief second

[@samiissa7668]

Hi there rob .. thanks for making such a great videos for us we really appreciate it .. If you wouldn't mind I'd love to see your top 10 movie list .. or top 30 or top 50 .. the longer the list the better

[@robag555]

Thanks, yeah I should throw a list together at some point though it would be dominated by movies i've already reviewed.

[@samiissa7668]

Rob Ager I think I would watch that anyways maybe a top 10 list for each director would be more subtle.. it's up to you really

[@Thespeedrap]

I wonder why Kubrick choose to make this movie be his final film so scary stuff.

[@quite1enough]

A. I., should be his last movie (?), he even did a couple shoots for that, but either he handed it to Spielberg, or just died suddenly and Spielberg took it, don't quite remember.

[@ernestolombardo5811]

Kubrick almost made Eyes Wide Shut right after The Shining, with Steve Martin as his main candidate for the role of Doctor Bill, but for some reason (financing, maybe?) it fell through and he did Full Metal Jacket instead. Kubrick had been wanting to film this story for ages.

[@slimandnone__6545]

I can't believe I missed this! If you have any other background info, please share.

[@Driftwoodvideos]

Check this out at 11:11 the time on the clock says 11.11 ;) and strangely because we see it through a mirror time is going backwards. Just an observation, love your vids Rob!

[@KutWrite]

Rob: Did you shoot this in RAW and not color grade it? Curious due to the flatness (color, not content).

[@jakedee507]

Always found it interesting the DP and editor never did a single movie in these specific roles before EWS. First timers. Larry Smith was a gaffer and lighting tech on Barry Lyndon and Shining. But DP??? Nigel Galt was a longtime sound man who only had two credits as film editor, both in 1986, both musical tv documentaries, before EWS. A sound editor cutting this picture?? He did work on FMJ, so it's likely Kubrick was just promoted friends. He probably lit and cut the whole thing himself.

[@VanezArt]

Quite peculiar.

[@darrellhall9561]

The people knew each other by the mask they wore. They were wondering who the is this new guy?

[@OdiousCoprophagus]

Yourself being one of the people who has done some serious research into Kubrick and the history of his movies, what do you think was the content of the footage that was cut from this film after his death? Any personal theories? or hypothesis non fingo?

[@mikebizzleuk]

Was there anything actually cut from the film?

[@teamebright2519]

Nothing was cut.

[@manmaje3596]

Nothing was cut. It’s a complete story. Every scene In the film happens in the book.

[@OdiousCoprophagus]

@@manmaje3596 None of the movies Kubrick adapted from books were a 1:1 adaptation of the content of the original book, if you had even cursory knowledge of his oeuvre you would know that.

[@THX11458]

I can understand, and find it reasonable, to have cast members sign non-disclosure agreements, but it seems a shame that so much detail about great films may be lost due to the inability of those members to relate what happened on their sets. Perhaps such agreements should have a time limit of say 20 years or so.

[@kiralou88]

where can i get a copy of the 1969 austrian traumnovelle , looks fascinating juxtaposed with kubrick , cant find it . Have you seen it ?

[@StaticOrgy]

Rob, are you going to play/talk about KingdomCome Deliverance?

[@williamstevenson8518]

When Woody Allen was shooting Manhattan he gave Meryl Streep only the pages of the script with her dialogue. I'm not sure if he always does this.

[@derinformationstechniker4507]

Can anybody tell me what kind this Ager accent is from (Lancaster? York?)

[@Hani-ug2zr]

Liverpool

[@vcantumenil]

Sounds Scottish to me

[@connorshaw896]

Hello Rob. I would like to support your channel and buy some of the content available on your website, but not being able to use a google account is a pain. Setting up an alternate email that people will not be using accept for this purpose is likely losing you money. Is there an alternative method of payment that might be more flexible? I think your content is great and thanks for the hard work you put into it.

[@robag555]

Cheers, yes there is a way of doing it with a gmail accound more reliably. Set up a free Gumroad account here gumroad.com/ and order your files when you're signed in. You will then find that the files are available in your gumroad library, which means no need to receive an email with a download link. A lot of gmail orders do work but a fair few of them seem to block the receipt emails from coming through.

[@connorshaw896]

Thanks for letting me know.

[@ericfurst6091]

What about the deleted 24min?

[@BRYANCASA]

Thank you for this video!

[@PaulEKlein]

The extras being mostly female was so Tom didnt appear so short

[@tjakalele]

Like this a lot. Interesting view on dancing / sophisticated elite vs raw behaviour

[@RaphaelDuncanSD]

Pure speculation - Could the threat of an NDA be stronger when Cruise and thereby the Church of Scientology be stronger, given how stringent and fierce they are about secrecy?

[@MegaFount]

I’ve always wondered if eyes why shot would’ve been a better movie if Kubrick had set the film in the VNE setting of the novel. Somehow I feel I would’ve added another layer of texture to put it in Freud’s Vienna rather than New York city contemporary setting. I’d love to know your thoughts on that

[@manmaje3596]

No I think if he had done that it wouldn’t of had as much reach. He chose NYC for a very specific reason.

[@Exiro]

First 4.5 minute: outline of the secrecy around the making of the film. Rest of the video: "Now I'm going to disclose it to the public anyway LEL." Great stuff, Rob.

[@ambroselwatson]

Hey mate, use a better mic setup when you're doing these straight to camera videos. The sound quality is quite a bit fuzzier than your voice over uploads.

[@alannothnagle]

Intriguing as always. Re Dr. Bill's mask: Some years back I read that Bill stood out as an outsider because his mask was different in design, namely Roman carnival instead of Venetian carnival, like all the others. Is there any truth to it? (I compared images of both and didn't see a lot of difference, but I'm not an expert.) After all, you have to wonder how they can identify Bill so easily despite his mask. The mask must have given him away. This also made me think of your recent video about the scene with the rich dead man (Mr. Nathanson), one of the oligarchs, who had a painting of the Doge's Palace in Venice on his bedroom wall, and who you could easily imagine having his own carnival mask locked away in a cupboard somewhere. I think now that this scene was a deliberate preview of the orgy scene - if Bill had had his eyes wide open. But he missed this cue, as did we all.

[@marydecouvertes3789]

Mr Ziegler was present at the party and even without Bill's mask standing out he would have been recognized just by looking at the way he walks and stands. If you really know someone you'll also recognize that person by observing their body language. This is why you will always be able spot a friend in a distant crowd at an airport or in a dark tunnel at night.

[@marydecouvertes3789]

@Grapthar's Hebrew Hammer Well, Mr Red Cloak said there were actually two passwords: one for entrance and one for the house. And according to what Mr. Ziegler says in the pool table scene, not knowing the second password was what ultimately gave Bill away. But also the fact that he arrived in a cab.

[@dwoodard5717]

@@marydecouvertes3789 he also tells him there was no 2nd password. Just watched it last night

[@oughtssought1198]

in the pool table scene Ziegler tells Bill that (1) Bill came in a cab, everyone else in a limousine, even in his first contact outside the gate the guy at the gate sounds skeptical, and Bills initial exchange would have fed any pro bouncer's suspicions, which presumably they communicate to the front door, where the guy who took his coat gives it to another guy who (2) Ziegler tells Bill looked thru the pockets of his coat and found the Rainbow Shop rental receipt. So within a minute of Bill entering the mansion it is known to security who he is and what mask he's wearing. Later, again in the pool room, as D Woodard pointed out, Ziegler tells Bill there was no second password for the house. Since presumably a lot of the folk at the mansion were also at Ziegler's party earlier same evening, he would have been one of the folk consulted about do you know this guy and how best to run Bill out of there. I don't see how Mandy gets clued as to who Bill is since she's already in the circle when he's led into the ritual circle room right after he enters the mansion. Maybe Ziegler's nod to him from the balcony (I take the couple in the balcony to be Ziegler and his wife, and I lean toward the Hungarian seducer as my nominee for Red Cloak, both as much on hunch as flimsy evidence, but that's somewhat irrelevant to guesses re: the logistics of IDing Bill as unwanted). I confess I'm clueless about the logistics of one security guy separating Mandy from Bill after she walks him out of the room, then Ziegler (or at any rate the balcony nod guy) points Bill out to another woman, who then invites him to go somewhere private, at which point Mandy returns to "borrow" him back. It does seem tho' that she is a participant working as part of the team to get him out of there ASAP, and it is only when her efforts fail that a security guy approaches him to ask if he's the taxi guy as prelude to delivering him back to Red Cloak's circle. I notice there are a lot more long posts in discussions of this film than on any other youtube vids I watch. There are plenty of good questions about what's going on that are not susceptible to short, direct guess/answers.

[@alannothnagle]

@@oughtssought1198 Thanks for this. I‘d also suggest that Dr. Bill‘s tendency to stand around and stare at the goings-on at the orgy is a dead giveaway. It‘s positively painful to watch.

[@reinotsurugi]

Social dancing can be very much "subliminal fucking" and I think as a society we miss it. It used to be a way to "blow off steam," to physicalize sexuality without having to actually do the deed.

[@GovenorJerryBrown]

Rob is indispensible for understanding these movies. Jay Dyer does a good job on concepts and themes but only Rob does his homework on the mis en scene and the actual physical/imaginary embodiment of the film.

[@darrellhall9561]

You should see Kubricks Thirteenth. Very interesting video

[@howardjohnson2138]

Interesting. Thank you

[@paolobogli458]

Can You put subtitle????????????

[@polluteyoursoul]

your voice is so fucking interesting do an audiobook or something hehee

[@MartinKronstrom]

Voulez-vous «erotic fantasy movements» avec moi, ce soir? ♫ -Patti LaBelle

[@colinburroughs9871]

Scientologist depicts occultist orgy. Layers people, layers. This whole "I know a secret" game psyches people out in the worst way. Deeds not words.

[@davusito]

I love this channel

[@mukainoda9453]

Why Kubrick didn't cast Michael douglas or Mickey Rourke as the lead role ???

[@oughtssought1198]

one of the intriguing aspects of this film that none of the analyses I've seen touch on is the choice of Cruise, who seems to be a bit of Scientology royalty these days, and Kidman, whose dad evidently also has an intel flavored background, to star in a film on this topic. They're both actors, so who knows, but in their interviews they at the every least play the part of caring deeply about the project and Stanley very convincingly, so who knows.

[@derinformationstechniker4507]

Sir! Although I am absolutely sure u won't answer me, I have to express that I came to the conclusion that YOU ARE A SCOUSER! PS: your analyses are very interesting/good.

[@robag555]

Scouser yes, though accent toned down as I lived abroad for 5 yrs when I was a kid.

[@derinformationstechniker4507]

Thank You!!! You helped me solve a riddle (cuz the northern accents are so multible) PS: Since Trainspotting I'm a big fan of the northern accents.

[@completesentences2125]

I thought you said “Pawn Stars” at 10:40…like Rick and Chumley.

[@promnightdumpsterbaby9553]

The mask Tom Cruise wears,in conjunction with the cloak,looks sick as hell.

[@itzalion]

1:20 You know who else was asked not to speak publicly? The piano guy from the film. I hope Rob Ager is okay.

[@ryangettig274]

Way more to this-Stanley was Too effing clever-it's all in the Billiards scene&the newspaper in the background-How many people die offscreen in EWS???Obviously Stanley as a family man was "grossed out"by these people&when I think of how he gave 'em the Finger with this picture?Rest Easy Stanley:)....

[@Denynn]

You look like you've aged 10 years since I last saw you in front of the camera, is it the lighting?

[@tsbirthdeath]

Rob Ager LOOOOL!! Greatest response ever, Rob! Also, the channel JamieDlux used some of your one vid on THE SHINING and gave you all credit! I even did in the comments section as well. He is an EXCELLENT creator and I think the 2 of you together would be MIND BLOWING!

[@Linick]

Hey Rob, the actress Julienne Davis (Mandy in EWS) did an interview with Alex Jones a few months ago where she speaks of her experience on Eyes Wide Shut. I can't remember the details and I don't think she revealed anything major, but here's the link if you're interested: kzbin.info/www/bejne/npzMeKqgmb-rq5o

[@robag555]

Yes I've seen that and briefly spoken to her about the bathroom scene at the Zeigler party.

[@manwithoutausername]

You spoke to her at the Ziegler party? The plot thickens...

[@oughtssought1198]

@@manwithoutausername uh oh! all the evidence needed for a youtube vid exposing the real Mr. Ager as her speed ball supplier at the fictional party??? which will infallibly imply to some folks that he was also the person holding her upright as he delivered the giggling Mandy to her hotel room that night. What would life be w/o presumptuous rumors? A mere dull dark redundant procession of boring everyday normalcy. Fantasy addicts UNITE, go forth, and light the world with unlimitable JOY!

[@LovePH926]

Wow.

[@johnmonti6993]

The Freemasons that what you should not talk about

[@Steve.Georges]

2018 - Cruise was polite and friendly to everyone on set. 2020 - Cruise: Hold my beer

[@gaurishwagh4629]

Why don't you make a movie

[@robag555]

I have, an indie feature which can be ordered on my site. It's called Turn in Your Grave. Ultra low budget, full of subliminals and a pure mind fcuk movie tbh.

[@c3dmf4s]

British people definitely like to hear themselves talk... video could have been 5 minutes.. 🤷‍♂️

[@jsXanatos]

stay woke

[@Mmmmkay126]

jsXanatos Damn. Didn't think Id find a Xanatos here

[@mrRambleGamble]

6:29 So they were groomed. Meta

[@tsbirthdeath]

The child sex/snuff room scenes that were cut are why Kubrick was killed

[@mikebizzleuk]

Any proof?

[@kylieeeramirez7838]

Yup …

[@avonboy007]

Source? I made it the fuck up.

[@davusito]

I love you man

[@hasanordek]

Subliminal fucking. LOL

[@ptrck99]

It is a movie from the 90`s, and it has dated that way. Not bad, but it is hard to say it´s good. The plot solves itself in the second part of the movie. The "satanic" messages don`t differ from those of any other thriller. Again, not a bad movie. But it would have been great with real actors instead of celebrities, which is the category that fits better Mr. Cruise and Mrs Kidman. It takes an effort to get over the cartoonish acting. I am sure Kubrick did not consider this one a great film either.

[@duantorruellas716]

Boring , this story is old and tired.

[@mengutimur]

This film has a serious problem, which is a lack of black women. Damn you, Kubrick.

[@The_ScapeGoat]

Why is that a problem?

[@shannonliim]

god get to the freaking point jeez

[@johndawhale3197]

God took his time to get to the point.

[@oughtssought1198]

@@johndawhale3197 not to mention gift-wrapping it in so much freaking perversely humored irony that its damned hard to get the gift unwrapped enough to SEE The Point, which, given God's peculiar sense of humor, I've begun to suspect is: mind-reading God is a brain deadening fools' paradise that makes a living hell of earth