It wont pop up again later, it wont explain the ending, it wont actually do anything except possibly. When they bring the police, neither is there, and the police refuse to believe them. In this version, the macguffin can be a diamond, a relic, a pricy artifact,or a suitcase loaded with money. Yes, the macguffin is a tricky device, but it can benefit your story when used. Scene with elke sommer from her 1979 movie the double mcguffin. This boils down to anything that sets the plot in motion or keeps it going in one direction or another.
The journal is a 160 page 6 x 9 perfectbound collection of poetry, short fiction, creative nonfiction, and visual art, including black and white photos, prints and drawings. The double mcguffin is a 1979 american mystery film written and directed by joe camp. The documentary follows epper and bell over several years, epper from 1997 and bell from the end of xena. Double man, the 1967 movie clip i prefer to ski alone. In fiction, a macguffin sometimes mcguffin is an object, device, or event that is necessary to the plot and the motivation of the characters, but insignificant, unimportant, or irrelevant in itself. A member of the british federation of film societies. The double mcguffin 1979 cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more. When they bring the police, neither is there, and the police refuses to believe them. A macguffin or mcguffin, or maguffin is a plot device common to some of the most successful stories ever written. Notes on the name mcguffin film director alfred hitchcock 18991980 used the word mcguffin or macguffin to mean an attentioncatching device or element e. Sometimes that item has significance to the plot, like in raiders of the lost ark, where the titular lost ark ends up getting indiana jones out of a precarious situation. Your characters will obsess over how to find it, search jungles and alien worlds to get their hands on it, and kill to keep it, and yet many people will tell you it has no place in a great story. Mcguffin or maguffin is a term for a motivating element in a story that is used to drive the plot. The macguffin tm metaplot booklet version gamma 1 by whitson john kirk iii 05 25 2016.
The 10 greatest movie macguffins that are not in a hitchcock film. The double mcguffin 1979 teens alert their police chief george kennedy to a plot to shoot a prime minister elke sommer and her daughter at a school assembly. Including vertigo, north by northwest, suspicion, the birds, psycho, torn curtain, spellbound and more. Film director alfred hitchcock coined the term macguffin when discussing the suspense techniques in his films.
Under ordinary circumstances the very idea of an overtly selfconscious art film is likely one to make even the most dyedinthewool cinephile want to curl up in a fetal position in a corner for, say, the average length of a selfconscious art film. Sometimes you might not even know what it is, but it is often the stimulus or force that triggers a main character to move from a free wheeling static life to one on the road, or a way to help a hero prevent. Find movie and film cast and crew information for the double mcguffin 1979 joe camp on allmovie. Ernest borgnine, george kennedy, elke sommer, ed too tall jones, lyle alzado, rod browning, dion pride, lisa whelchel, jeff. Alfred hitchcock explains the plot device he called the. Examples include the holy grail, the maltese falcon, and the briefcase in the movie pulp fiction. Whats a macguffin in films and why is it called that. And sometimes the item is just an item that the heroes need to find because, well, something needs to run the plot of this thing. The broom in the wizard of oz becomes an active mcguffin. Many of our favorite stories have an item that our heroes are attempting to retrieve. The double mcguffin 1979 rotten tomatoes movie trailers. The film starred ernest borgnine and george kennedy, alongside a group of young actors, some of whom later became wellknown names in the u. Fortunately, on the double is probably his last great film, a jaunty wwii intriguefilled farce about a timid american soldier kaye tapped by the military to serve as a decoy for a famous british colonel whos targeted for death by the nazis after its.
Double mcguffin, the academy award winners ernest borgnine marty and george kennedy cool hand luke star in this familyfriendly thriller from writerdirector joe camp benji. In the 1979 film the double mcguffin narrated by orson welles, a group of precocious children including lisa whelchel find a briefcase full of cash and run afoul of ernie borgnine and lyle alzado. The term macguffin was popularized by alfred hitchcock, who credited the use of the term to one of his writers, angus mcphail, who created the term from a joke from his youth. But then a double murder occurs across the street after some mobsters cannot find an incriminating negative. Jesse eisenberg plays simon, a timid, isolated man whos overlooked at work, scorned by his mother, and ignored by the woman of his dreams.
Below we are compiling a definitive list of macguffins from hitchcock films. Elke sommer, ernest borgnine, george kennedy, ed too tall jones, lyle alzado, official content from vestron video four virginia. Mcguffin brothers media is a member of vimeo, the home for high quality videos and the people who love them. Which i suppose qualifies the double as something of a miracle. The ark of the covenant raiders of the lost ark in a way, indiana jones was a callback to the old days of macguffins. The 10 greatest movie macguffins that are not in a. After the success of his dramatic turn in the five pennies, danny kaye returned to comedy at the tail end of his film career. How to avoid the macguffin trap and create a unique plot. Elke sommer and nfl stars ed too tall jones and lyle alzado. Movie, the double mcguffin movie,the double mcguffin trailer,the double mcguffin 1979, joe camp,elke sommer, ernest borgnine, george kennedy, ed too tall jones, lyle alzado. Apr 01, 2017 in the last scene of the 1941 film classic, the maltese falcon, sam spade played by humphrey bogart hands over a murderer played by mary astor and a black falcon statuette to authorities.
Hatcher is a movie critic, and for awhile it looks like his main problem is keeping reality and the silver screen separate. Double mcguffin, the on dvd 0187504869 from gaiam americas. But despite the supposed centrality of the macguffin, a hitchcock movie is always about something else. This is one of the most boring films, in that it takes things that are inherently excitingcrime, sex, drugsyet has no idea how to make these. Originally coined by alfred hitchcock, based on a story where this device was used in a story set on a scottish train. Homer greg hodges finds a briefcase full of money in the woods, but when he comes back with his prepschool friends, the case is gone with a dead body lying in this place. After hatcher discovers where the negative is hidden, he is bumped to the top on the assassins hit list. The devils double 2011 having been forced to act as a body double for one of saddam husseins sons, latif yahia dominic cooper gives an. Here are 15 of the best movie macguffins of all time.
This is one of the most boring films, in that it takes things that are inherently excitingcrime, sex. Everything you need to know about the double movie 2014. Jul 18, 2009 scene with elke sommer from her 1979 movie the double mcguffin. The term was originated by angus macphail for film, adopted by alfred hitchcock, and later extended to a similar device in other fiction the macguffin technique is common in films, especially. In the last scene of the 1941 film classic, the maltese falcon, sam spade played by humphrey bogart hands over a murderer played by mary astor and a black falcon statuette to authorities. A standard plot device is broader, being anything that motivates a character to get from point a to point b and beyond, which could be as simple as an invitation to the party. Under ordinary circumstances the very idea of an overtly selfconscious art film is likely one to make even the most dyedin the wool cinephile want to curl up in a fetal position in a corner for, say, the average length of a selfconscious art film.
With dion pride, greg hodges, jeff nicholson, vincent spano. Spielberg i just realized i entered back to back spielberg films and george lucas have said that the film was inspired by the old adventure serials from the 30s, and those films always had explicit plot devices that could be identifies as valuable or dangerous by the. Later they discover both were part of an assassination plot. Alfred hitchcock liked to call it the macguffin the mysterious object in a spy thriller that sets the whole chain of events into motion. Now they have to figure out how to stop the plot and put. Although dorothy didnt know it, the true quest wasnt to capture the broom but to kill the witch because oz knew only the through death would. The devils double 2011 having been forced to act as a body double for one of saddam husseins sons, latif yahia dominic cooper gives an insiders look at the life of the iraqi tyrant. The double mcguffin movie some school kids stumble across a briefcase full of money, when they go back for it, they find a body instead. Yes, the macguffin is a tricky device, but it can benefit your. It wont pop up again later, it wont explain the ending, it wont do anything except possibly distract you while you try to figure out its significance. The double in us theaters may 9, 2014 starring jesse eisenberg, mia wasikowska, wallace shawn, noah taylor. Join them as they talk about the timetested trope, the heist, and much more. Alfred hitchcock gave name to a literary and film device called a macguffin sometimes spelled mcguffin, which is any object or device that serves to trigger the plot. In its most common version, the macguffin is an expensive object desired by many characters.
Pg, color, 1 h 41 min family, mystery ernest borgnine, george kennedy, elke sommer, ed too tall jones director. In this family oriented film, narrated by orson welles, a bunch of kids in a sleepy southern town stumble onto international terrorist ernest borgnines scheme to assassinate a foreign prime. Some school kids stumble across a briefcase full of money, when they go back for it, they find a body instead. Staring george kennedy, ernest borgnine, elke sommer and michael gerard. Semirogue cia man slater yul brynner, retracing the steps of his teenage son probablymurdered in an alpine ski accident, finds gina britt ekland, a girl he probably pursued, the soviet spy guy anton diffring also on the tram, in franklin schaffners the double man. The game get the macguffin is a quick and humorous deduction game involving hand management and player elimination. Deku and all might receive an invitation from a certain person to go overseas to a giant artificial moving city called iisland. For further information about the actress, her life, and her work, please visit. Fun movie about some teens who stumble across a murder and the adventures that come from it.
When asked what the statuette was exactly, spade looks off in the distance and rather unsatisfactorily explains, its stuff that dreams are made of. A common macguffin story setup can be summarized as quickly. The double mcguffin 1979 joe camp cast and crew allmovie. The macguffin, established in 1984, is a national literary magazine created on campus. As popularized by alfred hitchcock, the macguffin is the thing that everyone wants and is trying to get. Less so in the remake, if we go by the only counts if its not spent rule. Mar, 2017 a macguffin or mcguffin, or maguffin is a plot device common to some of the most successful stories ever written.
Videos 360 view images the double mcguffin ernest borgnine. Macguffin written and produced by steve hirsekorn and bob cleary the film is an affectionate and comical parody of over 20 twenty films by alfred hitchcock. Written by jeffrey michael bays, an awardwinning radio producer most widely known for not from space on xm satellite radio. The lookalike has the ambition to be an intense, multiplecharacter epic about revenge and the drug trade, but it is weighed down in overblown dialogue, underdeveloped characters, and a story that is too involved in itself for its own good. The director and producer alfred hitchcock popularized both the term macguffin and the technique, with his 1935 film the 39 steps an early example of the concept. Jeffrey has written for peter marshalls directors chair, and is currently writing a book for micheal wiese publishing. Hitchcock explained the term mcguffin in a 1939 lecture at columbia university. Each edition uncovers the personal and sometimes curious relationships we have with the stuff that surrounds us. Why would a video producer want a mcguffin appearing in a movie. Spielberg i just realized i entered back to back spielberg films and george lucas have said that the film was inspired by the old adventure serials from the 30s, and those films always had explicit plot devices that could be identifies as valuable or. The term was originated by angus macphail for film, adopted by alfred hitchcock, and later extended to a similar device in fiction.