Living in Oblivion

"Nick is about to discover the first rule of filmmaking: if at first you don't succeed... PANIC!"

1995 1h 30m EN

👍

7.2

SOLID

★7.2TMDB · 342

Comedy

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Low-budget independent filmmaker Nick Reve tries to keep everything together as his production is plagued with an insecure actress, a megalomaniac star, a pretentious beret-wearing director of photography, and lousy catering.

“Nick is about to discover the first rule of filmmaking: if at first you don't succeed... PANIC!”

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Where to watch · US

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Cast

Steve Buscemi
Nick Reve
Catherine Keener
Nicole Springer
Dermot Mulroney
Wolf
Danielle von Zerneck
Wanda
James Le Gros
Chad Palomino
Peter Dinklage
Tito
Rica Martens
Cora
Kevin Corrigan
Assistant Camera

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Tom DiCillo
Writers: Tom DiCillo
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

90 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Shot for just $0.5M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

ERA

Did you know

31 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Tom DiCillo, shot by Frank Prinzi. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Jim Farmer. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Dana Congdon shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Steve Buscemi and Catherine Keener and Dermot Mulroney carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "Nick is about to discover the first rule of filmmaking: if at first you don't succeed... PANIC!".

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Tom DiCillo directs. Frank Prinzi behind the camera. Jim Farmer scores. Dana Congdon cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Profitable at the box office. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

190 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.
2Shot for just $0.5M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.
331 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
4Directed by Tom DiCillo, shot by Frank Prinzi. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by Jim Farmer. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor Dana Congdon shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Steve Buscemi and Catherine Keener and Dermot Mulroney carry the top of the cast.
8Marketing tagline: "Nick is about to discover the first rule of filmmaking: if at first you don't succeed... PANIC!".
9IMDB entry: tt0113677 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.