The Improv Thread - Films and TV

Keawyeds

Keawyeds

Striker
Having seen @CatRyan post about the "Tears in Rain" speech in Blade Runner, I wondered if any of you knew or had spotted some brilliant bits of improvisation in TV or film that you knew weren't meant to happen but they left it in anyway - usually to great effect.

Anywho, just to clear it up the Roy Batty speech, Rutger Hauer said he merely cut the original scripted speech by several lines, adding only, "All those moments will be lost in time, like tears in rain", although the original script, displayed during the documentary, before Hauer's rewrite, does not mention "Tannhäuser Gate".

Still a great line to add in though.
Other classics include :
JAWS - "You're gonna need a bigger boat"
Most of Bill Murray's lines in Ghostbusters were adlibbed - because he couldn't be bothered learning the script.
R Lee Ermy in Full Metal Jacket was pretty much allowed to say whatever came into his head!

This scene in The Godfather

10 Famous Improvised Lines From The Movies

Any other curious bits of TV or film you're aware of?
 



Poor lad playing Reggie didn't have a clue about the gun. Lawrence was improvising from the first second and Smith thought he'd have some of it (big clash of egos, apparently)
 
The whole of Spike Milligan's bit in 'Life of Brian'. He wasn't supposed to be in the film at all, but by chance was taking a holiday in Tunisia while shooting was going on. Spike was obviously a hero to the Pythons, so they invited him on set and they improvised the shoe scene.
 
The bocca della verita scene in Roman Holiday, Peck improvised being bitten and created an enchanting response from Hepburn

a tawdry homage by Gere to Roberts in the execrable Pretty Woman with the jewellery box snapping shut
 
Loads in Goodfellas. The "You think I'm funny, how?" scene was something that happened to Joe Pesci irl. He and Ray Liotta had practiced it a few times but none of the other actors in the scene knew about it so were reacting as it happened.

The dinner table scene with Scorcese's Mother was all improve too. Scorcese told them to just say anything. All the dialogue is improv. The only bit he directed was he told his Mother to hold up the painting.


Keawyeds said:
The whole "Funny how?" scene was improvised by Joe Pesci - he was actually making the others feel extremely nervous until he let them off the hook. Brilliant stuff.
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Beat me by seconds!!

CatRyan said:
isn't that Scorcese's mum?
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Yup. She cooked ALL the food you see in the film and ironed all the suits.
 

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