Gesture Without Motion

10 years ago today, Paul Verhoeven's Hollow Man was released. Kevin Bacon kept a diary of his Hollow Man experience, which Entertainment Weekly published…10 years ago. It's a fascinating read.

Excerpts:

The pubic hair is too dark for the computer.

There's only one solution. Streaks 'N Tips. Streaks 'N Tips is as important on a movie set as the camera and the Nagra. It has a million and one uses — but never have I seen it used to spray pubic hair white.

I'm naked in this scene, but I'm wearing a flesh-colored dance belt. Every time I put on a dance belt I'm reminded how happy I am that I'm not a dancer. I don't know how women can wear thongs. But here I am in my little dance belt running around in a bald cap screaming like a madman. I'm glad I don't easily embarrass.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Dance_belt.JPG (lulz)

In one scene I have to kill a cute little dog. One of my many victims. Paul has decided to shoot the scene with the thermal camera. I'm nude in the shot, I walk in, the dog is barking at me, I open up the cage, take out the dog, pet him and whisper to him, lean briefly out of frame, pass off the real dog to its trainer. Then I'm handed a fake dog that has been heated with the blow-dryer so it can be visible to the thermal camera. And it is filled with warm water. Then I begin to smash the fake dog against the walls of the cage until it is lying in a seemingly bloody heap.

Only one problem. The dog won't bark. We do take after take, 25 or so. Finally Paul calls it quits. It is decided that I will rub hot dogs on my lips.

Diary of a Hollow Man: Part 1 (missing pages 6, 7 and 9)
Diary of a Hollow Man: Part 2

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