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Auto Focus

  • 20022002
  • RR
  • 1h 45m
IMDb RATING
6.6/10
14K
YOUR RATING
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
  • IMDbPro
Auto Focus (2002)
Home Video Trailer from Sony Pictures Classics
Play trailer1:51
2 Videos
99+ Photos
  • Biography
  • Crime
  • Drama
The life of TV star Bob Crane and his strange friendship with electronics expert John Henry Carpenter.The life of TV star Bob Crane and his strange friendship with electronics expert John Henry Carpenter.The life of TV star Bob Crane and his strange friendship with electronics expert John Henry Carpenter.
IMDb RATING
6.6/10
14K
YOUR RATING
  • Director
    • Paul Schrader
  • Writers
    • Robert Graysmith(book "The Murder of Bob Crane")
    • Michael Gerbosi
  • Stars
    • Greg Kinnear
    • Willem Dafoe
    • Maria Bello
Top credits
  • Director
    • Paul Schrader
  • Writers
    • Robert Graysmith(book "The Murder of Bob Crane")
    • Michael Gerbosi
  • Stars
    • Greg Kinnear
    • Willem Dafoe
    • Maria Bello
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 152User reviews
    • 102Critic reviews
    • 66Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 6 nominations

    Videos2

    Auto Focus
    Trailer 1:51
    Auto Focus
    Auto Focus
    Trailer 1:52
    Auto Focus

    Photos102

    Greg Kinnear and Maria Bello in Auto Focus (2002)
    Willem Dafoe and DonnaMarie Recco in Auto Focus (2002)
    Greg Kinnear in Auto Focus (2002)
    Greg Kinnear in Auto Focus (2002)
    Greg Kinnear and Catherine Dent in Auto Focus (2002)
    Willem Dafoe and Greg Kinnear in Auto Focus (2002)
    Greg Kinnear and Rita Wilson in Auto Focus (2002)
    Greg Kinnear and Rita Wilson in Auto Focus (2002)
    Willem Dafoe, Greg Kinnear, and Michael E. Rodgers in Auto Focus (2002)
    Greg Kinnear and Ron Leibman in Auto Focus (2002)
    Willem Dafoe in Auto Focus (2002)
    Greg Kinnear and Alex Meneses in Auto Focus (2002)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Greg Kinnear
    Greg Kinnear
    • Bob Craneas Bob Crane
    Willem Dafoe
    Willem Dafoe
    • John Carpenteras John Carpenter
    Maria Bello
    Maria Bello
    • Patricia Olsonas Patricia Olson…
    Rita Wilson
    Rita Wilson
    • Anne Craneas Anne Crane
    Ron Leibman
    Ron Leibman
    • Lennyas Lenny
    Bruce Solomon
    Bruce Solomon
    • Edward H. Feldmanas Edward H. Feldman
    Michael E. Rodgers
    Michael E. Rodgers
    • Richard Dawsonas Richard Dawson
    • (as Michael Rodgers)
    Kurt Fuller
    Kurt Fuller
    • Werner Klempereras Werner Klemperer
    Christopher Neiman
    Christopher Neiman
    • Robert Claryas Robert Clary
    Lyle Kanouse
    Lyle Kanouse
    • John Banneras John Banner
    DonnaMarie Recco
    DonnaMarie Recco
    • Melissaas Melissa
    • (as Donnamarie Recco)
    • …
    Ed Begley Jr.
    Ed Begley Jr.
    • Mel Rosenas Mel Rosen
    Michael McKean
    Michael McKean
    • Video Executiveas Video Executive
    Cheryl Lynn Bowers
    Cheryl Lynn Bowers
    • Cynthia Lynnas Cynthia Lynn
    Don McManus
    Don McManus
    • Priestas Priest
    Sarah Uhrich
    • Victoria Berryas Victoria Berry
    Amanda Niles
    • Cocktail Waitressas Cocktail Waitress
    Kelly Packard
    Kelly Packard
    • Dawson's Blondas Dawson's Blond
    • Director
      • Paul Schrader
    • Writers
      • Robert Graysmith(book "The Murder of Bob Crane")
      • Michael Gerbosi
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
    • All cast & crew

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      The leather jacket that Greg Kinnear wears while playing Bob Crane in the Hogan's Heroes (1965) scenes of this movie is the one that Crane actually wore during the shoot of that TV series. Crane's son Robert David Crane loaned the jacket to Kinnear for this movie. Prior to the original "Hogan's Heroes" show, this jacket was worn by Frank Sinatra in Von Ryan's Express (1965).
    • Goofs
      In addition to the Catholic Mass being in Latin, the priest would have had his back to the parishioners, with the altar being at the back wall.
    • Quotes

      [watching their videotaped orgy]

      Bob Crane: What is that on my ass?

      John Carpenter: That is my hand.

      Bob Crane: Rubbing my ass?

      John Carpenter: So what?

      Bob Crane: Your fingers are up my cheeks. What you doing in there?

      John Carpenter: lt's an orgy, Bob.

      Bob Crane: So you can just touch my ass?

      John Carpenter: I thought you liked it. - I thought it was her! God! What's the difference?

      Bob Crane: The difference? You got your fingers up my asshole!

      John Carpenter: Sorry.

      Bob Crane: Fuck you very much.

      John Carpenter: Bob, I said I'm sorry... It's a group grope!

    • Alternate versions
      The following deleted scenes appear on the DVD:
      • Victoria finds Bob's body.
      • Hogan's Heroes Montage
      • Bob unloads drums and some dirty magazines fall out.
      • Anne and Bob talking by the pool.
      • Anne in the darkroom.
    • Connections
      Featured in The Making of 'Auto Focus' (2002)
    • Soundtracks
      Snap!
      Written by Paul Schrader and Angelo Badalamenti

      Performed by David Johansen (as Buster Poindexter)

      Produced by Brian Koonin

    User reviews152

    Review
    Top review
    Focused drama
    A cautionary tale of the dangers of sexual addiction, `Auto Focus' shows what can happen when a person attempts to lead a double life – in this case, a straight-laced family man by day and a pornography-obsessed playboy by night. In `Auto Focus,' the family man/pornographer turns out to be none other than the well-known actor Bob Crane, the star of TV's `Hogan's Heroes,' who was found murdered in a Scottsdale, Arizona hotel room in 1978 under mysterious and sensational circumstances that included the uncovering of tapes Crane had made of his own sexual experiences. The general public was shocked to discover that a man they had invited into their living rooms every week for six years had been living such an unsavory parallel existence – though those who knew him well were apparently far less shocked by the revelation. Drawing on Robert Graysmith's book `The Murder of Bob Crane' for its inspiration and viewpoint, the film, written by Michael Gerbosi and directed by Paul Schrader, chronicles the rise and fall of this handsome actor, from his days as a successful LA disc jockey and his meteoric rise to fame as star of a hit comedy series, to his growing obsession with promiscuity and pornography, which led to the disintegration of both his personal and professional life - and, ultimately, to his death, most likely at the hands of his buddy-in-sleaze, videographer John Carpenter (though he was never convicted of the murder).

    `Auto Focus' certainly does not shy away from revealing many of the salacious details of this true-life story. Schrader deals head-on with the disturbing nature of a mind so all consumed with the subject of sex that all other aspects of life become obliterated and distorted. What's fascinating about Crane – at least in the way he is depicted in this film – is that he seems to have had some sort of self-destructive death wish, for not only does he risk his career by sleeping with countless women, but he insists on leaving behind the evidence by videotaping many of his encounters, and then flaunting his `accomplishments' to others in the Hollywood community. In a way, such a cavalier attitude only underlines the sickness at the core of Crane's soul – which in a perverse, paradoxical way, actually makes Crane a more sympathetic figure than he otherwise might be. An enormous amount of credit for this also goes to Greg Kinnear who does a superb job of not only replicating Crane's style of acting but of showing us the tortured man Crane became in his later years. He was truly a man driven to madness by the demons within him, and we can all identify in some sense with that condition (our demons may not be sexual in nature, but they probably eat away at us just as ravenously as they did Crane). Kinnear gets outstanding support from Willem Dafoe as Carpenter, the Svengali-like figure who lures Crane into his world of photographed sex, and Ron Leibman, as Crane's well-meaning, caring agent who can do little but stand by helplessly as his client throws his career and his life away to feed this devouring passion.

    The filmmakers have done an amazing job capturing the sights and sounds of the era in which the film is set. Especially impressive are the scenes recreating `Hogan's Heroes,' with Kurt Fuller, in particular, a standout as Werner Klemperer (Colonel Klink). It's also fascinating to see the evolution of videotape technology as portrayed in the film. How many of us knew that such equipment existed for home consumption as early as the mid-60's?

    There's a real sadness to the final stretches of the film, made all the more poignant by having the dirge-like musical score run uninterrupted under the action. The effect is that we really get a sense of the total desolation of Crane's life at that point – as he has lost his family, his career, and his self-respect to the master he chose early on to serve. The loss of his life seems almost de rigueur given all that has gone before. `Auto Focus' is not always an easy film to watch, but for its unflinching look at an often-unappetizing subject, it deserves to be seen.
    helpful•62
    5
    • Buddy-51
    • Apr 5, 2003

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • November 1, 2002 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Official site
      • Official site (United States)
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Autofocus
    • Filming locations
      • Mecca, California, USA
    • Production companies
      • Focus Puller Inc.
      • Good Machine
      • Propaganda Films
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $7,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $2,063,196
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $123,761
      • Oct 20, 2002
    • Gross worldwide
      • $2,704,951
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 45 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Digital
      • SDDS
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

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