BEHIND THE USUAL SUSPECTS

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"I wanted to take the crime drama genre and twist it a little bit," explains director Bryan Singer of "THE USUAL SUSPECTS." "Everyone's got a piece of the puzzle, everyone thinks they know something, but they really don't. I like the idea of things not always being what they seem."

That unsettling yet ultimately compelling feeling that there's much more than meets the eye is at the center of "THE USUAL SUSPECTS," Singer's follow-up to "Public Access," the much-touted co-winner of the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival in 1993. Singer owes a debt to the festival because not only did it welcome and herald his first film, it gave birth to his second.

It was while waiting in line to see another of the 1993 entrants that screenwriter Chris McQuarrie, who co-wrote "Public Access" with Singer, told a friend that he wanted to write a film called "THE USUAL SUSPECTS," wherein five criminals meet in a police line-up. "We even came up with a concept for the poster," recalls the writer.

McQuarrie discussed the idea with Singer and several months later, when another project the pair was working on grew in size and scope beyond that which they wanted to achieve with their second film, Singer remembered "THE USUAL SUSPECTS" and raised with McQuarrie the possibility of doing it. "I said, 'Sure, let's make that one,'" muses McQuarrie. "We already have the poster!"

While many films employ or even add a narration to clarify the action, Singer explains, "I like toying with points of view, taking a mainstream genre and bending it a little."

Singer's novel approach to the use of traditional narration adds yet another layer of mystery and tension to the story.

"So often in films you know exactly what's happening and where the story will lead. I'd rather an audience feel like they've learned something, that something new has been revealed with every scene."

Filmmaking partners and friends since their high school days in Princeton Junction, New Jersey, Singer and McQuarrie collaborated to hone the script for "THE USUAL SUSPECTS." "I think because we're best friends and we trust each other," explains Singer, "Chris doesn't feel the need to govern himself and the result is writing that's electrifying and truthful."

Producer Robert Jones was first drawn to Singer's work after seeing "Public Access" at Sundance. Eager to see what he would do next, he kept in touch and, six months later, was sent the script of "THE USUAL SUSPECTS." "The script really inspired me," says Jones. "I saw elements from films of the late '60s and early '70s -- a period rife with crime films of a type that hasn't been touched on in any way since. I think Chris would have been at home writing his machine-gun dialogue in the Hollywood of the '40s and '50s and Bryan is able to transpose the work into a contemporary setting and make it shine."

The script was actually written with the hope that Kevin Spacey would play the pivotal character of Roger "Verbal" Kint. Singer and McQuarrie first met Spacey at a screening of the duo's first film. "Bryan and I had been fans of Kevin's work and we both envisioned him for the role," recalls McQuarrie. When the script was completed and sent to Spacey, the actor was so impressed he agreed to play the part, even before the film's investors were lined up.

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BRYAN SINGER

BRYAN SINGER (Director/Producer) shared the honors for the much coveted Grand Jury Prize Award for his first film, "Public Access" at the 1993 Sundance Film Festival.

In his early teens, Singer began shooting 8mm films with a friend's camera, beginning a lifelong fascination with the art of cinema. His work gained him admittance to the prestigious School of Visual Arts in New York City. Opting to complete his undergraduate education at the University of Southern California, Singer moved to Los Angeles and pursued a degree in Critical Studies. It was at USC, Singer notes, that "I also learned consciously what I already knew unconsciously, that is, if you want to be a filmmaker, you must make films -- as many and as often as you can."

After graduating from USC, Singer directed an innovative industrial film and went on to write and direct "Lion's Den," an award-winning 25-minute film chronicling the lives of five high school friends who reunite six months after graduation only to discover they're already drifting apart. The film, starring Ethan Hawke, was shot in 16mm for less than $15,000, and earned Singer the opportunity to direct and produce "Public Access."

It was also at USC that Singer met fellow classmates Kenneth Kokin (co-producer) and John Ottman (editor/composer).

CHRISTOPHER McQUARRIE

CHRISTOPHER McQUARRIE (Writer) was raised in Princeto Junction, New Jersey, where he attended high school with directo Bryan Singer. McQuarrie spent his first year out of school abroad working in Western Australia before returning to the U.S. to work at a detective agency in New Jersey for four years.

It was then that he was approached by Singer to co-write the screenplay for their first feature film, "Public Access," which went on to tie for first place for the Grand Jury Prize at the 1993 Sundance Film Festival. One year later, they began working on the script for "THE USUAL SUSPECTS."

ROBERT JONES

ROBERT JONES (Executive Producer) was educated at The London School of Economics and, after a stint as a professional recording artist, he began a career in film, video and television. At age 23, he was the Managing Director of Palace and Virgin's video distribution company and went on to become Director of Acquisitions for Palace Pictures and Video where he was responsible for such hits as "When Harry Met Sally," "My Left Foot," "Cinema Paradiso" and "Wild At Heart," to name a few.

In 1992 he was retained by the PolyGram Group to write business plans for PolyGram UK's theatrical, video and television distribution operation and soon thereafter became a producer for WMG and an independent buyer for PolyGram in North America, the U.K., France, Benelux and Spain, and for NEF2 in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Jones represented the companies at markets and festivals acquiring titles including "Death and the Maiden," "A Bronx Tale," "Malice," "Shallow Grave" and "Reservoir Dogs," among others.

Jones has been involved with several other independent feature films, executive producing John Duigan's "Sirens" starring Hugh Grant and Sam Neill, and Christopher Monger's "The Englishman Who Went Up A Hill But Came Down A Mountain," starring Hugh Grant, Colm Meaney and Tara Fitzgerald.

MICHEAL McDONNELL

MICHAEL McDONNELL (Producer) began his motion picture career polishing brass on a yacht owned by producer/director Tony Bill. After subsequently working as a development executive, he associate produced the feature film "Five Corners" starring Jodie Foster, John Turturro, and Tim Robbins. As a director, he pioneered the very first snowboarding film. He started on his own as a producer under an overall development and production deal with Imagine's Ron Howard and Brian Grazer. Uncomfortable with the vicissitudes of life as an independent producer, McDonnell established a career as a line producer, working with directors such as Michael Apted, Graeme Clifford and Jonathan Sanger. In theater, he recently produced the world premiere of "Torch in the Sky," a play written in 1927 by artist Beatrice Wood. He looks forward to one day sailing around the world with his family on a yacht of his own.

KENNETH KOKIN

KENNETH KOKIN (Co-producer) graduated from the University of Southern California with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Motion Picture Production. It was at USC that Kokin first teamed with director Bryan Singer. "THE USUAL SUSPECTS," on which he also directed second unit, is the second feature in which Kokin has collaborated with Singer. The first was "Public Access," which shared the Grand Jury Prize at the 1993 Sundance Film Festival.

While still a student at USC, Kokin had worked as a location scout and a producer's assistant at Paramount, and served as a post-production producer for the film "Once in a Blue Moon" at Amblin Entertainment. In 1990, he was Producer of Sound Design at Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida, where he created and installed sound for the "King Kong," "E.T.," "Jaws" and "Phantom of the Opera" attractions. Kokin went on to serve as Director of Photography for the CINE Golden Eagle Award-winning documentary, "My Friends, My Friends."

NEWTON THOMAS SIGEL

NEWTON THOMAS SIGEL (Director of Photography) has numerous film, television and music video credits. Among his film credits are "Blankman," "Salmonberries," "Money For Nothing," "Into The West", "Indian Summer" and "Crossing the Bridge." Among his television credits are "Cop Rock," "Roe vs. Wade," "Rock Hudson" and "The Wonder Years."

Sigel also collaborated with director Glen Silber on the documentary "El Salvador, Another Vietnam," which was nominated for an Academy Award and with director Deborah Shaffer on the docufilm "Witness To War," which won an Academy Award.

HOWARD CUMMINGS

HOWARD CUMMINGS (Production Designer) is a graduate of New York University's MFA program in scenic design. Among his credits are the films "Mortal Thoughts" for Alan Rudolph, "A Shock to the System," "On Valentine's Day," "Signs of Life" and "Foreign Student." His work will soon be seen in "The Underneath" for director Steven Soderbergh.

For television, he has designed two miniseries for American Playhouse: "Three Sovereigns for Sarah" and "Roanoke." Among his other television movies are "Private Contentment," "The Wide Net," "Lemon Sky," "Caught in the Act" for USA Network, "Strapped" for HBO, the CBS film "Incident in Baltimore," starring Walter Matthau, "The Sandra Bernhard Special" and "Assault at West Point."

JOHN OTTMAN

JOHN OTTMAN (Editor and Composer) began making films at a very early age in his parent's garage. While a student at the University of Southern California, he was asked to re-edit a problem-plagued thesis film. The film ended up winning the student Academy Award and Ottman was suddenly an editor in demand. Realizing that most of his inspiration came from film music, Ottman set up a make-shift studio in his house and began re-scoring his friends' student films as practice.

After Singer's short film, "Lion's Den", starring Ethan Hawke, Ottman began work on "Public Access," Singer's first feature film. Ottman convinced Singer to let him score the picture as well as edit it.

Ottman once again wore both hats -- editor and composer -- on "THE USUAL SUSPECTS," editing the film in his living room and composing the sweeping, orchestral score.