Splice of Life

There was a producer who had two films only partially completed when the financing fell through on both. One was a domestic drama starring Cher; the other was a fantasy in which Johnny Depp played the mythical Yeti (or “abominable snowman”) of the Himalayas.

It occurred to her that perhaps there was a way to pick up a few additional scenes on a shoestring budget that would stitch the two movies into one.

Somehow it came together. The producer screened the result for Hollywood friends, and following the show a director not involved in the undertaking approached a cinematographer he recognized.

“Did you work on this?” the director asked.

“Yes,” the cinematographer responded.

“Those icy landscapes were beautiful,” said the director.

“Oh, I can’t take credit for that,” replied the cinematographer. “I shot the Cher half, but I did not shoot the Depp Yeti.”


Related: 23 Skidoo • Holy Paronomasia! • This
Is Going to Hurt You More than It Hurts Me