Search/Recent Changes
DBTropes
...it's like TV Tropes, but LINKED DATA!

Brewster McCloud

 Brewster McCloud
type
TVTItem
 Brewster McCloud
label
Brewster McCloud
 Brewster McCloud
page
BrewsterMcCloud
 Brewster McCloud
comment
Brewster McCloud is a 1970 Black Comedy/fantasy film directed by Robert Altman. It was his follow-up to M*A*S*H.Brewster (Bud Cort) is an odd young man living in the fallout shelter beneath the Houston Astrodome, who—under the guidance of the mysterious Louise (Sally Kellerman)—is in the process of building a contraption that will enable him to fly. Meanwhile, the city of Houston has been terrorized by a string of murders. Lt. Frank Shaft (Michael Murphy), a hotshot detective, is brought in from San Francisco to investigate, and seems to be closing in on Brewster. In the middle of all this, kooky Astrodome tour guide Suzanne (Shelley Duvall, in her acting debut) strikes up a relationship with Brewster, complicating things for all involved.
 Brewster McCloud
fetched
2024-01-21T19:16:00Z
 Brewster McCloud
parsed
2024-01-21T19:16:00Z
 Brewster McCloud
processingComment
Dropped link to Bullitt: Not a Feature - ITEM
 Brewster McCloud
processingComment
Dropped link to CallBack: Not a Feature - ITEM
 Brewster McCloud
processingComment
Dropped link to Mash: Not a Feature - ITEM
 Brewster McCloud
isPartOf
DBTropes
 Brewster McCloud / int_116eeb4a
type
Non-Residential Residence
 Brewster McCloud / int_116eeb4a
comment
Non-Residential Residence: Brewster lives deep inside the Astrodome, and has thus far eluded detection.
 Brewster McCloud / int_116eeb4a
featureApplicability
1.0
 Brewster McCloud / int_116eeb4a
featureConfidence
1.0
 Brewster McCloud
hasFeature
Brewster McCloud / int_116eeb4a
 Brewster McCloud / int_267ce120
type
Dirty Old Man
 Brewster McCloud / int_267ce120
comment
Dirty Old Man: Abraham Wright may be the evil dear character in the film and tropes and harasses women.
 Brewster McCloud / int_267ce120
featureApplicability
1.0
 Brewster McCloud / int_267ce120
featureConfidence
1.0
 Brewster McCloud
hasFeature
Brewster McCloud / int_267ce120
 Brewster McCloud / int_27a42ebc
type
Spiritual Successor
 Brewster McCloud / int_27a42ebc
comment
Spiritual Successor: This and writer Doran William Cannon's previous film, Skidoo, are two of the strangest comedies ever made by well-known directors for major studios.note In both cases, Cannon's original screenplay was heavily rewritten, however
 Brewster McCloud / int_27a42ebc
featureApplicability
1.0
 Brewster McCloud / int_27a42ebc
featureConfidence
1.0
 Brewster McCloud
hasFeature
Brewster McCloud / int_27a42ebc
 Brewster McCloud / int_2854b56d
type
Uncertain Doom
 Brewster McCloud / int_2854b56d
comment
Uncertain Doom: Officer Johnson accepts a ride from the sinister Suzanne while seeking to arrest her Protectorate Brewster and a bird poops on him as he gets into her car, just like birds pooped on each strangling victim before their murder, but his body never is shown being discovered, leaving his fate ambiguous.
 Brewster McCloud / int_2854b56d
featureApplicability
1.0
 Brewster McCloud / int_2854b56d
featureConfidence
1.0
 Brewster McCloud
hasFeature
Brewster McCloud / int_2854b56d
 Brewster McCloud / int_2b75f9b3
type
Token Good Cop
 Brewster McCloud / int_2b75f9b3
comment
Token Good Cop: Except for goofy but intrepid beat cop Johnson, the Houston Police Department is so incompetent that the city fathers have to bring in San Francisco PD's Lt. Frank Shaft (who the local cops don't extend much help to) to handle the murder investigation.
 Brewster McCloud / int_2b75f9b3
featureApplicability
1.0
 Brewster McCloud / int_2b75f9b3
featureConfidence
1.0
 Brewster McCloud
hasFeature
Brewster McCloud / int_2b75f9b3
 Brewster McCloud / int_2f3cf3a2
type
Stoic Spectacles
 Brewster McCloud / int_2f3cf3a2
comment
Stoic Spectacles: Brewster's glasses emphasize his studiousness and seriousness, but in the eyes of Hope and Suzanne they make him attractive.
 Brewster McCloud / int_2f3cf3a2
featureApplicability
1.0
 Brewster McCloud / int_2f3cf3a2
featureConfidence
1.0
 Brewster McCloud
hasFeature
Brewster McCloud / int_2f3cf3a2
 Brewster McCloud / int_2f996c5c
type
Dumbass DJ
 Brewster McCloud / int_2f996c5c
comment
Dumbass DJ: A notable early Real Life example of this trope, Hudson & Harrigan on Houston's KILT, are featured in the early part of the film as the show Brewster listens to when he's chauffeuring Abraham Wright.
 Brewster McCloud / int_2f996c5c
featureApplicability
1.0
 Brewster McCloud / int_2f996c5c
featureConfidence
1.0
 Brewster McCloud
hasFeature
Brewster McCloud / int_2f996c5c
 Brewster McCloud / int_36c73fcf
type
It Always Rains at Funerals
 Brewster McCloud / int_36c73fcf
comment
It Always Rains at Funerals: It quickly starts raining at Officer Breen's funeral.
 Brewster McCloud / int_36c73fcf
featureApplicability
1.0
 Brewster McCloud / int_36c73fcf
featureConfidence
1.0
 Brewster McCloud
hasFeature
Brewster McCloud / int_36c73fcf
 Brewster McCloud / int_392372f9
type
Actor Allusion
 Brewster McCloud / int_392372f9
comment
Actor Allusion: Daphne Heap is wearing ruby slippers when she dies. She's played by The Wicked Witch of The West herself, Margaret Hamilton.
 Brewster McCloud / int_392372f9
featureApplicability
1.0
 Brewster McCloud / int_392372f9
featureConfidence
1.0
 Brewster McCloud
hasFeature
Brewster McCloud / int_392372f9
 Brewster McCloud / int_3c8be88f
type
Bird-Poop Gag
 Brewster McCloud / int_3c8be88f
comment
Bird-Poop Gag: A recurring plot point. The murder victims all get targeted by birds before their deaths, and the presence of the feces around the body is how the police know the murders are tied together.
 Brewster McCloud / int_3c8be88f
featureApplicability
1.0
 Brewster McCloud / int_3c8be88f
featureConfidence
1.0
 Brewster McCloud
hasFeature
Brewster McCloud / int_3c8be88f
 Brewster McCloud / int_45a01289
type
Angel Unaware
 Brewster McCloud / int_45a01289
comment
Angel Unaware: Louise. She seems to have some magical abilities and there are scars on her back where wings might have been attached.
 Brewster McCloud / int_45a01289
featureApplicability
1.0
 Brewster McCloud / int_45a01289
featureConfidence
1.0
 Brewster McCloud
hasFeature
Brewster McCloud / int_45a01289
 Brewster McCloud / int_46290b93
type
Manic Pixie Dream Girl
 Brewster McCloud / int_46290b93
comment
Manic Pixie Dream Girl: Suzanne is quirky, excitable, carefree, and instantly appealing to Brewster.
 Brewster McCloud / int_46290b93
featureApplicability
1.0
 Brewster McCloud / int_46290b93
featureConfidence
1.0
 Brewster McCloud
hasFeature
Brewster McCloud / int_46290b93
 Brewster McCloud / int_4aa3c552
type
Animorphism
 Brewster McCloud / int_4aa3c552
comment
Animorphism: The Lecturer (played by René Auberjonois) slowly transforms into a giant bird with each new appearance.
 Brewster McCloud / int_4aa3c552
featureApplicability
1.0
 Brewster McCloud / int_4aa3c552
featureConfidence
1.0
 Brewster McCloud
hasFeature
Brewster McCloud / int_4aa3c552
 Brewster McCloud / int_4af55b78
type
Credits Gag
 Brewster McCloud / int_4af55b78
comment
Credits Gag: The opening credits stop and restart along with Daphne Heap stopping and restarting her national anthem rehearsal. At the end the entire cast (except Bud Cort, who's lying on the field dead as Brewster) comes out dressed in circus outfits and are introduced one-by-one by William Windom (Haskell Weeks in the film and the ringmaster for this scene).
 Brewster McCloud / int_4af55b78
featureApplicability
1.0
 Brewster McCloud / int_4af55b78
featureConfidence
1.0
 Brewster McCloud
hasFeature
Brewster McCloud / int_4af55b78
 Brewster McCloud / int_58970413
type
Coincidental Broadcast
 Brewster McCloud / int_58970413
comment
Coincidental Broadcast: Numerous radio news bulletins in the first act set up the murder investigation plotline for the audience.
 Brewster McCloud / int_58970413
featureApplicability
1.0
 Brewster McCloud / int_58970413
featureConfidence
1.0
 Brewster McCloud
hasFeature
Brewster McCloud / int_58970413
 Brewster McCloud / int_5e032315
type
One-Book Author
 Brewster McCloud / int_5e032315
comment
One-Book Author: Several cast members were Houston locals who never made another film. William Baldwin (Bernard) (no, not Alec's brother) was a college newspaper reporter who went to interview Altman and got cast in the film instead.
 Brewster McCloud / int_5e032315
featureApplicability
1.0
 Brewster McCloud / int_5e032315
featureConfidence
1.0
 Brewster McCloud
hasFeature
Brewster McCloud / int_5e032315
 Brewster McCloud / int_62f9d08e
type
Freeze-Frame Bonus
 Brewster McCloud / int_62f9d08e
comment
Freeze-Frame Bonus: A quick shot of a handwritten dedication in a book in Abraham Wright's library gives The Reveal that Abraham was a sibling of The Wright Brothers.
 Brewster McCloud / int_62f9d08e
featureApplicability
1.0
 Brewster McCloud / int_62f9d08e
featureConfidence
1.0
 Brewster McCloud
hasFeature
Brewster McCloud / int_62f9d08e
 Brewster McCloud / int_6a6e2a10
type
Don't Call Me "Sir"
 Brewster McCloud / int_6a6e2a10
comment
Don't Call Me "Sir": Lt. Frank Shaft insists on being called Frank, which thoroughly confuses Officer Johnson.
 Brewster McCloud / int_6a6e2a10
featureApplicability
1.0
 Brewster McCloud / int_6a6e2a10
featureConfidence
1.0
 Brewster McCloud
hasFeature
Brewster McCloud / int_6a6e2a10
 Brewster McCloud / int_6b05b601
type
Jerkass Has a Point
 Brewster McCloud / int_6b05b601
comment
Jerkass Has a Point: Captain Crandall is a grouchy and often disrespectful cop, but he is right to denounce the late Officer Breen as a Dirty Cop who doesn't deserve a hero's funeral.
 Brewster McCloud / int_6b05b601
featureApplicability
1.0
 Brewster McCloud / int_6b05b601
featureConfidence
1.0
 Brewster McCloud
hasFeature
Brewster McCloud / int_6b05b601
 Brewster McCloud / int_6d332aea
type
Driven to Suicide
 Brewster McCloud / int_6d332aea
comment
Driven to Suicide: After a horrible car crash, Frank Shaft is stuck and so badly injured that he commits suicide while still in the car
 Brewster McCloud / int_6d332aea
featureApplicability
1.0
 Brewster McCloud / int_6d332aea
featureConfidence
1.0
 Brewster McCloud
hasFeature
Brewster McCloud / int_6d332aea
 Brewster McCloud / int_76e48a97
type
Icarus Allusion
 Brewster McCloud / int_76e48a97
comment
Icarus Allusion: Basically the entire film counts as one.
 Brewster McCloud / int_76e48a97
featureApplicability
1.0
 Brewster McCloud / int_76e48a97
featureConfidence
1.0
 Brewster McCloud
hasFeature
Brewster McCloud / int_76e48a97
 Brewster McCloud / int_7eb73553
type
Bullying a Dragon
 Brewster McCloud / int_7eb73553
comment
Abraham Wright's secretary can deal with his eccentricities, but his chauffeur/valet takes so much abuse (such as homophobic insults and being held at gunpoint for picking up his money after he drops it) that no one lasts in the job more than a day. This gets him strangled when Brewster becomes his latest chauffeur.
 Brewster McCloud / int_7eb73553
featureApplicability
1.0
 Brewster McCloud / int_7eb73553
featureConfidence
1.0
 Brewster McCloud
hasFeature
Brewster McCloud / int_7eb73553
 Brewster McCloud / int_8ed5c6e4
type
Asshole Victim
 Brewster McCloud / int_8ed5c6e4
comment
Asshole Victim: Everyone who gets killed in the movie is a sorry excuse for a human being (such as racist, greedy, homophobic sexual harasser and Mean Boss Abraham Wright). Until Shaft and Johnson, anyway.
 Brewster McCloud / int_8ed5c6e4
featureApplicability
1.0
 Brewster McCloud / int_8ed5c6e4
featureConfidence
1.0
 Brewster McCloud
hasFeature
Brewster McCloud / int_8ed5c6e4
 Brewster McCloud / int_91b55fe
type
Pop-Star Composer
 Brewster McCloud / int_91b55fe
comment
Pop-Star Composer: John Phillips (The Mamas and The Papas), who also co-produced the film.
 Brewster McCloud / int_91b55fe
featureApplicability
1.0
 Brewster McCloud / int_91b55fe
featureConfidence
1.0
 Brewster McCloud
hasFeature
Brewster McCloud / int_91b55fe
 Brewster McCloud / int_94e4b975
type
Vomit Indiscretion Shot
 Brewster McCloud / int_94e4b975
comment
Vomit Indiscretion Shot: Suzanne, toward the end of the film.
 Brewster McCloud / int_94e4b975
featureApplicability
1.0
 Brewster McCloud / int_94e4b975
featureConfidence
1.0
 Brewster McCloud
hasFeature
Brewster McCloud / int_94e4b975
 Brewster McCloud / int_95bca4c9
type
Tuckerization
 Brewster McCloud / int_95bca4c9
comment
Tuckerization: Bernard was both Robert Altman's middle name and his father's first name, so presumably that's why Weeks' aide has that name.
 Brewster McCloud / int_95bca4c9
featureApplicability
1.0
 Brewster McCloud / int_95bca4c9
featureConfidence
1.0
 Brewster McCloud
hasFeature
Brewster McCloud / int_95bca4c9
 Brewster McCloud / int_96a33f11
type
Riddle for the Ages
 Brewster McCloud / int_96a33f11
comment
Riddle for the Ages: What is Brewster's over-controlling Mysterious Protector Louise's stake in him, and is she killing everyone who upsets Brewster or only covering up crimes Brewster commits himself?
 Brewster McCloud / int_96a33f11
featureApplicability
1.0
 Brewster McCloud / int_96a33f11
featureConfidence
1.0
 Brewster McCloud
hasFeature
Brewster McCloud / int_96a33f11
 Brewster McCloud / int_9ab3da1a
type
Evil Mentor
 Brewster McCloud / int_9ab3da1a
comment
Evil Mentor: Louise.
 Brewster McCloud / int_9ab3da1a
featureApplicability
1.0
 Brewster McCloud / int_9ab3da1a
featureConfidence
1.0
 Brewster McCloud
hasFeature
Brewster McCloud / int_9ab3da1a
 Brewster McCloud / int_9ae0ead1
type
Villains Out Shopping
 Brewster McCloud / int_9ae0ead1
comment
Villains Out Shopping: Racist sexual harasser and Corrupt Corporate Executive Abraham Wright complains about not being able to watch Sesame Street.
 Brewster McCloud / int_9ae0ead1
featureApplicability
1.0
 Brewster McCloud / int_9ae0ead1
featureConfidence
1.0
 Brewster McCloud
hasFeature
Brewster McCloud / int_9ae0ead1
 Brewster McCloud / int_a10775b7
type
Mean Boss
 Brewster McCloud / int_a10775b7
comment
Mean Boss: Abraham Wright's secretary can deal with his eccentricities, but his chauffeur/valet takes so much abuse (such as homophobic insults and being held at gunpoint for picking up his money after he drops it) that no one lasts in the job more than a day. This gets him strangled when Brewster becomes his latest chauffeur. Captain Crandall is easily frusturated by his subordinates and keeps calling one by the wrong name (although this leads to a Friendship Moment when he finally gets it right).
 Brewster McCloud / int_a10775b7
featureApplicability
1.0
 Brewster McCloud / int_a10775b7
featureConfidence
1.0
 Brewster McCloud
hasFeature
Brewster McCloud / int_a10775b7
 Brewster McCloud / int_a11f8240
type
Bad Cop/Incompetent Cop
 Brewster McCloud / int_a11f8240
comment
Bad Cop/Incompetent Cop: The entire Houston Police Department, to the extent that they sabotage Shaft, who's on the verge of cracking the case.
 Brewster McCloud / int_a11f8240
featureApplicability
1.0
 Brewster McCloud / int_a11f8240
featureConfidence
1.0
 Brewster McCloud
hasFeature
Brewster McCloud / int_a11f8240
 Brewster McCloud / int_a82ff02f
type
Meet Cute
 Brewster McCloud / int_a82ff02f
comment
Meet Cute: Brewster and Suzanne meet when he tries to steal her car on a rainy day. Turns out the car belongs to someone else anyway
 Brewster McCloud / int_a82ff02f
featureApplicability
1.0
 Brewster McCloud / int_a82ff02f
featureConfidence
1.0
 Brewster McCloud
hasFeature
Brewster McCloud / int_a82ff02f
 Brewster McCloud / int_aa2cd0c9
type
Motifs
 Brewster McCloud / int_aa2cd0c9
comment
Motifs: Practically every single scene has some sort of reference to birds or flying.
 Brewster McCloud / int_aa2cd0c9
featureApplicability
1.0
 Brewster McCloud / int_aa2cd0c9
featureConfidence
1.0
 Brewster McCloud
hasFeature
Brewster McCloud / int_aa2cd0c9
 Brewster McCloud / int_aec19d54
type
Hyperlink Story
 Brewster McCloud / int_aec19d54
comment
Hyperlink Story: In true Altman fashion. There are two main threads (Brewster's flight quest and the murder investigation) that come together at the end, plus some peripheral characters and subplots.
 Brewster McCloud / int_aec19d54
featureApplicability
1.0
 Brewster McCloud / int_aec19d54
featureConfidence
1.0
 Brewster McCloud
hasFeature
Brewster McCloud / int_aec19d54
 Brewster McCloud / int_af616e40
type
Accidental Misnaming
 Brewster McCloud / int_af616e40
comment
Accidental Misnaming: Capt. Crandall can't get Officer Hines' name right (calling him Hanes or Hames).
 Brewster McCloud / int_af616e40
featureApplicability
1.0
 Brewster McCloud / int_af616e40
featureConfidence
1.0
 Brewster McCloud
hasFeature
Brewster McCloud / int_af616e40
 Brewster McCloud / int_c856e477
type
Seamless Spontaneous Lie
 Brewster McCloud / int_c856e477
comment
Seamless Spontaneous Lie: Brewster easily makes up a lie about having gotten his expensive and stolen Nikon camera from a possibly nonexistent relative who got it on a visit to Japan.
 Brewster McCloud / int_c856e477
featureApplicability
1.0
 Brewster McCloud / int_c856e477
featureConfidence
1.0
 Brewster McCloud
hasFeature
Brewster McCloud / int_c856e477
 Brewster McCloud / int_d51263b9
type
Fake Shemp
 Brewster McCloud / int_d51263b9
comment
Fake Shemp: Stacy Keach and Margaret Hamilton weren't available for the final scene so they used stand-ins. Hamilton's replacement has her face covered by a flag, and since Keach was in heavy makeup anyway, it's not as noticeable.
 Brewster McCloud / int_d51263b9
featureApplicability
1.0
 Brewster McCloud / int_d51263b9
featureConfidence
1.0
 Brewster McCloud
hasFeature
Brewster McCloud / int_d51263b9
 Brewster McCloud / int_d52d28b6
type
Hypocrite
 Brewster McCloud / int_d52d28b6
comment
Hypocrite: Haskell Weeks brings in a Great Detective from another city to investigate the strangling, mainly to make himself look civic-minded and show off an uninterested Lieutenant Shaft to his bored society friends. Yet, while lecturing Shaft for supposedly relying too much on the local cops, Weeks somehow keeps a straight face while indignantly saying, "I do not admire a man who uses others as a stepping stone to gain his own ends."
 Brewster McCloud / int_d52d28b6
featureApplicability
1.0
 Brewster McCloud / int_d52d28b6
featureConfidence
1.0
 Brewster McCloud
hasFeature
Brewster McCloud / int_d52d28b6
 Brewster McCloud / int_d6b5f05f
type
Friendship Moment
 Brewster McCloud / int_d6b5f05f
comment
Captain Crandall is easily frusturated by his subordinates and keeps calling one by the wrong name (although this leads to a Friendship Moment when he finally gets it right).
 Brewster McCloud / int_d6b5f05f
featureApplicability
1.0
 Brewster McCloud / int_d6b5f05f
featureConfidence
1.0
 Brewster McCloud
hasFeature
Brewster McCloud / int_d6b5f05f
 Brewster McCloud / int_e1311c40
type
Romancing the Widow
 Brewster McCloud / int_e1311c40
comment
Romancing the Widow: Officer Hines gleefully pursues Mrs. Breen after her abusive husband's death at the strangler's hands.
 Brewster McCloud / int_e1311c40
featureApplicability
1.0
 Brewster McCloud / int_e1311c40
featureConfidence
1.0
 Brewster McCloud
hasFeature
Brewster McCloud / int_e1311c40
 Brewster McCloud / int_e2cd1428
type
Widow's Weeds
 Brewster McCloud / int_e2cd1428
comment
Widow's Weeds: Breen's widow is all decked out in black at his graveside service.
 Brewster McCloud / int_e2cd1428
featureApplicability
1.0
 Brewster McCloud / int_e2cd1428
featureConfidence
1.0
 Brewster McCloud
hasFeature
Brewster McCloud / int_e2cd1428
 Brewster McCloud / int_e4d079c1
type
Greek Chorus
 Brewster McCloud / int_e4d079c1
comment
Greek Chorus: The Lecturer, who doesn't narrate the story per se, but punctuates the action by comparing the behavior of birds to the behavior of the film's characters.
 Brewster McCloud / int_e4d079c1
featureApplicability
1.0
 Brewster McCloud / int_e4d079c1
featureConfidence
1.0
 Brewster McCloud
hasFeature
Brewster McCloud / int_e4d079c1
 Brewster McCloud / int_e5421161
type
Expy
 Brewster McCloud / int_e5421161
comment
Expy: Frank Shaft is a very blatant copy of Frank Bullitt. Captain Crandall is just G. Wood reprising his General Hammond from M*A*S*H and swapping out uniforms.
 Brewster McCloud / int_e5421161
featureApplicability
1.0
 Brewster McCloud / int_e5421161
featureConfidence
1.0
 Brewster McCloud
hasFeature
Brewster McCloud / int_e5421161
 Brewster McCloud / int_eb251937
type
Dirty Cop
 Brewster McCloud / int_eb251937
comment
Dirty Cop: Officer Breen, who plants drugs on Brewster in an attempt to extort his camera from him.
 Brewster McCloud / int_eb251937
featureApplicability
1.0
 Brewster McCloud / int_eb251937
featureConfidence
1.0
 Brewster McCloud
hasFeature
Brewster McCloud / int_eb251937
 Brewster McCloud / int_name
type
ItemName
 Brewster McCloud / int_name
comment
 Brewster McCloud / int_name
featureApplicability
1.0
 Brewster McCloud / int_name
featureConfidence
1.0
 Brewster McCloud
hasFeature
Brewster McCloud / int_name
 Brewster McCloud / int_name
itemName
Brewster McCloud

The following is a list of statements referring to the current page from other pages.

 Brewster McCloud
hasFeature
Mean Boss / int_ac4d4295
 Brewster McCloud
hasFeature
Token Good Cop / int_ac4d4295