10 Movies That Did Crazy Things When They Ran Out Of Money
8. Director George Sluizer Borrowed Money From The French Mob - The Vanishing (1988)
1988's Dutch horror masterpiece The Vanishing is a film of such composed confidence that it feels like every aspect of the production went exactly as filmmaker George Sluizer originally planned.
And yet, the film was reportedly made for a budget of just $165,000, which was so scant it wasn't even enough to feed the cast and crew through to the end of shooting.
According to director Sluizer, he ended up paying a visit to some shady figures from the French criminal underworld and asked them for a loan.
The mobsters complied, but also assured the filmmaker of the dire consequences if he couldn't settle his debt as agreed.
Sluizer didn't elaborate on how it all shook out, but given that the film was a considerable critical and commercial success, and he lived for another 25 years seemingly free of mob hassle, the gamble evidently paid off.