I Woke Up Early the Day I Died
Brief Synopsis
Cast & Crew
Aris Iliopulos
Summer Phoenix
Andrew Mccarthy
Ann Magnuson
Vampira
Tippi Hedren
Film Details
Technical Specs
Synopsis
An hommage to the so bad they're good epics of Ed Wood, Jr. The Thief is a transvestite who begins by escaping from a mental hospital. He finds money, but manages to lose it again at a funeral attended by a bunch of eccentrics. He devotes himself to tracking them down and murdering them one by one, in an attempt to recover his cash.
Director
Aris Iliopulos
Cast
Summer Phoenix
![](https://prod-images.tcm.com/Master-Profile-Images/AndrewMcCarthy.126204.jpg?imwidth=188&height=141)
Andrew Mccarthy
Ann Magnuson
![](https://prod-images.tcm.com/v5cache/TCM/Images/Dynamic/i71/vampira_cu_188x141_110320080203.jpg?imwidth=188&height=141)
Vampira
![](https://prod-images.tcm.com/Master-Profile-Images/TippiHerden.jpg?imwidth=188&height=141)
Tippi Hedren
Max Perlich
![](https://prod-images.tcm.com/Master-Profile-Images/BillyZane.211954.jpg?imwidth=188&height=141)
Billy Zane
![](https://prod-images.tcm.com/Master-Profile-Images/EarthaKitt.jpg?imwidth=188&height=141)
Eartha Kitt
John Ritter
Ricky Schroder
Kathleen Wood
Sandra Bernhard
Carel Struycken
Conrad Brooks
Nicollette Sheridan
Steven Weber
Jonathan Taylor Thomas
Will Patton
![](https://prod-images.tcm.com/Master-Profile-Images/KarenBlack.16780.jpg?imwidth=188&height=141)
Karen Black
Abraham Benrubi
Christina Ricci
Ron Perlman
Crew
Michael Barrow
Dody Dorn
Bryan Franklin
Jordan Gertner
Larry Groupé
Chris Hanley
Maia Javan
Jennifer Peckham
Daniel Sales
Bradford Schlei
Edward D. Wood Jr.
Billy Zane
Film Details
Technical Specs
Quotes
Trivia
Miscellaneous Notes
Winner of the Kodak Vision Award for Best Cinematography (Michael Barron) at the 1999 Avignon French-American Film Workshop.
Released in United States 1998
Released in United States 1999
Released in United States Fall September 10, 1999
Released in United States June 1999
Released in United States October 1998
Released in United States September 1998
Shown at Avignon/New York Film Festival in New York City (French Institute) April 22 - May 2, 1999.
Shown at French-American Film Workshop in Avignon, France June 23-27, 1999.
Shown at Toronto International Film Festival September 10-19, 1998.
Based on a screenplay written by the late cult director Ed Wood.
Began shooting August 1, 1997.
Completed shooting August 29, 1997.
Released in United States 1998 (US premiere at the 1998 American Film Institute (AFI) Los Angeles International Film Festival.)
Released in United States 1999 (Shown at Avignon/New York Film Festival in New York City (French Institute) April 22 - May 2, 1999.)
Released in United States June 1999 (Shown at French-American Film Workshop in Avignon, France June 23-27, 1999.)
Released in United States September 1998 (Shown at Toronto International Film Festival September 10-19, 1998.)
Released in United States Fall September 10, 1999
Released in United States October 1998 (Shown at AFI/Los Angeles International Film Festival (Premiere) October 22-31, 1998.)