 Mystery Train was the first American independent film to be financed by Japanese conglomerate JVC , and was produced on a budget – $ 2 @.@ 8 million – that was considerable by Jarmusch 's modest standards . The company was enthusiastic about underwriting the film despite the director insisting on retaining full creative control , and went on to fund his next three features . The substantial budget and time available gave Jarmusch the opportunity to shoot in color and to rehearse with the actors many scenes not in the script , including several from the courtship of Mitsuko and Jun. At a Memphis nightclub with the Japanese actors during production , the director had Masatoshi Nagase – who spoke little English but was an accomplished mimic – try chat @-@ up lines on the female clientele as an acting exercise . Jarmusch took advantage of the production to make the second installment of his Coffee and Cigarettes series , a collection of short vignettes featuring acquaintances of the director sitting about drinking coffee and smoking cigarettes . The " Memphis Version " , titled Twins , starred bickering twins Cinqué and Joie Lee alongside Steve Buscemi as an obtuse waiter who expounds his theory of Elvis having an evil twin to a hostile reception . 
