The episode of Best Horror Movie You Never Saw covering The Autopsy of Jane Doe was Written and Edited by Paul Bookstaber, Narrated by Kier Gomes, Produced by John Fallon and Tyler Nichols, and Executive Produced by Berge Garabedian.
Horror films have covered and regurgitated the same type of antagonists that have graced the silver screen for quite some time. We’re talking vampires, serial killers, zombies, supernatural entities, and many more. it’s all been done and dusted, just waiting for the day to be brought back into the limelight with a new untold spin that brings viewers in. Surprisingly enough, there comes a director every now and then, who likes to tackle something new and innovative to the genre. It could be revenge-ridden gypsies, or a group of cultists who want newfound wealth; hell how about an upcoming pilgrim who slashes his victims on Thanksgiving in very creative and blood-thirsty ways?...
Horror films have covered and regurgitated the same type of antagonists that have graced the silver screen for quite some time. We’re talking vampires, serial killers, zombies, supernatural entities, and many more. it’s all been done and dusted, just waiting for the day to be brought back into the limelight with a new untold spin that brings viewers in. Surprisingly enough, there comes a director every now and then, who likes to tackle something new and innovative to the genre. It could be revenge-ridden gypsies, or a group of cultists who want newfound wealth; hell how about an upcoming pilgrim who slashes his victims on Thanksgiving in very creative and blood-thirsty ways?...
- 11/7/2023
- by Cody Hamman
- JoBlo.com
This article contains spoilers for "The Last Voyage of the Demeter."
"The Last Voyage of the Demeter" brings a chapter of Bram Stoker's "Dracula" to new vitality. It pulses with agonizing kill sequences, doused in buckets of blood and torn flesh. Director André Øvredal, known for helming such films as "Trollhunter," "The Autopsy of Jane Doe," and "Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark," smothers the screen with depth and brilliant detail. He doesn't waste a single frame, delivering enough visual storytelling to keep you compelled to dive further into a great, unholy abyss.
"The Last Voyage of the Demeter" stuns with gorgeous cinematography, a smattering of rain-drenched sequences of tension, and plenty of blood-curdling, fang-toothed images that'll haunt you forever. Credit should also be given to cinematographers Roman Osin and Tom Stern for their expertly-crafted work alongside Øvredal. Without them, the film would not contain such an impressive style as it does.
"The Last Voyage of the Demeter" brings a chapter of Bram Stoker's "Dracula" to new vitality. It pulses with agonizing kill sequences, doused in buckets of blood and torn flesh. Director André Øvredal, known for helming such films as "Trollhunter," "The Autopsy of Jane Doe," and "Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark," smothers the screen with depth and brilliant detail. He doesn't waste a single frame, delivering enough visual storytelling to keep you compelled to dive further into a great, unholy abyss.
"The Last Voyage of the Demeter" stuns with gorgeous cinematography, a smattering of rain-drenched sequences of tension, and plenty of blood-curdling, fang-toothed images that'll haunt you forever. Credit should also be given to cinematographers Roman Osin and Tom Stern for their expertly-crafted work alongside Øvredal. Without them, the film would not contain such an impressive style as it does.
- 8/11/2023
- by Bee Delores
- Slash Film
In “Mortal,” a film plagued by assorted crises and confusions of identity, one stands out at the very beginning: It’s an R-rated superhero movie that assumes its audience doesn’t know the meaning of its title. An introductory chyron helpfully offers the single dictionary definition “a human being,” without going into any of the others. That doesn’t bode well for a wealth of words or ideas in Norwegian director André Øvredal’s allegedly original adventure, which starts on a chilly, mildly intriguing note before sinking into its own puddle of very, very familiar reference points. This is an origin story we’ve seen before, and not just in the generic sense: Its protagonist is a strapping young man in Norway who reveals, early on, the power of thunder and lightning in his fingertips.
If you haven’t put two and two together, buckle up: You might be in for a ride.
If you haven’t put two and two together, buckle up: You might be in for a ride.
- 11/6/2020
- by Guy Lodge
- Variety Film + TV
After bringing Alvin Schwartz and Stephen Gammell's Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark to life on the big screen in 2019, director André Øvredal will summon godlike abilities in his new fantasy adventure movie Mortal, which has been acquired for Us distribution by Saban Films:
Press Release: Los Angeles – Saban Films announced today that they have acquired U.S. rights to André Øvredal’s Mortal starring Nat Wolff (Death Note), Iben Akerlie (Victoria), Priyanka Bose (Lion) and Per Frisch (Farewell Illusions). Written by Øvredal (Trollhunter) and Norman Lesperance (Door to the Other Side), the fantasy adventure is produced by John Einar Hagen, Ben Pugh and Brian Kavanaugh-Jones for Nordisk Film Production, 42 and Automatik. The film is backed by Nordisk Film, Zefyr and Umedia.
Mortal follows Eric (Wolff), an American backpacker in the wilderness of western Norway, who gets arrested after accidentally killing a teenager, and manages to flee...
Press Release: Los Angeles – Saban Films announced today that they have acquired U.S. rights to André Øvredal’s Mortal starring Nat Wolff (Death Note), Iben Akerlie (Victoria), Priyanka Bose (Lion) and Per Frisch (Farewell Illusions). Written by Øvredal (Trollhunter) and Norman Lesperance (Door to the Other Side), the fantasy adventure is produced by John Einar Hagen, Ben Pugh and Brian Kavanaugh-Jones for Nordisk Film Production, 42 and Automatik. The film is backed by Nordisk Film, Zefyr and Umedia.
Mortal follows Eric (Wolff), an American backpacker in the wilderness of western Norway, who gets arrested after accidentally killing a teenager, and manages to flee...
- 1/27/2020
- by Derek Anderson
- DailyDead
Stars: Zoe Margaret Colletti, Michael Garza, Gabriel Rush, Dean Norris, Gil Bellows, Lorraine Toussaint, Austin Zajur, Natalie Ganzhorn, Austin Abrams, Kathleen Pollard | Written by Guillermo del Toro, Dan Hageman, Kevin Hageman | Directed by André Øvredal
André Øvredal’s film is the adaption of writer Alvin Schwartz’ novel(s) of the same name. A series that is a cross between Goosebumps and Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark aimed primarily at Ya audiences, but does not shy away from the horror. The influences and intention of what the film wants to build are on the surface intriguing; however, the final product is an underwhelming exploit that flounders all its potential with a bumbling and underwhelming execution of tension and atmosphere.
The influence of Andy Muschietti’s 2017 blockbuster horror hit It has changed the face of horror in the mainstream forever. Such an influence has never been more evident in the Guillermo del Toro written,...
André Øvredal’s film is the adaption of writer Alvin Schwartz’ novel(s) of the same name. A series that is a cross between Goosebumps and Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark aimed primarily at Ya audiences, but does not shy away from the horror. The influences and intention of what the film wants to build are on the surface intriguing; however, the final product is an underwhelming exploit that flounders all its potential with a bumbling and underwhelming execution of tension and atmosphere.
The influence of Andy Muschietti’s 2017 blockbuster horror hit It has changed the face of horror in the mainstream forever. Such an influence has never been more evident in the Guillermo del Toro written,...
- 1/2/2020
- by Jak-Luke Sharp
- Nerdly
Stars: Zoe Margaret Colletti, Michael Garza, Gabriel Rush, Dean Norris, Gil Bellows, Lorraine Toussaint, Austin Zajur, Natalie Ganzhorn, Austin Abrams, Kathleen Pollard | Written by Guillermo del Toro, Dan Hageman, Kevin Hageman | Directed by André Øvredal
André Øvredal’s film is the adaption of writer Alvin Schwartz’ novel(s) of the same name. A series that is a cross between Goosebumps and Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark aimed primarily at Ya audiences, but does not shy away from the horror. The influences and intention of what the film wants to build are on the surface intriguing; however, the final product is an underwhelming exploit that flounders all its potential with a bumbling and underwhelming execution of tension and atmosphere.
The influence of Andy Muschietti’s 2017 blockbuster horror hit It has changed the face of horror in the mainstream forever. Such an influence has never been more evident in the Guillermo del Toro written,...
André Øvredal’s film is the adaption of writer Alvin Schwartz’ novel(s) of the same name. A series that is a cross between Goosebumps and Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark aimed primarily at Ya audiences, but does not shy away from the horror. The influences and intention of what the film wants to build are on the surface intriguing; however, the final product is an underwhelming exploit that flounders all its potential with a bumbling and underwhelming execution of tension and atmosphere.
The influence of Andy Muschietti’s 2017 blockbuster horror hit It has changed the face of horror in the mainstream forever. Such an influence has never been more evident in the Guillermo del Toro written,...
- 8/19/2019
- by Jak-Luke Sharp
- Nerdly
As the opening of the film mysteriously imparts, stories come in all shapes and sizes. Sharing scary stories with a group is a rich tradition that has been around for centuries, each generation passing down the one they heard from their childhood on to the next and so on and so on. There are hundreds of these stories, and Alvin Schwartz collected them and retold many in his three “Scary Stories to Tell In the Dark” books. The film adaptation of the same name, Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark, is a compilation of multiple characters from these tales, but like the book collections, the stories and characters are once again being retold. Between the three screenplay credits and two story by credits, the resulting story feels far less chilling and more obvious and predictable in a tale that isn’t short on creepy visuals but lacking originality.
It’s 1968 in America.
It’s 1968 in America.
- 8/9/2019
- by Michael Haffner
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
In the opening moments of director André Øvredal’s “Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark,” a child’s voice tells us that stories have the power to hurt or heal. They make us who we are. True to its word, “Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark” delivers an entrancing thriller that explores the power of narratives with a few screams to boot.
It’s welcoming enough for teens and perhaps just creepy enough for the average grown-up horror movie fan, since producer and co-writer Guillermo del Toro is one of the filmmakers bringing the monsters from Alvin Schwartz’s original novels to the big screen.
Like a late-’60s send-up of “Stranger Things” (itself a reference to other horror-movie inspirations from the ’80s), “Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark” follows a close group of friends, all outsiders, as their paths cross with a nefarious, supernatural presence. The...
It’s welcoming enough for teens and perhaps just creepy enough for the average grown-up horror movie fan, since producer and co-writer Guillermo del Toro is one of the filmmakers bringing the monsters from Alvin Schwartz’s original novels to the big screen.
Like a late-’60s send-up of “Stranger Things” (itself a reference to other horror-movie inspirations from the ’80s), “Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark” follows a close group of friends, all outsiders, as their paths cross with a nefarious, supernatural presence. The...
- 8/8/2019
- by Monica Castillo
- The Wrap
Among new members are Maren Ade, Hugh Grant and Hayley Squires.
The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (Bafta) has revealed its 2018 intake of new members drawn from the film, TV and games industry.
Among the 386 new members are actors Hugh Grant, Willem Dafoe and Hayley Squires, directors Maren Ade (Toni Erdmann), Daniel Kokotajlo (Apostasy) and Michael Pearce (Beast), film execs Shana Eddy-Grouf (Studiocanal) and Katie Goodson-Thomas (Fox Searchlight), and La La Land producers Jordan Horowitz and Fred Berger.
Former UK and Ireland Screen Stars of Tomorrow in the new intake include producer Fodhla Cronin O’Reilly and actor Jessie Barden.
The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (Bafta) has revealed its 2018 intake of new members drawn from the film, TV and games industry.
Among the 386 new members are actors Hugh Grant, Willem Dafoe and Hayley Squires, directors Maren Ade (Toni Erdmann), Daniel Kokotajlo (Apostasy) and Michael Pearce (Beast), film execs Shana Eddy-Grouf (Studiocanal) and Katie Goodson-Thomas (Fox Searchlight), and La La Land producers Jordan Horowitz and Fred Berger.
Former UK and Ireland Screen Stars of Tomorrow in the new intake include producer Fodhla Cronin O’Reilly and actor Jessie Barden.
- 12/12/2018
- by Orlando Parfitt
- ScreenDaily
Hugh Grant, Jodie Whittaker and Letitia Wright are among 386 new BAFTA members. The 2018 intake span the film, games and TV industries across eleven countries. Scroll down for the full list of new members.
Among new members are BAFTA-winner Grant, Doctor Who star Whittaker, BAFTA-nominee Willem Dafoe, Black Panther star Letitia Wright, La La Land producers Jordan Horowitz and Fred Berger, Mad Max: Fury Road costume designer Jenny Beavan, Toni Erdmann director Maren Ade, and UK broadcasters Sandi Toksvig and Simon Mayo.
BAFTA comprises around 8,000 members worldwide. The UK org tweaked its membership requirements in 2016 in a bid to improve diversity of intake.
Amanda Berry, Chief Executive of BAFTA, said, “We’re delighted to welcome our new members to BAFTA. Our members represent the breadth of the ever-evolving film, games and television industries. They sit at the heart of everything BAFTA does, from mentoring emerging talent, voting in the Awards, sharing...
Among new members are BAFTA-winner Grant, Doctor Who star Whittaker, BAFTA-nominee Willem Dafoe, Black Panther star Letitia Wright, La La Land producers Jordan Horowitz and Fred Berger, Mad Max: Fury Road costume designer Jenny Beavan, Toni Erdmann director Maren Ade, and UK broadcasters Sandi Toksvig and Simon Mayo.
BAFTA comprises around 8,000 members worldwide. The UK org tweaked its membership requirements in 2016 in a bid to improve diversity of intake.
Amanda Berry, Chief Executive of BAFTA, said, “We’re delighted to welcome our new members to BAFTA. Our members represent the breadth of the ever-evolving film, games and television industries. They sit at the heart of everything BAFTA does, from mentoring emerging talent, voting in the Awards, sharing...
- 12/12/2018
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
Ryan Lambie Mar 28, 2017
Creepy sets, gore, a sweary Emile Hirsch and lots of gallows humour. We visited the set of indie horror, The Autopsy Of Jane Doe...
Nb: The following contains some saucy language and discussions that some may consider Not Safe For Work.
Half an hour out east on the Hammersmith & City Line, across a busy dual carriage way, just down from a branch of Tesco’s and tucked away in an old warehouse, about 200 people are making a horror film.
The warehouse interior is now, thanks to the ingenuity of production designer Matt Gant and a few dozen set builders, a basement mortuary in Virginia. There are long corridors. Low lighting that picks out the Victorian wallpaper but leaves corners shrouded in deep shadow. A junk-strewn room houses a man-sized furnace, something the production designer jokingly refers to as “the pizza oven”, but is actually a place where...
Creepy sets, gore, a sweary Emile Hirsch and lots of gallows humour. We visited the set of indie horror, The Autopsy Of Jane Doe...
Nb: The following contains some saucy language and discussions that some may consider Not Safe For Work.
Half an hour out east on the Hammersmith & City Line, across a busy dual carriage way, just down from a branch of Tesco’s and tucked away in an old warehouse, about 200 people are making a horror film.
The warehouse interior is now, thanks to the ingenuity of production designer Matt Gant and a few dozen set builders, a basement mortuary in Virginia. There are long corridors. Low lighting that picks out the Victorian wallpaper but leaves corners shrouded in deep shadow. A junk-strewn room houses a man-sized furnace, something the production designer jokingly refers to as “the pizza oven”, but is actually a place where...
- 3/27/2017
- Den of Geek
Trollhunter director André Øvredal returns with the effective, gory chiller, The Autopsy Of Jane Doe. Here’s our review...
Aside from the odd mobile phone and ungentlemanly curse word here and there, The Autopsy Of Jane Doe could have sprung from the mind of Edgar Allan Poe. Set in the present though it is, there’s a macabre, gothic tone to director André Øvredal’s first English-language film that makes it almost timeless.
Somewhere in Virginia, a family is found dead in their own home, the crime scene bloody and the doors locked from the inside. The mystery’s heightened further when the police venture into the basement: there, partly buried in the ground, lies the corpse of a young woman. Keen to figure out the cause of death, the police bag the woman's body up and take it to the local mortuary - a family-run business run by Tommy...
Aside from the odd mobile phone and ungentlemanly curse word here and there, The Autopsy Of Jane Doe could have sprung from the mind of Edgar Allan Poe. Set in the present though it is, there’s a macabre, gothic tone to director André Øvredal’s first English-language film that makes it almost timeless.
Somewhere in Virginia, a family is found dead in their own home, the crime scene bloody and the doors locked from the inside. The mystery’s heightened further when the police venture into the basement: there, partly buried in the ground, lies the corpse of a young woman. Keen to figure out the cause of death, the police bag the woman's body up and take it to the local mortuary - a family-run business run by Tommy...
- 3/17/2017
- Den of Geek
The Rezort feels like a Saturday Night SyFy Special with actual funding, which is a compliment in my book. As most good zombie flicks do, horror is used as a means for social commentary. Kills and gore chew through fleshy characters, but writer Paul Gerstenberger’s survival scenario speaks to human instincts through genre exploitation. You’ll get an open-world safari element that’s all about hunting preserved dead-heads, along with powerful quips meant to explore dealings with grief, guilt and post-war desensitization. It’s nothing Earth-shattering, but director Steve Barker’s zom-dram is vicious enough to support astute observations about zombies and humans being equally despicable creatures. Even with a cheesy “Z” title insertion.
In a post-outbreak world where almost 2 billion people were killed, containment is key. When citizens turned into zombies, a war broke out, but somehow man won. Now, with airtight regulations in place, zombies are a...
In a post-outbreak world where almost 2 billion people were killed, containment is key. When citizens turned into zombies, a war broke out, but somehow man won. Now, with airtight regulations in place, zombies are a...
- 10/24/2016
- by Matt Donato
- We Got This Covered
Too often-forgotten and yet a key historical period in post-WW2, that began in 1958 was the revelation of the German crimes for the first time to its own people.
“Labyrinth of Lies” is based upon true events and tells the tale of Johann Radmann (Alexander Fehling, “Inglourious Basterds”) a young, principled prosecutor who investigates a massive conspiracy to cover up the Nazi pasts of “very normal Germans” who had actively facilitated the Final Solution at Auschwitz, but remained unpunished, and ignored, long after the war ended. The five-year investigation led to the 1963-1965 Frankfurt Auschwitz trials. August 19, 2015 will mark the 50th anniversary of the verdict.
A hit in France and Germany, and a selection of the 2014 Toronto International Film Festival, Beta has sold the film widely:
Argentina-Cdi Films, Australia-Madman Entertai, Brazil -Mares Filmes Lt, Canada -Métropole Films, Canada-Mongrel Media, France-Universcine, France-Sophie Dulac Di, Germany-Universal Pictu, Israel-Nachshon Films, Italy-Good Films Srl, Japan-At Entertainmen, Poland-Aurora Films, Portugal-Films4you, Taiwan-Swallow Wings F, Turkey- Fabula Films
“Labyrinth of Lies” casts light on how, despite the infamy of the Nuremberg trials, much of post-war Germany denied its war crimes. Crisply photographed, and propelled by sterling performances from Fehling, Szymanski and Krisch, the film parallels personal drama with issues of a national scale, and raises still-relevant questions about war, and how history is ultimately written.
From the first frame, the film demands attention. At times, a bit hackneyed with some heavy-handed musical cues toward “emotional” moments, and at times a bit too long, however the subject matter and the attractive stars are very engrossing. One wants to see how the action will unfold and is willing to forgive the overly melodramatic moments. This is the German submission for the Academy Award out of eight which were considered.
Director Giulio Ricciarelli was born in Milan, and has acted in numerous German films and television programs. “Labyrinth of Lies” is his feature film directorial debut. German film and stage actor Alexander Fehling, best known to U.S. audiences for his role as Staff Sgt. Wilhelm in Quentin Tarantino’s “Inglorious Basterds”, was awarded The Shooting Star Award at the 2011 Berlin International Film Festival. He will next be seen in the new season of “Homeland” as Carrie (Claire Danes)’s new love interest, and has been cast as Friedrich Engels in Raoul Peck’s “The Young Karl Marx”.
Sony Pictures Classics will release “Labyrinth of Lies”, Giulio Ricciarelli’s feature film debut, Wednesday, September 30 in New York and Los Angeles.
Directed by Giulio Ricciarelli. Written by Elisabeth Bartel and Giulio Ricciarelli. Cinematography by Martin Langer, Roman Osin. Starring Alexander Fehling, André Szymanski, Friederike Becht, Johannes Krisch, Hansi Jochmann, Johann von Bulow, Robert Hunger-Buhler, Lukas Miko and Gert Voss.
121 Minutes. In German with English Subtitles.
“Labyrinth of Lies” is based upon true events and tells the tale of Johann Radmann (Alexander Fehling, “Inglourious Basterds”) a young, principled prosecutor who investigates a massive conspiracy to cover up the Nazi pasts of “very normal Germans” who had actively facilitated the Final Solution at Auschwitz, but remained unpunished, and ignored, long after the war ended. The five-year investigation led to the 1963-1965 Frankfurt Auschwitz trials. August 19, 2015 will mark the 50th anniversary of the verdict.
A hit in France and Germany, and a selection of the 2014 Toronto International Film Festival, Beta has sold the film widely:
Argentina-Cdi Films, Australia-Madman Entertai, Brazil -Mares Filmes Lt, Canada -Métropole Films, Canada-Mongrel Media, France-Universcine, France-Sophie Dulac Di, Germany-Universal Pictu, Israel-Nachshon Films, Italy-Good Films Srl, Japan-At Entertainmen, Poland-Aurora Films, Portugal-Films4you, Taiwan-Swallow Wings F, Turkey- Fabula Films
“Labyrinth of Lies” casts light on how, despite the infamy of the Nuremberg trials, much of post-war Germany denied its war crimes. Crisply photographed, and propelled by sterling performances from Fehling, Szymanski and Krisch, the film parallels personal drama with issues of a national scale, and raises still-relevant questions about war, and how history is ultimately written.
From the first frame, the film demands attention. At times, a bit hackneyed with some heavy-handed musical cues toward “emotional” moments, and at times a bit too long, however the subject matter and the attractive stars are very engrossing. One wants to see how the action will unfold and is willing to forgive the overly melodramatic moments. This is the German submission for the Academy Award out of eight which were considered.
Director Giulio Ricciarelli was born in Milan, and has acted in numerous German films and television programs. “Labyrinth of Lies” is his feature film directorial debut. German film and stage actor Alexander Fehling, best known to U.S. audiences for his role as Staff Sgt. Wilhelm in Quentin Tarantino’s “Inglorious Basterds”, was awarded The Shooting Star Award at the 2011 Berlin International Film Festival. He will next be seen in the new season of “Homeland” as Carrie (Claire Danes)’s new love interest, and has been cast as Friedrich Engels in Raoul Peck’s “The Young Karl Marx”.
Sony Pictures Classics will release “Labyrinth of Lies”, Giulio Ricciarelli’s feature film debut, Wednesday, September 30 in New York and Los Angeles.
Directed by Giulio Ricciarelli. Written by Elisabeth Bartel and Giulio Ricciarelli. Cinematography by Martin Langer, Roman Osin. Starring Alexander Fehling, André Szymanski, Friederike Becht, Johannes Krisch, Hansi Jochmann, Johann von Bulow, Robert Hunger-Buhler, Lukas Miko and Gert Voss.
121 Minutes. In German with English Subtitles.
- 8/27/2015
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
Chicago – If a film were meant to be judged purely on the basis of its final shot, then Daniel Barnz’s “Won’t Back Down” would be an unqualified success. The image of a little girl finally learning to pronounce the word “hope” could’ve easily been a cheesy contrivance straight out of a Feldco commercial. Even on paper, the shot sounds downright silly.
The fact that it works so well is a testament to the strength of Roman Osin’s cinematography (which visually brings the picture full circle), the tender performance by Emily Alyn Lind (of “Enter the Void” fame) and editor Kristina Boden’s impeccably timed cut to black. Indeed, the shot is a small triumph, but it is regrettably preceded by a great many other shots that don’t work at all.
Blu-ray Rating: 2.0/5.0
This picture was a critical and financial flop that likely was further damaged...
The fact that it works so well is a testament to the strength of Roman Osin’s cinematography (which visually brings the picture full circle), the tender performance by Emily Alyn Lind (of “Enter the Void” fame) and editor Kristina Boden’s impeccably timed cut to black. Indeed, the shot is a small triumph, but it is regrettably preceded by a great many other shots that don’t work at all.
Blu-ray Rating: 2.0/5.0
This picture was a critical and financial flop that likely was further damaged...
- 1/24/2013
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
I can't remember the last time I saw two performances this good, wasted in such a substandard film. Won't Back Down is a softball feature trying to play hardball as it tackles the issues facing public schools, refuses to leave any stone unturned and sabotages its own story as a result. Unsure of what he wants to focus on specifically, director and co-writer Daniel Barnz is addressing motivated teachers versus those skating by, upset parents, disadvantaged kids, charter schools with limited space, uncaring unions and private schools that cost too much money. And those are just the surface level issues before you bring in the actual characters. First we have Jamie Fitzpatrick (Maggie Gyllenhaal). She's a single mother, working two jobs. Her daughter is dyslexic and they can't afford private school, they missed out on the charter school lottery and her daughter's teacher is lazy and uncaring. The system is...
- 9/28/2012
- by Brad Brevet
- Rope of Silicon
The Viola Davis/Maggie Gyllenhaal film, Won't Back Down, opening this Friday, hasn't been getting good advance word. So far, critics have been calling it dull, totally predictable and an unfair attack against teachers' unions, as if they're the cause of the all the problems that plague public schools. In fact, Salon.com, in a review of the film yesterday, said it's as if the film "was made by Fox News". However, in spite of that, I still want to see it because it's only the second American-made fiilm photographed by cinematographer Roman Osin. I've been following his career for some time, and I think, without question,...
- 9/27/2012
- by Sergio
- ShadowAndAct
Peter Mullan’s last film, the award-winning The Magdalene Sisters (2002), was about vulnerable young women suffering oppression and brutality at the hands of some over-zealous nuns. With his latest effort Neds (2010), he presents sarcasm, cynicism and the oft-wielded strap as the chief weapons of Scottish educators – at least in the state school sector. These men are not monsters – they’ve simply grown weary of the procession of thugs, insubordinates and Neds (Non Educated Delinquents) passing through their classrooms.
The setting is Glasgow in the early 1970s, a period in which utilitarian concrete and T. Rex are more in evidence than the stylings of Charles Rennie Mackintosh. John McGill (Gregg Forrest) leaves his junior school top of the class and with high hopes. His optimism is short-lived when local thug Canta (Gary Milligan) delivers a starkly worded warning about the kind of rough treatment he can expect from his new classmates.
The setting is Glasgow in the early 1970s, a period in which utilitarian concrete and T. Rex are more in evidence than the stylings of Charles Rennie Mackintosh. John McGill (Gregg Forrest) leaves his junior school top of the class and with high hopes. His optimism is short-lived when local thug Canta (Gary Milligan) delivers a starkly worded warning about the kind of rough treatment he can expect from his new classmates.
- 1/21/2011
- by Daniel Green
- CineVue
Venice International Film Festival
VENICE, Italy -- The lesson in Asif Kapadia's Far North is that when an independent and obviously resourceful woman from the tundra says that a shaman told her she would bring harm to anyone foolish enough to get close to her, it's wise to listen.
A vicious little tale of the icy outdoors, screened in the Venice Nights sidebar, Far North features Michelle Yeoh as Saiva, the arctic equivalent of a mountain woman, who takes no prisoners in her desire for solitude. What begins as a tale of survival, however, ends in a climax so shocking and unexpected that the film shouldn't be mistaken for a nice little outing in the snow.
It will take skillful marketing but there should be an audience for a film that so cleverly masks its intentions without betraying the monstrous turn it takes. Yeoh's sinuous performance as the feral survivor is also a major selling point and co-stars Sean Bean and Michelle Krusiec also are fine. Cinematographer Roman Osin takes full advantage of the extraordinary environment and of Ben Scott's blisteringly real production and costume designs. Composer Dario Marianelli conjures cues to match the haunting and threatening images.
Set in the northern reaches of Norway in a land that is almost timeless, the film begins with an act of cruelty rendered with utmost gentleness as Saiva sacrifices one of her dogs for its blood and meat. The only human she allows near her is Anja (Krusiec), a beautiful young woman she has raised since saving her life as an infant.
Their life in the beautiful but unforgiving landscape is a daily fight against the cold and hunger but Saiva is not without a sense of humor. The dog's meat is tough. "Maybe next time we'll try one of the younger ones," she says.
In search of food and safe harbor, the pair row their boat down river past towering snow-white mountains, passing an industrialized outpost populated by men with guns ordering prisoners about. Traversing wide bodies of water amid looming icebergs, they reach dry land and a place to camp.
There is a sense of threat not only from the climate but also from the heavy boots of unleashed military authority. All is well, however, until one day a man shows up near death. Loki (Sean Bean) is from a village far away fleeing rampaging soldiers, and to Anja's surprise, Saiva takes him in. It's not a good move.
Flashbacks reveal how Saiva suffered the shaman's curse and how she saved Anja, but nothing is learned about Loki except that he's a resourceful killer. Three is a crowd, however, even in the freezing cold, but screenwriters Kapadia and Tim Miller don't sweat the small stuff. Their film is after more horrifying prey.
FAR NORTH
Ingenious Film Partners, Film4, Celluloid Dreams
Produced by The Bureau
Credits:
Director: Asif Kapadia
Screenwriters: Asif Kapadia, Tim Miller, based on the story True North by Sara Maitland
Producer: Bertrand Faivre
Executive producers: Tessa Ross, Christophe Vidal, Hengameh Panahi, Duncan Reid, Peter Touche
Director of photography: Roman Osin
Production designer: Ben Scott
Music: Dario Marianelli
Co-producers: Peter Borgli, Vincent Gadelle
Costumes: Ben Scott
Editor: Ewa J. Lind
Cast:
Saiva: Michelle Yeoh
Anja: Michelle Krusiec
Loki: Sean Bean
Andrei, soldier: Per Egil Aske
Blondy, soldier: Jan Olav Dahl
Baldy, soldier: Espen Prestbakmo
Slim, soldier: Hakan Niva
Ivar: Gary Pillai
Shaman: Bjarne Osterud
Soldier 1 with boat: Tommy Siikavuopio
Soldier 2 with boat: Mark van de Weg
Ivar's father: Sven Henriksen
Ivar's mother: Neeru Agarwal
Running time -- 89 minutes
No MPAA rating...
VENICE, Italy -- The lesson in Asif Kapadia's Far North is that when an independent and obviously resourceful woman from the tundra says that a shaman told her she would bring harm to anyone foolish enough to get close to her, it's wise to listen.
A vicious little tale of the icy outdoors, screened in the Venice Nights sidebar, Far North features Michelle Yeoh as Saiva, the arctic equivalent of a mountain woman, who takes no prisoners in her desire for solitude. What begins as a tale of survival, however, ends in a climax so shocking and unexpected that the film shouldn't be mistaken for a nice little outing in the snow.
It will take skillful marketing but there should be an audience for a film that so cleverly masks its intentions without betraying the monstrous turn it takes. Yeoh's sinuous performance as the feral survivor is also a major selling point and co-stars Sean Bean and Michelle Krusiec also are fine. Cinematographer Roman Osin takes full advantage of the extraordinary environment and of Ben Scott's blisteringly real production and costume designs. Composer Dario Marianelli conjures cues to match the haunting and threatening images.
Set in the northern reaches of Norway in a land that is almost timeless, the film begins with an act of cruelty rendered with utmost gentleness as Saiva sacrifices one of her dogs for its blood and meat. The only human she allows near her is Anja (Krusiec), a beautiful young woman she has raised since saving her life as an infant.
Their life in the beautiful but unforgiving landscape is a daily fight against the cold and hunger but Saiva is not without a sense of humor. The dog's meat is tough. "Maybe next time we'll try one of the younger ones," she says.
In search of food and safe harbor, the pair row their boat down river past towering snow-white mountains, passing an industrialized outpost populated by men with guns ordering prisoners about. Traversing wide bodies of water amid looming icebergs, they reach dry land and a place to camp.
There is a sense of threat not only from the climate but also from the heavy boots of unleashed military authority. All is well, however, until one day a man shows up near death. Loki (Sean Bean) is from a village far away fleeing rampaging soldiers, and to Anja's surprise, Saiva takes him in. It's not a good move.
Flashbacks reveal how Saiva suffered the shaman's curse and how she saved Anja, but nothing is learned about Loki except that he's a resourceful killer. Three is a crowd, however, even in the freezing cold, but screenwriters Kapadia and Tim Miller don't sweat the small stuff. Their film is after more horrifying prey.
FAR NORTH
Ingenious Film Partners, Film4, Celluloid Dreams
Produced by The Bureau
Credits:
Director: Asif Kapadia
Screenwriters: Asif Kapadia, Tim Miller, based on the story True North by Sara Maitland
Producer: Bertrand Faivre
Executive producers: Tessa Ross, Christophe Vidal, Hengameh Panahi, Duncan Reid, Peter Touche
Director of photography: Roman Osin
Production designer: Ben Scott
Music: Dario Marianelli
Co-producers: Peter Borgli, Vincent Gadelle
Costumes: Ben Scott
Editor: Ewa J. Lind
Cast:
Saiva: Michelle Yeoh
Anja: Michelle Krusiec
Loki: Sean Bean
Andrei, soldier: Per Egil Aske
Blondy, soldier: Jan Olav Dahl
Baldy, soldier: Espen Prestbakmo
Slim, soldier: Hakan Niva
Ivar: Gary Pillai
Shaman: Bjarne Osterud
Soldier 1 with boat: Tommy Siikavuopio
Soldier 2 with boat: Mark van de Weg
Ivar's father: Sven Henriksen
Ivar's mother: Neeru Agarwal
Running time -- 89 minutes
No MPAA rating...
- 8/31/2007
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
It's nice to see that Sarah Michelle Gellar isn't bearing any more grudges, but she's not faring much better in "The Return", a murky horror film released Friday without advance press screenings. Playing a disturbed young woman haunted by nightmarish visions, the actress is most notable here for her new appearance in brunette locks.
She plays Joanna, a 25-year-old Midwesterner who does well by her job as a hard-driving saleswoman for a trucking company. Her personal life is less felicitous: She has a difficult relationship with her father (Sam Shepard); she's being stalked by her obsessive ex-boyfriend (Adam Scott); and she's haunted by memories of her past, including being terrorized by a stranger at a carnival when she was a little girl and her subsequent self-mutilation. And she's having visions and hearing voices regarding the brutal murder of another young woman.
When she meets a mysterious stranger (Peter O'Brien) who comes to her defense when she's being attacked by her ex, it only triggers more nightmarish episodes, most of which are accompanied by snippets of Patsy Cline's recording of "Sweet Dreams".
While Adam Sussman's screenplay can be admired for its emphasis on subtle atmospherics rather than cheap scares, it is a gimmicky slog of an affair that lacks narrative coherence or strong focus. The endless scenes of Gellar's character becoming disoriented quickly prove wearisome, and the attempts at psychological depth and the requisite trick ending are less than convincing.
Asif Kapadia's helming is similarly lacking in sharpness, though he and cinematographer Roman Osin have at least provided a distinctive, bleached-out visual style that well exploits the barren Texas locations.
Having little to do other than act disturbed, Gellar doesn't exactly have the opportunity to display much of her natural charisma. And while Shepard (who admittedly has slummed often in his acting career) provides his thankless role with his usual gravitas, it's still disheartening to see one of the great dramatists of our generation reduced to appearing in schlock.
She plays Joanna, a 25-year-old Midwesterner who does well by her job as a hard-driving saleswoman for a trucking company. Her personal life is less felicitous: She has a difficult relationship with her father (Sam Shepard); she's being stalked by her obsessive ex-boyfriend (Adam Scott); and she's haunted by memories of her past, including being terrorized by a stranger at a carnival when she was a little girl and her subsequent self-mutilation. And she's having visions and hearing voices regarding the brutal murder of another young woman.
When she meets a mysterious stranger (Peter O'Brien) who comes to her defense when she's being attacked by her ex, it only triggers more nightmarish episodes, most of which are accompanied by snippets of Patsy Cline's recording of "Sweet Dreams".
While Adam Sussman's screenplay can be admired for its emphasis on subtle atmospherics rather than cheap scares, it is a gimmicky slog of an affair that lacks narrative coherence or strong focus. The endless scenes of Gellar's character becoming disoriented quickly prove wearisome, and the attempts at psychological depth and the requisite trick ending are less than convincing.
Asif Kapadia's helming is similarly lacking in sharpness, though he and cinematographer Roman Osin have at least provided a distinctive, bleached-out visual style that well exploits the barren Texas locations.
Having little to do other than act disturbed, Gellar doesn't exactly have the opportunity to display much of her natural charisma. And while Shepard (who admittedly has slummed often in his acting career) provides his thankless role with his usual gravitas, it's still disheartening to see one of the great dramatists of our generation reduced to appearing in schlock.
- 11/13/2006
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
- Founded in 1988, the European Film Academy currently unites 1,700 European film professionals with the common aim of promoting Europe's film culture. Here are this year's noms.... European Film 2006 Breakfast On Pluto; Ireland/UK Directed by Neil Jordan Produced by Parallel Film Productions Ltd./Number 9 Films Grbavica; Austria/Bosnia-Herzegovina/Germany/Croatia Directed by Jasmila Zbanic Produced by Coop99 Filmproduktion Gmbh/Deblokada/Noirfilm/Jadran Film Das Leben Der Anderen (The Lives Of Others); Germany Directed by Florian Henckel Von Donnersmarck Produced by Wiedemann & Berg Filmproduktion/Bayerischer Rundfunk/Arte/Creado Film The Road To Guantanamo; UK Directed by Michael Winterbottom And Mat Whitecross Produced by Revolution Films Ltd. Volver; Spain Directed by Pedro Almodovar Produced by El Deseo D.A., S.L.U. The Wind That Shakes The Barley; UK/Ireland/Germany/Italy/Spain Directed By Ken Loach Produced By Sixteen Films/Matador Pictures/Regent Capital/UK Film Council/Bord Scannan Na
- 11/6/2006
- IONCINEMA.com
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