Twilight of the Ice Nymphs (1997)

Director:

Guy Maddin

Writer:

George Toles
(more)

Release Date:

10 April 1998 (UK)

Genre:

Fantasy | Mystery | Romance

Plot:

Peter Glahn is released after years of incarceration as a political prisoner and is now returning to his homeland...

Plot Keywords:

Farm | Statue Of Venus | Widow | Statue | Ostrich

Cast

Pascale Bussières	...	Juliana Kossel (as Pascale Bussiéres)
Shelley Duvall	...	Amelia Glahn
Frank Gorshin	...	Cain Ball
Alice Krige	...	Zephyr Eccles
R.H. Thomson	...	Dr. Issac Solti
Ross McMillan	...	Matthew Eccles / Voice of Peter Glahn
Frank Kowalski	...	Man in Black
Breanne Dowhan	...	Baby
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Nigel Whitmey	...	Peter Glahn (uncredited)

Directed by
Guy Maddin

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Knut Hamsun		novel "Pan" (uncredited)
George Toles

Produced by
Ritchard Findlay	....	producer
Derek Mazur	....	executive producer
Charlotte Mickie	....	executive producer

Original Music by
John McCulloch

Cinematography by
Michael Marshall

Film Editing by
Reginald Harkema

Production Design by
Réjean Labrie		(as Rejean Labrie)

Art Direction by
Ian Handford

Set Decoration by
Gordon Wilding

Costume Design by
Donna Szöke

Makeup Department
Sylvain Cournoyer	....	key makeup artist (as Sylvain Cornoyer)
Beverley Hamilton	....	assistant makeup artist
Adina Shore	....	key hair stylist (as Adina)

Production Management
Juliette Hagopian	....	production manager
Hans Lucas	....	post-production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Ronaldo Nacionales	....	second assistant director
Richard O'Brien-Moran	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Olaf Dux	....	construction coordinator
Mark Gebel	....	property master
Kim Hamin	....	scenic artist
Matt Holm	....	greensperson
Lucy Lam	....	painter
Andrea Locktin	....	assistant property builder
Juan López-Dabdoub	....	painter trainee (as Juan Lopez-Dabdoub)
Steve Madden	....	head carpenter
Johanna Mazur	....	on-set dresser
Neil McInnes	....	carpenter
Kathy McKinnon	....	painter (as Cathy McKinnon)
Garth Mesz	....	carpenter
Kirsten Olsen	....	painter (as Kristen Olsen)
Conrad Percheson	....	draftsperson
Brendon Sawatzky	....	construction daily (as Brendan Sawatzky)
Larry Spittle	....	lead props
Sherry Starkell	....	greensperson
Sherry Starkell	....	props builder
Jackie Van Winkle	....	key scenic artist
Liduina VanderSpek	....	daily props (as Liduina Currell)
Andrea Von Wichert	....	set dresser
Eldon Zigarlick	....	carpenter

Sound Department
Kelly Cole	....	sound re-recording mixer
Russ Dyck	....	adr editor
Russ Dyck	....	post audio coordinator
James A. Gore	....	foley assistant
Ken Gregory	....	sound editor
Goro Koyama	....	foley assistant
Andy Malcolm	....	foley artist
Bill Mellow	....	sound re-recording mixer
Don Melnyk	....	adr engineer
Fred Rivas	....	stereo sound consultant
Paul A. Sharpe	....	sound re-recording mixer (as Paul Sharpe)
Etoile Stewart	....	sound assistant
Tony Van den Akker	....	foley recordist (as Tony van den Akker)
Daniel W. Victor Jr.	....	stereo sound consultant (as Daniel Victor)
Stewart Whitby	....	sound assistant

Special Effects by
Mark Gebel	....	special effects
Larry Spittle	....	special effects assistant

Visual Effects by
Conrad Percheson	....	miniatures

Camera and Electrical Department
Arlea Ashcroft	....	best boy
Kel Berg	....	electrician
Szu Burgess	....	still photographer
Lawrence A. Carpenter	....	daily electrician (as Lawrence Carpenter)
Lawrence A. Carpenter	....	daily grip (as Lawrence Carpenter)
Bruce Claydon	....	grip
Kevin Deally	....	daily grip
Michael Drabot	....	gaffer
Jay Kohne	....	first assistant camera
Sharon MacIntyre	....	electrician
Steve Madden	....	dolly grip
Steve Madden	....	key grip
Len Peterson	....	second assistant camera
Lance Rowley	....	electric swing
Lance Rowley	....	grip
Brian Sanders	....	camera operator
Paul Suderman	....	camera trainee
Shauna Townley	....	camera trainee

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Carolyn Bradshaw	....	costume construction
Brooklyn Drabot	....	costume construction
Wanda Farian	....	costume supervisor
Diane Klisko	....	costume construction
Thora Lamont	....	costume patterns and cutting
Megan LaTouche	....	costume construction
Karen Lawlor	....	costume construction
Lorraine O'Leary	....	costume patterns and cutting
Lois Powne	....	costume construction
Barbara Pritchard	....	costume construction
Sandra Seaman	....	costume construction
Hollis Spevak	....	costume construction

Editorial Department
Gay Black	....	negative cutter
Dana Neville	....	color timer

Music Department
Milos Betko	....	orchestra recording supervisor
Peter Breiner	....	conductor
Ladislav Krajcovic	....	orchestra assistant engineer
Otto Nopp	....	orchestra engineer
Ivan Paulicka	....	orchestra manager
Clive Perry	....	music editor
Josef Skorepa	....	concert master

Transportation Department
M. Frances McDermid	....	driver
Chris Sol	....	driver

Other crew
Lawrence Anonychuk	....	animal wrangler
Norma Bailey	....	story consultant
Donovan Chaput	....	volunteer
Jonah Corne	....	volunteer
Charles Crossin	....	set production assistant
Kelly Ditz	....	craft service
Grace Donaldson	....	trainee: MMPIA
Tina Douvris	....	volunteer
Warren Dowhan	....	security officer
Bob Driscoll	....	volunteer
Richard Duffy	....	volunteer
Tobe Duggan	....	volunteer
Russ Dyck	....	post audio coordinator
Adeline Elias	....	production accountant
Claude Forest	....	insurance
Vaclav Frkal	....	booth supervisor
Colin Giesbrecht	....	volunteer
Andrew Gillies	....	volunteer
Wayne Glesby	....	security coordinator
Karen Harrington	....	volunteer
Sheila Henke	....	volunteer
Simon Hughes	....	volunteer
Ross Ikeda	....	post-production accountant
Dan Iwaczewski	....	craft service
Connie Jantz	....	volunteer
Mike 'Chicago' Javor	....	volunteer (as 'Chicago Mike' Javor)
Corinne Kennedy	....	volunteer
Martyn Krys	....	legal services
Dianne Lafournaise	....	volunteer (as Diane Lafournaise)
Phyllis Laing	....	production accountant
Andrew Libich	....	volunteer
Jilian Maddin	....	volunteer
Paul Martens	....	gallery photography
Tamara Mauthe	....	production secretary
Tanya Mazur	....	script supervisor
Gary Munroe	....	trainee: MMPIA
David E. Nault	....	trainee: MMPIA (as David Nault)
Laura Neufeld	....	production coordinator
Nghia Nguyen	....	legal services
Tracy Noga	....	stand-in
Louise O'Brien-Moran	....	unit publicist
Shaunna O'Brien-Moran	....	production executive
Mark Pindera	....	volunteer
Matthew Rankin	....	volunteer
Alexandra Saborowski	....	assistant to producer
Toni Scinocca	....	volunteer
Ed Sinclair	....	security officer
Chris Sol	....	office production assistant: preparation
Jacob Steele	....	volunteer
Jane Tingley	....	sculptress
Caelum Vatnsdal	....	diarist
Mark Warhaft	....	caterer
Lisa Wayne	....	volunteer
Chris Wellard	....	location production assistant (as Christopher Wellard)
Jesse Wiebe	....	security officer
Simon Wincer	....	volunteer
Dwight Wolfe	....	ostrich wrangler

Thanks
Paddy Bickerton	....	thanks
John Buchan	....	thanks
Karen Cameron	....	thanks
Craig Carter	....	thanks
Juliette Hagopian	....	thanks
Jacob	....	thanks
Kim	....	thanks
Shirley Loewen	....	special thanks
William Loewen	....	special thanks
Wendy MacKeigan	....	thanks
Andy Malcolm	....	thanks
Matthew	....	thanks
Neil McInnes	....	thanks
Ross McMillan	....	thanks
Susan Minas	....	thanks
Jon Taylor	....	thanks
Peter Tilley	....	thanks
Carole Vivier	....	thanks

Production Companies

• Marble Island Pictures
• Twilight Pictures Inc.

Distributors

• Zeitgeist Films (1997) (USA) (theatrical)
• Alliance
• Momentum Pictures (1997) (UK) (all media)
• Zeitgeist Video (2002) (USA) (DVD)
• Zeitgeist Video (2002) (USA) (VHS)

Other Companies

• Advance Electronics  thanks
• Assurances Forest Ltee  insurance (as Assurances Forest Ltée)
• Audio Marton Ltd.  orchestra contracted by
• Browning Ferris Industries Ltd.  thanks (as Browning Ferris Industries)
• Canadian Film or Video Production Tax Credit (CPTC)  produced with the participation of (as The Government of Canada Canadian Film or Video Production Tax Credit Program)
• Comet Post Production  post-production facilities
• Credo Entertainment Corporation  thanks (as Credo Entertainment Corp.)
• DeLuxe Toronto  thanks (as Deluxe Toronto)
• Film Effects  opticals
• Film Finances Canada  completion guarantee (as Film Finances Canada)
• Guy Anthony Fashions  thanks
• Harold Greenberg Fund, The  produced with the participation of (as The Harold Greenberg FUND)
• Kodak Canada  thanks (as Kodak Canada)
• Line 21 Media Services Ltd.  closed captioning
• Manitoba Film & Sound Development Corporation  produced with the participation of (as Manitoba Film & Sound Development Corporation)
• Monkey Business  thanks
• Next! Vancouver  thanks
• Regan Block Studio  adr recorded at
• Sharpe Sound Studios  sound mixing facilities
• Sharpe Sound Studios  thanks (as Sharpe Sound Studios)
• Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra  orchestra
• Synchro Arts Ltd. UK  thanks
• Téléfilm Canada  produced with the participation of

Also Known As:

Runtime:

91 min

Country:

Canada

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Ultra Stereo

Filming Locations:

Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

Company:

Marble Island Pictures

Trivia:

Shelley Duvall was Guy Maddin's only choice for the role of Amelia Glahn.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Juliana Kossel:Mandragora. There is no night there now. Daylight shouts in your ear. Did night-time hold you down by the wrists? Where did you get those bracelets, bracelet-scars?
Peter Glahn:Prison. Prison. Prison...
Juliana Kossel:You have the look of a cornered animal, very menacing. Did you go mad?
Juliana Kossel:And what now? Now that you're free.
Peter Glahn:Home. To Mandragora.

Movie Connections:

References Olympia Part One: Festival of the Nations (1938)

The first Guy Maddin film I haven't enjoyed

I've became addicted to Guy Maddin films lately. I'd heard many negative things about "Twilight of the Ice Nymphs", how it had nearly destroyed his career as a filmmaker, but I decided to give it a go anyways, if only because it was available on a DVD with both "The Heart of the World" and "Archangel". I'd love to say this film is underrated, but to be honest I can see why it attracted all the bad hype. Its uncompromising to be sure and often looks terrific, but is overall really boring. Mainly, Maddin's typically droll sense of humor seems to be present, but it doesn't work at all. Where the offbeat lines in "Careful" and "The Saddest Music in the World" were hilarious in how left-field they were, the dialog here is merely off putting. Also, the film's plot is completely impossible to keep track of. Maddin's other films, as bizarre as they are, usually have some kind of linear story. I had no idea what was going on in this one.

To add insult to injury, the acting here is pretty dire. Nigel Whitmey (uncredited due to disputes with Maddin) is really wooden in the lead role and doesn't know how to approach the tongue-in-cheek material at all. R.H. Thomson is far too bombastic and over-the-top in his part as well, while Pascale Bussieres and Alice Krige are completely forgettable. The only saving spot of the film is the feud between Shelly Duvall and Frank Gorshin. Their sequences are generally really entertaining and prevented this film from being a complete loss. Even so, its easily the weakest Maddin film I've seen yet. (4/10)