Lost Souls (2000)

Director:

Janusz Kaminski

Writers (WGA):

Pierce Gardner (story) &
Betsy Stahl (story) ...

Release Date:

13 October 2000 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Horror | Thriller

Tagline:

Deliver us from evil.

Plot:

A small group of Catholics led by an ailing priest believe that Satan intends to become man, just as God did in the person of Jesus...

Plot Keywords:

Father Daughter Relationship | Hallucination | Incest | Murder | Possession

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Winona Ryder	...	Maya Larkin
Ben Chaplin	...	Peter Kelson
Sarah Wynter	...	Claire Van Owen
Philip Baker Hall	...	Father James
John Hurt	...	Father Lareaux
Elias Koteas	...	John Townsend
Brian Reddy	...	Father Frank Page
John Beasley	...	Det. Mike Smythe
John Diehl	...	Henry Birdson
Paul Kleiman	...	Paramedic
Bob Clendenin	...	Mental Patient (as Robert Clenendin)
Oliver Clark	...	Mr. Silberman
Michael Mantell	...	Kleiman
Brad Greenquist	...	George Viznik
Lo Ming	...	Michael Kim 'Robert' (as Ming Lo)

MPAA:

Rated R for violence/terror and some language.

Runtime:

97 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

South Korea:15 | Malaysia:U (cut version) | Finland:K-15 | USA:R (certificate #36647) | Philippines:PG-13 | Malaysia:18PL (uncut version) | Iceland:16 | Argentina:16 | Australia:MA (DVD rating) | Australia:M (original rating) | Chile:14 | France:-12 | Germany:16 | Hong Kong:IIB | Hungary:16 | Mexico:B | Netherlands:12 | Norway:18 | Peru:14 | Singapore:PG | Spain:13 | UK:15

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Avery Pix

Trivia:

The film was initially supposed to be released in October 1999. Its trailer was in theaters in Summer 1999. However, due to a flood of "End of the World" movies coming out at the exact same time (End of Days (1999), Stigmata (1999), etc...), the decision was made to delay the film. Its new date was 4 February 2000. However, that date was canceled after the very popular "Scream" franchise staked out that date for its final installment, Scream 3 (2000). The final release date of 13 October 2000, was finally decided upon, which also happened to be the same exact day as the re-release of The Exorcist (1973).

Goofs:

Continuity: When Maya and Peter meet for the first time, the word processor screen on his laptop repeatedly changes. The screen alternates between a whole-page layout and split-page depending on the shot.

Quotes:

John Townsend: God will forgive me. The transformation is near.

Soundtrack:

TIJUANA LADY

Standard god-versus-devil horror movie reasonably well-done see

Winona Ryder starts off a bit shakily but her well-timed screams increase in conviction as we get into the swing of this god-devil-and-exorcisms movie. It's helped by the use of photography with drained colour that creates a gothic feel even in ordinary surroundings. Ryder's character is herself psychotic, having recovered from a mental illness / possession episode. Now a helper-associate for the Roman Catholic Church (a branch specializing in devil-ditching) she deciphers the ravings of a possessed inmate, and works out a code that names the person who will become the devil incarnate. Cleverly balancing psychology with the extremes of Romanist belief in the devil, Lost Souls is closer in tone to Polanski's Ninth Gate than, say, the Exorcist or the rather lame Bless the Child. It's not the scariest or classiest movie made in the genre, but it holds its own rather better than I expected.