Anacondas: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid (2004)

Director:

Dwight H. Little

Writers (WGA):

Hans Bauer (1997 screenplay) and
Jim Cash (1997 screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

27 August 2004 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Horror | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Tagline:

The hunters will become the hunted.

Plot:

A scientific expedition sets out for Borneo to seek a flower called the Blood Orchid, which could grant longer life. Meanwhile, they run afoul of snakes and each other.

Plot Keywords:

Orchid | Blood | Borneo | Flower | Anaconda

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Johnny Messner	...	Bill Johnson
KaDee Strickland	...	Sam Rogers
Matthew Marsden	...	Dr. Jack Byron
Nicholas Gonzalez	...	Dr. Ben Douglas
Eugene Byrd	...	Cole Burris
Karl Yune	...	Tran
Salli Richardson-Whitfield	...	Gail Stern
Morris Chestnut	...	Gordon Mitchell
Andy Anderson	...	John Livingston
Nicholas Hope	...	Christian Van Dyke
Peter Curtin	...	Lawyer
Denis Arndt	...	CEO
Khoa Do	...	Lead Lopak Hunter
Aireti	...	Lopak Hunter
Andre Tandjung	...	Bartender

Directed by
Dwight H. Little		(as Dwight Little)

Writing credits (WGA)
Hans Bauer		(1997 screenplay) and
Jim Cash		(1997 screenplay) &
Jack Epps Jr.		(1997 screenplay)
Hans Bauer		(story) and
Jim Cash		(story) &
Jack Epps Jr.		(story)
John Claflin		(screenplay) &
Daniel Zelman		(screenplay) and
Michael Miner		(screenplay) &
Edward Neumeier		(screenplay) (as Ed Neumeier)

Produced by
Verna Harrah	....	producer
Jacobus Rose	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Nerida Tyson-Chew

Cinematography by
Stephen F. Windon

Film Editing by
Marcus D'Arcy
Mark Warner

Casting by
Justine Baddeley

Production Design by
Bryce Perrin

Art Direction by
Brian Edmonds		(senior art director)

Set Decoration by
Jill Eden

Costume Design by
Terry Ryan

Makeup Department
Jason Baird	....	creature supervisor
Kate Birch	....	hair stylist
Nik Dorning	....	prosthetic manufacture
Megan Dwyer	....	hairdresser: second unit
Megan Dwyer	....	makeup artist: second unit
Sean Genders	....	special makeup effects artist
Paul Pattison	....	key makeup artist
Claire Rutledge	....	hair artist: second unit, Fiji
Jennifer Stanfield	....	makeup artist (as Jen Stanfield)
Zeljka Stanin	....	key hair stylist

Production Management
Brendon 'Moose' Boyd	....	unit manager
Liz DiFiore	....	unit production manager
Ray Hennessy	....	production manager
Gordon MacPhail	....	post-production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Bish Bishop	....	third assistant director: second unit
Miranda Colman	....	third assistant director
Jamie Crooks	....	first assistant director
Jason Faulkner	....	second assistant director
Mark Wareham	....	second unit director

Art Department
Brett Bartlett	....	construction manager
Carl Braga	....	screen graphics designer
Jo Carter	....	art department accountant
Martin Crouch	....	screen graphics designer
Richie Dehne	....	property master
Craig Fison	....	miniatures
Nicki Gardiner	....	set dresser
Jenny Hitchcock	....	set designer
Julia Holden	....	storyboard artist
Anson Jew	....	storyboard artist
Miriam Johnson	....	assistant art director
Peter 'Babylon' Owens	....	art director: second unit
Andy Robinson	....	head scenic
David Russell	....	storyboard artist
Kino Scialabba	....	concept artist
Dilys Tan	....	art department coordinator
Rudi Tuisk	....	assistant vehicle/boat coordinator

Sound Department
Damian Candusso	....	adr editor
John Chalfant	....	sound re-recording mixer
Kirke Godfrey	....	sound designer
Kirke Godfrey	....	sound effects editor
Paul Korber	....	assistant dialogue editor
Howard London	....	adr mixer
Michael McMenomy	....	sound department intern
Nada Mikas	....	dialogue editor
Linda Murdoch	....	sound effects editor
Chris O'Shea	....	second boom operator
Andrew Plain	....	supervising sound editor
Liam Price	....	additional effects editor
Warren Santiago	....	sound attachment
Blair Slater	....	foley mixer & editor
Peter D. Smith	....	sound re-recording mixer
Lidia Tamplenizza	....	sound effects editor
Mark Ward	....	sound effects editor
William Ward	....	assistant sound editor
Mark J. Wasiutak	....	boom operator
Gary Wilkins	....	sound mixer

Special Effects by
Simon Ambrose	....	special effects head rigger
Billy Aziz	....	special effects logistics
Nils Bendix	....	special effects rigger
Bruce Bright	....	special effects onset supervisor
Paul Eichorn	....	special effects runner: Sydney
Marcus Erasmus	....	special effects: atmos chief
Marianne Evans	....	special effects coordinator: Fiji
Lloyd Finnemore	....	special effects foreman
Ray Fowler	....	special effects: rain chief
David Goldie	....	special effects modelmaker
Leo Henry	....	pyrotechnician
James Howe	....	special effects technician
David James	....	special effects electrician
Jim Leng	....	special effects technician
Dean Manderson	....	special effects technician
Kent Miklenda	....	special effects manager
Shane Murphy	....	special effects head fabricator
Dan Oliver	....	special effects set foreman
David Pride	....	special effects design engineer
Tad Pride	....	special effects supervisor
Stewart Riach	....	special effects technician
Tim Riach	....	special effects technician
Arthur Spink Jr.	....	special effects foreman
Monika Stankowski	....	special effects coordinator: Sydney
Julian Summers	....	special effects technician
Dougal Thompson	....	special effects logistics: Fiji
Tim Whiteley	....	special effects technician

Visual Effects by
Tim Ahern	....	computer effects
Ben Ambrose	....	assistant visual f/x supervisor
Pippa Anderson	....	visual effects producer
Miles Bellas	....	modeler
Miles Bellas	....	texturer
James Bennett	....	animator
Marten Blumen	....	digital compositor
Paul Booth	....	visual effects editor
Andrew Butler	....	visual effects
Angus Cameron	....	digital effects supervisor
Tom Davies	....	head model maker
Sylvan Dieckmann	....	3D technical supervisor
Dale Duguid	....	visual effects supervisor
Simon Dye	....	compositor
Patrick Felgueras	....	digital effects artist
Belinda Griffiths	....	digital artist
Belinda Griffiths	....	matte painter
Michael Halley	....	senior 3D artist
Sean Heuston	....	digital compositor
Nicky Ladas	....	IT manager
Nicky Ladas	....	film scanner operator
Evans Mark	....	digital artist
Damon Milman	....	technical director
Tony O'Loughlan	....	motion control camera assistant
Kim Pearce	....	senior system administrator
Eric Person	....	digital film supervisor
Paul Raeburn	....	digital compositor
Jaime Richter	....	digital compositor
Michael Sarkis	....	lead motion control operator
Murray Smallwood	....	digital compositor
Sean Steinmuller	....	creature animator
Michele Stewart	....	assistant to visual effects producer
Greg Tuckwell	....	model/miniature supervisor
Randy Vellacott	....	digital compositor
Donna Wallace	....	visual effects production accountant
Steve Cronin	....	digital compositor (uncredited)

Stunts
Renee Bowen	....	stunt double
Mick Corrigan	....	stunt rigger
Augie Davis	....	stunts
Ashley Fairfield	....	stunt double: Matthew Marsden
Ashley Fairfield	....	stunt rigger
Joe Pampanella	....	safety supervisor
Glenn Ruehland	....	stunt coordinator
Sheree Swords	....	stunt double

Camera and Electrical Department
Jason Binnie	....	first assistant
Ian Bird	....	key grip
Jasin Boland	....	still photographer
Simon Christidis	....	underwater cinematographer
Kevin Donovan	....	rigging grip
Karl Engeler	....	gaffer
Martin Fargher	....	dolly grip
Frank Hruby	....	camera operator
Gillian Huxley	....	rigging electric best boy
Ben King	....	second assistant camera: additional unit
Leigh Mackenzie	....	camera operator
Henare Mato	....	rigging gaffer
Luis Olivares	....	video assist operator
Jem Rayner	....	first underwater focus puller
Leo Richmond	....	lighting technician
Ricky Schamburg	....	first assistant camera: second unit
Zeb Simpson	....	video operator
Marc Spicer	....	camera operator
Joe Stick	....	second unit: best boy
John Trapman	....	aerial director of photography
Anthony Veith	....	best boy
Nathan Walton	....	lighting technician
Helen Ward	....	"a" second assistant camera
Mark Wareham	....	director of photography: second unit
Marc Windon	....	assistant camera
Steven J. Winslow	....	aerial camera technician: Wescam camera

Animation Department
Andy Cadzow	....	animator

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Sandi Cichello	....	costumer
Mary Lou Da Roza	....	costume buyer
Diana Freeman	....	costume coordinator

Editorial Department
Alicia Gleeson	....	first assistant editor
Tristan La Fontaine	....	colorist
Antonio Mestres	....	additional editor
Milena Romanin	....	additional assistant editor
Mark Warner	....	additional editor
Matthew Ozerski	....	assistant editor (uncredited)

Music Department
William Boston	....	orchestrator (as Bill Boston)
Christo Curtis	....	score recordist
Rick Giovinazzo	....	orchestrator
Coralie Hartl	....	orchestra contractor
Phillip Hartl	....	concert master
Andrew Kinney	....	orchestrator
Pilar McCurry	....	music supervisor
Larry Rench	....	supervising orchestrator
Nerida Tyson-Chew	....	conductor
Nerida Tyson-Chew	....	music producer
Linda Murdoch	....	music editor (uncredited)

Other crew
Warren Beaton	....	creature illustrator
Jason Bogard	....	production accountant
John Charles	....	software engineer: Sony DAC
Judy Dale	....	production secretary
Lou Grant	....	script supervisor: second unit
Kelly Hamilton	....	assistant: Ms. Harrah
Richard Harrah	....	production executive
Milli Howson	....	assistant to director
Duncan Jones	....	location assistant
Kitty King	....	assistant: Mr. Little
Kristin Kruger	....	second assistant accountant
Ernst W. Laurel	....	first assistant accountant
Damian Molloy	....	marine coordinator
Arwen Munro	....	production coordinator: second unit
Alexander Nicolas	....	marketing
Chris O'Connell	....	script supervisor (as Chrissie O'Connell)
Russell Sharp	....	sculptor
Alex Taussig	....	production coordinator
Jessica Walsh	....	production assistant
Tim Williams	....	monkey trainer
Joyce Heftel	....	script supervisor: pre-timing (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Screen Gems (presents)
• Middle Fork Productions

Distributors

• Screen Gems (2004) (worldwide) (theatrical)
• Sony Pictures Releasing (2004) (USA) (theatrical)
• Buena Vista International (2004) (Switzerland) (theatrical)
• Columbia TriStar Film Distributors International (2004) (Singapore) (theatrical)
• Columbia TriStar Film (2004) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Columbia TriStar Films (2004) (Spain) (theatrical)
• Columbia TriStar Films (2004) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Columbia TriStar Films de Argentina (2004) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• Columbia TriStar Italia (2005) (Italy) (theatrical)
• Columbia TriStar (2004) (Austria) (theatrical)
• Falcon (2004) (Czech Republic) (theatrical)
• Gaumont/Columbia TriStar Films (2004) (France) (theatrical)
• Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment (2005) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (2005) (Netherlands) (VHS)
• Columbia TriStar (2005) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Columbia TriStar (2005) (Brazil) (VHS)
• LK-TEL (2005) (Argentina) (DVD)
• LK-TEL (2005) (Argentina) (VHS)
• RTL Entertainment (2008) (Netherlands) (TV) (first national airing) (RTL7)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment Nordic (2009) (Finland) (DVD)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2004) (Canada) (DVD)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2005) (Germany) (DVD)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Universal Pictures Finland Oy (2005) (Finland) (DVD) (VHS)

Special Effects

• Animal Logic (opening titles)
• Makeup Effects Laboratories (orchids creation)
• Photon VFX (visual effects)
• Photon (visual effects)
• Studio Kite (animatronics)

Other Companies

• Cameraquip Australia  camera equipment provided by
• Chapman/Leonard Studio Equipment  dollies
• Light Odyssey  t-lights rental
• Motion Picture Lighting  lighting
• Studios 301  orchestra score recording facility
• Varèse Sarabande  score album released by

Also Known As:

"Anacondas 2: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid" - Malaysia (English title)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for action violence, scary images and some language

Runtime:

USA:97 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Indonesian

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Brazil:14 | Chile:TE | Czech Republic:U | Finland:K-15 | Germany:12 (f) | Netherlands:16 | Norway:15 | Peru:PT | Philippines:PG-13 | Singapore:PG | UK:12A | USA:PG-13 (certificate #39545) | Iceland:16 | Canada:PG (Ontario) | Malaysia:U | South Korea:12 | Singapore:NC-16 (re-rating) | Sweden:15

Filming Locations:

Deuba, Fiji

Company:

Screen Gems

Trivia:

The First Hollywood movie to have its premiere in Fiji.

Goofs:

Errors in geography: In the opening sequence, Borneo tribesmen are seen hunting a tiger. Tigers have been extinct on Borneo for 11,000 years. They exist on nearby Sumatra, but the tiger depicted was a Bengal tiger native to the Indian subcontinent.

Quotes:

Cole Burris:I had this friend, who had this friend who shot documentaries, and he and his whole crew went down to the Amazon, and they were all eaten by snakes, and thats a true story
Gordon Mitchell:Come on Cole, you new a guy who new a guy. That's an urban Myth.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Bad Movie Beatdown: Far Cry (#1.15)" (2009)

Soundtrack:

Theme from Jaws

A movie that exists for no other reason than to be the butt of our mockery.

Bring the crackers because mama, this movie is bringin' the cheese! If there has ever been a more culturally diverse group of no-name actors to brave the jungles of Borneo then I'll end my movie reviewing career right now (future users of the Alan Smithee pseudonym applaud). All right, I've kept this secret, but I actually sat in on a production meeting for Anacondas and here's how it went down:

"Annoying black dude who just screams the whole time?"

"Check. But let's put a tough black dude in there as well. Don't wanna be accused of stereotyping."

"Good idea. Who is Morris Chestnut?"

"Well, we thought it was a brand of chewing tobacco, but he's actually who we're gonna use as our tough black guy."

"Oh, OK. How about a Latino woman with an unnecessarily bad attitude?"

"You mean the J-Lo wannabe? Check."

"Good. Did y'all find that tough-looking Asian guy?"

"Check. It wasn't easy, but we found one with a mullet."

"Perfect. That'll alert everybody that he's not one of those brainy Asians. How about a blonde babe with a thick, fake Southern accent?"

"Check. She's from Georgia, but her accent sounded too realistic. We told her to fake it up."

"Good job. And I saw that you found a white European male, but how about the protagonist?"

"Oh, you mean the muscular white guy with a 2-day beard growth and husky voice? Check. He's in wardrobe right now having the sleeves on his tight shirt rolled up."

"Perfect. Just don't forget the tattoos. Now how about somebody who's actually famous?"

"Um, well, we don't exactly have that. But hey, we've got everything else!" And that, my friends, is your cast. Some other guy of some sort of foreign descent was thrown in there as well. He looked like Gregg Rainwater from The Young Riders. He died soon enough, so it doesn't really matter.

My money says you really won't care about anybody involved in this production. Well, I did like the southern girl. She was pretty hot. But why do producers insist on accents being so fake? Her accent dwindled as the movie went along. She eventually was only accenting about one word per sentence, but by the climax she started fakin' it up with reckless abandon!

And I'm sure plenty of girls will think Johnny "Five O'Clock Shadow" Messner is pretty hot, but for the most part you'll spend the first 10 minutes of the movie picking which characters you want to see swallowed whole by a giant anaconda. My first choice was the Jennifer Lopez wannabe. When B-movie characters like her prance around with a huge chip on their shoulder, I usually pray for some sort of creature to sneak up and bite that chip right off. Along with the entire shoulder.

This is one of those movies that relies on every cliché in the B-movie book. In other words, you can expect a whole lot of stuff like a door opening slowly and then something jumping out while a loud noise is made. And since this is a "creature feature," by definition a lot of the action takes place at night, in dark caves and in water, with only flashlights to light the way.

Dialogue is expectedly bad. We're treated to such intellectually-challenged exchanges as: "What's wrong with this picture?" "You're in it." And it's mostly dominated by Messner's Michael Paré-esque line delivery and Eugene Byrd's banshee-like screeching. It's funny up to a point, but eventually you start looking at your watch and thinking, "OK snake, it's time to eat this kid."

The CGI looks a little goofy at times, but most of it is well done thanks to the wise decision to hide the flaws with darkness and water. If you're wondering how this compares to the original Anaconda, well, the two really have nothing to do with each other except for presence of an anaconda. The first movie had famous people in it, this one doesn't. However, this one does have more anacondas! It's been 7 years since I saw the original, but I'm pretty sure it's the better of the two.

My biggest complaint is that Anacondas wasn't cheesy ENOUGH! If you're gonna be bad, then go as far out on the cheesy limb as you can go! Instead of a blood orchid, their research should've discovered a rare, Indonesian banana that held the secret to long life. Then once it was discovered the anacondas were eating these things and living forever, one of the bad actors could've deadpanned, "What are these things? Bananacondas?" BWAHAHAHAHA! Man, I really need to start writing screenplays for intentionally bad movies.

And I've said this before, but I'll say it again. Since "versus" movies are the current sequel trend, they should've dug up Harrison Ford (it's been four years since the guy had a hit), given him the Jack Ryan moniker again, and given *us* Jack Ryan Vs. Anaconda: The Hunt for the Blood Red Orchid in October. He could've been the guide for the scientists, and when one of them started whining he could've cracked, "Traveling through Borneo ain't like dusting crops, boy." Then he would've looked into the camera and winked. It'd have been awesome and you know it.

Oh, and let me leave with a word of advice. If a bad guy is standing near the edge of an anaconda pit, and he's holding a gun on one of your colleagues, but his back is to you, then please, for the love of all that is holy, instead of whimpering like someone forced to sit through a post-1987 Corey Feldman movie, stand up and kick the guy in the pit.