Tamara (2005)

Director:

Jeremy Haft

Writer (WGA):

Jeffrey Reddick (written by)

Release Date:

3 February 2006 (USA)

Genre:

Horror | Fantasy | Thriller

Tagline:

Karma's a bitch.

Plot:

Tamara, an unattractive girl, who is picked on by her peers returns after her death as a sexy seductress to exact revenge.

Plot Keywords:

Revenge | Witchcraft | High School | Prank | Spell

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Jenna Dewan-Tatum	...	Tamara Riley (as Jenna Dewan)
Katie Stuart	...	Chloe
Chad Faust	...	Jesse
Bryan Clark	...	Shawn
Melissa Marie Elias	...	Kisha (as Melissa Elias)
Gil Hacohen	...	Patrick
Marc Devigne	...	Roger
Matthew Marsden	...	Bill Natolly
Claudette Mink	...	Alison Natolly
Chris Sigurdson	...	Mr. Riley
Sarah Blondin	...	Freshman Girl #1
Magally Zelaya	...	Freshman Girl #2
Ernesto Griffith	...	Cop #1
Brian Davisson	...	Security Guard
Brandy Jaques	...	Receptionist
Jeffrey Reddick	...	Doctor

Directed by
Jeremy Haft

Writing credits (WGA)
Jeffrey Reddick		(written by)

Produced by
Michael Almog	....	executive producer
Peter Block	....	executive producer
Michael Califra	....	co-executive producer
Jason Constantine	....	executive producer
Morton Davis	....	executive producer
Danny Fisher	....	producer
Jack Fisher	....	executive producer
Joe Fisher	....	executive producer
Phyllis Laing	....	line producer
Matt Milich	....	producer
Dave Noll	....	co-executive producer
Chris Sievernich	....	producer
David Sporn	....	executive producer
Andrew Trapani	....	co-executive producer
Steve Whitney	....	co-executive producer
Martin Wiley	....	producer

Original Music by
Michael Suby

Cinematography by
Scott Kevan

Film Editing by
Eric Strand

Casting by
Lindsay Chag

Production Design by
Gordon Wilding

Set Decoration by
Shawna Balas

Costume Design by
Linda Madden

Makeup Department
Pamela M. Athayde	....	key makeup artist
Shanine Boiley	....	assistant hair stylist
Nina Caplette	....	hair dailies
Lori Caputi	....	key hair stylist
Iantha Goldberg	....	special makeup effects artist
Tonie Gonsalves	....	hair stylist
Ron Karkoska	....	special makeup effects artist: additional photography
Amanda Kuryk	....	special makeup effects artist
Brenda Magalas	....	first assistant makeup artist
Heather Mages	....	special makeup effects artist
Doug Morrow	....	key special makeup artist
Steven Kostanski	....	prosthetics shop assistant (uncredited)

Production Management
Hartley Gorenstein	....	production manager
Dale Tanguay	....	post-production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Charles Crossin	....	second assistant director
Emily Drake	....	third assistant director
Richard Duffy	....	second assistant director
Megan Heke	....	trainee assistant director
Ronaldo Nacionales	....	assistant director
Martin Wiley	....	second unit director

Art Department
Ricardo Alms	....	set dresser
Nick Burns	....	storyboard artist
Jason Gibbs	....	property master
Laurel Hogan	....	art department coordinator
Tim Jansen	....	construction coordinator
John Jennissen	....	set dresser
Sheldon Johnson	....	draftsperson
Alexis Labra	....	on-set dresser
Jeffrey Lesage	....	lead set dresser (as Jeff Lesage)
Bill MacInnis	....	assistant set decorator
Allan McGowan	....	set dresser
Rolf Raven	....	set buyer
Chris Roznowsky	....	first assistant property master
Katharina Stieffenhofer	....	assistant art director
Jonathan Van Winkle	....	graphic artist

Sound Department
Deb Adair	....	sound re-recording mixer
Kami Asgar	....	supervising sound editor
Beau Borders	....	sound re-recording mixer
Hennie Britton	....	foley recordist
Ken Cain	....	sound conform
Paul Demers	....	foley assistant
Joe Dzuban	....	sound editor
Derek Gunnlaugson	....	on-set observer/assistant
Eric Harwood	....	sound re-recordist
Scott A. Jennings	....	sound editor
Leon Johnson	....	production sound mixer
Michael Keeping	....	foley artist
Tateum Kohut	....	sound re-recording mixer
Stan Mak	....	boom operator
Herwig Maurer	....	sound editor
Sean McCormack	....	supervising sound editor
Marcelo Teson	....	sound editor
Tim Tuchrello	....	sound editor

Special Effects by
Douglas W. Beard	....	special effects supervisor

Visual Effects by
Dale Tanguay	....	visual effects supervisor

Stunts
Cameron Bryson	....	stunt double
Eric Bryson	....	stunt coordinator
Kristyn Butcher	....	stunt double
Randy Butcher	....	stunt coordinator
Terrance Leigh	....	stunt coordinator
Rick Skene	....	stunt coordinator
Jodi Terhoch	....	stunt double

Camera and Electrical Department
Jim Campbell	....	generator operator
Gabriel Daniels	....	grip
Andreas Evdemon	....	steadicam operator
Allen Fraser	....	still photographer
Terence Fuller	....	grip
Andrea Hardy	....	second assistant camera: 'b' camera
Jason Heke	....	assistant camera
Dean Heselden	....	steadicam operator
Joao Holowka	....	gaffer
Charles Konowal	....	camera operator: 'b' camera
Steve Madden	....	key grip
Mike Maryniuk	....	camera trainee
Jeremy Milmine	....	best boy electric
Juan Carlos Montalvo	....	first assistant camera: 'b' camera (as Juan Montalvo)
Brian Sanders	....	first assistant camera: 'b' camera (as Bryan Sanders)
Claude Savard	....	camera operator
Peter Sciberras	....	grip
Paul Sigurdson	....	first assistant camera (as Einar Sigurdson)
Jeremy Spofford	....	second assistant camera
Paul Suderman	....	camera operator: 'b' camera
Terry Thiessen	....	grip
Shauna Townley	....	first assistant camera: 'b' camera
Roger Wiebe	....	best boy grip
Steve Wilkie	....	still photographer

Casting Department
Kathy Driscoll	....	casting: Winnipeg
Jennifer Koenig	....	casting assistant: Winnipeg
Patricia Kress	....	extras casting assistant: Winnipeg
Michelle Paradise	....	casting assistant: Los Angeles
Lori Stefaniuk	....	extras casting

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Michelle Boulet	....	set costume supervisor
Patricia J. Henderson	....	costumer
Meg McMillan	....	assistant costume designer
Heather Neale	....	truck costumer
Yvonne Rempel	....	costumer

Editorial Department
Aidan Stanford	....	color timer
Kurt Tuffendsam	....	first assistant editor

Music Department
Allison Wright Clark	....	music licensing
Melissa Elias	....	music supervisor
Melissa Marie Elias	....	music supervisor (as Melissa Elias)
Joel J. Richard	....	additional music texture designer
Joel J. Richard	....	musician: guitar
Mark Skillingberg	....	music editor

Transportation Department
Jim McNulty	....	transportation captain
Jim Stevenson	....	transportation coordinator

Other crew
Neal Baksh	....	assistant to director
Jason Campbell	....	production assistant
Sarah Jane Cundell	....	location manager
Martin Ellis	....	assistant location manager
Shelly-Anne Hays	....	assistant to producer (as Shelly Hays-Novakowski)
Ross Ikeda	....	production accountant
David Lapp	....	assistant production accountant
Scott Layton	....	production coordinator
Adam W. Rosen	....	legal services
Mark Selby	....	production assistant
Leslie Stafford	....	publicist
Elaine Yarish	....	script supervisor

Production Companies

• Integrated Films & Management
• Manitoba Film and Video Production Tax Credit
• Canadian Film or Video Production Tax Credit (CPTC)
• Armada Pictures
• City Lights Pictures

Distributors

• Lions Gate Films (2006) (USA) (theatrical)
• Armada Pictures International (2005) (non-USA) (all media)
• City Lights Pictures (2006) (USA) (theatrical)
• Gelvars (2006) (Russia) (theatrical)
• MegaVision (2006) (Philippines) (theatrical)
• Koch Media (2008) (Germany) (DVD)
• WE Productions (2008) (USA) (all media)

Other Companies

• Film Finances Canada  completion guarantor
• Sound Choice Post  sound post-production
• William F. White International  grip and lighting equipment

Also Known As:

MPAA:

Rated R for sequences of strong bloody violence, language, sexuality and teen drinking

Runtime:

98 min | Philippines:95 min (cut)

Country:

USA | Canada

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Netherlands:16 | USA:R | Germany:16 | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:14A (Ontario) | Canada:18A (Manitoba) | Philippines:R-13 | Australia:MA | Italy:VM14

Filming Locations:

Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

Company:

Integrated Films & Management

Trivia:

The color red is scarce throughout the film. Its only presence is on Tamara.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: During the scene where Tamara is tearing the love binding spell from her spell book, the page comes out clean with no jagged tears. The jagged tear where Chloe will later replace the spell into the book can be seen behind the page being torn.

Quotes:

Patrick:Sorry, Mrs. Natolly. Tamara wants you dead.

Movie Connections:

References I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997)

Soundtrack:

Shatter

Revenge of the Undead Hottie

"Tamara" is a predictable-but-fun little teen horror flick, bolted together out of spare parts from films like "Carrie," "I Know What You Did Last Summer" and "The Craft," to name just a few. Our "heroine" (and I use that term loosely), Tamara (Jenna Dewan), is a homely high school nerd who dabbles in witchcraft in her spare time. She's got an unrequited crush on her hunky, sensitive English teacher (Matthew Marsden) and is constantly picked on by the "populars" in her school. After she writes an article for the school paper "outing" the football team as steroid users, they naturally want to get back at her so they set up a particularly cruel prank where they make her think she's going to hook up with Hunky Teacher Guy at a local hotel. Naturally the naive Tamara is less than thrilled to find out that she's been fooled, and while struggling with her tormentors, she hits her head on a coffee table and dies. In true Horror Movie fashion, the Populars decide to simply bury her in the woods, swear to tell no one what happened, and move on.

Imagine their surprise when Tamara simply sashays back into to school the next day as if nothing has happened, seemingly having gone through an Extreme Undead Hottie Makeover in the meantime. The "new" Tamara appears sweet enough at first, but quickly sets out to get revenge on the gang who wronged her, in the most brutal fashion possible. One kid recreates the "Hear No Evil, Speak No Evil, Say No Evil" mantra with a razor knife, her abusive dad eats glass, a b*tchy cheerleader type vomits her guts out, etc., etc. Of course, Tamara's ambitions also extend to true happiness with her teacher, which means she has to get rid of his wife too. Will true love triumph over vengeance from the grave? OK, so "Tamara" is not a great movie by any means, but it is fun to watch. Jenna Dewan looks pretty hot even when she's supposed to be an Ugly Duckling in the first quarter of the film, but after she returns from the grave -- damn! The rest of the young cast perform their roles as obnoxious cannon fodder well enough, and the flick has decent production values and just the right amount of gore and nastiness. If you can get over the inherent silliness of it all, "Tamara" is a fun ride for B-horror fans.

"Tamara" gets an "A" for eye candy, a "C" for originality, and a "B-" for execution. Worth a look if you can find it cheap, like I did.