Surveillance (I) (2008)

Two FBI agents attempt to clarify the murders occurring in a desolate region. They approach the witnesses of the latest incident with the help of the local police. All of them hide something and all have wildly different stories to tell.

Director:

Jennifer Chambers Lynch

Writers:

Kent Harper, Jennifer Chambers Lynch

Stars:

Caroline Aaron, Pell James, Julia Ormond

3 wins & 4 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Caroline Aaron	...	Janet
Hugh Dillon	...	Dad (Steven)
David Gane	...	Grocery Man
Gill Gayle	...	Officer Degrasso
Kent Harper	...	Officer Jack Bennett
Michael Ironside	...	Captain Billings
Pell James	...	Bobbi Prescott
Daryl Haney	...	Drug Dealer (as D.R. Haney)
Shannon Jardine	...	Elaine Meyer
Angela Lamarsh	...	Maid
Gerald Lenton-Young	...	Coroner (as Gerald Layton-Young)
Jennifer Miles	...	TV Reporter
Mac Miller	...	Johnny
Charlie Newmark	...	Officer Wright
Julia Ormond	...	Elizabeth Anderson

Storyline

Grisly murders occur in a small town. Two FBI agents arrive, set up their cameras in three interview rooms, and set up interviews of three survivors: a girl of about nine, a foul-mouthed cop with a bandaged hand, and a young woman of about 20 who uses drugs. Each tells their story as the male FBI agent listens and watches from a separate room: the girl draws for and talks to the female agent, the local chief interviews the injured cop, and two officers interview the young woman. As they tell their stories, some of which are inaccurate and self-serving, we see what actually happened the day before. Can the agents or anyone else put the pieces together?

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Plot Keywords:

interview | fbi agent | murder | gore | police station | 

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for strong bloody violence, pervasive language, some drug use and a scene of aberrant sexuality

Details

Official Sites:

Official site Official site [Japan]

Country:

USA Germany Canada

Language:

English

Release Date:

31 July 2008 (Germany)

Also Known As:

Aberrált élvezetek

Filming Locations:

Canada Saskatchewan Production Studios, Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada

Box Office

Budget:

$3,500,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$4,590 (USA) (26 June 2009)

Gross:

$25,352 (USA) (24 July 2009)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Lago Film, See Film, Film Star Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

97 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Director Jennifer Chambers Lynch's first film in 15 years.

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Goofs

The closing credits state that the cast is listed in alphabetical order, but Daryl Haney's name is listed after Kent Harper, Michael Ironside, and Pell James (despite the fact that it precedes all of them alphabetically).

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Quotes

[first lines]
Elizabeth Anderson: You're never going to sleep again.
Sam Hallaway: That's the point.

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Crazy Credits

After the credits the title appears, but now blood splattered

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Connections

Referenced in Surveillance: The Watched Are Watching (2009)

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Soundtracks

"Bottom of a Dream"
Composed by Hugh Dillon and Christopher Osti
Performed by The Hugh Dillon Redemption Choir (as Hugh Dillon Redemption Choir)
Ching Music

User Reviews

Simply Brutal

Surveillance proved to be highly entertaining from beginning to end. A clever blend of dark comedy, crime thriller, and a slight dash of horror. I was a little surprised by the choice in cast as several well known comedic actors appear in serious roles. What surprised me more is how well they did portraying their characters. For me the characters hold equal credit (as the story) in the entertainment displayed in this film. My only complaint would be the sheer confusion in the story for the first quarter of this film. Of course everything begins to come together but a little more clarity as to what exactly everyone was discussing would have been nice. A minor complaint for an otherwise brilliant movie.