Brand Upon the Brain! A Remembrance in 12 Chapters (2006)

Director:

Guy Maddin

Writers:

Guy Maddin
Louis Negin (narration)
(more)

Release Date:

24 September 2008 (France)

Genre:

Comedy | Fantasy

Plot:

Guy Maddin reluctantly returns to his childhood home, an abandoned Canadian island, where his parents ran an orphanage...

Plot Keywords:

Paint | Island | Lighthouse | Orphan | Mother

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Gretchen Krich	...	Mother
Sullivan Brown	...	Young Guy Maddin
Maya Lawson	...	Sis
Katherine E. Scharhon	...	Chance Hale / Wendy Hale
Todd Moore	...	Father
Andrew Loviska	...	Savage Tom
Kellan Larson	...	Neddie
Erik Steffen Maahs	...	Older Guy Maddin
Cathleen O'Malley	...	Young Mother
Clayton Corzatte	...	Old Father
Susan Corzatte	...	Old Mother
Megan Murphy	...	Murderous Sister
Annette Toutonghi	...	Murderous Sister
David Lobo	...	Oarsman
Eric Lobo	...	Oarsman
Sarah Harlett	...	Adopting Couple
Dan Tierney	...	Adopting Couple
David Armo	...	Orphan
Erica Badgely	...	Orphan
Riley Calcagno	...	Orphan
Jesa Chiro	...	Orphan
Munya Chiro	...	Orphan
Bailey Gibart	...	Orphan
Frank Hughes	...	Orphan
AnnieRose Kafer	...	Orphan
Emma Kelley	...	Orphan
Eleanor Kopf	...	Orphan
Sam Kopf	...	Orphan
Charlie Lachow	...	Orphan
Sam Lachow	...	Orphan
Maia Lee	...	Orphan
Emma Mercer	...	Orphan
Lucia Moser	...	Orphan
Madeleine Moser	...	Orphan
Eli Pruzan	...	Orphan
Connor Russell	...	Orphan
Electra Fire Scott	...	Orphan
Vincent Scott	...	Orphan
Iris Seiwerath	...	Orphan
Ruby Seiwerath	...	Orphan
Olivia Spokoiny	...	Orphan
Maya Sugarman	...	Orphan
Augustine Vanden Brulle	...	Orphan
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Isabella Rossellini	...	Narrator (voice)
Clara Grace Svenson	...	Baby Mother
Anna Wichman	...	Orphan

Directed by
Guy Maddin

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Guy Maddin
Louis Negin		narration
George Toles

Produced by
A.J. Epstein	....	executive producer
Joy Fairfield	....	co-producer
Jaime Hook	....	associate producer
Amy Jacobson	....	producer
Gregg Lachow	....	producer
Jody Shapiro	....	executive producer
Philip Wohlstetter	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Jason Staczek

Cinematography by
Benjamin Kasulke

Film Editing by
John Gurdebeke

Casting by
Joy Fairfield

Production Design by
Tania Kupczak

Art Direction by
Noel Paul		(co-art director)
Apryl Richards		(co-art director)

Set Decoration by
Jennifer Labbienti

Costume Design by
Laura Catigniani
Nina Moser
K.D. Schill

Makeup Department
Denise Giago	....	key hair stylist
Denise Giago	....	key makeup artist
Daniel Wolcott	....	makeup artist
Daniel Wolcott	....	special makeup effects artist

Production Management
Joy Fairfield	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Benjamin Kasulke	....	second unit director
Tyson Theroux	....	second assistant director
Anna Waggoner	....	assistant director

Art Department
Rena Bussinger	....	props manager
John DeShazo	....	set/prop builder
Wing Gee	....	tech designer
Tom Phillips	....	props
Sean Porter	....	tech designer
Tivon Rice	....	props
Alan Strathmann	....	props
Curtis Taylor	....	set designer

Sound Department
John Bosch	....	sound recordist
Caoimhe Doyle	....	live foley artist
Stefan Fraticelli	....	live foley artist
Goro Koyama	....	live foley artist
Andy Malcolm	....	live foley artist
Anna Malkin	....	foley recording assistant
Ron Malligers	....	foley mixer
Murray Trider	....	sound recordist
Don White	....	foley recording mixer
Don White	....	live foley mixer

Camera and Electrical Department
Sullivan Brown	....	camera operator
Dave Hanagan	....	gaffer (as David Hanagan)
Benjamin Kasulke	....	camera operator
Jennifer Maas	....	grip
Guy Maddin	....	camera operator
Danielle Morgan	....	assistant camera
Danielle Morgan	....	camera operator
Kevin Philbin	....	grip
Courtland Premo	....	grip
Adam L. Weintraub	....	still photographer

Editorial Department
Marc Brown	....	film output: digital intermediate
Cheryll Hidalgo	....	additional editor
Tim Maffia	....	digital color grading
Michelle Witten	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Timothy Huling	....	orchestrator
Bob Ingalls	....	orchestrator
Cary LoGrande	....	orchestral part preparation (uncredited)

Other crew
Cynthia Amsden	....	publicist
Mike Casassa	....	production coordinator
S.J. Chiro	....	craft service
Andy Spletzer	....	script supervisor

Production Companies

• The Film Company

Distributors

• The Film Company (2007) (USA) (theatrical)
• Vitagraph Pictures (2007) (USA) (theatrical)
• Criterion Collection, The (2008) (USA) (DVD)
• Seven Films (2007) (Greece) (all media)
• Sundance Channel (2007) (USA) (TV)

Other Companies

• Celluloid Dreams  internation sales

Also Known As:

"Brand Upon the Brain!" - International (English title) (imdb display title)

Runtime:

95 min

Country:

USA | Canada

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Certification:

Canada:14A (Alberta/British Columbia/Manitoba/Ontario) | Singapore:R21 | France:U (with warning) | USA:Not Rated

Filming Locations:

Seattle, Washington, USA

Company:

The Film Company

Quotes:

Narrator:What's a suicide attempt without a wedding?

Movie Connections:

Edited into 97 Percent True (2008) (V)

Jalapeño Water

Here's the problem: Maddin is an impressive filmmaker. He is important and has made at least two films that are important to me.

But he is not a very interesting person. So when he applies his mastery to making a personal film - a film essentially about his dreams and demons, it turns into something of a tragedy for the opportunity misspent.

This really is a wonderful film in the way it is put together. The whole team seems be closely attuned, with a central role played by the editor. The sound effects are astonishing - and this is a silent film. The references, duly abstracted, from past masterworks are copious and respectful.

The narrative structure is suitably complex with manifold overlapping metaphors. The problem is that what we actually get directly from him is boring. Sex and mothers matter; dreams are real; nothing recedes. But we knew that better and more deeply than he shows.

Ted's Evaluation -- 2 of 3: Has some interesting elements.