Solstice (2008) (V)

User Rating:

5.4/10   

Director:

Daniel Myrick

Writers:

Daniel Myrick (written by) &
Martin Musatov (written by) ...
(more)

Release Date:

1 January 2008 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Horror | Thriller

Plot:

A young girl uncovers a disturbing secret about her twin sister, who committed suicide just a few months before.

Plot Keywords:

Suicide | Twin Sister | Solstice | Lake | Friend

Cast

Elisabeth Harnois	...	Megan / Sophie
Shawn Ashmore	...	Christian
Hilarie Burton	...	Alicia
Amanda Seyfried	...	Zoe
Tyler Hoechlin	...	Nick
Matt O'Leary	...	Mark
R. Lee Ermey	...	Leonard
Lisa Arnold	...	Mrs. Thomas
Lyle Brocato	...	Partier
David Dahlgren	...	Mr. Thomas
Jenna Hildebrand	...	Malin
Mark Krasnoff	...	Cop
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Deejay Buras	...	Party guest (uncredited)
Jacob Hamil	...	Party Host (uncredited)
Cliff Johnson	...	Cemetary Visitor (uncredited)
Gary Michael Smith	...	Sheriff (uncredited)

Directed by
Daniel Myrick		(as Dan Myrick)

Writing credits
Daniel Myrick		(written by) (as Dan Myrick) &
Martin Musatov		(written by) (as Marty Musatov) &
Ethan Erwin		(written by)

Produced by
Meredith Ann Berg	....	associate producer
Mikkel Bondesen	....	co-producer
Adam Del Deo	....	producer
Garrick Dion	....	co-producer
David Grace	....	co-producer
Jeffrey Graup	....	co-producer
Douglas Hansen	....	executive producer
Eleanor Nett	....	co-producer
Mason Novick	....	co-executive producer
James D. Stern	....	producer

Original Music by
Jane Antonia Cornish

Cinematography by
M. David Mullen		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Mathilde Bonnefoy

Casting by
Monika Mikkelsen
Mary Vernieu

Production Design by
Bruton Jones

Art Direction by
Anna De Coster

Set Decoration by
Marthe Pineau

Costume Design by
Caroline Eselin

Makeup Department
Betty Hamnac	....	key hair stylist
Kimberley Kirkpatrick	....	makeup artist
Yolanda Mercadel	....	hair department head
Karen Toole-Rentrop	....	makeup department head (as Karen D. Toole)
Teresa Vest	....	key makeup artist
Teresa Vest	....	special makeup effects artist

Production Management
Kathy Chambless	....	unit production manager
Clio Tegel	....	production supervisor
David Townsend	....	post-production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Kristofer Kolpek	....	second second assistant director: additional photography
Rhys Summerhayes	....	second assistant director
Louis Paul Tocchet	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Michael Hendrick	....	lead man
Troy A. Johnson	....	utility
Julie Kobsa	....	assistant art director
Luci Leary	....	buyer
William D. McLane	....	property master
Steven M. Saylor	....	set designer
Chuck Stringer	....	construction coordinator
Joe Walsh	....	key on-set dresser
Jim S. Williams	....	assistant property master

Sound Department
Todd Beckett	....	sound effects editor
Paula Fairfield	....	sound designer
Paula Fairfield	....	supervising sound editor
Catherine Harper	....	foley artist
Steve Kinsey	....	sound mixing technician
Darrin Mann	....	foley mixer
Christopher Moriana	....	foley artist
Carla Murray	....	sound effects designer
Carla Murray	....	sound effects editor
Matthew Nicolay	....	production sound mixer
Matthew Nicolay	....	sound mixer
Jill Purdy	....	dialogue editor

Special Effects by
Ted Allen	....	special effects technician
David J. Barker	....	special effects
Rich E. Cordobes	....	special effects technician
Ken Gorrell	....	special effects coordinator
Richard L. Hill	....	special effects technician
Joe Pancake	....	special effects supervisor
Russell Tyrrell	....	special effects technician

Visual Effects by
Danny Albano	....	digital compositor: Technicolor Digital Services
Jan Cilliers	....	digital compositor: Method Studios
Zachary Lo	....	visual effects artist
Todd Mitchell	....	scanning and recording: TDI
Erin L. Nelson	....	digital restoration
Cedric Nicolas	....	visual effects supervisor
Katrina Salicrup	....	digital compositor
Chris Smallfield	....	visual effects
Brad Sutton	....	digital restoration
Wilson Tang	....	digital restoration

Stunts
Trace Cheramie	....	stunts
Chris J. Fanguy	....	utility stunts
Jeff Galpin	....	stunt coordinator
Karin Justman	....	stunts
Holly O'Quin	....	stunt double
Russell Towery	....	utility stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Jeffrey Adam Clayton	....	grip
Andre Green	....	lighting technician
Michael Lemmon	....	set lighting technician
Marcos O. Lopez	....	first assistant camera
Keith Morgan	....	gaffer
Darby Newman	....	second assistant camera
Steven Teagle	....	still photographer
Christa Vicknair	....	second assistant camera: second camera
Earl Woods	....	rigging gaffer
Louis Zlotowicz	....	camera loader

Casting Department
Lauri David	....	extras casting
Venus Kanani	....	casting associate
Gene Vassilaros	....	casting associate

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Ann Walters	....	costume supervisor

Editorial Department
Ron Barr	....	digital intermediate editor
Dylan Firshein	....	first assistant editor
Halima K. Gilliam	....	assistant film editor

Music Department
Jane Antonia Cornish	....	conductor
Peter DiRado	....	music editor
Stephen Krause	....	score mixer

Transportation Department
Skip Barbay	....	driver
Dale Combs	....	driver: honeywagon
John DeVay	....	swing truck driver
Brad Lips	....	driver
Danny Mortenson	....	transportation coordinator
Albert Samson	....	transportation captain

Other crew
Mac Alsfeld	....	production assistant
Elizabeth A. Bergman	....	post-production accountant
Erik Bright	....	unit publicist
Chris Browne	....	key craft service
Kathy Chambless	....	production office coordinator
Chris J. Fanguy	....	rescue diver
Megan Galiber	....	assistant to director
Joel Goldes	....	dialect coach
Aaron Goldstein	....	assistant: Mr. Myrick
Kyle Hollingsworth	....	production assistant
Kevin Lorio	....	set production assistant
Kevin Meier	....	office production assistant
Isaac Meisenheimer	....	key set production assistant
John A. Mmahat Jr.	....	assistant location manager
Kelley Newman	....	unit publicist
Bryan Okamoto	....	assistant: producer
Michael S. Rapuano Jr.	....	location production assistant
Laura Rosaly	....	assistant production office coordinator
Zachary Rosenfield	....	unit publicist
Roberta Elizabeth Sandler	....	accounting clerk
Phil Seifert	....	location manager
Sandy Sfeir	....	production accountant
Kris Smith	....	script supervisor
Ambika Leigh	....	production assistant: second unit (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Endgame Entertainment
• Solstice Productions

Distributors

• Pyramid (2008) (Russia) (theatrical)
• Square One Entertainment (2006) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Viva International Pictures (2008) (Philippines) (theatrical)
• Distribution Company (2009) (Argentina) (all media)
• Dutch FilmWorks (DFW) (2008) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Dutch FilmWorks (DFW) (2008) (Netherlands) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Future Film (2009) (Finland) (DVD)
• Weinstein Company, The (2008) (USA) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Business Affairs  production counsel
• Chapman/Leonard Studio Equipment  dollies
• Scarlet Letters  end titles
• yU+Co.  titles

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for violent content, disturbing images, language, teen drinking and some thematic material.

Runtime:

87 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Certification:

USA:PG-13 | Portugal:M/16 | Philippines:PG-13 (MTRCB) | Germany:18 | South Korea:15 | Italy:T | Netherlands:12 | Australia:M | Finland:K-18

Filming Locations:

Husser, Louisiana, USA

Company:

Endgame Entertainment

Trivia:

One of the first films to be produced in and around New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina.

Movie Connections:

References The Lost Boys (1987)

Soundtrack:

On The Outside

Whilst it's a good film, it's one of the tamest "horror" movies I have seen in a long, long time...

I've just finished watching an early release of Solstice, and I have mixed feelings towards the film overall. I have been awaiting the movie for a while, and whilst I am thankful the overall movie is actually good - I can't help but feel disappointed at the same time. Perhaps I went in expecting a horror film? Because that is not what I got while watching Solstice. Solstice is one of the tamest horror films I have seen in a long, long time as a huge horror fan, and even "The Messengers" has more violence than this. That's saying something.

The movie tells the story about Megan (Elisabeth Harnois) who heads away with her friends for the weekend after the suicide of her twin sister. However, Megan begins to receive disturbances which she believes to be caused by her deceased twin and sets out to uncover the truth. I like the plot, it's interesting and one of the reasons I watched the film.

I'll start with the positives here, as this is a good film. The movie has a great range of actors who all deliver great performances. I was particularly impressed with Hilarie Burton, as she had a great, bitchy character to work with. R. Lee Ermey also has a cameo role, and while it could have been expanded - he is good, as expected. The movie also starts off pretty strong and the characters are likable, and the plot is interesting to watch. The only other movie released recently about female twins was "I Know Who Killed Me", so I had to see what Solstice had to offer.

However, Solstice advertises itself as a horror movie, but quite frankly - it really isn't. Just because it has a plot involving a ghost doesn't mean it is a horror film, as this movie does not feel like a horror film apart from very few drops of blood and a few shots of a ghost. There is minimal violence in the film and minimal blood and gore, but I expected this because of the films rating. If you thought The Messengers, The Fog remake and many others were tame...wait until you see this! I mean, there was hardly any suspense or tension either. I hardly call a cars headlights going on and off suspenseful, do you? Maybe once - yes, but when they use these kind of things dozens of times in a row in this movie...it's like a "wtf" moment. This is probably when you'll realize that this is the most "horror" this movie has to offer...yet again, headlights turning on and off isn't exactly scary is it?!

I just think Solstice ultimately suffered in the horror department. This is still supposed to be a horror movie, and it still needed the suspense, violence and more. It had literally nothing apart from a few ghostly images and a bit of violence near the end...and thats what disappointed me the most. I wouldn't classify this as a horror movie because it just doesn't feel like one. Even when the supposed "horror" comes, it takes a while and it's just really the lead female character being creeped out over and over again by cars, cuddly toys and nightmares. It more-or-less feels like a teen drama like "The OC" with some kind of "Halloween Special", or maybe even a Goosebumps episode. It's a good movie, but it needed more horror! a lot more actually!

6/10