Amusement (2008)

Director:

John Simpson

Writer (WGA):

Jake Wade Wall (written by)

Release Date:

9 October 2008 (Thailand)

Genre:

Horror | Thriller

Tagline:

It's Funny... Right?

Plot:

Three women are stalked by a killer with a grudge that extends back to the girls' childhoods.

Plot Keywords:

Childhood | Grudge | Stalker | Killer | Urban Legend

Cast

Keir O'Donnell	...	The Laugh
Katheryn Winnick	...	Tabitha
Laura Breckenridge	...	Shelby
Jessica Lucas	...	Lisa
Tad Hilgenbrink	...	Rob (as Tad Hilgenbrinck)
Reid Scott	...	Dan
Rena Owen	...	Psychiatrist
Kevin Gage	...	Tryton
Brennan Bailey	...	Danny
Preston Bailey	...	Max
Shauna Duggins	...	Woman In Truck
Fernanda Dorogi	...	Cat
Eyad Kurd-Misto	...	Child Laugh
Karley Scott Collins	...	Child Tabitha
Jadin Gould	...	Child Shelby
Alisha Boe	...	Child Lisa
David Steven Waine	...	Puppeteer
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Ashley Arnold	...	School Girl (uncredited)
David Arnold	...	Playground Boy (uncredited)

Directed by
John Simpson

Writing credits (WGA)
Jake Wade Wall		(written by)

Produced by
Neal Edelstein	....	producer
Merideth Finn	....	executive producer
Mike Macari	....	producer
Udi Nedivi	....	co-producer

Original Music by
Marco Beltrami

Cinematography by
Mark Garrett		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
David Handman
Chris G. Willingham		(as Chris Willingham)

Casting by
Johanna Ray

Production Design by
Craig Stearns

Art Direction by
Bence Erdelyi
Mihály Molnár

Costume Design by
Andrea Flesch

Makeup Department
Jake Garber	....	special makeup effects artist: additional photography
Hildegard Haide	....	key makeup artist
Éva Kozma	....	makeup artist
Iván Pohárnok	....	special makeup effects artist
K.G. Ramsey	....	hair department head
John Rosengrant	....	special makeup effects supervisor: Stan Winston Studio

Production Management
Balázs Harmati	....	unit manager
Erik Holmberg	....	executive in charge of production
Norbert Kroó	....	assistant unit manager
Jody Levin	....	executive in charge of post-production
Udi Nedivi	....	unit production manager
Darin Read	....	post-production supervisor
Frank Salvino	....	post-production supervisor
Matthew Spiegel	....	production supervisor
Miklós Tóth	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Gábor Gajdos	....	first assistant director
Rob King	....	second unit director
Kati Magenheim	....	second assistant director
Ronan O'Connor	....	second assistant director
Judit Soltész	....	first assistant director: second unit
Judit Soltész	....	second assistant director
Tamás Vass	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Laura Evans	....	set decorator: additional photography
Gergely Kajdi	....	lead greensman
Zsuzsa Kismarty-Lechner	....	draughtsperson
Péter Koronghy	....	set dresser
Péter Kovács	....	construction coordinator
Attila Digi Kövári	....	on-set dresser
Dim McRemnant	....	graphic artist
László Nagyidai Jr.	....	construction manager
Szilvia Paros	....	art department coordinator
Gábor Posevitz	....	property master
Zsolt Sajgó	....	construction manager
Lajos E. Szabó	....	stand-by painter
Marton Szalay	....	set dresser
Jeffry C. Voorhees	....	on-set dresser: additional photography
Csaba Vásári	....	stand-by carpenter
Balázs M. Kovács	....	props (uncredited)

Sound Department
Christopher Alba	....	first assistant sound editor
Anita Cannella	....	foley artist
Rob Cunningham	....	utility sound technician: Los Angeles
Klair Ethridge	....	boom operator: Los Angeles
Steve Finnigan	....	adr recordist
Alan Freedman	....	adr mixer
Gary Gegan	....	sound re-recording mixer
Jonathan Golodner	....	foley editor
Paul Hackner	....	dialogue editor
Matthew Iadarola	....	supervising re-recording mixer
Amy Kane	....	foley artist
János Köporosy	....	sound mixer
Mark Larry	....	supervising sound editor
Mike Marino	....	foley mixer
Michael C. Moore	....	sound mixer: Los Angeles
Steve Schatz	....	sound mixing recordist
Peter Schulteisz	....	assistant sound
Szabolcs Stella	....	boom operator
Eric Thompson	....	adr mixer
Bryan O. Watkins	....	sound effects editor

Special Effects by
Veronika Dobos	....	special effects assistant
Damian Fisher	....	special effects technician
István Gittinger	....	pyrotechnician
Gyula Krasnyánszky	....	pyro supervisor
Lindsay MacGowan	....	effects coordinator: Stan Winston Studio
Norbert Orosz	....	pyrotechnician
László Pintér	....	pyrotechnician
Lino Stavole	....	special effects technician: KNB Effects Group
David Waine	....	special effects coordinator

Visual Effects by
Mandy Arnold	....	digital effects artist
Ronald Arredondo	....	visual effects gaffer: Cinema Production Services, Inc.
Greg Baxter	....	visual effects producer
Daniel Birnbaum	....	digital compositor
Chris Dawson	....	motion control camera operator
Giovanni Dulay	....	visual effects: Cinema Production Services, Inc.
Tim Fescoe	....	compositor
Scott Hankel	....	digital effects artist
Balázs Harmati	....	motion control operator
Matt Hennessy	....	visual effects
Bob Hurrie	....	visual effects producer: Cinema Production Services, Inc.
Christopher Johnson	....	visual effects: Cinema Production Services Inc
John Joyce	....	visual effects coordinator: Cinema Production Services, Inc.
Michael Joyce	....	visual effects supervisor: Cinema Production Services, Inc.
Morgan McDermott	....	visual effects
Dennis McHugh	....	visual effects director of photography: Cinema Production Services, Inc.
Daniel Molina	....	digital compositor
Csaba Nemesházi	....	visual effects
Corinne Pooler	....	visual effects producer: Digital Dream
Jerry Pooler	....	visual effects supervisor: Digital Dream
Marco Recuay	....	digital effects supervisor: Digital Dream
Ariel Velasco-Shaw	....	visual effects supervisor (as Ariel Velasco Shaw)

Stunts
Andrea Barat	....	stunt driver
Endre Botka	....	stunts
Krisztián Botka	....	stunts
Erika Cziráky	....	stunts
Shauna Duggins	....	stunts
Balázs Farkas	....	stunts
Kinga Gavalda	....	stunt double: Katheryn Winnick
Kinga Gavalda	....	stunt double: Tabitha
Zoltán Gulyás Kiss	....	stunt coordinator: Hungary
Zoltán Gulyás Kiss	....	stunt double: Rob
Craig Jensen	....	stunts
Rob King	....	stunt coordinator
Gergely Korpácsi	....	stunts (as Gergely Horpácsi)
Norbert Kovács	....	stunts
László Kósa	....	stunt double: Keir O'Donnel
György Kökényesi	....	stunts
Zsolt Viktor Magyari	....	stunt driver
Gábor Pesta	....	stunts
Tamás Pintér	....	stunts (as Tamás 'Oroszlán' Pintér)
Kristóf Párdányi	....	stunt driver
Kristóf Párdányi	....	stunts
Peter Rode	....	stunt double
Dennis Scott	....	stunts (as Dennis Ray Scott)
Kinga Trimmel	....	assistant stunt coordinator
László Ujvári	....	stunts
Tyler Vogt	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
László Bille	....	camera operator
Attila Bogyai	....	electrician
Ryan Bradley	....	grip
Zsolt Büti	....	rigging gaffer
Craig Cooper	....	dolly grip
Zoltán Dzsupin	....	second assistant camera: "d" camera
Riley Garrett	....	camera trainee
Doane Gregory	....	still photographer
György Horváth	....	focus puller: third camera
János Kiss	....	key grip
Christopher TJ McGuire	....	MK-V AR operator
'Kis Gromek' László Molnár	....	electrician
Attila Pfeffer	....	Steadicam assistant
Michael Pinkey	....	camera operator: additional unit
András Pozsár	....	rigging
Péter Rácz Tiger	....	video assist operator
István Török	....	grip
Chris Updegrave	....	grip
György Vesztergombi	....	focus puller
Balázs Várszegi	....	video assist operator: second unit
Ádám Wallner	....	assistant camera

Casting Department
Jenny Jue	....	casting associate
Tamás Kertész	....	extras casting

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Mari Csáki	....	dresser / set supervisor
Mónika Matyi	....	assistant costume designer

Editorial Department
Gary Burritt	....	negative cutter
Janó Fekete	....	colorist: dailies
Christopher Johnston	....	first assistant editor
Harry Muller	....	color timer
Gyula István Mózes	....	assistant editor
Mike Sowa	....	digital intermediate colorist

Music Department
Pete Anthony	....	conductor
Pete Anthony	....	orchestrator
Johnny Caruso	....	music editor
Matt Franko	....	music preparation
Rossano Galante	....	orchestrator
Jim Honeyman	....	orchestrator
John Kurlander	....	music recording engineer
John Kurlander	....	score mixer
Michael John Mollo	....	orchestration assistant
Dana Niu	....	music arranger
Victor Pesavento	....	music preparation
Peter Rotter	....	music contractor
Buck Sanders	....	musical sound designer
Josh Sarles	....	music engineer
Josh Sarles	....	score pro tools recordist
Dennis Smith	....	composer: additional music
James Thatcher	....	musician: french horn
Ceiri Torjussen	....	composer: additional music
Marcus Trumpp	....	composer: additional music

Transportation Department
L. Chip Crosby Jr.	....	transportation captain: second unit, Los Angeles
István Ivanov	....	driver
James Lowder	....	transportation coordinator
Eniko Orosz	....	transportation assistant
Enikö Orosz	....	transportation coordinator assistant
Zsolt Somogyi	....	transport coordinator
Sandor Tabanyi	....	picture car coordinator
Kristen Wadsworth	....	driver

Other crew
Jeremy Alter	....	location manager: additional photography
Kavita Amar	....	production attorney
Cassandra Barbour	....	rights and clearances
Katherine E. Beyda	....	production executive
Gabriella Csoma	....	production coordinator
Daniel Dallos	....	production assistant
Julio Ferrario	....	creative director: main titles
Larry Garrison	....	unit publicist
Tom Goodrich	....	studio teacher
Pamela B. Green	....	main title producer
Tamás Gál	....	assistant to producers
Barnabas Kiraly	....	location scout
Cody Klop	....	adr voice
Róbert Koroknyai	....	production assistant
Kinga Kovacs	....	production accountant: Hungary
Barnabás Kovács	....	accounts trainee
Jonathan Lipow	....	voice artist: post synching
Hiromi Marder	....	payroll accountant: re-shoots
Michael Mehlmann	....	dialogue coach
Péter Mészáros	....	unit assistant
János Papp	....	health and safety advisor
Wendy Price	....	production accountant
Paul Prokop	....	executive in charge of finance
Sean Richter	....	production assistant
John Sanchez	....	production coordinator: addditional photography
Romy Schneider	....	contract administrator
Laura Sevier	....	rights and clearances
Michael Swafford	....	first assistant acccountant
Richard Szabó	....	security HOD
Enikö Szakács	....	cashier
Dóra Szanka	....	production secretary
Erika Tamás	....	second assistant accountant
Kolos Trimmel	....	production accountant: Hungary
Marcsi Tóth	....	assistant production coordinator
Gábor Ujházy	....	location manager
Jarik Van Sluijs	....	creative director: main titles
Gabriella Winkler	....	script supervisor
Anita Wittmann	....	location assistant
Gábor Xantus	....	medical coordinator
Oliver Simor	....	stand-in (uncredited)

Thanks
D.L. Smith	....	very special thanks

Production Companies

• Macari/Edelstein
• New Line Cinema
• Picturehouse Entertainment

Distributors

• ARM Distribution (2008) (Taiwan) (theatrical)
• Cinestar (2009) (Philippines) (theatrical)
• New Line Cinema (2007) (worldwide) (theatrical)
• Picturehouse Entertainment (2007) (USA) (theatrical)
• Argentina Video Home (2009) (Argentina) (DVD)
• Audio Visual Entertainment (2009) (Greece) (DVD)
• FS Film Oy (2009) (Finland) (DVD)
• Front Row Filmed Entertainment (2008) (United Arab Emirates) (all media) (Middle East)
• New Line Home Video (2009) (USA) (DVD)
• New Line Home Video (2009) (USA) (DVD) (blu-ray)
• PlayArte Home Vídeo (2009) (Brazil) (DVD)
• RCV Home Entertainment (2009) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Roadshow Entertainment (2008) (Australia) (DVD)
• TriPictures (2010) (Spain) (all media)
• Warner Home Video (2009) (Germany) (DVD)

Special Effects

• Cinema Production Services
• Filmefex Studio
• Stan Winston Studio (character designs)

Other Companies

• Abacus Consult  accounting: audit
• Chef Robért Catering  catering (Los Angeles crew)
• Danetracks  sound design and editorial
• Entertainment Clearances  rights and clearances
• Mini Film  production services
• PIC Agency  titles
• Rockbottom Rentals  cell phone rentals
• Rockbottom Rentals  junxion box rentals
• Rockbottom Rentals  walkie rentals
• Vision Team  camera and lighting equipment
• Wildfire Studios  adr recording facility

Also Known As:

MPAA:

Rated R for horror violence, terror and disturbing images

Runtime:

USA:85 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS

Certification:

USA:R | Australia:MA | UK:18 | Argentina:16 | South Korea:18 | New Zealand:R18 | Germany:18 | Singapore:M18 | Philippines:R-13 (MTRCB) | France:-12 | Netherlands:16 | Brazil:18 | Japan:PG-12 | Finland:K-15 | Portugal:M/16 | Sweden:15 (DVD rating)

Filming Locations:

Budapest, Hungary

Company:

Macari/Edelstein

Trivia:

Originally slated to go to theaters.

Quotes:

[repeated line]
The Laugh:It's funny, right?

Movie Connections:

Features "The Mask" (1995)

Soundtrack:

Rafe

Please please don't watch this film.

Please please don't watch this film.

I'll get to the point.

1. Its really slow (the film is only 1.5 hours. 1 hour of it is needless padding).

2. Its dull (it has 3 separate stories, each of which take about 10-15 minutes to get going, and then the "horror" part lasts about 1-2 minutes) 3. Its cliché (there is nothing you haven't seen before, which can be OK, except its SO cliché, there is no fear factor) 4. It has no scary bits (there is no suspense and because its slow, dull and cliché, its hard to feel scared. Even my girlfriend fell asleep and she scares really easy). The scariest part of this film is the cover.

5. It would be hard to direct a film more poorly than this. The director has attempted to copy other films and done so with no innovation or interest factor at all. This film probably will (and should) ruin the directors career. I don't like to be horrible, so if the director were prepared to openly apologise for this film, I'd gladly give him another chance. Otherwise he owes me 1.5 hours of my life).

6. Its the first film to make me feel angry at the waste of my life 7. Oh and its dull.

Please please don't watch this film. You will be disappointed.