Bereavement (2010)

Director:

Stevan Mena

Writer:

Stevan Mena (written by)

Genre:

Crime | Horror | Thriller

Tagline:

There are some evils...so unspeakable...they will scar you forever.

Plot:

The horrific account of 6 year old Martin Bristol, abducted from his backyard swing and forced to witness the brutal crimes of a deranged madman. |

Plot Keywords:

Killer Child | Dead Woman With Eyes Open | Main Character Dies | Kidnapping | Naked Dead Woman

Awards:

4 wins

Cast

Michael Biehn	...	Jonathan Miller
Alexandra Daddario	...	Allison Miller
Brett Rickaby	...	Graham Sutter
Nolan Gerard Funk	...	William
Spencer List	...	Martin Bristol
John Savage	...	Ted
Peyton List	...	Wendy Miller
Kathryn Meisle	...	Karen Miller
Valentina de Angelis	...	Melissa
Greg Wood	...	Teacher
Ashley Wolfe	...	Katherine Bristol
Chase Pechacek	...	Martin Age 6
Andrea Havens	...	Agatha
Miriam A. Hyman	...	Waitress
Tom McNutt	...	Clerk in Store
Sal Domani	...	Father in Store
Brendan Martinez	...	Boy in Store
Lynn Mastio Rice	...	Gym Teacher
Marissa Guill	...	Victim #1
Shannon Lambert-Ryan	...	Lucy (Body in Freezer)
Jamie Farrell	...	Nurse's Aide
Katie Gibson	...	Voice Next Door (voice)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Eileen Ert	...	Aide (uncredited)
John Richard Ingram	...	Sheriff Riley (uncredited)
Berkeley Melvin	...	Boy Playing Soccer (uncredited)
Matthew Mindler	...	Boy Playing Soccer (uncredited)
Adam Ratcliffe	...	Officer Jones (uncredited)
Francine Bianco Tax	...	Surveyor (uncredited)
Jonathan Walker	...	Doctor (uncredited)

Directed by
Stevan Mena

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Stevan Mena		written by

Produced by
Chris Aurilia	....	co-producer
Jerry Aurilia	....	co-producer
Tom Bambard	....	co-producer
Tom Bambard	....	line producer (as Thomas Bambard)
Steven Bernstein	....	associate producer
Timothy J. Bristoll	....	co-producer (as Tim Bristoll)
Vincent Butta	....	executive producer
Doug Hoerst	....	associate producer
Stevan Mena	....	producer
Elizabeth Mullen	....	associate producer
John Mullen	....	associate producer
Michael Nelson	....	associate producer
Andrew Pizzo	....	associate producer
Abraham Roofeh	....	associate producer
Andres Santo Domingo	....	associate producer

Original Music by
Stevan Mena

Cinematography by
Marco Cappetta

Film Editing by
Stevan Mena

Casting by
Adrienne Stern

Production Design by
Jack Ryan

Art Direction by
Michael Crenshaw

Costume Design by
Charlotte Kruse

Makeup Department
Dyana Aives	....	makeup department head
Paul Molnar	....	key makeup artist
Amy Trauger	....	makeup intern

Production Management
Timothy J. Bristoll	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Jolian Blevins	....	additional second assistant director
Daniel Lugo	....	second second assistant director
Shawn Rice	....	first assistant director
Kamen Velkovsky	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Melissa Bostian	....	set dresser
Gino Fortebuono	....	set dresser
Keith S. Jackson	....	on-set dresser
Carol Jacob	....	scenic artist
Loretta Mestishen	....	painter
Jason Palenchar	....	art production assistant
Sean Tiedeman	....	set dresser: second unit
Michael J. Urbanavage	....	set dresser

Sound Department
Sean Cameron	....	boom operator
Marc-Eric Casado	....	sound (as Marc-Eric Nielsen)
Eli Cohn	....	dialogue editor
Matt Gundy	....	sound re-recording mixer
Jason O'Neill	....	sound

Special Effects by
Jeffrey Cox	....	special effects supervisor (as Jeff Cox)
Jerami Cruise	....	special effects
Greg Kochan	....	special effects foreman

Visual Effects by
Greg Kochan	....	miniatures
Eric Leverenz	....	digital imaging
Kevin Vale	....	digital imaging

Stunts
James Bambard	....	stunt double
Tom Bambard	....	stunt driver
Joseph Boyko	....	stunt driver
Gene Harrison	....	stunt coordinator
Cort Hessler	....	stunt coordinator
Ted Kempgens	....	stunt driver

Camera and Electrical Department
David Briggs	....	grip
Steve Cameron	....	best boy grip
Caswell Cooke	....	key grip
Anthony DeFrancesco	....	film loader
Delfina Garfias	....	first assistant camera
Todd Gorman	....	camera intern
Aaron Hollander	....	additional film loader
Carlos M. Jimenez	....	lighting technician
Scott Krycia	....	still photographer
Jeremy Long	....	electrician
Brian Macaya	....	grip
Deb Peterson	....	second assistant camera
Chris Poloni	....	grip
Benjamin Semanoff	....	Steadicam operator
Benjamin Semanoff	....	camera operator: "b" camera
Addae Shelby	....	gaffer
Sean Tiedeman	....	grip/electric swing
Jerry Tran	....	best boy electric
Matt Turve	....	dolly grip
Lukas Wolf	....	additional film loader

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Kirsten La Greca	....	assistant costume designer

Editorial Department
Jessica Elvin	....	digital intermediate editor
Crystal Pei	....	colorist: dailies
Tim Stipan	....	digital intermediate colorist
Michael P. Whipple	....	digital intermediate engineer

Other crew
Jolian Blevins	....	location manager
Max Bond	....	production assistant
Jason Counterman	....	second unit: production assistant
Michael Dean	....	production assistant
Kristyn DiPane	....	project manager: Technicolor
Omar Hernandez	....	production assistant
Jeremy 'Metal Jay' Lewis	....	production assistant
Lee Meltzer	....	film publicist
Amy Mittman	....	assistant to director
Mike O'Brien	....	production assistant
Jason Palenchar	....	production assistant
Tim Radecki	....	production assistant
Ariel Rivera	....	production assistant
Stacy Rowe	....	script supervisor
Marcus Slabine	....	production assistant
Sean Tiedeman	....	animal handler: second unit
Sean Tiedeman	....	documentarian
Michael J. Urbanavage	....	production intern
Cedric Vara	....	key set production assistant
Bill Vargo	....	production coordinator
Krystle-Dawn Willing	....	animal handler: second unit
Stephanie Wise	....	production assistant: first team

Thanks
Eddie Akmal	....	special thanks
Jason Koerner	....	special thanks
Scott Krycia	....	thanks
Sean Tiedeman	....	special thanks
Christine Wise	....	the producers wish to thank

Production Companies

• Aurilia Arts Productions
• Crimson Films

Distributors

• Crimson Films (2011) (USA) (theatrical)
• Anchor Bay Entertainment (2011) (USA) (DVD)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2011) (Australia) (DVD)
• Universum Film (UFA) (2012) (Germany) (DVD)
• Universum Film (UFA) (2012) (Germany) (DVD) (Blu-ray)

Also Known As:

MPAA:

Rated R for sadistic bloody violence, torture, brief language and nudity

Runtime:

USA:103 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Certification:

USA:R | Australia:MA15+ | Germany:18 | UK:18 | South Korea:18

Filming Locations:

Allentown, Pennsylvania, USA

Company:

Aurilia Arts Productions

Trivia:

Martin Bristol has been portrayed by four different actors over just two films.

Quotes:

Graham Sutter:Silence is the sound of no fear, no pain. The sound of peace.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Making of 'Bereavement' (2011) (V)

A frustratingly dumb prequel.

Kudos to writer/director Stevan Mena for making Bereavement, his prequel to the impressive Malevolence, such a downbeat, mean-spirited and bloody little psycho flick, and also for casting delicious Alexandra Daddario in the lead, an actress who deservedly finds a place in my 'Big Breasted Babe In A Small Vest' Horror Hall of Fame. No such praise, however for Mena's woeful script, which is both incredibly clichéd at times and deeply flawed, making the film frustratingly mediocre as a whole.

First and foremost, why did Mena have his serial killer drive around in a truck that reveals his identity on the side? Loitering outside schools, driving slowly down suburban streets, and prowling round parking lots for victims are the kind of thing best done in an unmarked vehicle (or so I am lead to believe—ahem!); nut-job Sutter has his name painted on the door of his distinctive rusty heap and would surely have been the prime suspect for any local disappearance. Amazingly, though, he continues to abduct and kill with no interference from the police. And then there's the little matter of Sutter's lair, a dilapidated meat packing factory which sits next to a main highway and yet has never aroused the suspicion of anyone passing by, despite screams clearly being audible from the road; incredibly, the place even has power and a fully functional furnace!!!

Considering the sheer stupidity of this basic set-up, it shouldn't come as much of a surprise to learn that the characters act as though they have sawdust for brains. Track star Alison (Daddario) has obviously never seen a horror film in her life, since she is happy to continue exploring the creepy meat factory even after finding pools of blood and a scrapbook full of newspaper cuttings about missing local women. Alison's boyfriend William suffers the ultimate price for displaying a similar lack of self preservation, as does a waitress who makes so much noise while attempting to escape from Sutter that it's not long before she's hanging from a meat-hook. Hell, it's almost as though people actually want to be killed by this guy.

Unfortunately, that's just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the idiocy on display in this film, with moments that will make you want to scream at the screen in frustration coming thick and fast, right up to the bleak and bloody finale that could have been avoided if only someone had just displayed a little common sense.