The Loved Ones (2009)

Director:

Sean Byrne

Writer:

Sean Byrne (written by)

Release Date:

4 November 2010 (Australia)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Horror | Thriller

Tagline:

You don't have to die to go to hell

Plot:

When Brent turns down his classmate Lola's invitation to the prom, she concocts a wildly violent plan for revenge.

Plot Keywords:

Prom | High School | Killing | Escape | High School Prom

Awards:

2 wins & 4 nominations

Cast

Xavier Samuel	...	Brent
Robin McLeavy	...	Lola 'Princess'
Victoria Thaine	...	Holly
Jessica McNamee	...	Mia
Richard Wilson	...	Jamie
John Brumpton	...	Daddy
Andrew S. Gilbert	...	Paul
Suzi Dougherty	...	Carla
Victoria Eagger	...	Judith
Anne Scott-Pendlebury	...	Bright Eyes
Fred Whitlock	...	Dan
Leo Taylor	...	Teacher
Brandon Burns	...	Takeaway Shop Attendant
Stephen Walden	...	Timmy Valentine
Igor Savin	...	Rhys Agnew
Eden Porter	...	Keir Willis
Tom Mahoney	...	Duncan Fletcher
Gulliver McGrath	...	Keir Willis 8 Year Old (as Gully McGrath)
Stevie-Lou Answerth	...	Princess 8 Year Old
Liam Duxbury	...	Duncan Fletcher 8 Year Old
Jedda	...	Dog

Directed by
Sean Byrne

Writing credits
Sean Byrne		(written by)

Produced by
Michael Boughen	....	producer
Ann Folland	....	line producer
Mark Lazarus	....	producer
Christopher Mapp	....	executive producer
Bryce Menzies	....	executive producer
Matthew Street	....	executive producer
David Whealy	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Ollie Olsen

Cinematography by
Simon Chapman		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Andy Canny

Casting by
Anousha Zarkesh

Production Design by
Robert Webb

Art Direction by
Robert Webb

Costume Design by
Xanthe Heubel

Makeup Department
Leah Frazier	....	makeup attachment
Heather Ross	....	makeup: second unit
Nicole Schipilliti	....	make-up/hair assistant
Zeljka Stanin	....	make-up/hair designer
Sheldon Wade	....	make-up/hair technician
Natalie Burley	....	additional prosthetic makeup artist (uncredited)

Production Management
Ann Folland	....	production manager
Pamela Hammond	....	head of post-production
Ranald MacLurkin	....	unit manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Brendan Campbell	....	first assistant director
Andy Canny	....	second unit director
Marie Mercuri	....	third assistant director (as Marie Grace Mercuri)
Alex Reid	....	third assistant director
Lauren Wilbow	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Winston Brearley	....	trade assistant
Phil Clough	....	art department runner
Rohan Dawson	....	set finisher
Timothy Koman	....	casual art department assistant
Paul Kurtzke	....	trade assistant
Harvey Mawson	....	set dresser/buyer
Nathan McCalman	....	leading hand
Victoria McKenzie	....	set dresser/buyer
Sam Noack	....	set painter
Dean Norman	....	construction manager
Michael O'Sullivan	....	stand-by props (as Mick O'Sullivan)
Andy Robinson	....	head scenic artist
Pippa Sheen	....	art department coordinator
Brendan Tolley	....	storyboard artist
Jean Luc Tran	....	trade assistant
Jack Vigor	....	casual stand-by props

Sound Department
Lloyd Carrick	....	sound recordist: second unit
Bruce Emery	....	dolby consultant
Helen Field	....	facility manager
Georgina Hanley	....	boom operator
James Harvey	....	sound designer
Malcolm Hughes	....	second unit boom operator (as Mal Hughes)
Auryn Lacy	....	sound attachment (as Auryn 'Chops' Lacy)
Robert Mackenzie	....	sound designer and re-recording mixer
John McKerrow	....	sound recordist
Ralph Ortner	....	adr recordist
Liesl Pieterse	....	sound editor
Simon Rosenberg	....	adr recordist
Alex Stewart	....	foley by
Mario Vaccaro	....	foley by

Special Effects by
Justin Dix	....	special effects makeup supervisor
Olivia Duval	....	special effects labourer
Leigh Marsh	....	special effects makeup sculptor
Troy McManus	....	special effects makeup technician
Angelo Sahin	....	special effects supervisor
Annabel Tait	....	special effects makeup/hair technician
Larry Van Duynhoven	....	special effects makeup artist

Visual Effects by
Julian Dimsey	....	visual effects supervisor
Chris Dwyer	....	digital artist
Julia Egerton	....	compositor
Alan Fairlie	....	senior compositor
Dominic Hellier	....	compositor
Tom Kenneally	....	digital artist
Ineke Majoor	....	visual effects producer
Tahl Niran	....	compositor
Matt Omond	....	compositor
Matthew Pascuzzi	....	compositor (as Mathew Pascuzzi)
Simon Rosenthal	....	visual effects executive producer
Simon Ross	....	3D artist
Josh Simmonds	....	3D artist
Georgia Smith	....	vfx production coordinator
Nicholas Tripodi	....	3D artist (as Nick Tripodi)
Keith Meure	....	visual effects assistant (uncredited)

Stunts
Jade Amantea	....	stunt rigger
Lance Anderson	....	stunt performer/rigger
Chelsea Bruland	....	stunt performer
Robbie Clissold	....	lead stunt double
Robbie Clissold	....	stunt performer
Jarrah Cocks	....	assistant stunt coordinator/stunt performer
Zev Eleftheriou	....	stunt coordinator/stunt performer
Michael M. Foster	....	stunt assistant (as Michael Foster)
Rian Goodge	....	stunt performer
Graham Jahne	....	stunt performer
Will Jones	....	stunt performer
Sarah Kerwick	....	stunt performer
Warwick Sadler	....	stunt assistant
Morgan Evans	....	stunt performer (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Laurence Balmer	....	additional focus puller: "b" camera
Craig Barden	....	camera operator: "b"/second unit director of photography
Travis Bigg	....	additional grip
Alana Blanch	....	loader/video split operator
James L. Brown	....	additional electric (as James Brown)
Dion Caramalis	....	best boy grip
Dan Carr	....	additional electric
Tim Delaney	....	key grip
Karl Engeler	....	second unit gaffer
Eli Golub	....	additional grip
Mat Govoni	....	data wrangler red
Jay Hansford	....	additional grip
Crispian Hayler	....	best boy
Darrin Keough	....	second unit director of photography (as Darrin Keogh)
Mark Law	....	second unit grip
Harry Panagiotidis	....	steadicam operator
Fraser Pilkington	....	electric
Steve Price	....	gaffer
Tyron Robinson	....	assistant grip
Kabir Singh	....	electric
Sullivan Stapleton	....	additional grip
Peter Stott	....	focus puller
Grant Sweetman	....	focus puller: "b" camera and second unit (as Grant Sweetnam)
Shylo Tui	....	second unit: electrics assistant
Edward Tyrie	....	additional electric (as Ed Tyrie)
Murray Watt	....	second unit: focus/camera assistant
Suzy Wood	....	still photographer

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Mark Campbell	....	costume supervisor
Amanda Evans	....	costume stand-by
Meaghan Fuller	....	costume attachment
Josephine Johnson	....	art finisher
Jennifer Langford	....	cutter/maker
Barbara Pinn	....	additional costume stand-by

Editorial Department
Ian Anderson	....	laboratory liaison
George Awburn	....	digital intermediate mastering
James Collins	....	editing attachment
Amelia Ford	....	assistant editor
Carol Johnston	....	digital intermediate post producer
Rebecca Macpherson	....	assistant editor
Brett Manson	....	lustre editor
Dee McClelland	....	digital intermediate colourist (as Deidre McClelland)
Tony Poriazis	....	digital film recording supervisor
Corrine Ryan	....	assistant editor
Nic Smith	....	digital intermediate technical director

Music Department
Andrew Fuller	....	music supervision: business affairs
Craig Kamber	....	music supervision & licensing
Ollie Olsen	....	score performer
Simon Polinski	....	score producer, recorder, mixer and performer
Pookie-Spooky	....	score performer: vocals
Chris Rainier	....	score performer
David Roy Williams	....	music supervision: traffic control

Transportation Department
Nick Hartigan	....	vehicle coordinator
Andrew McNay	....	tracking vehicle driver

Other crew
Rajesh Aggarwal	....	finance manager: Ambience
Tait Brady	....	for: Screen Australia
John Bromley	....	armourer
Chris Brotherton	....	unit assistant
Anni Browning	....	completion guarantor
Evanne Chesson	....	animal wrangler (as Evanna Chesson)
Graham Cleland	....	cfo: Omnilab
James Collins	....	production runner
Rachael Deller-Pincott	....	epk
Sue Edwards	....	for: Film Victoria
Julie Elias	....	nurse: second unit (as Julie Ellis)
John Fairhead	....	safety supervisor: second unit
Bruce Gleeson	....	animal wrangler
Manisha Goyal	....	legal and business affairs: Ambience
Nicholas Halliwell	....	accounts attachment
Samantha Hately	....	pr/marketing: Ambience
Brian Holland	....	insurance
Danielle Karalus	....	epk
Danielle Kelly	....	assistant post accountant
Adrian Kortus	....	safety coordinator
David Leadbetter	....	location manager/scout
Ross Matthews	....	for: Screen Australia
Paul May	....	unit assistant: second unit
Jodie McKeone	....	animal wrangler
Garry McMullan	....	additional unit assistant (as Gary McMullan)
Thomas McSweeney	....	production runner
Scott Meek	....	for: Screen Australia
Patrick Nicholls	....	production accountant
Alison Parker	....	production coordinator
Damir Perge	....	epk (as Madman)
Ross Porter	....	unit assistant
Thomas Pullar	....	title designer
Susannah Reed	....	legal and business affairs assistant: Ambience
Jill Ryan	....	post production accountant (as Jill Dures)
Terry Seymour	....	additional unit assistant (as Terry 'Tess' Seymour)
Tamasin Simpkin	....	production secretary
Catherine Sinclair	....	title designer (as Cat Sinclair)
Stephen Van Elst	....	lead title designer
Daryl Watson	....	continuity supervisor
Hayden Wells	....	production attachment
Jenny Wilcox	....	unit nurse
Mark Woods	....	manager: MIFF Premiere Fund

Thanks
Scott Meek	....	thanks

Production Companies

• Screen Australia (presents)
• Omnilab Media (in association with)
• Ambience Entertainment
• Film Victoria (in association with)

Distributors

• ARP Sélection (2010) (France) (theatrical)
• Insurge Pictures (2012) (USA) (theatrical)
• King Record Co. (2012) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Optimum Releasing (2010) (UK) (theatrical)
• Star Films (2009) (Peru) (theatrical)
• Trash-Up!! (2012) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Canana Films (2010) (Mexico) (all media)
• Eagle Films (2009) (Non-USA) (all media) (middle east)
• Koch Media (2011) (Germany) (DVD)
• Madman Entertainment (2009) (Australia) (all media)
• Optimum Releasing (2010) (UK) (DVD)

Special Effects

• Wicked of Oz Studios (special makeup effects)
• Iloura (visual effects produced by)

Other Companies

• Dolby Laboratories  sound mix
• Omnilab Media  funding
• Showfilm  travel agent
• Soundfirm  sound post-production

Also Known As:

MPAA:

Rated R for strong bloody violence and torture, sexuality, some language, teen drug and alcohol use

Runtime:

84 min

Country:

Australia

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Certification:

USA:R | Australia:MA (re-rating on appeal) | Australia:R (original rating) | Hong Kong:III | New Zealand:R18 | UK:18 | Germany:18

Filming Locations:

Boroondara, Victoria, Australia

Company:

Screen Australia

Trivia:

Under the instructions of director Sean Byrne, Robin McLeavy prepared for the role of Lola by researching the serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer, as well as watching Misery (1990), Natural Born Killers (1994) and the works of Quentin Tarantino.

Goofs:

Continuity: In the scene where Mia and Jamie are in the car at the school dance and they are smoking pot, the cigarette in Mia's hand changes positions along with her hand in between shots.

Quotes:

Eric:The trick is not to go too far. Just enough to break through the skull.

Movie Connections:

Featured in The Super Awesome Featurette: A Runner's Perspective of the Loved Ones (2011)

Soundtrack:

Not Pretty Enough

Turn around, bright eyes

from the first scene The Loved Ones is able to achieve what bigger budgeted films cannot - clearly defined and appealing characters that you want to see more of.

the film splits 3 ways - the very serious family drama of the widow and tortured girlfriend - the comic/horror torture porn - and the comic high school formal/prom date. Sean Byrne shows off that he can do it all and succeeds hopping between these styles

the horror thread of this film is what it will marketed on. there is blood, LOTS OF BLOOD but very little gore. disappointingly, much of the violence takes place out of shot or has been cut. it is the weakest part of the film due to some over-acting by Princess whenever she goes 'crazy'. still, it's horrific and compensates by being damn funny

so, SCREW IT! this film is fun to watch!

excellent performances, good soundtrack and smooth production. i saw it at the Sydney Film Festival last night and i was very impressed. my apologies to Jessica McNamee. during a Q&A i referred to her as "thingy who played the goth chick'". she is awesome! her work with Richard Wilson is freakin' brilliant. the disastrous prom date, though loosely connected to the rest of the film, is my favourite part of it

not knowing where this film is going to lead you is half the fun. low-budget non-US films try harder and take risks. The Loved Ones does it all. Perfect date movie. See it!