Storm in the Heartland (2009) (TV) Tornado Valley (original title)

Director:

Andrew C. Erin

Writers:

Andrew C. Erin (written by) and
Aaron Kim Johnston (written by)

Release Date:

1 February 2009 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Thriller

Tagline:

This movie will blow you away.

Plot:

Liz McAdams is haunted by the memories of a tornado that destroyed her home 25 years ago. Now a professional storm tracker...

Plot Keywords:

Tornado

Cast

Meredith Monroe	...	Liz McAdams
Cameron Bancroft	...	Matt McAdams
Pascale Hutton	...	Ellie Wilson
Rachel Pattee	...	Becky McAdams
Duncan Fraser	...	Hank Wilson
Ashley Michaels	...	Nora
Christine Chatelain	...	Helen
Shaun Benson	...	Bobby
Garry Chalk	...	Vince Johnson
Mark Pawson	...	Young Hank
Emma Karwandy	...	Young Ellie
Jessica McLeod	...	Young Liz (as Jessica Mcleod)
Eileen Pedde	...	Colleen
Ashley Harry	...	Young Nora
Peter Abrams	...	Gerry
Keith Martin Gordey	...	Frank Fry
Brad Williams	...	Dean Jenkins
Derek Green	...	Doug Mitchell

Directed by
Andrew C. Erin

Writing credits
Andrew C. Erin		(written by) and
Aaron Kim Johnston		(written by)

Produced by
Breanne Hartley	....	co-producer
Noel Hedges	....	executive producer
Timothy O. Johnson	....	executive producer
Shannon McA'Nulty	....	associate producer
David Rempel	....	co-producer
Michelle Samuels	....	line producer
Kirk Shaw	....	producer
Stacey Shaw	....	associate producer

Original Music by
Kevin Blumenfeld

Cinematography by
Mahlon Todd Williams		(director of photography) (as Todd Williams)

Film Editing by
Tony Kent

Casting by
Laura Toplass		(as Laura Brooke Toplass)

Production Design by
Monika Choynowski

Set Decoration by
Alexandra Rojek

Costume Design by
Angelina Kekich

Makeup Department
Bernardo Fernandez	....	first assistant hair stylist
Elisabeth Jolliffe	....	first assistant makeup artist (as Elizabeth Joliffe)
Amanda McGowan	....	key makeup artist (as Amanda Mcgowan)
Marnie Wong	....	key hair stylist

Production Management
Charlotte Clark-Gamache	....	post-production supervisor
Michelle Samuels	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
David Heimbecker	....	second assistant director
Cindy L. Irwin	....	third assistant director (as Cindy Irwin)
Matthias Mellinghaus	....	first assistant director
Alison Rasberry	....	trainee assistant director (as Alison Low)

Art Department
Christopher di Armani	....	props master (as Christopher Di Armani)
Alexandra Jastrzembska	....	dresser (as Alexandra Jastrzemboka)
Bernie Neufeld	....	lead greens
Gareth Samuels	....	on-set dresser
Charlie Schrodt	....	dresser (as Charles Schrodt)
Brendan Taylor	....	lead dresser
Oscar Trainor	....	assistant set decorator (as M. Oscar Trainor)
Melinda Watts	....	on-set props

Sound Department
Hennie Britton	....	foley engineer
Derick Cobden	....	sound supervisor
Matthew Gionet	....	sound supervisor (as Matt Gionet)
Gord Hillier	....	sound re-recording mixer
Michael Keeping	....	foley artist (as Michael P Keeping)
Mario Loubert	....	sound effects editor
Chris Ove	....	dialogue editor
Tony Poulsen	....	boom operator
Jo Rossi	....	sound re-recording mixer
James Schoening	....	sound mixer

Special Effects by
Brant McIlroy	....	special effects supervisor
Martin Testa	....	special effects coordinator

Visual Effects by
Mack Benz	....	visual effects producer
Steve Cropo	....	2D compositor
Youngbin Eun	....	senior 3D effects artist (as Youngin Eun)
Miles Herrington	....	3D effects artist
Michael Khazen	....	visual effects assistant supervisor
Francois Latremoille	....	visual effects supervisor
Thierry Latremoille	....	lead 3D effects artist
Ryan Mackie	....	2D compositor
Gabriel Mandala	....	2D compositor
Geoffrey Soga	....	3D effects artist (as Geoff Soga)
Geoffrey Soga	....	research and development artist (as Geoff Soga)
Mike Wearing	....	2D compositor (as Michael Wearing)

Stunts
Ryan Ennis	....	stunt coordinator
Owen Walstrom	....	stunt coordinator

Camera and Electrical Department
Blaine Ackerly	....	gaffer
Dusty Anderson	....	lamp operator
Adam Braverman	....	second assistant camera: "b" camera
John Brown	....	rigging best boy
George Campbell	....	camera operator: "a" camera
Sasha Chrosciewicz	....	best boy grip (as Sasha Chroseciewicz)
Scooter Corkle	....	lamp operator
Tony Durke	....	lamp operator
Jennie Empey	....	lamp operator (as Jen Empey)
Ted Fanyeck	....	key grip
Damien Giles	....	grip
Curtis Herbert	....	dolly grip
Andy Hodgson	....	grip
Tammy Jones	....	first assistant camera: "b" camera
Shauna Lee	....	camera trainee
Matt Norton	....	rigging lamp operator
Martin Oicle	....	grip
Riley Pearcy	....	best boy electric
Joe Pittam	....	generator operator
Robin Smith	....	first assistant camera: "a" camera
Jason S.W. Uglanica	....	second assistant camera: "a" camera (as Jason Uglanica)
Richard Walden	....	camera operator: "b" camera
Jeff Weddell	....	stills photographer
Katie Yu	....	stills photographer

Casting Department
Kara Eide	....	casting assistant
L.A. Hilts	....	background casting (as LA Hilts)
Tiffany Mak	....	casting associate
Cherish Sampson	....	background casting assistant

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Christina Barry	....	set supervisor
Marie Hock	....	assistant costume designer
Kai Siperko	....	truck costumer

Editorial Department
Carey Dickson	....	post-production coordinator
Todd Giroux	....	technical supervisor
Kelly Golby	....	assistant on-line editor
Ben Kennedy	....	second assistant editor
Jason Koroluk	....	on-line editor
Lorne Miess	....	colorist
Ismael Ribeiro	....	director of engineering
Darryl Whetung	....	assistant editor

Transportation Department
Richard Chilton	....	transport coordinator
Stephen Cholakis	....	transport captain
Billy McRobbie	....	driver
Christina Ollson	....	driver: cast
Ian Quartermain	....	driver
Gary Sarai	....	driver (as Garry Sarai)
Taylor Sarai	....	driver

Other crew
Karen Austin	....	production accountant
Todd Baiden	....	chef: Critics Choice Caterers
John Balfour	....	background wrangler
Louise D. Bourassa	....	key production assistant (as Louise Bourassa)
Candice Fabbiano	....	assistant craft service
Candice Fabbiano	....	assistant first aid
Devon Gunderson	....	second assistant production coordinator
Breanne Hartley	....	manager of business affairs
Tom Hoeverman	....	location manager
Darren Howard	....	security coordinator
Jesse Hughes	....	production assistant
John Jesten	....	sous chef: Critics Choice Caterers
Annie-Claude Langlois	....	production coordinator
Lisa Larson	....	security coordinator: studio
Otto Mak	....	location scout
Lori Marshall	....	studio manager
Eliah Matthew	....	assistant sous chef: Critics Choice Caterers
Colin L. McCarthy	....	key production assistant (as Colin McCarthy)
John Mio	....	assistant location manager
Shaunna Mitchell	....	payroll accountant
Ejigayehu Molla	....	accounting assistant
James Morin	....	production assistant
Sandy Murphy	....	operator: Critics Choice Caterers
Lorna Pineda	....	accounting assistant
Sandy Reynolds	....	craft service
Sandy Reynolds	....	first aid
Solange Riendeau	....	key production assistant
Dan Schubert	....	first assistant production coordinator
Linda Sims	....	controller
Devi Singh	....	assistant: Mr. Shaw
Leah Tanafranca	....	payroll accountant
Sarah Tarry	....	legal services: Heenan Blaikie LLP
Lilian Umurungi	....	business affairs assistant
Lisa Wilder	....	script supervisor
Andrew Zoczab	....	production assistant (as Andrew Koczab)

Production Companies

• Ignite Entertainment (presents)
• ITV Global Entertainment (in association with)
• Johnson Production Group
• Insight Film Studios

Distributors

• Gravitas Ventures (2010) (USA) (video) (VOD)
• Dutch FilmWorks (DFW) (2009) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Dutch FilmWorks (DFW) (2009) (Netherlands) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Image Entertainment (2010) (USA) (DVD)
• Veronica (2010) (Netherlands) (TV)

Special Effects

• Exile VFX (animation and visual effects) (as Exile Visual Effects)

Other Companies

• Airwaves Sound Design  audio post production services by (as Airwaves Sound)
• Canadian Film or Video Production Tax Credit (CPTC)  with the participation of
• Critic's Choice  catering (as Critics Choice Carterers)
• DGC  acknowledgment (as DGC Directors Guild of Canada - British Columbia District Council)
• Focus Entertainment Insurance Brokers  the producers would like to thank
• Heenan Blaikie Lawyers  legal services by (as Heenan Blaikie LLP)
• Insight Film Studios  post production services by (as Insight HD Post)
• Province of British Columbia Film Incentive BC  with the participation of
• Twister Valley Productions  copyright holder
• Union of B.C. Performers  production made possible with the generous support of the membership of (also as U.B.C.P.)
• William F. White International  grip and lighting equipment

Also Known As:

"Tornado Valley" - USA (original title)

Runtime:

87 min

Country:

USA | Canada

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Netherlands:12

Filming Locations:

Abbotsford, British Columbia, Canada

Company:

Ignite Entertainment

Seriously?

I'll give this one a (huh?) out of ten.

In terms of plot, we have another Twister clone, only without the budget, and without the F/X, and apparently without a screenwriter who's seen the last 17 Twister clones already made. Compared to most Lifetime fare, Tornado Valley really doesn't stand out from the pack, good or bad. It's a bland, formulaic, run of the mill childhood tragedy, adult baggage, dysfunctional family flick that keeps Hallmark and Lifetime from being 24 hour infomercial channels.

Now for the good stuff. We have the Storm Protection Center in Norman, Oklahoma (in reality, the Storm Prediction Center in Norman), a name which got some giggles from me. What, they have a national storm shelter in Norman? "Hey, there's a bad storm, let's head up the Storm Protection Center."

Then there's Matilda, a device that looks like a plasma globe from Spencer's Gifts at the mall, which can not only help with predicting when and where tornadoes will, but will also prevent "billions of dollars in collateral damage". Huh? So, I'm to believe that Matilda can teleport crops, forests, and office buildings out of the path of a tornado? Maybe it's the funky patterns in Matilda's plasma globe that will distract the tornado from hitting people and buildings?

Remember to keep an eye out for the eco-nadoes. No trees, grass, or small forest animals were injured in the making of Tornado Valley, because these tornadoes only eat humans, houses, and tractors, refuse to drop any hail or rain, and are only slightly windier than a ceiling fan. Could be Matilda working subtly from the start...