Voice cast also includes Alicia Silverstone, Brooke Shields, Danny Trejo and Susan Sarandon.
Oscar-nominee Bill Nighy has been confirmed alongside Alicia Silverstone, Brooke Shields, Danny Trejo and Susan Sarandon in the voice cast for animated adventure comedy Gracie And Pedro’s (Not So) Awesome Adventure, which Hungarian outfit Luminescence is launching at the American Film Market (Oct 31-Nov 5).
The family adventure comedy follows dog Gracie and cat Pedro, whose brawling destroys the airport baggage carousel during the family’s big move, leaving the pets lost and stranded without their collars in a frightening world.
The film, now in late post-production,...
Oscar-nominee Bill Nighy has been confirmed alongside Alicia Silverstone, Brooke Shields, Danny Trejo and Susan Sarandon in the voice cast for animated adventure comedy Gracie And Pedro’s (Not So) Awesome Adventure, which Hungarian outfit Luminescence is launching at the American Film Market (Oct 31-Nov 5).
The family adventure comedy follows dog Gracie and cat Pedro, whose brawling destroys the airport baggage carousel during the family’s big move, leaving the pets lost and stranded without their collars in a frightening world.
The film, now in late post-production,...
- 10/30/2023
- by Geoffrey Macnab
- ScreenDaily
At the start of this month, we shared the news that Scream Factory will be giving director Kevin S. Tenney’s 1988 classic Night of the Demons a 4K Uhd release on October 3rd – and on that same day, they’ll also be bringing the 1994 sequel Night of the Demons 2 and the 1997 sequel Night of the Demons 3 to Blu-ray. We just didn’t know what extras would be featured on these discs, except for an hour-long special where Tenney interviews Night of the Demons 2 director Brian Trenchard-Smith. Now, with the release date swiftly approaching, Scream Factory has unveiled the full list of extras that will be found on the 4K and Blu-ray discs. The list can be seen below.
Written by Joe Augustyn, Night of the Demons has the following synopsis: It’s Halloween night and Angela is throwing a party … but this is no ordinary Halloween party. Everybody’s headed to Hull House,...
Written by Joe Augustyn, Night of the Demons has the following synopsis: It’s Halloween night and Angela is throwing a party … but this is no ordinary Halloween party. Everybody’s headed to Hull House,...
- 8/29/2023
- by Cody Hamman
- JoBlo.com
Scream Factory gave director Kevin S. Tenney’s 1988 classic Night of the Demons (watch it Here) the Blu-ray treatment several years ago. Now they’ve announced that they’re upgrading it with a 4K Uhd release – and while they’re at it, they’re finally getting around to bringing the 1994 sequel Night of the Demons 2 and the 1997 sequel Night of the Demons 3 to Blu-ray as well!
The 4K release of Night of the Demons and the Blu-ray releases of Night of the Demons 2 and 3 are scheduled to be released on October 3rd and can be seen on the Scream Factory website. They’re available for individual purchase, or you can buy them in trilogy bundles that include bonus goodies like slipcovers, stickers, and a pin set.
The extras that will be featured on these discs haven’t been revealed yet, but we do know that the Night of the Demons...
The 4K release of Night of the Demons and the Blu-ray releases of Night of the Demons 2 and 3 are scheduled to be released on October 3rd and can be seen on the Scream Factory website. They’re available for individual purchase, or you can buy them in trilogy bundles that include bonus goodies like slipcovers, stickers, and a pin set.
The extras that will be featured on these discs haven’t been revealed yet, but we do know that the Night of the Demons...
- 8/1/2023
- by Cody Hamman
- JoBlo.com
Saban Films is stamping its passport for Germany, as the distributor has acquired “Berlin, I Love You” out of the Cannes Film Festival.
Part of the indie franchise that includes “New York, I Love You” and “Paris, je t’aime,” the film focuses on short romantic vignettes and tapestry of character that populate the city.
Helen Mirren, Keira Knightley and Jim Sturgess are among the ensemble cast. The acquisition price is unknown.
Directors on the 10 shorts include Fernando Eimbcke, Dennis Gansel, Massy Tadjedin, Peter Chelsom, Til Schweiger, Justin Franklin, Dani Levy and Dianna Agron.
Also Read: Cannes Report, Day 5: Salma Hayek Sounds Off, Gaspar Noé Redeemed
The film was produced by Claus Clausen and Edda Reiser with Galleon Films’ Alice de Sousa and Skady Lis as co-producers. Emmanuel Benbihy is executive producer. The film was financed by VX119 Media Capital, on behalf of managing partners Jeff Geoffray and Jeff Konvitz.
Highland Film Group is handling worldwide sales together with Disrupting Influence’s Glenn Kendrick Ackermann and Jason Piette. CAA Media Finance co-repping the deal with Highland and Disrupting Influence.
Bill Bromiley and Jonathan Saba negotiated on behalf of Saban Films, who are planning a theatrical release.
Read original story Helen Mirren’s ‘Berlin, I Love You’ Sells to Saban Films At TheWrap...
Part of the indie franchise that includes “New York, I Love You” and “Paris, je t’aime,” the film focuses on short romantic vignettes and tapestry of character that populate the city.
Helen Mirren, Keira Knightley and Jim Sturgess are among the ensemble cast. The acquisition price is unknown.
Directors on the 10 shorts include Fernando Eimbcke, Dennis Gansel, Massy Tadjedin, Peter Chelsom, Til Schweiger, Justin Franklin, Dani Levy and Dianna Agron.
Also Read: Cannes Report, Day 5: Salma Hayek Sounds Off, Gaspar Noé Redeemed
The film was produced by Claus Clausen and Edda Reiser with Galleon Films’ Alice de Sousa and Skady Lis as co-producers. Emmanuel Benbihy is executive producer. The film was financed by VX119 Media Capital, on behalf of managing partners Jeff Geoffray and Jeff Konvitz.
Highland Film Group is handling worldwide sales together with Disrupting Influence’s Glenn Kendrick Ackermann and Jason Piette. CAA Media Finance co-repping the deal with Highland and Disrupting Influence.
Bill Bromiley and Jonathan Saba negotiated on behalf of Saban Films, who are planning a theatrical release.
Read original story Helen Mirren’s ‘Berlin, I Love You’ Sells to Saban Films At TheWrap...
- 5/13/2018
- by Matt Donnelly
- The Wrap
Helen Mirren and Keira Knightley’s Berlin, I Love You is heading to the U.S. after Saban Films has acquired the North American rights.
The anthology feature, which also stars Jim Sturgess, tells ten stories of romance set in the German capital with directors including Fernando Eimbcke, Dennis Gansel, Massy Tadjedin, Peter Chelsom, Til Schweiger, Justin Franklin, Dani Levy and Dianna Agron helming different segments with Josef Rusnak directing the transition sequences.
The film is produced by Claus Clausen and Edda Reiser (Walk on Water Films) alongside Alice De Sousa (Galleon Films) and Skady Lis (Getaway Pictures) as co-producers.
Emmanuel Benbihy is executive producing, and the film was financed by VX119 Media Capital, whose managing partners are Jeff Geoffray and Jeff Konvitz. Highland Film Group is handling worldwide sales together with Disrupting Influence’s Glenn Kendrick Ackermann and Jason Piette, with CAA Media Finance co-repping the U.S. rights.
The anthology feature, which also stars Jim Sturgess, tells ten stories of romance set in the German capital with directors including Fernando Eimbcke, Dennis Gansel, Massy Tadjedin, Peter Chelsom, Til Schweiger, Justin Franklin, Dani Levy and Dianna Agron helming different segments with Josef Rusnak directing the transition sequences.
The film is produced by Claus Clausen and Edda Reiser (Walk on Water Films) alongside Alice De Sousa (Galleon Films) and Skady Lis (Getaway Pictures) as co-producers.
Emmanuel Benbihy is executive producing, and the film was financed by VX119 Media Capital, whose managing partners are Jeff Geoffray and Jeff Konvitz. Highland Film Group is handling worldwide sales together with Disrupting Influence’s Glenn Kendrick Ackermann and Jason Piette, with CAA Media Finance co-repping the U.S. rights.
- 5/13/2018
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
All the Warwick Davis Leprechaun movies are coming out in a new Blu Ray combo pack. The commentary tracks offer some memories of my two contributions to the guilty pleasure franchise. Here are a few more.
I grew up enjoying the absurdist humor of the Monty Python’s Flying Circus TV series. So why not Absurdist Cinema? I loved the 1941 Hellzapoppin’, an early iconic example. The concept of the mid ’90’s Leprechaun franchise was proudly ludicrous – pint sized Jason/Freddy/Chucky amalgam with an Irish twist terrorizes and kills most of the supporting cast. But he was never really scary. I decided to embrace the absurd and make it as much fun as the formula allowed.
Blue Rider Pictures, for whom I had made Night Of The Demons 2, were asked by Trimark to produce the third and, at that stage, the intended last in the series. Send the little guy to Vegas,...
I grew up enjoying the absurdist humor of the Monty Python’s Flying Circus TV series. So why not Absurdist Cinema? I loved the 1941 Hellzapoppin’, an early iconic example. The concept of the mid ’90’s Leprechaun franchise was proudly ludicrous – pint sized Jason/Freddy/Chucky amalgam with an Irish twist terrorizes and kills most of the supporting cast. But he was never really scary. I decided to embrace the absurd and make it as much fun as the formula allowed.
Blue Rider Pictures, for whom I had made Night Of The Demons 2, were asked by Trimark to produce the third and, at that stage, the intended last in the series. Send the little guy to Vegas,...
- 9/27/2014
- by Brian Trenchard-Smith
- Trailers from Hell
Many horror fans are familiar with Night of the Demons, but before he directed that, Kevin Tenney brought us Witchboard in 1986. Both movies will be released to Blu-ray by Scream Factory on February 4th and we’ve already given you a look at the original trailer for Night of the Demons. Here’s the original trailer for Witchboard:
“It’s called a Ouija Board and it’s been used for thousands of years to communicate with the souls of the afterworld. For beautiful Linda Brewster (Tawny Kitaen), it brings the playful ghost of a dead ten-year-old boy. But when the friendly spirit develops a sudden taste for violent murder and demonic possession, Linda’s boyfriend (Todd Allen) and her former lover (Stephen Nichols) must race to destroy the ferocious portal of the damned.”
Bonus Features:
New Audio commentary with Writer/Director Kevin Tenney and actors Stephen Nichols, James W. Quinn,...
“It’s called a Ouija Board and it’s been used for thousands of years to communicate with the souls of the afterworld. For beautiful Linda Brewster (Tawny Kitaen), it brings the playful ghost of a dead ten-year-old boy. But when the friendly spirit develops a sudden taste for violent murder and demonic possession, Linda’s boyfriend (Todd Allen) and her former lover (Stephen Nichols) must race to destroy the ferocious portal of the damned.”
Bonus Features:
New Audio commentary with Writer/Director Kevin Tenney and actors Stephen Nichols, James W. Quinn,...
- 1/20/2014
- by Jonathan James
- DailyDead
On February 4th, Scream Factory is releasing Collector’s Editions of both Night of the Demons and Witchboard on Blu-ray / DVD. Here’s a look at the original trailer for Night of the Demons:
“It’s Halloween night and Angela is throwing a party…but this is no ordinary Halloween party. Everybody’s headed to Hull House, a deserted funeral home, formerly the home of a mass murderer. But when the partygoers decide to have a séance, they awaken something evil…and these party crashers have a thirst for blood. Now it’s a battle for who can survive the night in Hull House.
..Featuring a generous dose of gore and violence, Night Of The Demons stars William Gallo (Crash), Hal Havins (Sorority Babes in the Slimeball Bowl-o-Rama), Mimi Kinkade (Night of the Demons II & III), Cathy Podewell (Dallas), scream queen Linnea Quigley (Return of the Living Dead) and...
“It’s Halloween night and Angela is throwing a party…but this is no ordinary Halloween party. Everybody’s headed to Hull House, a deserted funeral home, formerly the home of a mass murderer. But when the partygoers decide to have a séance, they awaken something evil…and these party crashers have a thirst for blood. Now it’s a battle for who can survive the night in Hull House.
..Featuring a generous dose of gore and violence, Night Of The Demons stars William Gallo (Crash), Hal Havins (Sorority Babes in the Slimeball Bowl-o-Rama), Mimi Kinkade (Night of the Demons II & III), Cathy Podewell (Dallas), scream queen Linnea Quigley (Return of the Living Dead) and...
- 1/18/2014
- by Jonathan James
- DailyDead
If there's any company we expected Halloween excitement from today, it's Scream Factory, which delivers treats all year long. Today they've got a trio of tasty offerings to drop in our pails, and you can find details about all of it below - beginning with an exciting new short film contest!
From the Press Release
Scream Factory™, the premiere horror genre home entertainment provider, announced today the launch of its Mini-movie Massacre horror short film and video contest to be held on Scream Factory’s official YouTube channel Scream Factory TV. The call for entries is now open starting today, October 31, through the deadline of November 17. Please visit the Mini-Movie-Massacre site for in-depth details, submission guidelines, and forms.
Presented by Scream Factory™, the 2013 Mini-movie Massacre was created to shine the spotlight on some of today’s best independent horror short films and videos, emerging masters of horror, storytellers, and budding scream queens.
From the Press Release
Scream Factory™, the premiere horror genre home entertainment provider, announced today the launch of its Mini-movie Massacre horror short film and video contest to be held on Scream Factory’s official YouTube channel Scream Factory TV. The call for entries is now open starting today, October 31, through the deadline of November 17. Please visit the Mini-Movie-Massacre site for in-depth details, submission guidelines, and forms.
Presented by Scream Factory™, the 2013 Mini-movie Massacre was created to shine the spotlight on some of today’s best independent horror short films and videos, emerging masters of horror, storytellers, and budding scream queens.
- 10/31/2013
- by John Squires
- DreadCentral.com
On February 4th, 2014, we’ll see a Blu-ray and DVD release of Night of the Demons and Witchboard. We’ve already given you a look at the cover art, but we now have details on new bonus features straight from Scream Factory:
“Horror movie enthusiasts and loyal fans are invited to join the magic circle and journey into the world filled with ancient dark rituals, spine-chilling suspense and blood-curdling terror when Scream Factory™ unleashes two of Director Kevin S. Tenney’s creepy supernatural ‘80s cult hits Night Of The Demons Collector’s Edition and Witchboard on home entertainment shelves everywhere February 4, 2014. Featuring a generous dose of gore and violence, Night Of The Demons stars William Gallo (Crash), Hal Havins (Sorority Babes in the Slimeball Bowl-o-Rama), Mimi Kinkade (Night of the Demons II & III), Cathy Podewell (Dallas), scream queen Linnea Quigley (Return of the Living Dead) and Jill Terashita (Sleepaway Camp...
“Horror movie enthusiasts and loyal fans are invited to join the magic circle and journey into the world filled with ancient dark rituals, spine-chilling suspense and blood-curdling terror when Scream Factory™ unleashes two of Director Kevin S. Tenney’s creepy supernatural ‘80s cult hits Night Of The Demons Collector’s Edition and Witchboard on home entertainment shelves everywhere February 4, 2014. Featuring a generous dose of gore and violence, Night Of The Demons stars William Gallo (Crash), Hal Havins (Sorority Babes in the Slimeball Bowl-o-Rama), Mimi Kinkade (Night of the Demons II & III), Cathy Podewell (Dallas), scream queen Linnea Quigley (Return of the Living Dead) and Jill Terashita (Sleepaway Camp...
- 10/31/2013
- by Jonathan James
- DailyDead
opens Wednesday, Oct. 24
With Mideast tensions raging, it seems surprising that it has taken so many years for a film version of the best-selling novel O Jerusalem, written by Larry Collins and Dominique Lapierre, to appear.
Director Elie Chouraqui ("Harrison's Flowers") and co-writer Didier Lepecheur have compressed the sprawling novel about the founding of the state of Israel into a tight 100-minute movie that skims entertainingly along the surface without hitting many depths. The film is admirable in trying to be fair to the Israeli and Arab perspectives while lamenting the enmity that endures to this day.
To honor these dual perspectives, the film focuses on the relationship of a Jewish-American man and an Arab. Bobby Goldman (JJ Feild) is a soldier returning from combat duty in World War II who meets Said Chahine (Said Taghmaoui), an Arab student in New York. They strike up a fast friendship, which is tested when they travel to Palestine to join the battle for independence from England. They quickly find themselves on opposite sides of the growing conflict between Arabs and Jews over the country that both groups consider their homeland.
The film intercuts the personal stories of the men with momentous events on the world stage. Newsreel footage is used to mark the transitions, and such real historical figures as David Ben-Gurion (Ian Holm) and Golda Meir (Tovah Feldshuh, who already has played the part in her award-winning stage production, "Golda's Balcony") share the screen with the fictional Bobby and Said. Giovanni Fiore Coltellacci's widescreen cinematography thrusts us into the action with sweeping crowd scenes and a beautiful evocation of Jerusalem in a time of transition. (Much of the film actually was shot on the island of Rhodes.) The director brings immediacy to the battle scenes, including the infamous massacre at the Arab village of Deir Yassin. To its credit, the film recognizes atrocities committed on both sides.
Where the film falters is in trying to do justice to the personal stories. Taghmaoui gives an eloquent, deeply felt performance, and Feild also is appealing, though his British accent sometimes slips through. But the characterizations are stock, and the supporting characters -- including Said's more fanatical brother and Bobby's love interest, a concentration-camp survivor -- are barely sketched at all. While many prestige pictures this fall seem bloated and overlong, this is the rare film that seems Too Short.
As it rushes from cataclysm to catastrophe while skimming over the personal dramas, O Jerusalem often gives the impression that crucial scenes have been left on the cutting room floor. The film covers some of the same ground as Otto Preminger's 1960 epic Exodus, but Preminger had 213 minutes to interweave large-scale historical set pieces and intimate romantic moments.
O Jerusalem has the virtue of energy, but it suffers from superficiality, particularly with regard to the characterizations. This weakness carries over to the portrayal of the real-life figures. Holm and Feldshuh have too little screen time to make their historical icons into anything more than cardboard figures. Even with its flaws, the film finds many moving moments as it surveys the ravages of a perpetually divided country.
O JERUSALEM
Samuel Goldwyn Films
A Les Films de l'Instant, Cinegram, FIlms 18 Ltd., Titania Produzioni, G.G. Israel Studios Ltd. and France 2 Cinema co-production
Credits:
Director: Elie Chouraqui
Screenwriters: Elie Chouraqui, Didier Lepecheur
Based on the novel by: Dominique Lapierre, Larry Collins
Producers: Andre Djaoui, Elie Chouraqui, Jean-Charles Levy, Jean Frydman, Andy Grosch
Executive producer: David Korda
Director of photography: Giovanni Fiore Coltellacci
Production designer: Sue Booth
Music: Stephen Endelman
Co-producers: Jeff Geoffray, Walter Josten, Jeff Konvitz, Mark Damon, Marcus Schofer
Costume designer: Mimi Lempicka
Editor: Jacque Witta
Cast:
Bobby Goldman: JJ Feild
Said Chahine: Said Taghmaoui
Roni: Daniel Lundh
Jacob: Mel Raido
David Levin: Patrick Bruel
Hadassah: Maria Papas
David Ben-Gurion: Ian Holm
Golda Meir: Tova Feldshuh
Abdel Khader: Peter Polycarpou
Isaac Roth: Elie Chouraqui
Amin Chahine: Jamie Harding
Running time -- 100 minutes
MPAA rating: R...
With Mideast tensions raging, it seems surprising that it has taken so many years for a film version of the best-selling novel O Jerusalem, written by Larry Collins and Dominique Lapierre, to appear.
Director Elie Chouraqui ("Harrison's Flowers") and co-writer Didier Lepecheur have compressed the sprawling novel about the founding of the state of Israel into a tight 100-minute movie that skims entertainingly along the surface without hitting many depths. The film is admirable in trying to be fair to the Israeli and Arab perspectives while lamenting the enmity that endures to this day.
To honor these dual perspectives, the film focuses on the relationship of a Jewish-American man and an Arab. Bobby Goldman (JJ Feild) is a soldier returning from combat duty in World War II who meets Said Chahine (Said Taghmaoui), an Arab student in New York. They strike up a fast friendship, which is tested when they travel to Palestine to join the battle for independence from England. They quickly find themselves on opposite sides of the growing conflict between Arabs and Jews over the country that both groups consider their homeland.
The film intercuts the personal stories of the men with momentous events on the world stage. Newsreel footage is used to mark the transitions, and such real historical figures as David Ben-Gurion (Ian Holm) and Golda Meir (Tovah Feldshuh, who already has played the part in her award-winning stage production, "Golda's Balcony") share the screen with the fictional Bobby and Said. Giovanni Fiore Coltellacci's widescreen cinematography thrusts us into the action with sweeping crowd scenes and a beautiful evocation of Jerusalem in a time of transition. (Much of the film actually was shot on the island of Rhodes.) The director brings immediacy to the battle scenes, including the infamous massacre at the Arab village of Deir Yassin. To its credit, the film recognizes atrocities committed on both sides.
Where the film falters is in trying to do justice to the personal stories. Taghmaoui gives an eloquent, deeply felt performance, and Feild also is appealing, though his British accent sometimes slips through. But the characterizations are stock, and the supporting characters -- including Said's more fanatical brother and Bobby's love interest, a concentration-camp survivor -- are barely sketched at all. While many prestige pictures this fall seem bloated and overlong, this is the rare film that seems Too Short.
As it rushes from cataclysm to catastrophe while skimming over the personal dramas, O Jerusalem often gives the impression that crucial scenes have been left on the cutting room floor. The film covers some of the same ground as Otto Preminger's 1960 epic Exodus, but Preminger had 213 minutes to interweave large-scale historical set pieces and intimate romantic moments.
O Jerusalem has the virtue of energy, but it suffers from superficiality, particularly with regard to the characterizations. This weakness carries over to the portrayal of the real-life figures. Holm and Feldshuh have too little screen time to make their historical icons into anything more than cardboard figures. Even with its flaws, the film finds many moving moments as it surveys the ravages of a perpetually divided country.
O JERUSALEM
Samuel Goldwyn Films
A Les Films de l'Instant, Cinegram, FIlms 18 Ltd., Titania Produzioni, G.G. Israel Studios Ltd. and France 2 Cinema co-production
Credits:
Director: Elie Chouraqui
Screenwriters: Elie Chouraqui, Didier Lepecheur
Based on the novel by: Dominique Lapierre, Larry Collins
Producers: Andre Djaoui, Elie Chouraqui, Jean-Charles Levy, Jean Frydman, Andy Grosch
Executive producer: David Korda
Director of photography: Giovanni Fiore Coltellacci
Production designer: Sue Booth
Music: Stephen Endelman
Co-producers: Jeff Geoffray, Walter Josten, Jeff Konvitz, Mark Damon, Marcus Schofer
Costume designer: Mimi Lempicka
Editor: Jacque Witta
Cast:
Bobby Goldman: JJ Feild
Said Chahine: Said Taghmaoui
Roni: Daniel Lundh
Jacob: Mel Raido
David Levin: Patrick Bruel
Hadassah: Maria Papas
David Ben-Gurion: Ian Holm
Golda Meir: Tova Feldshuh
Abdel Khader: Peter Polycarpou
Isaac Roth: Elie Chouraqui
Amin Chahine: Jamie Harding
Running time -- 100 minutes
MPAA rating: R...
- 10/24/2007
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Toronto Film Festival
TORONTO — Playing like an adult woman's rejoinder to the Peter Pan factor in recent rom-coms, "Then She Found Me" prefers the mature man to the overgrown boy, gets knocked up without freaking out, and never -- well, maybe once -- goes for the startling gag over the pointed observation. With subtle laughs but solid emotional thrust, it will play very well with older audiences.
In her debut as feature director, Helen Hunt also stars as a teacher whose husband has a change of heart after less than a year of marriage. The earth beneath her continues to shake as her adoptive mother dies and her purportedly real one -- self-obsessed talk show host Bernice, played with pushy panache by Bette Midler -- makes her presence known.
Not a good time for new love, which makes the immediate arrival of Frank such a perfect vehicle for Colin Firth's patented choked-back-emotions act. Frank is the recently-divorced dad of April's student, and the two make a valiant (but doomed, natch) attempt not to ask each other out. Their quick rapport contrasts with the tentative relationship, threatened by half-truths and showbiz flakiness, between April and Bernice.
Then April, who has been worrying about getting too old to have a child, learns her estranged husband got her pregnant on the night he left -- just the spark needed to kick all the plot's tricky relationships into high gear at once. April's poor obstetrician (a truly left-field celeb cameo) hardly knows how many supporters she'll have with her each time she's due for an ultrasound.
Things are moving quickly, but Hunt aims for restrained believability rather than glossy bounce. The script isn't afraid to crack a joke, but it also doesn't want to exploit April's angst for cute laughs; accordingly, Hunt the director allows Hunt the actress to look realistically beat-down from time to time. The relatively sober mood means that when things turn ugly, the blow-ups don't come off as manufactured plot points. (That's particularly true with Firth's character, a memorably damaged suitor.)
The picture is set apart not only by its tone but by the way it takes seriously some elements that might get reduced to window-dressing in a movie more carefully engineered to reach the broadest audience: details of the protagonist's Jewish upbringing, for instance, but especially the attitude toward children, who here aren't fashion accessories but an essential part of the way April and Frank think about where they stand with each other.
That's not the kind of consequence-factoring theme you find in the average date movie, but it helps give "Then She Found Me" a character that many viewers will respond to.
THEN SHE FOUND ME
ThinkFilm
Killer Films / Blue Rider Pictures / John Wells Prods.
Director: Helen Hunt
Writers: Alice Arlen, Victor Levin, Helen Hunt
Based on the novel by Elinor Lipman
Producers: Helen Hunt, Pamela Koffler, Katie Roumel, Connie Tavel, Christine Vachon
Executive producers: Jeff Geoffray, Louise Goodsill, Walter Josten, Ralph Kamp, Chip Signore, John Wells
Director of photography: Peter Donahue
Production designer: Stephen Beatrice
Music: David Mansfield
Co-producer: Matthew Myers
Costume designer: Donna Zakowska
Editor: Pam Wise
Cast:
April: Helen Hunt
Frank: Colin Firth
Bernice: Bette Midler
Ben: Matthew Broderick
Freddy: Ben Shenkman
No MPAA rating, running time 100 minutes...
TORONTO — Playing like an adult woman's rejoinder to the Peter Pan factor in recent rom-coms, "Then She Found Me" prefers the mature man to the overgrown boy, gets knocked up without freaking out, and never -- well, maybe once -- goes for the startling gag over the pointed observation. With subtle laughs but solid emotional thrust, it will play very well with older audiences.
In her debut as feature director, Helen Hunt also stars as a teacher whose husband has a change of heart after less than a year of marriage. The earth beneath her continues to shake as her adoptive mother dies and her purportedly real one -- self-obsessed talk show host Bernice, played with pushy panache by Bette Midler -- makes her presence known.
Not a good time for new love, which makes the immediate arrival of Frank such a perfect vehicle for Colin Firth's patented choked-back-emotions act. Frank is the recently-divorced dad of April's student, and the two make a valiant (but doomed, natch) attempt not to ask each other out. Their quick rapport contrasts with the tentative relationship, threatened by half-truths and showbiz flakiness, between April and Bernice.
Then April, who has been worrying about getting too old to have a child, learns her estranged husband got her pregnant on the night he left -- just the spark needed to kick all the plot's tricky relationships into high gear at once. April's poor obstetrician (a truly left-field celeb cameo) hardly knows how many supporters she'll have with her each time she's due for an ultrasound.
Things are moving quickly, but Hunt aims for restrained believability rather than glossy bounce. The script isn't afraid to crack a joke, but it also doesn't want to exploit April's angst for cute laughs; accordingly, Hunt the director allows Hunt the actress to look realistically beat-down from time to time. The relatively sober mood means that when things turn ugly, the blow-ups don't come off as manufactured plot points. (That's particularly true with Firth's character, a memorably damaged suitor.)
The picture is set apart not only by its tone but by the way it takes seriously some elements that might get reduced to window-dressing in a movie more carefully engineered to reach the broadest audience: details of the protagonist's Jewish upbringing, for instance, but especially the attitude toward children, who here aren't fashion accessories but an essential part of the way April and Frank think about where they stand with each other.
That's not the kind of consequence-factoring theme you find in the average date movie, but it helps give "Then She Found Me" a character that many viewers will respond to.
THEN SHE FOUND ME
ThinkFilm
Killer Films / Blue Rider Pictures / John Wells Prods.
Director: Helen Hunt
Writers: Alice Arlen, Victor Levin, Helen Hunt
Based on the novel by Elinor Lipman
Producers: Helen Hunt, Pamela Koffler, Katie Roumel, Connie Tavel, Christine Vachon
Executive producers: Jeff Geoffray, Louise Goodsill, Walter Josten, Ralph Kamp, Chip Signore, John Wells
Director of photography: Peter Donahue
Production designer: Stephen Beatrice
Music: David Mansfield
Co-producer: Matthew Myers
Costume designer: Donna Zakowska
Editor: Pam Wise
Cast:
April: Helen Hunt
Frank: Colin Firth
Bernice: Bette Midler
Ben: Matthew Broderick
Freddy: Ben Shenkman
No MPAA rating, running time 100 minutes...
A well-received world premiere selection at last month's Palm Springs Film Festival, "The Call of the Wild" is a pleasant surprise. Much more faithful to Jack London's 1903 classic than the two Hollywood versions (1935, 1972), Peter Svatek's vigorously mounted adventure deserves to be seen on the big screen, although video and cable are its most likely venues for striking it rich.
A friendly movie for school-age children, although there is plenty of frontier violence and tragedy, the appeal of "Call" is not limited to young boys or families. Joining the likes of "The Secret Garden" and "Black Beauty", "Call of the Wild" takes a chance with old-fashioned storytelling and is heavily narrated by Richard Dreyfuss.
Like "Black Beauty", the period story is episodic and presents a credible scenario that romantically and realistically incorporates a four-legged hero who has a soul and destiny, friends and enemies, and a history that becomes a legend.
Filmed splendidly in Quebec, with many exteriors involving animals and frigid conditions, "Call" is the story of Buck, a Leonberger (a cross between a St. Bernard, Labrador and Great Pyrenees) who is shanghaied one day and put to work on a sled in the wild gold-rush era of Alaska and the Yukon.
Strong but not used to the cruelty of man and fellow animals, Buck learns rapidly that the harsh but fair laws of nature control the destinies of men and dogs. The howling of wolves in the forest and several encounters where Buck must fight and even kill his foes awaken primal instincts, but the stupidity and carelessness of greedy humans almost does Buck in.
Rutger Hauer as John Thornton, Buck's bearish friend in the wilderness, heads the fine cast, which includes Luc Morissette as the French-Canadian courier who first treats Buck with kindness.
Portrayed in the past by Clark Gable and Charlton Heston, Hauer's character is a dreamer and a survivor. When he saves Buck from a group of desperate gold-seekers and sure death, the injured dog learns of the power of love.
Proud of his new friend, loner Thornton wins a big bet in town when Buck pulls a heavily loaded sled. The pair then go in search of a lost gold mine. Buck's ultimate embracing of the wild life is beautifully evoked, but the kill-or-be-killed laws of the north are brutal.
Prague-born director Svatek ("Witchboard: The Possession"), who was raised and still lives in Montreal, and cinematographer Sylvain Brault provide many memorable scenes in the well-realized project.
THE CALL OF THE WILD
Hallmark Entertainment
Fries Schultz Film Group
Kingsborough-Greenlight Pictures
Blue Rider Pictures
A Peter Svatek film
Director Peter Svatek
Producers Pieter Kroonenburg, Julie Allan
Writer Graham Ludlow
Based on the novel by Jack London
Executive producers John Buchanan, Gary Howsam, Jeff Geoffray, Walter Josten
Director of photography Sylvain Brault
Production designer Michael Devine
Music Alan Reeves
Editor Denis Papillion
Costume designer Claire Nadon
Casting Vera Miller, Nadia Rona, Rosina Bucci
Color/stereo
Cast:
John Thornton Rutger Hauer
Narrator Richard Dreyfuss
Mercedes Bronwen Booth
Hal Charles Powell
Charles Burke Lawrence
Perrault Luc Morissette
Running time -- 91 minutes
No MPAA rating...
A friendly movie for school-age children, although there is plenty of frontier violence and tragedy, the appeal of "Call" is not limited to young boys or families. Joining the likes of "The Secret Garden" and "Black Beauty", "Call of the Wild" takes a chance with old-fashioned storytelling and is heavily narrated by Richard Dreyfuss.
Like "Black Beauty", the period story is episodic and presents a credible scenario that romantically and realistically incorporates a four-legged hero who has a soul and destiny, friends and enemies, and a history that becomes a legend.
Filmed splendidly in Quebec, with many exteriors involving animals and frigid conditions, "Call" is the story of Buck, a Leonberger (a cross between a St. Bernard, Labrador and Great Pyrenees) who is shanghaied one day and put to work on a sled in the wild gold-rush era of Alaska and the Yukon.
Strong but not used to the cruelty of man and fellow animals, Buck learns rapidly that the harsh but fair laws of nature control the destinies of men and dogs. The howling of wolves in the forest and several encounters where Buck must fight and even kill his foes awaken primal instincts, but the stupidity and carelessness of greedy humans almost does Buck in.
Rutger Hauer as John Thornton, Buck's bearish friend in the wilderness, heads the fine cast, which includes Luc Morissette as the French-Canadian courier who first treats Buck with kindness.
Portrayed in the past by Clark Gable and Charlton Heston, Hauer's character is a dreamer and a survivor. When he saves Buck from a group of desperate gold-seekers and sure death, the injured dog learns of the power of love.
Proud of his new friend, loner Thornton wins a big bet in town when Buck pulls a heavily loaded sled. The pair then go in search of a lost gold mine. Buck's ultimate embracing of the wild life is beautifully evoked, but the kill-or-be-killed laws of the north are brutal.
Prague-born director Svatek ("Witchboard: The Possession"), who was raised and still lives in Montreal, and cinematographer Sylvain Brault provide many memorable scenes in the well-realized project.
THE CALL OF THE WILD
Hallmark Entertainment
Fries Schultz Film Group
Kingsborough-Greenlight Pictures
Blue Rider Pictures
A Peter Svatek film
Director Peter Svatek
Producers Pieter Kroonenburg, Julie Allan
Writer Graham Ludlow
Based on the novel by Jack London
Executive producers John Buchanan, Gary Howsam, Jeff Geoffray, Walter Josten
Director of photography Sylvain Brault
Production designer Michael Devine
Music Alan Reeves
Editor Denis Papillion
Costume designer Claire Nadon
Casting Vera Miller, Nadia Rona, Rosina Bucci
Color/stereo
Cast:
John Thornton Rutger Hauer
Narrator Richard Dreyfuss
Mercedes Bronwen Booth
Hal Charles Powell
Charles Burke Lawrence
Perrault Luc Morissette
Running time -- 91 minutes
No MPAA rating...
- 2/10/1997
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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