Special effects maestro Brian Cox and producer and costume designer Catherine Martin were both honoured at the Australian Production Design Guild Awards on Sunday.
Cox, whose 40-year career has included credits such as The Matrix and Moulin Rouge, was awarded the Canal Road Artisan Lifetime Achievement Award, while Martin -Australia’s most prolific Academy Award winner – was recognised with the Cameron Creswell Outstanding Contribution to Design Award.
The awards, which celebrated their 10th anniversary, also marked the end of an era as Apdg president and founder George Liddle announced he was stepping down after more than a decade at the helm.
Speaking at the virtual event, he said the future looked positive for the guild.
“Technological advances change the way we work, but they are mere tools,” he said.
“The creative design mind remains. That means design practitioners will remain an essential part of all successful productions in the live performance,...
Cox, whose 40-year career has included credits such as The Matrix and Moulin Rouge, was awarded the Canal Road Artisan Lifetime Achievement Award, while Martin -Australia’s most prolific Academy Award winner – was recognised with the Cameron Creswell Outstanding Contribution to Design Award.
The awards, which celebrated their 10th anniversary, also marked the end of an era as Apdg president and founder George Liddle announced he was stepping down after more than a decade at the helm.
Speaking at the virtual event, he said the future looked positive for the guild.
“Technological advances change the way we work, but they are mere tools,” he said.
“The creative design mind remains. That means design practitioners will remain an essential part of all successful productions in the live performance,...
- 11/10/2021
- by Sean Slatter
- IF.com.au
High Ground, The Invisible Man and 2067 lead the feature film nominees and Hungry Ghosts, Stateless and Bump television for the upcoming Australian Production Design Guild (Apdg) Awards.
Production designer for High Ground Ross Wallace and The Invisible Man’s Alex Holmes will compete for the night’s top gong against Relic‘s Steven Jones-Evans and True History of the Kelly Gang‘s Karen Murphy.
In television, battling for the production designer award are Hungry Ghost‘s Carrie Kennedy, On Becoming A God In Central Florida‘s Annie Beauchamp, Stateless’ Melinda Doring and The Luminaries‘ Felicity Abbott.
There are 23 categories for this year’s awards, including the traditional live performance, film, television, event, animation and costume design awards, in addition to new categories that include set decorators, screen graphic designers and live performance video designers.
“Over the past 10 years our young emerging designers have flourished,” production designer and Apdg president George Liddle said.
Production designer for High Ground Ross Wallace and The Invisible Man’s Alex Holmes will compete for the night’s top gong against Relic‘s Steven Jones-Evans and True History of the Kelly Gang‘s Karen Murphy.
In television, battling for the production designer award are Hungry Ghost‘s Carrie Kennedy, On Becoming A God In Central Florida‘s Annie Beauchamp, Stateless’ Melinda Doring and The Luminaries‘ Felicity Abbott.
There are 23 categories for this year’s awards, including the traditional live performance, film, television, event, animation and costume design awards, in addition to new categories that include set decorators, screen graphic designers and live performance video designers.
“Over the past 10 years our young emerging designers have flourished,” production designer and Apdg president George Liddle said.
- 7/15/2021
- by Staff Writer
- IF.com.au
When Fti was consolidated into Screenwest back in 2017, the annual Wa Screen Awards disappeared with it.
However, Revelation Perth International Film Festival director Richard Sowada has sought to bring them back, giving the state’s industry an awards platform for the first time in nearly five years.
Newly dubbed the Western Australian Screen Culture Awards, the event will bookend Revelation in mid-December.
Sowada has somewhat reimagined the honours, with a focus on innovation and achievement. Categories span all screen genres, from shorts, features and docos, through to VR/Ar, games, moving image art and installation.
The aim is to recognise the extraordinary growth and current vibracy of the Western Australian industry; Sowada posits that when he started Revelation back in 1997, Wa produced a feature film every three years.
“Over the years, particularly in the last six years or so, it’s exploded,” he tells If.
“There’s an enormous amount of work coming out,...
However, Revelation Perth International Film Festival director Richard Sowada has sought to bring them back, giving the state’s industry an awards platform for the first time in nearly five years.
Newly dubbed the Western Australian Screen Culture Awards, the event will bookend Revelation in mid-December.
Sowada has somewhat reimagined the honours, with a focus on innovation and achievement. Categories span all screen genres, from shorts, features and docos, through to VR/Ar, games, moving image art and installation.
The aim is to recognise the extraordinary growth and current vibracy of the Western Australian industry; Sowada posits that when he started Revelation back in 1997, Wa produced a feature film every three years.
“Over the years, particularly in the last six years or so, it’s exploded,” he tells If.
“There’s an enormous amount of work coming out,...
- 10/23/2020
- by Jackie Keast
- IF.com.au
‘Tidelands’.
The nominees for this year’s Australian Production Design Guild (Apdg) Awards have been unveiled, with 140 nominees across 19 categories.
Those behind the worlds of Hotel Mumbai, Judy and Punch, Ladies in Black and Storm Boy are in contention for the best production design on a feature film award, while those who helped to put together A Place To Call Home (Season 6), Black Mirror: Striking Vipers, Bloom and Tidelands will vie for the equivalent award in TV/web series.
Overall, Netflix series Tidelands leads with four nominations, while feature films I Am Mother and Ladies In Black have three each.
Apdg president George Liddle said: ‘The guild is thrilled to represent all the talent from the diverse areas of design and to highlight and award the outstanding work produced over the last year in our annual awards.”
Hosted by Mc Adam Eliot, the Apdg Awards will be held on December...
The nominees for this year’s Australian Production Design Guild (Apdg) Awards have been unveiled, with 140 nominees across 19 categories.
Those behind the worlds of Hotel Mumbai, Judy and Punch, Ladies in Black and Storm Boy are in contention for the best production design on a feature film award, while those who helped to put together A Place To Call Home (Season 6), Black Mirror: Striking Vipers, Bloom and Tidelands will vie for the equivalent award in TV/web series.
Overall, Netflix series Tidelands leads with four nominations, while feature films I Am Mother and Ladies In Black have three each.
Apdg president George Liddle said: ‘The guild is thrilled to represent all the talent from the diverse areas of design and to highlight and award the outstanding work produced over the last year in our annual awards.”
Hosted by Mc Adam Eliot, the Apdg Awards will be held on December...
- 11/17/2019
- by jkeast
- IF.com.au
‘Upgrade’.
The nominees for this year’s Australian Production Design Guild Awards have been unveiled, with 106 nominees across 27 categories – six of which are new.
The production designers behind Winchester, Upgrade, Peter Rabbit and The Lego Ninjago Movie are in contention for the best production on a feature film award, while those who helped to put together Harrow, Top of the Lake: China Girl, Friday On My Mind and Picnic at Hanging Rock will vie for the equivalent award in TV.
Apdg president George Liddle said: “The Guild is thrilled to represent all the talent from the diverse areas of design and to highlight and award the outstanding work produced over the last year in our annual awards.
With a growing membership from screen and live performance design practitioners, and the inclusion of the six new categories, we can also highlight the achievements of designers working on international productions, web series and in the game industry.
The nominees for this year’s Australian Production Design Guild Awards have been unveiled, with 106 nominees across 27 categories – six of which are new.
The production designers behind Winchester, Upgrade, Peter Rabbit and The Lego Ninjago Movie are in contention for the best production on a feature film award, while those who helped to put together Harrow, Top of the Lake: China Girl, Friday On My Mind and Picnic at Hanging Rock will vie for the equivalent award in TV.
Apdg president George Liddle said: “The Guild is thrilled to represent all the talent from the diverse areas of design and to highlight and award the outstanding work produced over the last year in our annual awards.
With a growing membership from screen and live performance design practitioners, and the inclusion of the six new categories, we can also highlight the achievements of designers working on international productions, web series and in the game industry.
- 11/16/2018
- by jkeast
- IF.com.au
“Dark City” was released on February 27, 1998, and it helped me fall in love with movies. It also sparked my interest in awards. During the same period I was wrestling with continued Emmy snubs for “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” “Dark City” made me wonder how the Oscars could miss the boat on what is still one of the most visually and narratively innovative films I’ve seen. So on its 20th anniversary I decided to revisit the underrated science-fiction gem, which deserved Oscars 20 years ago.
“Dark City” was a unique amalgam of genres with elements of murder mystery, film noir, horror and sci-fi dystopia, using those tropes to examine human memory and how we construct and perform our identities. It was undoubtedly a tough sell for New Line Cinema, and even tougher when you consider that at the time “Titanic” was still swimming circles around other releases at the box office.
“Dark City” was a unique amalgam of genres with elements of murder mystery, film noir, horror and sci-fi dystopia, using those tropes to examine human memory and how we construct and perform our identities. It was undoubtedly a tough sell for New Line Cinema, and even tougher when you consider that at the time “Titanic” was still swimming circles around other releases at the box office.
- 2/27/2018
- by Daniel Montgomery
- Gold Derby
.
Daniel MacPherson and director Shane Abbess are mates and close creative collaborators, but that didn.t stop the pair having some robust discussions before the actor signed on for futuristic thriller SFv1.
MacPherson had appeared in Abbess. Infini and was developing several projects with the director when he was offered the co-lead role of Kane.
The actor did not have a clear sense of the narrative or the characters in the screenplay by Abbess and co-creator Brian Cacha, which is divided into multiple chapters, and asked for elucidation.
.We had a couple of heated creative discussions before I got on board,. MacPherson tells If. .But once I was in, I was 110 per cent in. Shane gives the cast the absolute freedom to own their characters. It.s a pretty extraordinary, ambitious movie with breathtaking sets by George Liddle..
Set during a period of interplanetary colonisation, SFv1stars Twilight.s Kellan Lutz as Sy,...
Daniel MacPherson and director Shane Abbess are mates and close creative collaborators, but that didn.t stop the pair having some robust discussions before the actor signed on for futuristic thriller SFv1.
MacPherson had appeared in Abbess. Infini and was developing several projects with the director when he was offered the co-lead role of Kane.
The actor did not have a clear sense of the narrative or the characters in the screenplay by Abbess and co-creator Brian Cacha, which is divided into multiple chapters, and asked for elucidation.
.We had a couple of heated creative discussions before I got on board,. MacPherson tells If. .But once I was in, I was 110 per cent in. Shane gives the cast the absolute freedom to own their characters. It.s a pretty extraordinary, ambitious movie with breathtaking sets by George Liddle..
Set during a period of interplanetary colonisation, SFv1stars Twilight.s Kellan Lutz as Sy,...
- 9/30/2015
- by Don Groves
- IF.com.au
Isabel Lucas and Luke Ford have joined the cast of Shane Abbess. new sci-fi feature SFv1.
They join Kellan Lutz (Expendables 3, Hercules 3-D, The Twilight Saga) and Daniel MacPherson (Infini, Shannara Chronicles, The Cup).
The ensemble cast includes Temuera Morrison (Spartacus: Gods of the Arena, Star Wars: Episode II Attack of the Clones, Star Wars: Episode III . Revenge of the Sith, Once Were Warriors), Bren Foster (Infini, The Last Ship, Terminus, Days Of Our Lives), with Rachel Griffiths (Saving Mr Banks, Beautiful Kate, Brothers & Sisters, Six Feet Under, Muriel.s Wedding), Firass Dirani (House Husbands, Underbelly: The Golden Mile, The Combination, The Black Balloon) Dwaine Stevenson (Infini, Gabriel), Grace Huang (The Man with the Iron Fists 1 and 2, Infini, Hiding) and introduces Teagan Croft.
Currently filming in Sydney and outback South Australia, the film is set in the future in a time of interplanetary colonization, when Sy (Kellan Lutz), a drifter,...
They join Kellan Lutz (Expendables 3, Hercules 3-D, The Twilight Saga) and Daniel MacPherson (Infini, Shannara Chronicles, The Cup).
The ensemble cast includes Temuera Morrison (Spartacus: Gods of the Arena, Star Wars: Episode II Attack of the Clones, Star Wars: Episode III . Revenge of the Sith, Once Were Warriors), Bren Foster (Infini, The Last Ship, Terminus, Days Of Our Lives), with Rachel Griffiths (Saving Mr Banks, Beautiful Kate, Brothers & Sisters, Six Feet Under, Muriel.s Wedding), Firass Dirani (House Husbands, Underbelly: The Golden Mile, The Combination, The Black Balloon) Dwaine Stevenson (Infini, Gabriel), Grace Huang (The Man with the Iron Fists 1 and 2, Infini, Hiding) and introduces Teagan Croft.
Currently filming in Sydney and outback South Australia, the film is set in the future in a time of interplanetary colonization, when Sy (Kellan Lutz), a drifter,...
- 9/2/2015
- by Inside Film Correspondent
- IF.com.au
Kellan Lutz, Daniel MacPherson, Temuera Morrison, Rachel Griffiths and newcomer Teagan Croft are starring in Shane Abbess. futuristic sci-fi feature SFv1.
Set during a period of interplanetary colonization, the film is Abbess. follow-up to Infini, which has been sold to every major market and was released on digital platforms by eOne in Australia and by Vertical Entertainment in the Us.
It.s shooting for nine weeks in Sydney, the outskirts of Sydney and outback South Australia.
.This is a bigger film with a lot more action than Infini,. says Eclectik Vision.s Brett Thornquest, who is producing with Abbess and Sidonie Abbene.s Storm Alley Entertainment and Matthew Graham.s Phonetic Images.
Xyz Films, which sold Infini to North America and repped Marc Furmie.s Terminus (produced by Thornquest and Tim Maddocks. Maddfilms) is handling worldwide sales.
Lutz (The Expendables 3, Hercules 3D, The Twilight Saga) plays Sy, a mysterious...
Set during a period of interplanetary colonization, the film is Abbess. follow-up to Infini, which has been sold to every major market and was released on digital platforms by eOne in Australia and by Vertical Entertainment in the Us.
It.s shooting for nine weeks in Sydney, the outskirts of Sydney and outback South Australia.
.This is a bigger film with a lot more action than Infini,. says Eclectik Vision.s Brett Thornquest, who is producing with Abbess and Sidonie Abbene.s Storm Alley Entertainment and Matthew Graham.s Phonetic Images.
Xyz Films, which sold Infini to North America and repped Marc Furmie.s Terminus (produced by Thornquest and Tim Maddocks. Maddfilms) is handling worldwide sales.
Lutz (The Expendables 3, Hercules 3D, The Twilight Saga) plays Sy, a mysterious...
- 8/5/2015
- by Don Groves
- IF.com.au
Infini, a futuristic sci-fi thriller from director Shane Abbess, starts shooting in Sydney on Monday.
Scripted by Abbess and Brian Cachia, the privately financed film focuses on a search and rescue team sent into deep space to retrieve a stranded soldier.
The ensemble cast includes Daniel MacPherson, Grace Huang, Luke Hemsworth, Kevin Copeland, Dwaine Stevenson, Harry Pavlidis, Louisa Mignone, Tess Haubrich, Bren Foster and Luke Ford.
It.s the first project from Storm Vision Entertainment, a joint venture between production companies Storm Alley Entertainment (Shane Abbess and Sidonie Abbene) and Eclectik Vision (Brett Thornquest).
The Storm Vision partners plans to collaborate on a number of genre projects of varying budget sizes for 2014 and beyond. Matthew Graham is the lead producer on Infini, which is Abbess. follow-up to Gabriel, a fantasy-action-horror film about an archangel who fights to bring light back to purgatory and save the souls of the city's inhabitants.
Scripted by Abbess and Brian Cachia, the privately financed film focuses on a search and rescue team sent into deep space to retrieve a stranded soldier.
The ensemble cast includes Daniel MacPherson, Grace Huang, Luke Hemsworth, Kevin Copeland, Dwaine Stevenson, Harry Pavlidis, Louisa Mignone, Tess Haubrich, Bren Foster and Luke Ford.
It.s the first project from Storm Vision Entertainment, a joint venture between production companies Storm Alley Entertainment (Shane Abbess and Sidonie Abbene) and Eclectik Vision (Brett Thornquest).
The Storm Vision partners plans to collaborate on a number of genre projects of varying budget sizes for 2014 and beyond. Matthew Graham is the lead producer on Infini, which is Abbess. follow-up to Gabriel, a fantasy-action-horror film about an archangel who fights to bring light back to purgatory and save the souls of the city's inhabitants.
- 10/24/2013
- by Don Groves
- IF.com.au
The director of the Australian Production Designers Guild has called on the producers of Wolverine to keep the VFX work in Australia as speculation grows that it may go offshore.
George Liddle, also the production designer of films Dark City and Daybreakers, told Encore: “It seems outrageous to dump some of the work overseas. It goes against the spirit of the government’s policy to attract big films here.”The call comes as an announcement around Wolverine’s key VFX vendors is expected soon, and off the back of substantial financial input from the Australian Government to the film.
Wolverine received an extra $12.8m from the Federal Government to film in Australia on top of the usual 16.5% location tax offset that international productions are eligible for when shooting here. The $12.8m bumps the production to the equivalent of 30% rebate of the film’s estimated $80m Australian expenditure – The film industry...
George Liddle, also the production designer of films Dark City and Daybreakers, told Encore: “It seems outrageous to dump some of the work overseas. It goes against the spirit of the government’s policy to attract big films here.”The call comes as an announcement around Wolverine’s key VFX vendors is expected soon, and off the back of substantial financial input from the Australian Government to the film.
Wolverine received an extra $12.8m from the Federal Government to film in Australia on top of the usual 16.5% location tax offset that international productions are eligible for when shooting here. The $12.8m bumps the production to the equivalent of 30% rebate of the film’s estimated $80m Australian expenditure – The film industry...
- 9/7/2012
- by Colin Delaney
- Encore Magazine
The Australian Production Design Guild has announced its shortlist for this years awards for excellence in stage and screen design.
The announcement:
The Australian Production Design Guild in association with Docklands Studios Melbourne is delighted to announce the nominees for the 2012 Awards for Excellence in Stage and Screen Design
The Australian Production Design Guild’s 2012 Awards for Excellence in Stage and Screen Design will be held on Wednesday 17th October 2012 at Parkview Room, Doltone House Darling Island Wharf from 6.30pm, where the winners across 16 categories will be announced.
“The number of entries was impressive” announced George Liddle, Chair of the Apdg Board. With so many quality entrants this year it was difficult for the judges to make a decision.
The Apdg Awards is an annual event first held in 2011. It gathers together a myriad of talents and associated production design professionals from the Australian film, television, stage and interactive multimedia...
The announcement:
The Australian Production Design Guild in association with Docklands Studios Melbourne is delighted to announce the nominees for the 2012 Awards for Excellence in Stage and Screen Design
The Australian Production Design Guild’s 2012 Awards for Excellence in Stage and Screen Design will be held on Wednesday 17th October 2012 at Parkview Room, Doltone House Darling Island Wharf from 6.30pm, where the winners across 16 categories will be announced.
“The number of entries was impressive” announced George Liddle, Chair of the Apdg Board. With so many quality entrants this year it was difficult for the judges to make a decision.
The Apdg Awards is an annual event first held in 2011. It gathers together a myriad of talents and associated production design professionals from the Australian film, television, stage and interactive multimedia...
- 8/31/2012
- by Georgina Pearson
- Encore Magazine
With the inaugural Australian Production Design Guild Awards this month, Joanne Whitehead speaks with a selection of Australia’s leading production designers about the state of their sector in the industry.
While we so often hear the tired ‘it’s an honour just to be nominated’, during the awards season, for Australian production designers, the ceremony itself will feel like a reward, as their achievements are finally recognised on September 21, when the Australian Production Design Guild (Apdg) will hold their inaugural awards.
Though associations like Apdg existed in other countries before, the Australian guild is relatively new, created in 2009 by founding members Michael Scott Mitchell, Steven Jones Evans, George Liddle, Catherine Martin, Ian Gracie, Colin Gibson and Owen Paterson. With the awards approaching, it felt appropriate to delve a little further into the often misunderstood role of a production designer.
There are many departments who create the overall feel of...
While we so often hear the tired ‘it’s an honour just to be nominated’, during the awards season, for Australian production designers, the ceremony itself will feel like a reward, as their achievements are finally recognised on September 21, when the Australian Production Design Guild (Apdg) will hold their inaugural awards.
Though associations like Apdg existed in other countries before, the Australian guild is relatively new, created in 2009 by founding members Michael Scott Mitchell, Steven Jones Evans, George Liddle, Catherine Martin, Ian Gracie, Colin Gibson and Owen Paterson. With the awards approaching, it felt appropriate to delve a little further into the often misunderstood role of a production designer.
There are many departments who create the overall feel of...
- 9/21/2011
- by Colin Delaney
- Encore Magazine
The Australian Production Design Guild has announced the shortlist for its inaugural awards.
Across 13 categories, the awards recognise outstanding design talent in the screen and theatre industry.
The Apdg Awards will be held at Nida on the 21st September.
Apdg Awards Shortlist
The Docklands Studios Melbourne Apdg award for design on a feature film
The Tree - Steve Jones-Evans; production designer Daybreakers – George Liddle; production designer Beneath Hill 60 – Clayton Jauncey; production designer
The Encore Apdg award for design on a short film
The Cartographer – Jane Shadbolt; designer/director The Missing Key - Jonathan Nix; designer/director, Shane Ingram; 3D designer The Telegram Man – David McKay; production designer
The Matchbox Pictures Apdg award for design on a television drama
Hawke - Carrie Kennedy; production designer, Ben Morieson; production designer Cloudstreet - Herbert Pinter; production designer Paper Giants – Jon Rohde; production designer, Scott Bird; art director
The Next Printing Apdg award...
Across 13 categories, the awards recognise outstanding design talent in the screen and theatre industry.
The Apdg Awards will be held at Nida on the 21st September.
Apdg Awards Shortlist
The Docklands Studios Melbourne Apdg award for design on a feature film
The Tree - Steve Jones-Evans; production designer Daybreakers – George Liddle; production designer Beneath Hill 60 – Clayton Jauncey; production designer
The Encore Apdg award for design on a short film
The Cartographer – Jane Shadbolt; designer/director The Missing Key - Jonathan Nix; designer/director, Shane Ingram; 3D designer The Telegram Man – David McKay; production designer
The Matchbox Pictures Apdg award for design on a television drama
Hawke - Carrie Kennedy; production designer, Ben Morieson; production designer Cloudstreet - Herbert Pinter; production designer Paper Giants – Jon Rohde; production designer, Scott Bird; art director
The Next Printing Apdg award...
- 9/2/2011
- by Georgina Pearson
- Encore Magazine
An Australian Film Institute (AFI)-hosted launch party this evening named Geoffrey Rush founding president of the newly titled Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (Aacta), at the Overseas Passenger Terminal, Circular Quay.
Introducing Rush, AFI patron Dr George Miller said, “There is a handful of people who have won the triple crown acting, the Oscar, Emmy and Tony, and he’s the only one to win these awards and an AFI.”
As president, or ‘prez’ as he called himself, Rush announced the name of the new academy, the Australia Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (Aacta), which he suggested sounded like a Sydney drag queen.
Addressing the launch, Rush said, “I am honoured to represent our industry as president of the newly-formed Australian Academy. Over half a century ago the AFI was founded and since that time our film and television industries have developed beyond our wildest imaginings.
Introducing Rush, AFI patron Dr George Miller said, “There is a handful of people who have won the triple crown acting, the Oscar, Emmy and Tony, and he’s the only one to win these awards and an AFI.”
As president, or ‘prez’ as he called himself, Rush announced the name of the new academy, the Australia Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (Aacta), which he suggested sounded like a Sydney drag queen.
Addressing the launch, Rush said, “I am honoured to represent our industry as president of the newly-formed Australian Academy. Over half a century ago the AFI was founded and since that time our film and television industries have developed beyond our wildest imaginings.
- 8/18/2011
- by Colin Delaney
- Encore Magazine
The cast has been announced for "Priscilla" and "Easy Virtue" director Stephan Elliott’s upcoming feature "A Few Best Men" which begins shooting next week in Sydney and the nearby Blue Mountains region.
When English lad David announces he is getting married to an Australian, his hapless mates give a whole new meaning to the phrase 'for better or worse'! The chaos-filled wedding day tests their new marriage, challenges David’s relationships with his three best men, and risks turning what should be the best day of their lives into the worst.
Olivia Newton-John and political satirist Jonathan Biggins will star as the parents of the bride. Also starring are Xavier Samuel ("Twilight: Eclipse," "Newcastle"), Kris Marshall ("Death At A Funeral," "Easy Virtue"), Kevin Bishop ("Spanish Apartment," "Food of Love"), Tim Draxl ("Traveling Light," "Swimming Upstream"), Laura Brent (The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader), Steve Le Marquand ("Beneath Hill 60,...
When English lad David announces he is getting married to an Australian, his hapless mates give a whole new meaning to the phrase 'for better or worse'! The chaos-filled wedding day tests their new marriage, challenges David’s relationships with his three best men, and risks turning what should be the best day of their lives into the worst.
Olivia Newton-John and political satirist Jonathan Biggins will star as the parents of the bride. Also starring are Xavier Samuel ("Twilight: Eclipse," "Newcastle"), Kris Marshall ("Death At A Funeral," "Easy Virtue"), Kevin Bishop ("Spanish Apartment," "Food of Love"), Tim Draxl ("Traveling Light," "Swimming Upstream"), Laura Brent (The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader), Steve Le Marquand ("Beneath Hill 60,...
- 1/13/2011
- by Garth Franklin
- Dark Horizons
The cast of Stephan Elliott’s A Few Best Men will include Xavier Samuel, Kris Marshall, Kevin Bishop and Olivia Newton-John as the mother of the bride.
“I’m thrilled Olivia Newton-John is part of the cast; Dean Craig has written a fantastically entertaining script, and it’s especially exciting to partner Stephan Elliott with Olivia who is a true music and film icon. Olivia will be playing a role that will show her in a light she’s never been seen before and it’s going to turn heads and win new fans,” said producer Gary Hamilton.
It will be Newton-John’s first Australian film since 1965′s Funny Things Happen Down Under, and her first film since the American independent release Sordid Lives in 2000. One of her latest TV appearances was in the hit show Glee.
“I’m delighted that Xavier Samuel is on board; from his feature debut...
“I’m thrilled Olivia Newton-John is part of the cast; Dean Craig has written a fantastically entertaining script, and it’s especially exciting to partner Stephan Elliott with Olivia who is a true music and film icon. Olivia will be playing a role that will show her in a light she’s never been seen before and it’s going to turn heads and win new fans,” said producer Gary Hamilton.
It will be Newton-John’s first Australian film since 1965′s Funny Things Happen Down Under, and her first film since the American independent release Sordid Lives in 2000. One of her latest TV appearances was in the hit show Glee.
“I’m delighted that Xavier Samuel is on board; from his feature debut...
- 1/13/2011
- by Miguel Gonzalez
- Encore Magazine
Give "Dark City" full points for audacity.
An ultra-noir, futuristic (from a period vantage point) thriller that stylistically lives up to its murky title, the latest effort from "The Crow" director Alex Proyas is a heady pastiche of German Expressionism and Kafkaesque surrealism, with hefty flourishes of Edward Hopper and Rod Serling added for good measure.
But while the cerebral picture certainly gets a lot of bang for its artistic buck, it fails to connect on a visceral level. That might still be OK as far as its targeted young male graphic comic demo is concerned; they could turn it into a minor cult hit, particularly when "Dark City" sees the light of video.
"Cold Comfort Farm"'s Rufus Sewell has the requisite look for haunted everyman character John Murdoch, who awakens from a bathtub reverie with a severe case of amnesia complicated by the discovery of a mutilated female body in his apartment.
To add to the paranoia factor, Murdoch is not only being pursued by the police (led by the tautly stoical Detective Bumstead (William Hurt), but by a telekinetic cult of ominous beings known as the Strangers (how very Camus) whose physical appearance owes more than a tip of the cloak to F. W. Murnau's "Nosferatu".
It turns out Murdoch happens to be the only resident in his Gotham-type city who remains impervious to the Strangers' mind-controlling, time-stopping, reality-altering abilities and they're determined to find out the reason why with a little help from the weasely, syringe-bearing Doctor Schreber (Kiefer Sutherland).
While the script (credited to Proyas, Lem Dobbs, who, not surprisingly wrote Steve Soderbergh's "Kafka", and David S. Goyer, who penned "The Crow: City of Angels") feels cobbled together from old "Twilight Zone" episodes, it still has its moments. Despite all the weird stuff, the big explanation actually succeeds on its own logical terms far more satisfyingly than, say, "Sphere".
But it's Proyas' take-no-prisoners, visually exhilarating style that leaves the biggest imprint, and that's not exactly welcome news for most of the cast who prove to be no match for the picture's art department of thousands.
England's Sewell's got the wide-eyed paranoia down cold, but the shaky American accent is another story as it is for a number of performers on the Australian shoot. Jennifer Connelly, meanwhile, in the role of the token female/love interest, has the period look but not enough of a commanding presence to leave an alluring mark. Only Sutherland captures the requisite tone with a finely calibrated character turn. His chronically short-of-breath Dr. Schreber is a enigmatic slippery fish who's seen too many Fritz Lang movies.
Technically speaking, a film that has not one but two credited production designers pretty much speaks for itself and the above-ground designs of George Liddle and Underground creations of Patrick Tatopoulos ("Independence Day") speak eye-catching volumes. Some moody, textured camera work from Dariusz Wolski ("Crimson Tide") and a grandly gothic score by the prolific Trevor Jones completely the dizzyingly evocative if wildly derivative picture.
DARK CITY
New Line
A Mystery Clock production
An Alex Proyas film
Director: Alex Proyas
Producers: Andrew Mason and Alex Proyas
Screenwriters: Alex Proyas and Lem Dobbs
and David S. Goyer
Story: Alex Proyas
Executive producers: Michael De Luca,
Brian Witten
Director of photography: Dariusz Wolski
Production designers: Patrick Tatopolous,
George Liddle
Editor: Dov Hoenig
Costume designer: Liz Keogh
Music: Trevor Jones
Color/stereo
Cast:
John Murdoch: Rufus Sewell
Dr. Schreber: Kiefer Sutherland
Emma: Jennifer Connelly
Mr Hand: Richard O'Brien
Mr. Book: Ian Richardson
Detective Bumstead: William Hurt
Running time -- 104 minutes
MPAA rating: R...
An ultra-noir, futuristic (from a period vantage point) thriller that stylistically lives up to its murky title, the latest effort from "The Crow" director Alex Proyas is a heady pastiche of German Expressionism and Kafkaesque surrealism, with hefty flourishes of Edward Hopper and Rod Serling added for good measure.
But while the cerebral picture certainly gets a lot of bang for its artistic buck, it fails to connect on a visceral level. That might still be OK as far as its targeted young male graphic comic demo is concerned; they could turn it into a minor cult hit, particularly when "Dark City" sees the light of video.
"Cold Comfort Farm"'s Rufus Sewell has the requisite look for haunted everyman character John Murdoch, who awakens from a bathtub reverie with a severe case of amnesia complicated by the discovery of a mutilated female body in his apartment.
To add to the paranoia factor, Murdoch is not only being pursued by the police (led by the tautly stoical Detective Bumstead (William Hurt), but by a telekinetic cult of ominous beings known as the Strangers (how very Camus) whose physical appearance owes more than a tip of the cloak to F. W. Murnau's "Nosferatu".
It turns out Murdoch happens to be the only resident in his Gotham-type city who remains impervious to the Strangers' mind-controlling, time-stopping, reality-altering abilities and they're determined to find out the reason why with a little help from the weasely, syringe-bearing Doctor Schreber (Kiefer Sutherland).
While the script (credited to Proyas, Lem Dobbs, who, not surprisingly wrote Steve Soderbergh's "Kafka", and David S. Goyer, who penned "The Crow: City of Angels") feels cobbled together from old "Twilight Zone" episodes, it still has its moments. Despite all the weird stuff, the big explanation actually succeeds on its own logical terms far more satisfyingly than, say, "Sphere".
But it's Proyas' take-no-prisoners, visually exhilarating style that leaves the biggest imprint, and that's not exactly welcome news for most of the cast who prove to be no match for the picture's art department of thousands.
England's Sewell's got the wide-eyed paranoia down cold, but the shaky American accent is another story as it is for a number of performers on the Australian shoot. Jennifer Connelly, meanwhile, in the role of the token female/love interest, has the period look but not enough of a commanding presence to leave an alluring mark. Only Sutherland captures the requisite tone with a finely calibrated character turn. His chronically short-of-breath Dr. Schreber is a enigmatic slippery fish who's seen too many Fritz Lang movies.
Technically speaking, a film that has not one but two credited production designers pretty much speaks for itself and the above-ground designs of George Liddle and Underground creations of Patrick Tatopoulos ("Independence Day") speak eye-catching volumes. Some moody, textured camera work from Dariusz Wolski ("Crimson Tide") and a grandly gothic score by the prolific Trevor Jones completely the dizzyingly evocative if wildly derivative picture.
DARK CITY
New Line
A Mystery Clock production
An Alex Proyas film
Director: Alex Proyas
Producers: Andrew Mason and Alex Proyas
Screenwriters: Alex Proyas and Lem Dobbs
and David S. Goyer
Story: Alex Proyas
Executive producers: Michael De Luca,
Brian Witten
Director of photography: Dariusz Wolski
Production designers: Patrick Tatopolous,
George Liddle
Editor: Dov Hoenig
Costume designer: Liz Keogh
Music: Trevor Jones
Color/stereo
Cast:
John Murdoch: Rufus Sewell
Dr. Schreber: Kiefer Sutherland
Emma: Jennifer Connelly
Mr Hand: Richard O'Brien
Mr. Book: Ian Richardson
Detective Bumstead: William Hurt
Running time -- 104 minutes
MPAA rating: R...
- 2/20/1998
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.