Exclusive: Leonardo DiCaprio and revered environmental activist Jane Goodall will executive produce Howl, a film following an abandoned family dog and a young wolf, which will unfold from the animals’ perspective. The Promethean Pictures movie has just entered production, we can reveal. It is not an environment film per se, but the team behind it plans to give moviegoers a transformative view of the natural world.
Set against the backdrop of a harsh winter, the movie will follow Harry, a family dog who is inadvertently left home alone and whose owners then die in an accident. Harry goes through a rollercoaster survival ride that brings him into contact with a wolf. The pair must overcome their mutual fear and suspicion, and ultimately they develop a close bond. The story is animal-led, but there will be some human characters with casting news to follow.
E. Elias Merhige (Shadow of the Vampire...
Set against the backdrop of a harsh winter, the movie will follow Harry, a family dog who is inadvertently left home alone and whose owners then die in an accident. Harry goes through a rollercoaster survival ride that brings him into contact with a wolf. The pair must overcome their mutual fear and suspicion, and ultimately they develop a close bond. The story is animal-led, but there will be some human characters with casting news to follow.
E. Elias Merhige (Shadow of the Vampire...
- 5/3/2024
- by Stewart Clarke
- Deadline Film + TV
How did you come to know our lord and savior, Count Orlok? If you're of a certain age, your first exposure might have come from the "SpongeBob SquarePants" episode "Graveyard Shift," in which the rascally vampire kept secretly flickering the lights during the night shift at the Krusty Krab. Or maybe you watched "Shadow of the Vampire," E. Elias Merhige's darkly comedic 2000 fictional account about the making of F.W. Murnau's 1922 German Expressionist classic "Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror." Or perhaps you even saw Murnau's unauthorized "Dracula" adaptation itself or Werner Herzog's 1979 remake "Nosferatu the Vampyre" (which did away with any pretenses and just referred to Orlok as Count Dracula).
Whatever the case, Orlok has sunk his fangs deep into our collective pop-cultural consciousness these last 100-plus years. With his pallid visage, sunken eyes, and bald head, he just stands out from all those other blood-suckers, straddling the...
Whatever the case, Orlok has sunk his fangs deep into our collective pop-cultural consciousness these last 100-plus years. With his pallid visage, sunken eyes, and bald head, he just stands out from all those other blood-suckers, straddling the...
- 12/3/2023
- by Sandy Schaefer
- Slash Film
I don't know about you, but I love me a Nosferatu. With their shiny bald heads, sinewy claws, and animalistic nature, they are the antithesis of everything Count Dracula. Gone are allure, seduction, and charm, instead replaced by gargoyle-like beings who only have one thing on their mind; your blood.
With inspiration dating back to 1922, these beastly beings have been cropping up in film and television every few years, when audiences seemingly get tired of the Count's debonair musings. And if you're like me, you'll find yourself fist-pumping every time a new Nosferatu is born.
Here are 13 Unforgettable Nosferatu-Style vampires to sink your teeth into.
Film Arts Guild Count Orlok in Nosferatu (1922)
Ah, the Og. Count Orlok is the original silent film star who didn't need words to make a chilling impression. Directed by F. W. Murnau, Nosferatu is a silent horror masterpiece that introduced audiences to the iconic Nosferatu style.
With inspiration dating back to 1922, these beastly beings have been cropping up in film and television every few years, when audiences seemingly get tired of the Count's debonair musings. And if you're like me, you'll find yourself fist-pumping every time a new Nosferatu is born.
Here are 13 Unforgettable Nosferatu-Style vampires to sink your teeth into.
Film Arts Guild Count Orlok in Nosferatu (1922)
Ah, the Og. Count Orlok is the original silent film star who didn't need words to make a chilling impression. Directed by F. W. Murnau, Nosferatu is a silent horror masterpiece that introduced audiences to the iconic Nosferatu style.
- 8/8/2023
- by Kimberley Elizabeth
From historically accurate costumes to expensive set designs, it takes a lot of money to shoot a believable period piece, with these films requiring an additional level of planning in order to feel true to life. That’s why it’s so rare to see non-blockbuster productions take on this challenge – especially when it comes to monster movies.
That being said, there are still some brave genre filmmakers that try and experiment with different story settings without the benefit of a super-hero movie budget, which often leads to incredibly unique horror films. That’s why we’ve decided to come up with a list recommending six of the best period-piece monster movies, as creature features shouldn’t have to be limited to any particular era.
For the purposes of this list, we’ll be defining “period piece” as any movie that takes place in a time period previous to when it was filmed.
That being said, there are still some brave genre filmmakers that try and experiment with different story settings without the benefit of a super-hero movie budget, which often leads to incredibly unique horror films. That’s why we’ve decided to come up with a list recommending six of the best period-piece monster movies, as creature features shouldn’t have to be limited to any particular era.
For the purposes of this list, we’ll be defining “period piece” as any movie that takes place in a time period previous to when it was filmed.
- 7/28/2023
- by Luiz H. C.
- bloody-disgusting.com
Johns and Merhige met working on ‘Shadow Of The Vampire’.
Richard Johns, producer and founder of Argo Films, and US director E. Elias Merhige, who first collaborated on Shadow Of The Vampire in 2000, have launched UK-based Promethean Pictures and have a slate of film and TV projects in development.
A survival story called Howl is in advanced development, to be directed by Merhige. It is the story of a family dog left at home during an extreme winter after his owners die in a car crash. Told from the dog’s point of view, he goes through a rollercoaster survival ride,...
Richard Johns, producer and founder of Argo Films, and US director E. Elias Merhige, who first collaborated on Shadow Of The Vampire in 2000, have launched UK-based Promethean Pictures and have a slate of film and TV projects in development.
A survival story called Howl is in advanced development, to be directed by Merhige. It is the story of a family dog left at home during an extreme winter after his owners die in a car crash. Told from the dog’s point of view, he goes through a rollercoaster survival ride,...
- 3/28/2023
- by Tim Dams
- ScreenDaily
Johns and Merhige met working on ‘Shadow Of The Vampire’.
Richard Johns, producer and founder of Argo Films and US director E. Elias Merhige, who first collaborated on Shadow Of The Vampire in 2000, have launched UK-based Promethean Pictures and have a slate of film and TV projects in development.
A survival story called Howl is in advanced development, to be directed by Merhige. It is the story of a family dog left at home during an extreme winter after his owners die in a car crash. Told from the dog’s point of view, he goes through a rollercoaster survival ride,...
Richard Johns, producer and founder of Argo Films and US director E. Elias Merhige, who first collaborated on Shadow Of The Vampire in 2000, have launched UK-based Promethean Pictures and have a slate of film and TV projects in development.
A survival story called Howl is in advanced development, to be directed by Merhige. It is the story of a family dog left at home during an extreme winter after his owners die in a car crash. Told from the dog’s point of view, he goes through a rollercoaster survival ride,...
- 3/28/2023
- by Tim Dams
- ScreenDaily
Exclusive: Shadow of the Vampire duo Richard Johns and E. Elias Merhige have launched a TV and film shingle.
Promethean Pictures will be based in the UK and forge projects for the global market. Its first project, dog survival story Howl, is already in development.
Merhige is an auteur who helmed 2000’s Shadow of the Vampire with Johns, which starred John Malkovich and Willem Dafoe and was twice Oscar nominated. Merhige was also behind 2004’s Suspect Zero starring Ben Kingsley and Aaron Eckhart, while other credits include Begotten, Polia & Blastema: A Cosmic Opera and Din of Celestial Birds, which were showcased last weekend in the Screen of the Sky immersive experience at the Brussels Planetarium.
Merhige is joining with his long-time collaborator Johns, the Chivalry producer who only last year launched Argo Films. Argo is making Disney+’s The Shepherd starring John Travolta and a BBC-developed drama series about...
Promethean Pictures will be based in the UK and forge projects for the global market. Its first project, dog survival story Howl, is already in development.
Merhige is an auteur who helmed 2000’s Shadow of the Vampire with Johns, which starred John Malkovich and Willem Dafoe and was twice Oscar nominated. Merhige was also behind 2004’s Suspect Zero starring Ben Kingsley and Aaron Eckhart, while other credits include Begotten, Polia & Blastema: A Cosmic Opera and Din of Celestial Birds, which were showcased last weekend in the Screen of the Sky immersive experience at the Brussels Planetarium.
Merhige is joining with his long-time collaborator Johns, the Chivalry producer who only last year launched Argo Films. Argo is making Disney+’s The Shepherd starring John Travolta and a BBC-developed drama series about...
- 3/28/2023
- by Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
Get in touch to send in cinephile news and discoveries. For daily updates follow us @NotebookMUBI, and sign up for our weekly email newsletter by clicking here.NEWSShadow of the Vampire.Willem Dafoe will join Robert Eggers’s Nosferatu film, news that comes 23 years after he played a fictitious version of Murnau's lead actor, Max Schreck, in Shadow of the Vampire. Dafoe’s supporting role is currently “unknown,” according to Deadline, though Eggers's vampire will be Bill Skarsgard.Sight & Sound continues their rollout of the Greatest Films of All Time, now unveiling the critics’ top 250.The great cinematographer Caroline Champetier will be honored with the Berlinale Camera award at this year’s festival, marking a career of beautifully lensed films for Jean-Marie Straub & Danièle Huillet, Jean-Luc Godard, Margarethe von Trotta, Claude Lanzmann, and Leos Carax, among many others.Following Sundance’s closing awards ceremony, we’ve compiled the full list of winners here on Notebook.
- 2/1/2023
- MUBI
"Skinamarink" is an immersive cinematic experience unlike any other. It moves at a slow pace through abstract shots of mundane domestic objects — walls, door frames, carpet — accompanied by the eerie sounds of whispering voices and creaking floors. Viewers cannot identify with the main characters, young children who wander in a dreamlike state through their home in search of their parents. An evil figure seems to follow them. You never see their faces, only the back of their heads or parts of their bodies. This cryptic filmmaking approach has left viewers speculating over several different theories as to what's really going on.
Although "Skinamarink" is a unique film, it draws influence from many other horror genre favorites. This list points to films that are similar in style or story to "Skinamarink." They have an unnerving directorial vision with terrifying images that burn into your brain long after the credits roll.
Begotten...
Although "Skinamarink" is a unique film, it draws influence from many other horror genre favorites. This list points to films that are similar in style or story to "Skinamarink." They have an unnerving directorial vision with terrifying images that burn into your brain long after the credits roll.
Begotten...
- 1/21/2023
- by Caroline Madden
- Slash Film
British producer Richard Johns has launched a new label, Argo Films.
Johns is best known for the 2000 Academy Award-nominated indie horror flick Shadow of a Vampire and several other films, is debuting with a slate of projects and The Shepherd, a completed short for Disney+.
The Shepherd, starring John Travolta and Ben Radcliffe, is based on the novel by Frederick Forsyth and followed the story of a pilot flying home solo for Christmas in 1957. Iain Softley wrote and directed, and Alfonso Cuarón and Bill Kenwright are co-producers.
Argo will also house scripted assets and development projects from Corona Pictures and Corona Television, the businesses Johns established with Rupert Jermyn in 2009 that produced teen horror Truth or Dare and Tim Roth-starrer The Liability and whose TV arm received investment from Fremantle. Johns purchased Jermyn’s share of the assets when the latter left the industry in 2019.
Projects include several unnamed international drama co-productions,...
Johns is best known for the 2000 Academy Award-nominated indie horror flick Shadow of a Vampire and several other films, is debuting with a slate of projects and The Shepherd, a completed short for Disney+.
The Shepherd, starring John Travolta and Ben Radcliffe, is based on the novel by Frederick Forsyth and followed the story of a pilot flying home solo for Christmas in 1957. Iain Softley wrote and directed, and Alfonso Cuarón and Bill Kenwright are co-producers.
Argo will also house scripted assets and development projects from Corona Pictures and Corona Television, the businesses Johns established with Rupert Jermyn in 2009 that produced teen horror Truth or Dare and Tim Roth-starrer The Liability and whose TV arm received investment from Fremantle. Johns purchased Jermyn’s share of the assets when the latter left the industry in 2019.
Projects include several unnamed international drama co-productions,...
- 12/5/2022
- by Jesse Whittock
- Deadline Film + TV
Religious horror is more than an exploration of the stranger corners of Catholic theology. Folk horror, with its old-world pagan trappings, has a place in the genre, and the occasional Gnostic lore sneaks into the corners as well, but Christian-themed horror prevails on American turf, built from all the familiar icons the country's Puritan ancestors railed against. Intricate rituals that feel like sacred magic gone wrong. Demons lurk around every corner, waiting to claim your soul.
Creature scares and the Roman ritual of exorcism aside, religious horror (when it works) is a comfort food against the too-real evils of the world. All the bad things that happen to us are not our fault. They're tests, trials, or even just the cruel machinations of the Devil Itself. For those of us with no personal connection to theologies, these films can be a roaring good time through a world we rarely deal with.
Creature scares and the Roman ritual of exorcism aside, religious horror (when it works) is a comfort food against the too-real evils of the world. All the bad things that happen to us are not our fault. They're tests, trials, or even just the cruel machinations of the Devil Itself. For those of us with no personal connection to theologies, these films can be a roaring good time through a world we rarely deal with.
- 10/21/2022
- by Margaret David
- Slash Film
Don't call it a comeback, Willem Dafoe's been here for years. His recent streak of phenomenal roles, which includes appearances in everything from Robert Eggers' wild masterpieces to a surprise return to his classic supervillain role, highlights what hardcore movie fans have known since the 1982 cult biker movie "The Loveless." Saying "this man can act" is underselling it. Willem Dafoe imbues his roles with passion and effort. A master of the craft, he is an all-in collaborator on the set. It doesn't matter if he's voicing a grumpy tropical fish or a multi-limbed Martian, Dafoe always puts his best face forward.
It's a remarkable face, and he can do a shocking amount with that square jaw and those expressive eyes. Attractive, repellant, contemplative, and, sometimes, straight-up hilarious, I'm not sure there's anything Dafoe can't do to master a role. If he can't fake it, he'll make it. He learned...
It's a remarkable face, and he can do a shocking amount with that square jaw and those expressive eyes. Attractive, repellant, contemplative, and, sometimes, straight-up hilarious, I'm not sure there's anything Dafoe can't do to master a role. If he can't fake it, he'll make it. He learned...
- 10/9/2022
- by Margaret David
- Slash Film
Three-time Oscar nominee Willem Dafoe will receive this year's honorary Golden Bear for lifetime achievement at the Berlin International Film Festival.
The veteran actor, who picked up his three Oscar nomination this year for his supporting turn in The Florida Project, will receive his Berlin trophy at a ceremony in the German capital Feb. 20.
In his honor, Berlin will screen a retrospective of Dafoe's career, featuring such highlights as Oliver Stone's Platoon and Shadow of a Vampire from E. Elias Merhige, both of which garnered Oscar nominations in the best supporting actor category. Also included in Berlin's Dafoe retrospective...
The veteran actor, who picked up his three Oscar nomination this year for his supporting turn in The Florida Project, will receive his Berlin trophy at a ceremony in the German capital Feb. 20.
In his honor, Berlin will screen a retrospective of Dafoe's career, featuring such highlights as Oliver Stone's Platoon and Shadow of a Vampire from E. Elias Merhige, both of which garnered Oscar nominations in the best supporting actor category. Also included in Berlin's Dafoe retrospective...
- 2/6/2018
- by Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Mark Harrison May 19, 2017
From the currently playing Their Finest to the likes of Bowfinger and Boogie Nights, we salute the movies about making movies...
If you haven't caught up yet, Their Finest is currently playing in UK cinemas and it's a gorgeous little love letter to perseverance through storytelling, set against the backdrop of a film production office at the British Ministry of Information during the Second World War. Based on Lissa Evans' novel, Gemma Arterton and Bill Nighy play characters whose access to the film industry has been contingent on the global crisis that takes other young men away from such trifling matters, and it's a real joy to watch.
Among other things, the film got us thinking about other films about making films. We're not talking about documentaries, even though Hearts Of Darkness, the documentary about the making of Apocalypse Now, may be the greatest film about...
From the currently playing Their Finest to the likes of Bowfinger and Boogie Nights, we salute the movies about making movies...
If you haven't caught up yet, Their Finest is currently playing in UK cinemas and it's a gorgeous little love letter to perseverance through storytelling, set against the backdrop of a film production office at the British Ministry of Information during the Second World War. Based on Lissa Evans' novel, Gemma Arterton and Bill Nighy play characters whose access to the film industry has been contingent on the global crisis that takes other young men away from such trifling matters, and it's a real joy to watch.
Among other things, the film got us thinking about other films about making films. We're not talking about documentaries, even though Hearts Of Darkness, the documentary about the making of Apocalypse Now, may be the greatest film about...
- 5/3/2017
- Den of Geek
With a seemingly endless amount of streaming options — not only the titles at our disposal, but services themselves — we’ve taken it upon ourselves to highlight the titles that have recently hit the interwebs. Every week, one will be able to see the cream of the crop (or perhaps some simply interesting picks) of streaming titles (new and old) across platforms such as Netflix, iTunes, Amazon Instant Video, and more (note: U.S. only). Check out our rundown for this week’s selections below.
Baskin (Can Evrenol)
It starts off with a late night dinner scene between a quintet of cops telling crazy stories and losing their temper with the help straight out of a Tarantino movie and continues on its descent to hell with a writhing, mashing, sexual bloodletting orgy calling to mind E. Elias Merhige’s Begotten. This is Can Evrenol‘s debut feature Baskin (adapted from his...
Baskin (Can Evrenol)
It starts off with a late night dinner scene between a quintet of cops telling crazy stories and losing their temper with the help straight out of a Tarantino movie and continues on its descent to hell with a writhing, mashing, sexual bloodletting orgy calling to mind E. Elias Merhige’s Begotten. This is Can Evrenol‘s debut feature Baskin (adapted from his...
- 3/25/2016
- by TFS Staff
- The Film Stage
Ja from Mnpp here christening 2015's final episode of "Beauty vs Beast" with one of my favorite movies of ever, which is celebrating it's 15th anniversary this week - E. Elias Merhige's Shadow of the Vampire, which fictionalized the filming of F.W. Murnau's Nosferatu by adding in some actual behind-the-scenes bloodsucking, was released on December 29th, 2000 -- I have strangely fixed memories of seeing this film for the first time, from the dreamy Art Deco opening credits on down; anyway it left a mark, so don't ask me what the hell happened to Merhige after this. He's only made one more feature-length film since, the 2004 serial killer thriller Suspect Zero with Ben Kingsley.
As for Shadow of the Vampire it didn't do great box-office-wise but it did manage to score two Oscar nominations - one for Make-Up and a much-deserved Best Supporting Actor nomination for Willem Dafoe, playing...
As for Shadow of the Vampire it didn't do great box-office-wise but it did manage to score two Oscar nominations - one for Make-Up and a much-deserved Best Supporting Actor nomination for Willem Dafoe, playing...
- 12/28/2015
- by JA
- FilmExperience
Hell's Kitchen: Soul stew image likely from the 1922 Benjamin Christensen horror classic 'Häxan / Witchcraft Through the Ages.' Day of the Dead post: Cinema's Top Five Scariest Living Dead We should all be eternally grateful to the pagans, who had the foresight to come up with many (most?) of the overworked Western world's religious holidays. Thanks to them, besides Easter, Christmas, New Year's, and possibly Mardi Gras (a holiday in some countries), we also have Halloween, All Saints' Day, and the Day of Dead. The latter two are public holidays in a number of countries with large Catholic populations. Since today marks the end of the annual Halloween / All Saints' Day / Day of the Dead celebrations, I'm posting my revised and expanded list of the movies' Top Five Scariest Living Dead. Of course, by that I don't mean the actors listed below were dead when the movies were made.
- 11/3/2015
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
For Astoria’s Museum of the Moving Image to house an event like the First Look series—opening this Friday and running through January 18—is a cinematic blessing. Here, in its fourth year, you’ll find undistributed gems, but, though its similarities to other festivals halt with “undistributed,” the curation of the series is precise and impeccable, giving an illusion of intimacy. This year, with selections from Omer Fast, Gina Telaroli, and Jessica Hausner, there’s a stress on waking nightmares; films whose atmospheres are bone chilling in both overt and subtle ways.
Ville Marie
Opening with a title card dedicating the film to Carlos Lorenzo, Ville Marie—one of the many experimental films being exhibited during the series—intentionally or otherwise becomes a living fever dream, its use of double and reverse exposure reminiscent of E. Elias Merhige’s horror experiment Begotten. That film sought to expose the horror of creation,...
Ville Marie
Opening with a title card dedicating the film to Carlos Lorenzo, Ville Marie—one of the many experimental films being exhibited during the series—intentionally or otherwise becomes a living fever dream, its use of double and reverse exposure reminiscent of E. Elias Merhige’s horror experiment Begotten. That film sought to expose the horror of creation,...
- 1/6/2015
- by Kyle Turner
- MUBI
With every horror fan’s favorite time of year just right around the corner, I thought it would be fun to put together a list of 31 genre-related titles currently available on Netflix Instant that undoubtedly will get you ready for the Halloween season.
Happy Haunting!
Invaders from Mars (Tobe Hooper)
David is the only one who knows the truth about the aliens invading his small town in this remake of the 50s science-fiction classic.
Re-Animator (Stuart Gordon)
Based on a story by H.P. Lovecraft, this campy send-up follows an egotistical medical student who develops a serum that miraculously revives the dead.
Fright Night (Tom Holland)
When Charley Brewster discovers that his suave new neighbor is a vampire, he seeks help from actor Peter Vincent, famed for portraying a ghoul hunter.
Creepshow 2 (Michael Gornick)
Join the rotting but amiable Creep as he introduces this anthology of three gruesome tales written by the master of horror,...
Happy Haunting!
Invaders from Mars (Tobe Hooper)
David is the only one who knows the truth about the aliens invading his small town in this remake of the 50s science-fiction classic.
Re-Animator (Stuart Gordon)
Based on a story by H.P. Lovecraft, this campy send-up follows an egotistical medical student who develops a serum that miraculously revives the dead.
Fright Night (Tom Holland)
When Charley Brewster discovers that his suave new neighbor is a vampire, he seeks help from actor Peter Vincent, famed for portraying a ghoul hunter.
Creepshow 2 (Michael Gornick)
Join the rotting but amiable Creep as he introduces this anthology of three gruesome tales written by the master of horror,...
- 10/2/2014
- by Heather Wixson
- DailyDead
It’s that wonderful, frightful, cool and creepy time of year again, when everything including the leaves on the trees are dying and our taste buds are craving sugary sweets and pies made from the guts of our jack-o-lanterns. It’s October, which means Halloween is nearly upon us! Get you costumes completed, your home haunts constructed and your candy collected for trick’r treaters, because you have to make time to watch some of the scariest movies this time of year.
In an effort to assist you in your cinematic scare-fest, we’ve come up with a list of the scariest movies to watch on Halloween… with one caveat. We have excluded virtually all “slasher” flicks. Why? Well, let’s just say we all know them, we all love them on some level, but really… don’t we all want something more in our scary movies? In honor of...
In an effort to assist you in your cinematic scare-fest, we’ve come up with a list of the scariest movies to watch on Halloween… with one caveat. We have excluded virtually all “slasher” flicks. Why? Well, let’s just say we all know them, we all love them on some level, but really… don’t we all want something more in our scary movies? In honor of...
- 10/30/2013
- by Movie Geeks
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
We recently reported that the classic silent horror film, Nosferatu, will be available on Blu-ray in the Us on November 12th. We now have details on the UK release, which comes in the form of a standard Blu-ray edition or a limited steelbook edition. A newly restored trailer has also come online to promote the re-release of Nosferatu in UK cinemas and you can watch it right here.
“An iconic film of the German expressionist cinema, and one of the most famous of all silent movies, F. W. Murnau’s Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror continues to haunt — and, indeed, terrify — modern audiences with the unshakable power of its images. By teasing a host of occult atmospherics out of dilapidated set-pieces and innocuous real-world locations alike, Murnau captured on celluloid the deeply-rooted elements of a waking nightmare, and launched the signature “Murnau-style” that would change cinema history forever.
In...
“An iconic film of the German expressionist cinema, and one of the most famous of all silent movies, F. W. Murnau’s Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror continues to haunt — and, indeed, terrify — modern audiences with the unshakable power of its images. By teasing a host of occult atmospherics out of dilapidated set-pieces and innocuous real-world locations alike, Murnau captured on celluloid the deeply-rooted elements of a waking nightmare, and launched the signature “Murnau-style” that would change cinema history forever.
In...
- 10/5/2013
- by Jemma George
- DailyDead
Released in 1922, F.W. Murnau's Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror holds the distinction of being the very first screen adaptation of Bram Stoker's Dracula. A silent film that still holds the power today to terrify and fascinate.
This October, just in time for Halloween, Eureka! Entertainment will be releasing a newly restored print of the film into theaters in the UK. The limited theatrical run kicks off on Friday, October 25th, and the print will also be shown as part of the British Film Institute's festival Gothic: The Dark Heart of Film, beginning October 21st. You can find dates and theaters for the screenings over on BFI's website.
For those of you outside the UK, have no fear - you'll be able to experience the same restored version of the film, only on a bit of a smaller screen. Eureka! will also be releasing the film on both Blu-ray...
This October, just in time for Halloween, Eureka! Entertainment will be releasing a newly restored print of the film into theaters in the UK. The limited theatrical run kicks off on Friday, October 25th, and the print will also be shown as part of the British Film Institute's festival Gothic: The Dark Heart of Film, beginning October 21st. You can find dates and theaters for the screenings over on BFI's website.
For those of you outside the UK, have no fear - you'll be able to experience the same restored version of the film, only on a bit of a smaller screen. Eureka! will also be releasing the film on both Blu-ray...
- 10/4/2013
- by John Squires
- DreadCentral.com
In today's chapter of our ongoing tribute to horror's early days, we take a look at an epic dark fantasy from director F.W. Murnau, whom you may remember as the director of the 1922 film Nosferatu, the first – though unofficial – cinematic adaptation of Bram Stoker's Dracula. (For a really cool fictionalized take on the making of that film, check out E. Elias Merhige's Shadow of the Vampire.) When Murnau returned to horror four years later, he did so in a major way, with the most elaborate and expensive German film production to date; Fritz Lang's monumental Metropolis would edge it out of the top spot the following year. The story of Faust is universally known, but got a big boost from an adaptation by renowned German writer Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, which was published in the early 1800s. The legend itself involves a master alchemist (Gösta Ekman) who...
- 3/14/2013
- by Gregory Burkart
- FEARnet
Odd List Aliya Whiteley Feb 19, 2013
Covering 85 years of cinema, Aliya provides her pick of 25 stylish, must-see French movies...
I’m going to kick this off in best New-Wave style by pointing out that we should be praising each great director’s body of work rather than showcasing favourite movies in a list format; after all, France came up with the concept of the auteur filmmaker, stamping their personality on a film, using the camera to portray their version of the world.
Yeah, well, personality is everything. So here’s a highly personal choice, arranged in chronological order, of 25 of the most individualistic French films. They may be long or short, old or new, but they all have one thing in common – they’ve got directorial style. And by that I don’t mean their shoes match their handbags.
The Passion Of Joan Of Arc (1928)
There are no stirring battle scenes,...
Covering 85 years of cinema, Aliya provides her pick of 25 stylish, must-see French movies...
I’m going to kick this off in best New-Wave style by pointing out that we should be praising each great director’s body of work rather than showcasing favourite movies in a list format; after all, France came up with the concept of the auteur filmmaker, stamping their personality on a film, using the camera to portray their version of the world.
Yeah, well, personality is everything. So here’s a highly personal choice, arranged in chronological order, of 25 of the most individualistic French films. They may be long or short, old or new, but they all have one thing in common – they’ve got directorial style. And by that I don’t mean their shoes match their handbags.
The Passion Of Joan Of Arc (1928)
There are no stirring battle scenes,...
- 2/18/2013
- by ryanlambie
- Den of Geek
Looking back at 2012 on what films moved and impressed us, it is clear that watching old films is a crucial part of making new films meaningful. Thus, the annual tradition of our end of year poll, which calls upon our writers to pick both a new and an old film: they were challenged to choose a new film they saw in 2012—in theaters or at a festival—and creatively pair it with an old film they also saw in 2012 to create a unique double feature.
All the contributors were asked to write a paragraph explaining their 2012 fantasy double feature. What's more, each writer was given the option to list more pairings, with or without explanation, as further imaginative film programming we'd be lucky to catch in that perfect world we know doesn't exist but can keep dreaming of every time we go to the movies.
How would you program some...
All the contributors were asked to write a paragraph explaining their 2012 fantasy double feature. What's more, each writer was given the option to list more pairings, with or without explanation, as further imaginative film programming we'd be lucky to catch in that perfect world we know doesn't exist but can keep dreaming of every time we go to the movies.
How would you program some...
- 1/9/2013
- by Daniel Kasman
- MUBI
Here Lies... The actor-or-is-he Max Schreck, brought to vivid undead-or-is-he life by Willem Dafoe in 2000's Shadow of a Vampire, nominated for Best Supporting Actor.
Ja from Mnpp here. When I started rewatching E. Elias Merhige's 2000 film Shadow of the Vampire the other day for the umpteenth time I was convinced that we first see Willem Dafoe's Max Schreck is when he's first being filmed by Murnau & Company - when he emerges from his deep dark tunnel, aka the hole where Murnau says he found him. I was wrong. The first time we see Schreck is a few minutes earlier when Murnau leaves a caged mink sitting outside said hole as tasty bait and Schreck's hands - white as moles, fingers long and sharp as stalactites - appear in the background and snake their way around the bars, enveloping their innocent prey.
Now I'm not one to talk...
Ja from Mnpp here. When I started rewatching E. Elias Merhige's 2000 film Shadow of the Vampire the other day for the umpteenth time I was convinced that we first see Willem Dafoe's Max Schreck is when he's first being filmed by Murnau & Company - when he emerges from his deep dark tunnel, aka the hole where Murnau says he found him. I was wrong. The first time we see Schreck is a few minutes earlier when Murnau leaves a caged mink sitting outside said hole as tasty bait and Schreck's hands - white as moles, fingers long and sharp as stalactites - appear in the background and snake their way around the bars, enveloping their innocent prey.
Now I'm not one to talk...
- 10/18/2012
- by JA
- FilmExperience
Elijah Wood – who’s had his share of genre dippings with Lord of the Rings, Sin City, and the upcoming Maniac remake – will take his love of horror to the next level by heading up an indie film company called The Woodshed.
The Woodshed will produce mainly low-budget genre flicks – those under the umbrella of horror/fantasy/sci-fi.
Elijah Wood is starting the company with Daniel Noah and Josh C. Waller.
Wood speaks about his newest (and riskiest) endeavor:
“I’ve been a fan of horror and genre cinema in general since I was a child and have become increasingly passionate about the idea of there being a space in which horror films that take their subject matter and characters seriously could be produced. What was born out of a conversation of our mutual love for the genre and what we felt was lacking in a broad sense, especially from the U.
The Woodshed will produce mainly low-budget genre flicks – those under the umbrella of horror/fantasy/sci-fi.
Elijah Wood is starting the company with Daniel Noah and Josh C. Waller.
Wood speaks about his newest (and riskiest) endeavor:
“I’ve been a fan of horror and genre cinema in general since I was a child and have become increasingly passionate about the idea of there being a space in which horror films that take their subject matter and characters seriously could be produced. What was born out of a conversation of our mutual love for the genre and what we felt was lacking in a broad sense, especially from the U.
- 10/2/2012
- by Matt Granados
- LRMonline.com
It has been announced that Elijah Wood, Daniel Noah, Josh C. Waller have formed The Woodshed, a company that will focus on new horror productions. According to Deadline, they already have a slate of horror films in the works that include:
-Curse The Darkness, a socio-political zombie film scripted by Brandon Maurice Williams to shoot in February in Florida in partnership with Cinipix Films. Building on the research of anthropologist Wade Davis, the film takes a grounded approach to Haitian zombie practices to tackle immigration issues. Lawrence Inglee is also a co-producer.
-Henley, a feature transfer of the 2012 Sundance short written by Clay McLeod Chapman and Craig Macneill. Macneill will direct and Noah Greenberg is producer as well as cinematographer. The film is described as an intimate portrait of a 9-year-old sociopath as he first discovers his taste for killing.
-The Ivan Ford-scripted Harrow, to be directed by...
-Curse The Darkness, a socio-political zombie film scripted by Brandon Maurice Williams to shoot in February in Florida in partnership with Cinipix Films. Building on the research of anthropologist Wade Davis, the film takes a grounded approach to Haitian zombie practices to tackle immigration issues. Lawrence Inglee is also a co-producer.
-Henley, a feature transfer of the 2012 Sundance short written by Clay McLeod Chapman and Craig Macneill. Macneill will direct and Noah Greenberg is producer as well as cinematographer. The film is described as an intimate portrait of a 9-year-old sociopath as he first discovers his taste for killing.
-The Ivan Ford-scripted Harrow, to be directed by...
- 10/1/2012
- by Jonathan James
- DailyDead
Every since we saw Elijah Wood in Sin City, we knew this cat had a love of horror films in him, and the very good news is that he's taken said love to an entirely new level with his new shingle, The Woodshed.
Deadline reports that Wood has partnered with Daniel Noah and Josh C. Waller to form The Woodshed, an indie company that will focus on genre fare. Not surprisingly, Wood is a horror fanatic. “I’ve been a fan of horror and genre cinema in general since I was a child and have become increasingly passionate about the idea of there being a space in which horror films that take their subject matter and characters seriously could be produced,” he said. “What was born out of a conversation of our mutual love for the genre and what we felt was lacking in a broad sense, especially from the U.
Deadline reports that Wood has partnered with Daniel Noah and Josh C. Waller to form The Woodshed, an indie company that will focus on genre fare. Not surprisingly, Wood is a horror fanatic. “I’ve been a fan of horror and genre cinema in general since I was a child and have become increasingly passionate about the idea of there being a space in which horror films that take their subject matter and characters seriously could be produced,” he said. “What was born out of a conversation of our mutual love for the genre and what we felt was lacking in a broad sense, especially from the U.
- 10/1/2012
- by Uncle Creepy
- DreadCentral.com
Beyond The Black Rainbow is a feast for the ears and the eyes. It is a science-fiction film that wears its inspirations on its sleeve, but at the same time it is quite unlike anything that you’ve likely seen before. The fact that this is a first-time feature from director Panos Cosmatos is nothing short of stunning. Veteran directors do not often create films with such a self-assured sense of style and control. Of course, it can be argued that a lot of directors eschew those trappings in order to appeal to the most broad audience possible, the lowest common denominator, if you will. Cosmatos doesn’t have that kind of aspiration. His is a singular vision. It may not be everyone’s fancy, but for those of you who enjoy challenging cinema, Beyond The Black Rainbow is full of rewards.
The film takes place in the year 1983 and...
The film takes place in the year 1983 and...
- 6/22/2012
- by Nick
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Nicol Williamson as Merlin in Excalibur (John Boorman, 1981, UK):
Turning in by far the best acting in Boorman’s epic, Williamson sets the bar for all other interpretations of the Merlin character. Best known as an acclaimed stage actor with a history of incredibly unprofessional behavior, this is Williamson’s most memorable film role and will have you chanting the “charm of making” in no time.
Rutger Hauer as Roy Batty in Blade Runner (Ridley Scott, 1982, USA):
As an android seeking to prolong his short life, Hauer’s unique screen presence is perfectly utilized in director Scott’s atmospheric science fiction milestone. Hauer brings a sort of “alien” quality to the character Roy Batty and really makes this role a truly superior piece of casting.
Other notable Rutger Hauer performances: Nighthawks (Bruce Malmuth, 1981, USA), The Hitcher (Robert Harmon, 1986, USA).
Ricardo Montalban as Khan in Star Trek II: The Wrath Of Khan (Nicholas Meyer,...
Turning in by far the best acting in Boorman’s epic, Williamson sets the bar for all other interpretations of the Merlin character. Best known as an acclaimed stage actor with a history of incredibly unprofessional behavior, this is Williamson’s most memorable film role and will have you chanting the “charm of making” in no time.
Rutger Hauer as Roy Batty in Blade Runner (Ridley Scott, 1982, USA):
As an android seeking to prolong his short life, Hauer’s unique screen presence is perfectly utilized in director Scott’s atmospheric science fiction milestone. Hauer brings a sort of “alien” quality to the character Roy Batty and really makes this role a truly superior piece of casting.
Other notable Rutger Hauer performances: Nighthawks (Bruce Malmuth, 1981, USA), The Hitcher (Robert Harmon, 1986, USA).
Ricardo Montalban as Khan in Star Trek II: The Wrath Of Khan (Nicholas Meyer,...
- 5/25/2012
- by Terek Puckett
- SoundOnSight
Max Schreck, Nosferatu (1922) The Movies’ Top Five Scariest Living Dead Many consider F. W. Murnau's 1927 romantic melodrama Sunrise to be his masterpiece. As far as I'm concerned, nothing Murnau did that I've seen beats Nosferatu, thanks in large part to Herr Schreck, the movies' most un-debonair vampire. Werner Herzog's 1979 remake starring Klaus Kinski was stylish and visually engrossing, but it lacked the sense of foreboding found in Murnau's 1922 classic. Schreck, in fact, was so convincing as the vampire that some have wondered if the actor was one himself. Hence, E. Elias Merhige's 2000 fantasy comedy Shadow of the Vampire, which featured Oscar-nominated Willem Dafoe as Schreck as a real vampire and John Malkovich as a very un-Murnauesque Murnau. Schreck, I should add, was born in Berlin in 1879. He died in Munich in 1936. Nosferatu remains, by far, his greatest contribution to film.
- 11/3/2011
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
Note: This is the second article in this series of posts. Click here to see the first entry.
Every year I spend the majority of the month of October watching as many horror movies as I possibly can. So I decided to take it upon myself to list off the greatest horror movies ever made. I felt the need to break up the list into several categories. You see, usually when people ask me for recommendations of what horror films they should see, they still have some idea of what sub genre they are interested in watching. So as appose to having one big jumbled list, I’ve broken it down to help with those looking for recommendations in a specific area. Please Note: by the end of the month, the last entry in this series will include a list of what I think are without a doubt, the 31 greatest horror movies ever made.
Every year I spend the majority of the month of October watching as many horror movies as I possibly can. So I decided to take it upon myself to list off the greatest horror movies ever made. I felt the need to break up the list into several categories. You see, usually when people ask me for recommendations of what horror films they should see, they still have some idea of what sub genre they are interested in watching. So as appose to having one big jumbled list, I’ve broken it down to help with those looking for recommendations in a specific area. Please Note: by the end of the month, the last entry in this series will include a list of what I think are without a doubt, the 31 greatest horror movies ever made.
- 10/4/2011
- by Ricky
- SoundOnSight
by Steve Dollar
German actor Udo Kier has worked for the most idiosyncratic auteurs dead or alive—Andy Warhol, Rainer Werner Fassbinder, Lars Von Trier, Guy Maddin, E. Elias Merhige, Dario Argento, Gus Van Sant and Werner Herzog among others—and he's also co-starred with Pamela Anderson in Barb Wire. He's the single degree of separation between extreme European art cinema and Hollywood popcorn overdrive, it seems, and even in his mid-60s, he's having trouble slowing down. "I made seven films in the last year," he said recently, chatting during a visit to Montreal's Fantasia Festival, where he was promoting a small but pivotal performance in the new horror anthology The Theatre Bizarre (itself pitched between sly European sensibilities and low-budget grindhouse mayhem). Besides projects with Maddin, a Bela Bartok biopic and the role of a Nazi leader on the moon in Iron Sky, he has a small role in Von Trier's forthcoming Melancholia,...
German actor Udo Kier has worked for the most idiosyncratic auteurs dead or alive—Andy Warhol, Rainer Werner Fassbinder, Lars Von Trier, Guy Maddin, E. Elias Merhige, Dario Argento, Gus Van Sant and Werner Herzog among others—and he's also co-starred with Pamela Anderson in Barb Wire. He's the single degree of separation between extreme European art cinema and Hollywood popcorn overdrive, it seems, and even in his mid-60s, he's having trouble slowing down. "I made seven films in the last year," he said recently, chatting during a visit to Montreal's Fantasia Festival, where he was promoting a small but pivotal performance in the new horror anthology The Theatre Bizarre (itself pitched between sly European sensibilities and low-budget grindhouse mayhem). Besides projects with Maddin, a Bela Bartok biopic and the role of a Nazi leader on the moon in Iron Sky, he has a small role in Von Trier's forthcoming Melancholia,...
- 7/30/2011
- GreenCine Daily
This post will self-destruct in two weeks...well, not exactly, but the videos below will be since Google unceremoniously announced the end of Google Video over the weekend that they are putting a kibosh on the video service as of April 29th that unlike the one they eventually bought, YouTube, allowed users to upload video longer than 10 minutes. This development won't be mourned by many, as the video quality was never that great and since 2009, users lost the ability to upload videos, so it became something of a barren wasteland in terms of content.
However, unrestricted by time and largely ungoverned, the site also became the place on the Internet where cinema's orphans could be widely seen, either because they now belong to the public domain or because issues legal or otherwise have prevented their release through traditional means. Naturally, this meant there was plenty of piracy on the site of more recent films,...
However, unrestricted by time and largely ungoverned, the site also became the place on the Internet where cinema's orphans could be widely seen, either because they now belong to the public domain or because issues legal or otherwise have prevented their release through traditional means. Naturally, this meant there was plenty of piracy on the site of more recent films,...
- 4/18/2011
- by Stephen Saito
- ifc.com
What a decade. Talk about an insane ten years. In it we've seen sequels top originals, remakes up the ante, and a precious few bits of original content do what all quality cinema does -- become instant classics. Join us now for a look back at the decade that was 2000-2009!
Being that Foy covered the worst of the decade already (and who better to do so?), we collectively voted on the best so this truly is Dread Central's definitive list. Now let's get to it, starting with the title that garnered the fewest votes all the way up to the one that got the most.
10: The Devil's Rejects (2005)
Well before the much abused re-imaginings known as Rob Zombie's Halloween and Halloween II were conceived by the unpredictable writer/director, he was honing his craft on a taut and dark little film called The Devil's Rejects. While Rejects is...
Being that Foy covered the worst of the decade already (and who better to do so?), we collectively voted on the best so this truly is Dread Central's definitive list. Now let's get to it, starting with the title that garnered the fewest votes all the way up to the one that got the most.
10: The Devil's Rejects (2005)
Well before the much abused re-imaginings known as Rob Zombie's Halloween and Halloween II were conceived by the unpredictable writer/director, he was honing his craft on a taut and dark little film called The Devil's Rejects. While Rejects is...
- 1/1/2010
- by Uncle Creepy
- DreadCentral.com
As we've mentioned previously, November 10th is the release date of the band Flyleaf's new CD, entitled Memento Mori, and to help celebrate the occasion, their bass player, Pat Seals, has taken time out of his hectic schedule to prepare for Dread Central readers a list of his Top Ten favorite horror films.
Nothing relieves the stress of the holidays -- or anything really -- like a good horror flick, and Pat certainly has prepared an eclectic catalog that shows he knows his shit about our genre.
Without further ado, here's Pat's list (click each image to see the full poster):
1. The Addiction (1995) - Dir. Abel Ferrara, Starring Lili Taylor
This is my favorite vampire movie. It is the best. The best. Morality and the darkness of human nature are the focus, and Lili Taylor's performance is brutal. Plus, Christopher Walken waltzes in for a philosophical cameo. The...
Nothing relieves the stress of the holidays -- or anything really -- like a good horror flick, and Pat certainly has prepared an eclectic catalog that shows he knows his shit about our genre.
Without further ado, here's Pat's list (click each image to see the full poster):
1. The Addiction (1995) - Dir. Abel Ferrara, Starring Lili Taylor
This is my favorite vampire movie. It is the best. The best. Morality and the darkness of human nature are the focus, and Lili Taylor's performance is brutal. Plus, Christopher Walken waltzes in for a philosophical cameo. The...
- 11/10/2009
- by The Woman In Black
- DreadCentral.com
Suspect Zero does not enter the territory of Silence of the Lambs and Seven with any timidity. It's an invasion, stemming from a determination to one-up both films in unpleasantness and claim the territory as its own. The trouble is that those films, no matter how queasy they made one's stomach, came from meticulously written, rock-solid screenplays. Suspect Zero is more intricate than meticulous. The filmmakers throw in just about every angle you can jam into a serial-killer movie, every nerve-jangling camera move and image, every double twist and implausible revelation that any such movie can withstand. The movie exhausts its audience rather than entertains it.
E. Elias Merhige, who directed the justifiably celebrated Shadow of the Vampire, is clearly a talented director. He stages scenes to maximum impact and keeps more than a few balls in the air at any given moment. But lack of credibility and unsavory subject matter defeat him in this outing. Without star power and burdened with a convoluted plot difficult to get across in advertising, Suspect Zero will test Paramount's marketing skills. The film will perform best in urban situations and mainly with males.
Aaron Eckhart plays an aspirin-gulping FBI agent sent down to "the minors" in New Mexico after screwing up a serial-killer case in Dallas. All too conveniently and rat unbelievably, his former partner and lover, Carrie-Anne Moss, quickly joins him in this career purgatory. On Day 1 on the job, Eckhart is confronted with a homicide deliberately staged at theArizona/New Mexico border to make the murder an interstate crime, which demands FBI involvement.
In a very creepy opening sequence, much of it shot in very tight or very wide shots, the film shows an enigmatic man played with hyper-intensity by Ben Kingsley commit this murder. So the film is not so much a whodunit as a whydunit.
The makers don't make it easy for audience members to sort out that why. What's with all those clues Kingsley's character leaves at each crime scene? Why is he forever faxing the FBI guy reports of missing children? What is the meaning of scenes shot in red tint that show events from the past or future? And what gives with the huge black truck that slowly cruises past playgrounds? Pretty soon some in the audience may want Eckhart to pass them the aspirin.
Writers Zak Penn and Billy Ray do tie all these seemingly random bits together. Sort of. Much of it comes down to a serial killer hunting down other serial killers and a former elite federal agent trained to view crimes telepathically, a technique referred to as "remote viewing." But these are a pretty unlikely gimmicks on which to hang a thriller. Worse, much of it feels overly familiar, derived from other movies or novels.
Kingsley is mesmerizing though hardly empathetic as the killer with a method to his madness. The rest of the cast turn in workmanlike performances as their characters are too thin and occupied with the business at hand to make much of an impression.
Merhige makes excellent use of remote, seriously underpopulated New Mexico locations, Ida Random's naturalistic sets and Michael Chapman's moody cinematography, even though an occasional camera move suffers from self-consciousness. Suspect Zero has enough going for it to eventually develop a cult following. But compared to Silence of the Lambs and Seven, it's still the minor leagues.
SUSPECT ZERO
Paramount Pictures
Paramount in association with Intermedia Films and Lakeshore EntertainmentA C/W production
Credits:
Director: E. Elias Merhige
Screenwriters: Zak Penn, Billy Ray
Story by: Zak Penn
Producers: Paula Wagner, E. Elias Merhige, Gaye Hirsch
Executive producers: Jonathan Sanger, Moritz Borman, Guy East, Nigel Sinclair, Tom Rosenberg, Gary Lucchesi
Director of photography: Michael Chapman
Production designer: Ida Random
Music: Clint Mansell
Co-producers: Lester Berman, Darren Miller
Costume designer: Mary Claire Hannan
Editors: John Gilroy, Robert K. Lambert
Cast:
Thomas Mackelway: Aaron Eckhart
Benjamin O'Ryan: Ben Kingsley
Fran Kulok: Carrie-Anne Moss
Rick Charleton: Harry Lennix
Harold Speck: Kevin Chamberlin
Highway Patrolman: Julian Reyes
Raymond: Keith Campbell
MPAA rating: R
Running time -- 100 minutes...
E. Elias Merhige, who directed the justifiably celebrated Shadow of the Vampire, is clearly a talented director. He stages scenes to maximum impact and keeps more than a few balls in the air at any given moment. But lack of credibility and unsavory subject matter defeat him in this outing. Without star power and burdened with a convoluted plot difficult to get across in advertising, Suspect Zero will test Paramount's marketing skills. The film will perform best in urban situations and mainly with males.
Aaron Eckhart plays an aspirin-gulping FBI agent sent down to "the minors" in New Mexico after screwing up a serial-killer case in Dallas. All too conveniently and rat unbelievably, his former partner and lover, Carrie-Anne Moss, quickly joins him in this career purgatory. On Day 1 on the job, Eckhart is confronted with a homicide deliberately staged at theArizona/New Mexico border to make the murder an interstate crime, which demands FBI involvement.
In a very creepy opening sequence, much of it shot in very tight or very wide shots, the film shows an enigmatic man played with hyper-intensity by Ben Kingsley commit this murder. So the film is not so much a whodunit as a whydunit.
The makers don't make it easy for audience members to sort out that why. What's with all those clues Kingsley's character leaves at each crime scene? Why is he forever faxing the FBI guy reports of missing children? What is the meaning of scenes shot in red tint that show events from the past or future? And what gives with the huge black truck that slowly cruises past playgrounds? Pretty soon some in the audience may want Eckhart to pass them the aspirin.
Writers Zak Penn and Billy Ray do tie all these seemingly random bits together. Sort of. Much of it comes down to a serial killer hunting down other serial killers and a former elite federal agent trained to view crimes telepathically, a technique referred to as "remote viewing." But these are a pretty unlikely gimmicks on which to hang a thriller. Worse, much of it feels overly familiar, derived from other movies or novels.
Kingsley is mesmerizing though hardly empathetic as the killer with a method to his madness. The rest of the cast turn in workmanlike performances as their characters are too thin and occupied with the business at hand to make much of an impression.
Merhige makes excellent use of remote, seriously underpopulated New Mexico locations, Ida Random's naturalistic sets and Michael Chapman's moody cinematography, even though an occasional camera move suffers from self-consciousness. Suspect Zero has enough going for it to eventually develop a cult following. But compared to Silence of the Lambs and Seven, it's still the minor leagues.
SUSPECT ZERO
Paramount Pictures
Paramount in association with Intermedia Films and Lakeshore EntertainmentA C/W production
Credits:
Director: E. Elias Merhige
Screenwriters: Zak Penn, Billy Ray
Story by: Zak Penn
Producers: Paula Wagner, E. Elias Merhige, Gaye Hirsch
Executive producers: Jonathan Sanger, Moritz Borman, Guy East, Nigel Sinclair, Tom Rosenberg, Gary Lucchesi
Director of photography: Michael Chapman
Production designer: Ida Random
Music: Clint Mansell
Co-producers: Lester Berman, Darren Miller
Costume designer: Mary Claire Hannan
Editors: John Gilroy, Robert K. Lambert
Cast:
Thomas Mackelway: Aaron Eckhart
Benjamin O'Ryan: Ben Kingsley
Fran Kulok: Carrie-Anne Moss
Rick Charleton: Harry Lennix
Harold Speck: Kevin Chamberlin
Highway Patrolman: Julian Reyes
Raymond: Keith Campbell
MPAA rating: R
Running time -- 100 minutes...
In a surprisingly strong late-summer showing, Miramax's Hero conquered audiences in North America and easily captured first place this weekend with $18 million at the boxoffice, according to Monday's final figures. The debut for the Jet Li starrer, from writer-director Zhang Yimou, was the second-biggest opening of all time for a foreign-language film after Newmarket's The Passion of the Christ. Slithering into the second spot was Screen Gems' Anacondas: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid. The relatively low-budget sequel from director Dwight Little wrapped up $12.8 million in its debut, in the area expected and slightly less than the $16.6 million of the original film. The frame's only other wide releases were Paramount's Suspect Zero and Sony's Superbabies: Baby Geniuses 2 from Triumph -- both films opened unspectacularly to less than $4 million each. Suspect, a crime thriller starring Ben Kingsley, Aaron Eckhart and Carrie-Anne Moss and directed by E. Elias Merhige, which cost less than $10 million, was in the 10th spot with $3.4 million. While Superbabies, a family-aimed comedy helmed by Bob Clark, that also carried a low budget, placed 11th with $3.3 million.
- 8/30/2004
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
In a surprisingly strong late-summer showing, Miramax's Hero conquered audiences in North America and easily captured first place this weekend with $18 million at the boxoffice, according to Monday's final figures. The debut for the Jet Li starrer, from writer-director Zhang Yimou, was the second-biggest opening of all time for a foreign-language film after Newmarket's The Passion of the Christ. Slithering into the second spot was Screen Gems' Anacondas: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid. The relatively low-budget sequel from director Dwight Little wrapped up $12.8 million in its debut, in the area expected and slightly less than the $16.6 million of the original film. The frame's only other wide releases were Paramount's Suspect Zero and Sony's Superbabies: Baby Geniuses 2 from Triumph -- both films opened unspectacularly to less than $4 million each. Suspect, a crime thriller starring Ben Kingsley, Aaron Eckhart and Carrie-Anne Moss and directed by E. Elias Merhige, which cost less than $10 million, was in the 10th spot with $3.4 million. While Superbabies, a family-aimed comedy helmed by Bob Clark, that also carried a low budget, placed 11th with $3.3 million.
- 8/30/2004
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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