The Australian murder mystery series “Troppo” will premiere on Amazon Freevee May 20, as one of the first originals to launch on the newly renamed streaming platform.
Based on the novel “Crimson Lake” by Cameron Fox, “Troppo” stars Thomas Jane as Ted Conkaffey, an ex-cop accused of a crime that he didn’t commit. Hiding out in the Far North Queensland, he’s recruited by private investigator Amanda Pharrell (Nicole Chamoun) into helping her investigate a bizarre murder case and track down a missing person. In addition to Jane and Chamoun, the cast also includes David Lyons, Yerin Ha, Sun Park, Ling Cooper Tang, Kate Beahan, Cramer Cain, Peta Wilson, Angela Punch McGregor, Damien Garvey, Josh Helman and Radha Mitchell.
“Troppo” initially premiered in Australia this past February on ABC TV. News of it being picked up for a U.S. release on IMDb TV was announced last August. “Troppo” will...
Based on the novel “Crimson Lake” by Cameron Fox, “Troppo” stars Thomas Jane as Ted Conkaffey, an ex-cop accused of a crime that he didn’t commit. Hiding out in the Far North Queensland, he’s recruited by private investigator Amanda Pharrell (Nicole Chamoun) into helping her investigate a bizarre murder case and track down a missing person. In addition to Jane and Chamoun, the cast also includes David Lyons, Yerin Ha, Sun Park, Ling Cooper Tang, Kate Beahan, Cramer Cain, Peta Wilson, Angela Punch McGregor, Damien Garvey, Josh Helman and Radha Mitchell.
“Troppo” initially premiered in Australia this past February on ABC TV. News of it being picked up for a U.S. release on IMDb TV was announced last August. “Troppo” will...
- 4/14/2022
- by Carson Burton and Wilson Chapman
- Variety Film + TV
Nicole Chamoun will star opposite US actor Thomas Jane in ABC crime drama Troppo, with cameras now rolling in Queensland.
Produced by Beyond Entertainment and Eq Media Group in association with Jane’s production company Renegade Entertainment, the Fnq-set series is created by Yolanda Ramke and based on the novel Crimson Lake by Candice Fox.
Chamoun, best known for her roles in On The Ropes, The Gloaming, Safe Harbour and Romper Stomper, plays Amanda Pharrell, an eccentric Pi with a disturbing criminal past. She begrudgingly recruits disgraced ex-cop Ted Conkaffey (Jane) to investigate the murder of a brilliant research scientist.
As they battle to uncover the truth, and the tightly held secrets of Crimson Lake, their own traumatic pasts are dragged painfully into the present – tearing them apart, as each of them faces their own fight for sanity and survival.
The supporting cast includes David Lyons, Sun Park, Simon Lyndon,...
Produced by Beyond Entertainment and Eq Media Group in association with Jane’s production company Renegade Entertainment, the Fnq-set series is created by Yolanda Ramke and based on the novel Crimson Lake by Candice Fox.
Chamoun, best known for her roles in On The Ropes, The Gloaming, Safe Harbour and Romper Stomper, plays Amanda Pharrell, an eccentric Pi with a disturbing criminal past. She begrudgingly recruits disgraced ex-cop Ted Conkaffey (Jane) to investigate the murder of a brilliant research scientist.
As they battle to uncover the truth, and the tightly held secrets of Crimson Lake, their own traumatic pasts are dragged painfully into the present – tearing them apart, as each of them faces their own fight for sanity and survival.
The supporting cast includes David Lyons, Sun Park, Simon Lyndon,...
- 8/12/2021
- by Jackie Keast
- IF.com.au
Road trips take detours into fearsome territory in the horror anthology Southbound, coming out on DVD in May from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, and we have the official release details and a look at the cover art:
Press Release: Culver City, Calif. (March 21, 2016) – All roads lead to terror in the acclaimed horror anthology Southbound, available on DVD May 17, 2016, from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. From the creators of the popular V/H/S trilogy, the movie follows the fates of a group of weary travelers who confront their worst nightmares over one long night on a desolate stretch of desert highway. Directed by Roxanne Benjamin (producer, V/H/S 1-3), David Bruckner (V/H/S), Patrick Horvath (Entrance) and the film collective known as Radio Silence (V/H/S), the movie stars Kate Beahan (TV’s “Mistresses”, The Wicker Man), Matt Bettinelli-Olpin (V/H/S), and Mather Zickel (TV’s “Masters of Sex,...
Press Release: Culver City, Calif. (March 21, 2016) – All roads lead to terror in the acclaimed horror anthology Southbound, available on DVD May 17, 2016, from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. From the creators of the popular V/H/S trilogy, the movie follows the fates of a group of weary travelers who confront their worst nightmares over one long night on a desolate stretch of desert highway. Directed by Roxanne Benjamin (producer, V/H/S 1-3), David Bruckner (V/H/S), Patrick Horvath (Entrance) and the film collective known as Radio Silence (V/H/S), the movie stars Kate Beahan (TV’s “Mistresses”, The Wicker Man), Matt Bettinelli-Olpin (V/H/S), and Mather Zickel (TV’s “Masters of Sex,...
- 5/2/2016
- by Derek Anderson
- DailyDead
Our resident VOD expert tells you what's new to rent and/or own this week via various Digital HD providers such as cable Movies On Demand, Amazon, iTunes, Vudu, Google Play and, of course, Netflix. Cable Movies On Demand: Same-day-as-disc releases, older titles and pretheatrical exclusives for rent, priced from $3-$10, in 24- or 48-hour periods Spectre (James Bond action-adventure; Daniel Craig, Christoph Waltz, Lea Seydoux, Monica Bellucci, Ralph Fiennes; rated PG-13) Crimson Peak (Guillermo del Toro-directed period horror; Mia Wasikowska, Jessica Chastain, Tom Hiddleston, Charlie Hunnam; rated R) Love the Coopers (comedy-romance; Alan Arkin, John Goodman; rated PG-13) Southbound (horror-thriller; Kate Beahan, Hannah Marks; premieres 2/9 on cable Mod and in...
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- 2/9/2016
- by Robert B. DeSalvo
- Movies.com
Kicking off with a special screening of The Forest with star Natalie Dormer in attendance, and finishing in racy rock-fuelled style with Sean Byrne’s The Devil’s Candy, the UK’s favourite horror fantasy event returns to Glasgow Film Festival with another stellar line-up to shock, chill and thrill. A record thirteen films will screen from Thursday 25th February to Saturday 27th February, alongside a selection of unmissable shorts, guest director Q & A’s, great give-aways and a sneak preview of Paul Hyett’s Heretiks, with the popular director in attendance.
The line-up starts at 9pm on Thurs 25 Feb with the UK Premiere of The Forest starring Natalie Dormer searching for her twin sister in Japan’s most haunted location, the fabled Sea of Trees. The ‘Game of Thrones’ star is making her first appearance at Glasgow Film Festival and is thrilled to be headlining this gala event the...
The line-up starts at 9pm on Thurs 25 Feb with the UK Premiere of The Forest starring Natalie Dormer searching for her twin sister in Japan’s most haunted location, the fabled Sea of Trees. The ‘Game of Thrones’ star is making her first appearance at Glasgow Film Festival and is thrilled to be headlining this gala event the...
- 1/11/2016
- by Phil Wheat
- Nerdly
The American Film Institute announced today the films that will screen in the World Cinema, Breakthrough, Midnight, Shorts and Cinema’s Legacy programs at AFI Fest 2015 presented by Audi.
AFI Fest will take place November 5 – 12, 2015, in the heart of Hollywood. Screenings, Galas and events will be held at the historic Tcl Chinese Theatre, the Tcl Chinese 6 Theatres, Dolby Theatre, the Lloyd E. Rigler Theatre at the Egyptian, the El Capitan Theatre and The Hollywood Roosevelt.
World Cinema showcases the most acclaimed international films of the year; Breakthrough highlights true discoveries of the programming process; Midnight selections will grip audiences with terror; and Cinema’s Legacy highlights classic movies and films about cinema. World Cinema and Breakthrough selections are among the films eligible for Audience Awards. Shorts selections are eligible for the Grand Jury Prize, which qualifies the winner for Academy Award®consideration. This year’s Shorts jury features filmmaker Janicza Bravo,...
AFI Fest will take place November 5 – 12, 2015, in the heart of Hollywood. Screenings, Galas and events will be held at the historic Tcl Chinese Theatre, the Tcl Chinese 6 Theatres, Dolby Theatre, the Lloyd E. Rigler Theatre at the Egyptian, the El Capitan Theatre and The Hollywood Roosevelt.
World Cinema showcases the most acclaimed international films of the year; Breakthrough highlights true discoveries of the programming process; Midnight selections will grip audiences with terror; and Cinema’s Legacy highlights classic movies and films about cinema. World Cinema and Breakthrough selections are among the films eligible for Audience Awards. Shorts selections are eligible for the Grand Jury Prize, which qualifies the winner for Academy Award®consideration. This year’s Shorts jury features filmmaker Janicza Bravo,...
- 10/22/2015
- by Melissa Thompson
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Recently, ABC served up the new, official synopsis/spoilers for their upcoming "Mistresses" season finale episode 13 of season 3. The episode is entitled, "Goodbye Girl," and it turns out that we're going to see some very interesting and dramatic stuff go down as Vivian's condition gets much, much worse. Josslyn goes searching for the possible, real killer, and more! In the new, 13th episode press release: Relationships Are On The Line For The Ladies But A Bigger Threat May Be Lurking. Press release number 2: Just as Josslyn gets her freedom, Harry will get presented with an exciting new job opportunity that will impact a future with her. As soon as Scotty leaves Los Angeles, Marc is going to disappear, causing April to finally realize her true feelings. Vivian's illness will take a turn for the worse, leaving Karen adrift and unsure of the future. Josslyn is going to receive a...
- 8/27/2015
- by Megan
- OnTheFlix
Recently, ABC released the new, official synopsis/spoilers for their upcoming "Mistresses" episode 12 of season 3. The episode is entitled, "Reasonable Doubt," and it turns out that we're going to see some very interesting and high drama stuff take place as Josslyn wrestles with a plea deal. Marc and April get blindsided, and more! In the new, 12th episode press release: Reasonable Doubts Drive Each Of The Ladies To Question Their Choices. Press release number 12: Despondent over her situation, Josslyn is going to struggle with whether she should take a plea deal and what that would mean for a future with Harry. Karen will agree to help Vivian keep her secret from Alec so that he can accept a very important award. April and Marc are going to get blind-sided by a surprise visit from Marc's sister Miranda. After being shut out by Josslyn in prison, Calista is going to...
- 8/20/2015
- by Chris
- OnTheFlix
Veteran Australian producer Al Clark will receive the Aacta Raymond Longford Award in recognition of his three-decade career which has included iconic films such as Chopper and The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert.
Clark, who emigrated from the UK in the 1980s after representing music acts such as the Sex Pistols and Phil Collins, has produced or executive produced 19 feature films. He has also served on the board of the Australian Film Commission (1989-1992) and participated in official juries of several international film festivals, including the San Sebastian and Valladolid Film Festivals.
..With a love of films that always transcends the frustrations of getting them made, I.ve tried to choose distinctive projects, to navigate them soundly, to find gifted people to work with, and to bring out the best in their considerable talents," Clark said after being told of the award. "I.m grateful to Aacta for...
Clark, who emigrated from the UK in the 1980s after representing music acts such as the Sex Pistols and Phil Collins, has produced or executive produced 19 feature films. He has also served on the board of the Australian Film Commission (1989-1992) and participated in official juries of several international film festivals, including the San Sebastian and Valladolid Film Festivals.
..With a love of films that always transcends the frustrations of getting them made, I.ve tried to choose distinctive projects, to navigate them soundly, to find gifted people to work with, and to bring out the best in their considerable talents," Clark said after being told of the award. "I.m grateful to Aacta for...
- 11/20/2012
- by Brendan Swift
- IF.com.au
Terry O'Quinn as Gavin Doran in "666 Park Avenue" (ABC/Andrew Eccles)
ABC‘s slate of new shows for fall has a strange flavor to it, and it’s going to be a bumpy ride. The network has about as many new shows as returning ones (if you count all the midseasons), and a good percentage of the returning offerings are a year old or less, making this look a bit like a rebuilding year.
Not only is it a rebuilding year, but it’s the year of bringing back every actor and actress who ever had a decent run on a show before. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a network’s new season slate that was so crammed with people returning from something else. If you can’t make it good, I suppose, make sure viewers recognize the faces.
It’s tricky to get a solid feel...
ABC‘s slate of new shows for fall has a strange flavor to it, and it’s going to be a bumpy ride. The network has about as many new shows as returning ones (if you count all the midseasons), and a good percentage of the returning offerings are a year old or less, making this look a bit like a rebuilding year.
Not only is it a rebuilding year, but it’s the year of bringing back every actor and actress who ever had a decent run on a show before. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a network’s new season slate that was so crammed with people returning from something else. If you can’t make it good, I suppose, make sure viewers recognize the faces.
It’s tricky to get a solid feel...
- 5/22/2012
- by Marc Eastman
- AreYouScreening.com
Burning Man Trailer. Jonathan Teplitzky‘s Burning Man (2011) movie trailer stars Matthew Goode, Bojana Novakovic, Rachel Griffiths, Essie Davies, and Kerry Fox. Burning Man‘s plot synopsis: “When we meet Tom (Matthew Goode), it’s clear that he’s a good man, but behaving badly. He’s the principal chef at a casually chic restaurant overlooking Bondi Beach (where he doesn’t respond well to criticism from the clientele); a devoted, if mercurial, father to eight-year-old Oscar (Jack Heanly); and a man more attractive to women (lots of them) than he is to himself. Whatever is going on with Tom, his actions seem to be tolerated by those around him. But everything comes to a head when he prepares a birthday party for his son at a beachside park. His anger erupts and he finds himself in police custody — not much of a birthday for Oscar. As Tom descends into darkness,...
- 9/15/2011
- by filmbook
- Film-Book
Production has begun on writer/director Jonathan Teplitzky’s film Burning Man in Sydney.
International sales are being handled by New York’s Filmbox, with a Scandinavian pre-sale (Svensk) already negotiated at Cannes.
British producer Andy Paterson shares the the production with Teplitzky. Executive producers are Daria Jovicic, Cedric Jeanson and Sam Tromans.
In Burning Man, Matthew Goode plays Tom, an English chef with a chic restaurant on Bondi Beach. He’s a man behaving badly, surrounded by women trying in their own ways to help him put his life back together. Those women include Bojana Novakovic, Rachel Griffiths, Essie Davis, Kerry Fox, Kate Beahan and Gia Carides.
The project received the financial support of Screen Australia and Screen Nsw and Standard Chartered Bank, with the Producer Offset as part of the financing model. It was developed through the Aurora program.
Transmission will release the film in Australia/Nz next year.
International sales are being handled by New York’s Filmbox, with a Scandinavian pre-sale (Svensk) already negotiated at Cannes.
British producer Andy Paterson shares the the production with Teplitzky. Executive producers are Daria Jovicic, Cedric Jeanson and Sam Tromans.
In Burning Man, Matthew Goode plays Tom, an English chef with a chic restaurant on Bondi Beach. He’s a man behaving badly, surrounded by women trying in their own ways to help him put his life back together. Those women include Bojana Novakovic, Rachel Griffiths, Essie Davis, Kerry Fox, Kate Beahan and Gia Carides.
The project received the financial support of Screen Australia and Screen Nsw and Standard Chartered Bank, with the Producer Offset as part of the financing model. It was developed through the Aurora program.
Transmission will release the film in Australia/Nz next year.
- 5/18/2010
- by Miguel Gonzalez
- Encore Magazine
British actor Matthew Goode ("Watchmen," "Leap Year") has joined Jonathan Teplitzky's Australian-set romantic comedy "Burning Man" says The Hollywood Reporter.
Goode plays an English chef with a hot restaurant on Sydney's Bondi Beach trying to get his life together and re-establish his relationship with his son. Things aren't helped by all the gorgeous women that surround him.
Amongst that bevy of beauties are the likes of Rachel Griffiths ("Brothers and Sisters"), Bojana Novakovic ("Edge of Darkness"), Essie Davis ("Australia"), Kerry Fox ("Shallow Grave"), Kate Beahan ("Flightplan") and Gia Carides ("My Big Fat Greek Wedding").
Teplitzky and Andy Paterson will produce. Shooting will shortly take place on location in Sydney.
Goode plays an English chef with a hot restaurant on Sydney's Bondi Beach trying to get his life together and re-establish his relationship with his son. Things aren't helped by all the gorgeous women that surround him.
Amongst that bevy of beauties are the likes of Rachel Griffiths ("Brothers and Sisters"), Bojana Novakovic ("Edge of Darkness"), Essie Davis ("Australia"), Kerry Fox ("Shallow Grave"), Kate Beahan ("Flightplan") and Gia Carides ("My Big Fat Greek Wedding").
Teplitzky and Andy Paterson will produce. Shooting will shortly take place on location in Sydney.
- 5/16/2010
- by Garth Franklin
- Dark Horizons
Far more ambitious and stylish than most of today's horror crop, Neil LaBute's remake of the 1973 U.K. cult classic "The Wicker Man" unfortunately still falls far short of its mark. Unlikely to inspire a passionate following similar to the original, the film, which opened Friday without being screened for the press, ultimately induces more titters than dread.
LaBute has long ex-plored the relationship between the sexes in his work, and he has infused this version of the story -- about a policeman, in search of a missing little girl, who travels to a remote island populated by a perverse pagan society -- with a feminist touch. Replacing the original's Christopher Lee as the leader of the clan is Ellen Burstyn, who presides over a female-dominated population in which the men are essentially the worker bees.
The film begins creepily enough with a strikingly staged pretitle sequence in which Edward Malus (Nicolas Cage), a California motorcycle cop, watches in horror as a mother and her little girl are incinerated in their car after a crash. The emotionally fragile cop is thus more vulnerable to an urgent message from Willow (Kate Beahan), the fiancee who dumped him years earlier. Writing from a remote island called Summersisle in the Pacific Northwest, she begs him to help her find her missing daughter.
Arriving on the island after great difficulty, he finds a strange agrarian society dependent on its harvesting of honey. The women, all addressed as "Sister", treat him with frostiness and suspicion, while the men are strangely silent. He encounters obstacle after obstacle while attempting to find the girl, nearly dying from drowning and bee stings in the process. Ultimately, he discovers that the reason for his presence on the island has more sinister ramifications than he possibly could have imagined.
Director-screenwriter LaBute is unable to invest this strange gothic material with the requisite degree of menace. A more accomplished stylist might have pulled it off, or possibly the film might have worked as a delirious black comedy. The filmmaker goes somewhat in the latter direction, abetted by Cage's expert slow-burn reactions to the bizarre situations he encounters. But the film, which eschews the eroticism and religious subtexts of the original, eventually lapses into unintentional humor, with such lines delivered by the actor as "Something bad is about to happen, I can feel it" (uttered after about 100 bad things already have happened) and his warning one woman to "Step away from the bike" inducing giggles. By the time of the intended horrific climactic scene, which includes Cage in a bear suit and Burstyn in face paint looking like Braveheart, things have gone irretrievably downhill.
It's too bad because for a good part of its running time, "Wicker Man" exerts a real fascination. It also boasts terrific production values, including beautiful widescreen cinematography, a suitably eerie score by Angelo Badalamenti and creepily effective performances from supporting players Frances Conroy, Molly Parker, Leelee Sobieski and Diane Delano.
End credits include a dedication to the late musician Johnny Ramone, who apparently sparked Cage's interest in a remake.
The Wicker Man
Warner Bros. Pictures
Alcon Entertainment and Millennium Films present a Saturn Films and Emmet/Furla Films production for Equity Pictures, Medienfonds, GmbH & Co., KG III and Nu Image Entertainment
Credits:
Director-screenwriter: Neil LaBute
Producers: Nicolas Cage, Norm Golightly, Avi Lerner, Randall Emmett, John Thompson, Boaz Davidson
Executive producers: George Furla, Joanne Sellar, Trevor Short, Andreas Thiesmayer, Josef Lautenschlager, Danny Dimbort, Elisa Salinas
Director of photography: Paul Sarossy
Editor: Joel Plotch
Production designer: Phillip Barker
Costume designer: Lynette Meyer
Music: Angelo Badalamenti
Cast:
Edward Malus: Nicolas Cage
Sister Summersisle: Ellen Burstyn
Sister Willow: Kate Beahan
Dr. Moss: Frances Conroy
Sister Rose: Molly Parker
Sister Honey: Leelee Sobieski
Sister Beech: Diane Delano
MPAA rating PG-13
Running time -- 97 minutes...
LaBute has long ex-plored the relationship between the sexes in his work, and he has infused this version of the story -- about a policeman, in search of a missing little girl, who travels to a remote island populated by a perverse pagan society -- with a feminist touch. Replacing the original's Christopher Lee as the leader of the clan is Ellen Burstyn, who presides over a female-dominated population in which the men are essentially the worker bees.
The film begins creepily enough with a strikingly staged pretitle sequence in which Edward Malus (Nicolas Cage), a California motorcycle cop, watches in horror as a mother and her little girl are incinerated in their car after a crash. The emotionally fragile cop is thus more vulnerable to an urgent message from Willow (Kate Beahan), the fiancee who dumped him years earlier. Writing from a remote island called Summersisle in the Pacific Northwest, she begs him to help her find her missing daughter.
Arriving on the island after great difficulty, he finds a strange agrarian society dependent on its harvesting of honey. The women, all addressed as "Sister", treat him with frostiness and suspicion, while the men are strangely silent. He encounters obstacle after obstacle while attempting to find the girl, nearly dying from drowning and bee stings in the process. Ultimately, he discovers that the reason for his presence on the island has more sinister ramifications than he possibly could have imagined.
Director-screenwriter LaBute is unable to invest this strange gothic material with the requisite degree of menace. A more accomplished stylist might have pulled it off, or possibly the film might have worked as a delirious black comedy. The filmmaker goes somewhat in the latter direction, abetted by Cage's expert slow-burn reactions to the bizarre situations he encounters. But the film, which eschews the eroticism and religious subtexts of the original, eventually lapses into unintentional humor, with such lines delivered by the actor as "Something bad is about to happen, I can feel it" (uttered after about 100 bad things already have happened) and his warning one woman to "Step away from the bike" inducing giggles. By the time of the intended horrific climactic scene, which includes Cage in a bear suit and Burstyn in face paint looking like Braveheart, things have gone irretrievably downhill.
It's too bad because for a good part of its running time, "Wicker Man" exerts a real fascination. It also boasts terrific production values, including beautiful widescreen cinematography, a suitably eerie score by Angelo Badalamenti and creepily effective performances from supporting players Frances Conroy, Molly Parker, Leelee Sobieski and Diane Delano.
End credits include a dedication to the late musician Johnny Ramone, who apparently sparked Cage's interest in a remake.
The Wicker Man
Warner Bros. Pictures
Alcon Entertainment and Millennium Films present a Saturn Films and Emmet/Furla Films production for Equity Pictures, Medienfonds, GmbH & Co., KG III and Nu Image Entertainment
Credits:
Director-screenwriter: Neil LaBute
Producers: Nicolas Cage, Norm Golightly, Avi Lerner, Randall Emmett, John Thompson, Boaz Davidson
Executive producers: George Furla, Joanne Sellar, Trevor Short, Andreas Thiesmayer, Josef Lautenschlager, Danny Dimbort, Elisa Salinas
Director of photography: Paul Sarossy
Editor: Joel Plotch
Production designer: Phillip Barker
Costume designer: Lynette Meyer
Music: Angelo Badalamenti
Cast:
Edward Malus: Nicolas Cage
Sister Summersisle: Ellen Burstyn
Sister Willow: Kate Beahan
Dr. Moss: Frances Conroy
Sister Rose: Molly Parker
Sister Honey: Leelee Sobieski
Sister Beech: Diane Delano
MPAA rating PG-13
Running time -- 97 minutes...
Matthew Lillard has been cast in One of Our Own, an indie drama being directed by Abe Levy. Also cast are Josh Randall (Ed), Claire Rankin (Stargate: Atlantis) and Kate Beahan (The Wicker Man). Written by Levy and Silver Tree, the story begins when a thirtysomething couple, desperate to have a baby against all odds, engage a young woman to bear their child. When the man's boss falls in love with the surrogate and decides to become a father himself, chaos ensues, thrusting the couple's marriage to the brink of ruin. Lillard is playing the boss. He also is serving as co-producer. Producing the movie are Jack Robinson of Wild Horse Prods., Tree and Terry Chase Chenowith (Undertaking Betty). Wild Horse was behind 2005's Beautiful Dreamer. Entrepreneur Robert Sprowls is financing the pic and executive producing. Lillard, who played Shaggy in the live-action Scooby-Doo movies, most recently appeared in The Groomsmen, opposite Edward Burns. He also is known for his role in Scream. Lillard is repped by CAA, Mosaic and Ziffren Brittenham.
"Flightplan" is a modern-day variant on Alfred Hitchcock's 1938 classic "The Lady Vanishes", only the lady in question is a 6-year-old girl and she doesn't disappear on a train but rather 37,000 feet above the Atlantic on a Berlin-to-New York flight. Where Hitchcock sought mystery and comedy, this film from young German director Robert Schwentke ("Tattoo") places its emphasis on paranoia and anger. One can easily dismiss the film as a tricked-up thriller, which surveys the geography of a jumbo jet and the calculus of human emotions in tight quarters to entertain audiences for a taut 95 minutes. But there is something really nasty about this cold, calculating exercise in mob psychology and human venality.
Two-time Oscar winner Jodie Foster might draw audiences on opening weekend, and who knows what the spectacular drama this week at LAX may do for an in-flight melodrama. But audiences might react adversely to such transparent manipulation for so weak a payoff. The Walt Disney Co. will be hard-pressed to equal the success of the year's other in-flight thriller, "Red Eye", which has grossed more than $55 million.
Foster is working here in the woman-on-the-edge/protective-mother mode that helped drive David Fincher's "Panic Room" to boxoffice success. She goes for a gaunt look and a ruthless obsession that a casual observer might well interpret as paranoia. Flight attendants and most passengers are openly contemptuous of her efforts, angry that she is disturbing an otherwise peaceful flight and absolutely certain they never saw a child in her company board the plane. Not one single person?
The movie starts oddly, as if in a bad dream. A woman, Kyle Pratt (Foster), shuffles zombielike through empty, snowy streets of nighttime Berlin. She is accompanied by a man we later learn is an apparition of her late husband, who days before fell or jumped from the top of their apartment building. Writers Pete A. Dowling and Billy Ray and the director are clearly trying to raise doubts about the widow's sanity. Yet the effort is off-putting as it situates a thriller in an unreal or even surreal world, where a viewer can trust nothing onscreen.
The rest of the movie takes place aboard a jumbo jet, where its personnel are unduly hostile toward passengers, a few Arabs are thrown in to raise the flag of terrorism and two seemingly reasonable men, air marshal Carson (Peter Sarsgaard) and Captain Rich (Sean Bean), struggle to satisfy the distraught mother.
None of the movie's tricks or twists will be revealed here. But audiences are asked to swallow the following assumptions: that no one on a packed flight saw Kyle's daughter, Julie (Marlene Lawston), not even the children seated directly in front of her; that no one noticed anyone escort a probably unwilling child up the aisle while her mother slept; that an entire airline company, post-Sept. 11, is still susceptible to rudimentary sabotage; that Kyle just happens to be an aircraft engineer who knows the plane's configurations better than the crew does; and, finally, that our bad guy(s) can anticipate each and every far-fetched coincidence.
Cinematographer Florian Ballhaus' camera maneuvers within the airplane set to maximize emotions. The camera moves in tight when Schwentke wants to disorient or distract us. Then it backs away to survey the cabin mood. It zeroes in on one flight attendant (Erika Christensen) to make us suspicious. It warmly treats the space surrounding the friendly and helpful air marshal. Extreme close-ups on Foster and a therapist (Greta Scacchi in a cameo), conveniently onboard, make us doubt the existence of a daughter.
Throughout, Foster plays the intensity with an operatic passion. Conversely, Sarsgaard is flexible and likable, while Bean is professionally stiff. Kate Beahan plays a sourpuss flight attendant who regards the situation with a disapproving and drawn face. Assaf Cohen is the designated Arab, whom passengers pick on for his ethnicity.
Press notes trumpet the fact that the fictional aircraft was largely designed by producer Brian Grazer and the director. Perhaps this is a new creative field for the two as the interior has a snappy retro design, cheerful bars, large galleys and posh, inviting lounges.
FLIGHTPLAN
Buena Vista Pictures
Touchstone Pictures and Imagine Entertainment presenta Brian Grazer production
Credits:
Director: Robert Schwentke
Screenwriters: Peter A. Dowling, Billy Ray
Producer: Brian Grazer
Executive producers: James Whitaker, Charles J.D. Schlissel, Robert DiNozzi, Erica Huggins
Director of photograp: Florian Ballhaus
Production designer: Alexander Hammond
Music: James Horner
Costumes: Susan Lyall
Editor: Thom Noble
Cast:
Kyle Pratt: Jodie Foster
Carson: Peter Sarsgaard
Julie: Marlene Lawston
Captain Rich: Sean Bean
Stephanie: Kate Beahan
Obiad: Michael Irby
Ahmed: Assaf Cohen
Fiona: Erika Christensen
Mr. Loud: Shane Edelman
Mrs. Loud: Mary Gallagher
Therapist: Greta Scacchi
MPAA rating PG-13...
Two-time Oscar winner Jodie Foster might draw audiences on opening weekend, and who knows what the spectacular drama this week at LAX may do for an in-flight melodrama. But audiences might react adversely to such transparent manipulation for so weak a payoff. The Walt Disney Co. will be hard-pressed to equal the success of the year's other in-flight thriller, "Red Eye", which has grossed more than $55 million.
Foster is working here in the woman-on-the-edge/protective-mother mode that helped drive David Fincher's "Panic Room" to boxoffice success. She goes for a gaunt look and a ruthless obsession that a casual observer might well interpret as paranoia. Flight attendants and most passengers are openly contemptuous of her efforts, angry that she is disturbing an otherwise peaceful flight and absolutely certain they never saw a child in her company board the plane. Not one single person?
The movie starts oddly, as if in a bad dream. A woman, Kyle Pratt (Foster), shuffles zombielike through empty, snowy streets of nighttime Berlin. She is accompanied by a man we later learn is an apparition of her late husband, who days before fell or jumped from the top of their apartment building. Writers Pete A. Dowling and Billy Ray and the director are clearly trying to raise doubts about the widow's sanity. Yet the effort is off-putting as it situates a thriller in an unreal or even surreal world, where a viewer can trust nothing onscreen.
The rest of the movie takes place aboard a jumbo jet, where its personnel are unduly hostile toward passengers, a few Arabs are thrown in to raise the flag of terrorism and two seemingly reasonable men, air marshal Carson (Peter Sarsgaard) and Captain Rich (Sean Bean), struggle to satisfy the distraught mother.
None of the movie's tricks or twists will be revealed here. But audiences are asked to swallow the following assumptions: that no one on a packed flight saw Kyle's daughter, Julie (Marlene Lawston), not even the children seated directly in front of her; that no one noticed anyone escort a probably unwilling child up the aisle while her mother slept; that an entire airline company, post-Sept. 11, is still susceptible to rudimentary sabotage; that Kyle just happens to be an aircraft engineer who knows the plane's configurations better than the crew does; and, finally, that our bad guy(s) can anticipate each and every far-fetched coincidence.
Cinematographer Florian Ballhaus' camera maneuvers within the airplane set to maximize emotions. The camera moves in tight when Schwentke wants to disorient or distract us. Then it backs away to survey the cabin mood. It zeroes in on one flight attendant (Erika Christensen) to make us suspicious. It warmly treats the space surrounding the friendly and helpful air marshal. Extreme close-ups on Foster and a therapist (Greta Scacchi in a cameo), conveniently onboard, make us doubt the existence of a daughter.
Throughout, Foster plays the intensity with an operatic passion. Conversely, Sarsgaard is flexible and likable, while Bean is professionally stiff. Kate Beahan plays a sourpuss flight attendant who regards the situation with a disapproving and drawn face. Assaf Cohen is the designated Arab, whom passengers pick on for his ethnicity.
Press notes trumpet the fact that the fictional aircraft was largely designed by producer Brian Grazer and the director. Perhaps this is a new creative field for the two as the interior has a snappy retro design, cheerful bars, large galleys and posh, inviting lounges.
FLIGHTPLAN
Buena Vista Pictures
Touchstone Pictures and Imagine Entertainment presenta Brian Grazer production
Credits:
Director: Robert Schwentke
Screenwriters: Peter A. Dowling, Billy Ray
Producer: Brian Grazer
Executive producers: James Whitaker, Charles J.D. Schlissel, Robert DiNozzi, Erica Huggins
Director of photograp: Florian Ballhaus
Production designer: Alexander Hammond
Music: James Horner
Costumes: Susan Lyall
Editor: Thom Noble
Cast:
Kyle Pratt: Jodie Foster
Carson: Peter Sarsgaard
Julie: Marlene Lawston
Captain Rich: Sean Bean
Stephanie: Kate Beahan
Obiad: Michael Irby
Ahmed: Assaf Cohen
Fiona: Erika Christensen
Mr. Loud: Shane Edelman
Mrs. Loud: Mary Gallagher
Therapist: Greta Scacchi
MPAA rating PG-13...
- 10/7/2005
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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