Could acoustic lightening strike twice? 2006 was a mythical, magical year for John Carney when Once took the Sundance Film Festival and film world by storm. With buffer items Zonad (2009) and The Rafters (2012) only whetting our appetite for another Carney gem, 2013’s surprise box office indie hit Begin Again (with Keira Knightley, Mark Ruffalo and Adam Levine) sort of got us back in the saddle. We now come full circle back to another micro film with potentially lots of heart. Considered a cousin to Once, Carney enlists U2’s Bono and The Edge for the this when Irish eyes are smiling coming-of-ager romance. Currently in the midst of a certain restructuring, the Weinsteins picked up Sing Street in at the Cannes Film Fest in 2014 and it was kept off the 2015 slate. Could this semi-biographical tale be tuned up as a crowd-pleasing Park City item?
Gist: This tells the story of 14-year-old Cosmo,...
Gist: This tells the story of 14-year-old Cosmo,...
- 11/25/2015
- by Eric Lavallee
- IONCINEMA.com
Even though writer/director John Carney has enjoyed success in Irish film and television with the likes of Zonad, On The Edge and Bachelors Walk, outside of his home country he is most known for 2007's Once, his low budget feature which celebrated the power of music, set in the world of Dublin buskers. Once went onto be a massive critical success, and has been adapted into a Tony award winning play. Carney returns to that well somewhat with Begin Again. The original title, Can a Song Save Your Life?, tells you all you need to know about the movie, a feel good celebration of music and staying true to yourself, all set against the back drop of New York City. Begin Again starts in the middle, with Greta (Keira Knightley) performing an aggressive song written about her ex Dave (Adam Levine) on the stage of a New York dive bar,...
- 7/11/2014
- by noreply@blogger.com (Tom White)
- www.themoviebit.com
The Galway Film Fleadh, Ireland's leading film festival, today announced its opening and closing films: Taking place from Tuesday, July 8th to Sunday, July 13th, the festival will open with musical romantic-comedy "Begin Again," and finish up with celtic noir thriller "An Bronntanas." "Begin Again," featuring music from New Radicals' Gregg Alexander, stars Keira Knightley, Mark Ruffalo, Hailee Steinfield, Adam Levine and James Corden. Directed by John Carney ("Once", "Zonad"), it premiered at the 2013 Toronto Film Festival and, according to a statement, "is devoted to the beauty of music and power of chance encounter." Eric Kohn gave the film a B grade in his review, writing that it was "a fairly mannered treatment of an expressive medium.""An Bronntanas," directed by Tom Collins, revolves around a rescue crew who receives a distress call on a stormy night, and discovers a fishing boat with some very interesting cargo. For...
- 6/11/2014
- by Oliver MacMahon
- Indiewire
While Irish filmmaker John Carney's breakout film Once (the basis for the Tony-award winning musical) never played at the Tribeca Film Festival in 2007--oddly, his retro sci-fi follow-up Zonad did--they're making up for it this year by giving his new movie Begin Again (formerly "Can A Song Save Your Life?") the closing night slot for this year's 13th annual film festival. Starring Keira Knightley, Mark Ruffalo, Hailee Stewll infeld, and Adam Levine from "The Voice" and Maroon 5, it will have its U.S. premiere on Saturday, April 26th at the Bmcc Tribeca Pac theater. In the movie, Knightley and Levine play Greta and her boyfriend who move to New York to pursue their love of music, but when he dumps her for fame and fortune, she turns to a down-on-his-luck...
- 3/20/2014
- Comingsoon.net
His 2006 true-life fairytale swooned Sundance audiences picking up the Audience Award World Cinema – Dramatic Competition and then Best Song at the Oscars. Once filmmaker John Carney has made a pair of films since in 2009′s Zonad and 2012′s The Rafters, but we think that despite the budget and the fact that with post-prod began in August, that with a return to a strong musical element and a cast that includes a mixture of established indie vets and singers (Sundance does have an appreciation for films that bring in musical talents), Keira Knightley, Mark Ruffalo (see set-pic above), Adam Levine, Catherine Keener, Hailee Steinfeld, Mos Def, Cee-Lo and James Corden, that there might be a window of opportunity to include Can A Song Save Your Life? to the Premieres line-up. Tech crew includes Cinematographer Yaron Orbach (Please Give) and Production Designer Chad Keith (At Any Price).
Gist: Seduced by dreams of...
Gist: Seduced by dreams of...
- 11/19/2012
- by Eric Lavallee
- IONCINEMA.com
After a jaw dropping performance in What Richard Did, Irish actor Jack Reynor will be making his U.S. debut in the Vince Vaughn starring comedy The Delivery Man. The film, directed by Ken Scott, is a remake of Scott's own 2011 French-Canadian production Starbuck. Vaughn will play a man who has fathered over 533 children through sperm donations. When some of his now grown-up children find out his identity, they are eager to meet him. There is no word on Reynor's role, but it is said he will be sharing the majority of his screen time with Vaughn. Other cast members include Cobie Smulders, Chris Pratt, and fellow Irishman Simon Delaney (Zonad), who plays Vaughn's brother. The Delivery Man is slated for an October 2013 release in the U.S. Source: Iftn...
- 11/14/2012
- by noreply@blogger.com (Tom White)
- www.themoviebit.com
[1] Steve Carell has been slowly transitioning toward more dramatic roles ever since he quit The Office to focus on his rising film career, but some of his choices have sounded a bit questionable, at least on paper. One of the stranger ones he's been attached to [2] is the lead in The Dogs of Babel, an adaptation of Carolyn Parkhurst's debut novel. The premise of the story -- a grieving man tries to teach his dog to speak -- is so aggressively quirky that it's easy to see how the film could veer away from heartfelt toward silly or schmaltzy. So it's something of a relief to hear that Mandate Pictures has tapped a guy who may actually be able to pull off that tough balancing act: Once director John Carney. More details after the jump. The Hollywood Reporter [3] writes that Carney has just finalized a deal to helm the movie,...
- 11/3/2011
- by Angie Han
- Slash Film
Once hit theaters in 2007, and discounting Zonad, that’s too long for John Carney to not make another film. When someone crafts a movie as beautiful and entertaining as his semi-musical, you immediately want his next work to hit theaters. He has The Rafters ready to open next year, while this summer brought news of a big project for him: Can A Song Save Your Life?, a Judd Apatow-produced musical that has Scarlett Johansson lined up to star.
24Frames now reports that Carney is in final talks to take on The Dogs of Babel, which has already landed Steve Carell for the lead role. Based on Carolyn Parkhurst‘s novel, the story follows “a professor who tries to coax his dog to speak out about the death of the professor’s wife, to which the canine was the only witness.” I’ve said it before and I’ll say...
24Frames now reports that Carney is in final talks to take on The Dogs of Babel, which has already landed Steve Carell for the lead role. Based on Carolyn Parkhurst‘s novel, the story follows “a professor who tries to coax his dog to speak out about the death of the professor’s wife, to which the canine was the only witness.” I’ve said it before and I’ll say...
- 11/2/2011
- by jpraup@gmail.com (thefilmstage.com)
- The Film Stage
When music-fuelled romantic drama Once hit it big back in 2006, you might have expected writer/director John Carney to be snapped up to direct some work on some Hollywood project starring a big name. But instead, he opted to handle a remake of his own comedy short Zonad before switching tracks for supernatural drama The Rafters. Now, though, he might be on to a bigger job, entering final negotiations to direct Dogs Of Babel.We talked about the project back in February, when Steve Carell first became attached. Don’t go worrying that this is going to be some huge action comedy, though: Dogs is a rather more maudlin drama about a linguistics professor investigating his wife’s death.You see, while the police consider her death an accident, Paul Iverson (Carell) thinks otherwise. And with the couple’s dog Lorelei the only living witness to the incident, Iverson begins...
- 11/2/2011
- EmpireOnline
John Carney earned art-house acclaim and Sundance cred for his romance Once but he just landed the biggest directing gig of his career with Dogs of Babel. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Carney joined the adaptation of the Carolyn Parkhust novel starring Steve Carell as a college professor who discovers his wife dead at their home and teaches their dog to speak in order to learn what happened. Carell just appeared opposite Ryan Gosling in the relationship comedy Crazy, Stupid, Love. After Once, Carney returned to his native Ireland and directed the low-budget movies Zonad and The Rafters.
- 11/2/2011
- Upcoming-Movies.com
John Carney earned art-house acclaim and Sundance cred for his romance Once but he just landed the biggest directing gig of his career with Dogs of Babel. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Carney joined the adaptation of the Carolyn Parkhust novel starring Steve Carell as a college professor who discovers his wife dead at their home and teaches their dog to speak in order to learn what happened. Carell just appeared opposite Ryan Gosling in the relationship comedy Crazy, Stupid, Love. After Once, Carney returned to his native Ireland and directed the low-budget movies Zonad and The Rafters.
- 11/2/2011
- Upcoming-Movies.com
RTÉ's brand new four-part drama series 'Amber' will finish filming tomorrow (October 5th). The series will be edited by Tony Cranstoun (Death of a Superhero, When Harvey Met Bob) at Meatball Facilities in the Liberties between now and January 2012. The sound mix and the grade will be completed in The Factory in January and February 2012. The 4x52 drama series, which is directed by Ifta winning Thaddeus O'Sullivan (Single-Handed, Into the Storm, Stella Days), was shot on location in suburban Dublin from late August. The drama stars Eva Birthistle (Walking the Dead, Glenroe) and David Murray (Zonad, Raw)...
- 10/4/2011
- IFTN
Cameras are rolling on a new four-part RTÉ drama 'Amber' in the Dublin suburbs. The missing person 4x52 drama series 'Amber' is to be directed by Thaddeus O'Sullivan (Single-Handed, Into the Storm) and will feature stars Eva Birthistle (Waking the Dead, Glenroe) and David Murray (Zonad, Raw). The drama is currently filming in Suburban Dublin and principle photography will continue until early October.
- 8/24/2011
- IFTN
To celebrate release of the Anglo-Irish comedy-thriller The Guard, starring Brendan Gleeson, Don Cheadle and Mark Strong, released nationwide on August 19, we’ve teamed up with Optimum Releasing to offer four lucky readers the chance to win a comedy DVD boxset of In The Loop, Four Lions & Perrier’s Bounty.
Sergeant Gerry Boyle (Brendan Gleeson) is a small-town cop with a confrontational personality, a subversive sense of humour, a dying mother, a fondness for prostitutes, and absolutely no interest whatsoever in the international cocaine-smuggling ring that has brought FBI agent Wendell Everett (Don Cheadle) to his door. However, despite the fact that Boyle seems more interested in mocking and undermining Everett than in actively working to solve the case, he finds that circumstances keep pulling him back into the thick of it.
First his tiresomely enthusiastic new partner McBride disappears, then his favourite hooker attempts to blackmail him into turning a blind eye,...
Sergeant Gerry Boyle (Brendan Gleeson) is a small-town cop with a confrontational personality, a subversive sense of humour, a dying mother, a fondness for prostitutes, and absolutely no interest whatsoever in the international cocaine-smuggling ring that has brought FBI agent Wendell Everett (Don Cheadle) to his door. However, despite the fact that Boyle seems more interested in mocking and undermining Everett than in actively working to solve the case, he finds that circumstances keep pulling him back into the thick of it.
First his tiresomely enthusiastic new partner McBride disappears, then his favourite hooker attempts to blackmail him into turning a blind eye,...
- 8/19/2011
- by Phil
- Nerdly
DVD Playhouse—August 2011
By Allen Gardner
High And Low (Criterion) Akira Kurosawa’s 1963 adaptation of Ed McBain’s novel King’s Ransom is a multi-layered masterpiece of suspense and one of the best portraits ever of class warfare in post-ww II Japan. Toshiro Mifune stars as a wealthy businessman who finds himself in a moral quandary when his chauffer’s son is kidnapped by ruthless thugs who think the boy is Mifune’s. Beautifully realized on every level. Also available on Blu-ray disc. Bonuses: Commentary by Kurosawa scholar Stephen Prince; Documentary on film’s production; Interview with Mifune from 1984; Trailers and teaser. Widescreen. Dolby and DTS-hd 4.0 surround.
Leon Morin, Priest (Criterion) One of French maestro Jean-Pierre Melville’s rare non-crime-oriented films, starring Jean-Paul Belmondo as a devoted cleric who is lusted after by the women of a small village in Nazi-occupied France. When Fr. Morin finds himself drawn to a...
By Allen Gardner
High And Low (Criterion) Akira Kurosawa’s 1963 adaptation of Ed McBain’s novel King’s Ransom is a multi-layered masterpiece of suspense and one of the best portraits ever of class warfare in post-ww II Japan. Toshiro Mifune stars as a wealthy businessman who finds himself in a moral quandary when his chauffer’s son is kidnapped by ruthless thugs who think the boy is Mifune’s. Beautifully realized on every level. Also available on Blu-ray disc. Bonuses: Commentary by Kurosawa scholar Stephen Prince; Documentary on film’s production; Interview with Mifune from 1984; Trailers and teaser. Widescreen. Dolby and DTS-hd 4.0 surround.
Leon Morin, Priest (Criterion) One of French maestro Jean-Pierre Melville’s rare non-crime-oriented films, starring Jean-Paul Belmondo as a devoted cleric who is lusted after by the women of a small village in Nazi-occupied France. When Fr. Morin finds himself drawn to a...
- 8/8/2011
- by The Hollywood Interview.com
- The Hollywood Interview
John Carney’s Once worked wonders for me when I saw it on a dreary day a few winters ago. It was touching but not precious, and stars Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová possessed a kind of authenticity that made their music all the more affecting. Zonad, Carney’s follow-up to the acclaimed shoestring budget musical, is a different sort of animal – a tribute to slapstick comedies that paved the way (Carney owes more than a tip of the hat to Mel Brooks and the immortal comedy trio of Jim Abrahams and the Zucker Brothers) and a parody of 50s “aliens invade small town” shlock thrillers.
The concept is sound – tiny town Ballymoran (whose denizens may be developmentally disabled) is visited by Zonad (Simon Delaney), an alien visitor who claims to have fallen “through the fabric of time”. He shacks up with the Cassidy family, who are more than willing...
The concept is sound – tiny town Ballymoran (whose denizens may be developmentally disabled) is visited by Zonad (Simon Delaney), an alien visitor who claims to have fallen “through the fabric of time”. He shacks up with the Cassidy family, who are more than willing...
- 7/20/2011
- by Mark Zhuravsky
- JustPressPlay.net
Irish director John Carney (Once, Zonad) is behind a new musical with Scarlett Johannson (Lost in Translation) attached to lead role. 'Can a Song Save Your Life?' is a music-oriented film which reportedly follows an unsuccessful A&R man who forms a passionate bond with a young singer-songwriter (Johansson). Judd Apatow is to produce 'Can a Song Save Your Life?' which has a reported budget of $10m. Filming is expected to begin in New York next year.
- 6/30/2011
- IFTN
Slinky Black Widow Scarlett Johansson is known for her acting chops and sultry looks more than her vocal stylings, despite releasing a slew of Tom Waits covers and a collaboration with Pete Yorn.
Now she's going to bring her golden voice to the big screen with John Carney's new movie, "Can a Song Save Your Life?"
Carney, who wrote and directed the beloved musical romance "Once," has paired with Judd Apatow on the new film in what's surely one of the oddest creative couplings of recent years. Apatow will serve as executive producer on the film, which centers on a dreamy young chanteuse and her relationship with a "washed-up" record label dude. Jim Carrey and Mark Ruffalo could be up for the role of Johansson's costar according to Hollywood buzz.
The film marks a staggering departure from the low-fi indie world of "Once," boasting a $10 million budget compared to the approximately $150,000 spent making "Once.
Now she's going to bring her golden voice to the big screen with John Carney's new movie, "Can a Song Save Your Life?"
Carney, who wrote and directed the beloved musical romance "Once," has paired with Judd Apatow on the new film in what's surely one of the oddest creative couplings of recent years. Apatow will serve as executive producer on the film, which centers on a dreamy young chanteuse and her relationship with a "washed-up" record label dude. Jim Carrey and Mark Ruffalo could be up for the role of Johansson's costar according to Hollywood buzz.
The film marks a staggering departure from the low-fi indie world of "Once," boasting a $10 million budget compared to the approximately $150,000 spent making "Once.
- 6/29/2011
- by Jenni Miller
- NextMovie
On July 19, FilmBuff and Mpi will release the 2009 Irish comedy Zonad on DVD for a list price of $24.98.
Simon Delaney makes a point to his Terran friends in Zonad.
Written and directed by brothers John and Kieran Carney (John was the writer/director of the Oscar-winning 2006 sleeper hit Once), Zonad is set in the small Irish town of Ballymoran, where the Cassidy family comes home to find a red leather-clad man passed out on their living room floor. They assume he’s an alien visiting Earth when in reality the “creature” is actually Liam Murphy (Simon Delaney, TV’s EastEnders), an escapee from an alcohol rehab clinic. Liam goes along with the ruse and passes himself off as an alien named Zonad. It doesn’t take too long for Zonad to start enjoying his life as an extraterrestrial, beginning with women, booze and a nice place to live. But when...
Simon Delaney makes a point to his Terran friends in Zonad.
Written and directed by brothers John and Kieran Carney (John was the writer/director of the Oscar-winning 2006 sleeper hit Once), Zonad is set in the small Irish town of Ballymoran, where the Cassidy family comes home to find a red leather-clad man passed out on their living room floor. They assume he’s an alien visiting Earth when in reality the “creature” is actually Liam Murphy (Simon Delaney, TV’s EastEnders), an escapee from an alcohol rehab clinic. Liam goes along with the ruse and passes himself off as an alien named Zonad. It doesn’t take too long for Zonad to start enjoying his life as an extraterrestrial, beginning with women, booze and a nice place to live. But when...
- 6/28/2011
- by Laurence
- Disc Dish
Having been recently shown at Cannes at part of the Official Competition in May, Irish co-production 'This Must Be the Place' has been snapped up by indie U.K. distributor Trinity Films. Element Pictures Distribution had previously secured the Irish rights to the film. Shot in Dublin last August and directed by Paolo Sorrentino, 'This Must Be the Place' stars Oscar-winning Sean Penn (Milk) and Frances McDormand (Fargo) as well as Simon Delaney (Zonad), Olwen Fouere (Space Truckers) and Eve Hewson.
- 6/15/2011
- IFTN
After making one of the more interesting music-based films in some time with the 2007 film, Once, director John Carney has gone on to direct one relatively small feature, Zonad, but has otherwise stayed out of the limelight. However, apparently he’s been secretly working on a new project, unlike anything he’s done yet.
Read more on John Carney to helm The Rafters...
Read more on John Carney to helm The Rafters...
- 5/24/2011
- by Joshua Brunsting
- GordonandtheWhale
John Carney's newest film, The Rafters, looks as though it will be much darker with plenty of ghostly chills. Carney directed the Oscar winning drama Once and Tribeca selected scifi comedy Zonad, but has taken a different path with his lastet film currently in post-production.
Here is a description:
Ghosts stalk an old guesthouse in the Aran islands, as two American backpackers vie for the affections of a young woman who is, literally, haunted by her past.
The Rafters was written and directed by Carney and stars Marcella Plunkett, Killian Scott, Sean Donegan, Maire O'Neill, and Des Nealon. Not much else is known about the thriller at this time. It sounds like an interesting take on your typical ghost story. I
Source: Twitch (http://twitchfilm.com/news/2011/05/once-director-john-carney-goes-ghostly-with-the-rafters.php)...
Here is a description:
Ghosts stalk an old guesthouse in the Aran islands, as two American backpackers vie for the affections of a young woman who is, literally, haunted by her past.
The Rafters was written and directed by Carney and stars Marcella Plunkett, Killian Scott, Sean Donegan, Maire O'Neill, and Des Nealon. Not much else is known about the thriller at this time. It sounds like an interesting take on your typical ghost story. I
Source: Twitch (http://twitchfilm.com/news/2011/05/once-director-john-carney-goes-ghostly-with-the-rafters.php)...
- 5/24/2011
- by Tiberius
- GeekTyrant
Irish director John Carney has remained relatively quiet since his 2007 sleeper hit "Once"--while he did make the low-fi sci-fi-comedy "Zonad" which featured at the Tribeca Film Festival in 2009, to say that film didn't exactly reach the heights of the filmmaker's previous effort would be a major understatement. That might explain then why, without the knowledge of many, Carney's next film is already in post-production after shooting late last year. Titled "The Rafters," the film is described as a supernatural thriller set at "an old guesthouse in the Aran islands [as] two American backpackers vie for the affections of…...
- 5/24/2011
- The Playlist
One flick that made a splash at last year's Tribeca Film Festival was sci-fi comedy Zonad from award-winning director John Carney (Once). And though it was out of our genre of choice, we're happy to hear that Carney is now doing something we can sink our teeth into.
According to Twitch Carney will be at the helm of the upcoming supernatural thriller The Rafters starring Marcella Plunkett, Killian Scott, Sean Donegan, Maire O'Neill, and Des Nealon. The flick, now in post production, tells the story of what happens when ghosts stalk an old guesthouse in the Aran islands as two American backpackers vie for the affections of a young woman who is, literally, haunted by her past.
Look for more on this one as it comes. In the interim check out some concept art.
Visit The Evilshop @ Amazon!
Got news? Click here to submit it!
Start your haunting in the comments section below!
According to Twitch Carney will be at the helm of the upcoming supernatural thriller The Rafters starring Marcella Plunkett, Killian Scott, Sean Donegan, Maire O'Neill, and Des Nealon. The flick, now in post production, tells the story of what happens when ghosts stalk an old guesthouse in the Aran islands as two American backpackers vie for the affections of a young woman who is, literally, haunted by her past.
Look for more on this one as it comes. In the interim check out some concept art.
Visit The Evilshop @ Amazon!
Got news? Click here to submit it!
Start your haunting in the comments section below!
- 5/23/2011
- by Uncle Creepy
- DreadCentral.com
John Carney - director of the Oscar winning drama Once and Tribeca selected scifi comedy Zonad - is taking a turn into some darker territory with his upcoming thriller The Rafters.Ghosts stalk an old guesthouse in the Aran islands, as two American backpackers vie for the affections of a young woman who is, literally, haunted by her past.Now in post-production, The Rafters stars Marcella Plunkett, Killian Scott, Sean Donegan, Maire O'Neill, and Des Nealon. Given Carney's presence as both writer and director I would expect something far more sophisticated than your standard bump and jump ghost story here, something rooted much deeper in its characters and atmosphere. We'll bring more as we get it....
- 5/23/2011
- Screen Anarchy
Now up on our VOD Calendar are the titles available in May.
Some of the highlights include Derek Cianfrance‘s Blue Valentine, John Carney‘s Zonad, Mark Ruffalo‘s directorial debut Sympathy for Delicious (which is also in select theaters now, read our interview with Ruffalo), Alejandro Gonzáles Iñárritu‘s Biutiful and the premiere of the Adrien Brody/Penélope Cruz starrer A Madator’s Mistress.
To find titles from other months go to our VOD Calendar homepage.
Some of the highlights include Derek Cianfrance‘s Blue Valentine, John Carney‘s Zonad, Mark Ruffalo‘s directorial debut Sympathy for Delicious (which is also in select theaters now, read our interview with Ruffalo), Alejandro Gonzáles Iñárritu‘s Biutiful and the premiere of the Adrien Brody/Penélope Cruz starrer A Madator’s Mistress.
To find titles from other months go to our VOD Calendar homepage.
- 5/1/2011
- by Jason Guerrasio
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
FilmBuff is releasing two films on VOD platforms before their DVD release. Both Alexandre Franchi’s award-winning thriller The Wild Hunt (which premiered at Toronto in 2009) will be available April 19 on Comcast, Time Warner, Verizon, At&T, iTunes, Xbox, Playstation, Vudu (and more), whereas the DVD will be released June 7. John Carney & Kiernan Carney’s sci-fi comedy (and Tribeca hit in 2010) Zonad will be available June 21 via the same platforms, and on DVD July 19. FilmBuff's Matt Dentler says: "In the home entertainment market, there’s no one distribution outlet that conquers all right now, and we feel strongly that when you have the right film it makes sense to treat each window and platform as an event. Both of these films are ...
- 4/6/2011
- Thompson on Hollywood
Cinetic's VOD distribution arm FilmBuff has announced that Alexandre Franchi's "The Wild Hunt" and John and Kiernan Carney's "Zonad" will be released on VOD before they head to DVD. The French thriller "The Wild Hunt" premiered at the 2009 Toronto International Film Festival; John Carney's sci-fi follow-up to his Oscar-winning "Once," "Zonad" premiered at last year's Tribeca Film Festival. "The Wild Hunt" will be released on VOD in April and ...
- 4/6/2011
- Indiewire
What is there to say about Zonad (2009)? It’s a bizarre comedy from the shores of Ireland by writer and director brothers John and Kieran Carney, which tells the story of Liam Murphy – a recovering alcoholic who escapes from rehab to the local town of Ballymoran. While there, for one reason or another, he convinces this naive little town that he is actually an alien from out of space called Zonad.
Continue Reading...
Continue Reading...
- 3/28/2011
- by Matt Groizard
- CineVue
Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
We love this holiday — afterall, we’re green every day of the year! But today, Disc Dish is going Irish with five great movie picks from our friend and fellow movie lover Irish-American Janine McGoldrick.
So, pour yourself a pint of Guinness and pick one of the films below to watch this St. Paddy’s Day.
Take it away, Janine…
5. Man of Aran (1934)
Man of Aran, 1934
At the suggestion of my brother, my family sat down for a viewing of Man of Aran before our first trip to Ireland. A documentary-style fiction from groundbreaking American filmmaker Robert Flaherty (Nanook of the North), the film depicts the simple-yet-grueling life on the Aran Islands off the west coast of Ireland in the early 20th century. You won’t find the typical rolling green pastures filled with fluffy white sheep in this movie. The land is harsh and barren,...
We love this holiday — afterall, we’re green every day of the year! But today, Disc Dish is going Irish with five great movie picks from our friend and fellow movie lover Irish-American Janine McGoldrick.
So, pour yourself a pint of Guinness and pick one of the films below to watch this St. Paddy’s Day.
Take it away, Janine…
5. Man of Aran (1934)
Man of Aran, 1934
At the suggestion of my brother, my family sat down for a viewing of Man of Aran before our first trip to Ireland. A documentary-style fiction from groundbreaking American filmmaker Robert Flaherty (Nanook of the North), the film depicts the simple-yet-grueling life on the Aran Islands off the west coast of Ireland in the early 20th century. You won’t find the typical rolling green pastures filled with fluffy white sheep in this movie. The land is harsh and barren,...
- 3/17/2011
- by Laurence
- Disc Dish
Zonad is from space, and is a brilliant idea. I received the DVD eagerly as I was keen on the idea from the cover notes and the trailer. It had all the ingredients needed to make a new classic Irish comedy: the wonderful location, a different take on the classic 50‘s sci-fi movies, mistaken identity and some good lines. It should make a great DVD release...
An Irish family full of stories of aliens see a meteor, and then return home to find what they believe to be just such an alien. Zonad soon finds that he is popular with the men and even more so with the rather busty women in the village. We soon learn, however, that there is a darker side to our hero Zonad: he is, in fact, on the run from enforced alcoholic rehabilitation. That should make this movie a perfect example of how...
An Irish family full of stories of aliens see a meteor, and then return home to find what they believe to be just such an alien. Zonad soon finds that he is popular with the men and even more so with the rather busty women in the village. We soon learn, however, that there is a darker side to our hero Zonad: he is, in fact, on the run from enforced alcoholic rehabilitation. That should make this movie a perfect example of how...
- 2/17/2011
- Shadowlocked
[Editor's note: If anyone says 2010 was a sh!% year for movies, please refer them to this post.]
Instead of the usual "best" or "worst" films of the year lists, I thought a good way to take a look at the highs and lows of the 2010 film year would be to compile almost every single review we published in 2010 and let readers meander through the wasteland as it were.
I'm really amazed at the range of films we managed to cover from around the globe this year. Quiet Earth has certainly come a long way over the years and it's really due to the talents and passion of our team of writers who literally travel a world of fests to bring news and reviews of new films.
I hope you're all taking notes. Many of these films were from fests and will probably be hitting VOD and Blu-ray sometime in the new year, so this is a good chance to get a start on your must-watch lists.
The...
Instead of the usual "best" or "worst" films of the year lists, I thought a good way to take a look at the highs and lows of the 2010 film year would be to compile almost every single review we published in 2010 and let readers meander through the wasteland as it were.
I'm really amazed at the range of films we managed to cover from around the globe this year. Quiet Earth has certainly come a long way over the years and it's really due to the talents and passion of our team of writers who literally travel a world of fests to bring news and reviews of new films.
I hope you're all taking notes. Many of these films were from fests and will probably be hitting VOD and Blu-ray sometime in the new year, so this is a good chance to get a start on your must-watch lists.
The...
- 12/31/2010
- QuietEarth.us
Zonad, directed by John Carney and co-written by his brother Kieran, is a quirky screwball comedy with a downright ridiculous sense of humor. But, apart from the flick’s Irish origins, you might never guess it is from the same filmmaker who made the tender indie musical Once, playing instead as a rowdy brother to its level-headed, lovestruck predecessor.
The comedy’s interstellar opening, accompanied by a throwback Rod Serling-esque voiceover introduction, descends on the tiny Irish “hamlet” of Ballymoran, a quiet, provincial town of merely 165 citizens. Then, the morning after a comet passes over, the Cassidy family awakens to find a portly fellow (Simon Delaney) passed out in their den.
Rather than come clean about his alcoholic bender, the strange man wearing a skin-tight red jumpsuit perhaps borrowed from the Britney Spears’ “Oops! I Did it Again” video, proclaims he is Zonad(!), an intergalatic traveler who has passed...
The comedy’s interstellar opening, accompanied by a throwback Rod Serling-esque voiceover introduction, descends on the tiny Irish “hamlet” of Ballymoran, a quiet, provincial town of merely 165 citizens. Then, the morning after a comet passes over, the Cassidy family awakens to find a portly fellow (Simon Delaney) passed out in their den.
Rather than come clean about his alcoholic bender, the strange man wearing a skin-tight red jumpsuit perhaps borrowed from the Britney Spears’ “Oops! I Did it Again” video, proclaims he is Zonad(!), an intergalatic traveler who has passed...
- 11/13/2010
- by Jeff Leins
- newsinfilm.com
The Irish Film and Television Academy (Ifta) will host an exclusive screening of Ecosse Films' 'Pelican Blood' on Thursday, October 21st. Academy Members are the first audience in Ireland to view the film, which is the latest from Dublin-born director Karl Golden (The Honeymoners, Belonging to Laura). The director will attend the screening and, alongside 'Pelican Blood' producer John McDonnell (Zonad), will participate in an informative Q&A session with the Academy. In the run up to the event Iftn spoke with Karl Golden about the film and his newest project 'Weekender' which he recently wrapped.
- 10/20/2010
- IFTN
Cameras start rolling today, Monday August 16th on the set of 'This Must Be the Place'. The feature marks Italian director Paolo Sorrentino's English feature debut and will shoot on location in Dublin for the next three weeks. The film stars Oscar-winners Sean Penn (Milk, Mystic River), Frances McDormand (Fargo), and musician David Byrne, alongside Irish talent Simon Delaney (Zonad, Happy Ever Afters), Olwen Fouere (Space Truckers) and newcomer Eve Hewson. Paolo Sorrentino, director of the Palme d'Or nominated feature 'Il Divo' will helm the story of wealthy former rock-star Cheyenne, played by Penn, who lives quietly in Dublin with his wife, played by McDormand. When his father, a holocaust survivor, dies in New York Cheyenne embarks on a journey across America to track down his father's nemesis. Sorrentino penned the script with co-writer Umberto Contarello (La Partita Lenta, Luce dei Miei Occhi).
- 8/16/2010
- IFTN
Hubbard and Banks Media goes into production with short film 'Every Second Sunday' this weekend. Starring Simon Delaney (Zonad) and Lee Ingleby (Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban) it will shoot in Dublin and Bray. Simon Hubbard (Jack) is the writer/director of the project with Fergal O'Hanlon (Yu Ming is Ainm Dom) on board as director of photography. The short film will start production this coming Saturday, August 14th. Fergal O'Hanlon will be shooting the project on Red. Confirmed cast includes Simon Delaney (Zonad, Rewind, Intermission), Craig Conway (Doomsday, Dog Soldiers, Vera Drake), Vivienne Connolly (Shackled, In World War), Jane Elizabeth Walsh (A Christmas Carol, Daughters Of Rome) and Vanessa Matias Fahy (Mariana, Ghostwood). Furthermore the Irish Rock group The Coronas will score the film.
- 8/13/2010
- IFTN
Writer and Director John Carney. Image by Leslie Hassler. It's enticing to imagine John Carney, director of Once, marketing his and brother Kieran's film Zonad: "It's about an alcoholic who escapes from rehab, wearing only a red vinyl leotard and a helmet. He convinces an entire town that he's an alien from outer space. Incidentally, it takes place in the 1950's. In Ireland. There's lots of drinking. And sex. And sheep." As the star of the film, Simon Delaney, says, "Howdya pitch that to finance?!" The fact that it did get made is partly due to the Zonad short the duo created in 2003 and also a testament to the impact Once (2007) had on film-lovers and industry legends alike. Steven Spielberg said, ''A little movie called Once gave me enough inspiration to last the rest of the year." It also...
- 5/11/2010
- by Cynthia Ellis
- Huffington Post
For those of us who name Once among our favorite movies, director John Carney’s latest venture is, well, completely unrelated. Zonad, which premiered at Tribeca, is a surreal Irish comedy and a film, according to AP, that’s “been the film most likely to inspire baffled ‘what-is-this?’ double-takes, usually followed by hearty, surprised laughter” at this year’s festival....
- 5/4/2010
- Pastemagazine.com
Rating: 3.5/5
Directors: John Carney, Kieran Carney
Cast: Simon Delaney, David Murray, Slaine Kelly
The Irish are known for two things: poetry and drinking. Some of the greatest creative minds have come from the land of 1000 welcomes while others have squandered the opportunity to carry on the great literary tradition of Ireland by drowning in Guinness and pub spillage. In Zonad, a great mind of a different breed descends upon the sleepy, quaint village of Ballymoran in the form of an overweight alien with an overgrown bicycle helmet who proceeds to become the town hero whilst consuming as much alcohol as possible.
Read more on Tribeca 2010 Review: Zonad…...
Directors: John Carney, Kieran Carney
Cast: Simon Delaney, David Murray, Slaine Kelly
The Irish are known for two things: poetry and drinking. Some of the greatest creative minds have come from the land of 1000 welcomes while others have squandered the opportunity to carry on the great literary tradition of Ireland by drowning in Guinness and pub spillage. In Zonad, a great mind of a different breed descends upon the sleepy, quaint village of Ballymoran in the form of an overweight alien with an overgrown bicycle helmet who proceeds to become the town hero whilst consuming as much alcohol as possible.
Read more on Tribeca 2010 Review: Zonad…...
- 4/30/2010
- by Drew Tinnin
- GordonandtheWhale
The moment Zonad clicked for me was about halfway through, when Cinematical editor Erik Davis leaned over and whispered, "This is like a live-action Simpsons episode." Yes! Exactly! I mean, you shouldn't talk during the movie, but yes! The cheerfully implausible story line, the dimwitted but recognizable townsfolk, the cartoonish disregard for reality -- if everyone were painted yellow and missing a finger on each hand, you'd swear Fox had commissioned an Irish translation of a season 10 episode.
Zonad is actually the work of brothers John and Kieran Carney. John wrote and directed the sweet indie hit Once a few years ago, but Zonad, based on an unreleased short film the Carneys made in 2003, couldn't be more different from that. The Tribeca Film Festival program calls it a "zany romp," which makes it sound awful -- I think the same description appears each week in TV Guide next to According to Jim -- but no,...
Zonad is actually the work of brothers John and Kieran Carney. John wrote and directed the sweet indie hit Once a few years ago, but Zonad, based on an unreleased short film the Carneys made in 2003, couldn't be more different from that. The Tribeca Film Festival program calls it a "zany romp," which makes it sound awful -- I think the same description appears each week in TV Guide next to According to Jim -- but no,...
- 4/28/2010
- by Eric D. Snider
- Cinematical
A few year ago, the Irish musical romantic comedy Once became a bonafide phenomenon, and the two musicians who starred in it, collectively known as The Swell Season, found their band breaking out bigger than anyone could possibly imagine in the States. Two years on, that film's director John Carney has returned to these shores, this time with a feature film he directed with his brother Kieran called Zonad , an idea the two brothers had been kicking around since their early days learning how to be filmmakers. Essentially, "Zonad" is the name of a spaceman, played by Simon Delaney, who shows up at the small seaside Irish village of Ballymoran wearing a red vinyl outfit and is immediately made a welcomed guest by the Cassidy family, though he has his sights set on their...
- 4/28/2010
- Comingsoon.net
Doing some capsule reviews here for the start of the week. Not because these films are less deserving of a full review than others, it is more for time constraints... and also all four flicks already have distribution in multiple territories so they will get some exposure.
In the coming days I'll have a review for Dorothee van den Berghe's My Queen Karo, probably one for Thomas Ikimi's Legacy starring Idris Elba, and further down the line (most likely after the actual fest is over) interviews with Zonad star and directors, Simon Delaney, and Kieran and John Carney, plus a quick one with Alice Creed helmer J Blakeson.
So to start things off...
The Disappearance Of Alice Creed
If there is any film on this list that deserves a full review based on sheer awesomeness, it'd be this one from J Blakeson, a first time feature director (but no...
In the coming days I'll have a review for Dorothee van den Berghe's My Queen Karo, probably one for Thomas Ikimi's Legacy starring Idris Elba, and further down the line (most likely after the actual fest is over) interviews with Zonad star and directors, Simon Delaney, and Kieran and John Carney, plus a quick one with Alice Creed helmer J Blakeson.
So to start things off...
The Disappearance Of Alice Creed
If there is any film on this list that deserves a full review based on sheer awesomeness, it'd be this one from J Blakeson, a first time feature director (but no...
- 4/26/2010
- Screen Anarchy
The co-directors of the zany comedy Zonad, John Carney and Keiran Carney, were in high spirits, having just arrived in New York. 'We risked the volcano to be here. We flew through volcanic ash!' John joked and then warned the audience that if they were expecting something like Once (his Oscar-winning 2007 triumph), they should think twice. 'No, not the sequel!' he said, realizing the pun. He got that right. Zonad is definitely not a sequel, even though there are a few songs. It's a broad comedy about two alcoholics who escape a treatment facility during a costume party. Arriving in a tiny Irish village that seems trapped in some sort of 50s-era innocence, they pass themselves off as visitors from space named 'Zonad' and 'Bonad.' They become local celebrities and spend their time enjoying free booze and seducing the womenfolk. After the screening, the directors introduced three of the actors,...
- 4/26/2010
- TribecaFilm.com
Back in 2006, Irish filmmaker John Carney made a splash with his film Once, which took home the Oscar for Best Original Song. Now working with his brother, Kieran, the two have written and directed Zonad, which held its international premiere on Saturday. Don.t be confused by the .Carney. name in the credits, however. The two films couldn.t be any more different. Beginning as a short film that the two made in college, the comedy is equal parts Mayberry and The Day The Earth Stood Still. The film was already the subject of buzz going into the festival last week and should grow even more over the coming days. Check out my review of the film here and watch my interview with the directors below. function getVideo() { var so = new SWFObject("http://cdn.springboard.gorillanation.com/storage/xplayer/ci001.swf", "mplayer", "590", "508", "8", "#000000"); so.addParam("wmode","transparent"); so.addParam("swliveconnect", "true...
- 4/25/2010
- cinemablend.com
Imagine, if you will, that following a night of stargazing, you and your family return home to find that your living room has been trashed. What.s more, the man responsible is a red latex bodysuit wearing fat-ass passed out on the floor. What do you do? Well, if your last name is Cassidy and you live in the small, fictional Irish hamlet known as Ballymoran, then you label him an extraterrestrial and treat him as though he is the second coming of Christ. Such is the story of Zonad, whose title character (Simon Delaney) is a petty criminal who has broken out of court ordered rehabilitation for alcohol abuse and manages to convince an entire town that he's from another galaxy. Balancing satire somewhere between The Andy Griffith Show and the worst episodes of The Outer Limits, Zonad cons and exploits the town in every way possible, from free...
- 4/25/2010
- cinemablend.com
Nailing a feature length comedy can be tough. Writing a review for one can be just as tricky. With its international premiere happening today at Tribeca, Kieran and John Carney's send up of 50s Sci-fi B-movies and American sitcom culture via way of an Irish Hamlet has garnered a lot of buzz around these parts. So, how does the actual film fare? Well... a little setup first.
When a comet passes over Earth the same night the Cassidy family find an unconscious latex clad man on their living room floor, the townsfolk of Ballymoran think they have an alien visitor in their midst. Upon revival this mystery man reveals himself to be intergalactic traveler, Zonad (Simon Delaney), who fell through a rip in the space time continuum... or something.
Soon enough Zonad is taking full advantage of the gullible, totally smitten locals and - to the dismay of American...
When a comet passes over Earth the same night the Cassidy family find an unconscious latex clad man on their living room floor, the townsfolk of Ballymoran think they have an alien visitor in their midst. Upon revival this mystery man reveals himself to be intergalactic traveler, Zonad (Simon Delaney), who fell through a rip in the space time continuum... or something.
Soon enough Zonad is taking full advantage of the gullible, totally smitten locals and - to the dismay of American...
- 4/24/2010
- Screen Anarchy
He came from a faraway galaxy, in search of a decent pint of Guinness. Well, actually, he came from Dublin in a figure hugging red rubber suit, but Zonad, the new genre-busting Irish-made comedy, has turned out to be the funniest film of the year, and it’s about to prove it at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York this weekend. Directed by John Carney, 38, who directed the Oscar-winning sleeper hit "Once" two years ago, and his brother Kieran Carney, 36, Zonad stars Simon Delaney in a breakout role that could easily stand beside the best work of comedy giant John Belushi, the manic Blues Brothers star that Delaney and his brand of physical comedy most resembles. Looking like a completely insane sequel to The Quiet Man, Zonad is part Carry-On comedy, part 1950’s sci-fi potboiler, and part hearty revenge on America for decades of sentimental Oirish fare like The Quiet Man...
- 4/24/2010
- IrishCentral
Yes boys and girls we're just a few days out from the 2010 Tribeca Film Festival here in New York City, which I will be attending all by my lonesome. If there are any New York readers who happen to attend a film and would like to contribute to the coverage, than drop me a line at: benumstead@gmail.com
On the evening of Wednesday, April 21st, things kick off with the world premiere of... uh... Shrek Forever After. Yeah, Ok... while that may not be totally twitch inducing, the fest has some eclectic offerings from April 22nd - May 2nd, that I'm sure will float yer boats.
From established fest successes making one last hurrah before release, like Neil Jordan's latest fairy tale twist, Ondine, and J Blakeson's Isle of Man set thriller The Disappearance Of Alice Creed, to premieres like longtime Shane Meadows' collaborator Paul Fraser's debut,...
On the evening of Wednesday, April 21st, things kick off with the world premiere of... uh... Shrek Forever After. Yeah, Ok... while that may not be totally twitch inducing, the fest has some eclectic offerings from April 22nd - May 2nd, that I'm sure will float yer boats.
From established fest successes making one last hurrah before release, like Neil Jordan's latest fairy tale twist, Ondine, and J Blakeson's Isle of Man set thriller The Disappearance Of Alice Creed, to premieres like longtime Shane Meadows' collaborator Paul Fraser's debut,...
- 4/20/2010
- Screen Anarchy
0 false 18 pt 18 pt 0 0 false false false The Tribeca Film Festival is currently gearing up with a full schedule of films now available for your perusal online. We've gone through the festival's massive slate and picked out a small handful of films that we think might be worth your attention this year. There's also a fairly good international horror presence this year and we've included a few highlights from that genre as well.
You can check out the full schedule and pick up tickets at Tribeca's official site.
Blood and Rain: In Jorge Navas' beautifully composed neo-noir, taxi driver Jorge begins his night shift bent on revenge after his brother's murder at the hands of a violent gang. But when an accident brings him unexpectedly closer to his party-girl fare Angela, the damaged pair must struggle against forces already set in motion, drawing them inexorably into the rain-soaked underworld of Bogotá.
You can check out the full schedule and pick up tickets at Tribeca's official site.
Blood and Rain: In Jorge Navas' beautifully composed neo-noir, taxi driver Jorge begins his night shift bent on revenge after his brother's murder at the hands of a violent gang. But when an accident brings him unexpectedly closer to his party-girl fare Angela, the damaged pair must struggle against forces already set in motion, drawing them inexorably into the rain-soaked underworld of Bogotá.
- 4/19/2010
- UGO Movies
Pretty self explanatory that title. Irish comedy, Zonad, will make its International Premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival, running April 21st to May 2nd.
Producer Ed Guiney said about Zonad's selection, 'Tribeca has always been our number one choice to launch the wonderfully zany Zonad on the world.'
We'll have our own people there this year so we look forward to hearing about Zonad once it screens. ...
Producer Ed Guiney said about Zonad's selection, 'Tribeca has always been our number one choice to launch the wonderfully zany Zonad on the world.'
We'll have our own people there this year so we look forward to hearing about Zonad once it screens. ...
- 3/19/2010
- Screen Anarchy
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