Earlier this summer, Scream Factory got down with the sickness with they announced new Collector's Edition Blu-rays for the Dawn of the Dead remake and George A. Romero's Land of the Dead. Now they've announced a new Halloween release date for both Blu-rays, as well as a bunch of new bonus features, including interviews with James Gunn, makeup effects artists David Anderson and Heather Langenkamp Anderson (who also played Nancy in the Nightmare on Elm Street movies), actor Ty Burrell (see a tease of that interview here), and much more:
Press Release: This Halloween, get ready for a double dose of zombie apocalypse mayhem and trips to hell! On October 31, 2017, Scream Factory™ is proud to present Dawn Of The Dead Collector’s Edition 2-Disc Blu-ray andGeorge A. Romero’s Land Of The Dead Collector’s Edition2-Disc Blu-ray. These two definitive collector’s editions boast new 2K transfer,...
Press Release: This Halloween, get ready for a double dose of zombie apocalypse mayhem and trips to hell! On October 31, 2017, Scream Factory™ is proud to present Dawn Of The Dead Collector’s Edition 2-Disc Blu-ray andGeorge A. Romero’s Land Of The Dead Collector’s Edition2-Disc Blu-ray. These two definitive collector’s editions boast new 2K transfer,...
- 9/20/2017
- by Derek Anderson
- DailyDead
Can we assume that an adaptation of a book that sold 40 million copies does not require a spoiler-sensitive review? We can? Good. The new Lifetime film of V.C. Andrews's incesterrific novel Flowers in the Attic is a slight improvement over the 1987 version, yet still unsatisfying. This is maddening because it's a rare project that, at a production level, has everything going for it. The fifties set design and costumes are handsome and persuasive, but never so distractingly perfect that the movie turns into a vintage warehouse with actors. The photography, by Miroslav Baszak (Land of the Dead), has an almost tactile richness, with light shafts cutting through the gloom of the cryptlike attic where the Dollanganger children are held captive by their grandmother. Mario Grigorov's score is a resigned lament, mourning the cruelty and suffering you've seen and are about to see; then in tense moments it...
- 1/17/2014
- by Matt Zoller Seitz
- Vulture
Viggo Mortensen (Sigmund Freud), Michael Fassbender (Carl Jung), A Dangerous Method Monsieur Lazhar Tops Genie Awards Meilleur Film / Best Motion Picture A Dangerous Method – Martin Katz, Marco Mehlitz, Jeremy Thomas CAFÉ De Flore – Pierre Even, Marie-Claude Poulin, Jean-Marc Vallée * Monsieur Lazhar – Luc Déry, Kim McCraw Starbuck – André Rouleau The Whistleblower – Christina Piovesan, Celine Rattray Meilleure RÉALISATION / Achievement In Direction David Cronenberg – A Dangerous Method Steven Silver – The Bang Bang Club Jean-marc VALLÉE – Café de Flore * Philippe Falardeau – Monsieur Lazhar Larysa Kondracki – The Whistleblower Meilleures Images / Achievement In Cinematography Miroslaw Baszak, C.S.C. – The Bang Bang Club Pierre Cottereau – Café de Flore Jon Joffin – Daydream Nation * Jean-FRANÇOIS Lord – Snow & Ashes Ronald Plante – Monsieur Lazhar Meilleur Montage / Achievement In Editing Jean-FRANÇOIS Bergeron – The Year Dolly Parton Was My Mom Michael Czarnecki – In Darkness Patrick Demers – Jaloux * STÉPHANE Lafleur – Monsieur Lazhar Ronald Sanders, C.C.E. A.C.E. – A Dangerous Method...
- 3/9/2012
- by Steve Montgomery
- Alt Film Guide
Adapted from the autobiographical book The Bang-Bang Club: Snapshots from a Hidden War co-written by Greg Marinovich and João Silva, writer-director Steven Silver’s dramatization charts the experiences of four photojournalists in the days prior to the downfall of Apartheid in South Africa.
Initially working freelance, Marinovich (Ryan Phillippe) soon finds himself under the tutelage of Kevin “forget the long lens, bro” Carter (Taylor Kitsch), Ken Oosterbroek (Frank Rautenbach) and Silva (Neels Van Jaarsveld), having won their respect with a series of provocative pictures taken inside one of the warring townships. Working for photo-editor Robin Comley (Malin Åkerman), the quartet are eventually dubbed “The Bang Bang Club” as they put their lives on the line to capture the brutality and desperation of a country nearing the end of Apartheid.
It would be easy to criticize The Bang Bang Club for glossing over certain hard truths and questionable morals to focus...
Initially working freelance, Marinovich (Ryan Phillippe) soon finds himself under the tutelage of Kevin “forget the long lens, bro” Carter (Taylor Kitsch), Ken Oosterbroek (Frank Rautenbach) and Silva (Neels Van Jaarsveld), having won their respect with a series of provocative pictures taken inside one of the warring townships. Working for photo-editor Robin Comley (Malin Åkerman), the quartet are eventually dubbed “The Bang Bang Club” as they put their lives on the line to capture the brutality and desperation of a country nearing the end of Apartheid.
It would be easy to criticize The Bang Bang Club for glossing over certain hard truths and questionable morals to focus...
- 6/27/2011
- by Steven Neish
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Land of the Dead Directed by George A. Romero Although the fourth installment in George A. Romero's influential zombie series may not have the overall impact of the groundbreaking Night of the Living Dead, 2004 entry Land of the Dead proves that after four nearly four decades, he's still got the undead touch. The horror maestro has come a long way since his seminal 1968 classic, and Land is a satisfyingly splatter feast of gore and new ideas. Witty, clever and action-packed, this time around Romero benefits from the backing of a major studio. Playing with bigger stars - Land is the first Dead picture with name actors - and a higher budget of about $15 million, the slick production values and larger scope allow the director to more fully express his violent visions. Romero has a gift for lacing carnage with social commentary, and here he creates a radical and rebellious...
- 10/29/2009
- by Ricky
- SoundOnSight
Toronto -- French director Nicolas Silhol's "My Name Is Dominic" on Sunday earned the best live-action short film award at the Cfc Worldwide Short Film Festival in Toronto.
The 21-minute French film, which stars Lou Busiot and Violaine Furneau, portrays a mother who discovers her son has a disorder after he takes a psychological test.
And the trophy for best animated short went to Hanna Heilborn and David Aronowitsch for the Sweden/Denmark film "Slaves." "Paul Rondin Is... Paul Rondin," which stars Francois Berland, earned the audience choice award.
The Canadian festival also gave Aparna Kapur the award for best emerging Canadian Filmmaker for "Amma," a story about a girl's bond with her grandmother. And the best Canadian short cinematography went to Miroslaw Baszak for "The Water."
The Worldwide Short Film Festival, presented by Norman Jewison's Canadian Film Center, unspooled 295 films from 46 countries during its June 16-21 run, which ended Sunday.
The 21-minute French film, which stars Lou Busiot and Violaine Furneau, portrays a mother who discovers her son has a disorder after he takes a psychological test.
And the trophy for best animated short went to Hanna Heilborn and David Aronowitsch for the Sweden/Denmark film "Slaves." "Paul Rondin Is... Paul Rondin," which stars Francois Berland, earned the audience choice award.
The Canadian festival also gave Aparna Kapur the award for best emerging Canadian Filmmaker for "Amma," a story about a girl's bond with her grandmother. And the best Canadian short cinematography went to Miroslaw Baszak for "The Water."
The Worldwide Short Film Festival, presented by Norman Jewison's Canadian Film Center, unspooled 295 films from 46 countries during its June 16-21 run, which ended Sunday.
- 6/21/2009
- by By Etan Vlessing
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Release Date: May 29
Director: Bruce McDonald
Writer: Tony Burgess
Cinematographer: Miroslaw Baszak
Starring: Stephen McHattie, Lisa Houle, Georgina Reilly
Studio/Run Time: IFC Films, 95 mins.
Talk-radio zombies from Canada
In the wee hours, in the snow-covered Canadian village of Pontypool, DJ Grant Mazzy begins his nightly radio show. The children are asleep, the insomniacs and third-shifters are tuned in, and, if the bizarre reports coming into the station are to be believed, zombies are gradually taking over the town. Mazzy is a deep-voiced, veteran shock jock, a cowboy-hat-wearing troublemaker whose radio show—by his own admission—works best when it pisses people off. As Mazzy explains, a pissed-off listener doesn’t switch stations, plus he might even call his friends and get them mad, too, and when this simple talk-radio strategy of viral anger finds its eerie parallel in a zombie epidemic, Bruce McDonald’s Pontypool begins to throb with horror-tinged social commentary.
Director: Bruce McDonald
Writer: Tony Burgess
Cinematographer: Miroslaw Baszak
Starring: Stephen McHattie, Lisa Houle, Georgina Reilly
Studio/Run Time: IFC Films, 95 mins.
Talk-radio zombies from Canada
In the wee hours, in the snow-covered Canadian village of Pontypool, DJ Grant Mazzy begins his nightly radio show. The children are asleep, the insomniacs and third-shifters are tuned in, and, if the bizarre reports coming into the station are to be believed, zombies are gradually taking over the town. Mazzy is a deep-voiced, veteran shock jock, a cowboy-hat-wearing troublemaker whose radio show—by his own admission—works best when it pisses people off. As Mazzy explains, a pissed-off listener doesn’t switch stations, plus he might even call his friends and get them mad, too, and when this simple talk-radio strategy of viral anger finds its eerie parallel in a zombie epidemic, Bruce McDonald’s Pontypool begins to throb with horror-tinged social commentary.
- 5/29/2009
- Pastemagazine.com
Whether they stagger slowly or dash madly, the one constant among cinematic zombies though the years has been that they don’t say much. They moan a lot, and occasionally manage a hungry “Braaaains!” but articulated speech has escaped them. Which means that Bruce McDonald’s Pontypool (opening theatrically in New York City today and also available on-demand from IFC Films) is unique via its very premise: an undead plague in which both the cause and the symptom are spoken words.
And what better place to set such a story than a radio station? Corbin Bernsen’s upcoming Dead Air takes the same tack, but it’s especially appropriate for a movie whose characters might be victimized by the verbal communication they depend on. The central figure (you can’t quite call him a “hero”) is Grant Mazzy (Stephen McHattie), a former big-city shock jock now relegated to the morning...
And what better place to set such a story than a radio station? Corbin Bernsen’s upcoming Dead Air takes the same tack, but it’s especially appropriate for a movie whose characters might be victimized by the verbal communication they depend on. The central figure (you can’t quite call him a “hero”) is Grant Mazzy (Stephen McHattie), a former big-city shock jock now relegated to the morning...
- 5/29/2009
- by no-reply@fangoria.com (Michael Gingold)
- Fangoria
Whether they stagger slowly or dash madly, the one constant among cinematic zombies though the years has been that they don’t say much. They moan a lot, and occasionally manage a hungry “Braaaains!” but articulated speech has escaped them. Which means that Bruce McDonald’s Pontypool (opening theatrically in New York City today and also available on-demand from IFC Films) is unique via its very premise: an undead plague in which both the cause and the symptom are spoken words.
And what better place to set such a story than a radio station? Corbin Bernsen’s upcoming Dead Air takes the same tack, but it’s especially appropriate for a movie whose characters might be victimized by the verbal communication they depend on. The central figure (you can’t quite call him a “hero”) is Grant Mazzy (Stephen McHattie), a former big-city shock jock now relegated to the morning...
And what better place to set such a story than a radio station? Corbin Bernsen’s upcoming Dead Air takes the same tack, but it’s especially appropriate for a movie whose characters might be victimized by the verbal communication they depend on. The central figure (you can’t quite call him a “hero”) is Grant Mazzy (Stephen McHattie), a former big-city shock jock now relegated to the morning...
- 5/29/2009
- by no-reply@fangoria.com (Michael Gingold)
- Fangoria
After having to sit back and watch others remake his zombie classics -- minus any of the trademark sociopolitical subtext -- George A. Romero has returned to the land of the dead for the first time in two decades, and it's quite evident the godfather of the modern horror film still has much on his mind.
Receiving its world premiere at the CineVegas Film Festival, Land of the Dead is the fourth movie in what was originally a trilogy, beginning with 1968's seminal Night of the Living Dead, the movie that has inspired a couple of generations of filmmakers.
The latest installment could well be Romero's masterpiece. Taking full advantage of state-of-the-art makeup and visual effects, he has a more vivid canvas at his disposal, not to mention two decades worth of pent-up observations about American society.
Even those walking dead have learned a thing or two in the interim.
Romero's legion of fans as well as those who like an allegory with the emphasis on the gory will likely show their appreciation by stalking the theaters in droves, giving Universal a very lively opening weekend, while enthusiastic word-of-mouth could give those zombies some legs.
Having staggered their way through Dawn of the Dead and Day of the Dead, it's apparent those ever-growing masses of "walkers" have started to develop an appetite for more than just fresh flesh.
Following the grunting lead of Big Daddy (Eugene Clark), an imposing gas station attendant, the living dead have begun to sort of re-enact their once-normal lives prior to their affliction.
Meanwhile, the remaining affluent and powerful among the living have fortified themselves in an ivory tower -- a luxury complex called Fiddler's Green, which effectively looks down upon the less fortunate of the city's inhabitants who struggle to survive in the dangerous streets.
It's all the domain of the powerful Kaufman (Dennis Hopper), a slick CEO who keeps himself sequestered in the Green while hiring a group of mercenaries, led by Riley (Simon Baker) and his second-in-command, Cholo (John Leguizamo), to run retrieval missions beyond the electrified fences for luxury items.
But even as they plow their way through the armies of "stenches" in a massive armored vehicle called Dead Reckoning, there's an unstoppable unrest brewing among the dead and the living alike that's about to reach a boiling point.
Although Romero ventured outside his native Pittsburgh to shoot this one in Toronto, it's very clear, from the flag-waving vigilantes to the anti-terrorist rhetoric spewed by Hopper's big-money operator, that most criticisms are being leveled due south of the border.
But those familiar with Romero's work know that doesn't mean they're in for a Michael Moore diatribe. The horror show is still the main attraction, and Land of the Dead delivers the goods in harrowing, visceral heaps.
Bolstered by a talented cast that also includes Asia Argento as a tough cookie ex-hooker who joins Baker's entourage, the film never skimps on atmosphere, which at times verges on the horrifically poetic.
Adding to the uncompromising effect is Miroslaw Baszak's night-drenched cinematography, Michael Doherty's tight edit and a pulse-pounding score by Reinhold Heil and Johnny Klimek.
Land of the Dead
Universal
Universal Pictures and Atmosphere Entertainment MM present a Mark Canton-Bernie Goldmann and Romero-Grunwald production in association with Wild Bunch
Credits:
Director-screenwriter: George A. Romero
Producers: Mark Canton, Bernie Goldmann, Peter Grunwald
Executive producers: Steve Barnett, Dennis E. Jones, Ryan Kavanaugh, Lynwood Spinks
Director of photography: Miroslaw Baszak
Production designer: Arv Greywal
Editor: Michael Doherty
Costume designer: Alex Kavanagh
Special makeup effects: Greg Nicotero and Howard Berger
Music: Reinhold Heil and Johnny Klimek
Cast:
Riley: Simon Baker
Cholo: John Leguizamo
Kaufman: Dennis Hopper
Slack: Asia Argento
Charlie: Robert Joy
Big Daddy: Eugene Clark
Pretty Boy: Joanne Boland
Foxy: Tony Nappo
Number 9: Jennifer Baxter
Butcher: Boyd Banks
MPAA rating R
Running time -- 100 minutes...
Receiving its world premiere at the CineVegas Film Festival, Land of the Dead is the fourth movie in what was originally a trilogy, beginning with 1968's seminal Night of the Living Dead, the movie that has inspired a couple of generations of filmmakers.
The latest installment could well be Romero's masterpiece. Taking full advantage of state-of-the-art makeup and visual effects, he has a more vivid canvas at his disposal, not to mention two decades worth of pent-up observations about American society.
Even those walking dead have learned a thing or two in the interim.
Romero's legion of fans as well as those who like an allegory with the emphasis on the gory will likely show their appreciation by stalking the theaters in droves, giving Universal a very lively opening weekend, while enthusiastic word-of-mouth could give those zombies some legs.
Having staggered their way through Dawn of the Dead and Day of the Dead, it's apparent those ever-growing masses of "walkers" have started to develop an appetite for more than just fresh flesh.
Following the grunting lead of Big Daddy (Eugene Clark), an imposing gas station attendant, the living dead have begun to sort of re-enact their once-normal lives prior to their affliction.
Meanwhile, the remaining affluent and powerful among the living have fortified themselves in an ivory tower -- a luxury complex called Fiddler's Green, which effectively looks down upon the less fortunate of the city's inhabitants who struggle to survive in the dangerous streets.
It's all the domain of the powerful Kaufman (Dennis Hopper), a slick CEO who keeps himself sequestered in the Green while hiring a group of mercenaries, led by Riley (Simon Baker) and his second-in-command, Cholo (John Leguizamo), to run retrieval missions beyond the electrified fences for luxury items.
But even as they plow their way through the armies of "stenches" in a massive armored vehicle called Dead Reckoning, there's an unstoppable unrest brewing among the dead and the living alike that's about to reach a boiling point.
Although Romero ventured outside his native Pittsburgh to shoot this one in Toronto, it's very clear, from the flag-waving vigilantes to the anti-terrorist rhetoric spewed by Hopper's big-money operator, that most criticisms are being leveled due south of the border.
But those familiar with Romero's work know that doesn't mean they're in for a Michael Moore diatribe. The horror show is still the main attraction, and Land of the Dead delivers the goods in harrowing, visceral heaps.
Bolstered by a talented cast that also includes Asia Argento as a tough cookie ex-hooker who joins Baker's entourage, the film never skimps on atmosphere, which at times verges on the horrifically poetic.
Adding to the uncompromising effect is Miroslaw Baszak's night-drenched cinematography, Michael Doherty's tight edit and a pulse-pounding score by Reinhold Heil and Johnny Klimek.
Land of the Dead
Universal
Universal Pictures and Atmosphere Entertainment MM present a Mark Canton-Bernie Goldmann and Romero-Grunwald production in association with Wild Bunch
Credits:
Director-screenwriter: George A. Romero
Producers: Mark Canton, Bernie Goldmann, Peter Grunwald
Executive producers: Steve Barnett, Dennis E. Jones, Ryan Kavanaugh, Lynwood Spinks
Director of photography: Miroslaw Baszak
Production designer: Arv Greywal
Editor: Michael Doherty
Costume designer: Alex Kavanagh
Special makeup effects: Greg Nicotero and Howard Berger
Music: Reinhold Heil and Johnny Klimek
Cast:
Riley: Simon Baker
Cholo: John Leguizamo
Kaufman: Dennis Hopper
Slack: Asia Argento
Charlie: Robert Joy
Big Daddy: Eugene Clark
Pretty Boy: Joanne Boland
Foxy: Tony Nappo
Number 9: Jennifer Baxter
Butcher: Boyd Banks
MPAA rating R
Running time -- 100 minutes...
- 7/12/2005
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Screened
Toronto International Film Festival Review
While controversy swirls around Mel Gibson's as-yet largely unseen "The Passion", another film, "The Gospel of John", is likely going to do a certain amount of flame-fanning of its own in regard to where the burden of responsibility falls for the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.
A word-for-word adaptation (by John Goldsmith) from the American Bible Society's Good News Bible, this well-made epic boasts carefully researched production values and the talents of classically trained actors, but by literally playing it by the book, the picture loses something dramatic in the translation.
At a very noticeable three hours, it feels like a month of Sunday school classes.
The educational DVD market will still be its ultimate destination, but given that it's probably going to spur debate in certain religious quarters, the resulting publicity could also generate some better than normally expected theatrical business.
Intended as the first in a series of films under the Visual Bible banner, "The Gospel of John" dispenses with Nativity scenes, introducing the adult Jesus Henry Ian Cusick) in full Messiah mode, bringing his ministry to the people of a land controlled by the Roman Empire.
Not everyone greets him with open arms -- specifically the Jewish authorities as personified by the Leading Pharisee (played with a notably dark undercurrent by Richard Lintern), who remains unconvinced by his performance of miracles.
According to the film, on more than one occasion he presses Pilate (Stephen Russell) to sentence Jesus to death, even though the reluctant Roman can't find sufficient reason to do so.
But in an effort to downplay potential controversy, a crawl inserted before the start of the film makes note that crucifixion was a Roman punishment that wasn't sanctioned by Jewish law.
In the hands of veteran British film and TV director Philip Saville, the handsome production (shot in Spain and Toronto) is graced by cinematographer Miroslaw Baszak's stirring images and an authoritative cast which takes its cue from Cusick's performance -- one that seems to be more outgoing and charismatic than past portrayals.
Still, one has to wonder about those impeccably manicured fingernails.
Saville delivers the pageantry with all seven signs intact, but those various miracles are performed with a lot less fanfare and razzle-dazzle than in many old Hollywood spectacles.
That more straightforward approach also applies to narrator Christopher Plummer's commanding yet warm tones, though there are times when even he is unable to interject sufficient life into some of those extended passages of word-for-wordiness.
THE GOSPEL OF JOHN
Visual Bible International Inc. in association with Garth H. Drabinsky and Joel B. Michaels present a Philip Saville film
Credits:
Director: Philip Saville
Screenwriter: John Goldsmith
Producers: Garth H. Drabinsky, Chris Chrisafis
Executive producer: Sandy Pearl, Joel B. Michaels, Myron I. Gottlieb, Martin Katz
Director of photography: Miroslaw Baszak
Production designer: Don Taylor
Editor: Michel Archand
Costume designer: Debra Hanson
Music: Jeff Danna
Cast:
Jesus: Henry Ian Cusick
Peter: Daniel Kash
Leading Pharisee: Richard Lintern
Pilate: Stephen Russell
John the Baptist: Scott Handy
John: Stuart Bunce
Mary Magdalene: Lynsey Baxter
Narrator: Christopher Plummer
Running time -- 175 minutes
No MPAA rating...
Toronto International Film Festival Review
While controversy swirls around Mel Gibson's as-yet largely unseen "The Passion", another film, "The Gospel of John", is likely going to do a certain amount of flame-fanning of its own in regard to where the burden of responsibility falls for the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.
A word-for-word adaptation (by John Goldsmith) from the American Bible Society's Good News Bible, this well-made epic boasts carefully researched production values and the talents of classically trained actors, but by literally playing it by the book, the picture loses something dramatic in the translation.
At a very noticeable three hours, it feels like a month of Sunday school classes.
The educational DVD market will still be its ultimate destination, but given that it's probably going to spur debate in certain religious quarters, the resulting publicity could also generate some better than normally expected theatrical business.
Intended as the first in a series of films under the Visual Bible banner, "The Gospel of John" dispenses with Nativity scenes, introducing the adult Jesus Henry Ian Cusick) in full Messiah mode, bringing his ministry to the people of a land controlled by the Roman Empire.
Not everyone greets him with open arms -- specifically the Jewish authorities as personified by the Leading Pharisee (played with a notably dark undercurrent by Richard Lintern), who remains unconvinced by his performance of miracles.
According to the film, on more than one occasion he presses Pilate (Stephen Russell) to sentence Jesus to death, even though the reluctant Roman can't find sufficient reason to do so.
But in an effort to downplay potential controversy, a crawl inserted before the start of the film makes note that crucifixion was a Roman punishment that wasn't sanctioned by Jewish law.
In the hands of veteran British film and TV director Philip Saville, the handsome production (shot in Spain and Toronto) is graced by cinematographer Miroslaw Baszak's stirring images and an authoritative cast which takes its cue from Cusick's performance -- one that seems to be more outgoing and charismatic than past portrayals.
Still, one has to wonder about those impeccably manicured fingernails.
Saville delivers the pageantry with all seven signs intact, but those various miracles are performed with a lot less fanfare and razzle-dazzle than in many old Hollywood spectacles.
That more straightforward approach also applies to narrator Christopher Plummer's commanding yet warm tones, though there are times when even he is unable to interject sufficient life into some of those extended passages of word-for-wordiness.
THE GOSPEL OF JOHN
Visual Bible International Inc. in association with Garth H. Drabinsky and Joel B. Michaels present a Philip Saville film
Credits:
Director: Philip Saville
Screenwriter: John Goldsmith
Producers: Garth H. Drabinsky, Chris Chrisafis
Executive producer: Sandy Pearl, Joel B. Michaels, Myron I. Gottlieb, Martin Katz
Director of photography: Miroslaw Baszak
Production designer: Don Taylor
Editor: Michel Archand
Costume designer: Debra Hanson
Music: Jeff Danna
Cast:
Jesus: Henry Ian Cusick
Peter: Daniel Kash
Leading Pharisee: Richard Lintern
Pilate: Stephen Russell
John the Baptist: Scott Handy
John: Stuart Bunce
Mary Magdalene: Lynsey Baxter
Narrator: Christopher Plummer
Running time -- 175 minutes
No MPAA rating...
Screened
Toronto International Film Festival Review
While controversy swirls around Mel Gibson's as-yet largely unseen "The Passion", another film, "The Gospel of John", is likely going to do a certain amount of flame-fanning of its own in regard to where the burden of responsibility falls for the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.
A word-for-word adaptation (by John Goldsmith) from the American Bible Society's Good News Bible, this well-made epic boasts carefully researched production values and the talents of classically trained actors, but by literally playing it by the book, the picture loses something dramatic in the translation.
At a very noticeable three hours, it feels like a month of Sunday school classes.
The educational DVD market will still be its ultimate destination, but given that it's probably going to spur debate in certain religious quarters, the resulting publicity could also generate some better than normally expected theatrical business.
Intended as the first in a series of films under the Visual Bible banner, "The Gospel of John" dispenses with Nativity scenes, introducing the adult Jesus Henry Ian Cusick) in full Messiah mode, bringing his ministry to the people of a land controlled by the Roman Empire.
Not everyone greets him with open arms -- specifically the Jewish authorities as personified by the Leading Pharisee (played with a notably dark undercurrent by Richard Lintern), who remains unconvinced by his performance of miracles.
According to the film, on more than one occasion he presses Pilate (Stephen Russell) to sentence Jesus to death, even though the reluctant Roman can't find sufficient reason to do so.
But in an effort to downplay potential controversy, a crawl inserted before the start of the film makes note that crucifixion was a Roman punishment that wasn't sanctioned by Jewish law.
In the hands of veteran British film and TV director Philip Saville, the handsome production (shot in Spain and Toronto) is graced by cinematographer Miroslaw Baszak's stirring images and an authoritative cast which takes its cue from Cusick's performance -- one that seems to be more outgoing and charismatic than past portrayals.
Still, one has to wonder about those impeccably manicured fingernails.
Saville delivers the pageantry with all seven signs intact, but those various miracles are performed with a lot less fanfare and razzle-dazzle than in many old Hollywood spectacles.
That more straightforward approach also applies to narrator Christopher Plummer's commanding yet warm tones, though there are times when even he is unable to interject sufficient life into some of those extended passages of word-for-wordiness.
THE GOSPEL OF JOHN
Visual Bible International Inc. in association with Garth H. Drabinsky and Joel B. Michaels present a Philip Saville film
Credits:
Director: Philip Saville
Screenwriter: John Goldsmith
Producers: Garth H. Drabinsky, Chris Chrisafis
Executive producer: Sandy Pearl, Joel B. Michaels, Myron I. Gottlieb, Martin Katz
Director of photography: Miroslaw Baszak
Production designer: Don Taylor
Editor: Michel Archand
Costume designer: Debra Hanson
Music: Jeff Danna
Cast:
Jesus: Henry Ian Cusick
Peter: Daniel Kash
Leading Pharisee: Richard Lintern
Pilate: Stephen Russell
John the Baptist: Scott Handy
John: Stuart Bunce
Mary Magdalene: Lynsey Baxter
Narrator: Christopher Plummer
Running time -- 175 minutes
No MPAA rating...
Toronto International Film Festival Review
While controversy swirls around Mel Gibson's as-yet largely unseen "The Passion", another film, "The Gospel of John", is likely going to do a certain amount of flame-fanning of its own in regard to where the burden of responsibility falls for the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.
A word-for-word adaptation (by John Goldsmith) from the American Bible Society's Good News Bible, this well-made epic boasts carefully researched production values and the talents of classically trained actors, but by literally playing it by the book, the picture loses something dramatic in the translation.
At a very noticeable three hours, it feels like a month of Sunday school classes.
The educational DVD market will still be its ultimate destination, but given that it's probably going to spur debate in certain religious quarters, the resulting publicity could also generate some better than normally expected theatrical business.
Intended as the first in a series of films under the Visual Bible banner, "The Gospel of John" dispenses with Nativity scenes, introducing the adult Jesus Henry Ian Cusick) in full Messiah mode, bringing his ministry to the people of a land controlled by the Roman Empire.
Not everyone greets him with open arms -- specifically the Jewish authorities as personified by the Leading Pharisee (played with a notably dark undercurrent by Richard Lintern), who remains unconvinced by his performance of miracles.
According to the film, on more than one occasion he presses Pilate (Stephen Russell) to sentence Jesus to death, even though the reluctant Roman can't find sufficient reason to do so.
But in an effort to downplay potential controversy, a crawl inserted before the start of the film makes note that crucifixion was a Roman punishment that wasn't sanctioned by Jewish law.
In the hands of veteran British film and TV director Philip Saville, the handsome production (shot in Spain and Toronto) is graced by cinematographer Miroslaw Baszak's stirring images and an authoritative cast which takes its cue from Cusick's performance -- one that seems to be more outgoing and charismatic than past portrayals.
Still, one has to wonder about those impeccably manicured fingernails.
Saville delivers the pageantry with all seven signs intact, but those various miracles are performed with a lot less fanfare and razzle-dazzle than in many old Hollywood spectacles.
That more straightforward approach also applies to narrator Christopher Plummer's commanding yet warm tones, though there are times when even he is unable to interject sufficient life into some of those extended passages of word-for-wordiness.
THE GOSPEL OF JOHN
Visual Bible International Inc. in association with Garth H. Drabinsky and Joel B. Michaels present a Philip Saville film
Credits:
Director: Philip Saville
Screenwriter: John Goldsmith
Producers: Garth H. Drabinsky, Chris Chrisafis
Executive producer: Sandy Pearl, Joel B. Michaels, Myron I. Gottlieb, Martin Katz
Director of photography: Miroslaw Baszak
Production designer: Don Taylor
Editor: Michel Archand
Costume designer: Debra Hanson
Music: Jeff Danna
Cast:
Jesus: Henry Ian Cusick
Peter: Daniel Kash
Leading Pharisee: Richard Lintern
Pilate: Stephen Russell
John the Baptist: Scott Handy
John: Stuart Bunce
Mary Magdalene: Lynsey Baxter
Narrator: Christopher Plummer
Running time -- 175 minutes
No MPAA rating...
- 9/25/2003
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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