Director Craig Monahan.s first film in 10 years is an intelligent and satisfying drama.
That.s according to the first reviews for Healing, which is screening at the European Film Market in Berlin.
Don Hany, Hugo Weaving, Xavier Samuel and Anthony Hayes star in the film scripted by Monahan (who last directed Peaches in 2004) and Alison Nisselle, inspired by a real-life alliance between the Healesville Wildlife Sanctuary and Prisons Victoria.
.A group of conflicted men, prisoners and inmates discover the majesty of great birds . and through them, the cleansing power of redemption . in the deeply felt outdoor drama Healing,. said Variety's Eddie Cockrell.
.The first film in a decade from director and co-writer Craig Monahan, whose 1998 psychological thriller The Interview remains an uncommonly smart genre piece, this equally intelligent and satisfying item will prove therapeutic to distribs on the hunt for quality fare..
Hany plays Viktor, a crim of Iranian...
That.s according to the first reviews for Healing, which is screening at the European Film Market in Berlin.
Don Hany, Hugo Weaving, Xavier Samuel and Anthony Hayes star in the film scripted by Monahan (who last directed Peaches in 2004) and Alison Nisselle, inspired by a real-life alliance between the Healesville Wildlife Sanctuary and Prisons Victoria.
.A group of conflicted men, prisoners and inmates discover the majesty of great birds . and through them, the cleansing power of redemption . in the deeply felt outdoor drama Healing,. said Variety's Eddie Cockrell.
.The first film in a decade from director and co-writer Craig Monahan, whose 1998 psychological thriller The Interview remains an uncommonly smart genre piece, this equally intelligent and satisfying item will prove therapeutic to distribs on the hunt for quality fare..
Hany plays Viktor, a crim of Iranian...
- 2/11/2014
- by Don Groves
- IF.com.au
Screen Australia says it has not mismanaged its finances by spending its annual production funding in just six months - a state of affairs which it says reflects the strength of the local film industry.
The government screen agency revealed in mid-December 2012 that it had spent its entire annual $42 million drama production allocation due to the unprecedented number of quality feature film and television projects seeking support. The shock announcement was reminiscent of the agency's abrupt decision to cut its investment cap in 2009 while several films were mid-financed. That decision.threw several major Australian productions into dissaray including The Tree and the biggest box office hit of.2010, Tomorrow When the War Began (Omnilab Media had to increase its investment at the last minute to ensure production).
Overspending on such a scale has never occurred before, even going back to the era of Screen Australia.s predecessor funding arm, the Film Finance Corporation.
The government screen agency revealed in mid-December 2012 that it had spent its entire annual $42 million drama production allocation due to the unprecedented number of quality feature film and television projects seeking support. The shock announcement was reminiscent of the agency's abrupt decision to cut its investment cap in 2009 while several films were mid-financed. That decision.threw several major Australian productions into dissaray including The Tree and the biggest box office hit of.2010, Tomorrow When the War Began (Omnilab Media had to increase its investment at the last minute to ensure production).
Overspending on such a scale has never occurred before, even going back to the era of Screen Australia.s predecessor funding arm, the Film Finance Corporation.
- 2/6/2013
- by Brendan Swift
- IF.com.au
We'd love to see a knock-down celebrity boxing match between authentic croc hunter Steve Irwin and "Crocodile Dundee"'s Paul Hogan, but in the meantime, a big-screen version of the Animal Planet poster boy doing what he does best will suffice quite nicely.
As long as it's just him (and wife Terri) in action.
Unfortunately, the producers of "The Crocodile Hunter: Collision Course" have deemed it necessary to supplement the Irwins' documentary-style exploits with a lame, parallel narrative involving a fallen U.S. government spy satellite and dumb CIA operatives who are convinced that Steve and Terri are actually enemy agents.
Crikey!
Aside from the fact that all the made-up stuff is poorly written and embarrassingly performed (with stiff Aussie actors doing various approximations of an American accent), it's also totally unnecessary and only serves to detract from Irwin's colorful wildlife close encounters.
Fortunately, it's the latter element that shines through the clutter, and with its positive message (the Irwins are donating their fees from the production to conservational causes) and Steve-o's amiable rapport with the camera lens, the film should nicely build on its ready-made TV audience and take a healthy bite out of its July 12 opening weekend.
That would certainly be good news for MGM, whose trademark Leo the Lion logo has been replaced by a snapping crocodile in the picture's honor.
As he has demonstrated on all those one-hour TV shows and similarly themed specials, Irwin has a way of getting nerve-jangingly up close and personal with some of Mother Nature's more formidable creatures, be they chomping crocs, venomous snakes or lethal tarantulas, all of which are dealt with here, as well as an orphaned joey.
And as carried out on the expanse of the big screen, those encounters are even more entertaining/terrifying than they are at home.
Annoyingly, director John Stainton (who is responsible for all of Irwin's TV work), keeps interrupting them with that clunky space junk plot. And because Steve, Terri and their faithful pup Sui basically have no interaction with the assembled actors until the very end, the packaging can't help but feel a bit like that infamous "Godzilla" movie with those laughable Raymond Burr inserts.
Emboldened by his experience on the likes of "Mosquito Coast" and "Beyond Rangoon" (as well as "Crocodile Dundee in Los Angeles"), cinematographer David Burr gets in nice and tight with the camera lens, while composer Mark McDuff nicely underscores all the peril with some well-placed orchestral blasts.
THE CROCODILE HUNTER: COLLISION COURSE
MGM
MGM presents a Best Picture Show Co./Cheyenne Enterprises production
A John Stainton film
Credits:
Director: John Stainton
Screenwriter: Holly Goldberg Sloan
Story: John Stainton
Producers: Arnold Rifkin, Judi Bailey, John Stainton
Director of photography: David Burr
Production designer: Jon Dowding
Editors: Suresh Ayyar, Bob Blasall
Costume designer: Jean Turnbull
Music: Mark McDuff
Cast:
Himself: Steve Irwin
Herself: Terri Irwin
Brozzie Drewett: Magda Szubanski
Sam Flynn: David Wenham
Agent Bob Wheeler: Lachy Hulme
Ron Buckwhiler: Aden Young
Agent Vaughan Archer: Kenneth Ransom
Jo Buckley: Kate Beahan
Deputy Director Reynolds: Steve Bastoni
Running time -- 89 minutes
MPAA rating PG...
As long as it's just him (and wife Terri) in action.
Unfortunately, the producers of "The Crocodile Hunter: Collision Course" have deemed it necessary to supplement the Irwins' documentary-style exploits with a lame, parallel narrative involving a fallen U.S. government spy satellite and dumb CIA operatives who are convinced that Steve and Terri are actually enemy agents.
Crikey!
Aside from the fact that all the made-up stuff is poorly written and embarrassingly performed (with stiff Aussie actors doing various approximations of an American accent), it's also totally unnecessary and only serves to detract from Irwin's colorful wildlife close encounters.
Fortunately, it's the latter element that shines through the clutter, and with its positive message (the Irwins are donating their fees from the production to conservational causes) and Steve-o's amiable rapport with the camera lens, the film should nicely build on its ready-made TV audience and take a healthy bite out of its July 12 opening weekend.
That would certainly be good news for MGM, whose trademark Leo the Lion logo has been replaced by a snapping crocodile in the picture's honor.
As he has demonstrated on all those one-hour TV shows and similarly themed specials, Irwin has a way of getting nerve-jangingly up close and personal with some of Mother Nature's more formidable creatures, be they chomping crocs, venomous snakes or lethal tarantulas, all of which are dealt with here, as well as an orphaned joey.
And as carried out on the expanse of the big screen, those encounters are even more entertaining/terrifying than they are at home.
Annoyingly, director John Stainton (who is responsible for all of Irwin's TV work), keeps interrupting them with that clunky space junk plot. And because Steve, Terri and their faithful pup Sui basically have no interaction with the assembled actors until the very end, the packaging can't help but feel a bit like that infamous "Godzilla" movie with those laughable Raymond Burr inserts.
Emboldened by his experience on the likes of "Mosquito Coast" and "Beyond Rangoon" (as well as "Crocodile Dundee in Los Angeles"), cinematographer David Burr gets in nice and tight with the camera lens, while composer Mark McDuff nicely underscores all the peril with some well-placed orchestral blasts.
THE CROCODILE HUNTER: COLLISION COURSE
MGM
MGM presents a Best Picture Show Co./Cheyenne Enterprises production
A John Stainton film
Credits:
Director: John Stainton
Screenwriter: Holly Goldberg Sloan
Story: John Stainton
Producers: Arnold Rifkin, Judi Bailey, John Stainton
Director of photography: David Burr
Production designer: Jon Dowding
Editors: Suresh Ayyar, Bob Blasall
Costume designer: Jean Turnbull
Music: Mark McDuff
Cast:
Himself: Steve Irwin
Herself: Terri Irwin
Brozzie Drewett: Magda Szubanski
Sam Flynn: David Wenham
Agent Bob Wheeler: Lachy Hulme
Ron Buckwhiler: Aden Young
Agent Vaughan Archer: Kenneth Ransom
Jo Buckley: Kate Beahan
Deputy Director Reynolds: Steve Bastoni
Running time -- 89 minutes
MPAA rating PG...
Creepy and promising at first, "In the Winter Dark" is ultimately a misfire, despite rugged lead performances by the down-to-earth cast, including Oscar nominee Brenda Blethyn.
The small, character-driven, but muddled Australian pyscho-thriller unspooled recently at the Palm Springs Film Festival.
Director James Bogle stresses the gloomy moods of the four leads with little subtlety, while the whole murky scenario swings on foggy details and the possible madness of one or more of the backwoods characters.
Ida (Blethyn) and Maurice (Ray Barrett) still work the family farm, but he's old and paranoid, and maybe cracking up. Their gloomy neighbor Jacob (Richard Roxburgh), helpful but gruff, is an escapee from civilization.
One night another couple in the quiet valley fights, and freaked-out Ronnie (Miranda Otto) wanders into Jacob's life. Together, they bond with Ida and Maurice, particularly when it appears a strange animal is attacking local livestock at night.
Screenwriters Bogle and Peter Rasmussen like to show dead animals and other nasty things, with Maurice emerging as a tortured soul. Someone is destined to become his victim in increasingly alcohol-soaked confrontations with an unseen menace. Savvy moviegoers may make some sense of the bummer finale, but overall it plays as indecisive and cowardly enigmatic after putting an audience through endless unpleasantnesses.
Blethyn is restrained as likable Ida, who has an emotional girls-will-be-girls evening with Ronnie. Overall, veterans Barrett and Blethyn are solid, despite the often leaden material. Otto plays the most exotic character and constantly steals the attention from lackluster Roxburgh.
IN THE WINTER DARK
Southern Star A R.B. Films production
Director: James Bogle
Producer: Rosemary Blight
Screenwriters: James Bogle, Peter Rasmussen
Director of photography: Martin McGrath
Production designer: Nicholas McCallum
Editor: Suresh Ayyar
Costume designer: Wendy Cork
Color/stereo
Cast:
Ida: Brenda Blethyn
Maurice: Ray Barrett
Ronnie: Miranda Otto
Jacob: Richard Roxburgh
Running time -- 92 minutes
No MPAA rating...
The small, character-driven, but muddled Australian pyscho-thriller unspooled recently at the Palm Springs Film Festival.
Director James Bogle stresses the gloomy moods of the four leads with little subtlety, while the whole murky scenario swings on foggy details and the possible madness of one or more of the backwoods characters.
Ida (Blethyn) and Maurice (Ray Barrett) still work the family farm, but he's old and paranoid, and maybe cracking up. Their gloomy neighbor Jacob (Richard Roxburgh), helpful but gruff, is an escapee from civilization.
One night another couple in the quiet valley fights, and freaked-out Ronnie (Miranda Otto) wanders into Jacob's life. Together, they bond with Ida and Maurice, particularly when it appears a strange animal is attacking local livestock at night.
Screenwriters Bogle and Peter Rasmussen like to show dead animals and other nasty things, with Maurice emerging as a tortured soul. Someone is destined to become his victim in increasingly alcohol-soaked confrontations with an unseen menace. Savvy moviegoers may make some sense of the bummer finale, but overall it plays as indecisive and cowardly enigmatic after putting an audience through endless unpleasantnesses.
Blethyn is restrained as likable Ida, who has an emotional girls-will-be-girls evening with Ronnie. Overall, veterans Barrett and Blethyn are solid, despite the often leaden material. Otto plays the most exotic character and constantly steals the attention from lackluster Roxburgh.
IN THE WINTER DARK
Southern Star A R.B. Films production
Director: James Bogle
Producer: Rosemary Blight
Screenwriters: James Bogle, Peter Rasmussen
Director of photography: Martin McGrath
Production designer: Nicholas McCallum
Editor: Suresh Ayyar
Costume designer: Wendy Cork
Color/stereo
Cast:
Ida: Brenda Blethyn
Maurice: Ray Barrett
Ronnie: Miranda Otto
Jacob: Richard Roxburgh
Running time -- 92 minutes
No MPAA rating...
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.