One Night With the King has all the trappings of a biblical epic with resplendent Mogul palaces of Rajasthan, India, standing in for fifth century B.C. Persia and sumptuous costumes and design elements re-creating the Persian empire in breathtaking splendor. Yet the heart of the matter, the story of Esther, an orphaned Jewish girl who becomes a queen and saves her people from annihilation, is inert.
Director Michael O. Sajbel never gets a handle on a way to make the story come alive for modern audiences. Scenes jammed with beautifully costumed extras, exotic animals and impressive vistas of the city of Jodhpur quicken one's pulse. Yet whenever the camera moves inside those palaces for intrigues associated with empire building and bloody revenge, the movie devolves into a talky, static affair featuring a cast with wildly varying accents and acting abilities.
The unfortunate upshot is that One Night has little chance to cross over to audiences outside its Christian demographic even when Fox Home Entertainment takes over the DVD release in the spring after its national rollout today. The film's biggest potential hook -- the reteaming of Peter O'Toole and Omar Sharif in their first movie since Lawrence of Arabia -- disappears in less than a minute. O'Toole appears fleetingly in a prologue, then vanishes, sharing nary a scene with Sharif.
The screenplay by writer Stephan Blinn (basing his script on the novel "Hadassah: One Night With the King" by Tommy Tenney & Mark Andrew Olsen) is filled with plots and schemes but little real action. Not that good filmmakers can't make a banquet out of palace intrigue. But all this movie can manage is meatloaf: Actors stand in awkward-looking poses to declaim dialogue often lifted directly from the Bible. The spark of genuine drama is everywhere missing.
Another problem is casting. As Esther, young American actress Tiffany Dupont's line readings are self-conscious and modern-sounding. Nor does she understand how to use her physical presence to claim scenes that should belong to her. English-born Luke Goss as King Xerxes is competent enough -- once one gets past his ill-defined accent -- but the story confronts him with a character who is more indecisive than Hamlet.
Xerxes wants to rule over a rich culture of enlightenment and tolerance. Yet his princes successfully pressure him into military adventurism. The villain, Haman (a one-note James Callis), bribes Xerxes into issuing a decree to slaughter all Jews within the kingdom. At this juncture, neither man realizes that the king's new wife, Esther, is Jewish. The key point of the story is how Esther, persuaded by her uncle Mordecai (John Rhys-Davies) that she must intervene, goes against all protocols to sway her husband's mind. And he changes his mind in a flash.
Distinguished work is turned in by the veteran Davies and by Tiny Lister Jr., who uses his deep, gravely voice and imposing physique as the royal eunuch to powerful effect. Israeli actor Jonah Lotan is effective as Esther's childhood friend, while Sharif is persuasive as a father figure to the waffling king.
The real heroes, though, are designer Aradhana Seth, costume designer Neeta Lula and cinematographer Steven Bernstein, who furnish a perfect setting for the tale. Jac Redford's generic background music, on the other hand, won't shut up.
ONE NIGHT WITH THE KING
Gener8Xion Entertainment
Credits:
Director: Michael O. Sajbel
Screenwriter: Stephan Blinn
Based on the novel by: Tommy Tenney, Mark Andrew Olsen
Producers: Matthew Crouch, Laurie Crouch, Richard J. Cook, Stephen Blinn, Lawrence Mortorff
Director of photography: Steven Bernstein
Production designer: Aradhana Seth
Music: Jac Redford
Costume designer: Neeta Lula
Editors: Gabriella Cristiani, Stephan Blinn
Cast:
Hadassah/Esther: Tiffany Dupont
Xerxes: Luke Goss
Mordecai: John Rhys-Davies
Prince Admantha: John Noble
Hagai: Tommy Tiny Lister Jr.
Haman: James Callis
Jesse: Jonah Lotan
Prince Memucan: Omar Sharif
Samuel: Peter O'Toole
Running time -- 124 minutes
MPAA rating: PG...
Director Michael O. Sajbel never gets a handle on a way to make the story come alive for modern audiences. Scenes jammed with beautifully costumed extras, exotic animals and impressive vistas of the city of Jodhpur quicken one's pulse. Yet whenever the camera moves inside those palaces for intrigues associated with empire building and bloody revenge, the movie devolves into a talky, static affair featuring a cast with wildly varying accents and acting abilities.
The unfortunate upshot is that One Night has little chance to cross over to audiences outside its Christian demographic even when Fox Home Entertainment takes over the DVD release in the spring after its national rollout today. The film's biggest potential hook -- the reteaming of Peter O'Toole and Omar Sharif in their first movie since Lawrence of Arabia -- disappears in less than a minute. O'Toole appears fleetingly in a prologue, then vanishes, sharing nary a scene with Sharif.
The screenplay by writer Stephan Blinn (basing his script on the novel "Hadassah: One Night With the King" by Tommy Tenney & Mark Andrew Olsen) is filled with plots and schemes but little real action. Not that good filmmakers can't make a banquet out of palace intrigue. But all this movie can manage is meatloaf: Actors stand in awkward-looking poses to declaim dialogue often lifted directly from the Bible. The spark of genuine drama is everywhere missing.
Another problem is casting. As Esther, young American actress Tiffany Dupont's line readings are self-conscious and modern-sounding. Nor does she understand how to use her physical presence to claim scenes that should belong to her. English-born Luke Goss as King Xerxes is competent enough -- once one gets past his ill-defined accent -- but the story confronts him with a character who is more indecisive than Hamlet.
Xerxes wants to rule over a rich culture of enlightenment and tolerance. Yet his princes successfully pressure him into military adventurism. The villain, Haman (a one-note James Callis), bribes Xerxes into issuing a decree to slaughter all Jews within the kingdom. At this juncture, neither man realizes that the king's new wife, Esther, is Jewish. The key point of the story is how Esther, persuaded by her uncle Mordecai (John Rhys-Davies) that she must intervene, goes against all protocols to sway her husband's mind. And he changes his mind in a flash.
Distinguished work is turned in by the veteran Davies and by Tiny Lister Jr., who uses his deep, gravely voice and imposing physique as the royal eunuch to powerful effect. Israeli actor Jonah Lotan is effective as Esther's childhood friend, while Sharif is persuasive as a father figure to the waffling king.
The real heroes, though, are designer Aradhana Seth, costume designer Neeta Lula and cinematographer Steven Bernstein, who furnish a perfect setting for the tale. Jac Redford's generic background music, on the other hand, won't shut up.
ONE NIGHT WITH THE KING
Gener8Xion Entertainment
Credits:
Director: Michael O. Sajbel
Screenwriter: Stephan Blinn
Based on the novel by: Tommy Tenney, Mark Andrew Olsen
Producers: Matthew Crouch, Laurie Crouch, Richard J. Cook, Stephen Blinn, Lawrence Mortorff
Director of photography: Steven Bernstein
Production designer: Aradhana Seth
Music: Jac Redford
Costume designer: Neeta Lula
Editors: Gabriella Cristiani, Stephan Blinn
Cast:
Hadassah/Esther: Tiffany Dupont
Xerxes: Luke Goss
Mordecai: John Rhys-Davies
Prince Admantha: John Noble
Hagai: Tommy Tiny Lister Jr.
Haman: James Callis
Jesse: Jonah Lotan
Prince Memucan: Omar Sharif
Samuel: Peter O'Toole
Running time -- 124 minutes
MPAA rating: PG...
- 10/13/2006
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
For the follow-up to its mighty 1999 indie hit "The Omega Code", Matthew Crouch's 8X Entertainment weighs in with "Carman: The Champion", a redemptive "Rocky" starring and co-written by the single-named Christian music superstar who occupies the title.
Corny as, uh, heck, with no shortage of weak performances and some glaring technical glitches, the inspirational picture is admittedly less preachy than your average Sunday sermon.
Given the extensive outreach capabilities at the disposal of presenter TBN Films (a division of Trinity Broadcast Network), the film should be able to spread the word to its moviegoing congregation, but it will unlikely be the boxoffice TKO that was its predecessor.
Carman, who looks a little like magician David Copperfield, plays Orlando Leone, a former cruiserweight champ who was forced to abandon his career after he refused to turn the other cheek and take a fall for the highly unscrupulous promoter Mr. Laracco (Jed Allan).
Now a security officer/preacher who runs an inner-city youth ministry, Leone is about to lose the expansion property he had planned to renovate in memory of his late father, who was killed in a traffic accident, unless he can come up with a pile of cash.
The answer presents itself when Leone is summoned to investigate an out-of-control party in a hotel suite and ends up decking the arrogant Keshon (real-life cruiserweight contender Jeremy Williams), who now is in no condition to take part in an upcoming fight.
A solution is brokered by Laracco's lackey Freddie (Michael Nouri), who also happens to be Orlando's estranged brother. Leone and Keshon will have their rematch in a boxing ring in a "Saint vs. Sinner" highly touted bout.
Will Leone go the distance and save the youth center?
Will he and his brother be brought closer together?
Will somebody say "amen"?
As the generic scripting (credited to Carman and director Lee Stanley as well as Tony Cinciripini and Tadd Callies) goes through its thoroughly predictable paces, Carman: the Actor does likewise in a blandly earnest performance.
Following his lead are Nouri and actress-singer Patricia Manterola as Carman's love interest, but at least their low-key styles are preferable to the sinister posturing of Allan's mean old Laracco.
Calling the shots, veteran TV director Stanley steers clear of any fancy footwork, much to the detriment of the seriously underchoreographed "Raging Blah" main event.
CARMAN: THE CHAMPION
8X Entertainment
TBN Films presents an 8X Entertainment release
A Gener8Xion Entertainment production
Director: Lee Stanley
Executive producer: Paul Crouch
Producers: Matthew Crouch, Gary M. Bettman, Lawrence Mortorff
Screenwriters: Lee Stanley & Carman and Tony Cinciripini & Tadd Callies
Story: Carman
Director of photography: Steve Adcock
Production designer: Nanci B. Roberts
Editor: Shane Stanley
Costume designer: Jyl Moder
Music: Harry Manfredini
Casting: Jean Scoccimarro
Color/stereo
Cast:
Orlando Leone: Carman
Freddie: Michael Nouri
Allia: Patricia Manterola
Mr. Laracco: Jed Allan
Cesar: Romeo Rene Fabian
Keshon: Jeremy Williams
Running time -- 90 minutes
MPAA rating: PG-13...
Corny as, uh, heck, with no shortage of weak performances and some glaring technical glitches, the inspirational picture is admittedly less preachy than your average Sunday sermon.
Given the extensive outreach capabilities at the disposal of presenter TBN Films (a division of Trinity Broadcast Network), the film should be able to spread the word to its moviegoing congregation, but it will unlikely be the boxoffice TKO that was its predecessor.
Carman, who looks a little like magician David Copperfield, plays Orlando Leone, a former cruiserweight champ who was forced to abandon his career after he refused to turn the other cheek and take a fall for the highly unscrupulous promoter Mr. Laracco (Jed Allan).
Now a security officer/preacher who runs an inner-city youth ministry, Leone is about to lose the expansion property he had planned to renovate in memory of his late father, who was killed in a traffic accident, unless he can come up with a pile of cash.
The answer presents itself when Leone is summoned to investigate an out-of-control party in a hotel suite and ends up decking the arrogant Keshon (real-life cruiserweight contender Jeremy Williams), who now is in no condition to take part in an upcoming fight.
A solution is brokered by Laracco's lackey Freddie (Michael Nouri), who also happens to be Orlando's estranged brother. Leone and Keshon will have their rematch in a boxing ring in a "Saint vs. Sinner" highly touted bout.
Will Leone go the distance and save the youth center?
Will he and his brother be brought closer together?
Will somebody say "amen"?
As the generic scripting (credited to Carman and director Lee Stanley as well as Tony Cinciripini and Tadd Callies) goes through its thoroughly predictable paces, Carman: the Actor does likewise in a blandly earnest performance.
Following his lead are Nouri and actress-singer Patricia Manterola as Carman's love interest, but at least their low-key styles are preferable to the sinister posturing of Allan's mean old Laracco.
Calling the shots, veteran TV director Stanley steers clear of any fancy footwork, much to the detriment of the seriously underchoreographed "Raging Blah" main event.
CARMAN: THE CHAMPION
8X Entertainment
TBN Films presents an 8X Entertainment release
A Gener8Xion Entertainment production
Director: Lee Stanley
Executive producer: Paul Crouch
Producers: Matthew Crouch, Gary M. Bettman, Lawrence Mortorff
Screenwriters: Lee Stanley & Carman and Tony Cinciripini & Tadd Callies
Story: Carman
Director of photography: Steve Adcock
Production designer: Nanci B. Roberts
Editor: Shane Stanley
Costume designer: Jyl Moder
Music: Harry Manfredini
Casting: Jean Scoccimarro
Color/stereo
Cast:
Orlando Leone: Carman
Freddie: Michael Nouri
Allia: Patricia Manterola
Mr. Laracco: Jed Allan
Cesar: Romeo Rene Fabian
Keshon: Jeremy Williams
Running time -- 90 minutes
MPAA rating: PG-13...
For the follow-up to its mighty 1999 indie hit "The Omega Code", Matthew Crouch's 8X Entertainment weighs in with "Carman: The Champion", a redemptive "Rocky" starring and co-written by the single-named Christian music superstar who occupies the title.
Corny as, uh, heck, with no shortage of weak performances and some glaring technical glitches, the inspirational picture is admittedly less preachy than your average Sunday sermon.
Given the extensive outreach capabilities at the disposal of presenter TBN Films (a division of Trinity Broadcast Network), the film should be able to spread the word to its moviegoing congregation, but it will unlikely be the boxoffice TKO that was its predecessor.
Carman, who looks a little like magician David Copperfield, plays Orlando Leone, a former cruiserweight champ who was forced to abandon his career after he refused to turn the other cheek and take a fall for the highly unscrupulous promoter Mr. Laracco (Jed Allan).
Now a security officer/preacher who runs an inner-city youth ministry, Leone is about to lose the expansion property he had planned to renovate in memory of his late father, who was killed in a traffic accident, unless he can come up with a pile of cash.
The answer presents itself when Leone is summoned to investigate an out-of-control party in a hotel suite and ends up decking the arrogant Keshon (real-life cruiserweight contender Jeremy Williams), who now is in no condition to take part in an upcoming fight.
A solution is brokered by Laracco's lackey Freddie (Michael Nouri), who also happens to be Orlando's estranged brother. Leone and Keshon will have their rematch in a boxing ring in a "Saint vs. Sinner" highly touted bout.
Will Leone go the distance and save the youth center?
Will he and his brother be brought closer together?
Will somebody say "amen"?
As the generic scripting (credited to Carman and director Lee Stanley as well as Tony Cinciripini and Tadd Callies) goes through its thoroughly predictable paces, Carman: the Actor does likewise in a blandly earnest performance.
Following his lead are Nouri and actress-singer Patricia Manterola as Carman's love interest, but at least their low-key styles are preferable to the sinister posturing of Allan's mean old Laracco.
Calling the shots, veteran TV director Stanley steers clear of any fancy footwork, much to the detriment of the seriously underchoreographed "Raging Blah" main event.
CARMAN: THE CHAMPION
8X Entertainment
TBN Films presents an 8X Entertainment release
A Gener8Xion Entertainment production
Director: Lee Stanley
Executive producer: Paul Crouch
Producers: Matthew Crouch, Gary M. Bettman, Lawrence Mortorff
Screenwriters: Lee Stanley & Carman and Tony Cinciripini & Tadd Callies
Story: Carman
Director of photography: Steve Adcock
Production designer: Nanci B. Roberts
Editor: Shane Stanley
Costume designer: Jyl Moder
Music: Harry Manfredini
Casting: Jean Scoccimarro
Color/stereo
Cast:
Orlando Leone: Carman
Freddie: Michael Nouri
Allia: Patricia Manterola
Mr. Laracco: Jed Allan
Cesar: Romeo Rene Fabian
Keshon: Jeremy Williams
Running time -- 90 minutes
MPAA rating: PG-13...
Corny as, uh, heck, with no shortage of weak performances and some glaring technical glitches, the inspirational picture is admittedly less preachy than your average Sunday sermon.
Given the extensive outreach capabilities at the disposal of presenter TBN Films (a division of Trinity Broadcast Network), the film should be able to spread the word to its moviegoing congregation, but it will unlikely be the boxoffice TKO that was its predecessor.
Carman, who looks a little like magician David Copperfield, plays Orlando Leone, a former cruiserweight champ who was forced to abandon his career after he refused to turn the other cheek and take a fall for the highly unscrupulous promoter Mr. Laracco (Jed Allan).
Now a security officer/preacher who runs an inner-city youth ministry, Leone is about to lose the expansion property he had planned to renovate in memory of his late father, who was killed in a traffic accident, unless he can come up with a pile of cash.
The answer presents itself when Leone is summoned to investigate an out-of-control party in a hotel suite and ends up decking the arrogant Keshon (real-life cruiserweight contender Jeremy Williams), who now is in no condition to take part in an upcoming fight.
A solution is brokered by Laracco's lackey Freddie (Michael Nouri), who also happens to be Orlando's estranged brother. Leone and Keshon will have their rematch in a boxing ring in a "Saint vs. Sinner" highly touted bout.
Will Leone go the distance and save the youth center?
Will he and his brother be brought closer together?
Will somebody say "amen"?
As the generic scripting (credited to Carman and director Lee Stanley as well as Tony Cinciripini and Tadd Callies) goes through its thoroughly predictable paces, Carman: the Actor does likewise in a blandly earnest performance.
Following his lead are Nouri and actress-singer Patricia Manterola as Carman's love interest, but at least their low-key styles are preferable to the sinister posturing of Allan's mean old Laracco.
Calling the shots, veteran TV director Stanley steers clear of any fancy footwork, much to the detriment of the seriously underchoreographed "Raging Blah" main event.
CARMAN: THE CHAMPION
8X Entertainment
TBN Films presents an 8X Entertainment release
A Gener8Xion Entertainment production
Director: Lee Stanley
Executive producer: Paul Crouch
Producers: Matthew Crouch, Gary M. Bettman, Lawrence Mortorff
Screenwriters: Lee Stanley & Carman and Tony Cinciripini & Tadd Callies
Story: Carman
Director of photography: Steve Adcock
Production designer: Nanci B. Roberts
Editor: Shane Stanley
Costume designer: Jyl Moder
Music: Harry Manfredini
Casting: Jean Scoccimarro
Color/stereo
Cast:
Orlando Leone: Carman
Freddie: Michael Nouri
Allia: Patricia Manterola
Mr. Laracco: Jed Allan
Cesar: Romeo Rene Fabian
Keshon: Jeremy Williams
Running time -- 90 minutes
MPAA rating: PG-13...
- 3/12/2001
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Although there were no dramatic aftershocks from Saturday morning's earthquake to really make the experience memorable, the matinee show of "The Omega Code" at Mann's Westwood later that day seemed to go over well with the good-size audience that was evidently on the same wavelength as the religious-themed independent, presented by the film division of Trinity Broadcasting Network and released by Providence Entertainment.
With the casting of familiar faces Michael York, Casper Van Dien, Michael Ironside and Catherine Oxenberg, some attempt was made to bring in mainstream viewers, but the filmmaking is fairly weak in comparison to studio fare and strikes one free-thinking secular viewer as a knockoff with no poetry, let alone majesty, given its subject matter.
But if one has the "faith of a little child," as one of the film's two prophets puts it, or the curiosity to stick it out long enough to see King Solomon's Temple rebuilt and a climactic earthquake, with only adequate-at-best special effects, "The Omega Code" lives up to its title as a Saturday-matinee, sci-fi-serial-like B movie.
None too deftly mixing genres between an Internet-era biblical suspense film and a full-blown epic about the coming of the Antichrist, director Rob Marcarelli and screenwriters Stephan Blinn and Hollis Barton assume one has at least a passing familiarity with the New Testament's Book of Revelation. While it may be the best role he's had in many moons, York's evil lord becomes the first leader of the World Union and bedevils all around him in what amounts to a whirlwind fantasy that's more paranoid than profound, more pessimistic than promise-fulfilling. Indeed, the movie is primarily about the rise of Alexander Stone and his henchman (Ironside), and it ends with their defeat and what appears to be a massive explosion of world-enveloping Good, but no further explanations.
Van Dien is the good man duped into being a false prophet. A motivational guru who believes in the "Bible Code", a process of finding hidden messages in the Torah, including the prediction of future events, he falls in with compassionate trickster Stone, and together they unify the world, with the nonbelieving and cripplingly dense hero not having a clue that his powerful boss might have an ulterior motive or two.
York actually makes for a pretty decent heavy, with all the best lines, of course, while Van Dien, Ironside and Catherine Oxenberg, as a ubiquitous newswoman, go through the motions and little more.
THE OMEGA CODE
Providence Entertainment
TBN Films presents a Gener8Xion Entertainment production
Director: Rob Marcarelli
Screenwriter: Stephan Blinn, Hollis Barton
Producers: Matthew Crouch, Rob Marcarelli, Lawrence Mortorff
Executive producer: Paul Crouch
Director of photography: Caros Gonzalez
Editor: Peter Zinner
Music: Harry Manfredini
Color/stereo
Cast:
Dillen Lane: Casper Van Dien
Alexander Stone: Michael York
Cassandra: Catherine Oxenberg
Dominique: Michael Ironside
Running time -- 99 minutes
MPAA rating: PG-13...
With the casting of familiar faces Michael York, Casper Van Dien, Michael Ironside and Catherine Oxenberg, some attempt was made to bring in mainstream viewers, but the filmmaking is fairly weak in comparison to studio fare and strikes one free-thinking secular viewer as a knockoff with no poetry, let alone majesty, given its subject matter.
But if one has the "faith of a little child," as one of the film's two prophets puts it, or the curiosity to stick it out long enough to see King Solomon's Temple rebuilt and a climactic earthquake, with only adequate-at-best special effects, "The Omega Code" lives up to its title as a Saturday-matinee, sci-fi-serial-like B movie.
None too deftly mixing genres between an Internet-era biblical suspense film and a full-blown epic about the coming of the Antichrist, director Rob Marcarelli and screenwriters Stephan Blinn and Hollis Barton assume one has at least a passing familiarity with the New Testament's Book of Revelation. While it may be the best role he's had in many moons, York's evil lord becomes the first leader of the World Union and bedevils all around him in what amounts to a whirlwind fantasy that's more paranoid than profound, more pessimistic than promise-fulfilling. Indeed, the movie is primarily about the rise of Alexander Stone and his henchman (Ironside), and it ends with their defeat and what appears to be a massive explosion of world-enveloping Good, but no further explanations.
Van Dien is the good man duped into being a false prophet. A motivational guru who believes in the "Bible Code", a process of finding hidden messages in the Torah, including the prediction of future events, he falls in with compassionate trickster Stone, and together they unify the world, with the nonbelieving and cripplingly dense hero not having a clue that his powerful boss might have an ulterior motive or two.
York actually makes for a pretty decent heavy, with all the best lines, of course, while Van Dien, Ironside and Catherine Oxenberg, as a ubiquitous newswoman, go through the motions and little more.
THE OMEGA CODE
Providence Entertainment
TBN Films presents a Gener8Xion Entertainment production
Director: Rob Marcarelli
Screenwriter: Stephan Blinn, Hollis Barton
Producers: Matthew Crouch, Rob Marcarelli, Lawrence Mortorff
Executive producer: Paul Crouch
Director of photography: Caros Gonzalez
Editor: Peter Zinner
Music: Harry Manfredini
Color/stereo
Cast:
Dillen Lane: Casper Van Dien
Alexander Stone: Michael York
Cassandra: Catherine Oxenberg
Dominique: Michael Ironside
Running time -- 99 minutes
MPAA rating: PG-13...
- 10/18/1999
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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