Stars: Daniel Tadesse, Guillermo Llansó, Agustín Mateo, Gerda-Annette Allikas, Solomon Tashe, Lauri Lagle, Rene Köster, Iveta Pole, Aris Rozentals | Written and Directed by Miguel Llanso
At its heart, Jesus Shows You the Way to the Highway, is a Cold War paranoia thriller. It’s about two CIA Agents: Palmer and Gagano. They need to destroy a computer virus called “Soviet Union”. To defeat it, they must enter the Psychobook Cpu system – is it a Game? a Virtual world? Both? But the mission turns into a trap and film’s focus shifts to Gagano’s neverending search for a way back to ‘ our reality’.
However, on the surface, Jesus Shows You the Way to the Highway, is a discombobulating, absurdist narrative. Imagine Salvador Dali meddling with the rushes from Thomas Cappelen Malling’s Norwegian Ninja (2010) or Duchamp getting hold of demos for I Am The Walrus by The Beatles. Just don...
At its heart, Jesus Shows You the Way to the Highway, is a Cold War paranoia thriller. It’s about two CIA Agents: Palmer and Gagano. They need to destroy a computer virus called “Soviet Union”. To defeat it, they must enter the Psychobook Cpu system – is it a Game? a Virtual world? Both? But the mission turns into a trap and film’s focus shifts to Gagano’s neverending search for a way back to ‘ our reality’.
However, on the surface, Jesus Shows You the Way to the Highway, is a discombobulating, absurdist narrative. Imagine Salvador Dali meddling with the rushes from Thomas Cappelen Malling’s Norwegian Ninja (2010) or Duchamp getting hold of demos for I Am The Walrus by The Beatles. Just don...
- 6/2/2020
- by Stuart Wright
- Nerdly
Chicago – “The ABCs of Death” may easily rank as the most repugnant two hours I’ve ever had the displeasure of being condemned to review. But don’t let that entice you, gorehounds. It’s also uninspired and thoroughly monotonous. The only thing that scared me was my realization after the first short film had ended that I still had 25 films left to go. This isn’t entertainment. It’s an endurance test.
Consider the vignette about an obese woman who decides, in a fit of depression, to slice off her fat. Her self-mutilation is juxtaposed with footage of a skinny model striking poses in a commercial. The director, Xavier Gens, cuts back and forth between the imagery with such mechanical repetition that the viewer develops a mixture of nauseation and whiplash but not, alas, fear. What a sad encapsulation of modern horror’s exceedingly sorry state. Horror used to be about atmosphere,...
Consider the vignette about an obese woman who decides, in a fit of depression, to slice off her fat. Her self-mutilation is juxtaposed with footage of a skinny model striking poses in a commercial. The director, Xavier Gens, cuts back and forth between the imagery with such mechanical repetition that the viewer develops a mixture of nauseation and whiplash but not, alas, fear. What a sad encapsulation of modern horror’s exceedingly sorry state. Horror used to be about atmosphere,...
- 6/5/2013
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Directed by Ben Wheatley, Simon Rumley, Jake West, Lee Hardcastle, Ti West, Jason Eisener, Kaare Andrews, Bruno Forzani, Noboru Iguchi, Jorge Michel Grau, Srdjan Spasojevic, Adam Wingard and many more…
The ABCs of Death is perhaps the most ambitious anthology film ever conceived with productions spanning fifteen countries and featuring segments directed by over two dozen of the world’s leading talents in contemporary genre film, including the directors of House of the Devil, Hobo with a Shotgun, A Serbian Film, Tokyo Gore Police, and You’re Next as well as four homegrown British directors – Ben Wheatley (Sightseers), Simon Rumley (Red, White & Blue), Jake West (Doghouse) and Leeds based Lee Hardcastle, who with his claymation short, won a competition to be the final director (and whose short is one of the highlights of the film).
Anthologies are always a difficult thing to get right even when they’re helmed by just one director,...
The ABCs of Death is perhaps the most ambitious anthology film ever conceived with productions spanning fifteen countries and featuring segments directed by over two dozen of the world’s leading talents in contemporary genre film, including the directors of House of the Devil, Hobo with a Shotgun, A Serbian Film, Tokyo Gore Police, and You’re Next as well as four homegrown British directors – Ben Wheatley (Sightseers), Simon Rumley (Red, White & Blue), Jake West (Doghouse) and Leeds based Lee Hardcastle, who with his claymation short, won a competition to be the final director (and whose short is one of the highlights of the film).
Anthologies are always a difficult thing to get right even when they’re helmed by just one director,...
- 4/16/2013
- by Phil Wheat
- Nerdly
Directors: Kaare Andrews, Angela Bettis, Hélène Cattet, Ernesto Díaz Espinoza, Jason Eisener, Bruno Forzani, Adrián García Bogliano, Xavier Gens, Lee Hardcastle, Noboru Iguchi, Thomas Cappelen Malling, Jorge Michel Grau, Anders Morgenthaler, Yoshihiro Nishimura, Banjong Pisanthanakun, Simon Rumley, Marcel Sarmiento, Jon Schnepp, Srdjan Spasojevic, Timo Tjahjanto, Andrew Traucki, Nacho Vigalondo, Jake West, Ti West, Ben Wheatley, Adam Wingard, and Yudai Yamaguchi. Writers: Kaare Andrews, Simon Barrett, Hélène Cattet, Bruno Forzani, Adrián García Bogliano, Lee Hardcastle, Noboru Iguchi, Yoshihiro Nishimura, Simon Rumley, Jon Schnepp, Srdjan Spasojevic, Nacho Vigalondo, Dimitrije Vojnov, Ti West, and Yudai Yamaguchi. The ABCs of Death is a horror anthology, composed of twenty-six shorts. This anthology brought twenty-seven directors from fifteen countries together to create a fairly entertaining outing. Understandably, some of the shorts are stronger than others, while some are...
[[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]...
[[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]...
- 4/2/2013
- by noreply@blogger.com (Michael Allen)
- 28 Days Later Analysis
The ABCs of Death
Directed by: Nacho Vigalondo, Angela Bettis, Ti West, Banjong Pisanthanakun, Adam Wingard, Srdjan Spasojevic, Ben Wheatley, Jason Eisener, and more
Running Time: 2 hrs 9 mins
Rating: R
Release Date: March 8, 2013
Plot: 26 filmmakers from around the world were each given one letter of the alphabet. From there they had free rein to create a killer short horror film based around words ranging from “Apocalypse” to “Zetsumetsu.”
Who’S It For? Some segments will be loved, others hated, but anyone who likes the idea of a horror anthology needs to check this out.
Overall
Twenty-six shorts from 26 directors based on the 26 letters of the alphabet is one ambitious experiment. As a fan of anthologies, I went into The ABCs of Death wanting to like it, but even I’m surprised by how successful I found the film as a whole. Sure, there are a handful of middling entries that...
Directed by: Nacho Vigalondo, Angela Bettis, Ti West, Banjong Pisanthanakun, Adam Wingard, Srdjan Spasojevic, Ben Wheatley, Jason Eisener, and more
Running Time: 2 hrs 9 mins
Rating: R
Release Date: March 8, 2013
Plot: 26 filmmakers from around the world were each given one letter of the alphabet. From there they had free rein to create a killer short horror film based around words ranging from “Apocalypse” to “Zetsumetsu.”
Who’S It For? Some segments will be loved, others hated, but anyone who likes the idea of a horror anthology needs to check this out.
Overall
Twenty-six shorts from 26 directors based on the 26 letters of the alphabet is one ambitious experiment. As a fan of anthologies, I went into The ABCs of Death wanting to like it, but even I’m surprised by how successful I found the film as a whole. Sure, there are a handful of middling entries that...
- 3/8/2013
- by Shane T. Nier
- The Scorecard Review
The Abcs Of Death
Directed by Ben Wheatley, Simon Rumley, Jake West, Lee Hardcastle, Ti West, Jason Eisener, Kaare Andrews, Bruno Forzani, Noboru Iguchi, Jorge Michel Grau, Srdjan Spasojevic, Adam Wingard and many more…
The ABCs of Death is perhaps the most ambitious anthology film ever conceived with productions spanning fifteen countries and featuring segments directed by over two dozen of the world’s leading talents in contemporary genre film, including the directors of House of the Devil, Hobo with a Shotgun, A Serbian Film, Tokyo Gore Police, and You’re Next as well as four homegrown British directors – Ben Wheatley (Sightseers), Simon Rumley (Red, White & Blue), Jake West (Doghouse) and Leeds based Lee Hardcastle, who with his claymation short, won a competition to be the final director (and whose short is one of the highlights of the film).
Anthologies are always a difficult thing to get right even when...
Directed by Ben Wheatley, Simon Rumley, Jake West, Lee Hardcastle, Ti West, Jason Eisener, Kaare Andrews, Bruno Forzani, Noboru Iguchi, Jorge Michel Grau, Srdjan Spasojevic, Adam Wingard and many more…
The ABCs of Death is perhaps the most ambitious anthology film ever conceived with productions spanning fifteen countries and featuring segments directed by over two dozen of the world’s leading talents in contemporary genre film, including the directors of House of the Devil, Hobo with a Shotgun, A Serbian Film, Tokyo Gore Police, and You’re Next as well as four homegrown British directors – Ben Wheatley (Sightseers), Simon Rumley (Red, White & Blue), Jake West (Doghouse) and Leeds based Lee Hardcastle, who with his claymation short, won a competition to be the final director (and whose short is one of the highlights of the film).
Anthologies are always a difficult thing to get right even when...
- 2/24/2013
- by Phil
- Nerdly
The ABCs of Death Directed by: Kaare Andrews, Angela Bettis, Hélène Cattet, Ernesto Díaz Espinoza, Jason Eisener, Bruno Forzani, Adrián García Bogliano, Xavier Gens, Lee Hardcastle, Noboru Iguchi, Thomas Cappelen Malling, Jorge Michel Grau, Anders Morgenthaler, Yoshihiro Nishimura, Banjong Pisanthanakun, Simon Rumley, Marcel Sarmiento, Jon Schnepp, Srdjan Spasojevic, Timo Tjahjanto, Andrew Traucki, Nacho Vigalondo, Jake West, Ti West, Ben Wheatley, Adam Wingard, Yudai Yamaguchi The ABCs of Death is at times revolting, inventive, funny and fascinating. It’s also a wildly uneven anthology collection from some of the most well-known horror directors working today. The film was announced a few years ago and rolled out at the Tiff and Fantastic Fest film festivals in 2012. The premise is intriguing. A letter of the alphabet was assigned to 26 different directors with one stipulation: they must create a short starting with that letter and pertaining to death. Then let them have it, no holds barred.
- 2/1/2013
- by Shannon
- FilmJunk
After the new pics posted earlier this week for horror anthology 'The ABCs of Death' Yahoo! Movies has followed up as promised with the unveiling of the new red band trailer. The 26 segmented shocker will arrive in the next year and includes a who's who of horror directors. Kaare Andrews ('Altitude'), Angela Bettis, Adrian Bogliano, Bruno Forzani and Helene Cattet, Ernesto Diaz Espinoza, Jason Eisener ('Hobo with a Shotgun'), Xavier Gens ('The Divide'), Jorge Michel Grau, Lee Hardcastle, Noboru Iguchi ('Zombie Ass: Toilet of the Dead'), Thomas Cappelen Malling, Anders Morgenthaler, Yoshihiro Nishimura, Banjong Pisanthanakun, Simon Rumley, Marcel Sarmiento, Jon Schnepp, Srdjan Spasojevic ('A Serbian Film'), Timo Tjahjanto, Andrew Traucki, Nacho Vigalondo, Jake West ('Doghouse'), Ti West ('The Innkeepers'), Ben Wheatley ('Kill List'), Adam Wingard ('V/H/S') and Yudai Yamaguchi make up the impressive list...
- 11/16/2012
- Horror Asylum
Yahoo! Movies has promised us something a little bit special tonight when it is set to air what we assume will be a new teaser trailer for huge horror anthology 'The ABCs of Death'. The feature will premiere at 7:00pm Est/4:00pm Pst on Yahoo! and has been said that it'll be getting 'fans all fired up!'. In the meantime two new stills have been revealed from the project. The feature contains 26 directors each shooting their own short horror segment and here's the list of talented filmmakers involved with the project. Kaare Andrews ('Altitude'), Angela Bettis, Adrian Bogliano, Bruno Forzani and Helene Cattet, Ernesto Diaz Espinoza, Jason Eisener ('Hobo with a Shotgun'), Xavier Gens ('The Divide'), Jorge Michel Grau, Lee Hardcastle, Noboru Iguchi ('Zombie Ass: Toilet of the Dead'), Thomas Cappelen Malling, Anders Morgenthaler, Yoshihiro Nishimura, Banjong Pisanthanakun, Simon Rumley,...
- 11/14/2012
- Horror Asylum
AFI Fest 2012 presented by Audi, a program of the American Film Institute, today announced the remaining sections and films that will screen in the festival.s World Cinema, Breakthrough, Midnight and Shorts programs. AFI Fest, which annually presents the best of world cinema in the movie capital of the world, will take place November 1 through 8 at the historic Grauman.s Chinese Theatre, the Chinese 6 Theatres, the Egyptian Theatre and the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel.
World Cinema showcases the most anticipated and prize-winning international films of the year, Breakthrough highlights work discovered only through the submission process and Midnight.s selections are always haunting. Both World Cinema and Breakthrough feature a number of films making their North American or U.S. Premieres, including The Angels. Share, Greatest Hits, Laurence Anyways, Nairobi Half Life, Pieta, White Elephant and Zaytoun.
Two of the shorts in competition are from AFI Conservatory.s recent class of...
World Cinema showcases the most anticipated and prize-winning international films of the year, Breakthrough highlights work discovered only through the submission process and Midnight.s selections are always haunting. Both World Cinema and Breakthrough feature a number of films making their North American or U.S. Premieres, including The Angels. Share, Greatest Hits, Laurence Anyways, Nairobi Half Life, Pieta, White Elephant and Zaytoun.
Two of the shorts in competition are from AFI Conservatory.s recent class of...
- 10/16/2012
- by Melissa Thompson
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Today, AFI 2012 announced its complete lineup, after previously debuting its New Auteurs, Young Americans, Galas and Special Screenings we finally get a look at the Midnight, Breakthrough, Shorts, and deliriously good World Cinema Selections.
The Shorts section, with almost too many to count, features new work from Nacho Vigalando, Nicolas Provost, and even Shia Labeouf (Cannes selected), among many others. The four Midnight titles all played in Tiff 2012’s Midnight Madness selection, and here we see John Dies at the End making a stop here after originally premiering at Sundance. They’ve nabbed three North American premieres in their Breakthrough section, including Kid from Fien Troch, Nairobi Half Life from David Tosh Gitonga, and Oh Boy from Jan Ole Gerster. But AFI has managed to really impress with it’s World Cinema selections. Just as they nabbed Cannes premiere Holy Motors for their Special Screenings, they’ve nabbed several high...
The Shorts section, with almost too many to count, features new work from Nacho Vigalando, Nicolas Provost, and even Shia Labeouf (Cannes selected), among many others. The four Midnight titles all played in Tiff 2012’s Midnight Madness selection, and here we see John Dies at the End making a stop here after originally premiering at Sundance. They’ve nabbed three North American premieres in their Breakthrough section, including Kid from Fien Troch, Nairobi Half Life from David Tosh Gitonga, and Oh Boy from Jan Ole Gerster. But AFI has managed to really impress with it’s World Cinema selections. Just as they nabbed Cannes premiere Holy Motors for their Special Screenings, they’ve nabbed several high...
- 10/16/2012
- by Nicholas Bell
- IONCINEMA.com
7:40 pm – Started today off with the film that took home the Golden Lion last week in Venice, Ki-duk Kim’s Pieta. Splitting opinions with it’s series of shocking reveals, the film is a poetic revenge drama. Regardless of my reservations of watching a 4.5 hour film at a festival, I saw Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s slow, melodramatic onion, Penance. The Asian triple bill of today was rounded out by When Night Falls by director Liang Ying. Finishing my last full day here with Harmony Korine’s Spring Breakers, which I’ve heard many good words about throughout the last week. One more day. [Jordan M. Smith]
2:00 pm – There have been a pair of press screenings, but tonite is the official public premiere to the Midnight Madness section’s The ABCs of Death – 26 plus filmmakers in Kaare Andrews, Angela Bettis, Adrián García Bogliano, Bruno Forzani & Hélène Cattet, Ernesto Díaz Espinoza, Jason Eisener, Xavier Gens,...
2:00 pm – There have been a pair of press screenings, but tonite is the official public premiere to the Midnight Madness section’s The ABCs of Death – 26 plus filmmakers in Kaare Andrews, Angela Bettis, Adrián García Bogliano, Bruno Forzani & Hélène Cattet, Ernesto Díaz Espinoza, Jason Eisener, Xavier Gens,...
- 9/14/2012
- by IONCINEMA.com Contributing Writers
- IONCINEMA.com
Above: Ernie Gehr's Auto-Collider Xv.
The vast bulk of Tiff's 2012 has been announced and listed here, below. We'll be updating the lineup with the previous films announced, as well as updating links to specific films for more information on them in the coming days. Of particular note is that the Wavelengths and Visions programs have been combined to create what is undoubtedly the most interesting section of the festival. Stay tuned, too, for our own on the ground coverage of Tiff.
Galas
A Royal Affair (Nikolai Arcel, Demark/Sweden/Czech Republic/Germany)
Argo (Ben Affleck, USA)
The Company You Keep (Robert Redford, USA)
Dangerous Liaisons (Hur Jin-ho, China)
Emperor (Peter Webber, Japan/USA)
English Vinglish (Gauri Shinde, India)
Free Angela & All Political Prisoners (Shola Lynch)
Great Expectations (Mike Newell, UK)
Hyde Park on Hudson (Roger Michell, UK)
Inescapable (Ruba Nadda, Canada)
Jayne Mansfield's Car (Billy Bob Thorton, USA/Russia)
Looper (Rian Johnson,...
The vast bulk of Tiff's 2012 has been announced and listed here, below. We'll be updating the lineup with the previous films announced, as well as updating links to specific films for more information on them in the coming days. Of particular note is that the Wavelengths and Visions programs have been combined to create what is undoubtedly the most interesting section of the festival. Stay tuned, too, for our own on the ground coverage of Tiff.
Galas
A Royal Affair (Nikolai Arcel, Demark/Sweden/Czech Republic/Germany)
Argo (Ben Affleck, USA)
The Company You Keep (Robert Redford, USA)
Dangerous Liaisons (Hur Jin-ho, China)
Emperor (Peter Webber, Japan/USA)
English Vinglish (Gauri Shinde, India)
Free Angela & All Political Prisoners (Shola Lynch)
Great Expectations (Mike Newell, UK)
Hyde Park on Hudson (Roger Michell, UK)
Inescapable (Ruba Nadda, Canada)
Jayne Mansfield's Car (Billy Bob Thorton, USA/Russia)
Looper (Rian Johnson,...
- 8/22/2012
- MUBI
This September's Toronto International Film Festival will be home to the world premiere of the new horror anthology feature 'The ABC's to Death'. Featuring no less than 26 directors each helming their own short horror segment the huge project has unveiled a selection of four new stills ahead of its Midnight Madness screening which you can head below to check out. And just who will be taking the directorial reigns? The line-up is as follows; Kaare Andrews ('Altitude'), Angela Bettis, Adrian Garcia Bogliano, Bruno Forzani and Helene Cattet, Ernesto Diaz Espinoza, Jason Eisener ('Hobo with a Shotgun'), Xavier Gens ('The Divide'), Jorge Michel Grau, Lee Hardcastle, Noboru Iguchi ('Zombie Ass: Toilet of the Dead'), Thomas Cappelen Malling, Anders Morgenthaler, Yoshihiro Nishimura, Banjong Pisanthanakun, Simon Rumley, Marcel Sarmiento, Jon Schnepp, Srdjan Spasojevic ('A Serbian Film'), Timo Tjahjanto, Andrew Traucki, Nacho Vigalondo, Jake West ('Doghouse'...
- 8/1/2012
- Horror Asylum
Toronto – On July 31st, the 37th annual Toronto International Film Festival announced its second wave of features and documentaries to be added to this year’s already promising lineup.
The ‘Midnight Madness’ programme, which showcases up and coming genre films, will return for a second year, with The Raid winning the inaugural audience choice award in 2011.
Tiff Programmer Colin Geddes says that the audience should expect “everything from outrageous horror comedies to mock-doc-eco-apocalypse thrillers, featuring trans-dimensional bugs, lewd Catholic priests, meat monsters and dog-snapping psychopaths that will animate the Ryerson Theatre when the clock chimes 12.”
Returning for its fourth edition this year is the ‘City to City’ programme, which puts a spotlight on filmmakers working and living in a certain city, introducing audiences to local independent films from around the world. This year’s city of choice is Mumbai.
Artistic Director Cameron Bailey says, “Mumbai’s cinema today is entirely...
The ‘Midnight Madness’ programme, which showcases up and coming genre films, will return for a second year, with The Raid winning the inaugural audience choice award in 2011.
Tiff Programmer Colin Geddes says that the audience should expect “everything from outrageous horror comedies to mock-doc-eco-apocalypse thrillers, featuring trans-dimensional bugs, lewd Catholic priests, meat monsters and dog-snapping psychopaths that will animate the Ryerson Theatre when the clock chimes 12.”
Returning for its fourth edition this year is the ‘City to City’ programme, which puts a spotlight on filmmakers working and living in a certain city, introducing audiences to local independent films from around the world. This year’s city of choice is Mumbai.
Artistic Director Cameron Bailey says, “Mumbai’s cinema today is entirely...
- 8/1/2012
- by Justin Li
- SoundOnSight
Action-packed thrillers, nerve-wracking chillers and pitch-dark comedies will bewitch audiences at the Toronto International Film Festival®, with a Midnight Madness programme chock full of shocking and rocking cinematic experiences. Nine world premieres stack this slate of international works programmed by Colin Geddes, guaranteed to awe even the most devoted genre fans.
.Audiences clamouring for this highly anticipated lineup can expect wild rides and crazy adventures into the most chimerical and wicked worlds imaginable,. said Geddes, Tiff Programmer. .Expect everything from outrageous horror comedies to mock-doc ecoapocalypse thrillers, featuring trans-dimensional bugs, lewd Catholic priests, meat monsters and dog-napping psychopaths that will animate the Ryerson Theatre when the clock chimes 12..
The Midnight Madness selection includes films from Don Coscarelli (Phantasm, Bubba Ho-Tep), Academy Award® winners Martin McDonagh (In Bruges) and Barry Levinson (Diner, Rain Man), Jt Petty (The Burrowers, S&Man) and heavy-metal horror maven Rob Zombie. Onscreen performances feature Clancy Brown,...
.Audiences clamouring for this highly anticipated lineup can expect wild rides and crazy adventures into the most chimerical and wicked worlds imaginable,. said Geddes, Tiff Programmer. .Expect everything from outrageous horror comedies to mock-doc ecoapocalypse thrillers, featuring trans-dimensional bugs, lewd Catholic priests, meat monsters and dog-napping psychopaths that will animate the Ryerson Theatre when the clock chimes 12..
The Midnight Madness selection includes films from Don Coscarelli (Phantasm, Bubba Ho-Tep), Academy Award® winners Martin McDonagh (In Bruges) and Barry Levinson (Diner, Rain Man), Jt Petty (The Burrowers, S&Man) and heavy-metal horror maven Rob Zombie. Onscreen performances feature Clancy Brown,...
- 8/1/2012
- by Michelle McCue
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Toronto – On July 31st, the 37th annual Toronto International Film Festival announced its second wave of features and documentaries to be added to this year’s already promising lineup.
The ‘Midnight Madness’ programme, which showcases up and coming genre films, will return for a second year, with The Raid winning the inaugural audience choice award in 2011.
Tiff Programmer Colin Geddes says that the audience should expect “everything from outrageous horror comedies to mock-doc-eco-apocalypse thrillers, featuring trans-dimensional bugs, lewd Catholic priests, meat monsters and dog-snapping psychopaths that will animate the Ryerson Theatre when the clock chimes 12.”
Returning for its fourth edition this year is the ‘City to City’ programme, which puts a spotlight on filmmakers working and living in a certain city, introducing audiences to local independent films from around the world. This year’s city of choice is Mumbai.
Artistic Director Cameron Bailey says, “Mumbai’s cinema today is entirely...
The ‘Midnight Madness’ programme, which showcases up and coming genre films, will return for a second year, with The Raid winning the inaugural audience choice award in 2011.
Tiff Programmer Colin Geddes says that the audience should expect “everything from outrageous horror comedies to mock-doc-eco-apocalypse thrillers, featuring trans-dimensional bugs, lewd Catholic priests, meat monsters and dog-snapping psychopaths that will animate the Ryerson Theatre when the clock chimes 12.”
Returning for its fourth edition this year is the ‘City to City’ programme, which puts a spotlight on filmmakers working and living in a certain city, introducing audiences to local independent films from around the world. This year’s city of choice is Mumbai.
Artistic Director Cameron Bailey says, “Mumbai’s cinema today is entirely...
- 7/31/2012
- by Justin Li
- SoundOnSight
Horror fans, get ready to salivate over the lineup of genre films heading to Toronto this September for the Midnight Madness and Vanguard sections of the Toronto International Film Festival. We have all the details you need along with lots of new stills!
The fest runs September 6th-16th, and the full schedule will be posted on August 21st. While a few of the films listed aren't pure horror, they fall in the categories horror fans will be focusing on so we've included them here for general information.
Midnight Madness
The wild side: midnight screenings of the best in action, horror, shock, and fantasy cinema.
The ABCs of Death - World Premiere
Kaare Andrews, Angela Bettis, Adrián García Bogliano, Bruno Forzani & Hélène Cattet, Ernesto Díaz Espinoza, Jason Eisener, Xavier Gens, Jorge Michel Grau, Lee Hardcastle, Noboru Iguchi, Thomas Cappelen Malling, Anders Morgenthaler, Yoshihiro Nishimura, Banjong Pisanthanakun, Simon Rumley, Marcel Sarmiento,...
The fest runs September 6th-16th, and the full schedule will be posted on August 21st. While a few of the films listed aren't pure horror, they fall in the categories horror fans will be focusing on so we've included them here for general information.
Midnight Madness
The wild side: midnight screenings of the best in action, horror, shock, and fantasy cinema.
The ABCs of Death - World Premiere
Kaare Andrews, Angela Bettis, Adrián García Bogliano, Bruno Forzani & Hélène Cattet, Ernesto Díaz Espinoza, Jason Eisener, Xavier Gens, Jorge Michel Grau, Lee Hardcastle, Noboru Iguchi, Thomas Cappelen Malling, Anders Morgenthaler, Yoshihiro Nishimura, Banjong Pisanthanakun, Simon Rumley, Marcel Sarmiento,...
- 7/31/2012
- by The Woman In Black
- DreadCentral.com
Midnight Madness programmer Colin Geddes might have just topped himself as 2012 edition already looks to be a legendary year with 9 world preems, one lone non-world preem status item in the Sundance preemed Don Coscarelli’s John Dies at the End and a whopping total of more than 30 plus filmmakers beginning with the crazy 26 film omnibus The ABCs of Death (try to imagine what it might look like premiere night on that stage), Jt Petty’s Hellbenders, Martin McDonagh’s much anticipated Seven Psychopaths (see pic above) and the latest from Barry Levinson?
The ABCs of Death World Premiere
Kaare Andrews, Angela Bettis, Adrián García Bogliano, Bruno Forzani & Hélène Cattet, Ernesto Díaz Espinoza, Jason Eisener, Xavier Gens, Jorge Michel Grau, Lee Hardcastle, Noboru Iguchi, Thomas Cappelen Malling, Anders Morgenthaler, Yoshihiro Nishimura, Banjong Pisanthanakun, Simon Rumley, Marcel Sarmiento, Jon Schnepp, Srdjan Spasojevic, Timo Tjahjanto, Andrew Traucki, Nacho Vigalondo, Jake West, Ti West,...
The ABCs of Death World Premiere
Kaare Andrews, Angela Bettis, Adrián García Bogliano, Bruno Forzani & Hélène Cattet, Ernesto Díaz Espinoza, Jason Eisener, Xavier Gens, Jorge Michel Grau, Lee Hardcastle, Noboru Iguchi, Thomas Cappelen Malling, Anders Morgenthaler, Yoshihiro Nishimura, Banjong Pisanthanakun, Simon Rumley, Marcel Sarmiento, Jon Schnepp, Srdjan Spasojevic, Timo Tjahjanto, Andrew Traucki, Nacho Vigalondo, Jake West, Ti West,...
- 7/31/2012
- by Eric Lavallee
- IONCINEMA.com
The 2012 Toronto International Film Festival line-up got another boost with today's announcement of the Midnight Madness, Vanguard and Documentary selections which include films from the likes of Barry Levinson, Don Coscarelli, Rob Zombie, Martin McDonagh, Ben Wheatley, Michel Gondry and Alex Gibney and include titles such as Aftershock, Dredd, Seven Psychopaths, Pusher, Sightseers, The We and the I, The Gatekeepers, Finding Nemo 3D, Hotel Transylvania and a Cinemateque selection that includes Alfred Hitchcock's Dial M For Murder, Roman Polanski's Tess and Roberto Rossellini's Stromboli. Considering Paul Thomas Anderson's The Master was recently added to the official selection as a Special Presentation I am going to have my hands full when it comes to screenings, but I will definitely make sure to catch McDonagh's Seven Psychopaths, which is one of my most anticipated films of the year. Otherwise, the schedule will determine which ones I check out. The...
- 7/31/2012
- by Brad Brevet
- Rope of Silicon
Midnight Madness - part of the Toronto International Film Festival program - is welcoming the world premiere of the anthology The ABC's to Death this year and four new images have been revealed.
The impressive line-up of directors contributing to this film collection include Kaare Andrews, Angela Bettis, Adrián García Bogliano, Bruno Forzani & Hélène Cattet, Ernesto Díaz Espinoza, Jason Eisener, Xavier Gens, Jorge Michel Grau, Lee Hardcastle, Noboru Iguchi, Thomas Cappelen Malling, Anders Morgenthaler, Yoshihiro Nishimura, Banjong Pisanthanakun, Simon Rumley, Marcel Sarmiento, Jon Schnepp, Srdjan Spasojevic, Timo Tjahjanto, Andrew Traucki, Nacho Vigalondo, Jake West, Ti West, Ben Wheatley, Adam Wingard, and Yûdai Yamaguchi.
Synopsis: Twenty-six directors… 26 ways to die! The ABCs Of Death is perhaps the most ambitious anthology film ever conceived, featuring segments directed by over two dozen of the world’s leading talents in contemporary genre film. With each director assigned a letter of the alphabet, they were...
The impressive line-up of directors contributing to this film collection include Kaare Andrews, Angela Bettis, Adrián García Bogliano, Bruno Forzani & Hélène Cattet, Ernesto Díaz Espinoza, Jason Eisener, Xavier Gens, Jorge Michel Grau, Lee Hardcastle, Noboru Iguchi, Thomas Cappelen Malling, Anders Morgenthaler, Yoshihiro Nishimura, Banjong Pisanthanakun, Simon Rumley, Marcel Sarmiento, Jon Schnepp, Srdjan Spasojevic, Timo Tjahjanto, Andrew Traucki, Nacho Vigalondo, Jake West, Ti West, Ben Wheatley, Adam Wingard, and Yûdai Yamaguchi.
Synopsis: Twenty-six directors… 26 ways to die! The ABCs Of Death is perhaps the most ambitious anthology film ever conceived, featuring segments directed by over two dozen of the world’s leading talents in contemporary genre film. With each director assigned a letter of the alphabet, they were...
- 7/31/2012
- shocktillyoudrop.com
Following up an already stellar initial line-up, the Toronto International Film Festival 2012 has announced additional sections including Midnight Madness, Documentaries and Vanguard. When the clock strikes 12, some titles one will be able to see include the highly anticipated Seven Psychopaths, from In Bruges director Martin McDonagh. There’s also the world premiere of the horror anthology The ABCs of Death, as well as Dredd and Eli Roth‘s Aftershock and new films from Rob Zombie and Barry Levinson.
The documentary section brings new films from Alex Gibney, Ken Burns and an interesting one titled How to Make Money Selling Drugs, featuring interviews with 50 Cent, Eminem and more. Rounding out the Vanguard section is many titles screened elsewhere, including the excellent documentary on The Shining, Room 237, as well as the next from Kill List director Ben Wheatley, Sightseers (Cannes review). We also have Luis Prieto‘s Pusher remake, and Michel Gondry...
The documentary section brings new films from Alex Gibney, Ken Burns and an interesting one titled How to Make Money Selling Drugs, featuring interviews with 50 Cent, Eminem and more. Rounding out the Vanguard section is many titles screened elsewhere, including the excellent documentary on The Shining, Room 237, as well as the next from Kill List director Ben Wheatley, Sightseers (Cannes review). We also have Luis Prieto‘s Pusher remake, and Michel Gondry...
- 7/31/2012
- by jpraup@gmail.com (thefilmstage.com)
- The Film Stage
This eccentric little ride, which made some noise at Fantastic Fest a couple of years ago, offers up a fictionalized account of the events surrounding Norwegian diplomat Arne Treholt who was found guilty of selling military secrets to the Soviets in 1984. In this fantastical imagining of the story, Treholt (a stone-faced Mads Ousdal) is the leader of King Olav’s super secret anti-terrorist ninja squad who train on a remote island near Oslo. This rat-tag group of fighters often find themselves up against another top-secret government outfit that stages false communist terrorist attacks to scare “the ignorant masses.” Golan-Globus this is not. Unless you’re up on Norwegian history, much of the political and social satire might not exactly translate. But “Norwegian Ninja,” among other things, is also a low-tech homage to Cold War espionage films and works in spite of any cultural divide. Those drawn to the title with visions of hardcore ninja action,...
- 11/20/2011
- by Bradley Harding
- Planet Fury
The ABCs of Death Red Band Trailer. The ABCs of Death (2012) Red Band Teaser Trailer is directed by Angela Bettis, Hélène Cattet, Ernesto Díaz Espinoza, Jason Eisener, and stars Dallas Malloy. The ABCs of Death‘s plot synopsis: “A 26-chapter anthology that showcases death in all its vicious wonder and brutal beauty.”
The anthology features 26 short films and was “created by various horror directors and one budding filmmaker”.
More on The ABCs of Death and the ongoing submission contest:
The ABCs of Death is comprised of 26 individual chapters, each helmed by a different director assigned a letter of the alphabet. The directors were given free reign to choose a word to represent a form of death based on their letter. A contest is being held for the 26th short film spot, and any home-made videos were submitted online. You can still vote for your top choice online at 26th.theabcsofdeath.
The anthology features 26 short films and was “created by various horror directors and one budding filmmaker”.
More on The ABCs of Death and the ongoing submission contest:
The ABCs of Death is comprised of 26 individual chapters, each helmed by a different director assigned a letter of the alphabet. The directors were given free reign to choose a word to represent a form of death based on their letter. A contest is being held for the 26th short film spot, and any home-made videos were submitted online. You can still vote for your top choice online at 26th.theabcsofdeath.
- 10/24/2011
- by filmbook
- Film-Book
The Flick:
Blending reality and sensationalized fiction, Norwegian Ninja wins as a completely original film that takes its humor seriously. The title alone is an ingenious marketing device that sparks curiosity (Norway has ninjas?). Fortunately for the producing team behind Dead Snow, this interesting documentary styled late night classic works on every level.
The flick stars Mads Oussdal as Kommandør Arne Treholt, a character based on the real life Trehold, a Norwegian diplomat sent to prison for treason on behalf of the Soviet Union. Only, in director Thomas Cappelen Malling’s marvelous tale Trehold is actually the head of a covert ninja force that lives on an island protected by Feng shui. His team of ninjas work directly for King Olav and protect Norway from evil and communists. Everything is hunky dory, that is until Otto Meyer (Jon Øigarden), the head of an secret anti-communist group called Stay Behind, decide...
Blending reality and sensationalized fiction, Norwegian Ninja wins as a completely original film that takes its humor seriously. The title alone is an ingenious marketing device that sparks curiosity (Norway has ninjas?). Fortunately for the producing team behind Dead Snow, this interesting documentary styled late night classic works on every level.
The flick stars Mads Oussdal as Kommandør Arne Treholt, a character based on the real life Trehold, a Norwegian diplomat sent to prison for treason on behalf of the Soviet Union. Only, in director Thomas Cappelen Malling’s marvelous tale Trehold is actually the head of a covert ninja force that lives on an island protected by Feng shui. His team of ninjas work directly for King Olav and protect Norway from evil and communists. Everything is hunky dory, that is until Otto Meyer (Jon Øigarden), the head of an secret anti-communist group called Stay Behind, decide...
- 9/27/2011
- by Donny Broussard
- Killer Films
DVD Playhouse—September 2011
By Allen Gardner
In A Better World (Sony) Winner of last year’s Best Foreign Film Oscar, this Danish export looks at two fractured families and the effect that the adult world dysfunction has on their two sons, who form an immediate and potentially deadly bond. Director Susanne Bier delivers another powerful work that maintains its drive during the films’ first 2/3, then falters somewhat during the last act. Still, well-worth seeing, and beautifully made. Also available on Blu-ray disc. Bonuses: Deleted scenes; Commentary by Bier and editor Pernille Bech Christensen; Interview with Bier. Widescreen. Dolby and DTS-hd 5.1 surround.
X-men First Class (20th Century Fox) “Origins” film set in the early 1960s, traces the beginnings of Magento and Professor X (played ably here by Michael Fassbender and James McAvoy), and how the once-close friends and colleagues became bitter enemies. First half is slam-bang entertainment at its stylish best,...
By Allen Gardner
In A Better World (Sony) Winner of last year’s Best Foreign Film Oscar, this Danish export looks at two fractured families and the effect that the adult world dysfunction has on their two sons, who form an immediate and potentially deadly bond. Director Susanne Bier delivers another powerful work that maintains its drive during the films’ first 2/3, then falters somewhat during the last act. Still, well-worth seeing, and beautifully made. Also available on Blu-ray disc. Bonuses: Deleted scenes; Commentary by Bier and editor Pernille Bech Christensen; Interview with Bier. Widescreen. Dolby and DTS-hd 5.1 surround.
X-men First Class (20th Century Fox) “Origins” film set in the early 1960s, traces the beginnings of Magento and Professor X (played ably here by Michael Fassbender and James McAvoy), and how the once-close friends and colleagues became bitter enemies. First half is slam-bang entertainment at its stylish best,...
- 9/11/2011
- by The Hollywood Interview.com
- The Hollywood Interview
Relentlessly droll, Norwegian Ninja is a movie that could have very easily (and almost does, on occasion) overstay its welcome. Thanks to mixing a ridiculous premise (Norway--they have ninjas!), with actual historical events, with performances set to late 80's direct-to-video super-seriousness, writer/director Thomas Cappelen Malling's film ultimately sells the excess of quirk it's carrying, delivering a visually inventive, action-packed take on Cold War espionage. Mads Ousdal plays Commander Arne Treholt, a fictionalized version of the Norwegian diplomat of the same name who, in 1984, was convicted of selling secrets to the Soviets. Norwegian Ninja purports to tell the tale of how this glasses-wearing patriot and leader of King Olav's personal ninja force would ever provide aid to our former enemies in the Kremlin. Along the...
- 9/2/2011
- Screen Anarchy
When, in 1934, Jean Vigo died of tuberculosis, he was only 29, "a neglected figure at the margins of the industry who had seen one of his films (Zéro de Conduite) banned by the French authorities and another (L'Atalante) recut and retitled by its producer." Dennis Lim in the Los Angeles Times: "Vigo lends himself to romanticization, and not just because of his tragic early death and the aura of unfulfilled promise. He led a brief but colorful life as a fellow traveler of the French surrealists and the son of a well-known anarchist who was apparently murdered in prison. Vigo's first film, the silent, 23-minute À Propos de Nice (On the Subject of Nice), part of the 'city symphony' genre that flourished in the 1920s, confirmed that the young Jean was very much his father's son…. All of Vigo's films were shot by Boris Kaufman, brother of the Soviet film pioneer...
- 8/31/2011
- MUBI
Commander Arne Treholt and his ninja force arrived on Us shores today with the coming of Thomas Cappelen Malling's Norwegian Ninja to Us DVD and VOD from Dark Sky Films. And thanks to the good folks at Dark Sky you can now get a big taste of what makes this one so special as they've given us the first eleven minutes of the film to share here at Twitch.In 1984, high-ranking Norwegian diplomat Arne Treholt was tried and convicted of acting as a spy on behalf of the Soviet Union. But what if the courts got it wrong? What if the case against him was a sham? What if - dare we consider - Treholt was not a spy at all but a patriot...
- 8/30/2011
- Screen Anarchy
Thomas Cappelen Malling's Norwegian Ninja - winner of best director and best actor awards at Fantastic Fest 2010 - hits Us DVD tomorrow and five lucky Twitch readers are going to take home a little something special courtesy of Commander Arne Treholt.In 1984, high-ranking Norwegian diplomat Arne Treholt was tried and convicted of acting as a spy on behalf of the Soviet Union. But what if the courts got it wrong? What if the case against him was a sham? What if - dare we consider - Treholt was not a spy at all but a patriot of the highest order and the leader of a secret ninja force created by King Olav? A ninja force locked in a secret battle against all who...
- 8/29/2011
- Screen Anarchy
In recent years France has been among the front-runners in pushing the boundaries of modern horror. With such offerings as Frontier(s), Inside and High Tension, French filmmakers have been making us seriously squirm. It is with this reminder of the quality of their filmmaking that we at Dread Central bring you an announcement of the film list from the 17th Annual L'Etrange Festival, France's biggest horror film festival.
With over 70 films being screened and more than 17,000 attendees expected to descend on Paris, Le'Etrange Festival
Below we have the Complete listing of the festival's events:
From the Press Release
L’Étrange Festival – a unique event bringing filmgoers a fascinating roster of provocative and eye-opening films – is thrilled to announce the line-up for its 17th edition, September 2 – 11, 2011 in Paris, France.
The 2011 line-up continues the tradition of highlighting emerging talent, paying homage to independent-minded filmmakers and featuring a truly diverse program that includes cutting-edge works,...
With over 70 films being screened and more than 17,000 attendees expected to descend on Paris, Le'Etrange Festival
Below we have the Complete listing of the festival's events:
From the Press Release
L’Étrange Festival – a unique event bringing filmgoers a fascinating roster of provocative and eye-opening films – is thrilled to announce the line-up for its 17th edition, September 2 – 11, 2011 in Paris, France.
The 2011 line-up continues the tradition of highlighting emerging talent, paying homage to independent-minded filmmakers and featuring a truly diverse program that includes cutting-edge works,...
- 8/25/2011
- by Doctor Gash
- DreadCentral.com
Dark Sky Films in a press release has announced an August 30th DVD release for the cult hit, Norwegian Ninja. A festival fave at Fantastic Fest, the disc will have three deleted scenes, six extended scenes, six interviews, a music video, and more.
In 1984, high-ranking Norwegian diplomat Arne Treholt was tried and convicted of acting as a spy on behalf of the Soviet Union. But what if the courts got it wrong? What if the case against him was a sham? What if – dare we consider – Treholt was not a spy at all but a patriot of the highest order and the leader of a secret ninja force created by King Olav? A ninja force locked in a secret battle against all who would challenge Norwegian sovereignty?
A fictionalized account of the most notorious political scandal in Norwegian history, Norwegian Ninja is a deliciously tongue-in-cheek spoof of the Cold War spy movie,...
In 1984, high-ranking Norwegian diplomat Arne Treholt was tried and convicted of acting as a spy on behalf of the Soviet Union. But what if the courts got it wrong? What if the case against him was a sham? What if – dare we consider – Treholt was not a spy at all but a patriot of the highest order and the leader of a secret ninja force created by King Olav? A ninja force locked in a secret battle against all who would challenge Norwegian sovereignty?
A fictionalized account of the most notorious political scandal in Norwegian history, Norwegian Ninja is a deliciously tongue-in-cheek spoof of the Cold War spy movie,...
- 8/8/2011
- by Jon Peters
- Killer Films
One of the (many) fantastic things about Thomas Cappelen Malling's Norwegian Ninja is the film's remarkable attention to period style and detail. This ranged from using miniature effects to the color palette of the film, use of old film stock, etc etc. But it goes even farther than that. Unseen until now is a behind the scenes reel from the creation of the film shot entirely on Super 8. Because, you know, if you're shooting parts of the main film on 16mm you've got to do the making of on 8. But with the arrival of Jj Abram's Super 8 this week it seemed thematically appropriate to trot this out now. Take a look at the reel below and check out the official blog...
- 6/6/2011
- Screen Anarchy
Director: Thomas Cappelen Malling. Review: Adam Wing. From the team that gave us Norway’s first Nazi zombie horror movie comes Thomas Cappelen Malling’s Norwegian Ninja, that’s right, there really is a film called Norwegian Ninja. The most startling revelation of course is that it’s based on a true story - mostly. We’re talking about the true-life tale of Arne Treholt, a former Norwegian Labour Party politician and diplomat convicted of high treason and espionage on behalf of the Soviet Union and Iraq during the Cold War. Treholt's espionage is one of the most serious spy cases in the modern history of Norway. He was arrested in 1984 and sentenced to 20 years in prison, even though the Norwegian government pardoned him in 1992 after serving just 8 years of his punishment. Perhaps we should start again though, just in case you missed the part where the film dared to...
- 4/21/2011
- 24framespersecond.net
Winner of Best Director and Best Actor awards at Fantastic Fest 2010, Thomas Cappelen Malling's Norwegian Ninja has just arrived on store shelves in the UK with a Us release scheduled for June. And you know what this calls for? A ninja dance party, of course!Kommandør Treholt & Ninjatroppen is the true story of how Commander Arne Treholt and his Ninja Force saved Norway during the Cold War. The story takes place in the time right before Treholt's arrest on espionage charges in 1984, and reveals a spectacularly different version of our recent past than has been previously known. A wickedly absurd reimagining of Norway's most notorious political scandal, Norwegian Ninja is essentially what would happen if Wes Anderson made himself a ninja film....
- 4/20/2011
- Screen Anarchy
I pride myself on having seen some of the oddest films ever produced, going as far as to actually seek them out and devour them, letting the self-conscious weirdness envelope me and enrich my wider filmic knowledge through their charming insolence and insouciance. Norwegian Ninja was such a case: I saw the trailer almost by accident and was immediately gripped- how could you not be? It presents itself as a political espionage film, melding the true stories of convicted supposed spy Arne Treholt and the CIA/Nato operated underground organisations known as Stay Behind Forces with a cheeky and retro-filtered impertinence to create a tale of Ninjas and communists the likes of which has never been seen before.
How else can you describe this film other than as a curious little oddity, an odd little curio? It is an experience, that is for sure, and it’s available to buy on DVD now.
How else can you describe this film other than as a curious little oddity, an odd little curio? It is an experience, that is for sure, and it’s available to buy on DVD now.
- 4/18/2011
- by Simon Gallagher
- Obsessed with Film
Norwegian Ninja
Stars: Mads Oussdal, Jon Oigarden, Trond-Viggo Torgersen | Written and Directed by Thomas Cappelen Malling
Norwegian Ninja is the debut feature by author-turned-filmmaker Thomas Cappelen Malling and tells the (fictitious) story of Arne Treholt, who in real life was a former Norwegian social democratic politician and diplomat, who in the 80s was convicted of high treason and espionage on behalf of the Soviet Union and Iraq and sentenced to 20 years in prison.
However in Malling’s mad-cap movie Treholt (Oussdal) is a highly trained member of Norway’s covert ninja force. Discovering a sinister plot against Norway lead by Treholt’s nemesis, Meyer (Oigarden), an operative of an anti-Soviet force funded by Nato, Treholt and the ninja force must fight to defeat Meyer’s co-conspirators in the name of King Olav.
On paper Norwegian Ninja sounds like a genius idea – a real life politician re-imagined as the leader of a secret Norwegian ninja force,...
Stars: Mads Oussdal, Jon Oigarden, Trond-Viggo Torgersen | Written and Directed by Thomas Cappelen Malling
Norwegian Ninja is the debut feature by author-turned-filmmaker Thomas Cappelen Malling and tells the (fictitious) story of Arne Treholt, who in real life was a former Norwegian social democratic politician and diplomat, who in the 80s was convicted of high treason and espionage on behalf of the Soviet Union and Iraq and sentenced to 20 years in prison.
However in Malling’s mad-cap movie Treholt (Oussdal) is a highly trained member of Norway’s covert ninja force. Discovering a sinister plot against Norway lead by Treholt’s nemesis, Meyer (Oigarden), an operative of an anti-Soviet force funded by Nato, Treholt and the ninja force must fight to defeat Meyer’s co-conspirators in the name of King Olav.
On paper Norwegian Ninja sounds like a genius idea – a real life politician re-imagined as the leader of a secret Norwegian ninja force,...
- 4/17/2011
- by Phil
- Nerdly
From the minds that produced the cult Nazi zombies hit “Dead Snow”, Thomas Cappelen Malling’s quirky, offbeat homage to B-movie spy flicks…Norwegian Ninja is heading for the UK, and the movies sub site is now live. We’ll give you the plotline (we’re good that way) for it right now, but there clips and photos aplenty to be seen there as well. Norwegian Ninja is released in the UK on April 18. Synsopsis: When Commander Treholt (Mads Oussdal) and the highly trained members of his covert Ninja Force discover a sinister plot against Norway, they immediately leap into action to avert the crisis. Behind the devious plans for a coup-d'état that would effectively place the Us in control of the country is Treholt’s nemesis, Meyer (Jon Oigarden), an operative of “Stay Behind”, an anti-Soviet force funded by Nato and with nefarious links to the CIA. As Treholt...
- 3/31/2011
- 24framespersecond.net
Some film titles just stand out. Norwegian Ninja is one of those titles. This forthcoming movie has “cult cinema” written all over. We’ve been given an exclusive look at some behind the scenes footage of what could be a super cool flick.
The Wall Street Journal liked it so much they blockcapped their entire quote! ““Hilarious And Menacing, Absurd And Insightful – An Accomplished Work Of Genre Filmmaking That Authoritatively Upends The Cold-war Spy Thriller.”
Check out the behind the scenes clip and come back for our review next month.
Synopsis:
A true story of treason and espionage in Cold War-era Norway re-imagined by a writer-director who, as a 12-year-old, had his mind warped by a diet of Star Wars, 1980s Ninja movies, C64 video games and his dad’s spy novels, provides the bizarre source material and inspires the vision for Norwegian Ninja, the debut feature by author-turned-filmmaker Thomas Cappelen Malling.
The Wall Street Journal liked it so much they blockcapped their entire quote! ““Hilarious And Menacing, Absurd And Insightful – An Accomplished Work Of Genre Filmmaking That Authoritatively Upends The Cold-war Spy Thriller.”
Check out the behind the scenes clip and come back for our review next month.
Synopsis:
A true story of treason and espionage in Cold War-era Norway re-imagined by a writer-director who, as a 12-year-old, had his mind warped by a diet of Star Wars, 1980s Ninja movies, C64 video games and his dad’s spy novels, provides the bizarre source material and inspires the vision for Norwegian Ninja, the debut feature by author-turned-filmmaker Thomas Cappelen Malling.
- 3/30/2011
- by Martyn Conterio
- FilmShaft.com
A true story of treason and espionage in Cold War-era Norway re-imagined by a writer-director who, as a 12-year-old, had his mind warped by a diet of Star Wars, 1980s Ninja movies, Commodore 64 video games and his dad’s spy novels, provides the bizarre source material and inspires the vision for Norwegian Ninja, the debut feature by author-turned-filmmaker Thomas Cappelen Malling.
The folks at Cult Labs have sent us this great behind the scenes video from the film, which is released on DVD in the UK on April 18th courtesy of eOne; and you haven’t seen the trailer yet, you can check that out beyond the synopsis below.
When Commander Treholt (Mads Oussdal) and the highly trained members of his covert Ninja Force discover a sinister plot against Norway, they immediately leap into action to avert the crisis. Behind the devious plans for a coup-d’état that would effectively...
The folks at Cult Labs have sent us this great behind the scenes video from the film, which is released on DVD in the UK on April 18th courtesy of eOne; and you haven’t seen the trailer yet, you can check that out beyond the synopsis below.
When Commander Treholt (Mads Oussdal) and the highly trained members of his covert Ninja Force discover a sinister plot against Norway, they immediately leap into action to avert the crisis. Behind the devious plans for a coup-d’état that would effectively...
- 3/29/2011
- by Phil
- Nerdly
From the minds that produced the cult Nazi zombies hit “Dead Snow”, Thomas Cappelen Malling’s quirky, offbeat homage to B-movie spy flicks…Norwegian Ninja is heading for the UK, and the movies sub site is now live. We’ll give you the plotline (we’re good that way) for it right now, but there clips and photos aplenty to be seen there as well. Norwegian Ninja is released in the UK on April 18. Synsopsis: When Commander Treholt (Mads Oussdal) and the highly trained members of his covert Ninja Force discover a sinister plot against Norway, they immediately leap into action to avert the crisis. Behind the devious plans for a coup-d'état that would effectively place the Us in control of the country is Treholt’s nemesis, Meyer (Jon Oigarden), an operative of “Stay Behind”, an anti-Soviet force funded by Nato and with nefarious links to the CIA. As Treholt...
- 3/22/2011
- 24framespersecond.net
From the producer of awesome nazi-zombie flick Dead Snow, Thomas Cappelen Malling's Norwegian Ninja is a fun-packed homage to all manner of past genre films from Bond to old school kung-fu. With a considerable cult following already it's hitting - and probably karate chopping - UK DVD on the 18th April through eOne. You can find out more via Cult Labs here and check out the links below for lots more coverage from Twitch.Special Features include: Oddities and Bloopers; Home Alone With Otto; Interviews plus Fight Choreography, Music Video, Skycar and Torpedo featurettes; Bonus Scenes (Action Figures, Life On A Grassy Island, Wingsuits, Pyrotechnics)....
- 3/16/2011
- Screen Anarchy
“Norwegian Ninja” is a truly inspired proposition, taking the real life story of Arne Treholt (a former Norwegian social democrat politician and diplomat who in the 1980s was sentenced to 20 years in prison for high treason and espionage on behalf of the Soviet Union) and turning it its head by suggesting that the man was in fact a master ninja, leading a group of operatives in defending the Norwegian way of life. Marking the cinematic debut of author Thomas Cappelen Malling, the film is every bit as unclassifiable and creative as it sounds, mixing politics, action, comedy and mystic philosophy with an inspired, documentary style approach. Produced by the same team responsible for other recent Norwegian cult success “Dead Snow”, the film arrives on region 2 DVD shortly via eOne, with a host of special features including interviews, a blooper reel, music video, several behind the scenes docs and other extras.
- 2/28/2011
- by James Mudge
- Beyond Hollywood
While I didn't see near as many films this year as some of the fine gentlemen who write for this site I did see my fair share of gems. Below is a list of films I thought stood out this year, in no particular order.
Trollhunters.
We Scandinavians have a ton of legends about trolls and assorted monsters in our culture and when André Øvredal created a film about trolls in modern times I didn't think it would be as well made and successful as it turned out to be. Set firmly in the Blair Witch side of filmmaking the film delivers a fantastic story, action and scares, all wrapped up in the gorgeous scenery of the Norwegian fjords.
Rare Exports
Brothers Jalmari and Juuso Helander created a few years ago a couple of shorts about the hunting and domesticating of the wild and feral santa claus in the northern region of Finland.
Trollhunters.
We Scandinavians have a ton of legends about trolls and assorted monsters in our culture and when André Øvredal created a film about trolls in modern times I didn't think it would be as well made and successful as it turned out to be. Set firmly in the Blair Witch side of filmmaking the film delivers a fantastic story, action and scares, all wrapped up in the gorgeous scenery of the Norwegian fjords.
Rare Exports
Brothers Jalmari and Juuso Helander created a few years ago a couple of shorts about the hunting and domesticating of the wild and feral santa claus in the northern region of Finland.
- 12/28/2010
- Screen Anarchy
In years past I have included a section for Discoveries in my end of year wrap up, a section devoted to the fresh new faces who arrived on the scene in that past year. But while my annual Top / Bottom of the year list was published yesterday the Discovery section was not included. The reason is simple. I normally include three or five such titles but 2010 has proven to be such a strong year for debuts and otherwise unknown directors breaking out that the initial 'short' list was not short at all and by the time I got it down to twelve titles I simply found that I was not willing to cut any further. These twelve are all so strong that I simply could not choose between them.
And so I present them all, an even dozen discovery moments from 2010. In my opinion this is the new crop of...
And so I present them all, an even dozen discovery moments from 2010. In my opinion this is the new crop of...
- 12/21/2010
- Screen Anarchy
Filed under: Cinematical
What if a man accused of selling secrets to the enemy was, in actuality, a Ninja (???!!!). From that amusing premise, dreamed up by director Thomas Cappelen Malling in his childhood while idly watching televised news reports, 'Norwegian Ninja' has been born. Surprisingly enough, it's based on fact. (No, not the ninja part.)
Back in the early 80s, a diplomat named Arne Treholt was accused of high treason for selling government secrets to the Evil Empire (i.e. the Soviet Union and Iraq). He was convicted and sentenced to 20 years in prison, though he continues to claim that he is innocent of all charges. In the seemingly lighthearted film version, Treholt (Mads Ousdal) is a government-sanctioned ninja and lives on an island where he trains other agents in the way of the ninja: appearing in a puff of smoke out of nowhere, stalking without being seen, etc. (The...
What if a man accused of selling secrets to the enemy was, in actuality, a Ninja (???!!!). From that amusing premise, dreamed up by director Thomas Cappelen Malling in his childhood while idly watching televised news reports, 'Norwegian Ninja' has been born. Surprisingly enough, it's based on fact. (No, not the ninja part.)
Back in the early 80s, a diplomat named Arne Treholt was accused of high treason for selling government secrets to the Evil Empire (i.e. the Soviet Union and Iraq). He was convicted and sentenced to 20 years in prison, though he continues to claim that he is innocent of all charges. In the seemingly lighthearted film version, Treholt (Mads Ousdal) is a government-sanctioned ninja and lives on an island where he trains other agents in the way of the ninja: appearing in a puff of smoke out of nowhere, stalking without being seen, etc. (The...
- 10/3/2010
- by Peter Martin
- Moviefone
Filed under: Cinematical
What if a man accused of selling secrets to the enemy was, in actuality, a Ninja (???!!!). From that amusing premise, dreamed up by director Thomas Cappelen Malling in his childhood while idly watching televised news reports, 'Norwegian Ninja' has been born. Surprisingly enough, it's based on fact. (No, not the ninja part.)
Back in the early 80s, a diplomat named Arne Treholt was accused of high treason for selling government secrets to the Evil Empire (i.e. the Soviet Union and Iraq). He was convicted and sentenced to 20 years in prison, though he continues to claim that he is innocent of all charges. In the seemingly lighthearted film version, Treholt (Mads Ousdal) is a government-sanctioned ninja and lives on an island where he trains other agents in the way of the ninja: appearing in a puff of smoke out of nowhere, stalking without being seen, etc. (The...
What if a man accused of selling secrets to the enemy was, in actuality, a Ninja (???!!!). From that amusing premise, dreamed up by director Thomas Cappelen Malling in his childhood while idly watching televised news reports, 'Norwegian Ninja' has been born. Surprisingly enough, it's based on fact. (No, not the ninja part.)
Back in the early 80s, a diplomat named Arne Treholt was accused of high treason for selling government secrets to the Evil Empire (i.e. the Soviet Union and Iraq). He was convicted and sentenced to 20 years in prison, though he continues to claim that he is innocent of all charges. In the seemingly lighthearted film version, Treholt (Mads Ousdal) is a government-sanctioned ninja and lives on an island where he trains other agents in the way of the ninja: appearing in a puff of smoke out of nowhere, stalking without being seen, etc. (The...
- 10/3/2010
- by Peter Martin
- Cinematical
Fantastic Fest came to a close late last night after numerous horror, science fiction, fantasy, action, Asian, and cult films were screened at the Alamo Drafthouse.
It culminated with an awards ceremony in Austin, TX to honor the best of the festival.
The press release from Fantastic Fest, including all the award winners, is embedded below:
Austin, TX— Monday, September 27, 2010— Fantastic Fest is excited to announce this year’s crop of Fantastic Fest titles includes some of the brightest and hardest-hitting films of all time. We’ve seen a psycho-kinetic tire, a secret ninja, a town invaded by 8-bit enemies, and a family of cannibals that you might consider going home with. It’s a terrible task to pick favorites and single out any of the magnificent films, but our esteemed team of jurors have done the nearly impossible and chosen the best and most striking films of the festival.
It culminated with an awards ceremony in Austin, TX to honor the best of the festival.
The press release from Fantastic Fest, including all the award winners, is embedded below:
Austin, TX— Monday, September 27, 2010— Fantastic Fest is excited to announce this year’s crop of Fantastic Fest titles includes some of the brightest and hardest-hitting films of all time. We’ve seen a psycho-kinetic tire, a secret ninja, a town invaded by 8-bit enemies, and a family of cannibals that you might consider going home with. It’s a terrible task to pick favorites and single out any of the magnificent films, but our esteemed team of jurors have done the nearly impossible and chosen the best and most striking films of the festival.
- 9/28/2010
- by Jamie Neish
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Austin, TX--- Monday, September 27, 2010--- Fantastic Fest is excited to announce this year’s crop of Fantastic Fest titles includes some of the brightest and hardest-hitting films of all time. We’ve seen a psycho-kinetic tire, a secret ninja, a town invaded by 8-bit enemies, and a family of cannibals that you might consider going home with. It’s a terrible task to pick favorites and single out any of the magnificent films, but our esteemed team of jurors have done the nearly impossible and chosen the best and most striking films of the festival. The juries were comprised of some of the most esteemed filmmakers, critics, festival directors and show biz people in the industry. Their thoughtful deliberations provided the following acknowledgments of cinematic excellence in all things Fantastic: The audience awards are presented by accounting firm Maxwell Locke & Ritter, who provided the certified tabulation of ballots this year.
- 9/28/2010
- by Dave Campbell
- SmellsLikeScreenSpirit
Behold the awesome power of political satire on film.
Thomas Cappelen Malling's Norwegian Ninja - a title regular readers of the site should be well familiar with by now and attendees of Fantastic Fest are about to get the chance to see - is based on the true story of Arne Treholt, a high ranking Norwegian diplomat who, at the height of the Cold War, was tried and convicted of spying for the Soviet Union. The entire case took place under suspicious circumstances and details have been kept locked down ever since, despite Treholt's insistence on his innocence and the pardon granted by a later government.
The actual case was so fishy, in fact, that it led Malling to speculate on whether the 'true' events were true at all and, considering the incredible amounts of propaganda and media manipulation prevalent at the time, whether it was any more far...
Thomas Cappelen Malling's Norwegian Ninja - a title regular readers of the site should be well familiar with by now and attendees of Fantastic Fest are about to get the chance to see - is based on the true story of Arne Treholt, a high ranking Norwegian diplomat who, at the height of the Cold War, was tried and convicted of spying for the Soviet Union. The entire case took place under suspicious circumstances and details have been kept locked down ever since, despite Treholt's insistence on his innocence and the pardon granted by a later government.
The actual case was so fishy, in fact, that it led Malling to speculate on whether the 'true' events were true at all and, considering the incredible amounts of propaganda and media manipulation prevalent at the time, whether it was any more far...
- 9/21/2010
- Screen Anarchy
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.