Vol. I Issue 10 February 2013
Join us twice weekly. Send us links to your sizzle reels and film sites.
As this last weekend approached I was faced with marking my Academy Award ballot. This process is always really difficult. How does one sort out the “best” film or accomplishment of five or nine in the case of the Best Picture? For me it has been over 30 years of screenings. Thousand of films. Some really great films and many not so great. I also try to think what it means to be one of the nominees. What was the off-screen story but always more importantly what their contribution was to the work and how the film compares to others. What’s great about short films is that they can be made for almost nothing by a few filmmakers without a large budget, crew or cast.
The Academy has three nomination categories for films less than 41 minutes in length: short fiction, documentary and animation. Once nominated, there are public screenings and panels to celebrate the nominated films at the Academy in Beverly Hills. A group photograph of all the nominees is taken with a large Oscar in the lobby of the Academy headquarters. It is really a wonderful experience.
It wasn’t always like that. There were no special celebrations for the short or documentary films until the l980s. While the Foreign Language films had their seminar, nothing was done for these films. We tried to remedy that in the 1980s and started the Direct Cinema receptions and screenings with UCLA, USC and, a few years later, the Ida sponsored “Docuday” and the Academy started doing an annual reception for the shorts and documentary filmmakers. Today the Academy’s evening receptions for the short films, animated features (a relatively new Oscar category) and the documentaries are annual sell-out events. The filmmakers and their works are celebrated and it has become a highlight of the Oscar week for the filmmakers and those associated with the films.
When I first became a member of the Academy the short films and animation branch was headed by a number of extraordinary talents: T Hee, Saul Bass and June Forey. These three remarkable artists represented classic Disney animation (T. Hee), fiction and narrative short films (Saul Bass), and the television and theatrical films (June Forey, who voiced hundreds of characters.)
Saul Bass articulated the branch’s membership policy, “We want them to be part of our branch.” This liberal interpretation allowed documentary filmmakers like Ken Burns as well as voice artists and creatives like Stan Friedberg (and June Forey) to be part of a group that included IMAX filmmakers as well as classic character animation directors, colorists, layout artists, producers and other key short film and animation filmmakers. The animation filmmakers represent both the studio animators and the independent animators who work globally doing personal work as well as studio work. Other governors from 1979 to the present have included Hal Elias, who served on the Academy board for 37 years and was a short film publicist for MGM among other things; Bill Littlejohn, who worked on over 90 films as an animator ranging from Charley Brown, Peanuts Christmas Specials to working with the Hubleys’; Bill Scott, who acted and wrote over a hundred animated films, and Carl Bell, who worked on over 35 films at Disney in its animation department.
Unlike most of the other branches, the Short Films branch screens all of the submitted films in 16mm and 35mm and now in Digital Cinema, in an effort to find and nominate the best short films produced in the world. The branch rules allowed films to qualify in an effort to encourage more international entries in the 1990s by taking a first prize at key festivals in addition to the method that all Academy films can use to qualify, a theatrical week long (now three day for shorts) run in a theater in Los Angeles County. Branch screenings were expanded to New York to permit more members to participate in the nomination process in the 1990s. The final short listed screenings are in New York, San Francisco and Los Angeles. Over one-third of the branch participates in the voting. The best change took place this year, sending DVD screeners to all Academy members of the short live action and animated nominated films. While this still won’t force members to watch them, members can’t claim they can’t see them. This is not only great for the branch but great for the nominated filmmakers. Who would not want to screen their short film for Academy members?
The process of the branch for selecting Nominees has remained unchanged for years—members screen the films in a theater rather than on DVDs, which is how the Documentary branch is dealing with the flood of feature docs and their unwillingness to trust committees. Nothing beats seeing films projected on a large screen with perfect sound and that is now lost. In a two step process, a committee (self selected from the branch membership) screens the films and the 15 films with the highest scores are short listed. The short listed films are then screened again and members vote.
The current Short Film Branch governors are Jon Bloom (pictured with the 2007 nominees), a 1983 fiction short nominee, filmmaker, editor and producer who chairs the branch, animator and Disney Creative Head and multi-Oscar winner, John Lasseter, and William "Bill" Kroyer,an award-winning director of animation and computer graphics commercials, short films, movie titles and theatrical films and faculty member Chapman College.
One of the challenges for the branch is how to grow live action producing members. With the addition of feature animation to the awards and the large number of feature animation films being released, the branch would like to have the most qualified animators to become members. The number of animators grows at a far faster rate than that of the live action filmmakers since only a few live action filmmakers can qualify for membership. The commercial success of animated features, the long production schedules and the large number of animators who work in qualifying positions allows for six plus individuals per picture to be eligible for membership. With five nominees a year, the number of individuals who can play a key role in two or three features becoming eligible for membership can easily approach 30 plus individuals annually. Add in the short animation nominees and competition for the limited new slots allocated to the branch can be brutal. The talent pool of animators is both astonishingly strong and suggests that Hollywood can easily double production from the 15 or so films made annually to 25 or 30 without having to compromise on talent.
Many of the filmmakers in the branch who make their Oscar nominated or winning live action short have made or are interested in making feature length works. A number of recent nominees or winners have made that transition. The following list looks at all of the live action nominees from 2001 to 2011, using the Internet Movie Database I looked up each nominee and listed what they reported they were doing professionally. Obviously, this is not intended to show everything. In each case, I listed credits or summarized credits shown in the IMDb listing.
Some observations about 11 years of Live Action Short Film Academy Award Nominees:
There were 86 nominations (out of a possible 110) This is because in some years only three films were nominated and in some cases only one filmmaker from a film was eligible for a nomination. Non-us based filmmakers dominate this category. Despite the huge number of short films being made annually in the Us, a majority of the nominated films come from filmmakers based abroad. In part this is due to the government subsidies available, but it is also due to the strong training programs, commercial support for the short films and a rich tradition of theatrical shorts. This year (2012) four of the five films in the live action category are from Us filmmakers. This is an unusual year. Few filmmakers have more than one nomination, only a handful of the nominees have made multiple Academy worthy short films. As one might expect, many of the filmmakers have continued their film work in television, some in features. The European Oscar winners (vs nominees) have done better at snagging features after a win than have their American counterparts. Again, this is likely a function of government support for entry features. Perhaps one of the short films seem to have been turned into a feature (or television) film. Some of the short films are intended to be sizzle reels for features, but it is not clear why so few of the nominated short films have been turned into features. A number of the Oscar winners have not continued working in film. No record of future productions are shown on IMDb. It would be interesting to see what they are doing now. Two of the Oscar winners have written critically award winning screenplays, one received two Academy Award nominations for his screenwriting. None of these nominees have gone on to win Oscars in directing or producing for feature films.
The data is from the Academy and the IMDb databases.
Apologies in advance, if credits were missed or other factual errors were made. In a week we’ll be able to add this year's winner.
2001 (74th)
Short Film (Live Action) (* won Academy Award)
*the accountant -- Ray McKinnon: Two Features: Randy and the Mob 2007 and Crystal 2004 Lisa Blount: Produced these features. Copy Shop -- Virgil Widrich Gregor's Greatest Invention -- Johannes Kiefer A Man Thing (Meska Sprawa) -- Slawomir Fabicki, Two Features: Loving 2012, Retrieval 2006 (Also wrote) Bogumil Godfrejow Has shot multiple features Speed for Thespians -- Kalman Apple, Shameela Bakhsh
2002 (75th)
Short Film (Live Action)
Fait D'Hiver -- Dirk Beliën, Anja Daelemans produced Comrade Kim Goes North I'll Wait for the Next One... (J'Attendrai Le Suivant...) -- Philippe Orreindy, Thomas Gaudin Inja (Dog) -- Steven Pasvolsky Feature, Deck Dogz Joe Weatherstone, produced episodic television. Johnny Flynton -- Lexi Alexander, directed 3 features: Lifted, Punisher: War Zone and Green Street Hooligans Alexander Buono as a Dp has shot series and features *This Charming Manon (Der Er En Yndig Mand) -- Martin Strange-Hansen, Mie Andreasen produced both features, series and documentaries.
2003 (76th)
Short Film (Live Action)
Die Rote Jacke (The Red Jacket) -- Florian Baxmeyer Multiple television films and series Most (The Bridge) -- Bobby Garabedian, William Zabka Mr. Zabka has appeared as an actor in numerous films and television shows Squash -- Lionel Bailliu Features: Fair Play and Denis (in post) (A) Torzija [(A) Torsion] -- Stefan Arsenijevic Directed: Lost and Found, Love and Other Crimes, and Do Not Forget Me Istanbul *Two Soldiers -- Aaron Schneider,Asc (Cinematographer numerous credits) and feature, Kiss the Girls, Andrew J. Sacks Series The Closer (98 episodes) and Major Crimes.
2004 (77th)
Short Film (Live Action)
Everything in This Country Must -- Gary McKendry Directed Killer Elite, Joseph and the Girl Little Terrorist -- Ashvin Kumar Produced and Directed features (2) and documentaries (2) 7:35 in the Morning (7:35 de la Mañana) -- Nacho Vigalondo Directed and written multiple films, series, shorts Two Cars, One Night -- Taika Waititi, Acted and directed and written multi television and films Ainsley Gardiner Nz based producer of multiple shorts, television and feature films *Wasp -- Andrea Arnold Actor, director and writer of numbers films, television programs
2005 (78th)
Short Film (Live Action)
Ausreisser (The Runaway) -- Ulrike Grote Ms. Grote has acted in over 42 programs, features, television series and films Cashback -- Sean Ellis, Director/Writer Metro Manila, The Broken Lene Bausager Producer, The Broken, Ginger and Rosa The Last Farm -- Rúnar Rúnarsson, Director/Writer Volcano, Thor S. Sigurjónsson Produced multiple features Our Time Is Up -- Rob Pearlstein, Director/Writer multiple television and a feature Pia Clemente Producer, documentaries *Six Shooter -- Martin McDonagh Writer/Director Seven Psychopaths, In Bruges
2006 (79th)
Short Film (Live Action)
Binta and the Great Idea (Binta Y La Gran Idea) -- Javier Fesser, no other credits shown Luis Manso Produced multiple features Éramos Pocos (One Too Many) -- Borja Cobeaga Writer, multi films and television series Helmer & Son -- Søren Pilmark no other credits, Kim Magnusso Producer over 100 film, television films (4 Best Short Film Academy Award nominations) Won for Ernst & Lyset The Saviour -- Peter Templeman, no other credits Stuart Parkyn, Producer, multi-short film credits *West Bank Story -- Ari Sandel Director, one short, one documentary
2007 (80th)
Short Film (Live Action)
At Night -- Christian E. Christiansen, Directed, Features and television series Louise Vesth Producer, multi features Il Supplente (The Substitute) -- Andrea Jublin
*Le Mozart des Pickpockets (The Mozart of Pickpockets) -- Philippe Pollet-Villard Actor and director short films, a television film
Tanghi Argentini -- Guido Thys, Director, Multiple television series Anja Daelemans, nominated for 2 Short Film nominations (Gridlock, 2002) Producer/Pm various The Tonto Woman -- Daniel Barber, Directed The Keeping Room, Harry Brown Matthew Brown Produced 2 shorts
2008 (81st)
Short Film (Live Action)
Auf der Strecke (On the Line) -- Reto Caffi Manon on the Asphalt -- Elizabeth Marre, Director, Television series Olivier Pont Director, Television series New Boy -- Steph Green, Director Run and Jump Tamara Anghie Producer Run and Jump The Pig -- Tivi Magnusson, Producer Over 64 titles many short films, Dorte Høgh Writer multiple series, (Directed The Pig) *Spielzeugland (Toyland) -- Jochen Alexander Freydank Producer of multiple television series
2009 (82nd)
Short Film (Live Action)
The Door -- Juanita Wilson, Director As If I Am Not There James Flynn Multiple Producer credits for over 50 titles, television and theatrical Instead of Abracadabra -- Patrik Eklund, Director, Television film and feature Mathias Fjellström Kavi -- Gregg Helvey Miracle Fish -- Luke Doolan, Multiple credits as editor Drew Bailey Multiple credits as Assistant Director *The New Tenants -- Joachim Back, no other credits shown as a director, Tivi Magnusson This is Mr. Magnusson’s first Academy Award and second nomination. See 2008.
2010 (83rd)
Short Film (Live Action)
The Confession -- Tanel Toom The Crush -- Michael Creagh *God of Love -- Luke Matheny Feature Love Sick and multiple Television series episode Na Wewe -- Ivan Goldschmidt Wish 143 -- Ian Barnes, Multiple directing credits Television Samantha Waite Credits as production coordinator on multiple titles
2011 (84th)
Short Film (Live Action)
Pentecost -- Peter McDonald, Credits as actor Eimear O'Kane Credits as Producer on The Shadows and on television programs. Raju -- Max Zähle, Director, Television series Stefan Gieren Producer-Writer credit on feature film, Kunduz: The Incident at Hadji Ghafur *The Shore -- Terry George, Writer Two Oscar nominations for screenplays In the Name of the Father and Hotel Riwanda Producer and director on films and television series Oorlagh George Numerous credits as Assistant on features, documentaries and television shows Time Freak -- Andrew Bowler Writer and actor in a short film Gigi Causey Production manager, producer shorts, series and films
__________________________________________________________________________________
Credits: Editing by Jessica Just for SydneysBuzz
__________________________________________________________________________________
Mitchell Block specializes in conceiving, producing, marketing & distributing independent features & consulting. He is an expert in placing both completed works into distribution & working with producers to make projects fundable. He conducts regular workshops in film producing in Los Angeles and most recently in Maine, Russia and in Myanmar (Burma).
Poster Girl, produced by Block was nominated for a Documentary Academy Award and selected by the Ida as the Best Doc Short 2011. It was also nominated for two Emmy Awards and aired on HBO. He is an executive producer of the Emmy Award-winning PBS series Carrier, a 10-hour series that he conceived & co-created. Block is a graduate of Tisch School and Columbia University’s Graduate School of Business. He is a member of Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences, the Television Academy, a founding member of BAFTA-la and has been teaching at USC School of Cinematic Arts since 1979. Currently Block teaches a required class in the USC Peter Stark Producing Program.
______________________________________________________________________
©2013Mwb All Rights Reserved All Rights Reserved. All information and designs on the Sites are copyrighted material owned by Block. Reproduction, dissemination, or transmission of any part of the material here without the express written consent of the owner is strictly prohibited.All other product names and marks on Block Direct, whether trademarks, service marks, or other type, and whether registered or unregistered, is the property of Block.
Join us twice weekly. Send us links to your sizzle reels and film sites.
As this last weekend approached I was faced with marking my Academy Award ballot. This process is always really difficult. How does one sort out the “best” film or accomplishment of five or nine in the case of the Best Picture? For me it has been over 30 years of screenings. Thousand of films. Some really great films and many not so great. I also try to think what it means to be one of the nominees. What was the off-screen story but always more importantly what their contribution was to the work and how the film compares to others. What’s great about short films is that they can be made for almost nothing by a few filmmakers without a large budget, crew or cast.
The Academy has three nomination categories for films less than 41 minutes in length: short fiction, documentary and animation. Once nominated, there are public screenings and panels to celebrate the nominated films at the Academy in Beverly Hills. A group photograph of all the nominees is taken with a large Oscar in the lobby of the Academy headquarters. It is really a wonderful experience.
It wasn’t always like that. There were no special celebrations for the short or documentary films until the l980s. While the Foreign Language films had their seminar, nothing was done for these films. We tried to remedy that in the 1980s and started the Direct Cinema receptions and screenings with UCLA, USC and, a few years later, the Ida sponsored “Docuday” and the Academy started doing an annual reception for the shorts and documentary filmmakers. Today the Academy’s evening receptions for the short films, animated features (a relatively new Oscar category) and the documentaries are annual sell-out events. The filmmakers and their works are celebrated and it has become a highlight of the Oscar week for the filmmakers and those associated with the films.
When I first became a member of the Academy the short films and animation branch was headed by a number of extraordinary talents: T Hee, Saul Bass and June Forey. These three remarkable artists represented classic Disney animation (T. Hee), fiction and narrative short films (Saul Bass), and the television and theatrical films (June Forey, who voiced hundreds of characters.)
Saul Bass articulated the branch’s membership policy, “We want them to be part of our branch.” This liberal interpretation allowed documentary filmmakers like Ken Burns as well as voice artists and creatives like Stan Friedberg (and June Forey) to be part of a group that included IMAX filmmakers as well as classic character animation directors, colorists, layout artists, producers and other key short film and animation filmmakers. The animation filmmakers represent both the studio animators and the independent animators who work globally doing personal work as well as studio work. Other governors from 1979 to the present have included Hal Elias, who served on the Academy board for 37 years and was a short film publicist for MGM among other things; Bill Littlejohn, who worked on over 90 films as an animator ranging from Charley Brown, Peanuts Christmas Specials to working with the Hubleys’; Bill Scott, who acted and wrote over a hundred animated films, and Carl Bell, who worked on over 35 films at Disney in its animation department.
Unlike most of the other branches, the Short Films branch screens all of the submitted films in 16mm and 35mm and now in Digital Cinema, in an effort to find and nominate the best short films produced in the world. The branch rules allowed films to qualify in an effort to encourage more international entries in the 1990s by taking a first prize at key festivals in addition to the method that all Academy films can use to qualify, a theatrical week long (now three day for shorts) run in a theater in Los Angeles County. Branch screenings were expanded to New York to permit more members to participate in the nomination process in the 1990s. The final short listed screenings are in New York, San Francisco and Los Angeles. Over one-third of the branch participates in the voting. The best change took place this year, sending DVD screeners to all Academy members of the short live action and animated nominated films. While this still won’t force members to watch them, members can’t claim they can’t see them. This is not only great for the branch but great for the nominated filmmakers. Who would not want to screen their short film for Academy members?
The process of the branch for selecting Nominees has remained unchanged for years—members screen the films in a theater rather than on DVDs, which is how the Documentary branch is dealing with the flood of feature docs and their unwillingness to trust committees. Nothing beats seeing films projected on a large screen with perfect sound and that is now lost. In a two step process, a committee (self selected from the branch membership) screens the films and the 15 films with the highest scores are short listed. The short listed films are then screened again and members vote.
The current Short Film Branch governors are Jon Bloom (pictured with the 2007 nominees), a 1983 fiction short nominee, filmmaker, editor and producer who chairs the branch, animator and Disney Creative Head and multi-Oscar winner, John Lasseter, and William "Bill" Kroyer,an award-winning director of animation and computer graphics commercials, short films, movie titles and theatrical films and faculty member Chapman College.
One of the challenges for the branch is how to grow live action producing members. With the addition of feature animation to the awards and the large number of feature animation films being released, the branch would like to have the most qualified animators to become members. The number of animators grows at a far faster rate than that of the live action filmmakers since only a few live action filmmakers can qualify for membership. The commercial success of animated features, the long production schedules and the large number of animators who work in qualifying positions allows for six plus individuals per picture to be eligible for membership. With five nominees a year, the number of individuals who can play a key role in two or three features becoming eligible for membership can easily approach 30 plus individuals annually. Add in the short animation nominees and competition for the limited new slots allocated to the branch can be brutal. The talent pool of animators is both astonishingly strong and suggests that Hollywood can easily double production from the 15 or so films made annually to 25 or 30 without having to compromise on talent.
Many of the filmmakers in the branch who make their Oscar nominated or winning live action short have made or are interested in making feature length works. A number of recent nominees or winners have made that transition. The following list looks at all of the live action nominees from 2001 to 2011, using the Internet Movie Database I looked up each nominee and listed what they reported they were doing professionally. Obviously, this is not intended to show everything. In each case, I listed credits or summarized credits shown in the IMDb listing.
Some observations about 11 years of Live Action Short Film Academy Award Nominees:
There were 86 nominations (out of a possible 110) This is because in some years only three films were nominated and in some cases only one filmmaker from a film was eligible for a nomination. Non-us based filmmakers dominate this category. Despite the huge number of short films being made annually in the Us, a majority of the nominated films come from filmmakers based abroad. In part this is due to the government subsidies available, but it is also due to the strong training programs, commercial support for the short films and a rich tradition of theatrical shorts. This year (2012) four of the five films in the live action category are from Us filmmakers. This is an unusual year. Few filmmakers have more than one nomination, only a handful of the nominees have made multiple Academy worthy short films. As one might expect, many of the filmmakers have continued their film work in television, some in features. The European Oscar winners (vs nominees) have done better at snagging features after a win than have their American counterparts. Again, this is likely a function of government support for entry features. Perhaps one of the short films seem to have been turned into a feature (or television) film. Some of the short films are intended to be sizzle reels for features, but it is not clear why so few of the nominated short films have been turned into features. A number of the Oscar winners have not continued working in film. No record of future productions are shown on IMDb. It would be interesting to see what they are doing now. Two of the Oscar winners have written critically award winning screenplays, one received two Academy Award nominations for his screenwriting. None of these nominees have gone on to win Oscars in directing or producing for feature films.
The data is from the Academy and the IMDb databases.
Apologies in advance, if credits were missed or other factual errors were made. In a week we’ll be able to add this year's winner.
2001 (74th)
Short Film (Live Action) (* won Academy Award)
*the accountant -- Ray McKinnon: Two Features: Randy and the Mob 2007 and Crystal 2004 Lisa Blount: Produced these features. Copy Shop -- Virgil Widrich Gregor's Greatest Invention -- Johannes Kiefer A Man Thing (Meska Sprawa) -- Slawomir Fabicki, Two Features: Loving 2012, Retrieval 2006 (Also wrote) Bogumil Godfrejow Has shot multiple features Speed for Thespians -- Kalman Apple, Shameela Bakhsh
2002 (75th)
Short Film (Live Action)
Fait D'Hiver -- Dirk Beliën, Anja Daelemans produced Comrade Kim Goes North I'll Wait for the Next One... (J'Attendrai Le Suivant...) -- Philippe Orreindy, Thomas Gaudin Inja (Dog) -- Steven Pasvolsky Feature, Deck Dogz Joe Weatherstone, produced episodic television. Johnny Flynton -- Lexi Alexander, directed 3 features: Lifted, Punisher: War Zone and Green Street Hooligans Alexander Buono as a Dp has shot series and features *This Charming Manon (Der Er En Yndig Mand) -- Martin Strange-Hansen, Mie Andreasen produced both features, series and documentaries.
2003 (76th)
Short Film (Live Action)
Die Rote Jacke (The Red Jacket) -- Florian Baxmeyer Multiple television films and series Most (The Bridge) -- Bobby Garabedian, William Zabka Mr. Zabka has appeared as an actor in numerous films and television shows Squash -- Lionel Bailliu Features: Fair Play and Denis (in post) (A) Torzija [(A) Torsion] -- Stefan Arsenijevic Directed: Lost and Found, Love and Other Crimes, and Do Not Forget Me Istanbul *Two Soldiers -- Aaron Schneider,Asc (Cinematographer numerous credits) and feature, Kiss the Girls, Andrew J. Sacks Series The Closer (98 episodes) and Major Crimes.
2004 (77th)
Short Film (Live Action)
Everything in This Country Must -- Gary McKendry Directed Killer Elite, Joseph and the Girl Little Terrorist -- Ashvin Kumar Produced and Directed features (2) and documentaries (2) 7:35 in the Morning (7:35 de la Mañana) -- Nacho Vigalondo Directed and written multiple films, series, shorts Two Cars, One Night -- Taika Waititi, Acted and directed and written multi television and films Ainsley Gardiner Nz based producer of multiple shorts, television and feature films *Wasp -- Andrea Arnold Actor, director and writer of numbers films, television programs
2005 (78th)
Short Film (Live Action)
Ausreisser (The Runaway) -- Ulrike Grote Ms. Grote has acted in over 42 programs, features, television series and films Cashback -- Sean Ellis, Director/Writer Metro Manila, The Broken Lene Bausager Producer, The Broken, Ginger and Rosa The Last Farm -- Rúnar Rúnarsson, Director/Writer Volcano, Thor S. Sigurjónsson Produced multiple features Our Time Is Up -- Rob Pearlstein, Director/Writer multiple television and a feature Pia Clemente Producer, documentaries *Six Shooter -- Martin McDonagh Writer/Director Seven Psychopaths, In Bruges
2006 (79th)
Short Film (Live Action)
Binta and the Great Idea (Binta Y La Gran Idea) -- Javier Fesser, no other credits shown Luis Manso Produced multiple features Éramos Pocos (One Too Many) -- Borja Cobeaga Writer, multi films and television series Helmer & Son -- Søren Pilmark no other credits, Kim Magnusso Producer over 100 film, television films (4 Best Short Film Academy Award nominations) Won for Ernst & Lyset The Saviour -- Peter Templeman, no other credits Stuart Parkyn, Producer, multi-short film credits *West Bank Story -- Ari Sandel Director, one short, one documentary
2007 (80th)
Short Film (Live Action)
At Night -- Christian E. Christiansen, Directed, Features and television series Louise Vesth Producer, multi features Il Supplente (The Substitute) -- Andrea Jublin
*Le Mozart des Pickpockets (The Mozart of Pickpockets) -- Philippe Pollet-Villard Actor and director short films, a television film
Tanghi Argentini -- Guido Thys, Director, Multiple television series Anja Daelemans, nominated for 2 Short Film nominations (Gridlock, 2002) Producer/Pm various The Tonto Woman -- Daniel Barber, Directed The Keeping Room, Harry Brown Matthew Brown Produced 2 shorts
2008 (81st)
Short Film (Live Action)
Auf der Strecke (On the Line) -- Reto Caffi Manon on the Asphalt -- Elizabeth Marre, Director, Television series Olivier Pont Director, Television series New Boy -- Steph Green, Director Run and Jump Tamara Anghie Producer Run and Jump The Pig -- Tivi Magnusson, Producer Over 64 titles many short films, Dorte Høgh Writer multiple series, (Directed The Pig) *Spielzeugland (Toyland) -- Jochen Alexander Freydank Producer of multiple television series
2009 (82nd)
Short Film (Live Action)
The Door -- Juanita Wilson, Director As If I Am Not There James Flynn Multiple Producer credits for over 50 titles, television and theatrical Instead of Abracadabra -- Patrik Eklund, Director, Television film and feature Mathias Fjellström Kavi -- Gregg Helvey Miracle Fish -- Luke Doolan, Multiple credits as editor Drew Bailey Multiple credits as Assistant Director *The New Tenants -- Joachim Back, no other credits shown as a director, Tivi Magnusson This is Mr. Magnusson’s first Academy Award and second nomination. See 2008.
2010 (83rd)
Short Film (Live Action)
The Confession -- Tanel Toom The Crush -- Michael Creagh *God of Love -- Luke Matheny Feature Love Sick and multiple Television series episode Na Wewe -- Ivan Goldschmidt Wish 143 -- Ian Barnes, Multiple directing credits Television Samantha Waite Credits as production coordinator on multiple titles
2011 (84th)
Short Film (Live Action)
Pentecost -- Peter McDonald, Credits as actor Eimear O'Kane Credits as Producer on The Shadows and on television programs. Raju -- Max Zähle, Director, Television series Stefan Gieren Producer-Writer credit on feature film, Kunduz: The Incident at Hadji Ghafur *The Shore -- Terry George, Writer Two Oscar nominations for screenplays In the Name of the Father and Hotel Riwanda Producer and director on films and television series Oorlagh George Numerous credits as Assistant on features, documentaries and television shows Time Freak -- Andrew Bowler Writer and actor in a short film Gigi Causey Production manager, producer shorts, series and films
__________________________________________________________________________________
Credits: Editing by Jessica Just for SydneysBuzz
__________________________________________________________________________________
Mitchell Block specializes in conceiving, producing, marketing & distributing independent features & consulting. He is an expert in placing both completed works into distribution & working with producers to make projects fundable. He conducts regular workshops in film producing in Los Angeles and most recently in Maine, Russia and in Myanmar (Burma).
Poster Girl, produced by Block was nominated for a Documentary Academy Award and selected by the Ida as the Best Doc Short 2011. It was also nominated for two Emmy Awards and aired on HBO. He is an executive producer of the Emmy Award-winning PBS series Carrier, a 10-hour series that he conceived & co-created. Block is a graduate of Tisch School and Columbia University’s Graduate School of Business. He is a member of Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences, the Television Academy, a founding member of BAFTA-la and has been teaching at USC School of Cinematic Arts since 1979. Currently Block teaches a required class in the USC Peter Stark Producing Program.
______________________________________________________________________
©2013Mwb All Rights Reserved All Rights Reserved. All information and designs on the Sites are copyrighted material owned by Block. Reproduction, dissemination, or transmission of any part of the material here without the express written consent of the owner is strictly prohibited.All other product names and marks on Block Direct, whether trademarks, service marks, or other type, and whether registered or unregistered, is the property of Block.
- 2/28/2013
- by Mitchell Block
- Sydney's Buzz
Charming rather than jokular, Clive Oven will team up with the writers Brian Gatewood and Alessandro Tanaka in a new comedy called The King of the Castle.
Penned by The Sitter scribes, The King of the Castle will also serve as their directorial debut. Owen would reportedly play a smooth philanderer whose latest seduction is caught on film by a teenager who turns to blackmail.
Gatewood and Tanaka are also responsible for penning a movie adaptation of Baywatch.
The new comedy will be financed by Benaroya Pictures (Margin Call) and produced by Jonathan Gordon (The Silver Linings Playbook).
No word yet on when The King of the Castle will lens.
Clive Owen recently starred in HBO original movie Hemingway & Gellhorn, along with Nicole Kidman, which has its U.S. cable premiere on May 28th and received mixed reviews.
Owen was last seen on the big screen in Gary McKendry’s...
Penned by The Sitter scribes, The King of the Castle will also serve as their directorial debut. Owen would reportedly play a smooth philanderer whose latest seduction is caught on film by a teenager who turns to blackmail.
Gatewood and Tanaka are also responsible for penning a movie adaptation of Baywatch.
The new comedy will be financed by Benaroya Pictures (Margin Call) and produced by Jonathan Gordon (The Silver Linings Playbook).
No word yet on when The King of the Castle will lens.
Clive Owen recently starred in HBO original movie Hemingway & Gellhorn, along with Nicole Kidman, which has its U.S. cable premiere on May 28th and received mixed reviews.
Owen was last seen on the big screen in Gary McKendry’s...
- 10/25/2012
- by Nick Martin
- Filmofilia
The Australian arm of international screen service company Deluxe has acquired a number of Omnilab Media’s key creative and media services.
The acquisition includes post houses Iloura, Digital Pictures, Cornerpost, Boffswana and Pax Entertainment to augment into Deluxe’s Australian services.
Omnilab Media will retain Ambience Entertainment, The Playroom, DubSat, Adsend, Substation and Oktobor Animation as well as continue to produce screen content.
For Deluxe, the acquisition means an expanded offering of visual effects, design and broadcast post production services in Sydney and Melbourne as well as a life-cycle library management, digital asset management, file-based mastering, archiving, Dbd and Blu-ray authoring.
Alaric McAusland, MD of Deluxe Australia said: “As technologies continue to transform how our movie, TV and advertising customers create and distribute content, Deluxe is well positioned for whatever the future may bring. We are greatly looking forward to this talented group of people joining our terrific Deluxe team.
The acquisition includes post houses Iloura, Digital Pictures, Cornerpost, Boffswana and Pax Entertainment to augment into Deluxe’s Australian services.
Omnilab Media will retain Ambience Entertainment, The Playroom, DubSat, Adsend, Substation and Oktobor Animation as well as continue to produce screen content.
For Deluxe, the acquisition means an expanded offering of visual effects, design and broadcast post production services in Sydney and Melbourne as well as a life-cycle library management, digital asset management, file-based mastering, archiving, Dbd and Blu-ray authoring.
Alaric McAusland, MD of Deluxe Australia said: “As technologies continue to transform how our movie, TV and advertising customers create and distribute content, Deluxe is well positioned for whatever the future may bring. We are greatly looking forward to this talented group of people joining our terrific Deluxe team.
- 8/20/2012
- by Colin Delaney
- Encore Magazine
Action film Killer Elite has struggled in its opening weekend at the Australian box office, taking just $284,226, according to the Motion Picture Distributors Association of Australia.
Starring a strong cast in Robert De Niro, Jason Stratham and Clive Owen, the film was directed by first-time feature filmmaker Gary McKendry, produced by Australian-based OmniLab Media and filmed in and around Melbourne, as well as Paris and London.
The film was released across 108 screens, averaging $2632 and ranked 13 in the weekend’s box office top 20.
Internationally the film has also struggled, taking around $US53m globally according to website Box Office Mojo, $17m short of its budget, $US70m.
Released in September 2011 in the Us, a local release was delayed until this weekend.
Elsewhere in box office news, the Stephan Elliott-directed film A Few Best Men took a further $58,444, taking the film’s cume to $5,124,090 in its fifth week out.
The Working...
Starring a strong cast in Robert De Niro, Jason Stratham and Clive Owen, the film was directed by first-time feature filmmaker Gary McKendry, produced by Australian-based OmniLab Media and filmed in and around Melbourne, as well as Paris and London.
The film was released across 108 screens, averaging $2632 and ranked 13 in the weekend’s box office top 20.
Internationally the film has also struggled, taking around $US53m globally according to website Box Office Mojo, $17m short of its budget, $US70m.
Released in September 2011 in the Us, a local release was delayed until this weekend.
Elsewhere in box office news, the Stephan Elliott-directed film A Few Best Men took a further $58,444, taking the film’s cume to $5,124,090 in its fifth week out.
The Working...
- 2/27/2012
- by Colin Delaney
- Encore Magazine
Although it has plenty of action sequences, Killer Elite actually feels more like a slow-burn spy thriller than the normal Jason Statham flick. Based on Sir Ranulph Fiennes' 1991 novel The Feather Men, the film was directed by Gary McKendry from a screenplay written by Matt Sherring. The film stars Statham, Clive Owen, Robert DeNiro, Dominic Purcell, Aden Young, Yvonne Strahovski, Ben Mendelsohn, and Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje. Set in the 80s, the film opens on Statham.s Danny, DeNiro.s Hunter, Purcell's Davies and Young's Meier as they do a hit on a man in Mexico. The hit goes just as planned until Danny is forced to kill the man in front of his child, hesitates and is injured in the getaway. Danny...
- 1/30/2012
- by Patrick Luce
- Monsters and Critics
Chicago – “Killer Elite” is one of those home releases that makes me wonder about the future of Blu-ray. It’s clearly not an edition designed for fans of this awful action movie, even if one does assume that it’s a very small group of people since it has practically no special features. And there really aren’t any Blockbusters any more, buying these things in bulk with a design on renting them. So, why not just download it? With more and more people able to download in HD, lackluster releases like that for “Killer Elite” are going to be the first to go the way of the VHS tape.
Blu-ray Rating: 1.0/5.0
As for the actual movie, I didn’t do a bottom ten for 2011 but this would have been on it if I had. Gary McKendry’s excuse for a spy action film is a loud, exhausting, cliched piece of nonsense.
Blu-ray Rating: 1.0/5.0
As for the actual movie, I didn’t do a bottom ten for 2011 but this would have been on it if I had. Gary McKendry’s excuse for a spy action film is a loud, exhausting, cliched piece of nonsense.
- 1/16/2012
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
After the likes of Crank and Shoot ‘Em Up, the prospect of seeing fellow Brit action stars Jason Statham and Clive Owen go head to head is certainly an exciting one. It is therefore intriguing that they chose a relatively low-key true life thriller Killer Elite, released on Blu-ray and DVD this week, as the film that brings them together on screen for the first time.
Based on Sir Ranulph Fiennes’ 1991 novel The Feather Men, the film follows ex-special ops agent Danny Bryce (Statham) as he is lured out of retirement to rescue his mentor Hunter (Robert De Niro) who has been taken hostage in Oman by Sheikh Amr (Rodney Afif) after failing to accomplish a mission for him. Bryce makes a deal to finish the mission which involves killing three former Sas assassins protected by a secret society known as the Feather Men led by Spike Logan (Owen). A...
Based on Sir Ranulph Fiennes’ 1991 novel The Feather Men, the film follows ex-special ops agent Danny Bryce (Statham) as he is lured out of retirement to rescue his mentor Hunter (Robert De Niro) who has been taken hostage in Oman by Sheikh Amr (Rodney Afif) after failing to accomplish a mission for him. Bryce makes a deal to finish the mission which involves killing three former Sas assassins protected by a secret society known as the Feather Men led by Spike Logan (Owen). A...
- 1/16/2012
- by Chris Wright
- Obsessed with Film
Watch me grapple with one misconception about the movie prior to seeing it, and a little baggage I like to call "My Jason Statham Problem." The latter kept me from seeing the movie during its theatrical run while the former made the movie somewhat more appealing--at least as a surface detail, but I should probably elaborate here. The misconception was that the film by first-time feature director Gary McKendry was set in the present, or at least "present-ish," but I'll be damned if The Killer Elite isn't technically a period piece. We're informed of this during a block of text at the opening of the film linking the current conflicts between the West and the Middle East with the messy tumults of the early 80's....
- 1/12/2012
- Screen Anarchy
Killer Elite arrived on Blu-ray and DVD combo pack today, and with it came a heavy mix of action and espionage with a stellar cast. What is not to love about Robert De Niro, Jason Statham, and Clive Owen? The rest of the cast is solid, including Dominic Purcell (Prison Break, Straw Dogs), Yvonne Strahovski (Chuck), Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje (Lost, Oz, The Thing), Aden Young (Sniper, The Starter Wife), and Ben Mendelsohn (Trespass, Knowing).
Killer Elite is directed by Gary McKendry and follows two of the world's most elite operatives--Danny, an ex-special ops agent (Statham) and Hunter, his longtime mentor (De Niro)--against the cunning leader of a secret military society (Owen). The group traverses the globe from Australia to Paris, London, and the Middle East, in a deadly game of cat and mouse.
The film is based on the book The Feather Men by Sir Ranulph Fiennes. When I went...
Killer Elite is directed by Gary McKendry and follows two of the world's most elite operatives--Danny, an ex-special ops agent (Statham) and Hunter, his longtime mentor (De Niro)--against the cunning leader of a secret military society (Owen). The group traverses the globe from Australia to Paris, London, and the Middle East, in a deadly game of cat and mouse.
The film is based on the book The Feather Men by Sir Ranulph Fiennes. When I went...
- 1/11/2012
- by Tiberius
- GeekTyrant
High-Profile New Releases Kiler Elite (Universal) Release Date: Sep 23, 2011 Rated: R for Strong violence, language and some sexuality/nudity Runtime: 1 hr. 56 min. Genres: Action/Adventure, Suspense/Thriller Director:Gary McKendry Cast:Jason Statham, Clive Owen, Robert De Niro, Dominic Purcell, Aden Young. Full cast + crew Verdict: Rent Me (if you're too impatient for late night cable) Available On: Blu-ray Combo Pack, DVD Thoughts: Killer Elite is a textbook action flick. And that's fine if you're looking for nothing more than the standard thriller about a manly man brought in for one last job, but if you expect something with a bit more spark...
Read More...
Read More...
- 1/10/2012
- by Peter Hall
- Movies.com
To celebrate the release of Killer Elite, Wamg is offering Three lucky readers a chance to win a copy of DVD/Blu-ray/Digital Download/UltraViolet. Combo Pack!
Based on a shocking true story, Killer Elite is a gritty battle between guns-for-hire that has been hailed as .one of the best action thrillers of the year!. by Richard Roeper, ReelzChannel. Pitting two of the world.s most elite operatives against the cunning leader of a secret military society, Killer Elite stars Jason Statham (The Transporter, Death Race), Academy Award® winner Robert De Niro (The Godfather Part II, Raging Bull) and Academy Award®-nominee Clive Owen (Children of Men, Closer). Directed by Academy Award®-nominee Gary McKendry (Everything in this Country Must), Killer Elite is available on Blu-ray.Combo Pack with UltraViolet., DVD, On Demand and Digital Download January 10, 2012 from Universal Studios Home Entertainment and Open Road Films.
Featuring unstoppable action and...
Based on a shocking true story, Killer Elite is a gritty battle between guns-for-hire that has been hailed as .one of the best action thrillers of the year!. by Richard Roeper, ReelzChannel. Pitting two of the world.s most elite operatives against the cunning leader of a secret military society, Killer Elite stars Jason Statham (The Transporter, Death Race), Academy Award® winner Robert De Niro (The Godfather Part II, Raging Bull) and Academy Award®-nominee Clive Owen (Children of Men, Closer). Directed by Academy Award®-nominee Gary McKendry (Everything in this Country Must), Killer Elite is available on Blu-ray.Combo Pack with UltraViolet., DVD, On Demand and Digital Download January 10, 2012 from Universal Studios Home Entertainment and Open Road Films.
Featuring unstoppable action and...
- 1/10/2012
- by Movie Geeks
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
This week, Brad Pitt makes a pitch for Oscar gold in "Moneyball," Jason Statham teams up with Robert De Niro and Clive Owen in the action flick "Killer Elite," Anna Faris revisits her exes to see if any of them are worth another go in "What's Your Number?" and the heartwarming "Billy Elliot" dances on Blu-ray for the first time.
'Moneyball'
Box Office: $75 million
Rotten Tomatoes: 95% Fresh
Storyline: Based on a true story, this biographical sports drama is about how Oakland A's general manager Billy Beane (Brad Pitt) and his assistant Gm (Jonah Hill) took a non-traditional sabermetric approach to scouting players and scored big time by winning 20 consecutive games during the 2002 season. The award-nominated film is adapted from the 2003 book by Michael Lewis and is helmed by Oscar-nominated "Capote" director Bennett Miller.
Extras! Get a sense of the actual people behind the story with "Billy Beane: Re-Inventing the Game,...
'Moneyball'
Box Office: $75 million
Rotten Tomatoes: 95% Fresh
Storyline: Based on a true story, this biographical sports drama is about how Oakland A's general manager Billy Beane (Brad Pitt) and his assistant Gm (Jonah Hill) took a non-traditional sabermetric approach to scouting players and scored big time by winning 20 consecutive games during the 2002 season. The award-nominated film is adapted from the 2003 book by Michael Lewis and is helmed by Oscar-nominated "Capote" director Bennett Miller.
Extras! Get a sense of the actual people behind the story with "Billy Beane: Re-Inventing the Game,...
- 1/9/2012
- by Robert DeSalvo
- NextMovie
The pulse-pounding action thrill ride The Killer Elite blasts to Blu-ray and DVD on January 10th from Universal Studios Home Entertainment and M&C.s giving away five copies of the Blu-ray Combo Pack! Based on a shocking true story and directed by Academy Award-nominee Gary McKendry (Everything in this Country Must), Killer Elite is a gritty battle between guns-for-hire that has been hailed as .one of the best action thrillers of the year!. by Richard Roeper, ReelzChannel. Pitting two of the world.s most elite operatives against the cunning leader of a secret military society, Killer Elite stars Jason Statham (The Transporter, Death Race), Academy Award® winner Robert De Niro (The Godfather Part II, Raging Bull) and Academy Award®-nominee Clive...
- 1/5/2012
- by Patrick Luce
- Monsters and Critics
Chicago – In our latest action edition of HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: Blu-ray, we have 5 Blu-rays up for grabs for the home entertainment release of “Killer Elite”! The film, which stars Jason Statham, Clive Owen and Robert De Niro, comes to Blu-ray, DVD and digital download on Jan. 10, 2012 from Universal Studios Home Entertainment.
“Killer Elite,” which is based on a true story, also stars Dominic Purcell, Yvonne Strahovski, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Michael Dorman, Grant Bowler, Ben Mendelsohn, Kristy Barnes-Cullen, Firass Dirani, Sandy Greenwood, Daniel Messier, Aden Young and Lachy Hulme from writer and director Gary McKendry based on the novel by Ranulph Fiennes.
To win your free “Killer Elite” Blu-ray courtesy of HollywoodChicago.com, all you need to do is answer our question in this Web-based submission form. That’s it! Directions to enter this HollywoodChicago.com Hookup and win can be found beneath the graphic below.
“Killer Elite” with Jason Statham and...
“Killer Elite,” which is based on a true story, also stars Dominic Purcell, Yvonne Strahovski, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Michael Dorman, Grant Bowler, Ben Mendelsohn, Kristy Barnes-Cullen, Firass Dirani, Sandy Greenwood, Daniel Messier, Aden Young and Lachy Hulme from writer and director Gary McKendry based on the novel by Ranulph Fiennes.
To win your free “Killer Elite” Blu-ray courtesy of HollywoodChicago.com, all you need to do is answer our question in this Web-based submission form. That’s it! Directions to enter this HollywoodChicago.com Hookup and win can be found beneath the graphic below.
“Killer Elite” with Jason Statham and...
- 1/4/2012
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
The pulse-pounding action thrill ride The Killer Elite blasts to DVD and Blu-ray on January 10th from Universal Studios Home Entertainment. Based on a shocking true story and directed by Academy Award-nominee Gary McKendry (Everything in this Country Must), Killer Elite is a gritty battle between guns-for-hire that has been hailed as .one of the best action thrillers of the year!. by Richard Roeper, ReelzChannel. Pitting two of the world.s most elite operatives against the cunning leader of a secret military society, Killer Elite stars Jason Statham (The Transporter, Death Race), Academy Award® winner Robert De Niro (The Godfather Part II, Raging Bull) and Academy Award®-nominee Clive Owen (Children of Men, Closer). Featuring unstoppable action and a...
- 1/2/2012
- by Patrick Luce
- Monsters and Critics
Danny (Jason Statham) and Hunter (Robert De Niro) are mercenaries/hit men for hire, but after a job leaves Danny face to face with the blood-caked child of his latest assignment, he decides he has had enough and disappears off half way around the world. One day, he receives word that Hunter has been kidnapped and the only way to secure his release is to extract confessions from and then execute three Sas officers who are held responsible by an Oman Sheikh for the deaths of three of his sons. But Spike (Clive Owen), an ex-sas officer himself, soon realises that his friends are being picked off, setting him and Danny on a collision course.
*****
Putting up “based on a true story” over the opening credits and then later on including a scene where Jason Statham throws himself out of a first floor window while still tied to a chair...
*****
Putting up “based on a true story” over the opening credits and then later on including a scene where Jason Statham throws himself out of a first floor window while still tied to a chair...
- 12/23/2011
- by Dave Roper
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
A Pulse-pounding, Punch-throwing, Action-packed Thrill Ride
Starring Jason Statham, Academy Award® -Nominee Clive Owen And
Academy Award® Winner Robert De Niro
Available on Blu-ray. Combo Pack with UltraViolet., DVD and Digital Download January 10, 2012
From Universal Studios Home Entertainment
Based on a shocking true story, Killer Elite is a gritty battle between guns-for-hire that has been hailed as .one of the best action thrillers of the year!. by Richard Roeper, ReelzChannel. Pitting two of the world.s most elite operatives against the cunning leader of a secret military society, Killer Elite stars Jason Statham (The Transporter, Death Race), Academy Award® winner Robert De Niro (The Godfather Part II, Raging Bull) and Academy Award®-nominee Clive Owen (Children of Men, Closer). Directed by Academy Award®-nominee Gary McKendry (Everything in this Country Must), Killer Elite is available on Blu-ray.Combo Pack with UltraViolet., DVD, On Demand and Digital Download January 10, 2012 from Universal Studios Home Entertainment...
Starring Jason Statham, Academy Award® -Nominee Clive Owen And
Academy Award® Winner Robert De Niro
Available on Blu-ray. Combo Pack with UltraViolet., DVD and Digital Download January 10, 2012
From Universal Studios Home Entertainment
Based on a shocking true story, Killer Elite is a gritty battle between guns-for-hire that has been hailed as .one of the best action thrillers of the year!. by Richard Roeper, ReelzChannel. Pitting two of the world.s most elite operatives against the cunning leader of a secret military society, Killer Elite stars Jason Statham (The Transporter, Death Race), Academy Award® winner Robert De Niro (The Godfather Part II, Raging Bull) and Academy Award®-nominee Clive Owen (Children of Men, Closer). Directed by Academy Award®-nominee Gary McKendry (Everything in this Country Must), Killer Elite is available on Blu-ray.Combo Pack with UltraViolet., DVD, On Demand and Digital Download January 10, 2012 from Universal Studios Home Entertainment...
- 11/9/2011
- by Melissa Howland
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Killer Elite is making it's way to Blu-ray and DVD on 1/10/2012! I really enjoyed the film when I saw it in theaters. The combination of Jason Statham, Clive Owen and Robert De Niro made for an action-packed thrill ride.
Here is the official press release:
Based on a shocking true story, Killer Elite is a gritty battle between guns-for-hire that has been hailed as “one of the best action thrillers of the year!” by Richard Roeper, ReelzChannel. Pitting two of the world’s most elite operatives against the cunning leader of a secret military society, Killer Elite stars Jason Statham (The Transporter, Death Race),
Academy Award® winner Robert De Niro (The Godfather Part II, Raging Bull) and Academy Award®-nominee Clive Owen (Children of Men, Closer). Directed by Academy Award®-nominee Gary McKendry (Everything in this Country Must), Killer Elite is available on Blu-ray™Combo Pack with UltraViolet™, DVD, On...
Here is the official press release:
Based on a shocking true story, Killer Elite is a gritty battle between guns-for-hire that has been hailed as “one of the best action thrillers of the year!” by Richard Roeper, ReelzChannel. Pitting two of the world’s most elite operatives against the cunning leader of a secret military society, Killer Elite stars Jason Statham (The Transporter, Death Race),
Academy Award® winner Robert De Niro (The Godfather Part II, Raging Bull) and Academy Award®-nominee Clive Owen (Children of Men, Closer). Directed by Academy Award®-nominee Gary McKendry (Everything in this Country Must), Killer Elite is available on Blu-ray™Combo Pack with UltraViolet™, DVD, On...
- 11/9/2011
- by Tiberius
- GeekTyrant
Blu-ray & DVD Release Date: Jan. 10, 2012
Price: DVD Tba, Blu-ray Tba
Studio: Universal Studios Home Entertaiment
Thriller movie Killer Elite brings together three top action stars in one movie: Jason Statham (The Mechanic), Clive Owen (Trust) and Robert De Niro (Limitless).
Statham stars in the film as Danny, a retired contract killer, who joins his mentor (De Niro) to take down the leader of a secret military society (Owen). Their hunt goes around the globe, from Australia to Paris, London and the Middle East. And, as in all good action crime films, as the stakes rise, so does the body count.
Rated R, Killer Elite is based on a true story and book by Ranulph Fiennes, but it’s not a remake of the 1975 movie The Killer Elite starring James Caan and Robert Duvall.
Also starring Dominic Purcell (Straw Dogs), Killer Elite is the first feature film directed by Gary McKendry...
Price: DVD Tba, Blu-ray Tba
Studio: Universal Studios Home Entertaiment
Thriller movie Killer Elite brings together three top action stars in one movie: Jason Statham (The Mechanic), Clive Owen (Trust) and Robert De Niro (Limitless).
Statham stars in the film as Danny, a retired contract killer, who joins his mentor (De Niro) to take down the leader of a secret military society (Owen). Their hunt goes around the globe, from Australia to Paris, London and the Middle East. And, as in all good action crime films, as the stakes rise, so does the body count.
Rated R, Killer Elite is based on a true story and book by Ranulph Fiennes, but it’s not a remake of the 1975 movie The Killer Elite starring James Caan and Robert Duvall.
Also starring Dominic Purcell (Straw Dogs), Killer Elite is the first feature film directed by Gary McKendry...
- 11/8/2011
- by Sam
- Disc Dish
Palomar Pictures are developing remakes of last year's French heist movie "Joseph and the Girl" and the 2001 Norwegian film "Elling" reports Variety.
The original 'Joseph' follows an aging con artist who plots a casino heist with the daughter of his former cellmate.
"Killer Elite" director Gary McKendry is helming and co-writing 'Joseph' with Matt Sherring. Shooting will begin in March.
"Elliot", the remake of 'Elling', is based on Ingvar Ambjornsen‘s novel “Blood Brothers” which follows a man in his 40s and his struggle to function normally in society.
Jay Roach, Larry Stuckey and Tom McCarthy are all having a crack at the script.
The original 'Joseph' follows an aging con artist who plots a casino heist with the daughter of his former cellmate.
"Killer Elite" director Gary McKendry is helming and co-writing 'Joseph' with Matt Sherring. Shooting will begin in March.
"Elliot", the remake of 'Elling', is based on Ingvar Ambjornsen‘s novel “Blood Brothers” which follows a man in his 40s and his struggle to function normally in society.
Jay Roach, Larry Stuckey and Tom McCarthy are all having a crack at the script.
- 11/8/2011
- by Garth Franklin
- Dark Horizons
One of the Stephen King novels to elude the forces of film adaptation has been Rose Madder, which combines phantasmagoric fantasy and spousal abuse in a way that is very characteristically King, and seemingly rather difficult to put on the screen. That is changing now, as the 1995 novel is part of a trio of film projects announced at the American Film Market by Palomar Pictures (Brothers, Killer Elite) and Gosvenor Park. The companies will team to remake French heist movie Joseph and the Girl, Norwegian film Elling, and to bring Rose Madder to the screen. Variety [1] says that Naomi Sheridan (co-writer of In America and daughter of director Jim Sheridan) has scripted Rose Madder and that the film is targeted to shoot within the next year and half. Rose Madder follows a woman who leaves her evilly abusive husband after years of being beaten. She sets up a new life...
- 11/8/2011
- by Russ Fischer
- Slash Film
"Fireflies in the Garden" is one of those smaller films that you've probably never heard of, but has an incredible assemblage of actors that immediately piques your interest. For "Fireflies," a tense drama involving family and loss, director Dennis Lee managed to bring aboard Julia Roberts, Ryan Reynolds, Willem Dafoe, Carrie-Anne Moss, Emily Watson and a personal favorite of mine, Horatio Hornblower himself, Ioan Gruffudd.
When the film kicks off, we're immediately introduced to an upper-class family that has everything going for them...until tragedy strikes later that day. It's the fallout from that sad event that propels the film forward and makes it a character study from each of these talented performers.
To learn more about this harrowing tale, we asked Lee to participate in our Call-In Commentary series, where filmmakers provide narration for their movie trailer. In the video below, hear firsthand how pinnacle scenes were shot and...
When the film kicks off, we're immediately introduced to an upper-class family that has everything going for them...until tragedy strikes later that day. It's the fallout from that sad event that propels the film forward and makes it a character study from each of these talented performers.
To learn more about this harrowing tale, we asked Lee to participate in our Call-In Commentary series, where filmmakers provide narration for their movie trailer. In the video below, hear firsthand how pinnacle scenes were shot and...
- 10/20/2011
- by Brian Jacks
- ifc.com
Here's a preview of what's opening at the movies this weekend, including the dark comedy "50/50," starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Seth Rogen; the rom-com "What's Your Number?" starring Anna Faris; the psychological thriller "Dream House," starring Daniel Craig and Rachel Weisz; and the cop drama, "Courageous."
In Theaters Now (September)'50/50' (Sept. 30)
Who: Seth Rogen, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Bryce Dallas Howard, Anna Kendrick; directed by Jonathan Levine What: Inspired by a true story, this comedy is...
In Theaters Now (September)'50/50' (Sept. 30)
Who: Seth Rogen, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Bryce Dallas Howard, Anna Kendrick; directed by Jonathan Levine What: Inspired by a true story, this comedy is...
- 9/30/2011
- Extra
Taylor Lautner, Abduction Brad Pitt/Moneyball, Morgan Freeman/Dolphin Tale Gross $1m Less Than Estimated: Box Office Behind The Lion King 3D, Moneyball, and Dolphin Tale, Taylor Lautner's first solo starring vehicle, Abduction, grossed $10.92m at 3,118 North American locations this past weekend (Sept. 23-25) according to box-office actuals found at Box Office Mojo. The John Singleton-directed thriller's per-theater average was a relatively weak $3,504. But then again, Lautner's Abduction movie received horrible reviews — 0% approval rating among Rotten Tomatoes' top critics (16 reviews) — while the Twilight Saga star is an as-yet unproven leading man. A $10.92m opening in those circumstances is nothing to be sniffed at. Twihaters should admit that at least this time around Lautner proved himself able to open a film that otherwise would have brought in (with luck) one-fifth of that amount — if it ever got made in the first place. Lautner, for his part, should thank his...
- 9/26/2011
- by Zac Gille
- Alt Film Guide
Despite less-than-stellar reviews, Taylor Lautner's 'Abduction' comes in at #4.
By Ryan J. Downey
"Lion King 3-D"
Photo: Disney
Simba and company partied like it was 1994 at the box office over the weekend as "The Lion King" remained #1 for the second weekend in a row. The 3-D re-release beat back competition from four wide releases while hauling in another $22.1 million, according to studio estimates.
All four of the other movies in the weekend's top five were new releases, but none had the strength to topple the legendary Disney animated film, which has grossed $61.7 million domestically in its 3-D format alone.
Brad Pitt's "Moneyball" and the kid-friendly "Dolphin Tale" were in close competition for the #2 spot, while Taylor Lautner's "Abduction" (which has been savaged by film critics) and the action-centric "Killer Elite" (also not a critical darling) both failed to generate much excitement.
"Moneyball" was still just...
By Ryan J. Downey
"Lion King 3-D"
Photo: Disney
Simba and company partied like it was 1994 at the box office over the weekend as "The Lion King" remained #1 for the second weekend in a row. The 3-D re-release beat back competition from four wide releases while hauling in another $22.1 million, according to studio estimates.
All four of the other movies in the weekend's top five were new releases, but none had the strength to topple the legendary Disney animated film, which has grossed $61.7 million domestically in its 3-D format alone.
Brad Pitt's "Moneyball" and the kid-friendly "Dolphin Tale" were in close competition for the #2 spot, while Taylor Lautner's "Abduction" (which has been savaged by film critics) and the action-centric "Killer Elite" (also not a critical darling) both failed to generate much excitement.
"Moneyball" was still just...
- 9/26/2011
- MTV Movie News
Despite less-than-stellar reviews, Taylor Lautner's 'Abduction' comes in at #4.
By Ryan J. Downey
"Lion King 3-D"
Photo: Disney
Simba and company partied like it was 1994 at the box office over the weekend as "The Lion King" remained #1 for the second weekend in a row. The 3-D re-release beat back competition from four wide releases while hauling in another $22.1 million, according to studio estimates.
All four of the other movies in the weekend's top five were new releases, but none had the strength to topple the legendary Disney animated film, which has grossed $61.7 million domestically in its 3-D format alone.
Brad Pitt's "Moneyball" and the kid-friendly "Dolphin Tale" were in close competition for the #2 spot, while Taylor Lautner's "Abduction" (which has been savaged by film critics) and the action-centric "Killer Elite" (also not a critical darling) both failed to generate much excitement.
"Moneyball" was still just...
By Ryan J. Downey
"Lion King 3-D"
Photo: Disney
Simba and company partied like it was 1994 at the box office over the weekend as "The Lion King" remained #1 for the second weekend in a row. The 3-D re-release beat back competition from four wide releases while hauling in another $22.1 million, according to studio estimates.
All four of the other movies in the weekend's top five were new releases, but none had the strength to topple the legendary Disney animated film, which has grossed $61.7 million domestically in its 3-D format alone.
Brad Pitt's "Moneyball" and the kid-friendly "Dolphin Tale" were in close competition for the #2 spot, while Taylor Lautner's "Abduction" (which has been savaged by film critics) and the action-centric "Killer Elite" (also not a critical darling) both failed to generate much excitement.
"Moneyball" was still just...
- 9/26/2011
- MTV Music News
Some movies hold you down and hit you over the head with awesome, while others take their time and still leave you satisfied. Killer Elite is in the latter category. Directed by first time director Gary McKendry, the flick fits in more with the Bourne series than most of today’s action movies. Based on Sir Ranulph Fiennes’s book The Feather Men, a tome that is a supposedly a true story, McKendry’s Killer Elite is a slow burning action thriller that won’t disappoint, but doesn’t quite deliver the total package.
The flick follows the covert exploits of Danny Bryce (Jason Statham) and his friend and mentor Hunter (Robert De Niro), two soldiers for hire. After a particularly difficult job Danny has retired and is building a life for himself outside of the killing business, only as he begins to get comfortable he finds out that Hunter...
The flick follows the covert exploits of Danny Bryce (Jason Statham) and his friend and mentor Hunter (Robert De Niro), two soldiers for hire. After a particularly difficult job Danny has retired and is building a life for himself outside of the killing business, only as he begins to get comfortable he finds out that Hunter...
- 9/26/2011
- by Donny Broussard
- Killer Films
Killer Elite is the new action packed thriller by first time filmmaker Gary McKendry that was premiered at the Toronto Film Festival. One of the main attractive features of the film is the stellar cast attached. Myself and a few other plucky journos’ were lucky enough to sit at a round table and interview four people related to the film. Here’s 3 of 4.
It was evident very early on that Jason Statham was just a really good guy. Despite his stratospheric rise in the action stakes after films like The Expendables, which saw him standing his ground against action icons of old, he still seems to be a pretty normal dude. He hasn’t let the fame get to his head yet and still considers himself as “one of the lads”, which is very amicable indeed. I of course mean that in the best way possible.
Jason walks in, fists...
It was evident very early on that Jason Statham was just a really good guy. Despite his stratospheric rise in the action stakes after films like The Expendables, which saw him standing his ground against action icons of old, he still seems to be a pretty normal dude. He hasn’t let the fame get to his head yet and still considers himself as “one of the lads”, which is very amicable indeed. I of course mean that in the best way possible.
Jason walks in, fists...
- 9/26/2011
- by Quigs
- Obsessed with Film
Directed by: Gary McKendry
Written by: Matt Sherring, Sir Ranulph Fiennes
Cast: Jason Statham, Clive Owen, Yvonne Strahovski, Dominic Purcell, Robert De Niro
In 1980, an Arab Sheik was gearing up for a bit of revenge from his desert home in Oman.
Three of the four sons of this Sheik were slain by British Special Air Service (Sas) members in operations over the last decade. The sheik has one remaining son, and lives with the young man in cultural exile, forced to dwell away from his homeland until he manages to achieve revenge against the men who had slain his children. The Sheik is also dying; his last wish is that revenge is achieved so that his remaining son can return home.
The mission is first attempted by the hiring of veteran mercenary Hunter (Robert De Niro) - this doesn't go so well. The Sheik then locks Hunter up, and tells...
Written by: Matt Sherring, Sir Ranulph Fiennes
Cast: Jason Statham, Clive Owen, Yvonne Strahovski, Dominic Purcell, Robert De Niro
In 1980, an Arab Sheik was gearing up for a bit of revenge from his desert home in Oman.
Three of the four sons of this Sheik were slain by British Special Air Service (Sas) members in operations over the last decade. The sheik has one remaining son, and lives with the young man in cultural exile, forced to dwell away from his homeland until he manages to achieve revenge against the men who had slain his children. The Sheik is also dying; his last wish is that revenge is achieved so that his remaining son can return home.
The mission is first attempted by the hiring of veteran mercenary Hunter (Robert De Niro) - this doesn't go so well. The Sheik then locks Hunter up, and tells...
- 9/25/2011
- by Tristan Sinns
- Planet Fury
We’ve had a fight sequence clip which showed Clive Owen and his tash for new movie, Killer Elite and now we get to see the legend that is, Robert De Niro doing the same thing in a clip called Subway Fight.
The Killer Elite also stars Jason Statham, Yvonne Strahovski, Dominic Purcell, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje and is directed by Gary McKendry.
Killer Elite is set for release in the UK cinemas 23rd September and you can see all our coverage of Killer Elite here.
Synopsis: Based on a true story, Killer Elite races across the globe from Australia to Paris, London and the Middle East in the action-packed account of an ex-special ops agent (Jason Statham) who is lured out of retirement to rescue his mentor (Robert De Niro). To make the rescue, he must complete a near-impossible mission of killing three tough-as-nails assassins with a cunning leader (Clive Owen...
The Killer Elite also stars Jason Statham, Yvonne Strahovski, Dominic Purcell, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje and is directed by Gary McKendry.
Killer Elite is set for release in the UK cinemas 23rd September and you can see all our coverage of Killer Elite here.
Synopsis: Based on a true story, Killer Elite races across the globe from Australia to Paris, London and the Middle East in the action-packed account of an ex-special ops agent (Jason Statham) who is lured out of retirement to rescue his mentor (Robert De Niro). To make the rescue, he must complete a near-impossible mission of killing three tough-as-nails assassins with a cunning leader (Clive Owen...
- 9/25/2011
- by David Sztypuljak
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Cutting Edge Group’s Pale Blue label has released a soundtrack album for the action thriller Killer Elite. The album features the orginal score by composers Johnny Klimek and Reinhold Heil, as well as the song Turkish Acid Bath by the English rock band Kasabian. The soundtrack has been released this past Tuesday and is now available digitally in different formats on Pale Blue Soundtracks’ website. Killer Elite is directed by Gary McKendry and stars Jason Statham, Robert De Niro, Clive Owen, Yvonne Strahovski, Dominic Purcell and Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje. The movie follows a group of former British special forces members who are being hunted by assassins. The film is being released in theaters this weekend. To learn more about the thriller, visit the official movie website.
Here’s the album track list:
1. Ambush
2. The Job
3. Spiked Sheik
4. The Harris Hit
5. Feathermen
6. The Cregg Hit
7. Car Chase Hospital Fight
8. I Come...
Here’s the album track list:
1. Ambush
2. The Job
3. Spiked Sheik
4. The Harris Hit
5. Feathermen
6. The Cregg Hit
7. Car Chase Hospital Fight
8. I Come...
- 9/24/2011
- by filmmusicreporter
- Film Music Reporter
Killer Elite is the new action packed thriller by first time filmmaker Gary McKendry that was premiered at the Toronto Film Festival and is out today in the U.K. (my review Here). One of the main attractive features of the film is the stellar cast attached. Myself and a few other plucky journos’ were lucky enough to sit at a round table and interview four people related to the film. Here’s 2 of 4.
Gary McKendry is a passionate, fresh director from Ireland. He grew up in the violent city of Belfast, which caused him to grow up pretty fast and view the world in an interesting light.
His Oscar nominated short film “Everything In This Country Must” is a sublime 20 minute ode to the difficulties between English soldiers and Irish locals and perfectly captures the atmosphere that only someone who grew up in and around such a difficult time,...
Gary McKendry is a passionate, fresh director from Ireland. He grew up in the violent city of Belfast, which caused him to grow up pretty fast and view the world in an interesting light.
His Oscar nominated short film “Everything In This Country Must” is a sublime 20 minute ode to the difficulties between English soldiers and Irish locals and perfectly captures the atmosphere that only someone who grew up in and around such a difficult time,...
- 9/24/2011
- by Quigs
- Obsessed with Film
Perhaps best known for her role in NBC.s .Chuck. as Sarah Walker, Yvonne Strahovski joins the match-up made in tough guy heaven film .Killer Elite.. She plays Anne, the love interest of Jason Statham.s character. In this interview, we talked about:
*** What attracted her to the film
*** Her character, Anne
*** Meeting the iconic Robert De Niro
Have Fun!
Here's more info on "Killer Elite" from Yahoo:
An ex-special ops agent is lured out of retirement to rescue his mentor. To make the rescue, he must complete a near-impossible mission of killing three tough-as-nails assassins with a cunning leader.
Production Status: In Production/Awaiting Release
Logline: In order to bring down a band of cold-blooded contract killers, an elite group of vigilantes is formed from the ranks of England's select paramilitary operatives.
Genres: Action/Adventure, Thriller and Adaptation
Running Time: 1 hr. 40 min.
Release Date: September 23rd, 2011 (wide)
MPAA Rating: R for strong violence,...
*** What attracted her to the film
*** Her character, Anne
*** Meeting the iconic Robert De Niro
Have Fun!
Here's more info on "Killer Elite" from Yahoo:
An ex-special ops agent is lured out of retirement to rescue his mentor. To make the rescue, he must complete a near-impossible mission of killing three tough-as-nails assassins with a cunning leader.
Production Status: In Production/Awaiting Release
Logline: In order to bring down a band of cold-blooded contract killers, an elite group of vigilantes is formed from the ranks of England's select paramilitary operatives.
Genres: Action/Adventure, Thriller and Adaptation
Running Time: 1 hr. 40 min.
Release Date: September 23rd, 2011 (wide)
MPAA Rating: R for strong violence,...
- 9/24/2011
- by Manny
- Manny the Movie Guy
Four new movies are opening in wide release this weekend:
Opening in most theaters is the the family movie Dolphin Tale directed by Charles Martin Smith and starring Morgan Freeman, Ashley Judd, Harry Connick, Jr., Kris Kristofferson and Nathan Gamble. The film’s score is written by Mark Isham. Varese Sarabande will be releasing the soundtrack album including Isham’s music on October 11, 2011. For the soundtrack details, visit our previous article.
Also opening this weekend is the drama Moneyball directed by Bennett Mikler and starring Brad Pitt, Robin Wright, Jonah Hill, Philip Seymour Hoffman and Chris Pratt. The film’s music is composed by Mychael Danna. A soundtrack album featuring Danna’s score, as well as two songs by Kerris Dorsey and This Will Destroy You has been released earlier this week on Madison Gate Records. To find out more about the album and listen to audio clips, visit our soundtrack announcement,...
Opening in most theaters is the the family movie Dolphin Tale directed by Charles Martin Smith and starring Morgan Freeman, Ashley Judd, Harry Connick, Jr., Kris Kristofferson and Nathan Gamble. The film’s score is written by Mark Isham. Varese Sarabande will be releasing the soundtrack album including Isham’s music on October 11, 2011. For the soundtrack details, visit our previous article.
Also opening this weekend is the drama Moneyball directed by Bennett Mikler and starring Brad Pitt, Robin Wright, Jonah Hill, Philip Seymour Hoffman and Chris Pratt. The film’s music is composed by Mychael Danna. A soundtrack album featuring Danna’s score, as well as two songs by Kerris Dorsey and This Will Destroy You has been released earlier this week on Madison Gate Records. To find out more about the album and listen to audio clips, visit our soundtrack announcement,...
- 9/23/2011
- by filmmusicreporter
- Film Music Reporter
Warrior (12A)
(Gavin O'Connor, 2011, Us) Tom Hardy, Joel Edgerton, Nick Nolte, Jennifer Morrison. 140 mins
After a summer of CGI robots and superheroes duking it out, here's proof again that nothing beats human-on-human violence. The basic ingredients of this sports drama look very familiar, but there's novelty in the fighting style (mixed martial arts), and the fact that our opponents are two sympathetic brothers – hard-up teacher Edgerton v Afghanistan vet Hardy. For once, the outcome is uncertain.
Drive (18)
(Nicolas Winding Refn, 2011, Us) Ryan Gosling, Carey Mulligan, Christina Hendricks. 100 mins
A vintage American muscle car with an efficient European engine, this sleek crime thriller handles the genre road superbly, as cool getaway ace Gosling loses his grip over one last job.
Crazy Stupid Love (12A)
(Glenn Ficarra, John Requa, 2011, Us) Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling, Julianne Moore, Emma Stone. 118 mins
Male relationship woes are sympathetically mocked in this multi-stranded romcom, centring on Carell's...
(Gavin O'Connor, 2011, Us) Tom Hardy, Joel Edgerton, Nick Nolte, Jennifer Morrison. 140 mins
After a summer of CGI robots and superheroes duking it out, here's proof again that nothing beats human-on-human violence. The basic ingredients of this sports drama look very familiar, but there's novelty in the fighting style (mixed martial arts), and the fact that our opponents are two sympathetic brothers – hard-up teacher Edgerton v Afghanistan vet Hardy. For once, the outcome is uncertain.
Drive (18)
(Nicolas Winding Refn, 2011, Us) Ryan Gosling, Carey Mulligan, Christina Hendricks. 100 mins
A vintage American muscle car with an efficient European engine, this sleek crime thriller handles the genre road superbly, as cool getaway ace Gosling loses his grip over one last job.
Crazy Stupid Love (12A)
(Glenn Ficarra, John Requa, 2011, Us) Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling, Julianne Moore, Emma Stone. 118 mins
Male relationship woes are sympathetically mocked in this multi-stranded romcom, centring on Carell's...
- 9/23/2011
- by Steve Rose
- The Guardian - Film News
When legendary British adventurer Sir Ranulph Fiennes released his book, "The Feather Men," in 1991, his accusations of military secrecy, revenge and assassination caused a ruckus in Great Britain. With the release this weekend of "The Killer Elite," the action film based on that book, the controversy is being stirred up once again.
The book frames the death of four agents of the British Special Air Service -- Sas -- as murders served out over a 17-year period by an assassin hired by an oil-rich sheik seeking payback after British forces killed three of his sons during a communist uprising in Oman. The book provoked outrage from the victims' family members and official denials, but no certain truth has ever been revealed.
The film adaptation, out Friday, condenses the action to a short timeline and casts action vet Jason Statham in the role of the assassin. Trying to stop him is Clive Owen,...
The book frames the death of four agents of the British Special Air Service -- Sas -- as murders served out over a 17-year period by an assassin hired by an oil-rich sheik seeking payback after British forces killed three of his sons during a communist uprising in Oman. The book provoked outrage from the victims' family members and official denials, but no certain truth has ever been revealed.
The film adaptation, out Friday, condenses the action to a short timeline and casts action vet Jason Statham in the role of the assassin. Trying to stop him is Clive Owen,...
- 9/23/2011
- by Jordan Zakarin
- Huffington Post
Gary McKendry’s “Killer Elite” doesn’t re-invent the wheel. Hell, it doesn’t even try. The plot is straight out of the ’80s (perhaps not ironically, considering the film’s setting), which is when most of us started overdosing on this stuff. Frankly, if you’re not one of the guys that raided your neighborhood ma and pa videostores for the latest action movie with titles like “Revenge Mission”, “Dark Justice”, or “Justice Fire Shoot Kill Kill Kill”, then you probably shouldn’t be watching “Killer Elite” in the first place. Of course, that doesn’t really excuse the film for being such a shoddily scripted affair, but hey, at least Jason Statham is still pretty great at playing Jason Statham, Robert De Niro with an assault rifle is always fun stuff, and Clive Owen grew a friggin’ mustache for the role. So, there’s that. The film opens in grand style,...
- 9/23/2011
- by Nix
- Beyond Hollywood
Here's a sneak peek at what's opening in theaters this weekend, including the Brad Pitt baseball flick "Moneyball"; the Taylor Lautner thriller "Abduction"; the sweet family film "Dolphin Tale"; and the hard-action movie "Killer Elite" with Robert De Niro, Jason Statham and Clive Owen.
In Theaters Now (September)'Moneyball' (Sept. 23)
Who: Brad Pitt, Jonah Hill, Philip Seymour Hoffman; directed by Bennett Miller What: The film focuses on Oakland A's general manager Billy Beane,...
In Theaters Now (September)'Moneyball' (Sept. 23)
Who: Brad Pitt, Jonah Hill, Philip Seymour Hoffman; directed by Bennett Miller What: The film focuses on Oakland A's general manager Billy Beane,...
- 9/23/2011
- Extra
Haven’t decided if you want to see a good old fashioned ’80s throwback action movie like “Killer Elite” yet? Well you should. I may or may not have a review for it later today. It’s, you know, hard to write movie reviews, and such. Anyways, until then, here’s a Red Band Trailer for Gary McKendry’s film. Not too out there, just some gratuitous showcasing of F-bombs and some random chick shows off her moneymaker. Plus, for bonus brownie points, Jason Statham punches Clive Owen in the balls. Ouch. Based on a true story, Killer Elite races across the globe from Australia to Paris, London and the Middle East in the action-packed account of an ex-special ops agent (Jason Statham) who is lured out of retirement to rescue his mentor (Robert De Niro). To make the rescue, he must complete a near-impossible mission of killing three tough-as-nails...
- 9/23/2011
- by Nix
- Beyond Hollywood
Killer Elite (my review Here) is the new action packed thriller by first time filmmaker Gary McKendry that was premiered at the Toronto Film Festival. One of the main attractive features of the film is the stellar cast attached. Myself and a few other plucky journos’ were lucky enough to sit at a round table and interview four people related to the film. Here’s 1 of 4.
Clive Owen is an actor that started out in theatre, but since has moved into film with a multitude of memorable roles in a vast array of different genres. Not interested in limiting himself in any way, Owen continues his noble quest as being one of the many great British actors who seek to dominate Hollywood.
Though, arguably he still may not have eclipsed his work in Children Of Men, Owen has continued to confidently expand his resume and constantly seeks to test himself as an actor.
Clive Owen is an actor that started out in theatre, but since has moved into film with a multitude of memorable roles in a vast array of different genres. Not interested in limiting himself in any way, Owen continues his noble quest as being one of the many great British actors who seek to dominate Hollywood.
Though, arguably he still may not have eclipsed his work in Children Of Men, Owen has continued to confidently expand his resume and constantly seeks to test himself as an actor.
- 9/23/2011
- by Quigs
- Obsessed with Film
Review of Gary Kendry's Killer Elite, starring Jason Statham, Clive Owen and Robert De Niro. There are noble filmmaking intentions behind "Killer Elite," the new action film which stars Jason Statham, Clive Owen, and, surprisingly, Robert De Niro. It tries to be complex and emotional, whilst remaining a kick-ass action film. Ambition is important, of course, because who amongst us isn't interested in a complicated, realistic film that delivers the goods? Sadly, however, this is a movie that wants to be "Heat," but it just isn't hot enough. See, the complexity of Gary McKendry's movie should be in the plotting, but instead it's all in the exposition. Statham is Danny, a hit man who tried to get out of the game, but found himself dragged back in after his mentor, Hunter (De Niro) is kidnapped by an Omani sheikh who wants revenge on the British Sas soldiers who killed...
- 9/23/2011
- Upcoming-Movies.com
Review of Gary Kendry's Killer Elite, starring Jason Statham, Clive Owen and Robert De Niro. There are noble filmmaking intentions behind "Killer Elite," the new action film which stars Jason Statham, Clive Owen, and, surprisingly, Robert De Niro. It tries to be complex and emotional, whilst remaining a kick-ass action film. Ambition is important, of course, because who amongst us isn't interested in a complicated, realistic film that delivers the goods? Sadly, however, this is a movie that wants to be "Heat," but it just isn't hot enough. See, the complexity of Gary McKendry's movie should be in the plotting, but instead it's all in the exposition. Statham is Danny, a hit man who tried to get out of the game, but found himself dragged back in after his mentor, Hunter (De Niro) is kidnapped by an Omani sheikh who wants revenge on the British Sas soldiers who killed...
- 9/23/2011
- Upcoming-Movies.com
Chicago – “Killer Elite” is an exhausting, nonsensical, illogical, loud collection of action clichés masquerading as a modern action film. It features characters less three-dimensional than most cartoons doing and saying things that are only done and said in movies. Bad movies. Really bad movies.
Rating: 1.0/5.0
From the “based on a true story” text that reminds us that the world was in a state of chaos in the early ‘80s to the opening scene that offers the only reason to like killer Danny (Jason Statham) – he doesn’t kill children! – “Killer Elite” doesn’t just exploit clichés of the genre, it feels like it wouldn’t exist without them. Danny is soft-spoken and loyal to his mentor Hunter (Robert De Niro) so that makes him a good guy. Who cares that he’s a killer, right? As long as he looks longingly out airplane windows and remembers the happier times with...
Rating: 1.0/5.0
From the “based on a true story” text that reminds us that the world was in a state of chaos in the early ‘80s to the opening scene that offers the only reason to like killer Danny (Jason Statham) – he doesn’t kill children! – “Killer Elite” doesn’t just exploit clichés of the genre, it feels like it wouldn’t exist without them. Danny is soft-spoken and loyal to his mentor Hunter (Robert De Niro) so that makes him a good guy. Who cares that he’s a killer, right? As long as he looks longingly out airplane windows and remembers the happier times with...
- 9/23/2011
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Open Road Films Courtesy of Everett Collection Actor Clive Owen and director Gary McKendry
Action film “Killer Elite” may be director Gary McKendry’s first feature film, but the Irish filmmaker is far from an industry newcomer. A graduate of Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design in London, McKendry has worked extensively in advertising and directed commercials for the likes of Ikea, Porsche and Heineken.
“People keep asking me how I handled this huge movie for my first film,...
Action film “Killer Elite” may be director Gary McKendry’s first feature film, but the Irish filmmaker is far from an industry newcomer. A graduate of Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design in London, McKendry has worked extensively in advertising and directed commercials for the likes of Ikea, Porsche and Heineken.
“People keep asking me how I handled this huge movie for my first film,...
- 9/23/2011
- by Michelle Kung
- Speakeasy/Wall Street Journal
Killer Elite begins by stressing that what on the surface appeared to be little more than a run-of-the-mill Jason Statham-Clive Owen action flick is in fact a serious evocation of the chaotic geopolitical scene circa 1980, and based on a true story. Naively, I felt a twinge of eager anticipation. Could this actually be a serious globe-trotting thriller, a chance for Statham to showcase some dramatic range? Not so much. Gary McKendry’s movie, based on the novel The Feather Men by Sir Ranulph Fiennes, is in fact only dubiously based on fact at all (there’s been an ongoing controversy over its claim to be a “true adventure” since its publication in 1991). Beyond that, the flick is basically the full-throttle machismo fest that’s the natural outcome when Statham and Owen get top billing on the same film, with Robert De Niro checking in for good measure. There’s butt-kicking in Oman, France...
- 9/23/2011
- by Robert Levin
- FilmSchoolRejects.com
Killer Elite
Directed by: Gary McKendry
Cast: Jason Statham, Clive Owen, Robert De Niro
Running Time: 1 hr 45 mins
Rating: R
Release Date: September 23, 2011
Plot: An ex-special ops agent (Statham) comes out of quiet retirement when his mentor (De Niro) is kidnapped by a sheik in Oman who wants revenge for his three sons as ransom. He is sent around the world to track down the man’s son’s killers, but is being chased by Spike (Owen) the leader of a secret military organization called “The Feather Men.”
Who’S It For? Action fans will find this dull, and even Statham apologists will be hoping for its swift end. Those who live to see Robert De Niro hold guns should see this, and that’s it.
Expectations: Not much to take away from the trailer, other than sunglasses, guns, and Clive Owen’s mustache. All three of them have seen bright days in action,...
Directed by: Gary McKendry
Cast: Jason Statham, Clive Owen, Robert De Niro
Running Time: 1 hr 45 mins
Rating: R
Release Date: September 23, 2011
Plot: An ex-special ops agent (Statham) comes out of quiet retirement when his mentor (De Niro) is kidnapped by a sheik in Oman who wants revenge for his three sons as ransom. He is sent around the world to track down the man’s son’s killers, but is being chased by Spike (Owen) the leader of a secret military organization called “The Feather Men.”
Who’S It For? Action fans will find this dull, and even Statham apologists will be hoping for its swift end. Those who live to see Robert De Niro hold guns should see this, and that’s it.
Expectations: Not much to take away from the trailer, other than sunglasses, guns, and Clive Owen’s mustache. All three of them have seen bright days in action,...
- 9/23/2011
- by Nick Allen
- The Scorecard Review
Having Jason Statham, Clive Owen and Robert De Niro in your movie may be enough to get people to check out the new Open Road action-thriller Killer Elite when it open in theaters today, but what really impressed us was that it was the debut feature from a director we'd never heard of before, named Gary McKendry. After directing an Oscar-nominated short film called Everything in This Country Must back in 2004, McKendry had mainly been directing commercials, while working on his adaptation of Sir Ranulph Fiennes' novel "The Feather Men" ever since, and the results are quite impressive. Set in the early '80s, Statham and Owen play assassins on opposite sides of a mission to kill a trio of special forces men responsible for killing the sons of a sheikh, and McKendry uses...
- 9/23/2011
- Comingsoon.net
Title: Killer Elite Director: Gary McKendry Starring: Jason Statham, Clive Owen, Robert De Niro, Dominic Purcell, Yvonne Strahovski, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Aden Young Killer Elite begins with the “Based on true events” tagline. It just so happens the 100 minute feature could have actually happened; as it is based off a book titled, The Feather Men, whose author has been coy on whether or not the content in the pages contain actual truths. Looking into the facts after seeing the film may have one appreciating this standard action piece a bit more. Either way, seeing Jason Statham in this type of role & script once again, we can finally coin the...
- 9/23/2011
- by joe
- ShockYa
(Our review from Toronto Film Festival re-posted as Killer Elite is released in cinema’s today)
Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
I remember, back when I first saw the trailer for Killer Elite I showed it to a friend, mainly for the part where Jason Statham crushed Clive Owen’s balls with a well placed uppercut. My partner in crime at the time turned to me and said “By based on a true story, does it mean that, one time there was this guy, who shot at another guy, and there was some sort of fight?”.
After watching Killer Elite, I can pretty much confirm that, that might as well have been what it was based on, but no, sadly it was based on Ranulph Fiennes “factional” book The Feather Men which details the supposedly sordid events that the Sas took part in during the Oman war, which itself was a very dark time.
Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
I remember, back when I first saw the trailer for Killer Elite I showed it to a friend, mainly for the part where Jason Statham crushed Clive Owen’s balls with a well placed uppercut. My partner in crime at the time turned to me and said “By based on a true story, does it mean that, one time there was this guy, who shot at another guy, and there was some sort of fight?”.
After watching Killer Elite, I can pretty much confirm that, that might as well have been what it was based on, but no, sadly it was based on Ranulph Fiennes “factional” book The Feather Men which details the supposedly sordid events that the Sas took part in during the Oman war, which itself was a very dark time.
- 9/23/2011
- by Quigs
- Obsessed with Film
Just in time for the films release today, Joblo have a new red-band trailer for Killer Elite, the new action drama, which stars Robert De Niro, Clive Owen and Jason Statham, based on Ranulph Fiennes’ novel “The Feather Men,” and is written and directed by Gary McKendry.
Killer Elite tells the story of a retired member of Britain’s Elite Special Air Service (Statham) forced into action when his mentor (De Niro) is taken captive. His mission: kill three assassins dispatched by their cunning leader (Owen). The film is in cinemas nationwide from today.
Killer Elite tells the story of a retired member of Britain’s Elite Special Air Service (Statham) forced into action when his mentor (De Niro) is taken captive. His mission: kill three assassins dispatched by their cunning leader (Owen). The film is in cinemas nationwide from today.
- 9/23/2011
- by Phil
- Nerdly
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