HBO's "The Last of Us" doesn't need much improvisation. The heart-pounding series from Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann pulls plenty of its best lines from the video game on which it's based, and when writers do make changes, they tend to be for the better. Series cinematographer Eben Bolter even described the show's Emmy-winning third episode screenplay to /Film as a "golden script" and "an instruction manual for greatness." It sounds like improv moments were few and far between during the filming of the first season, but Pedro Pascal did manage to ad lib a line that made one key moment stronger.
In a conversation with original Joel Miller voice actor Troy Baker for "The Last of Us Podcast," co-creators Mazin and Druckmann unpacked an emotional episode 6 scene in which Joel broke down to his brother Tommy (Gabriel Luna), revealing the true depths of his care for Ellie (Bella Ramsey...
In a conversation with original Joel Miller voice actor Troy Baker for "The Last of Us Podcast," co-creators Mazin and Druckmann unpacked an emotional episode 6 scene in which Joel broke down to his brother Tommy (Gabriel Luna), revealing the true depths of his care for Ellie (Bella Ramsey...
- 4/15/2024
- by Valerie Ettenhofer
- Slash Film
Among the drama directors vying for an Emmy this January is Peter Hoar, the helmer behind the memorable episode from The Last of Us that starred Murray Bartlett (Frank) and Nick Offerman (Bill) as two men who fall in love far from the horrors of the Qz zone. Here, the director known for his work on The Umbrella Academy, It’s a Sin and The Last Kingdom looks back at his work on “Long, Long Time” and how he didn’t set out to make the world cry “uncontrollably.”
“But I did,” he added simply.
Deadline: You have directed genre dramas before. When you were hired for The Last of Us, were you told right away that that your episode wouldn’t involve any actual sci-fi/high-concept stuff?
Peter Hoar When I first said yes to the show, I didn’t know what I was going to get. And I did think to myself,...
“But I did,” he added simply.
Deadline: You have directed genre dramas before. When you were hired for The Last of Us, were you told right away that that your episode wouldn’t involve any actual sci-fi/high-concept stuff?
Peter Hoar When I first said yes to the show, I didn’t know what I was going to get. And I did think to myself,...
- 8/18/2023
- by Lynette Rice
- Deadline Film + TV
Joker Dp Lawrence Sher has been named president of the jury for this year’s FilmLight Color Awards, which are open to TV and movie colorists.
The jury also includes cinematographers Greig Fraser, an Oscar winner for Dune who also lensed the upcoming sequel; Natasha Braier, whose credits include Honey Boy; and American Society of Cinematographers past presidents Michael Goi and Stephen Lighthill.
“I’m very excited to be president of the FilmLight Color Awards [jury],” said Sher, who earned an Oscar nom for Joker, and whose work includes Godzilla: King of the Monsters, War Dogs, The Hangover, Garden State and the upcoming Joker sequel. “I believe the color tools we have today are perhaps — along with the digital sensor — the most transformative change in filmmaking in the last 50 years. My relationship and collaboration with my colorists is as important as any relationship I have with my camera, grip and lighting teams.
The jury also includes cinematographers Greig Fraser, an Oscar winner for Dune who also lensed the upcoming sequel; Natasha Braier, whose credits include Honey Boy; and American Society of Cinematographers past presidents Michael Goi and Stephen Lighthill.
“I’m very excited to be president of the FilmLight Color Awards [jury],” said Sher, who earned an Oscar nom for Joker, and whose work includes Godzilla: King of the Monsters, War Dogs, The Hangover, Garden State and the upcoming Joker sequel. “I believe the color tools we have today are perhaps — along with the digital sensor — the most transformative change in filmmaking in the last 50 years. My relationship and collaboration with my colorists is as important as any relationship I have with my camera, grip and lighting teams.
- 7/24/2023
- by Carolyn Giardina
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Craig Mazin has not seen the last of his film screenwriting career.
The “Last of Us” co-showrunner revealed during the “Happy Sad Confused” podcast that “Dune: Part Two” writer-director Denis Villeneuve reached out to Mazin to spend a month assisting on the script for the sequel starring Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, Austin Butler, and Florence Pugh.
Mazin noted that Villeneuve personally called him since Mazin is “out of the movie business” almost entirely and focused on TV.
“I’ll work with certain directors when they call because I love them and because they’re so brilliant,” Mazin said. “So if Denis Villeneuve calls, then absolutely. I’m there for three, four weeks — a month — to work on what you’re working on.”
“Dune: Part Two” is co-written by Villeneuve and Jon Spaihts, with Mazin now receiving a writing credit. The film follows Paul (Chalamet) as he seeks revenge for the murder...
The “Last of Us” co-showrunner revealed during the “Happy Sad Confused” podcast that “Dune: Part Two” writer-director Denis Villeneuve reached out to Mazin to spend a month assisting on the script for the sequel starring Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, Austin Butler, and Florence Pugh.
Mazin noted that Villeneuve personally called him since Mazin is “out of the movie business” almost entirely and focused on TV.
“I’ll work with certain directors when they call because I love them and because they’re so brilliant,” Mazin said. “So if Denis Villeneuve calls, then absolutely. I’m there for three, four weeks — a month — to work on what you’re working on.”
“Dune: Part Two” is co-written by Villeneuve and Jon Spaihts, with Mazin now receiving a writing credit. The film follows Paul (Chalamet) as he seeks revenge for the murder...
- 6/21/2023
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
While the onscreen travails of Joel and Ellie take center stage in The Last of Us, as they did in the videogame, for Neil Druckmann and Craig Mazin, the translation to television afforded an opportunity to delve deeper into the larger struggle of survivors of the pandemic. The show’s third episode “Long, Long Time” expands the game’s story of survivalist Bill (Nick Offerman), who turns his hometown into an infected-proof compound, and who seems content to survive on his own. That is, until Frank (Murray Bartlett) gets stuck in one of Bill’s traps, and the pair fall delicately, and movingly, in love with one another.
While Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsay charged headlong into the series without having played the videogame, for the core team behind “Long, Long Time,” director Peter Hoar and cinematographer Eben Bolter, a chance to work on an adaptation of one of their favorite games was unpassable.
While Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsay charged headlong into the series without having played the videogame, for the core team behind “Long, Long Time,” director Peter Hoar and cinematographer Eben Bolter, a chance to work on an adaptation of one of their favorite games was unpassable.
- 6/15/2023
- by Joe Utichi
- Deadline Film + TV
Steven Spielberg was one of the first A-listers to praise “The Last of Us,” according to director Peter Hoar.
The Episode 3 helmer told The Hollywood Reporter that series creator Craig Mazin received a letter from the iconic Oscar winner applauding the queer storyline in the third episode, titled “Long, Long Time.”
“Well, I didn’t get it directly, but [an actual Spielberg letter] came to Craig Mazin, the writer of my episode on ‘The Last of Us’ — the writer of all the episodes,” director Peter Hoar said. “He shared it with myself, Nick Offerman, Murray Bartlett and [cinematographer] Eben Bolter. Basically, a whole group of middle-aged men started squealing because their idol had realized who they were.”
Hoar continued, “I think he probably knew who everyone else was, but he didn’t know who I was. And now he’s probably forgotten.”
The director addressed Mazin’s “universal” storyline in the third episode...
The Episode 3 helmer told The Hollywood Reporter that series creator Craig Mazin received a letter from the iconic Oscar winner applauding the queer storyline in the third episode, titled “Long, Long Time.”
“Well, I didn’t get it directly, but [an actual Spielberg letter] came to Craig Mazin, the writer of my episode on ‘The Last of Us’ — the writer of all the episodes,” director Peter Hoar said. “He shared it with myself, Nick Offerman, Murray Bartlett and [cinematographer] Eben Bolter. Basically, a whole group of middle-aged men started squealing because their idol had realized who they were.”
Hoar continued, “I think he probably knew who everyone else was, but he didn’t know who I was. And now he’s probably forgotten.”
The director addressed Mazin’s “universal” storyline in the third episode...
- 6/9/2023
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
Here’s the latest episode of the The Filmmakers Podcast, part of the ever-growing podcast roster here on Nerdly. If you haven’t heard the show yet, you can check out previous episodes on the official podcast site, whilst we’ll be featuring each and every new episode as it premieres.
For those unfamiliar with the series, The Filmmakers Podcast is a podcast about how to make films from micro budget indie films to bigger budget studio films and everything in-between. Our hosts Giles Alderson, Dan Richardson, Andrew Rodger and Cristian James talk how to get films made, how to actually make them and how to try not to f… it up in their very humble opinion. Guests will come on and chat about their film making experiences from directors, writers, producers, screenwriters, actors, cinematographers and distributors.
The Filmmaker’s Podcast #335: ‘The Last of Us’ – Making the hit TV...
For those unfamiliar with the series, The Filmmakers Podcast is a podcast about how to make films from micro budget indie films to bigger budget studio films and everything in-between. Our hosts Giles Alderson, Dan Richardson, Andrew Rodger and Cristian James talk how to get films made, how to actually make them and how to try not to f… it up in their very humble opinion. Guests will come on and chat about their film making experiences from directors, writers, producers, screenwriters, actors, cinematographers and distributors.
The Filmmaker’s Podcast #335: ‘The Last of Us’ – Making the hit TV...
- 4/24/2023
- by Phil Wheat
- Nerdly
HBO’s “The Last of Us” dances between terrifying post-apocalyptic scenes with zombie-like creatures known as clickers and intimate moments between Pedro Pascal’s Joel and Bella Ramsey’s Ellie.
Cinematographers Eben Bolter and Ksenia Sereda, who captured some of the series’ most captivating and visual spectacles, will be vying for Emmy consideration in the Outstanding Cinematography For A Single-Camera Series (One Hour) category.
HBO has confirmed that Bolter, who shot Episodes 3, 4 and 5 will submit the third episode, “Long, Long Time.”
Read: Variety’s Awards Circuit for the latest Emmy predictions.
Nick Offerman and Murray Bartlett in “The Last of Us”
The flashback episode is named after the Linda Ronstadt song, which features prominently. Hailed as one of the most extraordinary episodes of television, much of the story focuses on the nearly 20-year relationship between Joel’s smuggling compatriots, Bill (Nick Offerman) and Frank (Murray Bartlett).
The episode was written...
Cinematographers Eben Bolter and Ksenia Sereda, who captured some of the series’ most captivating and visual spectacles, will be vying for Emmy consideration in the Outstanding Cinematography For A Single-Camera Series (One Hour) category.
HBO has confirmed that Bolter, who shot Episodes 3, 4 and 5 will submit the third episode, “Long, Long Time.”
Read: Variety’s Awards Circuit for the latest Emmy predictions.
Nick Offerman and Murray Bartlett in “The Last of Us”
The flashback episode is named after the Linda Ronstadt song, which features prominently. Hailed as one of the most extraordinary episodes of television, much of the story focuses on the nearly 20-year relationship between Joel’s smuggling compatriots, Bill (Nick Offerman) and Frank (Murray Bartlett).
The episode was written...
- 4/21/2023
- by Jazz Tangcay
- Variety Film + TV
The wonderful, dystopian TV HBO Max series, The Last of Us, was shot by the young Russian cinematographer Ksenia Sereda. Sereda chose the beautiful combination of Arri Alexa Mini and Cooke S4/i, to help her translate the cinematic look of the acclaimed video game, into a successful TV series. Read the interview below.
Dp Ksenia Sereda on the set of The Last Of Us. Source: HBO Painting a dystopian world
It’s not a coincidence that the dystopian look & feel of the HBO Max series, The Last of Us reminds us of other TV series. In fact, cinematography-wise, it looks like the TV series Chernobyl. Indeed, one of the creators of The Last of Us is Craig Mazin, which has also created the mini-series Chernobyl. Furthermore, Ksenia Sereda, which is the main (and youngest) cinematographer of The Last of Us, was the cinematographer of Chornobyl’s Russian counterstrike, which is Chernobyl: Abyss.
Dp Ksenia Sereda on the set of The Last Of Us. Source: HBO Painting a dystopian world
It’s not a coincidence that the dystopian look & feel of the HBO Max series, The Last of Us reminds us of other TV series. In fact, cinematography-wise, it looks like the TV series Chernobyl. Indeed, one of the creators of The Last of Us is Craig Mazin, which has also created the mini-series Chernobyl. Furthermore, Ksenia Sereda, which is the main (and youngest) cinematographer of The Last of Us, was the cinematographer of Chornobyl’s Russian counterstrike, which is Chernobyl: Abyss.
- 3/21/2023
- by Yossy Mendelovich
- YMCinema
"The Last Of Us" co-creators have heard your cries about the show's obviously Canadian setting, and they're ready to course correct. /Film's Ben Pearson attended a virtual press event with Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann ahead of the show's first season finale, and when they weren't unpacking the first season or dropping hints about season 2, the pair was owning up to one of the show's only flaws: The fact that every part of its American setting looks like the Canadian wilderness.
"It was a hell of a production. It was massive," Mazin said in regards to the lengthy shoot that took place largely north of the border in areas including wind-swept Calgary. "I'm trying to stop saying it's massive to myself, because I know that next season is going to be more massive, and I don't want to freak out," Mazin admitted with a laugh. "But man, it wasn't easy.
"It was a hell of a production. It was massive," Mazin said in regards to the lengthy shoot that took place largely north of the border in areas including wind-swept Calgary. "I'm trying to stop saying it's massive to myself, because I know that next season is going to be more massive, and I don't want to freak out," Mazin admitted with a laugh. "But man, it wasn't easy.
- 3/13/2023
- by Valerie Ettenhofer
- Slash Film
At first glance, the Infected that terrorize the characters of HBO's "The Last of Us" could be confused for zombies. After all, the common perception of zombies is that of shambling, mindless corpses; even though the early 2000s saw several examples of zombies who can bolt after their prey, they were consistently uncoordinated. Of course, this is likely because they had no real brain function, but that's not really the point. The point is that zombie media has frequently abided by a couple of universal "truths" regarding the undead creatures, and on a surface level, the fungi-growing Infected might seem to follow these truths.
However, the word "zombie" was reportedly banned from being uttered on the set of the buzzy HBO adaptation. The Motion Picture Association interviewed the show's cinematographer, Eben Bolter, about bringing Naughty Dog's seminal survival horror to the small screen. During their discussion, he revealed that...
However, the word "zombie" was reportedly banned from being uttered on the set of the buzzy HBO adaptation. The Motion Picture Association interviewed the show's cinematographer, Eben Bolter, about bringing Naughty Dog's seminal survival horror to the small screen. During their discussion, he revealed that...
- 3/8/2023
- by Erin Brady
- Slash Film
The Last of Us’s Storm Reid: ‘We were trying to create beautiful art about a post-apocalyptic world’
The Last of Us star Storm Reid, who plays the childhood friend of Bella Ramsey’s Ellie in HBO’s video game adaptation, has reflected on her time filming the show.
The actor, 19, who is also known for playing the sister of Zendaya’s Rue in Euphoria, is the focal point of The Last of Us’s seventh episode.
***Warning: spoilers ahead***
In episode seven, the story goes back in time to when Ellie and Riley (Reid) were at a Fedra military boarding school together.
Riley goes missing for a while, before coming back to tell Ellie that she has joined rebel group Fireflies.
The pair spend the night in an abandoned shopping mall, riding on the carousel and playing arcade games.
At one point, the best friends kiss, and dance together on a counter top. But these are their last moments of happiness together before they are attacked by the Infected.
The actor, 19, who is also known for playing the sister of Zendaya’s Rue in Euphoria, is the focal point of The Last of Us’s seventh episode.
***Warning: spoilers ahead***
In episode seven, the story goes back in time to when Ellie and Riley (Reid) were at a Fedra military boarding school together.
Riley goes missing for a while, before coming back to tell Ellie that she has joined rebel group Fireflies.
The pair spend the night in an abandoned shopping mall, riding on the carousel and playing arcade games.
At one point, the best friends kiss, and dance together on a counter top. But these are their last moments of happiness together before they are attacked by the Infected.
- 2/28/2023
- by Ellie Harrison
- The Independent - TV
The Last of Us star Storm Reid, who plays the childhood friend of Bella Ramsey’s Ellie in HBO’s video game adaptation, has reflected on her time filming the show.
The actor, 19, who is also known for playing the sister of Zendaya’s Rue in Euphoria, is the focal point of The Last of Us’s seventh episode.
***Warning: spoilers ahead***
In episode seven, the story goes back in time to when Ellie and Riley (Reid) were at a Fedra military boarding school together.
Riley goes missing for a while, before coming back to tell Ellie that she has joined rebel group Fireflies.
The pair spend the night in an abandoned shopping mall, riding on the carousel and playing arcade games.
At one point, the best friends kiss, and dance together on a counter top. But these are their last moments of happiness together before they are attacked by the Infected.
The actor, 19, who is also known for playing the sister of Zendaya’s Rue in Euphoria, is the focal point of The Last of Us’s seventh episode.
***Warning: spoilers ahead***
In episode seven, the story goes back in time to when Ellie and Riley (Reid) were at a Fedra military boarding school together.
Riley goes missing for a while, before coming back to tell Ellie that she has joined rebel group Fireflies.
The pair spend the night in an abandoned shopping mall, riding on the carousel and playing arcade games.
At one point, the best friends kiss, and dance together on a counter top. But these are their last moments of happiness together before they are attacked by the Infected.
- 2/27/2023
- by Ellie Harrison
- The Independent - TV
For the first time ever, Lego is making a set based on a music video with the release of the BTS Dynamite set.
“The Lego Group is lighting it up with its latest set: a tribute to the global pop icons BTS. The Lego Ideas BTS Dynamite set, designed by a Lego fan, features the seven-piece band on the video set of their global smash-hit single ‘Dynamite,’ which when released in August 2020 reached over 100 million views in less than one day and one billion views in just eight months, and even gave the band their first number-one single in the United States.”
Read more at Brickset
Fan-favorite TV series Fleabag appears as if it’ll never get another season, but perhaps that’s not entirely a bad thing.
“We were recently overjoyed to hear that our beloved Phoebe Waller-Bridge will be blessing us with her talents yet again with two...
“The Lego Group is lighting it up with its latest set: a tribute to the global pop icons BTS. The Lego Ideas BTS Dynamite set, designed by a Lego fan, features the seven-piece band on the video set of their global smash-hit single ‘Dynamite,’ which when released in August 2020 reached over 100 million views in less than one day and one billion views in just eight months, and even gave the band their first number-one single in the United States.”
Read more at Brickset
Fan-favorite TV series Fleabag appears as if it’ll never get another season, but perhaps that’s not entirely a bad thing.
“We were recently overjoyed to hear that our beloved Phoebe Waller-Bridge will be blessing us with her talents yet again with two...
- 2/21/2023
- by Lee Parham
- Den of Geek
Everybody has an opinion about “The Last of Us,” the survival horror series smashing viewership records for HBO week after week.
One misconception from not-so-eagle-eyed-and-eared viewers — or especially those who haven’t really experienced the show or game it’s based on — is that the show from Neil Druckmann and Craig Mazin is about “zombies.” Not so far, as the enemies in the series starring Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey aren’t undead, duh. They’re just infected and turned feral by a rapidly spreading fungus that’s destroyed the planet.
The alleged miscategorization dates back to even the 2013 and 2020 Naughty Dog video games, where a post-pandemic United States faces off against a sprawling, spreading population of Infected. That may be why, as series cinematographer Eben Bolter explained in a recent interview over at The Credits, cast and crew were seemingly banned, in his words, from using the word “zombie” at all.
One misconception from not-so-eagle-eyed-and-eared viewers — or especially those who haven’t really experienced the show or game it’s based on — is that the show from Neil Druckmann and Craig Mazin is about “zombies.” Not so far, as the enemies in the series starring Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey aren’t undead, duh. They’re just infected and turned feral by a rapidly spreading fungus that’s destroyed the planet.
The alleged miscategorization dates back to even the 2013 and 2020 Naughty Dog video games, where a post-pandemic United States faces off against a sprawling, spreading population of Infected. That may be why, as series cinematographer Eben Bolter explained in a recent interview over at The Credits, cast and crew were seemingly banned, in his words, from using the word “zombie” at all.
- 2/15/2023
- by Ryan Lattanzio
- Indiewire
The Last of Us went to great lengths to distinguish itself from a zombie show, even going so far as banning its crew from using the “Z word on set”.
HBO Max’s hit adaptation of the popular video game stars Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey as two survivors in a post-pandemic US who embark on a life-threatening journey across the country.
Along the way, they come across “the Infected”, a subset of the remaining population whose bodies have been taken over by fungi.
And while the Infected, sometimes referred to as “clickers” and “bloaters”, may appear zombie-like, fans and crew alike would be remiss to allude to them as such.
“We weren’t allowed to say the Z word on set,” series cinematographer Eben Bolter told The Credits in a recent interview. “It was like a banned word. They were the Infected. We weren’t a zombie show.
“Of course,...
HBO Max’s hit adaptation of the popular video game stars Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey as two survivors in a post-pandemic US who embark on a life-threatening journey across the country.
Along the way, they come across “the Infected”, a subset of the remaining population whose bodies have been taken over by fungi.
And while the Infected, sometimes referred to as “clickers” and “bloaters”, may appear zombie-like, fans and crew alike would be remiss to allude to them as such.
“We weren’t allowed to say the Z word on set,” series cinematographer Eben Bolter told The Credits in a recent interview. “It was like a banned word. They were the Infected. We weren’t a zombie show.
“Of course,...
- 2/14/2023
- by Inga Parkel
- The Independent - TV
‘The Last of Us’ Crew Was ‘Banned’ From Saying Zombie on Set: ‘We Weren’t Allowed to Say the Z Word’
Don’t even think about calling HBO’s “The Last of Us” a zombie show. Eben Bolter, the cinematographer who shot four episodes of the video game adaptation’s 10-episode first season, recently told The Credits that referring to the series as a zombie show or using the word zombie to refer to the undead characters was strictly not allowed on set.
“We weren’t allowed to say the Z word on set,” Bolter said. “It was like a banned word. They were the Infected. We weren’t a zombie show. Of course, there’s tension building and jump scares, but the show’s really about our characters; The Infected are an obstacle they have to deal with.”
“There’s a lot of things The Last of Us is not,” the cinematographer said earlier in the chat. “It’s not a cliché zombie movie, it’s not Hollywood backlit where everyone’s close-up is perfect.
“We weren’t allowed to say the Z word on set,” Bolter said. “It was like a banned word. They were the Infected. We weren’t a zombie show. Of course, there’s tension building and jump scares, but the show’s really about our characters; The Infected are an obstacle they have to deal with.”
“There’s a lot of things The Last of Us is not,” the cinematographer said earlier in the chat. “It’s not a cliché zombie movie, it’s not Hollywood backlit where everyone’s close-up is perfect.
- 2/14/2023
- by Zack Sharf
- Variety Film + TV
Spoiler Alert: This interview contains spoilers from Episode 5 of “The Last of Us,” now streaming on HBO Max.
This week’s episode of HBO’s “The Last of Us” unleashes hell — literally.
As the fifth episode barrels toward its epic conclusion, fungus-faced critters known as clickers emerge from a hole in the ground. And then a massive Bloater, a creature from the game “The Last of Us” audience hasn’t yet seen, makes its terrifying grand entrance.
Cinematographer Eben Bolter — who shot Episodes 3, 4 and 5 — knew this setpiece was going to be a big moment, lighting-wise. “It’s hell — it’s like a hive opening up,” he says. “We wanted it to feel like these are angry red ants that have been trapped on the ground, and they’re just desperate to break free.”
During pre-visualization conversations, Bolter knew there would be fire and backlighting in the scene. As to why...
This week’s episode of HBO’s “The Last of Us” unleashes hell — literally.
As the fifth episode barrels toward its epic conclusion, fungus-faced critters known as clickers emerge from a hole in the ground. And then a massive Bloater, a creature from the game “The Last of Us” audience hasn’t yet seen, makes its terrifying grand entrance.
Cinematographer Eben Bolter — who shot Episodes 3, 4 and 5 — knew this setpiece was going to be a big moment, lighting-wise. “It’s hell — it’s like a hive opening up,” he says. “We wanted it to feel like these are angry red ants that have been trapped on the ground, and they’re just desperate to break free.”
During pre-visualization conversations, Bolter knew there would be fire and backlighting in the scene. As to why...
- 2/13/2023
- by Jazz Tangcay
- Variety Film + TV
The post contains spoilers for episode 5 of "The Last of Us."
Now halfway through its first season, HBO's "The Last of Us" has already delivered heartbreak, hope, and plenty of on-screen horror. This week's episode, though, ratcheted the show's action to a whole new level as Joel (Pedro Pascal) and Ellie (Bella Ramsey) narrowly escaped the wrath of a group of forces led by Melanie Lynskey's Kathleen. Along the way, they ended up trapped in the middle of shootouts, fiery explosions, and an attack by a group of Infected led by an infamous beastie known to game fans as "the bloater."
All of the action unfolded by the light of the moon, making some of the show's most horrifying bloodbaths look eerily beautiful despite the carnage. Ahead of the episode, /Film spoke with episode cinematographer Eben Bolter about the tricky art of lighting night scenes, in which "every molecule of light is controlled.
Now halfway through its first season, HBO's "The Last of Us" has already delivered heartbreak, hope, and plenty of on-screen horror. This week's episode, though, ratcheted the show's action to a whole new level as Joel (Pedro Pascal) and Ellie (Bella Ramsey) narrowly escaped the wrath of a group of forces led by Melanie Lynskey's Kathleen. Along the way, they ended up trapped in the middle of shootouts, fiery explosions, and an attack by a group of Infected led by an infamous beastie known to game fans as "the bloater."
All of the action unfolded by the light of the moon, making some of the show's most horrifying bloodbaths look eerily beautiful despite the carnage. Ahead of the episode, /Film spoke with episode cinematographer Eben Bolter about the tricky art of lighting night scenes, in which "every molecule of light is controlled.
- 2/11/2023
- by Valerie Ettenhofer
- Slash Film
This post contains spoilers for episode 5 of "The Last of Us."
In "The Last of Us," death is everywhere, but we don't always see it. We don't see Bill (Nick Offerman) and Frank (Murray Bartlett) take their last breaths in bed together, and we don't see a shot of Tess (Anna Torv) being burned by an explosion after sacrificing herself to an infected horde. We also didn't see the executions Kansas City's brutal leader Kathleen (Melanie Lynskey) signed off on — or in one case, took into her own hands — during her two-episode arc.
But for the first time in the series' run so far, episode 5 of "The Last of Us" brings a level of carnage fit to match its source material, first bloodying things up with a massive face-off between the infected, Kathleen's group, and Joel's (Pedro Pascal) traveling companions. More importantly, though, the episode pulls zero punches in its final moments,...
In "The Last of Us," death is everywhere, but we don't always see it. We don't see Bill (Nick Offerman) and Frank (Murray Bartlett) take their last breaths in bed together, and we don't see a shot of Tess (Anna Torv) being burned by an explosion after sacrificing herself to an infected horde. We also didn't see the executions Kansas City's brutal leader Kathleen (Melanie Lynskey) signed off on — or in one case, took into her own hands — during her two-episode arc.
But for the first time in the series' run so far, episode 5 of "The Last of Us" brings a level of carnage fit to match its source material, first bloodying things up with a massive face-off between the infected, Kathleen's group, and Joel's (Pedro Pascal) traveling companions. More importantly, though, the episode pulls zero punches in its final moments,...
- 2/11/2023
- by Valerie Ettenhofer
- Slash Film
This post contains spoilers for episode 5 of "The Last of Us."
Well, there goes the neighborhood. On last week's episode of "The Last of Us," Joel (Pedro Pascal) and Ellie (Bella Ramsey) entered Kansas City with plans for an uneventful drive. This week, they leave the carnage of Kathleen's (Melanie Lynskey) crew up in flames, along with a massive pile of infected -- including the infamous bloater from the video game. Oh, and Sam (Keivonn Woodard) and Henry (Lamar Johnson) didn't make it out either.
The latest chapter of "The Last of Us" was one of the show's bleakest to date, but it was also one of the show's biggest. On a sheer spectacle level, the episode included some of the season's most impressive shots, including one in which an armored vehicle narrowly misses mowing down Ellie before instead crashing into a building and exploding. For /Film, I spoke to...
Well, there goes the neighborhood. On last week's episode of "The Last of Us," Joel (Pedro Pascal) and Ellie (Bella Ramsey) entered Kansas City with plans for an uneventful drive. This week, they leave the carnage of Kathleen's (Melanie Lynskey) crew up in flames, along with a massive pile of infected -- including the infamous bloater from the video game. Oh, and Sam (Keivonn Woodard) and Henry (Lamar Johnson) didn't make it out either.
The latest chapter of "The Last of Us" was one of the show's bleakest to date, but it was also one of the show's biggest. On a sheer spectacle level, the episode included some of the season's most impressive shots, including one in which an armored vehicle narrowly misses mowing down Ellie before instead crashing into a building and exploding. For /Film, I spoke to...
- 2/11/2023
- by Valerie Ettenhofer
- Slash Film
This post contains spoilers for HBO's "The Last of Us."
Since HBO's "The Last of Us" centers around a cross-country trip through a post-apocalyptic America, scenes involving characters in vehicles were inevitable. While much of Joel and Ellie's journey in these episodes has been on foot, the end of episode 3 shook things up by providing the duo with a vehicle. Thanks to this, we get some excellent road-movie material banter between Joel and Ellie early in episode 4. Capturing these scenes on camera proved to be a challenge for cinematographer Eben Bolter, but luckily this wasn't his first time filming vehicle-heavy scenes.
A lot of work goes into making the driving as realistic as possible while also putting the camera at an appealing angle, whether it be filmed in a vehicle on location or on a soundstage. Bolter's method was a combination of techniques, and when paired with the incredible on-screen...
Since HBO's "The Last of Us" centers around a cross-country trip through a post-apocalyptic America, scenes involving characters in vehicles were inevitable. While much of Joel and Ellie's journey in these episodes has been on foot, the end of episode 3 shook things up by providing the duo with a vehicle. Thanks to this, we get some excellent road-movie material banter between Joel and Ellie early in episode 4. Capturing these scenes on camera proved to be a challenge for cinematographer Eben Bolter, but luckily this wasn't his first time filming vehicle-heavy scenes.
A lot of work goes into making the driving as realistic as possible while also putting the camera at an appealing angle, whether it be filmed in a vehicle on location or on a soundstage. Bolter's method was a combination of techniques, and when paired with the incredible on-screen...
- 2/6/2023
- by Ernesto Valenzuela
- Slash Film
This article contains spoilers for "The Last of Us" episode 3.
It's no secret that HBO's "The Last of Us" has been a faithful adaptation up until this point. Created by Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann, the series has honored the source material by sticking close to it, only diverging when necessary. "The Last of Us" gets all the details of the post-apocalyptic world just right, from the infected population to the withered state of the environment. However, the characters and their shared journey remain the focus, and added story beats adhere to that principle. This is especially true for the third episode, which featured the never-before-seen love story between Bill (Nick Offerman) and Frank (Murray Bartlett).
Although the adaptation has been a gratifying experience for fans of the video game, the best parts of HBO's "The Last of Us" are completely new. And, against all odds, the show has successfully...
It's no secret that HBO's "The Last of Us" has been a faithful adaptation up until this point. Created by Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann, the series has honored the source material by sticking close to it, only diverging when necessary. "The Last of Us" gets all the details of the post-apocalyptic world just right, from the infected population to the withered state of the environment. However, the characters and their shared journey remain the focus, and added story beats adhere to that principle. This is especially true for the third episode, which featured the never-before-seen love story between Bill (Nick Offerman) and Frank (Murray Bartlett).
Although the adaptation has been a gratifying experience for fans of the video game, the best parts of HBO's "The Last of Us" are completely new. And, against all odds, the show has successfully...
- 1/30/2023
- by Marcos Melendez
- Slash Film
This post contains spoilers for HBO's "The Last of Us" and the video game series of the same name.
Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann's "The Last of Us" has managed to convey the essence of the video game series of the same name, while delivering three gut-wrenching episodes of television. Tragedy is an integral part of the show's worldbuilding, as survival is a luxury in a post-apocalyptic wasteland swarming with the infected, who harbor the singular goal of infecting every last human. Episode 3 somehow manages to heighten the pathos, focusing almost exclusively on Bill (Nick Offerman) and Frank (Murray Bartlett), who go from being guarded survivors who cross paths to lovers till they breathe their last. One of the most beautifully poignant episodes about two people in love ever made, episode 3 encapsulates the isolation, yearning, vulnerability, and pathos of loving someone as the world ends.
The handling of Bill...
Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann's "The Last of Us" has managed to convey the essence of the video game series of the same name, while delivering three gut-wrenching episodes of television. Tragedy is an integral part of the show's worldbuilding, as survival is a luxury in a post-apocalyptic wasteland swarming with the infected, who harbor the singular goal of infecting every last human. Episode 3 somehow manages to heighten the pathos, focusing almost exclusively on Bill (Nick Offerman) and Frank (Murray Bartlett), who go from being guarded survivors who cross paths to lovers till they breathe their last. One of the most beautifully poignant episodes about two people in love ever made, episode 3 encapsulates the isolation, yearning, vulnerability, and pathos of loving someone as the world ends.
The handling of Bill...
- 1/30/2023
- by Debopriyaa Dutta
- Slash Film
This post contains spoilers for HBO's "The Last of Us" and the video game series of the same name.
Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann have lovingly adapted "The Last of Us" into a stunning, emotionally resonant story about isolation and companionship in the face of the world coming to an end. Managing to fulfill the dual roles of honoring the source material and taking artistic liberties that significantly improve upon existing storylines, HBO's "The Last of Us" has been consistently edging towards near-perfection with each episode. With episode 3, the series recontextualizes the fates of Bill (Nick Offerman) and Frank (Murray Bartlett) while fleshing out the nuances of their life together in beautiful and heartbreaking ways.
Although the events of this episode significantly alter canon, it does so in a way that is loyal to the essence of these two characters, to the point that their absence haunts us even after the credits roll.
Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann have lovingly adapted "The Last of Us" into a stunning, emotionally resonant story about isolation and companionship in the face of the world coming to an end. Managing to fulfill the dual roles of honoring the source material and taking artistic liberties that significantly improve upon existing storylines, HBO's "The Last of Us" has been consistently edging towards near-perfection with each episode. With episode 3, the series recontextualizes the fates of Bill (Nick Offerman) and Frank (Murray Bartlett) while fleshing out the nuances of their life together in beautiful and heartbreaking ways.
Although the events of this episode significantly alter canon, it does so in a way that is loyal to the essence of these two characters, to the point that their absence haunts us even after the credits roll.
- 1/30/2023
- by Debopriyaa Dutta
- Slash Film
When "Game of Thrones" aired its climactic eighth season episode, "The Long Night," the response from fans wasn't exactly what the show's creators might have expected. Instead of cheering for Arya Stark's big moment or mourning the deaths of the characters who didn't make it through the battle for Winterfell, fans were caught up on something else entirely: How darn dark it all was.
Lighting is a delicate art form, and in recent years, many prestige TV shows have fallen into the habit of under-lighting night scenes or using muddy day-for-night effects. HBO's latest highly anticipated series, "The Last of Us," features a few key scenes set under the cover of darkness, including several shot by cinematographer Eben Bolter. The filmmaker served as director of photography on the show's third, fourth, and fifth episodes, and provided additional photography throughout the season. Along the way, he and his team worked diligently...
Lighting is a delicate art form, and in recent years, many prestige TV shows have fallen into the habit of under-lighting night scenes or using muddy day-for-night effects. HBO's latest highly anticipated series, "The Last of Us," features a few key scenes set under the cover of darkness, including several shot by cinematographer Eben Bolter. The filmmaker served as director of photography on the show's third, fourth, and fifth episodes, and provided additional photography throughout the season. Along the way, he and his team worked diligently...
- 1/23/2023
- by Valerie Ettenhofer
- Slash Film
If you didn't already know how huge "The Last of Us" was before the show premiered on HBO earlier this month, it's likely you do now. The 2013 Naughty Dog video game on which the series is based was a tremendous success and an industry game-changer, bringing gorgeous, cinematic style and subtle, character-driven stories to a medium that hasn't always been known for either.
It's no surprise, then, that when it came time to finally turn the game into a TV show (after an earlier movie version fell apart) the production took a go-big-or-go-home approach to getting the story just right. According to cinematographer Eben Bolter, who worked as director of photography on three episodes of the series, that approach included a massive search for the right people to capture the show's visuals.
Bolter's Been A Fan Of The Games Since Day One
I spoke with Bolter in an interview for /Film,...
It's no surprise, then, that when it came time to finally turn the game into a TV show (after an earlier movie version fell apart) the production took a go-big-or-go-home approach to getting the story just right. According to cinematographer Eben Bolter, who worked as director of photography on three episodes of the series, that approach included a massive search for the right people to capture the show's visuals.
Bolter's Been A Fan Of The Games Since Day One
I spoke with Bolter in an interview for /Film,...
- 1/23/2023
- by Valerie Ettenhofer
- Slash Film
One of the key distinctions between editing in film or television versus video games is needing to find the best scenes and moments without being able to totally adjust the performances after the fact. This is one of the advantages James Cameron has with the "Avatar" movies, which are essentially hyper-realistic animated films. As a live action TV show though, and not a wholly CGI experience, the editing process for "The Last of Us'' was certain to be extremely different from how the game was made.
Like any film or TV production, not everything filmed could make the final cut, but with its A-list cast and crew, the video game adaptation was sure to face some especially difficult trades in the editing room. The thoughtfulness and precision that goes into the show's cinematography on a frame-by-frame basis further underscores this point.
When /Film's Valerie Ettenhofer spoke with cinematographer Eben Bolter,...
Like any film or TV production, not everything filmed could make the final cut, but with its A-list cast and crew, the video game adaptation was sure to face some especially difficult trades in the editing room. The thoughtfulness and precision that goes into the show's cinematography on a frame-by-frame basis further underscores this point.
When /Film's Valerie Ettenhofer spoke with cinematographer Eben Bolter,...
- 1/23/2023
- by Walter Roberts
- Slash Film
For fans of the original game, HBO's "The Last of Us" series feels like a gift that keeps on giving. We've all been burned by Hollywood's long tradition of doomed live action video game adaptations before. Even 2022's uninspired "Uncharted" film proved that adapting Naughty Dog's cinematic games to the big screen is not a simple, surefire task without the proper vision (even though Sony Pictures has deemed the blockbuster a hit).
Despite all odds, showrunners Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann (who wrote and directed the original 2013 video game) have already proven this series' value as an adaptation of one of gaming's most beloved stories. What makes "The Last of Us" truly work as a fully imagined series, however, is that it makes full use of its new medium. There's no longer any direct interactivity or gameplay, but there's now plenty of room for more story, context, and worldbuilding...
Despite all odds, showrunners Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann (who wrote and directed the original 2013 video game) have already proven this series' value as an adaptation of one of gaming's most beloved stories. What makes "The Last of Us" truly work as a fully imagined series, however, is that it makes full use of its new medium. There's no longer any direct interactivity or gameplay, but there's now plenty of room for more story, context, and worldbuilding...
- 1/23/2023
- by Tyler Llewyn Taing
- Slash Film
Vampires haunt modern-day Los Angeles in director Adam Randall’s Netflix horror film Night Teeth. Sprawling with glamour and style, the city of angels is on display in this fast-paced, campy thriller. There aren’t many scares here, and it doesn’t cover any new ground, but it makes up for that with a grounded story full of high tension and likable characters.
Vampires tried to take over the city of L.A., but Boyle heights (a historic neighborhood in Los Angeles), fought back against a Vampire take over, so humans and Vampires formed a truce. This was supposed to be a lasting Truce until Victor (Alfie Allen), a vampire middleman, started to kill off Vampire leaders. Stuck in the middle of this war is Benny (Jorge Lendeborg Jr) is your typical single, awkward, not too bright college student with nothing going for himself except his love of music. His...
Vampires tried to take over the city of L.A., but Boyle heights (a historic neighborhood in Los Angeles), fought back against a Vampire take over, so humans and Vampires formed a truce. This was supposed to be a lasting Truce until Victor (Alfie Allen), a vampire middleman, started to kill off Vampire leaders. Stuck in the middle of this war is Benny (Jorge Lendeborg Jr) is your typical single, awkward, not too bright college student with nothing going for himself except his love of music. His...
- 10/17/2021
- by Valerie Complex
- Deadline Film + TV
“That’s the ultimate compliment! That’s perfect,” laughs cinematographer Eben Bolter when asked about how he shot multi-camera comedy “Avenue 5” that looks and feels like a single-camera drama.
See Josh Gad Interview; ‘Avenue 5’
“When you do a drama, you usually break down the scene shot by shot, you know, you’re going to start on this wide shot and we’re going to push in nice and slowly,” he explains. “You light it to make it perfect for that one shot, you get that one shot and then you move on to the next shot.” Watch our exclusive video interview with Bolter above.
HBO’s Sci-fi satire “Avenue 5” is the latest creation from acclaimed writer/director Armando Iannucci (“Veep,” “In the Loop,” “The Death of Stalin”). It stars Emmy nominee Hugh Laurie as a highly strung captain and Tony nominee Josh Gad as a narcissistic billionaire...
See Josh Gad Interview; ‘Avenue 5’
“When you do a drama, you usually break down the scene shot by shot, you know, you’re going to start on this wide shot and we’re going to push in nice and slowly,” he explains. “You light it to make it perfect for that one shot, you get that one shot and then you move on to the next shot.” Watch our exclusive video interview with Bolter above.
HBO’s Sci-fi satire “Avenue 5” is the latest creation from acclaimed writer/director Armando Iannucci (“Veep,” “In the Loop,” “The Death of Stalin”). It stars Emmy nominee Hugh Laurie as a highly strung captain and Tony nominee Josh Gad as a narcissistic billionaire...
- 6/4/2020
- by Rob Licuria
- Gold Derby
Scott Chambers gives a detailed and affecting performance as a young man with learning difficulties
This very affecting feature debut from director Joe Stephenson, adapted from Freddie Machin’s play by Chris New, centres on a teenager with learning difficulties (Scott Chambers, superb) who communicates more easily with animals – both dead and alive – than with people. Living in a caravan with his volatile and violent brother Polly (a convincingly wired Morgan Watkins), 15-year-old Richard befriends Yasmin Paige’s Annabel, whose family owns the land they live on. With its clash of natural beauty and societal disorder, Chicken nods towards the template of Ken Loach’s Kes, with Richard doting on pet hen Fiona, a symbol of his own flightless yet nurturing plight. Like the young Leonardo DiCaprio in What’s Eating Gilbert Grape, Chambers’s performance has tuning-fork precision, his slightly skewed physical movements and scattershot speech creating a childlike...
This very affecting feature debut from director Joe Stephenson, adapted from Freddie Machin’s play by Chris New, centres on a teenager with learning difficulties (Scott Chambers, superb) who communicates more easily with animals – both dead and alive – than with people. Living in a caravan with his volatile and violent brother Polly (a convincingly wired Morgan Watkins), 15-year-old Richard befriends Yasmin Paige’s Annabel, whose family owns the land they live on. With its clash of natural beauty and societal disorder, Chicken nods towards the template of Ken Loach’s Kes, with Richard doting on pet hen Fiona, a symbol of his own flightless yet nurturing plight. Like the young Leonardo DiCaprio in What’s Eating Gilbert Grape, Chambers’s performance has tuning-fork precision, his slightly skewed physical movements and scattershot speech creating a childlike...
- 5/22/2016
- by Mark Kermode, Observer film critic
- The Guardian - Film News
Stars: Clem Tibber, Shaun Dingwall, Elarica Gallacher, Lyndsey Marshal, Isaura Barbé-Brown, James Capel, James Doherty, Carys Lewis | Written by Oliver Frampton, James Hall | Directed by Oliver Frampton
[Nb: With the film now – finally – available to buy in the UK (The Forgotten is out today from Metrodome), here’s a repost of my review of the film from the 2014 London Frightfest]
There has been, over the past few years, a growing trend in British horror for setting movies in abandoned housing estates and tower blocks. Joining the growing ranks is The Forgotten, which sees a father and son forced to squat in an empty London council estate scheduled for demolition, seemingly abandoned by the mother. A dark, creepy and foreboding place, the flat is no place for a family; even less so after 14 year old Tommy starts to hear strange noises coming from the boarded-up flat next door…
Shot on a London council estate scheduled for demolition, that was once used for location shoots on UK police drama The Bill, The Forgotten is, like all good horror films, not just about the physical, and in this case,...
[Nb: With the film now – finally – available to buy in the UK (The Forgotten is out today from Metrodome), here’s a repost of my review of the film from the 2014 London Frightfest]
There has been, over the past few years, a growing trend in British horror for setting movies in abandoned housing estates and tower blocks. Joining the growing ranks is The Forgotten, which sees a father and son forced to squat in an empty London council estate scheduled for demolition, seemingly abandoned by the mother. A dark, creepy and foreboding place, the flat is no place for a family; even less so after 14 year old Tommy starts to hear strange noises coming from the boarded-up flat next door…
Shot on a London council estate scheduled for demolition, that was once used for location shoots on UK police drama The Bill, The Forgotten is, like all good horror films, not just about the physical, and in this case,...
- 5/2/2016
- by Phil Wheat
- Nerdly
Hitchin’ a Ride: Pastoll’s Debut an Assortment of Tropes
No, it’s not a remake of the 1981 Richard Franklin thriller starring Stacy Keach and Jamie Lee Curtis, but Abner Pastoll’s debut borrows the title, along with elements from a number of other, far better narratives for Road Games. Curiously, for most of the running time, his characters are actually not even on the road, but this is only one of several aggravating details in a film laboring to conjure thrills solely through the use of withholding pertinent information from the audience for an improbable reveal. Though it has all the right elements to convey technical proficiency, this is a watered down genre treatment which does disservice to notable cast members, which includes amongst its talent the strange plumage of 80s cult star Barbara Crampton.
Jack (Andrew Simpson) is unwisely hitchhiking down a desolate rural road as he attempts...
No, it’s not a remake of the 1981 Richard Franklin thriller starring Stacy Keach and Jamie Lee Curtis, but Abner Pastoll’s debut borrows the title, along with elements from a number of other, far better narratives for Road Games. Curiously, for most of the running time, his characters are actually not even on the road, but this is only one of several aggravating details in a film laboring to conjure thrills solely through the use of withholding pertinent information from the audience for an improbable reveal. Though it has all the right elements to convey technical proficiency, this is a watered down genre treatment which does disservice to notable cast members, which includes amongst its talent the strange plumage of 80s cult star Barbara Crampton.
Jack (Andrew Simpson) is unwisely hitchhiking down a desolate rural road as he attempts...
- 3/10/2016
- by Nicholas Bell
- IONCINEMA.com
I love movies like Road Games that seem to toy with you from beginning to end, and yet, sometimes those are the hardest films to discuss in a review because you never want to reveal too much for potential viewers. That being said, writer/director Abner Pastoll does a fantastic job of playing up suspicions throughout Road Games, a film that’s shrouded in a dubious sense of mystery and has a bit of a Hitchcockian sensibility to it as well. Its ending may be a bit divisive to many, but I dug the direction Pastoll goes with his surprising, take-no-prisoners finale.
Road Games follows British hitchhiker Jack (Andrew Simpson) as he makes his way through the sun-soaked countryside in France, traveling with only his passport and doing everything he can to get back home to England after his idyllic vacation goes horribly wrong. Along the way, he crosses paths...
Road Games follows British hitchhiker Jack (Andrew Simpson) as he makes his way through the sun-soaked countryside in France, traveling with only his passport and doing everything he can to get back home to England after his idyllic vacation goes horribly wrong. Along the way, he crosses paths...
- 3/7/2016
- by Heather Wixson
- DailyDead
Guys, can we all agree that hitchhiking is never a good idea? Great, now let's move on and into Road Games, the new thriller by UK director Abner Pastoll that overcomes a somewhat trope-y hitchhikers-in-danger premise by showcasing confident pacing, great acting and expert skill in building tension and suspicion in the viewer.
It also helps that the film is gorgeously shot by cinematographer Eben Bolter, who succeeds in making us believe that dreary 'ol England (where the film was shot) could look even remotely like the sunny South of France.
The film starts with an introduction to Jack, an English traveler trying to hitch a ride back to the Calais-Dover ferry since his holiday in France has gone to shit. When he meets Veronique, a free spirit played wonderfully by Jos&eac [Continued ...]...
It also helps that the film is gorgeously shot by cinematographer Eben Bolter, who succeeds in making us believe that dreary 'ol England (where the film was shot) could look even remotely like the sunny South of France.
The film starts with an introduction to Jack, an English traveler trying to hitch a ride back to the Calais-Dover ferry since his holiday in France has gone to shit. When he meets Veronique, a free spirit played wonderfully by Jos&eac [Continued ...]...
- 3/2/2016
- QuietEarth.us
Stars: Barbara Crampton, Andrew Simpson, Joséphine de La Baume, Frédéric Pierrot, Lou Castel | Written and Directed by Abner Pastoll
Set in rural France (but shot for the most part here in the UK) Road Games sees hitchhiker Jack rescues Véronique from a road rage altercation. Alone on the road the twosome decide to travel together for safety’s sake after learning a serial killer is cutting a murderous swathe through the region. Tired and hungry they decide against their better judgment to take up an offer to stay the night at a mysterious elderly couple’s mansion…
It’s safe to say the story in Road Games is actually a well-worn trope of the horror genre – so much so that my suspicions about where the film was headed was all but confirmed way before the big reveal (that may also be because I’ve seen way too many horror films...
Set in rural France (but shot for the most part here in the UK) Road Games sees hitchhiker Jack rescues Véronique from a road rage altercation. Alone on the road the twosome decide to travel together for safety’s sake after learning a serial killer is cutting a murderous swathe through the region. Tired and hungry they decide against their better judgment to take up an offer to stay the night at a mysterious elderly couple’s mansion…
It’s safe to say the story in Road Games is actually a well-worn trope of the horror genre – so much so that my suspicions about where the film was headed was all but confirmed way before the big reveal (that may also be because I’ve seen way too many horror films...
- 8/30/2015
- by Phil Wheat
- Nerdly
Well it’s that time of year again – the one where websites across the globe churn out Top 10 list after top ten list. So why should we be any different?! Yet whilst we may be following the predictable end of year lists, I can guarantee that my list is anything but predictable, featuring films from across the globe: including the Us, Canada, Italy, Australia, New Zealand and even good old Blighty!
This year more than ever there has been film after film that knocked it out of the park for me – which is why my Top 10 list has Two sections: the Top 10 and then the pick of 35(!) more brilliant movies (I would have loved this list to be a Top 45, honestly). So what’s my criteria? Well it has to be a movie I’ve seen this year, one that was released this year, i.e. making its UK debut,...
This year more than ever there has been film after film that knocked it out of the park for me – which is why my Top 10 list has Two sections: the Top 10 and then the pick of 35(!) more brilliant movies (I would have loved this list to be a Top 45, honestly). So what’s my criteria? Well it has to be a movie I’ve seen this year, one that was released this year, i.e. making its UK debut,...
- 12/19/2014
- by Phil Wheat
- Nerdly
Fans of film shot on actual film - and those flummoxed as to what all the nostalgia is about - here's a little something to cast your eye on, a short film titled Joseph's Reel from director Michael Lavers and cinematographer Eben Bolter with Sightseers star Alice Lowe and veteran character actor Robert Hardy (the young generation will know him as Cornelius Fudge in the Harry Potter films) that is shot, yes, on 35mm.Before passing away, an elderly man is given the chance to relive one day of his life. A figure known only as the Projectionist (Alice Lowe) offers a cantankerous Joseph (Robert Hardy) the chance to return to his favourite memory, so long as he follows the script of the day as it...
[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...
[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...
- 12/18/2014
- Screen Anarchy
Stars: Clem Tibber, Shaun Dingwall, Elarica Gallacher, Lyndsey Marshal, Isaura Barbé-Brown, James Capel, James Doherty, Carys Lewis | Written by Oliver Frampton, James Hall | Directed by Oliver Frampton
There has been, over the past few years, a growing trend in British horror for setting movies in abandoned housing estates and tower blocks. Joining the growing ranks is this years Frightfest film, The Forgotten, which sees a father and son forced to squat in an empty London council estate scheduled for demolition, seemingly abandoned by the mother. A dark, creepy and foreboding place, the flat is no place for a family; even less so after 14 year old Tommy starts to hear strange noises coming from the boarded-up flat next door…
Shot on a London council estate scheduled for demolition, that was once used for location shoots on UK police drama The Bill, The Forgotten is, like all good horror films, not just about the physical,...
There has been, over the past few years, a growing trend in British horror for setting movies in abandoned housing estates and tower blocks. Joining the growing ranks is this years Frightfest film, The Forgotten, which sees a father and son forced to squat in an empty London council estate scheduled for demolition, seemingly abandoned by the mother. A dark, creepy and foreboding place, the flat is no place for a family; even less so after 14 year old Tommy starts to hear strange noises coming from the boarded-up flat next door…
Shot on a London council estate scheduled for demolition, that was once used for location shoots on UK police drama The Bill, The Forgotten is, like all good horror films, not just about the physical,...
- 8/23/2014
- by Phil Wheat
- Nerdly
★★☆☆☆ A great way to keep costs low, the single location setup has long been a keen ally of the no-budget filmmaker. The key, however, is to find a credible reason for people not to leave. It's a theatrical device safe in the hands of Tobias Tobell, as at home directing for the stage as for the screen, and his aptly-titled thriller Confine (2013). With a protagonist suffering from acute agoraphobia, there's almost no compunction to venture outside the walls of her swanky London apartment, but ultimately a bit of fresh air might have done the plot a little good. We follow reclusive Pippa (model Daisy Lowe), who hasn't left her home in years.
A socialite with a modelling career she suffered serious injuries in a car crash which brought on debilitating psychological trauma that prevents her from stepping outside her front door. Her familial relationships are strained and she finds solace in friends found online.
A socialite with a modelling career she suffered serious injuries in a car crash which brought on debilitating psychological trauma that prevents her from stepping outside her front door. Her familial relationships are strained and she finds solace in friends found online.
- 7/4/2013
- by CineVue UK
- CineVue
Paul Davis, director of the An American Werewolf in London documentary Beware the Moon and the superb short film Him Indoors, is back in the directors chair fro another short film entitled The Body – a tale of a murderer (Alfie Allen) who uses the cover of Halloween night to causally transport his latest victim from the scene of the crime to his final resting place. Wrapping the body in tarpaulin and dragging it through the busy streets of London as bloody Halloween prop, all goes to plan until an old school mate (Christian Brassington) recognises the murderer and drags him along to a swanky Halloween party nearby, where a chance meeting with a beautiful girl (Hannah Tointon) takes his evening on an even bigger turn for the bizarre…
Davis on the story:
It’s a movie about facades and how we perceive things. You never really know what’s real...
Davis on the story:
It’s a movie about facades and how we perceive things. You never really know what’s real...
- 12/12/2012
- by Phil
- Nerdly
The official teaser trailer for The Body, starring Alfie Allen of "Game of Thrones," arrived online; and we have it right here for your viewing pleasure. Check out the sly peek into this short right here.
In addition to Allen, The Body stars Hannah Tointon ("The Inbetweeners"), Jack Gordon (Panic Button) and Christian Brassington (Burke and Hare). It was co-written and produced by Paul Fischer for Ten Cent Adventures (Radioman) and co-written and directed by Paul Davis (Him Indoors).
"It's a movie about facades and how we perceive things," director Davis said. "You never really know what's real and what isn't with the characters in this, and it's made all the more ambiguous under the disguise of Halloween - where everybody is somebody else. We live in such a sophisticated age, which tends to bring out the cynic in a lot of people. If we saw someone dragging a body along the street,...
In addition to Allen, The Body stars Hannah Tointon ("The Inbetweeners"), Jack Gordon (Panic Button) and Christian Brassington (Burke and Hare). It was co-written and produced by Paul Fischer for Ten Cent Adventures (Radioman) and co-written and directed by Paul Davis (Him Indoors).
"It's a movie about facades and how we perceive things," director Davis said. "You never really know what's real and what isn't with the characters in this, and it's made all the more ambiguous under the disguise of Halloween - where everybody is somebody else. We live in such a sophisticated age, which tends to bring out the cynic in a lot of people. If we saw someone dragging a body along the street,...
- 12/11/2012
- by Doctor Gash
- DreadCentral.com
Him Indoors
Stars: Reece Shearsmith, Pollyanna McIntosh, David Schofield (voice), Seelan Gunaseelan | Written and Directed by Paul Davis
Gregory Brewster (Shearsmith) is a serial killer; a serial killer who has gone undetected for years. There’s only one problem though. Gregory is agoraphobic, and hasn’t physically set foot on the streets of South London since he was a teenager. No longer able to rely on his now-deceased mother to supply him with unwilling victims Brewster takes to murdering the local posties and delivery boys whom he can easily lure to his door. However nothing prepares him for the arrival of his new neighbour (McIntosh)…
Written and directed by Paul Davis, whose documentary Beware the Moon took Frightfest by storm a few years ago, Him Indoors is a crowd-funded short that was conceived as a showcase for Davis’ storytelling skills to show investors for the feature length film he’s developing,...
Stars: Reece Shearsmith, Pollyanna McIntosh, David Schofield (voice), Seelan Gunaseelan | Written and Directed by Paul Davis
Gregory Brewster (Shearsmith) is a serial killer; a serial killer who has gone undetected for years. There’s only one problem though. Gregory is agoraphobic, and hasn’t physically set foot on the streets of South London since he was a teenager. No longer able to rely on his now-deceased mother to supply him with unwilling victims Brewster takes to murdering the local posties and delivery boys whom he can easily lure to his door. However nothing prepares him for the arrival of his new neighbour (McIntosh)…
Written and directed by Paul Davis, whose documentary Beware the Moon took Frightfest by storm a few years ago, Him Indoors is a crowd-funded short that was conceived as a showcase for Davis’ storytelling skills to show investors for the feature length film he’s developing,...
- 8/30/2012
- by Phil
- Nerdly
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