Appointee previously headed New Zealand’s Tātaki Auckland Unlimited economic and cultural development agency.
The Association of Film Commissioners International (Afci) has announced Jaclyn Philpott will lead the organisation in the newly created role of executive director.
Philpott’s appointment is effective January 3, 2023 and concludes a worldwide search that began in July and considered more than 120 candidates.
The executive will focus on growing the membership roster and help film commissions work with government policymakers. Her other immediate goals include expanding education and diversity awareness to empower Afci members to create effective programmes in their regions.
Philpott will relocate to Los Angeles from Auckland,...
The Association of Film Commissioners International (Afci) has announced Jaclyn Philpott will lead the organisation in the newly created role of executive director.
Philpott’s appointment is effective January 3, 2023 and concludes a worldwide search that began in July and considered more than 120 candidates.
The executive will focus on growing the membership roster and help film commissions work with government policymakers. Her other immediate goals include expanding education and diversity awareness to empower Afci members to create effective programmes in their regions.
Philpott will relocate to Los Angeles from Auckland,...
- 12/22/2022
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
Eight out of 11 board members are women
The Association of Film Commissioners International (Afci) has elected its first female-majority board of directors and its first Europe-based chairperson in more than a decade.
Bas van der Ree from the Netherlands Film Commission becomes Afci’s first board chairperson representing Europe in more than a decade and will lead the organisation’s most geographically and culturally diverse board to date.
Eight out of 11 board members are women. Officers include 1st vice chair Donne Dawson from the Hawaii State Film Office, 2nd vice chair Silvia Echeverri from the Colombia Film Commission, secretary Sorrel Geddes...
The Association of Film Commissioners International (Afci) has elected its first female-majority board of directors and its first Europe-based chairperson in more than a decade.
Bas van der Ree from the Netherlands Film Commission becomes Afci’s first board chairperson representing Europe in more than a decade and will lead the organisation’s most geographically and culturally diverse board to date.
Eight out of 11 board members are women. Officers include 1st vice chair Donne Dawson from the Hawaii State Film Office, 2nd vice chair Silvia Echeverri from the Colombia Film Commission, secretary Sorrel Geddes...
- 2/4/2022
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
Bas van der Ree has been elected chairman of the Association of Film Commissioners International, becoming the first European to chair the organization in more than a decade. Van der Ree, who has been the Netherlands Film Commissioner since 2014 when the nation’s film production incentive was launched, previously served as Afci’s 1st vice chair.
He will lead what Afci describes as its “most geographically and culturally diverse board to date,” as well as the first female majority board – eight of 11 members – in its history. Founded in 1975, the Afci is a global nonprofit professional organization that represents city, state, regional, provincial and national film commission members on six continents.
“Afci’s board represents the diverse needs and interests of our members, and I feel very honored to serve as chair,” van der Ree said. “Our newly elected, culturally diverse board will aim to further nurture and grow sustainable connections...
He will lead what Afci describes as its “most geographically and culturally diverse board to date,” as well as the first female majority board – eight of 11 members – in its history. Founded in 1975, the Afci is a global nonprofit professional organization that represents city, state, regional, provincial and national film commission members on six continents.
“Afci’s board represents the diverse needs and interests of our members, and I feel very honored to serve as chair,” van der Ree said. “Our newly elected, culturally diverse board will aim to further nurture and grow sustainable connections...
- 2/4/2022
- by David Robb
- Deadline Film + TV
Ausfilm executive vice-president of international production Erin Stam will join the board of directors of the Association of Film Commissioners International (Afci), serving a two-year term.
Stam is one of five new board directors for the association, which represents film commissions from around the world.
Other new members come from Columbia, Ireland, Kenya and the UK, helping to create what will be the most geographically and culturally diverse board in Afci’s 45 year history.
Continuing members represent film offices is Austria, Canada, the Netherlands, Norway and the United States. Afci aims to provide advocacy, connectivity and education to help its members foster economic growth.
Stam joined Ausfilm last year, and leads the organisation’s Los Angeles office. Her remit is to attract international productions to Australia, marketing the country’s financial incentives, production infrastructure, businesses, locations and talent. Prior to, Stam held roles at Film Victoria and Screenwest, and served...
Stam is one of five new board directors for the association, which represents film commissions from around the world.
Other new members come from Columbia, Ireland, Kenya and the UK, helping to create what will be the most geographically and culturally diverse board in Afci’s 45 year history.
Continuing members represent film offices is Austria, Canada, the Netherlands, Norway and the United States. Afci aims to provide advocacy, connectivity and education to help its members foster economic growth.
Stam joined Ausfilm last year, and leads the organisation’s Los Angeles office. Her remit is to attract international productions to Australia, marketing the country’s financial incentives, production infrastructure, businesses, locations and talent. Prior to, Stam held roles at Film Victoria and Screenwest, and served...
- 12/2/2020
- by Jackie Keast
- IF.com.au
Amanda Browne.
Ausfilm has a new director of US production in Amanda Browne, to be based in the organisation’s Los Angeles office.
Browne, who starts in the role this week initially based in Sydney, succeeds Michelle Sandoval, who left Ausfilm in December after almost 11 years to join Technicolor’s VFX brands.
Reporting to Ausfilm executive vice president international production Erin Stam, Browne will work with both U.S. and local screen production clients, Ausfilm members and Aussie talent in order to positively influence the attraction of film, television and post, sound, music and visual effects production to Australia.
She will also deliver international production leads to Ausfilm members and coordinate with state agencies on location pitches for international clients.
Originally from Sydney, Browne has been working in Los Angeles for 10 years. Prior to her appointment, Browne was production executive for Air Bud Entertainment, working on projects such as the...
Ausfilm has a new director of US production in Amanda Browne, to be based in the organisation’s Los Angeles office.
Browne, who starts in the role this week initially based in Sydney, succeeds Michelle Sandoval, who left Ausfilm in December after almost 11 years to join Technicolor’s VFX brands.
Reporting to Ausfilm executive vice president international production Erin Stam, Browne will work with both U.S. and local screen production clients, Ausfilm members and Aussie talent in order to positively influence the attraction of film, television and post, sound, music and visual effects production to Australia.
She will also deliver international production leads to Ausfilm members and coordinate with state agencies on location pitches for international clients.
Originally from Sydney, Browne has been working in Los Angeles for 10 years. Prior to her appointment, Browne was production executive for Air Bud Entertainment, working on projects such as the...
- 9/24/2020
- by jkeast
- IF.com.au
Ausfilm has advertised the position of director of Us production to succeed Michelle Sandoval, who left at the end of last year to join Technicolor/Mill Film after nearly 11 years in the role.
Reporting to Erin Stam, Ausfilm’s recently appointed executive VP, international production, the appointee will work closely with director of operations Vivien Flitton to build and maintain relationships with Us and international clients, Ausfilm members and Australian talent to attract film, TV and post, digital and visual effects production to Australia.
Among the duties are the planning of and supporting Flitton in staging events in Los Angeles including Ausfilm Week, Partner with Australia and Afci Locations Expo, and supporting Stam in developing partnership opportunities for Australian filmmaking talent through Ausfilm’s B2B Connect program.
The selection criteria include having an understanding of the Australian and North American film and TV industries across development, production and post-production...
Reporting to Erin Stam, Ausfilm’s recently appointed executive VP, international production, the appointee will work closely with director of operations Vivien Flitton to build and maintain relationships with Us and international clients, Ausfilm members and Australian talent to attract film, TV and post, digital and visual effects production to Australia.
Among the duties are the planning of and supporting Flitton in staging events in Los Angeles including Ausfilm Week, Partner with Australia and Afci Locations Expo, and supporting Stam in developing partnership opportunities for Australian filmmaking talent through Ausfilm’s B2B Connect program.
The selection criteria include having an understanding of the Australian and North American film and TV industries across development, production and post-production...
- 1/29/2020
- by The IF Team
- IF.com.au
Erin Stam.
Ausfilm has appointed former Film Victoria and Screenwest development executive Erin Stam as Los Angeles-based executive vice president of international production.
Stam will take up the post on January 9, taking over from Kate Marks who was named CEO following the departure of Debra Richards, who joined Netflix.
The Boston-born Stam has been an entertainment consultant and content producer since leaving Film Victoria where she spent two years as senior development executive.
Before that she was a development exec at Screenwest for a year. Earlier she served as senior VP of production at Participant Media and Spyglass Entertainment.
In the new role she will lead Ausfilm’s La team with a focus on continuing to attract international production to Australia, marketing Australia’s production tax incentives, promoting the country as a screen destination and matching Australian creative teams with Us executives through Ausfilm’s B2B Connect program.
Marks...
Ausfilm has appointed former Film Victoria and Screenwest development executive Erin Stam as Los Angeles-based executive vice president of international production.
Stam will take up the post on January 9, taking over from Kate Marks who was named CEO following the departure of Debra Richards, who joined Netflix.
The Boston-born Stam has been an entertainment consultant and content producer since leaving Film Victoria where she spent two years as senior development executive.
Before that she was a development exec at Screenwest for a year. Earlier she served as senior VP of production at Participant Media and Spyglass Entertainment.
In the new role she will lead Ausfilm’s La team with a focus on continuing to attract international production to Australia, marketing Australia’s production tax incentives, promoting the country as a screen destination and matching Australian creative teams with Us executives through Ausfilm’s B2B Connect program.
Marks...
- 12/18/2019
- by The IF Team
- IF.com.au
With Warner Bros.' Orphan tracking pretty well, scribe David Leslie Johnson as been hired to pen The Colony for Participant Media and Vertigo Entertainment. The thriller is based on a pitch by Stacy Title and Jonathan Penner and is described as The Birds with bugs. Vertigo's Roy Lee and Doug Davison (The Ring, The Grudge, Quarantine) produce along with Steven Schneider. Producers took the project to Participant, which bought it with the initial intention to develop and finance the film inhouse. Jonathan King and Erin Stam are Participant's execs on the project. It's the second project Johnson is writing for Vertigo, where he's also adapting Oz thriller Lake Mungo. That pic is set up at Paramount.Orphan arrives in theaters this Friday.
- 7/21/2009
- bloody-disgusting.com
Mark Waters is in negotiations to direct "Minimum Wage," a timely comedy from Participant Media that tackles the effects of greed. Peter Abrams, Robert Levy and Andrew Panay are producing.
Written by Tegan West and Scott Atkinson, the story centers on a corrupt corporate executive who is convicted of fraud and sentenced to a year living on minimum wage in the town his company bankrupted.
Jonathan King and Erin Stam are overseeing for Participant.
The company, headed by CEO Jim Berk and president Ricky Strauss, aims to make commercial films with a social bent. This year, it was behind such movies as Tom McCarthy's "The Visitor" and Errol Morris' "Standard Operating Procedure" and is involved in upcoming pics "The Soloist" and "The Informant."
Waters, repped by CAA, last directed "The Spiderwick Chronicles." His comedy "The Ghosts of Girlfriends Past" is in the can and set for a May 1 release.
Written by Tegan West and Scott Atkinson, the story centers on a corrupt corporate executive who is convicted of fraud and sentenced to a year living on minimum wage in the town his company bankrupted.
Jonathan King and Erin Stam are overseeing for Participant.
The company, headed by CEO Jim Berk and president Ricky Strauss, aims to make commercial films with a social bent. This year, it was behind such movies as Tom McCarthy's "The Visitor" and Errol Morris' "Standard Operating Procedure" and is involved in upcoming pics "The Soloist" and "The Informant."
Waters, repped by CAA, last directed "The Spiderwick Chronicles." His comedy "The Ghosts of Girlfriends Past" is in the can and set for a May 1 release.
- 1/9/2009
- by By Borys Kit
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Erin Stam has been named senior vp production at Participant Media.
Stam, who will report to executive vp production Jonathan King, will be responsible for supervising the development and production of narrative features. As one of her first assignments, she will oversee for Participant Overture's remake of George A. Romero's "The Crazies."
She joins Participant from Spyglass Entertainment, where she was involved in the production of such films as "27 Dresses," "Underdog" and "The Invisible." She began her career as an assistant at Icm before becoming a production exec at Tall Tress Prods., where she oversaw "Surviving Christmas."
Participant, which focusses on socially relevant entertainment, co-financed "The Visitor" with Groundswell Entertainment, and, along with DreamWorks and Paramount, took part in the upcoming "The Soloist."...
Stam, who will report to executive vp production Jonathan King, will be responsible for supervising the development and production of narrative features. As one of her first assignments, she will oversee for Participant Overture's remake of George A. Romero's "The Crazies."
She joins Participant from Spyglass Entertainment, where she was involved in the production of such films as "27 Dresses," "Underdog" and "The Invisible." She began her career as an assistant at Icm before becoming a production exec at Tall Tress Prods., where she oversaw "Surviving Christmas."
Participant, which focusses on socially relevant entertainment, co-financed "The Visitor" with Groundswell Entertainment, and, along with DreamWorks and Paramount, took part in the upcoming "The Soloist."...
- 10/9/2008
- by By Gregg Kilday
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Spyglass Entertainment has preemptively picked up "Leap Year", a pitch from writer-directors Harry Elfont and Deborah Kaplan.
Spyglass' Gary Barber, Roger Birnbaum and Jonathan Glickman are producing. Benderspink's Chris Bender and JC Spink also are on board to produce.
Plot details are being kept under wraps, though the project is described as an international-based romantic comedy.
Benderspink's Jake Weiner is executive producing. Erin Stam will oversee for Spyglass.
Spyglass jumped at the project, taking it off the table with a seven-figure deal. The company is hoping that "Year" will dovetail nicely with its previous romantic comedy hit, "27 Dresses", which grossed more than $76 million at the boxoffice.
Elfont and Kaplan, who are not attached to direct "Year", worked on the upcoming Patrick Dempsey starrer "Made of Honor" at Sony, as well as the company's "Sisters of Mercy". The duo is repped by CAA and Benderspink.
Spyglass' Gary Barber, Roger Birnbaum and Jonathan Glickman are producing. Benderspink's Chris Bender and JC Spink also are on board to produce.
Plot details are being kept under wraps, though the project is described as an international-based romantic comedy.
Benderspink's Jake Weiner is executive producing. Erin Stam will oversee for Spyglass.
Spyglass jumped at the project, taking it off the table with a seven-figure deal. The company is hoping that "Year" will dovetail nicely with its previous romantic comedy hit, "27 Dresses", which grossed more than $76 million at the boxoffice.
Elfont and Kaplan, who are not attached to direct "Year", worked on the upcoming Patrick Dempsey starrer "Made of Honor" at Sony, as well as the company's "Sisters of Mercy". The duo is repped by CAA and Benderspink.
Underdog, the live-action Disney film based on the Saturday morning cartoon series that ran from 1964-73, has a tail-wagging sense of wit and fun but gets undone by an increasingly lame story and physical gags in the latter phases of the movie. Still, the movie isn't nearly as bad as you would expect when the studio holds its only press screening the night before a national opening. The film kids superhero movies even as it opens the way for clever canine jokes that do make the movie something of an underdog.
The movie's hero is a lovable Beagle nicknamed Shoeshine that cop-turned-security guard Dan (a subdued and genuinely likable Jim Belushi) finds on a street one fateful night in Capitol City. He and his son Jack Alex Neuberger) are involved in a real-life challenge of coping with the death of the wife and mother, which gives this cartoonish comedy emotional heft.
Unbeknownst to either male, Shoeshine has been accidentally transformed into a canine crime-fighter in the lab of one Dr. Simon Barsinister (Peter Dinklage in a peerless bit of comic clowning), a mad scientist who, as he says, prefers the term "visionary." The dog can blast through walls, lift impossibly heavy objects, think faster than a human and, yes, he can talk. (Voice supplied with a down-home sensibility by Jason Lee.)
It takes a while for Shoeshine and Jack to get comfortable with these brilliant pet tricks, which makes for much of the fun in the early going. So while Shoeshine and Jack get their superhero act going -- which includes pinpointing the right costume after several false starts -- Dr. Simon, his face hideously rearranged by an industrial accident to look truly diabolical, and his wonderfully dense yet resourceful henchman Cal (a narcissistic Patrick Warburton) find new ways to do evil badly.
So the movie, under the direction of Frederik Du Chau (who directed that other critter comedy Racing Stripes), seems to have many things going for it as a family comedy. Alas, it fritters this all away with a Batman-style plot to destroy Capitol City by Dr. Simon and a gang of bad dogs led by a tough called Riff Raff ("Everybody Loves Raymond's" Brad Garrett).
The script by Adam Rifkin, Joe Piscatella & Craig A. Williams doesn't so much go to the dogs as rely too heavily on dogs doing things cute or amazing to take audience minds off a stalled story.
The pet tricks are quite good, and the animation of the animal mouths and the actors' voices synch well. This includes Amy Adams as Shoeshine's love interest, a saucy Spaniel named Polly. Other effects are just so-so, and the production design reflects the film's divided sensibility: Some sets and locations have true grit while others feel like backlot fakery.
UNDERDOG
Buena Vista Pictures
Walt Disney Pictures presents in association with Spyglass Entertainment a Barber-Birnbaum/Jay Polstein production in association with Classic Media
Credits:
Director: Frederik Du Chau
Screenwriters: Adam Rifkin, Joe Piscatella, Craig A. Williams
Story by: Joe Piscatella, Craig A. Williams, Adam Rifkin
Producers: Gary Barber, Roger Birnbaum, Jay Polstein
Executive producers: Eric Ellenbogen, Bob Higgins, Todd Arnow
Director of photography: David Eggby
Production designer: Garreth Stover
Music: Randy Edelman
Co-producers: Erin Stam, Rebekah Rudd
Costume designer: Gary Jones; Editor: Tom Finan
Cast:
Voice of Underdog: Jason Lee
Dr. Simon Barsinister: Peter Dinklage
Dan Unger: Jim Belushi
Cad: Patrick Warburton
Jack: Alex Neuberger
Molly: Taylor Momsen
Mayor: John Slattery;
Voice of Polly: Amy Adams
Voice of Riff Raff: Brad Garrett
Running time -- 84 minutes
MPAA rating: PG...
The movie's hero is a lovable Beagle nicknamed Shoeshine that cop-turned-security guard Dan (a subdued and genuinely likable Jim Belushi) finds on a street one fateful night in Capitol City. He and his son Jack Alex Neuberger) are involved in a real-life challenge of coping with the death of the wife and mother, which gives this cartoonish comedy emotional heft.
Unbeknownst to either male, Shoeshine has been accidentally transformed into a canine crime-fighter in the lab of one Dr. Simon Barsinister (Peter Dinklage in a peerless bit of comic clowning), a mad scientist who, as he says, prefers the term "visionary." The dog can blast through walls, lift impossibly heavy objects, think faster than a human and, yes, he can talk. (Voice supplied with a down-home sensibility by Jason Lee.)
It takes a while for Shoeshine and Jack to get comfortable with these brilliant pet tricks, which makes for much of the fun in the early going. So while Shoeshine and Jack get their superhero act going -- which includes pinpointing the right costume after several false starts -- Dr. Simon, his face hideously rearranged by an industrial accident to look truly diabolical, and his wonderfully dense yet resourceful henchman Cal (a narcissistic Patrick Warburton) find new ways to do evil badly.
So the movie, under the direction of Frederik Du Chau (who directed that other critter comedy Racing Stripes), seems to have many things going for it as a family comedy. Alas, it fritters this all away with a Batman-style plot to destroy Capitol City by Dr. Simon and a gang of bad dogs led by a tough called Riff Raff ("Everybody Loves Raymond's" Brad Garrett).
The script by Adam Rifkin, Joe Piscatella & Craig A. Williams doesn't so much go to the dogs as rely too heavily on dogs doing things cute or amazing to take audience minds off a stalled story.
The pet tricks are quite good, and the animation of the animal mouths and the actors' voices synch well. This includes Amy Adams as Shoeshine's love interest, a saucy Spaniel named Polly. Other effects are just so-so, and the production design reflects the film's divided sensibility: Some sets and locations have true grit while others feel like backlot fakery.
UNDERDOG
Buena Vista Pictures
Walt Disney Pictures presents in association with Spyglass Entertainment a Barber-Birnbaum/Jay Polstein production in association with Classic Media
Credits:
Director: Frederik Du Chau
Screenwriters: Adam Rifkin, Joe Piscatella, Craig A. Williams
Story by: Joe Piscatella, Craig A. Williams, Adam Rifkin
Producers: Gary Barber, Roger Birnbaum, Jay Polstein
Executive producers: Eric Ellenbogen, Bob Higgins, Todd Arnow
Director of photography: David Eggby
Production designer: Garreth Stover
Music: Randy Edelman
Co-producers: Erin Stam, Rebekah Rudd
Costume designer: Gary Jones; Editor: Tom Finan
Cast:
Voice of Underdog: Jason Lee
Dr. Simon Barsinister: Peter Dinklage
Dan Unger: Jim Belushi
Cad: Patrick Warburton
Jack: Alex Neuberger
Molly: Taylor Momsen
Mayor: John Slattery;
Voice of Polly: Amy Adams
Voice of Riff Raff: Brad Garrett
Running time -- 84 minutes
MPAA rating: PG...
This review was written for the theatrical release of "Underdog"."Underdog", the live-action Disney film based on the Saturday morning cartoon series that ran from 1964-73, has a tail-wagging sense of wit and fun but gets undone by an increasingly lame story and physical gags in the latter phases of the movie. Still, the movie isn't nearly as bad as you would expect when the studio holds its only press screening the night before a national opening. The film kids superhero movies even as it opens the way for clever canine jokes that do make the movie something of an underdog.
The movie's hero is a lovable Beagle nicknamed Shoeshine that cop-turned-security guard Dan (a subdued and genuinely likable Jim Belushi) finds on a street one fateful night in Capitol City. He and his son Jack Alex Neuberger) are involved in a real-life challenge of coping with the death of the wife and mother, which gives this cartoonish comedy emotional heft.
Unbeknownst to either male, Shoeshine has been accidentally transformed into a canine crime-fighter in the lab of one Dr. Simon Barsinister (Peter Dinklage in a peerless bit of comic clowning), a mad scientist who, as he says, prefers the term "visionary." The dog can blast through walls, lift impossibly heavy objects, think faster than a human and, yes, he can talk. (Voice supplied with a down-home sensibility by Jason Lee.)
It takes a while for Shoeshine and Jack to get comfortable with these brilliant pet tricks, which makes for much of the fun in the early going. So while Shoeshine and Jack get their superhero act going -- which includes pinpointing the right costume after several false starts -- Dr. Simon, his face hideously rearranged by an industrial accident to look truly diabolical, and his wonderfully dense yet resourceful henchman Cal (a narcissistic Patrick Warburton) find new ways to do evil badly.
So the movie, under the direction of Frederik Du Chau (who directed that other critter comedy "Racing Stripes"), seems to have many things going for it as a family comedy. Alas, it fritters this all away with a "Batman"-style plot to destroy Capitol City by Dr. Simon and a gang of bad dogs led by a tough called Riff Raff ("Everybody Loves Raymond's" Brad Garrett).
The script by Adam Rifkin, Joe Piscatella & Craig A. Williams doesn't so much go to the dogs as rely too heavily on dogs doing things cute or amazing to take audience minds off a stalled story.
The pet tricks are quite good, and the animation of the animal mouths and the actors' voices synch well. This includes Amy Adams as Shoeshine's love interest, a saucy Spaniel named Polly. Other effects are just so-so, and the production design reflects the film's divided sensibility: Some sets and locations have true grit while others feel like backlot fakery.
UNDERDOG
Buena Vista Pictures
Walt Disney Pictures presents in association with Spyglass Entertainment a Barber-Birnbaum/Jay Polstein production in association with Classic Media
Credits:
Director: Frederik Du Chau
Screenwriters: Adam Rifkin, Joe Piscatella, Craig A. Williams
Story by: Joe Piscatella, Craig A. Williams, Adam Rifkin
Producers: Gary Barber, Roger Birnbaum, Jay Polstein
Executive producers: Eric Ellenbogen, Bob Higgins, Todd Arnow
Director of photography: David Eggby
Production designer: Garreth Stover
Music: Randy Edelman
Co-producers: Erin Stam, Rebekah Rudd
Costume designer: Gary Jones
Editor: Tom Finan
Cast:
Voice of Underdog: Jason Lee
Dr. Simon Barsinister: Peter Dinklage
Dan Unger: Jim Belushi
Cad: Patrick Warburton
Jack: Alex Neuberger
Molly: Taylor Momsen
Mayor: John Slattery
Voice of Polly: Amy Adams
Voice of Riff Raff: Brad Garrett
Running time -- 84 minutes
MPAA rating: PG...
The movie's hero is a lovable Beagle nicknamed Shoeshine that cop-turned-security guard Dan (a subdued and genuinely likable Jim Belushi) finds on a street one fateful night in Capitol City. He and his son Jack Alex Neuberger) are involved in a real-life challenge of coping with the death of the wife and mother, which gives this cartoonish comedy emotional heft.
Unbeknownst to either male, Shoeshine has been accidentally transformed into a canine crime-fighter in the lab of one Dr. Simon Barsinister (Peter Dinklage in a peerless bit of comic clowning), a mad scientist who, as he says, prefers the term "visionary." The dog can blast through walls, lift impossibly heavy objects, think faster than a human and, yes, he can talk. (Voice supplied with a down-home sensibility by Jason Lee.)
It takes a while for Shoeshine and Jack to get comfortable with these brilliant pet tricks, which makes for much of the fun in the early going. So while Shoeshine and Jack get their superhero act going -- which includes pinpointing the right costume after several false starts -- Dr. Simon, his face hideously rearranged by an industrial accident to look truly diabolical, and his wonderfully dense yet resourceful henchman Cal (a narcissistic Patrick Warburton) find new ways to do evil badly.
So the movie, under the direction of Frederik Du Chau (who directed that other critter comedy "Racing Stripes"), seems to have many things going for it as a family comedy. Alas, it fritters this all away with a "Batman"-style plot to destroy Capitol City by Dr. Simon and a gang of bad dogs led by a tough called Riff Raff ("Everybody Loves Raymond's" Brad Garrett).
The script by Adam Rifkin, Joe Piscatella & Craig A. Williams doesn't so much go to the dogs as rely too heavily on dogs doing things cute or amazing to take audience minds off a stalled story.
The pet tricks are quite good, and the animation of the animal mouths and the actors' voices synch well. This includes Amy Adams as Shoeshine's love interest, a saucy Spaniel named Polly. Other effects are just so-so, and the production design reflects the film's divided sensibility: Some sets and locations have true grit while others feel like backlot fakery.
UNDERDOG
Buena Vista Pictures
Walt Disney Pictures presents in association with Spyglass Entertainment a Barber-Birnbaum/Jay Polstein production in association with Classic Media
Credits:
Director: Frederik Du Chau
Screenwriters: Adam Rifkin, Joe Piscatella, Craig A. Williams
Story by: Joe Piscatella, Craig A. Williams, Adam Rifkin
Producers: Gary Barber, Roger Birnbaum, Jay Polstein
Executive producers: Eric Ellenbogen, Bob Higgins, Todd Arnow
Director of photography: David Eggby
Production designer: Garreth Stover
Music: Randy Edelman
Co-producers: Erin Stam, Rebekah Rudd
Costume designer: Gary Jones
Editor: Tom Finan
Cast:
Voice of Underdog: Jason Lee
Dr. Simon Barsinister: Peter Dinklage
Dan Unger: Jim Belushi
Cad: Patrick Warburton
Jack: Alex Neuberger
Molly: Taylor Momsen
Mayor: John Slattery
Voice of Polly: Amy Adams
Voice of Riff Raff: Brad Garrett
Running time -- 84 minutes
MPAA rating: PG...
"The Invisible" is a remake of a 2002 Swedish film, which is itself an adaptation of a novel, so perhaps this is a case of a story getting too many generations removed from its source material.
There's a clever idea here for a fantasy-thriller, in which a bright high-schooler on the verge of graduation finds himself a ghost in his own life. This should open the way for the kid to see his life and the lives of others for what they truly are rather than what he imagines them to be. But the drama never comes together in a smart, meaningful way; indeed, most revelations border on the banal. And thriller elements come up empty since the youngster -- and audience -- knows who "killed" him.
The film is not as bad as the Walt Disney Co. apparently thinks. (The studio declined to screen the film for critics before it opened Friday.) But it's not very good, either. The film could appeal to young audiences but won't cross over to slightly older audiences because it lacks the crisp imagination of those other out-of-body movies "The Sixth Sense" and "Ghost".
The film establishes Nick (Justin Chatwin, very good), an intelligent, sensitive yet troubled youth. He lives with his mother Marcia Gay Harden) in a starkly modern suburban Seattle home. She has been cold and indifferent to him since the death of his father several years before, refusing even to consider his desire for a writing career.
Meanwhile, best friend Pete (Chris Marquette) gets stolen goods from school tough girl Annie (Margarita Levieva in a terrific first starring role). An intriguing dynamic exists between Nick and Annie, a mix of mutual attraction and disdain. Then Annie mistakenly -- and illogically -- believes Nick ratted her out to police in a smash-and-grab robbery. She and her bully companions drag Nick into the woods one night for a beating that leaves him lifeless.
The next morning, apparently unharmed, Nick returns to school. But no one sees or hears him, and he discovers there is a manhunt for him. He figures he must be a ghost. Then an incident with a dying bird causes him to realize he is not completely dead yet: His body is suspended in a kind of limbo, but unless it is soon discovered, he will die for real.
As he materializes invisibly in his mother's home, Annie's hangouts and Pete's frightened life, he sees what has eluded his living self. This is especially true of Annie, who is as invisible metaphorically to people as Nick is physically. Yet writers Mick Davis and Christine Roum and director David S. Goyer don't allow these revelations to have much dramatic impact.
Then there is the foolishness: Although he knows no one can hear him, Nick somehow thinks that if he screams they will. In scene after scene. Nor is there any real motive for Pete, as much a victim of the bullies as Nick, to participate in their cover-up. The relationships among Annie, her dad (Mark Houghton), her dead-end, ex-con boyfriend (Alex O'Loughlin) and the lead police detective Callum Keith Rennie) all reek of contrivance. Finally, the dialogue often falls short. "Oh my God, this is a nightmare" doesn't really express what a person must feel upon discovering he is dead.
Tech credits are decent, but the feeling persists that this one got away.
THE INVISIBLE
Buena Vista Pictures
Hollywood Pictures and Spyglass Entertainment present a Birnbaum/Barber/Macariedelstein production in association with Sonet Film Ab
Credits:
Director: David S. Goyer
Screenwriters: Mick Davis, Christine Roum
Based on a novel by Mats Wahl and the Swedish film
Producers: Roger Birnbaum, Gary Barber, Jonathan Glickman, Neal Edelstein, Mike Macari
Executive producers: William S. Beasley, Peter Possne
Director of photography: Gabriel Beristain
Production designer: Carlos Barbosa
Music: Marco Baltrami
Co-producers: Erin Stam, Rebekah Rudd
Costume designer: Tish Monaghan
Editor: Conrad Smart
Cast:
Nick Powell: Justin Chatwin
Annie Newton: Margarita Levieva
Diane Powell: Marcia Gay Harden
Pete Egan: Chris Marquette
Detective Larson: Callum Keith Rennie
Detective Tunney: Michelle Harrison
Running time -- 101 minutes
MPAA rating: PG-13...
There's a clever idea here for a fantasy-thriller, in which a bright high-schooler on the verge of graduation finds himself a ghost in his own life. This should open the way for the kid to see his life and the lives of others for what they truly are rather than what he imagines them to be. But the drama never comes together in a smart, meaningful way; indeed, most revelations border on the banal. And thriller elements come up empty since the youngster -- and audience -- knows who "killed" him.
The film is not as bad as the Walt Disney Co. apparently thinks. (The studio declined to screen the film for critics before it opened Friday.) But it's not very good, either. The film could appeal to young audiences but won't cross over to slightly older audiences because it lacks the crisp imagination of those other out-of-body movies "The Sixth Sense" and "Ghost".
The film establishes Nick (Justin Chatwin, very good), an intelligent, sensitive yet troubled youth. He lives with his mother Marcia Gay Harden) in a starkly modern suburban Seattle home. She has been cold and indifferent to him since the death of his father several years before, refusing even to consider his desire for a writing career.
Meanwhile, best friend Pete (Chris Marquette) gets stolen goods from school tough girl Annie (Margarita Levieva in a terrific first starring role). An intriguing dynamic exists between Nick and Annie, a mix of mutual attraction and disdain. Then Annie mistakenly -- and illogically -- believes Nick ratted her out to police in a smash-and-grab robbery. She and her bully companions drag Nick into the woods one night for a beating that leaves him lifeless.
The next morning, apparently unharmed, Nick returns to school. But no one sees or hears him, and he discovers there is a manhunt for him. He figures he must be a ghost. Then an incident with a dying bird causes him to realize he is not completely dead yet: His body is suspended in a kind of limbo, but unless it is soon discovered, he will die for real.
As he materializes invisibly in his mother's home, Annie's hangouts and Pete's frightened life, he sees what has eluded his living self. This is especially true of Annie, who is as invisible metaphorically to people as Nick is physically. Yet writers Mick Davis and Christine Roum and director David S. Goyer don't allow these revelations to have much dramatic impact.
Then there is the foolishness: Although he knows no one can hear him, Nick somehow thinks that if he screams they will. In scene after scene. Nor is there any real motive for Pete, as much a victim of the bullies as Nick, to participate in their cover-up. The relationships among Annie, her dad (Mark Houghton), her dead-end, ex-con boyfriend (Alex O'Loughlin) and the lead police detective Callum Keith Rennie) all reek of contrivance. Finally, the dialogue often falls short. "Oh my God, this is a nightmare" doesn't really express what a person must feel upon discovering he is dead.
Tech credits are decent, but the feeling persists that this one got away.
THE INVISIBLE
Buena Vista Pictures
Hollywood Pictures and Spyglass Entertainment present a Birnbaum/Barber/Macariedelstein production in association with Sonet Film Ab
Credits:
Director: David S. Goyer
Screenwriters: Mick Davis, Christine Roum
Based on a novel by Mats Wahl and the Swedish film
Producers: Roger Birnbaum, Gary Barber, Jonathan Glickman, Neal Edelstein, Mike Macari
Executive producers: William S. Beasley, Peter Possne
Director of photography: Gabriel Beristain
Production designer: Carlos Barbosa
Music: Marco Baltrami
Co-producers: Erin Stam, Rebekah Rudd
Costume designer: Tish Monaghan
Editor: Conrad Smart
Cast:
Nick Powell: Justin Chatwin
Annie Newton: Margarita Levieva
Diane Powell: Marcia Gay Harden
Pete Egan: Chris Marquette
Detective Larson: Callum Keith Rennie
Detective Tunney: Michelle Harrison
Running time -- 101 minutes
MPAA rating: PG-13...
- 4/30/2007
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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