DVD Playhouse—August 2011
By Allen Gardner
High And Low (Criterion) Akira Kurosawa’s 1963 adaptation of Ed McBain’s novel King’s Ransom is a multi-layered masterpiece of suspense and one of the best portraits ever of class warfare in post-ww II Japan. Toshiro Mifune stars as a wealthy businessman who finds himself in a moral quandary when his chauffer’s son is kidnapped by ruthless thugs who think the boy is Mifune’s. Beautifully realized on every level. Also available on Blu-ray disc. Bonuses: Commentary by Kurosawa scholar Stephen Prince; Documentary on film’s production; Interview with Mifune from 1984; Trailers and teaser. Widescreen. Dolby and DTS-hd 4.0 surround.
Leon Morin, Priest (Criterion) One of French maestro Jean-Pierre Melville’s rare non-crime-oriented films, starring Jean-Paul Belmondo as a devoted cleric who is lusted after by the women of a small village in Nazi-occupied France. When Fr. Morin finds himself drawn to a...
By Allen Gardner
High And Low (Criterion) Akira Kurosawa’s 1963 adaptation of Ed McBain’s novel King’s Ransom is a multi-layered masterpiece of suspense and one of the best portraits ever of class warfare in post-ww II Japan. Toshiro Mifune stars as a wealthy businessman who finds himself in a moral quandary when his chauffer’s son is kidnapped by ruthless thugs who think the boy is Mifune’s. Beautifully realized on every level. Also available on Blu-ray disc. Bonuses: Commentary by Kurosawa scholar Stephen Prince; Documentary on film’s production; Interview with Mifune from 1984; Trailers and teaser. Widescreen. Dolby and DTS-hd 4.0 surround.
Leon Morin, Priest (Criterion) One of French maestro Jean-Pierre Melville’s rare non-crime-oriented films, starring Jean-Paul Belmondo as a devoted cleric who is lusted after by the women of a small village in Nazi-occupied France. When Fr. Morin finds himself drawn to a...
- 8/8/2011
- by The Hollywood Interview.com
- The Hollywood Interview
On July 19, FilmBuff and Mpi will release the 2009 Irish comedy Zonad on DVD for a list price of $24.98.
Simon Delaney makes a point to his Terran friends in Zonad.
Written and directed by brothers John and Kieran Carney (John was the writer/director of the Oscar-winning 2006 sleeper hit Once), Zonad is set in the small Irish town of Ballymoran, where the Cassidy family comes home to find a red leather-clad man passed out on their living room floor. They assume he’s an alien visiting Earth when in reality the “creature” is actually Liam Murphy (Simon Delaney, TV’s EastEnders), an escapee from an alcohol rehab clinic. Liam goes along with the ruse and passes himself off as an alien named Zonad. It doesn’t take too long for Zonad to start enjoying his life as an extraterrestrial, beginning with women, booze and a nice place to live. But when...
Simon Delaney makes a point to his Terran friends in Zonad.
Written and directed by brothers John and Kieran Carney (John was the writer/director of the Oscar-winning 2006 sleeper hit Once), Zonad is set in the small Irish town of Ballymoran, where the Cassidy family comes home to find a red leather-clad man passed out on their living room floor. They assume he’s an alien visiting Earth when in reality the “creature” is actually Liam Murphy (Simon Delaney, TV’s EastEnders), an escapee from an alcohol rehab clinic. Liam goes along with the ruse and passes himself off as an alien named Zonad. It doesn’t take too long for Zonad to start enjoying his life as an extraterrestrial, beginning with women, booze and a nice place to live. But when...
- 6/28/2011
- by Laurence
- Disc Dish
What is there to say about Zonad (2009)? It’s a bizarre comedy from the shores of Ireland by writer and director brothers John and Kieran Carney, which tells the story of Liam Murphy – a recovering alcoholic who escapes from rehab to the local town of Ballymoran. While there, for one reason or another, he convinces this naive little town that he is actually an alien from out of space called Zonad.
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- 3/28/2011
- by Matt Groizard
- CineVue
Zonad is from space, and is a brilliant idea. I received the DVD eagerly as I was keen on the idea from the cover notes and the trailer. It had all the ingredients needed to make a new classic Irish comedy: the wonderful location, a different take on the classic 50‘s sci-fi movies, mistaken identity and some good lines. It should make a great DVD release...
An Irish family full of stories of aliens see a meteor, and then return home to find what they believe to be just such an alien. Zonad soon finds that he is popular with the men and even more so with the rather busty women in the village. We soon learn, however, that there is a darker side to our hero Zonad: he is, in fact, on the run from enforced alcoholic rehabilitation. That should make this movie a perfect example of how...
An Irish family full of stories of aliens see a meteor, and then return home to find what they believe to be just such an alien. Zonad soon finds that he is popular with the men and even more so with the rather busty women in the village. We soon learn, however, that there is a darker side to our hero Zonad: he is, in fact, on the run from enforced alcoholic rehabilitation. That should make this movie a perfect example of how...
- 2/17/2011
- Shadowlocked
Rating: 3.5/5
Directors: John Carney, Kieran Carney
Cast: Simon Delaney, David Murray, Slaine Kelly
The Irish are known for two things: poetry and drinking. Some of the greatest creative minds have come from the land of 1000 welcomes while others have squandered the opportunity to carry on the great literary tradition of Ireland by drowning in Guinness and pub spillage. In Zonad, a great mind of a different breed descends upon the sleepy, quaint village of Ballymoran in the form of an overweight alien with an overgrown bicycle helmet who proceeds to become the town hero whilst consuming as much alcohol as possible.
Read more on Tribeca 2010 Review: Zonad…...
Directors: John Carney, Kieran Carney
Cast: Simon Delaney, David Murray, Slaine Kelly
The Irish are known for two things: poetry and drinking. Some of the greatest creative minds have come from the land of 1000 welcomes while others have squandered the opportunity to carry on the great literary tradition of Ireland by drowning in Guinness and pub spillage. In Zonad, a great mind of a different breed descends upon the sleepy, quaint village of Ballymoran in the form of an overweight alien with an overgrown bicycle helmet who proceeds to become the town hero whilst consuming as much alcohol as possible.
Read more on Tribeca 2010 Review: Zonad…...
- 4/30/2010
- by Drew Tinnin
- GordonandtheWhale
The moment Zonad clicked for me was about halfway through, when Cinematical editor Erik Davis leaned over and whispered, "This is like a live-action Simpsons episode." Yes! Exactly! I mean, you shouldn't talk during the movie, but yes! The cheerfully implausible story line, the dimwitted but recognizable townsfolk, the cartoonish disregard for reality -- if everyone were painted yellow and missing a finger on each hand, you'd swear Fox had commissioned an Irish translation of a season 10 episode.
Zonad is actually the work of brothers John and Kieran Carney. John wrote and directed the sweet indie hit Once a few years ago, but Zonad, based on an unreleased short film the Carneys made in 2003, couldn't be more different from that. The Tribeca Film Festival program calls it a "zany romp," which makes it sound awful -- I think the same description appears each week in TV Guide next to According to Jim -- but no,...
Zonad is actually the work of brothers John and Kieran Carney. John wrote and directed the sweet indie hit Once a few years ago, but Zonad, based on an unreleased short film the Carneys made in 2003, couldn't be more different from that. The Tribeca Film Festival program calls it a "zany romp," which makes it sound awful -- I think the same description appears each week in TV Guide next to According to Jim -- but no,...
- 4/28/2010
- by Eric D. Snider
- Cinematical
He came from a faraway galaxy, in search of a decent pint of Guinness. Well, actually, he came from Dublin in a figure hugging red rubber suit, but Zonad, the new genre-busting Irish-made comedy, has turned out to be the funniest film of the year, and it’s about to prove it at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York this weekend. Directed by John Carney, 38, who directed the Oscar-winning sleeper hit "Once" two years ago, and his brother Kieran Carney, 36, Zonad stars Simon Delaney in a breakout role that could easily stand beside the best work of comedy giant John Belushi, the manic Blues Brothers star that Delaney and his brand of physical comedy most resembles. Looking like a completely insane sequel to The Quiet Man, Zonad is part Carry-On comedy, part 1950’s sci-fi potboiler, and part hearty revenge on America for decades of sentimental Oirish fare like The Quiet Man...
- 4/24/2010
- IrishCentral
While most of the eyes in film are on either SXSW or ShoWest out on the West Coast, folks out on the East Coast are gearing up for Tribeca Film Festival coming up next month. Last week, the fest announced the first group of films, which included the World Narrative films, the Documentaries, as well as Showcases and Special Events.
Now, the festival is getting a bit more star-heavy, as films starring such actors as Colin Farrell, Robert Duvall, Casey Affleck, and even Jessica Alba have joined the list of those titles appearing at the fest. All of these films are now coming to the festival this year, as well as the world premiere of Shrek Forever After.
The fest runs from April 21st to May 2nd. Check out the full list of new films after the jump, and be sure to keep it here, as the full list of...
Now, the festival is getting a bit more star-heavy, as films starring such actors as Colin Farrell, Robert Duvall, Casey Affleck, and even Jessica Alba have joined the list of those titles appearing at the fest. All of these films are now coming to the festival this year, as well as the world premiere of Shrek Forever After.
The fest runs from April 21st to May 2nd. Check out the full list of new films after the jump, and be sure to keep it here, as the full list of...
- 3/16/2010
- by Matt Raub
- The Flickcast
New York – The ninth annual Tribeca Film Festival will include a new movie from Neil Jordan, a documentary on Joan Rivers and a Southern folk tale starring Robert Duvall.The New York festival announced the bulk of its lineup Monday, including selections in its Discovery, Encounters, Cinemania and Spotlight programs.Making its U.S. premiere will be Neil Jordan's "Ondine," which stars Colin Farrell as a fisherman who reels in a mermaid.Duvall stars in "Get Low," a folk tale set in 1930s Tennessee and directed by Aaron Schneider, who won an Oscar in 2004 for his short film "Two Soldiers."The documentary selections include films about comedian and fashion pundit Rivers ("Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work"), Canadian rock band Rush ("Rush: Beyond the Lighted Stage") and hairstylist Vidal Sassoon ("Vidal Sassoon: The Movie").Alex Gibney, whose "Taxi to the Dark Side" won the Oscar for best documentary...
- 3/15/2010
- backstage.com
The Tribeca Film Festival opens on April 21, 2010 and a variety of films will be on display, from documentaries and international films, to big budget films like "Shrek Forever After" (which will make its world premiere at Tribeca).
Today the festival has announced its entire feature film lineup, and you can check out below what films will be on display.
2010 Tribeca Film Festival:
Encounters
"The Chameleon ("Le Cameleon")," directed by Jean-Paul Salomé, written by Jean-Paul Salomé and Natalie Carter. (France, USA) – World Premiere, Narrative. "Climate of Change," directed by Brian Hill. (USA/UK) – North American Premiere, Documentary. "Every Day," directed and written by Richard Levine. (USA) – World Premiere, Narrative. "Last Play at Shea," directed by Paul Crowder and Jon Small (concert footage). (USA) – World Premiere, Documentary. "Meet Monica Velour," directed and written by Keith Bearden. (USA) – World Premiere, Narrative. "Monogamy," directed by Dana Adam Shapiro, written by Dana Adam Shapiro and Evan Weiner.
Today the festival has announced its entire feature film lineup, and you can check out below what films will be on display.
2010 Tribeca Film Festival:
Encounters
"The Chameleon ("Le Cameleon")," directed by Jean-Paul Salomé, written by Jean-Paul Salomé and Natalie Carter. (France, USA) – World Premiere, Narrative. "Climate of Change," directed by Brian Hill. (USA/UK) – North American Premiere, Documentary. "Every Day," directed and written by Richard Levine. (USA) – World Premiere, Narrative. "Last Play at Shea," directed by Paul Crowder and Jon Small (concert footage). (USA) – World Premiere, Documentary. "Meet Monica Velour," directed and written by Keith Bearden. (USA) – World Premiere, Narrative. "Monogamy," directed by Dana Adam Shapiro, written by Dana Adam Shapiro and Evan Weiner.
- 3/15/2010
- by amcsts@gmail.com
- AMC - Script to Screen
Edward Burns, Chuck Workman and Alex Gibney will all unveil the world premieres of their newest films at the 2010 Tribeca Film Festival, running from Apr. 21-May 2 in lower Manhattan.
The three filmmakers will present their latest work as part of the fest's Encounters section, announced today, which encompasses 14 films from established talent. Filling out its program, the fest also revealed another 17 films in its Discovery section, which focuses on emerging talent, and another eight films in its Spotlight section, featuring movies built around performances from such artists as Casey Affleck, Kate Hudson, Jessica Alba, Robert Duvall, Colin Farrell, Amanda Peet and Rebecca Hall.
"Our Discovery and Encounters sections complement one another -- one highlights fresh talent that is breaking onto the scene, while the latter continues to offer original films that reflect pop culture and contemporary issues," senior programmer Genna Terranova said. New York native Burns will bring "Nice Guy Johnny,...
The three filmmakers will present their latest work as part of the fest's Encounters section, announced today, which encompasses 14 films from established talent. Filling out its program, the fest also revealed another 17 films in its Discovery section, which focuses on emerging talent, and another eight films in its Spotlight section, featuring movies built around performances from such artists as Casey Affleck, Kate Hudson, Jessica Alba, Robert Duvall, Colin Farrell, Amanda Peet and Rebecca Hall.
"Our Discovery and Encounters sections complement one another -- one highlights fresh talent that is breaking onto the scene, while the latter continues to offer original films that reflect pop culture and contemporary issues," senior programmer Genna Terranova said. New York native Burns will bring "Nice Guy Johnny,...
- 3/15/2010
- by By Gregg Kilday
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
'Zonad', a new Irish feature from John and Kieran Carney, his cinemas on Wednesday, March 17th. To mark this arrival Iftn caught up with the Ifta nominated actor who fills 'Zonad's latex jumpsuit, Simon Delaney, to talk Harvey Weinstein, singing to schoolgirls and having to choose between film and theatre. 'Zonad' is a comedy about an escapee from a rehab facility, played by Delaney, who hides out in a village in rural Ireland and fools the locals by pretending to be a visitor from outer space called Zonad. The film is written by Kieran Carney (The Last Furlong) and John Carney (Once) the latter of whom also directs the project.
- 3/11/2010
- IFTN
Year: 2009
Directors: John Carney
Writers: John Carney & Kieran Carney
IMDb: link
Trailer: link
Review by: Alan Maxwell
Rating: 8 out of 10
In a small Irish town that feels like some Pleasantville-inspired alternate reality where the 1950s have never ended, the happy Cassidy family return home from watching a meteor shower to discover a portly man (Simon Delaney) in an outrageous outfit lying in the front room of their house. His name is Zonad and he's from outer space.
Or at least that's his story. The audience are very quickly alerted to the fact that this man isn't all he seems but in keeping this secret hidden from the population of the town, writer-director partnership John and Kieran Carney wring plenty of laughs from the contrast between our cynical modern attitudes represented by Zonad and the idealised vision of happiness that forms the life of the rest of the cast.
Despite the...
Directors: John Carney
Writers: John Carney & Kieran Carney
IMDb: link
Trailer: link
Review by: Alan Maxwell
Rating: 8 out of 10
In a small Irish town that feels like some Pleasantville-inspired alternate reality where the 1950s have never ended, the happy Cassidy family return home from watching a meteor shower to discover a portly man (Simon Delaney) in an outrageous outfit lying in the front room of their house. His name is Zonad and he's from outer space.
Or at least that's his story. The audience are very quickly alerted to the fact that this man isn't all he seems but in keeping this secret hidden from the population of the town, writer-director partnership John and Kieran Carney wring plenty of laughs from the contrast between our cynical modern attitudes represented by Zonad and the idealised vision of happiness that forms the life of the rest of the cast.
Despite the...
- 2/1/2010
- QuietEarth.us
London -- Neil Jordan's "Ondine" and "The Eclipse," directed by Conor McPherson lead the pack with eight nominations apiece in the race for film glory at the upcoming 7th Annual Irish Film and Television Awards.
Both Jordan and McPherson will battle it out to win the evening's top director nod while the movies themselves find themselves vying with one another in the best film category.
The pair face John and Kieran Carney ("Zonad") and Jim Sheridan ("Brothers") in the best film director section while "Eamon," "The Secret of Kells" and "Zonad" all present a challenge to "Ondine" and "The Eclipse" in the best film category.
Dished out by the Irish Film and Television Academy at a ceremony in Dublin next month, the IFTAs serve as a timely reminder of the wealth of talent from the emerald isle. Nominees this year include newcomer Darren Healy alongside Colin Farrell, Ciaran Hinds,...
Both Jordan and McPherson will battle it out to win the evening's top director nod while the movies themselves find themselves vying with one another in the best film category.
The pair face John and Kieran Carney ("Zonad") and Jim Sheridan ("Brothers") in the best film director section while "Eamon," "The Secret of Kells" and "Zonad" all present a challenge to "Ondine" and "The Eclipse" in the best film category.
Dished out by the Irish Film and Television Academy at a ceremony in Dublin next month, the IFTAs serve as a timely reminder of the wealth of talent from the emerald isle. Nominees this year include newcomer Darren Healy alongside Colin Farrell, Ciaran Hinds,...
- 1/11/2010
- by By Stuart Kemp
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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