Fast And Furious franchise star Jordana Brewster and rising Australian actress Teagan Croft have joined Martin Henderson on XYZ Films and Sentient’s upcoming shark thriller Alphas, which has scored a raft of major pre-sales.
Signature has acquired the title for the UK, Australia & New Zealand, and Canada, SquareOne has picked up German-speaking Europe, and CDC and Zima will distribute in Latin America and Brazil.
Rights have also gone in Eastern Europe (Vertical Distribution), South Africa (Empire Entertainment), and Singapore (Shaw Renters).
Production on Alphas is scheduled to commence in Queensland this summer. Skyline franchise creator Liam O’Donnell will direct...
Signature has acquired the title for the UK, Australia & New Zealand, and Canada, SquareOne has picked up German-speaking Europe, and CDC and Zima will distribute in Latin America and Brazil.
Rights have also gone in Eastern Europe (Vertical Distribution), South Africa (Empire Entertainment), and Singapore (Shaw Renters).
Production on Alphas is scheduled to commence in Queensland this summer. Skyline franchise creator Liam O’Donnell will direct...
- 2/16/2024
- ScreenDaily
Pierre Morel among producers. Production in Australia set for early 2024.
XYZ Films has boarded worldwide sales on Sentient Entertainment’s shark thriller Alphas starring Martin Henderson and will introduce to buyers at AFM next week.
Liam O’Donnell will direct the Australia-uk co-production and Taken and District 13 director Pierre Morel will produce alongside his partners Renee Tab and Christopher Tuffin of Sentient, and Matthew Chausse and Drew Bailey.
Principal photography is scheduled to start in Australia in early 2024 on Alphas, which takes place in a quiet surfing community where killer whales are enlisted to fend off great white sharks after a series of attacks.
XYZ Films has boarded worldwide sales on Sentient Entertainment’s shark thriller Alphas starring Martin Henderson and will introduce to buyers at AFM next week.
Liam O’Donnell will direct the Australia-uk co-production and Taken and District 13 director Pierre Morel will produce alongside his partners Renee Tab and Christopher Tuffin of Sentient, and Matthew Chausse and Drew Bailey.
Principal photography is scheduled to start in Australia in early 2024 on Alphas, which takes place in a quiet surfing community where killer whales are enlisted to fend off great white sharks after a series of attacks.
- 10/26/2023
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
Frank Grillo is set to star in Liam O’Donnell’s horror-thriller Merciless, which Sentient Pictures International is shopping here in Cannes this week. The company also has announced that Columbian actor Juan Pablo Raba has been tapped to lead Antonio Negret’s new action thriller Sombra.
Merciless is directed by Liam O’Donnell, the director behind XYZ Film’s Skylines franchise. Renee Tab, Pierre Morel and Tuffin will produce alongside Andy Schefter for Spi. Tuffin developed the story with The Cooler writer Frank Hannah, who wrote the script. Principal photography is set to commence on location in Alabama in August 2022.
In Merciless, when his wife is possessed by a malevolent spirit, the government’s top interrogator seeks vengeance on those who were closest to the entity in its previous life in order to drive it out of her body only to discover that everything is not what it appears to be.
Merciless is directed by Liam O’Donnell, the director behind XYZ Film’s Skylines franchise. Renee Tab, Pierre Morel and Tuffin will produce alongside Andy Schefter for Spi. Tuffin developed the story with The Cooler writer Frank Hannah, who wrote the script. Principal photography is set to commence on location in Alabama in August 2022.
In Merciless, when his wife is possessed by a malevolent spirit, the government’s top interrogator seeks vengeance on those who were closest to the entity in its previous life in order to drive it out of her body only to discover that everything is not what it appears to be.
- 5/19/2022
- by Diana Lodderhose
- Deadline Film + TV
Announced last year, Steven Quale, James Cameron’s protégé and second unit director on Avatar and Titanic whose directing credits include the thrilling Final Destination 5 and Into The Storm, will direct Alphas from a screenplay by Frank Hannah (The Cooler). Two weeks ago, Voltage Pictures announced that the film will star Sam Worthington (Fractured), who will team with a killer whale (not kidding) to fight off a school […]...
- 3/3/2020
- by Brad Miska
- bloody-disgusting.com
Announced last year, Steven Quale, James Cameron’s protégée and second unit director on Avatar and Titanic whose directing credits include the thrilling Final Destination 5 and Into The Storm, will direct Alphas from a screenplay by Frank Hannah (The Cooler). With Efm underway in Berlin, Voltage Pictures has announced that the film will star Sam Worthington (Fractured), who will team with a killer whale (not kidding) […]...
- 2/21/2020
- by Brad Miska
- bloody-disgusting.com
Sentient and Endurance Media are producing and will finance the project.
Sam Worthington, star of the upcoming Avatar sequels, is in advanced talks to take a break from Pandora to play the lead in shark-versus-killer whale thriller Alphas, which Voltage Pictures is introducing to Efm buyers.
Sentient and Endurance Media are producing and will finance the project. Steven Quale (Final Destination 5), who co-directed Aliens Of The Deep with James Cameron and started out as second unit director on Titanic and Avatar, will direct the high seas adventure.
The producers have already licensed the feature to Germany (Square One/Prosieben), Spain (YouPlanet), and Middle East,...
Sam Worthington, star of the upcoming Avatar sequels, is in advanced talks to take a break from Pandora to play the lead in shark-versus-killer whale thriller Alphas, which Voltage Pictures is introducing to Efm buyers.
Sentient and Endurance Media are producing and will finance the project. Steven Quale (Final Destination 5), who co-directed Aliens Of The Deep with James Cameron and started out as second unit director on Titanic and Avatar, will direct the high seas adventure.
The producers have already licensed the feature to Germany (Square One/Prosieben), Spain (YouPlanet), and Middle East,...
- 2/21/2020
- by 36¦Jeremy Kay¦54¦
- ScreenDaily
“Aliens of the Deep” director Steven Quale is set to direct aquatic thriller “Alphas,” based on the screenplay by Frank Hannah. Finance and sales are by Voltage Pictures.
The story sees a school of great white sharks terrorize a coastal town. The town’s only hope is a damaged killer whale who has been in solitary confinement for years after killing its trainer.
Production is by Nicolas Chartier for Voltage, Pierre Morel (“Taken”) and Sentient Entertainment’s Renee Tab and Christopher Tuffin. Jonathan Deckter, president and COO of Voltage, will executive produce. The film is being pitched at the American Film Market.
Describing “Alphas” as “highly commercial yet sophisticated,” Chartier said: “Steven Quale has a formidable track record of bringing beautifully made blockbusters.” Quale, a protégé of James Cameron, has credits that also include New Line Cinema’s “Final Destination 5” and action thriller “Into the Storm.”
Hannah is a Scottish-born screenwriter and filmmaker,...
The story sees a school of great white sharks terrorize a coastal town. The town’s only hope is a damaged killer whale who has been in solitary confinement for years after killing its trainer.
Production is by Nicolas Chartier for Voltage, Pierre Morel (“Taken”) and Sentient Entertainment’s Renee Tab and Christopher Tuffin. Jonathan Deckter, president and COO of Voltage, will executive produce. The film is being pitched at the American Film Market.
Describing “Alphas” as “highly commercial yet sophisticated,” Chartier said: “Steven Quale has a formidable track record of bringing beautifully made blockbusters.” Quale, a protégé of James Cameron, has credits that also include New Line Cinema’s “Final Destination 5” and action thriller “Into the Storm.”
Hannah is a Scottish-born screenwriter and filmmaker,...
- 11/3/2018
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
Steven Quale is set to direct the upcoming aquatic thriller Alphas, based on the screenplay by Frank Hannah (The Cooler).
The deep sea epic centers on a school of great white sharks terrorizing a coastal town. The only hope is a damaged killer whale who has been in solitary confinement for years after killing its trainer.
Producers include Academy Award-winning Nicolas Chartier for Voltage Pictures, Pierre Morel and Sentient Entertainment’s, Renee Tab and Christopher Tuffin. Jonathan Deckter, President and COO of Voltage Pictures will executive produce.
In addition to producing, Voltage Pictures will also finance the film and is handling worldwide sales for the VFX thriller.
“Alphas typifies the kind of highly commercial, yet sophisticated films that attract buyers to the Voltage slate,” said Nicolas Chartier, CEO of Voltage Pictures. “Steven Quale has a formidable...
The deep sea epic centers on a school of great white sharks terrorizing a coastal town. The only hope is a damaged killer whale who has been in solitary confinement for years after killing its trainer.
Producers include Academy Award-winning Nicolas Chartier for Voltage Pictures, Pierre Morel and Sentient Entertainment’s, Renee Tab and Christopher Tuffin. Jonathan Deckter, President and COO of Voltage Pictures will executive produce.
In addition to producing, Voltage Pictures will also finance the film and is handling worldwide sales for the VFX thriller.
“Alphas typifies the kind of highly commercial, yet sophisticated films that attract buyers to the Voltage slate,” said Nicolas Chartier, CEO of Voltage Pictures. “Steven Quale has a formidable...
- 11/3/2018
- by Bruce Haring
- Deadline Film + TV
Voltage Pictures has boarded Alphas, a shark-invested thriller from Aliens of the Deep director Steven Quale. Nicolas Chartier's production and sales outfit will fully finance and handle worldwide sales on the project.
The plot of Alphas involves a school of great white sharks that terrorize a coastal town, whose only hope is to release a damaged killer whale that has been in solitary confinement for years after killing its trainer. Frank Hannah (The Cooler) penned the screenplay.
Chartier, whose credits include the Oscar winner The Hurt Locker and the Amy Schumer comedy I Feel Pretty, will produce Alphas for Voltage together with Pierre ...
The plot of Alphas involves a school of great white sharks that terrorize a coastal town, whose only hope is to release a damaged killer whale that has been in solitary confinement for years after killing its trainer. Frank Hannah (The Cooler) penned the screenplay.
Chartier, whose credits include the Oscar winner The Hurt Locker and the Amy Schumer comedy I Feel Pretty, will produce Alphas for Voltage together with Pierre ...
- 11/3/2018
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Voltage Pictures has boarded Alphas, a shark-invested thriller from Aliens of the Deep director Steven Quale. Nicolas Chartier's production and sales outfit will fully finance and handle worldwide sales on the project.
The plot of Alphas involves a school of great white sharks that terrorize a coastal town, whose only hope is to release a damaged killer whale that has been in solitary confinement for years after killing its trainer. Frank Hannah (The Cooler) penned the screenplay.
Chartier, whose credits include the Oscar winner The Hurt Locker and the Amy Schumer comedy I Feel Pretty, will produce Alphas for Voltage together with Pierre ...
The plot of Alphas involves a school of great white sharks that terrorize a coastal town, whose only hope is to release a damaged killer whale that has been in solitary confinement for years after killing its trainer. Frank Hannah (The Cooler) penned the screenplay.
Chartier, whose credits include the Oscar winner The Hurt Locker and the Amy Schumer comedy I Feel Pretty, will produce Alphas for Voltage together with Pierre ...
- 11/3/2018
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
Pierre Morel to produce, James Cameron protégée Steven Quale to direct.
Voltage Pictures is fully financing the killer whale vs sharks thriller Alphas and has brought in Steven Quale (Aliens Of The Deep) to direct, and will produce alongside French genre ace Pierre Morel and Sentient Entertainment.
Voltage represents worldwide rights to the underwater thriller that is being lined up as an effects-heavy tentpole that takes place in a coastal community terrorised by a school of sharks.
The townspeople decide the only way to deal with the man-eating threat is to unleash a damaged killer whale held for years in...
Voltage Pictures is fully financing the killer whale vs sharks thriller Alphas and has brought in Steven Quale (Aliens Of The Deep) to direct, and will produce alongside French genre ace Pierre Morel and Sentient Entertainment.
Voltage represents worldwide rights to the underwater thriller that is being lined up as an effects-heavy tentpole that takes place in a coastal community terrorised by a school of sharks.
The townspeople decide the only way to deal with the man-eating threat is to unleash a damaged killer whale held for years in...
- 11/3/2018
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
Pierre Morel to produce, James Cameron protégée Steven Quale to direct.
Voltage Pictures is fully financing the killer whale vs sharks thriller Alphas and has brought in Steven Quale (Aliens Of The Deep) to direct, with French genre ace Pierre Morel set to produce.
Voltage represents worldwide rights to the underwater thriller that is being lined up as an effects-heavy tentpole that takes place in a coastal community terrorised by a school of sharks.
The townspeople decide the only way to deal with the man-eating threat is to unleash a damaged killer whale held for years in solitary confinement after it killed its trainer.
Voltage Pictures is fully financing the killer whale vs sharks thriller Alphas and has brought in Steven Quale (Aliens Of The Deep) to direct, with French genre ace Pierre Morel set to produce.
Voltage represents worldwide rights to the underwater thriller that is being lined up as an effects-heavy tentpole that takes place in a coastal community terrorised by a school of sharks.
The townspeople decide the only way to deal with the man-eating threat is to unleash a damaged killer whale held for years in solitary confinement after it killed its trainer.
- 11/3/2018
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
Back in October, Space Goat Productions launched a Kickstarter campaign for an Evil Dead 2 comic book omnibus and art book. The support from Ash and chainsaw enthusiasts has been overwhelming, and with the campaign now over 150% funded and plenty of groovy stretch goals on the horizon, we've teamed up with Space Goat for a special giveaway of their reward tier collectibles, including a Necronomicon prop replica from Trick or Treat Studios.
Below, you can find out how to enter our Evil Dead 2 contest for a chance to be one of our three lucky winners, and to learn more about Space Goat's new fundraiser, visit their official Kickstarter page.
---------
Prize Details: (1) Grand Prize Winner will receive all of the rewards from the Necro Overload tier (retail value of $235) of Space Goat's Evil Dead 2 Kickstarter campaign, including:
(1) Necronomicon prop replica from Trick or Treat Studios (measuring 16" by 20") (1) Limited Edition Hardcover of...
Below, you can find out how to enter our Evil Dead 2 contest for a chance to be one of our three lucky winners, and to learn more about Space Goat's new fundraiser, visit their official Kickstarter page.
---------
Prize Details: (1) Grand Prize Winner will receive all of the rewards from the Necro Overload tier (retail value of $235) of Space Goat's Evil Dead 2 Kickstarter campaign, including:
(1) Necronomicon prop replica from Trick or Treat Studios (measuring 16" by 20") (1) Limited Edition Hardcover of...
- 11/10/2017
- by Derek Anderson
- DailyDead
by Brett White
Wednesday is new comic book day, which also means it's new potential-movie-source-material day. Here are all of the comics and collections out today starring the comic book characters from the movies and television shows of today, tomorrow and yesterday.
Of particular note this week: catch up with Walt Simonson's classic run on Thor with a new trade paperback, prep for Marvel's next big event with Avengers #17, and find out more about the Anti-Batman in Detective Comics!
2013 Movies
("Iron Man 3" "Man of Steel" "The Wolverine" "Kick-Ass 2" "Thor: The Dark World")
» Action Comics #23
Written by: Scott Lobdell, Backup Written by: Frank Hannah, Art by: Tyler Kirkham, Backup Art by: Philip Tan, Jonathan Glapion
» Iron Man #14
Story By Kieron Gillen, Art By Greg Land, Jay Leisten, Colors By Guru-eFX
» Kick-ass 3 #2
Story By Mark Millar, Art By John Romita Jr., Tom Palmer, Colors By Dean White, Letters...
Wednesday is new comic book day, which also means it's new potential-movie-source-material day. Here are all of the comics and collections out today starring the comic book characters from the movies and television shows of today, tomorrow and yesterday.
Of particular note this week: catch up with Walt Simonson's classic run on Thor with a new trade paperback, prep for Marvel's next big event with Avengers #17, and find out more about the Anti-Batman in Detective Comics!
2013 Movies
("Iron Man 3" "Man of Steel" "The Wolverine" "Kick-Ass 2" "Thor: The Dark World")
» Action Comics #23
Written by: Scott Lobdell, Backup Written by: Frank Hannah, Art by: Tyler Kirkham, Backup Art by: Philip Tan, Jonathan Glapion
» Iron Man #14
Story By Kieron Gillen, Art By Greg Land, Jay Leisten, Colors By Guru-eFX
» Kick-ass 3 #2
Story By Mark Millar, Art By John Romita Jr., Tom Palmer, Colors By Dean White, Letters...
- 8/7/2013
- by Splash Page Team
- MTV Splash Page
by Brett White
Wednesday is new comic book day, which also means it's new potential-movie-source-material day. Here are all of the comics and collections out today starring the comic book characters from the movies and television shows of today, tomorrow and yesterday.
Of particular note this week: Angela pays a visit to the Guardians of the Galaxy, the first storyarc of Brian Wood and Olivier Coipel's X-Men comes to an action-packed conclusion, and Adventures of Superman provides a solid jumping-on point for "Man of Steel" fans.
2013 Movies
("Iron Man 3" "Man of Steel" "The Wolverine" "Kick-Ass 2" "Thor: The Dark World")
» Adventures Of Superman #3
Written by Matt Kindt, art by Stephen Segovia
» Superman Annual #2
Written by: Scott Lobdell, Frank Hannah, art by: Pascal Alixe
» Wolverine: In The Flesh #1
Story by Chris Cosentino, art by Dalibor Talajic, colors by Jean-Francois Beaulieu, letters by Joe Sabino
2014 Movies
("Captain America: The Winter Soldier...
Wednesday is new comic book day, which also means it's new potential-movie-source-material day. Here are all of the comics and collections out today starring the comic book characters from the movies and television shows of today, tomorrow and yesterday.
Of particular note this week: Angela pays a visit to the Guardians of the Galaxy, the first storyarc of Brian Wood and Olivier Coipel's X-Men comes to an action-packed conclusion, and Adventures of Superman provides a solid jumping-on point for "Man of Steel" fans.
2013 Movies
("Iron Man 3" "Man of Steel" "The Wolverine" "Kick-Ass 2" "Thor: The Dark World")
» Adventures Of Superman #3
Written by Matt Kindt, art by Stephen Segovia
» Superman Annual #2
Written by: Scott Lobdell, Frank Hannah, art by: Pascal Alixe
» Wolverine: In The Flesh #1
Story by Chris Cosentino, art by Dalibor Talajic, colors by Jean-Francois Beaulieu, letters by Joe Sabino
2014 Movies
("Captain America: The Winter Soldier...
- 7/31/2013
- by Splash Page Team
- MTV Splash Page
Hunt to Kill PosterFormer pro-wrestler Steve Austin is making the transition from the theatrics of the wrestling ring to cinema smoothly with appearances in smaller independent films to blockbusters (The Stranger, The Expendables). In his latest feature, Austin will not be the heel, but the hero as character and border agent Jim Rhodes. Rhodes might be an allusion to the famous wrestler Dusty Rhodes; however, this latest Anchor Bay production will give Austin the chance to use some of his physical acting, as the first trailer for Hunt to Kill shows. All the details on this project are below.
The synopsis for Hunt to Kill here:
"Steve Austin stars as U.S. Border Patrol agent Jim Rhodes, a tough divorcee mourning the loss of his murdered partner while struggling to raise his rebellious daughter in the mountains of Montana. But when a crew of trigger-happy fugitives takes Rhodes and his daughter hostage,...
The synopsis for Hunt to Kill here:
"Steve Austin stars as U.S. Border Patrol agent Jim Rhodes, a tough divorcee mourning the loss of his murdered partner while struggling to raise his rebellious daughter in the mountains of Montana. But when a crew of trigger-happy fugitives takes Rhodes and his daughter hostage,...
- 9/16/2010
- by 28DaysLaterAnalysis@gmail.com (Michael Allen)
- 28 Days Later Analysis
PARK CITY -- "The Cooler" couldn't be hotter. A rousing crowd-pleaser at Sundance, this noir love story rolls both sweet and tough. The title refers to a casino job in old-style Las Vegas, namely an employee who is dispatched by the house to "cool off" a big winner -- to see to it that the guy doesn't walk away with any more dough. No sixes or sevens or nines here -- a distributor will roll only luck with this winner, a select-site jackpot.
Starring William H. Macy as a hangdog "cooler," Alec Baldwin as a ruthless casino boss and Maria Bello as a cocktail waitress with a heart of gold, "The Cooler" is a refreshing throwback to another era of moviemaking: This movie was poured from the bottle, not one of those bar regulator machines. It's got the kick, style and flavor of a straight-up story, before movies were watered down with the opinions of marketers, lawyers and committee heads.
There's also a flush hand of story aces sleeved up in this old-style cinematic: The frog as prince, the old gunslinger as guardian against the encroaching modern world and the down-on-her-luck blonde whose heart of gold wins the day. There's no sleight of hand in this hard-edged yarn, and that's what is most appealing about screenwriters Frank Hannah and Wayne Kramer's soundly crafted tale. It hits the right points and pays off spectacularly.
Set in the unfashionable old section of Las Vegas, far away from Steve Wynn's glitzy/artsy strip, "The Cooler" draws us behind the glitz and shows the dark behind the neon, the little people below the headliners and high rollers. In this gritty yarn, Macy stars as Bernie Lootz, a hangdog so down on his luck and confidence that he is the walking embodiment of a loser. That's the trait that now pays his bills: He's hired by a sharkish casino owner (Baldwin) to "cool" down the big winners; indeed, Lootz is such a loser that his aura of bad luck seems to roll off onto the winners.
Living in a tiny studio apartment, Lootz is nondescript and has a limp, courtesy of old gambling debts to none other than his boss. He has been working off his gambling debt for years and has only a few days of servitude left at the casino before he plans to bolt for a new life. Not surprisingly, the kingpin is not about to let him go and is under corporate pressure from the suit-type owners to get into the new mainstream of Las Vegas entertainment, namely the family/events emphasis that the new Vegas is all about. He loathes the new M.B.A. Harvard-heads, which makes this cutthroat very endearing.
Under Kramer's inspired direction, Macy is terrific as the down-on-his-luck cooler. In his gait and dreary expression, Macy embodies a spirit who has been beaten down to one last roll of the dice yet still holds a tiny ounce of self-preserving moxie for one final turn at life's tables.
With his piercing gaze and hair-trigger temper, Baldwin wallops with a mesmerizing performance that recalls his "Glengarry Glen Ross" turn. Steely, charming and dangerous, Baldwin is truly fearsome. A producer would be smart to cast this guy as Frank Sinatra.
As the vulnerable cocktail waitress, Bello magically strips her performance down to the scars beneath the surface. She's a lady without the luck but one who is not afraid to take on the odds. She trumps a cliche part with a flesh-and-blood performance.
Technical credits deserve top billing: From the smartly awful ties of Macy's hangdog threads, courtesy of costume designer Kristen M. Burke, to the shrewdly scoped compositions, lensed by cinematographer James Whitaker, the technical contributions are all headliners. A round on the house to composer Mark Isham. The musical sounds are as true as the rocks clinking in a 3 a.m. Scotch and water, topped off by the perfect mix of a smudgy trumpet and a blowsy sax. Also, a round to Paul Sorvino, who shows off his pipes as an Old Blue Eyes imitation lounger.
The Cooler
ContentFilm
Credits: Director: Wayne Kramer; Screenwriters: Frank Hannah, Wayne Kramer; Producers: Sean Furst, Michael Pierce; Executive producers: Edward R. Pressman, John Schmidt, Alessandro Camon, Brett Morrison, Robert Gryphon, Joe Madden; Co-producers: Elliot Lewis Rosenblatt, Bryan Furst; Director of photography: James Whitaker; Editor: Arthur Coburn; Production designer: Toby Corbett; Costume designer: Kristen M. Burke; Music: Mark Isham; Casting: Amanda Mackey Johnson, Cathy Sandrich Gelfond, Wendy Weidman, Sig De Migual. Cast: Bernie Lootz: William H. Macy; Shelly Kaplow: Alec Baldwin; Natalie Belisario: Maria Bello; Mikey: Shawn Hatosy; Larry Sokolov: Ron Livingston; Buddy Stafford: Paul Sorvino; Charlene: Estella Warren.
No MPAA rating, running time 103 minutes.
Starring William H. Macy as a hangdog "cooler," Alec Baldwin as a ruthless casino boss and Maria Bello as a cocktail waitress with a heart of gold, "The Cooler" is a refreshing throwback to another era of moviemaking: This movie was poured from the bottle, not one of those bar regulator machines. It's got the kick, style and flavor of a straight-up story, before movies were watered down with the opinions of marketers, lawyers and committee heads.
There's also a flush hand of story aces sleeved up in this old-style cinematic: The frog as prince, the old gunslinger as guardian against the encroaching modern world and the down-on-her-luck blonde whose heart of gold wins the day. There's no sleight of hand in this hard-edged yarn, and that's what is most appealing about screenwriters Frank Hannah and Wayne Kramer's soundly crafted tale. It hits the right points and pays off spectacularly.
Set in the unfashionable old section of Las Vegas, far away from Steve Wynn's glitzy/artsy strip, "The Cooler" draws us behind the glitz and shows the dark behind the neon, the little people below the headliners and high rollers. In this gritty yarn, Macy stars as Bernie Lootz, a hangdog so down on his luck and confidence that he is the walking embodiment of a loser. That's the trait that now pays his bills: He's hired by a sharkish casino owner (Baldwin) to "cool" down the big winners; indeed, Lootz is such a loser that his aura of bad luck seems to roll off onto the winners.
Living in a tiny studio apartment, Lootz is nondescript and has a limp, courtesy of old gambling debts to none other than his boss. He has been working off his gambling debt for years and has only a few days of servitude left at the casino before he plans to bolt for a new life. Not surprisingly, the kingpin is not about to let him go and is under corporate pressure from the suit-type owners to get into the new mainstream of Las Vegas entertainment, namely the family/events emphasis that the new Vegas is all about. He loathes the new M.B.A. Harvard-heads, which makes this cutthroat very endearing.
Under Kramer's inspired direction, Macy is terrific as the down-on-his-luck cooler. In his gait and dreary expression, Macy embodies a spirit who has been beaten down to one last roll of the dice yet still holds a tiny ounce of self-preserving moxie for one final turn at life's tables.
With his piercing gaze and hair-trigger temper, Baldwin wallops with a mesmerizing performance that recalls his "Glengarry Glen Ross" turn. Steely, charming and dangerous, Baldwin is truly fearsome. A producer would be smart to cast this guy as Frank Sinatra.
As the vulnerable cocktail waitress, Bello magically strips her performance down to the scars beneath the surface. She's a lady without the luck but one who is not afraid to take on the odds. She trumps a cliche part with a flesh-and-blood performance.
Technical credits deserve top billing: From the smartly awful ties of Macy's hangdog threads, courtesy of costume designer Kristen M. Burke, to the shrewdly scoped compositions, lensed by cinematographer James Whitaker, the technical contributions are all headliners. A round on the house to composer Mark Isham. The musical sounds are as true as the rocks clinking in a 3 a.m. Scotch and water, topped off by the perfect mix of a smudgy trumpet and a blowsy sax. Also, a round to Paul Sorvino, who shows off his pipes as an Old Blue Eyes imitation lounger.
The Cooler
ContentFilm
Credits: Director: Wayne Kramer; Screenwriters: Frank Hannah, Wayne Kramer; Producers: Sean Furst, Michael Pierce; Executive producers: Edward R. Pressman, John Schmidt, Alessandro Camon, Brett Morrison, Robert Gryphon, Joe Madden; Co-producers: Elliot Lewis Rosenblatt, Bryan Furst; Director of photography: James Whitaker; Editor: Arthur Coburn; Production designer: Toby Corbett; Costume designer: Kristen M. Burke; Music: Mark Isham; Casting: Amanda Mackey Johnson, Cathy Sandrich Gelfond, Wendy Weidman, Sig De Migual. Cast: Bernie Lootz: William H. Macy; Shelly Kaplow: Alec Baldwin; Natalie Belisario: Maria Bello; Mikey: Shawn Hatosy; Larry Sokolov: Ron Livingston; Buddy Stafford: Paul Sorvino; Charlene: Estella Warren.
No MPAA rating, running time 103 minutes.
- 1/21/2003
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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