The Eye (2008)

The Eye is a 2008 horror film starring Jessica Alba. It is a remake of the 2002 Hong Kong-Thai-Singaporean film of the same name. The film was rated PG-13 by the MPAA for “violence/terror and disturbing content.”

Sydney Wells is a successful classical violinist who has been blind since the age of five. Fifteen years later, Sydney undergoes a cornea transplant, which causes her eyesight to return, a bit blurry at first. As time goes on, Sydney’s vision begins to clear; however she also begins experiencing terrifying visions, mostly of fire and of people dying…

Remake rights to the Pang Brothers’ original 2002 Hong Kong film, The Eye, were purchased by Cruise/Wagner Productions. This American remake follows Naina, a Hindi movie released in 2005, that is also based on the Pang Brothers’ film. Another notable point is that there was a movie titled Kokila (1990) in Telugu, the third-most spoken Indian language, which had a very similar story. The protagonist in the film loses his eyes and has them transplanted from a hermit who’s murdered. The protagonist starts seeing the hermit’s murder repeatedly, and the officer investigating that murder stumbles on the protagonist, and they eventually arrest the assassin, after which the protagonist gets normal vision. Whether the Indian film in a regional language influenced Kokila is not known.

Alba spent much time with the blind soprano Jessica Bachicha to learn about how blind people lived, used the white cane, read Braille etc.[2]

A similar movie was planned by Alfred Hitchcock many years ago, as referenced in Patrick McGilligan’s Biography, Alfred Hitchcock: A Life in Darkness and Light. (as well as others). The movie was about a blind pianist and Alfred Hitchcock had hoped to get James Stewart to play the part. The pianist undergoes a breakthrough eye transplant surgery and sees images and things that the donor once saw, including a murder.

Directed by David Moreau
Xavier Palud
Produced by Peter Chan
Paula Wagner
Written by Original Screenplay:
Jo Jo Hui Yuet-chun
The Pang Brothers
Screenplay:
Sebastian Gutierrez
Starring Jessica Alba
Parker Posey
Alessandro Nivola
Music by Marco Beltrami
Cinematography Jeff Jur
Editing by Patrick Lussier
Distributed by Lionsgate
Paramount Vantage
Release date(s) February 1, 2008
Running time 98 min
Country USA
Language English
Budget $12,000,000
Gross revenue $56,309,766

Open Water (2004)

Open Water is a 2004 film based on the true story of an American couple, Tom and Eileen Lonergan, who in 1998 went out with a scuba diving group, Outer Edge Dive Company, on the Great Barrier Reef, and were accidentally left behind because the dive-boat crew failed to take an accurate headcount.[1] None of the 26 other divers or five crew members noticed that the couple was missing.

The film was financed by writer/director Chris Kentis and his wife, producer Laura Lau, both avid scuba divers. The movie cost $130,000 to make and was bought by Lions Gate Entertainment for $2.5 million after its screening at the Sundance Film Festival. Lions Gate spent a further $8 million on distribution and marketing . The film ultimately grossed $55 million worldwide (including $30 million from the North American box office alone).

Before filming began, the Lonergans’ experience was re-created for an episode of ABC’s 20/20, and the segment was repeated after the release of Open Water. Clips from the film were also featured on NBC in Troubled Waters, a Dateline episode (July 7, 2008) with Matt Lauer interviewing two professional divers, Richard Neely and Ally Dalton, who were left adrift at the Great Barrier Reef by a dive boat on May 21, 2008.

Directed by Chris Kentis
Produced by Laura Lau
Written by Chris Kentis
Starring Blanchard Ryan
Daniel Travis
Music by Graeme Revell
Distributed by Lions Gate Entertainment
Release date(s) August 6, 2004
Running time 79 min.
Language English
Budget $130,000
Gross revenue $54,667,954
Followed by Open Water 2

The Innocents (1961)

The Innocents is a 1961 horror film based on the novella The Turn of the Screw by Henry James. Directed and produced by Jack Clayton, it stars Deborah Kerr, Michael Redgrave and Megs Jenkins. Falling into the subgenre of psychological horror, the film makes use of its lighting, music, and direction for its effect rather than gore and shock factor. Its atmospheric feel was achieved by cinematographer Freddie Francis, who employed deep focus in many scenes, as well as bold, minimal lighting. It was filmed on location at the gothic mansion of Sheffield Park in East Sussex. The film marked the first film role for child actor Pamela Franklin.

The Innocents was nominated for two BAFTA Awards, including Best British Film and Best Film from any Source. For his direction, Clayton was awarded the National Board of Review Award for Best Director. William Archibald and Truman Capote won a 1962 Edgar Award from the Mystery Writers of America for Best Motion Picture Screenplay. The title of the film was taken from Archibald’s stage adaptation of James’ novella. The film premiered in New York City on December 25, 1961 and was entered into the 1962 Cannes Film Festival.

Directed by Jack Clayton
Produced by Jack Clayton
Written by Novella:
Henry James
Screenplay:
William Archibald
Truman Capote
(additional dialogue)
John Mortimer
Starring Deborah Kerr
Michael Redgrave
Peter Wyngarde
Megs Jenkins
Pamela Franklin
Clytie Jessop
Isla Cameron
Music by Georges Auric
Cinematography Freddie Francis
Editing by Jim Clark
Distributed by 20th Century Fox
Release date(s) November 1961 (UK)
December 25, 1961 (NYC)
June 2, 2006 (UK, re-release)
November 13, 2002 (France, re-release)
Running time 100 minutes
Country United Kingdom
Language English

Orphan (2009)

Orphan is a 2009 American horror film directed by Jaume Collet-Serra, starring Golden Globe-nominees Vera Farmiga and Peter Sarsgaard and introducing Isabelle Fuhrman. The film centers on a couple who, after the death of their unborn child, adopt a mysterious 9-year old girl. Orphan was produced by Joel Silver and Susan Downey of Dark Castle Entertainment and Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Davisson Killoran of Appian Way Productions. The film was released theatrically in the United States on July 24, 2009.

Directed by Jaume Collet-Serra
Produced by Joel Silver
Susan Downey
Leonardo DiCaprio
Jennifer Davisson Killoran
Written by Story:
Alex Mace
Screenplay:
David Leslie Johnson
Starring Vera Farmiga
Peter Sarsgaard
Isabelle Fuhrman
Aryana Engineer
CCH Pounder
Jimmy Bennett
Music by John Ottman
Cinematography Jeff Cutter
Editing by Timothy Alverson
Studio Dark Castle Entertainment
Appian Way Productions
Distributed by USA/International:
Warner Bros.
UK/Ireland:
Optimum Releasing
Release date(s) July 24, 2009 (2009-07-24)
Running time 123 min.
Country United States
Language English
Gross revenue $62,802,395

The Ring (2002)

The Ring is a 2002 American psychological horror film directed by Gore Verbinski and starring Naomi Watts and Martin Henderson. It is an American remake of the 1998 Japanese horror film Ringu.

Both films are based on the Kôji Suzuki’s novel Ring and focuses on a mysterious cursed videotape which contains a seemingly random series of disturbing, black, white, red, green and blue images. After watching the tape, the viewer receives a phone call in which a girl’s voice announces that the viewer will die in seven days. The film was a critical and commercial success.

Directed by Gore Verbinski
Produced by Walter F. Parkes
Roy Lee
Laurie MacDonald
Michael Macari
Written by Kôji Suzuki
Ehren Kruger
Scott Frank
Starring Naomi Watts
Martin Henderson
David Dorfman
Daveigh Chase
Brian Cox
Jane Alexander
Lindsay Frost
Amber Tamblyn
Rachael Bella
Pauley Perrette
Shannon Cochran
Music by Hans Zimmer
Cinematography Bojan Bazelli
Editing by Craig Wood
Distributed by DreamWorks Pictures
Release date(s) October 18, 2002 (2002-10-18)
Running time 115 minutes
Country United States
Japan
Language English
Budget $48 million
Gross revenue $249,348,933
Followed by Rings

In order to advertise The Ring, many promotional websites were formed featuring the characters and places in the film. The film was financially successful; the box office gross actually increased from its 1st weekend to its 2nd, as the initial success led DreamWorks to roll the film into 700 additional theatres. The Ring made $8.3 million in its first two weeks in Japan, compared to Ringu’s $6.6 million total box-office gross. The success of The Ring opened the way for American remakes of several other Japanese horror films, including The Grudge and Dark Water. A sequel, The Ring Two, was released in North American theaters on March 18, 2005. It was directed by Hideo Nakata, the director of Ring.

Hellraiser (1987)

Hellraiser is a 1987 horror film exploring the themes of pain as a source of pleasure and morality under duress and fear. It is based on the critically acclaimed novel The Hellbound Heart by Clive Barker, who also wrote the screenplay and directed the film. In the UK, the film is titled Clive Barker’s Hellraiser. It is the first film in the Hellraiser series. Seven sequels followed with a remake of the first announced in 2007. Hellraiser was number 19 on the cable channel Bravo’s list of the 100 Scariest Movie Moments.

Directed by Clive Barker
Produced by Christopher Figg
Written by Clive Barker
Starring Andrew Robinson
Clare Higgins
Ashley Laurence
Sean Chapman
Oliver Smith
Doug Bradley
Music by Christopher Young
Cinematography Robin Vidgeon
Editing by Richard Marden
Tony Randel
Distributed by New World Pictures
Release date(s) September 11, 1987
Running time 94 minutes
Country United Kingdom United Kingdom
Language English
Budget $1,000,000 (estimated)me
Gross revenue £763,412 (UK)
$14,564,027 (USA)
Followed by Hellbound: Hellraiser II

Flatliners (1990)

Flatliners is a 1990 movie starring Kiefer Sutherland, Julia Roberts, Kevin Bacon, William Baldwin and Oliver Platt as medical students experimenting with near-death experiences. The movie is directed by Joel Schumacher.

Directed by Joel Schumacher
Produced by Michael Douglas
Rick Bieber
Written by Peter Filardi
Starring Kiefer Sutherland
Julia Roberts
Kevin Bacon
William Baldwin
Oliver Platt
Music by Lincoln Chase
James Newton Howard
David A. Stewart
Cinematography Jan de Bont
Editing by Robert Brown
Distributed by Columbia Pictures
Release date(s) August 10, 1990
Running time 111 min
Country United States
Language English

Doctor Who: The End of Time Parts 1 & 2 (2009-10)

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2

From Hell (2001)

From Hell is a 2001 film about the Jack the Ripper murders, based on the graphic novel of the same name by Alan Moore and Eddie Campbell. It was directed by the Hughes brothers, the first film that they directed outside of the urban film genre. It was first released on October 19, 2001.

Directed by Albert Hughes
Allen Hughes
Produced by Jane Hamsher
Don Murphy
Amy Robinson
Written by Screenplay:
Terry Hayes
Rafael Yglesias
Graphic Novel:
Alan Moore
Eddie Campbell
Starring Johnny Depp
Heather Graham
Ian Holm
Robbie Coltrane
Ian Richardson
Jason Flemyng
Music by Trevor Jones
Editing by George Bowers
Distributed by 20th Century Fox
Release date(s) October 19, 2001
Running time 122 min.
Country USA
Language English
Budget $35 million
Gross revenue $74.5 million

Ten Little Indians (1965)

The 1965 version of Ten Little Indians is the third film version of Agatha Christie’s detective novel And Then There Were None. Although its background story is the same as the 1945 version (ten people invited to a stranded area by a mysterious stranger), this one takes place on an isolated snowy mountain. Most of the murder methods were just like the 1945 version, with some minor variations. This version is also the first adaptation of the novel to show the murders on screen.

An uncredited Christopher Lee provides the pre-recorded voice of “Mr. Owen”.

Directed by George Pollock
Produced by Harry Alan Towers
Written by Peter Welbeck
Erich Kröhnke
Enrique Llovet
Peter Yeldham
Starring Hugh O’Brian
Shirley Eaton
Fabian
Leo Genn
Stanley Holloway
Wilfrid Hyde-White
Daliah Lavi
Dennis Price
Marianne Hoppe
Mario Adorf
Christopher Lee (uncredited)
Music by Malcolm Lockyer
Cinematography Ernest Steward
Editing by Peter Boita
Distributed by Warner-Pathé Distributors Ltd.
Release date(s) June 1965
Running time 91 min.