Between them, they have nearly a century’s worth of TV programming experience, and were part of a generation of Home Box Office management which helped turn company into the premier subscription television service not only in the U.S., but in the world. Their longevity has given them the opportunity to live through their company’s change from a raucously-growing enterprise to a mature business, evolving from what had primarily been a movie service to a programmer just as identified with such acclaimed, high-profile original programming as The Sopranos, Band of Brothers, True Blood, and, most recently, Boardwalk Empire.
Still, they have spent most of their professional lives dealing with movies. A production executive at a major studio might deal with two dozen released films a year. Programmers at HBO (and its sister channel Cinemax) easily deal with over a thousand. They appraise them, try to understand what people...
Still, they have spent most of their professional lives dealing with movies. A production executive at a major studio might deal with two dozen released films a year. Programmers at HBO (and its sister channel Cinemax) easily deal with over a thousand. They appraise them, try to understand what people...
- 12/4/2010
- by Bill Mesce
- SoundOnSight
Because the Leonard Chess biopic Who Do You Love was shelved for more than a year to steer clear of the rival project Cadillac Records, the movie can’t help but feel like an also-ran. And it doesn’t help that Who Do You Love director Jerry Zaks and screenwriters Peter Martin Wortmann and Robert Conte crib so many of their moves from the well-thumbed biopic playbook. We see young Polish immigrant brothers Leonard and Phil Chess learn how to say “motherfucker” from a Chicago street musician. We see one of Chess Records’ biggest superstars introduced with a casual, “Friends ...
- 4/8/2010
- avclub.com
This review was written for the theatricla release of "The Breed".LONDON -- There are lots of dogs in "The Breed". They snarl, jump, bark, bite and rip people to pieces. But they sure can't run. When five very mature American college students arrive on a deserted island for a party weekend only to land in canine hell, they're outnumbered and outsmarted by rabid four-legged beasts but any time they have to run for cover, by golly they make it.
"The Breed" is a bog standard date thriller with run-of-the-mill thrills created by jump cuts usually involving the sudden appearance of a highly excited hound seeking human flesh to chow down on. The result is predictable but efficient with mundane dialog required to fill in the blanks and whenever possible make mention of other famous dogs including Lassie, Old Yeller and Cujo. The combination of obvious humor and sudden shrieks could scare up some box office in soft markets but the film's destiny is the DVD shelf, where it will be almost immediately upon its U.S. release.
Shot in South Africa, the film is efficiently put together by director Nicholas Mastrandrea and editor Nathan Easterling who are helped enormously by their team of animal trainers. The humans aren't bad either with Michelle Rodriguez, from TV's "Lost", especially convincing as Nicki in showing some vulnerability as well as cinematic athleticism.
Nicki and boyfriend Matt (Eric Lively) along with Sara (Taryn Manning), who's blonde and flirty, and Noah (Hill Harper), who's black and talky, are persuaded by Nicki's former boyfriend John (Oliver Hudson), who is Matt's cocky older brother, into a weekend at their late uncle's holiday pad on a remote island.
The opening sequence has already revealed what happens to strangers who arrive on the island when sailboaters Luke (Nick Boraine) and Jenny (Lisa-Marie Schneider) are brutally taken by some very annoyed mutts.
Sara is the first to be bitten and her blonde looks take on a dark and sallow appearance but as anyone familiar with such films will expect, it's the brother who gets it first. But Matt is training to be a vet, John is Mr. Fix-it and Nicki is all-action so when someone recalls there was a camp on the island where dogs were being trained in some secret program, it's clear how everything will play out. It has nothing to do with singing "Old Shep".
THE BREED
First Look International
Film Afrika Worldwide
Credits:
Director: Nicholas Mastrandrea
Writers: Robert Conte, Peter Martin Wortmann
Producers: Thomas Becker, David Lancaster, Marianne Maddalena Karen Vundla, Jorg Westerkamp, David Wicht
Executive producers: Wes Craven, Hal Sadoff
Director of photography: Giulio Biccari
Production designer: Johnny Breedt
Music: Tom Mesmer, Marcus Trumpp
Co-producers: Robert Conte, Peter Martin Wortmann
Costume designer: Dianna Cilliers
Editor: Nathan Easterling
Cast:
Nicki: Michelle Rodriguez
John: Oliver Hudson
Sara: Taryn Manning
Matt: Eric Lively
Noah: Hill Harper
Luke: Nick Boraine
Jenny: Lisa-Marie Schneider
Running time -- 87 minutes
MPAA rating: R...
"The Breed" is a bog standard date thriller with run-of-the-mill thrills created by jump cuts usually involving the sudden appearance of a highly excited hound seeking human flesh to chow down on. The result is predictable but efficient with mundane dialog required to fill in the blanks and whenever possible make mention of other famous dogs including Lassie, Old Yeller and Cujo. The combination of obvious humor and sudden shrieks could scare up some box office in soft markets but the film's destiny is the DVD shelf, where it will be almost immediately upon its U.S. release.
Shot in South Africa, the film is efficiently put together by director Nicholas Mastrandrea and editor Nathan Easterling who are helped enormously by their team of animal trainers. The humans aren't bad either with Michelle Rodriguez, from TV's "Lost", especially convincing as Nicki in showing some vulnerability as well as cinematic athleticism.
Nicki and boyfriend Matt (Eric Lively) along with Sara (Taryn Manning), who's blonde and flirty, and Noah (Hill Harper), who's black and talky, are persuaded by Nicki's former boyfriend John (Oliver Hudson), who is Matt's cocky older brother, into a weekend at their late uncle's holiday pad on a remote island.
The opening sequence has already revealed what happens to strangers who arrive on the island when sailboaters Luke (Nick Boraine) and Jenny (Lisa-Marie Schneider) are brutally taken by some very annoyed mutts.
Sara is the first to be bitten and her blonde looks take on a dark and sallow appearance but as anyone familiar with such films will expect, it's the brother who gets it first. But Matt is training to be a vet, John is Mr. Fix-it and Nicki is all-action so when someone recalls there was a camp on the island where dogs were being trained in some secret program, it's clear how everything will play out. It has nothing to do with singing "Old Shep".
THE BREED
First Look International
Film Afrika Worldwide
Credits:
Director: Nicholas Mastrandrea
Writers: Robert Conte, Peter Martin Wortmann
Producers: Thomas Becker, David Lancaster, Marianne Maddalena Karen Vundla, Jorg Westerkamp, David Wicht
Executive producers: Wes Craven, Hal Sadoff
Director of photography: Giulio Biccari
Production designer: Johnny Breedt
Music: Tom Mesmer, Marcus Trumpp
Co-producers: Robert Conte, Peter Martin Wortmann
Costume designer: Dianna Cilliers
Editor: Nathan Easterling
Cast:
Nicki: Michelle Rodriguez
John: Oliver Hudson
Sara: Taryn Manning
Matt: Eric Lively
Noah: Hill Harper
Luke: Nick Boraine
Jenny: Lisa-Marie Schneider
Running time -- 87 minutes
MPAA rating: R...
- 4/27/2007
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
LONDON -- There are lots of dogs in "The Breed". They snarl, jump, bark, bite and rip people to pieces. But they sure can't run. When five very mature American college students arrive on a deserted island for a party weekend only to land in canine hell, they're outnumbered and outsmarted by rabid four-legged beasts but any time they have to run for cover, by golly they make it.
"The Breed" is a bog standard date thriller with run-of-the-mill thrills created by jump cuts usually involving the sudden appearance of a highly excited hound seeking human flesh to chow down on. The result is predictable but efficient with mundane dialog required to fill in the blanks and whenever possible make mention of other famous dogs including Lassie, Old Yeller and Cujo. The combination of obvious humor and sudden shrieks could scare up some box office in soft markets but the film's destiny is the DVD shelf, where it will be almost immediately upon its U.S. release.
Shot in South Africa, the film is efficiently put together by director Nicholas Mastrandrea and editor Nathan Easterling who are helped enormously by their team of animal trainers. The humans aren't bad either with Michelle Rodriguez, from TV's "Lost", especially convincing as Nicki in showing some vulnerability as well as cinematic athleticism.
Nicki and boyfriend Matt (Eric Lively) along with Sara (Taryn Manning), who's blonde and flirty, and Noah (Hill Harper), who's black and talky, are persuaded by Nicki's former boyfriend John (Oliver Hudson), who is Matt's cocky older brother, into a weekend at their late uncle's holiday pad on a remote island.
The opening sequence has already revealed what happens to strangers who arrive on the island when sailboaters Luke (Nick Boraine) and Jenny (Lisa-Marie Schneider) are brutally taken by some very annoyed mutts.
Sara is the first to be bitten and her blonde looks take on a dark and sallow appearance but as anyone familiar with such films will expect, it's the brother who gets it first. But Matt is training to be a vet, John is Mr. Fix-it and Nicki is all-action so when someone recalls there was a camp on the island where dogs were being trained in some secret program, it's clear how everything will play out. It has nothing to do with singing "Old Shep".
THE BREED
First Look International
Film Afrika Worldwide
Credits:
Director: Nicholas Mastrandrea
Writers: Robert Conte, Peter Martin Wortmann
Producers: Thomas Becker, David Lancaster, Marianne Maddalena Karen Vundla, Jorg Westerkamp, David Wicht
Executive producers: Wes Craven, Hal Sadoff
Director of photography: Giulio Biccari
Production designer: Johnny Breedt
Music: Tom Mesmer, Marcus Trumpp
Co-producers: Robert Conte, Peter Martin Wortmann
Costume designer: Dianna Cilliers
Editor: Nathan Easterling
Cast:
Nicki: Michelle Rodriguez
John: Oliver Hudson
Sara: Taryn Manning
Matt: Eric Lively
Noah: Hill Harper
Luke: Nick Boraine
Jenny: Lisa-Marie Schneider
Running time -- 87 minutes
MPAA rating: R...
"The Breed" is a bog standard date thriller with run-of-the-mill thrills created by jump cuts usually involving the sudden appearance of a highly excited hound seeking human flesh to chow down on. The result is predictable but efficient with mundane dialog required to fill in the blanks and whenever possible make mention of other famous dogs including Lassie, Old Yeller and Cujo. The combination of obvious humor and sudden shrieks could scare up some box office in soft markets but the film's destiny is the DVD shelf, where it will be almost immediately upon its U.S. release.
Shot in South Africa, the film is efficiently put together by director Nicholas Mastrandrea and editor Nathan Easterling who are helped enormously by their team of animal trainers. The humans aren't bad either with Michelle Rodriguez, from TV's "Lost", especially convincing as Nicki in showing some vulnerability as well as cinematic athleticism.
Nicki and boyfriend Matt (Eric Lively) along with Sara (Taryn Manning), who's blonde and flirty, and Noah (Hill Harper), who's black and talky, are persuaded by Nicki's former boyfriend John (Oliver Hudson), who is Matt's cocky older brother, into a weekend at their late uncle's holiday pad on a remote island.
The opening sequence has already revealed what happens to strangers who arrive on the island when sailboaters Luke (Nick Boraine) and Jenny (Lisa-Marie Schneider) are brutally taken by some very annoyed mutts.
Sara is the first to be bitten and her blonde looks take on a dark and sallow appearance but as anyone familiar with such films will expect, it's the brother who gets it first. But Matt is training to be a vet, John is Mr. Fix-it and Nicki is all-action so when someone recalls there was a camp on the island where dogs were being trained in some secret program, it's clear how everything will play out. It has nothing to do with singing "Old Shep".
THE BREED
First Look International
Film Afrika Worldwide
Credits:
Director: Nicholas Mastrandrea
Writers: Robert Conte, Peter Martin Wortmann
Producers: Thomas Becker, David Lancaster, Marianne Maddalena Karen Vundla, Jorg Westerkamp, David Wicht
Executive producers: Wes Craven, Hal Sadoff
Director of photography: Giulio Biccari
Production designer: Johnny Breedt
Music: Tom Mesmer, Marcus Trumpp
Co-producers: Robert Conte, Peter Martin Wortmann
Costume designer: Dianna Cilliers
Editor: Nathan Easterling
Cast:
Nicki: Michelle Rodriguez
John: Oliver Hudson
Sara: Taryn Manning
Matt: Eric Lively
Noah: Hill Harper
Luke: Nick Boraine
Jenny: Lisa-Marie Schneider
Running time -- 87 minutes
MPAA rating: R...
- 4/27/2007
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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