Dark Floors
Encyclopedia
Dark Floors – The Lordi Motion Picture is a Finnish
horror film
. The film was released in February 2008 and stars William Hope
, Leon Herbert
, Philip Bretherton
, Ronald Pickup
, and Skye Bennett
. The film also features all of the Lordi
band members playing the monsters. Mr. Lordi
has also designed the logo of the movie. A new Lordi song, Beast Loose In Paradise, is featured in the end credits of the movie.
) is an autistic
little girl who is currently living at 'St. Mary's Hospital'. Her father (Ben) (Noah Huntley
), concerned about the state of the hospital, finally decides to take his daughter home as an MRI catches fire with Sarah inside it. They board an elevator with a group of strangers, including a businessman (Jonathan "Jon") (William Hope
), a nurse (Emily) (Dominique McElligott
), a tramp (Tobias) (Ronald Pickup
), and a security guard (Rick) (Leon Herbert
), but when the elevator reaches the next floor down, the hospital is abandoned. It soon becomes clear the safety of the group rests upon Sarah
The film was produced between March and April 2007. The general populace of Oulu
largely played the background characters, from the living nurses to the dead, yet animate, bodies. Amputees were also largely asked for, to play the zombies, and many were willing to collaborate. Each extra had five minutes screen time maximum.
Only Awa was present in the film by means of special effects; her scenes were shot using green screen
. The four other members – Mr. Lordi, Kita, Ox and Amen – were all present in person for their scenes.
Putaansuu, in addition to designing the film's logo, conceived a large portion of the story, and co-wrote the aforementioned song 'Beast Loose In Paradise.' The film's atmospheric musical underscore was composed by Ville Hang.
During most of Dark Floors' production, Lordi was actively involved in Ozzy Osbourne
's Ozzfest tour, with stunt doubles filling in for them for certain scenes. Nonetheless, each member took an active part in the overall development of the movie. An example of a scene shot without the involvement of one of the actual bandmembers occurs in the morgue scene, in which Kita pulls out one corpse's internal organs.
When principal photography was completed, the extended post-production phase was launched, including the insertion of Awa's ghostly appearance. This served to complement the other special effects that contributed in no small measure to the film's overall look.
The press conference was held at the Cannes Film Festival
the weekend of the 19th and 20th of May, 2007. Lordi appeared personally, as did director Pete Riski, producer Markus Selin, and virtually all the leading actors. All involved responded to questions, and shared unusual anecdotes on making the film.
Dark Floors was slowly 'leaked' by way of a marketing campaign, and the press were permitted to witness the production of Kita's lift scene, although everything else was kept under wraps.
by Metrodome Distribution on 20 April, 2009, priced at £12.99 RRP. The release includes several extra features, listed as "Behind the Scenes of Dark Floors", "Cast & Crew Interviews", and "Dark Floors World Premiere featurette including Q&A with Lordi, the cast and crew and a live Lordi performance". The film is rated 18 by the BBFC for "strong bloody violence and horror".
Even though the film was a box office disappointment in Finland, it rose to gold in the DVD charts.
Elsewhere it has largely been criticised for confusing plots and little explanation, but has sold reasonably well, with new DVD releases in separate countries still taking place.
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
horror film
Horror film
Horror films seek to elicit a negative emotional reaction from viewers by playing on the audience's most primal fears. They often feature scenes that startle the viewer through the means of macabre and the supernatural, thus frequently overlapping with the fantasy and science fiction genres...
. The film was released in February 2008 and stars William Hope
William Hope (actor)
William "Bill" Hope is a Canadian stage, film, television and voice actor.-Career:Most of Hope's stage work has been leading roles in a wide variety of regional, touring and West End theatres in England....
, Leon Herbert
Leon Herbert
Leon Herbert is a British actor, director, writer and producer.Herbert is best known for such films as David Fincher's Alien 3, Batman, Salome's Last Dance, Scandal, Fierce Creatures, Point of No Return, The Girl with the Hungry Eyes, Lucinda's Spell, 9 Dead Gay Guys and Dark Floors.Herbert made...
, Philip Bretherton
Philip Bretherton
Philip Bretherton is an English actor best known for his role as Alistair Deacon in the British television series As Time Goes By....
, Ronald Pickup
Ronald Pickup
-Life and career:Pickup was born in Chester, England, the son of Daisy and Eric Pickup, who was a lecturer. Pickup was educated at The King's School, Chester, trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London, and became an Associate Member of RADA.His television work began with an episode...
, and Skye Bennett
Skye Bennett
Skye Deva Bennett is an English teen actress, best known for her role as Sarah in the 2008 film Dark Floors, as well as for her role as Martha in The Pillars of the Earth.-Personal life:...
. The film also features all of the Lordi
Lordi
Lordi is a Finnish hard rock/heavy metal band, formed in 1996 by the band's lead singer, songwriter and costume-designer, Mr. Lordi. The band is known for wearing monster masks and using pyrotechnics during concerts...
band members playing the monsters. Mr. Lordi
Tomi Putaansuu
Tomi Petteri Putaansuu , better known by his stage name Mr. Lordi, is the lead vocalist in the Finnish heavy metal/hard rock band Lordi. Mr. Lordi is the singer, songwriter and costume designer for hard rock band Lordi...
has also designed the logo of the movie. A new Lordi song, Beast Loose In Paradise, is featured in the end credits of the movie.
Story
Sarah (Skye BennettSkye Bennett
Skye Deva Bennett is an English teen actress, best known for her role as Sarah in the 2008 film Dark Floors, as well as for her role as Martha in The Pillars of the Earth.-Personal life:...
) is an autistic
Autism
Autism is a disorder of neural development characterized by impaired social interaction and communication, and by restricted and repetitive behavior. These signs all begin before a child is three years old. Autism affects information processing in the brain by altering how nerve cells and their...
little girl who is currently living at 'St. Mary's Hospital'. Her father (Ben) (Noah Huntley
Noah Huntley
Noah Cornelius Marmaduke Huntley is an English actor, known for his role as Will Curtis in Holby City.-Background:...
), concerned about the state of the hospital, finally decides to take his daughter home as an MRI catches fire with Sarah inside it. They board an elevator with a group of strangers, including a businessman (Jonathan "Jon") (William Hope
William Hope (actor)
William "Bill" Hope is a Canadian stage, film, television and voice actor.-Career:Most of Hope's stage work has been leading roles in a wide variety of regional, touring and West End theatres in England....
), a nurse (Emily) (Dominique McElligott
Dominique McElligott
Dominique McElligott is an Irish television and film actress, appearing primarily in independent films. She starred in Moon alongside Sam Rockwell as well as the RTÉ series Raw before leaving to film Leap Year...
), a tramp (Tobias) (Ronald Pickup
Ronald Pickup
-Life and career:Pickup was born in Chester, England, the son of Daisy and Eric Pickup, who was a lecturer. Pickup was educated at The King's School, Chester, trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London, and became an Associate Member of RADA.His television work began with an episode...
), and a security guard (Rick) (Leon Herbert
Leon Herbert
Leon Herbert is a British actor, director, writer and producer.Herbert is best known for such films as David Fincher's Alien 3, Batman, Salome's Last Dance, Scandal, Fierce Creatures, Point of No Return, The Girl with the Hungry Eyes, Lucinda's Spell, 9 Dead Gay Guys and Dark Floors.Herbert made...
), but when the elevator reaches the next floor down, the hospital is abandoned. It soon becomes clear the safety of the group rests upon Sarah
Cast
- William HopeWilliam Hope (actor)William "Bill" Hope is a Canadian stage, film, television and voice actor.-Career:Most of Hope's stage work has been leading roles in a wide variety of regional, touring and West End theatres in England....
: Jon - Leon HerbertLeon HerbertLeon Herbert is a British actor, director, writer and producer.Herbert is best known for such films as David Fincher's Alien 3, Batman, Salome's Last Dance, Scandal, Fierce Creatures, Point of No Return, The Girl with the Hungry Eyes, Lucinda's Spell, 9 Dead Gay Guys and Dark Floors.Herbert made...
: Rick - Ronald PickupRonald Pickup-Life and career:Pickup was born in Chester, England, the son of Daisy and Eric Pickup, who was a lecturer. Pickup was educated at The King's School, Chester, trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London, and became an Associate Member of RADA.His television work began with an episode...
: Tobias - Philip BrethertonPhilip BrethertonPhilip Bretherton is an English actor best known for his role as Alistair Deacon in the British television series As Time Goes By....
: Walter - Noah HuntleyNoah HuntleyNoah Cornelius Marmaduke Huntley is an English actor, known for his role as Will Curtis in Holby City.-Background:...
: Ben - Dominique McElligottDominique McElligottDominique McElligott is an Irish television and film actress, appearing primarily in independent films. She starred in Moon alongside Sam Rockwell as well as the RTÉ series Raw before leaving to film Leap Year...
: Emily - Skye BennettSkye BennettSkye Deva Bennett is an English teen actress, best known for her role as Sarah in the 2008 film Dark Floors, as well as for her role as Martha in The Pillars of the Earth.-Personal life:...
: Sarah - LordiLordiLordi is a Finnish hard rock/heavy metal band, formed in 1996 by the band's lead singer, songwriter and costume-designer, Mr. Lordi. The band is known for wearing monster masks and using pyrotechnics during concerts...
: Themselves
Crew
- Director: Pete Riski
- Screenplay: Pekka Lehtosaari
- Story and concept: Pete Riski and Tomi "Mr. Lordi" Putaansuu (original idea)
- English adaptation: Howard Brodsky
- Translation from Finnish: Aretta Vähälä and Mika Karttunen
- Executive producer: Jukka Helle
- Producer: Markus SelinMarkus SelinMarkus Selin is a television and film producer.-Career:Selin's first feature was conceived in the mid-80s. While attending a party in L.A. he was introduced to fellow Finn Renny Harlin and so became good friends with the aspiring director who was then working as a buyer for a Finnish distribution...
- Co-producers: Julius Kemp and Ingvar Thordarsen
- Line producers: Saara Kankaanpää and Sirkka Rautiainen
- Director of photography: Jean-Noël Mustonen
- Production design: Tiina Anttila
- Editors: Antti Kulmala, Joona Louhivori, Stefan Sundlöf
- Costume designers: Tomi "Mr. Lordi" Putaansuu and Anna Vilppunen
- Musical underscore: Ville Riippa
- Casting: Jeremy Zimmerman
- Production companies: Solar Films; Kisi Productions; The Icelandic Film Company, YLE
- International distribution: Nordisk Film
- U.S./North American distribution: Ghost House Underground/Lionsgate Home Entertainment (DVD)
- U.K. distribution: Metrodome Distribution (DVD)
Production
Dark Floors was a concept that Mr. Lordi had maintained interest in since he had first launched his band. Horror films had played a key role in shaping the look of the Lordi costumes. Indeed, with the production of 'The Kin' in 2004, Mr. Lordi's expertise in makeup, costume design and prosthesis had gained him some considerable experience. Shortly after the band's legendary Eurovision victory, Mr. Lordi asked film producer Markus Selin to contact him with any movie ideas he may have. Mr. Lordi had previously worked with Selin as a storyboard artist.Actors
The vast majority of leading actors in the film are British, a choice made by Mr. Lordi given the large amount of small time British actors who had previously or otherwise appeared on television while still being very much talented. A diverse assembly of small-time actors were used, to partly further justify the film's subtitle, 'The Lordi Motion Picture', as well as to avoid budgetary constraints. The cast members very much enjoyed working on the film, as was expressed in the special features segment on the subsequently released DVD.The film was produced between March and April 2007. The general populace of Oulu
Oulu
Oulu is a city and municipality of inhabitants in the region of Northern Ostrobothnia, in Finland. It is the most populous city in Northern Finland and the sixth most populous city in the country. It is one of the northernmost larger cities in the world....
largely played the background characters, from the living nurses to the dead, yet animate, bodies. Amputees were also largely asked for, to play the zombies, and many were willing to collaborate. Each extra had five minutes screen time maximum.
Lordi's part in the film
All of Lordi's current line-up (except for new drummer Otus) are present within the film, along with Kita, their former drummer. The band had been working on an accompanying end credits song (which turned out to be Beast Loose in Paradise). Performing this song for the end credits, the band members believed, would not ruin the atmosphere that became one of Dark Floors's strong points. Indeed, none of the Lordi members have spoken dialogue in the film, choosing instead to communicate with roars and growls. In addition, stunt extras were used when certain shots were difficult for the actual members to pull off, notably a stunt double actually running in Ox's costume.Only Awa was present in the film by means of special effects; her scenes were shot using green screen
Green Screen
The Green Screen international wildlife film festival is held annually in Eckernförde, Germany. The festival shows full-length and short nature documentaries about animals in their natural habitat. It is the only festival of its kind in Germany...
. The four other members – Mr. Lordi, Kita, Ox and Amen – were all present in person for their scenes.
Putaansuu, in addition to designing the film's logo, conceived a large portion of the story, and co-wrote the aforementioned song 'Beast Loose In Paradise.' The film's atmospheric musical underscore was composed by Ville Hang.
During most of Dark Floors' production, Lordi was actively involved in Ozzy Osbourne
Ozzy Osbourne
John Michael "Ozzy" Osbourne is an English vocalist, whose musical career has spanned over 40 years. Osbourne rose to prominence as lead singer of the pioneering English heavy metal band Black Sabbath, whose radically different, intentionally dark, harder sound helped spawn the heavy metal...
's Ozzfest tour, with stunt doubles filling in for them for certain scenes. Nonetheless, each member took an active part in the overall development of the movie. An example of a scene shot without the involvement of one of the actual bandmembers occurs in the morgue scene, in which Kita pulls out one corpse's internal organs.
Budget
The full budget of Dark Floors reached $4.3 million (U.S.), making it one of the most expensive movies ever made in Finland. Most of the budget was spent on special effects design, set construction, and a large marketing campaign, along with the post-production process.Scenery and Special Effects
The sets were the largest constructed in Finland, taking up a massive 1700 square metres during the basement carpark scene. Electrical work was very much conventional, using the same method as for a family home. It had been originally planned to shoot the film on location in the Baltics, but the village of Oulu was chosen instead, with special effects used to replicate a city when necessary. The production team visited hospitals to research the workings of an X-ray, thereby adding both credibility and authenticity to the CGI-rendered X-rays shown.When principal photography was completed, the extended post-production phase was launched, including the insertion of Awa's ghostly appearance. This served to complement the other special effects that contributed in no small measure to the film's overall look.
Advertisement and promotions
The film was originally intended to premiere in 2007, at the Eurovision song contest in Helsinki, whose opening number, featuring Lordi, was a stunning performance of the now-immortal 'Hard Rock Hallelujah.' Unfortunately, the team could not finish their tasks in time; moreover, Lordi were already putting final touches on their Bringing Back the Balls to Europe tour. Post-production was therefore expanded into May of the same year, and was eventually rescheduled to December.The press conference was held at the Cannes Film Festival
Cannes Film Festival
The Cannes International Film Festival , is an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, which previews new films of all genres including documentaries from around the world. Founded in 1946, it is among the world's most prestigious and publicized film festivals...
the weekend of the 19th and 20th of May, 2007. Lordi appeared personally, as did director Pete Riski, producer Markus Selin, and virtually all the leading actors. All involved responded to questions, and shared unusual anecdotes on making the film.
Dark Floors was slowly 'leaked' by way of a marketing campaign, and the press were permitted to witness the production of Kita's lift scene, although everything else was kept under wraps.
DVD releases
The film was released on Region 2 DVD in the UKUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
by Metrodome Distribution on 20 April, 2009, priced at £12.99 RRP. The release includes several extra features, listed as "Behind the Scenes of Dark Floors", "Cast & Crew Interviews", and "Dark Floors World Premiere featurette including Q&A with Lordi, the cast and crew and a live Lordi performance". The film is rated 18 by the BBFC for "strong bloody violence and horror".
Even though the film was a box office disappointment in Finland, it rose to gold in the DVD charts.
Elsewhere it has largely been criticised for confusing plots and little explanation, but has sold reasonably well, with new DVD releases in separate countries still taking place.