Needle (film)
Encyclopedia
Needle is a 2010 independent supernatural horror film
starring Michael Dorman
, Jessica Marais
, Travis Fimmel
, Trilby Glover
, and Ben Mendelsohn
, and directed by John V. Soto
. Needle is structured as a murder mystery, with six distinct clues pointing to one of ten suspects; the trailer is intentionally misleading. The film premiered at Cinefest OZ in August 2010, and has since screened at the British Horror Film Festival and Screamfest Horror Film Festival
; Australian release is planned for early 2011. Needle was filmed over six weeks in Perth, Western Australia
.
Director John V. Soto credits influences from such horror and mystery films as Hellraiser
, Urban Legend
, and I Know What You Did Last Summer
.
Ben shows the box to his friends, and the very same night the box is stolen. Soon after that, his closest friends start dying in mysterious ways. Le Vaudou Mort is actually a "voodoo" machine designed as a tool for revenge. When the target's photograph is put into the box, a wax doll is created, giving the user power to kill or physically harm the represented person. A killer has started to use the device against Ben’s friends.
Ben, still unaware of the nature of the box and of the fact that it has been stolen, shows some picture of Le Vaudou Mort to Professor Banyon, his archaeology teacher, seeking information on the origins of the box. Professor Baynon contacts Dr. Halmanay, who provides to Ben some clues on the origins and uses of the box.
Ben and his brother Marcus (Travis Fimmel), who has not been forgiven by Ben since their father died in a car accident after a harsh discussion with him, figure out the power of the device and search for the killer.
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...
starring Michael Dorman
Michael Dorman
Michael Dorman is a New Zealand actor based in Australia, best known for his work on the television series, The Secret Life of Us and his supporting work in such acclaimed films as Suburban Mayhem and West.-Filmography:...
, Jessica Marais
Jessica Marais
Jessica Dominique Marais is an Australian actress who hails from Perth, Western Australia. She is best known for her role as Rachel Rafter in the television series Packed to the Rafters.-Early Life:...
, Travis Fimmel
Travis Fimmel
Travis Fimmel is an Australian actor and former model who is currently based in the United States. He is best known for his high-profile Calvin Klein campaign and for co-starring with Patrick Swayze in TV series The Beast shortly before Swayze's death.- Early years :Fimmel was raised as the...
, Trilby Glover
Trilby Glover
Trilby Glover is an Australian actress known for her roles as Shoshanna in The Starter Wife mini-series opposite Debra Messing and Jessica in the feature film Righteous Kill with Robert De Niro and Al Pacino.-Career:...
, and Ben Mendelsohn
Ben Mendelsohn
Paul Benjamin "Ben" Mendelsohn is an Australian actor.-Early life:Mendelsohn was born in Melbourne, Australia, the son of Carole Ann and Frederick Mendelsohn. He attended Heidelberg Primary School and Banyule High School. His father is a prominent medical researcher who heads the Howard Florey...
, and directed by John V. Soto
John V. Soto
John V. Soto is an Australian thriller and horror film director and screenwriter.In 2007 Soto directed a short film called Repulsion.Soto has written the script of Prey ....
. Needle is structured as a murder mystery, with six distinct clues pointing to one of ten suspects; the trailer is intentionally misleading. The film premiered at Cinefest OZ in August 2010, and has since screened at the British Horror Film Festival and Screamfest Horror Film Festival
Screamfest Horror Film Festival
Screamfest Horror Film Festival is the largest horror film festival in the United States. Some of the largest horror online publications have called it the "Sundance of Horror". Previously held at Loews Universal Studios Cinemas, Universal CityWalk, the festival is now held annually at the...
; Australian release is planned for early 2011. Needle was filmed over six weeks in Perth, Western Australia
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
.
Director John V. Soto credits influences from such horror and mystery films as Hellraiser
Hellraiser
Hellraiser is a 1987 British and American horror film based upon the novella The Hellbound Heart by Clive Barker, who also wrote the screenplay and directed the film. Hellraiser explores themes of sadomasochism and morality under duress and fear. The film spawned a series of sequels...
, Urban Legend
Urban Legend (film)
Urban Legend is a 1998 horror film starring Alicia Witt, Rebecca Gayheart, Jared Leto, Michael Rosenbaum, Natasha Gregson Wagner, Loretta Devine, Robert Englund, John Neville, Joshua Jackson, Regina King, and Tara Reid...
, and I Know What You Did Last Summer
I Know What You Did Last Summer
I Know What You Did Last Summer is a 1997 American horror film. The film stars Jennifer Love Hewitt, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Ryan Phillippe and Freddie Prinze Jr. The screenplay was written by Kevin Williamson, writer of Scream, and very loosely based on Lois Duncan's popular novel of the same title...
.
Plot
Ben Rutherford (Michael Dorman), a college student, inherits from his father an 18th century box, called Le Vaudou Mort.Ben shows the box to his friends, and the very same night the box is stolen. Soon after that, his closest friends start dying in mysterious ways. Le Vaudou Mort is actually a "voodoo" machine designed as a tool for revenge. When the target's photograph is put into the box, a wax doll is created, giving the user power to kill or physically harm the represented person. A killer has started to use the device against Ben’s friends.
Ben, still unaware of the nature of the box and of the fact that it has been stolen, shows some picture of Le Vaudou Mort to Professor Banyon, his archaeology teacher, seeking information on the origins of the box. Professor Baynon contacts Dr. Halmanay, who provides to Ben some clues on the origins and uses of the box.
Ben and his brother Marcus (Travis Fimmel), who has not been forgiven by Ben since their father died in a car accident after a harsh discussion with him, figure out the power of the device and search for the killer.
Cast
- Michael DormanMichael DormanMichael Dorman is a New Zealand actor based in Australia, best known for his work on the television series, The Secret Life of Us and his supporting work in such acclaimed films as Suburban Mayhem and West.-Filmography:...
as Ben Rutherford - Travis FimmelTravis FimmelTravis Fimmel is an Australian actor and former model who is currently based in the United States. He is best known for his high-profile Calvin Klein campaign and for co-starring with Patrick Swayze in TV series The Beast shortly before Swayze's death.- Early years :Fimmel was raised as the...
as Marcus Rutherford - Tahyna TozziTahyna TozziTahyna Valentina Tozzi is an Australian model, singer and actress, perhaps best known for her role as Perri on Australian television series Blue Water High on free to air channel ABC.- Early life :...
as Mary - Jessica MaraisJessica MaraisJessica Dominique Marais is an Australian actress who hails from Perth, Western Australia. She is best known for her role as Rachel Rafter in the television series Packed to the Rafters.-Early Life:...
as Kandias - Trilby GloverTrilby GloverTrilby Glover is an Australian actress known for her roles as Shoshanna in The Starter Wife mini-series opposite Debra Messing and Jessica in the feature film Righteous Kill with Robert De Niro and Al Pacino.-Career:...
as Isabel - Khan ChittendenKhan Chittenden-Career:Chittenden was born in New Zealand and moved at age 11 to Perth, Western Australia. He graduated from WAAPA and landed his first major part as Dean "The Edge" Edgely in the television series Blue Water High. Khan shot numerous commercials and has done much voiceover work for W.A...
as Jed - Luke CarrollLuke Carroll-Television and film:Carroll started out in guest roles in some Australian shows, including The Flying Doctors, Lift Off, The Man from Snowy River, Ocean Girl and Water Rats....
as Nelson - Nathaniel BuzolicNathaniel BuzolicNathaniel Buzolic is an Australian actor, who was television presenter on Channel Nine's late-night program The Mint and had a regular role on the BBC soap Out of the Blue . He was also a co-host of the educational show Weather Ed, on the The Weather Channel.Buzolic attended the Australian Theatre...
as Ryan - Jane BadlerJane BadlerJane Badler is an American actress and singer. She is best known for her role as Diana, the chief antagonist in NBC's science fiction TV series, V, between 1983-85. Badler also appeared in ABC's "reimagined" version of V in 2011, again playing an alien named Diana, who this time is the mother of...
as Professor Banyon - John JarrattJohn Jarratt-Early life:Jarratt was born and grew up in Wongawilli, a small rural town near Wollongong, New South Wales and later in the Snowy Mountains area. Jarratt's father was a coal miner and later concreter, who worked on the Snowy Mountains hydroelectric scheme. Both his parents were of Irish origin....
as Paul the Coroner - James Hagan as Samuel Rutherford
- Ben MendelsohnBen MendelsohnPaul Benjamin "Ben" Mendelsohn is an Australian actor.-Early life:Mendelsohn was born in Melbourne, Australia, the son of Carole Ann and Frederick Mendelsohn. He attended Heidelberg Primary School and Banyule High School. His father is a prominent medical researcher who heads the Howard Florey...
as Detective Meares - Malcolm Kennard as Detective Reddick
- Murray BartlettMurray BartlettMurray Bartlett is an Australian actor. Raised in Perth, Western Australia, he pursued an acting career in his native Australia for several years, including a high-profile role in the Australian series headLand. In 1993 he played con man Luke Foster in Neighbours.In 2000, Bartlett relocated to the...
as Tony Martin - Quinton George as Mr Joshua
- Caroline McKenzieCaroline McKenzie-Television:Her television work includes Ship to Shore, The Shark Net and The Sleepover Club.-Theatre:Her theatre work includes:*The 20's and All That Jazz, The Cherry Orchard, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Fen and Safety in Numbers for Hole in the Wall Theatre Company.*Godspell, Chicago, The Jack the...
as Eliza Shaw - Sam Longley as Basketball Coach
- Igor SasIgor SasIgor Sas is an Australian film, television and stage actor. He is best known for his work on children's television series such as Parallax, Wormwood, Lockie Leonard and The Gift. He has also appeared in a number of films, including Japanese Story.-Career:Sas began his career in 1982 in the...
as Dr. Halmanay
Awards
- Screamfest (2010)Screamfest Horror Film FestivalScreamfest Horror Film Festival is the largest horror film festival in the United States. Some of the largest horror online publications have called it the "Sundance of Horror". Previously held at Loews Universal Studios Cinemas, Universal CityWalk, the festival is now held annually at the...
- Best Horror Make-up Effects - British Horror Film Festival (2010) - Best Cinematography
- British Horror Film Festival (2010) - Best Special Effects (by MEG FX)
- British Horror Film Festival (2010) - Best Supporting Actress (Jessica Marais)
- Melbourne Underground Film FestivalMelbourne Underground Film FestivalThe Melbourne Underground Film Festival was formed out of disagreements over the content and running of the Melbourne International Film Festival...
(2011) - Best Cinematography (Stephen Windon) - Melbourne Underground Film Festival (2011) - Best Actor (Michael Dorman)
- Melbourne Underground Film Festival (2011) - Special Jury Prize (Needle, John V. Soto)
- Melbourne Underground Film Festival (2011) - Best Poster Artwork