Zonad
Encyclopedia
Zonad is a film by John Carney
and Kieran Carney that premiered in July 2009 at the Galway Film Fleadh with the directors in attendance.
The film went to general release in Ireland March 19, 2010.
His comfortable existence is spoiled when Bonad arrives to replace him.
co-wrote and co-directed an earlier version of Zonad, a short film, with Kieran Carney and Tom Hall. Starring Simon Delaney and Cillian Murphy
, Zonad was low-budget and was never released. Murphy played the role of Guy Hendrickson, later played by Rory Keenan.
, Co. Wicklow, which was also used in Neil Jordan's Breakfast on Pluto
.
Variety
writer John Anderson describe it as a "nutroll of a comedy" made from equal parts Pleasantville
, The Quiet Man
and the old Carry On films.
The Evening Herald
wrote "Awful, and with a disturbingly sleazy undercurrent to boot".
John Carney (director)
John Carney is an Irish film and TV writer/director who specialises in low-budget indie films. He is best known for his award-winning 2007 movie Once. He is also a co-creator of the Irish TV drama series Bachelors Walk.-Life and career:...
and Kieran Carney that premiered in July 2009 at the Galway Film Fleadh with the directors in attendance.
The film went to general release in Ireland March 19, 2010.
Plot
A story about an escaped convict who fools a whole Irish village into thinking he's a visitor from outer space. Zonad, a strange visitor comes to the town of Ballymoran, is taken in by the Cassidy family and accepted by the locals as an extraterrestrial.His comfortable existence is spoiled when Bonad arrives to replace him.
Unreleased short film version
In 2003, John CarneyJohn Carney (director)
John Carney is an Irish film and TV writer/director who specialises in low-budget indie films. He is best known for his award-winning 2007 movie Once. He is also a co-creator of the Irish TV drama series Bachelors Walk.-Life and career:...
co-wrote and co-directed an earlier version of Zonad, a short film, with Kieran Carney and Tom Hall. Starring Simon Delaney and Cillian Murphy
Cillian Murphy
Cillian Murphy is an Irish film and theatre actor. He is often noted by critics for his chameleonic performances in diverse roles and distinctive blue eyes and general sex appeal....
, Zonad was low-budget and was never released. Murphy played the role of Guy Hendrickson, later played by Rory Keenan.
Cast
- Simon DelaneySimon DelaneySimon Delaney is an Irish television and theatre director, whose works include the RTE series Bachelors Walk as one of three bachelors living together in a flat on the quays in Dublin....
as Zonad, Liam Murphy. - David Pearse as Bonad, Francis O'Connor. Bonad is Zonad's superior officer.
- Geoff Minogue as Dick Cassidy
- Donna Dent as Mary Cassidy
- Janice Byrne as Jenny Cassidy
- Kevin Maher as Jimmy Cassidy
- Rory Keenan as Guy Hendrickson
- David Murray as Benson, Guy Hendrickson's loyal manservant.
- Don WycherleyDon WycherleyDon Wycherley is an Irish actor who is well known for the portrayal of Father Cyril McDuff in the comedy Father Ted. Don is the brother of Gordon Wycherley. Other roles include Raymond in Bachelors Walk and Fr...
as a police sergeant
Production
It was filmed in Avoca, Co Wicklow, with many of the outdoor scenes filmed in the garden of Kilqueeny House in the village. The interior bar scenes were filmed in The Harbour Bar in BrayBray
Bray is a town in north County Wicklow, Ireland. It is a busy urban centre and seaside resort, with a population of 31,901 making it the fourth largest in Ireland as of the 2006 census...
, Co. Wicklow, which was also used in Neil Jordan's Breakfast on Pluto
Breakfast on Pluto
Breakfast on Pluto is a 1998 novel by Patrick McCabe. The book was shortlisted for the 1998 Booker Prize, and was adapted for the screen by McCabe and Neil Jordan; Jordan directed the 2005 film.-Plot summary:...
.
Critical response
The Irish Times wrote "We laughed like the proverbial drain".Variety
Variety (magazine)
Variety is an American weekly entertainment-trade magazine founded in New York City, New York, in 1905 by Sime Silverman. With the rise of the importance of the motion-picture industry, Daily Variety, a daily edition based in Los Angeles, California, was founded by Silverman in 1933. In 1998, the...
writer John Anderson describe it as a "nutroll of a comedy" made from equal parts Pleasantville
Pleasantville (film)
Pleasantville is a 1998 American fantasy comedy-drama film written, produced, and directed by Gary Ross. The film stars Tobey Maguire, Reese Witherspoon, William H. Macy, Joan Allen, Marley Shelton and Jeff Daniels. Don Knotts, Paul Walker, Jane Kaczmarek, and J. T. Walsh are also featured.The film...
, The Quiet Man
The Quiet Man
The Quiet Man is a 1952 American Technicolor romantic comedy-drama film. It was directed by John Ford and starring John Wayne, Maureen O'Hara, Victor McLaglen and Barry Fitzgerald. It was based on a 1933 Saturday Evening Post short story by Maurice Walsh...
and the old Carry On films.
The Evening Herald
Evening Herald
The Evening Herald is a mid-market tabloid evening newspaper published in Dublin, Ireland by Independent News & Media. It is published Monday-Saturday, and has three editions — City Edition, City Final Edition and National Edition...
wrote "Awful, and with a disturbingly sleazy undercurrent to boot".