On the silver screen, the genre of magic realism has been crowded chock full of good movies, even franchises that have gained cult followings, as the genre retains its charm by projecting the wider, unshackled scope of imagination to the viewers, thereby evoking a sense of awe and wonder. Stan’s latest release, “The Portable Door,” adapted from the fantasy novel series “J.W. Wells and Co.” written by Tom Holt, desperately tries to replicate the charm but fails to offer anything new that genre fans haven’t seen already and offers so little in the way of worldbuilding that viewers themselves will ask for an exposition dump. Flaunting a rather heavy cast with the likes of Christoph Waltz, Sam Neil, Miranda Otto, and Patrick Gibson on board, the movie fails to justify the big names in the roles that the makers didn’t bother fleshing out even the basics of.
- 4/8/2023
- by Siddhartha Das
- Film Fugitives
There’s just something about the narrative concept of a normal person becoming embroiled in a world full of magic. It’s what initially captured the imaginations of readers of Tom Holt’s 2003 novel, which has now been adapted into a feature film, with Jeffrey Walker helming the story of The Portable Door.
The aforementioned, normal human thrust into an abnormal world is Paul Carpenter (Patrick Gibson), who is on his way to a job interview at a café, only for fate to intervene, or so he thought, as he winds up in front of a panel he hadn’t anticipated, applying for a job he knows nothing about. The unconventional employers, known as Jw Wells & Co. have the romantic responsibility of engineering all of the every day coincidences that illuminate our lives, such as ‘random’ meetings with strangers that lead on to bigger, and more beautiful things.
This may...
The aforementioned, normal human thrust into an abnormal world is Paul Carpenter (Patrick Gibson), who is on his way to a job interview at a café, only for fate to intervene, or so he thought, as he winds up in front of a panel he hadn’t anticipated, applying for a job he knows nothing about. The unconventional employers, known as Jw Wells & Co. have the romantic responsibility of engineering all of the every day coincidences that illuminate our lives, such as ‘random’ meetings with strangers that lead on to bigger, and more beautiful things.
This may...
- 4/6/2023
- by Stefan Pape
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Jeffrey Walker’s adaptation of the young-adult fantasy novel retains its edge thanks to its performances, but gets stuck on the whole door thing
Adapted from Tom Holt’s 2003 young-adult fantasy novel, this is a passable attempt at kickstarting a new Harry Potter-style franchise set in a fusty-quirky institution, dosed up with extra Gilliamesque grotesquery. Co-produced by the Jim Henson Company, the production design is poky and intense, and the cast – with Christoph Waltz and Sam Neill larking it up – give it their all. But amid all this clutter, it sometimes has trouble moving its story forward.
The Portable Door has a nice conceit: the venerable London corporation of Jw Wells & Co is responsible for engineering all the daily incidents of coincidence and serendipity that happen in urban life. Not that wet-behind-the-ears intern Paul Carpenter (Patrick Gibson), desperate for any gig, knows the company’s raison d’etre when he signs up.
Adapted from Tom Holt’s 2003 young-adult fantasy novel, this is a passable attempt at kickstarting a new Harry Potter-style franchise set in a fusty-quirky institution, dosed up with extra Gilliamesque grotesquery. Co-produced by the Jim Henson Company, the production design is poky and intense, and the cast – with Christoph Waltz and Sam Neill larking it up – give it their all. But amid all this clutter, it sometimes has trouble moving its story forward.
The Portable Door has a nice conceit: the venerable London corporation of Jw Wells & Co is responsible for engineering all the daily incidents of coincidence and serendipity that happen in urban life. Not that wet-behind-the-ears intern Paul Carpenter (Patrick Gibson), desperate for any gig, knows the company’s raison d’etre when he signs up.
- 4/3/2023
- by Phil Hoad
- The Guardian - Film News
Just a few days after HBO confirmed that “Succession” would end with its upcoming fourth season, the network announced this week that dark comedy “Barry” will also air its fourth and final season beginning April 16. The show, starring Bill Hader as a hitman turned actor, is a twisted tale of ambition and crime. Hader, who is also the writer and director of the Emmy-winning series, co-stars with Henry Winkler, Sarah Goldberg, Stephen Root, and Anthony Carrigan.
Watch the “Barry” Season 4 trailer:
The six-episode second season of “Schmigadoon!” is set to arrive on Apple TV on April 5. The musical comedy series is about a couple (Cecily Strong and Keegan-Michael Key) in a magical town straight out of musical theater classics. Unlike the Golden Age-imagery of the first season, the Season 2 trailer shows the pair in a town is fashioned as the more gritty, sexy musicals of the 1960s and ’70s. This season,...
Watch the “Barry” Season 4 trailer:
The six-episode second season of “Schmigadoon!” is set to arrive on Apple TV on April 5. The musical comedy series is about a couple (Cecily Strong and Keegan-Michael Key) in a magical town straight out of musical theater classics. Unlike the Golden Age-imagery of the first season, the Season 2 trailer shows the pair in a town is fashioned as the more gritty, sexy musicals of the 1960s and ’70s. This season,...
- 3/8/2023
- by Fern Siegel
- The Streamable
Amidst all the hullabaloo about Showtime merging with Paramount+ and the continuing revival of older shows that nobody asked to be revived, you would be forgiven for missing that the Epix streaming platform formally rebranded as MGM+ on January 15, 2023. Cue the Gif of Korath the Pursuer (Djimon Honsou) in "Guardians of the Galaxy" saying, "Who?"
Epix, for those not familiar, launched in the late 2000s and housed shows such as the Forest Whitaker-led crime drama "Godfather of Harlem" and the Stephen King adaptation "Chapelwaite" prior to its rebranding being announced in the wake of Amazon's 8.5 billion acquisition of MGM's vast collection of films and TV shows. Epix was also the original home of the since-canceled DC comic book TV series "Pennyworth," which moved to HBO Max for its third season under the gloriously cumbersome new title, "Pennyworth: The Origin of Batman's Butler." Now that it's officially been rebranded,...
Epix, for those not familiar, launched in the late 2000s and housed shows such as the Forest Whitaker-led crime drama "Godfather of Harlem" and the Stephen King adaptation "Chapelwaite" prior to its rebranding being announced in the wake of Amazon's 8.5 billion acquisition of MGM's vast collection of films and TV shows. Epix was also the original home of the since-canceled DC comic book TV series "Pennyworth," which moved to HBO Max for its third season under the gloriously cumbersome new title, "Pennyworth: The Origin of Batman's Butler." Now that it's officially been rebranded,...
- 2/8/2023
- by Sandy Schaefer
- Slash Film
MGM+ is shoring up its original content selection with the pickup of a new fantasy-adventure comedy, The Portable Door, an MGM+ original film that will be coming exclusively to the U.S. market in April.
The movie stars multi-time Golden Globe nominee Sam Neill and Patrick Gibson, joining two-time Academy Award winner Christoph Waltz, and Sophie Wilde.
The award-winning Jeffrey Walker directed the film, which is adapted by Leon Ford (Griff the Invisible) from Tom Holt's popular seven-book fantasy series.
"The movie centers on Paul Carpenter (Gibson) and Sophie Pettingel (Wilde), lowly, put-upon interns who begin working at the mysterious London firm J.W. Wells & Co., and become increasingly aware that their employers are anything but conventional," the logline reads.
"Charismatic villains Humphrey Wells (Waltz), the CEO of the company, and middle manager Dennis Tanner (Neill) are disrupting the world of magic by bringing modern corporate strategy to ancient magical practices,...
The movie stars multi-time Golden Globe nominee Sam Neill and Patrick Gibson, joining two-time Academy Award winner Christoph Waltz, and Sophie Wilde.
The award-winning Jeffrey Walker directed the film, which is adapted by Leon Ford (Griff the Invisible) from Tom Holt's popular seven-book fantasy series.
"The movie centers on Paul Carpenter (Gibson) and Sophie Pettingel (Wilde), lowly, put-upon interns who begin working at the mysterious London firm J.W. Wells & Co., and become increasingly aware that their employers are anything but conventional," the logline reads.
"Charismatic villains Humphrey Wells (Waltz), the CEO of the company, and middle manager Dennis Tanner (Neill) are disrupting the world of magic by bringing modern corporate strategy to ancient magical practices,...
- 2/7/2023
- by Paul Dailly
- TVfanatic
Adapted from Tom Holt’s eponymous seven-book fantasy series, Jeffrey Walker's 'The Portable Door' follows Paul Carpenter (Patrick Gibson) and Sophie Pettingel (Sophie Wilde), two lowly, put-upon interns who begin working at the mysterious London firm J.W. Wells & Co. and become steadily aware that their employers are anything but conventional.
The post ‘The Portable Door’ (Trailer) appeared first on If Magazine.
The post ‘The Portable Door’ (Trailer) appeared first on If Magazine.
- 2/1/2023
- by The IF Team
- IF.com.au
Sky has launched the debut trailer for the new fantasy-adventure-comedy feature ‘The Portable Door.’
Paul Carpenter (Gibson) and Sophie Pettingel (Wilde) are the lowly, put-upon interns who begin working at the mysterious London firm J.W. Wells & Co. and become steadily aware that their employers are anything but conventional. Charismatic villains Humphrey Wells (Waltz), the CEO of the company, and middle manager Dennis Tanner (Neill) are disrupting the world of magic by bringing modern corporate strategy to ancient magical practices, and Paul and Sophie discover the true agenda of the vast corporation where they work.
Adapted from Tom Holt’s popular 7-book fantasy series, Jeffrey Walker helms on the film which stars Sam Neill, Christoph Waltz, Patrick Gibson, Miranda Otto, Chris Pang, Jessica De Gouw, Rachel House, Arka Das, Damon Herriman and newcomer Sophie Wilde.
Also in trailers – New trailer drops for ‘A Little White Lie’ starring Michael Shannon & Kate Hudson...
Paul Carpenter (Gibson) and Sophie Pettingel (Wilde) are the lowly, put-upon interns who begin working at the mysterious London firm J.W. Wells & Co. and become steadily aware that their employers are anything but conventional. Charismatic villains Humphrey Wells (Waltz), the CEO of the company, and middle manager Dennis Tanner (Neill) are disrupting the world of magic by bringing modern corporate strategy to ancient magical practices, and Paul and Sophie discover the true agenda of the vast corporation where they work.
Adapted from Tom Holt’s popular 7-book fantasy series, Jeffrey Walker helms on the film which stars Sam Neill, Christoph Waltz, Patrick Gibson, Miranda Otto, Chris Pang, Jessica De Gouw, Rachel House, Arka Das, Damon Herriman and newcomer Sophie Wilde.
Also in trailers – New trailer drops for ‘A Little White Lie’ starring Michael Shannon & Kate Hudson...
- 2/1/2023
- by Zehra Phelan
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Yet another 3-D Blu-ray treat — the 3-D Film Archive restores a rare English production, an international crime tale in 3-D. Dennis O’Keefe’s T-Man helps Scotland Yard track down a gang of smugglers that kidnaps and murders to force an Atom scientist to perfect his manufacturing formula for synthetic diamonds. You know, just like the silicon chip business. The widescreen 3-D is excellent, especially in two action set pieces. Margaret Sheridan co-stars. It’s almost a premiere, as the movie was never publicly exhibited in 3-D. Kino also provides an anaglyphic encoding with a pair of red-cyan glasses as an alternate 3-D option. Plus good extras about the 3-D process.
The Diamond Wizard 3-D
3-D Blu-ray
Kl Studio Classics
1954 / B&w / 1:66 widescreen / 83 min. / Street Date November 15, 2022 / Available at Kino Lorber / 29.95
Starring: Dennis O’Keefe, Margaret Sheridan, Philip Friend, Alan Wheatley, Francis De Wolff, Eric Berry, Gudrun Ure, Paul Hardtmuth,...
The Diamond Wizard 3-D
3-D Blu-ray
Kl Studio Classics
1954 / B&w / 1:66 widescreen / 83 min. / Street Date November 15, 2022 / Available at Kino Lorber / 29.95
Starring: Dennis O’Keefe, Margaret Sheridan, Philip Friend, Alan Wheatley, Francis De Wolff, Eric Berry, Gudrun Ure, Paul Hardtmuth,...
- 11/1/2022
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
The production of Jeffrey Walker’s The Portable Door reached an Australian eco-milestone, becoming the first local film to operate under the UK Albert-BAFTA sustainability system.
Designed for productions to both measure and reduce their carbon footprint, the program includes a Carbon Action Plan with criteria across communication and engagement; editorial content; production energy, materials, and waste; travel; and carbon-neutral production.
Environmental organisation Albert awards certification to productions judged to have successfully completed the plan, seen in the form of a badge that often appears in the credits.
The system was introduced to The Portable Door via finance partner Sky Studios, whose parent company Sky aims to be Europe’s first net-zero carbon entertainment company by 2030.
Filming wrapped last month on the adaption of Tom Holt’s six-part fantasy book series, which stars Christoph Waltz, Patrick Gibson, Sam Neill, Miranda Otto, and Chris Pang.
Waltz plays company CEO Humphrey Wells,...
Designed for productions to both measure and reduce their carbon footprint, the program includes a Carbon Action Plan with criteria across communication and engagement; editorial content; production energy, materials, and waste; travel; and carbon-neutral production.
Environmental organisation Albert awards certification to productions judged to have successfully completed the plan, seen in the form of a badge that often appears in the credits.
The system was introduced to The Portable Door via finance partner Sky Studios, whose parent company Sky aims to be Europe’s first net-zero carbon entertainment company by 2030.
Filming wrapped last month on the adaption of Tom Holt’s six-part fantasy book series, which stars Christoph Waltz, Patrick Gibson, Sam Neill, Miranda Otto, and Chris Pang.
Waltz plays company CEO Humphrey Wells,...
- 8/20/2021
- by Sean Slatter
- IF.com.au
Sam Neill, Miranda Otto and Chris Pang have been added to the cast of Jeffrey Walker’s The Portable Door, which is shooting on the Gold Coast at Pinnacle Film Studios.
Adapted from Tom Holt’s six-part fantasy book series, the story follows a university drop-out who discovers his new employer is a front for a sinister organisation.
Christoph Waltz plays company CEO Humphrey Wells, who disrupts the world of magic by bringing modern corporate strategy to ancient magical practices, while Patrick Gibson plays Paul Carpenter, a lowly, put-upon intern who discovers the true agenda of the vast corporation where they work.
The cast also includes Rachel House, Sophie Wilde, Jessica DeGouw, and Damon Herriman.
As If has previously reported, Leon Ford (Offspring) penned the screenplay, with Story Bridge Films’ Todd Fellman to produce with the Jim Henson Company’s Lisa Henson and Blanca Lista.
Fellman said he was excited...
Adapted from Tom Holt’s six-part fantasy book series, the story follows a university drop-out who discovers his new employer is a front for a sinister organisation.
Christoph Waltz plays company CEO Humphrey Wells, who disrupts the world of magic by bringing modern corporate strategy to ancient magical practices, while Patrick Gibson plays Paul Carpenter, a lowly, put-upon intern who discovers the true agenda of the vast corporation where they work.
The cast also includes Rachel House, Sophie Wilde, Jessica DeGouw, and Damon Herriman.
As If has previously reported, Leon Ford (Offspring) penned the screenplay, with Story Bridge Films’ Todd Fellman to produce with the Jim Henson Company’s Lisa Henson and Blanca Lista.
Fellman said he was excited...
- 5/26/2021
- by Sean Slatter
- IF.com.au
Nunnally Johnson hands us a well-written spy & hostage drama set in Cold War Berlin, with plenty of intrigue and good humor to boot. Gregory Peck is the troubled negotiator and Broderick Crawford a Yankee galoot sticking his nose where it isn’t wanted. This one has been out of reach for quite a while — and it works up some fun suspense.
Night People
Blu-ray
Kl Studio Classics
1954 / Color / 2:55 widescreen / 93 min. / Street Date July 25, 2017 / available through Kino Lorber / 29.95
Starring: Gregory Peck, Broderick Crawford, Anita Björk, Rita Gam, Walter Abel, Buddy Ebsen, Max Showalter, Jill Esmond, Peter van Eyck, Marianne Koch, Hugh McDermott, Paul Carpenter, Lionel Murton, Ottow Reichow.
Cinematography: Charles G. Clarke
Film Editor: Dorothy Spencer
Original Music: Cyril Mockridge
Story by Jed Harris, Tom Reed
Associate Producer Gerd Oswald
Written, Directed and Produced by Nunnally Johnson
An intelligent cold war thriller about distrust and passive aggression across the East-West divide in Berlin,...
Night People
Blu-ray
Kl Studio Classics
1954 / Color / 2:55 widescreen / 93 min. / Street Date July 25, 2017 / available through Kino Lorber / 29.95
Starring: Gregory Peck, Broderick Crawford, Anita Björk, Rita Gam, Walter Abel, Buddy Ebsen, Max Showalter, Jill Esmond, Peter van Eyck, Marianne Koch, Hugh McDermott, Paul Carpenter, Lionel Murton, Ottow Reichow.
Cinematography: Charles G. Clarke
Film Editor: Dorothy Spencer
Original Music: Cyril Mockridge
Story by Jed Harris, Tom Reed
Associate Producer Gerd Oswald
Written, Directed and Produced by Nunnally Johnson
An intelligent cold war thriller about distrust and passive aggression across the East-West divide in Berlin,...
- 7/31/2017
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
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