The conundrum of vigilante justice is one that many a movie has dealt with. It's often a staple of superhero tropes but the projects that are particularly affecting which use the themes of vigilante justice are those of real people, rather than superheroes, fighting injustice.
Kelly Dolen's John Doe: Vigilante takes the familiar vigilante tale and throws in a couple of wild cards. While typical vigilante stories feature heroes, or perhaps antiheroes?, who clean up the city in quiet, subdued fashion, the vigilante in Dolen's film seems determined to dole out as much violence as possible, often in public fashion. He's not working under the cover of night. This vigilante wants to send the message that the guilty aren't safe and along the way, this very public figure picks up a handf [Continued ...]...
Kelly Dolen's John Doe: Vigilante takes the familiar vigilante tale and throws in a couple of wild cards. While typical vigilante stories feature heroes, or perhaps antiheroes?, who clean up the city in quiet, subdued fashion, the vigilante in Dolen's film seems determined to dole out as much violence as possible, often in public fashion. He's not working under the cover of night. This vigilante wants to send the message that the guilty aren't safe and along the way, this very public figure picks up a handf [Continued ...]...
- 4/14/2015
- QuietEarth.us
Only a handful of people in the Us and Australia paid to see John Doe in cinemas last year but the vigilante thriller has suddenly become one of the most downloaded titles on torrent sites globally.
Directed by Kel Dolen (Reign in Darkness, Gates of Hell) and scripted by Steve Coates, the film stars Battlestar Galactica.s Jamie Bamber as an anti-hero who attempts to rid the community of criminals while taking out those he knows are about to commit crimes.
The film was released theatrically in the Us a year ago and the producers believe it was first pirated last July after it was released on DVD in the Netherlands.
After being launched on DVD and in a small number of cinemas in Australia last October, the film reappeared briefly on some torrent sites.
.Last Friday the Us DVD/Blu-ray was released onto the torrents and for some reason it has taken off,...
Directed by Kel Dolen (Reign in Darkness, Gates of Hell) and scripted by Steve Coates, the film stars Battlestar Galactica.s Jamie Bamber as an anti-hero who attempts to rid the community of criminals while taking out those he knows are about to commit crimes.
The film was released theatrically in the Us a year ago and the producers believe it was first pirated last July after it was released on DVD in the Netherlands.
After being launched on DVD and in a small number of cinemas in Australia last October, the film reappeared briefly on some torrent sites.
.Last Friday the Us DVD/Blu-ray was released onto the torrents and for some reason it has taken off,...
- 2/17/2015
- by Don Groves
- IF.com.au
Break out the candles! The venerable Melbourne Underground Film Festival becomes a full-fledged teenager when it celebrates its 16th annual edition on September 11-20 this year.
Last year saw a stripped down Muff, focusing on local outre filmmakers and a fine selection of international weirdness — and they want more this year. The fest will also be returning to its new home, the Backlot Studios.
Sixteen years and counting, the Melbourne Underground Film Festival has shown a fierce commitment to under appreciated cinema and it’s awesome to see them still kicking it. If your film is kick ass, a little bit or a lot out there and faintly uncategorizable and possibly unloved wherever “decent” people like to congregate, then Muff might be a good home for it.
See below for submission deadlines, entry fee information, submission links and guidelines.
Deadline & Entry Fees
Deadline via Festhome:
June 30
Entry Fees:
Feature Film:...
Last year saw a stripped down Muff, focusing on local outre filmmakers and a fine selection of international weirdness — and they want more this year. The fest will also be returning to its new home, the Backlot Studios.
Sixteen years and counting, the Melbourne Underground Film Festival has shown a fierce commitment to under appreciated cinema and it’s awesome to see them still kicking it. If your film is kick ass, a little bit or a lot out there and faintly uncategorizable and possibly unloved wherever “decent” people like to congregate, then Muff might be a good home for it.
See below for submission deadlines, entry fee information, submission links and guidelines.
Deadline & Entry Fees
Deadline via Festhome:
June 30
Entry Fees:
Feature Film:...
- 1/23/2015
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
Colin Firth and Nicole Kidman were terrific as a long-married couple who overcame adversity in The Railway Man but Australian audiences aren.t buying their latest on-screen pairing.
Before I Go to Sleep casts Kidman as a 40-year-old woman who wakes up every day with a blank memory. Firth is her husband who tells her they.ve been married for 14 years and Mark Strong is her neuro-psychologist who encourages her to keep a daily video diary so she can help rebuild her life.
The thriller directed by Rowan Joffe, adapted from S. J. Watson.s best-selling novel, may not have sent audiences to sleep but relatively few bothered to turn up as the film fetched $418,000 on a very wide 194 screens.
Nationwide takings dropped by 16% to $9.7 million as none of the other newcomers much enthused cinemagoers, according to Rentrak.s weekend estimates. Distributors say the market is soft and especially shallow below the top three titles.
Before I Go to Sleep casts Kidman as a 40-year-old woman who wakes up every day with a blank memory. Firth is her husband who tells her they.ve been married for 14 years and Mark Strong is her neuro-psychologist who encourages her to keep a daily video diary so she can help rebuild her life.
The thriller directed by Rowan Joffe, adapted from S. J. Watson.s best-selling novel, may not have sent audiences to sleep but relatively few bothered to turn up as the film fetched $418,000 on a very wide 194 screens.
Nationwide takings dropped by 16% to $9.7 million as none of the other newcomers much enthused cinemagoers, according to Rentrak.s weekend estimates. Distributors say the market is soft and especially shallow below the top three titles.
- 10/20/2014
- by Don Groves
- IF.com.au
At least 17 Australian films look set to be released theatrically in the Us this year following the latest batch of deals announced in Cannes. If that's how it pans out, that will be an all-time record, or the highest in the last few decades. The previous high point was 1997 when 15 features were distributed in the Us, according to Screen Australia, whose records go back to 1985.
The preponderance of VOD-targeted deals with limited theatrical play-off partly explains the upswing this year. Only five Australian features got theatrical exposure in the Us in 2012 and seven in 2011, according to Screen Australia's research.
Main Street Films bought Tim Winton.s The Turning, A24 picked up Julius Avery.s crime thriller Son of a Gun and XLrator Media collared Tony Mahony and Angus Sampson.s dark comedy The Mule. Murali Thuralli.s post-Apocalyptic drama One will also be released in the Us by Main...
The preponderance of VOD-targeted deals with limited theatrical play-off partly explains the upswing this year. Only five Australian features got theatrical exposure in the Us in 2012 and seven in 2011, according to Screen Australia's research.
Main Street Films bought Tim Winton.s The Turning, A24 picked up Julius Avery.s crime thriller Son of a Gun and XLrator Media collared Tony Mahony and Angus Sampson.s dark comedy The Mule. Murali Thuralli.s post-Apocalyptic drama One will also be released in the Us by Main...
- 5/18/2014
- by Don Groves
- IF.com.au
At least 17 Australian films will be released theatrically in the Us this year following the latest batch of deals announced in Cannes. If that isn.t a record, it must be close, albeit that some of those deals are VOD-driven, with a limited theatrical release. Main Street Films bought Tim Winton.s The Turning, A24 picked up Julius Avery.s crime thriller Son of a Gun and XLrator Media collared Tony Mahony and Angus Sampson.s dark comedy The Mule. Murali Thuralli.s post-Apocalyptic drama One will also be released in the Us by Main Street Films but that won.t be until next year (see separate story). .The number of Us deals secured for the latest crop of Australian films demonstrates the strength and international audience appeal of Australian storytelling,. Kathleen Drumm, head of marketing at Screen Australia, tells If from Cannes. .Expanding platforms offer new ways into the...
- 5/18/2014
- by Don Groves
- IF.com.au
Kelly Dolen.s John Doe: Vigilante premiered in Us cinemas last Friday and was met with mostly negative reviews which branded it as shrill, gory and pseudo-intellectual.
However one critic hailed the thriller as "riveting, unsettling, important, and poignant."
Main Street Films launched the film starring Battlestar Galactica.s Jamie Bamber as John Doe, a self-styled vigilante who is on trial for 33 murders, on 20 screens in California, Colorado and Arizona.
The screenplay by Stephen M. Coates follows a vigilante group called Speak for the Dead which supports Doe.s cause while he.s in prison, igniting a debate about justice versus vengeance. Lachy Hulme (Offspring, Power Games: The Packer-Murdoch Story, The Matrix Revolutions) plays a reporter who is trying to uncover the true story about Doe..
Produced by Screen Corp.s James M. Vernon and Kristy Vernon, Keith Sweitzer and David Lightfoot, the film will debut in Australia on May 1 via Monster Pictures.
However one critic hailed the thriller as "riveting, unsettling, important, and poignant."
Main Street Films launched the film starring Battlestar Galactica.s Jamie Bamber as John Doe, a self-styled vigilante who is on trial for 33 murders, on 20 screens in California, Colorado and Arizona.
The screenplay by Stephen M. Coates follows a vigilante group called Speak for the Dead which supports Doe.s cause while he.s in prison, igniting a debate about justice versus vengeance. Lachy Hulme (Offspring, Power Games: The Packer-Murdoch Story, The Matrix Revolutions) plays a reporter who is trying to uncover the true story about Doe..
Produced by Screen Corp.s James M. Vernon and Kristy Vernon, Keith Sweitzer and David Lightfoot, the film will debut in Australia on May 1 via Monster Pictures.
- 3/23/2014
- by Don Groves
- IF.com.au
The line between delivering justice and committing a criminal act can be a thin one in the eyes on the law, and tenuous bond between the two is the focus of the upcoming crime thriller "John Doe: Vigilante." Starring Jamie Bamber, Lachy Hulme, Gary Abrahams, Sam Parsonson and more, and directed by Kelly Dolen, the film follows the titular John Doe who, tired of a system that is unable to deal with violent crimes, takes matters into his own hands, becomes a media sensation and inspires others to do the same in copycat acts. But the question remains: is he a hero or villain? And this exclusive clip we see John Doe attempting to rationalize his violent acts. "John Doe: Vigilante" opens on Friday, March 21st. Watch below.
- 3/18/2014
- by Kevin Jagernauth
- The Playlist
Main Street Films’ suspense thriller John Doe: Vigilante opens on March 21, 2014 in select cities. The controversial film addresses the themes of justice, vengeance and a failing legal system and begs the question, “is violence ever justified?” The film stars Jamie Bamber (Battlestar Galactica) as a man who takes the law into his own hands after becoming frustrated with a failing legal system. During test screenings the film received positive reviews with one audience member calling it, “riveting and very compelling.” Additionally, Bamber has spoken out about the film’s controversial subject matter calling it a “social commentary about what’s right and wrong.”
“When 67% of former prisoners are rearrested within three years of their release you know there’s something wrong with the legal system,” said Kelly Dolen, director. “John Doe: Vigilante is intended to create a debate and put a mirror up to society. We aren’t glamorizing violence,...
“When 67% of former prisoners are rearrested within three years of their release you know there’s something wrong with the legal system,” said Kelly Dolen, director. “John Doe: Vigilante is intended to create a debate and put a mirror up to society. We aren’t glamorizing violence,...
- 3/18/2014
- by admin
- MoreHorror
Kelly Dolen.s John Doe: Vigilante will debut in Us cinemas on March 21, the tenth Australian film to have secured a cinema release in that market this year.
Monster Pictures will launch the thriller starring Battlestar Galactica.s Jamie Bamber as John Doe . a man accused of being a vigilante serial killer- in Australia on May 8.
The screenplay by Stephen M. Coates follows a vigilante group called Speak for the Dead which supports Doe.s cause while he.s in prison, igniting a debate about justice versus vengeance.
Lachy Hulme (Offspring, Power Games: The Packer-Murdoch Story, The Matrix Revolutions) plays a reporter who is trying to uncover the true story about Doe.
.John Doe: Vigilante is intended to create a debate and put a mirror up to society,. said Dolen. .We aren.t glamorising violence, but posing the question.is violence ever really justified? Who decides what is right and what is wrong?...
Monster Pictures will launch the thriller starring Battlestar Galactica.s Jamie Bamber as John Doe . a man accused of being a vigilante serial killer- in Australia on May 8.
The screenplay by Stephen M. Coates follows a vigilante group called Speak for the Dead which supports Doe.s cause while he.s in prison, igniting a debate about justice versus vengeance.
Lachy Hulme (Offspring, Power Games: The Packer-Murdoch Story, The Matrix Revolutions) plays a reporter who is trying to uncover the true story about Doe.
.John Doe: Vigilante is intended to create a debate and put a mirror up to society,. said Dolen. .We aren.t glamorising violence, but posing the question.is violence ever really justified? Who decides what is right and what is wrong?...
- 2/7/2014
- by Don Groves
- IF.com.au
From Australian director and Qe pal Kelly Dolen (Gates of Hell), comes John Doe a gritty vigilante thriller starring Jaime Bamber of Battlestar Galactica fame. The film has been in production for a while, but finally some materials are getting out there.
No trailer yet (well, the one that premiered a while back was yanked), but we've got some new images below and our fingers crossed that we can convince someone to release a teaser soon.
Synopsis:
As we await the verdict of one of the most controversial cases in recent times, we come face-to-face with accused vigilante serial killer John Doe as he dissects and explains his reasoning behind his actions and the events that have now [Continued ...]...
No trailer yet (well, the one that premiered a while back was yanked), but we've got some new images below and our fingers crossed that we can convince someone to release a teaser soon.
Synopsis:
As we await the verdict of one of the most controversial cases in recent times, we come face-to-face with accused vigilante serial killer John Doe as he dissects and explains his reasoning behind his actions and the events that have now [Continued ...]...
- 10/29/2013
- QuietEarth.us
Lachlan Woods, Noah Taylor, Jessica Clarke, Robert Taylor, Malcolm Kennard and Catherine McClements head the cast of quirky comedy The Menkoff Method, which starts shooting in Melbourne on September 10.
The director is David Parker, who makes a return to directing after a long absence: he shot Diana & Me, a 1997 comedy that starred Toni Collette as Aussie Diana Spencer, who wins a trip for two to London where she is determined to meet her idol and namesake Princess Diana.
In the interim Parker has shot plenty of TVCs and written and worked as Dop on his wife Nadia Tass. films and as Dop on films such as Kel Dolen.s upcoming vengeance thriller John Doe and Kath & Kimderella.
Parker sparked to The Menkoff Method screenplay by first-timer Zac Gillam, describing it as .very different and laugh-out loud funny,. and spent nearly a year developing it with the writer.
Woods (Better Man,...
The director is David Parker, who makes a return to directing after a long absence: he shot Diana & Me, a 1997 comedy that starred Toni Collette as Aussie Diana Spencer, who wins a trip for two to London where she is determined to meet her idol and namesake Princess Diana.
In the interim Parker has shot plenty of TVCs and written and worked as Dop on his wife Nadia Tass. films and as Dop on films such as Kel Dolen.s upcoming vengeance thriller John Doe and Kath & Kimderella.
Parker sparked to The Menkoff Method screenplay by first-timer Zac Gillam, describing it as .very different and laugh-out loud funny,. and spent nearly a year developing it with the writer.
Woods (Better Man,...
- 9/5/2013
- by Don Groves
- IF.com.au
Main Street Films has bought North American rights to John Doe, an Australian thriller about an anti-hero who attempts to rid the community of criminals while taking out those he knows are about to commit crimes.
The director is Kel Dolen (Reign in Darkness, Gates of Hell), the screenplay is by Steve Coates and the cast is headed by Battlestar Galactica.s Jamie Bamber and Lachy Hulme (Howzat! Kerry Packer's War, Beaconsfield).
The film was produced by ScreenCorp..s James M. Vernon and Kristy Vernon with Keith Sweitzer and David Lightfoot. Leanne Walker is the executive producer.
Main Street Films chairman Craig Chang along with Harrison Kordestani saw John Doe at the Cannes Film Market and negotiated the deal with Vernon. .We used our two screenings at Cannes to create a profile for the film and it turned out better than expected,. Vernon told If.
The Us company is releasing Mike Newell.s Great Expectations,...
The director is Kel Dolen (Reign in Darkness, Gates of Hell), the screenplay is by Steve Coates and the cast is headed by Battlestar Galactica.s Jamie Bamber and Lachy Hulme (Howzat! Kerry Packer's War, Beaconsfield).
The film was produced by ScreenCorp..s James M. Vernon and Kristy Vernon with Keith Sweitzer and David Lightfoot. Leanne Walker is the executive producer.
Main Street Films chairman Craig Chang along with Harrison Kordestani saw John Doe at the Cannes Film Market and negotiated the deal with Vernon. .We used our two screenings at Cannes to create a profile for the film and it turned out better than expected,. Vernon told If.
The Us company is releasing Mike Newell.s Great Expectations,...
- 7/29/2013
- by Don Groves
- IF.com.au
Battlestar Galactica's Jamie Bamber takes on killer new role in John Doe, the latest film from Kelly Dolen, the director of 2008's The Gates of Hell.
In addition to the poster you see to the right (thanks, Twitch), we have a trailer awaiting you inside. Read on for the synopsis:
The Justice system has gone mad, perpetrators have more rights than victims, and repeat offenders continually slip between the cracks. It's wrong, and it needs to change. One man sacrificed himself to transform society, he forced us to become a community, he compelled us to stand up and protect one another from violent crime. How did he do it? He killed people, lots of people...
Read more...
In addition to the poster you see to the right (thanks, Twitch), we have a trailer awaiting you inside. Read on for the synopsis:
The Justice system has gone mad, perpetrators have more rights than victims, and repeat offenders continually slip between the cracks. It's wrong, and it needs to change. One man sacrificed himself to transform society, he forced us to become a community, he compelled us to stand up and protect one another from violent crime. How did he do it? He killed people, lots of people...
Read more...
- 4/22/2013
- shocktillyoudrop.com
It is no secret the screen industry is rapidly evolving to embrace more and more platforms. The ultimate film experience is no longer confined just to the big screen; but has extended into numerous apps, games, webisodes, e-books, social media platforms and even real-life missions.
It.s a process we have seen grow rapidly and successfully in the Australian industry the last few years; so much so, last November Arts Minister Simon Crean announced $20 million in funding to create an Australian Interactive Games Fund..
The ever-evolving nature of the industry has meant these additional elements, once seen as separate entities, can now be used to direct traffic to the film.s website, attract new markets or drum up interest in a movie before its release. However, the traditional method thus far has seen these platforms treated as .extras. that support the main star . the film itself..
Feature film producer Keith Sweitzer and Christopher Ferriter,...
It.s a process we have seen grow rapidly and successfully in the Australian industry the last few years; so much so, last November Arts Minister Simon Crean announced $20 million in funding to create an Australian Interactive Games Fund..
The ever-evolving nature of the industry has meant these additional elements, once seen as separate entities, can now be used to direct traffic to the film.s website, attract new markets or drum up interest in a movie before its release. However, the traditional method thus far has seen these platforms treated as .extras. that support the main star . the film itself..
Feature film producer Keith Sweitzer and Christopher Ferriter,...
- 4/4/2013
- by Emily Blatchford
- IF.com.au
Film Victoria and the state Government have announced that the sci fi action adventure Popbot and crime thriller John Doe will be made in Melbourne, from pre-production to post.
The projects were secured thanks to Victoria’s Production Investment Attraction Fund (Piaf), and are expected to bring in a combined $35m in production expenditure in the state, creating about 430 jobs for locals.
Popbot is based on the graphic novel series by Ashley Wood and Tp Louise. It will be produced by Resolution Independent’s Pete Ford and Media Funds Management’s James M. Vernon and Kristy Vernon.It will be shot at Docklands Studios, combining motion capture and 3D character animation, in the second half of 2011.
John Doe, from John Doe Productions and Woodburn Sweitzer Management, will be produced by Kristy Vernon and Keith Sweitzer and directed by Kelly Dolen. James M. Vernon will executive produce, with Mfm representing investors.
The projects were secured thanks to Victoria’s Production Investment Attraction Fund (Piaf), and are expected to bring in a combined $35m in production expenditure in the state, creating about 430 jobs for locals.
Popbot is based on the graphic novel series by Ashley Wood and Tp Louise. It will be produced by Resolution Independent’s Pete Ford and Media Funds Management’s James M. Vernon and Kristy Vernon.It will be shot at Docklands Studios, combining motion capture and 3D character animation, in the second half of 2011.
John Doe, from John Doe Productions and Woodburn Sweitzer Management, will be produced by Kristy Vernon and Keith Sweitzer and directed by Kelly Dolen. James M. Vernon will executive produce, with Mfm representing investors.
- 3/25/2011
- by Miguel Gonzalez
- Encore Magazine
Set to start shooting in May is John Doe, a new Australian feature film that its Executive Producer, Rob Woodburn, describes as "Seven meets District 9." Influenced by such distinct and powerful films, John Doe documents the actions of an often misunderstood anti-hero as he attempts to rid his community of criminals while striking out at those he knows are about to commit crimes. The idea behind John Doe was conceived by its director, Kelly Dolen (The Gates of Hell), who wrote the first draft of the script 15 years ago. Woodburn says that the story "really came to life" when screenwriter Stephen Coates came on board to help pen the story that Dolen had been carrying with him for so long.
- 2/8/2011
- FilmInk.com.au
Our friend James Cole who did FX on Tgoh dropped us a line to let us know that the film has been getting some good reviews and it's currently skedded to play in a bunch of upcoming fests. While our La guy cyberhal will be at Screamfest where it's playing, he will unfortunately not be able to catch it due to scheduling cofnlicts, but lucky for us we'll get a screener soon. For those who missed our earlier post: "Shrouded with mystery and years of speculation, the foreboding Von Diebitsch Manor is notoriously renowned. Decades of abandonment have built a reputation of evil and myth, but its true origins remain obscured behind the 15-foot bluestone walls that enclose the entire property.
Tonight, five filmmakers set out to make a film within the grounds, but unwittingly stumble across the estates heinous truth and find themselves caught in a relentless struggle to survive against a brutal antagonist.
Tonight, five filmmakers set out to make a film within the grounds, but unwittingly stumble across the estates heinous truth and find themselves caught in a relentless struggle to survive against a brutal antagonist.
- 10/6/2008
- QuietEarth.us
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.