The Day After Tomorrow 2004, 20th Century Fox Director Roland Emmerich's global-warming extravaganza rife with hurricanes, earthquakes, tornadoes and the onset of the next ice age. This is Emmerich's adaption of Whitley Strieber's story The Coming Global Superstorm, scripted by Emmerich and Jeffrey Nachmanoff (and to complete the circle, Whitley penned the novelization of their screenplay).
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They can hear a cloud pass overhead, the rythm of your blood. They can track you by yesterday's shadow. They can tear the scream from your throat. |
Wolfen
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Anne Strieber on the filming of Wolfen (excerpted from Anne's Diary: Like Radar...But Different, Wednesday April 22nd, 2009) ...My favorite story of a good 'save' happened with the first film made from one of Whitley's books, “The Wolfen.” Besides keeping the wolves penned up in Queens and telling everyone they were German Shepherds when they woke up the neighbors with their howling, the producers had the extraordinary disaster of having the infrared film they were using to show the world through the Wolfen viewpoint burn up in the lab, destroying their special effects. It was too late (and probably too expensive) to film the effects over again and the story didn't make too much sense without them (plus the film was too short), so the producer filled the movie out by doing things like chasing a flock of birds up a flight of stairs so the cameraman could catch them all flying off the roof of the building (as if a Wolfen was after them). That film was a delightful introduction to movie making. One of the leads (I won't say who) was an alcoholic to the point of being almost catatonic. When Whitley asked the director if it was OK to go up and say hello to him, he said, “Sure, but don't be surprised at what happens." Whitley expected to receive a tyrannical tirade from him about being bothered, but what actually happened was?nothing. It was as if the actor hadn't heard him at all. Whitley was terribly agitated by this and went back to the director and said, “You have a problem, he's dead drunk!” The director said, “Oh, he's always that way: just watch.” When he called for this man to come onto the set, he suddenly came to life, took his mark, and said his lines perfectly. The scene was completed in one take. Afterwards, the actor went back to his canvas chair and slumped over again, seemingly dead to the world. All this just goes to show that in Hollywood, nothing is exactly what it seems to be. |
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Nothing Human Loves Forever
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The Hunger
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Communion
Screenplay information: Communion: Screenplay is 102 pages. Strieber's original screenplay accentuated the terror of the experiences, whereas the director Mora encouraged Walken to accentuate the humor in the outrageousness of the experiences. Strieber told Texas Monthly in 2007, I wrote a script, but the director followed it only in broad outline. Trivia: Watch for the cameo appearance of the real Whitley Strieber and son in the Whitney museum scene. Trivia: The text of the book that Whitley (Walken) is attempting to write on his glitch-prone computer is actually a description of films which have featured Perrier water product placements. In a later scene, Anne (Crouse) drinks a lemon Perrier. Trivia: The Sci-Fi Channel announced in April 1999 that they would create a made-for-tv sequel, Beyond Communion, offering another opportunity to re-envision the events of Communion. But as of this writing, there have been no updates from the Sci-Fi Channel, suggesting their plans went astray. |
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Extra/Extended Scenes in the European 108 min version: There are essentially 2 versions of Communion. The United States theatrical cut (approx 101 minutes in length) and a longer alternate cut (approx 108 minutes) which may be a European edition of the film or a variation thereof (later shown on FOX television in the US).
Besides the differences in the scenes above, on the FOX television version the brightness level of bright objects has been boosted and digitally diffused; This creates a hazy glow around lights which adds to the ethereal atmosphere on the ship, and hides some of the flaws in the special effects. However, since the entire film was subjected to this treatment even the late afternoon sunshine streaming into Dr. Janet Duffy's office appears to be the Second Coming. The longer version of Communion is by far the best version of this film. |
VHS (US)
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Cover uses the theatrical poster art. |
VHS (US)
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Cover uses unique art featuring Christopher Walken reflected in the visitor's eyes. |
VHS
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The VHS Collector's Edition is similar to a 1996 special edition laserdisc, but it omits the director's commentary track, and the picture is not identical - unlike the laserdisc, which presented the film in the 2.35:1 aspect ratio, the VHS Collector's Edition presented the film in it's original theatrical aspect ratio of 1.85:1. This is the only home video release of Communion in the correct aspect ratio, but sadly it is the short version of Communion (101 minutes in length). The back cover text implies that this 1.85:1 aspect ratio is the ratio intended by the film's cinematographer, Francis Kenny. The cinematographer would arguably be the one who knows. |
Laserdisc (US)Image Entertainment |
Laserdiscs were a format the existed before the invention of DVD. Laserdiscs were 12 inches in diameter, and had to be manually flipped over from side to side. This 4:3 aspect ratio, standard edition laserdisc was released in 1990 by Image Entertainment. This laserdisc presents the short version of Communion (101 minutes in length). There are no special features on this edition. |
Laserdisc
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This widescreen special edition laserdisc was released in 1996 by Lumivision, item number LVD9543. Presented in matted widescreen, 2.35:1 aspect ratio. The 2.35:1 aspect ratio is a revision by the director; the film was shown theatrically at 1.85:1. To make it 2.35:1 the top and bottom of the image have been shorn off. This laserdisc presents the short version of Communion (101 minutes in length). This special edition contains an ample selection of extras
that play after the end of the film. |
In 1996, for the widescreen special edition laserdisc, director Phillipe Mora matted Communion down to the 2.35:1 aspect ratio. This was revisionism, because the film was actually shown in theatres in the slightly more open 1.85:1 ratio.
The proper ratio is therefore a matter of opinion.
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The Nye Incidents |
2012: The War for Souls |
The Grays |
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January 2009 UPDATE: The Grays in development hell September 2007 UPDATE: The Grays 6 July 2006 UPDATE: The Grays |