Paradise Lost (1999/I)

User Rating:

5.0/10   

Director:

Herb Freed

Writers:

Herb Freed (writer)
Marion Segal (writer)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

A scientist in the rain forest squares off against a land developer while trying to solve some unexplained deaths. |

Plot Keywords:

Independent Film

Cast

William Forsythe	...	Mike Stark
Marina Sirtis	...	Dr. Christine DuMaurier
Nigel Havers	...	Hofstadter
Miguel Ángel Suárez	...	Domingo Cabrera
Michel Angelo Mejias	...	Memo
Miguel Ángel Álvarez	...	Tameala
Julio Axel Landrón	...	Coba
Adamari López	...	Dulce
Luz Minerva Rodríguez	...	Midwife
Axel Anderson	...	Gen. Díaz
Mercedes Sicardo	...	Vieja
Ernesto Concepción	...	Viejo
Ernesto Concepción Jr.	...	Roberto
Gil René Rodríguez	...	Xavier / Azarasco Leader
Carlos Cestero	...	Tryster (as Carlos A. Cestero)
Jonathan Dwayne	...	Mannheim
Wanda L. Sais	...	Esperanza
Elaine Henríquez	...	María Dolores
Luis Muñoz	...	Azaraco
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Johary Ramos	...	Alien Creature
Javier Mayol	...	Native (uncredited)

Directed by
Herb Freed

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Herb Freed		writer
Marion Segal		writer

Produced by
Leo Carillo	....	associate producer
Gregory Cascante	....	executive producer
William Forsythe	....	associate producer
Herb Freed	....	producer
Terry Lynch	....	associate producer
Francisco Marrero	....	producer (as Frank Marrero)
Denise McCabe Morrissey	....	associate producer
Luis Ramos	....	executive producer
Charles Saxton	....	associate producer
Marion Segal	....	producer (as Merion Segal)

Original Music by
Dick Hamilton

Cinematography by
Mario García Joya

Film Editing by
Marion Segal

Casting by
Fran Bascom

Production Design by
Terry Lynch

Set Decoration by
Bonita Huffman

Makeup Department
Ron Boudreau	....	special wigs
Donna Cicatelli-Lewis	....	makeup artist: second unit (as Donna Cicatelli)
Rick Gonzales	....	key makeup artist
Rick Gonzales	....	special makeup effects artist
Kay Gonzalez	....	second makeup assistant
Doug Jacobs	....	special wigs
Bill McCoy	....	special makeup effects artist
Steven Roundtree	....	second makeup assistant
Jean Smith	....	hair stylist
Jean Smith	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Rosi Acosta	....	production manager
Scott Michael Nabat	....	post-production supervisor (as Scott Nabat)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Peter Alvarez	....	second second assistant director
Colleen Comer	....	second assistant director
Mark G. Mathis	....	first assistant director (as Mark Mathis)
Mark G. Mathis	....	second unit director (as Mark Mathis)

Art Department
Juan Albaledejo	....	carpenter
Carlos Badia	....	swing gang
Charlie Bonilla	....	greens person
Charlie Bonilla	....	on-set dresser (as Carlos Bonilla)
Richard C. Brody	....	prop builder: second unit
Gladys Bustos	....	assistant property master
Moises Duprey	....	scenic assistant
Eric González	....	assistant carpenter
Elena Guede	....	lead person
Felix Huertas	....	gang boss carpenter
William Huffman	....	construction coordinator
Santo Jorge	....	swing gang
Kevin Andrew Kinnaird	....	art production assistant
Augusto Loria	....	on-set dresser
Luis R. Márquez	....	assistant carpenter
Jorge Martínez	....	assistant carpenter
Johnny Meléndez	....	carpenter
Leida E. Molina	....	carpenter
Faustino Montero	....	assistant carpenter
Arnaldo Morales	....	swing gang
George Nachtrieb	....	art department coordinator
Ely Orias	....	lead artist: second unit
Francisco Ortiz	....	carpenter
José Ortiz	....	assistant carpenter
Ana Ramírez	....	art department assistant
Miguel Ramos	....	assistant carpenter
Francisco Rivera	....	assistant carpenter
Francisco L. Rivera	....	scenic assistant
José Rivera Vega	....	assistant carpenter
Peter Rodriguez	....	head scenic artist
Harlak P. Rubio	....	property master (as Harak P. Rubio)
Casey Slade	....	lead artist: second unit
J. Brennan Smith	....	property master: second unit
Valery Vázquez	....	scenic assistant
Victor Vazquez	....	scenic assistant

Sound Department
Eric Behrend	....	sound re-recording mixer
Antonio Betancourt	....	sound mixer
O.B. Bezirgenian	....	foley recordist
Phyllis Ginter	....	foley walker (as Phyllis Ginter-Romike)
Susan L. Gosstrom	....	post audio project manager
Craig C.J. Jones	....	dialogue editor
Michael Kreple	....	adr recordist
Luis Antonio Landrau	....	boom operator
Don MacDougall	....	sound re-recording mixer
Paul Ratajczak	....	sound supervisor
Lawrence W. Wendelken	....	sound effects editor

Special Effects by
Charlie Bonilla	....	special effects
Marcos Gavela	....	special effects assistant (as Marco Gavela)
Zac Hartog	....	special effects coordinator
Héctor E. Molini	....	special effects assistant (as Héctor Molini Gronau)
Daniel Ingraham	....	special effects makeup (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Dan Anthony	....	digital artist
Pete Evans	....	digital effects supervisor
George Nachtrieb	....	pixel wrangler

Stunts
Rick Barker	....	stunt coordinator
Mike Mirkin	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Luis Raúl Alcocer	....	electrician
Luis A. Álvarez	....	generator operator
Rafael Amaral	....	grip
Edgar Arellano	....	gaffer: second unit (as Edgar Areliano)
Leslie Colombani Jr.	....	best boy electric
Edgar Colón	....	camera operator: "b" camera
Edgar Colón	....	second assistant camera (as Edgar Colon)
Alfonso Diaz	....	camera loader
Rafael Encarnación	....	generator operator
Dionne Eskelin	....	first assistant camera: second unit (as Dionne K. Eskelin)
Rafael Oquendo	....	still photographer
Gabriel Padilla	....	best boy electric
Angel Pastrana	....	best boy grip
Geronimo Perez	....	electrician
Orlando Pérez	....	grip
Justin Portwood	....	key grip: second unit (as Justin Lee Portwood)
Enrique Puig	....	first assistant camera
Francisco Román	....	grip (as Francisco J. Roman)
Raúl Rosado	....	key grip
Marcel Schoettel	....	best boy electric: second unit
Juan A. Torres	....	electrician
Yavier Velez	....	generator operator
David Weinreb	....	first assistant camera: second unit

Casting Department
Enrique Cortés	....	casting: Puerto Rico
Marleny Ezquierdo	....	casting: Puerto Rico

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Mildred Alvarez	....	wardrobe assistant
Danielle Gosheat	....	wardrobe assistant: second unit
Eliannette 'Ely' Soto	....	costume assistant
Carolyn Stellar	....	wardrobe: second unit

Editorial Department
Brian Kibbie	....	negative cutter
Scott Michael Nabat	....	assistant editor (as Scott Nabat)

Music Department
Jim Halfpenny	....	composer: additional music
Jim Halfpenny	....	composer: song "Enchanted Lover"
Laurie Halfpenny	....	composer: song "Enchanted Lover"

Transportation Department
Ignacio Gonzalez	....	transportation captain
Victor González	....	driver: cast
Norberto Mojica	....	driver
Alex Rodriguez	....	driver
Carlos Rodríguez	....	driver
Carlos Rafael Santos	....	driver (as Carlos R. Santos)
Wilmer Viana	....	driver

Other crew
Alexis Alicea	....	production accountant
Emma Altiery	....	production assistant
Alba Raquel Barros	....	production assistant
Dan Bedell	....	crew
Ewing Miles Brown	....	television inserts
Elo Carillo	....	production accountant
Syd Cole	....	video workprints
Linda Colon	....	production coordinator
Kevin Coon	....	crew (as Kevin J. Coon)
Mariela Cunqueiro	....	script supervisor
Kimberly A. Dinofrio	....	crew
Ann Gabele	....	crew
Angela Gonzales	....	crew
Bernadelly Gonzalez	....	production assistant
Mary Kay Gonzalez	....	shop coordinator
Ron Groenwold	....	production assistant: second unit
Silvana Kalasky	....	video workprints
Edelmiro Lebron	....	tax consultant: Puerto Rico
Tina Lee	....	production assistant: second unit
Brian Leon	....	video workprints
Carol Maldonado	....	location manager
Javier Mayol	....	production assistant
Janet R. Mednick	....	crew
Eric R. Molinaris	....	crew
Judith Morales	....	production assistant
Eric 'The Finn' Olilla	....	crew
Ely Orias	....	production assistant: second unit
Axel Ortiz	....	armorer
Mona Pérez	....	payroll coordinator
Juan Antonio Ramos Diaz	....	legal counsel: Puerto Rico
Rosario Reyes	....	assistant production coordinator
Andres Rivera	....	craft service
Enil A. Rodriguez	....	crew
Rafael Román-Jiménez	....	legal counsel: Puerto Rico
Juan B. Rosario	....	set medic
Norman G. Rudman	....	legal services
Casey Slade	....	production assistant: second unit
Kevin Thomas	....	video workprints
Michael Weiss	....	crew
Kristen A. Woods	....	crew

Thanks
Xavier Catafal	....	special thanks

Distributors

• New City Releasing

Special Effects

• Proper Effects

Other Companies

• Axium Entertainment Group  payroll services
• El Bucanero Catering  catering
• Executive Security Service  security
• Ground Control Studios  sound design
• Star Talent  extras casting
• Title House  titles and opticals

Runtime:

105 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Certification:

UK:12 | Australia:PG | Germany:12

variation on a formula, but still a formula

Mike Stark wants to build a resort city called Byzantium on the site of an ancient city. Because the site is a large jungle area, he has Dr. Hofstadter develop a defoliant which works as well as Agent Orange, but without side effects (at least that's what they believe). Dr. Christine DuMaurier, whose late husband was an anthropologist, is concerned about what the development will do to the native people. A mysterious death leads Stark and Dr. Hofstadter to the jungle, where Dr. DuMaurier confronts Stark, who is unmoved. Stark believes that the native people will want progress. Some do, especially the young people. Others are strongly opposed and might even resort to violence to stop Stark.

Dr. Hofstadter is open to Dr. DuMaurier's ideas. Her theory is that the ancient culture that lived in the area--one more advanced than the Mayans--died out because of a similar defoliant which caused genetic mutations.

This was an okay movie. The native people seemed convincing, especially during religious ceremonies, and there was a lot of Spanish (I assume) spoken, though no need for subtitles. The standout performance, to me, was that of Michel Angelo Mejias, as Memo, a boy with a lot of ambition who impressed Stark, saying Memo reminded him of himself. Memo was quite a likeable character. In one notable scene, Memo and a girl (I would assume his girlfriend) lip-synced to a rock song and did a sultry dance onstage. (I liked the girlfriend, whose name I don't remember, but we didn't see enough of her.) The younger natives and the Americans were more impressed with this than the older natives.

The ending was quite disturbing. There was a positive quality to the final scenes, but not without the negatives that it took to reach that point. And while we didn't see actual violence, we saw its results, which were pretty graphic.