No Such Thing (2001)

Director:

Hal Hartley

Writer:

Hal Hartley (written by)

Release Date:

15 November 2002 (Iceland)

Genre:

Horror | Drama | Fantasy | Comedy

Tagline:

A modern day fable.

Plot:

"No Such Thing" tells the story of a young journalist who journeys to Iceland to find her missing fiancée only to encounter a mythical creature. She eventually forges a relationship with the being.

Plot Keywords:

Monster | Boss | Iceland | Media | Fishing Village

Awards:

2 nominations

Cast

Margrét Ákadóttir	...	Rental agent
Robert John Burke	...	The Monster
Julie Anderson	...	Beautician
Sarah Polley	...	Beatrice
Anna Kristín Arngrímsdóttir	...	Sólveig
Ilene Bergelson	...	Ethel
Guðrún María Bjarnadóttir	...	Marta (as Guðrún Bjarnadóttir)
Bessi Bjarnason	...	Captain
Helgi Björnsson	...	Leó
Julie Christie	...	Dr. Anna
Stacy Dawson	...	Mugger
Maria Ellingsen	...	Karlsdóttir / Gate-Manager (as María Ellingsen)
Anthony Giangrande	...	Journalist
Erica Gimpel	...	Judy
Þröstur Leó Gunnarsson	...	First mate

Also Known As:

Monster (USA) (working title)
Skrímsli (Iceland)

MPAA:

Rated R for language and brief violence.

Runtime:

102 min

Country:

Iceland | USA

Language:

English | Icelandic

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Australia:PG | USA:TV-14 (cable rating) | Iceland:LH (video rating) | Iceland:L (original rating) | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Iceland

Company:

American Zoetrope

Trivia:

Burke described to Fangoria Magazine that he once decided to walk through downtown NYC in his Monster make-up, and no one gave him a second glance.

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: When the two men are shot in the airport, the imprint of one of the actors' "blood bag"s can be seen through his shirt.

Quotes:

The Monster: The time it takes to kill these morons is... depressing.

Movie Connections:

References Bride of Frankenstein (1935)

Creepin' to reach the shore...

Hal Hartley's strange tale opens with a monster giving a soliloquy in the vein of the sad reflection that Count Dracula makes on his condition, while Jonathan Harker listens, in Werner Herzog's "Nosferatu". The story alternates between modern settings of a television network and the home in Iceland of a legendary monster that -as in "King Kong"- will become a victim of the manipulative methods of the communication media (with Helen Mirren in charge.) The scenes dealing with the reserved journalist (Sarah Polley in an outstanding underacted performance) surviving a plane crash, meeting a community of weirdoes in Iceland and finally facing the monster, are the most attractive; the following is rather clichéd, though this endearing monster (who looks like a rock star) keeps making until the end, insightful comments on human beings, when we were still creeping "to reach the shore", and our destructive ways. 8/10.