Suspect Zero (2004)

Director:

E. Elias Merhige

Writers (WGA):

Zak Penn (story)
Zak Penn (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

27 August 2004 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Horror | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Tagline:

Who's next?

Plot:

A mysterious serial killer is hunting other serial killers - and one FBI agent suspects there may be more to the vigilante than they imagine.

Plot Keywords:

FBI | FBI Agent | Serial Killer | Salesman | Murder

Cast

Aaron Eckhart	...	Thomas Mackelway
Ben Kingsley	...	Benjamin O'Ryan
Carrie-Anne Moss	...	Fran Kulok
Harry Lennix	...	Rich Charleton
Kevin Chamberlin	...	Harold Speck
Julian Reyes	...	Highway Patrolman
Keith Campbell	...	Raymond Starkey
Chloe Russell	...	Loretta
Ellen Blake	...	Dolly
William B. Johnson	...	Mel
Jerry Gardner	...	Sheriff Harry Dylan
Daniel Patrick Moriarty	...	Bud Granger
Curtis Plagge	...	Jumbo
Nicole DeHuff	...	Katie Potter
William Mapother	...	Bill Grieves
Donn Owens	...	FBI Agent
Brady Coleman	...	Dyson
Frank Collison	...	Piper
Catherine Haun	...	Joan Speck
Lea Franklin	...	Mother
Angelina Torres	...	Neighbor Lady (as Angelina C. Torres)
David Ode	...	Bartender
David House	...	Truth or Consequences Cop
Miguel Zapata	...	Charlie
Jane E. Goold	...	Kathleen (as Jane Goold)
Boots Southerland	...	Vic (as Boots Sutherland)
Benjamin Petry	...	Little Boy
Jenny Cleveland	...	Little Boy's Mother
Buddy Joe Hooker	...	Suspect Zero
Kent Kirkpatrick	...	Cora
Dorsey Ray	...	Project Director
Michael Chapman	...	Prosecutor #1
Marya Beauvais	...	Prosecutor #2
Letta E. Gorder	...	Reporter
Ed Dames	...	Icarus Trainer
Aaron Donahue	...	Remote Viewer
Kevin Skousen	...	Icarus Agent
Cecilia L. Webb	...	Gospel Singer #1
Hope Bell	...	Gospel Singer #2
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Richard Barela	...	Bar Patron (uncredited)
Xanndra Boehler	...	State Trooper (uncredited)
Jamie Haqqani	...	FBI Agent (uncredited)
Elizabeth Latham	...	Vendor (uncredited)
Daniel Smith	...	State Trooper (uncredited)
Robert Towne	...	Professor Dates (uncredited)

Directed by
E. Elias Merhige

Writing credits (WGA)
Zak Penn		(story)
Zak Penn		(screenplay) and
Billy Ray		(screenplay)

Produced by
Lester Berman	....	co-producer
Moritz Borman	....	executive producer
Guy East	....	executive producer
Gaye Hirsch	....	producer
Gary Lucchesi	....	executive producer
E. Elias Merhige	....	producer
Darren Miller	....	co-producer
Tom Rosenberg	....	executive producer
Jonathan Sanger	....	executive producer
Nigel Sinclair	....	executive producer
Paula Wagner	....	producer
Tom Cruise	....	producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Clint Mansell

Cinematography by
Michael Chapman		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
John Gilroy
Robert K. Lambert

Casting by
Deborah Aquila
Mary Tricia Wood		(as Tricia Wood)

Production Design by
Ida Random

Art Direction by
Guy Barnes

Set Decoration by
Wendy Ozols-Barnes		(as Wendy Barnes)

Costume Design by
Mary Claire Hannan
Lizz Wolf		(co-costume designer) (as Lizz Wolfe)

Makeup Department
Jeri Baker	....	chief hair stylist
Thomas R. Burman	....	prosthetic makeup artist (as Tom Burman)
Bari Dreiband-Burman	....	prosthetic makeup artist (as Bari Burman)
Stephan Dupuis	....	makeup artist (as Stephen Dupuis)
Elizabeth Korsomo	....	makeup artist: second unit (as Elizabeth Korzmo)
Todd McIntosh	....	chief makeup artist
Candy L. Walken	....	chief hair stylist (as Candy Walken)
Scott Conner	....	mold/lab technician (uncredited)
Rob Hinderstein	....	makeup artist (uncredited)

Production Management
Lester Berman	....	unit production manager
Ralph Bertelle	....	production supervisor
Kaaren F. Ochoa	....	unit production manager: second unit (as Kaaren Ochoa)
Charlene Olson	....	post-production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Joan Cunningham	....	first assistant director
Buddy Joe Hooker	....	second unit director
Randall LaFollette	....	second assistant director: second unit (as Randy Lafollette)
Chemen Ochoa	....	second second assistant director
Randol Perelman-Taylor	....	second assistant director
Paul Sirmons	....	second assistant director: second unit

Art Department
Bradley Barnes	....	on-set dresser (as Brad Barnes)
James Barth	....	stage foreperson
John Beauvais	....	signwriter
Charles Benefial	....	mapmaker
Maurice Burns	....	paint foreperson
Benjamin Joseph Bustos	....	leadperson (as Ben Bustos)
Ryan Cowles	....	mapmaker (as Ryan A. Cowles)
Jason Davis	....	assistant propmaster
Andrew Garcia-Price	....	storyboard artist
Mark Hansen	....	assistant property master
Arlen Johnson	....	construction foreperson (as Arlen J. Johnson)
Tony Leonardi	....	conceptual artist (as Anthony Leonardi II)
Heidi Mayfield	....	buyer
James F. Oberlander	....	set designer (as Jim Oberlander)
Randy Ortega	....	head paint foreperson
Kris Peck	....	property master
Christopher Windisch	....	construction coordinator (as Chris Windisch)
Rebecca Young	....	art department coordinator (as Becky Young)
Joel Goodell	....	set dresser (uncredited)
Gary Petersen	....	property maker (uncredited)
Upton Shipley	....	painter (uncredited)
Peter Tosti Stephenson	....	set dresser (uncredited)

Sound Department
Mary Andrews	....	supervising dialogue editor
Bob Baron	....	adr mixer
George Berndt	....	adr editor
Mark Binder	....	sound creator
Mark Binder	....	sound editor
Bayard Carey	....	sound mixer
Mark Coffey	....	sound transfer
Don Coufal	....	boom operator
Ezra Dweck	....	foley editor
Marshall Garlington	....	sound re-recording mixer
Matthew Halbert	....	cableperson
Robin Harlan	....	foley artist
Shawn Ian Kerkhoff	....	assistant sound editor
Mark A. Mangini	....	sound designer (as Mark Mangini)
Sarah Monat	....	foley artist
Michael A. Morongell	....	sound re-recording engineer
Todd Orr	....	sound re-recording mixer
Andy Potvin	....	stereo sound consultant: Dolby
Martin Schloemer	....	sound recordist
Robert Seymour	....	sound mixer: second unit (as Hou Seymour)
George Simpson	....	sound mix supervisor
Randy Singer	....	foley mixer (as Randy K. Singer)
Elliot Tyson	....	sound re-recording mixer
Robert Ulrich	....	supervising adr editor
Colin Cooper	....	adr recordist (uncredited)
Erin Michael Rettig	....	sound engineer (uncredited)
Corey Roberts	....	adr sound assistant (uncredited)
Jussi Tegelman	....	sound editor (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Matt Kutcher	....	special effects supervisor
Kenneth Van Order	....	special effects foreperson
Scott Hastings	....	special effects technician (uncredited)
Joel Hobbie	....	special effects technician (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Alan Edward Bell	....	visual effects: Pacific Title & Art Studio
Alison O'Brien	....	visual effects consultant
Jim Livolsi	....	digital effects producer (uncredited)
James D. Tittle	....	digital visual effects coordinator: Pacific Title (uncredited)

Stunts
Dan Berryman	....	stunts
William H. Burton Jr.	....	stunt coordinator: second unit (as William Burton Jr.)
Jennifer Caputo	....	stunts
Steve M. Davison	....	stunts (as Steve Davison)
J. Armin Garza II	....	stunts (as J. Armin Garza)
Buddy Joe Hooker	....	stunt coordinator
Ralph W. Odum	....	stunts (as Ralph Odum)
Shane K. Odum	....	stunts (as Shane Odum)
Shawn Odum	....	stunts
Paul Anthony Scott	....	stunts
Richard Slaughter	....	stunts
Dick Ziker	....	stunts (as Richard Ziker)

Camera and Electrical Department
Robert Althouse	....	video assist operator: second unit (as Rob Althouse)
John L. Black	....	first company grip (as John Black)
Giselle Brewton	....	second assistant camera: second unit
Adam Crawford	....	rigging electrician
Jason Crawford	....	rigging electrician
David Cummings	....	grip
Harland Espeset	....	dolly grip
Tobin Espeset	....	grip
Season FauntLeRoy	....	film loader: second unit (as Season Flauntleroy)
Camille Freer	....	first assistant camera: second unit
Hank Herrera	....	second company grip: second unit
Dale Holmen	....	chief rigging technician (as Dale Holman)
Barry Idoine	....	first assistant camera: "b" camera
Chris Joehnk	....	electrician
Charles B. Katz	....	first assistant camera: second unit (as Chuck Katz)
Richard Kehl	....	video playback supervisor (as Richard Kehl Jr.)
Jason Linebaugh	....	rigging electrician
Trevor Loomis	....	first assistant camera
David Luckenbach	....	Steadicam operator (as Dave Luckenbach)
Melton Maxwell	....	chief lighting technician (as Mel Maxwell)
Tim McDonald	....	electrician (as Tim MacDonald)
Melissa Moseley	....	still photographer
Stephen Mullen	....	electrician
Lee Nakagawa	....	electrician
Louis Nelson	....	electrician
Serge Nofield	....	second assistant camera
Patrick Noland	....	grip
Dan Nordquist	....	grip (as Don Nordquist)
Gabriel Pfeiffer	....	second assistant camera: second unit (as Gabe Pfeiffer)
Philip C. Pfeiffer	....	director of photography: second unit (as Philip Pfeiffer)
Sean Quiles	....	film loader
Robin Roberts	....	second company grip
Chuck Sharp	....	assistant chief lighting technician
Hank Shepard	....	grip (as Hank Sheppard)
George Stephenson	....	camera operator (as George Stephanson)
Frank Tapia	....	first company grip: second unit (as Frank O. Tapia)
Jim Thibo	....	first assistant camera
Joseph F. Valentine	....	camera operator: second unit (as Joe Valentine)
James Walton	....	rigging electrician
Mike Warren	....	first company rigging grip
Steve Wolfe	....	second assistant camera
Adam Feinberg	....	electrician (uncredited)
Rich Floyd	....	assistant camera (uncredited)
Rodney Gurule	....	rigging grip (uncredited)
Leonard E. Hoffman	....	electrician (uncredited)
Jordan Klein Jr.	....	Steadicam operator (uncredited)
Stephen Mullen	....	gaffer: second unit (uncredited)
Alejandro Snodgrass	....	camera production assistant (uncredited)
Don Steinberg	....	first assistant camera (uncredited)

Casting Department
Barbara Brinkley	....	casting: New Mexico
Sally Jackson	....	extras casting
Chrysanthy Lyras	....	casting assistant
Kathie E. Norris	....	casting assistant: New Mexico
Jennifer L. Smith	....	casting associate (as Jennifer Smith)
Brianne Solomon	....	extras casting assistant

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Dorothy Baca	....	costume supervisor
Laurie Hudson	....	chief costumer
Melanie Rios	....	costumer
Mary Law Weir	....	costumer (as Mary Weir)

Editorial Department
Terra Abroms	....	post-production consultant (as Terra Mair Abroms)
Lisa Dannenbaum	....	assistant film editor (as Lisa M. Dannenbaum)
Jeffrey Ford	....	additional editor
Harry Muller	....	color timer
Darrin Navarro	....	assistant editor: avid
Eric Werner	....	post-production assistant (as Eric T. Werner)
John M. Vitale	....	assistant editor (uncredited)

Music Department
Bunny Andrews	....	music editor (as 'Bunny' Andrews)
Bryan Lawson	....	assistant music editor (as Brian Lawson)
Clint Mansell	....	score producer
John McCarthy	....	composer: additional music
Jill Meyers	....	music clearance
Mary Parker	....	assistant music editor
Brian Ross	....	music supervisor
Joel Sill	....	executive music producer
Adam Milo Smalley	....	music editor (as Adam Smalley)

Transportation Department
Jay Kennedy	....	transportation captain
James William Ray	....	transportation: second unit
Richard Slaughter	....	transportation co-captain
Roger Still	....	transportation coordinator
Steve Zerwick	....	picture car coordinator (as Steve Zerweck)
Greg Bronner	....	driver (uncredited)
J. Armin Garza II	....	driver: camera car (uncredited)
Jason LaFontain	....	driver (uncredited)
Patrick A. Reynolds Jr.	....	driver (uncredited)

Other crew
Rachel Aberly	....	unit publicist
Allison Adams	....	assistant: Mr. Sanger
Luke Bishop	....	assistant: Mr. Kingsley
Jennifer Blair	....	production coordinator
Tom Bowman	....	production assistant: second unit
Ronald L. Carr	....	location manager (as Ron Carr)
Gunnar Clancey	....	assistant: Ms. Wagner
J.J. Dalton	....	production assistant (as JJ Dalton)
Ed Dames	....	consultant: remote viewing
Steve Deroma	....	production assistant: second unit
Pam Des Vigne	....	payroll accountant
Ethan Dixon	....	production assistant: second unit
Lori Eakins	....	construction accountant
Mia Fenwick	....	assistant: Mr. Miller
Wade Fischer	....	stand-in: Mr. Eckhart
Elizabeth Gabel	....	production assistant: second unit
Ken Garcia	....	medic
Letta E. Gorder	....	stand-in: Ms. Moss
Mike Groves	....	assistant chief rigging technician (as Myke Groves)
Ben Hammock	....	production assistant
Christopher Hanada	....	production secretary
Douglas Hansen	....	production financing arranger: Union Bank of California (as Doug Hansen)
Jon Hendry	....	craft service
Jai James	....	production assistant: second unit
Thane Kenny	....	stand-in: Mr. Kingsley
Monica Kenyon	....	key set production assistant (as Monica M. Kenyon)
Parker Landis	....	production assistant: second unit
Grady Lee	....	assistant: Ms. Wagner
Brian Maas	....	technical advisor
Preston Mallot	....	craft service: second unit
Amy Marsh	....	script supervisor: second unit
Heather McCluskey	....	production assistant: second unit
James T. McFadden	....	production assistant (as James McFadden)
Danny Mormino	....	production assistant
Charlie O'Dowd	....	key production assistant: second unit
Donn Owens	....	technical advisor
Carrie A. Oyer	....	production assistant
Wendy Proffit	....	assistant: Ms. Moss
Michael Ryan	....	assistant: Mr. Merhige
Robert Savage	....	assistant location manager
Andrew Schlosser	....	medic: second unit
Joey Shanley	....	assistant: Ms. Hirsch
Sheryl Sirmons	....	production accountant (as Sherry Sirmons)
Amy Stevens	....	research consultant (as Amy Stevens Hammond)
Alan Swain	....	assistant location manager
Judi Townsend	....	script supervisor
Rodelia Udell	....	assistant production accountant (as Ogie Udell)
Tom Udell	....	production controller
Lisa Vanallen	....	craft service assistant (as Lisa Van Allen)
Cameron Velarde	....	production assistant
Corey Weintraub	....	production assistant
Devon Wilson	....	assistant: Mr. Eckhart
Beverly Wood	....	lab consultant
Linda Benjamin	....	executive (uncredited)
Stacia Brigham	....	media publicist (uncredited)
Alexander Yves Brunner	....	executive assistant: Nigel Sinclair (uncredited)
Peter Darchuk	....	production assistant (uncredited)
Michael J. Harker	....	completion bond company representative (uncredited)
Debbie Rothstein	....	unspecified assistant (uncredited)
Keleigh Slaight	....	assistant: Basil Iwanyk (uncredited)
Vinny Smith	....	production assistant (uncredited)
Stan Torres	....	location assistant (uncredited)
Jesse Wagler	....	production assistant: yU+Co. (uncredited)
Terrance Willis	....	stand-in: Mr. Lennix (uncredited)
Garson Yu	....	title designer (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Paramount Pictures (presents)
• Intermedia Films (in association with)
• Lakeshore Entertainment (in association with)
• Cruise/Wagner Productions (as C/W)
• IM Filmproduktions und Vertriebs GmbH and Co. KG (copyright owners)

Distributors

• Paramount Pictures (2004) (USA) (theatrical)
• Buena Vista International (2004) (Switzerland) (theatrical)
• Columbia TriStar Warner Filmes de Portugal (2005) (Portugal) (theatrical)
• Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment (2005) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (2005) (Netherlands) (VHS)
• Paramount Home Video (2005) (USA) (DVD)
• RTL Entertainment (2008) (Netherlands) (TV) (first national airing) (RTL5)
• Sony Pictures Entertainment (2005) (Japan) (DVD)

Special Effects

• Boy Wonder Visual Effects (visual effects) (as Boy Wonder)
• Handmade Digital
• Pacific Title and Art Studio (visual effects)
• Spectrum Effects (uncredited)

Other Companies

• All Star Catering  catering (as Allstar Catering)
• Bureau of Land Management  the producers wish to thank
• Chapman/Leonard Studio Equipment  cranes, dollies and remote camera systems (uncredited)
• City of Albuquerque  the producers wish to thank
• County of Bernalillo  the producers wish to thank
• County of Torrance  the producers wish to thank
• Creative Catering  catering: second unit
• DeLuxe Laboratories  color (as Deluxe)
• Hilton Albuquerque  the producers wish to thank
• IM Filmproduktions und Vertriebs GmbH and Co. KG  production services provided by
• Inter Video  computer and video playback (uncredited)
• International Film Guarantors  completion guaranty
• Jemez Pueblo  the producers wish to thank
• Kinetic Imageworks  post-production facilities
• Kodak  motion picture film
• Marantz America  the producers wish to thank
• Mary Nelson-Fraser & Associates  negative cutting
• Menaul School, Albuquerque  the producers wish to thank
• New Mexico Film Commission  the producers wish to thank
• New Mexico State Investment Council Film Investment Program  additional production financing
• Pacific Title  titles and opticals
• Panavision  cameras and lenses
• People of the State of New Mexico, The  the producers wish to thank (as State of New Mexico)
• Pivotal Post  Avid editing equipment provided by (uncredited)
• Studio New Mexico  the producers wish to thank
• Town of Estancia  the producers wish to thank
• Transportation Resources  transportation equipment
• Union Bank of California  production financing
• University of New Mexico Center for Regional Studies  the producers wish to thank (as University of New Mexico)
• Weddington Productions  post-production sound services
• Wilshire Stages, The  re-recorded at
• Zia Pueblo  the producers wish to thank
• yU+Co.  title design (as yU + co.)

Also Known As:

Suspect 0 (Philippines: English title)

MPAA:

Rated R for violent content, language and some nudity.

Runtime:

USA:99 min | Argentina:99 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital

Certification:

Norway:15 | Finland:K-15 | Canada:14A (Ontario) | Portugal:M/16 | Ireland:15 | New Zealand:R16 | Argentina:16 | Canada:18A | Germany:16 | Singapore:NC-16 | UK:15 | USA:R (certificate #40067) | Australia:MA | Iceland:16 | Netherlands:16 | South Africa:16 | South Korea:15

Filming Locations:

Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA

Company:

Paramount Pictures

Trivia:

Richard Friedenberg, Ben Affleck, and Paul Schrader all worked on rewriting the script before Billy Ray.

Goofs:

Continuity: Nicole DeHuff's character is named "Katie Payton", but in the end credits is named "Katie Potter".

Quotes:

Piper: Ever see a 50 foot shark?
Thomas Mackelway: I'm sorry?
Piper: A 50 foot shark. You ever seen one?
Thomas Mackelway: No.
Piper: Doesn't mean there aren't any.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Siskel & Ebert & the Movies: (2004-08-28)" (2004)

Soundtrack:

The Night Is for Dreamers

Se7en + A Hard to Follow Plot + Ben Kingsley = Suspect Zero

Suspect Zero was almost never made. The screenplay by Zak Penn was originally finished nine years ago in 1997. A lot of producers thought the script wasn't good enough to be a motion picture, but they liked the idea, or premise, of the film. So, later they tried to find other screenwriters to make another version of the film, but that failed. So nine years (or actually eight years – it was filmed in 2003) later, they decided since they didn't have any other alternatives, to stick to Penn's script, but make a couple of revisions. That alone, should tell you Suspect Zero wasn't destined to be an Oscar contender.

Although, Suspect Zero isn't necessarily a good movie, it isn't a bad movie either. When I walked into the theater on Friday afternoon, I was expecting a messy, incoherent piece of amateur fluff. The only reason I went to see the movie, was because of the brilliant Sir Ben Kingsley (no matter how bad a movie he is in, he gives a good performance). Well, the movie wasn't as jumbled and hard to understand as I would have thought pre-screening, but it was still hard to understand. Even though the story was involving and for the most part entertaining, the screenplay had a lot of holes in it, and there were a lot of scenes that were never made 100% clear. I was expecting Ben Kingsley to carry the movie on his shoulders, but he didn't. That's not to say Ben Kingsley didn't turn in another marvelous character study, but it means Kingsley's character just didn't have a very big part. The film is pretty much Aaron Eckhart's movie, and he does a kind of average job with it. It isn't that Eckart is a bad actor, it's just that… he isn't really a great actor.

The supporting cast of the film is pretty much unnoticeable. Carrie Ann-Moss (The Matrix series) plays the role she always plays ; the strong, independent female with a crush on the leading male. Harry Lennix is funny as the smart ass F.B.I. chief, for the few scenes he is in. The rest of the supporting cast kind of runs together though.

The film tries to be too much like 1995's smash hit Se7en, but fails terribly in matching up with the brilliance of David Fincher's masterpiece. However, at the end the film (the last five minutes), the movie achieves great power during the confrontation between Eckhart's ambitious F.B.I. agent, and Kingsley's haunted serial killer. In conclusion, Suspect Zero is about average and somehow manages to spend most of the movie above the level of below average (thanks in part to Ben Kingsley), but I think people should wait for video for this one, and judging by the film critic's reviews of this movie, that won't be a long time at all. (review written 8/28/04) Grade: C (screened at AMC Deer Valley 30, Phoenix, Arizona)