Amusement (2008)

Director:

John Simpson

Writer (WGA):

Jake Wade Wall (written by)

Release Date:

20 January 2009 (USA)

Genre:

Horror | Thriller

Tagline:

It's Funny... Right?

Plot:

Three women are stalked by a killer with a grudge that extends back to the girls' childhoods.

Plot Keywords:

Killer | Grudge | Childhood | Bar | Dissection

Cast

Keir O'Donnell	...	The Laugh
Katheryn Winnick	...	Tabitha
Laura Breckenridge	...	Shelby
Jessica Lucas	...	Lisa
Tad Hilgenbrink	...	Rob (as Tad Hilgenbrinck)
Reid Scott	...	Dan
Rena Owen	...	Psychiatrist
Kevin Gage	...	Tryton
Brennan Bailey	...	Danny
Preston Bailey	...	Max
Shauna Duggins	...	Woman In Truck
Fernanda Dorogi	...	Cat
Eyad Kurd-Misto	...	Child Laugh
Karley Scott Collins	...	Child Tabitha
Jadin Gould	...	Child Shelby
Alisha Boe	...	Child Lisa
David Steven Waine	...	Puppeteer
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Ashley Arnold	...	School Girl (uncredited)
David Arnold	...	Playground Boy (uncredited)

Directed by
John Simpson

Writing credits (WGA)
Jake Wade Wall		(written by)

Produced by
Neal Edelstein	....	producer
Merideth Finn	....	executive producer
Mike Macari	....	producer
Udi Nedivi	....	co-producer

Original Music by
Marco Beltrami

Cinematography by
Mark Garret		(director of photography) (as Mark Garrett)

Film Editing by
David Handman
Chris G. Willingham		(as Chris Willingham)

Casting by
Johanna Ray

Production Design by
Craig Stearns

Art Direction by
Bence Erdelyi
Mihály Molnár

Costume Design by
Andrea Flesch

Makeup Department
Jake Garber	....	special makeup effects artist: additional photography
Hildegard Haide	....	key makeup artist
Éva Kozma	....	makeup artist
Iván Pohárnok	....	special makeup effects artist
K.G. Ramsey	....	hair department head
John Rosengrant	....	special makeup effects supervisor: Stan Winston Studio

Production Management
Balázs Harmati	....	unit manager
Erik Holmberg	....	executive in charge of production
Norbert Kroó	....	assistant unit manager
Jody Levin	....	executive in charge of post-production
Udi Nedivi	....	unit production manager
Frank Salvino	....	post-production supervisor
Matthew Spiegel	....	production supervisor
Miklós Tóth	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Gábor Gajdos	....	first assistant director
Rob King	....	second unit director
Kati Magenheim	....	second assistant director
Ronan O'Connor	....	second assistant director
Judit Soltész	....	first assistant director: second unit
Judit Soltész	....	second assistant director
Tamás Vass	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Laura Evans	....	set decorator: additional photography
Zsuzsa Kismarty-Lechner	....	draughtsperson
Péter Koronghy	....	set dresser
Péter Kovács	....	construction coordinator
Attila Digi Kovari	....	on-set dresser
Szalay Marton	....	set dresser
Dim McRemnant	....	graphic artist
László Nagyidai Jr.	....	construction manager
Szilvia Paros	....	art department coordinator
Zsolt Sajgó	....	construction manager
Lajos E. Szabó	....	stand-by painter
Csaba Vásári	....	stand-by carpenter
Jeffry C. Voorhees	....	on-set dresser: additional photography

Sound Department
Christopher Alba	....	first assistant sound editor
Anita Cannella	....	foley artist
Rob Cunningham	....	utility sound technician: Los Angeles
Klair Ethridge	....	boom operator: Los Angeles
Alan Freedman	....	adr mixer
Gary Gegan	....	sound re-recording mixer
Jonathan Golodner	....	foley editor
Paul Hackner	....	dialogue editor
Matthew Iadarola	....	supervising re-recording mixer
Amy Kane	....	foley artist
János Köporosy	....	sound mixer
Mark Larry	....	supervising sound editor
Mike Marino	....	foley mixer
Michael C. Moore	....	sound mixer: Los Angeles
Steve Schatz	....	sound mixing recordist
Peter Schulteisz	....	assistant sound
Szabolcs Stella	....	boom operator
Eric Thompson	....	adr mixer
Bryan O. Watkins	....	sound effects editor

Special Effects by
Veronika Dobos	....	special effects assistant
Damian Fisher	....	special effects technician
István Gittinger	....	pyrotechnician
Gyula Krasnyánszky	....	pyro supervisor
Lindsay MacGowan	....	effects coordinator: Stan Winston Studio
Norbert Orosz	....	pyrotechnician
László Pintér	....	pyrotechnician
Lino Stavole	....	special effects technician: KNB Effects Group
David Waine	....	special effects coordinator

Visual Effects by
Mandy Arnold	....	digital effects artist
Ronald Arredondo	....	visual effects gaffer: Cinema Production Services, Inc.
Greg Baxter	....	visual effects producer
Daniel Birnbaum	....	digital compositor
Chris Dawson	....	motion control camera operator
Giovanni Dulay	....	visual effects: Cinema Production Services, Inc.
Tim Fescoe	....	compositor
Scott Hankel	....	digital effects artist
Balázs Harmati	....	motion control operator
Matt Hennessy	....	visual effects
Bob Hurrie	....	visual effects producer: Cinema Production Services, Inc.
Christopher Johnson	....	visual effects: Cinema Production Services Inc
John Joyce	....	visual effects coordinator: Cinema Production Services, Inc.
Michael Joyce	....	visual effects supervisor: Cinema Production Services, Inc.
Morgan McDermott	....	visual effects
Dennis McHugh	....	visual effects director of photography: Cinema Production Services, Inc.
Daniel Molina	....	digital compositor
Csaba Nemesházi	....	visual effects
Corinne Pooler	....	visual effects producer: Digital Dream
Jerry Pooler	....	visual effects supervisor: Digital Dream
Ariel Velasco-Shaw	....	visual effects supervisor (as Ariel Velasco Shaw)

Stunts
Endre Botka	....	stunts
Krisztián Botka	....	stunts
Erika Cziráky	....	stunts
Shauna Duggins	....	stunts
Balázs Farkas	....	stunts
Kinga Gavalda	....	stunt double: Katheryn Winnick
Kinga Gavalda	....	stunt double: Tabitha
Zoltán Gulyás Kiss	....	stunt coordinator: Hungary
Zoltán Gulyás Kiss	....	stunt double: Rob
Craig Jensen	....	stunts
Rob King	....	stunt coordinator
György Kökényesi	....	stunts
Gergely Korpácsi	....	stunts (as Gergely Horpácsi)
László Kósa	....	stunt double: Keir O'Donnel
Norbert Kovács	....	stunts
Zsolt Viktor Magyari	....	stunt driver
Kristóf Párdányi	....	stunt driver
Kristóf Párdányi	....	stunts
Gábor Pesta	....	stunts
Tamás Pintér	....	stunts (as Tamás 'Oroszlán' Pintér)
Dennis Scott	....	stunts (as Dennis Ray Scott)
Kinga Trimmel	....	assistant stunt coordinator
László Ujvári	....	stunts
Tyler Vogt	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
László Bille	....	camera operator
Attila Bogyai	....	electrician
Ryan Bradley	....	grip
Zsolt Büti	....	rigging gaffer
Craig Cooper	....	dolly grip
Riley Garrett	....	camera trainee
Doane Gregory	....	still photographer
György Horváth	....	focus puller: third camera
János Kiss	....	key grip
Christopher TJ McGuire	....	MK-V AR operator
'Kis Gromek' László Molnár	....	electrician
Attila Pfeffer	....	Steadicam assistant
Michael Pinkey	....	camera operator: additional unit
Péter Rácz Tiger	....	video assist operator
István Török	....	grip
Chris Updegrave	....	grip
Balázs Várszegi	....	video assist operator: second unit
Ádám Wallner	....	assistant camera

Casting Department
Jenny Jue	....	casting associate
Tamás Kertész	....	extras casting

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Mari Csáki	....	dresser / set supervisor
Mónika Matyi	....	assistant costume designer

Editorial Department
Gary Burritt	....	negative cutter
Christopher Johnston	....	first assistant editor
Gyula István Mózes	....	assistant editor
Harry Muller	....	color timer
Mike Sowa	....	digital intermediate colorist

Music Department
Pete Anthony	....	conductor
Pete Anthony	....	orchestrator
Johnny Caruso	....	music editor
Rossano Galante	....	orchestrator
Jim Honeyman	....	orchestrator
John Kurlander	....	music recording engineer
John Kurlander	....	score mixer
Michael John Mollo	....	orchestration assistant
Dana Niu	....	music arranger
Peter Rotter	....	music contractor
Buck Sanders	....	musical sound designer
Dennis Smith	....	composer: additional music
Jamie Steele	....	ProTools engineer: music recording
Ceiri Torjussen	....	composer: additional music
Marcus Trumpp	....	composer: additional music

Transportation Department
L. Chip Crosby Jr.	....	transportation captain: second unit, Los Angeles
James Lowder	....	transportation coordinator
Eniko Orosz	....	transportation assistant
Enikö Orosz	....	transportation coordinator assistant
Zsolt Somogyi	....	transport coordinator
Sandor Tabanyi	....	picture car coordinator
Kristen Wadsworth	....	driver

Other crew
Jeremy Alter	....	location manager: additional photography
Cassandra Barbour	....	rights and clearances
Katherine E. Beyda	....	production executive
Gabriella Csoma	....	production coordinator
Daniel Dallos	....	production assistant
Julio Ferrario	....	creative director: main titles
Tamás Gál	....	assistant to producers
Larry Garrison	....	unit publicist
Tom Goodrich	....	studio teacher
Pamela B. Green	....	main title producer
Barnabas Kiraly	....	location scout
Cody Klop	....	adr voice
Robert Koroknyai	....	production assistant
Barnabás Kovács	....	accounts trainee
Kinga Kovacs	....	production accountant: Hungary
Jonathan Lipow	....	voice artist: post synching
Hiromi Marder	....	payroll accountant: re-shoots
Michael Mehlmann	....	dialogue coach
Péter Mészáros	....	unit assistant
János Papp	....	health and safety advisor
Wendy Price	....	production accountant
Paul Prokop	....	executive in charge of finance
Sean Richter	....	production assistant
John Sanchez	....	production coordinator: addditional photography
Romy Schneider	....	contract administrator
Laura Sevier	....	rights and clearances
Michael Swafford	....	first assistant acccountant
Enikö Szakács	....	cashier
Dóra Szanka	....	production secretary
Erika Tamás	....	second assistant accountant
Marcsi Tóth	....	assistant production coordinator
Kolos Trimmel	....	production accountant: Hungary
Gábor Ujházy	....	location manager
Jarik Van Sluijs	....	creative director: main titles
Gabriella Winkler	....	script supervisor
Anita Wittmann	....	location assistant
Gábor Xantus	....	medical coordinator
Oliver Simor	....	stand-in (uncredited)

Thanks
D.L. Smith	....	very special thanks

Production Companies

• Macari/Edelstein
• New Line Cinema
• Picturehouse Entertainment

Distributors

• ARM Distribution (2008) (Taiwan) (theatrical)
• Cinestar (2009) (Philippines) (theatrical)
• New Line Cinema (2007) (worldwide) (theatrical)
• Picturehouse Entertainment (2007) (USA) (theatrical)
• Argentina Video Home (2009) (Argentina) (DVD)
• Audio Visual Entertainment (2009) (Greece) (DVD)
• FS Film Oy (2009) (Finland) (DVD)
• New Line Home Video (2009) (USA) (DVD)
• New Line Home Video (2009) (USA) (DVD) (blu-ray)
• RCV Home Entertainment (2009) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Roadshow Entertainment (2008) (Australia) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2009) (Germany) (DVD)

Special Effects

• Cinema Production Services
• Filmefex Studio
• Stan Winston Studio (character designs)

Other Companies

• Abacus Consult  accounting: audit
• Chef Robért Catering  catering (Los Angeles crew)
• Danetracks  sound design and editorial
• Entertainment Clearances  rights and clearances
• Mini Film  production services
• PIC Agency  titles
• Rockbottom Rentals  cell phone rentals
• Rockbottom Rentals  junxion box rentals
• Rockbottom Rentals  walkie rentals
• Vision Team  camera and lighting equipment
• Wildfire Studios  adr recording facility

MPAA:

Rated R for horror violence, terror and disturbing images.

Runtime:

Argentina:85 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Sound Mix:

DTS

Certification:

USA:R | Australia:MA | UK:18 | Argentina:16 | South Korea:18 | New Zealand:R18 | Germany:18 | Singapore:M18 | Philippines:R-13 (MTRCB)

Filming Locations:

Budapest, Hungary

Company:

Macari/Edelstein

Trivia:

Originally slated to go to theaters.

Quotes:

Danny: What's wrong, Tabby?
Max: Don't be scared.
Tabitha: Boys, listen to me, we have to hide. There's a bad man, a very bad man in the house.
Max: He just wants to play. Like earlier at the door.
Tabitha: That was him?
Danny: [Chuckles] Owen.
Tabitha: No, don't.
Danny: But, Tabby, he said he just wanted to have some fun.

Movie Connections:

Features "The Mask" (1995)

Soundtrack:

Mine

Far below the average

To give this movie an above average rating is a waste of stars. Sure, visually the movie looks nice and like most people mentioned the Clown Segment is pretty creepy... BUT like everything else in this movie its totally ripped off and leads nowhere. The whole basic premise of "Amusement" with the subplots just doesn't work at all... Car lost in the woods, Babysitter home alone and stalked by crazy guy, old abandoned hotel with crazy people in it... you've seen it all before and it isn't even bound together by a clever script. Far from that... Chicks get abducted by some crazy guy, then some strange interrogation in a FBI Cell takes place ... I guess just because they needed some reason for the flashback sequences. Beside that the whole part is idiotic... how could a psychologist fall for a crazy guy in FBI dress with an interrogation room in an old flooded cellar??

"Amusement" is basically just a collection of ideas stuffed into a messy script... Let's make a horror movie with beautiful chicks and a crazy guy! OK, but I want a clown in there and Joyride was fun, so let's also put that in and have some people being stabbed in the eye. If we make the crazy guy an inventor with killer gimmicks and some Dr. Giggles laughter I am in! OK, deal... but we need a psychologist in there plus some unexpected twist and a moral ending to at least make it look smart on first sight.

Phew...things build up, the whole reason for the movie title is unfolded and pretty meaningless, the characters get killed in most uninspired ways possible, the flashbacks are clumsy and don't explain much and we never learn why people are sown into mattresses or crazy guy has a fetish for pulling living things open. It just happens.. random shreds of stolen ideas like in a cheesy clip show.

THIS IS A MESS!! For the few scenes that work its 90 Minute too much wasted and the ending should make anybody angry. Avoid!