Sunday, June 22, 2008

Devil in the White City

Author: Brian
Location: Arizona

"Devil in the White City"

Directed by M. Night Shyamalan
Written by M. Night Shyamalan and Paul Haggis
Based on the novel by Erik Larson
Produced by M. Night Shyamalan and Steven Spielberg

Principal Cast:

Matt Damon (Daniel Hudson Burnham)
Johnny Depp (Henry H. Holmes)
Natalie Portman (Holmes' first victim)
Kate Winslet (Mrs. Burnham)
Joaquin Phoenix (Fredrick Law Olmsted)
Adrien Brody (Charles McKim)
Leonardo DiCaprion (Louis Sullivan)
John C. Reilly (George Ferris)

Tagline: "Thrill, Excitement and Murder at the World's Fair"

Synopsis: Based on the bestselling novel by Erik Larson, "Devil in the White City"\is "the story of two men, each handsome and unusually adept at his chosen work, embodied an element of great dynamic that characterized America's rush toward the twentieth century. The architect was Daniel Hudson Burnham, the fair's brilliant director of works and the builder of many of the country's important structures, including the Flatiron Building in New York and Union Station in Washington D.C. The murderer was Henry H. Holmes, a young doctor who, in malgin parody of the White City, built the "World's Fair Hotel," just west of the fairgrounds-a torture palace complete with dissection table, gas chamber and a 3,000-degree crematorium. Burnham overcame trumendous obstacles and tragedies as he organized the talents of Frederick Law Olmsted, Charles McKim, Louis Sullivan and others to transform the swampy Jackson Park into the White City , while Holmes used the attraction of the great fair and his own sanatic charms to lure scores of young women to their deaths. What makes the story all the more chilling is that Holmes really lived, walking the grounds of the dream city by the lake." - Back cover synopsis of Devil in the White City


With M. Night Shyamalan's sense of thrill and Paul Haggis' talent for writing reality, the script balances both fact with what we wish was fiction.

What the press would say:

After "The DaVinci Code" turned out to be a mega-failure for this reporter, I was very reluctant to see the screen version of one of today's most popular novels. Thank God it turned out to be one of the best films of the decade! This chilling dramatic thriller doesn't waste a second of its running time, nor does it fall short of its all-star cast. With its ideal set for serial killer Henry H. Holmes (take notes, Art Direction voters!) and solid preformances, it is obvious what the eight years of production went into. Modern suspense connoisseur M. Night Shyamalan's flawless direction make up for his ciritcal flop "The Village." The early Oscar campaign is extremley strong, and includes the following:

Best Picture (M. Night Shyamalan and Steven Speilberg)
Best Director (M. Night Shyamalan)
Best Actor (Matt Damon, Johnny Depp)
Best Supporting Actor (Joaquin Phoenix, John C. Reilly)
Best Supporting Actress (Kate Winslet)
Best Original Score (Thomas Newman)
Best Film Editing
Best Cinematography
Best Art Direction
Best Costume Design

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