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(Ritual)

故 事 簡 介

女 醫 生 受 僱 於 一 富 商 ， 到 牙 買 加 島 治 療 其 患 癌 的 弟 弟 。 她 在 島 上 遇 上 千 奇 百 怪 的 可 怖 經 歷 ， 又 與 病 人 發 展 了 感 情 。 最 後 她 發 現 病 人 竟 是 受 到 當 地 神 秘 巫 毒 教 的 毒 害 …

Hired by a wealthy man, a female doctor travels to the Caribbean island of Jamaica to treat his cancer brother. Upon her arrival, she finds herself immersed in an exotic and zombie culture. She gradually develops a close relationship with her patient. Moreover, she finally finds that he is not only suffering from a unique strand of cancer, but also a victim of a powerful Voodoo Priest …

本 片 的 製 作 靈 感 來 自 於 一 九 四 三 年 所 拍 攝 的 I walked with a Zombie ， 不 過 本 片 所 提 供 的 卻 在 於 揭 露 隱 秘 ､ 肉 慾 及 可 怕 的 巫 毒 教 。 獻 身 醫 護 工 作 的 腫 瘤 學 專 家 愛 麗 斯 ． 杜 信 醫 生 （ 珍 妮 花 ． 姬 爾 飾 演 ） 到 牙 買 加 島 上 受 僱 於 美 國 富 商 保 羅 ． 祈 邦 時 （ 格 域 舒 化 飾 演 ） ， 對 西 方 醫 學 的 堅 強 信 念 卻 因 接 觸 到 的 神 秘 " 奧 比 亞 " 文 化 而 動 搖 起 來 。 杜 信 醫 生 的 工 作 是 替 保 羅 的 弟 弟 韋 士 利 （ 丹 尼 爾 ． 拿 伯 利 飾 演 ） 醫 治 癌 病 ， 抵 步 後 ， 愛 麗 斯 發 覺 自 己 陷 入 此 陌 生 文 明 的 節 奏 及 協 調 中 ， 她 從 當 地 人 處 聽 到 不 少 有 關 行 屍 及 著 魔 的 傳 說 ， 雖 然 她 只 把 這 些 當 作 一 般 的 鬼 故 事 ， 但 是 她 後 來 的 經 歷 卻 改 變 了 她 的 觀 點 。 在 醫 治 沮 喪 的 韋 士 利 的 過 程 中 ， 她 逐 漸 了 解 及 認 識 了 當 地 的 巫 術 文 化 ， 韋 士 利 對 愛 麗 斯 的 樂 觀 及 信 心 取 懷 疑 態 度 ， 使 醫 療 工 作 倍 感 困 難 ， 可 是 他 們 的 病 人 及 醫 生 關 係 卻 逐 漸 昇 華 ， 變 成 強 烈 的 愛 情 與 慾 望 ， 愛 麗 斯 最 後 發 現 韋 士 利 不 單 受 癌 病 折 磨 ， 他 還 是 巫 毒 教 一 位 法 力 無 邊 祭 師 的 受 害 者 ， 她 的 首 項 行 動 ， 就 是 查 探 是 誰 欲 把 韋 士 利 置 諸 死 地 ， 與 及 此 舉 的 動 機 為 救 愛 郎 ， 愛 麗 斯 不 得 不 向 這 文 化 妥 協 ， 向 誘 惑 的 巫 毒 女 王 採 取 以 牙 還 牙 的 抗 爭 手 段 。

Inspired by director Jacques Tourneur ' s 1943 classic I WALKED WITH A ZOMBIE, this new offering explores the mystical and sensual, yet often times terrifying world of Voodoo spirituality. A dedicated oncologist, DR. ALICE DODGSON (Jennifer Grey), must compromise her strict belief in western medicine when she encounters the mysterious Obeah culture on the Caribbean island of Jamaica. Hired by wealthy American PAUL CLAYBORNE (Craig Sheffer), Alice travels to the exotic locale to treat a cancer patient, Paul ' s brother WESLEY (Daniel Lapaine).

Upon her arrival, Alice finds herself immersed in the rhythm and harmony of this foreign civilization. Immediately, Alice is besieged by the locals with tales of zombies and possession. Though she dismisses the fantastical yarns as tropical ghost stories, what she is about to experience will change her point of view. Gradually, Alice learns about the magical and musical native culture while she attempts to treat the despondent Wesley with her proven scientific methods. Wesley reluctantly buys into Alice ' s enduring optimism. Making her job much more difficult, the emotional attachment that Alice and Wesley share as doctor and patient gradually develops into stronger feelings of love and desire.

Alice finally comes to the realization that Wesley is not only suffering from a unique strand of cancer, but is also a victim of a powerful Voodoo Priest! Her first move is to figure out who on the island wants Wesley dead, and why. Alice must ultimately submit to the strange and sensual native culture to save her beloved Wesley ' s life, facing off against a seductive Voodoo queen as she fights fire with fire.

製 作 資 料

Synopsis

Inspired by director Jacques Tourneur's 1943 classic I WALKED WITH A ZOMBIE, this new offering explores the mystical and sensual, yet often times terrifying world of Voodoo spirituality. A dedicated oncologist, DR. ALICE DODGSON (Jennifer Grey), must compromise her strict belief in western medicine when she encounters the mysterious Obeah culture on the Caribbean island of Jamaica. Hired by wealthy American PAUL CLAYBORNE (Craig Sheffer), Alice travels to the exotic locale to treat a cancer patient, Paul's brother WESLEY (Daniel Lapaine).

Upon her arrival, Alice finds herself immersed in the rhythm and harmony of this foreign civilization. Immediately, Alice is besieged by the locals with tales of zombies and possession. Though she dismisses the fantastical yarns as tropical ghost stories, what she is about to experience will change her point of view. Gradually, Alice learns about the magical and musical native culture while she attempts to treat the despondent Wesley with her proven scientific methods. Wesley reluctantly buys into Alice's enduring optimism. Making her job much more difficult, the emotional attachment that Alice and Wesley share as doctor and patient gradually develops into stronger feelings of love and desire. Alice finally comes to the realization that Wesley is not only suffering from a unique strand of cancer, but is also a victim of a powerful Voodoo Priest! Her first move is to figure out who on the island wants Wesley dead, and why. Alice must ultimately submit to the strange and sensual native culture to save her beloved Wesley's life, facing off against a seductive Voodoo queen as she fights fire with fire.

About The Production

There aren't enough films out there about Voodoo. Perhaps the dearth of recent films on this remarkably cinematic subject is what lent the production of RITUAL such a great sense of enthusiasm. Voodoo culture is a fascinating phenomenon, pervasive not only on the island of Haiti. Found not just on the island of Haiti, but spread all across the islands of the Caribbean Sea, in many different forms and cultures. It's mixture of the exotic, mysterious, sensual and sometimes-deadly makes for terrific escapist cinema. RKO's 1939 horror classic I WALKED WITH A ZOMBIE exploits each of these elements to extremely satisfying results. As such, the film was a natural choice for an adaptation.

Directed by Jacques Tourneur (who later went on to direct RKO's Robert Mitchum/Jane Greer/Kirk Douglas starrer OUT OF THE PAST), I WALKED WITH A ZOMBIE boasted a unique blend of chilling horror and evocative atmosphere. Surprisingly well made for a horror film of the time, the superb plotting, innovative production design and overall attention to detail were staples of RKO's genre fare. I WALKED WITH A ZOMBIE was an early entry in a series of terrific horror films from the mind of celebrated "B" film producer Val Lewton, a legendary filmmaker responsible for establishing many horror film standards still applicable in today's marketplace.

Lewton produced nearly a dozen RKO "B" horror pictures in the same vein as his Voodoo-themed ZOMBIE, each one tackling classic horror subjects such as vampires (ISLE OF THE DEAD), insane asylums (BEDLAM), serial killers (THE LEOPARD MAN), and Satanism (THE SEVENTH VICTIM). Many of his films for RKO earned themselves a distinguished place in film history. His works also include well received offerings such as CAT PEOPLE, THE BODY SNATCHER and THE GHOST SHIP.

When RKO Pictures created up a multi-picture domestic distribution arrangement with Dimension Films, one of the industry's leading producer/ distributors of genre fare, the Val Lewton collection presented an obvious

source of material for a new series of genre films. After combing through RKO's Val Lewton collection, the creative team decided on the perfect piece of material, an ideal mix of classic film nostalgia overripe with contemporary possibilities: I WALKED WITH A ZOMBIE.

Dimension Films, a subdivision of Miramax founded in 1994, is committed to producing science fiction, thriller, action, and horror genre films. The company's successful slate of releases include Keenen Ivory Wayans' "Scary Movie," Robert Rodriguez' "Spy Kids," Wes Craven's "Scream" trilogy, "Halloween: H2O," "The Crow," and Rodriguez' and Quentin Tarantino's "From Dusk Till Dawn." Upcoming releases include "Scary Movie 2" and Kevin Smith's "Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back," which are currently in production.

The RKO/Dimension crew later added a third teammate to the production team. TALES FROM THE CRYPT, one of the best brand names in horror, was brought on board. Comprised of some of the most creative minds in the industry today, TALES FROM THE CRYPT is best known for its long running and award-winning television series on HBO, adored by both critics and audiences alike. RITUAL is the third feature film produced bearing the TALES FROM THE CRYPT brand name.

The Val Lewton-inspired material helped to attract writer/director/producer Avi Nesher to the project. In a "previous life" Avi Nesher was an accomplished iconoclastic film critic and historian who specialized in the "B" movies of the 30's and 40's, and focused his attention on films similar to the Lewton model. Coming off the critically acclaimed indie production of THE TAXMAN, the director of the award-winning Israeli film RAGE AND GLORY rolled up his sleeves and got to work. His creative vision made an immediate impact on the project. RITUAL and Avi Nesher made a fine match.

The team then began its search for the ideal location to shoot the film. The creative team had been on the lookout for the kind of luscious, tropical environment that would offer breathtaking vistas to create atmosphere, and the indigenous cultures upon which the film is based. Also necessary to the production was a beautiful paradise-set mansion that was to serve as the centerpiece of RITUAL, the Clayborne estate. After expansive research, the team ultimately settled on Falmouth and Montego Bay, on the north coast of Jamaica.

One of the most important elements of the production was achieving a level of authenticity in the film's representation of Voodoo. Director Avi Nesher traveled to Jamaica and Haiti to do extensive research on the many cultures that practice this form of spirituality. The Jamaicans have their own version of Voodoo, known as 'Obeah', which quickly became the centerpiece for the production of RITUAL. For many of the Voodoo ceremony scenes, dancers were brought in from all over Jamaica in order to perform various rituals with perfect authenticity. On one occasion, the dancers and drummers actually blessed the film set before the cameras started rolling! Jamaican culture, music and history were interwoven into the very fabric of the movie, allowing for a rarely seen glimpse into the darker side of the sunny and sensual island.

Shot in June/July of 2000, the production team withstood all the perils of indie filmmaking in a foreign country at a low budget. The international crew battled its way through the heat and humidity of the summer months in Jamaica, and the perils of straying off the beaten path and, for authenticity sake, shooting in the remote, rarely filmed, fabled Blue Mountains. This extraordinary production effort has indeed lent strong realism to RITUAL.

JENNIFER GREY
(DR. ALICE DODGSON)

Jennifer Grey most recently starred in ABC's hit comedy series, "It's Like, You Know…" as…Jennifer Grey. She also recently played opposite Ben Affleck and Gwyneth Paltrow in Miramax's "Bounce."

Jennifer grew up in a theatrical family in both Los Angeles and New York City. Her father is Joel Grey, and her mother was once an actress as well. Out of high school, she attended the Neighborhood Playhouse for two years where she studied under Sanford Meisner. Her first acting job was as a pepper in a Dr. Pepper commercial.

She landed a job as an understudy in the hit off-Broadway show, "Album," at the Cherry Lane Theatre. She then got the chance to play the role in New York and Chicago. Years later she made her Broadway debut in "The Twilight of the Golds."

Her first movie role was in "Reckless" with Daryl Hannah and Aidan Quinn. She was also featured in the film "The Cotton Club," playing Nicolas Cage's wife as a 1920's gun moll. Later she landed a role in "Red Dawn" with Patrick Swayze, Lea Thompson and Charlie Sheen. She also appeared in "American Flyers" with Kevin Costner. She then got to play the malevolent sister in the cult classic "Ferris Bueller's Day Off," with Matthew Broderick.

Jennifer has done numerous television movies, including "Westside Waltz," starring opposite Shirley MacLaine, Liza Minnelli and Kathy Bates.

Grey is best known for her role as "Baby" in "Dirty Dancing," for which she was nominated for a Golden Globe award. She was also nominated for a Cable-Ace award for her role in "Dime a Dance," directed by Peter Bogdanovich. She also starred in Carroll Ballard's "Wind," a movie about the America's Cup.

Jennifer lives in New York.

CRAIG SHEFFER
(PAUL CLAYBORNE)

With a strong understated presence, Craig Sheffer has a quiet intensity that absolutely transcends the big screen. Demonstrating versatility and skill in a range of unique and unconventional performances, Craig has proven to be one of the most sought-after actors of his generation.

Craig, who had a passion for acting from a young age, had won the Best High School Actor award in a state-wide competition in Pennsylvania. He studied theatre at East Stroudsburg University, where he played Valere in a production of Moliere's "Tartuffe." Immediately after graduating, he relocated to New York to earnestly pursue a career in acting.

Early auditions landed Craig a role in the off-Broadway play, "Punchy." Craig soon found himself co-starring in the award winning Broadway production, "Torch Song Trilogy." In less than a year, producers spotted Craig's work on Broadway and cast him in his feature film debut, opposite Emilio Estevez in "That Was Then, This Is Now." Other early starring roles include the John Hughes comedy "Some Kind of Wonderful" and the father/son drama "Split Decisions" with Gene Hackman.

Craig returned to the stage to star in the Vietnam based play "G.R. Point," where he won the L.A. Critics Drama Desk award. Craig then starred opposite Brad Pitt in Robert Redford's critically acclaimed "A River Runs Through It."

His subsequent film roles have included star turns in Touchstone Pictures hard-edged drama, "The Program" opposite James Caan, MGM's "Sleep With Me" with Meg Tilly and Eric Stoltz, Sony/TriStar's first ever 3-D Imax film, "Wings of Courage," directed by Academy Award winner Jean Jacques Annaud, and the critically acclaimed motion picture, "Bliss," from Columbia/Triumph, in which he was supported by Terrence Stamp and Sheryl Lee. In addition, he starred with Lawrence Fishburne and Alfre Woodard in the Emmy Award-winning HBO world premiere of "Miss Ever's Boys."

Craig has also written screenplays and authored a novel and spends the limited free time he has writing poetry. Craig's production company, Sheffer Films, is currently developing several projects, one of which he is attached to make his directorial debut.

DANIEL LAPAINE
(WESLEY CLAYBORNE)

Australian-born Daniel Lapaine first came to Hollywood's attention with a breakthrough performance in "Muriel's Wedding." In 1999, Lapaine landed a role in "Double Jeopardy" alongside Tommy Lee Jones and Ashley Judd. He then starred opposite Claire Danes and Kate Beckinsale in the drama "Brokedown Palace."

Last year, Lapaine starred as the dashing Prince Windell in the eleven-hour fantasy drama, "The Tenth Kingdom." The mini-series was made in association with Hallmark Entertainment and Carnival Films for NBC. The story centers around Prince Windell's journey to restore peace after he is thwarted by his wicked stepmother the Queen, played by Dianne Wiest.

Lapaine studied with the National Institute of Dramatic Art in Sydney and his theater credits include starring roles in the Sydney Theatre Company's productions of "Indiscretions" and "King Lear." He has also starred in the Bell Shakespeare Company's productions of "Romeo and Juliet," "Richard III" and "Hamlet."

Lapaine's additional feature film credits include Fox Searchlight's "Polish Wedding," "54," "Dangerous Beauty" and "Elephant Juice."

KRISTEN WILSON
(CARO)

Kristen Wilson was born and raised in Massachusetts where she trained as a dancer and performed with the Boston ballet for four years. She received her BFA degree in musical theatre from Syracuse University. Taking time out in her junior year to take part in a national tour of "West Side Story" put Wilson well on her way to a successful acting career.

Soon after, Wilson moved to New York where she starred in "Tyson" and then landed her first feature film role starring with Adam Sandler in "Bulletproof."

Wilson's additional feature film credits include "Girl 6" and "Get on the Bus" from Spike Lee, "Pompatus of Love" with Kristen Scott Thomas, and "Doctor Dolittle" in which she co-starred opposite Eddie Murphy as his wife.

Wilson last appeared on screen as Norda in the adventure-fantasy "Dungeons & Dragons" with Thora Birch and Jeremy Irons. She is currently reprising her role in "Dr. Dolittle 2," an effort which marks the first time a female co-star has ever re-teamed with Eddie Murphy. The film is due for release later this year.

GABRIEL CASSEUS
(J.B.)

While accompanying a friend through the halls of a New York City Performing Arts school, Gabriel Casseus stumbled upon a performance class and knew immediately that this was something he wanted to be a part of.

Six years of being a struggling actor was beginning to take its toll when he received a phone call from an old friend who also happened to be a casting director. She was interested in him for a small role as a cop in a feature film called "New Jersey Drive." After reading the script, Mr. Casseus (pronounced "Cash-us") asked the casting director if he could read for the lead role. He felt he was right for this role and eventually so did Universal Studios and the film's director, Nick Gomez. For his portrayal as "Midget" in "New Jersey Drive," Mr. Casseus was nominated for the prestigious Spirit Award in the category of Best Debut Performance in a feature film.

Numerous critics agree there is something special about this talent. Marshall Fine of USA Today called Mr. Casseus "the next big thing." Nick Charles of the New York Daily News called Gabriel "the next breakout actor." Some of Hollywood's top directors have taken note of Mr. Casseus as well. John Sayles, director of "The Secret of Roan Inish" and "Brother From Another Planet," handpicked Mr. Casseus for the role of young Otis in the critically acclaimed "Lone Star."

After several television appearances, including a recurring role as nurse Derrick Sherman on "Homicide: Life on the Streets," Mr. Casseus landed the role of Jamal, the one time gangbanger turned philosophical Muslim, in Spike Lee's "Get On the Bus."

Casseus worked on "Burn Hollywood, Burn: An Alan Smithee Film," with Sylvester Stallone and Whoopi Goldberg, "Buffalo Soldiers," a TNT movie with Danny Glover, and "Fallen," portraying the younger brother of Denzel Washington. He can also be seen in the recent films "Bedazzled," with Elizabeth Hurley and Brendan Fraser and "15 Minutes," starring Robert DeNiro and Ed Burns.

TIM CURRY
(MATTHEW HOPE)

British-born actor Tim Curry has created a rich array of memorable characters, for both screen and stage, and is continuing this with future roles. He most recently starred opposite Cameron Diaz and Drew Barrymore in 2000's "Charlie's Angels."

Curry graduated from Birmingham University with a degree in Drama and English. He made his professional debut in the West End production of "Hair" in 1968. He went on to appear in a Scottish Opera Company tour of "A Midsummer Night's Dream" and in several other productions before landing his infamous role in the highly acclaimed 1973 stage production of "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" as Dr. Frank N. Furter. Curry starred in the musical both in New York and Los Angeles before returning to England to make his film debut in the motion picture adaptation in 1975.

Curry starred in the Broadway production of "My Favorite Year" which earned him a Tony Award nomination for Best Actor in a Musical. He then went on to appear in the national tour of "Me and My Girl." Other stage appearances include starring in Tom Stoppard's "Travesties" and as Mozart in "Amadeus" for which he received another Tony Award nomination as Best Actor and in the London revival of "The Pirates of Penzance" for which he won the Variety Club Award as Best Stage Actor. At the Royal National Theatre he appeared in productions of "The Rivals," "Threepenny Opera," "Love for Love," and in "The Art of Success" at the Manhattan Theatre Club.

His numerous film credits include "Congo," "Muppet Treasure Island," "The Shadow," "The Three Musketeers," "Home Alone II," "The Hunt for Red October," "Clue," "Legend," "The Ploughman's Lunch," "Annie" and "The Shout."

Curry's American television credits include the title role in Stephen King's ABC-TV mini-series "It," a recurring role on the classic TV cop show "Wise Guy" and a three-episode arc on "Earth 2," among others. He was nominated for a Cable Ace Award as Best Actor in a Drama Series for his performances in HBO's acclaimed "Tales from the Crypt," in which he played an entire family - the father, the mother and the daughter. The role also earned him an Emmy nomination.

A recording artist for A&M Records, Curry has released three albums plus a compilation LP of his work.

Curry currently resides in Los Angeles.

AVI NESHER
(DIRECTOR/WRITER)

Israeli-born writer-director Avi Nesher made his film debut at the age of 23. After spending much of his adolescence in New York, he left Columbia University to return to his homeland and serve in the Special Forces branch of the Israeli army to, in his own words, "get out of gym." After four years of military service and two wars, he returned to his true love that endured through it all - cinema. His very first movie, "The Troupe," is the highest grossing Israeli movie ever.

Once established in Israel for his character driven comedy hits, Nesher changed directions and took a dangerous stab at a subject considered to be taboo in Israel; Jewish terrorism. A more personal endeavor into the dark reaches of the cinematic experience, "Rage and Glory" is a true-life character study of a politically motivated murderer - a member of the Stern Gang, a terrorist group who targeted the British during their occupation of Palestine. When it was first shown, international critics - having seen the film at international film festivals and at New York's 92nd Street Y - lauded "Rage and Glory" for its intense characterizations and searing psychological impact. The reaction in Israel, however, was hostile. Pundits dubbed the movie as pro-PLO and the Israeli government, having granted Nesher a considerable portion of his budget, placed restrictions on the film being shown outside the country. Years later, Nesher was able to buy the rights back. Attaining an almost cult reputation, "Rage and Glory" was recently selected by the Film Society of Lincoln Center for their retrospective of the most important films in fifty years of Israeli cinema.

After seeing "Rage and Glory" when it was shown in Europe, producer Dino De Laurentiis convinced Nesher that a move to Hollywood would be the best thing to do at this stage in his career. Nesher's initial work came as a writer, penning assignments for such filmmakers as Ron Howard and James Cameron. Reinvented by Hollywood as an "action film director" - mostly because of his military background - Nesher was hired to direct the sci-fi mystery "Timebomb" for MGM (produced by Rafaella De Laurentiis) and the supernatural mystery "Doppelganger" for ITC. Both films won prizes at the Avoriaz Science Fiction and Fantasy Festival in France, and Nesher was, in tinseltown terms, "on his way."

Nesher's next offering, "The Taxman" opened theatrically in the United States on September 17, 1999 to extraordinary reviews: The New York Times called the film "A delight…a charmer of a mystery" and Jeffrey Lyons of NBC hailed it as "A cinematic gem…not to be missed!" Nesher was recently commissioned to write and direct "The Secret" for the producers of the Sundance Film Festival triple winner, "Three Seasons", Jason Kliot and Joana Vicente. "The Secret" is a film that explores an uncharted facet of the Holocaust, and is based on a chilling true story about a Latvian Jewish man who passes off as an SS Officer for the duration of World War II.

TED HARTLEY
(PRODUCER)

As chairman and chief executive officer of RKO Pictures, Inc., Ted Hartley is responsible for leading RKO's worldwide development and production activities in movies, television and the expansion of the RKO brand to the stage and other entertainment venues. Bringing his expertise from the world of finance plus his knowledge of the film business from both sides of the camera, Hartley provides RKO Pictures with a dynamic and diverse vision. He presides over a varied slate of RKO films from development through post-production. Hartley served as producer of the reinvention of the 1949 RKO classic "Mighty Joe Young," as well as a new version of Orson Welles' "The Magnificent Ambersons," to be aired as a four-hour television miniseries, which will be broadcast this summer on A & E Networks.

At the age of 16, Hartley won an appointment to the U.S. Naval Academy where he trained for and ultimately served as a carrier-based jet fighter pilot. He later served for two years as a congressional liaison for the Pentagon with a tour as a Presidential White House aide. Upon completion of his naval duties, Hartley attended Harvard Business School, which led to a career on Wall Street.

Hartley was an associate at Nicolas Salgo & Co., and later became executive vice president of Southwestern Development Corporation (both Gulf + Western companies). He then accepted the position of vice president of the First Western Financial Corp., a NYSE listed corporation.

A corporate restructuring led Hartley to pursue his lifelong interest of a career in the film business. He successfully nurtured an acting career during a hiatus from the production side of entertainment, winning a long-running stint as Reverend Jerry Bedford in the television series "Peyton Place," as well as a succession of movie roles opposite such stars as Cary Grant, Robert Redford and Clint Eastwood. In the late 1970's he starred in the ABC series, "Chopper One," before returning to full-time investment banking activities.

Hartley and his wife, Dina Merrill, are the founders of The Story ProjectR and the Hartley-Merrill International Screenwriting Award. Ted Hartley is the father of one son and lives in Southern California with his wife, Dina.

MICHAEL A. HELFANT
(EXECUTIVE PRODUCER)

Michael A. Helfant is the Senior Executive Vice President of Dimension Films, a division of Miramax Film Corp., heading up Dimension's West Coast activities. His responsibilities at Dimension include overseeing feature film administration, all business and legal affairs, licensing, merchandising, new media, and overall talent deals, as well as international co-productions and tax/subsidy arrangements. Dimension's films include the "Scream" franchise starring Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox and David Arquette, "Halloween H2O" starring Jamie Lee Curtis, "The Faculty" starring Selma Hayek and Ellijah Wood, "Reindeer Games" starring Ben Affleck, Gary Sinise and Charlize Theron; and the upcoming "Imposter" starring Gary Sinise, Madeleine Stowe and Vincent D'Onofrio.

Prior to joining Dimension Films, Helfant was Executive Vice President, Head of Business Operations and Acquisitions at Interscope Communications, Inc., where he was responsible for all of Interscope's financial, business and legal activities, including strategic planning, operations, acquisitions, and the management of Interscope's joint ventures with Walt Disney Pictures and Nomura Babcock & Brown. "The Hand that Rocks the Cradle" was the first film financed under these ventures. Helfant was also instrumental in negotiating and orchestrating the sale of a controlling interest in Interscope to PolyGram Filmed Entertainment in 1992, and continued to oversee all of the financing and distribution arrangements with PolyGram Filmed Entertainment.

Helfant executive produced Interscope's "Very Bad Things," starring Christian Slater, Cameron Diaz and Daniel Stern. He was also co-producer of Interscope's "The Associate" starring Whoopi Goldberg; one of the co-executive producers of Interscope's "Kazaam" starring Shaquille O'Neal; and executive producer on David Madden's film "A Part of the Family," starring Ronny Cox and Robert Carradine.

Before joining Interscope in October 1990, Helfant served as Senior Vice President of Sovereign Pictures, Inc., overseeing all business and legal affairs for the company. Sovereign was an independent motion picture company which distributed feature films in the international marketplace. At Sovereign, Helfant was involved with the acquisition and distribution of such features as: "Reversal of Fortune," "Hamlet," "My Left Foot," "Cinema Paradiso" and "The Commitments."

From 1983 to 1989, Helfant was an attorney at Loeb & Loeb in Century City, specializing in a broad range of entertainment business transactions with particular emphasis on motion picture productions, finance and distribution.

A graduate of the JD/MBA program at UCLA, Helfant maintains his affiliation with UCLA as an adjunct professor of the John Anderson Graduate School of Management, teaching "Strategic Management in the Entertainment Industry." Helfant is the Executive Vice President and a Board Member of the Independent Feature Project/West (a non-profit organization that supports the independent film community and hosts the Independent Spirit Awards). He is also on the Board of Directors of the UCLA Entertainment Symposium (which brings together entertainment industry leaders in an educational forum while raising money for the UCLA School of Law); the Mr. Holland's Opus Foundation (a non-profit organization which provides musical instruments to under-privileged children and financial support to music education in the public school system); and the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation/Los Angeles Chapter.

Michael and his wife Loretta Naughton Helfant have three children, Arianna Ruth, Jenna Morgan, and Jacob Aaron.

RICHARD DONNER, DAVID GILER, WALTER HILL JOEL SILVER, ROBERT ZEMECKIS
(EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS)

The Executive Producers and "Founding Spirits" of the TALES FROM THE CRYPT franchise are five of the most prominent filmmakers in Hollywood. They are: Joel Silver ("Lethal Weapon," "Die Hard," "The Matrix"), Richard Donner ("Superman," "Lethal Weapon"), Robert Zemeckis ("Back to the Future," "Forrest Gump"), Walter Hill ("Aliens," "48 Hours"), and David Giler ("Aliens," "The Parallax View"). They form quite a visionary partnership with great passion for this unique property. They are always available to add their very considerable creative abilities and talents to the franchise.

TALES FROM THE CRYPT came on the scene originally in the form of a series of successful comic books in the 50's published by William Gaines of MAD Magazine fame. Young Americans were attracted to these macabre, dark stories for a good deal of their entertainment. Millions of copies were sold week after week for many, many years.

Joel Silver and the partners acquired the rights to Gaines' EC Library of comics and developed TALES into the successful and award-winning property it is today. TALES still stands as among HBO's highest rated series, has won numerous ACE and Emmy Awards and can boast as having the largest collection of major stars to ever appear in a single TV series.

Two features have been previously released bearing the TALES FROM THE CRYPT banner. "Tales from the Crypt: Demon Knight" was produced in 1995, starring Billy Zane, Jada Pinkett Smith and Thomas Haden Church, and "Tales from the Crypt: Bordello of Blood" was produced in 1996 starring Dennis Miller and Corey Feldman.

ROB COHEN
(WRITER)

A prolific filmmaker, Rob Cohen recently directed "The Fast and the Furious," along with "The Skulls" for Universal Pictures. He also directed the critically acclaimed "The Rat Pack," which received eleven Emmy Award nominations and a nomination from the Directors Guild of America for Outstanding Direction of a television film. Previously he directed such feature films as "Daylight," starring Sylvester Stallone, "Dragonheart," starring Dennis Quaid and Sean Connery and "A Small Circle of Friends," starring Brad Davis and Karen Allen. Cohen also wrote and directed the Bruce Lee biopic, "Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story."

Cohen began his career in film during his sophomore year at Harvard University when he assisted director Daniel Petrie in making "Silent Night, Lonely Night," an NBC made-for-TV movie. After graduation, Cohen moved to Los Angeles where, as a reader for International Famous Agency, he discovered "The Sting."

He left IFA for 20th Century Fox Television and quickly acquired the title Director of Television Movies, where he developed such projects as "Mrs. Sundance" and "Stowaway to the Moon." Desiring to expand into feature films, Cohen joined Motown as their executive VP of Motion Pictures. While at Motown, Cohen produced a variety of projects including "Mahogany" and "The Wiz," for which he received the NAACP Image Award for Best Producer.

In 1978, Cohen set up his own production company, where he produced or executive produced numerous box office hits, including "The Witches of Eastwick," starring Jack Nicholson, "The Running Man," starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, "The Serpent and the Rainbow," starring Bill Pullman, "Bird on a Wire," starring Mel Gibson and Goldie Hawn, "Ironweed," starring Meryl Streep and Jack Nicholson, and "The Hard Way," starring Michael J. Fox.

Cohen's television directorial credits include an Emmy-nominated episode of Miami Vice, as well as episodes of "ThirtySomething," "Hooperman," "A Year in the Life" and "Private Eye." He also created, wrote, and executive produced the series "Vanishing Son."

DOUG MILSOME, B.S.C.

(DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY)

Doug Milsome was nominated for an Academy AwardR for cinematography for his work on "Full Metal Jacket," directed by Stanley Kubrick and won the British Critics Circle Award for excellence in cinematography.

Milsome's extensive career dates back to the early 1970's. He was director of photography on such films as, "Breakdown," directed by Jonathan Mostow and starring Kurt Russell, "Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves," starring Kevin Costner, "Body of Evidence," with Madonna and Willem Dafoe and "Last of the Mohicans," (additional photography), directed by Michael Mann and starring Daniel Day Lewis and Madeleine Stowe.

Other work as second unit director/second unit director of photography include the Stanley Kubrick classic "The Shining" and Roger Donaldson's "The Bounty."

SHIRLEY WALKER
(COMPOSER)

Shirley Walker's spine-tingling score for New Line Cinema's box office smash, the supernatural chiller, "Final Destination," was heard in theaters nationwide, while her dark atmospheric underscore for the short-lived but highly acclaimed Dreamworks series, "The Others," about a team of psychics, took the airwaves on NBC, Saturday nights. Her signature, high-energy, big action, additional music saved the day in last year's "Mystery Men," from Universal Pictures.

Ms. Walker broke industry ground with her work on 1995's "Escape from L.A.," a score she co-wrote with the film's director, John Carpenter, which captures the dark, futuristic fees and industrial action of the film while blending dashes of both "old west" and world music. Then, firmly established herself as a leading talent among Hollywood film composers with her score for MGM's suspense thriller, "Turbulence." However, the most heralded is her gothic score for the animated film, "Batman: Mask of the Phantasm," arguably the finest Batman film music to date.

Widely credited as a pioneer for women composers in the film industry, Shirley Walker has maintained her status as one of today's most respected members of the composing community which her scores for the award-winning "Batman" and "Superman" animated series' from Warner Bros., which have earned her multiple Daytime Emmy nominations. In 1999, she added to her legacy the highly acclaimed new "Batman Beyond," with its futuristic techno/grunge rock underscore for which she received another Daytime Emmy nomination, the soundtrack now available from Kid Rhino. This year, she continues the Warner Bros. tradition with "The Zeta Project," airing in January 2001.

Other recent TV credits include underscores for HBO's popular "Spawn" series, NBC's highest-rated television Mini Series of the 1997 season, "Asteroid," and a 1998 Disney movie of the week entitled, "The Garbage Picking, Field Goal Kicking Philadelphia Phenomenon." Originally, she made a name for herself as a highly talented orchestrator and conductor on such hit films as "Batman," "Days of Thunder," "A League of Their Own," "Backdraft," and "True Lies."

Walker began her professional music career as a piano soloist with the San Francisco Symphony while still in high school, and later got her first big break as a synthesist on Francis Ford Coppola's 1979 feature, "Apocalypse Now," and co-composing credit on Coppola's, "Black Stallion," in that same year. Since then, she has garnered a Daytime Emmy Award as a musical director on the acclaimed animated "Batman" series. Other nominations have included a CableACE nomination for the Blair Brown film "Majority Rule," a Prime Time Emmy nomination for the Fox series, "Space: Above and Beyond," and two Annie nominations; one for the animated "Superman" Main Title Theme and more recently, for her original score for HBO's "Spawn" series.

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