Funny Games [1997]

Country of Origin: Austria
Year of Production: 1997
Running Times: 108m
Length: 3073 metres
Format: 35mm
Colour Format: colour
Ratio: 1.85:1
Sound: Dolby Digital

CREDITS

PRODUCTION
Production Company: Wega Film
Executive Producer: Veit Heiduschka
Producer: Veit Heiduschka
Production Manager: Werner Reitmeier
Executive in Charge of Production: Helga Fuchs

SCRIPT
Script: Michael Haneke

DIRECTION
Director: Michael Haneke
Script Supervisors: Katharina Biró, Jessica Hausner

PHOTOGRAPHY
Director of Photographer: Jürgen Jürges
Assistant Camera: Peter Steuger
Second Assistant Camera: Volker Gläser
Chief Electrician: Walter Stöger
Lighting Technicians: Stefan Gauss, Susanne Habitzel, Bernd Karoly
Grip: Fritz Martan
Dolly Grip: Adi Essl
Camera Equipment: Moviecam F.G. Bauer
Lighting Equipment: Peter Dopplinger
Cameras: Moviecam
Laboratory: Listo-Film Gmbh

EDITING AND POST PRODUCTION
Editor: Andreas Prochaska
Assistant Editor: Gabriele Uhl
Post-Production: Michael Katz, Ulrike Lässer

SONGS AND ADDITIONAL MUSIC
"Cara Salva"
from Atalanta
Music by G.F. Händel
Sung by Benjamina Gigli
Published by EMI DA 1918

"Tu Qui Santuzza"
from Cavalleria Rusticana
Music by Pietro Mascagni
Published by Historical Decca 425985-3

"Quintet for Clarinet, 2 Violins, Viola, Violoncello"
in A Major
2 movements largetto performed by Hagen Quartett
Music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Clarinet: Eduard Brunner
Published by Deutsche Grammophon 419600-3

"Bonehead"
Composed by John Zorn
Performed by Naked City (Grand Guignol)
Published by Union Jasroc

"Hellraiser"
Composed by John Zorn
Performed by Naked City (Grand Guignol)
Published by Union Jasroc

"Water"
Performed by Frank Jonko Band

SOUND
Sound: Walter Amann
Sound Assistants: Peter Paschinger, Daniel Steinbach
Sound Mixer: Hannes Eder
Sound Editor: Bernhard Bamberger
Sound Studio: Tremens Tonstudio

MAKE UP AND COSTUMES
Costume Designer: Lisy Christl
Wardrobe: Katharina Nikl
Key Make Up Artist: Waldemar Pokromski
Assistant Make Up Artist: Simone Bachl

SPECIAL EFFECTS
Special Effects: Danny Bellens, Willi Neuner, Mac Steinmeier

VISUAL EFFECTS
Art Director: Christoph Kanter
Prop Buyer: Peter Ecker
Props: Hans Wagner
Set Carpenters: Karl Bech, Florian Peter Clodi, Gerhard Dhor, Christian Eder, Harald Hajmböck, Kurt Jahn, Peter Kreiller, Norbert Nagel, Walter Nagel, Joseph Rihs-Bacherl, Rudolf Scheidl, Werner Schweitzer
Set Painters: Janko Boskovic, Kurt Drahovzal, Frank Essler, Peter Lenz, Peter Wenhardt
Sculptor: Peter Dörflinger

MISCELLANEOUS
Production Secretary: Gabriela Schuster
Production Assistant: Wolfgang Knöpfler
Production Drivers: Rudolf Schnogl, Gunther Stark
Property Drivers: Andreas Djerdjev, Thomas Messer
Animals: Animal Action
Dog Instructor: April Morley
Helicopter: Rotorwing

LOCATIONS
Studio: Atelier Rosenhügel, Vienna, Austria
Location Managers: Philipp Kaiser, Alfred Strobl

STUNTS
Stunts: Danny Bellens, Willi Neuner, Mac Steinmeier

CAST
Susanne Lothar (Anna)
Ulrich Mühe (Georg)
Arno Frisch (Paul)
Frank Giering (Peter)
Stefan Clapczynski (Schorschi)
Doris Kunstmann (Gerda)
Christoph Bantzer (Fred)
Wolfgang Glück (Robert)
Susanne Meneghel (Gerdas Schwester)
Monika Zallinger (Eva)

SUMMARY

Paul and Peter gatecrash the holiday home of a young family who they hold hostage, humiliating and torturing them in series of bizarre and violent games.

AVAILABILITY

Argentina
Theatrical Distributors: Transeuropa Video Entertainment

Brazil
Video Distributors: Cult Filmes (Brazil)
DVD Distributors: Cult Filmes (Brazil)

Estonia
Theatrical Distributors: Maywin Media (1999)

Finland
Theatrical Distributors: Kamras Film Group (1998)
DVD Distributors: Future Film (2006)

France
Theatrical Distributors: Les Films du Paradoxe (1998)

Germany
Theatrical Distributors: Concorde-Castle Rock/Turner (1997)

Latvia
Theatrical Distributors: Maywin Media (1999)

Lithuania
Theatrical Distributors: Maywin Media (1999)

Norway
Theatrical Distributors: Arthaus (1998)

Portugal
Theatrical Distributors: Atalanta Filmes (1998)

Russia
Theatrical Distributors: Maywin Media (1999)

Spain
Theatrical Distributors: Golem Distribución; Líder Films

Sweden
Theatrical Distributors: Kulturföreningen Kedjan (1998); Triangelfilm (1998)
Video Distributors: Föreningen FilmCentrum (1998); Sandrew Film & Teater (1998); Triangelfilm (1998)

Switzerland
Theatrical Distributors: Stamm Film AG (1997)

USA
Theatrical Distributors: Attitude Films (1998)
DVD Distributors: Fox Lorber (1999); Kino Video (2006)

CENSORSHIP HISTORY

Argentina
Rating: 18

Australia
Rating: R

Chile
Rating: 18

Finland
Rating: K-16

France
Rating: -16

Germany
Rating: 18

Hong Kong
Rating: III

Hungary
Rating: 18

Iceland
Rating: 16

Japan
Rating: R-15

Netherlands
Rating: 16

New Zealand
Rating: R18

Norway
Rating: 15

Portugal
Rating: M/18

Singapore
Rating: R(A); PG (re-rating)

South Korea
Rating: 18

Spain
Rating: 18

Sweden
Rating: 15

Switzerland
Rating: 18 (canton of Geneva); 18 (canton of Vaud)

UK
Rating: 18

USA
Rating: unrated

AWARDS

1997
Cannes Film Festival, France
Golden Palm [Michael Haneke] - nominated

Chicago International Film Festival, USA
Silver Hugo: Best Director [Michael Haneke] - winner
Gold Hugo: Best Film [Michael Haneke] - nominated

Flanders International Film Festival, Belgium
FIPRESCI Prize [Michael Haneke] - winner

Valladolid International Film Festival, Spain
Golden Spike [Michael Haneke] - nominated

1998
Fantasporto, Portugal
Critics' Award [Michael Haneke] - winner
International Fantasy Film Special Jury Award [Michael Haneke] - winner [tied with Gokudô sengokushi: Fudô [1996]]

1999
London Critics Circle Film Awards, UK
ALFS Award Director of the Year [Michael Haneke] - nominated
Foreign Language Film of the Year - nominated

TIMELINE

1997
May
14: France - shown at the Cannes Film Festival

August
23: Taiwan - shown at the Fanciful Film Festival

September
5: Canada - shown at the Toronto Film Festival
11: Germany - theatrical release

November
7: Switzerland (German speaking region)
15: South Korea - theatrical release

December
12: Turkey - theatrical release

1998
January
14: France - theatrical release
29: Sweden - shown at the Gothenburg Film Festival

February
4: Belgium - theatrical release
5: Netherlands - theatrical release
6: Norway - theatrical release
20: Sweden - theatrical release
25: Portugal - shown at the Fantasporto Film Festival

March
5: Spain - theatrical release
11: USA - theatrical release
20: Poland - theatrical release

April
3: Portugal - theatrical release
24: Denmark - theatrical release; USA - shown at the San Francisco International Film Festival

May
1: Switzerland - theatrical release

July
2: Italy - theatrical release

August
13: Australia - theatrical release
22: Finland - shown at the Espoo Film Festival

September
4: Finland - theatrical release

October
10: Singapore - shown at the European Union Film Festival
30: UK - theatrical release

1999
January
1: Latvia - theatrical release
16: Iceland - shown at the Reykjavik Film Festival
22: Russia - theatrical release

June
23: Argentina - video release

October
1: Estonia - theatrical release

2001
June
24: Japan - shown at the PIA Film Festival

October
20: Hong Kong - shown at the Max! New Films and Stars from Austria, Germany and Switzerland); Japan - theatrical release

2002
October
3: Hungary - theatrical release

2004
March
19: Czech Republic - shown at the European Union Film Festival

POSTER TAGS

Ein Alptraum.

Schockierend wie "Clockwork Orange", kontrovers wie "Natural Born Killers"

LINKS

REMAKE
Funny Games U.S. [2007]

KEYWORDS

boats, breaking the fourth wall, broken legs, children, dogs, drowning, home invasions, lakes, mobile phones, psychopaths, torture, twist endings

Last Updated: 5 May, 2008