No Such Thing (2001)

Country of Origin: USA / Iceland
Year of Production: 2001
Running Times: 102 mins
Format: colour     35mm     Panavision
Ratio: 2.35:1
Sound: Dolby Digital

CREDITS

PRODUCTION
Production Companies: American Zoetrope / The Icelandic Film Corporation / True Fiction
Executive Producer: Willi Baer, Francis Ford Coppola, Linda Reisman
Producers: Fridrik Thor Fridriksson, Cecilia Kate Roque, Hal Hartley
Production Manager: Meryl Emmerton
Assistant Production Coordinator: Heather Neeld

SCRIPT
Script: Hal Hartley

DIRECTION
Director: Hal Hartley
1st Assistant Director: Michael Lerman
2nd Assistant Director: Peter Thorell
2nd 2nd Assistant Director: New York: Dan Brillman

PHOTOGRAPHY
Director of Photography: Michael Spiller
Assistant Camera: Brett Albright
Key Grip: Robert K. Feldmann
Lighting and Grip Equipment: ARRI Lighting Rental Limited

EDITING AND POST-PRODUCTION
Editor: Steve Hamilton
Assistant Editors: Chris Patterson, James Nichols Jr
Apprentice Editor: Erin Crackel

MUSIC
Music: Hal Hartley

SOUND
Re-Recording Mixer: Reilly Steele
Sound Effects Editor: Jennifer Ralston

MAKE UP AND COSTUMES
Costume Designers: Frank L. Fleming, Helga I. Stefánsdóttir

SPECIAL MAKE UP EFFECTS
Special Make Up Effects: Mark Rappaport, Creature Effects

VISUAL EFFECTS
Visual Effects Supervisor: Randall Balsmeyer

DESIGN AND SET CONSTRUCTION
Production Designer: Árni Páll Jóhannsson
Art Director: Ed Check
Property Master: Daniel Boxer
Assistant Property Master: New York: Dierdre Kane

MISCELLANEOUS
Accountant: John 'JR' Craigmile
Payroll Accountant: Lisa D. Carey
Production Assistant: Sharon Watt
Assistant to Producers: Annie Young
Assistant to Hal Hartley: Andy Russ
Assistant to Linda Reisman: Susan Abramson

LOCATIONS
Locations: Iceland; New York City, New York, USA

CASTING
Extras Casting: Kristine Bulakowski
Extras Casting Assistant: Driss Tijani

CAST
Margrét Ákadóttir (rental agent)
Robert John Burke (the monster)
Julie Anderson (beautician)
Sarah Polley (Beatrice)
Anna Kristín Arngrímsdóttir (Sólveig)
Ilene Bergelson (Ethel)
Guðrún Bjarnadóttir (Marta)
Bessi Bjarnason (Captain)
Helgi Björnsson (Leó)
Julie Christie (Dr Anna)
Stacy Dawson (Mugger)
María Ellingsen (Karlsdóttir / gate-manager)
Anthony Giangrande (journalist)
Erica Gimpel (Judy)
Þröstur Leó Gunnarsson (1st mate)
Brynhildur Guðjónsdóttir (ticket clerk)
Baldvin Halldórsson (Jón)
Björn Ingi Hilmarsson, Berger Þór Ingólfsson (smugglers)
Jón Hjartarson (mayor)
Baldur Trausti Hreinsson (Johansen)
Theódór Júlíusson (Borg)
Sigurveig Jónsdóttir (Gréta)
Björn Jörundur Friðbjörnsson (Þór)
Kristbjörg Kjeld (Nurse Joan)
Baltasar Kormákur (Artaud)
Paul Lazar (Fred)
Daniel C. Levine (pissing kid)
Paul Liberti (journalist)
D.J. Mendel (agent)
Helen Mirren (the boss)
Miho Nikaido (beautician)
David Nuemann (agent)
Peter O'Hara (Tom)
Annika Peterson (Margaret)
Abby Royle (scientist)
Bill Sage (Carlo)
Ingvar Eggert Sigurðsson (Dr Svendsen)
Guðrún Stephensen (mayor's wife)
Sigurður Skúlason (old man)
Jón Tryggvason (guide)
James Urbaniak (concierge)
Benham Valadbeygi (cook)
Wendy Walker (journalist)
Damian Young (Berger)

PLOT SUMMARY

The Monster is stalking the earth slaughtering everything in its path, disgusted by what human society has become. A news crew sent to track it down has vanished and a young journalist is despatched to find them. What she finds instead is The Monster and an unlikely friendship is in the offing.

AVAILABILITY

USA
Theatrical Distributors: MGM / UA Distribution Company
DVD Distributors: MGM Home Entertainment (1003588)

CENSORSHIP HISTORY

USA
Rating: R (for language and brief violence)

AWARDS

2001
Catalonian International Film Festival, Sitges, Spain
Best Film (Hal Hartley) - nominated

TIMELINE

2000
September
1: USA – filming begins

2001
May
Day Unknown: France – shown at the Cannes Film Festival

October
12: Spain – shown at the Sitges Film Festival

2002
January
20: Turkey – shown at the AFM International Independent Film Festival

March
29: USA – theatrical release

July
9: USA - DVD release (MGM Home Entertainment (1003588))

September
26: Sweden – shown at the Fantastisk Filmfestival Lund

November
15: Iceland – theatrical release

POSTER TAGS

A modern day fable.

ALTERNATIVE TITLES

Beatrice E o Monstro – Brazilian title
Monster - working title

LINKS

SEE ALSO
La belle et la bête (1946)
Bronenosets Potyomkin (1925)

REFERENCES

MAGAZINES

Entertainment Weekly 5 April 2002 (USA)
review (by Owen Gleiberman)

Entertainment Weekly no.663 (19 July 2002) p.55 (USA)
review (by Erin Richter)

Rolling Stone no.894 (25 April 2002) pp.83-84 (USA)
review (by Peter Travers)

KEYWORDS

aircraft, alcoholism, doctors, hospitals, human sacrifices, mad scientists, the media, monsters, new york, terrorists

Last Updated: 15 October, 2008