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“The Ruins” (2008) overview Based on the terrifying best-seller by Scott Smith, "The Ruins" follows a group of friends who become entangled in a brutal struggle for survival after visiting a remote archaeological dig in the Mexican jungle where they discover something deadly living among the ruins. Amy and Stacy are best friends but their boyfriends are two guys who are just sort of thrown together. Then there's Mathias and his friend Dimitri. Mathias is the German tourist they've just met who wants to go to a Mayan dig and find his missing brother. Since most of them don't really know one another, what you have from the outset is this strange power dynamic: How do we all fit in together? Who am I in this group? None of that is really solidified when everything starts to go wrong. That's really great ground to start with, because you've got these multi-faceted characters with complex stuff happening all around them, which they react to in a very real way... “I didn't want actors who looked like every other actor in your typical young adult horror movie," said director Carter Smith. "I've always been attracted to people who are interesting-looking rather than conventionally attractive. So even though we have a very sexy cast, they're not typically 'Hollywood.' They don't look like everyone else. For me, that made the story instantly more realistic, because they really look like your typical American student away on a party weekend.” “The characters in 'The Ruins' are really grounded. What makes it all work is the clever way the story is set up,” said Ashmore. “The only reason these two couples are on vacation together is because Amy and Stacy are friends. Jeff and my character, Eric, don't hang out when they're back home. They aren't really friends.” “One of the things that was so interesting to me about the characters was that they start out as these very sexy, very normal, very real kids,” said Carter Smith. “But by the end of the film they are just ravaged, destroyed; they've turned into monsters.” “This movie isn't just about creeping vines, this is about the psychology of these five people and what they go through in really extreme circumstances,” he added. Executive producer Trish Hofmann: “It's a psychological horror story that will literally get under your skin.” According to producer Chris Bender, “The Ruins” was originally put together by Stuart Cornfeld and Ben Stiller. They were fans of Scott Smith's first book “A Simple Plan,” which he also wrote as a screenplay, and which garnered an Academy Award® nomination. “Stuart and Ben were able to get a sneak look at a few chapters of “The Ruins” before it was published, brought it to DreamWorks, and they immediately bought it and began developing the project with Scott adapting it to the screen,” said Bender. At its most basic level, the story follows five vacationers who uncover Mayan ruins that are entangled with vicious man-eating vines, but the richly drawn novel is more than that - it is a struggle for survival. While executives were confident that Smith could translate that same frightening and all-too-recognizably human sensibility to his script, “It could have gone one of two ways once we got a director in there,” says Bender. “This could either have devolved into an incredibly cheesy killer plant movie or it could play with the viewers' psyches in ways that are a lot more intriguing and sinister, making this the true original it was on the page.” To manage the difficult task of creating a suspense thriller that did justice to the texture and layers of Scott Smith's material, DreamWorks turned to director Carter Smith. Though he had never directed a full-length motion picture and was primarily known as a fashion photographer, after viewing his award-winning short film “Bugcrush,” they realized they'd found their man. “I remember sitting in front of my television for at least 10 minutes after it ended and not moving a muscle,” says actress Jena Malone, who assumed the role of Amy in the film. “I was really creeped out because 'Bugcrush' wasn't a straightforward thriller or horror movie. You could smell it, taste it, feel it – it was very unsettling. I'd never really read a lot of genre films, but after seeing 'Bugcrush' and envisioning how 'The Ruins' might look through Carter's strange goggles, I realized it would be genre-bending. The villain wouldn't really be the vines, it would be our own human nature and how we're reacting to things going on around us. That's when I knew this movie could be something really spectacular.” For Carter Smith, the decision to take the reins of “The Ruins” rested on the pedigree of its author. “I had always been a fan of Scott Smith's book 'A Simple Plan' and was in fact reading 'The Ruins' when DreamWorks called and said they'd like me to look at the script,” said Smith. “It was such a treat, because the ultimate resource for a filmmaker is a wonderfully written script and this one was fantastic. Having a script written by someone who also wrote the book is a real bonus because he's spent so much time with the characters that he knows them inside out, and this depth really comes out on the page. And let's face it - it's rare to read a genre script with compelling characters, period. And I'm a big fan of horror movies.” “Scott Smith clearly knows how to write a scary story,” said Trish Hofmann. “He does really well with the psychological aspect of horror and what happens to normal people when they're in incredibly dire situations. In the same way, Carter is very subtle, always building toward the scare-so he and Scott had a fantastic relationship developing the story and figuring out what parts of the book to bring to life.” Both Bender and Hofmann attribute Carter Smith's background in photography as being another solid plus in generating on-screen tension and anxiety. “Carter's framing on this movie is incredible and has a very unique feel,” said Hofmann. “Most scary movies are done in the dark and it's all about wondering what's out there. But here the characters are on top of a hill in broad daylight and it's simply terrifying. For example, even before we know that the vines are the killers, he's got the camera positioned in these strange angles and you suspect it is the villain's POV. But because we're watching the characters from all over, it's incredibly creepy. Only later does it dawn on us that it might be the vines, because they, in fact, surround all the characters. It's a very clever and wonderfully visual way of maximizing suspense.” As an avowed fan of horror films himself, Carter Smith was eager to create a fresh take on what could easily have been the usual process of elimination. “Usually horror movies are about people running from a killer and getting taken out one by one,” he observes. “That can be fun, but I wanted to make a film that, as a fan, I'd be excited to see. So for me, one of the creepiest, scariest things I can imagine is the idea of body invasion. Whether it's a tick or a worm or a killer vine surrounding a Mayan ruin, something about losing control of your own body is really frightening.” “This isn't just a story in which something is attacking these kids from the outside, said Smith. “The real horror is internal. It emanates from the characters and the kind of behavior that results from them being in this perilous situation. We never spell it out in black and white. There are a lot of grey areas here -and that's what I love about this story.” “The Ruins” takes place in Cancun, Mexico, where gorgeously exotic beaches abut lushly tropical forests. Finding a seaside resort location with a nearby soundstage was relatively easy, but director Carter Smith had another approach in mind: shooting the film on two practical locations. “I wanted to keep this as real as possible,” Smith says. “I just think it's better for the actors and for the material, because if you're working with a heightened premise, you want to keep everything else as grounded as possible. Beyond that, natural sunlight is the rawest, most beautiful, most realistic light you can have, and I knew that would work beautifully for the look we were trying to achieve. So to my way of thinking there was no way we could shoot this film on a soundstage.” Hofmann set about finding a location that reinforced the strong relationship between the coast and jungle, allowed her to access an experienced crew, and would still enable the film to stay within its budget. “With those mandates in mind, there was no better place to shoot than Queensland, Australia,” claims Hofmann. “Early on, DreamWorks had started a conversation with the Pacific Film and Television Commission in Queensland and I took over from there. We also had the Warner Roadshow Movie World Studios nearby to all our exterior locations, which was important, because even though Carter wanted to shoot in natural settings as much as possible, there were some areas of the script that necessitated using a soundstage. So we had everything there - the coast, the jungle and rainforests and the studio - in a tight little circle. That made the decision to film in Australia a very easy one.” The film was shot primarily on Mount Tamborine and on private land near the Natural Arch in Springbrook National Park, both on the continent's Gold Coast. This story has a lot of natural elements. Production designer Grant Major did an incredible job with all the rocks and vines. “It was wonderful coming to work, being outside in the fresh air and seeing these beautiful sunsets, but it was freezing cold!” said Laura Ramsey, who portrays Stacy. The leader of the group is Jeff (Jonathan Tucker). He is a first year student in medical school, so he knows the reality of human anatomy, he's seen some blood, but nothing prepares him for what he faces here. All the other characters want to believe that Jeff has the answers and can get them out of this terrible situation. Everything he does is based on science and what's happening around him here completely defies any kind of logic. He doesn't realize it right away. While Jeff is the leader, Eric is the everyman. “He's not a complicated guy,” said Ashmore. “He's just a dude on vacation, there for a good time. He doesn't pretend to have all the answers. As things start to spiral out of control, Eric focuses on protecting Stacy, but once she's gone into the ruins and gotten hurt, she starts changing. She lashes out at Eric even as he's trying to comfort her. And yet he continues to do what he can to help her and the others in the group. He's a good guy, but the nicest guys can be pushed too far, and when Eric has to help Jeff deal with Mathias's broken legs, his whole outlook changes. “In Amy's mind, the trip is all about endless beaches and tropical drinks; an adventure with her boyfriend and her best friend Stacy. Nothing more, nothing less,” said Jena Malone. “But once the group gets trapped, you start to see her as a much more complex person.” Scott Smith's novel has a lot of internal monologues. “What's really beautiful about the script is that it's so simple,” said Malone. “There's not a lot of dialogue. It's all about what's happening on the inside of the characters.” “My character, Stacy, is Eric's girlfriend, and after she goes into the ruins to help Mathias, she becomes obsessed with this vine,” Laura Ramsey pointed out. “Eric is the one who becomes obsessed and infatuated. So when I read the book, I took little tidbits for Stacy, but I also took some from Eric's character as well.” “The story starts in a fairly idyllic way,” said production designer Grant Major. “It's coastal and loaded with color - blue sky, yellow sun, creamy, sandy beach. That was all reflected in the design of the film's first sequence. Then this journey moves into the forest that's not all beautiful. It's dirty and the light gets darker, dingier. Finally, the characters end up on the Mayan hill and even though they're outside, or in some cases inside the burial chamber, it's all about creating a sense of isolation and claustrophobia.” “When you put all that together, it helps create a dark mood, added Smith. “The audience might not realize what's going on, but if it's all done right then they'll definitely feel it.” “This film is set in Mexico, so the touristy areas were easy to recreate,” Major said. “The Mayan environment on the Yucatan Peninsula required a lot more research and work. There are certainly Mayan pyramids we could have visited, which are historical monuments.” “We researched various pyramid styles from the Mayan culture and then textural rock patterns from other areas,” Major continues. “Then it all had to be adapted to the drama that takes place on top of the pyramid. It all had to be designed around that dynamic.” © Preems.com |
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. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Genre: horror, thriller Director: Carter Smith Writer (WGA): Scott B. Smith (screenplay and novel) Producers: Chris Bender, Stuart Cornfeld, Jeremy Kramer Executive producers: Gary Barber, Roger Birnbaum, Trish Hofmann, Ben Stiller Music: Graeme Revell Cinematography: Darius Khondji Film editing: Jeff Betancourt Casting: Denise Chamian Production design: Grant Major Art direction: Brian Edmonds Costume design: Lizzy Gardiner Cast Laura Ramsey as Stacy Jonathan Tucker as Jeff Jena Malone as Amy Shawn Ashmore as Eric Joe Anderson as Mathias Sergio Calderón as Lead Mayan Jesse Ramirez as Mayan Bowman Balder Moreno as Mayan Horseman Dimitri Baveas as Dimitri Patricio Almeida Rodriguez as Taxi Driver Mario Jurado as Mayan Archer Luis Antonio Ramos as Mayan Rifleman Walter Quispe as Mayan Rifleman Pauline Whyman as Wailing Woman Nathan Vega as Mayan Boy Tanisha Marquez-Munduate as Mayan Girl Chris Argirousis as Greek Alexander Gregory as Greek Michelle Atkinson as Archeologist Bar Paly as Archeologist Jordan Patrick Smith as Heinrich Jovina Riveros Padilla as Mayan Woman Lucia Caballero as Mayan Woman Rufino Hernandez as Mayan Guard Carlos Enrique Delgado as Mayan Guard Mario Freire Rivera as Mayan Guard Elmer Alaya as Mayan Guard Jesus Tugumbango as Mayan Guard Karen Strassman as Additional Vine Vocal (voice) Robert Munns as Groundskeeper MPAA rating: R for strong violence and gruesome images, language, some sexuality and nudity Countries: USA, Australia. Language: English. Color: Color Technical specifications Cameras: Panavision Panaflex Lightweight, C-, E-Series and Super High Speed Lenses. Panavision Panaflex Millennium XL, C-, E-Series and Super High Speed Lenses Film negative format (mm/video inches): 35 mm (Fuji Eterna 250T 8553, Eterna 500T 8573) Cinematographic process: Digital Intermediate (2K) (master format). Panavision (anamorphic) (source format) Printed film format: 35 mm Aspect ratio: 2.35:1 Premieres Argentina - June 5, 2008 Austria - April 25, 2008 Australia - August 8, 2008 Belgium - April 16, 2008 Brazil - June 6, 2008 Chile - June 6, 2008 Colombia - June 6, 2008 Croatia - June 5, 2008 Czech Republic - June 5, 2008 Denmark - April 11, 2008 Finland - April 11, 2008 France - June 11, 2008 Germany - April 12, 2008 Hong Kong - June 5, 2008 Iceland - April 11, 2008 India - May 30, 2008 Indonesia - April 16, 2008 Ireland - April 18, 2008 Italy - June 27, 2008 Malaysia - August 7, 2008 Netherlands - April 17, 2008 New Zealand - April 24, 2008 Norway - April 25, 2008 Panama - April 11, 2008 Peru - June 5, 2008 Philippines - June 18, 2008 Romania - April 11, 2008 Russia - April 17, 2008 Singapore - June 19, 2008 Slovakia - June 5, 2008 Slovenia - June 19, 2008 South Africa - April 11, 2008 South Korea - April 10, 2008 Spain - April 18, 2008 Sweden - April 18, 2008 Switzerland (French language regions) - June 11, 2008 Switzerland (German language regions) - April 24, 2008 Taiwan - April 19, 2008 Turkey - April 11, 2008 Ukraine - April 17, 2008 United Kingdom - April 18, 2008 United States - April 4, 2008 Filming locations Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia Mt. Tamborine, Queensland, Australia Warner Roadshow Studios, Oxenford, Queensland, Australia (studio) Companies Production: BenderSpink Red Hour Films Distribution: DreamWorks (2008) (USA) (theatrical) Paramount Pictures International Universal Pictures International (UPI) (2008) (Netherlands) (theatrical) Special effects: Frantic Films Patrick Tatopoulos Design Proof (pre-visualization) Rising Sun Pictures (visual effects) Other: 424 Post - sound post-production Act One Script Clearance - script research services Runway - post-production Quotes Jeff: So what do you guys think: Ancient Mayan temple off the beaten path? . . . . Amy: We're being quarantined here. We're being kept here to die. . . . . Stacy: Why are they doing this? Jeff: It has something to do with the ruins. Soundtracks "Solto O Frango" - Written by Pedro D'Eyrot, Rodrigo Gorky, Thomas Pentz & Marina Vello. Performed by Bonde do Rolô. Courtesy of Domino Recording Co., Ltd. "Mexico Mi Amor" - Written by Marc Ferrari, Matt Hirt & Julisa Kruydenhof. Performed by David Gomez. Courtesy of Marc Ferrari/MasterSource "Phenomena" - Written by Brian Chase, Karen Orzolek & Nick Zinner. Performed by Yeah Yeah Yeahs. Courtesy of Interscope Records and Polydor Ltd. (U.K.), under license from Universal Music Enterprises
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