''Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Undead'' is a 2009 American independent film written and directed by
Jordan Galland
Jordan Galland (born 1980) is an American filmmaker and musician based in New York City, and operates Slush Puppy Music, a record label, as well as his own film production company, Ravenous Films.
Early life
Born in Farmington, Connecticut, Ga ...
. The film's title refers to a fictitious play-within-the-movie, which is a comic reinterpretation of
Shakespeare
William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...
’s ''
Hamlet
''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play, with 29,551 words. Set in Denmark, the play depicts ...
'' and its aftermath and whose title is a reference to the play ''
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead
''Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead'' is an absurdist, existential tragicomedy by Tom Stoppard, first staged at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 1966. The play expands upon the exploits of two minor characters from Shakespeare's ''Hamle ...
''. The cast includes
Devon Aoki
Devon Edwenna Aoki (born August 10, 1982) is an actress and fashion model. Aoki's film roles include supporting roles in '' 2 Fast 2 Furious'' (2003) and ''Sin City'' (2005) and lead roles in '' DOA: Dead or Alive'' (2006) and ''Mutant Chronicle ...
,
John Ventimiglia
John Ventimiglia (, ) is an American actor. He portrayed Artie Bucco in the HBO television series ''The Sopranos'' and had a recurring role as Dino Arbogast, an Organized Crime Control Bureau Chief for the NYPD, on the American police procedur ...
,
Kris Lemche
Kris Lemche (born 1978 or 1979) is a Canadian actor.
Career
At 17 years old, Lemche answered a newspaper casting call and won a role on the Disney series '' Flash Forward''.
Abandoning plans to study biochemistry in University, Lemche instea ...
,
Ralph Macchio
Ralph George Macchio Jr. ( ; born November 4, 1961) is an American actor. He is best known for playing Daniel LaRusso in three ''Karate Kid'' films and in ''Cobra Kai'', a sequel television series. He also played Johnny Cade in '' The Outsiders' ...
,
Jeremy Sisto
Jeremy Merton Sisto (born October 6, 1974) is an American actor. He is known for his roles as Billy Chenowith in HBO's '' Six Feet Under'', NYPD Detective Cyrus Lupo in NBC's '' Law & Order'', George Altman in the ABC sitcom ''Suburgatory'', fo ...
and
Waris Ahluwalia. The film stars
Jake Hoffman (son of
Dustin Hoffman
Dustin Lee Hoffman (born August 8, 1937) is an American actor and filmmaker. As one of the key actors in the formation of New Hollywood, Hoffman is known for his versatile portrayals of antiheroes and emotionally vulnerable characters. He is th ...
). An original musical score was composed and performed by
Sean Lennon
is an American–British musician, songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist. He is the son of John Lennon and Yoko Ono, and half-brother to Julian Lennon. Over the course of his career, he has been a member of the bands Cibo Matto, The G ...
.
Shooting began in late November, 2007, and principal photography was completed on December 23, 2007. It was filmed entirely in New York City with the
Red Digital Cinema Camera
Red Digital Cinema (''Red Digital Cinema Camera Company'') is an American company that manufactures professional digital cinematography cameras and accessories.
The company's headquarters is in Foothill Ranch, California, with studios in Holly ...
, an extra-high-definition video camera.
Plot summary
Julian Marsh (
Jake Hoffman), an unemployed young
lothario
Lothario is a male given name that came to suggest an unscrupulous seducer of women, based upon a character in ''The Fair Penitent'', a 1703 tragedy by Nicholas Rowe. , is forced by his doctor dad (
Chip Zien
Jerome Herbert "Chip" Zien (born March 20, 1947) is an American actor. He is best known for playing the lead role of the Baker in the original Broadway production of ''Into the Woods'' by Stephen Sondheim. He has appeared in all of the "Marvin ...
) to accept a job directing an off-Broadway play called ''Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Undead'', which is described as a weird adaptation of ''Hamlet''. The play has been written by a mysterious, pallid Romanian named Theo Horace (
John Ventimiglia
John Ventimiglia (, ) is an American actor. He portrayed Artie Bucco in the HBO television series ''The Sopranos'' and had a recurring role as Dino Arbogast, an Organized Crime Control Bureau Chief for the NYPD, on the American police procedur ...
), a vampire who has just killed a young woman (
Bijou Phillips
Bijou Lilly Phillips Masterson (born April 1, 1980) is an American actress, model and singer. The daughter of musician John Phillips and Geneviève Waïte, she began her career as a model. Phillips made her singing debut with '' I'd Rather Ea ...
). Unaware of the danger that surrounds Theo's play, Julian casts his best friend Vince (
Kris Lemche
Kris Lemche (born 1978 or 1979) is a Canadian actor.
Career
At 17 years old, Lemche answered a newspaper casting call and won a role on the Disney series '' Flash Forward''.
Abandoning plans to study biochemistry in University, Lemche instea ...
) as Hamlet and uses his new job to impress his ex-girlfriend, Anna (
Devon Aoki
Devon Edwenna Aoki (born August 10, 1982) is an actress and fashion model. Aoki's film roles include supporting roles in '' 2 Fast 2 Furious'' (2003) and ''Sin City'' (2005) and lead roles in '' DOA: Dead or Alive'' (2006) and ''Mutant Chronicle ...
), an aspiring actress. To Julian's dismay, Anna has taken up with a shady businessman named Bobby Bianchi (
Ralph Macchio
Ralph George Macchio Jr. ( ; born November 4, 1961) is an American actor. He is best known for playing Daniel LaRusso in three ''Karate Kid'' films and in ''Cobra Kai'', a sequel television series. He also played Johnny Cade in '' The Outsiders' ...
), who has reputed ties to the Mafia. When Anna is cast as Ophelia, she slowly gets involved with Theo. The roles of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern in Theo's play are filled by Carlo (
Carlos Velazquez
Carlos may refer to:
Places
;Canada
* Carlos, Alberta, a locality
;United States
* Carlos, Indiana, an unincorporated community
* Carlos, Maryland, a place in Allegany County
* Carlos, Minnesota, a small city
* Carlos, West Virginia
;Elsewhe ...
) and Mickey (Mike Landry), two narcissistic actors as foolish as the characters they are cast to play. Opening night draws near and people begin to die. Two bumbling New York City detectives (
Jeremy Sisto
Jeremy Merton Sisto (born October 6, 1974) is an American actor. He is known for his roles as Billy Chenowith in HBO's '' Six Feet Under'', NYPD Detective Cyrus Lupo in NBC's '' Law & Order'', George Altman in the ABC sitcom ''Suburgatory'', fo ...
and Lou Carbonneau) chase suspects as the movie builds to its climactic sequence.
The play within the film
Theo's play, ''Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Undead'', is revealed in short segments throughout the movie. Its basic plot points are that Hamlet's friend Horatio (played by Theo) is a master
vampire
A vampire is a mythical creature that subsists by feeding on the Vitalism, vital essence (generally in the form of blood) of the living. In European folklore, vampires are undead, undead creatures that often visited loved ones and caused mi ...
, over 2000 years old, who had once lived in ancient Rome. Through a series of twists and turns, Hamlet and his simple-minded friends,
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are characters in William Shakespeare's tragedy ''Hamlet''. They are childhood friends of Hamlet, summoned by King Claudius to distract the prince from his apparent madness and if possible to ascertain the cause of ...
, become vampires themselves. When Horatio attempts to turn Hamlet's girlfriend
Ophelia
Ophelia () is a character in William Shakespeare's drama ''Hamlet'' (1599–1601). She is a young noblewoman of Denmark, the daughter of Polonius, sister of Laertes and potential wife of Prince Hamlet, who, due to Hamlet's actions, ends up in ...
into a vampire, she thwarts him by drowning herself first. Hamlet angrily confronts Horatio but discovers that one vampire cannot kill another. His only hope of reversing the curse that rendered him a vampire is to find the
Holy Grail
The Holy Grail (french: Saint Graal, br, Graal Santel, cy, Greal Sanctaidd, kw, Gral) is a treasure that serves as an important motif in Arthurian literature. Various traditions describe the Holy Grail as a cup, dish, or stone with miracul ...
and drink from it. Horatio also becomes obsessed with finding the Grail in order to destroy it. The battle for the Grail between Hamlet and Horatio lasts for centuries and leads to the creation of four plays, each concealing a secret message. The first is
Shakespeare
William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...
's ''
Hamlet
''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play, with 29,551 words. Set in Denmark, the play depicts ...
'', written at Horatio's bidding. The second is ''
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are characters in William Shakespeare's tragedy ''Hamlet''. They are childhood friends of Hamlet, summoned by King Claudius to distract the prince from his apparent madness and if possible to ascertain the cause of ...
'', written in the nineteenth century by
W. S. Gilbert
Sir William Schwenck Gilbert (18 November 1836 – 29 May 1911) was an English dramatist, librettist, poet and illustrator best known for his collaboration with composer Arthur Sullivan, which produced fourteen comic operas. The most f ...
(half of the duo of
Gilbert and Sullivan
Gilbert and Sullivan was a Victorian era, Victorian-era theatrical partnership of the dramatist W. S. Gilbert (1836–1911) and the composer Arthur Sullivan (1842–1900), who jointly created fourteen comic operas between 1871 and 1896, of which ...
). The third is
Tom Stoppard
Sir Tom Stoppard (born , 3 July 1937) is a Czech born British playwright and screenwriter. He has written for film, radio, stage, and television, finding prominence with plays. His work covers the themes of human rights, censorship, and politi ...
's ''
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead
''Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead'' is an absurdist, existential tragicomedy by Tom Stoppard, first staged at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 1966. The play expands upon the exploits of two minor characters from Shakespeare's ''Hamle ...
'', written in 1964. The final play in the cycle is this one, ''Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Undead'', written by Horatio himself under the name Theo Horace, with the purpose of luring the real Hamlet into a final confrontation.
Cast
Production
Jordan Galland
Jordan Galland (born 1980) is an American filmmaker and musician based in New York City, and operates Slush Puppy Music, a record label, as well as his own film production company, Ravenous Films.
Early life
Born in Farmington, Connecticut, Ga ...
first conceived of the name, ''Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Undead'', after playing Rosencrantz in a high school production of
Tom Stoppard
Sir Tom Stoppard (born , 3 July 1937) is a Czech born British playwright and screenwriter. He has written for film, radio, stage, and television, finding prominence with plays. His work covers the themes of human rights, censorship, and politi ...
's play ''
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead
''Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead'' is an absurdist, existential tragicomedy by Tom Stoppard, first staged at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 1966. The play expands upon the exploits of two minor characters from Shakespeare's ''Hamle ...
'' at the age of 14. Several years later he was introduced to Stoppard, who encouraged him to pursue the idea. The film was shot in New York City at the end of 2007, using the
Red Digital Cinema Camera
Red Digital Cinema (''Red Digital Cinema Camera Company'') is an American company that manufactures professional digital cinematography cameras and accessories.
The company's headquarters is in Foothill Ranch, California, with studios in Holly ...
(also known as The Red One), an ultra-high-definition video camera, which can record resolutions up to 4520 x 2540 using a Super 35-sized CMOS sensor. Galland, along with his editor, Connor Kalista, and cinematographer, Chris Lavasseur, presented their experience with the Red One at a content panel ("Case Study: Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Undead") at the
National Association of Broadcasters
The National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) is a trade association and lobby group representing the interests of commercial and non-commercial over-the-air radio and television broadcasters in the United States. The NAB represents more than ...
convention (NABShow 2008), on April 15, 2008.
Soundtrack
Galland's longtime collaborator
Sean Lennon
is an American–British musician, songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist. He is the son of John Lennon and Yoko Ono, and half-brother to Julian Lennon. Over the course of his career, he has been a member of the bands Cibo Matto, The G ...
has created an original musical score for the film.
Awards and nominations
*2010 Comedy Award at the
Washington DC Independent Film Festival
The DC Independent Film Festival (DCIFF) is a film festival in Washington, D.C. Launched in 1999, DCIFF exhibits features, animation, shorts and documentaries from around the world, focusing on cutting-edge ideas, new visions and advances in the ...
*2009 Nominated for best production design at the
Strasbourg
Strasbourg (, , ; german: Straßburg ; gsw, label=Bas Rhin Alsatian, Strossburi , gsw, label=Haut Rhin Alsatian, Strossburig ) is the prefecture and largest city of the Grand Est region of eastern France and the official seat of the Eu ...
Film Festival
Release
The film ran in a limited cinema release in the United States on 11 June 2010. It is distributed by Indican Pictures.
Film Festivals
*World premiere at a special screening at the Slamdance Film Festival in January 2009.
* Canadian premiere at the Canadian Music Week Film Festival, March 14, 2009.
* Special Presentations screening at the American Film Institute Dallas International Film Festival, March 27 and 29, 2009.
* Feature film presentation at Newport Beach Film Festival, April 26, 2009.
* Feature film presentation at the Delray Beach Film Festival, May 24, 2009.
* East Coast premiere at the Stony Brook Film Festival, July 24, 2009.
*European premiere, Strasbourg International Film Festival, September 6, 2009.
* Spotlight screening at the Friars Club Comedy Film Festival, September 26, 2009.
* Feature film screening at the Hollywood Film Festival, October 24, 2009.
* Middle East premiere: Icon Film Festival, October 10, 2009.
* Asian festival premiere at the Kaohsiung Film Festival, October 18, 20 and 24, 2009.
* Feature film screening, San Francisco Independent Film Festival, February 5 and 9, 2010.
* Feature film screening, Washington DC Independent Film Festival, March 13, 2010.
*United States cinema release, June 11, 2010.
Critical reception
Website
Metacritic
Metacritic is a website that review aggregator, aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted arithmetic mean, weighted average). M ...
assigned the film a 45 out of 100, indicating "mixed or average reviews". ''
Variety
Variety may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats
* Variety (radio)
* Variety show, in theater and television
Films
* ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont
* ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...
'' gave the film a fairly positive review stating: "''Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Undead'' is one sly slice of the ridiculous."
References
Further reading
*
*
External links
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rosencrantz And Guildenstern Are Undead
2009 horror films
Films shot in New York City
American independent films
2009 comedy horror films
Vampire comedy films
2009 films
American comedy horror films
2009 comedy films
2009 independent films
2000s English-language films
2000s American films