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Aaron Rookus’s “De Idylle” (Idyllic) is a vibrant, teasing work, by turns melancholic and affirming. Deep emotional scars serrate the characters. Each is battling their own burdened history, much of which is buried in expectations imposed by others, internalized, about the turn their lives can take, and what choices they have. There’s so much regret and guilt about a life led to waste, anguish, and self-deception. It’s the hopeful prayer for second chances at rearranging one’s trajectory that underpins the narrative strands.

This is very much an ensemble drama, Rookus vaulting among various members of a family. The telling resists isolated chunks of perspective; everything is woven together, one reflecting off the other. Projections and echoes shatter the uniformity of an unadventurous life, especially one navigated with balking and caution. This shuts out an entire world of radical, new possibilities.

Two of the film’s central characters,...

Denmark-based firm LevelK has boarded international sales rights on Aaron Rookus’ Idyllic ahead of its world premiere at International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR).

Idyllic will debut in the Big Screen Competition at IFFR on Saturday, January 1. The film depicts three generations of a Dutch family as they question their lives and relationships.

It is Dutch director Aaron Rookus’ second feature, after 2023 IFFR title Goodbye Stranger.

Idyllic is produced by Maarten van der Ven and Layla Meijman for the Netherlands’ Studio Ruba, in co-production with Xavier Rombaut of Belgium’s Polar Bear, Ivo Felt of Estonia’s Allfilm and Dutch broadcaster Bnnvara.

This is van Vugt’s feature fiction debut after several award-winning documentaries.

Amsterdam-based sales outfit Fortissimo Films has snapped up international sales rights to Dutch director Jacqueline van Vugt’s Dutch feature Crossing, now in post-production.

This is van Vugt’s feature fiction debut after several award-winning documentaries, among them Borders (2014) and Up To G-cup (2022). It will be introduced to buyers at the European Film Market (EFM).

Crossing is an ensemble drama set in real time on a ferry crossing from Morocco to Spain as.a couple and their two sons travel home from their holiday, the ferry captain smuggles...

"He's only in it for the money and the fame! Now he gets what he deserves." Netflix has unveiled a teaser trailer for the first Dutch Netflix original film, titled Forever Rich, the second feature by Dutch filmmaker Shady El-Hamus. The film tells the story of Richie, who wants to be rich and famous, and his journey to becoming the greatest rap artist in the Netherlands. One evening he is violently robbed by a group of teens and loses his most prized possession: an expensive watch. When images of the humiliating robbery go viral, his hard-earned reputation is damaged. Can Richie restore his image or will this be the end of his career? He decides to risk everything to polish his status again. This stars Jonas Smulders as Richie, with Daniel Kolf, Sinem Kavus, Hadewych Minis, Yootha Wong-Loi-Sing, Mustafa Duygulu, and Yassin Dardour. It looks like a clever twist on...

Sandra Hüller with Toni Erdmann director/writer Maren Ade Photo: Anne-Katrin Titze

Maren Ade has teamed up again with costume designer Gitti Fuchs and editor Heike Parplies of her The Forest For The Trees (Der Wald Vor Lauter Bäumen) and Everyone Else (Alle Anderen) to bring us Germany's Oscar submission Toni Erdmann, starring Sandra Hüller and Peter Simonischek.

Rainer Maria Rilke, Andy Kaufman's Tony Clifton, meerkats (not from Ang Lee's Life Of Pi), Frauke Finsterwalder's Finsterworld, vintage Yves Saint Laurent, and corporate madness came up in my conversation with Maren Ade and Sandra Hüller.

Kent Jones with Maren Ade, Peter Simonischek and Sandra Hüller Photo: Anne-Katrin Titze

With a supporting cast including Viktorija Malektorovych, Hadewych Minis, Lucy Russell, Michael Wittenborn, Ingrid Bisu, Thomas Loibl, and Trystan Pütter, Ade gives her characters a chance to rediscover themselves in song and skin-deep encounters of the third or fourth or fifth kind.

Toni Erdmann

Director: Maren Ade

Writer: Maren Ade

Though many be unfamiliar with her work, which is a pity since both her previous films are available in the Us, director Maren Ade happens to be one of the most vibrant new voices in German cinema. Her 2003 debut The Forest For the Trees received a rather hushed festival debut in Germany before going to collect a Special Jury prize at Sundance. Her powerful and exquisite follow-up was 2009’s Everyone Else, which took home the Silver Berlin Bear at that year’s Berlin film festival. Generally taking a long time between projects, we’ve been patiently waiting for her third feature, Toni Erdmann, which was initially announced back in 2012. With filming at last completed, we’re hoping to finally catch a glimpse of the film which we know little about except that it’s about a father trying to connect with his adult daughter.

Toni Erdmann

Director: Maren Ade // Writer: Maren Ade

Though many be unfamiliar with her work, which is a pity since both her previous films are available in the Us, director Maren Ade happens to be one of the most vibrant new voices in German cinema. Her 2003 debut The Forest For the Trees received a rather hushed festival debut in Germany before going to collect a Special Jury prize at Sundance. Her powerful and exquisite follow-up was 2009′s Everyone Else, which took home the Silver Berlin Bear at that year’s Berlin film festival. Generally taking a long time between projects, we’ve been patiently waiting for her third feature, Toni Erdmann, which was initially announced back in 2012. With filming at last completed, we’re hoping to finally catch a glimpse of the film which we know little about except that it’s about a father trying to connect with his adult daughter.

Ushered forth as the Netherlands’ submission for Best Foreign Language Film this year, Alex van Warmerdam’s hilarious Borgman may prove to be a bit too offbeat for the mainstream tastes of the Academy, at least if judging by its business at the Us box office bears any indication. Arriving on blu-ray from Drafthouse Films, word of mouth may continue to bolster its growing reputation, selected by a number of critics as a standout title for the first half of 2014. Whatever the case, it’s granted considerable attention to the underrated Dutch director whose next little bit of weirdness should arrive next year.

Alex van Warmerdam’s Borgman has to be the steadily working director’s most accomplished work to date. Known mostly for his droll, sometimes perverse films dealing with families or communities tested by strange situations that range anywhere from a maintained weirdness to potential violence, his latest...

On Demand DVD New Releases Sept. 8-14 Belle Inspired by the true story of Dido Elizabeth Belle, this powerful film stars Gugu Mbatha-Raw as the mixed-race daughter of a British Navy officer raised by her wealthy great-uncle (Tom Wilkinson) and his wife (Emily Watson). (PG, 1:44) 9/9 Borgman In this dark, surreal suburban fable, an enigmatic vagrant enters the lives of an upper-class family and quickly unravels their carefully curated lifestyle. Jan Bijvoet, Hadewych Minis (Tvma, 1:53) 9/9 Dutch, subtitled in English. Brick Mansions In the criminal underworld of Detroit, the streets are overrun with violence and drugs. The hand of corruption reaches into the lives … Continue reading →

The post On Demand DVD New Releases: Sept. 8-14 appeared first on Channel Guide Magazine.

Borgman (review here) is a film we've been talking about for quite a while, and finally next month it's hitting Blu-ray/DVD courtesy of Drafthouse Films. We have all the info you need right here!

Borgman Release Details:

Drafthouse Films is releasing Alex van Warmerdam's creepy and surreal thriller Borgman on Blu-ray/DVD and Digital HD on Tuesday, September 9, 2014. Borgman will be distributed on home video at an Srp of $29.93 for Blu-ray and $24.99 for DVD.

The NY Times Critics' Pick will feature three deleted scenes in addition to reversible Mondo art and a 28-page booklet featuring cast and crew interviews and more.

Jan Bijvoet, Hadewych Minis, Jeroen Perceval, Sara Hjort Ditlevsen, Eva van de Wijdeven, Annet Malherbe, and Tom Dewispelaere star.

Synopsis:

Borgman, a dark suburban fable that explores the nature of evil in unexpected places, follows an enigmatic vagrant who enters the lives of an upper-class family and...

Borgman

Written and directed by Alex van Warmerdam

Netherlands/Belgium/Denmark, 2013

An odd and malevolent spell is cast over complacent suburban life in Dutch filmmaker Alex van Warmerdam’s latest. Borgman is a home invasion thriller about a bearded vagrant who takes on the mold of evil incarnate, with plans of invoking pitiless ruin upon a family of five who find themselves embedded in his cross-hairs. With a descriptor like ‘home invasion thriller,’ one might instantly refer to images of forced entry and stock brutality; the subversion and style seen here is the opposite, however, as the film develops slowly with its own signature and literal brand of poison and decay which spill out with mixed results. With its opening upside-down title card which quickly shapes itself into legibility, Borgman almost immediately announces itself as an unforgiving and lopsided affair. An ominous quote reading, “And they descended upon the earth to strengthen their ranks,...

Borgman, The Netherlands' Submission for the Academy Award Nomination for Best Foreign Language Film. U.S. :Drafthouse Films. International Sales Agent: Fortissimo Films

Occasionally in the vast spectrum of cinema, one gets to witness a peculiar dark vision, which innovates the horror or suspense genres, a story that refuses to abide by any standards of normalcy or political correctness. These rare works dare to explore the uncomfortable wickedness of the human condition with uncompromising audacity. While difficult to classify, they leave an indelible and haunting impression.

Unavoidably, some rely unsuccessfully on explicitly brutal images rendering the piece lurid. It is perhaps those works that create a subtle tense atmosphere grounded on the quotidian that truly penetrate the psyche. After all, there is nothing more terrifying than to know evil lures in the seemingly mundane and that everyone is a plausible victim. Taking advantage of such unsettling distress, Alex van Warmerdam’s Borgman is a film that corrodes the viewer’s perception of morality with masterful skill and insane originality.

Literally unearthed by a trio of executioners led by a priest, a dark character Camiel Borgman (Jan Bijvoet), and his followers must abandoned their subterranean caves in the forest like demons expelled from hell. Demanding they wait for his instructions, Borgman leaves his disciples behind and goes on the prowl. Disguised as a common disheveled vagabond he walks through affluent neighborhoods knocking on doors to request permission to take a bath. His unusual but apparently innocent plea is denied. He knows that a friendly appeal to people’s generosity won’t work, so he changes his approach. When hotheaded T.V. producer Richard (Jeroen Perceval) answers the door and opposes to let him into his home, Borgman claims to know his wife Marina (Hadewych Minis). Instantly infuriated Richard gives him a beating leaving the man visibly injured. Rapidly, this inciting incident escalates into an unpredictably deranged narrative.

Remorseful and ashamed for her husband’s behavior Marina lets Borgman take a bath in her opulent house. She feeds him and allows him to sleep in the summerhouse on the outskirts of the enormous property without Richard knowing. Easily manipulating the woman into letting him stay longer, Borgman hides in plain sight and carries himself with an otherworldly confidence. He sneaks into her children’s’ bedroom to tell them stories about a mysterious boy, and he observes Marina and Richard as they sleep, apparently polluting their dreams with violent imagery.

What begins as an act of kindness from Marina’s part develops into something much more sinister as she becomes her more fervent devotee. She is in love with this alluring stranger as if hypnotized into submission. Borgman’s agenda begins unfolding when he kills the family’s gardener to take his place and brings his equally depraved minions to join in the fun. Bodies floating at the bottom of a nearby lake, children undergoing unexplained surgical procedures, and a meticulously heartless demeanor to carry it all out, are all part of Borgman’s messianic plan.

With an unnerving calmness, Belgian actor Jan Bijvoet plays the disturbing fake prophet of evil superbly. Borgman’s composure and unscrupulous practicality as he orchestrates such heinous acts are bafflingly gripping. There is no way to foresee what his twisted logic has in store, as he never shows signs of irrationality. Bijvoet’s contained performance is incredibly powerful because it is indecipherable and full of dreadful certainty.

No outbursts of madness or overly gruesome sequences are required. Everything that evokes fear resides in this charming man whose motives are unclear, yet harrowingly intriguing. His subdued magnetism obliterates Marina’s consciousness. Played with marvelous fragility by Hadewych Minis, she turns into the perfect vehicle to ravage this family and strengthen his ranks, as the opening quote warns.

Avoiding the clichéd preconception that implies terrible things only happen at night, the story takes place almost entirely during the day and it's shot with pleasant brightness. The clan’s presumably flawless methods enable them to diligently carry out their despicable tasks unafraid of any consequences. Alex van Warmerdam, who is also in the film as Ludwig, Borgman’s most efficient assistant, crafted a tale with a fascinatingly strange tone, but with and evident focus on the nature of control.

Deceptive at first, the film might come across as darkly comedic or satirical, but this reaction is clearly one’s attempt to comprehend how viciousness can be enacted with such restraint. Make no mistake, Borgman is a morbid study that pushes the boundaries and examines human’s predisposition for violent behavior. Raising more questions than for which it provides answers, the film revels in the psychological implications of the horrifying occurrences. Unique and directed with uncanny precision, this is a work of absolute diabolic brilliance by an unquestionable visionary.

"Borgman" opens in Los Angeles on June 20th, at the Landmark Nuart Theater...

White Child Above the Clouds: Warmerdam’s Dark Classist Comedy a Winner

Alex van Warmerdam’s Borgman has to be the steadily working director’s most accomplished work to date. Known mostly for his droll, sometimes perverse films dealing with families or communities tested by strange situations that range anywhere from a maintained weirdness to potential violence, his latest treat is poised to broaden his appeal to a larger audience. His 1992 film, The Northerners, perhaps his most celebrated film, deals with a group of people living in a 1960’s housing development, while 2003’s Grimm is an off kilter retelling of Hansel and Gretel. Warmerdam’s latest, which also seems to have roots in the fairy tale parable, plays like the strange, neglected cousin to a host of other considerable cinematic references, and yet, it’s a delectable concoction all its own. Incredibly, often wickedly funny, it’s filled with memorable moments,...

As our very own Matt Donato can attest, Borgman is a supremely eerie and engrossing psychological horror flick, heightened by director Alex Van Warmerdam’s unflinching direction and some fine performances. And though the film might not be playing near you quite yet, that doesn’t mean you can’t get an extended look at Borgman right now.

Today, we have an exclusive clip from the movie to share with you, one that quickly establishes the film’s striking appearance and horrifically sinister tone. Be warned, the clip, titled “Scalpel,” is deeply unnerving and, while not overtly graphic, it certainly sent a chill down my spine. Check it out below:

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How creepy was that? Despite being served in a Tasmanian Devil mug, nothing seems right about mysterious men taking children underground and serving them some type of drink while medical equipment is being...

If Michael Haneke hadn’t taken it already, a similarly ironic name that director Alex van Warmerdam could have used for his cleverly haunting new film Borgman could very well have been “Funny Games.” Appropriately enough, van Warmerdam’s film plays out its twisted, fable-like narrative—about a peculiar vagrant who gradually manipulates his way into the otherwise orderly lives of an upper class Dutch family—as if it were a less overt or sadistic Haneke film, one whose trickery stays squarely within the realm of the film itself and doesn’t chide the audience for bearing witness to the dark and strange tale unraveling before them. If name-dropping European auteurs isn’t your thing, then how about this: Borgman’s weirdo realist fairy tale is likely to leave a lot of people scratching their heads, but those who get caught up in the film’s devious schemes are in...

After a sleepy few weekends at the specialty box office, a quintet of new films aim to shake things up, not least among them a duo of Sundance favorites -- HBO Films' "The Case Against 8" and A24's "Obvious Child" -- that seem like the most, uh, obvious contenders for some big weekend per-theater-averages. Though Mike Myers' directorial debut "Supermensch" is definitely also one to look out for... Here's our predictions: Borgman (Drafthouse) Director:  Alex van Warmerdam Cast: Jan Bijvoet, Hadewych Minis, Jeroen Perceval, Alex van Warmerdam Criticwire Average: 18 critics gave it a B average Where It's Screening: At the IFC Center and Lincoln Plaza in New York. Box Office Expectation: This Dutch import about a vagrant who enters the lives of an arrogant upper-class family screened at Cannes last year to strong reviews, eventually being selected as the Netherlands' foreign language Oscar contender (it didn't make...

Editor’s note: Our review of Borgman originally ran during last year’s Cannes Film Festival, but we’re re-running it now as the film opens in limited release. Alex van Warmerdam‘s Borgman is the first Dutch film to play In Competition at Cannes in just shy of 40 years, and with its daring, deeply dark yet also rib-ticklingly amusing subject matter it unquestionably proves the country’s cinematic worthiness. Early reviews emerging from the Croisette have already compared the film to both Yorgos Lanthimos’s Dogtooth, and the more severe works of Michael Haneke, two touchstones that absolutely hit the mark. Borgman is absolutely a film best approached with only a cursory knowledge of its plot — not that van Warmerdam gives much away himself. The opening images show a disheveled middle-aged man, Borgman (Jan Bijvoet), being disturbed while sleeping in an underground compartment, at which point he flees and knocks on the door of married couple...

A shotgun-wielding priest and his posse set out for Borgman in this fantastic opening scene from the film. The dialogue-free first 5 minutes sets the surreal and creepy tone for this stirring drama. Directed by Alex van Warmerdam, Borgman is a dark suburban fable exploring the nature of evil in unexpected places. Borgman follows an enigmatic vagrant who enters the lives of an upper-class family and quickly unravels their carefully curated lifestyle. Charming and mysterious, Camiel Borgman (Jan Bijvoet) seems almost otherworldly, and it isn't long before he has the wife, children and nanny under his spell in a calculated bid to take over their home life. However, his domestic assimilation takes a malevolent turn as his ultimate plan comes to bear, igniting a series of increasingly maddening and menacing events. Check out this tease from Borgman, which opens in New York City June 6, before expanding to more cities on June...

The more I see of Borgman (review), the more interested I become in seeing more, and today we've got our hands on a whole lot more than we've ever seen in the past.

Ahead of tomorrow's limited theatrical release, check out the entire first five minutes of the flick, which are sure to have you itching for more!

Click here for Borgman theatre listings!

Jan Bijvoet, Hadewych Minis, Jeroen Perceval, Sara Hjort Ditlevsen, Eva van de Wijdeven, Annet Malherbe, and Tom Dewispelaere star.

Synopsis

A dark suburban fable exploring the nature of evil in unexpected places, Borgman follows an enigmatic vagrant who enters the lives of an upper-class family and quickly unravels their carefully curated lifestyle. Charming and mysterious, Camiel Borgman seems almost otherworldly, and it isn't long before he has the wife, children and nanny under his spell in a calculated bid to take over their home life. However,...

Alex van Warmerdam's "Borgman," the 2014 Dutch Oscar entry for Best Foreign Language Film, is a nasty, insane, mind-melting and unpredictable piece of work. Starting with Cannes, it dazzled, and perplexed, the festival circuit heavily last year, and it's now coming to select cities on June 6, i.e. this Friday, courtesy of who-else-but Drafthouse Films. (Trailer below.) A dark suburban fairytale that takes cues from Yorgos Lanthimos ("Dogtooth") and Michael Haneke ("Funny Games"), while firmly remaining its own strange beast, "Borgman" hovers perilously over a stiff upper-class family whose bearings are unmoored by the appearance of a mysterious vagrant fellow (Jan Bijvoet).  As housewife (and would-be expressionist painter) Marina (played with hinged intensity Hadewych Minis) -- who the stranger claims to know from a past life, or something -- slowly starts losing her shit, plagued by nightmares of murder and domestic mayhem, the dastardly Borgman has his own malevolent tricks.

Most of us think we have a solid grasp on the definition of good and evil. This is good and right, but that over there is so bad and evil. I’m good because I do this, but what they do over there is evil. We like to throw these labels around like they are black and white, carved in stone and not at all subject to interpretation or context. At this, I laugh heartily with the best of intentions. One of the many things I love so much about cinema is the freedom it gives the artist to explore sides of humanity that most of us would otherwise dare not even think of acting out in real life. Nor would most of us ever wish such things on others, but there is something to be said for exploring such things on a philosophical and artistic level instead of avoiding...

If you want an unnerving, truly disturbing cinematic experience, be sure to check out Borgman, from Dutch helmer Alex van Warmerdam. It’s a scary, eerie, darkly humorous flick filled with questions about identity and the true nature of evil, and it’s sure to stick in your head for long after you leave the theater.

Now, you can check out a new clip from the film, in which the title character (played creepily by Jan Bijvoet) innocently requests a bath in the home of an upper class family, but soon grows more taunting as he baits the houseowner (Jeroen Perceval) with the claim that he knew his wife Marina (Hadewych Minis) when she was a nurse by the name of Maria.

The clip comes courtesy of The Playlist over at Indiewire. Check it out below:

Our own Matt Donato just recently reviewed the film (and you can check out...

Dutch filmmaker Alex van Warmerdam has done something amazing with his 2013 Cannes hit Borgman – he’s struck me almost completely silent. Assembling a cautionary tale of true evil’s many charismatic forms, no 2014 watch has personally unearthed such conflicting reactions thus far, and this is coming from a horror lover who adores filmmakers who can sneakily establish a wolf in sheep’s clothing. Borgman represents broody, unnerving filmmaking, that fact remains undeniable, but does Warmerdam’s haunting suburban nightmare possess enough sense to remain watchable? As Van Warmerdam expresses a darker, more dangerous Michel Gondry style, Borgman becomes something of an art-house horror film aided by perception, not understanding – a strong stylistic choice, but one that might thin out hordes of viewers.

Jan Bijvoet plays the enigmatic vagrant Camiel Borgman, a homeless man forced from his underground community by men with shotguns and other weapons. We don’t know why...

We're one week away from the theatrical release of Alex van Warmerdam's highly intriguing looking flick Borgman (review), which Drafthouse Films unloads on June 6th. In the meantime, check out a highly disturbing new clip from the film, which takes body disposal to a whole new level!

Click here for Borgman theatre listings!

Jan Bijvoet, Hadewych Minis, Jeroen Perceval, Sara Hjort Ditlevsen, Eva van de Wijdeven, Annet Malherbe, and Tom Dewispelaere star.

Synopsis

A dark suburban fable exploring the nature of evil in unexpected places, Borgman follows an enigmatic vagrant who enters the lives of an upper-class family and quickly unravels their carefully curated lifestyle. Charming and mysterious, Camiel Borgman seems almost otherworldly, and it isn't long before he has the wife, children and nanny under his spell in a calculated bid to take over their home life. However, his domestic assimilation takes a malevolent turn as his ultimate plan comes to bear,...

Wondering if you're gonna be one of the lucky ones who can check out Alex van Warmerdam’s Borgman in theatres? A June 6th release date has been given to the flick, and you can find out right here if it will be playing at a movie house near you!

Click here for Borgman theatre listings!

Jan Bijvoet, Hadewych Minis, Jeroen Perceval, Sara Hjort Ditlevsen, Eva van de Wijdeven, Annet Malherbe, and Tom Dewispelaere star.

Synopsis

Borgman is the central character in Alex van Warmerdam’s dark, malevolent fable. Is he a dream or a demon, a twisted allegory or an all-too-real embodiment of our fears? Borgman is a sinister arrival in the sealed-off streets of modern suburbia. His presence unleashes a crowing gallery of distortion around the careful facade constructed by an arrogant, comfortable couple, their three children, and nanny.

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Borgman is a difficult film to categorize, let alone explain exactly what happened once the credits roll. Just when it’s starting to make sense something changes and everything you thought you had figured out transforms. Utilizing several dramatic and horror genre characteristics, Alex van Warmerdam makes this occasionally confused film into a flowing mix of sinister, mystical, comical, and metaphorical content.

A priest leads a manhunt into the forest carrying sharpened and loaded weaponry. The men arrive at an indiscriminate location and the priest gives them a signal to start digging. Underneath the forest floor is a cavern, home to a disheveled bearded man named Borgman (Jan Bijvoet) who barely escapes and relocates into a high-end suburb. After sustaining a vicious beating at the hands of homeowner named Richard (Jeroen Perceval), Borgman manipulates his way into the lives of the man’s family and carefully introduces mayhem into their lives.

Borgman (2013) Film Review, a movie directed by Alex van Warmerdam and starring Jan Bijvoet, Hadewych Minis, Alex van Warmerdam, Sara Hjort Ditlevsen, Annet Malherbe, and Pierre Bokma. The Dutch entry for last year’s Oscars, Borgman, desperately wants you to think it’s a heady, psychological thriller. It [...]

Continue reading: Film Review: Borgman (2013): Dutch Film Is Not The Right Kind of Baffling...

Borgman Trailer. Alex van Warmerdam‘s Borgman (2013) movie trailer stars Alex van Warmerdam, Jan Bijvoet, Hadewych Minis, Jeroen Perceval, and Sara Hjort Ditlevsen. Borgman‘s plot synopsis: “A dark suburban fable exploring the nature of evil in unexpected places, Borgman follows an enigmatic vagrant who enters the lives of an upper-class [...]

Continue reading: Borgman (2013) Movie Trailer: Alex van Warmerdam’s Exploration of Evil...

Yesterday we shared with you the creepy trailer for Alex van Warmerdam’s Borgman, which has proven itself to be a hit on the festival circuit. A June 6th release date has been given to the flick, and on tap for you today is an image gallery full of hairy male nudity. Sound good?! Then dig in!

Jan Bijvoet, Hadewych Minis, Jeroen Perceval, Sara Hjort Ditlevsen, Eva van de Wijdeven, Annet Malherbe, and Tom Dewispelaere star.

Synopsis

Borgman is the central character in Alex van Warmerdam’s dark, malevolent fable. Is he a dream or a demon, a twisted allegory or an all-too-real embodiment of our fears? Borgman is a sinister arrival in the sealed-off streets of modern suburbia. His presence unleashes a crowing gallery of distortion around the careful facade constructed by an arrogant, comfortable couple, their three children, and nanny.

Visit The Evilshop @ Amazon!

Got news? Click here to submit it!

More indie goodness is on its way in the form of Alex van Warmerdam’s Borgman, which enjoyed a very successful festival run at Tiff and more. A June 6th release date has been given to the flick, and right now we have your first look at the official trailer!

Jan Bijvoet, Hadewych Minis, Jeroen Perceval, Sara Hjort Ditlevsen, Eva van de Wijdeven, Annet Malherbe, and Tom Dewispelaere star.

Synopsis

Borgman is the central character in Alex van Warmerdam’s dark, malevolent fable. Is he a dream or a demon, a twisted allegory or an all-too-real embodiment of our fears? Borgman is a sinister arrival in the sealed-off streets of modern suburbia. His presence unleashes a crowing gallery of distortion around the careful façade constructed by an arrogant, comfortable couple, their three children, and nanny.

Visit The Evilshop @ Amazon!

Got news? Click here to submit it!

Subscribe to the Dread Central YouTube Channel!

Alex van Warmerdam's Borgman is an odd duck. A modern fantasy, it features the dark undertones of the original Grimm Brother's fairy tales before Disney got a hold of them. It's wonderfully dark, occasionally funny with a decisively violent streak throughout.

Jan Bijvoet stars as the titular Borgman, a long haired, bearded hippy type who preys on the goodwill of Marina (Hadewych Minis), a well to do woman who feels sorry for the guy and allows him to bathe and eat in her lavish home. He eventually talks his way into a job as the family gardener but what follows is a strange and progressively violent tale of a man who exercises a strange power over the family.

The trailer has been cut to beautifully capture the mood and oddity of the story but I'm a bit surprised it gives away [Continued ...]...

Over the past year, one movie has been building a bit of buzz thanks a continual presence on the festival circuit, premiering at Cannes, playing Tiff and hitting Fantastic Fest among the more notable of its many stops. We're talking about Alex van Warmerdam's "Borgman," and if you like your cinema weird and eerie, this one has you covered. Our Jessica Kiang—as you'll see in the trailer too—called this " 'Dogtooth' meets Michael Haneke," and those checkpoints are easy to see in this new U.S. trailer for the film. Starring Jan Bijvoet, Hadewych Minis, Jeroen Perceval, Sara Hjort Ditlevsen, Eva van de Wijdeven, Annet Malherbe, Tom Dewispelaere and the director himself, the story follows a vagrant who inserts himself into the lives of an upper class family, slowly turning their world upside down, until his true reasons for being there are revealed. This looks dark, twisted and...

More indie goodness is on its way in the form of Alex van Warmerdam’s Borgman, which enjoyed a very successful festival run at Tiff and more. A June 6th release date has been given to the flick, and right now we have your first look at the one-sheet!

Jan Bijvoet, Hadewych Minis, Jeroen Perceval, Sara Hjort Ditlevsen, Eva van de Wijdeven, Annet Malherbe, and Tom Dewispelaere star.

Synopsis

Borgman is the central character in Alex van Warmerdam’s dark, malevolent fable. Is he a dream or a demon, a twisted allegory or an all-too-real embodiment of our fears? Borgman is a sinister arrival in the sealed-off streets of modern suburbia. His presence unleashes a crowing gallery of distortion around the careful façade constructed by an arrogant, comfortable couple, their three children, and nanny.

Visit The Evilshop @ Amazon!

Got news? Click here to submit it!

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If you had your ear to the ground on the festival circuit last year, one movie that earned some solid buzz was Alex van Warmerdam's "Borgman." After premiering in Competition at the Cannes Film Festival, the film picked up awards around the world at fests in Athens, Haifa, Sitges and more, not to mention numerous nominations. Now, the darkly twisted tale is coming to cinemas stateside. Starring Jan Bijvoet, Hadewych Minis, Jeroen Perceval, Sara Hjort Ditlevsen, Eva van de Wijdeven, Annet Malherbe, Tom Dewispelaere and the director himself, the unique premise follows a vagrant who moves into the home of an upper class family and starts to take over their lives, with his more sinister motivations laying beneath the surface. A film that our own Jessica Kiang called "caustic, surreal, creepy, and blackly funny," you can see more of her praise on the exclusive, illustrated poster for the film below,...

★★★★☆ One of numerous films to make its way to London from the Cannes, Alex van Warmerdam's Borgman (2013) is the darkest of dark horses: an obsidian black comedy with a surreal and genuinely vicious 'eat the rich' ethic that might just pinch a prize. The film opens with a beautifully ludicrous scene as three characters - including a Roman Catholic priest - get tooled up and attempt to capture and possibly kill what seems like a group of homeless people who are living in a Stig of the Dump-style underground hideaway. Their bearded leader, Borgman (Jan Bijovet), makes good his escape and searches for sanctuary.

Borgman's direct approach with a particularly wealthy family living in a large, gated compound leads only to a beating, handed out by Richard (Jeroen Perceval). His artist-wife Marina (Hadewych Minis), shocked by his violence, takes pity on the tramp, allowing him his bath and seeing to his injuries,...

If you couldn’t tell from the title of today’s report from Fantastic Fest in Austin, Texas, the theme of Day Three for me could be boiled down into one word: subtitles. And if it wasn’t for one of the five films I watched today–not counting Cheap Thrills, which has its own, fuller review elsewhere in the section–the theme could’ve been Asian cinema. But alas, it was not to be. Stupid Borgman. (More on that in a bit.) Though there were fewer miracles to be had today, there was a bit of liquor imbibed, specifically a tequila-infused chocolate milkshake, which tastes as delightful as it sounds. Just like Day Two, as I sit to compose this report, I’m amazed that 15 hours ago, I was on my way to the Alamo Drafthouse Lakeline. In spite of staying either inside the theater or directly outside of it for the duration,...

Hot on the heels of Tiff 2013's Midnight Madness movie announcement comes word of the flicks playing as part of their Vanguard programme. Read on for details.

From the Press Release

The Vanguard programme takes audiences on a sensory rollercoaster ride with boundary-pushing international works that are bold and bodacious. Curated by international programmer Colin Geddes, this lineup brings the best in genre and arthouse together for a cinematic odyssey that eludes conventional definition.

“From revenge and ruin to sex, drugs and taxation, this programme challenges audiences to go places that no audience has gone before,” said Geddes. “Where Midnight Madness opens up audiences to a world of fear and fantasy, Vanguard plunges them into a confrontational and unnerving one that sometimes comes a bit too close to reality for comfort.”

The Vanguard roster features a provocative partnership between Ti West (The House of the Devil, The Innkeepers) and Eli Roth (Hostel,...

Following today's announcements for their documentary and Midnight Madness line-ups, the Toronto International Film Festival has revealed the films playing the Vanguard category. The "Vanguard" is for films that are "provocative, sexy…possibly dangerous," according to the Tiff website. The most notable of the inclusions is Alexandre Aja's adaptation of Joe Hill's Horns, which stars Daniel Radcliffe as a young man who wakes up to find himself accused of the violent rape and murder of his girlfriend. He also discovers he's sprouted horns on his head. Hit the jump for the Vanguard line-up. The 2013 Toronto International Film Festival runs from September 5 – 15th. Blue Ruin Jeremy Saulnier, USA North American Premiere A classic American revenge story, Blue Ruin follows a mysterious outsider whose quiet life is turned upside down when he returns to his childhood home to carry out an act of vengeance. Finding himself in a brutal fight to protect his estranged family,...

Tiff’s Midnight Madness selection is usually where we find all of the horror films, but the Vanguard selection features Ti West’s latest film, The Sacrament, and Alexandre Aja’s Horns, starring Daniel Radcliffe:

“Toronto — The Toronto International Film Festival® Vanguard programme takes audiences on a sensory rollercoaster ride with boundary-pushing international works that are bold and bodacious. Curated by international programmer Colin Geddes, this lineup brings the best in genre and arthouse together for a cinematic odyssey that eludes conventional definition.

“From revenge and ruin to sex, drugs and taxation, this programme challenges audiences to go places that noaudience has gone before,” said Geddes. “Where Midnight Madness opens up audiences to a world of fear and fantasy, Vanguard plunges them into a confrontational and unnerving one that sometimes comes a bit too close to reality for comfort.”

The Vanguard roster features a provocative partnership between Ti West (The House of the Devil,...

Here are the films finalized for the Vanguard Programme of the Toronto Film Festival: Blue Ruin Jeremy Saulnier, USA North American Premiere A classic American revenge story, Blue Ruin follows a mysterious outsider whose quiet life is turned upside down when he returns to his childhood home to carry out an act of vengeance. Finding himself in a brutal fight to protect his estranged family, he proves to be an amateur assassin. Starring Macon Blair. Borgman Alex van Warmerdam, The Netherlands/Belgium/Denmark North American Premiere Borgman is the central character in Alex van Warmerdam’s dark, malevolent fable. Is he a dream or a demon, a twisted allegory or an all-too-real embodiment of our fears? Borgman is a sinister arrival in the sealed-off streets of modern suburbia. His presence unleashes a crowing gallery of distortion around the careful façade constructed by an arrogant, comfortable couple, their three children and nanny.

The Cannes Film Festival is all wrapped up for another year; the awards have been given out, and pundits are busy working out what’s going to go the distance in the coming awards season, and what will fall by the wayside. In my first time at Cannes, I managed to watch 41 films, including all 20 films In Competition, and have arrived at the 10 films that I feel were the best of show. Put simply, these are ones to watch out for: 10. Borgman Read the review Alex van Warmerdam delivers the first Dutch film In Competition in almost 40 years, a darkly funny thriller-drama that proved to be one of the most beguiling films at this year’s fest. Jan Bijvoet plays a demon-like figure who infiltrates a middle-upper class family’s quaint life and promptly poisons it, sending married couple Richard (Jeroen Perceval) and Marina (Hadewych Minis) destined for a chaotic clash. Think...

The first Dutch film in 38 years to play in competition at Cannes is an acquired taste fable about the power of the shaman and the endemic evil of the upper middle-classes

Last year Cannes brought us snuggly Haneke, as the great man thawed out for Amour. This year, we get ho-hum Haneke, courtesy of a Dutch Funny Games knockoff which tickles happily for the first 40 minutes, then gets niggly, then annoying, and finally just a bit tedious.

Things begin swell, with a man knocking back some pickled fish straight from the jar (welcome to the Netherlands!) before joining some pals, headed by a priest, who are hunting down our hero (Jan Bijvoet). He's a forest-dweller, squirreled away with colleagues in a complex underground den. Thanks to the quick wit of Borgman – thick beard, straggle hair, mad eyes, cavernous face – they all escape; he then pitches up in a posh suburb...

Let’s start our little chat about the upcoming Borgman movie, which has been selected to compete for the Palme d’Or at this year’s Cannes Film Festival. Believe it or not, this dark and twisted thriller, which comes from director Alex Van Warmerdam, is the first Dutch Cannes contender in 38 years! We have the official trailer, some images and poster for the whole thing, head inside to check them out… Written and directed by Alex Van Warmerdam, this action thriller has quite interesting cast on board, which includes Jan Bijvoet, Hadewych Minis, Jeroen Perceval, Tom Dewispelaere and Sara Hjort Ditlevsen. The project revolves around Bijvoet’s...

Click to continue reading Cannes 2013: Borgman by Alex Van Warmerdam In Competition on www.filmofilia.com...

The delightfully hot Charlize Theron ('Monster') is set to star and produce the remake of Dutch horror flick 'Zwart Water'. The Summit Entertainment production is set to be directed by Scott Derrickson ('The Exorcism of Emily Rose') will helm the project from the script adapted by scribe Paul Harris Boardman, who also penned 'Hellraiser: Inferno' and 'Urban Legends: Final Cut'. Charlize (below) will also be steaming up the specs of many-a sci-fi geek next Summer when she stars in Ridley Scott's new 'Alien'-esque prequel 'Prometheus'. The original ghost story from writer/director Elbert van Strien was released last year as 'Two Eyes Staring' internationally, which is surprising due to the actual translation being 'Black Water', and starred Hadewych Minis, Barry Atsma, Isabelle Stokkel and Charlotte Arnoldy. Check out the plot info from the original below.

While Europe has long been a great place to look for well-made horror films, the Netherlands has never been a country that made much of a mark in horror, excepting of course the work of Dick Maas. That said, writer/director Elbert von Strien looks to change that distinction with his film Two Eyes Staring, a fantastic modern ghost story that still manages to feel a little gothic. Nine-year-old Lisa (Isabelle Stokkel) is a pretty quiet girl, content to keep to herself. Her detachment from the world is mirrored in her detachment from her mother, Christine (Hadewych Minis), a woman who looks at Lisa as if she’s someone else. While not exactly cold, Christine is somehow guarded around Lisa, a fact that hasn’t escaped the little girl’s attention. Luckily Lisa has a good relationship with her father, Paul (Barry Atsma). When Christine’s mother passes away and leaves her home to her daughter despite...

Actress Charlize Theron has signed on for Summit Entertainment's remake of Zwart Water for director Scott Derrickson.

The original Zwart Water, a Dutch thriller released last year, centers on a nine-year-old girl who discovers her new friend is actually her mother's dead twin. Charlize Theron will portray the mother in the remake, who is said to be slightly unhinged.

Scott Derrickson will direct the Zwart Water remake from a script by Paul Harris Boardman, who wrote Scott Derrickson's The Exorcism of Emily Rose and The Day the Earth Stood Still.

Charlize Theron will produce alongside Beth Kono. No production schedule was given for the remake.

Zwart Water was released March 10th, 2010 and stars Hadewych Minis, Barry Atsma, Isabelle Stokkel, Charlotte Arnoldy, Steven Boen, Warre Borgmans, Philippe Colpaert, Els Dottermans. The film is directed by Elbert van Strien.

Caught this little blurb about Charlize Theron snapping up remake rights to a Dutch horror movie called “Two Eyes Staring” that caught my attention. What got me interested wasn’t the idea that Theron is going around buying remake rights, but the quick synopsis of the original movie, which goes something like this: …the story of a nine-year-old girl who discovers her sinister friend is the ghost of her mother’s dead twin. Interesting. Here’s a slightly longer synopsis from IMDb.com: Nine-year-old Lisa discovers her sinister new friend is the ghost of the dead twin of Lisa’s mother. Lisa’s father also begins to suspect his wife of hiding a terrible secret, resulting in deadly consequences… Theron is probably eyeing (ahem) the mother character, originally played by Hadewych Minis, with Isabelle Stokkel playing the young girl with the ghost for a friend. The original, called “Zwart water...

London -- Oscar winner Charlize Theron has proffered a Dutch wink to remake rights to writer/director Elbert van Strien's "Two Eyes Staring," a movie originally named "Zwart Water" in the Netherlands.

Theron snapped up remake rights through her production banner Denver & Delilah and is, according to Dutch sources, meeting "A-list directors" to attach to the remake.

The original Dutch pic, fresh from a circuit of international festival airings including screenings at the Edinburgh International Film Festival, Fantasy Filmfest in Germany and the Taipei Golden Horse Film Festival, starred British born Barry Atsma alongside Hadewych Minis, Isabelle Stokkel and Bart Slegers.

Written by van Strien and Paulo van Vliet, "Two Eyes Staring" details the story of a nine-year-old girl who discovers her sinister friend is the ghost of her mother's dead twin.

Zwart Water or Two Eyes Staring is a film from Accento Films, which is from the Netherlands. In this first trailer for Zwart, Lisa, a nine year old girl, discovers a secret long buried by her mother. Seems the family was a little bigger at one point. Two Eyes Staring has already won the Kodak Development Prize in 2006 and this first clip will surely make you squirm as the dead come to life for a reunion.

The synopsis for Zwart Water or Two Eyes Staring:

"In Zwart Water (Two Eyes Staring) the nine-year-old Lisa discovers her sinister new friend is the ghost of the dead twin of Lisa’s mother. Lisa’s father also begins to suspect his wife of hiding a terrible secret, resulting in deadly consequences" (Zwart).

Director: Elbert van Strien.

Writers: Elbert van Strien and Paulo van Vliet.

Cast: Barry Atsma, Hadewych Minis, Isabelle Stokkel, and Bart Slegers.