Iron Cross / Beautiful Blue Eyes (found English thriller film; 2009): Difference between revisions
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'''''Iron Cross''''' (originally titled | '''''Iron Cross''''' (originally titled '''''Justice/Vengeance''''') was a British thriller film written and directed by Joshua Newton. It starred Roy Scheider as a retired police detective who believes he has found the Nazi officer responsible for his family's deaths in his son's apartment complex. | ||
The film marked the final role of Scheider, who died during production. Newton completed the film through a prosthetic latex mask based on Scheider's face and CGI to have Scheider appear in the unfinished scenes.<ref name=FinalFilm>[https://www.theguardian.com/film/2009/apr/05/roy-scheider-iron-cross] Retrieved 09 Apr '21</ref> | The film marked the final role of Scheider, who died during production. Newton completed the film through a prosthetic latex mask based on Scheider's face and CGI to have Scheider appear in the unfinished scenes.<ref name=FinalFilm>[https://www.theguardian.com/film/2009/apr/05/roy-scheider-iron-cross] Retrieved 09 Apr '21</ref> | ||
''Iron Cross'' received a limited theatrical release | ''Iron Cross'' received a limited theatrical release between 2009 and 2011, but was never released to home media. While no official word has been made on why it has not appeared on home media, clues can be found in Calibra Pictures, the film's production company, taking unsuccessful legal action against a negative review and subsequently filing for bankruptcy. | ||
==Plot== | ==Plot== | ||
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Aided by a reluctant Ronnie, Joseph kidnaps Shrager and takes him to a remote area to enact his revenge. The film concludes with a final twist.<ref name=WhomYou></ref> | Aided by a reluctant Ronnie, Joseph kidnaps Shrager and takes him to a remote area to enact his revenge. The film concludes with a final twist.<ref name=WhomYou></ref> | ||
==Cast== | ==Cast== | ||
*Roy Scheider as Joseph | * Roy Scheider as Joseph | ||
*Alexander Newton as Young Joseph | ** Alexander Newton as Young Joseph | ||
*Scott Cohen as Ronnie | * Scott Cohen as Ronnie | ||
*Helmut Berger as Shrager / Vogler | * Helmut Berger as Shrager / Vogler | ||
*Calita Rainford as Anna | * Calita Rainford as Anna | ||
* Sarah Bolger as Kashka | |||
*Sarah Bolger as Kashka | * Anna Polony as Frau Ganz | ||
* Mónica Cruz as Gaby | |||
*Anna Polony as Frau Ganz | * Enrique Arce as Guillermo | ||
== | ==Release== | ||
''Iron Cross'' was shown at Academy Award screenings between December 12th, 2009, and December 20th, 2009, in Los Angeles, New York, and San Francisco to qualify for the Oscars.<ref name=Casetext>[https://casetext.com/case/calibra-pictures] Retrieved 09 Apr '21</ref> It premiered to the public at the 26th Boston Film Festival in 2010<ref name=BostonFilm>[http://bostonfilmfestival.org/docs/BFFRelease-8-26-2010.pdf] Retrieved 13 Apr '21</ref> and had a limited theatrical release in the United States, United Kingdom, and Germany in 2011.<ref name=IMDbRelease>[https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1039614/releaseinfo?ref_=tt_dt_dt] Retrieved 09 Apr '21</ref> | |||
==Reception== | ==Reception== | ||
Due to the film's limited release, only a few reviews were made. Those who reviewed the film praised Scheider's performance, but Newton's direction drew more scrutiny. | |||
Due to the film's limited release, only a few reviews were made. Those who reviewed the film | |||
Whom You Know gave the film high praise for its characters and "complex personal historical nature", noting that Newton had based Scheider's character off his father's experiences in World War II, and called it "an intelligent film for intelligent people".<ref name=WhomYou></ref> | Whom You Know gave the film high praise for its characters and "complex personal historical nature", noting that Newton had based Scheider's character off his father's experiences in World War II, and called it "an intelligent film for intelligent people".<ref name=WhomYou></ref> | ||
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A negative review was written by Robert Koehler for ''Variety''. Koehler found that "Scheider put body and soul into the project", but "Newton’s film is simply mediocre stuff, choppy and uncertain, with hints of ambitious ideas that fail to gather steam".<ref name=VarietyReview>[https://variety.com/2009/film/reviews/iron-cross-1200477822/] Retrieved 09 Apr '21</ref> | A negative review was written by Robert Koehler for ''Variety''. Koehler found that "Scheider put body and soul into the project", but "Newton’s film is simply mediocre stuff, choppy and uncertain, with hints of ambitious ideas that fail to gather steam".<ref name=VarietyReview>[https://variety.com/2009/film/reviews/iron-cross-1200477822/] Retrieved 09 Apr '21</ref> | ||
==Accolades== | |||
Despite the mixed reception, ''Iron Cross'' received the Remembrance Award at the Museum of Tolerance International Film Festival in 2010. Rabbi Marvin Hier called it "the most important film since Schindler's List".<ref>[https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/museum-of-tolerance-international-film-festival-honors-clint-eastwood-for-body-of-work-and-iron-cross-with-remembrance-award-108399964.html] Retrieved 13 Apr '21</ref> | |||
==Lawsuit== | ==Lawsuit== | ||
The negative review from ''Variety'' prompted a lawsuit from Calibra Pictures, LLC, the film's production company. According to the lawsuit, Calibra and ''Variety'' had an exclusive media partnership where Calibra signed a $400,000 contract in exchange for ''Variety'' providing an Academy Award campaign for ''Iron Cross''. The lawsuit alleged that after Calibra paid ''Variety'' $226,000, the negative review was "effectively destroying the promotion to distributors and any chance for award nominations for the 2009-2010 awards season".<ref name=TheWrap>[https://www.thewrap.com/variety-sued-over-iron-cross-campaign-ruined-bad-review-15111/] Retrieved 09 Apr '21</ref> | The negative review from ''Variety'' prompted a lawsuit from Calibra Pictures, LLC, the film's production company. According to the lawsuit, Calibra and ''Variety'' had an exclusive media partnership where Calibra signed a $400,000 contract in exchange for ''Variety'' providing an Academy Award campaign for ''Iron Cross''. The lawsuit alleged that after Calibra paid ''Variety'' $226,000, the negative review was "effectively destroying the promotion to distributors and any chance for award nominations for the 2009-2010 awards season".<ref name=TheWrap>[https://www.thewrap.com/variety-sued-over-iron-cross-campaign-ruined-bad-review-15111/] Retrieved 09 Apr '21</ref> | ||
In the lawsuit, Calibra sought damages for breach of contract, fraud, deceit, and unfair business practices.<ref name=CourthouseNews>[https://www.courthousenews.com/movie-producer-says-variety-sandbagged-it/] Retrieved 09 Apr '21</ref> ''Variety'' countered with a motion to dismiss the lawsuit on the grounds that it was a Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation (SLAPP). The motion to dismiss was granted by the California Superior Court in 2010.<ref name=Scribd>[https://www.scribd.com/document/32491740/Calibra-v-Variety-BC433320-Notice-of-Ruling] Retrieved 09 Apr '21</ref> Calibra appealed the decision, but the California | In the lawsuit, Calibra sought damages for breach of contract, fraud, deceit, and unfair business practices.<ref name=CourthouseNews>[https://www.courthousenews.com/movie-producer-says-variety-sandbagged-it/] Retrieved 09 Apr '21</ref> ''Variety'' countered with a motion to dismiss the lawsuit on the grounds that it was a Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation (SLAPP). The motion to dismiss was granted by the California Superior Court in 2010.<ref name=Scribd>[https://www.scribd.com/document/32491740/Calibra-v-Variety-BC433320-Notice-of-Ruling] Retrieved 09 Apr '21</ref> Calibra appealed the decision, but the California Courts of Appeal upheld the dismissal in 2011, finding that Calibra's allegations lacked legal merit and "Variety had a virtually unfettered right under the First Amendment to choose what to print regarding the film and it did not waive that right in the advertising contract between the parties". Variety was awarded $57,474 in attorneys’ fees and costs and was entitled to recover its attorneys’ fees and costs from Calibra.<ref name=VarietyLawsuit> [https://variety.com/2011/film/news/iron-cross-lawsuit-dismissal-upheld-1118041545/] Retrieved 09 Apr '21</ref> | ||
==Availability== | |||
No home releases would be made of ''Iron Cross'' and the film has not been seen since its brief theatrical run. An official reason has not been given for this home media absence, but it is believed the lawsuit turned away distributors and Calibra filed for bankruptcy after losing the lawsuit in 2012.<ref name=CompanyBankruptcy>[https://businessbankruptcies.com/cases/calibra-pictures-llc] Retrieved 09 Apr '21</ref> | |||
The only footage that exists publicly of the film is from an unofficial trailer that a viewer uploaded to YouTube in 2010. | |||
==Gallery== | ==Gallery== | ||
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|service1 =youtube | |service1 =youtube | ||
|id1 =fCY3RXaWO1o | |id1 =fCY3RXaWO1o | ||
|description1 = | |description1 = Unofficial trailer. | ||
}} | }} | ||
==External Links== | ==External Links== | ||
Revision as of 23:48, 13 April 2021
The film's theatrical poster.
Status: Partially Found
Iron Cross (originally titled Justice/Vengeance) was a British thriller film written and directed by Joshua Newton. It starred Roy Scheider as a retired police detective who believes he has found the Nazi officer responsible for his family's deaths in his son's apartment complex.
The film marked the final role of Scheider, who died during production. Newton completed the film through a prosthetic latex mask based on Scheider's face and CGI to have Scheider appear in the unfinished scenes.[1]
Iron Cross received a limited theatrical release between 2009 and 2011, but was never released to home media. While no official word has been made on why it has not appeared on home media, clues can be found in Calibra Pictures, the film's production company, taking unsuccessful legal action against a negative review and subsequently filing for bankruptcy.
Plot
Joseph, a retired New York City detective, travels to Nuremberg for a visit with his son Ronnie. The two have been estranged since Ronnie ended his career with the NYPD to become an actor, but Joseph is seeking reconciliation following the death of his wife. Ronnie is married to Anna, an artist, and lives in an apartment complex that is also home to two elderly tenants, Ernst Shrager and Frau Ganz.[2]
When Joseph arrives at the apartment, he becomes convinced that Shrager is Vogler, the SS officer who murdered his parents and siblings during World War II. Ronnie doubts these claims until he and his father find Nazi items in Shrager's apartment, along with a passport identifying him as Ernest Otto Volger. Following this revelation, Joseph develops a plan to take vengeance on Shrager.[2]
The film also depicts Joseph's time on the run from the Nazis in Poland. In the flashbacks, Joseph meets a Polish girl named Kashka who falls in love with him. Sarah Bolger, Kashka's actress, stated in an interview that Kashka "is interrogated, tortured, and killed to save the person she loves".[3]
Aided by a reluctant Ronnie, Joseph kidnaps Shrager and takes him to a remote area to enact his revenge. The film concludes with a final twist.[2]
Cast
- Roy Scheider as Joseph
- Alexander Newton as Young Joseph
- Scott Cohen as Ronnie
- Helmut Berger as Shrager / Vogler
- Calita Rainford as Anna
- Sarah Bolger as Kashka
- Anna Polony as Frau Ganz
- Mónica Cruz as Gaby
- Enrique Arce as Guillermo
Release
Iron Cross was shown at Academy Award screenings between December 12th, 2009, and December 20th, 2009, in Los Angeles, New York, and San Francisco to qualify for the Oscars.[4] It premiered to the public at the 26th Boston Film Festival in 2010[5] and had a limited theatrical release in the United States, United Kingdom, and Germany in 2011.[6]
Reception
Due to the film's limited release, only a few reviews were made. Those who reviewed the film praised Scheider's performance, but Newton's direction drew more scrutiny.
Whom You Know gave the film high praise for its characters and "complex personal historical nature", noting that Newton had based Scheider's character off his father's experiences in World War II, and called it "an intelligent film for intelligent people".[2]
Tim Grierson of LA Weekly said that Iron Cross "is overwhelmed by its own sense of dour significance" and while he enjoyed seeing Scheider have a leading role for the final time in his career, the film wasn't "the farewell he deserved".[7]
A positive review of Iron Cross was written by Pete Hammond of Boxoffice Magazine, which was featured on the film's poster. The review is included on the Rotten Tomatoes page but has since been taken down and was not archived.[8]
Five user reviews of the film were submitted to the IMDb, one negative and three positive. The fifth and most recent review, submitted in 2016, did not directly review the film, but instead questioned why it had never been released to DVD.[9]
A negative review was written by Robert Koehler for Variety. Koehler found that "Scheider put body and soul into the project", but "Newton’s film is simply mediocre stuff, choppy and uncertain, with hints of ambitious ideas that fail to gather steam".[10]
Accolades
Despite the mixed reception, Iron Cross received the Remembrance Award at the Museum of Tolerance International Film Festival in 2010. Rabbi Marvin Hier called it "the most important film since Schindler's List".[11]
Lawsuit
The negative review from Variety prompted a lawsuit from Calibra Pictures, LLC, the film's production company. According to the lawsuit, Calibra and Variety had an exclusive media partnership where Calibra signed a $400,000 contract in exchange for Variety providing an Academy Award campaign for Iron Cross. The lawsuit alleged that after Calibra paid Variety $226,000, the negative review was "effectively destroying the promotion to distributors and any chance for award nominations for the 2009-2010 awards season".[12]
In the lawsuit, Calibra sought damages for breach of contract, fraud, deceit, and unfair business practices.[13] Variety countered with a motion to dismiss the lawsuit on the grounds that it was a Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation (SLAPP). The motion to dismiss was granted by the California Superior Court in 2010.[14] Calibra appealed the decision, but the California Courts of Appeal upheld the dismissal in 2011, finding that Calibra's allegations lacked legal merit and "Variety had a virtually unfettered right under the First Amendment to choose what to print regarding the film and it did not waive that right in the advertising contract between the parties". Variety was awarded $57,474 in attorneys’ fees and costs and was entitled to recover its attorneys’ fees and costs from Calibra.[15]
Availability
No home releases would be made of Iron Cross and the film has not been seen since its brief theatrical run. An official reason has not been given for this home media absence, but it is believed the lawsuit turned away distributors and Calibra filed for bankruptcy after losing the lawsuit in 2012.[16]
The only footage that exists publicly of the film is from an unofficial trailer that a viewer uploaded to YouTube in 2010.
Gallery
External Links
References
- ↑ [1] Retrieved 09 Apr '21
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 [2] Retrieved 09 Apr '21
- ↑ [3] Retrieved 09 Apr '21
- ↑ [4] Retrieved 09 Apr '21
- ↑ [5] Retrieved 13 Apr '21
- ↑ [6] Retrieved 09 Apr '21
- ↑ [7] Retrieved 09 Apr '21
- ↑ [8] Retrieved 09 Apr '21
- ↑ [9] Retrieved 09 Apr '21
- ↑ [10] Retrieved 09 Apr '21
- ↑ [11] Retrieved 13 Apr '21
- ↑ [12] Retrieved 09 Apr '21
- ↑ [13] Retrieved 09 Apr '21
- ↑ [14] Retrieved 09 Apr '21
- ↑ [15] Retrieved 09 Apr '21
- ↑ [16] Retrieved 09 Apr '21