It's a Disaster

Last updated

It's a Disaster
It's a Disaster film festival poster.jpg
Film festival circuit poster
Directed by Todd Berger
Written byTodd Berger
Produced byKevin M. Brennan
Jeff Grace
Gordon Bijelonic
Brett D. Thompson
Datari Turner
Starring Rachel Boston
Kevin M. Brennan
David Cross
America Ferrera
Jeff Grace
Erinn Hayes
Blaise Miller
Julia Stiles
CinematographyNancy Schreiber, ASC
Edited byFranklin Peterson
Music byChris Martins
Production
companies
Arms Entertainment
Midwinter Studios
Vacationeer Productions
Cactus Three
Tip Top Productions
Gordon Bijelonic/Datari Turner Films
Distributed by Oscilloscope Laboratories
Release dates
  • June 20, 2012 (2012-06-20)(Los Angeles Film Festival)
  • April 12, 2013 (2013-04-12)(United States)
Running time
88 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Box office$60,818 [1]

It's a Disaster is a 2012 American art-house black comedy film written and directed by Todd Berger. The film was made by Los Angeles-based comedy group The Vacationeers and stars Rachel Boston, David Cross, America Ferrera, Jeff Grace, Erinn Hayes, Kevin M. Brennan, Blaise Miller, Julia Stiles, and Todd Berger. [2] [3] The film premiered on June 20, 2012, at the Los Angeles Film Festival. [4] It's a Disaster was commercially released in US theaters by Oscilloscope Laboratories, which acquired the US distribution rights to the film, on April 12, 2013. [5]

Contents

Plot

Four couples gather for a regular brunch which, over the years, has devolved into a gathering fraught with tension and awkwardness. One guest (Glenn) is meeting the others for the first time, on his third date with Tracey, the notoriously picky doctor in the group. As they settle into the afternoon (awaiting an "always late" fifth couple, Jenny and Gordon), they get to know the new member of the group and catch up on old times. When the men excuse themselves to watch football, they discover the TV, Internet, and landline phones are down. When the host, Pete, accuses his wife Emma of not paying the bills, their upcoming divorce is revealed to the guests.

After a neighbor, Hal, appears in a hazardous materials suit with news of dirty bombs exploding in major U.S. cities, including one 12 miles downtown from them, the couples begin to accept that a disaster has occurred. They split up to search the house for emergency supplies and air seal it with duct tape. Throughout the hunt, revelations of affairs between both hosts and two guests, Buck and Lexi, are made, as are rejected sexual advances by the swinger couple toward Glenn who rebuffs them.

Through a shower radio, they hear an automated public advisory that the bombs contained the VX nerve poison. The chemistry teacher, Hedy, in the group understands that because the attacks were chemical, only hours remain before a gruesome death for them all. After going into a trancelike shock, she breaks her silence by asking for Scotch. She later mixes up a batch of "poor man's ecstasy" from what she raided from a medicine cabinet, has an epiphany and calls off her six-year engagement to Shane. Her spirits lifted, she champions a musical session/"dance party" in the living room, accompanied by Lexi and Buck.

Her now-former fiancé is a comic book trader and bases his survival strategy on what he's learned from zombie films like Night of the Living Dead . After hearing of the bombs, he becomes highly suspicious of outsiders (including the new guy) and suggests others watch for bite marks or odd behavior, and they find weapons (like crowbars and chainsaws). He becomes concerned by the lack of life immediately outside the front window, so he questions the doctor guest about how quickly "mutations" should appear and spread. She explains how genetic mutation really works, with some disdain, but later agrees to not let the late fifth couple into the house when they finally arrive, with the pair visibly sick with something. While he seems more concerned by the woman's vague and rushed description of the situation outside, her decision to leave them is also partly punishment for always being late and for a past grievance between the two women over a man at a New Year's party.

Shane decides the best option is to leave the house and drive blindly until he either reaches fellow survivors or runs out of gas, having at least died trying. He asks if anyone's coming with him, and they all load into his SUV. However, the battery had been drained after leaving the vehicle on while listening to satellite radio, so it doesn't start.

The group eventually decides to stay home and have their meal as planned, enjoying what time they have. Glenn goes to the cellar to fetch wine, and is discovered by his date adding rat poison, sleeping pills, and muscle relaxants to it. He explains that he's a firm believer in The Last Judgment, this is likely that and he wants to save his new "non-believer" friends from experiencing the worst of the Great Tribulation. Convinced he's crazy, she goes upstairs and tells the others, who express their doubt in his craziness and their belief in her tendency to overreact, after the wine is poured, but before they drink. Glenn calmly admits it, and gives his reasons. They're unconvinced but Hedy agrees their deaths would be easier this way, without the VX symptoms she details.

After some debate, they all agree to drink the poison together on the count of three. After one count, everyone only pretends to drink, including Glenn, who says he figured that might happen. They again ready themselves and finally tip the glasses back in unison. Again, they all fake it. Their fate is left unknown.

Cast

Poster

The film's festival-touring poster, which parodies a recruitment poster, [6] has independently received critical acclaim and was named as one of the 12 best movie posters of 2012 by Film School Rejects. [7] Oscilloscope Pictures is using an updated version of the same poster design, with the movie's film festival awards and a critic's quote added, for its commercial theatrical release. [5]

Festivals

It's a Disaster was selected to screen at the following film festivals:

Distribution

Oscilloscope and theatrical release

On August 23, 2012, Oscilloscope Laboratories announced that it had acquired North American distribution rights to It's a Disaster and that it planned both a theatrical and digital release of the film. [9] [10] Oscilloscope has since announced its planned release schedule for the film, with the film opening in New York and Los Angeles on April 12, 2013, with theatrical distribution expanding into additional markets beginning April 19, 2013. [5] The movie earned $15,305, or $5,102 per theater, over its first weekend in limited release. [11]

Vine release

On February 19, 2013, Oscilloscope announced that it would initially distribute It's a Disaster via the new mobile app Vine. [12] Vine, a social networking app released by Twitter, Inc. on January 24, 2013, allows users to post video clips up to six seconds long, which then play in loop mode for viewers. A few hours after announcing the Vine distribution, described as a "stunt" and a "tongue in cheek experiment", Oscilloscope began tweeting links to 6-second-long chunks of the film each individually uploaded to Vine, thus making It's a Disaster the first film ever released on Vine. [12] [13] [14]

The following day, Oscilloscope issued another tongue-in-cheek press release admitting they were wrong in expecting audiences to embrace watching films in six-second clips on their smartphones, and that they were abandoning plans to release future films on Vine. [15] [16]

iTunes and digital release

After the Vine release, Oscilloscope planned to release the film to more conventional digital and video on demand (VOD) services on March 5, 2013. [12] [14] On March 5, 2013, actor Blaise Miller and actress Julia Stiles used Twitter to announce the film's release on iTunes, Google Play, Amazon Video, and VOD. [17] [18]

Reception

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes , 80% of 50 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 6.3/10.The website's consensus reads, "A clever black comedy, It's a Disaster is sometimes uneven but the sharp writing and stellar ensemble cast keeps the film on track." [19] Metacritic , which uses a weighted average , assigned the film a score of 57 out of 100, based on 17 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews". [20]

Awards

BendFilm Festival
2012: won Best Screenplay
Edmonton International Film Festival
2012: won Grand Jury Award for Best Feature - Audience Choice
New Orleans Film Festival
2012: won Audience Award for Best Picture

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ryan Stiles</span> American/Canadian actor and comedian

Ryan Lee Stiles is an American-Canadian actor, comedian, and producer whose work is often associated with improvisational comedy. He is best known for his work on the original British series and American version of Whose Line Is It Anyway? and for his role as Lewis Kiniski on The Drew Carey Show. He also played Herb Melnick on the CBS comedy Two and a Half Men and was a performer on the show Drew Carey's Improv-A-Ganza.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hedy Lamarr</span> Austrian-American actress and inventor (1914–2000)

Hedy Lamarr was an Austrian-born American film actress and inventor. A film star during Hollywood's golden age, Lamarr has been described as one of the greatest movie actresses of all time.

<i>10 Things I Hate About You</i> 1999 American film by Gil Junger

10 Things I Hate About You is a 1999 American teen romantic comedy film directed by Gil Junger and starring Julia Stiles, Heath Ledger, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and Larisa Oleynik. The screenplay, written by Karen McCullah Lutz and Kirsten Smith, is a modernization of William Shakespeare's late-16th-century comedy The Taming of the Shrew, retold in a late-1990s American high school setting. In the story, new student Cameron (Gordon-Levitt) is smitten with Bianca (Oleynik) and, in order to get around her father's strict rules on dating, attempts to get bad boy Patrick (Ledger) to date Bianca's ill-tempered sister, Kat (Stiles). The film is named after a poem written by Kat about her bittersweet romance with Patrick. Much of the filming took place in the Seattle metropolitan area, with many scenes shot at Stadium High School in Tacoma.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Julia Stiles</span> American actress (born 1981)

Julia O'Hara Stiles is an American actress. Born and raised in New York City, Stiles began acting at the age of 11 as part of New York's La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club. Her film debut was a small role in ILove You, I Love You Not (1996), followed by a lead role in Wicked (1998) for which she received the Karlovy Vary Film Festival Award for Best Actress. She rose to prominence with leading roles in teen films such as 10 Things I Hate About You (1999), Down to You (2000), and Save the Last Dance (2001). Her accolades include an NBR Award, a CFCA Award, a Gold Derby Award, a Teen Choice Award and two MTV Movie Awards, as well as Satellite Award, Gotham Award, Golden Globe Award, and Emmy Award nominations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rachel Boston</span> American actress and producer

Rachel Elizabeth Boston is an American actress and producer. Boston has had leading roles in a number of independent films, and was a regular cast member in several television series. She starred in the NBC drama series, American Dreams as Beth Mason from 2002 to 2005, in the short-lived CBS sitcom The Ex List in 2008, and on the USA Network series In Plain Sight from 2008 to 2012. From 2013 to 2014, Boston starred as Ingrid Beauchamp in the Lifetime fantasy-drama series, Witches of East End.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">America Ferrera</span> American actress (born 1984)

America Georgina Ferrera is an American actress. Born in Los Angeles to Honduran parents, Ferrera developed an interest in acting at a young age, performing in several stage productions at her school. She made her feature film debut in 2002 with the comedy-drama Real Women Have Curves, earning praise for her performance. Ferrera has won many awards including an Emmy Award, a Golden Globe Award, and a Screen Actors Guild Award among others.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rodrigo García (director)</span> Colombian and Mexican television and film director

Rodrigo García Barcha, more commonly known as Rodrigo García, is a Colombian and Mexican television and film director, screenwriter, author and former cinematographer, best known for his films Nine Lives (2005), Mother and Child (2009), Albert Nobbs (2011), Last Days in the Desert (2015), as well as his work on the HBO drama series In Treatment. He also created, wrote, and directed the award-winning web series Blue (2012–2015), starring Julia Stiles, for which he won an IAWTV Award in 2014. In 2021 García released his first memoir, A Farewell to Gabo and Mercedes: A Son's Memoir of Gabriel García Márquez and Mercedes Barcha.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David Cross</span> American stand-up comedian and actor (born 1964)

David Cross is an American stand-up comedian, actor, director, and writer known for his stand-up performances, the HBO sketch comedy series Mr. Show (1995–1998), and his role as Tobias Fünke in the Fox/Netflix sitcom Arrested Development.

Thoma Kikis is an American film producer, designer and entrepreneur best known for founding KannaLife Sciences. He was also a founder of Ovie Entertainment.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jeremy Renner</span> American actor (born 1971)

Jeremy Lee Renner is an American actor and musician. He began his career by appearing in independent films such as Dahmer (2002) and Neo Ned (2005), then supporting roles in bigger films, such as S.W.A.T. (2003) and 28 Weeks Later (2007). Renner was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance in The Hurt Locker (2008) and for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in The Town (2010).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kurt Braunohler</span> American comedian

Kurt Braunohler is an American comedian and co-host of the podcast Bananas on Exactly Right Podcast Network. He was previously the host of IFC's comedy game show Bunk and has appeared on Comedy Central, This American Life, and Radiolab. Braunohler is a frequent collaborator with Kristen Schaal, with whom he created the web series Penelope Princess of Pets.

David Lord Paterson is an American screenwriter, actor and producer. He is in heavy demand as a public speaker, serves on several film festival advisory boards, and has had his films in over a hundred film festivals throughout the world. His studio releases have been seen by tens of millions throughout the world.

Crackle, formerly called Grouper and Sony Crackle, is a free video streaming service supported by advertisements that was founded in 2004. The service was purchased by Sony Pictures in 2006 and renamed Crackle. In 2018 the name was changed to Sony Crackle. Eric Berger served as the general manager of Crackle from 2008 to 2019. Sony sold a majority stake to Chicken Soup for the Soul in March 2019, and the name was changed back to Crackle. Later, Sony sold its remaining stake to the same company. As of January 2022, Crackle has about 40 million monthly active users.

<i>Wicked</i> (1998 film) 1998 American film

Wicked is a 1998 American thriller film directed by Michael Steinberg and starring Julia Stiles as a disturbed teenage girl. The film also stars Michael Parks and William R. Moses. The film debuted at the 1998 Sundance Film Festival but had a delayed release due to a financial dispute between a producer and the studio. The film was released on DVD in 2001.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oscilloscope (company)</span> American home video distributor

Oscilloscope Laboratories is an independent film company and distributor founded by Adam Yauch and former TH!NKFilm executive David Fenkel. It also has a recording studio and film production facilities. Fenkel returned to the company on May 4, 2012, following Yauch's death. Shortly afterwards, Fenkel left the company in order to co-found A24 alongside Daniel Katz and John Hodges.

Todd Berger is an American film director, screenwriter, actor, and novelist most prominently known for writing and directing the feature films It's a Disaster, Cover Versions, The Scenesters, and the documentary Don't Eat The Baby: Adventures at post-Katrina Mardi Gras.

<i>Between Us</i> (2012 film) 2012 American film

Between Us is a 2012 American drama film directed by Dan Mirvish, based on the play by Joe Hortua, with a screenplay adaptation by Hortua and Mirvish. It stars Taye Diggs, Melissa George, David Harbour, and Julia Stiles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">King Bach</span> Canadian-born American internet personality and actor

Andrew Byron Bachelor, also known as King Bach is a Canadian-American Internet personality and actor who rose to fame on the now-defunct video sharing service Vine, where he had 11.3 million followers, making him the most followed user on the platform.

<i>The Great Gilly Hopkins</i> (film) 2015 American film

The Great Gilly Hopkins is a 2015 American comedy-drama film directed by Stephen Herek and written by David L. Paterson. It is based on Katherine Paterson's 1978 children's book of the same name. The film stars Sophie Nélisse, Kathy Bates, Julia Stiles, Bill Cobbs, Billy Magnussen, Octavia Spencer, and Glenn Close. The film was released on October 7, 2016, by Lionsgate Premiere.

Jeff Grace is a comedian, screenwriter, film producer, film director, and actor. Grace serves as the director of Folk Hero & Funny Guy, an independent film starring Wyatt Russell, Alex Karpovsky, Hannah Simone, Heather Morris, Meredith Hagner, and Melanie Lynskey. Grace wrote the screenplay for the film about estranged friends on a journey. He also serves as a director and writer with 99 Tigers, a creative services agency.

References

  1. ↑ "It's a Disaster".
  2. ↑ "Julia Stiles and America Ferrera to Star in Indie Comedy 'It's a Disaster'". The Hollywood Reporter. July 14, 2011. Retrieved March 22, 2013.
  3. ↑ "Rachel Boston Joins Indie Comedy 'It's a Disaster' (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. August 31, 2011. Retrieved March 22, 2013.
  4. ↑ "It's a Disaster - 2012 Los Angeles Film Festival". Archived from the original on April 11, 2013. Retrieved March 22, 2013.
  5. 1 2 3 "Oscilloscope.net - It's a Disaster" . Retrieved March 22, 2013.
  6. ↑ "Poster Lab: It's a Disaster". Slant Magazine. June 20, 2012. Retrieved April 17, 2013.
  7. ↑ Miller, Neil (January 2, 2013). "Year in Review: The Best Movie Posters of 2012". Film School Rejects. Retrieved March 22, 2013.
  8. ↑ "Friars Club Comedy Film Festival Announces 2012 Lineup" (PDF). Retrieved March 22, 2013.
  9. ↑ Fernandez, Jay A. (August 23, 2012). "Oscilloscope Acquires LAFF Comedy 'It's a Disaster' Starring Julia Stiles, David Cross and America Ferrera" . Retrieved March 24, 2013.
  10. ↑ McNary, Dave (August 23, 2012). "Oscilloscope nabs Berger's 'Disaster'". Variety. Retrieved March 24, 2013.
  11. ↑ "It's a Disaster (2013) Weekend Box Office". boxofficemojo.com. Retrieved April 17, 2013.
  12. 1 2 3 "David Cross Comedy 'It's a Disaster' Getting Initial Release on Twitter-Owned App Vine". The Hollywood Reporter. February 19, 2013. Retrieved March 24, 2013.
  13. ↑ Watercutter, Angela (February 19, 2013). "Watch Now: David Cross Flick It's a Disaster Gets Released in 6-Second Increments on Vine". Wired Magazine. Retrieved March 24, 2013.
  14. 1 2 "It's A Disaster Becomes First Film Released Via Twitter's Vine App". CinemaBlend.com. February 19, 2013. Retrieved March 24, 2013.
  15. ↑ "OSCILLOSCOPE'S VINE DISTRIBUTION A DISASTER // Vine Premiere of IT'S A DISASTER Crashes And Burns /". February 20, 2013. Retrieved March 24, 2013.
  16. ↑ "Oscilloscope Labs' Vine Movie Release 'A Disaster'". Home Media Magazine. February 20, 2013. Retrieved March 24, 2013.
  17. ↑ "@MissJuliaStiles". March 5, 2013. Retrieved March 24, 2013.
  18. ↑ "@bigpantsmiller". March 5, 2013. Retrieved March 24, 2013.
  19. ↑ "It's a Disaster". Rotten Tomatoes . Fandango Media . Retrieved November 12, 2022. OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
  20. ↑ "It's a Disaster". Metacritic . Red Ventures . Retrieved November 12, 2022.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.