Shadow Conspiracy

Last updated

Shadow Conspiracy
Shadow conspiracy post.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by George P. Cosmatos
Written by
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyBuzz Feitshans IV
Edited byRobert A. Ferretti
Music by Bruce Broughton
Production
companies
Distributed by
Release date
  • January 31, 1997 (1997-01-31)
Running time
103 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$45 million
Box office$2.3 million [1]

Shadow Conspiracy is a 1997 American political thriller film starring Charlie Sheen, Donald Sutherland, Linda Hamilton, and Sam Waterston. [2] It was the final film directed by George P. Cosmatos. [3]

Contents

The film was poorly received by critics. It was released on DVD in the United States in November 2003 by Buena Vista Home Entertainment. [4] [5]

Plot

Bobby Bishop, a brilliant and dedicated special advisor to the President of the United States, finds himself in the heart of Washington, D.C., a city teeming with power, ambition, and hidden agendas. He's a man who knows the corridors of power intimately, navigating the intricate web of alliances and betrayals. But when he stumbles upon a coded message, a whisper of a conspiracy to kill the President, he knows his life is about to be irrevocably changed. The message points towards Jacob Conrad, the seemingly loyal White House Chief of Staff, as the mastermind behind the plot.

Seeking further information, Bobby connects with Yuri Pochenko, a Russian-American professor who possesses crucial knowledge about the conspiracy. Pochenko, however, is a man marked for death. A shadowy force, operating under the guise of the American government, has been methodically eliminating anyone who knows the truth. As Bobby and Pochenko meet, the professor is gunned down in broad daylight, leaving Bobby shaken and the target of a relentless pursuit. He barely escapes with his life.

After Pochenko's murder, Bobby finds himself isolated, a lone wolf facing a formidable enemy. However, he is not entirely alone. Amanda Givens, a courageous and tenacious journalist, believes his story and offers her support. Together, they become an unlikely alliance, piecing together the fragments of the conspiracy, a puzzle that leads them deeper into a web of deception and betrayal.

As Bobby and Amanda delve deeper, they uncover the truth: Jacob Conrad, the seemingly indispensable Chief of Staff, is the orchestrator of the assassination plot. Conrad, seemingly a man of impeccable integrity, is driven by an insatiable thirst for power. His motives lie in a hidden desire to control the Presidency, a desire fueled by a twisted sense of entitlement.

Bobby discovers the President is a target because his recent re-election has ignited a storm of political change, a change Conrad fears will diminish his own power. Conrad has cultivated a network of powerful individuals, all willing to play a deadly game for a chance at greater control. The President's life hangs in the balance.

At a lavish party hosted by the White House. Conrad, convinced he has everything under control, plans to use a remote-controlled model helicopter rigged with explosives to assassinate the President. Just as the helicopter takes aim, Bobby, with the help of Amanda, exposes Conrad's true nature. A desperate struggle ensues, culminating in Bobby successfully disarming the helicopter and shooting the assassin. Confronted with his own defeat, Conrad, consumed by his ambition, takes his own life.

Bobby, having risked everything to save the President and the nation, emerges as a hero. But the experience leaves him forever changed, disillusioned by the corruption that lurks within the halls of power. He knows that the fight for truth and justice is a constant battle, and he is prepared to continue the fight, even in the shadows.

Cast

Production

Production began in June 1995. [6] Shadow Conspiracy was filmed in 12 weeks, with most of the principal photography taking place in Richmond, Virginia, Georgetown, Washington and Baltimore, Maryland. [7]

Reception

Shadow Conspiracy was panned by critics. [8] [9] On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has a rating of 7% based on reviews from 30 critics, and an average rating of 3.4/10. The site's critics' consensus reads: "Rather than exciting audiences with a thrilling race against time, Shadow Conspiracy suggests there may be a secret cabal duping talented actors into selecting woefully deficient scripts." [10] The film did not fare well at the box office, grossing a little over $2 million domestically. [1]

See also

Related Research Articles

<i>Conspiracy Theory</i> (film) 1997 American political action film by Richard Donner

Conspiracy Theory is a 1997 American political action thriller film directed by Richard Donner. Starring Mel Gibson, Julia Roberts and Patrick Stewart, the original screenplay by Brian Helgeland centers on an eccentric taxi driver who believes many world events are triggered by government conspiracies, and the Justice Department attorney who becomes involved in his life. The film grossed $137 million, and critical reviews were mixed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sam Waterston</span> American actor (born 1940)

Samuel Atkinson Waterston is an American actor. Waterston is known for his work in theater, television, and film. He has received numerous accolades including a Primetime Emmy Award, Golden Globe Award, and Screen Actors Guild Award as well as nominations for an Academy Award, a Tony Award, and a BAFTA Award. His acting career has spanned over five decades acting on stage and screen. Waterston received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2010 and was inducted into the American Theater Hall of Fame in 2012.

<i>Capricorn One</i> 1977 thriller film by Peter Hyams

Capricorn One is a 1977 thriller film in which a reporter discovers that a supposed Mars landing by a crewed mission to the planet has been faked via a conspiracy involving the government and—under duress—the crew themselves. It was written and directed by Peter Hyams and produced by Lew Grade's ITC Entertainment. It stars Elliott Gould as the reporter, and James Brolin, Sam Waterston, and O. J. Simpson as the astronauts. Hal Holbrook plays a senior NASA official who goes along with governmental and corporate interests and helps to fake the mission. The music score was created by Jerry Goldsmith.

<i>Fast, Cheap & Out of Control</i> 1997 film by Errol Morris

Fast, Cheap & Out of Control is a 1997 documentary film by filmmaker Errol Morris.

<i>The 6th Day</i> 2000 film directed by Roger Spottiswoode

The 6th Day is a 2000 American science fiction action film directed by Roger Spottiswoode and starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Tony Goldwyn, Michael Rapaport, Michael Rooker, Sarah Wynter, and Robert Duvall. In the film, a family man of the future is illegally cloned by accident as part of a vast conspiracy involving a shady billionaire businessman, and is thrust into a struggle to clear his name and protect his family from the conspirators who seek to keep the cloning a secret. The title refers to the Genesis creation narrative shared among the Abrahamic religions, where God created humanity on the sixth day of the universe's existence. The film was Terry Crews' acting first appearance.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David Baldacci</span> American novelist (born 1960)

David Baldacci is an American novelist. An attorney by education, Baldacci writes mainly suspense novels and legal thrillers.

The conspiracy thriller is a subgenre of thriller fiction. The protagonists of conspiracy thrillers are often journalists or amateur investigators who find themselves pulling on a small thread which unravels a vast conspiracy that ultimately goes "all the way to the top." The complexities of historical fact are recast as a morality play in which bad people cause bad events, and good people identify and defeat them. Conspiracies are often played out as "man-in-peril" stories, or yield quest narratives similar to those found in whodunits and detective stories.

<i>Money Talks</i> (1997 film) 1997 American film

Money Talks is a 1997 American action comedy film directed by Brett Ratner and starring Chris Tucker and Charlie Sheen. It is the first of four collaborations between Brett Ratner and Chris Tucker, with the other three being the Rush Hour series.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">George P. Cosmatos</span> Greek-Italian film director and screenwriter (1941–2005)

George Pan Cosmatos was a Greek-Italian film director and screenwriter. Following early success in his home country with drama films such as Massacre in Rome with Richard Burton, Cosmatos retooled his career towards mainstream "blockbuster" action and adventure films, including The Cassandra Crossing and Escape to Athena, both of which were British-Italian co-productions. After relocating to North America, he directed the horror film Of Unknown Origin. This was followed by some of his best-known work, including the action films Rambo: First Blood Part II and Cobra, the science-fiction horror film Leviathan, and the critically acclaimed Western movie Tombstone.

<i>Executive Action</i> (film) 1973 political thriller film by David Miller

Executive Action is an American political thriller film. It is a fictionalized account of a conspiracy to assassinate United States President John F. Kennedy. Released in November 1973 on the tenth anniversary of the JFK assassination, the film stars Burt Lancaster, Robert Ryan, and Will Geer. It was directed by David Miller, produced by Edward Lewis, and written by Dalton Trumbo. The screenplay was adapted from the novel Executive Action by Donald Freed and Mark Lane, which was published earlier in 1973. Freed and Lane received a film credit for their story.

<i>The Cassandra Crossing</i> 1976 film by George Pan Cosmatos

The Cassandra Crossing is a 1976 disaster thriller film directed by George Pan Cosmatos and starring Sophia Loren, Richard Harris, Ava Gardner, Martin Sheen, Burt Lancaster, Lee Strasberg and O. J. Simpson about a diseased Swedish terrorist who infects a cross-European train's passengers as they head to a derelict arch bridge which is liable to collapse.

<i>Betrayal</i> (play) 1978 play by Harold Pinter

Betrayal is a play written by Harold Pinter in 1978. Critically regarded as one of the English playwright's major dramatic works, it features his characteristically economical dialogue, characters' hidden emotions and veiled motivations, and their self-absorbed competitive one-upmanship, face-saving, dishonesty, and (self-) deceptions.

<i>It Takes Two</i> (1995 film) 1995 comedy film directed by Andy Tennant

It Takes Two is a 1995 American romantic comedy film starring Kirstie Alley, Steve Guttenberg, and Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen. The title is taken from the song of the same name by Marvin Gaye and Kim Weston, which is played in the closing credits. The film was distributed by Warner Bros. through their Warner Bros. Family Entertainment label.

<i>Flashpoint</i> (1984 film) 1984 film by Dennis Shryack

Flashpoint is a 1984 American neo-western action thriller film starring Kris Kristofferson, Treat Williams, Rip Torn, Jean Smart, Kurtwood Smith, and Tess Harper. The film is directed by William Tannen in his directorial debut, and is based on the novel of the same name by George LaFountaine, with a screenplay by Dennis Shryack and Michael Butler. The original score was composed and performed by Tangerine Dream. It was the first theatrical film produced by HBO Pictures.

<i>2012</i> (film) 2009 film by Roland Emmerich

2012 is a 2009 American epic science fiction disaster film directed by Roland Emmerich, written by Emmerich and Harald Kloser, and stars John Cusack, Amanda Peet, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Oliver Platt, Thandiwe Newton, Danny Glover and Woody Harrelson. Based on the 2012 phenomenon, its plot follows geologist Adrian Helmsley (Ejiofor) and novelist Jackson Curtis (Cusack) as they struggle to survive an eschatological sequence of events including earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, megatsunamis, and a global flood.

<i>Apocalypse Now</i> 1979 epic war film directed by Francis Ford Coppola

Apocalypse Now is a 1979 American epic war film produced and directed by Francis Ford Coppola. The screenplay, co-written by Coppola, John Milius, and Michael Herr, is loosely inspired by the 1899 novella Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad, with the setting changed from late 19th-century Congo to the Vietnam War. The film follows a river journey from South Vietnam into Cambodia undertaken by Captain Willard, who is on a secret mission to assassinate Colonel Kurtz, a renegade Special Forces officer who is accused of murder and presumed insane. The ensemble cast also features Robert Duvall, Frederic Forrest, Albert Hall, Sam Bottoms, Laurence Fishburne, Dennis Hopper, and Harrison Ford.

<i>Echelon Conspiracy</i> 2009 film by Greg Marcks

Echelon Conspiracy is a 2009 American action thriller film directed by Greg Marcks, from a screenplay by Michael Nitsberg and Kevin Alyn Elders. It stars Shane West, Edward Burns, Ving Rhames, Jonathan Pryce, Tamara Feldman, and Martin Sheen.

<i>Beyond the Black Rainbow</i> 2010 film by Panos Cosmatos

Beyond the Black Rainbow is a 2010 Canadian psychedelic science fiction horror film written and directed by Panos Cosmatos in his feature film debut. It stars Michael Rogers and Eva Allan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Greig Fraser</span> Australian cinematographer

Greig Fraser is an Australian cinematographer. He won an Academy Award for Best Cinematography for the sci-fi film Dune (2021), and was also nominated for his work on Lion (2016). He is also known for Zero Dark Thirty (2012), Rogue One (2016), The Batman (2022), The Creator (2023), and Dune: Part Two (2024).

Panos Cosmatos is an Italian-Canadian film director and screenwriter. He is known for Beyond the Black Rainbow and Mandy.

References

  1. 1 2 "Shadow Conspiracy". Box Office Mojo.
  2. ↑ "Shadow Conspiracy". Turner Classic Movies . United States: Turner Broadcasting System . Retrieved August 9, 2018.
  3. ↑ Oliver, Myrna (April 27, 2005). "George P. Cosmatos, 64; Director Was Known for Saving Troubled Projects". Los Angeles Times .
  4. ↑ Haflidason, Almar (November 2003). "Movies, DVD This Week: 10th November 2003". BBC.
  5. ↑ Wolf, Jessica (January 11, 2003). "Complete list of 2003 Movie Showcase Releases". Home Media Magazine.
  6. ↑ Archerd, Army (April 28, 1995). "H'w'd elite out dining & dealing". Variety . Retrieved September 28, 2021.
  7. ↑ Goodman, Julie (August 24, 1995). "Tinseltown comes to Georgetown". The Washington Post . Retrieved January 28, 2016.
  8. ↑ Ebert, Roger (January 31, 1997). "Shadow Conspiracy". The Chicago Sun-Times – via RogerEbert.com.
  9. ↑ Holden, Stephen (January 31, 1997). "Shadow Conspiracy". The New York Times .
  10. ↑ "Shadow Conspiracy (1997)". Rotten Tomatoes .
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.