Visioneers

Last updated
Visioneers
Visioneers (poster).jpg
Directed byJared Drake
Written byBrandon Drake
Starring Zach Galifianakis
Judy Greer
James LeGros
Mía Maestro
Missi Pyle
Production
companies
Fireside Film
Mayfly Films
Release date
  • June 12, 2008 (2008-06-12)(Seattle International Film Festival)
Running time
94 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Visioneers is a 2008 satirical science fiction dark comedy directed by Jared Drake, written by Brandon Drake, and starring Zach Galifianakis and Judy Greer. The film premiered on June 12, 2008, and was shot in Snoqualmie, Washington and surrounding areas.[ citation needed ]

Contents

Plot

In a dystopian near-future, the Jeffers Corporation is the "largest, friendliest and most profitable business in the history of Mankind," and is driving out a culture of independent thought and intimacy. The corporation and its leader, Mr. Jeffers, claim success is achieved by its strict philosophy of mindless productivity. Jeffers teaches that productivity equals happiness, and the business logo (a middle finger) is the standard greeting in society.

George Washington Winsterhammerman, a descendant of George Washington, is a Level-3 "tunt" employee at the Jeffers Corporation, and is suffering from overeating and impotence as a result of alienation common in this society. George then begins to "suffer from dreams" wherein he is the first president of the United States, beset by the prospect of losing the American Revolutionary War, and contemplating surrender to the British. Winsterhammerman is told by authority figures that dreams are a symptom of stress that leads to spontaneous bodily explosion, an escalating problem across the world.

Despite the government's increasingly intrusive attempts to combat explosions, culminating in mandatory neck-worn "inhibitors" created by the Jeffers Corporation, people including George's co-worker, Todd, continue to explode. After George's friend and superior, Charisma, is fired, George discovers she now works in a café, and meets with her in an attempt to avoid unhappiness. After a brief talk, Charisma confides that she has dreams too, and that they involve George and her running away together.

After his wife and son leave due to their own unhappiness, George is visited by Mr. Jeffers, who says he wants to know why George drew a sunset to encapsulate his vision of the future. Mr. Jeffers is impressed with George, believing him to be a nearly perfect Jeffers Corporation drone, and an ally against an anticipated revolt over the Jeffers way of life. Hoping to help George purge himself of all dreams, thereby ending his anger, pain and desire, he recommends George to kill the thing he loves. George returns to Charisma, who has joined many others in being brainwashed through an inhibitor device. After taking her on a yacht with the intent of killing her, George makes a final attempt to rekindle the intimacy they shared at the café by removing her inhibitor. She initially cannot remember him, but later she recalls him and begins to cry. They embrace. After spending the night with Charisma, George imagines he sees George Washington crossing in a canoe, salutes him, and turns to bask in the sun.

Cast

Release

After being screened extensively at various festivals, Visioneers secured a release. Subscribers to the Zach Galifianakis Newsletter were provided an opportunity to screen the movie from a streaming website. The film was released on DVD July 21, 2009, the cover art containing the statement "Starring Zach Galifianakis from America's #1 comedy THE HANGOVER". This lent credence to speculation[ by whom? ] that distributors only chose to release Visioneers after the immense success of The Hangover, which exposed a wider audience to Galifianakis in a co-starring role than in any previous film.[ citation needed ]

Reception

Visioneers holds a 67% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes. [1]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zach Galifianakis</span> American comedian and actor (born 1969)

Zachary Knight Galifianakis is an American comedian and actor. In film, Galifianakis played Alan in The Hangover trilogy (2009–2013). He hosted the Funny or Die talk show Between Two Ferns with Zach Galifianakis (2008–2018). On television, he starred in the FX series Baskets (2016–2019), which he was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series in 2017.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nick Galifianakis (politician)</span> American politician (1928–2023)

Nick Galifianakis was an American politician, military veteran, and lawyer who served three terms as a Democratic U.S. Congressman from North Carolina from 1967 to 1973. He served in the North Carolina House of Representatives from 1961 to 1967.

<i>Pacific Heights</i> (film) 1990 film by John Schlesinger

Pacific Heights is a 1990 American psychological thriller film directed by John Schlesinger and written by Daniel Pyne. The film stars Melanie Griffith, Matthew Modine, and Michael Keaton.

<i>Its a Great Feeling</i> 1949 film by David Butler

It's a Great Feeling is a 1949 American Technicolor musical comedy film starring Doris Day, Jack Carson and Dennis Morgan in a parody of what goes on behind the scenes in Hollywood movie making. The screenplay by Jack Rose and Mel Shavelson was based upon a story by I. A. L. Diamond. The film was directed by David Butler, produced by Alex Gottlieb and distributed by Warner Bros.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Judy Greer</span> American actress (born 1975)

Judith Therese Evans, known professionally as Judy Greer, is an American actress. She is primarily known as a character actress who has appeared in a wide variety of films. She rose to prominence for her supporting roles in the films Jawbreaker (1999), What Women Want (2000), 13 Going on 30 (2004), Elizabethtown (2005), 27 Dresses (2008), and Love & Other Drugs (2010).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nick Galifianakis (cartoonist)</span> American cartoonist

Nicholas Emmanuel Galifianakis is an American cartoonist and artist. Since 1997, he has drawn the cartoons for the nationally syndicated advice column Carolyn Hax, formerly, Tell Me About It – authored by his ex-wife, writer, and columnist for The Washington Post, Carolyn Hax.

<i>It Had to Be You</i> (1947 film) 1947 film by Don Hartman, Rudolph Maté

It Had to Be You is a 1947 American comedy romance film directed by Don Hartman and Rudolph Maté and starring Ginger Rogers and Cornel Wilde. It was produced and distributed by Columbia Pictures. A marriage-shy sculptor meets the boy of her childhood dreams, now a firefighter.

<i>Unaccompanied Minors</i> 2006 comedy film by Paul Feig

Unaccompanied Minors is a 2006 Christmas comedy film directed by Paul Feig and starring Lewis Black, Wilmer Valderrama, Tyler James Williams, Dyllan Christopher, Brett Kelly, Gia Mantegna, and Quinn Shephard.

<i>Ziegfeld Girl</i> (film) 1941 film by Robert Zigler Leonard, Busby Berkeley

Ziegfeld Girl is a 1941 American musical film directed by Robert Z. Leonard and starring James Stewart, Judy Garland, Hedy Lamarr, Lana Turner, Tony Martin, Jackie Cooper, Eve Arden, and Philip Dorn. The film, which features musical numbers by Busby Berkeley, was produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.

<i>What Happens in Vegas</i> 2008 romantic comedy film directed by Tom Vaughan

What Happens in Vegas is a 2008 American romantic comedy film directed by Tom Vaughan and written by Dana Fox. It stars Cameron Diaz and Ashton Kutcher as a couple who get married and win a casino jackpot prize during a drunken night in Las Vegas, but their simple plan to get a quick divorce and divide the money is complicated by the divorce court judge's ruling. The title is based on the Las Vegas marketing catchphrase "What Happens in Vegas, Stays in Vegas". Despite negative reviews from critics, the film was a box office success.

<i>Youth in Revolt</i> (film) 2009 film by Miguel Arteta

Youth in Revolt is a 2009 American romantic comedy-drama film directed by Miguel Arteta and written by Gustin Nash. Based on C.D. Payne's epistolary novel of the same name, the film stars Michael Cera and Portia Doubleday, with Justin Long, Ray Liotta, and Steve Buscemi in supporting roles.

<i>The Hangover</i> 2009 film by Todd Phillips

The Hangover is a 2009 American comedy film directed by Todd Phillips and written by Jon Lucas and Scott Moore. It is the first installment in The Hangover trilogy. The film stars Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Zach Galifianakis, Heather Graham, Justin Bartha, Ken Jeong, and Jeffrey Tambor. It tells the story of Phil Wenneck (Cooper), Stu Price (Helms), Alan Garner (Galifianakis), and Doug Billings (Bartha), who travel to Las Vegas for a bachelor party to celebrate Doug's impending marriage. However, Phil, Stu, and Alan wake up with Doug missing and no memory of the previous night's events, and must find the groom before the wedding can take place.

<i>The Hangover Part II</i> 2011 film by Todd Phillips

The Hangover Part II is a 2011 American comedy film produced by Legendary Pictures and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. The sequel to the 2009 film The Hangover and the second installment in The Hangover trilogy, the film was directed by Todd Phillips, who co-wrote the script with Craig Mazin and Scot Armstrong, and stars Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Zach Galifianakis, Ken Jeong, Jeffrey Tambor, Justin Bartha, and Paul Giamatti.

<i>Its Kind of a Funny Story</i> (film) 2010 American film

It's Kind of a Funny Story is a 2010 American comedy-drama film written and directed by Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck, an adaptation of Ned Vizzini's 2006 novel of the same name. The film stars Keir Gilchrist, Zach Galifianakis, Emma Roberts, and Viola Davis. It was released in the United States on October 8, 2010, and received generally positive reviews.

<i>The Hangover Part III</i> 2013 film by Todd Phillips

The Hangover Part III is a 2013 American action comedy film and the sequel to The Hangover Part II (2011), both produced by Legendary Pictures and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. It is the third installment in The Hangover trilogy. The film stars Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Zach Galifianakis, Ken Jeong, Jeffrey Tambor, Heather Graham, Mike Epps, Melissa McCarthy, Justin Bartha, and John Goodman with Todd Phillips directing a screenplay written by himself and Craig Mazin.

<i>Little Fish, Strange Pond</i> 2009 American film

Little Fish, Strange Pond is a 2009 American direct-to-DVD independent black comedy drama film directed by Gregory Dark and written by Robert Dean Klein.

<i>The Hangover</i> (film series) Trilogy of American comedy films

The Hangover is a series of American comedy films created by Jon Lucas and Scott Moore, and directed by Todd Phillips. All three films follow the misadventures of a quartet of friends who go on their road trip to attend a bachelor party. While all of the films find three of the four men on a mission to find their missing friend, the first two films focus on the events after the nights of debauchery before a party, respectively in Las Vegas and Bangkok, whereas the third and final film involves a road trip and a kidnapping in lieu of a bachelor party. Each film in the series focuses on how the friends deal with the aftermath of their antics, while they are being humiliated and occasionally physically beaten up at every turn. All three films were released from 2009 to 2013, and have grossed a collective total of $1.4 billion in the United States and worldwide.

<i>Missing Link</i> (2019 film) Animated film directed by Chris Butler

Missing Link is a 2019 American stop-motion animated adventure comedy film written and directed by Chris Butler. The film is produced by Laika and stars the voices of Hugh Jackman, Zoe Saldana, David Walliams, Stephen Fry, Matt Lucas, Timothy Olyphant, Amrita Acharia, Ching Valdes-Aran, Emma Thompson, and Zach Galifianakis. Set in the Pacific Northwest, the plot follows Mr. Link, a Sasquatch who, with the help of British explorers Sir Lionel Frost and Adelina Fortnight, travels to the Himalayas to meet his Yeti cousins.

<i>I Still See You</i> (film) 2018 American supernatural film

I Still See You is a 2018 American supernatural mystery thriller film, directed by Scott Speer, from a screenplay by Jason Fuchs and based on the novel Break My Heart 1000 Times by Daniel Waters. It stars Bella Thorne, Richard Harmon and Dermot Mulroney.

<i>Between Two Ferns: The Movie</i> American comedy film

Between Two Ferns: The Movie is a 2019 American comedy film directed by Scott Aukerman and starring Zach Galifianakis that acts as a spin-off of the web series of the same name. The film was released on September 20, 2019, on Netflix.

References

  1. "Visioneers". Rotten Tomatoes .