The Burial Society (2002)

User Rating:

5.8/10   

Director:

Nicholas Racz

Writer:

Nicholas Racz (writer)

Release Date:

28 May 2004 (USA)

Genre:

Thriller

Plot:

In The Burial Society, Sheldon Kasner, an unlikely criminal who works as a bank loan manager, infiltrates...

Plot Keywords:

Black Comedy | Jewish Culture | Body In Trunk | Faked Death | Secret Society

Awards:

7 wins & 7 nominations

Cast

Rob LaBelle	...	Sheldon Kasner
Jan Rubes	...	Marvin Telekunsky
Allan Rich	...	Hy Leibowicz
Bill Meilen	...	Harry Epstein
David Paymer	...	Morry Zimmer
Seymour Cassel	...	Sam Goldberg
Jeff Seymour	...	Jake Lightman
Bill Mondy	...	Stuart Lightman
Linden Banks	...	Rabbi Fernstein
Nathaniel DeVeaux	...	Lyle Devine
Betty Linde	...	Mrs. Graunbaum
Nick Misura	...	Real building manager
Dagmar Midcap	...	News Reporter #1
Mitra Loraz	...	News Reporter #2 (as Mitra Lohrasb)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Sashi Bommakanty	...	Arab
Elaine Kliner	...	Extra
Werner Thomas	...	The Husband
Arthur Wolak	...	Extra

Directed by
Nicholas Racz

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Nicholas Racz		writer

Produced by
Richard Baumgartel	....	producer
David Bouck	....	line producer
Howard Dancyger	....	producer
J. Todd Harris	....	executive producer
Raymond Massey	....	executive producer

Original Music by
George Blondheim

Cinematography by
Danny Nowak

Film Editing by
Jeremy Presner

Casting by
Eve Brandstein
Corinne Clark
Jennifer Page
Audrey Skalbania

Production Design by
James Hazell

Art Direction by
James Hazell

Set Decoration by
Claudia Ventura

Costume Design by
Katia Stano

Makeup Department
Tricia Winslow	....	key makeup artist

Production Management
David Bouck	....	production manager
Kirsten Newlands	....	post-production supervisor
Rick Ojeda	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Patricia Ann Dyer	....	first assistant director (as Patricia Dyer Walden)
Rick Ojeda	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Sean Fitsimmons	....	set dresser
Jason Sutton	....	property master
Claudia Ventura	....	set designer

Sound Department
Rick Bal	....	sound
Jay Cheetham	....	sound editor
Kris Fenske	....	supervising sound editor
Iain Pattison	....	sound re-recording mixer
Gene Radzik	....	stereo sound consultant: Dolby
Jean Raymond	....	foley mixer
Adam Sharpe	....	adr mixer
Paul A. Sharpe	....	sound re-recording mixer
Matt Willoughby-Price	....	boom operator

Special Effects by
Allen Benjamin	....	special effects coordinator

Camera and Electrical Department
Chris Banting	....	dolly grip
Warren Bruce	....	generator operator
Dean Clark	....	generator operator
Scott Clark	....	gaffer
John Marilley-Bodner	....	best boy electric
Trevor Martin	....	lamp operator
Stephen McCurry	....	assistant camera: Los Angeles
Mat Pasch	....	lamp operator
Jeff Petry	....	still photographer
Clayton Richard-Long	....	second assistant camera: "a" camera
Michael Taschereau	....	key grip

Casting Department
Eve Brandstein	....	casting: USA

Editorial Department
Warren Mazutinec	....	assistant editor
Gordon Williams	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Cathi Black	....	music supervisor
Greg Hamilton	....	music preparation
Rich Walters	....	music editor

Other crew
Cheryl-Lee Fast	....	assistant to producer
Lucie Guest	....	production assistant
Sian McArthur	....	assistant to producer
Adrian Salpeter	....	unit publicist
Werner Thomas	....	assistant production coordinator
Nicholas Thurkettle	....	development associate
Guy Villeneuve	....	stand-in
Darcy Wild	....	location manager: preparation
Corey C. Witte	....	production executive
Karen Wong	....	production accountant

Production Companies

• Astral Films
• British Columbia Film Commission
• CITY-TV
• CanWest Global Communications
• Davis Entertainment Filmworks
• The Big Little Picture Company Ltd.
• Téléfilm Canada

Distributors

• Regent Releasing (2004) (USA)
• Regent Worldwide Sales
• Seville Pictures

Also Known As:

Mis en boîte (Canada: French title)

MPAA:

Rated R for language.

Runtime:

94 min

Country:

Canada | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

USA:R

Filming Locations:

Dumont Dunes, San Bernardino County, California, USA

Company:

Astral Films

Chevrah Kadisha Alert!

The real interesting part of 'The Burial Society" happens at the beginning, where the main character tries to get into the Chevrah Kadisha, (essentially a Jewish Burial group) because his former occupation, as an office flunky wasn't going to well. Now, right there! THAT would be a great movie! But noooooooo… It starts unraveling that our friendly businessman has a few skeletons in his closet, about why he joined the society in the first place, what really happened at his former job, etc etc.

I really did like the Barton Finkesque qualities that the main character, played by Rob Labelle brought to this role. I agree with a number with of reviewers that this movie tries to emulate the best Coen brothers work, (most notably, coincidentally enough, Barton Fink), but the movie tries WAY to hard and provides too many plot twists for viewers to fully understand what is going on, the ending doesn't help either, providing a cheat that leaves everything up in the air, leaving us trying, vainly, as I am sure repeat viewings wouldn't help, to piece everything together.