MY SON, MY SON, WHAT HAVE YE DONE
Year: 2009
USA DVD: First Look Pictures
UK: Scanbox Entertainment
Cast: Michael Shannon, Willem Dafoe, Chloe Sevigny, Brad Dourif, Udo Kier, Grace Zabriskie, Irma P Hall, Michael Pena, James C Burns, Candice Coke, Gabriel Pimentel, Braden Lynch
Director: Werner Herzog
Countries: USA / Germany
USA: 91 mins
UK: 98 mins
USA Rated: R for some language
UK Certificate: 15 contains strong language and one bloody crime scene
USA DVD Release Date: 14 September 2010
UK Release Date: 10 September 2010
UK DVD Release Date: 27 September 2010
Official UK website
Synopsis
Following the huge critical success of BAD LIEUTENANT, director Werner Herzog (ENCOUNTERS AT THE END OF THE WORLD; RESCUE DAWN) maintains his brilliant return to form with MY SON, MY SON, WHAT HAVE YE DONE, his first collaboration with fellow filmmaker David Lynch (INLAND EMPIRE; MULHOLLAND DRIVE) as executive producer.
Nominated for the Golden Lion at the 2009 Venice Film Festival, the film reunites many of the cast and crew of BAD LIEUTENANT including Academy Award nominee Michael Shannon (THE RUNAWAYS; REVOLUTIONARY ROAD), Brad Dourif (THE WILD BLUE YONDER; DUNE; BLUE VELVET), Irma P Hall (COLLATERAL; THE LADYKILLERS), cinematographer Peter Zeitlinger (ENCOUNTERS AT THE END OF THE WORLD) and editor Joe Bini (ENCOUNTERS AT THE END OF THE WORLD). The film also stars Academy Award nominees Willem Dafoe (DAYBREAKERS; ANTICHRIST) and Chloe Sevigny (THE KILLING ROOM; ZODIAC) alongside Udo Kier (MOTHER OF TEARS; HALLOWEEN) and longtime Lynch collaborator Grace Zabriskie (INLAND EMPIRE; TWIN PEAKS).
Inspired by true events, the film tells the peculiar story of Brad Macallum (Michael Shannon), an aspiring actor who commits, in reality, the crime he is to enact in a Greek tragedy in which he is performing.
Called to the scene of a domestic disturbance in suburban San Diego, Detective Hank Havenhurst (Willem Dafoe) arrives on the scene to discover an elderly woman (Grace Zabriskie) lying in a pool of blood and an antique sword lying next to the body. The prime suspect is the woman's son, Brad, who has barricaded himself inside a nearby house and appears to have taken hostages.
As the events leading up to the murder emerge, via the accounts of several neighbours as well as Brad's fiancee, Ingrid (Chloe Sevigny) and his theatrical director Lee (Udo Kier), it becomes apparent that Brad is not so much insane as he is affected and confused by the madness of the world around him. His story proceeds in a non-linear fashion from the quiet suburban neighbourhoods of San Diego to the harsh landscapes of Peru and a Mexican border town, revealing parts of a mystery that only Brad can understand. Meanwhile, outside the house, a SWAT team is moving into position as Brad prepares to deliver one final surprise.
Containing all the cinematic elements that have made Herzog and Lynch's best works at once so menacing, humorous and compelling, MY SON, MY SON, WHAT HAVE YE DONE makes for essential viewing and is "a pungent and distinctive work that's at least as good as anything Herzog (or Lynch) has come up with in the past decade" (Tribune Magazine).
DVD EXTRAS:
Special Features include:
Audio commentary by director Werner Herzog, producer Eric Bassett and screenwriter Herbert Golder
Interview with Werner Herzog including behind-the-scenes footage