THE DEMON RISES

Present

THE NEON DEMON

A film by Nicolas Winding Refn

THE NEON DEMON will have its world premiere in the Official Competition of the 69^th Cannes Film Festival

Amazon Studios and Broadgreen Pictures will release THE NEON DEMON in theaters June 24, 2016

 

Directed by Nicolas Winding Refn

Written by Nicolas Winding Refn, Mary Laws and Polly Stenham

Starring Jena Malone, Keanu Reeves, Christina Hendricks, Elle Fannning, Abbey Lee, Bella Heathcote, Desmond Harrington and Karl Glusman

When aspiring model Jesse moves to Los Angeles, her youth and vitality are devoured by a group of beauty-obsessed women who will take any means necessary to get what she has.

  

WHAT IS ‘THE NEON DEMON’?

“L.A., because of all the lights.”

– Elle Fanning (Jesse)

“Otherworldly beauty, but [also] the dark underbelly of that.”

– Jena Malone (Ruby)

“The industry and the city. It’s glossy and shiny but it will eat you alive.”

– Bella Heathcote (Gigi)

“A demonic force…camouflaged in glitter and stilettos.”

- Abbey Lee (Sarah)

“That kind of empty, shallow notoriety or celebrity that doesn’t really mean anything in the end and…eats people up and spits them out.”

- Karl Glusman (Dean)

“There’s something about the light - you can call it artificial light, but I guess all light is artificial besides the sun - and the neon quality of it. [There’s] something about those colors that attracts and repulses at the same time. And then there’s the demon part. What is the demon within; what is the demon on the outside? Is it ego? It may be a fear of death. Or desire. It’s all sorts of fun stuff.”

- Keanu Reeves (Hank)

“It makes me think of speed and a bunch of lights on Sunset. And the devil.”

- Desmond Harrington (Jack)

“The dark underbelly of beauty and the things we would do for beauty.”

- Christina Hendricks (Roberta)

 “You have to talk to Nic about the title.”

- Mary Laws, co-writer

“A great cover for a fetish magazine.”

- Nicolas Winding Refn, Director, Screenwriter

“Heading for the flashing light and the glamour but also that there’s something twisted and a darker side to it.”

- Lene Børglum, Producer

“The word neon is a reflection of the location;

the word demon is a reflection of the obsession.”

- Rachel Dik, Executive Producer

“It feels a little bit banal to try and explain it because it’s kind of the essence of the movie and whatever I say in English

is going to sound very cheesy.”

- Natasha Braier, Cinematographer

“When you see neon lights, you think something is super glamorous. And I think that’s probably very misleading in most cases.”

- Nicole Daniels, Casting Director

“The demon within is highlighted? I don’t know.”

- Courtney Bright, Casting Director

“It’s going to be a title of one of the musical pieces.”

- Cliff Martinez, Composer

“It means it’s scary, you know? And I think it’s exciting, you know?”

- Alex Uceda, Caterer (Alex in the Kitchen)

Find THE NEON DEMON online:

Facebook | Twitter| #TheNeonDemon

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WHAT IS ‘THE NEON DEMON’?

Presents

THE NEON DEMON

A film by Nicolas Winding Refn

Watch the trailer:

THE NEON DEMON will have its world premiere in the Official Competition of the 69^th Cannes Film Festival

Amazon Studios will release THE NEON DEMON in theaters June 2016

Directed by Nicolas Winding Refn

Written by Nicolas Winding Refn, Mary Laws and Polly Stenham

Starring Jena Malone, Keanu Reeves, Christina Hendricks, Elle Fannning, Abbey Lee, Bella Heathcote, Desmond Harrington and Karl Glusman

When aspiring model Jesse moves to Los Angeles, her youth and vitality are devoured by a group of beauty-obsessed women who will take any means necessary to get what she has.

  

WHAT IS ‘THE NEON DEMON’?

“L.A., because of all the lights.”

– Elle Fanning (Jesse)

“Otherworldly beauty, but [also] the dark underbelly of that.”

– Jena Malone (Ruby)

“The industry and the city. It’s glossy and shiny but it will eat you alive.”

– Bella Heathcote (Gigi)

“A demonic force…camouflaged in glitter and stilettos.”

- Abbey Lee (Sarah)

“That kind of empty, shallow notoriety or celebrity that doesn’t really mean anything in the end and…eats people up and spits them out.”

- Karl Glusman (Dean)

“There’s something about the light - you can call it artificial light, but I guess all light is artificial besides the sun - and the neon quality of it. [There’s] something about those colors that attracts and repulses at the same time. And then there’s the demon part. What is the demon within; what is the demon on the outside? Is it ego? It may be a fear of death. Or desire. It’s all sorts of fun stuff.”

- Keanu Reeves (Hank)

“It makes me think of speed and a bunch of lights on Sunset. And the devil.”

- Desmond Harrington (Jack)

“The dark underbelly of beauty and the things we would do for beauty.”

- Christina Hendricks (Roberta)

 “You have to talk to Nic about the title.”

- Mary Laws, co-writer

“A great cover for a fetish magazine.”

- Nicolas Winding Refn, Director, Screenwriter

“Heading for the flashing light and the glamour but also that there’s something twisted and a darker side to it.”

- Lene Børglum, Producer

“The word neon is a reflection of the location;

the word demon is a reflection of the obsession.”

- Rachel Dik, Executive Producer

“It feels a little bit banal to try and explain it because it’s kind of the essence of the movie and whatever I say in English

is going to sound very cheesy.”

- Natasha Braier, Cinematographer

“When you see neon lights, you think something is super glamorous. And I think that’s probably very misleading in most cases.”

- Nicole Daniels, Casting Director

“The demon within is highlighted? I don’t know.”

- Courtney Bright, Casting Director

“It’s going to be a title of one of the musical pieces.”

- Cliff Martinez, Composer

“It means it’s scary, you know? And I think it’s exciting, you know?”

- Alex Uceda, Caterer (Alex in the Kitchen)

Find THE NEON DEMON online:

Facebook | Twitter| #TheNeonDemon

Amazon Studios

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Mad Max: Fury Road currently has a 98% freshness rating and upon seeing the film for yourself, it quickly becomes entirely apparent just why. George Miller's post-apocalyptic drama is loaded with high-octane adrenaline combined with a brilliant critique on the mistreatment of women.

Mild spoilers below.

Tom Hardy stars as the titular Mad Max, but by in large, the film isn't so much about him. In looking at the film on its own, as opposed to stacking it up against it's decades-old prequels, there is little we learn about Max. With only brief flashes of his past and visions of his lost loved ones, much of his story remains a mystery. It is not difficult to argue that the film's true first-lead is that of Charlize Theron's Imperator Furiosa, whose back-story may not be presented with any live-action shots but is still explored more deeply than Max's. Theron's emotionality is often highly potent, as it simmers just beneath the surface of her tough exterior.

But the strength of Mad Max: Fury Road is not derived from any one single performance. It is a machine in which each and every cog is of the highest calibre. The action sequences are visually stunning, with the very real-explosions and pyro-techniques elevating the scale of the battles fought. While other actions films can often spiral into a comedic mess due to the painfully obvious transitions between lead actors and their stunt doubles, this one makes use of closer shots in the sequences with its lead actors that leave little doubt that this film cast actors who weren't afraid to pull their own weight.

The commentary is ripe in this film, as the antagonist is a totalitarian-dictator who greedily and hedonistically takes multiple wives to be used for breeding as much as his old and rotting body will allow him to. The women who fight for their freedom and to stop him from further perpetrating his misogyny-riddled violence are all allotted their own agency and distinct character traits, even when in the status of supporting character. It's a rare sight to see in films given wide distribution by Hollywood, but we are hopeful that this film can be a trail-blazer for more quality material for women in large blockbusters. 

Hugh Keays-Byrne gives a strong performance as Immortal Joe, with much of his wild rage being present in his gaze. With his face being largely covered, he still played the madness of his character well. Nicholas Hoult is also worthy of recognition, as his ability to play the both manic and vulnerable parts of Nux's journey beautifully. Indeed there is hardly a less-than-stellar performance to be seen in this film, as even the supporting characters are able to make a lasting impression and have a moving story to tell, regardless of their shorter amount of screen time. 

In short, Mad Max: Fury Road is the first film to have me truly excited about the future of film since Snowpiercer. With both of these films, we have large-scale sets to backdrop compelling tales of fighting against totalitarian systems and quality material for more characters than just the white-male lead. This is precisely the sort of film that the industry needed. Don't miss out on this exciting and beautifully crafted piece of art!

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