rhinoceros

RHINOCEROS EYES
Winner of the 2003 Discovery Award at the Toronto Film Festival
"To be singled out amongst 23 other films from around the world is mind blowing.
It's wonderful to be 'discovered.'" (Aaron Woodley)

For behind-the-scenes photos from the set, please check out the photo gallery on Aaron Woodley's web site (linked above).

Rhinoceros Eyes will be opening in New York City on April 23, 2004. Please click on the official site
link underneath the poster for the trailer and other new information

Paige Turco

Interview with Aaron Woodley (WMV zipped)

Here's a clip of the film which was aired at the Festival Schmooze on StarTV.

Gale and Eva Kolodner
Photo credit: Brian Brooks/ © indieWIRE

Cuties Michael Pitt and Gale Harold in Toronto for their feature "Rhinoceros Eyes" by Aaron Woodley
looking stylish at the party for the film. (Photo credit: Brian Brooks/ © indieWIRE)

more photos in the gallery

Directorial Debut Filmmakers Press Conference: Getting financing and completing the project was the bond that linked these directors, and all spoke about the struggle to bring their films to the big screen. For most of the directors, the project took years to get off the ground; for Canadian director Aaron Woodley, whose feature Rhinoceros Eyes makes its debut in Toronto, the process was close to a decade and it was filled with struggle. >>read more

From the macabre to the party ham: More on Aaron Woodley

cbc.ca: Will the new Tim Burton come from Canada? Granted, Burton's career is not over yet, but his Planet of the Apes remake sure makes it appear his best work is behind him. With talents like Toronto's Aaron Woodley poised to make a big mark, it wouldn't be surprising if the filmmaker who keeps Burton's legacy for weirdness alive comes from the True North (Woodley is the director behind the dream-like Rhinocerous Eyes).

Rhinoceros Eyes is a darkly humorous coming-of-age tale about Chep (Michael Pitt) a reclusive young man, who gets comfort from the movies and his vivid imagination. When Fran (Paige Turco) walks into the prop house where he lives looking for unusual objects, Chep immediately develops a crush. Obsessed with her job designing movie sets, Fran insists that each prop be the real thing even if it happens to be a pair of rhinoceros eyes or a human finger. Chep's growing love for Fran makes him willing to prowl the dark streets at night in search of items for her. As Fran's requests become more peculiar, Chep is thrown into increasingly bizarre situations. His life quickly spirals out of control. As the strange thefts escalate, Detective Phil Barbara (Gale Harold) is assigned to the case and is soon on Chep and Fran's trail. When the film reaches its dramatic climax, a varied cast of characters must all figure out a way to bridge the chasm between their dreams and reality. The film also features Matt Servitto, Jim Allodi, Jackie Burroughs and Nadia Litz.

The film is written and directed by Aaron Woodley, who makes his feature film debut. Tom Gruenberg and Eva Kolodner produce. Chip Seelig serves as executive producer. Daniel Hill and Jessica Levin co-produce. Cinematographer David Greene, production designer Karen Wilson, editor Robert Crossman, animation designer Veronica Verkley and costume designer Denise Cronenberg complete the creative team. (Madstone Films)

Eva Kolodner, Gale Harold
click camera for Windows Media zipped file of interview

Photo credit: Patrick McMullan - Details Magazine
May '03 issue, page 89.

Rhinoceros Eyes has been accepted in the Discovery category to the 2003 Toronto International Film Festival which runs from September 4-13th. Screening dates will be announced August 26th.

Ticket info from canoe(20/08/03) : The 2003 Toronto film festival has sold out most of its passes -- but that does not mean there are no tickets available.Fest officials announced yesterday that the only passes left are a few of the Globetrotters, which allows you to see six movies from around the world. The specific titles are chosen for you by fest programmers.The passes include a bonus of two vouchers for the Cinematheque Ontario. But single tickets are going on sale soon. First, for VISA holders only, are singles for the galas, which go on sale at the box office in College Park on Saturday. Single tickets for everything available, regardless of how you pay for them, go on sale to the public on Sept. 3, again at the box office. Info is available at the filmfest Web site (www.bell.ca/filmfest) and info-line (416-968-FILM). The fest program book is being sold starting on Aug. 26.

From ScreenDaily: Engaging in some nationalist nepotism, TIFF director Piers Handling also pointed to an obscure debut in the Discovery sidebar, Rhinoceros Eyes, by filmmaker Aaron Woodley, who happens to be the nephew of Canadian auteur David Cronenberg.

Snippets from the Hollywood Reporter: For Aaron Woodley, filmmaking is a family affair. Woodley, who will see his debut film, "Rhinoceros Eyes," bow at the Toronto International Film Festival, was first inspired to make movies in 1978 when, as a 7-year-old, he visited the Toronto film set of "The Brood," a B-movie directed by his uncle, cult filmmaker David Cronenberg. In describing his first movie, Woodley says: "It's a fantastical tale, sometimes over the top, with comic book overtones; it's very dreamlike and surreal." The Canadian filmmaker makes ample use of stop-motion animation to blur the line between dreams and reality for the film's cast of characters, which includes Michael Pitt (2002's "Murder by Numbers"), Paige Turco (CBS' "The Agency") and Gale Harold (Showtime's "Queer as Folk").

In "Rhinoceros," Chep (Pitt) becomes obsessed with Fran (Turco), a set designer who insists that each prop she rents be the real thing, even if that means Chep must hunt down a pair of rhinoceros eyes or a human finger. As Fran's requests become ever more bizarre, so, too, does Chep's attempts to fulfill them, ending in chaos. "It's the landscape of Chep's mind that we're living in," Woodley explains. "I really wanted to keep a sense of discombobulation and dreaminess in the film, so there's uncertainty (as to) whether it's fantasy or reality." (Etan Vlessing)

The Fans

* Gale's role was very small, but he did a good job. The film was good.

* The movie itself is quite good. As the director said, it's got everything - humour, horror, romance, etc. It's quirky, funny and creepy all at the same time. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

* This is a fun flick that feels like a mix between Naked Lunch and What's Eating Gilbert Grape. An enjoyable yet meandering film that, in the end, will leave a smile on your face. ~~ From DarkHorizon