THE LAZARUS PROJECT
 
 
 
INFOS
 
Original Title: The Lazarus Project
UK Title: The Lazarus Project
Italian Title:
French Title:
German Title: Das Lazarus Projekt
Spanish Title: Entre a Vida e a Morte
Directed by: John Glenn
Written by:  John Glen, Evan Astrowky
Release date: 2008
Running time: 100 min.
Country: USA
Language: English
Budget: n/a
 
CAST
 
Paul Walker
Linda Cardellini
Piper Perabo
Lambert Wilson
Brooklynn Proulx
Aaron Hughes
Malcom Goodwin
Tony Curran
Bob Gunton
Shawn Hatosy
 
Ben Garvey
Julie (Hospital’s carer)
Lisa Garvey
Avery
Katie Garvey
Caleb
Robbie
William
Ezra
Rick Garvey
 
SYNOPSIS

Ben Garvey (Paul Walker) is a man with a parole almost behind him. Married  with his wonderful Lisa (Piper Perabo), father of the beloved daughter Katie (Brooklynn Proulx) and with a  job with a steady paycheck, he can't belive how much he has to be thank ful for. But when Ben loses is job, he's sucked into one last robbery by his ex-con brother Rick (Shawn Hatosy)  and  Caleb (Aaron Hughes). When the heist goes awry and someone is killed, Ben is sent to prison and sentenced to death. Suddenly facing a lethal injection, Ben must say goodbye to his family and prepare himself for the worst. But his death sentence isn’t quite what it seems. We find Ben, after the execution,  regaining consciousness near an eerie psychiatric ward, wandering the grounds of a mental health facility in Oregon where he is  told he’s been hired as the groundskeeper. Here he meets strange characters like the other groundkeeper Robbie (Malcom Goodwin) William (Tony Curran), an extremely violent psychopath who claims to know why Ben is at the hospital, and Ezra (Bob Gunton), a priest who runs the hospital. Ben is confused, how did he get here? A man appears to him, Avery (Lambert Wilson), a guardian angel who explains that Ben has to accept this new life. Ben has a hard time believing God would punish him to a lifetime without his family but Avery has explanations of redemption. And Ben’s carer, the hospital administrator Julie (Linda Cardellini) ends up falling in love with him. As Ben starts to come to grips with his new fate, wondering whether he has truly cheated death or if he has become part of a far more sinister plan, strange things begin to happen. Are people watching him? Is he being followed? He then questions who really is behind this or if it really isn't some trap. Is this reality? A dream? Is he crazy? With the state of his soul in question, and the love for his wife and daughter all the more real and powerful, Ben must figure out if he’s truly cheated death, or if he’s become part of something far more sinister. The twists keep coming in the fast paced gritty thriller as we follow Ben desperately trying to get back to his beloved family.

TRIVIA
 
This movie was shooted under the title The Heaven Project. The title was changed right before the straight-to-DVD release (October 21, 2008) on The Lazarus Project, even if some pictures of promotional posters were yet availabe on the net with the original title.
 
The film is written and directed by John Glenn in his directorial debut. Production was originally slated for September 2005, with Mandeville Films attached to produce the film. After a prolonged delay, actor Paul Walker was cast into The Lazarus Project. Production began on April 15, 2007, taking place in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Actress Linda Cardellini joined the film the following May.

The film will mark the first company credit for Be Good Productions, a production company created by Paul Walker, Brandon Birtell and Tim Whitcombe.

The film has been noted to be similar to the 1890 short story "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge" by Ambrose Bierce.
 
The music for The Lazarus Project was composed by Brian Tyler, who compose the music for Fast and Furious (2009) also starring Paul Walker. Tyler has stated that, "This one is going to be an ensemble type of score, very introspective, very heartfelt, it is a movie about purgatory and it's going to be different than anything I've done before, and I am really happy and very excited doing it."
 
 "The Lazarus Project" was filmed also at the former Brandon Mental Health Center Site on the North Hill (Canada). Economic Development Officer Sandi Trudel says even a brief shoot like this one will mean money being pumped into Brandon's economy.  Over 5 hundred applications were received during an open casting call for extras at City Hall.  The film crew’s work closely with the established construction crew on site, who work also on the new home for Assiniboine Community College's Culinary Arts facility.  
 
Westman Reptile Gardens of Winnipeg, home of the largest collection of reptiles and bugs in Canada, supplied the carpet python that slithers over  Paul Walker's body while Ben is strapped to a gurney.
 
The Lazarus Project is rated PG-13 for some violence, disturbing images and thematic material. 
 
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