#Francesco Cinquemani

[fearsmagazine]

THE GHOSTS OF MONDAY - Review

DISTRIBUTOR: Cleopatra Entertainment

SYNOPSIS:  A group of US filmmakers travel to Cyprus to film a reality show pilot that focuses on the supernatural. Their premier location is the tragically famous Hotel Gula - a once popular resort where more than 100 people died in mysterious circumstances. Right from their arrival tensions mount and what begins as a frustrating location shoot becomes a terrifying journey into the mystery and horror of Cypriot folklore and mythology.

REVIEW: What I enjoyed the most about Francesco Cinquemani’s THE GHOSTS OF MONDAY is that it is not another found footage movie and actor Julian Sands is channeling this Vincent Price performance to create a contemporary version.

The story is just not that great and it is easy to detect where it is going. There isn’t a lot of substance to the background story of the myth and feels superficial. The performances add more to the characters than their backgrounds. Every character feels like a type, not a full cliché, but almost. There are these murderous, I’m assuming twins, that show up and we’re not introduced to or given any information on. I went back and re-watched earlier moments to see if I missed anything but I couldn’t find a clue. Likewise, I can’t recall how the title figures into the plot, unless that was the day of the climax? With at least seven core characters, there is little meat on the bone with a running time of 1 hour and 16 minutes. My interest held on by a thread and at times was straining, to be honest.

The production designs are adequate. The hotel location was okay but the cinematography could have added more to the atmosphere. It doesn't as it is utilitarian. The special effects are “film school 101” and there is a creature that we don’t see much of. The transitions are basic and have no finesse, such as when the action moves from the hotel basement to the underground ancient study. Likewise, some interesting cinematography could have added more atmosphere to the location here. In terms of the costumes, it became obvious that this was basically a one costume shoot per character, which may take some viewers out of the film. There are some visual effects at the end but they feel like some basic out of the can effects that came with whatever program they used.

The cast do an admirable job creating these characters and presenting something that holds the viewer’s interest. Overall they play it safe. They never feel fully invested in the film’s more intense scenes. As I previously mentioned, veteran actor Julian Sands has some fun with the role and adds some, possibly unintentional, comic relief.

THE GHOSTS OF MONDAY is an interesting idea that lacks any vision or a level of artistry to elevate it beyond a pragmatic filmmaking effort. It’s not a bad film, it just lacks any bang for your viewing effort.

At the time of my writing this review actor Julian Sands is still missing from his hike on Mt. Baldy in the San Gabriel Mountains, about 40 miles northeast of downtown Los Angeles. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family and close friends.

CAST: Julian Sands, Mark Huberman, Marianna Rosset, Elva Trill, Joanna Fyllidou, Flavia Watson, Maria Ioannou, and Anthony Skordi. CREW: Director/Screenplay - Francesco Cinquemani; Screenplay - Andy Edwards, Barry Keating and Mark Thompson-Ashworth; Producers - Loris Curci, Marianna Rosset and Vitaly Rosset; Cinematographer - Pau Mirabet’ Score - Christina Georgiou; Editors - Brent Backhus & Graziano Falzone; Production Designer - Andreas Antoniou; Costume Designer - Zoe Sophocleous; Creature And Special Makeup Fx / Special Effects - Prokopis Vlaseros OFFICIAL: altadium.com/projects/the-ghosts-of-monday FACEBOOK: N.A. TWITTER: N.A. TRAILER: https://youtu.be/NguoWBK8iZs RELEASE DATE: January 24th 2023

**Until we can all head back into the theaters our “COVID Reel Value” will be similar to how you rate a film on digital platforms - 👍 (Like), 👌 (It’s just okay),  or 👎 (Dislike)

Reviewed by Joseph B Mauceri

[moviesandmania]

THE GHOSTS OF MONDAY (2022) Reviews of Julian Sands horror movie - released January 23rd

‘She is never alone.’ The Ghosts of Monday is a 2022 Cypriot horror film about a television director who becomes embroiled in a supernatural conspiracy after travelling to Cyprus to make a TV pilot about a haunted hotel. Directed by Francesco Cinquemani (The Christmas Witch; Beyond the Edge; Andron) from a screenplay co-written with Andy Edwards, Barry Keating and Mark Thompson-Ashworth, based on…

[brokehorrorfan]

The Ritual Killer will be released on Blu-ray and DVD on May 2 via Screen Media. The 2023 serial killer thriller is currently available on VOD and from Redbox.

Morgan Freeman and Cole Hauser star with Vernon Davis, Giuseppe Zeno, Murielle Hilaire, Luke Stratte-McClure, Brian Kurlander, Julie Lott, Destiny Loren, and Peter Stormare. George Gallo (writer of Bad Boys and Midnight Run) directs from a script by Bob Bowersox, Jennifer Lemmon, Francesco Cinquemani, and Luca Giliberto.

No special features are listed. The trailer and synopsis can be found below.

EMBED

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The film follows Detective Boyd (Cole Hauser), who, unable to process the death of his daughter, embarks on the hunt for a serial killer who murders according to a brutal tribal ritual: Muti. The only person who can help Boyd is Professor Mackles (Morgan Freeman), an anthropologist who hides an unspeakable secret. The line between sanity and madness thins as Boyd goes deeper into the killer's world.

Pre-order The Ritual Killer.

[stranotizie]

Francesco Cinquemani, regista e sceneggiatore romano, è scomparso a 57 anni dopo una breve malattia. La sua carriera nel cinema è iniziata nel 2015 con il film di fantascienza “Andròn: The Black Labyrinth”. Cinquemani ha guadagnato notorietà con “La rosa velenosa” nel 2019, che ha ricevuto prestigiosi riconoscimenti, incluso un premio per la miglior regia internazionale. La notizia della sua morte è stata condivisa dal giornalista Sergio Fabi sui social media, dove ha descritto Cinquemani come un amico leale e una persona genuina. I funerali si svolgeranno lunedì 16 dicembre presso la chiesa di Santa Prisca a Roma, con inizio alle ore 11. Originariamente, Cinquemani ha iniziato la sua carriera come giornalista, prima di intraprendere il percorso di regista e sceneggiatore. La sua versatilità nel cinema è emersa attraverso opere audaci che spaziano tra vari generi, dall'azione al fantasy, frequentemente collaborando con la casa di produzione ILBE. Tre anni dopo il suo esordio, ha diretto “Beyond the Edge – I maestri dell’illusione”, con un cast che include Antonio Banderas e Milos Bikovic. Un altro dei suoi lavori di spicco è “La rosa velenosa,” co-diretto con George Gallo e Luca Giliberto. Questo film ha solidificato la sua reputazione nel panorama cinematografico, grazie anche ai premi ricevuti. Nel 2021, Cinquemani ha lavorato al docufilm “Lockdown Generation” e ha diretto una serie di commedie natalizie, tra cui “Ladri di Natale,” “Vote for Santa” e “La buona strega del Natale”. Negli ultimi anni, ha fatto uscire diversi progetti, come “Muti – The Ritual Killer,” “Sherlock Santa,” “Natale con i Puffins” e “Kid Santa.” Il suo ultimo lavoro, “Il magico mondo di Billie,” è previsto per il 2024. La sua scomparsa lascia un vuoto significativo nel mondo del cinema, dove era apprezzato non solo per il suo talento, ma anche per il suo spirito collaborativo e il suo approccio autentico alla narrazione. La comunità artistica piange la perdita di un regista che ha contribuito con opere diverse e innovative.

[gbhbl]

Horror Movie Review: The Ghosts of Monday (2022)

When a film has four writers listed, it suggest a confused movie, and The Ghosts of Monday certainly proves to be that.

When a film has four writers listed; Andy Edwards, Barry Keating, Mark Thompson-Ashworth, and Francesco Cinquemani, the latter of which also directed the film, things aren’t looking good. That many different writers suggest a confused movie, and The Ghosts of Monday certainly proves to be that. Set in Cyprus, the Hotel Gula is an opulent hotel that has been abandoned for over twenty years. Ever…

[tctmp]

The Poison Rose: Directed by Francesco Cinquemani, George Gallo. With John Travolta, Morgan Freeman, Brendan Fraser, Famke Janssen. Inspired by classic film noir, Carson Phillips, an ex-football star turned PI, has a soft spot for a lady in distress.

[delectablywaywardbeard-blog]

Morgan Freeman antropologo in Muti, action-thriller-horror

(ANSA) – ROMA, 09 MAG – Muti, action thriller colorato da rituali sciamanici spaventosi è quello che sarà in sala dall’11 maggio, co-diretto da George Gallo, Francesco Cinquemani e Luca Giliberto e con protagonista il premio Oscar Morgan Freeman nei panni di un esperto antropologo coinvolto nelle indagini su un serial killer che uccide secondo un arcaico rituale africano.    Questa la storia che…

[statoprecario]

MUTI - The ritual killer

RS Productions in collaborazione con Mirari Vos è lieta di annunciare l’uscita nei cinema italiani dall’11 maggio di MUTI, action thriller prodotto da Iervolino & Lady Bacardi Entertainment, co-diretto da George Gallo, Francesco Cinquemani e Luca Giliberto e con il Premio Oscar® Morgan Freeman nei panni di un esperto antropologo coinvolto nelle indagini su un serial killer che uccide secondo un…

[kennamchugh]

"The Ghosts of Monday"

British actor Julian Sands stars in The Ghosts of Monday, directed by Francesco Cinquemani, known for Eye for an Eye. Sands starred in the classic films, The Room With a View and The Killing Fields. The movie trailer is a jumble of shots from the movie, but it hardly shows the unnerving quality of the horror film experience. The profusion of suspense and scares is frightening. The film begins…

[tspoe-pods]

Tries to be way too many things at once. Ghost story, satanic cult flick, monster movie, end of the world… it’s all in here. If it picked a lane maybe it’d be worth watching. As it is, going to have to say skip it.

[thepeoplesmovies]

Ho Ho Ho Watch UK Trailer For Christmas Thieves

Ho Ho Ho Watch UK Trailer For Christmas Thieves

Tom Arnold and Michael Madsen have tackled the likes of Arnie, Tarantino. This month they tackle kids when a robbery goes wrong in family comedy Christmas Thieves. Today The Movie Partnership have released the film’s official Trailer, can they escape? November is when Christmas becomes a big integral part of the year. When decorations come out, the classic music gets played and families start…

[fearsmagazine]

THE GHOSTS OF MONDAY | Trailer & Poster

THE GHOSTS OF MONDAY follows a journalist who becomes embroiled in an occult conspiracy after travelling to Cyprus to make a reality television show about a haunted hotel.

Directed by Francesco Cinquemani (An Eye for an Eye) and produced by Loris Curci (Nightworld) THE GHOSTS OF MONDAY employs Cypriot folklore and mythology in its depiction of the terrifying events that transpire at the hotel.

THE GHOSTS OF MONDAY stars Julian Sands (Warlock), Mark Huberman (Vikings Valhalla) Marianna Rosset (SOS), Elva Trill (Jurassic World: Dominion) and Anthony Skordi (Onassis).

Produced during lockdown, THE GHOSTS OF MONDAY was filmed on location at the St Raphael Resort Hotel in Limassol, which had been forced to close due to the pandemic. The hotel doubled as a location, production office and accommodation for cast and crew.

THE GHOSTS OF MONDAY is scheduled for release in the US and Canada on January 24th 2023.

Jinga Films and SC Movies’ award winning supernatural thriller THE GHOSTS OF MONDAY has been released on VOD in Australia and New Zealand.

[moviesandmania]

THE RITUAL KILLER (2023) Reviews of Cole Hauser, Morgan Freeman thriller

The Ritual Killer is a 2023 thriller about a weary detective who teams with a professor to track down a serial killer who is performing the ancient black magic practice of Muti. Directed by George Gallo from a screenplay co-written by Bob Bowersox, Francesco Cinquemani, Luca Giliberto and Jennifer Lemmon, based on a storyline by Bob Bowersox, Francesco Cinquemani and Joe Lemmon. Produced by Chris…

[mikazuki-juuichi]

Film Diary.

Movies I’ve seen as of March 2021 (that did not get a longer review for one or another reason), with my comments on them.

*

 IN ENGLISH: 

- To all the boys I’ve ever loved. (2018. Dir. Susan Johnson. Based on the book by Jenny Han).

Fairly charming romance (with bits of comedy) about and for teenagers. Certainly a better YA romance than other popular but, shall we say Problematic movies like “Twilight” and “The kissing booth”. 

- The Poison Rose. (2019. Dirs. George Gallo & Francesco Cinquemani. Based on the book by Richard Salvatore).

Fairly underrated Noir story with all the traditional ingredients and trappings of the genre. 

- A Family Man. (2016. Dir. Mark Williams). 

The textbook definition of “Glurge”: A story that intends to be inspiring and uplifting and instead is such a melodramatic, preachy, moralistic mess it becomes unintentionally hilarious. Really not recommended. 

- Official Secrets. (UK. 2019. Dir. Gavin Hood. Based on “The spy who tried to stop a war”, by Marcia & Thomas Mitchell). 

Surprisingly good drama about a real-life case, helped by a smart script and effective direction. Okay performances. 

- Inside Job. (2010. Dir. Charles Ferguson)

Good documentary about the late 2000’s financial crisis and the massive corruption that lead to it. Worth a look. 

- The Dig. (UK. 2021. Dir. Simon Stone. Based on the book by John Preston).  

Good drama loosely based on a real-life archaeological dig. More interesting for the subtext than the main story, which is rather suitable for a tale about digging. 

- The last face. (2016. Dir. Sean Penn)

Take the above definition of “Glurge” and then add a level of misery exploitation that would make Mel Gibson proud. Then you get this borderline vomit-inducing disaster of a movie. So yeah, not recommended. 

- I care a lot. (2020. Dir. J Blakeson). 

A prestige movie that can’t quite decide if it’s a black comedy, a thriller, or a parody of both. Entertaing most of the way thanks to good performances, but on the whole surprisingly underwhelming. 

**

OTHER LANGUAGES:

- El desconocido. (Spain. 2015. Dir. Dani de la Torre)

Tense thriller with the well-worn premise of a man in  a car who must keep driving or else. Predictable, but effective and entertaining. 

- Was wir wollten. (Austria. 2020. Dir. Ulrike Kofler. Based on a short story by Peter Stamm) 

Fairly subtle drama that is helped by a uniquely European perspective: This is probably the only tale about a childless couple that ends with the message “Actually, THANK GOD we can’t have children, they just screw everything up!!”. So yeah, recommended if only for that. 

- El agente topo. (Chile. 2020. Dir. Maite Alberdi)

Peculiar yet undeniably delightful mix of documentary and mystery drama —or rather, a film that seems to be a meta-comedy only to become a ponderous drama. Powerful and thought-provoking. 

*

[d-criss-news]

Gisella Marengo, Darren Criss, Cosima Coppola, Lola Ponce, Claudia Gerini, Alice Pagani, Isabella Ferrari,Francesco Cinquemani, Tiziana Rocca, William Baldwin and Catrinel Marlon attend the Filming Italy Sardegna Festival 2019 Day 4 at Forte Village Resort on June 16, 2019 in Cagliari, Italy. (Photo by Daniele Venturelli/Getty Images)

[rahjyblog]

Andron (ITALY/UK/MALTA/CANADA, Francesco Cinquemani, 2015)