"For something witty, funny, and ultimately well-performed you can’t go pass it..Zooey Deschanel is just delightful, she’s definitely one to watch" Clint Morris MOVIEHOLE "The terrific ensemble cast finds the right deadpan tone to deliver the dysfunction." Sheri Linden HOLLYWOOD REPORTER "Little more than a string of jokes stuffed into a contrived storyline, but a lot of the jokes are funny, so maybe it all balances out." Eric D Snider ERICDSNIDER.COM "A reasonably proficient look into the mechanics of a dysfunctional family." Harvey S Karten, COMPUSERVE

"For something witty, funny, and ultimately well-performed you can’t go pass it – just don’t go into "Eulogy" expecting to be tainted with a lovely tale of family or the importance of kinship. It’s about as present as the dialogue is subtle." Clint Morris FILM THREAT "... I’d recommend this film only to those who appreciate dark humor.." JoBlo JOBLO'S MOVIE EMPORIUM "First-time writer/director Michael Clancy jams in every kind of joke possible. You've got lesbian jokes, old granny committing suicide jokes, as well as porno and pot jokes." Kelly Glover ZAP2IT.COM "Eulogy is notable for a couple of gutsy performances in fantastically nasty roles." Annlee Ellingson BOXOFFICE MAGAZINE

The Inside Story Many people often wonder what the meaning of 'black comedy' is when it comes to film. The Oxford dictionary describes black comedy as comic but sinister. Breaking that down it describes comic as funny and sinister as 1. evil or villainous in appearance or manner. 2 wicked, criminal. 3 ominous. Which doesn't really say a lot does it? In fact it makes the saying 'black comedy' even more confusing. Well, what about dark comedy then? Oxford describes the word dark in part as; 4 gloomy, dismal. 5 evil, sinister. 6 sullen, angry. 7 secret, mysterious. 8 ignorant, unenlightened, and it is these words that best describe the style of humour you will find contained within the film "Eulogy". Well at least according to Oxford dictionary. Personally I wouldn't go so far as to describe "Eulogy" as a 'dark' or 'black' comedy. I see it as just another comedy film that contains life situations that many of us encounter either in our own lives or through reality shows like Jerry Springer. You know the kind I mean. The ones where people air their dirty linen and others find it a great source of humour and derision. I mean, we can all mock and scoff at the Collins family, but I am sure that somewhere out there, families just like them or if not, very close to them, do exist. It's not impossible to imagine, after all, anything can, and does happen these days. Now some readers might find "Eulogy" a little absurd. But debut director and screenplay writer Michael Clancy says he, "found inspiration in the torture and the treasure that can be found in family relationships. His experiences convinced him that a truly twisted comedy could arise out of such a somber family gathering as a funeral, given the right details", and he notes, "the right family." On that score, the pickings would be ripe as many families would testify, after a harrowing Christmas Day spent with relatives they really didn't want to see in the first place. Never was there a day when the saying, "Peace on earth, goodwill to all men" probably meant so little. It seems I'm not the only one who thinks that way either. "There are always some weekends or holidays or family gatherings where you're just dreading having to be around your entire family," says Oscar ® winning actor Hank Azaria. "There's no safety in numbers with families; the more there are, the more the insanity is going to reach a fever pitch, and this movie is the ultimate example." And when it comes to burying the dead, it just so happens that I've been to a couple funerals where the tensions ran extremely high, reaching boiling point as they say as families divided themselves into two camps. I know, surely a funeral is the one place where people can put aside their differences for a few short hours? It seems not if Clancy's observation is correct. "Whenever you're dealing with family relationships, you have characters that are trying to get things from each other and trying to work out their relationships with one another. That's something we can all relate to; we're all struggling in this world, trying to make our relationships work. Even if it is a comedy, it can still be very heartfelt." Yes, Clancy, tragic but funny. But then, that's how life can be in a dysfunctional family. No one would be more familiar with those two words, dysfunctional family than the star of televisions most celebrated dysfunctional families Ray Romano. "The script just appealed to me. It was a funny, dark comedy. And it was real, which is important to me; I like to do something that's funny but grounded in reality. I'm coming from a dysfunctional family on TV, and you'd think there's nowhere to go from there, but we're cranking it up a notch," he says chuckling. "This is movie dysfunction as opposed to network dysfunction." Actress Zooey Deschanel, who was recently seen alongside Will Ferrell in the comedy "Elf" and who plays the pivotal role of Kate sees the film as a comedy with trauma. "It's sort of a traumedy about a lot of different crazy personalities juxtaposed against one another. They're bound together not so much by love as they are by the common bond of growing up in the same place." One actress I love to watch at work is Debra Winger and I wasn't disappointed by her performance in "Eulogy" as the dominating sister and wife Alice. "What movie star has that charismatic presence and screen size, yet still can play such a ball-busting bitch? The actor who plays Alice's husband doesn't have a single line because his wife eats up all the air in any room she's in! Who could fill that role? No one better than Debra Winger," says producer Steven Haft. And he's right you know! So what is it about Alice. What's got up her nose? "As a teenager, Alice fought convention and was the rebel leader that all the other kids looked up to," says Oscar ® nominated actress Winger. "But as an adult, she's made herself into a conventional wife and mother. She's grown disconnected from who she really is, and that manifests itself in behavior that can be really unpleasant, to put it mildly. But the old Alice is still in there, just waiting to get out." And what fun it is when she does get out. Especially when it involves her sister Lucy and her lesbian live-in lover Judy played by Famke Janssen of "X-Men" fame. "When I learned about who had been cast for this film, I was practically sold then and there," Janssen recalls. "But the fact is Judy is a great character. She's smart, she refuses to be intimidated by Lucy's crazy family. And she keeps her sense of humor, which isn't always easy when you're dealing with your spouse's family." Veteran actor Rip Torn seen of late in the role of ""Men In Black" Chief Z, plays the deceased head of this crazy family, Edmund Collins. For him, it was a reunion of a different kind. After fourty years, he and Piper Laurie appear together again on the screen. "You always hope you'll get a chance to work again with an actress like Piper. Well, it took a little longer than I might have liked, but I think this story and this cast were worth waiting for." A good cast it is and one that works well together. A cast that really impressed Michael Clancy. "It was an education to watch these actors work together, not to mention entertaining," Clancy affirms. "Not only are they superb comedians who could finesse the story's verbal and physical comedy; they're exceptional dramatic actors who brought real emotional texture to the film as a whole." Crew Bytes "EULOGY" was .......
directed by Michael Clancy ["Emily's Last Date"]; screenplay by Michael Clancy ["Eulogy"]; costume design by Tracy Tynan ["Strangers Kiss", "The Big Easy", "Great Balls of Fire!" and "The Chamber"]; production design by Dina Lipton ["Mallrats", "Next Friday", "The New Guy" and "Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star"]; edited by Richard Halsey ["Rocky", "American Gigolo", "Edward Scissorhands" and "Sorority Boys"] and Ryan Kushner ["When Do We Eat?"]; cinematograhpy by Michael Chapman ["Taxi Driver", "Raging Bull", "Kindergarten Cop", "Primal Fear" and "Evolution"]; original music by George S Clinton ["Beverly Hills Ninja", "3000 Miles To Gracelands", "Antwone Fisher", "The Santa Clause 2" and "Catch That Kid"] produced by Kirk D'Amico ["Sarafina!", "The Good Girl", "Van Wilder: Party Liaison" "Jeepers Creepers II" and "Kinsey"], Lucas Foster ["Van Wilder: Party Liaison ", "Jeepers Creepers II", "Walking Tall" and "Man on Fire"], Steven Haft ["Beyond Therapy", "Last Dance", "Emma" and "Tigerland"] and Richard Barton Lewis ["Tigerland", "Backdraft", "Blown Away" "Moll Flanders" and "Larger Than Life"]. Casting About "EULOGY" stars .......
Zooey Deschanel ["Mumford", "Manic", "Almost Famous" and "Elf"]; Golden Globe Award winner Piper Laurie ["The Hustler", "The Faculty", "Other People’s Money" and "Return To Oz"]; Debra Winger ["Urban Cowboy", "Shadowlands", "Terms of Endearment" and "Forget Paris"]; ACADEMY Award winner Hank Azaria ["Quiz Show", "America's Sweethearts", "Pretty Woman" and "The Bird Cage"]; Jesse Bradford ["Speedway Junkie", "Bring it On", "A Soldier's Daughter Never Cries" and "Swimfan"]; FOUR Times Jeff Award winner Glenne Headly ["Timecode", "Two Days In The Valley", "Mr. Holland’s Opus" and "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels"]; Famke Janssen ["Don't Say A Word", "X-Men I & II", "Love and Sex" and "Goldeneye"]; Kelly Preston ["Twins", "Jerry Maguire", "What a Girl Wants ", "View From the Top" and "The Cat In The Hat"]; Rip Torn ["Wonder Boys", "How To Make An American Quilt", "Robocop 3" and "Men In Black I & II"]; and EMMY Award winner Ray Romano ["Ice Age" and "Welcome To Mooseport"] as Chip Collins. What It's All About Three generations of the Collins family have gathered for the funeral of Edmund Collins including granddaughter Kate who has been asked by Grandma Collins to present the eulogy at the funeral service. Kate has nothing but fond memories of her late grandfather, something the other family members don't seem to share. In the leadup to the day, Kate starts to discover that her father, aunties and uncle don't share the same fondness for Edmund Collins as she herself does. It seems they all feel that their father was never there for them and it isn't long before the reuniting family members are bitching, back-stabbing, bemoaning their childhood and fighting with each other. Then Kate runs into her old boyfriend Ryan. Embarressed by how their friendship finished, Kate tries to avoid him. Ryan is persistent, and, it seems he still has strong feelings for her. Among the chaos of it all, Kate finds someone she can confide in. But there are big surprises in store for all the family members when Grandpa Collins speaks from the grave. The Verdict "If you can't get a few good laughs out of this, well, you may as well give up. Sure the humour is black. Of course it's politically incorrect. And sure, it telegraphs a few punch lines. But then, like the dysfunctional family it portrays, sometimes life can be a lot like that. If comedy on the 'darker' side is your forte`, then "Eulogy" should be ideal entertainment. Fans of "Everybody Loves Raymond" star Ray Romano, will get a real kick out of this one. Worth seeing? Why not!" PS: stay for the out-takes. The Cast

Hank Azaria Jesse Bradford Zooey Deschanel Glenne Headly Famke Janssen Piper Laurie Kelly Preston Ray Romano Rip Torn Debra Winger Curtis Garcia Keith Garcia Rene Auberjonois Lana Novac Allisyn Ashley Arm Denise Dowse Paget Brewster John Lafayette Lisa Maris Claudette Nevins Mary Schmidtberger Natasha Sheridan Michael Panes

... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...

Daniel Collins Ryan Carmichael Kate Collins Samantha Judy Charlotte Collins Lucy Collins Skip Collins Edmund Collins Alice Collins Fred Collins Ted Collins Parson Lace Collins Daughter Judge Aunt Lily Doctor Louise Barbara Collins Hostess Young Kate Adult Film Director

The Crew Directed by Michael Clancy Written by Michael Clancy Produced by Kirk D'Amico/Lucas Foster/Steven Haft/Richard Barton Lewis Original Music by George S Clinton Cinematography by Michael Chapman Film Editing by Richard Halsey & Ryan Kushner Casting by Patricia Kerrigan DiCerto & Nancy Nayor Production Design by Dina Lipton Art Direction by Marc Dabe Set Decoration by Ryan Welsch Costume Design by Tracy Tynan Unit Production Manager Robert Leveen Executive In Charge of Production Deborah Reissman Run Time 90 minutes Rated M15+ [AUST] Copyright ©2005 - Lions Gate Films - All Rights Reserved Copyright Protected © 2005 - Impact Internet Services - All Rights Reserved