Witchblade (2000 film)
Encyclopedia
Witchblade is a made-for-television live-action superhero film
adapted from the cult comic book by Marc Silvestri
and Top Cow Productions
. Set in contemporary New York City, the occult police drama centers on Sara Pezzini
(Yancy Butler
), a brooding and willful homicide detective who is the reluctant inheritor of an ancient, symbiotic weapon that grants her superhuman powers.
Witchblade was produced by Top Cow Productions, Inc., and Halsted Pictures
in association with Warner Bros. Television
. The Turner Network Television
film made its debut August 27, 2000. The strong ratings performance of the two-hour action-thriller led to the TNT original series, Witchblade
(2001–2002).
(Yancy Butler
) is bitter at being unable to bring her killer to justice. Sara is certain the killer is Tommy Gallo (Conrad Dunn
), a legendary hit man who seems untouchable. After one of Gallo's henchmen assaults her partner, Danny Woo (Will Yun Lee
), Sara pursues him into a museum where the artifacts of Joan of Arc are among those displayed. While searching for Gallo's man, Sara is momentarily transfixed by a metal gauntlet in a display case — and is startled by a mysterious figure (Eric Etebari
) who vanishes as quickly as he appears. During a savage gunfight in the museum, the display case is shattered and the gauntlet careens through space and finds Sara's arm, miraculously protecting her. In time it appears that all of these events have converged through the machinations of a billionaire named Kenneth Irons
(Anthony Cistaro
), a man obsessed with an artifact called the Witchblade.
The Witchblade is a magical weapon that chooses who will wear it — and it has chosen but a few warriors, all of them women, throughout the centuries. To understand the Witchblade and why she was chosen to wield it, Sara embarks on a difficult search for self-discovery and justice.
announced plans for the two-hour live-action feature film, Witchblade, to premiere in early 1999 as part of the cable network's significant increase in original programming. The film was to be the pilot for an hour-long TNT series that would be filmmaker Oliver Stone
's first drama series for television. Executive producer Stone had taken Top Cow's project to Warner Bros. Television, which agreed to finance development and took Witchblade to TNT, a sister company in the Time-Warner family. In October 1999, the pilot film was still in development with Stone's company, Illusion Entertainment; but when filming began in February 2000, Stone was no longer attached to the Witchblade project. Instead, Witchblade was executive produced by Dan Halsted
, Stone's former partner, and Top Cow Productions' Marc Silvestri
.
"As with all things Hollywood it was several train wrecks that somehow made it to the station," said executive producer Marc Silvestri. "Honestly, it amazes me how anything gets produced at all." Silvestri attributed Stone's departure to a creative dispute with TNT.
The teleplay by J. D. Zeik http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0954345/ is a loose adaptation of the Top Cow comic book. "We use the comic book to get the essential DNA of the story," director Ralph Hemecker
said. "We've maintained a lot of the elements of the original eight issues of the comic book ... making it more of a character-driven piece."
Witchblade was filmed in Toronto
in February and March 2000. As well as original music by Joel Goldsmith
, the soundtrack includes songs by U2
("Mysterious Ways"
), Beth Orton
("She Cries Your Name
"), Rob Zombie
("Living Dead Girl
") and The Guess Who
("American Woman"
). The telefilm premiered on TNT Sunday, August 27, 2000.
"Emergence," the episode that begins the second season of the Witchblade television series
, uses scenes from the pilot film in presenting an alternative scenario after Sara uses the powerful weapon to reverse time.
into production.
The WB Television Network
, a sibling of TNT in the Time Warner
media conglomerate, selected Witchblade as the debut film for a new Tuesday-night movie series in May 2001. In its broadcast-television debut, the movie drew 5.2 million viewers — matching the numbers the WB earned with Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel
in the previous season, and topping the WB's season average of 4.2 million viewers.
On TNT, Witchblade was reprised June 5, 2001, introducing the Warner Bros. TV series
of the same name, which began airing a week later.
In July 2008, Witchblade was released as part of Witchblade — The Complete Series, a seven-disc set that comprised the feature-length pilot and all 23 episodes of the TV series. Although the widescreen Region 1 DVD set from Warner Home Video features an all-new soundtrack selected by the executive producer, the songs in the series pilot were not replaced. ISBN 1419804243
Superhero film
A superhero film, superhero movie, or superhero motion picture is: action, fantasy and science fiction film; that is focused on the actions of one or more superheroes, individuals who usually possess superhuman abilities relative to a normal person and are dedicated to protecting the public...
adapted from the cult comic book by Marc Silvestri
Marc Silvestri
Marc Silvestri is an American comic book artist, creator and publisher. He currently acts as the CEO for Top Cow Productions.-Early life:Marc Silvestri was born in Palm Beach, Florida.-Career:...
and Top Cow Productions
Top Cow Productions
Top Cow Productions is an American comics publisher, a partner studio of Image Comics founded by Marc Silvestri in 1992.-History:...
. Set in contemporary New York City, the occult police drama centers on Sara Pezzini
Sara Pezzini
Sara Pezzini is a fictional comic book superheroine starring in the series Witchblade. Sara also appeared in a Turner Network Television live-action feature film and TV series of the same name, portrayed by Yancy Butler...
(Yancy Butler
Yancy Butler
Yancy Victoria Butler is an American television and movie actress known for her roles as Natasha Binder in the 1993 John Woo film Hard Target and as Detective Sara Pezzini on the TNT supernatural drama Witchblade.-Early life:...
), a brooding and willful homicide detective who is the reluctant inheritor of an ancient, symbiotic weapon that grants her superhuman powers.
Witchblade was produced by Top Cow Productions, Inc., and Halsted Pictures
Dan Halsted
Dan Halsted is an American film producer, agent, and manager.He was born in New York on July 12, 1962, and moved to Beverly Hills, California in 1976. He graduated from the UCLA with a B.A. in Political Science...
in association with Warner Bros. Television
Warner Bros. Television
Warner Bros. Television is the television production arm of Warner Bros. Entertainment, itself part of Time Warner. Alongside CBS Television Studios, it serves as a television production arm of The CW Television Network , though it also produces shows for other networks, such as Shameless on...
. The Turner Network Television
Turner Network Television
Turner Network Television is an American cable television channel created by media mogul Ted Turner and currently owned by the Turner Broadcasting System division of Time Warner...
film made its debut August 27, 2000. The strong ratings performance of the two-hour action-thriller led to the TNT original series, Witchblade
Witchblade (TV series)
Following a pilot film in August 2000, the cable network TNT premiered a Witchblade television series based on the Witchblade Top Cow Productions comic book series in 2001. Some of the episodes were written by Ralph Hemecker, Marc Silvestri and J.D...
(2001–2002).
Plot
When one of her best friends is murdered, NYPD homicide detective Sara PezziniSara Pezzini
Sara Pezzini is a fictional comic book superheroine starring in the series Witchblade. Sara also appeared in a Turner Network Television live-action feature film and TV series of the same name, portrayed by Yancy Butler...
(Yancy Butler
Yancy Butler
Yancy Victoria Butler is an American television and movie actress known for her roles as Natasha Binder in the 1993 John Woo film Hard Target and as Detective Sara Pezzini on the TNT supernatural drama Witchblade.-Early life:...
) is bitter at being unable to bring her killer to justice. Sara is certain the killer is Tommy Gallo (Conrad Dunn
Conrad Dunn
Conrad Dunn is an American actor. He began his screen career with the role of Francis "Psycho" Soyer in Stripes . Working for some ten years under the name George Jenesky, he achieved soap-opera stardom in Days of our Lives as Nick Corelli, a misogynistic pimp who evolved from bad guy to romantic...
), a legendary hit man who seems untouchable. After one of Gallo's henchmen assaults her partner, Danny Woo (Will Yun Lee
Will Yun Lee
Will Yun Lee is an Korean American actor.He is best known for his roles on TNT's supernatural drama series Witchblade as Danny Woo and as Jae Kim on NBC's science fiction television drama Bionic Woman...
), Sara pursues him into a museum where the artifacts of Joan of Arc are among those displayed. While searching for Gallo's man, Sara is momentarily transfixed by a metal gauntlet in a display case — and is startled by a mysterious figure (Eric Etebari
Eric Etebari
Eric Etebari is an American actor, model and musician. He appeared in Witchblade, 2 Fast 2 Furious and Sorrows Lost.- Early life :...
) who vanishes as quickly as he appears. During a savage gunfight in the museum, the display case is shattered and the gauntlet careens through space and finds Sara's arm, miraculously protecting her. In time it appears that all of these events have converged through the machinations of a billionaire named Kenneth Irons
Kenneth Irons
Kenneth Irons is a fictional comic book supervillain. He is a criminal mastermind who is depicted as the person behind nearly every evil deed in the Top Cow series Witchblade....
(Anthony Cistaro
Anthony Cistaro
Anthony Cistaro , is an American actor. At an early age he moved to San Francisco, California, where his father worked as a teacher and counselor, while his mother worked in the home, caring for the family. In later years she worked as a program assistant in academic departments. Anthony attended St...
), a man obsessed with an artifact called the Witchblade.
The Witchblade is a magical weapon that chooses who will wear it — and it has chosen but a few warriors, all of them women, throughout the centuries. To understand the Witchblade and why she was chosen to wield it, Sara embarks on a difficult search for self-discovery and justice.
Production
In April 1998, Turner Network TelevisionTurner Network Television
Turner Network Television is an American cable television channel created by media mogul Ted Turner and currently owned by the Turner Broadcasting System division of Time Warner...
announced plans for the two-hour live-action feature film, Witchblade, to premiere in early 1999 as part of the cable network's significant increase in original programming. The film was to be the pilot for an hour-long TNT series that would be filmmaker Oliver Stone
Oliver Stone
William Oliver Stone is an American film director, producer and screenwriter. Stone became well known in the late 1980s and the early 1990s for directing a series of films about the Vietnam War, for which he had previously participated as an infantry soldier. His work frequently focuses on...
's first drama series for television. Executive producer Stone had taken Top Cow's project to Warner Bros. Television, which agreed to finance development and took Witchblade to TNT, a sister company in the Time-Warner family. In October 1999, the pilot film was still in development with Stone's company, Illusion Entertainment; but when filming began in February 2000, Stone was no longer attached to the Witchblade project. Instead, Witchblade was executive produced by Dan Halsted
Dan Halsted
Dan Halsted is an American film producer, agent, and manager.He was born in New York on July 12, 1962, and moved to Beverly Hills, California in 1976. He graduated from the UCLA with a B.A. in Political Science...
, Stone's former partner, and Top Cow Productions' Marc Silvestri
Marc Silvestri
Marc Silvestri is an American comic book artist, creator and publisher. He currently acts as the CEO for Top Cow Productions.-Early life:Marc Silvestri was born in Palm Beach, Florida.-Career:...
.
"As with all things Hollywood it was several train wrecks that somehow made it to the station," said executive producer Marc Silvestri. "Honestly, it amazes me how anything gets produced at all." Silvestri attributed Stone's departure to a creative dispute with TNT.
The teleplay by J. D. Zeik http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0954345/ is a loose adaptation of the Top Cow comic book. "We use the comic book to get the essential DNA of the story," director Ralph Hemecker
Ralph Hemecker
Ralph W. Hemecker is an American director, writer and producer.Hemecker has amassed numerous credits in television, directing episodes of Dead at 21, The X-Files, Millennium, Numb3rs, Blue Bloods as well as directing a number of television films....
said. "We've maintained a lot of the elements of the original eight issues of the comic book ... making it more of a character-driven piece."
Witchblade was filmed in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
in February and March 2000. As well as original music by Joel Goldsmith
Joel Goldsmith
Joel Goldsmith is a composer of film, television, and video game music. He is the son of renowned composer Jerry Goldsmith. He was the main composer for the TV series Stargate SG-1, although the main titles were written by David Arnold...
, the soundtrack includes songs by U2
U2
U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed in 1976, the group consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr. . U2's early sound was rooted in post-punk but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music...
("Mysterious Ways"
Mysterious Ways (song)
"Mysterious Ways" is a song by the rock band U2. It is the eighth track from their 1991 album Achtung Baby and was released as the album's second single on 25 November 1991. The song reached the top ten of the singles charts in several countries, including Ireland, where it went to number one...
), Beth Orton
Beth Orton
Beth Orton is a BRIT Award–winning English singer-songwriter, known for her 'folktronica' sound, which mixes elements of folk and electronica. She was initially recognised for her collaborations with William Orbit and the Chemical Brothers in the mid 1990s. However, these were not Orton's first...
("She Cries Your Name
She Cries Your Name
"She Cries Your Name" is a song by Beth Orton, released as her third single and found on her 1996 release Trailer Park. It was re-released in 1997, with a different set of b-sides. Both releases contain 4 songs, and were released on CD and vinyl...
"), Rob Zombie
Rob Zombie
Rob Zombie is an American musician, film director, screenwriter and film producer. He founded the heavy metal band White Zombie and has been nominated three times as a solo artist for the Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance.Zombie has also established a career as a film director, creating the...
("Living Dead Girl
Living Dead Girl
"Living Dead Girl" is the second single from Rob Zombie's solo debut Hellbilly Deluxe. It was named after Jean Rollin's 1982 film. The line, "Who is this irresistible creature who has an insatiable love for the dead?" in the beginning of the song is from the trailer of the film, Lady Frankenstein...
") and The Guess Who
The Guess Who
The Guess Who are a Canadian rock band from Winnipeg, Manitoba. Initially gaining recognition in Canada, they also found international success from the late 1960s through the mid-1970s with numerous hit singles, including "American Woman", "These Eyes" and "Share the Land"...
("American Woman"
American Woman (song)
"American Woman" is a song by Canadian rock band The Guess Who, first released in January 1970 on the album of the same name and later in March as a single, which reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song has been covered by many rock artists, including Lenny Kravitz, Krokus, and The Butthole...
). The telefilm premiered on TNT Sunday, August 27, 2000.
"Emergence," the episode that begins the second season of the Witchblade television series
Witchblade (TV series)
Following a pilot film in August 2000, the cable network TNT premiered a Witchblade television series based on the Witchblade Top Cow Productions comic book series in 2001. Some of the episodes were written by Ralph Hemecker, Marc Silvestri and J.D...
, uses scenes from the pilot film in presenting an alternative scenario after Sara uses the powerful weapon to reverse time.
Cast
- Yancy ButlerYancy ButlerYancy Victoria Butler is an American television and movie actress known for her roles as Natasha Binder in the 1993 John Woo film Hard Target and as Detective Sara Pezzini on the TNT supernatural drama Witchblade.-Early life:...
as Sara PezziniSara PezziniSara Pezzini is a fictional comic book superheroine starring in the series Witchblade. Sara also appeared in a Turner Network Television live-action feature film and TV series of the same name, portrayed by Yancy Butler...
, homicide detective and reluctant bladewielder - Anthony CistaroAnthony CistaroAnthony Cistaro , is an American actor. At an early age he moved to San Francisco, California, where his father worked as a teacher and counselor, while his mother worked in the home, caring for the family. In later years she worked as a program assistant in academic departments. Anthony attended St...
as Kenneth IronsKenneth IronsKenneth Irons is a fictional comic book supervillain. He is a criminal mastermind who is depicted as the person behind nearly every evil deed in the Top Cow series Witchblade....
, billionaire obsessed with controlling the bearer of the Witchblade - Conrad DunnConrad DunnConrad Dunn is an American actor. He began his screen career with the role of Francis "Psycho" Soyer in Stripes . Working for some ten years under the name George Jenesky, he achieved soap-opera stardom in Days of our Lives as Nick Corelli, a misogynistic pimp who evolved from bad guy to romantic...
as Tommy Gallo, most powerful man in the underworld - David ChokachiDavid ChokachiDavid Chokachi is an American television actor. He's best known for his role in the TV series Witchblade, Baywatch, and Beyond The Break. His father is Turkish and his mother is Finnish.-Early life:He attended Tabor Academy, an elite boarding prep school in Marion, Massachusetts...
as Jake McCartey, rookie NYPD police detective and former champion surfer - Kenneth WelshKenneth WelshKenneth Welsh, CM is a Canadian film and television actor . He is known to Twin Peaks fans as the multi-faceted villain Windom Earle, and has more recently played the father of Katharine Hepburn in Martin Scorsese's The Aviator.In 1984 he was nominated for a Genie Award as Best Actor for his...
as Joe Siri, Sara's supervisor, also her late father's partner and best friend - Will Yun LeeWill Yun LeeWill Yun Lee is an Korean American actor.He is best known for his roles on TNT's supernatural drama series Witchblade as Danny Woo and as Jae Kim on NBC's science fiction television drama Bionic Woman...
as Danny Woo, Sara's partner and guardian angel - Eric EtebariEric EtebariEric Etebari is an American actor, model and musician. He appeared in Witchblade, 2 Fast 2 Furious and Sorrows Lost.- Early life :...
as Ian NottinghamIan NottinghamIan Nottingham is a character from the Witchblade comic and television series, an assassin once employed by Kenneth Irons. Nottingham is of British and of Native American descent....
, enigmatic protégé of Kenneth Irons - Jody Racicot as Drexler
- Hal Eisen as Lorenzo Vespucci
- Jim Codrington as Officer Smitty
- Tony MunchTony MunchTony Munch is a Canadian actor. He is best known for his roles in Land of the Dead as Anchor and in the films Cube Zero, Shoot 'Em Up and .45.-Filmography:*Red Coat Justice as Cobb...
as Guy in Mens room - Katherine Trowell as Receptionist
- Whitney Westwood as Maria Bonazzi
Reception
Witchblade was the top-rated movie for the week of August 21–27, 2000, earning a 4.5 Nielsen rating (3,491,000 households) for its premiere broadcast. The TNT Original also was the top movie among the key adult demographics 18–49 (3,157,000) and the most-watched program among adults 25–54 (3,631,000). The thriller was still the number-one original movie among adults 18–49 and 25–54 in October 2000, when TNT announced that it had ordered 11 one-hour episodes of an action-drama seriesWitchblade (TV series)
Following a pilot film in August 2000, the cable network TNT premiered a Witchblade television series based on the Witchblade Top Cow Productions comic book series in 2001. Some of the episodes were written by Ralph Hemecker, Marc Silvestri and J.D...
into production.
The WB Television Network
The WB Television Network
The WB Television Network is a former television network in the United States that was launched on January 11, 1995 as a joint venture between Warner Bros. and Tribune Broadcasting. On January 24, 2006, CBS Corporation and Warner Bros...
, a sibling of TNT in the Time Warner
Time Warner
Time Warner is one of the world's largest media companies, headquartered in the Time Warner Center in New York City. Formerly two separate companies, Warner Communications, Inc...
media conglomerate, selected Witchblade as the debut film for a new Tuesday-night movie series in May 2001. In its broadcast-television debut, the movie drew 5.2 million viewers — matching the numbers the WB earned with Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel
Angel (TV series)
Angel is an American television series, a spin-off of the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The series was created by Buffys creator, Joss Whedon, in collaboration with David Greenwalt, and first aired on October 5, 1999...
in the previous season, and topping the WB's season average of 4.2 million viewers.
On TNT, Witchblade was reprised June 5, 2001, introducing the Warner Bros. TV series
Witchblade (TV series)
Following a pilot film in August 2000, the cable network TNT premiered a Witchblade television series based on the Witchblade Top Cow Productions comic book series in 2001. Some of the episodes were written by Ralph Hemecker, Marc Silvestri and J.D...
of the same name, which began airing a week later.
Reviews and commentary
- Jerry Krupnick, The Star-LedgerThe Star-LedgerThe Star-Ledger is the largest circulated newspaper in the U.S. state of New Jersey and is based in Newark. It is a sister paper to The Jersey Journal of Jersey City, The Times of Trenton and the Staten Island Advance, all of which are owned by Advance Publications.The Newark Star-Ledgers daily...
(August 21, 2000) — Sharp and sexy Yancy ButlerYancy ButlerYancy Victoria Butler is an American television and movie actress known for her roles as Natasha Binder in the 1993 John Woo film Hard Target and as Detective Sara Pezzini on the TNT supernatural drama Witchblade.-Early life:...
is the star, along with an intriguingly lethal weapon called The Witchblade, in the thriller of that title ... While investigating the death of a woman friend, Sara is ambushed by vicious bad guys, but is saved by the ancient weapon, which over the centuries has been the servant and master of many other women possessing her strength of mind, body and will. From then on, it's Sara's to use and, just as importantly, to control. We believe Top Cow comic fans will not be the only ones to fall under this heroine's spell. The Witchblade is all bang, bang action, done with compelling professional skill! Ah, a winner! - Steven Oxman, VarietyVariety (magazine)Variety is an American weekly entertainment-trade magazine founded in New York City, New York, in 1905 by Sime Silverman. With the rise of the importance of the motion-picture industry, Daily Variety, a daily edition based in Los Angeles, California, was founded by Silverman in 1933. In 1998, the...
(August 21, 2000) — Based on a comic book, TNT's two-hour Witchblade is a raucous concoction, filled with action, loud music and loads of visual effects. Paradoxically, it's also dull — a gigantically overblown cliche that tries to substitute an ever-shaky camera and fast-paced editing in place of character and story. - David Bianculli, Daily News (August 24, 2000) — Add it all up, and everything in Witchblade seems like a cliche convention, up to and including Kenneth WelshKenneth WelshKenneth Welsh, CM is a Canadian film and television actor . He is known to Twin Peaks fans as the multi-faceted villain Windom Earle, and has more recently played the father of Katharine Hepburn in Martin Scorsese's The Aviator.In 1984 he was nominated for a Genie Award as Best Actor for his...
's superior officer, who gruffly asks for Sara's badge. Only Butler, who takes all of this seriously enough to look anguished at all times, deserves none of the blame for this meltdown. That look of anguish, though, could be explained simply by her having read the script, and comprehending what she and her agent had gotten her into. - Danny Heitman, The Advocate (August 24, 2000 — By default, the appeal of Witchblade rests almost exclusively on Butler, who headlines as the movie's reluctant superheroine. While undeniably attractive, Butler uses more than her good looks here, turning in an expressive performance that does the seemingly impossible: lending three dimensions to a comic book character. Be warned that the plot, which involves Sara in a bloody war with a Mafia kingpin played by Conrad Dunn, is unapologetically violent, with enough explosions and gunfire to warrant a UN peacekeeping force. On that score, director Ralph Hemecker's Witchblade seems true to its comic book source material. If you like that sort of thing, then Witchblade is the thing for you.
- Robert Bianco, USA TodayUSA TodayUSA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
(August 25, 2000) — If Witchblade were any worse, it might be comic. Instead, this latest film from the too-prolific Turner empire is merely cheesy, dreary and repellent. - Michael Farkash, The Hollywood ReporterThe Hollywood ReporterFormerly a daily trade magazine, The Hollywood Reporter re-launched in late 2010 as a unique hybrid publication serving the entertainment industry and a consumer audience...
(August 25, 2000) — The telefilm is true to its pedigree, and that's good and bad news. The visuals are cool and, occasionally, nicely subtle as our heroine, Sara Pezzini, flashes her new powers of super speed and martial arts skill. But the characters as scripted are thin. ... Things move a little too fast at TV series speeds. In fact, it's too fast for an introductory feature. The personal stuff doesn't get its due. Although we learn that Sara had a heroic father, also a cop, we don't see them together in flashback. ... Watch out for leaps in the story's internal logic that may have you shaking your head. But hey, relax! It's only a telefilm. Soon, perhaps, it will become a series or give birth to sequels. - Charlie McCollum, San Jose Mercury NewsSan Jose Mercury NewsThe San Jose Mercury News is a daily newspaper in San Jose, California. On its web site, however, it calls itself Silicon Valley Mercury News. The paper is owned by MediaNews Group...
(August 26, 2000) — Witchblade has its moments. Most come from some fine Matrix-like action sequences and a bewitching performance by Yancy Butler as Det. Sara Pezzini. Butler not only looks good — although her clothes don't get torn off quite as often as in the comic book — but she is a smart actress and buff enough to carry off the action scenes. It's hard, as an actor, to project credibility as a superhero with powers far beyond those of mortal babes but Butler manages the feat. Butler, however, can't carry the film by herself — no matter how hard she tries — and Witchblade ends up being no better than an interesting disappointment. - Martin Renzhofer, The Salt Lake TribuneThe Salt Lake TribuneThe Salt Lake Tribune is the largest-circulated daily newspaper in the U.S. city of Salt Lake City. It is distributed by Newspaper Agency Corporation, which also distributes the Deseret News. The Tribune — or "Trib," as it is locally known — is currently owned by the Denver-based MediaNews Group....
(August 26, 2000) — While there are small problems with Witchblade, none of them has to do with the casting of Yancy Butler as the latest in a long line of kick-butt crime fighters. ... Yes, Butler is beautiful in a darkly exotic way, but she is also athletic and physical. She's believable trading shots and punches with bad guys. At the same time, Butler brings a certain openness to her character of New York City homicide detective Sara Pezzini. ... Witchblade has some cool special effects and well-choreographed fight scenes. But the rapid-fire editing technique is a tad over the top, and the music is often a substitute for tension. - Joseph Szadkowski, The Washington TimesThe Washington TimesThe Washington Times is a daily broadsheet newspaper published in Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States. It was founded in 1982 by Unification Church founder Sun Myung Moon, and until 2010 was owned by News World Communications, an international media conglomerate associated with the...
(August 26, 2000) — Alas, viewers will still have no idea why the comic book has been a staple of so many readers. - Mark Dawidziak, The Plain Dealer (August 27, 2000) —This is not kid stuff. Plenty of bodies hit the floor during this film, which is part supernatural adventure, part urban police drama and, sure, part comic book. ... It's uneven, and, after a high-impact, fast-paced opening, it drags badly in the middle. But it recovers nicely for a kick-smash conclusion.
- Gail Pennington, St. Louis Post-DispatchSt. Louis Post-DispatchThe St. Louis Post-Dispatch is the major city-wide newspaper in St. Louis, Missouri. Although written to serve Greater St. Louis, the Post-Dispatch is one of the largest newspapers in the Midwestern United States, and is available and read as far west as Kansas City, Missouri, as far south as...
(August 27, 2000) — Being chosen to battle "Earth's darkest evil forces" is risky business. So is turning a popular fantasy comic into a movie. Chances are, the details — from casting to costumes to special effects — will never satisfy fanatics. At the same time, staying faithful to a comic book may leave the uninitiated completely clueless. Speaking as one of the clueless, that's the big problem with TNT's Witchblade. The premise is hard to grasp and, once grasped, seems (how can I put this politely?) more than a little ludicrous. - Michael Storey, Arkansas Democrat-GazetteArkansas Democrat-GazetteThe Arkansas Democrat-Gazette is the newspaper of record in the U.S. state of Arkansas, printed in Little Rock with a northwest edition published in Lowell...
(August 27, 2000) — Fans of the Top Cow comic book Witchblade have been drooling over the possibilities ever since they got word the cult favorite was being made into a TV movie. Their time has come. ... The fans, who can be rabid and vocal, should not be disappointed despite changes for the TV version. Those unfamiliar with the mystical tale have plenty to enjoy as well. - Preston Turegano, The San Diego Union-TribuneThe San Diego Union-Tribune-Predecessors:The predecessor newspapers of the Union-Tribune were:* San Diego Sun, founded 1861 and merged with the Evening Tribune in 1939.* San Diego Union, founded October 10, 1868.* Evening Tribune, founded December 2, 1895.-Ownership:...
(August 27, 2000) — Based on a popular comic book of the same name, Witchblade is a new, silly, convoluted, tiresome made-for-TV movie from Turner Broadcasting. ... As Sara, Yancy Butler is strong and sexy, speaking in a deep, smoky voice reminiscent of Kathleen Turner. As Jake, David ChokachiDavid ChokachiDavid Chokachi is an American television actor. He's best known for his role in the TV series Witchblade, Baywatch, and Beyond The Break. His father is Turkish and his mother is Finnish.-Early life:He attended Tabor Academy, an elite boarding prep school in Marion, Massachusetts...
exhibits big hair — bigger than anything the boys on Beverly Hills 90210 ever wore — and big pecs, but no sizable acting talent. The best performance in Witchblade is delivered by Conrad DunnConrad DunnConrad Dunn is an American actor. He began his screen career with the role of Francis "Psycho" Soyer in Stripes . Working for some ten years under the name George Jenesky, he achieved soap-opera stardom in Days of our Lives as Nick Corelli, a misogynistic pimp who evolved from bad guy to romantic...
as the sociopathic Gallo. - Teague Von Bohlen, Colorado DailyColorado DailyThe Colorado Daily is a newspaper published in Boulder, Colorado, by Prairie Mountain Publishing Co. LLC, a unit of MediaNews Group. The Daily is operated out of the offices of Boulder's Camera newspaper...
(September 1, 2000) — Television is like kryptonite to comic-book heroes. ... Don't fault the cast: Yancy Butler makes for a sufficiently sultry Sara Pezzini, the cop with a little something extra. But what she's missing is something that she couldn't bring to the role: the look of it all. Maybe that's why comics don't translate well to TV or even movies: because you can draw things that you just can't re-create on film. - Nick Hopton, The Sunday MailThe Sunday Mail (Brisbane)The Sunday Mail is Brisbane's only Sunday newspaper. The Sunday Mail is published in tabloid format, comprising several sections that can be extracted and read separately.-Publishing:...
(April 22, 2001) — Well-made supernatural actioner laced with high-octane special effects. - John Spence, The Daily TelegraphThe Daily Telegraph (Australia)The Daily Telegraph is an Australian tabloid newspaper published in Sydney, New South Wales, by Nationwide News, part of News Corporation.The Tele, as it is also known, was founded in 1879. From 1936 to 1972, it was owned by Frank Packer's Australian Consolidated Press. That year it was sold to...
(April 24, 2001) — Witchblade has lots of action scenes to please martial-arts fans, with some great special effects that help overcome the slim and highly predictable plot. - Michael Sangiacomo, The Plain Dealer (May 26, 2001) — There are some differences between the comic created by Marc Silvestri and the television show, so expect a lot of guff from fanboy purists. ... But there is a respect in the television show for the comic genre, no attempt to belittle the intelligence of the audience. And, thankfully, no camp. Could it be that Hollywood is finally getting the message that serious interpretations of solid comics sell?
Awards
- 2001, Nominee, Saturn AwardSaturn AwardThe Saturn Award is an award presented annually by the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films to honor the top works in science fiction, fantasy, and horror in film, television, and home video. The Saturn Awards were devised by Dr. Donald A. Reed in 1972, who felt that films within...
Best Single Genre Television Presentation
Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films - 2001, Nominee, American Society of Cinematographers Award
Best Cinematography in Movies of the Week, Miniseries, or Pilot Episodes
Anghel Decca, cinematographerCinematographerA cinematographer is one photographing with a motion picture camera . The title is generally equivalent to director of photography , used to designate a chief over the camera and lighting crews working on a film, responsible for achieving artistic and technical decisions related to the image...
American Society of CinematographersAmerican Society of CinematographersThe American Society of Cinematographers is an educational, cultural, and professional organization. It is not a labor union, and it is not a guild. Membership is by invitation and is extended only to directors of photography and special effects experts with distinguished credits in the film... - 2001, Nominee, Golden Reel Award
Best Sound Editing, Television Movies and Specials — Dialogue & ADR
Michael E. Lawshe, supervising sound editor/supervising ADR editor; Jennifer Mertens, supervising sound editor; Virginia Cook-McGowan, supervising dialogue editor; Jessica A. Dickson, ADR editor; Bruce M. Honda, dialogue editor
Motion Picture Sound EditorsMotion Picture Sound EditorsFounded in 1953, Motion Picture Sound Editors is an honorary society of motion picture sound editors. The society's goals are to educate others about and increase the recognition of the sound editors, show the artistic merit of the soundtracks, and improve the professional relationship of its... - 2001, Nominee, Golden Reel Award
Best Sound Editing, Television Movies and Specials — EffectsSound effectFor the album by The Jam, see Sound Affects.Sound effects or audio effects are artificially created or enhanced sounds, or sound processes used to emphasize artistic or other content of films, television shows, live performance, animation, video games, music, or other media...
& FoleyFoley (filmmaking)Foley is a term that describes the process of live recording of sound effects that are created by a Foley artist, which are added in post production to enhance the quality of audio for films, television, video, video games and radio....
Michael E. Lawshe, supervising sound editor; Timothy A. Cleveland, Paul J. Diller, Kenneth Young, Eric C. Hosmer, Rick Hromadka and Wayne O'Brien, sound editors; Kerry Malony, Foley editor
Motion Picture Sound EditorsMotion Picture Sound EditorsFounded in 1953, Motion Picture Sound Editors is an honorary society of motion picture sound editors. The society's goals are to educate others about and increase the recognition of the sound editors, show the artistic merit of the soundtracks, and improve the professional relationship of its...
Home video releases
In April 2001, Warner Home Video released Witchblade in Australia in PAL-format VHS. The 91-minute film was rated M (medium level violence, supernatural theme) by the Classification Board of Australia.In July 2008, Witchblade was released as part of Witchblade — The Complete Series, a seven-disc set that comprised the feature-length pilot and all 23 episodes of the TV series. Although the widescreen Region 1 DVD set from Warner Home Video features an all-new soundtrack selected by the executive producer, the songs in the series pilot were not replaced. ISBN 1419804243
External links
- Witchblade at the Internet ArchiveInternet ArchiveThe Internet Archive is a non-profit digital library with the stated mission of "universal access to all knowledge". It offers permanent storage and access to collections of digitized materials, including websites, music, moving images, and nearly 3 million public domain books. The Internet Archive...