Burke and Hare (2010)

Director:

John Landis

Writers:

Piers Ashworth (screenplay)
Nick Moorcroft (screenplay)

Release Date:

9 September 2011 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Thriller

Tagline:

No Job Too Small. No Body Too Big. No Questions Asked.

Plot:

A black comedy about two 19th century grave robbers who find a lucrative business providing cadavers for an Edinburgh medical school.

Plot Keywords:

Black Comedy | Murderer | Cameo | Angry Mob | Criminal

Cast

Bill Bailey	...	Hangman
Tom Wilkinson	...	Doctor Robert Knox
Michael Smiley	...	Patterson
Tim Curry	...	Doctor Monro
Paul Davis	...	Patient
Christian Brassington	...	Charles
Gabrielle Downey	...	Mad Maggie
Stuart McQuarrie	...	Magistrate
Simon Pegg	...	William Burke
Andy Serkis	...	William Hare
Mike Goodenough	...	Aggrieved Customer
Jessica Hynes	...	Lucky
Robert Fyfe	...	Old Donald
Robert Willox	...	Gravediggers' Bouncer
David Schofield	...	Fergus
David Hayman	...	Danny McTavish
Christopher Lee	...	Old Joseph
Ronnie Corbett	...	Captain Tam McLintoch
Ciaron Kelly	...	Private Fox
Reece Shearsmith	...	Sergeant Mackenzie
Joyce Henderson	...	Mrs. McFie
Isla Fisher	...	Ginny Hawkins
Pollyanna McIntosh	...	Mary
Georgia King	...	Emma
Amanda Claire-Jones	...	Nicola (as Amanda Claire)
Shelley Longworth	...	Hannah
Allan Corduner	...	Nicephore
Steve Speirs	...	McMartin's Doorman
George Potts	...	Doctor Lister
Duncan Duff	...	Attendant
Hugh Bonneville	...	Lord Harrington
Ray Harryhausen	...	Distinguished Doctor
Alan Munroe	...	Distinguished Doctor (as Sir Alan Munroe)
John Gaynor	...	Distinguished Doctor (as Dr. John Gaynor)
Michael Wilson	...	Distinguished Doctor
Robert Paynter	...	Distinguished Doctor
Simon Farnaby	...	William Wordsworth
Tom Meeten	...	Samuel Coleridge
Paul Whitehouse	...	Gentleman Drunk
Michael Winner	...	Gentlemen Passenger
Ella Smith	...	Barmaid
Janet Whiteside	...	Old Woman
Jenny Agutter	...	Lucy
Robert Stone	...	Miss Clarissa Windsor
Max Landis	...	Handsome Coachman
Christopher Obi	...	John Martin (as Chris Obi)
Patricia Gibson-Howell	...	Mrs. John Martin
Michael Billington	...	Medical Student
Stephen Merchant	...	Holyrood Footman
Jacob Edwards	...	Hollyrood Courtier
John Woodvine	...	Lord Provost
Billy Riddoch	...	Rabble Rouser
Esme Thompson	...	Nicephore's Girlfriend
Costa-Gavras	...	French Family (as Costa Gavras)
Michèle Ray-Gavras	...	French Family (as Michele Ray Gavras)
Romain Gavras	...	French Family
Emmanuel Hamon	...	French Family
Theo Hamon	...	French Family
Dodger	...	Greyfriars Bobby
Seamus	...	Himself (as Seamus the Dog)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Guðmundur Auðunsson	...	Thug #1 (uncredited)
Michelle Brooks	...	Macbeth Girl (uncredited)
Christian Carroll	...	Cowboy (uncredited)
Stephen Davies	...	Man in Tavern (uncredited)
Joseph Dewey	...	Medical Student (uncredited)
Darren Hammock	...	Highland Soldier (uncredited)
Charli Janeway	...	Medical Student (uncredited)
Johnny Lynch	...	Oyster Trader (uncredited)
Chris Mansfield	...	Stage hand (uncredited)
Ken Matthews	...	The Boil Man (uncredited)
Joseph Andrew Mclean	...	Medical Student (uncredited)
Henry Monk	...	Medical Student (uncredited)
Nick Moorcroft	...	Reporter (uncredited)
Pete Noakes	...	Tanner (uncredited)
Spencer Noll	...	Hamish (uncredited)
Gino Picciano	...	Doctor (uncredited)
Nick Shaw	...	Barman (uncredited)
Adam Smith	...	Medical Student (uncredited)
Mark Smith	...	Policeman (uncredited)
Tom Urie	...	Obese man (uncredited)

Directed by
John Landis

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Piers Ashworth		screenplay
Nick Moorcroft		screenplay

Produced by
James Atherton	....	executive producer
Paul Brett	....	executive producer
Alexandra Ferguson	....	co-producer
Jan Pace	....	executive producer
Tim Smith	....	executive producer
James Spring	....	executive producer
Barnaby Thompson	....	producer

Original Music by
Joby Talbot

Cinematography by
John Mathieson

Film Editing by
Mark Everson

Casting by
Daniel Hubbard

Production Design by
Simon Elliott

Art Direction by
Bill Crutcher		(supervising art director)
Nick Dent

Set Decoration by
Annie Gilhooly

Costume Design by
Deborah Nadoolman

Makeup Department
Sylvia Atkins	....	junior make up artist: dailies
Helen Conroy	....	junior makeup artist: dailies
David Dorling	....	crowd hairdresser
Lucy Friend	....	junior make up artist: dailies
Barrie Gower	....	prosthetics supervisor
Soleil Jackson	....	makeup trainee
Ailsa Lawson	....	makeup work experience
Monica MacDonald	....	make up artist: daily
Waldo Mason	....	prosthetics supervisor
Chloe Meddings	....	makeup artist
Andrew Simonin	....	crowd hairdresser
Stephanie Lynne Smith	....	daily makeup artist

Production Management
Linda Deacy	....	post-production supervisor
Bobby Prince	....	unit manager
Tim Wellspring	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Tom Browne	....	additional third assistant director
Stephen Carney	....	additional third assistant director
Chris Foggin	....	crowd assistant director
Jamie Gavin	....	assistant director runner
Mark Hopkins	....	second assistant director
Liam Lock	....	third assistant director
Andy Madden	....	third assistant director
George Nelson	....	additional third assistant director
Alex Oakley	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Marshall Aver	....	production buyer
Jo Berglund	....	assistant buyer
Steve Bohan	....	construction manager
Gary Crosby	....	head painter
Matt Curtis	....	title design
Kevin Day	....	stand by props
Paul Duff	....	chargehand carpenter
Colin H. Fraser	....	construction manager: Scotland
Gavin Gordon	....	carpenter
Peter Hallam	....	property master
Felicity Hickson	....	graphic artist
Douglas Ingram	....	storyboard artist
Gary Jopling	....	assistant art director
Andrew 'Fred' MacMillan	....	props
Gary Martin	....	props daily
Richard A. McCarthy	....	supervising plasterer
Lisa McDiarmid	....	stand-by art director
Michael Parkin	....	props
Marco Anton Restivo	....	assistant art director
Nic Stubbings	....	stand-by props
Kristin Theyers	....	props
Bill Thomas	....	props
Dean Coldham	....	plasterer (uncredited)
Rohan Harris	....	scenic artist (uncredited)

Sound Department
Harry Barnes	....	supervising sound editor
Gareth Bull	....	sound re-recording mixer
Martin Cantwell	....	sound effects editor
Joe Carey	....	sound assistant
Duncan Craig	....	sound department: work experience
Peter Hanson	....	sound editor
Adam Horley	....	adr recordist
Craig Irving	....	sound re-recording mixer
Andrea King	....	foley artist
Nick Kray	....	adr mixer
Adam Mendez	....	foley mixer
Adam Mendez	....	sound re-recording mixer
John Midgley	....	production sound mixer
Mike Reardon	....	boom operator
Colin Ritchie	....	dialogue editor
Jack Stew	....	foley artist

Special Effects by
Bernard Newton	....	special effects
Scott Peters	....	special effects technician
Nick P. Phillips	....	special effects senior technician

Visual Effects by
Lucy Ainsworth-Taylor	....	Visual Effects Producer: BlueBolt
Angela Barson	....	visual effects supervisor
Max Dennison	....	matte painting supervisor: Matte Painting UK Ltd
Will Hudson	....	digital restoration
Emma Hulme	....	digital restoration
Markus Kuha	....	lead compositor: BlueBolt
Matthew W.B. Plummer	....	digital compositor: BlueBolt

Stunts
Curtis Rivers	....	stunt double: Christopher Lee
Andy Wareham	....	stunt double: Andy Serkis

Camera and Electrical Department
David Appleby	....	key grip
Graham Baker	....	h.o.d. rigger
John Conroy	....	vfx cinematographer
Jim Crowther	....	b camera grip
Paul Edwards	....	steadicam operator
John Gamble	....	first assistant camera
Robert Hamilton	....	video technician
Phill Hardy	....	second assistant camera
Lewis Hume	....	second assistant camera: "a" camera
Russell Kennedy	....	second assistant camera
Giles Keyte	....	additional still photographer
Alan Martin	....	gaffer
James Nesbitt	....	electrician
Carsten Thoms	....	balloon light technician
Dan West	....	camera trainee
Andrew Bradley	....	camera trainee: dailies (uncredited)
Robbie Bryant	....	camera trainee: dailies (uncredited)

Casting Department
Brendan Donnison	....	voice casting
Gemma Sykes	....	casting assistant

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Gordon Harmer	....	costume supervisor
Helen Ingham	....	key costumer
Eleanor Landgrebe	....	costume assistant
Ashwin Makan	....	costume assistant
Heidi McQueen-Prentice	....	costume assistant
Calandra Meredith	....	costume assistant

Editorial Department
Paul Ensby	....	digital colorist
Emanuele Giraldo	....	assistant editor
Todd Kleparski	....	digital intermediate producer
Jesse Rowe	....	trainee assistant editor
Jules Smith	....	EPK producer
Dominic Thomson	....	di editor

Music Department
Andrew Fisher	....	orchestrator
Ben Foster	....	composer: additional music
Isobel Griffiths	....	orchestra contractor
Tony Lewis	....	music editor
Catherine Manners	....	music score coordinator

Transportation Department
Paul Allen	....	unit driver
Russell D. Equi	....	unit driver
Rob Hempenstall	....	transportation captain
Tony Power	....	prop truck driver
Ken Price	....	driver: main unit camera truck
Barrie Williams	....	driver: Simon Pegg

Other crew
Johnathan Abbott	....	assistant studio manager: Ealing Studios
Johnathan Abbott	....	studio coordinator: Ealing Studios
Sarah Alexander	....	assistant producer
Clare Brody	....	data operator: Technicolor
Isabel Chick	....	production accountant: Prescience
Hannah Collett	....	production coordinator
Joe Downs	....	assistant accountant
Jon Duncan	....	production accountant
Richard George	....	assistant location manager
Simon George	....	head of finance: Ealing Studios
David Hancock	....	location manager: scotland
Paula Hind	....	production secretary
Tabitha Jenkins	....	head of production
Julia Jones	....	unit publicist
Rachel King	....	unit nurse
Tamara King	....	floor runner
Cathy Lorimer	....	key floor runner
Nichola Martin	....	associate producer
Jill McCullough	....	dialect coach
Josey McNamara	....	floor runner
Simon Mills	....	assistant production coordinator
Jon Parker	....	systems development manager
Ian Pearce	....	security
Ari Daniel Pinchot	....	development
Stuart Avi Savitsky	....	development
Jules Smith	....	production and marketing assistant: ealing studios
Camilla Stephenson	....	location manager
Rebecca Wolf	....	first assistant accountant

Production Companies

• Ealing Studios (presents)
• Fragile Films
• Aegis Film Fund (in association with)
• Prescience (in association with)
• Quickfire Films (in association with)

Distributors

• Entertainment Film Distributors (2010) (UK) (theatrical)
• IFC Films (2011) (USA) (theatrical)
• La Fabrique 2 (2011) (France) (theatrical)
• Maple Pictures (2010) (Canada) (theatrical)
• Transmission (2010) (Australia) (theatrical)
• Transmission (2010) (New Zealand) (theatrical)
• A-Film Home Entertainment (2012) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Ascot Elite Home Entertainment (2011) (Germany) (DVD)
• Ascot Elite Home Entertainment (2011) (Germany) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Entertainment in Video (2011) (UK) (DVD)
• Entertainment in Video (2011) (UK) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• MPI Home Video (2011) (USA) (DVD)
• Odeon (2011) (Greece) (DVD)

Special Effects

• BlueBolt
• Matte Painting UK

Other Companies

• Anvil Post Production  sound re-recording
• De Lane Lea  ADR recording
• Dolby Laboratories  sound mix
• HireWorks  Avid Unity Rental
• Kodak  motion picture film supplier
• Motion Picture Merchandise (MPM)  crew gift
• Panavision UK  camera equipment provided by
• Sands Films  costumier
• Scallywag Travel  travel agent
• Technicolor  dailies
• Technicolor  negative development
• Technicolor  post-production facilities
• Technicolor  release printing

Also Known As:

"Руки-ноги за любовь" - Russia, Russia
"Burke & Hare" - Sweden (imdb display title)
"Burke & Hare" - Finland (imdb display title)
"Cadavres à la pelle" - France (imdb display title)
"Kleftes ptomaton" - Greece (DVD title)
"Ladri di cadaveri - Burke & Hare" - Italy (imdb display title)

MPAA:

Rated R for some sexual content, disturbing images and language

Runtime:

91 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Ireland:15A | UK:15 | Singapore:M18 | USA:R | Germany:16 | Netherlands:16

Filming Locations:

Dashwood Mausoleum, West Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, England, UK

Company:

Ealing Studios

Trivia:

In the scene outside of the university, before the meeting of Monro and Knox, there is a nod to Dan Aykroyd, who was originally rumored to be in the film. As the doctors are walking to the building, they all greet each other in the same fashion as in the "Doctor" scene in Spies Like Us (1985).

Goofs:

Anachronisms: Two hangings are shown in the film, in the style of a "long drop" designed to break the neck and cause instant death. This style was first introduced in the 1870's by William Marwood as a more humane approach. Before then, and certainly in 1828-1829 when the film was set, the victim was simply suspended by a rope around the neck, and choked to death by suffocation.

Quotes:

William Burke:She is an actress, not a whore.
William Hare:What's the difference?

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Projector: Burke & Hare (#1.16)" (2011)

Soundtrack:

I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)

Like a Hammer film played for laughs

It is good to see a John Landis film back on the big screen but i feel he missed a trick or two with this average effort. Firstly, for a film set in Scotland i found it odd that the cast was almost entirely English, betraying the roots of the story (and of the English cast only Tom Wilkinson ,a splendid actor, managed to give a good approximation of a Scots accent).

This film felt a bit of a homage to the Hammer films, a point made when a certain Hammer Icon makes a cameo appearance (i won't name the individual as i don't want to add a spoiler). I am guessing Landis is a Hammer fan and to be fair to him the sets and locations work quite well, giving Edinburgh a spooky feel to it. Both Pegg and Serkis are OK in the lead roles and do their best to sound Irish. It was also good to see Jenny Agutter make a brief appearance too, especially as she is invariably remembered for appearing in Landis's American Werewolf in London nearly 30 years ago...a nice touch by the director. In fact there seems to be quite a lot of casting British film and TV icons in this film (Ronnie Corbett being another) so i'm guessing that maybe Simon Pegg or Andy Serkis only agreed to do it if certain British childhood icons of theirs were also given parts.

To be honest the Burke and Hare story has been better done before but this film puts a comedic twist on it that doesn't always work. The bad language feels unnecessary for a start and the gore isn't as bad as i thought (certainly not on the levels of the Hostel or Saw films...and not even as graphic as the Final Destination franchise). There are some genuine laughs to be had but usually when Pegg and Serkis are on the screen. The story itself also swings back and forth between gruesome and the unexpected romantic angles that may have been intended to show Burke and Hare as committing their crimes for something other than just greed.

Basically this is a reasonably graphic horror story with heart and morality that has some good laughs but falls flat in a few areas. The cast give it their best shot and whilst it has an old fashioned feel to it in many ways, it is the unnecessary post-modern touches, the inconsistent rate at which the comedy comes and the rather odd casting that jarred me. However do keep an eye out for the odd cameo appearance from some famous actors and comedians.