The Apostle (2012 film)
| The Apostle | |
|---|---|
| Galician | O Apóstolo |
| Directed by | Fernando Cortizo |
| Screenplay by | Fernando Cortizo |
| Music by | Xavier Font Philip Glass Arturo Vaquero |
Production company | Artefact Productions |
| Distributed by | Film Arante Coven Distribution |
Release date | 31 October 2012 |
Running time | 84 minutes |
| Country | Spain |
| Languages | Spanish Galician |
| Budget | €5.2 million |
| Box office | $59,810 |
The Apostle (Galician: O Apóstolo) is a 2012 Spanish stop-motion animated fantasy horror film written and directed by Fernando Cortizo (in his directorial debut). Produced by Artefact Productions, it stars Carlos Blanco Vila, Paul Naschy, Jorge Sanz, Geraldine Chaplin and Luis Tosar. It was the last film starring Naschy, who died in November 2009. Released in Spanish cinemas on 31 October 2012 by Film Arante and Coven Distribution, the film was a box office bomb, grossing $59,810 against a budget of €5.2 million.
Premise
A recently escaped convict seeks to recover a treasure he hid years ago in a small, secluded Galician village. However once there, he finds out that in the village there is an even worse sentence than the one he fled from.
Voice cast
The Spanish voice cast is as follows:[1]
- Carlos Blanco Vila as Ramon
- Paul Naschy as the Archpriest of Santiago
- Jorge Sanz as Pablo
- Geraldine Chaplin as Dorinda
- Luis Tosar as Xavier
- Xosé Manuel Olveira as Don Cesareo
- Celso Bugallo as Celso
- Manuel Manquina as Atilano
- Isabel Blanco as Pilgrim
Production
Production began in 2008. With a budget of €5.2 million,[2] The Apostle was partially crowdfunded by 560 backers. It was filmed in stereoscopic stop-motion using clay animation[3][4] being the first one made in Europe.[2] Written and directed by Fernando Cortizo, the film was Cortizo's directorial debut.[5] The cinematography was handled by Matthew Hazelrig, and the film was edited by Fernando Alfonsin.[6] The soundtrack was composed by Xavier Font, Philip Glass and Arturo Vaquero, and released by Orange Mountain Music.[7]
Release
Box office
The Apostle was released theatrically in Spain on 31 October 2012. Although a release of 80 theatres was originally agreed upon by distributors Film Arante and Coven Distribution, The Apostle would ultimately be released in only thirteen theatres following various setbacks.[8] A box office flop, the film grossed $17,061 in its opening weekend for a total box office gross of $59,810 during its entire theatrical run.[9] The financial loss was so substantial that it brought Artefact Productions to the brink of bankruptcy.[8] After the disappointing release, director Coritzo told Fotogramas "in Spain, I will never make a film again. I have wasted 3 years of my life for nothing, and the efforts of many people have been wasted."[10]
Home media
In November 2014, The Apostle was released on its official website by Artefact Productions at a cost of €1.5 for a 24-hour renting period. Multiple subtitled versions were also available, including English.[11] The DVD was priced at €10. Due to Artefact Productions's previous interactions with Film Arante and Coven Distribution, they do not intend to sell the film to a video streaming service or DVD distributor, rather selling online via their official website.[8]
Accolades
At the 27th Goya Awards, The Apostle was nominated for Best Animated Film, but lost to Tad, The Lost Explorer.[3]
References
- ^ "O Apóstolo". LaHiguera.net (in Spanish). Retrieved 28 October 2022.
- ^ a b "«O Apóstolo», el último gran «fiasco» del cine español" ["The Apostle", the last great "fiasco" of Spanish cinema]. ABC (in Spanish). 4 December 2012. Retrieved 28 October 2022.
- ^ a b de Santos, Ágatha (26 October 2022). ""O apóstolo" celebra los diez años de su estreno con un visionado 'online' gratuito" ["The Apostle" celebrates ten years since its premiere with a free online screening]. Faro de Vigo (in Spanish). Retrieved 28 October 2022.
- ^ Abele, Robert (12 December 2013). "Review: 'O Apostolo' is an original chiller". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 28 October 2022.
- ^ THR Staff (17 December 2013). "O Apostolo: Film Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 28 October 2022.
- ^ "The Apostle (O apòstolo)". Cineuropa. Retrieved 28 October 2022.
- ^ "The Apostle (O Apostolo)". Soundtrack.net. Retrieved 28 October 2022.
- ^ a b c Alonso, Gerard (26 February 2015). "'O apóstolo', el último film maldito del cine español" ['The Apostle', the last cursed film in Spanish cinema]. Fotogramas (in Spanish). Retrieved 28 October 2022.
- ^ "The Apostle". Box Office Mojo. IMDb. Amazon. Retrieved 28 October 2022.
- ^ Cassadó, Gerard A. (26 November 2012). "¿El mayor fracaso comercial del año?" [The biggest commercial failure of the year?]. Fotogramas. Retrieved 28 October 2022.
- ^ Amidi, Amidi (13 November 2014). "Spanish Stop Motion Horror Feature 'The Apostle' Now Online". Cartoon Brew. Retrieved 28 October 2022.
