Hogfather (2006) (TV)

User Rating:

7.6/10   

Director:

Vadim Jean

Writers:

Vadim Jean (adaptation)
Terry Pratchett (novel)

Release Date:

25 November 2007 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Fantasy

Plot:

It's Hogswatch (equivalent to Christmas) on the Discworld and the Hogfather has gone missing, requiring Death to take his place while his granddaughter Susan endeavors to find out what has happened. |

Plot Keywords:

Cult Favorite | University | Scythe | Father Christmas | Grim Reaper

Awards:

3 wins & 3 nominations

Cast

David Jason	...	Albert
Marc Warren	...	Teatime
Michelle Dockery	...	Susan
David Warner	...	Lord Downey
Tony Robinson	...	Vernon Crumley
Nigel Planer	...	Mr. Sideney
Peter Guinness	...	Medium Dave
Stephen Marcus	...	Banjo
Craig Conway	...	Chickenwire
Rhodri Meilir	...	Bilious
Sinead Matthews	...	Violet the Tooth Fairy
Ian Richardson	...	Death / Narrator (voice)
Neil Pearson	...	The Raven (voice)
Nicholas Tennant	...	Corporal Nobbs
Richard Katz	...	Constable Visit
Ed Coleman	...	Ponder Stibbons
Geoffrey Hutchings	...	Mr. Brown
John Franklyn-Robbins	...	The Dean
Roger Frost	...	Bursar
Timothy Bateson	...	Lecturer in Recent Runes
John Boswall	...	The Chair of Indefinite Studies
Marnix Van Den Broeke	...	Death
Arthur White	...	Ernie the Cart Driver
Robert Portal	...	Mr. Gaiter
Deborah Winckles	...	Mrs. Gaiter
Madeleine Rakic-Platt	...	Twyla
Hugo Altman	...	Gawain
Bridget Turner	...	Tooth Fairy / Bogey Man
Gregor Henderson-Begg	...	Pixie Helper
Trevor Jones	...	Modo
James Mellor	...	Student Wizard
Martha Katz	...	Bobble Hat Child
Rachel Edward	...	Bobble-Hat Child's Mother (as Rachel Edwards)
Dominic Borrelli	...	Grotto Hogfather
Jon Ridgeon	...	Guest
Shend	...	The Hogfather
Fox Jackson-Keen	...	Young Albert
Don Wetherhead	...	The Bogeyman
John Cartier	...	Carter
John Warman	...	Toothguard 1
Tim Plester	...	Toothguard 7
Peter Holdway	...	Auditor 1
Andre LaMotte	...	Auditor 2
Adam Marvel	...	Auditor 3
Andrew Swain	...	Auditor 4
Andy Ross	...	Additional Voices (voice)
Danny Da Costa	...	Verruca Gnome / Hair Loss Fairy
Maggie McCarthy	...	Ma Lilywhite
Aaron Barker	...	Small Boy
Lydea Altman	...	Small Boy's Sister
Terry Pratchett	...	The Toymaker
Joss Ackland	...	Mustrum Ridcully
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Diane Leach	...	Washer Woman (uncredited)

Directed by
Vadim Jean

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Vadim Jean		adaptation
Terry Pratchett		novel

Produced by
Rod Brown	....	producer
Sean Glynn	....	line producer
Robert Halmi Jr.	....	executive producer
Robert Halmi Sr.	....	executive producer
Shaun Nickless	....	post-production producer
Elaine Pyke	....	executive producer
Ian Sharples	....	producer

Original Music by
David A. Hughes

Cinematography by
Gavin Finney
Jan Pester

Film Editing by
Joe McNally

Casting by
Emma Style

Production Design by
Ricky Eyres

Costume Design by
Jane Spicer

Makeup Department
Kristyan Mallett	....	prosthetics technician
Simon Webber	....	prosthetic makeup artist

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Adam Coop	....	assistant director: second unit
Peter Freeman	....	assistant director
Alex Kaye-Besley	....	additional third assistant director
Paul Morris	....	second assistant director

Art Department
David Allcock	....	storyboard artist
Warren Flanagan	....	illustrator
Ray McNeill	....	property master
Brian Neighbour	....	construction manager
Stuart Read	....	stand-by props
Mark Reynolds	....	chargehand dressing prop
Jo Sansom	....	art department
Adrian Start	....	hod painter
Keith Stevenson	....	props
Milena Zdravkovic	....	illustrator

Sound Department
Chris MacLean	....	sound re-recording mixer
Nigel Manington	....	foley artist
Richard Miller	....	boom operator
Henry Milliner	....	sound recordist
Chris Southwell	....	sound editor
Tom Turner	....	sound trainee

Special Effects by
Alistair Anderson	....	special effects technician
Alexander Gunn	....	special effects floor supervisor
Clive R. Kay	....	special effects contact lenses
Paul McGuinness	....	special effects makeup
Martin 'Marty' McLaughlin	....	snow effects floor supervisor
David Payne	....	special effects supervisor
James Payton	....	snow technician
Robin Pritchard	....	prosthetic makeup artist
Jody Taylor	....	special effects senior technician

Visual Effects by
Kamilla Bak	....	digital compositor
Reuben Barkataki	....	digital compositor
David Basalla	....	texture artist: MPC
Anthony Bloor	....	digital artist
Joel Bodin	....	digital artist
Loraine Cooper	....	senior digital compositor
Paula Da Costa	....	visual effects assistant producer
Christophe Damiano	....	lighting supervisor
Luan Davis	....	roto/prep artist: MPC
Amit Desai	....	render wrangler
Jonathan East	....	render wrangler: MPC
Max Horton	....	visual effects colourist
Viv Jim	....	digital compositor: MPC
Stephen Jolley	....	senior animation supervisor
Owen Jones	....	matchmove artist
Peng Ke	....	matchmove Artist: MPC
Angela Magrath	....	character technical director
Greg Massie	....	simulation technical director
Marlin McGlone	....	data operative
Joseph McLamb	....	matte painter
Paul McWilliams	....	digital artist
Oliver Money	....	visual effects producer
Rob Pizzey	....	digital colourist
Becky Porter	....	digital compositor
Sagar Rathod	....	character technical director: MPC
Becky Roberts	....	matchmove coordinator
Becky Roberts	....	roto/prep
James Russell	....	digital compositor: MPC
Laurel A. Smith	....	character technical director
Kim Stevenson	....	digital compositing supervisor
Giuseppe Tagliavini	....	digital compositor: MPC
Kim Taylor	....	lead texture artist
Kim Taylor	....	matte painter
Simon Thomas	....	visual effects supervisor
Shanaullah Umerji	....	visual effects coordinator
Daniel Walton	....	digital artist
Chris Wilson	....	render wrangler: MPC
Oliver Winwood	....	assistant digital resource manager: MPC
Anna Yamazoe	....	matchmove Artist: MPC
Martyn Drake	....	systems: MPC (uncredited)
Dan Warder	....	data operator (uncredited)

Stunts
Abbi Collins	....	stunt coordinator
Paul Kennington	....	stunt performer

Camera and Electrical Department
Mark Barrs	....	focus puller: "b" camera
Emmet Cahill	....	trainee grip
Wailoon Chung	....	electrician
Pat Garrett	....	key grip
Brian Greenway	....	camera trainee
Alice Hobden	....	assistant camera
Bill Kaye	....	still photographer
Vince McGahon	....	camera operator
Mark Nutkins	....	second camera assistant: "b" camera, second unit
Sean Savage	....	camera operator: "a" camera
Iain Struthers	....	focus puller: "a" camera and Steadicam
David Toft	....	video assist operator
Jaimz Williams	....	camera trainee: "b" camera

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Samantha Cousins	....	daily costume assistant
Marco De Magalhaes	....	costume assistant
Louise Egan	....	costume supervisor
Amanda Keable	....	assistant costume designer

Editorial Department
Matt Adams	....	digital intermediate director of production
Rob Gordon	....	senior digital film editor
Doug Newman	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Paul E. Francis	....	composer: additional music

Transportation Department
Lucy Eldridge	....	runner driver

Other crew
Alex Chapman	....	post-production accountant
Graham Cox	....	key floor runner
Amanda Lean	....	script supervisor
Helene Lenszner	....	location manager
Amy McCombe	....	assistant location manager
Jessica Read	....	production secretary
Rachel Quigley Smith	....	production accountant

Production Companies

• Mob Film Company, The
• RHI Entertainment
• British Sky Broadcasting (BSkyB)
• Moving Picture Company (MPC)

Distributors

• Sky One (2006) (UK) (TV)
• RHI Entertainment (2006) (worldwide) (theatrical)
• Nikkatsu (2007) (Japan) (DVD)

Special Effects

• Moving Picture Company (MPC) (computer generated effects)
• Snow Business International (snow effects)

Other Companies

• ARRI Lighting Rental  lighting
• ARRI Media  Arriflex D-20 camera provided by
• Blowup  stills processing
• Casting Collective  extras casting
• Flying Pictures  aerial filming services provided by
• Marmalade Studios  sound post-production (part of the Jungle Group)
• One Post  digital intermediate
• Three Mills Island Studios  studios

Also Known As:

Terry Pratchett's Hogfather (UK) (complete title)

Runtime:

189 min (2 parts)

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Certification:

UK:PG

Filming Locations:

Romania

Company:

Mob Film Company, The

Trivia:

Death, voiced by Ian Richardson, utters the line "You might very well think that I'd already thought of that, but I couldn't possibly comment" - a reference to Richardson's catchphrase as Francis Urquhart in the political thriller "House of Cards" (1990) and it's sequels To Play the King (1993) (TV) and The Final Cut (1995) (TV).

Goofs:

Continuity: Each time Violet gets a close up, you can see that her ribbon isn't in the same place.

Quotes:

Lord Downey: Mr. Teatime, are you telling me you have actually sat down and given thought into how to inhume Death?
Teatime: Everyone has a weakness sir.

Movie Connections:

Featured in The Whole Hog: Making Terry Pratchett's 'Hogfather' (2006) (TV)

Hogswatch it! An excellent bit of whimsy

A very silly festive fairytale for children of all ages, with a no-nonsense (in the primmest, properest sense of the word), kick-ass heroine, set in a world that looks remarkably like ours, in a thaumaturgical, Victorian Gothic kind of way, considering it's actually a disc balanced on some elephants, which are balanced on a turtle.

'Tis the night before Hogswatch - a solar festival not dissimilar from our Christmas. But where is the Hogfather to deliver the presents? What on earth is Death doing? Just how DO you subdue the monsters in the basement with a poker? Not to mention those in the Tooth Fairy's castle. Who has been naughty and who has been nice? And can Susan save the Hogfather before it's too late? Like all the best 'children's' stories, there are a slew of adult jokes - from Ian Richardson's asides about House of Cards, to the 'Ant hill Inside' ('Intel Inside') visual jokes on the, er, 'computer' - modernity is folded subtly into this wonderfully alternate world of yore.

Good performances from the famous faces, but it is Michelle Dockery as Susan who is the highly pragmatic, utterly bewitching star of the show.

There are some nice unpatronising ruminations on the nature of belief, myth, right and wrong for those who like a moral but not entirely Christian worldview.

So - who's up for a bit of magic and believing?