(Feb. 9) Since this site is so large and contains a lot of information leading up to the release of the film that shouldn't be deleted, I have decided to add a second Apt Pupil page. This page will be more geared to the video release and the facts of the movie. It will contain updated information on the main cast and basically, it will be more like the other movie pages, but definitely not making this page unnecessary. There won't be many more updates to this page after this one. To go to this new Apt page (which along with the Review page is the third Apt-related page) click here.

(Jan. 23) Since many of the early fall releases are now coming to videotape, I expect Apt Pupil will soon be released. I'm thinking it will probably be an early March release to tape for the film. Also, since other Sony movies have been released on digital video disc with neat formats, I expect Apt will also be availble on DVD from Columbia/Tristar Home Video.

(Nov. 21) I got the Apt Pupil presskit. It's pretty cool. Apt is still playing at some theaters.

(Nov. 14) Apparently Apt is not the big money blockbuster I figured it would be. The film, which cost $14 million to make, won't likely even break even from the United States box offices. In its opening weekend, Apt finished a somewhat-disappointing ninth, bringing in $3.6 million. After two weekends, the film remained in the top 10 in the last spot with $1.7 million. But after last weekend, the movie fell to #17, bringing in only $0.7 million. While the projected U.S. gross according to Entertainment Weekly is about $10 million, which classified the film in the section of fall films that pretty much broke even, not calling it a success or a failure. And oh yeah, this Friday I'll be getting an Apt Pupil presskit, which should be pretty cool. Also, in addition to the poster, I picked up the Different Seasons paperback with the movie tie-in cover and the resounding soundtrack with music by John Ottman.

(Oct. 27) I saw the movie Sunday night and here's my review.

(Oct. 22) Apt Pupil opens tomorrow!

Today, Apt was reviewed in The Journal News' Weekend section. The film got three out of four stars and a favorable review with an emphasis on great acting by the two leads Renfro and McKellen.

(Oct. 18) There was less coverage in today's newspapers than I expected. The only real coverage I saw was a one page ad and an article on Sir Ian McKellen in The New York Times. The Ian McKellen story included a color picture of Dussander and Todd from the film.

(Oct. 16) Today came and went and no surprise here...obviously Apt will open in one week. There was a small write up in today's New York Times about Apt and (of course) Usual Suspects' director Bryan Singer.

(Oct. 15) Some new information that confuses me. I know for a fact that Todd (Brad) is named the valedictorian of the Santo Donato High School Class of '85, meaning that he graduates in the film. But I've heard that the entire film takes place in just under a year, at one point which Todd is 16, making it impossible for him to also graduate in the film. Oh well. Also, notice that this site is getting better and better.

(Oct. 14) I caught the E! Behind the Scenes of Apt Pupil this morning and it was cool. I taped it. Just nine days away from the opening of the film, the Internet is filled with advertisements and banners. It's pretty cool. Also, I got some of those new animated ads.

(Oct. 11) There was an article in today's Daily News Extra Section about Apt Pupil and its talented young director Bryan Singer. Also, I picked up a copy of November's issue of Fangoria magazine and there is a big article on Apt, again with the emphasis on Singer. It's a good issue and the article includes a number of good color and black-and-white photos from the film and behind the scenes. Oh yeah, and I saw the entire Apt Pupil trailer for the first time today. It's thrilling.

(Oct. 8) Today, my reliable source Calvin filled me in that Apt Pupil will definitely come out October 23rd, two weeks from tomorrow. Tuesday night was the Apt Pupil Hollywood premiere and Brad Renfro and his grandmother Joanne were both there.

(Oct. 6) Now it appears that the film will come out October 23. On both the official Sony Apt Pupil website and the highest Brad Renfro Site on Yahoo! reflect the change in date back to the 23rd. That could be a good thing, considering Apt was scheduled to go head-to-head with the highly-anticipated Oprah Winfrey film Beloved. That film is a lot different from Apt, so it is probably better for the Apt Pupil's ratings to be released on the weekend of the 23rd. Speaking about the Internet, this site pales in comparison to the newly improved Sony official Apt Pupil website. Most of the site can be seen here, and that's good, because this site is no longer better than the picture-filled, video-enhanced official site, which now includes biographies on the main stars of the cast.

The movie was set to come out on Friday, October 16. Before, it had been believed that it would be released the 23rd. But then just last night (October 1), I saw and recorded my first Apt Pupil commercial. It was a thirty-five second brief trailer that ended with the announcer saying "At theaters everywhere October 23". So, now what date is the real release date and which is not?

The film's opening is tomorrow!

This new banner is phat:

 

With the release of Brad's sixth film this Friday, the Brad Renfro Zone has decided to add this Apt Pupil page to inform you about the movie, and keep you up-to-date with the latest developments.

Last Friday (Sept.18), I saw the Apt Pupil film poster for the first time in a Cinema City update brochure. The title is written in a font that most resembles this one: Courier New (bold). Anyway, here's what we know so far about the movie, but before we start that, here's our re-creation of what the poster looks like (with a few alterations)...

And here's the real poster (I got one myself already):

 

Tri-Star Pictures/Phoenix Pictures Presents

Apt Pupil

Directed by Bryan Singer

Cast
(in credits order)
Ian McKellen
Brad Renfro
Bruce Davison
Elias Koteas
and David Schwimmer

(some of the rest of the cast)

Joe Morton, Ann Dowd, Joshua Jackson
Jan Triska, Michael Byrne, Heather McComb

(NOTE: Vincent Perez is not in the film after all: it was previously expected that he would star in the film.)

STORYLINE: Sixteen-year old Todd Bowden (BRAD RENFRO) is the All-American boy. He's the kid who rides his bike through the neighborhood, delivers newspapers, pitches for the baseball team, and gets straight A's in school. On his report card, he is called an "apt pupil." But then one day, Todd finds out that there is someone he believes to be an ex-Nazi living in his suburban Southern California town. His suspicions turn out to be correct and the old man (IAN McKELLEN) who says he is Arthur Denker is actually Kurt Dussander, a former Nazi officer who helped torture Jews during the Holocaust. Dussander had tried to put the horrors of his past behind him and start a new life and all this time he thought he was safe from his past. He was able to outsmart everyone. Everyone but this seemingly innocent sixteen-year old high school student. But Todd isn't going to tell on Dussander. Instead, he wants to hear all the stories of torture and horror that Dussander took part in. All the things that the old man had tried to forget. Todd keeps going back to the old man in order to hear more stories. More and more. The two develop a twisted relationship, each with something to hide from the rest of the world. But soon, Todd's grades suffer and he gets lasting images of the terrors of the Holocaust. He starts seeing things in a twisted way and he and Dussander spend more and more time together. The relationship itself is twisted and evil. And while all the time Todd thinks he's in control, he might not be at all. Then the question arises: who's the puppet and who's the puppet master? The past is ever present for Dussander who can no longer ignore what happened. Meanwhile, for Todd, things become warped and he envisions these acts of evil occurring to his friends and classmates. From the director of The Usual Suspects and the author of Misery and The Shining, comes this dramatic, suspenseful thriller that exposes a world on the inside that sharply contrasts what appears on the outside. Ian McKellen, Brad Renfro, Bruce Davison, Elias Koteas, and David Schwimmer star in this highly anticipated film due out October 23.
If you don't believe in the existence of evil, you have a lot to learn.

 

Cast: Ian McKellen as Kurt Dussander Brad Renfro as Todd Bowden Bruce Davison as Richard Bowden Elias Koteas as Archie Joe Morton as Agent Richler David Schwimmer as Ed French Ann Dowd as Monica Bowden Michael Byrne as Ben Kramer Jan Triska as Weiskopf Heather McComb as Becky Trask Joshua Jackson as Joey

Crew: Bryan Singer / Director Brandon Boyce / Screenwriter Stephen King / Story Jane Hamsher, Tim Harbert, Kenneth Kokin, Don Murphy, Bryan Singer / Producers Thomas Sigel / Cinematographer John Ottman / Music, Editor, Associate Producer

More info on the people listed above:

IAN McKELLEN

BRUCE DAVISON

JOSHUA JACKSON

DAVID SCHWIMMER

Ian McKellen gets top billing in the film playing Kurt Dussander, an ex-Nazi war criminal, who is trying to hide his past, posing as Arthur Denker, a harmless old man living in a Southern California suburb. McKellen, 59, is an established actor who maybe doesn't have the title role, but does have the title Sir Ian McKellen in England. He was knighted in his native country because of his talented theatre performances. In addition to Apt Pupil, McKellen plays an openly gay film director (yikes!) in "Gods and Monsters", which was part of the New York Film Festival and opened November 4. McKellen, who for a number of years has been a favorite of England theatergoers, has recently turned to Hollywood films for some much-needed and much-deserved recognition. Bruce Davison is the guy who was one of Dexter's doctors (Dr. Stevens) in Brad's 2nd film, "The Cure." Davison play's Todd's "supportive, unassuming" father. An actor with a long and wide filmography, Davison usually plays a medium-sized role. This actor also is known to do narrations for special TV programs and documentaries. Joshua Jackson plays Todd Bowden's (Brad) high school friend Joey. This character was not mentioned in the novella, but may have a decent-sized role in the film. Jackson has endured much publicity recently due to his role as Pacey on the popular show "Dawson's Creek." Jackson, 20, has also been in a number of films including the "Mighty Ducks" trilogy, " Andre", and the new film, "Urban Legend." Jackson turns in a stellar performance as Todd's best friend in the films and his show, which saw its second season start October 7, can be seen Wednesday nights on the WB. David Schwimmer has, as expected, received third billing in this film. Well sort of; he has the final cast slot on the poster, listed as "AND DAVID SCHWIMMER". Schwimmer is a well-known figure on the hit NBC show "Friends." He plays Ross on the half-hour sitcom that starts off "Must See TV Thursdays", one of the highest rated stretches on primetime today. Before "Friends", Schwimmer was an occassional on the show "The Wonder Years" as the guy who Kevin's hippie sister Karen dates and eventually marries. Schwimmer, who has been in a number of new films including "Six Days, Seven Nights" besides "Friends", will play Ed French, Todd's mustached guidance counselor, in the film. Schwimmer's performance in the film is commendable and his role is a sharp difference from his "Friends" character.

The film is classified as either Horror or Suspense, rated R, and is 1 hour and 51 minutes long.

 

BRYAN SINGER, director of Apt Pupil, is apparently one important reason why so many people are anticipating the release of the film. That's because Singer's first directing project was the highly successful, low-budget "The Usual Suspects." Coming off the heels of that acclaimed 1995 mystery, Singer, at only age 32, is currently one of Hollywood's most praised directors.

STEPHEN KING, the author of the novella Apt Pupil, also wrote the novellas "Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption" and "The Body" for his collection of four novellas, "Different Seasons". Each story represented a season of the year--The Body was "The FALL From Innocence", Shawshank Redemption was "Hope SPRINGs Eternal", Apt Pupil is "The SUMMER of Corruption" and a fourth, "The Breathing Method", was subtitled "A WINTER's Tale." Judging from the major success of the first two films from the collection, Apt Pupil appears to be headed down the same direction. "Stand by Me", the 1986 adaptation of "The Body", was highly watched and launched careers for a number of young actors. And the response for "Shawshank Redemption" was even better. The 1994 film, starring Morgan Freeman and Tim Robbins, was nominated for the American Film Institute's Top 100 Films of the 100 Years of Film. 'Redemption' was also the most rented film of 1995. (Oct. 2) King's newest book is "Bag of Bones". It is already a top of many best-sellers lists. Also, I have started reading one of King's earlier novels, "The Shining", which is mentioned on the "Apt" poster. (Oct. 15) I have finished "The Shining." Good book and I hear the movie is great. I want to see the 1980 film.

Did you know that in 1988, an earlier version of Apt Pupil was supposed to come out starring Silver Spoon's Rick Schroeder as the title character Todd Bowden. The film was never finished due to lack of money.

This page was last updated on the day that most people refer to as April 08, 1999.

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If you don't believe in the existence of evil, you have a lot to learn.

Falls du nicht an die existenz des bosen glaubat, mubt du noch vial lernen.

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