The Burial Society (2002)

Director:

Nicholas Racz

Writer:

Nicholas Racz (writer)

Release Date:

28 May 2004 (USA)

Genre:

Thriller

Plot:

In The Burial Society, Sheldon Kasner, an unlikely criminal who works as a bank loan manager, infiltrates...

Plot Keywords:

Black Comedy | Jewish Culture | Body In Trunk | Faked Death | Secret Society

Awards:

7 wins & 7 nominations

Cast

Rob LaBelle	...	Sheldon Kasner
Jan Rubes	...	Marvin Telekunsky
Allan Rich	...	Hy Leibowicz
Bill Meilen	...	Harry Epstein
David Paymer	...	Morry Zimmer
Seymour Cassel	...	Sam Goldberg
Jeff Seymour	...	Jake Lightman
Bill Mondy	...	Stuart Lightman
Linden Banks	...	Rabbi Fernstein
Nathaniel DeVeaux	...	Lyle Devine
Betty Linde	...	Mrs. Graunbaum
Nick Misura	...	Real building manager
Dagmar Midcap	...	News Reporter #1
Mitra Loraz	...	News Reporter #2 (as Mitra Lohrasb)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Sashi Bommakanty	...	Arab
Elaine Kliner	...	Extra
Werner Thomas	...	The Husband
Arthur Wolak	...	Extra

Directed by
Nicholas Racz

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Nicholas Racz		writer

Produced by
Richard Baumgartel	....	producer
David Bouck	....	line producer
Howard Dancyger	....	producer
J. Todd Harris	....	executive producer
Raymond Massey	....	executive producer

Original Music by
George Blondheim

Cinematography by
Danny Nowak

Film Editing by
Jeremy Presner

Casting by
Eve Brandstein
Corinne Clark
Jennifer Page
Audrey Skalbania

Production Design by
James Hazell

Art Direction by
James Hazell

Set Decoration by
Claudia Ventura

Costume Design by
Katia Stano

Makeup Department
Tricia Winslow	....	key makeup artist

Production Management
David Bouck	....	production manager
Kirsten Newlands	....	post-production supervisor
Rick Ojeda	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Patricia Ann Dyer	....	first assistant director (as Patricia Dyer Walden)
Rick Ojeda	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Sean Fitsimmons	....	set dresser
Jason Sutton	....	property master
Claudia Ventura	....	set designer

Sound Department
Rick Bal	....	sound
Jay Cheetham	....	sound editor
Kris Fenske	....	supervising sound editor
Iain Pattison	....	sound re-recording mixer
Gene Radzik	....	stereo sound consultant: Dolby
Jean Raymond	....	foley mixer
Adam Sharpe	....	adr mixer
Paul A. Sharpe	....	sound re-recording mixer
Matt Willoughby-Price	....	boom operator

Special Effects by
Allen Benjamin	....	special effects coordinator

Camera and Electrical Department
Chris Banting	....	dolly grip
Warren Bruce	....	generator operator
Dean Clark	....	generator operator
Scott Clark	....	gaffer
John Marilley-Bodner	....	best boy electric
Trevor Martin	....	lamp operator
Stephen McCurry	....	assistant camera: Los Angeles
Mat Pasch	....	lamp operator
Jeff Petry	....	still photographer
Clayton Richard-Long	....	second assistant camera: "a" camera
Michael Taschereau	....	key grip

Casting Department
Eve Brandstein	....	casting: USA

Editorial Department
Warren Mazutinec	....	assistant editor
Gordon Williams	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Cathi Black	....	music supervisor
Greg Hamilton	....	music preparation
Rich Walters	....	music editor

Other crew
Cheryl-Lee Fast	....	assistant to producer
Lucie Guest	....	production assistant
Sian McArthur	....	assistant to producer
Adrian Salpeter	....	unit publicist
Werner Thomas	....	assistant production coordinator
Nicholas Thurkettle	....	development associate
Guy Villeneuve	....	stand-in
Darcy Wild	....	location manager: preparation
Corey C. Witte	....	production executive
Karen Wong	....	production accountant

Production Companies

• Astral Films
• British Columbia Film Commission
• CITY-TV
• CanWest Global Communications
• Davis Entertainment Filmworks
• The Big Little Picture Company Ltd.
• Téléfilm Canada

Distributors

• Regent Releasing (2004) (USA)
• Regent Worldwide Sales
• Seville Pictures

Also Known As:

Mis en boîte (Canada: French title)

MPAA:

Rated R for language.

Runtime:

94 min

Country:

Canada | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

USA:R

Filming Locations:

Dumont Dunes, San Bernardino County, California, USA

Company:

Astral Films

Emulates early Coen Brothers

Burial Society is a film noir, a bargain basement emulation of early Coen Brothers style. It tells the story of loans manager Sheldon Krasner (Rob LaBelle), a man of quiet desperation who embezzles money from the wrong people. In an effort to elude the gangsters who are searching for him he conceives an elaborate plan to join the Chevrah Kadisha or Burial Society made up of devout Jewish men who prepare dead bodies for burial.

As expected with this kind of film there are twists a plenty, but none are really surprising. This kind of quirky film noir piece has become stock – we know to look for the twists and turns and when they do come, they're not that surprising. We've seen this kind of story many times, but director Nicholas Rasz at least shakes things up visually, using several showy shots that break up the functional monotony of the story. In one scene as Krasner is putting money into a bag it is seen from the bag's perspective. Not necessary, but a tricky little shot nonetheless.

Rob LaBelle is fine as the nebbishy Krasner, and at 82 minutes Burial Society flies by, but doesn't leave any lasting impression.