Existenz (1999) - Turner Classic Movies

Brief Synopsis

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Set in the near-future, a tale which depicts a society in which game designers are worshipped as superstars and players can organically enter inside the games. Ted Pikul, a security guard, saves the life of a female reality game designer and is pulled into a virtual reality world. Allegra Geller, th

Cast & Crew

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David Cronenberg

Jennifer Jason Leigh

Jude Law

Ian Holm

Willem Dafoe

Don Mckellar

Yevgeny Nourish

Film Details

MPAA Rating

Genre

Adaptation

Thriller

Release Date

1999

Production Company

Aon/Albert G. Ruben Insurance Services; Avid Technology, Inc.; By David's; By David's Capers On Location; Canadian Film Or Video Production Tax Credit; Casablanca Sound Services; Deluxe Entertainment Services Group; Film Effects Inc.; Gregory Clayton; Harold Greenberg Fund; Joe Dunton & Company International, Inc.; Numbers Inc; Panavision, Ltd.; Pinewood Studios, Ltd.; Simon Olswang; Soundelux; TTlTfilm Canada; The Movie Network; Toybox; William F. White International, Inc.

Distribution Company

Dimension Films; Alliance Releasing; Ascot Elite Entertainment Group; Cecchi Gori Pictures; Dimension Films; Dimension Films; Dimension Home Video; Sony Pictures Releasing International; StudioCanal; Studiocanal; Ufd

Location

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Technical Specs

Duration

1h 37m

Synopsis

Set in the near-future, a tale which depicts a society in which game designers are worshipped as superstars and players can organically enter inside the games. Ted Pikul, a security guard, saves the life of a female reality game designer and is pulled into a virtual reality world. Allegra Geller, the most famous game designer in the world is under attack from a group who oppose games entirely, believing fanatically in reality. Ted isn't a game player, but Allegra persuades him that he has to help her get her new game eXistenZ up and running before time runs out. Soon, they don't know when they are in reality and when they are in the game's virtual space.

Director

David Cronenberg

Cast

Jennifer Jason Leigh

Jude Law

Ian Holm

Willem Dafoe

Don Mckellar

Yevgeny Nourish

Callum Keith Rennie

Christopher Eccleston

Sarah Polley

Robert A Silverman

Oscar Hsu

Kris Lemche

Vik Sahay

Kirsten Johnson

Female Assistant

James Kirchner

Balazs Koos

Stephanie Belding

Female Volunteer

Gerry Quigley

Trout Farm Worker

J Tracy Budd

Paul Renaut

Crew

Bradley Adams

Nancy Allen

Associate Music Editor

Jerry Andrews

Motion Control Specialist (Toybox--Toronto)

Warren Appleby

Eric Apps

John Bannister

Key Scenic Artist

Jerry Beaudrow

Gordon Becker

Assistant Head Carpenter

Debra Beers

Location Manager

Dennis Berardi

Visual Effects Supervisor (Toybox--Canada)

John Berger

Jonathan Billings

Damon Bishop

Special Effects & Creature Effects Technician

Tom Bjelic

Deana Bolton

Assistant (To Andras Hamori)

Dexter Bonaparte

Alex Boothby

Digital Effects Compositor (Toybox--Canada)

Deirdre Bowen

Alisa Brooks

Special Effects & Creature Effects Technician

Damon Bryant

Bruce Buchanan

Technical Consultant

Mark Bukator

Production Accountant

Flavian Bulfon

Kerry Bullis

Cherri Campbell

Executive Assistant (To Robert Lantos (Serendipity Point Films))

Guy Campbell

Jeff Campbell

Digital Effects Compositor (Toybox--Canada)

Christina Cattle

Assistant Costume Supervisor

Jean Pierre Charbonneau

Penny Charter

Assistant Director

Dan Christov

Gregory Clayton

Don Cochrane

John Coldrick

Compositor (Opening Title/Cuppa Coffee Animation--Canada)

Rowan Collier

Assistant Engineer

Ed Colyer

Jane Conway

Animal Wrangler

Janet Cormak

Robert Cotnoir

Synclavier Programmer

Peter Cox

Chris Cozens

Brandon Cronenberg

Special Effects & Creature Effects Technician

Cassandra Cronenberg

3rd Assistant Director

David Cronenberg

David Cronenberg

Denise Cronenberg

Costume Designer

Joe Curtin

Construction Coordinator

Kevin Curtin

Graham Daniel

Re-Recording Mixer

Carol Davidson

Assistant Make-Up

Christopher Dean

Tony Desmond

Assistant Production Accountant

Tamara Deverell

Joseph Doane

Assistant Effects Editor

Scott Donais

Christopher Donaldson

1st Assistant Editor (Film)

Katherine Doyle

Special Effects Accountant

Jennifer Dunnington

Assistant Music Editor

Stephan Dupuis

Special Makeup & Creature Designer

Kenn Elliott

Mike Ellis

Motion Control Producer (Toybox--Toronto)

Mike Ellis

Mike Ellis

Mike Ellis

Prudence Emery

David Evans

Dan Evans Farkas

Tammy Fitzgerald

Stand-In (For Jennifer Jason Leigh)

Danielle Fleury

Assistant Set Decorator

Gary Fluxgold

1st Assistant Editor (Film)

Andrea Franks

Assistant Production Coordinator

Vic Fraser

Elinor Rose Galbraith

Matthew Garland

David Garnett

Office Assistant

Walter Gasparovic

1st Assistant Director

Glen Gauthier

Chris Geggie

Property Master

Ava Gerlitz

Stills Photographer

Paul Germann

Assistant Effects Editor

Raymond Gieringer

3-D Animator (Toybox--Canada)

Brenda Gilles

Costume Supervisor

Mark Gingras

Dialogue/Adr Editor

Rejean Goderre

Hairstylist To Jennifer Jason Leigh

Mark Goldberg

Digital Effects Compositor (Toybox--Canada)

Simon Goldberg

Legal Services (United Kingdom)

Jason Graham

Art Department Trainee

Anthony Grani

Office Assistant

Elizabeth Gray

Casting Assistant

Mary-lou Green-benvenuti

Arv Greywal

Assistant Art Director

Wayne Griffin

Isobel Griffiths

Music Contractor

Derek Grime

3-D Animator (Toybox--Canada)

Rob Gyorgy

Digital Effects Compositor (Toybox--Canada)

Kevin Haeberlin

Bill Hagan

Transportation Captain

Dianne Haggarty

Bob Hall

Michael Hall

1st Assistant Camera

Andras Hamori

Christopher Hargadon

Assistant Costume Designer

Tomas Hartl

Purchasing Agent

Debra Hawkes

Assistant Hairstylist

Jeff Heintzman

Robert Hicks

Richard Higgins

Vanessa Ireson

2nd Assistant Camera

James Isaac

Visual And Special Effects Supervisor

Shonagh Jabour

John Jackson

Special Effects & Creature Effects Technician

Patrice Jacques

Special Effects & Creature Effects Technician

Frances James

Special Effects & Creature Effects Technician

Delroy P. Jarrett

Paul Jefferson

Jamie Jones

Christopher Kalbfleisch

Linda Kang

Assistant (To Andras Hamori)

Michael Kavanagh

Lydia Kavina

Punam Khosla

Assistant Effects Editor

Beverly Kolbe

Assistant Location Manager

Lacia Kornylo

Head Of Production (Alliance Atlantis)

Goro Koyama

Jeffrey Krebs

Avid Technical Consultant

Marc Kuitenbrouwer

Assistant Head Carpenter

Jeff Kulbak

John Laing

Dialogue Editor

Martin Lake

Jacques Lamarre

Phil Lanthier

Robert Lantos

Sabri Lariani

Mishann Lau

Assistant Dialogue Editor

Mari Laughlen

Assistant Property Master

Eleanor Lavender

Alex Laverick

Special Effects & Creature Effects Technician

Serge Lavigueur

Special Effects & Creature Effects Technician

Rupert Lazarus

2nd Assistant Art Director

Alois Ledinek

On-Set Carpenter

Margaret Lee

Assistant Designer (Opening Title/Cuppa Coffee Animation--Canada)

Bill Leeking

Lisette Lefevre

Peter Legault

Assistant Head Carpenter

Kelly Lepkowsky

Creature Effects Supervisor

Dick Lewzey

Recording Engineer

Tim Lidstone

Special Effects & Creature Effects Technician

Mark Logan

Carole Lord

David Loveday

Special Effects & Creature Effects Technician

James Maccammon

Michael Macdonald

Michael Macdonald

Production Manager

Andrew Macritchie

Assistant Editor (United Kingdom)

Michael Madden

1st Assistant Art Director

Luz Magcawas

Stephen Magill

Shawn Maher

Camera Operator (Motion Control/ Toybox--Toronto)

Kevin Mahonchak

Andy Malcolm

Michael Manza

Aaron Marshall

Assistant Editor

Aaron Marshall

Trainee Assistant Editor

Jay Mcclennen

Special Effects & Creature Effects Technician

Bradley Mcinnis

Kirsteen Mclean

3rd Assistant Director

Richard Mcstay

Assistant Head Carpenter

Ron Mellegers

Ray Merrin

Re-Recording Mixer

Rafal Mickiewicz

Stand-In (For Jude Law)

Cathy Moore

Melissa Morgan

Sean Moriarity

Post-Production Assistant

Don Morley

Steve Morrison

David Moxness

Jesh Krishna Murthy

John Nelles

Ryan Nicholson

Special Effects & Creature Effects Technician

Peter Nicolakakos

Joe Norris

Ricardo Olivero

Brian Patrick

Props Assistant

Dennis Pawlik

Special Effects & Creature Effects Technician

Andrew W Peart

Video Playback Operator

Evan Penny

Special Effects & Creature Effects Technician

Suzana Peric

Jim Peters

Rob Pilichowski

Adam Pill

Michael Plant

Josa Leah Porter

Visual Effects Coordinator (Toybox--Canada)

Dave Puddister

Construction Driver

Tammy Quinn

Assistant Production Manager

Catherine Rankin

Negative Cutter

Dusty Reeves

Art Department Coordinator

Allison Reid

Stunt Coordinator

Allison Reid

Jim Reischl

Special Effects & Creature Effects Technician

Doug Rennie

Film Details

MPAA Rating

Genre

Adaptation

Thriller

Release Date

1999

Production Company

Aon/Albert G. Ruben Insurance Services; Avid Technology, Inc.; By David's; By David's Capers On Location; Canadian Film Or Video Production Tax Credit; Casablanca Sound Services; Deluxe Entertainment Services Group; Film Effects Inc.; Gregory Clayton; Harold Greenberg Fund; Joe Dunton & Company International, Inc.; Numbers Inc; Panavision, Ltd.; Pinewood Studios, Ltd.; Simon Olswang; Soundelux; TTlTfilm Canada; The Movie Network; Toybox; William F. White International, Inc.

Distribution Company

Dimension Films; Alliance Releasing; Ascot Elite Entertainment Group; Cecchi Gori Pictures; Dimension Films; Dimension Films; Dimension Home Video; Sony Pictures Releasing International; StudioCanal; Studiocanal; Ufd

Location

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Technical Specs

Duration

1h 37m

Quotes

Trivia

Miscellaneous Notes

Winner of the 1999 Genie Award for Best Editing (Ronald Sanders).

Winner of the Silver Bear for Outstanding Artistic Achievement (David Cronenberg) at the 1999 Berlin Film Festival.

Released in United States Spring April 23, 1999

Expanded Release in United States April 30, 1999

Released in United States on Video October 19, 1999

Released in United States February 1999

Released in United States March 1999

Released in United States April 16, 1999

Released in United States July 2000

Shown at Berlin International Film Festival (in competition) February 10-21, 1999.

Shown at Brussels International Festival of Fantasy Film March 12-27, 1999.

shown at Karlovy Vary International Film Festival July 5-15, 2000.

Project was previously in development at MGM Pictures.

Completed shooting July 8, 1998.

Began shooting April 6, 1998.

Released in United States Spring April 23, 1999

Expanded Release in United States April 30, 1999

Released in United States on Video October 19, 1999

Released in United States February 1999 (Shown at Berlin International Film Festival (in competition) February 10-21, 1999.)

Released in United States March 1999 (Shown at Brussels International Festival of Fantasy Film March 12-27, 1999.)

Released in United States April 16, 1999 (Shown in New York City (DGA Theater) as part of series "Director's Take" April 16, 1999.)

Released in United States July 2000 (shown at Karlovy Vary International Film Festival July 5-15, 2000.)

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