Monthly Archives: June 2019

Lana in Love

a Bashar Shbib film

LANA IN LOVE

Fiction, 90:00 min, 1991, 35mm, colour, NTSC.

 

Synopsis

Once the ad ran in the "personals" you'd think that Lana (Daphna Kastner) would just sit back and choose from the young men who'd come calling. Well, think again!

Unfortunately for Lana, she encounters Marty (Clark Gregg), a cocky, beer-guzzling plumber who is sent to Lana's address by mistake. He thinks he's stumbled upon a beautiful young business woman's attempts to seduce him. And she thinks he's the doctor that responded to her ad – although, with his tool kit in hand and his name printed on his shirt, he’s a bit different than what she imagined.

When the real doctor (Ivan Roth) calls, life for Lana becomes even more complicated. What follows is a hilarious adventure of failed romance and twisted human relationships. Will Lana get her pipes checked? Will Marty get his tool kit back? Does it really pay to advertise?

"...A very touching and extremely wonky portrait of a bizarre love affair... Shbib and Kastner pull it off with wit and charm."
Noah Cowan, Toronto Eye

"...Lana goes for the laughs"
Norman Witner, The Toronto Star

"...An amusing tale of mistaken identity...Clark Gregg makes an impressive screen debut..."
Suzan Ayscough, Weekly Variety

 

Cast & Crew

STARRING : DAPHNA KASTNER, CLARK GREGG, SUSAN EYTON-JONES, IVAN E. ROTH
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER : JANET CUNNINGHAM
PRODUCED BY : BASHAR SHBIB
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY : STEPHEN REIZES
EDITORS : MEIYEN CHAN, BASHAR SHBIB
SOUND: CLIFFORD "KIP" GYNN
ORIGINAL MUSIC SCORE : HARRY MAYRONNE JR.
SCREENPLAY : BASHAR SHBIB, DAPHNA KASTNER
ART DIRECTOR : JANET CUNNINGHAM
DIRECTED BY : BASHAR SHBIB

All Rights Reserved © 1991 Oneira Pictures International

Love $ Greed

a Bashar Shbib film

LOVE $ GREED

Fiction, Comedy, 80:38 min, 1991, 35mm, colour, NTSC.

 

Synopsis

Robert and Alexandra (Franck Bruynbroek, Melissa White) haven’t had the best marriage. Living separately for quite some time, they are stunned to find out that an eccentric uncle Leopold has left them $23 million. But there's one condition, they have to produce a child within one year. That news doesn't exactly cheer their current mates, Suzie (Lori Eastside) and Ted (Dick Monday); but the foursome are willing to give it a try.

They all move into Leopold's mansion to conceive the "money baby", with a certified witness (David Charles), the uncle's devoted butler (Ivan Roth) and a gaggle of therapists in tow. They might not produce a child, but you can be sure there will be plenty of laughs when the foursome show both their love and their greed.

"...a funny movie about lust, love and greed... (Melissa) White is a natural."
Suzan Ayscough, Variety

"...une histoire abracadabrante..." (...an abracadabra story...)
Héléne de Billy, L'Actualité 

« Du gros rire...” ( Big laughs...)
Serge Dussault, La Presse

Cast & Crew

STARRING : FRANK BRUYNBROEK, MELISSA WHITE, DICK MONDAY, LORI EASTSIDE, DAVID CHARLES, IVAN E. ROTH
SCREENPLAY BY : BASHAR SHBIB, GABOR ZSIGOVICS
ART DIRECTOR : JANET CUNNINGHAM
EDITOR : FLORENCE MOUREAUX
MUSIC : EMILIO KAUDERER
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY : STEPHEN REIZES
SOUND : ALAN SAMUELS
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER : JANET CUNNINGHAM
PRODUCER, DIRECTOR : BASHAR SHBIB

All Rights Reserved © 1991 Oneira Pictures International

Crack Me Up

a Bashar Shbib film

CRACK ME UP

Fiction, Drama, 75:25 min, 1991, 35mm, colour, NTSC.

 

Synopsis

THE BLOND, THE BLIND AND THE BROTHEL...

The film weaves the tale of Louie B. (Tim Brazzil), a hapless cowboy who thinks the world would be a better place if strangers would kiss each other more often. After a run-in with a band of crooks headed by Stacey, (Mary Crosby), Louie goes blind. He is taken in by Billie Jean – a tough-love prostitute (Daphna Kastner), and her colleagues – who are as gay as they are straight.

What follows is a fabulously eclectic look into the life of an East Hollywood, Heidi Fleiss-style bordello for the working man, whose goal it is to liberate heterosexual social mores.

"...sweet little charmer...good dialogue, gritty direction and the regular mix of hip tricks..."
Katherine Monk, Vancouver Sun

"... slummy camp, porno spoof and slice-of-life realism... bitchy, funny and sad."
Ken Eisner, Weekly Variety

Cast & Crew

STARRING : DAPHNA KASTNER, TIM BRAZZIL, MARY CROSBY, DAVID CHARLES, JANET CUNNINGHAM, KENNON B. RAINES
ORIGINAL STORY : BASHAR SHBIB
SCREENPLAY : BASHAR SHBIB, DAPHNA KASTNER, MARYSE WILDER
MUSIC : EMILIO KAUDERER
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY : STEPHEN REIZES
EDITORS : BASHAR SHBIB, FLORENCE MOUREAUX, VINCENT LAUZON
ASSOCIATE PRODUCER: DIDIER FARRÉ, GREGOR VON BISMARCK, WENDY RITTERMAL
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER : MICHAEL KÖLLN, JANET CUNNINGHAM
PRODUCER / DIRECTOR : BASHAR SHBIB

All Rights Reserved © 1991 Oneira Pictures International

Ride Me

a Bashar Shbib film

RIDE ME

Fiction, Drama, 79:50 min, 1994, 35mm, colour, NTSC.

Synopsis

Francesca (Bianca Rossini) seems to be satisfied with her life and her job. She thinks that marriage is something that will bring her happiness and she desperately hopes that Jonathan, her boyfriend, will propose to her on their first anniversary together. She prepares a romantic dinner for the occasion. Jonathan (Roy Garcia) has not only forgotten the special event, but he also intends to spend the evening with Tracey (Colleen Coffey), an ex-girlfriend.

Seeking revenge, Francesca plans a moving party and enlists the help of an odd group of men that have her as their one common interest. The movers include Jake (Clark Gregg), a retired rodeo star, Adolpho (Adam Coleman Howard), a wacky dream analyst, Eric (Ivan E. Roth), her best friend and confidant, Joel (David Cohen), a Vegas guru, as well as some of Jonathan's female friends that were not specifically invited…

Ride me follows the erratic love life of Francesca through the eyes of Randy Lafleur (Frederick Duval) – nicknamed "Frenchie,” a down-and-out private investigator who is struggling to uncover the events leading up to an accidental death...

Cast & Crew

STARRING: BIANCA ROSSINI, FREDERICK DUVAL, CLARK GREGG, ADAM COLEMAN HOWARD, ROY GARCIA, COLLEEN COFFEY, CHRISTINA BECK, IVAN E. ROTH, DAVID COHEN, ROBYN ROSENFELD
CASTING & ART DIRECTOR: JANET CUNNINGHAM
CAMERA / DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: MARC ANDRÉ BERTHIAUME
EDITORS: MEIYEN CHAN, FLORENCE MOUREAUX
MUSIC:  JEAN FRANÇOIS FABIANO
SOUND: ALAN SAMUELS
ASSOCIATE PRODUCER: DAVID COHEN
SCREENPLAY: DAVID COHEN, BASHAR SHBIB
ORIGINAL STORY: DAVID COHEN
EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: RICHARD GOUDREAU, ÉTIENNE DUVAL
PRODUCER / DIRECTOR: BASHAR SHBIB

THIS FILM IS PRODUCED WITH THE FINANCIAL PARTICIPATION OF: TELEFILM CANADA

All Rights Reserved © 1994 Oneira Pictures International

Draghoula

a Bashar Shbib film

DRAGHOULA

Fiction, Comedy, Horror, 84:30 min, 1995, 35mm, colour, NTSC.

 

Synopsis

Harry (Chriss Lee) is a young, Jewish scientist who lives with his overprotective and overbearing mother, Ida (Victoria Barkoff). He spends most of his time in his laboratory trying to isolate the guilt gene, using live rats for his tests.

When the laboratory administration announces a major budget cut, he can no longer afford the number of rats he needs to continue his research. But Harry does not despair; he finds an agency that supplies rats from Transylvania at a very low price. When he is bitten by one of these specimens, his quiet life takes quite a radical turn…

Henceforth, Harry undergoes a nightly transformation into Draghoula, a vampire in drag who roams the streets in search of fresh, human blood. This daily metamorphosis does not go unnoticed by Harry’s mother, nor his co-worker, Sabrina (Stephanie Seidle), who is secretly in love with him. Convinced they are each the only ones that hold the key to returning Harry to his original state, they both set out, in turn, to save him.

Cast & Crew

STARRING : STEPHANIE SEIDLE, CHRISS LEE, ROBYN LANE, VICTORIA BARKOFF, BOBO VIAN
ART DIRECTOR :  GABOR ZSIGOVICS
CAMERA / DIRECTOR OF PRODUCTION : JAY FERGUSON
EDITOR : MEIYEN CHAN
WARDROBE : CLAIRE NADON
MAKE-UP & HAIR :  CLELIA MARSADIE
PRODUCTION COORDINATOR : KARINE ZERBÉ
SOUND :  ERIC ZIMMER
MUSIC : TALAMASCA, SASSY SCARLET
SCREENPLAY : BASHAR SHBIB
POST PRODUCTION : FILM HOUSE LABORATORIES
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER : RICHARD GOUDREAU
PRODUCER, WRITER, DIRECTOR :  BASHAR SHBIB

THIS FILM IS PRODUCED WITH THE FINANCIAL PARTICIPATION OF: TELEFILM CANADA

All Rights Reserved © 1995 Oneira Pictures International

The Mule and the Emeralds

a Bashar Shbib film

THE MULE AND THE EMERALDS (French Language Original)

Fiction, Drama, 76:00 min, 1995, 35mm, colour, NTSC.

 

Synopsis

The jeweller Salomon has entrusted Nick (Frédérick Duval) with a special job, to deliver some gems to Charlie, who is known as “the Wolf of the Caribbean”. What this young ‘mule’ doesn’t know is that the emeralds have been stolen and are coveted by rival gangs.

When Salomon is bumped off, Nick has to deal, one after the other, with Andrew, Max, Sebastien, Lena (Anne-Marie Leduc) and his brother George (Claude Larivière), all of whom succeed in making the hunt for the emeralds just a little more complicated.

However, what worries Nick most is the affair of his beloved Jeanne (Susila Maraviglia) with a certain Marc (Pascal Auclair). But Nick has a plan – he will sell the emeralds for big bucks and use the money to take Jeanne far away. He sets up a meeting with one of the gangs and arranges to meet Jeanne at the same spot. Unbeknownst to Jeanne, she is followed by a rival gang. It is the confrontation between all of these upstanding characters that will take a most unexpected turn . . .

 

Cast & Crew

STARRING : FRÉDÉRICK DUVAL, SUSILA MARAVIGLIA, CLAUDE LARIVIÈRE, PASCAL AUCLAIR, ANNE-MARIE LEDUC, CLÉLIA MARSADIÉ, MAÏA NADON-CHBIB
COSTUME DESIGN : CLAIRE NADON
ART DIRECTOR: GABOR ZSIGOVICS
CAMERA / DIRECTOR OF PRODUCTION : JAY FERGUSON
EDITORS : MEIYEN CHAN, BENJAMIN DUFFIELD
MAKE-UP & HAIR : CLÉLIA MARSADIÉ
PRODUCTION CO-ORDINATORS : KARINE ZERBÉ, GEOFF DEADMAN
SOUND: HAIG ARMEN
MUSIC : BABELFISH
SONGS : TALAMASCA, JACQUES ANTONIN
SCREENPLAY : BASHAR SHBIB, THÉRÈSE BRODEUR
PRODUCER & DIRECTOR : BASHAR SHBIB

THIS FILM IS PRODUCED WITH THE FINANCIAL PARTICIPATION OF: TELEFILM CANADA

All Rights Reserved © 1995 Oneira Pictures International

The Perfumer

a Bashar Shbib film

THE PERFUMER

Fiction, Comedy, 80:17 min, 1997, 35mm, colour, NTSC.

 

Synopsis

Edward Pinchbeck (Jimeoin), a thirty-five-year-old professional perfumer who owns a modest perfume boutique, lives reclusively with his pet parakeet and enjoys discussing the virtues of pheromones and musky secretions. Due to being extremely shy around women, Edward is secretly in love with his overpaid and underworked store clerk Daisy (Iona Brindle) who steadfastly remains uninterested in him. Edward’s drab life drastically changes when, one day, he stumbles across an orchid with an astonishing scent. Determined to get a cutting form the flower, Edward is thwarted by his old acquaintance, plant geneticist Millicent Hedgerow (Diane Carlson). She is the president of the local flower society and is paired along with her officious German secretary, Roland Kemp (Gregor von Bismarck).

Undeterred, Edward finally succeeds in stealing a piece of the orchid and concocts a perfume from its petals. The newly fabricated perfume, bizarrely enough, is an aphrodisiac with an overpowering effect on those who are exposed to it. Edward, now irresistible to men and women alike, unleashes upon a series of sexual misadventures involving Roland, Millicent, Daisy, her biker boyfriend and a group of orgy-minded customers who invade Edward’s boutique.

The perfumer is a madcap comedy guaranteed to change the way you smell perfume.

 

Cast & Crew

STARRING: JIMEOIN, DIANE CARLSON, IONA BRINDLE, GREGOR VON BISMARCK
ART DIRECTORS: MARIE-HÉLÈNE PANISSET, ROBIN ANDREW PATERSON
CAMERA / DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: ALEX MARGINEANU
EDITOR: DAVID CRIPTON
SOUND: ALAIN TREMBLAY
ORIGINAL MUSIC: JEAN-FRANÇOIS FABIANO
SCREENPLAY: DIANE CARLSON, BASHAR SHBIB
ASSOCIATE PRODUCER: ANDREW MAKAREWICZ, MICHEL ZGARKA
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: PIERRE LATOUR
PRODUCER & DIRECTOR: BASHAR SHBIB

THIS FILM IS PRODUCED WITH THE FINANCIAL PARTICIPATION OF:
TELEFILM CANADA
SOCIÉTÉ DE DÉVELOPPEMENT DES ENTREPRISES CULTURELLES (SODEC)
GOUVERNEMENT DU QUÉBEC (Programme du Crédit d'Impôt)
GOVERNMENT OF CANADA (Tax Credit Program)

All Rights Reserved © 1997 Oneira Pictures International

Taxi to L.A.

a Bashar Shbib film

TAXI TO L.A.

Fiction, Drama, 78:30 min, 1997, 35mm, colour, NTSC.

 

Synopsis

Grief-stricken after her fiancé called off their wedding, Sam (Alexandra Woodward), an impetuous Montréal socialite, impulsively hires Jack (Mark Houghton), a taxi driver with voyeuristic tendencies, to drive her from Montréal to L.A.

The trip is rougher than either would have anticipated. Sam is outraged that some truck stops don't serve cappuccino and offended by Jack's hygiene, or lack thereof, while Jack is exasperated by Sam's nagging and her ignorance of the real world. As the mismatched couple makes their way across America, both Sam and Jack's outlooks begin to change and the two develop a rapport.

The journey opens Sam's eyes to life beyond the country club and her exuberance helps crack Jack's cynical and defensive shell. As antagonism gives way to affection, a larger question begins to loom: can the relationship between this odd couple last beyond their eight-day taxi ride to L.A.?

 

Cast & Crew

STARRING: ALEXANDRA WOODWARD, MARK HOUGHTON, JAY FERGUSON, GEOFF DEADMAN, JULIE BOURNE, DONALD ROSENFELD JR., DONALD ROSENFELD SR.
PRODUCTION MANAGER: KARINE ZERBÉ
MAKE-UP, HAIR & COSTUME: CLÉLIA MARSADIÉ
CAMERA / DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: JAY FERGUSON
EDITOR: PHILIP JANDALY, ROSELLA TURSI
SOUND: ALAIN TREMBLAY
ORIGINAL MUSIC: JEAN-FRANÇOIS FABIANO
SCREENPLAY: BASHAR SHBIB, DIANE CARLSON
BASED ON AN ORIGINAL STORY BY: LIZ SHANNON
ASSOCIATE PRODUCER: MICHEL ZGARKA
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: SAMI CHBIB, PIERRE LATOUR
PRODUCER/DIRECTOR: BASHAR SHBIB

THIS FILM IS PRODUCED WITH THE FINANCIAL PARTICIPATION OF:
TELEFILM CANADA
SOCIÉTÉ DE DÉVELOPPEMENT DES ENTREPRISES CULTURELLES (SODEC)
GOUVERNEMENT DU QUÉBEC (Programme du Crédit d'Impôt)
GOVERNMENT OF CANADA (Tax Credit Program)

All Rights Reserved © 1997 Oneira Pictures International

Strictly Spanking

a Bashar Shbib film

STRICTLY SPANKING

Fiction, Drama, 80:22 min, 1997, 35mm, colour, NTSC.

Synopsis

Kate Lloyd (Iona Brindle), a once-promising undergraduate, has dropped out to live with her boyfriend Liam (Patrick Garrow). Although Kate tells Liam that she has never been happier, there are moments in their physical relationship that reveal the existence of a few unresolved issues from her past.

Kate's blissful life is shattered one day when she gets a call from her mother. The police want to question her about a young friend of hers that was found dead from dehydration. Confronted with this news, Kate tells Liam her story. She recounts how, encouraged by a mysterious voice over a sex chat-line, she allowed herself to become involved in a sadomasochistic relationship with one of her professors (Alastair Hesketh-Jones). Once initiated into this world, she started practicing her S&M tricks on Alan (Sid Zanforlin), a reclusive computer repairman. What seemed like a game at first eventually turned uncontrollable as the activities progressed beyond strictly spanking and people began to get hurt.

Strictly Spanking is a gothic, suburban tale about the unforseen sexual awakening of a young woman.

Cast & Crew

STARRING: IONA BRINDLE, PATRICK GARROW, ALASTAIR HESKETH-JONES, VICTORIA ANN STIRLING, SID ZANFORLIN, LARISSA GIROUX, GABOR ZSIGOVICS
ART DIRECTOR: ANTHONY BRAITHWAITE
CAMERA/DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: KARINE ZERBÉ, ROSELLA TURSI, GEOFF DEADMAN
EDITOR: MARIE-HÉLÈNE PANISSET
SOUND: ALAIN TREMBLAY
ORIGINAL MUSIC: CHRISS LEE, TALAMASCA
SCREENPLAY: ANN CARLIER, BASHAR SHBIB
ASSOCIATE PRODUCER:  MICHEL ZGARKA
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: PIERRE LATOUR
PRODUCER & DIRECTORS: BASHAR SHBIB

THIS FILM IS PRODUCED WITH THE FINANCIAL PARTICIPATION OF:
TELEFILM CANADA
SOCIÉTÉ DE DÉVELOPPEMENT DES ENTREPRISES CULTURELLES (SODEC)
GOUVERNEMENT DU QUÉBEC (Programme du Crédit d'Impôt)
GOVERNMENT OF CANADA (Tax Credit Program)

All Rights Reserved © 1997 Oneira Pictures International

Panic

a Bashar Shbib film

PANIC

Fiction, Drama, 84:00 min, 1997, 35mm, colour, NTSC.

 

Synopsis

Harry (Robin Andrew Wilcock), a shabby but dignified transvestite, writes radio dramas. One night, he goes into the studio to record his latest work, “Panic,” about a woman whose greatest dream is to write pulp fiction. Harry is assisted by Jack (Patrick Garrow), a macho and homophobic sound technician.

Harry's drama follows the adventures of Marion (Diane Carlson), a shy and dowdy writer who gets her first break when she is offered a contract to write a story in three days by a publisher (Dick Coward). Confronted with the opportunity and the deadline, she experiences writer's block. Borrowing a tape recorder from a friend, Marion begins seeking inspiration from the conversations of strangers, and weaves a tale about murder and intrigue in the art world. Gradually, she finds herself being sucked into a fictional world of two beautiful people (Alexandra Woodward, Domenic Carapella) with exotic circumstances, while the line between fantasy and reality becomes increasingly blurred.

As Jack watches Harry in the recording booth, his initial contempt turns to curiosity and then respect. A cautious friendship develops between the two men, revealing that they are not as different as it may have seemed at first.

 

Cast & Crew

STARRING : ALEXANDRA WOODWARD, ROBIN ANDREW WILCOCK, DIANE CARLSON, PATRICK GARROW, DICK COWARD, DOMENIC CARAPELLA
ART DIRECTOR : MARIE-HÉLÈNE PANISSET
CAMERA/DIRECTORS OF PRODUCTION : ALEX MARGINEANU, JAY FERGUSON
EDITING : MARIE-HÉLÈNE PANISSET
SOUND: ALAIN TREMBLAY
ORIGINAL MUSIC : CHRISS LEE, TALAMASCA, BASHAR SHBIB
SCREENPLAY : BASHAR SHBIB, HAROLD VON KURSK
ASSOCIATE PRODUCER : MICHEL ZGARKA
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER : PIERRE LATOUR
PRODUCER/DIRECTOR :  BASHAR SHBIB

THIS FILM IS PRODUCED WITH THE FINANCIAL PARTICIPATION OF:
TELEFILM CANADA
SOCIÉTÉ DE DÉVELOPPEMENT DES ENTREPRISES CULTURELLES (SODEC)
GOUVERNEMENT DU QUÉBEC (Programme du Crédit d'Impôt)
GOVERNMENT OF CANADA (Tax Credit Program)

All Rights Reserved © 1997 Oneira Pictures International