Primer (2004)

Director:

Shane Carruth

Writer:

Shane Carruth (writer)

Release Date:

27 May 2005 (Spain)

Genre:

Drama | Thriller | Sci-Fi

Tagline:

If you always want what you can't have, what do you want when you can have anything?

Plot:

Four friends/fledgling entrepreneurs, knowing that there's something bigger and more innovative than the different error-checking devices they've built, wrestle over their new invention.

Plot Keywords:

Garage | Invention | Storage Unit | Blood | Experimental Film

Awards:

2 wins & 7 nominations

Cast

Shane Carruth	...	Aaron
David Sullivan	...	Abe
Casey Gooden	...	Robert
Anand Upadhyaya	...	Phillip
Carrie Crawford	...	Kara
Jay Butler	...	Metalshop Worker
John Carruth	...	Man On Couch #1
Juan Tapia	...	Man On Couch #2
Ashley Warren	...	Hostess
Samantha Thomson	...	Rachel Granger
Chip Carruth	...	Thomas Granger
Delaney Price	...	Laney
Jack Pyland	...	Aaron's Co-worker
Keith Bradshaw	...	Clean Room Technician
Ashok Upadhyaya	...	Laboratory Technician
Brandon Blagg	...	Will
Jon Cook	...	Will's Cousin
David Joyner	...	Rachel's Date
Eric De Soualhat	...	Translator
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Kevin Lucero Less	...	Seth (uncredited)

Directed by
Shane Carruth

Writing credits
Shane Carruth		(writer)

Produced by
Shane Carruth	....	producer

Original Music by
Shane Carruth

Film Editing by
Shane Carruth

Casting by
Shane Carruth

Production Design by
Shane Carruth

Sound Department
Shane Carruth	....	sound designer
Reggie Evans	....	location sound
David Ho	....	sound re-recording mixer (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Daniel Bueche	....	camera operator
James Russell	....	assistant camera
Anand Upadhyaya	....	camera operator

Other crew
Chip Carruth	....	caterer
Kathy Carruth	....	caterer
David Sullivan	....	production assistant

Thanks
Scott Douglass	....	thanks

Distributors

• THINKFilm (2004) (USA) (theatrical)
• E.D. Distribution (2006) (France) (theatrical)
• Notro Films (2005) (Spain) (theatrical)
• Video Audio Project (VAP) (2005) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Filmfreak Distributie (2005) (Netherlands) (TV)
• Filmfreak Distributie (2006) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Palisades Tartan (2009) (UK) (all media)
• Sandrew Metronome Distribution (2006) (Finland) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Advanced Health Concepts  thanks for use of oxygen tanks
• Henley's Aircraft Services Inc.  thanks for permission to film
• Hilton Hotels  thanks for permission to film
• Richardson Public Library  thanks for permission to film
• U-Haul Storage  thanks for permission to film
• University of Texas at Dallas Department of Biology  thanks for permission to film
• University of Texas at Dallas Department of Electrical Engineering  thanks for permission to film
• Ziziki's Restaurant  thanks for permission to film

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for brief language.

Runtime:

77 min | Turkey:73 min (TV version)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Canada:G (Ontario) | Sweden:15 | Portugal:M/12 | Iceland:12 | Finland:K-15 | Australia:M | Singapore:PG | USA:PG-13 | UK:12A

Filming Locations:

Addison, Texas, USA

Trivia:

Shane Carruth stated that at most an 80 minute could be made from the footage (the film was 78 minutes). He stated that the shooting ratio was 2:1.

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: When Aaron and Abe are in the kitchen and Aaron is wiping blood from his ear, the camera crew's reflection can be seen in the oven door. Also a microphone is visible from below and between them.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Aaron: [Sound of a phone ringing. Aaron, voiceover:] Here's what's going to happen. I'm gonna read this, and you're gonna listen, and you're gonna stay on the line. And you're not gonna interrupt, and you're not gonna speak for any reason. Some of this you know. I'm gonna start at the top of the page.
[pause]
Aaron: Meticulous, yes. Methodical, educated; they were these things. Nothing extreme. Like anyone, they varied. There were days of mistakes and laziness and in-fighting, and there were days, good days, when by anyone's judgment they would have to be considered clever. No one would say that what they were doing was complicated. It wouldn't even be considered new, except for maybe in the geological sense. They took from their surroundings what was needed and made of it something more.

Movie Connections:

Featured in The 20th IFP Independent Spirit Awards (2005) (TV)

Fun scifi romp done on a budget!

No spoilers. I just saw this and thought it was great. It beats Hollywood films because it portrays science in a believable way. The acting was also good and very believable. Shane Carruth did a fine job as writer, director, and actor. I give it an A+.

Film Quality: The lighting and focus weren't always perfect but neither are most big budget films. I loved that you could at least hear everything they were saying in this film unlike most big Hollywood flicks where they ruin it with orchestra music and background noise (I have no idea what Tom Cruise said at the end of Collateral and I doubt anyone else does either.) Primer does an excellent job with film quality, especially considering their small budget. I found this film very watchable.

Story and Plot Quality: The story and plot are also good, but it does get a little convoluted by the end so I was somewhat lost when I left the theater. I think I understood all but the last 15 minutes. Personally, I think the director purposely made the end hard to follow so people might go see it again. I think a simple 2 minute narrative would have filled in all the gaps. A few segues (transition scenes) also could have been a little clearer. I find that I'm still figuring things out many hours later. Perhaps it was bad editing, but more likely a directors trick to make you think and possibly see it again. I would have done a few things different with editing, which is my biggest gripe here.

Who should see it: It isn't really a movie for the family. Take an enlightened friend or perhaps a date if that person has an open mind. The first half of the movie is there just to give background and make you believe that they could build such a machine. Children and old people aren't going to like this one because it doesn't have a lot of whiz-bang type stuff in it (No eye candy for the mentally challenged or immature.) Special effects are scarce, but really aren't needed in this intellectual thriller.

Rating: I rated this movie 10/10, but I was considering it's genre also. A budget scifi with lots of intellectual intrigue. If your looking for childish, comical, Hollywood whiz-bang type crap then go rent "Back To The Future" instead. I think Primer will sort out the men from the boys here!