Lake of Fire (film)
Lake of Fire is a 2006 documentary film directed by Tony Kaye that graphically depicts abortion in the United States. It features Noam Chomsky, Peter Singer, Alan Dershowitz, Nat Hentoff, Randall Terry and Norma McCorvey, among others. Footage of Paul Jennings Hill, who murdered physician Dr. John Britton and Britton's bodyguard James Barrett in 1994, was also featured.
| Lake of Fire | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | Tony Kaye |
| Produced by | Tony Kaye |
| Written by | Tony Kaye |
| Starring | Noam Chomsky Alan Dershowitz Peter Singer Randall Terry |
| Music by | Anne Dudley |
| Cinematography | Tony Kaye |
| Edited by | Peter Goddard |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | THINKFilm |
Release date |
|
Running time | 152 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
The film was shot over a period of 16 years, with director Tony Kaye spending $6 million of his own money on its production.[1]
The documentary was filmed entirely in black and white. It opened in September 2006 in Toronto, Ontario.
Critical reception
On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has a 94% score based on 54 reviews with an average rating of 7.76/10. The site's critical consensus reads "Lake of Fire's engaging interviews and powerful black-and-white visuals make for a riveting and honest documentary about a very controversial topic".[2] Additionally, the film also holds an 83/100 score (indicating "universal acclaim") on Metacritic based on 15 reviews. The site also gave it a "Metacritic Must-See" award.[3]
On November 19, 2007, Lake of Fire was named by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences as one of 15 films on its documentary feature Oscar shortlist, but it did not receive a nomination.[4]
Top ten lists
The film appeared on several critics' top ten lists of the best films of 2007.[5]
- 3rd – Scott Foundas, LA Weekly (tied with 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days)
- 4th – Joshua Rothkopf, Time Out New York
- 4th – Ella Taylor, LA Weekly (tied with 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days)
- 6th – Scott Tobias, The A.V. Club
- 10th – Ty Burr, The Boston Globe
See also
- Abortion debate
- Anti-abortion violence
- Abortion law
- Abortion in the United States
- Religion and abortion
- List of films shot over three or more years
References
- "Tony Kaye Abortion Documentary "Lake of Fire" Hits Theaters in October". archive.lifenews.com. Archived from the original on 2015-06-13. Retrieved 2015-11-19.
- "Lake of Fire – Rotten Tomatoes". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 2018-01-08.
- "Lake of Fire (2007): Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved 2008-01-06.
- "Shortlist for docu Oscar unveiled". The Hollywood Reporter. 2007-11-20. Retrieved 2007-12-21.
- "Metacritic: 2007 Film Critic Top Ten Lists". Metacritic. Archived from the original on 2008-01-02. Retrieved 2008-01-05.