I really, really dig Lena Headey. She's been a breath of fresh air in cinema. She's smart, charming, and tough. She's sexy, but not overly sexualized, and she's got this reality to her that makes her roles pop. But she really, really has to add more diversity to her roles. Or, rather, she has to stop heavily favoring the dark/violent fare. Is this type casting? Personal preference?
I don't know, but there is yet another dark film on the way for Headey. Variety reports that she's just wrapped Anchor Bay's new slasher film Laid to Rest. The film focuses on a young girl who wakes up in a casket with a bad head injury and no memory of who she is. But she hasn't been buried alive. Instead, she's been abducted by a serial killer and has to outsmart him to survive.
I just hope one of her other projects, Six Bullets from Now, is light enough in the action/heist department to give her some mainstream regular cred, and get her out of this trend. But there's still Tell-Tale and Black Death on the way as well, plus more Sarah Connor Chronicles. Don't get me wrong, she's great in the dark fare, but it'd just be nice to see more frequent diversity. Let Luce shine!
No, I don't think this latest feature is a mixture of Buffy and Foxy Brown, where lesbians get tough and hunt vampires. (Has there been a flick like that yet? If not, I'm sure we'll get it one of these days.) Instead, this seems to be about the dudes who kill lesbian vampires, or will be killed by them. Variety reports that James Corden and Mathew Horne, who star in the UK's cult show Gavin and Stacey, are re-teaming to bring down some vamps in Phil Claydon's Lesbian Vampire Killers.
Written by Stewart Williams and Paul Hupfield, this horror comedy focuses on Corden and Horne "stuck in a village where all the women have been enslaved by a vampire curse." This makes it sound like the village was a lesbian commune, or the girls tapped into their gay side after growing the fangs, sort of like Willow on Buffy. However, IMDb fills in some blanks. An ancient curse falls upon this Welsh town, so the "remaining menfolk ... send two hapless young lads out onto the moors as a sacrifice." Talk about drawing the short stick, although I imagine there are worse ways to be sacrificed.
I'm sure there will be lots of skin and all the girlie bits that make horror fanboys salivate. What I don't know much about is Gavin & Stacey. Any fans out there want to weigh in about Corden and Horne taking on lesbian blood suckers? Can they do it?
Want to know why movie nerds of my approximate age have a real fanboy affection for director Joe Dante? Here's why: Piranha, Rock 'n' Roll High School, The Howling, Gremlins, Explorers, Innerspace, The 'burbs, Gremlins 2, and Matinee. Hell, I even enjoyed his last movie, Looney Tunes: Back in Action, although I seem to be in the vast minority on that one. Unfortunately Mr. Dante is not nearly as prolific as his fans would like, so when word comes down that the flick-lovin' filmmaker has not one but TWO new projects on the horizon, we get all excited. Ooh, and both of 'em are horror movies!
We'd already heard a little bit about Bat Out of Hell, which looks to be a flick that combines air travel, hijackers, and vampires. That script comes from the horror-geek writing team of Scott Swan and Drew McWeeny, and it's one I'm certainly looking forward to. But now comes Shock with some info on another Dante assignment, and it sounds interesting enough: The Hole will be about a family of fugitives who "hole" up in a house that has a very strange ... PIT ... in the basement. Shock's Ryan Rotten says this one will be a PG-13-style horror flick, and in most cases that'd irritate me -- but Joe Dante has never really gone for the hardcore gore or nasty ultra-violence, so in this case I don't feel so bad. (I bet The Howling would be PG-13 if it came out today.)
More on these projects as the info becomes available. I'm still hoping the director decides to remake a certain Dario Argento flick, just so we can see a movie poster that says "(Joe) Dante's Inferno." That'd make me chuckle.
Prolific producer Neal H. Moritz knows a whole lot about making patently un-scary horror flicks (his resumé is littered with two Urban Legends, three Skulls, a Soul Survivors, three people who Know What You Did Last Summer, and one Prom Night -- so far. Therefore simple logic dictates that, now that the mega-successful Goosebumpsbooks are about to leap into the multiplexes, Mr. Moritz should be in charge of the operation.
According to Variety, R.L. Stine's Goosebumps series is the second-best-selling pre-teen book series in the world, second only to the literary adventures of a certain young wizard. And while fans certainly have fond memories of the rather large book series (and a 1995 TV adaptation), this will mark the first time the Goosebumps will be doled out in cinemas. (Not surprisingly, there's also a video game on the way -- all from a company called "Scholastic.") Mr. Moritz will produce with his Sony-connected Original Films banner, and the team is presently on the hunt for stuff like actors, writers, and directors: "Moritz said they likely will cast unknown child actors and then pepper the film with well-known thesps in supporting roles, much like Warner did with the Harry Potter franchise."
Frankly I think this is a very cool idea. Horror should NOT be a grown-ups-only experience, and I'm really tired of my cheesy old favorites getting dusted off and promptly neutered for a new generation of pre-teens. The Goosebumps books were created with young audiences in mind, so this sounds like it could be the beginning of a very profitable relationship. (Yes, obviously Sony is thinking "franchise" here.)
The last time I saw my awesome amigo Nacho Vigalondo, it was at a Sundance party during which he was A) very thrilled to have his film play the festival, B) mega-elated that writer/producer Steven Zaillian would be involved in the English-language remake of his film (Timecrimes), and C) seriously drunk and hanging out with an overworked karaoke machine. When I pressed him for additional details, he said something to the effect of "I don't know yet, but .... Steve SALE-IAN, man! He wrote Bobby Fischer and Gangs of New York, man..." To which I responded, "Yeah, dude. Damn good writer. Plus Schindler's List, A Civil Action, American Gangster,and the awesome Falcon and the Snowman!"
The drunken Spaniard's eyes went absolutely wide: "Steve SALE-IAN is remaking my movieeeee!" He was like a little kid on Christmas morning, I swear. It was an awesomely sweet thing to see. But since we weren't really sure about Mr. Zaillian's specific attachment to the remake, this fresh news is also pretty exciting. Wouldn't it be cool if the Timecrimes remake had a Steve Zaillian screenplay and a director named ... David Cronenberg?? (I've seen Timecrimes more than once, and I think Mr. Cronenberg would be a perrrrrrrrfect fit for this time-travel / serial killer material.)
The United Artists re-do is still in the very early stages, so we could see a lot of personnel changes before the American version of Timecrimes hits the scene -- but given how positive the reaction has been among festival audiences, flick-buyers, and remake makers, we might just see it a little sooner than later. In the meantime, keep an eye out for the original film, which is a favorite among the Magnolia gang, and should be getting a release some time later this year.
A while back we shared the news that filmmaker JT Petty (Soft for Digging, Mimic: Sentinel) would be mounting some sort of Faces of Deathremake for Universal's Rogue division. I know that Mr. Petty is putting the final touches on a project called The Burrowers, but obviously I'm fascinated to see how a (mostly fake) exploitation documentary will be transformed into a new property. If you've seen the Faces of Death flicks, then you'll probably never forget them -- but if you've never seen the original one, it looks like you'll have your chance soon enough. (And I'm not kidding when I say that these "death docos" are NOT for the squeamish.)
According to the gore-soaked lunatics of Dread Central, who got word from one of their pals at supplement house Red Shirt Pictures, Gorgon Video is planning a Faces of Death DVD for release later this year. Extras will include a trio of featurettes (one on the effects, one on the editing, and one on the "impact") and a "very in-depth" audio commentary from director Conan le Cilaire (aka John Schwartz). And since Faces of Death was one of the most controversial horror movies in my whole middle school, I can only assume that the new DVD release will cause a bit of colorful chit-chat all over the horror sites.
Frankly I remember being sickened and irritated by the Faces of Death flicks, but a new DVD package seems like a good reason to give it another shot. For more info on this much-discussed series, check out the FoD Wikipedia entry.
Once again, Mondo Macabro gives us a taste of what they call "the wild side of world cinema" with this Indonesian scare-fest from 1979 that streets on May 27.
The wedding of a town leader's son in Indonesia is marred by what is believed to be black magic. The bride is overcome by nightmarish visions of skeletons, snakes and walking corpses and falls into a fevered state of dementia. Kohar, the groom, suspects that a woman named Murny is responsible, claiming that she loved him but he had no interest in her. What Kohar does not tell the angry mob is that he had seduced Murny, taking her virginity and promising to marry her, only to wed another. While Murny certainly has motive, she knows nothing of black magic -- but Kohar and the mob burn her house down and throw her off a cliff just the same. Her life is saved by an old hermit who encourages her to take revenge on those who tried to murder her. Since they accused her of black magic, the hermit figures "let's be all ironic and stuff" and trains Murny in the dark arts.
Ahem. Where were we? Oh yes -- a few nude, er, new photos from the set of Jennifer's Bodyhave arrived online, and it seems the lovely Megan Fox (pictured above) has finally transformed into a girl that doesn't wear any clothes. About damn time! (Last week she transformed into a motorcycle and we were all, like, what the F!) These new images come to us via The Bad and Ugly, who have a few more of Fox in and out of the lake, and let's just say they're a tad more revealing. For those who don't remember, Fox was recently named the sexiest woman in the world by FHM magazine -- and these new photos definitely help the girl live up to that title.
Written by Diablo Cody (Juno), Jennifer's Body stars Megan Fox as a newly-possessed cheerleader who begins killing her male classmates; specifically, those trying to woo her. Amanda Seyfried stars as Jennifer's best friend and the film's hero, while guys like Adam Brody show up as the lead singer of a band (see images of Brody's Nikolai character over at Just Jared).
Man, looking at that image above reminds me of those days when I was applying to be "guy who holds blanket over naked actress on set." Never got the job, of course, because I didn't have 3-5 years experience, but it was still fun to try. Jennifer's Body arrives in theaters next year ... as well as on the desktops of every horny male teenager in the world right ... about ... now.
And we have the embed, courtesy of IGN. The quality is not ideal, so if you're looking to freeze frame, you may want to view the Quicktime version over there.
The trailer is predictably creepy, but also typically vague. There is not much of a sense here as to what the movie will be about other than an unexplained phenomenon and missing girls -- I felt compelled to go back and look at the plot details just to appreciate it a little better. With all the cool movies coming out this summer, I don't know if I'm hooked enough to buy a ticket yet to this one. Nearly, though!
I know it can't be -- but the sadistic looking dude with the needle looks an awful lot like Alex Krychek.
If you need an additional Mulder and Scully fix, there are two viral videos that were released this weekend. They feature the two FBI Agents reminiscing about each other, which suggests this movie is a reunion on all fronts. They are a bit odd, mostly because they are so short and random. They're included after the jump.
(In honor of Mother's Day, we're launching a series of posts today written, in part, by our mothers after we asked them one simple (yet very complex) question: What's your favorite movie and why?)
Ha, my mom's hilarious. I thought she was going to pick Spartacus, Forrest Gump, or Steel Magnolias. She went with a horror flick.
"OK, so, being Scott's mom, it should come as no surprise that over the years he has supplied me with many movies to watch, most of them ... horror flicks. I enjoy a good scary movie but I'm not a huge fan of the gory stuff -- but one I caught quite by chance one night was The Hitcher, starring Rutger Hauer. OK, so I start out watching thinking this is going to be some nice, safe, slightly suspenseful yarn about a young man meeting up with one strange character while delivering a car to someone in another state. Well, I was as wrong about that as I was in thinking that Scott was going to be my second daughter. Halfway though the movie I made a mental note to see the manicurist the next day because I had gnawed my nails down to the cuticles. As "the hitcher," Rutger Hauer not only terrorizes a poor young man and his newfound girlfriend (who meets one of the most gruesome demises I have ever witnessed ... although you don't really see it, but yikes, the mental pictures!!!) but he also leaves a horrible bloodbath in his wake. I probably wouldn't call it one of my all-time favorites, but when people talk about movies that really scared them ... I think of The Hitcher. There are many things I would love to do with Rutger Hauer, as I find him to be not only very hot but also a great actor -- but one thing we wouldn't do is go for a drive in the desert!
Happy Mother's Day! Next year I hope to review Enemy Mine."
Kidding? Yes, that's right, as in kids, young 'uns, rug rats. This week on Trailer Park, we're scoping out previews of movies that are for or about the kiddies. The Rocker Kid is a relative term, but the teens populating this comedy are kids from where I'm sitting. Probably best known for playing Dwight on NBC's The Office, Rainn Wilson stars as a washed up 80s rocker who was booted out of a succesful band right before they hit it big. Kind of like Pete Best but with spandex and big hair. His teenage nephew's band is playing at the prom and they need him to fill in. The gig goes well and Wilson's character ends up touring with the band. There's a definite hint of School of Rock, but Wilson is so appealing in the role that I've chosen to overlook that and the groin injury joke (a hokey device that is often a deal breaker for me). Here's what Erik thought of the trailer.
This news has the gaming world all a-flutter. Variety announced today that Gore Verbinski is taking the director's chair for the big screen adaptation of Bioshock. Universal has the rights to the video game adaptation, which Verbinski will direct and produce. John Logan will write the screenplay, and Verbinski plans to jump into pre-production as soon as it is finished and approved.
Bioshock was a hugely successful game, winning numerous awards and making a movie inevitable. And Take-Two Interactive, Bioshock's publisher, is so determined to see it onscreen that they structured the deal to make Halo like failure impossible.
It sounds like a prank. We would all like it to be one. But it seems to be legit.
The story comes from Screen Daily, who reports that S. Darko is being shopped around, with Fox already picking up the North American distribution rights. Touted as the sequel to the 2001 cult hit, the story picks up seven years after Donnie Darko left off. The youngest Darko, Samantha, is now 18 and abandoning her commitment to Sparkle Motion. She heads to Las Vegas with her best friend Corey, but the two are plagued with bizarre visions. I imagine they will involve a rabbit.
Richard Kelly, the original director, is in no way involved. Chris Fincher Fisher* will direct instead. Daveigh Chase, who played Samantha in the original, will reprise her role. It looks like she is the only one. The movie also stars Ed Westwick, Briana Evigan, and Justin Chatwin.
As to the big looming question of why, oh God, why, Simon Crowe of UK sales company Velvet Octopus says they're thinking of the children. "I think there is a new generation of cinema-goers who will be very excited to see this film." Which generation came of age between 2001 and 2008? Why haven't they rented Donnie Darko? I am afraid these are questions to which Crowe has no answers. But he did quip, "Donnie's not in [the new film] but there are meteorites and rabbits."
Nothing is safe from the all mighty dollar, my friends. Nothing. Even when there is a pretty conclusive ending, there can always be a sequel. I'll leave you to think about that as I go pen my script for No Country for Old Men 2.
*Very kind thanks to astute reader toad_stone for pointing out our egregious misspelling of director Chris Fisher's last name. Correction made, with our apologies. - Ed.
Welcome to another nutritious edition of The (Mostly) Indie Film Calendar, a weekly roundup of what's happening beyond the multiplexes in this great land of ours. If you know of something cool going on where you live -- a small film festival, retrospective, midnight movies, etc. -- let me know! You can find me at Eric.Snider (at) Weblogsinc (dot) com.
INDIE THEATRICAL RELEASES
Frontiere(s)is a French horror flick whose history is almost as torturous as its content. It was supposed to be part of the After Dark series last fall, but its NC-17 rating made that impossible due to the contract that the After Dark people had with the theatrical venues. So now it's basically going straight to DVD -- but first it's being deposited in a handful of theaters today in New York, L.A., Denver, Seattle, Philly, Austin, and maybe a few other places. Cinematical's Scott Weinberg gave it a mixed review at Toronto last year.
The Fall: Remember The Cell, that freaky Jennifer Lopez movie from 2000? I know I do! (I never forget a movie with a vivisected horse.) The director, Tarsem Singh, is back now with The Fall, a visually stunning fable where a man in a hospital tells a little girl a story, and that story is craaaazy. Opens in New York and L.A. today.
More indie releases and a city-by-city list of cool events after the jump....
Their batting average might not be all that stellar, but I'm still rooting for the After Dark team. In theory, their idea of snatching up eight indie / foreign horror flicks a year and offering them a brief theatrical run is fantastic. And I've no doubt that the AD crew does the best they can with the flicks and funds that are available, but let's face it: Their track record isn't exactly sterling, now is it? (Their flick recap can be found after the jump.) But things seem to be looking up in After Dark country: According to The Hollywood Reporter, the scrappy little distributor plans to get a lot more involved in the production side of the equation.
They've already announced Sean Ellis' The Broken* as the first AD08 title, but now we seem to have movies two and three. Production begins this month in Romania on both Faithless and Perkins' 14, the former a thriller about a woman on the run from domestic abuse, the latter a serial killer chiller. (Hey, the less I know about the plots, the better.) Faithless comes from the team of Stewart Hopewell and Tim Long, while Jeremy Donaldson's Perkins' 14 was apparently the winner of a screenwriting contest at Massify.com, which is kind of interesting. That flick will be directed by Craig Singer, whom Horrorfesters will remember from Dark Ride. This pair of flicks marks AD's first return to full-on production since 2006's An American Haunting.
I really, really dig Lena Headey. She's been a breath of fresh air in cinema. She's smart, charming, and tough. She's sexy, but not overly sexualized, and she's got this reality to her that makes her roles pop. But she really, really has to add more diversity to her roles. Or, rather, she has to stop heavily favoring the dark/violent fare. Is this type casting? Personal preference?
No, I don't think this latest feature is a mixture of Buffy and Foxy Brown, where lesbians get tough and hunt vampires. (Has there been a flick like that yet? If not, I'm sure we'll get it one of these days.) Instead, this seems to be about the dudes who kill lesbian vampires, or will be killed by them. 
Want to know why movie nerds of my approximate age have a real fanboy affection for director 
Prolific producer 
The last time I saw my awesome amigo 
A while back we shared 
.jpg)
This news has the gaming world all a-flutter. 
It sounds like a prank. We would all like it to be one. But it seems to be legit. 
Welcome to another nutritious edition of The (Mostly) Indie Film Calendar, a weekly roundup of what's happening beyond the multiplexes in this great land of ours. If you know of something cool going on where you live -- a small film festival, retrospective, midnight movies, etc. -- let me know! You can find me at Eric.Snider (at) Weblogsinc (dot) com.
Their batting average might not be all that stellar, but I'm still rooting for the 
