HK and Cult Film News's Fan Box

Saturday, April 29, 2017

"THE GODFATHER" and "THE GODFATHER PART II" Cast Reunion Live In The Comfort Of Your Home



JOIN THE TRIBECA FILM FESTIVAL’S CLOSING NIGHT CAST REUNION OF THE GODFATHER AND THE GODFATHER PART II LIVE FROM THE COMFORT OF YOUR HOME

Tribeca to Exclusively Livestream Once-in-a Lifetime Conversation From Radio City Music Hall on Facebook Live on Saturday April 29


New York, NY [April 28, 2017] – The Tribeca Film Festival will bring the excitement of its sold-out closing night celebration directly to you with an exclusive, real time Facebook Live event on Saturday, April 29 at 8:10 PM EDT.

A once-in-a-lifetime panel discussion about The Godfather saga with Academy Award®-winning director Francis Ford Coppola and actors Al Pacino, James Caan, Robert Duvall, Diane Keaton, Talia Shire, and Robert De Niro, will be livestreamed from Radio City Music Hall to mark the 45th anniversary of the iconic film. The 2017 Tribeca Film Festival and the discussion’s livestream are presented by AT&T.

The livestream is available exclusively via Facebook Live on the Tribeca Film Festival Facebook page at Facebook.com/Tribeca.


Saturday, April 29

8:10 PM: Closing Night The Godfather and The Godfather Part II Discussion

Join Tribeca live from famed Radio City Music Hall for a sold out discussion for the 45th anniversary of The Godfather with Academy Award®-winning director Francis Ford Coppola and actors Al Pacino, James Caan, Robert Duvall, Diane Keaton, Talia Shire, and Robert De Niro, moderated by director Taylor Hackford. The talk follows an epic back-to-back 45th anniversary screenings of The Godfather and The Godfather: Part II. 


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Friday, April 28, 2017

Evil Baby On Board -- See the "PREVENGE" Stunt Video



SHUDDER presents

"PREVENGE"
Written and Directed by Alice Lowe

View the FUNNY OR DIE stunt video HERE


"Rocking a dirty mind and a sick sensibility... A brilliantly conceived meditation on prepartum anxiety and extreme grief. You'll laugh, you'll squirm, you'll want to get sterilized immediately."
- Jeannette Catsoulis, THE NEW YORK TIMES

"A pitch-black, blood-soaked comedy and phenomenal first feature by Alice Lowe."
- Joe Morgenstern, THE WALL STREET JOURNAL

"Lowe has sculpted [Prevenge] to smash taboos and social norms. As smartly crafted and grimly funny as it is terrifying. "
- Andy Crump, PASTE MAGAZINE

A pitch black, wryly British horror comedy from the mind of Alice Lowe (“Sightseers,” “Hot Fuzz,” “Paddington”) that’s as funny as it is vicious,  PREVENGE follows Ruth, a pregnant woman on a killing spree. It's her misanthropic unborn baby dictating Ruth's actions, holding society responsible for the absence of a father.

The child speaks to Ruth from the womb, coaching her to lure and ultimately kill her unsuspecting victims. Struggling with her conscience, loneliness, and a strange strain of prepartum madness, Ruth must ultimately choose between redemption and destruction at the moment of motherhood.

PREVENGE marks the directorial debut from Lowe (star and co-writer of Ben Wheatley’s “Sightseers”), who is a true triple threat, writing, directing, and acting in the film during her own real-life pregnancy.  It received a British Independent Film Award nomination for Best Directorial Debut.

About SHUDDER:
Shudder is a premium streaming video service, super-serving fans of thrillers, suspense, and horror. Backed by AMC Networks, Shudder has a growing and dynamic selection of thrilling premieres, originals, and exclusives, which complement its impressive library of international and independent films, gripping TV series, and Hollywood blockbuster favorites.

TRT: 88 min
Director: Alice Lowe
Writer: Alice Lowe
Cast: Alice Lowe, Gemma Whelan, Kate Dickie, Jo Hartley
Distributor: Shudder



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Shark Thriller "47 METERS DOWN" -- New US Trailer and One-Sheet




Entertainment Studios Motion Pictures has released the first trailer and one-sheet for 47 METERS DOWN

Opens nationwide on June 16, 2017


On the rebound after a devastating break-up, Lisa (Mandy Moore) is ready for adventure while on vacation in Mexico. Even still, she needs a little extra persuasion when her daring sister Kate (Claire Holt) suggests they go shark diving with some locals.

Once underwater in a protective cage, Lisa and Kate catch a once in a lifetime, face-to-face look at majestic Great Whites. But when their worst fears are realized and the cage breaks away from their boat, they find themselves plummeting to the bottom of the seabed, too deep to radio for help without making themselves vulnerable to the savage sharks, their oxygen supplies rapidly dwindling.

47 METERS DOWN is a terrifying tale of survival set in the domain of the ocean's fiercest creatures.

WATCH THE TRAILER:


Official Channels
Website: 47MetersDownMovie.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/47MetersDown/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/47MDown
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/47metersdown/

Release: June 16, 2017
Distributor: Entertainment Studios Motion Pictures
Director: Johannes Roberts
Writers: Johannes Roberts and Ernest Riera
Cast: Mandy Moore, Claire Holt, Matthew Modine
Producers:  Mark Lane and James Harris
Executive Producers: Bob Weinstein & Harvey Weinstein, Wayne Marc Godfrey, Robert Jones, Will Clarke, Andy Mayson Mike Runagall, Iain Abrahams, Simon Lewis, Christopher Lannic, Byron Allen, Carolyn Folks, Jennifer Lucas, Mark DeVitre, Chris Charalambous, Mark Borde




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Thursday, April 27, 2017

"THE NEW ADVENTURES OF ALADDIN" New Trailer/Poster -- VOD Release on May 16



UNDER THE MILKY WAY PRESENTS

"THE NEW ADVENTURES OF ALADDIN"

Opening on VOD Nationwide on Tuesday, May 16 on all major platforms including:

iTunes, Google Play, Amazon, Microsoft, Vudu, Comcast, Charter, Cox, Verizon, Vimeo, and various other cable operators.

Film will be released in both dubbed into English and French language versions (With English Subtitles).

WATCH THE TRAILER


On Christmas’ eve, Sam and his best friend Khalid both dress up as Santa Claus to steal everything they can at their local department store. Quickly, Sam is stopped by a group of children asking for a story... the story of Aladdin. Or his own version of it. In Aladdin’s shoes, Sam embarks on a journey that will take him to the heart of the city of Baghdad, a place of infinite wonders.

Unfortunately, behind the picture-perfect setting, people are suffering from the tyranny of the terrible Vizir, known for his ferocity and questionable breath. Helped by his Genie, will the young thief Aladdin be able to thwart the evil plans of Vizir, save Khalid and conquer the heart of the princess Shallia?

(Photo Credit: Under The Milky Way)

107mins / Comedy /France /Color / Distributor: Under The Milky Way

DIRECTED BY: Arthur Benzaquen

STARRING: Kev Adams,Jean-Paul Rouve,Vanessa Guide,
William Lebghil, Audrey Lamy, Eric Judor, Michel Blanc




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"SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER" -- New Directors Cut on Blu-ray and DVD May 2, 2017



Celebrate the 40th Anniversary of the Seminal Classic

New Director's Cut Arrives on Blu-ray™ and DVD May 2, 2017


With John Travolta's electrifying Oscar®-nominated performance, the Bee Gees' explosive soundtrack and, of course, the unforgettable dancing, SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER captured the angst and brio of the time and had an indelible impact on popular culture. 40 years later, the film about a Brooklyn kid with no prospects who lives for Saturday night continues to be revered and celebrated.

Director John Badham worked with Paramount in 2016 to restore the film in 4K using the original negative and update the surround sound mix to further enhance viewers' enjoyment of the incredible soundtrack. During this process he added scenes to the theatrical R-rated version that round out character and plot, making this new Director's Cut the definitive representation of his original vision.

The SATURDAY NIGHT EVER Blu-ray includes both the Director's Cut and theatrical version of the film, commentary by director John Badham, a five-part look at the film entitled "Catching the Fever," behind-the-scenes featurettes, and more.

The film is available now on Digital HD.



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"RINGS" -- Samara Returns on Blu-ray Combo Pack May 2, 2017




Samara Returns on Blu-ray™ Combo Pack May 2, 2017

When a radical college professor (Johnny Galecki, "The Big Bang Theory") finds the mysterious video rumored to kill viewers seven days after watching, he enlists his students in a dangerous experiment to uncover the secrets behind the Samara legend.

When the deadly video goes viral, they must figure out a way to break the curse and defeat Samara before her evil is unleashed upon the world. But, how do you stop her when she's everywhere?

RINGS also stars Matilda Anna Ingrid Lutz (Summertime), Alex Roe (The 5th Wave), Aimee Teegarden ("Friday Night Lights") and Vincent D'Onofrio ("Law & Order: Criminal Intent").

The film is available now on Digital HD.

http://www.RingsMovie.com/
Twitter: https://Twitter.com/RingsMovie
Facebook: https://www.Facebook.com/RingsMovie
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ringsmovie/



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Tuesday, April 25, 2017

THE OTHER HELL -- Blu-ray Review by Porfle



Definitely the bad-vibes movie of the year so far (for me, anyway) is Bruno Mattei's 1981 dreary nunsploitation shocker THE OTHER HELL, which, despite being laughably inept at times, is also drenched with oppressive atmosphere and some truly demented imagery.

Here again is one of those tales of a nunnery gone bad--in this case, about as bad as it gets. It's infested to the gills with all manner of dark forces and blasphemous activities, including a really weird dungeon laboratory where embalmings and disembowelings are performed by cackling maniac nuns. 

Things get to the point where an old priest is sent to investigate, and, upon failing to turn up anything via his traditional methods, is replaced by the younger, more forward-thinking Father Valerio (Carlo De Mejo), who believes that true evil doesn't exist and is merely the result of psychological malajustment.  (Boy, is he ever in for a shock!)


I won't go too far into the story but suffice it to say that Valerio encounters some mighty weird nuns, including a shifty-eyed Mother Vincenzia (Franca Stoppi), who runs the place and seems to be hiding some rather deep, dark secrets, and another young nun who's had such a terrifying experience in the bowels of the convent that her hair's gone gray and she's in a vegetative state. 

Some of the other nuns tend to totally freak out from time to time, which arouses the young detective-priest's suspicions to the point where he decides to give the place a full shakedown from top to bottom.  It's at that point where he crosses the line and becomes a target for all the malevolent forces at work (including a strange, ghostly-looking nun who creeps around with her face fully obscured by a veil). 

Typical of Bruno Mattei's work (including ISLAND OF THE LIVING DEAD, THE JAIL: THE WOMEN'S HELL, and MONDO CANNIBAL), THE OTHER HELL is directed in a kinetic but unpolished style (co-writer Claudio Fragasso handled much of the directorial chores as well) that often bursts forth with startling and extreme images.


These unfortunately include Mattei's tendency to show real animal cruelty, as when a chicken is beheaded in closeup, and of course the obligatory maggot scene familiar to so much of Italian horror cinema. 

Mattei's found locations are an invaluable asset to the film's production values, with most of the action taking place within both an actual former convent and a palace, both of which are quite impressive.  Adding to the spook factor are scenes which take place in a genuine catacomb in Italy which serves as a mass tomb and is stacked with thousands of skulls and bones. 

(Not adding much is a soundtrack featuring Goblin music not written for the film which sounds good but is totally inappropriate for most of the scenes it's used in.)

It's here and in the aforementioned dungeon laboratory that the story's climax takes place, which is deliriously over-the-top and comes on like a wave of brain-rotting horror that may leave you reeling right up until the very last jolt.


The Blu-ray from Severin Films is in 1080p full HD resolution with English, French, and Italian 2.0 sound and English subtitles.  Severin once again comes through with the extras, this time with a commentary featuring Claudio Fragasso and "Freak-O-Rama"'s Federico Caddeo, an interview with actress Franca Stoppi, archive interviews with Mattei and actor Carlo De Mejo, and the film's trailer.

For me, this was one of the most feel-bad flicks I've seen in quite a while, and when it was over I almost felt like I needed to take a long, hot bath in a tub of holy water.  But for fans of Bruno Mattei, nunsploitation, and totally whacked-out horror flicks in general, THE OTHER HELL will probably be right up their really, really dark alley.

Buy it at Amazon.com:
Blu-ray
DVD





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Monday, April 24, 2017

"THE DROWNING" Starring Julia Stiles and Josh Charles; Trailer Premiere



THE DROWNING Opens Theatrically in New York at IFC Center on May 10th

National rollout to follow


The Drowning
Directed by Bette Gordon
Screenplay by Stephen Molton and Frank Pugliese; based on the novel by Pat Barker
Starring Josh Charles, Julia Stiles Avan Jogia, Tracie Thoms and Leo Fitzpatrick

Watch the Trailer HERE


Synopsis:
The fourth film from Bette Gordon (VARIETY, LUMINOUS MOTION), and based on the acclaimed book by Pat Barker, THE DROWNING tells the story of a forensic psychologist haunted by his expert witness testimony that sent a young boy to prison for a chilling murder.  When the boy later reappears in his life, he is drawn into a destructive, soul-searching reinvestigation of the case.

A psychological, erotic thriller, THE DROWNING celebrates the genre with electrifying performances and a complex, riveting story of shifting identities that will keep audiences guessing until the very end.

Country: USA
Language: English



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Sunday, April 23, 2017

THE WINNERS OF THE (GASP!) 15TH ANNUAL RONDO HATTON AWARDS HAVE BEEN ANNOUNCED!



THE RONDO WINNERS ARE IN!  

Yes, the winners of the 15th Annual Rondo Hatton Awards have been announced (didn't somebody just say that?) and are up at the ever-lovin' Classic Horror Film Board for your perusal!

Where, you might ask?  Right here is this here thread HERE.  

And everything else you might want to know or comment upon concerning the awards can be found HERE.

(Hear! Hear!)

Did your favorites win?  Or are you a little upset by the results, as our friend Rondo Hatton himself seems to be in the photo below?  

Oh well, that's how the Rondo crumbles.  CONGRATS TO ALL THE WINNERS, and see you again next year!




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Saturday, April 22, 2017

Justin Foia’s "DOE" Begins Production In Los Angeles with Timothy Davis, Tatyana Ali, and Mira Sorvino



Justin Foia’s DOE Begins Production In Los Angeles

Cast Includes Timothy Davis, Tatyana Ali, Mathew St. Patrick, Aaron Farb, Anne Leighton, Faithe Herman, Stacey Oristano, Steven Swadling and Mira Sorvino; Mark Mathias Sayre and Jonathan Piumelli Producing


Los Angeles, CA (April 20, 2017)–Double El Productions, Sigil, and Room in the Sky Films in association with Lexicon today announced the start of production on DOE, the sophomore feature-length film for writer-director Justin Foia (Point Defiance) who directs from a screenplay co-written with his brother Timothy Foia (Point Defiance), from a story by Landon Reagan and the Foia brothers.

"DOE is a psychological thriller written in the vein of Memento, Unknown, and Proximity.” Foia says. “When John Hutton (Timothy Davis, "Billions") mysteriously awakens with no recollection of his past, yet with the ability to speak dozens of languages fluently, he decides to start a new life, marrying Rachel (Tatiana Ali, "The Fresh Prince of Bel Air," "Love That Girl!") and starting a family.

Years later, he is sent tumbling down the proverbial rabbit hole after meeting another man that shares a similar condition and learning that there are several more individuals like him, all amnesiacs with extraordinary abilities. With the help of a private detective (Matthew St. Patrick, "Six Feet Under"), John races against time before his past can rise up to destroy himself and his family."

In addition to Davis, Ali and St. Patrick, DOE stars Mira Sorvino (Romy And Michele's High School Reunion, "Falling Skies"), Stacey Oristano ("Friday Night Lights"), Aaron Farb (Kill The Messenger, "Powers"), Anne Leighton ("Grimm"), Faithe Herman ("This is Us"), and Steven Swadling (Kickboxer: Vengeance & Retaliation).

Producers on the project are Mark Mathias Sayre (The Timber, Point Defiance and the recently completed Waterlily Jaguar) and Jonathan Piumelli (Waterlily Jaguar) with Larry Nealy (Waterlily Jaguar, Kickboxer: Vengeance & Retaliation, Point Defiance), Christine Kelly, and Steven Swadling (Waterlily Jaguar, Kickboxer: Vengeance & Retaliation, Point Defiance) serving as executive producers.

Production has just commenced and is expected to last several weeks on various locations throughout Los Angeles County.

www.facebook.com/officialdoemovie
www.twitter.com/doemovie (@DOEmovie)
www.instagram.com/officialdoemovie (@officialdoemovie)


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Friday, April 21, 2017

"SCORE": A Documentary About Great Film Music -- Watch the Trailer Now



BEHIND EVERY GREAT FILM IS A GREAT COMPOSER

‘SCORE’ ARRIVES IN THEATERS JUNE 16


This celebratory documentary takes viewers inside the studios and recording sessions of Hollywood's most influential composers to give a privileged look inside the musical challenges and creative secrecy of a truly international music genre: the film score.

Directed by Matt Schrader

Produced by Robert Kraft, Trevor Thompson, Kenny Holmes, Nate Gold, Jonathan Willbanks
Distributed by Gravitas Ventures

WATCH THE TRAILER


STARRING: Hans Zimmer, Danny Elfman, John Williams, James Cameron, Trent Reznor, Rachel Portman, Randy Newman, Howard Shore, Quincy Jones, Junkie XL (Tom Holkenborg), Alexandre Desplat, Harry Gregson-Williams, Brian Tyler, Joe Kraemer, Heitor Pereira, Steve Jablonsky, Thomas Newman, Bear McCreary, Moby, Garry Marshall, Jerry Goldsmith, John Debney, Steven Spielberg, Marco Beltrami, Christophe Beck, Tyler Bates, David Arnold, Christopher Young, James Horner, Dario Marianelli, Leonard Maltin, David Newman and many, many more!

Read our original coverage of the film




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Thursday, April 20, 2017

Glass Eye Pix and Hood River Entertainment Announce the Cast of Teen-Punk Horror Thriller "THE RANGER" Starring Jeremy Holm



Glass Eye Pix and Hood River Entertainment Announce the Cast of Teen-Punk Horror Thriller THE RANGER

Genre Masters Unite for Jenn Wexlers Directorial Debut Lensing in New York Starring Jeremy Holm, Chloe Levine and Amanda Grace Benitez


(LOS ANGELES, CA – April 20th, 2017) Larry Fessenden’s Glass Eye Pix and Andrew van den Houten’s Hood River Entertainment have announced the cast of Jenn Wexler's THE RANGER, which began principal photography this week in New York. Jeremy Holm (House of Cards, Mr Robot), Chloe Levine (The Transfiguration, The OA), Amanda Grace Benitez (All Cheerleaders Die) star alongside Granit Lahu, Jeremy Pope, and Bubba Weiler.  

THE RANGER follows a group of teen punks who get in trouble with the cops. The punks escape to the woods to hide out where they come up against the local authority, an unhinged park ranger with an axe to grind, hell-bent on preserving the serenity of his forest.

Wexler currently has three movies on the festival circuit as a producer, Robert Mockler's LIKE ME which premiered at SXSW 2017, Ana Asensio’s MOST BEAUTIFUL ISLAND which premiered and won the Grand Jury Prize at SXSW 2017, and Mickey Keating's PSYCHOPATHS, set to world premiere this week at the Tribeca Film Festival. She also produced Keating's DARLING which world premiered at Fantastic Fest and was released in 2016. THE RANGER marks her feature directorial debut.

THE RANGER was written by Jenn Wexler and Giaco Furino. Andrew van den Houten and Ashleigh Snead produce for Hood River Entertainment and Larry Fessenden and Heather Buckley produce for Glass Eye Pix, along with Wexler. 

Holm is represented by Leading Artists and managed by Lori Kay of Prevail Artist Management.  Levine is represented by Agency for the Performing Arts and managed by Carolyn Anthony of Anthony & Associates.  Benitez is represented by AEFH Inc. and managed by Bob McGowan of  Bob McGowan Management. Lahu is managed by Avi Lipski of Cinetic Media. Pope is represented by Harden-Curtis Associates and managed by Robert Stein of Robert Stein Management. Weiler is represented by Paradigm Talent Agency and managed by Michal Zecher of MZ.MGMT.NY.

About Hood River Entertainment:
The new company from award-winning producer Andrew van den Houten (THE WOMAN, THE GIRL NEXT DOOR, JUG FACE, ALL CHEERLEADERS DIE), Hood River Entertainment has produced CAMERA OBSCURA with NBC-Universal Chiller and the action-drama HAYMAKER, coming soon.

About Glass Eye Pix:
Glass Eye Pix (“one of the indie scene’s most productive and longest-running companies”—Filmmaker Magazine) is the fierce independent NYC-based production outfit headed by art-horror auteur Larry Fessenden (BENEATH, THE LAST WINTER, WENDIGO, HABIT, NBC’s FEAR ITSELF).  Fessenden has operated the company since 1985 with the mission of supporting individual voices in the arts.  The company has produced numerous critically acclaimed films in and out of the horror genre, including STRAY BULLETS (Jack Fessenden), STAKE LAND II (Dan Berk & Robert Olsen), DARLING (Mickey Keating), LATE PHASES (Adrian Garcia Bogliano), BIRTH OF THE LIVING DEAD (Rob Kuhns), THE COMEDY (Rick Alverson), THE INNKEEPERS (Ti West), STAKE LAND (Jim Mickle), WENDY AND LUCY (Kelly Reichardt), THE HOUSE OF THE DEVIL (Ti West), LIBERTY KID (Ilya Chaiken), and I SELL THE DEAD (Glenn McQuaid). Upcoming films include Robert Mockler’s LIKE ME and Ana Asensio’s MOST BEAUTIFUL ISLAND, which both world premiered at SXSW 2017, and Mickey Keating’s PSYCHOPATHS, world premiering at Tribeca 2017.




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Kasra Farahani's "TILT" (Midnight) Starring Joseph Cross -- TRIBECA FF Teaser Debut



"TILT"

TRIBECA FILM FESTIVAL WORLD PREMIERE
MIDNIGHT SECTION


TEASER LINK: https://vimeo.com/196241623

All seems normal with Joseph and Joanne. Joanne is pregnant with their first child. Life in their little urban house is cozy and familiar.

But something is off about Joseph. He doesn’t seem excited about the baby. Work on his documentary is becoming increasingly untethered. As Joseph struggles to maintain the routines of his domestic life, his mask begins to slip.

Late at night, while Joanne thinks he is working, Joseph prowls the streets of Los Angeles, deliberately courting danger. Joanne is growing worried about Joseph’s odd behavior. But not as worried as she should be.

Tilt explores how quickly the most familiar person in your life can become the most terrifying. How quickly we can become terrifying to ourselves.

Director: Kasra Farahani
Screenwriter: Kasra Farahani, Jason O’Leary
Cast: Joseph Cross
Producers: Kasra Farahani, Giri Tharan and Kristina Kondrath
TRT: 100 MIN
TFF Section: Midnight
Sales: CAA

TFF Screenings:
Sunday, April 23 | 10:15 AM | Cinepolis Chelsea – 03 (PRESS & INDUSTRY)
Sunday, April 23 | 10:00 PM | Cinepolis Chelsea – 09
Monday, April 24 | 9:15 PM | Regal Battery Park Stadium 11-01
Thursday, April 27 | 9:45 PM | Cinepolis Chelsea – 02
Friday, April 28 | 3:15 PM | Cinepolis Chelsea -05 (PRESS & INDUSTRY)



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Wednesday, April 19, 2017

Announcing the Lineup For Our First-Ever Animation Showcase! -- Midwest Independent Film Festival



First Tuesdays: Animation Showcase at the Midwest Ind FF!

Date:
May. 02, 2017

Time:
6:00pm - 9:30pm

Cost:
$10-15

@Landmark's Century Centre Cinema, 2828 North Clark, Chicago, Illinois

The Midwest Independent Film Festival presents its first ever Animation Showcase at Landmark's Century Centre Cinema on Tuesday, May 2nd, with festivities beginning at 6 p.m.

The best in animated filmmaking throughout the Midwest will take to the screen, including the World Premiere of Joel Benjamin’s WHEN IT FLOODS and the Chicago Premiere of 2016 Student Academy Award winner DIE FLUCHT from Champaign filmmaker Carter Boyce.

Fourteen outstanding animated films in all, with filmmakers in attendance for a post-screening discussion with the audience.

Here is the lineup for the Midwest Independent Film Festival's first-ever Animation Showcase!

Schedule
6:00 p.m.     Pre-Show Reception
6:30 p.m.     Producers Panel TBA
7:30 p.m.     Animation Showcase     
9:30 p.m.     After-Party TBA

Purchase Advance Tickets

About the Midwest Independent Film Festival
The Midwest Independent Film Festival is the nation's only film festival solely dedicated to the Midwest filmmaker, presenting audiences with regionally produced independent cinema every first Tuesday of the month at Landmark's Century Centre Cinema, 2828 North Clark in Chicago.  This year-round film festival sits proudly at the center of the independent film scene in Chicago and the Midwest and is dedicated to celebrating and strengthening that community.

This film festival is made possible in part by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council, which receives funds from the National Endowment for the Arts.



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Tuesday, April 18, 2017

THE DARK TAPES -- Movie Review by Porfle



There's more to "found footage" than just the convention of seeing an entire movie through the lenses of various cameras.  There has to be a good reason for it, and it has to add to a film's effect in a way that justifies it.  

Directors Michael McQuown and Vincent J. Guastini have scored on both counts with their excellent indy chiller THE DARK TAPES (Epic Pictures, 2017).  Not only is it well-written, well-acted, and technically impressive, but it manages to make "found footage" scary again. 

Basically an anthology piece whose segments relate to one another in some way (more or less), the wraparound story concerns a couple of college students who stumble upon the remains of a sleep research experiment gone wrong.  The lab is a shambles, the bed is bloody, and the professor and his assistants are missing.  Perhaps the footage on their video cameras will reveal what happened...


We meet Professor Callahan, one of those quietly obsessed types; Nicole, working on her doctorate in physics; and Jason, the group's camera operator. They're deep into their research into sleep paralysis, or "night terrors."  Callahan has a theory about the "shadow people" who often appear to those suffering from this condition--that they're actually trans-dimensional entities who exist in a different time continuum than ours. 

But before we get too involved in their story, we're then told the tale of David and Karen, a happily married couple whose beautiful new dream house turns out to be haunted by things that go bump in the night (and all day, too). 

After some pretty eerie events (footsteps on ceiling, a rubber ball that stops and rolls back to them) which gradually escalate into sheer terror, they finally call in a team of paranormal specialists in what will seem a familiar scenario to viewers of the SyFy Channel's "Ghost Hunters."


These "experts" are obviously in over their heads, and what follows is a nail-biting succession of scares taking place with that creepy night-vision effect that makes everything seem even scarier.  I'm not going to elaborate further, but suffice it to say that things (a) get a lot worse, and (b) do not end well.

After more with Professor Callahan's group we see the story of two young women running one of those cyber-sex webcam rackets.  This one also starts out rather uneventful until mysterious outside forces begin to interfere with the good clean fun, and suddenly Caitlin is trying to persuade one of her horny clients to get a knife and cut himself juuust a little bit.  And no, this one doesn't end well, either. 

Next is an intense segment called "Amanda's Revenge", which gives us further insight into the problem of "night terrors" and "shadow people."  After Amanda is molested at a party, she starts to experience strange intruders in her bedroom and feels as though they're performing sinister experiments on her.


With the help of her friend Ryan, she tries to fight them or at least record their presence.  What happens next is not only disturbing, especially if you have a primal fear of the dark, but leads right into the film's finale in which Professor Callahan and his assistants learn more than they ever wanted to know about the subject of trans-dimensional entities.

This final segment is not only nail-bitingly suspenseful, but it also contains at least one killer jump-scare that froze my blood ice cold.  The acting and direction are extremely well-handled, making it a prime example of using imagination and skill to get the most out of a limited budget. I felt pretty numb when it was all over, having been both thoroughly scared and thought-provoked.

Think of how the original "The Outer Limits" and "The Twilight Zone" used to fire up your imagination while giving you a severe case of the creeps, and you'll begin to understand how unnerving THE DARK TAPES is.  I started watching it around midnight--alone--and it wasn't long before I paused it and thought: "Okay, the rest of this can wait until daylight."


Order it now on iTunes

http://www.TheDarkTapes.com
https://www.facebook.com/TheDarkTapesMovie
https://twitter.com/TheDarkTapes
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgNUwjyuA3hv_fjpNHzmGww

Also available on Google Play, Vudu, iNDemand (Comcast- Xfinity, Time Warner, Cox, Bright House & more), Dish TV, Amazon, Vubiquity (Verizon Fios, Charter, Sudden Link, Media Com &more), Xbox, Playstation, Sling TV & Vimeo.






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Monday, April 17, 2017

"VOODOO BLACK EXORCIST" -- ’70s Cult Horror Classic Restored on DVD & Blu-ray May 23



The Film Detective Proudly Presents
Voodoo Black Exorcist

Twice the Terror, Twice the Shock!

’70s Mummified, Cult Horror Flick Digitally Remastered
Unraveling on DVD & Blu-ray May 23rd


ROCKPORT, Mass. — May 1, 2017 — For Immediate Release — There’s twice the terror and twice the shock when a mummy sentenced to eternal damnation unearths in Voodoo Black Exorcist – restored from original 35mm film elements – available on DVD and Blu-ray May 23 from The Film Detective.

The mummy of a Caribbean voodoo priest stalks the passengers of a South Seas ocean liner in this sexy, quirky, ’70s Euro horror-thriller from director Manuel Caño (The Swamp of the Ravens) and producer José Antonio Pérez Giner (Tombs of the Blind Dead).

Filmed in such exotic locations as Jamaica and Haiti, this supernatural tale stars Aldo Sambrell (The Good, the Bad and the Ugly) and Fernando Sanchez (Return of the Evil Dead) and features the lovely Eva León as a passenger who reminds the mummy of an old love.

Commented Phil Hopkins, owner of The Film Detective, “We are delighted to bring this cult classic to HD with a brand new 2K scan from a rare 35mm archival print.”

Voodoo Black Exorcist is presented in widescreen with an aspect ratio of 2.35 and Dolby digital sound. Special features include closed captioning.

About The Film Detective:
Founder Philip Elliott Hopkins – who has been a fixture in the entertainment industry since 1999 –  has channeled his life-long passion for collecting classic films into The Film Detective, a leading purveyor of restoration and distribution of broadcast-quality, digitally-remastered programming, including feature films, television, foreign imports, documentaries, special interest and audio. Since launching in 2014, the Massachusetts-based company has distributed its extensive library of 3000+ hours on DVD, Blu-ray and through such leading digital and television broadcast platforms as Turner Classic Movies, American Movie Classics, NBC, Bounce TV, Hulu, Amazon, EPIX HD, MeTV, PBS and more. In 2016, the Film Detective launched its OTT classic movies channel streaming on Amazon Fire TV, Roku and Apple TV. Visit us online at http://www.thefilmdetective.com/

Voodoo Black Exorcist
The Film Detective
Genre: Horror
Original Release:  1974 (Color)
Not Rated / Rated: R
Format: DVD & Blu-ray
Running Time: Approx. 88 Minutes
Suggested Retail Price: $9.99 DVD / $14.99 Blu-ray
Street Date: May 23, 2017
Catalog #:  FD0738 DVD / FD0799 Blu-ray
UPC Code:  #818522017853 DVD / #818522017846 Blu-ray

Buy the Blu-ray at Amazon.com


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Sunday, April 16, 2017

MOBSTER -- Movie Review by Porfle



In what might be described as a "found-footage DONNIE BRASCO", FBI agent Ron Zarger (Michel Wakim) goes undercover inside the Israeli Mob as "Eli", bodyguard to ruthless West Coast crime kingpin Jacob Hadar (Meni Aga) in the unusual and often gripping gangland thriller MOBSTER (Indican Pictures, 2013).

The fact that everything we see is either footage from Zarger's hidden tie-camera (complete with TERMINATOR-style data readouts) or various security and home video cameras is disorienting and a bit confusing at first.  Once I settled into it, however, the whole thing started coming together and getting really interesting and, yes, riveting.

Mainly, there's top dog Hadar, his trusted "brother" Yaniv (Ninef Arsanos), burly main enforcer Ido (Hamzah Saman), and our hero "Eli", navigating the dog-eat-dog world of cutthroat mobs who deal in, among other high-dollar items, "loose" nuclear weapons.


The details of their business dealings aren't important, however, compared to the internal intrigues--loyalties are bought, betrayals are harshly punished--and the hair-trigger clashes and power plays between the different gangs, be they Russian, Asian, Latino, etc. 

It all gives big cheese Hadar endless opportunities to demonstrate what an arrogant, egotistical, and cunning loose cannon he is, constantly flexing his power in shockingly unexpected and violent ways.

Plot twists often hinge on certain key characters being revealed as disloyal, then dealt with quickly and, needless to say, harshly.  Like most gangster flicks, MOBSTER features sudden, shocking violence as traitors are made examples of and business competitors are eliminated in extreme ways.


In one instance of the latter there's even a full-scale gun battle that's like something out of a war movie.  But the scariest examples are the ones in which a trusted ally's duplicity is revealed and revenge is meted out on a personal level, usually by the bloodthirsty Hadar himself. 

For this reason we're in constant fear that undercover agent Zarger will be found out, a prospect made more poignant by occasional video messages from his expectant wife and other candid home video footage of him during down time with fellow agents.

Ironically, we only rarely see the main character, although actor Michel Wakim does get a few chances to show his stuff on camera, particularly when he gets fed up with the whole thing and threatens to quit during an impassioned speech to himself.


The rest of the cast are fine, especially Meni Aga as the unstable and always unpredictable Hadar, and production values are above-average for a "found-footage" story such as this.  The dialogue often crackles with danger and we're always on edge wondering what will happen next.

I didn't have very high expectations for MOBSTER but those that I did have were quickly met and surpassed.  Of course, it isn't on the same level as something by Martin Scorcese or Francis Ford Coppola--no surprise there--but if you like the kind of movies they make, chances are this one will hit the bullseye with you as well. 

Tech Specs
Runtime: 84 Minutes
Format: 1:78 HD
Sound: Dolby Sr.
Country: USA
Language: English
Website:  www.MobstertheMovie.com
Genre: Action

Cast & Crew

Directed by: Brian Eric Johnson
Starring: Meni Aga, Micahel Wakim, Christina Woods, Roger Guiterrez, Dave Silva, and Hamzah Saman

Buy it at Amazon.com
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Saturday, April 15, 2017

TWISTED LOVE STORY -- DVD Review by Porfle



Here's something kind of odd--Indican Pictures has taken two unrelated and somewhat obscure (to me, anyway) rom-coms from the early 2000s, "L.A. Twister" (2004) and "The Mallory Effect" (2002) and released them under a single title, TWISTED LOVE STORY (2014).

The DVD menu refers to them as "Love Story Part I" and "Love Story Part II" and they appear here in edited versions for a total running time of 128 minutes. The only thing the two movies actually have in common is the fact that each features a male character who's totally obsessed with his ex-girlfriend/wife.  They're also pretty enjoyable light entertainment but nothing to write love letters home about.

The first, "L.A. Twister", is about a struggling would-be actor, Lenny (Zack Ward), whose lovelorn friend Ethan (Tony Daly) comes to live with him in L.A. after his wife divorces him.  With no other prospects in sight, the two decide to make their own movie, incorporating their daily experiences into the script.


This leads to an odd conceit that's occasionally interesting--just when we see something noteworthy happen in the lives of Lenny and Ethan, there's a brief behind-the-scenes flash that reveals it as part of a movie scene being shot.  So we're never sure what's real and what's part of their future movie project, or both, or neither if the movie's just a fantasy that will never really happen.

Aside from that, this is basically a very nicely-shot chick flick for guys (if you can imagine what that's like) in which the comedy and situations are blandly amusing but nothing more, with very little conflict of any consequence since we know it will all blandly work itself out in the end. 

Not to mention the fact that the saga of these two guys trying to put their flimsy little movie together barely sustains that much of our interest.  There is a big dramatic scene near the end that comes straight out of left field and is jarringly out of place, but its effect is diminished by the fact that the movie doesn't really take it seriously anyway.


Performances are good (though generally rather passionless), with Zack Ward earning automatic likability points for having portrayed neighborhood bully Scut Farkus in A CHRISTMAS STORY (watch for a quick reference to that seasonal classic early on) and his co-stars being equally appealing. 

Susan Blakely turns up as a pampered but love-starved wife who makes a move on Ethan on the same bed where her dead husband lies after just having a heart attack (in the film's most blandly kinky scene), and genre fave Colleen Camp appears all-too-briefly as a prospective financial backer who gets drunk during dinner and leaves the boys behind to wash dishes for the tab.

Overall, "Love Story Part I" aka "L.A. Twister" is light (very), somewhat breezy, amusing at times but never enough so to be called "fun", and basically just this side of boring.  The best that can be said is that it has a kind of positive energy and is, in the words of Douglas Adams, "mostly harmless."


"Love Story Part II" aka "The Mallory Effect" is more like it.  This time, the lovelorn guy is Charlie (Steven Roy) and he isn't fooling around--he's full-tilt stalker material in his undying obsession with ex-girlfriend Mallory (Josie Maran), and when she gets a new lover, Curtis (Scott Hanks), Charlie pretends to make friends with him so that he can ruin their relationship from the inside.

This story doesn't try for any kind of cuteness as the previous one does, showing an almost nasty sense of humor that's so deadpan and so matter-of-factly presented that it's often wickedly amusing.  It's as though the script were co-written by a group of caustic stand-up comics with a razor-sharp wit.

We sympathize with Charlie only because he's so singleminded and determined in his Mallory fixation--otherwise, he has absolutely no redeeming qualities.  His anti-Curtis crusade includes leaving a used condom in his bathroom for Mallory to find, urinating on Curtis' toothbrush, and conspiring to have the two lovebirds come home to find a half-naked woman in Curtis' bed.


The fact that this woman is hurt when she discovers how Charlie has used her gives the film an edge of reality that grounds its more outrageous humor and makes it all the more effective. 

Charlie and his unapologetically womanizing friend Nick (Sean Marble), who treats the singles' scene like a lab experiment whose goal is to get him laid as often as possible, are like specimens for us to observe with keen interest.

Performances are spot-on and the film is technically very good.  I would definitely watch "The Mallory Effect" aka "Love Story Part II" again, preferably with someone a bit twisted to share its curdled humor with. 

Tech Specs
Runtime: 128 minutes
Format: 1:85 Flat (35MM)
Sound: Dolby SR
Genre: Comedic Drama
Country: USA/CANADA
Language: English
Extras: None
Subtitles: None
Website: http://www.IndicanPictures.com

Buy it at Amazon.com




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Friday, April 14, 2017

"ALTITUDE" With Dolph Lundgren and Denise Richards -- In Theaters and On Demand TODAY!



"ALTITUDE"
LIONSGATE


Genre:             Action           
Rating:    Rated R for language and some violence.

U.S. Release Date:     April 14, 2017 (In Theaters and On Demand)
Run Time:            88 Minutes

Cast:    Denise Richards (Gretchen Blair), Greer Grammer (Sadie), Kirk Barker (Terry), Jordi Vilasuso (Luke Byres), Jonathan Lipnicki (Rick), Chelsea Edmundson (Clare), Chuck Liddell (Rawbones), and Dolph Lundgren (Matthew Sharpe)

SYNOPSIS
Gretchen Blair (Denise Richards) is a headstrong FBI agent who goes rogue on a hostage negotiation and is sent packing to a desk job back in DC. By a stroke of luck, she’s upgraded to business class on her flight – but as soon as the plane takes off, her seatmate (Kirk Barker) offers her millions of dollars if she can get him off the plane alive.

As his ex-partners (Dolph Lundgren, Chuck Liddell, and Greer Grammar) stage a brutal hijacking, Gretchen finds herself in the fight of her life – choosing sides between two factions of a criminal gang and trying to keep the plane from going down.


Directed by:       Alex Merkin
Screenplay by:     Jesse Mittelstadt
Story by:     Jesse Mittelstadt
    Richard Switzer
    Tyler W. Konney
Produced by:     Richard Switzer
    Tyler W. Konney
    Phillip B. Goldfine
Jared Safier
Jonathan DelPonte
Chad Law
John Landolfi
Executive Producer:         Benjamin F. Sacks
                Nicholas Reed
                Milan Friedrich
                Jonathan Lipnicki
Michael Bien
                James MacMillan
                Randy Wayne
Chad Oliver
Jason Cherubini
Mickey Gooch Jr.
Alex Lebovici
Alexander Ferguson
John Sword
David Allen
RJ Burne
Jason Owolabi
Brandon Burrows
Courtney Lauren Penn
Co-Executive Producer:     James Cullen Bressack
George Saunders
Director of Photography:     Kristian Dane Lawing
Edited by:             Alex Merkin
Casting by:             Amey René
Music by:             Bobby Tahouri
Associate Producer:        Alvardo Duque
                Timothy Marlowe
                Jeff Berry
                David Gere

Grindstone Entertainment Group presents in association with Taylor & Dodge Hollywood Media Bridge Switzer Entertainment Safier Entertainment Rough Cut Films Boundless Pictures Tilt/Shift Films and Firebrand.



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