Thommy Hutson's The Id Debuts on Blu-ray October 25th Psychological Thriller Stars Elm Street's Amanda Wyss As a Lonely Woman Pushed Beyond the Breaking Point
"An emotionally charged nightmare." --Ain't It Cool News
"A thought-provoking psychological chiller that's well worth a look... into the abyss!" --Dread Central
Los Angeles, CA - Hutson Ranch Media and Panic Ventures, Inc. have announced that Thommy Hutson's indie thriller The Id will debut on Blu-ray October 25th. Starring genre fave Amanda Wyss (Tina in Wes Craven's A Nightmare on Elm Street) as a lonely woman trapped in the abusive prison of her childhood home with her tyrannical father. A chance at real happiness sends her on a direct path with the confrontation she's avoided all her life, setting off a nightmarish world of nerve-shredding suspense and claustrophobic terror.
The Id, which won Best Thriller at The Hollywood Reel Independent Film Festival, was directed by Hutson from a script by Sean H. Stewart and produced by Hutson and Daniel Farrands (The Haunting in Connecticut, Halloween 6). Hutson and Farrands previously teamed up on the romantic drama The Trouble with the Truth starring Lea Thompson and several award-winning documentaries, including Crystal Lake Memories: The Complete History of Friday the 13th and Never Sleep Again: The Elm Street Legacy.
Amanda Wyss delivers a raw and startling performance as Meridith opposite Patrick Peduto as her father. Jamye Méri Grant, Malcolm Matthews and Brent Witt co-star as the suspicious outsiders drawn into Meridith's world of hallucinatory dementia.
The famed genre bookstore Dark Delicacies will hold an advanced signing event with cast and crew on Sunday, October 23 at 2pm, and will ship signed copies to customers outside the Los Angeles area.
For decades, Meridith Lane (Wyss) has felt trapped in her home. Surviving on memories of youth, she watches the years slip by while caring for her abusive father...until a figure from her past makes a surprising return. In order to live the life she desires, Meridith must confront her father's monstrous cruelty and attempt to escape his tyrannical grip. But the man who controls her every move won't let go without a fight, leading father and daughter into a series of desperate and irreversible acts. As Meridith's psyche is slowly pushed to the breaking point, the line between fantasy and reality is hopelessly blurred. With strangers prying at the door and the walls of her childhood home closing in, Meridith spirals into a frightening world of paranoia, madness...and violence.
The Blu-ray release of The Id (SRP $24.95) will exclusively include a featurette: Needs, Wants & Desires: Behind The Scenes of The Id, a feature-length commentary with director/producer Thommy Hutson and actress Amanda Wyss, deleted and alternate scenes, behind the scenes footage, audition footage, trailers and a photo gallery.
STREAM PANDORA'S WALT DISNEY RECORDS 60TH ANNIVERSARY MIXTAPE
The Walt Disney Records 60th Anniversary Mixtape is now live on Pandora. The mixtape is hosted by Disney Channel star Sabrina Carpenter, and highlights the important role music has played in Disney films through out the years, as told by Disney historian, Randy Thornton. You'll hear tracks from beloved Disney films such as Frozen, The Lion King, Aladdin, Mary Poppins, and more.
ABOUT PANDORA Pandora is the world's most powerful music discovery platform - a place where artists find their fans and listeners find music they love. We are driven by a single purpose: unleashing the infinite power of music by connecting artists and fans, whether through earbuds, car speakers, live on stage or anywhere fans want to experience it. Our team of highly trained musicologists analyze hundreds of attributes for each recording which powers our proprietary Music Genome Project®, delivering billions of hours of personalized music tailored to the tastes of each music listener, full of discovery, making artist/fan connections at unprecedented scale. Founded by musicians, Pandora empowers artists with valuable data and tools to help grow their careers and connect with their fans. www.pandora.com Pandora Blog Pandora LinkedIn @PandoraPulse
AWARD-WINNING FILMMAKER PHIL TIPPETT’S ARCHIVE TO BE AUCTIONED
OVER 400 ORIGINAL ARTIFACTS ON THE AUCTION BLOCK:
- TRASH COMPACTOR MONSTER FROM STAR WARS - ROBOCOP’S COSTUME FROM ROBOCOP 2 - BRONTO MAQUETTE FROM JURASSIC PARK
The Trash Compactor Monster from Star Wars is expected to be one of the highest selling lots, with a pre-sale estimate of $50,000-70,000
Many lots will be sold without reserve
Prop Store – one of the world’s leading film and TV memorabilia companies is to hold an exclusive online auction of puppets, models, artwork and production materials from the career of animator Phil Tippett. The veteran effects artist and filmmaker worked on some of the most beloved films of all-time, including the original Star Wars trilogy, Dragonslayer, Indiana Jones & The Temple of Doom, the Robocop films, Jurassic Park, Starship Troopers, and countless others.
Over 400 lots of historic memorabilia will go on sale in the exclusive online auction, which begins on Monday October 10th. Bidding for all items will be open until the auction closes on Friday October 21st. Many of the lots will be sold without reserve. Bidding is possible from anywhere in the world, and global shipping is available.
Phil Tippett’s professional career began as a stop-motion animator in the 1970s before being hired by George Lucas to produce the Millennium Falcon chess-game sequence for Star Wars. Tippett stayed on with ILM for several years, notably animating the Tauntauns for The Empire Strikes Back and developing “go-motion” technology for the memorable dragon Vermithrax in Dragonslayer. Tippett founded Tippett Studio in 1984 and went on to produce or supervise visual effects for Robocop, Jurassic Park, Starship Troopers, and numerous other titles. Tippett Studio continues to provide visual effects services for many projects, with Phil directing and supervising projects in addition to working on his passion project—MAD GOD.
Some of the notable items collectors and fans can bid for include:
Trash Compactor Monster from Star Wars: A New Hope – Estimate $50,000 - 70,000 Hand-drawn Holochess Character Sketches by Phil Tippett from Star Wars: A New Hope – sold without reserve ‘Duros’ Cantina Mask from Star Wars: A New Hope – Estimate $50,000 – 70,000 Washington Square Ghost Puppet from Ghostbusters 2 – Estimate $3,000 – 5,000 Ford Explorer Animatics Model from Jurassic Park – Estimate $3,000 – 5,000 Robocop Costume from Robocop 2 – Estimate $30,000 – 50,000 Warrior Bug Maquette with Tippett Studios crate from Starship Troopers – Estimate $5,000 – 7,000 Eborsisk Monster Maquette from Willow – Estimate $2,000 – 3,000 Screenplay with Phil Tippett’s Handwritten Story Notes from Jurassic Park – sold without reserve Tauntaun handwritten animation notes by Phil Tippett from Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back – sold without reserve
Brandon Alinger, Prop Store COO, commented on the upcoming auction: “We’re very proud to be handling this collection of materials from Phil Tippett’s amazing career in the film industry. In addition to the props, costumes, models and maquettes there is a vast collection of artwork and archival materials, many of which have never been seen before. If you’re a collector or a fan of the films Phil Tippett has been part of, this auction presents a wonderful chance to get a glimpse behind the curtain and become a caretaker of a small piece of film history.”
Phil Tippett said of the auction: “It’s been a lot of fun to take another look at these materials, some of which I haven’t seen for years. I’m glad that fans will have a chance to get them, and I hope they’ll enjoy them and look after the materials for the future. ”
The auction begins at 9:00AM PST on Monday, October 10th, with the first lots closing at 9:00AM PST on Friday, October 21st. Bids can be placed online via the Prop Store website at: http://propstoreauction.com/view-auctions/info/id/48/
About Prop Store Prop Store sells original movie memorabilia, with over 7,500 items available for sale on www.propstore.com. Operating since 1998, Prop Store founder Stephen Lane’s love for movies led him to begin hunting for the same props and costumes that were used to create his favourite films. He found that he could not only provide collectors with access to their most coveted pieces, but also establish archival standards for a new, pop-culture hybrid of fine art and memorabilia collecting – prop art. Prop Store handles prop disposal, sale, archive and auction services to production companies and distributors as well as fixed price item sale on its website.
"Marvel's Daredevil is a well-scripted, beautifully acted superhero saga that is surprisingly impressive." -- Tirdad Derakhshani, The Philadelphia Inquirer
OWN THE CRITICALLY-ACCLAIMED NETFLIX ORIGINAL SERIES “MARVEL’S DAREDEVIL: THE COMPLETE FIRST SEASON” ON BLU-RAY™ NOV. 8
Bring home or gift the first season of the popular live action series this Holiday!
SYNOPSIS: “Marvel’s Daredevil” follows Matt Murdock (Charlie Cox), attorney by day and vigilante by night. Blinded in an accident as a child, Murdock uses his heightened senses as Daredevil, fighting crime on the streets of New York after the sun goes down. His efforts are not welcomed by powerful businessman Wilson Fisk (Vincent D’Onofrio) and others whose interests collide with those of Daredevil. Though Murdock's day job portrays a man who believes in the criminal justice system, his alter ego suggests otherwise, as he takes the law into his own hands to protect his Hell's Kitchen neighborhood and the surrounding communities.
The complete first season of the Netflix Original Series “Marvel’s Daredevil” is available to own on Blu-ray™ on Nov. 8. Season 1 of the action-packed drama was recently honored as Best New Media TV Series at the 42nd Annual Saturn Awards hosted by the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films. The home release of Season 1 will thrill fans with all 13 episodes.
CAST: Charlie Cox (“Boardwalk Empire”) as Matt Murdock/Daredevil; Deborah Ann Woll (“True Blood”) as Karen Page; Elden Henson (“The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2”) as Foggy Nelson; Vincent D’Onofrio (“The Magnificent Seven”) as Wilson Fisk; Rosario Dawson (“Marvel’s Luke Cage”) as Claire Temple
CREATOR & EXEC. Steven S. DeKnight (“Spartacus: War of the Damned”) PRODUCER:
EXEC. PRODUCERS: Drew Goddard (“The Martian”), Jeph Loeb (Marvel’s “Jessica Jones” and Marvel’s “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.”)
RELEASE DATE: Nov. 8, 2016 PACKAGING: Blu-ray (13 episodes)
EPISODES: 1. Into The Ring 2. Cut Man 3. Rabbit In A Snowstorm 4. In The Blood 5. World On Fire 6. Condemned 7. Stick 8. Shadows in the Glass 9. Speak of the Devil 10. Nelson v. Murdock 11. The Path of the Righteous 12. The Ones We Leave Behind 13. Daredevil
RATING: TV-MA ASPECT RATIO: 1.78:1 AUDIO: English 5.1 DTS-HDMA LANGUAGES & English SDH SUBTITLES:
ABOUT MARVEL ENTERTAINMENT AND MARVEL TELEVISION: Marvel Entertainment, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company, is one of the world's most prominent character-based entertainment companies, built on a proven library of more than 8,000 characters featured in a variety of media over seventy-five years. Marvel utilizes its character franchises in entertainment, licensing and publishing.
“It’s one of the few films in which 3D enhancement is justified. Each scene captures the essence of each animal so vividly that children in the audience were reaching out to the screen to try to ‘touch’ the fur." –Maricar Estrella, Fort Worth Star-Telegram
BRING HOME THE COLLECTOR’S EDITION ON NOV. 15
Get lost in the jungle with collectible packaging, spectacular 3D and new bonus features!
BURBANK, Calif., Oct. 7, 2016 — Beginning Nov. 15, the collector’s edition of Disney’s live-action epic adventure “The Jungle Book”—Jon Favreau’s stunning reimagining of Walt Disney’s animated classic—will be available to own just in time for the holidays. “The Jungle Book” Collector’s Edition offers more than just the bare necessities with collectible packaging and a three-disc set containing the original theatrical release on Blu-ray 3D™, Blu-ray™, Digital HD and DVD, along with originally released bonus features and five never-before-seen extras.
The Collector’s Edition provides fans with unprecedented access to “The Jungle Book” production through exciting new bonus features, including a performance of “The Bare Necessities” by Bill Murray (voice of Baloo) and jazz greats Dr. John and Kermit Ruffins, an inside look at the collaboration between director Jon Favreau and renowned composer Richard Sherman on a new version of the classic song “I Wan’na Be Like You,” a fascinating feature exposing the visual effects magic behind some of the movie’s most memorable moments, an early animatic of the scene where Mowgli meets Kaa, and a global celebration as Mowgli and Baloo sing “The Bare Necessities.”
“The Jungle Book” has mesmerized audiences worldwide, earning critical acclaim and more than $965 million at the global box office to date. It boasts an unforgettable all-star cast, including Bill Murray (“Lost in Translation”) as the voice of Baloo, Ben Kingsley (“Learning to Drive,” “The Walk”) as Bagheera, Idris Elba (“Beast of No Nation”) roars as the voice of Shere Khan and Lupita Nyong’o (“12 Years a Slave,” “Star Wars: The Force Awakens”) as the voice of mother wolf Raksha. Scarlett Johansson (“Avengers: Age of Ultron”) gives life to Kaa, Giancarlo Esposito (“Breaking Bad”) provides the voice of alpha-male wolf Akela and Christopher Walken (“The Deer Hunter”) lends his iconic voice to King Louie. Newcomer Neel Sethi stars as the film’s only human character, Mowgli.
Bonus features include*:
3D COLLECTOR’S EDITION BONUS FEATURES: ⦁ The Bare Necessities: From the Jungle to the Bayou – Travel to the heart of New Orleans to swing with composer John Debney, Bill Murray and jazz greats Dr. John, Kermit Ruffins and the rest of their lively band, as they perform another version of “The Bare Necessities.” ⦁ The Return of a Legend – Award-winning songwriter and Disney Legend Richard Sherman co-wrote the music from “Mary Poppins,” “The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh” and Walt Disney’s animated classic “The Jungle Book.” Watch as director Jon Favreau and Sherman collaborate to create additional lyrics and record a demo for the new version of the classic song, “I Wan’na Be Like You.” ⦁ The Jungle Effect – Experience more visual effects magic in this sequence that shows the evolution of key moments from “The Jungle Book.” ⦁ Developing Kaa – See an early animatic that played a part in the development of the scene where Mowgli meets Kaa and learns more about the tale of the “red flower.” ⦁ “The Jungle Book” Around the World – Join the global celebration as Mowgli and Baloo sing “The Bare Necessities.” ⦁ Classic Bonus Features** ⦁ “The Jungle Book” Reimagined – Favreau sits down with producer Brigham Taylor and visual effects supervisor Robert Legato to discuss “The Jungle Book” and reflect on the years they devoted to the reimagining of this timeless tale. Discover how Rudyard Kipling’s original stories and the classic animated film influenced their unique approach, witness the technical wizardry that enabled the team to create a believable and thrilling movie-going experience, and learn how they borrowed a page from Walt Disney’s innovation playbook to make it all happen. Lastly, meet the all-star voice cast who help bring the film’s colorful characters to life, as well as the musicians who accent the adventure with a majestic music score. ⦁ I Am Mowgli – Follow the extraordinary journey of 12-year-old Neel Sethi, who was selected from thousands of hopefuls worldwide to play Mowgli “alongside” some of today’s biggest movie stars. Get a glimpse of Neel’s life before Hollywood came calling, check out his audition that sealed the deal, and see how a close-working relationship with Favreau brought out his best. Plus, Neel shares how filming “The Jungle Book” was one wild ride, from working alongside imaginary animals to performing some super-fun stunts. ⦁ King Louie’s Temple: Layer by Layer – So, exactly how do you create a musical number featuring one man-cub, a massive, legendary ape and an army of wild and wily monkeys in the Seeonee jungle? Viewers are granted rare and unique access to the development of the “I Wan’na Be Like You” sequence in which King Louie attempts to coerce Mowgli into giving up Man’s deadly “red flower” (fire). A fast-moving musical progression reel showcases storyboards, animatics, Christopher Walken’s recording session and visual effects layers, which ultimately merge to form one of the film’s most memorable scenes. ⦁ Audio Commentary – Favreau delivers his scene-by-scene perspective on the live-action adventure “The Jungle Book” with all the candor and humor you’d expect from this multi-talented actor-writer-director-producer.
* Bonus features may vary by retailer. New bonus content is available in the 3D Collector’s Edition package only. **Classic bonus from the initial August 2016 release of “The Jungle Book”
Directed by Jon Favreau (“Iron Man,” “Iron Man 2,” “Chef”) and produced by Favreau and Brigham Taylor (executive producer of “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales,” “Tomorrowland”), from a screenplay by Justin Marks, “The Jungle Book” is a live-action epic adventure based on Rudyard Kipling’s timeless stories, inspired by Disney’s classic 1967 animated film and centered on Mowgli (Neel Sethi), a man-cub who’s been raised by a family of wolves. But Mowgli finds he is no longer welcome in the jungle when fearsome tiger Shere Khan (voice of Idris Elba), who bears the scars of Man, promises to eliminate what he sees as a threat.
The film’s musical score, composed by Emmy® winner and Oscar-, BAFTA- and Annie Award-nominee John Debney (“Elf,” “Iron Man 2”), features a classic orchestral sound accented by ethnic instruments and pays homage to the original film by highlighting snippets of the classic songs we all know and love.
Also available on Digital 3D by select digital retailers.
DISC SPECIFICATIONS: Feature Run Time: Approximately 106 minutes Rating: PG in U.S. and Canada Aspect Ratio: Blu-ray 3D Feature Film = 1080p High Definition / Widescreen 1.78:1 Blu-ray Feature Film = 1080p High Definition / Widescreen 1.85:1 DVD Feature Film = 1.85:1 Audio: Blu-ray 3D & Blu-ray = English 7.1 DTS-HDMA & 2.0 Descriptive Audio, Spanish and French 5.1 Dolby Digital Language Tracks DVD = English, Spanish and French 5.1 Dolby Digital Language Tracks, English 2.0 Descriptive Audio Languages/Subtitles: Blu-ray 3D & Blu-ray = English SDH, Spanish and French DVD = English SDH, Spanish and French SOCIAL MEDIA: Facebook: Facebook.com/DisneyJungleBook Website: Movies.Disney.com/the-jungle-book-2016 Twitter: Twitter.com/TheJungleBook Website: Instagram.com/disneythejunglebook ABOUT DISNEY MOVIES ANYWHERE (DMA): Disney Movies Anywhere (DMA) is an engaging and family-friendly cloud-based digital movie service that makes it easy to buy Disney, Pixar, Marvel and Star Wars movies once and watch them anywhere. Viewers can enjoy their digital movies from the comfort of their living room and across multiple mobile platforms by simply adding the free DMA app or channel to their devices, such as iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch, Android mobile phones and tablets, Android TV, Amazon’s Fire tablets, Fire TV and Fire TV Stick, Roku, and Xbox 360, and connecting to their DMA account with participating providers including iTunes, Amazon Video, VUDU, Google Play, Microsoft Movies & TV and Fios by Verizon. DMA users can explore Disney’s library of over 450 digital movies, discover hours of new and exclusive short-form content, redeem Digital Movie codes found in eligible Disney, Pixar, Marvel, and Star Wars product, and earn Disney Movie Rewards points with every digital purchase.
ABOUT THE WALT DISNEY STUDIOS: For over 90 years, The Walt Disney Studios has been the foundation on which The Walt Disney Company was built. Today, the Studio brings quality movies, music and stage plays to consumers throughout the world. Feature films are released under the following banners: Disney, including Walt Disney Animation Studios and Pixar Animation Studios; Disneynature; Marvel Studios; Lucasfilm; and Touchstone Pictures. The Disney Music Group encompasses the Walt Disney Records and Hollywood Records labels, as well as Disney Music Publishing. The Disney Theatrical Group produces and licenses live events, including Disney on Broadway, Disney On Ice and Disney Live!.
RED VS. BLUE: SEASON 14 COMING TO HOME ENTERTAINMENT PLATFORMS NOVEMBER 15TH
Latest hilarious and action-packed season of the longest running web series in history available for the first time on DVD, Blu-Ray+DVD Combo Pack, Special Edition Combo Pack, and Digital Download!
Austin, TX - October 7, 2016 - On November 15th, Rooster Teeth and Cinedigm (NASDAQ: CIDM) bring you an exhilarating refresh of the smash-hit comedy series Red vs. Blue, as RED VS. BLUE: SEASON 14 debuts on DVD, Blu-Ray+DVD combo pack, Special Edition Blu-Ray+DVD Combo Pack, and Digital Download.
Rather than one season-long story arc, RED VS. BLUE: SEASON 14 is a collection of numerous short stories that take place throughout the RvB universe and timeline, focusing on characters both old and new, produced in a variety of styles, and presented by everyone's favorite RvB computer program: VIC. Rooster Teeth has teamed up with writers and directors from around the country, including Freddie Wong of RocketJump fame, best-selling author Ernest Cline, Funhaus, Game Grumps, and (returning to their RvB roots) Rooster Teeth co-founders Burnie Burns and Matt Hullum, to give each piece a unique voice, and the results range from hilarious to action-packed, and everything in between! 2D animation, 3D animation, stop-motion, live-action, and machinima in just about every Halo engine to date are all packed into this innovative season!
"This season of Red vs. Blue was unlike any we'd ever attempted and we couldn't be happier with the result," said Gray G. Haddock, Head of Rooster Teeth Animation. "We got to work with some amazing folks inside and outside of Rooster Teeth, and took some time to go behind the scenes in the exclusive content available on this DVD/Blu-Ray, and show what it took to make our most ambitious season yet."
The home entertainment release of RED VS. BLUE: SEASON 14 includes all 24 of the season's hilarious and action-packed episodes, and comes loaded with bonus features including behind-the-scenes looks at the making of the award winning series. The Special Edition Blu-Ray+DVD Combo Pack, exclusive to Amazon and the Rooster Teeth Store, includes 4 collector's cards and a 12-page Caboose activity book.
RED VS. BLUE: SEASON 14 Bonus Features Behind-The-Scenes Features:
- Deus Ex Machinima: Red vs. Blue has been machinimated in a number of different Halo games over the years. Learn about the process and subtle differences between them all! - The Building Blocks of RvB: Get a behind the scenes look at one of this season's most unique episodes, The Brick Gulch Chronicles, and learn just what it takes to make Red vs. Blue a stop-motion masterpiece. - Making a Mercenary: Club, Call, and Consequences were three episodes that not only delved into the history of Locus, Felix, and Siris, but also introduced an entirely different approach to RvB art and animation. It was no small undertaking, and this video can give you an inside look. - Immersion: How much work goes into flipping (and destroying) a Warthog? Watch to find out! - Rocket Jump BTS: Watch along with the fine folks at Rocket Jump as they take it upon themselves to create one of the wackiest live-action RvB adaptations to date. - Red vs. Blue: RvB14 was one of the most ambitious seasons in the series' history. Meet the people at Rooster Teeth who helped make it happen.
DVD Product Information Genre: Comedy/Action Rating: NR Language: English Prod. Year: 2016 MSRP: $14.93 Street Date: November 15, 2016 Length: 232 minutes + extras UPC: 883476152141 Item #: RT5214
Combo Product Information Genre: Comedy/Action Rating: NR Language: English Prod. Year: 2016 MSRP: $24.95 Street Date: November 15, 2016 Length: 232 minutes + extras UPC: 883476152158 Item #: RT5215
Special Edition Combo Product Information Genre: Comedy/Action Rating: NR Language: English Prod. Year: 2016 MSRP: $29.93 Street Date: November 15, 2016 Length: 232 minutes + extras UPC: 883476152165 Item #: RT5216
About Rooster Teeth Rooster Teeth is a pioneering studio responsible for some of the biggest online series in history, such as the award-winning and longest-running web series, Red vs. Blue. They also produce the globally acclaimed animated series RWBY, the first western anime series to be distributed in Japan; the award-winning Rooster Teeth Podcast; and Immersion, a reality format that brings video game theory to the real world. Rooster Teeth has a massive global footprint of more than 25 million subscribers to its YouTube Network, 3 million unique monthly visitors to its RoosterTeeth.com hub and 1.8 million registered community members. The company was founded in 2003, and is now a subsidiary of Fullscreen, Inc., a global youth media company that develops online creators and produces multi-platform entertainment experiences. Discover more at RoosterTeeth.com.
About Cinedigm Cinedigm is the leading independent content distributor in the United States, with direct relationships with over 60,000 physical and digital retailers, including Wal-Mart, Best Buy, Target, iTunes, Netflix, and Amazon. The company's library of over 32,000 titles and episodes encompasses award-winning documentaries from Docurama Films®, next-gen Indies from Flatiron Film Company®, acclaimed independent films and festival picks through partnerships with the Sundance Institute and Tribeca Films and a wide range of content from brand name suppliers, including National Geographic, Discovery, Scholastic, WWE, NFL, Shout Factory, Hallmark, Jim Henson and more. Cinedigm proudly distributes numerous Oscar®-nominated films, including The Invisible War, Hell and Back Again, GasLand, Waste Land and Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory; current and upcoming theatrical releases include Destin Daniel Cretton's highly acclaimed Short Term 12, Godfrey Reggio's Visitors, Penny Lane's Our Nixon and Shaul Schwarz's Narco Cultura.
Cinedigm™ and Cinedigm Digital Cinema Corp™ are trademarks of Cinedigm Corp www.cinedigm.com. [CIDM-G]
Olive Films Releases Classic Aviation Film, Rare Counterculture Gem, and New Anime Discoveries
Chicago, IL – Olive Films, a boutique theatrical and home entertainment distribution label dedicated to bringing independent, foreign, and classic films to DVD and Blu-ray, has announced that October 18th will be the release date of eight new titles, including a canonical aviation film, and a rare counterculture gem from 1970, and the long-awaited launch of Oribu Anime.
“This Autumn is a very exciting time for us,” said Alex Kopecky of Olive Films. “We’re thrilled by the outpouring of positive responses we’ve received for the debut of our new Olive Signature line. Moreover, we’re also releasing four titles that have never had legitimate DVD releases in the US: The Fake, The King of Pigs, Strategic Air Command, and Little Fauss and Big Halsy as well as four other films new to Blu-ray.”
ORIBU ANIME: THE KING OF PIGS (2011) and THE FAKE (2013) With the DVD and Blu-ray debut of The King of Pigs and The Fake, Olive Films proudly launches Oribu Anime, an exciting new voice in modern animation. Showcasing some of the world’s most provocative animators, Oribu Anime aims to push towards the outer reaches of modern, sophisticated anime. Oribu’s first two titles come from rising Korean director Yeon Sang-ho, whose recent live-action film Train to Busan (2016) has been called the best zombie movie in years. With the director’s international reputation growing every day, audiences are primed to enjoy his earlier animated films.
Both The King of Pigs and The Fake are unflinching, dark, cynical films that comment on Korean society as a whole. The King of Pigs opens moments after a once-successful businessman has brutally murdered his wife. From there, the film flashes back to his school days and the abusive events that shaped his own life. In The Fake, religious figures Elder Choi and Pastor Sung plan to swindle their faithful village out of the money they’re about to receive from a project that involves the whole village being flooded to build a new dam. When a local outcast realizes that their plan will not only steal from the villagers but also put them in danger, he is left with no option but to unleash all hell on the con artists.
STRATEGIC AIR COMMAND (1955) Strategic Air Command is also scheduled to debut on DVD and Blu-ray. Directed by the great Anthony Mann and starring James Stewart, June Allyson, and Frank Lovejoy, its absence on disc has left a gaping hole in the collections of aviation film fans, and Olive Films happily fills that void on October 18th. The film’s greatest claim to fame is its stunning aerial photography, which was filmed in Vistavision and is presented here in 1.66:1.
Notably, Strategic Air Command reflects James Stewart’s love of aviation as well as his military background. He enlisted in the Army Air Corps in 1941, and after flying 20 combat missions, he became one of few Americans to rise from private to colonel in just four years. When he retired in 1968, he held the rank of Brigadier General. Filmed with cooperation from the Air Force, Strategic Air Command also has the distinction of being the only feature film to ever focus on the B-36 Peacemaker. LITTLE FAUSS AND BIG HALSY (1970) Olive Films has also announced the first legitimate DVD and Blu-ray release of Little Fauss and Big Halsy, a film directed by Sidney J. Furie starring Robert Redford, Michael J. Pollard, and supermodel Lauren Hutton. Following the motorcycle racing circuit, the film provides an interesting take on the counterculture bike films of its time. It boasts a soundtrack of songs by Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins, and Bob Dylan and a screenplay by Charles Eastman that was one of the first film scripts to be published as a hardcover book.
People may also remember the film for the on-set tensions between Robert Redford and Michael J. Pollard, who were rumored to strongly dislike each other. Also, although Redford chose the project in part to undercut his clean, likeable image, he supposedly grew to dislike the film because of the sleazy, caddish character he plays.
It’s unfortunate that Little Fauss and Big Halsy has been so neglected on home media, but Olive Films is proud to change that with their October 18th DVD and Blu-ray release.
Other Olive Films
Blu-ray debut of Villa Rides (1968), directed by Buzz Kulik; starring Yul Brynner, Robert Mitchum, Charles Bronson, Herbert Lom, Robert Viharo, Fernando Rey, Alexander Knox, and Grazia Buccella.
Blu-ray debut of Gas-s-s-s (1970), directed by Roger Corman; starring Cindy Williams, Bud Cort, Ben Vereen, Elain Giftos, and Bob Corff.
Blu-ray debut of The Return of Dracula (1958), directed by Paul Landres; starring Francis Lederer, Norma Eberhardt, Ray Stricklyn, Virginia Vincent, John Wengraf, Gage Clarke, Jimmy Baird, and Greta Granstedt.
Blu-ray debut of Special Effects (1984); directed by Larry Cohen; starring Zoe Tamerlis, Eric Bogosian, Brad Rijn, and Kevin O'Connor.
Bonus Features: New Audio Commentary with director Larry Cohen and filmmaker Steve Mitchell.
About Olive Films Olive Films is a Chicago-based boutique theatrical and home entertainment distribution label dedicated to bringing independent, foreign, documentary, and classic films to life. Its catalog boasts over 500 titles ranging from Hollywood classics to contemporary titles. More information about Olive Films may be found at olivefilms.com.
Wild Eye Releasing Signs Brett DeJager's BONEJANGLES Throwback Horror Slasher Arrives in 2017 on Home Video
New York, NY - Wild Eye Releasing has acquired worldwide distribution rights for Brett DeJager's Bonejangles. "We signed with Wild Eye because we wanted to work with a distributor that understands what good horror movies are all about and had the capacity to get Bonejangles in the hands of as many horror fans as possible.
"You can tell they love a good horror flick just as much as the rest of us, and that is exactly why we trusted them to deliver Bonejangles to the world," DeJager said after the deal was inked.
Over the past year, Bonejangles has made audiences and critics scream, screening at the Fright Night Theatre Film Festival, Scare-A-Con Film Festival and The Indie Horror Drive-In Film Festival.
While transporting the unstoppable killer Bonejangles to an asylum, a group of police officers encounter a hellish pit stop: a cursed town where the dead rise from their graves. Now the only way to save their lives and the town is to release Bonejangles and fight the curse...with something much worse.
Bonejangles (Teaser Trailer)
Rob Hauschild, President of Wild Eye Releasing negotiated the deal with Shaun O'Connell of Labyrinth Films. Hauschild shared, "Bonejangles perfectly captures the 80s horror sensibility, and we are thrilled to be unleashing it to the fans." A digital and physical release is planned for 2017.
In Theaters and on Digital HD October 28, 2016 from Starz Digital, and on DVD December 6, 2016 from Anchor Bay Entertainment
Opens theatrically on October 28 in New York (Cinema Village), Los Angeles (Noho 7) and regional territories including Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Houston, Minneapolis, Orlando and more.
From the Executive Producer of PARANORMAL ACTIVITY and INSIDIOUS comes THE UNSPOKEN, starring Neal McDonough (Suits, Arrow) and Jodelle Ferland (Silent Hill). Directed by Award-winning filmmaker Sheldon Wilson (Kaw, Shallow Ground), THE UNSPOKEN is an eerie thrill ride into the horror that lurks in an unsuspecting small town.
In 1997 the close-knit Anderson family vanished from their country home without a trace without an explanation. No bodies were ever found and for 17 years the house has remained undisturbed...until now. A sinister tale of haunting and murder, THE UNSPOKEN is a refreshing twist on the horror genre just in time for Halloween.
Executive Producer: Steven Schneider (Paranormal Activity, Insidious)
Written & Directed by: Sheldon Wilson (Kaw, Shallow Ground)
Starring: Jodelle Ferland (Silent Hill), Neal McDonough (Suits, Arrow) Sunny Suljic and Matt Bellefleur.
(THE CROOKED MAN premieres Saturday, October 1st on the Syfy Channel, kicking off their "31 Days of Halloween.")
There's an old saying: "If you build a website about a song that kills you after you sing it, they will come."
Well, maybe those aren't the exact words, but in the Syfy Channel original movie THE CROOKED MAN (2016), somebody does build it, and, sure enough, some little girls who are having a sleepover stumble upon it while searching for some creepy fun.
What happens after one of the girls sings the song is creepy all right, but it isn't fun when the Crooked Man himself shows up and kills one of them in a rather horrible way, leaving behind a crooked corpse with one of the other girls standing over it holding a bloody knife.
Six years later, Olivia (Angelique Rivera, LOCA, "American Crime"), the girl with the killer singing voice and the only one to witness the murder, returns to town to visit her now-single dad and to discover that, after being accused of murdering her friend that fateful night, she's still widely shunned as a pariah.
But with her return comes a new series of horrific deaths, the victims consisting of anyone who was in the house along with Olivia six years before. When the truth becomes clear to her, she takes on the task of warning her dubious former friends who are marked for death and, if possible, finding a way to end the curse of the Crooked Man.
As Olivia gains allies such as old sleepover pal Charlotte (Reilly Stith) and a handsome young town cop named Noah (Cameron Jebo, WALKER PAYNE, "Power Rangers Megaforce") who becomes her obligatory romantic interest, people continue to die in scenes that don't exactly terrify us but do deliver a few chills and a fair amount of icky gore effects as the victims are mauled, broken, and even beheaded.
There's a decent jump scare here and there, especially with the Crooked Man skittering in and out of the shadows and looking like a spindly, skeletal apparition not unlike the fabled Slender Man with a hint of Freddy Krueger (minus the wisecracks), but with jerky movements and a hideous rictus for a face.
After the opening sleepover sequence sets the appropriate tone, THE CROOKED MAN settles into an autumnal, somber atmosphere that's the antithesis of the jokey and satirical horror stylings of films such as SCREAM.
The script is terse and serious, which fits this story perfectly and adds to an overall sense of unease that keeps us on edge despite a few slow spots.
Lead performances are adequate, with my favorites being familiar faces such as Marco Rodríguez (THE CROW, INTERNAL AFFAIRS) as Olivia's dad and Dina Meyer (STARSHIP TROOPERS, STAR TREK: NEMESIS) as the obsessively overprotective mother of one of the potential sleepover victims. Michael Jai White (THE DARK KNIGHT, SPAWN) also appears as a mystery man with a secret connection to the case.
Production values are good for a Syfy flick, and thankfully devoid of the usual fake-looking CGI. Director Jesse Holland does a good job of staging scenes of shuddery mayhem and maintaining a decent level of mystery and suspense.
The big finale itself (which, incidentally, contains the film's only cringe-inducing one-liners) is decidedly short on terror, but I found it eventful enough to avoid being a disappointment.
If you're looking for genuine EXORCIST-style terror, you're howling up the wrong tree here. But for a pleasantly spooky experience to put you in the Halloween mood, THE CROOKED MAN might be just the thing to make you feel like a kid shivering through scary sleepover stories again.
The Little Theatre 240 East Avenue, Rochester, N.Y. Saturday, October 1 8 p.m.
(Come early for signing and schmoozing.)
Joe Bob will be appearing for one night only at the historic Little Theatre in downtown Rochester. The Little Theatre was part of the Little Cinema movement of the 1920s, part of the revolt against canned Hollywood product, meaning they’ve been showing independent films and foreign films since the silent era—87 years, to be precise.
We’re celebrating the Walter Hill cult classic The Warriors, based on the 1965 Sol Yurick about New York gangs, which was in turn based on the Anabasis by the Greek soldier Xenophon, which was an account of the 10,000 Greek mercenaries who got stranded near Baghdad and had to fight their way all the way back to Greece—1200 miles!
After the screening we’ll have a question and answer session. Before the screening Joe Bob will be signing posters, books, shirts, photos, whatever.
This event is being sponsored by the guys who run Fright-Rags, and there’s a possibility that they’ll still have a few of the MonsterVision shirts that went on sale earlier this week. (The posters sold out in 30 minutes.)
4K Digital Restoration of PRIVATE PROPERTY Starring Warren Oates (The Wild Bunch)
Available on Blu-Ray & DVD October 25
As previously announced, Cinelicious Pics will release on Blu-ray and DVD its new 4k digital restoration of director Leslie Stevens' long-missing 1960 thriller PRIVATE PROPERTY, starring iconic American character actor Warren Oates (TWO-LANE BLACKTOP, THE WILD BUNCH) in his first significant screen role.
The Blu-ray will be available on October 25.
A major rediscovery for noir and crime fans, PRIVATE PROPERTY had essentially vanished following a very brief release in the early 1960s -- until now.
Watch the trailer
PRIVATE PROPERTY begins as two homicidal Southern California drifters (played to creepy, Peeping Tom perfection by Warren Oates and Corey Allen) wander off the beach and into the seemingly-perfect Beverly Hills home of an unhappy housewife (Leslie Stevens' real-life spouse, Kate Manx). Shimmering with sexual tension and lensed in stunning B&W by master cameraman Ted McCord (THE TREASURE OF THE SIERRA MADRE, EAST OF EDEN), PRIVATE PROPERTY is both an eerie, neo-Hitchcockian thriller and a savage critique of the hollowness of the Playboy-era American Dream.
Warren Oates delivers his first great screen performance here as one of the murderous vagabonds, years before he emerged as one of the finest character actors of his generation; his bizarre, voyeuristic Lennie-and-George relationship with the underrated Corey Allen (James Dean's hot rod rival in REBEL WITHOUT A CAUSE) is fueled by a barely-suppressed homoeroticism. Shot almost entirely in the Beverly Hills home where director Stevens and lead actress Manx lived at the time, PRIVATE PROPERTY is a simmering thriller tinged with deeply unnerving elements of autobiography--and all the voyeurism anyone could ask for.
"Private Property qualifies as a genuine rediscovery" -- Glenn Kenny, The New York Times
"This lost treasure has to rank as one of the richest and fearlessly gnarly of its kind" --Steve Macfarlane, Slant
"...brimming with suggestions of sexual dysfunction that seems shocking even for the year Psycho was released" --Michael Atkinson, The Village Voice
About the Blu-Ray: Special Features: Dual-Format Release: Blu-ray and DVD, New 4K restoration from previously lost film elements rediscovered and preserved by UCLA Film and Television Archive New video interview with Still Photographer and Technical Consulant Alexander Singer U.S. theatrical trailer New essay by Don Malcolm Limited Edition of 3,000
ABOUT CINELICIOUS PICS: Cinelicious Pics is a distribution company bringing handpicked independent features & docs plus 4K-restored art house and cult classics to North American audiences via theatrical release, Video on Demand, and Blu-Ray. Past releases include Josephine Decker's Thou Wast Mild & Lovely and Butter on the Latch, Anurag Kashyap's Gangs of Wasseypur, John Magary's The Mend, and Agnès Varda's Jane B. Par Agnès V. and Kung-Fu Master!, among many others. Cinelicious Pics was recently voted "Best Indie Film Distributor" of 2015 by L.A. Weekly magazine. 4K restorations are lovingly brought to pristine viewing quality by sister post & digital restoration studioCinelicious, which has recently provided post services to Berlinale Silver Bear Best Director winners Boyhood(2014) by Richard Linklater, and Prince Avalanche (2013) by David Gordon Green, as well as the 4K restoration of Chris Nolan's Following. Both companies are located in the heart of Hollywood.
"THE CROOKED MAN" KICKS OFF SYFY'S "31 DAYS OF HALLOWEEN"
THE ORIGINAL MOVIE SET TO AIR SATURDAY, OCTOBER 1 9/8c
"The Crooked Man" airs this Saturday, October 1 on Syfy 9/8c as part of "31 Days of Halloween."
This Syfy Original film, starring Michael Jai White (SPAWN), Amber Benson (“Buffy the Vampire Slayer”) and Dina Meyer (STARSHIP TROOPERS) kicks off Syfy's 31 Days of Halloween.
Synopsis: While at a slumber party, twelve year old ‘Olivia’ is blamed for the horrific and mysterious death of her friend after singing a song, created by a reclusive mastermind, ‘Milo’ (Michael Jai White), which summons a demonic figure known as "The Crooked Man".
Returning to her hometown six years later, a string of unusual deaths lead Olivia (Angelique Rivera) to believe that she's still being haunted by whatever she saw that fateful night. Once you sing the rhyme, everyone in the house is cursed to die by his hands.
FILM MOVEMENT CLASSICS’ OCTOBER RELEASES INCLUDE “BEAT” TAKESHI KITANO’S FIRST TWO FILMS AND THE FIRST TITLES FROM THE JOE SARNO LIBRARY ON BLU-RAY & DVD
VIOLENT COP AND BOILING POINT OUT ON OCTOBER 11TH AND VAMPIRE ECSTASY/SIN YOU SINNERS AVAILABLE ON OCTOBER 25TH
September 28, 2016 (New York, NY) – Film Movement, the New York-based distributor of arthouse, independent and classic films, is pleased to announce the first home video releases by acclaimed Japanese star and filmmaker “Beat” Takeshi Kitano from its Film Movement Classics imprint. VIOLENT COP (1989), Kitano’s explosive directorial debut, is a testament to the stylized action of ‘80s cinema, and his sophomore effort, BOILING POINT (1990), is the first written and directed by the action auteur and features his signature stoic acting combined with his visionary directing. Both films, which will be available on DVD and on Blu-ray – for the first time – on October 11th, will each include exclusive bonus featurettes and cover art by renowned comic book artist Ben Marra.
On October 25th, Film Movement Classics will release the first two titles from its recently acquired Joe Sarno library, VAMPIRE ECSTASY (1973) and SIN YOU SINNERS (1963). Sarno, who was the subject of Film Movement’s 2014 documentary A LIFE IN DIRTY MOVIES, is a pioneer of sexploitation and erotic films and his work has recently experienced a resurgence in appreciation through retrospectives around the world. Partnering with Film Media, Film Movement Classics will continue to release two Sarno films at a time on Blu-ray and DVD over the next few years.
In his breakthrough classic, VIOLENT COP, “Beat” Takeshi directs and stars as vicious rogue homicide detective Azuma who takes on a sadistic crime syndicate only to discover widespread internal corruption within the police force. Kitano’s debut feature marks his transformation from motor-mouth comedic star of stage and screen to art house auteur – consciously playing with the schizophrenic nature of his public persona, both in his films and in public. The San Francisco Chronicle called VIOLENT COP “exhilarating,” and Lawrence van Gelder of The New York Times said the film “packs a punch,” when it was released in the U.S. in 1999, ten years after it was made and following the success of Kitano’s other films, HANA-BI (FIREWORKS) and SONATINE. VIOLENT COP was in the official selection of the Yokohama Film Festival, where Kitano won the Best Director award; Karlovy Vary; and Moscow Film Festival.
BOILING POINT, the second film from Renaissance man Kitano follows two members of a junior baseball team who get mixed up with yakuza gangsters, haphazardly stumbling into a journey for revenge. For the first time Kitano wrote as well as directed, carving out his unique genre blend of crime, action and comedy. The Chicago Reader observed that “Takeshi Kitano's handling of tones, which range from the grimly depressive to the irreverently hilarious, is amazing,” and Time Out called it “the funniest film to date from a key '90s filmmaker.” BOILING POINT received a Special Mention at the Torino International Film Festival and gained recognition at Karlovy Vary and Mumbai International Film Festivals.
Blu-rays and DVDs of VIOLENT COP and BOILING POINT, which will be available on October 11th, will each include an essay by Tom Vick of The Smithsonian Institution, as well as a 20-minute bonus featurette. THAT MAN IS DANGEROUS: THE BIRTH OF TAKESHI KITANO will be paired with VIOLENT COP, and OKINAWA DAYS: TAKESHI’S SECOND DEBUT will be included with BOILING POINT. The featurettes will include interviews with the filmmakers, actors and producers; clips from the films; and a survey of graphic images and posters.
Called “an undercurrent of poetic melancholia and surrealism” (Offscreen.com) and dripping with gothic atmosphere, VAMPIRE ECSTASY is Joe Sarno’s mesmerizing foray into the horror genre. When a trio of beautiful young women journey to their ancestral home to claim an inheritance, they fall prey to a coven of witches, intent on trying to reincarnate their deceased vampire leader.
Meanwhile, SIN YOU SINNERS, from the first wave of sexploitation films by Sarno, the “Chekhov of soft-core” (The Village Voice) is a hypnotic noir about a medallion forged in a voodoo ritual that preserves an exotic dancer’s youth and beauty. When the dancer’s jealous daughter and employer hatch plots to steal the amulet for themselves, it sets off a chain of events ending in murder. “SIN YOU SINNERS….finds (Sarno) already occupying the unconscious position of a genuine grindhouse auteur,” wrote film critic Tim Lucas. This inaugural home video release will also include a bonus essay by Lucas.
DVDs and Blu-rays of VIOLENT COP, BOILING POINT and VAMPIRE ECSTASY/SIN YOU SINNERS will be available to own from FilmMovement.com, Amazon.com and other retailers.
VIOLENT COP (1989, 103 mins) Directed by Takeshi Kitano. Written by Hisashi Nozawa. Starring Takeshi Kitano, Maiko Kawakami, Makoto Ashikawa. Japan. Japanese with English subtitles. A Film Movement Classics Release. Trailer, stills, and synopsis available here.
BOILING POINT (1990, 97 mins) Directed by Takeshi Kitano. Written by Takeshi Kitano. Starring Takeshi Kitano, Yurei Yanagi, Yuriko Ishida. Japan. Japanese with English subtitles. A Film Movement Classics Release. Trailer, stills, and synopsis available here.
VAMPIRE ECSTASY (aka THE DEVIL’S PLAYTHING, 1973, 103 mins) Directed by Joseph W. Sarno. Written by Takeshi Kitano. Starring Maria Forsa, Nadia Henkowa, and Anke Syring. A Film Movement Classics Release. Additional information available here.
SIN YOU SINNERS (1963, 73 mins) Directed by Joseph W. Sarno. Starring June Colbourne, Dian Lloyd, Derek Murcott. A Film Movement Classics Release. Additional information available here.
About Film Movement Classics Launched in 2002, Film Movement is a North American distributor of award-winning independent and foreign films based in New York City. Film Movement has released more than 250 feature films and shorts culled from prestigious film festivals worldwide, and this year it had its first Academy Award-nominated film, THEEB. Film Movement’s theatrical distribution strategy has evolved to include promising American independent films, documentaries, and an even stronger slate of foreign art house titles. In 2015, Film Movement launched its reissue label Film Movement Classics, featuring new restorations released theatrically as well as on Blu-ray and DVD, including films by such noted directors including Eric Rohmer, Peter Greenaway, Bille August, Marleen Gorris and Takeshi Kitano. For more information, please visit www.filmmovement.com.
She'll be playing the titular role of the Spirit Guide who is an Astronomy Walker.
The character is a combination of ghost and angel and lives in the supernatural realm. She is the spiritual embodiment of an unborn human soul with thousands of years of supernatural experience and can affect change in our human world with telepathic ability.
"It's my understanding that there has only been one studio movie made on Easter Island back in the 1990s called 'Rapa Nui'," says Melantha. "It will be quite the adventure."
SYNOPSIS: Struggling theater actress Taylor Murdoch finally gets her big break on London's West End. The part calls for her to be in peak physical condition. However, the day after landing the role, she has a positive pregnancy test. With rehearsals beginning in less than two weeks, she decides to have an abortion. Towards the end of her nine month tour, she tells her boyfriend Anthony about the abortion and the recurring nightmare that haunts her. Anthony invites her to Easter Island so they can rekindle their relationship. While the Island works its magic on both of them, he shares his views about life, family, meditation, and the unborn souls that he calls the Astronomy Walkers. With Anthony's help, can Taylor overcome her nightmare and mystically connect with the soul of her unborn child?
Astronomy Walkers stars Aaron Smolinski, Melantha Blackthorne, Debbie Rochon and Troy Fromin. It is the first indie movie to be shot in HD on Easter Island, with additional footage shot in Canada. Principal Photography began in 2016, with film festival release slated for 2019.
I've never read anything by Russian author Fyodor Dostoevsky of "Crime and Punishment" fame, but I'm willing to bet that his novella "White Nights" was in a somewhat more serious vein than STRANGELY IN LOVE (2014), the wacked-out romantic comedy that has been based upon it. Because even for a rom-com, this is one seriously nutty little flick.
I didn't like it at first because I thought it was intended to be a standard cutsey-pie relationship weeper with "quirky" characters doing "offbeat" things. It only gradually dawned on me that the movie wanted me to think this at first so that it could all the more effectively put me on with how wickedly satirical and off-the-wall it turned out to be. And make no mistake, this movie is a total, and one might even say exquisite, put on from start to finish.
It starts out with a wimpy but calculatedly lovable little loser named Fyo (Jemuel Morris) who sweeps up in a printing factory and vainly tries, in a small-voiced, passive little way, to make friends with the people around him, to whom he may as well be invisible.
Fyo's one of those socially awkward movie nobodies you'd consider off-puttingly weird in real life although here, since he's cutely childlike, doesn't smell bad, means well, and is in a movie, we're meant to find him endearing.
When Fyo ends up saving the life of an attractive but wildly eccentric blind woman named Nastenka (Michelle Lang) by interrupting her attempt to hang herself from a tree in the park, he's drawn into her strange tale of lost love for a man named Steve who went to Africa as a missionary and never returned on her birthday as promised. (He's over six months overdue.)
The situation practically screams CITY LIGHTS with Chaplin's "Little Tramp" involved with a pretty blind girl who "sees" beyond the homely misfit's exterior to recognize his inner wonderfulness. In one shot there's even a direct reference to the Little Tramp, and later Quasimodo is invoked as well.
Naturally, Fyo falls madly in love with Nastenka and must try to win her in his awkward way while competing with her overwhelming grief over the missing Steve. And when I say "awkward", you can imagine the sort of sappy courtship montages and sickly-sweet romance tropes that the usual chick flick would heap on with a trowel, which STRANGELY IN LOVE is only too happy to do. Except that here, it's all done with a soft-peddled but knowingly sly "wink-wink, nudge-nudge" attitude that deftly hovers between outright satire and an almost sincere pathos.
In fact, the deeper we get into Fyo and Nastenka's up-and-down love story, which is inevitably thrown into utter turmoil by the return of none other than Steve himself, the more we actually start to respond to them in real emotional terms that go beyond simple kooky comedy. In this way, STRANGELY IN LOVE seamlessly goes from wickedly spoofing sensitive, emotional love stories to actually being one without losing any of its delicately-rendered weirdness.
The leads are ideal for their roles--at least, that's what I thought after it dawned on me what they and director/co-writer Amin Matalqa were going for here. Sean Carrigan also scores as Steve, and, in a wonderful cameo, Amanda Plummer (PULP FICTION, FREEWAY) is ideal as Sister Sarah, a nun who's been keeping up with Steve's whereabouts in Africa and tends to get somewhat crazed when the subject comes up.
STRANGELY IN LOVE oozes with meet-cutes, melodrama, neck-wrenching plot twists, and enough willfully sappy lovey-dovey stuff to make Erich Segal look like Mickey Spillane. And, strangely enough, that's exactly why I liked it. It takes all those ingredients, throws them into a blender, and whips them into a yummy comedy smoothie.
She Who Must Burn Debuts on Cable VOD Digital HD & DVD October 11 Cult Provocateur Larry Kent Turns Up the Heat On the Red-Hot Debate over Women's Choice
"She Who Must Burn is strong meat." --Variety
"Emotional and intentionally baiting...a horror-siege-witchhunt with no punches withheld" --Coming Soon
"An extraordinary piece of filmmaking that digs past the headlines which make us shake our heads over coffee in the morning."--Film Thrills
Los Angeles, CA - Midnight Releasing has announced the October 11th Cable VOD, Digital HD and DVD release of She Who Must Burn, Canadian cinema provocateur Larry Kent's latest feature. Kent and co-writer Shane Twerdun have crafted a thought-provoking and violent horror story centered around the all-too-real battle between personal choice, state-sanctioned law and religious dogma. She Who Must Burn will be available to rent or own starting October 11th on Dish Network, Cox, Charter, Verizon Fios, DirecTV, iTunes, Amazon Instant, Google Play, Vudu, XBox and more.
Sarah Smyth ("Cedar Cove", 50/50, "Supernatural") headlines as a healthcare provider at odds with the evangelical family in her small town. When she refuses to stop seeing women in need and even helps a desperate member of their own family (sci-fi icon Jewel Staite, "Firefly", "Stargate: Atlantis", "The LA Complex"), they decide she is to blame for the mysterious deaths in the community and must pay.
She Who Must Burn has been acclaimed by mainstream and horror media since its world premiere at the 2015 Fantasia International Film Festival, where the film took home the award for Best Feature Film. It went on to screen around the world, winning Best Feature Film at Blood in the Snow and sweeping the awards at the Fright Night Festival, taking home Scariest Film, Best Villain and Best Supporting Actress. Modern Horrors raved that "the horror is all in the reality"and FilmFestivals.com declared She Who Must Burn is "a profound, thought-provoking movie that brilliantly speaks about our flawed human nature".
A deadly storm heads towards a small mining village as the local preacher feeds the dark resentments seething in the souls of its citizens. Angela is the only medical resource for women in this unfortunate town where stillbirths and cancer have become disturbingly common. The local preacher and his followers blame Angela for the miscarriages and deaths, and even her Deputy Sheriff boyfriend can't protect her from their wrath. Dark clouds gather as the preacher's followers, infected with religious fervor and inflamed with passionate righteousness, seek to cleanse their community. Those who sin against the Lord must pay. She Who Must Burn (Official Trailer)
The DVD release of She Who Must Burn (SRP $17.98) will be available exclusively from Amazon.com.
Slasher.com Hits the Web New Trailer, Art & Stills Launch for Horror Film
Los Angeles, CA - MuchoMuchoMucho Productions and Firefly Films have uploaded a new trailer and art for their new film Slasher.com. The latest feature from horror director Chip Gubera (Song of the Dead, Academy of Doom), Slasher.com puts a gruesome twist on the perils of modern dating.
Co-written by Gubera and Chelsea Andes, Slasher.com combines the time-honored tradition of young people facing unfathomable horrors in the wilderness with the every day horror of meeting people online.
Ben Kaplan (ADDicted, Wingman Inc) and Morgan Carter star as the hapless would-be couple, anchoring a cast supported by R.A. Mihailoff (Leatherface: Texas Chainsaw Massacre III, Hatchet II), Jewel Shepard (Return of the Living Dead) and Grammy winner Delious Kennedy.
At a time where online dating could prove fatal, Jack and Kristy decide they're ready meet in person. Aiming for an adventurous first date, they plan a weekend getaway to the woodlands of rural Missouri. While discovering each other, they soon learn of the terrorizing horrors that the forest has in store.
Slasher.com (Official Trailer)
Slasher.com will tour on the festival circuit, screening next at the Bloody Horror International Film Festival in Ottawa and Grindhouse Planet Film Festival in the UK.
