KATE MARA AND SIMON PEGG IN NEGOTIATIONS TO STAR IN VAUGHN STEIN’S "INHERITANCE"
Highland Film Group launched foreign sales at the American Film Market this week
LOS ANGELES (November 1, 2018) – Highland Film Group announced today that Kate Mara (Megan Leavy, The Martian, “House of Cards”) and Simon Pegg (Mission Impossible, Star Trek, The Cornetto Trilogy) are in negotiations to star in the high-stakes thriller Inheritance, with British helmer Vaughn Stein directing, fresh off his recent work with Pegg and Margot Robbie in his noir thriller Terminal.
Matthew Kennedy penned script, and Richard B. Lewis (The Space Between Us, August Rush) is producing through his Southpaw Entertainment banner alongside David Wulf (upcoming The Night Clerk) of WulfPak Productions, and Convergent Media’s Dan Reardon and Santosh Govindaraju (The Night Clerk). UTA and Highland Film Group are co-repping the US rights with Highland Film Group handling foreign sales, which commenced at the American Film Market (AFM) this week.
Inheritance explores what happens when the patriarch of a wealthy and powerful family suddenly passes away, leaving his wife and daughter with a shocking secret inheritance that threatens to unravel and destroy their lives.
This marks HFG’s second collaboration with Stein, previously partnering on his debut film Terminal, which released earlier this year.
With a career spanning film and television, Mara is one of the most versatile actors working today. Since her breakout performance in Ang Lee’s Brokeback Mountain, she has starred in a number of critically acclaimed productions. Most recently, she starred on the big screen in Ridley Scott's The Martian, Meagan Leavey and Chappaquidick and on the small screen she starred in megahit “House of Cards” which garnered her an Emmy nomination.
Pegg recently reprised the role of Benji Dunn, starring alongside Tom Cruise in the Paramount critical and box office success Mission: Impossible – Fallout, and also starred in Steven Spielberg’s Ready Player One earlier this year. He can next be seen in the horror action comedy Slaughterhouse Rulez, which he also will executive produce alongside frequent collaborator Nick Frost under the pair's Stolen Picture banner. Previous credits include: Star Trek: Beyond, Ready Player One, Star Wars: The Force Awakens and more.
Mara is repped by UTA, Mosaic and Sloane, Offer, Weber and Dern. Pegg is represented by UTA and Dawn Sedgwick Management. Stein is represented by UTA and Grandview.
HFG’s slate includes: Joe Carnahan’s Boss Level starring Frank Grillo, Naomi Watts and Mel Gibson; Michael Cristofer’s The Night Clerk starring Tye Sheridan, Ana de Armas and Helen Hunt; Marc Meyer’s thriller We Summon the Darkness starring Alexandra Daddario; Shawn Ku’s action thriller A Score to Settle starring Nicolas Cage; the star-studded Berlin, I Love You with Helen Mirren, Keira Knightley, Jim Sturgess, Mickey Rourke, Diego Luna, and Jenna Dewan Tatum; Lin Oeding’s thriller Braven starring Jason Momoa; and Steven C. Miller’s action thriller Escape Plan 2: Hades starring Sylvester Stallone and Dave Bautista.
About Highland Film Group
Led by founding partners Arianne Fraser and Delphine Perrier, Highland Film Group (HFG) is an independent worldwide sales, production and film financing company. Launched in 2010, HFG has had success across a wide range of film genres and platforms, building a reputation for handling high-octane films in the action/horror/thriller space, focusing on cast, director, film maker driven content.
Synopsis: The Parts You Lose follows the unlikely friendship that unfolds between a young deaf boy, Wesley, and a fugitive criminal who takes refuge in an abandoned barn on the family’s rural North Dakota farm.
After forming a deep bond with the man, Wesley must decide where to place his allegiances when the authorities begin to close in on the fugitive.
Director: Christopher Cantwell Writer: Darren Lemke Cast: Aaron Paul, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Scoot McNairy, Danny Murphy Producers: Mark Johnson, Aaron Paul, Tom Williams International Sales: Blue Fox Entertainment
101 Films International and Film Mode Entertainment Get RABID in Cronenberg Remake
Film Mode Entertainment and 101 Films International Announce AFM Market Premiere of first-look footage from the Reimagining of David Cronenberg’s 1977 Cult Horror Classic, RABID, directed by the Highly Sought After “Twisted Twins” aka, the Soska Sisters
SANTA MONICA (November 1, 2018) – 101 Films International and Clay Epstein’s Film Mode Entertainment are thrilled to announce the debut of first-look footage of RABID during AFM. The two companies have teamed up on sales for the highly anticipated film.
Horror enthusiasts and fans alike have been devouring news and sharing their excitement for what is considered the Soska’s mainstream breakthrough, cementing their place in horror history as the most talented power-directing film duo working today. This stylish remake not only features major talent in front of and behind the camera, but also strikes at the heart of today’s image-obsessed culture and marketplace. The story of beauty and perfection coming at a bloody price unfolds in the unforgiving world of high fashion. RABID is a powerful homage to a beloved classic that will enthrall audiences with its modern and relevant spin reflecting the feminine perspective.
Currently in post-production, RABID, a reimagining of the 1977 David Cronenberg film of the same name, stars LAURA VANDERVOORT(JIGSAW, Smallville, Bitten, V) and BEN HOLLINGSWORTH (Code Black, Cult) and is directed by the highly sought after “Twisted Twins” aka, the Soska Sisters (AMERICAN MARY, DEAD HOOKER IN A TRUNK). The cast is bolstered further by PHIL BROOKS, AKA CM PUNK an American actor, mixed martial artist, comic book writer and former WWE Champion. His wife and fellow WWE Superstar and New York Times bestselling author APRIL BROOKS, AKA AJ MENDEZ also joins the cast in a memorable cameo.
RABID is written by Jen Soska, Sylvia Soska and John Serge, and led by the twin sister horror directors who established a huge following with the 2012 slasher film AMERICAN MARY.
The renowned visual F/X company MastersFX has created breathtaking effects that will have audiences jumping out of their seats. The group is known for their award-winning work on STAR TREK: FIRST CONTACT, TALES FROM THE CRYPT, The Good Doctor and The Handmaid’s Tale.
“101 Films International is delighted to be co-representing this remake of RABID with Clay and his team and we are looking forward to a very productive AFM,” Said Eoghan Burke, Vice President of Sales of 101 Films International.
“I don’t think there are any bigger fans of David Cronenberg than the Soska Twins,” said RABID producer Paul Lalonde. They put their own stamp on the movie of course, but with nothing but the utmost respect to David, and that’s important when you’re remaking a classic horror film like RABID.
“Horror fans can look forward to lots of surprise Easter eggs throughout the movie paying tribute to various film styles and iconic horror directors, including Cronenberg”, added RABID producer John Vidette.
Film Mode Entertainment President Clay Epstein says, “This gripping horror film is sure to entice buyers and audiences not only with its brilliant script, acting, and directing but also especially the way it addresses the redefining of gender roles in society… something at the forefront of current events across the globe. We are another step closer to bringing RABID to audiences worldwide with a team that has built a loyal, international fan-base of both men and women, of all ages, and are excited to present first-look footage and the promo premiere to buyers at AFM.”
RABID has already been sold to 101 FILMS in the UK, Eagle in the Middle East and A71 Entertainment in Canada. 101 Films International and Film Mode Entertainment are co- representing the rest of the world
Drawing influence from the original movie, the remake follows Rose, a young woman who after an accident scars her beyond recognition, undergoes a radical untested stem-cell treatment. While turning Rose into the belle of the ball, the experimental transformation comes at a horrific price.
RABID is produced by Back 40 Pictures with funding from Telefilm Canada, Ontario Media Development Corporation. London based, Media Finance Capital and Amcomri Film Partners are financiers. Michael Walker, Paul Lalonde and John Vidette are serving as producers.
Laura Vandervoort is co-managed by Norbert Abrams, Noble Caplan Abrams and by Adam Levine, Industry Films. Sharon Paz. Abrams Artists, is her Agent.
AboutFilm Mode Entertainment Film Mode Entertainment is a leading worldwide sales agent, production entity and distribution company, focusing on commercially driven feature films of all genres and budget sizes. Film Mode represents projects at all stages of the filmmaking process, often as Executive Producer, with the aim of helping producers and distributors achieve maximum exposure for their films. Film Mode’s recent successes include SUGAR MOUNTAIN starring Jason Momoa, LITTLE PINK HOUSE starring Academy Award nominee Catherine Keener and VIKING DESTINY starring Academy Award nominee Terence Stamp. Upcoming releases include CRYPTO starring Kurt Russell, Beau Knapp, and Alexis Bledel, STAGE MOTHER starring Academy Award nominee Jacki Weaver, Lucy Liu, and Adrian Grenier, and BURN starring Josh Hutcherson and Suki Waterhouse. Additional titles include THE GOOD NEIGHBOR starring Academy Award nominee James Caan, and GANGSTER LAND starring Milo Gibson, Sean Faris, Jason Patrick, and Jamie-Lynn Sigler. DocMode, Film Mode’s Documentary label was launched to focus on award-winning Documentaries that impact the world. BALLERINA, the first film under the label had its American debut in 2018. Film Mode is based in Beverly Hills, CA.
About 101 Films International Affiliated with UK FILM EXPORT, CREATIVE EUROPE and IFTA, 101 Films International is a leading worldwide sales agent and distribution company, focusing on commercially driven feature films of all genres and budgets. 101 Films International represents projects at all stages of the filmmaking process, with the aim of helping producers and distributors achieve maximum exposure for their films.
THIS HALLOWEEN, OTT CHANNEL "MIDNIGHT PULP" SERVES UP DARIO ARGENTO'S "DEEPLY TERRIFYING" ORIGINAL SUSPIRIA AND A COVEN'S WORTH OF ITALIAN HORROR CULT CLASSICS
Giallo Films Include Argento's Phenomena, Mario Bava's Black Sunday, Luciano Onetti's Francesca and the 2013 Giallo Homage, Sonno Profondo, and More!
Streaming all things strange | Midnight Pulp
New York, NY (October 30, 2018) - Luca Guagadnino's remake of the 1977 Dario Argento cult classic Suspiria just set a 2018 box office record for best opening per theater before it goes wide this coming weekend. The update, which stars Tilda Swinton, Dakota Johnson, Mia Goth and Chloë Moretz, is set at a prestigious dance academy, and, as in the original, involves grisly murders and the supernatural. But for genre fans interested in screening Argento's version "considered by many to be one of the all-time best horror films,[1]" the OTT platform MIDNIGHT PULP has horror fans covered - for FREE.
Offering an expertly-curated selection of horror, thriller and cult programming, MIDNIGHT PULP is one of the few streaming outlets online offering the original SUSPIRIA, guaranteed to put an extra chill into this spooky season. In addition to this supernatural classic, MIDNIGHT PULP also offers a coven's worth of Italian horror classics in the GIALLO collection, featuring the best of the Italian horror genre from notable directors like Argento, Mario Bava and Luciano Onetti, and viewers can choose to view on a no-charge freemium model or with an ad-free premium subscription starting at $4.99.
GIALLO Collection titles now available on MIDNIGHT PULP include:
SUSPIRIA (1977, Director Dario Argento) -- A newcomer to a fancy ballet academy gradually comes to realize that the school is a front for something far more sinister and supernatural amidst a series of grisly murders. Starring Barbara Magnolfi, Flavio Bucci, Jessica Harper, Miguel Bosé and Stefania Casini. (97 minutes)
BLACK SUNDAY (1960, Director Mario Bava) -- A vengeful witch and her fiendish servant return from the grave and begin a bloody campaign to possess the body of the witch's beautiful look-alike descendant. Only the girl's brother and a handsome doctor stand in her way. Starring Andrea Checchi, Arturo Dominici, Barbara Steele, Ivo Garrani, John Richardson and Mario Passante. (88 minutes)
FRANCESCA (2015, Director Luciano Onetti) -- Two detectives must hunt down a maniac bent on cleansing his city of impure souls. At the same time, a young girl who'd disappeared 15 years ago mysteriously resurfaces. Could these two events be connected? Gustavo Dalessanro, Luis Emilio Rodrigues, Raul Gederlini and Silvina Grippaldi star. (80 minutes)
MADHOUSE (1981, Director Ovidio Assonitis) -- Julia has spent her entire adult life trying to forget the torment she suffered at the hands of her twisted twin Mary... but Mary hasn't forgotten. Escaping hospital, where she's recently been admitted with a horrific, disfiguring illness, Julia's sadistic sister vows to exact a particularly cruel revenge on her sibling this year - promising a birthday surprise that she'll never forget. Starring Dennis Robertson, Michael MacRae and Trish Everly. (93 minutes)
PHENOMENA (1985, Director Dario Argento) -- A young girl, with an amazing ability to communicate with insects, is transferred to an exclusive Swiss boarding school, where her unusual capability might help solve a string of murders. Daria Nicolodi, Donald Pleasence, Federica Mastroianni, Fiore Argento and Jennifer Connelly. (116 minutes)
SONNO PROFONDO (2013, Director Luciano Onetti) -- A stylish, lush, and lurid film from Argentina, Sonno Profondo faithfully recreates the style of Italian horror films of the 70s. After murdering a woman, a killer that is traumatized from his childhood memories gets a mysterious envelope slipped under his door. The hunter becomes the prey when he finds out that the envelope contains photos that show him killing the young woman. Starring Daiana Garcia, Luciano Onetti and Silvia Duhalde. (67 minutes)
THE NIGHT EVELYN CAME OUT OF THE GRAVE (1971, Directed by Emilio Miraglia) - A decadent English lord thinks his second wife is his first wife back from the dead. Anthony Steffen, Enzo Tarascio and Marina Malfatti star. (101 minutes)
Your Vice is a Locked Room and Only I Have the Key (1972, Directed by Sergio Martino)-- As a string of violent murders plagues the town, a lecherous writer, Oliviero, is visited by his young, beautiful, and self-confident niece, Floriana. A silver-haired stranger observes. More women die, and thoughts of harming his wife give Oliviero new inspiration. What's Floriana's game and who's the observant stranger? Watching all is a black cat named Satan. Starring Anita Strindberg, Daniela Giordano, Edwidge Fenech, Ivan Rassimov and Luigi Pistilli. (97 minutes).
Midnight Pulp is available on the web, iOS, Android, Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast, Samsung Smart TV and additional platforms, and features thousands of streaming titles, with new titles programmed each week. Registered users can watch videos for free with commercials while premium subscribers can access the entire selection of titles without commercials, in addition to early releases, director's cuts and exclusive content.
About Digital Media Rights
Based in New York, Digital Media Rights (DMR) is a privately-held digital media and advertising company founded in 2010 by industry veterans Michael Hong and David Chu. As a pioneer in digital distribution, they've helped to transform the industry while evolving to specialize in three distinct areas: Digital Distribution, the DMR Advertising Network and OTT Digital Networks.
DMR is one of the largest content aggregators and distributors in the world with a catalog containing over 7,500 premium titles from 250+ partners across leading television networks, studios, producers and sales agents. Their broad distribution footprint includes direct distribution deals with many leading platforms including Amazon Instant Video, Amazon Prime, Hulu, Netflix, Cable VOD, iTunes, Google Play, FandangoNow, Hoopla, Kanopy, Vudu, and many others.
The DMR Advertising Network provides video and display ads via direct sales and programmatic channels across Connected TV, desktop, and mobile. Connecting brands and media buying agencies to relevant audiences across its premium publishers, DMR handles over 500 million ad requests per month globally across all screens, while optimizing ad revenue through its direct relationships with brands, advertising agencies, networks, DSPs, SSPs, and other demand partners.
DMR is also an OTT channel publisher and developer with a suite of five owned and operated over-the-top (OTT) channels that have become leading destinations for their respective genres: AsianCrush (pan-Asian), Midnight Pulp (horror/thriller), Yuyu (general entertainment), Cocoro (kids/family) and KMTV (K-Pop). DMR's OTT channels are available across multiple platforms and devices such as web, iOS, Android, Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast, and many leading Smart TVs.
ACADEMY AWARD® WINNER MEL GIBSON, CHARLIE HUNNAM AND EIZA GONZÁLEZ ATTACHED TO STAR IN TIM KIRKBY’S THRILLER ‘WALDO’
Based on Howard Gould’s novel Last Looks; IMR International will launch foreign sales at the AFM this week
LOS ANGELES (October 29, 2018) – Academy Award® winner Mel Gibson (Braveheart, Hacksaw Ridge), Charlie Hunnam (“Sons of Anarchy,” King Arthur: Legend of the Sword) and Eiza González (Baby Driver, upcoming Welcome to Marwen) are attached to star in Tim Kirkby’s (“Fleabag,” “Brockmire,” “Veep”) Waldo.
The action-packed thriller follows brilliant ex-detective gone rogue: Charlie Waldo, and is based on the novel Last Looks a razor-sharp, exquisitely paced, compelling thriller written by Howard Gould and published by Dutton. The sequel, Below the Line, is set to be released in Summer 2019. Andrew Lazar, Christina Weiss Lurie and Steve Shainberg will produce. IMR International is handling foreign sales, which will launch at the American Film Market (AFM) this week. CAA Media Finance is handling the US rights.
Waldo introduces a new and compelling hero in disgraced former LAPD detective Charlie Waldo, currently living the life of a minimalist in the woods. His quiet life comes to a startling halt when he is roped back into working as a private eye to investigate the murder of an eccentric television star’s wife. Filming is set to commence in Q1 of next year.
Gibson can next be seen in Dragged Across Concrete, which had its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival this year. Upcoming films include Farhad Safinia’s The Professor and the Madman and Boss Level directed by Joe Carnahan. He directed the lauded feature, Hacksaw Ridge starring Andrew Garfield, and is next set to direct WWII drama Destroyer.
For seven seasons, Hunnam starred as ‘Jax Teller’ in FX’s “Sons of Anarchy,” the highest rated drama in the network’s history. Since wrapping “Sons,” Hunnam starred in Guy Ritchie’s Knights of the Round Table: King Arthur; James Gray’s Lost City of Z; and Papillon for Michael Noer. He will next be seen in JC Chandor’s Triple Frontier, Justin Kurzel’s The True History of the Kelly Gang and Max Winkler’s Jungleland.
González is best known for her role alongside Ansel Elgort in Edgar Wright’s Baby Driver, and can next be seen in Robert Zemeckis’ Welcome to Marwen, alongside Steve Carell, Robert Rodriguez’s Alita: Battle Angel, and Bloodshot alongside Vin Diesel.
Gibson is represented by CAA; Hunnam is represented by CAA and Brillstein Entertainment Partners; and González is represented by CAA and Management 360.
IMR’s slate also includes: Justin Kurzel’s Ruin, starring Margot Robbie and Matthias Schoenaerts; What is Life Worth starring Michael Keaton; Olivier Assayas’ Wasp Network starring Penélope Cruz, Pedro Pascal, Gael García Bernal and Edgar Ramírez; and John Michael McDonough’s The Forgiven.
"Insistent, gripping." -- Manohla Dargis, The New York Times
"Hauntingly beautiful." -- Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal "A crime drama like no other." -- Bilge Ebiri, The Village Voice FROM THE DIRECTOR OF SHOPLIFTERS AND AFTER THE STORM, Palme d'Or winner Hirokazu Kore-Eda, COMES THIS gripping legal thriller, WINNER OF SIX JAPANESE ACADEMY AWARDS THE THIRD MURDER
Street Date: November 13, 2018 DVD SRP: $24.95
Film Movement's DVD Release of the Acclaimed New York Times Critic's Pick Includes a "Making of" Featurette and "A Gentle Night" Winner of the Palme d'Or at Cannes in 2017 for "Best Short Film"
WATCH THE OFFICIAL TRAILER
Following its critically-acclaimed 2018 theatrical release, Film Movement bringsKore-eda's THE THIRD MURDER to home audiences with a loaded DVD being released just prior to the theatrical release of Shoplifters, winner of the prestigious Palme d'Or winner at Cannes in 2018.
In this compelling, slow-burning thriller, high-powered attorney Shigemori (Masaharu Fukuyama) takes on the defense of murder-robbery suspect Misumi (Kōji Yakusho), though he does so with reluctance, knowing that the man already provided a full confession and had been previously convicted of murder thirty years earlier.
But as Shigemori digs deeper into the evidence and hears Misumi's own conflicting testimony, the once confident lawyer begins to doubt whether his client could be the murderer after all. A striking departure in genre and tone from Kore-eda's typical family-oriented dramas, THE THIRD MURDER is a gripping and morally complex crime procedural that incisively explores the meaning of truth and innocence.
BONUS FEATURES
Bonus Short Film - A Gentle Night(Directed by Qiu Yang | China | 15 minutes) In a nameless Chinese city, a mother with her daughter missing, refuses to go gentle into this good night. Winner of the "Best Short Film" Palme d'Or at Cannes Film Festival in 2017. Making-of featurette Message from the Cast
PROGRAM INFORMATION Type: DVD Running Time: 124 minutes Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 Widescreen Audio: 5.1 Surround Sound/Stereo 2.0 Language: Japanese with English Subtitles
About Film Movement Founded in 2002 as one of the first-ever subscription film services with its DVD-of-the-Month club, Film Movement is now a North American distributor of award-winning independent and foreign films based in New York City. It has released more than 250 feature films and shorts culled from prestigious film festivals worldwide. Film Movement's theatrical releases include American independent films, documentaries, and foreign art house titles. Its catalog includes titles by directors such as Hirokazu Kore-eda, Maren Ade, Jessica Hausner, Andrei Konchalovsky, Andrzej Wajda, Diane Kurys, Ciro Guerra and Melanie Laurent. 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 as Eric Rohmer, Peter Greenaway, Bille August, Marleen Gorris, Takeshi Kitano, Arturo Ripstein, Sergio Corbucci and Ettore Scola. For more information, please visit www.filmmovement.com.
"Halloween" takes place in Haddonfield, Illinois...
...but was filmed in southern California.
The trees are noticeably green.
The film crew scattered dead leaves everywhere to simulate autumn. The leaves were then swept up and reused for the next shot.
But perhaps the biggest clue that this is California and not Illinois... ...are the palm trees.
I neither own nor claim any rights to this material. Just having some fun with it. Thanks for watching!
SETH ROGEN AND MICHAEL KEATON TO STAR IN "KING OF THE JUNGLE"
IMR International to Introduce the True-Life Tale to Buyers at AFM
LOS ANGELES, CA (October 26, 2018) –– Seth Rogen (This is the End, The Disaster Artist) and Academy Award® nominee Michael Keaton (Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance), Spotlight) will star in King of the Jungle, a comedy to be directed by Glenn Ficarra and John Requa (I Love You Phillip Morris) from a script by Golden Globe® and Emmy® Award winners Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski.
The film is based on a true story first published in Condé Nast’s Wired magazine by Joshua Davis. The film is from Condé Nast Entertainment, Zaftig Films, MadRiver Pictures and Endurance Media, who have come on board to co-finance, and Epic Entertainment. IMR International will introduce King of the Jungle to foreign buyers at the AFM next week. CAA Media Finance are representing the U.S. rights.
Based on the Wired magazine article “John McAfee’s Last Stand,” the film tells the wild true story of rogue tech magnate John McAfee (Keaton), creator of the McAfee Antivirus software, who cashed-in his fortune, left civilization, and moved to the jungle in Belize. There, he set-up a Colonel Kurtz-like compound of guns, sex and madness.
In the film, Wired magazine investigator Ari Furman (Rogen) accepts what he thinks is a run-of-the-mill assignment to interview McAfee, but once he arrives in Belize, he finds himself pulled into McAfee’s escalating paranoia, slippery reality, and murder.
The film will be produced by Jeremy Steckler of Condé Nast Entertainment, Zaftig’s Charlie Gogolak, Glenn Ficarra and John Requa, MadRiver’s Marc Butan, Endurance’s Steve Richards, and Epic’s Joshua Davis.
The multi-hyphenate Rogen starred in and produced the critically acclaimed The Disaster Artist for A24 and Sausage Party for Columbia Pictures. He is currently in post on the untitled Lionsgate comedy, starring alongside Charlize Theron, and best known for roles in This is the End, Steve Jobs, Superbad, Knocked Up, and Pineapple Express. He was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award® for Outstanding Writing for a Variety, Music or Comedy Program for “Da Ali G Show.”
Keaton won a Golden Globe® and was nominated for an Academy Award® for his performance in Alejandro G. Iñárritu’s Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance), and starred in the Academy Award® winning Spotlight, directed by Tom McCarthy. He can next be seen in Tim Burton’s Dumbo for Disney which will release next year.
Rogen is represented by UTA and Principal Entertainment LA. Keaton is represented by ICM Partners and Ziffren Brittenham.
IMR’s slate also includes: Justin Kurzel’s Ruin, starring Margot Robbie and Matthias Schoenaerts; What is Life Worth starring Michael Keaton; Olivier Assayas’ Wasp Network starring Penélope Cruz, Pedro Pascal, Gael García Bernal and Edgar Ramírez; and John Michael McDonough’s The Forgiven.
Talk about obscure--I couldn't find any info about GONE CRAZY online, it isn't on IMDb, and even the press release from IndiePix Films lists its year as "1980s." (Amazon says "1980" and the DVD cover says "1983.")
The castmembers who actually appear on IMDb have no credit in their filmographies that resembles it. That alone gives this enigmatic effort a bit of lost-film mystique which adds to its interest.
It's an interest this movie can use, being a rather dull and unremarkable affair. What makes it noteworthy is that it's part of a roster of South African films made during apartheid and shown to black audiences, films which have succumbed to neglect over the years but are now being digitally restored and released to modern-day audiences as part of IndiePix Films' "Retro Afrika Collection."
The story begins when a disgruntled former city employee named Vusi firebombs the mayor's house, then breaks into a scientific facility and steals a new "super bomb" with which he plans to blow up the nearby dam where he used to work, and flood the town in retaliation for having lost his job.
The mayor calls in the town's chief inspector while a lady scientist, Professor Gumbi, hires a private investigator. The two end up working together to track down Vusi and find the bomb before it can destroy the town and its inhabitants. Vusi, meanwhile, kidnaps Professor Gumbi and leaves her tied up atop the dam as the minutes tick down to detonation.
This is very basic stuff--blandly directed, languidly paced, and repetitive (the same exposition and plot points get rehashed over and over while the good guys try to decide their next move). Most of it is filmed in cramped indoor sets until finally, in the third act, a terrific found location is used as the town's dam.
It's here, late in the film, that things finally pick up and the good guys go into action to foil Vusi's twisted plot. Director Tony Cunningham manages to generate some suspense at last, and the cast, particularly those portraying Vusi and Professor Gumbi, do their best to sell it.
Visually, GONE CRAZY is sort of a spiritual cousin to those threadbare shot-on-video titles that started coming out in the 80s and 90s when anybody with a video camera could make movies (the works of J.R. Bookwalter come to mind), although being shot on actual film makes a big difference. The print used here has been restored quite nicely.
While many viewers may rightly avoid a film of this nature, I derive a good deal of fun and pleasure from watching such an effort in which the filmmakers have severely limited resources with which they do their best to turn out passable entertainment.
In its own way, GONE CRAZY is sort of the cinematic equivalent of "primitive art"--earnestly done and, if watched in the right frame of mind, somewhat endearing.
TECH SPECS Actors: Pepsi Mabizela, Fikile Majozi, Roy Dlamini Format: Color, NTSC, 3:2, Stereo Language: Zulu Subtitles: English Number of discs: 1 Rated: NR Studio: Indiepix Films Run Time: 75 minutes Extras: Trailer
Part of Indiepix Films' "Retro Afrika" collection, 1985's offbeat Western UMBANGO is one of hundreds of South African films produced for black audiences during apartheid, some of which are now being preserved for posterity.
It's a fascinating novelty, seeing an all-black cast (save for one Caucasian gunfighter referred to as a "gringo") performing in this earnest homage to the classic American Western.
Described by one reviewer as a "spaghetti western", I would liken it much more to the sort of B-movie oaters that filled double bills back in the 30s and 40s (at 68 minutes it's even the right length for this) and involved upstanding good guys vs. villainous bad guys with the fate of a small frontier town in the balance.
The good guys are ace horseman and gunfighter Jack and his buddy Owen, who dream of staking a claim to some prime real estate nearby and building their own ranch.
Handsome Jack is in love with pretty young Molly, who owns her own small ranch. Theirs is a troubled relationship since she loves him but objects to any show of physical violence even when circumstances force Jack to draw his gun in self-defense.
One of those circumstances is KK, a big, burly, ill-tempered cuss whose brother George now sits in prison because of Jack and Owen. KK's first order of business after taking over the town is to start a gang of thugs headed by his unctious toady, Jake.
Then he begins a program of intimidation aimed at the rest of the town, including its nervous sheriff, and moves inexorably toward a forced showdown with his two sworn enemies.
Labeled as being in "color", the film seems to have faded to a quite pleasing sepia tone, and the print used here is in fine condition. The town setting looks rather makeshift but it's fun anyway, and all the signs ("Bank", "Sheriff", etc.) are in English even though everyone is speaking Zulu. The attempt to recreate the look and feel of an old-fashioned American Western is endearing.
The capable cast get into their roles very well, and the direction by Tonie van der Merwe (FISHY STONES, OPERATION HIT SQUAD) ranges from amusingly amateurish to surprisingly stylish at times, with a lean, uncluttered storyline that moves along nicely toward the final gun battle between the forces of good and evil on the town's main street.
While this proves a satisfying resolution, the film is no more violent or complicated than an episode of a typical Western TV series from the 50s and 60s. As such, it's a nostalgic throwback to such times for those who enjoy this kind of entertainment.
And the fact that this traditional Western town is populated solely by black Africans (not counting the "gringo" gunfighter) in roles usually played by white actors gives UMBANGO an incongruously fantastic touch which, for me, only added to this novel film's unusual sense of discovery and fun.
www.indiepixfilms.com Tech Specs Actors: Popo Gumede, Hector Mathanda, Kay Magubane Format: Color, NTSC Language: Zulu with English subtitles Number of discs: 1 Rated: NR Studio: Indiepix Films 3:2, Color, Stereo DVD Release Date: October 23, 2018 Run Time: 68 minutes Extras: Trailer
