Holy Christ has it been forever since I posted here. I’ve got no good excuse, except that Horror Squad keeps me busy.
If you’ve been eagerly awaiting the day when Jigsaw’s series of Saw films would finally draw to a close, this could be your lucky day. The new trailer for Saw 3D is now online (thanks IGN!) and it’s promising to be the end of the line. I’m happy about this because I’m pretty fucking sick of covering these movies every year. Contrary to popular opinion, they’re not the worst thing out there — but clearly, this is an idea that’s been run into the ground. It’s time to move on.
Of course, like any old school horror fan, I’m wary of this. Once upon a time Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter was supposed to be the end of Jason and we all see how that worked out…
I could see Saw 3D making a truckload of money and Lionsgate demanding another film — so hold off on those “Jigsaw is dead!” parties for now.
In other news, the film has shifted from its October 22nd release date to the 29th instead — clearly to avoid opening against Paranormal Activity 2, a film that kicked Jigsaw’s ass all over the box office last year.
Scroll down a bit further and check out the new trailer for yourself. Remember — the Traps Are Alive!!!
I’m not the biggest fan of the Resident Evil films–I liked the first two well enough, but I’d never put them on a list of my favorite films (regardless of genre distinctions). That doesn’t mean I don’t appreciate them as campy and braindead fun, though. I hate when people say “turn off your brain”, but that’s kinda the best ways to watch the RE films.
The trailer for the latest is now online. Resident Evil: Afterlife looks like your typical entry in the series–stylish and filled with elaborate action set-pieces–but this time it comes with an added bonus: 3D. Milla Jovovich is once again back to take on the nefarious Umbrella Corporation, presumably in the equally retardedly named Raccoon City. Check out the new clip and see what you think
Resident Evil: Afterlife is due out later this year.
One of my favorite foreign horror films of recent vintage is Jaume Balaguero and Paco Plaza’s “monsters in a building” flick Rec. The Spanish film was creepy and intense and just a genuinely good time (and so much better than its American remake, Quarantine).
So, when news that the filmmakers were returning to do a sequel that picks up immediately after the first film ends, I was pretty excited. That feeling of anticipation grew with each new trailer and clip, and now comes the good news that Magnet Releasing (the genre division of Magnolia Films) is going to bring the film to America. Yes, unlike Sony, who sat on the original Rec for an eternity so it didn’t mess up the release of their subpar remake, we’ll actually be seeing Rec 2 very soon.
In typical Magnet fashion, the film will get a limited theatrical release sometime in July–but will be available through VOD services a month prior. Word on the street is that you need to see this in a theater if at all possible, but if you’re not lucky enough to live in a major metropolitan area, you’ll still be able to check it out on your home theater.
In preparation, here’s an English language trailer to get you in the mood.
After months of speculation, it’s finally official: Scream 4 is happening.
The news broke yesterday over at Variety, where Dimension Films chief Bob Weinstein confirmed that things are moving forward on the project. The newest installment in the popular franchise is set to go before cameras this spring and should release on April 11th of 2011 if all goes according to plan.
The biggest news is that Wes Craven is officially confirmed as director. After several false alarm announcements, Craven himself has spoken about how excited he is about the project. Our friends at Shock Till You Drop scored this quote from the man himself:
“I am delighted to accept Bob Weinstein’s offer to take the reins on a whole new chapter in Scream history. Working with Courteney, David and Neve was a blast ten years ago and I’m sure it will be again. And I can’t wait to find the talent that will bring new blood to the screen as well. Kevin is right on his game with the new script – the characters and story crackle with energy and originality – to say nothing of some of the most hair-raising scares I’ve seen in a script since… well, since the original Scream series. Let me at it.”
Ghostface’s latest adventure is set to be something of a family reunion. Scream 4 will see not only the return of Craven, but also screenwriter Kevin Williamson, and stars Neve Campbell, Courtney Cox Arquette, and David Arquette. That being said, it’s been over a decade since Scream 3. Do you think Craven and company can recapture the magic or is this–like grunge music and flannel shirts–something better left in the ’90s?
You have to be a pretty serious gore fan to have seen the first three Violent Shit films–they were low budget German gorefests from filmmaker Andreas Schnaas and they really had no redeeming artistic value other than the sheer amount of (admittedly cheap) splattery special FX work on display. Schnaas, like his contemporary Olaf Ittenbach, was working with limited funds and subpar equipment–so that they were even able to make feature length films at all is something of an accomplishment.
The Violent Shit films were never big on plot–they basically revolved around Schnaas donning a metal mask and calling himself Karl the Butcher while obliterating his fellow humans in some of the most disgusting ways imaginable. Think Friday the 13th with essentially no plot, the gore quotient multiplied by like a thousand and production values on par with the home video footage you took of your cousin’s bar mitzvah and you’re in the ballpark.
It’s been nearly 11 years since the last Violent Shit film–and Schnaas has apparently decided this is as good a time as any for Karl to make his triumphant return. Cinema Suicide shared a link to this trailer for Violent Shit 4: Karl vs. The Axe. I have no idea who The Axe is, and it probably doesn’t even matter. What’s most interesting is that Schnaas is using some better technology this time around and the trailer looks almost professional. It also features a really great exploding head at the end.
No idea when this thing might come out, but it’s good to know that Andreas and The Butcher are still out there and primed for a return. Fans of low budget gore cinema will want to keep an eye on this one.
Oh, and it should go without saying, but the trailer is NSFW–it’s got some gore and boobs. Some bosses tend to frown on that, but I’ll be damned if I can figure out why.
First off, I really fucking hope we’re not going to have to call this year’s annual Saw installment Saw VII 3D because that’s the most goddamn awkward title I’ve seen since Peter Jackson’s King Kong: The Official Game of the Movie. It’s not as much of a mouthful as that one, but still–let’s just call it Saw VII, for Christ’s sake.
Anyway, IMDB has some early casting listings on the film’s page. You have to take any casting news acquired this way with an industrial-sized salt-lick, but the people listed as being in the newest outing all make sense so I wouldn’t be surprised if this actually turns out to be true. If they had a listing that included Gary Oldman amongst the cast, I’d be a lot more dubious. However, according to this list, Tobin Bell, Betsy Russell, Costas Mandylor, and Tanedra Howard are all coming back.
No word on what the story (currently being concocted by screenwriters Marcus Dunstan and Patrick Melton) might entail, but I’m guessing it will involve complicated traps, loads of flashbacks featuring Tobin Bell saying things like “make your choice”, and a ludicrous ending that sets up a sequel for October of 2011.
Personally, I think Saw VII should find Jigsaw taking on an evil film company that forces a director to make their movie after he’d already signed on to make a competing film instead. Sounds pretty topical to me.
One of the most interesting stories in the past few weeks was Paramount’s announcement that they were hiring Saw VI director Kevin Greutert to helm a sequel to last year’s surprise hit and box office juggernaut, Paranormal Activity. They also announced that the sequel would be ready in time for Halloween and that it would be in direct competition with Lionsgate’s Saw VII. Pretty bold moves on Paramount’s part, and a big loss for the Saw franchise–considering that Greutert’s Saw VI is the best entry since the first sequel.
One couldn’t help but feel Lionsgate could have avoided this by signing Greutert to helm Saw VII–but for some strange reason, they opted for Saw V helmer David Hackl instead (extra funny since Saw V is the worst film in the series). Apparently, someone at Lionsgate/Twisted Pictures has come to their senses and taken this little skirmish to a new level.
According to Deadline, Lionsgate has exercised an option in Greutert’s contract. Doing this means the director will have to leave Paranormal Activity 2 and head back to Toronto to begin prep work on his new project, Saw VII. Hackl, meanwhile, will be reassigned to another Lionsgate project according to the site’s source.
There are two ways to look at this move–either it’s incredibly shrewd on Lionsgate’s part or they’re so terrified of Paranormal Activity kicking the crap out of them at the box office for a second year in a row that they’ve pulled out all the stops to try to prevent it from happening. My money’s on the latter, although I don’t know that this move is enough to make a difference. Greutert made a good Saw movie last year and they still got stomped like a NARC at a biker rally. Bringing him back means we’ll probably get another decent Saw sequel, but I don’t think it guarantees anything in terms of box office. Greutert’s name alone doesn’t put asses in seats, unfortunately.
Looking at it from the shrewd perspective, this does throw a slight monkey wrench into Paramount’s plans. October isn’t that far away and now they’ve got to scramble to land another director and adjust to his vision for Paranormal Activity 2. That’s not an easy feat to pull off, but there is time to do it. If this move causes Paramount to have to delay PA2–giving the Halloween window to Saw VII exclusively–then it’s damn near brilliant on Lionsgate’s part.
Will Paramount respond to this declaration of cinematic war by Lionsgate? If they do, how will they do it? I’ll be honest–I don’t really give a crap about either movie, but watching two large film companies get nasty with each other entertains me greatly. Buckle up, kids–this may be the opening salvo in a very long and contentious battle.
Shock Till You Drop posted a link to a fascinating (well, fascinating if you like horror movies and find the inner workings of the movie business interesting, anyway) blog entry from screenwriter Todd Farmer chronicling how he and partner Patrick Lussier went from the fast-track on Halloween 3D to dead in the water in what seems like an instant. In this lengthy piece, Farmer tells you (mostly) what happened, what they were planning for the film (they wanted Tom Atkins to be in it…how awesome would that have been?), and why the whole thing fell apart.
I won’t spoil the story (it’s well worth reading for yourself), but this should be required reading for anyone wanting to work as a writer and creator in Hollywood. If things like this can happen to Farmer and Lussier (who were coming off their success with the My Bloody Valentine remake) just imagine what they can do to guys who haven’t had anything produced…
Check out the blog posting by clicking here. I’ll tell you that his blog is getting hammered this morning so it might not load right away. Be patient–it’s worth the wait.
Some pretty big news emerged yesterday when Dark Sky Films announced that they’d acquired the rights to Adam Green’s slasher sequel Hatchet 2. That wasn’t the only bombshell, though, as the company then followed that tidbit up with news that they plan to turn Hatchet into a multi-release slasher franchise.
The movie, which is currently filming, sees Danielle Harris taking over the lead role in her quest to end the reign of the murderous Victor Crowley once and for all.
Dark Sky will team up with Ariescope to bring the film to audiences sometime this year. Here’s what Dark Sky’s Executive Vice President Greg Newman had to say about their new acquisition:
“We are thrilled to be a part of the ‘Hatchet’ franchise. In Victor Crowley, Adam Green has developed an enduring character that will continue to wreak havoc for years to come. Green is among the most talented filmmakers working in the genre and most importantly, he listens to his audience and understands how to make films that surpass their very high expectations. HATCHET 2 will deliver the goods.“
Expect more Hatchet news in the coming weeks, and rest assured that there’ll be a lot more Victor Crowley in our future if Green and Dark Sky have their way.
I’m not sure why anyone would feel the urge to make a sequel to one of the worst films in recent history (Uwe Boll’s Alone in the Dark), but that’s exactly what’s happening and I’ve got the trailer to prove it (thanks to the mighty Dread Central).
What’s even more puzzling is why you’d make a sequel to a terrible film that is essentially universally despised, change the actors and story, and yet keep the title. Christian Slater and Tara Reid are gone and the only real tie to the original movie (which was based on a videogame series) is that Edward Carnby is still the main character. If that’s your only real tie to the original series, you’d probably be better off just doing a brand new standalone film. I guess this proves that even bad publicity is better than no publicity at all. I can see no other reason to tie yourself to anything directed by Uwe Boll.
Anyway, I’m probably gonna wind up watching this thing (and hating myself as soon as it starts) because it’s got Bill Moseley, Danny Trejo, and Lance Henriksen in it. Those three guys are cool enough to get me to watch just about anything and I don’t see that changing any time soon. Donald Pleasence had the same affect on me–and while I was burned by many a bad flick with Dr. Loomis skulking around in it, I kept going back for more.
We’ll all find out how bad Alone in the Dark II is when it debuts on DVD this January 26th.
