According to ScreenDaily, Twilight producers Imprint Entertainment are teaming up with Seoul-based sales agents Mirovision to remake the South Korean horror film Phone.
Phone (which I’ve reviewed here) was a fairly decent chiller in the vein of countless other Asian ghost films. The new remake has been in development hell for several years, but looks to finally be moving forward thanks to this new arrangement. Reports indicate that the English language script is nearly complete and that the film should be ready for release in the summer of 2010.
The story focuses on a reporter who learns that her new cell phone number has been tied to a series of mysterious deaths and her quest to solve the mystery behind it all.
I have to say that IFC has really stepped up their horror game in recent months. If their Midnight Movie revival announcement wasn’t enough to make your horror-loving heart sing with joy, then perhaps the following will:
I Sell the Dead, a Slamdance Film Festival selection, will hit limited theaters and VOD on August 14.
In the film, body snatchers Arthur Blake and Willie Grimes have pillaged their last grave. With just five hours before Arthur follows Willie to the chopping block, he recounts his life story to Fr Francis Duffy. It soon becomes clear that Blake and Grimes were no ordinary grave robbers. And through his stories the priest learns that not all corpses are equal.
The film boasts a solid cast (Ron Perlman, Larry Fessenden, Angus Scrimm, and Dominic Monaghan) and has generated positive buzz at various festival screenings here and abroad. Check out the trailer and see for yourself.
Fresh off the success of his Nazi Zombie film, Dead Snow, director Tommy Wirkola has already lined up his next project. Fans hoping for more Nazis and or Zombies are in for a surprise.
The Hollywood Reporter broke news that Wirkola’s next feature will be Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters. The film follows the titular characters “15 years after that whole gingerbread house incident. Simply put, they’re now specialized bounty hunters looking to put down the cackling black-hat set.”
I’m pretty torn on this one–sounds almost interesting, but incredibly cheesy at the same time. If it were a comic book, I’d almost assuredly take the plunge–but for some reason I’m having a hard time envisioning this as a full-length film. That being said, it’s way too early to judge. I do think there’s potential to make something interesting out of that premise–but I see a lot of spots where it could all go horribly wrong, too.
The film will be produced by Gary Sanchez Productions (run by Will Ferrell and Adam McKay) and early reports indicate that the company feels there’s franchise potential in the title–which is being compared to Shaun of the Dead and Evil Dead 2. More on this as it develops.
I wanted to post this yesterday, but with the unpleasant business of my PC going to the shop (where it’s still sitting–get well soon, old friend) and the Wolverine press screening, yesterday was basically one giant clusterfuck. So, this is coming to you a day late–but if you haven’t read it somewhere else, it’s still new news to you.
In case you were unaware, there are several adaptations of stories from Clive Barker’s seminal anthologies The Books of Blood in the works. Dread seems to be shaping up nicely, but it’s been awhile since we heard much of anything about Book of Blood. That changed yesterday when Fangoria unveiled distribution plans for the film–details that were discussed on a panel at the recent Weekend of Horrors in Los Angeles. The good news is that the film will be getting a premiere. The potentially soul crushing follow-up is that it will be on Sci-Fi (or SyFy…as if fucking Sci-Fi couldn’t get any dorkier…). This means about 15 people will actually see the film–and that it will be edited for television.
Writer/director John Harrison had this to say on the topic:
“There can’t be a worse time, economically, to open an independent horror film in the U.S. than now, so we will instead do a major cable launch on Sci Fi around September. We hope to get the movie on a few big screens before then, but it’s tough.”
I never really expected this film to get a theatrical release, but I did hope that it would turn up on DVD before hitting Sci-Fi. Who the hell wants to watch an edited version of the film with commercials the very first time they see it? I’m still looking forward to checking out Harrison’s finished project, but I’ll be waiting for a DVD before settling in to watch it.
I loved Inside–easily one of my favorite horror films of the past few years. Because I love it so much, I’ve been waiting patiently to learn what filmmakers Alexandre Bustillo and Julien Maury had planned for their follow-up. For awhile, it looked like the remake of Clive Barker’s Hellraiser (which now resides in the capable hands of Pascal Laguier) would be the next thing on their dance card. That fell through and then we heard…nothing.
Nothing, that is, until today–when Twitch Film unveiled poster art and a synopsis for their new feature, Livid. That’s the poster above–the synopsis is as follows:
It’s young Lucy’s first day as a trainee in-house caregiver. She visits Mrs Jessel, an old woman who lies in cerebral coma, by herself, in her large desolate house. Learning by accident that Mrs Jessel, a former dance teacher of repute, supposedly possesses a treasure somewhere in the house, Lucy and friends William and Ben decide to search the house in the hope of finding it.
At night, they get into the house, which reveals itself to be increasingly peculiar. Their hunt for Mrs Jessel’s treasure leads them into a horrifying supernatural series of events that will change Lucy forever…
I’m intrigued–I think it’ll be interesting to see what these directors do with supernatural film as opposed to something more grounded in a brutal facsimile of reality. It’s also going to be interesting to see how these guys perform in their first English language production. The movie will reportedly be set in a small Irish town and begin filming later this year. Expect more news as it becomes available.
Somehow, I’ve missed out on hearing about Dead Air until just a few days ago. I don’t know how this happened, but I guess it’s a subtle reminder that I can’t know about everything (as much as that pains me…). Anyway, Corbin Bernsen is directing this film and Bill Moseley is starring. Check out the poster above and the official synopsis.
Logan Burnhardt is the ego-king of the airwaves, but his unflappable persona is put to the test when a terrorist bio-attack unleashes a plague of flesh-ripping maniacs on Los Angeles. Bill Moseley (House of 1000 Corpses, The Devil’s Rejects, 2007’s Halloween) stars.
The film is being shopped at this year’s Cannes film festival–I’ll keep you posted if anyone picks it up for domestic distribution. In the meantime, you can learn more by heading over the Antibody Films website (where you can find trailers and more goodies).
I’m going to be honest–I just really don’t care about Saw anymore. I stuck with the series through the first four parts, but Saw V is the point where I go “I’m tired of this and I wouldn’t mind this franchise just going away”. That being said, I’m sure some of you out there still do care–and that’s cool. So, this is for you.
Lionsgate has sent out the official Saw VI synopsis and here’s what you can expect when it hits theaters this October:
Special Agent Strahm is dead, and Detective Hoffman has emerged as the unchallenged successor to Jigsaw’s legacy. However, when the FBI draws closer to Hoffman, he is forced to set a game into motion, and Jigsaw’s grand scheme is finally understood.
Pretty slim on details, but I imagine the whole thing would still be confusing even if they divulged the entire script.
Just a quick heads up for anyone thinking of picking up Martyrs today–be aware that there’s an edited R-rated version of the film out there at retailers like Wal-Mart and Blockbuster. I shouldn’t have to tell you that you don’t want this version, but I’ll tell you anyway–you don’t want this version.
So, make sure you check the rating before buying/renting. I’m sure a cut version of the film would pack far less of an impact.
I wanted to be more excited about Capcom’s Dead Rising 2, but I have to be honest–the first game just left me more aggravated than pleased. Sure, the core idea of the game is brilliant (zombies, mall, everything’s a weapon…) but the stupid A.I. and shitty save system killed it for me.
I’m hoping Dead Rising 2 fixes those issues, but even if it doesn’t, this trailer has upped my interest almost exponentially. If you jump to the 1:51 mark, you’ll see hero Chuck sporting dual chainsaws on a wooden stick–and it may be the coolest thing ever. Not to be outdone, he then straps two chainsaws to his motorcycle, and the zombie slaughter kicks into high gear. I have to be honest, I’ll put up with a lot of suck for the opportunity to run around as a dual-saber chainsaw slinging Darth Maul wannabe killing hordes of the undead. This, my friends, is why I love being a gamer.
I can’t believe it’s almost May already…where is 2009 going?
There’s a wide variety of genre flicks hitting DVD and Blu-ray this week, so let’s just jump right in.
Pascal Laugier’s Martyrs finally hits DVD this week–and not a moment too soon. After generating an insane amount of buzz (particularly for a foreign horror flick), Laugier’s savagely nihilistic vision is finally available for American audiences to check out firsthand. Let me just say that the wait was worth it–Martyrs is an amazing film. Laguier plays with your expectations time and time again, lulling you into thinking you know exactly where the film is going, then yanking the rug out from under you before bringing you a final act that was so totally unexpected that I couldn’t help but love it. Expect my full review in the next few days. Until then, go buy this one and check it out for yourself. Martyrs is the official Horror Geek Pick of the Week.
I’m not a particularly huge fan of horror remakes, but The Uninvited hits DVD this week and is worth checking out for people who never managed to catch its inspiration, A Tale of Two Sisters. As far as remakes go, The Uninvited is a middle of the road production–it’s not nearly as good as the film that inspired it, but it’s not a complete abomination, either. If you’re into the whole Asian ghost story retold for American audiences, then this one is well worth a look. Still, I’d advise seeing the original instead.
I wanted to post this yesterday, but with the unpleasant business of my PC going to the shop (where it’s still sitting–get well soon, old friend) and the Wolverine press screening, yesterday was basically one giant clusterfuck. So, this is coming to you a day late–but if you haven’t read it somewhere else, it’s still new news to you.
