More Clips! Phase 7 Coming to Theaters Soon!

Bloody-Disgusting.com and AMC theaters are bringing another in their Night Terrors series on July 13th.  Check out the trailer below, along with the embiggenable stills.  Here's your official synopsis:

PHASE 7 mixes satire, humor, horror and social commentary in a way that reminds viewers of the arch SHAUN OF THE DEAD and the savvy claustrophobia of [rec].  In the film, Coco (Hendler) has just moved to a new apartment with his wife Pipi (Stuart), who’s seven months pregnant.  At first, they don’t seem to notice the growing chaos around them, but when authorities quarantine their building after a deadly pandemic breaks out, Coco joins forces with his off-kilter, but well-prepared and stocked next-door neighbor Horacio to defend his refrigerator and keep Pipi safe.  Meanwhile, outside the building, Buenos Aires—and the world as the apartment denizens know it, is disappearing. The world is ending; got ammo?

Directed and written by Nicolás Goldbart; produced by Sebastian Aloi; executive produced by Steven Schneider (Insidious, Paranormal Activity); starring Daniel Hendler (LOST EMBRACE); Jazmín Stuart (THE PARANOIDS); Yayo Guridi (LOS RODRIGUEZ); and Federico Luppi (PAN’S LABYRINTH).

And the trailer:

While we're at it, how about some pictures?

Will Phase 7 be playing near you?  See for yourself:

Bloody Disgusting AMC Theatres List

AMC Theatres - Barton Creek Square 14

2901 South Capital of Texas Highway

Austin, TX 78746-8101

(888) 262-4386

AMC Loews Theatres - White Marsh 16

8141 Honeygo Boulevard

Baltimore, MD 21236-8202

(410) 933-9428

AMC Loews Boston Common 19

175 Tremont St

Boston, MA 02108

(617) 423-5801

AMC Theatres - Concord Mills 24

8421 Concord Mills Boulevard

Concord, NC 28027

(704) 979-0200

AMC River East 21

322 East Illinois Street

Chicago, IL 60611

(312) 596-0333

AMC Theatres - South Barrington 30

175 Studio Drive

South Barrington, IL 60010-7142

(847) 765-2262

AMC Easton Town Center 30 with IMAX

275 Easton Town Center

Columbus, OH 43219

(888) 262-4386

AMC Star Theatres - Fairlane 21

18900 Michigan Ave

Dearborn, MI 48126-3929

(313) 982-0015

AMC Theatres - Orange Park 24

1910 Wells Road

Orange Park, FL 32073-2325

(904) 264-5071

AMC Theaters - Independence Commons 20

19200 East 39th Street
Independence, MO 64057
(816) 795-1430

AMC Theatres - The Block 30

20 City Boulevard West

Orange, CA 92868-3100

(714) 769-4288

AMC Burbank 16

125 E. Palm Ave.

Burbank, CA 91502

(818) 953-2932

 

AMC Theatres - Sunset Place 24

5701 Sunset Drive

South Miami, FL 33143-5369

(888) 262-4386

AMC Theatres - Rosedale 14

850 Rosedale Center

Roseville, MN 55113

(651) 604-9344

AMC Theaters - Elmwood Palace 20

1200 Elmwood Park Boulevard
New Orleans, LA 70123-2313
(504) 733-2029

AMC Theatres - Empire 25

234 West 42nd Street

New York, NY 10036-7215

(212) 398-2597

AMC Theatres - Clifton Commons 16

405 Route 3 East

Clifton, NJ 07014-1911

(973) 614-0966

AMC Theatres - Quail Springs Mall 24

2501 West Memorial Road

Oklahoma City, OK 73134

(405) 755-2466

AMC Downtown Disney 24

1500 E Buena Vista Dr.

Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830-8422

(407) 827-1308

AMC Theatres - Westgate 20

9400 West Hanna Drive

Glendale, AZ 85305-3137

(623) 772-1371

AMC Loews Theatres - Waterfront 22

300 Waterfront Drive West

Homestead, PA 15120

(412) 462-6550

AMC Theatres - Mission Valley 20

1640 Camino Del Rio North

San Diego, CA 92108

(619) 296-2737

AMC Theatres - Mercado 20

3111 Mission College Boulevard

Santa Clara, CA 95054-1832

(408) 919-0282

AMC Metreon Theater 16

101 4th Street

San Francisco, CA 94103

(415) 369-6000

AMC Theatres - Pacific Place 11

600 Pine Street

Seattle, WA 98101

(206) 652-8908

Don't Be Afraid of These New Clips and Stills from Don't Be Afraid of the Dark

One of the more exciting films coming this fall from a major studio has to be the Guillermo del Toro-produced remake of Don't Be Afraid of the Dark.  To whet your appetite further, here's some new clips and stills.  Turn down the lights and hit the videos... it's time to "Come and play..."

 

Click the images for an even bigger look!

 

New Clips and Chat Fun with Bloodrayne: The Third Reich

You know I care because I bring you clips.  Here are some from the upcoming Uwe Boll film, Bloodrayne: The Third Reich.  "But, hey!" you say, "I want more than clips.  We've really come to expect more out of you."  To that I say, "Enough, mom, college isn't for everyone!"  Forget that.  What I meant was, how about a chance to interact with the man, the myth, the legend, Uwe Boll?  And let's sweeten the pot with the lovely star of the film, Natssia Malthe.  Tomorrow, at 7:30 EST/4:30 PST, hit USTREAM here, or the film's Facebook page here.

And, now, the clips!

New Review: Stake Land

Boy, do I love a good apocalypse.  Something about the futility of life after an Armageddon appeals to me as entertainment, an environment in which the trappings of modern life fall away and all that is left is survival and the human condition viewed through that prism.  The best of these films have an agenda, a point to make about humanity under these extraordinary circumstances, and perhaps that’s the attraction.  The best fiction is always about what it means to be human, what we gain, what we lose.  Even when the examination is less than perfect, something may echo.

“Welcome to Stake Land,” the mysterious Mister (co-writer Nick Damici, Mulberry Street) tells the teenage Martin (Connor Paolo, Gossip Girl).  Orphaned by an attack of vampires, Martin falls in with Mister, travelling ever northward ahead of the worst of the vampire plague.  These vampires aren’t your sparkly, smoochy ones, either.  These are monstrous, mindless, bloodthirsty creatures bent on tearing you apart for every drop of sweet, sweet blood.  They even have a few distinct categories, the worst of which are the ‘berserkers,’ doubly tough to kill because of hardened bone over their heart.  Have to go to the base of the skull or through the back for those puppies. 

Along the way, Martin and Mister pass a few outposts of humanity, trading vamp teeth for goods and services, even picking up the occasional stray.  Sister (Kelly McGillis, yes, that Kelly McGillis) is the victim of assaults by The Brotherhood, religious fundamentalists who believe that the vampires have come as curative for the sins of mankind, never mind their own murderous behavior.  While the vampires in Stake Land serve as the funky bass line upon which the rest of the film grooves, the real villain of the movie is the Brotherhood, represented by the fanatical Jebedia Loven (Michael Cerveris, Fringe), who have turned the coming of the vampires into a religious movement.  

Mister, Martin, Sister and the barroom singer Belle (Danielle Harris, Hatchet II) find themselves on the run from the Brotherhood, on a seemingly-endless road trip in search of New Eden, a city rumored to have escaped the vampire plague, where a government is in place and safety is surely to be found.  

There is much to enjoy about Stake Land.  The apocalyptic America is convincing, the human outposts as gritty as you would expect at the end of things, and the vampires are satisfyingly grotesque.  Few can speak, most drooling, gibbering monsters more animal than man.  I’m good with that.  Enough with these angst-y undead types who just want to be loved, so prevalent in popular culture today.  This does make the vampires somewhat one-dimensional, however, and only a few variations are on display, although the ‘scamp’ we encounter is suitably creepy.  

Co-writer and director Jim Mickle (Mulberry Street) puts his lead from his previous mutant rat film front-and-center for Stake Land, creating an archetypal character who says little, generally speaking in one-liners that are more ominous than funny.  For the most part it works, though it doesn’t feel particularly authentic.  More grounded is Paolo’s portrayal of Martin, who gives us exposition through voice-over in a monotone that has hints of real desperation in it.  He is good as the teenager whose childhood has vanished with the first arterial sprays of the vampiric invasion, now a professional vampire killer seeking a safe harbor to hang up his stakes and live like a regular kid.

Mickle also aims his stakes at fundamentalism capitalizing on a tragedy, a critique that feels more relevant a few years ago, but there’s still, sadly, truth in the argument.  It doesn’t feel like a particularly well-delivered message here, however, more observation than comment, and perhaps that is the intent.  One wishes for a more aggressive send-up, but I always give points for any movie willing to take a stand.

My biggest complaints with Stake Land come in the last act, where the final confrontation seems to come too quickly, the reveal of the villain a bit too convenient.  Even the denouement at a roadside grocery feels strangely weightless against the backdrop of the previous hour of the movie.  Still, there are fine moments, and the movie wastes no time in getting down to business.  It’s entertaining throughout, if not completely satisfying.  If you’re a horror fan like me, who pines for the days when vampires were deadly monsters, and enjoy a little end of the world in your entertainment, this makes some nice viewing.  For non-horror fans, it’s going to come off a little too dour, a little too hopeless, and, ultimately, a little too transitory to be embraced.

New Review: Trollhunter

TrollHunter (or, Trolljegeren if you’re nasty) may feel at first glance as if it’s riding the wave of the found footage movies that seem to land on DVD shelves or in movie theaters every six minutes or so.  Do not be fooled – this is a troll of a different color.

The title of the film is all you need to know of the plot.  Three college students take their camera and boom microphone into the wilds of Norway to track poachers in the area.  After following a mysterious bearded man, they discover that he is no poacher after all, but a man working for a secret government organization to hunt and kill trolls if they wander out of their natural borders and start causing havoc amongst the population.  And by havoc, I mean eating the population in question.

The college kids, along with the audience, follow the Trollhunter as he squares off against them with only his trusty UV ray gun and “troll stink,” his concoction which allows him to mask his scent using their own smell against them.  The surefire way to kill a troll is to simulate sunlight, resulting in one of two endings for the mythical beastie – explosion (messy) and calcification (just plain cool).  The other hitch is that trolls can apparently smell Christianity, making believers in the Christian faith particularly yummy to trolls of all stripes.

We do get peeks at three or four different types of trolls, and the first encounter is particularly fun as we, along with the camera crew, get our first glimpses of these fantastical characters made real.  We’re also treated with an actual troll under a bridge, and another so large it dwarfs all others before it. 

The real wonder of this film is its ridiculous subject matter and the absolute seriousness with which it treats the images on the screen.  While not a particular fan of trolls and their lore, seeing them come to life on the screen was an unexpected treat and one that I heartily recommend.  Sure, the CGI trolls seem like CGI trolls sometimes, but there are shots that look totally convincing and it brings a smile to the face.  The entire experience made me pine for the days when people took monster movies a bit more seriously, instead of the tongue-in-cheek raping of the creature feature prevalent on SyFy Channel movies or numerous direct-to-video films.  Not that Trollhunter isn’t a little slyly funny, but it doesn’t wink at the audience, either.

It’s hard to judge the acting in the film in its native Norwegian, though it seems fine, and the movie is occasionally weighed down by its vérité conceit which makes some of the second act feel a bit plodding.  The real stars of the movie are the delightful trolls, and writer-director Andre Ovredal knows which side his mythic bread is buttered on, giving us some very fun moments with these legendary creatures. 

Trollhunter hits DVD and Blu-ray soon enough, but if you can still catch this one on the festival circuit, do so.  It may be uneven, but I can guarantee you’ve never seen trolls like these outside of children’s storybooks, and, for that, you owe it a look.

News Round-Up

So, been away for a few days, and in that time some interesting things have happened.  Let's discuss, shall we?

First, the sequel to the terrible Human Centipede is coming, entitled The Human Centipede: Full Sequence, and the big news surrounding this one is its banning by the BBFC (British Board of Film Classification) in England, stating the film "posed a real, as opposed to a fanciful, risk that harm is likely to be caused to potential viewers."  Take that, Human Centipede!  But, really, what's the story here?  You know what else the BBFC banned?  The Evil Dead, Texas Chainsaw Massacre (the original), A Clockwork Orange, and Freaks.  I think banning Full Sequence puts it in way better company than it deserves.  The original was a surprisingly tame hoax played on horror fans everywhere.  Still, censorship should occur on the small scale, not the national.  Thoughts?

Getting away from the awful to the potentially-awful, Fright Night is being remade.  I know, I know, the streets should run red with the blood of the heretics, but there is one chance this could be worthwhile - David Tennant as Peter Vincent, Vampire Killer.  When I recently saw Marti Noxon, the film;s writer, speak, she mentioned the outcry after the first trailer for the remake appeared, largely Tennant-less.  Word is, the studio is uncomfortable marketing it as a comedy, despite the belief that Tennant is VERY funny in this film, hence his absence.  In this sneak from the MTV Movie Something-or-others, you get at least a peak at the man.

Also, Magnolia finally snagged up the rights to distribute the wonderful Tucker and Dale vs. Evil, lost in the shuffle of the MGM bankruptcy.  You'll be able to see it in theaters on August 26th, but you can yourself occupied with the trailer below and the review here.

Finally, a shot from the new season of AMC's The Walking Dead has been released.  All hail Darabont and his stinky, flesh-eating horde!

New Movie: Don't Be Afraid of the Dark, Now With Movie Poster Goodness

 There are two types movies - ones you hope are good and those you think, 'this better not suck.'  The Guillermo del Toro produced Don't Be Afraid of the Dark, a remake of the uber-creepy 1973 TV movie with Kim Darby, falls squarely into the latter category.  And guess what?  New trailer!

Spooky, right? Below is the official synopsis, but you're just going to go see this one, anyway, right?  Right?!

Guillermo del Toro presents DON’T BE AFRAID OF THE DARK, a horror film starring Katie Holmes, Guy Pearce and Bailee Madison, directed by Troy Nixey.  Based on the 1973 telefilm that del Toro believes is the scariest TV production ever made, the story follows Sally (Madison), a young girl who moves to Rhode Island to live with her father (Pearce) and his new girlfriend (Holmes) in the 19th-century mansion they are restoring. While exploring the house, Sally starts to hear voices coming from creatures in the basement whose hidden agenda is to claim her as one of their own.  Akin to del Toro’s PAN’S LABYRINTH, DON’T BE AFRAID OF THE DARK focuses on a young girl’s struggle against menacing and terrifying forces.  FilmDistrict will release the film on August 26^th.  

And, the official one-sheet:

Forget-Me-Not - Behind the Scenes

Lots of new movie news today, so let's get started with some behind the scenes stuff for Forget-Me-Not, a movie we mentioned recently.  Now out on DVD, you pick up a copy here.

Now, for the fun stuff!

And even more!

You can see more from our coverage here.