Public Enemies - What Did You Think?
Kyle Ward To Write Sony’s Uncharted Game Adaptation and Hitman 2
Posted on Friday, June 26th, 2009 by Russ Fischer
For quite some time, Sony has quietly been working to develop a film based on the PlayStation 3 game Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune. Now with the game’s sequel getting great press in the wake of E3 (and thanks in part to a fun multiplayer beta) Sony has dropped word that the movie is actually happening. Kyle Ward has been hired to pen the script, which makes his second video game-related announcement in two days (He’s also scripting Hitman 2). Read More »
I know I might be stating the obvious, but the bad economic times have hit every industry, including the movie industry. Earlier this year at the Sundance Film Festival, it was a very different scene than previous years. I don’t have the exact figures but it appeared that a lot fewer films were acquired compared to previous years. This of course left many films in a questionable state. Earlier this week, the Jim Carrey/Ewan McGregor comedy I Love You, Philip Morris finally got bought.
If a Jim Carrey comedy is having that much trouble, you can imagine where this leaves the true independents, regardless if they might be the most marketable indie at the festival or not. Thankfully, good things come to those who wait. Derrick Comedy’s Mystery Team has finally been acquired by Lionsgate’s indie label Roadside Attractions.
Cinematical described it as “Encyclopedia Brown meets Napoleon Dynamite with a pinch of Ace Ventura” and CinemaBlend called it “the Rocky Horror Picture Show of mystery movies.” Film School Rejects called it “perfect comedy for the internet generation.” And we said it is ” funnier and more original than 99% of the comedies Hollywood releases now-a-days.” No word yet on an exact release date, but we’ve heard the words “this fall” and “Nationwide.” Read the full press release after the jump.
High Res: The Expendables Promo Poster and Outdoor Art
Posted on Thursday, May 14th, 2009 by Peter Sciretta
The billboards for Sylvester Stallone’s The Expendables may or may not be on display at the Cannes Film Festival, but the promo artwork appears to be official. Lionsgate has sent us over high resolution copies of the promo poster and billboard advertising for the film. I’ve included the full poster after the jump. As always, click on the images to enlarge.
After Brett Ratner dropped out of directing Conan due to “scheduling conflicts,” V For Vendetta director James McTeigue was tipped to be the top choice to helm the project. CHUD is now reporting that while Nu-Image/Millenium want McTeigue, Lionsgate is interested in three different choices:
Lionsgate has premiered the official U.S. trailer for Gamer on XBox Live (is this the first movie to ever premiere a trailer on a video game console? Possibly) The trailer has found its way online. Gamer (previously titled Game) is the new film from Crank madmen, Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor.
The story takes us to the sci-fi future world where prisoners do battle in a real life video game. A test screening was held in October, and you can read our Early Buzz report for the full scoop. It looks like a fun crazy-concept sci-fi film from the 1980’s. Watch the trailer embedded after the jump, remember to hit the HQ button to see high quality video, and leave your thoughts in the comments below.
[Dave's note: I believe the song used in the trailer is Marilyn Manson's cover of "Sweet Dreams," a song originally made popular by Eurythmics. Not the first song I would think of to use, but I think it's employed to great effect!]
Interview: Corey Haim Talks Crank 2: High Voltage, Corey-Isms, Lost Boys 3, Twitter, and Directing Dramedy!
Posted on Tuesday, April 14th, 2009 by Hunter Stephenson
The clock is ticking. In minutes, I am scheduled to interview Corey Haim. But I need more time to: find my good sunglasses, make a margarita, and hook up my interview shit poolside at a friend’s house. The publicist agrees to push the interview back half-an-hour. The power of /Film. By-and-by, it all works out and the publicist fulfills a dream. I’m not into doing interviews. Much too often, there is A) a bitchy studio hawk circling, B) a wait-time worthy of a disappointing rap concert/Comcast, or C) the celeb is so glazed-over from blurting the same answers to ‘net middle men on every continent that you feel like hugging them, and then slapping them. And likewise for them, sans the personal contact.
But Corey Haim is Z) reached levels of non-ironic cool that even Steve McQueen (not the Hunger one) and Lee Marvin (the Prime Cut one) could never touch. Like brightly-dyed shorts with displaced geometric patterns, Haim burst onto the scene as the American teenager in the 1980s. For an actor—and for our younger readers—that requires more natural pep than LeBron James has hops. And in my opinion, Haim was the first real, believable and awesome geek on screen (dude, your comic store’s Dewey Decimal System blows) who could get laid. And thus, maybe get you laid. Paul Rudd would come much later. Paul Rudd is also a geek narc. Haim can be seen in theaters this weekend wearing a mullet in Crank: High Voltage.
Excluding the initial actions above, I didn’t prepare for the interview; I know I’ll be interviewing Corey again soon when he gets a major theatrical role. It needs to happen, Hollywood. Our chat was fun, casual, whatever. Haim has the laid back charm over the tele that many of us know so well. Just add a cigarette.
/Film: Hello Corey Haim.
Corey Haim: What’s up Hunter. How you doin’?
Ha. I’m doing fine, sittin’ by the pool. So you have a role in Crank 2. How did you first meet [writer/directors Mark] Neveldine and [Brian] Taylor?
Corey Haim: Actually, a while ago man. I believe. See, I was supposed to be in the first movie. Was it the same character? A character. I just know that in this movie they wanted me to play this character. Randy.
Right.
Corey Haim: Let me give you a description of my character.
Sure.
Crank 2 Web Advertisements Powered by Twitter?
Posted on Thursday, April 9th, 2009 by Peter Sciretta
Lionsgate Pictures made news by being the first movie studio to premiere new content (a Crank 2 poster) on Twitter. And now it appears that the studio is basing part of their internet advertising campaign around the micro-blogging site. While browsing the web, I cam across the above Crank 2 google ad for Crank: High Voltage, which features a rotating feed from the official Lionsgate movies twitter account.
I’m not sure how promoting the Lionsgate twitter account will get more people to buy tickets to the sequel (especially when some of the messages are just the Lionsgate Twitter publicist talking to random twitter users about who-knows-what), but I thought it was an interesting idea. I think it would be cooler to have the advertisement grab random mentions of Crank 2 in real time from around the Twitterverse.
Neveldine/Taylor’s Game: Italian Movie Trailer
Posted on Wednesday, March 25th, 2009 by Peter Sciretta
An Italian movie trailer for Game has shown up online. The new movie from Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor - the madmen that brought us Crank takes us to the sci-fi future world where prisoners do battle in a real life video game. The trailer looks pretty insane, gritty action mixed with sci-fi futuristic tech overlays. And the sci-fi concept is the kind of impossible crazy that could lend it self to a kick ass action flick. And you have to love the use of Marilyn Manson’s cover of the 1983 Eurythmics hit “Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This)”. Aparently the trailer originated from JoBlo, but I cant seem to find it on their site. Watch the trailer after the jump and let me know what you think in the comments below.
New Crank 2 Trailer Will Destroy Your Web Browser
Posted on Tuesday, March 24th, 2009 by Peter Sciretta
Lionsgate has released a special “rumble” edition of the Crank: High Voltage movie trailer which is just is too insane for any normal web browser. The screen rumbles as the action jumps out of the video player and causes mass destruction the the break video website. Yes, it is a gimmick, but I found it amusing. Check it out now on Break.com.
Lionsgate Premieres Crank 2 Poster on Twitter
Posted on Wednesday, March 18th, 2009 by Peter Sciretta
Lionsgate has released the outdoor poster advertising for Crank: High Voltage on Twitter, making them the first studio to premiere exclusive content on the micro-blogging platform. As you know, you can follow us on twitter at twitter.com/slashfilm. The poster is very, very… yellow. Check out the full sized poster after the jump.
Read More »
Frightfest Report: Darren Lynn Bousman, Lesbian Vampire Killers and Ozploitationn
Posted on Saturday, March 7th, 2009 by Brendon Connelly
Today was a special one-off Frightfest event, which saw the return of the festival to it’s seedbed cinema, The Prince Charles, on Leicester Place in London. There are four separate Film 4 Frightfests a year – a full weekender in August, a Glasgow satellite event, an all-nighter at the ICA and, finally, what would usually be an all-Lionsgate fixture. This was the Lionsgate date, but this time only one of their pictures was on the program and some other distributors were called upon to make up the numbers.
As well as the UK premieres of Embodiment of Evil, Shuttle, and Repo! The Genetic Opera, the fest also featured the world premiere of Lesbian Vampire Killers and a special double bill of Not Quite Hollywood and Turkey Shoot. There’s something brief on each of those, as well as news bits from or about Darren Lynn Bousman, Dario Argento, Terrance Zdunich, Phil Claydon and MyAnna Buring after the break.
I’m not sure why there’s been so little word about Jonas Akerlund’s The Horsemen. Judging from this trailer, it looks like a decent enough B-level thriller that could work well in theaters on a slow weekend. Oh yah, and it stars Dennis Quaid and Ziyi Zhang—not exactly unknowns.
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