Director Renny Harlin's career is fascinating. The Finnish filmmaker grew up loving Hollywood movies and later managed to insert himself into that very industry, making a slew of successful '80s and '90s movies from "The Long Kiss Goodnight" to "A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master." More recently, however, his output has been a little more uneven.
Last year, Harlin's Pierce Brosnan-starring film "The Misfits" made a surprise comeback on Netflix. I say a "surprise" because "The Misfits" did not fare well at the box office when it was first released in 2021, and despite Harlin's efforts to rekindle the magic of his '90s actioners, simply functioned, according to critic Chris Bumbray, as "ad for Abu Dhabi tourism." Thankfully, the man who gave us such classics as "Die Hard 2" and "Cliffhanger" has not simply been reduced to churning out streaming movies that desperately...
Last year, Harlin's Pierce Brosnan-starring film "The Misfits" made a surprise comeback on Netflix. I say a "surprise" because "The Misfits" did not fare well at the box office when it was first released in 2021, and despite Harlin's efforts to rekindle the magic of his '90s actioners, simply functioned, according to critic Chris Bumbray, as "ad for Abu Dhabi tourism." Thankfully, the man who gave us such classics as "Die Hard 2" and "Cliffhanger" has not simply been reduced to churning out streaming movies that desperately...
- 4/18/2024
- by Joe Roberts
- Slash Film
Director Renny Harlin recently shot an entire trilogy of Strangers movies simultaneously, with The Strangers: Chapter 1 set to reach theatres on May 17th and The Strangers: Chapter 2 and The Strangers: Chapter 3 possibly following by the end of the year… but those aren’t the only Renny Harlin horror movies we’ll be seeing this year. In fact, Vertical will be giving a Harlin-helmed horror movie called Refuge a VOD release this Friday, April 19th – and the trailer for the film can be seen in the embed above!
Scripted by Ben Sztajnkrycer, Refuge has the following synopsis: After a mysterious attack from a malevolent demon during his tour of duty in Afghanistan, Sergeant Rick Pedroni returns home a changed man, and more dangerous than ever.
The film stars Sophie Simnett (Daybreak), Raza Jaffrey (The Rhythm Section), Aston McAuley (Rocketman), Johanna Harlin (Class Reunion 3), Shervin Alenabi (Gangs of London), Atanas Srebrev...
Scripted by Ben Sztajnkrycer, Refuge has the following synopsis: After a mysterious attack from a malevolent demon during his tour of duty in Afghanistan, Sergeant Rick Pedroni returns home a changed man, and more dangerous than ever.
The film stars Sophie Simnett (Daybreak), Raza Jaffrey (The Rhythm Section), Aston McAuley (Rocketman), Johanna Harlin (Class Reunion 3), Shervin Alenabi (Gangs of London), Atanas Srebrev...
- 4/17/2024
- by Cody Hamman
- JoBlo.com
CinemaCon kicks off today in Las Vegas, and as the official convention of the National Association of Theater Owners gets underway, organizers have added another honoree to the roster: Geena Davis.
The Oscar winner will be feted with the Viola Davis Trailblazer Award during the Big Screen Achievement Awards inside the Colosseum at Caesars Palace on April 11.
“Geena Davis exemplifies the true essence of a trailblazer in Hollywood for not only her remarkable film career, but also in her tireless advocacy championing underrepresented voices in film and other forms of media,” said CinemaCon managing director Mitch Neuhauser. The trophy will be the second to carry the name after Davis was presented with the honor ahead of the release of The Woman King in 2022.
Geena Davis will have other duties in Las Vegas. Her Bentonville Film Festival has partnered with the Coca-Cola Refreshing Films program in a shared mission of supporting next generation creative talent.
The Oscar winner will be feted with the Viola Davis Trailblazer Award during the Big Screen Achievement Awards inside the Colosseum at Caesars Palace on April 11.
“Geena Davis exemplifies the true essence of a trailblazer in Hollywood for not only her remarkable film career, but also in her tireless advocacy championing underrepresented voices in film and other forms of media,” said CinemaCon managing director Mitch Neuhauser. The trophy will be the second to carry the name after Davis was presented with the honor ahead of the release of The Woman King in 2022.
Geena Davis will have other duties in Las Vegas. Her Bentonville Film Festival has partnered with the Coca-Cola Refreshing Films program in a shared mission of supporting next generation creative talent.
- 4/8/2024
- by Chris Gardner
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
A toxic spill mutates what should be a relaxing summer away from home into a monstrous nightmare for a pair of recently graduated best friends in Toxic Summer, the new comic book series from writer/artist Derek Charm. Ahead of the first issue's release on May 1st from Oni Press, Daily Dead caught up with Derek in a new Q&a feature to discuss his nostalgic comic book series, including its frightfully fun tone, its early 2000s setting, and working with the amazing team at Oni Press to bring Toxic Summer to life!
Thank you for taking the time to answer questions for us, Derek, and congratulations on your new comic book series Toxic Summer! How and when did you initially get the idea for this series?
Derek Charm: Thank you! It was probably about 2 years ago, and I had been developing various comic pitches with writers that were taking a while to get going,...
Thank you for taking the time to answer questions for us, Derek, and congratulations on your new comic book series Toxic Summer! How and when did you initially get the idea for this series?
Derek Charm: Thank you! It was probably about 2 years ago, and I had been developing various comic pitches with writers that were taking a while to get going,...
- 4/5/2024
- by Derek Anderson
- DailyDead
Lock your doors, because Lionsgate has released the trailer for the upcoming horror film “The Strangers: Chapter 1,” set to release on May 17.
The third film in “The Strangers” franchise, which originated with Bryan Bertino’s 2008 film, stars Madelaine Petsch as a woman moving to the Pacific Northwest to start anew with her fiancé (Froy Gutierrez). Their plans go askew when they stay at an AirBnB in Oregon, where they are subject to the torment of three masked strangers that show up at their door.
Other cast members include Rachel Shenton, Gabriel Basso, Ema Horvath, Richard Brake and Ella Bruccoleri.
“Chapter One” is the first film in a new trilogy directed by Renny Harlin, who has previously helmed “Die Hard 2,” “Cliffhanger” and “The Long Kiss Goodnight,” among other projects.
The original “Strangers” starred Liv Tyler and Scott Speedman as the targets of masked killers who break into their home.
The third film in “The Strangers” franchise, which originated with Bryan Bertino’s 2008 film, stars Madelaine Petsch as a woman moving to the Pacific Northwest to start anew with her fiancé (Froy Gutierrez). Their plans go askew when they stay at an AirBnB in Oregon, where they are subject to the torment of three masked strangers that show up at their door.
Other cast members include Rachel Shenton, Gabriel Basso, Ema Horvath, Richard Brake and Ella Bruccoleri.
“Chapter One” is the first film in a new trilogy directed by Renny Harlin, who has previously helmed “Die Hard 2,” “Cliffhanger” and “The Long Kiss Goodnight,” among other projects.
The original “Strangers” starred Liv Tyler and Scott Speedman as the targets of masked killers who break into their home.
- 3/1/2024
- by Jaden Thompson
- Variety Film + TV
‘Deep Water’ – Here’s the First Image of Aaron Eckhart in ‘Deep Blue Sea’ Director’s New Shark Movie
Renny Harlin is one busy filmmaker at the moment, with his The Strangers: Chapter 1 headed our way here in 2024 and a brand new shark attack horror movie also coming soon.
Twenty five years after the release of Deep Blue Sea, director Renny Harlin is headed back into shark-infested waters with the upcoming Deep Water, we learned last year.
Aaron Eckhart and Ben Kingsley will star in the upcoming shark movie, and Screen Daily exclusively shares a first look image this morning. Check it out up above.
Deep Water is coming soon from Arclight Films. Stay tuned for more.
Molly Wright (Lionsgate’s The Best Christmas Pageant Ever), Angus Sampson (FX’s Fargo), Kelly Gale (Lionsgate’s Plane), Li Wenhan from Chinese-Korean K-Pop group Uniq, and Chinese actress Nashi (Creation Of The Gods I: Kingdom Of Storms) also star.
Deep Water tells the tale of an eclectic group of international passengers whose plane,...
Twenty five years after the release of Deep Blue Sea, director Renny Harlin is headed back into shark-infested waters with the upcoming Deep Water, we learned last year.
Aaron Eckhart and Ben Kingsley will star in the upcoming shark movie, and Screen Daily exclusively shares a first look image this morning. Check it out up above.
Deep Water is coming soon from Arclight Films. Stay tuned for more.
Molly Wright (Lionsgate’s The Best Christmas Pageant Ever), Angus Sampson (FX’s Fargo), Kelly Gale (Lionsgate’s Plane), Li Wenhan from Chinese-Korean K-Pop group Uniq, and Chinese actress Nashi (Creation Of The Gods I: Kingdom Of Storms) also star.
Deep Water tells the tale of an eclectic group of international passengers whose plane,...
- 2/15/2024
- by John Squires
- bloody-disgusting.com
Twenty five years after the release of Deep Blue Sea, director Renny Harlin is headed back into shark-infested waters with the upcoming Deep Water, we learned last year.
Screen Daily now reports this morning that Harlin is throwing two big name actors into the Deep Water. Aaron Eckhart and Ben Kingsley will star in the upcoming shark movie.
Molly Wright (Lionsgate’s The Best Christmas Pageant Ever), Angus Sampson (FX’s Fargo), Kelly Gale (Lionsgate’s Plane), Li Wenhan from Chinese-Korean K-Pop group Uniq, and Chinese actress Nashi (Creation Of The Gods I: Kingdom Of Storms) also star.
Screen Daily notes in their report this morning that filming on Deep Water has actually already wrapped. “Arclight Films continues worldwide sales at EFM this week.”
Deep Water tells the tale of an eclectic group of international passengers whose plane, en route from Los Angeles to Shanghai, is forced to make an emergency landing in shark-infested waters.
Screen Daily now reports this morning that Harlin is throwing two big name actors into the Deep Water. Aaron Eckhart and Ben Kingsley will star in the upcoming shark movie.
Molly Wright (Lionsgate’s The Best Christmas Pageant Ever), Angus Sampson (FX’s Fargo), Kelly Gale (Lionsgate’s Plane), Li Wenhan from Chinese-Korean K-Pop group Uniq, and Chinese actress Nashi (Creation Of The Gods I: Kingdom Of Storms) also star.
Screen Daily notes in their report this morning that filming on Deep Water has actually already wrapped. “Arclight Films continues worldwide sales at EFM this week.”
Deep Water tells the tale of an eclectic group of international passengers whose plane, en route from Los Angeles to Shanghai, is forced to make an emergency landing in shark-infested waters.
- 2/13/2024
- by John Squires
- bloody-disgusting.com
One of the biggest financial flops of the 90s was the Renny Harlin pirate flick Cutthroat Island. The high-seas romp, which starred Geena Davis, cost nearly $100 million and only eked out $10 million in the US. It was a big enough flop that it sunk the studio that produced it, Carolco Pictures, but Harlin and Davis were able to bounce back fairly quickly and make The Long Kiss Goodnight, which has since become a classic. However, it’s worth noting that the stink left over from their pirate epic muted the latter film’s box office.
Despite being one of the biggest disasters of the nineties, Cutthroat Island is finally getting a 4K Blu-ray release. Check out all the details here. While (initially) only available at Wal-Mart, the loaded disc (which includes a Renny Harlin commentary) should encourage fans to give the movie another shot because it’s a pretty good movie.
Despite being one of the biggest disasters of the nineties, Cutthroat Island is finally getting a 4K Blu-ray release. Check out all the details here. While (initially) only available at Wal-Mart, the loaded disc (which includes a Renny Harlin commentary) should encourage fans to give the movie another shot because it’s a pretty good movie.
- 2/8/2024
- by Chris Bumbray
- JoBlo.com
Amazon MGM has announced (via Deadline) that they will be giving the thriller Pussy Island a global theatrical release on August 23rd – but, to the shock and surprise of no one, they’re not actually going to be releasing the film under the title Pussy Island. The feature directorial debut of Zoë Kravitz (who played Catwoman in The Batman), the thriller is now going by the title Blink Twice. By giving the film a more public-friendly title, they’ve just saved some members of the public from having to protest the fact that a movie called Pussy Island is showing at their local theatre.
Written by Kravitz and E.T. Feigenbaum, the film will follow Frida, a young, clever, Los Angeles cocktail waitress who has her eyes set on the prize: philanthropist and tech mogul Slater King. When she skillfully maneuvers her way into King’s inner circle and ultimately an...
Written by Kravitz and E.T. Feigenbaum, the film will follow Frida, a young, clever, Los Angeles cocktail waitress who has her eyes set on the prize: philanthropist and tech mogul Slater King. When she skillfully maneuvers her way into King’s inner circle and ultimately an...
- 1/26/2024
- by Cody Hamman
- JoBlo.com
Yesterday, we shared a new interview with director Renny Harlin that mostly focuses on his latest film, the action movie The Bricklayer, which was given a theatrical, On Demand, and Digital release earlier this month. But the interview also branches out with mentions of other Harlin projects, including the 1999 shark thriller Deep Blue Sea (watch it Here), which celebrates its 25th anniversary this year. During his conversation with JoBlo’s own Chris Bumbray, Harlin revealed that Samuel L. Jackson’s character – and therefore the famous scene involving that character – was added into the script at the last minute.
Harlin said, “The whole scene has its roots in the fact that I had done Long Kiss Goodnight with Sam, and we sort of made a pact that we would always work together as often as we can. So then Deep Blue Sea came up and Sam called me and he’s like,...
Harlin said, “The whole scene has its roots in the fact that I had done Long Kiss Goodnight with Sam, and we sort of made a pact that we would always work together as often as we can. So then Deep Blue Sea came up and Sam called me and he’s like,...
- 1/23/2024
- by Cody Hamman
- JoBlo.com
Earlier this month, The Bricklayer, the latest action film from Cliffhanger and The Long Kiss Goodnight director Renny Harlin, was given a theatrical, On Demand, and Digital release. We’ve previously shared interviews with the film’s stars Aaron Eckhart and Nina Dobrev, and now JoBlo’s own Chris Bumbray has sat down for an interview with Harlin himself! The primary focus of this interview is The Bricklayer, of course, but it also branches out with mentions of other Harlin projects like The Long Kiss Goodnight and Deep Blue Sea. You can check it out in the embed above.
Bumbray really enjoyed The Bricklayer, giving the film a 7/10 review you can read at This Link. If you’d like to watch the movie, you can do so on Amazon.
Based on a bestselling book by former FBI agent Noah Boyd (aka Paul Lindsay), The Bricklayer has the following synopsis: A...
Bumbray really enjoyed The Bricklayer, giving the film a 7/10 review you can read at This Link. If you’d like to watch the movie, you can do so on Amazon.
Based on a bestselling book by former FBI agent Noah Boyd (aka Paul Lindsay), The Bricklayer has the following synopsis: A...
- 1/22/2024
- by Cody Hamman
- JoBlo.com
Shane Black’s next film will be the hard boiled noir Play Dirty, with Lakeith Stanfield and Mark Wahlberg taking the lead roles.
It’s been a few years since we’ve heard anything about Black’s next film, Play Dirty. Originally, the plan was to reunite Black with Robert Downey Jr. While it seems Downey Jr is still involved as a producer through Team Downey – the production company he founded with his wife Susan Downey – The Hollywood Reporter has the story that Mark Wahlberg will now play the central role, and we now learn too that Lakeith Stanfield is on board.
The plot follows “a hardened professional thief who is, naturally, double-crossed and left for dead. His hunt for revenge, however, brings with it a shot at the biggest heist of his career. But, per the studio, even with the help of his partner, an actor-slash-con artist named Grofield...
It’s been a few years since we’ve heard anything about Black’s next film, Play Dirty. Originally, the plan was to reunite Black with Robert Downey Jr. While it seems Downey Jr is still involved as a producer through Team Downey – the production company he founded with his wife Susan Downey – The Hollywood Reporter has the story that Mark Wahlberg will now play the central role, and we now learn too that Lakeith Stanfield is on board.
The plot follows “a hardened professional thief who is, naturally, double-crossed and left for dead. His hunt for revenge, however, brings with it a shot at the biggest heist of his career. But, per the studio, even with the help of his partner, an actor-slash-con artist named Grofield...
- 1/17/2024
- by Jake Godfrey
- Film Stories
Role Play Movie Review: A Familiar Take On The Retired Assassin Trope Makes For An Entertaining Ride
Role Play Movie Review Rating:
Star Cast: Kaley Cuoco, David Oyelowo, Bill Nighy, and Connie Nielsen.
Director: Thomas Vincent
Role Play Movie Review Is Out! (Picture Credit: IMDb)
What’s Good: Cuoco and Oyelowo have enough charisma to carry the entire film on their shoulders, and it is actually fun to see them out of their comfort zone.
What’s Bad: The story is too predictable, and the plot might be copied from hundreds of other movies, but The Long Kiss Goodnight is not.
Loo Break: The middle of the movie sags a bit as the story tries to get to where the character makes their final decisions, but it could be more compelling.
Watch or Not?: Only watch if you are in the mood for something you have seen many times before.
Language: English (with subtitles).
Available On: Amazon Prime Video
Runtime: 101 Minutes.
User Rating:
Amazon Prime Video...
Star Cast: Kaley Cuoco, David Oyelowo, Bill Nighy, and Connie Nielsen.
Director: Thomas Vincent
Role Play Movie Review Is Out! (Picture Credit: IMDb)
What’s Good: Cuoco and Oyelowo have enough charisma to carry the entire film on their shoulders, and it is actually fun to see them out of their comfort zone.
What’s Bad: The story is too predictable, and the plot might be copied from hundreds of other movies, but The Long Kiss Goodnight is not.
Loo Break: The middle of the movie sags a bit as the story tries to get to where the character makes their final decisions, but it could be more compelling.
Watch or Not?: Only watch if you are in the mood for something you have seen many times before.
Language: English (with subtitles).
Available On: Amazon Prime Video
Runtime: 101 Minutes.
User Rating:
Amazon Prime Video...
- 1/15/2024
- by Nelson Acosta
- KoiMoi
All titles below begin streaming for free on January 1 unless otherwise noted:
Originals
Action
Prepare To Die
– 1/13-
A young man trains in the ways of martial arts to seek vengeance on the corrupt landowner who murdered his family.
Documentary
Vice News Presents: Epstein Didn’T Kill Himself
-1/17-
How the mysteries surrounding Jeffrey Epstein’s life and death gave rise to a conspiracy theory that will never die.
Gone Before His Time: Kobe Bryant
-1/26-
Recount the achievements – some personal, some professional, and many halted – of an NBA legend before his untimely death.
TMZ No Bs: Hollywood’S Dumbest Moments
-1/31-
Join TMZ as they examine baffling & cringe worthy celebrity moments – Hollywood stars aren’t always the sharpest tools in the shed.
Horror
Where The Devil Roams
-1/5-
A family of murderous sideshow performers traverse the harsh conditions of Depression-era America in a bloody deal with the Devil.
Originals
Action
Prepare To Die
– 1/13-
A young man trains in the ways of martial arts to seek vengeance on the corrupt landowner who murdered his family.
Documentary
Vice News Presents: Epstein Didn’T Kill Himself
-1/17-
How the mysteries surrounding Jeffrey Epstein’s life and death gave rise to a conspiracy theory that will never die.
Gone Before His Time: Kobe Bryant
-1/26-
Recount the achievements – some personal, some professional, and many halted – of an NBA legend before his untimely death.
TMZ No Bs: Hollywood’S Dumbest Moments
-1/31-
Join TMZ as they examine baffling & cringe worthy celebrity moments – Hollywood stars aren’t always the sharpest tools in the shed.
Horror
Where The Devil Roams
-1/5-
A family of murderous sideshow performers traverse the harsh conditions of Depression-era America in a bloody deal with the Devil.
- 1/12/2024
- by Stephen Nepa
- Age of the Nerd
A new novel, Argylle, claims to be the inspiration behind Matthew Vaughn’s upcoming film of the same name. But is it quite what is claimed? We’ve had a closer look.
Published today is a new novel called Argylle. The marketing tells us that it’s ‘The Explosive Spy Thriller That Inspired the new Matthew Vaughn film starring Henry Cavill and Bryce Dallas Howard’ but I don’t believe a word of that.
Contrarily, I think the film came first. That the film is the reason the book exists at all – and not in the Alan Dean Foster or Target Books sense of being a novelisation.
The lead character of Argylle, as played by Bryce Dallas Howard, is novelist Elly Conway. This is also the very same author the new real-world book has been credited to. The key to what’s really going on here seems to be the Author’s Note,...
Published today is a new novel called Argylle. The marketing tells us that it’s ‘The Explosive Spy Thriller That Inspired the new Matthew Vaughn film starring Henry Cavill and Bryce Dallas Howard’ but I don’t believe a word of that.
Contrarily, I think the film came first. That the film is the reason the book exists at all – and not in the Alan Dean Foster or Target Books sense of being a novelisation.
The lead character of Argylle, as played by Bryce Dallas Howard, is novelist Elly Conway. This is also the very same author the new real-world book has been credited to. The key to what’s really going on here seems to be the Author’s Note,...
- 1/4/2024
- by Brendon Connelly
- Film Stories
Brad Silberling's 1998 romance "City of Angels," a remake of Wim Wenders' indispensable 1987 film "Wings of Desire," stars Nicolas Cage as an immortal angel named Seth who gently breezes around Los Angeles, unseen by the people who live there. He appears to people only when they die, accompanying them to the afterworld. Observing humans as if they are an ineffable alien species, Seth becomes particularly enamored of an ambitious and compassionate young doctor named Maggie Rice. Seth finds that he might be experiencing love for the first time, and becomes visible to Dr. Rice, courting her and asking her deep questions about what it means to be human. Seth eventually chooses to transform into a human, sacrificing his immortality in order to be with his beloved.
What both Wenders and Silberling communicate with aplomb is how inhuman angels are. They live among humans but only interact when the humans die.
What both Wenders and Silberling communicate with aplomb is how inhuman angels are. They live among humans but only interact when the humans die.
- 12/31/2023
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
"You can't hide from me - I'll never, ever stop coming!" Vertical has revealed an official trailer for an action thriller called The Bricklayer, from the Finnish action filmmake Renny Harlin. This is indeed adapted from the novel "The Bricklayer" written by Noah Boyd. Aaron Eckhart stars as the elite CIA agent known as "Vail". When a rogue insurgent blackmails the CIA by killing foreign journalists and framing the government, the agency must lure their most brilliant yet rebellious operative out of retirement to unravel the international conspiracy. With an elite and deadly skill set, Vail is tasked with helping clear the agency’s name, forcing him to confront his checkered past while grappling with the truth. The Bricklayer also stars Nina Dobrev, Clifton Collins Jr., Tim Blake Nelson, and Ilfenesh Hadera. This is a "riveting adventure through the realms of espionage and intrigue, promises to captivate audiences from start to finish.
- 12/14/2023
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
What do you get when you combine Pierce Brosnan, Nick Cannon, and some people called Jamie Chung, Hermione Corfield, Rockmond Dunbar, Rami Jaber, and Mike Angelo? A massive flop, apparently. In a way, it's a shame "The Misfits" bombed back in 2021. The film made a meager $1.5 million on a reported budget of $15 million, but despite the abject box office and even worse reviews, it was at least propelled by decent enough intentions.
Director Renny Harlin, who's also overseeing the upcoming "Strangers" trilogy series, grew up in Finland loving Hollywood action movies and thrillers, and managed to accomplish the impossible by breaking into the U.S. film market and establishing himself as a big name director. Films such as "Die Hard 2," "Cliffhanger," and "The Long Kiss Goodnight" helped cement his standing, but he also proved he had a penchant for horror by directing movies like "A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master,...
Director Renny Harlin, who's also overseeing the upcoming "Strangers" trilogy series, grew up in Finland loving Hollywood action movies and thrillers, and managed to accomplish the impossible by breaking into the U.S. film market and establishing himself as a big name director. Films such as "Die Hard 2," "Cliffhanger," and "The Long Kiss Goodnight" helped cement his standing, but he also proved he had a penchant for horror by directing movies like "A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master,...
- 10/18/2023
- by Joe Roberts
- Slash Film
Pierce Brosnan, Samuel L. Jackson, and Brandon Lessard (Murder at Yellowstone City) are saddling up for Richard Gray’s Unholy Trinity, an upcoming Western revenge feature currently filming in Montana under a SAG-AFTRA Interim Agreement.
According to Deadline‘s exclusive report, Unholy Trinity delves into dark secrets, buried treasure, and bloody murder. Deadline says, “the film is set against the turbulent backdrop of 1870s Montana. It picks up in the moments before the execution of Isaac Broadway, as he gives his estranged son, Henry (Lessard), an impossible task: murder the man who framed him for a crime he didn’t commit. Intent on fulfilling his promise, Henry travels to the remote town of Trinity, where an unexpected turn of events traps him in town and leaves him caught between Gabriel Dove (Brosnan), the town’s upstanding new sheriff, and a mysterious figure named St. Christopher (Jackson).”
Gray directs Unholy Trinity...
According to Deadline‘s exclusive report, Unholy Trinity delves into dark secrets, buried treasure, and bloody murder. Deadline says, “the film is set against the turbulent backdrop of 1870s Montana. It picks up in the moments before the execution of Isaac Broadway, as he gives his estranged son, Henry (Lessard), an impossible task: murder the man who framed him for a crime he didn’t commit. Intent on fulfilling his promise, Henry travels to the remote town of Trinity, where an unexpected turn of events traps him in town and leaves him caught between Gabriel Dove (Brosnan), the town’s upstanding new sheriff, and a mysterious figure named St. Christopher (Jackson).”
Gray directs Unholy Trinity...
- 10/17/2023
- by Steve Seigh
- JoBlo.com
When it comes to the horror genre, there's no larger fear than the fear of the unknown. Perversely (in defiance of good creepy storytelling) but understandably (because what better way is there to combat fear of the unknown than by education), audiences and filmmakers are drawn to continue the story of a number of ambiguous horror films through sequels, remakes, reboots, and other franchise-expanding efforts.
The original "The Strangers" is one of the most unsettling home invasion movies ever made, thanks to the large amount of realism and ambiguity surrounding the titular masked killers. Contrary to popular belief, there is an "explanation" of sorts for their actions in Bryan Bertino's 2008 film and Johannes Roberts' 2018 sequel, "The Strangers: Prey at Night" in the repeated line "Because you were home," indicating that their murder spree is nothing more than random violence unleashed due to opportunity. Yet the identities of Dollface, Pin-Up Girl,...
The original "The Strangers" is one of the most unsettling home invasion movies ever made, thanks to the large amount of realism and ambiguity surrounding the titular masked killers. Contrary to popular belief, there is an "explanation" of sorts for their actions in Bryan Bertino's 2008 film and Johannes Roberts' 2018 sequel, "The Strangers: Prey at Night" in the repeated line "Because you were home," indicating that their murder spree is nothing more than random violence unleashed due to opportunity. Yet the identities of Dollface, Pin-Up Girl,...
- 10/16/2023
- by Bill Bria
- Slash Film
Lionsgate is gearing up to unleash an entire trilogy of brand new movies set in the world of The Strangers, with The Strangers Trilogy set to be released in 2024. And they’ve enlisted director Renny Harlin (Deep Blue Sea, The Long Kiss Goodnight, Die Hard 2) to helm the ambitious new trilogy.
Harlin and producer Courtney Solomon (Cake, After franchise) are set to introduce an exclusive first look at the trilogy during their New York Comic Con panel at 3 p.m. Et today (October 12), where they’ll also discuss making all three films.
The trilogy stars Madelaine Petsch (“Riverdale”), Froy Gutierrez (Hocus Pocus 2), Rachel Shenton (The Silent Child), Ema Horvath (“Rings of Power”) and Gabe Basso (Hillbilly Elegy).
Based on the original 2008 cult horror franchise, the project features Petsch, who drives cross-country with her longtime boyfriend (Gutierrez) to begin a new life in the Pacific Northwest. When their car breaks down in Venus,...
Harlin and producer Courtney Solomon (Cake, After franchise) are set to introduce an exclusive first look at the trilogy during their New York Comic Con panel at 3 p.m. Et today (October 12), where they’ll also discuss making all three films.
The trilogy stars Madelaine Petsch (“Riverdale”), Froy Gutierrez (Hocus Pocus 2), Rachel Shenton (The Silent Child), Ema Horvath (“Rings of Power”) and Gabe Basso (Hillbilly Elegy).
Based on the original 2008 cult horror franchise, the project features Petsch, who drives cross-country with her longtime boyfriend (Gutierrez) to begin a new life in the Pacific Northwest. When their car breaks down in Venus,...
- 10/12/2023
- by Meagan Navarro
- bloody-disgusting.com
The Exorcist: Believer is now playing in theaters. The first part in a proposed trilogy from Halloween director David Gordon Green and Blumhouse promised to be a direct follow-up to the original 1973 masterpiece, ignoring every single sequel that came before. That’s right, The Exorcist had numerous sequels, the last of which was released almost 20 years ago.
Most of them are… not good. And none of them have come even close to William Friedkin’s original classic. But that’s okay. Because the reality is, nothing ever will.
Let’s rank every single follow-up film (plus the TV series) from worst to best…
6. Dominion: Prequel to The Exorcist (2005)
Is it a controversial take to say that I find the “true” version of the official Exorcist sequel to be an absolute bore? For those not in the loop, Morgan Creek Productions began developing a prequel film that would tell the...
Most of them are… not good. And none of them have come even close to William Friedkin’s original classic. But that’s okay. Because the reality is, nothing ever will.
Let’s rank every single follow-up film (plus the TV series) from worst to best…
6. Dominion: Prequel to The Exorcist (2005)
Is it a controversial take to say that I find the “true” version of the official Exorcist sequel to be an absolute bore? For those not in the loop, Morgan Creek Productions began developing a prequel film that would tell the...
- 10/11/2023
- by Reyna Cervantes
- bloody-disgusting.com
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Although Wes Craven's 1984 film "A Nightmare on Elm Street" is typically lumped in with slasher movies -- it came out right when the genre was cresting in popularity -- it doesn't quite follow the same structure as its contemporaries in the horror genre. The "Nightmare" movies, because they take place largely within dreams, are slightly more cerebral, bizarre, or imaginative than many of the stalk-n-stab movies that infested theaters at the time. The series also attracted interesting and notable directors who went on to other projects. Chuck Russell directed part 3. Renny Harlin director part 4. Stephen Hopkins directed part 5. And Rachel Talalay directed "The Final Nightmare."
"A Nightmare on Elm Street" marathons are common around Halloween, and steamrolling through all nine extant "Nightmare" films is an experience the series' fans have likely forced themselves through at least once. Having done it,...
Although Wes Craven's 1984 film "A Nightmare on Elm Street" is typically lumped in with slasher movies -- it came out right when the genre was cresting in popularity -- it doesn't quite follow the same structure as its contemporaries in the horror genre. The "Nightmare" movies, because they take place largely within dreams, are slightly more cerebral, bizarre, or imaginative than many of the stalk-n-stab movies that infested theaters at the time. The series also attracted interesting and notable directors who went on to other projects. Chuck Russell directed part 3. Renny Harlin director part 4. Stephen Hopkins directed part 5. And Rachel Talalay directed "The Final Nightmare."
"A Nightmare on Elm Street" marathons are common around Halloween, and steamrolling through all nine extant "Nightmare" films is an experience the series' fans have likely forced themselves through at least once. Having done it,...
- 9/18/2023
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
To celebrate the release of Brief Encounters and The Long Farewell coming to Blu-Ray, DVD and Digital on September 18th we have 2 sets of both Blu-Rays to give away!
Studiocanal are pleased to announce their Vintage World Classics release of two seminal works by female director Kira Muratova, one of the leading figures in Ukranian and Russian cinema. Brief Encounters and The Long Farewell have been beautifully restored in 4k and, following their premiere in Bologna at the Cinema Ritrovata Festival, will be available for the first time in the UK on Blu-ray, DVD and Digital from 18 September.
Brief Encounters (1967) was the debut feature from Kira Muratova, and shows the beginnings of her impressionistic style, blending observational realism with new wave experimentation. Through an intricate play of flashbacks and shifting perspectives, Brief Encounters reveals the intricate love triangle, connecting a hard-nosed city planner (played by Muratova herself), her free-spirited geologist...
Studiocanal are pleased to announce their Vintage World Classics release of two seminal works by female director Kira Muratova, one of the leading figures in Ukranian and Russian cinema. Brief Encounters and The Long Farewell have been beautifully restored in 4k and, following their premiere in Bologna at the Cinema Ritrovata Festival, will be available for the first time in the UK on Blu-ray, DVD and Digital from 18 September.
Brief Encounters (1967) was the debut feature from Kira Muratova, and shows the beginnings of her impressionistic style, blending observational realism with new wave experimentation. Through an intricate play of flashbacks and shifting perspectives, Brief Encounters reveals the intricate love triangle, connecting a hard-nosed city planner (played by Muratova herself), her free-spirited geologist...
- 9/14/2023
- by Competitions
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Made in Russian at Odesa Film Studio in the aftermath of de-Stalinization, Kira Muratova’s Brief Encounters and The Long Farewell nonetheless faced censorship for ignoring the precepts of socialist realism. They make for fruitful viewing as a diptych, sharing in certain themes, motifs, and, above all, a rulebook-shredding attitude to cinematic form. Neither overtly criticize Soviet life, yet they smuggle in a discontent that’s detectable less by what they condemn than by what they frame instead: the domestic, the psychological, the interpersonal. What’s surprising isn’t that they got banned, but that Muratova managed to get them made at all. Now especially, watching these two films feels like something of a miracle.
Brief Encounters, from 1967, tells the story of Nadya (Nina Ruslanova), a young woman who leaves her village to work as a housekeeper for Valya (Muratova), committee member to a provincial Odesa district, and her husband,...
Brief Encounters, from 1967, tells the story of Nadya (Nina Ruslanova), a young woman who leaves her village to work as a housekeeper for Valya (Muratova), committee member to a provincial Odesa district, and her husband,...
- 8/22/2023
- by William Repass
- Slant Magazine
All was not well with Sylvester Stallone’s career in the summer of 1995. Judge Dredd had come out, and, despite blockbuster business overseas, the film flopped in the all-important North American market. It would kick off a dry spell in Sly’s career, with many of his follow-up movies also doing poorly, to the point that in the early 2000s, he was stuck doing low-rent movies that went direct to video, such as Shade and Avenging Angelo. Of course, a major comeback for the Italian Stallion was just around the corner. Still, in this episode of Stallone Revisited, we look back at his follow-up to Judge Dredd, Assassins, which, on paper, should have been one of Sly’s classics but has gone on to become something of an obscure, underrated outing on his CV.
In the 1990s, spec scripts were all the rage. For those who don’t know, a...
In the 1990s, spec scripts were all the rage. For those who don’t know, a...
- 6/18/2023
- by Chris Bumbray
- JoBlo.com
Whether you want the inside skinny on Logan Roy, Hannibal Lecktor, Winston Churchill or King Lear, the mighty Scottish actor will be here to tell all
Brian Cox needs no introduction – other than the usual one establishing which Brian Cox we’re talking about. This one is the 76-year-old Dundee-born actor, who started his career as a classically trained Shakespearean thespian, who played opposite Laurence Olivier in King Lear in 1983. His performances in Rob Roy and Braveheart shot him into the mainstream. Roles soon followed in The Long Kiss Goodnight and Super Troopers. Turns out Treadstone was all his fault in 2002’s The Bourne Identity. And if he’d been a bit nicer to the apes in Rise of the Planet of the Apes, perhaps they wouldn’t have taken over the world. Silly Brian.
Cox can still boast he was the original Dr Hannibal Lecter (or Lecktor), in Michael Mann...
Brian Cox needs no introduction – other than the usual one establishing which Brian Cox we’re talking about. This one is the 76-year-old Dundee-born actor, who started his career as a classically trained Shakespearean thespian, who played opposite Laurence Olivier in King Lear in 1983. His performances in Rob Roy and Braveheart shot him into the mainstream. Roles soon followed in The Long Kiss Goodnight and Super Troopers. Turns out Treadstone was all his fault in 2002’s The Bourne Identity. And if he’d been a bit nicer to the apes in Rise of the Planet of the Apes, perhaps they wouldn’t have taken over the world. Silly Brian.
Cox can still boast he was the original Dr Hannibal Lecter (or Lecktor), in Michael Mann...
- 5/26/2023
- by Rich Pelley
- The Guardian - Film News
Simmons/Hamilton Productions aims to produce 25 theatrical features over initial five-year period.
Kiss co-founder Gene Simmons and Arclight Films chairman Gary Hamilton have launched Simmons/Hamilton Productions (working title) to develop, finance and produce features kicking off with Renny Harlin’s Deep Water.
Arclight has launched worldwide sales in Cannes on the survival thriller about international passengers whose plane is forced to make an emergency landing in shark-infested waters.
Production is scheduled to begin later this year with Simmons, Hamilton, Arclight Films’ Ying Ye and Rob Van Norden (Martin Campbell’s The Protégé) serving as producers.
The plan is for...
Kiss co-founder Gene Simmons and Arclight Films chairman Gary Hamilton have launched Simmons/Hamilton Productions (working title) to develop, finance and produce features kicking off with Renny Harlin’s Deep Water.
Arclight has launched worldwide sales in Cannes on the survival thriller about international passengers whose plane is forced to make an emergency landing in shark-infested waters.
Production is scheduled to begin later this year with Simmons, Hamilton, Arclight Films’ Ying Ye and Rob Van Norden (Martin Campbell’s The Protégé) serving as producers.
The plan is for...
- 5/15/2023
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
Over 20 years after the release of Deep Blue Sea, director Renny Harlin is headed back into shark-infested waters with the upcoming Deep Water, Variety reports this afternoon.
Renny Harlin’s Deep Water will be the first project from a new production company launched by Gene Simmons (Kiss) and Gary Hamilton, titled Simmons/Hamilton Prods.
Variety reports, “The standalone banner will produce 25 movies over an initial five-year period, with a focus on action, thriller and genre titles with global franchise potential.”
Deep Water tells the tale of an eclectic group of international passengers whose plane, en route from Los Angeles to Shanghai, is forced to make an emergency landing in shark-infested waters. The terrified group is forced to work together and overcome their differences if they hope to escape their sinking plane and the frenzy of sharks drawn to the wreckage.
The shark attack film is produced by Simmons, Hamilton, Arclight...
Renny Harlin’s Deep Water will be the first project from a new production company launched by Gene Simmons (Kiss) and Gary Hamilton, titled Simmons/Hamilton Prods.
Variety reports, “The standalone banner will produce 25 movies over an initial five-year period, with a focus on action, thriller and genre titles with global franchise potential.”
Deep Water tells the tale of an eclectic group of international passengers whose plane, en route from Los Angeles to Shanghai, is forced to make an emergency landing in shark-infested waters. The terrified group is forced to work together and overcome their differences if they hope to escape their sinking plane and the frenzy of sharks drawn to the wreckage.
The shark attack film is produced by Simmons, Hamilton, Arclight...
- 5/15/2023
- by John Squires
- bloody-disgusting.com
Finnish director Renny Harlin’s box office film Skiptrace was made in China. Harlin is not the only one attracted to the film market in Asia’s giant nation. With 1.4 billion inhabitants, China is the world’s largest country in terms of population. People in Asia have been becoming middle-class – and increasingly cinema-going.
Several films in Asia
Skiptrace is not the only movie Renny Harlin has made in Asia. Actually, the Finnish director has had several different projects in Asia. The most of the productions have been in China.
Here is a list of all the films directed by Renny Harlin in Asia:
Skiptrace (2016) – Renny Harlin directed this Chinese action comedy starring Jackie Chan and Johnny Knoxville. Bodies at Rest (2019) – Renny Harlin directed this Chinese crime film set in a Chinese forensic laboratory. Legend of the Ancient Sword (2018) – Renny Harlin co-directed this Chinese fantasy film. The Adventurers (2017) – Renny Harlin co-directed...
Several films in Asia
Skiptrace is not the only movie Renny Harlin has made in Asia. Actually, the Finnish director has had several different projects in Asia. The most of the productions have been in China.
Here is a list of all the films directed by Renny Harlin in Asia:
Skiptrace (2016) – Renny Harlin directed this Chinese action comedy starring Jackie Chan and Johnny Knoxville. Bodies at Rest (2019) – Renny Harlin directed this Chinese crime film set in a Chinese forensic laboratory. Legend of the Ancient Sword (2018) – Renny Harlin co-directed this Chinese fantasy film. The Adventurers (2017) – Renny Harlin co-directed...
- 5/11/2023
- by Peter Adams
- AsianMoviePulse
Plot: Eight years ago, Citadel fell. The independent global spy agency—tasked to uphold the safety and security of all people—was destroyed by operatives of Manticore, a powerful syndicate manipulating the world from the shadows. With Citadel’s fall, elite agents Mason Kane and Nadia Sinh had their memories wiped as they narrowly escaped with their lives. They’ve remained hidden ever since, building new lives under new identities, unaware of their pasts. Until one night, when Mason is tracked down by his former Citadel colleague, Bernard Orlick, who desperately needs his help to prevent Manticore from establishing a new world order.
Review: If you watched the trailer for Citadel, you have a good idea of what you are getting into. But that doesn’t mean you won’t be impressed when you watch the series. Espionage is hot these days, and on the heels of AppleTV+ hit film Ghosted,...
Review: If you watched the trailer for Citadel, you have a good idea of what you are getting into. But that doesn’t mean you won’t be impressed when you watch the series. Espionage is hot these days, and on the heels of AppleTV+ hit film Ghosted,...
- 4/27/2023
- by Alex Maidy
- JoBlo.com
Since it was announced several years back, I’ve found Amazon’s Citadel to be conceptually interesting.
In a television marketplace in which international territories are more important than ever and the landscape is glutted with IP-driven franchise plays, the idea of pre-franchising an original idea and instantly building brand fungibility with different foreign spinoffs is enticing, albeit meaninglessly jargon-filled.
Of course, it’s easy to get conceptually interested in something when you don’t know the actual concept — and having seen half of what ended up being a six-episode first season for Citadel, I will say that sustained interest is harder to come by.
If you’ve followed industry reporting and scuttlebutt related to a burgeoning budget, showrunner changes and extensive reshoots, you might expect Citadel to be some sort of disaster, all mismatched pieces and jagged narrative edges. It isn’t. Instead, whatever its initial ambition happened to be,...
In a television marketplace in which international territories are more important than ever and the landscape is glutted with IP-driven franchise plays, the idea of pre-franchising an original idea and instantly building brand fungibility with different foreign spinoffs is enticing, albeit meaninglessly jargon-filled.
Of course, it’s easy to get conceptually interested in something when you don’t know the actual concept — and having seen half of what ended up being a six-episode first season for Citadel, I will say that sustained interest is harder to come by.
If you’ve followed industry reporting and scuttlebutt related to a burgeoning budget, showrunner changes and extensive reshoots, you might expect Citadel to be some sort of disaster, all mismatched pieces and jagged narrative edges. It isn’t. Instead, whatever its initial ambition happened to be,...
- 4/27/2023
- by Daniel Fienberg
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Spies are everywhere these days on the small screen. The quality varies depending on which series you watch, but we have everything from humorous takes (The Recruit) to political action (The Night Agent) and beyond. Even though there is a remake of Mr. and Mrs. Smith on network television, the lack of a good, big-scale espionage epic has been missing for quite some time. So, why not turn it over to the creator of Prime Video’s Hunters and the co-director of Avengers: Endgame and The Gray Man?
Citadel is a bold and expensive new project from David Weil and producers Joe and Anthony Russo. One of the most ambitious series of all time, Citadel presents two new spy factions that echo everything from the MCU’s Hydra to James Bond’s nemesis Spectre. With Citadel fighting for good and Manticore for evil, this series showcases a blend of Mission: Impossible...
Citadel is a bold and expensive new project from David Weil and producers Joe and Anthony Russo. One of the most ambitious series of all time, Citadel presents two new spy factions that echo everything from the MCU’s Hydra to James Bond’s nemesis Spectre. With Citadel fighting for good and Manticore for evil, this series showcases a blend of Mission: Impossible...
- 4/26/2023
- by Alex Maidy
- JoBlo.com
As we all know, there’s terrible pressure on the modern hitwoman to have it all: a head-of-the-table position at a prestigious assassin firm, a hunky younger lover, a rogues’ gallery of colorful assassin friends to slurp noodles with, a home greenhouse, a snappy wardrobe and a healthy relationship with a teenage daughter who is hesitantly coming out as gay. Writer-director Byun Sung-hyun probes these highly relatable issues with giddy verve, if not exactly originality. Netflix’s “Kill Boksoon,” which could be the Korean little sister to the “John Wick” franchise cross-fused with “The Long Kiss Goodnight,” is silly, splashy, CG-assisted nonsense — and at 2 hours 17 minutes, way too long. But it has flashes of surprising charm for a film whose philosophy runs no deeper than “You should have led a better life if you wanted to die of natural causes.”
This pearl of wisdom is dropped by Gil Boksoon, as...
This pearl of wisdom is dropped by Gil Boksoon, as...
- 3/28/2023
- by Jessica Kiang
- Variety Film + TV
With the release of the new tongue-in-cheek animal attack schlock comedy, Cocaine Bear, it’s a great time to revisit one of the most beloved “so bad, it’s good” shark attack movies. The 1999 film Deep Blue Sea is coveted for many reasons. Not only does it feature a notorious scene with star Samuel L. Jackson getting suddenly getting killed off by a CGI shark amidst an inspirational speech, but it also spawned perhaps the best rap song about sharks ever made by rapper and star LL Cool J.
According to ScreenRant, Ladies Love Cool James recently appeared on the latest episode of Hot Ones, the popular talk show from First We Feast that features celebrity guests eating progressively hotter chicken wings as they get interviewed. During the program, as his tongue got destroyed by the sauces, LL recalled a moment filming the shark movie where he nearly drowned due to the mechanical shark.
According to ScreenRant, Ladies Love Cool James recently appeared on the latest episode of Hot Ones, the popular talk show from First We Feast that features celebrity guests eating progressively hotter chicken wings as they get interviewed. During the program, as his tongue got destroyed by the sauces, LL recalled a moment filming the shark movie where he nearly drowned due to the mechanical shark.
- 2/24/2023
- by EJ Tangonan
- JoBlo.com
“The Cell” director Tarsem Singh is making his global comeback with his first Indian film, “Dear Jassi,” based on a true story with plot details being kept under wraps.
Singh made his name with visually dazzling fantasy films like “The Cell,” “Immortals” and “Mirror, Mirror” but has been mostly out of action since helming the single 10-episode season of NBC’s “Emerald City” in 2017. “Dear Jassi” will be his first feature since “Self/Less” in 2015.
“It’s my passion project,” Singh said of “Dear Jassi.” “I believe this is the right time for the world to see it. Such a strong story needs to be told.”
Singh said the synergy behind the film’s production made it possible.
“I had a great set of producers partnering with me on this film,” he said.
Postproduction is underway in Montreal after the film was shot in Punjab, India. The crew consists of a...
Singh made his name with visually dazzling fantasy films like “The Cell,” “Immortals” and “Mirror, Mirror” but has been mostly out of action since helming the single 10-episode season of NBC’s “Emerald City” in 2017. “Dear Jassi” will be his first feature since “Self/Less” in 2015.
“It’s my passion project,” Singh said of “Dear Jassi.” “I believe this is the right time for the world to see it. Such a strong story needs to be told.”
Singh said the synergy behind the film’s production made it possible.
“I had a great set of producers partnering with me on this film,” he said.
Postproduction is underway in Montreal after the film was shot in Punjab, India. The crew consists of a...
- 1/31/2023
- by Scott Mendelson
- The Wrap
Streamers had been in the news a lot over 2022. Less for what they were providing their subscribers but more for what they weren’t providing. Finished movies were shelved forever, projects canceled outright, and shows that seemed a shoo-in to be renewed were canceled. Luckily for 2023, it looks like we’re still about to get a lot of great content sent directly to our homes. What streaming films should we be anticipating?
Teen Wolf: The Movie – Paramount+ January 26th
It’s finally come full circle. First, there was the 80s Teen Wolf movie. Then MTV took that idea and based a young adult TV series on it. Now, that MTV series is getting a reunion movie to premiere on Paramount+. As it was, it shall be. A new evil has emerged, and Scott must reunite with his old friends, as well as some new ones, to fight this new menace.
Teen Wolf: The Movie – Paramount+ January 26th
It’s finally come full circle. First, there was the 80s Teen Wolf movie. Then MTV took that idea and based a young adult TV series on it. Now, that MTV series is getting a reunion movie to premiere on Paramount+. As it was, it shall be. A new evil has emerged, and Scott must reunite with his old friends, as well as some new ones, to fight this new menace.
- 1/14/2023
- by Bryan Wolford
- JoBlo.com
The Marvel Cinematic Universe is brimming with stories of redemption, but Robert Downey Jr.'s behind-the-scenes journey might just be the greatest one of them all. I still remember the moment I found out Downey had been cast in the role of Tony Stark. As a comic fan, it seemed to me like the most pitch-perfect casting imaginable. There was no better actor for the role, but when "Iron Man" was released in 2008, he was anything but a sure bet. Despite being undeniably talented, there was a point when Downey was more infamous than famous.
Having spent much of the '90s and a bit of the early aughts mired in controversy due to his ongoing struggles with drug addiction, Downey was a persona non grata in Hollywood, one whose habits had made him uninsurable. The actor cleaned up sometime in 2003, but anyone who's battled addiction will tell you that...
Having spent much of the '90s and a bit of the early aughts mired in controversy due to his ongoing struggles with drug addiction, Downey was a persona non grata in Hollywood, one whose habits had made him uninsurable. The actor cleaned up sometime in 2003, but anyone who's battled addiction will tell you that...
- 1/14/2023
- by Jamie Gerber
- Slash Film
There was a time when Shane Black was the highest-paid screenwriter in Hollywood. His script for the 1991 film "The Last Boy Scout" famously fetched 1.75 million from the Geffen Company, with a 1 million guarantee. That price broke records and made Black an even hotter commodity than he already was. At that point, Black had already written the hit films "Lethal Weapon" and "The Monster Squad" while also doing uncredited punch-ups on "Predator," "Dead Heat," and "The Hunt for Red October." While riding high, Black's next film, John McTiernan's whimsical 1993 action fantasy "Last Action Hero" starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, bombed harder than anyone might have imagined. On a rather huge budget of 85 million, the film ultimately only grossed 137 million worldwide.
Black returned with another record, having earned a whopping 4 million for his script to Renny Harlin's 1996 action film "The Long Kiss Goodnight." While a raucous and exciting action film, "Long Kiss" also bombed,...
Black returned with another record, having earned a whopping 4 million for his script to Renny Harlin's 1996 action film "The Long Kiss Goodnight." While a raucous and exciting action film, "Long Kiss" also bombed,...
- 12/25/2022
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
When the trailer for Violent Night hit, people were excited to check out this new Christmas action film. They were excited by the idea of setting an action film during the holiday season. While that’s great, it’s not a new concept. There have been some great action holiday movies for decades. No, we’re not talking about Jingle All The Way. It’s always a great time to drink some hot chocolate and watch some stuff blow up or someone gets punched in the face while Christmas lights twinkle in the background.
Santa’s Slay (2005)
This one could fall into more of a horror category, but the action is what makes it the most fun. If the opening scene doesn’t get you excited, then you obviously don’t love Christmas. Hall Of Fame wrestler Bill Goldberg plays Santa like you’ve never seen him.
Santa’s Slay (2005)
This one could fall into more of a horror category, but the action is what makes it the most fun. If the opening scene doesn’t get you excited, then you obviously don’t love Christmas. Hall Of Fame wrestler Bill Goldberg plays Santa like you’ve never seen him.
- 12/25/2022
- by Bryan Wolford
- JoBlo.com
There’s nothing better than firing up a Christmas classic while sitting around a crackling fire or getting your tree decorated. These days, which indeed are merry and bright, can be made merrier and brighter with the right visual accompaniment. And there’s just something about a Disney Christmas movie or special that is even more powerful. Below are 11 great options for a snuggly night in, embroidered and made bolder by that specific Disney magic.
Behold, our list of the best Christmas movies to watch on Disney+ right now.
Also Read:
The Best Christmas Movies on Amazon Prime Video Right Now Iron Man 3 (2013) Photo: Marvel Studios
Yes, “Iron Man 3” is a Christmas movie. In fact, “Iron Man 3’s” Christmas setting is an example of one of the few Marvel Studios movies to be set in a specific time; the rest of them are all part of a...
Behold, our list of the best Christmas movies to watch on Disney+ right now.
Also Read:
The Best Christmas Movies on Amazon Prime Video Right Now Iron Man 3 (2013) Photo: Marvel Studios
Yes, “Iron Man 3” is a Christmas movie. In fact, “Iron Man 3’s” Christmas setting is an example of one of the few Marvel Studios movies to be set in a specific time; the rest of them are all part of a...
- 12/22/2022
- by Drew Taylor
- The Wrap
There’s the standard holiday movie-watching fare of A Christmas Story, Home Alone and Christmas Vacation, but why not settle in this year with a Shane Black movie? After all, Shane Black seems to always be wanting to get you in the Christmas spirit!
In a recent interview with Empire, Shane Black discussed how he fell into the Winter Wonderland and why he incorporates Christmas into nearly all of his movies. It’s been reported before that Black’s reliance on Christmas comes from the 1975 political thriller Three Days of the Condor. On using Christmas in his movies, Shane Black said, “You can wield Christmas in so many different ways…It can be used as this unifier, where you see the beauty of a city decked out in Christmas splendour, or you can use it as this bleak landscape against which those same festive decorations seem to belie something else,...
In a recent interview with Empire, Shane Black discussed how he fell into the Winter Wonderland and why he incorporates Christmas into nearly all of his movies. It’s been reported before that Black’s reliance on Christmas comes from the 1975 political thriller Three Days of the Condor. On using Christmas in his movies, Shane Black said, “You can wield Christmas in so many different ways…It can be used as this unifier, where you see the beauty of a city decked out in Christmas splendour, or you can use it as this bleak landscape against which those same festive decorations seem to belie something else,...
- 12/22/2022
- by Mathew Plale
- JoBlo.com
Really, it’s all Three Days Of The Condor’s fault. That’s the film that convinced a young, impressionable Shane Black that Christmas could be a suitably dramatic, sometimes ironic, sometimes sincere and heartfelt, backdrop for a thriller. “In it, Christmas played a huge part. It was set against the backdrop of people shopping, Christmas carols are blaring, there’s snow,” says Black, talking exclusively to Empire. “And even the pause at the end where Redford walks outside with the hitman, and the guy says, ‘Can I give you a ride?’ This is a guy who was about to kill him, or someone else. And it really felt appropriate to me that Christmas was the backdrop for that. It struck a spark, to take a holiday and make it not just a backdrop but a character itself.”
That, along with an intriguing grasp of the true meaning of Christmas,...
That, along with an intriguing grasp of the true meaning of Christmas,...
- 12/21/2022
- by Chris Hewitt
- Empire - Movies
Known for his experimentation, Robert Altman's audio tracks were in a league of their own. The director's unconventional sound mixes — often featuring overlapping voices and noticeable ambient noise — usually mimicked the chaos of real-world audio. Sure, it was harder to understand what any given character was saying, but in return, viewers were treated to a film that felt far more realistic. You might not want to eavesdrop on the extras' conversations, but by having the choice to do so, it was easy to truly feel like a fly on the wall.
In "The Long Goodbye," Altman kicked the experimentation up a notch. The movie would see the famous '40s film noir detective Philip Marlowe stumble through '70s Los Angeles, still clinging to long-gone notions of honor and loyalty. Naturally, Altman would have to emphasize the fact that Marlowe was a fish out of water — and he had...
In "The Long Goodbye," Altman kicked the experimentation up a notch. The movie would see the famous '40s film noir detective Philip Marlowe stumble through '70s Los Angeles, still clinging to long-gone notions of honor and loyalty. Naturally, Altman would have to emphasize the fact that Marlowe was a fish out of water — and he had...
- 12/18/2022
- by Demetra Nikolakakis
- Slash Film
Plot: When the local mafia shows up to burn down her restaurant, Ana, a chef with a meticulous past, defends her turf and proves her knife skills both in and out of the kitchen.
Review: Given the premise, I’m sure High Heat will get some immediate comparisons to John Wick. I guess that’s just a given for any movie that features a former assassin trying to live a new life, only to be brought back in. But I actually found the film more akin to A Long Kiss Goodnight with Geena Davis.
I really enjoyed the almost James Bond-style credit sequence, complete with a 60’s animation style. But as much as I liked that, it almost felt like a bit of a lie. This is no spy thriller, and we don’t even get much of a history of those spy days. Instead, High Heat feels like a lesson in stubbornness.
Review: Given the premise, I’m sure High Heat will get some immediate comparisons to John Wick. I guess that’s just a given for any movie that features a former assassin trying to live a new life, only to be brought back in. But I actually found the film more akin to A Long Kiss Goodnight with Geena Davis.
I really enjoyed the almost James Bond-style credit sequence, complete with a 60’s animation style. But as much as I liked that, it almost felt like a bit of a lie. This is no spy thriller, and we don’t even get much of a history of those spy days. Instead, High Heat feels like a lesson in stubbornness.
- 12/15/2022
- by Tyler Nichols
- JoBlo.com
If you were packaging a film in 2004, you couldn't have rounded up a colder trio of artists than Shane Black, Val Kilmer, and Robert Downey Jr. Black had been struggling to reinvent himself as a writer after gaining notoriety as one of Hollywood's spec script kings; as a result, he hadn't sold a screenplay since 1996's "The Long Kiss Goodnight" (which New Line purchased for a then-record 4 million). Val Kilmer was the whole damn package: a movie star with method acting chops. There was a moment when he was compared to the revered likes of Marlon Brando and Montgomery Clift. Then came the flops and tales of rotten on-set behavior. Despite terrific performances in James Cox's "Wonderland" and David Mamet's "Spartan," Kilmer's public wasn't showing up.
And then there was Downey Jr. The son of legendary indie filmmaker Robert Downey Sr. had been on the cusp of stardom...
And then there was Downey Jr. The son of legendary indie filmmaker Robert Downey Sr. had been on the cusp of stardom...
- 12/10/2022
- by Jeremy Smith
- Slash Film
Everyone loves a good Christmas action flick. Die Hard, Die Hard 2: Die Harder, The Long Kiss Goodnight, Lethal Weapon, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, Batman Returns – the list goes on and on. There’s nothing that gets us into the Yuletide spirit like a good ass-kicking, and now Universal is looking to add another movie to the Christmas cult action flick list – Violent Night.
Directed by Dead Snow’s Tommy Wirkola, with action design by David Leitch and Kelly McCormick’s 87North Productions (Bullet Train), Violent Night centres around non other than Santa Claus himself, played by David Harbour. When terrorists take a family hostage on Christmas Eve, Santa, wanting to rescue a little girl who’s on the “nice” list, decides to unleash some seasons beatings on the terrorists, who are led by John Leguizamo.
Violent Night played to early raves at Nycc (our man Dave Arroyo flipped for...
Directed by Dead Snow’s Tommy Wirkola, with action design by David Leitch and Kelly McCormick’s 87North Productions (Bullet Train), Violent Night centres around non other than Santa Claus himself, played by David Harbour. When terrorists take a family hostage on Christmas Eve, Santa, wanting to rescue a little girl who’s on the “nice” list, decides to unleash some seasons beatings on the terrorists, who are led by John Leguizamo.
Violent Night played to early raves at Nycc (our man Dave Arroyo flipped for...
- 11/28/2022
- by Chris Bumbray
- JoBlo.com
As Bloody Disgusting recently told you, The Strangers franchise is coming back to life with a brand new trilogy of movies, and the official press release just went out this afternoon.
Lionsgate announced today it has begun production on The Strangers remake, set to be a trilogy of films being produced in Bratislava, Slovakia. Based on the original 2008 cult horror franchise of the same name, the project features rising star Madelaine Petsch (“Riverdale,” “Jane”), who drives cross-country with her longtime boyfriend to begin a new life in the Pacific Northwest. When their car breaks down in Venus, Oregon, they’re forced to spend the night in a secluded Airbnb, where they are terrorized from dusk till dawn by three masked strangers.
From there, the filmmakers are expanding the story in new and unexpected ways over three films. Additional cast includes Gabe Basso (Hillbilly Elegy). Renny Harlin (Cliffhanger, Deep Blue Sea,...
Lionsgate announced today it has begun production on The Strangers remake, set to be a trilogy of films being produced in Bratislava, Slovakia. Based on the original 2008 cult horror franchise of the same name, the project features rising star Madelaine Petsch (“Riverdale,” “Jane”), who drives cross-country with her longtime boyfriend to begin a new life in the Pacific Northwest. When their car breaks down in Venus, Oregon, they’re forced to spend the night in a secluded Airbnb, where they are terrorized from dusk till dawn by three masked strangers.
From there, the filmmakers are expanding the story in new and unexpected ways over three films. Additional cast includes Gabe Basso (Hillbilly Elegy). Renny Harlin (Cliffhanger, Deep Blue Sea,...
- 9/13/2022
- by John Squires
- bloody-disgusting.com
Quentin Tarantino followed up his second directorial effort and cult classic "Pulp Fiction" with the 1997 crime film "Jackie Brown." An homage to the blaxploitation movies of the '70s, the film stars Pam Grier -- an icon from those blaxploitation flicks -- as the titular character, a Los Angeles flight attendant who gets entangled in a cat and mouse chase between the feds and Ordell Robbie (Samuel L. Jackson), a gunrunner for whom she smuggles drugs and money.
Though some consider "Jackie Brown" to be one of Tarantino's most underrated movies, it is an anomaly in his filmography. Not only is "Jackie Brown" the sole Tarantino movie adapted from a previous work (it's based on Elmore Leonard's novel "Rum Punch"), it also lacks that certain oomph that has made the director both one of the most popular and controversial filmmakers of the modern era.
That was by design,...
Though some consider "Jackie Brown" to be one of Tarantino's most underrated movies, it is an anomaly in his filmography. Not only is "Jackie Brown" the sole Tarantino movie adapted from a previous work (it's based on Elmore Leonard's novel "Rum Punch"), it also lacks that certain oomph that has made the director both one of the most popular and controversial filmmakers of the modern era.
That was by design,...
- 8/28/2022
- by J. Gabriel Ware
- Slash Film
The world isn’t fair. That’s the message of Shane Black’s happily unkempt The Nice Guys, both onscreen and off. In a better timeline, we’d be on our third or fourth go-round with Ryan Gosling and Russell Crowe as undeservedly smug private eyes. Alas, despite some of us seeing The Nice Guys for the comedic masterpiece that it was in 2016—back when we noted that it’s “so confident it borders on arrogance”—few others did, and the movie crashed and burned at the box office.
So return visits to the Nice Guys Detective Agency will never be in the cards. Nonetheless, Black’s sardonic buddy movie has still found its audience over the last six years, becoming something of a cult classic and recently even earning the lofty accolade of cracking Netflix’s “Top 10” algorithm. Better late than never, eh?
It’s easy to imagine Gosling...
So return visits to the Nice Guys Detective Agency will never be in the cards. Nonetheless, Black’s sardonic buddy movie has still found its audience over the last six years, becoming something of a cult classic and recently even earning the lofty accolade of cracking Netflix’s “Top 10” algorithm. Better late than never, eh?
It’s easy to imagine Gosling...
- 8/17/2022
- by David Crow
- Den of Geek
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