Saturday, October 24, 2009 5:21 AM | From Worst Previews
While filming her "Amelia" movie, starring Hilary Swanks, director Mira Nair needed lots of props, including one of the actual Lockheed Elektras planes that Amalia Earhart actually flew. But she had no idea that getting the plane from France to the South African set would be such a disaster.
Open Forum Friday: Should Comedy and Horror Ever Mix?
There once was a time when comedy and horror were successful and entertaining bedfellows. During the '80s, movies like Gremlins and Ghostbusters mixed the two genres to create major blockbuster hits, and some of the bigger horror movie franchises at the time also incorporated more and more humour as time went on. Throughout the '90s, each of the Scream movies made over $150 million worldwide. In general, it seemed like people had no problem experiencing both laughter and scares during the course of the same film. Fast-forward to today, and sadly it seems that just about any combination of comedy and horror on the big screen is now met with box office disappointment. What's the deal?
Technically speaking, I can see that, in a sense, comedy is the complete opposite of horror. You can't be immersed in fear and suspense when a movie is constantly goofing around and making self-referential jokes. However, when a talented director finds just the right balance, it is a delight to behold. Drag Me To Hell, Shaun of the Dead, and Slither are proof of that, and yet all three underperformed on some level. Snakes on a Plane, Grindhouse and Jennifer's Body also seem to be victims of the same problem, although they each have other possible reasons for their commercial failure as well. The Scary Movie series could be the one exception, but I don't really think it counts because it is a comedy series that parodies horror -- it doesn't actually try to scare you.
While it's possible that Zombieland may very well break the slump this weekend, it does feel like the cards are stacked against it a little. What do you think? Is there a reason why these recent movies didn't connect with audiences? Can horror-comedies actually have broad appeal, or are they always destined to have little more than a cult following? Do you dislike horror films with a sense of humour? Give us your thoughts here on Open Forum Friday.
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DVD Releases: Sept 29, 2009: The Trauma of a Shortcut to The Hills that Run Red
Tuesday, September 29, 2009 3:56 PM | From Dread Central
This week sees a couple of re-releases on Blu-Ray (Snakes on a Plane and 2003's Texas Chainsaw Massacre remake), a few unknowns (Bloodwine, Farmhouse, Flesh, TX, and Nightmare), "real life" compilations Haunted Histories and Paranormal State: Demonic Investigations, and lots more; but the star of show is without a doubt The Hills Run Red.
If you haven't yet ordered Dave Parker's newest spin on the slasher subgenre, get to clicking! And if you're a fan of metaphysical, psychedelic, drug-addled experimental indies, then be sure to check out Ramzi Abed's In a Spiral State while you're shopping. It promises to be unlike anything else you've ever seen!
Holy crap the next couple of weeks are going to break my bank as there are hundreds of horror films debuting on DVD/Blu-ray, along with classics being re-released in high def. This Tuesday, September 29th is no exception as you can score Gremlins (only at Target), Snakes on a Plane, Labyrinth, Dark Crystal and Argento's awesome New York Ripper all on Blu-ray. Also premiering on DVD is Dave Parker's hotly anticipated The Hills Run Red, along with the Adam Sandler producer The Shortcut. Check out the full list below.
Red Dawn Reboot Pics
Tuesday, September 15, 2009 12:21 PM | From Latino Review
Shooting on the Red Dawn remake is already underway and Ain't It Cool News has some of the first shots taken from the set. (Scroll down to check one out.)
Though none of the shots feature any of the stars, they do give away two events from the upcoming film: a plane crash and a house on fire. How much we'll see of either in the finished product remains to be seen. At the moment though, I can't help but flashback to Donnie Darko's own plane-crash-and-house-on-fire scene.
Now what does a plane crash have to do with the new Red Dawn, exactly? Well, the original film was about the fictional beginning of World War III -- everyone knows the real WWIII will start with a zombie apocalypse, after all -- with Russians invading the United States by way of Mexico. When the battle lines are finally drawn, a group of teenagers find themselves in less-than-friendly territory and decide to become guerilla fighters, calling themselves the Wolverines after their high school's mascot.
The original cast consisted of Charlie Sheen, Brad Savage, and Patrick Swayze -- who lost his battle with pancreatic cancer last night. The new Wolverines will feature the talents of Josh Peck (Aliens in the Attic), Isabel Lucas (Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen), and Conner Cruise (Seven Pounds). Chris Hemsworth (Star Trek) will also be appearing as a veteran of the Iraq War and Dan Bradley is set to make his directorial debut.
Click the pic for more behind-the-scenes photos at AICN.
Source: Ain't It Cool News
The weekend box office estimates have started rolling in, and Death has beaten Michael Myers in the first-weekend showdown, while overall both films made a killing.
David R. Ellis' THE FINAL DESTINATION took home an estimated $28.3M on 3,121 screens, which Variety notes was largely based on the upcharge for a 3-D ticket. Rob Zombie's HALLOWEEN II snagged $17.4M on 3,025 screens, taking third place behind Quentin Tarantino's INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS, which continued clubbing the competition to take home $20M.
This past Friday night, FANGORIA RADIO welcomed both Ellis and Zombie to the show to discuss their films. While Zombie maintained his usual cool demeanor, Ellis sounded a bit sloshed (audio coming soon), perhaps due to nerves or celebration? When asked what he was drinking by Fango's Dee Snider, the SNAKES ON A PLANE director stated "nothing."
We'll have highlights from both interviews coming to FANGORIA.com later this week, so stay tuned.
And since it's only 1pm on Sunday - go out and see a movie (or two)!
Now Hiring! Would You Like A Job At Stark Industries?
Thursday, July 30, 2009 5:21 PM | From Latino Review
Stark Industries is the leader in technology, and despite Tony Stark no longer wishing to use the company for military purposes, it's still a growing and thriving business.Stark Industries is now hiring for a variety of positions. The application process is lengthy, but you can understand why. Have to make sure every candidate is qualified in order to get a job there.Some sample questions are:A plane flying past a non-moving observer has kinetic energy in the reference frame of this observer, the same plane has how much kinetic energy in the reference frame which moves with the plane?andWhat term describes the superposition of two or more waves resulting ina new wave pattern?So c'mon, you unemployed bums! Click the note from Tony Stark below to start your application process!
No need to fill out anything when youSource: Stark Industries
Hot Tub Time Machine Trailer Starring John Cusack and Craig Robinson
When it was first announced earlier this year that there was a movie in development called Hot Tub Time Machine, I don't think anyone believed that it would actually get made. But hey, let's not forget, we are living in the post-Snakes on a Plane era, and thus, the first trailer for Hot Tub Time Machine has finally arrived online. So guess what? It's happening!
To be honest, I like the goofy concept, which simply involves a group of four grown-up friends who accidentally travel back in time to the '80s to relive their teenage years. I also like the cast, which includes John Cusack, Craig Robinson, Rob Corddry and Clark Duke, plus Chevy Chase, Lizzy Caplan and Crispin Glover. The problem is, this movie really could go either way, and the trailer looks like it was simply thrown together in a couple hours (on the plus side, it is red band, so John Cusack gets to drop a few F-bombs). I am guessing this will appeal mainly to the Harold & Kumar crowd, but who knows, it could end up being the sleeper hit of 2010! Hot Tub Time Machine is directed by Steve Pink (Accepted) and hits theatres on February 26th. Soak up the trailer after the jump.
Last week's Film Junk poll stretched beyond movies and into their marketing, and we asked you to choose the movie that had the best viral campaign to date. Coming out on top was Cloverfield, followed closely by The Blair Witch Project -- two movies where the marketing played an obvious and essential role in their success. The Dark Knight and District 9 also received quite a few votes, while the rest of the choices were clumped together near the bottom of the pile. I'm a bit surprised Watchmen didn't get more recognition, but perhaps all the comic book fans voted for The Dark Knight. Do you agree with these results?
1. Cloverfield -- 27.7%
2. The Blair Witch Project -- 25.8%
3. The Dark Knight -- 15.4%
4. District 9 -- 14.8%
5. Borat -- 4.9%
6. Snakes on a Plane -- 4.6%
7. Funny People -- 2.5%
8. Watchmen -- 1.5%
8. Tropic Thunder -- 1.5%
10. Transformers -- 1.2%
Well, I still haven't seen the first three Final Destination movies, but I'm guessing they weren't all that important since they weren't actually... you know, final. The fourth installment, is being called simply "THE" Final Destination so clearly if you're only going to see one, this is probably your best bet. (Err... just like the fourth Friday the 13th was The Final Chapter, right?)
Snakes on a Plane director David R. Ellis returns to the profitable teen horror franchise after previously helming Final Destination 2, and this time around he's working in GLORIOUS 3-D. I guess if they get creative enough with the deaths it could be kind of fun, but I don't know... a car wash, escalator and lawn mower? It seems to me like they might be running out of ideas. After missing out on My Bloody Valentine 3-D earlier this year, I'm kind of curious to see a horror movie in the new 3-D, but I honestly don't know if I can sit through 90 minutes of this. What do you think? The Final Destination hits theatres on August 28th... watch out Rob Zombie!
The weekend box office estimates have started rolling in, and Death has beaten Michael Myers in the first-weekend showdown, while overall both films made a killing.