Finally, after many years of treating Fred Dekker’s Night of the Creeps like the red-headed step child of zombie films, Sony Pictures has begun work on a director’s cut of the 80s cult-classic to be released on DVD, and possibly even Blu-ray, this October (right in time for both my birthday and Halloween)! I’d wager a guess that most people have no idea that this film even exists, and I can’t say that I blame them, as it has previously only been kept alive in the hearts and minds of steadfast genre geeks, except for the handful who happen to own a shoddy bootleg, or one of the increasingly more rare VHS or Laserdisc versions (if you don’t know what a Laserdisc is, ask your grandparents).
Sacha Baron Cohen is the kind of guy you either love or hate, and judging by the new trailer for Bruno, he’s not looking to change that. I don’t need to waste any time telling you what this film is all about, as Cohen is long removed from the days when he was “merely” a budding HBO import, but I will say that it looks like it’s going to be a damn fun time (assuming you thought Borat was a damn fun time). Of course, if you’re just looking for a reminder of how ignorant and bigoted Americans can be, you could keep your $10 and just go stand around your local frat bar.
While many of us are patiently awaiting David Cronenberg’s hopeful return to the mind-bending world of venereal horror, it looks like he won’t be taking a break from his series of comparably straight-forward thrillers anytime soon. The director recently discussed with MTV the possibility of going back to the critically acclaimed world of Eastern Promises, to detail just what became of Nikolai and Kirill.
According to a little teaser image (the very same one you see right there) that was included in the latest Criterion newsletter, the acclaimed distributor will be adding Guillermo del Toro’s Cronos to its ranks this fall! Cronos is one of del Toro’s earliest works (marking the beginning of his love affair with Ron Perlman), but it remains a very imaginative, very worthy inclusion to his resumé that also happens to be one of the most interesting takes on the vampire mythos ever put on film.
Before Sam Raimi became stupid rich adapting Spider-Man, he cut his teeth creating low on budget, high on craft horror films. He single-handedly made Bruce Campbell a household name (in all households that do not suck), and was one of the defining voices of the blood & guts scene during the 80′s (a period many consider its prime). This is why it’s a pretty big deal that the man is returning to his cinematic roots with the upcoming witch gone wild feature Drag Me To Hell.
It was announced today that Universal Studios has snatched up the film rights to Image Comics’ The Strange Adventures of H.P. Lovecraft. I have a major soft spot for the work of Lovecraft (mixing horror and genius is a good way to tug at my heartstrings), and wasn’t even aware this comic book existed, so this is big news on all fronts. What’s more, the studio is targeting Ron Howard to direct, which makes for one hell of an interesting combination, even if he’s still in in the maybe column.
It seems like forever ago that the Where The Wild Things Are live-action adaptation was announced, and considering that it was almost a decade back, it’s not hard to understand why. Many film fans have been following the story of this production pretty closely throughout the years, and when rumors began to circle in early 2008 that Warner Bros. was getting ready to butcher the film, due to poor reception by children at test screenings, things began to look bleak (as if the opinions of half-people should actually amount to anything).
Life is full of tragedies, and I just stumbled upon another one today. Somehow, despite having a longtime affection for (and being fairly obsessive about) certain elements of Scandinavian media (not to mention having a direct line of contact to that part of the globe, thanks to my roommate and Automaton cohort Lars), I have remained completely unaware of the glory that is Kenny motherfucking Starfighter.
I am no stranger to professing my love for Let The Right On In, the Swedish vampire movie that captured the #1 spot on my favorite films of 2008 list. My catch-all word for it is sublime, because every damn thing about it was just that. What is not sublime is Magnolia Pictures completely botching the U.S release for reasons I won’t even attempt to understand. As fate would have it, I had yet to plunk down for my own personal copy of the movie on Blu-Ray, and I couldn’t be happier about that now that it’s been reported by Icons of Fright (thanks, guys) that the subtitles on the U.S release are completely fubar.
The Sci Fi Channel and its parent company NBC Universal announced this week that they’ll be re-branding the network as SyFy beginning on July 7, in what appears to be a ill-conceived attempt to create a hipper, more broadly appealing image. Apparently, the network, working in conjunction with branding consultancy Landor Associates, went through 300 (!!) other possibilities before landing on this dubious new moniker, leading me to assume that most of the competing options were ideas like Hitler TV, or The Dumbass Show Explosion.
Marvel may have its hands full figuring out how to make Fantastic Four into a film franchise anyone actually gives a damn about, but they’re going to have no problem selling folks on Japanese Spider-Man! The Toei live-action show originally aired on televisions across Japan back in the 70s, and Marvel has wisely decided to now offer streaming episodes for free on its internet website, so round-eyes everywhere can finally see the awesomeness that ensues when Spider-Man is given a flash ride and his own giant fighting robot.
Many of us are about to find out just what happens when Hollywood attempts to translate Alan Moore’s epic graphic novel into a feature length film, but have you ever wondered what Watchmen would be like if it was a cartoon series during the 80s? No, you haven’t, but that didn’t stop animator Harry Partridge from answering the question no one was asking, and I am glad as hell that he did. Below is the opening sequence Harry crafted for the non-existent TV show he had living in his head, and I can’t imagine a more flawless parody of two things I love dearly.