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You can't undersell the impact "Paranormal Activity" had on the found footage movie boom. While there were plenty of predecessors that made the horror subgenre feel downright revolutionary like "The Blair Witch Project" and "Cloverfield," Oren Peli's self-contained haunted house flick kicked the doors down when it came to studio interest. It delivered suspenseful thrills and chills on a micro-budget that allowed it to make an unbelievable profit for Paramount. Everyone tried to recapture the magic with varying levels of success.

Peli would spend the following years producing the "Paranormal Activity" and "Insidious" franchises, while conjuring an original idea for television with "Paranormal Activity 2" co-writer Michael R. Perry. The result was 2012's "The River," a found footage adventure-horror series that only ran for one season on ABC.

There had been some examples of found footage finding success on the small screen such as Animal Planet's "Lost Tapes,...

Paranormal Activity etched its name in horror lore as one of those rare marketing moments that altered the very fabric of the genre as we knew it. An undisputable monster in a genre of monsters. A cultural phenomenon that stood for everything we loved about the genre. A movie that made you feel something in a way only horror can provide. Some went home and turned on all the lights in the house. Some scoffed, proudly unbothered by its attempts to creep them out. But everyone saw it. Everyone talked about it. Most of them thirsty for more home video shenanigans. How the hell do you follow that up? This… is what happened to Paranormal Activity 2.

In 2007, Paranormal Activity made close to $200 million dollars on a $15,000 budget. Meaning the Corleone’s themselves could have put a severed horse head in the bed of every executive at Paramount Pictures to stop...

House successfully pushed against many of the medical dramas seen at the time, focusing on the most rare and unusual cases the world had ever seen. While shows like E.R. were dependent on scary events like crashes or accidents, House worked to transform the most ordinary examples into some of the most gripping television ever shown. As such, even 12 years after its finale, it's still regarded as one of the most intense dramas in history.

But, with so many weird and whacky cases, it can be hard for fans to wrap their heads around a lot of the terminology. Plus, since a lot of these medical cases are accompanied by a ton of obscure symptoms, it makes it even more difficult for viewers to understand the severity of the situation. Thus, it's important that fans uncover the weirdest cases so that they can really understand just how unique this show is.

On Friday nights, IndieWire After Dark takes a feature-length beat to honor fringe cinema in the streaming age.

First, the spoiler-free pitch for one editor’s midnight movie pick — something weird and wonderful from any age of film that deserves our memorializing.

Then, the spoiler-filled aftermath as experienced by the unwitting editor attacked by this week’s recommendation.

The Pitch: Is This What I Told Myself It Would Be?

Directed by Marjane Satrapi and written by Michael R. Perry, “The Voices” has a phenomenal trailer — snappy, stunning, and with a hunky Chinese Elvis impersonator! I would know; I’ve seen it dozens of times in the decade since Lionsgate made the movie: a feature that, up until now, I haven’t watched and will be using this week’s IndieWire After Dark to recommend to myself. Let me (us?) explain.

This buzzy Sundance breakout from 2014 — starring a sweetie pie Ryan Reynolds...

In the finale of the 2012 television series The River, a character says what everyone else is thinking: “It’s never gonna let us go.” This foreboding last line is, of course, in reference to the show’s sinuous and uncanny namesake. From there the audience is left to wonder what happened to the crew of the Magus as they drifted toward imminent danger.

This wasn’t the first time a TV show visited the Amazon; a short-lived 1999 drama created by author Peter Benchley beat Oren Peli and Michael R. Perry’s series to the punch. However, The River was a mix of adventure and horror. In place of a plane crashing and the survivors struggling to survive their dilemma are characters who deliberately enter the unknown. After a famous explorer named Emmet Cole (Bruce Greenwood) goes missing somewhere off the Amazon River, while searching for “real magic,” his wife and...

Nearly two thirds of gardeners play music to their plants, according to new research.

Studies have shown that music helps plants to grow, with the vibrations stimulating their growth.

In a survey by music licensing company Ppl Prs, which studied 1,000 gardeners, 63 per cent said they played music to their plants.

Like people, plants enjoy listening to music, while different plants prefer different genres.

Classical music is most effective on the growth of roses, while chrysanthemums thrive after just 30 minutes of play.

Ppl Prs’s gardening expert Michael Perry (Aka “Mr Plant Geek”) said: “Using sound to stimulate growth is an entirely natural phenomenon.

“To that end – and as strange as it might seem – research suggests that plants enjoy music. With houseplants, a good beat can mimic the natural vibrations they would experience outside.”

According to Perry, jazz and classical music are the best genres for plant growth stimulation, so he...

It’s true. There is a subversive, darkly comedic, and unconventionally brilliant film starring Ryan Reynolds that you can watch right now; however, said offering is not based on a comic book, it doesn’t rehash formulaic tropes, and it didn’t open on 2000+ screens this past weekend. No, “Deadpool” is not that film and it couldn’t be that film based on the financial stakes that a studio production carries. When you are trying to pave the ground for a merchandise-selling franchise with mass appeal while simultaneously seeking to satisfy the wishes of a demanding fan base, you clearly can’t fully make something that's out of the ordinary or as daring as you are supposed to and still meet all the criteria – but you can definitely make the audience believe you did.

Frankly, what “Deadpool” offers is a façade of originality built on a pseudo edgy screenplay that believes raunchy penis jokes, slightly more violent content than in usual superhero fare, and endless meta references, are marvelously clever and groundbreaking elements. That could have been, but when these are jam-packed into the most bafflingly generic story possible, which was shamelessly tailored to open on Valentine’s Day weekend, all those ideas the team behind it thought were so amusingly unique are turned into desperate attempts to drown viewers under a relentless amount of information via quick dialogue in order to hide how safe and undercooked the project actually is underneath.

It isn’t difficult to agree with the general consensus that Reynolds was the right choice to play the offbeat character, but regardless of how engaging his performances aims to be, what surrounds him is a lazily written romance, an uninteresting and simplistic origin story, a villain with no tangible reason or motivation to be devious, and a slew of purposeless supporting characters ranging from an archetypical best friend to two bland X-Men mutants.

Still, if nothing else, “Deadpool” reminds us that this actor, now finally turned action star after his fair share of monumental flops such as “Green Lantern” or “R.I.P. D.,” could be more than just another Hollywood hunk jumping around in a latex suit. Though in film he spends most of his screen time regurgitating self-referential gags and murdering henchmen and civilians galore, his devilishly charming delivery exudes satirical nuance even when the material at hand is repetitive and unwarrantedly juvenile. His psychopathic behavior and raunchy sense of humor might very well be exactly what the fans wanted and maybe even an accurate depiction of who the character is on the source material, but no one, critic or audience member, should be expected to be versed on the specifics of this property. It is, after all, the job of the screenwriters and the director to make a film that can be enjoyed even by those who have no previous knowledge of who “Deadpool” is. Sure, let's say most people found it enjoyable on the most basic level of what entertainment can be, but it’s hard to think anyone who wasn’t already invested in the character prior to watching the film learned anything about this murderous vigilante beyond the cliched and shallow idea that he wants the girl, revenge, and a pretty face. Even lesser Marvel characters show more depth.

But this doesn’t mean Reynolds has not taken on a role that demands much more of his abilities while still being a humorous affair. Back in 2014, “The Voices,” a film by Iranian-born director Marjane Satrapi, premiered at the Sundance Film Festival where it took most audience members and press by surprise. Tonally ambiguous, the film glides back and forth between gory horror and grim comedy in such a strangely memorable manner that it's sure to make many very uncomfortable. That decisive conviction to venture into genre territory unafraid to be disliked and holding nothing sacred is what “Deadpool” lacks.

Unfortunately for “The Voices,” however, that admirable attitude to be what its screenwriter and director wanted it to be without compromising anything for the sake of success, rendered it, in the eyes of its distributors, too risky and bold for them to take a chance on it. It took Lionsgate more than year to release the film, and when it finally happened Satrapi's film was given a one-week theatrical run in Los Angeles, New York, and a handful of other cities. A very quiet, lets-dump-it-and-get-rid-it-of-it kind of release for a film by an Academy Award-nominated filmmaker and starring two bankable talent like Reynolds and Anna Kendrick . Its perfectly balanced weirdness proved to be far too outrageous for a market that likes to pretend it’s adventurous while hiding behind tentpoles.

In “The Voices” Reynolds plays Jerry, an extraordinarily sweet and proper young man who works at a warehouse. He is all smiles, but beneath his docile appearance, Jerry is hiding serious unresolved emotional issues that can potentially trigger his most dangerous side. He lives in a large space shared only with his loving dog, Bosco, and sassy cat, Mr. Whiskers. How do we know Mr. Whiskers has a cheeky demeanor? Well, that’s because Jerry and his pets literally engage in conversations about his life. When Jerry is debating how to approach the young girl he likes at work, Fiona (Gemma Arterton), Bosco, being the voice of reason, encourages him to be himself, while Mr. Whiskers insidious comments attempt to push the unstable man into commit violent acts.

Showcasing yet another facet of his talent, Reynolds also voices both Bosco and Mr. Whiskers, which are very distinct. He is in essence playing three characters at once in a film with talking severed heads and a musical credits sequence that includes Jesus Christ himself. It’s all partially absurd but entirely enthralling. What Reynolds can do when granted a role in a project that doesn’t care about being a four-quadrant film, but rather about creating something extraordinary is impressive. Without a doubt Ryan Reynolds gives the best performance of his career in “The Voices,” and does so thanks to the work of a filmmaker that is just as unconcerned with what Hollywood wants as the film itself.

“Persepolis” and “Chicken with Plums” director Marjane Satrapi is a visionary who took the risk of making a film she knew was unapologetically insane as her English-language debut, and while the American box-office didn’t reflect the sheer genius of “The Voices,” she crafted an improbably layered horror comedy with much more heart and guts than anything starring an A-list actor right now. She grabbed Michael R. Perry’s screenplay and turned into something unnervingly magical, so much that a serial killer demands our sympathy and elicits our laughs scene after scene. A saturated color palette where men wear neon pink, a vibrant pop-heavy soundtrack, the sharp banter from Jerry’s four-legged friends, and some unforgettably deranged sequences, construct a film that was seen by way too few when it was first released and that deserves a place in the pantheon of underrated cult films that were too fearless for their own good.

When a film like “The Voices,” a far superior example of a filmmaker and an actor creating something that defies the norm, is denied a chance to larger exposure because of its premise and unusual tone, and another formulaic product from the endless slate of superhero films is heralded as a “game-changer, ” something is clearly wrong with the way we rate originality. Sure, their scales can’t even be compared in terms of budget and marketing campaigns, but the two films exist in the same general genre and star the same actor in roles that are supposed to be irreverent and disturbing. The problem is that one lies about what it really is and the other is just that thing the other is lying about. Marjane Satrapi has experience adapting graphic novels, her first two films where based on her published works, Fox or Marvel should get her on the phone and pitch her a superhero film. I doubt she’ll take it, but maybe she can share some pointers on what it really means to be unique.

2015 was, without a doubt, another excellent year for the horror genre. Summing up what I thoroughly enjoyed in the past year was a daunting task, simply because there were so many rad movies, TV shows, toys, games, podcasts, and more to choose from. Here are my favorites of 2015:

The Gift: If there was ever a PSA for being kind to everyone you meet, The Gift would be it. All of the acting in this film is extremely solid, but Joel Edgerton (who also directed the film) as Gordo is the one to watch. I instantly gravitated to his character in particular, whose back story hit close to home for me. It would have been easy to go in a campy direction with a character like Gordo, but Edgerton brings a level of gravitas to this immensely sad individual. I saw the film at the cinema months ago, and...

Fresh off 3 Streamy nominations for “Adi Shankar‘s Bootleg Universe,” the producer behind the short films “Power/Rangers” and “The Punisher: Dirty Laundry” is expanding his popular Internet brand with a new talk show series where Hollywood’s hottest writers and directors present ideas for reinventing their favorite franchises. Titled “The ‘Bootleg Universe’ Pitch Show,” episodes for Season 1 include “Tangerine” writer/director Sean Baker, “The Guest” writer Simon Barrett, “The Voices” scribe Michael R. Perry, “V/H/S” & “Devil’s Due” filmmakers Radio Silencer and “Running Scared” writer/director Wayne Kramer. For its first window, all 16 episodes of the series’ first season will be released.

Ryan Reynolds is currently basking in the love of millions of fanboys around the world for taking on the role of Deadpool in an R-rated standalone movie that looks all kinds of awesome. But one of the actor’s most sensational performances hasn’t attracted nearly as much attention – in The Voices, on Blu-Ray this week, he plays a likable Everyman who is cajoled by his talking cat into becoming a serial killer. It’s an unusual part for the actor, but he absolutely kills it.

We Got This Covered is thrilled to be giving away two prize packs for The Voices including a Blu-Ray copy of the film and a signed poster. To enter for a chance to win, simply like We Got This Covered on Facebook and retweet our contest message below. The competition will run for one week, ending next Wednesday (4/15).

Contest: Win The Voices On Blu-Ray...

The first week of April is pretty solid when it comes to all the different genre home entertainment release choices coming your way on Tuesday. Scream Factory is set to debut Tobe Hooper’s cult classic Invaders from Mars in high-definition, the festival favorite horror comedy The Voices, starring Ryan Reynolds, is arriving on both Blu-ray and DVD courtesy of Lionsgate, and we have the releases of both Killers and [Rec] 4: Apocalypse to look forward to as well.

Invaders from Mars (Scream Factory, Blu-ray)

From the director of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre and Lifeforce comes this space-age creature feature is crawling with horrifying hordes of Martians hell-bent on stealing your soul: as well as your planet! Little David Gardner’s starry-eyed dreams turn into an out-of-this-world nightmare when invaders from the red planet land in his backyard and unleash their hostilities on unsuspecting earthlings! Paralyzed with fear as the...

A chipper woman-hating comedy about a serial killer… that wants us to feel sorry for him? This is disgusting, repulsive, and enraging. I’m “biast” (pro): nothing

I’m “biast” (con): nothing

(what is this about? see my critic’s minifesto)

I’ve said it before, but this has never been more apropos: I am tired of being expected to have a sense of humor about the violent abuse and even the murder of women. Complain about a rape joke or a horror flick in which a sexy half-naked girl is killed in an awesome way, and you’re likely to be told to “lighten up, it’s just a bit of fun.” (If you’re a woman, that is. If you’re a man, you’re just as likely to be applauded for your insightful cultural criticism.) And now The Voices seems to be a deliberate provocation,...

★★★★☆ Ryan Reynolds is something of a revelation in Marjane Satrapi's twisted black comedy The Voices (2014). In his defence, he's often to be found doing solid work in shaky environs, but this is a performance of exceptional nuance in a role that undeniably warrants his A-game. In her graphic novel Persepolis there's an exchange in which the young Satrapi comes to understand the value of laughter in holding back the tears. This notion is taken to new extremes in her assured handling of Michael R. Perry's blacklisted screenplay which twists giggles from psychosis and murder, in a world constructed of coping mechanisms. It's a heightened and super-stylised world from the opening moments.

Stars: Ryan Reynolds, Gemma Arterton, Jacki Weaver, Anna Kendrick, Ella Smith, Paul Chahidi, Stanley Townsend, Adi Shankar, Sam Spruell, Valerie Koch, Paul Brightwell, Alessa Kordeck | Written by Michael R. Perry | Directed by Marjane Satrapi

In the smallest of small towns, Jerry (Ryan Reynolds) is the enthusiastic, socially awkward newbie in the packing division of a bathroom manufacture. Behind this innocent facade lurks a dormant, damaged mind waiting for a spark.

Work brings Jerry in contact with the office hottie – Fiona (Gemma Arterton). However, she’s evidently way out of his league. A point he discusses at home with his talking pets: the loyal dog Bosco and angry, scottish cat Mr Whiskers. This is a brilliant, underhand way to introduce Jerry’s illness. Reynolds plays it straight to get the most comic effect out of: Bosco, who always tries to convince Jerry he can be a good man; and Mr Whiskers...

Welcome to another horror round-up! This time we have release details on the Ryan Reynolds-starring horror-comedy, The Voices, as well as a look at Death Waltz and Mondo's upcoming vinyl soundtrack releases of Maniac Cop 2 and Lucio Fulci's Zombie Flesh Eaters, aka Zombi 2.

The Voices: Starring Ryan Reynolds, Gemma Arterton, Anna Kendrick, and Jacki Weaver, The Voices comes out on Blu-ray and DVD on April 7th from Lionsgate Home Entertainment.

Press Release - "Santa Monica, CA (February 23, 2015) -Ryan Reynolds (upcoming Mississippi Grind, The Proposal)plays a simple, likeable guy trying to do the right thing with the help of his talking pets - but accidentally winds up as a serial killer in the black comedy, The Voices, arriving on Blu-ray™ (plus Digital HD), DVD (plus Digital) and Digital HD April 7th from Lionsgate Home Entertainment. The film is currently available via On Demand. Directed...

Ryan Reynolds (upcoming Mississippi Grind, The Proposal) plays a simple, likeable guy trying to do the right thing with the help of his talking pets - but accidentally winds up as a serial killer in the black comedy, The Voices, arriving on Blu-ray™ (plus Digital HD), DVD (plus Digital) and Digital HD April 7th from Lionsgate Home Entertainment. The film is currently available via On Demand. Directed by Marjane Satrapi (Persepolis) and written by Michael R. Perry (Paranormal Activity 2), the "meticulously crafted genre-bending film" (Indiewire) also stars Gemma Arterton (Runner, Runner, Quantum of Solace), Anna Kendrick (Pitch Perfect, Into The Woods) and Oscar® nominee Jacki Weaver (Best Supporting Actress, Silver Linings Playbook, 2012). The Voices was a favorite at the Sundance Film...

The Voices Lionsgate Reviewed for Shockya by Harvey Karten. Data-based on Rotten Tomatoes. Grade: B+ Director: Marjane Satrapi Screenwriter: Michael R. Perry Cast: Ryan Reynolds, Jacki Weaver, Gemma Arterton, Anna Kendrick Screened at: Crosby Hotel, NYC, 2/2/15 Opens: February 6, 2015 There’s reason to be envious of schizophrenics. They’re never lonely. They hear voices whether the words come from imaginary people or their real dogs or cats. Now you can know exactly what your pet thinks of you. In “The Voices,” a schizo who happens to be the nicest serial killer you’ll see in the movies in recent years, knows that his cat considers him to be a loser and [ Read More ]

The post The Voices Movie Review appeared first on Shockya.com.

The first trailer for the Sundance selected dark comedy The Voices starring Ryan Reynolds just debuted last month, and last weekend the film finally hit limited theaters and is available now on VOD. But the film has still yet to be released in the United Kingdom (it arrives next month), and they've just released an awesome poster for the film that is just as deliciously twisted as the movie itself. If you've seen the trailer, then you know that besides talking animals, there's also several talking severed heads, including Anna Kendrick and Gemma Arterton, and they're both featured in Reynold's fridge on this new poster. Look! Here's the UK quad poster for Marjane Satrapi's The Voices from Empire: You can still watch the Us trailer for Marjane Satrapi's The Voices right here. The Voices is directed by Marjane Satrapi (Perseopolis) and writer Michael Perry (Paranormal Activity 2, "The River...

Romance and murder collide over a colorful backdrop in the wacky new release The Voices. Directed by Marjane Satrapi (Persepolis, Chicken With Plums) and penned by horror scribe Michael R. Perry, the Sundance hit stars Ryan Reynolds as a mentally ill factory worker who wrestles with remaining average or indulging his homicidal urges. All the while looking to his cat and dog for answers.

Last week in New York City, we had the chance to sit down with Reynolds to discuss the film’s twisted tone and the trick to portraying a compelling psychopath… in high-waisted pants. He was a delight to speak with, as he told us about balancing the comedic and dark elements, how he convinced Marjane that he was right for the role and much more.

Check out what Reynolds had to say in our exclusive interview above and be sure to catch The Voices as it...

In The Voices, Ryan Reynolds portrays Jerry, a mentally ill factory worker who ends up becoming the world’s nicest serial killer on accident. His comedic misdeeds are guided by the voices of his cat and dog and as Jerry’s body count grows, he struggles to maintain some kind of normalcy as his life begins to spiral even further out of control.

Written by Michael R. Perry (Paranormal Activity 2) and directed by Marjane Satrapi (Persepolis), The Voices also stars Jacki Weaver (Stoker), Gemma Arterton (Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters) and Anna Kendrick (Pitch Perfect). The darkly comedic film arrives in theaters and on VOD today courtesy of Lionsgate and, recently, Daily Dead chatted with Satrapi about her experiences collaborating on this unique project with Reynolds and much more.

Fantastic job on the movie, Marjane. It’s really rare to have a movie about a serial killer that leaves a...

Playing Off-key: Satrapi’s English Language Debut a Grating Misfire

Iranian born director Marjane Satrapi, best known for her 2007 debut, Persepolis, and a 2011 follow-up, Chicken With Plums, breaks into the English language market with The Voices, a rather oddly concocted mixture of slapstick, black comedy, and grisly violence as it attempts to explore the point of view of a schizophrenic serial killer. Oh, and he’s played by Ryan Reynolds. While there are certainly enough elements to attract intriguing minds, especially for those with a humorous morbid streak, Michael Perry’s screenplay is only superficial at best, launching a series of grotesqueries at us with a heap of buttery antics on the side. While profane violence and guilty guffaws are certainly possible, though generally hard won, whether they be from more high (Coen Bros.) or low (John Waters) brow vantage points, here we have a rather sluggish and tonally awkward...

You don’t want to go into The Voices blind, which wouldn’t be an unthinkable move considering that Ryan Reynolds, Anna Kendrick, and Gemma Arterton are in it, but if you can handle the premise, you’re in for a rare treat.

Directed by the continually impressive Marjane Satrapi (Persepolis, Chicken with Plums), and written by Michael R. Perry (who has never been anything like this good), The Voices is a bizarre ride with hallucinatorily-insane, factory-worker Jerry (Reynolds). He’s heard voices for most of his life, and he has the court-ordered psychiatrist to back him up on his condition, whatever that is precisely. The main, but certainly not only, focus of his delusional state are his cat and dog, who talk to him regularly, and embody the classic devil and angel on your shoulders.

It isn’t that we haven’t seen this sort of thing before, but...

"The Voices" is anything but conventional. From the visions of "Persepolis" co-director Marjane Satrapi and horror writer Michael R. Perry comes the story of Jerry (Ryan Reynolds), a mentally disturbed factory worker who needs medication to keep the voices in his head at bay. What makes it hard for him to stay on the straight and arrow is that the voices are assigned to his two pets, a tabby cat named Mr. Whiskers and Bosco, a giant dog. When he takes the pills prescribed to him, he loses his friends and the world around him is no longer so bright and magical.  Not wild enough for you? Throw in murder, a talking decapitated head and Reynolds voicing both animals and you've got yourself a script on the Black List, a 2014 Sundance premiere, and an R-rated black comedy hitting theaters and VOD this Friday. All of these elements appealed to Reynolds,...

"Sometimes I talk to my pets, and they sometimes talk to me." After debuting at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival, the twisted, dark comedy The Voices starring Ryan Reynolds is finally heading to limited theaters and VOD next month. The film follows a disturbed man who avoids taking his prescribed meds and ends up hearing some convincing arguments from his cat and dog to become a serial killer. It's just as weird as it sounds with our own Alex Billington saying, "I'm honestly not sure if I was amused and entertained or completely horrified watching it." Sounds like you'll just have to see this one for yourself. Watch below! Here's the first trailer for Marjane Satrapi's The Voices, originally from Entertainment Weekly: Check out the teaser poster for The Voices from the Sundance Film Festival right here. The Voices is directed by Marjane Satrapi (Perseopolis) and writer Michael Perry (Paranormal Activity 2,...

Marjane Satrapi’s mad movie The Voices, in which Ryan Reynolds hears the voices of his evil cat and kindly dog, while attempting to control murderous impulse will see a release from Lionsgate this winter. Candy colored, darkly humorous and grotesque The Voices is a singular film. Written by Michael R. Perry and directed by Persepolis’…

The post Ryan Reynolds Horror Comedy, The Voices out in February appeared first on Shock Till You Drop.

Ryan Reynolds in Marjane Satrapi’s “The Voices”

The Voices Written by Michael R. Perry Directed by Marjane Satrapi USA, 2014 From the director of Persepolis comes The Voices, an odd film that is sure to repel some viewers with its bloodthirsty darkness but draw others in with its winning protagonist who is lovable, thoughtful and incidentally, a serial killer. It treats blood spatter flippantly while completely sympathizing with the lonely man with psychopathic tendencies who is responsible for it. The best twist on identifying with a serial killer’s point of view (the likes of which is seen in Hitchcock’s Frenzy and Michael Powell’s Peeping Tom) is that Jerry (Ryan Reynolds) isn’t a bad guy at all. The film is non-judgmental of this well-meaning man, reveling in the spontaneity of his decisions and the potential friendship he sees in others that they often fail to fully reciprocate.

The Voices

Written by Michael R. Perry

Directed by Marjane Satrapi

USA, 2014

For filmmakers who make the jump from animation to live-action, there is always a concern that their creative vision isn’t conveyed in the same way. From storyboards to behind the camera, it is a big step. After the wonderful Persepolis and Chicken with Plums, Marjane Satrapi now contrives to bring her dark creative style to her first live-action feature as a director.

The Voices features a mainstream cast including Gemma Arterton, Anna Kendrick and Ryan Reynolds, who plays Jerry, a mentally disturbed man. Rather than take the medication to suppress his twisted thoughts, he indulges in conversations with his evil cat Mr Whiskers and kind-hearted dog Bosco (both voiced by Reynolds). Working in a bathtub factory, Jerry has a crush on accountant colleague Fiona (Arterton), but when a romantic evening between the two goes wrong, Jerry’s...

TV's 2014 Upfront presentations are currently under way, and while the horror news has been light so far, today it was AMC's turn, and they have several projects in development that caught our eye.

First, the thus far untitled "The Walking Dead" companion series has landed Dave Erickson ("Sons of Anarchy") as an executive producer and co-writer along with Robert Kirkman.

As Kirkman said previously, "After ten years of writing the comic book series... I couldn’t be more thrilled about getting the chance to create a new corner of 'The Walking Dead' universe. The opportunity to make a show that isn’t tethered by the events of the comic book, and is truly a blank page, has set my creativity racing."

Now, as for the rest, along with "The After," which is heading to Amazon, Chris Carter has "Area 51" in the works at AMC. Written by Carter and...

Now in its third year the Sundance London film and music festival has just unveiled its lineup for the 2014 event and it is the strongest year so far.

Building on the great work done by the festival’s filmmakers and directors over the last few years the London based offshoot of the famous Park City happening has carved out its own identity to become on the most interesting and eclectic events in the calendar.

We have an Exclusive Presale link so click here now to get your tickets for Sundance London.

Michael Fassbender leads the way as Jon Ronson’s affectionate tribute to the world of Frank Sidebottom gets a UK premiere at the festival. Likewise Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon’s second Trip (this time to Italy) gets its first showing (and is highly recommended) and Ryan Reynolds and Gemma Arterton talk to the animals in Marjane Satrapi’s The Voices.

Lionsgate have picked up the North American distribution rights to that of Marjane Satrapi's new comedy thriller 'The Voices', starring Ryan Reynolds ('R.I.P.D.'). The film sees Reynolds play the role of Jerry Hickfang who takes evil influences from his talking cat and dog. Satrapi will helm from a script written by Michael R. Perry ('Paranormal Activity 2') and the Mandalay Vision, Studio Babelsberg and Vertigo Entertainment production will be presented by both Lionsgate and 1984 Private Defense Contractors. 'The Voices' also stars Gemma Arterton ('Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters'), Anna Kendrick ('Up in the Air') and Jacki Weaver. Hopefully now an official release date will be on the cards very soon...

Lionsgate has acquired the Us distribution rights to the 2014 Sundance Premiere Section entry The Voices, directed by Marjane Satrapi and written by Michael R. Perry. The film stars Ryan Reynolds, Gemma Arterton, Anna Kendrick, and Jacki Weaver.

The Voices was produced by Matthew Rhodes, Adi Shankar, Roy Lee and Spencer Silna. The film is presented by Lionsgate and 1984 Private Defense Contractors and is a Mandalay Vision, Studio Babelsberg and Vertigo Entertainment production.

The Voices is a genre-bending film which centers around Jerry, a lovable but disturbed factory worker who yearns for the attention of a woman in accounting. When their relationship takes a sudden turn, we follow Jerry's perspective as his talking pets, a sinister cat and benevolent dog, lead him down a fantastical, murderous path.

Director Marjane Satrapi had this to say about the acquisition in a brief statement.

"I am very excited and happy that Lionsgate is distributing my film.

Briefly: We're happy to report some acquisition news for a unique film out of Sundance that needed a good distributor. The Wrap is reporting that Lionsgate has acquired Us release rights to the film The Voices, directed by Marjane Satrapi (Persepolis, Chicken with Plums) from a screenplay by Michael R. Perry. The film stars Ryan Reynolds as a cheerful factory worker who is actually a serial killer that talks to his pets, a dog and a cat. The film received quite a few positive reviews, I wasn't sure what to make of it, but The Film Stage's Jordan Raup called it "one of the most unbridled, troubling, and hilarious films of recent years". No actual release date it set yet, however we expect Lionsgate to put it out in theaters sometime later this year. Commenting on the news, Marjane Satrapi said: "I am very excited and happy that Lionsgate is distributing my film.

One of my favorite films I saw at this year’s Sundance Film Festival took me completely by surprise in the best way possible, and now you too will be able to enjoy the delightful wickedness of director Marjane Satrapi’s (Persepolis) dark comedy The Voices. Lionsgate has acquired Us distribution for the pic, which stars Ryan Reynolds as a loveable psychopath who converses with his dog, cat, and other disembodied parts in his droll apartment. As I said in my review, Reynolds is positively stellar in the lead role and Satrapi mesmerizes as she takes us inside the mind of one twisted individual, basking in all of the colorful eccentricities of his point of view. No details are given as to when Lionsgate will release The Voices, but the studio feels like a smart fit for the genre-bending pic. The film also stars Gemma Arterton, Anna Kendrick, and Jacki Weaver in supporting roles.

Lionsgate has acquired U.S. rights to The Voices, the Sundance horror-comedy starring Ryan Reynolds, Gemma Arterton and Anna Kendrick. The movie is directed by Marjane Satrapi, the Iranian-born filmmaker who is perhaps best known for the animated movie Persepolis, who is making her English-language debut. Photos: Sundance 2014: Exclusive Portraits of Aaron Paul, Kristen Stewart, Keira Knightley, Zoe Saldana and More in Park City Voices, written by Michael R. Perry, centers on a genial but disturbed factory worker named Jerry (Reynolds) who has a crush on a co-worker (Arterton). Without giving too much away, things

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In a competitive situation, Lionsgate has acquired U.S. distribution rights Marjane Satrapi's psychological thriller “The Voices,” which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and stars Ryan Reynolds, Gemma Arterton, Anna Kendrick and Jacki Weaver. Satrapi, the acclaimed Iranian filmmaker behind “Persepolis,” directed from a script by Michael R. Perry (“Paranormal Activity 2″). “The Voices” marks her first English-language film. Also read: Kristen Stewart's Sundance Drama ‘Camp X-Ray’ Acquired by IFC Films Adi Shankar and Spencer Silna produced the movie through their 1984 Private Defense Contractors banner along with Matthew Rhodes of Mandalay Vision and Roy Lee of Vertigo Entertainment.

Lionsgate announced today that they have has acquired the Us distribution rights to the 2014 Sundance Premiere Section entry The Voices , directed by Marjane Satrapi and written by Michael R. Perry. The film stars Ryan Reynolds, Gemma Arterton, Anna Kendrick, and Jacki Weaver. The Voices is a genre-bending film which centers around Jerry, a lovable but disturbed factory worker who yearns for the attention of a woman in accounting. When their relationship takes a sudden turn, we follow Jerry's perspective as his talking pets, a sinister cat and benevolent dog, lead him down a fantastical, murderous path. The Voices was produced by Matthew Rhodes, Adi Shankar, Roy Lee and Spencer Silna. The film is presented by Lionsgate and 1984 Private Defense Contractors and is a...

The Voices

Director: Marjane Satrapi

Writer: Michael R. Perry

Producers: Matthew Rhodes, Adi Shankar, Roy Lee, Spencer Silna

U.S. Distributor: Rights Available

Cast: Ryan Reynolds, Anna Kendrick, Gemma Arterton, Jackie Weaver

Sure, Ryan Reynolds turned in a riveting performance in 2010’s Buried, but his casting in Marjane Satrapi’s English language debut may feel a bit dubious, but an oddly mixed supporting cast, consisting of Jackie Weaver, Gemma Arterton, and Anna Kendrick, seems hopeful. We’re thinking screenwriter Michael R. Perry perhaps gives the best indication of the material’s tone, so fans of the short lived television series “The River” should be excited (though among his list of credits, “American Gothic” still stands as a bright piece of weirdness). Needless to say, The Voices is for some an intriguing end product, especially since Satrapi brought her regular editor, Stephane Roche along, as well as cinematographer Maxime Alexandre (who...

This film can be best described as a (literally) colorful serial killer film starring Ryan Reynolds as a guy who talks with his pets and kills people. Yep, it's already Wtf based on that alone, but the film itself - whoa. Marjane Satrapi's The Voices is a film that I'm intrigued even exists with the story it has along with such an impressive cast to boot. I'm honestly not sure if I was amused and entertained or completely horrified watching it. During my screening at Sundance, heaps of moviegoers walked out the moment it started to get bloody. And damn does this film get bloody. But it's also funky and deviously enjoyable, if that's your thing. The Voices, with a script by Michael R. Perry, is the third film by Iranian director Marjane Satrapi, who broke out with her debut animated film Persepolis and followed that up with the underrated Chicken with Plums.

Ryan Reynolds finds a creepy niche as a meds-skipping murderer advised by a dog and cat in Marjane Satrapi's grisly thriller

• Full coverage of Sundance 2014

Ryan Reynolds is a Hollywood star whose matinee idol looks are so cartoonishly clean-cut that they verge on the cheesy, whose high-voltage grin can be positively creepy. The actor has appeared in blockbusters, indie flicks and stinkers alike, but he finds what may be his perfect niche in The Voices, Marjane Satrapi's lurid tale of an ostensibly ordinary Joe who skips his medication and becomes a psycho-killer assailed by demons.

Iranian-born Satrapi started out as an illustrator, won the Cannes jury prize for her animated Persepolis and melded cartoons with live-action on 2011's winsome Chicken With Plums. On The Voices, working off a script by Michael Perry, she rustles up a kind of flesh-and-blood horror comic. Everything here is deliberately exaggerated and amplified and soaked in gore.

The Voices marks the Oscar-nominated Marjane Satrapi’s first film to be fully in the English language, making its debut out at Sundance over the weekend.

Ryan Reynolds leads a great cast in the comedy crime-thriller, and its genre blend combined with its synopsis below is enough to pique our interest. Following its bow out in Park City, the first teaser poster has launched over on Collider, giving us a tease of the murderous and comedic acts to come.

Jerry is a seemingly normal man trying to succeed in his new job at the Milton Bathtub Factory. He lives in a normal apartment—the type you would expect from a young bachelor—with his dog, Bosco, and his cat, Mr. Whiskers. Yet something seems off. As the new guy at work, Jerry is asked to help plan the company picnic, and he meets Fiona, an attractive English girl from accounting.

After faltering with Green Lantern and R.I.P.D. recently, Ryan Reynolds has returned to the world of independent film this year with The Voices. Previous efforts include Buried and The Paper Man, and this time Reynolds teams with Persepolis director Marjane Satrapi for an odd, dark comedy. The plot follows Reynolds as a man named Jerry who gets caught up in a murder, and ends up finding surprising advice from his dog, Bosco, and his cat, Mr. Whiskers. Now a teaser poster from the premiere at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival (we hope to have a review later this week) as arrived, showing this isn't Dr. Dolittle at all. Look! Here's the teaser poster for Marjane Satrapi's The Voices from Collider: The Voices is directed by Marjane Satrapi (Perseopolis) and writer Michael Perry (Paranormal Activity 2, "The River"). This genre-bending tale centers around Jerry Hickfang (Ryan Reynolds), a lovable but disturbed...

Check out the new poster for The Voices crime comedy thriller starring Ryan Reynolds, Gemma Arterton, Anna Kendrick, Jacki Weaver and Stephanie Vogt. The film tells of a factory worker who hears advice from his cat and dog, and is implicated in his co-worker's accidental demise. Marjane Satrapi directs The Voices which can be seen at the Sundance Film Festival. Michael R. Perry wrote the screenplay.

It’s that time again. The biggest American film festival is upon us, and this year the Ioncinema crew will be descending on Park City with eight feet on the ground and eight eyes on Park City’s various and plentiful screens. Eric Lavallee, Nicholas Bell, Caitlin Coder and I will be covering just about every inch of this year’s festival here at Ioncinema.com, as well as on that ever increasingly vibrant instanews network – Twitter. Be sure to follow @ioncinema and, as stated above, my personal handle @Rectangular_Eye, as we’ll be tweeting throughout the festival with breaking news, reviews, and sightings, all the while trying to keep up with the massive amount of content sure to be coming from this year’s Sundance filmmakers themselves, most of which have their own Twitter accounts and are listed at length below (minus the world & short programs). Whether you...

Part four of our Sundance Twitterverse series features the biggest names in the small world of indie film. Don’t miss writer/director William H. Macy’s well represented band of musically inclined performers from Rudderless (@rudderlessmovie).

Premieres

Cavalry – @CalvaryFilm

Frank – @FrankTheFilm

Director Lenny Abrahamson – @lennyabrahamson

Screenwriter Jon Ronson – @jonronson

Actress Maggie Gyllenhaal – @mgyllenhaal

Hits

Actor Matt Walsh – @mrmattwalsh

Actress Meredith Hagner – @meredithweasel

I Origins – @IOriginsMovie

Writer/Director Mike Cahill – @_mikecahill

Actress Brit Marling – @britmarling

Actress Astrid Bergès-Frisbey – @BergesFrisbey

Actor Steven Yeun – @steveyeun

Laggies – @Laggies_movie

Director Lynn Shelton – @lynnsheltonfilm

Screenwriter Andrea Seigel – @andreaseigel

Actress Chloë Grace Moretz – @ChloeGMoretz

Actor Jeff Garlin – @jeffgarlin

Composer Benjamin Gibbard – @Gibbstack

Cinematographer Ben Kasulke – @BenKasulke

Little Accidents

Actress Elizabeth Banks – @ElizabethBanks

Cinematographer Rachel Morrison – @morrisondp

Love is Strange – @loveisstrangemv

Director Ira Sachs – @irasachs

Actor John Lithgow – @JohnLithgow

Actor Alfred Molina – @OfficialMolina

Actress Marisa Tomei – @marisatomei

Nick Offerman: American Ham

Writer/Director Jordan Vogt-Roberts – @VogtRoberts...

The line-up of films premiering at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival has been released, and there are a lot of good movies, one of which includes The Raid 2, which I am incredibly excited to see! It's easily my most anticipated film at the festival.

The Sundance Film Festival takes place from January 16th to the 26th in Park City, Salt Lake City, Ogden, and Sundance, Utah. From the press release:

John Cooper, Director of the Sundance Film Festival, said, “The Premieres and Documentary Premieres sections of the 2014 Sundance Film Festival feature new work from many established independent filmmakers who began their careers at our Festival years ago, which allows us to reflect on the impact, legacy and growth of the independent film movement over the past 30 years.”

Trevor Groth, Director of Programming for the Sundance Film Festival, said, “In many of the films selected for our 2014 Sundance Film Festival, we see fascinating characters and subjects throughout.

The final few pieces of the 2014 Sundance Film Festival are falling into place, and this latest announcement has everyone on the Dread Central staff wishing we could attend! Read on for the horror and horror-ish highlights from the out-of-competition Premieres section.

This year’s festival runs January 16-26, 2014 in Park City, Utah, and the surrounding areas. Once again, the true horror pickings are slim so included below are some dark comedies and sci-fi films as well.

Premieres

Calvary / Ireland, United Kingdom (Director and screenwriter: John Michael McDonagh) — Calvary is a blackly comedic drama about a priest tormented by his community. Father James is a good man intent on making the world a better place. When his life is threatened one day during confession, he finds he has to battle the dark forces closing in around him. Cast: Brendan Gleeson, Chris O’Dowd, Kelly Reilly, Aidan Gillen, Dylan Moran, Marie-Josée Croz.

With missteps like Green Lantern, The Change-Up and R.I.P.D. over the past couple years, Ryan Reynolds has struggled to find another hit. Safe House wasn't a failure and The Croods was a hit (but animated films don't really help to boost an actor's career), but Reynolds needs some help. Here's hoping a return to the indie world with The Voices will get Reynolds some acclaim. The story follows Jerry Hickfang (Reynolds) as he accidentally kills a woman he works with and falls for at a bathroom fixtures factory, only to begin taking follow-up advice from his evil, foul-mouthed cat Mr. Whiskers and the more benevolent dog Bosco. Now we have a first look at the film debuting at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival next month. Look! Here's the first photo from Marjane Satrapi's The Voices from Sundance: The Voices is directed by Marjane Satrapi (Perseopolis) and writer Michael Perry (Paranormal Activity 2,...

Our Sundance 2014 pre-coverage continues with some first look images and synopses from a collection of films that will have their world premiere at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival. Briefly: Rudderless – Directed by William H. Macy; starring Billy Crudup, Anton Yelchin, Felicity Huffman, Selena Gomez, Laurence Fishburne, and William H. Macy. The Trip to Italy – Directed by Michael Winterbottom; starring Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon. The Voices – Directed by Marjane Satrapi; starring Ryan Reynolds, Gemma Arterton, Anna Kendrick, and Jacki Weaver. White Bird in a Blizzard – Written and directed by Gregg Araki; starring Shailene Woodley, Eva Green, Christopher Meloni, Shiloh Fernandez, Gabourey Sidibe, and Thomas Jane. Young Ones – Written and directed by Jake Paltrow; starring Michael Shannon, Nicholas Hoult, Elle Fanning, and Kodi Smit-McPhee. Hit the jump to check out the images and synopses. The 2014 Sundance Film Festival runs January 16 – 26th. Rudderless / U.S.A. (Director: William H. Macy, Screenwriters: Casey Twenter,...

The Sundance Film Festival made their final feature film line-ups with the Premieres category announcements. Sixteen films with huge name talent, returnee filmmakers and plenty of buyer interest/and future all night wheeling, and dealing.

After breaking out in Park City with The Guard, John Michael McDonagh returns (alongside actor Brendan Gleeson) the much anticipated Calvary. Mike Cahill (alongside actress Brit Marling) returns with more sci-fi terrain with, I Origins. Jake Paltrow who managed to sink instead of swim with The Good Night, was again surfaces with Young Ones. And this was unexpected, but Jordan Vogt-Roberts makes it back to back years with Toy’s House (The Kings of Summer) re-teams with Nick Offerman for Nick Offerman: American Ham (which is more concert-comedy film than narrative feature).

Not surprisingly, as predicted in 4 out of the 5, Park City veterans Gregg Araki, Michael Winterbottom, Ira Sachs and Lynn Shelton all return with their latest product,...

The Sundance Film Festival announced the titles selected to screen in its out-of-competition Premieres and Documentary Premieres sections. Last year, the movies that were launched in these categories — which typically highlight filmmakers who’ve appeared at Sundance before — included Before Midnight, Don Jon, and The Way Way Back; this year appears to be just as promising. In Lynn Shelton’s Laggies, a young woman stuck in arrested-development (Keira Knightley) has her life upended by an unexpected marriage proposal. In David Wain’s They Came Together — surely, a naughty pun, yes? — Wet Hot American Summer alums Amy Poehler and Paul Rudd...