News

Picture Tree Intl. has come on board as the international sales agent for Sebastian McKinnon’s fantasy epic “The Stolen Child.”

In the film, war ravages the Human Kingdom. A daring poet must lead three mystical heroes deep into the Faerie State to find a lost prince, return him to the throne and restore the peace.

Currently shooting in British Columbia, production will move to Iceland and France in early 2025 for an anticipated release in 2026 with Immina Films distributing in Canada.

“The Stolen Child” is based on McKinnon’s short film trilogy “Kin Fables.”

McKinnon is set to compose the original soundtrack for the film alongside his collaborators under the alias Clann.

McKinnon is an artist for trading card game “Magic: The Gathering” and this marks the first time an artist for the game has directed a feature film.

McKinnon said: “It is an immense privilege to make this film...

The 1979 children’s fantasy classic will be getting new life as a rebooted series of films. The new franchise will be coming from Michael Ende Productions and will be based on his source material. The novel saw a live-action adaptation in 1984 with Wolfgang Petersen co-writing and directing the film. Then, in 1990, George Miller (not Furiosa‘s George Miller) would direct a sequel that starred Jonathan Brandis. And finally, a third movie starring Free Willy‘s Jason James Richter would follow in 1994.

According to Deadline, the series of films are set to be produced by Iain Canning and Emile Sherman for their production company See-Saw. Meanwhile, Roman Hocke and Ralph Gassmann will also be on board for Michael Ende Productions. Michael Ende Productions and See-Saw are set to collaborate with Lorenzo De Maio, who will serve as an executive producer on all the films. Wolf-Dieter Von Gronau, See-Saw’s Simon Gillis...

The perception of orcas has changed a lot in the past few decades. Though revered by some cultures (such as several Native American tribes and the Ainu of Japan), they've historically shared the bad reputation of sharks — there's a reason the name "killer whale" endured.

Then in the 1960s, scientists began studying these animals up close and perception slowly changed. While orcas are apex predators, they have no documented interest in hunting humans; if anything, they're playful. They're also some of the smartest animals around, with intelligence comparable to great apes; they communicate with each other and different pods have different languages.

This change in perception can be seen in film. In 1977, "Orca" was a "Jaws" knock-off that depicted a killer whale as a modern Moby Dick. By 1993, an orca became the star of a family movie: "Free Willy." I've not revisited "Free Willy" in over a decade, but it is a childhood favorite.

Over the course of a directing career that has lasted almost forty years so far, Dwight H. Little has brought us some very cool movies, with his credits including The Phantom of the Opera (starring Robert Englund), the Steven Seagal vehicle Marked for Death, Rapid Fire (starring Brandon Lee), Free Willy 2, the Wesley Snipes mystery Murder at 1600, Anacondas: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid, Tekken, and my favorite of the Halloween sequels, Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers. He has also directed a whole lot of television, taking the helm of episodes of shows like Freddy’s Nightmares, Millennium, The X-Files, The Practice, 24, Prison Break, Castle, Nikita, Arrow, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Sleepy Hollow, From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series, Bones, Scorpion, and 9-1-1. Now he has written a memoir called Still Rolling: Inside the Hollywood Dream Factory – and copies can be purchased at This Link!

Still Rolling has a...

Killer Collectibles highlights five of the most exciting new horror products announced each and every week, from toys and apparel to artwork, records, and much more.

Here are the coolest horror collectibles unveiled this week!

Natty Knocks Blu-ray from Vertical Entertainment

Natty Knocks will be released on Blu-ray and DVD on September 26 via Vertical Entertainment. Currently available on VOD, the horror film is directed by Dwight H. Little.

Horror icons Bill Moseley, Danielle Harris, and Robert Englund star with Thomas Robie, Noen Perez, Channah Zeitung, Jason James Richter, Amit Sarin, and Charlotte Fountain-Jardim. Benjamin Olson penned the script.

Unfortunately, no special features are included. Check out the trailer here.

The Funhouse Soundtrack from Waxwork Records

The Funhouse’s original motion picture soundtrack is available on vinyl for $40 via Waxwork Records. The score is composed by John Beal.

The 2xLP album is pressed on “Dark Carnival Ride” pinwheel colored vinyl. It...

The Los Angeles premiere of “Natty Knocks” was held June 30, 2023 at the Harmony Gold Theater in Hollywood. Gold Derby associate editor Latasha Ford was on the red carpet to interview stars Robert Englund, Charlotte Fountain-Jardim, Thomas Robie, Noen Perez, Channah Zeitung, Anuschka van Lent and Joey Bothwell, as well as director David H. Little. Check out the exclusive red carpet interviews above!

See ‘Joy Ride’ premiere red carpet interviews with Stephanie Hsu, Sherry Cola, Sabrina Wu and more … [Watch]

“Natty Knocks” stars Fountain-Jardim as a small-town babysitter struggling to survive a serial killer on Halloween Eve. From the legendary horror director, Dwight H. Little (“Halloween 4”), writer Benjamin Olson and producers Jason James Richter and Sandy Little comes this independent film from Vertical Entertainment also starring Bill Moseley and Danielle Harris. “Natty Knocks” will be released theatrically on July 21, 2023.

Predict the 2023 Emmy nominees through July 12

Make your predictions at Gold Derby now.

"Natty knocks nine times! Don't answer your door, close all your blinds, hide under your bed, or she'll take off your head!" Vertical has revealed an official trailer for an indie horror film titled Natty Knocks, from filmmaker Dwight H. Little. It's set to open in July if any horror fans are curious about this one. From the legendary director of Halloween 4 comes Natty Knocks. On Halloween Eve, babysitter Britt Henderson and the kids she's charged with protecting must survive the horrors of serial killer Abner Honeywell, the son of B-movie horror legend who is reigning terror across their small town. Natty Knocks stars Bill Moseley, Danielle Harris, and Robert Englund, as well as Charlotte Fountain-Jardim in the lead role as the babysitter, Thomas Robie, Noen Perez, and Jason James Richter. This doesn't look half bad, with a cool concept involving the meta horror movie elements worked into it. Will it actually be scary?...

Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers (watch it Here) is my favorite of the Halloween sequels, so I was hyped to hear that the film’s director Dwight H. Little has re-teamed with Halloween 4’s Danielle Harris for a new horror thriller called Natty Knocks – which also stars Robert Englund (Little directed him in the 1989 film The Phantom of the Opera), Bill Moseley (The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2), Jason James Richter (The Little Things), and newcomer Charlotte Fountain-Jardim. And this movie also happens to be set during the Halloween season! Today, our friends at Bloody Disgusting got the exclusive first look at the trailer for Natty Knocks, and you can check it out in the embed above.

Vertical has picked up the North America, United Kingdom, and Ireland distribution rights to the film and will be giving it a day-and-date release on July 21st.

Scripted by Benjamin Olson, Natty Knocks...

A town knows its secrets. A town knows how to hide them, too. Dwight H. Little, who directed Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers, Phantom of the Opera (1989), and an episode of “Freddy’s Nightmares,” is back in the director’s chair for Natty Knocks, a brand new movie starring horror icons Robert Englund, Bill Moseley, and Danielle Harris.

Vertical will release Natty Knocks day-and-date on July 21, and Bloody Disgusting has been provided with the official trailer today. Exclusively watch the Natty Knocks trailer below.

The film is set on Halloween Eve…

“A small-town babysitter and the kids she is looking after struggle to survive a serial killer named Abner Honeywell.”

Charlotte Fountain-Jardim (“Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”), Thomas Robie (Insidious: The Last Key), Noen Perez (“Grace and Frankie”) and Jason James Richter (Free Willy) also star.

Benjamin Olson wrote the screenplay for Natty Knocks.

Vertical SVP of Acquisitions Tony Piantedosi said in a statement,...

Last year, we heard that Dwight H. Little, director of the excellent Halloween sequel Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers (watch it Here), had re-teamed with that film’s star Danielle Harris for a new horror thriller called Natty Knocks – which also stars Robert Englund (Little directed him in the 1989 film The Phantom of the Opera), Bill Moseley (The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2), Jason James Richter (The Little Things), and newcomer Charlotte Fountain-Jardim. Now Variety reports that Vertical has picked up the North America, United Kingdom, and Ireland distribution rights to the film and will be giving it a day-and-date release on July 21st.

Scripted by Benjamin Olson, Natty Knocks sees Fountain-Jardim taking on the role of a small-town babysitter who, on Halloween Eve, along with her “kids,” has to survive serial killer Abner Honeywell who is himself the traumatized son of B-movie horror legend known as “Natty Knocks.

Dwight H. Little, who directed Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers, Phantom of the Opera (1989), and an episode of “Freddy’s Nightmares,” is back in the director’s chair for Natty Knocks, a brand new movie starring horror icons Robert Englund, Bill Moseley, and Danielle Harris. Vertical has acquired North American rights.

Variety reports that Natty Knocks will release day-and-date on July 21, 2023.

The film is set on Halloween Eve…

“A small-town babysitter and the kids she is looking after struggle to survive a serial killer named Abner Honeywell.”

Charlotte Fountain-Jardim (“Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”), Thomas Robie (Insidious: The Last Key), Noen Perez (“Grace and Frankie”) and Jason James Richter (Free Willy) also star.

Benjamin Olson wrote the screenplay for Natty Knocks.

Vertical SVP of Acquisitions Tony Piantedosi said in a statement, “‘Natty Knocks’ immediately intrigued us given its collaboration of prolific horror icons who defined the genre for decades. The film...

Vertical has secured North America, United Kingdom, and Ireland rights to “Natty Knocks,” a new horror film from Dwight H. Little, the director of “Halloween 4.” The film’s casts includes a collection of horror all-stars such as Bill Moseley (“The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2”), Danielle Harris (“Halloween”) and Robert Englund (“A Nightmare on Elm Street”).

“Natty Knocks” unspools on Halloween Eve, as a small-town babysitter and the kids she is looking after struggle to survive a serial killer named Abner Honeywell. Vertical has slated the film for a day-and-date release on July 21.

The screenplay was penned by Benjamin Olson. The cast also includes Charlotte Fountain-Jardim (“The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”), Thomas Robie (“Insidious: The Last Key”), Noen Perez (“Grace and Frankie”) and Jason James Richter (“Free Willy”). The film’s executive producers are Amit Sarin and Vineesha Arora Sarin; producers are Jason Richer and Sandy Little.

Vertical SVP of Acquisitions Tony Piantedosi commented,...

Thirty-four years after directing the excellent Halloween sequel Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers (watch it Here), Dwight H. Little has re-teamed with that film’s star Danielle Harris for a new horror thriller called Natty Knocks – which also stars Robert Englund (Little directed him in the 1989 film The Phantom of the Opera), Bill Moseley (The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2), Jason James Richter (The Little Things), and newcomer Charlotte Fountain-Jardim.

Scripted by Benjamin Olson, Natty Knocks sees Fountain-Jardim taking on the role of

a small-town babysitter who, on Halloween Eve, along with her “kids,” has to survive serial killer Abner Honeywell who is himself the traumatized son of B-movie horror legend known as “Natty Knocks.”

Jason James Richter produced the film with Sandy Little and Amit Sarin. Vineesha Arora-Sarin executive produced. Film Bridge After Dark holds the worldwide rights to the film and will be presenting it to potential...

Film Bridge After Dark has launched worldwide sales on the horror thriller Natty Knocks, which reteams Halloween 4 director Dwight Little with Danielle Harris, reports Deadline ahead of the American Film Market.

Natty Knocks also reteams the filmmaker with Robert Englund, who starred in Little’s Phantom of the Opera. Bill Moseley also stars.

The film chronicles the story of a small-town babysitter played by Charlotte Fountain-Jardim who, on Halloween Eve, along with her “kids,” has to survive serial killer Abner Honeywell who is himself the traumatized son of B-movie horror legend known as “Natty Knocks.”

It was written by Benjamin Olson and also stars Jason James Richter. The film was produced by Sandy Little and Jason James Richter with Amit Sarin. Vineesha Arora-Sarin serves as Executive Producer.

The post ‘Natty Knocks’ – Danielle Harris Reteams With ‘Halloween 4’ Director Dwight Little appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Exclusive: Film Bridge After Dark has launched worldwide sales on the horror thriller Natty Knocks from director Dwight Little (Halloween 4). The film will be presented to buyers at AFM next month.

Written by Benjamin Olson, the film chronicles the story of a small-town babysitter played by Charlotte Fountain-Jardim who, on Halloween Eve, along with her “kids,” has to survive serial killer Abner Honeywell who is himself the traumatized son of B-movie horror legend known as “Natty Knocks.”

Robert Englund, Danielle Harris, and Bill Moseley star alongside Jason James Richter. The film was produced by Sandy Little and Jason James Richter with Amit Sarin. Vineesha Arora-Sarin serves as Executive Producer.

“Ever since working with Robert Englund on Phantom of the Opera, I have been looking for a way for us to find a project to do together,” said Little. “Natty Knocks is exactly the small-town horror film I was hoping to...

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The ’90s might just be the biggest and best decade when it comes to showcasing high school hierarchies om film. Rom-coms featuring rich and popular teens, football jocks, and the lonely outcast struggling to fit in come to mind, along with memorable fashions.

The ’90s was also a time where filmmaking evolved. From genetically engineered extinct species suddenly roaming the earth, to choreographed fight scenes and explosions, and alien invasions threatening life as we know it, the ’90s brought a new level of cinematic genius as high quality graphics and new directorial styles emerged.

Below, find a roundup of ’90s films to add to your Blu-ray collection. Need more ’90s content? Check out...

A small town's supernatural mystery unravels when a tormented spirit returns to haunt her childhood friends in Charlie Comparetto's Ghost in the Graveyard, and we can exclusively announce that DarkCoast will release the film on digital platforms beginning November 5th, and we also have a new trailer to share with Daily Dead readers.

Starring Jake Busey and Kelli Berglund, you can watch our exclusive trailer for Ghost in the Graveyard below, and we also have the full press release with additional details on the film:

Press Release: Los Angeles, CA – Darkcoast unleashes ‘Ghost In The Graveyard’ onto digital streaming platforms this November.

The directorial debut from Charlie Comparetto (The Brawler), Ghost In The Graveyard, is a haunting teen thriller starring Jake Busey, Disney Xd star, Kelli Berglund, Marvel’s Royce Johnson (Daredevil), Golden Globe nominee, Nikki Blonsky (Hairspray), and three-time award winner, Maria Olsen (Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The...

Exclusive: Golden Globe-winning Entourage alum Jeremy Piven, Oscar nominee Bruce Dern, Taryn Manning of Netflix’s Orange Is the New Black, Zach McGowan and Jamie Kennedy are attached to star in Crabs in a Bucket, an indie comedy from Future Proof Films, Cornell Ventures, and Jars Media Group.

Paolo Pilladi is directing the film from a script he wrote with Greg Lingo. Additional cast includes Jack McGee, Jason James Richter, Royce Johnson, Chris Kerson, Lauren Francesca, Betsy Beutler, Peter Patrikios, Natasha Coppola-Shalom, and Garry Pastore.

The plot follows real estate developer Mick (Piven), who returns to his offbeat Philly childhood neighborhood for his mother’s Irish wake and discovers he’s been willed their ill-fated pub that his sleazy boss, Mr. Delvecchio (Pastore), wants to raze to gentrify the neighborhood. As Mick reconnects with his father Laurence (McGee...

Free Willy star Jason James Richter has reached a plea deal following his October arrest for misdemeanor domestic violence, multiple outlets have reported.

Los Angeles City Attorney spokesperson Frank Mateljan previously told People the actor, 38, was charged with two misdemeanors after an altercation with his girlfriend.

“We filed two misdemeanor counts against him, one is for battery on a significant other that did not cause injury and a second count of vandalism. 18 months is the maximum exposure for both counts,” he says. “There was a physical altercation between them and at some point he allegedly kicked in the door and...

A trailer has recently dropped for Charlie Comparetto's Ghost in the Graveyard, starring Royce Johnson, Jake Busey, Nikki Blonsky, and Jason James Richter and it headlines today's Highlights. Also: It Comes trailer and upcoming Vr experience, Miskatonic Institute of Horror Studies - London's Cabinet of Curiosities: The Strange Case of Scala Cinema event announced, and Blood in the Snow Canadian Film Festival 2018's lineup revealed.

Watch the New Ghost in the Graveyard Trailer: "Cellar Door Productions has arrived at the American Film Market with the first trailer and new stills for Ghost in the Graveyard. The supernatural thriller stars Kelli Berglund, Royce Johnson (Marvel's "Daredevil" and "Jessica Jones"), Jake Busey, Nikki Blonsky and Jason James Richter (The Free Willy franchise).

The debut feature of filmmaker Charlie Comparetto, Ghost in the Graveyard centers on a small town under siege from the ghost of a local girl who died tragically during a childhood game.

Cellar Door Productions has arrived at the American Film Market with the first trailer for Ghost in the Graveyard. The supernatural thriller stars Kelli Berglund, Royce Johnson (Marvel's "Daredevil" and "Jessica Jones"), Jake Busey, Nikki Blonsky and Jason James Richter (The Free Willyfranchise). The debut feature of filmmaker Charlie Comparetto, Ghost in the Graveyard centers on a small town under siege from the ghost of a local girl who died tragically during a childhood game.  Worldwide rights are available through the producers.     A small town comes under the thumb of Martha, a vengeful ghost who returns to haunt the children who witnessed her death during a game of Ghost in the Graveyard...

[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...

Child actor Jason James Richter, best known for his starring role in the 1993 film Free Willy, was arrested for misdemeanor domestic violence, according to a report.

A Public Information Officer with the Los Angeles Police Department confirms to People that Richter, who was booked under the name Gregory Richter, was arrested on Monday at 11:45 p.m. by the Los Angeles Police Department’s North Hollywood Division.

City attorney spokesperson Frank Mateljan tells People the actor was charged with two misdemeanors after an altercation with his girlfriend.

“We filed two misdemeanor counts against him, one is for battery on a...

Jason James Richter has found himself in a legal situation. Los Angeles Police confirm to E! News that the Free Willy star was arrested on Monday in the San Fernando Valley for misdemeanor domestic violence. He was released Wednesday on $20,000 bail. His next court date has yet to be announced. According to TMZ, who first broke the news, Jason allegedly got into an argument after he asked his girlfriend about a co-worker and whether they were having an affair. Authorities told the outlet that the girlfriend claimed Jason "grabbed her" during their discussion. "Jason and his girlfriend were involved in an argument that unfortunately escalated to the point where police were...

The actor who played a troubled kid in "Free Willy" has found himself in real trouble as an adult ... we've learned he was arrested for domestic violence. Law enforcement sources tell us former child actor Jason James Richter was arrested Monday night in the San Fernando Valley for misdemeanor domestic violence. He spent two nights in jail before being released Wednesday. Richter's people tell us he had an argument with his girlfriend at around 7 Pm at their home.

As pop-culture reboots continue to reach new thresholds of frenzy, it was only a matter of time before the trend seeped into music videos.

How refreshing, then, that La-based musician Dexter Tortoriello was quick to flip the trend on its ear for a series of short films to promote his latest project as Houses, the new 4-track Ep “Drugstore Heaven.” Rather than have ’80s and ‘90s film/TV icons Jaleel White (“Family Matters”), Nicole Eggert (“Charles In Charge”), Jason James Richter (“Free Willy”) and Patrick Renna (“The Sandlot”) recreate their most famous roles, Tortoriello and his directors Brook Linder and Nick Roney cast each actor in macabre, “Twilight Zone”-esque scenarios that touch on the Ep’s themes.

The cinematic clips often skirt music video conventions altogether, with the music often serving as a more incidental back-drop to the interpretations of the Ep’s themes. Lead single “Fast Talk,” which touches on drug abuse,...

"You can have anything you want in this world, as long as you know how to steal it." Epic Releasing has debuted a trailer for an action thriller titled Last Rampage, about the true story of a notorious prison break in Arizona in 1978. The film stars Robert Patrick as Gary Tison, a convicted murderer who escaped from prison with his cellmate, played by Chris Browning. While the sheriff, played by Bruce Davison, was hunting him down the two went on a murderous rampage. The film features a "chilling tour-de-force turn by Robert Patrick" in a story "about the dark side of family loyalty." The full cast includes Heather Graham, Molly C. Quinn, Jason James Richter, William Shockley, and the late John Heard. This looks very gritty and violent, perhaps it's an uncomfortable film to watch, but maybe there's something to it. Here's the first official trailer (+ poster) for Dwight H. Little's Last Rampage,...

What's the only thing worse than a sequel? The only prospect worse than paying £10 at your local cinema to have your favourite movie ruined, forever. The answer has three words. Straight-to-video.

In the '90s, home release sequels became fairly common. You'd greet them with surprise at your local Blockbusters and then want to pull your eyeballs out when you took them home and watched them. They're probably called straight-to-dvd or straight-to-Blu-ray now, but they still exist.

With the announcement that Dolph Lundgren will be starring in Kindergarten Cop 2 (because of course), here are 21 absolute stinking sequels - the vast majority of which weren't even considered good enough for the cinema. How many of them have you watched?

1. American Pie Presents: Band Camp

2. American Pie Presents: Beta House

Maybe it's the Eugene Levy factor - just why did he keep starring in all the sequels?! - but we have weird...

30 years ago, it was “Goonies never say die!” 20 years ago, it was “Cheer, cheer for Old Notre Dame!” And 10 years ago, it was “There’s some good in this world, and it’s worth fighting for!” Now, Sean Astin has a new rally cry for us: “Remember the Sultana!” That phrase goes with a documentary in the works called Sultana, and the actor is an executive producer on the project. It’s mostly the passion of Astin’s longtime friend, producer Mark Marshall, who he met on the set of The Goonies. But the two of them are united on screen promoting the film in the campaign video for a crowdfunding venture launched last month. It’s at Kickstarter, where their goal is $75k to go towards filming and post-production costs. “Voiceover Talent” is apparently a large part of that pie, which might in part mean for Astin himself. He’s set to narrate the history doc...

Classic family adventure about a troubled 12-year-old boy who forms an unbreakable bond with a theme park killer whale. On learning that the aquarium's owner plans to sacrifice the whale for hefty insurance, Jesse (Jason James Richter) hatches a plot to free his new friend. Michael Madsen plays the good guy for a change as Jesse's foster dad; not so the ever-villainous Michael Ironside as the greedy park boss.

It's been 20 years since "Free Willy" first surfaced in theaters, on July 16, 1993. The family film made a huge splash, earning $153.7 million at the box office, transforming newcomer Jason James Richter into a tween star, spawning three sequels and an animated series, and inspiring schoolchildren around the world to work to return Keiko, the orca who portrayed Willy, safely to the wild after years of captivity and illness.

Since the family film's release two decades ago, many of its stars have flourished, though for others, "Willy" marked their career peak. Read on to learn what became of the makers of this whale tale.

July 16 marks the 20th anniversary of the release of "Free Willy," the emotional family film which stole the hearts of viewers. Starring Jason James Richter as a young man who becomes friends with an Orca whale named Willy (played by famous whale Keiko), "Free Willy" brought in $77.69 million at the box office and was followed by two sequels: "Free Willy 2: The Adventure Home" and "Free Willy 3: The Rescue."

In celebration of the anniversary of "Free Willy," remember Keiko the Orca Whale and eight other famed animal actors.

Keiko the Orca Whale: Fans fell in love with Keiko when he starred in "Free Willy."

Buddy the Golden Retriever: Buddy starred as the family dog Comet in "Full House," as well as the athletic pup in the "Air Bud" movies.

Uggie the Jack Russell Terrier: A campaign was launched after Uggie starred in the Oscar-winning film "The Artist" to give the dog an Academy Award.

Houston-based Group1217, LLC, has announced the beginning of production on new feature film 3 Solitude. The film is being produced by Group1217 co-owners Jesse Kozel and Annette VerHoeven along with producing partners Yvonne Maria Schaefer (Ymc Films) and Thomas Raft (Jefatov Films).

From the Press Release:

3 Solitude will be directed by Michael Flores, whose supernatural web series "Western X" has garnered him much attention from Hollywood. Recently he was nominated by the Producers Guild of America at the Digital 25 ceremony in Los Angeles as well as winning Best Directorial Debut of New Media/Webisode at the ITN Distribution Film and New Media awards in New York City. Flores is the screenwriter behind 3 Solitude along with contributing story creator Jesse Kozel.

"This is an ambitious independent psychological thriller containing horror elements with many plot twists and multi-layered characters," Kozel said in a recent interview. "We're pulling from so many different genres in...

Each week within this column we strive to pair the latest in theatrical releases to the worthwhile titles currently available on Netflix Instant Watch. This week we look at alternatives to Fright Night, One Day and Spy Kids 4D.

Remakes, and sequels and adaptations – oh my! This week in theaters another horror remake aims to make you scream, while a novel love story hopes to make you swoon and a family film strives to literally stink up the place. If you crave more retro-fitted horror, romantic dramas and rambunctious kid flicks – we’ve got you covered with a panoply of movies now available online.

Colin Farrell plays the neighbor from hell in this creepy remake about a teen boy (Anton Yelchin) who knows something wicked is lurching next-door. Craig Gillespie directs.

There’s been a ton of horror remakes of late, and some of the more curious cases are currently...

1. An Inconvenient Truth, Directed by Davis Guggenheim. Synopsis: A documentary on Al Gore’s campaign to make the issue of global warming a recognized problem worldwide. 2. Erin Brockovich, Directed by Steven Soderbergh and starring Julia Roberts. Synopsis: An unemployed single mother becomes a legal assistant and almost single-handedly brings down a California power company accused of polluting a city’s water supply. 3. Free Willy, Directed by Simon Wincer and starring Jason James Richter. Synopsis: When a boy learns that a beloved killer whale is to be killed by the aquarium owners, the boy risks everything to free the whale. 4. March of the Penguins, Directed Luc Jacquet and starring Morgan Freeman. Synopsis: A look at [...]...

With the first two installments in the "Free Willy" saga snagging almost $108 million in North America alone, Warner Bros. is understandably taking another dip in the ocean with "Free Willy 3: The Rescue".

Handsomely crafted and smartly scripted with solid performances, the latest adventure about a boy and his whale is certainly see-worthy, although it could have used an occasional kick-start in the pacing department.

Given this summer's performance record of family-oriented features, the third "Willy" is unlikely to emerge as much of a catch at the boxoffice, but should make a bigger splash on home video. Greenpeace, meanwhile, should seriously consider adopting it as its official recruitment film.

Back again as Willy's best buddy Jesse is Jason James Richter, who has landed a nifty summer job tracking whales with his trusty mentor, Randolph (August Schellenberg). Both have been brought aboard by Drew (Annie Corley), a research scientist who's investigating a decline in the local orca population off the Pacific Northwest coast.

Their search leads them to a purported salmon-fishing boat actually belonging to an illegal whaling operation headed up by John Wesley (Patrick Kilpatrick), who has invited his 10-year-old son, Max Vincent Berry), on the expedition as sort of a rite of passage. When Max discovers his dad has more than sockeye on his mind -- namely a $200-a-pound trade in harvested whale meat -- he receives a jolt of consciousness-raising that puts a serious strain on their father-son relationship.

Richter, filled out from his last "Free Willy" outing and looking like a baby Ray Liotta, once again delivers a committed performance with a conviction that nicely plays off Schellenberg's easy amiability.

But Berry is the big find this time around as the tousle-haired, conflicted Max. A young man with an old soul, he conveys his character's dilemma with a wide-eyed honesty and sensitivity that bodes well for his big-screen future.

The director, New Zealand's Sam Pillsbury ("The Quiet Earth"), has a nice affinity for the naturalistic, British Columbia setting, while John Mattson's tidy, poetic script (incorporating characters created by the late Keith Walker) is a considerable improvement over the 1994 misfire "Milk Money". Still, the fundamental problem remains that there's only about an hour's worth of plot here that has been stretched and padded with unnecessarily lingering underwater images that may look pretty but do the pacing no favors.

Speaking of visuals, Canada-based cinematographer Tobias Schliessler certainly makes good use of the moody Pacific coastline and its challenging mix of light, shadow and fog. As for those Keiko stand-ins, the usual combination of animatronic and digitally composed creatures along with wildlife footage again makes for passable but not exactly groundbreaking effects work.

FREE WILLY 3: THE RESCUE

Warner Bros.

Warner Bros. presents

in association with Regency Enterprises

a Shuler Donner/Donner production

Director Sam Pillsbury

Producer Jennie Lew Tugend

Screenwriter John Mattson

Executive producers Lauren Shuler Donner, Richard Donner and Arnon Milchan

Director of photography Tobias Schliessler

Production designer Brent Thomas

Editor Margie Goodspeed

Music Cliff Eidelman

Costume designer Maya Mani

Casting Judy Taylor, Lynne Carrow

Color/stereo

Cast:

Jesse Jason James Richter

Randolph August Schellenberg

Drew Annie Corley

Max Vincent Berry

Wesley Patrick Kilpatrick

Mary Tasha Simms

Running time -- 85 minutes

MPAA rating: PG...