News

By 1973, Richard Lester, Philadelphia-born but as vital a figure in the cutting edge of ’60s British cinema as Tony Richardson and Lindsay Anderson, had run his film career aground with a string of flops. But he never fully gave up on his plans to adapt The Three Musketeers, a project originally intended as a vehicle for the Beatles.

A few years after the Fab Four went their separate ways, Lester finally got the production off the ground, and he approached his adaptation of Alexandre Dumas’s classic 1844 novel with the same comic lens that informed his earlier work. Initially planned as a single epic complete with intermission, the final movie would be split in two for greater ease of distribution and profit potential.

The films follow the plot of the novel faithfully: Lowborn but skilled swordsman d’Artagnan (Michael York) travels from the country to the capital to join the elite Musketeers,...

Mickey 17 director Bong Joon Ho’s long-awaited follow-up to his Academy Award-winning film, Parasite, opens in theaters on Friday. Shortly after that, Insight Editions will release The Art and Making of Mickey 17, an in-depth exploration of the filmmaking craft that went into creating the Robert Pattinson-led sci-fi dark comedy. Gold Derby has an exclusive first look at the book.

The Art and Making of Mickey 17 is written by Simon Ward, who previously wrote Art and Making of books for Bong’s films Snowpiercer and Okja. In it, Ward takes readers deep inside the filmmaking process through expert commentary and extensive on-set interviews.

The movie's origins date back to Bong's historic awards run with Parasite. The filmmaker told Ward he was initially working on a fact-based story set in 2016 London. However, the acclaimed filmmaker felt he wasn't necessarily the right person to tell that story.

Click on the images...

Production on Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow is underway, and the film has just cast the parents of the titular hero. Based on the DC Comic of the same name, Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow will see House of the Dragon's Milly Alcock in the lead role of Kara Zor-El, a.k.a. Supergirl in the Dcu. The roles of Supergirl's mom and dad have been cast, and they are fan favorites.

The Hollywood Reporter revealed that David Krumholtz and Emily Beecham are set to play Supergirls' parents. The rest of the cast includes Eve Ridley as Ruthie Marye Knoll, a young girl who hires Supergirl to hunt down the man who killed her father, Krem of the Yellows Hills, played by Rust and Bone's Matthias Schoenaerts. Former Aquaman star Jason Momoa is set to play the intergalactic bounty hunter Lobo in the film.

While the press release does not name the character,...

British royal family news reveals that the late Queen Elizabeth had a chilling response to Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s outrageous request to skip her Platinum Jubilee in order to celebrate their daughter Lilibet’s birthday.

Who would even make such a demand? Read on to discover what Hank and Skank did that offended Her Majesty.

Royal Family News – Harry And Meghan’s Outrageous Demand

June 2022 marked the exceptional Platinum Jubilee of the late Queen Elizabeth, celebrating her remarkable 70-year reign. Prince Harry and Meghan were in town with their kids Archie and Lilibet.

The weekend of their presence “included the celebration of little Lilibet’s first birthday with an informal party at Frogmore Cottage … However, not everything went smoothly for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.”

Royal Family News – Harry’s Entitled Attitude

The Mirror reported that their request for a private photographer to capture the Queen’s...

British royal family news reveals that September 8, 2024 marks the second anniversary of Queen Elizabeth’s death. Upon her passing her eldest son Prince Charles became King and his second wife, Camilla, became Queen.

The regents today observed the second anniversary of the late Queen’s death exactly as they did the first anniversary: by attending a church service.

The Second Anniversary Of Queen Elizabeth’s Passing

The late Queen Elizabeth died at Balmoral Castle in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, on Sunday, Sept. 8, at age 96. She was preceded in death by her husband Prince Philip who died at age 99 in April 2021.

King Charles and Queen Camilla have been at Balmoral, partaking of the royal family’s annual summer vacation tradition. On Sunday they were seen at the nearby church Crathie Kirk.

Royal Family News – Observing Queen Elizabeth’s Passing

The royal family’s official Instagram page observed the anniversary of Queen Elizabeth’s...

House of the Dragon finally redeemed Game of Thrones for its terrible ending and it seems that the fans of the high fantasy series are getting back up on the Got train. Based on George R.R. Martin‘s book Fire & Blood, the Game of Thrones prequel series takes place 200 years before the events of the original series and it revolves around the internal conflicts of the House of Targaryen. House of the Dragon stars Matt Smith as Daemon Targaryen, Rhys Ifans as Otta Hightower, Steve Toussaint as Corlys Velaryon, Eve Best as Rhaenys Velaryon, Sonoya Mizuno as Mysaria, and Fabien Frankel as Criston Cole. So, if you loved the high fantasy, political drama, brutal violence, and medieval setting in House of the Dragon here are some similar shows you could watch next.

Game of Thrones (Max & Rent on Prime Video) Credit – HBO

Game of Thrones is an epic fantasy and...

British royal family news divulges that Anne the Princess Royal was hospitalized Sunday, June 23 after suffering a concussion on her estate.

According to Buckingham Palace, Princess Anne incurred “minor injuries and concussion” while walking on her Gatcombe Park Estate in proximity to her horses.

According to Newsweek, “It is not known for sure exactly how she sustained her injuries, though they are thought to be consistent with a blow from a horse’s leg or head.”

Royal Family News: Anne the Princess Royal Injured

Princess Anne, the only sister of King Charles, is an Olympic-medal winning equestrian, and her daughter Zara Tindall followed in her footsteps.

King Charles has been told of his sister’s condition and wished her a “speedy recovery.” Anne’s husband Sir Tim Laurence accompanied Anne to the hospital. He, their daughter Zara and her husband Mike Tindall were on the estate at the time of the incident.

This is our last filmmaking books column in 2023, and it’s a good one. Plus, you can watch for even more gems from recent months in our companion column running next month. As always, thanks for reading and supporting so many great authors and artists.

Opposable Thumbs: How Siskel & Ebert Changed Movies Forever by Matt Singer (G.P. Putnam’s Sons)

As an adolescent in the early 1990s, one of my Sunday night rituals was recording that week’s episode of “Siskel & Ebert”––it aired late-night in Buffalo, NY––and watching it the following day. The internet was in its infancy, so the reviews of Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert were both a lifeline to what was happening in film and a cinematic education. It is no exaggeration to say that I learned how to discuss movies thanks to Gene and Roger. For my generation, then, the release of...

Miriam Margolyes, who played Professor Sprout in the “Harry Potter” film franchise, is lending her voice to a new kids project titled “Badjelly,” Variety can confirm.

Based on the Spike Milligan children’s book “Badjelly the Witch: A Fairy Story,” the animated series will bring to life Milligan’s original tale about two siblings who go searching for a lost cow – and stumble upon a cast of magical creatures.

Margolyes is set to play Badjelly in the project, who is described as “the wickedest witch in all the world.” When she bumps into brother and sister Tim and Rose on their adventures in the great black forest high jinks ensue. Tim will be voiced by Malachi Hall (“The Flatshare”) while Ava Diakhaby (“Shortland Street”) plays Rose.

The 13-part series is aimed at 7-11 year old and is set for delivery in 2025. The show is already in production.

“’Badjelly’ delivers a...

“The Last Voyage of the Demeter,” which spotlights the doomed ship in Bram Stoker’s oft-adapted 1897 novel, is the second Dracula film released in 2023 after “Renfield.” Both take generous liberties with the source material, which brings up the question: Out of the 200-some films about the famous Count, which ones are the most faithful?

Here’s our ranking of some of the most popular, and a few lesser-known, Dracula adaptations.

Universal

8. Renfield (2023)

Pretty much the only thing this horror comedy has in common with the novel is Nicholas Hoult as the bug-eating title character and a delightfully campy Nicolas Cage as his bloodthirsty boss. The movie brings them both into the 21st century, makes Renfield an ass-kicking hero and swaps out Lucy and Mina for Awkwafina’s incorruptible cop.

Miramax

7. Dracula 2000 (2000)

The film begins with a shot of the wrecked Demeter and footprints in the sand as Dracula heads to town.

Emily Brontë's 1847 barn burner of a debut (and final) novel, "Wuthering Heights," has the not unique distinction of being an extraordinary piece of writing without any great screen adaptations to its name. Plenty of great books have been adapted into great films. 

But even more great literary adaptations litter the studio rubbish heaps, the victims of crippling executive intervention, directors who took a Coppola-like big swing and missed, and most common of all, filmmakers who didn't take a big swing and ended up with perfectly fine, perfectly flat, one-for-one translations that ultimately leave you feeling the story just should have stayed on the page.

Paramount's 1992 take on "Wuthering Heights" ultimately belongs to that last category. And it's a shame, because the project had so much potential. Mirroring its source author, the film was prolific television director Peter Kosminsky's first theatrical feature (and ended up being his last...

Acclaimed musicians, actors, business leaders, climate activists and environmentalists from around the world will unite on 21st June for Climate Action Live, an international event convened by Peace One Day.

With dozens of performers, speakers, and leaders from across every possible sector, the worldwide event aims to raise awareness of climate change and manifest climate action on a global scale.

Climate Action Live will facilitate conversations on a more sustainable and peaceful future for our planet. Live panel discussions and special interviews will connect the dots between urgent global issues, and raise awareness of a world that’s NetZero under the theme: “No Climate Action – No Peace.”

Jeremy Gilley, Founder of Peace One Day said: “Wildfires and extreme weather are getting worse and more frequent, and more than ever we see the intersectionality between crises like war, racism, migration, injustice and poverty. Climate Action Live 21 is a moment for the...

Stars: John Amplas, Lincoln Maazel. Christine Forrest, Elyane Nadeau, Tom Savini, Sarah Venable, James, Roy, J. Clifford Forrest Jr. | Written and Directed by George A. Romero

George A. Romero is a name that is synonymous with the horror genre, and for good reason. His films, particularly his “Living Dead” series, have become icons of the genre and have influenced countless filmmakers. However, one of Romero’s lesser-known films, Martin, is just as worthy of recognition and analysis as his more famous works.

Martin tells the story of the titular character, played by John Amplas, who thinks – despite evidence to the contrary – he’s a vampire. Martin lives with his elderly cousin, Cuda (Lincoln Maazel), who buys into Martin’s belief that he is a cursed vampire and treats him accordingly. However, unlike the vampires of folklore and fiction, Martin does not possess any supernatural abilities. He must drug his victims...

Later in life, Raquel Welch would occasionally acknowledge that Richard Lester’s The Three Musketeers (1973) and The Four Musketeers (1974) provided her with the best reviews of her career. And it’s hard to argue. Prior to those successful, and slyly subversive, reworkings of Alexandre Dumas’ most famous novel, Welch was known as the sex symbol of the ’60s. She was the redhead in the fur bikini of One Million Years B.C. (1966); the poster image that was so iconic her figure became the primary sales pitch for a movie about dinosaurs!

The bombshell persona opened the doors of Hollywood, but for a woman who was already a mother of two at the time and had to change her name to hide her Bolivian heritage, it was a mirage. She ran with it throughout the ‘60s, leaving a legacy that lingered on in movies which ranged from The Shawshank Redemption (1994) to Belfast...

The pseudo-vampire film Martin was George A. Romero‘s personal favorite of all the films he had made – and now Second Sight Films has brought the film to 4K Uhd! Copies can be pre-ordered directly from Second Sight if you’re in the UK, but the company is not able to ship outside of the UK and Ireland. In the US, you can pre-order the release from Zavvi or Diabolik. 4K Uhd discs are region free, but the accompanying Blu-ray discs are locked to region B.

Written and directed by Romero, Martin has the following synopsis:

Young Martin is entirely convinced that he is an 84-year-old blood-sucking vampire. Without fangs or mystical powers, Martin injects women with sedatives and drinks their blood through wounds inflicted with razor blades. After moving to Braddock, Pennsylvania to live with his superstitious uncle, who also believes Martin is a vampire, Martin tries to prey...

Channel 4 has paid tribute to the “wonderful and generous” PR exec Lesley Land, who died unexpectedly last week.

In a statement this afternoon, the channel, which employed Land for the past eight years, said it is “deeply saddened by the news that our long-standing colleague and friend has passed away.”

“She was the driving force of many of Channel 4’s most memorable press campaigns of the last decade, delivering them with flair and panache,” added the statement.

“Lesley was a wonderful friend, a generous colleague and made tremendous fun wherever she went. But ultimately family was at the core of Lesley’s life. Our hearts go out to them at this devastating time. Much loved by all who knew her, she will be sorely missed.”

Channel 4 highlighted numerous successful PR campaigns overseen by Land including on Gogglebox, Baby Hospital, The Lateish Show with Mo Gilligan, Stand Up To Cancer,...

Talent involved includes Joshua Oppenheimer, Tilda Swinton and Odessa Young.

Fourteen film and TV projects have received a combined £2.2m in funding through the latest round of international co-production funding from the UK Global Screen Fund (Gsf).

The biggest award of £250,000 has been given to Iceland-Ireland-uk-Belgium feature The Damned, which will shoot early next year. Protagonist Pictures is selling and executive producing the film.

Individual awards range between £250,000 to £95,000,

Scroll down for the full list.

Set on a remote fishing outpost in the 19th century, the psychological horror is written by Jamie Hannigan, will be directed by Icelandic-uk director Thordur Palsson,...

Stars: Ryan Gosling, Carey Mulligan, Bryan Cranston, Albert Brooks, Oscar Isaac, Christina Hendricks, Ron Perlman | Directed by Nicolas Winding Refn

I often start by saying that Second Sight give us the ability to revisit classics or discover diamonds we’ve not yet seen. With their Drive: Limited Edition, this has never been truer. Drive is a movie that doesn’t apologise for the violence on screen, and the characters that it shows.

When a mysterious Hollywood stuntman (Ryan Gosling) who moonlights as a getaway driver meets one of his neighbours (Carey Mulligan) a softer side of him is exposed. When her husband returns from jail and gets the driver into major conflict with the people he works for.

Ryan Gosling’s character is simply named The Driver, we never learn anything more about him. We do get to see what could be a softer side, but the fact is this...

Hello, dear readers! As time marches on, that means we have another bunch of horror and sci-fi home media releases making their debut on Tuesday, and there are some genuinely fun movies, both new and old, featured in this week’s offerings. For all you lycanthropes out there, you’ll definitely want to pick up Arrow Video’s brand-new Limited Edition 4K release of An American Werewolf in London, or if you’re more in the mood for a classic chiller, then you should check out Scream Factory’s Blu-ray for Nightmare. In terms of more recent horror titles, both The Boy Behind the Door and John and the Hole are headed home on multiple formats, and for those of you looking for something a bit more sci-fi, Project Gemini from Well Go USA should do the trick.

Other releases for March 15th include Southland Tales: Standard Special Edition,...

” A naked American man stole my balloons.”

An American Werewolf In London (1982) will be available in 4K Ultra HD March 15th from Arrow Video

One of the greatest directors of the 1980s, John Landis, expertly combines macabre horror with dark humour in the lycanthropic classic, An American Werewolf in London.

American tourists David and Jack are savaged by an unidentified vicious animal whilst hiking on the Yorkshire Moors. David awakes in a London hospital to find his friend dead and his life in disarray. Retiring to the home of a beautiful nurse to recuperate, he soon experiences disturbing changes to his mind and body, undergoing a full-moon transformation that will unleash terror on the streets of the capital…

An American Werewolf in London had audiences howling with laughter and recoiling in terror upon its cinema release. Landis’ film has gone on to become one of the most important horror films of its decade,...

As we wrap up the month of March, we have one final round of horror and sci-fi home media releases on tap before we start looking towards April and beyond, and I hope you have your wallets ready, because this week’s slate of titles is a budget killer, no doubt. Arrow Video is celebrating the 40th anniversary of An American Werewolf in London this year with a brand new limited edition Steelbook, and Warner Archives is showing some love to a few older titles this Tuesday as well: Isle of the Dead and The Bermuda Depths.

Vinegar Syndrome is keeping busy with a handful of new releases this week, too, including The Fear, Nightmare Weekend, Graduation Day, and Hitcher in the Dark. Severin Films is also celebrating a pair of films from Álex de la Iglesia with their Special Edition Blus for The Day of the Beast and Perdita Durango,...

The disturbing British coming-of-age thriller I Start Counting (1970), starring Jenny Agutter, makes its US Blu-ray debut on a pristine remastered Region A disc, loaded with fresh extras, courtesy of boutique label Fun City Editions.

Adapted from the 1966 novel of the same name by Audrey Erskine Lindop, I Start Counting is a welcome relic of its era: it is distinctively late-1960s in its fashions and characterizations, and it is decidedly British in its affectations, despite harboring a rather risque subject matter.

I Start Counting

Blu-ray

Fun City Editions

1970 / Color / 1.85:1 widescreen / 106 min. / Street Date November 24, 2020 / available through Vinegar Syndrome / 24.99

Starring: Jenny Agutter, Bryan Marshall, Simon Ward, Clare Sutcliffe.

Cinematography: Alex Thomson

Film Editor: Keith Palmer

Composer: Basil Kirchin

Written by Richard Harris

Produced by David Greene and Stanley R. Jaffe

Directed by David Greene

Lovesick, imaginative 14-year-old Wynne Kinch (a young Jenny Agutter) is convinced that her much older, 32-year-old...

Dwayne Johnson in Richard Kelly’s Southland Tales will available January 26th in a 2-Disc Limited Edition Blu-ray with both the Cannes Cut and the Theatrical Cut From Arrow Video

This Is The Way The World Ends

In 2001, writer/director Richard Kelly achieved cult status with Donnie Darko, an assured debut feature exploring deep existential questions through the lens of 80s nostalgia. Five years later, he followed up with a more ambitious and even more beguiling sophomore effort, in which forces of totalitarianism and anarchism collide against the backdrop of a post-apocalyptic, near-future world the beguiling and baffling Southland Tales.

Los Angeles, 2008. As the city stands on the brink of social, economic and environmental chaos, the fates of an eclectic set of characters including an amnesia-stricken action star, an adult film star developing her own reality TV project and a police officer whose identity has split in two intertwine with...

Arrow Video has released its first ever titles in 4K Ultra HD – two sci-fi classics, the superb space shocker Pitch Black, starring Vin Diesel. This definitive, and stunningly-presented edition, restored in 4K with Dolby Vision (HDR10 compatible), is just the start of Arrow Video’s journey into a dazzling hi-definition world that offers viewers astonishing, pin-sharp resolution, bringing film favorites to life like never before.”We are proud to announce that we have decided to launch our first 4K Ultra HD titles,” says Francesco Simeoni, Arrow Video’s Director of Acquisitions and Business Development. “At Arrow we have always sought to have the best standards in home video presentation so it seemed a logical step that we would embrace this new format, to present you with the best versions of the finest cult and classic films.”

It is available for pre-order now on Amazon and will be released on September 1, 2020. https://www.

Epics — everybody wants to make them but the studios are naturally wary. Richard Attenborough’s ode to the youthful ambitions of Sir Winston Churchill was a big hit in England but didn’t make a dent here. Although a dead ringer for the young Winston, Simon Ward didn’t take off as a star either, leaving Anne Bancroft and Robert Shaw in a sidebar drama that will mostly be remembered for an Std. Correspondent-soldier Churchill sees action in India, The Sudan and South Africa, thanks to the intervention of his socially adept mother. It’s a beautiful, ‘safe’ production with plenty of national pride. Its American premiere served as the Grand opening screening for the second Filmex film festival.

Young Winston

Blu-ray

Powerhouse Indicator

1972 / Color / 2:35 widescreen / 154 min. / Street Date October 28, 2019 / available from Powerhouse Films UK / £15.99

Starring: Simon Ward, Robert Shaw, Anne Bancroft, Jack Hawkins, Patrick Magee, Edward Woodward, John Mills,...

I hope you have your wallets ready, horror fans, because this week’s home media releases are ready to break your bank accounts. There are a lot of cool titles hitting Blu on Tuesday, but without a doubt, Criterion’s new Godzilla: The Showa-Era Films set looks to be the best of the bunch, as it has everything a kaiju fan could want and more. Arrow Video has assembled a comprehensive Special Edition release for An American Werewolf in London, and for those of you who love Chuck Russell’s remake of The Blob, you’ll definitely want to pick up Scream Factory’s new Collector’s Edition Blu.

Two Evil Eyes, the Poe adaptation from George A. Romero and Dario Argento, is getting a Limited Edition Blu this week, and there a ton of cult titles also receiving some well-deserved HD overhauls as well: Paganini Horror, Werewolf in a Girls’ Dormitory,...

An American Werewolf In London will be available on Blu-ray October 29th From Arrow Video

American tourists David (David Naughton) and Jack (Griffin Dunne) are savaged by an unidentified vicious animal whilst hiking on the Yorkshire Moors. David awakes in a London hospital to find his friend dead and his life in disarray. Retiring to the home of a beautiful nurse to recuperate, he soon experiences disturbing changes to his mind and body, undergoing a full-moon transformation that will unleash terror on the streets of the capital..

An American Werewolf in London had audiences howling with laughter and recoiling in terror upon its cinema release. Landis film has gone on to become one of the most important horror films of its decade, rightly lauded for its masterful set-pieces, uniquely unsettling atmosphere and Rick Bakers ground-breaking, Oscar-winning special makeup effects. Now restored in 4K, and presented with an abundance of extra features,...

If it’s the ‘70s, it must be time for some good old apocalyptica; Rosemary’s Baby (1968) beget The Exorcist (1973) and countless rip-offs, and that beget The Omen (’76), which brought a demonic little imp to box office success. But it certainly wouldn’t be the last time we saw the Spawn O’ Satan try to take over, as evidenced by The Chosen (1977), a British-Italian co-production that brings the hellfire in the most ludicrous (read: best) ways.

Released in Italy in November, The Chosen was rolled out to the rest of the world throughout 1978, with Rank Films picking up distribution rights for the U.K. and Aip for North America. No critics at the time picked it up, however; the majority just snidely regarded it as a The Omen toss off and went on their way. But time has been kind to The Chosen – no, it’s not in Damien’s league,...

Stars: Morgan Albrecht, Linda Allen, Yoson An, Jaya Beach-Robertson, Jonny Brugh, Milo Cawthorne, Charles Chan, Mohi Critchley, Hetty Gaskall-Haan, Arlo Gibson, Mick Innes, Ash Jones, Stephanie Liebert, Mathew Loo, Frankie Mac, Josh McKenzie, Sam Morgan, Lewis Roscoe, Axl Scott, Tian Tan, Barney Teng, Anton Tennet, Paul Trimmer, Simon Ward, Matt Weavers, William Wei, Eruera Wilton, Han Xu | Written and Directed by Tim Van Dammen

In an interview promoting the film last year, writer/director Tim Van Dammen described Mega Time Squad as “an absurd time travel crime comedy with a big heart about a loveable rural idiot with modest aspirations who uses a time travel bracelet to steal the money needed to fulfill his dream of moving to the neighbouring town… but he fucks up the time travelling bit.”

I go one further and describe Mega Time Squad as one of the greatest time travel movies ever committed to celluloid.

After a quiet day of releases last Tuesday, we have a ton of horror and sci-fi home media offerings on the docket for this week, including one of my favorite films of the year, Happy Death Day 2 U. Criterion has put together a new edition of the original Funny Games that fans will undoubtedly want to add to their collections, and Mill Creek Entertainment is bringing both Ghosts of Mars and the Eyes of Laura Mars to Blu-ray for the first time as well.

Scream Factory will be unleashing The Chosen this week, and Intervision is resurrecting the underground horror/wrestling mashup Masked Mutilator in what looks to be an ultimate celebration of the cult film. Mondo Macabro is keeping busy with their release of the gothic sexiness of The Devil’s Nightmare, and for those of you who love to indulge in Wtf-ery filmmaking, Saint Bernard from Gabe Bartalos is not to be missed.

In addition to When a Stranger Calls Back, Scream Factory has several other horror titles in store for viewers this May, including their newly announced Blu-rays for 1982's The Seduction, 1977's The Chosen, and 1959's The Alligator People:

The Seduction Blu-ray: "Morgan Fairchild (The Initiation of Sarah) is a news reporter terrorized by an obsessed admirer in 1982’s steamy and deadly thriller The Seduction. Coming soon to Blu-ray for the first time on May 21st!

L.A. anchorwoman Jamie Douglas (Fairchild) has it all: a glamorous career on a top-rated news show, a luxurious house in the hills, and a devoted young fan named Derek (Stevens). But when Jamie rebuffs his romantic advances, Derek becomes a stalker who plays out an increasingly psychotic courtship with the frightened newswoman. Soon he is threatening every part of her life, secretly watching even her most intimate moments. Her tough-talking lover (Michael Sarrazin) can't console her.

If you’re looking for a laugh, I’ve got a couple of funny trailers here for you to watch for an upcoming sci-fi comedy from New Zealand called Mega Time Squad.

The film is described as The Castle meets Looper, and it is said to be a "study in high-meets-low, combining elements of the sci-fi, the crime thriller, and the comedy to make a comedy heist film with a time-traveling twist." As you’ll see in the trailer, things take an interesting turn.

The story follows a low-level criminal from the small town of Thames in New Zealand who “steals an ancient Chinese bracelet time-travel device that helps him pull off a heist and start a new life. But he may not survive the demonic consequences of tampering with time.”

Mega Time Squad was written and directed by Tim van Dammen, and it stars Anton Tennet, Jonny Brugh, Hetty Gaskell-Hahn,...

"If you meet your other self while time traveling, that's when the demon comes." Dark Sky has released an official Us trailer for a time travel indie comedy titled Mega Time Squad, made in New Zealand, finally arriving on Us shores in February. Described as The Castle meets Looper, Mega Time Squad is a "study in high-meets-low, combining elements of the sci-fi, the crime thriller and the comedy to make a comedy heist film with a time-traveling twist." It's about a small time criminal who finds an ancient Chinese device that can help him pull off a heist and start a new life – but he may not survive the consequences of tampering with time. This stars Anton Tennet, Jonny Brugh, Hetty Gaskell-Hahn, Arlo Gibson, Eru Wilton, Milo Cawthorne, & Simon Ward. Looks very low budget and wacky and dumb, and maybe entertaining. Here's the official Us trailer (+ original poster) for Tim van Dammen...

Tim van Dammen's festival darling Mega Time Squad will be released in theaters and on VOD on February 15th, 2019 courtesy of Dark Sky Films, and we have a look at the film's trailer. Also: The Man in Room 6's photos and crowd-funding details, Virus of the Dead Amazon Prime and VOD release details, and Hell House LLC II: The Abaddon Hotel digital release details.

Mega Time Squad Release Date and Trailer Revealed: "In Theaters And On VOD February 15, 2019

Film Synopsis

A low-level criminal steals an ancient Chinese time-travel device, but he may not survive the demonic consequences of tampering with time. Mega Time Squad is a wildly entertaining time travel/sci-fi comedy out of New Zealand. A fan favorite on the festival circuit, the film stars Jonny Brugh (What We Do In The Shadows) and was praised by Variety as "fast-paced, determinedly silly, with sharp slangy dialogue," the film...

The cry came forth from a dark corner of my living room as it usually does this time of year, as it does sometimes during other parts of the year too. It was my wife, shrieking from the depths of her soul, articulating a cry of despair and disbelief: “You’re watching this again??!!” As the familiar strains of James Bernard’s magnificent score rose from beneath the blood-red Warner Bros.-Seven Arts insignia and the subsequent and equally scarlet opening credits, my wife didn’t even need to look up from her book to realize what was happening. It was the week before Halloween, and therefore time for my in-the-neighborhood-of-annual dose of Terence Fisher’s masterful, terrifying Hammer classic, Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed (1969), the fifth in a line of gloriously lurid reiterations of the Frankenstein myth, the pinnacle of the series for the studio, and a movie I...

Ronnie Taylor, the British cinematographer who shared an Oscar for Richard Attenborough’s Gandhi and whose collaborations with that director and Ken Russell produced some of the most memorable films of their eras, died August 3 in Ibiza. He was 93 and had suffered a stroke months earlier.

His death was announced by The British Society of Cinematographers, where Taylor served as president from 1990-1992.

In addition to Gandhi, Taylor’s work with Attenborough includes 1985’s A Chorus Line and 1987’s Cry Freedom. Earlier, Taylor had served as camera operator on Attenborough’s Oh! What a Lovely War in 1969 and the 1972 Churchill biopic Young Winston starring Simon Ward in the title role.

As cinematographer, Taylor’s trio of Russell collaborations are The Devils (1971), Savage Messiah (1972) and Tommy (1975).

According to the Bsc, Taylor began his film career as a clapper boy on 1942’s The Young Mr. Pitt, and by the early 1960s his...

Stars: Morgan Albrecht, Linda Allen, Yoson An, Jaya Beach-Robertson, Jonny Brugh, Milo Cawthorne, Charles Chan, Mohi Critchley, Hetty Gaskall-Haan, Arlo Gibson, Mick Innes, Ash Jones, Stephanie Liebert, Mathew Loo, Frankie Mac, Josh McKenzie, Sam Morgan, Lewis Roscoe, Axl Scott, Tian Tan, Barney Teng, Anton Tennet, Paul Trimmer, Simon Ward, Matt Weavers, William Wei, Eruera Wilton, Han Xu | Written and Directed by Tim Van Dammen

In a recent interview, writer/director Tim Van Dammen described Mega Time Squad as “an absurd time travel crime comedy with a big heart about a loveable rural idiot with modest aspirations who uses a time travel bracelet to steal the money needed to fulfill his dream of moving to the neighbouring town… but he fucks up the time travelling bit.”

I go one further and describe Mega Time Squad as one of the greatest time travel movies ever committed to celluloid. Yes, I said it...

We’re told that the first live- action feature film super-heroine was the marvelous Helen Slater, whose fine presence redeems this last film in the Salkind Superman franchise. CineSavant likes it for the right reasons — his very young kids adored it — but can see its turnip screenwriting and frayed corners showing through. The release combines a 125-minute Blu-ray with an overstuffed 139-minute DVD.

Supergirl

Blu-ray

Warner Archive Collection

1984 / Color / 2:40 widescreen / 125 (Bd) & 139 (Sd) min. / Street Date July 24, 2018 / available through the WBshop / 21.99

Starring: Faye Dunaway, Helen Slater, Peter O’Toole, Mia Farrow, Brenda Vaccaro, Peter Cook, Simon Ward, Marc McClure, Hart Bochner, Maureen Teefy.

Cinematography: Alan Hume

Film Editor: Malcolm Cooke

Visual Effects: Derek Meddings

Original Music: Jerry Goldsmith

Written by David Odell

Produced by Timothy Burrill, Ilya Salkind

Directed by Jeannot Szwarc

I got caught up short about ten years ago when doing extras for the movie Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.

I'm working my way through all the films about Hitler's last days. Downfall seemed set to be the definitive version, but now it's been reduced to a meme. Still, it's a largely accurate, powerful account, with a very strong performance from Bruno Ganz.In Bologna's Cinematheque I watch Pabst's The Last Act which, aided by the scorching summer weather, packed auditorium and inadequate air conditioning, really felt like spending ten days in a bunker under heavy shelling. The film introduces a fictional anti-war general played by Oscar Werner in a bit of "We're not all bad" special pleading but it gets a lot right.Hitler: The Last Ten Days (1973) is notorious for getting a lot wrong: not facts, which are scrupulously attested to and signed off on right at the start by a historian and an actual witness, but the filmmaking and the casting. I don't know who you ought...

We are knee-deep into a summer of dreary sequels, kids’ fare, and a few whip-smart outliers. If you’ve already seen the likes of The Beguiled and Baby Driver, perhaps staying home with a book is a better idea than trekking to the cinema. Let’s dive into some worthy film-centric reads.

Wonder Woman: The Art and Making of the Film by Sharon Gosling (Titan Books)

Patty Jenkins’ Wonder Woman is one of the biggest superhero success stories, and it deserves that designation. The classification makes reading a book like Wonder Woman: The Art and Making of the Film feel like a celebratory affair. After a brief account of the character’s comics history, we delve into designs for Themyscira, concept art of Dr. Maru’s laboratory, and somber depictions of battle. What stands out, however, are drawings and photographs showing the film’s winning costume designs. It is illuminating,...

Titan Books were generous to give Lrm The Art and Making of Alien Covenant, by Simon Ward. The book begins with a Foreword from Ridley Scott where he speaks concerning the purpose of the book:

"In the pages that follow, is the work of great designers, technicians and artists all working in coordination to produce a beautiful vision of this future. The story explores the evolving universe of the Alien, this elaborating into questions and morality of creating life forms" (Foreword).

If the Alien franchise is something that you are a fan of, then this book is for you.  Coming off the release of Alien Covenant, the book begins with a look back to the original movies where Scott states that he, "...always thought of Alien way back when as kind of a B-movie, really well done" (9).  It's interesting to see the lack of expectations he initially had.  The book...

Go behind-the-scenes of Kong: Skull Island with The Art and Making of Kong: Skull Island from Titan Books, which will be unleashed just four days after the film's release on March 14th.

From Titan Books: "In March 2017, the producers of ‘Godzilla’ transport audiences to the birthplace of one of the most powerful monster myths of all in Kong: Skull Island, from Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures.

When a scientific expedition to an uncharted island awakens titanic forces of nature, a mission of discovery becomes an explosive war between monster and man. Tom Hiddleston, Samuel L. Jackson, Brie Larson, John Goodman and John C. Reilly star in a thrilling and original new adventure that reveals the untold story of how Kong became King.

The Art and Making of Kong: Skull Island goes behind the scenes and reveals how this monster-sized production was brought to the screen. Featuring incredible concept art and on-set photography,...

Yesterday, amid a crush of sweaty people desperate for last-minute props, I visited a local Halloween superstore with my daughter, looking for a Pikachu mask. Well, there wasn’t much to choose from in the Cute Kid Division. But this particular hall of Halloween hell definitely had the adult sensibility covered. Of course there were the usual skimpy or otherwise outrageous costumes for purchase —ladies, you can dress up like a sexy Kim Kardashian-esque vampire out for a night of Hollywood clubbing, and gents, how about impressing all the sexy Kim Kardashian vampires at your party by dressing up like a walking, talking matched set of cock and balls! It’s been a while since I’ve shopped for fake tools of terror, but it seems there’s been a real advance in sophistication in the market for “Leatherface-approved” (I swear) chainsaws with moving parts and authentic revving noises,...

A nearly 600-page biography of a French filmmaker would not make every summer reading list, but any discerning cinephile will consider Éric Rohmer: A Biography. It’s one of several stunning recent releases, along with a weighty oral history of Star Trek, an intimate remembrance of Stanley Kubrick, and a fascinating breakdown of the great Suspiria. Now that’s an eclectic roster of beach reads.

The Fifty-Year Mission: The Complete, Uncensored, Unauthorized Oral History of Star Trek: Volume One: The First 25 Years by Edward Gross and Mark A. Altman (Thomas Dunne Books)

Even minor Star Trek fans will be spellbound by The Fifty-Year Mission, a stunning oral history from Edward Gross and Mark A. Altman. The first in a two-volume set — Volume Two, covering the last 25 years, will be released in late-August — is impressively comprehensive, and full of unforgettable stories. These include the original series rivalry between William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy,...

When I was a kid, I used to love a scary movie. I remember catching the original The Haunting (1963) one night on Channel 9’s Million Dollar Movie when I was home alone. Before it was over, I had every light in the house on. When my mother got home she was screaming she’d been able to see the house glowing from two blocks away. The only thing screaming louder than her was the electricity meter.

That was something of an accomplishment, scaring me like that. Oh, it’s not that I was hard to scare (I still don’t like going down into a dark cellar). But, in those days, the movies didn’t have much to scare you with. Back as far as the 50s, you might find your odd dismemberment and impaling, even an occasional decapitation, but, generally, the rule of the day was restraint. Even those rare dismemberments,...

Warners answers the call for Hammer horror with four nifty thrillers starring the great Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee. The transfers are immaculate -- Technicolor was never richer than this. The only drawback is that Chris Lee's Dracula has so few lines of dialogue.  On hi-def, Cushing's Frankenstein movie is a major re-discovery as well. Horror Classics: Four Chilling Movies from Hammer Films Blu-ray The Mummy, Dracula has Risen from the Grave, Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed, Taste the Blood of Dracula Warner Home Video 1959-1970 / Color / 1:66 - 1:78 widescreen / 376 min. / Street Date October 6, 2015 / 54.96 Starring Peter Cushing, Christopher Lee, Yvonne Furneaux, George Pastell, Michael Ripper; Christopher Lee, Rupert Davies, Veronica Carlson, Barbara Ewing, Barry Andrews, Ewan Hooper, Michael Ripper; Peter Cushing, Veronica Carlson, Freddie Jones, Simon Ward, Thorley Walters, Maxine Audley; Christopher Lee, Geoffrey Keen, Linda Hayden, Isla Blair, John Carson, Ralph Bates, Roy Kinnear. <Cinematography Jack Asher; Arthur Grant; Arthur Grant; Arthur Grant.

Exclusive: New festival plans launch in 2016; preview event this month will open with the European premiere of Korean box office hit Veteran.

Plans have been revealed to launch a new annual event in London dedicated to East Asian film.

The inaugural London East Asia Film Festival (Leaff) will launch in 2016 with a programme of titles from emerging and established directors, attended by filmmakers and stars.

The new festival - founded by former London Korean Film Festival director Hye-jung Jeon – has recruited Chris Fujiwara as chief programmer.

Fujiwara stepped down as artistic director of Edinburgh International Film Festival after three festivals in September 2014. An independent film critic and programmer, Fujiwara had previously developed film festival programmes for Jeonju, Sydney and Mar del Plata among others.

Three film festival advisors, Ji-seok Kim from Busan International Film Festival, Roger Garcia from Hong Kong International Film Festival, and Simon Ward from Independent Cinema Office (Ico), have advised Leaff on its vision...

Warner Home Video has a nasty Halloween treat for all: the release of the Horror Classics Vol. 1 boxed Blu-ray set. The titles are smartly bound in a hardcover book format, complete with some cool graphics. Each of the films contains the original theatrical trailer as well. Here is the official press release:

Warner Bros. Home Entertainment will scare the heck out of fans when Taste the Blood of Dracula; Dracula Has Risen from the Grave, Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed; and The Mummy are released October 6 in the new Blu-ray Horror Classics Vol. 1 Collection, just in time for Halloween celebrations. All films in the collection are newly re-mastered in 1080p HD and packaged in elegant rigid pocketbook style ($54.96 Srp).

The quartet of classic horror films, featuring cinema monsters Dracula, Frankenstein and the Mummy, represent classic examples from Hammer Film Productions. Founded in 1934, the British company became best known for a series...

Ron Moody as Fagin in 'Oliver!' based on Charles Dickens' 'Oliver Twist.' Ron Moody as Fagin in Dickens musical 'Oliver!': Box office and critical hit (See previous post: "Ron Moody: 'Oliver!' Actor, Academy Award Nominee Dead at 91.") Although British made, Oliver! turned out to be an elephantine release along the lines of – exclamation point or no – Gypsy, Star!, Hello Dolly!, and other Hollywood mega-musicals from the mid'-50s to the early '70s.[1] But however bloated and conventional the final result, and a cast whose best-known name was that of director Carol Reed's nephew, Oliver Reed, Oliver! found countless fans.[2] The mostly British production became a huge financial and critical success in the U.S. at a time when star-studded mega-musicals had become perilous – at times downright disastrous – ventures.[3] Upon the American release of Oliver! in Dec. 1968, frequently acerbic The...

Though Sir Christopher Lee sadly passed away, his work will live on forever. In a new Blu-ray set, Warner Archive is preserving three Lee-starring Hammer horror movies: Dracula Has Risen From The Grave, The Mummy, and Taste the Blood of Dracula.

Blu-ray.com reports that Warner Archive's Horror Classics Volume One Blu-ray collection will hit shelves this fall (October 6th, according to Home Theater Forum). The collection includes four Hammer films: Dracula Has Risen From The Grave (1968), The Mummy (1959), Taste the Blood of Dracula (1970), and Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed (1969).

In addition to the Horror Classics Volume One, Warner Archive will also release the Special Effects Collection Volume One, a sci-fi / adventure Blu-ray set comprising Son of Kong, Mighty Joe Young, Beast From 20,000 Fathoms, and Them!

It's estimated that both collections will be priced at $54.96 apiece and released in early October, and it's even believed that the titles will be sold separately,...