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A band of rabbits must leave their warren to find safety in a film that, even in a digital age, still has the bloody force to scare young minds

‘The field … it’s covered in blood!” This is the young visionary rabbit Fiver, voiced by Richard Briers, in the British animation from 1978 by Martin Rosen, based on Richard Adams’s classic children’s book. The rabbits’ warren, quite as important as Tolkien’s shire, is about to be destroyed by a property development, announced by the humans’ heartless wooden sign, which of course none of the rabbits can read, but twitchy, squirming Fiver can sense the disaster it represents.

So his brother Hazel (voiced by John Hurt) leads Fiver and a breakaway gang on a quest for safety to far-off Watership Down, a rumoured place of sanctuary foreseen by Fiver; they include hot-headed Bigwig (Michael Graham Cox) and later the...

John Speredakos is no stranger to the world of indie horror. With a career that spans over two decades, the New York City-born actor has delivered unforgettable performances in films like Wendigo (2001), Blackout (2023), and now Crumb Catcher (2023), the darkly comedic thriller that premiered at Grimmfest 2024. Directed by Chris Skotchdopole, Crumb Catcher tells the unsettling story of a newlywed couple held hostage by a maniacally optimistic inventor, played by Speredakos, and his sour wife. The film explores themes of class, delusion, and desperation, all wrapped in a pitch-black comedic tone that keeps the audience guessing.

Will Knowles sat down with John at Grimmfest, where he opened up about the joy of playing such a twisted character, his love for improvisation, and what’s coming next in his burgeoning horror career.

Grimmfest, one of the UK’s premier horror festivals, was the perfect setting for Crumb Catcher to make its mark. The festival’s 2024 edition,...

Those of us who were kids in the 1970s probably remember being traumatized by the British animated film Watership Down. Though based on the children’s novel by Richard Adams, the film delivered graphic depictions of violence, unglamorous examinations of death, and the scariest bunny rabbits ever drawn. Now the cartoon that spawned a million nightmares […] The post Traumatizing Watership Down is Now a Netflix Series appeared first on Dread Central.

Catherine Pearson Dec 23, 2018

The BBC and Netflix version of Watership Down is a puzzling revival of the classic.

This article comes from Den of Geek UK.

This review contains spoilers.

You’d have to be made of stone to not get a little something in your eye at the close of director Noam Murro’s two-part series. It’s an emotional finale to a unique story of companionship, survival and human destruction that had readers of Richard Adams’ 1972 novel and viewers of Martin Rosen’s 1978 film wiping away tears.

For all the peril the rabbits experience after fleeing their doomed warren to find the beautiful Watership Down, we don’t expect the emotional gut-punch of Hazel’s visit from the black rabbit as he finally rests, aged and weary, in the safety of his well-earned home. We’re prepared for his death in a vicious fight to the death with Captain Woundwort,...

On Friday morning Sam Smith released “Fire On Fire,” a song he co-wrote with producer/songwriter Steve Mac for the forthcoming adaptation of the classic Richard Adams’ novel, “Watership Down.”

The song, which will serve as the theme to the animated mini-series, is a characteristically sweeping Smith ballad, recorded with the BBC Concert Orchestra at London’s Abbey Road Studios in September 2018.

“I am so excited and honored to be a part of this new adaptation of ‘Watership Down,’” Smith said. “This story is so powerful and timeless, and it has been thrilling to work with director Noam Murro and his team and the incredible Steve Mac on this song for it. I hope everyone loves it as much as I do.”

James McAvoy, Olivia Colman, Ben Kingsley, John Boyega, Nicholas Hoult, Gemma Arterton and Daniel Kaluuya lend their voices to “Watership Down.” The series will premiere on BBC One in the UK,...

Sam Smith shared a stirring new ballad, “Fire on Fire,” his contribution to BBC 1 and Netflix’s Watership Down adaptation. “When we fight, we fight like lions / But then we love and feel the truth / We lose our minds in a city of roses / We won’t abide by any rules,” Smith sings. “Fire on fire / Would normally kill us / But this much desire / Together we’re winners / They say that we’re out of control And some say we’re sinners.”

“Fire on Fire” is paired with a...

In the midst of war, the faintest ray of light can be salvation. Richard Adams’ 1972 children’s novel is positively awash with sunshine compared to Martin Rosen’s 1978 children’s horror movie. The short-lived 1999 TV series skewed back toward the author’s original tone, yet each entry carried real weight, be it the biblical and mythological interpretations or the story’s gruesome jolts — and permanently etched in the minds of its young viewers.

Now, Netflix and the BBC revive the fantasy tale as a potent, stunning, and a tad too ugly vision of a rabbits’ world not that different from our own. Sent fleeing from their den by human development — can anyone say “gentrification”? — the new four-part story tracks Hazel (James McAvoy), Fiver (Nicholas Hoult), and a slew of other plainly drawn bunnies as they try to survive. Still, this is an optimistic spin on an old story originally crafted for kids.

Would you have believed an epic tale of tyranny, betrayal, and talking rabbits would become such a beloved story nearly 50 years after its original publication? Author Richard Adams likely did not, but after nearly five decades, “Watership Down” has been continually adapted for generations of audiences. Teaming Netflix with BBC One, the latest retelling attempts to deliver the story to a new audience, utilizing modern technology and a stellar voice cast to help set it apart from the rest.

Continue reading Netflix/BBC’s ‘Watership Down’ Is A Modern Take On A Classic Tale Hobbled By Terrible Animation [Review] at The Playlist.

Marvel may have the Avengers but Netflix and BBC One are staging their own epic team up. The media giants have assembled every British actor ever for an adaptation of Richard Adams' critically-acclaimed fantasy novel Watership Down and we have our first look at what's in store for the animated

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Other Links From TVGuide.com Watership DownWatership DownWatership DownJames McAvoyJohn BoyegaRosamund PikeOlivia ColmanDaniel KaluuyaPeter Capaldi...

The upcoming BBC adaption of the children’s classic “Watership Down” ain’t no fluffy tale.

Voiced by John Boyega, James McAvoy, Nicholas Hoult, Olivia Colman, Ben Kingsley, Gemma Arterton, Daniel Kaluuya, Rosamund Pike, Gemma Chan, Peter Capaldi and Taron Egerton, this daring band of bunnies must join together to battle dark forces in order to survive.

The four-part BBC series follows a group of rabbits who flee their warren to escape destruction. On their journey to find a new home, they face vicious predators predicted by terrifying visions from an all-seeing seer named Fiver (Hoult).

Also Read: Richard Adams, 'Watership Down' Author, Dies at 96

“All the world will be your enemy,” one rabbit warns in the first trailer released Tuesday. “And when they catch you, they will kill you — but first, they must catch you.”

“This isn’t about cute rabbits,” Boyega, who voices Bigwig, warned on Instagram last week.

Andrew Blair Nov 27, 2018

Characters, history, sewage - there's a lot to consider when creating a brand new world.

This article comes from Den of Geek UK.

Tolkien took twelve years, J.K. Rowling seventeen. Terry Pratchett started the Discworld novels in 1983, and they finished thirty-two years later. George R. R. Martin started A Song Of Ice And Fire in 1991 and it remains unfinished. God managed to build the world in six days, though to be fair he didn’t really do much plotting.

In this article we’re going to look at the worldbuilding in the examples mentioned above; some of the most famous and popular fantasy series in the world, but still barely scratching the surface of the genre and leaning towards High Fantasy.

Let’s start with the most important question...

How does the shit get out?

Terry Pratchett once opened a discussion about fantasy world-building with the question...

Each month, the fine folks at FilmStruck and the Criterion Collection spend countless hours crafting their channels to highlight the many different types of films that they have in their streaming library. This April will feature an exciting assortment of films, as noted below.

To sign up for a free two-week trial here.

Monday, April 3 The Chaos of Cool: A Tribute to Seijun Suzuki

In February, cinema lost an icon of excess, Seijun Suzuki, the Japanese master who took the art of the B movie to sublime new heights with his deliriously inventive approach to narrative and visual style. This series showcases seven of the New Wave renegade’s works from his career breakthrough in the sixties: Take Aim at the Police Van (1960), an off-kilter whodunit; Youth of the Beast (1963), an explosive yakuza thriller; Gate of Flesh (1964), a pulpy social critique; Story of a Prostitute (1965), a tragic romance; Tokyo Drifter...

Reel-Important People is a monthly column that highlights those individuals in or related to the movies that have left us in recent weeks. Below you'll find names big and small and from all areas of the industry, though each was significant to the movies in his or her own way. Richard Adams (1920-2016) - British Author. His novels Watership Down and The Plague Dogs were turned into animated features, and his novel The Girl in a Swing was also turned into a movie. He died on December 24. (BBC) Pierre Barough (1934-2016) - French Actor, Singer, Songwriter. He co-starred in Claude Lelouch's A Man and a Woman and received a Golden Globe nomination for the film's title song. He also appears in many more Lelouch films...

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Richard Adams, the author of the beloved 1972 children’s book “Watership Down,” has died at the age of 96. In a statement posted to the author’s website on Tuesday, Adams’ family announced that he had died on Christmas Eve. “Richard’s much loved family announce with sadness that their dear father, grandfather, and great-grandfather passed away peacefully at 10pm on Christmas Eve,” the statement read. Also Read: Carrie Fisher, 'Star Wars' Icon, Dies at 60 Adams, born on May 9, 1920, began his career in the British Army, then the British Civil Service, transitioning to writing full time two years after “Watership Down” was published.

Richard Adams, the bestselling English author best known for his hugely influential 1972 debut novel Watership Down, which has been adapted numerous times, including the acclaimed 1978 animated film and a 1990s animated series, has died. He was 96. "Richard's much-loved family announce with sadness that their dear father, grandfather, and great-grandfather passed away peacefully at 10pm on Christmas Eve," said a message posted today on Adam’s official website. A quote…...

Richard Adams, the bestselling English author best known for his hugely influential 1972 debut novel Watership Down, which has been adapted numerous times, including the acclaimed 1978 animated film and a 1990s animated series, has died. He was 96. "Richard's much-loved family announce with sadness that their dear father, grandfather, and great-grandfather passed away peacefully at 10pm on Christmas Eve," said a message posted today on Adam’s official website. A quote…...

“My heart has joined the Thousand, for my friend stopped running today.” So wrote Richard Adams, who has died at 96, in “Watership Down.” The news, which comes from the English novelist’s family, places Adams on a long list of writers, musicians, actors and other artists who have passed away this year; though he lived a longer life than many of those figures, Adams’ passing marks another loss for the creative community.

Read More: ‘Watership Down’: Wes Anderson, Guillermo del Toro & More Describe Story’s Impact Ahead Of New Miniseries

“Richard’s much-loved family announce with sadness that their dear father, grandfather, and great-grandfather passed away peacefully at 10pm on Christmas Eve,” reads a statement posted to a website devoted to “Watership Down.” About a group of talking rabbits who flee their warren when man’s encroachment threatens their survival, the 1972 novel has long been noted as an especially dark,...

Richard Adams, the author of the award-winning, classic children’s book Watership Down, has died, his family announced on Tuesday. He was 96.

A statement posted on the book’s official website said that Adams “passed away peacefully” at 10 p.m. on Christmas Eve.

“Richard’s much-loved family announce with sadness that their dear father, grandfather, and great-grandfather passed away peacefully at 10 p.m. on Christmas Eve, ” the statement read.

Tom Smith/Daily Express/Hulton Archive/Getty Images

Quoting a passage from Adams’ beloved book about a group of rabbits in search of a new home, the statement continued, “It seemed...

Since joining Twitter, Vincenzo Natali has been releasing a ton of art, script pages and information about both his made and unmade films. Last time he blew our minds was when he released a ton of concept art for his unmade and now defunt Neuromancer project (Rip). Yesterday, Natali dropped something of a bomb when he released concept art and stills from an animation test for his unmade adaptation of Richard Adams' classic Rabbit novel, "Watership Down".

Of course we have a great adaptation of Watership Down already in Martin Rosen' [Continued ...]...

Admit it -- somewhere along the way, a kids' movie gave you a grown-up fright, whether from the wolfish Gmork in "The Neverending Story" or a glammed-out David Bowie and his band of baby-stealing Muppets in "Labyrinth." That's because underneath a fuzzy layer of singalongs and talking animals, there's usually a layer of harsh reality. It's a sweet way for kids to learn not-so-sweet lessons, kind of like giving them bubble gum-flavored cough syrup.

But the rabbit hole goes deeper. Some of our biggest and brightest children's stories -- movies, that is -- actually tell tales that started out in the adult realm. And if you've ever had a job with a manager, had to learn what a tax write-off is, or one day found yourself reading the Nutrition Facts on your food , you know the adult realm is a very, very scary place. Here are the movies that go there,...

That’s right. Hulu.

I’m here to tell you that there’s a cinematic streaming goldmine available on Hulu that includes recent hits, older classics, domestic releases, and foreign imports. It’s even home to hundreds of Criterion titles. Sure there’s plenty of filler and seemingly thousands of titles that can’t possibly be real, but I’m here to recommend some good movies to watch this month on Hulu.

Pick of the Month — Hwayi: A Monster Boy (2013)

South Korean cinema features no shortage of brilliant and brutal action thrillers, but while everyone knows about the likes of I Saw the Devil and Memories of Murder there are more than a few gems that have slipped through the cracks. Jang Joon-hwan’s long overdue follow-up to Save the Green Planet is a fast-moving, creatively violent mix of dark deeds and beautifully choreographed fights and stunts. There’s a wicked sense of humor running through it...

The beautiful and frightening 1978 adaptation of Watership Down holds up remarkably well, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t room for another interpretation of Richard Adams‘ novel. This won’t be the first time Adams’ story has been retold for television, but it’s just been announced BBC and Netflix are teaming up to make a Watership Down animated miniseries. […]

The post Ben Kingsley, James McAvoy, and John Boyega Will Star in BBC and Netflix’s ‘Watership Down’ Animated Miniseries appeared first on /Film.

I've somehow never even heard of Watership Down, but I understand it had a profound impact on a lot of people when they were growing up. Now the story will be able to find a larger audience and reach a whole new generation, as the BBC and Netflix are teaming for an animated miniseries adaptation of Richard Adams' novel. Variety reports that the show will be available sometime in 2017. The outlet has a good breakdown of the story and an announcement of its impressive cast:

Set in the idyllic rural landscape of southern England, the adventure tale follows a band of rabbits on their flight from the intrusion of man and the certain destruction of their home. Led by a stouthearted pair of brothers, they journey forth from their native Sandleford Warren through the harrowing trials posed by predators and adversaries, toward a promised land and a more perfect society.

Netflix and BBC are partnering to stage a small screen revival of Watership Down, an adaptation of Richard Adams’ cherished children’s novel that first hit book shelves in 1972.

Pitched as a four-part miniseries, both Netflix and the BBC have already enlisted a star-studded ensemble to voice many of the lead characters of Adams’ beloved tale, including Star Wars: The Force Awakens breakout John Boyega (Bigwig), James McAvoy, Nicholas Hoult, Ben Kingsley and Gemma Arterton.

Selling north of 50 million copies since it was first published, there’s no doubting the legacy of Watership Down, and that’s something the BBC is aiming to preserve with this all-new interpretation. In light of today’s announcement, Matthew Read – Commissioning Editor at the British broadcaster – released the following statement:

“Before there was Harry Potter there was Watership Down, Richard Adams’ novel is one of the most successful books of all time and one...

Richard Adams’ Watership Down (released in 1972) is one of the best-selling books of all-time, and it’s inspired quite a few different adaptations over the years. The critically acclaimed version from 1978 is brilliant, but dark enough that it’s making headlines for scaring children to this very day, while a kid friendly series followed that

The post BBC and Netflix teaming up for new Watership Down starring James McAvoy, John Boyega appeared first on HeyUGuys.

Netflix and BBC One are teaming up for a new animated miniseries based on the Richard Adams novel Watership Down, and they've lined up quite the voice cast for the project. The four-part series will star James McAvoy as Hazel, Nicholas Hoult as Fiver, Ben Kingsley as General Woundwort, John Boyega as Bigwig, Gemma Arterton (Hansel And Gretel: Witch Hunters) as Clover, Miles Jupp (The Thick of It)... Read More...

John Boyega is headed to a new far-flung galaxy, this one populated by animated rabbits.

RelatedWet Hot American Summer: Netflix Orders New Edition Set Ten Years Later

The Star Wars: The Force Awakens stormtrooper has signed on to lead an A-list voice ensemble in the forthcoming animated miniseries Watership Down, Deadline reports.

Boyega will be joined by James McAvoy and Nicholas Hoult (X-Men: Days of Future Past), Ben Kingsley (Tut) and Gemma Arterton (Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters) in this BBC One co-production based on Richard Adams’ 1972 action novel. The four-part adaptation follows a small group of rabbits who...

There are many childhoods that were marked by a viewing of "Watership Down," whether it was Martin Rosen's more harrowing 1978 film, or the softer TV series from the late '90s. Well, a whole new generation of children are going to get their own version of Richard Adams' novel, as yet another adaptation is in the works. Read More: Watch: Trailer For John Boyega's Sundance Award Winner 'Imperial Dreams' James McAvoy, John Boyega, Nicholas Hoult and Ben Kingsley have signed on to voice a miniseries take on the material for Netflix and BBC. Noam Murro ("300: Rise of the Empire") is the surprising choice to direct the four-part allegorical tale about rabbits fleeing from human intrusion, and aiming to find a new home, that will see McAvoy as Hazel, Hoult as Fiver, Kingsley as General Woundwort, and Boyega as Bigwig. Rounding out the ensemble is Gemma Arterton playing Clover,...

Netflix and the BBC are teaming for a new four-part animated miniseries adaptation of Richard Adams' classic novel "Watership Down" which will screen on BBC One in the UK and on the streaming giant in other territories around the globe.

John Boyega, James McAvoy, Nicholas Hoult, Ben Kingsley and Gemma Arterton are all set to lend their voices to the project, the third notable adaptation of the work following the 1978 film with John Hurt and Richard Briers along with a late 1990s animated TV series with Stephen Fry, Rik Mayall and Dawn French.

The 1972 novel is set in the idyllic rural landscape of southern England. The story follows a band of rabbits on their flight from the intrusion of man and the certain destruction of their home.

Noam Murro ("300: Rise Of The Empire") will direct from a script by Tom Bidwell ("My Mad Fat Diary").

Source: Deadline...

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John Boyega, James McAvoy and Sir Ben Kingsley will star in Netflix’s Watership Down series...

Richard Adams’ classic rabbit-based novel Watership Down is being adapted into animated form once again. This time, Netflix and the BBC have teamed up to create a four-part CGI-led miniseries, and have assembled an impressive voice cast to fill the manifold furry roles.

James McAvoy will play the heroic Hazel, while Ben Kingsley brings the frightful General Woundwort to life. Nicholas Hoult is Fiver, John Boyega is Bigwig, Gemma Arterton is Clover, Miles Jupp is Blackberry, Freddie Fox is Captain Holly, Olivia Colman is Strawberry and Anne-Marie Duff is Hyzenthlay.

Tom Bidwell of writing-the-excellent-series-My Mad Fat Diary fame is the one penning the scripts, and Fantastic Mr Fox’s Pete Dodd is handling the animation.

If you’re unfamiliar with the story, here’s a synopsis...

“Set in England’s Downs,...

A not-insignificant number of children were scarred for life by the horrifying 1978 animated adaptation of Richard Adams' allegorical 1972 novel Watership Down -- and many of those wounds were reopened today, with news that Netflix is partnering with the BBC for a brand-new version. The four-part CG-animated miniseries, which will be directed by Noam Murro (300: Rise of an Empire) and feature the voice talents of John Boyega, James McAvoy, Nicholas Hoult, Gemma Arterton and Ben Kingsley, will reportedly "tone down the levels of on-screen violence to make it more appropriate for children." Which of course does nothing for those already irrevocably traumatized by Martin Rosen's nightmare-inducing take on the material. For those not familiar with the film (or who perhaps saw it before blocking it out), Watership Down centers on a group of eight rabbits who embark on a grim journey to establish a new home after their...

Netflix and BBC have teamed up to produce a four-hour miniseries adaptation of Richard Adams’ classic novel “Watership Down.” The all-star voice cast includes John Boyega, James McAvoy, Nicholas Hoult, Gemma Arterton and Ben Kingsley. “We jumped at the chance to get in early and work alongside the BBC and 42 to bring this classic English tale to our members around the world,” said Netflix’s VP of global television Larry Tanz in a statement. “This novel presentation of Adam’s work pairs great talent with beautiful animation and will delight existing fans and capture a whole new audience for this timeless story.

Netflix and the BBC are teaming on a blockbuster adaptation of the classic novel Watership Down. The four-part animated miniseries is the brainchild of dynamic Brit production-management banner 42. The series will premiere on BBC One in the UK and internationally on Netflix. An A-list collection of talent has been assembled for the project including Star Wars: The Force Awakens‘ John Boyega, James McAvoy, Nicholas Hoult, Ben Kingsley and Gemma Arterton. Richard Adams…...

Parents tweet demands for sackings following afternoon showing of blood-and-guts animation based on Richard Adams’s bestseller

Outraged parents spent their holiday screaming into the void after Channel 5 screened Watership Down, a U-certificate animation that features the murder of rabbits, at 2.25pm on Easter Sunday.

The 1978 film, an adaptation of Richard Adams’s fantasy adventure novel, tells the story of a warren facing imminent destruction. A group of rabbits set out on a violent journey to find a new home. Their number includes a seer called Fiver (voiced by Richard Briers), who has apocalyptic visions of the sun soaking the land with blood. The film includes scenes of bloodied bunnies fighting tooth and nail over their territory.

Continue reading...

Lee Gambin’s “Secretly Scary” column continues to look at non-horror films that are secretly horror films! “All the world will be your enemy, Prince with a thousand enemies…” Adapted from Richard Adams’s sweeping allegorical tale of survival and the promise of life outside despair, Martin Rosen’s animated film of Watership Down is relentlessly serious in…

The post Secretly Scary: 1978’s Watership Down appeared first on Shock Till You Drop.

The great Charlie Kaufman has made his first foray into the world of animation with the critically praised Anomalisa, which we named one of the best films of 2015. Finally expanding over the next few weeks, to celebrate, we’ve decided to look back at some of the finest animated films that one might not want to show the entire family.

Who said cartoons were just for kids? As this week’s list will demonstrate, some of the finest weren’t necessarily designed with undiscerning young audiences in mind. Crossing genres and styles, these fifteen amazing features should probably be watched after this kids have been put to bed. Of course, there are many great examples beyond these, so please suggest your own favorites in the comments.

Watership Down / The Plague Dogs (Martin Rosen)

Martin Rosen‘s dark adaptations of Richard Adams‘s classic novels, Watership Down and The Plague Dogs,...

Vienna-based award-winning illustrator Peter Diamond recently released these beautiful alternative book covers for Richard Adams’ classic Watership Down, produced under license from Nepenthe Productions. The release consists of two editions: the Ni-Frith (Sun Regular) version is a 9 colour 18×35 screenprint from an edition of 150 and is available now from the Black Dragon Press shop.

The Fu Inlé (Moon Variant) version is a 9 colour 18×35 screenprint with metallics from an edition of only 50. As it is, a low run went on sale March 12th.

Peter Diamond had this to say about the prints:

“When I read Watership Down some years ago I already had dim, bloody memories of the 1978 animated adaptation, so I wasn’t shocked by the violence in the book as I expect many were who read it unprepared. But what I hadn’t expected was the thick, dark vein of fear that runs through the story from the very beginning.

“I am the Nightrider. I’m a fuel injected suicide machine. I am the rocker, I am the roller, I am the out-of-controller!”

I gotta say – this lineup of midnight movies for the ‘Reel Late at The Tivoli’ may be the best ever! It’s almost like they let me choose them myself (which they did not). It’s a great selection with an unusually cool variety of standards and classics to draw the late night movie buff crowd.

The awesome line-up of midnight movies begins April 3rd and 4th with The Rocky Horror Picture Show (usually the series ends with Rocky in October so we’ll see how it does in April – meaning will it sell out in advance or on the night of?). The roster includes one Miyazaki (attendance insurance), the animated Watership Down (the uneven 1978 version of Richard Adams’ 1972 cult novel about rabbits) and cult comedy nuggets...

At a loss for what to watch this week? From new DVDs and Blu-rays, to what's streaming on Netflix, we've got you covered.

New on DVD and Blu-ray

"Beyond the Lights"

Writer/director Gina Prince-Bythewood's triumphant return is a labor of love worth your love. This romantic drama stars Gugu Mbatha-Raw as Noni, a self-destructive pop singer who's tired of the limelight and all it entails. An off-duty cop named Kaz (Nate Parker) steps in to save Noni from making a terrible decision, and naturally, they fall for each other hard and fast. Mbatha-Raw and Parker have great chemistry. Plus, Minnie Driver is excellent as Noni's stage mom.

"Watership Down"

Martin Rosen's emotionally devastating animated film, based on the novel by Richard Adams, has gotten a spiffy Criterion restoration. There aren't a ton of bells and whistles on this Blu-ray, but those little bunnies have never looked so good.

If you're reading this you're likely a fan of the Criterion Collection, which also means as much as you may be interested to know what new titles are coming to the collection in February 2015, if you aren't yet aware, Barnes & Noble is currently having their 50% of Criterion sale right now, click here for more on that. However, if you're already hip to the sale, let's have a look at the new titles that were just announced. The month will begin on February 3 with a new film from Jean-Luc Godard, his 1980 feature Every Man for Himself starring Jacques Dutronc, Nathalie Baye and Isabelle Huppert. It's a film Godard refers to as a second debut and is described as an examination of sexual relationships, in which three protagonists interact in different combinations. The release includes a new high-definition digital restoration, a short video titled Le scenario created by Godard to secure financing for the film,...

40. Night of the Hunter (1955)

Scene: The Preacher on the Horizon

Video: http://youtu.be/9PyNL2ahKwc?list=PLZbXA4lyCtqolaQOAXly96de5FYQlPzqK Just like a few others in this section of the list, Charles Laughton’s brilliant Night of the Hunter isn’t really a horror film, but still sets out to keep the audience on edge. Starring a diabolical Robert Mitchum as a preacher/serial killer Reverend Harry Powell, it follows him as he tries to woo his former cellmate’s widow Willa (Shelly Winters), hoping to learn where he has hidden his bank loot. Powell devises that his children John and Pearl must know, but he struggles to gain young John’s trust. When Willa learns of his plan, Powell is forced to kill her and hide the body, leaving him as sole caretaker of the children, who flee down the river. And then the scene. Having believed they have escaped Powell,...

Kino Lorber and Scorpion Releasing Announce First Eight Titles to be Released Under New Multi-Year Distribution Deal

in August

Kino Lorber and Scorpion Releasing have announces the inaugural releases of eight films under the companies' new multi-year distribution deal. Over the next year and after, there will be additional releases by Kino Lorber from the Scorpion library, including new acquisitions that will be available for the first time.

Among the first selection of titles to be released in August are Green Ice, starring Ryan O'Neal and Omar Sharif; Grizzly, starring Christopher George (both out on DVD August 5th); A Summer Story, starring Susannah York (out g August 12th), the award-winning Australian drama Careful He Might Hear You (out on August 12th), Jack Hill's Sorceress, produced by Roger Corman (out on August 19th); The Girl in a Swing, starring Meg Tilly (out on DVD on August 19th); the acclaimed drama Friendly Fire, starring Carol Burnett, and the 1982 TV movie version of The Elephant Man (both streeting on DVD on August 26th)

"Green Ice"(1981)

Director: Ernest Day

Cast: Ryan O'Neal, Anne Archer, Omar Sharif, John Larroquette

In the Andes mountains a group of archaeologists are murdered after they discover uncut emeralds. Back in New York, Joseph Wiley (Ryan O'Neal, "Love Story") is down on his luck and runs off to Mexico where he meets Lilian Holbrook (Anne Archer, "Fatal Attraction"). The two are instantly attracted to each other, but Lilian is on her way to meet Meno Argenti (Omar Sharif, "Doctor Zhivago"), the man who intends to marry her. Wiley is mistakenly drawn into perilous adventure when a mysterious caller tells him to look at the samples - stolen emeralds. Lilian's sister is killed and, suspecting Argenti, Wiley and Lilian, in a bid to avenge her murder, plan a daring raid on Argenti's vault of emeralds - green ice. Also starring John Larroquette (TV's Night Court).

"Grizzly" (1976)

Director: William Girdler

Cast: Christopher George, Andre Prine, Richard Jackel, Joan McCall

When an eighteen-foot, two-thousand-pound grizzly bear starts mauling campers and hikers at a state park, a park ranger (Christopher George, "The Exterminator") springs into action. But the job is too big to tackle alone, so he enlists the aid of a naturalist (Richard Jaeckel, "The Dirty Dozen") and a helicopter pilot (Andrew Prine, "The Evil") to take this freak of nature down. Meanwhile, the giant grizzly, not content with picnic baskets, continues to kill indiscriminately, leaving pools of blood and piles of body parts in his wake. Can the ranger and his cronies end the grizzly's reign of terror without resorting to excessively extreme measures? This post-Jaws, nature-runs-rampant thriller was directed by William Girdler ("Day of the Animals"), and was a box office hit and the top-grossing independent film of 1976.

"A Summer Story" (1988)

Director: Piers Haggard

Cast: James Wilby, Susannah York, Jerome Flynn

A country girl has a brief, life-shattering moment when she falls for a young lawyer. Adapted from John Galsworthy'sThe Apple Tree, the film tells of the relationship between a young London lawyer, Frank Ashton (James Wilby,"Handful of Dust") and Megan David (Imogen Stubbs, "True Colors"), the innocent girl who helps him during his recovery from a twisted ankle at the farm where she lives. The attraction between the two is overpowering; they make love in the farm hayloft and vow never to be parted. But Frank goes to Torquay where he meets an old schoolfriend and his lovely sister Stella (Sophie Ward). Thus, Frank's plans become muddled and Megan comes looking for him. A Summer Story of young love. Also starring Susannah York (Tom Jones) and Jerome Flynn (TV's Game of Thrones).

"Careful, He Might Hear You" (1983)

Director: Carl Schultz

Cast: Wendy Hughes, Robyn Nevin, Nicholas Gledhill

Winner of 8 Australian Film Institute Awards - Nominated for 5 more - National Board of Reviews: Winner (Top 10 Films)

Set in Australia in the 1930s, this drama stars Nicholas Gledhill as P.S., a six-year old boy who lives with his Aunt Lila (Robyn Nevin, "The Matrix Reloaded," "The Matrix Revolutions") and Uncle George (Peter Whitford, "Strictly Ballroom"). P.S.'s mother died in childbirth, so her sister Lila took him in, and while George and Lila don't have much money, they always done the best they could to the give the boy a good home. One day, Lila's older sister, Venessa (Wendy Hughes, "My Brilliant Career") arrives from a trip around the world; Vanessa is quiet wealthy, and upon her return to Australia, she expresses interest in taking custody of the child. Lila is willing to let the boy meet his aunt, but decides to fight her in court when she decides that she wants the boy full time. The case becomes more complicated by the arrival of the boy's long-absent father, Logan (John Hargreaves, "Emerald City"), an alcoholic who loves his son, but is incapable of caring for him. Careful He Might Hear You won 8 Australian Film Institute Awards, including Best Picture, Best Actress (Hughes) and Best Supporting Actor (Hargreaves).

"Sorceress" (1982)

Director: Jack Hill

Cast: Leigh Harris, Lynette Harris, David Millbern

From legendary producer Roger Corman ("Bloody Mama") comes the box office hit of 1982, "Sorceress." When an evil Wizard Traigon makes a pact with the dark forces to sacrifice his first born to his God Caligara to gain the highest degree of power, but things get complicated when his gives birth to twin. Having knowledge of her husband's plan she runs away and her two daughters grow up to be beautiful warriors played by playboy playmates Leigh and Lynette Harris. After the death of their mother and adopted families at the hands of Traigon and his army, the twins blessed with the forces of light and strength given to them by the magical warrior Krona, join forces with Baldar the Viking and Erlik the Barbarian to take down Traigon and avenge their mother's death. Standing in their way is all sorts of Traigon's minions, from an army of ape man to undead zombies which leads us to a climax in an all out battle between good and evil! Now watch this cult classic, not only from a brand new HD master, but from a previously never-before-seen longer version!

"The Girl in a Swing" (1988)

Director: Gordon Hessler

Cast: Meg Tilly, Rupert Frazer, Nicholas Le Prevost, Elspet Gray

A London art broker (Rupert Frazer, "Empire of the Sun") goes to Copenhagen where he requires the services of a secretary fluent in Danish, English, and German. He falls deeply in love with the woman (Meg Tilly, "The Big Chill"), despite the fact that he knows virtually nothing about her. She insists on not being married in a church, and after they are married, some bad things from her past begin surfacing in subtly supernatural ways, and he must find the best way to deal with them without destroying their relationship. Based on the best selling novel by Richard Adams ("Watership Down") and directed by horror specialist Gordon Hessler ("Cry of the Banshee," "The Oblong Box").

 "Friendly Fire" (1979 TV Movie)

Director: David Greene

Cast: Carol Burnett, Ned Beatty, Sam Waterston, Timothy Hutton, David Keith

 The true story of Peg (Carol Burnett, "The Four Seasons") and Gene Mullen (Ned

Beatty, "Deliverance") who pursue the truth over their son's death in Vietnam. After their son is killed in Vietnam the couple's on-going inquiries eventually establish he was killed by 'artillery fire from friendly forces'. This beautifully orchestrated, harrowing story, assembled with uncommon sensitivity, is one of the most dramatic works ever made about the Vietnam War. Directed by David Greene ("Hard Country") and based on the novel by C.D.B. Bryan ("So Much Unfairness of Things") The wonderful cast includes Sam Waterston ("The Killing Fields"), Timothy Hutton ("Ordinary People") and David Keith ("An Officer and a Gentleman"). Winner of 4 Emmy Award® including Best Director and nominated for 3 more including Best Actor and Best Actress. 1980 Peabody Award Winner and DGA nominee foe Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Specials or Movies Made for TV.

"The Elephant Man " (1982 TV Movie )

Director: Jack Hofsiss

Cast: Philip Anglim, Kevin Conwak, Glenn Clsoe 

The story of John Merrick (Philip Anglim), The Elephant Man, and of his triumph over his terrible affliction. It is a story of life and the affirmation of life; timeless, tragic, uplifting and heroic; an exultation of the humanity of a man trapped inside the twisted, lesion-ridden grip of a terminally disfiguring disease. We see John Merrick as a man with many admirers, beginning with the witty and beautiful actress, Mrs. Kendal (Penny Fuller), who, so taken with Merrick, brought a who's who of English society to visit him regularly. The stellar cast includes Glenn Close as Princess Alexandra and Kevin Conway. Directed by DGA nominee Jack Hofsiss (1984 TV Movie, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof). Winner of 1 Emmy Award® for Best Supporting Actress (Fuller) and nominated for 3 more including Best Actor, Philip Anglim who also received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actor in a Mini-Series or Made for TV Motion Picture.

Everyone loves Volkswagens, Pong and Ziggy Stardust. Here are 30 reasons you should remember the year 1972:

1.) Maxi dresses, mini skirts, knee socks and patterns happened in a big way.

2.) "Grease" had its first Broadway run, spreading the gospel "A hickey from Kenickie is like a Hallmark card" far and wide.

3.) Trekkies rejoiced when the first Star Trek fan convention took place in New York City's Statler-Hilton hotel.

4.) David Bowie first introduced his glorious alter ego Ziggy Stardust.

5.) Abba was formed! Mamma Mia!

6.) Pong became the first commercially successful video game. Look how fun it looks!

7.) The Miss Universe swimsuit competition was as weird as ever.

8.) "Last Tango In Paris" came to theaters, forever changing the way you look at a stick of butter.

9.) Bill Cosby spoke to kids about drugs... And won a Grammy for it.

10.) Holy Augustus Gloop! Roald Dahl's beloved "Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator" was released!

Born from a conversation between Austin Film Society programmer Lars Nilsen and local actor/filmmaker Jonny Mars, a new Afs recurring series starts in July: "That's Genius." In the words of Nilsen, the film series will serve as "a way for film professionals to share works that they [think represent] 'genius' in the world of some film discipline."

Austin filmmakers David and Nathan Zellner -- who directed the features Kid-Thing and Goliath -- have selected the inaugural movie in this series: the 1982 animated movie The Plague Dogs [tickets], which screens on Thursday, July 25 at the Marchesa. The Zellners will host the event, and filmmaker Martin Rosen will attend for a post-screening Q&A.

The Plague Dogs, which Rosen adapted from the novel by Richard Adams, follows two dogs who escape from a lab that has been performing tests on them. As a result of the experiments the lab has been running on animals,...

Founder of Goldcrest Films with a string of Oscar-winning movies to his name

It is a mark of the wide-ranging success of Jake Eberts, founder of the once-mighty Goldcrest Films, who has died aged 71 after suffering from cancer, that few headline writers summing up his life could agree on his most notable producing credit. Was it Chariots of Fire (1981), Gandhi (1982) or The Killing Fields (1984)? The Name of the Rose (1986), Driving Miss Daisy (1989) or Dances With Wolves (1990)? Easier instead to herald him as the man whose films won a staggering 37 Oscars.

From the mid-1970s onwards, Eberts combined business acumen and creative energy with an integrity much admired in the film industry. The actor Kevin Costner, with whom he worked on Dances with Wolves and Open Range (2003), said of him: "Hollywood is full of people who either have intelligence or integrity. Jake is the only one with both." Lord Attenborough, who collaborated with Eberts on Gandhi,...

Imagine if you could not hide even a single thought from anyone else. Now imagine what would happen if it wasn’t just you? Chaos Walking, the Carnagie Medal winning young adult novel trilogy by Patrick Ness, presents a futuristic world where an infection makes every thought an audible utterance and privacy absolutely non-existent and follows the story of a boy who holds the key to salvation.

Lionsgate has just acquired the worldwide rights to develop, produce and distribute a film adaptation of these books with Doug Davison (How To Train Your Dragon, The Departed) producing. Check out the official press release from Lionsgate below:

Lionsgate Lands Chaos Walking

Studio Acquires Worldwide Rights To Patrick Ness’ Award-Winning Young Adult Novel Trilogy

Santa Monica, Calif., Oct. 3, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — Lionsgate® (NYSE: Lgf), a leading global entertainment company, announced today that it has obtained worldwide rights to develop, produce and distribute films based on the award-winning,...

Lionsgate, a leading global entertainment company, announced today that it has obtained worldwide rights to develop, produce and distribute films based on the award-winning, best-selling and critically acclaimed "Chaos Walking" young adult novel trilogy by Patrick Ness.  The announcement was made by Lionsgate's co-coo and Motion Picture Group President Joe Drake.  Doug Davison (The Departed, How To Train Your Dragon, The Grudge) will be producing through his Quadrant Pictures.The Carnegie Medal winning books are set in a dystopian future with humans colonizing a distant earth-like planet. When an infection called the Noise suddenly makes all thought audible, privacy vanishes in an instant. In the ensuing chaos, a corrupt autocrat threatens to take control of the human settlements and wage war with the indigenous alien race, and only young Todd Hewitt holds the key to stopping planet wide-destruction. "Although these stories are set in a critical time in the future,...

By Sean O’Connell

Hollywoodnews.com: As studios continue snatching up literary series in hopes of finding the next “Twilight” or “Harry Potter” franchise, Lionsgate announces that it has acquired the Ya trilogy “Chaos Walking” for adaptation, and will begin with the opening book, “The Knife of Never Letting Go.”

Much like “The Hunger Games,” Patrick Ness’s story takes place in a dystopian future, only here, an infection called the Noise suddenly makes all thought audible, which means privacy has vanished.

“In the ensuing chaos, a corrupt autocrat threatens to take control of the human settlements and wage war with the indigenous alien race, and only young Todd Hewitt holds the key to stopping planet wide-destruction,” according to a release.

More from Lionsgate, which will develop, produce and distribute all three films:

“Although these stories are set in a critical time in the future, they speak volumes about what...

It looks as though another young adult novel is being adapted for the screen. Comingsoon reports that Lionsgate has acquired worldwide rights to Patrick Ness's award-winning trilogy, Chaos Walking. I have not read the books, but can understand why studios are interested to duplicate the excitement for Gary Ross' Hunger Games adaptation.

Here is the official press release:

Lionsgate®, a leading global entertainment company, announced today that it has obtained worldwide rights to develop, produce and distribute films based on the award-winning, best-selling and critically acclaimed "Chaos Walking" young adult novel trilogy by Patrick Ness. The announcement was made by Lionsgate's co-coo and Motion Picture Group President Joe Drake. Doug Davison (The Departed, How To Train Your Dragon, The Grudge) will be producing through his Quadrant Pictures.

The Carnegie Medal winning books are set in a dystopian future with humans colonizing a distant earth-like planet. When an infection...

Studio Ghibli’s beautifully enchanting animation, Arrietty arrives in cinemas nationwide on 29th July, with a star-studded voice cast including Saoirse Ronan (Atonement, Lovely Bones), Tom Holland, Mark Strong, Olivia Colman, Pyhllida Law and Geraldine McEwan.

The film tells the story of an adventurous 14 year old, Arrietty, who despite being warned by her family of “little” people to never let humans see her, is determined to explore the world beyond the floorboards of a sprawling mansion. When Arrietty is discovered by a human, she discovers that some people can be trusted and before long a friendship begins to blossom…

Sound familiar? Continuing a long line of incredibly successful film recreations, the story is a magical adaptation of Mary Norton’s well-known, children’s favourite The Borrowers. And it’s not the first adaptation of children’s literature either, so here’s our pick of the top 10 fantastic films based on...