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Tagline: "She Can Handle Her Spirits." Ava's Possessions is a blend of comedy and horror. To be distributed by Momentum Pictures, the film relates demonic possession with alcoholism as Ava (Louisa Krause) struggles with her demons. The film attended the SXSW film festival, in Austin, Texas. And now, Ava's Possessions is headed towards a limited theatrical and Video-on-demand launch. Director Jordan Galland (Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Undead) has developed the story. Louisa Krause, Wass Stevens and Whitney Able star in this independent film venture. Fans of comedy or of horror can find the film's launch trailer here! Ava Dobkins has blacked out due to a demonic possession. She has lost over a month of memories. Now, in group therapy, Ava is struggling to get her life back on track. But, her demons are returning and they are hungrier than ever. Ava's Possessions is heading towards various Video-on-demand platforms, this March 4th,...

I originally took notice of the project when the trades announced that the oft-used supporting indie starlet Louisa Krause (non-related pic above — who we interviewed back in the day for Martha Marcy May Marlene) was the featured “potential screamer” lead on this project. Filmmaker Jordan Galland has flirted with Park City before, his debut Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Undead (2009) received a special screening status at Slamdance. Along with his sophomore film item Alter Egos (2012), the summer shot Brooklyn set Ava’s Possessions basically informs us that the musician slash filmmaker’s interests lie within the framework of the horror genre. Certainly the addition of supporting players include Lou Taylor Pucci, Jemima Kirke, Stella Schnabel (You Wont Miss Me) and John Ventimiglia amps up the end product, and Galland’s ongoing creative collaboration with musician Sean Lennon might earmark the project as an appointment with the occult that avoids trappings of...

• Patrick Wilson (Jack Strong), Jessica Biel (The Truth About Emanuel), Imogen Poots (Need for Speed), and Toby Jones (The Hunger Games: Mockingjay) have joined the cast of Andy Goddard’s (Set Fire to the Stars) upcoming untitled Patricia Highsmith film. The upcoming thriller is based off Highslith’s novel The Blunderer. Set in 1960s New York, the novel follows Walter Stackhouse (Wilson), a successful architect who lives the perfect life with his wife, Clara (Biel). Stackhouse’s life slips into chaos, however, when he becomes fascinated with an unsolved murder that forces him into contact with a killer (Jones) and an ambitious detective.

Young Adult and Martha Marcy May Marlene star Louisa Krause is set to join Cathy Moriarty, Lou Taylor Pucci (Evil Dead), and more for the supernatural thriller Ava's Possessions from director Jordan Galland (Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Undead).

Whitney Able, Annabelle Dexter-Jones, John Ventimiglia, Waris Ahluwalia, Jemima Kirke, Stella Schnabel, Geneva Carr, Alysia Reiner, and Tarik Lowe co-star in the film, which will shoot in NYC this summer.

As per Deadline, musician Sean Lennon has signed on to score the film, having previously scored and co-starred in Galland's movie Alter Egos, which was released via Kevin Smith's SModcast Presents banner.

Maren Olson of Traction Media is producing with Carlos Velazquez of C Plus Pictures.

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Louisa Krause (“Young Adult”) will star in the supernatural thriller “Ava's Possessions,” written and directed by Jordan Galland (“Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Undead”). The ensemble cast includes Cathy Moriarty, Lou Taylor Pucci (“Thumbsucker”), Whitney Able (“Monsters”), Annabelle Dexter-Jones, John Ventimiglia (“The Sopranos”), Waris Ahluwalia, Jemima Kirke (HBO's “Girls”), Stella Schnabel, Geneva Carr, Alysia Reiner, and Tarik Lowe. Also read: James Badge Dale to Star in Legendary's Supernatural Thriller ‘Spectral’ (Exclusive) Maren Olson of Traction Media is producing with Carlos Velazquez of C Plus Pictures. Production will start this summer in New York City. Musician Sean Lennon has signed on to score the film,...

Enter Jordan Galland, the writer/director best known for Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Undead. With Alter Egos he enters the big screen/small budget superhero world with a comedy which is set in a very normal looking world where superheroes have been outed. And they're not just guys playing at superheroes, we're talking individuals who have powers. There's a lot of them and they've formed the Super Corps, an organization ran by Captain Amazingness, who collects government funding in return for fighting off super villains. Except there are no super villains left and Super Corps is falling on hard times. In an effort to win back their funding, Captain Amazingness develops a plan: bring back a super villain. [Continued ...]...

Been as busy as a bee in a tar bucket, Kevin Smith is set to distribute Alter Egos, an indie superhero comedy he didn’t direct.

His Smodcast Pictures was set to help out scrappy newcomer Jordan Galland‘s low-budget film and now the first full-length trailer has arrived.

Directed and written by Galland (Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Undead) the flick stars the mostly unknown cast as Kris Lemche, Danny Masterson, Christine Evangelista and Sean Lennon who also contributed an original musical score.

Quirky movie – which tells the story of an under-appreciated superhero going through an emotional crisis during a time when superheroes have lost all government funding and public support – got its world debut at the Fantasia Film Festival in Montreal in July.

Check out the trailer and poster below for Alter Egos. The film opens in limited release October 19th, 2012 and hits VOD on November 20th.

Click here to view the embedded video.

In recent years we've seen plenty of comedies that explore the mundane details of being a superhero, which means that if you're going to attempt something similar, you'd better bring something new to the table. Unfortunately, the first trailer for Jordan Galland's Alter Egos does not seem particularly promising on that front. Set in a world where superheroes are a dime a dozen and their government funding is in danger of being pulled, a superhero named Fridge (Kris Lemche) is forced to come to terms with the fact that his girlfriend loves his superhero identity more than his civilian self. Aside from the fact that it's clearly just a rehash of Batman Forever (I'm kidding... kinda), Alter Egos seems like it can't quite decide if it wants to be a comedy or a drama. Having actors dress up in goofy, low budget costumes can only take a movie so far,...

An adolescent’s sixteenth birthday marks a turning point in life when maturation occurs at a much more rapid pace and the teenager begins to be faced with difficult and important decisions that will shape their future. The same can be said of Montreal’s Fantasia International Film Festival, set to kick off its sixteenth edition tomorrow: its Super Sweet Sixteen promises to be nothing if not interesting. That’s not to say that the main focus of North America’s largest genre film festival is changing; in fact, between prolific director Takashi Miike’s festival opener For Love’s Sake – fresh from Cannes and having its North American premiere – and the Canadian premiere of animation studio Laika’s Paranorman, which closes the fest three weeks later, filmgoers will have a whopping 160 films from around the world to choose from. Sitges eat your heart out.

Where Fantasia seems to be...

Blu-ray & DVD Release Date: Sept. 18, 2012

Price: DVD $44.98

Studio: Warner Home Video

Aired on ABC, Suburgatory brings Jeremy Sisto (Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Undead) back to TV but with comedy.

Known for his regular roles on Six Feet Under and Law & Order, Sisto stars in the satirical sitcom as George, well-meaning dad who relocates himself and his witty teen, Tessa (Jane Levy, TV’s Shameless), from New York to a quirky suburban neighborhood.

The cookie-cutter world is populated by the likes of vain mom Dallas Royce (Cheryl Hines, TV’s Curb Your Enthusiasm), her pouty daughter Dalia (Carly Chaikin, The Last Song) and the sarcastic Lisa Shay (Allie Grant, TV’s Weeds). Out of place, Tessa goes into culture shock as she tries to adapt to her new home.

The television series also stars Alan Tudyk (Transformers: Dark of the Moon) and Rex Lee (TV’s Entourage).

The three-disc DVD set...

Blu-ray & DVD Release Date: May 1, 2012

Price: Blu-ray $22.99

Studio: Paramount Home Entertainment

One of the best teen lifestyle parodies, the 1995 comedy movie Clueless stars Alicia Silverstone (Blast From the Past) as Cher, who’s just trying to survive the ups and downs of high school in Beverly Hills.

The small and funny film was written and directed by Amy Heckerling, who knows a thing or two about laughs having helmed Fast Times at Ridgemont High.

Clueless follows the self-absorbed Cher as she assembles the ideal fashion ensemble, talks her way out of bad grades and searches for the perfect boyfriend. But along the way, she also discovers that popularity isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.

The PG-13 movie’s cast also includes Paul Rudd (Our Idiot Brother), Brittany Murphy (Across the Hall), Donald Faison (Skyline), Stacey Dash (TV’s Single Ladies) and Jeremy Sisto (Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Undead...

Creative partners Victor Teran and Youssef Delara of Cima Productions have been actively promoting their latest collaboration, the Hip Hop-driven drama Filly Brown at Sundance this year. The film, which centers on a young, Latina rapper's conflict-ridden rise to fame, is lead by newcomer Gina Rodriguez, and features appearances from Lou Diamond Phillips and Edward James Olmos. While the jury's still out on the drama's Sundance success, Teran and Delara are eagerly sharing news on their next effort, a psychological thriller titled Snap. Like Filly Brown, Snap focuses on an undiscovered musician, in this case a shy-but-brilliant dubstepper. Jake Hoffman, the lead of the 2009 Shakespeare-inspired horror-comedy Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Undead, is set star as this troubled genius, while Twilight's Nikki Reed has signed on to play a social worker who is the object of his affections. Lured in by his mesmerizing musical skills, she follows him into the underground...

With superhero movies everywhere these days, it was only a matter of time before we started to see some films about caped crusaders who weren’t quite so heroic as guys like Batman. The latest feature to take a look at masked avengers in a slightly different light is Alter Egos – and we’ve got a new trailer for the comedy for your perusal. Directed by Jordan Galland (who brought us the very cool Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Undead), Alter Egos follows a superhero who needs to be saved from his own emotional crisis. While that sounds a little heavy, believe us when we tell you the whole thing is played for laughs. The film takes place in a version of our world where superheroes are real, but have lost their government funding – meaning it’s...

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If the name Jordan Galland sounds familiar to you that is most likely because you were one of the lucky ones to discover his quirky indie comedy Rosencrantz And Guildenstern Are Undead. Well, Galland is back - and he's bringing his famous Rosencrantz composer, Sean Lennon, with him - with what looks to be an absolutely fabulous superhero comedy Alter Egos.The film is set in a version of our world in which super heroes are real but have recently lost all government funding and public support, and out of that setting comes a quirky comedy about an out of work superhero who needs to be saved from his own emotional crisis, and the girl who helps him do it.While I won't spoil the cause of...

*full disclosure: a screener of this film was provided by Indican Pictures.

Director/writer: Jordan Galland.

This review is going back a little to late 2010 when Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Undead was released theatrically and shortly thereafter on home video formats. This is a small film that includes certain characters from William Shakespeare's "Hamlet," but little else is borrowed from this playwright. Terse in dialogue and amusing, this film is light-hearted; however, the play could have sourced more from "Hamlet" and a little less from "Friends."

As background, the fictional characters Rosencrantz and Guildenstern were friends of Hamlet. They were also instructed to help assassinate him by order of the King of Denmark, Hamlet's uncle. They were unsuccessful and killed thanks to Hamlet's undoing. They are minor characters in Shakespeare's, arguably, best play. This critic would argue in favour of the "Merchant of Venice" as his best play, but...

Danny Masterson ("That '70s Show," Yes Man), Brooke Nevin ("Breakout Kings"), Kris Lemche (Final Destination 3), Joey Kern (Lucky You) and John Ventimiglia ("The Sopranos") will star in the indie Alter Egos. The Jordan Galland (Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Undead) written and directed movie is about an unemployed superhero suffering an identity crisis. Production started earlier this week.

Source: Variety...

Welcome back to the last installment of Dread Central’s look back at the 25 milestones that shaped the landscape of independent horror filmmaking over the last 100 years. I apologize for the delay on the last five milestones as I had no idea just how busy I’d be while in Austin covering the South by Southwest Film Festival (which also champions the independent spirit of filmmaking most of the time) so I am glad to be back now and have the opportunity to pay homage to these last five moments in indie horror history.

We’ve already celebrated 20 milestones through 1987, and today we start in 1999 with one of the most innovative independent modern horror films that not only acted as a game changer in the horror genre but also was one of the first movies to effectively use the Internet as a marketing tool.

1999- The Blair Witch Project Breaks...

Sony Pictures Classics released this latest movie trailer for the upcoming drama “Barney’s Version” by director by Richard J. Lewis and starring Paul Giamatti (Bubba Nosferatu: Curse of the She-Vampires, The Goon), Rosamund Pike (Johnny English Reborn, Surrogates), Minnie Driver (Good Will Hunting, Conviction) and Jake Hoffman (Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Undead). Synopsis: Take a ride through the life and memories of Barney Panofsky, a hard-drinking, cigar-smoking, foulmouthed 65-year old hockey fanatic and television producer, as he reflects on his life’s successes and (numerous) gaffes and failures as the final chapters of his own existence come sharply into focus. Stay tuned to Shockya.com for the latest from “Barney’s Version” with Paul Giamatti.

  

Here are this weeks DVD/Blu-Ray and Netflix New Releases:

DVD/Blu-Ray New Releases:

The A-Team:

Synopsis:

There's more action, more adventure - and more attitude - in The A-Team Extended Edition, which includes a never-before-seen version of the film with spectacular added footage not shown in theaters!

Buckle up for an adrenaline-fueled thrill ride starring Liam Neeson, Bradley Cooper, Quinton "Rampage" Jackson and Sharlto Copley. Convicted by a military court for a crime they didn't commit, a daring team of former Special Forces soldiers must utilize their unique talents to break out of prison and tackle their toughest mission yet. It's going to take guts, split-second timing and an arsenal of explosive weapons...this is a job for The A-Team!

Cyrus:

Synopsis:

John C. Reilly, Jonah Hill and Oscar® Winner Marisa Tomei star in this quirky, hilarious story about love, family and cutting the cord. Not-so-recently divorced...

Update: We thought it would be a good time to run our Ralph Macchio interview again in case you missed in the first time and were gearing up to catch The Karate Kid remake hitting theaters today. Macchio!! Click above to Listen Now! Ralph Macchio joins the JoBlo Movie Podcast to talk about his new film Rosencrantz And Guildenstern Are Undead (check out the official site and the trailer here). He also deals with the Karate Kid remake and why the original still...

It's not coming out this month, nor next month. Instead, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Undead have its theatrical release in New York on June 11 followed by its release in Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco and Seattle on June 25, 2010. Indican Pictures and C Plus Pictures' strategy is to capitalize on strong word of mouth and box office in these markets and then expand wider into cities and screens across North America. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Undead is the debut feature film of Director Jordan Galland, who also penned the original screenplay, which finds the characters from Hamlet, a tip of the cap to Tom Stoppard, and a two thousand year conspiracy involving vampires and the Holy Grail. Jake Hoffman, Devon Aoki, John Ventimiglia, Kris Lemche, Ralph Macchio...

This week, The JoBlo Movie Podcast spoke with Ralph Macchio while he was out promoting his new independent feature, Rosencrantz And Guildenstern Are Undead (trailer here.) We eventually got around to discussing the much talked about Karate Kid "remake/reimagining" starring Jaden Smith and Jackie Chan and here's a few snippets of what His Macchioness had to say: The Macchio didn.t have any conversations about the new Karate Kid outside of talking to Will Smith and Jaden. He...

Jordan Galland's horror comedy Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Undead has gotten itself a new one-sheet and a limited theatrical release date from Indican Pictures - You'll now find it in some theatres on May 21st instead of the April date that was previously announced.

Synopsis

Living in the back room of his father's doctor's office, broke, frustrated ladies man Julian (Jake Hoffman) scores his big break when he lands the job directing an off-Broadway version of Hamlet. Except it's a bizarre adaptation written by a pale Romanian impresario named Theo (John Ventimiglia), who is actually a master vampire! Theo hopes to lure the real Hamlet (Kris Lemche) out of hiding so the two can end a centuries long feud over Shakespeare's Ophelia. Meanwhile, Julian pines for his ex-girlfriend, Anna (Devon Aoki), who is dating mobster Bobby Bianchi (Ralph Macchio), who's intent on creating the next great invention. Add into the...

This year's Slamdance may be in high gear, but the ripples of last year's are still being felt. (Hey, what can I say? On Mondays I mix metaphors like martinis.) Variety reports that Indican Films just picked up the rights to the vampire comedy Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Undead, and plans on releasing it April 16. The adaptation of the acclaimed Tom Stoppard play (itself based on some obscure thing called Hamlet) debuted at last year's Slamdance Film Festival and was an official selection at the AFI Dallas and Hollywood festivals. The eclectic cast includes Waris Ahluwalia, Devon Aoki, Jake Hoffman, Kris Lemche, Ralph Macchio (Wha? Miho And the Karate Kid?!),...

In the midst of the 2010 Sundance and Slamdance film festivals we've got good news regarding a film that premiered in Park City last year. Jordan Galland's vampire movie "Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Undead," which has been described as a cross between Terry Gilliam, Woody Allen and "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," has finally been picked up for distribution, according to Variety. Indican Pictures scored the rights, and currently plans to release the comedy in theaters on April 16 of this year.

I'm surprised it's taken this long for the movie, which takes its name from the Tom Stoppard play "Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead," to be acquired. When we debuted a clip from the film a year ago, "Rosencrantz" had some great buzz around it. And in the 12 months since, it has amused audiences at other film fests, such as Dallas, Hollywood and Stony Brook. Plus, it's a movie about vampires, which...

Confirming what we reported back in December here , Indican Films indie vampire comedy Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Undead will enjoy a limited theatrical release on April 16th. Shock Till You Drop brought you the first photos and a trailer for this title well over a year ago when it made a Slamdance premiere in 2008. For those, click here . An adaptation of the Tom Stoppard play by director Jordan Galland, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Undead centers on a frustrated ladies' man who scores his big break when he lands the job directing an Off Broadway version of Hamlet , a bizarre adaptation written by a master vampire. The film stars Waris Ahluwalia, Devon Aoki, Jake Hoffman, Kris Lemche, Ralph Macchio, Jeremy Sisto and John Ventimiglia and features a score by...

The eleventh and last part (W-z) of my extensive 2010 preview guide I'm still at work on and should be hitting the site either Tuesday or Wednesday. Before that though it is time to plug a few holes.

With release dates always in flux, there is no true definitive list of films opening this year as the number of titles change day-by-day and many aren't really locked in yet. As a result, there's definitely been some guesswork assembling this list, albeit carefully considered and researched to try and fit in what will come out, what's important enough, and what can be reasonably done.

However, there are always titles that slip through the cracks. Thankfully some ever vigilant readers have been keeping an eye out and sent in some suggestions of key projects I've missed. Not everything can be included of course, otherwise this list would take forever, but there are fourteen...

Jordan Galland's horror comedy Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Undead has been picked up for distro by Indican Pictures and is set for a limited theatrical run on April 16th, 2010. To celebrate this news, we've got some stills and the trailer for you!

Click on the image below for the stills gallery, and look for more on this one soon.

Synopsis

Living in the back room of his father's doctor's office, broke, frustrated ladies man Julian (Jake Hoffman)scores his big break when he lands the job directing an off Broadway version of Hamlet. Except it's a bizarre adaptation written by a pale Romanian impresario named Theo(John Ventimiglia), who is actually a master vampire! Theo hopes to lure the real Hamlet (Kris Lemche) out of hiding so the two can end a centuries long feud over Shakespeare's Ophelia. Meanwhile, Julian pines for his ex-girlfriend, Anna (Devon Aoki), who is dating...

What if someone blended Shakespeare with vampires? Well then, there would be more blood and less theatrical acting, but Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Undead does have an interesting and sexier take on Hamlet. Have a look at the trailer for Rosencrantz below as the film moves closer to a January 19th release date at Slamdance (8:30pm). Also, a synopsis for the film is below.

A synopsis for Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Undead:

"Julian Marsh (Hoffman) is an out of work ladies man who lands a job directing a bizarre adaption of Hamlet. After casting his best friend (Lemche) and his ex-girlfriend (Aoki) in the show, Julian finds himself in the middle of a two thousand year old conspiracy that explains the connection between Shakespeare, the Holy Grail and some seriously sexy vampires. It turns out that the play was actually written by a master vampire named Theo Horace...

Some fantastic news for Montrealers! This year the Fantasia Festival has joined forces with the Montreal Fringe Festival and will present a pair of free outdoor screenings this coming week! On June 16th at 9pm you get Jordan Galland’s Rosencrantz And Guildenstern Are Undead while on the 19th it’s Richard Butchins’ The Last American Freak Show. Both shows take place at the Fringe’s X - Outdoor Stage @ Parc des Amériques and, once again, both are free! Full details below the break!

Year: 2009

Directors: Jordan Galland

Writers: Jordan Galland

IMDb: link

Trailer: link

Review by: quietearth

Rating: 6.5 out of 10

I'll be up front, I know very little to nothing about Shakespeare. In fact, I can't stand his work unless it's heavily modernized. That said, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are two characters with a small role in the play "Hamlet" and this film is loosely based on the play "Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead," which focuses on the untold story of these two characters. I say "loosely" because, based on the play's synopsis, it seems to only use the modified title and reconfigures the play with vampires and the Holy Grail and puts the title heads back in the posterior. R&G are Undead has vampires, a playwright, a secret society, and plenty of self-obsessed hack actors. It's whimsical and, while well polished and enjoyable, it often fell short of delivering that comedic punch...

Yep, blowing my own horn here as I was the programmer for this year’s edition of Canadian Music Week’s Music For The Screen film series and I must say that I’m rather pleased with the just-announced lineup. What have we got? The Flaming Lips’ Christmas On Mars projected in glorious 35 mm for the first time here in Toronto! The Canadian premiere of Jordan Galland’s Rosencrantz And Guildenstern Are Undead! Fantastic documentary Anvil! The Story Of Anvil, the subjects of which will be playing a gig at the music festival and will also be inducted into the Independent Music Awards Indies Hall of Fame! Joesph Arthur doc You Are Free! Belgian experimental dance film Here After - the second collaboration between dance troupe Ultima Vez and David Eugene Edwards of Wovenhand and 16 Horsepower! And, finally, Spare Change, the final piece of work from acclaimed Canadian animator -...

NEW YORK -- Sean Lennon will score the indie vampire comedy Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Undead starring Jake Hoffman, Devon Aoki, Jeremy Sisto and Ralph Macchio.

Writer-director Jordan Galland's feature debut stars Hoffman (son of Dustin) as an unemployed actor who gets his big break directing a bizarre off-Broadway version of Hamlet. But there's a catch: The adaptation is written by a Romanian (John Ventimiglia, best known as chef Artie Bucco on The Sopranos) who happens to be undead.

Aoki plays Hoffman's love interest. Macchio will play a mob boss who ends up fighting vampires. Sisto plays a bumbling detective investigating the mysterious deaths surrounding the production. Kris Lemche, Joey Kern and Waris Ahuwalia also star in the C Plus Pictures production.

Lennon scored the fantasy musical he starred in and co-wrote, Friendly Fire, which featured appearances by Aoki, Asia Argento and Lindsay Lohan.