Behind the Scene Photos and Stills for Courtney Cox's Upcoming Film "Just Before I Go"

Anchor Bay Films recently released behind the scenes photos and stills for Just Before I Go". The film is directed by Courtney Cox (Scream) and stars Seann Willian Scott, Olivia Thirlby, Garret Dillahunt and David Arquette.

"Just Before I Go" hits theaters in limited release on April 24th.

Plot Synopsis:

Ted Morgan has been treading water for most of his life. After his wife leaves him, Ted realizes he has nothing left to live for. Summoning the courage for one last act, Ted decides to go home and face the people he feels are responsible for creating the shell of a person he has become. But life is tricky. The more determined Ted is to confront his demons, to get closure, and to withdraw from his family, the more Ted is yanked into the chaos of their lives. So, when Ted Morgan decides to kill himself, he finds a reason to live.

"The Color of Time" Review by Tim Hellman

'THE COLOR OF TIME': Three and a Half Stars (Out of Five)

Biographical drama flick, based on the life of Pulitzer Prize winning poet C.K. Williams; told through flashbacks and narrated by the words of his famous poems. The movie stars James Franco (who also served as a producer on the film), Henry Hopper, Jordan March and Zachary Unger; as Williams, in various stages of his life. It also features celebrities like Mila Kunis, Jessica Chastain, Zach Braff and Bruce Campbell; in supporting roles (It might be interesting to note that Franco, Kunis, Braff and Campbell also all worked together on the 2013 blockbuster 'OZ THE GREAT AND POWERFUL', which was probably filming around the same time). It was written and directed by twelve New York University film students; including Edna Luise Biesold, Sarah-Violet Bliss, Gabrielle Demeestere, Alexis Gambis, Shruti Ganguly, Brooke Goldfinch, Shripiya Mahesh, Pamela Romanowsky, Bruce Thierry Cheung, Tine Thomasen, Virginia Urreiztieta and Omar Zuniga Hidalgo. I found the movie to be very beautiful to watch, and pretty moving at times, but ultimately unfulfilling.

The film is an adaptation of 11 of C.K. Williams' most famous poems. Each poem is used to tell a pivotal story in Williams' life; from the 1940s to the early 1980s. Franco plays Williams at age 40; when he's married, to Catherine (Kunis), and has two children. As he prepares for a reading, in New York City the next day, C.K. sits down to write new poems. While doing so, he recollects on memories from his past. His memories tell stories of his childhood, teen years and current marriage. Most of his flashbacks deal with important women, like his mother (Chastain), from his past life.

The scenery is breathtaking and some of the imagery is moving; and also disturbingly haunting, as well. We never get to know the characters, in the flashbacks, very well though; including Williams. So while the movie is always stunning to look at, and feels pretty emotional at times, it doesn't leave you with very much to think about, when it's over. It is worth seeing though, just for it's gorgeous visuals alone, and the performances are all more than decent. The film kind of reminds me of one of Terrence Malick's lesser movies; especially while watching Chastain, as a mother in the 1940s. I think these filmmakers have a lot of promise, and will do much better films in the future!

"The Reckoning" Review - Written by Tim Hellman

'THE RECKONING': Three Stars (Out of Five)

Australian crime-mystery-thriller flick starring the brothers of some well known celebrities; Jonathan LaPaglia (kid brother of Anthony LaPaglia) and Luke Hemsworth (big brother to Chris and Liam Hemsworth). It was written and directed by John V. Soto and also stars Viva Bianca, Hanna Mangan Lawrence and Alex Williams. It tells the story of a cop investigating the murder of his former partner; while also tracking down two troubled teens, linked to the killing. The movie is pretty well made but nothing too memorable.

LaPaglia plays Robbie Green; a detective investigating the roadside murder of his ex-partner Jason Pearson (Hemsworth). He finds an SD card, at the scene of the crime, that contains video shot by two runnaway teens; Rachel (Lawrence) and AJ (Williams). The teens were making a documentary, on the hit-and-run death of Rachel's sister, and the video could contain information leading to Pearson's killer. With the help of Detecitve Jane Lambert (Bianca), Green investigates the crime and finds some pretty shocking and gruesome imagery, on the video, in the process.

I was expecting a pretty poorly made, and mostly boring, B movie crime thriller but this is better than that. The acting is all pretty decent (especially LaPaglia and Lawrence) and the directing isn't too amateurish. It does kind of feel like a long episode of a popular cop TV show, but a good one at least. While the film is more interesting (and better made) than I was expecting, it's still nothing too special and I doubt I'll remember too much about it more than a year from now.

New Action Packed Stills for the Upcoming Live Action Remake of "Kite"

Anchor Bay Films recently released new stills for their upcoming release of live action remake of controversial Japanese Anime series "Kite". The upcoming action film Samuel L. Jackson (Robocop, Captain America: The Winter Solider) India Eisley (Underworld: Awakening) and Callan McAuliffe (I Am Number Four). "Kite is currently available on Direct TV and hits theaters and VOD on October 10th.

For more information on this film, you can visit the film's official website at: http://www.kitethemovie.com.

Plot Synopsis:

Sawa (India Eisley) is a young orphaned girl trying to find her away in a city overflowing with corruption, drugs and human trafficking. With the help of her father’s ex-partner, Karl Aker (Samuel L. Jackson), she tracks down her dad’s assassins. As the bodies pile up in her wake, it becomes harder and harder for Karl to cover up Sawa’s crusade. She is slowly attracting the attention of not only several other criminals, but also that of Oburi (Callon McAuliffe), who knows more about her past than she thinks.

Official Trailer for the Upcoming Action Film "Kite"

Anchor Bay Entertainment recently released stills for their upcoming release of live action remake of controversial Japanese Anime series "Kite". The film stars Samuel L. Jackson (Robocop, Captain America: The Winter Solider) India Eisley (Underworld: Awakening) and Callan McAuliffe (I Am Number Four). "Kite" is currently available on Direct TV and hits VOD providers and theaters in limited release on October 10th.

For more information on this film, you can visit the film's official website at: http://www.kitethemovie.com

Plot Synopsis:

Sawa (India Eisley) is a young orphaned girl trying to find her away in a city overflowing with corruption, drugs and human trafficking. With the help of her father’s ex-partner, Karl Aker (Samuel L. Jackson), she tracks down her dad’s assassins. As the bodies pile up in her wake, it becomes harder and harder for Karl to cover up Sawa’s crusade. She is slowly attracting the attention of not only several other criminals, but also that of Oburi (Callon McAuliffe), who knows more about her past than she thinks.

"Kite": Official Trailer

Film-Arcade.net is Giving Away a Blu-Ray Copy of "Born to Race: Fast Track"

Anchor Bay Films has send us over a Blu-Ray copy of "Born to Race: Fast Track" to giveaway to one person. The film stars Brett Davern and Beau Mirchoff of MTV’s “Awkward”. Tiffany Dupont (Greek), Corbin Bernsen (“Psych,” “L.A. Law”), Grant Show (“Devious Maids,” “Melrose Place”) and Sharon Lawrence (“Rizzoli & Isles”).

Want to win a copy. You can send an email to facontest@gmail.com. Please include "Born to Race" in the subject line. Contest ends on 9/18/2014.

Survival of the Fastest. Brett Davern and Beau Mirchoff of MTV’s “Awkward” star as Danny and Jake, small-town street-racing rivals with fast cars and bad tempers. When Danny scores a summer scholarship to a top racing school, he’ll find himself in fierce competition with an international class of drivers, in an illicit relationship with a new peer (Tiffany Dupont of “Greek”), and reluctantly teamed with his old nemesis Jake. To win big on this track, survival of the fastest is the only rule that matters. Diogo Morgado (“The Messenger,” “The Bible”), Corbin Bernsen (“Psych,” “L.A. Law”), Grant Show (“Devious Maids,” “Melrose Place”) and Sharon Lawrence (“Rizzoli & Isles”) co-star in this inspiring and thrilling second film in the Born to Race franchise

"Born to Race: Fast Track: Official Trailer"

"Murph: The Protector" Review - Written by Tim Hellman

'MURPH: THE PROTECTOR': Two and a Half Stars (Out of Five)

A documentary about the life of LT Michael P. Murphy; a Navy SEAL who lost his life, in 2005, fighting Taliban soldiers in the Hindu-Kush mountains (the incident was the basis for the popular 2013 war film 'LONE SURVIVOR'). This documentary was written and directed by Scott Mactavish, who also directed another documentary on American troops (in 2008) called 'GOD AND COUNTRY: UNTOLD STORIES OF THE AMERICAN MILITARY'. This movie features archive video (and pictures) of Murphy, as his family and friends tell stories about him. I found it to be a very nice and inspiring film; not great filmmaking (in any way) but a nice tribute to someone who appears to have been a great modern hero.

The documentary begins with Michael's parents (Maureen and Daniel), and other family and friends, telling of Michael's past; growing up in Patchogue, New York. Michael was called 'Murph' by his friends and known as 'The Protector'; for defending people that were often attacked or picked on (like a special needs student in 8th grade). He went to Penn State and graduated (in 1998) with degrees in political science and psychology. He joined the Navy SEALs after college and went to War in Afghanistan. He eventually became the leader of a four-man SEAL reconnaissance team (in an assignment called 'Operation Red Wings'). They were surrounded by Taliban troops on June 28th, 2005, when Murphy was killed. Michael posthumously earned the Medal of Honor in 2007.

Like I said, the movie is a great tribute to someone who appeared to be a great man. As a film it's not really that interesting or compelling; it's basically just a lot of Murphy's friends and family telling stories about him and saying what a good guy he was. That's really nice for people that knew him but for people that never met the guy it doesn't really tell us that much about who he really was. The director can definitely use a lot more experience in filmmaking (and a bigger budget). It's also odd that Michael's buddy (and fellow Navy SEAL), Marcus Luttrell, isn't interviewed in the movie. Luttrell was the 'lone survivor' of Operation Red Wings and is the only guy that really knows what truly happened to Murphy. I know Luttrell was busy making 'LONE SURVIVOR' (as a technical advisor) but you'd think he could have found time to help out with this movie too. I think this documentary would have been much more fitting as a special feature on a 'LONE SURVIVOR' DVD (rather than it's own feature) but it is a decent tribute, all the same.

"Sorority Party Massacre" Review - Written by Jim Herling

"There is something seriously wrong with this sorority."

And this movie. Many things, in fact. Here's an example: one of the stars of this flick is Kevin Sorbo, of Hercules: The Legendary Journeys "fame." He's actually only in the movie for about five minutes and it's the only time I've ever uttered the words, "This movie needs more Kevin Sorbo." This movie is so bad that he's the highlight (and judging by the rest of the cast and the special effects, his salary ate up the budget accordingly) of the whole affair.

Before I get into the rest of the cast and their dubious talent, here's the plot to this awful flick, written by Justin Jones and Chris W. Freeman, who also directed: the movie opens with a girl on her way to a sorority function, talking to her dad on the phone before it turns into the opening scene from Scream but eighteen years later and much worse. We then get introduced to our lead, Detective Watts, played by Thomas Downey. He's a cop with anger management issues who is about to get suspended by his captain, the illustrious aforementioned Sorbo, also the father heard on the phone in the opening who hasn't had any contact with his daughter since that call. So Watts and the captain cut a deal: Watts will go keep an eye on his boss' daughter in return for having his suspension lessened. From here, wackiness ensures. He goes to this little middle of nowhere town where the sorority event, a competition between girls from various chapters of the same sorority around the country to win some nebulous prize, is being held. We're introduced to the girls through sexy vignettes that look like they belong on an even lower budget and more passionless version of Skinemax, none of which matters because with two exceptions the girls are just interchangeable bodies who start dying before we get to know any of them. I'd tell you who those exceptions are, but that would be spoiling, and I try not to do that.Watts teams up with the local sheriff and deputy to figure out what's going on, and it's at this point that Downey really shines as an actor.

Not because he's any good, mind you, but because everyone else is so damn bad.

From the generic victims to the genre tropes of special needs houseboy, clueless sheriff and even more useless but sexy deputy, the acting is so over-the-top clichéd that it might actually be some of the worst I've ever seen. Which matches the story nicely, now that I think about it. The plot starts off patently ridiculous and then devolves into the kind of absurd, senseless, out-of-nowhere twistfest that would make M. Night Shyamalan wet himself with glee. It was honestly one of the worst endings I've ever seen, but it fit the movie perfectly, at least in terms of quality.

By the way, somewhere in all that we get a cameo from Ron Jeremy, a sure sign of a great movie.

The dialogue, directions, and special effects all match the acting and plot in terms of quality, or lack thereof. That perfect match is the only thing perfect about this movie, which gets one out of five stars from me... and it only gets that one star for Kevin Sorbo and my fond memories of my youth watching Hercules on Saturday nights.

"The Dead 2" Set to Scare Audiences on DVD and Blu-Ray

Anchor Bay Films has send us information for the upcoming release of "The Dead 2". The film is the sequel to the critically acclaimed horror film "The Dead". The film is the first international zombie film production to be shot in India. Jon and Howard J. Ford return to the director's chair for this installment.

Special features on the DVD and Blu-Ray includes The Making of The Dead 2 and deleted scenes. "The Dead 2" hits stores on September 16th.

Press Release:

Two years ago, filmmakers Howard J. Ford and Jon Ford took international audiences on an unforgettable journey through a zombie-infected African veldt with the critically acclaimed and audience favorite The Dead. Setting a new standard for the zombie film, the Ford Brothers have now raised the survival stakes to new dramatic heights with the September 16th Blu-ray™ and DVD release of The Dead 2.

As demonstrated with screenings at numerous international film festivals, audiences around the world have once again thrilled to the Ford Brothers’ unique vision of the zombie apocalypse, taking it to yet another epic level. And just as with the first film, reviewers are bestowing glowing praise on the filmmaker’s ability to transform an exotic environment into a vital character within the character-driven narrative. The first international zombie film production to be shot in India, The Dead 2 utilizes the spectacular vistas of Rajasthan, Delhi and Mumbai to create yet another unforgettable journey into the heart of darkness baked in sunlight. SRP for the Blu-ray™ is $29.99 and SRP for the DVD is $24.98, with pre-book on August 13th.

A ship docks fresh from Somalia which contains one infected worker that passes unnoticed into the very heart of India’s overpopulated bustling streets, setting off an unstoppable chain of events. Meanwhile, American turbine engineer Nicholas Burton (Joseph Millson, Casino Royale) is working in the stark yet tranquil Indian countryside when he receives a call from his love Ishani (Meenu), a local girl who lives on the outskirts of the slums of Mumbai and who has hidden their relationship from her tradition-minded father. She reveals she is now pregnant and scared for her life as chaos and terror have taken ahold of the cities as the dead return to life and attack the living. Nicholas has to battle his way across their 300 mile landscape filled with flesh-eating – and infectious – undead. With the help of young street kid Javed (Anand Goyal), he has to rely on his wits and sheer brute force to try and save them all, as the clock ticks off the minutes before the last flight out of a living hell...

Bonus features on The Dead 2 Blu-ray™ and DVD include The Making of The Dead 2 and deleted scenes.

Unfolding across an epic vista of breathtaking scope, thrilling action, death-defying stunts and spine-chilling fright, yet always keeping the emotional resonance in focus, The Ford Brothers’ The Dead 2 once again melds the terror of the end of the world, with the inspiration of the human drive to survive.

"In the Blood" Blu-Ray Review - Written by Anthony T

“In the Blood” is one of the films that I’ve personally looking forward to seeing, since first hearing about. Maybe it’s the fact that it stars Gina Carano (Haywire, Fast and Furious 6) or the fact that film’s boast a good supporting cast that includes Danny Trejo (Machette), Stephen Lang (Avatar) and Luis Guzman (The Limey, Traffic). Still, this looked like something that I might be interested in.

The film follows Ave, a trained fighter (Gina Carano) who is on her honeymoon with her new husband in the Caribbean. During their vacation, he vanishes without a trace after an accident. As Ava tries to find her husband, she uncovers a violent underworld on the island. Now with the armed skills, Ava must take the law into her own hands and try and find her husband’s abductors in hopes finding him before it’s too late.

Going into “In the Blood”, I was expecting one of those mindless action films that would keep me entertained. At the end of the day, this was more a suspenseful action thriller than one of those shoot em up type of film. Nevertheless, I still enjoyed this film.

One of the main reasons was the fact the direction was good. Director John Stockwell does a good job handles his direction. I liked, the way that he approaches some of the film’s action and tense moments. Whether it’s the way the film was filmed to how Stockwell approaches the action sequences, everything had a tense feel to it. It made some of the film’s scenes feel suspense. The other thing that I liked was the way that he approaches the performance aspects. He does a very good job making sure the performances were very good including a very good lead performance from Gina Carano. It made the film interesting even though it went a little too long.

The screenplay written by James Robert Johnston and Bennett Yellin also helped made this film good. One of things that I liked about the screenplay was that it develops its main character. Whether its her past to her relationship with her husband, the writers do a very good job developing it. It helped made it plausible that the main character was capable of doing what she could do. The other thing that I liked about the screenplay was the fact that some of the film’s action scenes were written well. I liked that there was some suspense in those scenes. It made me feel like I was on the edge of my seat with some of action. It made it for a very effective film.

If there was one problem that I had with this, it was the fact that the film ran a little too long. There could’ve easily taken a least five or ten minutes of its running time as a couple of the scenes dragged, but I still enjoyed this film.

There isn’t many special features on the blu-ray, as it only boast a behind the scenes featurette. The behind the scenes featurette was good for the most part as it features interviews from cast and director taking about the film. “

In the Blood is an intense action film that has good solid direction and action scenes that are suspenseful enough to keep your interest.

Review Rating: Three and a half Stars

Extras Rating: One Star

"Generation Iron" Review - Written by Abraham Phillips

Generation Iron (2013)

Starring: Phil Heath, Kai Greene, Branch Warren, Dennis Wolf, Victor Martinez, Ben Pakulski, Hidetada Yamagishi, Roelly Winklaar, Jay Cutler, Ronnie Coleman, Lou Ferrigno, Arnold Schwarzenegger

Plot: A documentary that follows top bodybuilders as they train to compete in the Mr. Olympia competition.

My Review and Thoughts:

This is a wonderful documentary brought out in 2013. This follows a bunch of world-class bodybuilders as they train and compete for the award of Mr. Olympia. It's a different documentary because it gives you their life. It follows along with them in their daily routine. You have seven bodybuilders as the main focus. You get to see them compete and go about the struggle and the pain of the sport. This is narrated by the one and only Academy award winner Mickey Rourke. Rourke is a wonderful example and prime master of acting that finally got his just do with the modern classic The Wrestler. He pumped up for this role in the Wrestler and so it shows a person that understands the struggle of lifting weights and changing oneself.

Also this has a special appearance by the one and only Pumping Iron bad ass Arnold Schwarzenegger and a personal favorite of mine Lou Ferrigno. Mr. the Incredible Hulk, "you wouldn't like me when am angry".

This is actually flawlessly directed and is a great subject for a documentary. I enjoyed watching the seven individuals go about their training and the completion for 2013 Mr. Olympia.

Vlad Yudin did a fantastic job in creating this film. He gave it his all in showcasing the wonderful world of bodybuilders and the struggle they go to for their sport. He showcased this artistic world of body forming. A modern day Gladiator sport of structuring the best body. In this film the bodybuilders can show the world the best of their bodies.

Not since the flawless documentary Pumping Iron has there been a true iconic documentary about this unique world of weights that stood up next to Pumping Iron. Generation Iron has succeeded in meeting the standard of that classic documentary. This is Pumping Iron for the modern generation. The art and mastery of the sport of lifting weights is showcased beautifully.

I think this is a flawlessly done documentary. It's very stunning and actually beautiful in the sense of showcasing a sport that is basically often overlooked but is a challenging and very competitive and largely a force of inner soul to achieve a goal and to better oneself through discipline.

On the DVD you get Special Features Generation Iron: Behind the Scenes. Also an Extended Interview with the one and only master Lou Ferrigno. Also you get Deleted Scenes. Loved the special features which was just a bonus and a plus for the viewer.

Arnold held the title Mr. Olympia for seven consecutive years. Ronnie Coleman held it for eight consecutive years. And now the new comer Phil Heath "The Gift" is a main focus who was the current holder of the title Mr. Olympia as this was being filmed. You then are introduced to those who are competing for the title. Phil is structurally sound in body form. He has the whole package. He is solid, tight and thick in pure muscle.

Kai Greene "The Predator" is one massive brick wall of amazing structure. He is going for the title and his persona and mind set showcases his want of the title. He also draws and is a performance artist. Listening to his past and his demons is a dramatic and truly thought provoking reality. It shows his example of his life struggle and his passion to follow the art of bodybuilding. His experience is away of knowing oneself and the inner soul to showcase the pain and struggle and triumph in his life. His will and his therapy of weights gave him a new life. On a side note he paints and draws amazing.

Branch Warren "Quadrasaurus" is a stunning form of bodybuilding. He looks and fits the part. His body is a concrete form of art displayed with sweat and struggle and an iconic look of Gladiator. Love his philosophy. No one owes you a dam thing, you have to work for what you want. He clearly has worked. Another amazing example about him is he brought himself out of an injury and pushed forward toward his goal of the title.

Ben Pakulski "Pak-Man" is a fat burning weight lifting powerhouse of dominance. He crafts his art with not only weight lifting but also through a technological understanding. He follows and studies the science of the body. He maps and traces his fat burning and weight gaining through computers.

Roelly Winklaar "The Beast". Beast he is. A structure of pure muscle and unflinching body art. Trained by the bodybuilding industry's Sibil Peeters known as Grandma. One of the toughest trainers in the sport. Winklaar is a stunning mass of muscle that is pure Gladiator and a heart that seeks the ultimate goal.

Hidetada Yamagishi " The Dragon" is body perfection. He shines with the art and sport complete with top to bottom solid muscle that seems to shine and structures itself upon his body as he flexes and tones and showcases the beauty and work of his form on stage.

Victor Martinez "The Dominican Dominator" is muscled brilliance. He has been on top at times and yet fallen into demons at times. His struggle of personal experience pushes him to secede further and further at the dream and title. I feel he has one of the more touching stories because of the personal demons. Never seems to get a break, always something happening from jail, to a family member being murdered and so on. Just a true reality eye opener at his pain and somewhat damaged life.

Dennis Wolf "The Big Bad Wolf" he is and bleeds the term Goliath. His toned and muscled body gives off the pure persona of warrior perfection. He is a German powerhouse of muscle. He is huge.

The beauty in the art-form of lifting weights is showcased and brilliantly structured in this documentary. It's a deeper subject matter. It's not just about guys lifting weights, it's about personal demons, personal struggles and problems. This is in a deeper reality then Pumping Iron. This shows the realities, support, family life, past demons. People don't realize the passion and the force that these individuals put up on their bodies to get the greatest pose and structured mass. This gives the brilliance that they are seeking and the understanding and science behind the sport.

I think one of the most appealing moments of the documentary is the subject of Steroids and how they talk about it and yes it's used but there is also an art form to it in using it right and in a wrong way. Other reality is the certain moments that happen that shock you such as the Horse incident.

I think this documentary opened my eyes more than any other weightlifting film. I think it's better focused, better structured in showcasing personal struggles and the reality of the sport and how tough it is. I have a new outlook on these men and a new understanding and also a new emotional attachment to the art of body structure.

Reviewed By: Abraham Phillips

Review Rating: Four Stars out of Five

"Independence DaySaster " Review - Written by Abraham Phillips

Independence Daysaster (2013)

Starring: Ryan Merriman, Tom Evertt Scott, Garwin Sanford, Keenan Tracy, Casey Dubois, Iain Belcher, Andrea Brooks, Nicholas Carella, Aaron Craven, Michael Kopea,

Plot: When Earth is attacked by a hostile alien force, a small town firefighter and a rogue SETI scientist team up to activate the only technology capable of defeating the invaders.

My Review and Thoughts:

Here we go into the world of action, sci-fi b-movie bliss. A true simple drive-in class science-fiction film that plays on the wild interest of alien invasion. This is your basic style of film you would see on the Sy-Fy channel movie of the week. This changes a little in that it adds some really good actors. The actors are able to hold the audience with their acting persona or at least the cheesy situations they are given to act with. A cheesy low-budget TV film pieced together with animated special effects that clearly seemed to be made from a personal computer.

When you go into this movie you can't take it serious. This is clearly a film with no budget or at least the budget was blown on the animation. This film is created with surprisingly lack of special-effects or better yet lack of actions. Basically this has a bunch of people talking or watching or fleeing or staring at computers or talking on phones or screaming you get my point.

The plot has been done a 1000 times before and much better. This film is really weird and different for it's supposed to be an alien invasion film yet where is the invasion you ask yourself at times.

The town of Moose Ridge is about to be invaded. From the ground and from the sky, the aliens show no mercy. Explosions, drilling earthquake causing alien machines. Washington D.C. Is burning.

Directed by W.D. Hogan who has directed some truly iconic cheesy b-films. He is responsible for the ultra over the top sci-fi horror Behemoth (2011) and sci-fi Earths Final Hours (2011). His true art form comes from his talent and master art skills at storyboard artwork. He has worked on some of the big-budget films of cinema. He graced his art in Mortal Kombat, Jerry McGuire, Shadow of the Vampire, Orphan, Devil, Riddick and many, many others. He has a talent at crafting a film in storyboard but behind the camera it turns into something different.

If you're into B-movies, cheesy direct to video no plot movies, soap opera melodramatic overtones and sitting at a computer talking about what's happening then this movie is a golden ticket for you.

This is an interesting trip of b-grade science fiction. Massive animated CGI. Over the top moments that will make you laugh or cry in that it hasn't ended yet. Now reviewing this as a lover of B-movies then this will shine. All the wrongs and flaws in this movie gives it all the more glory to the film for lovers of simple silly realities. This is geared toward fans of direct to video b-grade cinema lovers. This has Drive-in late night double bill written all over it.

This stars Casey Dubois who plays Nick. Nick is the class clown type. The comical one. Conspiracy nut and the one that thinks it’s cool. Also starring Iain Belcher as Todd. Iain is the computer nut Farm Boy who is a geek that leaves in his barn with a massive computer setup. The very beautiful Andrea Brooks as Eliza. Eliza is the homegrown small town girl. The President’s son Andrew played by Keenan Tracey. His character at first is the basic slick Rick who likes hitting on the girls and also Eliza.

Also starring the very striking Ryan Merriman as Pete. Pete is a fireman and brother to the President and Uncle to Andrew. He finds himself called upon to save the day from Alien Invasion or at least protect those innocent one’s involved in the horrible invasion. Ryan Merriman is in reality a young veteran of the acting world starring in over 40 TV and feature films already in his young life. I will always personally remember him in the long running television series The Pretender, where he played young Jarod in over 50 episodes. Pretender was one of my favorite shows of the 90's and Ryan was a pivotal character. His most recent ongoing acting was in the TV show Pretty Little Liars as the part of Ian. He always is a fantastic actor and owns the parts in feature films from The Deep End of the Ocean, Final Destination 3, Ring 2 and many others and countless television.

Also starring the one and only Tom Everett Scott as The President. “Stop” “Pause”, now here we go are you ready it’s “The Wonders”: “Cause I try and try to forget you girl, But it's just so hard to do, Every time you do that thing you do, That Thing you Do.” Scott has acted in many films and TV and is always a fun example of a gifted actor that plays many different type of roles in his many years at acting. He plays the wonderful cheesy young President who has a Vice President that thinks he has no Nards and basically, can’t do anything.

So the President of the United States is on his way to his hometown. There's an Independence Day celebration and soon, oh no, that's right, the alien invasion strikes down the president of the United States, sending his airplane in flames crashing to the earth, oh god the in-humanity of it all.

But wait, but wait, the President is alive and soon he finds a farm boy named Todd. Not just any farm boy but a computer whiz. Soon all kinds of subplots happen. The aliens have taken out all communications and so the President must get in contact and that of course is why he uses the Farm boy who happens to be the computer geek. It all seems to come together amazingly cheesy. The beauty of this b-film is like taking Oatmeal and just watching it cook for entertainment.

Soon you are introduced to Celia who works for SETI who just happens to be in Moose Ridge. She joins up with Pete and his fire truck and boyish good looks to help survivors in Moose Ridge. She has sought and worked her computer geek eyes at SETI seeking contact with aliens to prove they exist and now she is at the front of the knowledge and smack dab inside the mayhem.

Pete who is the President’s brother. Fire Fighter and soon to be small town hero. He is shocked and devastated by the actions of the metal alien ships destroying everything he knows.

After the attack starts Andrew and Eliza and Nick are driven by the Secret Service, but soon the suits are taken out and the teenagers are stranded amongst the carnage. The Vice President is eager to take control. Played by the character actor Garwin Sanford. He has acted for many years in over 100 projects. He is that character actor you don’t know by name but when you see him, you know him. He plays the Vice President kind of like a prick. Soon we realize the rest of the worlds key spots have been taken out. Well America prevail? Will the pride of the RED WHITE AND BLUE survive another day? Or will this July 4th be the end of a great nation of FREEDOM? (Enter the dynamic close up and loud score of frightening music)

A pure TV Sy-Fy drive-in cheesy film worthy of lovers that are drunk or trying get their kids a sleep. I on the other hand place this in the category of a double-bill feature at the drive-in. The first film was always the top earner and the second was always the lower budget type. I laughed, I oohed (not really) but still felt this movie with the b-movie lover inside me. If you like cheesy b-films then this works for that reality.

Reviewed by: Abraham Phillips

Review Rating: One Star out of Five (2 if your a b-movie lover)

"Mr. Jones" Review - Written by Anthony T

Every time when I hear “Mr. Jones”, it reminds me of the 90 rock band Counting Crows song of that title. It’s a great song, but that’s not what I’m here to talk about today. It’s the title of the latest horror release from Anchor Bay Films. Going into this, I was skeptical about it at first. It’s a horror film with scarecrow imagery and those usually never work for me, as it usually sends me running to the next film. The other thing that it has going is the fact that it’s rated PG-13. Don’t get me wrong, sometime PG-13 horrors works but it fails most of the time. Still, I’ve heard a couple of people liked this film, so I decided to give this one a shot.

The film follows Scott (Jon Foster) and Penny (Sarah Jones), who moved from the big city to a remote cabin to film a documentary of their relocation. The two discover that there not alone, as they find out that a reclusive artist known as Mr. Jones lives near their cabin. Soon, Scott and Penny set to find out more about this mysterious person. They soon find very strange objects and sculptures in his house and in the woods. As they continue to find out more about him, Scott and Penny are drawn into a nightmarish world of madness and confusion. Can the couple find a way out of this nightmare before it suck them in forever?

Sometimes when I go into a film that I’m not interested in, I’m going into it thinking that I’m not going to enjoy it. I felt the same way going into “In Fear” and I enjoyed it. Still, I didn’t think that I was going to enjoy this film due the factors that I listed in the introduction. After watching this film, I was very surprised that “Mr. Jones” was a very intense and well-made horror film.

One of the things that makes this film good was the fact that it has very good direction from writer/director Karl Mueller, who wrote the screenplay to the 2011 film “The Divide”. What I liked about the direction was the fact that everything felt intense. From the way the film was shot to the atmosphere that’s projected in the film, it helped make some of the film’s action feel penetrating. It helped contribute to the film’s success. The other thing that makes the direction good was the way that he directs his main cast. Mueller does a very good job makes sure that his lead cast had chemistry with each other especially with the film’s intense scenes. Both Jon Foster and Sarah Jones’s performances were very good. It helped made their characters interesting and made some of the action work so well.

The screenplay also written by Mueller does a very good job crafting an interesting and intense story. One of the things that I liked about the screenplay was the fact that this felt like a part faux documentary, part found footage film part suspense film. By blending in those elements together, it helped make the film interesting and have a different tone than most horror films. It gave the feeling of a different type of horror film that I've hadn't seen in a while. The other thing that I liked about the screenplay was the fact that it had a dark and serious tone to it. It consistently keeps its tone throughout the story including some of the films bizarre scenes which helped the intense feel to it. It made the story entertaining and it provided some very good jump scares that you don’t see in most PG-13 horror films.

I’m very surprised that I enjoyed “Mr. Jones” a lot considering the factors the film had going in to it. With an intense story and very good direction from first time director Karl Mueller, “Mr Jones” is an intense and scary ride from start to finish.

Review Rating: Four Stars.

Stills from the Upcoming Action Film "In the Blood"

Anchor Bay Films and Twentith Century Fox Home Entertainment recently released stills for the upcoming DVD and Blu-Ray release of "In the Blood". The film Stars Gina Carano (Fast & Furious 6, Haywire) with Cam Gigandet (Twilight), Luis Guzmán (We’re the Millers, The Taking of Pelham 1, 2, 3), Treat Williams (TV’s “Chicago Fire”), Stephen Lang (Avatar) and Danny Trejo (Machete). "In the Blood" hits DVD and Blu-Ray on June 3rd.

Plot Synopsis:

Gina Carano stars as Ava, a trained fighter with a dark past. When her new husband (Cam Gigandet) vanishes during their Caribbean honeymoon, Ava uncovers a violent underworld of conspiracy in the middle of an island paradise. Armed with a deadly set of skills, Ava sets out to discover the truth – and to take down the men she thinks are responsible for his abduction, one by one.

Anchor Bay and Twentieth Century Fox Team Up for the DVD and Blu-Ray Release of "In the Blood"

Anchor Bay Films and Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment recently send us information about the upcoming DVD and Blu-Ray release of "In the Blood". The upcoming film stars Gina Carano (Fast & Furious 6, Haywire),  Cam Gigandet (Twilight), Luis Guzmán (We’re the Millers, The Taking of Pelham 1, 2, 3), Stephen Lang (Avatar) and Danny Trejo (Machete). "In the Blood" hits DVD, Blu-Ray and VOD on 6/3.

Press Release:

Anchor Bay Films, in a joint distribution with Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment, presents the action-packed thriller IN THE BLOOD, available June 3^rd on Blu-ray™ and DVD Combo Pack and on Digital HD™ with Ultraviolet™.  IN THE BLOOD stars MMA Fighter/Action Star Gina Carano (Fast & Furious 6, Haywire) along with a star-studded cast, including Cam Gigandet (Twilight), Luis Guzmán (We’re the Millers, The Taking of Pelham 1, 2, 3), Amaury Nolasco (Rum Diaries, TV’s “Prison Break”), Ismael Cruz Córdova (TV’s “The Good Wife”), Treat Williams (TV’s “Chicago Fire”), Stephen Lang (Avatar) and Danny Trejo (Machete).  The film was directed by John Stockwell (Blue Crush, Turistas) and was written by Bennett Yellin and James Robert Johnston. IN THE BLOOD heads to retail with an SRP of $30.99 for the Blu-ray™ Combo Pack and an SRP of $24.98 for the DVD. Special features include a behind the scenes look at the film.

 

Gina Carano stars as Ava, a trained fighter with a dark past. When her new husband (Cam Gigandet) vanishes during their Caribbean honeymoon, Ava uncovers a violent underworld of conspiracy in the middle of an island paradise. Armed with a deadly set of skills, Ava sets out to discover the truth – and to take down the men she thinks are responsible for his abduction, one by one.

 

Gabe Toro, of Indiewire’s “The Playlist” calls In The Blood a film with "breathtaking action”, while Steve (Capone) Propkopy of Ain’t It Cool News raves: "Gina Carano is a destructive, fearsome force of nature, and poised to be the biggest action star – male or female – on the planet. I can't wait to see what she does next!"

"In Fear" Review - Written by Anthony T

“In Fear” is a film that I first heard about when it played at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival. At the time, I wasn't interested in the film. What changed my mine was the fact that each of the cast of that film went on to bigger things before the film was officially released here. That made me suddenly want to see.

The film is about a young couple (Ian de Caestecker, Alice Englert) who are out on a date. They lose their way in the countryside as they’re on their way to a music festival. The couple find themselves trapped in a cornfield maze. The only protection that they have is their car. Driving and trying a way out, the couple they may have done something to be trapped in this nightmare.

Director Jeremy Lovering does a very good job with the direction. This film was one of those films that had an eerie sense from start to finish. It made the film entertaining, as it kept me on the edge of my seat. He’s able to achieve that in his directing by getting good locations to shoot at. The locations that Lovering uses add to the creepiness of the film. It made all the action feel very tense and allowed the film’s scares to work so well.

One of the interesting thing here about this film is that there was no screenwriter listed. The story created by Lovering. The story was an interesting one. One of the things that I liked was the tone of it. The tone had a very dark and eerie feeling to it. It helps make some of the film’s tense scene feel scary. The other thing that I liked about the story was the fact that it was well thought out. Whether it’s the jump scares or the intense feel to it, this manage to keep my interest. Lovering does a very good job making the action that go on fits the tone of the film. If it didn't fit the tone, then it could have went downhill in a hurry. Thankfully, it didn't as I enjoyed this story.

The other thing that stand out in this film are the performances. All the three of the performances were very good. Both Ian De Caestecker and Alice Edger were very good as the couple trapped in the middle of nowhere. Both of them did a very good job making sure that they had chemistry with each other in their performances, as this is one of those films where if those performances didn't work then the film wouldn't been as interesting. Allen Leech of “Downtown Abby” fame was very good as the antagonist. He does a very good job making his character very creepy and added to the intense action. It’s a credit to Lovering that the performances work and help make this film very intense from start to finish.

I strongly recommend checking this film out, as its one of the scariest film I’ve seen so far. “In Fear” is a terrifying film that doesn't led up from start to finish.

Review Rating: Five Stars

“Return to Nuke’em High Vol 1” Review - Written by Anthony T

“Return to Nuke’em High Vol 1” is a film I've been waiting to see, since hearing about it a year and a half ago. The film is the latest from Troma president and creator of “The Toxic Avenger” Lloyd Kaufman, who has directed some crazy and entertaining films like “Tromeo and Juliet”, “Terror Firmer” and “Poultrygeist”.

The film takes place at Tromaville High School where Chrissy (Asia Paredes), a high school blogger falls in love with Lauren (Catherine Corcoran), the new rich girl at school. Meanwhile, an organic food company that was built over the ashes of the Tromaville nuclear power plant is selling containment food to the high school. The food starts turning the smart people of the high school into mutant and rebellious cretins. Now, the two must solve what cause these mutations and save the high school from these cretins.

It’s always amazing that every time I watch a Lloyd Kaufman film, I always have a fun time.  Whether it’s the zany characters that appears in his films to the over the top violence, I never get tired of it. It was the same case with “Return to Nuke’em High Vol 1”, as I had a great time with this film.

Co-writer and director Lloyd Kaufman does a very good job with the film’s direction. What makes his direction work, he handles and balances the film’s humor and horror elements. Kaufman does a very making the humor funny. Whether it’s the raunchy gags to the some of the film’s laugh out loud moments, everything comes off as funny and entertaining. The other thing that I was impressed was the way that he uses the film’s gore and slime effects to his advantage. I thought that aspect looked a lot better than in previous Kaufman films. Everything comes off looking very good on screen and it helps drive the horror aspects of the film as it comes off as horrific.  

The acting was over the top but it works very well with the film’s story. Kaufman does a very good job making sure that his cast has chemistry with each other. He takes his time and makes sure the performances gel very well. It helps with a film like this, as I was interested in the characters and all of the happenings that went on during the course of the film.  It made the film very entertaining and fun.

The screenplay written by Kaufman, Travis Campbell and Derek Dressler does a very good job making sure that the screenplay has what you would expect in a Troma film. One of the things that I liked about the screenplay was the fact that the humor was funny. The writers did a very good job making sure the humor works with the story. Whether it’s the way the characters look to some of the film’s dialogue and gags, there were a lot of laughs in them and those scenes. They also did a very good job making sure the characters have certain traits to them. The traits in the characters is what helped made the characters work. Whether it’s the main character to some of the cretins, they had personality to them. It helps makes all the zany action works during the course of the film.

“Return to Nuke’em High Vol 1” is a very fun and crazy horror film that leaves you wanting more. Can’t wait to see how part 2 shapes up.

Review Rating: Four Stars.

"Scorned" Review - Written by Anthony T

"Scorned" follows a woman (Annelynn McCord) who finds out that her boyfriend is cheating on her with her best friend (Viva Bianca). After finding out, she plans for a nice romantic weekend that is complete with torture, terror and psychotic games. Both her boyfriend and her best friend are going to find out that you don’t mess with a psychotic woman.

Going into this film, I was expecting “Scorned” to suck. I didn’t care about the plot and trailer going into this. Even though I went into this film with that expectation, this was for the most part a good film considering my expectations and the fact that I had a minor problem with the screenplay.

Mark Jones’ direction was better than I anticipated it was going be. One of things that I liked about his direction was the way that the film moves. I thought, this was going to be a long film considering I’m not a fan of films dealing with infidelity. Thankfully, it didn’t feel that way. Jones direction was able to make the action move at a considerable pace. Whether it was some of the film’s tense moments or its dialogue scene, I never got the sense that film was moving at a slow pace. It helped made me enjoy this film little more than I should have. Jones also does a great job with the way he directs his cast. The way that he directs his cast’s performances was enough to keep me invested in this film especially in the film’s last half hour, as they felt dark enough to fit the film’s tone. It helped made the final half hour watchable considering flaws in the screenplay.

Speaking of the performances, Annelynne McCord does a very good job with her performance. She does a very good job making her character very insane looking in the character’s mannerisms and tone. Her performance here was as good as it was in “Excision”. The supporting cast was also good too. Billy Zane did a very good job as the main character’s boyfriend who cheated on Sadie and Viva Blanca as the best friend who betrays Sadie by sleeping with him. The performances helped move the film along and made their characters interesting as it helped made the better than it should’ve been.

The screenplay written by Jones and Sadie Katz was not bad even though it had a couple of problem. I liked how they did a good job with the way that developed the main character during the course of the film. The writers spent a good amount time fleshing out the main character. From the main characters troubles as a child to what’s happening to her in the present helped made the character interesting throughout the course of the film. What I didn’t like about the screenplay was the fact that the last half hour of the film felt predictable and dumb. Whether it was the way the death scenes were handled to easily getting a sense of how this was going to end, it didn’t work for me. I would go into more detail but I don’t want to spoil this for anyone interested in this film. Still, it I didn’t enjoy it from a screenwriting perspective.

“Scorned” is worth watching for the performances and character development, but the last half hour made a very good film into an average film.

Review Rating: Three Stars.

"Return to Nuke 'Em High: Vol 1" To Screen at New York's Prestigious Museum of Modern Art

Troma Entertainment will take over New York’s prestigious Museum of Modern Art for a special “Troma at MoMA” evening on Thursday, January 9th when RETURN TO NUKE ‘EM HIGH, VOL.1, the film that marks the return of Lloyd Kaufman to the director’s chair and kicks off Troma Entertainment’s 40th Anniversary celebration, will have a special screening as part of MoMA’s 2013 “The Contenders” film series. After the screening, writer/producer/director and Troma founder Lloyd Kaufman will participate in a Q&A.

The MoMA event will preview the film’s New York exclusive theatrical engagement beginning Friday, January 10th at the Village East Cinemas.

Now in its sixth year, “The Contenders” series represents the best of mainstream movies, independents, foreign-language films, documentaries, and art-house sensations selected from major studio releases and top film festivals by curators in MoMA’s Department of Film.

RETURN TO NUKE ‘EM HIGH, VOL. 1has been selected for this year’s series, which also includes such critical darlings as Alfonso Cuaron’s Gravity, Steve McQueen’s 12 Years A Slave; David Lynch’s Duran Duran: Unstaged, J.C. Chandor’s All Is Lost and Woody Allen’s Blue Jasmine.

RETURN TO NUKE ‘EM HIGH, VOL. 1 is Lloyd Kaufman’s latest Tromasterpiece. A hilarious, thoughtful sci-fi event film with themes ripped straight from today's headlines: the contamination and degradation of the world's food supply, rampant bullying and LGBTQ love triumphing over prejudice and violence. The film -- a revisiting of Troma's 1986 Class of Nuke 'Em High -- is in the same vein as other classics such as Class of 1984, Rock 'n' Roll High School and Carrie, but it's seen through the unique vision of Lloyd Kaufman and the Troma Team.

Welcome to Tromaville High School, where, unfortunately, the glee club has mutated into a vicious gang of Cretins. Chrissy and Lauren, two innocent lesbian lovers, must fight not only the Cretins, mutants and monsters, but also the evil Tromorganic Foodstuffs conglomerate. Can they and Kevin the Wonder Duck save Tromaville High School and the world?

Come celebrate Troma’s 40 years of creating some of the most revered – and reviled – films of all time!

Lloyd Kaufman's Latest Film "Return to Nuke Em High: Vol 1" Hits Theaters Exclusively in New York and Los Angeles

Anchor Bay Films and Troma Entertainment has send us information about the upcoming theatrical release of "Return to Nuke Em High: Vol 1". The upcoming theatrical run of the film kicks Troma's 40 Anniversary celebration. "Return to Nuke Em High: Vol 1" will have an exclusive theatrical engagement in NY on 1/10 at Village East Cinemas and LA on 1/17 at Laemmle's NoHo 7 Theaters. Q&As with Lloyd Kaufman and cast & crew will be take place at both NY and LA locations, with exact dates and times TBA.

Press Release:

Anchor Bay Films and Troma Entertainment proudly announce that RETURN TO NUKE ‘EM HIGH, VOL.1, the film that marks the return of Lloyd Kaufman to the director’s chair and kicks off Troma Entertainment’s 40th Anniversary celebration, will have exclusive theatrical engagements in New York and Los Angeles starting in January 2014 at the following venues:

January 10th – Village East Cinemas, 189 2nd Ave, New York.

January 17th – Laemmle’s NoHo 7 Theaters, 5240 Lankershim Blvd., North Hollywood

Q&As with Lloyd Kaufman and cast & crew will be take place at both NY and LA locations, with exact dates and times TBA.

With its inclusion in the NY Museum of Modern Art’s “The Contenders 2013” film series (Lloyd shares the same roster with such directorial luminaries as David Lynch, Sofia Coppola, the Coen Brothers and Woody Allen), and recently named “People’s Choice Award for Film of the Year” at the Bizarre Atlantic City festival, RETURN TO NUKE ‘EM HIGH, VOL. 1 is Lloyd Kaufman’s latest Tromasterpiece. A hilarious, thoughtful sci-fi event film with themes ripped straight from today's headlines: the contamination and degradation of the world's food supply, rampant bullying and LGBTQ love triumphing over prejudice and violence. The film -- a revisiting of Troma's 1986 Class of Nuke 'Em High -- is in the same vein as other classics such as Class of 1984, Rock 'n' Roll High School and Carrie, but it's seen through the unique vision of Lloyd Kaufman and the Troma Team.

Welcome to Tromaville High School, where, unfortunately, the glee club has mutated into a vicious gang of Cretins. Chrissy and Lauren, two innocent lesbian lovers, must fight not only the Cretins, mutants and monsters, but also the evil Tromorganic Foodstuffs conglomerate. Can they and Kevin the Wonder Duck save Tromaville High School and the world?

Come celebrate Troma’s 40 years of creating some of the most revered – and reviled – films of all time!