Natali (Splice, Cube) known for his unique brand of intellectual horror/science-fiction, tells the story of a genius college professor who while trying to investigate the genetic compound of an ancient artifact, discovers a relic from Hell, and accidentally unlocks the equation for evil. Much like Natali’s genre classic Cube, the pic will terrify audiences with the horror of Hell unleashed on Earth.
Lisa Johnson is one day shy of her sixteenth birthday. And she will be forever. She and her family are dead and doomed to repeat that fateful last day before they were all killed in 1985. Only Lisa has “woken up” and realizes what is going on. She starts to feel as if she is being haunted, but the “ghost” turns out to be Olivia, a very much alive girl who lives in the house in the present day with her own family. With her help, Lisa discovers that the house once belonged to a serial killer who kidnapped teenage girls and burned their remains in a hidden furnace room. When he died, he became a Haunter – a powerful, evil spirit able to possess the living.
I’m a huge fan of Vincenzo Natali, the man behind Cube and Splice, which is why I have high hopes for his latest genre offering.
Starring Zombieland and The Call‘s Abigail Breslin, as well as Stephen McHattie, Peter Outerbridge, Michelle Nolden and David Hewlett, Haunter premiered last night at the SXSW Film Festival in Austin, Texas. In it, the ghost of a teenager who died years ago reaches out to the land of the living in order to save someone from suffering her same fate.
Evan Dickson attended the World Premiere and had mixed feelings.
“It’s an interesting concept, The Others meets Groundhog Day. Some truly special stuff comes out of this early on as Natali and screenwriter Brian King nicely develop their world.”
Even with a cool concept, the film’s direction is where it falters: “I just wish it hadn’t gone in the direction it did,” Dickson states. “It starts with the makings of a modest miracle, but eventually uses up exactly as much goodwill as it earns.”
Click here for the entire review. READ MORE
It’s tough when you can’t fall in love with a movie you admire but, unfortunately, director Vincenzo Natali (the excellent Splice) is unable to bring his usual flair to the heavily uneven Haunter. After getting easily hooked into the film via an incredibly interesting first act, I found myself losing more and more interest as the movie began to throw its own rules out the window.
Abigail Breslin is excellent as Lisa, a mopey new-wave teen who also happens to be dead and stuck in 1986. Her whole family is dead too, but she’s the only one who’s actually aware of their predicament. Thus, her family enacts the same routine every day and treats her as if she’s acting out when she tries to tell them that she’s tired of having meatloaf for the thousandth day in a row. It’s an interesting concept, The Others meets Groundhog Day. Some truly special stuff comes out of this early on as Natali and screenwriter Brian King nicely develop their world. There’s a moment about halfway though when Lisa’s father suddenly starts smoking at dinner – not part of his normal routine – that signals the onset of what I assumed would be a truly remarkable second half.
Sadly, the remarkable version never shows up. Instead, Haunter disappears down a convoluted rabbit hole once Lisa’s objective – to save the family living in the 2013 version of their house – becomes clear. There’s very little that works after this point. We never get to know the family Lisa’s trying to save well enough (or at all, really) to become truly invested. It’s a horror movie, so when you place the innocent and anonymous in peril the audience doesn’t really care if they die or not. But Haunter isn’t interested in providing that type of investment. The film becomes obsessed with the ins and outs of ghost time travel (that’s a thing here) and, much like its’ protagonists, disappears into a virtual limbo.
Stephen McHattie (Pontypool) is effectively creepy as the film’s villain, but the energy around his motives and actions is so laconic and thinly drawn that his efforts are effectively neutered. An evil lacking any sort of definition, he’s sort of reduced to mugging for the camera by the end. Additionally, in what seems like a bid to appeal to younger teens and a PG-13 rating, the film lacks any punch whatsoever. Brightly lit with people learning important life (or death, I suppose) lessons, I was fairly shocked by the gummy toothlessness of its ending.
Haunter isn’t a bad film, and I certainly commend it for trying something new, I just wish it hadn’t gone in the direction it did. It starts with the makings of a modest miracle, but eventually uses up exactly as much goodwill as it earns. Hopefully it just serves as the ultimate palate cleanser (and expectation diminisher) before Natali returns back to better waters.
Director Vincenzo Natali (Splice, Cube) premiered his new film, Haunter, from Copperheart Entertainment, last night at the SXSW film festival in Austin, TX. Starring Abigail Breslin (Zombieland, Rango, Little Miss Sunshine), Stephen McHattie (300, Watchmen, Immortals, Pontypool), Peter Outerbridge (Silent Hill: Revelation, Lucky Number Slevin), Michelle Nolden (Red, Time Traveler’s Wife) and David Hewlett (Rise of the Planet of the Apes). It’s an inventive take on the haunted house genre and I look forward to sharing my review with you in a day or so.
In the film “Teenage Lisa (Breslin) and her family died in 1986 under sinister circumstances but remain trapped in their house, unable to move on. Lisa must reach out from beyond the grave to help her present-day, living counterpart, Olivia, avoid the same fate Lisa and her family suffered.”
Directed by Natali from a screenplay written by Brian King (Cypher, Night Train), the film is produced by Steven Hoban (Splice, Ryan, Ginger Snaps trilogy) and co-produced by Mark Smith (388 Arletta Avenue, The Spine).
Head inside for the interview! READ MORE
While Vincenzo Natali finishes up Haunter and works on Neuromancer, the director of both Splice and Cube put together an undead treat for The Heart And Stroke Foundation.
From Agency59 comes TheUndeading: “Bringing back the dead is dead simple — Learn the steps and see how CPR Makes You Undead through Heart and Stroke Foundation’s latest PSA””
Produced by Cartilage Inc. Special effects: Alter Ego. Editing: Married To Giants. READ MORE
We reported last month that Vincenzo Natali (Splice, Cube) has been tapped to direct the upcoming motion picture adaptation of William Gibson’s seminal science fiction novel Neuromancer. And now there’s some A-level talent circling the project. Namely Liam Neeson (The Grey) and Mark Wahlberg (Boogie Nights).
Per Moviehole, “Mark Wahlberg and Liam Neeson are mulling over offers to headline director Vicenzo Natali’s long-gestating adaptation of Neuromancer, based on the classic literary offering by William Gibson. Wahlberg, who has a solid working relationship with the film’s producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura (he cast the former in ‘Four Brothers’ and ‘Shooter’), would play the anti-hero Case. Neeson, who like Wahlberg will receive a pay-or-play deal, would be the twisted tool Armitage.”
“Neuromancer is the story of a washed-up computer hacker hired by a mysterious employer to work on the ultimate hack. Seven Arts sees Neuromancer as part of a potential multi film series as many of Gibson’s sci-fi masterpieces have yet to be adapted to the big screen.”
Randall Cole’s 388 Arlette Avenue opens Nationwide On Demand (Cable VOD, iTunes, Amazon, VUDU, Samsung Media Hub) today. The Vincenzo Natali (Cube, Splice) produced horror flick starring Nick Stahl, Mia Kirshner and Devon Sawa will also play select midnight screenings on May 18th! For more info head here.
“Shot from the point of view of hidden cameras, the film follows a thirty-something couple, James and Amy Deakin, as they are secretly videotaped 24/7 by a mysterious stalker in their home, on the streets and at their workplace. The stalker uses information gleaned from the footage to subtly manipulate the unsuspecting couple and cracks in their relationship surface. When Amy suddenly vanishes, James is not sure whether she has been abducted or has simply left him. As the acts of the tormentor become more twisted and violent, James desperately tries to figure out who is behind the terror in order to save his wife. But it seems the stalker is always one move ahead…”
In the clip, “James and Amy live a quiet life in their suburban home on Arletta Avenue – but someone is watching them. With concealed cameras capturing every angle of their world, a faceless voyeur begins to manipulate the couple. When Amy suddenly disappears without a trace, James becomes increasingly paranoid and desperate in his search for answers, but he’s yet to realize just how deep this twisted tormentor’s reach goes into their lives.”
Head inside to check it out. READ MORE
Randall Cole’s 388 Arlette Avenue the Vincenzo Natali (Cube, Splice) produced horror flick starring Nick Stahl, Mia Kirshner and Devon Sawa played at TIFF back in September and we got a look at a trailer shortly shortly after. Now, Trailer Addict has a look at a new teaser that decides to give even less away. Perhaps the idea is to re-position the film’s marketing somewhat in anticipation of its release.
“Shot from the point of view of hidden cameras, the film follows a thirty-something couple, James and Amy Deakin, as they are secretly videotaped 24/7 by a mysterious stalker in their home, on the streets and at their workplace. The stalker uses information gleaned from the footage to subtly manipulate the unsuspecting couple and cracks in their relationship surface. When Amy suddenly vanishes, James is not sure whether she has been abducted or has simply left him. As the acts of the tormentor become more twisted and violent, James desperately tries to figure out who is behind the terror in order to save his wife. But it seems the stalker is always one move ahead…”
Head inside to check it out. 388 Arletta Avenue opens in the UK this Friday, April 27th. Expect a US release date soon. READ MORE
Toronto Principal photography on Vincenzo Natali‘s (Splice, Cube) new feature, Haunter, from Copperheart Entertainment, starring Abigail Breslin (Zombieland, Rango, Little Miss Sunshine), Stephen McHattie (300, Watchmen, Immortals, Pontypool), Peter Outerbridge (Silent Hill: Revelation, Lucky Number Slevin), Michelle Nolden (Red, Time Traveler’s Wife) and David Hewlett (Rise of the Planet of the Apes) has begun.
In this reverse ghost story broke exclusively by Bloody Disgusting, “teenage Lisa (Breslin) and her family died in 1986 under sinister circumstances but remain trapped in their house, unable to move on. Lisa must reach out from beyond the grave to help her present-day, living counterpart, Olivia, avoid the same fate Lisa and her family suffered.”
Haunter, directed by Vincenzo Natali from a screenplay written by Brian King (Cypher, Night Train), is produced by Steven Hoban (Splice, Ryan, Ginger Snaps trilogy), and co-produced by Mark Smith (388 Arletta Avenue, The Spine). Principal photography will run from April 16 until May 19, 2012 in Toronto and Brantford. Release is slated for 2013.
“‘Haunter’ vividly demonstrates that even ghosts have a lot to be afraid of. Brian King’s script constructs a Borgian Labyrinth out of the most mundane settings and shows us how even in our everyday lives, we are spirits living in the material world,” said Natali.
Just two weeks after signing on to star opposite Halle Berry in Brad Anderson’s thriller The Hive, Variety reports that Zombieland‘s Abigail Breslin has agreed to topline Copperheart Entertainment’s Haunter, a supernatural mystery that Vincenzo Natali (Cube, Splice) will direct from a script by Brian King. Bloody Disgusting exclusively broke the news on the film back in January.
A reverse ghost story, “ ‘Haunter’ follows Lisa (Breslin), a teenage girl who died under sinister circumstances in 1986 along with her family. Trapped in their house together and unable to move on, Lisa must reach out from beyond the grave to help her present-day, living counterpart avoid the same fate she suffered.”
Steve Hoban and Mark Smith will produce for Copperheart, which previously produced Natali’s 2009 horror pic Splice.
Production is skedded to start mid-April in Toronto. READ MORE
Bloody Disgusting has exclusively learned that Splice and Cube director Vincenzo Natali will next go behind the camera and direct Haunter, a supernatural horror film lensing this March in Toronto.
Penned by Brian King, we’re told that Haunter will be a kind of “reverse” ghost story. Instead of following the “haunted”, the ghost flick will be told through the eyes of a spirit named Lisa, who, along with her family, died in 1986 under “sinister circumstances” but remain trapped in their house. Lisa haunts (and possesses) a young “living” girl by the name of “Olivia in an attempt to save her from the same fate.
Casting as it arrives. READ MORE
Announced at this past November’s AFM was Splice and Cube director Vincenzo Natali’s first film as a executive producer, 388 Arletta Avenue 
, which has officially begun principal photography in Toronto. The pic is described as an unsettling Hitchcockian thriller written and directed by Randall Cole (Real Time, 19 Months), and stars Nick Stahl (Sin City, Carnivale, Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines, Mirrors 2), Mia Kirshner (“Vampire Diaries,” “L Word,” The Black Dhalia) and Devon Sawa (Final Destination, Idle Hands). Steve Hoban (Splice, Ginger Snaps) and Mark Smith (The Spine) Produce.
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UPDATE: Bloody Disgusting learned that Randall Cole (’19 Months,’ ‘Real Time’) is directing and Nick Stahl (‘Sin City,’ ‘Terminator 3′) stars! Check out the synopsis inside! Splice and Cube director Vincenzo Natali is spreading himself thin as he’s not only working with Richard Stanley on an adaptation of High Rise, but he’s also brining us a segment of the Paris, I’ll Kill You anthology. Next up on his list is a new horror thriller being teased at AFM, 388 Arletta Avenue, which states that Natali will play producer on the pic. Looking to take a stab at the cinema verite genre, the tagline states: “ You’re on camera.” Check it out inside.
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Superstar genetic engineers Clive (Adrien Brody) and Elsa (Sarah Polley) specialize in splicing together DNA from different animals to create incredible new hybrids. Now they secretly conduct their own experiments. The result is Dren, an amazing, strangely beautiful creature that exceeds their wildest dreams, until she threatens to become their worst nightmare.
What could compare to the horror of existing one step closer to complete decay-Welcome to the next level in death; welcome to the place where reality has been bent inwards-out – where nothing is as it seems and where bliss and peace are things of the past. Welcome to the cage! These seven strangers all share the same wish, the same goal and the same reasons for being here. In this place, the only thing that matters is to avoid dying… or perhaps, to avoid staying alive for too long. When reality goes out and surreal nightmares are left in its place, there’s only one thing that is certain; pain.
A group of people awaken in a strange environment that resembes a maze of cubes.
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