Movies
Sci Fi Channel’s ‘Ghost Hunters’ Continues to Expand
If Ryan Daley’s blog or my blog peaks your interest, that would mean you’re into the paranormal world. I personally am a big fan of the ghost hunting community, which is why I love watching Sci Fi Channel’s GHOST HUNTERS, along with their new show GHOST HUNTERS INTERNATIONAL. The whole debunking aspect of the show makes it 100% more believable to me, and if it’s real or not is beyond me (I don’t think I care). If you enjoy the show(s) as much as I do, then read on for a big announcement made by Sci Fi this evening.
Sci Fi Channel is expanding its “Ghost Hunters” franchise with a new multipart agreement with creator Craig Piligian that includes dozens of hours of reality programming.
The network has given the green light to six episodes of a college edition of the paranormal series, tentatively titled “Ghost Hunters: New Generation.” Sci Fi also has ordered a sixth season of the “Hunters” flagship and a second season of the “International” spinoff.
In addition, Piligian has signed an agreement for an as-yet-undetermined series separate from the “Hunters” brand with an eye toward a 2010 premiere date.
“Craig is a star performer who’s been a great partner,” Sci Fi executive vp original programming Mark Stern said. “You want to be in business with people like him on a consistent basis.”
“Hunters” has been one of the network’s top ratings performers and has grown its audience each season. The most recent season averaged 2.8 million viewers per week.
The newest series seeks to capitalize on the reality show’s popularity among college students.
“It’s going to be more of a teaching format,” Piligian said. “We’re going to try to have a little more fun with the franchise.”
The spinoff features franchise regulars Steve Gonsalves and Dave Tango training students who will accompany them on paranormal investigations. Episodes also could include stops in thematic locations, like spring break hot spots.
“What’s cool about ‘Ghost Hunters’ is it has tried to rely on empirical science,” Stern said. “This is an opportunity to delve into that a little deeper and take the show into a more academic setting.”
In addition to the “Hunters” franchise, the reality series “Scare Tactics” and “Estate of Panic” have performed well for the network, though a renewal verdict has not been made for “Chase,” another reality show. The network has a half-dozen other reality projects in development and hopes to expand its unscripted lineup.
Movies
‘Boorman and the Devil’ Documentary Trailer Chronicles Complicated Relationship with ‘Exorcist II’
Critically acclaimed documentary Boorman and the Devil chronicles how one of the world’s greatest filmmakers made one of the most hated movies ever: Exorcist II: The Heretic. A new trailer highlighting some of the troubled production woes has arrived.
Boorman and the Devil opens at The Quad in NYC on August 28 before opening wider in various cities on September 4, including: Los Angeles, Columbus, Houston, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Seattle and more.
After the success of Point Blank and Deliverance, Warner Brothers offered John Boorman the opportunity of a lifetime: the chance to direct a sequel to their smash hit, The Exorcist. The result was one of the biggest disasters in movie history. A critical and financial failure that not only changed how Hollywood did business, but nearly ended Boorman’s filmmaking career… but to be an artist is to be a risk-taker.
Now, John Boorman, Linda Blair, Louise Fletcher, Karyn Kusama, Joe Dante, Mike Flanagan, and more reflect back on the ambition of the film, the artistry and craft, and the value of big creative swings.
“I am beyond thrilled that Yellow Veil has come on board to help us share this story with a larger audience,” said director David Kittredge. “Like myself and the rest of our team, they’re huge cinema-lovers. It’s so exciting that a film which is not only a love letter to John Boorman, but also to ambitious filmmaking, will be handled by people who share the same passions that our team shares.”
“I first saw the film at an early festival screening and the post-screening buzz was just electric. Everyone was loving Boorman and the Devil,” added Yellow Veil co-founder Justin Timms. “To be able to team up with David and the filmmaking team on this release is incredibly exciting, and we can’t wait to spread that post-screening electricity with audiences across the country.”
Boorman and the Devil is produced by Kittredge’s Triple Fire Productions, Travis Stevens (Jodorowsky’s Dune, Starry Eyes) of Snowfort Pictures, and Jim Fall (The Lizzie McGuire Movie), with Alan Koenigsberg of Milton Ventures Media serving as co-producer.
Daniel Kurland wrote in his review, “Boorman and the Devil goes above and beyond to be the definitive text on Exorcist II. This documentary will delight horror and Exorcist fans alike, but it also provides incredible insight for anyone who is just marginally interested in film production.”