Movies
SD Comic-Con ’10: Getting Blood with the ‘Hatchet II’ Panel
Last night be brought you the major news of an October UNRATED release of Adam Green’s Hatchet II, now we’ve got a full report from the panel that featured Green, and stars R.A. Mihailoff, Parry Shen, A.J. Bowen, Danielle Harris, Tom Holland, Kane Hodder, Rileah Vanderbilt, co-producer and second unit assistant director Jason Richard Miller, and creature and make-up effects supervisor Robert Pendergraft. After opening with a look at the red-band trailer, San Diego Comic-Con attendees were blasted with a ton of footage and a death montage (there are 17 deaths!) that has people freaking out!
Here’s a breakdown of what was shown:
“The footage opened with Marybeth (Harris) in Rev. Zombie’s (Tony Todd) Voodoo Shop way distraught and also inquisitive about the origin of one Victor Crowley, of which Zombie was happy to share the extremely torrid tale. In the interest of preserving some of the flick’s twists and turns, we’re just going to give you the gist of it.
While his wife, Shyann (Kathryn Fiore), lay dying in front of him due to a lingering stomach cancer, Thomas Crowley (Hodder sans make-up) ends up having an affair with his spouse’s Creole nurse, Lena (Erika Hamilton). Her sickness had lasted a really long time, and when she finally passed, Thomas and Lena embraced and kissed in front of her thought to be lifeless body. But the old girl, outraged by what was taking place in front of her, showed that she still had some fire left in her by placing her hand over Lena’s belly and cursing the duo’s then unborn son, who would grow up to be Victor.
We know from the original Hatchet how Victor met his fate, but we learn here that he is, in fact, a ghost who is forced to relive his own death and return to the exact state he was killed in each night. This reveal gives both the character of Victor Crowley and the vibe of the series a whole new supernatural spin while answering some of the lingering questions left behind by the first flick.
As part of the flashback we saw a death reel that included a host of super violent kills: a quick hatchet slice, a head being cut completely in half, an angry spear through the neck, someone’s face totally sliced off, and one of the most insane jaw-ripping scenes we’ve seen in quite some time. Robert Pendergraft, you are a very talented and sick man. Bravo.
Following a lively Q&A with the crowd, Green showed off two more kills: two people being sliced via chainsaw vertically in half from the balls up and one hell of a curb-stomp.
In a sea of mouth-breathers, overweight folks in spandex, and all manner of geeky shenanigans, one thing is for certain: The Hatchet fans who did manage to make it into the room left really fuckin’ satisfied.
Green promised a much more fulfilling ending to this entry into the franchise and said that the last eleven minutes of this movie will blow you away.”
Sasquatch Sunset duo Zellner Brothers are swapping cryptids for aliens in alien invasion comedy Alpha Gang, and the first image introduces its alien invaders.
Alpha Gang will make its premiere at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival, announced as part of this year’s Special Presentations program.
The comedy follows “a group of alien invaders sent to conquer Earth. Disguised in human form as a 1950s leather-clad biker gang, they are ruthless in their mission… until they succumb to the most toxic and contagious human condition of all: emotion.”
Cate Blanchett (Tár, The Gift), Léa Seydoux (Crimes of the Future), Dave Bautista (Knock at the Cabin), Riley Keough (The Lodge), Lily-Rose Depp (Nosferatu), and Chris Pine (Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves) star.
Blanchett leads the cast; the two-time Oscar winner plays the Alpha Gang’s indomitable leader. Seydoux, Bautista, Depp, and Keough will play the gang members.
The alien invasion comedy is said to take place in a heightened reality, lensed by cinematographer Mike Gioulakis (Sasquatch Sunset, Us, It Follows). Based on the plot description and the Zellner Brothers’ flatulence-heavy Sasquatch Sunset, which starred an unrecognizable Riley Keough, it feels safe to expect an offbeat comedy ahead.
The Zellners produce for ZBi, along with Blanchett and Coco Francini for Dirty Films, Keough and Gina Gammell for Felix Culpa, Ryan Zacarias for Fat City, Andrea Bucko for Sugar Rush Pictures, Mary Aloe for Aloe Entertainment, and Joshua Harris for Peachtree Media Partners.
“Each year, we strive to curate a selection of films that feels most relevant to the moment with the power to spark a rich dialogue with our public audience, and these Special Presentations titles are true reflections of that,” said Anita Lee, Chief Programming Officer, TIFF. “From debut directors to the most anticipated sophomore films of the year to vanguard voices, this group of films showcase the authenticity, the unexpected, and the ambition of cinema now. They are sure to be among the Festival’s most talked-about titles, captivating audiences and generating buzz long after the credits roll. We’re delighted to share these original works with TIFF audiences in September.”
TIFF launches its 51st edition this September 10-20.
Stay tuned for more as it arrives.