Movies
Oren Peli’s ‘Area 51’ Sighting?!
It took a few years for San Diego filmmaker Oren Peli‘s Paranormal Activity to make it into theaters. After World Premiering at the 2007 Screamfest Horror Film Festival in Hollywood, CA, the supernatural box office smash played Slamdance in 2008 before finally getting a release through Paramount Pictures in September of 2009. Before then, Paramount, with the help of Steven Spielberg, was working to remake the low budget indie that ended up being the biggest found footage success since The Blair Witch Project. With five sequels since its release (one coming this October), it appears they finally made the right decision in releasing the original (with an upgraded finale, new editing and sound design).
After such a smash, Hollywood always gifts the filmmakers with their sophomore project. Many of our younger readers may not know this but, Mr. Peli, the man behind Paranormal Activity, has actually directed another found-footage feature. An alien abduction movie titled Area 51.
The movie was cast (Sandra Staggs, Roy Abramsohn, David Saucedo, Glenn Campbell, and Jelena Nik) and filmed in 2009/2010, and had additional photography done on multiple occasions (not uncommon with Blumhouse productions) throughout the years.
Allegedly, the footage takes us back to 1994 where three friends travel to the infamous Area 51 in order to learn its terrifying secrets. The group then finds themselves running for their lives as an unprecedented event occurs.
Related Editorial: [Remember This?] Oren Peli’s ‘Area 51’?
Paranormal Activity discoverers and producers Steven Schneider and Jason Blum were behind the long lost project, which has since become folklore. Blumhouse, who now has various distribution deals, could easily unload the troubled project, which appears to be the case.
Several minutes ago Bloody Disgusting reader Nathan Yocum sent a tweet directly to Jason Blum asking if we’ll ever see Area 51. To his (and our) surprise, Blum responded with some positive news, telling Yocum that we’ll finally see what’s inside Area 51 “very very very soon.” That’s a bold proclamation that should have horror fans in a frenzy.
Back in 2013 Blum told us that they were still tinkering with the movie, but I’ve never heard of a film being toyed with for several year. I am definitely curious to see if Area 51 gets some sort of theatrical run or gets the Mockingbird/The Town That Dreaded Sundown VOD dump.
Oh, and to those who think this is the first found-footage alien movie – you are greatly mistaken…
@nathantexyocum very very very soon. –JB
— Blumhouse (@blumhouse) April 7, 2015
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.”