The violent action thriller will be released on Digital May 19 before hitting 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray on July 14 via Magnolia.

Bob Odenkirk stars as Sheriff Ulysses, whose provisional posting to the quaint Midwestern town of Normal was meant to be a welcome respite from both his marital woes and recent moral injuries in the line of duty.

But when a botched bank robbery interrupts the municipality’s tranquil pace, a dark secret is inadvertently exposed, and Ulysses soon discovers that the town is anything but its namesake.

Henry Winkler, Lena Headey, Ryan Allen, Billy MacLellan, Reena Jolly, Brendan Fletcher, Peter Shinkoda, and Jess McLeod round out the cast.

Odenkirk and Kolstad produce alongside Marc Provissiero (Nobody), in partnership with QWGmire (The Life of Chuck).

Special features:

• The Making of Normal
• Ben Wheatley: Storytelling
• Bob Odenkirk: Normal and Ulysses
• Derek Kolstad: The Characters
• Henry Winkler: Mayor Kinbner
• Marc Provissiero: The Team
• Trailers

“Normal successfully juggles high-octane action, neo-noir crime, well-placed humor, and small-town dynamics,” I wrote in my review. “Director Ben Wheatley dips back into Free Fire territory to deliver another explosively chaotic genre-bender.”

Normal is rated R for “strong bloody violence and language.”

The post Ben Wheatley’s ‘Normal’ with Bob Odenkirk Hits Digital Next Week, Physical Media in July appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

They join previously announced new additions Eva Green (Dark Shadows), Winona Ryder (“Stranger Things”), Chris Sarandon (Fright Night), Noah Taylor (“Game of Thrones”), Oscar Morgan (“A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms”), and Kennedy Moyer (“Task”).

Jenna Ortega returns to star in the title role alongside Catherine Zeta-Jones, Luis Guzmán, Emma Myers, Hunter Doohan, Billie Piper, Fred Armisen, Isaac Ordonez, Joy Sunday, Victor Dorobantu, Moosa Mostafa, Georgie Farmer, Luyanda Unati Lewis-Nyawo, Evie Templeton, Joanna Lumley, Joonas Suotamo, Liv Spencer, and more.

Creators Alfred Gough and Miles Millar are back as showrunners, alongside executive producer and director Tim Burton.

Netflix’s most-watched English-language series of all time, “Wednesday” Season 3 is currently in production near Dublin, Ireland.

James Lance in “Ted Lasso”

The post Lena Headey, Andrew McCarthy, James Lance Join ‘Wednesday’ Season 3 appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Lena Heady (“Game of Thrones”) stars as a soldier’s mother who discovers the bullet that killed her son in Afghanistan was made at the factory where she works, setting her on a path of vengeance against those responsible.

Hamza Haq (“Transplant”), Amybeth McNulty (“Stranger Things”), Jordan Kronis (“Chucky”), Amanda Brugel (Jason X), and Enrico Colantoni (Galaxy Quest) round out the cast.

The revenge thriller hits select theaters and VOD April 17 via Brainstorm Media.

Chad Faust (Girl) writes and directs. Thomas Michael (Backcountry) produces.

Executive producers include Lee Nelson, David Tish, Jennifer Pun, Rosalia Chilelli, Kristofer Bonnell, Mic Forsey, Joe Serafini, George Levai, Matthew Helderman, Luke Taylor, Roman Kopelevich, Marcie Sinaiko, Crystal Hill, Mark Sloane, and Faust.

You can have a Lena Headey double feature on April 17, as Ben Wheatley’s Normal opens the same day.

The post ‘Ballistic’ Trailer – Lena Headey Wages War in Revenge Thriller appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

David Leitch (John Wick, Deadpool, Bullet Train) is producing Ballerina Overdrive, which oddly enough seems to have nothing to do with Ballerina, the upcoming John Wick spinoff.

In Ballerina Overdrive, “A troupe of ballerinas find themselves fighting for survival as they attempt to escape from a remote inn after their bus breaks down on the way to a competition.”

The film is said to feature “dance-based action choreography,” and it’s being launched at the upcoming European Film Market in Berlin by Vincent Maraval and Kim Fox’s The Veterans for international and CAA Media Finance for domestic.

Kate Freund (Afterlife) wrote the script.

The post ‘Ballerina Overdrive’ – Ballerinas Fight for Survival in Upcoming Lena Headey Action-Thriller appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Deadline notes, “The film will follow a family on their summer vacation to a remote island with a dark past. There, they discover that a serial killer is on the loose and that unfortunately for them, the hostile locals have no interest in helping them.”

Frost and Headey are playing the central couple, targeted by a serial killer.

Steffen Haars and Flip van der Kuil (“New Kids”) direct, and Nick Frost wrote the script.

Frost said in a statement, “Take a gentle English family and send them on holiday to a tiny Swedish island full of maniacs. Simple. Not so much Nuts In May. More ‘Nuts in Mayhem’. After working with Lena in Fighting with My Family I couldn’t imagine anyone else in the world I’d want to play Susan. So I was absolutely thrilled when I heard she’d not only read the script but she actually liked it enough to do me the great honour of saying yes and once again being my on-screen wife.”

Deadline also reports today that Wayward Entertainment, Resolute Films, Film Service Finland, XYZ Films and Frost are producing, with XYZ Films handling world sales.

The post ‘Svalta’ – Nick Frost and Lena Headey Starring in Comedic Thriller Written by Frost appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Billed as a psychological thriller, Headey will be directing Violet for Goldfinch Entertainment. Headey’s feature directorial debut is based on the novel written by SJI Holliday.

“The story follows two solo female travelers who immediately hit it off and decide to team up for the next leg of their adventure. As the journey continues things start to unravel – because neither of the women are who they claim to be.”

Deadline reports, “Producers describe it to us as having elements of The Talented Mr. Ripley and Single White Female, while publishers have also compared it to Killing Eve.”

Gareth Pritchard wrote the script for Lena Headey’s Violet.

Headey said in a statement, “Violet is a compulsive page turner that stayed with me long after I finished the book – it’s exciting that my first feature as a director will be such an intense female thriller. It’s a wild ride to the finish with vast cinematic scope, centering around two very complex women who will completely unravel over the course of the film.”

The post Lena Headey Making Feature Directorial Debut With Psychological Thriller ‘Violet’ appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Elite assassin Scarlet (Lena Headey) made a fatal mistake on a job that caused her to leave her life behind, including young daughter Sam (Karen Gillan), to go on the run. It resulted in Sam getting raised by crime syndicate The Firm, shaping her into a ruthless killer just like mom. Fifteen years later, Sam’s the go-to gal for cleaning up the Firm’s biggest messes, until a high-risk job forces her to choose between the Firm and an eight-year-old girl, Emily (Chloe Coleman). Sam saves Emily, making a few fatal errors along the way, which prompts crime leaders to put out a call for her head. Sam’s only chance for survival is to reunite with her estranged mom and her lethal associates: The Librarians (Angela Bassett, Michelle Yeoh, and Carla Gugino).

Director Navot Papushado, who co-wrote the script with Ehud Lavski, creates a pulpy comic book aesthetic straight away. The early neon-lit diner scene establishes Sam and Scarlet’s relationship. The visual flair helps to retain some interest in an otherwise bland and superficial plot. For the first act, as Gunpowder Milkshake sets up its key players and the inciting events that trigger an endless barrage of melee, it struggles to engage. It adheres closely to its by the numbers plot and stock characters, only springing to life once Coleman comes into the fold and the action kicks into high gear.

It’s this turning point that transforms a generic actioner into an entertaining spectacle, with inventive fight sequences that bring the laughs and cringe-inducing action in spades. From the moment Gillan’s character enlists her young ward into taping a blade to her paralyzed arms, it becomes clear that Papushado and Lavski put all of their energy into crafting thrilling fight scenes and gun brawls. The plot is merely a far distant afterthought.

The cast brings energy and charisma where there otherwise is none. Gillan more than capably leads the way, but Headey imbues wry humor to her retired assassin character relishing her return. Bassett brings the most passion to her character, hinting at a history with Scarlet that’s never explored at all. She, along with Yeoh and Gugino, each get moments of intense action to shine.

Despite the captivating action, Papushado and Lavski fail to create any stakes, therefore any real suspense. That’s primarily due to how vaguely written they pen the villains. The talents of Paul Giamatti and Ralph Ineson are abysmally wasted, and the film mistakes facial-obscuring long hair as a personality trait for right-hand villain Virgil (Adam Nagaitis). He’s the chosen tough guy meant to present the biggest obstacle for the leads but never gets a single opportunity to demonstrate why he should intimate at all.

Gunpowder Milkshake skates by on its roster of female leads, clearly having an absolute blast, and a slew of well-crafted action set pieces. That’s all it has to offer, though. It’s a plainly written story full of archetypical stock characters, the blandest form of delivery for the spectacle that ensues. Even still, it brings style, infectious energy from its protagonists, and several memorable action sequences that deliver enough amusing fun while it lasts.

Netflix releases Gunpowder Milkshake on July 14.

The post [Review] ‘Gunpowder Milkshake’ Serves Up Stylish, Empty Calorie Action appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Being billed as “the mother of all action movies,” Netflix‘s Gunpowder Milkshake is being served up on July 14, promising “strong bloody violence” of the rated “R” variety.

The cast for this one is absolutely incredible, bringing together some of the coolest actresses to dish out bloody revenge. Preview the mayhem with the official trailer below!

In the film, “Sam (Karen Gillan) was only 12 years old when her mother Scarlet (Lena Headey), an elite assassin, was forced to abandon her. Sam was raised by The Firm, the ruthless crime syndicate her mother worked for. Now, 15 years later, Sam has followed in her mother’s footsteps and grown into a fierce hit-woman. She uses her “talents” to clean up The Firm’s most dangerous messes. She’s as efficient as she is loyal.

“But when a high-risk job goes wrong, Sam must choose between serving The Firm and protecting the life of an innocent 8-year-old girl – Emily (Chloe Coleman). With a target on her back, Sam has only one chance to survive: Reunite with her mother and her lethal associates: The Librarians (Angela Bassett, Michelle Yeoh and Carla Gugino).

“These three generations of women fight back against those who could take everything from them in the mother of all action movies.”

Ralph Ineson, Adam Nagaitis, Michael Smiley and Paul Giamatti also star.

Navot Papushado directed a script co-written with Ehud Lavski.

The post ‘Gunpowder Milkshake’: Karen Gillan, Lena Headey, Angela Bassett, Michelle Yeoh & Carla Gugino Get Bloody Revenge! [Trailer] appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

The streaming service shared today the first-look images of He-Man, voiced by Chris Wood, Skeletor (Mark Hamill), and several other beloved characters from the franchise, as well as the news that the first batch of five episodes will premiere on July 23, 2021.

The war for Eternia culminates in “Masters of the Universe: Revelation”, which picks up where the iconic characters left off decades ago.

“Narratively our show is set up as the next episode in the legacy ‘80s animated series that aired from 1983-1985,” Kevin Smith explained. “This is a continuation of that story. We’re playing with the original mythology and characters, and revisiting and digging deeper into some of the unresolved storylines. ”

In the new series: “After a cataclysmic battle between He-Man and Skeletor, Eternia is fractured and the Guardians of Grayskull are scattered. And after decades of secrets tore them apart, it’s up to Teela to reunite the broken band of heroes, and solve the mystery of the missing Sword of Power in a race against time to restore Eternia and prevent the end of the universe.”

The voice cast will include Mark Hamill, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Kevin Conroy, Tony Todd, Henry Rollins, Lena Headey, Alicia Silverstone, Justin Long and Jason Mewes.

Here’s the full breakdown:

• Mark Hamill as Skeletor
• Lena Headey as Evil-Lyn
• Chris Wood as Prince Adam / He-Man
• Sarah Michelle Gellar as Teela
• Liam Cunningham as Man-At-Arms
• Stephen Root as Cringer
• Diedrich Bader as King Randor / Trap Jaw
• Griffin Newman as Orko
• Tiffany Smith as Andra
• Henry Rollins as Tri-Klops
• Alan Oppenheimer as Moss Man
• Susan Eisenberg as Sorceress
• Alicia Silverstone as Queen Marlena
• Justin Long as Roboto
• Jason Mewes as Stinkor
• Phil LaMarr as He-Ro
• Tony Todd as Scare Glow
• Cree Summer as Priestess
• Kevin Michael Richardson as Beast Man
• Kevin Conroy as Mer-Man
• Harley Quinn Smith as Ileena

“I watched all of the TV series growing up, it was everywhere in the ‘80s,” Kevin Smith explained. “These characters started off as toys and ended up becoming part of the global pop culture fabric. So much of this show has been possible because of the love and affection for this world at every level of production and the fandom surrounding this franchise. A big reason we got such top tier voice talent is because people genuinely want to be a part of this world. So many of us were touched by these stories and these characters early in our lives and were so happy to come back to Eternia. But even if you’ve never watched a single episode of the show or don’t know this universe at all, you can jump right into the story.”

“It’s a really classic, universal action-adventure epic about growth, discovery, magic, and power,” he adds. “This series explores destiny in a fresh way. There’s a lot of reconciling with secrets, betrayal, trust, acceptance, love, and ultimately, loss.”

Here are several more shots from the continuation of “Masters of the Universe”:

MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE: REVELATION (L to R) MARK HAMILL as SKELETOR and CHRIS WOOD as HE-MAN in episode 101 of MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE: REVELATION Cr. COURTESY OF NETFLIX © 2021

MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE: REVELATION (L to R) BATTLE CAT and CHRIS WOOD as HE-MAN in episode 101 of MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE: REVELATION Cr. COURTESY OF NETFLIX © 2021

MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE: REVELATION (L to R) KEVIN MICHAEL RICHARDSON as BEAST MAN in episode 101 of MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE: REVELATION Cr. COURTESY OF NETFLIX © 2021

MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE: REVELATION (L to R) CHRIS WOOD as HE-MAN in episode 101 of MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE: REVELATION Cr. COURTESY OF NETFLIX © 2021

MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE: REVELATION (L to R) ALAN OPPENHEIMER as MOSS MAN in episode 101 of MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE: REVELATION Cr. COURTESY OF NETFLIX © 2021

MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE: REVELATION (L to R) SUSAN EISENBERG as SORCERESS and CHRIS WOOD as HE-MAN in episode 101 of MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE: REVELATION Cr. COURTESY OF NETFLIX © 2021

MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE: REVELATION (L to R) GRIFFIN NEWMAN as ORKO, TIFFANY SMITH as ANDRA, SARAH MICHELLE GELLAR as TEELA, JUSTIN LONG as ROBOTO and LENA HEADEY as EVIL-LYN in episode 103 of MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE: REVELATION Cr. COURTESY OF NETFLIX © 2021

The post First Look at He-Man, Skeletor and Other Iconic Characters in Kevin Smith’s “Masters of the Universe: Revelation” [Images] appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Headey (“Game of Thrones”) will lend her voice to the series and also co-produce. The series comes from Peephole Productions, Boat Rocker Studios and Untitled Entertainment.

“Scary Stories for Young Foxes is the coming-of-age tale of two young foxes, born of different families, whose youthful misfortunes bring them together. The eight interconnected stories explore the power of scary tales, why we tell them, and how we react to them.”

“During our first meeting at Boat Rocker I was asked what I was interested in and we started talking about horror for kids, how there is a space for this, and not to shy away from putting stuff out there that’s dark and smart,” said Headey. “Kids aren’t daft, they know when we’re holding back the scary bits, so I’m so happy to be part of a great team to bring Christian’s book to life in a way that feels authentic.”

“I’m beyond thrilled at the prospect of Mia and Uly romping onto TV screens to chill a wider audience with the importance of scary stories,” added Christian McKay Heidicker. “I was worried that my book would be declawed—the scariest bits removed for sensitive viewers—but I’m convinced that Boat Rocker Studios and the gravitational Ms. Headey will elevate this project to a place of spooky sophistication.”

The post Kids Horror Book ‘Scary Stories for Young Foxes’ Getting Animated Miniseries With Lena Headey Starring appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Sigourney Weaver, Lena Headey (Game of Thrones), Benedict Wong (Avengers: Endgame), Awkwafina (Crazy Rich Asians), Hannah John-Kamen (Ant-Man and The Wasp) and Dave Goelz (The Dark Crystal) have joined the stellar voice cast!

Check out some character images below.

The 10-episode fantasy adventure series takes place many years before the events of the film.

The voice cast is led by Taron Egerton (Kingsman), Anya Taylor-Joy (The Witch), and Nathalie Emmanuel (Game of Thrones), as Rian, Brea and Deet, three Gelfling heroes.

Other Gelfling characters are voiced by:

• Caitriona Balfe (Outlander)
• Helena Bonham-Carter (The King’s Speech)
• Harris Dickinson (forthcoming Maleficent 2)
• Natalie Dormer (Game of Thrones)
• Eddie Izzard (Ocean’s Thirteen)
• Theo James (The Divergent Series)
• Toby Jones (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy)
• Shazad Latif (Star Trek: Discovery)
• Gugu Mbatha-Raw (The Cloverfield Paradox)
• Mark Strong (Kingsman)
• Alicia Vikander (Tomb Raider)

The Skeksis & Mystics are voiced by:

• Harvey Fierstein (Torch Song)
• Mark Hamill (Knightfall, Star Wars)
• Ralph Ineson (Game of Thrones)
• Jason Isaacs (The OA)
• Keegan-Michael Key (Key and Peele)
• Ólafur Darri Ólafsson (True Detective)
• Simon Pegg (Mission Impossible)
• Andy Samberg (Brooklyn Nine Nine)

“The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance” tells a new epic story, set many years before the events of the 1982 movie, and realized using classic puppetry combined with cutting edge visual effects. The world of Thra is dying. The Crystal of Truth is at the heart of Thra, a source of untold power. But it is damaged, corrupted by the evil Skeksis, and a sickness spreads across the land. When three Gelfling uncover the horrific truth behind the power of the Skeksis, an adventure unfolds as the fires of rebellion are lit and an epic battle for the planet begins.

The post Sigourney Weaver, Lena Headey and More Join the “Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance” Cast! appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Dr. Katheryn Jennings – The Cave

This PG-13 action horror film mirroring Pitch Black followed a group of scientists and spelunkers as they’re trapped in a subterranean system and forced to fight off bizarre creatures isn’t very great. It’s full of fun monsters and entertaining enough for a popcorn flick, but it’s full of eye-rolling moments, too. But it is the film that put Lena Headey on the map, from a horror standpoint. Headey plays Katheryn Jennings, the “Final Girl” so to speak, and the scientist who figures out the cause and workings of the creatures down below. Headey gave it her all, even when the script meant she didn’t have to.

Angelika – The Brothers Grimm

Terry Gilliam’s fairy tale origin story rendered the Grimm brothers as bumbling con-men forced to confront actual creatures due to an ancient curse. Gilliam’s unusual style of not so coherent storytelling made even more complicated by creative differences with the studio, making The Brothers Grimm a tough one to fully embrace. The bright spot, though, is Headey’s performance as Angelika, the savvy huntress who’s the straight man to the comedic brothers. She saves their skin many times over, and her fearlessness is charming.

Queen Gorgo – 300

Hell hath no fury like a Spartan queen scorned. While the bulk of this violent, stylized Zack Snyder actioner centered around the Battle of Thermopylae and the 300 Spartan warriors, lead by King Leonidas (Gerard Butler), that held off thousands of Persians, it was Queen Gorgo’s struggle to rule in her husband’s absence that proved just how much mettle it took to be a Spartan. Headey breathed fire and ferocity into her character, making Gorgo someone you both sympathized with while never, ever wanting to cross her. Gorgo was strong enough to hold court on her own, and slaughter anyone that would dare cross her.

Gina McVey – The Broken

With Us now in theaters, it’s a perfect time to revisit The Broken considering its central theme of doppelgangers. A sort of Invasion of the Body Snatchers, existential style of horror thriller, Headey plays the lead role, Gina McVey. McVey is a radiologist who’s first introduced examining x-rays of a patient with Sinus Inversus, a condition in which someone is born with their organs reversed in mirror to where they should be. Mirrors are integral to this, as McVey soon discovers a woman identical to her, and her life, which sets her down a path of paranoia as she seeks answers. I’m a sucker for these types of horror movies, and Headey deftly holds the weight of the story on her shoulders.

Cindy Smith – Laid to Rest

Headey’s role in this gore driven slasher is small, but it’s a memorable one nonetheless thanks to both her performance and the character’s brutal demise. When her husband, truck driver Tucker Smith, brings home the amnesiac Princess in the middle of the night, Cindy vocally raises understandable concerns. But, like her husband, she’s a decent human being and relents with promises to go to the Sheriff’s office first thing in the morning. Too bad Tucker unwittingly lured the killer home, too. This role may be small, yet Headey proves how versatile she can be in it.

Elizabeth Clemson – Tell Tale

Based very, very loosely on Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Tell-Tale Heart”, Tell Tale follows a recipient of a heart transplant whose new heart thumps him on a journey in solving the previous owner’s murder. Headey plays Elizabeth, a physician to the transplant recipient’s ailing daughter and his lover. Headey’s role is mostly relegated to peripheral, doting girlfriend type and yet she imbues the character with layers anyway. The detached doctor type, this character gives hints of cunning beneath a serene façade. Not unlike Cersei Lannister.

Sarah Connor – Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles

Thanks to Terminator and Terminator 2: Judgment Day, Linda Hamilton left massive shoes to fill as the tough as nails yet vulnerable Sarah Connor. Headey was quite aware of the iconic status of her character, and had an uphill battle in convincing viewers she was worthy of the role. Yet she did, at least for those that watched the series. Headey cut right to the heart of the character, opting to hone in on Sarah’s single motherhood while knowing the future is precarious at best. Her resilient, strong yet sullen performance centered the show in a way she didn’t get nearly enough credit for.

Ma-Ma – Dredd

If ever Dredd were to get a follow up, it’d be difficult to top the film’s central villain Ma-Ma. A scarred drug lord that presides atop a 200-story high rise, Ma-Ma is chillingly calm and aloof despite being surrounded by brutal violence. Then again, she’s often the cause of that violence. The backstory behind her scars sets up all you need to know about this compelling, merciless antagonist. Headey drew inspiration for her performance from punk singer Patti Smith, and a great white shark. If that doesn’t sell you, I don’t know what will.

Mary Sandin – The Purge

The first entry in this series was a confined home invasion thriller that honed in on the Sandin household during the government-sanctioned Purge. Anchored by patriarch James (Ethan Hawke), creator of a security system company that provides safeguarded homes against unwanted Purgers, the Sandin family devolves into a mess once invaders slip past openings. James soon proves to be responsible for a lot of the family’s problems. Luckily there’s Mary, the level-headed mother/wife who provides balance and diplomacy where her husband couldn’t. She’s also not afraid to break some noses when necessary. It was Headey as Mary that earned back a lot of goodwill toward the Sandin family, and delivered one of the most cathartic moments of the film.

Lady Catherine de Bourgh – Pride and Prejudice and Zombies

Based on the Seth Grahame-Smith’s novel, which parodies Jane Austen classic Pride and Prejudice, this movie is as intentionally silly as it can be gory. Lady Catherine de Bourgh is a character of aristocracy and privilege; she’s the aunt to Mr. Darcy and disapproves of him marrying beneath his station. In this incarnation, de Bourgh also happens to be a celebrated zombie slayer. Headey flexes her deadpan muscle as the pompous and battled-hardened lady that challenges her nephew’s suitors to duels. We knew Headey can play tough, but this role also lets her sense of humor shine through that hard exterior.

The post A Queen of Ice and Fire: Celebrating the Many Characters of Lena Headey appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Almost exactly 10 years ago, gore lovers found themselves a new horror icon in ChromeSkull. The masked killer made his debut in Laid to Rest, a brutal slasher that put major emphasis on putting creative kills back in the subgenre. Not bothering with traditional introductions, Laid to Rest picks up with one of ChromeSkull’s victims waking up in a casket with a traumatic head injury inducing both amnesia and major disorientation. She escapes, and spends the night fleeing for her life as ChromeSkull pursues to finish what he started. The body count racks up along the way and, being that this slasher is the brainchild of special effects artist Robert Hall, it gets pretty gnarly.

Hall has an extensive body of work in special makeup effects, from genre films like Dead Birds, Vacancy, Prom Night (2008), Quarantine, to beloved genre shows like Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, and Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles. It was the latter where he met actors Lena Headey and Thomas Dekker, who both found themselves terrorized by ChromeSkull in Laid to Rest. The silent yet menacing ChromeSkull was played by Nick Principe (Hatchet II). With Bobbi Sue Luther in the lead role as ChromeSkull’s intended victim, The Girl/Princess, the rest of the cast is filled out with genre notables Richard Lynch (2007’s Halloween, The Lords of Salem), Johnathon Schaech (Quarantine, Prom Night), Kevin Gage (Strangeland, Heat, The ‘Burbs), and Sean Whalen (The People Under the Stairs, Hatchet III). Most of which fall victim in very gruesome fashion. While Laid to Rest is intentionally simple in premise and isn’t interested in breaking the slasher mold, it is refreshing that The Girl consistently finds herself aligned and supported by characters who are genuinely nice people.

But, of course, who cares about the characters or story? We’re here for the gore. While Hall wrote and directed Laid to Rest, he handed the special makeup effects off to his crew from Almost Human Inc., with Erik Porn (Dead Night, No One Lives, The Crazies) serving as special makeup effects supervisor. Because Hall comes from an extensive background in special makeup effects, he had a strong grasp of how the effects should look, so Porn had extra pressure when coordinating the lifelike kills and gore for the film. Between the team’s impressive work and Hall’s vision for how the special effects should work and look, Laid to Rest has been praised for its stunning practical effects. That’s because Hall understands how to use CG to enhance the practical effects; it’s so seamlessly done that it’s often been assumed this slasher is entirely practical.

Lena Headey’s character is one of the film’s earliest deaths; ChromeSkull skewers her head to the wall while she’s dangling upside-down out of a window. It’s made even more brutal by ChromeSkull’s twisting and wrestling the large blade out of her skull, the skin stretching and tearing as blood gushes from just about every orifice in her head. Headey’s face was digitally composited over the puppet and practical effects. Hall had designed this kill sequence to be equal parts practical and digital from the get-go. Yet it looks entirely real and wholly practical. The visual effects crew from Asylum VFX and Almost Human Digital deserve just as much praise as the practical team- all involved delivered visceral gore that looked incredibly realistic.

It’s easy to see why this series has developed a vocal following, and have long been clamoring for the third entry. It’s an unrelenting slasher full of glorious kills that will make gore-hounds happy. Exploding heads, severed heads, a disembowelment, and literal face melting, but all through the laser precision of someone well versed in delivering stunning special makeup effects.

The post [Butcher Block] ‘Laid to Rest’ is a Gore-Hound’s Slasher appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Aharon Keshales and Navot Papushado (Big Bad Wolves) are directing the action thriller for Studiocanal and The Picture Company, said to be “stylish” and “snappy.”

Gunpowder Milkshake is a high-concept action thriller with a rich mythology that revolves around a multi-generational ensemble cast.

“The pic is described as being in the assassin genre with a story that spans multiple generations. The entire cast is envisioned as being all-female, with Gillan the cornerstone.”

Keshales and Papushado wrote the script with Ehud Lavski.

The post The Great Lena Headey Joins the Awesomely Titled Action Thriller ‘Gunpowder Milkshake’ appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Bloody Disgusting learned ahead of Cannes that Keating (Pod, Darling, Psychopaths, Ritual, Carnage Park) will be heading to the 1960’s with his next, Crooks, which will star Juno Temple (Horns, Unsane, Sin City), Lena Headey (“Game of Thrones”, The Purge, Dread, Laid to Rest, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies), and Mark Kassen (Before We Go).

The film takes place in a 1968 Las Vegas, “Where a pair of crooks named Johnny (Kassen) and Faye (Temple) rob the Moonlight Casino. The getaway is clean, and the job a success. But Faye double-crosses Johnny and speeds off with the loot to California. Too bad for her that the oldest and deadliest assassin in town, the Fixer, is on her trail. And worse yet, the friendly waitress at the truck stop Blanche (Headey) is just as lethal as the paid killer – and probably crazier.”

The film is a Like Minded Entertainment production in association with Monte Rosso Productions, 30 West, and Celluloid Dreams. Iliana Nikolic (Machete, 13) produces with Mark Kassen (The Strangers 2, Before We Go) and Alexander Kushaev. Thanks to Fabien M. for the information.

The post Lena Headey and Juno Temple Battle In Mickey Keating’s Heist Thriller ‘Crooks’! appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

During a visually impressive pop-up book opening credits sequence, we learn that in 19th century England, a mysterious plague has turned many of the citizens into zombies. Those who are left alive are trained in martial arts (Japanese for the wealthy, Chinese for the poor) and must deal with the deadly threat while also attempting to find true love. At the center of it all is Elizabeth (James), one of five Bennett sisters who cares more about survival than finding a husband. When Mr. Bingley (Douglas Booth) takes an immediate liking to the eldest Bennet sister Jane, Elizabeth must contend with the standoffish Mr. Darcy (Sam Riley) whom she clashes with immediately over his arrogant pride and social prejudices (get it?) while fending off hordes of the undead.

Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice is a novel that has been adapted countless times over. Besides film adaptations in 1940, 1958, 1995 and 2005, it has seen modern reinterpretations in the form of Bridget Jones’s Diary in 2001 and the Bollywood-style Bride and Prejudice from 2004. Seth Grahame-Smith’s Pride and Prejudice and Zombies was a fun diversion but nothing more. In that novel, Grahame-Smith kept most of Austen’s prose in tact but replaced certain words with zombie-related terms. It was a gimmick that began as entertaining but quickly grew tiresome once you realized that many of the best parts of the novel were actually Austen’s words rather than Grahame-Smith’s.

The film benefits from the medium, working much better as a two hour movie than a 300-page novel. The zombie aspect still feels like a gimmick, but the translation to the screen is more smooth than it was in the novel. The problem still remains that many of the parts that work best in Pride and Prejudice and Zombies are adapted from Austen’s original novel instead of Grahame-Smith’s, but it’s not as bothersome while watching a film. Pride and Prejudice and Zombies may very well be one of the few examples of a film that improves upon the novel it is based on.

Performances are solid across the board. James kicks ass as Elizabeth and imbues her with just the right amount of strength and vulnerability. Darcy has never been a favorite character of mine (not a popular sentiment as I understand, but it is what it is), but Riley plays the character much as he is expected to. Game of Thrones actors Lena Headey and Charles Dance are solid in their brief roles, but it is Matt Smith (Doctor Who) who steals the show, bringing laughs with every single one of his lines and mannerisms. The character of Mr. Collins is the primary comic relief in the film, and casting Smith has paid off in spades. If the movie seems to lull at points, it snaps back to life the second Smith walks back on screen.

The action scenes are also exceptional. Despite some choppy editing (more on that in a bit), Pride and Prejudice and Zombies has some expertly choreographed fight scenes. One particular scuffle between Elizabeth and Darcy immediately comes to mind, but the film is peppered with entertaining battles.

It doesn’t hurt matters that Pride and Prejudice and Zombies is actually hilarious. Some jokes fall flat, but overall the comedy aspects of the film (and make no mistake, this film is a comedy) work extremely well. It is funny without being silly, which many viewers will find refreshing.

Unfortunately, the film falls apart in its third act. This is all the more baffling considering it is the part of the adaptation to stray the most from both source materials (Austen’s original novel and Grahame-Smith’s novel). The changes in the plot involve an obvious attempt at a twist and a climactic battle in which the stakes never seem that high. For the most part, the film is adept at poking fun at its ridiculous premise, so it is surprising to see the final act embrace its cheesiness and play it all so seriously. It is an abrupt change in tone that doesn’t serve the story well at all.

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies plays fast and loose, helping it’s nearly two-hour run time fly by, but this means that the emotional moments where a beat or two would have been welcome are glossed over. The aforementioned final act is rushed as well. It is respectable that the film attempts to surprise by creating a new conflict and denouement never seen before in any previous versions of the story, but the stakes just don’t ever seem that high, making it difficult to care with what is happening on screen.

A PG-13 rating also holds the film back. A horror film’s quality should never be judged by the amount of gore present on screen, and Pride and Prejudice and Zombies is no different, but the editing used to limit the gore is so choppy during the zombie attack scenes that is becomes difficult to tell what is going on. There are moments of inspiration when it comes to zombie-killing, like a kill from the zombie’s point of view in the prologue, but overall it is far too tame and is an example of lazy filmmaking (or too much studio involvement. You decide.). After the critical and commercial flop that was Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter (another adaptation of a Seth Grahame-Smith novel), it’s not surprising to see why Sony opted to go the more box office-friendly PG-13 route.

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies is far from a perfect film, and fans of Austen’s novel will probably find more to gripe about than admire, but the fact is that this is a much better adaptation than anyone could have anticipated. This is especially true for a horror comedy being released in February, which is traditionally a dumping ground for lesser-quality studio horror films. If you can turn your brain off and enjoy the ride, you will find Pride and Prejudice and Zombies to be the most entertaining film of the season!

The post [Review] ‘Pride and Prejudice and Zombies’ is a Mostly Successful (and Funny) RomZomCom! appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

[Related Post] We Visit the Pride and Prejudice and Zombies Sets in England!

Set for release February 5th, the events in Pride and Prejudice and Zombies begin with the tangled relationship between lovers from different social classes in 19th century England, and is complicated by a full on outbreak of zombies.

The film stars Lily James, Sam Riley, Jack Huston, Bella Heathcote, Douglas Booth, Matt Smith, Charles Dance, and Lena Headey.

The post More Undead ‘Pride and Prejudice and Zombies’ Action appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Right now, finally.

Check out this new trailer that’s got blood, and violence, and, yes, bosoms. We’re giggling like the rotting ghoul above!

[Related Post] We Visit the Pride and Prejudice and Zombies Sets in England!

Set for release February 5th, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies focuses on the Bennett sisters – Elizabeth (Lily James), Lydia (Ellie Bamber), Mary (Millie Brady), Jane (Bella Heathcote), and Kitty (Suki Waterhouse) – several badass women who have been trained to brutally slay the undead.

The events in Pride and Prejudice and Zombies begin with the tangled relationship between lovers from different social classes in 19th century England, and is complicated by a full on outbreak of zombies.

The film stars Lily James, Sam Riley, Jack Huston, Bella Heathcote, Douglas Booth, Matt Smith, Charles Dance, and Lena Headey.

The post Finally a Violent ‘Pride and Prejudice and Zombies’ Trailer! appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

The events in Pride and Prejudice and Zombies begin with the tangled relationship between lovers from different social classes in 19th century England, and is complicated by a full on outbreak of zombies.

Check out a series of new imagery that shows the full cast, including Lily James, Sam Riley, Jack Huston, Bella Heathcote, Douglas Booth, Matt Smith, Charles Dance, and Lena Headey.

The post ‘Pride and Prejudice and Zombies’ Images Infected By the Black Plague appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

The events in Pride and Prejudice and Zombies begin with the tangled relationship between lovers from different social classes in 19th century England, and is complicated by a full on outbreak of zombies.

Bloody Disgusting has another clip that has “Game of Thrones” baddie Lena Headey once again playing a vicious villain, Lady Catherine de Bourgh, who stick a blade to the craw of Elizabeth Bennett (Lily James).

The post ‘Pride and Prejudice and Zombies’ Clip: Lily James and Lena Headey Do Battle! appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

We scored an exclusive look at a special holiday poster for Pride and Prejudice and Zombies that teases a conflict between the humans and undead: “Happy Holidays from our kind to yours,” it exclaims, while displaying a rotting corpse holding a gift.

The events in Pride and Prejudice and Zombies begin with the tangled relationship between lovers from different social classes in 19th century England, and is complicated by a full on outbreak of zombies.

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies has been rated PG-13 for “zombie violence and action, and brief suggestive material.“

The post ‘Pride and Prejudice and Zombies’ Holiday Poster Offers Gift of Rotting Flesh (Exclusive) appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

In The Woman of the Woods, “Kelsay (Lena Headey) and her husband have just decided to separate. They agree to go on one last family camping trip in a remote area of the Pacific Northwest to break the news to their young daughter. But an evil presence lurks in the woods – and it soon influences the daughter who succumbs to a strange and frightening world of violence. Upon their return to Seattle, a police detective investigating a series of missing persons becomes convinced that the daughter is responsible. Kelsey must prove her daughter’s innocence – but to do so she must face the terrifying entity – and finds herself spiraling into greater and greater danger.”

The Woman of the Woods will be produced by Academy Award nominated producer Heather Rae (Frozen River, The Dry Land). Myriad/ Scoundrel will begin sales on the new film at the American Film Market.

Director Friedenberg stated, “‘I’m totally amped to bring The Woman of the Woods to audiences around the world with Myriad Pictures and the incredibly talented Lena Headey. Lena brings an authenticity and emotional power to her work that is uncompromising. And Myriad has a track record of elevated and poignant work that we are proud to be a part of. Full speed ahead!”

The post ‘The Woman of the Woods’ Spooks Lena Headey appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies “begins with the tangled relationship between lovers from different social classes in 19th century England, and is complicated by a full on outbreak of zombies.“

It’s got an “Assassins Creed” sort of vibe, only with zombies. I also really like that the trailer isn’t honing in on the undead as I always find that to be dangerous territory. Zombie films should almost always be about the characters living in a world with the undead, not the other way around. I just hope there’s a narrative that feels conclusive as I’m growing tired of these zombie movies that end with either a cure or an ambivalent and vague segue as characters continue down a path unknown to the viewer (Romero did this enough, it’s time to get creative and do something different).

Anyways, outside of the bothersome CGI, I think the movie looks quite fun and doesn’t appear to take itself all too seriously.

Screen Gems will release Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, which also stars Sam Riley, Jack Huston, Douglas Booth, Matt Smith, Charles Dance and Lena Headey, in theaters February 5th, 2016.

The post Official ‘Pride and Prejudice and Zombies’ Trailer Delivers More Kicks to Zombie Heads appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

The prolonged date isn’t a bad thing. Screen Gems is known to date movies years in advance. They’re cool like that.

Above is said photo of the Bennett sisters – Elizabeth (Lily James), Lydia (Ellie Bamber), Mary (Millie Brady), Jane (Bella Heathcote), and Kitty (Suki Waterhouse) – in the adaptation directed by Burr Steers.

“This mash-up that begins with the tangled relationship between lovers from different social classes in 19th century England, and is complicated by a full on outbreak of zombies.“

The film also stars Sam Riley, Jack Huston, Douglas Booth, Matt Smith, Charles Dance, and Lena Headey.

The post ‘Pride and Prejudice and Zombies’ Isn’t Arriving Until 2016 appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

The film also stars Sam Riley, Jack Huston, Douglas Booth, Matt Smith, Charles Dance, and Lena Headey,

“This mash-up that begins with the tangled relationship between lovers from different social classes in 19th century England, and is complicated by a full on outbreak of zombies.“

The post First Look: ‘Pride and Prejudice and Zombies’ appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Deadline reports on two major developments on the Burr Steers film that mixes the mannered, brain-challenging prose of Jane Austen with brain-eating corpses from hell.

Sony Screen Gems has closed a deal for U.S. distribution rights, which means that we’ll probably be seeing the film in theaters come 2015!

Also, two of “Game Of Thrones‘” villains, both Charles Dance, below, and the wonderfully evil Lena Headey, pictured above, have joined the cast! Headey is a big genre icon having starred in the “Terminator” series, Dredd, 300 and even Laid to Rest and The Purge!

The film also stars Lily James, Sam Riley, Bella Heathcoate, Jack Huston, Douglas Booth, Matt Smith, and Suki Waterhouse.

“This mash-up that begins with the tangled relationship between lovers from different social classes in 19th century England, and is complicated by a full on outbreak of zombies.“

Latest script is by Steers, who rewrote a previous draft by David O Russell.

The post Major ‘Pride And Prejudice And Zombies’ News! appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Jovanka Vuckovic will make her feature debut. Her credits include short film “The Captured Bird” from exec producer Guillermo del Toro, and the all-female horror anthology XX.

Vuckovic will direct from a script she co-wrote with Christian Francis.

“Jacqueline Ess is the story of a woman who, in her thirst for change, achieves the ability to transform people’s bodies at will.”

It originally appeared in Barker’s “Books of Blood” anthologies, which also included the stories that were basis for the horror films Lord of Illusions and Candyman.

Raven Banner Entertaintment and Barker’s Seraphim Films are producing. Raven Banner will be selling the film, set to go into production late this year, at Cannes.

Originally published May 6, 2014

17

The post Clive Barker’s ‘Jacqueline Ess’ Gets Big Screen Treatment! appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

In the film, “When fifteen-year-old Clary Fray heads out to the Pandemonium Club in New York City, she hardly expects to witness a murder—much less a murder committed by three teenagers covered with strange tattoos and brandishing bizarre weapons. Then the body disappears into thin air. It’s hard to call the police when the murderers are invisible to everyone else and when there is nothing—not even a smear of blood—to show that a boy has died. Or was he a boy? This is Clary’s first meeting with the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the earth of demons. It’s also her first encounter with Jace, a Shadowhunter who looks a little like an angel and acts a lot like a jerk. Within twenty-four hours Clary is pulled into Jace’s world with a vengeance, when her mother disappears and Clary herself is attacked by a demon. But why would demons be interested in ordinary mundanes like Clary and her mother? And how did Clary suddenly get the Sight? The Shadowhunters would like to know…” Kevin Durand, Robert Maillet, Lena Headey, Jared Harris, Godfrey Gao, Kevin Zegers, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, and Jemima West also star.

The post [Video Interview] Lily Collins, Jamie Bower And Kevin Zegers On ‘Mortal Instruments’ And The Upcoming Sequel ‘City Of Ashes!’ appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

In the film, “When fifteen-year-old Clary Fray heads out to the Pandemonium Club in New York City, she hardly expects to witness a murder—much less a murder committed by three teenagers covered with strange tattoos and brandishing bizarre weapons. Then the body disappears into thin air. It’s hard to call the police when the murderers are invisible to everyone else and when there is nothing—not even a smear of blood—to show that a boy has died. Or was he a boy? This is Clary’s first meeting with the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the earth of demons. It’s also her first encounter with Jace, a Shadowhunter who looks a little like an angel and acts a lot like a jerk. Within twenty-four hours Clary is pulled into Jace’s world with a vengeance, when her mother disappears and Clary herself is attacked by a demon. But why would demons be interested in ordinary mundanes like Clary and her mother? And how did Clary suddenly get the Sight? The Shadowhunters would like to know…”

Check out Gao’s thoughts on playing Bane below!

The post [Video Interview] Godfrey Gao On Playing Magnus Bane In ‘The Mortal Instruments’! appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Strangely, only one special feature has been announced. It’s called Surviving The Night: The Making of The Purge: and is summarized thusly, “In this exclusive behind-the-scenes featurette, viewers discover how an act of road rage inspired writer and director James DeMonaco to create The Purge, what attracted the cast to the project and how the world of 2022 depicted in the film mirrors the world today. Featuring exclusive interviews with stars Ethan Hawke, Lena Headey, Adelaide Kane, Max Burkholder and Edwin Hodge, this featurette asks the question: What would it take for The Purge to become reality?”

The Purge was produced by both Platinum Dunes and Blumhouse.

The post You Can Watch ‘The Purge’ In Your Own Heavily Guarded Home October 8th appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

I spoke to him earlier today at SDCC and he told me, “The first monster you meet in the movie, I was inspired by ‘The Thing’, which I think is a great movie. One of the scariest movies I ever saw and I loved every second of it. I just loved the idea of demons taking possession of other creatures and when they surface, the living creature is just a host. The body is cracked to pieces and wrongly reassembled. I used that as a hook to the creature design here. I liked the idea of a demon as something you haven’t seen before.

I watched ‘The Exorcist’ a lot of times for this as well, I wanted to have some of that feel. You can feel the actor [at work] there.’”

In theaters August 23, 2013, Lily Collins, Jamie Campbell Bower, Kevin Durand, Robert Maillet, Lena Headey, Jared Harris, Kevin Zegers and Jonathan Rhys Meyers all star.

The post [Comic-Con ’13] Harald Zwart Drew Inspiration From ‘The Thing’ For ‘The Mortal Instruments!’ appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

In theaters August 23, “When fifteen-year-old Clary Fray heads out to the Pandemonium Club in New York City, she hardly expects to witness a murder—much less a murder committed by three teenagers covered with strange tattoos and brandishing bizarre weapons. Then the body disappears into thin air. It’s hard to call the police when the murderers are invisible to everyone else and when there is nothing—not even a smear of blood—to show that a boy has died. Or was he a boy? This is Clary’s first meeting with the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the earth of demons. It’s also her first encounter with Jace, a Shadowhunter who looks a little like an angel and acts a lot like a jerk. Within twenty-four hours Clary is pulled into Jace’s world with a vengeance, when her mother disappears and Clary herself is attacked by a demon. But why would demons be interested in ordinary mundanes like Clary and her mother? And how did Clary suddenly get the Sight? The Shadowhunters would like to know…”

Check out the trailer below. Even if you like what you see, remember that your top priority on August 23rd is You’re Next.

The post New Trailer For ‘The Mortal Instruments’ Delves Into Shadowhunters appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

“The opening title sequence for The Purge promises a much larger scope than what eventually hits the screen. We see spy cam shots from across the “new” Nation as chaos erupts; there’s a rash of beatings, gunfights, and much more shots of extreme violence. The conceit is clear, and the visuals promise to deliver one hell of a night of brutality. Instead, The Purge could actually be referring to how writer/director James DeMonaco squeezed such an enormous idea into a single, lackluster location.”

Read the full review here and don’t forget to write your own review

The post [BD Review] Brad Says ‘The Purge’ Does Little With Good Ideas appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

“In an America wracked by crime, the government has sanctioned an annual 12-hour period in which any and all criminal activity—including murder—is legal. The police can’t be called. Hospitals suspend help. It is one night when the citizenry regulates itself without thought of punishment. On this night plagued by violence and an epidemic of crime, one family wrestles with the decision of who they will become when a stranger comes knocking.”

I recently hopped on the phone with producer Jason Blum (Sinister, Insidious, Insidious Chapter 2, Paranormal Activity 1-5, The Lords Of Salem, Dark Skies, The Bay) to chat about the political reaction to the film and the balancing act of dealing with a big idea in a small setting. We also talk about the creative reasons behind keeping budgets down and whether or not Sinister 2 will continue the Insidious Chapter 2 trend of feeling a little bigger. Finally, we get a few words about his partnering with Ryan Murphy (“American Horror Story”) for the meta-remake of The Town That Dreaded Sundown.

Check it out below!

The conceit of The Purge is very class based, it preys on people who can’t afford to protect themselves. Did you consider that there might be backlash from the right for this sort of extrapolation?

Yeah we thought about it a lot actually through development. When we finished the movie we showed it to several very right leaning groups and you’ll be as surprised as I was to hear this – and this is from a few very smart conservative people who I really like and trust – they really liked the movie and politically they thought The Purge was a disastrous concept that showed what would happen if the government got too involved in our lives. They thought that since The Purge comes from the government that the government should be smaller and less involved that it was a disastrous idea of what would happen if we let the government get bigger and bigger. I heard that a couple of times.

That’s interesting, I wouldn’t have expected that to be the response.

It never occurred to me until I heard it from them. It was very interesting.

It’s a home invasion film, how hard was it to balance the sandbox of ideas that its concept provided with this more intimate story?

That’s our brand, these high concept movies that can be told inexpensively so we can maintain creative control that we give to the directors and the people who are working for free. That’s the deal we make, we don’t really pay them [upfront] but they get to do what they want to do. I think it’s compelling that there’s this big thing happening all over the country but we see it through this one family’s perspective, we’re not cutting all around. It’s how that family experiences The Purge.

With the freedom you give the filmmakers, are you ever worried they’ll come back with something too incendiary?

I’m focussed on making really great, fun, scary movies. If there are side effects along with that, whether it be a political message or an unusual piece of casting or when James Wan says the 3rd act of Insidious should be like a David Lynch movie – that’s the joy of micro budget movies. We get to try new stuff.

I always want to work in the box of scary, great and commercial – but I encourage directors to try new weird stuff once we find that box. That doesn’t scare me, that’s part of the joy of micro budget movies, you get to try new things.

I went to the trailer event for Insidious Chapter 2, and it went over well. People were jumping out of their seats. But the movie felt a little bigger, and I know you guys spent a little bit more on it. With something like Sinister 2, should we also expect a bigger scope?

Yes, but not compared to other sequels. We still make the sequels to Insidious and the Paranormal sequels and Sinister 2 for way, way less than a studio would if the original had grossed $100M world wide. I still like to try new and different stuff in sequels but, like you pointed out, you definitely have more financial wiggle room. And Insidious Chapter 2 has somewhat of a larger scope, but relative to any studio horror sequel it’s much less expensive.

A few years ago we were getting a lot of slasher remakes and sequels that were having a hard time generating a profit because they cost something like $30 Million, would you say that’s an irresponsible amount to spend on a genre film?

I wouldn’t use the word “irresponsible,” I would just never do it. Whether it’s responsible or not, I just wouldn’t do it just because of all the other things it leads to. When you’re spending that kind of money it puts a enormous amount of pressure on the movie for whoever needs to make that money back. For me, it infects the creative process. As the guy leading the ship on these I’m conscious of keeping the budget down, but it’s for creative reasons – so we can play. When the budget gets that high… if I gave $30 Million to somebody I’d be all over every decision they made. You’re out on a limb and I just think it’s a much more fun process when you’re on a solid floor. You can be so much more playful.

The idea behind the remake of The Town That Dreaded Sundown is fascinating to me. Is there anything you can share regarding that?

I’m on the set now and it’s going great. We have two and a half weeks of production left and it’s great collaborating with Ryan Murphy, that’s the real treat of this. He and I are the only two guys who feel as strongly about musicals as we do about horror movies so it’s fun that we found each other.

His aesthetic is interesting. When you’re watching “American Horror Story”, that first season shouldn’t work but it does work. Is that attitude making its way into Town at all?

It is. That’s what he brings to the table here. It’s a very, very different take on a scary movie. It’s extremely low budget and that’s how we were able to realize it, by keeping the budget down. And we’ll see if it works out or not, but it’s certainly original.

The post [Interview] Jason Blum Talks ‘The Purge’, ‘Sinister 2’, ‘The Town That Dreaded Sundown’ And Low Budget Freedom appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Lastly, there are several character posters for The Mortal Instruments, the adaptation of the first novella, “City of Bones.” In theaters August 23, “Set in modern-day New York, the plot centers on Clary Fray (Lily Collins), who discovers she is the descendant of a line of Shadowhunters, a secret tribe of young half-angel warriors locked in an ancient battle to protect the world from demons.“

The post New Posters For LAFF Entry ‘Delivery and ‘The Mortal Instruments’ appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Be sure to tune in tonight at 7PM PST/10 PM EST on Twitter to follow our Q&A and ask some questions of your own! Be sure to follow us at @BDisgusting and Jason at @Blumhouse before then! Use the hashtag #PurgeBD to ask questions!

Directed by James DeMonaco (writer of Assault on Precinct 13 and The Negotiator), The Purge is produced by Jason Blum of Blumhouse (Paranormal Activity, Insidious, Sinister), Platinum Dunes’ partners Michael Bay, Brad Fuller and Andrew Form (The Amityville Horror, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre), as well as Sébastien Kurt Lemercier (Assault on Precinct 13).

The post Take Part In Our Twitter Q&A With ‘The Purge’ Producer Jason Blum Tonight! appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Also hiding within the aforementioned list is The Purge 2, a sequel to Universal Pictures, Platinum Dunes and Blumhouse’s home invasion thriller opening in theaters this Friday.

As of this writing, critics appear to be mixed on the slasher – here’s my review – that takes viewers to an America wracked by crime, where the government has sanctioned an annual 12-hour period in which any and all criminal activity—including murder—is legal. It’s unclear how well the film will perform, but they clearly are gearing up for production on its followup, which could really use a boost on the film’s scope, exiting the cliche Blumhouse-house-based thriller.

James DeMonaco directs the first film, opening this weekend, which stars Ethan Hawke, Lena Headey, Max Burkholder, Adelaide Kane, Edwin Hodge, Tony Oller, and Rhys Wakefield.

The post Blumhouse Already Preparing For ‘The Purge 2’ appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

This high concept thriller/home invasion slasher takes us to 2022 where the new America, apparently re-molded after an economic meltdown, is built upon the principles of “The Purge.” The idea is that, once a year, for 12 hours, violence and murder are legal. The thought is that this “Purge” allows the Nation to relieve themselves of these natural instincts of violence and aggression. But what the film proposes is that it’s more about population control and ridding the country of people who don’t contribute to society* (i.e. the poor and homeless).

With that we meet the Sandin family, who is now the wealthiest family in town thanks to James Sandin’s (Ethan Hawke) home security business. He protects his wife, son and daughter with the same home security system he exploits to rich families in the neighborhood. Only his technology sucks… and it’s unclear if that’s his or the writer’s fault, although I suspect it’s the latter. This fantasy world looks and feels more like a 2012 Blumhouse movie than a 2022 high concept thriller. The house is as generic and middle-class as they come, not to mention Sandin’s security system doesn’t include in-house cameras or even a panic room.

And while the ideas presented in The Purge are actually pretty damn cool, the illogical and convenient decisions made by all of the characters are maddening (i.e. from James’ decision to lock down the house one minute before the purge to characters walking aimlessly around the house during an invasion), so much so that you could hear constant sighs of frustration from half the audience.

The Purge becomes a lowbrow game of cat and mouse where nearly every single character is “saved” from behind by another character, who ends up being double-double crossed the same way. The only sequence that remains memorable is a gruesome game room battle between James and the invaders rocking shotguns and axes.

Even Rhys Wakefield’s epic Patrick Bateman-like performance is wasted as he never actually interacts with any of the characters; he’s solely used for intimidation through the Sandin’s front door security camera. And outside of Wakefield, all of his henchmen are faceless (because they’re underdeveloped and wearing masks), which makes it impossible to give a shit when any of them die. Because of this, there are no “jump out of your seat and cheer” moments, which makes the experience feel stale and generic.

What’s so interesting about Purge is that it’s the first co-production between genre powers, Blumhouse and Platinum Dunes. Blum is known for their low budget affairs (Dark Skies and Insidious), while Dunes has had some pretty huge horror projects (Friday the 13th and A Nightmare on Elm Street to name a few). What Purge ends up being is the generic looking home-confined thriller that Blumhouse keeps recycling mixed with the relentless jump-scares of a Platinum Dunes movie.

In the end, The Purge has a plethora of brilliant ideas that are all underdeveloped. It’s as if DeMonaco didn’t know how to express his own frustrations with our society, which end up on screen like a conspiracy theorist spewing thousands of ideas he’s heard without ever researching or understanding them himself. And with that comes an insanely unfocused, diluted and generic thriller that carries zero impact.

** From an economic standpoint the concept is absolutely ridiculous, as in the real world, the rich get richer off the lesser class paying interest on their loans. Therefore, they’d never allow a society where the poor are killed off.

The post [BD Review] ‘The Purge’ Is Insanely Unfocused, Diluted and Generic appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

“In an America wracked by crime, the government has sanctioned an annual 12-hour period in which any and all criminal activity—including murder—is legal. The police can’t be called. Hospitals suspend help. It is one night when the citizenry regulates itself without thought of punishment. On this night plagued by violence and an epidemic of crime, one family wrestles with the decision of who they will become when a stranger comes knocking.”

Produced by both Platinum Dunes and Blumhouse, the pic stars Ethan Hawke, Lena Headey, Max Burkholder, Adelaide Kane, Edwin Hodge, Tony Oller and Rhys Wakefield.

Check out the clips below!

The post Three Clips To Binge On From ‘The Purge’! appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Bloody Disgusting is your source for FREE tickets to see the new Universal Pictures home invasion thriller before it hits theaters on June 7.

Mark your calendars for 7:30PM on June 3 as Bloody has hundreds of tikets for showing in major markets including New York, Chicago, Atlanta, Austin and San Francisco (full list below).

All you have to do is RSVP on this landing page to gain entry. Arrive early, get great seats, and then PURGE!

“In an America wracked by crime, the government has sanctioned an annual 12-hour period in which any and all criminal activity—including murder—is legal. The police can’t be called. Hospitals suspend help. It is one night when the citizenry regulates itself without thought of punishment. On this night plagued by violence and an epidemic of crime, one family wrestles with the decision of who they will become when a stranger comes knocking.”

Produced by both Platinum Dunes and Blumhouse, the pic stars Ethan Hawke, Lena Headey, Max Burkholder, Adelaide Kane, Edwin Hodge, Tony Oller and Rhys Wakefield.

Please note the following details for each screening:

All Screenings are at 7:30pm on June 3, 2013:

Locations are as follows

o New York – City Angelika (Auditorium 2)
o Chicago – AMC RiverEast (Auditorium 11)
o San Francisco – AMC Van Ness (Auditorium 2)
o Atlanta – Landmark Midtown (Auditorium 2)
o Austin – CSI Alamo DraftHouse- Ritz (Auditorium 5)
o Austin – CSI Alamo DraftHouse- Ritz (Auditorium 6)

AGAIN, RSVP HERE!

The post We Have HUNDREDS Of Free Tickets To See ‘The Purge’ Across the Country! appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

However, one thing that has me intrigued is the soundtrack, which is composed by Nathan Whitehead (Gears Of War: Judgment, Transformers: Dark Of The Moon).

Whitehead comments, “Scoring The Purge was a fascinating and haunting exploration into what we value as a society and how far will we go in the name of greater social good. Sonically, this was such a fun world to develop as I got to record and process a lot of strange sounds to create our own vocabulary for the score—everything from spring rattles and noisy toys to whooshing traffic and subway tunnels. Then working with this gritty, textural palette I aimed to tell two main stories musically: Will we survive the night and even if we do, what does this say about us as human beings? I found this combination of tense action and human drama to be so compelling and it was really rewarding to express that musically.”

Head on down for the track list and the spooky cover art, which looks like The Strangers meets Dead Silence.

1. You’re Number One
2. Let’s Growl
3. Timmy
4. Charlie’s Secret Room
5. Lockdown
6. Family
7. I Came To See Your Father
8. Emergency Services Will Be Suspended
9. This Night Saved Our Country
10. The Purge Is Working
11. Who Needs A Car On A Boat?
12. Zoey’s Gone
13. Be Careful, OK?
14. You Need to See This
15. Toodaloo, Sandins
16. Charlie Watches
17. James And The Stranger
18. That Will Be Thee
19. There Are People Outside
20. I Am Not Dying Tonight
21. Nothing Is Ever Going To Be OK Again
22. I Bid Thee Farewell
23. Are You Hurt?
24. Release The Beast
25. Your Soul Has Been Cleansed
26. Neighbors
27. Thank You
28. Ours, Not Theirs
29. Blessed Be The New Founding Fathers
30. No More Killing Tonight

Got any thoughts/questions/concerns for Jonathan Barkan? Shoot him a message on Twitter or on Bloody-Disgusting!

The post ‘The Purge’ Soundtrack Has A Rather Creepy, Unsettling Cover appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

In theaters June 7th, the film also stars Ethan Hawke, Lena Headey, Adelaide Kane, Edwin Hodge, Tony Oller, and Rhys Wakefield.

“In an America wracked by crime, the government has sanctioned an annual 12-hour period in which any and all criminal activity—including murder—is legal. The police can’t be called. Hospitals suspend help. It is one night when the citizenry regulates itself without thought of punishment. On this night plagued by violence and an epidemic of crime, one family wrestles with the decision of who they will become when a stranger comes knocking.”

Check out the interview below!

This appears to take place mostly in one place. “The bulk of the movie takes place inside the family house. It was a house that we found and shot inside. We were there for about four weeks and it was really fun, it was a big house we got to explore and put blood all over the walls.”

You play Ethan Hawke and Lena Headey’s son. Did you guys have time to rehearse to cement that family dynamic? “Yeah, we did. We had a few days before actual shooting to rehearse and we rehearsed the more involved scenes throughout the film. There’s a few scenes in the last week that took a couple days to finish.”

What were some of the more intense things to shoot? “Basically from 15 minutes in until the end it’s just really intense. Non-stop. There were a few really emotional scenes towards the end that were hard to shoot and also a lot of intensely physical scenes with a lot of kicking and screaming, so those were all the harder ones.”

When you’re doing something like this, what’s the role of your parents in the decision making process? “They’re pretty good about that kind of stuff. I think they’d be fine with me doing almost anything on camera because they were actors themselves and they know what would be fine and what wouldn’t. They had no qualms about this at all.”

The post [Interview] Max Burkholder On Surviving ‘The Purge’ appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

The fest played host to the world premiere screening of The Purge, Uni’s collaboration with genre buffs Platinum Dunes and Blumhouse.

In theaters June 7 from director James DeMonaco, the pic takes place in an America wracked by crime, where the government has sanctioned an annual 12-hour period in which any and all criminal activity—including murder—is legal. Ethan Hawke, Lena Headey, Max Burkholder, Adelaide Kane, Edwin Hodge, Tony Oller and Rhys Wakefield all star.

Here’s Myers’ mixed-positive review.

There’s no denying that the United States has forged a unique, often cinematic relationship with violence over the past two centuries. From genocide to school shootings, this country has seen it all. It’s perhaps the biggest theme running through The Purge, a clever and exciting thriller with one hell of an elevator pitch for a plot: What would life in America be like if crime was legalized for one night a year?

Not so bad, it turns out. Especially not for James Sandin, played by Ethan Hawke. We follow him he returns to his home in a well-to-do suburban neighborhood, hours before the big night, which is referred to simply as the “Purge.” He’s made a mint in the high-end security business, turning homesteads into fortresses in advance of the big night. Hawke fills the role well, sounding so self-assured as he explains to his skeptical son Charlie how the “Purge” has more or less saved America from self-destruction. He’d sound smug if he weren’t so fatherly. But shortly after the evening begins, Charlie is unable to ignore the bedraggled stranger out on his street, begging for shelter. He lets him in, not quite anticipating the company who has targeted him.

The Purge ultimately is a home invasion film, but its twisted conceit puts some well-needed tweaks on the genre, some of which are surprising or at least interesting. The pace is great and the action is good, but above all The Purge is unsettling. There’s almost something masterful about the way DeMonaco references modern Americana all over the film, reflecting the ceremony that surrounds beloved events like Halloween or the Super Bowl. There’s also Rhys Wakefield as the film’s memorable antagonist, the polite leader of the band of masked marauders trying to break into the home. Smartly dressed and with plenty of charm, he’s a bit more nuanced and far more creepy than your average Patrick Bateman clone. Moreso than any other actor, Wakefield’s presence makes The Purge click.

Some will be disappointed that the film keeps the focus to the Sandin home, largely leaving the rest of America to our imaginations, but it’s a wise decision. There’s plenty of hints and allusions to chew over, and it’s kind of fun to ruminate on the possibilities of an evening without rules. Just don’t start whipping out the party favors. -Erik Myers

The post [Stanley Film Fest ’13 Review] ‘The Purge’ Thrives Off Twisted Conceit appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Writer/Director James DeMonaco’s Blumhouse and Platinum Dunes-produced The Purge (formerly Vigilandia), starring Ethan Hawke, Lena Headey, Max Burkholder, Adelaide Kane, Edwin Hodge, Tony Oller and Rhys Wakefield, hits theaters on June 7th. The film is produced by Jason Blum of Blumhouse (Paranormal Activity, Insidious, Sinister), Platinum Dunes’ partners Michael Bay, Brad Fuller and Andrew Form (The Amityville Horror, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre), as well as Sébastien Kurt Lemercier (Assault on Precinct 13).

“In an America wracked by crime, the government has sanctioned an annual 12-hour period in which any and all criminal activity—including murder—is legal. The police can’t be called. Hospitals suspend help. It is one night when the citizenry regulates itself without thought of punishment. On this night plagued by violence and an epidemic of crime, one family wrestles with the decision of who they will become when a stranger comes knocking.”

BD Stringer Erik Myers caught up with Blum at the Stanley Film Festival a few weeks back and they discussed the themes behind The Purge as well as the film’s take on violence. They also catch up a bit on Insidious Chapter 2. Check it out below!

Some might see this film’s concept as being far-fetched, but the notion that humans are inherently violent is accepted in some segments of society. What are your thoughts?

“The movie is a violent movie about violence. It’s hard to depict violence without violence. I think that the movie is anti-violent, I hope you don’t walk out of the movie thinking The Purge is a good idea. (laughs) If you do, we did something wrong. But I think during the movie, you might. That’s what’s fun about it. You get lured into this idea while you’re watching.

America has had a unique relationship with violence since its founding. Was that on your mind during the production?

Oh yeah. There are very common American themes all throughout the movie. That’s supposed to work on you, the viewer, and make it more relatable.

The film only makes allusions to the backstory behind The Purge. How much of those details did you want to fill in?

That was never in the scrip “I saw it last week. There’s a rough cut of it, very cool. I think it does what a sequel should do. It brings back enough of the first movie so it doesn’t feel like a totally new thing, but there’s a ton of different stuff in it. And a lot of the mythology from the first movie… you’re going to get a lot of answers in the second movie. I’m looking forward to people seeing it.”t. I think it was ideal to tell it through one family’s point-of-view as opposed to going all over and only seeing the rest of the country through their TVs and monitors, and not actually cut outside too much, except with security cameras, so you really are experiencing the Purge through one family’s point-of-view. I think it gets you more emotionally invested in the story.

How is Insidious Chapter 2 coming along?

I saw it last week. There’s a rough cut of it, very cool. I think it does what a sequel should do. It brings back enough of the first movie so it doesn’t feel like a totally new thing, but there’s a ton of different stuff in it. And a lot of the mythology from the first movie… you’re going to get a lot of answers in the second movie. I’m looking forward to people seeing it.

Besides Insidious Chapter 2, what other projects can you tell me about?

We have Paranormal Activity 5, which comes out in November. Then we have a movie called Ghosts, which comes out for Lionsgate in early January.

The post [Interview] Producer Jason Blum Talks ‘The Purge’ At The Stanley Film Festival! appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Universal and Blumhouse’s horror flick The Purge hits theaters on June 7. The film is an interesting twist on the home invasion trope. It takes place in a future America where one night a year, all crime is legal, and one well-to-do family led by Ethan Hawke become the unwitting targets of a merry band of masked murderers.

Such a concept can’t be rolled out without plenty of thought, but writer and director James DeMonaco is not in short supply of either. A self-described fanatic of crime lore and horror movies, this is the first major studio film DeMonaco has directed, but his long list of screenwriting credits includes the remake of Assault on Precinct 13 and Skinwalkers. The morning after the film’s premiere at the Stanley Film Festival, he sat down with Bloody Disgusting to discuss the film, America’s peculiar relationship with violence and the frightening performance of lead antagonist Rhys Wakefield.

‘The Purge’ is based on a rather original concept. What inspired it?

It’s so hard to say the one thing. When I was on my last movie, I was living in France for six months. I started noticing that the news was so very different than watching the news in America, it was just strange. And I lived in Canada right before that and it was completely different as well. Their news was just about us because they had nothing to report. Not much crime there. I was seeing this pattern – outside of our country, they just don’t have the relationship with violence that we have.

Sometimes when you write, the writing becomes a mirror of what we’re seeing. So when we watch the news here, I joke to my wife ‘It’s like The Purge every night.’ I don’t know what the fuck is going on out there, but it’s like the goddamn Purge! (laughs)

In the film and the viral website of the mysterious New Founders Of America, I was amused by the ways in which this gruesome evening manifests itself in American media and culture. On the onset, at least, it’s not so much a necessary evil as it is a commemoration. There’s oblique references to, like, awareness ribbons and Super Bowl parties.

Totally. To me, that was the biggest thing. That’s the fun stuff. Any holiday we create, there’s a ceremony to it, we like to create ceremonies around our events to really sell it. There’s an aspect to always monetizing a holiday. That’s my favorite part of the movie, all the little things people would do on this night. We had a lot more of that that we cut. Hopefully we get the chance to do more. To do more on this subject would be great to explore that.

The film mostly centers on a single house, but there’s a plenty of hints as to what’s taking place across the nation and how such a night could even be plausibly implemented. Did you and the development team find yourselves compelled to fill in the background?

It took three years to put the script together because early drafts were so long. I was putting so much in there. There’s so much stuff that I could talk about America and how we got here. For budgetary reasons, we couldn’t show much, but I wanted to allude to it. I had other forms of Purging in early scripts – the rich would buy people who were dying, people selling themselves to get money because they’re on death row, where the government officials went on this evening, all this kind of crazy stuff. The hardest thing was answering: How much do we explain about how we got here as a country? We suddenly realized people could fill in the blanks. I hope so, anyway.

The past 12 years alone could provide the perfect set-up – a succession of terrorism, war, recession and random acts of horrific violence. There’s currently somewhat of a shared sense that America is in decline, and few would disagree that this country isn’t open to quick solutions.

That’s what I realized – there’s something already in the air in our country. Maybe this absurd, but is it really that absurd? I layered in these New Founding Fathers, this regime that we voted into power at some point, some kind of NRA-thing that took over the country. But I kind of left that to the audience. I think sometimes in my writing I try to spoon feed too much, it’s better to let the audience make their own decisions on things.

It’s clear that the film’s family is rich. The masked assailants look pretty well off too. I felt there was a more ambiguous nature to the stranger who is being hunted, though he’s certainly looking a little rough when he first appears. Did you intend to explore issues of class in The Purge?

I was. We tried to keep everything at a level where you could take what you want from it. He might not be a good guy coming into this house. We don’t know him. By letting him in, is this boy doing something very wrong? But I did want to say something on class. I think that was always the intent, to play at this apathy of the rich. It’s a morality tale.

At one point, I really spoon fed it. We shot a sequence where he was coming out of a subway getting chased, we showed that his origins were more stereotypically homeless, underground. But again, we were like ‘Do we need that?’

At the beginning, Ethan Hawke’s character is kind of a despicable guy if you analyze his take on society. He sells security systems to the rich, he knows poor people get killed, but (his family doesn’t) because they can afford their own protection. To me, the most telling line of his character is “It doesn’t happen in our neighborhood.” I was hoping a lot of it would act upon class, but if it doesn’t, what I was hoping was that it would work as a thriller too.

You wrote the remake of the classic home invasion flick Assault on Precinct 13, but did any other films or filmmakers influence you here?

So many of my movies take place in one arena, so I always say Dog Day Afternoon. I saw Dog Day when I was very young and it left a deep impression. And Straw Dogs, I’m a Peckinpah fanatic. I love when people are in a pressure cooker where they’re going to explode. But the speculative part of it comes from John Carpenter. I love his films. I like what John was doing earlier in his career. With Escape from New York, he was trying to say something about society in these grand, crazy concepts.

This is your second film with Ethan Hawke. What about him as an actor appeals to you?

Ethan’s an intellectual in real life, very smart guy. But I think what’s great about him is that he can erase it on screen. In my first film, Staten Island, he plays a real dopey guy. I was really impressed. He erased all of those smarts. In this one, it was kind of odd. It was like, can he play a despicable jackass? In earlier cuts, he was much more openly this rich dude who didn’t really care about the poor and he said even more. It was gilding the lily though, it was too much. But it was interesting to see him play the golden boy in this, with his hair slicked back. He’s a great collaborator too, especially on set.

Rhys Wakefield was amazing as well as Polite Stranger, the film’s primary antagonist. How did he come into the role?

We couldn’t find anybody for the role. These thing get green lit and we only had our two leads, Ethan and Lena. It’s almost harder to find the villain. We couldn’t find him and we were getting closer to shooting. Everybody was going too big, trying to blow it out of the water. It was just not what I had in mind. But he came in and he read it just like he did in the movie, this weird smile in between words. It was even against what I wrote. He took away the theatrics, read it straight, but he just kept smiling like he had some kind of inside joke with his buddies, like that this was all a game… Halloween gone mad, where we put on a little mask and kill people. Very low-key, played it politely. He’s also Australian – he covered his accent beautifully. He was like the great relief for the film – scaring everyone on set. Even Ethan was terrified of him. (laughs)

The post [Interview] Director James DeMonaco Talks ‘The Purge’ At The Stanley Film Festival appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

In theaters June 7th, a new one-sheet has preemed that gives warning of the 12-hour emergency services suspension. Population control will get under way with a half-day of murder and mayhem starring Ethan Hawke, Lena Headey, Max Burkholder, Adelaide Kane, Edwin Hodge, Tony Oller, and Rhys Wakefield.

“In an America wracked by crime, the government has sanctioned an annual 12-hour period in which any and all criminal activity—including murder—is legal. The police can’t be called. Hospitals suspend help. It is one night when the citizenry regulates itself without thought of punishment. On this night plagued by violence and an epidemic of crime, one family wrestles with the decision of who they will become when a stranger comes knocking.”

Poster via IMP Awards:

The post ‘The Purge’ Poster Promises 12 Hours of Hell appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

“In an America wracked by crime, the government has sanctioned an annual 12-hour period in which any and all criminal activity—including murder—is legal. The police can’t be called. Hospitals suspend help. It is one night when the citizenry regulates itself without thought of punishment. On this night plagued by violence and an epidemic of crime, one family wrestles with the decision of who they will become when a stranger comes knocking.”

Directed by James DeMonaco (writer of Assault on Precinct 13 and The Negotiator), The Purge is produced by Jason Blum of Blumhouse (Paranormal Activity, Insidious, Sinister), Platinum Dunes’ partners Michael Bay, Brad Fuller and Andrew Form (The Amityville Horror, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre), as well as Sébastien Kurt Lemercier (Assault on Precinct 13).

The post First TV Spot For ‘The Purge’ Reminds You That Nothing Will Be Okay Again appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

“In an America wracked by crime, the government has sanctioned an annual 12-hour period in which any and all criminal activity—including murder—is legal. The police can’t be called. Hospitals suspend help. It is one night when the citizenry regulates itself without thought of punishment. On this night plagued by violence and an epidemic of crime, one family wrestles with the decision of who they will become when a stranger comes knocking.”

Directed by James DeMonaco (writer of Assault on Precinct 13 and The Negotiator), The Purge is produced by Jason Blum of Blumhouse (Paranormal Activity, Insidious, Sinister), Platinum Dunes’ partners Michael Bay, Brad Fuller and Andrew Form (The Amityville Horror, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre), as well as Sébastien Kurt Lemercier (Assault on Precinct 13).

The post Can You Handle Waiting A Bit Longer To See ‘The Purge’? appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

“In an America wracked by crime, the government has sanctioned an annual 12-hour period in which any and all criminal activity—including murder—is legal. The police can’t be called. Hospitals suspend help. It is one night when the citizenry regulates itself without thought of punishment. On this night plagued by violence and an epidemic of crime, one family wrestles with the decision of who they will become when a stranger comes knocking.”

Directed by James DeMonaco (writer of Assault on Precinct 13 and The Negotiator), The Purge is produced by Jason Blum of Blumhouse (Paranormal Activity, Insidious, Sinister), Platinum Dunes’ partners Michael Bay, Brad Fuller and Andrew Form (The Amityville Horror, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre), as well as Sébastien Kurt Lemercier (Assault on Precinct 13).

The Purge hits May 31st, 2013. Head inside for the trailer, poster and image gallery!

The post New Trailer For ‘The Purge’ Is Super Intense!! The Poster Isn’t Half Bad Either! appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

In theaters August 23, “When fifteen-year-old Clary Fray heads out to the Pandemonium Club in New York City, she hardly expects to witness a murder—much less a murder committed by three teenagers covered with strange tattoos and brandishing bizarre weapons. Then the body disappears into thin air. It’s hard to call the police when the murderers are invisible to everyone else and when there is nothing—not even a smear of blood—to show that a boy has died. Or was he a boy? This is Clary’s first meeting with the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the earth of demons. It’s also her first encounter with Jace, a Shadowhunter who looks a little like an angel and acts a lot like a jerk. Within twenty-four hours Clary is pulled into Jace’s world with a vengeance, when her mother disappears and Clary herself is attacked by a demon. But why would demons be interested in ordinary mundanes like Clary and her mother? And how did Clary suddenly get the Sight? The Shadowhunters would like to know…“

The post Second Trailer, Two Character Posters For ‘The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones’ appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.