Warner Bros. Pictures’ “Gravity” Rockets Past $300 Million Worldwide
Number one weekends and record-breaking international openings continue to fuel the acclaimed worldwide hit, starring Sandra Bullock and George Clooney under the direction of Alfonso Cuarón.
BURBANK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Showing no signs of coming back to Earth, Warner Bros. Pictures’ “Gravity” flew past the $300 million mark on Wednesday, October 23, less than three weeks after its record-breaking opening. The announcement was made today by Dan Fellman, President of Domestic Distribution, and Veronika Kwan Vandenberg, President of International Distribution, Warner Bros. Pictures.
“We all congratulate the filmmakers and the cast on the world’s overwhelming response to ‘Gravity.’ The film’s success speaks not only to the awe-inspiring visuals but also to the universal appeal of the story’s emotional journey, a combination that continues to captivate audiences everywhere.”
One of the best reviewed movies of this or any year, the Alfonso Cuarón-directed dramatic thriller has topped the box office for three consecutive weekends in North America as well as internationally, holding the number one spot in every major market in which it has opened.
Strong word of mouth has made “Gravity” a must-see film that audiences and critics all agree is best experienced in 3D. Moviegoers around the globe have flocked in record numbers to see the film in the immersive 3D format, which has proven to be the overwhelming preference worldwide. 3D sales represent an astounding 81% of the total gross domestically and 77% internationally. IMAX numbers are equally impressive, with an estimated $40 million domestically, and more than $12 million in 32 overseas markets.
Internationally, the film has enjoyed stellar openings in a number of key territories, including Cuarón’s native Mexico, as well as Germany, Russia, Spain, Italy and Korea. “Gravity” is also yet to open in several major markets, including France (today), the UK (November 8th), Japan (December 13th) and, as just announced, China, where it will be released on November 20th.
Fellman stated, “Alfonso Cuarón, together with his collaborators on both sides of the camera, crafted a magnificent film that is a creative and technological feat. These terrific box office numbers are exceeding expectations every day as more and more people discover ‘Gravity’ for the first time or return to enjoy it again and again.”
Kwan Vandenberg said, “We all congratulate the filmmakers and the cast on the world’s overwhelming response to ‘Gravity.’ The film’s success speaks not only to the awe-inspiring visuals but also to the universal appeal of the story’s emotional journey, a combination that continues to captivate audiences everywhere.”
Academy Award® winners Sandra Bullock (“The Blind Side”) and George Clooney (“Syriana”) star in “Gravity,” a heart-pounding thriller that pulls you into the infinite and unforgiving realm of deep space. The film was directed by Oscar® nominee Alfonso Cuarón (“Children of Men”).
Dr. Ryan Stone (Bullock) is a brilliant medical engineer on her first shuttle mission, with veteran astronaut Matt Kowalski (Clooney) in command. But on a seemingly routine mission, disaster strikes. The shuttle is destroyed, leaving Stone and Kowalski completely alone—tethered to nothing but each other and spiraling out into the blackness. The deafening silence tells them they have lost any link to Earth…and any chance for rescue. As fear turns to panic, every gulp of air eats away at what little oxygen is left.
But the only way home may be to go further out into the terrifying expanse of space.
“Gravity” was written by Alfonso Cuarón & Jonás Cuarón, and produced by Alfonso Cuarón and David Heyman (the “Harry Potter” films). Chris deFaria, Nikki Penny and Stephen Jones served as executive producers.
The behind-the-scenes team includes multiple Oscar®-nominated director of photography Emmanuel Lubezki (“Children of Men,” “The New World”); production designer Andy Nicholson (art director “Alice in Wonderland”); editors Alfonso Cuarón and Mark Sanger (VFX editor “Children of Men”); and costume designer Jany Temime (the “Harry Potter” films). The visual effects were handled by Oscar®-nominated visual effects supervisor Tim Webber (“The Dark Knight”). The music was composed by Steven Price (“Attack the Block”).
Warner Bros. Pictures Presents an Esperanto Filmoj/Heyday Films Production, an Alfonso Cuarón Film, “Gravity.” The film is being released in 3D and 2D and IMAX®, and is distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment company. This film has been rated PG-13 for intense perilous sequences, some disturbing images and brief strong language.
gravitymovie.com
Friday, October 25, 2013
Review: "Tiger & Bunny: The Beginning" an Excellent Superhero Movie
Tiger & Bunny: The Beginning (2012)
Original title: Gekijō-ban Tiger & Bunny – The Beginning
Running time: 92 minutes (1 hour, 32 minutes)
DIRECTOR: Yoshitomo Yonetani
WRITER: Masafumi Nishida
PRODUCERS: Kazuhiko Tamura and Chintasu Matsui
CINEMATOGRAPHERS: Yuk Tanaka and Haruhi Goto
EDITOR: Hiroshi Okuda
COMPOSER: Yoshihiro Ike
ANIME/SUPERHERO/ACTION/COMEDY with elements of drama
Starring: (original Japanese voices) Hiroaki Hirata, Masakazu Morita, Minako Kotobuki, Taiten Kusunoki, Go Inoue, Kenjiro Tsuda, Mariye Ise, Nobuhiko Okamoto, Yuko Kaida, Hiroshi Iwasaki, Rina Hidaka, and Kappei Yamaguchi
(English dub voice cast): Wally Wingert, Yuri Lowenthal, Patrick Seitz, Travis Willingham, Laura Bailey, Kari Wahlgren, John Eric Bentley, Michael Sinterniklaas, Liam O’Brien, Jamieson K. Price, Stephanie Sheh, Steven Blum, Eden Riegel, Dave Wittenberg, Tara Platt, Keith Silverstein, Laura Bailey, Daran Norris, and Beau Billingslea
Tiger & Bunny: The Beginning is a 2012 Japanese animated film (anime). Its original title is Gekijō-ban Tiger & Bunny – The Beginning, and it is based on Tiger & Bunny, a science fiction and superhero anime television series that was originally broadcast in Japan and ran for 25 episodes in 2011. The series was produced by Japanese animation studio, Sunrise, known for such anime as Accel World and Cowboy Bebop, among others. VIZ Media released an English language version of Tiger & Bunny: The Beginning on DVD and Blu-ray in North America on October 1, 2013.
Tiger & Bunny takes place in a world where 45 years earlier, super-powered humans, known as NEXT, started appearing. Some of them fight crime as superheroes in Stern Bild City (a re-imagined version of New York City). They promote their corporate sponsors while appearing on the hit reality television show, HERO TV. Each season, the superheroes compete to be named the “King of Heroes.” However, not all NEXT use their powers for good. Tiger & Bunny: The Beginning starts as a recap of the first few episodes of the TV series and then, moves on to a new story.
Tiger & Bunny: The Beginning opens as Kotetsu T. Kaburagi (Wally Wingert), a veteran superhero known as Wild Tiger, begins his day. Meanwhile, the Justice Bureau approves Barnaby Brooks, Jr. (Yuri Lowenthal) as a new superhero, but this rookie does not want a codename. Circumstances place Kotetsu in the employment of Apollon Media, and they want him to join Barnaby in forming the first every superhero team.
Kotetsu and Barnaby immediately dislike each other. Kotetsu even gives Barnaby the nickname “Bunny,” which the rookie hates. They will have to learn to work together when Stern Bild City faces two grave threats, “Steel Hammer Statue” and a seemingly impossible to catch thief named Robin Baxter.
Tiger & Bunny: The Beginning is the second best animated feature film about superheroes. I put it behind Pixar’s Oscar-winning film, The Incredibles. As Tiger & Bunny: The Beginning mixes traditional 2D (or hand-drawn animation) with 3D (or computer animation), I would say that it is by far the best 2D animated superhero film.
The film is a little soft on character drama, and the plot is pretty simply. The characters are wonderful, although the supporting superheroes are more colorful than the leads. The English voice-acting gives zest to Blue Rose (Kari Wahlgren) and Dragon Kid (Laura Bailey), and spice to the risqué Fire Emblem (John Eric Bentley). Kotetsu and Barnaby are a little too straight and narrow, as if the storytellers and filmmakers are reluctant to let them really show their range as characters.
Visually, Tiger & Bunny: The Beginning is a good example of how anime can actually match CGI in live-action when it comes to creating fantastic gadgets, creatures, and environments. The superheroes wear costumes that are more high-tech gadgets and armor than they are uniforms. One villain even has a costume that is practically some kind of eccentric motorcycle. Automobiles and helicopters are fantastic future-machines that mix technology with custom car and fashion design.
Stern Bild City is a wonderland that dots the metropolis of the future with theme park attractions throughout the city. To me, this city looks like a 3D version of Batman’s Gotham City as created by Batman creator Bob Kane and artists like Dick Sprang and Jerry Robinson. The city also makes me think of Arcade’s Murderworld as drawn by John Byrne in X-Men #123 (Marvel Comics, February 1979).
Everything comes together to make Tiger & Bunny: The Beginning a unique superhero adventure. It is not only unlike any superhero fiction in America, but it is also a grand spectacle that embraces the imagination and sense of wonder that should be inherent in film, television, novels, and especially comic books featuring superheroes. This anime is an action-comedy that both gently pokes fun at and embraces superheroes. Most of all, Tiger & Bunny: The Beginning leaves you wanting more.
8 of 10
A
Thursday, October 24, 2013
The text is copyright © 2013 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this site for syndication rights and fees.
Thursday, October 24, 2013
"Anchorman" Sequel Inspires New Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream Flavor
This Just In: Ben & Jerry’s Launches “Scotchy Scotch Scotch”
New Flavor Honors Legendary Anchorman Ron Burgundy
NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--You heard it here first, folks! Ben & Jerry’s announces its newest Limited Batch ice cream flavor, "Scotchy Scotch Scotch.” Created in honor of beloved Ron Burgundy, the TV news anchor with a penchant for all things scotch, the flavor is a creamy concoction of butterscotch ice cream with ribbons of butterscotch swirl. Don’t act like you’re not impressed!
“Scotchy, Scotch, Scotch is a delicious ice cream and I hope Ben and Jerry consider my other suggestions,” said Ron Burgundy. “Malt liquor marshmallow, well liquor bourbon peanut butter, and cheap white wine sherbet.”
The flavor was officially unveiled at New York City’s Pier 36 where members of the press attended and witnessed the announcement first-hand. True to the iconic ice cream company’s untraditional style, the event kicked off with – what else? – a performance by Nutty The Waterskiing Squirrel, as seen in the first Anchorman film. Nutty’s amazing performance was immediately followed by the appearance of a Ben & Jerry’s scoop-truck-turned-Channel 4 News-truck, which rolled onto the scene transporting a legion of blazer-wearing Ron Burgundy look-alikes. After “Scotchy Scotch Scotch” was officially unveiled, attending media and fans were treated to free scoops of the new Ron Burgundy-inspired flavor.
Fans anxiously await December 20th, when Ron and his elite news team return to the news desk in “Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues.”
“As a company who believes our fans deserve nothing but the best, we have great respect for Ron Burgundy, who takes the same belief to heart,” said Lisa Sholk, Ben & Jerry’s Brand Manager, who lead the team on the Scotchy Scotch Scotch flavor project.
“Having Ben & Jerry’s celebrate the return of Ron Burgundy to the big screen with the introduction of this special ice cream is an exciting and delicious way to build anticipation for the film,” said LeeAnne Stables, President of Consumer Products at Paramount Pictures. “We especially enjoyed the sampling process over the last several months to find the perfect Scotchy scotch flavor.”
Scotchy Scotch Scotch is available now at participating scoop shops across the country. Pints of the flavor will arrive on store shelves over the next few weeks.
“To help locate the flavor as it rolls out, we’re asking fans of Ben & Jerry’s and Anchorman to log onto www.benjerry.com and share when and where they were able to have a taste,” Sholk said. “We want fans to be able to experience it all first-hand, because as Ron says, this flavor is ‘kind of a big deal.’”
With the 70's behind him, San Diego’s top rated newsman, Ron Burgundy (Will Ferrell), returns to the news desk in “Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues.” Also back for more are Ron’s co-anchor and wife, Veronica Corningstone (Christina Applegate), weather man Brick Tamland (Steve Carell), man on the street Brian Fantana (Paul Rudd) and sports guy Champ Kind (David Koechner) – all of whom won’t make it easy to stay classy... while taking the nation’s first 24-hour news channel by storm. Produced by Judd Apatow, Will Ferrell and Adam McKay. Written by Will Ferrell & Adam McKay. Directed by Adam McKay.
To learn more about Ben & Jerry’s and to find a scoop shop near you, please visit www.benjerry.com.
About Ben & Jerry’s
Ben & Jerry’s produces a wide variety of super-premium ice cream and ice cream novelties, using high-quality ingredients including milk and cream from family farmers who do not treat their cows with the synthetic hormone rBGH. The company states its position on rBGH* on its labels. Ben and Jerry’s products are distributed nationwide and in selected foreign countries in supermarkets, grocery stores, convenience stores, franchise Ben & Jerry’s Scoop Shops, restaurants and other venues. Ben & Jerry’s, a Vermont corporation and wholly-owned subsidiary of Unilever, operates its business on a three-part Mission Statement emphasizing product quality, economic reward and a commitment to the community. Contributions made via the employee-led Ben & Jerry’s Foundation in 2012 totaled $1.8 million. Additionally, the company makes significant product donations to community groups and nonprofits both in Vermont and across the nation. The purpose of Ben & Jerry’s philanthropy is to support the founding values of the company: economic and social justice, environmental restoration and peace through understanding, and to support our Vermont communities. For the full scoop on all Ben & Jerry’s Scoop Shop locations and fabulous flavors, visit www.benjerry.com.
About Paramount Pictures Corporation
Paramount Pictures Corporation (PPC), a global producer and distributor of filmed entertainment, is a unit of Viacom (NASDAQ: VIAB, VIA), a leading content company with prominent and respected film, television and digital entertainment brands. Paramount controls a collection of some of the most powerful brands in filmed entertainment, including Paramount Pictures, Paramount Animation, Paramount Vantage, Paramount Classics, Insurge Pictures, MTV Films, and Nickelodeon Movies. PPC operations also include Paramount Home Media Distribution, Paramount Pictures International, Paramount Licensing Inc., and Paramount Studio Group. TM & © 2013 Paramount Pictures Corp. All rights reserved.
* The FDA has said no significant difference has been shown and no test can now distinguish between milk from rBGH treated cows and untreated cows. Not all the suppliers of our other ingredients can promise that the milk they use comes from untreated cows.
Want to own a Ben & Jerry’s Scoop Shop? We’re looking for a few progressive entrepreneurs in key markets. Call 802.846.1500, extension 7818.
New Flavor Honors Legendary Anchorman Ron Burgundy
NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--You heard it here first, folks! Ben & Jerry’s announces its newest Limited Batch ice cream flavor, "Scotchy Scotch Scotch.” Created in honor of beloved Ron Burgundy, the TV news anchor with a penchant for all things scotch, the flavor is a creamy concoction of butterscotch ice cream with ribbons of butterscotch swirl. Don’t act like you’re not impressed!
“Scotchy, Scotch, Scotch is a delicious ice cream and I hope Ben and Jerry consider my other suggestions,” said Ron Burgundy. “Malt liquor marshmallow, well liquor bourbon peanut butter, and cheap white wine sherbet.”
The flavor was officially unveiled at New York City’s Pier 36 where members of the press attended and witnessed the announcement first-hand. True to the iconic ice cream company’s untraditional style, the event kicked off with – what else? – a performance by Nutty The Waterskiing Squirrel, as seen in the first Anchorman film. Nutty’s amazing performance was immediately followed by the appearance of a Ben & Jerry’s scoop-truck-turned-Channel 4 News-truck, which rolled onto the scene transporting a legion of blazer-wearing Ron Burgundy look-alikes. After “Scotchy Scotch Scotch” was officially unveiled, attending media and fans were treated to free scoops of the new Ron Burgundy-inspired flavor.
Fans anxiously await December 20th, when Ron and his elite news team return to the news desk in “Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues.”
“As a company who believes our fans deserve nothing but the best, we have great respect for Ron Burgundy, who takes the same belief to heart,” said Lisa Sholk, Ben & Jerry’s Brand Manager, who lead the team on the Scotchy Scotch Scotch flavor project.
“Having Ben & Jerry’s celebrate the return of Ron Burgundy to the big screen with the introduction of this special ice cream is an exciting and delicious way to build anticipation for the film,” said LeeAnne Stables, President of Consumer Products at Paramount Pictures. “We especially enjoyed the sampling process over the last several months to find the perfect Scotchy scotch flavor.”
Scotchy Scotch Scotch is available now at participating scoop shops across the country. Pints of the flavor will arrive on store shelves over the next few weeks.
“To help locate the flavor as it rolls out, we’re asking fans of Ben & Jerry’s and Anchorman to log onto www.benjerry.com and share when and where they were able to have a taste,” Sholk said. “We want fans to be able to experience it all first-hand, because as Ron says, this flavor is ‘kind of a big deal.’”
With the 70's behind him, San Diego’s top rated newsman, Ron Burgundy (Will Ferrell), returns to the news desk in “Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues.” Also back for more are Ron’s co-anchor and wife, Veronica Corningstone (Christina Applegate), weather man Brick Tamland (Steve Carell), man on the street Brian Fantana (Paul Rudd) and sports guy Champ Kind (David Koechner) – all of whom won’t make it easy to stay classy... while taking the nation’s first 24-hour news channel by storm. Produced by Judd Apatow, Will Ferrell and Adam McKay. Written by Will Ferrell & Adam McKay. Directed by Adam McKay.
To learn more about Ben & Jerry’s and to find a scoop shop near you, please visit www.benjerry.com.
About Ben & Jerry’s
Ben & Jerry’s produces a wide variety of super-premium ice cream and ice cream novelties, using high-quality ingredients including milk and cream from family farmers who do not treat their cows with the synthetic hormone rBGH. The company states its position on rBGH* on its labels. Ben and Jerry’s products are distributed nationwide and in selected foreign countries in supermarkets, grocery stores, convenience stores, franchise Ben & Jerry’s Scoop Shops, restaurants and other venues. Ben & Jerry’s, a Vermont corporation and wholly-owned subsidiary of Unilever, operates its business on a three-part Mission Statement emphasizing product quality, economic reward and a commitment to the community. Contributions made via the employee-led Ben & Jerry’s Foundation in 2012 totaled $1.8 million. Additionally, the company makes significant product donations to community groups and nonprofits both in Vermont and across the nation. The purpose of Ben & Jerry’s philanthropy is to support the founding values of the company: economic and social justice, environmental restoration and peace through understanding, and to support our Vermont communities. For the full scoop on all Ben & Jerry’s Scoop Shop locations and fabulous flavors, visit www.benjerry.com.
About Paramount Pictures Corporation
Paramount Pictures Corporation (PPC), a global producer and distributor of filmed entertainment, is a unit of Viacom (NASDAQ: VIAB, VIA), a leading content company with prominent and respected film, television and digital entertainment brands. Paramount controls a collection of some of the most powerful brands in filmed entertainment, including Paramount Pictures, Paramount Animation, Paramount Vantage, Paramount Classics, Insurge Pictures, MTV Films, and Nickelodeon Movies. PPC operations also include Paramount Home Media Distribution, Paramount Pictures International, Paramount Licensing Inc., and Paramount Studio Group. TM & © 2013 Paramount Pictures Corp. All rights reserved.
* The FDA has said no significant difference has been shown and no test can now distinguish between milk from rBGH treated cows and untreated cows. Not all the suppliers of our other ingredients can promise that the milk they use comes from untreated cows.
Want to own a Ben & Jerry’s Scoop Shop? We’re looking for a few progressive entrepreneurs in key markets. Call 802.846.1500, extension 7818.
Wednesday, October 23, 2013
Review: "Boogeyman" Didn't Have to Be a Disappointment (Happy B'day, Sam Raimi)
TRASH IN MY EYE No. 21 (of 2005) by Leroy Douresseaux
Boogeyman (2005)
Running time: 86 minutes (1 hour, 26 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for intense sequences of horror and terror/violence, and some partial nudity
DIRECTOR: Stephen Kay
WRITERS: Eric Kripke, Juliet Snowden and Stiles White; from a story by Eric Kripke
PRODUCERS: Daniel Carrillo, Hans Jurgen Pohland, Sam Raimi and Rob Tapert
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Bobby Bukowski
EDITOR: John Axelrad
COMPOSER: Joseph LoDuca
HORROR/MYSTERY/THRILLER
Starring: Barry Watson, Emily Deschanel, Skye McCole Bartusiak, Lucy Lawless, Tory Mussett, Robyn Malcolm, Charles Mesure, Philip Gordon, and Andrew Glover
The subject of this movie review is Boogeyman, a 2005 horror film from director Stephen T. Kay. A take on the classic fear of a “monster in the closet,” this film focuses on a young man who is still haunted by a childhood terror that has affected his life.
Boogeyman was co-produced by Sam Raimi (director of The Evil Dead and three Spider-Man films), and also yielded two direct-to-DVD sequels. Actor Barry Watson, who was one of the stars of the long-running television series, “7th Heaven,” plays the lead character in Boogeyman.
A young man named Tim Jensen (Barry Watson) is traumatized by events he believes happened in his childhood bedroom. His memories tell him that as an eight-year old boy he saw the boogeyman (Andrew Glover) come out of his closet and steal his father (Charles Mesure) away from him. Now years later, after his mother’s (Lucy Lawless) funeral, he returns to his family home to face his fears that may be either a monstrous entity stealing away those he loves or the figment of his sick mind.
Boogeyman is lightweight entertainment, but sometimes it’s a gooseflesh raising, edge-of-your-seat, horror movie, even the cheesy bits, of which there are many. Quick cuts from one shot to another, bumps in the night, slamming doors, knocking from behind locked doors, closets, and walls, lots of night scenes, and day scenes that look like night scenes are on the menu for this film. There is even a shot of the footsteps of an unknown person who may be the (gasp) boogeyman, but still horror movie buffs, even the most difficult to please, will find a few moments of genuine fears and thrills.
However, Boogeyman tries to be mystery story about a child abductor, a psychological horror film, a monster movie, a family melodrama, etc. It finally adds up to a scary movie that abruptly runs out of gas after trying on the rags of just about every horror sub-genre. It’ll leave you asking what happened. The screenwriters and director are too coy and too cute by a mile, so the result of their creative efforts is a film barely worth a rental.
3 of 10
D+
Updated: Wednesday, October 23, 2013
The text is copyright © 2013 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this site for syndication rights and fees.
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Tuesday, October 22, 2013
Review: "The Lords of Salem" is Bee-zarre
The Lords of Salem (2012)
Running time: 101 minutes (1 hour, 41 minutes)
MPAA – R for disturbing violent and sexual content, graphic nudity, language and some drug use
WRITER/DIRECTOR: Rob Zombie
PRODUCERS: Jason Blum, Andy Gould, Oren Peli, Steven Schneider, Rob Zombie
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Brandon Trost
EDITOR: Glenn Garland
COMPOSERS: Griffin Boice and John 5
HORROR
Starring: Sheri Moon Zombie, Bruce Davison, Jeffrey Daniel Phillips, Judy Geeson, Meg Foster, Patricia Quinn, Ken Foree, Dee Wallace, Maria Conchita Alonso, Andrew Prine, and Troy
The Lords of Salem is a 2012 horror film from writer-director Rob Zombie. The film received a limited theatrical release in April 2013. The Lords of Salem focuses on a radio DJ who receives a strange vinyl record that when played causes her to feel sick and to experience flashbacks of a violent, dark past.
In Salem, Massachusetts, radio station WIQZ has a hot trio of DJs, the “Big H Team.” One of the DJs, Heidi Lorac (Sheri Moon Zombie), a recovering drug addict, receives a strange wooden box containing a vinyl record from a band called “the Lords.” Heidi’s fellow DJs, Herman “Whitey” Salvador (Jeffrey Daniel Phillips) and Herman “Munster” Jackson (Ken Foree), decide to call the band, “The Lords of Salem.” The first time Heidi listens to the record, she has strange visions and feels nauseated.
There are also strange doings at the apartment complex where Heidi lives. Heidi insists that she has a new neighbor in Apartment 5, but her landlord, Lacy Doyle (Judy Geeson), says that there is no new tenant. Meanwhile, Francis Matthias (Bruce Davison), an author of a book on witches, is troubled by the name, “The Lords of Salem.” He begins to research Salem’s dark past involving witches, as Heidi’s visions become more troubling.
The Lords of Salem is like a modern version of Rosemary’s Baby with tattoos and Hepatitis C. This is not really a typical girl-gonna-have-Satan’s-baby movie, as it has original story elements. It is horrifying and horrible, meaning that some of it is unsettling and even disturbing, but some of it is ridiculous and unintentionally comical.
Coming from the music industry and having appeared in music videos, Rob Zombie knows how to create an aural-visual experience that captivates the imagination or captures it, if necessary. To that end, Zombie gets an exceedingly creepy film score from Griffin Boice and John 5, making The Lords of Salem, in some ways, their film.
Once again, Sheri Moon Zombie, Rob Zombie’s wife and muse/art victim, takes the lead in one of Rob’s films. In The Lords of Salem, she is not so much an actress, as she acts like she needs an intervention and detox. The best performance in this film belongs to Bruce Davison who brings subtlety and nuance to Zombie chamber piece of bizarre imagery and sacrilege.
The Lords of Salem is an original vision with many familiar elements, but in some ways, the film goes too far without really going too far. The story offers crazy women forsaking one symbol of male authority for another. Either way, they seem determined to serve the interests of male genitalia. The Lords of Salem is not the great movie it could have been, but it gave me the creeps and the willies. So Rob Zombie’s movie is a must-see for horror fans.
6 of 10
B
Tuesday, October 22, 2013
The text is copyright © 2013 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this site for syndication rights and fees.
Review: "The Devil's Rejects" a Different Kind of Crime Flick
The Devil’s Rejects (2005)
Running time: 101 minutes (1hour, 41 minutes)
MPAA – R for sadistic violence, strong sexual content, language, and drug use
DIRECTOR: Rob Zombie
WRITER: Rob Zombie (based upon his characters)
PRODUCERS: Mike Elliot, Andy Gould, Marco Mehlitz, Michael Ohoven, and Rob Zombie
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Phil Parmet (D.o.P.)
EDITOR: Glenn Garland
COMPOSER: Tyler Bates
HORROR/CRIME/ACTION/THRILLER
Starring: Sid Haig, Bill Moseley, Sheri Moon Zombie, William Forsythe, Ken Foree, Matthew McGrory, Leslie Easterbrook, Geoffrey Lewis, Priscilla Barnes, Dave Sheridan, Ken Norby, Lew Temple, Danny Trejo, Diamond Dallas Page, and Tom Towles
The subject of this movie review is The Devil’s Rejects, a 2005 horror thriller and crime film from director Rob Zombie. The film is a sequel to Zombie’s 2003 film, House of 1000 Corpses. In the new film, the villains of the first movie are now seen as anti-hero types on the run from the law.
The Firefly Family or, as they call themselves, The Devil’s Rejects, a band of sadistic killers, wake up one morning to find their isolated farm hideout ambushed by the vengeful Sheriff John Quincy Wydell (William Forsythe) and a posse of his deputies. With guns blazing, only Otis B. Driftwood (Bill Moseley) and his sister Baby Firefly (Sheri Moon Zombie) escape the barrage of bullets unharmed.
The duo hide out in an isolated desert motel waiting to be joined by another murderous relative, the killer clown, Captain Spaulding (Sid Haig), killing whoever stands in their way or angers them. However, as the body count soars, Sheriff Wydell, seeking revenge for the Rejects’ murder of his brother, George Wydell (Tom Towles), decides to take matters into his own hands and begins a private and violent war against The Devil’s Rejects outside the jurisdiction of the law.
The Devil’s Rejects is Rob Zombie’s sequel to his controversial 2003 indie hit, House of 1000 Corpses. Rejects is structurally better in terms of narrative flow and writing, and Zombie sprinkles his cast with a collection of character actors known either for their roles in violent action movies or for their cult status in TV and film. Among them include Priscilla Barnes, who is best remembered as “Terri Allen,” the third and final blonde roommate on the popular late 70’s/early 80’s television sitcom, “Three’s Company,” and Ken Foree, who was “Peter,” one of the four human survivors trapped in a shopping mall in the original 1978 Dawn of the Dead.
In fact, Zombie designed his film to look like one of those violent crime thrillers that were synonymous with 70’s cinema. Even going back to the first film, this franchise was as much Deliverance as it was The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. The film’s opening sequence, a bullet-laden shootout, is as good as any Hong Kong crime film and is as intense as the big shootout in Michael Mann’s Heat – though much shorter. Zombie’s film is silly, sadistic, and unabashedly subversive. While the film and its characters’ antics (both the “hero” and the “villains are brutal and vicious assholes) get old after awhile, Zombie doesn’t commit the same flawed, artistic pretensions he did in House of 1000 Corpses.
His film is gloriously and rebelliously a bloody, gore-laden, crime film about bad-asses headed for a showdown. There are a few scenes and sequences in this film that true film fans cannot and must not miss. Those who can take the buckets of blood, F-bombs (several hundred), and atrocious murders will find The Devil Rejects a welcomed respite from the highly-polished polished movies that currently pass for Hollywood’s version what a gritty crime flick is.
6 of 10
B
Monday, April 17, 2006
Updated: Sunday, October 20, 2013
The text is copyright © 2013 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this site for syndication rights and fees.
Review: A Rickety "House of 1000 Corpses"
House of 1000 Corpses (2003)
Running time: 89 minutes (1 hour, 29 minutes)
MPAA – R for strong sadistic violence/gore, sexuality and language
WRITER/DIRECTOR: Rob Zombie
PRODUCER: Andy Gould
CINEMATOGRAPHERS: Alex Poppas (director of photography) and Tom Richmond (director of photography)
EDITORS: Kathryn Himoff, Robert K. Lambert, and Sean Lambert
COMPOSERS: Scott Humphrey and Rob Zombie
HORROR with elements of fantasy
Starring: Sid Haig, Bill Moseley, Karen Black, Chad Bannon, Sheri Moon, Erin Daniels, and Chris Hardwick
The subject of this movie review is House of 1000 Corpses, a 2003 horror and exploitation film from musician, recording artist, and director, Rob Zombie. The film takes place on Halloween and follows four people (two couples) held hostage by a sadistic backwoods family.
I’m only vaguely familiar with Rob Zombie’s music, as a solo artist or as the front man for the band White Zombie, but what I’ve heard, I’ve like very much. I first ignored news that he was making a movie, especially when I learned that the title would be House of 1000 Corpses. However, I became more interested as I followed the controversy surrounding the film, including original distributor, Universal’s, decision not to release the film because they believed it would receive an NC-17 rating from the MPAA. Since being finished in 2000, Zombie searched for a distributor until Lion’s Gate decided to distribute the film.
The tale of this horror movie is a familiar one to fans of scary movies, in particular, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. This time, two couples get lost in a remote rural area during a terrible rainstorm. Seeking refuge and a telephone, the end up in a rundown farmhouse with a family of hugely strange and unusual people.
I could use a lot of words to describe this film: evil, wicked, disgusting, gory, horrible, horrifying, funny, hilarious, terrifying, spooky, creepy, weird, vain, surreal, strange, bizarre, or maybe I could just say whether it is good or bad. Well, it’s not a bad film, but I wouldn’t exactly call it good.
It’s as much a music video as it is a movie, not only in its sensibilities, but also in its execution. Zombie mixes the story with video clips that have nothing to do with the film, while some of them are either vaguely or obviously related to the film either literally and thematically. Zombie creates a virtual sound wall of violent, bloody, gory, and deranged imagery. The film is awash in horror, violence, and acts of pure inhumanity. Despite all that, Zombie manages to create a coherent story. Even while cramming in as much shock value as he does, he holds onto his central concept of victims and victimizers, giving us just enough about the characters to keep us interested in or curious about them. Light though he may be on characterization, Zombie seemed to at least have one idea about who and what each character should be. I know that I really liked the heroes/victims and wanted to know more about them, and the villains are so sick and deranged that I wanted to know from where do things like them come.
The performances are inspired and zany, especially Karen Black, Sheri Moon, and Chad Bannon. Everybody seemed to be having a lot of fun. For all the sickness that is this film, I have to give credit for the filmmakers’ creative energy and obvious love for this project. You could see it in the performances and feel it in the craftsmanship. Heck, love for this project dripped off the screen the way gore dripped off the walls in the film.
This is by no means for everyone. I think the film’s biggest weakness is that the violence and sadism are far too sick. The setting’s relentless environment of blood, violence, and the bizarre hamper the storytelling, but structurally the film is sound. This is a curiosity piece. It’s not very everyone; honestly, it’s not for very many people. It’s a vanity project that might interest fans of Zombie’s music and hardcore horror movie fans who love gore by the shipload. You have to have a strong stomach and be able to tolerate really extreme subject matter; it’s not for the average Joe or even for many “serious” film fans. When you walk out the theatre, you need to be able to just brush off this particular movie experience. It’s not good or bad; it just is.
The story is only supposed to make sense visually the way a music video might “make sense.” This is Zombie vomiting out some of the twisted imagery that rides in his head. If he gets to make another horror movie, the next one might delve a little deeper into story and character and leave the shocking and extraneous video images for one of those short films musicians use to sell their music.
4 of 10
C
Updated: Sunday, October 20, 2013
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