PACIFIC RIM's viral campaign kicked off a few days ago with the release of 'Kaiju Emergency Alert System' clip (below) and a leaked memo from the Pan Pacific Defense Corps official website.
Since then we have seen the release of four blueprints for the massive human-piloted robot Jaegers. Head on down for the blueprints and clips and stay tuned for more viral goodness while we wait for PACIFIC RIM's release on July 12, 2013.
A few weeks back I posted the trailer for THE DEMON'S ROOK, but I thought I'd give people another chance to check it out because I think it's so damn cool. Otherworldly portals, demons, summoned monsters, mind possession; what's not to like? And if that doesn't do it for you then keep scrolling down and check out some stills from the film which show some damn impressive practical effects work. More stills and behind the scenes photos await you at the official Facebook page and make sure you head over to the film's website too. Also if you feel like contributing to this fine looking indie horror you can help out at the IndieGoGo campaign.
Synopsis:“The story follows a young boy named Roscoe who finds a portal to another world where he is taught magic by an exiled demon elder. Confined to their mystical cave, Roscoe is raised up by the demon elder in secret. Once he is discovered by three other demons, Roscoe must escape to avoid their wrath. Through desperation, he is forced to escape through the portal that leads back to our world. Unbeknownst to Roscoe, he leads the demons to discover the portal for themselves. Once the demons pass through, a nightmarish foray of summoned monsters are unleashed. One demon possesses the minds and will of all whom she crosses, another transforms a man into a murderous beast, and the other summons an army of the dead to do his bidding” THE DEMON'S ROOK is directed by James Sizemore and stars Ashleigh Jo Sizemore, James Sizemore, John Chatham, Josh Gould, Dustin Dorough and Sade' Smith.
Bloody Disgusting has referred to this micro budget indie as "one of the best horror film debuts since Sam Raimi unleashed THE EVIL DEAD" and for a film shot in only seven days with a GH1 Digital SLR that is high praise indeed.
I DIDN'T COME HERE TO DIE takes a familiar yet fresh approach to horror, taking a group of young activists out in the woods to create a habitat for underprivileged kids and then throwing everything into bloody disarray.
Written and directed by Bradley Scott Sullivan and starringEmmy Robbin, Kurt Cole, Indiana Adams, Niko Red Star, Madi Goff, Jeremy Vandermause and Travis Scott Newman, I DIDN'T COME HERE TO DIE began screening in select theatres last month via Tugg and will be available on VOD and DVD in January 2013. Check out the trailer along with some stills for the film below and head on over to the official Facebook page and website for more info. Synopsis: "I DIDN'T COME HERE TO DIE is the story of six young volunteers working on a humanitarian project deep in the remote wilderness. Horrific accidents, rash decisions, and the unpredictability of human nature leads them all to the same disturbing conclusion: Volunteer work can be a killer..."
I fucking love the shit out of this movie. It's a frenetic, black & white piece of Japanese industrial awesomeness. Not a lot of dialogue here but it's the stunning visuals and industrial soundtrack that's most impressive here. Well crafted stop motion and mechanised body-horror all wrapped up in a disturbing, nightmarish hour long film. If you're a fan of David Lynch, Cronenberg and/or Nine Inch Nails then this film should be at the top of your must watch list.
TETSUO: THE IRON MAN: "A strange man known only as the "metal fetishist", who seems to have an insane compulsion to stick scrap metal into his body, is hit and possibly killed by a Japanese "salaryman", out for a drive with his girlfriend. The salaryman then notices that he is being slowly overtaken by some kind of disease that is turning his body into scrap metal, and that his nemesis is not in fact dead but is somehow masterminding and guiding his rage and frustration-fueled transformation"
Starring: Scout Taylor-Compton, Christina Ulloa, Travis Van Winkle
Imagine being trapped in a sauna while the heat steadily climbs and to make things worse nobody outside actually knows where you are. That would be terrible right? In fact it would probably be almost as bad as having to sit through this movie.
If you want to know the plot well I've pretty much just summed it up in the previous paragraph. Three friends (Compton, Ulloa & Van Winkle) staying at a holiday house get trapped inside a sauna. A fourth friend awakens from a drunken stupor and thinks that his pals have left for the party they were planning on attending, so he’s no help. The owner of the cabin is away making preparations for said party so he’s no help either. As the heat rises and the supply of bottled water runs out the trapped trio start losing their shit as they realize that nobody is coming for them. The sauna is a sturdy building made out of trees and the door simply won’t budge, and the only window is a tiny porthole with enough room to stick an arm out. What to do then? Cue a lot of yelling, screaming, crying etc.
Lots of movies have tried to tackle the idea of filming almost solely in a single isolated location, and with varying success. A good example of a success would be the recent film BURIED with Ryan Reynolds, and while I was not a huge fan of it (mostly because I can’t stand Reynolds) I couldn't deny that the filmmakers did a fantastic job of handling a movie that is set entirely in a fucking coffin. That’s a coffin. Buried underground. With one person in it. You’d think a sauna with three people in it would be no problem then, right? Well apparently not.
247°F is in my opinion much too long and would have been much more effective as a shorter film with less filler. The start of the movie (before the whole sauna incident happens) drags on for way too long and even when these three characters are trapped, the film insists on showing scenes happening outside which really have no bearing on the plot.
Also there is a weak subplot embedded in there somewhere which really has no impact at all.
Making the characters as annoying as they are just makes things worse. I didn't know this but apparently the best way to escape from a sauna is to bitch and argue and fight with each other, or at least that’s what these three think of as the best idea. If I were in the sauna with them I would be welcoming death with open arms.
But it’s not all bad news. There are a few exciting parts although they are few and far between, and the film at least looks good. As far as the acting goes it’s not award winning but it’s decent for what’s needed here. I know it seems like I may be tearing this movie to shreds but there is definitely an audience for 247°F. If your idea of fun is watching a half-naked Scout Taylor-Compton sweat it up in a sauna with another girl and a guy then by all means go ahead. Similarly if you’re in the market for a movie which doesn't require much brain power to process then this will suffice. Personally I was just really disappointed because I thought the concept had more potential than this, and it’s not something I plan on watching again. Having said that however, there have been plenty of worse movies this year so at least there’s that to hold on to.
