Genre TV Will Never Go Away

Karl Urban and Michael Ealy in "Almost Human"

POST UNDER RECONSTRUCTION

Yes, that's right. I had a perfectly wonderful post that I loved all ready to go about this very topic and then my clumsy sausage fingers grazed the wrong keys and it was gone... So I am working on an even better version of it. Hang tight.

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Hope These Are Worth the Wait

Jonathan Rhys Meyers

I've already been surprised by the first new show of the season and have hope for quite a few others. I don't honestly have much to say about most of the new comedies coming up. "The Goldbergs" looks dreadful; "Dads" (oh, Seth... I'm not mad. I'm... disappointed...) and "The Millers" look even worse (poor Wil Arnet! He so deserves another good show...). Other comedies I'll likely avoid include "Super Fun Night;" "We Are Men;" "Welcome to the Family" (sorry Mary McCormack. I love you, but not enough  to sit through that) and "Enlisted." And I'll at least give "Trophy Wife;" "The Michael J. Fox Show;" "Brooklyn Nine Nine" and "Sean Saves the World" one or two episodes before deciding to continue, though I have very low expectations for all of them (and hope I'm wrong).

There are two new comedies that have caught my eye and hope won't suck. "Mom" features two amazing and talented favorites (Anna Farris and Alison Janey) as mother and daughter, both dealing with addiction recovery. Looks like the dark, hilarious kind of show I love. Which means it's got two seasons, tops. "The Crazy Ones" brings Robin Williams back to sitcom TV for the first time since "Mork and Mindy" and pairs him with Buffy as his daughter and partner in an advertising agency. I want to like it... I hope Williams is able to rein it in and let his costars have their moments. Plus, adorable James Wolk co-stars!

Among the new dramas, I won't bother with "Betrayal" or "Ironside," despite Blair Underwood being in it. The "Hawaii Five-Oh" reboot lightning isn't likely to strike a second time. Though I am looking forward to James Spader in "The Black List" and Dylan McDermott and Toni Collette (!!!!) in "Hostages," though with McDermott sadly less naked than he was in "American Horror Story."And I've already set the DVR for the pilot of "Lucky 7," a show about lottery winners that will either be brilliant or horribly cheesy or (if we're very lucky), both.

Of course, being the weirdo I am, Uncle P is most looking forward to the genre shows. I'm most likely to not bother seeing "Almost Human;" "The Originals" and "Witches of Eastend," But I will most certainly be adding ABC's "Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." - henceforth known on the Revenge as "MAoS" - to my DVR schedule with every hope that Joss Whedon can get enough cross-over appearances from the Marvel movies to make it all work. NBC adds a new title to their growing genre library just before Halloween. "Dracula," starring Jonathan Rhys Meyers looks like a very smart Steampunk-inspired adaptation of Stoker's characters. If it's as clever,cool and sexy as it looks, why not add another take on the archetype. And the CW joins the Mutant/Superhero sub-genre with "The Tomorrow People" which could be fun, if it's done as smartly as Chronicle and the first season of "Heroes."

So, what new shows are you looking forward to seeing? I'd love to know.

More, anon.
Prospero

You have read this article American Horror Story / Comedy / Dracula / Dylan McDermott / Fall 2013 / Genre TV / James Spader / Joss Whedon; / MAoS / New Shows / Previews / Trailers / TV / TV Drama with the title Previews. You can bookmark this page URL https://tammycross.blogspot.com/2013/09/hope-these-are-worth-wait.html. Thanks!

I. Can't. Wait.

Click Image to Enlarge

FOX's "Sleepy Hollow" was a happy surprise for both myself and many people I know, and while I am looking forward to several other new shows this season there are a few returning favorites that have me absolutely chomping at the bit to see. 

First up is Ryan Murphy's amazingly-creative-and-creepy television experiment's third season which starts on October 9th. "American Horror Story: Coven." is set in both contemporary New Orleans and Historical Salem, exploring yet another Horror trope with what looks like another season of amazing; puzzling; creepy; original and arresting visuals, story lines, characters and performances from a cast that makes me just a little more excited than a man my age should ever get over a TV show. Returning are the astonishing Jessica Lange; Lily Rabe; Francis Conroy; Taissa Farmiga; Sarah Paulson and Evan Peters. And joining them are some powerhouse talents: Angela Bassett; Kathy Bates (!!); Christine Ebersole (!!) Emma Roberts; Danny Houston (!!) and Pattie effng Lupone (!!!!!). Add a war between Good & Evil Witches to the potential for exponential insanity and you have yourself what has so far been one of the best and most provocative genre series, ever.

Here are all seven Season 3 teasers:



And the first Season 3 promo with dialog, "School:"

And I don't think I need to say how much I am anticipating the Season Four premiere of AMC's "The Walking Dead" (the producers of which just announced a spin-off - oh, excuse me: "Companion" series - for 2014). While I will happily admit that Season Three was better than Season Two, neither was as good as the amazing Season One.It seems like the producers are listening to the fans and upped the ante this season. My mother is actually antsy for it's return.

NBC's dark-humored fantasy "Grimm" ended with our beautiful intrepid hero zombified while in the clutches of a voodoo priest. A co-worker whom I truly adore watches because her husband watches and calls it "The Grimm." It's another show Mom surprisingly loves - and I love that she's finally come to appreciate quality genre works. She was a huge "Fringe" and "Lost" fan and I'm so glad she's expanded her horizons. We know Nick is going to escape and recover from whatever Baron Samedi has done to him, but that's hardly the point. It's clever and campy and imaginative with a terrific ensemble cast and usually well-executed (and often hilarious) CGI transformation FX. But like any good show, story is king and the mythology is both well-constructed and unfolding in a way that makes complete sense. But most importantly, "Grimm" never takes itself too seriously, which helps to make it both endearing and interesting.

Outside of Genre shows, I am also looking forward to the return of CBS's Law and Politics drama, "The Good Wife." Another dream cast of exceptionally talented actors and a brilliant writing team make "The Good Wife" so worth DVR'ing. 

There are a few others I'm looking forward to seeing return and at least one or three I don't understand why they are returning at all. There are also lots of new shows this season that I'll write about the next time I write about TV (which will probably be soon).

In the meantime, what shows are you excited to see returning this fall?

More, anon.

Prospero

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Upcoming Reviews

Mads Mikkelsen as Hannibal 'The Cannibal' Lecter

I have so many things to review, I'm not sure where to start...

So I won't... at least not until later tonight. It's officially Saturday morning and while I haven't posted anything here since my overtly obvious April Fool's post, that doesn't mean I don't have plenty to talk about.

"The Walking Dead" had it's Season 3 finale last Sunday and I have plenty to say about the season as a whole (in general: better than Season 2, but still not as good as Season 1). Of course, there are two new genre shows to talk about. I've now seen three episodes of A&E's "Bates Motel," and while I do seem to generally like it (mostly thanks to the very interesting performances from Vera Farmiga and Freddy Highmore), it's hardly without its flaws. And I have yet to see the season premiere of Bryan Fuller's "Hannibal" (it's been DVR'd), I can't imagine a better actor to take on the iconic role of the serial cannibal than Mads Mikkelsen. 

Most exciting, Dear D and I will be seeing the reboot of Sam Raimi's career-making film The Evil Dead, featuring smart and adorable "Subugaratory" star Jane Levy; produced by Raimi and cult-icon (and original star) Bruce Campbell and written by Uruguayan director Fede Alvarez and Diablo Cody, Evil Dead is one reboot  Uncle P is actually excited to see.

This weekend looks like a return to my opinionated nonsense about Horror. Whew! I was getting worried there, for a bit. In the meantime, please enjoy the latest (albeit spoilery) trailer for the latest film version of Stephen King's breakthrough novel Carrie, starring the always amazing Julianne Moore and the underrated Chloe Grace Moretz:

Of course, if you are familiar with King's novel (I've read it at least six times) or Brian DePalma's brilliant first adaptation, then you were only a little surprised by what that trailer had to offer. Blogger buddy JA may despise Moretz (though I'm still not exactly sure why), but I think she's one of the most promising young actresses (along with Elle Fanning) to come out of Hollywood in a long time. Seriously, did you see Let Me In or Kick Ass? 

More, anon.
Prospero

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Horrors Yet to Come

Today is the Autumnal Equinox - the first day of Fall - and it brings with it two of my favorite things: Halloween and Horror Movies. I have no idea why an aging atheist loves Horror Movies so much. I guess it's because I grew up with them. My father loved the old Universal Monsters. One of the first movies I can remember seeing on TV was Tod Browning's atmospheric 1931 version of Dracula, starring Bela Lugosi. 

Scary movies are just so much fun! Of course, I get much more out of the plausible, psychotic killer type of movies than I do the supernatural ones. But every now and again, a supernatural thriller like Insidious comes along to provide genuine creeps. It's the whole 'suspension of disbelief' thing, I guess. While watching such a film, I can totally give in to its conceits. Of course, after it's over, I revert to a rational human being who knows the premise is ridiculous and laugh at myself for getting sucked in. There are plenty of Horror Movies coming up this season, and I find myself wanting to see many of them.

First up is writer/director Scott Derrickson's Sinister, with Ethan Hawke as a man who moves his family into a home where five families have been previously murdered, as evidenced by the reels of home movies he finds in the attic.

Gotta love an R-rated Horror Movie! And this one looks particularly disturbing.

Then there's The Bay, a found-footage movie from Good Morning Vietnam and Rain Man director Barry Levinson. The trailer is certainly interesting and I am excited to see what an established "mainstream" director does with a found-footage film:

Yikes! Environmental Horror ranks up there with Psychotic Killer Horror for me.

We're also finally going to get to see The Hole from Mad Max and Gremlins director Joe Dante. Completed in 2009, The Hole has apparently finally found a distributor and is scheduled for release in the U.S. this fall:

The Hole reminds me of both Steve Miner's 1986 Horror Comedy House and a very young Stephen Dorff's 1987 Canadian film debut, The Gate which, if you've never seen it, is a really fun movie that mixes lots of Harryhausen-like stop-motion monsters with both ridiculous Heavy Metal Satanism and Lovecraftian themes - highly recommended.

On the Psychotic Serial Killer end of the spectrum, we can look forward to The Collection from Feast screenwriter Marcus Dunstan. I guess you could think of it as Saw meets The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. You can view the trailer on the movie's IMDb page. 

The there's the completely unnecessary 3D update of Tobe Hooper's absolutely terrifying (and actually gore-less) 1974 classic The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, simply titled Texas Chainsaw 3D. Sigh...

Seriously? Give me the original (or even Marcus Nispel's not completely inept 2003 remake) any day. Of course, both of those films were inspired by the true story of Ed Gein, who was also the inspiration for the grandfather of all slasher movies, Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho. And Psycho just happens to be the subject of one of the movies I most want to see this fall: Hitchcock starring Sir Anthony Hopkins as the mercurial director and Scarlett Johansson as Janet Leigh. There's no trailer available as of now, but I'll be sure to post one as soon there is (no doubt as part of a post dedicated to the movie).

So what movies (Horror, or otherwise) are you looking forward to seeing this fall?

More, anon.
Prospero.

You have read this article Halloween / Horror / Movies / Previews / Trailers with the title Previews. You can bookmark this page URL https://tammycross.blogspot.com/2012/09/horrors-yet-to-come.html. Thanks!

The Return of My 3 Favorite Shows

It won't come to any of you as a surprise that my top three favorite TV shows are all genre shows. And while I'm very excited to see them returning soon, I'm actually sad that my favorite show (possibly of all time), will be returning for its final season.

J.J. Abrams' "Fringe" took a season to really find its footing but once it did, it turned into one of the smartest; most complex and most compelling shows ever (Sorry "Lost" - you were good, but not this good). 

Set 20 years in the future, the final season of "Fringe" is about the fight against the mysterious 'Observers' and their bid to take over the planet after destroying it in their own present (our far future). Encased in the amber developed by the alternate Earth's own Fringe team for 20 years, Olivia; Peter; Walter and Astrid are released to help Olivia's and Peter's daughter fight the invaders that have suppressed humanity for so long. We got a glimpse of this future in last season's penultimate episode and I can't wait to see what the writers have in store for this final season. Terrific writing and the single best cast on TV make "Fringe" must-see-TV in my house. And shame on the Television Academy for never even nominating the astounding Anna Torv, John Noble and the rest of the cast for their consistently remarkable performances. The true heart of "Fringe" has always been the very real characters we have come to know and love. I hope they get the send-off they deserve.

The final season of "Fringe" starts Friday, September 28th on FOX.

Of course, last season, FX, along with Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk literally redefined TV horror with their sexy, creepy and oh-so-watchable "American Horror Story." Set in a very haunted Hollywood mansion inhabited by a very dysfunctional family and their over-the-top neighbor, "AHS" was the kind of show people either loved or hated. I loved it. The new season brings us a new story, with a new set of characters, many of whom are played by returning members of the first season's ensemble. Set in an East Coast insane asylum in the 1960's, "American Horror Story Asylum" stars Jessica Lange; Zachary Quinto; James Cromwell; Chloe Sevigny; Joseph Fiennes; Sarah Paulson; Evan Peters; Clea Duvall and Adam Levine. The promos have been super creepy, making me desperate to know what's in store:

"American Horror Story Asylum" premiers October 17th on FX.

Finally, AMC set a new bar for TV horror with their amazing Zombie Apocalypse series "The Walking Dead," based on the graphic novel series by Robert Kirkman. The show is so good, Uncle P's mother, who usually hates genre movies and TV, loves it! While some fans complained that season 2 took too long to get going, I knew the pay-off would be worth the wait. And boy, was it ever! Season three promises to be even better. Rick and his fellow survivors set themselves up in an abandoned prison, while fan-favorite characters Michonne and The Governor are introduced. The producers are promising both tons more 'walkers' and even more human conflict. This season's tagline: "Fight the dead. Fear the living."

"The Walking Dead" returns on Sunday, October 14th on AMC. Hopefully, Carl will learn to stay put when he's told to.

More, anon.
Prospero

You have read this article American Horror Story / Favorites / Fringe / Horror / Previews / Science Fiction / The Walking Dead / TV / Zombies with the title Previews. You can bookmark this page URL https://tammycross.blogspot.com/2012/09/the-return-of-my-3-favorite-shows.html. Thanks!

The End of the Best

I've seen my share of TV SciFi over the years, from the very  good ("The X-Files;" "The Twilight Zone;" "Lost;" "Battlestar Gallactica") to the very bad ("Land of the Giants;" "Manimal;") to the inexplicable ("Terra Nova"). And there are plenty of favs in between the extremes: "Lost in Space;" "The Time Tunnel;" "The Invaders;" one or two of the more recent "Star Trek" shows; "Farscape;" "Warehouse 13." So trust me when I tell you that J.J. Abrams'  "Fringe" is quite possibly the best Sci-Fi series, ever. Yes, I said 'ever.' And I meant it. And here are the two reasons why:

1. Brilliant writing. Smart, complicated and enigmatic; "Fringe" has managed to maintain the balance between its stand-alone episodes and its complex history, employing an alternate universe and strange visitors to tie everything together.

2. An effing amazing cast! Why no one from the cast of "Fringe" has been so much as nominated for an Emmy is beyond me. I think it's snobbery and jealousy. Not only did most of the cast have to play at least 3 (when you factor in the new timeline established last season) different versions of themselves, the astonishing Anna Torv also had to channel Leonard Nimoy (and did so, brilliantly). John Noble's Walter Bishops are a literal tour de force of acting, while Joshua Jackson as Peter and  Jasika Nicole as Agent Astrid Farnsworth (whose name the oft-addled Walter can never remember; hilariously calling her "Assturd" in one episode) provide the emotional balance to make us care about what happens to these people. Nicole's meetings between Astrid and her Asperger's-afflicted version from the other dimension were both heart-wrenching and fascinating. This cast is at the top of their games and believe in what they're doing and it shows in every single minute of their performances. All actors should be watching and learning from this truly exceptional ensemble.

After 4 tumultuous seasons, Fox is ending "Fringe" with a thirteen-week finale, in which Abrams and his team will hopefully wrap everything up. Set twenty-years in the future, the season was set up in last season's penultimate episode. The 'Observers,' having destroyed the planet in the 25th Century have come back in time and taken over 21st Century earth. The crowd attending the "Fringe" panel at Comic-Con were shown this today (via):

There's still time to catch the first four seasons on DVD before Season 5 starts. If you are looking for smart, funny, moving and most of all, human Science Fiction, you owe it to yourself to see this show, from the beginning.  If like me, you have been watching and loving "Fringe" since its 2008 pilot, you are very sad to see it go, but can't wait to see how it ends. I feel your pain.

More, anon
Prospero

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Chupacabra

An abbreviated recap tonight. Uncle P is tired after a long day of listening to crybabies who were too stupid or too lazy to care about deadlines. As with every TWD recap, HERE THERE BE SPOILERS:

After a prologue set in a massive traffic jam where we see the military bombing Atlanta, the search for Sophia continues. Using a new grid based on Daryl's findings at the abandoned house, the group splits up into three parties: Rick and Shane; Andrea T-Bone and Jimmy and Daryl on his own. We learn that while Daryl was once lost in the woods, he claimed to have seen a chupacabra (literally Spanish for "goat sucker"), though no one believed him. Young Jimmy lies to Rick, saying he has Herchel's permission to go. Daryl "borrows' a horse while Glenn and Maggie play head games. Carol decides it would be a nice gesture to offer to cook dinner for everyone, though she really just wants to cook in a 'real kitchen" (Hello? The 1950's called - they want their subservient housewives back).

Shane and Rick get into a discussion about the search for Sophia (Shane wants to stop and move on; Rick wants to keep looking) while Daryl finds Sophia's doll in the creek before a rattlesnake spooks his horse, which rears and sends him plummeting down a ravine into the creek, impaling him on his own arrow in the process. He then hallucinates a conversation with his brother Merle (we know it's not really Merle because he has both of hands) before waking up to find a Walker gnawing on his shoe. Using his walking stick to bash the Walker's head in, Daryl then pulls the arrow out of side and loads it into his crossbow in time to take out another Walker that is quickly advancing upon him. He then eats a raw squirrel.

Glenn and Dale have a "father/son" discussion about menses and "crazy women," in which Dale admonishes him for having sex with their host's daughter. Meanwhile, Lori hasn't told anyone she's pregnant and asks Glenn to keep he secret. Rick and Shane return early from their search, and Rick tells Lori he's had a long talk with Shane. From the look on Lori's face, it's obvious she's afraid Shane told Rick about their affair while they thought Rick was dead. Instead, Rick tells her about Shane wanting to abandon the search for Sophia. 

The faux-Merle taunts Daryl into climbing out of the ravine, teasing him about having eaten "magic mushrooms" before seeing the chupacabra and calling him a girl for not being able to climb out of the ravine. Daryl makes it out and then makes his way back to the farm where Andrea, tired of washing clothes, takes up a rifle and mistakes him for a Walker. Luckily, her shot only grazes the side of his head. Patching Daryl up, Herchel complains that they are using up their antibiotics, this after admonishing  Rick for not being in control of his people. 

Later, during a tension-filled and mostly silent dinner (before which Herchel talked to Maggie about her interest in "the Asian boy"), Maggie passes a note to Glenn that reads: "Tonight... Where?" Glenn scribbles his reply under Herchel's watchful eye. Carol brings dinner to Daryl and thanks him for doing more that day than her father ever did his entire life. 

While putting the dinner dishes away, Maggie surreptitiously reads Glenn's response: "Have you ever done it in a hay loft?" We see Glenn climbing into the locked barn's loft where he finds the barn filled with dozens of Walkers. Maggie races to the barn. As Glenn is about to flee in terror, Maggie shows up, telling hm "You weren't supposed to know about this." And there the episode ends, with the Walkers pressing against the locked barn's doors, desperate to escape and feed.

We know Herchel believes there will be a cure, and that he prefers that he alone handles any Walkers that appear on the property. But the Walkers in the barn are an unexpected twist. Will Glenn tell the others about them? Will they decide to pick up and move on? When will Lori tell Rick about the baby? Whose baby is it? And will we ever see Sophia again? 

Next week's episode is the mid-season finale and I can't wait to see what happens. Unlike many, I am not at all unsettled by this season's slower paced plot. I know there is plenty of horror yet to come:

More, anon.
Prospero

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Fall 2011 TV: The Comedies

The new Fall TV season is soon upon us. I admit, I love television. Especially good television, which is a rare commodity. Each Fall I look forward to seeing as many new shows as possible, hoping that there will be another "Lost" or "Modern Family" or "Raising Hope" or anything worth watching. 

And while cable has plenty of great programs, I refuse to pay extra for "premium" channels, especially when I can rent entire seasons to watch at my leisure. So tonight I will be talking about network shows only. More specifically, the new network comedies I am most looking forward to checking out. Tomorrow, I'll talk about the dramas. So far, only a handful of new comedies have caught my eye. The sitcom was declared dead a while back, though the hilarious shows  "Modern Family" and "Raising Hope" shot that notion down. Here are the shows I hope will continue to prove that theory wrong.

"New Girl" (FOX)

Zooey Deschanel (Elf) stars as a young woman who moves in with three male roommates. Hijinks ensue. I'm counting on the delightful Deschanel (sister of "Bones" star Emily) to elevate this comedy above sophomoric sex jokes.

"Suburgatory" (ABC)

A city girl moves to the suburbs and is horrified by what she finds. The presence of Cheryl Hinds, Ana Gasteyer, Jeremy Sisto and Alan Tudyk make me hopeful for this one.

"Up All Night" (NBC)

Christina Applegate ("Samantha Who?") and Will Arnett ("Arrested Development") star as new parents and Maya Rudolph ("SNL") is their clueless friend. I love all three members of the main cast and hope the show is a hit. They all deserve one.

"Whitney"

Comedienne Chelsea Handler produces this comedy about a woman (Whitney Cummings) who lives with her boyfriend and finds herself in one awkward situation after another.

 

I'm guessing only one of these four shows will actually make it. Tomorrow, I'll talk about the dramas I'm looking forward to seeing, a much longer list.

More, anon.
Prospero

You have read this article Comedy / Previews / Trailers / TV with the title Previews. You can bookmark this page URL https://tammycross.blogspot.com/2011/08/fall-2011-tv-comedies.html. Thanks!

Two 'Smaller' Films; a Sci-Fi Mashup and a Remake I Actually Don't Mind

That's Irish hot mess Colin Farrell flashing those puppy-dog eyes in some movie I now must see... Colin is playing the role originated by Chris Sarandon in the remake of Fright Night. The 1985 horror comedy starred William Ragsdale ("Justified"), Amanda Bearse ("Married With Children") and the late, infamously closeted Roddy McDowell as Charles Vincent. 

Charley Brewster (Ragsdale) never misses Charles Vincent's "Vampire Theatre" show on TV. When a mysterious neighbor sets up house next door, Charley suspects he may be a vampire and calls on Vincent for help. The original movie is fun, but the special effects (not to mention the acting style) are just a bit outdated. I don't mind it being remade at all. Anton Yelchin (Star Trek) takes over for Ragsdale; David "Dr. Who" Tennant is Vincent and Christopher Mintz-Plasse (Kick Ass) is Charley's buddy, Evil Ed (and I hope this doesn't mean Mintz-Plasse is destined for a future of bad gay porn, like the original Evil Ed, Stephen Geoffries...). Imogen Poots (28 Weeks Later; Jane Eyre) takes over for Bearse and the always amazing Toni Collette ("The United States of Tara") is Charley's mom, originally played by character actor Dorothy Fielding.

The first production stills of the remake are online at Cinematical, though there's no telling anything from three random shots. I just know that if Colin looked at me with those pouty lips and sad eyes, I'd let him bite me anywhere he wanted to... Oops! Over-share!

A friend from high school shared the trailer for A Matter of Size on Facebook (thanks, Nancy!). This Israeli/French production from 2009 is about an Israeli town coming to grips with being fat and celebrating by embracing the Japanese tradition of Sumo. While it may seem from the trailer below that the movie is a bit homophobic, it actually appears that A Matter of Size is a movie about 'coming out' as a Proud Person of Size. As a gay Person of Size, I have to appreciate the 'coming out' part, at least. As a real person with a far from sensitive sense of humor, I think it looks like a very sweet, funny movie. Judge for yourselves:

 Finally, the trailer for the upcoming Sci-Fi/Noir thriller The Big Bang is up at ITunes Movie Trailers. Still steamy Antonio Banderas stars as hard-boiled L.A. P.I. Ned Cruz, hired to find a missing girl on a case that is unlike any other he's had. William Fitchner; Thomas Kretschmann; Delroy Lindo; James Van Der Beek and Snoop Dogg star in producer-turned-director Tony Krantz's film from a script by Eric Jendresen (Otis).

Maybe my fears about the death of the original screenplay are unwarranted, afterall.

More, anon.

Prospero

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Insidious

I'm not ashamed to admit that I loved the first Saw, written by Leigh Whannell and James Wan and directed by Wan. It was creepy, original and as I've often noted, one of the few modern horror movies that actually caught me off guard with its surprising twist ending. It may have spawned a series of increasingly lame sequels (and the exploitable "torture porn" movement), but the original film is actually quite good and well-deserving of the buzz it created at the 2004 Sundance Film Festival.

As is Whannell and Wan's underrated follow-up, Dead Silence. An original and creepy take on the evil ventriloquist trope starring "True Blood" alum Ryan Kwanten and "24" regular Bob Gunton, Dead Silence may well be lacking when it comes to comprehensive story-telling, but it manages to provide some genuinely creepy, atmospheric moments. And it features another twist that I didn't anticipate on my first viewing.

Wan would go on to direct the abysmal 2007 revenge thriller Death Sentence starring Kevin Bacon, while Whannell most recently voiced a character in Zack Snyder's 2010 CGI owl movie Legends of the Guardians.

Now, they've teamed up again for the possession-themed Insidious, about a young boy who has fallen into coma and his parents' attempts to rescue him from a supernatural realm. Starring Rose Byrne ("Damages;" 28 Weeks Later); Patrick Wilson (Watchmen) and Barbara Hershey (Black Swan); Insidious  is currently boasting a whopping 75% on Rotten Tomatoes, which is exceptionally high for a Horror movie. While the universally bad reviews for Sucker Punch have convinced me to delay spending my hard-earned cash to see it (though D still wants to), I will have no qualms plunking down $11.00 for Insidious. Wan and Whannell have yet to disappoint me when they work together and with this cast, I can only imagine a grand time at my local multiplex.

Yikes!

More, anon.
Prospero.

You have read this article Horror / Hot / Movies / Previews / Saw / Trailers with the title Previews. You can bookmark this page URL https://tammycross.blogspot.com/2011/03/insidious.html. Thanks!

I Scream, You Scream, We All Scream for... Scream 4?

Director Wes Craven's last film, My Soul to Take was a lame mash-up of movies he'd made before, as evidenced by my buddy Pax Romano's recent review over at Billy Loves Stu. Of course, Craven is one of the pioneers of modern horror, having written and/or directed the original versions of The Last House on the Left; The Hills Have Eyes and A Nightmare on Elm Street. Craven also helmed the non-horror movies Music of the Heart and Red Eye (the latter being an above-average thriller about terrorists attempting to assassinate the Vice President, starring Rachel McAdams and doe-eyed Cillian Murphy). He also directed the underrated voodoo thriller The Serpent and the Rainbow and the nightmarish The People Under the Stairs, as well as more than few failures like Deadly Friend; A Vampire in Brooklyn and the wretched werewolf movie, Cursed.

In the late 90's, Craven and screenwriter Kevin Williamson created one of his better franchises with Scream, a movie that deliberately pointed out the conventions of the slasher genre, while turning the genre on its ear. Two sequels followed and after 2000's Scream 3, we all thought we'd seen the last of the many incarnations of 'Ghostface.' Flash forward 11 years and Craven and Williamson are back (along with original cast members Neve Campbell, Courtney Cox and David Arquette) for Scream 4, scheduled for release on April 15th (a day that makes many people scream, though for different reasons). Original target Sidney Prescott (Campbell) has returned to her hometown on the final leg of her self-help book promotion tour, only to find things haven't really changed that much - except perhaps the rules of slasher horror.

Campbell, Cox and Arquette are joined by the next generation of B-list stars which includes Hayden Panattiere ("Heroes"); Emma Roberts; Anthony Anderson; Adam Brody and Rory Culkin. Oh, and film and TV legend Mary McDonnell (Dances with Wolves; "Battlestar Gallactica;" "The Closer: " Donnie Darko) is also on hand.

So, will Craven and Williamson pull off another box-office and critical success? Hard to say. Neither have a great track record of late. Williamson wrote the very silly alien invasion movie The Faculty as well as the script for Craven's abysmal Cursed. And we all now know what was going on with Cox and Arquette while they were making the movie. The trailer is promising... I think. But only time will tell. What do you think? Will Scream 4 (or SCRE4M as it's also known) be a hit or a miss? Let me know your thoughts in the comments. You know how much I love it when you do.

More, anon.

Prospero

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Insidious Rubber Dog

After an amazing reunion dinner with most of my Top Girls cast, I thought of three other movies that are on my "Must See in the Near Future" List. The first is French surrealist Quentin Depieux's English language debut, the Sci-Fi-Horror film  Rubber. Now brace yourselves... Rubber is about a bunch of people watching a movie in the desert. The movie is about a tire (yes, a good old-fashioned rubber tire) that somehow became sentient and animate, becomes obsessed with a mysterious woman and uses his (the tire's name is Robert, apparently) telekinetic powers to kill anyone who gets in his way. Meanwhile, the audience watching the film is poisoned halfway through it, and they never get to see the end.

None of this, by the way, is ever explained. Unlike other 'inanimate objects gaining sentience' movies such as Killdozer (where an alien intelligence of electrical origin takes over a machine), Robert the tire simply is. No one is accused of or seen poisoning the audience. It just happens.

I've been reading odd bits and pieces about this film for a while, and have been "intrigued," to say the least. Gonzo art film? Insane Sci-Fi? Gory low-budget horror? Who knows? All I know is, I must see it. Watch the trailer (via) below and you tell me:

I don't know about you, but there are things in that trailer that really made me laugh... Depieux seems to turn the genre's conventions on their ears in what a way that is reminiscent of Wes Craven's original Scream, by pointing out and exaggerating those conventions in a wholly fresh way. If the movie is half as trippy and hilarious the trailer, Rubber should be a weird, wonderful and undefinable masterpiece. The newish film adjective Lynchian certainly applies. Entertainment Weekly has a short, amusing interview with Depieux, here. I highly recommend it for (if nothing else) a little bit of insight into the director's style and mindset. Rubber is available now On Demand and will see a limited theatrical release in April. I hope to see it this weekend..

Another film I'm chomping at the bit to see is Insidious, from the Writer/Director team of Leigh Whannell and James Wan (Saw; Dead Silence). I know there are Wan haters out there (Death Sentence, anyone?) but I happen to love both of the previous films on which they collaborated, Saw literally created a sub-genre (taken even further by directors like Eli Roth) while managing to trick me with its twist ending and the underrated Dead Silence was a creepy, atmospheric (if nonsensical) take on the "evil ventriloquist" meme. There are moments in that film that managed to creep out even an exceptionally jaded horror fan like Uncle P.

So - let's take a talented team of horror auteurs and add three amazing actors to their latest concoction and see what we get. Insidious appears to be about a young boy under attack from forces outside the physical realm. Patrick Wilson (Watchmen) and Rose Byrne -- love her-- [28 Weeks Later; "Damages" (!!!!!)] are the parents and Barbara Hershey (Black Swan; The Entity) is the grandmother.

I despised Paranormal Activity, but that film's director only has a producing credit here.

Finally, there's the big-screen return of hottie Brandon Routh (don't get me started) in the long-awaited Dylan Dog: Dead of Night. One of the most popular comics in Europe, Dylan Dog... is about an investigator (Routh) who deals in vampires, werewolves, zombies, demons and assorted occult phenomena. Equally hot cross-over star Taye Diggs and the always interesting Peter Stormare (Fargo; The Brothers Grimm) co-star. The trailer is just hilarious. It looks like a cross between Hellboy; Constantine: Lord of Illusions and Ghostbusters. Scheduled for release on April 29th, Dylan Dog's official site (and newest trailer) are here.

I just hope I'm not setting myself up for more disappointment this year... Still, it seems there are suddenly so many interesting movies coming out, even as I decry the death of Great American Filmmaking. Maybe I just want to have fun when I go to the movies. Don't you?

More, anon.

Prospero

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March (Movie) Madness

Personally, I don't give a rat's ass about college basketball. For me, March is all about the new movie season, and there are plenty of movies I really want to see this spring. Whether or not I actually get to see them all remains a question, but I determined to see more films this year than last, and there are several movies in the coming month on my list.

First up on March 4th, Matt Damon, Emily Blunt, Terrance Stamp and John Slattery are all in The Adjustment Bureau, about a man (Damon) who accidentally stumbles upon the secret society that runs everything:

I am increasingly a fan of Damon; Slattery is a college friend of K's and director George Nolfi (The Bourne Ultimatum) is working from a script based on a Philip K. Dick story. Deliciousness all around.

March 11th brings two movies I really want to to see: Battle: Los Angeles - the alien invasion movie that many are saying last year's Skyline should have been. Aaron Eckhardt, Bridget Moynahan and Michelle Rodriguez star:

 And Black Death, starring Sean Bean as a medieval knight sent out to investigate why a particular village has not been affected by the bubonic plague:

I'm guessing this is the movie Season of the Witch aspired to be.

March 16th also features two intriguing films. First is hottie Bradley Cooper and venerate Robert DeNiro in Limitless, about a drug which unlocks one's true potential, but with deadly side effects:

And then there's Paul, Greg Mottola's comedy starring Simon Pegg; Nick Frost; Jason Bateman; Sigourney Weaver; Krsiten Wiig and Bill Hader about a couple of slackers who encounter an alien (voiced by Seth Rogan) on their way  to ComicCon:

Of course, March 25th is the scheduled release for the movie I've been looking forward to seeing since last fall, Zack Snyder's Sucker-Punch, starring Abbie Cornish; Vanessa Hudegns; Carla Gugino; John Hamm and Scott Glen in a tale about young women who must find a way out of their confinement to an insane asylum, using their imaginations:

So, what movies are you looking forward to this spring?

More, anon.
Prospero

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Dancing Queen

I came out to my family rather late in life. I was out to most of my friends for a long time. Especially my theatre friends. One of them was my dear friend Elizabeth. Elizabeth is an amazing dancer as well as a  massage, Raiki and MFR therapist. For a very long time, Elizabeth was the only friend who was willing to accompany me to see LGBT films, usually at a small art house cinema near her home. We saw Ang Lee's The Wedding Banquet together and loved it.

And she and I saw The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, the 1994 Australian film about two drag queens and transgendered woman making their way across the Outback to perform in the small resort town of Alice Springs. Along the way, we find that these friends have just as much in common with all of us, as they do each other. Hugo Weaving (The Matrix); Guy Pierce (Memento) and Terence Stamp (Superman II) star in a delightfully funny and heartwarming movie about friendship, pride, love and determination. When it won the Oscar for Best Costume Design, co-winner Lizzy Gardner accepted her award wearing an amazing gown made out of American Express Gold cards, causing a sensation.

The movie was turned into a stage musical a few years ago, taking Australia and then England by storm. And it is finally about to hit Broadway. Starting previews on February 28th, Priscilla, Queen of the Desert features a score of 70's disco tunes and some of the most astonishing costumes since the original production of La Cage aux Folles. While writing about the disastrous reviews for Broadway's latest big-budget debacle (which shall remain unnamed, but is obviously about a certain Marvel Superhero), I uploaded a grainy YouTube preview of Priscilla. But now, (via) comes the "official" preview.

I've already asked Elizabeth to see the show with me. It's sort of our thing. I saw the last performance of the original cast of Kiss of the Spiderwoman  on Broadway with her, as well as Julie Andrews final Broadway appearance in Victor/Victoria. And while I don't get to see her nearly as much as I would like to these days, we've shared a love of many things, both silly ("MST3K") and sublime (The Cook, the Thief, His Wife and Her Lover). And while I certainly wouldn't object to seeing this show with any of my dear friends, I know they will all understand that there is no one else I want to see it with more than Elizabeth. Of course, it doesn't help that K absolutely hates the city; Q and Dale usually prefer straight (as in non-musical) plays and D is more of a movie guy. They are all more than welcome to come with us, but I have a feeling this is show meant for me and Elizabeth... You guys understand, right?

More, anon.
Prospero

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Looking Forward

Okay - enough whining about the weather and the lack of sunlight. It's time to talk about one of my favorite subjects - movies. There are tons of movies I am really excited about in the upcoming year, several of which are scheduled for the next couple of months.

Most of them are genre pictures and I am not above admitting they are the ones to which I am most looking forward. That's probably because genre pictures have the highest level of escapism. Whether its vampires (NOT sparkly wimpy ones); werewolves; aliens; monsters; superheroes or mad science, I am a sucker for all things Fantasy, Sci-Fi and/or Horror. Of course, that doesn't men they will all be worth seeing. If you read my recent review of Season of the Witch (a movie I was really looking forward to seeing), you'll know I'm not an easily satisfied genre junkie.

So, what does look good to Uncle P in the coming months? Let's take a peek, shall we?

February 11 sees The Eagle with Channing Tatum and Jamie Bell in what is sure to be a homoerotic Sword and Sandals epic about a roman soldier and his hot young slaveboy:

And February 25th brings another insane Nic Cage movie, which could be either awful or insanely brilliant, Drive Angry. Cage plays a man who literally escapes from hell to save his granddaughter from the men who killed him and her mother. William Fitchner, Amber Heard and David Morse co-star:

March 11th sees Battle for Los Angeles, the alien invasion movie that may well prove to be what the critically disappointing Skyline should have been, starring Aaron Eckhardt, Michelle Rodriguez and Bridget Moynahan:

Also on March 11th is Red Riding Hood, covering much the same material as Neil Jordan's The Comapny of Wolves, this time directed by Twilight's Catherine Hardwicke and starring Amanda Seyfried, Lukas Haas and Gary Oldman:

March 18th brings us director Greg Mottola's Paul starring Nick Frost and Simon Pegg (Shaun of the Dead) in the story of two slackers who encounter an alien on their way to ComicCon:

March 18 is the scheduled premiere for Love, a Sci-Fi epic from director William Eubank about an astronaut stranded alone aboard the International Space Station after the apocalypse:

And March 25th brings us the movie to which I am most looking forward to seeing this spring, Zack Snyder's Sucker Punch, starring Abby Cornish as a young woman who must use her imagination to escape the insane asylum to which she has wrongly been consigned. Say what you will about Synder's films, no other director working today (with the possible exception of Christopher Nolan) has his particular eye for astonishing visuals:

And other upcoming films I'm excited to see:

Super 8 (6/10/11):



Green Lantern (6/17/11):



Captain America (7/22/11):



Cowboys and Aliens (7/29/11):

And some others for which trailers have yet to be posted: Anonymous (9/30/11);  11/11/11 (11/11/11 - obviously); Fright Night (11/13/11): Immortals (11/11/11) and Hugo Cabret (12/09/11).

Remember, all release dates are subject to change at the whim of the lunatic accountants who now run Hollywood. I'll be posting my reviews as I see them.

More, anon.

Prospero

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Two More Movies for 2011

If you don't already know, that's hottie Bradley Cooper (The Hangover), whose most recent film with reported girlfriend Renee Zellweger, Case 39 was less than boffo at the box office, as industry headlines would have put it (though I still very much want to see it, if only to see another performance from Jodelle Ferland, one of the most underrated child actors working today).

The gorgeous hirsute hunk has a new Sci-Fi movie coming out next year called Limitless, about a drug that unleashes the human brain's full potential, but with potentially deadly side-effects. Directed by Neil Burger (The Illusionist), it tells the story of an advertising copywriter (Cooper) who uses the chemical enhancement, only to discover that a shadowy group of killers is following his every move.

The movie also stars Robert DeNiro; Abby Cornish (Candy); Anna Friel (my much mourned "Pushing Daisies") and Johnny Whitworth ("CSI: Miami"). Limitless is scheduled for release in March of next year.The teaser below comes via i09:

Also via i09 comes the teaser for the crowd-financed Horror movie The Tunnel. From the lunatics at i09 comes the official synopsis:

"Set and filmed in the real maze of tunnels underneath Sydney, and using the truth as a starting point, The Tunnel tells the story of investigative journalist Natasha Warner, who leads a news crew underground to investigate why the government suddenly scrapped a plan to utilize the water in the disused underground train tunnels beneath Sydney's St James Train Station. They went down into the tunnels looking for a story - until the story found them."

The Aussie independent film is financed entirely through donations of $1 per frame. I'd probably describe this movie as a cross between The Descent and Rec. There's no official release date for The Tunnel, but you can bet that I'll among the first in line to see it when it hits my local cineplex. 

More, anon.

Prospero

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