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Former stuntman and director of Snakes on a Plane

The brazenly trashy, cheap-and-cheerful B-movie is more or less defunct in modern cinema. One of its few authentic latter-day practitioners was the film-maker David R Ellis, who has been found dead at the age of 60 in a hotel in South Africa, where he was preparing to make a live-action version of the violent anime Kite.

Ellis came to widespread attention in 2006 when he directed Snakes on a Plane, the exploitation action thriller with a title that doubled as its own synopsis. Samuel L Jackson played an FBI agent on board a flight packed with venomous snakes planted to kill the witness who is in his care. There have been dumber and more precarious murder plots in the movies, but not many.

Ellis was brought in as a replacement for the original director, Ronny Yu. When word circulated online of a proposed...

Whether you measure your movies by box office, reviews, or popular appeal, Sony’s $125 million remake of the 1990 Ah-nuld Schwarzenegger interplanetary action fest Total Recall looks like a strike-out. The movie opened with a lethal softness; a $25.7 million first weekend meaning Recall won’t even come close to making back its budget during its domestic theatrical run. In fact, despite 22 years of ticket price increases, it’s doubtful the movie will even match the original’s $119.3 million haul.

And for those of you who think maybe the problem is Total Recall was outgunned opening while The Dark Knight Rises was still sucking up box office coin, entertain, at least for a moment if you will, the possibility the movie just plain sucks. According to Rotten Tomatoes’ canvas, almost 70% of reviewers – and over three-quarters of “top critics” – gave Total Recall a thumbs-down. Those who went to see the movie didn’t...

Directed by: John Badham, Jeannot Szwarc, Timothy Galfas, Jack Laird

Written by: Rod Serling, Jack Laird, Halsted Welles, David Rayfiel

Starring: Rod Serling, Joanna Pettet, Burgess Meredith, Vincent Price, Bill Bixby, Geraldine Page

Rod Serling’s Night Gallery is a beloved cult series with a complicated history. It was Serling’s follow-up to his critically acclaimed Twilight Zone, which ran on CBS from 1959–64. Its eerie opening introduction featuring Serling in a dark gallery surrounded by dynamic, often disturbing paintings was the hallmark of the show. Serling would introduce new paintings (by gifted artist Tom Wright) each week, which would segue into a story that usually revolved around a supernatural or occult theme.

Night Gallery began its run with a well-received two-hour pilot on NBC in November 1969. The following year it was included as part of NBC’s Four-in-One programming wheel. It rotated every fourth Wednesday with The Psychiatrist, McCloud and San Francisco International Airport.

Netflix is bringing a bit of the UK back across the pond by pickcing up the streaming rights to BBC’s soccer drama United, staring former Doctor Who headliner David Tennant.

United, the 90 minute telefilm, tells the true and tragic story of British European Airways Flight 609 which crashed in Munich on February 6, 1958 following its third attempt at takeoff. Caused by a slush covered runway, the crash took the lives of eight of Manchester United’s football stars and also left two so badly injured they never played again.

Tennant portrays Coach Jimmy Murphy, who is charged with the herculean task of rebuilding the broken team, nicknamed the “Busby Babes” after the club’s legendary manager Matt Busby, who also nearly died in the disaster.

Outside of the climatic air tragedy, the drama ...

Click to continue reading Netflix Picks Up David Tennant TV Miniseries ‘United’...

If you haven't gotten any of Image Entertainment's stellar Blu-ray releases of the classic TV series "The Twilight Zone", here's your chance to nab the entire collection in one swoop! Hope you've saved up some cash!

"The Twilight Zone: The Complete Series" Blu-ray will be available on June 5th along with the Blu reissue of their popular "Fan Favorites" compilation.

The "Complete Series" collection features all 156 episodes of Rod Serling’s groundbreaking series completely re-mastered and enhanced in high definition, all in one box set. Enjoy over 75 hours of the iconic episodes featuring some of Hollywood’s biggest names including William Shatner, Robert Redford, Mickey Rooney, Burt Reynolds, Art Carney, Burgess Meredith, Cliff Robertson, Dennis Weaver, Don Rickles, Jack Klugman, Jay Overholts, Lee Marvin, Martin Landau, Robert McCord and many more! Loaded with bonus features found in the Seasons 1-5 releases, this collection gives you another reason to dive back into the cryptic,...

If you didn’t pick up the individual season releases, Image Entertainment has just announced that they will be selling the entire series of The Twilight Zone in a single Blu-ray set:

“On June 5th, Image Entertainment invites you to enter the fifth dimension once again with The Twilight Zone: The Complete Series and The Twilight Zone: Fan Favorites Blu-rays™. Srp for The Complete Series will be available for an Msrp of $399.98. Fan Favorites Msrp will be $34.98.

For the fans patiently holding out for the ultimate compilation of Rod Serling’s sci-fi masterpiece – the time has finally arrived! The Twilight Zone: The Complete Collection Blu-ray™ features all 156 episodes of Rod Serling’s groundbreaking series completely re-mastered and enhanced in high definition, all in one box set. Enjoy over 75 hours of the iconic episodes featuring some of Hollywood’s biggest names including William Shatner, Robert Redford, Mickey Rooney,...

We travel to Orlando, Florida for the grand opening of the new theme park based on the popular film franchise

All eyes are on Orlando, Florida this week for the long awaited grand opening of "The Wizarding World Of Harry Potter," a new theme park based on the phenomenally successful series of children's books and beloved films, which include Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, and the upcoming final chapters of the series, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part I and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part II. The attraction is located at Universal Orland Resort's Islands Of Adventure, which is their literary themed park that also features Dr. Seuss and Marvel Comics inspired rides and stores.

For most of his Hollywood career, Scott Cooper has been known as an actor. He thought he was dreaming when he decided he wanted to direct his first film about the life of a down and out country singer with such stars as Jeff Bridges, Robert Duvall, and the famous composer T Bone Burnett. But his ambition paid off. Crazy Heart, stars Bridges, Duvall, Maggie Gyllenhaal, and Colin Farrell as well as music by T Bone Burnett. Bridges and Farrell even sing their own ballads. Based on the novel of the same name by Thomas Cobb, Crazy Heart follows the life of alcoholic, country western has-been Bad Blake. After meeting a journalist who makes him see what he has become, he attempts to reform. The movie, which had been made for about $7 million by Country Music Television, a unit of Viacom, very nearly did not find a distributor after Paramount...