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Griffin made his debut on the March 5 episode of The Masked Singer Season 13 as a member of Group B. The mythical creature's first song on Fox's reality TV show was "Rewrite the Stars" by Zac Efron & Zendaya, and he had the four panelists guessing such famous names as Matthew Lillard, Freddie Prinze Jr., and David Arquette. In Week 2, he belted out "Disturbia" by Rihanna and they added Freddie Prinze Jr., Jason Segel, and Robert Pattinson to the list of potential celebs.

But who is Griffin? If you're looking for The Masked Singer spoilers and clues, you've come to the right place! Read on for everything to know about Griffin, including which famous celebrity we think is hiding underneath the mask.

Gold Derby's official guess for Griffin is ... James Van Der Beek! Don't believe us? Let's examine all of the clues so far, one by one:

Audio Clues

Here is what...

Leading documentary festival IDFA has selected 55 projects from 820 entries for the 32nd edition of its co-production and co-financing market IDFA Forum.

IDFA Forum takes place in Amsterdam venues Felix Meritis and Pathé City from Nov. 17 to 20.

The Forum selection features “projects with resonant stories, daring artistic visions, and a willingness to push narrative and stylistic boundaries,” according to a statement.

Adriek van Nieuwenhuijzen, head of IDFA Industry, said: “IDFA proudly presents a very strong selection of projects that capture the spirit of the times and reflect on our society in a critical and idiosyncratic way. It is a varied selection in terms of both theme and style, made by talented newcomers and established makers who together represent a colorful palette of voices.”

The Forum Pitch and Producers Connection

The Forum Pitch and Producers Connection present a total of 33 projects this year. The selection includes notable filmmakers who make their return to IDFA.

Full Circle is a crime drama miniseries with a talented cast that brings thrills and twists to a fascinating storyline. Zazie Beetz plays Mel Harmony, a dedicated US Postal fraud inspector investigating a botched kidnapping. The Full Circle cast also includes Claire Danes as Sam Browne, a lawyer who admits to a conspiracy involving her father's business.

Warning: The following contains Spoilers for Full Circle.

The Full Circle cast assists in weaving a twisty and mind-boggling crime thriller mystery, as the miniseries follows two families, fraud inspectors, and a kidnapping gone wrong. Created by Ed Solomon and directed by Steven Soderbergh, Full Circle debuted on the streamer on July 13, and features a talented, well-known cast who bring their talent to embody a slate of colorful characters, each of whom becomes embroiled in a scintillating mystery.

Full Circle is a crime drama that brings thrills and twists to its fascinating storyline,...

Jan Oxenberg was a thorn in the nonfiction establishment’s side long before hybrid doc-making was a thing (or even a term). Case in point: Her feature-length (Sundance ’91) debut Thank You and Good Night, a restoration of which will hit the Criterion Channel this week. Though Thank You and Good Night has been described as a “docu-fantasy” it’s also a very real time capsule of sorts. The film takes as its starting point the looming […]...

Jan Oxenberg was a thorn in the nonfiction establishment’s side long before hybrid doc-making was a thing (or even a term). Case in point: Her feature-length (Sundance ’91) debut Thank You and Good Night, a restoration of which will hit the Criterion Channel this week. Though Thank You and Good Night has been described as a “docu-fantasy” it’s also a very real time capsule of sorts. The film takes as its starting point the looming […]...

As the coronavirus pandemic still rages on, precious few remain skeptical about going to the movies. But while your AMCs and others claim some godlike safety from Covid, there remains a chunk of people still uncomfortable hitting up theaters. To them, we bring you the September 2020 Criterion Channel lineup.

It starts off with quite the swath of content too. Béla Tarr’s Sátántangó hits the service on September 1, and its seven-plus hours should take up a large chunk of your day. Coming soon after is a collection of more than a dozen Joan Blondell starrers from the pre-Code era, including Howard Hawks’ The Crowd Roars, three collaborations with Mervyn LeRoy, and Ray Enright & Busby Berkeley’s Dames.

For some stuff released almost a century later, the service also sees the addition of documentary bender Robert Greene. His Actress, Kate Plays Christine, and Bisbee ’17 join soon after. Janicza Bravo, director of Lemon,...

In one way or another, Death is around the corner. Maybe if you squint hard enough, he’ll look more like a cardboard cutout than a real thing. Maybe squint hard enough and people will look like cardboard cuts too. That means no real loss in the future, right? Well, perhaps.

Having originally debuted in 1991, Jan Oxenberg’s Thank You and Good Night played at the Toronto International Film Festival. The quasi-documentary also became something of a Sundance favorite—and a precursor for the fest’s more recent hits. Blurring the line between fiction and fantasy, Oxenberg follows a family in the wake of a loss. With it comes a wave of highs and lows, most of which, as shown in the trailer for its rerelease, veers towards absurdist humor and stream of consciousness. Almost three decades after the picture all but fell into obscurity, IndieCollect brings us a 4K...

Nearly a decade after premiering his feature directorial debut, the Ben Foster-starring “Here,” at the Sundance Film Festival, Braden King returns with another new look at the unexpected bonds that rule in a quiet pocket of the world. King’s latest, “The Evening Hour,” stars up-and-comers Philip Ettinger and Cosmo Jarvis (“Lady Macbeth”) in an elegiac look at present-day Appalachia.

Cast as old pals who are forced to grapple with very adult concerns that have repercussions for their entire community, Ettinger and Jarvis lead a rich supporting cast to back them up. The film also stars Stacy Martin, Michael Trotter, Kerry Bishé, Lili Taylor, Marc Menchaca, Ross Partridge, Frank Hoyt Taylor, and Tess Harper. First-time screenwriter Elizabeth Palmore adapted Carter Sickels’ 2012 debut novel of the same name.

Per the film’s official Sundance synopsis: “Cole, a popular, young health aide at a nursing home living in rural Appalachia, makes...

MaryAnn’s quick take… Goes well beyond the typical mindless array of slapstick and humiliation to reach disgusting new depths of coarseness. Not just appalling, but actually dangerous. I’m “biast” (pro): nothing

I’m “biast” (con): hated Daddy’s Home; this one looked worse

(what is this about? see my critic’s minifesto)

I was going to skip Daddy’s Home 2. The first one was appalling, and did not demand a sequel, and this one looked worse. Life is too short, even for a film critic, to give in and see every idiotic movie. But then a critic friend asked me to attend a press screening with her — you know, as moral support — so I did. As my self-sacrificing good deed for the day. And I’m actually glad I ended up seeing the movie after all. Not because it’s good: dear god in heaven, no.

Having suffered a string of legal defeats, VidAngel is hoping to have better luck in a Utah courtroom. On Thursday, VidAngel brought a lawsuit against a host of entertainment companies and is seeking declaratory relief that its streaming service that filters profanity, sex, violence and more from movies is permissible by law.

VidAngel's older technology has been enjoined by a California judge who determined it was likely that Warner Bros, Disney and 20th Century Fox would prevail on copyright claims. VidAngel couldn't convince the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals that the Family Home Movie Act of 2005 provides an...

Update: Apple has now entered discussions to make major Hollywood releases available for home rentals only two weeks after they debut theatrically. Get the latest information below. One of the most intense business challenges Hollywood has faced during the past few years is dealing with the way the home video market has evolved. In an effort to breathe new life […]

The post Apple is in Discussions to Offer $50 Home Movie Rentals of Big Theatrical Releases [Updated] appeared first on /Film.

On the /Film Daily podcast for August 8, 2017, Peter Sciretta is joined by Ben Pearson and Brad Oman stop by the water cooler to discuss selling DVDs, a Lion King singalong and a board game cafe, in the news we’ll talk about Netflix’s big comic book company acquisition, this weekend’s box office, Thriller 3D, Fantastic Four, and […]

The post Daily Podcast: Home Movie Watching Improvements, DVDs, Box Office, McU, Netflix, Thriller & More appeared first on /Film.

What would “Game of Thrones” be without its sex, violence, nudity or profanity? We only have two words for that idea: Seven hells.

Unfortunately, that is precisely what a streaming startup aims to do: sanitize shows like “Game of Thrones” and other streaming content from Netflix, Amazon and HBO by tagging and then removing specific words, images and even whole scenes.

Read More: ‘Game of Thrones’ Has Given Us More Than Just the Most Feminist Moment on TV This Year

According to Inverse, VidAngel CEO Neal Harmon said, “It all happens through the VidAngel app, which interacts with the major streaming services on the user’s behalf once they’ve entered their login credentials to those services. VidAngel securely comes you in the cloud. Then all of your Amazon, Netflix, or HBO content becomes available within the VidAngel app.”

If this sounds like a legal land mine waiting to be detonated,...

“We have a Dropbox folder full of images, and there’s definitely some screen grabs from Happy Together in there. Also some other Wong Kar-wai films; also some Hou Hsiao-hsien films and Claire Denis,” Moonlight cinematographer James Laxton recently told us regarding preparation for his collaboration with Barry Jenkins. Indeed, the parallels to the films of Wong Kar-wai are apparent — more than just visually, as we discussed in an extensive feature — and a new video explores these connections.

Created by Alessio Marinacci and featuring Jenkins’ drama with side-by-side comparisons to Days of Being Wild, In the Mood for Love, and the aforementioned Happy Together, it’s beautiful evidence of homage. From colors to framing to gestures to camera movement, it’s remarkable to see what Jenkins pulled from and made his own. If anything, we could use more of Wong Kar-wai’s sensibilities in American filmmaking, as Moonlight proves.

With the smash success of his staggering drama Moonlight, writer-director Barry Jenkins, this newfound recognition comes certain perks. Namely, being invited to raid the Criterion Collection’s extensive and intimate library. Jenkins takes to the task with the most vigor I’ve personally ever seen an artist put forth. From the Apu trilogy to the works of Kurosawa, Cassavetes, and the Coen brothers, Jenkins makes sure to cover it all.

In a fascinating peak into Jenkins’ film school days, he discusses watching the massively influential La Haine over and over again, and how he recreated a scene from George Washington in one of his student works. Best of all is Jenkin’s sheer embarrassment at his own “greed,” repeatedly checking with an off-camera member of Criterion’s staff to make sure he is actually allowed to take all of them home.

See the full video below, thanks to the Criterion Collection.

It’s been nearly two years since “The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies” was released, and in that time Peter Jackson has been rumored to be attached to any number of projects. We now have confirmation of at least one: “Mortal Engines,” a series of young-adult sci-fi/fantasy novels written by Philip Reeves. Jackson and his wife/collaborator Fran Walsh have written the screenplay along with Philippa Boyens, who also worked with the husband/wife team on the “Lord of the Rings” and “Hobbit” trilogies.

Read More: Peter Jackson Will Direct ‘Tintin’ Sequel After ‘Secret’ Amblin Project

Jackson won’t direct the project, however — that duty is going to his protégé Christian Rivers, who’s set to make his directorial debut with “Mortal Engines.” “Peter, Fran, Philippa and Christian are all visionary storytellers with the gift of turning their passion projects into beloved blockbusters for a worldwide audience,...

The new Epix original documentary “Serena” is an intimate portrait of four-time Olympic Gold Medalist and tennis legend Serena Williams. The doc provides the audience with unprecedented access inside the world of Serena and her daily interactions with family, friends, and trusted advisors. “Serena” documents the pressures Williams faces every single day on the court and in life being the number one tennis player in the world. Her unflinching commitment to the sport and her other passions, her drive to succeed, and her unique personality emphasize the humanity beneath the sports icon that goes largely unnoticed during matches. “Serena” tracks Williams’ vulnerabilities in the face of crushing losses at the 2015 U.S. Open and 2016 Australian Open, as well as achieving yet another “Serena Slam,” aka four Grand Slam titles in a row. Watch an exclusive clip from the doc below featuring Serena talk about her wonderful coach Patrick Mouratoglou.

Read...

Mvd Entertainment Group furthers the distribution of "Arrow Video" in the Us with several new home video titles available July 2016, including "The Swinging Cheerleaders" [Blu-ray + DVD] (July 5th),  "Crimes Of Passion [Blu-ray + DVD] (July 12th) and "Female Prisoner Scorpion: The Complete Collection" [Blu-ray + DVD] (July 26th):

"The Swinging Cheerleaders" [Blu-ray + DVD] (July 5th): 

"'Kate', an undergraduate at 'Mesa University', goes undercover as a cheerleader for her college newspaper in order to expose 'female exploitation in contemporary society'. But instead of oppression she finds love, friendship and a bigger fish to fry: namely corruption in the football team, headed up by the coach and his pals..."

Cast includes Colleen Camp ("Wayne's World"), Rainbeaux Smith ("Caged Heat") and Playboy Playmate Rosanne Katon.

Bonus Materials include : 

- Brand new 2K restoration from original film materials

- High Definition (1080p) and Standard Definition DVD Presentations

- Optional subtitles 

- Audio commentary

- Brand new interview with Jack Hill

-...

Can’t get enough looks at Independence Day: Resurgence before its release on June 24th? Four new behind-the-scenes videos have dropped, giving us a look at some pivotal scenes in the film as well as a profile of director Roland Emmerich. Also: a Ghoster concept trailer, details on three new Arrow Video Us releases, and info on the Dances with Films screening of Beacon Point.

Watch Four New Independence Day: Resurgence Videos: “We always knew they were coming back. After Independence Day redefined the event movie genre, the next epic chapter delivers global spectacle on an unimaginable scale. Using recovered alien technology, the nations of Earth have collaborated on an immense defense program to protect the planet. But nothing can prepare us for the aliens’ advanced and unprecedented force. Only the ingenuity of a few brave men and women can bring our world back from the brink of extinction.

Directed by Roland Emmerich,...

Apichatpong Weerasethakul's.Cemetery of Splendour.

Tomorrow, March 17, will see the presentation of the 2015 Asia Pacific Screen Awards prize of Best Feature Film Award to renowned Thai filmmaker Apichatpong Weerasethakul for his film Cemetery of Splendour.

Marking their tenth year in 2016, the Apsa awards acknowledge excellence in the world.s fastest growing film region: comprising 70 countries, 4.5 billion people, and responsible for half of the world.s film output.

In 2015, 39 films from 22 Asia Pacific countries and areas received award nominations.

Weerasethakul will be presented with his award at Sydney's Carriageworks at 10am tomorrow, after which there will be a preview of the filmmaker's most recent installation work for Sydney's Biennale - Home Movie.

Apsa also nominated Downriver's Reef Ireland for Best Performance by an Actor, Molly Reynolds' Another Country was nominated for a Best Documentary Feature Film prize (won by The Chinese Mayor), and Blinky Bill The Movie was nominated for Best Animated Feature.

Rushes collects news, articles, images, videos and more for a weekly roundup of essential items from the world of film.NEWSThai director Apichatpong Weerasethakul, whose brilliant Cemetery of Splendor will be released in the Us this spring, has revealed a new installation work, Home Movie, made for Sydney's 2016 Biennale. According to his website, "an exhibition space hosts a cave-like ritual where people gather to simply take in the light": "In this home-cave, the heat is both comfortable and threatening. A fireball is an organic-like machine with phantom fans to blow away the heat and, at the same time, rouse the fire, which is impossible to put out even in dreams."This season seems to be one of cinema masters passing. In addition to the directors who've died over the last month, we've lost two great cinematographers this week. First, Douglas Slocombe, who shot the first three Indian Jones films,...

Get your daily dose of what Backstage has to offer our actors! From theme park gigs to a short film shooting on the east coast there are opportunities to be seized! And with the new year just around the corner, it’s time to look into a few. Busch Gardens Williamsburg 2016 Spring Season PERFORMERSFifteen ensemble members, male and female, are being cast for paid positions out of this Williamsburg, Va. theme park. Triple threats are welcome but Bob Cline Casting is seeking strong actor/singers and dancer/actors. Shows open March 25 and run through Sept. 5. “Home Movie”This dark comedy indie feature is casting 10 actors out of Fairfield County, Conn., who will be ready to shoot in the winter and spring of 2016. “The Rob MacOn TV Show” And “Jd’S School Bus”A co-host male and female team is being cast out of Hollywood, Calif., for this scripted programming. Compensation,...

Special Mention: The Rocky Horror Picture Show

Directed by Jim Sharman

Screenplay by Richard O’Brien and Jim Sharman

1975, USA

For the unfamiliar, The Rocky Horror Picture Show is the film adaptation of a popular musical stage production composed and written by Richard O’Brien, a struggling actor at the time who was best known for his performances in such musicals as Hair and Jesus Christ Superstar. For O’Brien, The Rocky Horror Picture Show was an homage to drive-in double features and science fiction B-movies of the fifties, and ironically, the film itself went on to become the ultimate midnight movie. To this day, screenings held in and around its anniversary as well as on Halloween sell out. It has never been pulled by 20th Century Fox from its original 1975 release, and it continues to play in cinemas four decades after its premiere, making it the longest-running theatrical release in film history.

Films set to show at the 40th Toronto International Film Festival (Tiff), updated as announcements are made in the run up to the event.

Tiff will open on September 10 with Jean-Marc Vallée’s Demolition starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Naomi Watts.

Tiff 40

Key: Wp = world premiere; Nap = North American premiere; IP = international premiere; Cp = Canadian premiere.

GALASBeeba Boys (Canada), Deepa Mehta, WPDemolition, Jean-Marc Vallée WPDisorder (Maryland) (France-Belgium), Alice Winocour NAPThe Dressmaker (Aus), Jocelyn Moorhouse, WPEye In The Sky (UK), Gavin Hood WPForsaken (Canada), Jon Cassar, WPFreeheld (Us), Peter Sollett, WPHyena Road (Canada), Paul Gross, WPLolo (France), Julie Delpy, NAPLegend (UK), Brian Helgeland, IPMan Down (Us), Dito Montiel NAPThe Man Who Knew Infinity (UK), Matt Brown, WPThe Martian (Us), Ridley Scott, WPMiss You Already (UK), Catherine Hardwicke WPMississippi Grind (Us), Ryan Fleck, Anna Boden CPMr. Right (Us), Paco Cabezas WPThe Program (UK), Stephen Frears, WPRemember (Canada), Atom Egoyan, NAPSeptembers Of Shiraz (Us), Wayne Blair, WPStonewall ([link...

At the start of the month we set UK filmmakers a task to make a short, scary film to celebrate the opening of Sinister 2. They had to terrify, unnerve, and startle us in under a minute; in short they had to make their own Sinister Home Movie. The winning filmmaker would not only be

The post #SinisterHomeMovie Short Film Competition Winner Announced appeared first on HeyUGuys.

Steven Spielberg’s espionage thriller starring Tom Hanks has found its awards season launchpad as the New York Film Festival (Nyff) confirmed it had landed the world premiere.

DreamWorks’ Bridge Of Spies, which Buena Vista releases in the Us on October 16, is part of the 26-strong main slate unveiled on Wednesday by Nyff director and selection committee chair Kent Jones.

The line-up includes previously announced opening night world premiere The Walk from Robert Zemeckis, closing night world premiere Miles Ahead from Don Cheadle and Danny Boyle’s Centrepiece selection (but not world premiere) Steve Jobs.

Laura Israel’s Don’t Blink: Robert Frank, a documentary about the life and work of the photographer and filmmaker, gets its world premiere and there are first North American outings for Arnaud Desplechin’s My Golden Days and Stéphane Brizé’s The Measure Of A Man.

The roster includes Us premieres for:

Arabian Nights, Miguel GomesThe...

Rushes collects news, articles, images, videos and more for a weekly roundup of essential items from the world of film.Above: The trailer for Alejandro González Iñárritu's The Revenant, his follow-up to Birdman.Mubi has signed its first theatrical deal, to distribute Miguel Gomes' beautiful three-part epic Arabian Nights in the UK.The big news of the week is the theft of F.W. Murnau's head. No kidding.At Film Comment, Portuguese master Pedro Costa, subject of a retrospective at New York's Film Society of Lincoln Center, has written on Howard Hawks' Land of the Pharaohs, which Costa has selected to show in his carte blanche program there.Above: Tony Zhao's Every Frame a Painting series of video essays continues with Chuck Jones - The Evolution of an Artist."The sheer amount of Woody Allen films means that each one—especially the less sensational among them—seems to lose its identity.

Hong Sang-soo's Right Now, Wrong Then.The lineup for the 2015 festival has been revealed, including new films by Hong Sang-soo, Andrzej Zulawski, Chantal Akerman, Athina Rachel Tsangari, and others, alongside retrospectives and tributes dedicated to Sam Peckinpah, Michael Cimino, Bulle Ogier, and much more.Piazza GRANDERicki and the Flash (Jonathan Demme, USA)La belle saison (Catherine Corsini, France)Le dernier passage (Pascal Magontier, France)Der staat gegen Fritz Bauer (Lars Kraume, Germany)Southpaw (Antoine Fuqua, USA)Trainwreck (Judd Apatow, USA)Jack (Elisabeth Scharang, Austria)Floride (Philippe Le Guay, France)The Deer Hunter (Michael Cimino, UK/USA)Erlkönig (Georges Schwizgebel, Switzerland)Guibord s'en va-t-en guerre (Philippe Falardeau, Canada)Bombay Velvet (Anurag Kashyap, India)Pastorale cilentana (Mario Martone, Italy)La vanite (Lionel Baier, Switzerland/France)The Laundryman (Lee Chung, Taiwan)Me and Earl and the Dying Girl (Alfonso Gomez-Rejon, USA) I pugni ni tasca (Marco Bellocchio, Italy)Heliopolis (Sérgio Machado, Brazil)Amnesia (Barbet Schroeder,...

Among the highlights of the just-announced lineup for the 68th Locarno Film Festival: Hong Sang-soo's Right Now, Wrong Then, Andrzej Zulawski’s Cosmos, Chantal Akerman's No Home Movie, Athina Rachel Tsangari's Chevalier, Benjamín Naishtat’s El Moviemiento, Jonathan Demme's Ricki and the Flash, Antoine Fuqua’s Southpaw, Anurag Kashyap's Bombay Velvet, José Luis Guerin's L’Accademia delle Muse, Nathan Silver's Riot, a Sam Peckinpah retrospective, tributes to Marco Bellocchio, Walter Murch, Bulle Ogier, Edward Norton, Michael Cimino, Alex Phillips, Andy Garcia—and more. » - David Hudson...

Among the highlights of the just-announced lineup for the 68th Locarno Film Festival: Hong Sang-soo's Right Now, Wrong Then, Andrzej Zulawski’s Cosmos, Chantal Akerman's No Home Movie, Athina Rachel Tsangari's Chevalier, Benjamín Naishtat’s El Moviemiento, Jonathan Demme's Ricki and the Flash, Antoine Fuqua’s Southpaw, Anurag Kashyap's Bombay Velvet, José Luis Guerin's L’Accademia delle Muse, Nathan Silver's Riot, a Sam Peckinpah retrospective, tributes to Marco Bellocchio, Walter Murch, Bulle Ogier, Edward Norton, Michael Cimino, Alex Phillips, Andy Garcia—and more. » - David Hudson...

World premieres for new films by Athina Rachel Tsangari, Hong Sangsoo, Ben Rivers; Southpaw, Trainwreck among Piazza Grande titles.

The 68th Locarno Film Festival (August 5-15) will open with Jonathan Demme’s musical comedy-drama Ricki And The Flash, in which Meryl Streep stars as a musician who tries to make things right with her family after giving up everything to pursue her dream of rock-and-roll stardom.

Written by Diablo Cody, the film gets a Piazza Grande berth alongside Judd Apatow’s Trainwreck, Alfonso Gomez-Rejon’s Me And Earl And The Dying Girl, Catherine Corsini’s La Belle Saison and Antoine Fuqua’s Southpaw.

Also playing is Michael Cimino’s The Deer Hunter. Cimino is being honoured with a Pardo D’onore Swisscom and will be taking part in an onstage conversation.

14 of the 18 films competing in the festival’s International Competition section for the Golden Leopard Award are world premieres including Andrzej Zulawski’s Cosmos, Ben Rivers’ The Sky...

Daddy’s Home Trailer. Sean Anders and John Morris‘s Daddy’s Home (2015) movie trailer stars Mark Wahlberg, Will Ferrell, Linda Cardellini, and Paul Scheer. Daddy’s Home‘s plot synopsis: “When a divorced guy’s ex-wife re-marries someone way more uptight, he re-enters her life and wreaks havoc.”

Mark Wahlberg has solidified himself as a viable comedic asset ever since Ted blew up the box-office. He was hysterical at various points in Boogie Nights, but that was a far more successful showcase for his dramatic chops than anything else. Bit parts in things like Date Night helped ramp up his official entry to comedy, and Ted just cemented that ability to transition in and out of it. This is now the second time Wahlberg joins Ferrell in a comedy – the two were in The Other Guys together in 2010.

Daddy’s Home reminds strongly of Step Brothers, though this time,...

Wisconson-based regional filmmaker Bill Rebane’s no-budget wonder ($300k to be exact) The Giant Spider Invasion was a hilariously cheesy 1975 throwback to the giant-monster flicks of the 50s, a trend then enjoying a revival with films like Empire Of The Ants and Food Of The Gods. This outrageous mix of giant monster motifs and backwoods sleaze plays like a hybrid of Tarantula and The Blob with its mixture of giant spiders and falling meteors. I saw The Giant Spider Invasion at the long-shuttered Ellisville Cinema in West St. Louis County (on a double bill with the David Niven vampire comedy Old Dracula). I recall the poster in the lobby which featured a gargantuan spider bearing down on a group of terrified people. In the air above the mega-arachnid was three helicopters and lying crumpled at the spider’s legs were burning cars as spotlights filled the sky. One of the...

In 2008, actor and filmmaker Christopher Denham wrote and directed what’s still one of the more underrated films in the contemporary phenomenon of Pov horror. That film, Home Movie, was an eerie, intimate and ghastly account of two children terrorizing their parents. Since, Denham has been seen in the likes of Sound of My Voice,…

The post Exclusive Clip: Christopher Denham’s Survival Horror, Preservation appeared first on Shock Till You Drop.

Six years ago, an actor named Christopher Denham made a tight little “found footage” film called Home Movie. I picked it up on a whim at the Rue Morgue Festival of Fear/Toronto Fan Expo since it wasn’t available in America at the time. I really dug it and while Denham hasn’t been quiet on his acting career – working in Argo, The Bay, a couple of episodes of The Following and Sound of My Voice. I was hoping to see his directorial follow-up a lot sooner. We got a trailer for his follow-up to Home Movie, Preservation. Yes, it looks like a little bit of a twist on a familiar plot stemmed from the short story The Most Dangerous Game but who cares. I’m always up for a survival tale. Check out the trailer & poster below.

Synopsis:

Preservation follows brothers Sean (Schreiber), a recently returned veteran, and...

The film convention circuit is one of the best places to sell an indie feature or get a project off the ground. One stop on the horizon is the American Film Market in Santa Monica, which is “a great place to pitch your project or film - if you have a plan.” What’s the plan for the Nov. 5-12 confab? Luckily organizers have a guide for producers with a finished film and actor-creators looking to network with executives. Start by figuring out which attending companies to target and then rehearse. More tips and details about the event are here. Other upcoming L.A. events include: Unsolved Mystery Solved: Author William J. Mann Reads from 'Tinseltown: Murder, Morphine and Madness at the Dawn of Hollywood' Oct. 16 at 7 p.m. Book Soup 8818 W. Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood Click here for details. Screen Your Home Movie Oct. 18 from 11 a.m.-4 p.

After collecting film fest preems at Tribeca Film Festival and Fantasia, writer-director Christopher Denham’s sophomore film has landed a sweet deal with The Orchard. Deadline reports that Preservation will open in a 10-market theatrical run along with digital, cable, home video, and satellite premiere in January.

Gist: This is about Wit (Wrenn Schmidt), an anesthesiologist who sets out on a hunting expedition to a forest preserve with her husband (Aaron Staton), a hedge fund manager, and her ex-marine brother, Sean (Pablo Schreiber). When both are captured, Wit has to unleash her animal instincts to avoid being the next prey.

Worth Noting: Home Movie, Denham’s 2008 found footage film got picked up for VOD release via IFC Films.

Do We Care?: We’re not entirely sure how this measures up in the city folk fighting for survivial in the woods horror subgenre, but this is strategically being fitted for...

Preservation has found a home at The Orchard, reports Deadline. The film - which falls in line with Shock Till You Drop's partnership with The Orchard - had its premiere at Tribeca earlier this year and will play to Los Angeles audiences at Screamfest next month.

Wrenn Schmidt, Aaron Staton, Pablo Schreiber, Jennifer Dubin and Cora Olson star for director Christopher Denham who also directed 2008's Home Movie. Denham is an actor as well, having starred in films like Argo and Forgetting the Girl.

The post Christopher Denham’s Preservation Finds a U.S. Distributor appeared first on Shock Till You Drop.

Exclusive: The Orchard has acquired North American rights to horror-thriller Preservation, from writer-director Christopher Denham. As an actor, Denham’s credits include Argo, Shutter Island, Sound Of My Voice, and Wgn America’s nuclear drama Manhattan. Preservation marks his second film as writer-director following 2008’s Home Movie. Pablo Schreiber (Orange Is The New Black, The Wire), Aaron Staton (Mad Men), and Wrenn Schmidt (Boardwalk Empire) star in the tale of brothers Sean and Mike, who embark on a hunting trip deep into an overgrown nature preserve with Mike’s wife. When the trio finds their gear stolen, fear and paranoia take over. Preservation debuted in April at the Tribeca Film Festival, where the Orchard also picked up horror pic The Canal. As with that October 10 release, the Orchard will co-market Preservation with horror brand Shock Til You Drop. Preservation will open in a 10-market theatrical run along with digital, cable,...

Following previous announcements of their film lineup, the Fantasia International Film Festival has released their full lineup of movies to be shown at the 18th Annual festival, starting July 17.

New additions to the lineup include 2014 Cannes Selection When Animals Dream, directed by Jonas Alexander Amby and the return of Fantasia’s showcase of animated films, Axis.

Tickets for the festival go on sale starting July 16, and the festival runs through August 5.

View the whole press release of additional announcements below:

Fantasia Celebrates Its 18th Birthday

With Over 160 Feature Films Montreal, Thursday July 10, 2014 – 2014 is the year that Fantasia turns 18. We can’t believe it either. Fantasia’s 18th birthday means over 160 features and something in the neighborhood of 300 shorts, many being shown for the first time on this continent, a good number screening here for the first time anywhere in the world.In addition to being stacked with a multitude of breathtaking debut filmmaker discoveries,...

The line-up for this year's Film4 FrightFest in London has just been announced – and boy, is it a doozy! Sporting a record-breaking 38 UK/European premieres and 11 world premieres, this August is going to be an exciting time in the genre calendar.

Check it all out right here, including lots of new images!

This year Film4 FrightFest will be moving from its previous home at Leicester Square's Empire Cinema to the nearby Vue Cinema (also on Leicester Square), prompting an ingenious reshuffle of the screening arrangements.

All main screen films will be presented at different times across three different screens, with two extra screens reserved for single-slot screenings of the various films hitting this year's Discovery Screens.

Here's the full list of goodies:

Main Screens (5, 6, 7)

Thursday Aug 21

Opening Night Film - The Guest (UK Premiere)

Director: Adam Wingard. Cast: Dan Stevens, Maika Monroe, Brendan Meyer, Sheila Kelley, Leland Orser. USA 2014. 99 mins.

Film4 FrightFest 2014, returning for its 15th year, unveils its biggest line-up ever. From Thurs 21 August to Monday 25 August, the UK’s leading event for genre fans will be at the Vue West End, Leicester Square, to present sixty-four films plus twenty shorts across five screens. There are sixteen countries representing five continents with a record-breaking thirty-eight UK or European premieres and eleven world premieres.

Are you ready for a monstrous and memorable mayhem of killer claws, cannibalism, cult classics, murderous musicals, chiller thrillers, graphic novel action and sick celluloid masterpieces? Then prepare yourself for the biggest, strongest and most eclectic must-see programme in Film4 FrightFest’s history.

From the opening night turbo-driven thrill-ride The Guest to the UK premiere of the closing night mesmeric sci-fi fantasy The Signal, FrightFest has netted the latest works from genre big-hitters such as Eli Roth (The Green Inferno), Alan Moore and Mitch Jenkins (Show...

​Christopher Denham's Preservation has its Tribeca premiere this weekend and we've got a sneak peek via a clip for you here. The film is looking for distribution, so this is indeed an "early look." Wrenn Schmidt, Aaron Staton, Pablo Schreiber, Jennifer Dubin and Cora Olson star for Denham who also directed 2008's Home Movie.

The post Early Clip Release Offers Sneak Peek at Preservation appeared first on Shock Till You Drop.

The Tribeca Film Festival is in full swing, which means an array of quality dramas will be on display for audiences. But sometimes, you just want to feel you pulse quicken and have a good old fashioned thrill, and that's what Christopher Denham ("Home Movie") is hoping to provide with his sophomore directorial effort, "Preservation." Starring Pablo Schreiber ("Orange is the New Black"), Aaron Staton ("Mad Men"), and Wrenn Schmidt ("Boardwalk Empire"), the story follows brothers Sean and Mike Neary, along with Mike’s wife Wit, who head out on a hunting trip in the woods. But when all of their gear is stolen, they immediately turn on each other deep within this nature preserve, and it's a tale of the hunter and hunted that takes on some new twists. And in this exclusive clip, we see the wounded Mike and Wit take cover in a ranger station, and make an ambitious plan.

Writer-director Christopher Denham's Preservation will make its debut at the Tribeca Film Festival and we've got two new images from the film to show off. Wrenn Schmidt, Aaron Staton, Pablo Schreiber, Jennifer Dubin and Cora Olson star for Denham who also directed 2008's Home Movie. He has also starred in Argo, Sound of My Voice, Shutter Island and Forgetting the Girl.

The post New Photos from Christopher Denham’s Preservation appeared first on Shock Till You Drop.

It's been awhile since last we heard anything regarding Christopher Denham's new film, Preservation, but with the European Film Market now looming in the distance, we have an update for you cats! Read on!

From the Press Release

Xyz Films announces that it has picked up worldwide sales rights to writer/director Christopher Denham’s latest horror/thriller, Preservation, starring Wrenn Schmidt ("Boardwalk Empire"), Aaron Staton ("Mad Men"), and Pablo Schreiber (HBO's upcoming "The Brink," "Orange Is the New Black").

Jennifer Dubin and Cora Olson of Present Pictures are producing, with executive producing duties handled by Connie Cummings and Anne Renton of Certainty Films. Preservation will be introduced to buyers by Xyz Films at the European Film Market in February.

In the film, Wit (Schmidt), a brainy anesthesiologist, heads out on a hunting trip in a forest preserve with her husband, Mike (Staton), a hedge fund manager, and his brother,...

Xyz Films has acquired worldwide sales to Christopher Denham’s horror thriller and will introduce to buyers in Berlin.

Familiar TV faces Wrenn Schmidt (pictured) of Boardwalk Empire, Aaron Staton of Mad Men and Pablo Schreiber of Orange Is The New Black will star.

Preservation centres on an anesthesiologist on a hunting trip with her husband and brother-in-law who fights back when the men are captured.

Jennifer Dubin and Cora Olson of Present Pictures are producing and Connie Cummings and Anne Renton of Certainty Films serve as executive producers.

Denham recently wrote and directed IFC release Home Movie.

Xyz Films’ Efm slate includes Kevin Smith horror film Tusk, The Dead Lands and Sundance selection Life After Beth.

Although mainstream horror cinema has been slow to churn out titles, and as of late seems to have opted to focus primarily on remaking the classics of yesteryear, there is a vast quantity of low budget and independent titles coming out every week. Due to limited means and the microscopic marketing budgets associated with independent filmmaking, it’s easy for quality films to slip through the cracks. In response to that, we created this recurring segment to explore titles that might have flown under your radar. [If you missed out on our previous lists of forgotten gems, follow the links to Part One and Part Two of our series.] As we’ve mentioned before, we think it a travesty that well-made titles are going largely unnoticed by the genre film community and being placed on the back burner in favor of sometimes tepid theatrical releases. In an effort to remedy that, we're offering up five titles from the past five years that you may have missed... but should definitely see. Hopefully, even those...

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will kick off a day-long celebration of home movies on Saturday, October 12, at noon, with “Home Movie Day Los Angeles,” a free event that welcomes Angelenos, their families and friends to watch their personal home movies on the big screen.

At 7 p.m. the Academy will present “Hollywood Home Movies IV,” which will feature specially selected home movies from Hollywood’s Golden Age, including footage of such luminaries as Lucille Ball, Humphrey Bogart, Billie Burke, Marlene Dietrich, Walt Disney, Mitzi Gaynor, Betty Grable, Cary Grant, Jean Harlow, Shirley Jones and Florenz Ziegfeld.

In addition to intimate glimpses of celebrities at work and play, the program includes 1935 footage of Atlantic City, Satchel Paige pitching in an exhibition game at Los Angeles’ Wrigley Field, Billy Gilbert’s Uso troupe performing during World War II, and the wrap party for “It’s a Wonderful Life.

After a recent limited theatrical engagement, it has been announced that a Jug Face Blu-ray and DVD release will take place in October:

“Mvd Entertainment Group and Modern Distributors announced today that the Slamdance Film Festival favorite Jug Face, written and directed by Chad Crawford Kinkle, will be available on Blu-ray and DVD on October 15th, 2013. The film was produced by Andrew van den Houten (“Funeral Kings,” ‘’The Woman”) and Robert Tonino (‘’Home Movie,” “The Girl Next Door”) for Modernciné, and stars Lauren Ashley Carter (“The Woman”), Sean Bridgers (“Deadwood”), Sean Young (“Blade Runner”), Larry Fessenden (“You’re Next”) and Daniel Manche (“The Girl Next Door”). The film was executive produced by Lucky McKee, Arrien Schiltkamp and Loren Semmens. Jug Face won the Slamdance Grand Prize Screenwriting Award in 2011 and debuted as a Special Screening selection at this year’s festival. The critically acclaimed film was released nationally in theaters on August 9th.