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Actor Akili McDowell has been arrested and charged with murder in connection with the shooting death of a 20-year-old man. On July 20, deputies from the Harris County Sheriff’s Office responded to reports of a shooting in the parking lot of an apartment complex at 13503 North Thorntree in East Harris County, Houston, Texas.

Authorities have confirmed that 21-year-old Akili McDowell, known for his roles in shows like Billions, David Makes Man, and The Astronaut Wives Club has been charged with murder.

McDowell’s Acting Career

McDowell’s breakout role came in the 2015 series The Astronaut Wives Club, and he later starred in Criminal Activities and Billions. He is also set to appear in the upcoming movie The Waterboyz.

McDowell is recognized for his role in the series David Makes Man, created by Oscar winner Tarell Alvin McCraney and loosely based on his life.

McDowell portrayed the titular character, a teenage prodigy from the projects,...

Cannes, 1978. That’s when John Travolta realized his life had changed. The month before, the New Jersey sitcom kid’s first starring film role in “Saturday Night Fever” had disco-danced him all the way to the Oscars. He lost, but here he was walking into the Hotel du Cap with his parents, past the topiaries, across the white marble floors, and “Bam!” says Travolta, still astonished by the memory, “I was on the cover of Time magazine.”

“Travolta Fever” it screamed. In the photo, he was wearing a white suit and dancing. Of course he was. It was the way America pictured him. But for the first time, 24-year-old Travolta realized he’d gone global. “It was surreal,” he says from his home in Los Angeles. “I was clocking for the first time the magnitude of what was happening to me. And little did I know that ‘Grease’” — the movie...

John Travolta’s comeback in the 1990s is one of the more famous in American stardom. In the 1970s, Travolta became one of the biggest draws around thanks to “Grease” and “Saturday Night Fever,” but spent much of the 1980s in a series of disappointments, culminating in the “Look Who’s Talking” franchise.But then, Quentin Tarantino came knocking with “Pulp Fiction,” and Travolta became an even bigger star than before, with a run of terrific movies including “Get Shorty,” “Face/Off,” “The Thin Red Line” and “Primary Colors.”

If that was a peak, recent years have been something of a trough: Travolta’s recent films have mostly, like similar actors of his vintage, been cheap VOD jobs with titles you’ve not heard of like “The Forger,” “Life On The Line,” “Criminal Activities” and “I Am Wrath” (with Ti West’s underrated, underseen “In A Valley Of Violence” a...

Comic readers who are fans of Blood & Gourd can now download the first two issues of the series on ComiXology. Also in today's Highlights: a Q&A with Havenhurst director Andrew C. Erin, a clip and a trailer for Blind Sun, Mystery Science Theater 3000 Volume 38 DVD release details, Arbor Demon acquisition info, and the trailer for Plaga Zombie: American Invasion.

Blood & Gourd Comixology Digital Download Details: The first two issues of Blood & Gourd are now available as digital downloads on ComiXology! If you prefer to collect your comics in physical form, you can limited print copies at bloodandgourd.com.

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Q&A with Havenhurst Director Andrew C. Erin: From the Press Release: "Brainstorm Media and Twisted Pictures have announced the February 10th limited theatrical and nationwide Cable VOD and Digital HD release of Andrew C. Erin's Havenhurst. Co-written by Erin (Sam's Lake, Simple Things) and Daniel Farrands (Amityville: The Awakening,...

Daily Dead recently interviewed Bushwick star Dave Bautista and co-directors Jonathan Milott and Cary Murnion at the Sundance Film Festival, and following the thriller’s world premiere at the fest’s Midnight program, Rlj Entertainment has already acquired Bushwick for Us distribution.

A theatrical release date for Bushwick, which also stars Brittany Snow, is not yet known, but we’ll keep Daily Dead readers updated when more details are announced. In the meantime, we have the official press release with more information:

Press Release: Los Angeles, CA (January 27, 2017) – Xyz Films and Wme Global have announced that they have sold the U.S. rights for the Sundance action thriller Bushwick to Rlj Entertainment in a seven-figure deal for a theatrical release. The film, which was directed by Cary Murnion and Jonathan Milott (Cooties), made its world premiere at the festival. The film stars Dave Bautista and Brittany Snow. In addition, talks...

Ti West enters the Wild West with his newest film, In a Valley of Violence. Starring Ethan Hawke, John Travolta, and Jumpy the dog, the revenge Western will come out firing on Blu-ray and DVD this December from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment.

Press Release: Universal City, California, October 26, 2016 – A mysterious drifter enters a forgotten town in the edgy action film, In a Valley of Violence, available now on Digital HD and on Blu-ray™ and DVD on December 27, 2016 from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment. From acclaimed director, Ti West (The Sacrament, The Innkeepers), and famed producer Jason Blum (Insidious, The Visit), the film stars Academy Award® nominees; John Travolta (The People v. O.J. Simpson, Criminal Activities) and Ethan Hawke (Sinister 2, Maggie’s Plan). The In a Valley of Violence Blu-ray™ and DVD include bonus content that takes viewers on a wild ride behind the scenes with an exciting inside look at the making of the film.

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We check out the John Travolta films that have been bypassing cinemas over the past few years...

In the days leading up to writing this article, which will cover a recent period in which he’s made a bunch of films that have quickly drifted to DVD or VOD, I had to stop and ask myself a genuine question: how do I actually feel about John Travolta?

The answer that rose from the depths of my coal-black, hell-bound soul was weirdly surprising. Brushing aside his personal life – which is not worth getting into here – I found I had nothing but good feelings surrounding his work as an actor.

I grew up with Carrie, Grease, Look Who’s Talking and perhaps his best film, Brian De Palma’s Blow Out. I also grew up with some of his clunkers, like the Look Who’s Talking sequels and 80s concept comedy The Experts. He’s been acting since before I was born, so he’s always been in the background of my pop culture landscape – working solidly for more than 40 years.

Over those decades, his catalogue has defied explanation. He seems to unapologetically pick whatever he feels moved to be a part of regardless of criticism and, goddamn it, there’s something inherently admirable about that. Unlike, say, Bruce Willis, he doesn’t seem happy with doing just a couple of days work on a shoot in a smaller part; more often he will choose to be the star, or at least have equal-ish screen time – even if the project isn’t boasting a huge budget or a big name director. When Pulp Fiction thrust him back into the mainstream, he was still picking up stuff like Phenomenon and Michael in the following years.

I can confidently say that I’ve never seen the man actively 'phone in' a performance and even when he’s overcooked it, there’s usually a decent reason. I mean, if you find yourself on the set of Face/Off going up against The Cage, you’re gonna need to fight fire with fire. Even in Battlefield Earth, he was at least trying.

But in the last half decade we’ve found ourselves in a deeper Travolta trough than we’ve ever been in before. His films aren’t quite cutting the mustard in the industry like they used to and, after a run of flops that have seen him drift back into television with an impressive turn as Robert Shapiro in The People V. O.J. Simpson, I find myself wondering 'will Travolta ever be big business again?'

So, I took a look at four of the films that Travolta’s worked on in the last few years - each of which has effectively gone straight to DVD (save for a few days in a cinema) - to see if anything’s slipped under our radar that needs a boost…

The Forger (2014)

Rotten Tomatoes Score – 7% IMDb Rating – 5.7/10

In The Forger, John Travolta is a man serving a prison sentence who makes a call to get out of it early so he can spend more time with his dying son. In exchange for help with bribing the judge to release him early, John’s expected to help forge a Monet for his erstwhile crime boss, played by Hell On Wheels’ Anson Mount.

As the film casually flits between the forge/heist story and the bonding relationship between John and his son, it’s a testament to director Philip Martin - who comes from a TV background where he’s learnt his trade by helping to bring Prime Suspect and Wallander crime stories to life – that it isn’t a complete disaster. In someone else’s hands, it very well could have been.

Instead, The Forger has a delicate touch and a lot of the shots are interesting and unexpected without being jarring. It flows very smoothly and there’s an undercurrent of genuine love stemming from Travolta’s performance. After losing his own son, making a film about losing a son might have been cathartic and definitely quite close to the bone. I don’t want to read too much into Travolta’s choices, because that way madness lies, but it does really come across as though he cared about this one.

The Forger’s family scenes - with Travolta’s son Tye Sheridan and father Christopher Plummer - play really well, and while the tone of these scenes doesn’t gel with the heist elements of the plot, there’s good stuff here.

Overall, there’s not quite enough substance to sail the whole thing smoothly down the river, but it’s not bad by any stretch and the reviews have been a little harsh on what is actually a perfectly average film. No, you won’t watch it again, but neither will you probably regret watching it in the first place.

Criminal Activities (2015)

Rotten Tomatoes Score – 47% IMDb Rating – 5.8/10

Hoo boy, that title. That’s the worst title. I can’t imagine anyone involved could have wanted it. It’s maybe the most generic title I’ve ever seen. It’s so bad that even when I picked up the DVD, looked at the cover and saw that Michael Pitt (Hannibal, Boardwalk Empire) and Dan Stevens (The Guest, The Guest, The Guest) were Travolta’s co-stars in this, I still felt like I was drowning in the beigeness of it.

The film itself - Jackie Earle Haley's directorial debut - is an unfortunate mess. The plot, such as it is, involves Michael, Dan and the rest of the lads from their childhood gang borrowing money from a mob boss (Travolta) to invest in some sure-fire stocks that immediately collapse, leaving them out of pocket and in John’s. To pay off the debt, he wants them to kidnap a guy, because that guy’s friend kidnapped someone else. It’s convoluted and makes little sense, due to the fact that there’s a big twist coming at the end which will clarify most, if not all of it.

The actors are doing wayyy too much in the film - directed by an actor who clearly wants the actors to have room to act - and therein lies the fundamental problem. Apart from a great turn by Edi Gathegi (Gone Baby Gone, X-Men: First Class, Crank) it’s impossible to point a finger at anyone else in the cast and say 'yep, you, good job' because there’s just too much going on.

The twist is actually decent, but everything leading up to it is a headache. Working on a low budget, most of the scenes are dialogue-heavy, arduous and reliant on excessive coverage – so what you end up with is a film where a load of dudes sit in a room together and shout and swear at each other a lot. I wanted to take that final twist aside, buy it a drink, hug it, and reassure it that it deserved better.

I’m afraid to say there’s not much here to recommend, which is ironic given that it’s had the most positive reviews of the bunch.

I Am Wrath (2016)

Rotten Tomatoes Score – 13% IMDb Rating – 5.2/10

I Am Wrath is the worst film of these four by a long chalk.

Here, John stars as a man who decides payback is needed when his wife (Rebecca de Mornay) is killed before his eyes. That’s really all there is, plot-wise. See, it turns out he’s a man with a very particular set of skills and yada yada yada off he goes.

The script - written by Paul 'nope, nothing you’ve heard of' Sloan - is so very, very bad. I am going to tell you how bad it is, so you don’t think I’m just whistlin’ Dixie here:

During his wife’s funeral, John tells the priest that he’s an atheist after the priest gives him a bible in his time of need. Later, Travolta flings this bible across the room angrily. He then stops, pulls a full Joey Tribbiani 'smell-the-fart', slowly approaches the discarded bible, picks it up and reads a line about wrath with the dumbest revelatory expression on his face as the music builds. He sees this as a sign that he should become wrath, despite his earlier insistence that he thinks religion is total garbage.

Later, when asked who he is, Travolta looks determinedly into a mirror and says “I am wrath” – he said the name of the movie you guys! Holy shit. Honestly, I could not believe how hackneyed the whole thing was, not to mention bizarre - the film regularly abandons its serious 'violence begets violence' tone whenever John’s Bff Christopher Meloni turns up, suddenly becoming a jokey buddy comedy.

This was hard to get through. Please avoid it at all costs, for there is nothing here to keep you warm at night.

Killing Season (2013)

Rotten Tomatoes Score – 11% IMDb Rating – 5.4/10

De Niro and Travolta – together at last?

Well, the opening sequence gives us a bit of background on the reason we’re all here. Something bad happened during the Bosnian War that will bring our two main dudes together for some serious vengeance. The sequence is sepia, because past, and ohhhhh god, here comes the present…

It’s at this point that we discover that John is going to attempt an Eastern European accent. It is Not Good. It is not John Malkovich in Rounders, but it is Not Good and we are stuck with it for the duration.

His facial hair during this first scene is also completely ridiculous. I can’t adequately describe how bonkers it is, but try to imagine a werewolf that can only grow stubble carefully shaving a circle into its face. It’s a relief to find that they decided to tone this down for the rest of the film - he looks more like he’s wearing a black chinstrap from then on.

Despite the accent and the questionable chin beard, it’s a lot easier to buy Travolta as a man on a mission of vengeance during Killing Season than it was during I Am Wrath. He’s obviously jazzed to be working with De Niro and he’s knuckled down to bounce off him, keeping it low-key and making an effort not to overdo it.

As a result of this equilibrium, we also get a glimpse of a pre-Meet The Parents De Niro - which is very much welcomed, sweet lord - and the two men head into the second act ready to take each other on, hunt each other down and resolve those Bosnian sins of the past in the most violent way possible.

The script - by proposed Tomb Raider reboot scribe Evan Daugherty - occasionally stumbles, but is solid enough. The direction is fine. It’s fine. It’s probably Mark Steven Johnson’s best film (but when his other major films are Daredevil and Ghost Rider, that’s not exactly a gush) and as the two leads hunt and trap each other, a lot of Predator love oozes out of the frame. Unfortunately, this is not Predator, but you could do worse on an evening than to sit through this instead (if you don’t own Predator).

…Oh my god you guys. We should totally watch Predator right now.

Until next time, and until the next rebirth of Mr Travolta, I bid you adieu.

Next time: the straight to DVD movies of John Cusack

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See related Bruce Willis: examining his recent straight-to-dvd movies DVD & Bluray Feature Movies Kirsten Howard John Travolta 14 Jun 2016 - 05:16 The Forger I Am Wrath Criminal Activities Killing Season...

Almost Human writer/director Joe Begos’ latest film, The Mind’s Eye, has been acquired for North American distribution by Rlj Entertainment:

Press Release: Los Angeles, April 12, 2016 – Rlj Entertainment (Nasdaq: Rlje) has acquired all North American rights to the thriller, The Mind’S Eye. Written and directed by Joe Begos, the film reunites him with his Almost Human film star Graham Skipper, along with cast members Lauren Ashley Carter (Premium Rush, The Woman), John Speredakos (The House of the Devil), and Noah Segan (Some Kind of Hate, Looper). Rlje plans to release The Mind’S Eye in theaters and On Demand later this year. Mark Ward, Rlj Entertainment’s Chief Acquisitions Officer, made the announcement today.

The Mind’S Eye made its world premiere at last year’s Toronto International Film Festival and won the award for Best Director, Horror Feature at the 2015 Fantastic Fest.

“Joe has an amazing...

Ethan Hawke and Paul Giamatti star in the upcoming world premiere drama set in the world of baseball.

Rlj Entertainment has acquired Us rights from Wme to Noah Buschel’s film, which will premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York on April.

The Phenom centres on a major league rookie pitcher with a confidence crisis who is dispatched to the minor leagues to work with an unorthodox sports psychologist as tensions with his overbearing father bubble to the surface.

Antonia Bogdanovich produced alongside Jeff Elliott, Kim Jose, and Jeff Rice. Johnny Simmons and Sophie Kennedy Clark round out the key cast.

Rlj Entertainment plans to release The Phenom in theatres and VOD on June 24.

The distributor’s recent features include Bone Tomahawk, Criminal Activities, The Cobbler, and the upcoming controversy-hit Nina Simone biopic Nina starring Zoe Saldana.

The first notion presented in Criminal Activities, the directorial debut of Watchmen's Jackie Earle Haley, is a common and precise one: life is unpredictable, one day you are here and the next moment you can be gone. Even if the film literally begins with a sudden death, which makes a priest talk about said notion, we, as the audience, might feel that the script is sort of justifying the abrupt change in the course of its protagonists' lives. Four former high school friends reunite for the funeral of one of their schoolmates; they all have decent jobs, however, a few days after the funeral they will be involved in a matter of life or death, owning a ton of money to a local mob boss (John Travolta)....

[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...

At a loss for what to watch this week? From new DVDs and Blu-rays, to what's streaming on Netflix, we've got you covered.

New on DVD and Blu-ray

"Steve Jobs"The 2016 Academy Awards are getting close now, and this week you have the opportunity to catch up with a lot of the nominated films and stars. Michael Fassbender is nominated for Best Actor for the role of Apple genius Steve Jobs, with Kate Winslet in the running for Best Supporting Actress. The movie comes out on Blu-ray Combo Pack, DVD, and On Demand Tuesday, February 16. Blu-ray and DVD bonus features include the making-of-documentary, "Inside Jobs: The Making of Steve Jobs," plus feature commentary with director Danny Boyle, writer Aaron Sorkin, and editor Elliot Graham.

Check out this exclusive clip from "Inside Jobs: The Making of Steve Jobs," with director Danny Boyle and composer Daniel Pemberton discussing...

Jackie Earle Haley is making his directorial debut with the crime flick Criminal Activities. Apart from directing it he also stars in it and has brought on board actors like Michael Pitt and John Travolta. We have been give an exclusive clip to share with you, which you can watch below. Criminal Activities tells the story of four friends stumble into a deal too good to refuse. But when the investment goes bad, they learn that part of their funding came from a notoriously ruthless crime boss... and it's payback time. Now they must successfully kidnap a family member of a rival kingpin in order to erase the life-threatening debt. In way over their heads, if they can complete the assigned task without screwing up, they...

[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...

Title: Criminal Activities Rlj Entertainment Director: Jackie Earle Haley Writer: Robert Lowell Cast: John Travolta, Dan Stevens, Michael Pitt , Jackie Earle Haley, Christopher Abbott, Rob Brown, Edi Gathegi, Running time: 94 minutes Rating: Unrated (Language, violence, drug use, sex, and nudity) In theaters, VOD and iTunes on Friday, November 20th Three high school friends attend the funeral of Matthew (Chris Haley) their ex-classmates that bit the big one by walking in front of a bus. Zach (Michael Pitt, Boardwalk Empire) the pseudo-successful Wall Street schmuck. Warren (Christopher Abbott, Girls) is celebrating 20 days sober. Bryce (Rob Brown, Blindspot) is the level headed one. They decide to meet up at a bar after the funeral to catch up, when  [ Read More ]

The post Criminal Activities Movie Review appeared first on Shockya.com.

“Criminal Activities” is yet another one of those “Clueless regular folks who get into deep criminal shit struggle to come out of the situation alive” dark comedies that were very popular during the post-Tarantino late '90s. Examples like “Suicide Kings” and “Very Bad Things” are just two titles that come to mind after a maximum of five seconds of brainstorming. Right down to its generic title, “Criminal Activities” doesn’t add anything new to the formula, and you can probably predict every single one of its story beats, including the wholly unnecessary twist ending, but I had fun with it nevertheless. This gruesome dark comedy is the feature directorial debut of Jackie Earl Haley, veteran portrayer of some of the creepiest characters from Hollywood’s last decade. Robert Lowell, the American poet who died in 1977, wrote the screenplay decades ago, and Haley updated it and changed the location from Detroit to Cleveland,...

Villains are often the most enticing characters on screen. They draw in their audience; inviting us to hang on to every word they say. Though Edi Gathegi has had many roles in films and on television, some of the most terrifying characters on his resume are some of his most brilliant. You may remember him as Cheese in “Gone Baby Gone,” or more recently you may have been watching his antics as Mr. Solomon on NBC’s “The Blacklist” over the past several weeks. Either way, you’ve probably realized that Edi Gathegi is master storyteller. Gathegi recently sat down with Shadow and Act to talk about his new film “Criminal Activities”, his role on “The Blacklist” and what it’s like to play the bad...

Subliminal Criminal: Haley’s Debut Feloniously Familiar

There’s a certain amount of smarmy appeal to justify Jackie Earle Haley’s attraction to taking on Criminal Activities, the actor’s first stint as director. Updating a script written by Robert Lowell (a man who has been deceased since 1977), Haley updates the action to modern day Cleveland, but this mob affiliated kidnap caper feels exactly like direct-to-video fodder from the mid to late 90’s modeling snappy, impressionistic dialogue around loopy bits of violence and pronounced plot twists, a common template following the success of Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction (1994). An intriguing ensemble cast heightens a certain interest in the film’s rudimentary wiles, but exaggerated characterizations distract from an inevitable plot twist only unexpected because it’s not particularly notable.

Four friends from college are reunited years later following the death of a friend. Noah (Dan Stevens) convinces his buddies Zach...

We all have our pick for the world.s worst movie, and it.s something no one should be afraid to admit. When it comes to Jackie Earle Haley.s filmography though, even the veteran actor can admit that one of his own films deserves that dubious distinction. If you.re one of the many people who hate The Bad News Bears Go To Japan, then you can add Haley himself to your ranks. During an Ama conducted on Reddit earlier today, Haley waxed nostalgic on many of the experiences he.s had in his varied film career. And somewhere, in-between awesome stories on how intense an experience Watchmen was to film, and how his own directorial debut, Criminal Activities, was a joy to make, he found time to set the record straight that even he didn.t respond well to the third and final installment in the little league...

Below, check out the trailer for actor/director Jackie Earle Haley's thriller, "Criminal Activities," which Rlj Entertainment is releasing on November 20th. Written by Robert Lowell, the film follows 4 friends who stumble into a deal too good to refuse. But when the investment goes bad, they learn that part of their funding came from a notoriously ruthless crime boss… and it’s payback time. Now they must successfully kidnap a family member of a rival kingpin in order to erase the life-threatening debt, putting them in way over their heads. star in this action-packed thriller about insider trading, the Mob and an unrelenting quest for vengeance. The film's ensemble...

German distributor also acquires Martyrs.

German distributor Tiberius Film has confirmed two deals on the eve of Afm.

The company has acquired thriller Criminal Activities starring John Travolta [pictured] and horror Martyrs.

Criminal Activities is about four young men who get involved in a bad deal with a gangster boss played by John Travolta. The cast also includes Dan Stevens, Michael Pitt, Christopher Abbott, Edi Gathegi and Rob Brown.

Tiberius plans the German theatrical release for 2016.

Martyrs, produced by Blumhouse Productions, stars Troian Bellisario, Kate Burton and Bailey Noble. The story, based on Pascal Laugier’s cult classic, is about a young woman who takes revenge on her childhood torturers. Tiberius plans a home entertainment launch in 2016.

The company has also struck a deal with Sky Vision on a package of documentaries including The Secret Routes of Migratory Birds.

Wolfgang Carl, Managing Director of Tiberius Film, said: “Diversity in our movies is very important to us, so we are...

Michael Pitt and Dan Stevens are the worst criminals ever in the trailer for Criminal Activities.

The madcap comedy stars and is directed by Jackie Earle Haley – and features John Travolta with some truly crazy hair.

Michael Pitt, Christopher Abbott, Rob Brown and Dan Stevens are small-time crooks who somehow get roped in with a conniving mob boss (Travolta).

In order to clear a massive debt, the foursome have to mastermind a criminal caper they are woefully unprepared for.

Needless to say, this caper is a long way from Downton Abbey for Dan Stevens.

Criminal Activities opens on November 20 in Us cinemas. A UK release is yet to be set.

Four friends who owe a mobster a lot of money are sent on a suicide mission to repay the debt in the trailer for thriller Criminal Activities. A sure investment that was supposed to make four friends millionaires goes south, along with all their money. The problem is one of them borrowed his part of the investment […]

Read John Travolta is Involved in Some Criminal Activities on Filmonic.

Four friends stumble into a deal too good to refuse. But when the investment goes bad, they learn that part of their funding came from a notoriously ruthless crime boss… and it’s payback time. Now, they must successfully kidnap a family member of a rival kingpin in order to erase the life-threatening debt. In way over their heads, if they can complete the assigned task without screwing up, they just might escape with their lives. John Travolta (Pulp Fiction), Michael Pitt (“Boardwalk Empire”) and Dan Stevens (“Downton Abbey”) star in this action-packed thriller about insider trading, the Mob and an unrelenting quest for vengeance. The new movie stars Michael Pitt, [ Read More ]

The post Criminal Activities Gets A New Movie Poster and Trailer appeared first on Shockya.com.

After a long, respectable career in front of the camera, Jackie Earle Haley takes charge behind the camera for the first time with Criminal Activities. Haley’s directorial debut stars Dan Stevens, Michael Pitt, Christopher Abbott, and Rob Brown as four young men who get in over their heads with a mobster, played by John Travolta. Check out the Criminal Activities trailer after the […]

The post ‘Criminal Activities’ Trailer: John Travolta Leads Jackie Earle Haley’s Directorial Debut appeared first on /Film.

After working with Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorsese, Todd Field, and more, the talented Jackie Earle Haley has completed his directorial debut, Criminal Activities. Assembling quite a cast, including John Travolta, Dan Stevens, Michael Pitt, Christopher Abbott, Rob Brown and Edi Gathegi, we now have the first trailer for the mob ahead of a November release.

The story follows four old friends who act on an inside stock tip and invest in a “sure thing,” only to discover the deal going south while putting them in trouble with the mob. Considering the caliber of the cast (notably Stevens and Abbott, who have excelled in the last few years) and Haley’s acting pedigree, we’re intrigued, but unfortunately the trailer sells a bit of a cheap-looking crime drama, one that’s arriving with little buzz. Nonetheless, check out the preview below.

Criminal Activities hits theaters and VOD on November 20th.

Dan Stevens will romance Anne Hathaway in Voltage Picture's sci-fi package “Colossal,” for sale at Afm, per Variety. CAA is handling domestic rights. Since he left hit PBS series “Downton Abbey,” Stevens has been busy. He carried indie thriller “The Guest,” and played supporting roles in “A Walk Among the Tombstones,” "The Fifth Estate," "The Cobbler," and “Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb.” Up next is another indie, “Criminal Activities,” and Beast opposite Emma Watson's Belle in Disney’s live-action “Beauty and the Beast.” Read More: Dan Stevens Left 'Downton Abbey' to Make a Rash of Movies Jason Sudeikis, Tim Blake Nelson and Austin Stowell co-star in "Colossal" for Spanish writer-director Nacho Vigalondo ("Timecrimes"). The movie currently filming in Vancouver stars Hathaway as a New Yorker who returns to her hometown with neither job or boyfriend (Stevens). She has some kind of empathic connection to a huge monster.

Read More: Josh Duhamel and a Shotgun Get 'Lost in the Sun' in Exclusive Poster A new clip has been released for "Lost in the Sun," a drama following the road-trip-turned-crime-spree of a small-time criminal and the young orphan who joins him along the way. Josh Duhamel stars as John, who finds an unlikely partner in the orphan Louis. Together, the two pull off a string of robberies and form a close, unexpected bond. In the exclusive clip above, John sits by the campfire with Louis and pontificates on his past mistakes and regret. The rough and withdrawn John tells Louis about his time in jail, saying his mistakes were "no one else's but mine." "Lost in the Sun" will be released in theaters and On Demand on November 6. Read More: Do Not Mess With John Travolta in Exclusive Poster and Stills From 'Criminal Activities'...

Read More: Rlje's Image Entertainment Picks Up Crime Thriller 'Criminal Activities' In "Criminal Activities," a group of friends accidentally make a deal with a crime boss and have to kill a different crime boss to save their skins. The thriller was directed by Jackie Earle Haley in his filmmaking debut. Haley, John Travolta, Michael Pitt  and Dan Stevens star. In an exclusive poster and stills from the film, none of them look happy about their crime-ridden situation. "Criminal Activities" hits theaters, VOD and iTunes on November 20. Read More: John Travolta Action Flick 'I Am Wrath' Acquired by Saban at Cannes Market...

No, you didn't suddenly get transported back to the mid-'90s when indie studios were cranking out undercooked post-"Pulp Fiction" crime comedies by the half dozen. It's 2015, and the genre still exists and not only that, John Travolta is still trading on his Quentin Tarantino approved currency, as seen in this trailer for "Criminal Activities."  Read More: 'Face/Off' Duo Nicolas Cage & John Travolta Looking To Reunite On A Pair Of Projects Marking the directorial debut of Jackie Earle Haley, the movie finds Dan Stevens and Michael Pitt among those earning a paycheck in this story of some ordinary guys who are in debt to the tune of $400,000 to a mobster. He makes them an offer they can't refuse to clear the outstanding balance, but of course, things aren't what they seem and spin wildly out of control. Yawn. You've seen this about five thousand time already. "Criminal Activities...

Darren Lynn Bousman and company's Alleluia! The Devil's Carnival screening tour in the U.S. will commence this August in Los Angeles. Also in this round-up: details on The Charnel House and U.S. release details for the Morituris Blu-ray / DVD.

Alleluia! The Devil's Carnival: In 2012, director Darren Lynn Bousman and his team hit the road and took Lucifer with them, bringing The Devil's Carnival film and accompanying live entertainment to cities across America. Bousman and company are now back to raise a lot of hell and a little heaven in Alleluia! The Devil's Carnival.

Featuring David Hasselhoff, Paul Sorvino as God, and Terrance Zdunich as Lucifer, Alleluia! The Devil's Carnival kicks off its U.S. theater screenings tour on August 11th in Los Angeles. For tour and ticket info, visit:

http://www.thedevilscarnival.com/tickets

"After triumphant collaborations on 2008's Repo! The Genetic Opera and 2012's The Devil's Carnival: Episode One,...

The biggest deals of this year’s Cannes Marché du Film and how the Competition titles sold throughout the festival.

Behind the glamour of this year’s Cannes Film Festival, business was booming at the Marché du Film (May 13-22), with representatives from 120 countries in attendance - up four on 2014.

A total 3,300 films were on offer this year, around 1,000 at the project stage, with an estimated 11,000 film professionals in attendance, in line with last year.

In the opening days, Marché chief Jérôme Paillard told Screen: “Acquisition agents are telling me that it’s the first time in a number of years that there are so many big projects. I’ve been told there are around 50 high profile projects on offer.”

North AmericaHOT Projects

Universal Pictures and Focus Features took worldwide rights to Tom Ford’s upcoming thriller Nocturnal Animals, starring Amy Adams and Jake Gyllenhaal, in a deal reportedly worth $20m. [Story]

Open Road paid...

Read More: Image Entertainment Acquires Indie Horror 'Some Kind of Hate' Image Entertainment has acquired the North American distribution rights to Jackie Early Haley's new film "Criminal Activities." The deal was announced by parent company Rlj's CEO of Image Brands, Mark Ward, who called the film, "A smart, witty extremely commercial thriller with elements of 'Boiler Room' and 'Reservoir Dogs' and an ending you don't see coming." From the official synopsis: "'Criminal Activities' tells the story of four young men who, while acting on an inside tip, invest in a 'sure thing' only to discover the deal going south which putting them in trouble with the mob." Oscar nominee Jackie Earle Haley ("Little Children," "Watchmen") directs and stars in the film, which was written by Robert Lowell. John Travolta ("Pulp Fiction"), Dan Stevens ("Downton Abbey"), Michael Pitt ("Boardwalk Empire"), Christopher...

Image Entertainment acquired the North American and UK rights to Criminal Activities, the Jackie Earle Haley-directed and Robert Lowell-scripted film that stars Haley, John Travolta, Dan Stevens, Michael Pitt, Christopher Abbott, Rob Brown and Edi Gathegi. Film will be released in the fall. Pic tells the story of four young men who, while acting on an inside tip, invest in a “sure thing” only to discover the deal going south while putting them in trouble with the…...

Exclusive: The distributor has acquired North American and UK rights to the John Travolta thriller, which Diamond Pictures is selling on the Croisette.

Jackie Earle Haley directs Criminal Activities from a screenplay by Robert Lowell about four young men who fall foul of the mob when they follow a tip-off.

Haley also stars alongside Dan Stevens, Michael Pitt, Christopher Abbott, Rob Brown and Edi Gathegi.

“This is a smart, witty, extremely commercial thriller with elements of Boiler Room and Reservoir Dogs and an ending you don’t see coming,” said Mark Ward, chief acquisitions officer for the Image brands at Image parent company Rlj Entertainment. “We’re excited to bring this film with a star-studded cast to the big screen.”

Image plans an autumn theatrical release on the film after Ward and Matt Hooper brokered the deal with Wme Global.

Wayne Rice, Howard Burd and Micah Sparks produced and Rodger May, Gayle Nosal and [link...

John Travolta is heading back to TV!

The actor has not been seen consistently on a TV show since Welcome Back Kotter in 1979. Thirty six years later, he will play the role of attorney Robert Shapiro who was part of O.J. Simpson's defense team.

While  American Horror Story and Glee creator Ryan Murphy will serve as executive producer on the series, the 60-year-old actor will also serve as a producer. The FX miniseries is based on Jeffrey Toobin's book The Run of His Life: The People v. O.J. Simpson about the high profile 1995 murder trial in which Simpson was acquitted for the murder of Nicole Brown Simpson.

Photos: Stars Who Have Played Real Life Roles

While it remains to be seen how that famous moment where the leather glove found at the crime scene didn't fit O.J.'s hand will play out on the show, the series will have an all-star cast.

Travolta joins Friends...

Whether you are a filmmaker, or one of the Sundance programmers whose task it is to identify the films that make up a line-up, it is indeed the most wonderful, panic-filled and nerve racking time of the year. The 31st edition of the Sundance Film Festival kicks off on January 22nd with Park City and Salt Lake City playing host to some of the more innovative, thought-provoking narrative and non-fiction films of 2015. Last year, a Jenga tall order of 4,057 features and 8,161 shorts were submitted. Now let’s think about those numbers for a second.

Twenty years ago, Terry Zwigoff’s Crumb claimed the Grand Jury Prize Documentary award, Living in Oblivion‘s Tom Dicillo was honored with the Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award, and Edward Burns’ micro-budgeted The Brothers McMullen (there is a read-worthy, lively, eleventh hour account on how it was submitted to the fest in Ted Hope’s “Hope...

Jackie Earle Haley has been added to the cast of 2013's Olympus Has Fallen sequel London Has Fallen, according to The Wrap.

The Oscar-nominated actor will join original cast members Gerard Butler, Aaron Eckhart, Morgan Freeman, Angela Bassett and Radha Mitchell, who will all be reprising their roles for the sequel.

Us Secret Service agent Mike Banning (Butler) and his team will be heading to London to stop a new terrorist threat.

The film will revolve around a plot involving a strike in London during the funeral of the British Prime Minister.

Although no character details have been revealed for the character, Haley will play Deputy Chief Mason.

Christian Gudegast wrote the script alongside Creighton Rothenberger and Katrin Benedikt, who penned Olympus Has Fallen.

Easy Money II: Hard to Kill director Babak Najafi will be taking the helm for the sequel.

Haley can next be seen in Criminal Activities in...

"This is every celebrity's Achilles heel."

In a new interview with The Daily Beast, John Travolta, 60, opens up about rumors that he's gay -- specifically a lawsuit from a man who alleged he was Travolta's former pilot, and that the two were engaged in a relationship that was more than professional.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Douglas Gotterba -- who worked for John Travolta's aircraft company Alto in the '80s -- will get the opportunity to argue in a lawsuit that he holds no confidentiality duties to the Grease actor, and is therefore free to write a book he’s allegedly been planning.

"This is every celebrity's Achilles heel. It's just about people wanting money," Travolta says about the lawsuit. "That’s all. It happens on many levels."

Photos: 13 Celebs Who've Come Out as Bisexual

As to why these types of rumors seem to target him more than other celebrities, Travolta surprisingly...

It’s been two years since Dan Stevens departed Downton Abbey and he’s not lost any time actively pursuing some amazing new roles in theater, film and television. In his latest movie, A Walk Among the Tombstones, he stars opposite Liam Neeson playing a heroin trafficker bent on revenge who hires a private investigator (Neeson) to hunt down the serial killers (David Harbour, Adam David Thompson) that brutally murdered his wife. Opening September 19th, the crime drama also stars Boyd Holbrook, Brian “Astro” Bradley, Sebastian Roché, Mark Consuelos, and Ólafur Darri Ólafsson. At the film’s recent press day, Stevens discussed why he finds it exciting to explore new and different roles, the challenge of transforming himself for each one, the appeal of playing a bad guy who’s a victim, his love of 70’s noirish thrillers like Klute, Dirty Harry, and The Conversation, his collaboration with director Scott Frank...

John Travolta is as fascinating and complex a member of the Hollywood fraternity as you could wish for. Iconic performer, experienced pilot, vocal Scientologist and mangler of pronunciation of Idina Menzel.

He has managed to appear in not just some of the best known, but also some of the best-full-stop films of the past forty years – Saturday Night Fever, Carrie, Grease, Pulp Fiction, Get Shorty, Face/Off, The Thin Red Line, Hairspray and the upcoming Gummy Bear The Movie – whatever one might think of the consistency of his output (and there have been some horrendous misfires), it is hard to imagine too many actors playing Danny Zuko, Vincent Vega, Castor Troy, Sean Archer, Chili Palmer and Edna Turnblad with equal conviction.

After the temporary resuscitation of Look Who’s Talking turned out to be a false dawn, Tarantino did Travolta a favour of inestimable proportions by casting him in Pulp Fiction,...

I Origins is in select theaters after being picked up by Fox Searchlight at the Sundance Film Festival earlier in the year.  The film is an effective and affecting piece, gorgeously directed with some really great performances.  I had a few issues with the script here and there, but overall I left the theater feeling impacted in a pretty unique way.  But don't take my word for it, read Adam Chitwood's glowing review and check out the trailer if you're unfamiliar with the project as a whole. In the film, Michael Pitt plays Phd student Ian Gray, who is out to prove intelligent design to be a falsehood by demonstrating that the eye can undergo evolution.  Along the way he falls in love with both Sofi (Astrid Bergès-Frisbey) and his lab partner, Karen (Brit Marling).  I sat down with Pitt in Los Angeles earlier this week to talk about his...

Criminal Activities

Edi Gathegi ("Twilight," "X-Men: First Class") has joined the cast of Jackie Earle Haley's indie thriller "Criminal Activities" starring John Travolta, Michael Pitt and Dan Stevens.

The story centers on four young men who find themselves in trouble with the mob. Filming begins in Cleveland in June. [Source: THR]

Red Tent

Musician Toby Sebastian has joined the four-hour Bible-themed miniseries "Red Tent" for Lifetime. Sebastian plays Re-mose, a scribe to the Pharaoh's vizier and the the son of the lead character Dinah (Rebecca Ferguson).

Based on the best-selling novel by Anita Diamant, the story follows Dinah, the daughter of Leah and Jacob and sister of Joseph, a minor character who was briefly referenced in the Old Testament. [Source: The Live Feed]

Sicario

Jon Bernthal ("The Walking Dead") has joined the cast of Denis Villeneuve's "Sicario" at Lionsgate and Thunder Road. Bernthal will play a character named Ted.

The film revolves around a...

Edi Gathegi has joined John Travolta, Michael Pitt and Dan Stevens in an indie thriller titled Criminal Activities, which will be actor Jackie Earle Haley's directorial debut. The Capacity Pictures, Phoenix Rising Motion Pictures and Producer Capital Fund project centers on four young men who reunite at a former classmate’s funeral. During the service, one of them shares some Wall Street insider knowledge that the group sees as a chance to make them millionaires. Unfortunately, the deal goes bad, of course, and they lose their investment, which is particularly bad news for one of them, since he borrowed his share from a mobster, who naturally wants his money back,...

Twilight actor Edi Gathegi has joined the cast of thriller Criminal Activities, starring John Travolta, Michael Pitt and Dan Stevens. Actor Jackie Earle Haley is making his directorial debut with the indie project, which centers on four young men who find themselves in trouble with the mob. Photos: 'Twilight': Where Are They Now? The project, from Capacity Pictures, Phoenix Rising Motion Pictures and Producer Capital Fund, will shoot in Cleveland in June. Wayne Rice, Howard Burd and Micah Sparks are producing, with Mark Johnson, Warren Ostergard and Daniel Diamond exec producing. Gathegi played Laurent in the Twilight franchise. More recently, he appeared

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It’s a casting-o-rama Friday. With Cannes around the corner and the entire industry getting together for their quarterly wheeling and dealing, it means a lot of pacts are being made. Perhaps the most interesting is the adaptation of Patricia Highsmith’s novel ‘The Blunderer.” She is obviously the writer of the Talented Mr. Ripley series and this non-Ripley-centered psychological thriller will star Patrick Wilson, Jessica Biel, Toby Jones and Imogen Poots. Andy Goddard will direct. [Deadline] Former “Downton Abbey” star Dan Stevens and “Boardwalk Empire” lead Michael Pitt are on the rise. They’ll both star alongside John Travolta in the drama, “Criminal Activities.” Actor Jackie Earle Haley will make his directing debut and the film centers on four friends who make a risky investment together that puts them in trouble with the mob. Pitt fell off their for a couple years, but between “Boardwalk Empire” and roles in “I Origins” and other indies,...

• Patrick Wilson (Jack Strong), Jessica Biel (The Truth About Emanuel), Imogen Poots (Need for Speed), and Toby Jones (The Hunger Games: Mockingjay) have joined the cast of Andy Goddard’s (Set Fire to the Stars) upcoming untitled Patricia Highsmith film. The upcoming thriller is based off Highslith’s novel The Blunderer. Set in 1960s New York, the novel follows Walter Stackhouse (Wilson), a successful architect who lives the perfect life with his wife, Clara (Biel). Stackhouse’s life slips into chaos, however, when he becomes fascinated with an unsolved murder that forces him into contact with a killer (Jones) and an ambitious detective.

Here's today's latest casting news: Reg E. Cathey has joined Josh Trank's The Fantastic Four reboot in a rather interesting role.  The Fox film stars Miles Teller, Michael B. Jordan, Kate Mara, and Jamie Bell as the title heroes. Liam Neeson joins J. A. Bayona's A Monster Calls, starring Felicity Jones and scripted by Patrick Ness. Dan Stevens will star alongside John Travolta and Michael Pitt in Jackie Earle Haley's Criminal Activities. Ray Winstone's role in Point Break has been revealed, and no, he's not replacing Gerard Butler. Hit the jump for more on each story. First up from Heat Vision is news that Cathey will be joining The Fantastic Four in the role of Dr. Storm.  Now, for the uninitiated, that's not a villain partnering up with Doctor Doom (Toby Kebbell).  He's actually the father of Johnny and Sue Storm, played by Jordan and Mara respectively.