Jamie Lee Curtis confirmed for Halloween: The Complete Collection
We should all be well aware by now that toward the end of this year, Scream Factory are releasing Halloween: The Complete Collection - a 15-disc box set to include every installment of the Halloween franchise in swanky, high definition. As well as this, the collection will include numerous special features, original artwork and an accompanying essay from Fangoria's Michael Gingold. As if that wasn't enough, last week it was confirmed that the Final Girl herself, Jamie Lee Curtis, will also be making a contribution.
Curtis, who played Laurie Strode in the original, and subsequently appeared in Halloween II, Halloween III: Season of the Witch (voice only) and Halloween H20: 20 Years Later, has contributed to new commentary and taken part in a brand new interview, accompanied by director Steve Miner and moderator, Sean Clark. Her role in the franchise not only upholds a place in the horror hall of fame, but Strode's character epitomises a major change in the genre's gender politics (I won't go in to detail but Carol Clover's Men, Women and Chainsaw's is a great place to start if you're interested in that particular sub-topic). So it's great to see, that almost 36 years later, she's still looking out for us Slasher pundits. Halloween: The Complete Collection is due for release on September 23rd, 2014.
Deliver Us from Evil release
On July 2nd, new crime-thriller-horror hybrid Deliver Us from Evil was released in the United States. Apparently inspired by real life events of NYPD cop, Ralph Sarchie, the film follows his attempts at battling the paranormal underbelly of New York city, with the help from renegade priest, Mendoza. Featuring Eric Bana and Édgar Ramirez, this new horror blockbuster is directed by Scott Derrickson - a man who has successfully creeped us out in the past with Sinister and The Exorcism of Emily Rose. Check out the trailer below;
By the looks of things, Derrickson may successfully creep us out again, but it's nothing that we haven't seen before - action, CGI, a few jump scares and the obligatory contortion of the human body as a means to shock the audience (pessimistic, moi?). If anything, Deliver Us from Evil will most likely confirm the critical consensus of late - horror efforts produced by Hollywood are not for horror fans. Regardless, stay tuned to Wise Words... for a review - after all, we could all be in for a pleasant surprise
Deliver Us from Evil is due for release in the UK on August 22nd.
Hollywood to remake Audition
Miike's 1999 cult classic is an incredibly disturbing journey, following the story of a middle-aged man whose life descends into immense pain and suffering after auditioning for a new, younger partner. It's twisted, unique and boasts arguably one of the most cringe-inducing torture scenes in horror history. The film manages to evoke a bizarre, unsettling feeling that lingers - a feeling that I'm sure would be almost impossible to replicate, least of all by our friends over seas, given their track record of J-Horror remakes and forays into the torture porn sub-genre.
So what will they do differently? Well according to the producers of this new project, the remake will draw from the original source novel by Japanese author Ryu Murakami, in addition to Miike's adaptation. Richard Gray has been hired as the director, who will adapt from his own screenplay. Unfortunately further details are few and far between, so stay tuned for further updates.
Trailer and poster for Kim Ki-duk's Moebius
In keeping with extreme Asian cinema, the notorious Kim Ki-duk is at it again with his latest feature, Moebius. Never a dull moment with this controversial director, this film is a dialogue-free experimental, ultraviolent, sexual thriller. Oh and it's also a comedy...
"When she catches her husband having an affair, a woman attempts to castrate the cheater for his wrongdoing. Unsuccessful, she instead inflicts the unspeakable act on her own son, setting off a series of grotesque yet provocative events ranging from a hurried genital transplant to pain-inflicted orgasms that all merge in a continuous thread of delirious storytelling.
With both husband and son damaged and living in grief, the wife returns as the family heads toward destruction even more horrific than before"
After a crowd-shocking festival run, Moebius has been described as a gruelling experience and whether you love or hate the man's work, I think it is fair to say the film is a must-see. Last week, both a poster and trailer were released. Check out the trailer below;
Nightbreed: Director's Cut Blu-ray/DVD
At last, horror fans rejoice - it's the restoration we've all been waiting for. That's right, Clive Barker's infamous cult classic Nightbreed is getting a Director's Cut Blu-ray/DVD release, courtesy of Scream Factory.
Upon first announcement, it was thought that this re-release would be yet another version of the Cabal Cut - a 160 minute adaptation of Barker's novel that has circulated screenings and festivals for quite some time.
However in an interview with Seraphim Films' Mark Miller, it has been confirmed that the re-release will be a Director's Cut, restoring original and un-seen footage for the first time ever. Miller explains...
"I've seen footage that hasn't even made it into the version at screenings. The story is all there. Clive's vision is complete. It's a thing of beauty..." He continues, "The Cabal Cut was created by us in-house from the footage we found in the storage rooms.This 160 minute beast had every bit of Nightbreed footage we had access to incorporated in the cut.
We put everything we found back in a) just to be able to say we'd seen that version and b) because we needed as much of the proverbial sculptor's rock to chip away from for what would become the finished masterwork: The Director's Cut...". Well the chipping has begun...
On October 28th the 'masterwork' - a Limited Edition three-disc-Blu-ray set and Special Edition Blu-ray/DVD combo of the Director's Cut - will be released. The Limited Edition will include:
- Un-rated Director's Cut of the film on Blu-ray
- The 1990 R-rated theatrical version of the film on Blu-ray
- Exclusive-to-this-set bonus Blu-ray disc packed with extras
- Collector's book with essay and rare photos
- Slipcase including newly designed artwork approved by Clive Barker
The Special Edition will include the Un-rated Director's Cut on both Blu-ray and DVD, in addition to bonus features (all of which are yet to be revealed).
"This is film history and beyond my wildest dreams of realization. When Scream Factory told me they had found the Nightbreed film footage, I was gob-smacked! This is the ultimate validation of choices made by myself and Mark Miller all the way back in 2008. As we embarked down the road of attempting to track down the lost footage, we look at each other and said 'Maybe one day they'll find it'. It's my pleasure to announce the day has come...
Speaking personally, I didn't allow myself to believe that it would. Even if we did find some footage [...], and even if we did find a company willing to release the film [...], the prospect of finding the actual lost film materials was remoter than I'd wanted to admit out loud. If the footage could not be found by those who had worked closest on it the same year it had been released, then what were the odds of being able to find anything 20 years on? But Scream Factory, in their commendable determination, kept up the search and thanks to them total reconstruction has been made a possibility.
There's never been a reconstruction that's had as little chance of succeeding and yet has succeeded on as many fronts as this film has. It's unprecedented. To now have a movie that we can put together in the way that I fully intended it to be seen when I first set out to make this film in 1989 is extraordinary".
In other words, its a BIG deal.
Stay tuned for further Nightbreed: The Director's Cut updates and a Wise Words... article.
That's it for this week's news updates - share your views and opinions in the comment box below!
No comments:
Post a Comment