Monday, October 31, 2011

THE WOMAN IN BLACK - HAPPY HALLOWEEN


Here is a little something to get you in the Halloween spirit!

http://www.whatdidtheysee.com

This mysterious site invites users to take a look inside Eel Marsh House and discover the answer to "What did they see?"  Visitors have only a partially obscured view, just enough to see through the doorway and into this young girl's room.  By using motion recognition with the computer's webcam, visitors to the site can shift their perspective within the room by simply moving right & left in front of their own computer to see what lurks behind the door and in the shadows.  No matter how scared you get, expect to receive your own customized photo, compliments of THE WOMAN IN BLACK.

Saturday, October 8, 2011

LIONSGATE BRINGS DEAD ISLAND TO LIFE ON THE BIG SCREEN

Feature Film Adaptation Of Deep Silver’s Zombie Sensation In Development At The Studio

Santa Monica, CA – LIONSGATE® (NYSE: LGF), a leading global entertainment company, today announced that it has optioned film rights from Deep Silver to develop a feature inspired by Dead Island, which became a viral media sensation when its haunting, artful trailer launched in February 2011.  The announcement was made by Lionsgate’s co-COO and Motion Picture Group President Joe Drake.   

Dead Island is a global brand first introduced through a teaser trailer that told the story of a family on vacation at a tropical resort who is besieged by zombies.  Told in a stark, non-linear fashion, the wrenching trailer captured worldwide fan attention and unanimous critical praise upon its debut, receiving over one million hits in its first 24 hours online, and nearly 10 million views by two days after its debut.  Wired Magazine, College Humor and G4TV all called it the best video game trailer of all time, with G4TV adding “The Dead Island trailer is the best trailer I have ever seen in my life.  The best video game trailer.  The best movie trailer. The best anything trailer.”  The trailer went on to win the Golden Lion in Cannes at the International Festival of Creativity, the advertising industry’s highest honor, and it was featured by Adweek on their annual list of the World's Best Commercials.

The video game Dead Island was published by Deep Silver for Xbox 360, Playstation 3 and PC.  It was released in the United States on September 6th, 2011 and was the number one selling game both in the U.S. and the U.K. upon its local releases.  The game has sold over two million units to date.

The game centers on vacationers whose island paradise becomes a living hell when a zombie outbreak quickly spreads.  Cut off from the rest of the world, the survivors have only the available materials and the island’s natural “weapons” to protect themselves from the vicious and growing legions of the undead.  In addition to the award-winning trailer and video game, the Dead Island intellectual property will be simultaneously developed by Deep Silver into forthcoming graphic novels, novels and other extensions.  

Like the trailer that will serve as its primary creative inspiration, the film DEAD ISLAND will be an innovation of the zombie genre because of its focus on human emotion, family ties and non-linear storytelling.  Said Drake of the property’s acquisition, “Like the hundreds of journalists and millions of fans who were so passionate and vocal about the Dead Island trailer, we too were awestruck.”  He continued, “This is exactly the type of property we’re looking to adapt at Lionsgate – it’s sophisticated, edgy, and a true elevation of a genre that we know and love.  It also has built in brand recognition around the world, and franchise potential.”

The film DEAD ISLAND is currently in the early development stage with producers attached.  Sean Daniel (THE MUMMY, TOMBSTONE, DAZED AND CONFUSED) will spearhead production through his Sean Daniel Company.  A veteran producer with global franchises under his belt, Daniel is to be joined in producing by Stefan Sonnenfeld, who has been a pioneer in the post production field, using the process as a platform to create a unique visual brand with directors including J.J. Abrams, Michael Bay and Gore Verbinski.  Jason Brown of The Sean Daniel Company and Missy Papageorge for Sonnenfeld’s Sunny Field Productions are executive producing, with Sarah Perlman of Sunny Field Productions serving as co-producer.

Alli Shearmur, Lionsgate’s President of Motion Picture Production and Development is overseeing the project at the studio, with Jim Miller, SVP of Production and Development.  Rob McEntegart, Senior EVP of Lionsgate’s Motion Picture Group, negotiated the deal with Deep Silver's U.S. attorney Ed Labowitz.

LIONSGATE FINDS ITS ‘NEXT’GREAT HORROR FILM

Company Acquires Adam Wingard’s YOU’RE NEXT

SANTA MONICA, CA - LIONSGATE® (NYSE: LGF), a leading global entertainment company, today announced that it has acquired U.S. and Canadian distribution rights to YOU’RE NEXT, following its screenings at the Toronto International Film Festival.  The announcement was made jointly by Joe Drake, Lionsgate’s co-COO and Motion Picture Group President, and Jason Constantine, President of Acquisitions and Co-Productions.

Directed by Adam Wingard from a script penned by Simon Barrett, YOU’RE NEXT is a petrifying horror story starring Sharni Vinson, Joe Swanberg, A.J. Bowen, Nicholas Tucci and Barbara Crampton.  Snoot Entertainment’s Keith Calder and Jessica Wu produced the project with Simon Barrett and Kim Sherman.  The film reunites the principal cast from Wingard and Barrett’s shocking serial-killer thriller A HORRIBLE WAY TO DIE, which screened at the 2010 Toronto International Film Festival.

In YOU’RE NEXT, during a family reunion getaway, the Davison family comes under a sadistic attack.  When Crispian Davison (Bowen) brings his new girlfriend (Vinson) along to celebrate the wedding anniversary of his parents (Moran and Crampton), the family’s evening together is shattered when a gang of mysterious killers begin to hunt the family down with brutal precision.  Unfortunately for the killers however, one of the victims harbors a secret talent for fighting back.

Jason Constantine negotiated the deal on behalf of Lionsgate with Eda Kowan, SVP of Acquisitions and Co-Productions, and Wendy Jaffe, the Acquisitions and Co-Production team’s EVP of Business & Legal Affairs.  Snoot Entertainment is represented by CAA, who negotiated the sale on their behalf with Erik Hyman of Loeb & Loeb.

“This project represents everything that we look for in a horror film,” explains Constantine of the company’s decision to acquire the film.  “It is a celebration of its genre, featuring top notch performances from a sophisticated script, brilliantly directed, that will leave audiences on the edge of their seats – when they’re not jumping out of them.”  Added Drake, “Lionsgate has had much success in the horror space, particularly with truly creative, daring genre films such as this one that we are uniquely suited to market equally boldly.  This film is a perfect example of Lionsgate sticking to our roots and continuing to speak to an audience of horror fans that we know and love.”

“We are blown away by the passion the Lionsgate team has for our film, and are honored to be working with the finest horror franchise marketers and distributors in the world,” added producer Keith Calder.

JAX FILM FEST - FILMS, PARTIES, EVENTS AND SCHEDULE


October 13th - Wild Horse Wild Ride
http://jacksonvillefilmfestival.us1.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=c09b18a311cb147aa7daf8a4a&id=59980bec3e&e=decb99b6cc

October 14th - Bettie Page Reveals All
http://jacksonvillefilmfestival.us1.list-manage2.com/track/click?u=c09b18a311cb147aa7daf8a4a&id=81560313a5&e=decb99b6cc

October 15th - West Side Story
http://jacksonvillefilmfestival.us1.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=c09b18a311cb147aa7daf8a4a&id=1e2c40dd9e&e=decb99b6cc

October 16th - Kinyarwanda
http://jacksonvillefilmfestival.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c09b18a311cb147aa7daf8a4a&id=8ab8a170e0&e=decb99b6cc

JFF $99 All Access Pass:
http://jacksonvillefilmfestival.us1.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=c09b18a311cb147aa7daf8a4a&id=c9a8410927&e=decb99b6cc

Thursday, October 6, 2011

REMEBERING EDGAR ALLAN POE

Relativity Media invites you to remember the life of Edgar Allan Poe… October 7th, 2011 marks the 162nd anniversary of macabre-master Edgar Allan Poe’s untimely and mysterious death. To celebrate Poe’s life, and support Relativity Media’s upcoming theatrical release of The Raven on March 9, 2012, please see background information on the film, along with little-known facts about Poe’s life and a compendium of his works.  The highly-anticipated  gritty thriller directed by James McTeigue (V for Vendetta) stars John Cusack (Being John Malkovich) in the role of Poe, in addition to Luke Evans (The Three Musketeers), and Alice Eve (Men In Black III ). The Raven’s official trailer will debut tonight on G4’s “Attack of the Show” and will premiere on Apple tomorrow.

About The Raven:

Edgar Allan Poe (John Cusack, Being John Malkovich) joins forces with a young Baltimore detective (Luke Evans, Immortals) to hunt down a mad serial killer who’s using Poe’s own works as the basis in a string of brutal murders. Directed by James McTeigue (V for Vendetta, Ninja Assassin), the film also stars Alice Eve (Sex and the City 2), Brendan Gleeson (In Bruges) and Oliver Jackson-Cohen (Faster).

When a mother and daughter are found brutally murdered in 19th century Baltimore, Detective Emmett Fields (Luke Evans) makes a startling discovery: the crime resembles a fictional murder described in gory detail in the local newspaper—part of a collection of stories penned by struggling writer and social pariah Edgar Allan Poe. But even as Poe is questioned by police, another grisly murder occurs, also inspired by a popular Poe story.

Realizing a serial killer is on the loose using Poe’s writings as the backdrop for his bloody rampage, Fields enlists the author’s help in stopping the attacks. But when it appears someone close to Poe may become the murderer’s next victim, the stakes become even higher and the inventor of the detective story calls on his own powers of deduction to try to solve the case before it’s too late.


Did You Know?  Some Unusual Facts about Poe, the “Enigmatic Master of Darkness”:

·         Poe wrote a fabricated news story of a balloon trip across the ocean to garner attention and publicity in New York City.

·         Poe was a champion for higher wages for writers and international copyright law, as his writings were continuously published without him getting credit or compensation.

·         Prior to becoming Poe’s wife at the age of 13, his female cousin Virginia acted as a courier, delivering letters to Poe’s lady loves.

·         From 1949 to 2009, a mysterious figure has left a half-empty bottle of cognac and 3 roses on Poe’s grave every day on his birthday.

·         Poe formulated rules for the short story, including that it should relate a complete action and take place within one day in one place.

·         Poe was deeply interested by cryptography, the creation and translation of secret codes, and was very proud of his ability to translate them. He would chAllange readers of various publications where he worked to send him codes to decipher and, by all accounts, he seemed able to unlock the secrets to any he received.

·         Poe’s lifelong dream of owning and operating his own publication never came to fruition.

·         Poe met with Charles Dickens while Dickens was in the US on a lecture tour, and solicited his help with getting published in England—nothing ever came of it.

·         Poe’s grandfather was an important figure in the American Revolution, contributing a large sum of his own money to outfit local branches of the Continental Army.  His wife, Poe’s grandmother, personally sewed over 500 soldiers’ uniforms for Lafayette’s troops as they passed through Baltimore.

·         Poe joined the Army in 1827, lying to recruiters about his age and name.  He also published his first collection of poetry during this time. He achieved the rank of Sergeant Major.

·         Poe experienced periods of extreme destitution, often having to burn his furniture to keep warm during the winter.

·         Poe successfully sought expulsion from West Point.  That being said, he was one of the top students in his class.

·         Wrote poetic tributes to all the pivotal women in his life.

·         Poe had two biological siblings, but all were raised in separate foster homes.

·         Poe’s childhood hero was Lord Byron.

·         The Poe House and Museum in Baltimore is in jeopardy of being closed in mid-2012 due to Baltimore City budget cuts. The city eliminated the Museum’s funding in 2010.


Edgar Allan Poe’s Body of Work

“A Dream” (1827)
“Evening Star” (1827)
“The Happiest Day, the Happiest Hour” (1827)
“The Lake. To” (1827)
“Song” (1827)
“Stanzas” (1827)
“Al Aaraaf” (1829)
“Fairy Land” (1829)
“Romance” (1829)
"To The River" (1829)
 “Sonnet  - To Science” (1829)
"Spirits of the Dead" (1829)
"The City in the Sea" (1831)
"The Sleeper" (1831)
“Israfel” (1831)
“Lenore” (1831)
“The Coliseum” (1833)
"Manuscript Found in a Bottle" (1833)
“The Assignation” (1834)
"Berenice" (1835)
“Hymn” (1835)
“Bridal Balad” (1837)
“Sonnet – To Zante” (1837)
"Ligeia" (1838)
"Silence - A Fable" (1838)
"The Fall of the House of Usher" (1839)
"The Haunted Palace" (1839)
“Sonnet – Silence” (1840)
"The Murders in the Rue Morgue" (1841)
"William Wilson" (1842)
"The Conqueror Worm" (1843)
"The Gold Bug" (1843)
"The Angel of the Odd" (1844)
"The Balloon Hoax" (1844)
"Dream-Land" (1844)
"A Descent Into The Maelström" (1845)
"Hop-Frog" (1845)
"The Black Cat" (1845)
"The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar" (1845)
"The Man of the Crowd" (1845)
"The Purloined Letter" (1845)
"The Purloined Letter" (1845)
"The Raven" (1845)
"The Valley of Unrest" (1845)
“Eulalie” (1845)
"The Cask of Amontillado" (1846)
“Ulalame” (1847)
“Eureka” (1848)
"Annabel Lee" (1849)
"The Bells" (1849)
"Eldorado" (1849)
"For Annie" (1849)
"Mesmeric Revelation" (1849)
"A Dream Within A Dream" (1850)
"A Valentine" (1850)
"Eleonora" (1850)
"The Imp of the Perverse" (1850)
"The Island of the Fay" (1850)
"The Masque of the Red Death" (1850)
"Never Bet the Devil Your Head" (1850)
"The Oval Portrait" (1850)
"The Pit and the Pendulum" (1850)
"The Premature Burial" (1850)
"Some Words With a Mummy" (1850)
"The Spectacles" (1850)
"The System of Dr. Tarr and Prof. Fether" (1856)
"The Tell-Tale Heart" (1850)
“Bon-Bon” (1850)
“Elizabeth” (1850)
“Loss of Breath” (1850)
“Serenade” (1850)
“The Domain of Arnheim” (1850)
"Alone" (1875)
“The Devil in the Belfry” (Unknown)
“Imitation” (Unknown)