I’ve started looking forward to Friday nights, when I sip some vino and cull the stories that will comprise the Weekly Wrap-Up. Sometimes it is a struggle to find the thread that ties them together, but for the week of August 30-September 5, 2008, it was no problem determining the theme: Indies! Incredible, edible indies. We love them, we hate them, and we can’t live without them!
One indie that I am definitely intrigued by is Netherbeast Incorporated, which is getting a limited theatrical run. The premise sounds like sheer genius, and in her Netherbeast review, Melissa claims the film “creates a whole new way to look at the legend of vampire.” High praise indeed. The eclectic cast includes Judd Nelson, Dave Foley, Jason Mewes, and Robert Wagner. Does it get any stranger?
If you had a chance to watch any of the HBO series “In Treatment,” then you know how brilliantly Rodrigo García can get inside the heads of his characters. When I saw that he has a new feature coming out soon called Passengers, I couldn’t have been more pleased. And it stars Anne Hathaway and Patrick Wilson to boot! If you missed it earlier this week, check out the Passengers trailer. It has a few genuinely spooky seconds, and if the ending doesn’t wuss out in some way, it could be a real sleeper hit.
Someone who has certainly paid his dues in the indie realm is Jeffrey Combs. Many, including yours truly, believe he’s one of the most under-rated actors of his time. It’s like that one big hit just keeps eluding him. But that may change if Parasomnia turns out to be as good as some have claimed. The highly hyped flick will be premiering at this year’s Screamfest LA in October. But that’s just the beginning of what Combs has in store for his fans. Make sure you don’t miss Butane’s interview with Jeffrey Combs, which is loaded with scoops on all his latest projects.
Another leading man who always seems open to tackling the offbeat and unconventional is Lee Perkins. He provided an update on his two current projects. Live Evil is a vampire tale while Edges of Darkness is a zombie anthology. Sure, they’ve both been done to death, but as we all know, every once in a while something comes out of nowhere and breathes new life into a tired subgenre. Here’s hoping it’s one or both of these!
Still — unbelievably — there’s no US distro for 100 Feet, one of this Woman’s most anticipated films of the year. Famke Janssen can do no wrong as far as I’m concerned, and Michael Pare’s been turning in some unexpectedly good performances of his own lately. While we wait for news of when we might see it, dig on some new posters and trailers for the ghostly tale.
Going from the (hopefully) sublime to the ridiculous is a story from Foy about a trippy 3D Canadian cult classic from 1961 called The Mask, which is now available on DVD for the first time. No self-respecting horror (or 3D) aficionado should be without this historic feature, which was Canada’s first horror film!
Lo and behold word finally came down that The Chin will soon be seen up on the big screen again! Yes, My Name Is Bruce released its theatrical screening schedule. It’s pretty sparse, but if you live near a major city, you’ll probably be able to find it within driving distance.
I don’t usually bring attention to specific reviews in the Wrap-Up since the current ones have a prominent place on our home page, but this week is a special occasion. It’s Chucky’s 20th Birthday! Holy shit! One more year and that little fucker will be totally legal! So of course MGM and Fox joined forces to release a special 20th Birthday Edition DVD that from the sounds of it is well worth the double dip. And keep an eye on the Interviews section over the next few days. Creepy chatted with both Tom Holland and Don Mancini recently, and their podcasts will be up shortly. In the meantime see what David Kirschner had to say about the upcoming Mancini-helmed Child’s Play remake.
Sigh. There it is again. That word. Remake. Yes, it can on a few rare occasions engender pleasant thoughts, but more and more it just sticks in the craw as story after story comes in about yet another reboot. Or redux. Or unnecessary sequel. Or unwanted prequel. All at the cost of shoving something original out of a release spot. Strangers 2, I’m talking to you. Ghost Rider 2 don’t even think about it! (All right, Ghostbusters 3 is definitely the exception to the rule … and this rant.) Anyway. In the 60’s and 70’s filmmakers took risks, and the distributors were willing to give them a chance to find their audience. Movies were coming into their own as an art form, and the more experimental and cutting-edge, the better. Of course the world was a completely different place back then, but it still seems as though nowadays no studio is willing to nurture talent and encourage creativity. Well, they’ll let you use your imagination for one film, but then if it’s successful, they put you in a box and try to keep you pigeon-holed. Case in point … the Woman’s Story of the Week: Repo’s Lament.
You’re heard it all already — part Rocky Horror, part futuristic Gothic fairy tale, incredibly visionary, yet still intensely personal and innately human, not to mention darkly funny and gory as hell, Darren Bousman’s Repo! The Genetic Opera is the type of experience that transcends genre boundaries. But no one’s getting the chance to see it! Oh, well, it took The Mask 3D 47 years to become available on DVD. At least we know Repo! won’t have to wait that long. On September 30th the soundtrack will be available. After that … the DVD. Keep an eye on the official Repo! site for more details and dates.
Still not convinced? Check out “Zydrate” below with Alexa Vega, co-writer Terrance Zdunich, and yes, Paris Hilton. Then tell me you’re not curious about what comes next and don’t want to see more. And that GraveRobber’s not a rock star. Tsk Tsk. They just have no idea what kind of ball they are dropping and how big an opportunity is being wasted …
Debi Moore
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