While most of the world had its eyes on Beijing and the Olympics this past week, DC’s intrepid reporters Butane, Syxx, Foy, UC, and yours truly have been scouring the globe for genre news and views to send your way. Although I’m not following the Games much myself, I thought for this August 9-15, 2008, Weekly Wrap-Up, I’d join the fray and employ an international theme focusing on projects outside the good ol’ US of A.
Considering this is also the week that brought news of a possible Bigfoot being found, it makes sense to start with a nature-run-amok item. Coming soon from Korea is Chaw, about a man-eating, mutant boar with a bad attitude. The producers are promising some realistic, frightening effects despite the creature being mostly CG, and we’ll see how they do. Rogue managed to use CG successfully; hopefully Chaw will too.
Speaking of that big lovable croc-a-palooza Rogue (review here and interview w/Michael Vartan here), its Aussie director Greg McLean discussed the likelihood of a Wolf Creek 2. Personally, I hope it’s just talk. I wasn’t much of a fan of the first one but did see a lot of potential — and really dug Rogue — so hopefully he’ll keep moving forward instead of revisiting the past.
While we’re on the subject of fanatical Germans, Dr. Boll surfaced with a new trailer for his next video game adaptation, Far Cry. Star Til Schweiger actually won a Best Actor award ten years ago (granted, it was in Poland, but still…), and veteran character actors Don S. Davis and Udo Kier appear as well, so there may be some hope for Far Cry. If not, there’s always the next … or the one after that. According to the IMDB, the good doctor is producing and/or directing FIVE more films after this one. Say what you will about Uwe, the guy has connections and perseverance, and I am forever in his thrall.
The UK added to our multi-cultural goulash this week with a trailer from the highly anticipated Eden Lake. Eden Lake is the directorial debut of James Watkins (interview), who also wrote the screenplay. According to Butane it’s a “damn good example of how bad things can get.” No telling when we’ll see it here in the States, but if you live in England, it opens there September 12th.
Watkins is a pretty busy fellow these days. Along with Eden Lake, he’s a co-writer and second unit director of The Descent 2, and we have a series of interviews up with several principals involved with the shoot. The latest is with the lovely Natalie Mendoza, aka Juno. I’m not sure I care all that much about this latest installment in the Descent franchise, but if they’re able to replicate the gripping tension of the original, I’m willing to revisit the spooky realm and awesome characters Neil Marshall created the first time around.
The universe young Coraline finds through a magic door is more than just a few miles from home; it’s a completely different reality. Henry (Nightmare Before Christmas, Monkeybone) Selick’s vision of Neil Gaiman’s novel arrives via stop-motion next year, and we’ve got some behind-the-scenes videos of how the characters were brought to life by the filmmakers and stars Dakota Fanning, Ian McShane, Teri Hatcher, and Keith David.
Back on planet Earth, our neighbors to the north Anchor Bay Canada and Critical Mass Releasing inked a distribution deal for End of the Line. It’s been far too long since we had a truly scary religious horror film make us run for our crucifixes, but if Rogueboy’s End of the Line review can be trusted, we’re in for “a thinking man’s blood feast.” As a thinking Woman, I hope he’s right, in which event a US release can’t be too far behind.
With the north also comes the south. In fact, one of my idols hails from Brazil, and a few days ago some really fabulous news about him showed up. His name is José Mojica Marins (aka Coffin Joe), and the story is that IFC purchased a nine-picture package containing all his movies. It really gets no better than At Midnight I’ll Take Your Soul and This Night I Will Possess Your Corpse. It’s worth getting whatever cable package you have to for IFC. Joe is one in a million!
And the Internet is a world of its own, too. It’s changed the way we work, connect, communicate, and it’s slowly but surely becoming its own source of entertainment. One of the newest — and most original — ideas to come down this crazy series of tubes is the crime caper/Cthulhu mythos mash-up “Nine Lives.” It involves the Old Ones with a stripping jewel thief named Kitty and is set in the late 1950’s. If they can balance the campy with enough creepy, they just might have a hit.
Which is the perfect lead-in to the Woman’s Story of the Week. After all, what’s campier — or creepier — than a Sasquatch? I started this Wrap-Up talking about a potentially real Bigfoot discovery. Yes, it’s an extreme long shot, but even the remotest possibility of it being true has people buzzing. CNN, Fox News, the BBC, even the Jerusalem Post — You name it, just about every news source has had something to say about it. Best of all, the body may not be just an isolated remnant of a long-gone society. According to an article from MercuryNews.com, “Three other Bigfoots watched from the trees. [Matthew] Whitton waited with the body while [Rick] Dyer got his tow truck. The two said they didn’t call authorities. ‘It seemed like it would create a frenzy,’ Whitton told the crowded room. ‘I wanted to protect the species.’”
It sure would be something if this isn’t a hoax; a lot of people will have to release some very cherished notions. And, as Uncle Creepy said when we were discussing the situation, it certainly does give those devoted Nessie followers something to live up to. Can an Asylum flick be far behind?
