New DVDs & Blu-rays for 05/07/2013!

Another week of lousy releases is upon us, so hold onto your cash fellow collectors of all things (b-)cinematic! There's only one major genre release on DVD & Blu-ray this week (MAMA), and plenty of bargain priced multi-film collections if you've got ten bucks or less to burn. Here's what's new:



NEW TO DVD & BLU-RAY
Mama


NEW TO BLU-RAY
Dead Dreams


NEW TO DVD
3 Mega Monster Movies
8-Movie Midnight Horror Collection
12-Movie Murder at Midnight
1911
Anatomy / Anatomy 2 / Double Vision / April Fool's Day
The Assassin's Blade
Bunohan: Return to Murder
Cars 3
The Day of the Dead
Dead Reborn
The Dungeon of Harrow / Death by Invitation
The Green Hornet Series: 1 - 6 Box Set
The Green Hornet Vol. 3: The Dragon vs. The Bat
Hayride
Mutantz, Nazis, and Zombies (Tromatic Triple Feature)
Naked Killer 3
Ninja
Return of the Vampire / The Revenge of Frankenstein / Mr. Sardonicus / Brotherhood of Satan
Roger Corman's Cult Classics: Sci-Fi Triple Feature
The Twilight Zone: The Complete First Season
Ultimate Comic Book 5-Film Collection
Upstream Color

UFO movie news round-up (6 May, 2013)

By Robbie Graham Silver Screen Saucers

‘Europa Report’ concept art

Check out these three new pieces of concept art for the upcoming sci-fi thriller Europa Report, which is described by Comingsoon.net as “a unique blend of documentary, alternative history and science fiction thriller [which] follows a contemporary mission to Jupiter's moon Europa, to investigate the possible existence of alien life within our solar system.”

 

 

Developed in close collaboration with NASA, JPL, SpaceX and other leaders in the scientific community, Europa Report “imagines the next step in manned space exploration and is based on recent scientific discoveries and theories.”

The film is due for theatrical release on August 2, and will be available On Demand from June 27.

Directed by Sebastian Cordero, Europa Report stars Sharlto Copley, Michael Nyqvist, Daniel Wu, Anamaria Marinca, Christian Camargo and Karolina Wydra. The film features music by Bear McCreary (Battlestar Galactica, The Walking Dead).

‘Men in Black 4’ planned

 

A fourth Men in Black movie is being planned, according to The Wrap. No plot details are forthcoming, and there’s no word yet on who will star, but the script is being penned by Oren Uziel, the writer behind the upcoming The Kitchen Sink, which Deadline.comdescribes as a “genre collision about the unlikely alliance between a high school-aged vampire, zombie and human as they try to save their town from invading aliens.”

‘Man of Steel’ backed by Department of Defense

 

Writing for AntiWar.com, Sean McElwee noted last week that the hotly anticipated Superman reboot, Man of Steel (which I discussed here recently in the context of UFOlogy/Exoploitics), has been backed by the US Department of Defense.

McElwee points out that, in exchange for the Pentagon’s right to edit the movie’s script and monitor its production, the superhero movie has been granted access to military facilities and hardware in order to cut its production costs. Most notably, Man of Steel will showcase the USAF’s $400 billion F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (pictured), which is currently grounded due to flight difficulties. Reuters reported last year that the final cost of the F-35 program might be as much as $1.5 trillion dollars(!).

According to Wired, the Pentagon’s Hollywood Liaison, Phil Strub is remaining tight lipped as to whether or not the F-35 actually interacts with Superman in the new movie, but, notes Wired, “it gets the troubled aircraft program in the same sentence as the four-color symbol of truth, justice and the American way.”

Robot children to feature in Disney’s ‘Tomorrowland’, no sign yet of aliens 

The Hollywood Reporter has it that Raffey Cassidy (Snow White and the Huntsman, Dark Shadows) has joined the cast of Brad Bird's oh-so-mysterious Tomorrowland (working title 1952). The cast already includes George Clooney (as an inventor) and Hugh Laurie

According to THR: “Cassidy will play a robot child that has been around for many decades, has a history with Clooney's inventor character, and reportedly knows several different fighting styles.”

Tomorrowland has been written by Damon Lindelof (Prometheus) and Brad Bird. It is set for release on December 19, 2014. The jury’s still out on whether or not aliens might make an appearance. 

“You were only supposed to blow the bloody spaceship doors off!”

 

Deadline.com reports that Michael Caine has signed on to join the cast of Christopher Nolan’s upcoming sci-fi epic, Interstellar, which is based on the work of renowned theoretical physicist Kip Thorne (who will executive produce). Caine will star opposite Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway and Jessica Chastain.

Interstellar is being described as “a heroic interstellar voyage to the furthest reaches of our scientific understanding.” It’s due for a November 7, 2014 release. UFO obsessive Steven Spielberg was originally linked to the project, so it’s hoped (by me, at least) that aliens might feature in the plot.

Michael Bay’s Turtles not as “alien” as feared

 

Speaking with Moviefone recently, Michael Bay made some clarifying statements on the nature of the ‘heroes-in-a-half-shell’ in his upcoming big screen production of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

"There was that quote saying that we’re making [the Ninja Turtles as] aliens. We're not. It’s the ooze! It’s from the original source material. These are from the original writers, and I never went out to correct myself in the press. I do listen to the fans and I do want this to be authentic. I think they’re going to be really happy with this movie. When I see the digital stuff, the turtles look great."

Bay had riled TMNT fans back in March of last year by stating that his Turtles would be “from an alien race.”

Directed by Jonathan Liebesman, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles features a screenplay by Josh Appelbaum, Andrew Nemec, Art Marcum, Matt Holloway and John Fusco, and is based on the characters created by Peter Laird and Kevin Eastman.

The film stars Megan Fox in the role of April O'Neil, Alan Ritchson as Raphael, Jeremy Howard as Donatello, Pete Ploszek as Leonardo, Noel Fisher as Michelangelo, Will Arnett in an unspecified role, and Danny Woodburn as Master Splinter. It is scheduled for release June 6, 2014.

An event-filled weekend awaits you! Get some free comic books, celebrate Star Wars, or catch a film screening or festival!

Hey b-movie fans! It's going to be a gorgeous weekend (in this neck of the woods at least), and there are a lot of cool, nerdy things going on all over the place! Here's a small list of events that are happening over the next few days; some are national, some international, but most are localized. If you know of something happening that is worth mentioning on my list, leave a comment below, e-mail me, or hit me up on Facebook or Twitter.

... and also with you.

MAY 4TH:
INTERNATIONAL STAR WARS DAY ("MAY THE 4TH BE WITH YOU..." ALL DAY - EVERYWHERE)
Started officially in 2011, International Star Wars Day (which began in Toronto, Ontario, Canada) has since grown (especially now that Disney owns the Star Wars name brand). Look out for screenings of the films at some theatrical venues, or if you live in California, check out the free parade Disney is having at their Hollywood Studios tomorrow! Need some ideas on what to do to celebrate your fave sci-fi franchise? Then head on over to the Star Wars Day Blog for some hints!

FREE COMIC BOOK DAY (ALL DAY - EVERYWHERE!)
Head out to your local comic book store to get freebies! Many shops have contests, giveaways, and special offers on this, their most holy (and busiest) of days. Also, don't be surprised if the shop you visit also happens to be celebrating the aforementioned STAR WARS DAY!

SALT CITY HORROR FEST (THE PALACE THEATER - SYRACUSE, NY - 11 AM)
As posted HERE, this horror/exploitation/cult film fest will take place ALL DAY at the Palace Theater on James St. The movie lineup consists of: ABBOTT AND COSTELLO MEET FRANKENSTEIN, IT CAME FROM OUTER SPACE (in anaglyph 3D!), NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD, THE MANSON FAMILY, HOUSE AT THE EDGE OF THE PARK, ROBOCOP, NEKROMANTIK, and FRIGHT NIGHT! Tickets are $20 bucks at the door, and you can come and go all day as long as you have your wristband. Also, bring extra money with you because they serve all sorts of snacks and beer, plus there will be vendors there selling DVDs, Blu-rays, collectibles, and more! Maybe I'll see you there!

RIFFING MYSELF W/JOEL HODGSON (DRYDEN THEATER - SYRACUSE, NY - 8PM)
An intimate, funny, one-man show with the creator of Mystery Science Theater 3000 and Cinematic Titanic. Get all the feedback about Joel's early years as a ventriloquist and stand-up comedian, and discover every little detail that went into the creation of movie riffing and one of the greatest cult comedy shows of all time. I caught his act in Scranton back in February and it was really interesting, and Joel is one cool cat. (Even managed to sneak in a photo op with him before he escaped.) The show kicks off at 8 PM at the Dryden Theater. It's $20 for the main performance and $50 for the performance, and a post meet & greet + a screening of an MST3K episode. (Most likely, "The Pod People.")

FANTASM SCREENING (SYRACUSE, NY - SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY - SHAFFER ART BUILDING)
Kyle Kuchta visited six horror cons and made this endearing documentary about the conventions and the fans (and guests) that attend them. The abridged version of his thesis film is being shown for free on Saturday night to cap off a two day student film fest. I'm not quite sure about what time his film is being screened, so be sure to check out the FANTASM Facebook page to keep up to date!


MAY 5TH:
EXFEST III (INTERNATIONAL HOUSE - PHILADELPHIA, PA - 11 AM TO 11 PM)
I've always wanted to attend the EXHUMED FILMS' hosted eX-FeST. They show five films in glorious 35mm and never give away the lineup until the day of the event. Tickets are $26 (if any are left after the pre-orders... which is apparently quite rare). Visit THIS PAGE to snag tickets and enjoy the insanity on Sunday!

That's all I know of at the moment, but if you know of an event happening over the next two days that warrants a mention, then by all means contact me and I'll add it to the list! Have a great weekend everybody, and enjoy the awesome!

Groundbreaking conspiracy film needs your help

By Robbie Graham Silver Screen Saucers

 

Regular Silver Screen Saucers visitors may recall that I've been involved on-and-off for several years now with the incendiary investigation into the alleged murder of Hollywood screenwriter Gary Devore.

Westaway Film has teamed up with my colleague Dr. Matthew Alford to produce The Writer with No Hands, a documentary feature which delves deep into the world of Hollywood spies, lies, and double-lives.

I've seen the rough cut and was blown away by its production values, storytelling, and, most of all, by the new information that Dr. Alford has amassed in recent months.

 

Dr. Matthew Alford

Westaway Film is using the crowd-funding website Kickstarter to try to raise £12,000, which is necessary to buy copyright footage of Gary Devore’s old movies and to polish-up the technical aspects of the documentary (graphs, audio, etc.) to make it fit for cinematic and DVD release.

If you want to own a copy of the film, as well as some accompanying goodies, you can contribute to the £12,000 fundraising drive on Kickstarter. If the filmmakers do not reach their required figure, then your contribution is simply ignored, and you won’t have spent a penny. Your transaction will only be processed if the filmmakers succeed in reaching their target figure, which will allow them to complete their film.  

The Writer with No Hands is a Powerful and politically significant film, and one that I’m proud to have played a small part in. If you’d like to make a contribution to the film – anything from £1 upward -- head over to Kickstarter. Thanks.

 

New redband trailer for AFTERSHOCK!

I've been following Eli Roth's (who both produced and stars in) AFTERSHOCK for a while and I'm eager to check it out. Eli plays a dorky American tourist who ends up in an underground nightclub in Chile when an earthquake hits. Stuff crumbles and collapses, people are crushed to death, and the survivors have to dig their way to the top to escape the giant deathtrap. (Kind of like a land-based POSEIDON ADVENTURE... but with lots of gore.)

Naturally things are even worse once they find a way out because a nearby prison emptied out during the quake, leaving a crowd of violent (and apparently very rapey) criminals to run amok amidst the chaos! Check out the new redband trailer below:


Wait what?! After all the awfulness the main characters survive, they get wiped out by a freakin' tsunami?! Jeez movie trailer, that's a pretty huge spoiler!

So after viewing the latest trailer what do you think of AFTERSHOCK? Would you go see it in a theater? Would you give it a rental? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section below!

AFTERSHOCK gets a limited theatrical release on May 10th, with a DVD & Blu-ray release soon after.

23:59 coming to DVD & Blu-ray in June!

I just got a press release from the folks at Magnet Releasing/Magnolia Pictures about this cool ghost story from Singapore. "23:59" is hitting DVD & Blu-ray on June 4th; here's more info about this release.

SYNOPSIS: FROM THE PRODUCERS OF TATSUMI AND MACABRE.

Written & Directed by Gilbert Chan (Love Matters, S11)

Starring Award Winning Comedian, Television Host and Director Mark Lee (Love Matters, Liang Po Po: The Movie, Money No Enough Franchise).

During a routine road march at an island military training camp, an army recruit is found dead at exactly 23:59. This mysterious and gruesome incident unearths a terrifying dark secret of the haunted island, forcing the recruits to confront their deepest fears in order to find the truth about their friend’s death.

BONUS FEATURES:
"The Making of 23:59" featurette.
 Trailers.

Check out the trailer below.


It doesn't look like anything super awesome, but I'm a sucker for a good ghost story, so I'll probably give it a look. Once again, "23:59" comes out on DVD & Blu-ray on June 4th, and it is currently available for pre-order at Amazon.com (for about $24.00 or so).

PRE-ORDER THE DVD FROM AMAZON.COM!
PRE-ORDER THE BLU-RAY FROM AMAZON.COM!

New DVDs and Blu-rays for 04/30/2013!

Holy cow, does this week suck for DVD & Blu-ray releases... which is fine by me because I'll need all the extra cash I can muster for SALT CITY HORROR FEST on Saturday! Aside from a few Bruce Lee Double Feature discs from Shout! Factory, THE VAMPIRE LOVERS on Blu-ray (courtesy of Scream Factory) and the official DVD/VOD release of MANBORG... there's not a whole lot to get excited over. Here's what's new:



NEW TO DVD & BLU-RAY
Night of the Scarecrow (Olive Films)
The Vampire Lovers

NEW TO DVD
Agent Beetle
Body Melt (Katarina's Nightmare Theater)
The Dreaming / The Initiation (Katarina's Nightmare Theater)
Bruce Lee Double Feature: Big Boss & Fist of Fury
Bruce Lee Double Feature: Way of the Dragon & Game of Death
Manborg
The Navigator: A Medieval Odyssey
Night of the Living Dead: Resurrection
The Wicked
Victoryville Massacre