Cuba shoots its first zombie movie Juan Of The Dead

Posted on January 17, 2011 by xxxevilgrinxxx

17 January 2011/BBC
hat tip ~ @SimonPegg

Blood-spattered, flesh-eating monsters have been roaming the Cuban capital, Havana, in recent months – all part of filming for the country’s first zombie movie.

Juan Of The Dead: Cuba's answer to Shaun Of The Dead

Bearing a similar title to Britain’s 2004 comedy horror Shaun Of The Dead, Juan Of The Dead’s plot is actually closer to the 1984 ghoul classic Ghostbusters.

In the film, an entire city is overrun by zombies while Cuba’s Communist leaders insist it is just a plot by US-backed dissidents to bring down the government.

So it is left to hero Juan – played by Cuban actor Alexis Diaz de Villegas – to rid the island of the undead for money.

But as the zombie outbreak begins to spread, he is left with no choice but to fight for his own survival.

The film, due for release later this year, was written and directed by 34-year-old Alejandro Brugues.

“Cuba has a great history of cinema and they’ve always been avid filmgoers”
–John Landis
–Director of An American Werewolf In London

It is only his second movie since graduating from Cuba’s International School of Film and Television.

“It’s a zombie film but it’s about Cubans and how we react in the face of a crisis because we’ve had a lot of them here over the last 50 years,” Brugues told the BBC World Service’s The Strand.

“It is a social comedy, it has a bit of everything. It has horror, it has action and it pretty much laughs in the face of problems.” Continue reading →

I read stuff

Posted on November 15, 2010 by xxxevilgrinxxx

Wherein I read things, laugh, and pass them on to you…

•READ: New Cowboys and Aliens trailer shows Daniel Craig at his most brutal:

We got an early look at Wednesday’s Cowboys & Aliens trailer. We learned Daniel Craig’s alien-fighting cowboy puts James Bond to shame, Harrison Ford has never been nastier, and this really is both serious western and serious alien invasion movie…

[O]fficial description of the movie:

1873. Arizona Territory. A stranger (Craig) with no memory of his past stumbles into the hard desert town of Absolution. The only hint to his history is a mysterious shackle that encircles one wrist. What he discovers is that the people of Absolution don’t welcome strangers, and nobody makes a move on its streets unless ordered to do so by the iron-fisted Colonel Dolarhyde (Ford). It’s a town that lives in fear.

But Absolution is about to experience fear it can scarcely comprehend as the desolate city is attacked by marauders from the sky. Screaming down with breathtaking velocity and blinding lights to abduct the helpless one by one, these monsters challenge everything the residents have ever known.

Now, the stranger they rejected is their only hope for salvation. As this gunslinger slowly starts to remember who he is and where he’s been, he realizes he holds a secret that could give the town a fighting chance against the alien force. With the help of the elusive traveler Ella (Olivia Wilde), he pulls together a posse comprised of former opponents-townsfolk, Dolarhyde and his boys, outlaws and Apache warriors-all in danger of annihilation. United against a common enemy, they will prepare for an epic showdown for survival.

•READ: The Morning Read: Matthew Libatique will join Aronofsky for ‘Wolverine 2′:

Welcome to The Morning Read.

First, let me apologize for dropping Wednesday’s column. I blame Jon Favreau, and I’ll explain why on Monday. On an entirely-related note, I was at the AFI Fest closing night screening of “Black Swan” last night, and at the after-party at the Roosevelt, I ran into Matty Libatique, the cinematographer of “Black Swan,” “Iron Man,” “The Fountain,” and the upcoming “Cowboys and Aliens”. We’ve met a few times now, and he’s one of my favorite guys in the business. He’s so inventive, and so expressive, and such a key collaborator on the films he’s shot. There is one moment in “Black Swan” that I can’t describe without ruining the film for you, but it’s a combination of performance and photography and an effect and the score, and it just tears me up. Both times I’ve seen it, I hold my breath watching it.

When I realized he was standing next to me at the bar, I said hello and we talked about that shot and the film in general for a moment. We also talked about the gorgeous Western fantasy work he’s done for “Cowboys and Aliens,” and the pleasures of shooting a face as great as Harrison Ford’s. I love that he can shoot big commercial fare like “Iron Man” and “Cowboys And Aliens” and really give the films a rich, vibrant sheen that makes movie stars look legitimately superhuman, but he can also shoot films like “Black Swan” or “Requiem For A Dream,” pure emulsion emotion. As he turned to another friend in line, he confirmed that he’ll be joining Darren Aronofsky for “Wolverine 2,” so there’s one more reason for me to look forward to that movie. We spoke a little more about “Cowboys” and an early action set piece in the movie, and then parted ways. This weekend, I’ll be speaking to both Aronofsky and Natalie Portman about the film, and we’ll have those interviews for you soon.

•READ: ‘The Thing’ finds itself dateless:

Hard-core horror and monster-film fans who were awaiting the new version of “The Thing” this spring will have to wait a little longer. Or a lot longer.

Thing Universal Pictures, the monster-minded studio which is making the prequel to John Carpenter’s 1982 classic, has scrapped the film’s scheduled April 29 opening and opted to leave the movie without a release date.

In its place, the studio has moved up “Fast Five,” its fifth installment in the auto-racing “Fast & Furious” franchise; the franchise goes from June 10 to the April slot. ~~(More on other movie changes at Universal in a post we just wrote on our sister Company Town blog.)~~

A Universal spokeswoman said that “The Thing” was not yet ready and that the studio was very keen on the new “Fast & Furious” movie, citing the successful release of the franchise’s fourth film in April 2009.

There’s so much wrong with this that it’s hard to know where to begin…

•READ: Free AK-47 offered with truck purchase:

A Florida truck dealer is offering free AK-47 assault rifles to customers who purchase used trucks.

Meanwhile, in another part of the forest…
•READ: Police called on NY kids’ cupcake sale:

Some parents in a New York City suburb are upset because a local politician called police on two 13-year-old boys for selling cupcakes and other baked goods without a permit.

So. What to say about that? Cupcakes = bad. AK-47′s = good. Strange, strange world we live in.

Michelle Rodriguez: Always getting killed

Posted on July 22, 2010 by xxxevilgrinxxx

• READ: Why does Michelle Rodriguez always get killed off? We asked her

Michelle Rodriguez kicked ass in Lost and Avatar, but her characters always get killed. Why is that? We managed to corner her at San Diego Comic Con and ask her.

We caught up with Rodriguez at the press conference for her new film Battle: Los Angeles and asked her this question during the Q&A. Here’s what she said then:

Because I don’t take my clothes off, and I’m nobody’s girlfriend. The writers are new to the whole tough girl thing, and they don’t know what to do with [me]. We’ve got the dude who’s strong, so what do we do with the chick who’s strong? We kill her. Eventually they’ll get used to it, and maybe Salt will change a thing or two.

We liked her answer so much, we grabbed her afterwards and asked her to repeat her answer on video — and there it is!

Fast Five: First images coming out [Collider]

Posted on July 14, 2010 by xxxevilgrinxxx

I know I’m supposed to squee over Vin, but for me, it’s Paul Walker that’s walking away with this one for me :p

• READ: First Images of Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Ludacris, and Tyrese Gibson from the Set of FAST FIVE – Updated

From the beautiful isle of Puerto Rico comes our first look at the set of Fast Five, the fifth entry in the Fast & Furious franchise. As you will see from the pics, Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Ludacris, and Tyrese Gibson will all reprise their roles in the franchise. Though absent in this array of images, Dwayne Johnson will join the cast as they shoot in Puerto Rico, Brazil, and Rio among other locations. Check out the images after the jump.

The images come from the Twitter feeds of cast members Ludacris and Gibson. Thanks to Collider reader Norma for the tip.

Update: Thanks to @theterrylee who alerted us that Han from Tokyo Drift is in the pictures as well. It looks like the 5th film is really trying to bring everyone back.

More at Collider…

Photos: 40 memorable movie cars

Posted on June 4, 2010 by xxxevilgrinxxx

Driving.ca’s choices for most memorable cars from the movies
Many more at the link….

Bullitt (1968) – 1968 Ford Mustang 390 GT
Photograph by: Handout, Warner Brothers

Vanishing Point (1971) – 1970 Dodge Challenger R/T
Photograph by: Handout, Cupid Productions

Christine (1983) – 1958 Plymouth Fury
Photograph by: Handout, Columbia Pictures Corporation

How could they have missed The Chevelle?:

Werewolves: Apparently, they’re Stephanie Meyer’s

Posted on February 24, 2010 by xxxevilgrinxxx

It’s no big secret that all things “Twilight” make me sick to my stomach, what, with the sparkling and the Volvos and creepy stalker boyfriend from hell bit, but this really takes the cake. Werewolves have been a part of popular culture for a LONG time now and have existed in lore for thousands of years, but somehow, all of those guys have ripped off Meyer too. I’m sure I could make a huge list of such films and shows but it’s not really necessary, especially not here. Apparently though, at least one stupid Twilight fan decided that Meyer had actually invented werewolves, as well as the lore behind them, like silver bullets, etc. I seriously hope this writer is very young and immature; at this point it would be her only saving grace:

The e-mail was from Kayla Patterson, a die hard Twilight/Taylor Lautner fan upset about Universal Pictures ripping off the werewolf idea from Twilight. That’s right, Universal Studios, who first put werewolves in theaters, are a bunch of copycats. [Latino Review]

To whom this may concern:

This movie was a complete waste and I feel that it offends ALL Twilight Fans around the world, that including myself. For one, it was a COMPLETE remaking of the Wolf Pack from the Twilight Saga: New Moon. It gives the werewolves a bad name and makes them look like some deformed mutation of a rabid dog. I actually started to like werewolves after seeing Jacob Black and all his awesomeness on the big screen at the movies. That was until I saw your crappy remake of what you call to be a “were wolf”. I don’t see how you live with yourself for making it the way you did. If I made this movie, I would be ashamed to even admit that I owned it. How can a werewolf be killed with a silver bullet? Better yet, have you saw the transformation of the man that is “supposed” to be the wolf? He sits in some chair and his entire body turns in to some mutated freak. If you would watch the transformation of Jacob Black, (Taylor Lautner) he doesn’t come close to looking as fake, cheap and or mutated as the wolf man. You tell me, who looks to be the better werewolf. Your stupid Wolf Movie didn’t even make the top Movie for the charts; Valentines Day WITH TAYLOR Lautner! Get that this is MY oppinion and I felt I wanted to express it because I saw that your email was on your site. I wanted to let you know this is what i thought of the wolf man that sucks.
FREAKIN LAUTNER DID!

The Poser of who could never be even if they tried : ” Aka : Rabid poser Werewolf “The Wolf Man”

*pic from ‘The Wolf Man’*

OR My favorite: Taylor Daniel Lautner aka Jacob Black

*pic of Lautner*

TEAM JACOB- cuz hes a REAL WEREWOLVE!

Regards: Kayla Patterson (kayla—-@—–.com) Feel free to reply

Fast and Furious 5 Greenlit & Titled

Posted on February 4, 2010 by xxxevilgrinxxx

Screen Rant

Vin Diesel confirmed on his Facebook page that not one but TWO more The Fast and The Furious movies would get made. And although we’re not sure if that’s true for a sixth movie, today we’ve got confirmation that there will be a fifth film that reunites at least two of the cast members from the last installment, Fast & Furious.
Continue reading →

Star Trek 2

Posted on January 10, 2010 by xxxevilgrinxxx

I liked the new Star Trek so it should be interesting to see how the second one goes.

Star Trek 2 Boldly Goes Forth With Definite Release Date [Star Trek 2]

from io9 by Alasdair Wilkins

Paramount has revealed that the Star Trek sequel will be released on June 29, 2012. It’s the only film currently scheduled for 2012′s July 4th weekend, historically one of the most profitable times to release summer blockbusters.

Star Trek 2 is the second major science fiction release scheduled for 2012 — Marvel Studios’ The Avengers is currently on track for the summer kickoff slot on May 4. Other potential genre releases for that summer include Fox’s Wolverine 2, Warner Brothers’s mooted Dark Knight sequel, and Spider-Man 4, assuming the rumors of a yearlong delay due to script problems are accurate.

Currently, the only people officially attached to Star Trek 2 are writers Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzmann. Director J.J. Abrams and the cast are, however, expected to return as well.

[Obsessed With Film]

Deadpool Movie Gets The Dark Comedy Writers That Wade Deserves

Posted on January 7, 2010 by xxxevilgrinxxx

[io9/Meredith Woerner]

Fans of loopy banter and insane violence rejoice — Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick, of Zombieland fame, are writing the Deadpool movie. This means the “Merc with a Mouth” film could actually be clever.

Variety announced that Fox has selected Zombieland writers Reese and Wernick to bring Ryan Reynolds‘ Deadpool film to life.

While there’s “no timetable” set the trade speculates that if the script is done by the summer, Reynolds will already be in superhero shape from filming Green Lantern and has a window of opportunity, so what’s to stop a quick turnover? Well besides piling two Ryan Reynolds comic book movie releases on top of each other that is.

The writers stated that they wanted to stay true to the mythology of Deadpool, and if their previous Zombieland work is any indication of their wit, then they are a perfect fit for the fourth-wall-breaking, Bea Arthur-loving character.

Carolyn Fry, Aeryn Sun, River: Most Badass Female Pilots of all time

Posted on January 1, 2010 by xxxevilgrinxxx

Carolyn Fry from Pitch Black.

I don’t know how I managed to forget her — I actually had her on my list, and had grabbed this cool pic of her in advance. She manages to bring a dead ship down in spite of incredible odds — and sure, she tries to jettison her passengers. But she’s just being sensible, after all.

Aeryn Sun in Farscape.

She’s a formidable fighter generally, but she’s also a former Peacekeeper pilot, and some of her best moments involve her taking the helm of a ship — like the season two finale, when Crichton is flying away with Scorpius’ mind controlling him, and Aeryn chases after him in her own ship.

River in Serenity.

Okay, so Serenity’s real pilot is, and always will be, Wash. But you can tell, at the end of the movie, that River is gearing up to be a pretty great pilot in her own right. And in the series of movie sequels that unspool in my daydreams from time to time, she’s piloting the ship all the time.

Read the rest of the list at this link.