Twitch

Watch The English Subtitled Trailer For Israeli Thriller BIG BAD WOLVES

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 16:33:18 -0500

Israeli directors Aharon Keshales and Navot Papushado created quite the international stir with their debut film Rabies a couple years back, the genre world embracing the first ever Israeli slasher wholeheartedly. And so when the duo returned with dark thriller Big Bad Wolves at this year's Tribeca Film Festival the expectations were rather high. And they were met rather resoundingly with the film receiving a fantastic critical response and a quick pick up for US distribution via Magnet Releasing.A series of brutal murders puts the lives of three men on a collision course: The father of the latest victim now out for revenge, a vigilante police detective operating outside the boundaries of law, and the main suspect in the killings - a religious studies teacher...

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

Watch The Making Of A Fight Scene In Keanu Reeves' MAN OF TAI CHI

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 16:05:04 -0500

More behind-the-scenes videos for Keanu Reeves' directorial debut Man of Tai Chi have arrived via Mtime, with one focusing on the making of the fight scenes. Among the stunt team responsible for designing the fight scenes is veteran action director Yuen Woo-ping and Chad Stahelski, who worked with Reeves before as the martial arts stunt coordinator and stunt double in The Matrix Trilogy. As the titled implies, Tiger Chen will utilized the art of Tai Chi to battle an assortment of fighters including Steven Dasz, Jeremy Marinas, Brahim Achabbakhe, Ocean Hou and Iko Uwais. The fight scenes will showcase various martial arts style including Shaolin Kung Fu, MMA, Taekwondo and Silat.The film is due for theatrical release in China on July 5. You'll find two behind-the-scenes...

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

SPECTACULAR NOW Trailer Sweet Talks Its Way Into Summer

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 13:01:01 -0500

The temperature is heading ever upward in the Northern Hemisphere. As the outside air warms up, and bodies begin to sweat, and clothes begin to stick to bodies, the thoughts of teenagers -- and those who remember their teen years -- turn toward serious issues, like getting older and falling in love. The first trailer for The Spectacular Now, starring Miles Teller and Shailene Woodley and directed by James Ponsoldt, appears to capture those sticky feelings of teenage summers. In his review for Twitch, Chase Whale wrote in part: The Spectacular Now will be remembered as a high school movie with a determined message - that living in the now is a constant change, whether we're ready or not. This is the most important coming-of-age...

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

First Teaser For Live Action THE TIGER MASK

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 12:00:12 -0500

As the superhero genre continues to dominate the summer blockbuster season in Hollywood, with Man of Steel and Iron Man 3 already box office smash hits, Japan has followed suit with Hentai Kamen and the upcoming Gatchaman. Also joining in on this hot trend is the return of the fictional masked professional wrestler known as The Tiger Mask (タイガーマスク). Based on the classic 60's manga of the same name from writer Ikki Kajiwara and artist Naoki Tsuji, the live action film takes inspiration from American superheroes like Batman and Spider-Man on reinventing the hero for the new generation.The film is directed by Ken Ochiai and the cast include Eiji Wentz (Gegege no Kitarō, Brave Story) as the titled hero, Sho Aikawa (Tokyo Zombie, Zebraman) as mentor...

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

The Apocalypse Arrives In Brazil With SciFi Short LUNATIQUE

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 11:00:38 -0500

South America continues to prove a hotbed for young genre minded talents, today's example coming from Brazil. From writer-director Gabriel Kalim Mucci - with second unit work by Carlos Gananian, a familiar face here at Twitch - comes post apocalyptic science fiction short Lunatique.Having recently wrapped principal photography the film is now moving into post production and Mucci has released a brief but impressive teaser of this tale of a lonely soul trying to survive in the aftermath of massive destruction. Take a look below....

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

FIDOCS 2013 Is Coming: Competition Lineup And Retrospectives Announced

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 09:00:42 -0500

The 17th edition of one of the most important film festivals in Chile announced its competition slate as well as retrospectives and other screenings of documentaries from famous directors. Dedicated exclusively to non-fiction filmmaking from Chile, Latin-America and the world, FIDOCS was created and still headed by legendary Chilean filmmaker Patricio Guzmán (Nostalgia for the Light, The Battle of Chile Trilogy). Since its beginnings FIDOCS has been a politically committed festival that inscribes each decision with a responsible editorial line, thus, the 40th anniversary of the coup d'etat that threw out the democratic government of Salvador Allende and put the dictator Augusto Pinochet at the head of state in 1973 couldn't possibly be without any notice in the programming of the festival, with a special...

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

The ANCHORMAN 2 Trailer Does Its Part For Race Relations

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 08:00:29 -0500

Breaking down barriers with facial hair. That will be the legacy of Anchorman 2. Yes, Ron Burgundy is back in the game, he's bringing his mustache with him, and he's here to heal the rift between races in America. The earlier teaser for Anchorman 2 has now been followed by a full trailer with plenty of Will Ferrell, Steve Carrell, Paul Rudd, Kristin Wiig, Christina Applegate et al in action. Check it out below....

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

THE LEGO MOVIE Trailer Will Make You Shit Bricks

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 21:15:18 -0500

Out of all the movie trailers that leave me hyperventilating with excitement, from stunning teases of Scorsese or Coen Brothers films to crazy/awesome looking Polish semi-documentaries, you might be surprised that a little film coming out in 2014 from Warner might top them all.For here, for your viewing pleasure, is the brickiest film of next year. Does it have Batman in it? Check. Ninja Turtles? Why not. 1980s Space Guy? BRING IT ON!For this unapologetic Lego nerd ("It's Lego Bricks, dammit, NOT LEGOS!"), I couldn't be happier with this project. It matches the style of a number of really terrific shorts that the Lego group has commissioned, and while I at first worried it'd be some computer animated kiddie fest, the stop-motion animation with real bricks...

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

Dolph Lundgren Plus Robots Versus Zombies! Watch The English Language BATTLE OF THE DAMNED Trailer Now!

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 18:00:47 -0500

What could be better than Dolph Lundgren battling zombies in a post apocalyptic Singapore? Simple! Dolph Lundgren battling zombies in a post apocalyptic Singapore with the help of heavily armed robots! Yes, kids, it's Battle Of The Damned and while a German language trailer hit the web last week we've got your first crack and the proper English trailer right here!On the outskirts of civilization, a remote test facility lays ruin following a catastrophic security breach. All that remains is a handful of survivors, their small armory of weapons, and a fleet of the infected. The breach lead to a viral outbreak that left hundreds dead or mutated. Now the infected walk the land, stalking the few that stayed alive. Led by private military operative...

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

Get A First Glimpse Of Tsui Hark's YOUNG DETECTIVE DEE

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 17:30:10 -0500

Tsui Hark had a big hit on his hands with his Andy Lau starring Detective Dee and he is no doubt hoping lightning will strike twice for him with the character as he prepares his prequel offering Young Detective Dee: Rise Of The Sea Dragon.The young Dee Renjie arrives in the Imperial Capital, intent to become an officer of the law. Empress Wu, who is at the start of her reign, has sent the fiery-haired Detective Yuchi to investigate a sea monster that stalks the city at night. By chance, both Dee and Yuchi fight off the creature when it attacks a ceremonial procession carrying the beautiful courtesan Yin to be sacrificed at a temple to appease the Gods. Suspicious of the stranger, Yuchi has...

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

A Surprisingly Weepy First Trailer For Dante Lam's UNBEATABLE (MMA)

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 16:45:26 -0500

Would you care for a dose of melodrama to go with that punch in the face? Because that's what Hong Kong action auteur Dante Lam is serving up in the first trailer for his Nick Cheung and Eddie Peng starring effort Unbeatable, formerly known as MMA.FAI (Nick CHEUNG), once a world champion in boxing, escapes to Macau from the loan sharks and unexpectedly encounters QI (Eddie PANG), a young chap who is determined to win a boxing match. FAI becomes QI's mentor and rediscovers his passion to fight not only in the ring but for his life and the cares.Unbeatable is one of two Dante Lam films nearing release - That Demon Within being the other - and it lands the first punch in the trailer race...

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

It's A MASSACRE ON SET And Things Are Going To Get Bloody!

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 12:00:51 -0500

Ah, Argentina, the land of (seemingly) many, many crazy directors seemingly all too happy to spray blood and breasts across the screen. And among the craziest of the crazy is La Memoria Del Muerto helmer Javier Diment, who I once made the mistake of going shot for shot with before making him write a drunken review of his own movie.The next day would have been quite painful if not for the fact that I was still very much drunk when I woke up. And also that I had a guardian pouring pints of water down my throat before I was allowed to go to bed.But I digress.Diment moves from behind the camera to in front of it as one of the stars of Gonzalo and...

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

Dolph Lundgren Confirms Tony Jaa Aboard For SKIN TRADE

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 10:00:25 -0500

Dolph Lundgren and Tony Jaa are making it a pair. Lundgren made headlines back in April when he joined the Tony Jaa directed retro-western A Man Will Rise - that film already listed as in post production, by the way, a welcome change from the interminable delays marking Jaa's previous couple projects - and now it seems that the duo have struck a mutually beneficial deal with Lundgren appearing in Jaa's film and Jaa returning the favor by appearing in Lundgren's upcoming Skin Trade.Written by, produced by and starring Lundgren in the lead with the director yet to be named, the Skin Trade story began life as a New York based story involving the Russian mafia and human trafficking, though that location has shifted with...

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

Interview: V/H/S/2 Cinematographer Abdul Dermawan Habir Talks SAFE HAVEN

Mon, 17 Jun 2013 23:30:00 -0500

With the release of V/H/S/2 on VOD, I believe the film has gained the broader audience it deserves, and most who have already watched it will agree that Safe Haven, directed by Gareth Evans and Timo Tjahjanto, is the best segment, if not the only reason to watch V/H/S/2. I'm here in Indonesia and got the chance to sit down and talk a little bit about Safe Haven with its Director of Photography, Abdul Dermawan Habir, who goes by the nickname Gerry.TWITCH: So tell us how it feels working with directors Gareth Evans and Timo Tjahjanto? It's kinda hard to believe, cause the opportunity just came. Originally it was supposed to be Gunnar Nimpuno (DP of the Mo Brothers' upcoming Killers), but I don't know, it's...

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

He's Like Dirty Harry, Only Hairier. Here Comes The WOLFCOP.

Mon, 17 Jun 2013 15:00:51 -0500

Some things are just meant to be. And Lowell Dean's Wolfcop appears to be one of those things. Wolfcop has emerged victorious from Canadian 'film accelerator' project Cinecoup, which means the furry lawman takes home production financing and a guaranteed Canadian release once it's actually made.It's not unusual for alcoholic cop Lou Garou to black out and wake up in unfamiliar surroundings, but lately things have taken a strange turn. Crime scenes seem oddly familiar. Lou's senses are heightened, and when the full moon is out, he's a rage-fueled werewolf. WOLFCOP is one cop's quest to become a better man... One transformation at a time. The trailer for this one is an awful lot of fun and it's not hard to see why it generated...

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

Fellini's Forgotten Pupil Augusto Tretti Has Passed Away

Mon, 17 Jun 2013 14:00:46 -0500

"He disappeared in silence." Sadly this is how everyone is recalling Augusto Tretti's recent death. He died on the 7th of June, and while 10 days have gone by since he passed away, it still seems that in Italy nobody has noticed it.Maybe the failure to notice comes because he closed himself off in his house on Lake Garda for a long time. Tretti's life in movies ended prematurely in 1985, when he directed Mediatori e Carrozze thanks to his friend Ermanno Olmi, a short movie released on TV five years after his third and final feature, Alcool. Apparently no one cared for his body of work, an impressive trio produced over 20 years, acclaimed by a lot of filmmakers and a few critics."I give this...

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

Rocking Star Manchu Manoj Returns In POTUGADU Teaser!

Mon, 17 Jun 2013 12:30:03 -0500

I fucking love this guy!"Rocking Star" Manchu Manoj returns to the big screen after over a year off with Potugadu and I could not be more excited. You may not have any idea who Manchu Manoj is, and I wouldn't blame you for that. He's the son of a major film star in India, Mohan Babu, and only started getting really noticed last year with the releases of Mr. Nokia and Uu Kodathara? Ulikki Padathara? Unfortunately, if you want to know more about him it's difficult as neither of those films have home video releases yet, with or without subtitles (I know, I've been hunting for a year). However, I was able to catch UKUP in theaters last summer and while the film itself was...

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

Exclusive: ABSENCE Debuts A Wonderfully Creepy Teaser

Mon, 17 Jun 2013 11:00:58 -0500

Dropping on audiences from Cinedigm on July 5 is Jimmy Loweree's intriguing pregnancy thriller Absence. We've got an exclusive first look at the wonderfully creepy teaser for you to check out. Expectant mother Liz wakes to find her nearly-to-term pregnancy has disappeared overnight. When doctors can find no medical explanation for the loss, police treat Liz and her husband Rick as prime suspects in what has now become a missing child case. Only Rick and Liz's brother Evan trust her version of events. To relieve some of Liz's grief, Rick and Evan take her on a vacation to the mountains. But as Evan documents their vacation, unusual patterns arise. Liz still has no real answers for the disappearance of her baby despite his interviews and...

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

Twitchvision: Talking MAN OF STEEL and THIS IS THE END

Mon, 17 Jun 2013 10:30:10 -0500

This is the big week of Superman's return, with Zack Snyder's take on the caped saviour hitting our screens. While my opinion's kind of mixed on the film, there's still plenty to admire about it. I also discuss the overt Jesus imagery throughout, as expanded in a full cineruminations column here on Twitchfilm.com.Also I managed to sneak in talk of one of my favourite comedies in some time, the wonderfully insane This is the End. It's Apocalypdelicious!Video embedded below...

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

The Kids Talk Film: Jackie Chan's POLICE STORY

Mon, 17 Jun 2013 08:00:00 -0500

Twitch has been on the Internet so long that many of its writing staff have children old enough to understand and consume media in a way that is both raw and fresh. It might even come with an inkling of consideration afterwards and it's true that many of us fall in love with the movies when we are very young. Thus, we are offering you the perspective of smaller children as they react to seeing classic filmmaking on the big screen. In the past, Willem (Age 10) and Miranda (Age 8) have talked the films of Studio Ghibli as well as Satoshi Kon's Paprika and Pixar's Brave. The recently got a chance to see Jackie Chan in person as a part of the A Century of Chinese Cinema...

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

No Dwarf-Tossing For Leo In Scorsese's THE WOLF OF WALL STREET Trailer

Mon, 17 Jun 2013 02:19:41 -0500

The first trailer for Martin Scorsese's The Wolf of Wall Street has arrived, and it gives a startling glimpse at this tale of reckless decadence in the stock market's healthier days, courtesy of Jordan Belfort's autobiography.Leo DiCaprio stars as the New York stockbroker who became embroiled in a huge securities fraud case that looked to pull in some of the biggest names on Wall Street. If you're thinking this sounds like Goodfellas Goes Banking, then you're clearly on the same page as Scorsese, as this first trailer goes to great lengths to show just how much fun the good times were before the bubble burst and the FBI came a-knocking.DiCaprio continues to produce his best work under Scorsese's direction, while the veteran helmsman is certainly...

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

First Trailer For Donnie Yen's THE MONKEY KING 3D Finally Arrives!

Sun, 16 Jun 2013 22:15:12 -0500

While Donnie Yen's Iceman 3D is still filming due to production difficulties, it looks like his other 3D adventure, The Monkey King, is closer to full completion. The Monkey King is directed by Soi Cheang, responsible for recent Milkyway hits like Accident and Motorway, with an all-star cast including Yen, Chow Yun Fat and Aaron Kwok. It has been in post-production for some time, and a while back, there was a teaser that showed nothing but the big names in the cast. Now the first real trailer has arrived. It looks pretty colorful and features a lot of CGI. Check it out to see how it compares with Stephen Chow's adaptations of the same source material (Chinese Odyssey and Journey To The West)!...

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

Climb Into the CRAWLSPACE Script

Sun, 16 Jun 2013 21:00:05 -0500

After snaking around the world and playing at a string of genre festivals, Justin Dix's sci-fi horror Crawlspace is coming to Melbourne for a hometown premiere extravaganza at the Astor Theatre on Sunday 7 July. In the lead up, Dix is releasing a series of behind the scenes videos dissecting the making of the movie. Here he takes a look at the script with the cast. Watch it below.Crawlspace screens at the Astor Theatre on Sunday 7th July at 7pm, followed by a Q&A....

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

LA Film Fest 2013 Review: ALL TOGETHER NOW, In The Woods, Rocking Out, And Philosophizing The Night Away

Sun, 16 Jun 2013 17:00:00 -0500

Multi-thread narratives or group narratives prove to be an interesting corner of cinema to explore. The best ones I find rarely rely on compelling plots, but are often loose and meandering affairs, with existential wit to spare and a cornucopia of colorful characters that shoot from the hip. One could argue that Robert Altman is the gold standard for this larger construct. And when we are talking flicks about adolescents and young adults the bar has been set considerably high by American Graffiti and Dazed And Confused and their life changing one-nighters. It is then a real testament to director Alexander Mirecki and his entire cast and crew that his feature debut All Together Now feels so fresh. Ron (Lou Taylor Pucci) is putting on...

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

The Holocaust Serves As Backdrop For Psycho Sexual Thriller IN HIDING

Sun, 16 Jun 2013 13:00:17 -0500

Assuming that filmmakers around the globe wish to continue making films about the Holocaust - and given that such films are routinely trotted out as awards bait in countries across Europe, I would assume that is the case - then I would suggest they need to find a new approach to the material. It's not that the historical events are no longer worth talking about - they are - but that the subject matter has been so overworked that viewer fatigue set in long, long ago and none of it seems to matter at all any more.We've seen the story so many times that it has become little more than noise.And so Polish director Jan Kidawa-Błoński has found a different story, one that goes in...

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

Even More Ricardo Darin In This Teaser Trailer For HISTORIAS SALVAJES

Sun, 16 Jun 2013 10:30:43 -0500

Whenever Argentina's top leading man, Ricardo Darin, shows up in a film, one can't help but feel giddy with anticipation, which makes the epic teaser trailer for next year's Historias Salvajes seem even more promising than it already is.Darin is the star of one of the six short stories that make up the film, which also includes other well-known faces such as Leonardo Sbaraglia (Intacto) and Dario Grandinetti (Talk To Her).Director Damian Szifron previously gained notice with 2003's psychological thriller The Bottom of The Sea and its follow-up, 2005's buddy-action movie On Probation. Where the director has truly made a splash though, is in television, having created ratings smashes such as Los Simuladores (sometimes referred to as Argentina's version of The A-Team) and Hermanos y...

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

Live Action 009-1 Trailer Features Plenty Of Female Cyborg Action!

Sun, 16 Jun 2013 09:30:37 -0500

009-1: The End Of The Beginning is an upcoming live action adaptation of Ishinomori Shotaro's classic manga 009-1, which was published from the mid-60s to early 70s and previously adapted into an anime series in 2006. It tells the story of Miléne '009-1' Hoffman, a female cyborg working as a secret agent, who is famous for using breast guns as her weapons.Sakamoto Kōichi, director of a number of recent Kamen Rider films and stunt coordinator for the long-running Power Rangers series, is at the helm of the film. The central character is played by young actress Iwasa Mayuko. Ishinomori (1938-1998), who also wrote 009 Re: Cyborg, would have turned 75 this year, and 009-1: The End Of The Beginning is his 75th birthday anniversary project. The...

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

Brazil's RIO 2096: A STORY OF LOVE AND FURY Wins Top Prize At Annecy Film Festival

Sun, 16 Jun 2013 08:30:58 -0500

Rio 2096: A Story of Love and Fury, the feature debut from Brazilian director Luiz Bolognesi, has won the top prize at Annecy Film Festival. The film revolves "around the love between an immortal hero and Janaína, the woman he has been in love with for 600 years." The story is set in four phases of Brazil's history: colonization, slavery, during the military regime and in the future, in the midst of wars over water. It is the first Brazilian film to play in competition at Annecy. Other prize winners include Oscar-winner Chris Landreth (Ryan) winning best short film for Subconscious Password and Australian Julian Frost taking home best commissioned film for the viral hit Dumb Ways To Die. The audience award goes to Fernando Cortizo...

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

Updated With High Quality Version: Epic SNOWPIERCER Trailer Finally Rolls In

Sat, 15 Jun 2013 15:02:48 -0500

Editor's update: When the trailer was first released, much of the dialogue was indecipherable due to the sound mix and compression. It was also a Korean domestic trailer without English subtitles. We have added an updated version of the trailer below (provided by CJ Entertainment), which clarifies most of the dialogue but shows that some of the problems may be endemic - especially Tilda Swinton speaking with false teeth. Can anyone make out what she's saying? Let's hope it's clearer in the final film.Writer's update: Due to her Yorkshire accent and the throbbing soundtrack, it's true that it's a little hard to understand Tilda's dialogue. But fear not! We've gone ahead and deciphered it for you:1. Passengers! As in the beginning, I, belong to the front. You,...

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

Watch The New US Trailer For Refn's ONLY GOD FORGIVES

Sat, 15 Jun 2013 14:00:38 -0500

Nicolas Winding Refn's Only God Forgives arrives on US shores in July with the sleepy eyed Ryan Gosling aiming to do bloody vengeance at his mother's command. And an impending release means a brand new trailer.Julian (Gosling), an American fugitive from justice, runs a boxing club in Bangkok as a front for his drug business. His mother (Kristin Scott Thomas), the head of a vast criminal organization, arrives from the US to collect the body of her favorite son, Billy. Julian's brother has just been killed after having savagely murdered a young prostitute. Crazy with rage and thirsty for vengeance she demands the heads of the murderers from Julian. But first, Julian must confront Chang, a mysterious retired policeman - and figurehead of a divine justice...

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

Watch The First Teaser For Ato Bautista's MEMORIES OF RAIN

Sat, 15 Jun 2013 11:00:11 -0500

Recently named as one of the brightest young Filipino talents by our own Pierre Hombrebueno and with a new project announced as part of the NAFF Project Market at PiFan in Korea, Ato Bautista is a director on the rise in the Philippines. But while he is best known for his darker, more genre oriented fare Bautista's newest picture showcases a different side to the director with the CineFilipino selected Memories Of Rain (Mga Alaala ng Tag-ulan) moving into romance territory.MGA ALAALA NG TAG-ULAN (Memories of Rain) is a poignant, coming-of-age story about a young man's first encounter with love, romance and heartbreak. It is told in bits and pieces of poetic and melancholic memories, pouring in one rainy night. SANTI is a college freshman....

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

Watch The First Teaser For LA Selected Horror Flick DELIVERY

Fri, 14 Jun 2013 17:00:53 -0500

Kyle and Rachel have a baby coming. And maybe that's not such a good thing. Welcome to the basic premise for Delivery, Brian Netto's indie horror flick about to premiere at the LA Film Festival.In this unnerving chiller, Kyle and Rachel Massy are a young couple who have agreed to document their first pregnancy for a reality show. During the production and after moving to a new home, a series of unexplained phenomena start plaguing the couple, eventually derailing the production of the show. Rachel, growing increasingly paranoid, starts to believe that there might be something seriously wrong with their unborn bundle of joy. Told through the show's un-aired footage and interviews from friends, family and production members, Brian Netto's savvy debut feature injects the...

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

First Teaser For New Italian TV Series DIABOLIK

Fri, 14 Jun 2013 16:00:42 -0500

No one knows anything about it. There's still no director attached and no cast has been announced. All we know is that Italian broadcaster Sky is producing a new Diabolik TV series through their production company, Sky Cinema. The famous comic celebrated its fifty year anniversary in 2012, and at the end of the year a teaser was presented to introduce the series along with a second highly anticipated new show: Gomorra, adapted from both Matteo Garrone's movie and Roberto Saviano's book.Diabolik is the 007 of the dark side, he's a violent and ruthless thief far from any possible comparison with Arsenio Lupin or Robin Hood. He's a greedy man who, together with his fiancé Eva Kant, loves to steal gold and jewels and to...

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

Hey, Canada! Win Tickets To See Kitamura's NO ONE LIVES On The Big Screen June 19th!

Fri, 14 Jun 2013 15:00:17 -0500

Hey, Canada! Kitamura Ryuhei's blood soaked slasher No One Lives hits screens across the nation for one night only as part of Raven Banner Entertainment's Sinister Cinema series on June 19th and you could be there for free! We have four pairs of tickets to give away to readers across the nation and one pair could be yours!A ruthless criminal gang takes a young couple hostage and goes to ground in an abandoned house in the middle of nowhere. When the captive girl is killed, the tables are unexpectedly turned. The gang finds themselves outsmarted by an urbane and seasoned killer determined to ensure that no one lives. The film is playing one night only in selected Cineplex Theatres in the following cities:B.C.Vancouver, Victoria, Nanaimo,...

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

Theatrical Trailer For SPACE PIRATE CAPTAIN HARLOCK Reaches Ramming Speed

Fri, 14 Jun 2013 12:30:27 -0500

Aramaki Shinji's upcoming big screen adaptation of Space Pirate Captain Harlock is, without a doubt, one of the more anticipated events of the anime world. The Appleseed director has recruited talent from the Square Enix ranks for a CGI animated update of the hugely popular character and the results are looking intriguing.It is the year 2977 and the world as we knew it has ended. The Gaia Corporation rule the galaxy after the devastating Homecoming War, fought by people desperate to return to Earth. Having been exiled and vilified, Captain Harlock and the crew of the Arcadia, a Death Shadow Class battle cruiser, are now the only hope for mankind to discover the truth that Gaia are hiding and to return to the home kept...

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

Watch The First Eight Minutes Of GHOST IN THE SHELL ARISE: GHOST PAIN, Subtitles Included

Fri, 14 Jun 2013 11:30:31 -0500

Looking for a taste of prequel series Ghost In The Shell Arise? Well, here it is. The story of how Kusanagi Motoko was recruited into Public Security Section 9 will play out as a series of four fifty minute films, with the first (Ghost Pain) due to hit Japanese screens on June 22nd. and to raise expectations for the Kise Kazuchika directed effort the first eight minutes have been released online, with English subtitles included. Take a look below and let us know how this meets with your expectations and you feel it will fit with the rest of the Ghost In The Shell canon!...

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

Review: 20 FEET FROM STARDOM Is A Musically Joyous Masterpiece

Fri, 14 Jun 2013 10:00:10 -0500

It's never bad when a film starts with some philosophizing from the Boss. Talking about the documentary's subjects, the oft anonymous backup singers that have brought beautiful harmonies to generations of artists, Mr. Springsteen explains the challenge for many of these supreme talents to shine in the centerstage spotlight. "It's a bit of a walk" he offers, "That walk to the front is complicated. It's almost more of a conceptual leap. You've got to have that narcism, that ego. It can be a pretty long walk."20 Feet From Stardom shows us those that have made the walk, and those that have found their place within the bedrock of the songs they perform. The film is ambitious, infectious and often simply spine-chillingly funky, with some revealing...

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

J.D. Salinger Deconstructed in the First Trailer for The Weinstein Company's SALINGER Documentary

Fri, 14 Jun 2013 06:30:21 -0500

As one of the most revered and enigmatic writers of the 20th century, it's inevitable that J.D. Salinger would eventually become the subject of a documentary. Directed by Shane Salerno, the first trailer for Salinger has been released by the Weinstein Company today. Personally, I've always had more interest in the work than the man (if he wanted to keep his private life private, that's fine). The trailer features interviews with Hollywood luminaries such as Edward Norton, John Cusack, Martin Sheen and Danny DeVito. I'm a little confused as to why they would be interviewed on the subject of Salinger, other than to get some commercial attention, so I'm hoping the film will feature interviews with writers and academics (not to suggest that these people...

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

It Sucks To Be Earth-Bound In New Extended ELYSIUM Trailer

Fri, 14 Jun 2013 03:00:00 -0500

A new extended trailer for Elysium is here and it features more of everything we want out of this film. We get more robots. We get more of Matt Damon's character Max, and his story on Earth, and the accident that sets this story in motion so we know why he has to get to Elysium. We get more of Sharlto Copley as Kruger and the suggestion that he may also be enhanced in some fashion ("Activate Kruger!"). Just more of everything to make us pine for this film even more. There are even a few scant glimpses of William Fichtner tossed into the mix. And we have to wait until August 9th for all of this to come together into a big gleeful package!In the year 2159, two...

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

Revelation Perth Secures A FIELD IN ENGLAND Australian Premiere

Thu, 13 Jun 2013 22:00:20 -0500

Earlier this week Twitch reported that Wright, Pegg and Frost would be coming to Australia for the premiere of The World's End, specifically to the East Coast cities Melbourne and Sydney. After the story broke I checked on Twitter to discover lots of people from other parts of the country were bummed they'd be missing out on catching a glimpse of these guys.Well, now it's the West's turn to celebrate as the Revelation Perth International Film Festival has announced Ben Wheatley's new film A Field in England will have its Australian premiere at the festival in July. To my mind this is far better news than celebrity-spotting The World's End guys from a distance and standing out in the rain while famous people get to...

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

Shah Rukh Khan Gets Crazy 90s-Style In First CHENNAI EXPRESS Trailer!

Thu, 13 Jun 2013 19:00:32 -0500

Finally.UTV Motion Pictures today released the first trailer for the upcoming Rohit Shetty film, Chennai Express starring Shah Rukh Khan and Deepika Padukone and it looks far better than I'd anticipated. Shetty is known mostly for his gonzo masala action comedies like 2011's Singham, the Golmaal series, and Bol Bachchan, but Chennai Express looks like a slight departure from him due to one major factor, the inclusion of Bollywood's singular superstar, Shah Rukh Khan. SRK's participation in Chennai Express means that Shetty will have to class the joint up a little, as this star brings his own major cache along with him to the set, not to mention the fact that Chennai Express is being co-produced by SRK's Red Chillies Entertainment. The result is bound to...

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

Review: STORM SURFERS 3D Hits A New High Water Mark

Thu, 13 Jun 2013 14:00:02 -0500

Plenty of arguments have been made about the merits of our current 3D cinematic boom. While much of the talk focuses on ticket prices and the gimmick factor, one common discourse is that the experience of watching a film in 3D actually distracts the viewer from the story being told. The argument goes that if the viewer is busy saying "cool!" then the story's curtain of escapism will be torn away. It's in a new wave of documentaries that we have seen the most successful implementation of 3D thus far. Wim Wenders' modern dance doc Pina led the way with a remarkable cinematic experience that was enhanced by its 3D cool factor without the trapping as a narrative distraction. Yet to truly take off, sports...

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

Review: THE GUILLOTINES Dulls Its Blade

Thu, 13 Jun 2013 13:00:02 -0500

It has been a long and bumpy road for Peter Chan, getting his new production of The Guillotines to the big screen. First announced back in 2009 with Hong Kong's man-of-the-moment Dante Lam at the helm, Teddy Chen then took the reins when Emperor Motion Pictures gave The Viral Factor the green light, only for the production to grind to a halt just weeks before shooting was set to commence. Script issues were cited, but it emerged that Chan had again fallen out with Chen (as was the case of their previous collaboration, Bodyguards and Assassins). History repeated itself, and Chen was replaced by Andrew Lau (Infernal Affairs), but things finally got underway. Originally thought to be a remake of the Jimmy Wang Yu classic,...

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

SNABBA CASH (EASY MONEY) 3 Trailer Locks And Loads

Thu, 13 Jun 2013 12:30:46 -0500

Before he became RoboCop it was Swedish crime film Snabba Cash (Easy Money) that launched Joel Kinnaman to stardom. Immediately snapped up by The Weinstein Company and prepped for US remake - reportedly with Zac Efron taking on the Kinnaman role - it took rather a long time for the first Snabba Cash to hit US release but the balance that film strikes between action and riveting character work remains impressive today. The first Snabba Cash also happened to earn a great big bag of money throughout Europe which has meant - of course - sequels. Based on a trilogy of novels by Jens Lapidus, a second film followed quickly after the first and now a third - titled Life Deluxe - is about to...

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

Opening: THE BLING RING, Robbing Celebrities And Falling Flat

Thu, 13 Jun 2013 11:00:11 -0500

"A somewhat alarming portrayal in a rather unassuming guise," Sofia Coppola's The Bling Ring opens in limited release in the U.S. on Friday, June 14. The film stars Emma Watson, Taissa Farmiga, Katie Chang, and Israel Broussard, and is based on the true story of a gang of young people in Los Angeles who robbed the homes of celebrities. Our own Ryland Aldrich saw the film at Cannes last month, and his words are quoted above. He had much more to say, of course, including the following: Instead of using character development to teach the audience what went wrong with these kids (or, say, generation), Coppola just takes us on a 90-minute vacation into their fun-filled lives of coke-fueled clubbing and slo-mo selfies. Where is...

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

Watch The First Teaser For Danish Crime Thriller THE KEEPER OF LOST CAUSES

Thu, 13 Jun 2013 09:45:48 -0500

On the surface it is a move that feels like a remarkable departure - Mikkel Norgaard, best known as the director of outrageous Danish comedy Klown being handed the reins to a major new series of Danish crime novel adaptations with upcoming effort The Keeper Of Lost Causes. Based on the writing of Jussi Adler-Olsen this is very much meant to be the first in a new series and it's safe to say that no fingers will be inserted into anuses for laughs here, which makes Norgaard's selection as director somewhat surprising to some. But look deeper into Norgaard's filmography - particularly the multiple episodes of hit political drama Borgen he has helmed - and the decision makes considerably more sense.Following a shootout that left...

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

"I Am Siege Face" Declares ALAN PARTRIDGE: ALPHA PAPA In The Latest Trailer

Thu, 13 Jun 2013 07:27:06 -0500

Steve Coogan has appeared on our screens, both big and small, in many guises over the years, but absolutely nothing the comedian has created comes close to Alan Partridge - one-time chat show host, erstwhile radio broadcaster, perennial ABBA aficianado and now star of his own cinematic extravaganza. Coogan again teams up with the hugely talented writing partners Armando Iannucci (The Thick of It, In The Loop, Veep), Patrick Marber and Peter Baynham, together with Neil and Rob Gibbons - all of whom have written for Partridge in the past - with TV comedy veteran Declan Lowney (Father Ted, Little Britain) handling directorial duties.Plot-wise, Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa sees the staff of North Norfolk Digital radio under siege, when disgruntled fellow DJ Colm Meaney is unceremoniously...

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

300: RISE OF AN EMPIRE Gets A First Preposterous Trailer

Thu, 13 Jun 2013 01:01:04 -0500

Yesterday we had our first glimpse at 300: Rise of an Empire, the prequel-parallel-squeakquel to Zack Snyder's epic graphic novel adaptation 300, with Sullivan Stapleton brooding on a poster, contemplating whether to catch that wave.Now comes the first trailer, which shows Snyder's style has been carried over 100% by new director Noam Murro. There's tons of slow-motion, lots of melodramatic speeches and even one-line by Stapleton, which a few repeat listens leads me to wonder whether he does a neutral Aussie accent in this like Russell Crowe did in Gladiator. The plot, if it matters, is as follows:Based on Frank Miller's graphic novel Xerxes, and told in the breathtaking visual style of the blockbuster 300, this new chapter takes the action to a fresh battlefield--the...

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

Justin Dix's CRAWLSPACE To Premiere in Melbourne at The Astor Theatre, With Q&A

Wed, 12 Jun 2013 21:30:46 -0500

After screening at Sitges, Screamfest LA and a bunch of Australian festivals -- and helping director Justin Dix get the attention of Fox for his next film -- sci-fi thriller Crawlspace will finally have its hometown premiere at the glorious Astor Theatre on Sunday 7 July.Executive produced by Greg McLean, and with special effects by Dix's own FX company Wicked of Oz, Crawlspace stars the awesomely-named Ditch Davey (who really should play Dirk Pitt if they ever make another movie based on Clive Cussler's novels), Amber Clayton, Nicholas Bell, Peta Sergeant, Eddie Baroo, Samuel Johnson and Fletcher Humphrys.In CRAWLSPACE a group of elite soldiers infiltrate a top-secret underground military compound and find the facility is a testing ground for something sinister. In this space everyone...

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

LIMA INDEPENDIENTE 2013: From Peru To Thailand, Local Fest Goes Global For Third Edition

Wed, 12 Jun 2013 16:30:06 -0500

It used to be that Peruvian film buffs had to solely make do with whatever was on offer at the local multiplex for their moviegoing needs. In recent years, a number of events have aimed to change all that, by introducing audiences to different types of filmmaking from Latin America and the rest of the world. Lima Independiente is one of these. This emerging festival was founded in 2011 by the Peruvian Association of Independent Cinema, a collective of directors, actors, writers and other industry professionals that embrace risk-taking in films. Their goal is to build an entire distribution system for smaller, more artistic films and make them readily available to local audiences. The festival is the perfect vehicle for this. In its third edition,...

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

Finish Him! Keanu Reeves' MAN OF TAI CHI Gets An International Trailer!

Wed, 12 Jun 2013 12:30:26 -0500

Keanu Reeves directorial debut Man of Tai Chi is fast becoming illuminated, with this second trailer showing plenty more footage and story from the anticipated tournament film. We even get a tiny glimpse of The Raid star Iko Uwais amid all the fighting. Check it out below....

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

Naomi Watts Smiles And Nods In First Teaser for DIANA

Wed, 12 Jun 2013 11:45:17 -0500

People of the world, loyal subjects, take your first look at Naomi Watts playing Diana, Princess of Wales; the People's Princess; Princess of Hearts; the Candle in the Wind. There's no dialogue, just plenty of shots to sell Watts as Diana, which means lots of recreating iconic scenes, lots of smiling and nodding, and of course that tremendous bouffant of blonde hair doing most of the work in bridging the gap.Directed by German filmmaker Oliver Hirschbiegel (Das Experiment, Downfall) Diana has been described as the "love story between a princess locked in a tower and an ordinary man," the man in this case being heart surgeon Dr. Hasnat Kahn, that lasted from 1995 until a few months before her death in 1997, with her divorce from...

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

Watch The Bloody Trailer For Previously-Blocked Vietnamese Action Film THE RACE

Wed, 12 Jun 2013 04:00:36 -0500

If you read about the case of Cho Lon, you'll know The Race. It's another violent film that was initially blocked and was asked to edit some scenes like Cho Lon was, but it wasn't banned. The crew of The Race quietly edited in the shadows, gently following orders from the Censorship Board until they were granted a release date. Today the official trailer for The Race was released, which shows how violent it is. Damn, I did not see that coming. This is Nguyen Khac Huy's directorial debut, and I think this guy is pretty promising.The Race describes the breathtaking journey of the protagonist named Loc (Pham Anh Khoa), a former track athlete, now become a truck driver. He was pushed into a deadly race to save the lives of his...

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

Swedish Supernatural Drama MARIANNE On UK VOD This Friday!

Wed, 12 Jun 2013 03:00:52 -0500

One of our favorite little indie films to emerge from the festival circuit recently was Filip Tegstedt's supernatural laced family drama Marianne. And though things have been in limbo since its festival run, the film is finally starting to pop up on VOD platforms. Starting this week in the UK on June 14th the film will be playing in Hi Def over at The Horror Show. The life of Krister has become an unending nightmare, ever since his wife's death. His mental health is deteriorating, not least because he is plagued by night terrors, his fitful slumber intruded upon by a mysterious woman with dark designs on him. He initially believes these visions are a symptom of serious post-traumatic shock. Krister does, after all, have a...

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

Spoilery New Clip From Gareth Evans and Timo Tjahjanto's SAFE HAVEN Segment From V/H/S/2

Tue, 11 Jun 2013 17:33:18 -0500

Over here in Australia we're going to have to wait a little longer for Roadshow to release V/H/S/2 but across the Pacific in the US audiences are able to watch it right now dammit! Directed by Simon Barrett, Adam Wingard, Edúardo Sanchez, Gregg Hale, Timo Tjahjanto, Gareth Huw Evans and Jason Eisener, from all reports (including our own review right here) V/H/S/2 is a bigger, scarier, more badass sequel.Inside a darkened house looms a column of TVs littered with VHS tapes, a pagan shrine to forgotten analog gods. The screens crackle and pop endlessly with monochrome vistas of static--white noise permeating the brain and fogging concentration. But you must fight the urge to relax: this is no mere movie night. Those obsolete spools contain more than...

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

Watch Wes Benscoter's Award Winning Short HOLD YOUR FIRE

Tue, 11 Jun 2013 16:00:10 -0500

War is hell, sometimes more literally than others. This is the basic premise of acclaimed horror artist Wes Benscoter's short film Hold Your Fire. The film made a lengthy festival run a couple years back - it won best live action short at Fantasia 2009 - but has never been widely available to the public until now. Twitch is pleased to premiere the complete short online here for the first time. Take a look below....

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

Deadly Epidemic Sweeps Korea In THE FLU Teaser

Tue, 11 Jun 2013 15:30:39 -0500

The proverbial shit will hit the fan this summer in the medical thriller disaster The Flu from Kim Sung-soo, the director of Musa the Warrior. Jang Hyuk and Su Ae as part of the relief effort must prevent any more infected dead bodies from piling up and already, the amount of fatalities shown in the teaser trailer is staggering.The worst epidemic ever seen is sweeping through Bundang, the suburb of Seoul. After smuggling illegal immigrants into the country, Byung-woo dies from an unknown virus. Soon after that, the same symptoms are plaguing scores of residents in Bundang. People are helpless against the airborne disease and the number of infected increases quickly, spreading chaos. As the worst-case scenario precaution, the city of half a million people,...

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

XLerator Media Picks Up Fantastic Fest Hit THE CONSPIRACY For Late Summer 2013 Release

Tue, 11 Jun 2013 14:45:19 -0500

Ever since its premiere at Fantastic Fest last year The Conspiracy has been pretty close to the top of my must-see list. The is-or-isn't it real assembled footage story of two documentary filmmakers who track down a crazed conspiracy theorist only to have him go missing brought not only rave reviews but rave reactions from festival crowds. Now wider US audiences will be able to see it for themselves with news that XLerator Media has acquired all US distribution rights to the thriller written and directed by Christopher MacBride and produced by Lee Kim. To quote the press release:XLerator Media CEO Barry Gordon announced the deal today. "Christopher's riveting film explores the fascinating world of the Illuminati, conspiracy theorists and secret societies. THE CONSPIRACY is a cinematic thrill-ride...

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

MAGIC MAGIC Trailer Has Creepy Michael Cera Torment Juno Temple in Chile

Tue, 11 Jun 2013 14:30:04 -0500

Chilean director Sebastián Silva (The Maid, Old Cats, Life Kills Me) makes his English language debut with this psychological thriller featuring intimidation, hypnosis and maybe just a bit of overwrought villainy on the part of Michael Cera. Maria Full of Grace star Catalina Sandino and Emily "Babydoll" Browning also appear in supporting roles. The film played (quietly) at Sundance this year, and while it never secured a theatrical release, it is coming to DVD/VOD in August. Personally, I'm still waiting for Juno Temple to become a bonafide star, as the right part has eluded her even as she brings a significant freshness to whatever project she turns up in. None of these (Killer Joe, Cracks, The Brass Teapot, Dirty Girl, Mr. Nobody) got any mainstream notice. While I...

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

Smaug Rises in Teaser Trailer for THE HOBBIT: DESOLATION OF SMAUG

Tue, 11 Jun 2013 13:50:03 -0500

When the link came through, I admit I hesitated a bit. Another Hobbit teaser! Should I wait to see it on the big screen? Can a book I've read dozens of times still be spoiled?Well, that lasted about 15 seconds, and I caved. What do we get this time 'round? We get dwarves in barrels, spiders hunting our titular lead, and our first good look at that "most specially greedy, strong and wicked worm", Señor Smaug. We also get to see more of the introduction of some LOTR gang in the form of one Legolas, along with his fair love interest, that woman who was once on some TV show about castaways. Let me be the thousandth of many that will point out that, yes,...

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

Skip Your Daily Coffee, Buy JT Petty's SOFT FOR DIGGING Instead

Tue, 11 Jun 2013 13:30:42 -0500

It was twelve years ago that a young director named JT Petty first made an impression on the world when his debut feature, Soft For Digging, was unleashed at Sundance. Petty has charted an unusual, challenging career since with his output ranging from video game scripts - most notably several Splinter Cell games - to controversial faux doc S&MAN and a flirtation with the mainstream industry with 2008 effort The Burrowers. Petty's a creatively restless sort and somehow through all of this the film that opened it all up for him has proven rather difficult to see. But not any more. I'll let Petty explain it himself, in the following open letter to his mother. Dear Mom, Big day today, I'm releasing my first movie,...

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

An Exclusive First Look At Gritty Fight Flick BARRIO BRAWLER

Tue, 11 Jun 2013 12:30:14 -0500

Put aside your preconceptions about independent production house The Asylum for just a moment. Because while, yes, a sizable percentage of their output is given over to made for television creature features and the 'mockbusters' they made famous, they're doing something entirely different with Jose Montesinos' Barrio Brawler. How so? Barrio Brawler a totally original property, for one thing, written by Montesinos as well as directed by him. And while it certainly follows a well established format amongst fight films it's not riding the coattails of anything. Second, as you may have picked up, it's a fight movie. A no holds barred, skilled martial artists in a warehouse beating the tar out of one another, fight flick. Third? Look at the bottom of the poster....

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

BRAINGASM Teaser Puts The Documentary Spotlight on ASMR

Tue, 11 Jun 2013 12:00:05 -0500

I have always wondered if the two signature scenes in The Pang Brother's The Eye -- one involving a ghost in a classroom, the other involving an elevator -- came about because the filmmakers did some kind of scientific research as to how an exact sound (or image) can literally send the chills down your spine. So many people got the goosebumps from those scenes, at least as confirmed anecdotally by yours truly after the film took its North American premiere at a festival of seasoned horror veterans and midnight maniacs. I indulged in the mental image of the Pang's in white lab coats in some anonymous office interior trying out sounds like old Hitchcock for that extra physiological bump. The term "Autonomous Sensory Meridian...

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

Fresh Trailer For LA Selected Boxing Doc TAPIA

Tue, 11 Jun 2013 11:30:24 -0500

Soon to premiere at the LA Film Festival, Eddie Alcazar's documentary Tapia chronicles the turbulent life of champion boxer Johnny Tapia as told in his own words via the final interviews granted before his untimely death.Albuquerque-born boxer Johnny Tapia's life was a maelstrom of turmoil. The glory of his punishing ring prowess and handful of world titles across three weight classes forever jockeyed with personal demons: his mother's kidnapping and murder when he was 8, drug addiction, mental illness and suicide attempts. Before the fighter's tragic death last year at the age of 45, director Eddie Alcazar spent time with Tapia researching a biopic. What would become his last interviews are now the beating heart of Alcazar's gripping, elegiac documentary. In it, the bedeviled, soft-spoken...

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

It's Organic Blood And Bone In The 100 BLOODY ACRES Trailer

Tue, 11 Jun 2013 10:00:29 -0500

Coming to cinemas and VOD in North America from June 28 is 100 Bloody Acres, the fantastic comedy horror debut from Colin and Cameron Cairnes. Like the Leyland brothers and Spierigs before them, the Cairnes brothers are carving out a great on screen brand that we think will go from strength to strength.100 Bloody Acres stars Damon Herriman and Angus Sampson, who are fast turning into US supporting character stalwarts (see Justified, The Lone Ranger, Insidious) as well as Anna McGahan, Oliver Ackland, Jamie Kristian and John Jarratt.In 100 Bloody Acres, brothers Reg and Lindsay Morgan are struggling to keep their organic blood and bone fertilizer business in motion. Their secret "recipe" for success (using dead car crash victims in their product) was a huge...

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

Melbourne 2013: MIFF Gets SO EXCITED For Opening Night

Tue, 11 Jun 2013 05:00:51 -0500

The opening night Australian premiere has just been revealed for the Melbourne International Film Festival (25th July - 11th August) and rather than an Aussie film we can all get behind (or feel alienated by) it is instead a renowned auteur's satirical whimsy; well OK then.The 62nd Melbourne International Film Festival (MIFF) is thrilled to announce the 2013 Festival will open with the Australian Premiere of Pedro Almodóvar's hilarious comedy, I'm So Excited! Australia's biggest names in film and entertainment will add glitz and glamour to the red carpet as they celebrate the opening of the nation's most significant screen event before moving into the magnificent surrounds of Hamer Hall for the Opening Night screening.Probably more exciting than the film is the prestigious Hamer Hall venue...

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

Check Out The First Production Video Of The Live Action KIKI'S DELIVERY SERVICE

Tue, 11 Jun 2013 02:00:00 -0500

Filming is currently taking place at Japan's Shōdo Island for the upcoming live action adaptation of the novels on which Miyazaki's beloved animated film Kiki's Delivery Service was based. Following the release of on-set photos from the production, a new video showing footage of the on-set shoot and some short interviews is now available. As you can see, the shooting location is very picturesque, and it is also the first time we get to see the inside of the bakery where Kiki's character lives and works. The film has The Grudge director Shimizu Takashi at its helm, and stars young figure skater turned actress Koshiba Fuka as Kiki. Okudera Satoko (Summer Wars, Wolf Children) has written the script for the film, which is planned for release...

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

SPOOK CENTRAL Threatens To Do For GHOSTBUSTERS What ROOM 237 Did For THE SHINING (Or Is It Just Taking The Piss?)

Tue, 11 Jun 2013 01:30:00 -0500

It is unclear at the moment whether or not Spook Central is a brilliant YouTube parody of Rodney Ascher's compulsively watchable Room 237 or a bonafide doc. I suspect the former -- the direct nods in text and structure certainly suggests so, and "Ivo Shandor" the mad architect slash Gozarian priest credited as director in a nice wink -- but I would like remain hopeful for the latter. That the filmmakers can equate deep meaning and politics to Ghostbusters is both hilarious and brilliant. Is it a film about obesity? The politics of banning smoking? Women's control of their sexuality and bodies? Either way, it is delightfully compulsive about the populist 1984 blockbuster in a way that is endearing, particularly, since Ivan Reitman's film (unlike The...

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

The Undead Stalk Malaysia In Woo Ming Jin's KL ZOMBI! Watch The First Teaser Now

Mon, 10 Jun 2013 18:00:43 -0500

Though Malaysia's Woo Ming Jin will likely always be best known internationally as the arthouse auteur responsible for The Tiger Factory and Woman On Fire Looks For Water, he has shown himself more than willing to also dip into populist genre fare back home in Malaysia. 2010 found footage effort Seru laid on copious amounts of blood and his next effort teams the director with popular local comedian Zizan Raja Lawak (KL Gangster, Kapoww!!) for horror comedy KL Zombi.Yep, the undead have arrived in Kuala Lumpur and while the very specific comedy style of Lawak will likely limit the export value of the film - comedy very seldom translates well between cultures - the first teaser for the film promises a good amount of undead...

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

Thai Crime Goes Hard Boiled With INSPECTOR MAD DOG

Mon, 10 Jun 2013 17:30:35 -0500

Thai crime movies are going old school with upcoming release Inspector Mad Dog, a film that very clearly takes its cues more from the films of the early 80s than from anything more contemporary. It's all antiheroes and old film stock (or, at least the digital approximation thereof) here in the story of a cop on the edge in pursuit of a vicious criminal.Details beyond that are slim for the time being, beyond that the picture is being distributed - and presumably handled on the international market - by Sahamongkol Films and was produced by the hilariously named (to English speaking ears, at least) FukDuk Film. Check the trailer below....

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

70s Rewind: SUPERMAN Made Me Believe

Mon, 10 Jun 2013 17:00:05 -0500

"You'll believe a man can fly." Belief was a big deal for movies and me in late 1977. Sure, Star Wars rebooted space opera, but that was a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away. Close Encounters of the Third Kind was set in the present day and made alien contact look cool, but if you know how that movie ends, you know it was shrouded in secrecy. Somewhere around that time, I saw the teaser for Superman, and was not convinced it was for me. I read comic books as a kid; Spider-Man was my favorite, both for his jokes and for his alter-ego sharing a first name with me. Superman, though, and his many spin-offs -- Supergirl, Superboy, Superdog (?!) --...

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

LA Film Fest Exclusive: First Trailer & Poster for Indie Charmer FOREV

Mon, 10 Jun 2013 16:30:31 -0500

The LA Film Fest is coming to town -- kicking off this Thursday in Downtown LA. To get you all psyched up, we've got an exclusive trailer and poster debut for you here at Twitch for one of the narrative competition films. Written and directed by Molly Green & James Leffler, Forev is a charming indie romcom about neighbors that decide to up and get hitched. The film stars Noël Wells, Matt Mider, and Amanda Bauer. Sophie and Pete are kind of friends, but mostly they're just neighbors. On their way to pick up Pete's sister Jess from her sorority house, a joke about getting married escalates and their car stalls out. Before they know it, they're engaged... and stranded in the middle of the...

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

The Walrus Army Waits WEST OF THE MOON

Mon, 10 Jun 2013 16:00:01 -0500

Loosely based on interviews with young children about their dreams, Brent Bonacorso's award winning short film features a walrus army. And pirates. And a gambling robot. And a monkey. How can you argue with that? Watch the complete short below....

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

Twitchvision: Talking THE PURGE, THE EAST and BEFORE MIDNIGHT

Mon, 10 Jun 2013 15:30:30 -0500

Another not so great week for mainstream releases, with The Purge and The East proving to be little more than misguided high-concept failures. With Linklater's Before Midnight opening wider, and linking to Ethan Hawke's other release, I felt it deserved its own full shout-out, and took time to highlight this gem of a film, the third part of a remarkable cinematic project.Video embedded below...

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

Peruvian Horror: Trailer For Found Footage Film CEMENTERIO GENERAL

Mon, 10 Jun 2013 15:00:43 -0500

July 25th will mark a small milestone in Peruvian cinema with the release of Cementerio General, the first mainstream horror film ever made in this country. While there is an entire regional cinema movement which dabbles in scary movies based on local Peruvian folklore these movies never reach a mass audience and are worthy of an article all of their own.First-time director Dorian Fernandez-Moris has turned to recent horror cinema for inspiration, citing Cloverfield, the Paranormal Activity series, and Spanish outbreak film REC as influences. Cementerio thus joins the current fad for found-footage films, and will probably make some viewers dread being subjected to the nausea-inducing Handheld Shaky Cam Technique. However, when used correctly, it can be an effective tool to scare people out of...

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

The GRABBERS Are Headed To US Shores! Grab A Pint And Watch The New Trailer!

Mon, 10 Jun 2013 13:30:19 -0500

Irish horror comedy Grabbers hits US shores on July 19th and local distributors IFC Midnight are doing things up right with an absolutely fantastic new poster - click the image in the gallery down below for a large version - and an equally solid new trailer.On Erin Island, an idyllic fishing village off the coast of Ireland, charming but somewhat work-shy Ciaran O'Shea, is tasked with greeting Lisa Nolan, a straight-laced young officer who has arrived from the mainland. Not that there is much for them to do, aside from dealing with the occasional drunk, and that's usually O'Shea himself. But strange doings are afoot: the crew of a fishing boat disappears, whales start appearing dead on the shore, a local lobsterman catches a strange...

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

Watch The First Teaser From AMER Duo's THE STRANGE COLOUR OF YOUR BODY'S TEARS

Mon, 10 Jun 2013 11:30:34 -0500

The directing duo of Brune Forzani and Helene Cattet spawned a large and loyal cult following around the globe with the release of their debut feature, Amer. A picture steeped in the traditions of classic giallo, Amer left fans hungry for more from this potent duo and it's coming soon with the arrival of their sophomore feature, The Strange Colour Of Your Body's Tears (L'Etrange Couleur Des Larmes De Ton Corps).The Strange Colour is the story of a man who investigates the weird conditions of his wife's disappearance. It's a film which we (Hélène & Bruno) have worked on for nine years now. It is set in Brussels (where we live) which is particularly known for its Art Nouveau architecture. The film is still produced...

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

HBO Reveals First Look at Stephen Merchant's HELLO LADIES

Mon, 10 Jun 2013 10:30:09 -0500

Ah, Smerch. Otherwise known as Stephen Merchant, co-creator of The Office, Extras, An Idiot Abroad and many other projects with Ricky Gervais, Karl Pilkington, Warwick Davis and other collaborators. He's also known as the voice of Wheatley in Portal 2, a radio announcer on the BBC, and most recently as a stand-up comedian touring his one man show Hello Ladies. Now that show has been turned into a HBO series which follows Merchant as an awkward, overly confident Englishman trying to date in Los Angeles -- where his attempts to infiltrate the world of beautiful people are not successful. Check out the first teaser for Hello Ladies below....

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

THE GRANDMASTER VFX Featurette Shows Ziyi Zhang Fighting With Style

Mon, 10 Jun 2013 07:30:49 -0500

Soon to be released in America, a new featurette for The Grandmaster dropped today, showing how the masters fight in snow with the help of VFX. While you won't see Tony Leung Chiu Wai here, Ziyi Zhang shines in this video.I'm a die-hard Wong Kar Wai fan. I went to see it in February with some Chinese friends. Though I was a bit disapointed with the movie, the beautiful snowy atmospherics generated strong emotions that still linger in my mind. Now, BUF, the VFX group behind the film, has launched this beautiful video was launched, showing how it was all created. In it, you'll see how the spectacular train fight sequence was made using a green screen, how they added the beautiful snow, and even...

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

Chapman To Has All The Answers In First Teaser For THE MIDAS TOUCH

Sun, 09 Jun 2013 08:40:46 -0500

Last year, Chapman To proved to be far and away the best thing about Heiward Mak's DIVA, a supposedly biting look at celebrity and the entertainment industry, that starred popstar Joey Yung in the title role, and To as her cutthroat manager. Something good does seem to have come out of that project however, as To's character has been spun off into his own movie, The Midas Touch. At the helm is Fung Chi Keung, who directed To in last year's admittedly rather lacklutre The Bounty, but his years of experience working with the likes of Stephen Chow and Johnnie To have earned him a second chance.Produced by Chan Hing Ka, whose previous producer credits include the rather good yet little-seen Chapman To flick La Comedie...

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

Get Behind The Scenes Of Keanu Reeves' MAN OF TAI CHI

Fri, 07 Jun 2013 23:00:11 -0500

A behind-the-scenes video for Keanu Reeves's directorial debut Man of Tai Chi has arrived, via Mtime. Running five and a half minutes, it provides an inside look at the production team and includes some footage from the film. In the video, Keanu Reeves and lead actor Tiger Chen talk about how the project first took off, and each describes their specific role. Also on the team is Elliot Davis, the cinematographer; Joseph A. Porro, the costume designer; Yohei Taneda, the production designer; Michael G. Cooney, the writer; and Yuen Woo-ping, the action director.The film is due for theatrical release in China on July 5. You'll find the behind-the-scenes video embedded below....

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

Hey, New York! Hit A Free Screening Of BREAKUP AT A WEDDING And Meet Zach Quinto In Person!

Fri, 07 Jun 2013 16:00:22 -0500

You in New York and have a hankering for some Vulcan love? Well, there isn't any in indie comedy Breakup At A Wedding but Spock himself - Mr Zachary Quinto - served as a producer on the film and he'll be attending a free preview screening in New York City on June 17th. What do you have to do to attend? Not much, really. Just click here and fill out the RSVP form. Then show up. See? Simple! Have at it!Check a clip from the film below!...

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

Fukk THE INTERNSHIP, Watch Max Barry's SYRUP Instead This Weekend

Fri, 07 Jun 2013 15:00:55 -0500

What a delicious irony. The same weekend the shameless product placement vehicle The Internship hits North American cinemas, discerning audiences will also be able to seek out Syrup, an adaptation of the brilliantly satirical Max Barry novel of the same name which takes square aim at marketing bullshit. Directed by Aram Michael Rappaport, Syrup stars Amber Heard, Shiloh Fernandez, Kellan Lutz and Brittany Snow, and while the short synopsis doesn't do the story justice here it is: A lowly marketing exec enlists the help of a scarily beautiful, brainy co-worker to save his million-dollar idea from corporate espionage in this scathingly funny send up of sex, celebrity, and greed. For those wondering about the headline, Fukk is the name of a fictional energy drink used in the book and film,...

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

Demons! Warlocks! College Kids In The Woods! It's A Second Trailer For UNFORGOTTEN SHADOWS!

Fri, 07 Jun 2013 14:30:36 -0500

Full marks to Ukrainian director Lubomir Levitski. He has clearly paid his dues watching American college-set horror films and mastered this particular sub-set of the horror world, both in terms of embracing the goofier conventions of the genre and building in some scares that while genuinely scary are every bit as much fun. Levitski is the man behind the camera for upcoming feature Unforgotten Shadows, a horror comedy due for release across the CIS later this month. We ran the first trailer for the film back in January and that has now been followed by a second effort that captures even more of the tongue in cheek tone of the film - it revolves around college kids trying to cage a demon awoken when one...

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

Ricardo Darin Stars In Kidnap Thriller THE 7TH FLOOR, Watch The First Teaser!

Fri, 07 Jun 2013 12:00:35 -0500

We do love us some Ricardo Darin here at Twitch, the Argentinean leading man proving to be one of our favorite actors on the globe thanks to his generally stellar eye for quality scripts and directors and the simple gravity that he puts into his performances. And Darin is headed back to the big screen as the leading man in Patxi Amezcua's kidnap thriller 7th Floor (Septimo).A day like any other, Marcelo leaves his ex's apartment, number 7-E, to take his kids to school. The kids challenge him to game of "see who gets there first". They'll go down the stairs and as he reaches the first floor, he realizes that there's no sign of the kids. They have disappeared inside the building. It is...

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

Well Go USA Picks Up MYSTERY ROAD For North America As Director Ivan Sen Prepares His Chinese Sci-fi LOVELAND

Fri, 07 Jun 2013 09:30:45 -0500

Ivan Sen's modern Western Mystery Road opened the Sydney Film Festival this week to early critical acclaim, and following the premiere came news that Well Go USA has picked up North American rights for an early 2014 release. Starring Aaron Pedersen, Hugo Weaving, Jack Thompson and Ryan Kwanten, Mystery Road is the story of an indigenous detective who returns to the Outback to investigate the murder of a young girl. You can watch the trailer below, which clearly channels a No Country For Old Men vibe.In more recent news, Sen (who has also made the more arthouse efforts Toomelah, Dreamland and Beneath Clouds) is off to China soon to start preparing for Loveland, an "action-romance-science-fiction" according to the SMH, to be shot in China with American and...

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

New MAN OF STEEL Trailer Wants To Show You Its CG Muscles

Fri, 07 Jun 2013 05:00:23 -0500

What's better than real muscles? CG muscles! This is the message that comes across loud and clear in the new trailer for Man of Steel, released as a tie-in with a mobile phone company. Of course I'm not literally talking about flesh and steroid muscles, but rather the explosions, smoke, dust, crumbling buildings, fire and all other sorts of mayhem seen in this trailer, which are all clearly made in a computer and thus lacking in any real tension or excitement. Maybe the cinema experience will be different. Let's hope so. Also keep an ear out for that first line by Russell Crowe: "every possum, can be a force for good." I'm sure that's what he said. Very Australian, nice work Rusty.Props also to Twitch reader...

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

Kim Ki-duk's Banned MOEBIUS Gets a Trailer

Fri, 07 Jun 2013 04:45:36 -0500

Hot on the heels of news of that Kim Ki-duk's Moebius has been effectively banned in Korea, the auteur's latest has got itself a new trailer and poster. Despite all the talk of self-castration and incest, in what sounds like a horrifying and literal enactment of the Oedipal Complex, the footage on offer doesn't hint at any of the content that had the Korea Media Ratings Board (KMRB) up in arms. If anything the poster has a lot more bite, hinting at the psycho-sexual nature of the film.While it didn't receive an outright ban, Moebius was slapped with a restricted rating, which means it can only play in specialty theaters. Currently none exist in the country. No word yet on whether Kim will submit a new...

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

Johnny Nguyen's CHO LON Banned in Vietnam, Rest Of World To Miss Out

Fri, 07 Jun 2013 04:30:31 -0500

It sucks, I know, but it's official. According to the Vietnam Film Department, Cho Lon (original title: Bụi đời Chợ Lớn) has been banned. Given that local clearance is required before Vietnamese producers are permitted to release a film internationally, this means the film isn't just banned in Vietnam, but won't be seen anywhere.In April, the Nguyen brothers' project was blocked by Vietnamese censors due to the violence of the killing between gangsters in Chinatown. And today, the powers have spoken, ensuring the latest action flick of Johnny Tri Nguyen will go straight to the dusty warehouse of Banned Vietnamese Films. As the Central Board of Film Evaluation of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism concluded: Cho Lon violated the Law of Cinema when showing scenes of...

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

Jay Chou Has all the Right Moves in THE ROOFTOP Trailer

Fri, 07 Jun 2013 01:20:27 -0500

After his debut, Secret, showed that Taiwanese pop sensation Jay Chou could add "film director' to his growing list of artistic talents, it was only a matter of time before he stepped behind the camera for a second time.The Rooftop stars Jay as Gao, a low level gangster in the city of Galilee, who wiles away his nights hanging with his homies and dancing on the rooftops. When he meets the gorgeous Sian (Li Xinai) however, his carefree and crime-filled existence looks set to change.Chou has described the film as the first in a new genre, "A musical action movie, (where) love is the main axis, combining fantasy, romance, dancing, action, special effects and many other elements, so that there will be romantic scenes and...

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

The Life Of A Judge: Trailer For EL MUDO, A Sly, Dark Comedy

Thu, 06 Jun 2013 23:00:10 -0500

Sibling directors Daniel and Diego Vega have become two of the most promising filmmakers in modern Peruvian cinema, and all with just one film under their belts. 2010's October was a drama with comedic elements about a Scrooge-like loner forced to take care of an orphaned baby. It was well-received by critics and audiences and went on to win the Un Certain Regard Prize at that year's Cannes Film Festival.The Vega Bros. (sadly, no relation to a Tarantino film) are back with sophomore feature El Mudo, another dark comedy about a judge who, after a series of unexpected happenings, turns paranoid with the fear that someone is out to murder him. With the Peruvian justice system being regularly accused of corruption and judges being seen as...

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

Henshin! BIMA SATRIA GARUDA, Indonesia Kamen Rider

Thu, 06 Jun 2013 16:30:58 -0500

At the end of this June Indonesian television channel RCTI will air the first episode of Indonesian produce "tokusatsu" series BIMA Satria Garuda, a series from the makers of Kamen Raider, Ishimori Production, in partnership with MNC media.The costume design itself very much resembles its Japanese counterparts though with BIMA not bearing the Kamen Rider name at all we can assume it is not part of the official Kamen Rider family, but everything else is pretty neat.Will this series fuel Rider franchise expansion to other countries like Masked Rider, the American adaptation of Kamen Rider? Watch a short 60 second teaser below, and tell us what you think. We'll keep you updated....

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

Review: MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING Respects Its Playful Source

Thu, 06 Jun 2013 11:00:11 -0500

So. You've the director of what will soon become one of the biggest, most successful films ever created. And you've got a bit of time on your hands. So what do you do? If you're Joss Whedon - creator of Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Angel, Firefly, and Dollhouse, writer of Toy Story, director of The Avengers - you break out your Rolodex, invite a few friends over to your house, and film an adaptation of a classic play by William Shakespeare. For those unfamiliar with the basic story, here it goes: Don Pedro has just returned home after a successful military campaign, bunking down along the way with the loyal governor of Messina, Leonato. It takes no time at all for Pedro's youthful supporter, Count...

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

Opening In Chile: Rutger Hauer And Manuela Martelli In THE FUTURE

Thu, 06 Jun 2013 09:00:09 -0500

Attention people in Chile, Chileans or tourists visiting, there's a new movie opening today (June 6) and it's one of the most long-awaited Chilean productions of all year (besides the two films starring Michael Cera and directed by Sebastiàn Silva). Directed by Alicia Scherson and starring the international star Rutger Hauer (Hobo with a Shotgun, Blade Runner) and the most beloved young actress of Chile, Manuela Martelli (Machuca, B-Happy), The Future opens on more than 12 screens all over Chile, including the always classic "Cine Normandie," as well as in major chains.The film, based on the novel "Una novelita lumpen" by Chilean author Roberto Bolaño, follows Bianca (Martelli) and her brother after the death of their parents and how they reflect their life in a lonely apartment...

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

Fight Crime With Evil in Japanese Trailer For THE DEVIL'S PATH

Thu, 06 Jun 2013 08:00:30 -0500

Takayuki Yamada, the star of Crows Zero, Mirokurôze and Lesson of the Evil, flashes his stern look again with a crime film titled Kyoaku (The Devil's Path). Directed by Kazuya Shiraishi as his second feature-length film, The Devil's Path will deal with the triangular relationship of three masterminds. Death-row inmate Sudo (Pierre Taki) sends a letter to magazine reporter Fujii (Takayuki Yamada). In his letter, he states that a man named Kimura (Lily Franky), also known as "teacher" committed numerous murders for insurance money. While checking out the story, based on Sudo's tip, Fujii becomes convinced that the letter is correct. But a lot of time has passed since the incidents and Sudo's testimony isn't clear. Due to the persistence of Sudo, who is a former Yakuza, and Fujii, the police begin to...

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

SoundKilda 2013 Awards: Darcy and Shanks Take Everything

Thu, 06 Jun 2013 02:00:53 -0500

It's nice to back a winner, and it's even nicer to back two. Last week at the SoundKilda music video competition as part of the 2013 St Kilda Film Festival, directors Darcy Prendergast and Michael Shanks -- whom Twitch has written volumes about in the last six months -- dominated the awards, taking out the four categories between them and leaving the other 15 or so directors in their wake. For the second year running, Shanks took out Best Independent Music Video for his Roadgeek clip Towards the Sun (covered here), while Darcy took out the other three categories -- his music video for Gotye's Easy Way Out (featured on Twitch here) winning Best Music Video, Best Music Video Animation and the Audience Award, as voted by...

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

Well Go Nabs Donnie Yen's ICEMAN & Anthony Wong's IP MAN: THE FINAL FIGHT For North America

Wed, 05 Jun 2013 21:32:21 -0500

In case you were wondering if Well Go ever has plans on slowing down, I think it's safe to say that the answer is a resounding "no". The Texas-based company announced today that it has acquired all North American rights to Donnie Yen's big budget remake of 1989's Yuen Biao film, The Iceman Cometh, apparently retitled simply Iceman, as well as the latest appearance of Ip Man on film, Anthony Wong and Herman Yau's Ip Man: The Final Fight.The films are scheduled to appear on screens over the next 12 months with Ip Man scheduled for September 20th and Iceman due in early 2014. Here are the details from Well Go and some trailers to whet your appetites.WELL GO USA ACQUIRES NORTH AMERICAN RIGHTS TO...

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

Dare To Watch The Trailer For INSIDIOUS: CHAPTER 2

Wed, 05 Jun 2013 17:00:00 -0500

Aww, I wanted to use the roman numeral "II" but that made it look like we were talking about Insidious going Chapter Eleven. Anyway, a sequel to James Wan's Insidious is indeed in the making and here is a trailer for it. We had quite a few fans for the first one on our team, and director Wan returns for the sequel, so... who knows? The story is as follows, according to the pressmap: The famed horror team of director James Wan and writer Leigh Whannell reunite with the original cast of Patrick Wilson, Rose Byrne, Lin Shaye, Barbara Hershey and Ty Simpkins in Insidious: Chapter 2, a terrifying sequel to the acclaimed horror film, which follows the haunted Lambert family as they seek to...

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

Patrick Stewart Returns To The Big Screen In The Trailer For HUNTING ELEPHANTS

Wed, 05 Jun 2013 15:30:32 -0500

You might have noticed that it's been a very long while since we've seen Patrick Stewart's presence on the big screen. It's been several years in fact, during which his voice did most of the acting, from video games and animated movies to everything by Seth MacFarlane. But now it seems that his actual face will accompany his voice, in a new Israeli film of all places.Sir Patrick will play an eccentric Brit in the upcoming crime comedy Hunting Elephants who joins a group Israeli misfits in a bank heist. Its the third feature comedy by writer-director Reshef Levi and stars some of Israel's own acting nobility, including Moni Moshonov (Late Marriage), Sasson Gabai (The Band's Visit) and Moshe Ivgy (Campfire).Jonathan is a boy genius...

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

More Disembodied, Context-Free Action & Violence In New SINGAM 2 Teaser

Wed, 05 Jun 2013 14:30:02 -0500

It's unfair to pre-judge a film based on a 42 second teaser, right? Well, I'm trying my damnedest, but the first couple of teasers from Suriya's Singam 2 are not yet inspiring confidence. This latest bit of footage introduces a new villain character played by Danny Sapani (Trance, Mercenaries), though who or what he is isn't terribly clear. There's a lot of chasing, very little actual fighting, and some yelling. That's about.It's no secret that I'm a Suriya fan, but that has largely to do with the man's screen presence and charisma and less to do with his last few films, unfortunately. Singam 2 has some big shoes to fill, and I'll be there in the cinema on day one, but my expectations continue to...

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

Take a First Look at FONOTUNE - AN ELECTRIC FAIRYTALE

Wed, 05 Jun 2013 14:00:26 -0500

The creative forces behind the hit short film Yellow and documentary Visiting Uwe have joined together for a new sci-fi road movie, Fonotune - An Electric Fairytale. Directed by Fabian Huebner, who previously helmed the documentary about controversial filmmaker Uwe Boll, Visiting Uwe, Fonotune stars Japanese actress Yamashita Yuho and Watanabe Kazushi, star of Miike Takashi's classic Visitor Q. There is also an appearance from the superb Japanese punk band, Electric Eel Shock (who I've seen play live and are utterly insane).Shot on location in Japan and, among other places, the salt flats of Utah, the first teaser for the film has just been released, and frankly it looks pretty gorgeous. As well it should, the cinematography is from Jon Britt, who was responsible for the startling look...

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

Watch The Astounding Trailer For Hybrid-Animation Documentary ANOTHER DAY OF LIFE

Wed, 05 Jun 2013 12:00:30 -0500

Though you may not know his name Ryszard Kapuscinski is a hero to thousands and an icon amongst the journalistic community. A Polish journalist covering independence movements and revolutions throughout Africa through the 1970s, making his living by walking into some of the most dangerous places on earth and painting a portrait for the world outside of Africa of nations struggling for self determination. He expected his time in Angola to be more of the same but Kapuscinski was wrong, his experiences there defining him for life and driving him to cross the line between journalist and participant.And now Kapuscinski's experiences in Angola are coming to the big screen thanks to an adaptation of his autobiographical Another Day Of Life coming from directors Raul de...

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

Luc Besson Has Never Been Funny. That Doesn't Stop Him From Trying With THE FAMILY.

Wed, 05 Jun 2013 10:35:43 -0500

There are many things that French director Luc Besson can claim to be. Funny is not one of them. This may, in part, explain why he thought it a wise idea to cast the also remarkably unfunny Robert DeNiro as the lead in his action-comedy The Family (formerly known as Malavita). Based on the trailer, the end result is about as you would expect.A mafia boss and his family are relocated to a sleepy town in France under the witness protection program after snitching on the mob. Despite the best efforts of Agent Stansfield to keep them in line, Fred Manzoni, his wife Maggie and their children Belle and Warren can't help but revert to old habits and blow their cover by handling their problems...

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

DRONE Trailer Explores The Psychological Impact Of Armchair Killing

Wed, 05 Jun 2013 08:30:00 -0500

Remote warfare is a terrifying proposition. With death-dealing taking place at the press of a button in rooms far removed from the killing field it's no wonder filmmakers are starting to examine what happens when the human psyche is put under the pressure of these decisions. We've seen drone warfare examined as part of many movies about espionage and the war on terror (Syriana springs to mind as a chilling example) but few movies focusing solely on this. One movie that aims to do just this is Edwin McGill's Drone, an upcoming Australian indie posing as an American-set movie starring Peter Phelps (above left) and Guy Edmonds.Drone is the story of Dalton (Edmonds), an 'armchair warrior' - a drone plane operator with the U.S. Army. Up to...

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

Watch The Increasingly Angry Morgan Brothers Tell You To Buy Australian

Wed, 05 Jun 2013 07:00:31 -0500

I'm loving this 100 Bloody Acres secondary marketing campaign. Directing brothers Colin and Cameron Cairnes have applied their considerable talents to putting together a series of fake ads that brilliantly parody the terrible Australian TV ads made by well-meaning but under financed amateurs. Some very real examples are the Souvlaki Hut Gorilla and Wombat Gully. The Cairnes brothers ads are for another sibling duo, Reg and Lindsay Morgan, of Morgan's Organic - the characters at the centre of their horror comedy 100 Bloody Acres. Check the latest ad out below....

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

Paranoid Procedural with UK's CLOSED CIRCUIT

Tue, 04 Jun 2013 18:30:10 -0500

There is something inherently ominous with the aesthetic of all those camera-feeds in security conscious Londontown. Furious 6's London setting failed to properly make use of them, but they seem to be at the heart of the matter for Jon Crowley's (Boy A, Intermission) mature information-technology thriller Closed Circuit. Eric Bana and Ciarán Hinds are aiming to catch urban terrorists (instead of planting the bombs as they did together in Spielberg's Munich) with the help of Rebecca Hall, Julia Stiles and Jim Broadbent. Looking to be a smidgen of 24, a hint of Bourne, and a dollop of Page 8, Closed Circuit seems to have a lot on offer with its trailer, hopefully the film with follow through in an appropriate adult fashion.Two ex-lovers find their loyalties tested and their lives at risk...

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

Flash A Gorilla With Pilou Asbaek In The Trailer For SEX, DRUGS & TAXATION

Tue, 04 Jun 2013 17:59:09 -0500

A man exposing himself to a gorilla is not what I would typically expect to see in the trailer for a new film by Christoffer Boe but evidently this is what happens when the director of Reconstruction, Beast, and Offscreen tackles the real life story of Mogens Glistrup and Simon Spies - a politician and travel magnate whose friendship would eventually lead to scandal.The true story about the spectacular friendship between two notorious and provocative Danes: the eccentric lawyer-turned-politician Mogens Glistrup, and the "travel king", millionaire, womanizer and public provocateur, Simon Spies. Despite their different ways of life Glistrup and Spies become best friends, and together they turn Spies Travels into one of most profitable travel agencies in Scandinavia in the 1960s and 1970s. They...

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

Watch The Second Trailer For Johnnie To's BLIND DETECTIVE

Tue, 04 Jun 2013 17:45:07 -0500

To say that the reaction to Johnnie To's Blind Detective in Cannes was less than enthusiastic is to be rather kind, if we're being honest. There was something of a critic-pile-on with the film and my hunch is that the poster to the left offers a clue as to why. Tonally it's an odd one, the premise reading like a hard crime film while the director drops in a duo (Andy Lau and Sammi Cheng) known for their wacky romcom pairings in the lead. But, hey ... Johnnie To, right? And that means there a whole lot people all around the world who are going to withold judgement on this one until they have a chance to see for themselves and now here's a chance...

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

From Fighter To Artist, Watch The Trailer For THE GUERRILLA IS A POET

Tue, 04 Jun 2013 17:00:27 -0500

A part of the CineFilipino festival, sibling director duo Sari Raissa Dalena and Kiri Dalena base their The Guerrilla Is A Poet on the story of revolutionary leader Jose Maria Siso, a central figure in the Communist Party Of The Philippines who was heavily involved in the revolutionary movement in the 1960s before being captured, imprisoned and re-emerging as a poet.The tale of an activist's journey during the turbulent years of Martial Law, until his capture in the mountains and the dark, nine years of imprisonment that followed, leading to his birth as a poet.The revolutionary movements within the Philippines are a total blank spot for me in terms of knowing the actual history and so I have no way of telling how accurate the...

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

DocsBarcelona 2013 Awards Top Prize To THE ACT OF KILLING

Tue, 04 Jun 2013 16:00:04 -0500

Already feted in Berlin, Telluride and reviewed by Jason Gorber at TIFF for Twitch last year, The Act of Killing continues to impact on jury members and festival goers alike. This time, DocsBarcelona wrapped up five days of shenanigans by lauding Joshua Oppenheimer with more praise and a gong for Best Documentary. As previously reported, Drafthouse Films will release in the US in July, while in Europe distribution deals have been sealed in Croatia, France, Italy, Montenegro, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Serbia, Slovenia and the UK. Further afield, Australia and New Zealand will see releases too.Meanwhile, the sixteenth edition of DocsBarcelona closed with more prizes given out to Chilean Maite Alberdi's El Salvavidas winning the Best New Talent and Con Mi Corazón en Yambo by...

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

Bollywood Starlet, Jiah Khan (NISHABD, GHAJINI), Dead Of Apparent Suicide

Tue, 04 Jun 2013 15:30:47 -0500

The sudden death of Bollywood starlet Jiah Khan has taken the Indian film community by surprise. Khan wasn't a big name in the industry, but she had worked with some of the biggest and was still young enough to have a lot of potential in front of her. Her suicide has garnered shocked reactions from around the industry. Bollywood celebrities have taken to Twitter to express their grief and surprise over this tragic and senseless loss. You can find lots of those tributes and reactions here at The Guardian.The New York born actress made her starring debut at age 18 in Ram Gopal Varma's Nishabd, a film "inspired" by American Beauty. Khan played the Mena Suvari role, and the inimitable Amitabh Bachchan played the Kevin...

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

Adopt A Child Called MABANTU

Tue, 04 Jun 2013 14:30:56 -0500

This sketch aired on bizarre Australian comedy show The Gentlemen's Guide to Knife Fighting recently and made me cry with laughter. Starring Patrick Brammall, Phil Lloyd, Adele Vuko and Damon Herriman (who has proven with this show and 100 Bloody Acres that he's a brilliant comic actor in addition to playing rednecks on US cable). Check it out below....

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

Review: CARNE DE PERRO Is A Guilt Trip

Tue, 04 Jun 2013 12:00:07 -0500

After screening at many festivals around the world, including at SXSW this year and the Valdivia International Film Festival in Chile last year, Carne de Perro has finally come to Chilean cinema screens. It's somewhat to my surprise and shock this has happened as there were many other Chilean films which screened at Valdivia that were more, shall we say, accessible to larger audiences, and yet this one is the one we get in cinemas. Now, I'm not complaining, I'm truly happy when these movies are finally released in Chile as many seem to be on an endless loop of film festivals around the world, whetting the appetites of many but never becoming available to watch back home. With Carne de Perro (Dog Flesh) it's curious...

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

More Ass Kicking Action In International BADGES OF FURY Trailer

Tue, 04 Jun 2013 11:30:32 -0500

Did you feel letdown with the martial arts taking a backseat to the goofy comedy in the last few trailers to the cop thriller Badges of Fury? Well, don't worry because an international trailer intended for the Singapore market (via Shaw Organisation/Scorpio East) has arrived and it showcases more of the fight choreography by action director Corey Yuen. With awesome onscreen fighters including the always amazing Jet Li, Wu Jing (Sha Po Lang) and Collin Chou (The Matrix Reloaded, Flashpoint), here's hoping they will deliver the goods. The cast also includes Wen Zhang, Michelle Chen, Liu Shi Shi, Liu Yan, Leung Siu Lung, Raymond Lam and Stephen Fung.When a spate of eerie murders erupts across Hong Kong, two troublemaking cops are assigned to the case. Young maverick...

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

Trailer For Peruvian Sci-Fi Opus THE 2ND HORSEMAN

Tue, 04 Jun 2013 11:00:30 -0500

Apparently, the city of Lima lends itself well to post-apocalyptic settings. For proof there's that modern B-movie classic, New Crime City, where Rick Rossovich is sent into a devastated Los Angeles, which has been converted into a prison colony, to hunt down some bad guys (yes, it's a cheap John Carpenter rip-off). My fair city circa 1994 was chosen to stand in for a post-nuclear holocaust LA - and they didn't even bother to hide the graffitti for local soccer teams.Lima is once again standing in for the future in The 2nd Horseman, from first-time director Arthur Cross. Peruvian films rarely travel into science fiction territory, save for some independent, low-budget experimental efforts but this one is clearly aiming to become a sci-fi action blockbuster,...

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

Summer of Fear Draws Near: June's Jam-Packed K-Horror Slate

Tue, 04 Jun 2013 10:00:00 -0500

When the humidity begins to turn all of your clothes into wet rags, you know summer has arrived in Korea, which also means that it's K-horror season in the nation's multiplexes. Though the country has a long history of horror going back to the films of Kim Ki-young (The Housemaid, 1960), Lee Man-hee (Black Hair, 1966) and Shin Sang-ok (A Thousand Year Old Fox, 1969), its modern incarnation began in 1998 with the first entry in the enduring Whispering Corridors series. Since then the industry has produced a large body of straight horror films that includes modern classics such as Memento Mori (1999), A Tale of Two Sisters (2003) and Possessed (2009), while many other works have also successfully implemented elements of horror, such as...

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

Flying Dagger, Bathing Babes In The Trailer Of Vietnamese 3D Thriller HOW THE HELL I KNOW

Tue, 04 Jun 2013 09:00:23 -0500

Biết Chết Liền (not-really-literally translated: How The Hell I Know), a 3D comedy thriller directed by Le Bao Trung, has released its theatrical trailer. The preview features scandalous star Angela Phuong Trinh in many bath tub scenes or passionately kissing her boyfriend on the sand, making it clear what they're trying to sell here. This marks the return to acting for this 18 year old girl after many scandals about her private life. How The Hell I Know was introduced as a thriller / comedy / mystery about four young people going vacation at Nha Trang Beach. Instead of having a romantic trip the group encounters a horrific incident and is forced to participate in a journey of evil. The trailer brings some nice ideas to the...

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

Guillermo Del Toro Talks About His Adaptation Of Urasawa's MONSTER

Tue, 04 Jun 2013 06:45:27 -0500

Pacific Rim director Guillermo Del Toro has been busy working with HBO to bring an adaptation of Urasawa Naoki's acclaimed Monster manga series to the small screen. Speaking at the fourth annual Hero Complex Film Festival, the Mexican filmmaker revealed that he has already submitted a pilot script, which is "fantastic" and "respectful", and is waiting for HBO's decision on whether the production is to go ahead. The thriller is about the worldwide search by a young doctor for the most evil sociopath that has ever lived. He is a 12-year-old boy, and the doctor's decision to save his life has unwittingly unleashed a Pandora's Box that leaves the doctor battling to stop a plot of mass genocide.Embedded below is the clip of Del Toro...

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

Watch the Trailer For 19th Century New Zealand Mystery WHITE LIES

Tue, 04 Jun 2013 06:30:53 -0500

Acclaimed Māori author Witi Ihimaera wrote the original novel that the hugely successful film Whale Rider was based on, and now another of his stories has been adapted for the screen by the same producers. Set in 19th century New Zealand, White Lies tells the story of Paraiti (Whitimako Black), a healer and midwife who is approached by the servant of a wealthy woman named Rebecca (Antonia Prebble) who needs her help to hide a secret which could destroy her position in European settler society.Directed by Dana Rotberg, White Lies will be in New Zealand cinemas on 27 June. Check out the trailer below....

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

Sydney Film Festival 2013 Opens Tomorrow With Indigenous Thriller MYSTERY ROAD

Tue, 04 Jun 2013 01:45:57 -0500

It's finally here - the much anticipated 60th Sydney Film Festival will be opening tomorrow! The Opening Night Film is talented Aussie filmmaker Ivan Sen's Mystery Road, "a suspenseful and intelligent mystery that uses the conventions of the Western and the police procedural in a subtle examination of the social and political context of a small town in the Australian Outback."Festival Director Nashen Moodley told Twitch in our interview that "Mystery Road is an extraordinary film by a true genius - Ivan Sen wrote, directed, shot, edited and scored the film - so it was a very simple decision to open the festival with the film. It is an important film in Ivan Sen's career, and an important film for Australian Cinema, so it is just...

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

Watch The First Trailer For SXSW Winner SHORT TERM 12

Mon, 03 Jun 2013 19:30:08 -0500

Destin Daniel Cretton's naturalistic drama Short Term 12 premiered at this year's SXSW to the buzziest of buzz and then went on to win both the Grand Jury and Audience prize there. The film continues on the festival circuit this summer before getting a U.S. release on August 23rd, courtesy of the folks at Cinedigm. Today we have a trailer for the film.Short Term 12 focuses on, and gets it title from, a foster care facility and its twenty-something staff led by Brie Larson (Greenberg, 21 Jump Street). I've seen the film (expect to hear more from me on it soon) so was quite happy to see a trailer for this one. Though I will say it plays up the emotions in a very sensationalistic...

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

Coming Soon In Chile And Argentina: CARNE DE PERRO, IL FUTURO, SAMURAI, HERMANOS DE SANGRE

Mon, 03 Jun 2013 14:00:23 -0500

If May was a good month for Latin America cinema, June has also its highlights.Last week Chilean cinemas saw the premiere of Carne De Perro (Dog Flesh) from Fernando Guzzoni, winner of the Kutxa-New Directors Award of the San Sebastian International Film Festival 2013. We have yet to see its impact after its first weekend. Don't miss this gruesome and disturbing film about a former torturer facing his past during the Pinochet dictatorship. Disclaimer: no dogs were harmed in the making of this film. Alicia Scherson's third film will be hitting the screens on 6 June. Scherson first read Roberto Bolaño's book in 2005, the same year her sophomore film Play was being premiered around the globe. Il Futuro, with Manuela Martelli (Machuca) and Rutger Hauer in the...

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

New International KICK-ASS 2 Trailer Is The Best Yet

Mon, 03 Jun 2013 12:00:26 -0500

Hey, there it is. It took a couple tries but after a lackluster trailer or two, a second international trailer has arrived on the scene - one that would very definitely be a red-bander if prepared for the US market - for Kick-Ass 2 and this one delivers the goods. Loads of new footage here that balances out the characters nicely - Aaron Johnston, Chloe Moretz, Jim Carrey and Christopher Mintz-Plasse all get some very good moments - while also getting deeper into the story of the film. Suddenly this feels like one worth being excited for again....

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

Twitchvision: Talking AFTER EARTH, NOW YOU SEE ME, and More!

Mon, 03 Jun 2013 10:30:53 -0500

You may already have joined in the massive conversation about the film (at least by Twitch standards), but here's a nice, digestible version of my view on the abysmal After Earth.A not so good week for me, really ended up disliking Now You See Me stank it up as well, but at least that had a pretty decent premise and a good chunk that was worth watching before it fell apart.We rant out of time, but instead I extoll you to check out three films in theatres now I adore - Kim-Ki Duk's wonderful Pieta, Ben Weatley's twisted travelling tale Sightseers, and Linklatter's astonishingly and moving continuation of his grand experiment, Before Midnight.Video embedded below...

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

Colors Bleed In Art Themed Filipino Thriller PUTI

Sun, 02 Jun 2013 13:00:10 -0500

There's a new player in the Filipino festival scene with the arrival this summer of the inaugural CineFilipino. And given that festivals in the Philippines more often than not also double as funding bodies - with the festivals directly commissioning new feature films to make up their screening programs - that means not just a new festival but more films being made.Backed by television network TV5 and ad / film production outfit Unitel, the inaugural CineFilipino features eight new films with Miguel Alcazaren's Puti standing out as one offering with crossover potential.A psychological thriller about a counterfeit painter who figures in a freak car accident that renders him color blind; while recuperating, strange things start to happen to him. The first trailer for the film...

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

Review: AMERICAN DREAMS IN CHINA Insists on Being About More Than Just Friendship

Sun, 02 Jun 2013 07:08:34 -0500

After a string of period martial arts dramas, Peter Chan scores another hit with this (almost) contemporary story of three friends who meet at university and, over 20 years, build an empire around teaching English. But, while the film has proved incredibly popular in mainland China it is unlikely to repeat the same success overseas.Peter Chan is often regarded as one of Hong Kong's most respected filmmakers, although for much of the past decade he has been plying his trade on the mainland. Recent years have seen Chan unveil a string of high-profile historical action dramas, both as Director and/or Producer, which include The Warlords, Bodyguards and Assassins, Wu Xia and The Guillotines. American Dreams in China is something of a change of pace for Chan,...

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

Hugh Jackman Turns Vigilante in First Trailer for Denis Villeneuve's PRISONERS

Sat, 01 Jun 2013 23:40:24 -0500

Quebecois director Denis Villenueve caught everyone's attention with the incredible Incendies in 2010, garnering a Best Foreign Language film Oscar nomination and a fistful of other awards in the process. His back catalogue also includes the terrifying true-crime drama Polytechnique, and now we get our first glimpse of the director's Hollywood debut, Prisoners - which boasts an impressive cast including Hugh Jackman, Jack Gyllenhaal, Terrence Howard, Maria Bello, Viola Davis and Paul Dano.Jackman plays the father of a little girl who goes missing, but when local cop Gyllenhaal releases Dano's prime suspect due to a lack of evidence, he takes the law into his own hands, going all vigilante on the guy. I have a sneaking suspicion that this first trailer for Prisoners, which is scheduled...

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

The Kids Talk Film: PAPRIKA

Sat, 01 Jun 2013 16:00:00 -0500

Twitch has been on the internet long enough that many of its writing staff have children who are old enough to understand and consume media in a way that is both raw and fresh, along with an inkling of consideration afterwards. Many of us fall in love with the movies when we are so young. Thus, we are offering you the perspective of smaller children as they react to seeing classic filmmaking on the big screen. In the past, Willem (Age 10) and Miranda (Age 8) have talked the films of Studio Ghibli as well as the early 007 outing, Thunderball as a part of our Twitch In Bondage series. Here they take in one of the most sophisticated Japanese animated films, Kon Satoshi's Paprika. The kids talk...

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

Internet Love and Dead Whales: HOLA ULISES, SOY PAULINA Teaser Trailer

Sat, 01 Jun 2013 11:00:14 -0500

Greetings from Chile! A new teaser trailer for a new documentary from the South American country has arrived and it may be one of the most interesting concepts out there, a mixture of Catfish and road movie, and "Familia ASP" (the artistic collective that is behind the project) has released the first teaser trailer of Hola Ulises, Soy Paulina (Hi Ulises, I'm Paulina). Right now the film is still in post-production and has been pitched in many festivals, being DocLabs Barcelona the latest. The synopsis, that I've translated from Spanish for you is as follows:Paulina (30) is overweight and she suffers because of that. Tired of her loneliness she decides to look for a boyfriend on the Internet. That's how he meets Ulises Fuentes (33)....

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

Watch Vidyut Jammwal Kick Ass In COMMANDO - A ONE MAN ARMY Clips

Fri, 31 May 2013 19:30:07 -0500

Martial artist/model-turned-actor Vidyut Jammwal proves why he is called a one man army in the Bollywood action picture Commando.That's abundantly clear in several clips posted on Big Pictures' official YouTube channel. I selected some of the clips on their channel that best exemplify his badass status, with some involving him escaping the Chinese army and manhandling a gang of thugs. Vidyut Jammwal plays a special-ops secret agent for the Indian Armed Services. During one of the missions the commando's chopper is shot down & is now behind enemy-lines. From here on the commando embarks on a survival mission battling physically challenging environments, gun totting enemies in foreign land & is en route to his base. The commando uses his intense training, well honed survival & combat...

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

Meet Scott Adkins And Dolph Lundgren, Monster Hunters. A Proper Trailer For LEGENDARY 3D.

Fri, 31 May 2013 18:00:35 -0500

A few weeks back Twitch ran footage from an in-progress creature feature titled Legendary - a film starring Scott Adkins and Dolph Lundgren on the trail of a legendary creature. Turns out that footage was very much still in progress and very much not intended for public eyes and so we removed it but it has now been replaced by a proper, significantly more polished effort for your perusal.Travis and his team travel to China in search of what isn't supposed to exist ... their mission to capture a Cryptid which is wreaking havoc in a remote village and they need to do this before it is killed by Harker, the legendary bounty hunter.Take a look at the trailer below....

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

Chinese Trailer For Korean Gorilla Baseball Comedy MR. GO

Fri, 31 May 2013 17:00:10 -0500

Huayi Brothers continues to push the promotional campaign in China for the potential summer blockbuster film of Kim Yong-hwa's Mr. Go with the launch of the first trailer. Chinese actress Xu Jiao (Starry Starry Night, CJ7) star as Wei Wei, the childhood friend and caregiver to Ling Ling, the Baseball-playing Gorilla and Sung Dong-il (Take Off, 200 Pounds Beauty) co-star as the sports agent who recruited the Gorilla to the Korean professional Baseball league.Wei Wei grew up in the circus with a bat-swinging gorilla named Ling Ling. After her grandfather dies in the Great Sichuan Earthquake, she has only Ling Ling to depend on. In order to pay her grandfather's debt, she has no choice but to accept sports agent Sung's proposal to bring Ling...

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

Jerrold Tarog Completes His Camera Trilogy With SANA DATI

Fri, 31 May 2013 16:00:07 -0500

Though best known as a horror filmmaker, Filipino helmer Jerrold Tarog has also won acclaim with the first two installments of his 'camera' trilogy. Indie dramas revolving around characters who use cameras in their everyday lives, the camera trilogy comes to a conclusion this year with Tarog's Cinemalaya entry Sana Dati.Beautifully photographed and boasting what look to be quite strong performances, the first trailer for Sana Dati has arrived and promises something quite different from what we've come to expect from the Philippines: a romantic drama that refuses to pander either to the mainstream cineplex crowd or the ultra low budget indie aesthetic and lands someplace really quite interesting.Check the trailer - English subtitles included - below....

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

Review: THE DEVIL'S FACES Are Everywhere

Fri, 31 May 2013 15:00:58 -0500

Carlos Malave's sophomore film, The Devil's Faces, is kind of a bittersweet experience in that it doesn't really go anywhere, at least not as promised in the trailers and promotional material. The premise was not that original to begin with, however there's always a new form to tell old stories. Malave failed to find a new one.And that's first and primary problem I have with this film: I've seen this story unfold in countless films before it, sometimes for the best and sometimes for the worse - see 8mm, Man on Fire or Taken just to name a few contemporary examples- with the same thematic elements.There's value in doing a film with close to no budget, independently as Malave did with The Devil's Faces, with...

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

Let's Make This Indie Go! Astron-6 Needs Your Help To Make THE EDITOR A Reality.

Fri, 31 May 2013 13:30:05 -0500

Our favorite Canadian film collective, the mighty Astron-6, is on the move!Today Astron-6 announced the IndieGoGo crowd-sourcing campaign for their upcoming film, The Editor. Back in February it was announced that Astro-6 had won a Telefilm Canada grant to assist with production on The Editor, a film that has been in the works for a while. However, now that they've begun, they realize that it's time to step up their game and make a real goddamned movie. In the service of that goal, they've begun an incredibly modest IndieGoGo campaign to supplement their production on the film.In their pitch video, Astron-6 performers/writers Adam Brooks and Matt Kennedy state that they'd already begun shooting The Editor, but have realized that now with the added (well-earned) attention...

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

Review: STORIES WE TELL, Wrestling With Truth And Memories From The Sidelines

Fri, 31 May 2013 12:30:12 -0500

"Who cares about our stupid family?" It's a pertinent question, and one that kept echoing through my head during the first 30 minutes of Stories We Tell, a documentary by actress turned filmmaker Sarah Polley. Polley has found success by telling intimate stories in a narrative fashion on the big screen. Her previous effort, 2011's Take This Waltz, struck me as indicative of her inclination to show and tell, so as to really drive her points home. Ultimately, the film appears to suggest that "it's really, really hard to see see ourselves as others do, and even more challenging to look into our own souls and see what sort of person we are," as I wrote at the time. Her desire to peer into souls...

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

Meet The Lovely Ladies In Third Trailer For Action Comedy BADGES OF FURY

Fri, 31 May 2013 12:00:32 -0500

Enlight Pictures has unveiled the third trailer for the Wang Zi Ming directed / Po Chu Chui produced action comedy Badges of Fury. While the previous trailers puts the ass-kickery of Jet Li and the zany antics of Wen Zhang on the forefront of the movie, this trailer focus on the beautiful female characters played by Michelle Chen, Liu Shi Shi and the busty Liu Yan.When a spate of eerie murders erupts across Hong Kong, two troublemaking cops are assigned to the case. Young maverick WANG and grizzled vet HUANG, who is fed up with his reckless younger partner always landing them in hot water. Reaching a dead end after discovering all the victims were former boyfriends of aspiring starlet LIU, the detectives must...

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

Cool Cats Don't Look At Explosions in Roadgeek's TOWARDS THE SUN

Fri, 31 May 2013 11:30:55 -0500

Aussie composer, musician, producer, director, writer and VFX wiz Michael Shanks has unveiled the latest music video for his band Roadgeek, for which he sings and plays all the instruments, natch -- like Dave Grohl on that first great Foo Fighters album. Shanks, who uploads self-produced and continuously awesome videos under his YouTube channel Timtimfed (which causes half of Reddit to think his name is Tim) has been actively doing awesome stuff since he created the long-running Doomsday Arcade webseries for The Escapist. I became aware of Shanks' when his first Roadgeek music video On the Borderline jointly won the best music video prize with David Michôd's clip for Children Collide's Loveless at St Kilda Film Festival's SoundKilda competition last year. Shanks also won best independent music...

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

FRANKENSTEIN'S ARMY Red Band Trailer Picks At Your Brain

Thu, 30 May 2013 18:30:06 -0500

Well, hey now. There be a lot of monsters in this here red band trailer for Richard Raaphorst's upcoming World War II era Nazi horror flick Frankenstein's Army. A whole mess of them! And there should be enough blood, guts and gore here to whet anyone's appetite and get more people on board. It subtly hides the Cinéma vérité style in which Raaphorst conceived and shot the film. It becomes a little more obvious near the end; but not nearly as distracting as I feared. Take a look below!(Full disclosure: Twitch Founder and Editor Todd Brown served as a producer on the film. He was not involved with the editing of this article.)...

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

Review: CHARLES BRADLEY: SOUL OF AMERICA, A Superfunky Good Time

Thu, 30 May 2013 18:00:06 -0500

The film starts with a 62-year-old man wearing a flowing cape and instantly recognizable wig, donning the disguise of a soul legend before taking the stage. He slinks into the dark Brooklyn divebar, ostensibly there to celebrate a birthday and perform in concert. The man who goes by the stage name "Black Velvet" and "James Brown Jr." gets up and does his thing to an appreciative, small crowd of a few dozen people, who seem equally drunk yet enthralled. Noodling away out of shot, the backup band do their best attempts at the stabbing riffs of the JBs as legend-to-be Charles Bradley pays tribute to his musical muse. From this simple beginning, we're led through a remarkable rise in this frank, humble, and wonderfully paced...

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

Wandering Exorcist Roams Spain. Watch The ASMODEXIA Promo Now!

Thu, 30 May 2013 16:30:47 -0500

Well, here's a little treat from an old friend. Regulars at the Sitges International Fantastic Film Festival in Spain - simply put the most important genre film event in Europe - need no introduction to Mike Hostench, the energetic co-director of the festival. Well, Hostench is switching teams, as it were, and serving as a script writer on upcoming horror picture Asmodexia.Slated for a summer shoot, Asmodexia is the feature debut of helmer Marc Carrete - who has had a pair of short films play in competition at Sitges, starting the relationship between the two men - from his own original idea. The story follows an itinerant exorcist and his granddaughter as they travel the Spanish countryside and while principal photography has not yet begun,...

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

Review: THE HISTORY OF FUTURE FOLK - Love, Friendship, And The Power Of Music

Thu, 30 May 2013 15:00:02 -0500

Sci-fi comedy The History of Future Folk documents the origin story of real-life NYC-based bluegrass duo Future Folk, a pair of bucket helmet-wearing aliens hailing from the comet-threatened planet Hondo. General Trius -- aka Bill, as he's known on Earth -- came to this planet many years ago in search of a new home for his fellow Hondonians, but decided to stay after hearing music for the first time and becoming enamored with musical instruments and a beautiful Earth woman. But soon, his peaceful new life is disturbed by the appearance of another Hondonian -- the wonky Kevin, who, after failing to kill Trius, becomes his closest friend and ally. Despite the sci-fi elements, The History of Future Folk is actually a story about love...

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

Danny Trejo Sharpens His Blade In First Teaser For MACHETE KILLS

Thu, 30 May 2013 13:30:54 -0500

Danny Trejo is back as Machete and while the first teaser for Robert Rodriguez' latest is holding back on the crazy violence that's only to make room to show off the massive cast and Sophia Vergara's machine gun bra. Yep, that's in there and fans of Chilean star Marko Zaror will catch a glimpse of him getting punched in the face as well.Ex-Federale agent Machete is recruited by the President of the United States for a mission which would be impossible for any mortal man - he must take down a madman revolutionary and an eccentric billionaire arms dealer who has hatched a plan to spread war and anarchy across the planet.Check the teaser below!...

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

Review: THE KINGS OF SUMMER, Full Of Life And Dreaming Big

Thu, 30 May 2013 13:01:01 -0500

The worst part about being a kid is the realization that one day you'll be an adult. Your only responsibilities are cleaning your room (throwing everything under the bed), eating your vegetables (feeding them to the dog), and getting your homework done (copying from a friend just before class). And then there are the teen years, when you think parents are the worst and want to just run away and live like a king under your own roof. Director Jordan Vogt-Roberts explores this in The Kings of Summer, an unforgettable coming-of-age comedy that's sweet, witty, and brings back the joys of being young and full of life. Joe Toy (Nick Robinson) lives with his father, Frank (Nick Offerman). They don't like each other too much....

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

Listen to Nick Offerman Talk Bacon, His Status As An American Hero, And THE KINGS OF SUMMER

Thu, 30 May 2013 12:31:12 -0500

Thanks be mostly to his mustachioed alter ego Ron Swanson on TV's Parks and Recreation (not to mention the fact that in real life he's a master woodworker), Nick Offerman has amassed a great American male mythos. Nay, THE great American male. Like Grizzly Adams and Ernest Hemingway all rolled into one, Offerman is now at the forefront of both the comedy and the pop culture, and seen as an icon of both. I recently sat down with Offerman ... well, I was sitting and can only assume that wherever he was on the other end of the line, he too was seated to discuss his latest film The Kings of Summer, a nostalgia-infused coming-of-age tale that stands to be a king of summer movies...

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

Review: SHADOW DANCER, A Well-Acted, Classy Political Thriller

Thu, 30 May 2013 11:00:11 -0500

Shifting loyalties regarding family, cause and country are the basis for Shadow Dancer, a sensitive and affecting new political thriller from director James Marsh (Man on Wire, Red Riding: 1980). It boasts a great ensemble cast that includes Clive Owen, Gillian Anderson, Domhnall Gleeson and a relative newcomer, Andrea Riseborough in the central role. Soon after witnessing a senseless family tragedy in 1973 in the Occupied Northern Ireland, we are transported to 1998 London, where a sullen Republican member, Collette (Riseborough) reluctantly disposes a bomb in the tube station stairways. Then, she is swiftly scooped up by two ready MI5 agents and delivered to an interrogation room. The whole wordless botched bombing attempt and following apprehension sequences are tense and swift. There, Collette is given an...

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

Things Get Goofy In Japanese Slacker Comedy I'LL GIVE IT MY ALL TOMORROW

Thu, 30 May 2013 10:30:42 -0500

Japanese writer-director Fukuda Yuichi is having what may be termed 'quite a year'. A super prolific talent, Fukuda has been present on the big screen in the past - directing part of an anthology project as well as a feature comedy based on his own play in 2009 - but it is television where he has really made his mark with writing credits on a whopping 82 episodes of various television series since 2010 alone, a great many of which he has also directed.But 2013 is different for Fukuda. 2013 is the year of no television. Instead he's made three features, two of which have already been heavily covered in these pages. Up first was Kid's Police, the big screen outing of the cult hit...

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

Review: THE EAST Entertains But Lacks An Indie Spark

Thu, 30 May 2013 10:01:10 -0500

Zal Batmanglij has worked up quite a fan base since his debut feature Sound of My Voice premiered at Sundance in 2011. Though it was initially overshadowed by the big sale buzz of that year's other Brit Marling film, Another Earth, a small but vocal crowd vigorously (and justly) beat the drum that Sound of My Voice was the better of the two. While Fox Searchlight scooped up Another Earth at that Sundance, they originally passed on Sound of My Voice, only to circle around and pick it up after the film's positive response at SXSW. Not long after, it was announced that Fox Searchlight would also be producing the next Batmanglij and Marling project, a story not that dissimilar to Sound of My Voice...

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

Pen-ek Ratanaruang Goes Political In New Documentary PARADOXOCRACY

Thu, 30 May 2013 08:00:40 -0500

Pen-ek Ratanaruang, one of the most celebrated Thai filmmakers of the panorama, is back with Paradoxocracy, a documentary about Thailand's modern political history. The movie will feature a mix of archival footage and interviews, covering hot topics like the violent protests of the 1970s and the rise of Thaksin Shinawatra, one of the most controversial political figures in Thailand.Due to its problematic subject, the documentary has encountered several difficulties, not least the reluctance of theatrical venues to show it. But now everything seems to be flowing the right way, and according to the official Facebook page, Paradoxocracy will have a limited run in two Bangkok theatres starting June 24 and running through July 3. Check the trailer below....

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

Review: Brillante Mendoza Produces A Queer Film About Loneliness In The Social Network Era With UNFRIEND

Wed, 29 May 2013 18:00:16 -0500

When we think about the new wave of queer cinema from the Philippines one of the first names which comes to mind is surely Joselito Altarejos. His films - from Antonio's Secret to The Game in Juan's Life - have been selected in various international festivals, from the Turin GLBT to the Image Out of Rochester. So it shouldn't surprise that the most awarded auteur of Filipino cinema, his majesty Brillante Mendoza, revealed himself as an Altarejos fan and decided to produce his last work, Unfriend, which we've been lucky enough to see in a private sneak preview.Altarejos returns to the core themes of Antonio's Secret, investigating the adolescent world with its most perverse lack of direction. This time, however, he doesn't deal with a...

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

Watch The Teaser For Tony Ukpo's Indie SciFi AFTER THE WORLD ENDED

Wed, 29 May 2013 17:00:23 -0500

Director Tony Ukpo is one who has popped up here on Twitch from time to time, the helmer turning out a string of intelligent and handsomely shot spins of different genre tropes. Ukpo is putting the final buff and polish on his fourth feature film now and, true to form, he's staying in the genre world with a science fiction picture titled After The World Ended.An astronaut crashes in the middle of nowhere. A young woman searches for her family in an abandoned urban wasteland. A prisoner prepares for a space program that will make him the first human being on Mars.Shuna Iijima, Lucien Maine, and Eke Chukwu star. Check the first teaser below....

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

The Machine Gun Woman Does Not Want You To Clean Her Window, Thanks.

Wed, 29 May 2013 16:00:02 -0500

Ernesto Diaz Espinoza's Bring Me The Head Of The Machine Gun Woman is freshly out in Chilean cinemas and the titular character wants you to know one thing. She's aware that her car is dirty. And she's fine with that....

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

From Regions Beyond: French Gore on DVD, OGROFF - MAD MUTILATOR & DEVIL STORY

Wed, 29 May 2013 15:00:25 -0500

Welcome to a newish, somewhat irregular, but totally awesome feature, From Region Beyond! We commonly review home video releases from all over the English speaking world, but it's about time we started letting you guys know that there's a whole galaxy of discs out there to melt your mind. With help from our buddies at Diabolik DVD, we'll be exploring some of the more obscure, crazy, and awesome cinema of the past and present. Part of the challenge for cult film collectors is to find English friendly releases of films without editions from the big four markets, the US, UK, Australia, and Canada; but they are out there, and we're going to start in France with a pair of classically absurd Gallic gore films whose...

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

Chile Goes SciFi With CONEXION

Wed, 29 May 2013 14:00:27 -0500

While Latin America has proven a fertile ground for horror film one genre we've seen remarkably little of from the region is science fiction. Perhaps too many people still assume that American style bang and crash space opera is the only way to do science fiction - and are scared off by the budgetary requirements of going that road - but Chile's Diego Ayala has found another path for his near future film Conexion.Chile. In 2015 a group of anthropomorphic aliens request asylum and protection in planet Earth...On this new world Francisco lives with a dark past. He keeps two lives: he is a talented expert in computing and a cold-blooded killer who hunts the humanoid aliens..but an encounter with a lonely female alien named...

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

An Intriguing Tease For Mikhail Red's REKORDER

Wed, 29 May 2013 13:00:03 -0500

Someone's caught something on tape that they weren't meant to. And there are going to be consequences. It's a simple place to begin but sometimes the simplest concepts are the most effective and Mikhail Red's Cinemalaya feature Rekorder is definitely intriguing.REKORDER tells the story of a former 1980's film cameraman who currently works as a movie pirate operating in present day Manila. He routinely smuggles a digital camcorder into movie theaters in order to illegally record films. One night he records something else... And the footage goes viral.Though very brief, a first teaser has arrived online and it promises something unique. Take a look below....

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

Christopher Ad Castillo Pays A Visit To THE DIPLOMAT HOTEL

Wed, 29 May 2013 12:30:57 -0500

Cinemalaya gets haunted this year with the arrival of The Diplomat Hotel. Best known internationally as a leader of the Filipino arthouse indie wave of the past several years, Cinemalaya - which, like other similar events, is also a funding body - is headed to darker grounds this year with the inclusion of Christopher Ad Castillo's The Diplomat Hotel.Victoria Lansang is a popular news reporter who has been requested to mediate a hostage crisis. And in front of a national television audience, something horribly goes wrong and people are killed while Victoria suffers a mental breakdown. A year later, she's eager to get back into the game but the only assignment she can get is to do a documentary on the last night of The...

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

Watch Matthew Chuang's Brilliant Fantasia Award-Winning Short MATHILDA

Tue, 28 May 2013 22:30:17 -0500

At last year's Fantasia International Film Festival one of the short films to make a big impression was Matthew Chuang's Mathilda, which took out the Silver Audience Award. Twitch is now proud to present the short which just launched online.Featuring a standout performence by young actress Virginia Cashmere, Mathilda is pitched as a modern fairytale. Mathilda is a ten-year-old girl who lives with a terrifying monster. Determined to save herself and her sister, Mathilda forms a desperate plan inspired by her imagination, setting off a chain of events not even she could anticipate.Director Matthew Chuang - who also works as a DOP - first came to my attention with his feature debut Braille back in 2009, and again just recently with this awesome commercial.Based on Mathilda I'm hoping it's not...

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

Sanjay Dutt Takes A Bite Out Of Crime In First POLICEGIRI Trailer

Tue, 28 May 2013 16:30:04 -0500

The South's gonna rise again! This time, it's the south of India, whose over the top masala action style is all the rage in Bollywood these days. The latest product of this trend is Policegiri, a film starring '80s-'90s superstar romantic lead Sanjay Dutt as a roughneck cop taking matters into his own hands, sort of like a Dirty Hari. Not surprisingly, the film is a remake of a Tamil film titled Saamy that starred Vikram and was a huge hit at the box office. The remake is directed by big shot Tamil filmmaker KS Ravikumar, who is responsible for one huge hit after another, including Kamal Hassan's bizarre vanity project Dasavataram from back in 2008. More recently, Ravikumar is currently involved in co-directing the massive...

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

Watch The Amazing Official Trailer For Yuasa Masaaki's KICK-HEART!

Tue, 28 May 2013 12:30:32 -0500

Animator Yuasa Masaaki is an enormous favorite here at Twitch, the helmer of Mind Game turning out consistently quality material always marked by his playful intelligence. Yuasa is quite simply one of the best things going in the animation world, a creator whose general oddness has generated a hugely loyal cadre of fans while also preventing a major mainstream crossover audience so far. And so he turned to Kickstarter for his latest project - a short film titled Kick-Heart - and it is a project I was personally more than happy to support.Kick-Heart is a love story between Romeo, a successful pro wrestler, and Juliet, a nun who lives a secret double-life as a female pro wrestler. Romeo's secret is that he enjoys taking a...

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

One Man Unites A Nation In The First Teaser For WALESA

Tue, 28 May 2013 11:00:04 -0500

When looking at the turbulent post-World War II history of Eastern Europe, it's crucial to comprehend the importance of a few local heroes, who had an immense impact on the revolutions and the whole transformation process that the citizens of the nations of the so-called Eastern Bloc (such as Poland, Czechoslovakia, Romania, Hungary), led by Soviet Union, longed for since the day Communists took over and started their unlawful ruling. One of the most meaningful events of those times happened in the center of the Polish voivodeship called Pomerania. What began as labor strikes in the Gdansk Shipyard soon turned into a fight for the independence of a struggling country. In all the turmoil caused by ongoing conflicts between the ruling Communist party and the...

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

Twitchvision: Talking FAST & FURIOUS 6 And Car Chase Movies

Mon, 27 May 2013 10:30:10 -0500

With this week's Twitchvision, host Scott Laurie and I talk about my marathon of the latest iteration of the Fast Furii franchise (review), a brief preview of Ron Howard's F1 film Rush, and some metal-crunching car chase films.Video embedded below....

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

The WASTELANDER PANDA Emerges With A Trio Of New Episodes

Mon, 27 May 2013 10:10:22 -0500

The post-apocalyptic panda returns with a trio of new episodes arriving online from Victoria Cocks' Wastelander Panda. A project that began as a joke during a university lecture, Wastelander Panda first emerged into the public eye with the release of a prologue video that garnered a huge response online. Word of mouth spread initially due to the bizarre concept - the wandering adventures of a panda bear warrior in a post apocalyptic landscape - but then grew exponentially once people realized this was actually really, really good.The project has expanded since, with the current goal being a full television series in an expansive world where, no, pandas with not be the only anthropomorphized animals roaming about. And that goal came a lot closer to fruition...

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

Watch a Clip from Shindo Kaneto's THE NAKED ISLAND

Mon, 27 May 2013 04:00:00 -0500

Japanese director Shindo Kaneto, who passed away last year aged 100, is probably best known for his fantastic horror films, Onibaba and Kuroneko, both of which are already in Eureka Entertainment's Masters of Cinema series. On 17 June they will be joined by Shindo's earlier film, The Naked Island, in a newly restored Blu-ray release, packed with special features, including a feature-length commentary from the director and composer Hayashi Hikaru and an introduction from director and cineaste Alex Cox.The Naked Island was a noted change of pace for Shindo, shot for a fraction of his normal budget with a skeleton crew on the remote Setonaikai archipelago. Eureka's release marks the first time that the film has been released on Blu-ray in the UK, and have released the following clip to...

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

Second Trailer For Swedish Indie Thriller I AM MY OWN

Sun, 26 May 2013 23:00:00 -0500

We have been alerted of a second trailer for upcoming Swedish indie thriller I Am My Own from writer/director Johan Bergqvist. An unscrupulous drug dealer without conscience is drifting through the Swedish countryside. When he one day is cornered and forced to run from the law he comes across a baby and decides to use it as a cover to get away.However he soon realizes that a baby is harder to take care of than he thought, especially when you are on the run. The time he spends taking care of her teaches him for the first time what it means to be responsible for another human being. In the end, he must choose whether to go back to his old life, or live up to...

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

Watch Christopher Frey's Haunting, Evocative EXPLOSIONS

Sat, 25 May 2013 16:45:30 -0500

A multi talented artist who works as a filmmaker, musician and designer - he helped create the title sequence for the Guillermo Del Toro produced Don't Be Afraid Of The Dark - Australia's Christopher Frey turns heads with the absolutely gorgeous short film Explosions. Light on narrative but rich on mood and emotion consider this a snapshot of a personal apocalypse. Watch the film below....

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

Electrifying First Trailer For Dark Bengali Film MEGHE DHAKA TARA

Fri, 24 May 2013 19:00:07 -0500

In 1960, Bengali director Ritwik Ghatak rocked the international film scene with his stark melodrama, Meghe Dhaka Tara (The Cloud-Capped Star). That film, along with the works of Satyajit Ray, put Calcutta on the art-film map, and continues to resonate with film audiences worldwide 50 years later. Such is that resonance that a new film with the same title approaches the earlier one with a biographical slant, looking into not only its making, but also the circumstances surrounding its production and the state of Ritwik Ghatak as a human being tormented by his own demons. The new film stars Saswata Chatterjee (breakout star of Sujoy Ghosh's Kahaani as the assassin Bob Biswas) as Ghatak, and his performance even in these few minutes of footage is...

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

Cannes 2013: Ominous First Clip From ALL IS LOST With Robert Redford

Fri, 24 May 2013 10:30:10 -0500

Robert Redford has been showered with praise for his performance in J.C. Chandor's All is Lost, described as a survivalist tale about one man's battle against the elements. No dialogue is spoken, but it's far from a silent movie. Deep into a solo voyage in the Indian Ocean, an unnamed man wakes to find his 39-foot yacht taking on water after a collision with a shipping container left floating on the high seas. With his navigation equipment and radio disabled, the man sails unknowingly into the path of a violent storm. Despite his success in patching the breached hull, his mariner's intuition and a strength that belies his age, the man barely survives the tempest. Using only a sextant and nautical maps to chart his...

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

Cannes 2013: Well Go Picks Up Erik Matti's ON THE JOB

Fri, 24 May 2013 01:30:00 -0500

Just hours ahead of its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival as part of the Director's Fortnight, Erik Matti's long-awaited Filipino thriller On the Job has been picked up for distribution by Well Go USA Entertainment. Featuring a bevy of top Pinoy stars such as Piolo Pascual, Gerald Anderson, Joey Marquez, Joel Torre, Angel Aquino, Rayver Cruz and Leo Martinez, On the Job is based on a real case of top Filipino political brass issuing day passes to incarcerated criminals in order to carry out hits. It's been almost four years since Twitch first caught wind of the project and following early test footage and a pair of recent trailers highlighting the film's stellar technical specs, expectations are sky high as the thriller hits...

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

Take A Moment And Learn HOW TO MAKE MONEY SELLING DRUGS

Thu, 23 May 2013 17:45:35 -0500

Every bit as bold and confrontational as its title and articulate and well researched enough to defend itself from the inevitable backlash, Matthew Cooke's How To Make Money Selling Drugs is a detailed dismantling of the American war on drugs as told by an array of insiders ranging from street dealers to major importers to activists to law enforcement officials.A shockingly candid examination of how a street dealer can rise to cartel lord with relative ease, How to Make Money Selling Drugs is an insider's guide to the violent but extremely lucrative drug industry. Told from the perspective of former drug dealers, and featuring interviews with rights advocates Russell Simmons, Susan Sarandon, and David Simon (creator of "The Wire"), the film gives you the lessons...

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

Enjoy A Charming Family Meal With Clip From Refn's ONLY GOD FORGIVES

Thu, 23 May 2013 17:15:09 -0500

Everything you think you know about Kristin Scott Thomas? Yeah, throw that away. Because Nicolas Winding Refn is about to make you see her very, very differently with this clip from Only God Forgives.Julian (Ryan Gosling), a respected figure in the criminal underworld of Bangkok, runs a Thai boxing club and smuggling ring with his brother Billy. Billy is suddenly murdered and their crime lord matriarch, Crystal (Kristin Scott Thomas) arrives from London to bring back the body. When Crystal forces Julian to settle the score with his brother's killers, Julian finds himself in the ultimate showdown.Scott Thomas has quite the mouth on her in this clip so do be aware of who is in the immediate vicinity before hitting play. Check the clip below....

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

Review: EPIC Follows The Blue Sky Blueprint For Family Entertainment

Thu, 23 May 2013 17:01:05 -0500

The latest production from Blue Sky Studios draws inspiration from The Incredible Shrinking Man, A Bug's Life, Antz, Avatar and others to tell a family-friendly tale of environmental harmony. I need to expand my critical vocabulary, though, because "clever and amusing" were the first adjectives that came to mind after watching Epic, and that's what I tweeted, and that's how I intended to begin this review. And then those words started to sound familiar to me, as though I'd read them before, and I checked our archive and was abashed to realize that I used those exact same adjectives to begin a lengthy article about 2012's Ice Age: Continental Drift and Blue Sky Studios. Indeed, Epic is not only cut from same cloth as the...

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

Step Into The Ring With A Gorgeous Clip From Masked Wrestling Noir OUR HEROES ARE DEAD TONIGHT

Thu, 23 May 2013 13:00:16 -0500

It was just yesterday that we were blown away by the first images from Our Heroes Are Dead Tonight (Nos Heros Sont Morts Ce Soir), the debut feature from David Perrault fusing masked wrestling with film noir. And now we have a first clip from the Cannes selected film which more than lives up to the promise of those images.France in the early 60s. Simon, a wrestler, wears a white mask. In the ring, he is known as "The Specter". He suggests to his friend Victor who has just returned from combat to be his adversary in the ring and wear a black mask, and be known as "The Slaughterer of Belleville". But for Victor, still shaken from his experience in combat, this is too...

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

Watch An Exclusive Clip From Steven Sheil's Action Horror DEAD MINE

Thu, 23 May 2013 11:30:01 -0500

Steven Sheil's Indonesian set action-horror Dead Mine is available now on VOD and with the DVD release coming next week Twitch is happy to offer up an exclusive clip from the film.The legend of Yamashita's Gold lures a treasure hunter and his group deep into the Indonesian jungle. Once they are trapped in an abandoned World War II Japanese bunker, they face the terrifying reality that the only way out is to go further in.Though this particular clip does not feature The Raid and The Fast And Furious 6 star Joe Taslim it does show off the stellar creature makeup. Take a look below....

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

There Are A Few Things DON JON Really Cares About In Life!

Wed, 22 May 2013 23:00:00 -0500

Oh my. This is not your mom and dad's JGL. I bet your dad wishes this was his Scarlett Johansson though. Prepare to feast your eyes on a meaty Joseph Gordon-Levitt and a delectable Scarlett Johansson in the trailer for JGL's feature-length directorial debut, Don Jon. A New Jersey guy dedicated to his family, friends, and church, develops unrealistic expectations from watching porn and works to find happiness and intimacy with his potential true love.Before Chase Wale moved on from reviewing films to distributing them he caught the film for us at Sundance. You can find the link to his full review below but here are a couple choice snippets for you. "Don Jon('s Addiction) is filled with a lot of masturbation, pornography, and the wholesome,...

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

Universal Plans TIMECOP Reboot. With No Van Damme, Damnit!

Wed, 22 May 2013 22:23:25 -0500

In my mind this is how I picture JCVD took the news that Universal was planning to reboot one of his most successful films without his involvement. Universal is presently searching out writers to reboot and re-imagine the concept of the 1994 sci-fi actioner Timecop. You will remember that the story of the film is about a police force called the Time Enforcement Commission that regulates time travel. Van Damme played the cop who crosses a crooked politician using time travel to further his career. Can we just take a second to remind Universal what happened to Sony and the near disastrous performance of a reboot of a much more idolized sci-fi action epic Total Recall. The film bombed domestically here in North America. If it were...

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

St Kilda 2013 Preview: 13 Essential Shorts

Wed, 22 May 2013 22:00:23 -0500

The St Kilda Short Film Festival is turning 30 this year, and to celebrate it is running an extended 10 day program that includes 100 Australian short films, a special program of music videos and retrospective screenings, industry open days and workshops, plus four sidebars showcasing the best of the iconic South By Southwest Film Festival. All in all there will be about 150 shorts and close to 40 music videos, so how does one figure out what to watch amid all the choices? Working at Twitch and its comrade company XYZ Films I get to watch a hell of a lot of short films, many long before they see the light of day. I've picked 13 shorts from across the Australian program that I feel...

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

Elijah Wood Carves Through US Poster And Trailer For MANIAC

Wed, 22 May 2013 17:30:55 -0500

Last year around this time the horror set in Cannes was all abuzz about Maniac, the Elijah Wood starring, Alex Aja produced remake of the cult hit horror film. A year later the film finally has a US release date schedules - June 21 - and a new trailer and poster has arrived for the US market.A 21st century Jack the Ripper set in the present day, MANIAC is a reboot of the cult film considered by many to be the most suspenseful slasher movie ever made. Frank (Elijah Wood, in a tour de force performance) is the withdrawn owner of a mannequin store, but his life changes when young artist Anna appears asking for his help with her new exhibition. As their friendship develops...

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

DVD Review: OFFENDER, Expressing Stylish Outrage At England's Young Offender System Of Justice

Wed, 22 May 2013 17:00:05 -0500

Sometimes I've gotten so angry that it felt as though steam would blow out of my ears and the top of my head would blow off, like a cartoon character. A similar depth of emotion roils through Ron Scalpello's Offender. The film seethes with anger about England's treatment of young offenders, especially the institutions where law-breakers between the ages of 18 and 21 are housed in overcrowded conditions under the oversight of guards who, by and large, don't give a toss about the young men in their charge. The script by Paul Van Carter, however, confuses the issue by introducing a protagonist who assaults a police officer without apparent provocation and then smiles when he is sentenced to two years behind bars. Tommy (Joe Cole)...

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

Review: THE CHILD FROM MARACAIBO, Life, Death, Noir, And The Fantastic

Wed, 22 May 2013 16:00:04 -0500

The Child from Maracaibo is Miguel Curiel's second film. His previous movie, Una Noche Oriental was released more than 25 years ago (!), so I will treat this one as his real 'first film.' Watching it, I couldn't stop thinking how similar it is to some of the films from Jess Franco, the maverick Spanish director/composer/sometimes actor, sadly deceased not long ago, in the way that Curiel's film mixes genres, sometimes quite opposite elements from specific genres, into one package. In that regard, the movie is a little uneven, because the mixing of those aforementioned elements never goes anywhere. Nevertheless, what it lacks in closure it gains in atmosphere. That atmosphere puts the viewer through an experience. Storytelling-wise, the film really fails to achieve any...

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

Hoist Another Pint With The US Trailer For Edgar Wright's THE WORLD'S END

Wed, 22 May 2013 10:30:35 -0500

The end of the world is coming and if Edgar Wright, Simon Pegg, Nick Frost et al have any say in the matter we'll all be too drunk to notice. Yup, the third collaboration from the team behind Shaun Of The Dead and Hot Fuzz is on the way and on the heels of the recent UK trailer there is now also a new - and very much different - US trailer to entice you.Twenty years after attempting an epic pub crawl, five childhood friends reunite when one of them becomes hellbent on trying the drinking marathon again. They are convinced to stage an encore by mate Gary King, a 40-year-old man trapped at the cigarette end of his teens, who drags his reluctant pals...

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

Fate of Earth Lies in the MAN OF STEEL's Hands in New Trailer

Wed, 22 May 2013 05:45:00 -0500

Following a great trailer a few weeks ago, Warner Bros. have upped the ante again with another impressive look at their summer tentpole Man of Steel with a new trailer called 'Fate of Your Planet.' Less about Superman than General Zod, this new look shows us how big a threat the Man of Steel will go up against in this latest reboot.Besides the formidable villain, played by celebrated indie thesp Michael Shannon, we also get a better look at the scale of the film's effects and the design of Zod's army. Last trailer already had me sold and this is doing nothing to dissuade me. ...

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

Watch the Trailer For Stephen Gaghan's CALL OF DUTY: GHOSTS

Tue, 21 May 2013 15:01:14 -0500

Yep, you read that right. The Academy Award winning writer of Traffic and director of Syriana Stephen Gaghan has lent his pen to the phenomenally successful Call of Duty game franchise, writing the story (and presumably the screenplay) for the next installment in the series, Call of Duty: Ghosts. Apparently Gaghan didn't just drop off a script but worked from an office at developer Infinity Ward throughout the game's production.As a fan of the series and as a massive fan of Syriana which was my favourite film of 2005, this is fantastic news. While playing Black Ops with Sam Worthington's voice was oddly jarring, I think this will be a much more seamless fit while adding more depth to the gameplay experience. Watch the trailer...

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

New WOLVERINE Trailer Features More Jean Grey, More Swordplay

Tue, 21 May 2013 12:15:20 -0500

Logan is sad in the new trailer for James Mangold's The Wolverine. And when Logan gets sad he likes to stab things. That about sums it up, right?...

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

Donnie Yen Cometh In ICEMAN 3D. Watch The Trailer Now!

Tue, 21 May 2013 10:30:33 -0500

Donnie Yen is all thawed out and ready to go in Iceman 3D, the Law Wing Cheong directed remake of the 1989 Clarence Fok directed The Iceman Cometh, with Yen playing the role of a Ming era warrior frozen on a mountaintop only to be thawed out in modern times. Action ensues.Production has been quite difficult on this one with principal photography running well behind schedule and the budget ballooning to double the original amount but the first trailer has arrived and the footage they've got on camera is certainly attractive enough, although fans will note the extensive use of the tight shots and rapid edits that often denote the heavy presence of body doubles. Take a look at the trailer below....

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

Watch The Trailer For Jodorowsky's LA DANZA DE LA REALIDAD

Tue, 21 May 2013 09:45:28 -0500

An old master makes his long awaited return to the big screen with La Danza de la Realidad, and while it must be said that CGI visual effects and digital photography are not particularly Alejandro Jodorowsky's friends long time fans will, nonetheless, be pleased to see that his signature style has survived intact.Jodorowsky's first directorial effort since 1990s The Rainbow Thief is a fictionalized account of his own childhood in Chile and fresh from the film's premiere in Cannes the first trailer has arrived online. Like all of Jodorowsky's work it's more meant to be experienced than talked about so take a look below and let us know what you think....

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

Cannes 2013: Jerry Lewis In First Clip From MAX ROSE

Tue, 21 May 2013 08:30:01 -0500

Now 87 years of age, Jerry Lewis returns to the big screen in Max Rose, which is set to have its world premiere at Cannes on Thursday, May 23. Written and directed by Daniel Noah, the drama also stars Claire Bloom, Kevin Pollak, and Kerry Bishe (seen above with Lewis). 87-year-old Max Rose (Jerry Lewis) is a jazz pianist who had put his professional ambitions aside for the sake of his marriage, his life's passion. But when his wife Eva dies suddenly, Max discovers something troubling amongst her private possessions - an old compact with a very personal note from another man. To add to his grief, Max must grapple with the possibility that his 65-year marriage might have been built on a lie. In...

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

We Have The Treasure: A FIELD IN ENGLAND, First Trailer

Tue, 21 May 2013 08:00:08 -0500

The first trailer for Ben Wheatley's A Field in England looks very much like its title indicates: A field. In England. But, clearly, something more is going on than merely a search for buried treasure. The official synopsis gives a hint: England during the English Civil War. A small group of deserters flee from a raging battle through an overgrown field. They are captured by two men: O'Neil and Cutler. O'Neil (Michael Smiley), an alchemist, forces the group to aid him in his search to find a hidden treasure that he believes is buried in the field. Crossing a vast mushroom circle, which provides their first meal, the group quickly descend into a chaos of arguments, fighting and paranoia, and, as it becomes clear that...

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

Sydney Film Festival 2013 Preview: Documentaries

Mon, 20 May 2013 21:00:53 -0500

"In this age of digital video - in which there are cheap cameras, editing software, and funding to be had (if rarely big money to be earned) - the cool kids are making docs. The form is not just good for you these days. It's incredibly sexy." - David Edelstein, New York Magazine. I just love this quote. For me, the joy of watching documentaries comes not only from experiencing something interesting, challenging or thrilling, but also the knowledge that it will teach me something about the world that I live in. The Sydney Film Festival, which is due to start in just over a couple of weeks, has a strong tradition of featuring incredibly good documentaries, and the following are a few of my picks from...

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

Clive Owen, Mila Kunis And Billy Crudup In First Trailer For Guillaume Canet's BLOOD TIES

Mon, 20 May 2013 16:00:32 -0500

Fresh from its premiere in Cannes, the first trailer has arrived for Blood Ties. The first English language offering from acclaimed French director Guillaume Canet, Blood Ties stars Clive Owen, Mila Kunis, Billy Crudup, Marion Cotillard, Zoe Saldana, James Caan and Matthias Schoenaerts in a crime drama very much calling back the style of the 1970s. Our own Ryland Aldrich reviewed the Cannes selected film earlier today and the first trailer has arrived on the scene as well. Check it out below....

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

More Is Not Always Better. Extended EMPIRES OF THE DEEP Trailer Every Bit As Laughable As The First.

Mon, 20 May 2013 11:30:27 -0500

Oh, golly. After keeping an eye on Chinese financed vanity project Empires Of The Deep for years - it first crossed our desks in 2009 - Twitch ran the first trailer for the film back in October of 2012. And it was horrible. Horrible in a special way that very few things in this world will ever be. And now there's a second, longer trailer which is every bit as bad except now there's more of it. As a precursor, here's what we wrote about it the first time:There are in this world certain films that seemed destined to achieve not fame but notoriety through failure on a spectacular scale. Chinese-American co-production Empires Of The Deep has long appeared likely to be one of those...

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

Twitchvision: Talking STAR TREK: INTO DARKNESS, MUD and THE ICEMAN

Mon, 20 May 2013 10:30:00 -0500

Another Twitchvision chat with Scott Laurie, this time me gushing about J.J.'s latest Star Trek film, which I unabashedly loved.Also talked about he fabbo Mud, and the less fabbo The Iceman, both with Michael Shannon doing his thing.Video embedded below.Update: Was asked to come in today and pick a few of my most anticipated Summer films, as well as a general chat about the Cannes film festival. Second video embedded below!...

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

Learning from the Masters of Cinema: Henri-Georges Clouzot's THE MURDERER LIVES AT 21

Mon, 20 May 2013 04:00:00 -0500

While Henri-Georges Clouzot is best remembered for many of his later films, including The Wages of Fear and Diabolique, the French filmmaker's 1942 debut has gone largely unseen by Western audiences until now. The Murderer Lives at 21 (L'Assassin Habite au 21), based on the novel by Belgian author Stanislas-Andre Steeman, is in fact a sequel to Georges Lacombe's The Last of Six, released a year earlier. That film also starred Pierre Fresnay and Suzy Delair, and was adapted by Clouzot for the screen. In fact, it was his dissatisfaction with the way his script was directed that inspired Clouzot to become a director himself. At the time of the film's production, World War II was in full swing and France was under the occupation of...

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

Hey, Fat Face! ANCHORMAN 2 Has Another Teaser Trailer Out!

Sat, 18 May 2013 20:00:39 -0500

When a bunch of boys return to the land named after a Whale's Vagina, you know it's about time to get sloshed on scotch and revel in the ribald inappropriateness of Ronald Burgundy and friends.This maybe the second first peek, but I don't care - I need some colour in my life, and that colour better be the darkish red, almost purple of a certain wine region in France known for their viticulture....

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

Cannes 2013: Dark Sky Films And Snowfort Pictures Gaze Together With STARRY EYES

Sat, 18 May 2013 19:45:40 -0500

Prominent indie production house Dark Sky Films and upstart Snowfort Pictures are combining forces to produce the 70s style influenced horror film Starry Eyes. Starry Eyes tells the story of Sarah Walker, a determined and desperate actor who would do anything to land her first big role. Unfortunately this leaves her prey to a satanic cult who has been operating as Hollywood's gatekeepers since the Golden Age. They have the power to make her a star, but it comes at a terrible price.What follows is an occult tale of paranoia and possession that explores themes of transformation, body horror and a woman going through a psychotic breakdown. Ira Levin meets David Cronenberg. The filmmakers, Dennis Widmyer and Kevin Kolsch, along with Snowfort producer Travis Stevens, launched a...

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

New International Trailer For Perpetually Delayed Russian Horror VIY

Sat, 18 May 2013 17:40:51 -0500

It was all the way back in November of 2005 that Twitch first wrote about Russian horror film Viy, a remake of one of that nation's earliest horror films which is itself an adaptation of a story by Nikolai Gogol. The years since have not been kind to Viy. Massive delays, multiple reshoots, the apparent failure of more than one company involved in the film - at least in part due to massive budget overruns - the creation of an international framing story involving Jason Flemyng and Charles Dance in an attempt to broaden the international appeal and make their money back, more reshoots, more delays, more companies cycling through, etc etc etc ...But after all of that the film is now, apparently, nearing completion...

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

SPARTACUS Duo Liam McIntyre and Viva Bianca Join TURKEY SHOOT Reboot

Sat, 18 May 2013 14:01:57 -0500

With the new trailer for Mark Hartley's remake of Australian cult classic Patrick only launching yesterday, it's time for more news of the highly-specialised 'remake of Aussie exploitation movie that everyone remembers thanks to Not Quite Hollywood' variety. Today's news concerns Turkey Shoot, which apparently was also called Escape 2000 and - my favourite - Blood Camp Thatcher when released outside Australia.Tony Ginnane who produced the original 1982 cult classic Turkey Shoot (and who produced both the original Patrick and the recent remake) has got together with director Jon Hewitt, who made the fantastic Acolytes and X, to bring this remake back to big screens. With The Hunger Games being a monster success there's no better time to revisit the terrifying year 1995! Where hunting is the...

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

China Beat: What did China See in IRON MAN 3?

Sat, 18 May 2013 09:00:00 -0500

Much has already been written, both on these pages and many others, about the landmark Hollywood-China co-production that is Marvel and DMG Entertainment's Iron Man 3. The film, directed by Shane Black, is the third solo outing for Robert Downey Jr's Tony Stark, and has proved a phenomenal success around the world. As it closes in on $1 billion at the global box office, the film is on the cusp of breaking $100 million in China, despite the fact that the producers withdrew their application for official co-production status at the eleventh hour. We knew ahead of time that the mainland release of Iron Man 3 would feature exclusive footage, filmed in China with homegrown stars Wang Xueqi and Fan Bingbing, But what exactly would these...

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

Cannes 2013: Why Would Someone Want To Blow Up Christoph Waltz?

Fri, 17 May 2013 16:17:36 -0500

A live broadcast of Canal Plus show Le Grand Journal - broadcasting from the Martinez beach during Cannes - was interrupted today when two blanks were fired into the air by a man holding what appeared to be a grenade in his hand. A pair of Cannes jurors - Daniel Auteuil and Christoph Waltz - were being interviewed at the time and were rushed off stage. There were no injuries but between this and yesterday's jewel theft that netted roughly a million dollars worth of jewelry meant to be lent to stars walking the red carpet this year's festival is proving to be rather eventful. Oh, right, there's the whole Ghadafi prostitution ring thing, too. Welcome to France.Check out video of the incident below....

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

Chinese Only Trailer For Jet Li's BADGES OF FURY Aims Up-Kilt

Fri, 17 May 2013 15:00:49 -0500

Let there be no doubt about it. While the western marketing for upcoming Jet Li starring picture Badges Of Fury has done everything in its power to present the film as an action thriller, this is a comedy through and through. A very, very goofy comedy.Here's how the film is being described for international markets:When a spate of eerie murders erupts across Hong Kong two troublemaking cops are assigned to the case. Young maverick WANG and grizzled vet HUANG who is fed up with his reckless younger partner always landing them in hot water. Reaching a dead end after discovering all the victims were former boyfriends of aspiring starlet LIU, the detectives must play a deadly game. One of them must go undercover as Liu's...

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

Calvin Lee Reeder's THE RAMBLER Has A New Trailer & Theatrical Dates!

Fri, 17 May 2013 13:30:11 -0500

Fresh from destroying the minds of festival goers in the US and abroad, Calvin Lee Reeder's latest mind-melter, The Rambler, is now preparing for a limited theatrical run. Who would've thunk? The film is not only non-linear, it is anti-linear, taking to task the dogma of logic and slavishness to reality in a way that will repulse and engage in equal measure. We're happy to have the latest trailer for the film as well as the first theatrical dates for The Rambler, beginning on June 7th in advance of its home video/VOD debut on June 25th. I absolutely love Reeder's work and definitely would like to see the film again, so I'm happy that Dallas is back on the schedule. If you are in one of these...

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

Watch A Clip From Jeremy Saulnier's BLUE RUIN

Fri, 17 May 2013 13:00:42 -0500

Back on Wednesday Twitch was proud to present the first teaser for Jeremy Saulnier's Cannes selected revenge thriller Blue Ruin and with the premiere edging nearer a new, extended clip from the film has now arrived as well.A beach bum finds his quiet life upended by dreadful news and sets off for his childhood home to carry out an act of revenge. Proving an inept assassin, he winds up in a brutal fight to protect his estranged family.Macon Blair and Amy Gargreaves star, check the new clip below....

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

Watch The First Trailer For Jeunet's THE YOUNG AND PRODIGIOUS SPIVET

Fri, 17 May 2013 12:00:52 -0500

Are you ready to see what happens when Jean-Pierre Jeunet delivers his particular vision of Americana? Because that's what's coming in his first 3D film, an adaptation of Reif Larsen's The Selected Works Of T.S. Spivet starring Helena Bonham Carter, Kathy Bates, Judy Davis, Callum Keith Rennie, Dominique Pinon and Kyle Catlett. A 12-year-old cartographer secretly leaves his family's ranch in Montana where he lives with his cowboy father and scientist mother and travels across the country on board a freight train to receive an award at the Smithsonian Institute.The first trailer for the film has arrived in France and it's every bit as charming as you would expect. Take a look below....

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

Shudder With The First Teaser For Danish Horror POSTPARTUM

Fri, 17 May 2013 11:00:45 -0500

Ah, children. We're supposed to love 'em all the time but if we're honest the process of making them is kind of icky, kind of sticky while having them is even moreso, smells bad, and - if I may dare a very bad pun - has a tendency to leave parents leaving rather hollow after such a long build up.Enter Danish director Michael Panduro and his debut feature, Postpartum.Postpartum is a feature length tale of having children - and all the bodily horrors that come with it. It's a psychological, slightly surreal and very gory horror-film, that plays on the idea of children as parasites and explores themes not normally seen in Danish cinema. Think Cronenberg's The Brood mixed with Von Trier's Antichrist and you're...

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

Cannes 2013: First Clip From Jim Mickle's WE ARE WHAT WE ARE Quietly Teases

Thu, 16 May 2013 19:30:07 -0500

"I wish we were like everyone else." Ah, what young girl hasn't said that to her older sister at one time or another? But the family at the bloody heart of Jim Mickle's We Are What We Are really is different, and they'll never be like everyone else. Because they're cannibals. Maybe. Mickle's "reimagining" of Jorge Michel Grau's Somos Lo Que Hay bowed at Sundance this year, and our own Sean Smithson observed: Let's get this out of the way right off the bat: We Are What We Are is not a remake. Differing greatly from the original Jorge Michel Grau Spanish language version, the creative team of Jim Mickle (writer/director) and Nick Damici (writer/co-star) have taken the original concept of ritual cannibalism and inverted...

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

Review: SCATTER MY ASHES AT BERGDORF'S Glories In Rare Luxury

Thu, 16 May 2013 16:00:04 -0500

If I whisper "Bergdorf's" in your ear and you experience a spontaneous orgasm, have I got a movie for you! Actually, calling Scatter My Ashes at Bergdorf's a "movie" would be misleading, much less labeling it a "documentary." The title is inspired by a cartoon by Victoria Roberts that appeared in a 1990 issue of The New Yorker, and suggests the reverence felt by grateful designers, satisfied customers, and happy employees toward the luxury department store, considered a Manhattan institution as much for its landmark Fifth Avenue building (next to the Plaza Hotel and near the southeastern edge of Central Park) and intricately-designed window displays as for its high-fashion clothing and rarefied clientele. A parade of designers line up to pay obeisance to the store;...

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

Review: 33 POSTCARDS Gently Tugs On Heartstrings

Thu, 16 May 2013 15:00:03 -0500

33 Postcards is a film of special significance, as it marks the first official collaboration between China and New South Wales, Australia. At the 2011 Sydney Film Festival, where it had its world premiere, it won the Community Relations Commission Award. Just a couple of weeks later at the Shanghai International Film Festival, where it had its Chinese premiere, its lead actress Zhu Lin won the New Talent Award. Directed by Pauline Chan and inspired by real life events, 33 Postcards tells the story of a young Chinese orphan Mei Mei (Zhu Lin) who has been dreaming of meeting her Australian sponsor of many years, Mr Randall (Guy Pearce). Her opportunity comes when her orphanage travels to Australia to compete at a music festival. However,...

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

Cannes 2013: First Teaser for LIKE FATHER, LIKE SON

Thu, 16 May 2013 14:30:01 -0500

If you're one of the fans anxiously awaiting the first word on the newest picture from Hirokazu Kora-Eda, the man behind such critically acclaimed films as Nobody Knows, Still Walking, and I Wish, you might want to check out the first Japanese-language teaser, which has just emerged online. The movie, which will have its official premiere in Cannes later this week, marks the director's return to a familiar ground both in style and in subject matter. Like Father, Like Son follows a loving couple who discover that the son they've been taking care of for the last six years is not actually theirs. A family in shambles, they need to reassess their lives and find a morally valid solution out of this drastically inconceivable situation.One day, Ryota...

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

Big Time Monster Fighting Action In Main PACIFIC RIM Trailer

Thu, 16 May 2013 14:15:36 -0500

Giant monster, meet giant robot fist. After a storm of teasers, posters, viral clips and other sundry marketing materials the official main trailer for Guillermo Del Toro's Pacific Rim has arrived. And it has lots and lots of what people want from the summer blockbuster: Giant monsters being punched in the face by giant robots.When legions of monstrous creatures, known as Kaiju, started rising from the sea, a war began that would take millions of lives and consume humanity's resources for years on end. To combat the giant Kaiju, a special type of weapon was devised: massive robots, called Jaegers, which are controlled simultaneously by two pilots whose minds are locked in a neural bridge. But even the Jaegers are proving nearly defenseless in the...

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

Review: PIETA, Searching For Humanity In An Unspeakable Monster

Thu, 16 May 2013 12:01:12 -0500

Throughout his career, Korean auteur Kim Ki-duk has been a director known to explore the extreme poles of human experience. The divide in his work, in the style and content of one film to the next, is often so sharp that it is hard to believe that they are the works of the same man. At one extreme there are films marked by a harsh nihilism, pictures driven by anger and degradation. And at the other end there are contemplative, peaceful works -- films that, while they acknowledge that the world is a dark place, find beauty and hope in human fragility. With his 18th film, Pieta, Kim attempts something new. He fuses the poles together. But make no mistake: there is no middle ground...

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

The Lion Roars Again In The First Look For Suriya's SINGAM 2

Thu, 16 May 2013 11:30:07 -0500

The last time we saw Kollywood's leading action star, Suriya, he was playing kung fu fighting conjoined twins in K.V. Anand's medical action thriller, Maattrraan. That film, while okay, never really delivered on the promise that is inherent in a medical action thriller about a pair of kung fu fighting conjoined twins. This time around Suriya is returning to a role that has become iconic in Singam 2. The first Singam film was a huge success in Kollywood, but inspired an even bigger success story with its Bollywood remake in 2011, Ajay Devgan's Singham. This time around it looks like more of the same, but the first one was ridiculously entertaining, so I'm okay with that.This first look teaser does exactly what it says on...

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

Review: FRANCES HA, Adrift In The Big City, Colorful Self-Deception Intact

Thu, 16 May 2013 11:00:00 -0500

Noah Baumbach has been a polarizing filmmaker since he burst onto the scene with his first high-profile feature, 2005's The Squid and the Whale. Aside from launching Jesse Eisenberg's career, that effort also familiarized the film world with Baumbach's quirky indie voice. While like nails on a chalkboard to some -- see critical reaction to Margot at the Wedding and Greenberg -- Baumbach's minimalist, self-deprecating style has been emulated by many in the years that have followed. His latest, Frances Ha, is every bit as Baumbachian as his previous work, yet feels somehow more accessible as well, aside, perhaps, from the black-and-white photography, which, at times, evokes early Woody Allen or the French New Wave. It is up for debate whether this is because of...

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

Review: BLACK ROCK, A Survival Thriller With Too Few Thrills

Thu, 16 May 2013 10:00:00 -0500

In her first directorial turn, actress Katie Aselton impressed indie audiences with her relationship comedy The Freebie. Looking to go in a completely different direction with her sophomore effort, Aselton and husband Mark Duplass worked up the outline for a survival thriller. Duplass wrote a screenplay and the indie finance engine that the Duplass Bros. have nurtured kicked into high gear. Less than one year later, we have Black Rock. While this deserted island chiller has some good moments, it's hard to walk away without thinking that just a bit more time in development could have made this a much better movie. Things begin when Sarah (Kate Bosworth) goes to great trouble to assemble her two best friends Abby (Aselton) and Lou (Lake Bell) for...

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

Exciting First Trailer for Benny Chan's THE WHITE STORM

Thu, 16 May 2013 06:05:50 -0500

Hot on the heels of Johnnie To's Drug War, the latest Hong Kong film about the Asian drug war is coming soon! The White Storm - originally touted by Universe under the title Metamorphosis at HK Filmart earlier this year - comes from director Benny Chan and stars three of Hong Kong's top actors: Louis Koo, Lau Ching Wan and Nick Cheung. It's the first time the trio has appeared together on screen.Benny Chan has been making some of Hong Kong's most entertaining action films since the early 90s, including the Andy Lau classic A Moment of Romance, the criminally underrated Big Bullet, 2005's Divergence that gave Aaron Kwok his first acting award, Jackie Chan's New Police Story, and the more recent Invisible Target, Connected and Shaolin.The White Storm...

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

NSFW: Dare to Press Play on the V/H/S/2 Red Band Trailer!

Wed, 15 May 2013 21:30:47 -0500

Two things to note heading into the red band trailer for V/H/S/2. One, if you want to be really impressed by what this second batch of directors have pulled off for the sequel then go right ahead. Two, there is so much good stuff packed into this trailer I almost feel betrayed by it, like I've seen too much. So if you wish to remain pleasantly surprised then refrain from watching. But we know you can't resist - and neither could we. Oh, I should add a third point. This is definitely, definitely NSFW. Indeed, this is as red band as it gets. Only one of the original directors, Adam Wingard (You're Next), returns. His regular partner in crime, writing partner Simon Barrett, takes his first turn...

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

Oak Cliff Film Fest Adds END OF THE ROAD, SHADOW OF THE BAT-MAN, MCCABE & MRS. MILLER And More

Wed, 15 May 2013 16:00:04 -0500

For its second edition, the Oak Cliff Film Festival in Dallas, Texas (which produced an amazing bumper video), has added some rarely-seen older films to a lineup built around local premieres of Joe Swanberg's Drinking Buddies and Bobcat Goldthwait's Willow Creek. The repertory screenings, a 35mm specialty of the Texas Theatre, sound fantastic. Robert Altman's McCabe & Mrs. Miller looks absolutely splendid on 35mm -- I saw it a few years ago in Los Angeles and it was revelatory on the big screen -- and this screening will be hosted by muti-talented filmmaker David Lowery (Ain't Them Bodies Saints), with Keith Carradine in attendance. End of the Road (1970), based on a novel by John Barth, stars Stacy Keach and James Earl Jones; Roger Ebert...

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

Second Teaser For Animated Film TARZAN 3D

Wed, 15 May 2013 15:30:03 -0500

This ain't your father's Tarzan. Unlike the Disney version, Constantin Film and Ambient Entertainment bring a fresh, modern spin on Edgar Rice Burroughs's Tarzan of the Apes in Reinhard Klooss's 3D animated film Tarzan with Kellan Lutz (The Twilight Saga) providing the voice and motion-capture performance for the jungle hero. Also in the cast is Spencer Locke (Resident Evil films) as Jane Porter and Trevor St. John as William Clayton, the CEO of Greystoke Energies who sends a mercenary army to eliminate Tarzan and Jane.While in a remote part of Africa exploring a mineral cache in a mysterious cave, entrepreneur JOHN GREYSTOKE and his wife ALICE are killed in a tragic helicopter crash, leaving their three-year-old JOHN, JR. to fend for himself. Rescued by KALA, a gentle...

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

Life Imitates Art In Korean Thriller KILLER TOON

Wed, 15 May 2013 15:00:02 -0500

Life imitating art is the central premise of upcoming Korean thriller Killer Toon, the story of a series of murders closely mimicking the works of a popular comic artist.Popular horror webcomic artist Ji-yoon finds life imitating her own work when her publisher turns up dead in a way, precisely mirrors the images in her latest comic. Ji-yoon has an airtight alibi, and almost everyone suspects the death was a suicide or a copycat murder. Everyone except the curious detective Ki-chul lets the case languish as a mystery, but when a series of murders that resembles Ji-yoon's drawings occur, he finds himself unraveling the terrifying truth of the comics themselves.Kim Yong-gyun directs Um Ki-joon and Lee Si-young in what promises to be a fairly bloody ride....

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

Watch The First Teaser For Matsumoto's R100!

Wed, 15 May 2013 13:30:02 -0500

It was just yesterday that word broke about Matsumoto Hitoshi's upcoming sex comedy R100 and, hey look! There's a teaser for it out there today! There's never any way to really tell what the creatively restless director of Big Man Japan, Symbol and Scabbard Samurai may be up to and, true to form, this first glimpse of the film looks nothing at all like a sex comedy. Not even a bit. Check it out below and let the speculation begin ......

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

Watch The Stellar Cannes Teaser For Jeremy Saulnier's BLUE RUIN

Wed, 15 May 2013 12:00:32 -0500

If you think you know what American indie director Jeremy Saulnier is all about from his splatter comedy Murder Party then let me tell you this: You don't know anything. Saulnier will be in Cannes with his sophomore picture, Blue Ruin, selected as part of the Director's Fortnight sidebar and Twitch is proud to present the first teaser for what looks to be an absolutely fantastic, 1970s style, character driven revenge thriller.A beach bum finds his quiet life upended by dreadful news and sets off for his childhood home to carry out an act of revenge. Proving an inept assassin, he winds up in a brutal fight to protect his estranged family.Murder Party lead Macon Blair again takes the lead for Saulnier in a film...

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

Giant Monsters And Robots Hit The East Coast! Here Comes The Trailer For ATLANTIC RIM!

Wed, 15 May 2013 11:30:09 -0500

Oh, you knew this was coming, didn't you? With Guillermo Del Toro poised to spread destruction up and down the west coast with his big budget blockbuster Pacific Rim, The Asylum are prepared to do the same along the east with their significantly less expensive mockbuster Atlantic Rim. And, yes, there's a trailer. Check it out below....

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

Watch The Cannes Trailer For Erik Matti's ON THE JOB Now!

Tue, 14 May 2013 19:35:30 -0500

If it feels like we've been tracking Erik Matti's Filipino, based on true events hitman thriller On The Job forever now, it's pretty much because we have. And with the film soon to premiere as part of Director's Fortnight in Cannes a new trailer has just debuted on Deadline.The first teaser was all about style - I've lost count of how many guns are cocked within its relatively slim run time - but this longer effort gets into the meat of the matter, offering up details on the killers temporarily freed from prison to kill their targets as well as the police trying to track them down. Take a look below....

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

Bruce Dern Talks, Jukebox Plays "Sugar Sugar": First Clip From Alexander Payne's NEBRASKA

Tue, 14 May 2013 18:30:06 -0500

Set to premiere at Cannes ahead of its theatrical release later this year, Alexander Payne's Nebraska is sure to start the critics talking. (Twitch's Festivals Editor included it in our review of the Competition titles.) The first clip from the film has been released, featuring Bruce Dern and Will Forte as father and son, joined by Stacy Keach as someone who appears friendly enough, before the conversation takes an unexpected turn. (Dern has won a huge prize in a sweepstakes and is on a road trip to settle up.) And the song in the background? That's "Sugar Sugar," the 1969 bubblegum pop hit that you may be humming the rest of the day. You're welcome....

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

Watch THE GUILLOTINES In Action In Exclusive Clip

Tue, 14 May 2013 17:00:24 -0500

Andrew Lau's Hong Kong action picture The Guillotines hits VOD platforms across the US today in advance of a June 14th theatrical release from WellGo USA and Twitch has an exclusive clip to share from the film. During the Manchurian-ruled Qing Dynasty, Emperor Yong Zheng established a secret assassination squad known as the Guillotines to eliminate all who opposed him. Once heavily favored by the Emperor, the Guillotines are deemed expendable once Emperor Qian Long ascends to the throne and adopts Western ideas and technology. To consolidate his power under a new regime, the Emperor continues to use the Guillotines to persecute the conquered Han Chinese in a reign of terror and oppression. Led by master fighter Leng, the top ranked guillotine squad consists of...

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]

Watch The First Five Minutes Of Shinkai's GARDEN OF WORDS

Tue, 14 May 2013 15:30:30 -0500

With a Japanese release slated for May 31st, the first five minutes of Shinkai Makoto's Garden Of Words was broadcast on Japanese television a couple days back and that footage has now arrived online. Shinkai has long been loved for the sensitivity of his stories and his ability to mesh his stories with gorgeous visuals and this looks to be no different whatsoever. It's simply beautiful stuff. Take a look below....

[Read the whole post on twtichfilm.com...]