Thursday 28 March 2019

Interview with Andy Beckwith - "Sonny the Yank" in Once Upon a Time In London


Q: You star in ONCE UPON A TIME IN LONDON as ‘Sonny the Yank’. Tell us about your character and the challenges you faced?

His real name is Bernard Schack and he was Jack Comer’s right hand man. Sonny was an enforcer for Jack and had many a tussle with Billy’s gang. The biggest challenge for me was the physical fight scenes as there were a lot of people fighting and throwing punches and using weapons, it was all about the timing and making it look real without anyone getting hurt and listening and watching the stunt men.


Q: You’re reunited with Terry Stone, having worked together on the Rise of The Foot Soldier franchise and Hell to Pay. Tell us what he’s really like!

Terry is a lovely man in real life, extremely hard working whilst looking after everyone and producing films at the same time. I acted in his first film Hell to Pay, but didn’t have a scene with him, same with Rise of the Footsoldier. When I saw Terry on the first day of filming, I told him that it had been 16 years since we last saw each other. I am very proud of what he has achieved so far, onwards and upwards Mr Stone.


Q: This is your first time working with director Simon Rumley. How would you describe the experience?

It was great to meet and work with Simon, a true professional and perfectionist, a real gentleman. He worked so hard during this shoot and made everyone else do the same. I hope our paths cross again one day.


Q: Your first gangster role was as the brooding henchman ‘Errol’ in Guy Ritchie's Snatch. A memorable debut indeed, but how do you now reflect on your break-out film?

Wow my first film, that was decades ago. I hadn’t had any acting training and I was working a plasterer, I had done one amateur play called Stags and Hens by Willie Russell and then I got a chance to audition for a showcase called Last Orders, which was going to The Groucho Club, I got the part of an East End salesman, I was signed up to a company called Villiers and Hudson and Snatch was my first audition, I loved every minute of it and got to work with some amazing people.


Q: You reached the heights of villainy playing the thoroughly despicable ‘Rorge’ in Game of Thrones. Can you share some of your most abiding on-set memories?

Rorge is probably the most hateful character I have played to date. The memory that sticks is when I was about to do my first scene in Belfast with Maisie Williams aka Arya Stark, I say some hateful things to her and at the time she was only 14. I was very nervous about the scene and even more so when I found out her mother was there. The scene went well and both Maisie and her mum were lovely to me.


Q: Did you always want to an actor?

I first wanted to be a singer but after flirting with a couple of bands I moved onto acting.


Q: Do you think, given the current knife-crime epidemic in the UK, there is a danger of films like ONCE UPON A TIME IN LONDON glamourising gang-crime culture?

It is terrible what is going on in cities around the UK. I hope that these gangs will put down their knives and realise that life is precious and worth living. OUATIL is a gangster film and I hope people who watch it, just watch it.



Q: What’s in the pipeline?

I am waiting to get the greenlight to start shooting Brigantia, a film about the Druids of England 568AD. I hope to be back in the USA later this year. I did a scene with Chris Hemsworth in the new Men in Black and I’m in a film called The Coldest Game with Bill Pullman, both out this year.  I am also in Knightfall: Season 2.


Q: Finally, what’s your favourite gangster film?

My favourite gangster film has to be The Long Good Friday with Bob Hoskins.


ONCE UPON A TIME IN LONDON is In selected cinemas and available on Digital HD from 19th April 2019

And you can Pre-Order on DVD at Amazon here.


Wednesday 27 March 2019

Avengers: Endgame Featurette - We Lost (2019)


Adrift in space with no food or water, Tony Stark sends a message to Pepper Potts as his oxygen supply starts to dwindle. Meanwhile, the remaining Avengers -- Thor, Black Widow, Captain America and Bruce Banner -- must figure out a way to bring back their vanquished allies for an epic showdown with Thanos -- the evil demigod who decimated the planet and the universe.

US Release Date: May 3, 2019
Starring: Chris Evans, Robert Downey Jr., Scarlett Johansson
Directed By: Anthony Russo, Joe Russo

Iron Sky: The Coming Race - Poster and Trailer


Synopsis:
Twenty years after the events of Iron Sky, the former Nazi Moonbase has become the last refuge of mankind. Earth was devastated by a nuclear war but buried deep under the wasteland lies a power that could save the last of humanity or destroy it once and for all. The truth behind the creation of mankind will be revealed when an old enemy leads our heroes on an adventure into the Hollow Earth. To save humanity they must fight the Vril, an ancient shapeshifting reptilian race and their army of dinosaurs.

Boasting stunning special effects and visuals, the film stars Lara Rossi (Robin Hood), Vladimir Burlakov (Deutschland 86), Brazilian Jiu Jitsu world champion Kit Dale, Julia Dietze (Iron Sky), Stephanie Paul (Iron Sky), Tom Green (Road Trip), Udo Kier (Blade) and written and directed by Timo Vuorensola (Iron Sky).

Iron Sky: The Coming Race is released in cinemas 24th April and on Blu-ray, DVD & Digital 6th May from 101 Films

Pre-Order from Amazon Here or From iTunes here


Tuesday 26 March 2019

Room for Rent - Starring Lin Shaye - Poster and new image.


Highly-anticipated suspense thriller Room for Rent, starring veteran actress Lin Shaye (the Insidious franchise, Ouija), will be released in theaters and on digital this May.

Room for Rent, stars Shaye as a lonely widow who rents out a room in her house and becomes dangerously obsessed with one of her guests.

The Uncork’d Entertainment release, also starring Oliver Rayon, Valeska Miller, and Ryan Ochoa, opens May 3 in select theaters and releases May 7 on digital.


Official Synopsis : Lonely widow Joyce rents out a room to make easy money.  She meets mysterious drifter Bob and takes him in as a long-term tenant.  She becomes obsessed with her much younger guest, making him the object of her deepest romantic fantasies.  When a friend’s betrayal derails Joyce’s fantasy world, she seizes control of her own destiny with a deadly mission to finally get what she deserves.


The Mummy Reborn - Poster and Trailer


A horror legend returns this April when writer/director Dan Allen awakens the dead in The Mummy Reborn.

Written by Dan Allen and Scott Jeffrey, The Mummy Reborn tells of a group of teens in financial ruin that decide to rob the local antique store of an ancient amulet. But what they don't realise is that this tomb is cursed, and when the amulet is separated from it's master he will do anything to get it back. Our burglars must save the day and return the Mummy to it's tomb before it is too late to save the world.

Becca Hirani (The House on Elm Lake), Tara MacGowran (Mandy the Doll), and Rita Siddiqui (Pet Graveyard) star in a Proportion Productions release.

Packed with adventure and coffined with scares, The Mummy Reborn will be available on VOD and DVD April 4 from High Octane Pictures.

Monday 25 March 2019

Shed of the Dead - New British Zombie comedy confirmed for World Premiere


Shed of the Dead will be having its World Premiere at the SCI-FI-LONDON Film Festival on 18th May, with the Digital Download release on 20th May

25th March, London, UK:

7DM Studios, in association with Oceanstorm Films and Williams Bulldog Management, are excited to announce that their riotous new zombie comedy, Shed of the Dead, will be having its World Premiere at this year's SCI-FI-LONDON Film Festival on 18th May at Stratford Picturehouse, and will be available on Digital Download release from 20th May.

Witness the hilarious and grisly journey of Trevor, a 30-something man-child and war-gaming enthusiast, and his best friend, Graham, as they attempt to survive the zombie apocalypse.

The film features a host of British talent including Spencer Brown, Lauren Socha (Misfits), Emily Booth (Doghouse), and Ewen MacIntosh (The Bromley Boys, The Office). In addition, British actor Brian Blessed will be lending his unmistakable booming vocals as the film's narrator. The film also features US horror icons Kane Hodder (Friday 13th, Hatchet), Bill Moseley (The Devil's Rejects, Halloween), and Michael Berryman (The Hills Have Eyes, One Flew Over The Cuckoos Nest).

Shed of the Dead producer, Nicholas David Lean, has said "We're all delighted to finally be able to showcase Shed of the Dead at SFL to fans of independent British comedy horror. We hope you all have as much fun watching it as we did making it!"

An 'urban fear' grips the tenants of an inner city allotment when the long-predicted apocalypse finally arrives. Gardeners, of all levels of green-fingered ability and produce-preference, are afraid to venture onto their plots, especially late at night. And even then, when they can summon enough courage to so do, there is no safety in numbers. For the dead have risen from the depths beneath the cabbage patch, and the rows of sweet pea, hell bent on mischief, mayhem and consumption of the living.

Only the nimble fingered "figurine war-gamer" Trevor, aka 'Casimir the Destroyer', and his best friend Graham, the knightly "Sir Brandt", stand between the devilish hordes of undead and the salvation of mankind - well at least in their alter-ego fantasies they do. Until, of course, one dark night as they look beyond the confines of Trevor's little wooden shed, they discover that the world has truly fallen into the hands of the undead - particularly Trevor's allotment tenant neighbours. Now Trevor must venture into the unknown to save his wife, Bobbi, and her 'capricious' friend Harriet, from a world gone to chaos. And in so doing, become the hero he has always fantasised he was.

Special guests from the cast, Spencer Brown, Emily Booth, Lauren Socha and Ewen MacIntosh will be attending the Q&A at SCI-FI-LONDON Film Festival on 18th May. Tickets will be available through sci-fi-london.com

Sunday 24 March 2019

Drowning Echo - Poster and Trailer


Don’t go into the deep end!

A creature lurks within a swimming pool in Georges Padey’s chlorine-infused frightfest Drowning Echo, premiering this April on Demand.

During a visit to friends, Sara (Itziar Martinez) begins having visions and is attacked by an unearthly creature in her friend’s swimming pool. She soon discovers that anyone who comes into contact with the water is in danger and she is driven to confront the mystical and malevolent creature lurking in the depths.

Also starring Jane the Virgin’s Dennis Mencia, Drowning Echo will be available on VOD and DVD April 4 from High Octane Pictures.

Buy from iTunes here!


Friday 22 March 2019

John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum - New Trailer and Final Poster


In John Wick, he came back to seek revenge. In John Wick: Chapter 2, he was forced to repay a debt. And now, after grossing a combined total of nearly $300 million at the worldwide box office, The Boogeyman returns for JOHN WICK: CHAPTER 3 – PARABELLUM.

In this third instalment of the adrenaline-fueled action franchise, super-assassin John Wick returns with a $14 million price tag on his head and an army of bounty-hunting killers on his trail. After killing a member of the shadowy international assassin’s guild, the High Table, John Wick is excommunicado, but the world’s most ruthless hit men and women await his every turn.

Returning to the John Wick universe are Keanu Reeves (The Matrix Trilogy, Speed) as the eponymous John Wick; Laurence Fishburne (Boyz n the Hood, The Matrix Trilogy); Lance Reddick (White House Down, American Horror Story); Tobias Segal (Sneaky Pete, Mindhunter) and Ian McShane (Deadwood, American Gods). They will be starring alongside new cast members Halle Berry (Monster’s Ball, The X-Men franchise); Mark Dacascos (Brotherhood of the Wolf, Only the Strong); Asia Kate Dillon (Orange Is the New Black, Billions); Jason Mantzoukas (The Dictator, The Lego Batman Movie); and Angelica Huston (The Royal Tenenbaums, The Addams Family).

John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum is directed by Chad Stahelski (the John Wick series), written by Derek Kolstad (the John Wick series), and produced by Basil Iwanyk (Sicario, The Expendables) and Erica Lee (Sicario, A Private War).

JOHN WICK: CHAPTER 3 – PARABELLUM will be seeing you in cinemas across the UK on 17 May 2019 by Lionsgate UK.

Daisy Derkins and the Dinosaur Apocalypse - Trailer and Poster


Written and directed by Mark Mackner (Daisy Derkins 1 and 2, Half Life Horror From Hell) and Bob Kaplan (Dollface: Road to the Apocalypse), Daisy Derkins and the Dinosaur Apocalypse stars WWE Wrestling Legend and Hall of Famer Nikolai Volkoff in his final film role.

Daisy and Nikolai team up to fight dinosaurs in the Dinosaur Apocalypse. They also have to battle Silas and his evil crew, a demented henchman, The Mummy Cop, and so much more. There is even Women Wrestling action.

The movie, now in post-production, is expected to be released in early 2020.

Daisy Derkins and the Dinosaur Apocalypse stars Nadia White (Don't F*ck in the Woods, Return to Nukem High) as Daisy Derkins, Nikolai Volkoff (WrestleMassacre) as himself, Hellter Skelter aka Rocky Ciarrocchi (Half Life Horror From Hell, Evil Brew, Daisy Derkins 1) as Hellter Skelter and The Henchman, Mark Mackner as Silas Killington, Doug Layne (Half Life Horror From Hell) as Sonny Graves, and Echo Endless as Raven Madd.

Synopsis
An Evil Sorcerer teams up with a mad scientist to unleash Dinosaur Hell on Earth, and only Daisy Derkins and a hero from the future can stop them!

Tracey Birdsall wins Actress of the Year at United Nations WIFF


New York : Actress Tracey Birdsall has won Actress of the Year of Women in Film at the Women in Film Forum, presented by WeLink Media Groups, at the United Nations.

Birdsall, star of such films as Rogue Warrior : Robot Fighter and Who’s Jenna..?, was presented with the award at the Delegates Room Dining Hall at the UN on March 15th.

The Women In Film Forum, initiated by WIFF founder Ira Houston in cooperation with the United Nations, was first held last year during the 62nd session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW). Now a permanent part of the CSW, the forum this year invited some of the world's most influential women filmmakers and artists - including film and television star Birdsall - from all around the world to participate.


The Women in Film Forum at the United Nations, helmed by Zoe Chang, Multimedia Guild President, was held and televised on the United Nations channel March 14th, and remains available across the world on their website.
The WeLink International Film Festival was also held during this time, where Birdsall was invited to participate in the Filmmakers panel.

Birdsall’s film Rogue Warrior : Robot Fighter, directed by Neil Johnson, was screened at the festival.
The versatile actress is currently in post-production on two up-coming television series “Age of Darkness” and “The Time War”.

Birdsall was dressed by Lavanya Coodly for the event.


Thursday 21 March 2019

Creepy new Horror Look Away, starring India Eisley & Jason Isaacs is coming to Digital Download


21st March, London, UK:  The Movie Partnership have confirmed that their latest horror film, Look Away, will be available on VOD from 15th April. The film stars India Eisley (Underworld Awakening / I Am the Night) and renowned British actor Jason Isaacs (Star Trek: Discovery / The Harry Potter Series).

Look Away is a psychological thriller that tells the story of Maria, an alienated high-school student whose life is turned upside down when she switches places with her sinister mirror image.

A more sinister answer to Freaky Friday and Mean Girls, where a timid, socially awkward Maria struggles with home life as well as her new school, where enemies are kinder than your friends.

When given the option to be more confident, less inhibited and far quicker to say what she thinks, who'd pass that up? The catch is that Maria is no longer in control with no idea to what lengths her new persona will go to.

Buy from iTunes here


Wednesday 20 March 2019

GWEN - Theatrical Release Date - 19th July


William McGregor’s atmospheric and exquisitely crafted gothic period drama stars newcomer Eleanor Worthington-Cox (Laurence Olivier Award winning actress of MATILDA and BAFTA nominated for THE ENFIELD HAUNTING) in the break out performance of the year. The film also stars BAFTA nominated  actress Maxine Peake (FUNNY COW, PETERLOO) and Richard Harrington (HINTERLAND, SPOOKS & POLDARK)

In the stark beauty of 19th Century Snowdonia a young girl, Gwen, tries desperately to hold her home together. Struggling with her mother’s mysterious illness, her father’s absence and a ruthless mining company encroaching on their land, a growing darkness begins to take grip of her home, and the suspicious local community turns on Gwen and her family.

UK & Ireland Release date: 19th July 2019
Certificate TBC / Running time 84 minutes

Interview with actor and producer Terry Stone - Once Upon a Time In London


Ahead of the theatrical and VOD release of British gangster movie ONCE UPON A TIME IN LONDON on April 19, actor and producer Terry Stone reflects on playing one of Britain’s most notorious criminals, wearing a bullet-proof vest and reviving 25 years of Drum & Bass.


When did the idea for ONCE UPON A TIME IN LONDON form?

Ever since I was a young boy I had been told I was closely related to Jack Spot. But I never really found out how exactly. Then when I got into movie producing, my father mentioned Jack again, so I finally did some research and realised this would be a great subject matter to make a film on. Jack’s world was the melting pot of organised crime and he became one of the most powerful gang bosses in Britain. I couldn’t believe that nobody had seen the cinematic potential in this subject matter before.


How did you bring it into fruition?

We wrote a first draft screenplay in 2011. Then Will Gilbey, whom I worked with on Rise of the Footsoldier, did further drafts until we had a draft we were all happy with. We couldn’t get the film off the ground at that time. Everyone kept telling me, who wants to see a period crime thriller? So I put the whole concept on the back burner knowing its time would come. Then along came the hit TV series Boardwalk Empire and Peaky Blinders, followed by Legend starring Tom Hardy as the Kray twins, proving there was indeed an appetite for such period gangster epics. That’s when my co-producer Richard Turner and I started to seriously think about reviving the project and set about making it happen.


How did Simon Rumley come on board as director?

It was one of our executive producers Jezz Vernon who suggested we take a look at Simon Rumley as a possible director. Simon is well known for his niche suspense and horror thrillers, ‘extreme dramas’ he calls them, and the moment we met him we knew he was the man for the job. He was looking for a project to break him out of his comfort zone and had never directed a gangster film before, and we wanted someone with a different mindset who could heighten ONCE UPON A TIME IN LONDON and elevate it into something extraordinary. It was clear his past work proved he wasn’t frightened of the violence it entailed.


Apart from producing the film you also take on the lead role of Jack Spot. Was that always on the cards?

No, I had originally had a discussion with Simon about playing the role of Albert Dimes or Alf White but when Leo Gregory mentioned he felt that I had all the qualities to play Jack and I should do that part, I spoke with my agent who said in not so many words you’re an idiot if you don’t play that role. You were born to play Jack. What I didn’t want to do like a lot of actors who also produce, was to force myself on the director and play a role that I wasn’t suitable for and be accused of landing the lead solely because I was the producer. So I did a few read throughs with Simon and we worked on the script together so he could see I could play it as well as any actor. In my bones I knew I could play Jack with the sincerity and bravado needed. I’ve been obsessed with the True Crime stories and films since childhood and I’ve been around London for most of my life. Starting out as one of the UK’s top rave promoters I’ve mixed with many underworld types so I really do know the characters and the environment better than most.


You also portrayed another real-life criminal, Tony Tucker, in the successful RISE OF THE FOOTSOLDIER franchise. How daunting was that to get right?

I don't know if my portrayal is a hundred per cent correct (Tucker was murdered in 1995) but I spoke to a lot of people when researching the character and at the premiere there were various people who knew him, who said it was chilling watching me - it was as if he was still alive. I never met him so I took that as a huge compliment.


Is it true you used to wear a bullet-proof vest?

Yes I did, whilst I was promoting Drum and Bass and Garage Nights around the country. There were some very dangerous large scale venues in the worst areas of the UK and as these were all night rave events, the local gangs would enjoy trying to put it on us, so we had to be ready for whatever they came with which included guns and knives. This was all as bad in the 90's as it is today it just was never reported or covered every day like it is now.


Your book ‘King of Clubs’ is subtitled ‘Sex, Drugs and Thugs’. There has to be a film adaptation!

Yes, we've just finished a documentary which looks back over 25 years of Drum & Bass and we are currently negotiating a TV series and Feature Film deal, so exciting times ahead on this front.


What is about the gangster genre that appeals to you so much?

I grew up watching epic gangster films like Scarface, Goodfellas, The Godfather, Once Upon a Time in America, The Untouchables, Casino, The Long Good Friday, Get Carter and thought these were films you could watch over and over again so I became a Crime Film fan, I like all types of films but this is an area that has the most appeal to me if it’s done well.


What’s your favourite gangster movie?                           

Sergio Leone’s Once Upon A Time In America is right up there. There isn't an out-an-out favourite but, if I had to pick one, I can tell you it definitely wouldn't be The Godfather 3. That has got to be one of the worst gangster films of all time.


ONCE UPON A TIME IN LONDON is In cinemas and Digital HD 19th April 2019

Tuesday 19 March 2019

'Toy Story 4' Official Trailer



Woody (Tom Hanks) has always been confident about his place in the world, and that his priority is taking care of his owner, whether that is Andy or Bonnie. So when Bonnie's beloved new craft-project-turned-toy, Forky (Tony Hale), declares himself as "trash" and not a toy, Woody takes it upon himself to show Forky why he should embrace being a toy.

But when Bonnie takes the whole gang on her family's road trip excursion, Woody ends up on an unexpected detour that includes a reunion with his long-lost girlfriend Bo Peep (Annie Potts). After years of being on her own, Bo's adventurous spirit and life on the road belie her delicate porcelain exterior. As Woody and Bo realize they are worlds apart when it comes to life as a toy, they soon come to find that it is the least of their worries.

'Toy Story 4' releases on June 21, 2019.

Monday 18 March 2019

Competition: Win Stanley a Man of Variety on DVD


Stanley, A Man of Variety is released on DVD and digital download 29th March from Tribal Films

And to celebrate we have a great competition for you and 2 copies on DVD to give away.

Synopsis
In this darkly funny tale, Stanley (Spall) finds himself in prison for a crime he believes he didn’t commit. Now a lonely, forgotten man approaching his fifteenth year in the old psychiatric facility, he maintains his role as a trustee by cleaning the grim prison interior, which earns him the privilege of watching and re-watching classic videos from his prized collection of memorabilia. When this privilege is withdrawn, Stanley becomes so distressed that he suffers a physical and mental seizure. Soon enough, his beloved heroes - Max Wall, George Formby, Max Miller, Margaret Rutherford, Alastair Sim and more - visit him in hallucinations (all played by Spall) showing their sinister, unsettling side and take him on a bizarre journey through the unbearable truth of his life and incarceration.

Directed by Stephen Cookson (My Angel, Steven Berkoff’s Tell Tale Heart) who co-wrote the film with Spall, Stanley, A Man of Variety won an impressive 16 awards at film festivals worldwide and stands as one of the most original, unmissable British films of recent times.

Click here to buy from Amazon (Opens in a new window)

COMPETITION CLOSED


Terms and conditions
1. Closing date 05-04-19
2. No alternative prize is available
3. When the competition ends as indicated on this page, any and all entries received after this point will not count and emails blacklisted due to not checking this page first.
4. Winners will be chosen randomly and will be informed via email.

Competition: Win Next of Kin on Blu-ray


Next of Kin from Tony Williams arrives for the first time on UK Blu-ray + download and on-demand on 25 March 2019

And to celebrate we have a great competition for you and 2 copies on Blu-ray to give away.

Synopsis
Directed by Tony Williams this 1982 Ozploitation classic stars Wolf Creek’s John Jarratt alongside Jackie Kerin and Robert Ratti and gets the high-def treatment complete with extensive special features including director and cast commentaries, Not Quite Hollywood extended interview and commentary from its director Mark Hartley, interviews from the documentary and two short films from Tony Williams. The film is set for release on 25 March 2019.

Linda Stevens has just inherited Montclare, a retirement home left to her by her late mother. When she finds a diary belonging to her mother, she discovers tales of strange goings in within the old mansion – taps turning themselves on and off, candles lighting and mysterious voices in the night. When history begins to repeat itself Linda’s nightmares are just the beginning. Montclare hides a dark secret and Linda is in mortal danger, can she unlock the mystery before it’s too late?

Click here to buy from Amazon (Opens in a new window)

COMPETITION CLOSED


Terms and conditions
1. Closing date 01-04-19
2. No alternative prize is available
3. When the competition ends as indicated on this page, any and all entries received after this point will not count and emails blacklisted due to not checking this page first.
4. Winners will be chosen randomly and will be informed via email.

Thursday 14 March 2019

Marvel Studios' Avengers: Endgame - Official Trailer


Whatever it takes. Watch the brand-new trailer for Marvel Studios’ Avengers: Endgame. In theaters April 26.

Adrift in space with no food or water, Tony Stark sends a message to Pepper Potts as his oxygen supply starts to dwindle. Meanwhile, the remaining Avengers -- Thor, Black Widow, Captain America and Bruce Banner -- must figure out a way to bring back their vanquished allies for an epic showdown with Thanos -- the evil demigod who decimated the planet and the universe.

Initial release: 26 April 2019

Pet Graveyard - Trailer


The first trailer has been released for PET GRAVEYARD, a new supernatural thriller from Proportion Productions and Millman Productions.

PET GRAVEYARD concerns a group of friends tormented by the Grim Reaper and his sinister pet after they undergo an experiment that allows them to revisit the dead.  The film marks the directorial debut of Rebecca J. Matthews (producer of MOTHER KRAMPUS), from a screenplay by Suzy Spade.  Scott Jeffrey (THE BAD NUN) produces.  Jeff Miller (THE TOYBOX, OUIJA HOUSE) is executive producer.

The movie stars Jessica O'Toole, David Cotter, Rita Siddiqui, Hindolo Koroma, Kate Milner-Evans, Georgina Jane, T'Jean Uter-Dinh, and Hattie Willow.

PET GRAVEYARD is scheduled for release on dvd/digital on April 2nd.

Wednesday 13 March 2019

Sharkwater Extinction Official Trailer


An eye-opening, epic new feature documentary Sharkwater Extinction from Rob Stewart, the awardwinning director of Sharkwater and Revolution takes us on one man’s mission: to protect sharks from extinction and save the oceans before it’s too late.

More than 150 million sharks are being killed every year. The oceans are in danger. Sharks play a hugely important role to the environment. Who is the real enemy: shark or human?

We join the courageous filmmaker and renowned activist on a hugely inspirational, thrilling but hazardous journey, as he dives deep into oceans and travels across four continents to investigate the eye-watering scale of corruption, destruction and danger that the multi-billion-dollar pirate fishing industry and vast illegal shark fin trade bring.

This action-packed story takes us from the seas of West Africa to Spain via Panama, Costa Rica, France, and even North America as Stewart exposes a shocking truth that is leading the oldest remaining predator to extinction. Shark finning is still rampant, shark fin soup is still being consumed and endangered sharks are now being used to make products for human consumption.

Sharkwater Extinction celebrated its World Premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival and has gone on to garner critical acclaim and earn multiple international awards. The film recently received its UK Premiere hosted by HRH Princess Eugenie of York.

Sharkwater Extinction stands as Rob Stewart’s legacy as he was tragically killed in a diving accident, in the final stages of shooting the film in January 2017. His parents Brian and Sandy Stewart have dedicated themselves to completing the film which is now set for its UK release on 22 March 2019 from Sparky Pictures

Interview with Simon Rumley


Ahead of the theatrical & VOD release of British gangster movie ONCE UPON A TIME IN LONDON on April 19, director Simon Rumley reflects on bringing to the screen the untold story of two of Britain’s most notorious criminals.


Why did you choose to do ONCE UPON A TIME IN LONDON?

ONCE UPON A TIME IN LONDON felt like the natural progression from where I’ve come from artistically. All my movies have been ‘extreme dramas’ whether in the horror, thriller or heightened reality genre. And gangster movies are the best examples of that because you can go from emotional drama to horrific violence in a flash. I’ve done period films before – Johnny Frank Garrett’s Last Word and Crowhurst – but never in these British decades, and I’ve always dwelt on love, loss, threat and passion. ONCE UPON A TIME IN LONDON felt like the perfect fit and the perfect time in my career when I need to be more commercially minded.


What was it about the story that most appealed to you?

I didn’t know anything about Jack ‘Spot’ Comer or Billy Hill. So I did a lot of research and was just amazed no one had thought of putting these characters and this milieu on screen before. That was an exciting prospect in itself! Here was a cultural treasure trove that British history seems to have excised from all memory. Let’s face it, Jack and Billy are two of the most brilliant characters any writer/director could wish for. You spend your whole life dreaming someone will come along, hand you a script, ask you if you would like to direct it and that’s what happened here


How did you visualise the story being told, given the time-frame of Jack and Billy’s careers?

It was clear from the start where the story should go in my mind. Billy Hill gets to the top of the criminal tree and stays there until he sees his time is up and leaves at exactly the right time. Jack didn’t do that. He desperately clung on to power even though he could see the writing was on the wall. That’s what interested me the most in their stories – the almost Shakespearean lust for power at all costs. I want people to feel really emotionally engaged when they watch the conflict between the two unfold, watching a way of life that was quickly vanishing, along with the death of honour among thieves,  a code of conduct that was stamped on by The Krays.


What were the greatest challenges making this film?

Every film has enormous challenges and this has been no exception but it encompasses the whole lot – births, marriages, deaths, friendships, betrayal, doomed idealism, redemption and destiny. My vision was to make something ambitious, something bold and decisive, an epic crime story overflowing with depth, levity, violence and every conjugation of human life. I want it to not just appeal to fans of the genre but those interested in important London history. If people say it’s a brutal, intriguing and moving chronicle of British criminal life with lasting moments, I’ve done my job.


The three lead female characters all come across as strong individuals. Was that an important consideration for you?

Gangster movies usually show the women as tarts, cheated on floozies, rape victims or simply ‘er indoors’. I wanted to subvert that while remaining true to the tropes of the genre. I had to make the females gutsy because they all emerged from the Second World War with a totally different way of looking at their lives. While their men had been away at the front – or in jail – they had to cope and survive the best way they could. After the war was over, they couldn’t go back to the old normal. You don’t usually see strong women in these movies and that needed to change because, let’s face it, they changed their men irrevocably”.


How did you decide to approach the violence?

You don’t need to see too much, just the right amount to make a massive impact. I’ve always been of the view that you must show something really hardcore to keep the threat simmering under the surface for maximum overall effect.  We know Jack used a cutthroat razor to inflict slashes on his victims' buttocks so they couldn't sit down for weeks or the stitches would open. But I show the cuts to their faces so everyone would know they had snitched. The one unique set piece I’ve included is the human dartboard torture, which comes directly from lyrics in the David Bowie song “Station to Station” and was also an occult Alesiter Crowley ritual. You won’t have seen anything like that before.


You’ve teamed up yet again with DOP Milton Kam…

This is the ninth film I’ve made with Milton. I’ve often given him some seemingly impossible demands but he’s always come through and made me proud. Lesser cinematographers might not be able to cope with my working methods or pace, but we make a dream team. I wanted a muted palette to begin with before Jack makes the grade. As his journey becomes bigger, we move into richer, more colourful vistas. Using natural lighting, silhouettes and mist diffusion. The intention is to create a juxtaposition of sophisticated elegance against the grit and grime.

This is why it was important that we shot the entire film in London.The accepted wisdom is that you can’t shoot London-based movies in London anymore. You have to go to places like Leeds, Bradford or Dublin. But I didn’t want to do that as there is no place like London and you can’t really replicate its atmosphere or ambiance. It was a lot to contend with I know, and we had to keep checking for ‘Free Wifi’ signs, but it worked out in the end with London thankfully becoming a vital component in the city’s own history.


You’ve worked with music composer Richard Chester on a lot of your films. Tell us a bit about how you collaborated on this one.

Yeah, I've worked with Richard on most my films since a Greta Scaachi short I shot in 2004. Usually I'd go over to Richard's house, spot the film and then go back and forth as he developed the cues, discuss what we thought worked and didn't work and close the net on the score until there were no holes.

Things were different on this film since Richard decided to move to Copenhagen so it wasn't possible to do that kind of flitting back and forth in person which I was initially worried about but the process ending up working well. The other films we've done together have been thematically psychologically tougher and/or structurally more adventurous so the music has at times gone fairly experimental and included techniques like playing it backwards or speeding it up. We both agreed this score needed to be much more traditional in its outlook and, of course, evocative of the period. Usually I'll give Richard a description of what I'm looking for and/or he'll come up with a few musical sketches which we'll go back and forth on. On this particular occasion I was driving back from the Coast listening to Radio 6 and a song by Robert Wyatt came on. I'd heard of him but knew nothing of his music but I was keen to use a trumpet as one of the key components in the score and this song, ‘Little Red Riding Hood Hit The Road’, had exactly that in an amazingly evocative and seemingly discordant fashion. It was dark, haunting and moody which I felt suited the atmosphere of the film perfectly. So I told Richard to have a listen and he loved what he heard and from there, he came up with the main theme which belongs to Leo Gregory's character, Billy Hill and everything sprang from that really...


Finally, your favourite gangster film?

I love Goodfellas but my all-time favourite, the pinnacle of the genre to my mind, is Performance.


ONCE UPON A TIME IN LONDON is In selected cinemas and available on Digital HD from 19th April 2019

You can also Pre-Order the DVD from Amazon Here

TOLKIEN - Poster and Trailer


TOLKIEN explores the formative years of the renowned author’s life as he finds friendship, courage and inspiration among a fellow group of writers and artists at school. Their brotherhood strengthens as they grow up and weather love and loss together, including Tolkien’s tumultuous courtship of his beloved Edith Bratt, until the outbreak of the First World War which threatens to tear their fellowship apart. All of these experiences would later inspire Tolkien to write his famous Middle-earth novels.

Directed by Dome Karukoski from a script by David Gleeson and Stephen Beresford, the film also stars Lily Collins, Colm Meaney, Anthony Boyle, Patrick Gibson, Tom Glynn-Carney, Craig Roberts, Laura Donnelly, Genevieve O’Reilly, Pam Ferris and Derek Jacobi.


PUPPET MASTER: THE LITTLEST REICH - In Cinemas 19 April


The murderous marionettes are on the march! Puppet Master: The Littlest Reich, brings the kills, thrills and spills in the bloodthirsty reboot of Charles Band’s classic horror franchise from co-directors Tommy Wiklund and Sonny Laguna (Wither, Blood Runs Cold) and writer S. Craig Zahler (Bone Tomahawk, Dragged Across Concrete).

When recently divorced Edgar (Thomas Lennon) returns to his childhood home he finds a nefarious looking puppet and decides to sell the doll for a quick buck. Bringing along his new girlfriend Ashley (Jenny Pellicer) and nerdy pal Markowitz (Nelson Franklin), Edgar heads on a doomed road trip to a puppet auction celebrating the 30th anniversary of the infamous Toulon Murders. But all hell breaks loose when a strange force animates the puppets at the convention, setting them on a bloody killing spree motivated by an evil as old as time.

With twenty-one scenes of graphic puppet violence and a score from composing legend Fabio Frizzi (The Beyond, City of the Living Dead), FANGORIA presents Puppet Master: The Littlest Reich - the wildest, craziest and goriest movie of the year. Fasten your seat belts, it's going to be a bloody ride!

Starring: Thomas Lennon (Night at the Museum), Jenny Pellicer (The Bridge), Nelson Franklin (The Office), Charlyne Yi (Knocked Up), Michael Paré (Bone Tomahawk), Barbara Crampton (Reanimator), Udo Kier (Suspiria) and Skeeta Jenkins. Directed by Tommy Wiklund and Sonny Laguna, written by S. Craig Zahler and produced by Dallas Sonnier (Bone Tomahawk, Brawl in Cell Block 99) and Amanda Presmyk (The Standoff at Sparrow Creek).

FANGORIA presents Puppet Master: The Littlest Reich in cinemas 19 April 2019

Tuesday 12 March 2019

Aladdin - New Poster and Trailer


A whole new world. Watch the brand-new trailer for Disney's Aladdin, in theaters May 24.

Aladdin is an upcoming American musical fantasy film directed by Guy Ritchie, from the screenplay co-written with John August, and produced by Walt Disney Pictures.

When a street urchin finds a lamp with a genie inside, he uses the lamp to turn himself into a prince in order to win the heart of a beautiful princess. But an evil vizier is after the lamp too.


Competition: Win Lost in London on DVD


Lost in London is out now on DVD

And to celebrate we have a great competition for you and 3 DVDs to give away.

Synopsis
The hilarious LOST IN LONDON is a first-of-its-kind film event, which was shot and screened live simultaneously in select cinemas around the world.The film is loosely based on Woody Harrelson's tabloid-worthy crazy London night-out resulting in him getting in trouble with the law. Directed and starring Woody Harrelson alongside cameos from Owen Wilson, Willie Nelson and Daniel Radcliffe, LOST IN LONDON is a crazy trip set in the streets of London that will make you gasp and laugh in equal measures.

Click here to buy from Amazon (Opens in a new window)

For your chance to win just answer the question below.

COMPETITION CLOSED

Terms and conditions
1. Closing date 25-03-19
2. No alternative prize is available
3. When the competition ends as indicated on this page, any and all entries received after this point will not count and emails blacklisted due to not checking this page first.
4. Winners will be chosen randomly and will be informed via email.

Monday 11 March 2019

Close Enemies - Official UK Trailer


A tense, nail-biting crime caper on brotherhood and betrayal. Born and raised in a suburb ridden by drug trafficking, Driss (Reda Kateb: Zero Dark Thirty) and Manuel (Matthias Schoenaerts: Red Sparrow) were like brothers. As adults, they chose opposite paths. Manuel chose to embrace this thug life, while Driss became a cop. However, when Manuel's biggest deal goes terribly wrong, the two men meet again and come to realize they both need each other to survive in their worlds.

Hitman: Redemption Official UK Trailer | Ron Perlman


The executive producer of Mudbound and Assassination Nation brings you this slick, gun-toting neo-noir thriller.

Asher (Ron Perlman: Hellboy), a former Mossad agent turned gun for hire, lives an austere life in an ever-changing Brooklyn. Approaching the end of his career, he breaks the oath he took as a young man when he meets Sophie (Famke Janssen: X-Men) on a hit gone wrong. In order to have love in his life before it's too late, he must kill the man he was, for a chance at becoming the man he wants to be.


The Art of Self-Defense - Official Trailer


After a brutal mugging, a man takes up karate to better defend himself but soon falls under the spell of the dojo's enigmatic leader.

Initial release: 21 June 2019 (USA)

Breaking Habits - Official UK Trailer


Breaking Habits is an outrageous, not-to-be-missed documentary about a Sisterhood of gun-slinging nuns who live and work in a modern day Wild West.

From the team behind Gascoigne and McQueen, this unbelievable film follows corporate exec-turned-weed-farmer Sister Kate who, after being betrayed by a bigamist husband ,fled penniless and discovered the lucrative business of medicinal cannabis farming.

Initial release: 19 April 2019 (USA)

Saturday 9 March 2019

Division 19 - Trailer


The geeks will inherit the earth.

Award-winning* dystopian thriller Division 19, starring Mandy’s Linus Roache and Alison Doody (from Indiana Jones and the last Crusade), heads to theaters and digital this April from Uncork’d Entertainment.

In the future, prisons have been turned into online portals where paying subscribers get to vote on what felons eat, watch, wear and who they fight. Panopticon TV is so successful it is about to be rolled out to a whole new town. When the world’s most downloaded felon escapes, the authorities set a trap to reel him in. The bait is his little brother who has so far managed to avoid detection.

Also starring Jamie Draven (Billy Elliot), Lotte Verbeek (“Outlander”), Clarke Peters (“Jessica Jones”), L. Scott Caldwell (“Lost”) and Will Rothhaar (“Grimm”), District 19 is written and directed by S A Halewood.

Division 19 in theaters and available on demand from April 5.

Thursday 7 March 2019

Happy As Lazzaro - UK trailer & poster - Out in cinemas 5 April


HAPPY AS LAZZARO will open nationwide on 5 April 2019 following its UK premiere at last year’s London Film Festival. It received its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival in 2018, where it won Best Screenplay.

Following sold out screenings at Glasgow Film Festival; HAPPY AS LAZZARO will receive an additional preview screening at BFI Southbank on 8 March, in line with International Women’s Day

The film is a tale of a meeting between Lazzaro (Adriano Tardiolo), a young peasant so good that he is often mistaken for simple-minded, and Tancredi (Luca Chikovani), a young nobleman cursed by his imagination. Life in their isolated pastoral village Inviolata is dominated by the terrible Marchesa Alfonsina de Luna, the queen of cigarettes. A loyal bond is sealed when Tancredi asks Lazzaro to help him orchestrate his own kidnapping. This strange and improbable alliance is a revelation for Lazzaro. A friendship so precious that it will travel in time and transport Lazzaro in search of Tancredi. His first time in the big city, Lazzaro is like a fragment of the past lost in the modern world.

Starring: Adriano Tardiolo, Agnese Graziani, Luca Chikovani, Alba Rohrwacher, Tommaso Ragno, Sergi Lopez, Natalino Balasso, Gala Othero Winter, Dacud Bennett and Nicoletta Braschi

Acts of Desperation - Poster and Trailer


Acclaimed, award-winning actor Paul Sorvino (Goodfellas, Nixon) headlines a superb ensemble cast in Richard Friedman’s gritty Acts of Desperation, out 3/12 from Gravitas Ventures.

Also starring Jason Gedrick (Backdraft, “Bosch”) and Kira Reed Lorsch (“The Bay”), Acts of Desperation is an intensely unique and unpredictable thriller that sees the lives of a desperate cop, his distraught wife, a bank robber, an obsessed woman, and two criminals intertwine.

A desperate cop on the edge is obsessed over the fact that his beautiful but frantic wife is having an affair. At the same time, he tracks a desperately shrewd bank robber who is falling in love with a desperately obsessed woman whose life he just saved from suicide. As if that's not enough, he is also being blackmailed by two desperately unhinged street criminals who will stop at nothing to get their money. Time is running out for all of them as their worlds collide.

Tim DeZarn (The Cabin in the Woods), Treva Etienne (Black Hawk Down), Erin O’Brien (Killing Joan), Neraida Bega (Christmas Crime Story), Chris Coppola (“Ray Donovan”) and Vince Lozano (Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl) star in a film directed by Richard Friedman and scripted by Nathan Illsley.

Acts of Desperation on VOD March 12.
Buy Blu-ray from Amazon Here

Tuesday 5 March 2019

SHAZAM! - Official Trailer 2 - Only In Theaters April 5


David F. Sandberg (“Annabelle: Creation”) directs New Line Cinema’s “Shazam!,” the origin story that stars Zachary Levi (TV’s “Chuck”) as the titular DC Super Hero, along with Asher Angel (TV’s “Andi Mack”) as Billy Batson, and Mark Strong (the “Kingsman” movies) in the role of Super-Villain Dr. Thaddeus Sivana.  Peter Safran (“Aquaman,” “The Conjuring” and “Annabelle” films) serves as the film’s producer.

We all have a superhero inside us, it just takes a bit of magic to bring it out.  In Billy Batson’s (Angel) case, by shouting out one word—SHAZAM!—this streetwise 14-year-old foster kid can turn into the adult Super Hero Shazam (Levi), courtesy of an ancient wizard.  Still a kid at heart—inside a ripped, godlike body—Shazam revels in this adult version of himself by doing what any teen would do with superpowers: have fun with them!  Can he fly?  Does he have X-ray vision?  Can he shoot lightning out of his hands?  Can he skip his social studies test?  Shazam sets out to test the limits of his abilities with the joyful recklessness of a child.  But he’ll need to master these powers quickly in order to fight the deadly forces of evil controlled by Dr. Thaddeus Sivana (Strong).

“Shazam!” also stars Jack Dylan Grazer (“IT”) as Billy’s best friend and ultimate superhero enthusiast, Freddy, part of the foster family that includes Mary, played by Grace Fulton (“Annabelle: Creation”); Darla, played by Faithe Herman (TV’s “This is Us”); Eugene, played by Ian Chen (TV’s “Fresh Off the Boat”); and Pedro, played by Jovan Armand (TV’s “Hawaii Five-O”).  Cooper Andrews (TV’s “The Walking Dead”) and Marta Milans (TV’s “Killer Women”) play foster parents Victor and Rosa Vasquez, with Oscar nominee Djimon Hounsou (“Blood Diamond”) as the Wizard.

Firmly set in the DC universe but with his own distinctly fun, family-centric tone, the screenplay is by Henry Gayden, story by Gayden and Darren Lemke.

Godzilla: King of the Monsters - Japanese Poster and new image


Members of the crypto-zoological agency Monarch face off against a battery of god-sized monsters, including the mighty Godzilla, who collides with Mothra, Rodan, and his ultimate nemesis, the three-headed King Ghidorah. When these ancient super-species-thought to be mere myths-rise again, they all vie for supremacy, leaving humanity's very existence hanging in the balance.

Initial release: 31 May 2019



First Poster for Sci-Fi Thriller 'Aniara'


Aniara is the story of one of the many spaceships used for transporting Earth's population to their new home-planet Mars. But just as Aniara leaves the ruined Earth, she collides with an asteroid and is knocked off her course. Aniara's passengers slowly realize that they'll never be able to return; they will continue onwards through an empty and cold universe forever. The Swedish Nobel prize winner Harry Martinsson wrote Aniara in 1956. The novel has been translated into a number of different languages, including danish, finnish, english, russian, czech, arabic, japanese and most recently chinese. It has been staged as opera and several theatrical productions, but has never before been filmed. In Aniara's inexorable journey towards destruction there is a warning that cannot be emphasized enough. There's only one Earth. We have only one life. So, we have to take responsibility for our actions and constantly guard our environment and our humanity. If we don't, Earth will soon be a paradise lost.


Monday 4 March 2019

Interview with Written and directed by Shaun A Robinson (That’s Not a Knife)


Written and directed by Shaun A Robinson, That’s Not a Knife is a documentary about the hard and often unglamorous life of an actor. It explores the difficulties of succeeding in the industry and starting relationships.

Here’s the story of an actor who fights back against the odds by overcoming his own fears and creating his own path to Hollywood, documenting his journey along the way. He meets other actors who share their own fears and insecurities with him, helping help him to understand his own journey better and inspire others to do the same.

We caught up with Shaun to talk about That’s Not a Knife ahead of it’s release later this year.

First question, has anyone mistaken the movie for a Crocodile Dundee reboot yet?
Not yet, but there’s always a first time for everything.

Second question, should there be a Crocodile Dundee reboot?
I think there should be, sequels are hard to get right but if Paul’s involved with it somehow, I don’t think it will disappoint

In all seriousness, congrats on the film! Crocodile Dundee must have been somewhat of an inspiration to you if you’ve named your film after a line in the movie though?     
Thank you very much. It definitely was; it was Paul Hogan who inspired me to go to LA, the title represents that inspiration that I felt from observing his journey and how he had achieved his success; if he could do it, why can't I? I feel the title embodies that Aussie spirit and plays on the connection between Paul Hogan and the Documentary he inspired.

Hard to find interviewees?
Yes and no, I’m a people person so I find it easy to talk to people and connect with them, the hardest part is getting through the gatekeepers for some of the bigger names in the industry like Sigrid Thornton, Noni Hazlehurst, Toni Collette, Nicole Kidman, Hugh Jackman, Hugo Weaving and Rebel Wilson. I would have loved to talk to them because of what they’ve achieved, they represent the successful actors, they are the ones making it in Hollywood and I think that’s what a lot of us want to hear about, how they got there.


What kind of guidance and direction did you give those appearing on-camera?   
I just wanted them to be themselves, be honest and not censor themselves too much. I purposely wouldn’t tell them the questions so that there answers were raw and real, not rehearsed.

And where did you shoot all the interviews?
A lot of the interviews were shot across various locations in Los Angeles, but I also interviewed a lot of Actors here in Australia who had either been and come back or were about to head over to LA.

Was there anyone you would’ve wanted to have involved but couldn’t get?
Since the very start of this journey and filming, I’ve been trying to reach out to Paul Hogan, the man who inspired me to do all of this but unfortunately I’ve not had a lot of luck. I would also love to speak with the amazing and awesome Rebel Wilson, as well as Hugh Jackman, Toni Collette, Jacki Weaver, Cate Blanchett and so many more.

Were there any stories that the talent refused to tell?
Not so much refused as more didn’t want to confront the reality of the situation they were in at the time. Some aren’t doing so well, and it’s hard to share that and be honest with yourself about things sometimes, especially in front of a camera.

When can we see it? 
My Producer, Lucinda Bruce (Lady of the Light Productions) came on board last year and has helped me steer the documentary towards our final destination of distribution. We’re aiming for a Festival release later on in the year with the hopes of that leading to a Theatrical and VOD release in the US, with an eventual showing on an Australian Television Network.