This Is Spinal Tap is one of the most quotable films in cinema history and defined the genre of film known today as the mockumentary.
Rob Reiner’s 1984 directorial debut about an aging English metal band chronicled fame, groupies and their fateful tour and would set the bar for the style of film to satirize a subject depicting fictional events but presented as a documentary. They often use the conventions of traditional documentaries, such as interviews and narration, to tell a fictional or exaggerated story.
Christopher Guest, who portrayed Nigel Tufnel in This Is Spinal Tap, would go on to direct and star with an incredible ensemble cast in many of his productions that included Michael McKean, Harry Shearer, Catherine O’Hara, Parker Posey, Fred Willard, Eugene Levy and Jennifer Coolidge in the classic mockumentaries Waiting for Guffman, Best in Show, A Mighty Wind, For Your Consideration and Mascots.
Jemaine Clement...
Rob Reiner’s 1984 directorial debut about an aging English metal band chronicled fame, groupies and their fateful tour and would set the bar for the style of film to satirize a subject depicting fictional events but presented as a documentary. They often use the conventions of traditional documentaries, such as interviews and narration, to tell a fictional or exaggerated story.
Christopher Guest, who portrayed Nigel Tufnel in This Is Spinal Tap, would go on to direct and star with an incredible ensemble cast in many of his productions that included Michael McKean, Harry Shearer, Catherine O’Hara, Parker Posey, Fred Willard, Eugene Levy and Jennifer Coolidge in the classic mockumentaries Waiting for Guffman, Best in Show, A Mighty Wind, For Your Consideration and Mascots.
Jemaine Clement...
- 4/1/2024
- by The Deadline Team
- Deadline Film + TV
For starters, they’re called the Tobacco Force, and these intergalactic “avengers” battle extraterrestrial monsters by giving them cancer via chemicals like nicotine, mercury and ammonia… but let’s assume that any similarities to other groups of helmeted, high-kicking heroes, living or dead, are not coincidental.
This quintet — technically a sextet if you count their suicidal robot, Norbert 500 — have just blown up an oversized, homicidal turtle in a quarry when a message comes through from their leader. His name is Chief Didier, and though he’s a grotty rat puppet...
This quintet — technically a sextet if you count their suicidal robot, Norbert 500 — have just blown up an oversized, homicidal turtle in a quarry when a message comes through from their leader. His name is Chief Didier, and though he’s a grotty rat puppet...
- 4/1/2023
- by David Fear
- Rollingstone.com
Truth may be stranger than fiction, but it’s often scarier as well. After all, it’s not unusual for real life mysteries and deaths to leave Hollywood in the dust when it comes to producing genuine fear. With that in mind, we’ve previously published a couple of lists celebrating some of the scariest documentaries ever made.
However, there’s no shortage of authentic scares when it comes to filmmaking, and that’s why we’re back with another list recommending six more scary documentaries that horror fans might enjoy. After all, whether you’re into true crime or paranormal investigations, there’s something for everyone when it comes to non-fiction thrills.
As usual, we’ll be abiding by a couple of rules when selecting our movies. First of all, no docs that have been previously featured on any of our lists. Second, we’ll be excluding mockumentaries like...
However, there’s no shortage of authentic scares when it comes to filmmaking, and that’s why we’re back with another list recommending six more scary documentaries that horror fans might enjoy. After all, whether you’re into true crime or paranormal investigations, there’s something for everyone when it comes to non-fiction thrills.
As usual, we’ll be abiding by a couple of rules when selecting our movies. First of all, no docs that have been previously featured on any of our lists. Second, we’ll be excluding mockumentaries like...
- 2/24/2023
- by Luiz H. C.
- bloody-disgusting.com
The art of the documentary aims to reveal some kind of hidden truth to its audience. And this desire for being earnest makes the genre ripe for comedic material. Enter the mockumentary, an often comedic riff on the documentary, primarily through outlandish characters that are larger than life and oddly specific topics that are almost too weird to be true. If documentaries are seen as documents of truth, then mockumentaries are a mirror reflecting back at the audience, revealing just how easy it is to fabricate reality. They aren't always funny though, especially when looking at films such as "Punishment Park" and "Man Bites Dog," where the films' realities...
The post The 15 Best Mockumentaries, Ranked appeared first on /Film.
The post The 15 Best Mockumentaries, Ranked appeared first on /Film.
- 5/3/2022
- by Mary Beth McAndrews
- Slash Film
Prisoners of the Ghostland screenwriter/producer Reza Sixo Safai joins hosts Josh Olson and Joe Dante to discuss his wildest cinematic experiences.
Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode
Infested (2002)
The Howling (1981) – Josh Olson’s trailer commentary, Randy Fuller’s wine pairings
Hollywood Boulevard (1976) – Jon Davison’s trailer commentary
Bela Lugosi Meets A Brooklyn Gorilla (1952) – Joe Dante’s trailer commentary
Prisoners of the Ghostland (2021)
Mandy (2018)
Candy (1968) – Glenn Erickson’s trailer commentary
S.O.B. (1981)
The Shining (1980) – Adam Rifkin’s trailer commentary
Robin Hood (1973)
The Story of Robin Hood (1952)
Modern Times (1936)
The Kid (1921)
The Deer (1974)
A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night (2014) – Allan Arkush’s trailer commentary
Qeysar (1969)
The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
The Warriors (1979)
New Jack City (1991)
Colors (1988)
The Whip And The Body (1963)
Blow Out (1981) – Josh Olson’s trailer commentary
Porky’s (1981)
Cinema Paradiso (1988) – Glenn Erickson’s Region B Blu-ray review, Glenn Erickson’s 4K Blu-ray review
Circumstance (2011)
Ninja 3: The Domination (1984)
Flashdance (1983)
Debbie...
Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode
Infested (2002)
The Howling (1981) – Josh Olson’s trailer commentary, Randy Fuller’s wine pairings
Hollywood Boulevard (1976) – Jon Davison’s trailer commentary
Bela Lugosi Meets A Brooklyn Gorilla (1952) – Joe Dante’s trailer commentary
Prisoners of the Ghostland (2021)
Mandy (2018)
Candy (1968) – Glenn Erickson’s trailer commentary
S.O.B. (1981)
The Shining (1980) – Adam Rifkin’s trailer commentary
Robin Hood (1973)
The Story of Robin Hood (1952)
Modern Times (1936)
The Kid (1921)
The Deer (1974)
A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night (2014) – Allan Arkush’s trailer commentary
Qeysar (1969)
The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
The Warriors (1979)
New Jack City (1991)
Colors (1988)
The Whip And The Body (1963)
Blow Out (1981) – Josh Olson’s trailer commentary
Porky’s (1981)
Cinema Paradiso (1988) – Glenn Erickson’s Region B Blu-ray review, Glenn Erickson’s 4K Blu-ray review
Circumstance (2011)
Ninja 3: The Domination (1984)
Flashdance (1983)
Debbie...
- 11/9/2021
- by Kris Millsap
- Trailers from Hell
Dekanalog, the New York-based speciality distributor, has signed a home video partnership with Ocn Distribution that will see Dekanalog exclusively release Ocn theatrical titles on Blu-ray disc in the United States.
The first film under the deal will be Quentin Dupieux’s French absurdist comedy Keep an Eye Out (Au Poste!), which was Dekanalog’s debut theatrical release in March 2021. Benoît Poelvoorde (Man Bites Dog) stars alongside Grégoire Ludig (Mandibles) in the crime comedy about Fugain (Ludig), an ordinary guy who discovers a dead body outside his apartment building and becomes the only subject in the murder investigation. Police commissaire Buran ...
The first film under the deal will be Quentin Dupieux’s French absurdist comedy Keep an Eye Out (Au Poste!), which was Dekanalog’s debut theatrical release in March 2021. Benoît Poelvoorde (Man Bites Dog) stars alongside Grégoire Ludig (Mandibles) in the crime comedy about Fugain (Ludig), an ordinary guy who discovers a dead body outside his apartment building and becomes the only subject in the murder investigation. Police commissaire Buran ...
- 11/2/2021
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Dekanalog, the New York-based speciality distributor, has signed a home video partnership with Ocn Distribution that will see Dekanalog exclusively release Ocn theatrical titles on Blu-ray disc in the United States.
The first film under the deal will be Quentin Dupieux’s French absurdist comedy Keep an Eye Out (Au Poste!), which was Dekanalog’s debut theatrical release in March 2021. Benoît Poelvoorde (Man Bites Dog) stars alongside Grégoire Ludig (Mandibles) in the crime comedy about Fugain (Ludig), an ordinary guy who discovers a dead body outside his apartment building and becomes the only subject in the murder investigation. Police commissaire Buran ...
The first film under the deal will be Quentin Dupieux’s French absurdist comedy Keep an Eye Out (Au Poste!), which was Dekanalog’s debut theatrical release in March 2021. Benoît Poelvoorde (Man Bites Dog) stars alongside Grégoire Ludig (Mandibles) in the crime comedy about Fugain (Ludig), an ordinary guy who discovers a dead body outside his apartment building and becomes the only subject in the murder investigation. Police commissaire Buran ...
- 11/2/2021
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
A usurper melodrama by any other name is still a usurper melodrama, and Fabrice du Welz’s latest doesn’t really try to cloak its genre conventions: “Inexorable” might just as well be titled “Single White Female Nanny” or “Fatal Domestic.” Still, if this isn’t the most surprising or original among the Belgian helmer’s character-driven thrillers to date, it does compel attention with its elegantly crafted tale of a wealthy family infiltrated by a young woman with a hidden agenda. The mix of art-house bona fides and pulp satisfactions should put the Toronto fest world premiere in a position to attract sales in various formats around the globe.
Having appeared in the director’s last film “Adoration,” Benoit Poelvoorde (still best known to many from his feature debut in 1992’s notorious serial-killer mock-doc “Man Bites Dog”) is back, as the central figure this time. His Marcel is a...
Having appeared in the director’s last film “Adoration,” Benoit Poelvoorde (still best known to many from his feature debut in 1992’s notorious serial-killer mock-doc “Man Bites Dog”) is back, as the central figure this time. His Marcel is a...
- 9/11/2021
- by Dennis Harvey
- Variety Film + TV
The writer/director returns to talk about his favorite Blaxploitation movies with hosts Josh Olson and Joe Dante.
Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode
Man Bites Dog (1992)
Trick Baby (1972)
The Exorcist (1973) – Oren Pelli’s trailer commentary
The Untouchables (1987)
Predator (1987)
Purple Rain (1984) – Josh Olson’s trailer commentary
The Loved One (1965) – Larry Karaszewski’s trailer commentary
Live And Let Die (1973)
Enter The Dragon (1973) – Larry Karaszewski’s trailer commentary, Brian Trenchard-Smith’s trailer commentary
The Green Hornet (1974)
The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975) – Darren Bousman’s trailer commentary
The Last Dragon (1985) – Larry Karaszewski’s trailer commentary
Dead Presidents (1995)
Hell Up In Harlem (1973) – Larry Cohen’s trailer commentary
Black Caesar (1973) – Larry Cohen’s trailer commentary
Shaft (1971) – Bill Duke’s trailer commentary, Randy Fuller’s wine pairing
Sweet Sweetback’s Baadasssss Song (1971)
Coffy (1973) – Jack Hill’s trailer commentary
Midnight Cowboy (1969) – Glenn Erickson’s Criterion Blu-ray review
Taxi Driver (1976) – Rod Lurie’s trailer commentary
Boxcar Bertha (1972) – Julie Corman...
Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode
Man Bites Dog (1992)
Trick Baby (1972)
The Exorcist (1973) – Oren Pelli’s trailer commentary
The Untouchables (1987)
Predator (1987)
Purple Rain (1984) – Josh Olson’s trailer commentary
The Loved One (1965) – Larry Karaszewski’s trailer commentary
Live And Let Die (1973)
Enter The Dragon (1973) – Larry Karaszewski’s trailer commentary, Brian Trenchard-Smith’s trailer commentary
The Green Hornet (1974)
The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975) – Darren Bousman’s trailer commentary
The Last Dragon (1985) – Larry Karaszewski’s trailer commentary
Dead Presidents (1995)
Hell Up In Harlem (1973) – Larry Cohen’s trailer commentary
Black Caesar (1973) – Larry Cohen’s trailer commentary
Shaft (1971) – Bill Duke’s trailer commentary, Randy Fuller’s wine pairing
Sweet Sweetback’s Baadasssss Song (1971)
Coffy (1973) – Jack Hill’s trailer commentary
Midnight Cowboy (1969) – Glenn Erickson’s Criterion Blu-ray review
Taxi Driver (1976) – Rod Lurie’s trailer commentary
Boxcar Bertha (1972) – Julie Corman...
- 8/3/2021
- by Kris Millsap
- Trailers from Hell
A special two-part episode. From the movie Werewolves Within, director Josh Ruben discusses a few of his favorite movies. Then, Werewolves Within writer Mishna Wolff plays a game of “find the woman” in some of her favorite movies.
Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode Josh Ruben:
Werewolves Within (2021)
Werewolves On Wheels (1971) – Adam Rifkin’s trailer commentary
Wrath of Man (2021)
Trapped Ashes (2006)
The ’Burbs (1989) – Ti West’s trailer commentary
The Fly (1986)
To My Great Chagrin: The Unbelievable Story of Brother Theodore (2007)
Road To Perdition (2002)
Stephen King’s Cat’s Eye (1985)
Nightmare On Elm Street Part III: Dream Warriors (1987)
Flight of the Navigator (1986)
Grease (1978)
Honey I Blew Up The Kid (1992)
Big Top Pee-Wee (1988)
A History of Violence (2005)
The Dead (1987)
The Peanut Butter Solution (1985)
Irreversible (2002)
Hunter Hunter (2020)
Man Bites Dog (1992)
The Human Centipede: The First Sequence (2009)
A Serbian Film (2010)
Planes Trains And Automobiles (1987)
Lost In Translation (2003)
JFK (1991)
Home Alone (1990)
The Second Civil War (1997) – Glenn...
Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode Josh Ruben:
Werewolves Within (2021)
Werewolves On Wheels (1971) – Adam Rifkin’s trailer commentary
Wrath of Man (2021)
Trapped Ashes (2006)
The ’Burbs (1989) – Ti West’s trailer commentary
The Fly (1986)
To My Great Chagrin: The Unbelievable Story of Brother Theodore (2007)
Road To Perdition (2002)
Stephen King’s Cat’s Eye (1985)
Nightmare On Elm Street Part III: Dream Warriors (1987)
Flight of the Navigator (1986)
Grease (1978)
Honey I Blew Up The Kid (1992)
Big Top Pee-Wee (1988)
A History of Violence (2005)
The Dead (1987)
The Peanut Butter Solution (1985)
Irreversible (2002)
Hunter Hunter (2020)
Man Bites Dog (1992)
The Human Centipede: The First Sequence (2009)
A Serbian Film (2010)
Planes Trains And Automobiles (1987)
Lost In Translation (2003)
JFK (1991)
Home Alone (1990)
The Second Civil War (1997) – Glenn...
- 6/29/2021
- by Kris Millsap
- Trailers from Hell
Writer, director, producer, editor, cinematographer, and actor Larry Fessenden chats with hosts Joe Dante & Josh Olson about some of his favorite movies.
Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode
Habit (1995)
Jakob’s Wife (2021)
Phantom Thread (2017)
The Last Winter (2006)
Attack of the Crab Monsters (1957)
The Crawling Eye (1958)
The Reptile (1966)
Peeping Tom (1960)
Casablanca (1942)
Jaws (1975)
Man Of A Thousand Faces (1957)
Scarlet Street (1945)
Suspicion (1941)
Rope (1948)
The Lady Vanishes (1938)
Night Of The Living Dead (1968)
Frankenstein (1931)
The Wolf Man (1941)
Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954)
Dracula (1931)
Dawn of the Dead (1978)
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)
Taxi Driver (1976)
Mean Streets (1973)
One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest (1975)
Playtime (1973)
The Thing (1982)
The Howling (1981)
An American Werewolf In London (1981)
An American Werewolf In Paris (1997)
I Was A Teenage Werewolf (1957)
Ginger Snaps (2001)
The Terminator (1984)
The Wolfman (2010)
Van Helsing (2004)
The Mummy (2017)
Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1992)
Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein (1994)
The Invisible Man (1933)
The Invisible Man (2020)
Amazon Women On The Moon (1987)
Wendigo (2001)
Fargo (1996)
Raising Arizona (1987)
Seven (1995)
Man Bites Dog...
Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode
Habit (1995)
Jakob’s Wife (2021)
Phantom Thread (2017)
The Last Winter (2006)
Attack of the Crab Monsters (1957)
The Crawling Eye (1958)
The Reptile (1966)
Peeping Tom (1960)
Casablanca (1942)
Jaws (1975)
Man Of A Thousand Faces (1957)
Scarlet Street (1945)
Suspicion (1941)
Rope (1948)
The Lady Vanishes (1938)
Night Of The Living Dead (1968)
Frankenstein (1931)
The Wolf Man (1941)
Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954)
Dracula (1931)
Dawn of the Dead (1978)
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)
Taxi Driver (1976)
Mean Streets (1973)
One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest (1975)
Playtime (1973)
The Thing (1982)
The Howling (1981)
An American Werewolf In London (1981)
An American Werewolf In Paris (1997)
I Was A Teenage Werewolf (1957)
Ginger Snaps (2001)
The Terminator (1984)
The Wolfman (2010)
Van Helsing (2004)
The Mummy (2017)
Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1992)
Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein (1994)
The Invisible Man (1933)
The Invisible Man (2020)
Amazon Women On The Moon (1987)
Wendigo (2001)
Fargo (1996)
Raising Arizona (1987)
Seven (1995)
Man Bites Dog...
- 4/27/2021
- by Kris Millsap
- Trailers from Hell
If you thought the Dardenne brothers were the only game in town when it comes to fraternal auteur duos making unvarnished studies of life on the skids in working-class Belgium, newcomers Harpo and Lenny Guit have at least one surprise in store for you. If you’re thinking of the Dardenne brothers at all, however, the Guits’ blithely grotesque debut feature “Mother Schmuckers” will likely deliver several more.
Attempting to bring a stinky shot of John Waters recklessness to a national cinema that has rarely behaved this badly since “Man Bites Dog,” this mayonnaise-dipped gross-out exercise references “Pink Flamingos” straight off the bat with its opening scene of two adult brothers cooking up a fecal feast in the kitchen. Yet as it hobbles along from one knowingly stupid setpiece to the next, “Mother Schmuckers” mellows out into something more akin to “Dude, Where’s My Car?” — if “mellow” is the word...
Attempting to bring a stinky shot of John Waters recklessness to a national cinema that has rarely behaved this badly since “Man Bites Dog,” this mayonnaise-dipped gross-out exercise references “Pink Flamingos” straight off the bat with its opening scene of two adult brothers cooking up a fecal feast in the kitchen. Yet as it hobbles along from one knowingly stupid setpiece to the next, “Mother Schmuckers” mellows out into something more akin to “Dude, Where’s My Car?” — if “mellow” is the word...
- 3/1/2021
- by Guy Lodge
- Variety Film + TV
As if sensing that the election would provide enough nail-biting excitement to last Americans for days, distributors have largely backed off the first weekend in November.
Focus Features is releasing a solid Kevin Costner-Diane Lane thriller with serious Red State appeal in “Let Him Go,” for those with access to theaters, and there are a number of backlogged festival movies picking this weekend to open: the best of them is “Proxima,” featuring Eva Green as a French astronaut preparing to leave her son behind for her first trip to space, though Toronto 2019 premiere “Jungleland” and Sundance oddity “Koko-di Koko-da” are solid options as well.
Genre fans have a few options, ranging from “Triggered” (a “Battle Royale”-esque survival game in which old friends must kill one another to survive) to “The Informer,” a movie that opened in theaters abroad way back in 2019, but brings some excitement to a tame frame.
Focus Features is releasing a solid Kevin Costner-Diane Lane thriller with serious Red State appeal in “Let Him Go,” for those with access to theaters, and there are a number of backlogged festival movies picking this weekend to open: the best of them is “Proxima,” featuring Eva Green as a French astronaut preparing to leave her son behind for her first trip to space, though Toronto 2019 premiere “Jungleland” and Sundance oddity “Koko-di Koko-da” are solid options as well.
Genre fans have a few options, ranging from “Triggered” (a “Battle Royale”-esque survival game in which old friends must kill one another to survive) to “The Informer,” a movie that opened in theaters abroad way back in 2019, but brings some excitement to a tame frame.
- 11/7/2020
- by Peter Debruge
- Variety Film + TV
Albert Hughes takes us on a wild journey through the movies that made him, then explains why he’s not a cinephile (Spoiler: He is). Heads up – you’re going to hear some words you’ve never heard on our show before, and only one of them is Metropolis.
Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode
Gremlins (1984)
A Christmas Story (1983)
The Candidate (1972)
Menace II Society (1993)
Die Hard (1988)
Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
Scarface (1983)
Goodfellas (1990)
Full Metal Jacket (1987)
A Clockwork Orange (1971)
Midnight Cowboy (1969)
Raging Bull (1980)
Taxi Driver (1976)
Alpha (2018)
Battleship Potemkin (1925)
Metropolis (1927)
True Romance (1993)
Who Framed Roger Rabbit? (1988)
The Matrix (1999)
Man Bites Dog (1992)
Looney Tunes: Back In Action (2003)
A Serbian Film (2010)
Scarface (1932)
The Book of Eli (2010)
The Departed (2006)
Infernal Affairs (2002)
The Godfather (1972)
Casino (1995)
JFK (1991)
Dead Presidents (1996)
Eve’s Bayou (1997)
Basic Instinct (1992)
Psycho (1960)
The Cremator (1969)
The Firemen’s Ball (1967)
Halloween (2018)
From Hell (2001)
Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1992)
Hoffa (1992)
V For Vendetta (2005)
Spartacus (1960)
You Were Never Really Here...
Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode
Gremlins (1984)
A Christmas Story (1983)
The Candidate (1972)
Menace II Society (1993)
Die Hard (1988)
Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
Scarface (1983)
Goodfellas (1990)
Full Metal Jacket (1987)
A Clockwork Orange (1971)
Midnight Cowboy (1969)
Raging Bull (1980)
Taxi Driver (1976)
Alpha (2018)
Battleship Potemkin (1925)
Metropolis (1927)
True Romance (1993)
Who Framed Roger Rabbit? (1988)
The Matrix (1999)
Man Bites Dog (1992)
Looney Tunes: Back In Action (2003)
A Serbian Film (2010)
Scarface (1932)
The Book of Eli (2010)
The Departed (2006)
Infernal Affairs (2002)
The Godfather (1972)
Casino (1995)
JFK (1991)
Dead Presidents (1996)
Eve’s Bayou (1997)
Basic Instinct (1992)
Psycho (1960)
The Cremator (1969)
The Firemen’s Ball (1967)
Halloween (2018)
From Hell (2001)
Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1992)
Hoffa (1992)
V For Vendetta (2005)
Spartacus (1960)
You Were Never Really Here...
- 9/29/2020
- by Kris Millsap
- Trailers from Hell
According to Wikipedia, A mockumentary (a portmanteau of mock and documentary) or docucomedy is a type of movie or television show depicting fictional events but presented as a documentary. The genre gained recognition (notoriety if you prefer) with “Borat“, although some may remember the 1984 “This is Spinal Tap” or the excellent Belgian “Man Bites Dog“. In Asian cinema, the mockumentary occasionally has a different form, with Shohei Imamura blending documentary with theater and fourth-wall-breaking surrealism in “A Man Vanishes” for example, although recently, a number of productions seem to follow the international “rules” of the subcategory. Without further ado, here are 10 of the most intriguing samples one can find in Asian cinema, in chronological order.
*We took some liberties with the films in the list, essentially mocking the term (film nerd humor)
1. A Man Vanishes
The film starts as a documentary of sorts, regarding the disappearance of plastic salesman Oshima that occurred two years previously.
*We took some liberties with the films in the list, essentially mocking the term (film nerd humor)
1. A Man Vanishes
The film starts as a documentary of sorts, regarding the disappearance of plastic salesman Oshima that occurred two years previously.
- 8/12/2020
- by AMP Group
- AsianMoviePulse
Tom Quinn, the founder of the indie studio Neon, thought that Netflix was making a big mistake. After seeing “Okja,” Bong Joon-ho’s eccentric creature feature, he believed passionately that the the offbeat visuals and ambitious story of girl’s bond with a super pig needed to be seen on the big screen. So began a six-month attempt by Quinn to convince the streaming service to partner with Neon on a theatrical release, an effort that ultimately failed.
“I felt it was a huge mistake,” said Quinn.
When Bong announced that he had a script for his next movie, “Parasite,” Quinn didn’t hesitate. He bought the project at the script stage, a highly unusual move for a U.S. studio.
“My disappointment at losing out on ‘Okja’ combined with my love for director Bong’s work caused me to be relentless in my pursuit of his next film,” said Quinn.
“I felt it was a huge mistake,” said Quinn.
When Bong announced that he had a script for his next movie, “Parasite,” Quinn didn’t hesitate. He bought the project at the script stage, a highly unusual move for a U.S. studio.
“My disappointment at losing out on ‘Okja’ combined with my love for director Bong’s work caused me to be relentless in my pursuit of his next film,” said Quinn.
- 5/18/2019
- by Brent Lang
- Variety Film + TV
The bonus features for the long-awaited Blu-ray release of The Poughkeepsie Tapes are included in today's Horror Highlights, which also features a deleted scene included on The Mummy Blu-ray, clips from Die Laughing and The Lodgers, the trailer and poster for Haze, and images from Restricted Area.
The Poughkeepsie Tapes Blu-ray: Press Release: "From the filmmakers that brought you Quarantine and As Above, So Below comes a descent into the twisted crimes of a serial killer! Long sought-after by horror enthusiasts after its original 2007 theatrical release was infinitely delayed, this highly anticipated documentary-style thriller has never before been officially released on home entertainment formats. Making its Blu-ray and DVD debut October 10th, 2017 from Scream Factory, The Poughkeepsie Tapes also includes new interviews with writer/director John Erick Dowdle, writer/producer Drew Dowdle and actress Stacy Chbosky, as well as the original theatrical trailer as bonus features. Fans can pre-order their copies now by visiting ShoutFactory.
The Poughkeepsie Tapes Blu-ray: Press Release: "From the filmmakers that brought you Quarantine and As Above, So Below comes a descent into the twisted crimes of a serial killer! Long sought-after by horror enthusiasts after its original 2007 theatrical release was infinitely delayed, this highly anticipated documentary-style thriller has never before been officially released on home entertainment formats. Making its Blu-ray and DVD debut October 10th, 2017 from Scream Factory, The Poughkeepsie Tapes also includes new interviews with writer/director John Erick Dowdle, writer/producer Drew Dowdle and actress Stacy Chbosky, as well as the original theatrical trailer as bonus features. Fans can pre-order their copies now by visiting ShoutFactory.
- 9/14/2017
- by Derek Anderson
- DailyDead
I saw “Antichrist” in theaters without hesitation. I bought “Irreversible” sight-unseen after hearing about its reputation in the early days of online movie chattering. I’ve watched French gorefests like “Martyrs,” “Inside,” and “Frontier(s)” multiple times on purpose, a section of my DVD shelf is devoted to Takashi Miike films (including, but not limited to, “Ichi the Killer” and “Visitor Q“), and I’ve somehow managed to convince my friends to sit through movies like “Happiness” and “Man Bites Dog” with me.
Continue reading ‘Kuso’ Is A Transgressive, Repugnant Curio [Review] at The Playlist.
Continue reading ‘Kuso’ Is A Transgressive, Repugnant Curio [Review] at The Playlist.
- 7/19/2017
- by Andrew Crump
- The Playlist
In our modern society, the obsession with reality TV is still a prevalent as ever, with millions of Americans regularly tuning in to Bravo, E!, TLC, and the like to peek into the lives of strangers. This fixation is not necessarily new, however, and films like Network, Man Bites Dog, The Running Man, and even The Hunger Games have long criticized and deconstructed […]...
- 3/22/2017
- by Ari Drew
- bloody-disgusting.com
Australia’s premier genre festival – Monster Fest – has unveiled its final wave of films for the 2016 festival, which is set to take place November 24-27 at the Lido Cinemas in Melbourne.
The team of features programmers – which includes festival director Kier-La Janisse, Monster Pictures co-founder Neil Foley, Boston Underground Film Festival Director of Programming Nicole McControversy and writer/programmer/punk legend Chris D. – vetted over 600 features in selecting the 2016 Monster Fest lineup, which includes new crime films Dog Eat Dog and The Hollow Point from Paul Schrader and Gonzalo López-Gallego respectively, gory slasher throwback The Windmill Massacre (reviewed here), the hometown premiere of epic period western The Legend of Ben Hall with cast in person and acclaimed Tiff selections Prevenge and Interchange alongside Fantastic Fest faves such as the Aussie-made yuletide thriller Safe Neighbourhood and the devastating – and polarizing – Playground.
From the press release:
Select panels for the Swinburne University...
The team of features programmers – which includes festival director Kier-La Janisse, Monster Pictures co-founder Neil Foley, Boston Underground Film Festival Director of Programming Nicole McControversy and writer/programmer/punk legend Chris D. – vetted over 600 features in selecting the 2016 Monster Fest lineup, which includes new crime films Dog Eat Dog and The Hollow Point from Paul Schrader and Gonzalo López-Gallego respectively, gory slasher throwback The Windmill Massacre (reviewed here), the hometown premiere of epic period western The Legend of Ben Hall with cast in person and acclaimed Tiff selections Prevenge and Interchange alongside Fantastic Fest faves such as the Aussie-made yuletide thriller Safe Neighbourhood and the devastating – and polarizing – Playground.
From the press release:
Select panels for the Swinburne University...
- 11/17/2016
- by Phil Wheat
- Nerdly
Edited by Hans-Åke Lilja, Shining in the Dark: Celebrating Twenty Years of Lilja's Library is exclusive to Cemetery Dance Publications and will feature a Stephen King story that hasn't been released since 1981. We also have updated release details for The Similars, the final wave of films announced at Monster Fest 2016, six photos / details for The Orphanage video game, and a new trailer for Gremlin.
Cemetery Dance Publications' Shining in the Dark Anthology: From Cemetery Dance: "Shining In the Dark: Celebrating Twenty Years of Lilja's Library edited by Hans-Åke Lilja.
About the Book:
Hans-Ake Lilja, the founder of Lilja's Library, has compiled a brand new anthology of horror stories to help celebrate twenty years of running the #1 Stephen King news website on the web!
This anthology includes both original stories like the brand new novella by John Ajvide Lindqvist (Let the Right One In) very rare reprints like "The Blue Air...
Cemetery Dance Publications' Shining in the Dark Anthology: From Cemetery Dance: "Shining In the Dark: Celebrating Twenty Years of Lilja's Library edited by Hans-Åke Lilja.
About the Book:
Hans-Ake Lilja, the founder of Lilja's Library, has compiled a brand new anthology of horror stories to help celebrate twenty years of running the #1 Stephen King news website on the web!
This anthology includes both original stories like the brand new novella by John Ajvide Lindqvist (Let the Right One In) very rare reprints like "The Blue Air...
- 11/2/2016
- by Tamika Jones
- DailyDead
In this unruly Belgian satire, God is a sadistic, filing-fixated resident of Brussels
In Jaco Van Dormael’s playfully blasphemous Belgian fantasy, God exists, lives in Brussels, and is a total bastard to his wife and daughter. Locked in a Gilliam-esque room of filing cabinets, his unholiness (played by Benoît Poelvoorde, who once turned heads and stomachs in Man Bites Dog) spends his days sadistically abusing the world’s population. Then, resourceful, resentful daughter Ea (Pili Groyne) commandeers his computer, texts the time and date of their deaths to every living soul, and escapes through a washing machine into the wonderland of the world. Here, she must assemble six random apostles while steering clear of her wrathful dad, who is getting a taste of his own earthly medicine. It’s divertingly unruly stuff, which comes on like a cross between Powell and Pressburger’s A Matter of Life and Death...
In Jaco Van Dormael’s playfully blasphemous Belgian fantasy, God exists, lives in Brussels, and is a total bastard to his wife and daughter. Locked in a Gilliam-esque room of filing cabinets, his unholiness (played by Benoît Poelvoorde, who once turned heads and stomachs in Man Bites Dog) spends his days sadistically abusing the world’s population. Then, resourceful, resentful daughter Ea (Pili Groyne) commandeers his computer, texts the time and date of their deaths to every living soul, and escapes through a washing machine into the wonderland of the world. Here, she must assemble six random apostles while steering clear of her wrathful dad, who is getting a taste of his own earthly medicine. It’s divertingly unruly stuff, which comes on like a cross between Powell and Pressburger’s A Matter of Life and Death...
- 4/17/2016
- by Mark Kermode, Observer film critic
- The Guardian - Film News
West Wing Studios
When Roger Patterson and Robert Gimlin claimed to have shot footage of the creature known as Bigfoot in 1967, they unwittingly inspired a clutch of dirt-cheap docudramas where the line between fact and fiction was kept deliberately blurry. One of the most popular was Charles B Pierce’s The Legend Of Boggy Creek (1972), which purported to be an investigation into monster sightings in Arkansas swamp country.
Years later, filmmakers Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sanchez, searching for a story they could film cheaply and quickly, took inspiration from those movies to create The Blair Witch Project. They may also have been familiar with the Mondo Cane school of exploitation documentaries – where events were staged or manipulated – a technique that also inspired Cannibal Holocaust (1980).
Then there was Man Bites Dog (1992), where a film crew follows a killer around Brussels as he randomly murders people. The film ends with a shot...
When Roger Patterson and Robert Gimlin claimed to have shot footage of the creature known as Bigfoot in 1967, they unwittingly inspired a clutch of dirt-cheap docudramas where the line between fact and fiction was kept deliberately blurry. One of the most popular was Charles B Pierce’s The Legend Of Boggy Creek (1972), which purported to be an investigation into monster sightings in Arkansas swamp country.
Years later, filmmakers Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sanchez, searching for a story they could film cheaply and quickly, took inspiration from those movies to create The Blair Witch Project. They may also have been familiar with the Mondo Cane school of exploitation documentaries – where events were staged or manipulated – a technique that also inspired Cannibal Holocaust (1980).
Then there was Man Bites Dog (1992), where a film crew follows a killer around Brussels as he randomly murders people. The film ends with a shot...
- 3/21/2016
- by Ian Watson
- Obsessed with Film
When you talk about the “original” found footage films, Man Bites Dog and The Blair Witch Project get most of the love, but there was also 1993’s America’s Deadliest Home Video, a shot-on-video shocker written and directed by Jack Perez (Some… Continue Reading →
The post America’s Deadliest Home Video Getting DVD, Digital, and Collector’s Edition VHS Release in May appeared first on Dread Central.
The post America’s Deadliest Home Video Getting DVD, Digital, and Collector’s Edition VHS Release in May appeared first on Dread Central.
- 3/21/2016
- by Debi Moore
- DreadCentral.com
Special Mention: C’est arrivé près de chez vous (Man Bites Dog)
Written by André Bonzel, Benoît Poelvoorde, Rémy Belvaux and Vincent Tavier
Directed by André Bonzel and Benoît Poelvoorde
France, 1992
Rémy Belvaux, André Bonzel, and Benoît Poelvoorde set out to make their first feature film with little resources and little money. In the tradition of filmmakers who can’t afford much film stock, the trio settled for a faux-documentary-style approach – the result is a high-concept satire of media violence that would spoof documentaries by following around a fictitious sociopath named Ben as he exercises his lethal craft. While the cinematic tradition of presenting villains as suave, charming, attractive, and intelligent individuals is nothing new, Man Bites Dog was still ahead of its time. Much like the great Hitchcockian villains such as Joseph Cotten in Shadow of a Doubt, Ben is a man of action and ideas. He expounds on art,...
Written by André Bonzel, Benoît Poelvoorde, Rémy Belvaux and Vincent Tavier
Directed by André Bonzel and Benoît Poelvoorde
France, 1992
Rémy Belvaux, André Bonzel, and Benoît Poelvoorde set out to make their first feature film with little resources and little money. In the tradition of filmmakers who can’t afford much film stock, the trio settled for a faux-documentary-style approach – the result is a high-concept satire of media violence that would spoof documentaries by following around a fictitious sociopath named Ben as he exercises his lethal craft. While the cinematic tradition of presenting villains as suave, charming, attractive, and intelligent individuals is nothing new, Man Bites Dog was still ahead of its time. Much like the great Hitchcockian villains such as Joseph Cotten in Shadow of a Doubt, Ben is a man of action and ideas. He expounds on art,...
- 10/26/2015
- by Ricky Fernandes
- SoundOnSight
After premiering in the Directors’ Fortnight sidebar at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival, Belgian auteur Fabrice du Welz’s excellent fourth feature Alleluia went on to play in the esteemed Vanguard lineup in the Toronto International Film Festival before nabbing Best Actor and Actress awards at Fantastic Fest for superb performances from Laurent Lucas and Lola Duenas. Although this didn’t translate into notable box office profit for Us distributor Music Box Films (released in mid-July for a limited theatrical run, the title didn’t crack ten grand in its paltry five week run), du Welz’s beautiful cult-classic in the making will eventually secure a greater following. A recent Blu-ray re-release of Criterion Collection’s presentation of the 1969 Leonard Kastle film, The Honeymoon Killers, based on the same romantic killing spree, should funnel some attention to it, as well as du Welz’s break into English language in 2016 with his next title.
- 10/14/2015
- by Nicholas Bell
- IONCINEMA.com
If you were to take the charm and playful visual language of Jean-Pierre Jenuet’s Amelie and pair it with a blistering satire of religious dogma, the end result would look something like The Brand New Testament, a new film from Belgian director Jaco Van Dormael. His previous feature, Mr. Nobody, starring Jared Leto as the last living human on Earth, also showcased a penchant for high concepts that veer towards the absurd rather than the literal. With his latest entry, Dormael is gunning for the big guy himself, God, portraying Him less as an all-powerful deity and more like an irritable grumpy man hellbent on making life miserable for us petty humans. In bringing life to these religious icons, he weaves a rich tapestry of conflicted characters whose unique problems become fodder for a truly holy upheaval of all that we know to be real.
The setup for The...
The setup for The...
- 10/6/2015
- by Raffi Asdourian
- The Film Stage
You’d be hard-pressed to find a film that can transcend the unpleasantness of Austrian filmmaker Gerald Kargl’s sole directorial feature, Angst. A title difficult to obtain copies of in the United States, it’s one of those titles passed around amongst aficionados who prefer their boundaries stretched or surpassed when it comes to taste, and the film feels like a progenitor of unsettling material like Man Bites Dog (1992) or Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer (1986). And yet Kargl’s unsung masterpiece of distress usurps the discomfort engendered in those later titles thanks to ambient score and spectacular camerawork. Touted as a film influencing the likes of Gaspar Noe, on record as proclaiming the title to be ‘the rarest masterpiece of cinema,’ widespread availability should mark this as a film worthy of reconsideration and a much wider cult following.
A troubled individual (Erwin Leder) is released from prison after...
A troubled individual (Erwin Leder) is released from prison after...
- 9/29/2015
- by Nicholas Bell
- IONCINEMA.com
Premiering at the 2014 Venice Film Festival with little fanfare, and received a limited theatrical release in March, 2015 in the Us, Benoit Jacquot’s latest somehow feels as if its been neglected. Despite its high pedigree cast, including names familiar to the American public, like Charlotte Gainsbourg and Catherine Deneuve, it didn’t receive much attention, though will assuredly be the type of sought after gem for fans of either the director or the cast member in decades overcoming its initial frostiness.
The follow-up to his most internationally renowned title to date, Farewell, My Queen, Jacquot’s underwhelming love story uses a contrivance often seen in romantic comedies, only he replaces the comedy with a somber indifference that seems to work against the believability of the film.
3 Hearts seems as if it belongs to an earlier era of filmmaking, a time where repressed feelings would roil just beneath the surface until...
The follow-up to his most internationally renowned title to date, Farewell, My Queen, Jacquot’s underwhelming love story uses a contrivance often seen in romantic comedies, only he replaces the comedy with a somber indifference that seems to work against the believability of the film.
3 Hearts seems as if it belongs to an earlier era of filmmaking, a time where repressed feelings would roil just beneath the surface until...
- 7/28/2015
- by Nicholas Bell
- IONCINEMA.com
In the Mood For Love: Du Welz Returns With Gloriously Dark Rendering of Insatiable Passion
His first film since 2008’s underappreciated Vinyan, Belgian director Fabrice Du Welz debuts the second installment in his proposed Ardennes trilogy, Alleluia. His 2004 directorial debut, Calvaire (aka The Ordeal) depicted a rather hellacious account of a singer whose car breaks down in the middle of the woods, stranding him in the midst of a very strange and terrifying rural community. Here, Du Welz bases his latest madness on the true account of serial killing couple Martha Beck and Raymond Fernandez, a case that famously inspired the 1969 film The Honeymoon Killers and 1996’s Deep Crimson, amongst others. But Du Welz hardly unveils a simple account of unhinged, obsessive love. His is a demonic hymnal of passion, a darkly droll exercise in the delusory notion of love as an unhealthy obsession told with aggressive flourish. But...
His first film since 2008’s underappreciated Vinyan, Belgian director Fabrice Du Welz debuts the second installment in his proposed Ardennes trilogy, Alleluia. His 2004 directorial debut, Calvaire (aka The Ordeal) depicted a rather hellacious account of a singer whose car breaks down in the middle of the woods, stranding him in the midst of a very strange and terrifying rural community. Here, Du Welz bases his latest madness on the true account of serial killing couple Martha Beck and Raymond Fernandez, a case that famously inspired the 1969 film The Honeymoon Killers and 1996’s Deep Crimson, amongst others. But Du Welz hardly unveils a simple account of unhinged, obsessive love. His is a demonic hymnal of passion, a darkly droll exercise in the delusory notion of love as an unhealthy obsession told with aggressive flourish. But...
- 7/13/2015
- by Nicholas Bell
- IONCINEMA.com
Fandor, the premiere streaming service for independent, classic and critically-acclaimed films, shorts and documentaries, in a partnership with the Criterion Collection and Hulu Plus, is currently home to a rotation of uniquely curated bundles of Criterion films available to watch instantly via desktop, set top and mobile devices.
Every Tuesday, Fandor rolls out a new collection of films that share a common theme, genre, time period, film style, etc. These films are available on the site for 12 days before being replaced by a fresh new batch of featured Criterion masterpieces.
Fandor’S Criterion Picks For March
March 17-28: The Sixteenth Century
Carnival in Flanders(1935, Director Jacques Feyder): A small village in Flanders puts on a carnival to avoid the brutal consequences of the Spanish occupation. Ivan the Terrible(1944, DirectorSergei Eisenstein): As Ivan ascends to lead Russia, the Boyars are determined to disrupt his rule. Ivan’s relationship...
Every Tuesday, Fandor rolls out a new collection of films that share a common theme, genre, time period, film style, etc. These films are available on the site for 12 days before being replaced by a fresh new batch of featured Criterion masterpieces.
Fandor’S Criterion Picks For March
March 17-28: The Sixteenth Century
Carnival in Flanders(1935, Director Jacques Feyder): A small village in Flanders puts on a carnival to avoid the brutal consequences of the Spanish occupation. Ivan the Terrible(1944, DirectorSergei Eisenstein): As Ivan ascends to lead Russia, the Boyars are determined to disrupt his rule. Ivan’s relationship...
- 3/21/2015
- by Robert Greenberger
- Comicmix.com
Marc (Benoit Poelvoorde of Man Bites Dog, Coco Before Chanel), a shlumpy tax investigator, just missed the train back to Paris. He now has to spend the night in a provincial town whether he likes it or not. By chance, he meets and chats up lovely Sylvie (Charlotte Gainsbourg, Science of Sleep, Antichrist, Nymphomaniac). The mutual attraction is there. Marc is glad that even though she seems a little anxiety stricken, she's willing to talk to him and show around the town in this sleepless night. Sharing smokes, they end up walking all night talking. This wasn't like one night passionate tryst of strangers. The tender encounter was some kind of sign from above, as if they were meant to be together (but of...
[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...
[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...
- 3/11/2015
- Screen Anarchy
Heart to Heart to Heart: Jacquot’s Romantic Drama Can’t Cover Every Angle
Despite sporting the likes of Charlotte Gainsbourg and Catherine Deneuve, 3 Hearts, the latest from Benoit Jacquot often feels like a rather stilted endeavor. The follow-up to his most internationally renowned title to date, Farewell, My Queen, Jacquot’s underwhelming love story uses a contrivance often seen in romantic comedies, only he replaces the comedy with a somber indifference that seems to work against the believability of the film.
The film seems as if it belongs to an earlier era of filmmaking, a time where repressed feelings would roil just beneath the surface until they boiled over to cause living hell for all affected parties lost amidst the unmitigated power known as love. This is the stuff of classic melodrama, and the three hearts at the center of this triangle often feel more like archetypes than actual people,...
Despite sporting the likes of Charlotte Gainsbourg and Catherine Deneuve, 3 Hearts, the latest from Benoit Jacquot often feels like a rather stilted endeavor. The follow-up to his most internationally renowned title to date, Farewell, My Queen, Jacquot’s underwhelming love story uses a contrivance often seen in romantic comedies, only he replaces the comedy with a somber indifference that seems to work against the believability of the film.
The film seems as if it belongs to an earlier era of filmmaking, a time where repressed feelings would roil just beneath the surface until they boiled over to cause living hell for all affected parties lost amidst the unmitigated power known as love. This is the stuff of classic melodrama, and the three hearts at the center of this triangle often feel more like archetypes than actual people,...
- 3/11/2015
- by Nicholas Bell
- IONCINEMA.com
The only way is ethics for Man Bites Dog, a pseudo-documentary, which focuses its lens on the media’s obsession with on-screen violence and so-called “Reality TV” and our obsession with watching it. It is probably the most controversial film in Belgian history, and it continues to repel and intrigue audiences in equal measure.
Written, directed and produced by Remy Belvaux, Andre Bonzel and Benoit Poelvoorde (all of whom play starring roles), Man Bites Dog is a cross between mock-cinema verité, à la Spinal Tap but with the violence turned up to eleven, and the ultimate reality TV show. The film shows an amateur film crew who are following a loquacious and charismatic serial killer named Ben. Ben kills to make a living. Strangely he is not seeking revenge or attempting to surmount a past trauma, in fact an interview with his mother reveals that as a child he was...
Written, directed and produced by Remy Belvaux, Andre Bonzel and Benoit Poelvoorde (all of whom play starring roles), Man Bites Dog is a cross between mock-cinema verité, à la Spinal Tap but with the violence turned up to eleven, and the ultimate reality TV show. The film shows an amateur film crew who are following a loquacious and charismatic serial killer named Ben. Ben kills to make a living. Strangely he is not seeking revenge or attempting to surmount a past trauma, in fact an interview with his mother reveals that as a child he was...
- 8/29/2014
- by Will Roberts
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Arriving on these shores following a hearty endorsement by Kevin Smith (who released this in the Us under his distribution label), the Clerks director can certainly spot potential when it comes his way. The directorial debut of 26-year-old Canadian Matt Johnson (who is stars in the film, as well as co-writing, producing and editing), he’s fashioned a dark and unsettling socially relevant meta-mockumentary – think a Man Bites Dog-like psychological expose, shot in that faux verite style favoured by disposable Us ‘reality’ shows like The Hills.
High school friends Matt and Owen exist on the fringes of their society. They are a pop culture-obsessed duo (the likes of Irreversible, Pulp Fiction and Being John Malkovich are referenced) who are forever picked on and harassed by the popular jocks in their class. Matt, the more immature and fanciful of the two, begins to retreat further into his own head, detaching himself from reality.
High school friends Matt and Owen exist on the fringes of their society. They are a pop culture-obsessed duo (the likes of Irreversible, Pulp Fiction and Being John Malkovich are referenced) who are forever picked on and harassed by the popular jocks in their class. Matt, the more immature and fanciful of the two, begins to retreat further into his own head, detaching himself from reality.
- 6/4/2014
- by Adam Lowes
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Found footage films get a bad rap - and worse reviews. But the genre combines the vitality of punk rock with the reach of a video viral, and it has earned, if not respectability, then at least a respectful reappraisal. Some found footage (hereafter Ff) films are, admittedly, unwatchable (see The Devil Inside or, better, don't). But others, such as recent West Country-set religious chiller The Borderlands, or Bobcat Goldthwait's creepy Bigfoot hunt Willow Creek (out on May 2), are closer to unmissable.
Beyond an ominous title card, Ff films require little backstory, and the genre has only a brief history of its own. An uncompromising, hand-over-the-camera-lens look at totalitarianism in Vietnam-era America, Peter Watkins' 1971 mock-doc Punishment Park is considered Ff's chief forebear. Ruggiero Deodato's still-troubling Cannibal Holocaust (1979), however, is the most striking early archetype. Following a gonzo film crew into tribal Amazonia, it puts video-nasty atrocities through a film-school filter,...
Beyond an ominous title card, Ff films require little backstory, and the genre has only a brief history of its own. An uncompromising, hand-over-the-camera-lens look at totalitarianism in Vietnam-era America, Peter Watkins' 1971 mock-doc Punishment Park is considered Ff's chief forebear. Ruggiero Deodato's still-troubling Cannibal Holocaust (1979), however, is the most striking early archetype. Following a gonzo film crew into tribal Amazonia, it puts video-nasty atrocities through a film-school filter,...
- 4/12/2014
- Digital Spy
Ahead of the home entertainment release of In Fear, HeyUGuys had the opportunity to speak with the film’s director Jeremy Lovering. From stepping out onto the metaphorical dance floor to discuss film as a dance, Jeremy shared his thoughts with us on film as a pay check, In Fear’s filmic influences, the evolution of genre, and how science can explain one’s affection or lack of affection for horror.
Film is a dance between the writer, the director, the participants, and of course the audience. The goal of course is to create something that you are going to put out there into the world and which is going to be independent of you. It needs to create its own identity, but as you have spoken about in previous interviews you need to make it to be a good watch, but you need to give it an identity and personality.
Film is a dance between the writer, the director, the participants, and of course the audience. The goal of course is to create something that you are going to put out there into the world and which is going to be independent of you. It needs to create its own identity, but as you have spoken about in previous interviews you need to make it to be a good watch, but you need to give it an identity and personality.
- 3/12/2014
- by Paul Risker
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Alleluia
Director: Fabrice Du Welz
Writers: Fabrice Du Welz
Producer: Clément Miserez, Vincent Tavier, Matthieu Warter
U.S. Distributor: Rights Available
Cast: Laurent Lucas, Lola Duenas, Helena Noguerra
While he hasn’t released anything since 2008’s sorely underrated Vinyan, Belgian director Fabrice Du Welz has been busy. His first film since then, the Joey Starr led action thriller Colt 45, wrapped some time ago, and while we thought we’d see this released somewhere in 2013, it looks like 2014 should usher it into theaters. But even more exciting is that Welz is in post-production with Alleluia, which is meant to be the second chapter in his Ardennes trilogy, an opus kicked off by his delectably bizarre debut, 2004’s The Ordeal. This latest sees him reteam with everyone’s favorite star of weirdo French films, Laurent Lucas (who starred in The Ordeal), co-written and produced by Vincent Tavier, the man who wrote...
Director: Fabrice Du Welz
Writers: Fabrice Du Welz
Producer: Clément Miserez, Vincent Tavier, Matthieu Warter
U.S. Distributor: Rights Available
Cast: Laurent Lucas, Lola Duenas, Helena Noguerra
While he hasn’t released anything since 2008’s sorely underrated Vinyan, Belgian director Fabrice Du Welz has been busy. His first film since then, the Joey Starr led action thriller Colt 45, wrapped some time ago, and while we thought we’d see this released somewhere in 2013, it looks like 2014 should usher it into theaters. But even more exciting is that Welz is in post-production with Alleluia, which is meant to be the second chapter in his Ardennes trilogy, an opus kicked off by his delectably bizarre debut, 2004’s The Ordeal. This latest sees him reteam with everyone’s favorite star of weirdo French films, Laurent Lucas (who starred in The Ordeal), co-written and produced by Vincent Tavier, the man who wrote...
- 3/6/2014
- by Nicholas Bell
- IONCINEMA.com
As we’ve seen here in the first few weeks of 2014, the landscape of the horror genre is absolutely flooded with found footage movies, and we primarily have two movies to thank/blame for that; The Blair Witch Project and Paranormal Activity.
While 1999’s Blair Witch Project is often credited as the first horror movie made in the Pov found footage style, such a claim is actually quite untrue. Though Blair Witch is no doubt the movie that popularized the style, and Paranormal Activity the one that re-invented it and brought it into a new decade, there were actually a handful of found footage films that came out well before the horrifying tale of the witch in the woods.
Here are seven of those handheld horror movies, which all predate The Blair Witch Project!
Cannibal Holocaust (1980) - Theatrical Trailer
Cannibal Holocaust – 1980
What’s the very first found footage movie ever made?...
While 1999’s Blair Witch Project is often credited as the first horror movie made in the Pov found footage style, such a claim is actually quite untrue. Though Blair Witch is no doubt the movie that popularized the style, and Paranormal Activity the one that re-invented it and brought it into a new decade, there were actually a handful of found footage films that came out well before the horrifying tale of the witch in the woods.
Here are seven of those handheld horror movies, which all predate The Blair Witch Project!
Cannibal Holocaust (1980) - Theatrical Trailer
Cannibal Holocaust – 1980
What’s the very first found footage movie ever made?...
- 1/27/2014
- by John Squires
- FEARnet
One of the keys to nailing a "found footage" movie is to give your audience a good reason as to why cameras are always running -- even when mass carnage is underway. It's not always believable that a woman would hang on to a video camera while she's being chased by a raving maniac, but it is sort of believable if your horror movie is about a low-rent porno production whose very gimmick is to film everything. And, yes, the "Lucky Bastard" porno site most definitely aims to film "everything." Surely that's enough of a hook to hang a movie on, right? Found footage, on a no-budget porno set, and the no-name nobody (aka the "lucky bastard") who gets to bed the sexy starlet is, of course, seriously unhinged and just about to explode in a tornado of impotent fury. So given that the head honcho wants everything filmed, and...
- 1/20/2014
- by Scott Weinberg
- FEARnet
If you aren’t plugged in to what’s going on with short films, you’re missing out on an insane amount of outstanding entertainment. People talk about how difficult it was to whittle down Best Of lists for features this year (Her or Gravity or 12 Years a Slave?!) but after watching almost 3,000 shorts in 12 months, it feels like the depth of talent is growing in a big way on the small side. As a testament to the medium’s freedoms, more and more feature filmmakers are returning to it. No longer simply a calling card or an early stepping stone, shorts have an undeniable power coupled with an infinite platform that some are just now discovering. They’re also strange to categorize. For some, the internet is a red carpet while for others, it’s a final stop after touring festivals for years. As such, some of the best short films of 2013 were made a couple...
- 12/24/2013
- by Scott Beggs
- FilmSchoolRejects.com
Welcome to Issue 27 of ‘The Marvelous Da7e!’
Real quick mission statement: this column is for discussion of superhero movie news and superhero movies…Or Is It?
This week: A bad comic fan film is in the news for blatant theft. Let’s not let that tarnish fan films.
This Shia Labeouf thing is getting weird.
Mr. Labeouf, for those who don’t know, released a short film that ended up being a word-for-word visual version of Daniel Clowes’ 2007 comic, “Justin M. Damiano”, just with names and a few props changed. No where in the film is Clowes acknowledged and the artist and his editor are super-pissed at the plagiarism at hand.
This is all a little surreal, because I had seen this comic pop up on Tumblr during Cannes when Shia Labeouf’s short HowardCantour.com had premiered. Someone had blogged it with a caption like: ust saw a live action version of this.
Real quick mission statement: this column is for discussion of superhero movie news and superhero movies…Or Is It?
This week: A bad comic fan film is in the news for blatant theft. Let’s not let that tarnish fan films.
This Shia Labeouf thing is getting weird.
Mr. Labeouf, for those who don’t know, released a short film that ended up being a word-for-word visual version of Daniel Clowes’ 2007 comic, “Justin M. Damiano”, just with names and a few props changed. No where in the film is Clowes acknowledged and the artist and his editor are super-pissed at the plagiarism at hand.
This is all a little surreal, because I had seen this comic pop up on Tumblr during Cannes when Shia Labeouf’s short HowardCantour.com had premiered. Someone had blogged it with a caption like: ust saw a live action version of this.
- 12/18/2013
- by Da7e
- LRMonline.com
Every year, we here at Sound On Sight celebrate the month of October with 31 Days of Horror; and every year, I update the list of my favourite horror films ever made. Last year, I released a list that included 150 picks. This year, I’ll be upgrading the list, making minor alterations, changing the rankings, adding new entries, and possibly removing a few titles. I’ve also decided to publish each post backwards this time for one reason: the new additions appear lower on my list, whereas my top 50 haven’t changed much, except for maybe in ranking. I am including documentaries, short films and mini series, only as special mentions – along with a few features that can qualify as horror, but barely do.
****
Special Mention:
Häxan
Directed by Benjamin Christensen
Denmark / Sweden, 1922
Häxan (a.k.a The Witches or Witchcraft Through The Ages) is a 1922 silent documentary about the history of witchcraft,...
****
Special Mention:
Häxan
Directed by Benjamin Christensen
Denmark / Sweden, 1922
Häxan (a.k.a The Witches or Witchcraft Through The Ages) is a 1922 silent documentary about the history of witchcraft,...
- 10/30/2013
- by Ricky
- SoundOnSight
Tiff’s Midnight Madness program turned 25 this year, and for two and half decades, the hardworking programers have gathered some of the strangest, most terrifying, wild, intriguing and downright entertaining films from around the world. From dark comedies to Japanese gore-fests and indie horror gems, the Midnight Madness program hasn’t lost its edge as one the leading showcases of genre cinema. In its 25-year history, Midnight Madness has introduced adventurous late-night moviegoers to such cult faves as Richard Linklater’s Dazed and Confused and Quentin Tarantino’s Reservoir Dogs. But what separates Midnight Madness from, say, Montreal’s three and half week long genre festival Fantasia, is that Tiff selects only ten films to make the cut. In other words, these programmers don’t mess around. Last week I decided that I would post reviews of my personal favourite films that screened in past years. And just like the Tiff programmers,...
- 9/18/2013
- by Ricky
- SoundOnSight
C’est arrivé près de chez vous (Man Bites Dog)
Directed by André Bonzel and Benoît Poelvoorde
Written by André Bonzel, Benoît Poelvoorde, Rémy Belvaux and Vincent Tavier
1992, France
Rémy Belvaux, André Bonzel and Benoît Poelvoorde set out to make their first feature film with little resources and little money. In the tradition of filmmakers who can’t afford much film stock, the trio settled for a faux-documentary-style approach – the result is a high-concept satire of media violence which would spoof documentaries by following around a fictitious sociopath named Ben as he exercises his lethal craft. While the cinematic tradition of presenting villains as suave, charming, attractive, and intelligent individuals is nothing new, Man Bites Dog was still in many way, ahead of its time. Much like the great Hitchcockian villains such as Joseph Cotten in Shadow of a Doubt or Anthony Perkins in Psycho, Ben is a man of...
Directed by André Bonzel and Benoît Poelvoorde
Written by André Bonzel, Benoît Poelvoorde, Rémy Belvaux and Vincent Tavier
1992, France
Rémy Belvaux, André Bonzel and Benoît Poelvoorde set out to make their first feature film with little resources and little money. In the tradition of filmmakers who can’t afford much film stock, the trio settled for a faux-documentary-style approach – the result is a high-concept satire of media violence which would spoof documentaries by following around a fictitious sociopath named Ben as he exercises his lethal craft. While the cinematic tradition of presenting villains as suave, charming, attractive, and intelligent individuals is nothing new, Man Bites Dog was still in many way, ahead of its time. Much like the great Hitchcockian villains such as Joseph Cotten in Shadow of a Doubt or Anthony Perkins in Psycho, Ben is a man of...
- 9/7/2013
- by Ricky
- SoundOnSight
With X-Men trying to do an Avengers, and Batman teaming up with Superman, the superhero business shows no signs of slowing down
If you thought superhero movies were as simple as Marvel v DC, think again. Warner Bros owns the rights to the DC back catalogue, including Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman, while Disney subsidiary Marvel Studios owns Iron Man, Thor, Captain America and various other characters, some linked to The Avengers, some not. But due to a deal struck back in the 1990s, it is 20th Century Fox that owns the rights to all of the X-Men comic-book universe (as well as Fantastic Four and, until recently, Daredevil). Meanwhile, Sony has just Spider-Man to its name.
Such a corporate muddle mattered less in the years when comic-book movies were standalone affairs, but in the wake of the $1.5bn (£982m) success of Joss Whedon's The Avengers last year, every...
If you thought superhero movies were as simple as Marvel v DC, think again. Warner Bros owns the rights to the DC back catalogue, including Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman, while Disney subsidiary Marvel Studios owns Iron Man, Thor, Captain America and various other characters, some linked to The Avengers, some not. But due to a deal struck back in the 1990s, it is 20th Century Fox that owns the rights to all of the X-Men comic-book universe (as well as Fantastic Four and, until recently, Daredevil). Meanwhile, Sony has just Spider-Man to its name.
Such a corporate muddle mattered less in the years when comic-book movies were standalone affairs, but in the wake of the $1.5bn (£982m) success of Joss Whedon's The Avengers last year, every...
- 8/5/2013
- by Ben Child
- The Guardian - Film News
Venom Truth in Journalism Short Film. Joe Lynch‘s Venom: Truth in Journalism (2013) short film stars Ryan Kwanten, Danny Belrose, Adi Shankar, and Derek Mears. Venom: Truth in Journalism‘s plot synopsis: “Inspired by the cult 1992 Belgian crime mockumentary Man Bites Dog, Truth in Journalism is directed by Joe Lynch (Knights [...]
Continue reading: Venom: Truth In Journalism (2013) Short Film: Kwanten is Eddie Brock...
Continue reading: Venom: Truth In Journalism (2013) Short Film: Kwanten is Eddie Brock...
- 8/2/2013
- by Rollo Tomasi
- Film-Book
True Blood's Ryan Kwanten stars as Eddie Brock in this awesome short film called "Truth in Journalism." I love how the the story is told, and the addition of the Marvel universe is really cool. The short was directed by Joe Lynch (Wrong Turn 2, Knights of Badassdom), and this is the information from the YouTube page:
"The great part of my job is that I get to be an 'administrator of truth.' Crime occurs every 13 seconds in this city. You know we have these statistics? Because guys like me are out on the streets, collecting these stories. We put the caution in cautionary tale, y'know? And being aware the crime out there, the people of this city can live their lives accordingly. In fact, I'm the one doing this city a public service. We're the heroes out there...." -Eddie Brock
The short was inspired by a 1992 French film film called Man Bites Dog,...
"The great part of my job is that I get to be an 'administrator of truth.' Crime occurs every 13 seconds in this city. You know we have these statistics? Because guys like me are out on the streets, collecting these stories. We put the caution in cautionary tale, y'know? And being aware the crime out there, the people of this city can live their lives accordingly. In fact, I'm the one doing this city a public service. We're the heroes out there...." -Eddie Brock
The short was inspired by a 1992 French film film called Man Bites Dog,...
- 8/1/2013
- by Joey Paur
- GeekTyrant
'Knights of Badassdom' Director's New Short Is the Coolest Marvel Film Marvel Had Nothing to Do With
What do you get when you cross Wrong Turn 2 director Joe Lynch, French serial killer mockumentary Man Bites Dog, and Marvel Comics? You get one of the coolest short fan films we’ve seen in a very long time. It’s hard to talk about Truth in Journalism – Lynch’s 17-minute short film – without spoiling what makes it so awesome. With that in mind, you’ll just have to take my word for it and watch -- if you’re a Marvel fanboy, you’re going to want to see this. A French film crew (very similar to the one in Remy Belvaux’s feature) follows a reporter with some very questionable ethics around as part of a documentary. As they get more involved with their subject, they start to wonder if maybe they should call the whole thing off...
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- 8/1/2013
- by Mike Bracken
- Movies.com
A new 16-minute short has surfaced online from the same producer who brought us the popular Punisher: Dirty Laundry short (starring Thomas Jane) that was released last year. The new short film titled, “Truth in Journalism”, once again delves into the life of yet another anti-hero from the Marvel Universe as True Blood‘s Ryan Kwanten steps into the role of Venom – the iconic Spider-Man villain.
The short was produced by Adi Shankar, the same man responsible for producing such theatrical releases as The Grey, Killing Them Softly, and the comic-book adaptation of Dredd starring Karl Urban.
Speaking about the short film with Screen Rant, Shankar had the following to say about his vision for the well-received short film.
The concept behind ‘Truth in Journalism’ is one I’ve had for a while. It was actually an idea I had for either a ‘Dredd‘ sequel or a ‘Duke Nukem’ movie.
The short was produced by Adi Shankar, the same man responsible for producing such theatrical releases as The Grey, Killing Them Softly, and the comic-book adaptation of Dredd starring Karl Urban.
Speaking about the short film with Screen Rant, Shankar had the following to say about his vision for the well-received short film.
The concept behind ‘Truth in Journalism’ is one I’ve had for a while. It was actually an idea I had for either a ‘Dredd‘ sequel or a ‘Duke Nukem’ movie.
- 8/1/2013
- by Adam B.
- GeekRest
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