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August isn't especially famous for its great movies. As months go, the eighth one on the calendar has often been a bit of a wasteland for Hollywood, as blockbusters peter off, kids have a lot less free time and money, and studio executives need to find somewhere to dump their proverbial dead bodies.

If you want a good example, you can pretty much throw a dart at any year after "Jaws" popularized the concept of summer blockbuster season. For example, let's take a look at 1993. 30 years ago, August was a month for dreck comedies like "Son of the Pink Panther," family film misfires like "Father Hood" and "Surf Ninjas," and the weird-ass "Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday."

But then again, there are exceptions to every rule. There were also a few excellent motion pictures in August 1993. The increasingly timeless classic "The Fugitive" came out that month, along with...

Although he may be best known for his successful music career, Ice-t is also on the television of millions every Thursday night.

Acting has been in his blood for years, as he had his breakout role in “New Jack City” in 1991, followed by “Surviving the Game” in 1994. However, it was the next year he met the man who changed his TV career. In 1995, Ice-t landed a recurring role as a drug dealer on Dick Wolf’s “New York Undercover,” beginning their professional collaborations. After, he co-created “Players,” with Wolf as the producer, but that didn’t last. So, Wolf gave him a part in 1998’s “Exiled: A Law & Order Movie.”

Two years later, the world was introduced to Odafin “Fin” Tutuola in Season 2 of “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit,” on which he’s appeared in more than 400 episodes.

“I think that I am his longest- running employee,” says Ice-t,...

Last week, three studios made major announcements that suggest Premium VOD income isn’t enough to prioritize it over other platforms; this week, the VOD charts suggests a drop in the momentum toward home viewing options. This may be temporary, with “Candyman” (Universal/$19.99) scheduled for release September 16, but Disney will present the rest of its 2021 movie slate as initial theatrical exclusives. Universal placed “Halloween Kills” day-and-date on Peacock October 15, and Paramount announced that it would replace chairman and and CEO Jim Gianopulos with the more Paramount+-friendly Brian Robbins, currently head of Nickelodeon.

Warner Bros. provides same-day HBO Max access for its theatrical releases, but James Wan’s “Malignant,” a $40 million-budgeted horror film, mustered only 735,000 viewings (per Samba TV’s estimate). Clint Eastwood’s “Cry Macho” this weekend and next month’s “Dune” should do much better. Disney’s “Free Guy,” just announced for September 28 PVOD, should also find high interest.

With readers turning to their home viewing options more than ever, this daily feature provides one new movie each day worth checking out on a major streaming platform.

The signature appeal of Spike Lee’s early films have Ernest Dickerson’s cinematography to thank as much as Lee’s own cinematic flourishes. Dickerson’s eye helped give many Spike Lee joints their distinctive look; it was a symbiotic pairing that would continue through much of their careers. But directing was always in Dickerson’s future. After making his debut with “Juice” in 1992, Dickerson took on one of the most adapted literary works of all time, Richard Connell’s 1924 short story, “The Most Dangerous Game.” He did so with mixed results, but introduced some provocative ideas that are still worth exploring today. “Surviving the Game” is a worthwhile flashback, given the current racial and political climate in America, as protests continue...

With readers turning to their home viewing options more than ever, this daily feature provides one new movie each day worth checking out on a major streaming platform.

The signature appeal of Spike Lee’s early films have Ernest Dickerson’s cinematography to thank as much as Lee’s own cinematic flourishes. Dickerson’s eye helped give many Spike Lee joints their distinctive look; it was a symbiotic pairing that would continue through much of their careers. But directing was always in Dickerson’s future. After making his debut with “Juice” in 1992, Dickerson took on one of the most adapted literary works of all time, Richard Connell’s 1924 short story, “The Most Dangerous Game.” He did so with mixed results, but introduced some provocative ideas that are still worth exploring today. “Surviving the Game” is a worthwhile flashback, given the current racial and political climate in America, as protests continue...

While the Covid-19 pandemic will prevent an in-person Chattanooga Film Festival this year, a virtual edition of the fest will move forward with plenty of screenings and special events to look forward to, including a Lifetime Achievement Award for filmmaker Joe Dante.

You can check out the full lineup for Chattanooga Film Festival 2020 below, and to learn more, visit:

https://www.chattfilmfest.org/

Press Release: Chattanooga, Tn - The Chattanooga Film Festival (Cff) along with its presenting sponsor Gunpowder & Sky’s Alter and media partner Bloody-Disgusting.com, are thrilled to announce their innovative lineup of features, panels and live events set for May 22 to May 25. In unprecedented times, the festival is offering a full-access badge price of $30 and divvying up a portion of the proceeds back to participating filmmakers.

A mix of iconic guests are taking part in the festival, including Law & Order: Svu star, hip-hop visionary, and frontman...

The most talked-about movie of the year is the one nobody has seen … yet. The Hunt was supposed to be released on September 27th, 2019, however, a series of events caused this release to be canceled. 2 of these were the August 3rd El Paso shooting which killed 22 people and the August 4th Dayton shooting which killed 9. The studio decided to pull all commercials for it shortly after. Mainly due to the fact that the movie is about hunting and killing other people, this response was kind of expected.

There was a third, and possibly the silliest “thing” that sort of tainted the movie and that is that the people being hunted were conservatives or as they were mentioned in the trailers “Deplorables”. Once President Trump got wind of this news, off to Twitter he went and it was an all-out attack on the movie as being racially charged, bad for the country,...

“The Hunt” may be new and controversial, but stories about humans hunting humans for sport have been around since, at the very least, Irving Pichel and Ernest B. Schoedsack’s “The Most Dangerous Game,” and they’ve pretty much always been used to explore the evils of one form of dehumanization or another.

It’s not supposed to be thrilling to watch a rich psychopath kill poor people. It’s supposed to be a thrill to watch the hunted turn on the hunter. The hunter, in simple terms, is always the a-hole.

Craig Zobel’s “The Hunt” is a little more complex than that, but it’s still a raucous, funny, ultraviolent exploitation thriller about people trying to kill each other. Betty Gilpin, Ike Barinholtz and Emma Roberts star as conservatives who suddenly wake up in a forest with a box full of weapons awaiting them in the middle of a field.

Following the news of Rutger Hauer’s death, celebrities took to social media to remember the Dutch actor.

Hauer died July 19 after a short illness at the age of 75. Celebrities shared quotes, photos and gifs showcasing the actor’s most famous role, such as the villainous John Ryder in the 1986 thriller “The Hitcher,”Captain Navarre in the 1985 film “LadyHawke” and perhaps his most famous performance as replicant Roy Batty in the sci-fi film “Blade Runner.”

Guillermo del Toro pointed to “Flesh and Blood,” “Eureka,” “The Hitcher,” “Blade Runner,” “Ladyhawke” and “Blind Fury” as some of his favorite Hauer roles. “Rip the great Rutger Hauer: an intense, deep, genuine and magnetic actor that brought truth, power and beauty to his films,” he wrote.

Rip the great Rutger Hauer: an intense, deep, genuine and magnetic actor that brought truth, power and beauty to his films. My personal favorites: Flesh + Blood, Eureka, The Hitcher,...

The passing of famed “Blade Runner” actor Rutger Hauer has prompted an outpouring of tributes from filmmakers, actors, and fans on Twitter, honoring a career highlighted by one of the most famous monologues in sci-fi history.

Director Guillermo Del Toro praised Hauer as “an intense, deep, genuine and magnetic actor that brought truth, power and beauty to his films.” “Law and Order: Svu” star Ice-t reflected on the time he worked with Hauer on the action film “Surviving the Game,” while Kiss frontman Gene Simmons posted a picture of a VHS copy of “Wanted Dead or Alive,” in which the rock star played a terrorist being hunted down by a CIA agent played by Hauer.

Hauer’s “Blade Runner” co-star Daryl Hannah said in a statement to Fox News Wednesday, “I have a profound love and respect for Rutger Hauer. I am heartbroken to learn he has left us. He was unpredictable,...

Exclusive: The Wire and The Walking Dead director Ernest Dickerson has been tapped to direct the majority of CBS All Access’ straight-to-series true-crime drama Interrogation.

Dickerson, who has worked as director of photography on many of Spike Lee’s films including Do The Right Thing and Mo Better Blues, will direct six of the ten episodes and has also come on board to exec produce the series.

The drama stars The Outsiders’ Kyle Gallner, X-Men: Apocalypse’s Kodi Smit-McPhee, Peter Sarsgaard and David Strathairn and has a unique structure with nine episodes of the series released to watch in any order with the conclusive season finale released at a later date. Each episode of the series is structured around an interrogation taken directly from the real police case files, with the goal of turning the viewer into a detective.

Co-created by Swedish writer-producer Anders Weidemann and John Mankiewicz, Interrogation is...

Clearly drawing inspiration from films like Surviving the Game and The Purge, Joe Dietsch and Louie Gibson’s Happy Hunting presents a similar world wherein humans killing other humans is a twisted game that the main character finds himself playing in. In the film… “An alcoholic drifter must battle withdrawal and psychotic rednecks after he becomes the target of a deranged sporting […]...

Tagline: "Run for Your Life." A trailer for the thriller Happy Hunting came out this week. The film takes place in Bedford Flats. Here, vagrants and drifters are rounded up, for a chase in the desert. Happy Hunting was developed by directors Joe Dietsch and Louie Gibson. Somewhat reminiscent of 1991's Surviving the Game, with Ice-t, this latest film is set to release late in September. The film has already shown at a couple of film festivals, including Glasgow's Fright Fest. Now, a preview for the film's theatrical launch is hosted here. The trailer shows Warren (Martin Dingle Wall) alone in Bedford. He is captured and driven out into the desert. Here, he is grouped with a few other people. Meanwhile, a squad of human hunters are getting ready for murder. And with nowhere to hide in the desert, it is unlikely that anyone will survive. Vertical Entertainment is handling the film's launch.

Clearly drawing inspiration from films like Surviving the Game and The Purge, Joe Dietsch and Louie Gibson’s Happy Hunting presents a similar world wherein humans killing other humans is a twisted game that the main character finds himself playing in. Below you’ll find the trailer and poster art. In the film… “An alcoholic drifter must battle […]...

Simon Brew Jul 12, 2017

How Ernest Dickerson nearly directed Seven, just as the film was about to be canned...

Having had what can best be described as an unpleasant experience making Alien 3, David Fincher was very picky when choosing his second film as director. He eventually opted for Seven, starring Morgan Freeman and Brad Pitt, and the resulting film would set up the film career he’s had since. There’s still an argument that it’s his best film.

See related Fargo season 3 episode 1 review: The Law Of Vacant Places

However, it wasn’t a movie he was originally set to direct.

Instead, Ernest Dickerson, who broke through with 1992’s Juice, was on the lookout for a horror film to make in the early 90s. On the Post Mortem podcast, he revealed that he changed agents, and “the first two scripts that they gave me… one was Surviving The Game.

Following Tambay’s lead last week on Ernest Dickerson’s 1994 film “Surviving The Game”, and how there are some black films that have a new relevancy that they perhaps did not have when they first came out, as he said, considering “the… Continue Reading →...

Flashback To 1994: "Surviving The Game" (Ice-t Vs The Übermensch, Directed By Ernest Dickerson) Continue Reading →...

By Mark Cerulli

The trailer tells you everything you need to know about “The Belko Experiment”, writer James Gunn’s bloody trip to the dark side of the corporate workspace. You know there’s going to be a serious body count… you know there’s going to be some wicked humor… and you know that somewhere you’re going to see Michael Rooker. But How things unfold is what makes Belko such an entertaining ride. Think “Office Space” meets “Texas Chainsaw Massacre”…

Aptly directed by Greg McLean (“Wolf Creek”), “The Belko Experiment” chronicles a (final) day in the life of the staff of a rather bland American company set up on the outskirts of Bogota, Colombia. It’s a typical workday until an anonymous intercom voice tells them they have two hours to kill thirty of their co-workers or sixty of them will be “sacrificed”. The execs laugh it off...

One of the things I really like about director Ernest Dickerson is that he has no qualms nor shame about being considered a "genre” director - the term used for directors who specialize in genres such as horror, suspense and action. Take a look at his very impressive and extensive list of directing jobs in both films and television, and you'll see credits such as "Surviving The Game," "Bones," "Never Die alone," "The 4400," "Under the Dome," and "Dexter." And I don’t need to tell you about his stellar work on the AMC's "The Walking Dead" for which has directed several episodes, many considered the most...

One of the things I really like about director Ernest Dickerson is that he has no qualms nor shame about being considered a "genre” director - the term used for directors who specialize in genres such as horror, suspense and action. Take a look at his very impressive and extensive list of directing jobs in both films and television, and you'll see credits such as "Surviving The Game," "Bones," "Never Die alone," "The 4400," "Under the Dome," and "Dexter." And I don’t need to tell you about his stellar work on the AMC's "The Walking Dead" for which has directed several episodes, many considered the most...

On May 26th, 1995, music video director and artist Robert Longo made his directorial debut with Johnny Mnemonic, an adaptation of William Gibson’s futuristic short story of the same name (Gibson also penned the screenplay) that starred Keanu Reeves in the titular role as a “mnemonic courier” who finds himself in the middle of a corporate conspiracy with implications for all of mankind.

Johnny Mnemonic celebrates its 20th anniversary this month, and while it may not necessarily be a film many sci-fi fans celebrate, it’s always held a special place in my heart, undoubtedly being one of the coolest films I saw that year and one that also revitalized the cyberpunk film movement (yes, even before The Matrix came along and did it a bit more effectively).

For the uninitiated, Johnny Mnemonic transports us to the year 2021; in the opening text crawl, we learn that corporations have taken over...

After several successful seasons on HBO under its belt, Tales from the Crypt and its iconic host, The Cryptkeeper (voiced by John Kassir), made the leap to the big screen in January 1995 with the feature film Demon Knight. Directed by Ernest Dickerson and starring William Sadler, Billy Zane, Jada Pinkett, Dick Miller, Brenda Bakke, Thomas Hayden Church, Cch Pounder and Charles Fleischer, Demon Knight debuted at #3 its opening weekend and took in over $21 million during its theatrical run, making the first of the Tales from the Crypt a bona fide success (even if the critics didn’t seem to think so).

A movie best remembered by fans for its masterful blending of horror and comedy, an incredibly diverse and talented cast of players as well as an iconic soundtrack and jaw-dropping special effects to boot, it was love at first sight after I first experienced Demon Knight all those years...

Techland chose to forego setting up shop within the hustle and bustle of E3 2014′s two main halls, in favour of a quiet, low-key meeting room on an above level. It was there that we took a break from the chaos, and had the opportunity to play through two separate sections of Dying Light, the studio’s next, zombie-filled adventure.

Our time with the game followed a short, vocal introduction from one of the Polish developer’s main men, and began with a guided walkthrough of one of its earliest parts. Then, once that demo came to an end, a proverbial fast-forward button was hit, before our second hands-on opportunity arrived. The idea was to show two sides of the experience: the beginning, where our hero is weak and still learning how to get around using parkour, and something later on, where he’s levelled himself up quite a bit.

We’re back! Did you survive the Oscars? Are you looking for something to watch on Blu-ray, DVD, or streaming service? We have a few options for you released right at the end of February or the beginning of March, including a couple great animated shows, a Best Picture nominee, an FX sitcom, and a mega-blockbuster. Pick your favorites. All five are worth a look.

Nebraska

Photo credit: Paramount

“Nebraska”

What do Alexander Payne, David O. Russell, and Martin Scorsese’s latest films all have in common? While being multiple category nominees, they all went home empty-handed at the Oscars Sunday night. While the inferior “Dallas Buyers Club” took three trophies, Payne’s beautiful character piece about a man clinging to false hope when he thinks he has won a sweepstakes was overlooked. No matter. “Nebraska” will find the audience it deserves, and then some. This is the kind of...

This Friday you’ll finally be able to get your hands on a copy of The Hunger Games: Catching Fire via Blu-ray Combo Pack, DVD, Digital HD, Video On Demand and Pay-Per-View. It’s easily my favorite of the three books and I just loved what they did with the games. Check out the official press release below which includes info on a bonus feature sneak peek at Divergent!

“Spectacular in every sense of the word.”

- Peter Travers, Rolling Stone The Explosive #1 Motion Picture Of 2013 Becomes The Most Anticipated Home Entertainment Release Of The Year The Hunger Games: Catching Fire The Second Installment of The Hunger Games Blockbuster Franchise Arrives On Blu-ray Combo Pack, DVD, Digital HD, Video On Demand And Pay-Per-View March 7 From Lionsgate Theatrical Release Has Generated Nearly $420 Million At The Domestic Box Office and over $850 Million Worldwide

Santa Monica, CA (January 24, 2014) – The blockbuster second film of...

Blu-ray & DVD Release Date: March 7, 2014

Price: DVD $29.95, Blu-ray/DVD Combo $39.99

Studio: Lionsgate

The second installment in the franchise, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire scored even better than the original at the box office and with critics.

Based on the second book in the novels by Suzanne Collins, the science-fiction movie continues the story of reluctant heroine Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence, X-Men: First Class), who’s now on a victory tour after winning the Hunger Games in the first film. This time, she has to go through the deadly games again, with even higher stakes as rebellion is sparked in the outer lying districts of the dangerous Capitol.

Josh Hutcherson (Red Dawn), Woody Harrelson (Seven Psychopaths), Liam Hemsworth (The Expendables 2), Donald Sutherland (The Eagle Has Landed), Lenny Kravitz (Lee Daniels’ The Butler), Stanley Tucci (Jack the Giant Slayer) and Elizabeth Banks (Pitch Perfect) all return in their roles, and additions...

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire didn’t surprise anyone by taking over the box office, but it surprised me by not only equaling the first film, but actually surpassing it.

Also not surprising, the film is moving to the home market fairly quickly, and hopes to sell you on special features. What some might find a bit surprising is that the release is piling all its eggs in one basket… sort of. Instead of putting the effort toward a slew of bonuses, many of which may be of little real value, this one gives you a nine-part “Making Of” documentary, and a commentary track. Likely the sort of thing that ultimately will prove far more interesting than a padded list of bonuses, some people may find it hard to divorce themselves from the feeling that a big list is somehow giving you more.

At any rate, take a look at...

Ready to continue the single-player action in "Tomb Raider " via Dlc? Well, I'm afraid you're out of luck. As it turns out, Crystal Dynamics does not currently have any single-player Dlc plans for "Tomb Raider," instead keeping the focus on the multiplayer side of the reboot.

The news comes from a recent Reddit Ama with game director Noah Hughes and global brand director Karl Stewart.

"Currently there are no plans regarding single-player Dlc," said Hughes when asked about future Dlc. "Now that Lara is more experienced, we are excited to take her on new adventures that challenge her new strength and confidence. It is important that even as Lara grows as a character, so do the challenges she must face."

"There are currently no plans in place for any single-player expansions." Stewart later added. "All of our Dlc is based around the multiplayer experience for now."

The first multiplayer expansion for "Tomb Raider,...

Imangi Studios has once again teamed up with Disney for a "Temple Run" crossover. First it was "Brave" and now it's "Oz the Great and Powerful." Apparently there's a lot of running involved, but "Temple Run: Oz" sees it all go down on the yellow brick road.

Instead of filling the shoes of an adventurer on the run from demon apes, players will take on the role of Oz as he tries to outrun a band of flying baboons (aka demon apes). Building off the updates introduced in "Temple Run 2," "Temple Run: Oz" adds new features including changing environments and the ability to fly a hot air balloon. Players are also able to explore different areas of The Land of Oz by following sign posts.

Unlike "Temple Run 2," which is free, the Oz crossover will set you back $0.99. In an attempt to make up for asking for one of your dollars,...

Better grab a friend. Electronic Arts today announced that a two-player co-op demo for "Army of Two: the Devil's Cartel" will be hitting the Xbox Live Marketplace and PlayStation Network March 12th.

The downloadable demo will see players take on the role of private military bros Alpha and Bravo as they attempt to diffuse a hostage situation and recover a kidnapped politician. Making their way from a ground floor drug lab to the top of a skyscraper, players will fight to survive hordes of cartel thugs by splitting up, as one lays down cover fire from a helicopter while the other goes face-to-face with the enemy.

The trailer above introduces the game's masked antagonist, known only as El Diablo, while giving us a peek at all of the ridiculously dangerous situations the duo will find themselves in.

"Army of Two: Devil's Cartel" will be available for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 on...

Valve's Steam Box is getting closer and closer folks. The company is still working to finalize the hardware, but Valve chief executive Gabe Newell expects prototype Steam Boxes will be going out for testing within the next 4 months.

"We're working with partners trying to nail down exactly how fast we can make it," Newell told the BBC before last night's BAFTA awards. "We're also working hard on the input side to try to take a step forward in terms of the kinds of games you can play. So very much on the development side, and we'll be giving out some prototypes to customers to get their reactions, I guess, in the next three to four months."

Newell also shared some details on the Steam Box's controller, revealing that there are a few different prototypes they're currently working with.

"We have a couple different controller prototypes that we're using, and...

Nintendo announced this morning that it was bringing a handful of demos to South by Southwest, the Austin music, film, and media festival including "Pikmin 3" and the "Pikmin"-like "Wonderful 101" or the Wii U along with a bunch of other new titles and sequels for both the console and the 3Ds.

Here's what you can expect to play during the festival:

Pikmin 3 (Wii U)

The Wonderful 101 (Wii U)

Lego City Undercover (Wii U)

Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate (Wii U)

Need for Speed Most Wanted U (Wii U)

Wii Street U powered by Google (Wii U)

New Super Mario Bros. U (Wii U)

Nintendo Land (Wii U)

Luigi’s Mansion: Dark Moon (3Ds)

Animal Crossing: New Leaf (3Ds)

Lego City Undercover: The Chase Begins (3Ds)

Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Gates to Infinity (3Ds)

Kersploosh! (3Ds)

HarmoKnight (3Ds)

Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate (3Ds)

Castlevania: Lords of Shadow – Mirror of Fate (3Ds)

Fire Emblem Awakening (3Ds...

Square Enix today announced they will be releasing three new multiplayer maps for the recent "Tomb Raider" reboot in the Caves and Cliffs Multiplayer Map Pack. They also revealed the map pack will be available exclusively to Xbox 360 players first.

The Caves and Cliffs map pack opens up more of the island's locations, and each of the three maps are playable in all four multiplayer game modes. The maps will pit the island’s indigenous Scavengers against crew members from the shipwrecked Endurance.

You'll find an official breakdown of each map below:

Scavenger Caverns

An extensive subterranean network of caves used by the island’s scavengers as an underground prison

Cliff Shantytown

This scavenger settlement was built high up on the island cliffs. Its many layers hide some of the deadliest traps on the island

The Burning Village

A raging fire has embraced an abandoned Japanese village, the burning buildings...

As if relations between the sexes weren’t strained enough already, along comes Black Rock, a new thriller from writer Mark Duplass (from everything) and director Katie Aselton (The Freebie) that looks like it’s going to fan the flames further, ensuring that we get at least another year of clueless nincompoops publicly declaring their unsettling opinions about rape. The basic story follows three ladies (Aselton, Lake Bell, and Kate Bosworth) who trek out to an isolated island where they used to have camping trips when they were young; you know, to rekindle lost youth or something. When they’re out there though, the island proves to not be as isolated as they thought. They happen upon a group of three very male hunters (Will Bouvier, Jay Paulson, and Anslem Richardson), one of the ladies gets a little frisky with a bearded gentleman around the campfire, and then he gets way handsy and his buddies suddenly turn...

Director/writer: Chris Crow.

Devil's Bridge is an indie horror film from the United Kingdom. This is director and writer Chris Crow's first major release and Devil's Bridge deals with three blokes on holiday. They leave Essex for Wales, but they might have wanted to avoid one stop in a backwoods country town. Here, a hunter reminds the men who is boss in the Welsh wilderness with threats, stares, gunfire and even stabbings. The guys get the message a little too late. And thus, we have another urban versus rural encroachment theme with elements of Welsh history and territory aggression tied into a fairly predictable thriller.

Sam (Michael Jibson), Danny (Gary Mavers), and Sean (Joseph Millson) are the three men "on the piss." Sean is searching for a family friend who can get him out of his financial troubles. On the way to find this mystery man, they almost...

Ice-t; most people know him best now as Detective Fin Tutuola on Law & Order: Svu or if you're a hip-hop fan, like myself, you'll always remember him as one of the pioneers of "gangsta" rap before there was even a term for it. A lot of us even dig his surprisingly eclectic film career. He's been in movies as diverse as New Jack City, Surviving the Game, Tank Girl, Johnny Mnemonic and Leprechaun in the Hood.

However, it's his very early foray into the world of films that I want to focus on in this installment of Trailer Trash.

Before Ice-t had even released a record, he began to gain notoriety as a rapper and songwriter, in large part due to his work in motion pictures. While a lot of his early 80's film work can be considered corny and laughable by today's standards and a far cry from the...

Director: Daniel Benmayor.

Writer: Mario Schoendorff.

Paintball is a film shot in Spain by first time director Daniel Benmayor. Partially produced by European film company Filmax, Paintball was released on DVD in North America late in 2010. The film is amateurish early with little character development, while this horror train begins to pick up speed by the last third of the film. But will the pacing issues, lack of characterizations, and poor acting get viewers to the final act? This reviewer barely made it; yet, others will likely get off at the first available station.

Several semi-pro paintballers head out into the local mountains for a weekend of fun and simulated battle good times. Set to capture the opponents flags, this squad, led by David (Brendan Mackey) do everything wrong in the paintball rule book. Soon masks are hanging loosely around necks, characters are screaming, while few characters use cover, to protect themselves from future welts.

Director: Daniel Benmayor.

Writer: Mario Schoendorff.

Paintball is a film shot in Spain by first time director Daniel Benmayor. Partially produced by European film company Filmax, Paintball was released on DVD in North America late in 2010. The film is amateurish early with little character development, while this horror train begins to pick up speed by the last third of the film. But will the pacing issues, lack of characterizations, and poor acting get viewers to the final act? This reviewer barely made it; yet, others will likely get off at the first available station.

Several semi-pro paintballers head out into the local mountains for a weekend of fun and simulated battle good times. Set to capture the opponents flags, this squad, led by David (Brendan Mackey) do everything wrong in the paintball rule book. Soon masks are hanging loosely around necks, characters are screaming, while few characters use cover, to protect themselves from future welts.

Each week within this column we strive to pair the latest in theatrical releases to the worthwhile titles currently available on Netflix Instant Watch.

This week Mel Gibson tries to win back the love of moviegoers by returning to theaters, where he and his hand puppet will do battle with a vagrant whose armed to the teeth, a Viking whose wielding a mighty hammer, and a wavering pair of lovers. If you want to fill your weekend with superheroes, imaginary friends, cheating partners and exploitation action stars, we’ve got you covered!

—

Thor

Marvel continues their Avengers franchise with this fish-out-of-water adventure that posits the Viking warrior in modern-day America. Chris Hemsworth, Anthony Hopkins, Natalie Portman and Kat Dennings co-star.

Superman: The Movie (1978) Arguably the first superhero movie of note, this Richard Donner-directed adventure pits the Man of Steel (Christopher Reeve) against the nefarious Lex Luther (Gene Hackman). Margot Kidder...

Before he was solving cases with The Belz on “Law & Order: Svu”, Ice-t was running for his life in director Ernest R. Dickerson’s 1994 offering “Surviving the Game”, a movie loosely based on author Richard Connell’s “The Most Dangerous Game”. The film — a subtle critique of how people with natty dreads are often violently exploited by wealthy white people and their one African-American friend — follows the adventures of a homeless chap named Jack Mason. Poor Jack has had a rough time of it lately, and from the looks of things, his future doesn’t look much brighter. To make matters worse, his wife and daughter are dead, his best friend is a cranky old bum, and his meals are often salvaged from the fetid bowels of a back alley garbage can. However, things start to look up when Jack is offered a job escorting a group of rich white folks through the woods,...

“Do you know what happens to an eyeball when it is punctured?” asks Rutger Hauer in The Hitcher (1985), sliding a switchblade up to The Kid’s eye, catching a tear on the glistening blade and watching it twinkle in the passing highway lights. This was not in the script and co-star C. Thomas Howell may have had to contemplate the fact that this bear-like Dutch actor might actually show him.

After all, with his manic intensity, reliance on gut instinct and bloody-minded commitment to character Hauer had become one of Hollywood’s favourite psychos. Roles in Blade Runner (1982) and Flesh and Blood (1985) had cemented his reputation as an unhinged cinematic killer – “a one-man slaughterhouse,” as one critic labelled him.

In the 1980s Hauer seemed fearless. Onscreen he was intense and regularly insisted on fucking with his audience (and co-stars) expectations. He claims he put the blade to Howell’s eye because it,...

Disc 2 episodes are bonus/supplement episodes of The CriterionCast. Rudie Obias, Ryan Gallagher, & James McCormick ramble on and on about movies and movie experiences. “On The Screen” is where they discuss anything and everything that has been on their screens in the week. So anything from TV & movies to music & web junk, everything “On The Screen” is up for grabs. This is what they recommend to you, their listeners.

Special Guest: Tim Buel – Co-Host of The Golden Briefcase on FirstShowing.net and the Host of the video podcast, 7 Minute Skillet.

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I should first say, for those of you just joining us, that my “Flashback” posts are not necessarily recommendations of each film; usually my intent is to point out something specific about each film, whether good or bad, or just revisiting them for no reason other than I recently watched them again.

Surviving The Game, directed by Ernest Dickerson, is a 1994 loose adaptation of Richard Connell’s 1924 story, The Most Dangerous Game, starring Ice-t, Rutger Hauer, Gary Busey and Charles S. Dutton.

It’s a low-budget, b-grade exploitative genre flick; but I’d also consider it something of a guilty pleasure, with Ice-t being the weakest link. This was made 3 years after New Jack City (another guilty pleasure), and Ice’s acting skills don’t seem to have much improved over that time period, during which he co-starred in 4 other films.

It’s one of several adaptations of Richard Connell’s short story,...

On Tuesday, Gary Busey (Lethal Weapon, Surviving the Game) witnessed a collision between two cars on Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu and was the first person to rush to the scene in order to help a 21-year-old man who was injured in the wreck. According to witnesses, Busey helped slow traffic and stayed with one of the injured men until paramedics arrived. The man's mother told TMZ that the actor was "very sweet and caring." She added that her son only has minor back pain and wants to thank Busey for his help. TMZ got their hands on the audio from the 911 call made by some other person who never actually spoke. But in the background Busey is heard taking charge of the situation. Listen to the 911 call below. 911 Call: (click play button to begin)...

I should first say that my “Flashback” posts are not necessarily recommendations of each film; usually my intent is to point out something specific about each film, whether good or bad.

I’m re-watching Surviving The Game at the moment – Ernest Dickerson’s 1994 loose adaptation of Richard Connell’s 1924 story, The Most Dangerous Game. Ice-t, Rutger Hauer, Gary Busey and Charles S. Dutton star.

It’s a low-budget, b-grade exploitative genre flick; but I’d also consider it something of a guilty pleasure, with Ice-t being the weakest link. This was made 3 years after New Jack City (another guilty pleasure), and Ice’s acting skills don’t seem to have much improved over that time period, during which he co-starred in 4 other films.

It’s one of several adaptations of Richard Connell’s short story, whose basic concept has been borrowed for numerous films – inverting the, at the time, fashionable...

Years ago, while considering a fresh cast for his moody Batman sequel, Christopher Nolan took a bet that his core audience might be the only demographic who appreciated Eric Roberts’s filmography even more than that of his sister, Julia. No stranger to the occasional studio film, Eric is still best known to fanboys as the throaty-voiced, B-movie martial artist in the 1980s and 90s, most notably in The Best of the Best films. (“I’m going to kick your ass,” he famously explained.) So it kind of made sense that the washed-up—if still prolific—low-budget action star should be cast in the monstrously big-budget action blockbuster, The Dark Knight, as a washed-up mafia boss whose thunder—and plunder—is stolen by the hipper, younger Joker. But wait—who was that other throaty-voiced, washed-up actor from the 1980s and 90s who played an ancillary villain in Nolan’s first Batman film,...

Sin City and Batman Begins in 2005 saw the mighty Rutger Hauer return to roles in high profile genre films. He has been working solidly of course, but these day's one might forget just what a genre film powerhouse the Dutchman was, during a period spanning about 15 years, from the early 80's to the mid nineties. Of course Hauer’s quintessential role is that of Roy Batty, the replicant on the run who races against time to find his creator. While avoiding the Blade Runner Rick Deckard played by Harrison Ford. Probably his second most recognizable role is the powerhouse performance as the uber menacing Hitch Hiker John Ryder in the 1986 movie The Hitcher. "John Ryder" as played by Hauer is probably my favorite on screen psycho, as Hauer relies almost entirely on performance to menace both the viewer and his onscreen victim Jim Halsey (C. Thomas Howell) in a movie...