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Freestyle Digital Media will release Devilworks’ meta horror Cut Shoot Kill, from writer-director Michael Walker (Chasing Sleep, The Maid’s Room), on Digital On-Demand tomorrow, August 8, 2017. The film stars Alexandra Socha (Red Oaks) and Phil Burke (Hell On Wheels) in the story of an ambitious young actress who signs on as the star of a horror film. […]...

Exclusive: Devilworks secures deal ahead of Cannes.

Freestyle Digital Media has acquired North American rights for horror-thriller Cut Shoot Kill from sales company Devilworks.

The movie will debut on VoD on August 8, and the deal with Freestyle - the digital film distribution division of Byron Allen’s Entertainment Studios - has been inked ahead of Cannes.

The script follows a young actress who signs on to do a horror film with a group of backwoods filmmakers, but must truly embrace her role when the crew starts to go missing.

Cut Shoot Kill is written and directed by Michael Walker (Chasing Sleep, The Maid’s Room) and stars Alexandra Socha (Red Oaks).

“Filmmaker Michael Walker and I are very happy to be in business with Freestyle Digital Media and our international sales agency Devilworks on Cut Shoot Kill,” said Producer Alfred Sapse.

“Cut Shoot Kill offers a gruesome, yet witty take on the dangers of being on a film...

Sales outfit is bringing six market premieres to Berlin.

Ahead of the European Film Market (Efm) at the Berlin Film Festival (Feb 9-19), genre sales specialists Devilworks has revealed more detail about its slate of films.

The company’s full slate features six market premieres, including sci-fi thriller Incontrol from director Kurtis David Harder (Cody Fitz). Starring Levi Meaden (Aftermath, Pacific Rim: Uprising) and Rory J. Saper (The Legend Of Tarzan), the film tells the story of a group of university students who discover a device that allows them to take control of other people.

Screen can exclusively reveal the film’s first trailer:

[Click here to watch on Youtube]

Also on Devilworks’ slate is meta horror Cut Shoot Kill [pictured top], from writer-director Michael Walker (Chasing Sleep, The Maid’s Room). The film stars Alexandra Socha (Red Oaks) and Phil Burke (Hell On Wheels) in the story of an ambitious young actress who signs on as the star of a horror film. On the set...

Sales outfit is bringing six market premieres to Berlin.

Ahead of the European Film Market (Efm) at the Berlin Film Festival (Feb 9-19), genre sales specialists Devilworks has revealed more detail about its slate of films.

The company’s full slate features six market premieres, including sci-fi thriller Incontrol from director Kurtis David Harder (Cody Fitz). Starring Levi Meaden (Aftermath, Pacific Rim: Uprising) and Rory J. Saper (The Legend Of Tarzan), the film tells the story of a group of university students who discover a device that allows them to take control of other people.

Screen can exclusively reveal the film’s first trailer:

[Click here to watch on Youtube]

Also on Devilworks’ slate is meta horror Cut Shoot Kill [pictured top], from writer-director Michael Walker (Chasing Sleep, The Maid’s Room). The film stars Alexandra Socha (Red Oaks) and Phil Burke (Hell On Wheels) in the story of an ambitious young actress who signs on as the star of a horror film. On the set...

The Cannes Film festival was an exceptional edition for French films this year. A focus on the rising generation of French actors and directors that have been highlighted in Cannes and will most certainly be the stars of tomorrow was compiled by Unifrance chief Isabelle Giordano.

They are a force to be reckoned with. Unifrance films is ready to bet that you will certainly hear about these ten talented people. They represent the French cinema of today and will soon be on the screens worldwide.

Emmanuelle Bercot

An actress and a director, Emmanuelle Bercot began by enrolling at the Cours Florent drama school and taking dancing lessons after her baccalaureate. She graduated from Femis in 1998, after winning the Prix du Jury at the Cannes Film Festival for her short film "Les Vacances," in 1997. After her first few roles in the films of Jean-François Richet and Michel Deville, her career as an actress took off when Claude Miller gave her one of the main roles in "La Classe de neige" (1998). The following year, she made the headlines with the medium-length film she directed called "La Puce," presented in the selection of Un Certain Regard at Cannes. This film tells of the love affair between a 35-year-old man and a 14-year-old girl, played by Isild Le Besco.

Her first feature-length film, "Clément" (2001), is about the life of a troubled woman who has one adventure after another with various men until she meets a 14-yearold boy. Her second film, "Backstage" (2004), continues to explore teenage angst through a relationship between a hit singer and a young obsessional fan. She earned her first critical and public acclaim with "On My Way" (2013), the third film written by the director for Catherine Deneuve, in which the star plays a woman who has decided to leave everything behind and hit the road in France.

She was indisputably the most talked about person during the Cannes Film Festival 2015, both as an actress and a director. Thierry Frémaux surprised everyone by announcing that "Standing Tall," Emmanuelle Bercot’s fourth feature-length film would open the 68th Cannes Film Festival. Emmanuelle Bercot says that she has rediscovered the social fiber of her beginnings with this tale of juvenile delinquency. After the enthusiastic and unanimous reception of her film, she won the Best Actress Award for her role as a woman under the influence of love in the film "Mon Roi" by Maïwenn, with whom she co-wrote the script for "Polisse," which won the Prix du Jury at the Cannes Film Festival in 2012

Thomas Bidegain

Thomas Bidegain may well be one of the best known French screenwriters in the profession today, but it took him ten years to achieve this status. His career path in film is anything but ordinary. He started out in the 1990s by distributing and producing independent American films: "Ice Storm" by Ang Lee and "Chasing Sleep" by Michael Walker. He came back to France and joined MK2 where he became director of distribution. In 1999, he returned to production for "Why Not." In 2007, he told the story of his attempt to stop smoking in "Arrêter de fumer tue," a personal diary that was turned into a documentary, then a book.

In the meantime, he began screenwriting and worked on several projects. In 2009, he wrote the screenplay for Jacques Audiard’s film, "A Prophet," alongside Nicolas Peufaillit and Abdel Raouf Dafri, which won the Grand Prix du Jury in 2009. He participated in Audiard’s next film, "Rust and Bone" and "Our Children" by Joachim Lafosse. He was also the co-writer for "Saint Laurent" by Bertrand Bonello. Winning a César for the best original script and a César for the best adaptation, he presented "Cowboys" at the Quinzaine des Réalisateurs in Cannes this year, his first film as a director. He is also co-writer of "Ni le ciel ni la terre" by Clément Cogitore, presented during the Semaine de la Critique, as well as co-writer of the script for Jacques Audiard’s latest film, "Dheepan," which won the Palme d’Or.

Louise Bourgoin

Louise Bourgoin attended the Ecole des Beaux Arts for five years, during which she began her career as a model. After she graduated from art school in 2004, she radically changed direction and became a presenter on cable TV. She was Miss Météo in Le Grand Journal on Canal + from 2006 to 2008. Her slot became essential viewing and attracted a wide audience, including the attention of the film industry.

She began her acting career in "The Girl from Monaco" by Anne Fontaine, and her performance earned her a César nomination for Most Promising Actress. This recognition led to a whole series of roles and launched her career in film. She headed the bill of several films in 2010 ("White as Snow" by Christophe Blanc, "Sweet Valentine" by Emma Luchini, and "Black Heaven" by Gilles Marchand). The same year, Luc Besson selected her for the leading role in "The Extraordinary Adventures of Adèle Blanc-Sec."

Since then, Louise Bourgoin has played in film after film, and has taken her first steps in the international scene with her part in the American film "The Love Punch" by Joel Hopkins. She attracted attention at the Cannes Film Festival this year with her unusual role in Laurent Larivière’s first film, "I Am a Soldier," presented at Un Certain Regard.

Anaïs Demoustier

Her passion for acting started at a very young age and rapidly pushed her to take drama classes. She auditioned, when still a teenager, and got her first role alongside Isabelle Huppert in "Time of the Wolf" by Michael Haneke. After this, her career was launched and she played in a series of films among which "L’Année suivante" by Isabelle Czajka, "Hellphone" by James Huth, "The Beautiful Person" by Christophe Honoré, "Sois sage" by Juliette Garcias, "Sweet Evil" by Olivier Coussemacq, "Dear Prudene" by Rebecca Zlotowski, "Snows of Kilimanjaro" by Robert Guédiguian, "Thérèse Desqueyroux" by Claude Miller, "Quai d’Orsay" by Bertrand Tavernier, "Paris Follies" by Marc Fitoussi, etc.

A filmography rich of 30 films for an actress who isn’t 30 years old yet. In 2014, the press talked about the blooming of Anaïs Demoustier because her face and poise became essential to cinema. Present in "Bird People" by Pascale Ferran, "Caprices" by Emmanuel Mouret, "À trois on y va" by Jérôme Bonnell and "The New Girlfriend" by François Ozon, she is Marguerite in the last Valérie Donzelli’s film, "Marguerite et Julien" screened in Official selection in Cannes.

Louis Garrel

The son of actress Brigitte Sy and the director Philippe Garrel, he began his career in film thanks to his father, who started filming him at the age of six in "Emergency Kisses," alongside his mother and his grandfather, Maurice Garrel. He went onto study drama at the Conservatoire National d’Art Dramatique. He made his real cinema debut in 2001 in the film "Ceci est mon corps" by Rodolphe Marconi. Two years later, he played opposite Michael Pitt and the future Bond girl, Eva Green, in "The Dreamers" by Bernardo Bertolucci.

He then starred in another of his father’s films, "Regular Lovers". His performance earned him the César for the Most Promising Actor in 2005. Since then, he has played alongside the greatest, such as Isabelle Huppert in "Ma mère" by Christophe Honoré. This marked the beginning of a long collaboration between the filmmaker and the actor. They worked together in the film "In Paris" with Romain Duris, then in 2007 in "Love Songs" with Ludivine Sagnier, in "The Beautiful Person" with Léa Seydoux, in "Making Plans" for Lena with Chiara Mostroianni and, finally, in " Beloved" with Catherine Deneuve. He also topped the bill with Valéria Bruni Tedeschi in "Actresses," whom he worked with again in 2013 in "A Castle in Italy."

In 2010, he directed a short film, "The Little Tailor," in which he directed Léa Seydoux. He performed once again in one of his father’s films, "A Burning Hot Summer," followed by "Jealousy." In 2014, he starred in Bertrand Bonello’s film "Saint Laurent," a role which led to another César nomination, but this time in the best supporting role category. His first feature-length film, "Two Friends," presented at a Certain Regard, was applauded by the critics. He also starred in "Mon Roi," Maïwenn’s fourth feature-length film, alongside Emmanuelle and Vincent Cassel, presented as part of the official selection.

Guillaume Gouix

After studying at the Conservatoire in Marseille and the Ecole Régionale d’Acteur de Cannes, Guillaume Gouix began his career in television. He played the male lead in "The Lion Cubs," by Claire Doyon, in 2003. Noted for his performance, especially the highly physical aspect of it and his intense gaze, he then played a series of supporting roles as a young hoodlum in "Les Mauvais joueurs" by Frédéric Balekdjian and in "Chacun sa nuit," by Jean-Marc Barr and Pascal Arnold. He featured in the 2007 war film "Intimate Enemies" by Florent Emilio Siri, thus confirming his taste for complex characters.

The following year, he was applauded for his performance in the film "Behind the Walls" by Christian Faure. In 2010, he starred in "22 Bullets" by Richard Berry and in 2011, he established his reputation with roles in "Nobody Else But You" by Gérald Hustache-Mathieu, "Et soudain, tout le monde me manque" by Jennifer Devoldere, and "Jimmy Rivière," Teddy Lussi-Modeste’s film debut.

He also appeared in "Midnight in Paris" by Woody Allen. He more recently starred in "Attila Marcel," by Sylvain Chomet, in which he played the lead role, in "French Women" by Audrey Dana, and "The Connection" by Cédric Jimenez with Jean Dujardin and Gilles Lelouche. He performed in three films presented at Cannes this year ("Les Anarchistes" by Elie Wajeman, which opened the Semaine de la Critique, "La Vie en grand" by Mathieu Vadepied, which closed the week, and in "Enragés" by Eric Hannezo, screened at the Cinéma de la Plage). He also directed his first short film "Alexis Ivanovitch, vous êtes mon héros" in 2011 and will soon start on a feature-length film, which is currently being written. He will be topping the bill in 2015 with "Braqueurs," a thriller by Julien Leclercq.

Ariane Labed

Born in Greece to French parents, Ariane Labed has always navigated between her two countries. She studied drama at the University of Provence and began her acting career treading the boards. After setting up a company combining dance and theater, Ariane Labed returned to live in Greece where she played at the National Theater of Athens. 2010 was the year of her first film, "Attenberg," directed by Athiná-Rachél Tsangári. "Alps" by Yorgos Lanthi-mos, the following year, confirmed the talent of this strangely charming actress. Two years later, she starred in "Before Midnight" by Richard Linklater where she played the role of Anna. The follow-up to "Before Sunrise" and "Before Sunset," this third part of the saga was a great success, making Labed known to a wider audience.

In 2014, she played a young sailor in "Fidelio, Alice’s Odyssey," who is torn between faithfulness and her desire to live her life. Winning the best actress award at the Locarno Film Festival and nominated for a César, the French actress gives a brilliant performance in Lucie Borleteau’s first feature-length film. She joined Yorgos Lanthimos in Cannes in 2015, where he won the Prix du Jury for his film "The Lobster."

Vincent Macaigne

Vincent Macaigne is the leading light in young French cinema. He joined the Conservatoire National Supérieur d’Art Dramatique in Paris in 1999, appearing on stage and assuming the role of director. His free adaptations of the great classics of literature and drama earned him public and critical acclaim. He directed "The Idiot" by Dostoïevski and presented "Au moins j’aurai laissé un beau cadavre in Avignon," inspired by Hamlet. He also rapidly made a name for himself in demanding art-house films. In 2001, he was seen for the first time in "Replay" by Catherine Corsini. In 2007, he starred in "On War" by Bertrand Bonello and in 2010, in "A Burning Hot Summer" by Philippe Garrel.

Since 2011, Vincent Macaigne’s presence in short, medium and full-length films has gradually increased. Faithful to his directors, he has starred in several of their films. As is the case with his friend Guillaume Brac, who directed him in "Le Naufragé," "Tonnerre" and "Un monde sans femmes." He was awarded the Grand Prix and the Prix Télérama at the Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival, and the Prix Lutin for Best Actor in this film. Under the direction of Vincent Mariette, he played in "Les Lézards" then "Fool Circle." In 2013, we find the funny and touching thirty-something in "La fille du 14 juillet" by Antonin Peretjatko, "Age of Panic" by Justine Triet, and "2 Autumns, 3 Winters" by Sébastien Betbeder.

He was discovered by the general public at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival. Considered a figurehead of the revival of French cinema, Vincent has drawn the attention of the Cahiers du Cinéma, and even the British newspaper The Observer, which referred to him as the “new Gérard Depardieu”. In 2011, he directed "What We’ll Leave Behind," a very well-received medium-length film which won the Grand Prix at the Clermont-Ferrand Festival. He also starred in Mia Hansen-løve’s 2014 film "Eden." He plays one of the main roles in the actor Louis Garrel’s first feature-length film, "Two Friends," presented during the Semaine de la Critique. He also featured in his 2011 film, La Règle de trois.

Vimala Pons

From the Conservatoire National Supérieur d’Art Dramatique, where she attended drama classes even though she wanted to be a screenwriter, to circus tents, Vimala Pons is an acrobat in all senses of the word. The 29-year-old actress has established her physical and poetic presence in French art-house films. She began her career in film with Albert Dupontel in "Enfermés dehors" in 2006. She then starred in "Eden Log" by Franck Vestiel in 2007, then in "Granny’s Funeral" by Bruno Podalydès in 2012.

Since then, we have seen her cross France in a little blue dress in "La Fille du 14 juillet," (she plays the girl) by Antonin Peretjatko, and changing into a lioness in "Métamorphoses," by Christophe Honoré. The impetuous muse of French independent film, Vimala Pons played in "Vincent" by Thomas Salvador this year. The actress has made a name for herself in 2015, in particular with "Comme un avion" by Bruno Podalydès, "Je suis à vous tout de suite" by Baya Kasmi, "La vie très privée de Monsieur Sim" by Michel Leclerc, and "L’Ombre des femmes" by Philippe Garrel (presented at the Quinzaine des Réalisateurs this year in Cannes). She has also begun an international career, with a leading role in Paul Verhoeven’s latest film, "Elle."

Alice Winocour

The director Alice Winocour started out at Femis. After going into law, she returned to film and won three prizes for her short film "Kitchen: Prix TV5" for the best French-language short film, best international short film and the Silver Bear at the Festival of Nations (Ebensee). For "Magic Paris," she was awarded the jury prize at the St. Petersburg International Documentary, Short Film and Animated Film Festival.

She continued her career by writing the script for the film "Ordinary," by Vladimir Perisic. At the Cannes Film Festival 2012, Alice Winocour made a marked entry in the international arena with a film by a woman about women and the unchanging way of looking at them. In the film "Augustine," we are told the story of a professor and his patient, played by Vincent Lindon and Soko respectively. In 2015, she brought out her second feature-length film, "Maryland," which was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 68th Cannes Film Festival. She is also the co-writer of "Mustang," by Denis Gamze Ergüven, presented at the Quinzaine des Réalisateurs.

Maid of Honor: Walker’s Thriller Uneasily Navigates Issues of Class

Serving as a portrayal of unsaid attitudes amongst the elitist denizens of the Hamptons that seems to ring true even when drowning in its over-the-top pronouncements, Michael Walker’s third feature, The Maid’s Room is a mixed bag of interesting ideas lost in a sea of underdevelopment. It’s never quite smart enough to be thrilling and hopelessly overwrought when its fragile examination of class issues necessitates more subtlety for success, but its fine for a late night cheapie that’s pretending to convey morality through martyrdom.

Recently emigrating from Bogota to the Hamptons, soft spoken transplant Drina (Paula Garces) accepts a position as a housemaid for the prosperous Crawford’s (Bill Camp and Annabelle Sciorra). The estate is more of a vacation or summer home for the wealthy couple, so they leave for distant climes while...

Paladin will release the Hitchcockian thriller "The Maid's Room" in theaters and on digital platforms in the spring, company president Mark Urman announced today. The film, which was written and directed by Michael Walker ("Chasing Sleep," "Price Check"), had its world premiere last fall at the Hamptons International Film Festival. Set and filmed on Long Island, "The Maid's Room" follows Drina (Paula Garces), an immigrant who takes a job for the season as live-in maid to the Crawfords, a privileged New York family who maintain a splendid home in the Hamptons. Mr. and Mrs. Crawford spend most of their time in the city, but their teenage son, Brandon, spends the summer on the beach, and Drina must look after him and his spoiled friends. The maid’s room is next to the garage, and Drina overhears Brandon when he returns late one night, noisily and obviously drunk. The next day,...

Not the Bargain It Appears To Be

Price Check, director Michael Walker’s sophomore feature, coming twelve years after his 2000 debut, Chasing Sleep is a complete 180 from his first film. Whereas Walker’s first foray was in the psychological art house, this latest feature is a comedic character study that has one delectable asset that is both the sole reason to see the film, and also, sadly, what viciously outshines every other aspect of the film; and that’s a wickedly perfect role for Parker Posey.

Eric Mabius stars as Pete Cozy, a disinterested employee in regional pricing and marketing for a flagging grocery store company in Long Island. Having given up a career in producing music, Pete’s job supports his stay at home wife and their new child. When his boss suddenly leaves for bigger and better things, his replacement is a super motivated force of nature, Susan...

Title: Price Check Director: Michael Walker (‘Chasing Sleep’) Starring: Parker Posey, Eric Mabius (TV’s ‘Ugly Betty,’ ‘Resident Evil’) and Annie Parisse (‘How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days,’ ‘National Treasure’) People often strive to find the right balance between having a successful, meaning career that makes them happy and being able to provide for, and spend time with, their families. This is certainly the case with thirty-something Pete Cozy, who is still aspiring to make it in the music business, while working for a supermarket chain so that he can provide for his family, in the new comedy-drama ‘Price Check.’ When his new boss challenges his beliefs and views, [ Read More ]

The post Price Check Movie Review appeared first on Shockya.com.

Many film websites published “decade’s best horror films” lists in late 2009/early 2010. While these lists collectively provided a rough snapshot of the genre’s ups and downs during that time, with more time to reflect, it becomes increasingly clear what an important period the 2000’s were for the horror genre on a global scale.

Not only did this decade easily and obviously eclipse the comparatively arid 1990’s in both volume of production and overall quality, the 2000’s can also be looked at as a crucial one for horror cinema despite the justified outrage about the American film industry’s widespread strip-mining of classics and foreign films for remakes/re-boots and its saturation of the market with teen-friendly PG-13 rated horror films.

While by no means as groundbreaking as the 1970’s or as sentimentally regarded as the 1980’s, the 2000’s will be recalled as the decade that, despite well-founded criticisms...

The trailer for Michael Walker’s (Chasing Sleep) latest comedy, Price Check, starts off looking like it’s going to be an ironic-in-tone workplace comedy along the lines of things like Office Space or The Office, but then, halfway through, there’s a shocker of a line that puts a whole new spin on the story and probably shouldn’t be given away. So we’re not going to talk much about what this movie is about here in this trailer write-up. What we should talk about though are the performances on display, and, more specifically, how fun Eric Mabius (Ugly Betty) and Parker Posey (Waiting for Guffman) look like they’re going to be in this. Price Check debuted this year at Sundance, where our own Kate Erbland saw it and called it “laughably uneven,” but also made clear that it “features a solid comedic performance from star Posey.” If...

After a lengthy hiatus from filmmaking, writer-director Michael Walker, who made his debut with the Jeff Daniels thriller Chasing Sleep in 2000, has returned with the biting office comedy Price Check. The film, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year, stars Ugly Betty's Eric Mabius as an average family man named Pete Cozy, who once held dreams of working in the music industry, but now focuses on making the best out of his mid-level job at the offices of a Long Island supermarket chain, carefully carving out time for his wife (Annie Parisse) and son (Finn Donoghue). But Pete's track to suburban bliss is derailed once he meets his new boss Susan Felders, a foul-mouthed sparkplug played by indie mega star Parker Posey. With an easy bravura, Susan gives Pete a major promotion, throwing his delicate balance of work and home all out of whack. But that's...

Price Check Click here to read the review! "Price Check, director Michael Walker’s sophomore feature, coming twelve years after his 2000 debut, Chasing Sleep is a complete 180 from his first film. Whereas Walker’s first foray was in the psychological art house, this latest feature is a comedic character study that has one delectable asset that is both the sole reason to see the film, and also, sadly, what viciously outshines every other aspect of the film; and that’s a wickedly perfect role for Parker Posey."...

Dan Ouellette designed the creatures in Splice -- thin, alien, and beautiful, evolving -- forged from thematic obsessions present in Ouellette’s work even before the film ever went into development. Director Vincenzo Natali hired Ouellette based on these themes to drive the look and feel of Splice’s antagonists, much like Dan O’Bannon and Ridley Scott utilized H.R. Giger’s artwork as the template for their monster as well as part of the production design in Alien. But unlike Giger, Dan Ouellette will never be (properly) credited for his creation.

As Splice was greenlit, Dan was left behind. His creature, now fatherless, became real on screen without him.

The following interview contains Dan’s side of the story. We are now making every effort that we can to get the other side's point of view. Let this tale be a lesson to all those working in film or...