Horror/sci-fi and fantasy movie fans no longer need to give up their beloved genre when the November/December holiday season arrives. There’s plenty on the various streaming services that combine the Christmas tropes of elves, superheroes and Santa.
After searching around Netflix, Amazon Prime, HBO Max and Shudder, WAMG found an assorted list of films that either takes place during Christmas or during the festive season that are naughty as well as …nice.
But first check out what the streaming services have to offer on YouTube:
VIOLENT NIGHT
To hell with “all is calm.” From 87North, the bare-knuckle producers of Nobody, John Wick, Atomic Blonde, Deadpool 2, Bullet Train and Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw comes a holiday action-comedy that says you should always bet on red.
When a team of mercenaries breaks into a wealthy family compound on Christmas Eve, taking everyone inside hostage, the team isn’t prepared for a surprise combatant: Santa Claus (David Harbour, Black Widow, Stranger Things series) is on the grounds, and he’s about to show why this Nick is no saint.
The film also stars Emmy winner John Leguizamo (John Wick), Cam Gigandet (Without Remorse), Alex Hassell (Cowboy Bebop), Alexis Louder (The Tomorrow War), Edi Patterson (The Righteous Gemstones) and Beverly D’Angelo (National Lampoon’s Vacation franchise). Directed by razor-edged Norwegian director Tommy Wirkola (Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters, Dead Snow franchise).
Let us take you back to the Annecy International Animation Festival, 2018 to tell you about the moment when the idea for Robin Robin finally hatched. Picture two young – award-winning animators, Dan Ojari and Mikey Please, who had been sitting on the idea for a Christmas story, involving a Robin raised by loveable rodents, keeping the idea warm for several years.
Bronte Carmichael (Christopher Robin, On Chesil Beach) voices Robin, a beguiling little bird with a slight identity crisis, Oscar® nominee Richard E Grant (Can You Ever Forgive Me?) voices Magpie, an obsessive collector of shiny stuff who takes her on a journey of self-discovery. Golden Globe® winner Gillian Anderson (The Crown, Sex Education) voices the villainous Cat who stands between them, a sandwich and a Christmas star and BAFTA award winning Adeel Akhtar (Utopia, Four Lions, Murdered by My Father ) voices Dad Mouse, a caring but cautious soul who is single-handedly raising a family of five children – one of whom happens to be an adopted Robin.
To save his declining business, Chris Cringle (Mel Gibson), also known as Santa Claus, is forced into a partnership with the U.S. military. Making matters worse, Chris gets locked into a deadly battle of wits against a highly skilled assassin (Walton Goggins), hired by a precocious 12-year-old after receiving a lump of coal in his stocking. ‘Tis the season for Fatman to get even, in the action-comedy that keeps on giving.
Funniest scene: Herman the Elf aka #7 (Michael Dyson) discusses elf physiology in the cafeteria with the military personnel.
If there is one movie you must watch during the holidays, make it Mike Dougherty’s KRAMPUS! As the fabled big guy terrorizes a family, it’s entertaining twist ending, along with killer gingerbread men, is the reason it makes this list. Listen out for Douglas Pipes’ haunting score too.
“Rare Exports is one of the smartest, funniest and most well thought out films I have seen in quite a while and it is perfect for the holidays. Some other websites that have reviewed this film state that it is not for children’s viewing! Nonsense! Rare Exports, among other things, is a very canny updating of the type of fairy tales told by The Brothers Grimm, it is perfect for children! Snuggle up with your kids on Christmas Eve and enjoy! If this movie doesn’t make them behave nothing will!”
Set during Christmas time, Mel Gibson and Danny Glover give a different meaning to the buddy cop drama set in Los Angeles during the holiday season in director Richard Donner’s movie. And to throw in some extra marshmallows to that hot chocolate, the screenplay is from Shane Black (PREDATOR).
Okay so hear us out. Apparently hundreds of years from now, set in deep space, we will still be celebrating the season by decorating a Christmas Tree while searching for “Engineers” and “Xenomorphs” which was an interesting human touch in Ridley Scott’s PROMETHEUS.
‘TWAS THE FRIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS… Hate to be the bearer of bad news — especially at Christmas but you’ve all been lied to… Santa (former WWE star Bill Goldberg) is not a jolly old man with a big smile handing out toys to good children, he’s the son of Satan who lost a bet 1,000 years ago and was forced into spreading Christmas cheer. Now his 1,000 years are up and he’s after one thing…REVENGE. Finally, his true colours are showing, and he’s taking out his anger on the residents of a small American town. Teenager Nicholas Yuleson finds out that his grandfather is actually the angel who won the bet and now that it is over, Santa Claus wants payback. Nicholas and his girlfriend Mary (Lost star Emilie De Ravin) try to escape from the Killer Claus and find a way to stop his reign of terror before it’s the end of Christmas as we know it.
SANTA’S SLAY has one of the funniest opening scenes in a horror movie. As Bloody Disgusting puts it, Evil Santa starts off by “slaughtering the likes of Fran Drescher, Chris Kattan, and James Caan. He even kicks a dog into a ceiling fan after massacring the unlucky C-list stars.” https://bloody-disgusting.com/videos/3474950/kill-week-dinner-party-massacre-santas-slay/
“These three not-so-wise men will stuff your stockings with lots of laughs and a bit of heart on THE NIGHT BEFORE.” Starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Seth Rogen and Anthony Mackie, the tagline read, This holiday season, don’t miss these 3 dudes, bros, and ride or die homies have the ultimate last Christmas night out! Director Jonathan Levine’s movie won’t disappoint.”
When you think the suburbs, you think safety, but this holiday night the suburbs are anything but safe. Ashley (Olivia DeJonge) thought this babysitting job was going to be an easy night, but the night takes a turn when dangerous intruders break in and terrorize her and the twelve-year-old boy, Luke (Levi Miller), she’s caring for. Ashley defends her charge to the best of her ability only to discover this is no normal home invasion in this off-beat 2017 movie.
Vince Vaughn’s “Fred Claus” is all sorts of bitter at the success of his brother… wait for it… Santa Claus (Paul Giamatti). After growing up in saintly Nick’s shadow, Fred becomes a grouch who’s lost his belief in Christmas. Then, one magical December, Fred flies north (first class via reindeer) to find brother Nick is in trouble: a scheming efficiency expert is out to shut down Christmas forever!
Most hilarious scene of the film: Fed-up with the workshop’s DJ Donnie “you’re acting like an untrained dog” playing nothing but “Here Comes Santa Claus”, Fred enters Donnie’s booth, stops the record, and tosses him into a cabinet. Fred and the elves start partying to “Rubberneckin'”.
“Even though SANTA CLAUS CONQUERS THE MARTIANS is often listed as one of the ‘worst movies ever made’, it’s not as bad as you would think. The story is simple: Santa Claus is kidnapped by Martians to provide joy and toys to the children of Mars when they become overly depressed. Sounds like an ingredient for one of the worst movies of all time, right? Wrong! This movie is pure entertainment from beginning to end! It doesn’t ever get REALLY boring, instead having long stretches of goofy comedy that isn’t funny for the right reasons. The acting is mediocre at best, but I did like the sets they used. Very surrealistic, in my opinion. There is plenty of great dialogue to laugh at (i.e, “I wasn’t sleeping! I just haven’t been able to sleep these past few nights…I forgot how! So I was just practicing!”), most of it coming from clumsy Droppo, “the laziest man on Mars!”. The little children who are kidnapped by the Martians are a mix of wooden and dedicated. Of course, some scenes’ inadequacy are inexcusable! The polar bear costume is obviously fake and the Martian guns are Whammo Air Blasters that freeze people (who manage to keep moving and blinking, for some reason)! And it stars a 10-year old Pia Zadora as ‘Girmar’!
Scenes to watch for: the Martians use the robot Torg to kidnap Santa, but Santa makes him into a toy!; the ‘suspenseful’ space door scene; the ‘amazing’ toy conveyor belt; Droppo passing as Santa (antennae and all); and the final showdown between Voldar and Santa, utilizing bubbles, water guns, soldiers, and other conveniently placed toys! SANTA CLAUS CONQUERS THE MARTIANS is pure entertainment, in my opinion, and all those who speak against should be sent to Mars!”
When the Prometheus never returned from her fateful journey to LV-223, the questions surrounding the origins of man went unanswered. Now a new team of explorers seeks to uncover the dark mystery that holds not only the fate of the original mission, but possibly their own damnation.
From Eisner Award–nominated team of Paul Tobin and artist Juan Ferreyra, the series launches in September 10, 2014.
THEATRICAL TRAILER: the official theatrical piece, usually cut from the first (very long) cut of the picture or sometimes (if there is no first cut yet) from dailies (all the shot footage, including all the different takes and angles), maximum length of a trailer is two and a half minutes.
TEASER TRAILER: A first, short theatrical preview piece (usually not longer than a minute and a half), cut from a few selected takes and scenes while the picture is still being shot.
For those of you who think it’s okay to show up to a film after the coming attractions – move along. No self-respecting movie geek would dare miss the previews. And don’t get us started on the individuals who arrive during the trailer you’ve been dying to see only to move through your line of sight during the all-important money shot.
In most cases, trailers are the first thing the casual moviegoer sees of an upcoming release – be it next month or next year. But sometimes that’s all it takes to plant the enthusiastic seed of “I have to see that!” There’s no denying it. Trailers are visual forces of nature. They are emotional magnets. They are harbingers of things to come and herald what might be.
While not all of them turned out to be everyone’s cup of tea, the unsung heroes in the editing room behind these previews are what had us going to the theaters in 2012 in record numbers. Along with the official synopsis of each movie, below is a compilation of some of the best trailers from this past year. So get your drink & munchies, have the volume up & the lights down low and find your favorite seat – the coming attractions are about to start.
BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD
In a forgotten but defiant bayou community cut off from the rest of the world by a sprawling levee, a six-year-old girl exists on the brink of orphanhood. Buoyed by her childish optimism and extraordinary imagination, she believes that the natural world is in balance with the universe until a fierce storm changes her reality. Desperate to repair the structure of her world in order to save her ailing father and sinking home, this tiny hero must learn to survive unstoppable catastrophes of epic proportions. “Welcome to the Bathtub!”
THE RAID: REDEMPTION
Deep in the heart of Jakarta’s slums lies an impenetrable safe house for the world’s most dangerous killers and gangsters. Until now, the rundown apartment block has been considered untouchable. Cloaked under the cover of pre-dawn darkness and silence, an elite swat team is tasked with raiding the safe house in order to take down the notorious drug lord that runs it. But when a chance encounter with a spotter blows their cover and news of their assault reaches the drug lord, they find themselves stranded on the 6th floor with no way out. The unit must fight their way through the city’s worst to survive their mission
THE DARK KNIGHT RISES
Warner Bros. Pictures’ and Legendary Pictures’ “The Dark Knight Rises” is the epic conclusion to filmmaker Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy. It has been eight years since Batman vanished into the night, turning, in that instant, from hero to fugitive. Assuming the blame for the death of D.A. Harvey Dent, the Dark Knight sacrificed everything for what he and Commissioner Gordon both hoped was the greater good. For a time the lie worked, as criminal activity in Gotham City was crushed under the weight of the anti-crime Dent Act. But everything will change with the arrival of a cunning cat burglar with a mysterious agenda. Far more dangerous, however, is the emergence of Bane, a masked terrorist whose ruthless plans for Gotham drive Bruce out of his self-imposed exile. But even if he dons the cape and cowl again, Batman may be no match for Bane.
MARVEL’S THE AVENGERS
When an unexpected enemy emerges that threatens global safety and security, Nick Fury, Director of the international peacekeeping agency known as S.H.I.E.L.D., finds himself in need of a team to pull the world back from the brink of disaster. Spanning the globe, a daring recruitment effort begins. Starring Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner and Tom Hiddleston, with Stellan Skarsgard and Samuel L. Jackson, and written and directed by Joss Whedon, “Marvel Avengers Assemble” is based on the ever-popular Marvel comic book series “The Avengers,” first published in 1963 and a comics institution ever since.
RISE OF THE GUARDIANS
We were doing fine until Alec Baldwin, along with his Russian accent, proclaimed “it is our job to protect the children of the world – for as long as they believe in us, we will guard them with our lives.” Waterworks were pouring out. RISE OF THE GUARDIANS is an epic adventure that tells the story of a group of heroes – each with extraordinary abilities. When an evil spirit known as Pitch lays down the gauntlet to take over the world, the immortal Guardians must join forces for the first time to protect the hopes, beliefs and imagination of children all over the world.
LES MISÉRABLES
Les Misérables is the motion-picture adaptation of the beloved global stage sensation seen by more than 60 million people in 42 countries and in 21 languages around the globe and still breaking box-office records everywhere in its 27th year. Helmed by The King’s Speech’s Academy Award®-winning director, Tom Hooper, the Working Title/Cameron Mackintosh production stars Hugh Jackman, Oscar® winner Russell Crowe, Anne Hathaway, Amanda Seyfried, Eddie Redmayne, Aaron Tveit, Samantha Barks, with Helena Bonham Carter and Sacha Baron Cohen. Set against the backdrop of 19th-century France, Les Misérables tells an enthralling story of broken dreams and unrequited love, passion, sacrifice and redemption – a timeless testament to the survival of the human spirit. Jackman plays ex-prisoner Jean Valjean, hunted for decades by the ruthless policeman Javert (Crowe) after he breaks parole. When Valjean agrees to care for factory worker Fantine’s (Hathaway) young daughter, Cosette, their lives change forever. Les Misérables, the show of shows, was reborn as the cinematic musical experience of a lifetime.
CLOUD ATLAS
CLOUD ATLAS explores how the actions and consequences of individual lives impact one another throughout the past, the present and the future. Action, mystery and romance weave dramatically through the story as one soul is shaped from a killer into a hero and a single act of kindness ripples across centuries to inspire a revolution in the distant future. A lofty, gorgeous, trailer that boldly tugged at the heart-strings.
MEN IN BLACK 3
Agent Jay traveled back in time to 1969, where he teams up with a younger version of Agent Kay to stop an evil alien from destroying the future. The time-traveling, third installment of the Men in Black franchise reunited Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones. The trailer was jam-packed with car chases and monocycle pursuits, as the famous, black-suited duo employed a brand-new collection of galactic gadgets to fight off retro aliens. Proves a successful and fun 3rd chapter to a franchise can be accomplished.
THE MASTER
Paul Thomas Anderson’s sixth feature film, THE MASTER, unfolds a vibrantly human story inside this atmosphere of spiritual yearning on the cusp of 1950. The film follows the shifting fortunes of Freddie, portrayed by Joaquin Phoenix, a volatile former Naval seaman unable to settle down into everyday life, and the unpredictable journey he takes when he stumbles upon a fledgling movement known as The Cause. Coming to The Cause as an itinerant and outsider, Freddie will ultimately become a surrogate heir to its flamboyant leader: Philip Seymour Hoffman’s Lancaster Dodd. And yet, even as The Cause probes the mastery of human emotions, the camaraderie between Freddie and Dodd will mount into a fierce and intimate struggle of wills. The first feature film shot using 65mm film stock in several decades, THE MASTER is brought to life by a devoted cast and crew who have crafted a visually alluring and emotionally provocative portrait of three people pursuing a vision of betterment.
PROMETHEUS
Director Ridley Scott takes fans on a gripping sci-fi adventure that “kicks ass so hard and often that it’s impossible not to be thrilled by it.” (Peter Travers, Rolling Stone).Archeologist couple Elizabeth Shaw (Rapace) and Charlie Holloway (Marshall-Green) discover a star map that they interpret as an invitation from humanity’s forerunners, the “Engineers.” Determined to find out more about them, the couple boards the scientific vessel Prometheus, created and funded by Peter Weyland (Pearce), CEO of Weyland Corporation. Lead by mission director Meredith Vickers (Theron) and monitored by Weyland’s android David (Fassbender), the team of explorers find a clue to the origins of mankind on Earth and embark on a thrilling journey to the darkest corners of the universe where they fight a terrifying battle to save the future of the human race.
A LOOPER GLOSSARY
Looper: A low level assassin who works for a mob in the future, killing targets they send back and disposing of the bodies.
Gat Man: A higher level gangster, the Gat men work locally with more typical thug responsibilities. They tend to look down on Loopers as a lot of untrained dandies.
Blunderbuss: A short stout hand cannon used by Loopers. Powerful but with a wide spread – impossible to hit anything more than 10 yards away, impossible to miss anything closer.
Gat: Generic term for a gun, but colloquial name for the Gat Men’s high caliber revolver. Powerful, accurate and reliable.
TK: Short for “telekinetic.” By 2040 a very low grade telekenetic power has developed in about 15% of the general population. Far from being a superpower, it’s weak and short range, and mostly used for bar tricks.
Closing Your Loop: A stipulation in every Looper’s contract that he may some day be required to kill his future self, thus closing his contract, getting a huge pay-off and erasing any trace of the very illegal arrangement with his future employer.
THE EXPENDABLES 2
The Expendables are back and this time it’s personal… Barney Ross (Sylvester Stallone), Lee Christmas (Jason Statham), Yin Yang (Jet Li), Gunner Jensen (Dolph Lundgren), Toll Road (Randy Couture) and Hale Caesar (Terry Crews) — with newest members Billy the Kid (Liam Hemsworth) and Maggie (Yu Nan) aboard — are reunited when Mr. Church (Bruce Willis) enlists the Expendables to take on a seemingly simple job. The task looks like an easy paycheck for Barney and his band of old-school mercenaries. But when things go wrong and one of their own is viciously killed, the Expendables are compelled to seek revenge in hostile territory where the odds are stacked against them. Hell-bent on payback, the crew cuts a swath of destruction through opposing forces, wreaking havoc and shutting down an unexpected threat in the nick of time - five tons of weapons-grade plutonium, far more than enough to change the balance of power in the world. But that’s nothing compared to the justice they serve against the villainous adversary who savagely murdered their brother. That is done the Expendables way..
THE MAN WITH THE IRON FISTS
Quentin Tarantino presents THE MAN WITH THE IRON FISTS, an action-adventure inspired by kung-fu classics as interpreted by his longtime collaborators RZA and Eli Roth. Making his debut as a big-screen director, co-writer and leading man, RZA – alongside an exciting international cast led by Russell Crowe and Lucy Liu – tells the epic story of warriors, assassins and a lone outsider hero who all descend on one fabled village in China for a winner-takes-all battle for a fortune in gold. Blending astonishing martial-arts sequences from some of the masters of this world with the signature vision he brings as the leader of the Wu-Tang Clan and as one of hip-hop’s most dominant figures of the past two decades, RZA embarks upon his most ambitious, stylized and thrilling project to date.
Joining Crowe, RZA and Liu in the cast are Rick Yune, Jamie Chung, Cung Le, Dave Bautista, Byron Mann, Daniel Wu and Pam Grier.
THE GREY
Liam Neeson (Schindler’s List, Taken, Taken 2) stars as the unlikely hero Ottway in this undeniably suspenseful and powerful survival adventure. After their plane crashes into the remote Alaskan wilderness, a roughneck group of oil drillers are forced to find a way back to civilization. As Ottway leads the injured survivors through the brutal snow and ice, they are relentlessly tracked by a vicious pack of rogue wolves that will do anything to defend their territory. Adrenaline-fueled, action-packed and loaded with some of the most intense and brutally realistic attack scenes ever filmed, The Grey is being hailed as “a thriller you can sink your teeth into!” (The Washington Post)
SKYFALL
Stunts always play a large role in Bond films and SKYFALL is no exception. Director Sam Mendes, Second Unit Director Alexander Witt and Stunt Coordinator Gary Powell worked closely together to create a physical and believable journey for Bond. It was important for both Mendes and Powell to approach the film from a more realistic point of view. The action started on the pages. “Writing action sequences is one of the great challenges and the great joys of being a screenwriter,” says screenwriter John Logan. “The challenge as a writer on Skyfall was to find ways to make the action as ‘Bondian’ as possible – which to me means it’s tough, it’s real and it’s heightened.”
As you can see in this trailer, no actor had more stunts than Craig. Javier Bardem describes watching Craig take on the role: “There is some physicality to the role that you have to be prepared to do, but of course mine compared to Daniel’s was nothing. And he does the action scenes so easily “From the outside, watching him, I was thinking, If I were you, I wouldn’t be doing that!” Bardem laughs. “I mean, I did a little bit, but nothing in comparison to with what Daniel did.”
HYDE PARK ON HUDSON
Not quite the lofty follow up to THE KING”S SPEECH as we had hoped, this preview had all the makings of finally giving Bill Murray that long-awaited Oscar. The end result was a stark look into the all-too-human side of one of history’s iconic leaders.
HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA
“Hotel Transylvania is a story about a father and a daughter… it’s just that the father happens to be Dracula,” says Genndy Tartakovsky, director of the Sony Pictures Animation film, Hotel Transylvania. “Like all fathers, he’s an overprotective, psychotic, and endearing guy who’d do anything for his daughter, but unlike other fathers, he’s the Prince of Darkness.”
In Hotel Transylvania, it turns out that the world’s most famous monsters (including Dracula, Frankenstein, the Werewolf, the Invisible Man, and the Mummy) are just like regular people, with families and problems and a need to get away from it all – but unlike humans, they have to live in hiding from a world that thinks they’re, well, monsters. What better place to hide than Hotel Transylvania, which Dracula himself operates as a sanctuary from the rest of the world and has been human-free since 1898? But Dracula has issues of his own – his daughter, Mavis, is a teenager – in fact, she’s about to turn 118 – and as she becomes a woman, the vampire’s greatest fear is losing his relationship with her. Well, his two greatest fears are losing his relationship with his daughter and garlic, but that’s another story.
DJANGO UNCHAINED
We were ready to go on another wild and wily trek with Quentin Tarantino’s masterpiece DJANGO UNCHAINED. The trailer had us hooked right from the start – almost made us forget Franco Nero in Corbucci’s DJANGO (1966). “I like evoking the Django title for what it means to Spaghetti Westerns and that mythology,” Tarantino says. “At the same time, there’s a 40-film series of nonrelated DJANGO rip-off sequels that are their own spot of Spaghetti Western history. I’m proud to say that we are a new edition to the unrelated DJANGO rip-off sequels.”
THE RAVEN
The macabre and lurid tales of Edgar Allan Poe are vividly brought to life – and death — in this stylish, gothic thriller starring John Cusack as the infamous author. Boy were they ever. When a madman begins committing horrific murders inspired by Poe’s darkest works, a young Baltimore detective (Luke Evans) joins forces with Poe in a quest to get inside the killer’s mind in order to stop him from making every one of Poe’s brutal stories a blood chilling reality. A deadly game of cat and mouse ensues, which escalates when Poe’s love (Alice Eve, She’s Out of My League) becomes the next target. Intrepid Pictures’ The Raven also stars Brendan Gleeson (In Bruges) and Oliver Jackson-Cohen (Faster).
THE HOBBIT: AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY
Boy we couldn’t wait to return to the Shire. THE HOBBIT: AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY follows title character Bilbo Baggins, who is swept into an epic quest to reclaim the lost Dwarf Kingdom of Erebor from the fearsome dragon Smaug. Approached out of the blue by the wizard Gandalf the Grey, Bilbo finds himself joining a company of thirteen dwarves led by the legendary warrior, Thorin Oakenshield. Their journey will take them into the Wild; through treacherous lands swarming with Goblins and Orcs, deadly Wargs and Sorcerers. Although their goal lies to the East and the wastelands of the Lonely Mountain, first they must escape the goblin tunnels, where Bilbo meets the creature that will change his life forever…Gollum. Here, alone with Gollum, on the shores of an underground lake, the unassuming Bilbo Baggins not only discovers depths of ingenuity and courage that surprise even him, he also gains possession of Gollum’s “precious” ring that holds unexpected and useful qualities… A simple, gold ring that is tied to the fate of all Middle-earth in ways Bilbo cannot begin to know.
SEEKING A FRIEND FOR THE END OF THE WORLD
SEEKING A FRIEND FOR THE END OF THE WORLD stars Golden Globe Award winner Steve Carell and Academy Award nominee Keira Knightley. Set in a too-near future, the movie explores what people will do when humanity’s last days are at hand. As the respective journeys of Dodge (Carell) and Penny (Knightley) converge, the two spark to each other and their outlooks – if not the world’s – brighten. Director Lorene Scafaria had us in tears when the end finally came.
PARANORMAN
This is how you do a teaser! In August Laika, the makers of Coraline, brought us PARANORMAN, a stop motion, ghost-filled zombie comedy in 3D. The delightful movie starred the voices of Kodi Smit-McPhee, John Goodman, Anna Kendrick, Casey Affleck, Elaine Stritch, Leslie Mann, Christopher Mintz-Plasse and Jeff Garlin. “You don’t become a hero by being normal.” Amen to that brother!
TED
Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane (as well as this year’s Oscar host) brings his boundary-pushing brand of humor to the big screen for the first time as writer, director and voice star of TED. In the live action/CG-animated comedy, he tells the story of John Bennett (Mark Wahlberg), a grown man who must deal with the cherished teddy bear who came to life as the result of a childhood wish…and has refused to leave his side ever since. The trailer has us skeptical until we saw the hilarious final product!
HITCHCOCK
HITCHCOCK is a love story about one of the most influential filmmakers of the last century, Alfred (Anthony Hopkins) Hitchcock and his wife and partner Alma Reville (Helen Mirren). The film takes place during the making of Hitchcock’s seminal movie PSYCHO. The trailer had us fascinated and left us wanting to see more once the film finally arrived in November.
MOONRISE KINGDOM
In a return to the world of Wes Anderson, MOONRISE KINGDOM was thought by some to be one of the best films this year. Set on an island off the coast of New England in the summer of 1965, MOONRISE KINGDOM tells the story of two twelve-year-olds who fall in love, make a secret pact, and run away together into the wilderness. As various authorities try to hunt them down, a violent storm is brewing off-shore — and the peaceful island community is turned upside down in more ways than anyone can handle. Bruce Willis plays the local sheriff. Edward Norton is a Khaki Scout troop leader. Bill Murray and Frances McDormand portray the young girl’s parents. The cast also includes Tilda Swinton, Jason Schwartzman, and Jared Gilman and Kara Hayward as the boy and girl.
MAGIC MIKE
A dramatic comedy set in the world of male strippers, “Magic Mike” is directed by Academy Award® winner Steven Soderbergh (“Traffic”) and stars Channing Tatum in the title role. The film follows Mike as he takes a young dancer called The Kid (Alex Pettyfer) under his wing and schools him in the fine arts of partying, picking up women, and making easy money. Also starring Matthew McConaughey, Matt Bomer, Joe Mangianello, Olivia Munn, Riley Keough, Cody Horn and Adam Rodriguez.
ABRAHAM LINCOLN: VAMPIRE HUNTER
Not to be confused with the Spielberg-ized version of the 16th President, filmmakers Tim Burton and Timur Bekmambetov (Director of Wanted) brought audiences this edgy thriller about the untold story that shaped our nation. Abraham Lincoln, history’s greatest hunter of the undead, must risk the presidency, his family and his life to protect America from bloodthirsty vampires. Thrust into an epic fight against the ruthless killers, Lincoln must rely on those around him. But it’s unclear who he can trust in this intense and violent thriller that’s ablaze with plot twists, blood-pumping action and spectacular special effects!
THE TWILIGHT SAGA: BREAKING DAWN PT. 2
Okay so maybe it wasn’t anything you’d ever venture out to see – even on a dare – but you knew we had to show the trailer for the final TWILIGHT movie. The conclusion to the series, THE TWILIGHT SAGA: BREAKING DAWN — PART 2, illuminates the secrets and mysteries of this spellbinding romantic epic that has entranced millions of teenage girls – and sometimes their Moms.
KILLING THEM SOFTLY
This wicked trailer was one of the best of 2012. Three dumb guys who think they’re smart rob a Mob protected card game, causing the local criminal economy to collapse. Brad Pitt plays the enforcer hired to track them down and restore order. KILLING THEM SOFTLY also features Richard Jenkins (THE VISITOR), James Gandolfini (“The Sopranos”), Ray Liotta (NARC), Scoot McNairy (MONSTERS), Ben Mendelsohn (ANIMAL KINGDOM), and Vincent Curatola (“The Sopranos”). Max Casella, Trevor Long, Slaine and Sam Shepard also make appearances.
THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN
The Amazing Spider-Man focused on an untold story that tells a different side of the Peter Parker story and starred Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Rhys Ifans, Denis Leary, Campbell Scott, Irrfan Khan, with Martin Sheen and Sally Field. The film is the story of Peter Parker (Garfield), an outcast high schooler who was abandoned by his parents as a boy, leaving him to be raised by his Uncle Ben (Sheen) and Aunt May (Field). Like most teenagers, Peter is trying to figure out who he is and how he got to be the person he is today. Peter is also finding his way with his first high school crush, Gwen Stacy (Stone), and together, they struggle with love, commitment, and secrets. As Peter discovers a mysterious briefcase that belonged to his father, he begins a quest to understand his parents’ disappearance – leading him directly to Oscorp and the lab of Dr. Curt Connors (Ifans), his father’s former partner. As Spider-Man is set on a collision course with Connors’ alter-ego, The Lizard, Peter will make life-altering choices to use his powers and shape his destiny to become a hero.
THE SAPPHIRES
Inspired by a true story, THE SAPPHIRES follows four vivacious, young and talented Australian Aboriginal girls from a remote mission as they learn about love, friendship and war when their all girl group The Sapphires entertains the U.S. troops in Vietnam in 1968. Cynthia (Tapsell), Gail (Mailman), Julie (Mauboy) and Kay (Sebbens) are discovered by Dave (O’Dowd), a good-humored talent scout with a kind heart, very little rhythm but a great knowledge of soul music. As their manager, Dave books the sisters their first true gig giving them their first taste of stardom, and travels them to Vietnam to sing for the American troops. The film was shown at the St. Louis International Film Festival in November and was met by a cheering audience as the credits rolled. See this charming film!
MADAGASCAR 3: EUROPE’S MOST WANTED
Finally we leave you with Alex the Lion, Marty the Zebra, Gloria the Hippo, and Melman the Giraffe. Over the summer this fearless foursome were fighting to get home to their beloved Big Apple and of course, King Julien, Maurice and the Penguins were all along for the comedic adventure. Their journey took them through Europe where they found the perfect cover: a traveling circus, which they reinvented – Madagascar style.
From great documentaries to sweet indies to big studio movies, 2012 was one of the biggest years ever. It will be remembered for the reinvention of musicals with Tom Hooper’s LES MISERABLES, the meet-and-greet of horrifying engineers in Ridley Scott’s PROMETHEUS and the toppling of an empire in Lauren Greenfield’s QUEEN OF VERSAILLES.
There was no shortage from which to choose from at your local cinemas where superheroes reigned supreme at the box office, animated adventures were welcomed by young and old alike, and favorite characters from the various prequels and sequels were embraced like old friends.
As we head into the new year, some of the most anticipated films of 2013 are Zack Snyder’s MAN OF STEEL, J.J. Abrams’ STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS, Shane Black’s IRON MAN 3, Marc Forster’s WORLD WAR Z, Dan Scanlon’s MONSTERS UNIVERSITY, Gore Verbinski’s THE LONE RANGER, Joseph Kosinski’s OBLIVION, M. Night Shyamalan’s AFTER EARTH, Guillermo del Toro’s PACIFIC RIM, James Mangold’s THE WOLVERINE, Neill Blomkamp’s ELYSIUM, Sam Raimi’s OZ: THE GREAT AND POWERFUL, Baz Luhrmann’s THE GREAT GATSBY, Kenneth Branagh’s JACK RYAN, Alfonso Cuarón’s GRAVITY and George Clooney’s THE MONUMENTS MEN.
In our look back at the year that was, WAMG has compiled our list of the ten best films of 2012.
Honorable Mention – SEVEN PSYCHOPATHS
SEVEN PSYCHOPATHS is the second feature film from writer/director Martin McDonogh and the second to show his prowess with smart, dark comedic material. Once again enlisting Colin Farrell, McDonogh throws Sam Rockwell and Christopher Walken into his alchemy and creates an unexpected yet very satisfying reaction. Much like Charlie Kaufman’s ADAPTATION, SEVEN PSYCHOPATHS blurs the lines of reality and fiction, art as life and vice-versa. The main character, a screenwriter suffering a creative block embarks on a dangerous journey into the mind of psychotic killers to research ideas, unaware that he’s living his next film.
10. SKYFALL
It turns out that it’s always possible to reinvigorate a movie series, even after fifty years and twenty-three installments. Sam Mendes, seemingly the most ill-fitting director for the job, ended up making the newest James Bond the best in years, even decades. With a smart script, terrific cast, and astonishing cinematography from Roger Deakins, SKYFALL mixes the best of traditional Bond elements with a fresh sensibility to make a great statement on what James Bond is, and what he could be moving forward.
9. PARANORMAN
PARANORMAN paid homage to some of the best known horror movies. The creative filmmakers behind the lovable CORALINE brought audiences their second stop-motion animated feature. Nominated for 8 Annie Awards, all the films’ tiny food, sets and characters were given great care down to the minutest detail. Directed by Sam Fell and Chris Butler, PARANORMAN is the story of an outcast boy who can see dead people and talk to zombies – all the while being bullied by the kids at school. We loved that Norman found a loyal pal in the energetic Neil. The movie grabbed us emotionally and we cheered Norman on as he became the hero of the town. A pleasant mix of scares for both the kiddos and their parents, PARANORMAN easily found a place in our hearts and on WAMG’s best of the year list.
8. MARVEL’S THE AVENGERS
2012’s biggest box office earner may also be the most fun popcorn flick of the year. After laying the ground work for this team-up flick since IRON MAN in 2008, Marvel Studios did the unexpected. They handed the reins of this new potential franchise (combining four film franchises) over to relative movie director newcomer and TV wunderkind (“Buffy the Vampire Slayer”) Joss Whedon (who also had a hand in this year’s delightful fright flick CABIN IN THE WOODS). And did he deliver! Of course there are the big action set pieces (like in the classic comics, the Marvel Superheroes battle when they first meet), but the biggest surprise may be the witty, multi-layered screenplay. Unlike many films that feature a large core cast (X-MEN, STAR TREK), each character truly got a chance to shine, even screen newbie Hawkeye. Perhaps Joss’s biggest coup was finally turning the Hulk into a real movie star after two solo features. Let’s hope we hear the rallying cry of “Avengers Assemble” again at the multiplexes very soon!
7. LIFE OF PI
Based on the best-selling novel by Yann Martel, Ang Lee’s fantastic adventure film centers on a young Indian boy named Pi, who survives a disaster at sea and has to fight for survival aboard a lifeboat for weeks on end with another survivor – a Bengal tiger. This is not the story of a boy and his tiger becoming buddies. This is about a boy fighting to stay alive without starving, becoming dehydrated, and most importantly – being EATEN BY A TIGER. Ultimately, LIFE OF PI also the story of a boy finding faith in God. It is a rousing adventure film with breathtaking visuals and spectacular 3D imagery.
6. ZERO DARK THIRTY
ZERO DARK THIRTY tackles one of the biggest man-hunts in history as its subject… The search for Osama bin Laden. The film follows the search following the unspeakable events of September 11th, 2001 and gives Americans a glimpse into how Navy S.E.A.L. Team 6 ultimately found, and killed the most wanted man in the world. Although graphic at times, the film offers suspense, intensity, and fantastic writing. It’s a must see for 2012.
5. DJANGO UNCHAINED
Quentin Tarantino often talks of quitting as a filmmaker, but when he continues to turn out work as vital and alive as DJANGO UNCHAINED, I hope that remains the idle chatter between each recharge of his battery, because his voice is one of the true treasures of modern movies, with this newest, the melding of Blaxploitation and classic Westerns, simply the latest entry in one of the most interesting filmographies today.
4. AMOUR
AMOUR is, as promised by its title, a movie about love. It’s hard to watch, not least because Austrian director Michael Haneke does not intend for the audience to be passive spectators. Rather, he wants us to feel uncomfortable as uninvited guests to the private intimacy shared by long-married couple Georges and Anne. Before we have a chance to feel familiar with them, Anne suffers a stroke that begins the unraveling of her mortal coil. Haneke shows her and Georges’ loss of dignity with dignity. This movie is not an auteur’s opinion of love; it is the offering of an artist who asks us to contemplate what love means to us so that our lives may be enriched.
3. LOOPER
LOOPER is an entertaining science fiction thriller that neatly blurs the line between suicide and murder, it’s a narrowly conceived yarn about victims sent back in time to be bumped off by assassins called loopers. Rian Johnson, in his third feature, keeps the action going while trying to maintain interest in the long arc of a story about Joe (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), a man assigned to kill his 30-years-older self (Bruce Willis). LOOPER is mostly set in a seedy metropolis that doesn’t look all that different from sketchy neighborhoods in some big cities today; there are derelicts, bombed-out buildings, ruined cars and enough other signs of urban ills to suggest that, in Johnson’s view, things will just gradually decline over the next three decades. There really is no sense in the time-travel in LOOPER, but no less sense than in any other film in this genre. Johnson makes up for it with narrative force, mesmeric fascination and a sense of a profound taboo being broken.
2. LINCOLN
LINCOLN is a stupendous film. It will later be considered an important film in Spielberg’s career. As a film about a beloved president, it is subtle and power. After reading many books on Lincoln, including ‘Team of Rivals, which this film is partially based on, I think that there has never been a more authentic and realistic portrayal of the president seen in a motion picture. Steven Spielberg’s direction is first-rate and very restrained here. I love his skill with the camera and cinematic visuals, but here he allows the history to shine through! The screenplay stays true and authentic to the period—the 1860’s. I didn’t catch any dialogue that seemed wrong…or a piece of set design, which was glaringly unreal. Historically, nothing egregious appeared in the film that took me out of the story. Daniel Day Lewis is almost supernatural in his ability to transform into a character. He brings the word ‘Art’ into the realm of acting once again, which is cool in a world in which ‘Stars’ without talent who denigrate the craft. As for the subject of the film: Lincoln was a genius, in my opinion, able to show great compassion, but also leadership powers akin to a tightrope walker, able to contain a ‘Team of Rivals’ within his own cabinet; he was very rational, able to tell a witty story one minute and give a beautifully written speech the next. On all these levels, Daniel Day Lewis is able to bring out the most accurate Lincoln I have ever seen. And, from what I’ve read, the voice Daniel came up with for Abe is spot-on and as accurate as it is possible to be. Whether it was Daniel’s role in the brilliant, ‘There Will Be Blood’ or his early performance in ‘A Room With a View,’ this is one hell of an excellent actor. It isn’t just the performance of Abe, either. All the actors, including Sally Field as Mary Lincoln, are perfect. As far as history goes, no piece of dialogue, no part of a set, no performance seemed to betray the 21st Century. This film is almost a time capsule of one of the most glorious, terrible and revolutionary times (The Civil War and the final eradication of slavery) in our country. As a motion picture, I cannot think of a more worthy film deserving of the ‘Best Picture.’ It is super that there are films out there that break the limits of censorship, that entertain us with often-entertaining, weird and offensive subject matter, BUT I also demand that there be ART in motion pictures. I want to know that my interest isn’t just made up of bilious, though fun, garbage. It is wonderful that a serious movie was made so skillfully about a man and subject so important, poignant, brave and vital.
And our number one film of the year…
1. ARGO
ARGOtells the recently-declassified true story of a CIA agent named Tony Mendez (Ben Affleck) who concocted and led a scheme involving a fake movie production to get six U.S. embassy workers out of Iran during the Iranian Revolution and the resulting hostage crisis. Mendez is brought on as an advisor and when he learns how bad the CIA’s plan is to extract them, he comes up with an outlandish plan: pass the workers off as members of a Canadian film crew on a location scout for a sci-fi Star Wars ripoff called Argo. Look for solid, funny performances by Alan Arkin and John Goodman. Also directed by Affleck, ARGO is intense with it’s nailbiting ending and hilarious as it pokes fun at Hollywood.
When I saw Ridley Scott’s “Prometheus” in the theater this past summer, I left somewhat disappointed. This was one on my most anticipated films of 2012. I was hyped for it for over a year—even before I saw Damon Lindelof and Charlize Theron take the stage with the first images in July 2011 at San Diego Comic-Con. The film was shrouded in secrecy. Is it or is it not an “Alien” prequel? Other than that initial Comic-Con exposure, I tried to avoid any articles or news about it. I went in pretty blind.
Don’t get me wrong. On that initial viewing, there were many things I liked about it. The production design was A+. The score was impressive. The use of 3D was among the best in the modern era. The visual effects were fantastic and I LOVED that they were shooting on practical sets and not in front of green screens. But something left me….cold. The characters felt underdeveloped. There was an emotional detachment to the characters and some of their actions made no sense based on what they had done in previous scenes. I didn’t understand why Guy Pearce was cast as an old man (with horrible old man makeup). And I was slightly confused with the plot.
But as I left, slightly disappointed, I withheld judgment. I knew that there was a great chance that after some time had passed, and my brain had time to process, I may look back on “Prometheus,” like “2001:A Space Odyssey” before it, as a film with a lot to say, and that there was a great possibility that the film would stand the test of time as a science fiction epic, and quite possibly, a masterpiece. The film addresses the issues of creation and evolution in a very heady-philosophical way.
And now, with the release of “Prometheus” as a 4-Disc Collector’s Set (which I have dubbed Prometheus For Dummies: Extended Edition), I am happy to report that I may have been exactly right with my suspicions. The film does make more sense on a second viewing. And with over 7 hours of bonus features, this set stands out as one of the best Blu-Ray releases of the year, as sets the bar high for how films should be released on home video.
Video: This film looks stunning. There is really no other word to describe it. There are no compression issues or encode errors in this top-notch transfer. The film was shot with Red Epic digital cameras using high quality Zeiss lenses mounted to 3ality Technica Atom 3D rigs, and director Scott and cinematographer Dariusz Wolski shot on magnificently-detailed sets at Pinewood Studios’ massive 007 stage, allowing them complete control over lighting and camera issues. Their attention to detail shows in the crisp, highly-detailed images. This was Scott’s first foray into 3D filmmaking, and he says he can’t imagine shooting any other way now. The first disc in the set contains the 3D Blu-Ray transfer and the second disc contains the 2D Blu-Ray. The third disc is bonus features and the fourth contains the film in standard DVD format and digital copy.
Audio: Again, top-of-the-line. The DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 surround track is spectacular. This film has fantastic sound design. From the beginning of the film with the crashing waterfall and thunderous rumbling of the spaceship above it, to the great sound mix on the Prometheus ship, with its airlocks and engine hums and wailing sirens, to the dripping rain and cavernous echoes on LV-223, this is a full-immersion sound experience.
Bonus Features: This is the meat of the collection. I wish all new release Blu-Rays were this massive in their bonus features. And in the case of “Prometheus,” the bonus features truly enhance the film and elevate it to something greater than the film that was released in theaters. The bonus features help make “Prometheus” a better movie.
Let’s start with the audio commentary tracks. There are two. The first features Ridley Scott and is decent. He tells stories of the production, talks about shooting in 3D, and explains why he decided to make another science fiction film after 30 years and another “Alien” film at that.
The second audio commentary track is even better. It features writers John Spaihts and Damon Lindelof. This is one of the best audio commentary tracks I have ever heard. Period. Spaihts was originally hired to write a direct prequel to “Alien” and talks about how in this scene they were originally going to find the eggs, and in this scene we see the facehugger, and in this scene—the chest-burster, etc. It gives a fascinating alternate view of what might have been had the film progressed in one direction.
Lindelof’s contribution is even more fascinating. He announces upfront that he is recording the track before the film’s release but predicts what the criticisms of the film are going to be—and then addresses them. Every single one. And his explanations are valid. And make sense. He said he purposely writes ambiguously because he likes to have the audience think for themselves and draw their own conclusions. He feels that the best moviegoing experiences are ones that have you talking for days, weeks, and years afterwards. He references “Inception” as a film he still talks about a year after he’s seen it. He realizes that that may be frustrating to certain members of the audience. He then goes into detail though in explaining exactly what is going on and answers questions about the film in detail. It really sheds a new light on the film.
The other MAJOR bonus feature is a 3 hour and 40 minute (!) making of documentary from Charles de Laurizka titled “The Furious Gods: Making Prometheus.” This documentary explores every aspect of the making of Prometheus. I enjoyed the first 20 minutes or so the best when they were talking about the development of the story and how close they wanted to tie it to “Alien.” Some very interesting tales there. The documentary is very well-produced and extensive.
As if that nearly four-hour documentary wasn’t enough, the third disc also contains an additional hour of making-of featurettes. One of the more interesting ones is about how Ridley Scott came up with a way to tie the “Alien” and “Blade Runner” universes together. That idea was ultimately abandoned, but makes for an awesome “what if” anyway.
There is a collection of internet promotional videos released before the film came out under a section titled The Peter Weyland Files. There are 4 total and the best is the one called TED Conference 2023 where a young Peter Weyland (Guy Pearce) gives an inspirational speech where he proclaims that “we are the gods now” and “if you’ll indulge me, I’d like to change the world.”
There are over 36 minutes of deleted and alternate scenes included on the disc as well. Many of these scenes also enhance the film, and help shine a new perspective on it. Together these deleted scenes, along with the audio commentaries and making of documentaries help answer questions and flesh out the story.
One may argue that if you have to watch deleted scenes and listen to audio commentaries to make the film accessible, then the film has failed. There is some validity to that argument. The other side of the argument is that if the filmmakers have the answers to the questions and they purposely designed the film so that audience members would ask questions and seek answers, and leave the film a little frustrated (and leave more questions to be answered in the inevitable sequel), then they succeeded. Perhaps “Prometheus” is a masterpiece. Perhaps “Prometheus” is a flawed masterpiece. Perhaps more time will tell.
Charlize Theron and Michael Fassbender Lead an Extraordinary Cast
in the Epic Sci-Fi Thriller Debuting on Blu-ray 3D, Blu-ray and DVD
10.09.12
Contains Over Seven Hours of Bonus Material Including an Alternate Opening and Ending, Deleted and Alternate Scenes and Access to Peter Weyland’s Files
Renowned director Ridley Scott takes fans on a gripping sci-fi adventure that “kicks ass so hard and often that it’s impossible not to be thrilled by it” (Peter Travers, Rolling Stone). Launching into space to discover the mysterious creators of the human race, the “genuinely epic” (Tom Long, Detroit News) film, PROMETHEUS, debuts globally on Blu-ray 3D, Blu-ray and DVD October 9 from Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment. An unmatched home entertainment experience, watch the highly-anticipated blockbuster hit in the format it was meant to be viewed, stunning 3D high-definition.
Written by Damon Lindelof (“Lost”) and Jon Spaihts, PROMETHEUS features outstanding performances by Academy Award® winner* Charlize Theron (Monster), Golden Globe®-nominee* Michael Fassbender (Inglourious Basterds), Guy Pearce (Memento), Noomi Rapace (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo) and Logan Marshall-Green (Devil).
Archeologist couple Elizabeth Shaw (Rapace) and Charlie Holloway (Marshall-Green) discover a star map that they interpret as an invitation from humanity’s forerunners, the “Engineers.” Determined to find out more about them, the couple boards the scientific vessel Prometheus, created and funded by Peter Weyland (Pearce), CEO of Weyland Corporation. Lead by mission director Meredith Vickers (Theron) and monitored by Weyland’s android David (Fassbender), the team of explorers find a clue to the origins of mankind on Earth and embark on a thrilling journey to the darkest corners of the universe where they fight a terrifying battle to save the future of the human race.
For a chance to win a t-shirt, book and a copy of this amazing 4-Disc Collector’s Edition, loaded with over seven hours of bonus material including an Alternate Opening and Ending, Deleted and Alternate Scenes, access to “Peter Weyland’s Files,” commentary by directors and writers, a cutting-edge Prometheus Weyland Corp. Archive Second Screen App and more, answer this trivia question in the comments section below:
Weyland’s android David is played bywhich renowned actor?
Michael Fassbender
Edward Norton
Ethan Hawke
OFFICIAL RULES:
1. PRIZE WILL ONLY BE SHIPPED TO CANADIAN and US ADDRESSES. NO P.O. BOXES.
2. FILL OUT YOUR FULL NAME (first and last) AND EMAIL ADDRESS BELOW.
WINNERS WILL BE CHOSEN FROM ALL QUALIFYING ENTRIES. NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. PRIZES WILL NOT BE SUBSTITUTED OR EXCHANGED.
Renowned director Ridley Scott takes fans on a gripping sci-fi adventure that “kicks ass so hard and often that it’s impossible not to be thrilled by it” (Peter Travers, Rolling Stone). Launching into space to discover the mysterious creators of the human race, the “genuinely epic” (Tom Long, Detroit News) film,PROMETHEUS, debuts globally on Blu-ray 3D, Blu-ray and DVD October 9 from Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment. An unmatched home entertainment experience, watch the highly-anticipated blockbuster hit in the format it was meant to be viewed, stunning 3D high-definition.
The best part? The Blu contains over seven hours of bonus material including an alternate opening (as seen in the photo below) and ending, deleted and alternate scenes and access to Peter Weyland’s files. Written by Damon Lindelof (“Lost”) and Jon Spaihts, PROMETHEUS features outstanding performances by Academy Award® winner* Charlize Theron (Monster), Golden Globe®-nominee* Michael Fassbender (Inglourious Basterds), Guy Pearce (Memento), Noomi Rapace (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo) and Logan Marshall-Green (Devil).
Archeologist couple Elizabeth Shaw (Rapace) and Charlie Holloway (Marshall-Green) discover a star map that they interpret as an invitation from humanity’s forerunners, the “Engineers.” Determined to find out more about them, the couple boards the scientific vessel Prometheus, created and funded by Peter Weyland (Pearce), CEO of Weyland Corporation. Lead by mission director Meredith Vickers (Theron) and monitored by Weyland’s android David (Fassbender), the team of explorers find a clue to the origins of mankind on Earth and embark on a thrilling journey to the darkest corners of the universe where they fight a terrifying battle to save the future of the human race.
Loaded with over seven hours of bonus material, the PROMETHEUS 4-Disc Collector’s Edition and 2-Disc Blu-ray Combo Pack feature the original theatrical release and are available in premium packaging. Fans can get the ultimate Prometheus experience with an Alternate Opening and Ending, Deleted and Alternate Scenes, access to “Peter Weyland’s Files,” commentary by directors and writers, a cutting-edge Prometheus Weyland Corp. Archive Second Screen App and more!
PROMETHEUS 4-Disc Collector’s Edition Blu-ray Special Features
Disc 1
Theatrical Cut
Commentary by Director/Producer Ridley Scott
Commentary by Writer Jon Spaihts and Writer/Executive Producer Damon Lindelof
The Peter Weyland Files
Deleted and Alternate Scenes that include an Alternate Opening / Ending
Prometheus – Weyland Corp Archive Second Screen App
Disc 2
The Furious Gods: Making Prometheus
Enhancement Pods
Weyland Corp Archive
Pre-Vis
Screen Tests
Disc 3
3D Theatrical Cut of Movie
Disc 4
DVD / Digital Copy
PROMETHEUS 2-Disc Blu-ray Special Features
Disc 1
Theatrical Cut
Commentary by Director/Producer Ridley Scott
Commentary by Writer Jon Spaihts and Writer/Executive Producer Damon Lindelof
The Peter Weyland Files
Deleted and Alternate Scenes that include an Alternate Opening / Ending
Prometheus – Weyland Corp Archive Second Screen App
English DTS-HD-MA 7.1
English Descriptive Audio DD 5.1
Spanish (Latin Spanish) DD 5.1
Quebecois (Canadian French) DD 5.1
Portuguese (Brazilian) DD 5.1
Russian DTS 5.1
Hindi DD 5.1
Tamil DD 5.1
Telugu DD 5.1
Ukrainian DD 5.1
English COMMENTARY DD 2.0 Stereo: Ridley Scott
English COMMENTARY DD 2.0 Stereo: Writers
DVD:
English 5.1 Dolby Digital (DVD)
English Descriptive Audio DD 5.1
Spanish (Latin Spanish) 2.0
French (Quebecois) 2.0
Subtitles BD:
English for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing
Spanish
Danish
Finnish
Norwegian
Portuguese
Russian
Swedish
Estonian
Hindi
Latvian
Lithuanian
Tamil
Telugu
Ukrainian
DVD:
English for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing
Spanish
U.S. Rating: R
Total Run Time: 124 Minutes – Original Theatrical Version
Closed Captioned: YES
PROMETHEUS 2-Disc BLU-RAY (Catalog# 2281407)
Street Date: October 9, 2012
Screen Format: 16:9 (2.40:1)
Audio: See above
Subtitles See above
U.S. Rating: R
Total Run Time: 124 Minutes – Original Theatrical Version
Closed Captioned: YES
PROMETHEUS DVD (Catalog# 2281409)
Street Date: October 9, 2012
Screen Format: 16:9 (2.40:1)
Audio: Please see above
Subtitles: Please see above
U.S. Rating: R
Total Run Time: 124 minutes – Original Theatrical Version
Closed Captioned: YES
Roger Ebert called PROMETHEUS, “a magnificent science-fiction film, all the more intriguing because it raises questions about the origin of human life and doesn’t have the answers. It’s in the classic tradition of golden age sci-fi, echoing Scott’s ALIEN.” With an estimated weekend haul of $50 million at the box office, the marketing campaign shows no signs of stopping – especially the viral one.
Just as mysterious as PROMETHEUS itself, here comes the next stage of 20th Century Fox’s elaborate scavenger hunt. Those who stayed until the end of the credits caught a date – 10.11.12 – and a link to the Weyland Industries timeline. When you scroll down to that date, it reads:
WEYLAND INCORPORATES
Weyland Corporation is recognized as a legal entity and corporation under United States law and receives their Certificate of Incorporation from the Companies House in the United Kingdom. Due to the combined value of Sir Peter Weyland’s various patents and patent-pendings, the company incorporates with a higher fair market valuation than any other company in history.
OCTOBER 11, 2012
There’s a small flag to click on that links you to – http://www.whatis101112.com/ – where you’ll find a new video and book. Each “stage” will be revealed through the various modules.
Thus Spoke Zarathustra: A Book for All and None (also translated as Thus Spake Zarathustra; German: Also sprach Zarathustra: Ein Buch für Alle und Keinen) is a philosophical novel by German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche, composed in four parts between 1883 and 1885. Much of the work deals with ideas such as the “eternal recurrence of the same”, the parable on the “death of God”, and the “prophecy” of the Übermensch, which were first introduced in The Gay Science. The original text contains a great deal of word-play.
So what’s all this mean and, more importantly, what will be revealed on October 11th? Most likely the release of the BLU & DVD, which is already available for pre-order over on Amazon. I’m hoping for the title or a teaser poster for the next film. It could happen, right?
PROMETHEUS, the new sci-fi film by Ridley Scott, is like a blind date. Sure, everyone’s intentions are good, but it just ends up being awkward and dull.
PROMETHEUS is the tale of a group of scientists in the late 21st century searching for their origins. After archaeologists Elizabeth Shaw and Charlie Holloway discovery of the same star map in the art of several ancient civilizations, a large crew sets out to investigate aboard the Prometheus. What they are looking for are answers. What they find could destroy the human race.
I really wanted to like this film. As a fan of the Alien franchise, I was pleased as punch to hear that Ridley Scott would be returning to the sci-fi world. This is not the ALIEN prequel that people think that it is. Sure, there are some tie ins, but if you are searching for a ton of answers… you will be disappointed. This is not what led to my lack of concern for the film, however. My neutral, detached opinion comes from a slow story line and questions/ideals/theories that could have been profound, but instead fell short. For example, Elizabeth Shaw was convinced of miracles. She wore her cross, and searched for answers like a wide eyed, excited child. This is just one of many stories/theories that gets lost in the background due to timing lags and writing that doesn’t carry you through the film. This would have been a fantastic avenue to explore. Instead, it left me underwhelmed. That is just a small part of the biggest theory, the main purpose of this film… where did we come from and why? Well, by the end… I really didn’t care to find out. It’s sad really, because with all of the questions and theories this film could have explored, it could have been a mind blowing film. I truly believe that.
Maybe I didn’t care because the characters themselves really didn’t seem to care. There was no real character development. Damon Lindelof (Writer, Executive Producer) and Jon Spaihts (Writer) could have really spent some more time on adding some depth and dimension to the lives on the screen. The only three characters that were slightly given a backstory were Shaw, Holloway, and David (Michael Fassbender) who is no more than an android designed to look like a human. Shaw is given the most backstory, touching lightly on her childhood, but the rest of the cast is given nothing. Since these are all new characters, this is vital. If you are going to put people in dangerous situations, I would like to be given the option of whether or not I care for their well being before the are killed off. Holloway has no real backstory other than his romantic relationship with Shaw. If I am going to sit and watch a film for 2 hours I would like to be emotionally involved, in some way.
I have no qualms with the acting in the film. I think what everything boils down to is writing. Noomi Rapace was wonderful. She is the one person who really kept me sane throughout this film. Fassbender was a wonderful droid, Charlize Theron, was great as the cold, mission minded Meredith Vickers. Logan Marshall-Green played his role of Charlie Holloway with intensity. Like I said, the acting had nothing to do with my overall unconcern of the film. The visuals were also stunning. For a sci-fi world, they really pulled out all of the stops. Dariusz Wolski, ASC (Director of Photography) and Arthur Max(Production Designer) really outdid themselves. I didn’t find the 3-d necessary, however. It had no real effect.
There were some great action scenes in the film. I even jumped, twice. Since these scenes were so spaced out, they didn’t really help to move the film along. Going back to story, they also could have spent more time on their corporate sponsors who were funding the mission. It was clear that they had their own agenda of sorts at the beginning, but it was kind of just thrown out into the story, rather than being brought up in a way to raise questions. By the time their main agenda is revealed, I had given up caring. Also, what a horrid, HORRIBLE make-up job on Guy Pearce. Although a wonderful actor, he should have never been cast as that old of a man. His make-up was so appalling that I couldn’t take him seriously.
WARNING: POSSIBLE SPOILERS FOLLOW
My biggest problem with the film is simple logic. Now, I know we are talking sci-fi here, but if you are going to a foreign planet that no one has documented as having been to before, under no circumstance would you just jump off a ship and run around exploring. Walking into a dark cave when you first land, rather than doing some testing, or waiting for scans of the perimeter isn’t a matter of scientific exploration. It’s pure ignorance. All they had to do was take a minute and pretend like they had completed some tests before jumping off the ship. I want my sci-fi to be smart. Is that too much to ask? Then, just to see if our audience is really paying attention, let’s take our helmets off. Are we so conceited to think that our testing gear is going to detect any unknown danger. You are on a foreign planet, that you know nothing about. Think people. This isn’t a cheesy horror film where stupidity reigns. I want some logic. How about when Vickers and Shaw are running away from the fallen, rolling ship (Yes, this is why I put possible spoiler alert). This large object is rolling towards you. Do they run as fast as they can at an angle so that they can get away? Nope. Let’s just continue to run in a straight line, right in it’s path… but we’ll keep looking back at it from time to time. Stupid.
The makers of PROMETHEUS meant well, and the questions, theories and cast for a great movie are there. It just wasn’t what it could have been. If I could sum up this film in one word it would be “Mehhhh”.
OVERALL RATING: 2.5 out of 5 stars for indifference
IMAX and Twentieth Century Fox today announced that PROMETHEUS, director Ridley Scott’s original mythology that tips its hat to elements of the original Alien, will release in the immersive IMAX® 3D format in 421 IMAX® theatres worldwide. Domestically, the film will be released in 298 theatres beginning Friday, June 8, simultaneous with the film’s North American release. Internationally, the film debuted in select territories last week and will be expanding to additional theatres through the coming weeks for a total of 123 theatres confirmed to date. Additional playdates will be added as pending bookings are confirmed.
Exclusively in IMAX, PROMETHEUS will feature a larger aspect ratio of 2.0:1 versus the traditional 2.39:1 ratio. This aspect ratio, which is optimized to take advantage of the IMAX screen, will allow audiences to see more of the image and result in a full panorama of the action – further immersing audiences into the vast scale and scope of the film.
Early IMAX results from overseas markets which launched this past weekend are very strong and include a full sell out at the BFI IMAX Cinema in London, which was the top grossing theatre for the film in the UK. All but two IMAX venues played the film in a limited schedule and will expand as of this weekend to run on a full schedule.
“With robust initial IMAX results it is clear that more and more sci-fi fans are choosing IMAX as the best way to experience this must-see summer event,” said Greg Foster, Chairman and President of IMAX Filmed Entertainment. “We’re honored to partner with 20th Century Fox and the legendary Ridley Scott to offer moviegoers a differentiated experience in IMAX and further eventize this much anticipated film.”
The IMAX release of PROMETHEUS will be digitally re-mastered into the image and sound quality of an IMAX 3D Experience® with proprietary IMAX DMR® (Digital Re-mastering) technology. The crystal-clear images coupled with IMAX’s customized theatre geometry and powerful digital audio create a unique environment that will make audiences feel as if they are in the movie.
About Prometheus Ridley Scott, director of “Alien” and “Blade Runner,” returns to the genre he helped define. With PROMETHEUS, he creates a groundbreaking mythology, in which a team of explorers discover a clue to the origins of mankind on Earth, leading them on a thrilling journey to the darkest corners of the universe. There, they must fight a terrifying battle to save the future of the human race.
