ENCOUNTER will be available worldwide on Amazon Prime Video on Friday, December 10th
Desperate to save his two young sons, Jay and Bobby, from a mysterious threat, decorated Marine Malik Khan (Riz Ahmed) packs them in a car and sets off on a perilous journey across the western U.S. But while racing toward a secret military base in Nevada that may hold the key to safety, the trio encounters danger at every turn. Staying one step ahead of a group of government agents, Malik and the boys find themselves bonding in unexpected ways. As their relentless pursuers close in, and with time quickly running out, each of them must confront hard truths about the world, forcing Jay and Bobby to leave their childhoods behind. A gripping story of a father’s mission to keep his children safe at all costs, ENCOUNTER is at once a riveting thriller and a powerful drama about a family dealing with a seemingly unstoppable enemy.
Before you begin to fill the candy bowls and light up the jack o’lantern, how about taking a terror trek to the “haunted” multiplex for a very modern take on the traditional “creature feature”? Yes, there’s a growling drooling mythical monster at the center of the story, though the town and its past are pretty scary without this “beastie”. Perhaps this is a result of the unique behind-the-scenes pairing of a producer known for his fantasy fright flicks and a director who’d helmed several films that deal with all-too-human horrors. Together this “mad move-scientist” duo have stitched together a shambling nightmare thing that threatens to impale several villagers on its razor-sharp ANTLERS.
This said nightmare actually begins during another overcast day, just outside a remote dying town in Oregon. Its life’s blood, the mining operation, has long-shuttered its doors. But, there’s a glimmer of hope as the news spreads of a re-opening. This sends two locals, who were using it as a meth lab, scrambling to get their stuff out of the mine entrance. Though Frank Weaver (Scott Haze) and his pal are hurriedly filling up cardboard boxes, a growling noise coming from the cave entrance commands their attention. And when their screams join the noise, Frank’s seven-year-old son Aiden (Sawyer Jones) strolls into the darkness. Several weeks later, new teacher and returning resident Julia Meadows (Keri Russell) struggles to hold the interest of her elementary school class as she talks about myths and fables. One student, sullen, quiet Lucas Weaver (Jeremy T. Thomas) grabs her interest. She’s especially unnerved when he reads from his assignment. It’s a tale about a family of sick ravenous bears. The accompanying drawings, filled with red-ink gore, sound off the alarms in Julia’s head. She mentions this to her brother Paul (Jesse Plemons), who’s the town sheriff, in the family home they share (he’s now the owner as Julia’s looking for her own place). He warns her not to get involved. Meanwhile, Lucas returns to his ramshackle house, locking his bedroom door as hideous shrieks and screams, along with violent pounding, fill the darkness. Julia forges ahead with her sleuthing as the remains of someone, torn apart by seemingly human teeth, is found in the woods. Could this have been caused by whatever’s in the Weaver home? And could the Meadows siblings be next on its menu?
Though perhaps best known for her TV work (“Felicity”), Russell expertly handles the many “layers” of the story’s main facilitator. Her Julia sets the story “in motion”, though she’s more than a “scholarly savior”. This heroine is battling her past demons as much as the menacing monster. Through Russell’s eyes, you can see Julia waver as she almosts opts for ‘self-medication” while trying to drown the ghosts that tormented her in every room of the home she somehow survived. Many of those spirits swirl about her brother Paul, played with stoic subtlety by Plemons. He loves his big sister, though he suppresses a “tinge’ of resentment over her escape from the Hell that their father created for them. He’s dealing with “it’ by putting his head down and doing his job, even as it consists mainly of evicting his neighbors. But perhaps the most “haunted” character might be young Lucas, brought to heartbreaking life by Thomas. Much as with old cartoon icons, a dark cloud seems to always hover over him as he deals with a merciless bully in between doing his disturbing red-drenched art. Yet, Thomas gives him stubborn dignity and even optimism as he is convinced that he can somehow repair his broken family. The story also benefits from several screen vets in supporting roles. Rory Cochrane is the loyal deputy, Amy Madigan is a stern but sympathetic school principal, and Graham Greene is the former town lawman who “fills in the blanks” on the source of the town’s scourge while trying to hide his belief that nothing can stop what’s been “put into motion” by ancient vengeful forces.
There’s a ‘gloom” that covers nearly every frame in this vision of small-town life helmed by director Scott Cooper and produced by (amongst others) Guillermo del Toro. The main street is filled with boarded-up storefronts, while the sidewalk is filled with an endless line of residents awaiting treatment at the overwhelmed drug rehab facilities (almost as big a line as the liquor store). This is a dying community, one that can be “snuffed out” with little notice by the media or the nation. The screenplay co-written by Cooper along with Henry Chaisson and Antosca (based on his original short story) balances that slow march to oblivion with the childhood fears of the outdoors (something is watching you in those woods…and waiting). And at the story’s heart is the power of often long-forgotten myth which can curse those too weak to fight back. Luckily the human drama is as powerful as the supernatural showdowns with sequences that should satisfy the “horror crowd”. And without “spoiling” the finale, it isn’t cut and dry as the effects of the beast will still menace , even if only in dreams. ANTLERS delivers on the scares, but its setting and characters (given life by a superb cast) will linger long after the lights go up.
Hit the deck! Rat-a-tat-tat!! These are the sounds of a cinema staple, the gangster genre. From the early silent days, “thugs with dirty mugs” were the source of many a “hit” at the box office, of course. Soon after the Brothers Warner began their studio, they quickly became the premiere producers of these “blood and thunder” morality plays, featuring a “murderers’ row” of movie icons headed by James Cagney, Edward G Robertson, and Humphrey Bogart. In the waning years of Hollywood’s Golden Age, these thrillers often merged with the biography genre with the stories of real-life 20’s and 30’s criminals like John Dillinger, Bonnie Parker, and Clyde Barrow, and, the big man himself, “Scarface” Al Capone. With the phenomenal success of THE GODFATHER, these “public enemies” were back in vogue, continuing even to this day. Now the Warners are back in the true tale gangster biz, but they’re not offering up a new spin on those tommy-gun toting terrors. Here’s a crime kingpin from a much more recent era who’s actually still around. Now, this isn’t a look at his rise and fall. Rather it’s the tale of an unlikely alliance between this brutal underworld czar and a “G-Man”! Suit up for a truly pitch-dark BLACK MASS.
As the film opens, we’re in an interrogation room, as the “lieutenant” of Boston’s infamous “Winter Hill Gang”, Kevin Weeks (Jesse Plemons) talks about his boss, the crime ruler of the Irish south side, James “Whitey” Bulger (Johnny Depp). We then flashback to FBI agent John Connolly (Joel Edgerton) who has returned to his hometown in 1975, along with his bride Marianne (Julianne Nicholson), and is now part of the bureau’s Boston HQ. The local agents are frustrated with their lack of progress in stopping the illegal activities of the Italian mob to the north and Whitey’s south stronghold. Then John gets an idea. He grew up in the same neighborhood as the Bulgers, why not reach out to state Senate politico Billy Bulger (Benedict Cumberbatch) and see if he can put him in contact with Whitey, so that he can recruit him as an informant on his Italian rivals (in exchange, the feds would look the other way on Whitey’s petty crimes). John’s supervisor Charles McGuire (Kevin Bacon) is skeptical, but another agent, John Morris (David Harbour) is supportive. Billy Bulger is insulted by John, but to his shock, Whitey calls the agent. So, an agreement is forged. As long as Whitey supplies the info and steers clear of felonies (particularly murder), the FBI will ease up on his operations. But the hair-trigger Whitey is not so easily restrained, and soon he’s setting up shop in Miami, while providing guns and cash to the IRA. As he and John become a close team (and the agent become a rising star at the bureau), a new prosecutor, Fred Wyshak (Corey Stoll) questions this “relationship”. Can he possibly reign in Whitey’s gang , who’s now protected by the ambitious Connolly?
The real James “Whitey” Bulger
The film’s main selling point is Depp as the almost reptilian mob boss, Whitey, and he most certainly delivers. After more than a decade of maximum quirk as the MVP of Tim Burton and Gore Verbinski flicks, he’s tossed the eyeliner and eccentric duds and nails the complexity of this real life monster mobster. He can be sweet and charming as in the scenes with his sainted mother and adored young son. But then, almost without warning, a switch is flipped and the killer is freed from its shackles. With his hair slicked back to a bullet-like sheen, Depp evokes the image of a human cobra, one that gives no hiss as a warning. On the contrary, he takes great giddy pleasure from lulling his prey into relaxed calm, even shaking their hands, before the out-of-nowhere death strike. With a performance recalling Cagney classics (THE PUBIC ENEMY and WHITE HEAT), it’s nice to see Deep back on earth after so many years in on the planet of the weird. While his image adorns the ads and posters, the film is really the story of the seduction and corruption of Connolly ,and Edgerton, coming off his excellent work on THE GIFT, shows us the ambitious longing in the compromised lawman. He will truly bargain with the devil himself in order to advance his career and get to that next level with the grander title and the bigger office. Later we see the desperation in his eyes as Connolly frantically tries to talk himself out of the deep, deep hole that he has dug, one that traps him as its walls collapse about his feet.
Actually the entire cast is stellar as they support these two very compelling leads. Nicholson as Mrs. Connolly presents a woman quickly falling out of love, with a real sense of disgust as she realizes that her husband shares their emotional bed with a creature of pure evil (a creepy confrontation with Whitey is quite unnerving). Harbor is enthralling as Connolly’s cheerleader/sidekick who slowly learns that he’s very much out of his depth. Bacon is an entertaining hardcase as the big FBI boss, but the terrific Adam Scott has little to do besides modeling tacky 70’s fashions and hairstyles, unfortunately. Stoll proves to be a most capable verbal sparring partner for Edgerton. From his introduction, we sense that he’s a legal pit bull. Cumberbatch tempers his small screen charisma and gives us an original take on an “old school” career politician, one with fierce family pride. He can’t turn his back on his family, especially his brother, no matter the horror tales told behind his back. Peter Sarsgaard shines in a terrific small role as a “coked up” Miami wheeler-dealer nicknamed “Balloonhead”. Plemons and W. Earl Brown are very convincing as two of Whitey’s most trusted enforcers, both morphing into dead-eyed real human terminators, while their cohort Rory Cochrane lets his sadness escape through the eyes of his bulldog-like mug. He lets us see how the humiliation and degradation meted out by his boss has taken its toil on him. That “50 Shades” lady, Dakota Johnson brings out the human side of Whitey in her soft, subtle turn as his common-in-law wife Lindsey Cyr. Great cameo turns by Bill Camp and Juno Temple round out this impressive ensemble.
In his third outing as a director (CRAZY HEART, OUT OF THE FURNACE) former actor Scott Cooper fights a difficult battle to keep this long, meandering screenplay moving forward. Unfortunately it usually gets the better of him, despite his considerable efforts. Although it mainly focuses in on a ten-year period going from the disco 70’s to the grim and gritty 80’s, the script quickly becomes an illustrated rap sheet, checking off a list of crimes (then he did this, then this, then…). There are a few moments between murders where the characters rather than the blood-splattered set pieces take command. One such sequence is the very tense BBQ dinner at the Connolly home, going right from a recipe inquiry (probably too similar to Joe Pesci’s iconic “How am I funny?” monologue, but still strong) to the threat-laced passive-aggressive duet between Whitey and Marianne (just watch the other audience members squirm during this). Bulger supposedly was the inspiration for Jack Nicholson’s “Paddy” Costello character in Martin Scorsese’s THE DEPARTED. Ultimately this new film is swallowed up in the shadow of that Oscar winner, and especially by the even earlier GOODFELLAS (Depp often seems to be doing a mash-up of its DeNiro and Pesci characters). This is a shame, since the movie gets the period look, from autos to fashions, down perfectly and the Boston location work is exceptional. Perhaps another script draft, or a bit more narration would have helped keep things moving. At least the film reminds us of what a terrific actor Depp can be when given challenging material. But really all the actors are superb, it’s just truly frustrating that the narrative fumbles what should be a cinema touchdown. BLACK MASS, like the law man’s plan at its center, is a flawed attempt at greatness.
In 1970s South Boston, FBI Agent John Connolly (Joel Edgerton) persuades Irish mobster James “Whitey” Bulger (Johnny Depp) to collaborate with the FBI and eliminate a common enemy: the Italian mob. The drama tells the story of this unholy alliance, which spiraled out of control, allowing Whitey to evade law enforcement, consolidate power, and become one of the most ruthless and powerful gangsters in Boston history.
The film stars Johnny Depp, Joel Edgerton, Benedict Cumberbatch, Rory Cochrane, Jesse Plemons, Kevin Bacon, W. Earl Brown, David Harbour, Dakota Johnson, Julianne Nicholson, Corey Stoll, Peter Sarsgaard, Adam Scott, and Juno Temple.
The score was composed by Tom Holkenborg (“Mad Max: Fury Road,” the reimagining of the action thriller “Point Break,” the crime comedy “Kill Your Friends,” and the upcoming “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice”).
Directed by Scott Cooper, BLACK MASS opens in theaters September 18th and will be distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures.
WAMG invites you to enter for a chance to win a pass (Good for 2) to the advance screening of BLACK MASS on Monday, September 14th at 7PM in the St. Louis area.
We will contact the winners by email.
Answer the following:
What is your favorite gangster movie and why?
TO ENTER, ADD YOUR NAME, ANSWER AND EMAIL IN OUR COMMENTS SECTION BELOW.
OFFICIAL RULES:
1. YOU MUST BE IN THE ST. LOUIS AREA THE DAY OF THE SCREENING.
2. A pass does not guarantee a seat at a screening. Seating is on a first-come, first served basis. The theater is overbooked to assure a full house. The theater is not responsible for overbooking.
3. No purchase necessary.
Rated R for brutal violence, language throughout, some sexual references and brief drug use.
Opening in theaters September 18th, watch Johnny Depp in the brand new trailer for BLACK MASS.
The drama also stars Joel Edgerton, Benedict Cumberbatch, Jesse Plemons, Kevin Bacon, Rory Cochrane, David Harbour, Dakota Johnson, Julianne Nicholson, James Russo, Adam Scott, Corey Stoll, Juno Temple, W. Earl Brown, Bill Camp, Brad Carter, and Jeremy Strong.
In 1970s South Boston, FBI Agent John Connolly (Joel Edgerton) persuades Irish mobster James “Whitey” Bulger (Johnny Depp) to collaborate with the FBI and eliminate a common enemy: the Italian mob. The drama tells the true story of this unholy alliance, which spiraled out of control, allowing Whitey to evade law enforcement, consolidate power, and become one of the most ruthless and powerful gangsters in Boston history.
Brian Oliver, Tyler Thompson, John Lesher, Patrick McCormick and Scott Cooper are producing the film, with Peter Mallouk, Lauren Selig, Brett Granstaff and Gary Granstaff serving as executive producers.
The screenplay is adapted from the book Black Mass: The True Story of an Unholy Alliance Between the FBI and the Irish Mob, by Dick Lehr and Gerard O’Neill. The score is from Tom Holkenborg (Junkie XL – MAD MAX: FURY ROAD, RUN ALL NIGHT).
“That’s what I love about these high school girls, man. I get older, they stay the same age!”
DAZED AND CONFUSED plays this weekend (August 19th and 20th) at the Tivoli as part of their Reel Late at the Tivoli Midnight series.
I graduated from Kirkwood High School in 1979 and DAZED AND CONFUSED, which I saw at the Shady Oak Theater in Clayton 14 years later, is so spot-on it’s scary. Writer-Director Richard Linklater is one year older than me and his film debut was a nostalgic look back at the final day of school, when the soon-to-be-seniors get drunk and stoned waiting for their first year at the top of the food chain while the incoming freshmen get prepared for a year of getting picked on. A wide range of character drink, smoke pot and have fun talking about what life is about to offer them. I think it’s fair to say that this film did for the late ‘70s what American GRAFFITI did for the early ‘60s in that it was a very nostalgic look back for a director who was clearly putting his memories on film so that future generations could look back and use the film to say that’s what it was like back in the day. With DAZED AND CONFUSED, Linklater did a remarkable job capturing the mood and spirit of teenagers and the colorful soundtrack really packs a punch. The actors playing these parts are at the top of their game and seeing this movie today is a lot different than when I saw it back when it was first released. I still remember watching DAZED AND CONFUSED and being impressed by all of the unknowns, but when you see the film today it’s rather shocking to see how many went on to bigger things. Matthew McConaughey, Jason London, Renee Zelweger, Rory Cochrane, Adam Goldberg, Milla Jovovich, Joey Lauren Adams, Ben Affleck, and Parker Posey are just a few of the familiar faces and all of them do a fine job with their characters. Another important part of the film is its terrific soundtrack, which includes the likes of Aerosmith, Bob Dylan, Alice Cooper, ZZ Top, KISS, Deep Purple, Ted Nugent, Peter Frampton, War, Nazareth and many others. There’s no question that the story is fairly light as there’s really not too much going on except for drinking and smoking but I think there was a point to that. The young faces and terrific music are two of the biggest highlights and in the end there’s no way not to be impressed with what you’re seeing with DAZED AND CONFUSED.
Now grab your old stoner buddies and relive your high school days when DAZED AND CONFUSED plays on the big screen this weekend (August 19th and 20th) at the Tivoli as part of their Reel Late at the Tivoli Midnight series.
The Tivoli’s located at 6350 Delmar Blvd., University City, MO. Admission is a mere $8!
OCULUS, the new horror film co-written and directed by Mike Flanagan, introduces audiences to a new kind of terror: the eerily inscrutable Lasser Glass. This beautiful antique mirror is no ordinary villain. Its seemingly harmless reflections hold a malevolent supernatural force that infects the mind of the viewer, leading to paranoia, distorted visions, and eventually, possession. Recently, WAMG attended a small press conference for the film where Karen Gillan, Katee Sackhoff, James Lafferty and Rory Cochrane spoke with members of the press about the film, what type of horror they like, and what scares them. Check it out below.
Ten years ago, tragedy struck the Russell family, leaving the lives of teenage siblings Tim and Kaylie forever changed when Tim was convicted of the brutal murder of their parents. Now in his 20s, Tim is newly released from protective custody and only wants to move on with his life; but Kaylie, still haunted by that fateful night, is convinced her parents’ deaths were caused by something else altogether: a malevolent supernatural force¬¬ unleashed through the Lasser Glass, an antique mirror in their childhood home. Determined to prove Tim’s innocence, Kaylie tracks down the mirror, only to learn similar deaths have befallen previous owners over the past century. With the mysterious entity now back in their hands, Tim and Kaylie soon find their hold on reality shattered by terrifying hallucinations, and realize, too late, that their childhood nightmare is beginning again…
This is such an intriguing premise – an intriguing film with the intersecting temporal lines. When each first got the script, what was it that struck you, not just about the script as a whole, but the individual characters?
KAREN GILLAN : One of the things that I loved about the script, so much, was the time that was devoted to the characters, so we really get to see them develop before things happen to them. We’re actually invested, and care. They really earn the scares, which really excited me. I just loved the character that I played. I thought that she was really interesting.
KATEE SACKHOFF : Very similarly, in the sense that I really loved the fact that, for Marie, we got to see this vulnerability that she had, for years, with her before the mirror actually took her. I wanted to really make the audience love this family, and understand this family, then ultimately feel heartbroken for these children, and what they’ve had to go through. Mike [Flanagan] just did a phenomenal job on pulling you on this slow ride, that was engaging you the entire time… then, the last 30 minutes seem to just punch you in the face repeatedly. [Laughs]
JAMES LAFFERTY : I have to agree with Katee. I think it was the family aspect that drew me in. The fact that there are children involved in the script really started tugging at my heartstrings, and then to see the performances that they give on-screen was just mind-blowing to me, so that really shined through for me.
RORY COCHRANE : I just appreciated the family dynamic that could have happened, sort of, without these supernatural forces that were surrounding them. If you took them away you would still have this family.
My question is for Rory. We’re used to seeing you in roles where you are very likable. In this film you start out that way, with a like ability factor… I was just wondering how you found the right tone for your character as he evolves through the storyline?
RORY COCHRANE : I have to give credit to Mike’s development of the character. I think he gave everyone, sort of, this part to play with. For me, as an actor, I just want to get in and try to be super creepy, and play the realism of how I felt in the scenes. In between whatever scene we were doing, “what is the reality in this scene?” Forget the mirrors, forget the ghosts. That’s the only way I wrapped my head around it. We obviously have a slow decline without trying to play that up too much.
Mike has said that the mirror reflects the characters fears and insecurities. I was wondering if each of you could comment on how you perceived your characters fears and insecurities, and what you took as fuel.
KATEE SACKHOFF : I‘ll go, since mine was incredibly obvious. This is a woman who… the childen were 13 years old, and I was 32. To me, I would have had to have had these children at 18 or 19 years old. I wanted to play that as the reality, because my sister had a child at 18, and she is a phenomenal woman. She finished college. She worked her ass off. So, I didn’t want to age myself up, or play it in some negative light. If that was the reality of the situation, she probably gave up much of her own life for these children, and there is a lot of insecurity that comes from that. What is your importance to the world beyond being a mother? You’ve given up… you know. You can relate to body issues. Women can. I stand in the mirror and go “Oh, geez!” or “Oh my gosh! This is happening!” and I haven’t had children yet, so I can’t imagine what that’s gonna be like. So, I’ll probably do it some more. I think that her insecurities are incredibly obvious from the very beginning. I understood that, because I have seen it in so many women. It’s painful to not like yourself physically. I understood the insanity of that. [laughs]
Those children were incredibly. They looked like the young version of you, Karen, and Brenton. The casting was incredibly… Did you guys get to see the work of the younger actors playing you, or did they see your work on set? Did you synchronize between each other?
KAREN GILLAN : So, basically these guys filmed theirs, sort of, in the past section of the film first. That was the first three weeks of the shoot. Brenton and I went down to set all the time and just watched what everybody was doing. Absolute credit to Annalise, who played the younger version of my character, because she absolutely established the character. I went down and watched what she did, and then just took it from there. I tried to extend on it.
So, you cut your fabulous ponytail…
KAREN GILLAN : I know! It’s gone! [Laughs}
Since the Lasser glass reflects, or exacerbates its victims darkest fears and insecurities. If you were to look in the mirror, what would your greatest fears be?
KAREN GILLAN : That’s a QUESTION!
KATEE SACKHOFF : It’s martini time! [laughs]
KAREN GILLAN : I don’t know. That’s a really tough question! I don’t know… I don’t know…
KATEE SACKHOFF : Take it away Karen! [laughs]
KAREN GILLAN : I would say, probably not being able to do what I want to do, and basically not being fulfilled and happy. I don’t know how that would manifest itself in a mirror, but yeah. Just that feeling of not being satisfied with my life. That would be the worst thing that could happen to me.
RORY COCHRANE : I would see every audition that I’ve ever gone on. [Laughs]
KATEE SACKHOFF : We were joking about that earlier. Like a ‘Funny or Die’ sketch. Every worst audition that you’ve ever had. I’ve got a few of those. I had someone answer the phone half way through once…
KAREN GILLAN : Really?
KATEE SACKHOFF : I was like “Do I stop? Or just keep going? I don’t know what to do right now!” [laughs]. I just went “Aliright, I’ll see you later then.” and left. I just stopped.
KAREN GILLAN : That is really rude!
There are so many sub genres of horror films. I was wondering, for each of you, what is the thing that gets you to like horror movies? The gore type? The supernatural thriller? The psychological one… what does it for you?
KAREN GILLAN : I love horror films so I just wanted to chime in. I’m a big horror film fan, so this was really exciting for me. I’d say I love the cheesy slasher ones for the gore aspect, but really, the ones that are truly scary are the slow burners that really start to build up. I love THE RING. I just thought that they did that really well. That wasn’t so gory. It was just a really creepy video.
KATEE SACKHOFF : There are enough things in my life that scare the shit out of me already! [laughs] I tend to be mostly scared of movies that are about something that could actually happen. As actors, we spend a lot of time on the road, and in different places. I tend to wake up in the middle of the night and run into walls a lot, and forget where I am. So, for me… that is my biggest fear. Things that can actually happen. Like, someone tried to open my hotel room one night, and the chain was going, and I was like “Oh my god! What’s happening!” and it’s just those weird things, because you are constantly not home. So, I’m never in a comfortable place. So, those type of horror movies scare the shit out of me.
KAREN GILLAN : Hotels are really scary.
KATEE SACKHOFF : Yeah!
KAREN GILLAN : One time I was in a hotel, and I was convinced that it was haunted so I decided to make a film of it… and there’s nothing on it[laughs]. I called the reception and I was like “This room is haunted! I need to move!” and they didn’t ask any questions! They were like “Yeah. We’re gonna move you.” [Laughs]
RORY COCHRANE : I just want to add to that. When we were in Alabama, she [Karen] had a stalker that… am I allowed to say this…
KAREN GILLAN : Oh… I don’t know… [Laughs]
RORY COCHRANE : Anyway… The guy made his way across the United States sending postcards and things… It got to be pretty scary. So, the guy actually shows up at the hotel with flowers, and everyone around the set, the crew were like “Karen, you have to be really, really careful!” and she was like “Oh, that’s so sweet! He brought me flowers!” [laughs] She wasn’t scared of that at all… and that was a real thing!
Relativity Media’s upcoming horror-thriller, OCULUS, hits theaters nationwide on April 11th – prepare to #SeeYourEvil!
Written and directed by Mike Flanagan, OCULUS first premiered at the 2013 Toronto International Film Festival and stars Karen Gillan, Brenton Thwaites, Rory Cochrane and Katee Sackhoff.
Ten years ago, tragedy struck the Russell family, leaving the lives of teenage siblings Tim and Kaylie forever changed when Tim was convicted of the brutal murder of their parents. Now in his 20s, Tim is newly released from protective custody and only wants to move on with his life; but Kaylie, still haunted by that fateful night, is convinced her parents’ deaths were caused by something else altogether: a malevolent supernatural force—unleashed through the Lasser Glass, an antique mirror in their childhood home.
Determined to prove Tim’s innocence, Kaylie tracks down the mirror, only to learn similar deaths have befallen previous owners over the past century. With the mysterious entity now back in their hands, Tim and Kaylie soon find their hold on reality shattered by terrifying hallucinations, and realize, too late, that their childhood nightmare is beginning again…
WAMG invites you to enter to win a pass (good for 2) to the advance screening of OCULUS on Wednesday, April 9 at 7PM.
Like great horror films before it, OCULUSdoes not rely only on jump-scares to grab the audience. “Ultimately, the really good scares in classic horror movies always come down to the characters,” says director Mike Flanagan.
Here’s your first look at Warner Bros. Pictures’ and GK Films’ dramatic thriller ARGO, directed by and starring Academy Award winner Ben Affleck (“The Town,” “Good Will Hunting”). The film is being produced by Academy Award winner George Clooney (“Syriana”), Oscar nominee Grant Heslov (“Good Night, and Good Luck.”) and Affleck.
Based on true events, ARGO chronicles the life-or-death covert operation to rescue six Americans, which unfolded behind the scenes of the Iran hostage crisis—the truth of which was unknown by the public for decades. On November 4, 1979, as the Iranian revolution reaches its boiling point, militants storm the U.S. embassy in Tehran, taking 52 Americans hostage. But, in the midst of the chaos, six Americans manage to slip away and find refuge in the home of the Canadian ambassador. Knowing it is only a matter of time before the six are found out and likely killed, a CIA “exfiltration” specialist named Tony Mendez (Affleck) comes up with a risky plan to get them safely out of the country. A plan so incredible, it could only happen in the movies.
ARGO also stars Oscar winner Alan Arkin (“Little Miss Sunshine”), Bryan Cranston (TV’s “Breaking Bad”) and John Goodman (“You Don’t Know Jack”). The main cast also includes Kerry Bishé, Kyle Chandler, Rory Cochrane, Christopher Denham, Tate Donovan, Clea DuVall, Victor Garber, Zeljko Ivanek, Richard Kind, Scoot McNairy, Chris Messina, Michael Parks, and Taylor Schilling.
Affleck is directing the film from a screenplay by Chris Terrio, based on a selection from Master in Disguise by Antonio Mendez. David Klawans, Chris Brigham, Graham King, Tim Headington, Chay Carter and Nina Wolarsky are serving as executive producers.
The behind-the-scenes creative team includes Oscar-nominated director of photography Rodrigo Prieto (“Brokeback Mountain”), production designer Sharon Seymour (“The Town”); Oscar-nominated editor William Goldenberg (“Seabiscuit,” “The Insider”); and Oscar-nominated costume designer Jacqueline West (“The Social Network,” “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”).
This film has been rated R for language and some violent images.
SCOOT McNAIRY as Joe Stafford, BEN AFFLECK as Tony Mendez, RORY COCHRANE as Lee Shatz, CHRIS DENHAM as Mark Lijek, and TATE DONOVAN as Bob Anders in ARGO. Photo by Claire Folger.
