Tag: the thing

John Carpenter Gives Definitive Answer To The Ending OF THE THING On The Late Show With Stephen Colbert

On Thursday, John Carpenter was the guest On The Late Show with Stephen Colbert to discuss his latest project “John Carpenter’s Suburban Screams”, a six-episode horror anthology series available to stream on Peacock.

https://www.peacocktv.com/watch-online/tv/john-carpenters-suburban-screams/8006432878975950112/seasons/1

The host, a huge film nerd, revealed to the audience that his go to comfort movie food is 1982’s THE THING. Reviled by critics and cinema goers at the time for being too gory and violent, while expecting a remake of Christian Nyby’s and Howard Hawks’s black & white version of 1951’s THE THING FROM ANOTHER WORLD, the movie was almost forgotten… until sci-fi and horror fans decided differently. In the decades since, the film saw new life with VHS, Laserdisc and Blu-ray/DVD. The film has a killer score composed by Ennio Morricone, organic, non-CGI effects from Rob Bottin and one of the best posters ever from Drew Struzan.

Having celebrated its 40th anniversary, THE THING has become a cult favorite. NECA released a Kurt Russell, Ultimate Outpost 31 Macready action figure in 2022 and it’s a must have for fans. Full reveal, I have two. https://www.amazon.com/Ultimate-MacReady-7-Inch-Action-Figure/dp/B099YPZZWN

Having joined many Top Horror lists, film geeks over the years have bantered about different theories on the dismal ambiguous ending where the survivors slowly freeze to death to save humanity from infection in the ultimate heroic act.

When asked by Colbert if he knows who the actual Thing is, Carpenter coyly replies with: THERE’S AN ABSOLUTE ANSWER TO THAT QUESTION, I DO KNOW THE ANSWER. IF YOU WATCH IT REALLY CAREFULLY AND YOU SEND ME A CHECK IN THE MAIL, I WILL TELL YOU. Colbert follows up with, I JUST WANT TO KNOW WHETHER I CAN FIGURE IT OUT, to which Carpenter says, YOU CAN.

Watch the fascinating interview below.

For another terrific interview, read Cinephilia & Beyond’s article here: https://cinephiliabeyond.org/john-carpenters-thing-story-sf-horror-game-changer/

John Carpenter’s Suburban Screams is a genre-busting unscripted horror anthology series from the mind of legendary director, writer, and producer, John Carpenter. The series explores the dark secrets and unspeakable evil that sometimes lurks beneath the surface of the sun-drenched streets, manicured lawns and friendly neighbors of suburbia. Each episode focuses on one true tale of terror, told by the real people who lived through it. Their firsthand accounts are brought to life through premium cinematic scene-work, news clips, home photos, and archival footage, combining the visual language of horror films with the tools and techniques of documentaries, creating a uniquely frightening experience for viewers.

Remotely directed from his own home, check out Carpenter’s idea of scary.

John Carpenter’s THE THING Midnights This Weekend at The Tivoli

thing tivoli

“I know you gentlemen have been through a lot, but when you find the time, I’d rather not spend the rest of this winter TIED TO THIS FUCKING COUCH!”

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John Carpenter’s THE THING screens midnights this weekend (May 22nd and 23rd) at The Tivoli Theater as part of their ‘Reel Late at The Tivoli’ Midnight Series.

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I won’t go into my usual retrospective because everyone has seen it many times, but I will share my THE THING story: I saw it the day it opened (June 25th 1982). My mother’s friend Marilyn came over in the morning so she and mom could go shopping. She brought her 9-year old Grandson Michael with her and handed me a $10 bill and said “Go take Michael to see E.T. THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL (which had opened two weeks earlier) so he’s out of my hair while your mother and I go to the mall”. I dutifully obliged and as soon as young Michael and I got in the car and headed to the theater to see E.T., the kid turns to me and says: “I don’t want to see E.T. – I want to see something rated R!” Well, there was no way I was going to deny this boy the opportunity to see his first R-rated movie. In the pre-VHS days, a first ‘R’ was a big deal – something of a rite of passage. My dad had taken me to see THE FRENCH CONNECTION, my first ‘R’, when I was exactly his age. Michael was being raised by a single mom so I knew it was both my duty and my fate to take him on his initial R-rated adventure and THE THING had just opened. So off we went to the Sunset Hills Cinema that Friday morning and saw THE THING.

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I knew nothing about it except that it was directed by John Carpenter and was a remake of a ‘50s sci-fier that I liked. I was unprepared and I can only imagine what was going through the kid’s mind. We jumped and screamed at all the memorable moments: when Norris’ stomach implodes, when the Norwegian frantically digs in the snow and the grenade goes off, when Blair appears behind Garry, when they find Mac holding the dynamite and the flare. To this day, when I see Michael, now a 42-year old man, he never fails to tell me how much he appreciated me taking him to his first ‘R’ 33 years ago.

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Now you’ll have the chance to take a 9-year old to see an R-rated movie this weekend when THE THING plays on the big screen at The Tivoli as part of The Tivoli’s Reel Late at the Tivoli Midnight Series. I’ll be there with THE THING trivia and prizes….and maybe I’ll bring Michael along.

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Admission is $8. Hope to see everyone this weekend at The Tivoli!

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The Facebook invite for this event can be found HERE

https://www.facebook.com/events/1656652184556972/

The Tivoli is located at 6350 Delmar in The Loop. Visit Landmark’s The Tivoli’s website HERE

http://www.landmarktheatres.com/market/st.louis/tivolitheatre.htm

Here’s the newly –announced Reel Late at the Tivoli Midnight schedule for June and July

 May 29-30           KUNG FU KILLER – Premiere! Starring Donnie Yen

 June 5-6               PEE-WEE’S BIG ADVENTURE

 June 12-13          THE LAST STARFIGHTER

 June 19-20          HOOK

 June 26-27          COWBOY BEBOP: THE MOVIE – Subtitled

 July 3-4                 WHO FRAMED ROGER RABBIT

 July 10-11            THE TERMINATOR (1984)

 July 17-18            THE SHINING

The Midnight at the Tivoli Fans Facebook page can be found HERE

https://www.facebook.com/groups/255754067866051/

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The Tivoli Announces the ‘Reel Late’ Midnight Line-Up – MAD MAX, THE THING, BLADE RUNNER – Oh My!

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“I am the Nightrider. I’m a fuel injected suicide machine. I am the rocker, I am the roller, I am the out-of-controller!”

I gotta say – this lineup of midnight movies for the ‘Reel Late at The Tivoli’ may be the best ever! It’s almost like they let me choose them myself (which they did not). It’s a great selection with an unusually cool variety of standards and classics to draw the late night movie buff crowd.

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The awesome line-up of midnight movies begins April 3rd and 4th with THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW (usually the series ends with ROCKY in October so we’ll see how it does in April – meaning will it sell out in advance or on the night of?). The roster includes one Miyazaki (attendance insurance), the animated WATERSHIP DOWN (the uneven 1978 version of Richard Adams’ 1972 cult novel about rabbits) and cult comedy nuggets BETTER OFF DEAD and BEETLEJUICE (both recent Tenacious Eats fare!). But it’s a trio of Sci-fi masterpieces showing on the big screen midnights at the Tivoli that’s the real excitement! Hardboiled, uncompromising and totally bad-ass, George Miller’s MAD MAX, which single-handedly boosted the Australian film Industry in 1979 will play midnights May 8th and 9th – the weekend before the belated fourth chapter of the Mad Max saga, MAD MAX FURY ROAD opens. Ridley Scott’s stunning futuristic film noir epic BLADE RUNNER, which I have not seen on the big screen in quite a while, is scheduled for April 24th and 25th.  John Carpenter’s THE THING (1982) is his best film – the suspense is heart pounding, the performances uniformly terrific, and Rob Bottin’s monster effects are timelessly terrifying and the star of the film. THE THING is a terrific choice for a midnight movie and should pack ‘em in when it plays May 22nd and 23rd.

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Reel Late at the Tivoli takes place every Friday and Saturday night and We Are Movie Geeks own Tom Stockman (that’s me!) is usually there with custom trivia questions about the films and always has DVDs, posters, and other cool stuff to give away. I can’t wait to write THE THING trivia! Ticket prices are $8 except ROCKY HORROR which is $10. We hope to see everyone late at night in the coming months.

The Tivoli is located at 6350 Delmar in The Loop. Visit Landmark’s The Tivoli’s website HERE

http://www.landmarktheatres.com/market/st.louis/tivolitheatre.htm

Here’s the newly –announced Reel Late at the Tivoli Midnight schedule for April and May:

April 3-4               ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW with live cast Samurai Electricians
All seats $10

April 10-11           BEETLEJUICE

April 17-18           HOWL’S MOVING CASTLE  subtitled

April 24-25           BLADE RUNNER: THE FINAL CUT

May 1-2                BETTER OFF DEAD

May 8-9                MAD MAX

May 15-16           WATERSHIP DOWN

May 22-23           THE THING

 

Win Passes To THE THING Screening In St. Louis

Antarctica: an extraordinary continent of awesome beauty. It is also home to an isolated outpost known as Thule Station. There, a crew of international scientists has unearthed a remarkable discovery. But elation quickly turns to terrifying paranoia in the thriller THE THING, as the group of researchers encounters something inhuman that has the ability to turn itself into an exact replica of any living being.

BRRRR! Is it safe to look yet? If you dare, enter below to win screening passes to the St. Louis screening of THE THING from WAMG! The screening is on OCTOBER 11 at Ronnie’s 20 Cine at 7pm.

THE THING has been rated R for strong creature violence and gore, disturbing images and language

OFFICIAL RULES:

1. YOU MUST BE IN THE ST. LOUIS AREA THE DAY OF THE SCREENING.

2. FILL OUT YOUR NAME AND E-MAIL ADDRESS BELOW. REAL FIRST NAME REQUIRED.

3. ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTION: What’s your favorite scary film monster?

WINNERS WILL BE CHOSEN THROUGH A RANDOM DRAWING OF QUALIFYING CONTESTANTS. NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. PASSES WILL NOT BE SUBSTITUTED OR EXCHANGED. DUPLICATE TICKETS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED

Synopsis:

Columbia University paleontologist Dr. Kate Lloyd (Scott Pilgrim vs. the World’s MARY ELIZABETH WINSTEAD) has left behind the safety of her sterile laboratory and traveled to this desolate region for the expedition of her lifetime.

Joining a Norwegian research team led by Edvard Wolner (Fallen Angels’ TROND ESPEN SEIM) that has stumbled across a creature buried in the ice, Kate – along with fellow explorers Dr. Sander Halvorson (Season of the Witch’s ULRICH THOMSEN) and Adam (NCIS: Los Angeles’ ERIC CHRISTIAN OLSEN) – discovers an organism that seems to have died in the ice eons ago.

When a simple experiment near this outpost frees the thing from its frozen prison, Kate must join the pilot, Carter (Warrior’s JOEL EDGERTON), and his sidekick, Jameson (Lost’s ADEWALE AKINNUOYE-AGBAJE), to keep it from killing everyone and anything it encounters. And in this vast, intense land, a parasite suddenly mimics anything it touches – pitting human against human as it fights to survive and flourish.

THE THING, which serves as a prelude to John Carpenter’s classic 1982 film of the same name, is directed by MATTHIJS VAN HEIJNINGEN in his feature-film debut. The thriller is written by ERIC HEISSERER (A Nightmare on Elm Street) and based on the classic story of terror “Who Goes There?” by JOHN W. CAMPBELL JR.

THE THING will hit theaters October 14, 2011.

Visit the film’s official site: http://www.thethingmovie.net/

“Like” it on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/thethingmovie

THE THING Video Creator & Game

Hola kids! We know you guys are excited to see the prequel of Universal Pictures’ THE THING, so here’s a little snack to tide you over until it’s theatrical release on October 14th. We’ve included some fun-filled links below so that you can make a custom THE THING video, check out THE THING on YouTube, and even play with a flamethrower! Relax, it’s virtual…

IT WILL BECOME YOU Custom Video Creator
http://www.itwillbecomeyou.com/
Upload a video, use a YouTube video or use your Webcam to create a custom video that ultimately transforms into THE THING.  You can check out an example of a created video at this link: http://bit.ly/nkUcT6

THE THING is YouTube
Check out the videos at the link below for their custom integration with THE THING:

http://www.youtube.com/14oct2011
http://www.youtube.com/14oct2011/?x=1
http://www.youtube.com/14oct2011/?x=2
http://www.youtube.com/14oct2011/?x=3
http://www.youtube.com/14oct2011/?x=4
http://www.youtube.com/14oct2011/?x=5
http://www.youtube.com/14oct2011/?x=6
http://www.youtube.com/14oct2011/?x=7
http://www.youtube.com/14oct2011/?x=8

Augmented Reality Flamethrower Game
If you have an Android or iPhone – download the Flamethrower game – which is a first-person shooter game that puts you in a 360 degree virtual environment.  You have to use your flamethrower to survive an attack of THINGs.  At the end of the game, you can then infect yourself by taking a picture with your camera, uploading and morphing your photo into an infected user.  You can access the downloads here:

Apple Devices – http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/the-thing-flame-thrower/id465493297?ls=1&mt=8
Android Devices – https://market.android.com/details?id=com.nbcuni.universal.thingflamethrower

Antarctica: an extraordinary continent of awesome beauty. It is also home to an isolated outpost known as Thule Station. There, a crew of international scientists has unearthed a remarkable discovery. But elation quickly turns to terrifying paranoia in the thriller The Thing, as the group of researchers encounters something inhuman that has the ability to turn itself into an exact replica of any living being.

Columbia University paleontologist Dr. Kate Lloyd (Scott Pilgrim vs. the World’s MARY ELIZABETH WINSTEAD) has left behind the safety of her sterile laboratory and traveled to this desolate region for the expedition of her lifetime.

Joining a Norwegian research team led by Edvard Wolner (Fallen Angels’ TROND ESPEN SEIM) that has stumbled across a creature buried in the ice, Kate – along with fellow explorers Dr. Sander Halvorson (Season of the Witch’s ULRICH THOMSEN) and Adam (NCIS: Los Angeles’ ERIC CHRISTIAN OLSEN)—discovers an organism that seems to have died in the ice eons ago.

When a simple experiment near this outpost frees the thing from its frozen prison, Kate must join the pilot, Carter (Warrior’s JOEL EDGERTON), and his sidekick, Jameson (Lost’s ADEWALE AKINNUOYE-AGBAJE), to keep it from killing everyone and anything it encounters. And in this vast, intense land, a parasite suddenly mimics anything it touches…pitting human against human as it fights to survive and flourish.

The Thing, which serves as a prelude to John Carpenter’s classic 1982 film of the same name, is directed by MATTHIJS VAN HEIJNINGEN in his feature-film debut. The thriller is written by ERIC HEISSERER (A Nightmare on Elm Street) and based on the classic story of terror “Who Goes There?” by JOHN W. CAMPBELL JR.

THE THING will hit theaters October 14, 2011.

Visit the film’s official site: http://www.thethingmovie.net/

“Like” it on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/thethingmovie

 

THE THING Red Band Trailer

Check out the very bloody red-band trailer for the prequel of Universal Pictures’ THE THING (via IGN). Man is still the warmest place to hide.

Antarctica: an extraordinary continent of awesome beauty. It is also home to an isolated outpost known as Thule Station. There, a crew of international scientists has unearthed a remarkable discovery. But elation quickly turns to terrifying paranoia in the thriller The Thing, as the group of researchers encounters something inhuman that has the ability to turn itself into an exact replica of any living being.

Columbia University paleontologist Dr. Kate Lloyd (Scott Pilgrim vs. the World’s MARY ELIZABETH WINSTEAD) has left behind the safety of her sterile laboratory and traveled to this desolate region for the expedition of her lifetime.

Joining a Norwegian research team led by Edvard Wolner (Fallen Angels’ TROND ESPEN SEIM) that has stumbled across a creature buried in the ice, Kate – along with fellow explorers Dr. Sander Halvorson (Season of the Witch’s ULRICH THOMSEN) and Adam (NCIS: Los Angeles’ ERIC CHRISTIAN OLSEN)—discovers an organism that seems to have died in the ice eons ago.

When a simple experiment near this outpost frees the thing from its frozen prison, Kate must join the pilot, Carter (Warrior’s JOEL EDGERTON), and his sidekick, Jameson (Lost’s ADEWALE AKINNUOYE-AGBAJE), to keep it from killing everyone and anything it encounters. And in this vast, intense land, a parasite suddenly mimics anything it touches…pitting human against human as it fights to survive and flourish.

The Thing, which serves as a prelude to John Carpenter’s classic 1982 film of the same name, is directed by MATTHIJS VAN HEIJNINGEN in his feature-film debut. The thriller is written by ERIC HEISSERER (A Nightmare on Elm Street) and based on the classic story of terror “Who Goes There?” by JOHN W. CAMPBELL JR.

THE THING will hit theaters October 14, 2011.

Visit the film’s official site: http://www.thethingmovie.net/

“Like” it on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/thethingmovie

UNIVERSAL PICTURES Upcoming Films

Universal Pictures has some pretty big things in store for all of you movie lovers this year, and we have the scoop on their upcoming films. So check it out and enjoy!

DREAM HOUSE (SEPT 30th, 2011)

Genre: Suspense thriller
Cast: Daniel Craig, Naomi Watts, Rachel Weisz,Marton Csokas, Elias Koteas, Jane Alexander
Directed by: Jim Sheridan
Written by: David Loucka
Executive Producers: Rick Nicita, Mike Drake
Produced by: James G. Robinson, David Robinson, Daniel Bobker,Ehren Kruger

Some say that all houses have memories. For one man, his home is the place he would kill to forget. Daniel Craig, Naomi Watts and Rachel Weisz star in Dream House, a suspense thriller about a family that unknowingly moves into a home where grisly murders were committed…only to find themselves the killer’s next target.

Successful publisher Will Atenton (Craig) quit a high power job in Manhattan to relocate his wife, Libby (Weisz), and two girls to a quaint New England town. But as they settle into their new life, they discover their perfect home was the murder scene of a mother and her children. And the entire city believes it was at the hands of the husband who survived.

When Will investigates, he’s not sure if he’s starting to see ghosts or if the tragic story is just hitting too close to home. His only clues come from Ann Paterson(Watts), a mysterious neighbor who knew those who were shot. And as Will and Annpiece together the haunting puzzle, they must find out who murdered the family in Will’s dream house before he returns to kill again. www.dreamhousemovie.net

WANDERLUST (OCT 7th, 2011)

Genre: Comedy
Cast: Paul Rudd, Jennifer Aniston, Justin Theroux,Malin Akerman, Kathryn Hahn, Lauren Ambrose,Ken Marino, Joe Lo Truglio, Kerri Kenney-Silver and Alan Alda
Directed by: David Wain
Written by: Ken Marino & David Wain
Executive Producer: Richard Vane
Produced by: Judd Apatow, Ken Marino, Paul Rudd, David Wain

Paul Rudd and Jennifer Aniston star in Wanderlust, a comedy from director David Wain (Role Models) and producer Judd Apatow (Knocked Up) about a couple who leaves the pressures of the big city and joins a freewheeling community where the only rule is to be yourself.

George (Rudd) and Linda (Aniston) are an overextended, stressed out Manhattan couple. After George is downsized out of his job, they find themselves with only one option: to move in with George’s awful brother in Atlanta.

On the way there, George and Linda stumble upon Elysium, an idyllic community populated by colorful characters who embrace a different way of looking at things.Money? It can’t buy happiness. Careers? Who needs them? Clothes? Only if you want them.

Is Elysium the fresh start George and Linda need? Or will the change of perspective cause more problems than it solves?

THE THING (OCT 14th, 2011)

Genre: Thriller
Cast: Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Joel Edgerton, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Ulrich Thomsen, Eric Christian Olsen, Trond Espen Seim
Directed by: Matthijs van Heijningen
Written by: Eric Heisserer
Based On The Story “WHO GOES THERE” by: John W. Campbell Jr.
Executive Producers: J. Miles Dale, David Foster
Produced by: Marc Abraham, Eric Newman

Antarctica: an extraordinary continent of awesome beauty. It is also home to an isolated outpost where a discovery full of scientific possibility becomes a mission of survival when an alien is unearthed by a crew of international scientists. The shape-shifting creature, accidentally unleashed at this marooned colony, has the ability to turn itself into a perfect replica of any living being. It can look just like you or me, but inside, it remains inhuman. In the thriller The Thing, paranoia spreads like an epidemic among a group of researchers as they’re infected, one by one, by a mystery from another planet.

Paleontologist Kate Lloyd (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) has traveled to the desolate region for the expedition of her lifetime. Joining a Norwegian scientific team that has stumbled across an extraterrestrial ship buried in the ice, she discovers an organism that seems to have died in the crash eons ago. But it is about to wake up.

When a simple experiment frees the alien from its frozen prison, Kate must join the crew’s pilot, Carter (Joel Edgerton), to keep it from killing them off one at a time.And in this vast, intense land, a parasite that can mimic anything it touches will pithuman against human as it tries to survive and flourish.

The Thing serves as a prelude to John Carpenter’s classic 1982 film of thesame name. Directed by Matthijs van Heijningen, the thriller is produced byStrike Entertainment’s Marc Abraham and Eric Newman (Dawn of the Dead).www.thethingmovie.net

JOHNNY ENGLISH REBORN (OCT 28th, 2011)


Genre: Comedy spy-thriller
Cast: Rowan Atkinson, Gillian Anderson, Dominic West, Rosamund Pike, Daniel Kaluuya and Richard Schiff
Directed by: Oliver Parker
Story by: William Davies
Screenplay by: Hamish McColl
Executive Producers: Rowan Atkinson, William Davies, Debra Hayward, Liza Chasin
Produced by: Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Chris Clark

Rowan Atkinson returns to the role of the improbable secret agent who doesn’t know fear or danger in the comedy spy-thriller Johnny English Reborn.  In his latest adventure, the most unlikely intelligence officer in Her Majesty’s Secret Service must stop a group of international assassins before they eliminate a world leader and cause global chaos.

In the years since MI-7’s top spy vanished off the grid, he has been honing his unique skills in a remote region of Asia.  But when his agency superiors learn of an attempt against the Chinese premier’s life, they must hunt down the highly unorthodox agent.  Now that the world needs him once again, Johnny English is back in action.

With one shot at redemption, he must employ the latest in hi-tech gadgets to unravel a web of conspiracy that runs throughout the KGB, CIA and even MI-7.  With mere days until a heads of state conference, one man must use every trick in his playbook to protect us all.  For Johnny English, disaster may be an option, but failure never is. www.johnny-english.com

TOWER HEIST (NOV 4th, 2011)


Genre: Comedy Caper
Cast: Ben Stiller, Eddie Murphy, Casey Affleck, Alan Alda,Matthew Broderick, Judd Hirsch, Téa Leoni,Michael Peña, Gabourey Sidibe
Directed by: Brett Ratner
Story by: Adam Cooper, Bill Collage & Ted Griffin
Screenplay by: Ted Griffin & Jeff Nathanson
Executive Producer: Bill Carraro, Karen Kehela Sherwood
Produced by: Brian Grazer, Eddie Murphy, Kim Roth

Ben Stiller and Eddie Murphy lead an all-star cast in Tower Heist, a comedy caper about working stiffs who seek revenge on the Wall Street swindler who stiffed them.After the workers at a luxury Central Park condominium discover the penthouse billionaire has stolen their retirement, they plot the ultimate revenge: a heist to reclaim what he took from them.

Queens native Josh Kovacs (Stiller) has managed one of the most luxurious and well-secured residences in New York City for more than a decade. Under his watchful eye, nothing goes undetected. In the swankiest unit atop Josh’s building, Wall Street titan Arthur Shaw (Alan Alda) is under house arrest after being caught stealing two billion from his investors. The hardest hit among those he defrauded? The tower staffers whose pensions he was entrusted to manage.

With only days before Arthur gets away with the perfect crime, Josh’s crew turns to petty crook Slide (Murphy) to plan the nearly impossible…to steal what they are sureis hidden in Arthur’s guarded condo. Though amateurs, these rookie thieves know the building better than anyone. Turns out they’ve been casing the place for years,they just didn’t know it.

THE THING Trailer + New Photos = Intense

Watch Universal Pictures’ first trailer for THE THING (via MSN)

Antarctica: an extraordinary continent of awesome beauty. It is also home to an isolated outpost where a discovery full of scientific possibility becomes a mission of survival when an alien is unearthed by a crew of international scientists. The shape-shifting creature, accidentally unleashed at this marooned colony, has the ability to turn itself into a perfect replica of any living being. It can look just like you or me, but inside, it remains inhuman.

In the thriller The Thing, paranoia spreads like an epidemic among a group of researchers as they’re infected, one by one, by a mystery from another planet. Paleontologist Kate Lloyd (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) has traveled to the desolate region for the expedition of her lifetime. Joining a Norwegian scientific team that has stumbled across an extraterrestrial ship buried in the ice, she discovers an organism that seems to have died in the crash eons ago. But it is about to wake up.

When a simple experiment frees the alien from its frozen prison, Kate must join the crew’s pilot, Carter (Joel Edgerton), to keep it from killing them off one at a time. And in this vast, intense land, a parasite that can mimic anything it touches will pit human against human as it tries to survive and flourish. The Thing serves as a prelude to John Carpenter’s classic 1982 film of the same name. Directed by Matthijs van Heijningen, the thriller is produced by Strike Entertainment’s Marc Abraham and Eric Newman (Dawn of the Dead).

THE THING will hit theaters October 14, 2011.

Visit the film’s official site: http://www.thethingmovie.net/

“Like” it on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/thethingmovie

New Stills From Universal Pictures’ THE THING, LARRY CROWNE, & DREAM HOUSE

For those true geeks who keep a calendar of the upcoming movies throughout the year, Universal Pictures has some films that you may want to keep your eye out for. I’m the most interested in the first picture above for the 3rd version of THE THING and still wondering if it’ll be able to hold it’s own against the claustrophobia of the classic 1951 original and the shock value of John Carpenter’s 1981 horror film.

THE THING
Release: 10/14/2011

Genres: Thriller
Starring: Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Joel Edgerton
Directed By: Matthijs van Heijningen
Produced By: Marc Abraham, Eric Newman

Synopsis:

Antarctica: an extraordinary continent of awesome beauty. It is also home to an isolated outpost where a discovery full of scientific possibility becomes a mission of survival when an alien is unearthed by a crew of international scientists. The shape-shifting creature, accidentally unleashed at this marooned colony, has the ability to turn itself into a perfect replica of any living being. It can look just like you or me, but inside, it remains inhuman. In the thriller THE THING, paranoia spreads like an epidemic among a group of researchers as they’re infected, one by one, by a mystery from another planet. Paleontologist Kate Lloyd (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) has traveled to the desolate region for the expedition of her lifetime. Joining a Norwegian scientific team that has stumbled across an extraterrestrial ship buried in the ice, she discovers an organism that seems to have died in the crash eons ago. But it is about to wake up. When a simple experiment frees the alien from its frozen prison, Kate must join the crew’s pilot, Carter (Joel Edgerton), to keep it from killing them off one at a time. And in this vast, intense land, a parasite that can mimic anything it touches will pit human against human as it tries to survive and flourish. THE THING serves as a prelude to John Carpenter’s classic 1982 film of the same name. Directed by Matthijs van Heijningen, the thriller is produced by Strike Entertainment’s Marc Abraham and Eric Newman (Dawn of the Dead).

LARRY CROWNE
Release: 7/1/2011

Genre: Dramatic comedy                                           
Cast: Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts, Bryan Cranston, Cedric the Entertainer, Taraji P. Henson, Gugu Mbatha Raw, Wilmer Valderrama, Pam Grier, Rami Malek, George Takei, Grace Gummer, Rita Wilson, Jon Seda
Directed by: Tom Hanks
Written by: Tom Hanks & Nia Vardalos
Produced by: Tom Hanks, Gary Goetzman
Executive Producers: Philippe Rousselet, Steven Shareshian, Jeb Brody, Fabrice Gianfermi, David Coatsworth         

Oscar® winners Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts reunite for a dramatic comedy about how the hard knocks from today’s recession inspire one everyday guy to undergo a personal reinvention: Larry Crowne.

Synopsis:

Until he was downsized, affable, amiable Larry Crowne (Hanks) was a superstar team leader at the big-box company where he’s worked since his time in the Navy.  Underwater on his mortgage and unclear on what to do with his suddenly free days, Larry heads to his local college to start over.  There he becomes part of a colorful community of outcasts, also-rans and the overlooked all trying to find a better future for themselves…often moving around town in a herd of scooters.  In his public-speaking class, Larry develops an unexpected crush on his teacher Mercedes Tainot (Roberts), who has lost as much passion for teaching as she has for her husband.

The simple guy who has every reason to think his life has stalled will come to learn an unexpected lesson: when you think everything worth having has passed you by, you just might discover your reason to live.

THE CHANGE UP
Release: 8/11/2011

Genre: Comedy
Cast: Ryan Reynolds, Jason Bateman, Leslie Mann, Olivia Wilde and Alan Arkin
Directed by: David Dobkin
Writers: Jon Lucas & Scott Moore
Produced by: David Dobkin, Neal H. Moritz
Executive Producers: Jeff Kleeman, Joseph Caracciolo, Jr., Jonathon Komack-Martin, Ori Marmur

Synopsis:

Ryan Reynolds and Jason Bateman star in The Change-Up, from director David Dobkin (Wedding Crashers), writers Jon Lucas & Scott Moore (The Hangover) and producer Neal Moritz (Fast & Furious, Click). The R-rated comedy takes the traditional body-switching movie, ties it up tightly and throws it off a cliff.

Growing up together, Mitch (Reynolds) and Dave (Bateman) were inseparable best friends, but as the years have passed they’ve slowly drifted apart. While Dave is an overworked lawyer, husband and father of three, Mitch has remained a single, quasi-employed man-child who has never met a responsibility he liked. To Mitch, Dave has it all: beautiful wife Jamie (Leslie Mann), kids who adore him and a high-paying job at a prestigious law firm. To Dave, living Mitch’s stress free life without obligation or consequence would be a dream come true.

Following a drunken night out together, Mitch and Dave’s worlds are turned upside down when they wake up in each other’s bodies and proceed to freak the &*#@ out.

Despite the freedom from their normal routines and habits, the guys soon discover that each other’s lives are nowhere near as rosy as they once seemed. Further complicating matters are Dave’s sexy legal associate, Sabrina (Olivia Wilde), and Mitch’s estranged father (Alan Arkin). With time not on their side, Mitch and Dave comically struggle to avoid completely destroying each other’s lives before they can find a way to get their old ones back. 

JOHNNY ENGLISH REBORN
Release: 09/16/2011

Genre: Comedy spy-thriller
Cast: Rowan Atkinson, Gillian Anderson, Dominic West, Rosamund Pike, Daniel Kaluuya
Directed by: Oliver Parker
Writers: Hamish McColl, William Davies
Produced by: Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Chris Clark
Executive Producers: Debra Hayward, Liza Chasin

Synopsis:

Rowan Atkinson returns to the role of the accidental secret agent who doesn’t know fear or danger in the comedy spy-thriller Johnny English Reborn. In his latest adventure, the most unlikely intelligence officer in Her Majesty’s Secret Service must stop a group of international assassins before they eliminate a world leader and cause global chaos.

In the years since MI-7’s top spy vanished off the grid, he has been honing his unique skills in a remote region of Asia. But when his agency superiors learn of an attempt against the Chinese premier’s life, they must hunt down the highly unorthodox agent. Now that the world needs him once again, Johnny English is back in action.

With one shot at redemption, he must employ the latest in hi-tech gadgets to unravel a web of conspiracy that runs throughout the KGB, CIA and even MI-7. With mere days until a heads of state conference, one man must use every trick in his playbook to protect us all. For Johnny English, disaster may be an option, but failure never is.

DREAM HOUSE
Release: 09/30/2011

Starring: Daniel Craig, Naomi Watts, Rachel Weisz
Directed By: Jim Sheridan

Synopsis:

Some say that all houses have memories. For one man, his home is the place he would kill to forget. Daniel Craig, Rachel Weisz and Naomi Watts star in Dream House, a suspense thriller about a family that unknowingly moves into a home where several grisly murders were committed…only to find themselves the killer’s next target. Successful publisher Will Atenton (Craig) quit a job in New York City to relocate his wife, Libby (Weisz), and two girls to a quaint New England town. But as they settle into their new life, they discover their perfect home was the murder scene of a mother and her children. And the entire city believes it was at the hands of the husband who survived. When Will investigates the tragedy, his only lead comes from Ann Paterson (Watts), a neighbor who was close to the family that died. As Will and Ann piece together the disturbing puzzle, they discover that the story of the last man to leave Will’s dream house will be just as horrifying to the one who came next.

WANDERLUST
Release: 10/07/2011

Genre: Comedy
Cast: Paul Rudd, Jennifer Aniston, Justin Theroux, Ken Marino, Malin Akerman, Lauren Ambrose, Joe Lo Truglio, Kerri Kenney, Kathryn Hahn with Ray Liotta and Alan Alda
Directed by: David Wain
Written by: Ken Marino & David Wain
Produced by: Judd Apatow, David Wain, Ken Marino, Paul Rudd
Executive Producer: Richard Vane

Synopsis:

Paul Rudd and Jennifer Aniston star in Wanderlust, a comedy from director David Wain (Role Models) and producer Judd Apatow (Knocked Up) about a couple who leaves the pressures of the big city and joins a freewheeling community where the only rule is to be yourself.

George (Rudd) and Linda (Aniston) are an overextended, stressed out Manhattan couple. After George is downsized out of his job, they find themselves with only one option: to move in with George’s awful brother in Atlanta.

On the way there, George and Linda stumble upon Elysium, an idyllic community populated by colorful characters who embrace a different way of looking at things. Money? It can’t buy happiness. Careers? Who needs them? Clothes? Only if you want them.

Is Elysium the fresh start George and Linda need? Or will the change of perspective cause more problems than it solves.

 

TOWER HEIST
Release: 11/4/2011

Genre: Comedy caper
Cast: Ben Stiller, Eddie Murphy, Matthew Broderick, Téa Leoni, Gabourey Sidibe, Casey Affleck, Stephen Henderson, Judd Hirsch, Michael Peña and Alan Alda
Directed by: Brett Ratner
Writers: Adam Cooper & Bill Collage, Russell Gewirtz, Rawson Marshall Thurber, Ted Griffin, Leslie Dixon, Noah Baumbach, Jeff Nathanson
Produced by: Brian Grazer, Eddie Murphy
Executive Producers: Kim Roth, Karen Kehela Sherwood, Bill Carraro

Synopsis:

Ben Stiller and Eddie Murphy lead an all-star cast in Tower Heist, a comedy caper about working stiffs who seek revenge on the Wall Street swindler who stiffed them. After the workers at a luxury Central Park condominium discover the penthouse billionaire has stolen their retirement, they plot the ultimate revenge: a heist to reclaim what he took from them.

Queens native Josh Kovacs (Stiller) has managed one of the most luxurious and well-secured residences in New York City for more than a decade. Under his watchful eye, nothing goes undetected. In the swankiest unit atop Josh’s building, Wall Street titan Arthur Shaw (Alan Alda) is under house arrest after being caught stealing two billion from his investors. The hardest hit among those he defrauded? The tower staffers whose pensions he was entrusted to manage.

With only days before Arthur gets away with the perfect crime, Josh’s crew turns to petty crook Slide (Murphy) to plan the nearly impossible…to steal what they are sure is hidden in Arthur’s guarded condo. Though amateurs, these rookie thieves know the building better than anyone. Turns out they’ve been casing the place for years, they just didn’t know it.

THE THING Prequel has a date!

Universal Pictures will unleash THE THING on April 29, 2011.  The reboot/prequel based on John Carpenter’s classic will star Mary Elizabeth Winstead (“LIVE FREE OR DIE HARD”) and Joel Edgerton (“ANIMAL KINGDOM”). Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, and Dennis Storhøi. The action takes place in a remote Antarctica outpost, an alien spaceship is discovered far beneath the ice. When a group of ambitious scientists decide to thaw out one of the creatures inside, they’re in for the terrifying fight of their lives.

Paleontologist Kate Lloyd (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) has traveled to the desolate region for the expedition of her lifetime. Joining a Norwegian scientific team that has stumbled across an extraterrestrial ship buried in the ice, she discovers an organism that seems to have died in the crash eons ago. But it is about to wake up. When a simple experiment frees the alien from its frozen prison, Kate must join the crew’s pilot, Carter (Joel Edgerton), to keep it from killing them off one at a time. And in this vast, intense land, a parasite that can mimic anything it touches will pit human against human as it tries to survive and flourish.

Directed by Matthijs van Heijningen, the thriller is produced by Strike Entertainment’s Marc Abraham and Eric Newman (Dawn of the Dead).

Source: EPK.tv