A Prophet Set For A Hollywood Remake As Sony Buy Rights

Sony Pictures have acquired the right's to Jacques Audiard's A Prophet to make an English language version for Hollywood. The 2010 Award winning Oscar nominated French prison drama tells the tale of a petty criminal who is sent to prison and in order to survive he is forced to climb the ranks of syndicate.

Fast& Furious producer Neal H Moritz has been confirmed to produce the acclaimed film's remake and this will surprise not just fans of the original but mainstream film fans too. As Moritz's credentials lie in big popcorn no brainer tentpole films does this suggest Sony will go for a mainstream route or will they take that same route they did for Fincher's The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo which is another favorite within Arthouse genre.

The question people will be asking do we really need an A Prophet  remake? It's hard to really say what route Sony want to take until they announce a director but what ever route they take we do hope the psychological tension will still be there in the new version as it was one of the key elements that made this film  so good! Check out the official press release below...

Press ReleaseCULVER CITY, Calif., June 5, 2013 – Sony Pictures Entertainment has optioned the rights to remake A Prophet, the French hit released in the US in 2010, into an English language film to be produced by Neal H. Moritz and Toby Jaffe through the Original Film banner, it was announced today by Doug Belgrad, president of Columbia Pictures, and Hannah Minghella, president of Production for the studio.
Directed by Jacques Audiard, the film tells the story of a young man’s rise to power in a criminal syndicate after he is mentored by a crime boss. A Prophet was nominated for the Academy Award® for Best Foreign Language Film in 2010 and was honored with the Grand Prize at the Cannes Film Festival and nine César Awards (French Oscar), including Best Film, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, and Best Actor.
Commenting on the announcement, Moritz said, “This is an epic crime saga with compelling characters and original storytelling. I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to make an English language version of the film and I am grateful to have the trust of Jacques Audiard and his producers, as well as the writers Thomas Bidegain, Nicolas Peufaillit, and Abdel Raouf Dafri.”
Commenting on the announcement, Minghella said, “We think A Prophet will translate perfectly for English-speaking audiences. Obviously, we love working with Neal and he has a great track record with this kind of film – we’re confident that our film will excite audiences in the same way that the original material did.”

source: Collider

EIFF 2013: Watch The We Steal Secrets:Story Of WikiLeaks Trailer

Secrets can be precious but most of the time there dirty but when you reveal them  would you be classified as traitor even a terrorist? Julian Assange to some is regarded as a defender of free speech and in Alex Gibney's  We Steal Secrets: Story Of Wikileaks you can decide for yourselves check out the UK trailer below.

Julian Assange an Australian hacker come activist  whose website WikiLeaks a site which has revealed those nasty secrets many governments rather you not know or read about which has seen the Aussie owner found himself locked up in the Ecuadorian Embassy in London. The question is how balanced will this documentary be and will it tackle 'whistle blowing' as an honorable thing and Assange is the real life Spooky Mulder who knows the truth is out there and it must be told?

Gibney is no stranger to controversy or attacking the capitalist dream or political scandal with Enron: The Smartest Guys In The Room,Client 9: The Rise And Fall Of Eliot Spitzer) and Taxi To The Dark Side among his previous exposes. Who is US army private Bradley Manning? To many his Assange's source that has made Assange numero uno with the American government, despite commiting the so called worst breaches of should he be in jail not Assange? Hopefully this documentary may shed some light on this whole affair or will this leave us pondering?



We Steal Secrets: Story Of WikiLeaks is due a UK release on 12th July or catch the UK premier at this months Edinburgh Film Festival on 25th and 26th June.

Synopsis

Filmed with the startling immediacy of unfolding history, Academy Award-winning director Alex Gibney’s WE STEAL SECRETS: THE STORY OF WIKILEAKS details the creation of Julian Assange’s controversial website, which facilitated the largest security breach in US history. Hailed by some as a free-speech hero and others as a traitor and terrorist, the enigmatic Assange’s rise and fall are paralleled with that of PFC Bradley Manning, the brilliant, troubled young soldier who downloaded hundreds of thousands of documents from classified US military and diplomatic servers, revealing the behind-the-scenes workings of the government’s international diplomacy and military strategy.

In seeking to expose abuse in the corridors of power, Assange and Manning were undermined by forces within and without, as well as by their own human failings. WE STEAL SECRETS: THE STORY OF WIKILEAKS is a riveting, multi-layered tale about transparency in the information age and our ever-elusive search for the truth

 Source: First Published at The People's Movies

Highlights and Guest Filmmakers at the 5th Terracotta Festival 2013

With 2 days to go to the Opening Night, it's time to reveal the guests of the 5th annual Terracotta Far East Film Festival and the Festival organisers are delighted to make a series of other announcements.

Highlights of this edition are the guest talent from Asia who will be attending the festival, the talent Masterclasses, the winner of the inaugural Terracotta Short-Film Competition, unveiling of the Official Trailer and the festival parties.

Hong Kong director Gilitte Leung joins the festival to introduce her independently produced film, LOVE ME NOT. Gilitte is also a guest jury member for the Short-Film Competition.

South Korean Director Ryoo Seung-wan, the master of action films such as THE CITY OF VIOLENCE, will be here to present the UK Premiere of his latest blockbuster, THE BERLIN FILE.

Week two of the festival sees Indonesian directors Ifa Isfansyah and Edwin at the festival for THE DANCER and POSTCARDS FROM THE ZOO respectively.

Gilitte Leung will hold a Masterclass at 11.30am on Friday 7 June; Ryoo Seung-wan’s Masterclass will be held at 11am Saturday 8 June. The free Masterclasses will take place at the upstairs screen of the Prince Charles Cinema and are open to all Terracotta Festival ticket holders, with priority entry for Festival Pass holders.

The winner of the Terracotta Short-Film Competition is Marcos Villaseñor with his fast-paced thriller entry PHONE BOX. The three minute short will have its World Premiere screening at the Opening Night of Terracotta Festival where the prize of a trip to Hong Kong will be presented. The prize includes flight and accommodation courtesy of the competition sponsors Cathay Pacific Airways and The Mira Hong Kong. The competition judges were impressed by the standard of entries.

The Terracotta Festival homepage now features the Official Trailer for Terracotta Festival 2013, created by Design Agency Sponsors of the festival, What is Bobo.

Last but not least, Terracotta Festival has also expanded the number of party and receptions.
There will be an East Street Party, Saturday 8 June 11pm - 1.30am (East Street, Rathbone Place) which is open to all Terracotta Festival ticket holders. Drinks and food can be purchased till 1am.

Japan Underground and Terracotta Festival team up to bring a Japan Night Party from 7pm Monday 10 June at The Pipeline, Middlesex street. Featuring four live Japanese music acts, tickets can be purchased via the Terracotta Festival website.

Ticket holders for any of the SPOTLIGHT ON: Indonesia films are invited to an Indonesian Reception at the Indonesian Embassy, Grosvenor Square at 6pm Tuesday 11 June (striclty reserved to ticket holders)

Following films will play at Prince Charles Cinema, 7 Leicester Place, London WC2H 7BY / Box Office: 020 7494 3654
The following times are door opening times.
In memory of: Leslie Cheung &Anita Mui:
Days of Being Wild (Hong Kong) wed 29 May 2013, 20:45
Rouge (Hong Kong) thurs 06 June 2013, 17:50
Happy Together (Hong Kong) fri 07 June 2013, 12:30
Current Asian cinema:
Cold War (Hong Kong) Opening film thurs 06 June 2013, 19:50
Love Me Not (Hong Kong) fri 07 June 2013, 14:30 + q&a with dir.Gilitte Leung
When A Wolf Falls In Love With A Sheep (Taiwan) fri 07June 2013, 16:35
Young Gun In The Time (South Korea) fri 07June 2013, 18:35
Karaoke Girl (Thailand) fri 07June 2013, 20:30
The Assassins (China) sat 08 June 2013, 12:00
The Story of Yonosuke (Japan) sat 08 June 2013, 14:20
Drug War (Hong Kong) sat 08 June 2013, 17:30
The Berlin File (South Korea) sat 08 June 2013, 19:45 + q&a with dir. Ryoo Seung-wan
See You Tomorrow, Everyone (Japan) sun 09 June 2013, 12:25
A Werewolf Boy (South Korea) sun 09 June 2013, 15:30
The Bullet Vanishes (Hong Kong) sun 09 June 2013, 18:00
The Land Of Hope (Japan) sun 09 June 2013, 20:05
Terror cotta horror all-nighter:
Countdown (Thailand) fri 07 June, 23:15- 07:10
Belenggu (Indonesia) fri 07 June, 23:15- 07:10
Henge (Japan) – fri 07 June, 23:15- 07:10
The Ghost Story Of Yotsuya (Japan) fri 07 June, 23:15- 07:10
Zomvideo (Japan) fri 07 June, 23:15- 07:10

Tickets at Prince Charles Cinema: £8.50 non members, no concessions/ £6.00 (PCC Members)

(Friday afternoon: £6.50/ £4.00)
Festival Pass: £59.50 non members/ £48 members

Terror-Cotta Horror All-nighter: £22 non members/ £19.50 members

SPOTLIGHT ON: INDONESIA will play at the Institute of Contemporary Arts (ICA): The Mall, London SW1Y 5AH / Box Office: 020 7930 3647
The Dancer - tue 11 June, 20:15 + q&a with dir.Ifa Isfansyah
Lovely Man - wed 12 June, 18:15
What They Don’t Talk About When They Talk About Love - thurs 13 June, 18:15
Postcards From The Zoo - fri 14 June, 20:15 + q&a with dir.Edwin
Opera Jawa - sat 15 June, 15:15
The Blindfold - sat 15 June, 20:15

Tickets at ICA: £10 / £8 Concessions / £7 ICA Members

Watch SXSW Prize Winning Trailer For Short Term 12 Starring Brie Larsson

Whilst to many cinephile's who don't dare to go beyond the popcorn munching blockbusters Summer is also when the great independent films from early film festivals are released like  Destin Daniel Cretton's Short Term 12. Grabbing the Grand Jury as well as Audience awards at SXSW starring Brie Larsson (21 Jump Street), John Gallagher Jr (The Newsroom)in a tale of a a gifted but troubled teenage girl arrives at the facility, Grace is forced to confront her own difficult past and unexpected future.

From those who have been fortunate to have seen this film have had nothing but praise for the film delivering a dose of every form of emotion you can think off. It looks charming, delicate, funny but most of all true to life. The trailer looks wonderful but for anyone who has doubts on Short Term 12, watch the trailer and check out the reviews and I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.

No word on an UK&Irish release date and if it does get a release expect it to be shown via arthouse cinemas rather than mainstream cinema. Short Term 12 does have an American release date which is 23rd August, the film also stars Rami Malek (The Master). Check out the trailer now....

Synopsis

SHORT TERM 12 is told through the eyes of Grace (Brie Larson), a twenty- something supervisor at a foster-care facility for at-risk teenagers. Passionate and tough, Grace is a formidable caretaker of the kids in her charge – and in love with her long-term boyfriend and co-worker, Mason (John Gallagher Jr.)
But Grace’s own difficult past – and the surprising future that suddenly presents itself – throw her into unforeseen confusion, made all the sharper with the arrival of a new intake at the facility – Jayden (Kaitlyn Dever), a gifted but troubled teenage girl with whom Grace has a charged connection.
She and Mason also struggle to help Marcus (Keith Stanfield) – an intense, quiet kid who is about to turn 18 – manage through the difficulty of having to leave the facility.
Grace comes to find – in both her work and the new teenager in her care – surprising sources of redemption. And while the subject matter is complex and often dark, this lovingly realized film finds truth – and humor – in unexpected places.

source:Yahoo

The Long Riders (1980) Blu Ray Review

The Long Riders is a film by Walter Hill, who is perhaps one of the more under appreciated directors of the “New Hollywood” generation. He started out writing screenplays for Sam Peckinpah (The Getaway) and John Huston (The Machintosh Man) and eventually starting directing films starting with Hard Times. His next film was The Driver (which shared many similarities with the modern classic Drive) and the bonafide classic The Warriors. He has also been involved with the Alien franchise from the beginning. He also wanted to make a western and finally got his chance with The Long Riders and since it’s release he has many some more and he was involved with the tv show Deadwood.

The Long Riders is in a long lineage of films about Jesse-Younger Gang. There have been many better films made about Jesse James such as The Assassination of Jesse James By the Coward Robert Ford and I Shot Jesse James. Both of those films however deal more with the difficult relationship between Jesse and his assassinator Robert Ford and because of this it’s interesting to see a film about his and his gang’s exploits. The film features real life brothers as the 4 groups of brothers… The Keaches play the James, The Carradines play the Youngers, The Quaids play the Millers and lastly The Guests play The Ford (yes…. Christopher Guest of Spinal Tap fame). This gives the film a extra authenticity other films on the subject lack and all them give very fine performances with David Carradine and Stacy Keach being the standouts.

Walter Hill has said, “Every film I've done has been a Western" and there is certainly some truth in that and he has elaborated "The Western is ultimately a stripped down moral universe that is, whatever the dramatic problems are, beyond the normal avenues of social control and social alleviation of the problem, and I like to do that even within contemporary stories.". It’s interesting to see him tackle a “real western” and his take is very much influenced to his mentor Sam Peckinpah despites his claims he wasn’t with this film. The slow motion scenes certainly recall Peckinpah’s masterpiece The Wild Bunch. It’s a very romanticized version of the west which Peckinpah dealt with often in his western but the difference is Peckinpah was much more cynical.

Overall it’s a very fine western by one of 70s/80s more underrated autuers with beautiful cinematography and very fine acting. Second Sight has released it blu-ray and marks their second release of a Walter Hill film, the first being the superior Southern Comfort. They are planning to release his later film Streets of Fire later in the year.

★★★★☆

Ian Schultz

Rating: 15
BD Release Date: 3rd June 2013 (UK)
Director: Walter Hill
Cast: David Carradine, Keith Carradine, Stacy Keach

Buy: The Long Riders On Blu-Ray

Watch UK Trailer For Kenji Kamiyama's 009 Re:Cyborg Anime

Rarely these days in British cinema does any new anime film get any form of cinematic release in the UK however this Friday Kenji Kamiyama's 009 Re:Cyborg will get that unique opportunity and we have the film's UK Trailer. 009 RE:CYBORG, is a mature and thought-provoking approach to Shotaro Ishinomori’s classic manga, Cyborg 009 from the director of Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex

The animation in 009 RE:CYBORG is fully computer-generated but treated with cel-shader, a program designed to keep the look of traditional Japanese 2D animation.Music by Kenji Kawai (Apocalypse, Avalon, Ghost in the Shell, The Sky Crawlers). Sound design by Tom Myers at Skywalker Sound (WALL-E, Toy Story 3).

009 RE:CYBORG will launch on Distrify on 7th June. A 2D version of the film will be available for £2.99 per stream. Streaming will be available via www.alltheanime.com/cyborg. The animation may not be getting a full distribution but its still an unique opportunity to watch a film outside the usual festival parameters and you can catch the film from June 7th at one of the following cinemas:

Edinburgh Filmhouse from 7 June 2013
Hackney Picturehouse from 7 June 2013
Ritzy Picturehouse from 7 June 2013
Stratford East Picturehouse from 15 June 2013
FACT Liverpool from 22 June 2013
Dundee Contemporary Arts Centre from TBC
Glasgow Film Theatre from July
009 RE:CYBORG will be available on FilmFlex Movies and iTunes from 7th July

009 RE:CYBORG UK Trailer from paull devine on Vimeo.

Synopsis

1964: Nine regular humans from different parts of the world are abducted and transformed into cyborgs with astounding powers for the purpose of being used as weapons. The nine cyborgs rebel and start to fight against their creators in the name of justice. But as their struggle finally restored world peace, they eventually disappeared from the pages of history and from people's memory.
2013: Skyscrapers across the world are hit by suicide bombers with no apparent connection. The nine heroes gather once again after 27 years to fight against this faceless menace. They appear untouched by time, but society around them has changed dramatically, as it has the very idea of "justice": they used to believe in... What is their role in the world now?

Apartment 1303 3D Blu Ray Review

Like the dire American remakes of J-Horror features One Missed Call and Dark Water, Apartment 1303 3D joins the club of truly disastrous Japanese to American adaptations.

After escaping her domineering mother (Rebecca De Mornay), Janet (Julianne Michelle) signs the lease on her dream apartment. However shortly after experiencing some ghostly goings on, Janet falls out of her 13th floor window. Her sister Lara (Mischa Barton) begins to investigate and her chief suspect is Janet's boyfriend (Corey Seiver).

The main issue with Apartment 1303 3D is simply how unbelievably amateur it is. It lacks any scares and relies on completed outdated genre clichés to carry its narrative. The team behind the feature seem to think that the presence of a pale schoolgirl is enough to have audiences cowering in fear - but unfortunately they fail to craft any sense of tension or suspense, resulting in these attempted scares feeling utterly flat, uninspired, and downright forgettable. This is a problem that hinders all the attempted horror scenes in the feature - all lacking any originality, tension, or any distinct style.

There is nothing remotely scary about Apartment 1303 3D - apart from the lead acting and bland production. It feels cruel to say this when the leading cast are given such uninspired characters and dialogue to work with. Mischa Barton, Julianne Michelle and Corey Seiver fail to bring any life to these bland one-dimensional characters.

Whilst the most part of the narrative is truly abominable, Apartment 1303 3D does slip away on a bizarre subplot involving Rebecca De Mornay as a heavy-drinking country singer/controlling Mommie Dearest type figure. Whilst this lacks any inherent relevance to the narrative, De Mornay does provide the most engagement of the film. The actress slips into the role of a trashy, self-obsessed country-singer with complete ease - but this is a far cry from her best work.

You may feel a slight trashy thrill at De Mornay's hammy performance, but this really isn't enough to justify spending ninety minutes of your life watching this tired, lazy and ultimately bland piece of cinema. Avoid.

★☆☆☆☆

Andrew McArthur

Stars: Mischa Barton, Corey Seiver, Rebecca De Mornay
Director: Michael Taverna
Release: 03/06/13
Rating: 15 (UK)

Buy Apartment 1303:  Limited Edition Lenticular Artwork DVD / Limited Edition Lenticular Artwork (3D + 2D) Blu-ray

Watch the Trailer For Jamie Cheung's Sex Slavery Drama Eden

Directed by Megan Griffiths (The Off Hours, producer of My Sister's Sister) EDEN is based on the chilling yet inspirational true story of human-trafficking survivor Chong Kim and stars an award-winning performance from the beautiful Jamie Chung (The Hangover II & III), rising star Matt O'Leary (Disney's The Lone Ranger) and the legendary Beau Bridges (The Descendants).

The year is 1994. Korean-American teenager, Hyun Jae (Jamie Chung;The Hangover Part II &; III, Sucker Punch, The Man with the Iron Fists), goes to a bar in New Mexico where a handsome young man buys her drinks and offers her a ride home. But she never reaches home and is instead abducted and forced into prostitution by a domestic human and drug trafficking ring located outside the
bright lights of Las Vegas, Nevada.
​
Hyun Jae is initiated into her new life by Bob Gault (Beau Bridges; The Descendants, Stargate SG-1), the corrupt Federal Marshall who runs the organisation and troubled Vaughan (Matt O’Leary;Spy Kids, Fat Kid Rules the World, Disney’s The Lone Ranger).Through a haze of morphine, Hyun Jae (soon renamed Eden, by her captors) learns what her future holds: sex with strangers and life in a 10x10 storage unit. Throughout the two years she is held, Eden reluctantly ensures her own survival by carving out power and influence within the very organization that has imprisoned her.

Eden will arrive in UK cinemas on 19th July put aside any reservations of Jamie Chung's previous film, Eden proves she does posses some acting chops just some critics wish she would show a little more often.

Horror Writers Wanted - Join Us At Cinehouse & The People's Movies

Creatures of the night Cinehouse & The People's Movies wants you! We're looking for passionate individuals  'dying' (pardon the pun, sorry!) to share their skills as writers and show their love for all things Horror. Contemporary, trashy, hollywood, cult, Asian, world cinema, Classic, good or bad  if it's Horror we want you .

Share that passion through reviewing some of the latest films, relive classic films through retrospectives  or simply create exciting fresh original articles, features or lists. Horror fans want news watch the latest trailers so you'll know where to look to get those, it can be in separate posts or combine weekly, fortnightly posts the format, timescale we'll discuss nearer the time. We will consider other forms like podcasts, youtube reviews too as we want to give you that platform to shine!

Due to the nature of the genre most film reviews most will be on DVD or BluRay however there will be times cinema previews online previews possibly the odd festival press passes too! This is not a review only position though it will take up most of the position but once your in there will be opportunities to write and review in other parts of Cinehouse and The People's Movies too.

Sadly this is not a paying position we would love too but what we can offer is chance to watch films before their release dates, freebies, etc... Ideal for someone attempting to break into the industry or just a fan of film like us wanting to share their love for all things film!

To apply to join us we need some details  and here's what we need:

• Name and town 
• Age
• 2 samples of your previous work (web links to reviews, pieces you have written)
• A paragraph on why we should pick you to be a horror writer (max 500 words)

Send the above to cinehouseuk@gmail.com  label email 'horror writers'
Freelancers are welcome.

Step Into The Cult Arena With Arrow Video This June With The Vineyard

Arrow Video is pleased to confirm that James Hong's intoxicating cult-horror classic The Vineyard will be released on DVD on Monday 10th June via their ArrowDrome imprint.

We’ve all heard that wine has its health benefits. But what if it could help prolong your life… indefinitely?!

Crackpot scientist and celebrated winemaker Dr. Elson Po has made the ultimate discovery: the secret to everlasting life. As with all good things, however, there’s an inevitable downside; and a bunch of good-looking and horny youngsters, invited to Dr Po’s island under the premise of an "audition", are about to find out the hard way. As the vineyard starts to give up its dark secrets, these doomed teens will have to contend not only with Dr. Po and his kung-fu fighting henchmen but also with a rotting gang of marauding zombies!

A startlingly tongue-in-cheek mix of action, body-horror and undead terror, The Vineyard comes courtesy of writer/director/actor James Hong – character actor extraordinaire and star of such genre favourites as Big Trouble in Little China and Blade Runner.

Hailed as "the man of a thousand faces", James Hong is one of the world’s best loved Asian-American actors and cult stars. He is also, arguably, the most prolific. In an illustrious acting career spanning 50+ years, he has starred in over 450 film, television and video game roles and, at the tender age of 84, he shows no sign of stopping just yet.

Originally hitting the silver screen back in 1989, The Vineyard has aged gracefully, only now maturing into the bona-fide cult snifter that warrants the ArrowDrome treatment.

The newly re-vamped DVD release of The Vineyard comes complete with brand new artwork, a collector’s booklet featuring writing on the film by Calum Wadell, and the original theatrical trailer.

Pre-order Buy:The Vineyard [DVD]