News

This story was created in paid partnership with Pokeepsie Films

Pokeepsie Films has cause for celebration. The Madrid-based production outfit has three new premieres on three different streaming platforms this month, an enviable release schedule to be sure. Adding to the mix, the company – launched by real-life partners Álex De la Iglesia, the genre writer-director, and actress-producer Carolina Bang – is also celebrating its 10-year anniversary.

Over the course of the last decade, Pokeepsie has stealthily set itself apart as a unique home for Spanish talent, so much so that they drew backing from multinational Banijay in 2022 to support their ambitious slate of films and series.

“We are immensely proud to conclude our 10th anniversary year with the release of these three premieres,” says Bang, the company’s CEO. “While this was not initially planned, 2024 has provided us with a remarkable close to the year, showcasing our ongoing commitment to innovation...

The first official American release of the classic Spanish dystopian scifi movie Acción Mutante is now restored in 4k with new special features. Continue reading for all the details!

Before The Day Of The Beast, Perdita Durango and the HBO series 30 Coins, writer/director Álex de la Iglesia made his smash debut with this "delightfully tasteless" (A Wasted Life) and "ridiculously aggressive" (Reel Rundown) "crazy genius sci-fi classic you've probably never seen" (A Taste of Cinema).

Synopsis:

In a dystopian future ruled by the wealthy and attractive, a deformed and disabled terrorist organization known as 'Mutant Action' will kidnap an heiress, flee to a desolate...

Quad Cinema has announced that “Boundless Bardem,” a retrospective on Javier Bardem’s acting career tied to the release of his upcoming film “The Good Boss,” will run at The Quad in New York City from August 19th – 25th.

The films in the retrospective are Julian Schnabel’s “Before Night Falls“ (35mm); Bigas Luna’s “Golden Balls” (35mm) and “Jamón Jamón” (35mm); Pedro Almodóvar’s “Live Flesh” (35mm); Bond film “Skyfall” (4K); Asghar Farhadi’s “Everybody Knows”; Ethan and Joel Coen’s “No Country for Old Men,” Fernando León de Aranoa’s “Loving Pablo” and “Mondays in the Sun”; Álex de la Iglesia’s “Perdita Durango”, Darren Aronofsky’s “Mother!”; and Alejandro Amenábar’s “The Sea Inside.”

The screening series will be co-produced with the Consulate General of Spain in New York.

“One of the most exciting moments of my work as a Cultural Consul are the times when we...

Rosie. F******g. Perez. We’ve been on a roll with films overshadowed by controversy lately, especially after witnessing the real-life kangaroo violence in Ted Kotcheff’s Wake in Fright and the injuries sustained by the lead actress in Pascal Laugier’s Incident in a Ghostland (on top of a problematic queer killer). We’re keeping things similar this week as […]

The post Breaking Taboos With Rosie Perez in ‘Perdita Durango’ [Horror Queers Podcast] appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

“From Dracula to Jedi master, Bond villain to a Metal god, Christopher Lee’s 70-year career was rich, varied and often, pretty weird.”

—The Guardian

The Eurocrypt Of Christopher Lee Blu-ray Collection is now available from Severin. The set can be ordered directly from Severin Here.

8 Blu-ray Collection Featuring 5 Classic European Films, A TV Anthology, Disc Of Rare Interviews + Book & Soundtrack CD

He remains one of the most beloved horror/fantasy icons in US/UK pop culture history, but Christopher Lee delivered several of the most compelling, acclaimed and bizarre performances of his entire career in 1960s Europe. The Eurocrypt Of Christopher Lee brings together five of these Lee classics – the 1964 gothic shocker Crypt Of The Vampire; the 1964 cult hit Castle Of The Living Dead co-starring an unknown Donald Sutherland; 1962’s celebrated Sherlock Holmes And The Deadly Necklace; 1967’s lurid favorite The Torture Chamber Of Dr. Sadism and the rarely-seen...

On this episode of Daily Dead's official podcast, Corpse Club co-hosts Tamika Jones, Scott Drebit, Bryan Christopher, Derek Anderson, and Jonathan James discuss some of their favorite recent horror experiences, including the gothic gameplay of Resident Evil Village, the timely scares of Brian Duffield's Spontaneous (based on the novel of the same name by Aaron Starmer), and unforgettable viewings of Álex de la Iglesia's El Día de la Bestia (aka The Day of the Beast) and Perdita Durango (aka Dance with the Devil).

You can listen to the new episode of Corpse Club right now on iTunes, Google Play, Spotify, iHeartRadio, Stitcher, TuneIn, YouTube, Pandora, and SoundCloud.

Looking for more scary good Corpse Club content? Be sure to check out our Corpse Club website and memberships. Not only can you view past episodes, but you can also sign up to be an official Corpse Club member to enjoy a wide range of rewards,...

What could sear your retinas as thoroughly as forbidden cult cinema in 4K Ultra HD? The unrestrained crime-shock transgressors Perdita and Romero cut a path of lust, cult ritual madness and amoral nastiness across the U.S./Mexico border. Kidnapping, murder and theft are among their printable crimes. Álex de Iglesia’s beautifully produced slice of post- Tarantino excess arrives in a completely uncut original version.

Perdita Durango 4K

4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray

Severin Films

1997 / Color / 2:35 widescreen / 130 min. / Dance with the Devil / Street Date March 20, 2021 / Available from Severin Films / 49.95

Starring: Rosie Perez, Javier Bardem, Harley Cross, Aimee Graham, James Gandolfini, Screamin’ Jay Hawkins, Demiín Bichir, Carlos Bardem, Santiago Segura, Don Stroud, Alex Cox.

Cinematography: Flavio Martínez Labiano

Film Editor: Teresa Font

Original Music: Simon Boswell

Production Design: José Luis Arrizabalaga, Biaffra

Written by Barry Gifford, Jorge Guerricaechevarría, Álex de Iglesia

Produced by Andrés Vincente Gómez

Directed by Álex de...

As we wrap up the month of March, we have one final round of horror and sci-fi home media releases on tap before we start looking towards April and beyond, and I hope you have your wallets ready, because this week’s slate of titles is a budget killer, no doubt. Arrow Video is celebrating the 40th anniversary of An American Werewolf in London this year with a brand new limited edition Steelbook, and Warner Archives is showing some love to a few older titles this Tuesday as well: Isle of the Dead and The Bermuda Depths.

Vinegar Syndrome is keeping busy with a handful of new releases this week, too, including The Fear, Nightmare Weekend, Graduation Day, and Hitcher in the Dark. Severin Films is also celebrating a pair of films from Álex de la Iglesia with their Special Edition Blus for The Day of the Beast and Perdita Durango,...

With April lurking right around the corner once again, that means we're close to the halfway point to another All Hallows' Eve, and Shudder is celebrating in style with their largest slate of programming to date, including the return of Samuel Zimmerman's “Halfway to Halloween” Hotline, the season 2 premiere of Creepshow, the 2021 Fangoria Chainsaw Awards, Train to Busan Presents: Peninsula, In Search of Darkness: Part II, and a bunch of other new additions!

Below, you can check out the full list of titles coming to Shudder this April, and be sure to visit Shudder's website to learn more about the streaming service and their scary good lineup!

Press Release: New York – March 4, 2021 – April showers bring a packed lineup of new horror films and series to Shudder, AMC Networks’ premium streaming service for horror, thriller and the supernatural, for its annual ‘Halfway to Halloween Month.’ With April marking the halfway point to Halloween,...

Longtime cult home video heroes Severin Films will become the latest boutique label to make the jump from Blu-ray to 4k Uhd in March of 2021 with the release of two Álex de la Iglesia's '90s classics. The 1995 heavy metal satanic Christmas movie, The Day of the Beast, and 1997's Perdita Durango will usher in this new and exciting era for Severin, also marking both films' worldwide Uhd debut. Also coming to Blu-ray that month will be Nosferatu in Venice, a late career effort from the controversial Klaus Kinski as well as Harry Novak (Axe. Kidnapped Co-ed) produced super sleazy thriller, A Scream in the Streets. We've long been advocates for de la Iglesia as one of the most underappreciated filmmakers working anywhere in the world,...

[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...

Target to produce two “Cosmic horror” films a year.

Sony Pictures International Productions is getting into business with Basque Country genre filmmaker Álex de la Iglesia to create horror and thriller anthology The Fear Collection.

The studio will work with de la Iglesia and Carolina Bang’s production company Pokeepsie Films on the projects, which Sony Pictures Entertainment Iberia will distribute theatrically in Spain, followed by a debut on Amazon Prime. It is understood Sony will retain distribution rights outside Spain.

De la Iglesia will produce and/or direct each project and said the goal is to produce two films a year.

As the calendar changes from October to November, Mexican horror fans will ascend for the twelfth year on Morbido Fest, a Mexico City-based festival dedicated to all things macabre, organized and executed by Morbido Group CEO and founder Pablo Guisa Koestinger.

This year’s festival will kick off Oct. 30 with a spectacle grander in its ambition than any Morbido inauguration before. Taking place within the Esperanza Iris City theater, more than 60 artists will perform six choreographed musical numbers with Guisa taking the reigns as master of ceremonies. Those familiar with Guisa and his public persona won’t be surprised to hear that his opening night wardrobe alone includes eight costumes, with more to come in the following days.

Somehow, the TV network owner, festival director, writer, publisher and radio host found time to make appearances in three high-profile films screening at this year’s fest: Paco Plaza’s “Eye for an Eye,...

It was revealed yesterday in an interview conducted by ComingSoon.net with Blood & Flesh: The Reel Life and Ghastly Death of Al Adamson director David Gregory, that Gregory's company Severin Films would be releasing a pair of Spanish director Álex de la Iglesia's '90s classics in the coming year. We were able to get a little bit more solid info on the upcoming Blu-ray releases of 1995's Day of the Beast and 1997's Perdita Durango from Gregory and we are excited to share the first details with you. Perdita Durango, De la Iglesia's first English language feature from 1997, was chopped to pieces in it's initial Us release under the title Dance With the Devil. Severin will be releasing the film in it's full and...

[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...

Grief can take hold of even the strongest people and refuse to let go. It’s why they describe it as a “process.” Maris Curran’s “Five Nights In Maine” takes this idea to heart as it follows Sherwin (David Oyelowo), a recent widower who lost his wife Fiona (Hani Furstenberg) in a car accident. Stricken by grief and depression, he travels to a remote corner of Maine to see Fiona’s cancer-stricken mother Lucinda (Dianne Wiest) who’s being taken care of by caring nurse Ann (Rosie Perez). Tensions run high as both Sherwin and Lucinda deal with the tragedy, and struggle to come to terms with their feelings towards each other and Fiona. Watch an exclusive clip from the film below featuring Sherwin and Ann discussing the loss.

Read More: David Oyelowo and Dianne Wiest Grieve Together In Emotional ‘Five Nights In Maine’ Trailer — Watch

David Oyelowo is...

Jackson Harris recently released a new music video for his original song, 'Dance with the Devil,' featuring and choreographed by Hamilton's Jon Rua. To capture the passion and sentiment of the song, the video features an elderly couple traveling back in time to expose the lasting and sometimes turbulent nature of a profound relationship. Check out the full video Here and watch below for a special interview with Jon and Jackson...

Special Mention: Battle Royale

Written and directed by Kinji Fukasaku

Japan, 2000

The concept of The Hunger Games owes much to Koushun Takami’s cult novel Battle Royale, adapted for the cinema in 2000 by Kinji Fukasaku. The film is set in a dystopian alternate-universe, in Japan, with the nation utterly collapsed, leaving 15 percent unemployed and 800,000 students boycotting school. The government passes something called the Millennium Educational Reform Act, which apparently provides for a class of ninth-graders to be chosen each year and pitted against one another on a remote island for 3 days. Each student is given a bag with a randomly selected weapon and a few rations of food and water, and sent off to kill each other in a no-holds-barred fight to the death. With 48 contestants, only one will go home alive. Yes, this has been often cited as the original Hunger Games; whether or not Suzanne Collins borrowed heavily...

Last night, ABC released the new promo/spoiler clip (below) for their upcoming "Scandal" season finale episode 22 of season 4, and it gives us new looks at some extremely dramatic and interesting stuff as Olivia is spotted making it very clear how much she wants to bring her father down. And it's by any means necessary, and more! The episode is titled, "You Can't Take Command." In the new, 22nd episode official synopsis: When You Dance With The Devil You Will Get Burned. Synopsis number 2: Everything is going to come to a head in the shocking season finale when Olivia and the team finally make some big moves to take down Command, and Mellie's fate will be sealed as the election results are announced, on the season finale of "Scandal. The season finale episode 22 is scheduled to air on Thursday night, May 7th at 8pm central time on ABC.

Recently, ABC released the new,official synopsis/spoilers for their upcoming "Scandal" season finale episode 22 of season 4. The episode is entitled, "You Can't Take Command," and it turns out that we're going to see some very interesting and dramatic stuff as Command finally becomes victim to Olivia and company's plan of attack, and more! In the new, 22nd episode press release: When You Dance With The Devil You Will Get Burned. Press release number 2: Everything will come to a head in the shocking season finale when Olivia and the team finally make some big moves to take down Command, and Mellie's fate is going to be sealed as the election results are announced, on the season finale of "Scandal." The episode was written by Shonda Rhimes and Mark Wilding ,and it was directed by Tom Verica. The season finale episode 22 is set to air on Thursday night, May 7th...

Hey, Toronto! Twitch is proud to present Dancing With The Devil - an extensive retrospective of Spanish maverick Alex de la Iglesia unspooling at the Tiff Bell Lightbox. Things continue this week with a February 7th screening of his Perdita Durango and we want to give you tickets!De la Iglesia made an ambitious bid for the English-speaking market with this balls-out adaptation of Barry Gifford's 59° and Raining. A typically grim Giffordian tale of mad love, hot cars and ultraviolence, the film stars Rosie Perez as the title heroine (previously played by Isabella Rossellini in David Lynch's Wild at Heart), who hooks up with lusty, loose-screwed bank robber/witch doctor Romeo Dolorosa (Javier Bardem, sporting another in his long line of bizarre haircuts) and joins him...

[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...

Alex de la Iglesia is a relatively unknown filmmaker in the United States, which is sad considering the number of marvelous horror pics he has helmed. Yet for some reason or another, only a handful of his films are available in the U.S. and most have received little acclaim. The Baby’s Room (quite possibly one of the scariest films I’ve seen) was given a bulk release on 2008’s 6 Films to Keep You Awake. Perdita Durango was given a quick and dirty release under the title Dance with the Devil in 1999, but few people saw it or remember it. But the prime tragedy is that The Day of the Beast has never been released in the U.S. beyond its initial VHS release back in 1999. Now, almost sixteen years later, The Day of the Beast is undeniably one of the top films I hear fans talking about being...

"Thank God that (Lionel) Messi exists", says legendary Dutch footballer Johan Cruyff at the end of the first trailer for Messi, Álex de la Iglesia's documentary/dramatization dedicated to the current Argentina national football squad and Fc Barcelona leader. The Spanish filmmaker behind The Day of the Beast, Perdita Durango and Witching and Bitching has gathered former and current football players, journalists, and people close to Lionel Messi, in order to discuss the career of one of the all-time greatest footballers. Aside of Cruyff, in the trailer we get to see César Luis Menotti, Andrés Iniesta, Gerard Piqué, Jorge Valdano (who also wrote the film), and Javier Mascherano, as well as some other people I don't recognize but that are closely-related to Messi.De la Iglesia also filmed...

[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...

Evil witches remain as hot as the flaming pyres which once burned their bones, and another flick centering on these deliciously evil practitioners is on its way from Dimension Films. Read on for details.

From the Press Release

Dimension Films announced today that they have preemptively purchased The Witches' Ballroom, a pitch by Ray Wright. Wright previously wrote The Crazies, and his last spec script, The Widow, was recently sold to Vendome.

The Witches' Ballroom will be produced by Shawn Levy and Dan Levine at 21 Laps. The logline is currently being kept under wraps.

"I've been a huge fan of Ray Wright for a very long time now, and we've been trying to find something to collaborate on. The Witches' Ballroom is going to terrify audiences in a way they've never seen before," said Bob Weinstein, co-chairman of The Weinstein Company.

"It's exciting when an original idea takes off, particularly psychological horror,...

El día de la bestia (The Day of the Beast)

Directed by Álex de la Iglesia

Written by Jorge Guerricaechevarría and Álex de la Iglesia

Spain, 1995

Considered one of Spain’s hottest directors in the late 1990s, Alex de la Iglesia hasn’t slowed down one bit over time. He’s continuously directed genre-bending, imaginative films, laced with black humour and often sharp satire for over two decades. His tongue-in-cheek sci-fi thriller The Day of the Beast won no fewer than six of the Oscar equivalent, the Goyas. Best described as a comic precursor to End of Days, The Day of the Beast follows a Catholic priest and professor of theology (Alex Angulo) who tries to thwart the coming of Satan on Christmas Eve. In a rather slapdash manner, he befriends a metalhead record store clerk (Santiago Segura) and the host of a paranormal-themed TV talk show (Armando DeRazza) to help him on his quest.

Every year, we here at Sound On Sight celebrate the month of October with 31 Days of Horror; and every year, I update the list of my favourite horror films ever made. Last year, I released a list that included 150 picks. This year, I’ll be upgrading the list, making minor alterations, changing the rankings, adding new entries, and possibly removing a few titles. I’ve also decided to publish each post backwards this time for one reason: the new additions appear lower on my list, whereas my top 50 haven’t changed much, except for maybe in ranking. I am including documentaries, short films and mini series, only as special mentions – along with a few features that can qualify as horror, but barely do.

Come Back Tonight To See My List Of The 200 Best!

****

Special Mention:

Wait until Dark

Directed by Terence Young

Written by Robert Carrington

USA, 1967

Directed by Terence Young,...

Tiff’s Midnight Madness program turned 25 this year, and for two and half decades, the hardworking programers have gathered some of the strangest, most terrifying, wild, intriguing and downright entertaining films from around the world. From dark comedies to Japanese gore-fests and indie horror gems, the Midnight Madness program hasn’t lost its edge as one the leading showcases of genre cinema. In its 25-year history, Midnight Madness has introduced adventurous late-night moviegoers to such cult faves as Richard Linklater’s Dazed and Confused and Quentin Tarantino’s Reservoir Dogs. But what separates Midnight Madness from, say, Montreal’s three and half week long genre festival Fantasia, is that Tiff selects only ten films to make the cut. In other words, these programmers don’t mess around. Last week I decided that I would post reviews of my personal favourite films that screened in past years. And just like the Tiff programmers,...

El día de la bestia (The Day of the Beast)

Directed by Álex de la Iglesia

Written by Jorge Guerricaechevarría and Álex de la Iglesia

Spain, 1995

Considered one of Spain’s hottest directors in the late ’90s, Alex de la Iglesia hasn’t slowed down one bit over time. He’s continuously directed genre-bending, imaginative films, laced with black humour and often sharp satire for over two decades. His tongue-in-cheek 1995 sci-fi/thriller The Day of the Beast, won no fewer than six of its Oscar equivalent, the Goyas. Best described as a comic precursor to End of Days, The Day of the Beast follows a Catholic priest and professor of theology (Alex Angulo) who tries to thwart the coming of Satan on Christmas Eve. In a rather slapdash manner he befriends a metalhead record store clerk (Santiago Segura) and the host of a paranormal-themed TV talk show (Armando DeRazza) to help him on his quest.

Álex de la Iglesia is quite possibly my favorite filmmaker. Seriously, I cannot think of another director whose entire body of work I find quite as remarkable. The Day of the Beast (which should be its own entry in The Unseen, as it never had a Us release) is my favorite horror comedy ever. The Baby’s Room scared the hell out me and should not have been stashed away in the bulk title release of 6 Films to Keep You Awake. The Last Circus is brutally beautiful. Even his more “commercial” film, The Oxford Murders, is a meticulously woven masterpiece. Iglesia has recently appeared in horror news both for his inclusion in The ABCs of Death 2 and also for the insane trailer of his upcoming film Witching and Bitching (watch the trailer here). But the Iglesia film I’m discussing in this article is even more obscure than these rather...

  Acclaimed Spanish director Álex de la Iglesia has some unique and eccentric genre titles to his credit, including the cult hits Day of the Beast and Perdita Durango (a.k.a. Dance with the Devil) and the acclaimed 2010 epic The Last Circus. But the trailer below hints that his latest project Las Brujas de Zugarramurdi, which goes by the English-language title Witching and Bitching, could be his most insane project ever.     A surreal collision of crime, comedy and horror (genres the director has mashed up ever since the early '90s), Witching and Bitching stars celebrated Spanish actors Hugo Silva and Mario Casas as a pair of thieves who run afoul of a group of seriously pissed-off witches after stealing a cache of cursed gold rings.     While it's scheduled to make its Spanish debut in September, wider release info for Witching has yet to be disclosed, but we'll keep a close watch on this one.

There was a rumor that the stories in Rizzoli & Isles season 4 were going to dive into darker territory.

"Dance With the Devil" definitely took things to such a place.

I always knew Paddy Doyle was a criminal. He was up on Rico charges and accused of being behind the murders of at least 15 people. Yet being Maura's biological father, the man who had always tried to protect her, seemed to humanize him.

That disappeared with this episode.

Believing that Paddy had ordered a hit on Cavanaugh 20 years ago in order to buy cheaper drugs was bad enough... but knowing that he'd done the deed personally and thus killed the man's wife and son was chilling. It's difficult to view someone as anything but a monster once you know their actions caused a a young woman and a two year old to burn to death.

Suddenly all of Paddy Doyle's pathos...

This week’s editions of the WWE Main Event and Nxt had many similarities. These included of all people, Justin Gabriel and multi-man featured match ups. Which one was the better show? I will let you decide.

The Main Event used its format well as the show began with a Battle Royal featuring everyone on the Superstars crew competing for an Ic title shot later in the episode. The current champion came Wade Barrett out and chastised all the men that were in the ring. That was until The Great Khali came out along with Hornswoggle getting his groove on with Natalya when of course the Punjabi Playboy comes out and enters the fray. Somehow, Wade is shocked by this? Barrett then goes to the back and prepares for his title defense later on in the night.

The Battle Royal itself was okay considering the participants. It didn’t feel like it really mattered , though.

Wild at Heart

Directed by David Lynch

Written by David Lynch

1990, USA

David Lynch evokes a surreal world in Wild at Heart, a film brimming over with explicit sex, murder, rape, eccentric kitsch and sleaze. There is some rather horrifyingly violence, beginning with the opening scene where a man is beaten to death, to a moment later in the film where a shotgun to the head sends someone’s brains splattered across the frame. Based on the novel by Barry Gifford, and the winner of the Palme d’Or, Wild at Heart is a perverse and over-the top Southern Gothic thriller best described as a cross between Natural Born Killers and Badlands. Here, the director is working with pulp conventions, tangential metaphors, and interwoven into the cross-country adventure are numerous references to Lynch’s favourite movie, The Wizard of Oz. Appearing is both the Wicked Witch and the Good, along with a crystal ball,...

The following is a list of all comic books, graphic novels and special items that will be available this week and shipped to comic book stores who have placed orders for them.

12-gauge Comics

Country Ass-Whuppin A Tornado Relief Anthology (One Shot)(resolicited), $5.99

47North

Buffy The Making Of A Slayer Deluxe Hc (not verified by Diamond), $50.00

Aam Markosia

Christmas Carol Gn (not verified by Diamond), $12.99

Abstract Studios

Rachel Rising #13, $3.99

AC Comics

Golden Age Greats Spotlight Volume 11 Superheroes And Others From Charlie Brio And Friends Sc, $29.95

Action Lab Entertainment

Private Eye (One Shot), $3.99

Princeless Short Stories For Warrior Women #2 (Of 2), $3.99

Alternative Comics

Magic Whistle #12, $3.99

Amaze Ink (Slave Labor Graphics)

Malleus Maleficarum A Guide To Catching Witches Gn (not verified by Diamond), $12.95

Antarctic Press

Airboy Deadeye #5 (of 5), $3.50

Ape Entertainment

Strawberry Shortcake Digest Field Day And Other Stories Gn (not verified by Diamond), $6.99

Arcana Studio

Inventor Gn, $18.95

Archaia Entertainment

Cursed Pirate Girl Volume 1 Hc,...

Not a whole lot of information here beyond this Variety piece, but the publication claims that a stylized, 50's-set prequel to Arkham Asylum and Arkham City is in the works.

Rocksteady, the developer behind the game, plans to show gamers the first encounter between Batman and the Joker in a Silver Age setting. That would mean a brighter, less grim version of Gotham during an era where Batman was more of a Caped Crusader than Dark Knight. According to the Variety piece, it also leaves open the possibility of team ups with other super heroes like Superman and the Flash.

This might provide an out for Rocksteady to recast the Joker given Mark Hamill's insistence that Arkham City would be the last time he would voice the character.

Frankly, if any of this is true, a return to the Batman/Joker well might be a little too much, especially without Hamill in the lead.

The Berlin International Film Festival has just announced the first five films lined up for the Competition and five more for the Berlinale Special. The 62nd edition runs from February 9 through 19.

Update: The Berlinale's also announced that the members of the International Jury, presided over by Mike Leigh, will be Anton Corbijn, Asghar Farhadi, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Jake Gyllenhaal, François Ozon, Boualem Sansal and Barbara Sukowa.

Competition

Captive

France/Philippines/Germany/Great Britain

By Brillante Mendoza (Serbis, Kinatay, Lola)

With Isabelle Huppert, Katherine Mulville, Marc Zanetta

World premiere

From Ioncinema: "Based on a real-life event that occurred in 2001. It centers on Thérèse Bourgoin (Huppert), a French woman who works for a humanitarian organization on Palawan Island in the Philippines. While she is transporting equipment to Puerto Princesa, she is kidnapped by mistake with a colleague by Muslim extremist group Abu Sayyaf, who are fighting for Mindanao independence."

Dictado (Childish Games)

Spain

By Antonio Chavarrías (Susanna,...

Now that the fall “awards festival” circuit is finally at a close — but with Sundance looming in the distance — it’s easy to forget about Biff — the Berlin International Film Festival, that is. (See, I even have to give the name.) This might have something to do with their less-than-huge lineup; in terms of films playing in competition, last year’s biggest art house title was The Turin Horse, while the most mainstream was probably Margin Call. Nothing too slim, but not much compared to Cannes, Venice, or Tiff.

The first round of titles to play this coming February (via Twitch) do carry a few major titles, though. Among them are The Flowers of War (which we were quite ecstatic about), Guy Maddin‘s Keyhole, Extremely Loud…, Kevin Macdonald‘s Bob Marley documentary, and an expansion of Werner Herzog‘s Into the Abyss. A few other foreign titles carry potential,...

Release Date: Oct. 18, 2011

Price: DVD $26.98, Blu-ray $29.98

Studio: Magnolia

Carlos Areces takes the concept of clowning around to shocking new heights in The Last Circus.

The bizarre comedy-drama The Last Circus, by Spanish cult filmmaker Álex de la Iglesia (Dance With the Devil), takes subjects that are usually regarded as happy and warm — circuses and clowns — and makes them fodder for a genuinely strange and violent cinematic tale.

The story kicks off in 1930s Spain, where a “Happy” circus clown is interrupted during a performance and forcibly recruited to serve in the Spanish Civil War. On the battlefield, he massacres an entire platoon with a machete while still in costume.

More than 40 years later, in 1973, the clown’s son, Javier (Carlos Areces), follows in his father’s footsteps to become a clown, but he is too miserable to be funny and is instead relegated to play the part of the “Sad” clown.

Two clowns become embroiled in a tug of war for the heart of an acrobat.

The cult director of 90s trash epics Accion Mutante, Day Of The Beast and Perdita Durango beats a desperate retreat from his recent brush with respectability via The Oxford Murders. Alex de la Iglesia's latest opus is as nuttily unpredictable as the films that made his name, veering from surreal action to nicely played romance and on to a farcically apocalyptic second half that will probably alienate as many as it will titillate.

Taking obvious visual cues...

Despite his incredible talents, Álex de la Iglesia’s is a director that continues to go unnoticed by most cinephiles. He’s a genius when working with dark comedies as seen in his previous films The Day of the Beast, Perdita Durango, The Commonwealth and Perfect Crime. His latest feature The Last Circus, a parody about the Spanish Civil War, follows two clowns who attack and disfigure one another in a jealous rage over a beautiful dancer. In the name of love, they eventually destroy the very object of their affection and therefore destroy themselves. Here is the trailer. Enjoy!

-...

This interview originally ran in June 2009.

Álex de la Iglesia always has to be the odd man out. At the American Cinematheque's Recent Spanish Cinema series last year, de la Iglesia's thriller "The Oxford Murders" was the lone English-language film shown, serving as a linguistic break from Goya winners like Jose Luis Cuerda's "The Blind Sunflowers" and Agustín Díaz Yanes' "Just Walking."

The film's also a departure from the wild comedies de la Iglesia has become known for, like the cutthroat salesman competition comedy "El Crimen Ferpecto" and the theme park-set spaghetti western "800 Bullets." (If you haven't seen either, we won't be offended if you run out to rent them now.)

Thanks to the questionable state of "Oxford"'s one-time American distributor ThinkFilm, the screening was a rare opportunity to see the Elijah Wood-John Hurt thriller on a U.S. big screen -- up until now.

Jose here reporting from the 25th Guadalajara International Film Festival.

A few days ago our workshop had the opportunity to have a long talk with novelist/screenwriter Barry Gifford (Wild at Heart, Lost Highway, Perdita Durango). Being in Mexico as we are, most of the conversation was spent on Gifford's love of border towns and the shady characters who inhabit them. "Borders always represent another country" he said before he addressed his fascination with criminal minds in exotic locales.

For all of you Film Experience readers who love The Wizard of Oz as much as Nat and I do, I thought it would be interesting to share how its influence on Wild At Heart came to be.

"It was all David [Lynch]" Gifford said "I was in France doing publicity for the book [version] and when I saw it for the first time the day before it screened at Cannes I saw...

The curtains part yet again as Olympia Film Festival host several concert-worthy guests including Dame Darcy and Death By Doll and a very special visit from Steven Severin of the famed Siouxsie and the Banshees in his Only Northwest performance with his original score for the classic The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari. With generous support, in the form of a $5,000 grant from the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences, we have been able to increase our capacity to create stronger relationships between filmmakers and the Olympia community, bringing many exciting guests.

Several Northwest premieres are spotlit on the Capitol’s mighty big screen, including the adorable story of Etienne!, as a man takes his terminally ill pet hamster on a bicycle trip up the California coast; the British crime comedy Down Terrace featuring cast members from the original The Office; and the ‘lost’ feature Shut Yer Dirty Little Mouth...

Fidel Castro is heading to Ireland. Demian Bichir, who most recently appeared as the Cuban leader in Steven Soderberg's "Che" biopics for IFC, is starring in the Irish indie feature "The Runway." Commercials and short-film director Ian Power wrote the script and is directing the drama in County Cork.

The film is based on the true story of a South American pilot who crashed near a town in Cork in 1983. The townspeople came together to build a runway to get the pilot home and briefly inspired the nation.

Kerry Condon ("Rome") and Jaime Kierans co-star.

Macdara Kelleher of Fastnet Films is producing with Brendan McDonald. Bernard Michaux will co-produce. The Irish Film Board and the Luxembourg Film Fund are co-financing the picture.

Bichir, repped by UTA and manager Sekka Scher, is a regular on Showtime's "Weeds." He has appeared in the features "Don't Tempt Me," "In the Time of the Butterflies" and "Perdita Durango.

Poor country boy Ivan Martin (Jimmy Cliff) leaves the countryside and heads to the city (Kingston) in search of fame and fortune. Ivan finds the promise that the streets of the big city are laden with opportunity a myth but refuses to give up on his dream and, although having recorded a hit record, he finds himself drawn into the ganja trade and the rude boy lifestyle.

A lot of films get given the tag’s “Cult Classic”, “Independent film Classic” and similar, and while to varying degree’s they may or may not deserve the titles, “The Harder They Come” is almost the definition of both. Working on commercials and for the BBC in Jamaica, director Perry Henzell always dreamed of making a feature film, and not just any feature film, but one with its roots firmly in his homeland of Jamaica. Perry had told people he not only...