News

Warner Bros has debuted a teaser trailer for the upcoming horror ‘The Watched.’

Written and directed by Ishana Night Shyamalan and based on the novel by A.M. Shine. The film follows Mina, a 28-year-old artist, who gets stranded in an expansive, untouched forest in western Ireland. When Mina finds shelter, she unknowingly becomes trapped alongside three strangers who are watched and stalked by mysterious creatures each night.

You can’t see them, but they see everything.

Dakota Fanning, Georgina Campbell, Oliver Finnegan and Olwen Fouere star. The film is produced by M. Night Shyamalan, Ashwin Rajan and Nimitt Mankad.

Also in trailers – “What happens down there?” Full trailer lands for Guy Ritchie’s ‘The Gentleman’ series

The movie will be released on June 7th.

The post “What is this place?” Teaser trailer drops for ‘The Watched’ appeared first on HeyUGuys.

The works of author Patricia Highsmith have inspired such films as Strangers on a Train, Purple Noon, Enough Rope, The American Friend, Tell Her That I Love Her, The Glass Cell, a couple different versions of Deep Water, The Talented Mr. Ripley, Ripley’s Game, Ripley Under Ground, The Cry of the Owl, The Two Faces of January, Carol, and A Kind of Murder, among others. Her stories have also served as the basis for a lot of television, including an upcoming Showtime mini-series titled Ripley. Now, Deadline reports that Shailene Woodley (The Spectacular Now) has signed on to star in a film about Highsmith’s life – but this biopic is said to “reimagine the author’s life as a horror movie”. The title is The Murderous Miss Highsmith, and Woodley is being joined in the cast by Cara Delevingne (Carnival Row) and Noémie Merlant (Portrait of a Lady on Fire).

According to Deadline,...

Winter of Our Discontent: Amini’s Problem with Narrative Pabulum

Few crime writers can boast such a weighty lineage of cinematic adaptation as that of Patricia Highsmith, probably falling somewhere between Agatha Christie and Ruth Rendell, if one were to measure. Wim Wenders, Rene Clement, Anthony Minghella and Liliana Cavani have all reincarnated her most celebrated character, Tom Ripley, to the big screen, while Hitchcock, Michel Deville, Claude Chabrol (and later this year, Todd Haynes) have adapted some of her signature titles. And so, it is with great regard that screenwriter Hossein Amini arrives with his directorial debut, The Two Faces of January, a promise of scrappy ne’er-do-wells conning each other for money or guilty pleasures of the carnal sort, performed by a trio of renowned actors that rival Minghella’s starry line-up of The Talented Mr. Ripley. And yet, there’s something unnervingly stale about the whole endeavor,...

Tags: Patricia HighsmithThe Price of SaltCarolbooksmoviesMovie NewsIMDbAnn BannonMarijane MeakerCate BlanchettMia WasikowskaAlison BechdelTerry Castle

Patricia Highsmith makes me proud to be a Patricia. She wasn't perfect — far from it — but I admire her for many reasons, chiefly for her legendary novel The Price of Salt. She died 17 years ago, but the present has been good to her in the last few years. The 2010 biography The Talented Miss Highsmith was a fascinating and in-depth look into the life of the writer, who was also a lesbian. The book won author Joan Schenkar awards and praise, but also divulged many things about the somewhat secretive loner Patricia Highsmith was.

Photo from Getty

Now the lesbian-themed The Price of Salt is being adapted into a feature film called Carol, starring Cate Blanchett and Mia Wasikowska. The film is going into production in New York and London this February, which means we'll hopefully see it...

William Friedkin's 1975 interview with Fritz Lang

If you happen to be in the market for Fritz Lang Christmas ornaments, they do exist, though they don't come cheaply. At any rate, much of the third issue of Movie: A Journal of Film Criticism (the successor to Movie, the print journal Ian Cameron edited from 1962 to 2000) is given to the second part of its Fritz Lang dossier featuring — and I should mention before you start clicking that these are PDFs — Stella Bruzzi on Fury (1936), Vf Perkins on You Only Live Once (1937), Edward Gallafent on The Return of Frank James (1940), Adrian Martin on Scarlet Street (1945), Peter William Evans on The Big Heat (1953), Deborah Thomas on Human Desire (1954) and Peter Benson on Moonfleet (1955).

Also in this issue: Christian Keathley on Otto Preminger's Bonjour Tristesse (1958), Alex Clayton on Hitchcock's Psycho (1960) and Gus Van Sant's 1998 remake and John Gibbs on Jamie Thraves's...

After disappearing off the map for a decade, director Jamie Thraves is making his return to British cinema. So why the time out?

In the living room of his London home, film-maker Jamie Thraves is attempting to return to its cage a china-blue budgerigar named Sparky, which has taken up residence on the frame of a mirror. Three-year-old Harvey watches nonchalantly from the sofa as his father coaxes Sparky on to a quivering forefinger and moves gingerly across the room. But the bird takes flight when he gets within pecking distance of the cage; this happens three or four times before Thraves gives up and hands bird-rescuing duties to his wife. It is, it has to be said, a pretty unbeatable metaphor for the 42-year-old's directorial career, which has been dogged by false starts, precariousness and disappointment.

Eleven years ago, Thraves was at the forefront of a modest revolution in British cinema,...

Hot on the heels of yesterday's news regarding when and where you can see Adrien Brody getting Wrecked, we have four clips from the film to share. Strap in - it looks like it's going to be a bumpy ride!

IFC Midnight's Wrecked, which is directed by Michael Greenspan in his feature film debut, is available on iTunes and IFC On Demand right now. In addition it will have a limited theatrical release beginning April 1st in New York and April 8th in Los Angeles.

Christopher Dodd, who also worked with Greenspan on the shorts "The Legend of Razorback" and "Lost & Found", penned the script. Caroline Dhavernas (Devil, The Cry of the Owl) co-stars with Brody.

Synopsis:

Adrien Brody stars as a man who awakens in a mangled car wreck at the bottom of a steep cliff. Injured and trapped inside, with no memory of how he got there or who he is,...

One name we're always happy to see attached to a genre project is Adrien Brody since it usually means we're in store for one hell of an intense performance. Case in point: IFC Midnight's Wrecked, which will have a limited theatrical release beginning April 1st in New York and April 8th in Los Angeles.

What's that? You're not on either coast? No worries as Wrecked, which stars Adrien Brody and is directed by Michael Greenspan in his feature film debut, is available on iTunes and IFC On Demand right now!

Christopher Dodd, who also worked with Greenspan on the shorts "The Legend of Razorback" and "Lost & Found", penned the script. Caroline Dhavernas (Devil, The Cry of the Owl) co-stars with Brody.

Check out the synopsis, a new trailer, some stills, and the film's poster below; and look for more on Wrecked soon!

Synopsis:

Adrien Brody stars as a man who...

As you've undoubtedly heard, the French auteur Claude Chabrol passed away at 80. Both The Telegraph and Glenn Kenny have fine obits for your reading pleasure and if you can read French, Le Monde collects testimonials from many cinematic luminaries to honor him. I didn't know his career as well as I should but I quite liked both L'Enfer (1994) and the recent Ludivine Sagnier love/murder triangle A Girl Cut in Two. (The two of them are pictured to your left.) The prolific director's Le Beau Serge was the first French New Wave offering and we should all probably program ourselves mini-fests to catch up on his best work. Any suggestions? I'm reading these titles a lot: The Cry of the Owl, Les Biches and Le Boucher. I suppose it wouldn't hurt to catch up with any of his Isabelle Huppert collaborations either. Here's his available filmography from Netflix, LOVEFilm or GreenCine,...

What's cool about Pitchfork's best 50 videos countdown from the 90's are seeing how some of the least obvious names cut their teeth on music videos -- some became full fledged members of the filmmaking community, while some are still in the cross over stages. What is most odd about the list is how Chris Cunningham, who along with Spike Jonze (see Weezer video below) and Michel Gondry dominated the music video scene, never made the jump into feature film. While you've got Jonathan Glazer, Mike Mills and Mark Romanek with more than one mention, and together, Jonze and Gondry are mentioned a dozen times, I've decided to point out those who have made a feature film among the 50 list. Check them out after the jump -   Yo La Tengo: "Sugarcube" Phil Morrison blasted onto the scene with indie gem Junebug, but hasn't made anything since. Blur: "Coffee + TV" Garth Jennings...

So goes the comeback of Julia Stiles, the once young “Save the Last Dance” star-cum-late 20s burn out starring in schlock like The Omen and The Cry of the Owl. Sure, she had the reoccurring Bourne role, but that didn’t require too much from someone who should have done so much more.

Well, that’s exactly what she’s doing it seems. Not long ago it was announced she’d have a large role on the next season of the Showtime show Dexter. She also turned in a Broadway performance as the vicious Carol in David Mamet’s Oleanna, starring alongside Bill Pullman, last year.

Now the (still) young actress wants to produce and star in an adaptation of The Bell Jar, by Sylvia Plath. [Gordon and the Whale]

The short, visceral novel recounts much of Plath’s own tortured life as a young woman suffering from depression in the mid-1900s. Unable to “cure” the girl,...

The new drama/thriller The Cry of the Owl is now available on DVD, and even though it's not exactly a horror movie in the truest sense as we hoped, we figured that we would give it away anyway! After all ... who doesn't like free stuff?!?

To win just hit us off with an E-mail Here that includes your Full Name And Mailing Address. We'll handle the heavy lifting!

Synopsis:

Based on the novel by Patricia Highsmith (The Talented Mr. Ripley) and written and directed by Jamie Thraves, The Cry of the Owl is a psychological thriller about a troubled young man, Robert (Paddy Considine), a depressed but fundamentally decent man, who leaves the big city to escape a tumultuous marriage and his ex-wife for the tranquility of a small town. He finds respite from his problems by secretly watching the normal domestic life of a woman he doesn't know...

Update: Watch an exclusive clip below! Paramount Home Entertainment just floated our way three clips from their upcoming psychological thriller The Cry of the Owl . The film, directed by Jamie Thraves, hits DVD on June 8 and is based on a novel by Patricia Highsmith. Co-starring Paddy Considine, the film tells the story of Robert, a man trying to recover from a messy divorce by seeking solace in a small town. Robert becomes fascinated by the apparent domestic bliss of Jenny (Stiles), who he secretly watches through her window. When Jenny catches him, she invites him in and the two begin a relationship, much to the chagrin of Jenny.s boyfriend. But when her boyfriend goes missing, Robert becomes the number one suspect in a murder investigation, leaving him to wonder if...

It’s time for some DVD love so let’s stop talking about nothing and talk about a show that’s about nothing:

Grab ‘Em Right Away

Curb Your Entusiasm: The Seventh Season

Created by: Larry David

Starring: Larry David, Cheryl Hines, Jeff Garlin, Jerry Seinfeld, Jason Alexander, Julia Louis Dreyfus & Michael Richards

Why should you buy this? Because it’s the funniest season of this show since they did The Producers season with Mel Brooks. This is a show that’s always been hit-or-miss for me. But when it’s funny it’s side-splittingly hilarious. With Larry David dealing with bringing NBC a Seinfeld reunion episode (a show he and Jerry Seinfeld created together in real life) it’s insane how referential they can get when they want to be. They even reference Michael Richards’ heckling incident that occurred a couple years ago. If you like this show or...

Shutter Island: "Shutter Island is a noir-ish pulpy b-movie with so many red herrings it's hard not to bump your head on one or three. The movie might have felt a little overcooked, or a little too cheesy, with DiCaprio, his fedora, and his hardened Boston accent straight out of The Departed, but we trust Scorsese. Trust that he knows what he's doing, that the confused tone; the middling, lumbering second act; the horror movie clichés; the ponderous, screechy score; the derivative visual nods; and the unnecessary CGI corpses are intentional. It can't be simple hackery or Hollywood excess, because this is Martin Scorsese, who gave us Raging Bull and Taxi Driver, for God's sake. Right?" - Dustin Rowles

From Paris With Love: "There are worse action movies than From Paris with Love but there are few as generic. It's straight-line predictable and yet it's completely nonsensical, like a connect-the-dot abstract painting.

There are only a handful of new releases out on DVD this week, but fortunately these include one of the best movies of the year so far, Martin Scorsese's Shutter Island. Also hitting stores today is Pierre Morel's From Paris With Love starring John Travolta and Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Shinjuku Incident starring Jackie Chan, and the low budget Judd Apatow spoof, The 41-Year-Old Virgin Who Knocked Up Sarah Marshall and Felt Superbad About It. Despite the lack of new movies, there are quite a few TV releases including Curb Your Enthusiasm: Season 7 (featuring the Seinfeld re-union), the first season of Family Matters (featuring the inimitable Steve Urkel), and The A-Team: The Complete Series, which comes in a killer van-shaped package. Do you plan on buying or renting anything this week? Shutter Island [1] (+ Blu-ray [2]) From Paris With Love [3] (+ Blu-ray [4]) Shinjuku Incident [5] Power Kids [6] (+ Blu-ray [7]) The 41-Year-Old Virgin Who...

DVD Links: DVD News | Release Dates | New Dvds | Reviews | RSS Feed

This week we don't have much to choose from when it comes to new titles, though the few that are offered are worth a once over. However, I have added A Ton of new DVD and Blu-ray release dates to the database and at the bottom of the page you can explore all of those as per usual. My bet is you'll have a hard time not finding something you'll want to take home with you.

From Paris with Love I really enjoyed this movie, but that isn't to say we're talking about masterful filmmaking. From Paris with Love is simply a whiz-bang actioner and it satisfies and does very little else. Some may look at that type of film as a must buy, others as a must rent. Or, perhaps a little ridiculous fun at the movies isn't...

This week's DVD and Blu-ray releases are definitely on the slim side, but there are still a few gems worth your attention, including a National Geographic documentary that explores centuries of vampire lore and legend, unearthing new science and insights on superstition and psychology ... all with nary a sparkle in sight!

Unquestionably the pick of the week is Shutter Island. If you missed it in theatres, now's your chance to watch some real masters at work. Scorsese. DiCaprio. It's obvious both are still in their prime. As an added treat there's Michelle Williams, who manages to do quite a lot with a very small role.

So, what else do we have coming on June 8th? How about Reggie Bannister in Metal Man as Dr. Arthur Blake, a bio-mech engineer who is murdered by evil weapons dealer Sebastian Reed, who uses ninja henchmen and his ultimate secret weapon, the Mecha Terror robot,...

Jamie Thraves' The Cry of the Owl hits DVD next Tuesday, June 8th, and to celebrate the flick's home video release, we have three clips for you to sink your claws into.

Synopsis:

Based on the novel by Patricia Highsmith (The Talented Mr. Ripley) and written and directed by Jamie Thraves, Cry of the Owl is a psychological thriller about a troubled young man, Robert (Paddy Considine), a depressed but fundamentally decent guy, who leaves the big city to escape a tumultuous marriage and his ex-wife for the tranquility of a small town. He finds respite from his problems by secretly watching the normal domestic life of a woman he doesn't know (Julia Stiles) through her kitchen window, a seemingly harmless palliative to his lonely life and failed marriage. Robert becomes infatuated with Jenny. However, when Jenny catches Robert in the act, she doesn't call the police. Instead she...

The Cry of the Owl is a remake of 1987 film and an adaption of Patricia Highsmith's novel of the same name. In the film, Robert (Paddy Considine) is possibly set up by the lovely Jenny (Julia Stiles) to kill her boyfriend (James Gilbert). The Cry of the Owl will be available on DVD June 8th through Paramount Home Entertainment with some limited theatrical dates possible. This is a film for those...

We first heard about Jamie Thraves' The Cry of the Owl during last November's Afm, but then things were rather silent. Now comes word that Paramount Home Entertainment will be releasing the film onto DVD this June 6th.

The below artwork is from DVD Active, who also says no extras of any kind will be included on the disc. Hopefully the story will be strong enough to stand on its own.

Synopsis:

Based on the novel by Patricia Highsmith (The Talented Mr. Ripley) and written and directed by Jamie Thraves, Cry of the Owl is a psychological thriller about a troubled young man, Robert (Paddy Considine), a depressed but fundamentally decent man, who leaves the big city to escape a tumultuous marriage and his ex-wife for the tranquility of a small town. He finds respite from his problems by secretly watching the normal domestic life of a woman he...

I know, I know, it's still SXSW but there are other movies out. And one coming out today just played SXSW. 

The Bounty Hunter -- Gerard Butler is another fractious rom-com, this time as a bounty hunter after his ex Jennifer Aniston. Yeah.  (Wide)

The Cry of the Owl -- Claude Chabrol's latest is a sexual revenge thriller based on a Patricia Highsmith novel.  (Arbor)

Diary of a Wimpy Kid -- Haven't seen it, but love the tagline: "I'll be famous one day, but for now I'm stuck in middle school with a bunch of morons." Chloe Moretz from Kick-Ass is in it, as is Steve Zahn. That makes it worth catching to me. (wide)

That Evening Sun -- SXSW 2009 selection about a southern man dealing with family betrayals and feuding with a neighbor. Starring Hal Holbrook.  (Arbor)

A Prophet -- How do you make a criminal kingpin?...

On June 8th, Paramount is releasing the new horror film The Cry of the Owl on DVD. It's based on the novel by acclaimed author and suspense master Patricia Highsmith (The Talented Mr. Ripley, Strangers On A Train.)

The film tells the story of Robert (Paddy Considine), a man trying to recover from a messy divorce by seeking solace in a small town. Robert becomes fascinated by the apparent domestic bliss of Jenny (Julia Stiles), who he secretly watches through her window. When Jenny catches him, she invites him in and the two begin a relationship, much to the chagrin of Jenny’s boyfriend. But when her boyfriend goes missing, Robert becomes the number one suspect in a murder investigation, leaving him to wonder if Jenny may not be all that she seems.

Here's a hint for all you spying Peeping Toms out there. Stop! Especially if you're caught and your subject wants to start a relationship with you. This can only lead to terror, torment, and the exact kind of fodder we look for in a horror film!

Based on the novel by acclaimed author and suspense master Patricia Highsmith (The Talented Mr. Ripley, Strangers On A Train), the psychological thriller The Cry of the Owl makes its DVD debut June 8, 2010 from Paramount Home Entertainment.

The film tells the story of Robert (Paddy Considine, Cinderella Man), a man trying to recover from a messy divorce by seeking solace in a small town. Robert becomes fascinated by the apparent domestic bliss of Jenny (Julia Stiles, The Bourne Trilogy), whom he secretly watches through her window. When Jenny catches him, she invites him in, and the two begin a relationship, much to the chagrin of Jenny’s boyfriend.

Here are the new MPAA ratings from Bulletin No: 2109.

American Bandits Rated PG For western violence, language and brief smoking. The Baster Rated PG-13 For mature thematic content, sexual material including dialogue, some nudity, drug use and language. Release Date: Tba 2010 Cheech And Chong: Hey Watch This Rated R For drug content, crude sex-related humor and language throughout. The Cry Of The Owl Rated R For violence and language. The Debt Rated R For some violence and language. Release Date: Tba 2010 Down Terrace Rated R For violence, pervasive language and some drug use. Father Of Invention Rated PG-13 For sexual material and language. Group Sex Rated R For strong crude sexual dialogue, sexuality, nudity and language throughout. Hey Hey It's Esther Blueburger Rated PG-13 For thematic elements, language, some sexual content and brief teen smoking. The Last International Playboy Rated R For sexual content, nudity and language. The Shadow Within...

A gimmicky name, but an interesting synopsis, Webcam is now on the radar, with a release date set for 2010. The film stars horror icon Robert Englund (Nightmare on Elm Street, Zombie Strippers!) and Charlotte Sullivan (The Cry of the Owl). Only a partial cast has been announced, yet the synopsis answers a few more questions. The film will include some teenagers who are unknowingly filmed via webcam. Those who are entertaining live and those who are not do not need to make vacation plans. A trailer for Webcam is below plus two separate synopses are also below.

The first synopsis for Webcam (#1):

"A modern skyscraper is the crossroad of five destinies, five young folks that accidentally venture into a slice if Hell on Earth. And come face to face with the very essence of Evil. Webcam is set in a world and an era recognizably our own, in which...

More Afm news

Myriad Pictures, which first offered the psychological thriller "Cry of the Owl" for presale at the 2007 Cannes Film Market, plans to release the film itself in U.S. theaters this fall.

Written and directed by Jamie Thraves and based on a novel by Patricia Highsmith, "Owl" stars Julia Stiles as a woman being stalked by a man, played by Paddy Considine.

Paramount Home Entertainment will release "Owl" on DVD, VOD and PPV, and Myriad will handle the pay TV and other markets in the U.S.

Myriad took a similar tact last year when it released the Dario Argento horror-thriller "Mother of Tears" to U.S. theaters.

"We decided to try to be more proactive and in control of the U.S. exploitation of our titles which we hope will also benefit our producers," Myriad president and CEO Kirk D'Amico said. "Our U.S. distribution model allows...

The lineup for the 17th Raindance Film Festival was announced today, with the London-based event playing host to a wide range of 75 features and 150 shorts over 12 days from 30th September – 11th October. This year the action moves to Apollo Cinemas West End, a great venue reflecting an ever expanding festival with some increasingly high profile films on show. The programme opens with Us indie hit Humpday and closes off with Steven Soderbergh’s The Girlfriend Experience, not to mention all manner of cinematic goodness inbetween, including Homegrown UK, Japanese, Us Indie and documentary strands. Highlights look likely to include the late David Carradine in My Suicide, Brit micro-budget horror Colin (just shown at Frightfest) and The Cry Of The Owl with Julia Stiles and the excellent Paddy Considine (Dead Man’s Shoes).

You can check out the festival trailer here and the full list of films being screened below the break.