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Denis Villeneuve Talks Directing ‘Blade Runner 2049′:’It’s a Brutal World in 2049’

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When Blade Runner was released theatrically in 1982, the film was a box office and critical failure.  It was a major disappointment for its director, Ridley Scott, and star, Harrison Ford.  The critical consensus at the time was that Blade Runner was a great-looking film whose technical credits overwhelmed its characters and story.

Time changes everything.  Over the following decades, Blade Runner has received, from audiences and critics alike, a sweeping reappraisal and is now regarded as a visionary masterpiece.  One of Blade Runner’s original supporters was Denis Villeneuve, the director of Arrival and Prisoners, who was a teenager when he first saw Blade Runner in 1982.  “I think I read about Blade Runner in the pages of Cinefantastique, which had a big spread on the film and showed images from the film, which got me really excited about the film,” says Villeneuve.  “Years before the arrival of the internet, that’s how I discovered films like Blade Runner.  I saw Blade Runner in a small Quebec theater, and I thought it was amazing.  The opening sequence, seeing the first images of the landscape, was unbelievable.  The rest of the film was just as great.  Blade Runner was, for me, one of the first films I saw growing up that was better than I imagined it would be.”

Now Villeneuve is the director of the long-awaited Blade Runner sequel, Blade Runner 2049Ryan Gosling stars as Officer K, an LAPD officer who’s been tasked with retiring a new breed of replicants.  “It’s obviously a very different world now, and it’s a much more brutal world than we saw in the first film,” says Villeneuve.  “Earth has collapsed, and everyone wants to leave earth.  Those who live on Earth are trapped here.  They have no choice and must survive the best they can.  K, Ryan’s character, works for the Blade Runner unit, and he’s facing the same challenges, obstacles, that Rick Deckard did in the first film but on a much grander scale.  Some of the replicant models are illegal on Earth, and he has to find the illegal ones and eliminate them.  Within a science fiction film, this is a detective story with a strong noir element.”

Along the way, K makes contact with the original blade runner, Rick Deckard, who shares his experience with K.  This is the same role that Harrison Ford played on the set with Gosling and Villeneuve.  “Harrison was so helpful on many levels, especially in terms of trying to project the world that Harrison and Ridley created in the first film into the future.  Harrison waited over thirty years to see this film become a reality.  His commitment to the project was incredible.  It was the same with Ryan.  From the moment the three of us became attached to this project, we started talking about the script, exchanging ideas, and this carried over to the filming.”

Instead of relying solely on CGI, Villeneuve insisted on building physical sets.  “The problem with CGI is that the actors and the director don’t have the freedom to exchange ideas, to improvise,” says Villeneuve.  “You’re bound by the green screen.  CG-heavy films also look very artificial, very unreal.  If the audience doesn’t believe in the universe they’ve been placed inside of, the film can’t be successful.  I’m the type of filmmaker who likes to see things, touch things, and most actors are the same way.  This is a much better film because we built sets.”

Villeneuve says that Scott, who served as an executive producer on the sequel, acted as a low-key mentor throughout the process.  “Most of the time I spent with him was prior to the filming, when we had long talks about the first film, about what inspired him to make the first film,” says Villeneuve.  “After that, he told me he’d be there if I needed him, and I felt his support throughout the filming.  I think Ridley visited the set three times.  I felt his presence throughout this journey.”

Blade Runner 2049 will be released theatrically on October 6, 2017.

Images courtesy of Warner Bros. Publicity.

 

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New Poster Reveal For Nicolas Cage’s Survival Creature Feature ‘Arcadian’ [Trailer]

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Nicolas Cage Arcadian

In the latest cinematic venture featuring Nicolas Cage, Arcadian emerges as a compelling creature feature, teeming with suspense, horror, and emotional depth. RLJE Films has recently released a series of new images and a captivating poster, offering audiences a glimpse into the eerie and thrilling world of “Arcadian”. Scheduled to hit theaters on April 12, 2024, the film will later be available on Shudder and AMC+, ensuring a wide audience can experience its gripping narrative.

Arcadian Movie Trailer

The Motion Picture Association (MPA) has given this film an “R” rating for its “bloody images,” hinting at the visceral and intense experience awaiting viewers. The film draws inspiration from acclaimed horror benchmarks like “A Quiet Place,” weaving a post-apocalyptic tale of a father and his two sons navigating a desolate world. Following a catastrophic event that depopulates the planet, the family faces the dual challenge of surviving their dystopian environment and eluding mysterious nocturnal creatures.

Joining Nicolas Cage in this harrowing journey are Jaeden Martell, known for his role in “IT” (2017), Maxwell Jenkins from “Lost in Space,” and Sadie Soverall, featured in “Fate: The Winx Saga.” Directed by Ben Brewer (“The Trust”) and penned by Mike Nilon (“Braven”), “Arcadian” promises a unique blend of poignant storytelling and electrifying survival horror.

Maxwell Jenkins, Nicolas Cage, and Jaeden Martell 

Critics have already begun to praise “Arcadian” for its imaginative monster designs and exhilarating action sequences, with one review from Bloody Disgusting highlighting the film’s balance between emotional coming-of-age elements and heart-pounding horror. Despite sharing thematic elements with similar genre films, “Arcadian” sets itself apart through its creative approach and action-driven plot, promising a cinematic experience filled with mystery, suspense, and relentless thrills.

Arcadian Official Movie Poster

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‘Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey 3’ Is a Go with Enhanced Budget and New Characters

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Winnie the Pooh 3

Wow, they’re churning things out fast! The upcoming sequel “Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey 3” is officially moving forward, promising an expanded narrative with a larger budget and the introduction of beloved characters from A.A. Milne’s original tales. As confirmed by Variety, the third installment in the horror franchise will welcome Rabbit, the heffalumps, and the woozles into its dark and twisted narrative.

This sequel is a part of an ambitious cinematic universe that reimagines children’s stories as horror tales. Alongside “Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey” and its first sequel, the universe includes films such as “Peter Pan’s Neverland Nightmare”, “Bambi: The Reckoning,” and “Pinocchio Unstrung”. These movies are set to converge in the crossover event “Poohniverse: Monsters Assemble,” slated for a 2025 release.

Winnie the Pooh Poohniverse

The creation of these films was made possible when A.A. Milne’s 1926 children’s book “Winnie-the-Pooh” entered the public domain last year, allowing filmmakers to explore these cherished characters in unprecedented ways. Director Rhys Frake-Waterfield and producer Scott Jeffrey Chambers, of Jagged Edge Productions, have led the charge in this innovative endeavor.

The inclusion of Rabbit, heffalumps, and woozles in the upcoming sequel introduces a new layer to the franchise. In Milne’s original stories, heffalumps are imagined creatures resembling elephants, while woozles are known for their weasel-like characteristics and a penchant for stealing honey. Their roles in the narrative remain to be seen, but their addition promises to enrich the horror universe with deeper connections to the source material.

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How to Watch ‘Late Night with the Devil’ from Home: Dates and Platforms

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Late Night With The Devil

For fans eager to dive into one of this year’s most talked-about horror films from the comfort of their own home, “Late Night with the Devil” will be available for streaming exclusively on Shudder starting April 19, 2024. This announcement has been highly anticipated following the film’s successful theatrical release by IFC Films, which saw it earning rave reviews and a record-breaking opening weekend for the distributor.

“Late Night with the Devil” emerges as a standout horror film, captivating audiences and critics alike, with Stephen King himself offering high praise for the 1977-set film. Starring David Dastmalchian, the movie unfolds on Halloween night during a live late-night talk show broadcast that disastrously unleashes evil across the nation. This found footage-style film not only delivers scares but also authentically captures the aesthetic of the 1970s, drawing viewers into its nightmarish scenario.

David Dastmalchian in Late Night with the Devil

The film’s initial box office success, opening to $2.8 million in 1,034 theaters, underscores its wide appeal and marks the highest opening weekend for an IFC Films release. Critically acclaimed, “Late Night with the Devil” boasts a 96% positive rating on Rotten Tomatoes from 135 reviews, with the consensus praising it for rejuvenating the possession horror genre and showcasing David Dastmalchian’s exceptional performance.

Rotten Tomatoes score as of 3/28/2024

Simon Rother of iHorror.com encapsulates the film’s allure, emphasizing its immersive quality that transports viewers back to the 1970s, making them feel as if they are part of the eerie “Night Owls” Halloween broadcast. Rother lauds the film for its meticulously crafted script and the emotional and shocking journey it takes viewers on, stating, “This whole experience will have viewers of the Cairnes brothers’ film glued to their screen… The script, from beginning to end, is neatly sewn together with an ending that’ll have jaws on the floor.” You can read the full review here.

Rother further encourages audiences to watch the film, highlighting its multifaceted appeal: “Whenever it is made available to you, you must attempt to view the Cairnes Brothers’ latest project as it will make you laugh, it will creep you out, it will amaze you, and it might even strike an emotional cord.”

Set to stream on Shudder on April 19, 2024, “Late Night with the Devil” offers a compelling blend of horror, history, and heart. This film is not just a must-watch for horror aficionados but for anyone looking to be thoroughly entertained and moved by a cinematic experience that redefines the boundaries of its genre.

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