I don’t know how many of you remember movies from the early 1970s, or were even alive in the 1970s, but the period from 1969 to 1975 witnessed a wealth of gritty, nihilistic B-movie dramas.  The protagonists were often shady anti-heroes involved in some violent pursuit either above or below the law.

Easy Rider in 1969 probably spawned the genre (or Bonnie and Clyde in 1967), and was shortly followed by Dirty Harry (1971), Badlands (1973), Death Wish (1974), and my personal favorite, Dirty Mary, Crazy Larry (1974), among many others.  The genre died out about the time Smokey and the Bandit arrived in 1977, when a smirking Burt Reynolds and an over-the-top Jackie Gleason turned it into a southern-fried mockery.

This type of film was personified by Charles Bronson, the lead in Death Wish, who typified the craggy, mumbling, speak-little-but-carry-a-big-Magnum character that was often at the center of these movies.  Bronson, like Clint Eastwood, was never very likeable in his films, but he had an air of cold-blooded ruthlessness that made you cheer for him anyway, as the baddies he dispatched were always much more sinister (but much less charismatic) than he was.

Continue Reading →

Based on the original film featuring Charles Bronson and Jan Michael Vincent, this new take on The Mechanic features Jason Statham as Arthur Bishop and Ben Foster as Steve — a master assassin and his apprentice. When his mentor and close friend Harry (Donald Sutherland) is murdered, Bishop’s mission is clear: He wants those responsible dead.

His mission is complicated when Harry’s son Steve approaches him with the same vengeful goal and a determination to learn Bishop’s trade. Bishop has always acted alone but he can’t turn his back on Harry’s son. So, the two decide to work together and, of course, stuff starts to blow up.

To get you in the mood for the film we’ve got a new clip from it to share with you today. In it we get a look at the characters and how they are going to deal with on of the people who may, or may not, have had a hand in Harry’s death. Check out the clip after the jump.

The Mechanic, featuring Jason Statham, Ben Foster, Tony Goldwyn and Donald Sutherland, hits theaters on January 28.

Continue Reading →

Based on the original film featuring Charles Bronson and Jan Michael Vincent, this new take on The Mechanic features Jason Statem and Ben Foster as a master assassin and his apprentice. They come together to avenge the death of Foster’s character’s father and in so doing Statham teaches him the ropes.

To get you in the mood for the remake we’ve got the first trailer for the film to share with you today. In it you get a good look at the two leads and quite a bit about the story. Even though it seems like a simple revenge thriller, I hope it ends up being more than that.

The original was such a cool movie when the apprentice finally turns on his master and they have to fight it out using not just their skills but their brains as well. If you haven’t watched it, go check it out. As for this version, we’ll just have to wait and see if it rises to the level of the original. My guess is it probably won’t.

However, that doesn’t mean it won’t be a fun action film in its own right. We’ll find out when the film hits theaters on January 28, 2011. Meantime, click on through to check out the trailer.

Continue Reading →

For a few years now there has been plenty of talk about the possible remake of the 1972 film The Mechanic, which starred Charles Bronson and Jan-Michael Vincent. Many different major action players were considered for the role that Bronson originally played, including Sly Stallone and Vin Diesel, but it wasn’t until recently that pen hit paper and Jason Statham was signed to play hitman Arthur Bishop.

From there, it was a pretty easy decision to cast up-and-coming star Ben Foster as Steve McKenna, a role first made famous by Jan-Michale Vincent. In the film, Bishop is a hit man who is on his way out of the business and takes McKenna under his wing as a protege to pass along his legacy. Things, of course, go awry from there in an action-packed cacophony of violence.

Now, with both Statham and Foster filling in, it almost carries the same the same impact, with Statham coming off of a nearly 10 year run as an action star, and Ben Foster still working his way up the “leading man” ladder. The remake is also directed by action director Simon West, who has brought such films as Con Air and Lara Croft: Tomb Raider to the screen.

Check out the first trailer for the film after the jump, and be sure to catch The Mechanic in theaters on December 15th.

Continue Reading →

Fox has got quite a big month ahead of them. Between the return of 24 and American Idol, those shows alone should make the network a number one contender for ratings this spring. They also may be getting some help from a new show based on, of all things, a comic book.

The new series in question is Human Target starring Mark Valley (Boston Legal), Chi McBride (Pushing Daisies), and Jackie Earl Haley (Watchmen). It’s based on the DC Comics character, who assumes the identity of potential assassination victims and takes out their would-be killers before they get the chance to off their target.

The series is making quite a lot of noise among the TV and comic community, and all of that noise seems to be positive. With director Simon West (Con Air, Lara Croft: Tomb Raider) at the helm and composer Bear McCreary (Battlestar Galacitca) doing the score, this could turn out to be an amazing project or a colossal flop.

Either way, we’ve got a few clips to get you excited for the pilot, which airs on Sunday, January 17th opposite the Golden Globes (not smart). The pilot even guest stars fan favorite Tricia Helfer, which should get some fanboys interested.

Check out the clips after the jump.

Continue Reading →

Some early casting news has come out regarding the re-imagining of George Romero’s Night of the Living Dead. Danielle Harris will be playing the part of Barbara in the reanimated (Yeah, that was a cheap joke, but I had to go for it) CGI film Night of the Living Dead: Origins.  News came right from Harris herself via her Twitter page, “All you’re good luck wishes worked! Guess who’s gonna be Barbara?!”.

Harris is certainly no stranger to the horror genre. She played prey to Michael Myers in Rob Zombie’s Halloween 2 and is set to appear in the vampire film Stake Land coming out next year. With those kinds of credentials, I’m sure she’s well prepared to face the walking dead, even if they are animated this time around.

Hearing that Harris has been cast certainly leaves me anxious to find out who the other roles will go to.  Night of the Living Dead: Origins is being directed by Zebediah de Soto and produced by Simon West (Con Air, Lara Croft: Tomb Raider).  No release date as of yet but we’ll keep you posted as more news develops.

Get ready all you World War Z and general zombie fans Night of the Living Dead is coming back to life. This time around they’ll crawl from their graves not only in CG but also in 3D. The new film, entitled Night of the Living Dead: Origins will be a “re-imaging” of the original, focusing more on the backstory of the characters. Don’t worry, I’m sure there will still be plenty of zombie brain-eating goodness.

While the film will make use of current 3D technology, there is also some interesting new tech being used on this production:

“…a real-time effects system, known as ‘The Beast’, which allows filmmakers the ability to direct CG performances the same way they would direct real live actors.  The aim of the process is to make tennis balls on a stick representing real people or monsters a thing of the past by allowing actors interact with CG elements as if they are tangible.”

This technology will certainly change the way future CG movies are created and enhance the interaction between real actors and their normally imaginary co-stars. While Night of the Living Dead: Origins will be directed by newcomer Zebediah de Soto, the film is being produced by Simon West who directed such mainstream films as Con Air and Lara Croft: Tomb Raider.

One notable name that’s not involved, at least at this point, is original Night of the Living Dead director George Romero.  As such, it will be interesting to see if he endorses the new film in some way or not. No word on a filming schedule, casting or a release date as of yet, but when there is, we’ll bring it to you.