BIKINI SPRING BREAK on DVD Today!!!

It isn't really summer until someone puts out a raunchy comedy starring scantily-clad co-eds, and thank god, The Asylum today steps up to the plate with the DVD, Blu-Ray and VOD release of their latest sexy tryst, Bikini Spring Break, starring Robert Carradine and a score of lovely ladies. 

Written and directed by Jared Cohn - Born Bad, upcoming Asylum theatrical release Hold Your Breath - the film promises to continue the studio's delightfully-bawdy chain of raucous comedic outings. But don't take my word on it, get thee to a video outlet of any sort and get your hands on Bikini Spring Break ASAP, cuz with a cover like this, it's gonna fly off the shelves:

Abraham Lincoln vs Zombies on DVD Today!

The film destined to be one of the biggest - if not the biggest - Asylum films of the year, Abraham Lincoln vs Zombies, is at last on DVD, Blu-Ray and VOD as of the instant you read this sentence.

The film - whose plot the title pretty much sums up - comes from writer/director Richard Schenkman and stars the great and talented Bill Oberst Jr. (A Haunting in Salem, Born Bad) as the 16th President of the United States, who slings a wicked scythe.

For a more in-depth analysis of what I thought of the film, just scroll down a couple inches. Otherwise, go now and procure your copy of truly one of the most-unique zombie films to date; you won't be sorry, guaranteed.

observation notes: ADOPTING TERROR

This past Saturday night marked the second time The Asylum premiered a film on the Lifetime network; last year it was Jared Cohn's Born Bad, and this time around it was Adopting Terror from writer - along with Nik Frank-Lehrer - and director Micho Rutare (Meteor Apocalypse). Like Born Bad, Adopting Terror was a thriller without creatures, aliens, natural disasters or pending global cataclysms, just a straight-up look at the evil men can do when properly motivated.

The film centers around Tim and Cheryl Broadbent, played by Sean Astin (Goonies, Lord of the Rings) and Samaire Armstrong (The O.C., Entourage) respectively - and their adoption of a lovely little baby girl, Mona. Only trouble is, Mona's biological father has just been released from prison and now he'll stop at nothing to be reunited with his daughter. What follows is a psychological game of cat-and-mouse, manipulations and intimidation, violence and the different degrees different people will go to in order to preserve and protect their families.

Adopting Terror is laden with powerful performances that elevate the film. The seemingly ageless Sean Astin is a loving father and husband, a sensible protector who as the film progresses, struggles to keep himself together amid the mounting strain to his family. Astin is a perfect Everyfather - if you'll allow the term - and thus when he finds himself pushed to the brink, the experience is tangible and resonant.

Samaire Armstrong also turns in a convincing performance as a first-time mother already a little unsure of her own abilities, an emotional subplot that only compounds once the real trouble starts popping off. Actress Monet Mazur plays the sleek yet wary, helpful but watchful social worker in charge of the Broadbent's case, and Michael Gross (Family Ties, Tremors 1-4) plays her boss. This marks Mr. Gross's second outing with The Asylum, 100 Million B.C. being the first time. This go-round, he brought his sister Mary Gross (Saturday Night Live, Troop Beverly Hills, FEDS), who has a one-scene cameo early on.

But for my money, the real scene-stealer here is Brendan Fehr (Final Destination, Ice Quake) as Mona's birth father, Kevin. He's the scariest kind of sociopath - the coolly vicious, stoically sadistic, stone-faced type. Fehr is a pure menace, a vibrant and brutally focused man blind to everything beyond his own agenda. Dude's got real chops, and they're on full display here. I want to see Fehr as Adopting Terror's Kevin fight Michael Welch as Born Bad's Denny; now there's a mega match-up.


Bottom line, Adopting Terror is a taut, well-paced, uncomfortably realistic thriller from set-up to payoff. It comes across simultaneously heartfelt, vicious, tense and suspenseful, and manages to mix in a few awesome, totally unexpected twists along the way to its pulse-pounding conclusion.

As of now, there is only one remaining scheduled broadcast of Adopting Terror on Lifetime: Saturday, April 28th at 6pm. After that, you might have to wait until the film's official DVD release on September 11th of this year.

BIKINI SPRING BREAK Gets a Poster! PLUS 3 New Titles Listed!!!

From something so spectacularly titled as Bikini Spring Break, one should be able to expect a scintillatingly straight-forward poster; thank god the guys at The Asylum always deliver...

Behold:

Ta-da! One guaranteed hit, courtesy of writer/director Jared Cohn (Born Bad), The Asylum, and whoever the marketing genius is who designs their posters. I work in a really large independent video store, and with two dozen or more direct-to-DVD flicks clogging the New Release section every week, I know a standout when I see it, and believe me, this baby's gonna move.

Lead the pack yourself when Bikini Spring Break, starring Robert "Revenge of the Nerds" Carradine and a bevy of beautiful actresses, hits DVD shelves both actual and virtual on June 26th. 

But wait, there's just a little bit more. Though there's no real information on them as yet, in the Coming Soon bar in the bottom right corner of The Asylum's homepage, three new titles have been mentioned, and this only days after learning about Alien Origin and Adopting Terror: Haunting of Whaley House, Super Cyclone and Golden Winter. 

Haunting, I know, involves a real haunted location in San Diego; Super Cyclone I can hazard a guess as to what it's about, but Golden Winter has me stumped. A global-warming disaster flick? Treasure-hunting holiday fare? A truly raunchy sexcapade? Only time and The Asylum will tell, and when they do, rest assured I'll share it here. Either way, though, 2012 is really shaping up to be a massive year for everyone's favorite independent studio.

Bikini Spring Break Details

The first few details of Bikini Spring Break went up over at The Asylum site today, and it sounds like we got a scorcher on our hands. (you know, hot, bikinis...eh.)

First and foremost, the film is written and directed by Jared Cohn, the mad genius behind Born Bad, which KILLED at this year's Looney Award, becoming the first flick to win the big 5: director, actor, actress, script and picture.

Check out the plot: A group of coeds from a small conservative college break out of their shells when their marching band bus breaks down in Ft. Lauderdale during Spring Break.

Sounds like the perfect set-up for raunchy hilarity to ensue. Also has tinges of one of my favorite flicks, Revenge of the Nerds II: Nerds in Paradise, which has something else in common with Bikini Spring Break...

Robert fucking Carradine.

Oh yeah, people, this is real, happening, and in production as we speak. June 26th is all goes down...be there!

2011 Loonies Winners!!!

The call went out to designate the favorite films and performances from last year's Asylum productions, and you, the die-hard fans, responded in record numbers. So, without further adieu, your 2011 Winners of Looney Awards for Excellence in Asylum Films:

BEST DIRECTOR: Jared Cohn, Born Bad

 

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY: Alex Yellen, 2012 Ice Age

BEST CREATURES: Zombies, Zombie Apocalypse

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS: Battle of Los Angeles

BEST SCORE: Chris Ridenhour, Zombie Apocalypse

BEST SCREENPLAY: Jared Cohn, Born Bad

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS: AnnaMaria DeMara, 200MPH

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR: Gerald Webb, 2012 Ice Age

BEST ACTRESS: Bonnie Dennison, Born Bad

BEST ACTOR: Michael Welch, Born Bad

BEST PICTURE: Born Bad

So there you have it, your 2011 Looney Award Winners. Born Bad was this year's big winner, and the first Big 5 winner in Looney history - director, screenplay, actor, actress and picture. Congrats to Cohn and crew, as well as all the other Looney winners and nominees. 2011 was the best Asylum year yet, and 2012 is promising to be even better, so as I see it, we're all winners. Huzzah!

Before the Loonies are Announced, My Favorites of 2011

With the Loonies being announced tomorrow, I thought before we find out what your favorite Asylum movies and performances of 2011 were, I'd share my personal favorites. Some of these might not be too surprising (anything Salem related), and some might (anything not Salem related), but nevertheless, here we go:

Favorite Director: Jared Cohn

Born Bad was just a different kind of Asylum movie, a more realistic thriller with no skimping on the sex, violence or suspense. The brainchild of Cohn, he shoulders the credit for this taut thriller.

Favorite Cinematography: Alexander Yellen, Born Bad

This was maybe the closest category for me, as Dragon Crusaders was one of the more epically beautiful direct-to-DVD films I saw last year, but there's just something about the look to Born Bad that really made it stand out.

Favorite Creature: Witch Ghosts, A Haunting in Salem

  I don't need to explain my decision here, do I? I mean, I made these guys up. Witches who are ghosts, ghosts who are witches; can't go wrong. Just sayin'...

 Favorite VFX: 2012 Ice Age

This was the big category this year, in my opinion, as 2011 was a year in which we saw Asylum VFX really kick it up a notch. But when all is said and done, it was the ice-swept devastation of 2012 Ice Age that blew me away the most.

Favorite Score: Chris Ridenhour, A Haunting in Salem

Another on I probably don't have to explain, but this isn't pure favoritism. In every review I read of Salem, whether positive or negative, they all raved about Ridenhour's beautifully brutal score.

Favorite Script: Craig Engler & Zombie Apocalypse

I think zombie movies ar epretty hard to pull off at this point, as they've been done - pardon the pun - to death. But Zombie Apocalypse felt fresh yet faithful to the genre.

Favorite Supporting Actress: Jenna Stone, A Haunting in Salem

  Another no-brainer. Miss Stone sold this performance so well I hope I never meet her, because it will freak me out. Scariest performance of the year, certainly scarier than I wrote it. Awesomeness.

Favorite Supporting Actor: Gerald Webb, Battle of Los Angeles

2011 was Webb's year over at The Asylum, but of his various role, it was his work in Battle of Los Angeles that really stood out, mostly because that's the film in which we got to see the most of him.

Favorite Actress: Courtney Abbiati, A Haunting in Salem

Another no-brainer, but Ms. Abbiati's work here was out-of-the-park.

Favorite Actor: Bill Oberst Jr., A Haunting in Salem

 Yet another, I know, but come on, you have to admit Bill got under your skin. Impassioned, creepy and capable of anything makes for an awesome anti-hero.

Favorite Documentary Feature: Anneliese the Exorcist Tapes

Devil-shit freaks me out. And this discovered-footage freak-fest was so intimidating to me I had to watch it in the afternoon, no joke. Frightening, frightening stuff.

Favorite Film: A Haunting in Salem

Duh. But really, how could any other film be my favorite. 3 Musketeers was a fun, hip action flick, Mega Python vs Gatoroid  was campy-creature brilliance, Dragon Crusaders gave me a new appreciation for fantasy and Born Bad nailed it, but for me, the screenwriter of said-haunted-house movie, it just had ot be my favorite. Forgive me.

And don't forget to come back tomorrow to see what you guys chose as the best Asylum films of 2011. 

Just a Reminder: Don't Forget to Vote for The Loonies!!!

That's right, gang, there's still time to vote for your favorites in the 2nd Annual Looney Awards for Excellence in Asylum Films before the polls close on February 8th.

Who do you think was the year's Best Actor? Was it the ruthlessly vile psycho-boyfriend portrayed by Michael Welch in Born Bad? Or did you prefer the pipe-swinging, zombie-killing stoicism of Ving Rhames in Zombie Apocalypse? Who won you over more, Debbie Gibson or Tiffany? And what was the best Asylum film of the year? Was it A Haunting in Salem? Hmm? Hmmmmm?

The answer to these and at least 8 or 9 other questions are all within your power to help answer. Simply visit the link above, peruse the nominees then email your list of winners to AsylumLoonies@hotmail.com before February 8th to have your vote count. Winners will be announced two days later, on the 10th, and my personal picks for the best of the year will be posted in-between, on the 9th.

If you've yet to see any of the nominees, all of The Asylum's 2011 output is now available on DVD, so get thee to a video outlet and remedy this oversight toot suite!

The Asylum 2011: Ridiculously Popular

The greatest website in the world, IMDB of course, published this morning its list of the 3, 759 Most Popular Video Titles of 2011, and man, is The Asylum all over it; let's put it like this - if The Asylum's 2011 filmography was a high school student, they'd be a handsome, intelligent quarterback. Twelve titles - that's not a typo, twelve - in the top 100 are Asylum titles, 4 in the top 10. Check it out:

#2 - The Amityville Haunting

#5 - A Haunting in Salem (!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

#6 - Dragon Crusaders

#10 - 2012 Ice Age

#19 - 200MPH

#21 - Barely Legal

#23 - 11/11/11

#24 - 3 Musketeers

#32 - Battle of Los Angeles

#36 - Born Bad

#48 - Anneliese: The Exorcist Tapes

#80 - The Princess and the Pony

Congrats to all the fine folks at The Asylum for the much-deserved recognition. And man, if 2011 was this good, I for one can't wait to see how 2012 plays out... 

outside the walls: November DVD Releases

I recognize that not all great films are made exclusively by The Asylum and that, in fact, there's a whole world of film outside these walls, some of which might actually interest Asylum fans - when they're not watching or re-watching Asylum films, of course. And, being as I'm only looking out for your viewing well-being, here's a peek at some other DVD releases this month which might satiate you between Asylum releases. But remember, as always, Sweet n' Low ain't sugar.

November 1st

11/11/11

written by Kiff Scholl & Keith Allan
directed by Keith Allan
















November 8th

Bedlam: Season One

Born Bad

written & directed by Jared Cohn
starring Michael Welch, Bonnie Dennison, Meredith Monroe & David Chokachi

Mortal Kombat: Legacy
















November 15th

Warriors of Virtue: The Return to Tao
















November 22nd

Carjacked

Conan the Barbarian

Helldriver

Night Crawlers
















November 29th

Chillerama

Tucker & Dale vs. Evil 

Born Bad on DVD Today!

Another Tuesday, another Asylum DVD release; fella could get used to this. This time around, it's Born Bad, a terrifying and scintillating thriller from writer director Jared Cohn and actors Michael Welch, Bonnie Dennison, Meredith Monroe, David Chokachi and more. Resplendent with action, intrigue, passion and horrors all-to-real, Born Bad is a perfect early winter film: creepy, suspenseful and chilling.

Besides being an intense and excellent flick, you're gonna want to cherish Born Bad for another reason: we have to wait a WHOLE MONTH for another Asylum release: found-footage frightener The Amityville Haunting comes out December 13th, and the DVD release of Zombie Apocalypse is a fortnight later on the 27th.  

Wanna rent Born Bad from Netflix? Go here.

RE-POST: observation notes: Born Bad

Though Born Bad made it's premiere back in March on the Lifetime Channel, it hasn't been available on DVD until this coming Tuesday, when a special UNCUT version of the film hits DVD. Until then, let's take another look at my original thoughts on the film, posted back in March.

Now, if you've read my notes before, you know I don't like to give away any spoilers; I'm not a journalist, I'm a fan, my point isn't to critique the film, it's to extol its virtues and make you want to see it even more than no doubt you already do. Therefore, I stay away from spoilers. This will be especially true in the case of Born Bad, as you're gonna have to wait a few months to get your hands on it. So the below impressions are general, and give nothing away whatsoever other than the basic plot. 

Let's get that plot out of the way: when a family moves to a new town, their sweet teenage daughter (Bonnie Dennison), falls for the WRONG guy (Twilight and All The Boys Love Mandy Lane''s Michael Welch), a psychopathic drifter with homicidal proclivities, resulting in a nightmare for her parents ("Baywatch"s David Chokachi and "Dawson's Creek"s Meredith Monroe). Ah, dating.

What we have here is a good, old-fashioned thriller - no monsters or creatures or anything paranormal at all, just a fascinating and frightening look at the depths of depravity to which can sink the most terrifying beast known to man: man. Jared Cohn's script paints a terrifying portrait of a family already at a crossroads in crisis. It's an all-too believable scenario which could conceivably befall any American family, allowing the horror it generates to resonate that much deeper.

But a script is only as good as the actors who bring it to life, so in this case, it's damn good. Michael Welch as "Denny" is fierce, and not in a co-opted Project Runway sense, but in the Webster's dictionary sense: "a) violently hostile or aggressive in temperament; b) given to fighting or killing." I mentioned in my profile of Mr. Welch that in the fine, fine film All The Boys Love Mandy Lane in which he played a similar type of character, that his brutally frightening potential hadn't yet been fully-tapped - it has been now. Welch electrifies every second he's on screen, deftly balancing the suave seductor and focused sociopath every good serial killer needs be. Dude rocked it, for real.

Bonnie Dennison ("Guiding Light") as doe-eyed daughter "Bonnie" manages a fine balancing act of her own, convincingly naive while never helpless. I'll admit to not being familiar with Ms. Dennison before this, but I thought she was right for the role of a good-girl just bad enough to get in major trouble; when her name turns up on DVD boxes in the future - as it's sure to do - I'll definitely check them out.

Meredith Monroe and David Chokachi as the parents at the center of this whirlwind also excelled, and in roles I for one wasn't used to seeing them play: Chokachi as the concerned parent almost helpless in the face of primal terror, and Monroe as an unsuspectingly powerful matriarch. So for me, at least, both really showed their range, and I liked what I saw. Aces.

Other cast standouts include Donnabella Mortel as "Dana," Gerald Webb (Battle of Los Angeles, 2012 Ice Age) as "Nate" and Bill Oberst Jr. (Princess and the Pony, upcoming A Haunting in Salem[!!!]) as "Gary." Sure, I could tell you more about the characters they play, but that might stray into the territory of spoilers. Or it might not. Either way, I'll say no more.

Overall, then, what you have here is a chilling psychological thriller that rings all too true and hits way too close to home, just as all great films of this sort should do. Cohn, who also directed, has crafted a film of frightening intimacy, one that draws you into both sides of this maniacal struggle and and squeezes your heart from the first frame to the last, thanks especially to the barrage of fine performances anchored by that of Michael Welch. He's up there with Mega Shark in my pantheon of greatest Asylum villains. 

Check it our for yourself this Tuesday when the UNCUT version of Born Bad erupts into being.

RE-POST: COMMITTED EXCLUSIVE: An Interview w/ Born Bad Writer/Director Jared Cohn!!!

With only a few days until The Asylum's next DVD release, the vicious thriller Born Bad, I wanted to re-post an interview I did with the film's writer/director, Jared Cohn. In addition to his work here, Cohn has also appeared as an actor in a few other Asylum productions, including Halloween Night, Legion of the Dead, Way of the Vampire and Alien Abduction. As you get amped up for the DVD release, enjoy the interview below, then come back tomorrow for the re-post of my observation notes on the film.

 

COMMITTED: How old were you when you decided you wanted to work in film? What spawned this decision?

JARED COHN: I was 18 when I was first introduced to the possibility of working in film when I moved into an apartment in college (Northeastern in Boston) and my roommate was an actor. We would mess around with video cameras and do some improvs and skits - just having fun. He wound up moving to LA and I visited him and got bit by the bug. Soon, I started writing scripts and reading about the industry and taking acting classes and auditioning. Next thing I knew, I was driving across country from NY to LA to pursue a career in film.

C: How did you come to get involved with The Asylum?

JC: I auditioned for Way of the Vampire and booked the part of Roman!  I was very excited and was lucky enough to continue to act in several more of their movies, all of which I am grateful and proud to have been a part of. 

C: In 2009, you started writing and directing. Was this always the plan, or was it something that evolved once you got into the industry?

JC: I actually started writing my first script before my first audition as an actor. I enjoy writing and there is only so much one can do to pursue a film acting career before going crazy, so in my spare time I would write. I would go on writing binges and work for days on end, sometimes 16-20 hours straight until my eyes would go blurry. The directing came next. I wanted to challenge myself in the hopes that it would make me a better actor and writer, and I feel to some degree I have grown from seeing things from the other side of the camera.  

C: What films have served as inspirations to you, as an actor as well as a writer/director?

JC: I love Val Kilmer’s performance in Tombstone. So good! Ed Burns inspires me as an actor, writer and director because he does it all and does it with style, and because he is also from Long Island.

C: Is there anyone you’ve worked with you looked to as inspiration when you started writing or directing?

JC: My friend Michael Nelson, who is a great writer, inspired me to really start writing the right way. We would work for hours and hours and bounce ideas around and discuss Aristotle’s poetics for the screenwriter and Syd Field's rules of writing. Also, Ed Erdelac, a great writer and director who directed me in Meaner Than Hell, a western that I starred in, he inspires me to write better and continue to write  Lastly, my writer/director friend Eddie Reyes keeps me motivated to keep acting.

C: How did the idea for Born Bad come about?

JC: I wrote a script for a location my father has. I was planning on trying to make the movie myself, but lacked the means, so I sent it out to David Rimawi at The Asylum and then he called me and told me he liked it, which was an amazing phone call to get!  Then, we wound up not using my father’s house to shoot, though, since that place is in NY. We shot it in SoCal. Which I was happy about, because the location and weather were beautiful. So, it all worked out!

C: How was it working on the other side of the camera for The Asylum?

JC: Great! Everyone there is passionate about film and everyone there is quality folk. I was excited in 2004 when I got to play in Way of the Vampire, and I was excited this year when I was able to direct Born Bad. The Asylum kicks serious ass. David Latt, David Rimawi and Paul Bales know what they are doing, so my cast was awesome and my crew was great. The whole experience was pure awesomeness .

C:  You’re also the CEO of Trap Light Media. Tell us a little about your company.

  

JC: Traplight Media is my company that I run. I shoot, edit and do after effects and some design work. I do music videos, commercials, TV shows, promos, trailers, whatever… I graduated film school (New York Institute of Technology) with a focus on production and post-production. I am also proud to be a director and shooter/editor for a very cool, growing TV show – "Live It Up" with Donna Drake. So, when I am not writing, acting, or directing, I am in front of my computer editing video or on location somewhere. Also, my acting site is www.Jaredmonline.com (if anyone is interested…) 

C: Besides Born Bad, of course, which of the other four Asylum productions you’ve been in (Alien Abduction, Legion of the Dead, Way of the Vampire, Halloween Night) was your favorite?

JC: Halloween Night, because my role was fun to play and the location was awesome, and we got to stay there for the shoot. The experience was fun and the movie came out cool! Also, the director/DP Mark Atkins is a very talented man and cool to work with.

C: Any Jared Cohn dream projects?

JC: I’ve got a action/thriller script I am pushing right now, can’t say too much, but I’m hoping it gets going sooner than later… Also, I would love to act a lot more. My original goal was to just make it as an actor and that is still very much my dream.

C: What’s next for you?

JC: Other than my action/thriller script, I’m working with The Asylum now in the early stages of another Lifetime type project that I am writing that I am hoping will get made. It’s currently in development but the concept is way cool. Also, hopefully Born Bad will be a big success and with a bit of luck that can open some additional doors for me which would be fantastic. Also, I’ve got Underground Lizard People, which I wrote and directed which is going to be released shortly. www.UndergroundLizardpeople.com. The movie Revenants was just released on VOD, a cool revenge/zombie flick in which I play the lead. I am also working as the director of photography on a post apocalyptic movie shooting in CT now, which I am also acting in. I’ve got all sorts of things going on, but am always striving for more. No rest for the weary!

No rest indeed. Tune in tonight,Tuesday, November 8th, when the see the fruits of Mr. Cohn's many efforts, Born Bad, hits DVD.