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Showing posts with label Haunting of Whaley House. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Haunting of Whaley House. Show all posts

HANSEL & GRETEL Gets a Poster

The Asylum's latest spin on the Brothers Grimm, Hansel & Gretel, isn't out until January 8th of next year, but this week we got our first look at the film's poster:

 Nice and creepy. The film was written by Jose Prendes (Haunting of Whaley House) and directed by Anthony Ferrante (BOO), and stars Whaley's Stephanie Greco and Brent Lydic (Flu Birds) as the titular twosome, and Dee Wallace (E.T.) as the witch at the center of it all. 

Film streets January 8th, 2013.

Tons of Info on Upcoming Asylum Films!

It's going to be a busy end of the year for The Asylum, and things kick into high gear in only ten days, with the release of the studio's first ever theatrical effort, #HoldYourBreath, written by Geoff Meed (I Am Omega, 6 Guns), directed by Jared Cohn (Born Bad, Bikini Spring Break) and starring Katrina Bowden (30 Rock, Tucker and Dale vs. Evil). In another studio first, the movie has its very own website, complete with pretty much everything you'd want to know about the film.

After #HoldYourBreath, the next studio picture seems to be something called Layover, premiering on the Lifetime Network October 11th at 8 p.m. Though The Asylum doesn't have a page up on their site, according to IMDB, the film stars Lauren Holly (Picket Fences, Dumb & Dumber), Joe Lando (Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman, Meteor Apocalypse), Kaylee DeFer (Gossip Girl) and Gerald Webb (pretty much every Asylum movie of the last two years). No plot details available at present.

After that, there's another TV premiere, on SyFy this time, where the studio's latest undead drama, Rise of the Zombies, bows October 27th at 9 p.m. This one comes courtesy of Zombie Apocalypse director Nick Lyon and 11/11/11 writer Keith Allan. Levar Burton (Star Trek Next Generation, Reading Rainbow) and Mariel Hemingway (Manhattan, Star 81) star.

Then, there's The Asylum's next DVD release, 40 Days and Nights, which is going to be AWESOME, not just because I wrote the screenplay, but because really, how can a global flood movie not be awesome? Anyway, we're finally seeing a poster for this one, and it's pretty badass. Check it:
The film stars Monica Keena (Freddy vs Jason) and Alex Carter (CSI), is directed by Peter Geiger, and streets on November 27th, just in time for the holiday season.

And we're still not done. Next on DVD there's Jared Cohn's hellspawn drama 12/12/12, which itself got a pretty awesome poster:
That shit right there is just wicked. That baby looks like it wants to eat my soul, slowly, with its eyes. Get ready for this one to make you abstinent starting December 4th.

Two more to go, hang on...one week after 12/12/12, we get Age of the Hobbits, for my buck the studio's most ambitious and ingenious mockbuster yet, written by the great Eric Forsberg (Mega Piranha, Almighty Thor) and directed by Joseph Lawson, who after Nazis at the Center of the Earth is The Asylum's director to watch. No poster on this one, but we did get the first stills from production today. Check them out right here. Bai Ling (Crank 2) and Christopher Judge (Stargate) star.

And last but not least, we finally have some news on Hansel and Gretel. Dig the plot: "In this modern retelling of the classic horror tale, teen siblings are enslaved by a psychotic recluse within her gruesome house of horrors in the woods."

Sounds good to me. The film comes from writer Jose Prendes, who wrote and directed the excellently creepy Haunting of Whaley House, and director Anthony Ferrante (Boo, Headless Horseman). This will be The Asylum's first film of 2013 - assuming we get to 2013 - and is slated to come out January 8th. Dee Wallace (Eliott's mom in E.T.) and Stephanie Greco (Whaley House) star.

And that's it. For now.   
 

WHALEY HOUSE on DVD Today!!!

That's right, my fellow faithfully-committed, if it's Tuesday it must be time for another Asylum new release. This week it's the righteous haunted house flick, The Haunting of Whaley House, from writer/director Jose Prendes. Now, if you scroll down a few centimeters past the bottom of this post you'll find my glowing review of the film, which is absolutely a must-see for fans of the genre: great story, great cast, great scares, great film. So get thee to a DVD outlet be it rental or retail, and get your hands on this one while supplies last. Also on Blu-Ray and VOD.

observation notes: THE HAUNTING OF WHALEY HOUSE

Coming this Tuesday to DVD is The Asylum's The Haunting of Whaley House, an original ghost story from writer/director Jose Prendes (The Terminators, Haunting of Winchester House stories) based on the real-life history and lore of an historic home in San Diego. The plot is straight forward enough - "When a tour guide breaks into America’s Most Haunted House, a bit of amateur ghost hunting with friends turns into more horror than they could have ever imagined." - but the results are far from expected or ordinary: HoWH is an intelligent, paranoid and horrifying thriller, well-steeped in reality and thus resonant with authenticity.

Now, as you know, Committed is 100% anti-spoiler, so I won't delve on the details, but I can say in sweeping generalizations that Prendes has built a ghost story classically constructed, confident and fluid, and paired with lively, fast-pace and quick-witted dialogue rife with horror- and pop-cultural references that together create a delightful amalgam of old and new. The scares are smart, abrupt and startling - no corner or shadow is safe - resulting in a palpable tension from the first frame to the last; and believe me, once shit starts popping off in this one, SHIT STARTS POPPING OFF.

One of the major strengths of the picture outside Prendes' talents is the ensemble of actors he's assembled. Admittedly, there's been an over-saturation of ghost hunting in popular media over the last decade; and more often than not, when such characters are presented, it's with a dash of humor/pity. But Whaley House is how ghost hunters should be represented - passionate, scientific, meticulous and above all hungry for proof - and manages to an authentic and even admirable portrayal of such persons. The chemistry between the actors - Stephanie Greco, Alex Arleo, Arielle Brachfeld, Graham Denman (who also scored the film), Carolina Groppa, Howard McNair and Jason Owlsley - is believable and relaxed, while the individual characters themselves are nicely balanced, equally valuable and distinctly drawn; this is not your typical cast of ghost hunting characters, and the film is richer for their uniqueness. 


As a director, Prendes is obviously well-versed in all the classic horror films, domestic and foreign, and he brings his experienced eye to every frame, the result of which is perhaps the most suspenseful Asylum film to date. I honestly didn't know what to expect here, and Prendes and team surprised me at every turn, often to my nerves' chagrin. There is a creeping, anticipatory direction that transforms the camera into a pensive voyeur almost afraid to progress through the story, but unable to turn away. This one raises the bar, for real. It's lusciously atmospheric, rife with the best elements of its old-school influences, all the while breaking some scary new ground itself. And it's filmed in a really good looking house.

So then bottom line - stop what you're doing this Tuesday and rush to wherever you procure your home rentals and wrestle for your copy of Haunting of Whaley House; I can't imagine a world in which you'd be disappointed. Highest possible recommendation.

inmate profile: Arielle Brachfeld

T-minus two weeks until The Haunting of Whaley House drops on DVD, Blu-Ray, and VOD, and given that the advance copies at Comic Con sold out fast, seems like there's a mighty fine film headed our way. So here at Committed we continue to educate and inform you about the creative talents behind this impending ghostly greatness; already we've profiled writer/director Jose Prendes and actors Stephanie Greco and Alex Arleo. Today we feature actress Arielle Brachfeld.

Ms. Brachfeld began acting professionally in 2005 with a couple of shorts that lead to a role in the indie comedic homage, Return of the Ghostbusters. From there the parts came rolling in, including The House That Jack Built alongside Joe Mantegna and Gail O'Grady, the horror anthology Evil Deeds 2, indie comedy/horror Blood Effects, and Love, Gloria, with Asylum-alum Heather McComb (2012: Supernova). 

In addition to her work in Whaley House - which from the picture below looks pretty pivotal, not to mention blood-curdling - Ms. Brachfeld has several other projects in various stages of development: InSpectres, a comedy; Live-In Fear, a supernatural adventure flick; The Obsession, a drama alongside yet another Asylum-alum, Dominique Swain (Nazis at the Center of the Earth); and Love: As You Like It, "a sexy, bold reimagining of Shakespeare's romantic comedy..." Can't got wrong with that, right?


Until then, check out Arielle Brachfeld's next performance in The Asylum's The Haunting on Whaley House, out July 31st.

inmate profile: Alex Arleo

Next up in the Committed spotlight from the cast of The Haunting of Whaley House is actor Alex Arleo, who plays the awesomely-named "Jake Wildman" in the film.

Arleo made his on-screen debut back in 2009 in George Anton's Dracula, in which he played "Holmwood." A couple years after that he made his first film with The Asylum, the riotously raunchy Barely Legal (that's him below). Then 2012 hit, and Arleo started popping up everywhere, first for The Asylum again in Celebrity Sex Tape, then alongside Michael Madsen in the drama Sprawl. Four episodes of Girls of Sunset Place followed that - another co-star of the series was Gary Stretch of Mega Shark vs Crocosaurus fame - then Bert: The Emotion Picture from Barely Legal director Jose Montesinos and co-starring Barely Legal's Jeneta St. Clair, and now he's back at The Asylum for the Haunting of Whaley House.

 
Obviously Arleo's becoming quite the in-demand young actor. Witness the chops that has casting scouts scooping him up when The Haunting of Whaley House dominates DVD, Blu-Ray and VOD charts everywhere starting July 31st.

inmate profile: Stephanie Greco

The next film slated for release by The Asylum is The Haunting of Whaley House, from writer/director Jose Prendes, and which premieres - for those of us not going to Comic Con - on DVD July 31st. With that in mind, it's time to turn our attention to some of the creative powers behind this impending, chilling masterpiece. First up: actress Stephanie Greco.

Ms. Greco's bio, from her own website: " Native South Floridian Stephanie Greco began acting in High School. She has performed as Corie Bratter in Neil Simon’s Barefoot in the Park, Helsa Wenzel in The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940 and Muffet Di Nicoli in Uncommon Women and Others.  

Her love of film took her off the stage and onto the screen in 2002 when she began dabbling in local productions and independent films.

Stephanie’s first leading role came under the direction of Avery Pack in the film Artifact. Artifact premiered at the Miami Jewish Film Festival in January 2006 and screened at festivals in New York and Israel.

In the summer of 2007, Stephanie made the move to Los Angeles. She has studied under the direction of Michelle Danner at The Larry Moss Studio, Amy Lyndon and Robert D’ Avanzo. She performed in the west coast premiere of John Buffalo Mailer’s Hello Herman and wrote, produced and starred in the web show Nannyland.

Stephanie has performed in numerous independent films, on television and as a series host. She recently finished principal photography on two horror features. In The Haunting of Whaley House, Stephanie stars as Penny Abbot, a skeptic who works at America’s most haunted house. The Haunting of Whaley House will premiere at Comic Con 2012. In Chemical Peel, which has been described as a mix between The Mist and Cabin Fever, Stephanie plays one of six women who become trapped when a bachelorette party goes horribly wrong. Look for Chemical Peel Halloween 2012."

Not a bad resume; Ms. Greco also appeared in another Asylum production, 2008's The Day the Earth Stopped. Here's hoping  The Haunting of Whaley House will be a breakthrough performance for Ms. Greco. Find out for yourself when the film streets on DVD, Blu-Ray and VOD July 31st.

A Few New Posters From Upcoming Asylum Flicks

Now, while these posters for upcoming Asylum projects Super Cyclone, Haunting of Whaley House and Golden Winter (yep, we finally know what this one is about...wait for it) haven't been officially released on The Asylum's site, they have turned up on the various DVD-distribution sites my other job - video store ninja - has me frequent. Check 'em out:

Super Cyclone stars AnnaMaria DeMara, Ming Na Wen and Nick Turturro, and is currently slated for an August 28 release.

This one - from Netflix - is a little small, but belongs to The Haunting of Whaley House from writer/director Jose Prendes. The film is out July 31st.

And now the coup de grace, the revelation of the oh-so mysteriously-titled Golden Winter. Regular Committed readers might remember my earlier speculations that the film could be some sort of solar-disaster flick, or perhaps a raunchy sex farce, but once again, The Asylum has defied expectations:


 Aw yeah, The Asylum's mockbusting Snow Buddies. This is gonna be AWESOME. Still no cast or crew details for this one, but it looks like we can expect this one in time for the holidays.
 

Lovely Ladies of the Asylum vol. 9

I'm not a fool, gentlemen. I know what brings you here, what lures you in, coaxes your hits, some of you at least. It isn't the snarky commentary, or the breaking news, the hard-hitting interviews or deep-digging profiles, no, it's not me at all, is it? I see the keywords from my Google hits, and I know a picture of a pretty lady brings in more readers than the phrase "observation notes." 

Not that I can blame you: The Asylum employs a score of attractive and - more importantly - capable, intelligent and talented actresses well worth your search engine adoration. So, to gives my readers something I know they want and would never ask for, I tastefully present a pictorial tribute to some of The Asylum's beautiful leading ladies, this time the stars of the studio's remaining 2012 productions. Enjoy.

Johanna Watts

American Battleship


out 5.22.12


























Baby Norman


Abraham Lincoln vs Zombies

out 5.29.12

















L - R: Erin O'Brien, Jamie Noel, Samantha Stewart, Rachel Alig, Virginia Peturcci
Bikini Spring Break
out 6.26.12


Stephanie Greco


Haunting of Whaley House

out 7.31.12
















AnnaMaria DeMara


Super Cyclone

out 8.24.12

















Ming Na


Super Cyclone

still out 8.24.12

Details on Two Upcoming Asylum Flicks, Photos From One!

Lots of info spilling out of The Asylum today, including cast and plot details on Supercyclone and details plus production stills from The Haunting of Whaley House.

Let's start with the scary. We already new Whaley House was written and directed by Jose Prendes, writer of Haunting of Winchester House, The Terminators and Countdown: Jerusalem, but now we know the actors who will bring it to life: Stephanie Greco (Day the Earth Stopped), scream-queen Lynn Lowry (Crazies - old and new -  Cat People), Leigh Davis and Howard McNair. Check out the plot: "When a tour guide breaks into America’s Most Haunted House, a bit of amateur ghost hunting with friends turns into more horror than they could have ever imagined." Pretty scary stuff, especially when you consider the production stills. Haunting of Whaley House - totally based on a true locale - street on DVD, Blu-Ray and VOD on July 31st.

Then there's Supercyclone, which I reported on earlier in the week when it was leaked that one of the female leads was to be played by fan-favorite AnnaMaria DeMara (200MPH). Well, now we know a couple other cast members, including Ming Na (ER, Eureka, Stargate: Universe), Nick Turturro (NYPD Blue) and returning president Andy Clemence (Air Collision, 3 Musketeers). The plot: "When a super cyclone threatens the entire American eastern seaboard, a lone meteorologist and a petroleum engineer must battle the elements to stop the threat."

Supercyclone is set for an August 28 release. Liz Adams directs.

So there you have it, all the latest on upcoming Asylum flicks. We still have details to learn for Golden Winter and Shark Week, but now this is more than enough to satiate our appetities... 

HAUNTING OF WHALEY HOUSE Details, Courtesy of Fangoria

The next Asylum ghostly-feature, The Haunting of Whaley House, has been shrouded in mystery until now, thanks to the most venerable of horror publications, the mighty Fangoria. In this recent post, they spill all the juicy exclusive details.
 
And while I'll let Fangoria break most of it to you, I do want to give mention of the film's writer/director Jose Prendes. Whaley House will mark Mr. Prendes' fourth script for The Asylum, and the second with "Haunting of" in the title: Haunting of Winchester House, The Terminators, Countdown: Jerusalem, and now The Haunting of Whaley House. Mr. Prendes also wrote and directed the films The Monster Man with Tom Savini and Linnea Quigley, and Corpses Are Forever with Richard Lynch, Debbie Rochon and Ms. Quigley. 

Bottom line, this one is in good, skilled hands. No release date as yet on this one, but I'm thinking somewhere closer to Halloween...

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.