ATLANTIC RIM Gets a Truly BADASS Trailer!!!

I'm just gonna let this one speak for itself, except to say that if this trailer delivers on its promise, what we have here is what the kids call a "game-changer." From writer/director Jared Cohn, here's your first look at Atlantic Rim:

12/12/12 Out Today

We're in the middle of an Asylum release streak, and today's the day Jared Cohn's supernatural thriller 12/12/12 hits the streets on DVD, Blu-Ray, and VOD. Scroll down only a few inches and you'll stumble across my notes on the film, which I found highly entertaining and scarily enjoyable. So get thee to a video dispensary and procure with your greedy little hands a copy of this end-of-the-world fright-fest; if you don't, The Asylum's gonna send that little guy below after you, and trust me, that's a BAD thing. Go, go!

observation notes: 12/12/12

Out this Tuesday from The Asylum, the supernatural thriller 12/12/12, from writer/director and Committed-fave Jared Cohn (Born Bad, Bikini Spring Break, Hold Your Breath). The film stars Sara Malakul Lane (the lovely lady scientist in Sharktopus), Jesus Guevara (Santiago, upcoming 40 Sundays), Carl Donelson (Born Bad), and Steve Hanks (Hold Your Breath, Super Cyclone), as well as Asylum regulars Jon Kondelik (Amityville Haunting, American Warships, 40 Days and Nights, Haunting of Whaley House, Nazis at the Center of the Earth etc.), Samantha Stewart (Bikini Spring Break), Erin O'Brien (Bikini Spring Break), Samuel Fisher (Nazis at the Center of the Earth), and even Cohn himself (Halloween Night, Legion of the Dead, Way of the Vampire, Alien Abduction) as, appropriately, "Jared."

The film - not a sequel to last year's supernatural thriller 11/11/11 - concerns a not-so-innocent baby boy, Sebastian, who after his birth on the twelfth day of the twelfth month of the twelfth year of the twenty-first century, begins affecting those around him in a pretty lethal way. Soon enough, mom Veronica (Lane) comes to the only conclusion she can: lil Sebastian is a bona fide hellspawn, and the shit hasn't even begun to hit the fan.

In the interest of keeping this spoiler-free - the point's to get you to see it, after all - I'll spare you the various twists and turns of this fast-paced, thrill-a-minute fright-fest, but to say that this one holds nothing back, starting from frame one: there's gore, nudity, enough swearing to make a sailor blush, and rampant violence to keep you watching through your fingers.

Ms. Lane was my favorite part of Sharktopus - which overall I thought was weighed down by too much scientific mumbo jumbo - and the love affair continues. Girl's got mad scream-queen potential, as her work here affirms. It was my first time seeing Mr. Donelson as husband Carlos, and he brought the requisite macho concern as a father WAY out of his league.

Cohn has once again delivered a taut, twisting, barrage of thrills sure to hack at Asylum fans' horror bones. His direction adds darkness to an already pitch-black story, and his intimacy with the acts of violence throughout submerge viewers into the Hell he is unleashing on-screen. The film has a very urban-gothic feel, a sinister, ironic claustrophobia that really elevates the tension and suspense.

A little bit Omen, a little bit Rosemary's Baby, a tad of The Beast Within, and a whole lot of nail-biting originality makes 12/12/12 a post-Halloween horror treat genre fans should enjoy. It's out this Tuesday, December 4th, on DVD, Blu-Ray, and VOD.

40 Days and Nights out today!

Even though we're on the cusp of December, there are still three Asylum releases slated for 2012, which means that beginning today, we get three straight weeks of brand spankin' new movies from our favorite independent studio.

The streak starts today with global-flood pic 40 Days and Nights, starring Monica Keena and Alex Carter, written by H. Perry Horton (that's me) and directed by Peter Geiger.

The next week we get 12/12/12, an apocalyptic horror/thriller from writer/directer Jared Cohn, the mastermind behind Born Bad and Bikini Spring Break, and also the director of The Asylum's first theatrical release, #HoldYourBreath.

And then the Tuesday after that, December 11th, there's the highly-anticipated Age of The Hobbits, from director Joseph Lawson (Nazis at the Center of the Earth) and writer Eric Forsberg (Mega Piranha, Almighty Thor), and starring Christopher Judge and Bai Ling.

So, as you can see, there's still a lot of awesome stuff to come this year from The Asylum. Start things off right with 40 Days and Nights, available now on DVD, Blu-Ray and VOD.

4 New Asylum Trailers on YouTube!

Head over to The Asylum's YouTube channel now for a peek at FOUR upcoming Asylum projects,including Jared Cohn's hella-creepy-looking 12/12/12, Director Joseph Lawson and writer Eric Forsberg's beautiful and epic Age of the Hobbits, writer Jose Prendes' Hansel and Gretel, and the trailer for my - H. Perry Horton - next Asylum script 40 Days and Nights. 

All four of the films will be out by the end of the year, and from the looks of them, it's going to be an awesome end to 2012. Viva Asylum!!!

Exclusive Interview with #HoldYourBreath Director Jared Cohn!

Tomorrow, October 5th, The Asylum ventures into brand new territory: the land of theatrical distribution. And leading the charge is the horror film #HoldYourBreath, starring 30 Rock's Katrina Bowden and The Lying Game's Randy Wayne. The story comes from uber-talented Asylum regular Geoff Meed (6 Guns, I Am Omega, Amittyville Haunting) and is directed by none other than Jared Cohn, a man who needs no introduction to Committed readers or Asylum fans at large, as Mr. Cohn has directed not one, not two, not even three but four films for The Asylum in the last 18 months - thriller Born Bad, comedy Bikini Spring Break, upcoming apocalyptic thriller 12/12/12 and now #HoldYourBreath. Cohn wrote the script for the first three projects, and rounds out his impressive resume by being a certifiably stellar actor, not to mention a stand-up dude and, in my meager experience, one of the most enthusiastic and devoted filmmakers at The Asylum right now. Mr. Cohn was kind enough to sit down for his second interview with Committed to give us all the 411 on #HoldYourBreath.

COMMITTED: What can you tell us about #holdyourbreath?

JARED COHN: Breath is cool, serial killer, evil spirit, body jumping movie! Lots of suspense, excitement, and you never know who is the killer. In a similar vein as Fallen, starring Denzel W. It's the first movie with a # in the title, and I thought that was very innovative and zeitgeist. I am happy because the feedback from the trailer and from some of those who have actually seen the entire, completed movie has been very positive!  I can say it is a badass movie that people should definitely check out. http://holdyourbreathmovie.com Also, enter the Midnight Madness contest where the winner gets killed in a movie!

Katrina Bowden stars

C: When did you realize it was going to get a theatrical debut, and how was that decided? Did that effect the filmmaking process at all?

JC: I made sure to get some big theatrical, epic shots in the movie. There are certainly some wide, beautiful shots we had. It has a nice look to it, the lighting looks very cool for some of the shots. My Director of Photography, Stuart Breton did a good job. Plus, they got 2 big stars in the show, Katrina Bowden and Randy Wayne. We also had some awesome sets and production design.

C: What kind of theatrical distribution is the film getting? How many theaters, where, et cetera?

JC: Nationwide, major cities! The list and all the information and the contest is on the site: http://holdyourbreathmovie.com EVERYONE NEEDS TO SEE IT!!!! or I will come and kill you ;)

C: This is your third directoral effort for The Asylum. How was directing horror different from a thriller, or comedy?

JC: I like making horror movies, killing people on screen is great for me because I am sick in the head. I would either be a filmmaker or a serial killer, or perhaps an assassin or ninja.. or a Marine. I have a lot of respect for the Marines and those who serve. Doing Bikini Spring Break was cool though, it was very successful. Born Bad was cool too, that was my spec, so that was my break!  I love movie making and acting and writing, so as long as I am working I am a happy camper. It's my passion my hobby my career... just fortunate. Hard work helps too! So does a good night of sleep. 

C: This was also your first direction for The Asylum not based on a script you wrote. Any challenges there?

JC: First of all, props to The Asylum, those guys are awesome. Latt, Rimawi and Bales. Mad genius, cool dudes. Yes, there are challenges when you direct a movie that was not written by the director. You must familiarize yourself with the story like crazy. On set there is no script supervisor, so my challenge was reading the script over and over and over and over. I knew that story inside and out. If you attempt to direct without knowing the story, then you will probably be in some trouble! 

C: What was it like working with Katrina Bowden and Randy Wayne? Any other standouts in the cast we should be looking for?

JC: Katrina was great, very cool, very professional, smoking hot, she had a lil cute dog with her. Was extremely talented and she is a fellow east coaster. Randy Wayne is a really cool guy, turns out we had some mutual friends... He is a talented guy, has a bright future. Be on the lookout for Stevie Hanks. He plays in #HOLDYOURBREATH, a large role and he kicks some serious ass. So interesting to watch. Erin Marie Hogan and Brad Slaughter and Jordan Pratt and Seth Cassell, those guys all got chops. We had a solid cast with us. It's a good movie.

C: What can you tell us about your upcoming projects, including, of course, 12/12/12, out from The Asylum in December?

Director/Dodger fan on set of 12/12/12

JC: 12/12/12 is a masterpiece. I love that movie. So cool, original, disturbing, killer baby, psychological... it's fucked up. But great. I really think and hope the fans will like it. The movie stars the beautiful and talented Sara Malakul Lane and Steve Hanks and they are both great in it. Sara is a big star in Thailand and it will be soon when she is big star here! The Asylum has been putting out some really cool flicks lately, including some written by Mr. Perry Horton himself, so with the talent pool filled with high quality creative juices, the caliber of cinema creation has been incredible as of lately. 

It's good to be apart of an industry filled with talented  folks!  The Asylum rocks! www.JaredCohn.com www.TrapLightMedia.com

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.   

 

#HoldYourBreath Gets a Trailer!!!

#HoldYourBreath, the first theatrical release by the fine folks at The Asylum, finally showed us the goods today via this trailer:

In case you couldn't tell, the basic plot is as follows: "A group of friends on a roadtrip explore a cemetery where the ghost of a notorious serial killer jumps from body to body, killing his victims one by one."

The film, written by Geoff Meed (I Am Omega, 6 Guns) and directed by Jared Cohn (Born Bad, Bikini Spring Break, upcoming 12/12/12) stars 30 Rock's Katrina Bowden and Grizzly Park's Randy Wayne, and is set to premiere October 5th.

Details on 4 New Asylum Projects

Lots of new over at The Asylum page today, where we get cast, crew and plot details on 4 upcoming productions; let's just get into it, shall we?

#holdyourbreath: This is The Asylum's theatrical debut, written by Geoff Meed and directed by Jared Cohn. 

The plot: "A group of friends on a roadtrip explore a cemetery where the ghost of a notorious serial killer jumps from body to body, killing his victims one by one."  

The stars: Katrina Bowden, Randy Wayne, Lisa Younger, Seth Cassell, Erin Marie Hogan.  

The release date: October 5th, in theaters!

40 Days and 40 Nights: an upcoming disaster flick, written by me, H. Perry Horton, and directed by Peter Geiger. 

The plot: "When a colossal tectonic shift causes the sea level to start rising, a microbiologist gathers the DNA of as many species as she can, while the military creates an "ark" in a desperate attempt to preserve life on Earth." 

The stars: Monica Keena, Alex Carter, Christianna Carmine, Emily Sandifer, Mitch Lerner.  

The release date: November 27th.

12/12/12: thriller written & directed by the ever-busy Jared Cohn. 

The plot: "When baby Sebastien is born on 12/12/12 everyone around him starts to die. Soon, his mother realizes that her son is the spawn of Hell."  

The stars: Sara Malakul Lane, Jesus Guevera, Carl Doleson, Steve Hanks 

The release date: 12/4/12


Age of the Hobbits: written by Eric Forsberg for Joseph Lawson to direct.

The plot: "In an age long ago, the last village of clever, peace-loving Hobbits is attacked and enslaved by the Java Men, komodo-worshiping, dragon-riding cannibals. Now the young Hobbit Goben, along with his father and sister, must seek help from the "giants" (human hunters) to find the Javas' lair and rescue the last surviving Hobbits, Goben's mother among them. In their quest to destroy the Javas, the heroic partnership of humans and Hobbits will transform both species forever." 

The stars: Christopher Judge, Bai Ling, Sun Korng

The release date: December 11 

HOLD YOUR BREATH Gets a Release Date...and a Hashtag?

Variety is reporting today - first time I've ever said that - that The Asylum's first theatrical picture, Hold Your Breath, will invade movie houses on October 5th, just in time for the start of the Halloween season.

From this article, we get our first synopsis of the film, written by Geoff Meed (I Am Omega, 6 Guns) and directed by Jared Cohn (Born Bad, Bikini Spring Break); dig it: "Film stars Katrina Bowden ("30 Rock") and Randy Wayne ("True Blood") and follows seven friends embarking on a weekend camping trip who pass a run-down cemetery and find themselves arguing about the legitimacy of an urban myth. When one friend refuses to hold his breath while passing by, he finds himself the unwitting host to a notorious serial killer who jumps from body to body."

Sounds pretty damn good, by my biased estimation. The other interesting thing here is how Variety refers to the movie as #Holdyourbreath, and mentions a social media campaign involved with the project. This is becoming some meta stuff here, and I don't know about you, but I'm fucking excited.  

observation notes: BIKINI SPRING BREAK

There would be some who might say the spring break movie is a well-trod and well-mined sub-genre of teen sex comedies, and that nothing new can be found there. To those people may I direct you to The Asylum's Bikini Spring Break, on DVD now, which manages to not only breathe new life into the category, but also manages a few new tricks along the way.

First things first, 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."

Simple enough, right? The best things in life are. Now, in the interest of remaining spoiler-free, I won't delve into plot specifics, other than to say BSB hits all the right notes. You have to wait perhaps 2.7 seconds for the first wave of nudity, which I believe might be a new Asylum record. Already things are off to a stellar start. 

The film is laced with inventive gags that reaffirm everything society prays is true about buxom college girls: they love to be naked, especially in the company of each other, and are itching for sexual experimentation. There's a real 80's sex-comedy vibe running through this, updated for today's raunchier standards, and it helps to create an endearing cast of characters you don't just want to see naked, you also want to see them triumph. BSB is like an actually-good American Pie sequel, or Revenge of the Nerds 2: Nerds in Paradise with female main characters (which, all apologies to the excellent Robert Carradine, woulda been cooler). And it has perhaps the greatest jello wrestling scene in all of cinema, shot in stunning slo-mo that reveals the beauty within the brutality of it all.

As for that endearing cast of characters, while all of the women are near-perfect for their roles - Samantha Stewart as the bossy, neurotic, hotter "Jessie-Spano" type "Whitney," Virginia Petrucci as the doe-eyed and bawdily naive "Zoe," Jamie Noel as spoiled-princess type "Franny" (nice Salinger nod), Erin O'Brien as the abrupt and gruff "Michelle" and Rachel Alig as blissfully daft, sweet-as-sugar "Alice" - it's Alig, for me at least, that really stood out; it's a funny role and she's funny in it, admittedly funnier than I was expecting. Other standouts in supporting roles include Erica Duke as the anti-spring break good girl "Constance" and Johnathan Nation as the pitch-perfect exasperated dean of the girls' community college. There's also a handsome mechanic to watch out for.


All in all then, writer/director Jared Cohn has turned in another fine effort: BSB is smarter than your average sex comedy, its tongue firmly in cheek, ripe with loveable characters and rife with scintillating scenarios that will keep fans of the genre - and of beautiful women - more than transfixed. Utterly rewatchable. Who knows, maybe this could become The Asylum's first comedy franchise? I'd watch six more of these.


Bikini Spring Break  is on DVD right this instant. Go get it.

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:

inmate profile: the women of BIKINI SPRING BREAK

With less than a week before the release of The Asylum's next sexy romp, Bikini Spring Break from writer/director Jared Cohn, it's time, I think, to shine the Committed spotlight on the lovely and talented women that make up the cast, and the work that brought them here.

Let's go from left to right, shall we?

Erin O'Brien - Revenants (alongside an acting Jared Cohn, and the upcoming comedies Mamarosh, and Chlorine, co-starring Kyra Sedgwick, Vincent D'Onofrio, and Tom Sizemore.

Jamie Noel: uncredited roles in Hangover 2 and J. Edgar, then lots of upcoming stuff including Speed Dragon with Ron Jeremy and Bai Ling, Seven Psychopaths with Woody Harrelson, Colin Farrell, Sam Rockwell, Christopher Walken and Tom Waits, and Smart Ass from writer/star Marlon Wayans. 

Samantha Stewart: one episode of I Didn't Know I Was Pregnant, easily one of the most-awesome reinactment-reality shows on television.

Rachel Alig: a slew of upcoming films, including The Men Next Door, Officer Down, Heavy Makeup, Unlimited and Ask Me No Questions

Virginia Petrucci: The Best and the Brightest with Neil Patrick Harris and Amy Sedaris, Life at the Resort, Excision with AnnaLynne McCord, John Waters and Malcolm McDowell, as well as the upcoming films The Humdrummer and The Algerian.

inmate profile: Robert Carradine

In anticipation of The Asylum's next release - the scintillating comedy Bikini Spring Break, out on DVD, Blu-Ray and VOD June 26th - it's time we turn the Committed spotlight onto the cast and crew of this production, and who better to start with than the film's celebrity star, a true living legend, Mr. Robert Carradine.

Carradine, of course, is part of one of the largest and most talented of Hollywood families: his father, John Carradine, was an actor of all trades who appeared in literally hundreds of films, including Stagecoach, The Grapes of Wrath, The Ten Commandments, Around the World in 80 Days, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, House of the Black Death, Billy the Kid vs. Dracula, Hillbillies in a Haunted House, The Astro Zombies, Bigfoot and like a trillion more - look up "versatility" in the dictionary, and John Carradine's picture is what you get.

Robert's brothers - David and Keith - have also made significant contributions to the industry, David most notably in the TV series "Kung Fu" and the Kill Bill films, and Keith for his role in Robert Altman's Nashville, for which he won an Oscar for Best Original Song (he's also "Lundy" on a few seasons of "Dexter").

As for Robert, he began his acting career in the early 70's on television before progressing into major motion pictures, his first being The Cowboys with John f'ing Wayne and Bruce Dern, and his second being Martin Scorsese's Mean Streets; not a bad start. 

From there Carradine dabbled a little in the world of Corman with films like Jackson County Jail and Cannonball!, co-starring his brother David. Continuing to work with family, Carradine made The Long Riders in 1980, a bitchin' western about the James' Gang from director Walter Hill (The Waaaaaaaarriors) that co-starred both his brothers (the film also starred three other sets of real life acting brothers, James & Stacy Keach, Dennis & Randy Quaid, and Christopher & Nicholas Guest.).

And then came the role that would forever firmly inaugurate Carradine into the pop culture hall of fame:

 Ah, Lewis Skolnick, a role model for sooooo many of us.

From there Carradine continued to work steadily in film and television, hitting another popularity peak in the early 2000's as Hillary Duff's dad in "Lizzie Maguire." Most recently he's been in Slumber Party Slaughter with Tom Sizemore and Ryan O'Neal, Benefit of the Doubt, an installment of Tom Selleck's "Jesse Stone" TV-movie franchise, Worker's Comp with Morgan Fairchild and, of course, Bikini Spring Break from writer/director Jared Cohn (Born Bad).

Scantilly-clad coeds are no new thing to Carradine, so here's betting his fit into Bikini Spring Break is as snug as a thong. Find out for yourself on June 26th..

New Details on The Asylum's Theatrical Release

A few days ago, Dread Central broke the news that The Asylum has a picture in production that will enjoy a limited theatrical release before hitting DVD; at the time, that film was called You Didn't Hold Your Breath.

Well, now Dread Central is again reporting on the film, revealing a name change as well as a few other actors. What was You Didn't Hold Your Breath is now Hold Your Breath. Jared Cohn (Born Bad, Bikini Spring Break) is still directing from a script by Geoff Meed (I Am Omega, 6 Guns), and "30 Rock's" resident beauty Katrina Bowden is still set to grace the screen, but now we have word on a few of her co-stars.

Webb

Wayne

Hogan

Slaughter

Asylum staple Gerald Webb (A Haunting in Salem, 2 Headed Shark Attack, Battle of Los Angeles, 2012 Ice Age, Zombie Apocalypse, Air Collision and scores more) has secured a role, as has Asylum vet Erin Marie Hogan (6 Guns, Paranormal Entity). Then there are newcomers (to the studio, not the profession) Randy Wayne (Grizzly Park, Dukes of Hazzard: The Beginning, The Haunting of Molly Hartley, To Save a Life) and actor/model Brad Slaughter (1313: UFO Invasion).

Still no release date or detailed plot on this one as of yet, but rest assured as soon as it is known - or Dread Central reports it - I'll have info on it here.

 

BRACE YOURSELVES: The Asylum's Going Theatrical!!!

The venerable Foywonder over at Dread Central is reporting that The Asylum is currently shooting what is intended to be their first theatrical release, Don't Hold Your Breath, written by Geoff Meed (I Am Omega, 6 Guns) and directed by Looney-Award winner Jared Cohn (Born Bad, upcoming Bikini Spring Break)

It's Dread Central's story so I'll let them break it at the link above, but not before sharing one little tidbit: the film, an original horror story, stars 30 Rock's Katrina Bowden, also of the awesome horror-comedy Tucker and Dale vs. Evil. If you don't know who she is, this is who she is:

Yeah, this is gonna be awesome...

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.

First Stills From BIKINI SPRING BREAK!!!

The Asylum's next saucy comedy, Bikini Spring Break, written and directed by the uber-talented Jared Cohn (Born Bad), may still be months away from its June 26 release date, but as of this afternoon, we got the first production stills, and it seems the title is no tease, because there are hella-bikini-clad young ladies in this one.

Bikini Spring Break stars the great Robert Carradine (Revenge of the Nerds, The Long Riders) and a plethora of nubile actresses. Mark your calenders now, gentlemen, and pray summer comes quickly...

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!