BARRIO BRAWLER Out Now!

Barrio Brawler, The Asylum's first attempt at a straight-up martial-arts-action flick, began its limited theatrical run last week. The film - written, directed, and edited by Jose Montesinos, who also edited Mega Shark vs Crocosaurus - looks to be a no-holds-barred, white knuckle action thriller the likes of which we haven't seen from the studio, and stars Marco Antonio Alvarez, Dennis Ruel,and  Morgan Benoit.

If you're not lucky enough to live near a theater showing the film, relax, because it's available on iTunes and VOD RIGHT THIS VERY INSTANT, to be followed with DVD and Blu-Ray release just around the corner, August 27th. It also goes by the name American Brawler.

 

2 New Asylum Films Revealed!

Sorry for the lack of posts lately, I've been mega-busy, but in my absence, there have been two new Asylum flicks announced, both of which sound pretty rad.

First up, there's AE: Apocalypse Earth, from writer director Thunder Levin (American Battleship Warships, upcoming Sharknado), which tells the following story: A group of refugees from Earth land on an exotic planet, where they must fight ruthless aliens to survive.

A jungle-centric sci-fi adventure is always a good time in my book - see 100 Million BC, Alien Origin et al - especially given the cast: TV Highlander Adrian Paul, returning favorite Richard Grieco (Almighty Thor), and a newcomer, Costa Rican supermodel Bali Rodriguez, seen in this photo from the film's Facebook page. 

I thought American Warships was a really tight action film, better than the piece of shit that sued it, and Levin's earlier work for the studio, writing 2010's 200MPH, was also impressive, and there's no denying the man's a mad genius just for the concept of Sharknado, let alone whatever instant masterpiece it will be, so count my hopes high indeed at the prospect of what this could be. 

Next up there's Barrio Pitfighter, a hard-brawlin' ruckus from writer/director Jose Montesinos, who directed 2011's scintillatingly-awesome Barely Legal - thank you, sir - and reads as thus: A struggling martial arts teacher must compete in an underground fight ring in order to save his brother from a crime boss and reunite with his family. 

The films stars Marco Antonio Alvarez, Dennis Ruel, and one Morgan Benoit, who's a Master of Long Fist Kung Fu according to his IMBD page, so expect some severe badassery from this flick. 

AE: Apocalypse Earth is slated for release on May 28th of this year, with Barrio Pitfighter dropping less than a month later, on June 25th. 

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.

Barely Legal on DVD Today!!!

Today's the day, my fellow faithfully-committed, that the latest Asylum release hits the streets: Barely Legal, the studio's latest sex comedy from the pen of the uber-talented Naomi Selfman, the eye of Jose Montesinos and starring Jeneta St.Clair, Melissa Johnson and Lisa Younger.

You can scroll down a little ways for my notes on the film, or, if that's too strenuous, you can take my word for it that if you like sexy comedies, you will find a lot to treasure about Barely Legal: hot babes in lascivious situations wearing hardly anything.  

And, as if that wasn't enough, the film's previews include the first teaser trailer for A Haunting in Salem, the horror film I wrote, Shane Van Dyke directed and a slew of actors lead by Bill Oberst Jr brought to life. The film was originally set to street in August, but has since been re-scheduled for October 4th, a far scarier time of year. More on that to come...

inmate profile: Jose Montecinos

Continuing Committed's spotlight on the creative forces behind The Asylum's next release, the sex comedy Barely Legal (out next Tuesday!), it's time to turn our focus on the director of the film, Mr. Jose Montesinos.

Born in the beautiful city of San Francisco, Montesinos has been making movies since his teens, transforming himself into a writing-editing-directing-cinematographing(?) auteur and garnering a good amount of renown in the process: a music video he directed in 1998 earned an award from the prestigious American Film Institute, a short from 2002 made the top five of the Alice Short Film Competition; as for features, 2000's Number 35 received kudos from Sundance, the LA Film Festival and even awesome-as-hell director Darren Aronofsky. Plus, in 2009 he won the San Francisco Weekly Mastermind Grant based partly on the trailer for Hell's Kittens, a campy exploitation flick.

His other features include another comedy, Berta, and the crime drama Owned, which was selected for inclusion in the New York Latino Film Festival, the San Francisco Latino Film Festival and the Action of Film Festival, in which it was first runner-up for Best Dramatic Feature and was nominated for Outstanding Cast Performance.

Long and the short of it? Dude's got chops, and now he's bringing them to The Asylum, only the second time he's worked with them: he edited last year's uber-awesome Mega Shark vs Crocosaurus, and also played a nuclear tech in the film as well.

So do yourself a favor and check out the latest release from a master-in-the-making, Jose Montesinos, when Barely Legal drops on DVD this coming Tuesday.

Barely Legal Gets a Poster!

After Almighty Thor, then Ballistica, then 2012: Ice Age, The Asylum's next film will be the super sexy comedy Barely Legal, starring relative newcomers Jeneta St. Clair, Melissa Johnson and Lisa Younger, and directed by Jose Montesinos from a script by Naomi Selfman (#1 Cheerleader Camp, 18 Year-Old Virgin).

The film concerns three lifelong female BFFs (played by the above-mentioned triumvirate of hotties) who attempt to do the impossible: lose their virginity.

Anywho, this certain laugh-riot finally got its poster, and here it is:

 

Love that tag line. If you can't read it, it says: "Presents Aren't The Only Thing They're Unwrapping." I don't want to jump to any conclusions, but I think the other thing these scantily-clad women are meant to be unwrapping are prophylactics. If so, kudos: there's nothing sexier than being safe.

Find out if these three social misfits can pop their collective cherry this summer, July 26th, to be precise, when Barely Legal delights your DVD player.

Barely Legal Details Revealed

Younger

You'll remember a couple weeks ago the news broke that The Asylum had another sex comedy in the pipeline, but at the time it was announced, all that was known of the film was that is was written by the uber-talented Naomi Selfman (#1 Cheerleader Camp, MSvC, MPvG). Well, now over at the film's webpage, further details have at last been revealed.

St. Clair

Barely Legal will be the directorial feature debut of Jose Montesinos, an editor on MSvC, and will star newcomers Jeneta St. Clair, Lisa Younger and Melissa Johnson as the trio of lifelong BFFs determined to lose their virginity together (not together, but, you know, in the same time frame).

Johnson?

Barely Legal hits DVD on July 26th of this year.