Exclusive Interview with AGE OF DINOSAURS Director Joseph Lawson!

If you're an Asylum fan, Joseph Lawson needs no introduction. But in case there are a few newbies aboard - welcome - here's the rundown: after a few years in charge of The Asylum's VFX department, a reign that produced the best visuals in the studio's 15-year history, Lawson added Director to his resume, standing at the helm of two of The Asylum's most talked-about films of the last couple years - Nazis at the Center of the Earth,and Clash of the Empires (nee Age of the Hobbits). After tackling robo-Hitler and lilliputian warriors, Lawson now turns his eye to prehistoric terrors amok in our modern world with the fantasy-disaster flick Age of Dinosaurs, starring Treat Williams (Hair, Deep Rising, Everwood), Jillian Rose Reed (Awkward, Weeds) and the always-awesome Ronny Cox (Robocop, Total Recall, Beverly Hills Cop 1 & 2). In advance of the film's release next week, Mr. Lawson was kind enough to spend a few minutes discussing his work with Committed:


COMMITTED: What can you tell us about the story of Age of Dinosaurs?
 
JOSEPH LAWSON: The story of AoD is that a father and daughter who definitely love each other though they've grown apart since the death of the mom must re-establish bonds and repair their relationship. With Dinosaurs. Okay, a LOT of dinosaurs. It's a pretty ambitious film with a number of threads including a harried police chief, the president of Geneti-Sharp who must reconcile his drive to save his company with what he has wrought, his minions and team plus a few other characters who each deal with their own fates in the face of a dinosaur herd... plus a particularly driven and vengeful Carnotaurus named Larry. I think folks will find a lot to have fun with in this movie. There are also a lot of homages to keep an eye out for, just like my previous flicks (Clash of the Empires and Nazis at the Center of the Earth).
 
C: Your last film - Clash of the Empires - had you traveling to Southeast Asia to shoot; where did AoD shoot, and how long of a shoot was it?
 
JL: Age of Dinosaurs was a 15 day shoot in Los Angeles and at East L.A. College, then a couple of days on a ranch out on the way to Pasadena. It was nice to be close to home even though the production was so tight on the heels of Clash of the Empires it was a real challenge to be prepared in time  Fortunately, everyone had the same goal... to make the best dinosaur film we could with the time and resources we had. I feel the film looks like we spent a LOT more time shooting than we actually did and that's a credit to everyone in production.
 
C: What drew you to the project?
 
JL: I've always enjoyed dinosaur films where characters have to work things out while being chased. When the film showed up on our schedule I hoped it would be possible to direct though we have a lot of other excellent directors who were also interested. For whatever reasons the producers... thanks, gents... let it fall to me to get done. The other thing is that I was able to eke out from the first draft enough potential for emotional impact that it made it a good match for my sensibilities as a storyteller. In the director polish rewrites we added more interplay between father and daughter. Then on set there was a great chemistry between Treat Williams and Jillian Rose Reed and a genuinely magical moment that still brings tears to my eyes. Getting to work with Ronny Cox was also an amazing joy, an absolute gentleman on set and incredible to learn from (along with Treat). Overall, the fact that I was blessed to do a bona fide dinosaur film with such a great and motivated cast, crew and post teams made all the challenges worthwhile.
 
C:  What kind of rad VFX can we expect?
 
JL: A lot of dinosaur shots, a lot of chomping action, some smart dinos, some not so smart dinos, the obligatory Asylum helicopter destruction or two, some shots that I think are among our best. David Michael Latt said epic, big so we did our best to deliver. He actually joked that our trailers are supposed to only be two minutes and the one for AoD was going to be 14...  and that the trailer Brian Brinkman did was great and the movie actually delivered on the promise. I hope folks watching it will feel the same. Overall, it's great work from modeler Ken Brilliant, animators Dan Peters, Steve Clarke and John Karner with great VFX from Sasha Burrow, Aaron Witlin, Paul Knott and compositors Aine Graham and Derek Serra. I'm also thrilled with the sound design from our sound teams and Chris Ridenhour's score is just the right music for a JP 3.5 wannabe.  ;-)
 
C: Were there any dinosaur movies you grew up loving, and did they have any influence on AoD?
 
JL: Valley of Gwangi, King Kong, ALL the Jurassic Park films.... anything where genuinely animated dinosaurs or great practical puppet work were the visual effects, not lizards with cardboard on the back. In the credits we say thank you to all the pioneers upon whose shoulders we humbly stand as filmmakers and visualists.
 
C: What's on the horizon for you? Any new projects in the works?
 
JL: Nothing concrete at the moment... a possible bigger budget science fiction actioner in the near future. They're also letting me write and hopefully direct a World War 2 movie in 2014 that could harken back to all the epic films I enjoyed growing up like Patton, Von Ryan's Express, Battle of the Bulge, The Great Escape... and, of course, always with a heart at the soul of it.


Age of DInosaurs hits DVD and Blu-Ray this coming Tuesday, May 7th. From the sound of things, we'd all be damn fools to miss it.

Posters Debut for 100 DEGREES BELOW ZERO and AGE OF DINOSAURS

This week saw 2 new posters pop up for upcoming Asylum productions 100 Degrees Below Zero and Age of Dinosaurs. Dig 'em:

100 Degrees Below Zero was directed by R.D. Braunstein (Layover) and written by myself, H. Perry Horton, and Richard Schenkman (Abraham Lincoln vs Zombies). The film will enjoy a brief theatrical run starting this Friday, April 12th, followed by a DVD/Blu-Ray release on June 11th. Jeff Fahey (Lost), John Rhy-Davies (LOTR, Raiders of the Lost Ark), Sarah Malakul Lane (Sharktopus, 12/12/12) and Mar McKevitt Ewins star.

Age of Dinosaurs was directed by Joseph Lawson (Nazis at the Center of the Earth, Clash of the Empires) and written by Hank Woon Jr. (500 MPH Storm). Treat Williams and Ronny Cox star, and the film streets on May 7th.

AGE OF DINOSAURS Gets an Awesome Trailer!!!

Age Of Dinosaurs, the next Asylum feature from directer Joseph Lawson (Nazis at the Center of the Earth, Clash of the Empires) has at long last gotten a trailer, and man oh man does it kick ass. Check it out here.

In addition to the trailer, I've also seen the first 15 minutes of this gem (courtesy of a not-to-be-named source), and I can tell you, the first act lives up to the promise. Age of Dinosaurs was written by Hank Woon Jr. - who also penned 500 MPH Storm and contributed to the Atlantic Rim script - and stars Treat Williams (Hair, Deep Rising, Everwood), Ronny Cox (Robocop, Total Recall, Beverly Hills Cop) and Jillian Rose Reed (Awkward, My Super Pyscho Sweet 16 3). We have to wait until May 7th to see the whole film, but by the looks of the trailer, it's going to be worth the wait.

Here They Are...Your 2012 Looney Award Winners!!!

2012 was an amazing year for Asylum movies, a year in which we saw more films than ever, and the level of quality rose to new peaks. As such, this year also saw a record number of Looney votes pour in from all over the world. So, without further adieu, here they are, your 2012 Looney Award Winners for Excellence in Asylum Films:

Best Actor

  Bill Oberst Jr., Abraham Lincoln vs Zombies

Best Actress

Heather Hemmens, Rise of the Zombies

Best Supporting Actor

Christopher Karl Johnson, Nazis at the Center of the Earth

Best Supporting Actress

Monet Mazur, Adopting Terror

Best Performance by a Non-Human

The 2-Headed Shark, 2-Headed Shark Attack

Best Cinematography

Alexander Yellen, Grimm's Snow White

Best Score

Chris Ridenhour, Nazis at the Center of the Earth

Best Visual Effects

Nazis at the Center of the Earth

Best Screenplay

Karl T. Hirsch (story), J. Lauren Proctor (story), 

and Richard Schenkman (screenplay), Abraham Lincoln vs. Zombies

Best Asylum Moment of the Year

Zombie Baby Stomp, Rise of the Zombies 

Best Director

Joseph J. Lawson, Nazis at the Center of the Earth

Best Picture

Nazis at the Center of the Earth 

That's a mighty fine crop of winners; interesting that the three films with multiple wins all feature zombies. 

Congratulations to all, thanks to the voters domestic and foreign for making this the biggest Loonies yet, and of course thanks to The Asylum for the fun flicks! Bring on 2013!

observation notes: AGE OF THE HOBBITS

Out December 11th from The Asylum is Age of the Hobbits, the second film from director Joseph J. Lawson (Nazis at the Center of the Earth) and the latest script from Eric Forsberg (Almighty Thor, Mega Piranha). No doubt anything you've heard about this film until now has tied in somehow to a legal discrepancy between The Asylum and the makers of The Hobbit. Having not seen the latter, I can still assume that in name alone is where any resemblance shared by these two films comes to an end. Yes, AotH is a fantasy epic, but its roots are steeped in anthropological history, and though there are those aforementioned fantastic elements, AotH bears more in common with films like Apocalypto, or Quest for Fire. Check out the official synopsis:

"In an ancient age, peace-loving tribe are enslaved by a race of flesh-eating dragon-riders. The young tribesman Goben must join forces with their neighbor giants, the humans, to free his people and vanquish their enemies." 

So there we start, 12,000 years in the past, embroiled in an unbalanced skirmish between Lilliputian tribesmen and gnarly-toothed cannibals, which the tribesmen attempt to balance by teaming up with those weirdo tall people the next valley over. Now, y'all know I am not a critic, I am a fan, and as such, I'm not here to dissect this movie for you, I'm here to tell you all the awesome reasons you should see it, without spoiling any of the juicy bits. So in the ever-present interest of staying spoiler-free, all I'll say of the plot is that Eric Forsberg is one of the smartest dudes writing B-movies today. It's easy to cram a lot of science, history, facts or what have you into a script, but to get it in there seamlessly, where it doesn't sound like actors reciting Wikipedia entries, and in fact weaves among the narrative in a way that is not only natural but integral, is a real accomplishment. Believe me. Forsberg here has delivered a story from an ancient age that feels timeless, a struggle as old as our kind, and as such utterly relatable. It's a thrilling, frightening, smart, suspenseful, imaginative, and truly touching story, beautifully brought to life by director Lawson.

You know the one thing never effected by a movie's budget? The eye of the guy behind the lens. David Lean could have directed Manos, and you better believe no matter what the outcome, that thing would have looked good. Lawson is one of those guys. The way he sees his movie, the shots he frames, the times he comes in close or steps back, the vitality to his action sequences, the emotional intimacy he elicits between characters; this guy's a born director, and for my money, his passion and knowledge are blindingly apparent in each frame. Team this with a great script, and what you get isn't just a good Asylum movie, it's a good movie, period. Haters are going to have to stretch on this one.  

When it comes to the cast, the names here are Christopher Judge from the Stargate TV stuff, and Bai Ling, of Crank 2 fame. Both are perfectly suited for their roles and pull them off well, but the real stars here are the tribespeople. Sun Korng as Goben and the others who play his family, they're the heart of this movie; the purity of spirit they exude, the unspoiled sense of purpose and dedicaiton to family, faith, and freedom they extract from their characters are powerful, palpable things, eliciting more than just the typical B-movie range of emotions. Today I genuinely teared up watching an Asylum movie. Who'd of thunk?

So...story? Check. Direction? Check. Performances? Check. Add to this pretty awesme creature VFX and yet another amazing score from Chris Ridenhour - I'm running out of great things to say about this guy. Truly A-list talent. - and what you get is another contender for best Asylum film of the year. It hits DVD, Blu-Ray, and VOD on Tuesday: be there. 

Exclusive Interview with AGE OF THE HOBBITS Director Joseph Lawson!

Without a doubt, one of the best Asylum films to date - not just this year, but ever - is Nazis at the Center of the Earth. This mindbending adventure-sci-fi flick commanded international attention and is often the first film mentioned when people (like me and my friends) talk about the Asylum-renaissance that's been transpiring this year: a blend of better stories, better effects, and better direction.

In the case of NATCOTE, the director in question was Joseph Lawson - supervisor of the studio's in-house VFX department - working off a script from Asylum producer Paul Bales (Sherlock Holmes, Legion of the Dead). The film was Lawson's first at the helm, and was quickly recognized as the work of a great new director. Lawson returns this December with the hotly-anticipated Age of the Hobbits, an old-world tribal epic from the pen of Eric Forsberg (MegaPiranha, Almighty Thor). He was kind enough to take time out of his scarily-hectic schedule to talk to Committed about his career, passion for filmmaking, and AotH.

COMMITTED: First of all - my readers are dying for any tidbits you can give about the concept or plot of Age of the Hobbits.

Joseph Lawson: Think Apocalypto meets Frank Frazetta by way of David Lean and Steve Spielberg with a healthy dose of John Carpenter and Sam Raimi... a fantasy and creature battle epic somewhat inspired by the true scientific paleontological Homo Floresiensis living in Indonesia of 12,000 years ago. It's all through the Asylum filter, of course, including scientifically accurate winged and flying Komodo dragons. It's a very exciting Eric Forsberg script with gorgeous cinematography by Richard Vialet and it was an adventure to shoot!

 
C: What drew you to visual effects? What steps did you take to turn your interest into a career?

JL: I've been interested in both VFX and directing since I was 10, easy. The kids in J.J. Abrams' Super 8? That was me. The first thing I committed to Super 8 film was a visual effect Star Trek Starship, rechristened The Hood, NCC 1707, and I directed the one reel film with friends in it as well. It was the first of many including a jungle war movie in the depths of Okinawa. Over the years, everything has been grist for that mill... making choices that allowed for opportunities to write, direct, act, edit, do visual effects. Commercials at KRTV-3 in Great Falls, Montana... my own animation business... working for Foundation Imaging on and CG directing an episode of Roughnecks: The Starship Troopers Chronicles... so many great opportunities to work with hundreds of people far more talented and capable than I to learn as much as possible.

The first thing, though, is you have to commit to the path. I truly believe that luck is where opportunity and preparation meet for those willing to grasp at the brass ring. It's not just about being at the right place at the right time... it's about training enough so that when you DO say "hey, give me a chance, please..."  to folks willing to take a chance on you, you've both earned it and are ready for it.

My wife forwarded me another saying shortly after taking on this film... "Don't just follow your dreams, lead them." I've been blessed to get that opportunity more than a few times.
 
C: How did you come to work with The Asylum?

JL: I was brought aboard in 2010 by another great artist and VFX supervisor, Mark Kochinski (now at Disney) to help start up the facility in-house. At the time, my only familiarity with Asylum was Pirates of Treasure Island, which I'd rented about a month before even KNOWING there was an Asylum. It took a bit of convincing to get me aboard. It was a challenging start with lots of technical and time hurdles to overcome but over the years we've been able to build an amazing little group of folks who accomplish far more with the resources and time than I think they'll ever get fair credit for. The producers, Latt, Rimawi and Bales, have given us a lot of support and patience as we've learned and grown with each new challenge. We strive to get better every show and, on the whole, I think our trend has been upward hopefully with good entertainment results.
 
C: What's been the hardest part about transitioning from VFX supervisor to director? What's been the best part?

JL: The hardest part is leaving behind such a great group of people in the department. We have a lot of fun in VFX while hunkering down to meet the deadlines. It's also hard to switch gears from juggling up to five films at once to suddenly concentrating on one exclusively and away from everything you know. And being away from my personal family on Age was a challenge, though my wife and kids, God bless them, are the biggest supporters of this crazy dream.

The best part, besides just the absolute "this is what I was born to do" joy of directing, is getting to know and respect even more than ever the folks in production and what THEY have to do to get an Asylum film done. Watching the dedication and artistry of people like line producer Anthony Fankhauser, the make-up work of Haley O'Neil, the stunts of Jerry Earr, the various folks on our Cambodian cast and crew and the amazing things sound man Alex Hutchinson has to do to get great audio is humbling and educational. It's probably one of the best and most challenging film schools on the planet, for those with the iron will to take it on. 

In post, working with Rob Pallatina a second time in editorial has been great because we've developed such a fantastic shorthand as a team. The Chris Ridenhour score is an emotional, orchestral and auditory powerhouse. The sound departments' creations are a wonderful ear loving canvas, the color correction by Mark Quod and his crew is rich and gorgeous, and the disc work by David Courtice is really cool.

One should also always remember behind the scenes folks like Judith, Kala, Courtney and Kendall who handle all the heavy lifting of getting the film distributed, seen and sold. There are so many more good folks at The Asylum giving them all their deserved kudos could fill THREE of these interviews!

So, it all comes down to storytelling and characters or situations you enjoy spending time with... and co-workers you enjoy spending even MORE time with.
 
C: How do you select the projects you direct? What draws you to a project?

JL: I select being involved with any project based on two sets of things... is the story cool/fun/exciting/emotionally compelling and does at least one part genuinely make me cry (and not out of pain) or laugh. If that happens... and my wife Kelly has been there when I cried as a result of character situations for both Nazis, Age and the next one... then I feel like maybe something can be drawn out that will similarly touch the audience. Ultimately, whether a film has an Asylum budget or a two hundred million budget, if you care about the characters then people will be entertained. 

What draws me to it in the first place is the ability to create good, strong visuals and weave a story no matter what the limitations. That and for Age, Latt handed me a piece of notepaper with this list: 1. You  2. Direct 3. AotH  4. Cambodia. Both Rimawi and Bales also seemed pretty excited by the prospect. Who can resist that? 
 
C: Who are some of your favorite/most inspirational directors?

JL: David Lean. Steven Spielberg. Peter Jackson. James Cameron. Robert Wise. J.J. Abrams. John Landis. John Carpenter. Robert Rodriguez. Peter Weir. Ridley Scott. I could honestly go on and on but those would be the folks whose films have most affected my vision and approach over the years. Ultimately, every director has had an effect whether it's in the inspirational vein or the Mystery Science Theatre school of how NOT to make movies. I just hope when my turn comes at the bigger bat, I'm qualified to hold even a tiny little candle to their amazing creations.

C: You shot AotH on location in Cambodia; what sort of challenges did you face shooting in a foreign country with a presumably small crew?

JL: Snakes. Land mines. Goats. Dangerous pot-hole filled travel. Rugged hikes.  Monsoons. Sketchy food. A very long plane flight. Lots of shots. Wait, why DID we do this?  Simple: at age 49 David Lean shot Bridge on the River Kwai just north in Burma... so while it's a huge bar to aim for in 15 days, it's also the fulfillment of a personal lifelong dream... to shoot with epic scope in a far off land not seen by many western cameras for a feature style film. Cambodia is one of those last best places so we have a GREAT and enthusiastic crew with a mix of Asylum vets and new eyes. We've gotten some fun stuff to see and the hope is that the end result of a cool action movie makes all the challenges worth it.

 
C: Anything you can tell us about the release?
 
JL: It's a feature packed disc, this DVD/Blu Ray.  There's a gag reel, a really sweet making of by Cody Peck, the really-sells-it-but-doesn't-tell-it kick-butt cool trailer by Brian Brinkman, four deleted scenes and a commentary where I get to sit in with editor Rob Pallitina and the wonderful Christopher Judge (who played Amthar) to have a lot of fun... with a surprise appearance by Richard Vialet, our DP. It'll also be on VOD and at Redbox (under a different title, I believe) all on December 11th.
 
C: Any Joe Lawson dream projects or people you're dying to collaborate with?

JL: I have a ton of personal story ideas and projects I'd love to do, as any writer/director does, and world building of places we HAVEN'T already gone would be a great opportunity and challenge. Playing in other folks realms, though, I'd be thrilled to get to direct a Game of Thrones episode (or five or ten), or to be part of a Star Wars live action series... and I'd actually love to have the chance to revisit a very familiar place with a different take on NATCOTE... but beyond that, someday I look forward to having the chance to pitch, write and direct the ideas and stories that I've gathered over the years.

As far as collaborating, well...  it can be the most fun part of the job and there are so many talented and creative folks in so many disciplines here at the Asylum and elsewhere. To work with any of the living folks on my director list would be a dream of a lifetime.

Heck, if Peter Jackson saw fit to take some time to watch this latest little film, THAT would be truly amazing... and he could return the favor of putting an arrow through MY chest in some future film. Consider him humbly and respectfully invited to do so. 

More importantly, though, in the spirit of encouraging folks to take a chance on their own dreams: get out there and get that ball rolling because the filmmakers I most look forward to collaborating with someday are, Mr., Miss and Mrs. Reader:  YOU!



Lawson's next feature is Age of the Dinosaurs: "Age of Dinosaurs, which is now in post, stars Treat Williams (Prince of the City, Deep Rising, 1941, Hair and TVs Everwood), Ronny Cox (Robocop, Total Recall, Deliverance) and Jillian Rose Reed (Awkward, Weeds) and was written by northwesterner Hank Woon. Set to release in May, 2013, it's the simple tale of a father and daughter rediscovering their love for each other in a city filled with rampaging dinosaurs. For his third film in one year Joe reteams with cinematographer Richard Vialet (AotH), editor Rob Pallatina (NATCOTE and AotH) and composer Chris Ridenhour for this action adventure through the streets of Los Angeles. We like to think of it as Jurassic Park 3.5."


Age of the Hobbits, as Mr. Lawson said, is out on DVD, Blu-Ray and VOD December 11th. Get your hands on a copy for what promises to be a truly epic adventure.

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.

AGE OF THE HOBBITS Gets a Poster!

With only a little over a month before its December 11th street date, Age of the Hobbits has gotten itself a swanky poster. Dig it:

Pretty f'n epic, if you ask me. This film - one of the most original in the studio's catalog, in terms of mockbuster spin - comes courtesy of an Asylum dream team: director Joseph Lawson (the incredible Nazis at the Center of the Earth) and inventive screenwriter Eric Forsberg (Alien Abduction, Mega Piranha, Almighty Thor), and stars Christopher Judge (the Stargate TV show) and Bai Ling (one of the newer Star Wars, Crank Deuce).

December 11th is the day. Mark your calendars.

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 

Nazis at the Center of the Earth on DVD TODAY!!!

In the coming century, B-film fans will increasingly look back to this date, April 24th, 2012, as the day their worlds were rocked forever. For today, The Asylum releases it's masterpiece to date, Nazis at the Center of the Earth.

Starring Jake Busey, Dominique Swain, Christopher Karl Johnson and a score of other talented actors and actresses, and directed by Joseph J. Lawson from a script by Paul Bales, NATCOTE is a can't-miss flick, a barn-burner of cinematic lunacy and wicked brilliance. I've already given my very vocal approval of the film, which can be read by simply scrolling down a few inches, but you shouldn't take my word for it, you shouldn't take anyone's, in fact, you should get your hands on a copy toot suite and judge for yourself.

By "toot suite" I mean now, go, go!!!!

observation notes: NAZIS AT THE CENTER OF THE EARTH

Every now and again, a movie comes along whose very concept generates hype the instant it is heard. So rarely do the films live up to that hype, so rarely do the filmmakers manage to not only fulfill but eclipse that promise, that when a film actually does manage these things, we call it nothing less than a classic. Ladies(?) and gentlemen, Nazis at the Center of the Earth is that film. For real.

Whatever you're expecting, throw it out the window. You're not predicting this one, and I'm not going to spoil a single damn second of it for you. I will say, however, that if you're expecting some sort of throwback camp-fest, you're watching the wrong movie: NATCOTE is a truly tense, gruesome, and disturbing thriller mixing history, perverted science, sci-fi, adventure and that good old Asylum sense of insanity all rolled up into perhaps the most mind-bending 90 minutes the studio has ever produced. And I know I'm biased, cuz I love these guys and everything, but for real, FOR REAL, you owe it to yourself to watch one of the most ingenious B-movies ever set to celluloid.

Again, in the interest of not spoiling a single thing, I won't go into great details about the individual characters, but our celebrity leads here, Dominique Swain (Lolita, New Best Friend) and Jake Busey (Starship Troopers, The Frighteners) bring the heat, Ms. Swain playing with emotional aplomb a hyper-intelligent yet vulnerable doctor, and Mr. Busey reeling in a pensive and conflicted performance. Other standouts include Christopher Karl Johnson as the reprehensibly vile Doctor Mengele, and Adam Burch, Marlene Okner and Lilan Bowden as other scientists.

The film, the first directorial effort from Asylum VFX Supervisor Joseph J. Lawson, does not skimp on the visuals and does not fail to deliver. My expectations in this specific arena were pretty high, especially as I really believe Asylum VFX have improved a hundred-fold in the last couple of years, but the things these guys pulled off in this one? Some of the most memorable visuals of the year. And you'd never know it was Lawson's first time at the helm; there's a very keen sense of control over the picture, for as crazy and labyrinthine a mystery as this film is, it moves at an expert pace, doling out the goods like breadcrumbs leading to a wholly satisfying and thoroughly unexpected climax.

The story comes courtesy of Paul Bales (Sherlock Holmes, 2010 Moby Dick) and is smart, steeped in scientific and historical details that only enrich the suspense and horror, and wickedly brutal. Seriously, I'm struggling to find the words to describe just how surreally awesome this film is, while at the same time being starkly scary, wildly inventive and all-too possible. The last 35 minutes of this film is a masterclass in WOW. Plus, I learned a lot of useful German.

So have I beamed enough? Have I spit enough hyperbole to convince you that Nazis at the Center of the Earth is a tent-pole Asylum project, certain to be one of the first three anyone mentions 100 years from now? This one's a game-changer, folks; the bar has been raised. This isn't what you were hoping for, this isn't what you were expecting: it's sooooo much better. Out Tuesday on DVD, Blu-Ray, and VOD. Whatever else you thought you were doing, scrap it. Trust me.

inmate profile: Joseph Lawson

With only a few blessed weeks sitting between we committed and the film event of 2012 - Nazis at the Center of the Earth, of course - it's time to start taking a look at the talent behind this destined-to-be instant classic, and who better to shine the spotlight on first than the film's director, one Joseph Lawson.

Though NATCOTE is his first directorial effort, Lawson has made an indelible stamp on scores of Asylum films as a visual effects artist and supervisor. Consider his resume: The 7 Adventures of Sinbad, Titanic II, Airline Disaster, Moby Dick, Mega Shark vs Crocosaurus, Mega Python vs Gatoroid, Battle of Los Angeles, Almighty Thor, 2012 Ice Age, Born Bad, A Haunting in Salem, Dragon Crusaders, 11/11/11, 3 Musketeers, Zombie Apocalypse, Amityville Haunting, 2 Headed Shark Attack, Grimm's Snow White and the upcoming Bigfoot, plus probably everything else The Asylum will put out this year. 

It's been under Lawson's supervision that Asylum VFX have taken a HUGE stride forward, seemingly getting more spectacular with each new release, so we should all be sitting on pins and needles to see what he's done his first time in the director's chair for NATCOTE.

See for yourself when Nazis at the Center of the Earth, directed by Joseph Lawson, comes out on DVD, Blu-Ray and VOD April 24th.

Behold the Teaser Trailer for NAZIS AT THE CENTER OF THE EARTH

With only six weeks or so until the release of The Asylum's next impeding classic - and candidate for best title ever - Nazis at the Center of the Earth, the film's teaser trailer has at last hit You Tube this week, for all the world to relish:

Dominique Swain, Josh Allen, Christopher Karl Johnson, and Jake Busey star for first-time director (and long-time Asylum VFX maestro) Joseph J. Lawson, from a script by writer and producer Paul Bales.


April 24th is when it all goes down, so enjoy the trailer then spread the word; this one has the wings to become the biggest Asylum hit yet!

COMMITTED EXCLUSIVE: A Look at the Opening VFX for GRIMM'S SNOW WHITE!!!

There are still two Asylum films slated for release in 2011 - Zombie Apocalypse and Amityville Haunting - but already the studio's 2012 slate is filling up quick: 2 Headed Shark Attack, Air Collision, Celebrity Sex Tape, Nazis at the Center of the Earth and Battleships are already in production or in post. But the film I think a lot of people are super-excited for is Grimm's Snow White, a creepier, more creature-centric look at one of the world's most homogenized (and thus in dire need of a reworking such as this) fairy tales.

In the plot description, "ferocious reptile beasts" are said to play a major role and now, courtesy of the fine, fine folks over at The Asylum, I have a very brief clip of the film's opening VFX sequence. Dig it:

Pretty, pretty, pretty rad stuff here. That thing looks like a mega-komodo (TM) with a longer, more versatile neck. Joseph Lawson - who is directing for the first tome in 2012, Nazis at the Center of the Earth - and The Asylum's VFX team have been blowing it up this year. I know I say that every opportunity I get, so if it's getting old, too bad, because the team just keeps giving me opportunities. With a script by Naomi Selfman (MSvC, MPvG), direction from Rachel Goldenberg (Sherlock Holmes) and visual effects like these, you can bet this is not your little sister's Snow White.


The film hits DVD on February 28th, 2012. Try and wait best you can.

At Last!!!...First Details for Nazis at the Center of the Earth!!!

I am a sucker for titles, always have been. I've bought books, movies and albums based on the title more so than any other determining factor, and that includes quality. I love words, and, to paraphrase Johnathan Swift, when the right words are in the right places, it's magic.

So then it should come as no surprise whatsoever that my second-most anticipated film of 2012* would be the awesomely-titled Nazis at the Center of the Earth, a film The Asylum announced they were making a few months ago. And now, after all our patient waiting, we at last have cast, crew and plot details, and boy-ar-dee are they delicious.

First let's take a look at the plot: "Researchers in Antarctica are abducted by a team of masked storm troopers. They are dragged deep underground to a hidden continent in the center of the earth. Here Nazi survivors, their bodies a horrifying patchwork of decaying and regenerated flesh, are planning for the revival of the Third Reich."

Oh my god. So, not only is it a modern-day Nazi flick, and a Vernesian-secret-continent flick, but it's also a zombie flick? Dear lord this is gonna be even better than we thought. And just who are the creative powerhouses set to pull off this masterpiece? That's where shit gets even better... 

At the helm of the flick is Joseph Lawson, best known to Asylum fanatics as the company's visual effects supervisor, a position he's held over for 18 films and counting. This guy was in charge of making Moby Dick breach his hump like a snowhill, the guy who made those python mega and those gators oided, among many, many other fine feats. N.A.T.C.O.T.E.  will mark Mr. Lawson's first time directing, but come on, let's be serious: the guy is responsible for heading up the best FX the studio's ever had; is there any doubt he's going to knock this one out of the park? Not from where I'm sitting...

...especially when you consider whose script he's working off of: none other than Paul Bales, Asylum partner and the pen behind two of my favorite Asylum films (all ass-kissing aside), and certainly two of the smartest (see my last parentheses): Sherlock Holmes and 2010 Moby Dick. You put these two guys together, and what we now have is an Asylum Prestige picture...and that's not even taking into account the cast...

First up - and there are no hints as yet as to who or what these folks will be playing - is the lovely and talented Dominique Swain (Lolita, Face/Off, New Best Friend with Born Bad's Meredith Monroe). You gotta love how no matter the situation, The Asylum finds away to work in a foxy lady. God bless those guys.

As if you needed further enticing, the film is also set to star Christopher Karl Johnson of Anneliese: The Exorcist Tapes and the one, the only...Jake Freakin' Busey.

Jake is best known for memorable turns in films like Starship Troopers, The Frighteners, The Hitcher 2 and Roadhouse 2, but around here, he's most-remembered for his earlier appearance in an Asylum film, in the very film, in fact, that launched the Mockbuster craze: War of the Worlds. Nice to see him back in the stable.

Josh Allan is also slated to star, but there are a handful of Josh Allan's on IMDB, so I wasn't sure which Josh was Josh. Alex Yellen is shooting the film, his 18th turn as cinematographer for the studio.

Nazis At The Center of the Earth has a tentative release date of April 24th, 2012. I've already marked it in my phone calendar.

*c'mon, you know what my #1 is