Though it has aired on Lifetime several times over the last few months, yesterday marked the official DVD release of the Sean-Astin-Samaire-Armstrong thriller Adopting Terror, directed by Micho Rutare, and written by Rutare and Nik Frank-Lehrer.
I gave high marks to the film upon seeing it's premiere, and can guarantee if you like taut, intelligent thrillers that keep you on the edge of your couch cushion, this one is definitely up your alley. Most made-for-Lifetime movies have a touch of camp to them, but not this one; this one's a pure-T tale of everyday terror, a family's worst nightmare. Brendan Fehr steals the show, and Michael Gross and Monet Mazur make memorable appearances.
So there you have it. Now get thee to a DVD dispensary and put you mitts on Adopting Terror, the latest release from the fine, fine folks at The Asylum.
With the World Premiere of The Asylum's Bigfoot going down this Saturday night at 9 o'clock on Syfy, it's time to turn the Committed spotlight on the talent behind this impending masterpiece, and there's a lot of talent to look at. The film stars Barry Williams (The Brady Bunch, Mega Piranha) and Danny Bonaduce (The Partridge Family, Corvette Summer), both of whom are well known to just about everyone who's ever owned a television set, but this cast is deep, so I thought we'd take a closer look at some of the film's supporting players, starting with the awesome Andre Royo.
Royo was born in the Bronx in the hot summer of 1968. He didn't start acting until his thirties, but once he did, it was near-impossible not to take notice. His first feature film was John Singleton's Shaft remake, but it was TV where Royo really made a name for himself: besides guest spots in such varied shows as Law & Order SVU, CSI Miami, Law & Order Criminal Intent, Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, Heroes, Fringe, Criminal Minds and others, it was his portrayal of "Bubbles" in 52 episodes of The Wire - you know, the greatest TV show EVER? - that cemented this fine actor's place in the hall of fame. "Bubbles" - for my money - is one of the greatest characters ever committed to any screen, big or small, and 100% of that credit is due to Royo's cripplingly vulnerable and overwhelmingly empathetic portrayal of a man driven to bottom by his own vices. For real, the guy should have a shelf full of awards.
Since god decided to show his disdain for us and The Wire ceased airing, Royo has stayed busy as ever, appearing in films like James Gunn's Super - one of my top 10 theatrical releases of last year - and the George Lucas-produced, Tuskeegee-airman action-drama Red Tails alongside Terence Howard and Cuba Gooding Jr.
After Bigfoot, Royo will next be seen in the horror films Hellbenders and The Collection, drama The Miracle of Spanish Harlem, the action flick Shoedog with Ethan Hawke, Heather Graham, Sam Shepard and Kris Kristofferson, and the thriller Remnants with Edward Furlong, William Baldwin and the very lovely and talented Monica Keena.
Andre Royo is an incredibly potent actor and his presence in Bigfoot is sure to escalate what is already one of the summer's most eagerly-anticipated entertainment events. Tune in for yourself and see this Saturday, 9 o'clock, on Syfy.
With the release of Alien Origin, a found-footage sci-fi/action thriller that hits shelves today, you'd think The Asylum might wait a little while before unleashing another flick in the genre, but lo and behold, another title has appeared on the horizon, and this one takes the found-footage format back to its roots in good old-fashioned horror: 100 Ghost Street: The Return of Richard Speck.
For those of you unfamiliar with the name, Richard Speck was a real-life serial killer responsible for the death of 8 student nurses in Chicago in 1966. Dude was pretty heinous, so there's lots of scary material here. Check out the plot:
"In 2010, paranormal investigators tried to
film Richard Speck’s ghost at the site of his heinous killing spree.
The victims’ families have finally released the footage that documents
their last days."
This one sounds like a guaranteed scare-fest. Find out yourself when the film drops on DVD, Blu-Ray and VOD on July 24th.
Then there's Golden Winter, which we already knew was a tie-in to the Disney golden-retriever-puppy movies, but now we know the plot and stars. First the plot:
"A boy befriends a litter of homeless Golden Retrievers. Together, they help stop a bank robbery just in time for Christmas."
Aww. The film stars talented beauties Shannon Elizabeth (American Pie, Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back) and Haylie Duff (7th Heaven, Backwoods) and is written and directed by Tom Seidman, an Asylum newcomer. This one streets September 25th.
And as if all this wasn't enough, we also got a DVD date on The Asylum's star-studded movie Bigfoot: it'll be on DVD August 14th, following its SyFy debut on the 30th of this month. In case you've been living under a rock, the film - from director Bruce Davison off a script by Micho Rutare and Brian Brinkman - stars Barry Williams, Danny Bonaduce, Sherilyn Fenn, Andre Rojo, Howard Hesseman, Billy Idol and Alice Cooper. The plot:
"When Bigfoot attacks an 80s themed music
concert, a concert promoter and a hippie burnout will do anything to
protect the "endangered species."
So much awesomeness...
Buzz has been building for a while about The Asylum's next SyFy Original Movie, Bigfoot, mostly because of its AMAZING cast: Barry Williams (The Brady Bunch, Mega Piranha), Danny Bonaduce (The Partridge Family), Sherilyn Fenn (Twin Peaks, my dreams beginning in 1989), Howard Hesseman (WKRP in Cincinnati, Head of the Class), Andre Royo (The Wire, Super), Alice Cooper (duh) and Billy Idol (double-duh). Whew; it's gonna be like the wackiest episode of Hollywood Squares ever all up on your television screen. And as if all this star power wasn't enough, the film is being directed by Academy-Award nominated actor and Asylum vet Bruce Davison (MegaFault, Titanic II) from a script by Micho Rutare and Brian Brinkman, the team behind Meteor Apocalypse. This could sincerely be the biggest project yet from The Asylum.
And now we know when we get to lay our greedy little eyes on it: Saturday, June 30th, 9 pm on SyFy. No word on a DVD release as of yet - my guess would be by the end of the year - but have no fear, this being an instant classic, I'm sure SyFy will rerun the shit out of it for decades to come.
If you missed the world premiere earlier this month of The Asylum's latest thriller, Adopting Terror, you're in luck, because the ratings-topper is being re-aired this weekend.
That's
right, the film - starring Sean Astin, Brendan Fehr and Samaire
Armstrong, directed by Micho Rutare from a script he wrote with Nik
Frank-Lehrer - about a couple who adopt the wrong dude's baby, will play again on Lifetime, Saturday night, April 28th, at 6 p.m.
I
really enjoyed this one - big shock, I know - but objectively, it isn't
often The Asylum does a straight-up, so-called "real-life" thriller; Born Bad was an awesome example that dominated this year's Looney Awards. I have a suspicion Adopting Terror's name could come up a few times at year's end. Good acting, good writing, good movie. See for yourself this Saturday night.
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.
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.
Don't forget, Asylum fans, that this Saturday night marks the next release from our favorite independent studio, as the thriller Adopting Terror makes its world premiere on the Lifetime network.
The films stars Sean Astin (Goonies, Lord of the Rings, Toy Soldiers) and Samaire Armstrong (The O.C., Entourage) as a married couple longing to adopt. When their prayers are answered in the form of a beautiful baby girl, they think their lives are complete. Wrong. Because that beautiful baby girl comes with a psycho biological father, Brendan Fehr (Roswell, Ice Quake, The Forsaken) who wants his baby back (insert your own Chili's joke here, if you like.). As if all this wasn't a draw, the cast also boast Michael Gross (I shouldn't have to tell you).
So the time is 8 p.m., the place is the Lifetime network, and the event is the world premiere of the latest Asylum offering, Adopting Terror, from writer/director Micho Rutare and writer Nik Frank-Lehrer. Catch it now, because the DVD release doesn't come until September, and you don't want to be the last one of your block to see it!
Out of nowhere comes news of the next Asylum-Lifetime Movie, Adopting Terror, set to premiere Saturday, April 7th at 9p.m. on the cable network (with a DVD release set for September 11th), and man, is this one star-studded.
But first things first, the synopsis: "Tim and Cheryl Broadbent are excited to finally adopt Mona, a beautiful baby girl. But when the baby’s biological father starts stalking them, their world turns upside down: through intimidation, manipulation, and violence, he is determined to take his daughter back."
Sounds pretty perfect for a Lifetime movie. Now let's get to that cast: Tim and Cheryl are played by Sean Astin (ummm...Lord of the Rings, Goonies, duh!) and Samaire Armstrong (The O.C., Entourage, Dirty Sexy Money), and rounding out the ensemble are Monet Mazur (Austin Powers, Torque), Brendan Fehr (Roswell, The Forsaken) and the one and only Michael Gross (Family Ties, Tremors, 100 Million B.C.). If that ain't a powerhouse cast, I don't know what is.
Adopting Terror is written and directed by Micho Rutare, who previously wrote and directed Meteor Apocalypse and also wrote Dragonquest, the story for Mega Shark vs Crocosaurus and the upcoming Bigfoot. Co-writing credits on the script go to Nik Frank-Lehrer.
Check out the film's page on The Asylum site here, then dig the production stills over here. And once that whets your appetite, tune in to the Lifetime Network Saturday night, April 7th at 9p.m. when Adopting Terror makes its world television premiere.
What with those great pics released to Entertainment Weekly, the cat is out of the bag on The Asylum's upcoming SyFy original movie, Bigfoot. All there is to know about the plot is that some dudes are hunting Bigfoot, but thanks to IMDB we know a great deal about just who is involved, and it's pretty awesome:
Barry Williams (The Brady Bunch, MegaPiranha), Danny Bonaduce (The Partridge Family), Sherilyn Fenn (Twin Peaks), Howard Hesseman (WKRP in Cincinnati, Rubin and Ed, Head of the Class), rockers Alice Cooper and BIlly Idol, Andre Royo ("Bubbles" from The Wire, no shit!!!) as well as Bruce Davison (MegaFault, Titanic II), who's also directing the film from a script by Micho Rutare and Brian Brinkman, who together previously wrote Dragonquest and Meteor Apocalypse; Rutare also wrote the story for Mega Shark vs. Crocosaurus, while Brinkman has worked in the editorial department on a handful of Asylum films and has appeared as an actor in three.
Translation: there are some seasoned pros at play in this one, promising an all-Asylum take on the ripe legend of Bigfoot. No air-date as of yet, but probably sometime in the next couple of months this one will grace TV screens nationwide. As soon as more details are available, I'll post 'em up. Until then, salivate along with me over the greatness to-be that is Bigfoot!
Another in the Faith Films line, this apocalyptic disaster epic concerns a meteor of truly ginormous proportions headed right for Earth. Though we try to annihilate the problem by throwing all our nukes at it, this predictably only makes things worse, turning what was one massive meteor into thousands of splintered shards that rain down upon cities worldwide, beginning a wave of destruction that can only be described as "Biblical." When our hero's ("Dr. Quinn's" Joe Lando) family is herded away to quarantine by government agents, thus begins his quest within the chaos to find them. He is joined along the way by a beautiful and headstrong accomplice (the lovely and talented and Looney-nominated, here, Cooper Harris).
One thing I liked about this film right off the bat was where it began; what's typically act 3 for most meteor films - our last-ditch effort to destroy/deflect the meteor - was the launching point for this one. What follows is the real drama, how we deal with inescapable chaos. And in truth, this new situation is worse: a single, giant meteor would have wiped out all life on the planet, no questions asked; but now, like this, the planet will survive, civilizations will be decimated, yes, but life will go on for a good percentage of the population. The game then becomes to make it into that percentage, which is a far more unsettling premise than everyone being resigned to the same fate. All this is just to say Meteor Apocalypse opens tense and never lets up. It's a relentless drama and a thrilling tale of survival, determination and faith.
Joe Lando as the scientist/concerned father is a believably-gruff skeptic in the beginning, making his transformation to capable coper over the course of the film that much more hard-won and convincing. Third-billed Cooper Harris is the clear standout here: likable, relatable, and the most palpable of the characters. You feel her distress, her resolve. There's a natural ease to her performance which endears her to the audience. That, and her hotness. Audiences like hot ladies (picture a super hot, much younger Tina Fey).
Claudia Christian "Babylon 5" also stars as Lando's wife, and plays the role as a cold nag. She's not around all that much, but when she is, she works.
Overall, I found Meteor Apocalypse - written by Brian Brinkman & Micho Rutare, and directed by Rutare (writer of Dragonquest and Asylum Director of Development) - a smart film in that it's not just a straight-up astronomical disaster movie - though as one it's highly successful; the FX are awesome at depicting widespread heavenly chaos and metropolitan destruction - there's a medical-thriller aspect to this one as well, another sort of inevitable and randomly-selective killer that just throws another level of tension on the pile.
And as I've found with other entries to the Faith Films line - Countdown: Jerusalem, 2012 Doomsday, The Apocalypse - the message might be Christian, but it isn't overwhelmingly so; you want to watch this as a secular action film, you won't be distracted by theology. Think of it as a nice midway point, philosophically, between Left Behind and Armageddon.
A good time, all around, and very much so recommended.
