A Bunch of Info on a Bunch of New Asylum Projects!

With the New Year now in full swing, there comes info on a handful of The Asylum's 2013 slate, including release dates, new projects, and posters. Let's get into this, shall we?

First up, there's a new poster and a release date for last Halloween's SyFy-Zombie venture, Rise of the Zombies. I don't know what's scarier here, the zombie horde, or huge Trejo-face. 

The film also stars Mariel Hemingway, Ethan Suplee, Heather Hemmens, French Stewart, and LeVar Burton, and comes courtesy of director Nick Lyon, maestro of 2011's Zombie Apocalypse - shout out to the zombie tiger - working off a script from Keith Allen and Delondra Williams. This gore-fest lands on February 12th, Lincoln's Birthday. 

Next up is 500 MPH Storm, whose poster can be found a few inches below this in the previous post. The storm-flick features Casper Van Dien, Michael Beach, and Sarah Lieving, and will street on February 26th, Johnny Cash's birthday.

Then there's plot, cast, and release date info on two new Asylum films, 100 Below Zero and Age of Dinosaurs. 

The former (a.k.a. Dead World and 50 Degrees Below Zero) is a polar disaster flick from director Richard Braunstein (Layover) and screenwriters Richard Schenkman (Abraham Lincoln vs. Zombies) & H. Perry Horton (2-Headed Shark Attack, this blog). The plot: 

"When a chain of volcanic eruptions rips through Europe, the enormous ash cloud blocks out the sun, plunging the continent into a new ice age. An American couple must find their college-aged kids and get them out of Paris before it freezes over."

The film stars Jeff Fahey, Johnathan Rhys-Davies, and the lovely Sara Malakul Lane (left), and will be released on July 23rd.

Then there's Age of Dinosaurs, which we already knew was directed by the super-talented - and a Committed fan fave - Joseph Lawson (Nazis at the Center of the Earth, Clash of the Empires), written by Hank Woon Jr. (the above-mentioned 500 MPH Storm), and stars Treat Williams and Ronny Cox, but what we didn't know is just what this yarn's about. Well, now we know:

"Using breakthrough flesh-regeneration technology, a biotech firm creates a set of living dinosaurs. But when the creatures escape their museum exhibit and terrorize Los Angeles, a former firefighter must rescue his teenage daughter from the chaos brought on by the Age of Dinosaurs."

Film streets May 7th.  

RISE OF THE ZOMBIES on Syfy Tonight!!

The Asylum's latest teaming with the Syfy has produced the network's newest Original Movie, Rise of the Zombies, which makes its World Premiere tonight at 9 p.m.

The film - the trailer for which you can catch here - comes from director Nick Lyon (Zombie Apocalypse) and starts Mariel Hemingway, Levar Burton, and Danny Trejo, as well as a spattering of Asylum vets. It's a film about which the New York Times says - yes, that New York Times - "Some of the zombie-killing and people-munching scenes make the AMC series “The Walking Dead” look genteel by comparison." Ummm....yeah, totally watching this one.

If you're the tweetin' type, follow @theasylumcc and @Syfy for live commentary by cast an crew during the EST premiere, 6 pm on the West Coast. Just use #Riseofthezombies to join the fun.

BRAAAAAAAAAIIIIIIIIINNNNNNNSSSSSSS!!!!!!!

RISE OF THE ZOMBIES Stills and Trailer!

The next flick bowing from the fine folks at The Asylum is Rise of the Zombies, set to premiere on the SyFy network Saturday, October 27th at 9 p.m., just in time for the holiest of holidays, Halloween.

And to whet our appetite, the studio has released these photo stills, and this trailer for the flick. Looks to be a gory good time.

The film was written by Keith Allan (writer/director on 11/11/11) and first-time scribe Delondra Williams, and directed by Nick Lyons, who helmed last year's super-spectacular Zombie Apocalypse. Stars include LeVar Burton (Roots, Star Trek The Next Generation), Mariel Hemingway (Manhattan, Star 80), Heather Hemmens (3 Musketeers), Jon Kondelik (Amityville Haunting, Haunting of Whaley House,Super Cyclone, Golden Winter, upcoming 12/12/12), Ethan Suplee (My Name is Earl, Butterfly Effect) and, oh yeah, Danny Fucking Trejo.

This one's sure to be one of the best Asylum flicks to date, so be sure to shackle yourself to a couch on Saturday, October 27th at 9 p.m., when Rise of the Zombies debuts on - where else? - SyFy.

 

REMINDER: 2-Headed Shark Attack on SyFy Saturday Night!!!

Just a friendly reminder that this Saturday night at 9 p.m. marks the U.S. Television Premiere of 2-Headed Shark Attack on SyFy.

The film - starring Brooke Hogan, Charlie O'Connell, Carmen Electra, directed by Christoper Ray from a script by yours truly, H. Perry Horton, based on a story by Ed DeRuiter - has been hailed and reviled by critics worldwide, so jump on the bandwagon and see what the hype is all about.

Saturday. 9 p.m. Syfy. A shark with two heads and more bikini screen-time than most sex comedies. What more could you ask for?

SHARK WEEK on DVD Today

If it's Tuesday, this must be where I tell you about the latest Asylum release streeting today on DVD, Blu-Ray and VOD: this time it's Shark Week, respectfully described as Saw meets Jaws, which is hook enough for me.

The film, which had its World Premiere earlier this month on the prestigious SyFy Channel, stars Patrick Bergin as a maniacal shark aficionado who kidnaps seven unwitting strangers and forces them through a gauntlet of increasingly more dangerous shark species. Yancy Butler is his femme fatale. Christopher Ray directed it, based on a script I, H. Perry Horton, had a hand in. Guaranteed you won't soon forget this film, so get out there, get your hands on it, and start making memories.

2 HEADED SHARK ATTACK Gets a US SyFy Premiere!!!

Get ready for another Saturday-shark-movie-marathon on SyFy next month, because 2 Headed Shark Attack is at long last making its U.S. television debut on September 8th!

The film - directed by Christopher Olen Ray (Mega Shark vs Crocosaurus, Shark Week) and written by me, H. Perry Horton (A Haunting in Salem, Shark Week) from a story by Edward Deruiter (3 Musketeers) and starring Brooke Hogan, Carmen Electra and Charlie O'Connell - has been out on DVD since January of this year and in that time has received rave reviews from shark film aficionados worldwide.

If you're a fan of Brooke Hogan. September 8th is an especially special evening, because immediately preceding 2HSA is her other film to date, Sand Sharks, a truly delightful, fun and thrilling film directed by Asylum-regular Mark Atkins (Dragon Crusaders, Battle of Los Angeles). September 8th also happens to be my birthday. Pretty, pretty sweet present.

The time: September 8th, 2012, 9 p.m. wherever you live.
The place: SyFy
The event: 2 Headed Shark Attack World Television Premiere.

Your presence is kindly requested.

Watch SHARK WEEK on SyFy Tomorrow Night!

Just a reminder - as though you needed another one - that tomorrow night, the next movie from The Asylum, and my third script for the studio, Shark Week, makes its World Premiere on SyFy at 9 p.m. If you like sharks all sizes, devious madmen with a penchant for sick games, femme fatales, true-hearted protagonists or even just lots of blood, this one if definitely up your alley. If you're on the Twitter, there's a live tweet-a-thon going on during the East Coast premiere that will include director Christopher Olen Ray and several members of the cast and crew. Hash tag Shark Week and all that. I myself will be watching the West Coast premiere later that night, the same way I watch all my scripts for the first time: under a blanket in a dark, locked room, covered in flop sweats, before the scattered empties of cheap wine coolers. 

Shark Week. Saturday night, 9 o'clock. SyFy. Tell everyone you know to tell everyone they know. Please and thank you.

inmate profiles: Patrick Bergin & Yancy Butler

With only a few days before Shark Week makes its World Premiere on Syfy - this Saturday night, 9 p.m. - it's high time we take a closer look at the actors who bring the film to life. And who better to start with than our two leads, Patrick Bergin and Yancy Butler? Ladies first:

Yancy Butler was born and raised in American Bohemian paradise, Greenwich Village in New York City. She began studying acting in her early teens, and made her debut in her early 20s on an episode of Law & Order, which got the attention of network execs who quickly signed her to their new sci-fi show Mann & Machine in which she played, and I'm quoting, a "voluptuous robot partner" to a brash cop. The series lasted only nine episodes, but a star was born. 

Once she invigorated the big screen in John Woo's Hard Target opposite JCVD, Ms. Butler's status as a sexy tough gal was cemented. From there she went on to star in such movies as Drop Zone with Wesley Snipes, Fast Money, Ravager, Doomsday Man, Striking Range with Lou Diamond Phillips, and more recently Kick-Ass with Nicholas Cage and both Lake Placid 3 & 4. And of course there's her work in television, which included Brooklyn South, a gritty cop show spearheaded by David "Deadwood" Milch, and Witchblade, the role for which she is perhaps best remembered. All in all, Ms. Butler has made a steady career for 20 years playing as one badass lady; Shark Week should prove no exception.

Then there's the venerable Patrick Bergin, a son of Dublin and a veritable star on both sides of the Atlantic. After starring on stage in screen abroad, Bergin first came to the attention of American audiences via the Julia-Roberts thriller Sleeping With the Enemy, in which he was the Enemy. His other big U.S. role came opposite Harrison Ford in Patriot Games. 

Beyond these roles, Bergin has appeared in near 100 productions, including roles as Robin Hood, Dr. Frankenstein, St. Patrick, King Arthur, Dracula, Casanova and now Tiburon, maniacal shark fetishist. 

And now the fates have aligned and at last these two talents shall share the same screen as the devious duo behind Shark Week, on SyFy this Saturday night at 9 p.m., then on DVD a few weeks later on August 28th. Written by me, H. Perry Horton, and directed by Chrisopher Olen Ray, for whom the film marks a shark hat trick, after Mega Shark vs. Crocosaurus and 2 Headed Shark Attack, the latter of which I also penned. Just so you know your in good hands. Or fins.*


*sorry, I had to.

SHARK WEEK Stills and a Teaser Trailer!!!

So much Shark Week info this week, and now we get the cherry on top: production stills and this incredibly awesome teaser trailer: 

Man oh man oh man oh man, I wrote the damn thing and that trailer gave me chills. Check out the finished product this Saturday night at 9 p.m. on SyFy. Patrick Bergin, Yancy Butler, Erin Coker, Josh Allen, Frankie Cullen, Valerie Garcia, Bart Baggett and more star for director Christopher Olen Ray.

 

SHARK WEEK Gets an IMDB Page...Further Cast Details!

With only 10 days to go until the Shark Week premiere on SyFy - Saturday, August 4th, 9p.m. - there's now an IMDB page giving away further cast and crew details. The film, as avid Committed readers (assuming there are any) will know, stars Patrick Bergin (Sleeping With The Enemy, Patriot Games) and Yancy Butler (Witchblade, Lake Placid 3 & 4) as the shark-loving madman and his moll, respectively, who abduct a group of strangers and force them to fight for their lives in a gauntlet of ever-deadlier shark species on a remote island compound; now we know who some of the "contestants" are:

Josh Allen (below, Nazis at the Center of the Earth) and Erin Coker (right, 11/11/11) had already been mentioned on The Asylum's Shark Week page, and while Ms. Coker has not yet been added to the IMDB page, Mr. Allen has, and he's playing "Cal," the primary protagonist. I would assume - not just out of the blue, I wrote the script - that Ms. Coker is playing his female counterpart, but we shall see. New names include Asylum vet Bart Baggett (2010 Moby Dick, Airline Disaster, Air Collision) as "Holt," a cantankerous fellow, Frankie Cullen as, appropriately, "Frankie," and Valerie K. Garcia - the same VKG who works magic as a key makeup artist, with a resume that includes not only this film and several others, but especially the INCREDIBLE ghost-witches from A Haunting in Salem - as "Layla," the wild card of the bunch, if you will.


Shark Week was directed by the great Christopher Olen Ray (Mega Shark vs Crocosaurus, Almighty Thor, 2-Headed Shark Attack) and written by me, H. Perry Horton, and is the perfect way to spend next Saturday night (9 p.m., SyFy)

Zombie Lit From an Asylum Screenwriter

Word came this week that writer Brooks Peck, half of the screenwriting team (with Craig Engler) that produced last year's most excellent Zombie Apocalypse - the same team that wrote the SyFy original film Rage of the Yeti with the always-fun Yancy Butler - has released a novelette that sounds like a story right up The Asylum's alley: Zombies on a Plane. Check out the press release below.

"From the writer of Syfy's No. 1 film of 2011:  Zombie Apocalypse

Comes the next great undead adventure: ZOMBIES ON A PLANE

Despite every precaution, despite all the rules and safeguards, a zombie infestation breaks out on board flight 1219. It spreads, row by row, victim by victim, relentlessly converting passengers. The few remaining survivors are trapped 38,000 feet in the air with an army of the undead. 

What readers are saying:

'…a gruesome and anxiety-filled read that tightly recounts an insane struggle against the undead in the confines of an airplane. I'm still pondering what I would do in this situation.'

'This was a fantastic read! Hooks you from the start….'

'I came for the zombies on a plane, sure. But I stayed for the well-observed details that make for an all-too-believable glimpse of how it will be when the Infection comes, spiked with the type of authentic funny that seeps through only when everything goes utterly to hell.'

'3oz of shampoo will not be enough to save you.'

ZOMBIES ON A PLANE is an original novelette, available on Kindle and Nook. Read an excerpt online:

http://www.amazon.com/Zombies-on-a-Plane-ebook/dp/B007OLY78O/

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/zombies-on-a-plane-brooks-peck/1109719388

About the Author:

Brooks Peck is a museum curator who specializes in film and popular culture. He wrote two feature films that aired on the Syfy Channel: RAGE OF THE YETI and ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE, which garnered the highest rating for a Syfy original film in 2011."

Zombie Apocalypse was pure perfection, and I also saw Rage of the Yeti a few weeks later, and that there was another dunk in the awesome sauce. So stands to reason, then, that this novelette's probably a pretty righteous read. Hit up the links above and support your local screenwriter.

inmate profile: Carl Weathers

Continuing Committed's spotlighting of the talent behind the next Asylum release, American Warships - on SyFy May 19th at 9 p.m. and then on DVD May 22nd - we turn now to the film's other star, the royally awesome Carl Weathers.

A one-time linebacker for the Oakland Raiders, Weathers' first love was always acting, a passion he turned into a career in the mid-1970's, starting out with small roles in various TV shows and films. But then 1976 happened, and Rocky came along.

Carl Weathers was Apollo Creed, the flashy and charming super-athelete with the confidence of Muhammad Ali and the showmanship of James Brown. Weathers would reprise his iconic role in three sequels before being killed off in part four, a.k.a. one of the most devastating moments of my childhood. 

But Apollo was just the beginning. Weathers parlayed a supporting role here into bigger roles like those he played in Semi-Tough, Death Hunt with Bronson and Lee Marvin, Predator, of course, numerous television programs including a series based on Academy Award Winning film In The Heat of the Night, and the explosive action flick Action Jackson, in which he played the titular man of action. And then there was a little comedy called Happy Gilmore in the mid-90's.

Weathers has been working regularly for nearly 40 years now, and with each passing decade he gets a little more badass. Why Stallone hasn't put this guy in an Expendables movie is beyond me. However, Sly's loss is The Asylum's gain. Watch the culmination of a lifetime's awesomeness when Carl Weathers takes over the screen in The Asylum's American Warships, on SyFy May 19th and DVD May 22nd.

The Asylum's BIGFOOT Gets a SyFy Premiere Date

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.
 

2-Headed Shark Attack (kinda) on SyFy Tonight!

First of all, let me state that the above is an intentionally misleading headline. 2-Headed Shark Attack, the movie, is NOT on SyFy tonight. The 2-headed shark from 2-Headed Shark Attack, however, is. Allow me to explain.

Tonight at 11pm wherever in the States you live, SyFy is premiering its new reality show, "Monster Man," in which it follows the life and work of Cleve Hall, movie-monster-builder extraordinaire. And in the very first episode, the one airing tonight, ol' Cleve builds himself a 2-headed shark for the fine folks at The Asylum.

There are not words for how excited I am to see this, but if you're on the West Coast, and you're on Twitter, you can follow my live and probably somewhat inebriated tweets during the show.

Can't wait to see how the big guy came together!

The Asylum on SyFy December/January

With the shortage of video stores in our country at present, locating older Asylum titles on DVD without buying them can be kinda tricky. Fortunately for us, we have the SyFy network, which is constantly scheduling one Asylum flick or another, including many of the studio's staples, those older films that helped pave the way for the triumphant productions they're unleashing these days. Below, please find a schedule of Asylum movies on SyFy for the rest of this month, and next month, including an all-Asylum afternoon triple feature on January 22nd, a Sunday. This isn't a post I make often, and if ever you're curious as to what if any Asylum films will be gracing the small screen soon, jump over to The Asylum's website, where they always have a schedule up on the right side of their homepage. All times are Eastern Standard. Happy viewing!

Titanic II   Thurs, 12/15, 3am

100 Feet   Thurs./Fri. 12/29&30 5pm/3am


2012: Supernova   Sat., 1/14, 9am

100 Feet   Tues., 1.17, 11am

Journey to the Center of the Earth   Sun., 1/22, 1pm


100 Million BC   Sun., 1/22, 3pm


The Land That Time Forgot   Sun., 1/22, 5pm


100 Million BC   Mon., 1/23, 12am


Princess of Mars   Thurs., 1/26, 3am


Mega Shark vs Giant Octopus   Fri./Sat., 1/27&28, 2pm/3am


MegaFault   Sat., 1/28, 1pm

inmate profile(s): Craig Engler & Brooks Peck

With only days before the world television premiere of the latest Asylum production, Zombie Apocalypse, Committed has been taking a look at the talent behind this neo-horror classic-in-waiting; already this week I've featured actors Ving Rhames and Taryn Manning. Now we go behind the camera, to the page, in fact, with a look at writers Craig Engler and Brooks Peck.

Mr. Engler has an extensive bio over at his blog-to-be, the long and short of which is back in the late 90's he started a Sci-Fi web 'zine that the Sci Fi Channel first licensed content from then purchased, putting him in charge of their online presence. Today he is the Senior Vice President and General manager of SyFy Digital. So if you follow SyFy on Twitter - which you totally should, it's a lifeline to everything about TV's coolest channel - you're following this guy. Basically, the dude knows SyFy movies better than most people on the planet, so of course you can count of Zombie Apocalypse hitting every note just right. 

But Mr. Engler isn't alone in this endeavor, his co-writer, Brooks Peck also helped forge this horrific, splendid nightmare of a film. And apparently the two work well together, because they have also penned a film I'm instantly dying to see, Rage of the Yeti, with 3 Musketeers' and Born Bad's David Chokachi. I couldn't find as much info online about Mr. Peck, but guaranteed the guy knows his creature features. SyFy doesn't hire chumps.

Find out for yourself just how awesome a plot these two wordsmiths have concocted THIS SATURDAY NIGHT @ 9PM when Zombie Apocalypse gets its world premiere on SyFy.

inmate profile: Taryn Manning

Continuing to spotlight the cast and crew of The Asylum's next release, Zombie Apocalypse, premiering THIS SATURDAY NIGHT ON SYFY @ 9PM, we turn now to the lovely and talented Taryn Manning.

Hailing from the painted terrain of Tuscon, Arizona, Ms. Manning quickly took to the screen, landing her first role at only 16 in the star-launching Nickelodeon series "All That." But it was her turn in 2001's Kirsten-Dunst vehicle Crazy/Beautiful - in which Ms. Manning was first able to showcase her saucy/sultry/sassy side - that the world really took note. 

From there she went on to appear in a spate of films, including the Britney-Spears-starring Crossroads, 8 Mile with Eminem, White Oleander, Cold Mountain, Hustle & Flow, The Breed, and most recently, multiple-episode arcs of television shows "Sons of Anarchy" (one of my favorite programs) and "Hawaii Five-0." 

In addition to her accomplishments on screen, Ms. Manning is also a singer-songwriter - both with her borther Kellin in Boomkat and on her own as a solo artist - and a fashion designer - she co-owns a label called Born Uniqorn, which she also designs for. She was also the cover girl for this year's Playboy Sex & Music issue back in April. Busy lady.

In Zombie Apocalypse, she plays "Ramona," another of the survivors fighting their way across an undead-plagued Los Angeles towards a supposed-sanctuary on Catalina Island. Find out if she brings her usual moxie to the role THIS SATURDAY NIGHT @ 9PM ON SYFY when Zombie Apocalypse makes its world premiere.

11/11/11 Trailer Released

Keeping the news coming in this busy Asylum week - already we've gotten Celebrity Sex Tape info and stills, as well as Air Disaster details - just this morning The Asylum posted the trailer for the upcoming apocalyptic thriller 11/11/11, out 11/1/11 - a few days after the Zombie Apocalypse premiere on SyFy (10/27) and the DVD release of Jared Cohn's Born Bad (11/8) - and this one looks to be a gripping, intense, cerebral drama. Dig the trailer, courtesy of You Tube:

11/11/11 stars Jon Briddell, Hayden Byerly and Erin Coker, and is directed by Keith Allan from a script by he and Kiff Scholl.

MSvC on SyFy !!!

Just a reminder, my fellow faithfully-committed, that this Saturday night, August 20th, Mega Shark vs Crocosaurus will be getting its World Television Premiere on SyFy at 9pm. That gives The Asylum yet another shot at claiming the SyFy Original Movie ratings record of 3.12 million viewers set by Lake Placid 2 a few years back. In recent years films have come close - Lake Placid 3 (directed by Asylum-alum Griff Furst) garnered 3 million viewers, Sharktopus brought in 2.5 last year, and Swamp Shark (also directed by Furst) was watched by 2.2 million viewers. 

So as you can see, creature features bring them in. Three of the four highest-rated SyFy original movies of the last year involve either sharks, or crocodiles. That fourth movie? Mega Python vs Gatoroid, which drew 2.35 million viewers. Add all this up and the only answer is that come Sunday morning, the ratings crown could very well be sitting on The Asylum's handsome head.

Mega Shark vs Crocosaurus was directed by Christopher Ray (Almighty Thor, currently shooting 2 Headed Shark Attack, off a script I wrote based on a story by Ed DeRuiter) and written by Naomi Selfman (Barely Legal, Mega Python vs Gatoroid), two of the best in The Asylum's stable, and stars the incomparable Jaleel White alongside Asylum-mainstay Sarah Lieving and the formidable Gary Stretch. And oh yeah, there's a Star Trek dude in it too, Robert Picardo.

So let's see...we got a shark, a crocodile - both massive - Jaleel White and a Trekkie? What more could SyFy fans possibly want? Tell everyone you know this is going down, Tweet this post, blog it, Facebook it, do whatever non-word verb goes with Google+ it - anything you can to get the word out and the people tuned in. This Saturday night, 9pm, SyFy, a great, fun, highly explosive flick, the stuff of B-movie gold, is gonna be all up on your television; don't miss it!

Asylum Saturday on SyFy - THIS Saturday!

So this coming Saturday, a day I'm officially declaring a holiday, the fine, fine folks at SyFy are showing not one, not two, not even three but four Asylum films, and not a one of them at 3 in the morning! 

Things start off with the undisputed classic Mega Shark vs. Giant Octopus at 1 p.m., then a little break followed by a six-hour mega-marathon that includes Mega Piranha at 5 p.m., Mega Python vs. Gatoroid at 7 and the world television premiere of 2010 Moby Dick, starring Barry Bostwick and Renee O'Connor, written by Paul Bales and directed by Trey Stokes, at 9 p.m. 

So whatever else it is you thought you were doing Saturday, cancel it; four of The Asylum's best are on the boob tube, and you, dear boob, simply can't afford to miss this rare alignment.