2 Headed Shark Attack Casting News - And It's TOO COOL!!!

So, the fine, fine folks over at The Asylum have posted the first cast names for their upcoming creature classic 2 Headed Shark Attack - which I wrote based on a story by Ed DeRuiter for director Christopher Ray - and brace yourself, people, because these are some SPECTACULAR names, the kind of stuff B-movie gold is made of.

First up, in the role of "Babish," the Captain/Professor of the semester-at-sea, we got the great Charlie O'Connell, best known for his work on the TV show "Sliders," "The Bachelor" - on which he was the title fella in question - and films like Dude Where's My Car, The New Guy, and a very cool creature flick I happen to enjoy quite a bit, Kraken, Tentacles of the Deep. Rad flick, and O'Connell gives a great performance in it. Dude's also the brother of Jerry O'Connell, the fat kid from Stand By Me. 

Next up, in the role of "Anne," Babish's wife and ship's medic, is the sultry and stunning Carmen Electra. I'm gonna say that again, because I like it: Carmen Electra is in a movie I wrote. Adolescent Perry is pretty pleased right now. If you don't know who Carmen Electra is, welcome to Earth or happy 0th birthday. Ms. Electra has been in a few horror films, but up to now they've typically had a comedic slant. I for one am super excited to see her take on a straight-up, thrilling, chilling, blood-letting creature feature. 

And then there's "Kate," a prominent student, who shall be portrayed by one Brooke Hogan, best known for being the fruit of Hulk's loins. Believe it or not, Ms. Hogan already has an Asylum connection: her last film, Sand Sharks, was directed by the one and only Mark Atkins, director of Battle of Los Angeles and the upcoming Dragon Crusaders, along with scores of other films.











Beyond these three, the only other cast members mentioned are Christina Bach Norman and David Gallegos, who will be playing other prominent students.

This one's a big cast, though, so this is are only the first wave of names to break, but the principles roles have been filled and then some by those above. 2 Headed Shark Attack hits DVD on January 17th, 2012. Tell everyone you know, and keep popping by here or my Twitter account for up-to-the-second updates...

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 Should-Stars #11

Here at Committed, I'm always looking for ways to prolong my love affair with Asylum blogging. I've done inmate profiles and I've done pitches, but now, I'm melding the best of these features into one, amalgamated column: the awkwardly-named Asylum Should-Stars, in which I present actors/actresses/other cultural figures I think would make lovely additions to the Asylum's stable of performers. More mindless fun to wile away your workday! Let's dive right in, shall we?

Name: Danielle Harris


Best Known For: Halloween 4, 5 (original series), Halloween 1, 2 (new series), plus a slew of horror titles like Hatchet 1 & 2, Stake Land, Blood Night, Cyrus and Godkiller. Take note, gentlemen, this is our modern-era's indie scream-queen.


Plays: Literally everything - good girls, bad girls, powerful women, hapless victims, ass-kickers and cowering puddles of emotion. Girls' got crazy skills, all over the board.


Could Be Cast As: You got a female lead in pretty much any horror film that needs filling, Ms. Harris is your women. Added bonus: she's adept behind the lens as well. Her second directorial effort, Among Friends, is in production now.

Name: Alan Ruck


Best Known For: "Cameron" in Ferris Bueller's Day Off, "Stuart" in Spin City.


Plays: quirky intellectuals, smarmy authority figures, the frazzled.


Could Be Cast As: For Mr. Ruck, I'm picturing a kind of Nic Cage-Rock role, that is, a highly specialized scientist for a top-secret government organization who is forced to enter the field for the first time ever in order to prevent a cataclysm of one sort or another.

Name: Heather Langenkamp


Best Known For: I shouldn't have to write this, because you all know who she is, but just in case, she played "Nancy" in A Nightmare on Elm Street, A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors, and Wes Craven's New Nightmare.


Plays: "Nancy" is pretty much it, of note, unless you count Growing Pains spinoff Just the Ten of Us, which no one does. No one.


Could Be Cast As: I'm seeing a switch-up for Ms. Langenkamp, one of horror's most reviled victims; let's make her that ever-elusive female serial killer, somewhere pastoral, somewhere quaint where nothing is as it seems. After 30 years of being chased, I think she's earned a chance to turn the tables.

Zombie Apocalypse Coming!

The Asylum's really been dropping the surprise flicks on us this year: first there was Anneliese: The Exorcist Tapes, announced only a week or so before release, then there was last month's sudden announcement about upcoming thriller 11/11/11, and now, out of (kinda) nowhere, behold the production stills for Zombie Apocalypse!

Would that be a pipe Mr. Rhames is hitting with?

Yep. That's Ving Rhames. VING RHAMES. In an Asylum movie. TOO AWESOME! And as if Ving wasn't enough, this one also boasts the acting talents of Taryn Manning (Hustle & Flow, Crossroads), Lesley-Ann Brandt (Spartacus), Johnny Pacar (Make It or Break It), Eddie Steeples (My Name is Earl, Office Depot commercials) and Asylum-staple Gerald Webb (Battle of Los Angeles, Titanic II, upcoming A Haunting in Salem.)

But wait, there's even more awesomeness here!

Zombie Apocalypse is being directed by one Nick Lyon, best known for helming the most-recent Species film, The Awakening. And the script - oh man - the script is being written by two newcomers, Craig Engler and Brooks Peck. The neat thing here, is that Engler is a Senior Executive at the SyFy network. That's right, The Asylum and SyFy working together on what has to be one of the biggest productions in the studio's history. 

So go, check out the pictures, pass them on to friends and family because this one's gonna be EPIC. Zombie Apocalypse  hots DVD December 27th of this year, but something tells me there might be a television premiere looming for this one...

creature feature: Moby Dick

I had the pleasure of re-watching Trey Stokes and Paul Bales' modern-masterpiece 2010 Moby Dick the other day, and it reminded me I had yet to shine the Committed creature feature spotlight on this titular, terrible white whale. Well, consider that oversight overturned.

Now, it should be noted that while this film, and its whale, are based on the Herman Melville's novel of the same name - minus the 2010, of course* - this is by no means the same whale. Melville's cetacean is vicious, yes, but it's still a conceivable whale, size-wise. 2010 Moby is amped up on whey protein or something, cuz mofo's the size of...I honestly don't have anything comparable in mind. It's huge, the kind of huge that can seize a nuclear sub in its jaws the way I would a baguette.

Furthermore, while the whale in Melville's classic was a bane on the existence of one very obsessive sea captain and the unfortunate crew serving under him, 2010 Moby is a full-blown menace to society, destroying everything he comes across, from the sub above to the whale-watching vessel above that, to the army chopper below. Dude just wants to kill, no rhyme, no reason, other than being the biggest predator in the history of history and having, as such, a comparable appetite.

Massive, sharply-toothed - no baleen here - and covered blowhole to belly in tough, thick, near impenetrable blubber; even Greenpeace would want this thing dead. I could offer speculative conjecture as to who would win in a fight, Moby or Mega Shark, Moby or Giant Octopus, Moby or Crocosaurus and so on, but the simple answer is, Moby would just swallow them like Jonahs, fight over. 

So a Committed salute, then, to what might just be the top of the Asylum food-chain, the Alpha predator in a menagerie of alpha predators: the melanin-deprived marine terror that is 2010 Moby Dick. If you haven't laid witness to the film yet, remedy that error toot suite.


*can you imagine how sweet it would have been if Melville had applied his nautical fetish to the sort of speculative fiction of Wells and Verne? I think the closest we get is China Mieville.

Thanks for 100,000 Hits!!!

With 18 days remaining until Committed's first birthday, the blog recorded its 100,000th hit at 7:21PM, PST this evening. Not too shabby.

A sincere and heartfelt thanks to everyone who' s popped by over the last 12 months, especially those of you who've done it often, and extra-especially to those of you who have let me write screenplays for your awesome company. This blog = my best idea EVER. And without readers, it would be just more meaningless flotsam in an endless digital sea. 

Thanks for reading my flotsam. Only awesome things ahead...

outside the walls: August DVD Releases

I recognize that not all great films are made exclusively by The Asylum and that, in fact, there's a whole world of film outside these walls, some of which might actually interest Asylum fans - when they're not watching or re-watching Asylum films, of course. And, being as I'm only looking out for your viewing well-being, here's a peek at some other DVD releases this month which might satiate you between Asylum releases. But remember, as always, Sweet n' Low ain't sugar.

Aug. 2

The Coffin

 


Cougar Hunting

Exit 33

Quarantine 2: Terminal

Stake Land

Strigoi: The Undead

Yellow Brick Road














Aug. 9

Camp Hell

Evil Things

Frat House Massacre

Super

Paul














Aug. 16

Arctic Blast

Dexter Season 5

Lizard Boy

Priest

The Ward














Aug. 23

The Bleeding House

Meteor Storm

Troll Hunter















Aug. 30

Bereavement

Roadkill

Bikini Girls on Ice

Children of the Corn: Genesis

Norwegian Ninja

Red Faction: Origins 

First Stills From 11/11/11...and an AWESOME Poster!

The current Asylum film in production - the apocalyptic thriller 11/11/11 from director Keith Allen - just released a set of production stills over on Flickr.

  

From the looks of it, this is gonna be a heady slugfest. And then there's the poster...

Little bit of The Omen, little bit of Amittyville, and all kinds of creepy. See for yourself when 11/11/11 drops on DVD on 11/1/11, giving you ten days to prepare for the inevitable.

Shark Week, Asylum-Style! On the Road with Gemi the 2 Headed Shark!

As I posted a few days ago, the next Asylum film to enter production, 2 Headed Shark Attack (which I wrote, based on a story by Ed DeRuiter) is currently gearing up in a major, spectacular way. The film's director, Christopher Ray (Almighty Thor, Mega Shark vs. Crocosaurus) is making his way across this great nation of ours as we speak, hauling what has to be the most awesome cargo ever:

A 2-headed shark affectionately nicknamed Gemi. 

Ray's going old school on this one, it seems, not relying entirely on CGI but putting an actual model in the water, a beautiful, expertly crafted, marvelously frightening and spot-on model. 

But before Gemi hits the Atlantic waters off the coast of Florida, he's taking some time to pose with some of the first of his inevitable legion of fans.

This is Gemi hanging out with a fella by the name of Eugene at a Chevron station in Blythe, California, right on the Arizona border. Looks like Ray's taking I-10 clear across into the pan-handle, which is a beautiful highway. I've driven it a handful of times myself, and strongly suggest a stop in beautiful Van Horn, Texas, within view of Mexico's ethereal Guadalupe Mountains. Just a travel tip.

Then Tuesday we got a few new shots from the grand state of Texas:

This is Gemi hanging out in the parking lot of a Mexican Restaurant. I like his style.

And this is Gemi snacking on a very happy child. I can't tell if Mom is trying to pull him out or push him in. Either way, that's the coolest vacation photo I've ever seen.

And here's Gemi kicking it with two lovely young ladies in beautiful Beaumont, Texas. 

From Texas, Gemi dropped into the deep-fried South, where he took a moment in Louisiana to pose with some genuine Southern Belles...

...and to have a bite (you didn't actually think I'd get through this without a horrible pun, did you? for shame...).


But when Gemi crossed over into Florida, folks in the Sunshine State were a little too skittish to get near the shark (backlash from Jaws 3, no doubt) so it was up to the film's intrepid Production Designer (I don't know who this is, but I'll find out) to pose with Gemi.

My favorite part about this one is the sign over the truck advertising "Real Hamburgers." If you guys run across any signs advertising "Fake Hamburgers," I vehemently request another photo.


So there you have it, one 2-headed shark's journey across this great country of ours - or at least the southern part, which for my confederate money is the best - seeing the sights, connecting with fans, and most importantly, amping itself up for next year's biggest shark film (that's right, Dark Tide, bring it). 


2 Headed Shark Attack starts filming in a couple weeks for a January 17, 2012 DVD release. Details as they become available...

(Some) Details for 2 Headed Shark Attack!!!

Item 2 on this big news day is the page for 2 Headed Shark Attack, which also went up over at The Asylum site. And while it doesn't have as many details as 11/11/11, the ones it does have excite me quite a bit. Mostly because I wrote the script, based on a great story by Ed Deruiter, the fella who wrote 3 Musketeers. Check out the awesome plot:

"When a Semester at Sea ship is sunk by a mutated two-headed shark, the survivors escape to a deserted atoll. But when it starts flooding, the coeds are no longer safe from the double jaws of the monster."


We already knew the film was being directed by Christopher Douglas-Olen Ray (Almighty Thor, Mega Shark vs Crocosaurus), who as we speak is transporting that beautiful beast pictured above to sunny Florida, and now we know when we can expect this instant classic to arrive: January 17, 2012.

No cast announcements as of yet, but no one's waiting on more pins and needles than I am, so the second The Asylum makes it public, it'll be posted here.


Needless to say, I am tickled chartreuse with delight to have gotten the opportunity to write this. Anyone who knows me well would use the phrase "shark movie freak" within the first 12 seconds of describing me; this is a pretty big deal in my strange little world. And while I can't tell you much (or anything) about the story beyond what's above, I can tell you that this movie is gonna be awesome - AWESOME - and you should run tell everyone you know that it's happening. Two heads. Oh the possibilities...

Details for 11/11/11 !!!

So, part one of the big news today is that The Asylum has released info on their latest production, 11/11/11. The film, a horror-thriller is described as:

"Jack and Melissa are frightened by their son's bizarre and violent behavior; they soon learn that he is the gateway to the Apocalypse, and it will happen on his birthday, 11-11-11."

The film is being directed by Keith Allen, who, if I have the right guy, has one credit on IMDB, for acting in the upcoming 3 Musketeers. Mr. Allen also wrote the script, along with one Kiff Scholl, who has quiet an extensive resume as an actor - including appearances in "Reno 911" and "Criminal Minds" - and has one other writing credit for a funny film (I've actually seen it, not just blowing smoke) entitled Scream of the Bikini, which he also directed.


As for the cast, it includes Jon Bridell - Hot Wax Zombies on Wheels, Hatchetman, The Millennium Bug, Midnight Movie - Hayden Byerly, the bizarre little dude in question, and Erin Coker, another newcomer.


This one's set to bow on DVD November 1st, right smack in the middle of what's gearing up to be a busy and awesome Asylum fall, what with A Haunting in Salem, 3 Musketeers, Born Bad, Dragon Crusaders and 11/11/11 all getting released within a six week period. Awesome!


And speaking of awesome, this is only part one of the big news...come back in about half an hour for GIANT NEWS!

Mega Shark vs. Crocosaurus Gets a SyFy Premiere!

Last year's best shark film, Mega Shark vs Crocosaurus - suck it, Sharktopus - will finally get the primetime exposure it deserves on the 20th of this month when it makes its World Television Premiere on the greatest network in the history of television, SyFy.

That's right, fellow inmates, we're getting another crack at shattering the SyFy Saturday Night Original Movie ratings record, currently held by Lake Placid 3 - helmed by former inmate Griff Furst - at 3 million viewers. The only two flicks to even come close are shark flicks - it-who-shall-not-be-named at 2.5 million and Furst's follow-up Swamp Shark at 2.2 million - meaning if we start blogging, facebooking, tweeting and whatever else right now, we got a real chance at taking the crown.

Either way, a great film is coming to a great channel on a undoubtedly pleasant summer evening. Jaleel White, Gary Stretch and Robert Picardo star for director Christopher Ray - currently starting work on his next film, The Asylum's 2 Headed Shark Attack, details coming soon, promise - from a script by Naomi Selfman.

Saturday, August 20th at 9 p.m. is when it goes down. Tell ten people to tell ten people right now!

Another Haunting in Salem Cast Member Revealed!

With a little more than two months before the DVD premiere of A Haunting in Salem, The Asylum film I wrote (never going to stop mentioning that, ever), we're still being teased with bits and pieces of the production. Last week the first trailer was released, and now there's another cast member who's been added to the film's IMDB page: a man they call Sonny King.

Mr. King has a pretty extensive filmography, stretching back to the late 80's and including some pretty rad/well-known titles like Order of the Eagle with Frank Stallone, Murder in the First with Kevin Bacon and Gary Oldman, Eraser with Ah-nold and Jimmy Caan, Counter Measures with Michael Dudikoff and directed by Fred Olen Ray (father of Mega Shark vs Crocosaurus/Almighty Thor director Christopher Ray), Agent Red with Dolph Lundgren, as well as the upcoming 333 with Corin Nemic and A Haunting in Salem lead actor Bill Oberst Jr.

As some of these films obviously suggest, Mr. King is often cast into military-action-oriented flicks, which makes sense because he seems like a pretty intimidating dude, at least in photographic form. In Salem, however, he will be playing the role of McSwain, a groundskeeper, a different sort of character from what you might be used to seeing him play. And that's all I'm going to say about that other than I bet he nails it.


Find out for yourself this October 4th - aka the Best Day In The History of Ever (pt.1) around my house - when A Haunting in Salem drops on DVD and Blu-Ray. Oh, and if you have one of those baller 3D TVs, you're in luck, because this bad boy also scares the crap out of you across all three dimensions. Oh yes...