The Hitlist Movies Blog

Sam Raimi Moves Into MGM's 'Poltergeist' Remake

Oh, yeah, and they're remaking 'Poltergeist' now

By Kate Erbland Apr 29, 2012 8:40PM

It was really only a matter of time before remake-happy Hollywood sank their teeth into a modern horror classic, but at least this time around, a modern horror master is getting in on the game. THR reports (via ComingSoon) that Sam Raimi is coming on board MGM's "Poltergeist" remake - but only in a producer capacity. The "Evil Dead," "Army of Darkness," "Drag Me to Hell," and "Spider-Man" (the entire Tobey Maguire-starring franchise) director will produce the film alongside Nathan Kahane, Roy Lee, and Robert Tapert. Though Raimi is decidedly not directing, he will help with the studio's search for a directing talent.

Raimi also has a connection to the screenwriter penning the project, still described as focusing "on a family whose house was built on a holy site and whose daughter is taken by ghosts" (just like Tobe Hooper's 1982 film) - it's David Lindsay-Abaire, who also worked on Raimi's next film, "Oz: The Great and Powerful." The rest of Lindsay-Abaire's resume is quite varied, with credits on films like "Inkheart," "Rabbit Hole," and the upcoming "Rise of the Guardians." There's not a horror flick in the bunch - but that could just mean the screenwriter is bringing fresh perspective to the new film.

The original "Poltergeist" (and, to a lesser extent, even its first sequel, "Poltergeist II: The Other Side") is a modern horror classic, directed by Tobe Hooper and written by Steven Spielberg from his own original story. The film was nominated for three Oscars, and it forever associated the name "Carol Anne" with "abject freaking terror." Few movies have haunted me as much as "Poltergeist" did. While there's certainly room for the sort of seminal work that set "Poltergeist" apart from other horror flicks in the genre-heavy eighties in the current climate, horror films these days seem entrenched in all kinds of gimmicks. Remakes aside, Hollywood loves shoe-horning 3D or found footage into new horror films, and both seem like the sort of thing that could get forced on a new "Poltergeist." Frankly, I'd be shocked if the film doesn't receive either treatment - which is a damn shame, because the film was a success as a straightforward tale in 1982, and it could be the same in 2012.

Though the attachment of Raimi to the film does give it some very-necessary horror cachet, it's important to note that, for all of Raimi's work, he was never involved in the original "Poltergeist" or its subsequent sequels. Which begs some questions, like - where are Steven Spielberg or Tobe Hooper?

Do you want to see a new "Poltergeist"?

Videodrone Classics: 'Ultimate Gangster Collection' yesterday and today

Two box sets, one classic and one contemporary, of gangster movie landmarks on Blu-ray

By SeanAx 28 minutes ago

Back in the thirties, as sound remade the movie industry, Warner Bros. blasted into the new decade as the studio of scrappy, snappy, street-smart movies, full of wise-cracking reporters, blue-collar hustlers, and hard-luck guys and dolls struggling to get by in the hard times of the depression. They were also the godfathers of the gangster movie, launching the genre and its two most famous icons with early sound movie landmarks "Little Caesar" (1931) with Edward G. Robinson and "The Public Enemy" (1931) with James Cagney.

Both of those films debut on Blu-ray this week in "Ultimate Gangsters Collection: Classics" (Warner), which arrives with its companion set "Ultimate Gangsters Collection: Contemporary" (Warner). Together they present nine films on Blu-ray, from 1931 to 2006, and a bonus documentary on DVD.

Enter to win a copy of both volumes in a giveaway from MSN and Warner Home Entertainment.

"Classics" is the more exciting of the two releases, as the four landmark gangster movies from Warner Bros. all make their respective Blu-ray debuts this week (they also debut in individual volumes on Blu-ray). Along with "Little Caesar" (1931), which established the classic rise-and-fall arc of the gangster thriller, and "The Public Enemy" (1931), which unleashed dynamo Cagney in a star-making turn, is "The Petrified Forest" (1936), which gave supporting player Humphrey Bogart his breakthrough role as a mad dog of a fugitive killer, and "White Heat" (1949), with Cagney in an explosive performance as the most psychotic gangster in classic cinema: “Made it, ma. Top of the world!”

Continue reading at Videodrone and see clips of Cagney from two films

For more releases, see Hot Tips and Top Picks: DVDs, Blu-rays and streaming video for week of May 21

'V/H/S/2' green band trailer will still give you nightmares

It's blood-free, but certainly not scare-free

By Kate Erbland 53 minutes ago

Kudos to whoever put together this green band trailer for the second entry in the "V/H/S" horror franchise, because they've managed to pack two minutes of marketing with enough scares and screams to ensure that the faint of heart won't even go near the film's red band trailer, let alone the finished project.

Strangely, we mean all of that as a massive compliment.

Bing: More on 'V/H/S/2'

"V/H/S/2" is the first follow-up to last year's "V/H/S," a loosely strung-together collection of horror shorts crafted by some of the genre's brightest rising stars. "V/H/S/2" continues the tradition, using a wraparound story about some (apparently haunted?) VHS tapes that all depict some truly horrific events and run the full gamut of horror tropes.

Bing: More on Adam Wingard

Do you want zombies, aliens, monsters, creepy schoolgirls, and cults? "V/H/S/2" has got all of that (and so much more), and they're all coming to you from such writers and directors as Simon Barrett, Gareth Evans, Jason Eisner, Adam Wingard, and Eduardo Sanchez (and, yes, so many more). If you're at all a horror fan or you're just looking for some fresh filmmaking talent, do yourself a favor and check out the "V/H/S" franchise. Oh, and also? Do yourself another favor and bring someone you can totally cling to during the scary parts.

Check out the green band trailer for the decidedly not green band "V/H/S/2," thanks to Bloody Disgusting, after the break.

Remakes of 'Endless Love' and 'About Last Night' set for same day release

By Kate Erbland 1 hour ago

The eighties are back and they're coming for your heart.

Deadline Hollywood reports that yet another remake of an eighties-era cult classic romance will arrive in theaters just in time to ensure that couples everywhere have something to argue about on the day of love, as "Endless Love" will join "About Last Night" when they both open on Valentine's Day of next year.

Bing: More on 'Endless Love'

The "Endless Love" remake is coming to us from director Shana Feste (of "Country Strong" fame), who will attempt to top Franco Zeffirelli's original 1981 film that starred Brooke Shields and Martin Hewitt and which was over-the-damn-top in every way possible. Teens, if your parents are cagey about you dating and you don't quite get why, give the first "Endless Love" a watch - you'll soon understand where all their worst case scenarios came from (hint: they involve fire and jail). How nutty is "Endless Love"? The first film's official tagline was "The love every parent fears." No, really.

Feste's film stars Alex Pettyfer and Gabriella Wilde. We truly hope this new version is just as bonkers as the first.

Bing: More on 'About Last Night'

For fans of the eighties and love stories, the also-releasing-on-Valentine's-Day remake of "About Last Night" may add just a touch of levity to the box office landscape. A remake of Edward Zwick's 1986 adaptation of the David Mamet play, the new "About Last Night" features an all-black leading cast to change things up a bit, including Kevin Hart, Paula Patton, Joy Bryant, and Michael Ealy. While it may not be as chuckle-heavy as "Endless Love," it should be far more traditionally funny.

Other Valentine's Day releases include "The Maze Runner" and "Vampire Academy: Blood Sisters," so young readers will also have choices when it comes to movie-going. Missing from the box office, however? A new Nicholas Sparks film, a V-Day treat we'd been starting to get with some regularity, thanks to the holiday releases of "Safe Haven," "Dear John," and "Message in a Bottle." We think we'll live without a new Sparks, though, maybe.

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'Just Like a Woman' trailer: 'Thelma & Louise,' with belly dancing

Two gals, a road trip, and some bad dudes (and, yes, belly dancing)

By Kate Erbland 1 hour ago

When Ridley Scott's "Thelma & Louise" hit theaters in 1991, it hit theaters like a damn freight train (or, alternately, like a 1996 Thunderbird convertible careening off a cliff after an ill-fated chase with a mess of cops), irrevocably changing modern feminist cinema and what a "chick flick" could be. Of course, it also spawned its fair share of imitators, but few "Thelma & Louise" wannabes look as close to the original material as Rachid Bouchareb's "Just Like a Woman," which does at least benefit from the injection of a subplot involving belly-dancing, of all things.

Bing: More on 'Just Like a Woman'

Like "Thelma & Louise," Bouchareb's ("Days of Glory," "Outside the Law") film centers on a pair of unhappy housewives, here played by Sienna Miller and Goldshifteh Farahani, who decide to hit the road after a series of personal disasters. Miller's Marilyn is running from a cheating husband and a recently lost job, while Farahani's Mona is struggling with an arranged marriage to a man she doesn't love. The dangling carrot at the end of their trip is a belly dancing competition in Santa Fe, New Mexico that Marilyn is eager to compete in.

Bing: More on Sienna Miller

Yes, it all sort of sounds like the Mad Libs of female-centric road trips movies - a little "cheating husband," a dash of "belly dancing competition," some "Santa Fe" - but even the film's first trailer can't hide the one thing that just might make "Just Like a Woman" stand out, which is a lovely chemistry between Miller and Farahani. If the film really wants to plumb the depths of female friendships, that sort of rapport is a start, and we're eager to see if it actually pans out.

After the break, check out the first trailer for "Just Like a Woman," thanks to Yahoo! Movies, after the break.

Emma Thomson and Emmy Rossum talk about the two worlds in the fantasy drama

By MSN Movies 1 hour ago

This supernatural love story set in the South, “Beautiful Creatures” is a tale of two star-crossed lovers as they uncover dark secrets about their families, their history and their town.

Bing: More on Emmy Rossum

To celebrate the release on Blu-ray and DVD we’re giving away copies of “Beautiful Creatures.” Watch this exclusive as Emma Thompson and Emmy Rossum takes you behind the scenes and enter to win a copy of the movie!

"Beautiful Creatures" is now available on Blu-ray and DVD.

Here’s how you enter the giveaway!

1. Like MSN Movies Facebook and follow MSN Movies Twitter.

2. Share the giveaway on your Facebook with friends and tweet and comment the following message: I want to win the @MSNmovies #BEAUTIFULCREATURES giveaway!

3. Email msnmovies@hotmail.com with the following message: I want to win the @MSNmovies #BEAUTIFULCREATURES

4. Stay in touch with MSN Movies Facebook to see if you've been selected as the winner.

Entries are accepted until Tuesday, May 28. Good luck, MSN Movies fans!

Final 'Man of Steel' trailer lays down the stakes

Superman must surrender or Earth pays, blah blah blah

By Corwin Neuse 3 hours ago

While the first few trailers for Zach Snyder's hotly anticipated upcoming "Man of Steel" were full of operatic bombast, weepy nostalgia, epic Kevin Costner voice over, and dreamy images of faded Americana, they weren't so much with the face punching. Or the plot. The latest clip, and presumably the last, lays down the stakes pretty clearly, however.

Bing: 'Man of Steel' | Michael Shannon

General Zod, as played by the terrifying Michael Shannon, wants Superman. For whatever reason. Earth is accused of harboring Superman. If Superman doesn't surrender or isn't brought forward, Zod will destroy Earth. Spaceships, explosions, and various super-powered men (and women!) flying through the air to annihilate each other's faces with their fists ensue. Basically, it's like everything we've always wanted from a Superman movie, but have never gotten before.

What do you think, Hitlisters? Overly excited for "Man of Steel?" What looks better, this or "The Wolverine?" Are you disturbed by the implied changes to Superman's mythology? (Krypton may or may not have been destroyed in a civil war; Kal-El is more than just Jor-El's son, but represents a paradigm shift in Kryptonian evolution, etc.) Check out the trailer, posted below, and let us know what you think in the comments, or on MSN Movies Facebook and MSN Movies Twitter.

Soderbergh's intelligent take on a familiar genre reminds us how much we'll miss his touch

By SeanAx 23 hours ago

Steven Soderbergh says that "Side Effects" (Universal) is his last theatrical feature before retirement (he doesn't count his upcoming made-for-HBO film "Behind the Candelabra"). The modestly scaled but satisfying thriller reminds us just how much we'll miss his take presence on the big screen.

What begins as a medical drama of wonder drugs and pharmaceutical conspiracy turns into a sly psychological thriller, with Jude Law as a committed psychiatrist and Rooney Mara as a troubled patient with a coldly calculating soul. Law prescribes a new, experimental drug to combat her depression and anxiety attacks (recommended by fellow therapist Catherine Zeta-Jones, all very controlled and steely), Mara ends up killing her husband (Channing Tatum) in a sleepwalking nightmare, and the more he looks into the suppressed side effects of the drug, the more suspicions are raised about the whole situation. Meanwhile the film's observation on how cozy the medical profession is with the pharmaceutical industry, and how her murder trial is intertwined with big business and medical malpractice, puts a whole new angle on the stakes of the murder trial.

"Side Effects" is less twisty in retrospect than it appears as the drama unfolds moment to moment. Like so many of Soderbergh's films, it turns on human nature, perception, and expectations, which Soderbergh and screenwriter Scott Z. Burns play with to great effect. As Law's ambitious, seemingly sincere, and possibly paranoid psychiatrist says, the best predictor of future behavior is past behavior. Fittingly the entire last act rests on that simple observation.

Continue reading at Videodrone

For more releases, see Hot Tips and Top Picks: DVDs, Blu-rays and streaming video for week of May 21

Jean Grey returns in the latest trailer for 'The Wolverine'

Okay, why can't this come out already?

By Corwin Neuse Tue 9:45 AM

Any remaining confusion about where "The Wolverine" would fall in the "X-Men" saga's chronology—is it a straight sequel to "X-Men Origins: Wolverine?" Is it a standalone film?—has seemingly been cleared up by its latest trailer, posted below. In it, Wolverine/Logan is haunted by dreams (or are they?) of the ostensibly late Jean Grey, as played by Famke Jannsen. The last time we saw Jean Grey, if you'll remember, was as she was being murdered/mercy killed by ol' Mega Sideburns at the end of the otherwise execrable "X-Men: The Last Stand."

Bing: 'The Wolverine' | Famke Jannsen

What else does the clip reveal? It seems Wolvie is still struggling with his conscience—you know, all those thousands of people he's killed—and the spectre of his own, er, immortality. The seemingly benevolent (or is he?) Ken Watanabe offers a solution/cure, and then... Ninjas! Oh, and what's that? Wolverine fighting the Silver Samurai? We get our first look at the giant baddie, along with quick peeks at two additional adversaries; Viper, with her green snake tongue, and the quick-moving, blade-weilding Yukio.

What do you think, Hitlisters? Glad to see Jackman back in bad-ass mode, instead of prancing about Napoleonic France belting show tunes? Think this looks better than "Iron Man 3" or "Man of Steel?" What will be the best comic book movie of 2013? Check out the trailer below, and let us know in the comments, or tell us on MSN Movies Facebook or MSN Movies Twitter.