Ahead of the film’s release in May, horror hounds can get an early peak at the unsettling captivity in the official trailer.

While holidaying in Berlin, Australian photographer, Clare, meets Andi, a charismatic local man and there is an instant attraction between them. A night of passion ensues. But what initially appears to be the start of a romance, takes an unexpected and sinister turn when Clare wakes the following morning to discover Andi has left for work and locked her in his apartment. An easy mistake to make, of course, except Andi has no intention of letting her go again. Ever.

Directed by Cate Shortland and based on the novel of the same name by Melanie Joosten, Berlin Syndrome is slated to hit theaters on May 26th by Vertical Entertainment. A North American Netflix release will follow shortly after that date.

Stay tuned to Yell! Magazine for much more daily news.

From the early 1980s motif to the script, Nathaniel Atcheson’s (writer/director) Domain is absolutely brilliant in its storytelling, simplicity, and ability to engage the imagination. In an age in which we live more and more hours in front of our screens, engaging in social media with little to no consequence, Domain (see what they did there with the title?) plays out like the social experiment that it is, only this one is under the guise of deadly viral threat.

Survivors of the viral threat are winners of a lottery and now live in solitary bunkers 30 feet below ground. Survivors are placed in groups of seven and only have contact with one another via their video/computer console. With no physical contact, controlled sleep cycles, a diet consisting of rationed powdered drinks, and little to nothing else to do but participate in video chat, it’s a wonder that our seven characters have lasted as many years as they have.

As the film progresses we get to know the individual characters in small increments, and as their situation worsens, their true colors are revealed. I don’t want to give away the movie, because it does have a fantastic twist, but keep in mind that no one is who they seem to be.

The Verdict:

Since seeing the first clip I wanted to like Domain, and I did! Domain is completely captivating and tension just builds and builds. I can see where influence from Unfriended might have come into play, but given society’s current obsession with social media, films like this are going to happen. Unlike Unfriended, Domain is firmly planted in the sci-fi genre and really shows what can be done with a solid script, an amazing cast, a good director, and a small budget.

Rock Hard \m/

I wonder what William Golding (author of Lord of the Flies) would think of Kinji Fukasaku’s film starring Japanese icon Takeshi Kitano and a large cast of teens. Would he appreciate the discarding of most of the plot points that build up to murder in his novel and have all his characters just go at it right from the start? Instead of being shipwrecked, the kids (40 9th graders of both sexes) are kidnapped (well, more like tricked into thinking they are going on an innocent class trip) and forced into a fight for their lives.

Sick of putting up with disrespectful and disruptive students who refuse to listen in class and debase themselves with sex, alcohol, and drugs, their professor (Kitano) decides to teach them all the ultimate lesson. Placing traps and caches of weapons around an island they now inhabit, Kitano informs the group that they must kill one another until only one survives. If they refuse, they will all be killed immediately. If the game doesn’t have a winner at the end of the three days, the remaining students left alive will be killed also.

Fukasaku’s screenplay, taken from the novel by Koushun Takami, must have resonance with every public school teacher around the world as its sentiment is representational, though extremely exaggerated. The film, if taken seriously, is a chilling reaction to modern teen behavior (as the teachers are worse than those they punish, making their authority illegitimate). But if viewed under the context it is given, as entertainment, it becomes a fun and satirical look at what would be the results if every frustrated teacher’s evil imagination ran amok through the student population.

Even if the stepping on shards of glass is painfully deliberate, we’re still going to share this latest clip from Alyce Kills with you. The scene is beautifully shot, from the lighting to the cuts, and it induces a certain level of fear while creating curiosity in the viewer.

As we previously announced, Alyce Kills will be released in select theaters on May 24, 2013. It will be available on Cable VOD in partnership with Tribeca Films and for digital streaming on May 21, 2013.

Rock Hard \m/

Check out the official theatrical trailer and let us know what you think of Alyce Kills.

Alyce Kills official synopsis:

After accidentally knocking her best friend off a roof, Alyce is haunted by guilt and delves into a brutal nightmare wonderland of sex, drugs and violence, her mind tearing itself apart – along with anyone else who gets in her way. Director Jay Lee (Zombie Strippers) takes us down the rabbit hole and unleashes enough chaos and horror to satisfy any gore hound.

Alyce Kills stars Tamara Feldman (Hatchet), James Duval (Donnie Darko, Doom Generation), Eddie Rouse (Pandorum, Undertow), Larry Cedar (The Crazies), Yorgo Constantine (Fast Five), Megan Gallagher (Millenium) Rena Owen (Once We Were Warriors), Tracey Walter (Repo Man, Batman), Bret Roberts (May, Nightstalker), and Jade Dornfeld making her film debut as the titular character Alyce.

Alyce Kills will be released in select theaters on May 24, 2013. It will be available on Cable VOD in partnership with Tribeca Films and for digital streaming on May 21, 2013.

Rock Hard \m/

I kind of wonder if the tagline at the end of the trailer is a nod to its own badness as a film.

Intrusive Behavior synopsis:

After 10 year old Heidi is committed to an institution for behavioral problems, Her family moves on with their lives. When they are told Heidi has committed suicide they feel they can finally break free of the guilt of abandoning their child 15 years earlier. But all is not what it seems as the family is stalked by an intruder who has a debt to settle.

Intrusive Behavior was directed by Brian Troxell and stars Jessica Cameron, Heather Dorff, Lorrie Remington, and Taylor Frase.

Rock Hard \m/

TV Guide reported the following:

Greenblatt said Hannibal could make it on the schedule before the end of the season if other midseason offerings fizzled. But he also said it could be held for summer, where it might be competitive against high-quality cable dramas. Added Salke: “It’s very unique. It’s like a procedural you’ve never seen before.”

On the other hand, if things go well for NBC this season then we will most likely see the pilot episode of the series air in the summer, which is directed by David Slade. Hannibal focus on the budding relationship between FBI criminal profiler Will Graham (Hugh Dancy) and Dr. Hannibal Lecter (Mads Mikkelsen), a forensic psychiatrist destined to become Graham’s most cunning enemy.

Hannibal TV Series

Yeesh. What can one say about a remake like this?

The short version is that it’s a properly modernized but heavily diluted version of the original that may cause people to miss the point entirely. In fact, you could even say that it’s been written in a way that makes it depressingly easy to miss the point.

But it takes some hefty explanation, so we’ll get to that in a moment.

First, a synopsis.

David Sumner (James Marsden) plays a Harvard-bred screenwriter who’s decided to find quiet refuge in his girlfriend Amy’s hometown (Kate Bosworth). As the hired crew of contractors led by Amy’s old high school flame, Charlie (Alexander Skarsgard) take turns subtly emasculating David and walking around like they own the place, David is left with the sole option of beating his chest and taking charge. The problem though, is that he exudes an air of politeness that would challenge even Kermit the Frog.

"Light Beer, please."

You see, the original portrayed David as a hard-nosed mathematician who underwent a terrifying change toward the end, instigated the violent climax, and sacrificed his humanity to assert his masculinity. You weren’t quite sure whether or not you were supposed to like him, and so it placed this revenge fantasy into an uncomfortable gray area. The whole thing made us think about how we view the action of dishing out lethal retribution, and left us with a story in which there were no real good guys. Even David’s wife was terrified of him by the end.

Rod Lurie is clearly going for this, but it might falter on account of two things:

THING NUMBER 1: James Marsden might be a bit too heroic.

THING NUMBER 2: We’re pretty much desensitized to violence by now.

Way back in 1971, the shocking conclusion to the film would nauseate even the most hardened moviegoers and critics. Now — since it’s not really anything out of the ordinary — we welcome it with satisfaction.

To an extent, David is pretty much a namby-pamby intellectual who’s getting his toes stepped on by the locals. While they’re working on his roof, they come and go as they please and raid his fridge regularly for on-the-job drinks. David still wants to be the man of the house, but he still feels that it’s in his best interest to try to gain their respect and be diplomatic about marking his territory.

Of course, the rednecks don’t listen.

They don’t take kindly to his atheism, lack of practical hunting knowledge and disinterest in football. They do things differently in Mississippi, but David still refuses to bow down to their level. They feel insulted by him because, well, he’s just totally passive-aggressive. He walks out during sermons and subtly insinuates that the movies he writes are too high-brow for these cro-magnons.

"Er, how do you work this damn thing again?"

So you could say he’s asking for it — he doesn’t like the rednecks, and they don’t like him, but it doesn’t hit as hard as it used to. It’s a hell of a lot easier to see him as a hero in this film than in the original. The ambiguity isn’t as pronounced this time around, and so it’s easy to miss. Instead, it just feels kind of preachy against the deep South.

But of course, whether or not David should be held in high esteem is made obvious by the shockingly violent final set piece, right?

Yeah, erm, no.

Why? Because violence just doesn’t have that sickening punch that it used to. Mixed Martial Arts, any horror movie based on shock value, Fox News — they’re all appealing because we’re a nation that thrives on seeing people getting all banged up. Hell, we suck it down by the goddamn barrel. “I’ll take a Big Mac — no onions — a side of fries, a Diet Coke, and some violence, please. Supersized.”

But that’s just how things are; violence is fantastic.

We’re not supposed to be hooting and hollering by the final climax, we’re supposed to be appalled by it. When audiences in 1971 had witnessed the original, they were freaked out of their minds — they had just never seen anything like it. It represented an intelligent man of passivity who has to make the descent into the territorial rage that he despises the most. In order to stand his ground, he had to become the thing he hates. It was fascinating, but only in a way that made people uncomfortable.

Nowadays, it’s the type of thing that makes Yosemite Sam dance around and shoot his pistols in the air. We see some dorky pretty-boy finally go nuts, and we clap and cheer and jerk each other off. We’re happy to see David finally make it out alive, but maybe he’s a bit too happy.

The original even had him slap his wife around at this point so that she’d quiet down and stop breaking his concentration — eventually, she cried out to the antagonists for help.

Do we get any of that nihilistic morality here? Nope. Just tasty violence that goes down smooth.

And so, without the shock and poignancy, what do you have left?

"Well, there's James Woods."

Indeed. Indeed there is. He’s a wonderful man of exuberance, but he’s not exactly worth the price of admission.

The Verdict: [rating:2.5]

And so, it’s all up to you now, gentle reader. If you want to see a mild-mannered screenwriter flip out and kill people, then you’ll probably be entertained, but you’ll be in for a lot of forced tension. Yeah, it’s cool to see some glorious nerd-vengeance, but some might feel that it’s too little, too late. If you like your revenge fantasies deconstructed, then just watch the original.

Yell! Rating (x/5 Skulls):

[rating:2.5]

Year Released:

16 September 2011

Director:

Rod Lurie

Cast/Crew

James Marsden, Kate Bosworth, James Woods, Dominic Purcell, Rhys Coiro, Billy Lush, Laz Alonso, Willa Holland, Walton Goggins, Anson Mount, and Alexander Skarsgård

Genre

Thriller

Official URL:

Straw Dogs (2011)

What made the film great, and panned by any feminist who ever saw the film, was the way Peckinpah played with the viewers sense of morality. He took rape out of the black and white and slammed it full force into the grey. He even slapped every person with the creed of “no means no” when it comes to sexual assault, forcefully across the face. All of the excuses rapists had used to get free in court were up on the screen for everyone to see. Amy Sumner liked to go bra-less, she had a look in her eye of sexual desire, and therefore she was asking for it. Her husband was an inadequate man too-boot and her rapist looked on it as an invitation.

Not satisfied with the mere preliminaries of sexual invitation, Peckinpah even had Amy battle in her head, during the rape, whether she actually enjoyed the sexual violence being perpetrated on her by her ex-lover. It shows up in her face and actions, and this is where Peckinpah really fucks with your head for the first time.

But does Peckinpah leave it at that? Does he let you retreat and recover your sense of self? No he doesn’t. While your still battling with the voices in your head trying to answer the question every man has when faced with a flirtatious woman who seems to be inviting him into a sexual encounter but has no intention on seeing it through, that is, does she want me to force her? is she the type who likes to be manhandled? where do I draw the line and stop? Peckinpah then throws at you another dilemma.

David finds out about the violence. He finally comes out of his timid shell and mans-up. But he doesn’t turn from a pacifist into a well-adjusted human being. The rape of his wife and now the imprisonment inside his house by Charlie and his buddies brings out a vengeful animal. He doesn’t just defend himself and his wife, he takes visceral pleasure in inflicting pain and death on his enemies. You must cope with the violence and summon your sense of right and wrong to try to figure out whether what your seeing is justifiable. You jump back and forth between the one part of you that realizes that given the same situation you might do exactly as David is doing and take pleasure in it just as much as David seems to be and the other part of you that is disgusted by this enjoyment.

Knowing that these questions are continually being asked to this day, meaning that the film remains and always will remain relevant, why remake it. If the answer to the rape question posed in Straw Dogs needed answering, The Accused did that job already. But that seems to be more beside the point as the trailer seems to indicate a direct retelling of the original story. Since we know that the film is not rated X and therefore can’t be an exaggeration or more extreme version of the original, we must again ask, what’s the point? As to whether the film will be any good, we’ll just have to wait and see.

Straw Dogs Trailer:

Straw Dogs (2011), Kate Bosworth and James Marsden

Yell! Magazine Review:

Let’s say your wife was murdered. Let’s also say that you have no short term memory and you are determined to catch the killer despite your disability. If you can picture this, then you have the plot to this interesting movie by Christopher Nolan. Guy Pierce stars as Leonard Shelby, a man who uses tattoos, polaroids, and notes to retain information he loses from his memory as soon as he sleeps or becomes distracted.

A film concept that would drive almost any writer and director insane with its numerous chances for disaster, Christopher Nolan does an excellent job of moving the plot forward and Pierce is stellar in this character role.

[rating:4.5]

Memento: 10th Anniversary Special Edition Blu-ray (Release: Feb 22, 2011)

Ten years after its powerful theatrical debut, the new classic thriller Memento celebrates its anniversary with the arrival of a new 10th Anniversary Blu-ray Disc release. Written and directed by Christopher Nolan (Inception, The Dark Knight), this mind-bending film debuts with an all-new director-approved high definition transfer. Suspenseful and unique, Memento stars Guy Pearce (The Hurt Locker) as Leonard, a man who suffers from a rare brain disorder on a mission for revenge. The 10th Anniversary Blu-ray Disc comes packed with special features including a brand new featurette with the director discussing the legacy of the film, plus the director’s script, audio commentary with Christopher Nolan, the original short story, “Anatomy of a Scene” and more!

Blu-ray Special Features:

• * “Remembering Memento” – a 10-year anniversary look back on the making of the film
• * “Anatomy of a Scene”
• * IFC Interview with Writer/Director Christopher Nolan
• * Audio commentary with Director Christopher Nolan
• * Memento Mori – Short Story by Jonathan Nolan
• * Feature Script
• * Tattoo Gallery
• * Leonard’s Journal

Production Notes:

• Year of Production: 2000
• Type: Special Edition
• Closed Captioned: English SDH
• Genre: Thriller
• Subtitles: English and Spanish
• Feature Running Time: 113 minutes
• Blu-ray Audio Status: 5.1 DTS HD Master Audio
• Blu-ray Format: 1080P High Definition 16×9 Widescreen (2.35:1)

Release Date: February 22, 2011