LD Entertainment announced today the North American acquisition of Katie Aselton’s female-driven thriller BLACK ROCK, which premiered last night in the Park City at Midnight section of the 2012 Sundance Film Festival. The film, about three friends who reunite for a girls’ weekend getaway on a remote island that goes horribly awry, stars Aselton alongside Lake Bell and Kate Bosworth.
The North American deal was reached for BLACK ROCK in the early morning after its Worldwide Premiere. The deal was negotiated by Josh Braun at Submarine with LD Entertainment’s Mickey Liddell, David Dinerstein, Chad Reineke and Michael Zelman. BLACK ROCK is the fourth film to be sold by Submarine at this year’s Sundance.
“We are thrilled to be in business with the BLACK ROCK team,” said Mickey Liddell. Katie Aselton has emerged as a great filmmaker and the Duplass brothers’ reputation speaks for itself. This film is a tremendous addition to our release slate.”
“We are super excited to be working with Mickey, David and the entire team at LD Distribution on the theatrical release of BLACK ROCK,” Aselton said. “Their enthusiasm for the film was overwhelming and we look forward to collaborating with them to share the film with audiences everywhere.”
A job in Barcelona goes bad and soon a private security contractor is on the hunt to find out what happened and who betrayed her.The Face of Womans MMA Gina Carano stars as Mallory Kane a former marine who now works for a contract security agency to handle sensitive missions. While in Barcelona Mallory does a job that doesn’t go as expected and soon finds she is being set up to take a fall.
From the opening fight scene it’s apparent that this isn’t your typical action film and Carano isn’t your typical leading female actor, (Carano has enormous balls and deserves props for taking this role, this is one intimidating cast to be opposite of, particularly in your first foray into acting.) The fights in Haywire are much more visceral and realistic than those in your standard action flick. Carano incorporates moves from her primary fighting style (Muay Thai) most notably using a “Teep” to kick Paul (Michael Fassbender) through a hotel room door, She also showcases her fair share of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu including such submissions as an “Arm Bar” and a “Triangle Choke”. Its Carano’s past that truly sell the fight sequences, there are so many occasions where a female star kicks the crap out of a guy that are just plain laughable, That isn’t Carano, she isn’t some bony actress who lacks fighting technique, By the end of the film you don’t even think about her being a female lead and just think of her as the lead. Gender becomes irrelevant.
Soderbergh not only delivers a new action star, but also a stellar cast to support her. Douglas, McGregor and Bandaras all bring there “A” game while Channing Tatum delivers his best performance to date. The one misstep that Soderbergh makes is having David Holmes Score the film, Holmes the man behind the scores of the “Oceans” Franchise, literally delivers what could be the music for Oceans 14, While Soderbergh workings of Holmes Jazzy Beats worked to great effect in that franchise; in Haywire it is cloyingly distracting. If the intent was to deliver a 1970’s era feel, the mark was greatly missed. I want a film score to enhance the film not immediately take me out of the film, leaving me overjoyed for any scene that is strictly dialog or action. Music should not be the focal point of my attention. This is such a huge error it baffles me how this was allowed to happen. Aside from the horrible choice in music, there are a few small missteps, most noticeably a scene where Mallory is running across rooftops with police hot on her tail, fresh off a fight she wears a knit cap with the brim pulled down low over the eyes for anonymity, she is able to run, jump with said hat limiting her visibility, furthermore this hat stays on her head and never gets knocked off, soon she is using the greatest disguise known to man to evade police, the infamous “hooded sweatshirt” she doesn’t even take the hat off then, just pulls the hood up and walks past the police, I am sure this hat would be part of her description yet the magic of the hoodie conceals it. Later on, Mallory has cornrows, (I am not a hair stylist but I have seen this done in the Bahamas on vacation and it’s not something you can do by yourself quickly) I doubt it would be high on the priority list when agents are swarming in on you. The Improvised explosive device great idea, giving yourself cornrows so you look like a badass, not so much. The final issue is Carano’s voice, something is off she sounds like a trucker who has smoked a pack a day for forty years, No idea if she altered her voice on purpose, had it dubbed in or if they tweaked it in post production but she does not sound like the Gina I spoke to at the press conference. This should be the next mission for Mallory Kane getting to the bottom of her mutated voice.
-UPDATE- Gina has confirmed that Steven Soderbergh changed her voice in post so there wouldn’t be any confusion between the fighter and the actress. (The reasoning is flimsy, but I give Carano credit for not avoiding the question and giving an answer)
-UPDATE From the Studio – This was a specific choice from the beginning to turn Gina into Mallory Kane using every technique available. It’s pretty cool actually and Steven has detailed the hours that went into making it happen. Even though it’s out there, we don’t want to make this the focus of the overall character since Gina’s performance and physicality were so great. Steven has said it’s funny because directors spend so much time on the way an actor looks, but not usually the way they sound. He felt it was important to make Gina different as Mallory, so her fans could enjoy a totally new persona. It’s like the sonic equivalent of CGI: countless hours of voice coaching, re-recording, editing, pitch manipulation, and just plain trial and error. He said it was incredibly painstaking work. It was a creative choice they were both involved in.
Overall Haywire is a solid and fun Action Film, with great locations, for a newcomer Carano makes a strong impact, with an impressive cast, A few things that lower the bar and the music is just sad.
Thursday Jan 12th at 8pm EST / 5pm PST tune in to CinemaAssassin.com to post your questions for Angelina, She will be discuss her writing & directorial debut, In The Land of Blood and Honey.
I wanted to let everyone know that Cinemaassassin.com has partnered up with some friends(Tiger Films) across the pond and will begin featuring the monthly show “The Big Picture”.
“The Big Picture” is a monthly online release previewing the best of the month’s upcoming cinema releases, as well as red carpet interviews with the stars…
We feel that giving both a US and an English perspective will expand our reach and deliver more high quality content.
Set in Los Angeles a group of people who don’t seem connected at all, search for meaning in their lives amidst the backdrop of a missing girl case.
Dane Cook makes a huge departure from his comedic persona as Ryan a Psychiatrist with troubles of his own, Ryan has a mom Marilyn (Barbara Hershey) who is bordering on crazy refusing to accept that her husband abandoned her, a wife Kate (Elizabeth Mitchell) with fertility troubles and a side piece Tara (Aja Volkman) he hooks up with constantly who fronts a rock band. Intermixed is Ryans patient Allegra (Kali Hawk) the self hating African American, Frankie (Julie Benz) the Detective on the missing person case and friend of Kate; add to that Carter (Mark Kelly) the teacher with the addiction to Massive Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games and a Police Officer Jerry (Erik Palladino) who is getting used to his new beat.
Answers to nothing is like a novel in the sense that once you get into a portion of a character it cuts to a new chapter and your engrossed in their drama. There is a lot going on and it’s nice to see Cook stretch himself. Every person has a personal hole in themselves that they are trying to fill up, like life you don’t get every answer solved, one particular question I had that really made me think, was how the hell did Jerry get a patrol car?
Grade – 80
CH: I know you came out of Boston’s comedy scene with the great Patrice O’Neal. With word of his tragic passing, is there anything you would like to say about him?
DC: We lost one of the great comedians of our time. He was a brilliant mind & a hell of a good guy. Devastating loss to his family, fans, and friends. I’m so proud to have shared the stage with him for over a decade.
CH: What are some of the challenges you’ve had to face in proving to producers and casting directors that you have what it takes to tackle more serious roles? Do most of them just see you as a comedian?
DC: I believe that many director/producers realize that in the past, comedic actors have been greatly affective in weighty roles. It’s contemporaries, like Robin Williams, Steve Martin, and Whoopi Goldberg that have created a trust. Comedians are versatile. They are also tapped into emotions and are able to share pain and humor. Comedians really are vessels and I’m thrilled at the possibility of working with more industry people that I view and admire and would want to share career time with. I hope they seek me out and want me to take on dramatic roles like I have with my comedy career.
CH: You’re known primarily for your comedy films, although you successfully made the transition into drama with Mr. Brooks. My question is, do you find it easier playing comedic or dramatic roles?
DC: First of all, not everything always works and is received as you intend to share it. That goes with standup comedy and also film/TV. Everyone doesn’t always receive it in the same capacity as you mean it. Some of my comedic roles are probably more dramas! With that being said, great writing is great writing. It doesn’t feel one way or the other as to which is “easier” — It’s just which one is more real.
CH: This movie seemed like a beautiful tragedy. What attracted you to it?
DC: I was looking for a place to share emotion and pain that I had experienced. With my comedy, I want to share my joy and positive experiences. The main point of comedy though is people coming to laugh and enjoy themselves. What attracted me to this film is that I could relate to personal experiences in a different way. I can empathize with certain aspects of my character’s life. But you can also tackle other philosophies that do not adhere to you. That is always fascinating. You get to play pretend, but also share important moments in your own life.
CH: In what ways do you, if any, relate yourself to your character?
DC: I relate to my character in that we all experience distance w/ emotions. We are not always connected to them. It takes work to be present and to live in a present state. It’s difficult. I understood some of the behaviors in feeling detached. I lost both of my parents to cancer and when you experience something like that, you really hold onto those moments and hope you can grow from them and become present. But I understand distance. I thought Ryan was distancing himself from people and emotions and wanted to play on that.
CH: How many days did you spend in a bed shooting those love scenes! It seemed like you had a lot of them!
DC: The difficult part of those scenes is that these weren’t fun filled moments. You’re playing up the emotion of sadness, emptiness. In some scenes, deplorable behavior. There really were a lot of layers to those scenes. These scenes were always coupled w/ an understanding of the burden. It wasn’t sex for love and light and sharing. It was sex for filling voids or for escaping. But it is provocative! It is a provocative film.
CH: Your character is both a confident therapist, but also has a troubled personal life. Was it hard playing the 2 personalities within one character?
DC: I wouldn’t say it was hard to play both, but he is a complex individual and yet this is behavior we all do. We show up every day to work and put on our game face, but people don’t know personal life circumstances. Having career moments (SNL) coupled with hard personal experiences (with my parents), I didn’t want to let my fans down. You have breakdown moments. So I could absolutely relate to my character. That was fresh in my mind – having to switch gears.
CH: Are there any directors you want to work with?
DC: I would love to work with Woody Allen and I love Jason Reitman. I have met Jason a few times and would love to play in his world. I also love Diablo Cody. I’ve met with Steven Spielberg. Probably one of the most poignant moments of my career. I auditioned for him a few years ago and got incredible feedback. That film, by the way, never ended up being made. It was one he was developing, but never ended up on his slate. I eventually ended up conversing w/ Steven at an Oscar party and some of his words of wisdom have guided me and made a great impact. I would hope we could close that circle of what was a great start. He is a big inspiration.
CH: Your appearance on Louis was absolutely fantastic. What has been the response following the episode. Have you seen a change in the tides with the feud that was exploding on the web and in social media?
DC: It was a healthy, creative way to close a trying chapter in my life. Difficult to be on the receiving end of terrible rumor innuendo. When Louis and I got together, I thought it was all worth it to share that moment w/ him on his TV show.
CH: Is it true that you made a film yourself and that got you the role in Mr. Brooks?
DC: I did put myself on tape for Mr. Brooks. Which in the world of film, when you’re going on tape that usually means no one is going to see it. But I was pleasantly surprised when I got the call from Kevin Costner saying this is exactly what we were looking for. Doing that film certainly grew my career. It expanded the walls of what other people feel you’re capable of. It definitely led to Answers to Nothing. The director, Matthew, saw me in that.
CH: Are you going to continue transitioning into the dramatic genre?
DC: I’m just going to continue to be patient and wait for opportunities to work with great people. I’ve had enough ups and downs and been through the whole Hollywood machine to realize what’s important now. Which is, not focusing on one particular goal, but being open to taking on unique opportunities with people that have brave, cool ideas.
CH: Are there any projects that you’re working on that you can talk about at the moment?
DC: I have 2 other indie films that we hope will find their audience next year — one is Detention and it’s almost a mash-up genre movie — it’s a horror, coming of age film. The other film is Guns, Girls and Gambling – starring Gary Oldman, who plays an Elvis impersonator in the movie. I really look forward to people seeing that one. It’s sort of a heist action film. Right now, I’m working on an NBC comedy for the 2012 season… as long as the world doesn’t end.
CH: Are there any actors or comedians you look up to?
DC: Several! I grew up really loving comedic actors — Gene Wilder especially. I really have a great respect for comedians that take on challenging roles, like Whoopi in The Color Purple, Jim Carey in Eternal Sunshine, Robin Williams in Good Will Hunting. I know the pain that many comics have living within us. I love to see that way they can reach comedic audiences and then also those dramatic audiences and make them cry their eyes out. What a great thing to move people to those top 2 emotions! And when a performer can do both, that’s magic. I’d love to be able to do some of what I did in Answers to Nothing and some of what I did in My Best Friend’s Girl and create a character rich in all things good & bad that exist in us. I don’t know what that part is, or where it will come from, maybe I’ll write it — but I’d love to use all the tools in one role.
CH: Two of the biggest themes in this movie seemed to relate to Fatherhood and Responsibility. Even the characters who aren’t fathers themselves have daddy issues to deal with. What do you think the film says about responsibility?
DC: I think the film says that sometimes we need to go backwards to move forward. By that, we are all affected by what we see in our youth. Some years back, I had the opportunity to sit w/ Larry Moss, an incredible acting instructor. He said, you’re never going to fill up the hole that occurred in your youth — whatever that hole was — but you need to learn to understand what that hole is and to know that’s your hole. It made me want to understand my origins more and understand why my behavior was what it was and, where my drive and optimism came from. And in this film, I couldn’t say enough about how well Matthew made this film and how much I wanted to participate in it. Because I really felt it was a shadow of my life. We all want a breakthrough moment and these are characters that are in the breakdown moment before the breakthrough. Sometimes you have to swim through the moat before you get to the castle and these characters are experiencing that moment together. Like in Answers to Nothing, the story is not always going to be something completed, but it invites people to have conversations about the potential of these people. Everything that we appreciate about music and film.. It’s all projected by something. We are moved because other people’s art resonates with us. I hope this is a feeling this movie will create. I am so deeply proud of it.
CH: You have a reputation for being quite adept at Call of Duty, particularly with the knife. Are you playing MW3 and still doing more of the same?
DC: Yes, quite enjoying MW3. I had actually taken a year off of playing any video games. Which was not easy! If I had a vice, it would probably be video games. I’m taking some time this holiday before I get back into the real world. Until then… watch your back. It will either be a knife or an ACR w/ the grip and a silencer.
CH: I will heed the warning
DC: Good! because I just unlocked acog scope! now you’re in trouble
Every once in a while I get sent something that is different than the norm. This time a group from Portugal that call themselves Clones. They specialize in short films that so far have been extremely violent, and extremely enjoyable. There latest release is aptly titled BananaMotherfucker with previous shorts including BLARGHAAHRGARG and PAPA Wrestling. So without further ado here are there first two films and a trailer to BMF.
