Opening: September 14th
Director: Kimble Rendall
Starring: Sharni Vinson, Julian McMahon, Xavier Samuel, Alex Russell
What’s the story? When a monstrous freak tsunami hits a sleepy beach community, a group of survivors from different walks of life find themselves trapped inside a submerged grocery store. As they try to escape to safety, they soon discover that there is a predator among them more deadly than the threat of drowningvicious great white sharks lurking in the water, starved hungry for fresh meat. As the bloodthirsty sharks begin to pick the survivors off one by one, the group realizes that they must work together to find a way out without being eaten alive.
Early Thoughts: Who needs buzz? Sharks in a supermarket – ’nuff said! Honestly, I’ve heard nothing buzz-wise about the quality of the film. I do know there was a small amount of drama surrounding its start when Russell Mulcahy was in line to direct, then he bowed out. He’s credited as one of six writers on the film. Six! Maybe that’s one for each aisle of the grocery store the film’s attacks occur in?
- Also on September 14th: Resident Evil: Retribution, Airborne
- September 15th: Lake Placid: The Final Chapter (TV)
- September 19th: Hollow
Opening: September 21st
Director: Mark Tonderai
Starring: Jennifer Lawrence, Elisabeth Shue, Max Thieriot
What’s the story? The film centers on a young woman who moves with her mom to a new town and learns that their home is next door to a house where a double murder took place. Complications ensue when the teen befriends the massacre’s sole surviving son.
Early Thoughts: The film has been delayed for a spell, never a good sign. Still, we hope that the extra time it took to complete in post-production paid off. At first, this looked like a regular psychological thriller, perhaps in the vein of The Strangers. Previews, however, are revealing a supernatural element. Hopefully, Max Thieriot fares better in this film than he did in Wes Craven’s My Soul to Take.
Street Date: September 25th (DVD)
Director: Makoto Kamiya
What’s the story? United States Special agent Leon S. Kennedy sneaks into a small Eastern Europe country to verify rumors that Bio Organic Weapons (B.O.W.s) are being used in war. Right after his infiltration, the US government orders him to leave immediately. Determined to uncover the truth, Leon ignores the order and enters the battlefield to end the chain of tragedies caused by the B.O.W.s.
Early Thoughts: Those who bitch and moan about how Paul W.S. Anderson’s live-action series “does not stay true to the source material” can rest assured that these animated films are made for them. I’m not kidding. I sat through a theatrical screening of Damnation‘s predecessor, Resident Evil: Degeneration, and the die-hard audience in attendance ate it up. The problem: I wanted the film to stop occassionally so I could play the damn game. Plus, the acting and drama is pretty much what you come to expect from a video game. Stilted, silly, explosive. Damnation, I’m certain, will be more of the same. For the die-hards.
- Also on September 25th: FDR: American Badass, Strippers vs. Werewolves
Opening: September 28th
Director: Joe Dante
Starring: Teri Polo, Chris Massoglia, Haley Bennett, Nathan Gamble, Quinn Lord
What’s the story? Susan and her sons Dane and Lucas Thompson move from Brooklyn to Bensonville, in the countryside. Dane is upset with the constant changes of address and the family has lived in many cities. Lucas and Dane befriend their next door neighbor, the gorgeous Julie and the brothers find a bottomless hole in the basement of their house locked with several padlocks. They take the locks off and soon they are haunted by their darkest fears. Further, they believe that the hole might be a gateway to hell.
Early Thoughts: Another one that’s been sitting on the shelf for years. How long? I saw a preview for the film at Comic-Con…2009. Dante’s latest foray into kid-friendly genre fare has opened in other territories around the world, it just had a tough time finding a home in the U.S. The response I’ve heard is mixed even though the clips I’ve witnessed looked fun.
- Also on September 28th: Jack and Diane (VOD)
