30 days of night Tagged Articles at Cinematical

There's nothing quite like the phrase 'straight to DVD' to kill a film's chance of a little dignity, is there? The first thing that usually crosses my mind is, "It must be pretty bad if they aren't even willing to put it up on the big screen" -- which might be a tad unfair of me, but no one ever said gut reactions were fair. Hopefully this time I'll be proven wrong, because in a conversation with MTV Steve Niles (co-creator of the original graphic novel, 30 Days of Night) confirmed that a sequel to the 2007 vampire flick was already in the works, and that it would most likely be going direct to DVD.

According to Niles, a script has already been submitted, and he is hard at work on the project with Ben Ketai (director of the 30 Days webisodes). The sequel will be based on the comic book follow-up Dark Days, and the story centers on "the character of Stella Olemaun [who] heads to Los Angeles after surviving the vampire attack in Barrow, Alaska. She intentionally attracts the attention of the local vampire population in order to avenge the death of her husband, Eben, during the Barrow incident."

After the jump find out how Sam Raimi got involved and the possibility of a 30 Days franchise...

30 Days of Night
In Barrow, Alaska, winter brings 30 days of darkness along with the biting cold. (And I thought dark-by-5 pm sucked.) No sun, just bitterly cold blackness. Unsurprisingly, this attracts some particularly nasty, bloodthirsty vamps -- ones that aren't sexy and selective like Anne Rice's fanged ones. They decide to take advantage of their 24-hour, 30-day free-for-all and start killing off the town's residents who didn't head south. You've got Josh Hartnett and Melissa George as human vamp fighters ill-equipped for the challenge, the Renfield-like Stranger (Ben Foster), and a troupe of baddies led by the wonderful Danny Huston's Marlow. Both Erik and Ryan dug the film, saying things like: "Visually...the film looked absolutely incredible" and "there's still a solid, well-constructed vampire movie to enjoy here, and I did enjoy it."

After all of the funky mid-production goodies that came from the set, it's not surprising that there's a bunch of features on this release. You've got a commentary with Hartnett, George, and producer Rob Tapert, a bunch of featurettes about adapting the graphic novel, building the sound stage, camera techniques, gorey stuff, stunts, vampire design, night shoots, and casting. There's also Episode 1 of Blood +, and for the Blu-Ray editions, there's even a film/novel comparison gallery.

Check Out Ryan Stewart's Review | Buy the DVD

Beowulf
While I wasn't the biggest fan of this one (I missed seeing the subtle facial expressions of the excellent actors involved, and preferred the earlier Beowulf & Grendel), this is certainly the biggest release to hit shelves this year. Along with Neil Gaiman, Robert Zemeckis went back to performance-capture technology to bring the Old English epic to the screen. Ray Winstone roars as the powerful Beowulf, Crispin Glover screeches as the desperate Grendel, and Angelina Jolie seduces as Grendel's mother -- otherwise known as Jolie nude, with a tail. And we can't forget the Hopkins, Wright Penn, Malkovich, and Lohman. There are some pretty stunning visuals, and with this cast, you can't go completely wrong.

As for the DVD, you can pick up the director's cut, which offers a solid array of goodies besides Zemeckis' cut. There's bits on some of the actors and their performance-captured performances, designing the monster, the poem (and how Zemeckis actually hates it -- go figure), and deleted scenes with different stages of completion.

Check Out Scott's Take & James' Take | Buy the DVD

Other New DVD Releases (February 26)

The Darjeeling Limited (Check out my DVD review.)
The Last Emperor -- Criterion Collection

And, well, Peter Martin covers the rest of the bigger releases with his Indies on DVD.

If you had to pick one of the break-out stars in 2007, chances are Ben Foster would be one of the names at the top of the list. Between his performances in 3:10 To Yuma and 30 Days of Night there is no question that this young actor has earned the right to get his own starring roles. Besides, anyone that can make me laugh or scare the crap out of me in equal amounts deserves a little respect. The Hollywood Reporter has announced that Foster has signed to star in the military drama, The Messenger.

The story centers on an army man (Foster) who has been given the unpleasant assignment of informing families that a loved one has died in combat (talk about being the bearer of bad news). Forced to work with a partner he can't stand, things become even more complicated when he begins to fall in love with a soldier's widow. So far, only Foster has been officially attached to the film, so there is still plenty of time to fill out the rest of the cast.

The film marks the directorial debut of Oren Moverman, who is probably most famous for co-writing Todd Haynes' Dylan 'biopic' I'm Not There. Alessandro Camon co-wrote the script for The Messenger and is already hard at work on the Leonardo DiCaprio thriller, The Chancellor Manuscript. Foster has also lined up a role in the dysfunctional family comedy Birds of America, but for that role it looks like it's going to be another ensemble piece. Luckily for Foster, he's not the type of actor who fades into the background. The Messenger is scheduled to start shooting in April.

Oh, those crazy Ghost House guys. Just when we thought they'd never produce a good movie, they went the "big boy" route and delivered the icily fantastic 30 Days of Night. It was so damn good, it almost made us forget about previous DH offerings like Boogeyman, The Grudge 2, Rise: Blood Hunter and The Messengers. (OK, so their first flick, The Grudge (remake), wasn't too rotten, but damn if I can remember anything about it.)

So what will the Ghost Housers be doing with some of that 30don money? Churning out a bunch more video sequels, of course! Fangoria brings us the word on a whole bunch of upcoming stuff...

Boogeyman 3 -- Yeah, Boogeyman 2 hits DVD early next year. This one's Part 3. Brian Sieve (Boogeyman 2) is writing the script.

The Grudge 3 -- Toby Wilkins (Kidney Thieves) directs and Brad Keene (The Gravedancers) writes this "culture reversal" sequel.

The Messengers 2 -- Screenwriter Todd Farmer returns for this prequel -- that couldn't possibly be much lamer than the first entry. So that's good news.

Rise 2 -- Gary Jones (Crocodile 2: Death Swamp) directs and Ben Ketai (30 Days of Night: Blood Trails) writes this Liu-less sequel to the witless Lucy Liu vamp flick.

So basically someone at Ghost House decided to make a sequel to EVERY ONE of their films, regardless of quality or actual demand for a sequel. (Check out the Fango report for all the good news.) Here's hoping that the inevitable 30 Days sequel is done with some class ... and a budget.

You just saw him running from vampires in the cold, dark Alaska of 30 Days of Night. Now get ready to see Josh Hartnett evading more human adversaries on a hot, Texan football field in End Zone. According to Variety, the actor has been cast as the lead in an adaptation of the farcical Don DeLillo novel, which will be directed by George Ratliff (Joshua). The movie, scripted by Ratliff and his Joshua writing partner David Gilbert, will see Hartnett as a college football running back who is ruining his chances for stardom by thinking too much about another kind of end zone, that related to nuclear war. Also cast are Kat Dennings (Big Momma's House 2), who plays the love interest, and Joshua star Sam Rockwell, who plays the school's publicist. Another significant role, not yet filled, is a professor of international terrorism and mass destruction who sees Hartnett's character as a perfect soldier.

I can't really picture Josh Hartnett as a perfect soldier, let alone a football player. But I guess I never could have imagined him as a cop or a pilot or any other responsible position had I not seen it realized on screen. Mostly my image of him is focused on three relatively slacker roles: Trip Fontaine in The Virgin Suicides; the sex-crazed abstainer of 40 Days and 40 Nights and the "wrong man" protagonist of Lucky Number Slevin. Now that I think of it, though, I could see him as one of the pot-head jocks in Dazed and Confused, and since DeLillo's novel was released in 1972, it places Hartnett's End Zone character in almost the same environment. Of course, I don't recall Randall "Pink" Floyd ever contemplating nuclear war.

Ever wondered what it would be like to see every vampire movie ever made, all rolled into one? If so, 30 Days of Night is for you -- it's got a little bit of everything. For Dracula-lovers, there's a hillbilly Renfield, played by everyone's new favorite actor, Ben Foster. His arrival in town at the outset, with a shambling gait and greasy-roadie haircut, foreshadows the arrival of some nameless master who he's bound to displease in some way. The vampires, when they arrive, turn out not to be Hungarian sophisticates, but feral beasts who look like a cross between a cougar and Marilyn Manson. They take their movement cues from The Lost Boys, attacking from out of frame and grabbing their prey up into space or yanking them into a dark corner. Instead of sucking blood, they tear their victims' limbs apart as easily as restaurant rolls. An apparent nod to the Blade series also creeps in, when the vamps begin speaking some erudite, subtitled language and spouting faux-profound aphorisms like "things which can be broken must be broken!"

On top of this heady mishmash of genre staples there's a nifty overarching conceit, taken from the comic on which 30 Days is based -- the location of the carnage is a remote town in Seward's Folly, where the sun doesn't shine for a full month. (Why did it take vampires so long to hear about this place? And mightn' it have been more interesting if all the world's vampires came gunning for this place, instead of a handful? But that's neither here nor there.) The vamps that do descend on the snowy Alaskan hamlet must go head to head with two pretty local cops, played by Josh Hartnett and Melissa George, and one of the best things about 30 Days is that it acknowledges straightaway that the humans are physically no match for the vampires. Those who survive the initial assault must scramble into hiding places to save their necks and what follows is a sort of 'Anne Frank vampire film', with Hartnett and George and a ragtag group holing up in an abandoned attic and waiting for the vamp patrols to move on.

Once again, last week's number one movie eluded most of us who took part in our weekly prediction game. Only Bubba8193 and Ray successfully foresaw that Tyler Perry's Why Did I Get Married would take first place, and I was again surprised by how well The Game Plan held on to second place in its third week out. Here's the final tally:

Tyler Perry's Why Did I Get Married: $21.3 million
The Game Plan: $11 million
We Own the Night: $10.8 million
Michael Clayton: $10.3 million
The Heartbreak Kid: $7.2 million

As for this week...

30 Days of Night
What's It All About: Vampires invade an Alaskan town during a month long stretch of arctic night.
Why It Might Do Well: Halloween's on the way, and I'm sure I'm not the only one looking to get my creep on at the multiplex. The film is based on an acclaimed graphic novel and produced by Sam "Evil Dead" Raimi. I see this taking the number one spot.
Why It Might Not Do Well: Ain't gonna happen.
Number of Theaters: 2,700
Prediction: $21 million

The Comebacks
What's It All About: A parody of inspirational sports movies.
Why It Might Do Well: Moviegoers looking for something familiar will probably recognize a similarity to the likes of Date Movie and the Scary Movie franchise, and its opening in more theaters than any other new film this week.
Why It Might Not Do Well: Director Tom Brady also gave us the Rob Schneider vehicle The Hot Chick. Need I say more?
Number of Theaters: 2,800
Prediction: $12 million

Gone Baby Gone
What's It All About: Ben Affleck directs and Casey Affleck stars in a film about two private investigators hired to look into the disappearance of a little girl.
Why It Might Do Well: There's some strong buzz for this one (91% at Rottentomatoes.com), and the film is based on a novel from the author of Mystic River.
Why It Might Not Do Well: Confusion may result if the public mistakes this for a sequel to Mario Bava's Kill Baby Kill.
Number of Theaters: 1,500
Prediction: $7 million

Rendition
What's It All About: Reese Witherspoon plays a woman searching for her husband who has been detained by the CIA on suspicion of terrorism. Jake Gyllenhaal also stars.
Why It Might Do Well: Topical storyline mixed with some appealing leads will probably sell tickets.
Why It Might Not Do Well: The story may be too topical, making some people uncomfortable.
Number of Theaters: 2,200
Prediction: $11.5 million

See more after the jump ...

I'm a Melissa George fan, although I think she's sort of wasted in most of the films she does. I'll say no more on that subject, since I'm already addressing it in my upcoming review of 30 Days of Night. Anyhow, the outspoken Aussie is making a small bit of news this morning, having told ComingSoon that, in spite of everything we've heard, Jan de Bont's Stopping Power, which was recently shut down, is completely back on and will begin shooting in March. "It's back on!" George tells the site, with typical breathlessness. "First of March. Three days into filming, we were in Berlin, they cancelled the film. It worked out so good, because I'm busy doing other things, and I could come back to shoot. HBO and I'm going away next Christmas, and then the strike happens next year, so I'm going to go away in March and do this. Look, anything can change, but it's on. It has to be on." That last part sounds like she might be sort of 'willing' the project into life, but still, she does give a solid date.

By the way, when I spoke with 30 Days of Night graphic novelist Steve Niles a couple of months back, he told me of early plans to push forward with a sequel to the film, called Dark Days, if everything went well at the box-office. Dark Days is a project that would be entirely focused around the character played by George -- is Hollywood ready to entrust her with carrying an entire action-horror film on her shoulders? I think it's a safe bet -- this is an actress with a lot of potential who could use a great, high-gloss breakout role like that. Stay tuned to Cinematical for all future info on Stopping Power and Dark Days, should they actually happen!

Say all you want about Josh Hartnett kicking vampire ass (never in a million years did I think Hartnett would kick anyone's ass), but when it comes to 30 Days of Night, Ben Foster clearly steals the show. I had a chance to catch the flick last week, and Foster brings new meaning to the word 'creepy.' I won't say too much about his character since I'm sure there's a lot of you who haven't read the graphic novel, but I will tell you that he plays a dude named The Stranger. And when he first arrives in town, all beat up and freaky-looking, no one knows what to make of him. Is he good? Is he bad? Is he wearing deodorant?

Thomas over at Reelz Channel sent in this scoop to us earlier today; apparently, during a recent interview promoting the film, 30 Days of Night screenwriter Brian Nelson teased fans with the sort-of-promise that The Stranger will be back in future sequels. Do keep in mind that Reelz spits out a few spoilers prior to dishing this info, so if you want to avoid them, you might want to stick here -- I'll just give you Nelson's quote: "I'll just tantalizingly say it is possible you might see more of The Stranger in the future." There's no word on whether Foster would return to the role (his stuff was so good in 30 Days, they added additional scenes to give him more screen time), but I imagine they'd fight to have him come back and join in on the fun. 30 Days of Night hits theaters this weekend. Oh, and there should definitely be a sequel. The film rocks -- the studio knows it, the fans know it -- so let's just get it underway.

That last R-rated clip from 30 Days of Night was pretty cool, but wait'll you get a load of this new one. It's definitely more my kind of thing, since I prefer zombies to vampires, and the clip makes the pic look more like a zombie movie. What could be better than Mark Boone Junior driving around in some kind of chainsaw-esque tractor, slicing through multiple baddies while simultaneously blowing away others with a shotgun? Exactly. Nothing could be better. In fact, I think I like this scene better than that sequence in Dawn of the Dead where they're driving the modified bus around. But that partially has to do with my appreciation for Mark Boone Junior. He just looks like the perfect guy to be in charge of a task like this. Anyway, once again you have to prove you're 18 (or otherwise get through the sign-in page) in order to watch the clip. Or you could just wait until Friday when the movie hits theaters.

Cinematical wimp pansy editor-in-chief, Erik Davis, saw the film and loved it, even though he's probably back to sleeping with a night light. He even claims it's the most beautiful horror film he's ever seen. For those still out of the loop, the movie is based on Steve Niles and Ben Templesmith's graphic novel about a small town far up north where the sun disappears for a whole month -- ripe time for a crop of vampires to go on a rampage. Directed by David Slade (Hard Candy), it stars Josh Hartnett, Ben Foster, Melissa George, my favorite supporting actor these days, Danny Huston, and, of course, Mark Boone Junior.

I'm not much of a horror buff myself, but if there is more stuff like this new clip, I'm pretty much sold on going to see it. And though I don't think I've ever needed a night light, I bet I'll have at least one nightmare as a result. It just looks like that kind of movie. At the very least, I'm sure I'd at least get freaked out the next time I'm walking around late at night in the snow. Between 30 Days of Night and the recently released The Last Winter, I'm pretty set never to go up to the arctic circle.