bryan bertino Tagged Articles at Cinematical

Back in early July, we made mention of the fact that Bryan Bertino, writer/director of The Strangers, had at least two projects going on at Rogue Pictures since he ended up giving them a good ol' summer sleeper success story, the grosses for which inevitably prompted talk of a possible sequel.

Well, Variety now tells us that there surely will be a second Strangers, and that Bertino is returning to write (if not direct) it, with a certain star standing to return as well (profitable as the film may have been, I'd rather not risk spoilers, so don't bother clicking on either that Variety link or the 'certain star' one if you've yet to see the film -- after all, it doesn't open in the UK 'til tomorrow).

I felt that The Strangers milked enough tension out of a somewhat sparse premise to merit a watch, but I'm that much more concerned about how redundant or ridiculous a second one would have to be in order to follow it up. The point remains that, if they make it, I will watch it, and so will plenty of others. Let's face it: There are more vicious cycles operating in the world today.

As someone initially unimpressed with the teaser trailer for next weekend's horror offering, Mirrors, I found myself pleasantly surprised by the unpleasantries on display in the film's restricted trailer, among them the sight of Amy Smart ripping her own jaw off (what can I say, I'm a man of simple taste).

However, I then wondered if that particular moment wasn't the best that the film had to offer. Sure, you don't want to spoil too much before a film opens, but it's a scene that has become the focus of most TV spots and -- in hindsight -- the poster, and as a plot development, I'm almost certain that it'll happen before the film hits its hour mark (a matter that no one will be able to confirm until late Thursday evening, which is its own little omen). But it fell on me to watch that part and find my interest piqued.

Considering that Rogue Pictures was content with bumping back writer-director Bryan Bertino's feature debut, The Strangers, countless times, only for it to turn around and gross a commendable $52 million, it seems appropriate that the studio throws the man a bone with a two-picture deal and seven figures for each.

Not too shabby, says I, and having enjoyed The Strangers, I take further comfort in knowing that the deal does not include a sequel to that film -- although I know that doesn't stop it from happening without him.

According to Variety, one is called Black, the other Alone, and besides that, precious little is known about either film (the former project is described by the trade publication as being "a character-driven thriller with supernatural elements." Alrighty then...) Bertino is simultaneously working on a third thriller called Green Eyes at Paramount. As with the other two, there isn't so much as an IMDb page to be found for it, although it is admittedly early on yet in the process for many details to leak out.

Regardless, I for one am looking forward to seeing the man dodge the sophomore slump. And you?

It is not immediately obvious why The Strangers is rated R. The horror film, about a young couple (Scott Speedman and Liv Tyler) terrorized in their home by a group of sadistic masked assailants, is reasonably violent, but not very graphic: aside from a brief glimpse of a pretty nasty gunshot wound and some stabbings that are either obscured or off-screen, there's not much here that would ordinarily raise rating board eyebrows. (The elaboration states that The Strangers is rated R for language in addition to violence, but there are, at the most, one or two muttered F-bombs.) In terms of content, PG-13 films have gotten away with worse. Hell, the PG-rated Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian featured a decapitation, which is more than we see here. What, then, explains the MPAA's harsh (and no doubt economically damaging) treatment of The Strangers?

I am convinced that the film broke the R threshold in the eyes of the MPAA for one reason: it's pretty good. Tight, intense, often legitimately frightening, and committed to its suburban-nightmare premise, The Strangers may not be gory, but I wouldn't wish it on too many kids under fifteen. It's a classical, no-frills, 85-minute blast of cold air, a refreshing bit of professionalism in a genre whose mainstream, at least, has been plagued of late by lazy pandering and general shoddiness.

I had almost completely forgotten about Liv Tyler's horror flick The Strangers, until the new trailer popped up on the net (there's a larger version on the official site). Last August, an R-rated trailer was released, but by then, the initial release date had been scrapped with only the vague promise that the film would be in theaters some time in '08. The movie is now scheduled to hit theaters this May, so it will be almost one full year late to the party.

The Strangers centers on a young couple who are inexplicably targeted by masked psycho-killers for a night of terror. It looks like it's going to be your usual fight to the death as the couple try to make it out alive. The Strangers was written and directed by Bryan Bertino, a first time writer and director. Joining Tyler is Scott Speedman (Underworld) as Liv's better half, and Gemma Ward as one of the masked maniacs.

After watching the trailer, I think that it still manages to deliver some chills, and it doesn't give away too much. It's funny if you think about the fact that no sooner did the film manage to avoid comparisons to last year's Vacancy, audiences will probably be comparing it to Funny Games. It does look awfully similar. I guess we'll find out if The Strangers was worth the wait when the film finally hits theaters on May 30th.

[via Ace Showbiz]

I could have sworn we just got a movie about a married couple who wander into a deserted area only to be brutally attacked by three crazy nutcases. It was called Vacancy, it was actually pretty darn good, and it vanished from theaters quicker than you can say "Luke Wilson." Now comes a similar-sounding flick from Rogue, only this one's a little bit different: Instead of Luke Wilson and Kate Beckinsale holing up in a nasty motel, The Strangers has Scott Speedman and Liv Tyler holing up in a log cabin. (There are still three psychos, don't worry.)

For those who'd love to see what Liv Tyler would look like with her face all slashed up (argh, not Liv!), Bloody-Disgusting.com has a brand-new photo album filled with Strangers pics. (Normally I have no interest in strangers' photographs...) The flick, which sounds a lot more like Michael Haneke's Funny Games the more I think about it, comes from first-time writer/director Bryan Bertino. Rogue aims to release the thriller on July 13th, which means we should be getting a trailer some time soon. Until then, the pics. (I do like the '70s-style poster art they're going with! Very Terror Train-y. Well, kinda.)

Though there aren't any plans yet for a direct-to-DVD sequel to Vacancy, this new flick The Strangers might have to go that route if it has any chance of survival. With a weaker cast and a not-so-tantalizing plot, The Strangers is supposed to hit theaters on July 13. But, as Bloody Disgusting points out, that date might be pushed back due to Vacancy's poor box office turn-out. That said, a still from the pic featuring Liv Tyler trying to escape from some chick in a mask has just hit the net. And, from the look of it, she ain't getting very far. (That can happen when, instead of running, you attempt to crawl your way to freedom.)

In the pic, Liv Tyler and Scott Speedman star as a couple who, in an attempt to spend some quiet time at their vacation home, find themselves terrorized by three masked strangers. And no, unfortunately these aren't a group of kids enjoying a game of ring-and-run. We're not exactly sure why they're after this poor couple (for all we know they could be members of a band looking to open up for Aerosmith), but I've come to realize that when the bad guys wear spooky masks, they don't need an agenda. Those masks alone are enough to tell us they mean business. Bryan Bertino makes his directorial debut (off his own script), with Rogue Pictures currently trying to come up with a way to market this thing so that people don't immediately think Vacancy rip-off. Personally, I'm always down for a gut-wrenching, "who's that stranger in the window"-type flick, and so while everyone and their mother is off watching Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix on July 13, I'll gladly throw my gal Liv some love.

Whenever I hear the phrase "supermodel makes acting debut," my eyes sort of gloss over and my brain begins falling asleep. Fortunately this particular news report also includes the phrases "suspense thriller" and "Liv Tyler," so it's kind of a wash, I suppose. Then again, this Gemma Ward gal is pretty darn beautiful -- I guess I could think of worse ways to spend 90-some minutes.

The project is called Strangers, and it's about an isolated couple whose home is invaded by three masked villains. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Gemma Ward will being played one of the "masked," which makes no sense to me at all. Actor Bryan Bertino will be making his writing/directing debut on the project, which is being bankrolled by Universal's Rogue division.

Again, supermodel in a mask? Where's the logic there?

Odds and ends from Friday:

• Not long ago, I told you how Bryan Bertino (not Boitano) signed on to write and direct a film called The Strangers for Rogue Pictures. Pic tells the story of a couple who return home on their wedding night, only to be terrorized by three masked strangers. Well, Liv Tyler has hopped onboard the film and is set to play the female half of the couple. Though no one else has been officially cast, production will begin this fall with a tentative release in October 2007.
• Agnieszka Vosloo has signed on to direct After.Life for the new production outfit Constellation Entertainment. Pic, which marks Vosloo's feature debut, revolves around a girl, caught somewhere between life and death, who fights to avoid being buried alive. Yeah, that can't be a fun situation.
• Those of you itching to buy Pixar's Cars on DVD will be happy to hear the film will arrive in your living room on November 7. According to USA Today, the DVD (priced at around $30) will include two short films (Mater and the Ghostlight, One Man Band), a behind-the-scenes feature which tells how writer/director John Lasseter went about creating the film, deleted scenes and a preview of next summer's Ratatouille. [via Coming Soon]