What begins as a dream adventure for three backpackers and their enigmatic guide quickly becomes a struggle for survival as they unravel under the duress of the wilderness. Jungle is the incredible true story of Yossi Ghinsberg’s triumph over the most adverse and frightening of circumstances. It is a tale of survival, human fortitude and social manipulation against the wildest backdrop on the planet.

Filming is expected to begin soon in Bolivia. Sound promising. Find out more on Ghinsberg’s heroic story here.

Source: Arrow

The Film:

From a low-budget zombie indie with no-name actors, to a vampire studio film with an A-list cast, The Spierig Brothers have taken a quantum leap with their exceptionally visceral follow-up effort to Undead. From the second an adolescent vampire girl meets an agonizing death by sunlight in the film’s opening prologue, it is clear this film is made for hard-core fans of the vampire sub-genre that appreciated cult films like Fright Night, Near Dark and The Lost Boys instead of the tween generation that would have expected to see the girl burst in sparkles instead of flames.

The Brothers effectively showcase their gifted skills behind the camera through impressive and well conceived action and horror sequences which include a galvanizing car chase, a surprisingly beautiful sequence of cannibalism shot in slow motion, and one of the scariest vampire attacks ever to be shown on the big screen. It is fair to assume the duo has followed a meticulous storyboard and the hard work shows and pays off.

The stellar cast of actors also made this film an enjoyable watch. From Hawke’s seemingly effortless ability of playing a troubled protagonist to Sam Neill’s amusing take as a corrupt president of a human blood farming Corporation, the actors all did impressive jobs. Although none were as impressive as Willem Dafoe’s performance as the bad ass vamp-fighting machine named Elvis. A cross between Whistler from the Blade films and any old school John Carpenter inspired role, Dafoe slays audiences with his cool demeanor and cheesy one-liners.

However, by the time the inferior third act comes on, it becomes clear that Daybreakers seemed to rely on its sleek aesthetics to disguise some of its flaws. Despite its sheen set and costume designs, intricate action sequences and clever analogies, it wasn’t able to hide its lack of characterization and undeveloped story lines. If more time were spent on the story rather than the ultimate “look” of the movie, it would have been a far better film. In spite of the film’s noticeable blemishes, Daybreakers is still a film one should sink their teeth into. It is a sleek, blood-soaked and action-packed thriller that fans of the vampire sub-genre will appreciate.

The Blu-ray:

Audio/Video: The LGF Blu-ray is really good. The picture while vibrant, detailed rich, and borderline gorgeous is also hampered by noise in some scenes, keeping it from really wowing. The DTS track is great; bat noises, rear speaker activity, and deep bass make the audio a standout presentation.

Commentary: Spierig Brothers chat it up with Creature Designer Steve Boyle for a nice listen. Most of this shall be repeated in the documentary, so keep that in mind, but it was quite enjoyable nonetheless.

Making of Daybreakers: This is an extensive documentary, and for horror fans, we’ve been getting this a lot more recently, with what Rob Zombie did for Halloween and Devil’s Rejects. Lots of interviews and fly-on-the-wall footage, as it covers every stage of the film’s making. Lots of good bits like the flu-like bug that scared the Australian government and threatened to shut it down, to all of the CG work in almost every scene. Horror fans should love this, as it runs 2 hours and is in HD.

The Big Picture: This is a short film, in HD running 12 minutes from the Brothers. It was the first work together, before Undead, and has a weird Twilight Zone feeling to it, with an odd payoff.

Storyboard and Animatics Comparison, Trailers, and plenty of BD-Live bonuses finish out the extras. The Digital Copy is on a separate disc.

Conclusion: A wicked vampire film through and through. Decent Blu-ray, with some great extras.

The Film: Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

The Blu-ray: Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Then we’ll tip-toe over to the newly released films, the first of them being the post-apocalyptic vampire tale Daybreakers which made $15 Million. That’s pretty good for the Ethan Hawke and Williem DaFoe starring feature with a $20 Million dollar budget. There is also the Amy Adams and Matthew Goode co-starring chick flick Leap Year managed to make decent bank with a round up of $9.1 Million domestically. If you want to go into how the other films are ranking in comparison to their budget a lot of them are doing pretty great, some like Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel and Jason Reitman’s buzz-worthy feature Up in the Air a couple of many that are booming during this winter season. Here’s the rest of the box office intake below from Box Office Mojo.:

Weekend Box Office (January 8-10)

1. Avatar  ($48.5 M)
2. Sherlock Holmes  ($16.6 M)
3. Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel  ($16.3 M)
4. Daybreakers  ($15 M)
5. It’s Complicated  ($11 M)
6. Leap Year  ($9.1 M)
7. The Blind Side  ($7.7 M)
8. Up in the Air  ($7.1 M)
9. The Princess and the Frog  ($4.7 M)
10. Invictus  ($1.7 M)

It’s time to go mid month with this January with some more eagerly anticipated features such as The Book of Eli and The Spy Next Door with a New York and Los Angeles limited release of The Last Station.

Set in 2019, an unexplained vampire epidemic has taken over the planet, turning a large percentage of the human race into vampires. Vampires have now also made humans endangered species because of their ceaseless bloodlust and due to their gluttony, the world’s blood supply has been rapidly depleting and the malnourished vamps have been turning into large bat monsters simply called “subsiders.”

The pressure of saving the vampire race is on Edward Dalton, (Hawke) a conflicted vampire hematologist who only feeds on animal blood, to create a blood substitute that will keep vampires alive while the humans repopulate. (Where’s “Tru Blood” when you need it?)  When Edward meets Audrey, (Karvan) a human who leads him to discover a unexpected medical discovery that can reverse the vampire disease, Edward must team up with a group of humans to make a cure reality before the vampires get to them first. Explosive bloodletting, heart-pounding jumper scares and Willem Dafoe-induced cheers ensue.

From a low-budget zombie indie with no-name actors, to a vampire studio film with an A-list cast, The Spierig Brothers have taken a quantum leap with their exceptionally visceral follow-up effort to Undead. From the second an adolescent vampire girl meets an agonizing death by sunlight in the film’s opening prologue, it is clear this film is made for hard-core fans of the vampire sub-genre that appreciated cult films like Fright Night, Near Dark and The Lost Boys instead of the tween generation that would have expected to see the girl burst in sparkles instead of flames.

The brothers effectively showcase their gifted skills behind the camera through impressive and well conceived action and horror sequences which include a galvanizing car chase, a surprisingly beautiful sequence of cannibalism shot in slow motion, and one of the scariest vampire attacks ever to be shown on the big screen.  It is fair to assume the duo has followed a meticulous storyboard and the hard work shows and pays off.

The stellar cast of actors also made this film an enjoyable watch. From Hawke’s seemingly effortless ability of playing a troubled protagonist to Sam Neill’s amusing take as a corrupt president of a human blood farming Corporation, the actors all did impressive jobs.  Although none were as impressive as Willem Dafoe’s performance as the bad ass vamp-fighting machine named Elvis. A cross between Whistler from the Blade films and any old school John Carpenter inspired role, Dafoe slays audiences with his cool demeanor and cheesy one-liners.

However, by the time the inferior third act comes on, it becomes clear that Daybreakers seemed to rely on its sleek aesthetics to disguise some of its flaws.  Despite its sheen set and costume designs, intricate action sequences and clever analogies, it wasn’t able to hide its lack of characterization and undeveloped story lines. If more time were spent on the story rather than the ultimate “look” of the movie, it would have been a far better film.

In spite of the film’s noticeable blemishes, Daybreakers is still a film one should sink their teeth into. It is a sleek, blood-soaked and action-packed thriller that fans of the vampire sub-genre will appreciate.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

*Please be warned that this interview contains spoilers to Daybreakers.

Can you tell us about your character?

Sam Neill: In some ways I would say he’s the most reality-based character in the screenplay.  [Bromley] is the sort of person who is responsible for the economical times that we are laboring through at this point. So I had some real-life models to work with. The Corporate Vampire if you will. [laughs] The kind of guy that awards himself bonuses that you and I can only dream of.

Were you attracted to the script based upon the social commentary aspect of it?

No, I think the social commentary is sort of an interesting by product of this.  I like a good genre film and I love a good thriller once in a while. The combination of the vampire genre and science-fiction genre I personally find appealing.  I loved it from page two when a vampire gets a Starbucks with a double shot of blood. [laughs]

How was it working with The Spierig Brothers and have you seen their previous film, Undead?

No, I’ve actually never seen it. I do want to see it though. [The Spierig Brothers] have this extremely sort of synergy and they understand each other in a way that most siblings can’t. It didn’t matter which you one you asked a question to, you would get a similar answer from both.  They’re like two halves of one brain. They’re fantastically engaging and intelligent individuals and there’s something very potent about them as a team.

How was it working with Willem Dafoe and Ethan Hawke?

Well Willem is an old pal of mine and we worked together about fifteen years ago. Again, he was playing the good guy and I was playing the villain. I’m used to being bad when he’s around. [laughs]  He’s a great guy and he’s wonderfully inventive and a great actor.  I didn’t know Ethan before and we got on really well.  He’s a good useful leading man. He can carry a film and not many people can do that.

How did you end getting attached to this project?

They sent me a script and I liked it. I didn’t even have to finish it, I knew this would be fun to do.

How did you feel about the father/daughter relationship in the film?

Isabel Lucas played my daughter and she was a sweet girl.  Having daughters myself who don’t understand me [laughs] and I certainly don’t understand them, it wasn’t really a stretch for me to pull off. Although, I wouldn’t turn them into vampires. That would be horrible. [laughs]

(SPOILER ALERT!) You meet a grisly end in this movie. Is it weird seeing yourself mutilated onscreen? It’s not the first time for you.

That’s the funniest bit of the film for me. [laughs] It’s done seamlessly and the great bit with the head at the end. It’s not the way I would like to die.  I would like to die quietly in my own bed in no pain rather than being ripped apart by my own soldiers.  Although, I would like to comment on the scene afterwards where the army are eating themselves. It has a strange sort of slow motion beauty to it.  I was quite taken by it.

Can you tell us about any other films that you have playing at TIFF this year?

I have a children’s film called Under the Mountain coming out that I haven’t seen.  It’s a scary film for kids. I have no idea how it looks like so I better go see it. [laughs]

Are you working on any other projects at the moment?

At the moment I am working on a project called Happy Town, which I’m shooting here in Toronto.  It should funny, scary and unusual.  I’m looking forward to it coming out.

Okay…I’m going to bite the bullet and ask that question.  Would you consider doing Jurassic Park 4?

Well no one has suggested it. I don’t imagine they’re going to make a Jurassic Park 4. I get asked that question once every three months. [laughs]

Thank you Sam for your time!

Thanks very much and I hope you have a great week at TIFF.

Email Serena at serena@killerfilm.com

Five years ago, two unknown Aussie brothers named Michael and Peter Spierig unleashed their low-budget yet high brow zombie flick, Undead upon hundreds of fans at the “Midnight Madness” Toronto International Film Festival screening. Five years later, they came back with a vengeance with their ultra-violent, tongue-in-cheek and futuristic  vampire feature, Daybreakers starring big A-list names such as Ethan Hawke, Sam Neill and Willem Dafoe.

After viewing the film at this year’s Midnight Madness programme at TIFF, I was lucky enough to catch up with the charismatic writing/directing team during a roundtable discussion for the film. Read on to find out more about their attraction to the vampire sub-genre, the secrets to indie film making and possible news of Daybreakers 2.

The Vampire sub-genre is fairly marketable right now. What made you attracted to filming a movie in this genre?

Peter Spierig: The Vampire genre is probably the first movie monster genre that ever existed in cinema. We were trying to do something a little different with it and not to be kind of disrespectful to it in a way where we just ignore all the rules. We said, ‘Let’s take the rules and kind of twist it and do something different.’ We’re such big fans of the genre too.  I think with vampire movies there so much you can do with them, because there are so many interesting rules and ideas and if you can subvert them, you can do something really cool with the genre.

There’s a fair amount of social commentary in vampire films mostly having to do with racism or being different in general. Would you say you injected that into your film?

Michael Spierig: I think so. Anytime you talk about depleting a resource, I think there’s always some sort of social commentary there. The fine line you have to walk when you’re doing a genre picture is that you don’t want to get bogged down with the political side of it so much that you alienate your audience and there really is a fine line. We talked about it a lot. ‘How far are we going to take this?’ ‘How political do we want to get?’ I hope we don’t get bogged down with it in the film. I hope it’s just something that sits behind the blood and guts. [laughs]

P: So many times you hear about vampires being a metaphor for just the idea of sucking a resource dry. Especially nowadays with the idea of somebody bleeding something dry. It happens all the time. It’s very clearly in our movie, a bit like Michael said. It was not our prime focus, but it’s great for it to be there and I think people are in tune with that given the state of things right now.

So did you try to balance that more when you wrote the script?

P: So much of what we do is in pre-production. When you get on set, given the nature that we’ve come off low budget, [films] there’s not a lot of opportunities to really figure it out when we’re on set. We worked on movies for six years and we spent 40 odd days on set, so it’s a small portion of the whole process. So you want to have it all figured out to some degree when you get on set. We don’t have a lot of time to play around.

How different was it to work on a film with bigger stars and a bigger budget than your previous effort?

M:  It’s actually surprisingly similar in many respects. We still approach it the same way. We storyboard everything. We plan everything out. We do Animatics and we have been working with the same special effects guy since we were in college. The difference is we don’t have to pack the lights up at the end of the day and drive the gear home. [laughs] Also, the catering is so much better now. [laughs]  The things that happen when you have more money, for example the construction crew, an amazing cast rehearsal time and effects department. All those sorts of things we didn’t have with our first film are certainly available to us now. The difficult thing when you do low-budget films like Undead is that you have to do SO many jobs and it takes you away from the primary focus—which is directing. We did a lot of visual effects in this film as well. The great thing about having more money is that you get to do fewer jobs and focus on the most important one—which is again directing.

Any added pressure or expectations when you get a bigger budget?

P: The more money you have, the more pressure. The great thing about a studio like LIONSGATE is that they want to do something that’s different. They have a reputation for doing movies that are kind of outside of the box, especially in horror. We had a good budget but we didn’t have a huge budget, so there wasn’t that much pressure on us to make it for everyone. They were really supportive of the ideas that we had. While there is that pressure, we really never felt it a lot.

There are a lot of intense action sequences in this film. Out of all of them, which was the most difficult to shoot?

P: You know which was the most difficult to shoot was when the creature comes into the kitchen.

That was scary!

P: [laughs] It was difficult because it had every kind of technique. It had literally every technique we knew how to do. We had really complicated make-up effects where the actor would be in the chair getting all the makeup done for ten hours, and be on set for twelve and then have another four hours getting it removed. There’s also a lot of wirework and there’s a small amount of CGI. One of the things Michael and I said from the beginning is that we don’t want to digital creature work. We want to try to put people in suits and when you do that, it ends up taking a lot more time.

The fans appreciate that far more because it seems far more authentic. Now everything looks like cartoons.

P: [nods] I would always opt for having bad makeup effects as opposed to having kind of okay CGI. That was our attitude. If it’s not that great, it doesn’t matter because it’s going to be so much better than CG. The great thing is that we had the great make-up too. Make-up is always our first preference.

Do you have any plans for a sequel or trilogy?

M: We had this discussion the other day with LIONSGATE and we don’t want to jinx anything yet. [laughs] The film doesn’t come out until January. We’re all optimistic and from what we gather, the [midnight madness] screening did go great last night.  We certainly have a continuing story that we’ve got in mind. We wrote a whole backstory that’s really not in the whole film at all.

P: We have lots of material. We spent a lot of time with just living in that world and exploring a bunch of ideas and stuff you don’t see in the film.  It would be a lot of fun to go back.

M: You can ask me that question at the end of January. [laughs]

How long did the script take for Daybreakers?

M: We developed the script for close to two years…which is quite a long process. I think we wrote it in about a year and then we spent the better part of another year editing the script while we were trying to raise the finances.  LIONSGATE bought it from the treatment stage. It was a fourteen-page treatment and then they paid us through out the better part of two years.  It’s a long process but I thought it was a very good process, because during that time you really try every possible way to try to tell the story to start and end the scene and you sort of eliminate them all until you have this really refined script.  I don’t think we had any deleted scenes in the movie. There are maybe one or two little ones. [laughs]  And that’s all from putting so much time in the prep, because we knew we wouldn’t have that much time when it came down to shooting.

How do you two work with one another as co-directors?

P: It’s one of those things where it’s 50/50.  Michael will work on a scene or I will work on a scene, and what we do is we spend a lot of time talking about things. A lot of time prepping things.  So when we get on set, we’re able to split the roles and our reactions to a scene are very, very similar.  I think we have exactly the same feeling about it.

M: We were running out of time with this film, so we split and I would direct one scene and Peter would do another. It was like having two units going at the same time.

How did making Undead prepare you for Daybreakers? Were there any unexpected challenges?

P: Making a low- budget feature film on your own dime is the best kind of film school you could ever have. It’s terrifying and it’s horrible and it’s great. It’s all those things.  We learned so much.  I’m extremely proud of Undead, but I think that we also learned a lot of what NOT to do which is the best lesson you can learn. The most important to learn is that time on set is so precious.  That moment that you have with your actors on set is a very a short period of time in the grand scheme of making a movie.  So whatever you can do to make that time as substantial as it should be, be it whether having the preparation ready on set so there’s no figuring it out. You know what you’re going to do and you can be inspired by what the actors are doing.  That’s the great thing about being Australian, that’s why I think Aussies do very well as actors, directors, cinematographers, we just don’t have any money.  [laughs] We’re so used to battling. So when we get money, I think we are out to embrace it.

M: Maximize it.

P: Yes, and maximize it. [laughs]

Thank you guys for your time!

M: Thank you!

P: Thank you!

Sink your fangs into DAYBREAKERS January 2010!

Email Serena at serena@killerfilm.com

Note: Van Helsing is the fore-father of this fine trade, and we have all come to know and accept his skills, so for fun, he will not appear.

10 – Captain Kronos from Captain Kronos: Vampire Hunter (1974)

Probably the only swashbuckling pirate that is a vampire slayer, Captain Kronos totally belongs on this list, for being unique. But he can solve mysteries and destroy vampires, a key trait for any slayer. Sadly, we never saw any more adventures, due to one beast Captain Kronos couldn’t slay: poor box office returns.

9 – Tada Cuda from Martin (1977)

Firmly believing that his nephew is one of Nosferatu’s children, he sets out to kill him. He’s a slayer in the classic Van Helsing mold: believes in superstitions, crosses, and the ability to kill the undead through Christian rituals. The film is one-of-a-kind by George A. Romero, and it serves as a neat spin on the slayer kin.

8 – Professor Abronsius and Alfred from Fearless Vampire Killers (1967)

Bumbling, goofy, and yet slayers, this duo is a satirical spin on the Van Helsing mythos. Not much else, but Roman Polanski is somehow sweet in his role, and this film made us take notice of a young, gorgeous Sharon Tate. The comedic take was a rare spin until the ’80s.

7 – Dr. Robert Morgan from The Last Man on Earth (1964)

One of the few slayers that had to deal with a world overrun by vampires, Vincent Price is all business in his methods of slaying the undead. He’s solemn and determined, killing them one by one, on a global scale. The film is often remade, because of the powerful Richard Matheson novel.

6 – D from Vampire Hunter D (1985)

D is pure awesomeness and the only slayer to ride on a robotic horse. He is Van Helsing, if Van Helsing was a rock star.

5 – Seth from From Dusk till Dawn (1996)

The most unorthodox slayer out there, Seth is a murderer who really wants to only save his own ass. But when the undead started to kill, he became the killer of killers. George Clooney at a rare, villain role.

4 – Peter Vincent and Charley Brewster from Fright Night (1985)

A TV personality-turned-slayer, with the help of a young horror guru, Fright Night is super cool, and Peter Vincent is too. Initially, he balked at the idea of a vampire’s existence, but he came to being a hero, through one simple act of realization, after a while of wimping out. Nobody is sweeter and neighborly than Roddy McDowell.

3 – Kolchak from The Night Stalker (1972)

Nobody believes Kolchak, not even himself sometimes. The reporter-turned-slayer always comes out on top, and ass-backwards. He’s also one of the few slayers to fight other creatures of the night, like zombies, Jack the Ripper, and other ghouls.

2 – Blade from Blade (1998)

Ever since Blade’s first appearance in Tomb of Dracula #10 in 1973, he has been hunting vampires with a vengeance. Wesley Snipes portrayal of the character, is so ingrained into our psyche, nobody can replace him, as evident with the failed TV series and current character incarnations looking like Snipes. Blade is one slayer, most vampires will run away from without confrontation. Sometimes the best slayer, has a little bit of vampire in him…

And the number one, non-Van Helsing Vampire Slayer of all-time is…

1 – Buffy Summers from Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997-2003, TV series)

The one and only. The Chosen One has made every vampire dust, and she didn’t stop there: she’s killed many other non-vampire nasties. There’s no Big Bad that she cannot face and kill, like a goddess, a robotic Frankenstein, Dracula, and Evil itself. Besides being the ultimate vampire slayer, she’s a powerful symbol for women, and not even seven seasons of TV vampire killing has quenched her or our thirst, since there’s been video games, comics, and now a proposed reboot to the franchise. Long live Buffy!

Did we miss a favorite of yours? Feel free to comment below!

The film stars Willem DaFoe, Ethan Hawke and Sam Neill. Lionsgate cranks out the film not this weekend but next weekend, so make sure you check it out if it interests you. If it still does at this moment, look at all of the pictures here.

(January 8th)

Daybreakers

Jon: While the vampire genre is do for a comedown, I think this film looks pretty fun. It has a feeling of a Blade movie, with a twist, and after hearing Willem Dafoe say: “We’re the folks with the crossbows” I was instantly sold. Now, this use of a blue tint like Underworld is getting on my nerves, but my faith is restored after reading Serena Whitney’s early TIFF review here. See It

Donny: I’m totally with Jon on this one. The Spierig brothers seem to have their fingers on the pulse of horror fans the world over and I’m ready to see them rock the shit out of the vampire genre. See It

Youth in Revolt

Jon: I’ll admit that Michael Cera’s so-called charm is on my last damn nerve, yet this might be a breakout/satirical spin on his persona. A Fight Club for the artsy nerd types even has gotten me excited for it. See It

Donny: I don’t love Michael Cera, but I’m stoked about this flick. The trailer is fun, so if the flick delivers the goods that the trailer promises it will I’m totally there. See It

(January 15th)

The Spy Next Door

Jon: Just when you thought Jackie Chan might be back after seeing The Forbidden Kingdom, here he comes with this goofy piece. Ugh. Remember the Tuxedo? Why does this look like it’s unofficial sequel? I’m sure the laziest of Chan fans will eat it up, but Skip It

Donny: This is pretty scary, Jon and I don’t usually agree this often, but I’m gonna agree with him again and say that this flick doesn’t interest me in the slightest. I’m gonna recommend  skipping it because my kids are gonna surely drag me into the theatre to see it.

The Book of Eli

Jon: I loved From Hell, the Hughes Brothers last directed film. With this film’s original screenplay, and a kick all ass trailer, all levels of interest are piqued. Denzel. Oldman. Kunis. Great cast, neat premise (is it some sort of Biblical journey?), and an ORIGINAL idea should be an instant see it.

Donny: What Jon said. See It

(January 22nd)

Legion

Jon: With silly looking special effects, maybe the premise of man versus angels will win us over. That crazy old lady is served for a hilarious joke, a nice bait and switch, yet my non-critic friend always forewarns of a new Dennis Quaid film. I don’t find him to be that bad. But with this month’s prior films-potentially better films-one genre film has to suffer, and I think this will be that one. Skip It

Donny: I want to see this flick strictly because of the whole killer angels sent by God to exterminate the puny humans angle. It seem so wrong it’s sweet. See It

The Tooth Fairy

Jon: The Rock has instant charisma, yet why is he always in goofy (the word of the month) films? This looks family friendly enough, as well as an unofficial sequel (another theme of the month) to The Game Plan. I doubt if there’s much to rally for or against on this one, yet the family market is slim this month, so expect decent box office numbers. Skip It.

Donny: Someone besides me is gonna see this flick because I’m definitely going to skip it.

Extraordinary Measures

Jon: I think this one feels like a wanna-be Oscar film that didn’t happen, as it is fishing for sentimentality. Big, bold, cliched dialogue should not hurt the older crowd from catching a drama this month. Seemingly based on a real story, one family will do whatever it takes to fund a researcher’s new treatment that could potentially save their children. Skip It.

Donny: I am going to disagree with Jon on this one. I think this flick looks like it could deliver the drama goods. See It

When in Rome

Jon: Donny’s imaginary girlfriend Kristen Bell stars in a film he’ll have to take his wife too. We laugh and point our single man fingers at him. Hey, Ms. Bell is hot, but this looks-word of the month-goofy. Directed by Daredevil‘s Marl Steven Johnson, this is the type of flick I’m happy to announce I’m single to. If I have a date this month, we’re doing something…else. Enjoy boss! Skip It.

Donny: Jon is right. Kristen Bell is my imaginary girlfriend and I am positively going to take my wife to see this flick. See It

Edge of Darkness

Jon: I love revenge. At one point in the trailer, I expected Mel Gibson to yell “give back my son!” (a Ransom reference.) It looks solid and grim. With the SAG strike in 2008, this film barely came to be, but with The Departed‘s screenwriter doing a polish and Mel in front of the camera again, I’m expecting some good, twist-y, fun. See It

Donny: I am so ready to see Mel in another revenge flick! This one has been on my radar for a while now, it has a solid script, great cast, and Mel in front of the camera. See It

Not really a stacked month, but expect films that were in limited release to trek out into your market this month. Luckily, us at Killer Film will be covering these films and more, so keep it here for their reviews! Feel free to leave comments below or email us!

In 2019, a plague transforms the world’s population into vampires. With fewer humans to provide blood, the vampires seek to farm the remaining humans and to find a way to continue their existence. A secret team of vampires uncovers a way that would rescue the human race. At the same time, a group of surviving humans wishes to repopulate the species and survive.

Daybreakers is directed by Peter and Michael Spierig and stars Ethan Hawke, Sam Neill and Willem DaFoe. Once again, Daybreakers comes out in theaters on January 8th, 2010.:

Two clips from Daybreakers

Along with that, make sure you check out the awesome new site up for promotion of the upcoming film with a clip entitled World Full of Vampires. The Ethan Hawke and Willem DaFoe film comes out in theaters everywhere on January 8th, 2010.: