“The prequel would be the same summer so they would be 20 years old for the part yeah, but not younger. So it would be 40 year olds playing 16 year olds. And yeah, we’re in the early stages of thinking about that.”

Hmmm. Sounds, odd, yet if anyone can pull it off, it would be Wain and the cast. Just don’t go all Hangover Part II on us.

Source: The Playlist

The Flick

I feel sorry for Max Handelman. Who’s that, you ask? Why that’s Elizabeth Banks’ husband, and I say that because he never sees her. Elizabeth Banks has been in eight films in the last year (for those keeping track at home: Comanche Moon miniseries, Definitely, Maybe, Lovely Still, Zack and Miri Make a Porno, W., Role Models, Meet Dave, and this), eight films! Crazy, huh? Actually on second thought, I’m not feeling sorry for Max, because I’ve seen her more than him!

Joking aside, The Uninvited lets Banks play a villain and while she might be fatigued, it’s okay; it’s the script that doesn’t get her much to chew on. If you’ve seen the trailer, you’ll recognize how it will play out when you do see the film. It’s generic, played-out, reusing well-worn ghost story ideas, and it is a remake. Not that it really matters that it is an American version of The Tale of Two Sisters, a South Korean film that put Korean cinema on the map, because it follows every American ghost film cliché you can think of. We got red herrings everywhere, ghosts warning the protagonist, odd imagery, random noises, you know, the typical stuff we see in these types of films.

So I didn’t like it huh? Well, to play Devil’s Advocate here for a second, the film is paced extremely well, we are rarely bored, and they surrounded Banks with a good cast. David Strathairn is decent but it’s the young Emily Browning and Arielle Kebbel that make it all worth watching. Like I said, Banks is a bit bland as the villain, so to make up for it, Kebbel (sexy for sure) and Browning offer up good chemistry and milk the suspense for all it’s worth. They’re good, and hopefully, we’ll see more of them (actually we are for Kebbel). Now I’m done playing the Devil’s Advocate.

The Guard Brothers are the directors and while they don’t offer up anything visually interesting, they’re capable of telling the story with a professional eye. I think the film would be better if they didn’t offer us so much of the ghost angles. By taking out the supernatural elements, I think the film would’ve been more interesting as a paranoid tale of who is dad’s new girlfriend. But that’s just me. Well, apparently others thought the same too because at my screening there was no one there. Yes, literally no one was there. That’s sad actually, because the film isn’t so bad it needs to be avoided, it’s just not good enough to fully recommend seeing.

I guess the economy has gotten to everyone. Everyone’s too broke to see rich kids get terrorized. I joke, but the film’s idea was strong enough to be interesting, the script just never pushed it far enough to work. As is, it’s a mediocre film. I guess now Max can see his wife.

The Blu-Ray

Unlocking the Uninvited:  Clocking in at around 20 minutes this is an interesting account of how the producers decided to make the flick based on a Korean flick.  There are interviews with the cast and crew and overall is a pretty solid feature that looks great in HD.  

Deleted Scenes: This is a pretty weak feature with very little content, and pretty much all of these scenes were deleted for a reason.  

Alternate Ending: Like the deleted scenes, the filmmakers were wise to cut this one out.  

Overall the Blu-Ray looks amazing, and the flick isn’t bad, but as far as features go this disc is pretty weak.  

Dr. Strangelove or: How I learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb will have a 45th anniversary Blu Ray release of the classic black comedy on June 16th.

This years Oscar nominated Rachel Getting Married will see it’s Blu Ray transfer hitting store shelves on March 10th.

Spike Lee’s divisive war epic Miracle At St. Anna comes to Blu Ray this February 10th.

Everyone’s ‘favorite’ Pretty Woman comes to your living room this February 10th.

Universal Studios will have The Fast and the Furious “trilogy” arriving on Blu Ray on March 24th.

Oscar nominee Bolt races to Blu Ray on March 22nd.

Following the HUGE Oscar snub, Brokeback Mountain will arrive at store in Blu Ray on March 3rd.

Still the only horror films to win Best Picture, Silence of the Lambs will storm out onto the Blu Ray format this March 3rd.

March 24th Criterion will release The 400 Blows and The Last Metro on to the Blu Ray format.

One of my personal favorite films Rounders will arrive on Blu ray this April 14th.

Everyone’s favorite spectral crime fighters will arrive on Blu Ray this June 1th when the Ghostbusters 25th anniversary occurs.

Clint Eastwoods Oscar nominated Changeling arrives on the Blu Ray format this February 17th.

The criminally underrated Role Models storms onto the Blu Ray front this March 10th.

The popular vampire film Let The Right One In arrives on Blu Ray this March 10th.

Ridley Scott’s Body Of Lies hits Blu ray shelves on February 17th.

Dustin Hoffman’s Oscar winning work in Kramer Vs. Kramer arrives on Blu Ray this February 17th.

Ichi The Killer comes in all it’s blood soaked glory on Blu ray on March 31st.

Richard Kelly’s fantastic Donnie Darko comes on Blu Ray this February 10th.

Like any year, I can only see so much and while I try to see everything, some films either haven’t opened yet in my market (like Frost/Nixon, The Wrestler, Revolutionary Road) or unfortunately, I haven’t got to see for me to consider for this list. There’s been a lot of solid films, ones that are good enough to easily recommend (like Slumdog Millionaire, Role Models, Zach and Miri Make a Porno, and Incredible Hulk) but I just feel these 20 films (10 honorable mentions and 10 best) are worth any effort and any way possible to see, so out of the hundreds of films I did see, I weaved them down to this:

Best Documentary:

1- Up the Yangtze: Stirring and provocative, this documentary needs to be seen as it showcases the evolution of a country’s status before our eyes and the impact it brings to people who need the Yangtze River to survive. It’s simply devastating and beautiful at the same time.

2 – Man on Wire: It had more tension and suspense than any drama this year. The “Artistic Crime of the Century” has a bigger meaning when viewed in our current climate. It’s a must watch, hands down.

3 – Young@Heart: Focusing on a choir group of people no younger than 70, the film is delightful, funny, and heart-warming.

Honorable Mentions: Bigger, Stronger, Faster; Religulous, and Gonzo-The Life and Work of Hunter S. Thompson.

Best Movie to See with a Crowd: Repo! A Genetic Opera

Best Direct-to-DVD Film: An American Crime

Best Direct-to-DVD Horror Film: Jack Brooks: Monster Slayer

Now, I present you the Best Films of 2008:

Honorable Mentions: (20) JCVD; (19) Burn After Reading; (18) Redbelt; (17) Synecdoche, New York; (16) Son of Rambow; (15) Paranoid Park; (14) Tropic Thunder; (13) Inside (A l’interieur); (12) Trans Siberian; (11) Iron Man

10 – Ballast: Lance Hammer perfectly captures the Mississippi Delta and the people who live there, in this moody drama. Light on dialogue but heavy on emotions, Hammer lets the actors do what they feel naturally as he captures this oncoming storm of sadness in their lives. A fine example of American independent filmmaking.

9 – In Bruges: Sharply written, brutally dark humor, and totally forgotten by most critics this time of year. Coin Farrell is amazing and when he karate chops the midget, it’s about the funniest scene this year. I could go on and on the dialogue but it’s best to just enjoy it yourself. A spicy hit man film that pleases every second of its running time.

8 – Chop Shop: Lots of people are raving about Slumdog Millionaire and giving it a chance at being one of the five for Best Picture comes Oscar time. Scratch that. Here’s my pick for Slumdog’s slot. Gripping camerawork and style, the actors are more real like a documentary, than characters in a narrative, as young Ale tries to cope with his poor upbringing and thrive within the American Dream. Shot on location at Willets Point in New York, you won’t forget the place and its occupants.

7 – The Visitor: A sweeping character study and a look at our bureaucracy towards immigrants, the film is a rousing testament to the human spirit. I saw this in June and I still remember it fondly and as I left the theatre, I had a huge smile on my face. Still do. Remember all of the momentum Richard Jenkins had for a lock on Best Actor? Where did that all go?

6 – Let the Right On In: Many will be turned off since it’s a horror film but it’s as interesting psychologically as anything this year. Alfredson has given us a new definitive vampire story, something that is multi-layered and satisfying on all levels. Vampire films have been down-right stale for a long time and the way this film works and plays with the conventions of a vampire myth is pleasing as it is fun. A great film.

5 – 4 Months, 3 Weeks, and 2 Days: Highly regarded from some critics from 2007, the vast majority of us caught up with it this year and it’s an unbelievably great film. The story takes place during the Communist reign in Romania during the 1980s and a young lady seeks her friends help about getting an abortion. The film never takes sides, which is key, and only presents the harrowing answers to their decisions under what would happen back then: death. Also, there’s no score to the film and you won’t forget you experience with it.

4 – Wall-E: One of the best sci-fi films in years just happens to be an animated film. It’s beautifully designed, featuring some of the best CG ever and a remarkable story that will stand the test of time for future generations to watch and enjoy. The crowning achievement from Pixar and I didn’t think that was possible after Ratatouille.

3 – The Curious Case of Benjamin Button: Long, sweeping, and I can guarantee you’ll fight tears; David Fincher has delivered a gem and one that has gotten the attention of the mainstream, which has eluded him thus far in his career. Critics forgotten his Zodiac from last year around award season and they won’t forget this. It’s a splendid story, score, acting, special effects and most of all, unforgettable.

2 – Milk: Gus Van Sant has given us two great films this year, and Milk is the best of them two. I’m amazed on how little not only I knew of Harvey Milk, as well as a lot of other people. Now that I know him, I won’t forget his story, life, and what he fought for. A powerful human drama directed by our best auteur.

1- The Dark Knight: Everyone close to me knew this was coming, but 2008’s best film is Christopher Nolan’s dark, brooding, thematically rich crime epic. Yes, a crime epic. I don’t use the term “superhero movie” with this, it’s so much more. Complex, rich with themes, and a deep story full of characters we care about, there’s no film that moved me or amazed me more this year. Best scene? When Gordon’s son asks why Batman is running, Gordon’s response is the reason this film is the best and the sum of why the character of Batman is so intriguing 80 years and counting.

My friends, that’s 2008! You can go back and reread reviews of almost all of these films if you missed one or wanted to refresh your memory here at Killer Film. Agree or disagree? Post your list below in our comments section!

November was another stellar month for Killer Film.  Highlights included seeing Repo! the Genetic Opera on the big screen, interviews with the Repo! cast and crew, as well as our interview with Up the Yangtze director Yung Chang. November also saw the addition of documentary, and soundtrack review categories.  We are doing our best to keep a wide focus that encompasses indie art-house films, documentaries, as well as soundtracks and feature content.  

It’s been a rewarding time for Killer Film so I’ve decided to make a list of things that I’m thankful for.  Here goes;

I’m thankful that I got to check out original movies like Repo!, Role Models, Milk, and Let the Right One In.  It’s refreshing to be able to enjoy movies that aren’t remakes, movies that take chances and leap over boundaries.  Repo! kicks musical ass and was like nothing I’ve ever seen before, Role Models was funny, brilliantly cast and touching, Milk was biopic gold, and Let the Right One In is a beautiful film that defined new genre conventions.  

I’m thankful for the comments and emails we’ve been receiving.  My inbox box has been   overrun with positive feedback and suggestions, all of which are appreciated.  I started this site because I love movies, not because of money (I don’t make any), and feedback from readers make the hard work worth it.  

Finally I’m thankful for my awesome staff.  Jon puts an amazing amount of work into this site.  The man eats, sleeps, and breathes movies, while Serena writes insightful features that spark conversations and keep people thinking.  Also I’m thankful for our new news man Daniel Herrera, and our new DVD reviewer Shawn Everidge.  Welcome to the site guys.  

December looks like it’s going to be a fun month here at Killer Film.  With movies like The Wrestler, Revolutionary Road, Seven Pounds, Defiance, Punisher: War Zone, The Day The Earth Stood Still, Grand Torino, Yes Man, The Tale of Despereaux, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, The Spirit, Bedtime Stories, and Valkyrie hitting the screen.  So keep check back with us here at Killer Film for the latest reviews, interviews, and features during the month of December.  

I hope everyone has an awesome Christmas.

Until next month,

Donny Broussard

 Jon: I want to get back to 1999 where Repo! originated with you and Darren Smith. Where did the idea come up for Repo! A Genetic Opera?

Terrance Zdunich: Oh, it has been a long journey of adaptations for Repo! and the story, it’s sort of fuzzy where the initial germ of the idea sprouted. To the best I can sum it up, Darren Smith and I met each other around 1998, maybe it was 1997 when we first met and we were sort of reformed musicians for the lack of a better word, and we were really into the idea of doing something new and that involved music. We came up with this idea called 10-minute operas, like ten minute short stories with music. One of those ten minute stories was about a futuristic graverobber that kind of grew into Repo! that now exists as a film.

Where did that come from? I not entirely sure. (laughs) I was really big on the macabre and horror aspects and I was toiling away with this graverobber character and it was almost like a Victorian melodrama. Darren Smith wisely said, “Well, that’s cool but I’ve seen that a million times so let’s do it not in the past but the future and it grew out from there. We had a friend who was going through some bankruptcy problems (laughs) and was in danger of getting his things repossessed. So it just kind of clicked and we thought maybe one of the things he sees is this Repo Man and he’s out there collecting body parts. It just kept growing and growing from there.

Jon: In 2002, you guys met Darren Bousman. How was the play doing and what was that fateful meeting with Bousman like?

Terrance: Well, prior to what we met Darren for, Repo! was just coming from a two man thing with Darren Smith and I, coming from an opera and then we starting just expanding the story since that was what the audiences were coming for. They seemed to respond to that story the most, they thought it was cool and so did we. So we started like 45 minutes sets and rock clubs and it wasn’t a full opera yet just and we met Darren Bousman when Darren Smith and I decided to make the leap to stage Repo! as a full stage play, to rent a theatre, to hire set builders, to hire a costume person, you know, a full cast trying to make it into a show, and we needed a director.

We, Darren Smith and I, interviewed several people and met Darren Bousman, who was relatively fresh out of film school and was in L.A. for less than two years. He was doing what we all do, taking bullshit jobs and wanted to direct movies. He wanted to direct a musical movie of all things and which is how we met. We knew he was all about a rock opera and he loved Jesus Christ Superstar, Tommy, and we thought, you know, people say anything when they want a job. “Oh, you’re directing a rock opera? I love those things!” was what we were expecting. When we met him, it was painfully obvious this guy was the real deal; he knew every word to every fucking song! (laughs) We did it and we all became friends, as we were figuring out how to do it. We didn’t know what we doing, trying to direct a stage play and one at that that was as complicated as Repo! We weren’t shooting small, we were shooting big, you know, an opera, blood, and we didn’t have any money or any real training. We just did it as we went and as such a bond was formed. The theatre we did it at got great receptions, sold out shows, and it really felt like we were doing the right thing.

It felt like “Wow, we’re onto something”, at the very least it was one of those moments of creation that was like, I don’t know, just put everything into perceptive. It was like this was what I want to be doing and something was magical about the whole experience and we sought to recreate it and we did so in another stage version of Repo! in 2004. There was an Off-Off Broadway run in 2005 in New York and then in 2006 we filmed the 10 minute short to convince and get some financing. We had to secure financing for the movie which was shot in 2007.

Jon: Were you ever surprised or apprehensive about Bousman’s casting choices?

Terrance: Well, you know, because Repo! is such its own thing…did you see it?

Jon: No, not yet, I hope so soon. My friend flew into Austin to see it and thoroughly enjoyed it. I’m really excited.

Terrance: Oh, wow! (laughs) We’re really excited too! It’s been a long road coming and I’ll answer your question in a sec, but we had our opening Friday and it’s been a crazy road, the whole way, going all the way back to the stage play. Here we are now and it’s our opening weekend and every step of the way fighting, and in most cases beating the odds. How improbably is it to even get the movie made? Unless you’re a Coppola or something, who gets a movie made? On top of that, who gets a movie made about a futuristic opera about organ repossessions and on top of that, gets one made with that type of cast! There’s a good sage way but being there on Friday night, which was on Sunset 5, the art house in Hollywood, kids were down there dressed up as their favorite characters. There was a Grave Robber and I got my pictures with him and it was amazing!

Now, I don’t know if the fan fare there that night was enough to sustain us to lasting and hopefully, expanding from the eight theatres we’re in, but I sure as hell hope so. At least there have been indications that, now there are people that love it and embrace it saying they’re going tomorrow, tomorrow with different costumes, you just go wow!

But your question, because Repo! was so strange and out there, I know Darren (Bousman) wanted the casting to mirror that, so when we all knew Repo! was going forward as a movie, we started getting suggestions by producers and it became clear that they weren’t totally aware of what we doing. Their suggestions were very much like MTV, they were pop singers, I mean they could do it and we felt it was like a mash-up and not for a 21^st Century Repo! which we wanted to do. So, the two Darrens and myself, sort of made our dream cast and that sounds silly, but we shot ideas around amongst ourselves and basically had five people for each role. For a couple of reasons, one we wanted choices and two, match them up to their personality, their archetype if you will so they represented the character. As such, funnily enough, of the eight principle characters in the movie, six of those were from our top five lists, we got what we wanted. Of those other two, we got Ogre and it wasn’t that we didn’t want him, it’s just we were thinking too small at the time.

We were looking at actors and when somebody brought up Skinny Puppy to help with the soundtrack, and it just clicked. Oh my God, Ogre would be the perfect body for Povi and we started crossing off the other from the list. So we had to start convincing the producers about him as the right choice, who of course, didn’t have any acting experience.

Jon: Since Repo! is an opera, Sarah Brightman seems perfect for the material. What was it like working with her?

Terrance: Well, she was a complete professional. I’m not necessary a fan of her solo work but you know, when she was on our list already. She is the most famous female opera singer in the world and the most successful, so it was a no brainer to cast her. We didn’t think she’d do a project like Repo! and little did we know for one she’s totally Goth in real life and two, really cool and into it. She wasn’t just faking it, she really was into it as was the cast, you know, nobody made a lot of money doing Repo! The cast did more hours, more work, than a normal movie. You had to rehearse, you had to do choreography, and the entire thing you had to do before filming and everyone who took the job, including Sarah, fully knew and embraced what they were doing all for something that doesn’t come along every day.

I don’t know if that’s good or bad, but there’s not too many rock operas getting produced in this fashion. You know it’s funny; I’m not that into operas I’m more into rock and industrial, so I didn’t have the ear necessary to hear why this one opera singer is better than this opera singer. But walking on set and watching Sarah, even more so than hearing her, have you heard her? She’s great, but I’ve heard a lot of opera singers, but what makes her stand out from the pack and then you just get her vibe. She’s a total pro. Watching her doing it in her element, is like watching a goddess. It was very clear to why she had the success she does. She’s great, the whole package, she’s amazing to watch and people who are doing rock and roll in our studio, who could care less about opera, we’re all captivated by her as her typical audience.

Jon: As a direct opposite to Brightman, Repo features Poe, Clown from Slipknot, members from Filter, OTEP, Skinny Puppy, and even Anthony Head from Music for Elevators. What did they bring to the musical side of Repo!?

Terrance: They brought a lot! (laughs) The way I would describe it and not to sound condescending, so I hope that don’t come out the wrong way, but Repo! as a whole was not a democracy. What I mean by that is, we were really set to doing this as an opera, and I won’t give away names but their were people who came in as potential candidates for the roles and came in and said: “Cool, but I what to write my own music.” Really? They wanted to write their own songs and that “Legal Assassin” song, we didn’t like the hard rock, so they asked to do this singer/songwriter thing. There were a couple of people who came in thinking along those lines. Those people were talented, I’m not knocking their talent, but if they wanted to do that they should write their own opera.

We’re in the position to do it as a rock opera and so when we were casting these actors and performers, we were playing the soundtrack. We were really, really careful about it. A lot of players on the Repo! soundtrack are in my CD collection at home and it was really, really cool to work with them. We were trying to cast those with the same aesthetics as the song they were to play on. Some of these were the musical godfathers of what we were paying homage too. We had people who knew the material, for one it’s an opera. You don’t have to spend time rewriting when you have Blasko currently from Ozzy’s band, but also from Rob Zombie’s band, you know he’s going to add elements to it that is better than you could think of. So you let him do it and Joseph Bishara, our music producer, was really diligent about directing them to stay true to some of the early demos.

Jon: One of the things I keep hearing is that Repo! has to be seen a few times just to soak everything in. Was it ever daunting taking the theater world and expanding it to the medium of film?

Terrance: Yeah, but first there’s many difference from theatre and film, many we learned that the hard way. On stage, everything’s total, it’s on there. In film, the more you show and the less you tell, makes for a more successful film. That makes for a difficult obstacle for a musical or in our case, an opera; because you do need to tell everything in song, so if you do away with all of the singing, then why make it an opera? Go make an action movie or a traditional film.

I think that maybe is a valid question and one of the negative criticisms of Repo! is that you can’t soak it all in one seating. In general, that’s true with any opera. I think we may have made a mistake in many ways by advertising Repo! as the next Rocky Horror. That’s been a comparison that has been kind of thrusted upon us, but I’ll take it because I like Rocky Horror, actually I love Rocky Horror. If we could achieve a small part of that success, I’d be a very happy man! With that said, I think we might have messed up with that comparison because we are an opera and Rocky Horror is a musical. Even further, what we love about Rocky Horror is the camp, the over-the-top-ness, and Repo! have a lot of those elements.

There’s many times in Repo! that we dive into camp, but with that said where Rocky ends and Repo! takes off, is that we have a real story. I mean, a real human story, with characters who are suppose to care about, with big operatic themes like revenge, murder, lust, and family quarrels, your legacy and your genetics, these big themes, and Rocky Horror really doesn’t have that. Their about the fun, the camp, seeing Tim Curry in garters and that’s what seeing Rocky Horror is about. We have some of that, but it’s actually much more complicated and then you add to the fact that there isn’t much speaking, and Rocky isn’t that way, it’s largely spoken. There’s, I don’t know, like 8 songs to break up the talking, where Repo! has like 50 songs!

If you go see a traditional opera, which is a closer comparison, you don’t understand most of it. When you’re sitting there, for one it might be in a different language, even if it was in English, you are there to witness the grandeur, hopefully enjoy the music, while getting little bits of it. Every opera provides you, when you sit down, with a playbill. That playbill not only tells you who’s who in the opera, it literally gives you a detailed synopsis of the entire play. Tells you who lives, who dies, tells you everything that is going to happen. The reason is to let you enjoy the opera. It’s not about carefully listening to every word, it’s an opera!

We are doing this in a 21^st Century medium in film, we didn’t want to have programs as that felt to outdated and we didn’t want to do subtitles as you see in some operas, I thought that would be distracting, so we added in this element of comic books, which wasn’t in the script as it was in the final film. One, it was like a breather in between some of the songs, so you are not just having song after song after song after song, where they act like the playbill, but hopefully cooler! (laughs)

Jon: Yep, I saw those in the trailer.

Terrance: Oh, right they are there! More over though, I actually like the fact that you have to see it a couple of times, I don’t know if that’s what the general public wants, but look at some other operas and those things still exist, but there not for the Repo! kids but they existed for hundreds of years. For that matter, musicals, why is Rent still running or why has Phantom of the Opera lasted? I think that like CDs you want to listen to them over and over, unlike some films you don’t want to watch in the same fashion. I think it functions in that way and as such Repo! fans will want to see it again and again, becoming a community experience. I think that’s the real comparison we have to Rocky Horror.

Jon: It must be working because your per screen average was the same as Role Models, and that opened at number 2 and in 2,700 more theaters.

Terrance: Well, we’re hopefully that this will open up some eyes and it’s a hard thing. I’m sure you’ve seen some of the reviews…

Jon: …I don’t mean to put you in a weird position, but if I am correct the play version was received positively. What are the film critics missing?

Terrance: Well, I think for a couple of reasons. Repo! as a play was never ever confused with being mainstream. It existed in black box theaters. It was judged and embraced by the actual audience seeing it. I think when you slip out of that, which we were happy to do,  I’ve been a struggling artist my whole life (laughs) and  I’m still struggling to get my movie out there! It sounds ungrateful but if you work on something so had and so long, you want to believe as an artist that whatever you do you want the mainstream to like your work. The reality is, when I look at myself, I take the immediate feeling of rejection…well, I’m sitting in my room looking at my DVD collection now, and book collection and there isn’t anything really popular here. (laughs)

In fact, most of the stuff here is not mainstream, but is embraced by a loyal group of fans and one I think I’m part of. I think that the problem with Repo! is that we almost did our job too well. What I mean by that is our trailer looks really slick. We casted some huge names, Sarah Brightman obviously, Paul Sorvino, Paris Hilton, and so I think people are going in assuming we had a lot more money and two we are trying to be Sweeney Todd. Our fans clearly see that we aren’t Sweeney Todd, it never comes into there minds. Repo! has been perceived falsely I think by the mainstream and this may sound really bad, but I don’t know why we went to the mainstream, honestly, seriously!

What would Ebert and Roeper think? We opened it eight theatres and presented it to them, it’s silly. We competing with Madagascar 2 and it’s silly. Repo! is doing that. Love it or hate it and people have obviously hated it, I hope you can at least walk away and respect the fact that we did something unique. More so, sitting back and seeing that there’s a lot of interesting human stories that got it here. Even now, it’s being dismissed. We’ve seen the Rolling Stone’s write up, which was really hard to swallow. I know Rolling Stone is popular, especially with music and never once in this review, which was scathing by the way, never once did they mention that this was the most music ever recorded for a movie.

You think as a music man, that would be worthy of a mention. The players on the soundtrack, to get that group of people together, on a movie soundtrack was never mentioned, literally never mentioned! When has that ever happened, not being mentioned by the biggest music magazine? Instead Peter Travers chose to focus on Paris Hilton for the entire rant! By the way, if you hate her films, love or hate what she does is this movie, I think she’s fine in it; she’s literally like in the movie for 10-15 minutes! But to focus on her and not to mention the other things is like not seeing the movie. He probably didn’t anyway; he saw Paris Hilton and thought he would talk shit.

We’ve been getting a lot of that type of stuff and it’s hard, because we are so against the wall, a true David and Goliath type of story. The director and I have been personally, I don’t know if you know this, personally been promoting the movie for the last year. We’re leaving tomorrow-you literally called me in the middle of booking hotels-we’re personally taking the film around.

Jon: It’s pretty exciting I think.

Terrance: I am too, I’m excited to do this and I’m not trying to sound like I’m tooting my own horn, but we are really caring about what we are doing. It’s truly a grass-roots movement. Even though, Darren has had success in the Saw films, this is what he really wants to do. You should see the amount of energy and passion he puts into Repo! on a daily basis, it’s like how could you be so cruel and short-sighted in a review? I don’t hear mainstream directors taking their movie around. We are selling out by the way, we’ve sold out all but two, and they’re close. This is with no marketing budget, you’re not seeing Repo! on bus stops or billboards or even the trailer on TV. So to get those types of reviews, it’s completely like they missed the point of the movie. It’s an opera, you know!

An honest criticism I think, would be if they said it’s not for me but it’s totally strange and if you’re into strange things you might enjoy this. But they haven’t even dealt with what they didn’t like about it. The two Darrens and myself got quite drunk yesterday and it’s hard, as an artist, you can’t defend yourself. We had a few pitchers of margaritas at this little Mexican bar in Pasadena, and we’re like how do we combat this? Ultimately, we are thinking about embracing it. Certainly, movies like Rocky Horror got panned. But I think every move that’s come along, certainly movies I have in my house, was critically hated. But all those films have out-lived that and are still relevant. Ones that are praised and made millions of dollars opening weekend are quickly forgotten about.

Jon: I can quickly think of John Carpenter’s The Thing opened in the same year with E.T., and with E.T., it got praised and made a lot of money and The Thing got panned. Looking back, it’s one of the better films from the 1980′s besides Raging Bull, in my opinion.

Terrance: Sure, even more recently a film like Fight Club and how that failed. Honestly, when I saw Fight Club for the first time, well, for one the marketing set you up in the wrong way, more over I saw it and thought “yeah, that’s okay.” But it stuck with me after I left the theatre. I had to see it again and again, as I probably have watched that DVD, easily one of my higher watched DVDs…

Jon: Same here.

Terrance: I love the film, I think is brilliant, I think it’s an important movie, and I think has stood the test of time from that year, what else was there from that year? So you know, I hope we’re in that company, I can’t say for sure as being completely objective since it’s my movie, but love it or hate it, I think, I hope, people can get behind the fact that “wow, they went there!” They managed to get a movie like that made before dismissing it outright and saying “Give me more Madagascar 2! Give me more Alvin and the Chipmunks!”

It’s like well, fuck you (laughs) you know, you’re the reason we have this bullshit, you’re the reason we can only get music at Starbucks. I don’t have any sympathy, it’s empowering to see the fans who are supporting Repo!, coming out in droves, as they definitely understand what we are up against. They are embracing it, they are discovering it, they don’t feel like a marketing firm is telling them to like it and they like it despite of the marketing. To me, that’s the greatest success. Do I hope Repo! makes a lot of money and so that I can get health insurance? Yeah, sure! But I’ll me more content that people really like it, are loyal fans, and liking it for years to come.

Jon: Well, we here believe in what you guys are saying and doing and look forward o support you guys through it. Thank you for talking with Killer Film.

Terrance: Thank you for spreading the word and helping us beat the odds.

Terrance is an awesome guy and really frank and down-to-Earth. Hopefully, Lions Gate sees some potential to expand it. Have you seen Repo! A Genetic Opera yet? Tell us what you think or go here to see where you can go see it.

What did you think of the trailer?

Jon: The odd thing about trailers for comedy films is that more often than not, they give away some of the funnier moments away. I initially thought that would be the case with Role Models. Now, I didn’t see the Red Band trailer, but luckily I can report that there are funnier moments the normal trailer didn’t show and that this could be one of the funniest films this year.

Donny:  I dug the trailer.  I didn’t think it was the most exciting trailer for a comedy, but I was still stoked to see it.  I agree with Jon that trailers sometimes give away the best moments of a film (Cloverfield‘s trailer gave away the only good moments), but Role Models definitely has more to offer than what is in the trailer.

Are you fans of Paul Rudd and Seann William Scott?

Donny:  I’m huge Paul Rudd fan, but I don’t flock to see films with Seann William Scott attached.  Both of them kicked much ass in this movie though. 

Jon: I don’t hate Seann William Scott like other critics do, I find him entertaining and in the case of The Promotion, a film hardly anyone else saw, really well. Paul Rudd is really shooting up to the top of my list for comedic actors. This is a good pairing.

What did you think of Role Models?

Donny:  I loved Role Models.  I was waiting for a lukewarm comedy that would kill two hours, but ultimately not offer anything beyond being a decent time-waster.  I was wrong.  Role Models were quite possibly the most impressive comedy that I’ve seen this year.  I know that the clock is ticking and 2009 is quickly approaching, but it’s going to be hard to beat this flick, because when it came to bringing the funny Role Models brought enough ammunition to keep the comedy war raging on during its entire runtime.  This film is hilarious even when the characters aren’t cracking jokes.  Paul Rudd’s facial expressions and awesome comedic timing were second to none, and Seann William Scott was great as the happy-go-lucky energy drink mascot. 

Sometimes I leave the theatre and I have to let a film sit within my subconscious for a while before I really know how I feel about it, but with Role Models I knew exactly how I felt about it the minute the credits started rolling.  I loved it.  I wanted to keep my seat and get a second look at it, and if it would have been my only screening this Friday I definitely would have.  I enjoyed seeing Christopher Mintz-Plasse rock the screen once again, and Bobb’e J. Thompson was extremely funny as well.  Of course if I thought about it hard enough I could probably find a few things that I’d have done differently, but the truth is, I don’t want to be like the growing number of critics out there doing their best to enjoy only the films that seem to be Oscar bound.  I went to see this flick to be entertained for a few hours, and I was thoroughly entertained. 

Jon: You know what? This might not make a good dual review since I agree with Donny nearly 100%, but damn it, Role Models was a huge surprise for me. Initially, I almost skipped it because I felt like the trailer was funny, but I was expecting to be letdown by another semi-funny movie that’s quickly forgotten. Like Donny, I was wrong. Role Models is freaking hilarious from start to finish. First and foremost, it’s because of Paul Rudd. He plays a character who is so disgruntled it shouldn’t be funny but it is. Little looks or quips make his character one of my favorite downbeats of the year and yes, Seann William Scott is good again. While Donny commented on Christopher Mintz-Plasse, to me he’s always McLovin‘ but the finale of the film makes him three-dimensional enough to lightly shed that stereotype.

But one of the biggest kicks I got was from Jane Lynch as Gayle Sweeny, the Sturdy Wings creator. She balances this character perfectly. She never goes full camp and never goes too serious as her character is one of those people I personally can’t stand. She plays an ex-druggie who has found a calling in her life to help the “littles”, which are the kids in the film. She plays a reformed druggie that feels like those weird Born-Again Christians that you know is so full of crap but hey, she’s doing well. Her performance perfectly counter-balances the two male leads. Great stuff.

But everything comes together with not so much a heavy-handed message but they do reform and it’s for the kids more than themselves, which in turn, changes them. The film hits all of the typical comedy film clichés but it’s so incredibly funny and foul (but not in a gross-out way), it’s a must-see.

Are you a role model?

Jon: The only “little” in my life is my nephew and he’s barely 18 months old. Strangely enough, he mimics me a lot as in when I cough he coughs, when I laugh he laughs. He also has some great tastes in movies already; he always grabs Treasure of the Sierra Madre off my DVD shelf and yells “Zilla!” obviously in reference to Godzilla, so that’s the positive aspects of me rubbing off. But I will not tell of my other habits he’s starting to pick up on… (insert evil laugh). Yeah, people are afraid.

Donny:  I try my best to be a role model for my children, but sometimes it’s an uphill battle.  If my wife put out a money jar for every curse word I let slip out, it would be full within a week.  So to answer the question, I’d have to say that I’m working on it. 

Grade?

Donny: ****

Jon: ***

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

The month of October was a landmark month for everyone at Killer Film.  We unveiled our new site design, which is geared toward building a community of like minded film enthusiasts.  The new design comes complete with a featured video section, a preview box, Blu-Ray, DVD, and Theatrical sections, as well as comment boxes and buttons enabling readers to add our content to their favorite social bookmarking site.  October also featured more Blu-Ray reviews than ever, an awesome feature from our beautiful and killer horror nerd Serena Whitney, interviews with Darren Lynn Bousman, Monica Keena, Edward Furlong, and more!

Nothing excites me more than seeing and writing about a good movie and simultaneously sharing it with our dedicated readers.  I’m a film fan.  I don’t discriminate against any genre, but lately Hollywood seems to have lost its way.  Movies like Prom Night, and Mirrors have been getting the blockbuster treatment, while killer films like Dance of the Dead, Jack Brooks: Monster Slayer, and Trailer Park of Terror are forced to find their audience on DVD.  I’m pretty sure that if the powers that be in Hollywood put a little money behind a film like Jack Brooks that fans would respond big-time.  And these are just example of flicks from the horror genre, there are countless others in every genre imaginable that are forced to fight for an audience while luke warm blockbusters get the red carpet treatment.  We here at Killer Film are going to continue to fight for the indie film by reviewing as many indie and direct to DVD flicks as we do blockbusters.  Because I’m sure Hollywood is going to catch on soon enough and realize that putting faith in original content not only pays big dividends when successful, it also adds new film icons for them to remake when the market gets tired of whatever trend is popular at that moment.

With that said November looking like a strong month for fresh cinematic voices.  Films like Repo! The Genetic Opera and Milk opening and telling compelling original stories.  Also, on the blockbuster front Twilight looks like it could be interesting for fans of the book, and Role Models looks like it is going to kick comedy ass.  So I urge anyone reading this to see these films in the theatre, and for a completely original film like Repo!, see it twice.  Do whatever it takes to make the Hollywood machine realize that films like Repo! need a wide release.  And for films like Twilight that are already opening wide, support them as well, and send the message that any original content is appreciated.  

Check the site everyday because for the month of November not only do we have a slew of reviews coming at you, we also have interviews with Bill Moseley, Lew Temple, Anthony Head, and more!  We are doing our best to bring you killer content month after month and it’s only going to get better.  In the coming months you can expect many more reviews, features, interviews, as well as original video content.  And please leave comments with your feelings, opinions, and suggestions.  We will read them all and use them to build a stronger community, and grow Killer Film into a site built by film fans for film fans.  

I hope everyone had a killer Halloween, and have a wonderful Thanksgiving.

Until next month,

Donny Broussard