The Film:

Nicolas Cage gets knocked down. But he gets up again. You are never going to keep him down. Many would say he has pissed away his career with some of the perfunctory projects he has been sidling himself next to in the recent half of his vocation. Other than a certain Indian filmmaker with an idiosyncratic name, nobody has come close to being used and abused by fans more than the man who once went by the name Nicolas Coppola.

Behmen [Nicolas Cage] and Felson [Ron Perlman] are the best of friends as well as a pair of kick-ass 14th-century knights who are assigned the responsibility of transporting a supposed black witch [Claire Foy] to a far away monastery. It is there were a sect of monks will read from the good book and speak a holy incantation that will rid her of her witching ways and shall cleanse the land of the Black Death that is laying waste to humans and leaving them in a pus-ridden and diseased state that eventually leads to their demise.

Along for the journey is a motley crew that includes a devout priest, a headstrong youth, a disgraced itinerant, and a grieving knight who deal with a powerful witch who just might be more than meets the eye. There are a liberal amount of impediments along their travels including a dangling bridge and voracious wolves in a fog filled forest that seems more apropos for a Harry Potter film than a horror-thriller.

Although she is trapped in a steel cage, the enchantress has the power the to use your sorrows against you or simply overpower you with her preternatural strength if you get too close to her. Behmen has a heavy heart from all his crusading battles for the man upstairs, and that has lead to the murder of women and children and anyone who does not believe in the ways of the Lord. Our posse makes it to the abbey and find out there is a more sinister force at hand than they ever realized.

His name is nowhere to be seen on the theatrical poster, nevertheless, Ron Perlman is the star and is a gas as the boozin’, womanizing chum of Nicolas Cage, and has some sprightly one-liners. The prologue shows them in the many epic battles they have been through the years and their camaraderie seen on the battlefield seems genuine, and that pops on screen anytime they are together. Everything is going copacetic until the big reveal at the climax, which sucks the wind out of the entire picture, and on top of that, the CGI effects hop there way through candy land and only cheapen what should have been a not-so guilty pleasure for me.

The best film ever with Season of the Witch in its title still belongs to Tom Atkins and Halloween III. I am not persuading you to run out and see it, but the picture is not as bad as some of the reviews out there imply, and you should give it a go if you are into machismo schlock.

The Blu-ray:

Audio/Video: Fox Home Entertainment delivers a superb transfer. The film has a painterly look, often impressionistic, which aids the bold colors, sharp details, and the unexpected high clarity. The DTS track is equally as great; mostly bombastic in all of the right areas, there’s little time for your home theater to breathe.

All extras are in HD.

Becoming the Demon: Here’s your quick explanation of the CG used in the climax, EPK style.

On a Crusade: An EPK look at the film’s opening historical references.

Deleted Scenes: These are worth watching, especially given the film’s oft-delayed status prior to finally getting a release. We get more Christopher Lee as the Holy Man, a longer more violent opening monologue, and other character moments that could have arguably (minus the CG ending) made the film better.

Alternative Ending: Different, but not radical, as this ending still leads to a similar, less CGI, conclusion.

Digital Copy and the HD Trailer round out the extras.

The Film: Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars

The Blu-ray: Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

The extras will include a feature commentary, deleted scenes, Becoming the Demon and On a Crusade feaurettes, an alternate ending, and the theatrical trailer. No cover art has been released yet.

Source: HDD

I can roast a bad flick with the best of them, but when thirty-year old losers attack his personal appearance from their laptop in their mommy’s basement, it reeks of buffoons who have no life. To go after his hair extensions or wig, or whatever it is that he places on top of his head is absurd and childish. The man can wipe his ass with one hundred dollar bills the rest of his life, when most citizens are living from paycheck to paycheck. Not everyone looks good with a chrome dome like Bruce Willis and I. Sheesh, what the hell got into me? Time to get off my soapbox and review the flippin’ film already.

Here’s the top-ten from Box-office Mojo:

1. True Grit ($15 mil)

2. Little Fockers ($13.7 mil)

3. Season of the Witch ($10.7 mil)

4. Tron Legacy ($9.8 mil)

5. Black Swan ($8.3 mil)

6. Country Song ($7.3 mil)

7. The Fighter ($7 mil)

8. The King’s Speech ($6.8 mil)

9. Yogi Bear ($6.8 mil)

10. Tangled ($5.2 mil)

Opening next week will be The Dilemma (January 14), The Green Hornet (January 14), Barney’s Version (Limited), and Ong Bak 3 (Limited).

Genre vet Ron Perlman chats with Killer Film about the film, his role of Felson, Nic Cage, and of course, Guillermo del Toro. Read on!

Jon Peters: I assume the script came to you in late 2008, early 2009. What was it that got you excited to sign on to play Felson?

Ron Perlman: Well, before the script even was delivered to my door, it was referred to as the Nic Cage movie with Dominic Sena directing. It had to be really, really awful for me to say no to. There was no “no” to it, really, since you can’t say that to those two. Nic is such an original, with a body of work of masterpieces that are boundless. Dominic is a super filmmaker ever since he done Kalifornia, I was a fan. So I opened it up to read it, to see what they wanted me to do, which was to play [Felson] Nic Cage’s best pal shoulder-to-shoulder for the entire film. It seemed too good to be true, which is that it was. So I signed on with a huge amount of enthusiasm.

Jon: I read in a recent interview you did that you called Nic Cage “a generous actor”. Can you elaborate on that more?

Ron Perlman: I think that was said for my appreciation for him. I was a huge fan boy and then act next and share oxygen to him, was amazing. He has this unabashed innocence in his work, along with his dedication, that’s great. He really adores making movies, so there’s such an energy force that radiates from him that’s infectious. He’s just really positive; he’s the first one on the set, last one to leave. He’s amazingly generous to those working with and around him, and understands when it’s someone else’s moment, and makes sure they shine. It’s a pleasure to witness to love for the work. He engages you to take your game up a notch or two, you know?

Jon: Well, with both of your long careers is an exact opposite of newcomer Claire Foy, who plays the Girl/the Witch. You two are use to greenscreens and the harsh weather and working conditions, and it must have been hard for her to carry the film, due to her role. How was it working with Claire?

Ron Perlman: Claire brings a lot to the party. She doesn’t give off that she’s new to this. She’s an old soul, even though she’s early 20s, with real wisdom, sharp intellect, sophistication. She has an amazing ability to be in deep focus on what she’s doing, which trumps the difficulties with the weather or locations. She’s just gifted.

Jon: Well, with those environments in which you filmed in, I believe in Croatia and the Austrian Alps, you’ve worked in films that call for harsh conditions. Even later this year with Conan the Barbarian and Scorpion King 3, does it get any easier film after film, or is it still a bitch working in harsh weather conditions?

Ron Perlman: It seems like we’re always shooting these movies in the the dead of winter. (laughs) I think that’s probably how the remote quality of the location with the actor’s breathe in the cold. You can’t replace that. Or when you’re fighting on real mud, in snow or rain as your filming, that makes for a reality that can’t be created otherwise. It never gets easier. I don’t bring baggage from the set conditions of other gigs. I keep it fresh, from film to film, like the first time, every time. There’s experience, sure, but leave it in the trailer.

Jon: I’m always looking in genre films for a film to offer me something more than the their conventions and thrills, and a film about the Black Plague comes at an interesting, maybe curious time since a few days ago (here) in Arkansas, birds and fish have mysteriously died…

Ron Perlman: Yeah, I’ve been watching that and they still don’t know why.

Jon: That’s what is fun about the Season of the Witch and its timing for a January release. As a genre vet, what keeps you excited to constantly be working in genre films like fantasy and horror?

Ron Perlman: I’m not ever going to be in a movie, like a genre film, that doesn’t have some sort of gravitas. I felt like the backdrop to Season of the Witch in the Crusades, isn’t one of the brightest times for the Catholic Church, and there’s things being done that are being built as one thing, but are something else. So there’s a possibility of all Hell breaking loose and we have modern day equivalence to that. This story you mentioned about the birds dying, they still haven’t came up with anything conclusive to why it was caused, and here it is the 21st Century.

Mysterious happenings are universal. Take tsunamis for example: where the f*ck those come from? For me, the supernatural elements that are unleashed spring out of something that’s corrupting the Earth at that time and it allows for a reality for when something fantastical happens. I’ll never do a straight up scary movie that doesn’t have some basis in reality to juxtaposed it against.

Jon: A lot of fans are getting excited for your umpteenth collaboration with Guillermo del Toro in At the Mountains of Madness, especially since Hellboy 3 isn’t really going to happen anytime soon (here). What’s the attraction for your guys’ continued work together, making you guys a genre equivalent to Scorsese/De Niro?

Ron Perlman: I never thought I’d be mentioned in the same sentence as Scorsese and De Niro, so I thank you for that. It’s a thrill. We became fast friends on Cronos (out now on Criterion Collection Blu-ray/DVD; here), that has superseded our work. We truly enjoy each other’s company and he truly understands me as an actor, my heart and how I move through the universal, unlike any other director. It’s allowed for my resurgence in this last decade of my career, that’s indescribable and humbling. I thank God that I met Guillermo del Toro, since these last 10 years has been my best years as an actor.

We have a great time on-set together, that allows for me to be creative and offer ideas. The shorthand has allowed him to focus on other stuff and to make his movie. I don’t throw around genius, but Guillermo is. It’s an honor to work with him.

Season of the Witch opens January 7th.

(Jaunary 7th)

Season of the Witch

The IMDb plot: “14th-century knights transport a suspected witch to a monastery, where monks deduce her powers could be the source of the Black Plague.”

Donny: Looks like it could be fun. I’m not totally excited about it, but the trailer isn’t bad and Cage has been picking some fun flicks lately. See it.

Jon: This has an old world vibe that some Hammer Films had. I just hope they don’t use CG too much, but I think it looks a little wicked.Good cast: Nic Cage, Ron Pearlman, and Hammer Films alum, Christopher Lee. January usually is a downer month, but this could be a fun way to start of the genre new year. Plagues and witches, baby! See it.

Ong Bak 3

The IMDb plot: “Tien is captured and almost beaten to death before he is saved and brought back to the Kana Khone villagers. There he is taught meditation and how to deal with his Karma, but very soon his arch rival returns challenging Tien for a final duel.”

Jon: I actually really dug the Medieval/Thai origins in the sequel. Jaa was on top of his game, with a variety of great in-camera fight sequences. It ended in an ambiguous way, and for some, that left them cold, but for me? I was craving for more. Sadly, Jaa has left to become a monk (here) after the struggle that was this film’s behind-the-scenes issues, but for fight fans and, of course, Jaa fans: See it.

Donny: Jaa is solid, this franchise is solid, enough said. See it.

(January 14th)

Green Hornet

The IMDb plot: “By night, debonair newspaper publisher Britt Reid fights crime as a masked superhero known as The Green Hornet. At his side is martial arts expert Kato.”

Jon: While I love Bruce Lee, I remember less of the original ’60s TV series. They just didn’t rerun them like the Adam West-starring Batman TV series from the ’60s. Gondry has fallen off for me, or rather, hasn’t been much outside of Charlie Kaufman and this film looks too quirky and humorous for its own good. I think there’s more wrong here than your $ is worth. Skip it.

Donny: I totally disagree with Jon on this one. I’m excited to see what Gondry did with this, and I’m a huge Rogen fan so I’m positively gonna see it.

(January 21st)

No genre releases this weekend! Boo and WTF!

(January 28th)

The Mechanic

The IMDb plot: “Follows an elite hit man as he teaches his trade to an apprentice who has a connection to one of his previous victims.”

Donny: Hell yes! See it.

Jon: It might be Statham doing what Statham usually does, and I know some have shown a disinterest for it being a remake, but so? Once again, I’ll say this: it’s January, so let’s have some fun! It looks a little like a DTV, but I’m down. See it.

The Rite

The IMDb plot: “An American priest travels to Italy to study at an exorcism school.”

Jon: The power of Christ compels you! I dig religious horror films, as I personally like studying theology, so I by that token, like exorcism films, even though The Exorcist is the one and only king of that genre. But last year’s The Last Exorcism proved there might be some hope for something new in the genre. Will this be it? No. I didn’t like the director’s previous genre outing in 1408, but solid cast should make for it to be worth a watch. See it.

Donny: I’m not really excited about this flick, so I’m gonna skip it and let Jon see it.

January Spotlight!

Ip Man 2: Legend of the Grandmaster

The IMDb plot: “Centering on Ip Man’s migration to Hong Kong in 1949 as he attempts to propagate his discipline of Wing Chun martial arts.”

Jon: Two Bruce Lee-related projects in one month? Okay! The first Ip Man (here), based on Lee’s mentor, was a typical biopic that was filled with some wicked fighting, bringing home a slew of Hong Kong Awards. I expect this to be more of the same, which is a good thing. See it.

Donny: Once again, I’m with Jon. This looks like a solid flick. See it.

Check out the trailer here!

Keep it here all month long for more reviews from these releases and more, only by the genre site of awesome, Killer Film!

In the supernatural thriller SEASON OF THE WITCH, Nicolas Cage stars as a 14th century Crusader who returns with his comrade (Ron Perlman) to a homeland devastated by the Black Plague. A beleaguered church, deeming sorcery the culprit of the plague, commands the two knights to transport an accused witch (Claire Foy) to a remote abbey, where monks will perform a ritual in hopes of ending the pestilence.

A priest (Stephen Campbell Moore), a grieving knight (Ulrich Thomsen), an itinerant swindler (Stephen Graham) and a headstrong youth who can only dream of becoming a knight (Robert Sheehan) join a mission troubled by mythically hostile wilderness and fierce contention over the fate of the girl.

When the embattled party arrives at the abbey, a horrific discovery jeopardizes the knight’s pledge to ensure the girl fair treatment, and pits them against an inexplicably powerful and destructive force.

The film is in theaters January 7th, 2011!

Source: Arrow

14th-century knights transport a suspected witch to a monastery, where monks deduce her powers could be the source of the Black Plague.

“Prepare For Battle”

“Deliver The Witch”

“Is That The Witch?”

Source: WeAreMovieGeeks

“Wolves”

A 14th century Crusader returns to a homeland devastated by the Black Plague. A beleaguered church, deeming sorcery the culprit of the plague, commands the two knights to transport an accused witch to a remote abbey, where monks will perform a ritual in hopes of ending the pestilence. A priest, a grieving knight, a disgraced itinerant and a headstrong youth who can only dream of becoming a knight join a mission troubled by mythically hostile wilderness and fierce contention over the fate of the girl. When the embattled party arrives at the abbey, a horrific discovery jeopardises the knight’s pledge to ensure the girl fair treatment, and pits them against an inexplicably powerful and destructive force.

Source: IMDB

14th-century knights transport a suspected witch to a monastery, where monks deduce her powers could be the source of the Black Plague.

Source: ShockTillYaDrop, DigitalSpy

It’s a little different than the first version. The film was bumped a few times this year from various dates, but it’ll open our 2011 movie-going season (ahem) this coming January.

Well, now Relativity has announced that the film will open January 7th, 2011. That month was once viewed as a dumping ground, and it still sort of is, yet for genre films like this horror-based 14th Century set film, have done really well. The film was directed by Dominic Sena (House of Wax) and co-stars Ron Pearlman and Claire Foy.

If anything else happens on this film, we will let you know!

Source: STYD

Producing is Arnold Messer, Bradley Fischer and Mike Medavoy from Phoenix Pictures. No word on when filming is expected to start. The other films that Ruzowitzky previously directed include The Counterfeiters and Anatomy.

Lionsgate recently was part of the bidding war that several other studios were participating in grabbing the rights to the Terminator franchise which inevitably went to Pacificor. Cabin Fever 2: Spring Fever, directed by Ti West, is the latest to be distributed onto DVD and Blu-Ray from the company.