Neil Marshall set to direct & produce horror-thriller The Lair

After bringing his latest horror pic to US audiences at Beyond Fest earlier this month, Neil Marshall has lined up his next genre pic with the war horror action-thriller The Lair, which he will direct and produce, according to Variety.

RELATED: Hellraiser Series: Clive Barker to Executive Produce New HBO Adaptation

Written by Marshall, the film focuses on Royal Air Force pilot Lt. Kate Sinclair as her jet is shot down over one of the most dangerous rebel strongholds in Afghanistan on her final flight mission. As she finds shelter in an abandoned underground bunker, she discovers deadly man-made creatures known as Ravagers, which are half-human and half-alien and hunger for human flesh, and barely escapes, unknowingly leading them to a U.S. Army base where they must all fight back against them.

“If The Reckoning was a gothic drama in testament to the power and resilience of women, then The Lair is my true return to full-blooded horror and intense genre action in the style of Dog Soldiers, The Descent and Doomsday,” Marshall said in a statement. “I’m making something scary as hell, pulse-pounding and great fun. This is a crowd pleaser, an adrenaline pumping roller-coaster ride; spectacular and loud, inspired by classic genre movies like Aliens, Predator and The Thing and their incredible use of practical creature FX. Featuring a new breed of screen terror, The Lair will be a snarling, ravenous beast of a movie. I’m going to get my hands bloody making this one!”

News of the film’s development arrives just ahead of the launch of sales for the project at the forthcoming virtual American Film Market, which is set to begin on November 9 and be handled by Highland Film Group, with Marshall set to produce the film via his Scarlett Productions Ltd. banner and eyeing a production start early next year.

RELATED: Scott Derrickson Tapped to Helm Blumhouse & Universal’s Black Phone

Marshall is best-known for his breakout action horror hits Dog Soldiers and The Descent and most recently stepped behind the camera for the failed Hellboy reboot starring David Harbour (Stranger Things) and the adventure horror The Reckoning.

(Photo Credit: Robin Marchant/WireImage)

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The Painter and the Thief: NEON Partners with STUDIOCANAL & Blueprint Pictures on Narrative Remake

NEON has announced they are partnering with STUDIOCANAL and Blueprint Pictures to co-develop the narrative remake of their lauded documentary The Painter and the Thief from Benjamin Ree. You can rent or buy the documentary here!

RELATED: NEON Unveils Trailer & Release Date for Documentary Totally Under Control

Following the film’s word-of-mouth success and increasing awards momentum, NEON sparked a bidding war for the buzzed-about project, ultimately won by STUDIOCANAL and Blueprint Pictures. NEON had acquired remake rights along with the documentary following its World Premiere at the Sundance Film Festival, where it won for “Creative Storytelling”. It has gone on to earn multiple awards across the festival circuit, most recently taking the “Best Documentary Feature” award out of the BFI London Film Festival, and received two Critics’ Choice Awards Nominations for Best Documentary Feature and Best Director.

STUDIOCANAL and Blueprint Pictures will develop and package the feature, with Blueprint producing and NEON and STUDIOCANAL executive producing. NEON and STUDIOCANAL will finance the development and production. A writer, director, and cast are yet to be attached.

The Painter and the Thief follows a Czech artist who, desperate for answers about the theft of her two paintings, seeks out and befriends the career criminal who stole them.

The deal was negotiated by Jeff Deutchman for NEON, with Shana Eddy, Rachel Henochsberg, and Vanessa Saunoi on behalf of STUDIOCANAL and Diarmuid McKeown on behalf of Blueprint Pictures.

RELATED: Lily James, Emma Thompson & Shazad Latif to Star in Shekhar Kapur’s New Rom-Com

This is the latest foray for NEON into development and production on the heels of their Best Picture win for Bong Joon-ho’s Parasite, a film they boarded at script stage, as well as Alex Gibney’s Totally Under Control which was recently released on Apple TV. NEON has several projects at various stages of development and production, including Pablo Larrain’s Spencer.

The post The Painter and the Thief: NEON Partners with STUDIOCANAL & Blueprint Pictures on Narrative Remake appeared first on ComingSoon.net.

New Mortal clip reveals one of Nat Wolff’s powers

Ahead of the film’s digital and select theatrical release, Saban Films has unveiled a new clip from André Øvredal’s (Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark) forthcoming sci-fi fantasy thriller Mortal starring Nat Wolff (Death Note) that shows off one of his various powers in the film. The clip can be viewed in the player below!

RELATED: Saban Films Unveils New Trailer, Poster & Release for André Øvredal’s Mortal

Based on ancient Norse Mythology, Mortal is a fantasy adventure epic that is being described as a fusion of previous superhero films such as Chronicle, X-Men and Thor. It will follow the story of a young boy, who must discover the origins of his extraordinary powers before he is captured by authorities hell-bent on con-demning him for an accidental murder. A breath-taking and thrilling origins adventure story.

Joining Nat Wolff (Paper Towns, The Fault in Our Stars) are Norwegian actors Iben Akerlie, Priyanka Bose, Arthur Hakalahti, Anna Sedunova, and Per Egil Aske. Mortal is written and directed by Øvredal, who also serves as an executive producer along with Aage Aaberge, Aron Eli Coleite, Malene Ehlers, Joshua Horsfield, and Henrik Zein.

André Øvredal is best known for his feature directorial debut film Trollhunter and the 2016 supernatural horror film The Autopsy of Jane Doe. His most recent work was on Guillermo del Toro’s live-action adaptation of Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark. His upcoming projects are Amblin’s The Last Voyage of the Demeter, Stephen King’s The Long Walk film adaptation and a sequel to Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark.

RELATED: Exclusive: André Øvredal Talks Scary Stories Sequel & The Long Walk

Mortal is set to hit select theaters, digital platforms and VOD on November 6, followed by a Blu-ray release on November 10.

The post New Mortal Clip Reveals One of Nat Wolff’s Powers appeared first on ComingSoon.net.

The Stand-In Trailer Starring Drew Barrymore in Jamie Babbit’s New Comedy

Saban Films has released the official trailer for The Stand-In, starring Golden Globe winner Drew Barrymore (Grey Gardens, Santa Clarita Diet) in dual roles in Emmy nominee Jamie Babbit’s (Silicon Valley) upcoming comedy. You can check out the trailer now in the player below!

RELATED: Wander Trailer Starring Aaron Eckhart & Tommy Lee Jones

The Stand-In is the story of a disaffected comedy actress busted for tax evasion and her adoring, ambitious stand-in who she hires to do community service in her place. A co-dependent relationship ensues as the actress begins to use the stand-in in all parts of her life to escape from the stressful demands of fame. Eventually, the stand-in starts to take the actress’s identity, career, and boyfriend and finally kicks her out of her own house.

The star-studded cast also includes Michael Zegen (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel), Emmy Award nominee Ellie Kemper (Bridesmaids, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt), T.J. Miller (Deadpool, Silicon Valley), and Emmy Award-winner Holland Taylor (Two and a Half Men, Legally Blonde). An official selection of The Tribeca Film Festival, the comedy was written by Sam Bain (Four Lions, Magicians) and produced by The Exchange’s Caddy Vanasirikul and Brian O’Shea, Flower Films’ Ember Truesdell and Chris Miller, and Tom McNulty.

RELATED: Saban Films Unveils New Trailer, Poster & Release for André Øvredal’s Mortal

Saban Films is executive producing alongside Flower Films’ Drew Barrymore, Nancy Juvonen; Ingenious Media’s Christelle Conan, Anders Erden, Simon Williams, The Exchange’s Nat McCormick, Giovanna Trischitta; Wrigley Media Group’s Misdee Wrigley-Miller, Jayne Hancock, Ross Babbit, Danny Tepper; J3’s John Jencks and Joe Simpson, Jay Taylor, and Sam Bain.

The Stand-In will release in select theaters, On Demand, and on Digital on December 11.

The post The Stand-In Trailer Starring Drew Barrymore in Jamie Babbit’s New Comedy appeared first on ComingSoon.net.

Rating: 

8.5/10

Cast:

Gillian Jacobs as Sarah

John Gallagher Jr. as Marty

Azhy Robertson as Oliver

Winslow Fegley as Bryon

Written and Directed by Jacob Chase

Come Play Review:

“The American version of [insert title here]” can either be the biggest praise or the the harshest critique for a film in any genre, but especially in the horror genre, which has a fanbase that ranges from hungry solely for unique new stories to loving trips down nostalgia lane. With Amblin Partners joined in on the feature, Jacob Chase’s Come Play is certainly a mishmash of parts tapping into the feel of the latter, but thanks to some effective shocks and emotional storytelling, it still proves to be one of the better horror outings of recent years.

The story of Come Play, a feature length adaptation of Chase’s horror short Larry, focuses on Oliver, a lonely young boy who feels different from everyone else. Desperate for a friend, he seeks solace and refuge in his ever-present cell phone and tablet. When a mysterious creature uses Oliver’s devices against him to break into our world, Oliver’s parents (Gillian Jacobs and John Gallagher Jr.) must fight to save their son from the monster beyond the screen.

For those who it wasn’t apparent, the story is a clear borrowing of elements from Jennifer Kent’s The Babadook, although there are enough elements in Chase’s film to set itself apart from the 2014 masterpiece, including actually diagnosing its child protagonist with a specific disability instead of just an ambiguous placing on the spectrum and having the father alive and in the story. Granted with Kent’s film, the father’s absence is a key driving force for the story’s thematics, but the inclusion of the father feels much more resonant for the story of young Oliver.

As the story progresses and shows the various parts of Oliver’s life, including his visits to his therapist and troubles at school with other children, it becomes clear Chase has done a lot of research into how his character would move through the world and the struggles he’d face in connecting with both family and peers. This early establishment of a well-rounded and interesting portrayal of Oliver makes the emotional connection all that much easier for audiences as the terror slowly works its way into the story.

Much like Kent’s Babadook or even David F. Sandberg’s Lights Out, Chase does a nice job of taking his time to build the suspense surrounding the malevolent Larry before going a little heavy on the jump scares. Granted, many of the jump scares are very effective and expertly crafted, the writer/director clearly having a grasp on the nature of building the tension in a scene and offering fake-outs before suddenly pulling the rug out from audiences and sending their heart rates spiking.

One of the key ingredients that makes so many of the scares, both jump and atmospheric, so effective is the film’s incredible sound design throughout. While there is an emotional musical score from the always-great Roque Baños present in the film, Chase smartly chooses to keep it either low in the background or keep scenes quiet to keep audiences guessing as to whether something is about to happen or elevate much of the powerful dialogue scenes from the incredible performers Gillian Jacobs and John Gallagher Jr.’s Sarah and Marty. Like the best films full of jump scares from recent years, Chase’s decision to keep much of the film quieter allows for all of the air to be sucked out of viewers’ lungs as little hints and subtle appearances are on display in scenes of terror, followed by a horrific shock or a gotcha moment that allows the audience to chuckle at the fact they got got.

Come Play may feel like an assortment of pieces from other, better horror films, namely The Babadook, but thanks to some emotional storytelling, effective scares, wonderful performances from its cast and a downright shocker of an ending, it proves to be a plenty entertaining entry into the family horror genre.

The post Come Play Review: Emotional Depth & Good Shocks Offsets Familiar Parts appeared first on ComingSoon.net.

Lily James, Emma Thompson & Shazad Latif to Star in Shekhar Kapur’s New Rom-Com

Lily James (Yesterday, Cinderella, Darkest Hour), Oscar winner Emma Thompson (Sense and Sensibility, Late Night, Saving Mr. Banks), and Shazad Latif (Star Trek: Discovery, Departure, The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance) are attached to star in Golden Globe-nominated director Shekhar Kapur’s upcoming romance comedy What’s Love Got to Do With It?, according to Deadline. The movie will serve as the first feature project helmed by Kapur since the 2007 Oscar-winning historical drama Elizabeth: The Golden Age, a follow-up to Kapur’s 1998 Oscar-winning movie Elizabeth, starring Cate Blanchett.

RELATED: Rebecca Trailer: Lily James & Armie Hammer in Netflix’s Gothic Drama

Plot details on the upcoming feature are being kept under wraps, but the outlet shares the project will be a “cross-cultural rom-com” about love and marriage “set between London and South Asia.”

What’s Love Got to Do With It? will be written and produced by Jemima Khan (Impeachment: American Crime Story, The Case Against Adnan Syed). Khan will produce through her Instinct Productions banner, with Nicky Kentish Barnes (About a Boy) also producing alongside Working Title’s Eric Fellner and Tim Bevan.

Studiocanal will fully finance the project and is launching sales at the upcoming virtual American Film Market (AFM). The studio will release in their own territories which includes the UK, France, Germany, Australia, and New Zealand. Studiocanal’s Ron Halpern and Joe Naftalin will oversee for the company.

RELATED: Betty Gilpin Joins Sarah Paulson in Impeachment: American Crime Story

Production on the movie is expected to begin next month.

(Photo by David M. Benett/Getty Images for Burberry, Steve Blackburn/Getty Images for RBC & Mike Marsland/Mike Marsland/WireImage via Getty Images)

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Rating: 

7.5/10

Cast:

Omari Hardwick as Marquis T. Woods

Loretta Devine as Eloise

Hannah Gonera as Samsara Woods

Lorraine Burroughs as Veora Woods

Kalifa Burton as Tydon Woods

John Beasley as Earl

Tumisho Masha as Sheriff

Steve Mululu as Lewis

Directed by Mark Tonderai; Written by Kurt Wimmer

Click here to rent or purchase Spell!

Spell Review:

The horror genre has explored a number of cultural subgenres over the years but one of the rarely explored yet thoroughly compelling areas is that of hoodoo, the last notable example being the Kate Hudson-starring disappointment The Skeleton Key, but now we’re getting another high-profile effort with the Omari Hardwick and Loretta Devine-led Spell and while it may suffer from some pacing and logical issues, it proves to be the most effective attempt yet.

While flying to his father’s funeral in rural Appalachia, an intense storm causes Marquis (Omari Hardwick) to lose control of the plane carrying him and his family. He awakens wounded, alone and trapped in Ms. Eloise’s (Loretta Devine) attic, who claims she can nurse him back to health with the Boogity, a Hoodoo figure she has made from his blood and skin. Unable to call for help, Marquis desperately tries to outwit and break free from her dark magic and save his family from a sinister ritual before the rise of the blood moon.

The film starts off a little slow, with the characters introduced not really proving to be that compelling, likable or very original, from the teenage son losing interest in sports to the success-hungry dad struggling to be attentive in his family’s lives. Despite this, however, the story establishes a deeper root to the distant nature of Marquis, a past trauma that he’s sought to run from more than embrace and heal from and Hardwick does a great job of tapping into the complex balance of emotions throughout.

Once the plane crashes and Marquis awakes in his rural prison, the tension skyrockets and the story does a phenomenal job of keeping this tension palpable as the audience is left wondering whether Ms. Eloise is truly a good samaritan or is planning something more nefarious, though it may be more obvious than other similar stories such as Misery. The casting of Devine for her first real horror film in 20 years and rare antagonist role was nothing short of divine, as she brings all the warmth needed for audiences to truly enjoy watching the character as well as mask the malice just beneath the surface of her bubbly smile and maternal care.

One of the film’s strongest points is its unique depiction of hoodoo culture, offering just enough backstory on the roots of the folk religion and some of its various traditions to set itself apart from both past representations of the hoodoo and voodoo cultures, namely its central usage of the Boogity figures throughout. More terrifying in concept than a simple voodoo effigy, the production team do a great job at making every figure look incredibly creepy and be used to their full menacing potential.

Despite only running at 90 minutes, the film does suffer a bit of an issue with its pacing as it struggles to find a good balance between a lean pace that delivers all of the thrills at breakneck speeds and a more character-driven chiller. On what feels like too many occasions throughout the film, Marquis appears to be able to escape his situation, especially so early in the film that it begs the question of how he kept taking steps back. The fact he’s able to escape the room he’s held captive in the same day he wakes from surviving the plane crash feels far too soon and far too rushed for the fact we then see him return to his room and plan his next move.

These issues aside, however, Spell still proves to be a fairly well-directed, compellingly tense and culturally unique chiller carried by incredible performances Omari Hardwick and Loretta Devine, establishing itself as arguably the best depiction of hoodoo culture in the horror genre.

The post Spell Review: Too Deliberately Paced But Well-Performed Hoodoo Thriller appeared first on ComingSoon.net.

James Bond Star Sean Connery Dead at Age 90

It is with great sadness that ComingSoon.net must report that Sean Connery has passed away at the age of 90. According to the BBC.com, the actor, best remembered for his portrayal of James Bond, died peacefully in his sleep in the Bahamas after being, in the words of his son, Jason, “unwell for some time.”

Jason said his father “had many of his family who could be in the Bahamas around him” when he died overnight in Nassau. “We are all working at understanding this huge event as it only happened so recently, even though my dad has been unwell for some time.

The post James Bond Star Sean Connery Dead at Age 90 appeared first on ComingSoon.net.

CS Score: Bride of Frankenstein and El Camino’s Dave Porter & Thomas Golubić

Hey there, soundtrack lovers! We’ve got another great batch of film score features for you to check out. First, we preview a track from the upcoming soundtrack to The Umbrella Academy 2, followed by a look at Waxwork Records’ fantastic new The Bride of Frankenstein vinyl soundtrack, an interview with renowned composer/producer Reinhold Heil and, finally, an interview with composer Dave Porter and series music supervisor Thomas Golubić who discuss everything from their work on Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul to the upcoming vinyl release for El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie.

Read!

LISTEN TO A TRACK FROM THE UMBRELLA ACADEMY 2 BY JEFF RUSSO & PERRINE VIRGILE

Check out a track from the upcoming soundtrack, The Umbrella Academy 2 titled “The Swedes.” Composed by Emmy Award-winning composer Jeff Russo and Perrine Virgile, the track is a jaunty opener to the strikingly orchestrated album. Lakeshore Records will release the album digitally on November 6. The series starring Ellen Page, Robert Sheen, Tom Hopper, Emmy Raver-Lampman, Robert Sheehan, David Castañeda, Aidan Gallagher and Justin H Min is currently streaming on Netflix.

Pre-order The Umbrella Academy 2 soundtrack here!

You can also pre-order the album here!

THE BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN: ORIGINAL MOTION PICTURE VINYL SOUNDTRACK

Looking for a way to spook up your Halloween season? Then check out Waxwork Records’ all-new The Bride of Frankenstein: Original Motion Picture Vinyl Soundtrack, which presents Franz Waxman’s classic score to the 1935 horror masterpiece in an all-new “deluxe album featuring re-mastered audio, new artwork and likeness approvals from famed actress Elsa Lanchester’s estate.”

Here’s what you get with this terrific new release:

• The Premiere Vinyl Release of the Soundtrack
• 180 Gram Black and White Swirled Colored Vinyl
• Old Style Tip-On Gatefold Jackets with Satin Coating
• Artwork by Phantom City Creative
• 12”x12” Booklet
• Scoring Session Photography
• Liner Notes

Purchase The Bride of Frankenstein here!

The Bride of Frankenstein is oft regarded as one of the finest sequels ever made. And while the film is certainly dated — the result of being released over 85 years ago — it still packs quite the punch and is, in some ways, more faithful to Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein novel than the original Frankenstein film, what with its exploration of God and man and its lifting of several scenes and ideas from the text. Where 1931’s Frankenstein focused more on the basic horror elements inherit in a monster film, the sequel, released four years later to thunderous reviews and box office sales, keenly steps back and presents a sad tale of the Monster’s desire for acceptance. As directed by James Whale, Bride of Frankenstein is episodic in nature as it tracks the Monster’s dealings with local villagers, including a blind man (a scene later parodied in Mel Brooks’ Young Frankenstein); and his subsequent desire for a mate. It all comes to a head in the explosive climax where Dr. Frankenstein, forced into submission by Doctor Septimus Pretorius, creates the titular Bride, who awakens and hisses her way to movie history.

Your love for The Bride of Frankenstein will depend on your tolerance for the classic melodramatic Hollywood style; and your appreciation for old-school cinema. Keep in mind, this film floored audiences upon its initial release; and was popular enough to spawn six additional films — Son of Frankenstein (released in 1939 and the last to feature Boris Karloff in the Monster role), The Ghost of Frankenstein (1942), Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man (1943), House of Frankenstein (1944), House of Dracula (1945) and Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948).

Similarly, your love for Waxman’s score will depend on whether you appreciate the more overwrought compositions found in Hollywood’s “black and white” era. (In other words: Hans Zimmer this ain’t.) That said, Waxman’s work here is absolutely superb, especially considering the small 22-member orchestra he was given; a feat that forced him to use an organ to enhance the sound. Yet, the music feels massive in scale despite the limitations; and caters to the obvious horror elements — as heard in the brilliant track, “The Creation,” featuring a recurrent drum beat played against powerful gothic orchestrations — as well as the film’s lighter, more comedic beats. All told, there are eight themes spread across the relatively short 34-minutes of score, with the Bride’s dreamy melody topping out as the best of the bunch, but each gets a chance to shine before merging together in the fantastic climax, “Presenting the Bride – The Explosion” and “The Creation” tracks that close the album.

Ultimately, this classic score is (surprise, surprise) solely for classic score lovers, though even contemporary soundtrack enthusiasts will likely appreciate the unique techniques at work, which served as a template for contemporary horror fare. If anything, The Bride of Frankenstein offers a unique look at early Hollywood and the extraordinary artists who created the foundations for a modern empire.

REINHOLD HEIL DISCUSSES HIS SCORE FOR DEUTSCHLAND 89

Reinhold Heil’s score for Deutschland 89 released earlier this month, and we reached out to the composer to get his thoughts on the sequel series, which follows an agent of East Germany following the Fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989.

Intriguingly, Neil was present for the historic event, recalling, “In October 1989, our studio was only a few miles away from the Wall in West Berlin, and one of us always hung out in the TV room watching East-German TV, which was still mostly broadcasting Communist Propaganda but you could see and feel the façade coming down slowly. Whenever something awesome was on, the watcher started yelling and we all gathered around the TV to witness the small acts of resistance undermining the system.”

Obviously, that momentous event shaped his approach to the score.

“Deutschland 89 concludes this dramatic, fictitious but historically accurate trilogy,” Hein said. “Our main characters have to re-invent themselves and figure out how they make their way in the newly emerging political and economic landscape. So I had to re-invent their musical themes and create new ones and I had – as always – a wonderful time doing so. Nothing is more satisfying than working on a project you love with a team that supports you and teaches you new things every step of the way.”

Heil then explained how the new score builds on themes from the previous two seasons, albeit with a fresh prospective. “The main theme is much more aggressive and features Luanne Homzy and Evgeny Tonkha of the California String Quartet. There is also plenty of new material that I enjoyed working on very much because Showrunner Jörg Winger let me go a bit more experimental on the sequences with the RAF Terrorists. I’m very happy how the grand story arc unfolded and how the music evolved with it.”

A renown musician and music producer of that time, Heil got his start in the 70’s with the Nina Hagen Band, and later Spliff – one of the most popular German rock bands of the 1980s, and would go on to collaborate with the likes of Nena, Kim Wilde, and Rio Reiser. Heil became a film composer in the mid-90’s and worked with Johnny Klimek and Tom Tykwer on films such as Run, Lola, Run, Perfume, The International, and Cloud Atlas before leaving the team to pursue his own career, mostly composing for TV shows like Helix, Berlin Station, and the Deutschland series.

Between his experiences living in West Germany in 1989, and his storied past as a musician, producer, and then film composer, Reinhold Heil levies a deeply personal touch to his score for Deutschland 89.

EL CAMINO: INTERVIEW WITH COMPOSER DAVE PORTER AND MUSIC SUPERVISOR THOMAS GOLUBIĆ

It’s already been a year since Netflix released El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie to critical acclaim; and it’s taken that long to secure a soundtrack release for the film. No matter, the new El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie – Original Soundtrack Vinyl 2XLP is well worth the wait. Featuring every bit of music heard in the film — in the exact order heard in the film, no less — this new soundtrack is a must-have for fans of the Breaking Bad universe. If you needed further coaxing, composer Dave Porter and music supervisor Thomas Golubić sat down to discuss their work on this new release with ComingSoon.net, which you can read below.

El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie – Original Soundtrack Vinyl 2XLP features nearly every needle drop from the film, including songs by Lynyrd Skynyrd, England Dan & John Ford Coley, Jim White (Feat. Aimee Mann), Red Snapper, and more, plus exclusive liner notes by composer Dave Porter and music supervisor Thomas Golubić.

Purchase El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie – Original Soundtrack Vinyl 2XLP here! 

ComingSoon.net: Let’s talk about this new 2-LP album for El Camino, which features every bit of music from the Netflix film. How did this release come about?

Thomas Golubić: I think it’s one of those things where the Vince Gilligan universe — what is so wonderful of being part of it and being part of this one in particular — is everything is done to exacting detail. And everything is done with an investment of creativity. So like every department really puts themselves into the experience and it all channels through Vince. And this movie is a good example of that. So I think the soundtrack came together slowly, perhaps, because a lot of times you try to time soundtracks with the release of the film, but I think that we always feel that the legacy of the work is the most important thing. We had really wonderful and patient partners in Mondo. They were just absolutely wonderful to work with. And we got a chance to kind of get really beautiful artwork and really unique artwork from like another member of our creative family. So it’s like, everybody got a chance to kind of add their paintbrush, and everybody did something, I think, really beautiful. So that’s what I like about it taking a little bit longer than you’d expect. But it’s been a really, really enjoyable experience.

Dave Porter: Yeah, Thomas got it, right. If there’s anything we have learned from working with Vince Gilligan, and all the other producers of all these things is that it’s much better to do it right, than to do it fast. And so that enabled us to really take our time with this. And I think that, particularly for fans of the Breaking Bad universe, they’re gonna love this thing, because it has so much quality inherent in all the thought process that was put into it.

CS: How do you guys decide which songs to include in the film and subsequently the soundtrack?

Dave: That’s one of the things Thomas does best.

Thomas: I would love to say that it’s really easy and the first idea is the last idea, but it’s never the case. Although I have to say one of the things I love about the experience of listening to the record — I listened to it again in preparation for the interviews that we’re doing this week — is that it is in the order of the film. And so I think what I liked so much about it is that it’s a little bit like if you’re going into a clockmakers video studio, and each room has another set of clocks that are all representing of a different, you know, part of their creative process, you get to really enjoy it. And I got to walk through the movie again and everybody’s there. In a weird way, like no, the most obvious answer is we took the sequence of the music in the film and replicated it on the album. And the number of not very good ideas that I worked on before getting to that very simple solution was insane. So I kind of work circles to try to figure out the right balance songs and score and the right energy and what do we include and not include and we just did the math on it and realized, wow, these four sides time out. In other words, with the technical limitations of a record, you have enough space to have a good quality sound recording on each side, they fall really comfortably in sections. And it was like the universe was saying this is ABCD, this is a two album set. And it’s literally all the music from the film so you have the experience as you’re going through it. I feel like it landed exactly where it needed to, though we probably made it more complicated than it needed to be as well. But, in the end, it ended up being really cool.

Dave: I love that about it too. One of the things that we always talk about — not only for score but for source also — is the musical journey that we’re following along with the film and how that’s helping to tell the story of the characters and the plot as the film moves along. I approached it that way when I wrote the music, I started at the very beginning and worked through it sequentially, which I don’t always do. But it made all the sense in the world for this movie because it is such a linear journey. Unlike Breaking Bad or Better Call Saul, the TV shows where we’re hopping around from character to character, sometimes in different storylines that are interwoven into each other, [El Camino] really is a coda of Jesse’s story, specifically; and follows him and in a pretty linear fashion from start to finish. And I love that the records follow that path without any picture.

CS: Speaking specifically of the score, what was it like to go back to Breaking Bad after all those years?

Dave: It was easier than I thought it might be. And I’ll tell you, if we had done El Camino a few years ago, in the earlier years of Better Call Saul, it would have been a much bigger juxtaposition. But what we have found, as we have been working on Better Call Saul, which is, of course, a prequel to Breaking Bad, as we get closer and closer to the end of Better Call Saul’s story, musically I’m getting closer and closer to the original Breaking Bad story. That’s just how the timeline works. And we’ve been introducing more and more Breaking Bad characters into Better Call Saul; and there’s just been that cohesion building up towards where we want them to begin Breaking Bad. So when I’ve already had Breaking Bad in my psyche, as we work that way. But then, of course, it is really a shift for El Camino to be at the end of Breaking Bad, which in itself is a bit of a shift musically over the course of that series. And so there was a little jump and a little trying to figure out where to go. One of the things that I really worked hard to do is to, at the very beginning of the film, El Camino, I tried to take over very sonically as closely as I could from when we left off in Breaking Bad. But then, after talking to Vince, we really wanted a little leeway to tell a new story. And really focus on a character I didn’t get to spend a whole lot of time with musically over the course of the series, originally. There always needed to be a connection to the Breaking Bad world and the connection to the Breaking Bad timeline, but — and keeping all of that in mind — we did want to expand the boundaries a little bit and tried to explore some new territory for El Camino.

CS: What’s it like working with Vince Gilligan? Does he let you do your thing, musically, or does he have very specific ideas he presents to you? 

Thomas: It depends, really, on each project, which is kind of the interesting part. I mean, Vince Gilligan is my favorite creative collaborator. Of all the people that I’ve worked with over the years, I feel more in awe of what I learned — and how the joy of contributing to fulfilling his vision and the vision of the team, it’s my favorite thing. So, going in already, these are people I have enormous respect for, obviously. I have enormous affection for them personally, and the generosity that they show me and just getting a chance to contribute. And then also celebrating that process, even when I get it wrong, is really the best thing because I think that the ability to fail with your friends is like the greatest luxury I can think of when you’re trying to be creative. And I think that is something that is really exciting as part of that process — I get a chance to really test myself and know that if I fall flat on my face, I have a group that know that I tried and it was an interesting idea. And now, let’s move on and try another one.

Dave: That’s totally true in every sense. And, of course, the beauty of having the working relationship with Vince and the other producers now for as long as Thomas and I have had, we have that shorthand; and we have the advantage of skipping past bad ideas pretty quick when we can all be on the same page to realize they aren’t working. For me personally, you know, the experience of El Camino was quite different than working on either of the series because we had the luxury of time, which you often have for score on a film in a way that you just don’t on TV. In a television series, Thomas and I meet with Vince and the writers and editors for every episode to talk about what our musical tasks are for that episode. But then I’m on my own from there, working alone in my studio, and I’m sending them finished products, which they “yay” or “nay,” or we tweak from there. But in the process of working on the movie, actually, for the first time in however long I’ve worked with Vince — over a decade — he got the comforts to sit here in my studio on the couch while I worked, which was a fascinating new wrinkle for us. We had to tiptoe our way a little bit at first because we had never worked together that way before. In the end, it allowed for a greater level of collaboration on El Camino than we’ve ever been able to do before.

CS: Does the success of Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul and El Camino surprise you?

Thomas: That’s a good question. Ultimately, you’re in the trenches working on something and you hope that the world will recognize it. And sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t. I’ll mention some of my favorite projects to people who tell me they have never heard of that. And it’s one of those things you realize people like lots of different things and there’s so much media out there. So to be part of something which has been resonating in a really powerful way with each community that embraces it, and a growing entity that’s part of this whole universe is really wonderful because you also see how invested everybody else gets into it. Matt Talbot, who did the artwork for the album, which is really unique and exciting, he used to create these wonderful posters for episodes of Better Call Saul; and he became a friend of our creative community. And so, having his work here, it’s just such a nice way of enjoying that particular part of that expanding growing family, and the fact that he knows about us because the show thankfully got successful — people started to really notice it and notice what we’re doing. And we kept on doing the best work we always could to make the best, most interesting story we could. We just feel very lucky that people have joined us in all these journeys. We try really hard to make this the best thing we can do. I’m just so proud of all the work. You can feel it when you watch it. It feels absolutely clear about what it is and it’s really beautiful in all of its individual moments.

El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie

Dave: Thomas and I are happy to be able to work on these projects with Vince. To me, what has always been the most astounding aspect of particularly this Breaking Bad universe, is its consistency. It’s just consistently good. Part of that I believe is Vince’s overarching attention to every detail, but at the same time his willingness to take an idea from absolutely anyone — the newest intern in the room can pipe off and feel comfortable piping up at any time and it’s an idea and he will absolutely consider. And that combined too with the luxury that we’ve all had as a group to have worked this long together and creatively push each other, every year that we get together to do better and better work has led to some remarkable stuff. Thomas and I take a very small amount of credit for all of it and are mostly just feeling very blessed to be part of it.

CS: Are there any additional Breaking Bad spin-off movies in development that you can share with us or shows.spinoffs that you would like to see at some point in the future? 

Thomas: (Laughs.) If it existed we couldn’t talk about it anyway!

Dave: I will say that I don’t know any better than anybody else what the future holds or what Vince Gilligan is up to. I’m certainly the last to know. I would, of course, always be delighted to further explore this universe, but at the same time I’m actually kind of excited to see something totally new that Vince and all of us around the group could tackle. I know Vince has an endless amount of stories to tell and I certainly will always be available to him anytime.

Thomas: Same here. (Laughs.)

The post CS Score: Bride of Frankenstein and El Camino’s Dave Porter & Thomas Golubić appeared first on ComingSoon.net.

Rating: 

7.5/10

Cast:

Lin Shaye as Edith Cranston

Tobin Bell as Edward Cranston

Chester Rushing as Chris

Erin Sanders as Tonya

Mike C. Manning as Zack

Sloane Morgan Siegel as Brett

Judd Lormand as Harliss

Directed by Timothy Woodward Jr.; Written by Patrick Stibbs

Click here to rent or purchase The Call!

The Call Review:

Tobin Bell has enjoyed a wave of success over the past 15 years playing games with morally corrupt souls in the Saw film while Lin Shaye has enjoyed newfound stardom as the malevolent spirt fighting medium of the Insidious franchise and now James Wan and Leigh Whannell’s godchildren have come together for the supernatural pic The Call and while it offers a new side to each performer that’s wonderful to watch and some chilling imagery, its story leaves a little wanting.

From the opening moments, the film nicely sets up the film’s retro tone and ’80s setting, from period-accurate attire to killer tunes, but as we’re introduced to lead character Chris and his potential group of friends and love interests, the film immediately establishes that it’s going to be borrowing heavily from various horror movies tropes of the past, from the jealous boyfriend/group leader to the wavering love interest willing to flirt with Chris directly in front of her boyfriend without a care. It becomes very apparent who in the group the film is going to put a primary spotlight on leading up to and during the terror as well as who will more than likely survive and who will be quickly picked off.

That being said, however, the film is not without unlikable or unrelatable characters as “antagonists” Edith and Edward Cranston are both well-written and heartbreaking souls that audiences might have an easier time connecting to than the young victims-to-be. Shaye brilliantly brings to life all of the paranoia and torment of a woman having lost her mind following a public shaming from the local town and, though also proving to be a thoroughly enjoyable and haunting villain when displaying her evil side, is really easy to sympathize with and understand her anger and even want to root for her to fulfill her desire for vengeance. Much can be said in the same vein for Bell’s Edward, though very much like Jigsaw and other previous villains he’s portrayed he brings a more tempered and calculated approach to the role but also taps into the vulnerability and hurt he’s suffering from the untimely loss of his wife that proves compelling and moving to watch.

In addition to the nicely-written “evil” couple from Patrick Stibbs, Timothy Woodward Jr. lends an incredibly stylish eye to the proceedings that keeps some of its creepy-yet-familiar imagery feeling shocking enough to keep the energy going. Nicely incorporating a fish-eye lens for some of the more mind-bending or devastating of sequences throughout, Woodward finds a way to nicely balance the intimate feeling of its character-focused tale with the larger-scope supernatural world that shows a lot of promise for what he could do if given a larger budget.

Overall, The Call might lean on a lot of formula and familiar storytelling, with a dour and predictable ending falling flat, but thanks to some chilling imagery, two well-written characters and phenomenal performances from Bell and Shaye, as well as solid performances from its younger cast, it proves to be an entertaining enough ride for horror genre enthusiasts.

The Call is now available on digital platforms and premium VOD!

The post The Call Review: Visually Stylish & Terrifying Albeit Predictable appeared first on ComingSoon.net.