It’s a giant flying squid in a thunderstorm attacking a plane. If that alone doesn’t make you want to watch it you have issues. “Altitude” is comic book artist Kaare Andrews’first full length feature and even though it debuted to some pretty lukewarm reviews at VIFF I’ll still give it a whirl. The premise is ridiculous, the trailer is more ridiculous, and it’s available on Blu-Ray on Oct. 26. Check it out below.

So I’m sitting here at Firehouse Subs eating a sandwhich that likely contains the caloric intake I need for an entire week and I run across this little gem. A test film for a Russian version of The Transformers? It looks more like a commercial for the Sony Ericsson line of phones, but hey it’s still pretty damn cool. Check it out below and let me know what you think. Oh, and while I’m at it fuck you Michael Bay.

Thanks to The Quiet Earth for this one:

Transformers from repey815 on Vimeo.

While out promoting the release of the unmitigated shitfest that was Surrogates, Bruce Willis hinted that Die Hard 5 was in fact still a possibility. If this movie does happen who would you like to see in the director’s chair? I have a few ideas, but I’ll keep them to myself until you’ve had a chance to vote. Vote below or leave your choice in the comments section.

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Blood! Crazy ass warrior chick played by the impossibly hot Olga Kurylenko and one badassed Dominic West! I’m sold! This movie is going to be awesomeful!
Thanks to IGN for the trailer.

A young police officer (Ryan Kwanten) must survive his first day’s duty in a small country town.
Trailer for Patrick Hughes’ Red Hill has got me pretty excited.
Check it out below and let me know what you think. Thanks to both Twitch and Quiet Earth for the linkage.

Yes it’s a lot of the same footage that was shown at Comic-Con 2008, but it’s all cleaned up and pretty! I can’t begin to explain how excited I am about this movie. The cast includes Jeff Bridges, Garrett Hedlund, Olivia Wilde, and John Hurt. It will be released in 2010 in 3D as well as IMAX. Get your geek on below.

Want to play Tron Light Cycle game on your Mac or PC? Go here! It is, however, incredibly addictive. You’ve been warned.

1. The Haunting in Connecticut
After a family is forced to relocate for their son’s health, they begin experiencing supernatural behavior in their new home, which turns out to be a former mortuary.

What’s good about it:
Zero. There is not a single shred of originality, entertainment value, or style in this film. It’s like an episode of Full House, but with ghosts.
On the upside there are no Olsen twins!

What’s bad about it:
See the above statement.

Bottom Line:
Director Peter Cornwell vomits this celluloid waste on to the screen with, what seems like, zero regard for the genre of horror. Avoid at all costs.

2. The Horsemen
A recently widowed detective still grieving over his wife’s death discovers a shocking connection between himself and the suspects in a serial killing spree linked to the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.

What’s good about it:
Strong performances by Dennis Quaid and Ziyi Zhang. Zhang is particularly creepy (and hot) as Kristen. Director Jonas Akerland has a strong visual style that keeps the Horsmen afloat for most of its duration, and the film’s gore is very well done.

Bottom Line:
Wait for cable. Horsemen will pass for slight entertainment for fans of the genre, but its cliched characters and ending will leave most of you disappointed.

Blu-Ray Releases of Note

1. The Towering Inferno

At the opening party of a collosal, but poorly constructed, office building, a massive fire breaks out that threatens to destroy the tower and everyone in it.

Absolutely one of the best disaster films ever made! Steve McQueen, Faye Dunaway, William Holden, Paul Newman, Susan Blakely, Richard, Chamberlin, Fred Astaire, and Robert Wagner! You can’t really go wrong! This film is a must own.

This BD contains a plethora of special features. The full list follows:
Commentary by F.X. Feeney, film historian
Scene-specific commentary by Mike Vezina, special effects director on ‘X3′
Scene-specific commentary by Branko Racki, stunt coordinator on ‘The Day After Tomorrow’
32 extended and deleted scenes
Alternate opening sequence
10 featurettes:
Inside the Tower: We Remember
Innovating Tower: The SPFX of an Inferno
The Art of Towering
Irwin Allen: The Great Producer
Directing the Inferno
Putting out Fire
Walking on Fire
Still the World’s Tallest Building
The Write Stirling Silliphant
AMC Backstory: The Towering Inferno
Six storyboard comparisons
Vintage promotional materials:
NATO presentation reel
Two original 1974 featurettes
Irwin Allen 1977 interview
Trailer farm:
‘The Towering Inferno’teaser
‘The Towering Inferno’trailer
‘The Poseidon Adventure’trailer
Interactive galleries:
American Cinematographer article
‘The Towering Inferno’and how it was filmed
Photographing the dramatic sequences for ‘The Towering Inferno’
“Action Unit” lives up to its name while shooting ‘The Towering Inferno’
Stills galleries:
Shot compositions
Publicity
Behind the scenes
Conceptual sketches
Costumes

2.Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon / Curse of the Golden Flower / House of Flying Daggers Box Set

The Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon Blu-ray will feature the following bonus materials:

Three visually arresting martial arts epics in one blu-ray box set. I just wish that they offered a bit more in the way of special features. I’ll likely wait until they are released separately with all the extras these films deserve. You should do the same.

Audio commentary with Ang Lee and James Schamus
A Conversation with Michelle Yeoh
Unleashing the Dragons: Making Of Featurette
Photo Gallery

The Curse of the Golden Flower Blu-ray will feature the following bonus materials:

Los Angeles Premiere Featurette
Secrets Within: Making Of Featurette

The House of Flying Daggers Blu-ray will feature the following bonus materials:

Storyboards
Creating the Visual Effects Featurette

3. Death Trance


Living in an undisclosed time and location, a master samurai known as Grave is on the constant lookout for a battle worth his energy. He finds this fight in a quest for a coffin from the Tougan Temple, a journey that puts a young woman from the temple grounds on Grave’s path.

I’m not sure how well this will turn out in HD, but I’m willing to give it a shot. While Death Trance is not a great film it certainly is visually stunning. I haven’t been able to find any specs or extra features information online so if you’ve bought the disc or have a link to the info drop me a line.

I don’t know if there is a movie I’m more excited about right now. Sure, I’m looking forward to watching G.I. Joe in state of inebriation and having what I’m sure will be a good chuckle. (Damn you Stephen Sommers of raping my childhood) But District 9 looks like the real deal. The story revolves around an extraterrestrial race forced to live in slum-like conditions on Earth who suddenly find a kindred spirit in a government agent that is exposed to their biotechnology. District 9 releases August 14th. It is produced by Peter Jackson and directed by Neil Blomkamp. The two previously worked as co-directors on the short Crossing the Line, which used Oakley’s new high tech HD camera The Red One. Check out the new trailer below that gives you more of a look at the action and special effects.

1.Knowing

In 1958, as part of the dedication ceremony for a new elementary school, a group of students is asked to draw pictures to be stored in a time capsule but one mysterious girl fills her sheet of paper with rows of apparently random numbers instead. Fifty years later, Professor John Koestler (Nicolas Cage) makes the startling discovery that the encoded message predicts every major disaster of the past 50 years. As John further unravels the document’s chilling secrets, he realizes the document foretells three additional events—the last of which hints at destruction on a global scale and seems to somehow involve John and his son.

What’s good about it
The special effects…maybe.

What’s bad about it
Where do I begin? This movie was almost too painful to finish. The films mixed religious overtones were ridiculous and confusing, and the ending may induce riotous laughter. What happened to director Alex Proyas?! He did Dark City! And The Crow! I tried to forgive him for I, Robot. But seriously this film should be filed under Atrocity. I would rather welcome a documentary on Nicholas Cage’s ever changing locks. Now that would be entertaining.

Bottom line
Do I really need to say it again?

2.The Unborn

In this supernatural thriller, Casey, (Odette Yustman) is plagued with nightmares and a demonic force that haunts her during her waking hours. Her only hope to break the debilitating curse is spiritual advisor Sednik, played by Gary Oldman.

What’s good about it:
Not a damn thing. Unborn offers absolutely nothing new to the genre. Director David S. Goyer leeches from far superior source material and defecates all over it. Thanks Mr. Goyer.

What’s bad about it
Not even the presence of the mighty Gary Oldman can save this complete waste of celluloid. There is nothing of any value to see here.

Bottom Line
Don’t rent it. Don’t buy it. Avert your eyes at all costs.

3. Push

Director Paul McGuigan spins this sci-fi action tale about a group of super powered paranormal operatives. A telekinetic “mover” (Chris Evans) teams up with a future seeing “watcher” (Dakota Fanning) to steal a billion dollar secret. But to outrun the government agents after them they must enlist the help of a mind controlling “pusher” played by Camilla Belle.

What’s good about it
Director Paul McGuigan proves that he can put together some good action sequences, and most of the cast turns in credible, if sometimes hammy, performances.

What’s bad about it
Chris Evans. Does anyone else feel like he’s a second rate Ryan Reynolds? The script does a decent job of explaining the universe that these supernatural beings live in, but ultimately it’s too convoluted and the characters are too thinly drawn.

Bottom line
Rent it if you’re in the mood for brainless action science fiction, but don’t expect too much.