Extraterrestrial

Horror, SF

Beschikbaar voor VOD: 5 oktober 2015

Regie: Colin Minihan

Cast: Brittany Allen (Jigsaw, Bomb Girls, Dead Before Dawn), Freddie Stroma (Pitch Perfect 1 & 2, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince , Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows), Michael Ironside (X-Men: First Class, Terminator Salvation, Starship Troopers), Gil Bellows (Unthinkable, The Shawshank Redemption, The Weather Man), Melanie Papalia (Smiley, American Pie), Jesse Moss (Final Destination 3, The Big Year)

Omdat April (Emmy-winnares Brittany Allen) worstelt met de scheiding van haar ouders, sleuren haar vrienden haar mee naar het afgelegen boshutje waar ze als kind zoveel mooie zomers doorbracht. Maar wat een gezellig uitje moest worden, neemt een dramatische wending als ze 's nachts iets groots zien neerstorten en ontploffen. Wat ze op de crashsite aantreffen, is echter geen vliegtuig, maar de restanten van iets... buitenaards. In de buurt treffen ze bizarre voetsporen aan die naar het vakantiehuisje leiden. En dat het niet om een snoezige, verdwaalde E.T. gaat, wordt heel snel en heel pijnlijk duidelijk. Van de expliciete beelden van de "Extraterrestrial" experimenten ga je op het puntje van je stoel zitten. En zal je dat meteen bezuren...

Buitenaards bloedstollende gruwelthriller, met een onaards sterke cast: Freddie Stroma (Harry Potter & The Half Blooded Prince, Pitch Perfect), Gil Bellows (The Shawshank Redemption), Jesse Moss (Final Destination 3) en de legendarische Michael Ironside (Terminator Salvation).

Reviews

• 1nfluxmagazine.com: A film that looks amazing, has excellent performances and is well directed. Because of this gig I see way more films than your average person and yet I have absolutely no problem recommending Extraterrestrial.
• Horror.About.com: Once you accept it for what it is, Extraterrestrial is a real hoot, and you can take its silliness, genre clichés and horror movie logic in stride. Good performances all around, with surprising comedic relief from Michael Ironside. Tense but fun and cinematic with moments of humor.
• Joblo.com: The Vicious Brothers can craft a nifty suspense scene and they also get a lot of bang for their buck. Brittany Allen impresses as the lead girl, and though his character is often ridiculous, Michael Ironside rises to the occasion with a performance that he obviously had fun with.
• Blu-ray.com: Minihan wears his influences on his sleeve ("The X-Files" is a big one, with the feature often resembling a prequel to the hit show), and the picture is shot well by Samy Inayeh, who bathes the frame in red light and dark corners. It's an impressive looking movie, carefully exploring what the aliens are up to with bold light shows. The production also scores with Ironside, who brings thespian authority to the role of a gun-toting recluse who understands that the aliens aren't attacking, they're responding to a broken truce, complicating the situation for our heroes.
• Empire.com: The exact midway point between Steven Spielberg and Ed Wood, this a cheerily obvious schlocker.
• ScreamHorrorMag.com: Though they can't resist an anal probe sequence they do buck the Hollywood trend and have the confidence to ensure a suitably grim and downbeat ending finishing with a technically excellent final tracking shot enough to show that they've got an assured future in horror.
• TheHorrorClub.Blogspot.nl: Extraterrestrial is an intense stalk-and-slash flick. Visually and atmospherically, Extraterrestrial was pretty solid.
• UKHorrorScene.com: A slick, well directed alien movie that will enjoyed up by young and old horror genre fans. 8 out of 10.
• WeGotThisCovered.com: Extraterrestrial harkens back to a time when sci-fi movies could be both fun and horrific, finding success thanks to the Vicious Brothers' "no holds barred" filmmaking mentality. GOOD.
• Filmfracture.com: Extraterrestrial isn't the type of film that is going to give anyone nightmares, but it definitely has its scary moments. It has its share of jump scares, some of them cheap, but all are effective. There's plenty of creepy imagery in the film as well, with the aliens never being far from their prey. Extraterrestrial also features scenes of maddening suspense, especially in the sequences leading up to the actual abductions - there's some real terror there. The most unsettling thing about Extraterrestrial (or any alien abduction movie, for that matter) is the idea of being completely helpless as the aliens do whatever they want to their abductees. The helpless victim theme is more disturbing than any jump scare, and Extraterrestrial plays to that particular fear very well.
• BIFFF.net: De thema's van Signs en Steven Spielberg's War Of the Worlds, gemixt met de spanning van een David-Fincher-on-acid, dat geeft ongeveer de sfeer weer van Extraterrestrial. In deze slasher/sci-fi film, zien we hoe mensen ontvoerd worden door aliens en wat ze doormaken wanneer ze terug op aarde zijn. Achter deze scherpe sci-fi thriller zit niemand minder dan de Vicious Brothers. Dit olijke duo maakte furore met Grave Encounters, de grootste tegenhanger van Paranormal Activity zoals de Stones de grootste tegenhanger waren van de Beatles. Met andere woorden mannen met gevoel voor ritme, spanning en de gave van de betere found footage.

Awards

• Nocturna Madrid International Fantastic Film Festival 2014 - Nocturna Best FX Award

It Stains The Sands Red

Horror

Beschikbaar voor VOD: 9 november 2017

Regie: Colin Minihan

Cast: Brittany Allen (Jigsaw, Bomb Girls, Dead Before Dawn), Juan Riedinger (Narcos, Grave Encounters), Merwin Mondesir (Grave Encounters)

Op de vlucht voor een zombie apocalypse, strandt Molly, moeder en losgeslagen junk met een duister verleden, in de woestijn van Nevada. Maar ze is niet alleen. Ze wordt op de hielen gezeten door een hardnekkige, zeg maar, springlevende ondode. Eerst kan ze haar strompelende achtervolger makkelijk voorblijven. Maar de zombie hoeft nooit te rusten en de verzengende zon, honger en dorst eisen al snel hun tol. Gaandeweg wordt Molly ook geconfronteerd met de demonen die haar al haar hele leven kwellen...

Regisseur Colin Minihan (Grave Encounters 1 & 2, Extraterrestrial) blaast het zombiegenre nieuw leven in met deze gefocuste en gestoorde mix van psychologisch drama, buddy movie en horror, die beurtelings doet denken aan genrepareltjes als Train to Busan, Maggie en Swiss Army Man. Inventief, bloedstollend, bijwijlen dodelijk grappig en ja, zelfs hartverwarmend. Brittany Allen (Saw: Legacy, Extraterrestrial) is een openbaring.

Reviews

• Cinemagazine.nl: Het middendeel van de film, waarin we Molly leren kennen door haar gesprekken met Smalls en ontroerende flashbacks naar het leven dat ze ooit had, is verreweg het sterkst. Naar het einde toe nemen de actiescènes de overhand en laat de ontknoping zich raden. Het is wel een einde dat je deze hoofdpersoon gunt. Aanrader!
• HeYuGuys.com: Thrilling, fascinating, groundbreaking. It's a remarkable work for film fans in general, as well as being one of the greatest zombie movies ever made.
• SciFiNow.co.uk: A mannered mix of the odd-couple corpse comedy of Swiss Army Man (2016) and the arid maternity ordeal of Monolith (2016), It Stains The Sand Red offers a fresh feminist spin on well-trodden tropes, only reverting to a more conventional kickass routine in its wisely abbreviated final act.
• Bloody-disgusting.com: Brittany Allen carries the entire film with aplomb, and her performance is up there with the best the genre has had to offer in recent years. Her transformation from fractured party girl to strong, independent mother is fiercely brilliant and believable. At this moment in time, It Stains the Sands Red is the best zombie film since Shaun of the Dead.
• Glasgowlive.co.uk: Allen is incredible as she displays layers and emotions we don't normally expect from characters who tend to simply be fodder for the walking dead. Director Minihan (Grave Encounters, Extraterrestrial) has performed a masterstroke with It Stains the Sands Red. His direction, coupled with Allen's performance, makes for a winning combination that puts a beating heart in the chest of the undead.
• Nerdly.co.uk: A taught, tense (and funny) reinvigoration of the zombie genre, It Stains the Sands Red honestlydeserves to be held in as high a regard as Romero's original zombie trilogy. **** 4/5
• Horror Channel FrightFest: Smart, sharp, savage and unexpectedly moving. The most original zombie movie since 28 Days Later. One of the top 10 films of 2017!
• Horrorfreaknews.com: With a tremendously watchable and heartfelt lead performance, a wholly unique and unexpected central relationship and a damn good sense of humor (the tire/raft reveal) – It Stains the Sands Red is original and endearing. A shining example that there's something new to be culled from the genre created by George A. Romero almost 50 years ago.

Awards

• Sitges 2016: Midnight X-Treme

What Keeps You Alive

Horror, Thriller

Beschikbaar voor VOD: 20 december 2018

Regie: Colin Minihan

Cast: Brittany Allen (Jigsaw, Bomb Girls, Dead Before Dawn), Hannah Emily Anderson (Jigsaw), Martha MacIsaac (Superbad, The Last House on the Left), Joey Klein (Painless)

Machtige bergen. Een boshutje. Een spiegelglad meer. Stille waters, diepe gronden. Eén jaar na hun huwelijk trekken Jules (Brittany Allen - Jigsaw, Bomb Girls, Dead Before Dawn) en Jackie (Hannah Emily Anderson - Jigsaw) ertussenuit om te vieren. Maar op deze idyllische, afgelegen plek komen ze plots oog in oog te staan met hun grootste vijanden: elkaar! Dat hun relatie het niet overleeft, lijkt wel zeker. Maar of zij het zelf overleven, is maar zeer de vraag … Want alleen is nooit alleen.

Aan de renaissance van de horrorfilm lijkt wel geen einde te komen en deze wurgende, beklijvende thriller is daar het zoveelste bewijs van. Colin Minihan, regisseur van Grave Encounters en It Stains the Sand Red, levert een hondsbrutale film af, een kruisbestuiving tussen Black Rock en Single White Female die u op het puntje van uw stoel zal houden, met een plotwending die uw stoel onderuithaalt.

Geselecteerd voor Razor Reel 2018.

Reviews

• Screendependent.be: Regisseur Colin Minihan slaagt er wel in de kijker van de eerste seconde tot het allerlaatste beeld op het puntje van diens stoel te doen zitten. What Keeps You Alive is trouwens ook een ‘menselijke’ horrorfilm en dat maakt het allemaal nog beter. Hele review hier.
• Variety.com: an entertaining and well-crafted effort from a resourceful indie team who’ve scored enough respectable base hits to date.NYTimes.com: Ms. Allen and Ms. Anderson deliver ferocious physical performances, explicating fear and dread in their movements with such precision that this movie would be coherent even without sound. Then it takes a left turn that accelerates the shocks, transforming a mood piece into an action-filled, cat-and-mouse stalker film.
• LATimes.com: Allen and Anderson are outstanding in roles that require a lot of levels and moods, as the central relationship goes from loving to shaky to … well, something else.
• Blu-ray.com: it’s terrific. It’s a wicked, somewhat surprising chiller from writer/director Colin Minihan, who impressed mightily with "It Stains the Sands Red".  An impressive feature, and one that will likely delight those in the mood for something merciless and feral.
• Efilmcritic.com:  Julie gets put through the wringer and the audience is with her every step of the way, even during the bad decisions. Anderson attacks the physical parts of the role with an enjoyable efficiency, drops darkly funny observations in perfectly dry fashion, and lets out a sort of glee when she finally gets the upper hand.
• Indiewire.com: A chilling look at the unraveling of a relationship, and what happens when inner demons come bubbling to the surface to turn betrayal into bloodshed, bolstered by superb performances and some truly shocking twists.
• RogerEbert.com (1): The best of the four is Colin Minihan's What Keeps You Alive, a film with a truly clever turn in that it starts feeling like it's taking the audience in one direction and then takes a sharp right angle into something else entirely.
• RogerEbert.com (2): As a thriller, “What Keeps You Alive” is effectively eerie and unnerving. There are tense moments hinting at something wrong with Jackie, but nothing as bad as her unforgivable act of violence and the psychological torture that ensues. Allen is so convincing and empathetic as Jules. Her bewilderment at the situation is pitiable, and her determination to survive her killer has us cheering for her next counterattack. The movie is on the side of its survivor, even if it puts her through hell first.
• GlideMagazine.com: A psychologically harrowing, intense film that grabs on tight and never lets go. Alternately heartbreaking and terrifying, Minihan has emerged as a potential master of horror and suspense. Then tension builds to a relentless, gut wrenching level as more and more twisted secrets are revealed and the film rockets towards its conclusion.
• Theverge.com: The film makes a strong argument for the value of artistry in horror. Stark colors and an active camera, chasing or leading the characters, give the whole film a sense of intensity and dynamism. Terrific leads and a dedication to memorable imagery keeps What Keeps You Alive fresh.
• Theplaylist.net: Colin Minihan's absolutely gorgeous thriller is best seen with as little knowledge of its plot as possible, but it drops hints about what's coming in both dialogue and mood well before the ax falls - and the blood splatters. An incredibly beautiful and brutal horror film.
• Culturecrypt.com: The "Black Rock" meets "Single White Female" vibe of "What Keeps You Alive" makes it one of the best in show for its category, as consistently appears to be the case when Colin Minihan's team is involved.
• Bloody-Disgusting.com: What Keeps You Alive is a solid thriller that works more often than it doesn't thanks to the performances of Anderson and Allen. Those, combined with Minihan's skilled direction, make for one of the better survival horror films to come out recently. A tense and Darkly Humorous Tale of Betrayal.
• Dreadcentral.com: Undeniably tense with electrifying performances from both Allen and Anderson. What Keeps You Alive is a captivating and unsettling reminder that true love may not always be a two-way street.
• Filmjournal.com: Writer-director Colin Minihan’s thriller is tightly plotted and delivers a couple of terrific shocks, shocks that are firmly rooted in character. Anderson and Allen deserve particular credit: Jackie and Jules are well-written characters—particularly in a genre where women tend to be final girls or mangled corpses-in-waiting—but the actresses' performances have a specificity that makes them memorable.
• Pastemagazine.com: What Keeps You Alive’s forthright quality feels refreshing, and Minihan’s craft is a major plus, too. A mortal struggle between Jules and Jackie is heard, not seen, as Minihan aims his camera up at the ceiling on the cabin’s ground floor. He tracks across the beams, capturing the bumps and thuds of protagonist and antagonist scrapping with each other. Gestures like that make What Keeps You Alive worth watching on their own merit. Nothing elevates genre better than sharp filmmaking.
• FlickeringMyth.com: An excellent film. It’s a far more cerebral and heartfelt thriller than most, and there are some nice, gory horror moments thrown in there for good measure.