“Goodfellas” may not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think of “Daisy Jones & the Six,” but the Martin Scorsese crime drama served as inspiration for Nzingha Stewart, who directed four of the Amazon Prime Video series’ final five episodes. The back half of the limited series showcased the titular band at the height of its fame in the 1970s. More money meant more drugs, more problems, more messiness. It’s a far cry from the first half of the series, when the upstart group was just trying to land its big break, and showrunner Scott Neustadter encouraged Stewart to make her block completely different from the first one.
“I think it was always probably floating in the ether because I did watch ‘The Last Waltz,’ which was Scorsese’s documentary on a rock band just in me doing research on shooting live concerts. So it might...
“I think it was always probably floating in the ether because I did watch ‘The Last Waltz,’ which was Scorsese’s documentary on a rock band just in me doing research on shooting live concerts. So it might...
- 2/2/2024
- by Joyce Eng
- Gold Derby
Recently Guillermo del Toro, the Oscar-winning director behind “The Shape of Water,” “Nightmare Alley” and “Pinocchio,” said that collecting physical media, in the midst of streamers unceremoniously deleting thousands of titles, is nothing short of a “moral imperative.” And we agree. Each month new home video releases – of both classic films and newer titles – come out. And each one is cause for celebration. With that in mind, we want to highlight the very best titles of every month.
With the insane games that the various streaming platforms are pulling in terms of removing content from their services — including projects that were made specifically for those platforms — an added emphasis has been placed on home video. And with good reason. The only way you can ensure that the movies you love will be around is by owning them on physical media. Thankfully the home video labels have been stepping up their game,...
With the insane games that the various streaming platforms are pulling in terms of removing content from their services — including projects that were made specifically for those platforms — an added emphasis has been placed on home video. And with good reason. The only way you can ensure that the movies you love will be around is by owning them on physical media. Thankfully the home video labels have been stepping up their game,...
- 10/28/2023
- by Drew Taylor
- The Wrap
20th Century Studios deserves recognition for listening to fan demand, as not only has Prey received a physical media release — virtually unheard of for a Hulu original — but it’s an impressive one. Not only does it carry exclusive extras, but there are 4K Uhd and Steelbook options to boot. (Hopefully we can convince them to do Hellraiser next!)
An audio commentary with writer-director Dan Trachtenberg, star Amber Midthunder, director of photography Jeff Cutter, and editor Angela M. Catanzaro is included alongside a making-of featurette, a FYC panel with cast and crew, and more.
Here are eight things I learned from the Prey commentary…
1. The Predator originally infiltrated the 20th Century Studios logo.
The 20th Century Studios opening title card originally featured Predator’s laser target and the logo went invisible like the creature’s cloaking mechanism as the fanfare dropped out.
“We fought for it, and then they gave it to us,...
An audio commentary with writer-director Dan Trachtenberg, star Amber Midthunder, director of photography Jeff Cutter, and editor Angela M. Catanzaro is included alongside a making-of featurette, a FYC panel with cast and crew, and more.
Here are eight things I learned from the Prey commentary…
1. The Predator originally infiltrated the 20th Century Studios logo.
The 20th Century Studios opening title card originally featured Predator’s laser target and the logo went invisible like the creature’s cloaking mechanism as the fanfare dropped out.
“We fought for it, and then they gave it to us,...
- 10/10/2023
- by Alex DiVincenzo
- bloody-disgusting.com
Some folks like to talk about physical media as if it's on its deathbed. To be fair, it can often seem that way. But I've been hearing about the death of physical media for what feels like over a decade now, and yet, it continues on! Case in point: "Prey," a movie that got dumped onto Hulu instead of getting the theatrical release it deserved, is now on 4K Blu-ray. That's kind of a big deal, folks, and it shows that studios — like Disney — are still willing to give physical media a shot in the arm from time to time. "Prey" is just one title waiting for you below, along with one of the best movies of the year, the latest from Pixar, and two recent horror titles just in time for spooky season. So let's get to it, and remember to keep spinning those discs.
Read more: The 15 Best...
Read more: The 15 Best...
- 10/4/2023
- by Chris Evangelista
- Slash Film
Released through the Hulu streaming service last year, Prey, the latest entry in the Predator franchise, is now available on 4K, Blu-ray, and DVD – and copies of the Prey physical media release can be purchased at This Link. To celebrate the physical media release, 20th Century Home Entertainment has shared a clip that shows pre-vis of a deleted treetop chase scene, complete with commentary by director Dan Trachtenberg! You can check it out in the embed above.
The Blu-ray edition of Prey has the following bonus features:
Making of Prey: Step behind the scenes of Prey as the cast and crew explore the genesis of the project, how they gave authenticity to the story, the intense physical training the cast endured, and the effects work that brought the iconic Predator back to the screen.
Prey FYC Panel With Cast & Crew: Go deeper into Prey with a lively panel discussion featuring director Dan Trachtenberg,...
The Blu-ray edition of Prey has the following bonus features:
Making of Prey: Step behind the scenes of Prey as the cast and crew explore the genesis of the project, how they gave authenticity to the story, the intense physical training the cast endured, and the effects work that brought the iconic Predator back to the screen.
Prey FYC Panel With Cast & Crew: Go deeper into Prey with a lively panel discussion featuring director Dan Trachtenberg,...
- 10/3/2023
- by Cody Hamman
- JoBlo.com
Released through the Hulu streaming service last year, Prey, the latest entry in the Predator franchise, is now set to receive a 4K, Blu-ray, and DVD on October 3rd – and with that date right around the corner, we’ve gotten our hands on an Exclusive clip from a Blu-ray featurette that discusses the film’s version of the iconic Predator. Check it out in the embed above!
Copies of the Prey physical media release can be pre-ordered at This Link.
The Blu-ray edition of Prey will have the following bonus features:
Making of Prey: Step behind the scenes of Prey as the cast and crew explore the genesis of the project, how they gave authenticity to the story, the intense physical training the cast endured, and the effects work that brought the iconic Predator back to the screen.
Prey FYC Panel With Cast & Crew: Go deeper into Prey with...
Copies of the Prey physical media release can be pre-ordered at This Link.
The Blu-ray edition of Prey will have the following bonus features:
Making of Prey: Step behind the scenes of Prey as the cast and crew explore the genesis of the project, how they gave authenticity to the story, the intense physical training the cast endured, and the effects work that brought the iconic Predator back to the screen.
Prey FYC Panel With Cast & Crew: Go deeper into Prey with...
- 9/28/2023
- by Cody Hamman
- JoBlo.com
Over a year after debuting on Hulu, director Dan Trachtenberg’s excellent horror movie Prey is finally being released on physical media, and it’s available now to preorder.
Prey will be released on 4K and Blu-ray on October 3, 2023! Best Buy will be getting a SteelBook Exclusive version of the release, and you’ll find that artwork below. You can also preorder the standard 4k and Blu-ray at your preferred retailer.
Special Features include:
Making of Prey: Step behind the scenes of Prey as the cast and crew explore the genesis of the project, how they gave authenticity to the story, the intense physical training the cast endured, and the effects work that brought the iconic Predator back to the screen. Prey FYC Panel With Cast & Crew: Go deeper into Prey with a lively panel discussion featuring director Dan Trachtenberg, actor Amber Midthunder, producer Jhane Myers, director of photography Jeff Cutter,...
Prey will be released on 4K and Blu-ray on October 3, 2023! Best Buy will be getting a SteelBook Exclusive version of the release, and you’ll find that artwork below. You can also preorder the standard 4k and Blu-ray at your preferred retailer.
Special Features include:
Making of Prey: Step behind the scenes of Prey as the cast and crew explore the genesis of the project, how they gave authenticity to the story, the intense physical training the cast endured, and the effects work that brought the iconic Predator back to the screen. Prey FYC Panel With Cast & Crew: Go deeper into Prey with a lively panel discussion featuring director Dan Trachtenberg, actor Amber Midthunder, producer Jhane Myers, director of photography Jeff Cutter,...
- 8/24/2023
- by Meagan Navarro
- bloody-disgusting.com
(L-r): Director Dan Trachtenberg, Dakota Beavers as Taabe, and Amber Midthunder as Naru behind the scenes of 20th Century Studios’ Prey, exclusively on Hulu. Photo by John P. Johnson. © 2022 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.
The chilling prequel to the critically-acclaimed Predator films, 20th Century Studios’ Prey, arrives on 4K Uhd, Blu-ray and DVD on October 3. As part of a special artist line, a collector’s edition 4K SteelBook®, designed by popular digital artist Attila Szarka, will also be available exclusively at Best Buy.
Nominated for six Emmys, including Outstanding Television Movie, the science-fiction film welcomes new viewers into the Predator story while entertaining long-time fans of the celebrated franchise. All formats include a full-length Comanche audio track and never-before-seen bonus content.
The epic Predator legacy continues with this action-thriller set in 1719 on the Great Plains with a band of Comanches. When Naru, a fierce and highly skilled young warrior,...
The chilling prequel to the critically-acclaimed Predator films, 20th Century Studios’ Prey, arrives on 4K Uhd, Blu-ray and DVD on October 3. As part of a special artist line, a collector’s edition 4K SteelBook®, designed by popular digital artist Attila Szarka, will also be available exclusively at Best Buy.
Nominated for six Emmys, including Outstanding Television Movie, the science-fiction film welcomes new viewers into the Predator story while entertaining long-time fans of the celebrated franchise. All formats include a full-length Comanche audio track and never-before-seen bonus content.
The epic Predator legacy continues with this action-thriller set in 1719 on the Great Plains with a band of Comanches. When Naru, a fierce and highly skilled young warrior,...
- 8/18/2023
- by Michelle McCue
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
The Predator is coming home.
“Prey,” the terrific spin-off/prequel that exists comfortably as part of the “Predator” franchise, will be released physically this fall in 4K Uhd, Blu-ray and DVD options. There will also be a 4K steelbook edition available exclusively at Best Buy. “Prey” will be available to purchase starting on Oct. 3.
The movie, set in 1719, follows a young Comanche woman named Naru (Amber Midthunder) as she goes up against a prototypical Predator (Dane Diliegro), the ultimate intergalactic hunter, who has come to earth to go up against the most fearsome warriors. “Prey” felt like a deliberate throwback to the original “Predator” film, with outstanding direction from Dan Trachtenberg (“10 Cloverfield Lane”) and an amazing lead performance in Midthunder.
When the movie came out on Hulu, it was an immediate hit with both fans and critics — it has a whopping 94% positive reviews on Rotten Tomatoes. When announcing the...
“Prey,” the terrific spin-off/prequel that exists comfortably as part of the “Predator” franchise, will be released physically this fall in 4K Uhd, Blu-ray and DVD options. There will also be a 4K steelbook edition available exclusively at Best Buy. “Prey” will be available to purchase starting on Oct. 3.
The movie, set in 1719, follows a young Comanche woman named Naru (Amber Midthunder) as she goes up against a prototypical Predator (Dane Diliegro), the ultimate intergalactic hunter, who has come to earth to go up against the most fearsome warriors. “Prey” felt like a deliberate throwback to the original “Predator” film, with outstanding direction from Dan Trachtenberg (“10 Cloverfield Lane”) and an amazing lead performance in Midthunder.
When the movie came out on Hulu, it was an immediate hit with both fans and critics — it has a whopping 94% positive reviews on Rotten Tomatoes. When announcing the...
- 8/17/2023
- by Drew Taylor
- The Wrap
Ever since Prey, the latest entry in the Predator franchise, was released through the Hulu streaming service last August, fans who collect physical media have been anxiously waiting to hear if or when the movie would be receiving a physical media release. Now it has been officially announced that Prey is finally going to reach 4K, Blu-ray, and DVD on October 3rd! All formats will include a full-length Comanche audio track. A collector’s edition 4K steelbook with artwork designed by Attila Szarka will be available exclusively at Best Buy.
The Digital Bits reports that the Blu-ray edition of Prey will have the following bonus features:
Making of Prey: Step behind the scenes of Prey as the cast and crew explore the genesis of the project, how they gave authenticity to the story, the intense physical training the cast endured, and the effects work that brought the iconic Predator back to the screen.
The Digital Bits reports that the Blu-ray edition of Prey will have the following bonus features:
Making of Prey: Step behind the scenes of Prey as the cast and crew explore the genesis of the project, how they gave authenticity to the story, the intense physical training the cast endured, and the effects work that brought the iconic Predator back to the screen.
- 8/17/2023
- by Cody Hamman
- JoBlo.com
Over a year after debuting on Hulu, director Dan Trachtenberg’s excellent horror movie Prey is finally being released on physical media, Bloody Disgusting has learned this morning.
Prey will be released on 4K and Blu-ray on October 3, 2023! Best Buy will be getting a SteelBook Exclusive version of the release, and you’ll find that artwork below.
Special Features include…
Making of Prey: Step behind the scenes of Prey as the cast and crew explore the genesis of the project, how they gave authenticity to the story, the intense physical training the cast endured, and the effects work that brought the iconic Predator back to the screen. Prey FYC Panel With Cast & Crew: Go deeper into Prey with a lively panel discussion featuring director Dan Trachtenberg, actor Amber Midthunder, producer Jhane Myers, director of photography Jeff Cutter, film editor Angela M. Catanzaro and creature effects designer Alec Gillis. Alternative Opening...
Prey will be released on 4K and Blu-ray on October 3, 2023! Best Buy will be getting a SteelBook Exclusive version of the release, and you’ll find that artwork below.
Special Features include…
Making of Prey: Step behind the scenes of Prey as the cast and crew explore the genesis of the project, how they gave authenticity to the story, the intense physical training the cast endured, and the effects work that brought the iconic Predator back to the screen. Prey FYC Panel With Cast & Crew: Go deeper into Prey with a lively panel discussion featuring director Dan Trachtenberg, actor Amber Midthunder, producer Jhane Myers, director of photography Jeff Cutter, film editor Angela M. Catanzaro and creature effects designer Alec Gillis. Alternative Opening...
- 8/17/2023
- by John Squires
- bloody-disgusting.com
In a big win for lovers of physical media, one of the most acclaimed streaming releases of 2022 is finally coming to home media. After rumors swirled online, Disney has officially announced that "Prey" will indeed be getting a physical release on 4K Uhd, Blu-ray, and DVD from October 3, 2023. This will include a collector's edition 4K SteelBook with cover art by Attila Szarka, available exclusively from Best Buy. Rejoice, "Predator" fans, for your collection can now be complete without having to exclusively resort to streaming the film on Hulu.
Directed by Dan Trachtenberg of "10 Cloverfield Lane" fame, "Prey" is a prequel set within the "Predator" universe that takes place 300 years ago set in the Comanche Nation. It stars Amber Midthunder as a Comanche woman who has to tangle with the alien hunter with no fancy technology to back her up. But much like Arnold Schwarzenegger's Dutch in the original '80s action classic,...
Directed by Dan Trachtenberg of "10 Cloverfield Lane" fame, "Prey" is a prequel set within the "Predator" universe that takes place 300 years ago set in the Comanche Nation. It stars Amber Midthunder as a Comanche woman who has to tangle with the alien hunter with no fancy technology to back her up. But much like Arnold Schwarzenegger's Dutch in the original '80s action classic,...
- 8/17/2023
- by Ryan Scott
- Slash Film
Jeff Cutter and Dan Trachtenberg are no strangers to taking residence within larger franchises. The director of photography and director, respectively, have collaborated on feature films set in both the worlds of “Predator” and “Cloverfield” — and delivered best-of entrants along the way.
And both offered unique challenges, too: For Hulu’s “Prey,” the trim, exciting “Predator” prequel from 2022, the duo took advantage of the great outdoors in a massive scope. While their 2016 film “10 Cloverfield Lane” relied on a virtually all-interior pressure cooker set in a John Goodman-run bunker.
Also Read:
‘Prey’ Ending Explained: Son of a Gun
“We were probably 95% location,” Cutter said of shooting “Prey,” noting that they “only had three or four stage days where we used stages for campfire scenes.“ He and Trachtenberg shot the prequel with anamorphic lenses over nearly 60 days in Calgary, drumming up the latest project featuring the time-traveling Predator (played here...
And both offered unique challenges, too: For Hulu’s “Prey,” the trim, exciting “Predator” prequel from 2022, the duo took advantage of the great outdoors in a massive scope. While their 2016 film “10 Cloverfield Lane” relied on a virtually all-interior pressure cooker set in a John Goodman-run bunker.
Also Read:
‘Prey’ Ending Explained: Son of a Gun
“We were probably 95% location,” Cutter said of shooting “Prey,” noting that they “only had three or four stage days where we used stages for campfire scenes.“ He and Trachtenberg shot the prequel with anamorphic lenses over nearly 60 days in Calgary, drumming up the latest project featuring the time-traveling Predator (played here...
- 6/13/2023
- by Jason Clark
- The Wrap
“Prey” director Dan Trachtenberg wanted his “Predator” spinoff, which is set in 1719, to be shot in a naturalistic way, so cinematographer Jeff Cutter made use of available light whenever possible — especially from fire and the moon.
(L-r): Director of Photography Jeff Cutter on the set of 20th Century Studios’ Prey, exclusively on Hulu. Photo by David Bukach. © 2023 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.
In the movie, Comanche warrior Naru (Amber Midthunder) tracks and hunts down a killer alien through the woods. “I would use fire as much as possible and augment it if we had to,” says Cutter.
A few scenes were entirely lit by fire torches, with no supplemental lighting. For those moments, the Dp would advise Midthunder and other actors how to hold the torch without disrupting their performances.
Throughout, Cutter wanted the moonlight to be a presence. “That was important to me because we were going...
(L-r): Director of Photography Jeff Cutter on the set of 20th Century Studios’ Prey, exclusively on Hulu. Photo by David Bukach. © 2023 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.
In the movie, Comanche warrior Naru (Amber Midthunder) tracks and hunts down a killer alien through the woods. “I would use fire as much as possible and augment it if we had to,” says Cutter.
A few scenes were entirely lit by fire torches, with no supplemental lighting. For those moments, the Dp would advise Midthunder and other actors how to hold the torch without disrupting their performances.
Throughout, Cutter wanted the moonlight to be a presence. “That was important to me because we were going...
- 6/2/2023
- by Jazz Tangcay
- Variety Film + TV
The latest “Predator” spin-off movie, “Prey,” is hunting down a nomination for Best TV Movie at this year’s Emmys. Given the cinematic filmmaking on display combined with the enthusiastic reviews for the flick, it would have been a strong Oscar contender. That pedigree is why it currently sits in joint second in our odds chart for Best TV Movie alongside “Fire Island.” In top spot is “Weird: The Al Yankovic Story” while the other two predicted nominees are “Hocus Pocus 2” and “Jerry and Marge Go Large.” “Prey” has the gravitas and cinematic weight, however, to emerge top of that crowded pack.
Directed by Dan Trachtenberg, “Prey” follows Amber Midthunder in 1719 as Naru, a warrior of the Comanche Nation who is forced to protect her tribe from one of the very first Predators to ever land on Earth. The film is a tight, taut, practice in tension and features...
Directed by Dan Trachtenberg, “Prey” follows Amber Midthunder in 1719 as Naru, a warrior of the Comanche Nation who is forced to protect her tribe from one of the very first Predators to ever land on Earth. The film is a tight, taut, practice in tension and features...
- 3/29/2023
- by Jacob Sarkisian
- Gold Derby
Over the past week, the /Film editorial staff has published their personal lists of the best movies of 2022. And it all comes down to this: one final list representing the entire site. Our overall top 15 favorite movies of the year. And as you can see from the list below, it was one helluva good year for folks who like cinema.
Naturally, this list could never contain every favorite movie from every personal list, but once we crunched the numbers, this is where the chips fell. And what chips! A brutal anti-war movie. A delightfully honest Pixar romp. The most bombastic action/musical/bromance of all time. An unlikely blockbuster masterpiece. An unforgettable journey through the multiverse. Steven Spielberg. Guillermo del Toro. Jordan Peele. Daniel Craig with a southern accent. It's hard to look at this list and not find at least one movies that you deeply and powerfully love.
As...
Naturally, this list could never contain every favorite movie from every personal list, but once we crunched the numbers, this is where the chips fell. And what chips! A brutal anti-war movie. A delightfully honest Pixar romp. The most bombastic action/musical/bromance of all time. An unlikely blockbuster masterpiece. An unforgettable journey through the multiverse. Steven Spielberg. Guillermo del Toro. Jordan Peele. Daniel Craig with a southern accent. It's hard to look at this list and not find at least one movies that you deeply and powerfully love.
As...
- 1/6/2023
- by SlashFilm Staff
- Slash Film
1987 was a good year to be a young action movie fan. RoboCop, Lethal Weapon and Predator all hit theaters within five months of each other before landing on VHS, where they could be watched again and again provided you or a friend had parents with an appropriately laissez faire attitude toward R ratings. That cycle of action films made a deep impression on a teenaged Jeff Cutter. Predator, in particular, brought forth an unexpected revelation about the nature of moviemaking. “I saw Predator in the theater when it came out and absolutely loved it,” said Cutter. “The Terminator was […]
The post “Spielberg is the Master of Layering Multiple Actors Within a Frame”: Dp Jeff Cutter on Prey first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
The post “Spielberg is the Master of Layering Multiple Actors Within a Frame”: Dp Jeff Cutter on Prey first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
- 8/16/2022
- by Matt Mulcahey
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
Director Dan Trachtenberg described his Predator movie, Prey, as a “David and Goliath story” in a recent featurette. It’s an apt description, and not solely because it refers to the first Predator hunt on Earth, 300 years ago. It’s also because the Predator itself is a bit of a giant.
Actor Dane Diliegro towers over Prey star Amber Midthunder at 6’9″. And that’s before you factor in the fully mechanized Predator head that sits atop Diliegro’s own head.
Bloody Disgusting spoke with the actor to discuss what it was like to play the much more feral iteration of the iconic horror character, the extensive training it required, and more.
For starters, how did Diliegro find his way into the role?
“Our dear friend Alec Gillis over at Adi messaged me on Instagram and had me come in for the design pitch for a project they’re doing in...
Actor Dane Diliegro towers over Prey star Amber Midthunder at 6’9″. And that’s before you factor in the fully mechanized Predator head that sits atop Diliegro’s own head.
Bloody Disgusting spoke with the actor to discuss what it was like to play the much more feral iteration of the iconic horror character, the extensive training it required, and more.
For starters, how did Diliegro find his way into the role?
“Our dear friend Alec Gillis over at Adi messaged me on Instagram and had me come in for the design pitch for a project they’re doing in...
- 8/15/2022
- by Meagan Navarro
- bloody-disgusting.com
Sophie Hyde’s “Good Luck to You, Leo Grande” had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival in January, receiving critical acclaim — particularly for its star Emma Thompson — with many calling her a potential Oscars best actress contender. But the British sex comedy, which was acquired by Searchlight Pictures and later released on Hulu June 17, became ineligible when the Academy reverted to its pre-pandemic requirements that a film must have a theatrical release of seven days before debuting on a streaming platform.
However, Variety has now confirmed that Searchlight Pictures formally submitted an appeal to deem the film eligible, and the Academy has approved it for awards consideration. In addition to AMPAS, the film has also been cleared for awards submission by BAFTA (which was already given due to Lionsgate distributing the film in the U.K.), Screen Actors Guild (SAG), Producers Guild of America (PGA) and Critics Choice...
However, Variety has now confirmed that Searchlight Pictures formally submitted an appeal to deem the film eligible, and the Academy has approved it for awards consideration. In addition to AMPAS, the film has also been cleared for awards submission by BAFTA (which was already given due to Lionsgate distributing the film in the U.K.), Screen Actors Guild (SAG), Producers Guild of America (PGA) and Critics Choice...
- 8/12/2022
- by Clayton Davis
- Variety Film + TV
Simplicity is best in the "Predator" franchise. Wisely, director Dan Trachtenberg and his team of artists went back to basics with "Prey." Like the original classic, the prequel is a hunt story, featuring a star performance from Amber Midthunder defined by great strength and vulnerability. Cinematographer Jeff Cutter captures Naru's (Midthunder) journey with both natural beauty and dread.
Cutter previously worked with Trachtenberg on "10 Cloverfield Lane" and "The Boys" pilot. During his early days as a cinematographer, he shot some of the biggest musical artists around, including George Michael and Mick Jagger. Now, with "Prey," Cutter helps ground this franchise in...
The post Prey Cinematographer Jeff Cutter on the Challenges of Filming a Predator Movie [Spoiler Interview] appeared first on /Film.
Cutter previously worked with Trachtenberg on "10 Cloverfield Lane" and "The Boys" pilot. During his early days as a cinematographer, he shot some of the biggest musical artists around, including George Michael and Mick Jagger. Now, with "Prey," Cutter helps ground this franchise in...
The post Prey Cinematographer Jeff Cutter on the Challenges of Filming a Predator Movie [Spoiler Interview] appeared first on /Film.
- 8/5/2022
- by Jack Giroux
- Slash Film
By Marc Butterfield
“A long time ago, it is said, a monster came here.”
An all-new action-thriller from 20th Century Studios directed by Dan Trachtenberg, Prey is the latest entry in the Predator franchise. Set in the Comanche Nation 300 years ago, Prey is the story of a young woman, Naru, a fierce and highly skilled warrior, so when danger threatens her camp, she sets out to prove herself a worthy hunter. The prey she stalks, and ultimately confronts, turns out to be a highly evolved alien Predator with a technically advanced arsenal, resulting in a vicious and terrifying showdown between the two adversaries.
The story opens September, 1719, the Northern Great Plains.
They waste No time starting a story that is both beautiful, and terrifying. It introduces the characters artfully, never feeling rushed or incomplete, and sets up the social dynamics of the tribe well enough that you get to know...
“A long time ago, it is said, a monster came here.”
An all-new action-thriller from 20th Century Studios directed by Dan Trachtenberg, Prey is the latest entry in the Predator franchise. Set in the Comanche Nation 300 years ago, Prey is the story of a young woman, Naru, a fierce and highly skilled warrior, so when danger threatens her camp, she sets out to prove herself a worthy hunter. The prey she stalks, and ultimately confronts, turns out to be a highly evolved alien Predator with a technically advanced arsenal, resulting in a vicious and terrifying showdown between the two adversaries.
The story opens September, 1719, the Northern Great Plains.
They waste No time starting a story that is both beautiful, and terrifying. It introduces the characters artfully, never feeling rushed or incomplete, and sets up the social dynamics of the tribe well enough that you get to know...
- 8/3/2022
- by Movie Geeks
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
For decades “Predator” has been a black sheep in the monster-movie family. The creature was instantly iconic, but the franchise has always struggled to capitalize on the original classic film. At their best, the “Predator” sequels have been entertaining big-bad-beast yarns but at their worst — which is 60 of the time — they’ve been ill-conceived, shoddily produced and more than a little embarrassing.
Dan Trachtenberg’s “Prey” is the sort of shot in the arm every long-running movie series dreams of. It goes back to basics, reminding us of what made the central concept so captivating in the first place while placing it in a new and exciting framework. “Prey” deserves the ultimate horror sequel compliment: If none of the other films existed, it wouldn’t just stand alone — it’s good enough to spawn a franchise by itself.
Set in 1719, centuries before the previous “Predator” films (with just enough hints...
Dan Trachtenberg’s “Prey” is the sort of shot in the arm every long-running movie series dreams of. It goes back to basics, reminding us of what made the central concept so captivating in the first place while placing it in a new and exciting framework. “Prey” deserves the ultimate horror sequel compliment: If none of the other films existed, it wouldn’t just stand alone — it’s good enough to spawn a franchise by itself.
Set in 1719, centuries before the previous “Predator” films (with just enough hints...
- 8/3/2022
- by William Bibbiani
- The Wrap
Fans looking for connections between “Prey” and the four “Predator” films that preceded it (not counting a pair of crossover titles from the early aughts) will find plenty to enjoy in Dan Trachtenberg’s prequel. There’s the overt stuff (keep your eyes peeled for a gun that pops up many decades later in the series’ timeline) and the tropes, but .
Turns out, even the most wrung-out IP — we’re talking about a series that was eventually forced to crossover with another action-centric alien film, to deeply stupid results — can still tap into truly smart new ideas.
Set on the Great Plains in the fall of 1719, “Prey” picks up at a fraught time in American history. The Comanche Nation may still rule this slice of prairie, plains, and forest, but just miles away is a group of money-hungry French fur trappers pillaging their way through the country’s wildlife. Within the tribe,...
Turns out, even the most wrung-out IP — we’re talking about a series that was eventually forced to crossover with another action-centric alien film, to deeply stupid results — can still tap into truly smart new ideas.
Set on the Great Plains in the fall of 1719, “Prey” picks up at a fraught time in American history. The Comanche Nation may still rule this slice of prairie, plains, and forest, but just miles away is a group of money-hungry French fur trappers pillaging their way through the country’s wildlife. Within the tribe,...
- 8/3/2022
- by Kate Erbland
- Indiewire
The Predator franchise has been a remarkable exercise in longevity despite diminishing returns for 35 years. As such, a scaled-down and retitled prequel reduced to streaming fodder seems an unsurprising move at this point––or at least the only feasible one. The tragic irony is that Prey, a Dan Trachtenberg-directed addition set 300 years ago, is the first franchise entry that is as good (and at times a mite better) than the original.
Part of that success is a general boiling-off of any extraneous mythology or overwrought concepts. Here, much like Arnold Schwarzenegger’s 1987 close encounter, Prey relishes the simplicity of an indefatigable hunter, their quarry, and the wilderness in-between. In the Comanche Nation circa 1719 we’re introduced to Naru (Amber Midthunder), a skilled hunter hellbent on proving herself to the rest of her camp by tracking and killing a mysterious beast stalking the wilderness nearby. In addition to an impeccably trained dog,...
Part of that success is a general boiling-off of any extraneous mythology or overwrought concepts. Here, much like Arnold Schwarzenegger’s 1987 close encounter, Prey relishes the simplicity of an indefatigable hunter, their quarry, and the wilderness in-between. In the Comanche Nation circa 1719 we’re introduced to Naru (Amber Midthunder), a skilled hunter hellbent on proving herself to the rest of her camp by tracking and killing a mysterious beast stalking the wilderness nearby. In addition to an impeccably trained dog,...
- 8/3/2022
- by Conor O'Donnell
- The Film Stage
Click here to read the full article.
There’s a reason that the title of the new Predator film doesn’t contain the word “Predator.”
It’s not because there isn’t a fearsome alien on hand who hunts down humans and other species for the sheer enjoyment of it. Rather, it’s that this fifth entry in the long-running franchise (not counting the Alien vs. Predator entries, discuss) differs rather dramatically from its predecessors. For one thing, it has a heroine instead of a hero, who happens to be a young Indigenous woman. For another, the story takes place some 300 years ago in the Great Plains, so the most formidable high-tech human weaponry on display are the muskets wielded by French fur trappers. Despite all this, Prey, premiering domestically on Hulu, winds up being one of the more formidable installments in the series.
The film will no doubt be...
There’s a reason that the title of the new Predator film doesn’t contain the word “Predator.”
It’s not because there isn’t a fearsome alien on hand who hunts down humans and other species for the sheer enjoyment of it. Rather, it’s that this fifth entry in the long-running franchise (not counting the Alien vs. Predator entries, discuss) differs rather dramatically from its predecessors. For one thing, it has a heroine instead of a hero, who happens to be a young Indigenous woman. For another, the story takes place some 300 years ago in the Great Plains, so the most formidable high-tech human weaponry on display are the muskets wielded by French fur trappers. Despite all this, Prey, premiering domestically on Hulu, winds up being one of the more formidable installments in the series.
The film will no doubt be...
- 8/3/2022
- by Frank Scheck
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Prey Trailer — Dan Trachtenberg‘s Prey (2022) movie trailer has been released by 20th Century Studios. The Prey trailer stars Amber Midthunder, Dakota Beavers, Stormee Kipp, Michelle Thrush, and Julian Black Antelope.. Crew Patrick Aison wrote the screenplay for Prey. Claudia Castello and Angela M. Catanzaro conducted the film editing for the film. Jeff Cutter crafted [...]
Continue reading: Prey (2022) Teaser Trailer: Dan Trachtenberg’s New Predator Movie Set in the Comanche Nation 300 years ago...
Continue reading: Prey (2022) Teaser Trailer: Dan Trachtenberg’s New Predator Movie Set in the Comanche Nation 300 years ago...
- 5/17/2022
- by Rollo Tomasi
- Film-Book
On Disney+ Day, the studio announced that its new Predator movie is set to drop in summer 2022, and will be titled Prey. For some time, the pic was shot under the title Skulls. Prey will debut on Disney+ sister streaming service Hulu.
Deadline first told you about the project a year ago, with 10 Cloverfield Lane director Dan Trachtenberg directing. On Friday, we learned the plot line with the pic set in the world of the Comanche Nation 300 years ago, following Naru, a skilled female warrior who fiercely protects her tribe against a highly evolved alien predator.
The script was written by Patrick Aison, whose producer-writer credits include the series Kingdom, Jack Ryan and Treadstone.
Disney+ Day: Deadline’s Complete Coverage
Prey aka Skulls wrapped on September 12 in Calgary as revealed by the pic’s Dp Jeff Cutter on Instagram.
The Predator movies through six films, including two Alien vs. Predator movies,...
Deadline first told you about the project a year ago, with 10 Cloverfield Lane director Dan Trachtenberg directing. On Friday, we learned the plot line with the pic set in the world of the Comanche Nation 300 years ago, following Naru, a skilled female warrior who fiercely protects her tribe against a highly evolved alien predator.
The script was written by Patrick Aison, whose producer-writer credits include the series Kingdom, Jack Ryan and Treadstone.
Disney+ Day: Deadline’s Complete Coverage
Prey aka Skulls wrapped on September 12 in Calgary as revealed by the pic’s Dp Jeff Cutter on Instagram.
The Predator movies through six films, including two Alien vs. Predator movies,...
- 11/12/2021
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
Reports indicate that a film crew in Canada is getting to the choppa as filming on the secretive new Predator sequel has officially wrapped production in Alberta, Calgary. Word on the hush-hush fifth film in the long-running franchise (filming under the code name "Skulls") comes from cinematographer Jeff Cutter, who re-teams with his "10 Cloverfield Lane" director. He also confirms that Native American actress Amber Midthunder has been cast as the lead alongside Dane Diliergo ("American Horror Stories") and newcomer Dakota Beavers. Interestingly, Midthunder was one of the series regulars on FX's series "Legion," for which "Predator 5" screenwriter Patrick Aison ("Tom...
The post Dan Trachtenberg's New Predator Movie Has Wrapped Filming appeared first on /Film.
The post Dan Trachtenberg's New Predator Movie Has Wrapped Filming appeared first on /Film.
- 9/13/2021
- by Max Evry
- Slash Film
Dailies is a round-up of essential film writing, news bits, videos, and other highlights from across the Internet. If you’d like to submit a piece for consideration, get in touch with us in the comments below or on Twitter at @TheFilmStage.
NYC’s IFC Center has plans to expand, and they could use your help to let city officials know you support it.
Watch Don Cheadle analyze a scene from Miles Ahead:
Xavier Dolan‘s The Death and Life of John F. Donovan begins shooting on July 9th, Le Journal de Quebec reports.
Cinematographer Jeff Cutter discusses shooting 10 Cloverfield Lane with Filmmaker Magazine:
Anamorphic lenses just have a feeling that reminded Dan and I of what it used to be like watching these great widescreen movies when we were kids that were shot anamorphic. It just makes it feel like a big movie and that was something that we really,...
NYC’s IFC Center has plans to expand, and they could use your help to let city officials know you support it.
Watch Don Cheadle analyze a scene from Miles Ahead:
Xavier Dolan‘s The Death and Life of John F. Donovan begins shooting on July 9th, Le Journal de Quebec reports.
Cinematographer Jeff Cutter discusses shooting 10 Cloverfield Lane with Filmmaker Magazine:
Anamorphic lenses just have a feeling that reminded Dan and I of what it used to be like watching these great widescreen movies when we were kids that were shot anamorphic. It just makes it feel like a big movie and that was something that we really,...
- 4/4/2016
- by TFS Staff
- The Film Stage
On Mubi Off is a column exploring two films: one currently available on Mubi in the United States, and the other screening offsite (in theaters, on VOD, Blu-ray/DVD, etc).On MUBIThe Great Flood (Bill Morrison, 2011) Let's talk disasters—not those films that fail so spectacularly it's a sight to behold, but those actual Acts of God (or Man) that movies, quite often these days, take as their subject. So much of our art and the discourse surrounding it aims to convince us that the sky is forever falling. At the very least it presumes the worst will always happen (how human) and either a superman will save us or we'll be left to fend—violently, in all likelihood—for ourselves. The perpetual sense of imminent chaos is, to put it mildly, agitating. We need the complementary clarity provided by peace of mind, body and spirit in order to make sense of the senseless.
- 3/22/2016
- by Keith Uhlich
- MUBI
If you walk into the theater expecting a direct sequel to Cloverfield, you may be disappointed, but I'd expect most audiences to be quite satisfied with the smart, character-driven thriller that is 10 Cloverfield Lane. Economically told from the start, the film moves beautifully. This is a strong feature debut for Dan Trachtenberg, working from a script by Josh Campbell, Matthew Stuecken, and Damien Chazelle, and a beautiful showcase for three very good actors. It is simple, it is direct, and it is impressive. Michelle (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) flees her marriage after something happens with her husband, and as she's on the road, upset, she is in a terrible car accident. When she wakes up, she is in a bunker owned by Howard (John Goodman), a farmer, who tells her that there has been some sort of attack on the surface, and they are unable to leave now. There is one other person,...
- 3/11/2016
- by Drew McWeeny
- Hitfix
Zero hour is approaching! The Platinum Dunes remake of the Wes Craven classic A Nightmare on Elm Street directed by Samuel Bayer is just about upon us, and New Line Cinema has released the final synopsis and production notes! Dig it!
Synopsis
"Nancy, Kris, Quentin, Jesse, and Dean all live on Elm Street. At night they're all having the same dream -- of the same man, wearing a tattered red and green striped sweater, a beaten fedora half-concealing a disfigured face, and a gardener's glove with knives for fingers. And they're all hearing the same frightening voice...
One by one he terrorizes them within the curved walls of their dreams, where the rules are his and the only way out is to wake up.
But when one of their number dies a violent death, they soon realize that what happens in their dreams happens for real, and the only way...
Synopsis
"Nancy, Kris, Quentin, Jesse, and Dean all live on Elm Street. At night they're all having the same dream -- of the same man, wearing a tattered red and green striped sweater, a beaten fedora half-concealing a disfigured face, and a gardener's glove with knives for fingers. And they're all hearing the same frightening voice...
One by one he terrorizes them within the curved walls of their dreams, where the rules are his and the only way out is to wake up.
But when one of their number dies a violent death, they soon realize that what happens in their dreams happens for real, and the only way...
- 4/19/2010
- by Uncle Creepy
- DreadCentral.com
With the April 30th release date of the highly anticipated remake of the Wes Craven classic A Nightmare on Elm Street coming up on us fast, we figured there'd be no better way to celebrate the arrival of the return of everyone's favorite razor-fingered boogeyman than by giving away a prize package to dream about!
Several lucky winners are about to nab themselves a prize package that is comprised of a boatload of A Nightmare on Elm Street swag, including:
Pigment Dyed “Welcome To Your New Nightmare” Washed Hat Ladies’ “Freddy’S Song” T-shirt Men’s “Nightmare” Tee Sound Chip Keychain Liquid “Blood” Bookmark with Poster Art Key Tag with 3” Freddy Arm Backpacks with Freddy Arm Zipper Pull Neca Freddy Krueger action figure from the new “A Nightmare on Elm Street”
Opens April 30th, 2010!
For a much better idea on all the goodies up for grabs, check out the pictures below.
Several lucky winners are about to nab themselves a prize package that is comprised of a boatload of A Nightmare on Elm Street swag, including:
Pigment Dyed “Welcome To Your New Nightmare” Washed Hat Ladies’ “Freddy’S Song” T-shirt Men’s “Nightmare” Tee Sound Chip Keychain Liquid “Blood” Bookmark with Poster Art Key Tag with 3” Freddy Arm Backpacks with Freddy Arm Zipper Pull Neca Freddy Krueger action figure from the new “A Nightmare on Elm Street”
Opens April 30th, 2010!
For a much better idea on all the goodies up for grabs, check out the pictures below.
- 4/12/2010
- by Uncle Creepy
- DreadCentral.com
A pretty good year.
George Clooney in .Up in the Air.
Photo: Dale Robinette/ Paramount
It seems to be a critical tradition to bewail the awfulness of each year's movies. But how often is this really true? With the annual caveat that it's impossible (and meaningless) to designate one movie or filmmaker as the "best," here are a number of 2009 pictures I liked a lot in various aspects, with one entrant in each category selected, fairly arbitrarily, as the "best," and equally worthy contenders noted below them.
Best Picture:
"Up in the Air" A mainstream film with a complex heart and a brain, too. Not exactly a comedy, not precisely a drama, but as close to a perfect movie as any other this year.
Also really good: "The Hurt Locker": Can it actually have been seven years since Kathryn Bigelow's last picture? This scrappy low-budget film, with a breakthrough performance by Jeremy Renner,...
George Clooney in .Up in the Air.
Photo: Dale Robinette/ Paramount
It seems to be a critical tradition to bewail the awfulness of each year's movies. But how often is this really true? With the annual caveat that it's impossible (and meaningless) to designate one movie or filmmaker as the "best," here are a number of 2009 pictures I liked a lot in various aspects, with one entrant in each category selected, fairly arbitrarily, as the "best," and equally worthy contenders noted below them.
Best Picture:
"Up in the Air" A mainstream film with a complex heart and a brain, too. Not exactly a comedy, not precisely a drama, but as close to a perfect movie as any other this year.
Also really good: "The Hurt Locker": Can it actually have been seven years since Kathryn Bigelow's last picture? This scrappy low-budget film, with a breakthrough performance by Jeremy Renner,...
- 12/22/2009
- MTV Movie News
The new teaser trailer for "Nightmare on Elm Street" has just been released, and it shows Jackie Earle Haley in the role of our favorite boogeyman, Freddy Krueger.
This remake's from producer Michael Bay, so chances are, the film will be very sleek with not a whole lot of character or plot development.
But Haley is a good actor, so I'm looking forward to seeing this film, just to see how he'll adapt the role that Robert Englund made famous in the 80s. The reboot arrives in theaters April 30, 2010.
A Nightmare on Elm Street in HD
Movie's Description from New Line Cinema:
Freddy Krueger returns in 'A Nightmare on Elm Street,' a contemporary re-imagining of the horror classic. A group of suburban teenagers share one common bond: they are all being stalked by Freddy Krueger, a horribly disfigured killer who hunts them in their dreams. As long as they stay awake,...
This remake's from producer Michael Bay, so chances are, the film will be very sleek with not a whole lot of character or plot development.
But Haley is a good actor, so I'm looking forward to seeing this film, just to see how he'll adapt the role that Robert Englund made famous in the 80s. The reboot arrives in theaters April 30, 2010.
A Nightmare on Elm Street in HD
Movie's Description from New Line Cinema:
Freddy Krueger returns in 'A Nightmare on Elm Street,' a contemporary re-imagining of the horror classic. A group of suburban teenagers share one common bond: they are all being stalked by Freddy Krueger, a horribly disfigured killer who hunts them in their dreams. As long as they stay awake,...
- 9/28/2009
- by Manny
- Manny the Movie Guy
Peter Sarsgaard and Vera Farmiga let the wrong one in.
Isabelle Fuhrman in "Orphan"
Photo: Warner Brothers
Little Esther has been a bad girl. A very bad girl. For most of her nine years, in fact — although as the new horror movie "Orphan" opens, all we know of her earlier life is that she was left homeless when her previous adoptive family died in a fire. How fortunate that she managed to escape. Now she's available to be re-adopted by another family, and here come the well-to-do Colemans to scoop her up. Naturally they haven't thought to hide the matches or anything, but they'll learn, soon enough.
"Orphan" is an evil-kid movie with a fresh, inventive twist at the end. This twist doesn't stand up under retrospective contemplation, but how many do? And the picture is so strongly cast and beautifully shot that when the ending arrives, it's so crafty...
Isabelle Fuhrman in "Orphan"
Photo: Warner Brothers
Little Esther has been a bad girl. A very bad girl. For most of her nine years, in fact — although as the new horror movie "Orphan" opens, all we know of her earlier life is that she was left homeless when her previous adoptive family died in a fire. How fortunate that she managed to escape. Now she's available to be re-adopted by another family, and here come the well-to-do Colemans to scoop her up. Naturally they haven't thought to hide the matches or anything, but they'll learn, soon enough.
"Orphan" is an evil-kid movie with a fresh, inventive twist at the end. This twist doesn't stand up under retrospective contemplation, but how many do? And the picture is so strongly cast and beautifully shot that when the ending arrives, it's so crafty...
- 7/24/2009
- MTV Movie News
Vera Farmiga, Peter Sarsgaard, Jimmy Bennett, Isabelle Fuhrmann, Aryana Engineer, Lorry Ayers Directed By: Jaume Collet-Serra Written By: David Johnson, Alex Mace Produced By: Joel Silver, Susan Downey, Erik Olsen, Jennifer Davisson Killoran, Don Carmody, Steve Richards Plot: The tragic loss of their unborn child has devastated Kate (Vera Farmiga) and John (Peter Sarsgaard), taking a toll on both their marriage and Kate's fragile psyche as she is plagued by nightmares and haunted by demons from her past. Struggling to regain some semblance of normalcy in their lives, the couple decides to adopt another child. At the local orphanage, both John and Kate find themselves strangely drawn to a young girl named Esther (Isabelle Fuhrman)...but Esther is not what she appears to be and, concerned for the safety of her family, Kate tries to get John and others to see past Esther's sweet facade. But her warnings go unheeded...
- 7/19/2009
- Upcoming-Movies.com
Hollywood has always loved tales of redemption -- the poor, downtrodden or otherwise disenfranchised finding their true value with the help of an inspirational mentor. Sometimes the formula works. Unfortunately in "Gridiron Gang", Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson is about as inspirational as a yawn.
A true story, based on an award-winning documentary, about Inner City kids in juvenile detention who come together to forge a winning football team, is great material, but the film never catches fire. With rabid interest in the new football season and a major marketing blitz by Sony, the film could score a few early touchdowns in its first weekend but should tail off quickly after that.
Johnson plays Sean Porter, a dedicated probation officer at Camp Kilpatrick, the last stop for teenage gang members and violent offenders before the state locks them up with adults.
Frustrated by the frequency with which the kids return to the camp after being released, he imagines that by creating a football team he can instill discipline and a sense of self-worth in his charges. In other words, he's a man on a mission, and he's got plenty of work to do.
First, he must get the institution to go along with his plan. That means convincing reluctant camp director Paul Higa (Leon Rippy) and his assistant Dexter (Kevin Dunn) that it can work, and then finding other high school coaches willing to compete against convicted felons.
Then he has to put the team together. These kids, most of them from the Los Angles area, and many from rival gangs, already live in an environment of distrust and hatred.
His main reclamation project is Willie Weathers (Jade Yorker), a surly youth who killed his mother's boyfriend after losing his cousin in a drive-by shooting. Then there's his gang nemesis Kelvin (David Thomas), the angry Samoan Junior Palaita (Setu Taase), the team's water boy and mascot Bug (Brandon Mychal Smith) and the white but-not-too-trashy Kenny Bates (Trever O'Brien). In this sanitized version of street life, none of them are really bad kids, they just made bad choices.
Porter peppers them with uplifting messages about grit and determination and not being losers anymore. And -- surprise, surprise -- after numerous hardships and disappointments, the Mustangs, as they are called, become a self-respecting team that wins enough games to make it to the regional championship.
Director Phil Joanou, making his first feature in seven years, does a nice job giving the film a gritty, lived-in quality (much of the picture was shot at the real Camp Kilpatrick in the Santa Monica Mountains), and the football sequences, coached by Alan Graf, look and sound like The Real Thing. But screenwriter Jeff Maguire hasn't given them enough to work with.
The characters all have back stories -- Porter's mother is dying and he hates his father; Weathers is trying to go straight and win back his girlfriend; Junior longs to be reunited with his 2-year-old -- but not the depth to make them seem like anything more than types.
At an unbelievable 126 minutes, the film is bloated with story; too many things happen, mostly setbacks, to allow the movie to gather any momentum and soar, as this kind of picture must do to succeed. But Johnson is the real problem because the film is built around him. He is the latest in a long line of muscular hunks who don't so much emote as deliver lines. But in fairness, it is not easy to sell dialogue like, "accept this challenge and I promise you, you'll be winners."
Lensing by Jeff Cutter, production design by Floyd Albee, editing by Joel Negron and other tech credits are good enough to draw you into the film; unfortunately, there's nothing to keep you there.
GRIDIRON GANG
Sony Pictures
Columbia Pictures presents in association with Relativity Media an Original Film production
Credits:
Director: Phil Joanou
Screenwriter: Jeff Maguire
Executive producers: Michael Rachmil, Shane Stanley, Ryan Kavanaugh, Lynwood
Spinks
Producers: Neal H. Moritz, Lee Stanley
Director of photography: Jeff Cutter
Production designer: Floyd Albee
Music: Trevor Rabin
Co-producer: Amanda Cohen
Costume designer: Sanja Milkovic Hays
Editor: Joel Negron. Cast: Coach Sean Porter: Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson
Malcolm Moore: Xzibit
Ted Dexter: Kevin Dunn
Paul Higa: Leon Rippy
Willie Weathers: Jade Yorker
Kenny Bates: Trever O'Brien
Bug: Brandon Mychal Smith
Leon Hayes: Mo
Kelvin Owens: David Thomas
Junior Palaita: Setu Taase
Donald Madlock: James Earl III
Jamal Evans: Jamal Mixon
Danyelle Rollins: Jurnee Smollett
MPAA rating PG-13
Running time -- 126 minutes...
A true story, based on an award-winning documentary, about Inner City kids in juvenile detention who come together to forge a winning football team, is great material, but the film never catches fire. With rabid interest in the new football season and a major marketing blitz by Sony, the film could score a few early touchdowns in its first weekend but should tail off quickly after that.
Johnson plays Sean Porter, a dedicated probation officer at Camp Kilpatrick, the last stop for teenage gang members and violent offenders before the state locks them up with adults.
Frustrated by the frequency with which the kids return to the camp after being released, he imagines that by creating a football team he can instill discipline and a sense of self-worth in his charges. In other words, he's a man on a mission, and he's got plenty of work to do.
First, he must get the institution to go along with his plan. That means convincing reluctant camp director Paul Higa (Leon Rippy) and his assistant Dexter (Kevin Dunn) that it can work, and then finding other high school coaches willing to compete against convicted felons.
Then he has to put the team together. These kids, most of them from the Los Angles area, and many from rival gangs, already live in an environment of distrust and hatred.
His main reclamation project is Willie Weathers (Jade Yorker), a surly youth who killed his mother's boyfriend after losing his cousin in a drive-by shooting. Then there's his gang nemesis Kelvin (David Thomas), the angry Samoan Junior Palaita (Setu Taase), the team's water boy and mascot Bug (Brandon Mychal Smith) and the white but-not-too-trashy Kenny Bates (Trever O'Brien). In this sanitized version of street life, none of them are really bad kids, they just made bad choices.
Porter peppers them with uplifting messages about grit and determination and not being losers anymore. And -- surprise, surprise -- after numerous hardships and disappointments, the Mustangs, as they are called, become a self-respecting team that wins enough games to make it to the regional championship.
Director Phil Joanou, making his first feature in seven years, does a nice job giving the film a gritty, lived-in quality (much of the picture was shot at the real Camp Kilpatrick in the Santa Monica Mountains), and the football sequences, coached by Alan Graf, look and sound like The Real Thing. But screenwriter Jeff Maguire hasn't given them enough to work with.
The characters all have back stories -- Porter's mother is dying and he hates his father; Weathers is trying to go straight and win back his girlfriend; Junior longs to be reunited with his 2-year-old -- but not the depth to make them seem like anything more than types.
At an unbelievable 126 minutes, the film is bloated with story; too many things happen, mostly setbacks, to allow the movie to gather any momentum and soar, as this kind of picture must do to succeed. But Johnson is the real problem because the film is built around him. He is the latest in a long line of muscular hunks who don't so much emote as deliver lines. But in fairness, it is not easy to sell dialogue like, "accept this challenge and I promise you, you'll be winners."
Lensing by Jeff Cutter, production design by Floyd Albee, editing by Joel Negron and other tech credits are good enough to draw you into the film; unfortunately, there's nothing to keep you there.
GRIDIRON GANG
Sony Pictures
Columbia Pictures presents in association with Relativity Media an Original Film production
Credits:
Director: Phil Joanou
Screenwriter: Jeff Maguire
Executive producers: Michael Rachmil, Shane Stanley, Ryan Kavanaugh, Lynwood
Spinks
Producers: Neal H. Moritz, Lee Stanley
Director of photography: Jeff Cutter
Production designer: Floyd Albee
Music: Trevor Rabin
Co-producer: Amanda Cohen
Costume designer: Sanja Milkovic Hays
Editor: Joel Negron. Cast: Coach Sean Porter: Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson
Malcolm Moore: Xzibit
Ted Dexter: Kevin Dunn
Paul Higa: Leon Rippy
Willie Weathers: Jade Yorker
Kenny Bates: Trever O'Brien
Bug: Brandon Mychal Smith
Leon Hayes: Mo
Kelvin Owens: David Thomas
Junior Palaita: Setu Taase
Donald Madlock: James Earl III
Jamal Evans: Jamal Mixon
Danyelle Rollins: Jurnee Smollett
MPAA rating PG-13
Running time -- 126 minutes...
- 9/16/2006
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Hollywood has always loved tales of redemption -- the poor, downtrodden or otherwise disenfranchised finding their true value with the help of an inspirational mentor. Sometimes the formula works. Unfortunately in Gridiron Gang, Dwayne The Rock Johnson is about as inspirational as a yawn.
A true story, based on an award-winning documentary, about inner city kids in juvenile detention who come together to forge a winning football team, is great material, but the film never catches fire. With rabid interest in the new football season and a major marketing blitz by Sony, the film could score a few early touchdowns in its first weekend but should tail off quickly after that.
Johnson plays Sean Porter, a dedicated probation officer at Camp Kilpatrick, the last stop for teenage gang members and violent offenders before the state locks them up with adults.
Frustrated by the frequency with which the kids return to the camp after being released, he imagines that by creating a football team he can instill discipline and a sense of self-worth in his charges. In other words, he's a man on a mission, and he's got plenty of work to do.
First, he must get the institution to go along with his plan. That means convincing reluctant camp director Paul Higa (Leon Rippy) and his assistant Dexter (Kevin Dunn) that it can work, and then finding other high school coaches willing to compete against convicted felons.
Then he has to put the team together. These kids, most of them from the Los Angles area, and many from rival gangs, already live in an environment of distrust and hatred.
His main reclamation project is Willie Weathers (Jade Yorker), a surly youth who killed his mother's boyfriend after losing his cousin in a drive-by shooting. Then there's his gang nemesis Kelvin (David Thomas), the angry Samoan Junior Palaita (Setu Taase), the team's water boy and mascot Bug (Brandon Mychal Smith) and the white but-not-too-trashy Kenny Bates (Trever O'Brien). In this sanitized version of street life, none of them are really bad kids, they just made bad choices.
Porter peppers them with uplifting messages about grit and determination and not being losers anymore. And -- surprise, surprise -- after numerous hardships and disappointments, the Mustangs, as they are called, become a self-respecting team that wins enough games to make it to the regional championship.
Director Phil Joanou, making his first feature in seven years, does a nice job giving the film a gritty, lived-in quality (much of the picture was shot at the real Camp Kilpatrick in the Santa Monica Mountains), and the football sequences, coached by Alan Graf, look and sound like The Real Thing. But screenwriter Jeff Maguire hasn't given them enough to work with.
The characters all have back stories -- Porter's mother is dying and he hates his father; Weathers is trying to go straight and win back his girlfriend; Junior longs to be reunited with his 2-year-old -- but not the depth to make them seem like anything more than types.
At an unbelievable 126 minutes, the film is bloated with story; too many things happen, mostly setbacks, to allow the movie to gather any momentum and soar, as this kind of picture must do to succeed. But Johnson is the real problem because the film is built around him. He is the latest in a long line of muscular hunks who don't so much emote as deliver lines. But in fairness, it is not easy to sell dialogue like, "accept this challenge and I promise you, you'll be winners."
Lensing by Jeff Cutter, production design by Floyd Albee, editing by Joel Negron and other tech credits are good enough to draw you into the film; unfortunately, there's nothing to keep you there.
GRIDIRON GANG
Sony Pictures
Columbia Pictures presents in association with Relativity Media an Original Film production
Credits:
Director: Phil Joanou
Screenwriter: Jeff Maguire
Executive producers: Michael Rachmil, Shane Stanley, Ryan Kavanaugh, Lynwood
Spinks
Producers: Neal H. Moritz, Lee Stanley
Director of photography: Jeff Cutter
Production designer: Floyd Albee
Music: Trevor Rabin
Co-producer: Amanda Cohen
Costume designer: Sanja Milkovic Hays
Editor: Joel Negron. Cast: Coach Sean Porter: Dwayne The Rock Johnson
Malcolm Moore: Xzibit
Ted Dexter: Kevin Dunn
Paul Higa: Leon Rippy
Willie Weathers: Jade Yorker
Kenny Bates: Trever O'Brien
Bug: Brandon Mychal Smith
Leon Hayes: Mo
Kelvin Owens: David Thomas
Junior Palaita: Setu Taase
Donald Madlock: James Earl III
Jamal Evans: Jamal Mixon
Danyelle Rollins: Jurnee Smollett
MPAA rating PG-13
Running time -- 126 minutes...
A true story, based on an award-winning documentary, about inner city kids in juvenile detention who come together to forge a winning football team, is great material, but the film never catches fire. With rabid interest in the new football season and a major marketing blitz by Sony, the film could score a few early touchdowns in its first weekend but should tail off quickly after that.
Johnson plays Sean Porter, a dedicated probation officer at Camp Kilpatrick, the last stop for teenage gang members and violent offenders before the state locks them up with adults.
Frustrated by the frequency with which the kids return to the camp after being released, he imagines that by creating a football team he can instill discipline and a sense of self-worth in his charges. In other words, he's a man on a mission, and he's got plenty of work to do.
First, he must get the institution to go along with his plan. That means convincing reluctant camp director Paul Higa (Leon Rippy) and his assistant Dexter (Kevin Dunn) that it can work, and then finding other high school coaches willing to compete against convicted felons.
Then he has to put the team together. These kids, most of them from the Los Angles area, and many from rival gangs, already live in an environment of distrust and hatred.
His main reclamation project is Willie Weathers (Jade Yorker), a surly youth who killed his mother's boyfriend after losing his cousin in a drive-by shooting. Then there's his gang nemesis Kelvin (David Thomas), the angry Samoan Junior Palaita (Setu Taase), the team's water boy and mascot Bug (Brandon Mychal Smith) and the white but-not-too-trashy Kenny Bates (Trever O'Brien). In this sanitized version of street life, none of them are really bad kids, they just made bad choices.
Porter peppers them with uplifting messages about grit and determination and not being losers anymore. And -- surprise, surprise -- after numerous hardships and disappointments, the Mustangs, as they are called, become a self-respecting team that wins enough games to make it to the regional championship.
Director Phil Joanou, making his first feature in seven years, does a nice job giving the film a gritty, lived-in quality (much of the picture was shot at the real Camp Kilpatrick in the Santa Monica Mountains), and the football sequences, coached by Alan Graf, look and sound like The Real Thing. But screenwriter Jeff Maguire hasn't given them enough to work with.
The characters all have back stories -- Porter's mother is dying and he hates his father; Weathers is trying to go straight and win back his girlfriend; Junior longs to be reunited with his 2-year-old -- but not the depth to make them seem like anything more than types.
At an unbelievable 126 minutes, the film is bloated with story; too many things happen, mostly setbacks, to allow the movie to gather any momentum and soar, as this kind of picture must do to succeed. But Johnson is the real problem because the film is built around him. He is the latest in a long line of muscular hunks who don't so much emote as deliver lines. But in fairness, it is not easy to sell dialogue like, "accept this challenge and I promise you, you'll be winners."
Lensing by Jeff Cutter, production design by Floyd Albee, editing by Joel Negron and other tech credits are good enough to draw you into the film; unfortunately, there's nothing to keep you there.
GRIDIRON GANG
Sony Pictures
Columbia Pictures presents in association with Relativity Media an Original Film production
Credits:
Director: Phil Joanou
Screenwriter: Jeff Maguire
Executive producers: Michael Rachmil, Shane Stanley, Ryan Kavanaugh, Lynwood
Spinks
Producers: Neal H. Moritz, Lee Stanley
Director of photography: Jeff Cutter
Production designer: Floyd Albee
Music: Trevor Rabin
Co-producer: Amanda Cohen
Costume designer: Sanja Milkovic Hays
Editor: Joel Negron. Cast: Coach Sean Porter: Dwayne The Rock Johnson
Malcolm Moore: Xzibit
Ted Dexter: Kevin Dunn
Paul Higa: Leon Rippy
Willie Weathers: Jade Yorker
Kenny Bates: Trever O'Brien
Bug: Brandon Mychal Smith
Leon Hayes: Mo
Kelvin Owens: David Thomas
Junior Palaita: Setu Taase
Donald Madlock: James Earl III
Jamal Evans: Jamal Mixon
Danyelle Rollins: Jurnee Smollett
MPAA rating PG-13
Running time -- 126 minutes...
- 9/15/2006
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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