The 4:30 Movie is the sixteenth feature film from director Kevin Smith – and as reported on Deadline (plus Smith’s own social media accounts), this film has officially secured a distribution deal that will see it reaching theatres sometime this summer! Saban Films has picked up the worldwide rights to The 4:30 Movie, which Smith will be taking on a multi-city national tour that will be followed by a nationwide theatrical rollout. Specific dates have not yet been revealed.
Set in the summer of 1986, this one is a coming-of-age comedy that follows three sixteen-year-old friends who spend their Saturdays sneaking into movies at the local multiplex. But when one of the guys also invites the girl of his dreams to see the latest comedy, each of the teens will learn something serious about life and love before the credits roll.
Austin Zajur (Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark), Nicholas Cirillo (Outer Banks), and Reed Northrup (High Maintenance) play the sixteen year old friends, with Siena Agudong (Resident Evil) as the dream girl. Ken Jeong (The Hangover), Sam Richardson (Veep), Genesis Rodriguez (Tusk), Justin Long (Barbarian), Jason Lee (Almost Famous), Rachel Dratch (I Love My Dad), Kate Micucci (The Big Bang Theory), Adam Pally (Sonic the Hedgehog), Harley Quinn Smith (Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood), and Method Man (Power Book II: Ghost) are also in the cast.
The 4:30 Movie was filmed at Smodcastle Cinemas in New Jersey, a theatre Smith now co-owns and used to hang out in every weekend when he was a teenager. Liz Destro, Josh Bachove, and Jordan Monsanto produced, with Bill Bromiley, Shanan Becker, and Jonathan Saba executive producing.
Smith provided the following statement: “The day we bought Smodcastle Cinemas, I not only reclaimed an integral piece of my childhood, I also suddenly had access to a visually interesting and cost-free movie location! So I started writing a personal paean to the past for us 70s and 80s kids – the pre-information generation who grew up without the Internet, when romance and relationships required much more than a swipe to get started, and the idea of asking out someone you had a crush on was as terrifying as the looming threat of nuclear war.“
Saba, the Chief Content Officer at Saban Films, added: “Kevin has been one of the defining voices in American Independent Cinema for 30 years now, and The 4:30 Movie is like a Valentine to moviegoers from a lifelong film fan that also acts as his most personal production yet. This is our second of hopefully many movies together.” Smith and Saban Films previously collaborated on the release of Jay and Silent Bob Reboot.
Smith is currently developing another Jay and Silent Bob movie (other plates he currently has spinning include Mallrats 2, Moose Jaws, and Tusk$), so it might not be long before he and Saban Films get a chance to work on another movie together. In the meantime, we can look forward to seeing The 4:30 Movie sometime in the next few months.
Are you looking forward to The 4:30 Movie, and are you glad to hear it’s coming soon to theatres? Let us know by leaving a comment below.
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is the second game in the trilogy of games reimagining the landmark 1997 RPG, and it spends a lot of its runtime setting up plotlines it will presumably wrap up in the third entry. Some of these are worldbuilding details, such as establishing the nation of Wutai as a major player in the…
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is the second game in the trilogy of games reimagining the landmark 1997 RPG, and it spends a lot of its runtime setting up plotlines it will presumably wrap up in the third entry. Some of these are worldbuilding details, such as establishing the nation of Wutai as a major player in the…
Who are we to disagree Danielle Harris? When looking for a Best Horror Movie You Never Saw, nothing in our completely mad up rules that say a movie can’t be well received at the time of release. It can win awards including one from the audiences that saw it at TIFF and the kind of go away. There are a ton of movies that are great and original films in a genre that is nearly as obsessed with sequels and movie universes as DC and Marvel are today. Stake Land (watch it HERE) is an original piece of media that is one part Walking Dead, one part The Road, and all together one of the Best Horror Movies you Never Saw.
Stake Land was destined to be a movie that few had seen as its theatrical run produced about 33 thousand in theaters but in an era of physical media and streaming services, even as early as 2010-2011. The movie, which was written by both star Nick Damici and director Jim Mickle was designed as a short web series that they could produce on weekends and release it on their own terms. They presented over 3 dozen 8-minute scripts to indie horror mega producer Larry Fessenden and his Glass Eye Pix who suggested it be turned into a feature. As a mentor to Mickle, he was able to help produce and give them notes as production went along. To that end, they did end up producing 7 prequel webisodes that would be released leading up to and alongside the movie to build both hype and a nice little world that feels very lived in.
Mickle got noticed for Mulberry Street, his entry in the “8 Films to Die for” series that was released in 2007 for the After Dark Horror Fest. These were also released at Blockbuster, and I remember running through them all. His flick, which he wrote with Damici and who stars in it again, is probably the best of that batch that came out. He also directed Cold in July, We Are What We Are, and episodes of Hap and Leonard as well as Sweet Tooth, mostly with Damici writing and or making an appearance on screen. The movie opens with one of our leads, Martin, telling us in flashback form about the end of both the world at large and his world on a micro level. I would love confirmation if this character is named after Romero’s underseen vampire movie of the same name. Somebody hit up Damici or Mickle for me, will ya?
Martin is played by Conor Paolo who first showed up as a young Sean in Clint Eastwood’s Mystic River. He has also showed up heavily in shows like Gossip Girl and Revenge as well as more than a few movies including Stake Land 2 which we will touch on a little later. We see why he is with Damici’s character Mister as both his parents and even baby sibling is murdered by what we learn is the reason for the apocalypse, Vampires. This movie is uncompromising in its violence and who it decides to kill. When a horror movie decides to kill a baby in the first seven minutes, you know they aren’t messing around. This world is also effectively over, and we are told of the busier cities being ravaged, cults taking shape across the country and the U.S. falling hard and fast.
The first 10 minutes of the movie tells you everything you need to know about the story. We see different kinds of vampires, how you need to protect yourself, and a warning about society as a whole, or, ya know, what’s left of it. Damici plays Mister with the attitude and hardened charisma that I have come to expect and love from him. I spoke about him in my most recent video about other underseen movie Late Phases and I am a fan of this guy. He takes Martin under his wing here and teaches him how to survive but also how to take out vampires which greatly outnumber humans. We watch them go through settlements and barter while Mister takes care of some of his base urges and watch them save stragglers. See, Mister doesn’t care if you are a vamp or a crazy cult human, he kills with the same efficiency and lack of remorse.
The first one of these people they save is played by Kelly McGillis. Yeah, that one. From Top Gun, The Witness, and a whole heap of other memorable roles. Like many of the apocalyptic movies of the time, including the aforementioned The Road, the movie focuses more heavily on how bad the survivors can be rather than the threat. The nice thing is, it still feels fresh here as it did when the movie came out. This was before EVERY SINGLE MOVIE of this type fell into that specific trope. Even The Walking Dead just had to keep coming back to it. Here, it works because of budgetary constraints where you can have battles with culty Dbags rather than have to show off special effects and make up laden vampires throughout. Again, this gives the movie a nice world building feel.
By the time we get to the damn near required Larry Fessenden cameo, here as the bartender who gives Martin his first drink, we have seen how life is. We have also seen some great scenes of tension like when Martin and Mister are stuck in their own car after escaping the Brotherhood cult. It has good direction and story telling and allows for a near budget less set piece that also gives us a fun action scene. Also, in the bar we get the appearance of the movie’s biggest fan. Danielle Harris plays Belle, a younger pregnant woman who wants to get somewhere safe to have her baby. She’s great here as we have come to expect her in everything that she shows up in. Her and her podcast partner and close friend Scout Taylor Compton are the best parts of the Rob Zombie Halloween remake duology. I also have a personal horror love for her as Halloween 5 was one of the first VHS tapes I bought with my own money from Blockbuster Music of all places. I fully forgive her for getting Corey to cheat on Topanga with her. If you know, you know.
The trio work their way towards the haven of New Eden, and we get introduced to things called scamps which are younger kid vampires because this movie has already set the precedent that age won’t protect you. This is an excellent example of just how they use their budget and keep things interesting while doing many of the things that movies of this type do. They pick up our final main character, a military man named Willie, who was also left as bait for vampires by the brotherhood. He gives us some more exposition and story building about the brotherhood using the vampires as weapons and expediting the process of ending the world. The group works its way to New Eden, and I’m amazed at how this movie was made for just over 600k. It isn’t acted that way, directed that way, shot that way, or even with special effects and make-up that would suggest that budget.
At just over an hour and a half, the movie moves at a brisk pace. The score which echoes The Road and is more contemplative than exciting by Jeff Grace is done wonderfully and fits the film to a T. It keeps surprises coming and even though you know not everyone is going to make it out alive, it’s still surprising how and when. While it may not have been a blockbuster like movies from the Saw or Final Destination franchises, it would be popular enough to warrant a sequel in Stake Land 2: The Stakelander, which, yeah, I know, that title, but its fun. While director and cowriter Jim Mickle didn’t want to or wasn’t able to come back, Syfy had the good sense to get Nick Damici back to write and show up again in some capacity. Between the prequel web series and the two movies, this property got life to it that few would have expected from a little indie movie that could.
Danielle said it was a tough shoot in the cold of upstate new york with very few lines but there was something that drew her to it and it was a very rewarding experience. Plus, who could resist zombie like vampire creatures and a title like Stake Land. That’s exactly what this movie does to you upon watching it. It has a very personal feel with all the characters involved and gets your buy in on them in very little time. A movie like this is special because of the people who worked on it fully buying in and believing in what it could be and that translates into how we as the audience view it. Stake Land takes classic ideas such as vampires or the inherited evil of humanity and packages it into a very consumable 98 minutes.
What I truly love about the movie is that it truly is a Best Horror Movie You Never Saw. It gets to be handed down from those lucky enough to watch it and then those new viewers get to do the same. It’s like I tell my kids as each one finds out that Santa isn’t real. It’s their job now to become the jolly gift giver to their younger siblings. It’s shocking with how much legs the series had that it’s still not as widely talked about and even Damici, who apparently is a walking Best Horror You Never Saw factory, has other things that people recognize him for. If Danielle Harris, who isn’t even the star here and has a litany of other movies to think of and talk about with people, feels this is one of her least discussed but best films she has made, do yourself a favor and seek it out. You can find it often on Tubi or pick yourself up a copy on physical media. We here at JoBlo Horror completely agree that you should cross this off your list of Best Horror that you never saw and then hand it down to the next person.
A couple previous episodes of the Best Horror Movie You Never Saw series can be seen below. To see more, and to check out some of our other shows, head over to the JoBlo Horror Originals YouTube channel – and subscribe while you’re there!
I hope you’ve saved a few coins for the jukebox because the first Joker: Folie à Deux poster is here to get your toes tapping and your mind spinning in circles on the dancefloor. Warner Bros. Discovery debuted a new poster for Joker: Folie à Deux, featuring Joaquin Phoenix’s Arthur Fleck and Lady Gaga’s Harley cutting a rug while entangled in a firm embrace. The new promo gives Gone With the Wind and Fred Astaire vibes, with a touch of madness for good measure.
Microsoft is working on an AI-powered chatbot that will provide support for Xbox and associated services, The Verge has confirmed. The news has prompted some to draw comparisons with Clippy, the talking paperclip who once helped users compose letters and perform other tasks in Microsoft Office. The Xbox chatbot, which…
Microsoft is working on an AI-powered chatbot that will provide support for Xbox and associated services, The Verge has confirmed. The news has prompted some to draw comparisons with Clippy, the talking paperclip who once helped users compose letters and perform other tasks in Microsoft Office. The Xbox chatbot, which…
George A. Romero’s 1968 classic Night of the Living Dead is in the public domain, so a lot of people have made their own sequels and remakes to the film over the decades, put out their own releases of it, colorized it, animated it, etc. It’s a property that has never been dormant… but these days it seems like its undead ghouls are livelier than ever. The George A. Romero Foundation and the Cinedigm-backed Bloody Disgusting are making a podcast sequel called The Dead. Nikyatu Jusu is directing a film sequel that will be released by MGM. Greg Nicotero is planning to make a movie about the making ofNight of the Living Dead. Last week, we shared the news that a Night of the Living Dead follow-up called Festival of the Dead – which is coming our way from twin directors Jen and Sylvia Soska – is set to be released through the Tubi streaming service on April 5th. A trailer for that movie has now made its way online, and you can check it out in the embed above.
cripted by Helen Marsh and Miriam Lyapin, Festival of the Dead has the following synopsis: It has been over 50 years since Night of the Living Dead’s original zombie attack and the horrific event has become the subject of morbid nostalgia. Looking for fun, Ash and her friends attend the Festival of the Living Dead, but it is disrupted when a blast of radioactive space dust hits the festival and they must defend themselves or be devoured by the living dead. So it sounds like this movie will be fully buying into the idea that the original zombie outbreak was caused by the crashing of a Venus probe, something that was mentioned as a potential cause in Night of the Living Dead but never confirmed and never given any credence in Romero’s own follow-ups.
The cast includes Ashley Moore (I Know What You Did Last Summer), Camren Bicondova (Gotham), Andre Anthony (The Night Agent), Christian Rose (Holiday Baggage), Shiloh O’Reilly (The Haunted Museum), Gage Marsh (You Me Her), Keana Lyn Bastidas (The Hardy Boys), and Maia Jae Bastidas (Rabbit Hole).
According to Deadline, Moore is playing Ash, who has been accepted to college and is getting ready to reluctantly leave her old life behind as she is torn between her boyfriend and his friends, and her old friends. When her boyfriend gets her tickets to the Festival, she jumps at the opportunity to see her favorite band. Bicondova’s character is Iris, who has been Ash’s closest friend for years, though they are starting to drift apart — especially because Iris knows Ash is leaving to go to college. She agrees to watch Ash’s brother, Luke, so Ash can go to the festival. The Soskas have revealed that Ash is meant to be the granddaughter of the Ben character from Romero’s Night of the Living Dead.
From Enlighten Content, Festival of the Living Dead is being produced by Jacob Nasser.
What did you think of the Festival of the Living Dead trailer? Will you be watching the movie on Tubi this weekend? Let us know by leaving a comment below.
One day after Prime Video announced a record-breaking milestone for Doug Liman’s Road House reboot, saying the film amassed 50 million viewers in two weeks, the film’s star, Jake Gyllenhaal, has inked a first-look deal with Amazon MGM Studios for future film projects. The pact is between Gyllenhaal’s Nine Stories production studio and Amazon MGM Studios, with the latter getting first dibs on narrative features. The agreement extends to film projects produced by Nine Stories for theatrical and streaming release. Could this contract lead to Gyllenhaal making Road House 2? Will Doug Liman return to direct after inking an iron-clad contract to release the would-be sequel in theaters? Your guess is as good as mine. I can’t imagine Liman and Amazon MGM Studios are the best of friends after the streaming-only release of Road House, but stranger things have happened.
“Jake is a one-of-a-kind talent whose passion and eye for filmmaking makes him a powerful storyteller both in front of the camera and behind the scenes,” said Julie Rapaport, head of film production and development at Amazon MGM Studios. “Following the record-breaking success of Road House, we could not imagine a better time to officially cement our relationship. Jake has been an incredible partner, and we look forward to collaborating with him and the Nine Stories team to create needle-moving and compelling films from visionary filmmakers.”
“I’ve worked with Amazon MGM on two films this past year, and they’ve been a wonderful partner both times,” said Gyllenhaal. “Their dedication to filmmaking is contagious, and I so admire their commitment to fans all over the world. I am thrilled to formalize what is an already fruitful collaboration—especially on the heels of Road House’s outstanding debut.”
Here’s the official synopsis for Road House: “In this adrenaline-fueled reimagining of the ’80s cult classic, ex-UFC fighter Dalton (Gyllenhaal) takes a job as a bouncer at a Florida Keys roadhouse, only to discover that this paradise is not all it seems.” In addition to Gyllenhaal, Road House stars Daniela Melchior, Billy Magnussen, Jessica Williams, Joaquim De Almeida, and Conor McGregor. The film aims to pay homage to the original while providing its own unique and exhilarating spin to introduce Dalton, the roadhouse, and all its chaos to a new generation.
Are you excited to hear Jake Gyllenhaal’s Nine Stories intends to make more movies with Amazon MGM Studios? Do you think an official Road House 2 announcement is around the corner? Let us know in the comments section below.
Before we see It star Bill Skarsgard get revenge in The Crow remake this June, we’re going to have the chance to see him get revenge in another action thriller, Boy Kills World, which is set to reach theatres on April 26th. With that date just a few weeks away, a red band trailer for the film has arrived online – and this one is packed with positive review quotes, including a nod to the 8/10 review written by JoBlo’s own Chris Bumbray! (You can read it HERE.) Check it out in the embed above.
Produced by the legendary Sam Raimi, the film marks the feature directorial debut of Moritz Mohr. It was scripted by Arend Remmers (Sløborn) and Tyler Burton Smith (Kung Fury: The Movie). The story takes place in a bizarre, dark dystopian universe and centers on a deaf and mute character, Boy (Skarsgård), who navigates this depressing world with his otherworldly imagination. Tragedy strikes when Boy’s family is brutally murdered. When his fight or flight instincts kick in, Boy finds himself on a life-threatening trek into the darkly forested jungle. There, he meets a shaman (Ruhian) who takes Boy under his wing and launches him into a cutthroat coming of age journey where he encourages his new pupil to leave his youth behind and pick up the baton as a highly trained assassin.
Skarsgard is joined in the cast by Jessica Rothe (Happy Death Day), Yayan Ruhian (The Raid: Redemption), Andrew Koji (Warrior), Isaiah Mustafa (It: Chapter Two), Famke Janssen (TheFaculty), Brett Gelman (Stranger Things), Sharlto Copley (District 9), Quinn Copeland (Punky Brewster), twin brothers Cameron and Nicholas Crovetti (Big Little Lies), and Michelle Dockery (Downton Abbey). Dockery plays Melanie, “the sister of the film’s Van der Koy family. Melanie is a satirical powerhouse and sociopath who tries to project a powerful cohesive family image to hide the desperation behind their decaying dynasty.” Janssen, Gelman, and Copley are also members of the antagonistic Van Der Koy family, with Janssen as matriarch Hilda, and Gelman and Copley as Gideon and Glen, respectively.
Sam Raimi and Zainab Azizi are producing Boy Kills World through Raimi Productions, Roy Lee is producing for Vertigo Entertainment, Simon Swart and Wayne Fitzjohn are producing through Nthibah Pictures, and Alex Lebovici is producing through Hammerstone Studios. Stuart Manashil and Dan Kagan are also producers. Reza Brojerdi of Ventaro Film and Andrew Childs are executive producers.
Boy Kills World has been rated R for strong bloody violence and gore throughout, language, some drug use and sexual references.
What did you think of the red band trailer? Will you be watching Boy Kills World when it’s released later this month? Let us know by leaving a comment below.
