Full UPSTREAM COLOR Trailer is as Beautiful and Mesmerizing as You Would Expect

So I am super sad that I won't be attending Sundance this year because I really wanted to experience the joys and cold of Park City. The big reason is I wanted to see the world premiere of UPSTREAM COLOR, the newest movie of PRIMER director Shane Carruth. It is one of my most anticipated movies of the year and I can't wait to see it. Check out the trailer below. Thanks to the folks at Badass Digest for posting the trailer.

Netflix Instant: Cool TV and Movie Picks

Here's your weekly dose of your Netflix needs. If you're not busy going out to catch THE AVENGERS for the second, third or fourth time, here are a couple movies to tide you over the weekend.

THE THIN BLUE LINE

The classic Errol Morris documentary about his research and story telling and how it ends up freeing a man convicted on death row. I recently watched my first Errol Morris film not too long ago, and I was hooked on how he can make inane people fascinating and unforgettable. I cannot wait to visit this film that set him a part from modern documentarians.

CRUEL INTENTIONS 

I have a soft spot for this film. It's one of the first scandalous movies I remember watching without my parents permission in high school. I know, shame on me. Not really your typical teen drama. I remember being somewhat surprised by how well acted and (for the time) unique the story was. You know you loved this movie too. 

THE WOMAN

The Sundance sensation (and by sensation I mean controversial) movie that caused several passionate outbursts is now available for you! The story of a man who finds a woman in lurking in the backwoods in his town and orders his family to help him "civilize" her. The film may not live up to the hype and controversy that surrounds it, but I'm insanely curious to see what caused these video reactions. 

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Hell Yea for the Day: TUCKER & DALE VS EVIL gets a distributor!

The great thing about film festivals is sometimes you get these little gems-of-a-movie hidden in a midnight showing.  The bad thing about film festivals is sometimes these movies, which you think are brilliant/funny/etc., get lost in distribution limbo and never make it to the screen.  Not this time!

Deadline broke the news that Magnet, part of Magnolia Pictures, has announced that it will be distributing the Sundance and SXSW hit of TUCKER & DALE VERSUS EVIL.  It will be available on video on demand on August 26th then with a full theatrical release on September 30th.  Here's a synopsis:

Directed by Eli Craig and starring Alan Tudyk (Serenity), Tyler Labine (Reaper) and Katrina Bowden (30 Rock), TUCKER & DALE VS EVIL is a hilariously gory, good-spirited horror comedy, doing for killer rednecks what Shaun of the Dead did for zombies.  Tucker and Dale are two best friends on vacation at their dilapidated Appalachian mountain cabin, who are mistaken for murderous backwoods hillbillies by a group of obnoxious, preppy college kids. When one of the students gets separated from her friends, the boys try to lend a hand, but as the misunderstanding grows, so does the body count.

TUCKER & DALE was one of my favorites from 2010's Dallas International Film Festival.  It's a side-splitting horror-comedy with a fun take on the hillbilly-killer plot line.  Almost like the backwoods cousin to ZOMBIELAND.  I love this new horror-comedy genre that has been emerging over the past few years, and I'm stoked that more people will be able to experience this movie. 


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The future of Kevin Smith's Red State

A few months ago, Kevin Smith announced that RED STATE, his new horror movie, would premiere at Sundance, but he was refusing to do press for the movie.  So, for press to gain access to tickets at the festival, they had to request tickets two days in advance for the slim chance of receiving a seat.  For someone who said he wasn't saving seats for press in his movie, when Red State premiered, my (Jonesy's) twitter was overrun with tweets from bloggers who had secured a ticket.  Interesting...

The real story of the day wasn't the movie (though many reviews are up at /Film, The Wrap and HitFlix), but it was the events that transpired after.  Apparently, Kevin Smith was going to auction off for a distributor.  However, he prompted to by the movie from himself for $20 and said it would be self-released under Smodcast Pictures.“Selling my film would be like having a baby and then selling it to somebody else to raise,” Smith said.  “I can’t speak for the movie by myself. I’m not the only one. I’m just the writer/director." 

Before its release, Smith is planning a "Red State USA Tour" where Smith, personally, will travel across the US promoting the film and participating in a Q&A after every screening.  You can view tour dates here.  Smith claims he will not spend any money on conventional advertising, and just promote through the tour. Also, tickets for these shows are rumored to be anywhere from $50-$100.

Smith also announced, at a seemingly perfect opportunity, that Red State is his second-to-last film.  After his last project, entitled HIT SOMEBODY, Smith will focus on producing. 

For someone who is anti-press, Smith sure knows how to stir the blogger-sphere and get people talking.  I've heard more about the Red State before and after than almost anything else about Sundance.  Whether you agree with Smith's angle of distribution or even if you agree with his views on studio involvement and advertising, the man knows what he's doing.  He got everyone talking about it, interest is stirred, and I'm sure it will pay off in the long run.

Red State  is set to release October 17, 2011.