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Stars: Virginie Ledoyen, Paul Hamy, Sandrine Bonnaire, Francis Renaud | Written by Annelyse Batrel, Ludovic Lefebvre | Directed by Alexandre Bustillo, Julien Maury

[Note: With the film screening as part of this year’s Fantasia Film Festival, here’s a reposting of my review of The Soul Eater from its screening at Glasgow Frightfest earlier this year]

Two detectives with entirely different work methods are sent to the sleepy French mountain town of Roquenoir. One is investigating a series of gruesome deaths. The other is searching for some missing local children. Soon, they realise their cases are connected… by an old folklore legend of a malevolent creature, the terrifying incarnation of the Soul Eater.

The Soul Eater is a suspenseful tale of small-town horror, very much akin to similar films set in abandoned “ghost” towns. The kinds of towns synonymous with closely guarding its secrets and a weariness of outsiders. And here the audience is very much an outsider, learning what’s happening at the same time as the film’s two protagonists – Franck...

Stars: Virginie Ledoyen, Paul Hamy, Sandrine Bonnaire, Francis Renaud | Written by Annelyse Batrel, Ludovic Lefebvre | Directed by Alexandre Bustillo, Julien Maury

Two detectives with entirely different work methods are sent to the sleepy French mountain town of Roquenoir. One is investigating a series of gruesome deaths. The other is searching for some missing local children. Soon, they realise their cases are connected… by an old folklore legend of a malevolent creature, the terrifying incarnation of the Soul Eater.

The Soul Eater is a suspenseful tale of small-town horror, very much akin to similar films set in abandoned “ghost” towns. The kinds of towns synonymous with closely guarding its secrets and a weariness of outsiders. And here the audience is very much an outsider, learning what’s happening at the same time as the film’s two protagonists – Franck and Elizabeth – which the film is very much mystery-driven.

However, once the...

Stars: Beatrice Dalle, Théo Fernandez, Damien Ferdel, Zacharie Chasseriaud, Anne Marivin, Francis Renaud, Fabien Jegoudez, Nicolas Giraud, Chloé Coulloud, Dominique Frot | Written and Directed by Julien Maury, Alexandre Bustillo

French directors Julien Maury and Alexandre Bustillo, the driving force behind the notorious L’interieur (aka Inside) and the stylish Livid, turn their gallic focus to a much-maligned genre – the slasher movie – with Among the Living, a film that’s best described as Stephen King’s Stand By Me meets Friday the 13th.

Starting out with a disturbing prologue featuring a cameo by an almost unrecognisable Beatrice Dalle; a prologue that recalls the nastiness and brutality of L’interieur, Among the Living tells the story of troublemakers Victor, Tom and Dan who, on the last day of school, leave early to explore the countryside and commit petty crime. Ending up on the scenery-strewn back-lot at an abandoned film studio, they witness...

Stars: Beatrice Dalle, Théo Fernandez, Damien Ferdel, Zacharie Chasseriaud, Anne Marivin, Francis Renaud, Fabien Jegoudez, Nicolas Giraud, Chloé Coulloud, Dominique Frot | Written and Directed by Julien Maury, Alexandre Bustillo

French directors Julien Maury and Alexandre Bustillo, the driving force behind the notorious L’interieur (aka Inside) and the stylish Livid, turn their gallic focus to a much-maligned genre – the slasher movie – with Among the Living, a film that’s best described as Stephen King’s Stand By Me meets Friday the 13th.

Starting out with a disturbing prologue featuring a cameo by an almost unrecognisable Beatrice Dalle; a prologue that recalls the nastiness and brutality of L’interieur, Among the Living tells the story of troublemakers Victor, Tom and Dan who, on the last day of school, leave early to explore the countryside and commit petty crime. Ending up on the scenery-strewn back-lot at an abandoned film studio, they witness...

Stars: Beatrice Dalle, Théo Fernandez, Damien Ferdel, Zacharie Chasseriaud, Anne Marivin, Francis Renaud, Fabien Jegoudez, Nicolas Giraud, Chloé Coulloud, Dominique Frot | Written and Directed by Julien Maury, Alexandre Bustillo

French directors Julien Maury and Alexandre Bustillo, the driving force behind the notorious L’interieur (aka Inside) and the stylish Livid, turn their gallic focus to a much-maligned genre – the slasher movie – with Among the Living, a film that’s best described as Stephen King’s Stand By Me meets Friday the 13th.

Starting out with a disturbing prologue featuring a cameo by an almost unrecognisable Beatrice Dalle; a prologue that recalls the nastiness and brutality of L’interieur, Among the Living tells the story of troublemakers Victor, Tom and Dan who, on the last day of school, leave early to explore the countryside and commit petty crime. Ending up on the scenery-strewn back-lot at an abandoned film studio, they witness...

Playing as part of this year's Fantasia Film Festival is the new film from Julien Maury and Alexandre Bustillo (Livid, Inside), entitled Among the Living, or Aux Yeux Des Vivants for you purists out there; and right now we have the French poster and a pair of fresh stills.

Chloe Coulloud, Lannick Gautry, Francis Renaud, and Beatrice Dalle star in the flick, which has been described as a hybrid of Stand By Me and Stephen King's It.

Synopsis

Youngsters Victor, Dan, and Tom skip school to wander around an abandoned movie set. They stumble upon an horrific vision: a woman in chains is dragged through the field by a man wearing a clown mask. The masked man catches a glimpse of the boys, who scramble to run away. But, before they can escape, they see something which has been hidden for years, something they were not meant to see.

In honor of the film's premiere at SXSW, an international trailer has come our way for the new film from Julien Maury and Alexandre Bustillo (Livid, Inside), entitled Among the Living. Yeah, we'll take this one now please, thanks.

Chloe Coulloud, Lannick Gautry, Francis Renaud, and Beatrice Dalle star in the flick, which has been described as a hybrid of Stand By Me and Stephen King's It.

Synopsis

Youngsters Victor, Dan, and Tom skip school to wander around an abandoned movie set. They stumble upon an horrific vision: a woman in chains is dragged through the field by a man wearing a clown mask. The masked man catches a glimpse of the boys, who scramble to run away. But, before they can escape, they see something which has been hidden for years, something they were not meant to see.

Terrified of having been seen by the masked man, the...

Another horror film, Among the Living, will have its World Premiere at the SXSW Film Festival. Among the Living takes some of its influences from Stephen King's It and his much shorter tale "Stand by Me," aka "The Body." Among the Living will show March 10th at this renowned festival and this title is a French language film from directors Julien Maury (ABCs of Death 2) and Alexandre Bustillo. (Livid). Also, Among the Living stars Anne Marivin (Tell No One), Béatrice Dalle, Francis Renaud, and Fabien Jegoudez. The film begins and ends with the characters Victor, Dan and Tom. Together, they skip school to take a look at an abandoned film set. At the set, they see a disturbing clown-like creature drag a woman's body into a distant field. This masked killer sees the boys and gives chase. Will Victor, Dan and Tom escape the creature's cluches? The growing stack of bodies says no.

Among the Living (Aux yeux des vivants)

Director:Alexandre Bustillo & Julien Maury

Writer(s): Alexandre Bustillo & Julien Maury

Producer(s): Fabrice Lambot, Caroline Piras, Jean-Pierre Putters

U.S. Distributor: Rights Available

Cast: Anne Marivin, Béatrice Dalle, Francis Renaud, Fabien Jegoudez, Nicolas Giraud

Many consider this duo’s 2007 debut, Inside, to be one of the most frightening films ever made, and it gave Beatrice Dalle one of her greatest roles in years, leading Dalle to vow to be in every feature Maury & Bustillo make. Her role was cut down considerably in their 2011, follow-up, Livid, which didn’t make the same aggressive mark (though both films have been tipped to be remade in English). Now, we’re excited to see their third union, and scant plot details have us excited. We’re hoping Ms. Dalle is back, front and center.

Gist: Three kids who decide to skip school in order...

The ‘Midnighters’ lineup for SXSW 2014 has been announced and it includes the Us premiere of Oculus, the world premiere of Exists and Late Phases, and more. South By Southwest 2014 will take place from March 7 – 16 in Austin, Texas and the festival is known for its solid lineup of genre films. Below is the complete list of ‘Midnighters’ titles that have been announced, but don’t be surprised if another horror movie or two show up as secret screenings.

13 Sins

Director/Screenwriter: Daniel Stamm, Screenwriter: David Birke

A cryptic phone call sets off a dangerous game of risks for Elliot, a down-on-his luck salesman. The game promises increasing rewards for completing 13 tasks, each more sinister than the last.

Cast: Mark Webber, Rutina Wesley, Devon Graye, Pruitt Taylor Vince, Richard Burgi, Tom Bower, Ron Perlman (World Premiere)

Among The Living (France)

Director/Screenwriter: Julien Maury, Alexandre Bustillo

After horror favorites Inside and Livid,...

The real "meat" of the 2014 SXSW Film Festival has arrived with the announcement of the ten films that will comprise this year's Midnighters lineup. Read all the details and see some new stills here!

Along with the incredible list of Midnighters you'll find below, SXSW 2014 also revealed the 113 titles that will be shown in 11 curated shorts programs, selected from a record 4,249 submissions. Click here for the full short film details.

Now, back to the Midnighters. The program, which includes 8 World Premieres, is described as: Scary, funny, sexy, controversial – provocative after-dark features for night owls and the terminally curious.

13 Sins

Director/Screenwriter: Daniel Stamm, Screenwriter: David Birke

A cryptic phone call sets off a dangerous game of risks for Elliot, a down-on-his luck salesman. The game promises increasing rewards for completing 13 tasks, each more sinister than the last.

Cast: Mark Webber, Rutina Wesley, Devon Graye, Pruitt Taylor Vince, Richard Burgi, Tom Bower,...

South by Southwest has unveiled 10 titles for its Midnighters lineup, including the world premiere of the Bigfoot found-footage film Exists, directed by Eduardo Sanchez – his first foray into found footage since 1999′s monster hit Blair Witch Project. The lineup also includes the U.S. premiere of Oculus, directed by Mike Flanagan, which topped our most anticipated horror films of 2014. Also set for the lineup is Adam Wingard’s The Guest, which premiered last month at Sundance to very positive reviews. The 21st edition of South by Southwest opens March 7 in Austin. Check out the full lineup below.

****

13 Sins

Director/Screenwriter: Daniel Stamm, Screenwriter: David Birke

A cryptic phone call sets off a dangerous game of risks for Elliot, a down-on-his luck salesman. The game promises increasing rewards for completing 13 tasks, each more sinister than the last.

Cast: Mark Webber, Rutina Wesley, Devon Graye, Pruitt Taylor Vince, Richard Burgi, Tom Bower,...

SXSW top brass have announced the Midnighters and short film line-ups, set to screen when the festival runs in Austin, Texas, from March 7-15.

The Midnighters selections comprise eight world premieres and Us premiere and one film that previously screened at Sundance. Magnolia Pictures has acquired Us rights to one of the films, Stage Fright. See separate story.

The 113 shorts were chosen from a record 4,249 submissions, representing an increase of 19% over 2013.

Midnighters

All synopses provided by the festival. World premiere unless marked otherwise.

13 Sins (pictured), dir Daniel Stamm

A cryptic phone call sets off a dangerous game of risks for Elliot, a down-on-his luck salesman. The game promises increasing rewards for completing 13 tasks, each more sinister than the last.

Cast: Mark Webber, Rutina Wesley, Devon Graye, Pruitt Taylor Vince, Richard Burgi, Tom Bower, Ron Perlman

Among The Living (France), dirs Julien Maury, Alexandre Bustillo

After horror favourites Inside and Livid, Maury and Bustillo...

The South by Southwest Film Festival has announced the titles which will screen as part of the Midnighters section, as well as the complete short film lineup.

The list includes 10 Midnighter titles (8 World Premieres, 1 U.S. premiere & 1 Sundance title), and 113 shorts, which were selected from a record 4,249 submissions, an overall increase of 19% over 2013. The Midnigther films are genre films centering on horror, gore, and sci-fi. Fans can check out the full list of accepted shorts at Swsw’s website.

“What an amazing year for genre film! We were blown away by the quality of work submitted and narrowing them down was no easy task,...

A fresh set of stills has come our way for the new film from Julien Maury and Alexandre Bustillo (Livid, Inside), entitled Among the Living; and even though they're light on action, they're kinda heavy on atmosphere. Check 'em out!

Chloe Coulloud, Lannick Gautry, Francis Renaud, and Beatrice Dalle star in the flick, which has been described as a hybrid of Stand By Me and Stephen King's It.

Synopsis

Youngsters Victor, Dan, and Tom skip school to wander around an abandoned movie set. They stumble upon an horrific vision: a woman in chains is dragged through the field by a man wearing a clown mask. The masked man catches a glimpse of the boys, who scramble to run away. But, before they can escape, they see something which has been hidden for years, something they were not meant to see. Terrified of having been seen by the masked man,...

More stills have come our way from the new film from Julien Maury and Alexandre Bustillo (Livid, Inside), entitled Among the Living, and we're happy to share 'em with ya. Well, okay, we're usually pretty stingy, but we'll make an exception this time.

Chloe Coulloud, Lannick Gautry, Francis Renaud, and Beatrice Dalle star in the flick, which has been described as a hybrid of Stand By Me and Stephen King's It.

Synopsis

Youngsters Victor, Dan, and Tom skip school to wander around an abandoned movie set. They stumble upon an horrific vision : a woman in chains is dragged through the field by a man wearing a clown mask. The masked man catches a glimpse of the boys, who scramble to run away. But, before they can escape, they see something which has been hidden for years, something they were not meant to see. Terrified of having been seen by the masked man,...

If there's one pair of directors whom we keep our eyes on around here, it's Julien Maury and Alexandre Bustillo (Livid, Inside). While we wait for Livid to make its way Stateside, the first stills from their latest flick, Among the Living, have arrived.

Chloe Coulloud, Lannick Gautry, Francis Renaud, and Beatrice Dalle star in the flick, which has been described as a hybrid of Stand By Me and Stephen King's It.

Synopsis

Youngsters Victor, Dan, and Tom skip school to wander around an abandoned movie set. They stumble upon an horrific vision : a woman in chains is dragged through the field by a man wearing a clown mask. The masked man catches a glimpse of the boys, who scramble to run away. But, before they can escape, they see something which has been hidden for years, something they were not meant to see. Terrified of having been seen by the masked man,...

Title: Le Guetteur Director: Michele Placido Starring: Danieul Auteuil, Mathieu Kassovitz, Olivier Gourmet, Francis Renaud, Nicolas Briançon, Jérôme Pouly de la Comédie Française, Violante Placido, Luca Argentero. The established Italian director and actor, Michele Placido, defines his new film as the French version of ‘Romanzo Criminale’ (a popular Italian criminal drama, whose movie version was directed by Placido, and was eventually made into a television series). But the director’s high hopes don’t match the actual outcome. The cinematography of Arnaldo Catinari is beautiful, dark and overbearing, but it clashes tremendously with the director’s style of shooting, that resembles that used for television, with very tight close-ups. The screenplay, written by Cedric [ Read More ]

The post Le Guetteur Movie Review appeared first on Shockya.com.

If there's one pair of directors whom we keep our eyes on around here, it's Julien Maury and Alexandre Bustillo (Livid, Inside). These cats know how to bring the horror, and we're thrilled to hear about what they've got cooking next!

According to Variety, Snd, the distribution-sales-production arm of France’s M6 Group, will co-produce and sell internationally genre thriller Among the Living, the next film from cult Gallic scare-fare directors Julien Maury and Alexandre Bustillo.

“‘Living’ tells the tale of three youngsters who skip school, wander around an abandoned amusement park, and suddenly see a woman in chains being dragged through a field by a man in a clown’s mask. Worse still, the masked man catches a glimpse of the boys.”

It stars Chloe Coulloud, Livid's lead, Lannick Gautry and Francis Renaud. Beatrice Dalle, the scissor-wielding, house-invading maniac of the duo’s debut Inside, has a cameo role,...

Variety is reporting Snd, an arm of M6, is set to co-produce the next from the filmmaking duo behind one of the greatest horror debuts there is, and a film that gets them a lifetime pass, Inside (À l’INTÉRIEUR). Set to be Bustillo and Maury's third feature together, Among The Living finds three adolescents in an abandoned amusement park and a man in a clown mask that targets them.

The star of their second film (the wonderful, atmospheric Livid which Dimension has been unfortunately holding on to, and which also saw three kids messing about where they shouldn't), Chloé Coulloud is also leading Among The Living, alongside Lannick Gautry and Francis Renaud. Beatrice Dalle, who terrified in Inside and briefly appears in Livid, will also reunite with the directors in Living.

Livid is swimming in influence, and it sounds as if Among The Living is as well. Bustillo and Maury are well versed in,...

Variety is reporting Snd, an arm of M6, is set to co-produce the next from the filmmaking duo behind one of the greatest horror debuts there is, and a film that gets them a lifetime pass, Inside (À l’INTÉRIEUR). Set to be Bustillo and Maury's third feature together, Among The Living finds three adolescents in an abandoned amusement park and a man in a clown mask that targets them.

The star of their second film (the wonderful, atmospheric Livid which Dimension has been unfortunately holding on to, and which also saw three kids messing about where they shouldn't), Chloé Coulloud is also leading Among The Living, alongside Lannick Gautry and Francis Renaud. Beatrice Dalle, who terrified in Inside and briefly appears in Livid, will also reunite with the directors in Living.

Livid is swimming in influence, and it sounds as if Among The Living is as well. Bustillo and Maury are well versed in,...

Variety is reporting Snd, an arm of M6, is set to co-produce the next from the filmmaking duo behind one of the greatest horror debuts there is, and a film that gets them a lifetime pass, Inside (À l’INTÉRIEUR). Set to be Bustillo and Maury's third feature together, Among The Living finds three adolescents in an abandoned amusement park and a man in a clown mask that targets them.

The star of their second film (the wonderful, atmospheric Livid which Dimension has been unfortunately holding on to, and which also saw three kids messing about where they shouldn't), Chloé Coulloud is also leading Among The Living, alongside Lannick Gautry and Francis Renaud. Beatrice Dalle, who terrified in Inside and briefly appears in Livid, will also reunite with the directors in Living.

Livid is swimming in influence, and it sounds as if Among The Living is as well. Bustillo and Maury are well versed in,...

Reviewer: James van Maanen

Rating (out of five): ****

A shoo-in to attract foreign film buffs who enjoy arthouse movies of the more mainstream variety, Queen to Play (Joueuse, in the original French) is a smart, small but intensely enjoyable movie -- one that I think would draw the kind of satisfied, word-of-mouth audience that made The Grocer's Son a surprise arthouse hit.

It stars a fine actress -- one who is consistently popular with this particular audience -- Sandrine Bonnaire (Angel of Mine, Intimate Strangers, Vagabond, Her Name is Sabine) and our own Kevin Kline (doing his first full-out French-language role), with help from Jennifer Beals (looking gorgeous in a small but pivotal role) and French hunk Francis Renaud (The Code, Chrysalis), who brings great warmth and humanity to Bonnaire's confused husband. Written and directed by Caroline Bottaro, a newcomer who has previously directed only one 15-minute short, the...

Rank the week of August 16th’s Blu-ray and DVD new releases against the best films of all-time: New Releases Jane Eyre

(Blu-ray & DVD | PG13 | 2011)

Flickchart Ranking: #3143

Win Percentage: 55%

Times Ranked: 1594

Top-20 Rankings: 7

Directed By: Cary Fukunaga

Starring: Mia Wasikowska • Michael Fassbender • Jamie Bell • Judi Dench • Imogen Poots

Genres: Drama • Gothic Film • Mystery • Period Film • Romance • Romantic Drama • Romantic Mystery

Rank This Movie

Something Borrowed

(Blu-ray & DVD | PG13 | 2011)

Flickchart Ranking: #8753

Win Percentage: 40%

Times Ranked: 456

Top-20 Rankings: 3

Directed By: Luke Greenfield

Starring: Kate Hudson • Ginnifer Goodwin • John Krasinski • Colin Egglesfield • Steve Howey

Genres: Comedy • Comedy Drama • Drama • Romance • Romantic Comedy • Romantic Drama

Rank This Movie

Priest

(Blu-ray & DVD | PG13 | 2011)

Flickchart Ranking: #6278

Win Percentage: 43%

Times Ranked: 1274

Top-20 Rankings: 5

Directed By: Scott Charles Stewart

Starring: Paul Bettany • Karl Urban • Cam Gigandet • Maggie Q • Lily Collins

Genres: Action • Comic-Book Superhero Film • Horror • Monster Film • Religious Horror • Science Fiction • Sci-Fi Action • Sci-Fi Horror • Supernatural Horror...

Zeitgeist will release the 2009 French comedy-drama Queen to Play, concerning a middle-age hotel maid who attempts to reinvent herself via the game of chess, on DVD on Aug. 16.

Kevin Kline teaches Sandrine Bonnaire the ins and outs of chess in Queen to Play.

In the independent film, Helene (Sandrine Bonnaire, La Ceremonie), a maid in a chic Corsican hotel, spots a couple playing a sensual game of chess on their balcony, and finds herself aroused. She attempts to fire up the desire of her husband Ande (Francis Renaud) by presenting him with an electronic chessboard but is met with bafflement.

Still captivated by the game, Helene convinces a reclusive American ex-patriot, Dr. Kroger (No Strings Attached‘s Kevin Kline, in a French-speaking role!) to instruct her in the ins and outs of the game. As her talent at chess emerges, Helene finds herself torn between her family and her new-found obsession with the game.

Caroline Bottaro.s film, Queen to Play is a graceful film exploring one woman.s unexpected passion for the medium of chess.  Set in the scenic countryside of Corsica, the film is cinematographically arresting with long panning shots of the mountains and seaside accompanied by an intriguing musical score.  Much like its main character, the film is quiet, thoughtful and perceptive.

Sandrine Bonnaire, plays Hélène, a woman working as a chambermaid in order to help make ends meet for her husband (played by Francis Renaud) and teenaged daughter (played by Alexandra Gentil).  It is during one of her room checks at a local inn that she first witnesses a missing element in her life: passion.  In attending to her cleaning, she can.t help but be mesmerized by an attractive couple kissing and playing chess together on a balcony.  Inspired by their passionate display of affection, she stops in at...

Netflix has revolutionized the home movie experience for fans of film with its instant streaming technology. Netflix Nuggets is my way of spreading the word about independent, classic and foreign films made available by Netflix for instant streaming.

This Week’s New Instant Releases… Title: Black Heaven (2010)

Streaming Available: 04/12/2011

Cast: Grégoire Leprince-Ringuet, Louise Bourgoin, Melvil Poupaud, Pauline Etienne, Pierre Niney, Ali Marhyar, Patrick Descamps, Pierre Vittet, Swann Arlaud, Francesco Merenda

Director: Gilles Marchand

Synopsis: While searching for the owner of a missing mobile phone with his girlfriend, Marion (Pauline Etienne), Gaspard (Grégoire Leprince-Ringuet) falls for the mysterious Sam (Louise Bourgoin), who draws him into a dangerous virtual-reality video game, where she provokes unsuspecting victims into killing themselves. Directed by Gilles Marchand, this intense French drama alternates between real-life events and those within the simulated computer world. Title: Heartless (2009)

Streaming Available: 04/12/2011

Cast: Jim Sturgess, Clémence Poésy , Noel Clarke, Luke Treadaway, Justin Salinger,...

Director: Caroline Bottaro Writer(s): Caroline Bottaro Starring: Sandrine Bonnaire, Kevin Kline, Francis Renaud Chess is often thought of -- quite wrongly, I might add -- as a man’s game, yet the most powerful and weakest pieces on the board are the queen and king, respectively. So with Queen to Play, writer-director Caroline Bottaro’s fixates on the power of the queen in order to create a female empowerment manifesto…of sorts. Hélène (Sandrine Bonnaire) is a middle-aged chambermaid who works in a swank hotel on the island of Corsica. While cleaning an American couple’s (Jennifer Beals and Dominic Gould) guest room, she eyes the couple playing chess on the balcony. In their sophisticated hands the game is incredibly sensual – and bourgeois to boot – and Hélène visibly craves to be more like them. Hélène’s husband, Ange (Francis Renaud), is a shipyard builder who is struggling in the current economic climate.

There’s something to be said about a good sports movie. They often have the most tired formulas, and easily devolve into sap and lazy storytelling, but when done right their predictable structures feel less-paint-by numbers and more like the comfort of a familiar friend. But there are two characteristics of writer/director Caroline Bottaro’s debut feature Queen to Play that don’t automatically denote a generic sports movie: it’s French, and it’s about chess. However, Bottaro uses the formula to such an advantage that it feels like sleight of hand as she delivers a film that’s simple but engrossing, one that’s familiar but slyly touching. Helene (Sandrine Bonnaire) is a working class mother. She cleans apartments and hotel rooms for a living. Her husband Ange (Francis Renaud) is a day laborer who sees his friends getting laid off left and right and is a afraid that he’ll be the next...

At the start of Caroline Bottaro’s drama Queen To Play, Corsican maid Sandrine Bonnaire is cleaning a hotel room when she sees a glamorous-looking American woman (played by glamorous-looking American actress Jennifer Beals) wearing a slinky nightgown while playing chess on her balcony with her lover. The romance of the scene proves so powerful that Bonnaire can’t get it out of her head. So she tries to recreate it. She swipes the nightgown, and buys her working-class husband Francis Renaud an electronic chess set for his birthday. And when he shows no interest in either her seduction techniques ...

Reviewed by Bob Hill

(March 2011)

Directed/Written by: Caroline Bottaro

Starring: Sandrine Bonnaire, Kevin Kline and Jennifer Beals

It’s never too late to learn how to play the game.

So goes the central theme of French director Caroline Bottaro’s “Queen to Play” — a beautifully crafted film that hinges upon an ongoing series of chess-life metaphors.

Rules aren’t nearly as important as exceptions. The threat is always stronger than the execution. Learning to respect your opponents is just as important as forcing them to respect you. The queen is the most powerful piece on the board.

Bottaro manages to incorporate all these lessons seamlessly via a series of evolving chess matches between a French chambermaid named Hélène (Sandrine Bonnaire) and her employer, Dr. Kröger (Kevin Kline).

This is Kline’s first full-length French role, a transition that required the assistance of a language coach, a dialect coach and...

Reviewed by Bob Hill

(March 2011)

Directed/Written by: Caroline Bottaro

Starring: Sandrine Bonnaire, Kevin Kline and Jennifer Beals

It’s never too late to learn how to play the game.

So goes the central theme of French director Caroline Bottaro’s “Queen to Play” — a beautifully crafted film that hinges upon an ongoing series of chess-life metaphors.

Rules aren’t nearly as important as exceptions. The threat is always stronger than the execution. Learning to respect your opponents is just as important as forcing them to respect you. The queen is the most powerful piece on the board.

Bottaro manages to incorporate all these lessons seamlessly via a series of evolving chess matches between a French chambermaid named Hélène (Sandrine Bonnaire) and her employer, Dr. Kröger (Kevin Kline).

This is Kline’s first full-length French role, a transition that required the assistance of a language coach, a dialect coach and...

Director: David Morlet.

Writers: Louis-Paul Desanges and David Morlet.

Mutants is a French film from David Morlet ("Bitten"), which was distributed on DVD October, 26th in North America. The non-communicative IFC Films and Mpi Home Video both helped facilitate the release, with the film being called an homage to: "Danny Boyle's modern classic 28 Days Later" (Scott Weinberg, Fearnet). The chilling atmosphere between these two films is shared, but Morlet's approach is focused more on the relationships in a zombie apocalypse and biblical references, rather than family loss, or military corruption.

The film incorporates a couple of dead end subplots. However, Mutants is centrally of a romantic union between the infected Marco (Francis Renaud) and Sonia (Helene de Fougerolles). Sonia's efforts to save Marco from complete infection involve persuasion, communication with a local military base (Noah), and a hit and run battle with a group of malingering bandits. The film...

You know we are nearing the end of October when the pace of horror DVD title releases starts slowing down. I guess the powers that be banked on everyone buying horror DVDs several weeks before Halloween. Is that true? Are you folks doing just that, or are you only now starting your Halloween viewing party planning?

Anyway, while this week's bounty includes monsters in the water and in the sky, with mostly direct-to-dvd, TV movies and old re-releases, the juggernaut monster is the one in space with a complete set in one neat package.

Alien Anthology

Directed by Various

For the first time ever, the studio has united the material from every home video release of the Alien saga including the 1991/1992 laserdisc releases, the 1999 “Legacy” release and 2003’s groundbreaking Alien Quadrilogy release into one complete Blu-ray collection. The set also includes two versions of each film and over four hours...

Mutants

Stars: Francis Renaud, Hélène De Fougerolles | Written and Directed by David Morlet

The debut feature from French writer and director David Morlet, Mutants is set in a world devastated by a pandemic virus that turns human beings into primitive and bloodthirsty creatures, the last hope for survivors is the military station ‘Noah’ where scientists are researching the cure.

Marco (Renaud) and Sonia (Fougerolles) set off to find the secret base to escape from the ‘mutants’. When they are attacked Marco becomes contaminated and little by little begins to undergo the same changes as the other creatures. Sonia, pregnant with her first child, must somehow fight off the hordes and force herself to fight the man she once loved.

Mutants is yet another example of brilliant French horror cinema, with a story that is part Dawn of the Dead, part Day of the Dead, but all awesome. The film sets...

Momentum Pictures have announced the UK DVD debut of the debut feature from French writer and director David Morlet, Mutants. The film is a gripping movie that takes the traditional Zombie genre milieu (Morlet took his inspiration from 28 Weeks Later and the films of David Cronenberg) and introduces some interesting themes, twists and turns to make it a stand-out among the ever-increasing zombie movie crowd.

In a world devastated by a pandemic virus that turns human beings into primitive and bloodthirsty creatures, the last hope for survivors is the military station ‘Noah’ where scientists are researching the cure. Marco (Francis Renaud) and Sonia (Hélène De Fougerolles) set off to find the secret base to escape from the ‘mutants’. When they are attacked Marco becomes contaminated and little by little begins to undergo the same changes as the other creatures. Sonia, pregnant with her first child, must somehow fight off the...

The debut feature from French writer and director David Morlet, Mutants is a gripping movie that takes the traditional Zombie genre milieu (Morlet took his inspiration from "28 Weeks Later" and the films of David Cronenberg) and introduces some interesting themes, twists and turns to make it a stand-out among the Zombie crowd...

In a world devastated by a pandemic virus that turns human beings into primitive and bloodthirsty creatures, the last hope for survivors is the military station 'Noah' where scientists are researching the cure.

Marco (Francis Renaud) and Sonia (Hélène De Fougerolles) set off to find the secret base to escape from the 'mutants'. When they are attacked Marco becomes contaminated and little by little begins to undergo the same changes as the other creatures. Sonia, pregnant with her first child, must somehow fight off the hordes and force herself to fight the man she once loved.

Marking David Morlet...

Taking a different tack on the usual themes of a Zombie outbreak, French writer and director David Morley’s claustrophobic little undead/infected horror ride of a debut feature…Mutants, is heading for a UK DVD. It’s a very bare bones release, with extras consisting of the grand total of a “theatrical (boohoo!) trailer,” but what the hell we’re glad to finally get a chance to see it. Mutants goes on sale May 10th. Synopsis: In a world devastated by a pandemic virus that turns human beings into primitive and bloodthirsty creatures, the last hope for survivors is the military station 'Noah' where scientists are researching the cure. Marco (Francis Renaud) and Sonia (Hélène De Fougerolles) set off to find the secret base to escape from the 'mutants'. When they are attacked, Marco becomes contaminated and little by little begins to undergo the same changes as the other creatures.

Taking a different tack on the usual themes of a Zombie outbreak, French writer and director David Morley’s claustrophobic little undead/infected horror ride of a debut feature…Mutants, is heading for a UK DVD. It’s a very bare bones release, with extras consisting of the grand total of a “theatrical (woohoo!) trailer,” but what the hell we’re glad to finally get a chance to see it. Mutants goes on sale May 10th. Synopsis: In a world devastated by a pandemic virus that turns human beings into primitive and bloodthirsty creatures, the last hope for survivors is the military station 'Noah' where scientists are researching the cure. Marco (Francis Renaud) and Sonia (Hélène De Fougerolles) set off to find the secret base to escape from the 'mutants'. When they are attacked, Marco becomes contaminated and little by little begins to undergo the same changes as the other creatures.

When we ran the trailer for David Morlet's Mutants last week, I said, "f you're going to rehash a tried-and-true plot device, you should do it well." That device, the viral-outbreak that causes horrific craziness as a substitution for the dead rising from the grave, is actually very well executed in Morlet's film (that he wrote as well) -- at least for most of it. It's an uneven piece, but still a worthwhile one.

The story in Mutants is a pretty simple one -- an unidentified virus breaks out and causes the infected to transform into screaming, raving, atavistic cannibals. A few things separate it from the conventional entries: there's absolutely no history of either the outbreak, or the characters. After a fairly gripping opening sequence featuring a young woman running from the disturbing shrieking in the forest, we simply end up in an ambulance where a young couple,...

IFC Films is offering David Morlet’s French thriller, Mutants, on VOD February 10. Sonia (Hélène de Fougerolles) and Marco (Francis Renaud) are a couple who find themselves caught in the middle of a viral pandemic that turns humans into creatures. When they seek shelter from the “mutants” Marco becomes contaminated and is eventually transformed into a monster. Sonia has to fight not only for her own life, but the life of their unborn child and protect herself from the man she once knew and loved. I’m curious to find out what these creatures actually are. As much as I love zombies, I’m [...]

Post from: Screamstress...

Arriving on VOD this month from IFC Films is David Morlet's French thriller Mutants and we've got a look at the trailer below! Hélène de Fougerolles and Francis Renaud star as Marco and Sonia, a couple caught in a world suffering from a pandemic that turns humans into creatures. They set off to find a secret base to escape from the "mutants." When the latter attack them, Marco is contaminated too. Little by little, he undergoes the same changes. Sonia, who is expecting a baby, is then forced to fight her worst enemy, the man she loves. Mutants can be found on video-on-demand on February 10.

This is what some people like to hear about an upcoming horror film release "a gory cross breed of '28 Days Later' and 'Dawn of the Dead (Variety).'" The movie being described here is the French film Mutants, which finally will be available for horror fans through IFC Films video on demand feature. The official launch for the film is February 10 and in case you have not heard Mutants is about a disease run rampant across the world, which infects any who comes in contact with the virus. Pregnant Sophia must find a way to survive in this world gone to hell, while fighting off her infected husband. For the full synopsis look below and get ready to view the film up close and personal, in your own home. Already receiving early positive reviews, the details for Mutants are below.

The plot summary for David Morley's Mutants...

On two occasions, coming from two separate friends whom I consider trustworthy and honorable, I was told a similar story. Both individuals are teachers, and what they related to me was being caught in a situation on the first day of school where they were rolling off the attendance list and came across a most unusual name:

Shithead.

Confused by the awkward appellation, both reacted in kindred fashion, and instead of saying the child’s first name (a young girl in both instances), referred to the student by their surname (Miss So-and-So) and inquired as to how correctly pronounce their first name.

In both cases, the female student defiantly retorted:

“Sha-theed!”

I bring this up not simply as an amusing anecdote, but as a reference to Mutants, one of the films I saw at the Fantasia film festival in Montreal last week. Because just like the unfortunately christened Shithead, Mutants,...

I’ve always had a major love for zombies. Like most fans of the zombie genre, I’ve been eagerly awaiting any news of the upcoming feature film adaptation of Max Brook’s NY Times Best Seller, World War Z: An Oral History Of The Zombie War. Unfortunately, little information has been released and I believe they’re still hashing out the script.

To temporarily satisfy the hunger for all-things undead, director/writer David Morley’s debut film Mutants was recently released in France and will surely make it’s way here soon in a theater or, more likely, on DVD. Mutants follows Sonia, an Emt worker secluded in an abandoned French hospital desperately trying to save her infected boyfriend from mutation. Meanwhile outside the hospital, the entire country has become overrun by the walking dead. Helene de Fougerolles and Francis Renaud star as the ill-fated couple.

Evidently, this pic...

Editor’s Note: This is one of several interviews, conducted via email, with directors whose films are screening at the 2009 Tribeca Film Festival. “Queen to Play” Director: Caroline Bottaro Screenwriters: Caroline Bottaro, Caroline Maly, Jeanne Le Guillou Cast: Sandrine Bonnaire, Kevin Kline, Francis Renaud, Jennifer Beals, Valérie Lagrange, Alexandra Gentil Synopsis: An inquisitive French Riviera hotel maid (Sandrine Bonnaire) becomes entranced by a vacationing couple (Jennifer Beals, Dominic Gould) as they …...

Editor’s Note: This is one of several interviews, conducted via email, with directors whose films are screening at the 2009 Tribeca Film Festival. “Queen to Play” Director: Caroline Bottaro Screenwriters: Caroline Bottaro, Caroline Maly, Jeanne Le Guillou Cast: Sandrine Bonnaire, Kevin Kline, Francis Renaud, Jennifer Beals, Valérie Lagrange, Alexandra Gentil Synopsis: An inquisitive French Riviera hotel maid (Sandrine Bonnaire) becomes entranced by a vacationing couple (Jennifer Beals, Dominic Gould) as they …...

French film "Mutants," will see a European release date this May 6, 2009; however, those of us in North America will have to wait for English sub-titles, to placed into the film, before a release date can be expected. Already a teaser and full trailer are available and initial fan reaction is positive. Yet, rumours are circulating that "Mutants," is not as breathtaking as the film appears, from early screenings. Have a look at the first full trailer below and when additional release dates are available they will be posted here.

The synopsis...

In a world devastated by a pandemic virus that turns human beings into primitive and bloodthirsty creatures, Marco and Sonia set off to find a secret base to escape from the 'mutants'. When the latter attack them, Marco is infected too. Little by little, he undergoes the same changes. Sonia, who is expecting a baby, is then forced to fight her worst enemy,...

Twitch got their hands on a brand new teaser trailer from the upcoming french zombie film “Mutants” by director David Morlet (Organik, Morsure) and starring Helene de Fougerolles (Vampire Party) and Francis Renaud (Belleville tour). Synopsis: In a world devastated by a pandemic virus that turns human beings into primitive and bloodthirsty creatures, Marco and Sonia set off to find a secret base to escape from the “mutants”. When the latter attack them, Marco is contaminated too. Little by little, he undergoes the same changes. Sonia, who is expecting a baby, is then forced to fight her worst enemy, the man she loves. Stay tuned to Shockya.com for the latest “Mutants” movie [...]...

What could end up following in the footsteps of Inside, Martyrs, Eden Log and Ils is the French horror film Mutants, which we've been covering for what feels like years here on B-d. Today we're excited to bring you the first teaser trailer for the film, which can be viewed beyond the break, courtesy of Twitch Film. David Morlet's film tracks a young couple caught in the midst of a viral outbreak that transforms the nation into a swarm of bloodthirsty mutants. Written by David Morlet and Louis-Paul Desanges, the film stars Hélène de Fougerolles and Francis Renaud. There are also a few stills available by clicking the title.