As an insatiable horror freak, I maintain a strong affection for both Lionsgate and Bloody-Disgusting.com, so imagine my delight when the two combined for a tantalizing peek at next year's horror slate! Yep, it seems that BD.com does a "horror preview" for each studio every December -- and they logically chose Lionsgate as the first distributor to earn a few spotlights. Nobody snatches up grass-roots film-fest horror titles like Lionsgate does, and I can personally assure you that a good portion of the upcoming genre flicks are actually quite good! Well, a few of 'em, anyway...

Aside from the well-established and obvious titles (like Hostel: Part 2 and Saw 4), Lionsgate will unleash a virtual torrent of horror-style offerings next year. Not to steal any thunder from the BD.com boys (cuz they've done a fine job with their research!), but here's how I break down next year's LG offerings:

• Borderland -- Sean Astin and Rider Strong star in a tale of human sacrifice. I know next to nothing about this one.
• Boy Eats Girl -- Been waiting a while for this one. Love the title.
• Bug -- Saw it at Fantastic Fest -- and was really surprised by how much I liked it. This Shannon guy is a force of nature.
• Catacombs -- Wow, I almost forgot about this one! It's been sitting on a shelf for what, three years?
• The Eye -- Another Asian horror remake, this one allegedly starring Jessica Alba. Pass.
• Fido -- All the Cine-staffers who saw it agree: Fido is fun!
• Isolation -- Saw it at Toronto '05! And I definitely look forward to seeing it again. It's creepy.
• Right at Your Door -- Missed it at Sundance. Heard mixed things. Dig the concept.
• Skinwalkers -- Another one that's been "coming soon" for quite some time now. Still fairly psyched to see it...

(And this isn't including the deluge of After Dark Horrorfest titles that LG is releasing (to DVD) next March! Or their as-yet-undetermined parade of low-low-end DTV titles. Heh)

I was all set and ready to head out to the multiplex and enjoy a few of the one-weekend-only After Dark Horrorfest offerings, but unfortunately I got sidetracked and was able to catch only The Gravedancers -- which I quite liked! And then I found myself wondering when those horror titles would be available on DVD ... just as Fangoria was announcing the information!

On March 27 Lionsgate will be unleashing the following titles on DVD: Dark Ride, The Gravedancers, The Hamiltons, Penny Dreadful, Reincarnation, Unrest and Wicked Little Things. Regarding the other titles, Fango informs us that Nacho Cerda's The Abandoned will re-hit theaters early next year, that Snoop Dogg's Hood of Horror hits DVD on January 9 and that David Arquette's The Tripper (which popped up at only a few After Dark locations) will be released at an as-yet-undetermined time.

It's hard to say determine how big a success the After Dark Fest turned out to be, but it looks like it was a semi-clever gimmick to get a few direct-to-video Lionsgate titles some pre-release buzz (and bucks). Having seen only two of the flicks (Unrest being the other), I don't feel comfortable commenting on the quality of the concept, but hey: more horror movies for me!!

I think we might have officially hit the saturation point with musician biopics, but Lionsgate seems to think there is room for one more. Variety announced that Lionsgate Films have joined with Gospel music star Kirk Franklin for the film version of his autobiography Church Boy.

The film will be co-produced with Franklin's Fo Yo Soul Entertainment; the company also includes a record label and youth ministry. Lionsgate's production rep stated that they had been looking to expand what they called "faith-based" properties. Franklin's film will be based on his experiences as a troubled youth, his religious conversion, and finally his success as a modern gospel artist. Franklin blended Gospel music with elements of hip-hop and R&B to become a platinum selling artist. It would appear that Franklin is truly a solo act as he will not only produce and star in the film, but he also plans on composing the soundtrack. Lionsgate Music Publishing has put a deal in place with Franklin for the music for the film.

Since Franklin looks to be busy for the next little while, the film is probably a long way off from production. Until then we can add Franklin to the list of Janis Joplin, Miles Davis, and Brian Wilson for biopics trying to cash in on a little Ray-style success.

We were psyched when Clive Barker announced that his production company was mounting a big-screen version of the author's Midnight Meat Train story -- and then we were bummed when director Patrick Tatopoulos had to leave the project for undisclosed reasons. But then we were psyched again when hardcore filmmaker Ryuhei Kitamura was signed as the new director -- and now we have a leading man!

Set to star in Midnight Train is "familiar face" actor Bradley Cooper, a guy probably best known for his TV work (Alias, Kitchen Confidential, Jack & Bobby), but he also played the hilariously nasty bully in Wedding Crashers. He also appeared in My Little Eye and Wet Hot American Summer, a pair of underrated flicks if ever there were one. (Er, two.) And out of respect for the young actor, we'll neglect to mention that he was also in Failure to Launch, because that flick stunk on ice. On the other hand Cooper hails from Philadelphia, which means he's gotta be cool.

Midnight Train is set to begin shooting very soon, and if you'd like a brief plot synopsis, I can't really help you out. The short story is pretty brief and exceedingly simple ... but it's one I think you should read for yourself. And the rest of the book is pretty damn good too. (And yes, they removed the "meat" from the movie title. Somehow I doubt they'll excise it from the actual story.)

Yesterday we told you about the big new out of Los Angeles: The Los Angeles Archdiocese announced the payout of $60 million in reparations to 45 victims of clergy sexual abuse. Cardinal Roger Mahony, who heads the Archdiocese, was prominently featured in the Oscar short-listed documentary Deliver Us from Evil, for his alleged role in moving pedophile priest Father Oliver O'Grady from parish to parish, where he preyed on hundreds of young victims.

The Los Angeles Archdiocese currently has over 500 pending cases from alleged victims of clergy abuse, many of them naming Mahony in his supervisory capacity. Cinematical managed to track down Deliver Us from Evil director Amy Berg, who very graciously agreed to share with our readers her thoughts on Mahony, the payout by the Archdiocese, and the role her film may have played in helping to bring about the settlement.

In an announcement this morning, Cardinal Roger Mahony, who is featured prominently in Amy Berg's Oscar-shortlisted documentary Deliver Us From Evil, disclosed that the Los Angeles Archdiocese will pay out $60 million to abuse victims. Although $60 million seems like a huge sum, the payout only covers 45 victims - -just 8% of the 562 claims against the LA Archdiocese -- who will receive approximately $1.3 million each. Mahony was quote in a story in the Los Angeles Times as saying that $40 million of that total had been held back from last year, and that parishes will not feel the hit of the payout, but that there will be "more pain" as the rest of the claims are settled.

Back in August, we brought you news of a new project from night club owner-turned-real estate entrepreneur-turned movie producer Sam Nazarian called College. Nazarian had purchased the spec script from newbie scribes Dan Callahan and Adam Ellison and, now, it appears a director is attached. Sticking with the newbie theme, commercial helmer Deb Hagan has been brought onboard to make her feature directorial debut, while Lionsgate will distribute.

Unfortunately, the pic doesn't appear to have a very original premise, as it revolves around three high school seniors who find themselves right smack in the middle of some wild adventure while touring a college they're thinking about attending. I wonder how many times the screenwriters said to one another, "Man, people are going to think PCU when they read this script. We can't make this PCU." I mean, if I were writing the script, that's what would be on mind -- so, for the time being, let's give these guys the benefit of the doubt. Hopefully they went out of their way to take this familiar premise and create an entirely different story. Right off the bat, we have three main characters instead of one -- not much to go on, but it's a start.

Hagan is probably best known in the film world for her short film Pee Shy which, according to the flick's website, has played in over one billion festivals. However, it's not online yet so if anyone out there has seen Pee Shy, feel free to chime in and let us know what you think about Hagan's direction. No word yet on a cast or production schedule, but since these are first time writers and a first time director, I can't imagine any big stars will find their way onto campus.

Here's what happens when you sell not only your movie, but your title: A distributor can take some completely unrelated flick and decide to slap that title in front of it and voila, you get a previously-reported, curious-looking direct-to-video title called Open Water 2: Adrift, which was actually known as simply Adrift before someone at Lionsgate realized, hey, both movies deal with shark attacks -- and of course there'll never be a "true" sequel to Open Water (for painfully obvious reasons) -- so why not snatch the flick up and release it stateside as a sequel!?!?!? Americans LOVE sequels!

Ah, and both movies are based on actual events. Here's what goes down in the sequel: A group of reunion-ing high-school pals decide to leap off the side of a yacht ... but nobody remembered to lower that silly ladder! Which means they can't get back on the boat ... at all! And if that's not weirdly tragic enough, one of the ill-fated bathers left a baby on board the boat! Alone! (Y'know, actually, this sounds like a pretty cool movie...)

Be that as it may, it's hardly an actual sequel to Open Water, although given the similarities, I guess I can't blame Lionsgate for the canny marketing move. Although it was released theatrically overseas, Open Water 2: Adrift debuts in North American video stores on February 20.

[Thanks to DavisDVD for the tip and the pic.]

It's no surprise that relationship comedies are huge box office money-makers for Hollywood, assuming the right talent is attached. Now, folks at Lionsgate are looking to capitalize on the success of films like The Break-Up and Hitch by picking up The Escape Artist, a script written by newbies (and brothers) Jim and Brian Kehoe. It's an idea I've personally heard floating around for quite some time now, but it seems the Kehoe boys have produced the best product -- one that will hopefully attract a decent director and cast.

Here's how I assume the pitch was presented: Imagine yourself involved in a relationship that you desperately want to escape. For whatever reason, the thing isn't working and you need to find a way out ... fast. Only problem is, you're too much of a wimp to simply break-up with your significant other, and so you search for some much-needed help. Enter: The opposite of Hitch -- a consultant you hire to help with the break-up. Someone who gets paid to dissolve relationships. Of course, if this goes the Hitch route, expect our friendly consultant to have relationship problems of his (or her) own.

Todd Garner helped develop the project and will produce through his Broken Road Prods. Currently, there's no cast -- but, as always, that won't stop us from throwing out names. Assuming this escape artist is a guy, I like Robert Downey Jr. in the role. Hey, he was already a Pick-Up Artist, why not turn it around, add 20 years and make him a break-up artist? C'mon, you know you were thinking the same exact thing.

We Sawfans know the drill by now: Theatrical release in late October / DVD release in February / uncut special edition DVD release in October ... just in time to commemorate the theatrical release of the newest addition to the series. It's a cycle we've grown accustomed to and comfortable with -- and now Lionsgate has to go and jumble things around. But this is actually good news! I think...

According to DavisDVD.com, Lionsgate will release the Saw 3 DVD on January 27 -- yes, less than three full months removed from the (rather successful) theatrical release. OK, so the DVD hits a few weeks early, big deal. But wait, there's more! Seems that LG won't be waiting until October to give its loyal gorehounds the uncut ickiness they really crave: Hitting video stores right next to the Saw 3 theatrical cut will be 5-minute-longer uncut edition! Yay, we get our extra splatters a full ten months early!

Extras will include three separate audio commentaries, a few deleted scenes, three featurettes, some trailers and other assorted doo-dads. (And I'd really love to see the disparity in sales between the R-rated cut and the unrated version; I can't imagine the Sawgeek who'd choose to avoid the newly-added nastiness.)

Oh, and I'll still guarantee you that Lionsgate has something special planned for next October when Saw 4 hits the multiplexes. Perhaps a 5-disc Saw trilogy box set that includes a Dina Meyer action figure with retractable rib cage??

It's no secret that I'm a pretty big fan of Eli Roth's flicks. I see the guy as a rookie baseball player who, with only two trips to the plate, hit a pair of terrifically entertaining triples, which (to me) indicates a guy who's worked hard and managed to turn his lifelong passion into something worth watching. (If you happen to disagree with me on the value of movies like Cabin Fever and Hostel, that's cool. I'm just trying to set up a small but interesting story, and this paragraph is what we call "intro filler.")

Basically, in this Variety article that focuses on film productions in Prague and the Czech Republic, a few hints are dropped that a Hostel Part 3 is almost definitely on the way -- but that it'd most likely come after Roth is finished adapting Stephen King's Cell for the Weinstein boys.

The article also gives us just a little more info on the plot of Hostel: Part 2: Instead of it focusing on three horny bastards on the hunt for loose women, the sequel will deal with three young women on the hunt for a really exotic spa in Slovakia -- and boy do they find it. As you're no doubt aware by now, the ladies will be played by Heather Matarazzo, Bijou Phillips and Lauren German.

Roth's H2 is presently scheduled for an April 5 release date. Previous fanboy blather on this flick can be found here and here and here. Sue me, I like horror movies.

It's hard to believe that it has been fifteen years since Oliver Stone released The Doors. The film had already been made available on DVD, but Lionsgate has announced that they will release a special edition DVD of the film this December, just in time for Christmas. What makes it a special edition? Well, nothing mind-blowing but there is an additional forty-three minutes of footage -- just think of all the shots we missed out on of half-naked spirit guides wandering in the desert. Other features include a one-on-one interview with Stone, and three extra documentaries on the phenomenon of Jim Morrison and The Doors.

Other than a spot-on impersonation of Morrison by Val Kilmer, there was really not much in Stone's film for someone who wasn't already a Doors fan. Considering Oliver Stone was never a filmmaker to let his perspective lay in the background -- usually he's too busy beating you over the head with it, it seemed strange to watch a Stone film that didn't have much to say. I always thought that a biopic should tell audiences something they didn't already know about a famous figure, and The Doors seemed like a re-enactment of the iconography of Morrison. There wasn't much there to surprise audiences; well, unless you count the surprise of Meg Ryan not embarrassing herself in one of her few dramatic roles. ...

[via JoBlo.com]

I don't really get the whole Madea thing, and therefore I haven't been able to appreciate the films of Tyler Perry. But, that is understandable, and perfectly fine with me. Perry's films aren't made for me. They aren't made for any white critics, really. Enough people like Perry and his cross-dressed performance as Madea to have made his previous two films, Diary of a Mad Black Woman (directed by Darren Grant) and Madea's Family Reunion, huge successes at the box office. Enough people like him to give him an award for best actor (albeit from Business Week). And, finally, enough people like Perry to keep him employed by Lionsgate Films.

Lionsgate distributed both of Perry's Madea features and it will also release the writer-director's latest, Daddy's Little Girls, on Valentine's Day, 2007. Although neither Perry nor his Madea character appear in the new film, Lionsgate isn't waiting to see if audiences mind. The studio has announced that it will hold on to Perry for two more films, both of which go into production next year. The first is called Why Did I Get Married and deals with the pros and cons of marriage. Based on one of Perry's stage plays (like the Madea films), it starts shooting in January. The second, A Jazz Man's Blues, tells the story about a jazz singer on his way toward stardom who has to return to his rural hometown to save a woman he had an affair with.

I was just reading this column on Macworld about how it has been two months since Apple debuted movie downloads via iTunes, and how it has been too long and too much a success for other studios besides Disney to not join in. Even though I'm aware of a major reason for the slow migration by Hollywood to iTunes, I decided to do a little search in order to find any other stories on the status. Turns out, I completely missed this news on our own Apple Weblog. Looks like Fox may be the first non-Disney studio to offer its movies through iTunes, though a deal is still only in the negotiation stages. You guys know what that could mean, right? Star Wars available to download. Actually, I have a good feeling that Lucas wouldn't be into that idea.

Anyway, Fox has been in talks with Apple before, so we can't get our hopes up just yet. One thing I wonder is why Paramount and Warner Bros. haven't shown interest. Is it because they are going exclusive with XBox? However, nobody knows what that service will be like or how successful it will be. But, we do know that Disney has so far sold over half a million movies through iTunes (and earned $1 million in the first week alone), so I would think all the studios would be more interested in Apple's service.

What I also want to know is, what happened to Lionsgate in all of this?

Anyone who's seen Saw 3 knows that it'll be pretty tough to come up with a viable screenplay for Saw 4. Not saying it's impossible, but let's just say the incoming Sawmakers will have to pull a few fancy tricks ... and fast, since Saw 4 has already been scheduled for an October release date.

It's been widely reported that James Wan, Leigh Whannell and Darren Lynn Bousman participated in Saw 3 only out of respect for their deceased producer/friend Gregg Hoffman -- and while I'm sure the trio didn't exactly complain about their Part 3 paychecks, the guys probably have other things they want to do with their careers besides Saw 17, right? Right. Which is why Lionsgate is presently fielding ideas from a wide array of screenwriters, two of whom (according to Bloody-Disgusting.com) just released their very first horror flick.

Yeah, the two Project Greenlight knuckleheads who wrote Feast are (allegedly) among the running for the Saw 4 gig. Also known as Marcus Dunstan and Patrick Melton, the pair have a variety of projects on numerous back-burners, but a Saw sequel has to seem sort of like a lottery ticket to guys like this.

Also, Feast is a whole lot of wet, splattery, gore-soaked fun. So there's that.