Dragon Hunter

Mid-range epic fantasy of the dragonish kind, Dragon Hunter can't help sounding a little like Lord of the Rings-lite. Still, it doesn't look too bad.

Dragon Hunter (US-2008; dir. Steve Shimek)


Synopsis:

Orphaned as a baby when his parents were killed in a vicious orc attack, Kendrick of Elwood was raised by his elder brother, Darius. Though only nine at the time, Darius devoted his life to Kendrick's care and to purging orcs from their land.

Now, after years of absence, a new danger emerges, more lethal than the threat of orcs or men. Reports of dragon attacks spread like wildfire through the panicked land. In memory of his mother's prophesies of a mighty Dragon Hunter in their bloodline, Darius leads Kendrick on a perilous journey to the castle of Ocard -- the Dragon Hunter training grounds. As they battle through evil men and orc-infested lands, they align with a band of rogue warriors who swear their allegiance in this hazardous quest.

• Source: Quiet Earth via Kaiju Search-Robot Avery
• Official website
  

And now, Guilala Goes Into Advertising

After being revived for Minoru Kawasaki's Girara no gyakushû: Tôya-ko Samitto kikiippatsu [aka Monster X Strikes Back: Attack the G8 Summit!], Guilala "the Giant Space Chicken" appears to have found a job in advertising.

Check out this great commercial for an employment website (though I recommend that you watch it here instead -- in high definition and much larger, as it looks great):



For more information on Guilala, go to the Undead Backbrain website.

• Source: RoboJapan via Avery

Update: Galactic Raiders

Remember this chap?

He's from the stop-motion indie scifi film, Galactic Raiders, which we first introduced on Undead Backbrain back in April last year.

Galactic Raiders (US [in post-production]; dir. Larry Arpin)

For those who missed it, here is the teaser trailer:



Director Larry Arpin has sent the Backbrain (via Avery) a bit of an update as to the progress of the film:

Thank you for remembering me and my project. Actually, it is going quite well. I've been animating a lot. Trying to finish up reel 1. I have one more creature to go for this reel, but I have to block out what I've done so far to see what is best. I recently went to Barstow to shoot back plates on the weekend of the California fires and am right now finishing up scenes for reel 2. After this, I will be concentrating on the trailer. I am only a few months behind, and the best news of all, even during these hard financial times, I am freeing up some money so I will be able to go out and finish the remainder of the live action. I wish I can show more, but everyone will have to be patient. As long as I am working and in good health, it will be done. I promise.

No worries, Larry. We'll be patient ... though we may squirm with suppressed excitement every now and then.

Tale of a Long-Awaited Empire

In 1982 the first really memorable sword-and-sorcery film I recall seeing (when I was young and impressionable -- and I'm not counting earlier stop-motion monster adventure epics from Ray Harryhausen, such as The Seventh Voyage of Sinbad) was released. The Sword and the Sorcerer (dir. Albert Pyun) predated Conan the Barbarian by only a few months. It was comparatively low-budget -- but I didn't care; magic, demons, icky ancient sorcerer, three-bladed, bolt-shooting sword and provocatively dressed women. What's not to like? And the coffin made of screaming skulls looked pretty cool to me.

Then there was magical heart surgery:



The end of the film promised a sequel with the title Tales of an Ancient Empire, but over the ensuing decades the ancient empire failed to rise.

Now director Pyun has a surprise for us. Tales of an Ancient Empire is currently in production, the actual shoot having begun in December last year, with the film scheduled for a 2010 release.

It stars Kevin Sorbo (of Hercules fame), Melissa Ordway, Janelle Taylor and Inbar Lavi.

Still cool, at least potentially!

• Source: Ain't It Cool News (lots of pics available).

Zombie Nazis!

Now this is what I call a Nazi zombie!

The Colonel comes from a Norwegian zombie film -- Dead Snow [aka Død Snø] (Norway-2009; dir. Tommy Wirkola) -- which is about a bunch of the usual suspects (young, attractive 20-somethings) having a holiday in the snow, when they accidentally wake up the undead fascists with all their archetypal debauchery and wicked rowdiness. And yes, there is apparently a knowing local who explains the backstory...

... how this snowy mountain side was a occupied by the Nazis in World War II. The townspeople eventually revolted against their horrible oppressors and drove Colonel Herzog and his minions into the high mountains. Supposedly they froze to death. (io9)

Sort of Shock Waves (US-1977; dir. Ken Wiederhorn) for the post-Friday the 13th crowd.

Here's the teaser trailer:

io9 has some good-looking clips from the film.

Is It A Bird? Is It A Plane?

• Source: i09 and Entertainment Weekly via Avery
• see also previous Brainspasm article
  

All Good Lakes Have a Monster

This time it's Smith Mountain Lake in the Roanoke Region of Virginia. And, yes, it has a monster -- or at least, displaying proper levels of cryptozoological ambiguity, it might have.

What it certainly does have, though, is spectacularly beautiful sunsets!


Inspired by the beauty of the artificial lake and "the kindness and warm spirit" of its community, Life Out Loud Films is set to begin production of a drama that showcases both. It's tentatively called "Lake Effects", which may not tell you much but is strangely appropriate.

Lake Effects (US-[in production]; dir. Michael J. McKay)

Synopsis:

This is the story of a family raised on the lake. The oldest daughter moved away to Chicago to become a Lawyer, the youngest, an artist, now teaches art at the local elementary school and lives with her parents. When Dad dies in a sudden accident, the oldest sister returns home to SML [Smith Mountain Lake] to settle Dad’s estate. The next few weeks at the lake are filled with discoveries, tears and laughter as the two daughters finally understand why it was so important to Dad that they grow up on the lake. For Mom, it is a journey of understanding what the lake means to her personally rather than through her husband’s eyes. Of course there is humor as a local oddball leads a search for a Loch-Ness style monster/cat fish he believes lurks in the lake’s depths and a few real SML characters make appearances. It is at the end that these worlds all collide at the Wine Festival on a heartwarming and hilarious collision course. (LOLF website)

Life Out Loud Films seems to be an idealistically driven independent film production company, aiming to create opportunities "for independent and creative spirits to collaborate and produce quality films that challenge the mainstream, present human reality and speak to the heart."

Does the lake monster make an actual appearance, I wonder?

I guess we'll have to wait and see.

In the meantime, the website contains a lengthy article on the genesis of the project.

An epiphany while visiting her parents leads to movie producer's decision to focus action, lights and camera on Smith Mountain Lake...

Source: Life Out Loud Films website via Kaiju Search-Robot Avery