UPDATED! Los Angeles! See FINAL DESTINATION 2 At The New Beverly This Weekend With BC
UPDATE: Screenwriters Eric Bress and Jeffrey Reddick will be on hand, schedule permitting, for pre-movie Q&A!
Of all the reasons to save money, I can think of none better than the tragic circumstances I endured in January 2003. I was off on my (unpaid) internship, and having neglected to save up enough to live normally during the period, I had to make sacrifices - including limiting myself to only seeing one movie a month (I know. How did I even survive?). And for that month, I opted for Darkness Falls instead of Final Destination 2, figuring the sequel would be more of the same and could wait until DVD (or VHS! That was still an option!). Of course, when I did rent it that fall, I realized how wrong I was, and vowed never again to miss one of the films in theaters.
The irony, of course, is that none of the following sequels lived up to FD2's glorious heights, which is why I am beyond excited to host a 10th anniversary screening of the 2003 film at the New Beverly Cinema this Saturday (March 16th) as part of my ongoing Horror Movie A Day presents series. Not only will it be on glorious 35mm, but it will be the first time I ever see the movie with a crowd, something that can make or break these movies (case in point: I actually liked the fourth film just fine in theaters, only to discover on a solo viewing how bad it really was). To finally see the plate glass kill on the big screen with everyone cheering will be a cherished movie-going moment, I'm sure.
However it's also a bit of a bittersweet event, as we sadly lost director David Ellis earlier this year (cause still unknown), as he was gearing up to re-team with his Snakes on a Plane star Samuel L Jackson on a live action version of the anime Kite. While his career had ups and downs commercially and critically (perhaps ironically, his biggest hit was indeed the much lambasted Final Destination 4), there was a theme running through all his films: fun. His top priority was providing a good time for his audience, and he fought against anything that would downplay the intended silliness - he and Jackson demanded the studio not change Snakes' title to the more generic "Pacific Air Flight 121," and if he had his way Shark Night would have been called "Untitled 3D Shark Thriller." He shall be missed.
So let's pack the joint to honor him and what is probably his best film (though Cellular is a top notch, fun, little high concept thriller that doesn't get enough love), as well as celebrate the return of midnight screenings at the Bev after a long absence due to Django Unchained (which they have been showing exclusively since Christmas Day). I may be ending the daily reviewing at Horror Movie A Day soon, but the screenings will continue as long as they'll have me. And as a bonus, I'll have some excellent DVD giveaways this time - Fangoria has provided me with a few copies of their new release Axed, a British indie that imagines a Clark Griswold type family man going nuts and terrorizing his family at a secluded getaway. The film is the first DVD release of their new Fangoria Presents label, which will release one film a month on DVD as well as on VOD. And if your cable provider is smart enough to offer it, you can also enjoy their Videocrypt - a revolving selection of classic horror films each month, based on a theme. This month is “Gory Getaways and Vicious Vacations,” and the films (including The Burning, Dolls and the immortal Troll 2) were picked by our good friend Zack Carlson! Check that out if you can, and keep an eye out for their other new releases (the official site is HERE).
If you've never been (why?), the New Beverly Cinema is located at 7165 Beverly Blvd in Los Angeles (90036), two blocks west of La Brea. Street parking is widely available (Formosa is usually the best choice), and tickets are 8 bucks at the door. Cash is preferred but yes, the New Bev now takes credit cards (!), and as always you can buy an advanced ticket online via BrownPaperTickets. The screening is at 11:59 pm on Saturday, March 16th, and if we have a Q&A (cross fingers) it will be BEFORE the movie, as will the DVD giveaway. See you there!
p.s. The poster above is designed by Jacopo Tenani - check out his other work HERE!
