Review: 'The Woman in Black 2: Angel of Death' starring Phoebe Fox and Jeremy Irvine

What is it that anybody remembers about 2012's gothic-style horror, The Woman in Black? First and foremost was star Daniel Radcliffe, whose first post-Harry Potter venture was a dark change-of-pace that likely played a big role in the film's surprising $120M success. Much was also made of it as a comeback for venerable old horror studio, Hammer Film, and it definitely was. That kind of cash influx can't be tossed aside so easily, even if it means providing a lousy, derivative sequel like The Woman in Black 2: Angel of Death, that features none of the scares, allegory, or star power that made the original work.

It sucks to boil a film down to simply being a cash grab, but this is one case where it applies perfectly. There was nothing about the original movie that screamed for a follow-up; the story of Radcliffe's character and the grief-inspired haunting he underwent at the dreaded Eel Marsh House was over and done with. But apparently the vengeful spirit was not satisfied and has settled for less compelling subjects to terrorize this time around, and less compelling ways to terrorize them. 

Ditching the Edwardian digs of the last story, this one takes us to 1941 during the Blitz, as schoolteachers Eve (Phoebe Fox, plucky and appropriately mortified) and ol' battleax Jean (Helen McCrory) evacuate a bunch of kids to the Eel Marsh House. Not the wisest course of action, and it should have been apparent given the ominously foggy, marshy, and crucifix-heavy path they took getting there. Eve is the heroine of this story, but she's got a past riddled with guilt over some mysterious transgression. That's something the woman in black can feed on, using it to spook not only Eve but the children. Following all of the typical horror tricks, there's one child who is abnormally troubled and creepy. He also takes a liking to a certain hideously ugly doll left in the Eel Marsh House. Of course it's possessed, and soon people start dying. The bland Jeremy Irvine plays a handsome, seemingly-roguish fighter pilot who falls for Eve. He's also got some guilt to contend with, but he's mainly there as a chemistry-free romantic partner for Eve. 

BAFTA-nominated director Tom Harper takes over behind the camera, and every image comes shrouded in a thick haze; there's haunting going on before the haunting actually goes on. The film looks good, in particular the early images of the London bombings, and Harper knows how strike up a mood of impending dread. But what's the point if there's no payoff? Sticking to bland genre formula is all the screenplay offers, giving Harper little to work with but lame jump-scares, evil dolls in creaky playrooms, and devilish faces reflected in dirty mirrors. Fox makes for a lovely and very plucky lead but she's left with little to do but wander around in the fog looking mortified.The last film worked well as an allegory for grief, helped in part by Radcliffe's expressive performance, but the sequel's guilt-heavy focus is considerably less intricate.  It seems to have been left to flounder in the bog of Eel Marsh House in favor of cheap frights.  The scariest thing about The Woman in Black 2: Angel of Death is that it leaves the door open for a sequel. 

Rating: 2.5 out of 5

Read More

New Trailer and Images for 'The Woman in Black: Angel of Death'

What better way to begin the new year than with a good scare? A couple of years ago The Woman in Black opened on a February, typically fertile ground for inexpensive horrors, and blew away expectations with $127M. But will the sequel, The Woman in Black: Angel of Death, keep up the pace when it kicks off 2015?

A new trailer for the spooky horror sequel has been released, and this one takes a slightly different tract than the first. Daniel Radcliffe is out, replaced by Jeremy Irvine (Railway Man), Phoebe Fox, and Helen McCrory in a story set during WWII. Eel Marsh House becomes a haunted sanctuary to schoolteachers and their students fleeing the air raids.

Directed by Tom Harper, The Woman in Black: Angel of Death opens January 2nd 2015.


The Woman in Black 2 Angel of Death Official Trailer #2 (2015) - Jeremy Irvine Horror Movie HD by ViralToday

Read More

New Trailer for 'The Woman in Black: Angel of Death' Takes Us Back to Eel Marsh House

Daniel Radcliffe's box office muscle is about to be tested in a movie he's not even in. A couple of years ago he helped lead Hammer horror The Woman in Black to over $120M, ensuring a sequel to the low-budget ghost story. However it won't be Radcliffe leading The Woman in Black: Angel of Death, and the big question is whether the film can succeed without him.

A new trailer for The Woman in Black: Angel of Death is spooky as ever, retaining the feel of the original. Jeremy Irvine (War Horse) leads this one as a schoolteacher in 1941 London who tries to evacuate the children out of harm's way during the WWII blitz. Their choice of places to hole up happens to be Eel Marsh House, and as expected things start to get creepy very quickly.

Directed by Tom Harper with a story by the original book's author, Susan Hill, The Woman in Black: Angel of Death opens January 2nd.

Read More

First Teaser for 'The Woman in Black: Angel of Death'

When Hammer Films' horror The Woman in Black scored $127M in 2012 much of the credit was given to the star power of Daniel Radcliffe in his first major post-Harry Potter role. Certainly the curiosity of seeing him do something different was a factor, but the famous British studio is hoping the scares and ominous tone were enough to lure audiences back for a Radcliffe-free sequel, The Woman in Black: Angel of Death.

The first teaser for the film has been released and it doesn't reveal anything about the plot, but it establishes that incoming director Tom Harper is sticking with the dreary atmosphere from before. Jeremy Irvine and Helen McCrory star in the gothic ghost story which is set during WWII, forty years after the first film. Here's the official synopsis:

England, 1941. With London in the midst of the blitz, two teachers evacuate a group of schoolchildren to the abandoned Eel Marsh House. Seeking safety from the bombs in the remote coastal location, the group instead find themselves facing an evil far more frightening when their arrival awakens the Woman in Black.

The Woman in Black: Angel of Death hits the U.K. in February but has yet to gain a U.S. date. 

Read More

Sophie Turner to Play 'Frankenstein' Author in 'Mary Shelley's Monster'

When Mary Shelley wrote Frankenstein in 1818 at the young age of 21, she couldn't have known it would go on to be one of the most enduring and emulated stories of any genre. The story has inspired countless others, and has been remade and retold so many times it's impossible to count, including now when a number of different Frankenstein films are in the works. But as it turns out there are just as many centering on the author's life, and now a new one has emerged with Game of Thrones' star Sophie Turner as the author.

Deadline reports Turner will star as Shelley in Mary Shelley's Monster, a stylized origin story that will find the author making a "Faustian bargain with her own “monster” of an alter ego, who offers literary fame at a desperate personal cost." Joining Turner are Jeremy Irvine (War Horse) as husband Percy Shelley, and Taissa Farmiga (The Bling Ring) as her stepsister, Claire Clairmont.

Directing will be Coky Giedroyc, who has honed her genre skills on American Horror Story and Penny Dreadful. She'll be working off a script by Deborah Baxtrom. As for Turner, she'll be seen later this year in the action-comedy, Barely Lethal, alongside Hailee Steinfeld, Jessica Alba, and Samuel L. Jackson.

Read More

First Look at YA Adaptation 'Fallen' Starring Addison Timlin

It's becoming harder and harder to tell these YA adaptations apart. They all come with the same bestselling credentials and legions of fans, yet very few reach the big screen success of Twilight, The Hunger Games, or Divergent. Now another one is on the way in Fallen, which is based on the first book in Lauren Kate's series that has sold millions of copies worldwide, and now the first photo featuring its young cast has arrived.

Addison Timlin (Odd Thomas) is surrounded by co-stars Jeremy Irvine (War Horse) and Harrison Gilbertson (Need for Speed) in the image, suggesting that we're probably getting another tired love triangle. Timlin plays Lucinda Price, a teenaged girl sent to the Sword & Cross reform school after she's accused of a crime she didn't commit. There she's courted by two mysterious, handsome students who turn out to be fallen angels who have been competing centuries to win her love. Sianoa Smit-McPhee, Joely Richardson, and Lola Kirke co-star, with Scott Hicks (Shine) directing.

Fallen is expected to open next year but has yet to gain an official date.

Read More

Jeremy Irvine Climbs 'Stonewall'; Brie Larson Enters 'Room'; Salma Hayek Joins 'Sausage Party'

* Roland Emmerich has decided on his first post-Independence Day 2 film, and the only explosions in it will be the booming sounds of activism in the streets. Emmerich has been developing a gay rights drama titled Stonewall, based on the famous 1969 police raid at gay bar the Stonewall Inn. As the patrons fought back against the cops, it became one of the key moments in the gay rights movement. And starring in the film will be Jeremy Irvine (War Horse), starring as a young man who experiences his political awakening during the riots. Production on the Jon Robin Baitz-scripted film will begin soon. [Deadline]

* After a sterling 2013, Brie Larson has signed on to a number of projects to keep busy this year. She's already lined up Judd Apatow's next film, Trainwreck, and an adaptation of Matthew Quick's The Good Luck of Right Now. And now she's agreed to star in Room, directed by Lenny Abrahamson (Frank) and based on Emma Donoghue's best-selling novel which was partially taken from a true story. Larson plays Ma, "a woman kidnapped as a teenager who has been held captive for years in a tiny room where she lives with her 5-year-old son Jack. To the boy, Room is the only home he’s ever known." Guh, sounds creepy. Larson, who won't return for 22 Jump Street, will be seen next in The Gambler opposite Mark Wahlberg. [Deadline]

* So it won't be a total Sausage Party for the animated R-rated comedy, which features the voices of Seth Rogen, Jonah Hill, Michael Cera, James Franco, David Krumholtz, Nick Kroll, and Edward Norton. Kristen Wiig is already on board, and now there's another shot of estrogen with the addition of Salma Hayek. Penned by Rogen and Evan Goldberg, the film takes place in a supermarket and follows a sausage that falls out of his shopping cart and embarks on a quest to learn the truth about his existence. Hayek will, sadly, voice a taco named Teresa.

Read More

New U.S. Trailer for 'The Railway Man' Starring Colin Firth and Nicole Kidman

How is it that a dramatic film starring Colin Firth and Nicole Kidman generates as little buzz as The Railway Man? The adaptation of Eric Lomax's autobiography premiered last year at TIFF to lukewarm response, and the international trailer released around the same time didn't do much to help. But there's no doubt Firth and Kidman make a powerful pair, so perhaps when the film arrives on U.S. shores it'll get a better response.

Directed by Jonathan Teplitzky, the film centers on Lomax who is captured by the Japanese during WWII and forced to endure terrible tortures while working on the brutal Burma-Siam railroad. As he tries to overcome the trauma of what he experienced, his wife (Kidman) lends the support he needs, even as he reconnects with the most vicious torturer (Hiroyuki Sanada) from his past. Jeremy Irvine plays the younger Lomax, with Stellan Skarsgard as an old friend.There's nothing especially wrong with the new trailer other than a general flatness to it, and if it's laboring to find momentum in a 2 1/2 minute tease then the movie surely has problems.

The Railway Man should arrive later this year, but any Oscar hopes it may have once had are long gone.


The Railway Man (Trailer 3) by tvPRIME

Read More

First Trailer for 'The Railway Man' Starring Colin Firth and Nicole Kidman

How does a film based on celebrated material, that happens to be a true story, and stars Colin Firth and Nicole Kidman, manage to not be a sure-fire Oscar bet? So far that seems to be the case with The Railway Man, which recently played at TIFF and has been met with a "ho-hum" response.  While it still has yet to gain a U.S. release date, Lionsgate may be looking to drum up buzz by releasing a new trailer, clearly aimed at the prestige audience.

Directed by Jonathan Teplitzky and based on the memoir by Eric Lomax, Firth stars as the British soldier captured by the Japanese during WWII and sent to a POW camp in Singapore. There he is tortured mercilessly and forced to work on the Thai-Burma Railway, made famous in the film The Bridge On the River Kwai. Kidman plays his wife, who tries to help her husband overcome his past trauma, while Jeremy Irvine is the younger version of Lomax and Stellan Skarsgard is a fellow prisoner and Lomax's friend. Look close and you'll also see The Wolverine star Hiroyuki Sanada as the captor responsible for much of Lomax's grief.

While the footage does give the impression of a sweeping historical drama with beautiful scenery and some fine acting by all involved, especially Firth as the emotionally-crippled Lomax, it's also overbearing in a way that screams "please nominate us for something!". The Railway Man opens in Australia this December, and we'll see if this trailer drums up any stateside interest.


The Railway Man - trailer by Flixgr

Read More

Jeremy Irvine and Addison Timlin Pick Up YA Adaptation 'Fallen'

Outside of The Hunger Games, and we really need to see how the sequel Catching Fire performs, it's been diminishing returns on YA adaptations of late. What's unclear is whether or not audiences have simply outgrown them, the market has become too crowded, or if it's a combination of the two. But that isn't discouraging studios from bringing every semi-popular series to the big screen. A few months ago we learned that Lauren Kate's best selling Gothic romance Fallen was in the works with Scott Hicks at the helm, and now the first two stars have been found.

War Horse star Jeremy Irvine and Californication's Addison Timlin will take the lead roles in the film, based on the first of Kate's four-book series. Timlin will play Lucina "Luce" Price, a shy teen who is sent to Sword and Cross reform school after being accused of murder. She soon learns that the majority of the students are fallen angels either on the side of good or evil. She's particularly drawn to Daniel (Irvine), an angel who chose to stand on his own rather than side with God or Satan. Because that's just how these stories always go, there's a love triangle that emerges with another mysterious hunky dude, Cam, so expect that role to be filled soon.

All of Kate's novels were best sellers so I'm sure there are plenty of folks out there who are looking forward to this. I've never read them, of course, but maybe one of you can let me know if it's worth it? Irvine is a pretty boring leading man in my opinion, but Timlin is growing into a favorite thanks to her roles in Afterschool and Stand Up Guys. She also makes for the perfect Stormy Llewellyn in the upcoming adaptation of Dean Koontz's Odd Thomas. [Deadline]

Read More

Jeremy Irvine and Phoebe Fox to star in 'The Woman in Black: Angel of Death'

Mostly due to eager fans ready to see Daniel Radcliffe move on from battling Voldemort, The Woman in Black surprised many with a $120M global haul, making it the highest-grossing British horror in 20 years. Certainly it was a boon to horror studio Hammer Films, who quickly made plans for a sequel despite Radcliffe moving on. Tom Harper came aboard to direct last fall, and now we're learning who will taking on the crucial lead roles.

War Horse star Jeremy Irvine will be joined by Phoebe Fox (Switch) in The Woman in Black: Angel of Death, which is set 40 after the first film. Written by Jon Croker and based on an original idea by The Woman in Black author Susan Hill, the story takes place during WWII and finds Eel Marsh House seized by the British government. When a group of evacuated children arrive suddenly, it awakens the home's dark inhabitant. There have been rumors of Radcliffe possibly making a cameo, but that hasn't been confirmed at this point.

Irvine will be seen next in The Railway Man opposite Colin Firth and Nicole Kidman. This will be the biggest film role for Fox, who is mostly known for her work on the small screen.

Read More

Jeremy Irvine, Alex Pettyfer, and Lucas Till vying for male lead in 'Divergent'

Twilight is outta here(maybe!!!), and Summit Entertainment has been none too subtle in trying to find another young adult franchise to take its place. Their best shot may be Divergent, which is based on the best-selling novel by Veronica Roth. With Shailene Woodley(The Descendants) already in place, the search for her male co-star has narrowed to just a few candidates.

Last fall we learned that Lucas Till(X-Men: First Class), Jack Reynor(newly signed for Transformers 4), Brenton Thwaites(Maleficent), and Luke Bracey(Monte Carlo) had tested for the gig, but Variety now throws Jeremy Irvine(War Horse) and Alex Pettyfer(Magic Mike) into the mix. They'll test later this week, along with Till, so it sounds like the final decision is going to come down to those three. Expect it to arrive shortly, as they need to get moving this spring so Woodley has enough time to jump into The Amazing Spider-Man 2.

Divergent sounds a lot like The Hunger Games, but I think there's enough of a difference for it to stand apart. The story centers on 16-year old Beatrice Prior(Woodley), who lives in a future version of Chicago where society is divided into five factions dedication to a particular virtue: Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). Forced to choose where her allegiances lie, Beatrice makes a decision that could change everything.

Directed by Neil Burger, Divergent is expected to open on March 21st 2014.

Read More

Jeremy Irvine and Robert Duvall set for 'A Night in Old Mexico'

War Horse may have been something of a disappointment last year, but working with Steven Spielberg opens a lot of doors, and Jeremy Irvine has stepped right through them. The director made a bold statement early this year when he said that Irvine could be the next Christian Bale, and the young Brit thesp will have plenty of chances to prove it over the coming months. For his next film, Irvine will star opposite a screen legend in Robert Duvall, as both are set for the road trip flick, A Night in Old Mexico.

Variety reports production on the film begins on Tuesday, with Emilio Aragon making his sophomore directorial effort after 2010's Paper Birds. Based on a script by Bill Wittliff(The Perfect Storm), the story centers on the "relationship between a man and his grandson, with themes of action, tragedy, and romance."

I haven't seen anything that makes me think Irvine is the next Bale, but I'm big into the projects he's got coming up. He'll take on the role of Pip in Mike Newell's adaptation of Great Expectations, hoping to put his stamp on a character that has been portrayed numerous times. More interesting to me is his role as a young Eric Lomax in the WWII drama, The Railway Man, starring opposite Colin Firth.





- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Read More

Nicole Kidman in, Rachel Weisz out as star of 'The Railway Man' opposite Colin Firth

It's always sad when the great Rachel Weisz has to leave an eagerly awaited project such as The Railway Man, but in this case it's for a good reason. According to TheDailyMail, the actress had to bow out in order to complete reshoots on Oz the Great and Powerful and The Bourne Legacy, which are poised to be huge.

Stepping in to fill her shoes is the suddenly very busy Nicole Kidman, stepping into the adaptation of Eric Lomax's memoir. Colin Firth is set to star as the British Army officer, who was captured by the Japanese during WWII and sent to a Thailand POW camp. There he and the other prisoners were forced labor for the Burma railway, the building of which was depicted in The Bridge On the River Kwai. Kidman will play Lomax's wife, Patricia Wallace, who helps him overcome the effects of his imprisonment. Lomax would ultimately reconcile with some of the men who held him captive.  War Horse star Jeremy Irvine will play Lomax as a younger man, with Firth the older version.

Jonathan Teplitzky(Burning Man) is directing, with a script by Frank Cottrell Boyce(Millions). Kidman just yesterday took on the lead in Rowan Joffe's amnesia thriller, Before I Go To Sleep, adding to an already packed 2012. She'll be seen next in The Paperboy for Lee Daniels, and then Park Chan-Wook's English language debut, Stoker.

Read More