Jim Mickle to Direct Wildfire Film 'Esperanza'

It's time a larger audience started to catch on to how good of a filmmaker Jim Mickle really is. He's been a darling of the indie scene for a few years now after a few low budget genre efforts like Stake Land, We Are What We Are, and last year's excellent Cold in July (which I interviewed him for). Now he's getting a shot at a much larger studio effort, taking the helm of Legendary Pictures' adaptation, Esperanza. 

Based on John N. Maclean's book, The Esperanza Fire: Arson, Murder, and the Agony of Engine 57, the Sean O'Keefe-penned film tells the true story of the 2006 wildfire that was caused by arson and claimed the lives of five firefighters. It's safe to say this will be Mickle's biggest film from a budget standpoint, and it will be interesting to see how that affects his lean, gritty style of filmmaking. This could be the kind of project that makes him a household name and leads to other major films, just as we saw happen with Gareth Edwards after Godzilla. 

Here's the official synopsis for Esperanza:

Set against the backdrop of one of the most fire-prone areas in the world, ESPERANZA is the true story of a Spartan culture of firefighters battling the ‘perfect storm’ of wildfires.

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Cinema Royale #63- 'X-men: Days of Future Past'

Cinema Royale's loyal listeners know host Travis Hopson as the ultimate X-men fanatic, so you know this episode will be ENTIRELY DEVOTED TO X-MEN: DAYS OF FUTURE PAST! Okay, not entirely, but you get the picture. We'll also take a look at the latest Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore comedy, Blended.

Plus, we'll be joined by director Jim Mickle, whose credits include the horrors We Are What We Are and Stakeland, to talk about his throwback revenge flick, Cold in July. The film was a smash at Sundance and stars Michael C. Hall, Sam Shepard, and Don Johnson.

Cinema Royale is part of the Hashtag Studios Broadcast Network and brings you movie reviews and news straight from the Nation's Capital! Go to www.cinemaroyaleshow.com and subscribe, and while there consider signing up for the premium service for more content and to be entered in our monthly prize drawing!

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Review: 'Cold in July' Starring Michael C. Hall, Sam Shepard, and Don Johnson

One never knows exactly where Jim Mickle is going to turn up next. What we do know is that whatever film he takes on it will be gritty, pulpy, and very bloody. After scoring an indie hit the vampire flick, Stake Land, followed by the chilling horror remake We Are What We Are, Mickle has channeled the likes of Walter Hill and John Carpenter for Cold in July, a dingy and muscular throwback that's like something you might pluck from the shelf of your favorite video store and watch late one night.

It takes some getting used to Dexter's murderous star Michael C. Hall as the meek, mullet-haired Richard Dane, a Texas family man with a wife (Vinessa Shaw), son, and modest business in the heart of town. Mickle puts the squeeze on early, during an ominous night in which Richard's home is busted into by an intruder, and in the blink of an eye his world is irrevocably changed. Accidentally shooting the intruder, sending his brains all over his neatly-arranged living room, Richard is suddenly a changed a man. The violence has changed him, but with it come a seemingly unending string of consequences.

This being Texas, Richard's ego is pumped up by some of the gun-toting locals, and it's clearly having an effect. No longer so shy and reserved, he's now walking with his chest out and a swagger in his step. But that all starts to change when he learns the man he killed had a father, Ben (Sam Shepard), a career criminal just let out on parole. It isn't long before Ben is lurking around every corner making none-too-subtle threats of revenge, which are mostly ignored by the seemingly hapless cops. When Ben finally strikes, literally waltzing right past the police and into Richard's home, the formerly quiet and reserved family man is again forced into the uncomfortable position of hero. Or at least what passes for a "hero" in a place where "shoot first, ask questions later" seems to be the policy.

But lest you think Mickle is making some sort of anti-gun political statement, setting the film in the 1980s and in "Stand Your Ground" Texas of all places, just wait because something to change your mind is right around the corner. What starts off as a standard-issue home invasion thriller, where the innocent family is hunted by a maniacal loon, flips on a dime into an all-encompassing small town conspiracy flick. And with that twist also comes a comic edge in the form of Houston private eye Jim Bob Luke (Don Johnson), Ben's old war buddy who shows up to drag him out of trouble. Johnson and Shepard, two grizzled old vets if there ever were, pump up the testosterone factor while Hall settles in as the straight-man in the oddest comic trio ever.

Ruminations about manliness intertwine with an investigation into the Texas Mafia (really) and a pornography ring fittingly run out of the back of a video store. It doesn't always make for the tightest mix, and the pace sways a little unevenly as Mickle blends in multiple genres. Echoes of Cronenberg's A History of Violence can be felt, along with the works of John Carpenter, Walter Hill, and others.  Visually stunning with oppressive blues and blacks hinting at the shadows on each character’s souls, the ominous mood Mickle creates will grind into dust those who aren't committed for the long haul. While separately some of Cold in July's facets don't completely work, as a whole it's a down 'n dirty guy flick with surprising ambition. It's another feather in the cap for Mickle, whose unpredictability is what will continue to carry him far.

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Interview: Jim Mickle Talks His Acclaimed Crime Thriller, 'Cold in July'

One of the movies at this past Sundance that everyone said I needed to see was Cold in July, the third feature from quickly-rising director, Jim Mickle. Unfortunately it was a film I couldn't catch up with until much later, and the months in between saw many of my colleagues talking about how Mickle so easily flipped multiple genres, from home invasion thriller to revenge Western, into a totally unique experience. Now that I've seen it for myself and know it to be true, Mickle has catapulted to the top of my list of directors worth following into any project they undertake.

Considering what Mickle has done before it's tough to figure out where he'll go next. He was put on the map by the killer vampire flick, Stake Land, followed by the chilling horror remake, We Are What We Are. Cold in July is completely different from them both; an adaptation of Joe R. Lansdale's crime novel about a reserved Texas family man who kills in an act of self defense, only to find it opens the door to seemingly endless violence. Michael C. Hall, Don Johnson, and Sam Shepard star in the film, which is something of a throwback to the work of Walter Hill and John Carpenter.

I had a chance to talk with Mickle about Cold in July, adapting Lansdale's novel, and finding the right balance of violence and humor. Check out that interview below.

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First Trailer for Jim Mickle's 'Cold in July' Starring Michael C. Hall, Sam Shepard, and Don Johnson

After chilling us with his superior (at least in my book) remake of horror We Are What We Are, Jim Mickle turns his attention to crime noir with Cold in July, one of the most buzzed-about films at Sundance earlier this year. Based on Joe R. Lansdale's cult favorite novel, Mickle has enlisted Michael C. Hall (Dexter), Sam Shepard, and Don Johnson for what the first trailer promises is a gritty, dusty old throwback.

Hall plays a Texas man who kills an intruder in his home, only to get in way over his head when the victim's murderous, ex-con father comes looking for revenge. Between his flashy role in this and Django Unchained, Don Johnson is clearly having one heck of a career resurgence.

Cold in July hits theaters and VOD on May 23rd.

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Creepy Trailer for Remake 'We Are What We Are' Starring Julia Garner and Ambyr Childers

Any one who knows the 2010 Mexican film We Are What We Are won't be surprised by the first trailer for Jim Mickle's American remake, while those less familiar can check it out and still be left out in the cold. The trailer does a pretty good job of keeping its one major secret under wraps while obviously cluing in that something is completely off about the mysterious Parker family, who attempt to keep their strange ancestral customs intact even in the wake of terrible tragedy. Jennifer Garner and Ambyr Childers play the two creepy daughters, while Michael Parks, Bill Sage, and Kelly McGillis co-star. Garner seems to be Hollywood's go-to gal for these sorts of eerie roles after Martha Marcy May Marlene and The Last Exorcism 2, so it's a good ting she'll have a chance to branch out in Sin City: A Dame to Kill For.

We Are What We Are hits theaters on September 27th. Check out the plot and trailer below...



PLOT: A seemingly wholesome and benevolent family, the Parkers, have always kept to themselves, and for good reason. Behind closed doors, patriarch Frank rules his family with a rigorous ferver, determined to keep his ancestral customs intact at any cost. As a torrential rainstorm moves into the area, tragedy strikes and his daughters Iris and Rose are forced to assume responsibilities that extend beyond those of a typical family. As the unrelenting downpour continues to flood their small town, the local authorities begin to uncover clues that bring them closer to the secret that the Parkers have held closely for so many years.

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