George Wright and Scott Lomu, a pair of former Utah real estate brokers who went bust when the housing bubble burst, against all odds have been mining gold in the West African jungles of Ghana.
The pair — who say their sole reason for tackling the dangerous project is to support large families back home — battle armed neighbors, miles of broken roads, roadblocks manned by Ghanaian gangs and ruthless gold buyers looking to snag their claim at any cost.
“Everybody carries guns,” Lomu, 37, a father of four, told the Daily News. “You have to do whatever you can to take care of your kids. Working in Africa we’re out of our element, but the trick is to try to get in with the locals, be friendly and make as many friends — as fast as you can.”
Almost three years ago, the pair and a third partner, Wally Macias, 36, staked a claim deep in the jungle, 41/2 hours from civilization, and toiled by themselves to find the precious metal. After Macias, a private security guru, died (by suicide) last year, Lomu and Wright vowed to provide for his widow and two children, too.
A day after his death last November, a production company approached them about filming their endeavor.
They first went to Ghana looking for gold two years ago. The original plan was to buy it in Ghana — where it is plentiful — and then flip it for a profit back home.
But the dangers of simply buying the precious metal quickly became clear, and can be seen on the series debut of Discovery’s “Jungle Gold” on Oct. 26.
“There are armed scammers everywhere and we realized that the only way to actually get the gold is to pull it out of the ground ourselves,” Wright, 29, a father of three, said.
“We’ve had to learn how to be miners,” said Wright. “We’ve had to learn how to operate heavy equipment, and we’ve learned everything on the fly and learned some pretty expensive lessons along the way.”
Following the success of Sinister at the box office, Deadline is reporting that producer Jason Blum is re-teaming with writer/director Scott Derrickson for The Breathing Method, an adaptation of the Stephen King novella. Originally published as part of 1982 anthology "Different Seasons", The Breathing Method is officially described as follow:
This takes place in an exclusive gentlemen's club in New York, where no one pays any dues. Membership is based upon a telling of tales, and one nightmarish tale about a disgraced woman determined to give birth--no matter the consequences.
Scott Teems is attached to provide the screenplay.
Entertainment Weekly is reporting that "Breaking Bad" and Smashed star Aaron Paul will star in the Need for Speed movie.
To be directed by Scott Waugh ( Act of Valor), the film is an adaptation of EA's popular video game franchise. The screenplay is based on the game series, but is not based on an individual game. The film adaptation will be a fast-paced, high-octane film rooted in the tradition of the great car culture films of the '70s while being extremely faithful to the spirit of the video game franchise.
"Need for Speed" is the premier racing game in the video game industry and one of EA's best-selling video game franchises. Since the release of the first title, the series has sold more than 140 million units worldwide, generating an estimated $4 billion in retail revenue, making it one of the biggest franchises in video gaming.
Filming is scheduled to being early next year for a February 7, 2014 release.
In his feature debut, Exorcism of Emily Rose writer/director, Scott Derrickson managed to blend compelling character drama with the overly familiar “exorcism story” – delivering a smart and disturbing film experience. Now the director is back with an entirely original horror project, Sinister, as well as a chilling new horror “monster” – Mr. Boogie.
However, in a genre that is dominated by sequels, remakes, prequels, spinoffs and other franchise cash-ins, n0n-franchise films often resort to established sub-genres, such as found-footage or “torture porn,” to stand out from the crowd. As a result, it’s up to moviegoers, via word-of-mouth, to support filmmakers who are trying, and succeeding, in delivering fresh scares and engaging/frightening stories. Does Sinister offer a smart and scary experience that’s worthy of your box office dollars and personal endorsement?
Yes. While certain elements of the Sinister plot are predictable, Derrickson has once again delivered a horror film that is not only creepier than most of its contemporaries, it excels with relatable characters, and a smart premise – a premise that pays off in both the larger story mythology as well as moment to moment scares. Moviegoers hoping for a bloody splatter flick might be underwhelmed by Derrickson’s preference for tension over outright violence – considering he relies heavily on creepy night sequences, grainy video footage, and the unfolding mystery around Mr. Boogie. That said, for viewers who have grown tired of the countless stock horror offerings in the genre, Sinister should provide an especially engaging and refreshingly spooky movie experience.
Mr. Boogie and the ‘Sinister’ children
As mentioned, part of the appeal of Sinister is watching the mystery unfold – so, for anyone who is already committed to checking the film out, do yourself a favor and avoid the trailers and other potential story spoilers. However, for those who aren’t yet sold on the film, Sinister follows true life crime author Ellison Oswalt (played by Ethan Hawke) who moves his family, wife Tracy (Juliet Rylance), daughter Ashley (Clare Foley), and son Trevor (Michael Hall D’Addario), to a new town – so that he can write a book about a grisly family murder. The Oswalts take up residence in the deceased family’s house and Ellison begins his investigation, attempting to piece together the details of the crime, until one night he discovers a box of super eight home videos in the attic. Though, as Ellison views the tapes over the course of several nights (each one more disturbing than the last), he begins to suspect that the murders he’s investigating are just one part in a much bigger, and more terrifying, story.
Derrickson helps ground the story’s narrative within Ellison, who routinely disregards the severity of his situation, and the safety of his family, in favor of chasing best-seller book fame. At times, the character falls into the usual horror genre tropes, investigating attic noises and dark corners of the backyard, all for the sake of spooking the audience instead of acting like a rational person. Ultimately, there’s a lot more to Ellison than his actions sometimes indicate and the personal story of a man who intentionally places his own self-interest over the people he loves adds engaging layers onto an already interesting horror set-up. Hawke offers a solid performance as Ellison – convincingly depicting the man’s unraveling charm, obsessiveness, and fear over the course of the film.
Sinister also incorporates a number of lengthy uninterrupted scenes between Hawke and Rylance that help ground the proceedings in character as well as scares – showcasing the effect that Ellison’s actions have on his personal relationships. In other horror films these moments would be melodramatic but in Sinister they’re handled with care, helping to escalate the effectiveness of the unraveling psychological horror, not just fill in space between scares. Similarly, Deputy So and So (played by James Ransone) is an equally compelling human addition and helps bring some levity to the proceedings while at the same assisting in the forward movement of the supernatural story.
Ethan Hawke as Ellison Oswalt in ‘Sinister’
The scares themselves, as well as the larger mystery, are primarily revealed through a combination of the escalating disturbances in the Oswalt house and the super eight tapes (which each depict a different grisly murder). Many filmgoers have begun to tire of the found-footage gimmick, as Hollywood continues to pump out one ridiculous application of the format after another, but the Sinister ”found footage” rarely disappoints. Each film is compelling and unsettling – with plenty of variation and uniquely horrific imagery to keep viewers squirming in their seats. Similarly, unlike many horror contemporaries, each violent moment in Sinister serves a larger story purpose (not just violence for the sake of violence) – resulting some satisfying call backs at the conclusion of the film.
Not every element of Sinister is up to par and while the larger story and experience deliver, a number of individual moments borrow heavily from prior horror films and could be predictable to anyone who is paying close enough attention (or anyone has seen the film’s notable inspirations). In addition, Sinister joins the growing list of films that rely on creepy kids to do their frightening dirty work. The children admittedly deliver plenty of spooky on-screen drama but “spooky kid” moments don’t quite live up to the promise established in the larger premise.
Despite a refreshing set-up, Sinister does rely on a number of familiar horror beats and definitely benefits from the overused “creepy children” trend in Hollywood. Nevertheless, like the 2007 indie horror film Paranormal Activity (which originally gained traction through festival screenings and word of mouth),Sinister‘s rich premise and creepy monster, Mr. Boogie, could easily spawn a string of high-profit franchise sequels. Only time will tell but, until then, Derrickson’s film succeeds in delivering an exceptionally engaging, and frightening, movie experience with quality characters, a smart story, and plenty of scares.
If you’re still on the fence about Sinister, check out the trailer below:
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Let us know what you thought of the film in the comment section below. If you’ve seen the movie and want to discuss details about the film without worrying about spoiling it for those who haven’t seen it, please head over to our Sinister Spoilers Discussion.
Follow me on Twitter @benkendrick for future reviews, as well as movie, TV, and gaming news.
Sinister is Rated R for disturbing violent images and some terror. Now playing in theaters.
Prometheus was one of the more controversial films of the summer, but for many fans it left them wanting more. While the sequel isn't exactly a sure thing, director Ridley Scott spoke with Metro about what the proposed film would be.
"Prometheus evolved into a whole other universe.You�ve got a person [Noomi Rapace�s Elizabeth Shaw] with a head in a bag [ Michael Fassbender�s David] that functions and has an IQ of 350. It can explain to her how to put the head back on the body and she�s gonna think about that long and hard because, once the head is back on his body, he�s dangerous," he said.
When asked if the film was that easy, he replied, "I wish it was that easy. They�re going off to paradise but it could be the most savage, horrible place. Who are the Engineers?"
The subject then switched to Blade Runner, which Scott has also been very vocal about sequelizing as well. He said: "It�s not a rumour � it�s happening. With Harrison Ford? I don�t know yet. Is he too old? Well, he was a Nexus-6 so we don�t know how long he can live [laughs]. And that�s all I�m going to say at this stage."
What do you think? Would you like to see sequels to Blade Runner and Prometheus?
In the new sitcom, “See Dad Run,” Scott Baio plays a TV star turned stay-at-home dad.
In real life, it’s just the opposite — Baio is returning to prime-time TV after helping raise his 4-year-old daughter, Bailey.
“I think in the beginning it was a little awkward for my daughter,” Baio says, “because I was with her every day of her life since she was born, up until about six months ago.
“But she’s always on the set when she doesn’t go to school, so she’s very friendly with the cast, the young kids on the show,” says Baio. “She actually looks forward to coming down there, so it wasn’t that bad of a transition.”
Best known for playing Chachi on “Happy Days,” and a live-in nanny on “Charles in Charge” in the ’80s, Baio had a reality TV run on VH1 from 2007-08.
He both stars in and executive-produces “See Dad Run,” debuting Sunday at 8 p.m. on Nick at Nite.
Baio’s character, David Hobbs, finds himself in unfamiliar territory when his show ends and his wife (Alanna Ubach) goes back to work, leaving him home to care for their three kids.
David almost burns down the house, and even loses his younger daughter, Janie — or rather, forgets to get a name, number and address to pick her up from a play date.
“Guys are a little more confused about parenting than moms are,” says Baio, 52. “I’m just sort of guessing most of the time when I’m with my kid and hope I’m doing it right. I know my child, but this guy on ‘See Dad Run’ doesn’t really know his children.”
That’s not to say Baio hasn’t had difficult moments with his real daughter.
“I’ve never lost her,” he says, “but on airplanes, all of a sudden I became the person that everybody hates because I’m walking my kid up and down the aisle who’s screaming — things that you think will never happen to you.”
Baio says he’s not in touch with his former “Happy Days” and “Joanie Loves Chachi” co-star, Erin Moran, who’s now reportedly homeless.
“I don’t know when the last time I spoke with her was. I think at a ‘Happy Days’ reunion, maybe. I really don’t know much” about Moran, he says.
The plot of ABC’s ‘Last Resort’ is so deep and murky, even its submariner star doesn’t know what’s going to happen next.
Scott Speedman, who plays Lt. Commander Sam Kendal on the new ABC drama — which follows the adventures of the crew from a renegade nuclear submarine — said he has no clue exactly how the show’s makers will be able to keep the tension going.
“What will the show be after the pilot?” he wondered. “We’re still trying to figure that out.”
On the show's premiere last week, the submarine Colorado received an order to launch nuclear missiles at Pakistan. But when the ship's captain, Marcus Chaplin (Andre Braugher) asked for confirmation, he was relieved of command. His XO, Kendal (Speedman) took over, then questioned the orders himself, and the vessel was attacked by other Navy warships.
The crew sought refuge on a mysterious island in the Indian Ocean and now must figure out who set them up so that they can one day go home.
“It was a great story,” Speedman said.
“Last Resort” comes from producer Shawn Ryan — the celebrated creator of “The Shield,” the FX drama about dirty cops."
“Shawn is pretty dedicated to not having the [overarching plot] of the show set in stone,” Speedman said.
“I signed up with the understanding that the character would develop over time, so it will be interesting to see where it goes.”
Speedman first made waves in 1998 as the on-again, off-again love interest for Keri Russell on “Felicity.”
Soon after the series ended in 2002, he took on movie roles, gaining the most attention for appearing as a half-werewolf, half-vampire in the “Underworld” films.
“But I was getting a little frustrated with nobody seeing the work I was doing,” Speedman said. “This thing [“Last Resort”] came along at the right time.”
Speedman said making the transition back to television wasn’t too hard — although he doesn’t watch much TV himself.
“Doing a TV show is pretty rigorous,” he said. “We’re working crazy hours and trying to do good work. With a film you know it’s going to be over eventually. This has the potential to keep me going for at least eight months straight.”
The movie has been available digitally, but director Ridley Scott's Prometheus will be hitting Blu-ray 3D, Blu-ray and DVD on October 9. The new trailer for the home release promises that questions will be answered. The Blu-rays will contain over seven hours of bonus material, including an alternate opening and ending, deleted and altered scenes and access to Peter Weyland's files. You can watch the trailer below and the press release follows.
Prometheus opened on June 8 and earned $398 million worldwide. The film stars Noomi Rapace, Michael Fassbender, Guy Pearce, Idris Elba, Logan Marshall-Green and Charlize Theron.
Renowned director Ridley Scott takes fans on a gripping sci-fi adventure that �kicks ass so hard and often that it's impossible not to be thrilled by it� (Peter Travers, Rolling Stone). Launching into space to discover the mysterious creators of the human race, the �genuinely epic� (Tom Long, Detroit News) film, PROMETHEUS, debuts globally on Blu-ray 3D, Blu-ray and DVD October 9 from Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment. An unmatched home entertainment experience, watch the highly-anticipated blockbuster hit in the format it was meant to be viewed, stunning 3D high-definition.
Written by Damon Lindelof (�Lost�) and Jon Spaihts, PROMETHEUS features outstanding performances by Academy Award� winner* Charlize Theron (Monster), Golden Globe�-nominee* Michael Fassbender (Inglourious Basterds), Guy Pearce (Memento), Noomi Rapace (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo) and Logan Marshall-Green (Devil).
Archeologist couple Elizabeth Shaw (Rapace) and Charlie Holloway (Marshall-Green) discover a star map that they interpret as an invitation from humanity's forerunners, the �Engineers.� Determined to find out more about them, the couple boards the scientific vessel Prometheus, created and funded by Peter Weyland (Pearce), CEO of Weyland Corporation. Lead by mission director Meredith Vickers (Theron) and monitored by Weyland�s android David (Fassbender), the team of explorers find a clue to the origins of mankind on Earth and embark on a thrilling journey to the darkest corners of the universe where they fight a terrifying battle to save the future of the human race.
Loaded with over seven hours of bonus material, the PROMETHEUS 4-Disc Collector�s Edition and 2-Disc Blu-ray Combo Pack feature the original theatrical release and are available in premium packaging. Fans can get the ultimate Prometheus experience with an Alternate Opening and Ending, Deleted and Alternate Scenes, access to �Peter Weyland�s Files,� commentary by directors and writers, a cutting-edge Prometheus Weyland Corp. Archive Second Screen App and more!
*2004, Best Actress in a Leading Role, Monster **2012, Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture-Drama, Shame
PROMETHEUS 4-Disc Collector's Edition Blu-ray Special Features Disc 1 ● Theatrical Cut ● Commentary by Director/Producer Ridley Scott ● Commentary by Writer Jon Spaihts and Writer/Executive Producer Damon Lindelof ● The Peter Weyland Files ● Deleted and Alternate Scenes that include an Alternate Opening / Ending ● Prometheus - Weyland Corp Archive Second Screen App Disc 2 ● The Furious Gods: Making Prometheus ● Enhancement Pods ● Weyland Corp Archive ● Pre-Vis ● Screen Tests Disc 3 ● 3D Theatrical Cut of Movie Disc 4 ● DVD / Digital Copy
PROMETHEUS 2-Disc Blu-ray Special Features Disc 1 ● Theatrical Cut ● Commentary by Director/Producer Ridley Scott ● Commentary by Writer Jon Spaihts and Writer/Executive Producer Damon Lindelof ● The Peter Weyland Files ● Deleted and Alternate Scenes that include an Alternate Opening / Ending ● Prometheus - Weyland Corp Archive Second Screen App Disc 2 ● DVD / Digital Copy
Following the success of Sinister at the box office, Deadline is reporting that producer Jason Blum is re-teaming with writer/director Scott Derrickson for The Breathing Method, an adaptation of the Stephen King novella. Originally published as part of 1982 anthology "Different Seasons", The Breathing Method is officially described as follow: 
Entertainment Weekly is reporting that "Breaking Bad" and 
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The movie has been available