Directed by John Harrison, 2009
Written by John Harrison & Darin Silverman

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When it was first announced that THE BOOK OF BLOOD was going to be adapted into a film, I balked.  Not because it is a bad story, but because it’s barely a story.  THE BOOK OF BLOOD was the framing device Clive Barker used to setup his anthology series BOOKS OF BLOOD.  A man goes into a reportedly haunted room, soon learns said room is at the intersection of several highways of the dead, and comes out with writing carved into every inch of his body by the wandering souls that need someone to listen to their story.  Said carvings are then what the reader finds in the BOOKS OF BLOOD anthologies.

In a series packed to the hilt with wild, depraved, maddening, but most importantly, adaptable stories, why chose the 12 page introduction as the basis for a 90+ minute script?  It’s a precursor of things to come in the anthology, but the film is not a precursor to more Clive Barker adaptations from the same group of people.  It was an odd choice to me, but I’m relieved to say that it ended up being a good choice.

John Harrison and Darin Silverman’s script actually melds together the anthology’s two framing bookends (the other half being ON JERUSALEM STREET) into a surprisingly cohesive, totally engrossing feature length film that never indicates that its largest inspiration is only 12 pages long.  In fact, the only bad part about the film is the inclusion of ON JERUSALEM STREET, which Harrison actually uses as the framing introduction for his adaptation.  The problem is that its only real purpose is to play into modern horror film conventions, as if the audience needs to be told that what they’re about to see is a scary story.  Chop it off, however, and BOOK OF BLOOD is actually a quite finely crafted ghost story with more than a few earnest jolts and jaw dropping moments.

Theatrical Trailers and Clips

• DISTRICT 9 – Trailer for Neil Blomkamp’s alien invasion.

Studio News and Attachments

• THE DARK TOWER – J.J. Abrams tells MTV that as soon as “LOST” finishes they’ll muscle up for the film series.  Considering STAR TREK is posed to be a huge success, I have a feeling Abrams will muster quite the budget once it hits the ground.
• DEATH NOTE – Warner Brothers picks up the rights to the popular Japanese manga/anime/live action series about a book that grants its owner the ability to kill anyone whose name is written inside.
• COLD SKIN – David Slade is attached to direct for Madrid films an adaptation of COLD SKIN, a novel about humanoid amphibians in the Antartic.
• I SELL THE DEAD – IFC has picked up the Dominic Monaghan, Ron Perlman, Angus Scrimm staring indie for distribution (presumably as part of their aforementioned Midnight Movies slate).  In theaters and On Demand August 14th.
• THE ROAD – The Weinstein Company has now slated John Hillcoat’s adaptation of the brilliant, brilliant Cormac McCarthy novel for October 16th, ‘09.
• THE LAST VOYAGE OF DEMETER – Marcus Nispel in talks to direct a feature based on the segment of Bram Stoker’s DRACULA in which the count arrives to England on a cargo ship.

Remakes

• PHONE – The latest Korean ghosty to get a US doppelganger.  Too bad the original sucks.
• DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE – In the largest piece of Get The Fuck Out movie news this year, Abel Ferrara is doing an update on the classic tale in which Jekyll is played by Forest Whitaker and Hyde will be 50 Cent.  Head explodes.

Indie, Foreign and Random News

• LIVID – The French duo behind INSIDE have revealed their next project to be the tale of some punks who attempt to rob the “increasingly peculiar” house of a coma patient.
• SPAWN – Todd McFarlane claims to have seven offers in the table to do a new SPAWN movie.
• THE CHRIST MUST DIE – According to Stephen Fry, Peter Jackson and Fran Walsh want to make use of a vacant but enormous Jerusalem set constructed in New Zealand by producing a movie in which Nazi zombies travel back in time to kill Jesus.  Kudos to whoever dreamed up that bullshit.
• MISTER WEED-EATER – Joe R. Lansdale’s short story about a blind and creepy groundskeeper will be adapted and directed by Brian James Fitzpatrick.
• BOOK OF BLOOD – The Sci-Fi channel will be premiering the adaptation of Clive Barker’s BOOK OF BLOOD.
• HATCHET 2 – Adam Green says they will be taking the story directly to…space.

Non-Theatrical Trailers and Clips

• BEST WORST MOVIE – Trailer for the much loved TROLL 2 documentary.
• TRUE BLOOD – Season 2 promo.  Can’t wait!

Theatrical Trailers and Clips

Really?  I was gone for two weeks and not a single new theatrical trailer came out?  I must have missed something…

Studio News and Attachments

• A Bigger Boat’s first production will be Adam Green’s FROZEN, which is superficially described as OPEN WATER in a ski lift.  Except probably without sharks.
• Warner Brothers picks up a Sci-Fi spec script called THE DAY BEFORE about, and I quote, “aliens invading Earth by traveling backwards through time and wiping out humanity — yesterday by yesterday — while one man stays a yesterday ahead of them”.  Sold!
• Josh Brolin’s new found Hollywood clout booted Nevaldine and Taylor off of JONAH HEX?
• After Dark’s PERKIN’S 14 attempting to hide its shot on HD vibe with a retro poster.
• Speaking of, After Dark picks its non-English language flick: Korea’s SOMEONE BEHIND YOU, which they’ve retitled to VOICES.  Because that is a lot scarier…
• Warner Brothers delays THE BOX about 8 months to November ‘09.
• Kate Beckinsale-less UNDERWORLD:RISE OF THE LYCANS grabs an R rating.
• Mark Forster will direct WORLD WAR Z.
• Danny Boyle admits wanting to return to the director’s chair for 28 MONTHS LATER.

Remakes

• Timothy Olyphant to head up THE CRAZIES remake for Breck Eisner to direct.
• Fangoria is positing that Universal will delay THE WOLFMAN from the spring to the fall.
• Gore Verbinski will produce THE HOST remake for commercial director Frederick Bond to direct.

Indie, Foreign and Random News

• The original ending of LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS for your viewing pleasure.
• Brian Yuzna to direct not one, not two, but three three dimensional horror spectacles.
• Sony now owns the video rights to ALL THE BOYS LOVE MANDY LANE, still no concrete release plans announced.

Non-Theatrical Trailers and Clips

• INFECTED – Trailer
• OUTLANDER – Clips
• GROWTH – Trailer
• BOOK OF BLOOD – Trailer
• DEEP IN THE JUNGLE – Trailer
• SODIUM BABIES – French vampires
• GIALLO – Trailer