The Unborn

Blu-Ray Round Up, July 22, 2009: ‘12 Monkeys,’ ‘The Unborn’

BrianTT — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 07:54:09 -0600

CHICAGO – It has been a very busy July at HollywoodChicago.com and a few high profile titles have slipped through the cracks of our Blu-Ray coverage. We can’t leave any HD stone unturned, so we wanted to play catch-up and make sure you know about these releases via the legendary Blu-Ray Round-Up column. Horror movies, comedies, and a modern sci-fi classic from Terry Gilliam - there’s something for everyone in July’s Blu-Ray selection.

“Grumpy Old Men” and “The Unborn” were released on July 7th, 2009.

“The Haunting in Connecticutt” was released on July 14th, 2009.

“I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry” was released on July 21st, 2009.

“12 Monkeys” will be released on July 28th, 2009.

“12 Monkeys”

Photo credit: Universal

Synopsis: “Cole (Bruce Willis) is sent back in time to save the human race from a deadly virus that has forced mankind into dank underground communities in the future. Along his travels, he encounters a psychiatrist (Madeleine Stowe) and a mental patient, brilliantly portrayed by Brad Pitt, who may hold the key to the mysterious rogue group, the Army of the 12 Monkeys, thought to be responsible for unleashing the killer disease. Believing he can obtain a pure virus sample in order to find a cure in the future, he is met with one riddle after another that puts him in a race with time. This sci-fi masterpiece from the genius mind of Terry Gilliam is a modern-day classic.”

“12 Monkeys” stars Bruce Willis, Madeleine Stowe, Brad Pitt, and Christopher Plummer. It was written by David Peoples & Janet Peoples and directed by Terry Gilliam. It is rated R. The film is presented with a 1080P High-Defintion Widescreen 1.85:1 transfer with an English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track.

Special features include a feature commentary with director Terry Gilliam and producer Charles Roven, “The Hamster Factor & Other Tales of 12 Monkeys,” and “12 Monkeys Archives”.

“Grumpy Old Men”

Photo credit: WB

Synopsis: “Two elderly, eccentric, next-door neighbors sustain a rancorous relationship that only a wise observer could recognize as a very special friendship. When a lonely, flamboyant, middle-aged widow moves in across the street from them, the male rivalry begins.”

“Grumpy Old Men” stars Jack Lemmon, Walter Matthau, Kevin Pollak, Ossie Davis, and Daryl Hannah. It was written by Mark Steven Johnson and directed by Donald Petrie. The film is presented with a 1080P High-Defintion Widescreen 1.85:1 transfer with an English Dolby TrueHD 2.0 track.

The only special feature included is the theatrical trailer.

“The Haunting in Connecticutt”

Photo credit: Lionsgate

Synopsis: “When the Campbell family moves to upstate Connecticut, they soon learn that their charming Victorian home has a disturbing history: not only was the house formerly a funeral parlor where inconceivable acts occurred, but the owner’s clairvoyant son Jonah served as a demonic messenger, providing a gateway for spiritual entities to crossover. Now, unspeakable terror awaits when Jonah, the boy who communicated with the dead, returns to unleash a new kind of horror on the innocent and unsuspecting family.”

“The Haunting in Connecticutt” stars Virginia Madsen, Kyle Gallner, Martin Donovan, Amanda Crew, and Elias Koteas. It was written by Adam Simon & Tim Metcalfe and directed by Peter Cornwell. It is rated PG-13 and unrated. The film is presented with a 1080P High-Defintion Widescreen 2.35:1 transfer with an English DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 track.

Special features include the audio commentaries with director, producer, cast and crew on the unrated version, “Two Dead Boys: The Making of The Haunting in Connecticutt,” “The Fear is Real: Reinvestigating the Haunting,” “Anatomy of a Haunting,” “Memento Mori: The History of Postmortem Photography,” deleted scenes with optional commentary by director Peter Cornwell, and the theatrical trailer.

“I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry”

Photo credit: Universal

Synopsis:”Adam Sandler and Kevin James star as best friends and fellow firefighters Chuck and Larry, the pride of their Brooklyn fire station. Chuck owes Larry for saving his life. Larry calls in that favor big-time by asking Chuck to pose as his “domestic partner” so his kids will get his pension. But when a fact-checking bureaucrat becomes suspicious, the two straight guys are forced to improvise as love-struck newlyweds. Jessica Biel, Ving Rhames and Dan Aykroyd co-star in this hilarious comedy.”

“I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry” stars Adam Sandler, Kevin James, Jessica Biel, Ving Rhames, Steve Buscemi, and Dan Akyroyd. It was written by Barry Fanard and Alexander Payne & Jim Taylor and directed by Dennis Dugan. It is rated PG-13. The film is presented with a 1080P High-Defintion Widescreen 1.85:1 transfer with an English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track.

Special features include U-Control functionality, a feature commentary with director Dennis Dugan, Adam Sandler and Kevin James, and a feature commentary with director Dennis Dugan.

“The Unborn”

Photo credit: Universal

Synopsis: “Enter a world of unrelenting evil as terror finds a new form in The Unborn. From the producers of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and the co-writer of The Dark Knight comes this shocking supernatural thriller about a young woman (Odette Yustman) plagued by chilling dreams and tortured by a demonic ghost that haunts her waking hours. Her only hope to break the debilitating paranormal curse is in an exorcism with spiritual advisor Sendak (Gary Oldman). See what lies beyond the doorway of our world in this non-stop nightmare of the undead…”

“The Unborn” stars Odette Yustman, Gary Oldman, Meagan Good, Cam Gigandet, James Remar, Jane Alexander, and Idris Elba. It was written and directed by David S. Goyer. It is rated PG-13 and unrated. The film is presented with a 1080P High-Defintion Widescreen 2.40:1 transfer with an English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track.

Special features include deleted scenes in hi-def and BD-Live access.

Check out our full-length theatrical review of “The Unborn”.

By BRIAN TALLERICO
Content Director
HollywoodChicago.com
brian@hollywoodchicago.com

David S. Goyer’s ‘The Unborn’ is Unoriginal, Uninspiring Mess

BrianTT — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 08:21:09 -0700

CHICAGO – Odette Yustman stars in David S. Goyer’s “The Unborn,” a poorly conceived and produced horror movie that could have just as easily been called “The Un-scary,” “The Uninspiring,” “The Unoriginal,” or “The Unexciting”. Whatever you do, just un-plan to see it this weekend.

Rating: 1.0/5.0

After his similarly superstitious and sloppy “The Invisible.” it’s surprising that David S. Goyer would go back to a storytelling well that failed him the first time. That film was an ineffective trip to the other side and “The Unborn” is an ineffective film about a trip back.

Read Brian Tallerico’s full review of “The Unborn” in our reviews section.

The poor girl haunted by a visitor from the other side in “The Unborn” is the gorgeous Casey Beldon (Yustman). This Megan Fox doppelganger is haunted by dreams of a young boy, a creepy dog, and a buried fetus. One night, she’s attacked by a neighbor child she’s babysitting and warned that “Jumby is waiting to be born.” “Jumby” was the nickname for the twin that died while Casey was still in utero. And he’s angry about more than just being given a stupid nickname before he was even born.

After the babysitting night from Hell, Casey is haunted by an increasing series of nightmarish events, including ghostly children, waves of potato bugs, and terrifying dreams. And that damn neighbor kid likes to hang out in her yard and look creepy.

‘The Unborn’ stars Odette Yustman, Gary Oldman, James Remar, Carla Gugino, Cam Gigandet, Meagan Good, Rhys Coiro, and Idris Elba. ‘The Unborn,’ which was written and directed by David S. Goyer, opened in Chicago on January 9, 2009.

Continue reading for Brian Tallerico’s full “The Unborn” review.

Rabbi Sendak (Gary Oldman) and Casey Beldon (Odette Yustman) attempt an exorcism.
Photo credit: Rogue Pictures

Slideshow: 20-Image Gallery For ‘The Unborn’ With Odette Yustman, Gary Oldman

BrianTT — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 07:48:02 -0700

CHICAGO – This 20-image slideshow contains official press images for Universal’s “The Unborn,” which stars Odette Yustman, Gary Oldman, Cam Gigandet, Meagan Good, Jane Alexander, Idris Elba, Rhys Coiro, Carla Gugino, and James Remar from writer/director David S. Goyer. The film opens on Jan. 9, 2009.

“The Unborn” is a horror film from the writer of “Batman Begins” and “Blade” about a young woman slowly being possessed by a spirit and her attempt to fight it. The R-rated film opens on Friday, January 9th, 2009.

You can click “Next” and “Previous” to scan through this slideshow or jump directly to individual photos with the captioned links below. All photos credited to Rogue Pictures Copyright: © 2008 Rogue Pictures. All rights reserved.

Unborn01: (L to R) Rabbi Sendak (Gary Oldman), Casey Beldon (Odette Yustman) and her boyfriend, Mark Hardigan (Cam Gigandet), investigate an abandoned mental hospital in a supernatural thriller that tells the story of a young woman pulled into a world of nightmares when a demonic spirit haunts her and threatens everyone she loves: The Unborn.
Unborn02:Rabbi Sendak (Gary Oldman) and Casey Beldon (Odette Yustman) attempt an exorcism in a supernatural thriller that tells the story of a young woman pulled into a world of nightmares when a demonic spirit haunts her and threatens everyone she loves: The Unborn.
Unborn03: Odette Yustman as Casey Beldon in a supernatural thriller that tells the story of a young woman pulled into a world of nightmares when a demonic spirit haunts her and threatens everyone she loves: The Unborn.
Unborn04: Cam Gigandet as the boyfriend of Casey, Mark Hardigan, in a supernatural thriller that tells the story of a young woman pulled into a world of nightmares when a demonic spirit haunts her and threatens everyone she loves: The Unborn.
Unborn05: Gary Oldman as Rabbi Sendak in a supernatural thriller that tells the story of a young woman pulled into a world of nightmares when a demonic spirit haunts her and threatens everyone she loves: The Unborn.
Unborn06: Meagan Good as the best friend of Casey, Romy Marshall, in a supernatural thriller that tells the story of a young woman pulled into a world of nightmares when a demonic spirit haunts her and threatens everyone she loves: The Unborn.
Unborn07: Casey Beldon (Odette Yustman) is rescued from her exorcism by boyfriend Mark Hardigan (Cam Gigandet) in a supernatural thriller that tells the story of a young woman pulled into a world of nightmares when a demonic spirit haunts her and threatens everyone she loves: The Unborn.
Unborn08: Casey Beldon (Odette Yustman) questions Matty Newton (Atticus Shaffer) about his odd behavior toward his baby sister in a supernatural thriller that tells the story of a young woman pulled into a world of nightmares when a demonic spirit haunts her and threatens everyone she loves: The Unborn.
Unborn09: An unspeakable evil has possessed Eli Walker (Michael Sassone) in a supernatural thriller that tells the story of a young woman pulled into a world of nightmares when a demonic spirit haunts her and threatens everyone she loves: The Unborn.
Unborn10: Casey Beldon (Odette Yustman) studies the ancient Book of Mirrors in a supernatural thriller that tells the story of a young woman pulled into a world of nightmares when a demonic spirit haunts her and threatens everyone she loves: The Unborn.
Unborn11: Casey Beldon (Odette Yustman) tells her boyfriend, Mark Hardigan (Cam Gigandet), there is something behind the mirror in a supernatural thriller that tells the story of a young woman pulled into a world of nightmares when a demonic spirit haunts her and threatens everyone she loves: The Unborn.
Unborn12: Casey Beldon (Odette Yustman) swears she is not alone in a supernatural thriller that tells the story of a young woman pulled into a world of nightmares when a demonic spirit haunts her and threatens everyone she loves: The Unborn.
Unborn13: (L to R) Casey Beldon (Odette Yustman) tells best friend Romy Marshall (Meagan Good) about her nightmares in a supernatural thriller that tells the story of a young woman pulled into a world of nightmares when a demonic spirit haunts her and threatens everyone she loves: The Unborn.
Unborn14: (L to R) Casey Beldon (Odette Yustman) is rescued by boyfriend Mark Hardigan (Cam Gigandet) and best friend Romy Marshall (Meagan Good) in a supernatural thriller that tells the story of a young woman pulled into a world of nightmares when a demonic spirit haunts her and threatens everyone she loves: The Unborn.
Unborn15: Casey Beldon (Odette Yustman) sees unspeakable evil in a supernatural thriller that tells the story of a young woman pulled into a world of nightmares when a demonic spirit haunts her and threatens everyone she loves: The Unborn.
Unborn16: Rabbi Sendak (Gary Oldman) reads from the Book of Mirrors while Casey Beldon (Odette Yustman) hangs on for dear life in a supernatural thriller that tells the story of a young woman pulled into a world of nightmares when a demonic spirit haunts her and threatens everyone she loves: The Unborn.
Unborn17: Casey Beldon (Odette Yustman) convinces boyfriend Mark Hardigan (Cam Gigandet) evil is near in a supernatural thriller that tells the story of a young woman pulled into a world of nightmares when a demonic spirit haunts her and threatens everyone she loves: The Unborn.
Unborn18: (L to R) Gary Oldman as Rabbi Sendak and writer/director David Goyer on the set of a supernatural thriller that tells the story of a young woman pulled into a world of nightmares when a demonic spirit haunts her and threatens everyone she loves: The Unborn.
Unborn19: Barto (Ethan Cutkosky) unleashes his evil rage in a supernatural thriller that tells the story of a young woman pulled into a world of nightmares when a demonic spirit haunts her and threatens everyone she loves: The Unborn.
Unborn20: Barto (Ethan Cutkosky) possesses Father Arthur Wyndham (Idris Elba) in a supernatural thriller that tells the story of a young woman pulled into a world of nightmares when a demonic spirit haunts her and threatens everyone she loves: The Unborn.

By BRIAN TALLERICO
Content Director
HollywoodChicago.com
brian@hollywoodchicago.com