BLOOD OF REDEMPTION (Giorgio Serafini/Shawn Sourgose, 2013)

[Tom]

Why is it so hard for studios to do a decent DVD/BR/Artwork cover these days. Goddamn I miss the VHS era. So many fantastic covers. Often a movie would be rented/sold on the basis of an awesome cover too. Who the frig looks at that cover, or most of Dolph's other recent covers and thinks it looks a good buy.
Ironically one of his better recent artworks was for Stash House but it's one of his more forgettable.

For starters it would help if they hired someone who's at least competent on Photoshop.

[Jox]

Thing is in the 80s you had no choice but get a good artist because there was no photoshop and a lot od key arts were f'ing hand painted, movies were making money so you could spend some bucks. Now there's no time or money and even if there are good artists, they're not used to give their best.

(in any capacity actually, just read the interview of M83 Anthony Gonzales who tells how they made him crazy on the OBLIVION score, showing how even when Hollywood hires great artists they make them look like hacks because they call all the shots)

This one was much better (although it doesn't look like a crime flick). These light not have been ordered by the same company (production or foreign sales) or for the same purposes.


So unless Dolph works on the next Nicolas Winding Refn (OMG please!) or a production/director of that caliber, there's no need to hope the poster artworks and covers get any different or better except on occasions...

[preacher]

Why is it so hard for studios to do a decent DVD/BR/Artwork cover these days.

I am with you there Tom.
Generic as fuck! God i hate these crappy covers/artwork.
Not like it's that hard to do a decent job either.
For starters: Get pictures of the actors where they don't look bored to death!
That goes a long way. Seriously. Just look at the old army of one poster for example. Not sofisitcated at all. Not that much going on either.

[Jox]

It's also been the advertising trend in general, even for bigger movies, for a few years: simple fonts, simple photos on a white-ish background, look at these...

[Jox]

The DP posted a trailer on his Vimeo, not sure he's supposed to or allowed:
http://vimeo.com/64681057



Not sure what to think of it

[Tom]

It looks okay actually. Quite slick. From the trailer, it's quite clear that, even though Dolph is the lead, he's gonna disappear from the movie for large sections. Sadly that's just a b-movie commonality these days. Seagal really perfected that trick in his films over the last decade.
The cast looks decent, although Billy Zane just seems to cheapen this. I don't know why but something about Zane just comes off as a bit phony sometimes. He's a fairly big name for this sort of film, but he kind of chips this down from a B-flick to almost looking a C-flick. The sad part is that Zanes pretty good when hes on it, but here he looks like he's just picking up a pay check. That said, as a Dolph fan, I can't honestly say Dolph looks like he's giving his all. His role almost seems a bit like Jason Price-lite. It's a role like this that makes you understand why he's happier playing the antagonist.
Still, it's got Vinnie and Davi as well.
With films like Tomb of The Dragon, Invincible on the horizon, and Dungeon Siege 2, and Stash House already out, this one does look pretty polished and entertaining though. We'll see. If it's on a par with Package and Chamber I'll be happy. This one interests me a little more than Ambushed/Absent Guard because of the cast.

[preacher]

The DP posted a trailer on his Vimeo, not sure he's supposed to or allowed:
http://vimeo.com/64681057

Oops.

Must say that the look of the film is a pleasant suprise. Sure, it's very uneven and some shots in there are not exactly ace. But on the other hand some are pure class. The slowmo-shot of Dolph in that brothel-type place for example. Mostly good lighting too from the looks of it. Looks way above recent DTV actioners like Van Dammes Six Bullets in terms of the look. The locations go a long way even though there is nothing fancy. Just feels like a breath of fresh air to be out of eastern Europe (or a gloomy, rainy Vancouver). Also way better than Dolphs Icarus (which was also a quick shoot in a big-city-setting).

The music sucks (but I guess that's temporary) and the trailer is in many ways jumbled mess. That can all change for the better.
But what does worry me is that Dolphs short time on set will shine through in his acting, which does not come across as very inspired.

[Nathan]

Thoughts? Looks more like an ensemble crime-thriller than a straight up action. Dolph looks good physically in the smarter gear (but why is Vinnie wearing a Velma Dinkley-esque poloneck and a retarded brim hat?) and the cast is certainly going to fill the DVD cover (if they are smart.) As for action, it looks pretty empty, Dolph looks a tad uninterested but it looks a little bit like an unfinished product so we may see better. But I am impressed with the look in certain shots, you could be forgiven for mistaking it for something elevated above the usual DTV for a few seconds here and there. At the end of the day, this may just be another throwaway Dolph movie.

[savagesketch]

Judging from the trailer and Dolph's limited shooting schedule, this is clearly a crime ensemble picture. What's misleading though is that most likely Dolph's name and image will be prominent and in front for the poster and all subsequent promotion. Does it look decent? Sure, but it also screams DTV. Also, as others noted, it appears that Dolph seems to be going through the motions and phoning it in.

What amazes me most about these DTV prodcutions is how quickly they're put together. It was announced in June of last year, and Dolph shot his scenes over the course roughly two years toward the end of 2012. Now we already have a trailer. I'm guessing Anchor Bay picks this up and releases it in the Fall.

[Jox]

This is an early trailer for the Cannes market obviously, that the DP dropped yet none has been put online for RUSH and for instance the guys behind BATTLE OF THE DAMNED want to wait closer to release before unleashing theirs (I asked)...

[Nathan]

I did wonder. That said, it's nice to see some footage. I do anticipate Rush being the slightly better of the two though, probably because it seems more geared towards action.

[Geoff]

I actually quite like the look of this. Yes there is polish on it so frankly this might be better that Rush (or whatever this weeks title is)

[Jox]

Trailer officially unleashed
http://www.vmiworldwide.com/Details.asp ... 96b839ed91

Updated key art


stills

[Nathan]

I kinda like the cover, I know it's photoshopped to hell, but at least they've had the foresight to include all of the cast names. As for that being the official trailer, hmmm we'll see what the movie is like when it comes. Vinnie Jones always puts in the effort.

[Mosquito]

The trailer looks promising. Not the typical cheap look we have seen too many times over the last years. Also a good cast with Vinnie Jones, Billy Zane, Robert Davi. Guess I'm looking forward to this.