I love me some Tom Berenger behind a rifle scope. Remember 1993′s “Sniper”? That movie launched a franchise, though if you don’t partake in the direct-to-dvd movie market, you may not have known that. I did, and I’ve seen all of the “Sniper” movies, including 2002′s pretty good “Sniper 2″ and the equally pretty good “Sniper 3″ in 2004. Seven years later, we got the not-at-all-bad but unfortunately Tom Berenger-less “Sniper: Reloaded.” Although Berenger didn’t show up for “Reloaded,” his co-star from the original “Sniper,” Billy Zane, did. That film also introduced Chad Michael Collins as the son of Berenger’s character, who is also a sniper just like dear ol dad. The latest is “Sniper: Legacy,” which teams Collins and Berenger as father-and-son, thus bringing, I guess, the franchise full-circle. Or some such. The point, is it’s Tom Berenger back behind a rifle scope shooting fools!
- 7/30/2014
- by Nix
- Beyond Hollywood
In the world of direct-to-dvd sequels that's shortly to bring us Lost Boys 3, all an enterprising studio needs is the rights to a good title and a director who's willing to work fast
Lost Boys 3, the second sequel to Kiefer Sutherland's 80s vampire hit, is coming out later this year. What? You missed Lost Boys 2? Don't worry, so did Kiefer (although it does feature his half-brother Angus). Lost Boys 2, which went straight to DVD in 2008, is a poor retread of the original, but recouped its $5m budget in less than a month, paving the way for a third film. Welcome to the world of DVD sequels, where profits are high, stakes are low, and quality lower.
Back in the 90s, the direct-to-video sequel industry mainly produced animated or family films, with Disney in particular happy to churn out weak sequels for everything from Bambi to Pocahontas. However, the decreasing...
Lost Boys 3, the second sequel to Kiefer Sutherland's 80s vampire hit, is coming out later this year. What? You missed Lost Boys 2? Don't worry, so did Kiefer (although it does feature his half-brother Angus). Lost Boys 2, which went straight to DVD in 2008, is a poor retread of the original, but recouped its $5m budget in less than a month, paving the way for a third film. Welcome to the world of DVD sequels, where profits are high, stakes are low, and quality lower.
Back in the 90s, the direct-to-video sequel industry mainly produced animated or family films, with Disney in particular happy to churn out weak sequels for everything from Bambi to Pocahontas. However, the decreasing...
- 7/30/2010
- The Guardian - Film News
Smokin' Aces 2: Assassin's Ball Quick Thoughts: I'm a fan of the original Smokin' Aces as a piece of escapist fun. It's also a film I would recommend fans of absurd black-comedy action features pick up and add to their collection. However, Smokin' Aces 2: Assassin's Ball (referred to as Smokin' Aces: Blowback in all of the special features) just isn't up to par, and for the most part it can't really help but look like the direct-to-dvd/Blu-ray film it is. Tons of obvious green screen work, second rate effects and an aging Tom Berenger as your biggest star doesn't exactly spell out top quality. Director P.J. Pesce was obviously working with a minimal budget and he did what he could with what he had, but a stand-out film experience this is not.
Luckily, Pesce is used to this sort of cheap follow-up fare having directed the...
Luckily, Pesce is used to this sort of cheap follow-up fare having directed the...
- 1/19/2010
- by Brad Brevet
- Rope of Silicon
Not long after the certifiably insane Smokin' Aces came and went and then sold a Lot of dvds, we started hearing all sorts of little stories about sequels, prequels, or any sort of follow-up. Clearly someone at Universal (besides Aces director/co-writer Joe Carnahan, I mean) saw the potential in keeping this franchise afloat, even if that meant remanding the subsequent sequels to the "lesser" direct-to-video market. And even those who adored Smokin' Aces would have to see the logic there: Pretty much all the characters from the first flick were dead, and even those who survived ... aren't exactly huge stars.
So off to the video shelves we go with Smokin' Aces 2: Assassin's Ball, and this time the directorial reins are in the hands of P.J. Pesce -- and if you're looking for a guy to bang out a direct-to-video sequel, Mr. Pesce is your man. His previous...
So off to the video shelves we go with Smokin' Aces 2: Assassin's Ball, and this time the directorial reins are in the hands of P.J. Pesce -- and if you're looking for a guy to bang out a direct-to-video sequel, Mr. Pesce is your man. His previous...
- 1/18/2010
- by Scott Weinberg
- Cinematical
Universal Studios Home Entertainment has unveiled the trailer for the upcoming “Smokin’ Aces 2: Assassins’ Ball,” a prequel to Joe Carnahan’s kinetic hitman flick.
“Smokin’ Aces 2″ synopsis: Federal agents once again match wits with a cadre of creative killers in the high-octane feature-length film Smokin’ Aces 2: Assassins’ Ball. Walter Weed (Tom Berenger) is an unassuming desk jockey at the FBI when the Bureau uncovers a plot to assassinate him. A team of degenerate, psychotic assassins dispatched by mystery man Hal Leuco to win a huge bounty includes a resourceful beauty who has a unique method of killing her prey (Martha Higareda), a power-tool wielding psychopath (Vinnie Jones) and a deadly master of disguise (Tommy Flanagan). Also in the hunt is the fan-favorite Tremor family from the original film, featuring nymphomaniacal gun-nut (Autumn Reeser) and her lethal kinfolk (Maury Sterling, Michael Parks and C. Ernst Harth). Baker (Clayne Crawford...
“Smokin’ Aces 2″ synopsis: Federal agents once again match wits with a cadre of creative killers in the high-octane feature-length film Smokin’ Aces 2: Assassins’ Ball. Walter Weed (Tom Berenger) is an unassuming desk jockey at the FBI when the Bureau uncovers a plot to assassinate him. A team of degenerate, psychotic assassins dispatched by mystery man Hal Leuco to win a huge bounty includes a resourceful beauty who has a unique method of killing her prey (Martha Higareda), a power-tool wielding psychopath (Vinnie Jones) and a deadly master of disguise (Tommy Flanagan). Also in the hunt is the fan-favorite Tremor family from the original film, featuring nymphomaniacal gun-nut (Autumn Reeser) and her lethal kinfolk (Maury Sterling, Michael Parks and C. Ernst Harth). Baker (Clayne Crawford...
- 10/31/2009
- by Allan Ford
- Filmofilia
Foreign Objects travels the world of international cinema each week in search of films worth visiting. So renew your passport, get your shots, and brush up on the local age of legal consent, this week we’re heading to… Hong Kong! There's a brilliant scene in the upcoming Kathryn Bigelow film, The Hurt Locker, that features two snipers duelling from hundreds of yards apart. It's tense and suspenseful, but it's also intentionally slow and grueling. You'll hear more about the scene when the film opens wide this summer, but trust me that it will instantly take a top spot in the pantheon of sniper cinema. For reference, Mark Wahlberg's under-appreciated Shooter is in the top half of the spectrum while Tom Berenger's Sniper 3 is at the far other end. Somewhere in the middle sits the new film from director Dante Lam. The Sniper opens with two young cops who find themselves outnumbered in a...
- 6/10/2009
- by Rob Hunter
- FilmSchoolRejects.com
Joe Carnahan has revealed on his official blog that he won’t be directing the upcoming direct-to-disc prequel to his action flick, Smokin’ Aces. Carnahan says directing duties will instead go to Pj Pesce. Pesce is no stranger to the direct-to-disc game. He’s helmed From Dusk Till Dawn 3: The Hangman's Daughter, Sniper 3 and most recently Lost Boys: The Tribe. Little is known about the prequel, titled Smokin’ Aces: Blowback, but Carnahan has stated he wants it to revolve around the Tremor brothers. In the first flick the brothers were Neo-Nazi guns-for-hire. They were played by Chris Pine, Kevin Durand and Maury Sterling. The first movie was released in January 2007 and centered on Las Vegas performer-turned-snitch, Buddy Israel. He decides to turn state's evidence and testify against the mob. The mob puts a bounty on Israel’s head which opens the floodgates to a sleuth of assassins out to collect.
- 12/12/2008
- by James Cook
- TheMovingPicture.net
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.