Visitors to Creepy Hospital Get the Fright of Their Lives in Horror Movie Prank

The makers of “Lord of Tears,” a well-reviewed Scottish indie chiller, definitely ruffled some feathers with a pair of pranks that brought the film’s evil “Owlman” into real life.

In the first and less elaborate stunt, Owlman popped up on Chatroulette, where he set some teeth chattering with fear, though most users just seemed amused. (By Chatroulette standards, he’s actually not so bad.)

More recently, though, the beaked beastie nested in an an abandoned children’s hospital that’s reportedly a favorite haunt of sightseers and photographers. “Lord of Tears'” director Lawrie Brewster explains: “Whenever we got a heads up somebody was heading this way … we would get our hidden cameras ready to record what happened when they encountered our Owlman lurking inside. We did not expect the reactions we filmed, and had to cut short the second prank as our victim became too distressed. He was eventually fine in the end and even had a cup of tea with us!”

“Distressed” is putting it mildly. Some hospital explorers seem ready for the psych ward after encountering the Owlman in the hospital’s dilapidated halls. 

Some will insist the prank was faked, and indeed a cursory search of Google turns up no mentions of an abandoned St. Mary’s Children’s Hospital, which seems odd if it’s such a popular destination. (There is, however, an abandoned St. Mary’s asylum in Stannington.) And of course the reactions are almost too perfect.

Regardless, the video has proven scary popular, generating almost 1 million views in a few days and lots of buzz for a relatively small film. So I’d call Owlman’s latest flight a wise move indeed.



Fatal Film Accident Prompts Wrongful Death Suit

Sarah Jones, a camera assistant, was killed by a train on a movie set in February while working on a Gregg Allman biographical film in Georgia.



‘Frozen’ Will Be a Disney on Ice Show, Too, Riding a Blockbuster’s Wave

The animated movie, a global hit, provides an opportunity for Disney to earn more profit from tie-ins.



Justices Reinstate Copyright Lawsuit Over ‘Raging Bull’

The suit, filed in 2009 by the daughter of the author of the screenplay for the 1980 movie, had been dismissed on appeal for being brought too late.



Media Decoder: Behind the Scenes in Hollywood’s Power Circles, Another Political Adviser

Craig Schirmer, a former Obama campaign strategist, has been working for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.



Walden Media, PG Filmmaker, Seeks Studio Partners Across Cultural Divide

The socially conservative entertainment company that produced “The Chronicles of Narnia” trilogy is now seeking to collaborate with more risqué partners.

Media Decoder: 16-Year-Old Gets His Way on a High School Film Fest

Adam Faze, a junior at Loyola High School in Los Angeles, created and organized The Loyola Film Festival, which will feature 72 films in four categories on Saturday.



Godzilla Is ‘Craving Italian’ in Fiat’s Movie Tie-In Ad

As if Italian auto brand Fiat hasn't had enough challenges in its recent U.S. reboot, the car becomes a snack for none other than Godzilla in this goofy but likable tie-in with the upcoming movie.

In this 45-second spot, created by The Richards Group, Big G chases down a four-door Fiat while generally wreaking havoc across a city, only to find the car's not quite the bite-size morsel he had in mind. (Some commenters have been amused by the ad's disclaimer assuring viewers that the giant-lizard-fueled mayhem "didn't actually happen.")

The movie debuts May 16. It stars Bryan Cranston, who will probably fire his agent that day. Unless he wakes up in bed next to Jane Kaczmarek, relieved that this puzzling career move was just a bad dream.




New Venture Envisions Films Based on Gritty Journalism

Page 1, a new movie and television company, will aim for productions based on nonmanufactured events with a visceral impact.



Moviefone Will Add Broadcast and On-Demand TV Information

Type in any title, and broadcast times and on-demand viewing options will pop up, allowing viewers to turn on a television at the appointed time or click a button and watch immediately.

Media Decoder: Documentary Channel Aims at an ‘Underserved’ Audience

As studios have largely sidestepped the genre, a distributor step is expected to step in this month with Docudrama Digital Channel, a free ad-supported service.



‘Amazing Spider-Man 2’ Makes $92 Million in North America

“The Amazing Spider-Man 2” — starring Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone, and already a hit overseas — had an impressive, if not spectacular, opening weekend in North America.

Author of the Book ‘Gravity’ Sues Warner Bros. Over Credit

The best-selling author Tess Gerritsen filed the suit, claiming the studio failed to give her a “based upon” film credit — and part of the profit — for her book published in 1999.



Media Decoder: Epix Plans to Introduce Film on Altman

The television and digital movie channel Epix plans to surround the documentary about the candid director with several of his works.



See Heineken’s 15-Second Film Based on a Fan’s Tweet About an Evil Abe Lincoln

Fifteen seconds is short for an ad, never mind a film. But Heineken and Wieden + Kennedy New York premiered just such a movie at the Tribeca Film Festival on Wednesday night—based on a fan's tweet about an evil Abraham Lincoln clone.

"They clone Abe Lincoln's DNA and name the clone president for life…except there's one problem: the clone is evil," Dennis Lazar, aka @awsommovieideas, wrote as his winning submission to the brewer's #15secondpremiere contest, which asked for fans' their wildest movie ideas. Those 115 characters (he had to leave room for the hashtag) were then crafted by a Hollywood film crew into 15 seconds of film—called Linclone.

You can check out the mini-movie below. The credits take way longer than the film itself—luckily there are some outtakes to keep things interesting.

Lazar was flown to New York and given the green carpet treatment by the Tribeca sponsor at the festival. Guests included Robert De Niro himself, who really should have played Lincoln if we're being honest.

Credits and more below.

 
The movie poster:

 
Lazar and DeNiro:

 
A deleted scene from the movie:

 
An interview with the director:

 
CREDITS

Client: Heineken
Project: #15SecondPremiere

Agency: Wieden + Kennedy, New York
Executive Creative Director: Susan Hoffman
Creative Directors: Eric Steele, Erik Norin
Copywriter: Mike Vitiello
Art Director: Cory Everett
Social Strategist: Jessica Abercrombie
Brand Strategist: Kelly Lynn Wright
Senior Interactive Strategist: Tom Gibby
Community Manager: Rocio Urena
Head of Content Production: Nick Setounski
Producer: Owen Katz
Print Producer: Kristen Althoff
Broadcast Traffic Supervisor: Sonia Bisono
Studio Designer: Chris Kelsch
Account Team: Patrick Cahill, Samantha Wagner, Kristen Herrington
Business Affairs: Lisa Quintela
Project Manager: Rayna Lucier

Production Company: Jefferson Projects
Executive Producer: Chris Totushek
Director: Eric Appel
Director of Photography: Mathew Rudenberg

Production Company: Whitehouse Post
Editor: Alaster Jordan
Assistant Editor: Matt Schaff
Executive Producer: Lauren Hertzberg
Producer: Alejandra Alarcon
Original Music: The Ski Team

Postproduction Company: Carbon VFX
Lead Compositor: Matt Reilly
Smoke Artist: Joe Scaglione
AE Artist: Maxime Benjamin
Executive Producer: Frank Devlin
Colorist: Yohance Brown
Surround Mix: Sound Lounge
Engineer: Justin Kooy
Executive Producer: Harrison Nalevansky

Cast and Crew
Abraham Linclone: Robert Broski
Dr. Satterberg: Eric Satterberg
Chief Justice: Paul Gregory
1st Assistant Director: Scott Metcalfe
2nd Assistant Director: Steve Bagnara
Production Supervisor: Megan Sullivan
DIT: Scott Resnick
Gaffer: Cody Jacobs
Key Grip: Kyle Honnig
Best Boy Electric: Brandon Wilson
Best Boy Grip: Ceaser Martinez
Set Decorator: Mark Wolcott
Prop Master: Eric Berg
Sound: Bo Sundberg
Boom Operator: Danny Carpenter
VTR: Carlos Patzi
Wardrobe Assistant: Beckee Craighead
Make-up Stylist: Kat Bardot
Make-up Assistant: Becca Weber
Production Assistants: Atif Ekulona, Eric Browning, Ewa Pazera, Julio Cordero, Desire Brumfield
Craft Services: Christina Gonzalez




Hollywood Begs for a Tax Break in Some States, Including California

A battle for filmmaking tax credits has begun in several states — including in California, the home of Hollywood — and has led to cutbacks in others like Maryland.



Cinema Chains Are Adding Large-Format Screens Like Imax in a Bid for Growth

Big chains are adding large-format screens in an effort to find new ways to grow in the United States and Canada, where business has been softening for a decade.



Here’s What Happens When You Ask Netflix to Go to Prom With You

Muthana Sweis, a student at Marist High School in Chicago, took two dates to his junior prom—and one of them was Netflix.

In a January tweet, the 17-year-old asked the company if it would accompany him on March 29 if his request got 1,000 retweets. (He probably asked Netflix because everyone knows that Comcast is taking Time Warner this year.) Netflix agreed, raising the question of how exactly a streaming service goes on a date.

In the end, the site's accompaniment consisted of providing a tuxedo, car and chauffeur based on movies and TV shows it carries. Sweis chose a classy James Bond Skyfall tux and a classic '50s Buick from Grease, along with John Travolta's character as his driver. (Breaking Bad's mobile meth lab was among the vehicle choices. Too bad Sweis didn't pick that one and really get the prom cooking.)

Beyond being a fun way for the brand to build buzz by leveraging its connection with fans, the episode reflects how deeply media have become woven into the fabric of our lives. Film content informed key aspects of the evening, there's a nod to Samsung's Oscar selfie, and the whole thing played out on social channels. It's especially telling that Sweis approached Netflix in the first place, tapping into our shared media experience to write his script for the prom.




Best Wedding Present Ever? Photographer Remakes Hollywood Posters Starring Bride and Groom

In a world where love is patient and love is kind, one couple refused to play by the rules. This summer, they're going to the chapel and someone's going to get … buried!

OK, so it was actually last fall, and no one died in a fiery blast. But these parodies of Hollywood blockbuster posters for the marriage of David DiCicco and Rachael Batts are still epic enough to make Michael Bay consider a second career as a wedding planner.

The posters were the work of the Virginia couple's close friend, Nashville-based photographer and designer Andres Martinez. After helping them create a Casablanca-themed save-the-date card, Martinez spent about a month creating a series of posters starring DiCicco and Batts, who displayed them at their wedding reception.

"It was definitely a labor of love, for sure," Martinez tells AdFreak. "It was a fun project. There are few people I'd rather do that kind of thing for."

What makes the posters truly impressive is the attention to detail, from recreating the lighting effects of the originals to matching the body positioning as closely as possible. Martinez said it was the perfect outlet for his passion for learning how iconic images are created: "As I've been shooting more and more, I find myself going to magazines and posters and just looking at them, trying to reverse engineer what's going on in the photo."

Late last week, Martinez and the now-married couple decided to share the posters on Reddit, where they rapidly shot to the front page. But their glory was short-lived, as Reddit moderators removed the post from the front page after about an hour because they were concerned about including the full real names of the couple and their friends. 

Check out all the posters and their inspirations below:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 




Machine Learning: Review: The Amazon Fire TV Streaming Media Set-Top Box

An entrant in the growing field of devices and services to stream media, the Fire TV is likable but falls short of some rivals, a reviewer says.