Nordling here.
Last night here in Houston, Robert Saucedo, programming director for the Houston and Lubbock Alamo Drafthouses, Meredith Borders, editor for Badass Digest, and myself threw our (hopefully) annual Movie Hullabaloo. It's a bit like Harry's BNAT - we pick some of our favorite films and spring them on an unsuspecting audience. My pick, ANGELS WITH DIRTY FACES, got a great response, but Meredith's pick, THE LEGEND OF BILLIE JEAN in 35mm, thoroughly kicked my (and the audience's) ass. Robert picked a Fantastic Fest film, I AM A KNIFE WITH LEGS, that was full of surreal humor and great music. We also premiered KUMIKO THE TREASURE HUNTER and Drafthouse Films' SPRING, and it was so much fun. I can't wait to do it again next year.
We also were the first movie audience to see the trailer for Drafthouse Film's latest acquisition, the 1981 animal attack movie ROAR. If you've heard anything about this movie, chances are you've already gotten a ticket, but if you haven't - ROAR is a ten year labor of love movie directed by Noel Marshall (producer of THE EXORCIST), and starring Marshall's wife, Tippi Hedren, and daughter, Melanie Griffith. Marshall used his home as a sort of wildlife preserve, full of many wild cats from across the globe. Wild, of course, being the key word. Marshall decided to make a movie using these animals, except that during the course of the shoot, many of the crew were injured and almost killed. Melanie Griffith had to have facial reconstruction surgery, and Noel Marshall almost died from gangrene. ROAR may be the single most irresponsible movie ever made.
So of course Tim League bought it for Drafthouse Films, and the quotes in the trailer used to describe the movie made the audience laugh and applaud their asses off. This is just the trailer, mind you. I can't wait to see this whole thing when it opens. Preferably with a few beers. I'll never look at my cat the same way again. Here's the trailer:
ROAR opens this April. Prepare to get eaten.
Nordling, out.
