Christopher Smith

Anyone who knows me knows that I am a huge fan of British director Christopher Smith's work. So, when First Look Pictures reached out to Horror Squad for the US release of Smith's third film, Triangle, I must admit; I kind of geeked out. We talked about everything from his forthcoming kids-as-spys film (that isn't exactly for kids), to his just-completed journey back to Medieval times in search of a plague-causing necromancer (Black Death), to Back to the Future, to what he'd do with a Creep 2. Oh, and, of course we talked about a twisted little enigma called Triangle, starring Melissa George as a woman trapped on an ocean liner, and out on DVD and Blu-ray today.

Horror Squad: How are you? How are things?

Christopher Smith: I just finished Black Death and I'm sitting in a coffee shop about to get on writing this kids film I've been working on for a number of years called CHERUB. It's kind of like a Rodriguez Spy Kids but not a big budget version; like a Shane Meadows Spy Kids movie. It's that kind of film. It's about a bunch of state kids working for the government, it's quite a cool film based on a series of books.

Horror Squad: Very cool, when's that going into production?

Christopher Smith: We're hoping to shoot in the summer. There's a big franchise of books in England called CHERUB and what it is is like a Nikita story. It's about a young kid from a broken family who suddenly realizes that he's an orphan and he's being cared for by the government. We're doing it quite realistically, so instead of the kids, ya' know, jumping out of helicopters and doing that, it's more about how the government uses kids in the same way drug dealers would use kids to traffic things. It's more Bourne Identity than it is James Bond.

Rejoice fellow Creep and Severance fans, Christopher Smith has a new movie coming out! No, not his medieval necromancers film Black Death, but his trapped-in-a-nightmare film Triangle. First Look Studios will be putting out the American DVD and Blu-ray on February 2nd and we've been given an exclusive clip from the film to share. But first, the official synopsis:

"When Jess sets sail on her friend Greg's (Michael Dorman, "The Secret Life Of Us") yacht with a group of friends, she cannot shake the feeling that there is something wrong. Her suspicions are realized when the yacht hits a storm in the Bermuda Triangle and the group is forced to board a passing ocean liner to get to safety. The ship appears deserted, but Jess is convinced she's been on board before. They soon realize they are not alone and that someone is intent on hunting them down, one by one. Also starring Liam Hemsworth ("The Elephant Princess," Knowing) and Emma Lung (Crush, Gates of Hell, Heist, House of Wax)."

Now the clip in question isn't exactly Not Safe for Work, but it's got a good deal of Melissa George running and grunting and defending herself from someone in a cloth mask trying to kill her, so might not want to hit play if anyone around is sensitive to such matters.

Christopher Smith (Severance and Creep) is ready to release his necromancer delight Black Death to UK theaters in February, but US audiences can check out his psychological thriller, Triangle when it hits DVD and Blu-ray on February 2. The film was an official selection at ScreamFest 2009. We have an exclusive first look at the key set photos which you can check out after the jump.

When Jess sets sail on her friend Greg's (Michael Dorman, The Secret Life Of Us) yacht with a group of friends, she cannot shake the feeling that there is something wrong. Her suspicions are realized when the yacht hits a storm in the Bermuda Triangle and the group is forced to board a passing ocean liner to get to safety. The ship appears deserted, but Jess is convinced she's been on board before. They soon realize they are not alone and that someone is intent on hunting them down, one by one. Also starring Liam Hemsworth (The Elephant Princess, Knowing) and Emma Lung (Crush, Gates of Hell, Heist, House of Wax).

It's been a few years since we've had a good horror flick set on a sea vessel (the last being Stephen Sommer's cult classic Deep Rising), but I have faith that Smith can make this voyage a terrifying and unforgettable experience.

I've yet to see Triangle, director Christopher Smith's latest film, but I enjoyed his earlier efforts (Severance and Creep) enough to consider myself a fan of his work. We've known about his latest production, the period film Black Death, for some time. Now, with it's UK theatrical release date right around the corner (February 26th, to be exact), Bloody-Disgusting has scored a slew of exclusive new stills that should have you excited about the film as I am. Who doesn't like period horror films about necromancers, knights, and the plague?

Here's the official plot breakdown to get everyone up to speed.

Medieval England has fallen under the shadow of The Black Death. In this apocalyptic world, filled with fear and superstition, a young monk called Osmund is charged with leading a fearsome knight, Ulric (Sean Bean) and his group of mercenaries to a remote marsh. Their quest is to hunt down a necromancer - someone able to bring the dead back to life. Torn between his love of God and the love of a young woman, Osmund discovers the necromancer, a mysterious beauty called Langiva. After Langiva reveals her Satanic identity and offers Osmund his heart's desire, the horror of his real journey begins...

If the quality of the stills is any indication, Black Death appears to be shaping up quite nicely. Hopefully we'll be get a look at the official trailer sometime in the coming weeks. No word yet on plans for a US release, but we'll keep you posted as details emerge.

I've been keeping my eye out for Triangle, the newest film from Creep and Severance director Christopher Smith, for some time. I'm a huge fan of his two previous entries, both of which I feel never quite got the following they deserved. I'm also a big fan of Melissa George, she of 30 Days of Night and Turistas, as well as ardent supporter of stories revolving around ships getting lost at sea, so all of the ingredients are there for me to be jazzed for Triangle.

Alas, I've known since first reading about the title that it would be destined to go straight-to-DVD here in the States. Now such suspicions have been confirmed by DVD Active, who have a look at the cover art, date, price, and announced feature list for the film. The long and short of it:

Date: February 2nd
Blu-ray: Yes
Suggested Price: ~$29 for the DVD, ~$30 for the Blu-ray
Features: Cast & Crew Interviews

It's a little skimpy on the bonus material, and I'm sure it'll sell for less than that inflated price, but at least it's only 3 months away, right? Click on for the official trailer.

I wish I could recall precisely when marketing departments started outsourcing their Photoshop work to fans, but it's been going on long enough that this addled brain can no longer peg a start date. I want to say the first time I saw it was around either the second or third Resident Evil movie, but don't hold that against me. Point is this poster contest for the newest film from Creep and Severance director Christopher Smith is neither the first nor will it be the last production to let the faceless masses of the tubes decide what the face of their horror film will look like.

If you head over to the official website for Triangle you can vote for one of four finalized posters, though try not to take too close of a look at the one with Melissa George on the bloody deck; it actually contains a rather large spoiler. Enterprising souls can download a 50mb asset pack loaded with pre-cropped snaps of starlett Melissa George in various poses of duress and then use their favorite photo editor to whip up a Triangle sales pitch that will surely be at least as mediocre as the four approved nominees. Once you're done copying and pasting, submit your Melissa George clone collage to the site for a chance to win...absolutely nothing of consequence!

Like I said, it's just a time waster. Should you happen to 'shop up two magnificent big heads, it'll still only get you a hypothetical spot on the DVD. That's why I opted to take a different approach and turn the poster into an album cover. And believe you me when I say this was a monumental waste of time. Beware colorful language: