Opening in theaters on September 27th is the new horror thriller We Are What We Are, which is an American remake of the popular Mexican film of the same name. The movie was directed by Jim Mickle (Stake Land), and stars a great cast of actors that includes Julia Garner (Martha Marcy May Marlene, The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Not Fade Away), Ambyr Childers (Freelancers, Broken City, 2 Guns), Kelly McGillis (Top Gun), Michael Parks (Django Unchained), Odeya Rush (The Odd Life of Timothy Green), and Bill Sage (American Psycho). 

Much like the original, the film revolves around The Parkers, a reclusive family who follow strange and ancient customs. However, they find their secret existence threatened as a torrential downpour moves into their area, which forces daughters Iris (Childers) and Rose (Garner) to assume responsibilities beyond those of a typical family. In addition to starring in We Are What We Are, actress Julia Garner will soon be seen playing the role of Marcy in the highly awaited sequel Sin City: A Dame to Kill For, which is once again directed by Robert Rodriguez (Machete), and comic book legend Frank Miller (The Spirit). 

I recently had the pleasure of speaking with Julia Garner about her work on We Are What We Are, as well as Sin City: A Dame to Kill For. The talented young actress discussed her new film, the original movie it is based on, not enjoying scary films and what it’s like to be in one, keeping it light on the set, her initial reactions to the script, creating her character, Rose’s similarities to her father, collaborating with director Jim Mickle, Sin City: A Dame to Kill For, working with co-directors Robert Rodriguez and Frank Miller, and her scene partner Joseph Gordon-Levitt. 

Leland Orser is one of those great actors that you might not recognize by name but would definitely know if you saw his face!

He’s been acting on film and television for over twenty years and raises the quality of any project he is a part of. He’s appeared on not one but three different Star Trek series including Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Star Trek: Voyager, and Enterprise, as well as having guest roles on a string of beloved series like The X-Files, ER, 24, and Scandal. However, Orser is probably best known for his excellent film work in such popular movies as Seven, Independence Day, Alien Resurrection, Saving Private Ryan, The Bone Collector, Pearl Harbor, Daredevil, Runaway Jury, The Good German, Taken, and most recently Taken 2. Now, after years of being in front of the camera, Orser is putting his focus behind the camera from a new film that he directed, wrote, produced, and also stars in called Morning, which opens in select theaters on September 27th. 

Morning is based on Orser’s short film of the same name and takes a look at the life of an American couple immediately following the accidental death of their child. The movie follows the divergent paths of Mark (Orser) and Alice Munroe (played by Orser’s real life wife Jeanne Tripplehorn) as they deal with their heart-breaking grief before finally coming to grips with their shared loss. In addition to Orser and Tripplehorn, the film also stars Laura Linney (Hyde Park on Hudson), Elliott Gould (Ocean’s Eleven), Jason Ritter (The East), Kyle Chandler (Zero Dark Thirty), and Julie White (Transformers series). 

I recently had the absolute pleasure of speaking to actor turned writer/director Leland Orser about his work on Morning. The accomplished actor and first time filmmaker discussed his new movie, if he’s always had desires to direct, developing the screenplay, the process of getting the movie made, his terrific cast, working with his wife Jeanne Tripplehorn, directing himself, what he’s learned over the years from the amazing group of filmmakers he’s been fortunate enough to work with as an actor, and how his acting experience helped prepare him to direct.

Opening in theaters on September 27th is the new documentary Inequality for All from filmmaker Jacob Kornbluth (The Best Thief in the World). The film follows American economist, author, and professor Robert Reich, who was the Secretary of Labor under President Bill Clinton from 1993 - 1997.

IAR Managing Editor Jami Philbrick recently had the pleasure of sitting down with Robert Reich and Jacob Kornbluth to talk about their work on Inequality for All. The documentary filmmaker and economist discussed their new movie, why Kornbluth felt it was important to make it, Reich's apprehension to having his life documented, the problem of economic inequality in America, how we can fix it, and what will happen if we do nothing about it. 

Currently available on VOD and opening in select theaters on September 20th is the new crime noir thriller A Single Shot from director David M. Rosenthal (Janie Jones, Falling Up, See This Movie). The film, which is based on the novel of the same name by Matthew F. Jones, who also wrote the screenplay, stars an impressive cast of actors that includes Sam Rockwell (The Way Way Back), William H. Macy (The Sessions), Kelly Reilly (Flight), Jason Isaacs (Harry Potter series), Joe Anderson (The Grey), Ted Levine (The Silence of the Lambs), Jeffrey Wright (Broken City), and Academy Award-winner Melissa Leo (Olympus Has Fallen). 

The movie features a powerful performance by Rockwell as a classic noir character named John Moon, an everyman-type hunter who can’t seem to catch a break. Recently separated from his family, Moon is struggling to make ends meet in West Virginia while living in his wilderness home. After the accidental death of a young girl, he stumbles upon a box of cash, which he thinks will change his luck for the better. But when the criminals that the box belongs to come looking for their money, it begins a chain of events that threatens both him and his estranged family. Now Moon must use his wits and skills to protect his family in the backwoods area that he knows so well, while surviving a dangerous game of cat-and-mouse between him and the killers who will stop at nothing to retrieve their cash. 

I recently had the pleasure of speaking with director David M. Rosenthal about his work on A Single Shot. The accomplished filmmaker discussed his new movie, what attracted him to the project, the noir genre, the visual pitch he used to get hired, other movies that influenced this film, why it was helpful to have author Matthew F. Jones adapt his own novel into the screenplay, working with actor Sam Rockwell, the classic noir character of John Moon, assembling the impressive ensemble cast, William H. Macy and Jason Isaacs unusual performances, and the film’s silent opening sequence. 

After directing several critically acclaimed films and even a James Bond movie, director Marc Forster is now taking on the zombie apocalypse!

Forster first gained attention for his drama Monster’s Ball, which earned Halle Berry her Oscar for Best Actress. He followed that up with Finding Neverland, which was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Picture and based on the life of author J.M. Barrie. He would go on to direct the popular Will Ferrell comedy Stranger Than Fiction, an adaption of the beloved novel The Kite Runner, and the true-life story Machine Gun Preacher, before taking on 007 with the box office smash Quantum of Solace, a sequel to Casino Royale once again starring Daniel Craig. But this summer the director turned his sights on zombies with his hit movie World War Z starring Brad Pitt, which will be available on Blu-ray and DVD beginning September 17th. 

In the film, which is based on the popular book by Max Brooks, United Nations employee Gerry Lane (Pitt) travels the world in a race against time to stop the Zombie pandemic that is toppling armies and governments, and threatening to destroy humanity itself. In addition to Pitt (who also produced the film), the movie stars Mireille Enos (TV’s The Killing), James Badge Dale (The Lone Ranger), Matthew Fox (Emperor), and veteran actor David Morse (The Odd Life of Timothy Green). The film was based on the book of the same name and an original story created by Matthew Michael Carnahan (The Kingdom) and Michael J. Straczynski (TV’s Babylon 5), while Carnahan, Drew Goddard (The Cabin in the Woods), and Damon Lindelof (Prometheus) wrote the screenplay. 

I recently had the pleasure of speaking with director Marc Forster about his work on World War Z. The acclaimed filmmaker discussed his latest movie, what excited him about the project, why the film is so different than the book, adapting existing material into a new movie, working with the film’s writers, the project’s early bad press, how he dealt with it, why it happened, working with actor/producer Brad Pitt, his process as an actor, why the director likes the zombie genre, the look of the zombies in the film, fast vs. slow zombies, and if he will return to direct the proposed sequel. 

Harry Dean Stanton is not only a legendary actor and singer, but he is also an American original!

Stanton has been working on stage, television, and film for almost 60 years. His resume of accomplishments is too long to list but includes highlights such as Cool Hand Luke, In the Heat of the Night, Kelly’s Heroes, Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid, The Godfather Part II, Cheech & Chong’s Up in Smoke, Alien, Escape from New York, Paris, Texas, Red Dawn, Pretty in Pink, The Last Temptation of Christ, Wild at Heart, Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, The Straight Story, The Green Mile, and Anger Management. 

He also starred on the popular HBO series Big Love, and at age 87 shows no signs of stopping any time soon having appeared in such recent films as The Last Stand with Arnold Schwarzenegger, the critically acclaimed Seven Psychopaths, and the blockbuster hit Marvel’s The Avengers. In addition to his acting triumphs, Stanton is also a renowned singer and musical performer. Now, a new documentary called Harry Dean Stanton: Partly Fiction, which opens in theaters on September 13th, gives audiences an inside look at the man, the myth, and the legendary icon that is Harry Dean Stanton!

The new film takes a look at the iconic actor and is comprised of intimate moments and film clips from some of his 250 films, as well as his own heart-breaking renditions of American folk songs. Directed by Sophie Huber, the film explores the actor's enigmatic outlook on his life, his unexploited talents as a musician, and includes candid scenes with filmmakers David Lynch and Wim Wenders, as well as Sam Shepard, Kris Kristofferson and Debbie Harry. 

I recently had the absolute pleasure of speaking with the legendary Harry Dean Stanton about Harry Dean Stanton: Partly Fiction, his life, and his incredible career. The iconic performer discussed the new documentary, how he felt about making it, his theories on acting, why Paris, Texas is his favorite movie, his collaborations with director David Lynch, his music, playing the harmonica, his friendships with Jack Nicholson, Marlon Brando, and Kris Kristofferson, why he continues to work at this point in his career, his philosophy on life, and what he hopes audiences learn about him from watching this movie. 

Opening in theaters on Friday, September 13th is the new horror film Insidious: Chapter 2, which is a sequel to the popular 2010 movie Insidious. The film is once again directed by James Wan (The Conjuring), and written by screenwriter Leigh Whannell (Saw). In addition to Whannell, the movie also features returning cast members Patrick Wilson (Watchmen), Rose Byrne (X-Men: First Class), Ty Simpkins (Iron Man 3), Lin Shaye (There's Something About Mary), Angus Sampson (Where the Wild Things Are), and Barbara Hershey (Black Swan).

IAR's Managing Editor Jami Philbrick recently had the pleasure of speaking with director James Wan, as well as screenwriter Leigh Whannell about their work on Insidious: Chapter 2, and Wan's next film - Fast & Furious 7. The two filmmakers discussed their new movie, what they wanted to do differently with the sequel, adding humor to the mix, reuniting with actor Patrick Wilson, what they like about working with him, and if Wan is prepared to leave the horror genre and take on the Fast & Furious franchise. 

Omari Hardwick is doing something very unusual for a Hollywood actor … he’s abandoning big budget studio films to focus on his craft!

After starring in a string of high profile Hollywood movies like Beauty Shop, Gridiron Gang, The Guardian, Spike Lee’s Miracle at St. Anna, Kick-Ass, The A-Team, Tyler Perry’s For Colored Girls, and Whitney Houston’s final film Sparkle, the actor has begun to concentrate on appearing in smaller character driven projects. Last year’s independent hit Middle of Nowhere is a perfect example, as is his latest film Things Never Said, which opens in theaters on September 6th. 

The film marks TV writer Charles Murray’s (Third Watch) directorial debut and follows an aspiring poet (Shanola Hampton) in a troubled marriage that falls for a new man (Hardwick) who helps her find her artistic voice. In addition to Hardwick and Hampton, the film also stars Elimu Nelson (Love Don’t Cost a Thing), Michael Beach (Broken City), and Tamala Jones (Castle). 

I recently had the pleasure of speaking to Omari Hardwick about his work on Things Never Said. The popular actor discussed his new movie, why he’s made the shift to independent film, his life long passion for poetry, how that made playing this role so natural for him, and working with first time feature film director Charles Murray. 

One of the most prolific and successful writers working in Hollywood today is Alex Kurtzman!

Along with his partner Roberto Orci, they are responsible for writing such popular films as The Legend of Zorro, Mission: Impossible III, Transformers, Star Trek, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, and Cowboys & Aliens, as well as the upcoming films Edge of Tomorrow, and The Amazing Spider-Man 2. They also created the TV series Fringe and Hawaii Five-0, not to mention that Kurtzman recently made his directorial debut with the film People Like Us. In addition, the duo produced this summer’s surprise hit Now You See Me, as well as the highly anticipated Ender’s Game. Now their latest film Star Trek Into Darkness, which they co-wrote with Damon Lindelof (Prometheus) and is a sequel to the popular 2009 reimagining of the iconic franchise, is available on Blu-ray and DVD beginning September 10th. 

Once again directed by J.J. Abrams, Star Trek Into Darkness finds the crew of the USS Enterprise discovering an unstoppable force of terror within their own organization that forces Captain Kirk (Chris Pine) to lead a manhunt into a war-zone world in order to capture a one man weapon of mass destruction named Khan Noonien Singh (Benedict Cumberbatch). Along with Pine, the returning cast includes Zachary Quinto as Spock, Zoe Saldana as Uhura, Karl Urban as Bones, Simon Pegg as Scotty, John Cho as Sulu, Anton Yelchin as Chekov, and Bruce Greenwood as Pike, as well as new cast members Alice Eve (The Raven) as Carol Marcus, and Peter Weller (Batman: The Dark Knight Returns - Part 1) as Admiral Marcus.

I recently had the pleasure of speaking with writer and producer Alex Kurtzman about his work on Star Trek Into Darkness, as well as its recently announced follow up Star Trek 3, and The Amazing Spider-Man 2. The popular filmmaker discussed the latest Star Trek movie, the decision to use iconic Trek character Khan as the film’s villain, why there was so much secrecy surrounding the role during the movie’s marketing campaign, returning to the franchise without director J.J. Abrams, and the process of choosing the villains for The Amazing Spider-Man 2.

Veteran actress Beverly D’Angelo has been entertaining people with her film and television performances for over 35 years. However, believe it or not, until now she has never really appeared in an action genre film during her illustrious career.

D’Angelo first gained attention for her supporting roles in such iconic films as Annie Hall, Hair, and Coal Minor’s Daughter, but it was her role as Ellen Griswold in National Lampoon’s Vacation, National Lampoon’s European Vacation, National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, and Vegas Vacation that made her a household name. She has gone on to appear in such films as Pacific Heights, American History X, Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay, and The House Bunny, as well as playing a pivotal role on the popular HBO series Entourage. But now she marks her foray into the action film genre with the new movie Bounty Killer, which opens in theaters and on VOD beginning September 6th. 

The film is directed by Henry Saine and is set in a post-apocalyptic future where vigilantes known as Bounty Killers compete for body counts, fame and a fat stack of cash. Their quest is to end the plague of corporate greed by killing CEOs and providing the survivors of the apocalypse with retribution. In addition to D’Angelo, the film also stars Matthew Marsden (Rambo), Christian Pitre  (Crazy, Stupid, Love), Kristina Loken (Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines), Eve (xXx), Alexa Vega (Spy Kids), and the great Gary Busey (Lethal Weapon). D’Angelo has also been rumored to be in talks to reprise her role as Ellen Griswold once again opposite Chevy Chase in a fifth Vacation movie that would see a grown up Rusty Griswold (possibly played by Ed Helms) taking his own family on problematic vacation. 

I recently had the pleasure of speaking with the wonderful Beverly D’Angelo about her work on Bounty Killer, as well as her impressive career and possibly returning to the Vacation franchise. The veteran actress discussed her new movie, making her first action film, why it’s Tarantino-esque, working with the beautiful and talented Christina Pitre, Hollywood’s obsession with the comic book culture, big budget movies vs. independent films, her thoughts on VOD, the film project on her resume that she is most proud of, the status of the proposed Vacation reboot, Ed Helms possible participation, reuniting with Chevy Chase, and the legacy of National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation.