After taking a look back at House II: The Second Story (a favorite of mine since childhood), House of 1000 Corpses (which celebrated its 20th anniversary last year), the awesomeness of Tales from the Crypt Presents: Demon Knight, the leg smashing in the Stephen King adaptation Misery, three separate moments from John Carpenter’s Big Trouble in Little China, the “Jason vs. Tina” battle in Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood, and the “all hell breaks loose” sequence from the start of Zack Snyder’s Dawn of the Dead remake,
Directed by David Twohy, who also crafted the screenplay with Jim Wheat and Ken Wheat, Pitch Black has the following synopsis: A deep space transporter crash-lands on a desolate planet circled by three suns. Among the survivors are pilot Carolyn Fry, mystic Abu `Imam’ al-Walid, cop William J Johns and convicted criminal Richard B Riddick, and their first...
Directed by David Twohy, who also crafted the screenplay with Jim Wheat and Ken Wheat, Pitch Black has the following synopsis: A deep space transporter crash-lands on a desolate planet circled by three suns. Among the survivors are pilot Carolyn Fry, mystic Abu `Imam’ al-Walid, cop William J Johns and convicted criminal Richard B Riddick, and their first...
- 2/17/2024
- by Cody Hamman
- JoBlo.com
When "Alien 3" was released in 1992, it was roundly bashed by critics, met with uproar by fans, and later disowned by its director, David Fincher. Despite this, the troubled production and intrigue around Fincher's original vision have made it a constant source of fascination for "Alien" aficionados. One of the many subplots was the input of David Twohy, one of several writers involved in the film and whose biggest contribution was the setting of a prison planet populated by shaven-headed criminals.
Things didn't work out for Twohy on "Alien 3," but he got a chance to revisit that idea when he was offered the chance to rework and direct a screenplay that bore similarities to the "Alien" movies. Its most interesting character would become a vicious criminal named Richard B. Riddick, recaptured after busting out from a maximum security prison, perhaps not unlike the one in the much-maligned third...
Things didn't work out for Twohy on "Alien 3," but he got a chance to revisit that idea when he was offered the chance to rework and direct a screenplay that bore similarities to the "Alien" movies. Its most interesting character would become a vicious criminal named Richard B. Riddick, recaptured after busting out from a maximum security prison, perhaps not unlike the one in the much-maligned third...
- 4/16/2023
- by Lee Adams
- Slash Film
” All you people are so scared of me. Most days I’d take that as a compliment. But it ain’t me you gotta worry about now.”
Vin Diesel in an extras-packed new Blu-ray of Pitch Black is currently available from Arrow Video.
There S A New Reason To Be Afraid Of The Dark.
When an intergalactic transport ship crashes on a remote desert planet with no sign of help on the horizon, the survivors, led by Fry (Radha Mitchell), band together to find a way back home. Among the passengers is Riddick (Vin Diesel), a convicted murderer being transported by marshal Johns (Cole Hauser) and now freed of his chains and on the loose. But as a solar eclipse plunges the planet into total darkness, a threat even worse than Riddick reveals itself, and the last humans standing may have to form an uneasy truce with the cunning fugitive...
Vin Diesel in an extras-packed new Blu-ray of Pitch Black is currently available from Arrow Video.
There S A New Reason To Be Afraid Of The Dark.
When an intergalactic transport ship crashes on a remote desert planet with no sign of help on the horizon, the survivors, led by Fry (Radha Mitchell), band together to find a way back home. Among the passengers is Riddick (Vin Diesel), a convicted murderer being transported by marshal Johns (Cole Hauser) and now freed of his chains and on the loose. But as a solar eclipse plunges the planet into total darkness, a threat even worse than Riddick reveals itself, and the last humans standing may have to form an uneasy truce with the cunning fugitive...
- 9/10/2020
- by Tom Stockman
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Arrow Video has released its first ever titles in 4K Ultra HD – two sci-fi classics, the superb space shocker Pitch Black, starring Vin Diesel. This definitive, and stunningly-presented edition, restored in 4K with Dolby Vision (HDR10 compatible), is just the start of Arrow Video’s journey into a dazzling hi-definition world that offers viewers astonishing, pin-sharp resolution, bringing film favorites to life like never before.”We are proud to announce that we have decided to launch our first 4K Ultra HD titles,” says Francesco Simeoni, Arrow Video’s Director of Acquisitions and Business Development. “At Arrow we have always sought to have the best standards in home video presentation so it seemed a logical step that we would embrace this new format, to present you with the best versions of the finest cult and classic films.”
It is available for pre-order now on Amazon and will be released on September 1, 2020. https://www.
It is available for pre-order now on Amazon and will be released on September 1, 2020. https://www.
- 8/21/2020
- by Michelle Hannett
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
If reading Monte Yazzie's insightful Class of 1980 retrospective on Flash Gordon made you want to revisit the space opera or experience it for the first time, then you're in luck, because Arrow Video is releasing the cult movie on Blu-ray and 4K Ultra HD in both limited and standard editions on August 18th, alongside a new Blu-ray and 4K Ultra HD release of David Twohy's Pitch Black, and we have the full lists of special features for both sci-fi films.
You can check out the complete release details and cover art for the new home media releases of Pitch Black and Flash Gordon below, and to learn more, visit Mvd Entertainment Group's website.
This August, Arrow Video releases its first ever titles in 4K Ultra HD - two sci-fi classics, the superb space shocker Pitch Black, starring Vin Diesel, and the beloved and brilliantly timeless Flash Gordon,...
You can check out the complete release details and cover art for the new home media releases of Pitch Black and Flash Gordon below, and to learn more, visit Mvd Entertainment Group's website.
This August, Arrow Video releases its first ever titles in 4K Ultra HD - two sci-fi classics, the superb space shocker Pitch Black, starring Vin Diesel, and the beloved and brilliantly timeless Flash Gordon,...
- 8/4/2020
- by Derek Anderson
- DailyDead
1979: Guiding Light's Roger blackmailed Alan.
1984: Days of our Lives' Anna found Tony in a secret room.
1987: Calliope's dog Martha married Reg on Days.
1993: All My Children's Kendall revealed Erica was her mother."History speaks to artists. It changes the artist's thinking and is constantly reshaping it into d ifferent and unexpected images."
― Anselm Kiefer
"Today in Soap Opera History" is a collection of the most memorable, interesting and influential events in the history of scripted, serialized programs. From birthdays and anniversaries to scandals and controversies, every day this column celebrates the soap opera in American culture.
On this date in...
1945: NBC Radio premiered radio soap opera Barry Cameron. Spencer Bentley starred as Barry Cameron, a veteran returning from three years of war. Richard Leonard and Peggy Blake were the the writers of the 15-minute show which lasted until October 11, 1946.
1973: On The Doctors,...
1984: Days of our Lives' Anna found Tony in a secret room.
1987: Calliope's dog Martha married Reg on Days.
1993: All My Children's Kendall revealed Erica was her mother."History speaks to artists. It changes the artist's thinking and is constantly reshaping it into d ifferent and unexpected images."
― Anselm Kiefer
"Today in Soap Opera History" is a collection of the most memorable, interesting and influential events in the history of scripted, serialized programs. From birthdays and anniversaries to scandals and controversies, every day this column celebrates the soap opera in American culture.
On this date in...
1945: NBC Radio premiered radio soap opera Barry Cameron. Spencer Bentley starred as Barry Cameron, a veteran returning from three years of war. Richard Leonard and Peggy Blake were the the writers of the 15-minute show which lasted until October 11, 1946.
1973: On The Doctors,...
- 4/16/2019
- by Roger Newcomb
- We Love Soaps
1979: Guiding Light's Roger blackmailed Alan.
1984: Days of our Lives' Anna found Tony in a secret room.
1987: Calliope's dog Martha married Reg on Days.
1993: All My Children's Kendall revealed Erica was her mother."All true histories contain instruction; though, in some, the treasure may be hard to find, and when found, so trivial in quantity that the dry, shrivelled kernel scarcely compensates for the trouble of cracking the nut."
― Anne Brontë in "Agnes Grey"
"Today in Soap Opera History" is a collection of the most memorable, interesting and influential events in the history of scripted, serialized programs. From birthdays and anniversaries to scandals and controversies, every day this column celebrates the soap opera in American culture.
On this date in...
1945: NBC Radio premiered radio soap opera Barry Cameron. Spencer Bentley starred as Barry Cameron, a veteran returning from three years of war. Richard Leonard...
1984: Days of our Lives' Anna found Tony in a secret room.
1987: Calliope's dog Martha married Reg on Days.
1993: All My Children's Kendall revealed Erica was her mother."All true histories contain instruction; though, in some, the treasure may be hard to find, and when found, so trivial in quantity that the dry, shrivelled kernel scarcely compensates for the trouble of cracking the nut."
― Anne Brontë in "Agnes Grey"
"Today in Soap Opera History" is a collection of the most memorable, interesting and influential events in the history of scripted, serialized programs. From birthdays and anniversaries to scandals and controversies, every day this column celebrates the soap opera in American culture.
On this date in...
1945: NBC Radio premiered radio soap opera Barry Cameron. Spencer Bentley starred as Barry Cameron, a veteran returning from three years of war. Richard Leonard...
- 4/16/2018
- by Roger Newcomb
- We Love Soaps
Vin Diesel and David Twohy recently discussed a third film in The Chronicles of Riddick frachise, following the events in Pitch Black and The Chronicles of Riddick. At first I didn’t like The Chronicles of Riddick but then I saw The Chronicles of Riddick: Director’s Cut and found a new appreciation for the film. They cut out many scenes that should have been in the film, much like Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, especially the violence.
The synopsis of the third Richard B. Riddick film:
Betrayed by his own kind and left for dead on a desolate planet, Riddick (Diesel) fights for survival against alien predators and becomes more powerful and dangerous than ever before. Soon bounty hunters from throughout the galaxy descend on Riddick only to find themselves pawns in his greater scheme for revenge. With his enemies right where he wants them, Riddick...
The synopsis of the third Richard B. Riddick film:
Betrayed by his own kind and left for dead on a desolate planet, Riddick (Diesel) fights for survival against alien predators and becomes more powerful and dangerous than ever before. Soon bounty hunters from throughout the galaxy descend on Riddick only to find themselves pawns in his greater scheme for revenge. With his enemies right where he wants them, Riddick...
- 3/7/2011
- by filmbook
- Film-Book
Not the first time this has happened, "Pitch Black" is a science fiction movie with a cool premise and scary creatures that's thoroughly degraded and defanged by cliched characters and dreadful dialogue. A USA Films release directed and co-written by David Twohy ("The Arrival"), "Pitch" will be quickly ditched by genre fans after a black-and-blue opening weekend.
Starring Vin Diesel ("Saving Private Ryan", the "Iron Giant"'s voice and the upcoming "Boiler Room") as an anatomically enhanced killer convict caught with other survivors on a desolate planet after a spaceship crashes, "Pitch" has an exciting opening. It rapidly switches to overly familiar cheap thrills and gets bogged down in all the hackneyed conflicts that go with a gaggle of squabblers who have the slimmest possible chance of survival.
When many crew members are snuffed out in the calamitous crashing of an interstellar ship full of snoozing travelers, daring "docking pilot" Fry (Radha Mitchell) more or less takes over. Guarding Riddick (Diesel) is Johns (Cole Hauser), but this good guy is a moody ex-drug fiend and quickly marked as unreliable. Nonetheless, they ascertain they're stuck on a planet that has three suns and no nighttime but plenty of breathable air and spiky earthen mounds.
The other castaways include a Muslim cleric (Keith David) on a hajj to "New Mecca", a geologist (Claudia Black), an antiques dealer (Lewis Fitz-Gerald) and a runaway teenage girl posing as a boy (Rhiana Griffith). One starts rooting early on for the unseen beasties in the mounds to hurry up with their appointed tasks.
Finding the ruins of an abandoned settlement and a working but low-on-fuel ship to escape in, they also realize the planet is about to be plunged into darkness behind another planet with Saturn-like rings. Not exactly sure what will happen, they concoct a plan that involves scampering across open land between multiple crash sites to get fuel canisters and escape from the planet.
As darkness falls, swarms of bird/reptile things fly out of the mounds and go after the humans. Riddick has special eyes that allow him to see in the dark. The flying monsters are repelled by light and are attracted to blood. With expendable characters starting to meet their ghastly ends, Riddick comes to the rescue (or does he?) in the climactic race to escape death.
Even with rapidly diminishing expectations, the performances prove to be average at best. While the suns are up and the action is outside, "Pitch" has a blazing, burnished look that makes good use of South Australia desert locations.
Creature designer Patrick Tatopoulos' ravenous horrors of the night are hardly seen long enough to fully appreciate, while the few space scenes and exotic planetscapes are effective.
PITCH BLACK
USA Films
Gramercy Pictures presents
an Interscope Communications production
Director:David Twohy
Screenwriters:Jim & Ken Wheat, David Twohy
Producer:Tom Engelman
Executive producers:Ted Field, Scott Kroopf, Anthony Winley
Director of photography:David Eggby
Production designer:Graham "Grace" Walker
Editor:Rick Shaine
Costume designer:Anna Borghesi
Visual effects supervisor:Peter Chiang
Music:Graeme Revell
Color/stereo
Cast:
Riddick:Vin Diesel
Fry:Radha Mitchell
Johns:Cole Hauser
Imam:Keith David
Paris:Lewis Fitz-Gerald
Shazza:Claudia Black
Jack/Jackie:Rhiana Griffith
Running time - 107 minutes
MPAA rating: R...
Starring Vin Diesel ("Saving Private Ryan", the "Iron Giant"'s voice and the upcoming "Boiler Room") as an anatomically enhanced killer convict caught with other survivors on a desolate planet after a spaceship crashes, "Pitch" has an exciting opening. It rapidly switches to overly familiar cheap thrills and gets bogged down in all the hackneyed conflicts that go with a gaggle of squabblers who have the slimmest possible chance of survival.
When many crew members are snuffed out in the calamitous crashing of an interstellar ship full of snoozing travelers, daring "docking pilot" Fry (Radha Mitchell) more or less takes over. Guarding Riddick (Diesel) is Johns (Cole Hauser), but this good guy is a moody ex-drug fiend and quickly marked as unreliable. Nonetheless, they ascertain they're stuck on a planet that has three suns and no nighttime but plenty of breathable air and spiky earthen mounds.
The other castaways include a Muslim cleric (Keith David) on a hajj to "New Mecca", a geologist (Claudia Black), an antiques dealer (Lewis Fitz-Gerald) and a runaway teenage girl posing as a boy (Rhiana Griffith). One starts rooting early on for the unseen beasties in the mounds to hurry up with their appointed tasks.
Finding the ruins of an abandoned settlement and a working but low-on-fuel ship to escape in, they also realize the planet is about to be plunged into darkness behind another planet with Saturn-like rings. Not exactly sure what will happen, they concoct a plan that involves scampering across open land between multiple crash sites to get fuel canisters and escape from the planet.
As darkness falls, swarms of bird/reptile things fly out of the mounds and go after the humans. Riddick has special eyes that allow him to see in the dark. The flying monsters are repelled by light and are attracted to blood. With expendable characters starting to meet their ghastly ends, Riddick comes to the rescue (or does he?) in the climactic race to escape death.
Even with rapidly diminishing expectations, the performances prove to be average at best. While the suns are up and the action is outside, "Pitch" has a blazing, burnished look that makes good use of South Australia desert locations.
Creature designer Patrick Tatopoulos' ravenous horrors of the night are hardly seen long enough to fully appreciate, while the few space scenes and exotic planetscapes are effective.
PITCH BLACK
USA Films
Gramercy Pictures presents
an Interscope Communications production
Director:David Twohy
Screenwriters:Jim & Ken Wheat, David Twohy
Producer:Tom Engelman
Executive producers:Ted Field, Scott Kroopf, Anthony Winley
Director of photography:David Eggby
Production designer:Graham "Grace" Walker
Editor:Rick Shaine
Costume designer:Anna Borghesi
Visual effects supervisor:Peter Chiang
Music:Graeme Revell
Color/stereo
Cast:
Riddick:Vin Diesel
Fry:Radha Mitchell
Johns:Cole Hauser
Imam:Keith David
Paris:Lewis Fitz-Gerald
Shazza:Claudia Black
Jack/Jackie:Rhiana Griffith
Running time - 107 minutes
MPAA rating: R...
- 2/14/2000
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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