From executive producer Eli Roth and based on Brian McGreevy’s gripping novel of the same name, Hemlock Grove, is a murder mystery set in a Pennsylvania steel town, in which Olivia Godfrey (Famke Janssen) is the otherworldly beautiful and controlling matriarch.  As the crime goes unsolved and outlandish rumors mount, everyone is forced to confront unspeakable truths about themselves and Hemlock Grove, as the mystery unfolds in this 13-episode first season.  The show also stars Dougray Scott, Bill Skarsgard, Landon Liboiron, Penelope Mitchell, Freya Tingley and Lili Taylor.

During this exclusive interview with Collider, actress Famke Janssen talked about what led her to take this role, the similar tone to Twin Peaks (which she loves), why she likes to stray from the source material to make a character her own, how diabolical and manipulative her character is, the advantages of being able to watch the entire season at once on Netflix, and how she would love to play comedy more often.  Check out what she had to say after the jump. 

Today, Netflix released all 13 episodes of its new original horror series Hemlock Grove, based on the novel of the same name by Brian McGreevy and produced by Eli Roth.  After the critical success of the subscription platform’s House of Cards series, it’s easy to see why viewers would be excited for the next offering.  Hemlock Grove though is worlds away from House of Cards, and while many outlets have slammed the series as being practically unwatchable, I actually have to give it credit for a few things despite its larger flaws.  Put it in the category of “guilty pleasure.”  And, actually, it manages to have a little something for everyone, even those who aren’t horror genre fans.  Hit the jump for more.

Eli Roth is at it again, delivering chills, thrills and bloody disgusting goodness in the newly-released red-band trailer for Netflix’s original series Hemlock Grove.  Roth serves as executive producer for the gothic thriller, based on Brian McGreevy’s novel of the same name.  The story follows the residents of a former steel town in Pennsylvania after the murder of a 17-year-old girl.  Of course, as any investigation goes, it soon begins to unravel the mysteries and obscurities that plague some of its residents.  Grove marks Roth’s first venture into television and will also mark Netflix’s latest original series following the successful release of House of Cards earlier this year.  By the looks of the trailer, they seem to be pushing the boundaries when it comes to R-rated content.  It’s heart-stopping action enveloped in cringe-worthy bloody visuals, with plenty of sex and even a dash of comedy – I’m definitely on board this crazy train.

The series stars Famke Janssen, Penelope Mitchell, Bill Skarsgard, Freya Tingley, and Lili Taylor.  All 13 episodes will be available to Netflix members on Friday, April 19th.  Hit the jump to view the red-band trailer forHemlock Grove.  For more insight on the show and some cool tidbits, check out our set visit here.

Not many Americans are familiar Parkwood Estate, a Canadian National Historic Site about an hour’s drive east of Toronto. The sprawling mansion was home to Samuel McLaughlin, a business magnate who founded General Motors of Canada and built the home and gardens in the town of Oshawa. Today, it’s open to the public, though its interiors and garden remain much the same as they were when McLaughlin lived in it in the 1930s. It’s also the site of a number of famous film and television shoots, including the original X-Men, Billy Madison, Warehouse 13 and The Ref. On the day Collider visited, a much different series is wrapping up principal photography:  Netflix’s new original series Hemlock Grove. Hit the jump to read our full set visit report.

The cast and crew of Hemlock Grove, the second offering in Netflix’s slate of original shows, was on hand this weekend to give a glimpse into the mysteries of the twisted town. The show, produced by Eli Roth and based on Brian McGreevy’s novel of the same name, puts a spin on the current trend of werewolves and vampires, replacing love triangles with body parts and unconsummated longing with raunchy, bloody sex.

The story picks up in the wake of a grisly murder.  The new boy in town Peter Rumancek, gypsy trailer trash and rumored werewolf, comes under suspicion for the crime. Peter finds an unlikely ally in Roman Godfrey, golden boy of the wealthy and influential Godfrey estate, Hemlock Grove’s resident wealthy philanthropists in the model of the Carnegies.  Together the pair attempts to solve the mystery of the murder before the killer can strike again. Staring Famke Janssen, Dougray Scott, Lili Taylor, Bill Skarsgard, Landon Liboiron, Penelope Mitchell, Freya Tingley, Kandyse McClure, and Aaron Douglas, Hemlock Grove premieres April 19^th on Netflix. Hit the jump for the full panel recap.

Eli Roth’s horror series debut of Hemlock Grove is about one month away, so this new trailer is here to remind you to mark your calendars.  Based on Brian McGreevy’s novel, Hemlock Grove centers on the citizens of the titular town and an investigation into the death of 17-year-old Brooke Bluebell, which reveals much more than anyone expected.

Starring Famke Janssen (X-Men), Bill Skarsgård (Simon & The Oaks), Landon Liboiron (Terra Nova), Penelope Mitchell (6 Plots), Freya Tingley (X) and Dougray Scott (Mission: Impossible II), Hemlock Grove will be available on Netflix starting April 19th.  Hit the jump to watch the new trailer.

Famke Janssen, the outspoken actress behind Jean Grey of the X-Men films and the leg crushing femme fatale Xenia of Goldeneye, returns to her villainous roots in this week’s Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters.  It’s good to see Janssen seemingly relish every line as she menaces the brother-sister duo and threatens to bring about a ‘witch-apocalypse’… or something like that.  It’s a fun performance and a welcome return for Janssen who’s been absent from cinemas for far too long now (her brief appearances in the Taken franchise withstanding).

In the following interview with Janssen, she talks about her hiatus from acting (she was directing a picture – Bringing Up Bobby – during), the troubles of ‘witch’ prosthetics, and the joy of riding a broomstick.  Janssen also touched upon her role in the upcoming Netflix series Hemlock Grove and played coy on whether or not she’s been approached to reprise her role as Jean Grey in any of the upcoming X-Men sequels.  For the full interview, hit the jump.

New images from Tommy Wirkola’s darkly twisted fairy tale Hansel and Gretel Witch Hunters show off titular stars Jeremy Renner and Gemma Arterton, along with some new looks at the villainous villainess, played by Famke Janssen.  You can check out a recent interview with Janssen about the movie here, along with another set of previously released images and the latest trailer.

Also starring Peter Stormare, Zoe Bell and Thomas Mann, Hansel and Gretel Witch Hunters opens January 25th.  Hit the jump to see the new images.

Netflix is kicking their original content into high gear this spring with the debuts of David Fincher’s political thriller series House of Cards, new episodes of Arrested Development, and a gothic thriller series called Hemlock Grove.  The latter comes from producer Eli Roth (who also directed the pilot), and a first trailer for Hemlock Grove has now been released online.  The show is based on Brian McGreevy’s novel of the same name and revolves around “the eccentric residents of a dilapidated former Pennsylvania steel town and the murder of 17-year-old Brooke Bluebell.  Through the investigation, the town’s seamier side is exposed, revealing that nothing is what it seems.”  The trailer looks like a cross between Grimm and Twin Peaks, with a touch of The Twilight Zone.  Color me intrigued.

Hit the jump to watch the trailer.  The show stars Famke Janssen, Bill Skarsgard, Landon Liboiron, Penelope Mitchell, Freya Tingley, and Dougray Scott.  All 13 episodes will be available at once on Netflix on April 19th.

As the production start-date for the X-Men: First Class sequel X-Men: Days of Future Past looms closer, the film is starting to look more and more like a bridge of sorts between the period First Class story and the present day-set X-Men films. X-Men and X2 director Bryan Singer recently stepped in to replace Matthew Vaughn as director on the project, and we’ve been hearing about a number of X-Men castmembers who are set to make appearances in the ambitious superhero pic.  Hugh Jackman, Patrick Stewart, and Ian McKellan are all confirmed to pop up at some point in Days of Future Past, with even more reprisals expected to be announced soon.

One of the major players from the first trilogy of films was certainly Famke Janssen’s Jean Grey, and we recently spoke with the actress in anticipation of the release of Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters.  She talked briefly about the possibility of appearing in X-Men: Days of Future Past, and it certainly sounds like she’s game to return to the X-Men world should Singer extend an offer to come back.  Hit the jump to see what she had to say.

Just in time for Halloween, a new red band trailer and poster for Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters have been released.  The action-fantasy film stars Jeremy Renner and Gemma Arterton as the titular fairy tale characters, though in this story they’re all grown up and out for some very bloody witch payback.  The pic actually looks like it could be a fun ride, with plenty of gore and inventive kills to keep genre fans happy.  I’m a little disheartened by the reliance on CGI effects vs. practical work as the story provides the perfect opportunity for some great physical effects.  It’s also a tad disappointing to see the “damsel in distress” role that Arterton appears to be thrown into while Renner is painted as the “sexy hero,” but we’ve only seen brief glimpses of the characters in the trailers so hopefully she holds her own in the full film.

Hit the jump to check out the red band trailer and poster.  Directed by Tommy Wirkola, the film also stars Famke Janssen and Peter Stormare.  Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters opens in 3D on January 11th, 2013.

If you’ve followed the Top 5 for any amount of time you’ve probably already deduced that I like to use the opening paragraph in an anecdotal fashion. Whether I’m spinning a recap of my latest pop-culture excursions or using the latest wedding I’m attending as a gateway for complaining about the pop-culture excursions I’d rather be partaking of, I try and keep this space at least loosely based around entertainment. That said, this week is no different as I finally had the chance to sit down with writer/director David Ayer‘s End of Watch last night. I won’t do the film the disservice of reviewing it in two sentences, but I will say that I found Jake Gyllenhaal and Michael Peña‘s chemistry to be excellent and the action to be consistently suspenseful/captivating. Is the script’s attempt to tie nearly every encounter the partner’s undertake into an interconnected climax a little bit of a stretch? I think so. Nevertheless, End of Watch is still a cop drama that pushes almost all of the right buttons.

But enough of my reviews in 100 words or less, in this week’s trek down memory lane is the first official image and trailer for A Good Day to Die Hard, Taken 2 interviews with Liam Neeson, Famke Janssen and more, a recap of all our James Bond / Skyfall coverage from the past week, Frankenweenie interviews with Tim Burton, Winona Ryder and more, and finally a look at some classic video games that we feel deserve an HD remake.

With director Olivier Megaton‘s Taken 2 opening October 5, 20th Century Fox has provided us with four clips.  In the sequel, Liam Neeson’s character unwisely takes his family on a European vacation, only to find himself and his wife (Famke Janssen) taken hostage by the family members of the henchmen that Neeson brutally murdered in the first film.   The film also stars Maggie Grace and Rade Serbedzija.

As a big fan of the first film, I’m looking forward to Neeson kicking some more ass in the sequel.  Hit the jump to watch the clips.

Recently, Liam Neeson threatened you into submission so you would watch his new trailer for Taken 2.  Then, the first featurette went online that showed off retired CIA operative Bryan Mills’ “skills and kills.” Today, we’ll continue the rhyming scheme with a new behind-the-scenes stunt featurette that highlights the sequel’s “thrills and spills.”  Imagine my surprise when I found out Neeson wasn’t actually killing all the people in the movie.  I still wouldn’t want to piss him off though.

Taken 2, from director Olivier Megaton, also stars Famke Janssen, Maggie Grace and  Rade Serbedzija.  The sequel hits theaters October 5th.  Hit the jump to watch the new stunts clip.

A new “internet trailer” for the upcoming action sequel Taken 2 has been released.  The clip is introduced by Liam Neeson himself who, sitting in a dark room, warns us interneters that if we don’t watch the trailer he’ll come for us and, naturally, he’ll find us. The trailer features quite a bit of new footage, and I’m starting to get the feeling that Taken 2 will be even more of a bloodbath than the first film.  Neeson rampage seems to know no bounds, especially when you kidnap his wife.

Hit the jump to watch the new trailer.  Directed by Olivier Megaton, the film also stars Maggie Grace, Famke Janssen, and Rade Šerbedžija.  Taken 2 opens on October 5th.