Rodrigo Cortés

Director Rodrigo Cortes Talks RED LIGHTS at Sundance 2012

by Steve 'Frosty' Weintraub    Posted: January 28th, 2012 at 1:33 pm

One of the many films that premiered at this year’s Sundance Film Festival was writer-director Rodrigo Cortes (Buried) Red Lights.  Starring Cillian Murphy, Sigourney Weaver, Robert De Niro, Toby Jones, Joely Richardson, Elizabeth Olsen, Craig Roberts, Leonardo Sbaraglia and Adriane Lenox, Red Lights is a paranormal thriller that questions the supernatural and whether a world-renowned psychic is actually gifted or just a charlatan.  Shortly after premiering at the Festival, Millennium Entertainment picked up the film for domestic distribution, so I’d imagine it’ll be released later this year.  For more on the film, here’s Matt’s review.

During my extended interview with Cortes, he talked about coming back to Sundance after premiering Buried at the Fest two years ago, the plot and themes of Red Lights (he doesn’t spoil anything), how he came up with the idea, the challenges of filming and trying to finish for Sundance, film vs. digital, his writing process, future plans, and a lot more.  Hit the jump to watch.

New Poster for THE RAVEN, Bonus Posters from Sundance 2012: THE IMPOSTER, RED LIGHTS

by Dave Trumbore    Posted: January 24th, 2012 at 5:07 pm

Although the release date for The Raven has been pushed back a month, that’s allowed Relativity to give us more looks at the property, like this new poster. It’s not quite as ink-soaked or blood-soaked as previous efforts and resembles more of a phoenix than a raven, but it’s stylish nonetheless. Here’s what you need to know about the posters we’ve rounded up today:

• Director James McTeigue’s The Raven stars John Cusack as Edgar Allan Poe, who joins a detective (Luke Evans of Immortals) to stop a killer who’s committing crimes based on Poe’s works.
• The Imposter, a documentary film by director Bart Layton (Locked Up Abroad) that follows a young Frenchman who posed as a Texas family’s 16-year-old son who had been missing for three years
• From director Rodrigo Cortes (Buried) comes Red Lights, a paranormal thriller that questions the supernatural and whether a world-renowned psychic is actually gifted or just a charlatan. The film stars Robert De Niro, Cillian Murphy, Sigourney Weaver and Elizabeth Olsen.

Hit the jump to check out the full-size posters.

Sundance 2012: RED LIGHTS Review

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: January 23rd, 2012 at 10:26 pm

Mysticism and superstition can provide hope.  If there’s something beyond our world, something we can’t see, then perhaps there’s a shortcut, a fount of secret knowledge, anything that can provide a solution when the real world doesn’t have one we like.  That’s where con artists come in and appeal to our desire for a great beyond.  These frauds carry themselves as the special people who will use their gift (and a curse! It’s always a blessing and a curse with these things) to heal the body and/or soul.   Rodrigo Cortés supernatural thriller Red Lights puts us on the side of skeptical scientists who aren’t opposed to the paranormal, but have yet to see any evidence of it.  Dr. Margaret Matheson (Sigourney Weaver) and her assistant Dr. Tom Buckley (Cillian Murphy) use the power of science rather than the supernatural to debunk these phony mystics.  But in its second half, Red Lights makes a major narrative turn, shifts the tone, draws the viewer deeper into the possibility of the paranormal, and has its characters struggle to keep a hold on reality.  However, the film ends in a serious backfire where a clumsy execution breaks the spell.

Teaser Trailer for Rodrigo Cortes’ Thriller RED LIGHTS Starring Robert De Niro [Updated With Poster]

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: September 13th, 2011 at 11:11 am

The teaser trailer for the supernatural thriller Red Lights has gone online. The film is director Rodrigo Cortes’ follow-up to Buried, which took place entirely in a coffin containing Ryan Reynolds, and this time he’s taking on the other-worldly. Robert De Niro stars as a renowned psychic who comes under investigation by a psychologist who specializes in the paranormal, played by Sigourney Weaver. The trailer is incredibly simple, and a nice change of pace from the quick-cut style we’re used to seeing that succeeds only in inducing seizure and giving away 70% of the plot. Cortes has opted instead for mood, putting creepy music and De Niro’s back to good use.

Hit the jump to watch the trailer. The film also stars Cillian Murphy and Martha Marcy May Marlene star Elizabeth Olsen. Red Lights is eyeing a 2012 release.

[Update: We've updated the article with the first poster for the film as well]

First Image from RED LIGHTS Starring Sigourney Weaver and Robert De Niro

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: April 1st, 2011 at 10:56 am

The first image from the upcoming thriller Red Lights has gone online.  Directed by Rodrigo Cortes (Buried), Red Lights stars Sigourney Weaver as a psychologist whose studies in the paranormal lead her to investigate a renowned psychic (Robert De Niro).  I don’t want to pull a judgment on this film since I liked Buried and the cast also includes Cillian Murphy and rising star Elizabeth Olsen.  However, looking at this photo of De Niro in sunglasses, I can almost hear him phoning it in.

Hit the jump to check out the image.

BURIED Blu-ray Review

by Dave Trumbore    Posted: March 3rd, 2011 at 2:00 pm

In 2002’s Phone Booth, audiences were riveted while watching Colin Farrell stuck in a (you guessed it) phone booth for 90 minutes. 2010’s Buried uses the similar formula of putting a mainstream actor with sex appeal (Ryan Reynolds) front and center for the entire movie. This “bottle episode” style takes the main actor to task, stretching their dramatic range and testing the stamina of their character. While Reynolds outperforms Farrell in Buried, the film succeeds on a number of other levels. Hit the jump to see my review.

Elizabeth Olsen Joins Sigourney Weaver in RED LIGHTS

by Brendan Bettinger    Posted: January 23rd, 2011 at 12:48 pm

Elizabeth Olsen will capitalize on her status as Sundance darling to land a role opposite Sigourney Weaver, Robert De Niro, Cillian Murphy in Red Lights.  Directed by Rodrigo Cortés (Buried), the thriller centers on “a psychologist (Weaver) and her assistant (Olsen) whose study of paranormal activity leads them to investigate a world-renowned psychic (De Niro).”  Olsen tells Risky Business, “Cillian Murphy is my love interest, though that’s not a huge part of the story.”

The role is a nice fit since Elizabeth (sister to Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen) is currently studying psychology at New York University.  Though she claims her education is “always a priority,” it hasn’t distracted from a budding film career: Olsen earned positive notices for the Sundance selections Silent House and Martha Marcy May Marlene.  She’ll have to take another break from school to shoot Red Lights, which is currently in pre-production.

Exclusive: BURIED Behind-the-Scenes Clip, “Ear Piece”, from the Upcoming Blu-ray Combo Pack

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: January 4th, 2011 at 10:36 am

Today, we’re pleased to bring you an exclusive clip from the special features included on the upcoming Blu-ray Combo Pack (includes the DVD, Blu-ray, and digital copy) for Buried.  For those who don’t know, the film centers on a contractor in Iraq (played by Ryan Reynolds) who is kidnapped and wakes up to find himself buried alive with only a lighter and a cell phone as his resources.  Over the course of the film, he speaks with various people, but they couldn’t get the miscellaneous voices on set during filming.  Instead, as director Rodrigo Cortes explains in this clip, they used an earpiece smaller than a coin and had Reynolds interact with his coach, who was in a soundproof booth away from the set.

Hit the jump to check out the clip.  Buried is an intense and imaginative film and you should definitely check it out when it hits DVD and Blu-ray Combo Pack on January 18th.

Cillian Murphy Cast in Rodrigo Cortes’ RED LIGHTS

by Tommy Cook    Posted: November 3rd, 2010 at 7:45 pm

Cillian Murphy (Red Eye) has signed on to star in Rodrigo Cortes’ upcoming Red Lights. The film, also set to star Robert De Niro and Sigourney Weaver, centers on a psychologist (Weaver) whose studies in the paranormal lead her to investigate a renowned psychic (De Niro). Red Lights will be Cortes’ follow up to his Sundance breakout hit man-in-a-box film Buried.

As an advocate for the “Cillian Murphy must play every creepy role that Billy Drago passes on” film movement, this news from Shock Till You Drop is probably good. I use the rather cautious term “probably” because I have no clue whom Murphy will be playing in the film; but considering the movie revolves around the paranormal/supernatural, there’s a good chance Murphy will be creeping our cinemas once again after triumphantly doing so in those Batman films, that Wes Craven film on a plane, and of course The Wind That Shakes The Barley. It’s also good to see an Irish actor whose name isn’t Gabriel Byrne get work.

Robert De Niro Joins Sigourney Weaver in BURIED Director Rodrigo Cortés’ Next Film RED LIGHTS

by Bill Graham    Posted: October 14th, 2010 at 3:39 pm

While the box office might not be lighting up for Rodrigo Cortés’ latest film Buried (read my review here), the director is deservedly gathering big talent for his next feature film. We reported in May that Sigourney Weaver would join Cortés’ Red Lights, and now Variety is reporting that Robert De Niro will also join the cast. Unlike Buried, this film is from an original screenplay by Cortés (he often writes his own material) and is a psychological thriller involving a psychic. Hit the jump for find out more about the film, including quotes from the production team and the roles of Weaver and De Niro.

BURIED Review

by Bill Graham    Posted: September 23rd, 2010 at 8:20 pm

Imagine I told you about a film that focused on a single actor buried alive inside a coffin for over 90 minutes as he fought to stay alive with just a lighter, a cell phone, and a few other items MacGyver might struggle to find useful. You might wonder if that film could really keep your interest. Luckily, Rodrigo Cortes’ Buried will not only keep your interest, but floor you with tension and intrigue, ultimately making your heart race as if you were in the shoes of Paul Conroy (a brilliant Ryan Reynolds) as he fights to stay alive. This dead simple premise is an excellent example of how precise execution can elevate a film far beyond the confines of the wooden box the film takes place in. Join me after the break for my full review of Conroy’s struggle for survival.

New TV Spot for BURIED Starring Ryan Reynolds

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: September 13th, 2010 at 1:31 pm

A new TV spot for Rodrigo Cortes’ Buried has gone online.  The film stars Ryan Reynolds as a man who’s been kidnapped, buried alive, and only has 90 minutes of oxygen left.  It looks damn cool and Steve dug the film when he saw it at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year.

Hit the jump to check out the TV spot.  Buried is set to play at this year’s Fantastic Fest.  It opens in limited release on September 24th and opens nationwide on October 8th.

International Trailer for BURIED Starring Ryan Reynolds

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: September 2nd, 2010 at 8:36 am

A new international trailer for the thriller Buried has gone online.  The film stars Ryan Reynolds as a man who is buried alive and has 90 minutes before his oxygen runs out.  Steve really dug the film when he saw it at Sundance and it’s one of my 15 most-anticiapted films for the rest of 2010.

Hit the jump to check out the trailer.  Buried will be playing at this year’s Fantastic Fest (and you have the chance to watch it while buried), opens in limited release on September 24th, and opens nationwide on October 8th.

Rolling Roadshow Believes You should be Buried in order to See BURIED

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: August 25th, 2010 at 10:13 am

Should you be crammed in a sewer pipe if you’re going to watch The Shawshank Redemption? Should you lock yourself in a room and fill jars with your own urine if you’re going to watch The Aviator?  Should you be buried alive if you’re going to watch the new Ryan Reynolds thriller Buried?  The answer to all of these questions is obviously “Yes,” and Fantastic Fest and Rolling Roadshow want to make that last one happen.

Buried will be playing at this year’s Fantastic Fest with Reynolds, who plays a truck driver who is buried alive, and director Rodrigo Cortes in attendance.  The weekend prior to the opening of the festival, there will be the “Rolling Roadshow of One” on September 18th and four people will be chosen at random to watch the entire film buried (obviously, medical personnel will be on hand in case it should all go horribly wrong).  Those four people will then get to walk the red carpet and attend the Fantastic Fest premiere on September 23rd.  Hit the jump for more details.  Fantastic Fest runs from September 23 – 30th in Austin, Texas.  Buried opens in limited release on September 24th and opens nationwide on October 8th.

New International Poster for BURIED

by Steve 'Frosty' Weintraub    Posted: August 4th, 2010 at 10:01 am

With Ryan Reynolds Buried getting released next month, Icon Film Distribution in the UK have released a new international poster for the movie.  If you saw some of the previous posters, the new one is quite similar, except instead of black above the coffin the poster shows the dirt.  Also, they’ve added some words above Reynolds.  Check it out after the jump:

Copyright ©2005 - 2012. All Rights Reserved. California web design