By now you’ve probably noticed that Steve got an ungodly amount of material from this year’s American Film Market (AFM). The place where buyers and sellers do business to bring you the films you’ll hopefully be seeing in the near future, AFM has tons of artwork and synopses which are used to promote films but which we will use to bring you news on these films. We have reached the last piece of our AFM coverage. It's been a long and fruitful journey and you can follow it by reading parts Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, and Part 7 by click on their respective links.
Below you’ll find posters for Conan and The Promised Land (The Wettest County in the World), images and synopses for animated film Dorothy of Oz and Jackboots on Whitehall plus images and synopses for the live-action movies Singularity, The Last Dragon, and my favorite, Alien vs. Ninja. Hit the jump to check them all out. Please note that all the synopses are copied down directly from the original materials with no editorial alterations.
DOROTHY OF OZ, directed by Daniel St. Pierre (Everyone's Hero)
Alpine Pictures in association with Box Office Productions III, LLC is currently producing the animated feature musical DOROTHY OF OZ based upon the best-selling children's novel by one of America's most beloved literary icons. The author Roger S. Baum is the great grandson of L. Frank Baum the author of the original THE WIZARD OF OZ. The book DOROTHY OF OZ has sold millions of copies.
DOROTHY OF OZ follows in the footsteps of THE WIZARD OF OZ, and is destined to become both a box office hit and an animated film classic.
There is trouble in Oz and Dorothy is needed! With Glinda's help, she and Toto return to Oz. Joined by her old friends the Scarecrow, the Tin Woodman, the Lion as well as exciting new characters, Dorothy sets out on a perilous journey to stop the crafty Jester from using the power of the Wicked Witch of the West's wand to turn the people of Oz into puppets. That seems to be the least of Dorothy's problems as her travels lead her straight into a treacherous maze, a cave full of very hungry dragons and an evil spell that could destroy the Yellow Brick Road. Dorothy has the daunting knowledge that it is up to her to stop Jester's terrible plan. Audiences will welcome the return of the old Oz favorites and will love meeting new friends like Tugg a gruff talking boat and Wiser an owl with an unlucky attraction to molasses.
Written in the whimsical style of L. Frank Baum, "Dorothy of Oz" is sure to delight Oz fans old and new as they journey once again into the magical land of OZ.
JACKBOOTS ON WHITEHALL, directed by Edward McHenry and Rory McHenry
From the McHenry Brothers come a satirical version of World War II in which the Scottish defeat the German invasion of England. Chris (Ewan McGregor) dreams of the chance to join the army and fight in exciting new lands rather than be stuck in the slow paced village life he has grown up in. His chance comes when the three top Nazis hatch a plan to invade England by drilling under the English Channel and into the heart of London. With the entire British army stuck in Dunkirk and no military support to defend the country, Churchill issues a final radio broadcast from his bunker in Downing Street - a cry for help. But can the nation unite in time to make one last stand against Nazi forces? JACKBOOTS ON WHITEHALL boasts pioneering techniques in animation and the voices of a stellar cast including Ewan McGregor, Tom Wilkinson, Rosamund Pike, and Alan Cumming.
SINGULARITY, directed by Roland Joffe (The Mission)
After a dangerous dive underwater to save his wife, Jay Fennel, a rugged and attractive marine archeologist lies braindead in a Boston hospital, muttering incoherent phrases. The couple had been exploring an 18th century merchant ship wreckage off the Labrador Coast.
Jay's dream-like coma takes us back in time to the complex temples of Pune, India in 1778 where a young British captain named James Stewart (who bears a striking resemblance to Jay) is about to embark on a dangerous mission and is beginning to fall deeply in love with a beautiful palace guard named Tulaja. While both men struggle to survive, love that transcends time and space may be the only thing that can save the lives of these two brave men.
THE LAST DRAGON, directed by Mario Andreacchio (Elephant Tales)
Fourteen year of Josh Chase, an Australian, and Ying, a Chinese girl, find themselves caught up in a mystery almost as soon as they arrive at an archaeological dig in central China. Josh's father, who he has an uneasy relationship with, and Ying's mother are archeologists exploring the tomb of an ancient Emperor. An Emperor who, according to legend, lost the Pearl of Power belonging to an Ancient Dragon.
When Ying is drawn to the sound of a flute and follows the mysterious man who carries it, Josh is a reluctant accomplice. The man, Wu, is the guardian of the Dragon Temple and keeper of a three thousand year old secret. When he finds Ying can hear his flute - something no one else can do, he's convinced she's the "chosen one" - the person who will return the missing pearl to the Dragon who resides under the temple.
Josh and Ying are skeptical of Wu's story - until they see the magnificent Dragon itself! But they're stunned and scared by the sight. Naturally Josh can't make his father believe what he's seen - and Ying is having an identity crisis because of what's happening. It takes all of Josh's persuasion, and Wu's persistence, to convince Ying to believe in her destiny. When Josh and Ying finally return to the Dragon, it takes them on a magical journey to the past. Here they learn that the Dragon's Pearl - the source of its power, has been buried with the Emperor - in the tomb their parents are trying to open.
Annoyed by his father's seeming indifference, Josh borrows his father's ancient box-book - a precious and ancient objet d'art which holds clues that a puzzle-master like Josh can solve to get into the tomb. Ying and Josh successfully retrieve the pearl, but when they try to return it to the Dragon, it's seized by Phillip Dukas - a member of the archaeological team who they discover has craftily manipulated Josh into recovering the Pearl. In a gripping climax at the Dragon Temple, Dukas accesses the Pearl's power, but against all odds Josh and Ying regain possession of the Pearl and, in an act of bravery and self belief, Ying leaps off a cliff with the Pearl rather than let the villains seize it. The Dragon saves Ying in mid-air and she's able to willingly return the Pearl to the Dragon. For Ying, Josh and the Dragon, destiny triumphs.
ALIEN VS. NINJA, directed by Seiji Chiba (Red Letters) and Yuji Shimomura (Death Trance)
Once upon a time in Japan, there was a band of great Ninja warriors led by Yamata called Iga Ninja. One day, they witness a flash in the sky, and the roaring giant ball of fire crashes into the distant forest. The warriors rush into the deep woods in an attempt to identify the mysterious fireball. There, instead of finding predictable enemies, they are stunned to face never-seen-before creatures with claws and fangs, the aliens! The hungry brutal aliens start to savage and feast on the Ninja warriors, leaving only a few to survive. Yamata and his warriors swear to avenge their comrades' deaths and risk their lives to challenge the aliens. However, none of the Ninja weapons, neither their swords nor their throwing stars, has any affect on the alien warriors. Now, the Japanese greatest Iga Ninja face the biggest challenge ever!
Finally, here are the posters for Conan and The Promised Land:
The Promised Land promo poster. Also known as The Wettest County in the World.