With a production budget in the neighborhood of $150 million and a worldwide pull of just under $50 million entering its second weekend, it’s probably fair to say that White House Down will ultimately be seen by the powers that be as a bust. Blame its proximity to the similarly themed Olympus Has Fallen (which, on the whole, received similar critical reaction but comparatively more box office success) if you will, but having watched and enjoyed the heck out of the film last night I believe at least some of the blame lies at the feet of Sony’s marketing. Whereas Fallen was packaged, and ultimately delivered, as a dead serious action/thriller, I don’t think White House Down marketing did enough to prep its potential audience members for the over-the-top, often times ridiculous, self-aware genre piece they would encounter. The best examples I can give to support this theory are the multiple scenes that left me laughing out loud while the majority of my fellow moviegoers sat quietly, unsure whether the movie was actually asking them to laugh with it or was just that silly and contrived. It’s possible that I’m going Roland Emmerich and co. too much credit, but I went with the former every single time and ended up having a great time with the film as a result.

All White House drama aside, this week’s Top 5 includes a slew of interviews from The Lone Ranger with Johnny Depp and more, a list of 15 movies from the first half of 2013 that you may have missed but definitely deserve a look, Christian Bale insisting that he is not involved with the Justice League movie in any way, The Way, Way Back interviews with Steve Carell and more, and a look at our most anticipated movies from July to September.

Hard to believe we’re already half-way through 2013.  What’s even more surprising is the number of quality films from the first half of the year that flew under the radar.  Want some quirky horror?  Check out John Dies at the End and 100 Bloody Acres.  Looking for the newest efforts from some up-and-coming writer-directors?  How about Zal Batmanglij’s The East or Quentin Dupieux’s Wrong?  Perhaps historical dramas like No, Lore and Kon-Tiki are more your style.  Whatever your interest, 2013 surely has a film for you, you just might have missed it.  Hit the jump for 15 movies from 2013 that deserve another look.

You don’t often get to call a horror film delightful, but 100 Bloody Acres is a one-of-a-kind movie that definitely fits the descriptor.  The Morgan Brothers have just discovered the missing ingredient to the perfect bone and blood fertilizer blend – people parts.  When the hapless Reg (Damon Herriman) finds a car crash victim on the side of the road he sees an opportunity to fill an important order and impress his domineering older brother Lindsay (Angus Sampson), but on his way home Reg finds a trio of broken down travelers, and smitten with the beautiful Sophie (Anna McGahan) he foolishly offers them a ride.  Of course everything goes to hell when they find the body in the back of the truck, and what follows is an absolutely charming mess of blood and body parts with a surprisingly warm-hearted story about finding out who you really are.  100 Bloody Acres also stars Oliver Ackland, Jamie Kristian, John Jarratt, and Chrissy Page.

At the film’s recent L.A.  press day I participated in a group interview with Herriman, Ackland, Kristian and McGahan.  They talked about working with writer/directors Colin and Cameron Cairnes, the strength of the script, the tight-knit cast and crew, the physical demands of the film, the unique tone of the film, and more.  In addition Herriman spoke about his work on The Lone Ranger.  Check out what they had to say after the jump.  Please be aware that there are some spoilers.

You don’t often get to call a horror film delightful, but 100 Bloody Acres is a one-of-a-kind movie that definitely fits the descriptor.  The Morgan Brothers have just discovered the missing ingredient to the perfect bone and blood fertilizer blend – people parts.  When the hapless Reg (Damon Herriman) finds a car crash victim on the side of the road he sees an opportunity to fill an important order and impress his domineering older brother Lindsay (Angus Sampson), but on his way home Reg finds a trio of broken down travelers, and smitten with the beautiful Sophie (Anna McGahan) he foolishly offers them a ride.  Of course everything goes to hell when they find the body in the back of the truck, and what follows is an absolutely charming mess of blood and body parts with a surprisingly warm-hearted story about finding out who you really are.

Earlier this week I participated in a group interview with writer/directors Colin and Cameron Cairnes at the film’s L.A. press day.  They talked about shooting the film in Adelaide, the years they spent working on the script, making a film in the vein of 70’s horror, and the state of Australian cinema.  They also talked about blurring the lines between protagonist and antagonist, the films unique structure, viewing the film with an audience, and a lot more.  Hit the jump to see what they had to say.