Box office report for April 15, 2013: “42″ hits a home run, “To the Wonder” debuts modestly
The Jackie Robinson biopic “42″ took in $27.3 million to claim the weekend box-office championship domestically, according to the Associated Press.
Released by Warner Bros., “42″ easily beat the domestic start of an established franchise in “Scary Movie 5.” The Weinstein Co. sequel opened in second-place with $15.2 million, the smallest debut for the horror-comedy series.
Three of the previous four “Scary Movie” installments had debuts of $40 million or more, according to the AP.
On the other hand, “42″ outdid the usual expectations for baseball movies, which usually do modest business at best. Box-office trackers had expected “42″ to pull in less than $20 million.
The film stars Chadwick Boseman as Robinson and Harrison Ford as Brooklyn Dodgers general manager Branch Rickey, who brought No. 42 onto the team in 1947 as Major Leagues Baseball’s first black player. Choctaw native Ryan Merriman co-stars as Dodgers right fielder Dixie Walker, who opposed Robinson joining the team.
The success of the film was even sweeter since today was Jackie Robinson Day, when all big-leaguers wear No. 42 in his honor to mark his debut with the Brooklyn Dodgers on April 15, 1947.
To read my interview with Merriman, click here. To read my review of “42,” click here.
The previous weekend’s top draw, Sony’s horror remake “Evil Dead,” tumbled to No. 5 with $9.5 million, raising its domestic haul to $41.5 million.
In limited release, Bartlesville-bred director Terrence Malick’s drama “To the Wonder” had a modest start, taking in $130,000 in 18 theaters for an average of $7,222 a cinema. That compares to a $9,074 average in 3,003 theaters for “42.”
Filmed in Bartlesville, Pawhuska, Tulsa and France, “To the Wonder” stars Ben Affleck, Olga Kurylenko, Rachel McAdams and Javier Bardem in a dreamlike, poetic musing on love.
To read my review of “The the Wonder,” click here.
The film opens April 26 at Tulsa’s Circle Cinema, 10 S Lewis Ave, and May 9 at the Oklahoma City Museum of Art, 415 Couch Drive.
1. “42,” $27.3 million.
2. “Scary Movie 5,” $15.2 million ($3.5 million international).
3. “The Croods,” $13.2 million ($25.5 million international).
4. “G.I. Joe: Retaliation,” $10.8 million ($15.6 million international).
5. “Evil Dead,” $9.5 million ($2.9 million international).
6. “Jurassic Park” in 3-D, $8.8 million ($1.3 million international).
7. “Olympus Has Fallen,” $7.3 million.
8. “Oz the Great and Powerful,” $4.9 million ($5.2 million international).
9. “Tyler Perry’s Temptation,” $4.5 million.
10. “The Place Beyond the Pines,” $4.1 million ($2.2 million international).
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Interview: Ryan Merriman hits a home run with role in Jackie Robinson biopic “42″
From left, Choctaw native Ryan Merriman plays Dixie Walker, Brad Beyer as Kirby Higbe, Clint O’Brien as Hugh Casey, Derek Phillips as Bobby Bragan in the Jackie Robinson biopic “42.”
A version of this column appears in Friday’s Weekend Look section of The Oklahoman. To read my review of “42,” click here.
Ryan Merriman hits a home run with role in ‘42’
The Choctaw native plays Dixie Walker, one of Brooklyn Dodgers players who opposed Jackie Robinson joining the team, in the new film.
For the Choctaw native, the film offered a chance to play a challenging role in a movie that would not just be the biggest of his career to date but also the most important. After all, “42” has been endorsed by none other than Barack and Michelle Obama.
“It really is a great story. You know, Jackie’s story, it needed to be a feature film: what he went through and the things he accomplished. Every ballplayer who played with him, in the end, just through his character on and off the field, they all grew to respect him. And the color barrier was broken,” Merriman said in a phone interview from Los Angeles, where he now lives and works.
Taking its title from Robinson’s number, which has been retired by every Major League Baseball team, “42” chronicles Robinson’s historic 1947 rookie season with the Brooklyn Dodgers, which blazed the trail for other black players.
In the process, though, the ballplayer faced terrible prejudice. from death threats against his family to appalling slurs hurled by spectators, opponents and even from his own teammates. Merriman, who turned 30 on Wednesday, portrays one of Robinson’s primary antagonists on the Dodgers, right fielder Dixie Walker.
“It’s tough to watch, but I also think it’s important to show how hard it was on him, how hard it was for him to play in that era. But to be honest, what Jackie went through and what we show in the movie, it was even worse for him (in reality),” he said. adding the movie had to work within the confines of a PG-13 rating.
Choctaw native Ryan Merriman plays Dixie Walker in the Jackie Robinson biopic “42.”
“That’s what made him such a great athlete and such a great a man is for him to be surrounded by all that hatred and everyone wanting him to fail and to have all that riding on his shoulders every time he was at the plate and to still come out with class and integrity.”
Although Robinson played himself in 1950’s “The Jackie Robinson Story,” he has been written about far more often than he has been depicted on the big screen. Spike Lee tried to make a biopic back in 1995 with Denzel Washington, according to IMDB, but the project never made it to bat.
Brian Helgeland, whose credits include “A Knight’s Tale,” “Payback” and the Oscar-winning screenplay for “L.A. Confidential,” wrote and directed “42,” with Chadwick Boseman playing Robinson, Nicole Beharie portraying the player’s wife, Rachel, and Harrison Ford in the role of Dodgers general manager Branch Rickey, who deliberately sought out a black player to integrate the sport he loved.
Merriman, who started acting when he was 8 years old, was thrilled to act opposite Ford in one scene, which unfortunately was cut from the final film.
“He was such a nice guy. I think he’s one of those guys that he kind of shows up and does his job. You’ll see when you watch the movie how deep he was into the character,” You know, he became Branch Rickey and I would definitely say he’s going to get some sort of award action off of this,” he said.
“Once he works with you and sees that you’re serious and not some just young punk trying to get famous, he respects you. And he told me, he said, ‘You’re a great young actor.’ And it was just like, ‘Oh my God, thank you, sir. Thank you.’ It’s not every day you get to hear that, so that was quite the amazing thing to hear.”
The Oklahoma native, who turned 30 on Wednesday, also got the opportunity to meet Robinson’s widow on the set.
“I think it added more weight to the situation. I don’t think it was pressure. You know, obviously, we want to make her proud, but I wouldn’t say pressure. But “You definitely wanted to honor her husband’s story when you met her and (learned about) what they went through,” he said.
Merriman had to set aside his own moral code when it came to portraying Walker, who is depicted helping other players circulate a petition vowing not to play with Robinson. The popular player owned a hardware store in Alabama and feared losing business because of his association with Robinson, Merriman said.
“Dixie Walker was in this situation because of how good he was. “He was the team captain, he was ‘The People’s Choice’ before Jackie showed up, so I think that raised a lot of his questions to having Jackie on the team. In the movie, I say ‘I’m a ballplayer, I’m here to play ball,’ and it seems like as soon as Jackie shows up, we’re having to deal with fights during games and we’re having to deal with not getting into hotels. … So I think it was more the change in baseball that Dixie hated. He never really says racial slurs. He was a very educated man and he was an amazing ballplayer. I don’t think his racism came from ignorance; I think it came from being scared of the change,” he said.
“But you can either go with it, or say ‘You know what, this is wrong and I’m gonna change it.’”
While many of their teammates grew to respect and support Robinson during his rookie season, Walker opposed the future legend until much later in life.
“He did change his tune later on and apologized and said, ‘I wish I’d never signed that damn thing. … I wish I’d never been a part of it. Jackie was an amazing baseball player and an amazing man.’ So they all learned their lesson in the end, I guess you could say,” Merriman said.
“It truly is a beautiful story. They really made it fun. There’s a lot of comic relief in it. It’s a nice balance. It’s a great film and it’s an important film for everyone. … It’s a good way to show what people went through, what Jackie went through, what people in that crucible of time went through, and where we are now.”
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Movie review: “42″
A version of this review appears in Friday’s Weekend Look section of The Oklahoman. 3 of 4 stars. To read my interview with “42″ actor Ryan Merriman, click here.
Movie review: “42”
It may not rewrite the rulebook, but the earnest biopic does right by groundbreaking baseball player Jackie Robinson, which makes it a solid win.
Taking its name from Robinson’s number, which has been retired by every Major League Baseball team, the inspirational sports drama carefully and colorfully documents Robinson’s historic breaking of the sport’s color line when he made his Dodgers debut on April 15, 1947, blazing a trail for other black players.
Writer-director Brian Helgeland, whose credits include “A Knight’s Tale,” “Payback” and the Oscar-winning screenplay for “L.A. Confidential,” follows the conventions of one of my favorite cinematic subgenres straight down the line, but the fact-based story is so uplifting and cheer-worthy, it works even if it doesn’t break any new ground in the storytelling arena.
Helgeland and his lead actor, Chadwick Boseman , who had a supporting role in 2008’s fact-based Civil Rights Era football drama “The Express,” rightly portray Robinson as a talented, likeable young man rather than lionizing him as a icon.
The filmmaker chronicles Robinson’s historic rookie season through the eyes of his chronicler, now-legendary black sports journalist Wendell Smith (Andre Holland), who sets the segregated post-World War II scene. as young men like Robinson return home from fighting for freedom to the harsh reality that Jim Crow still has their own liberty in a firm stranglehold.
To the shock of his staff, canny Brooklyn Dodgers general manager Branch Rickey (Harrison Ford, who takes a go-for-broke attitude, with his portrayal, adopting a whole new look, voice and bearing) decides that the time is right for racial integration in baseball and begins the hunt for a black player to break the color line. He is looking for a youngster with a bright future, loads of talent, an affable but not-too-nice demeanor and, most importantly, the toughness to take the coming abuse without wilting or striking back.
And he finds all that, although with a bit of a hotheaded attitude, in Robinson, who also has a faithful young wife, Rachel (Nicole Beharie), willing to back his play.
The film tracks Robinson’s progress from the Dodgers’ minor league Montreal affiliate to his call up to the bigs, where a group of his teammates, led by hard-case right-fielder Dixie Walker (Choctaw native Ryan Merriman), sign a petition vowing they won’t play with him.
To Helgeland’s credit, “42” doesn’t shy away from depicting the era’s rampant racism to the extent the PG-13 rating allows. Robinson and Smith have to flee towns in the middle of the night because of lynch mob rumors, a small-town sheriff threatens to arrest the player if he doesn’t leave the field, and in a particularly stomach-churning sequence, Phillies manager Ben Chapman (Alan Tudyk) hurls vile insults like fastballs every time Robinson is at bat.
Still, Robinson endures, his wife and Rickey sustain him, and with the exception of Dixie and a few other holdouts, his teammates grow to respect and support him.
With the exception of Ford, Helgeland depends not on stars but on stalwart utility players like Christopher Meloni, T.R. Knight and Lucas Black to tell Robinson’s story. For the most part, they deliver the goods, with John C. McGinley darn near stealing the show with his turn as dry-witted sportscaster Red Barber.
It may not be a cinematic grand slam, but “42” does a fine job sharing and celebrating Robinson’s legacy, which makes it a solid win.
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Ryan Merriman stars in new movie “42,” celebrates 30th birthday and gets engaged
Happy birthday to Choctaw-born and bred actor Ryan Merriman, who is celebrating his 30th birthday today!
Merriman, who has been acting since he was 8 years old, also is marking the opening of what he told me last week is the biggest and most important film of his career. He portrays 1940s Brooklyn Dodgers right fielder Dixie Walker in “42,” the Jackie Robinson biopic opening Friday. The inspirational sports drama has been endorsed by none other than first lady Michelle Obama.
While his family is in Los Angeles for the “42″ premiere – to which Merriman planned to wear Dolce & Gabbana – they are celebrating another big milestone: his engagement to his girlfriend, Kristen. Merriman (TV’s “Pretty Little Liars,” “Final Destination 3″) told me in our phone interview that he popped the question on New Year’s Eve in New Zealand while fireworks light up the sky over Auckland Harbour.
“As soon as I put the ring on and kissed her, the fireworks started going off on the tower behind us. It was perfect,” said Merriman, who didn’t share any other details of the nuptials.
Look for more of my interview with Ryan on Friday!
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New releases: Blake Shelton, Thompson Square and OneRepublic drop new albums; “Dose of Reality” and “Killing Them Softly” released on DVD
Two country albums, a pop-rock album and an indie film – all with Oklahoma ties – are now available for fans to purchase.
Oklahoma country music star Blake Shelton dropped his new album “Based on a True Story …” today, not coincidentally the day after Season 4 of “The Voice,” the hit reality TV show on which he serves as a celebrity coach, premiered on NBC.
As previously reported, the Ada native began a media blitz for the album with a performance on NBC’s “Today” show this morning. To see video of the appearance, click here, and look for my review in the coming days.
In addition, Shelton will bring his “Ten Times Crazier Tour” to Tulsa’s BOK Center on Oct 4. For more information, go to www.bokcenter.com.
Country duo Thompson Square, which consists of Miami, OK, native Keifer Thompson and wife Shawna, released today its sophomore effort, “Just Feels Good,” which I also will be reviewing soon.
The couple will give a Livestream acoustic performance and chat at 3 p.m. Thursday. For more information, go to http://new.livestream.com/livestreamsessions/ThompsonSquare.
Also, Thompson Square will perform May 23 at Cain’s Ballroom in Tulsa. For more information, go to www.cainsballroom.com.
Pop-rock band OneRepublic, lead by Tulsa native and Grammy winner Ryan Tedder, released its new album “Native” today, too. Produced by Tedder and fellow band mate Brent Kutzle, OneRepublic collaborated with leading-edge producers like Philippe Zdar (the French composer known for his work with artists like Phoenix, The Beastie Boys, Cat Power, and Depeche Mode), Jeff Bhasker (Kanye west, Jay Z, the Rolling Stones, fun.) and Benny Blanco (Maroon 5, Rihanna, Gym Class Heroes) on the new album.
Shawnee-born actor Brad Pitt stars with James Gandolfini, Richard Jenkins and Ray Liotta in the gangster drama “Killing Them Softly,” which dropped today on DVD.
And Choctaw native Ryan Merriman stars with Fairuza Balk and Rick Ravanello in the indie thriller “Dose of Reality,” which was released today on DVD. To see the trailer for the film, click here.
Here are more new CDs, DVDs and books, from Amazon.com and VideoETA.com:
Albums
Blake Shelton, “Based On A True Story…”
Thompson Square, “Just Feels Good.”
OneRepublic, “Native.”
The Strokes, “Comedown Machine.”
Dido, “Girl Who Got Away (Deluxe Edition).”
Depeche Mode, “Delta Machine (Deluxe Edition).”
Alan Jackson, “Precious Memories Volume II.”
Stephen Stills, “Carry On” (Box set).
Sevendust, “Black Out the Sun.”
Joe Bonamassa, “An Acoustic Evening at the Vienna Opera House.”
Iron Maiden, “Maiden England.”
DVDs/Blu-ray
Angel in the House
The Borgias: The Second Season
Cheerful Weather for the Wedding
The Collection
The Comedy
Dose of Reality
Easy Money
Killing Them Softly
Lego Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Out
Lincoln
Parental Guidance
A Royal Affair
To the Arctic (IMAX)
Veep: The Complete First Season
Books
American Story: A Lifetime Search for Ordinary People Doing Extraordinary Things by Bob Dotson
Poems to Learn by Heart by Caroline Kennedy, Jon J. Muth
Decisive: How to Make Better Choices in Life and Work by Chip Heath, Dan Heath
The Burgess Boys: A Novel by Elizabeth Strout
The Drop 10 Diet Cookbook: More Than 100 Tasty, Easy Superfood Recipes That Effortlessly Peel Off Pounds by Lucy Danziger
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Video: Today’s Google doodle celebrates Jackie Robinson’s 94th birthday; biopic “42″ opens April 12
Check out today’s Google doodle, which honors pioneering professional baseball player Jackie Robinson on what would have been his 94th birthday. The first black Major League Baseball player of the modern era died in 1972 at the age of 53.
Jackie Robinson (AP file)
Robinson will again be honored this year with the opening of the biopic “42″ on April 12, just in time for baseball season.
Choctaw-born and bred actor Ryan Merriman is taking up baseball again for the fiml, one of his biggest onscreen opportunities to date. He will play 1940s Brooklyn Dodgers right fielder Dixie Walker in the biopic “42.” The film also will star big-screen icon Harrison Ford, Christopher Meloni (TV’s “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit”) and T.R. Knight (“Grey’s Anatomy”).
Taking its name from Robinson’s number, which has been retired by every Major League Baseball team, “42” chronicles Robinson’s historic breaking of the sport’s color line when he made his Dodgers debut on April 15, 1947, blazing a trail for Hank Aaron, Willie Mays and other black players.
Ford will play legendary Dodgers President and General Manager Branch Rickey, who signed Robinson; Meloni will portray the Dodgers’ outspoken manager Leo Durocher, who makes a stand on behalf of the pioneering athlete; and Knight has been cast as Harold Parrott, the team’s traveling secretary who has to deal with housing the black player during the dark days of racial segregation. Chadwick Boseman, who appeared as runningback Floyd “The Franchise” Little in the period football biopic “The Express,” will play Robinson.
Writer-director Brian Helgeland, whose credits include “A Knight’s Tale,” “Payback” and the Oscar-winning screenplay for “L.A. Confidential,” has penned and is helming the project for Legendary Pictures.
Merriman will play a significant role. One of the team’s most popular players, Walker
Ryan Merriman
opposed Robinson joining the squad, even writing a letter to Rickey asking to be traded. Walker ultimately came to respect Robinson, calling him “a gentleman” and “as outstanding an athlete as I ever saw.”
“He was kind of the main bigot almost when it came to African-Americans being introduced into baseball. His reason came more from the upbringing in those times. He owned a hardware store, and he knew that that would affect his business. … But you know, Jackie did amazing things with how people treated him and what he had to go through,” Merriman told me in an interview last year before reporting to the film’s set.
“From an actor’s standpoint, Dixie probably actually has the most screentime out of the ballplayers that are on the team; unfortunately, when Dixie kind of turned around doesn’t happen until the ‘50s. So in this film, you don’t really see that change in him. But he did later in life apologize.”
Check out the latest trailer and featurette for “42,” as well as my 2012 interview with Merriman about the film:
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Video: Indie thriller “Dose of Reality,” starring Ryan Merriman, to debut at Cinequest Film Festival
Oklahoma-born and bred actor Ryan Merriman, right, lays a hit on Rick Ravanello in a scene from the indie thriller “Dose of Reality.”
The indie thriller “Dose of Reality,” starring Choctaw-born and bred actor Ryan Merriman, Fairuza Balk and Rick Ravanello, will make its world premiere at the respected Cinequest Film Festival in San Jose, Calif.
Mark Castaldo, founder and CEO of Destiny Pictures, the film’s production company, recently announced the news on the movie’s official Facebook page.
Ryan Merriman (Photo by Doug Hoke, The Oklahoman Archives)
Check out the official synopsis for the film by writer-director Christopher Glatis, as well as the hard-hitting still of Merriman taking a swing at Ravanello and the trailer, which contains R-rated language and content:
It’s closing time, 2 a.m.: Tony (Ravanello), a bar manager with a shady past, and Matt (Merriman), a young, handsome bartender, discover a beautiful woman bloodied and unconscious in the bathroom of a late night lounge. When she awakens, Tony, Matt and the mysterious Rose (Balk) are plunged into a stirring evening of dangerous role playing in an ever-escalating game of cat and mouse that forces them to face the dark shadows of themselves. As we begin to piece together the elaborate puzzle, nothing is what it seems. However, one thing is for certain: this Rose is full of thorns.
Named a Top 10 Film Festival and Best Digital Film Festival by the Ultimate Film Festival Survival Guide, this year’s Cinequest Film Festival is set for Feb. 26-March 10.
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Ryan Merriman’s portrait now hanging inside his alma mater, Choctaw High School
Choctaw-born and bred actor Ryan Merriman and Choctaw artist Kathryn Walker Richarson smile during a reception dedicating the portrait she painted of him to Choctaw High School. The portrait now hangs in the Performing Arts Center of the school, which is Merriman's alma mater. (Photo courtesy Keith Walker and Francesca Kozakowski)
A version of this column appears in Friday’s Weekend Look section of The Oklahoman.
Ryan Merriman’s portrait hanging inside Choctaw High School
Column: The actor and Choctaw artist Kathryn Walker Richardson last week dedicated to his alma mater the near-life-size painting she created.
Last week, Choctaw artist Kathryn Walker Richardson and Choctaw-born and bred actor Ryan Merriman dedicated to the school district a near-life-size portrait she painted of him.
“Kathryn honored me with her talents to put me on the canvas there. It’s the first time I’ve ever had a painting done,” Merriman said, standing under the portrait now exhibited near his alma mater’s drama classroom. “I didn’t really know how big or extravagant it would be, and when I saw it, it was 5-(feet)-by-3-(feet) and beautiful and huge. It was an amazing compliment.”
“You can’t put anything like this in your house. That’d just be obnoxious,” the actor added, flashing his famous grin. “But we’re honored to have it here in C-town.”
In 2006-07, Richardson painted the portrait of a windswept Merriman standing in a golden field with the vast Oklahoma sky behind him for City Arts Center’s state centennial exhibition “Heroes and Outlaws: 100 Oklahomans by 100 Oklahomans.”
“He was already a star at that time,” Richardson said. “I was honored to get to be included in the show … so that’s how it started. And it has a life of its own almost.”
“We’re both from Choctaw, and that’s what makes it special. The painting is kind of coming back to its origins,” she added. “And it’s the two arts coming together: The performing arts and the visual arts.”
Since the centennial, the Stroud native has used the painting as a sample piece to show what she can do, but it needed a permanent home. Merriman’s mother, Nonalyn, wanted to find a public place to exhibit the portrait and approached the school district, which graciously accepted the gift. During a reception last week, family, friends and fans got their first look of the artwork on display on the still-shining white walls of the 4-year-old Performing Arts Center.
“I think it’s great that he remembers the school and the community and he hasn’t outgrown his roots. I think it’s pretty classy that he would take time and effort and donate something for the school,” said David Dooley, assistant principal at Choctaw’s freshman center, who taught Merriman as a seventh-grader. “He’s just a real good-down-to-earth person, and that’s good to see.”
New Choctaw High School Principal David Reid said he thinks the portrait can serve as a source of inspiration for students.
“The girls and the boys but especially the girls have been really excited about it,” said Reid, a fellow Choctaw High alumnus. “When they saw him here today … in between classes, they got on their cell phones and were calling their moms and dads and telling them they got to meet Ryan Merriman. It’s good. It lets the kids see what a student from this area can become.”
Plus, the principal was impressed that Merriman and his father Earl hung the portrait themselves.
“We’re very self-sufficient men,” the actor said with smile. “And I hopped in the drama class for a little bit and said ‘Hey, what’s up?’”
The 2001 Choctaw High School graduate started acting when he was just a boy; he was cast in his first TV series, “The Mommies,” when he was 10 years old. At 29, his extensive credits include 27 films, four television series and several TV guest appearances.
Most recently, he co-starred in legendary B-movie producer Roger Corman’s latest project, “Attack of the 50 Foot Cheerleader,” a modern-day take on the Oscar-honored filmmaker’s genre pictures that debuted last month on EPIX.
In addition, Merriman recently wrapped filming on one of the biggest onscreen opportunities of his career, a role in the Jackie Robinson biopic “42,” which stars Harrison Ford, John C. McGinley and Christopher Meloni, along with Chadwick Boseman as Major League Baseball’s first black player. Merriman spent six weeks in baseball training and six weeks filming on location in the South to portray 1940s Brooklyn Dodgers right fielder Dixie Walker, who opposed General Manager Branch Rickey’s (Ford) decision to break the color barrier by signing Robinson.
“It was amazing. It was like 30 guys all around the same age — you know, we’re all late 20s — living in hotels. It was like being on a baseball team. You know, we sweated together, laughed together, it was great,” he said. “It was the craziest thing ‘cause it’ll never happen again. It’s one of those movies like ‘Field of Dreams’ or … ‘For Love of the Game,’ it’s got that kind of feel. Jackie Robinson basically started the civil rights movement (in professional baseball), and Branch Rickey was the first white owner to accept African-Americans into the league. So it’s a very powerful story.”
Although he now lives in Los Angeles, Merriman said his Oklahoma upbringing played a key part in his success, so he is flattered to have his portrait showcased in his hometown.
“I think it has everything to do with it. I mean, I still have four of my best friends that I’ve had since, you know, fourth grade, fifth grade. The schools, the principals, the teachers, everyone was so amazing in letting me do what I needed to do and also do my schoolwork. It couldn’t have happened with a supportive town and supportive school,” he said in between posing for fan and family photos with the painting.
“I think it’s really cool that it (the portrait) is in this building as well. When I was going to school here this didn’t exist. It’s a real honor for them to think that I’m worthy to hang in the halls of the high school.”
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Video: Ryan Merriman co-stars in Roger Corman’s “Attack of the 50 Foot Cheerleader,” premiering tonight on EPIX
Choctaw-born and bred actor Ryan Merriman co-stars in legendary B-movie producer Roger Corman’s latest project, “Attack of the 50 Foot Cheerleader. A modern-day take on the Corman’s famed genre pictures – and the honorary Oscar winner’s first-ever 3-D film – the EPIX original movie premieres at 9 tonight on the cable channel.
“Attack of the 50 Foot Cheerleader” follows college coed Cassie Stratford (Jena Sims) who uses an experimental drug to transform herself into a popular, beautiful cheerleader – but at a huge price. Sean Young, Ted Raimi and Treat Williams also star in the deliberately campy movie.
Along with Corman, “Attack of the 50 Foot Cheerleader” has some real schlock-masters behind the camera: Kevin O’Neill also helmed 2010′s “Dinoshark” and 2004′s “Dinocroc,” and screenwriter Mike MacLean also has penned the TV movies “Sharktopus,” “Piranhaconda” and “Dinocroc vs. Supergator.”
Here is the trailer for “Attack of the 50 Foot Cheerleader” and a clip of Merriman in the movie:
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Video: Ryan Merriman co-stars in Roger Corman’s “Attack of the 50 Foot Cheerleader,” debuting Saturday on EPIX
Check out this clip featuring Choctaw-born and bred actor Ryan Merriman co-starring in legendary B-movie producer Roger Corman’s latest project, “Attack of the 50 Foot Cheerleader”
A modern-day take on the Corman’s famed genre pictures – and his first ever 3-D film – the EPIX original movie premieres at 9 p.m. Saturday on the cable channel.
“Attack of the 50 Foot Cheerleader” follows college coed Cassie Stratford (Jena Sims) who uses an experimental drug to transform herself into a popular, beautiful cheerleader – but at a huge price. Sean Young, Ted Raimi and Treat Williams also star in the deliberately campy movie.
Along with Corman, “Attack of the 50 Foot Cheerleader” has some real schlock-masters behind the camera: Kevin O’Neill also helmed 2010′s “Dinoshark” and 2004′s “Dinocroc,” and screenwriter Mike MacLean also has penned the TV movies “Sharktopus,” “Piranhaconda” and “Dinocroc vs. Supergator.”
Here is the trailer for “Attack of the 50 Foot Cheerleader”:
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