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Box-Office Bonanza: Local movie makers score holiday hit; Western filmed in county
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| Sam Cable, left, and Chuck Walker, right, talk with soap opera star Eric Braeden on the set of “The Man Who Came Back” during filming of the movie in Conroe in 2007. |
By Brad Meyer
A trio of local filmmakers is enjoying better than expected success with their latest cinematic release – and trying to determine how to make a sequel to a movie in which both the hero and the villain die.
“The Man Who Came Back,” a western action film by Bowen Walker Cable Productions based in Conroe has done well since its Dec. 9 release by Lionsgate. In the Dec. 14 industry rankings by Rentrak, the film was the top non-theatrical release rental movie in the country.
Even more impressive, the film was ranked in the top 10 of all movies purchased via Internet download, including theatrical releases by major studios, according to Movielink, an industry service that tracks sales.
“It’s exciting to see the response so quickly,” said Sam Cable. “A lot of work has gone into this and you never know how the market is going to react.”
The movie, based on a bloody labor strike in 1878, stars Eric Braeden, George Kennedy, Armand Assante, James Patrick Stuart, Billy Zane and a number of other well-known actors. In the featured role, Braeden portrays Reese Paxton, a southern Civil War veteran who fights for justice for black workers and comes back for revenge when his family is killed.
“Eric is an amazingly popular actor with a strong following for his character of Victor Newman on ‘The Young & The Restless’ soap opera,” said Chuck Walker. “He’s equally popular in Europe.”
Cable credits part of the initial success of the film to Braeden’s Internet following. Indeed, chat rooms on several websites dedicated to “The Young & The Restless” have featured significant interest in Braeden’s latest film release.
At www.soaps.com, the section dedicated to TY&TR has an extensive interview with Braeden regarding the recently released film as well as fan comments and reviews of the film.
Many consumer reviews and comments on the film found on the Internet reference Braeden’s character on TY&TR. Although the actor has appeared in big budget films such as “Titanic” and numerous popular television programs, the character of Victor Newman is how most people know him.
“We think it was a mistake Lionsgate didn’t put Eric’s picture on the DVD cover,” Cable said. “If they do a re-release, we think adding his image will help sales considerably.”
Assuming sales and rental figures remain strong, BCWP executives would like to consider a sequel to the movie, though Walker, who penned the original script, notes it will be a challenge.
“It’s a little difficult because most of the major characters were killed in the final showdown,” he said. “But this is the movies so maybe it only looked like they died. We’ll just have to see what happens.”
“The Man Who Came Back” is available online as well as at area video sales and rental stores. Two more BWCP movies, both westerns that were filmed in Texas, are expected to be released in the first quarter of 2009.
At a glance
“The Man Who Came Back”, a Western film by Conroe-based Bowen Walker Cable Productions, has done well since its Dec. 9 release by Lionsgate. In the Dec. 14 industry rankings by Rentrak, the film was the top non-theatrical release rental movie in the country. According to Movielink, the film was in the top 10 of all movies purchased via download, including theatrical releases by major studios.
The movie can be purchased or rented at area video sales and rental stores and at amazon.com.
“The Man who came back” kudos
“As pure escapist fare, The Man Who Came Back succeeds on a multitude of levels. There's robust action especially in the final 45-50 minutes. Characters connive and scheme against one another. Our hero, Paxton, turns out to be an old-school James Bond or Jason Bourne with the way he takes out each opponent one by one. We see a genuine relationship between the protagonist and the former slaves he is trying to stand up for.”
– IGN.com review
“The Man Who Came Back,” a western action film by Bowen Walker Cable Productions based in Conroe has done well since its Dec. 9 release by Lionsgate. In the Dec. 14 industry rankings by Rentrak, the film was the top non-theatrical release rental movie in the country.
Even more impressive, the film was ranked in the top 10 of all movies purchased via Internet download, including theatrical releases by major studios, according to Movielink, an industry service that tracks sales.
“It’s exciting to see the response so quickly,” said Sam Cable. “A lot of work has gone into this and you never know how the market is going to react.”
The movie, based on a bloody labor strike in 1878, stars Eric Braeden, George Kennedy, Armand Assante, James Patrick Stuart, Billy Zane and a number of other well-known actors. In the featured role, Braeden portrays Reese Paxton, a southern Civil War veteran who fights for justice for black workers and comes back for revenge when his family is killed.
“Eric is an amazingly popular actor with a strong following for his character of Victor Newman on ‘The Young & The Restless’ soap opera,” said Chuck Walker. “He’s equally popular in Europe.”
Cable credits part of the initial success of the film to Braeden’s Internet following. Indeed, chat rooms on several websites dedicated to “The Young & The Restless” have featured significant interest in Braeden’s latest film release.
At www.soaps.com, the section dedicated to TY&TR has an extensive interview with Braeden regarding the recently released film as well as fan comments and reviews of the film.
Many consumer reviews and comments on the film found on the Internet reference Braeden’s character on TY&TR. Although the actor has appeared in big budget films such as “Titanic” and numerous popular television programs, the character of Victor Newman is how most people know him.
“We think it was a mistake Lionsgate didn’t put Eric’s picture on the DVD cover,” Cable said. “If they do a re-release, we think adding his image will help sales considerably.”
Assuming sales and rental figures remain strong, BCWP executives would like to consider a sequel to the movie, though Walker, who penned the original script, notes it will be a challenge.
“It’s a little difficult because most of the major characters were killed in the final showdown,” he said. “But this is the movies so maybe it only looked like they died. We’ll just have to see what happens.”
“The Man Who Came Back” is available online as well as at area video sales and rental stores. Two more BWCP movies, both westerns that were filmed in Texas, are expected to be released in the first quarter of 2009.
At a glance
“The Man Who Came Back”, a Western film by Conroe-based Bowen Walker Cable Productions, has done well since its Dec. 9 release by Lionsgate. In the Dec. 14 industry rankings by Rentrak, the film was the top non-theatrical release rental movie in the country. According to Movielink, the film was in the top 10 of all movies purchased via download, including theatrical releases by major studios.
The movie can be purchased or rented at area video sales and rental stores and at amazon.com.
“The Man who came back” kudos
“As pure escapist fare, The Man Who Came Back succeeds on a multitude of levels. There's robust action especially in the final 45-50 minutes. Characters connive and scheme against one another. Our hero, Paxton, turns out to be an old-school James Bond or Jason Bourne with the way he takes out each opponent one by one. We see a genuine relationship between the protagonist and the former slaves he is trying to stand up for.”
– IGN.com review
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bgstrong wrote on Jan 1, 2009 10:46 AM: