The Horror Enthusiast

Hatchet II (Unrated) DVD Review

2011-10-13T13:21:00.001-04:00

by FuckEm

Looking for revenge after the death of her father and brother, Marybeth (Danielle Harris) joins Reverend Zombie (Tony Todd) and a group of guns for hire to track down and kill Victor Crowley (Kane Hodder).

The original Hatchet was my first film review here on The Horror Enthusiast, and was a film that I enjoyed despite seemingly almost everyone else disliking it. I felt it was a fun little film that fell victim to overblown internet hype. When Hatchet II was announced, I was quite excited, when many others scoffed at a return to Crowley’s swamp. Things didn’t turn out quite as I expected. Most who disliked the original, ended up thinking the sequel was a big improvement; while I on the other hand, was pretty disappointed.

The film opens right where the last one left off, which provides a nice shot of momentum to kick things off. There are several throwbacks to the original early on. This section was probably my favorite part of the film. Tamera Feldman, who played Marybeth in the original, had some kind of falling out with the filmmakers and didn’t return. She was replaced by genre vet Danielle Harris, who had actually auditioned for the role in the original. I’ll be honest, I strongly dislike roles being re-cast. No matter what the reason, it almost always detracts from a film, to me. I preferred Tamera’s take on the character, but to Harris’ credit, I felt she did as good of a job as she could, given my pet peeve. Though, I felt her attempt at a southern accent was almost comical at times.

The best idea in the story was making Reverend Zombie a featured character this time. I felt the end result was a mixed bag. Seeing Tony Todd is always enjoyable, but I felt it was unfortunate that a lot of his early scenes either played too long, or simply repeated things that we already knew. It seemed as if they were simply giving time to Tony, rather than really trying to build his character. It’s only much later that we start to see a new layer to him.

The script in general isn’t very well-paced. Too much time goes into setting up a very simple revenge scenario. This is all the more apparent during a repeat viewing. The film’s look is also a bit more stripped down than the original. Hatchet II attempts a somewhat darker tone than the last, so perhaps this was intentional. Though, I suppose the production budget could be lower due to this one having more big genre names on board.

Fright Night and Child's Play director Tom Holland has a sizable role as Mary Beth’s Uncle Bob; while R.A. Mihaloff portrays our principle tough guy, Trent. The rest of the cast is rounded out by the returning Parry Shen, this time playing Justin (the twin brother of his character from the last film), Layton (AJ Bowen), Avery (Alexis Peters), Cleatus (Ed Ackerman), Chad (David Foy), Vernon (Colton Dunn), and John (Rick McCallum). It’s not a bad cast overall I suppose, but again the script disappoints. McCallum and Foy’s characters are pretty faceless, and the whole lot are a bit of a drag at times. I started to miss the more vibrant cast of the original.

Kane Hodder returns of course as Crowley, and again shows that he hasn’t lost a step in portraying a powerful killing machine; delivering another animated performance. The kills are still brutal and plentiful, though I’m still not a fan of the misting blood that Green seemingly likes to include. Victor’s history is also expanded on a bit, with Hodder once again essaying his father, Thomas Crowley. The finale tries to throw in a twist to the story to limited success, but fares better in delivering a resolution that feels final. But, in Horror, we know nothing is ever truly final, do we not?

The highlight of the DVD is the commentary with Adam Green, Tony Todd, and Kane Hodder. Green spends some time discussing the controversial pulling of the film from AMC Theaters after only a few days. Some suggest the low grosses were the reason, but Green seems to think there were shenanigans involved due to it being the first unrated film to play theatrically in over 25 years. Hearing Kane and Tony on the same track was nice and kind of made up for the Blu-ray getting more supplements.

There are a few positives here, but overall, it felt like the sophomore slump got hold of this one. Hatchet II only runs 81 minutes, but feels much longer; almost like they didn’t really have enough material to return to the well. To me, it sort of justifies my feelings on the last one. Both serious and slightly more comedic Horror films can be successful, but the trick is, they have to be well done. Hatchet III is currently being prepped, to be directed by the first two films’ camera operator, BJ McDonnell. Perhaps Green stepping away from the director’s chair is a good thing, and a fresh pair of eyes can help the franchise rebound. If not, I won’t be too upset if the next is the last we see of Victor.

Directed by: Adam Green
Starring: Danielle Harris, Kane Hodder, Tony Todd, R.A. Mihaloff, Tom Holland
Released by: Dark Skye Films

Special Features

Audio Commentary with Writer/Director Adam Green, and stars Kane Hodder and Tony Todd
Audio Commentary with Writer/Director Adam Green, Director of Photography Will Barratt, and makeup effects artist Robert Pendergraft
Hatchet II: Behind the Screams Featurette
Trailer
Teaser Trailer
Radio Spot FuckEm's Rating:

Scream 4 DVD Review

2011-10-13T12:32:00.002-04:00

by FuckEm

Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell) returns to Woodsborro as part of a book signing tour, where she reunites with Dewey (David Arquette) and Gale (Courtney Cox). Only to discover that a new Ghostface killer is targeting her cousin, Jill (Emma Roberts), and her friends in an effort to remake the original murders.

I’ve said before that I’m not a big admirer of the Scream series. I’m sure some readers will bail right there. There is a reason, however. While some call the original 1996 film a loving ode to the slasher films of the past, I thought it seemed to take jabs at such classics without taking many at itself; which seemed smug and spiteful. So, it was quite surprising to me when I found myself on the same side of the aisle as the franchise, when it returned carrying the banner against the Hollywood reboot trend.

It’s essentially the original cast interacting with their “rebooted” selves. Take Campbell, Arquette, and Cox out and you would definitely have pieces to a Scream remake; a film that has a new crop of characters not-so-loosely based on the old ones and sequences designed to make you directly recall the original. I think it’s an interesting idea, and was certainly worth exploring; but, I found that the concept sounded better than the film ultimately played. Part of the reason is because, the new characters themselves almost come off as just a part of the joke rather than full-blown, well-developed roles. There was talk that the original script by Kevin Williamson was retooled prior to production, so that could be a factor in it.

There are quite a few characters to go through here, so bare with me. Obviously, Jill is our new Sidney and her boyfriend, Trevor (Nico Tortorella), is the new Billy Loomis. Tortorella seemed like he was doing a bad Skeet Ulrich impression at times, and is quite wooden. The same goes for Jill's mother (Mary McDonnell), who gives the worst performance in the film. The new goofy Deputy is a female named Judy Hicks (Marley Shelton), who has a thing for Dewey, now the Sheriff, to the chagrin of his wife.

Gale’s counterpart appears in the form of Sidney’s assistant, Rebecca (Alison Brie), who was little too chipper for my taste. Charlie (Rory Culkin) and Robbie (Erik Knudsen) fill in Randy’s exposition-spouting film geek role; while thinly-written Olivia (Mariella Jaffe) fills in for Tatum. I suppose Knudsen’s character was supposed to be the funny one, but I was more amused by Shelton’s exchanges with Courtney Cox. Hayden Panettiere is the only one who stands out somewhat, as her slightly bitchy character with a butch hairstyle, Kirby, seems to be one of the few who isn’t based on a past character. She was also a film geek. The slapstick cops came in threes this time, so why not the film geeks, I suppose.

The returning cast is also a bit of a mixed bag. I found Courtney Cox to be pretty much in character, but in order to make room for the new, dumb cops, David Arquette’s character was made a bit less comedic. I don’t know if that hurt the film significantly, however it does take away a large part of his character from the previous films and makes him feel like he’s sort of just along for the ride here. Speaking of which, Neve Campbell pretty much sleepwalks through this one; not very emotional or seemingly that interested. It’s unfortunate that they didn’t feel the need to do a bit more with her, because her mere presence pretty much cancels out Jill, leaving Roberts seeming weak and almost vapid for a large portion of the film. This is one of the usual casualties of having an older generation meet a new one.

Fans of the series will be relieved to know that despite sporting the tagline “New decade. New rules.”, it's pretty much the same old Scream. The snarky dialogue, hipper-than-you characters, movie rules, and an elaborate opening featuring cameos are all accounted for. I suppose the bottom line would be does it work in 2011? While I was never a fan of this style, there's no denying that it did create a major stir during its heyday. But, I feel in some ways, this one plays like a film past its time. I think the biggest thing that endangers this series’ shelf life is the fact that unlike a lot of other slasher franchises, Scream focuses on a great deal of satire. That’s one of the hardest things to pull off in Horror, in my view. Since it’s last outing in 2000 (even before), so many other films have ripped this approach off, that to see the original article back, doesn’t seem that special. They even attempt to cop to this in the film; and while the remake angle does help, it doesn’t fully cover the rust.

Probably the most interesting aspect of the franchise, for me, has always been the murder/mystery angle. I don’t think I’m giving much away at this point by saying there are once again two killers. The revelation is mixed, due to one killer not being that much of a surprise. They pretty much telegraph it by having the character blurt out something stupid earlier in the story. The other was good, and comes as much more of a surprise. And while I did find the finale rousing upon a first viewing; with Scream 5 now supposedly on the road to becoming reality, I have to wonder if it was the proper decision for the future of the franchise or a missed opportunity.

The DVD features a somewhat disorganized commentary track featuring Wes Craven, Emma Roberts, Hayden Panettiere, and Neve Campbell. Campbell appears late in the track via telephone and leaves not long after, without much to say. Panettiere also leaves before the conclusion, leaving only Wes and Roberts. It’s noted on the track that they were working from a script that was well over two hours, so not surprisingly, over 25 minutes of deleted scenes are present. They contain nothing really essential; the most interesting bit being an alternate version of the opening. All in all, Scream 4 (or Scre4m) is better than Scream 3 and is a bit of rebound for Craven after the abysmal My Soul To Take. But, for my money, it’s still an average entry into a long-running series that didn't fully capitalize on the most promising premise of the three sequels.

Directed by: Wes Craven
Starring: Neve Campbell, David Arquette, Courtney Cox, Emma Roberts, Hayden Panettiere
Released by: The Weinstein Company/Anchor Bay

Special Features

Audio Commentary by Director Wes Craven, and Stars Emma Roberts, Hayden Panettiere, and Neve Campbell
Deleted and Extended Scenes
Gag Reel
The Making of Scream 4 Featurette
Scream 4 Video Game Promotion FuckEm's Rating:

Dawn of the Dead (1978) Ultimate Edition DVD Review

2011-09-30T12:35:00.007-04:00

by FuckEm

Four survivors on the run, hold up in a shopping mall for survival where they encounter zombies and blistering commentary on consumerism.

In 1968, George Romero cemented himself as the master of all zombies with legions of Horror buffs, when he wrote and directed Night of the Living Dead. When legendary Italian filmmaker Dario Argento approached Romero about doing a sequel some ten years later, it led to my personal favorite of Romero’s Dead films and one of my favorite zombie films of all time (along with Fulci’s Zombi 2). It’s difficult to write a review for a classic film such as this, due to everyone already having done it and pretty much saying everything there is to say. The only way for your review to stand out is if you hate the film. But hopefully, our readers will humor me here.

Fans of Night will notice right away the differences between that film and this one; which stretch far beyond Dawn being filmed in color. The sequel doesn’t have the same dread throughout as its predecessor, and like a lot of follow ups, took the tact of having more action and more fun. The blood in the film resembles the paint-like blood in some of the older Hammer Horror films and the music, at times, sounds like it could have come out of an old video game. Romero wanted a comic book feel to this installment, and he succeeded.

I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that at all, and it’s certainly entertaining; however I do think they went a little far with the comedy in respect to the zombies, making them appear too bumbling in some instances. Some have expressed displeasure with the majority of the undead appearing with a simple gray-faced makeup (often appearing as blue). I can see how they would feel that way after seeing more recent films, however the zombie outbreak was still at an early stage here, so it would make sense to have a lot of the freshly dead. There are a couple of “hero” zombies that feature more elaborate makeups, however.

The cast here is mostly enjoyable. Out of our soldiers, Peter (Ken Foree) and Roger (Scott Reiniger) deliver perfectly. Foree brings an authoritative presence to his role; while Reiniger is energetic and helps keep the spirit of the film up between action scenes. Fran (Gaylen Ross) and “Fly Boy” (David Emge) who have fled from a news station and joined up with them, are more of a mixed bag. I didn’t care for Emge’s portrayal or his character at first, but he turns it around in time and had me rooting for him.

The same cannot be said for Gaylen Ross. She remained the weak link throughout the film. Ross is like a living zombie who never really shows any emotion. She refused to scream for Romero during her scenes and to the detriment of her character, I think. It makes his attempt at giving her a character arc fall somewhat flat. She clearly thought this was a stand for strong women in Horror films (she mentions several times in the supplements that this was pre-Sigourney Weaver in Alien), but you don’t have to be stoic to be strong. When she picked up a gun later, I didn’t buy it.

One similarity in both Night and Dawn is Romero’s trademark social commentary. While he claims it wasn’t really intentional in the former, it was very much so in Dawn. Even though the characters are in a life and death struggle, they are surrounded by a wonderland of material goods and can’t help but partaking. It’s somewhat amusing, but I have to admit, that I’ve never been enamored with these type of statements. It doesn’t hurt the film certainly, but if it wasn’t there, I wouldn’t miss it. This was the first entry to delve into over the top death scenes and violence, which are provided with great glee by Tom Savini. Most of these work their way into the last act, which acts as a nice payoff.

If you’re a fan of Dawn, you likely already own this 4-disc Ultimate Edition set from Anchor Bay. If not, then trust that this is the release to pick up; as it is overflowing with special features, such as documentaries, commentaries, and easter eggs that cover everything you could ever want to know; as well as two alternate cuts of the movie. The Extended Cut is pretty much a rough cut of the film that runs 139 minutes versus the theatrical’s 127 minutes. Honestly, I’ve watched this version two times; once when I got this set and the second for this review. It doesn’t really add anything that I felt was a real attribute to the film.

The European Version, known as Zombi, was recut by Argento to fit the International marketplace; which meant more action and less talking, essentially. While I greatly enjoy Romero’s theatrical cut, I do prefer some of the pacing changes and cuts made by Dario in this 118 minute version. Another change that I liked, was how this cut features more of Goblin’s soundtrack as opposed to a lot of the cost cutting stock music that Romero used for several sequences.

Dawn of the Dead is a great fun ride, with a tight cast of characters that I (mostly) care about. It definitely upped the ante for the zombie films to come. The film was remade in 2004 in association with the original’s producer Richard Rubinstein, and directed by Zack Snyder. Some felt it stacked up to the original and praised it for introducing the “fast zombie”. I saw fast zombies in Return of the Living Dead, so I wasn’t very impressed with that aspect; and simply saw the film as an average zombie yarn with a big budget. If it’s anything like Night of the Living Dead, we’ll be seeing further remakes. But, there is just something about the original and the means by which it was made, that make it stand out as one of the seminal icons in a sea of zombie films.

Directed by: George A. Romero
Starring: Ken Foree, Scott Reiniger, Gaylen Ross, David Emge
Released by: Anchor Bay

Special Features:

Dawn of the Dead Comic Book
Disc One (US Theatrical Version)

Audio Commentary by George A. Romero, Tom Savini, Chris Romero, and Moderated by Perry Martin
Trailers
TV Spots
Radio Spots
Poster & Advertising Gallery
George A. Romero Bio

Disc Two (Extended Version)

Audio Commentary with Richard P. Rubinstein, Moderated by Perry Martin
Monroeville Mall Commercial
Still Galleries

Disc Three (European Version)

Audio Commentary with Stars David Emge, Ken Foree, Scott H. Reiniger, and Gaylen Ross
Trailers
TV Spots
Poster & Still Galleries
Dario Argento Bio

Disc Four

The Dead Will Walk (75 minute Retro Documentary)
Roy Fumkes’ Document of the Dead (92 minute On-Set Documentary)
On-Set Home Movies
Monroeville Mall Tour

FuckEm's Rating:

Dr. Terrible's Bad Movie Reviews: Coons! Night of the Bandits of the Night

2011-09-26T16:11:00.004-04:00

by Dr. Terrible

Hiya, true believers! It’s Dr. Terrible here with another terribly trepidatious Troma movie review! It’s a really funny stink bomb of a flick... and I loved every minute of it. Let’s begin!

Coons! Night of the Bandits of the Night is about a couple college kids who go to a campground on spring break to have a nice relaxing week away from school. They run into hippies, Bible students, and slightly retarded jocks. The coons (raccoons) come, infect the campers with their scat (poop!) and the chaos and hilarity ensues.

This flick is actually meant to be funny rather than trying to make serious art out of a $5,000 budget. The actors remind me of the cast of The Whitest Kids U Know. I laughed my self into a coma the whole way.

This being a Troma movie, you’d expect copious amounts of both bush and blood, but you’d be wrong! I was wrong!. There’s some occasional blood here and there, but no guts or anything like that. There are no boobs, minus a few nude raccoons.

The acting is really average. The cast perform their roles as well as they can but, due the budget, they're forced to use one actor more than once; this is another funny part.

The raccoons that are used are freeze dried dead specimens, which is sort of gross, really, but what are you gonna do? They're really old looking and one of the few good props in the movie. They're creepy; all stuffed and frees dried and staring at you with their dead eyes. The rest of the props came from the dollar section of a costume store: Big fake mustaches, plastic doodie... you get the idea.

Over all, I’d give this movie 7 out of 10 on my poop scale. The humor and songs were dead on, but the gore and lack of boobs or raunch left me wanting.

That’s all for now, friends, I’ll see you guys soon for another titillating edition of Dr. Terrible’s Bad Movie Reviews!

FRANKENHOOKER Turns Blu on November 8

2011-09-16T18:49:00.002-04:00

September 16, 2011 - 6:54PM EST

From Frank Henenlotter, the creator of the BASKET CASE trilogy and BRAIN DAMAGE, comes FRANKENHOOKER, a gory horror-comedy twist on the Frankenstein legend.

When Jeffrey Franken’s fiancée is chopped to pieces by the blades of a remote-controlled lawnmower, he uses his dubious medical knowledge to try to bring her back to life. He reassembles his beloved Elizabeth using the body parts of New York City’s finest prostitutes, and resurrects her during a heavy lightning storm. Unfortunately for Jeffrey, his dear Elizabeth’s brain is scrambled and she
runs amok on 42nd Street, turning tricks and bringing high-voltage death to
her customers!

Synapse Films is proud to present the uncut version of FRANKENHOOKER in an all-new 2K high-definition transfer created from original vault materials and digitally re-mastered 5.1 surround sound!

Special Features and Disc Info:

Audio Commentary with Director Frank Henenlotter and
Make-Up Effects Designer Gabe Bartalos
A Salad That Was Once Named Elizabeth – Patty Mullen Featurette
A Stitch in Time: The Make-Up Effects of Frankenhooker – Featurette
Turning Tricks: Jennifer Delora Remembers Frankenhooker – Featurette
Theatrical Trailer

Director: Frank Henenlotter
Starring: James Lorinz, Patty Mullen, Louise Lasser, Jennifer Delora
Run Time: 85 minutes
Release Date: November 8, 2011
Language: English (DTS-HD MA English 5.1 Surround / DTS-HD MA English 2.0 Stere0)
Aspect Ratio: High-Definition 1080p Widescreen (1:78:1)
Format: Blu-ray
Price: $24.95

For more information, check out www.synapse-films.com

Teaser Trailer for Season 2 of THE DEAD HOUR

2011-09-16T18:43:00.003-04:00

September 16, 2011 - 6:47PM EST

The first teaser trailer for the new season of the horror webseries "The Dead Hour" has gone live.

"The Dead Hour" is an indie horror anthology series filmed in Omaha, Nebraska. The show centers around a mysterious and sexy radio DJ who brings her audience dark and twisted tales each night. The first season launched last fall and webisodes can be seen exclusively at www.thedeadhour.com. Season 2 is currently in production and will feature nine new episodes that will premiere this October also exclusively on the site.

More news, updates and behind the scenes features can be found on our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/magnumpictures.

MANIAC COP Hits Blu-ray and SOUTH OF HEAVEN Comes Home on October 11

2011-09-16T18:32:00.006-04:00

September 16,2011 - 6:40PM EST

Innocent people are brutally killed on the streets of New York by a uniformed police officer. A young cop, Jack Forrest (Bruce Campbell, TV's BURN NOTICE and THE EVIL DEAD Trilogy) finds himself marked as the chief suspect after his wife is murdered. As Lieutenant Frank McCrae (Tom Atkins, DRIVE ANGRY and LETHAL WEAPON) investigates, the death toll rises and he suspects a mysterious police cover-up. This "maniac" cop must be stopped, but it might not be so easy. He seems inhuman, and ready to take on the entire police force, hell-bent on revenge! Restored and remastered from original vault materials by Synapse Films,

MANIAC COP looks and sounds better than ever in this brand-new 2011 high-definition transfer, featuring newly remixed DTS-HD Master Audio surround sound! Long considered a classic of the horror genre, MANIAC COP was written and produced by Larry Cohen (IT'S ALIVE, PHONE BOOTH) and directed by William Lustig (MANIAC, VIGILANTE).

A bold anti-hero origin story steeped with atmosphere and ultraviolence! When Roy Coop finished his stint in the Navy,he only had two things on his mind: seeing his brother Dale, and writing the great American novel. What he gets, however, is the homecoming from Hell! A pair of violent vaudevillians (NAPOLEON DYNAMITE's Jon Gries, and Thomas Jay Ryan) mistake him for his brother, looking to collect on a debt he didn't know he owed. Eight fingers later, Roy is burnt to a crisp, forged by fire into a new man. Roy is dead. Nobody is born. Now it's Nobody's turn to have his wicked revenge, and to save his brother before it's too late. Wrapped in bandages and ready for blood, Nobody is determined to kill those that gets in his way, even the murdering masochist named Mad Dog Mantee (Shea Whigham, MACHETE and HBO's BOARDWALK EMPIRE).

Dodging bullets and dodging dames, Nobody meets the nasty ne'er-do-wells
Lily (Diora Baird, THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE: THE BEGINNING)
and Veronica (Elina Löwensohn, SCHINDLER'S LIST). In this wonderful neo-film-noir, violence and vengeance are destined to meet in a little town
they call... SOUTH OF HEAVEN.

Special Features and Disc Info (MANIAC COP):

Maniac Cop Memories – Interview with Robert Z'Dar
Out the Window – Interview with Tom Atkins
Three Minutes with Danny Hicks Featurette
Motion Still Gallery
Additional Scenes Filmed for Japanese TV
Theatrical Trailer
TV Spots
Spanish Radio Spot

Director: William Lustig
Starring: Bruce Campbell and Tom Atkins
Run Time: 87 minutes
Release Date: October 11, 2011
Language: English (6.1 and 4.0 Surround)
Aspect Ratio: High-Definition 1080p Widescreen (1:85:1)
Format: Blu-ray
Price: $24.95

Special Features and Disc Info (SOUTH OF HEAVEN):

Three Audio Commentaries featuring Cast Members, Filmmakers, and Critics
Three Short Films by Director J.L. Vara

Director: J.L. Vara
Starring: Shea Whigham, Diora Baird, Elina Löwensohn
Run Time: 97 minutes
Release Date: October 11, 2011
Language: English (5.1 Surround)
Aspect Ratio: Anamorphic 1.78:1
Format: DVD
Price: $19.95

For more information, check out www.synapse-films.com

Uzumaki Movie Review

2011-09-15T07:59:00.003-04:00

by Dr. Terrible

This is my first bad movie review for The Horror Enthusiast! Aren’t you all pumped beyond anything? I thought so! I should warn you that I love and cherish bad movies. They’re almost always fun and easy to watch. With that being said, be warned fellow readers!

I figured I’d start with one of my favorite bad Asian horror flicks, Uzumaki; It’s about a small Asian town plagued by spirals. It’s based on a notorious manga which is really crazy, as well. Let’s jump right into this monster!

The movie has everything you’d want in a truly odd Asian horror movie. Snail people? Check. Spiral obsessed fathers who turn themselves into spirals? Check. A woman who’s hair comes to life and drains people of energy? Check. The list of oddities here keeps going and going.

The budget was the only real setback for this movie; it was around a million dollars American. That makes for some not so sweet CGI effects, but the practical gore and makeup were spot on, for sure. The acting is as good as you can expect for a micro budget movie, minus Eriko Hatsune. She was really convincing as the school girl who has to watch her town go ape shit.

If you've read the manga, the movie will make a lot more sense. If not, prepare to ask a bunch of questions that never really get answered; Things happen and are never explained and it can be kind of frustrating, for sure, but it’s still quite a trip to watch.

Uzumaki is probably the strangest Asian movie since Tetsuo: Iron Man and I wouldn’t recommend any one watching it under any kind of mind altering substance. But, if you’re feeling like you want your head to pop off and float to a hell full of spirals, then sally forth, good man! I guess what I’m trying to say is that this movie is odd in a dark way; The kind of odd that sticks to your guts and stays with you like demon heartburn.

If you’ve seen my YouTube channel (slothbp) you know I grade things on a “poop scale.” One is for runny poop of a movie that burns the anus and ten is for a glorious, corn filled, hearty dump. I give Uzumaki a SEVEN on my (patent-pending) poop scale. I took three points off only because of the bad CGI effects.

Uzumzaki is weird and dark and I’d recommend it to anyone out there who loves cheesy movies.

Well, true believers, I hope you all enjoyed my first ever review for the Horror Enthusiast. I’ll be back faster than you can say "excelsior!" Smell ya later, blood farts!

Warlock DVD Review

2011-09-13T13:01:00.004-04:00

by FuckEm

A 17th century Warlock (Julian Sands) flees his execution and leaps forward to 1988, where he plans to reunite the pages of a Satanic bible. He’s followed by his rival, Redferne (Richard E. Grant), who teams up with average Kassandra (Lori Singer) to take him down.

So, in some ways, it’s a reversed, less ambitious version of the Terminator formula. Written by David Twhoy and directed by the man who gave Jason his hockey mask and took away half of Michael Myer’s filmography, Steve Miner; Warlock sat on the shelf for at least two years due to New World Pictures financial woes. It was picked up by Trimark, who gave it a limited release in early 1991. The film looks a little low rent to me and plays pretty much like a DTV film, but still manages to have a degree of cheesy fun about it.

To its credit, it knows what it is. It doesn’t attempt to hold off on the introduction of the title character, nor does it waste any time getting to the action. It’s not really a gory film at all, and relies more on the fantastical; which was fitting. I’d actually call it more of a Fantasy film than Horror; though it’s subject matter alone is going to give it that label. I felt Sands did a fine job as the Warlock; giving him a good balance of suave and smarm. I also found it somewhat amusing that he resembled the early incarnation of WWE wrestler Triple H.

However, and this is no fault of Sands, I felt the character was a little underwritten as far as his abilities. There were several times in the story that he came off as too vulnerable and not that threatening to the main characters. One of the only things I felt the sequel improved upon. Though, his goal in this film is befitting of an evil character of his type.

Singer makes Kassandra a passable character, I suppose, even if she’s written a bit too shallow for my liking. Her 80’s hair and clothes should provide a few laughs. As will the idea that she’s supposed to be 20 years-old. I found Redferne to be more grating. I don’t know if it was Grant’s accent or the awful roadkill duster that he never takes off. But, I did appreciate the sense that Grant seemed to be really into the role.

I thought the pair’s early chase of the Warlock was a little uninteresting, but it did get better on the stretch to the end. The final method of thwarting the Warlock was pretty stupid, even for a film of this kind. Just not very imaginative, in my view. Several of my problems were with Twhoy’s screenplay, actually.

The film is what it is; and some will like it and some not. If you’re on the fence, try to find some footage of the hokey flying Warlock scenes. I think that more or less sums up much of the film’s tone. If you can take such things in stride and not hold it against the film, then you should be set for this. I can accept its cheesiness, but I don’t know that I’d watch it again anytime soon; which is reflected in my rating. I know it’s gained a cult following since its release, so I’m aware that my view is but one of many.

The film is presented in shitty full screen format for your viewing pleasures.

Directed by: Steve Miner
Starring: Julian Sands, Lori Singer, Richard E. Grant
Released by: Lionsgate

Special Features:

Trailer
Cast and Crew Information

FuckEm's Rating:

Indie Slasher RAYMOND DID IT DVD Now Available for Pre-Order

2011-09-12T15:26:00.004-04:00

September 12, 2011 - 3:34PM EST

Rockford, Illinois-based Plastic Age Productions is pleased to announce that our first feature length film, Raymond Did It, is NOW AVAILABLE for pre-order on DVD!

Raymond Did It is a slasher film in the tradition of Halloween and Prom Night. When twelve-year-old Bryce Rourke is accidentally killed in a playground scuffle, his friends decide to blame Bryce's developmentally delayed older brother for the accident. Raymond is taken to a state hospital while the true killer walks free. Six years later, Raymond escapes from the hospital to seek bloody revenge for his brother's death.

The UNRATED DVD will be released on November 22nd. Fans can pre-order a signed copy from writer/director Travis Legge at http://www.aegisstudios.com/store

Signed copies ordered by October 15th will ship by Halloween!

Raymond Did It stars Lindsay Felton (VH1 Scream Queens, Caitlin's Way), Jessica Palette (Vh1 Scream Queens, Under the Raven's Wing), Elissa Dowling (Dahmer vs. Gacy, Dread), Steven Edwards, Jake Skiba, Ty Yaeger, and Kyle Hoskins as Raymond.

Written and Directed by: Travis Legge
Director of Photography: Tim Stotz
Edited by: Robert J. Williams

For more information, trailers, clips and news, visit http://www.raymonddidit.com

You can also "like" Raymond Did It on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Raymond-Did-It/205521879470 and follow writer/director Travis Legge on Twitter at http://twitter.com/travislegge

RETREAT Trailer Now Online

2011-09-12T15:11:00.005-04:00

September 12, 2011 - 3:17PM EST

SYNOPSIS: Kate and Martin escape from personal tragedy to an Island Retreat. Cut off from the outside world, their attempts to recover are shattered when a Man is washed ashore, with news of airborne killer disease that is sweeping through Europe. But is this mysterious stranger who he says he is and can he be trusted?

Release Date: October 21, 2011
Directed by: Carl Tibbetts
Written by: Carl Tibbetts and Janice Hallett
Starring: Cillian Murphy, Jamie Bell and Thandie Newton
Rating: R
Distributed by: Samuel Goldwyn Films

Four New Stills from Horror Anthology SINISTER VISIONS

2011-09-12T08:47:00.008-04:00

September 12, 2011 - 8:58AM EST

The first teaser stills for upcoming horror anthology SINISTER VISIONS have been revealed. The stills comes from the two segments "Mother Knows Best", written by Garry Charles and directed by Kim Sønderholm and "My Undead Girlfriend" written by Henric Brandt, Rasmus Tirzitis and Stefan Bommelin while directed by Henric Brandt.

The full anthology is expected to hit the market in early 2012 and will contain a total of five, possibly six, horror stories. A good portion of dark humor will be present as well.

The people behind SINISTER VISIONS are giving the public a chance to support and become apart of the anthology via IndieGoGo, read more about it here: http://www.indiegogo.com/Sinister-Visions

SINISTER VISIONS imdb page: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1808474/

BEWARE The Legend Lives on DVD October 18

2011-09-12T08:39:00.004-04:00

September 12, 2011 - 8:46AM EST

Shady Grove’s dark past is about to become their worst nightmare when Maya Entertainment releases Beware on DVD October 18. Many believe the gruesome rumors of a boy chained to a tree in the woods, who now wanders the area in search of revenge. Many say it’s a lie. Now five unsuspecting kids will discover the truth behind this horrifying legend. Directed by Jason Daly (Sigma Die!), Beware stars Adam Leadbeater (Awakening, Hearts and Minds), Alex Livinalli (Cowboys & Indians), Brandy Whitford (Damaged/Delivered) and Cecilia Huete (Carpe Diem). Beware will be available on DVD for $27.98 SRP.

Synopsis: The town of Shady Grove holds many dark secrets. Amongst them is the sadistic tale of "Shane, “a boy who was tortured and chained to a tree as a youngster. Legend has it that he wanders the woods in search of revenge. But no proof of his existence has ever been discovered… until now.

Beware has a running time of 95 minutes and is not rated.

Conan The Barbarian (2011) Review

2011-09-10T05:37:00.005-04:00

by Patrick "ChoKo" Robertson

I've been a fan of Conan the Barbarian for as long as I can remember. The original Robert E. Howard books and short stories, the comics, the movies, etc. I even remember, when I was about five years old, having my Grandpa make me a wooden sword so I could re-enact scenes from the first two films out in the backyard. When I was eight, after my guitar lessons were over, on the way home my Mom would take me to the local convenience store and buy me a candy bar and a Savage Sword of Conan comic. I could go on and on listing my fond Conan-related memories. It seems whenever I turn around, the musclebound behemoth is standing there brooding. Conan has always been a small, yet very impactful, part of my life.

Starring the then near-unknown Arnold Schwarzenegger, John Milius' 1982 Conan the Barbarian changed the landscape of sword and sorcery films forever. Milius' directing is flawless and I still think the film has one of Arnold's finest acting performances. The mixture of epic storytelling and strong, graphic violence continues to impact films to this day. Ridley Scott's Gladiator, Frank Miller's 300, and even Peter Jackson's rendition of the Lord of the Rings trilogy owe stylistic debts to John Milius. To this day, it is one of my all time favorite films.

Sadly, the same can't be said for 1985's Conan the Destroyer. While it isn't a bad film, per say, it fails to capture the power, grace, and intelligence of Milius' Conan. Instead, we got a watered down, family-friendly, often light-hearted fantasy film with very little in the way of furthering the story of Conan. Quite literally, Conan is in the same place when the film ends as when it began.

Conan the Conqueror, a third film in the Conan series, was planned for 1987 but Schwarzenegger was committed to another little film you may have heard of entitled Predator. The third Conan film descended into development hell. The script would later be turned into the dreadful Kull the Conqueror starring Kevin Sorbo, of Hercules: The Legendary Journeys fame.

Throughout the late 90's and early 2000's, rumors circulated that Arnold would once again pick up the sword as an aging Conan for King Conan: Crown of Iron. The film lingered in development hell as Warner Bros. spent seven years trying to get the project off the ground, with development attempts made by Larry and Andy Wachowski, John Milius, and Robert Rodriguez, who was closest to completing development but left the project in order to direct Planet Terror (his contribution to Grindhouse). A script was even leaked to the internet a few years back but, sadly, and the film will most likely never see the light of day.

An animated film entitled Red Nails, starring Ron Perlman (who, ironically, appears in the relaunch) as the voice of Conan and based on the Robert E. Howard story of the same name, has also lingered in a state of flux for several years with little to no updates on it's status.

I mourn the loss of King Conan: Crown of Iron, but I would be lying if I said that I wasn't more than a little excited when the reboot was announced. Now, I have to admit, I would have been angry if they did a straight remake of the Milius film, which is why I was thankful when I heard that this would be a new adaption and, perhaps, a new take on Conan.

I've grown tired of remakes that fail to move the subject matter in a new direction. Now, I know a lot of our readers consider us here at The Horror Enthusiast biased against remakes/reboots/etc, but that simply isn't true. What we do is tell the truth. If we don't like something, we're gonna tell you, regardless of the majority's opinion. I've seen too many remakes try to tread on the same ground as the originals without trying anything new and then failing miserably (A Nightmare On Elm Street 2010, Friday The 13th 2009). Needless to say, I was alarmed when I heard that Marcus Nispel (who directed both the Friday the 13th and Texas Chainsaw Massacre remakes)would be directing the new Conan the Barbarian film.

With that being said, there is no, nor should there be, a comparison between the original and the reboot. Yes, the original film will always be one of my favorites. Whenever I reach for a Conan film to watch, nine times out of ten, it will most likely be the original, but comparing the new one to the old one isn't fair; They are two very different films. Keep that in mind whilst reading the remainder of this review.

In the 2011 film, Conan (Jason Momoa) sets out on a life-long quest to find Khalar Zym (Stephen Lang), and avenge the murder of his father and the slaughter of his village. During his pursuit of Zym, Conan meets Tamara (Rachel Nichols) whose pure blood is needed by Zym to solidify his power.

Right off the bat, the film pulls no punches and this mentality is maintained throughout the entire film. Conan was born of war... literally. In one of the best scenes in the film (the opening scene, no less), Conan's mother gives birth to him in the MIDDLE OF BATTLE after BEING STABBED, the blade just missing baby Conan by an inch or less. Needless to say, I was impressed; they managed to capture the spirit of Conan within the first minutes.

The first act depicts Conan as a young boy growing up in Cimmeria and training with his father for battle. Ron Perlman shines in his brief yet impactful role as Conan's father Corin. I especially enjoyed how he was simultaneously strict and loving to his son; he comes off as a very strong and wise man. The "Riddle of Steel" speech from the original film is echoed in these scenes, albeit in a subtly different way. Being a knife and sword enthusiast, I thoroughly enjoyed the sword forging scenes, with Corin explaining how both "fire and ice" make a blade strong.

Jason Momoa is a force as Conan. Whereas Arnold Schwarzenegger's Conan was a much more introverted and brooding character (which was perfect for that particular film), Momoa's Conan wears his emotions on his sleeve and is far more impulsive and bloodthirsty; a definite antihero. During Momoa's many fight scenes, there seems to be an ever present smirk on his face; he genuinely enjoys the mayhem of battle. I have to say that this is the most faithful interpretation of Robert E. Howard's Conan ever captured on film.

This isn't Stephen Lang's first go-round as an antagonist. In James Cameron's Avatar, he played Col. Quaritch to perfection and is no different here as Khalar Zym. As much as Momoa's Conan enjoys the heat of battle, Lang's Zym enjoys being a heartless butcher that much more... and then some. Rose McGowan is in top form as Zym's daughter Marique. Her unbridled thirst for innocent blood pushes the boundary without ever becoming too over-the-top.

I was actually quite impressed by Marcus Nispel's directing here. Gone is the cookie cutter format that he seemingly used on both The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Friday the 13th; Conan the Barbarian has a much more sharp, high contrast look. The fight scenes and swordplay are very well choreographed and very little of the dreaded shaky-cam that plagues most modern action/adventure films is used.

I mentioned earlier that the film pulls no punches. The fight scenes are much like Conan's personality: Brutal, unrelenting, and in-your-face. Blood, limbs, and various other forms of gore continuously fly at the screen from all angles and the fast pace of the film almost never dies down. However, as cool as that sounds, a bit of character development is sacrificed in favor of packing in as many battle scenes as possible inside of the film's 113-minute running time. A little more on the history of Conan's people who have been nice, as well as a bit more info on Zym's background.

In the end, this relaunch of the Conan franchise isn't disappointing. In fact, it's quite good. After putting the film snob side of my personality aside for the evening, I found it to be very entertaining and satisfying to my inner fan-boy.

Directed by: Marcus Nispel
Starring: Jason Momoa, Rachel Nichols, Stephen Lang, Rose McGowan
Released by: Lionsgate

ChoKo's Rating:

UNDEAD EVIL Creeps Onto Comic Shelves in October

2011-09-01T18:47:00.002-04:00

September 1, 2011 - 6:52PM EST

Asylum Press announced today that Undead Evil, a gritty new four-issue horror comic book mini-series, will debut in comic shops nationwide on October 5, 2011, just in time for the Halloween season. The books will be distributed through Diamond Comic Distributors, Haven Distributors and Tony Shenton.

Written by Frank Forte (Asylum of Horrors, Warlash, Vampire Verses) and drawn by fan favorite artist Nenad Gucunja (Asylum of Horrors, Warlash), with cover by acclaimed gaming concept designer Ben Olson (Shogo M.A.D, Drakan, Drakan II), Undead Evil takes place in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina where a centuries old family curse is reignited by an undead voodoo priest. When paranormal researcher Alfred Carter is summoned by the ghost of his ancestor, he must travel to The Big Easy to cleanse his bloodline. What he finds are untold family secrets and a descent into madness. This disturbing tale can be described as H.P. Lovecraft meets Angel Heart with voodoo zombies.

“It’s a twisted Lovcraftian, zombie voodoo thriller," says writer/artist Frank Forte, of Undead Evil, “I’ve always been a Lovecraft fan, and his influence has always creeped into my stories. I wanted to do a tale that had a Lovcraftian tone without redoing what’s been done before. So the influence is there, but I’m adding many other scenarios that come from my years of reading and creating horror tales. I did quite a bit of research on Voodoo. I think this is going to be very dark.”

Undead Evil #1 (of 4), a 32-page black and white comic book for $2.99, goes on sale in stores in early October. Retailers can pre-order Undead Evil #1 from Diamond Previews August catalog (Asylum Press section - page #249). This title carries a Diamond Code of AUG110860.

Diamond Comic Distributors gave Undead Evil #1 a "Zombieriffic" in its August Previews catalog. It is now featured on Diamond Previews World.

Check out the special 6-Page Preview at http://www.asylumpress.com/titles/undead-evil

New Horror Series CHOPPER Hits Stores in October

2011-08-23T17:19:00.002-04:00

August 23, 2011 - 5:25PM EST

Asylum Press and Night Owl Productions announced today that Chopper, a gritty new five-issue horror comic book mini-series with a tie-in to a live-action web series, will debut online and in comic shops nationwide on October 5, 2011, just in time for the Halloween season. The books will be distributed through Diamond Comic Distributors as a “day-and-date release” in both print and digital formats on the same day.

Written by screenwriter Martin Shapiro and drawn by acclaimed Dark Horse artist Juan Ferreyra (Falling Skies, Rex Mundi), Chopper is a modern-day re-imagining of the headless horseman of Sleepy Hollow fame. After taking a strange new drug with supernatural side effects at a party, the rebellious teenage daughter of a police officer starts seeing ghosts and is stalked by the Reaper, a headless Hell's Angel on a motorcycle who collects the souls of sinners in the afterlife.

The story has elements of Nightmare on Elm Street and Candyman. Instead of being killed in your dreams, you’re vulnerable while you’re high on the drug. The target audience for this book is mature readers, horror hounds, and motorcycle enthusiasts. It will appeal to fans of Rob Zombie, Steve Niles, and Garth Ennis.

“When Martin Shapiro showed me the first two issues of Chopper on the iPad, I was blown away. The artwork is the same high quality you’d find in a top-of-the-line Marvel or Vertigo book,” says Asylum Press President Frank Forte. “Martin is an enormously talented writer. He has created a dark, truly original world of drugs, outlaw bikers, and supernatural mayhem that horror fans should really respond to. We are thrilled to bring his first comic book to the world.”

“For me, working in comics is very similar to movie making – it's like the ultimate storyboard,” Shapiro commented. “With Chopper, I wanted to create one of the most beautiful books on the market with lots of attention to detail and cinematic coloring. That’s why I teamed up with Juan Ferreyra. I’ve been a fan of his for a long time. His pencils and inks are amazing – very dynamic with lifelike, expressive characters. I couldn’t ask for a better artist to bring the script to life.”

Shapiro added, “The idea for Chopper came to me when I was at the Daytona Bike Week Festival in Florida hanging out with a bunch of bad-ass bikers, getting stoned and telling war stories. I love custom choppers and I love horror films from the 1970’s and ‘80s, so I decided to combine the two elements into a hardcore, no-holds-barred, R-rated story. I wrote the script at UCLA Film School in a screenwriting class taught by Mike Werb, the writer of Face/Off. He helped me develop the emotional conflict of a troubled girl being pulled in two directions by two different father figures – one dead and one alive. He also encouraged me not to shy away from the controversy of having a drug-dealing high school cheerleader as the protagonist.”

Shortly after the art team finished issue #2, producer J.C. Christofilis saw a digital PDF of the books and snapped up the movie rights to Chopper. He quickly put together financing to produce an innovative web series to introduce fans across the globe to the Chopper mythology and build awareness for an upcoming movie in 2012. The web series stars Tyler Mane (played Michael Myers in Rob Zombie's Halloween remake, and Sabretooth in X-Men) and Andrew Bryniarski (Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Any Given Sunday, Batman Returns). It will feature all-new prequel story material NOT in the comic book. You can view the Chopper teaser trailer on YouTube at the following link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xosUS87LI9Y. So far, the trailer video has over 139,000 views.

Other transmedia components associated with Chopper include an iPhone game app, a music deal with a popular heavy metal band to be announced next month, and a sponsorship deal with Rockstar Energy Drink.

“I realized there was an opportunity to expand Martin's strong characters and story universe from the comic book by utilizing transmedia storytelling to create original online tales that could further enrich the overall Chopper mythology and entertainment experience for fans.” said producer J.C. Christofilis. “Our goal is to reach massive audiences through all possible media platforms as we unleash integrated, killer content via the comics, web series, social media and ultimately feature films. We are confident this new horror franchise will connect deeply with fans who appreciate a mix of quality storytelling and hardcore horror on the level of Sleepy Hollow and the first Nightmare on Elm Street!”

Chopper #1, a 32-page full color comic book for $2.99, goes on sale in stores in early October, the same month as the highly anticipated Chopper web TV series debuts on YouTube! Fans should pre-order Chopper #1 at their local comic book shop (www.comicshoplocator.com) to ensure they get a copy before it sells out. Retailers can pre-order Chopper #1 from Diamond Previews August catalog (Asylum Press section - page #249). This title carries a Diamond Code of AUG110859.

Diamond Comic Distributors gave Chopper #1 a "Certified Cool" in its August Previews catalog. It is now featured on Diamond Previews World.

Check out the special 6-Page Preview at http://www.asylumpress.com/titles/chopper

ABOUT ASYLUM PRESS:
Asylum Press is a Los Angeles-based comic book and graphic novel publisher founded in 1999 by artist Frank Forte. The Company publishes high-concept books from the industry’s top talent within the horror, fantasy, and action adventure genres via a bold new business model that focuses on digital publishing and new distribution outlets in both the American and international markets. Asylum Press maximizes the value of these branded properties by extending them across multiple entertainment platforms, including movies, TV, and video games, often using transmedia storytelling techniques. Its flagship titles include Fearless Dawn, The Bomb, Undead Evil, Black Powder, Warlash, and the popular horror anthologies Zombie Terrors, EEEK!, Asylum of Horrors, and Satan’s 3-Ring Circus of Hell. For more information, visit http://www.asylumpress.com.

Official Poster for THE CALLER

2011-08-23T13:44:00.003-04:00

August 23, 2011 - 1:53PM EST

Synopsis: Troubled divorcee Mary Kee is tormented by a series of sinister phone calls from a mysterious woman. When the stranger reveals she's calling from the past, Mary tries to break off contact. But the caller doesn't like being ignored, and looks for revenge in a unique and terrifying way.

Starring: Rachelle Lefevre, Stephen Moyer, Luis Guzmán
Directed by: Matthew Parkhill
Written by: Sergio Casci

The Caller opens August 26.

Trailer for MIKE PECCI'S GRINDHOUSE SHORTS Compilation DVD

2011-08-10T09:14:00.005-04:00

August 10, 2011 - 9:30AM EST

Director & photographer Mike Pecci is self releasing all of his violent short films on one loaded DVD. Mike Pecci’s Grindhouse Shorts!

This is the definitive collection of what Filmthreat magazine called “Grindhouse done right”. It includes the director’s cut of Cold Hard Cash, a re-mastered Capture Device, Stray Bullet, and a new short featuring a chainsaw wielding Evalena Marie (from the upcoming film based on the “Remains” comic written by Steve Niles). Each film is uncensored and loaded with sex, violence, and Suicide Girls! The DVD is jammed to the limit with interactive menus, behind the scenes clips, brand new recorded director’s commentaries and the infamous “Mom-mentaries” (where the director watches the films with his highly opinionated mother) and loads of hidden “Easter eggs.” The disks will be released with 3 limited edition variant covers with artwork from comic book and poster artists as well photography from Pecci.

Purchase the DVD HERE.

Grindhouse Classic THE EXTERMINATORComing To Blu-Ray September 13

2011-08-08T08:06:00.003-04:00

August 8, 2011 - 8:15AM EST

Christopher George, Robert Ginty, and Samantha Eggar star in THE EXTERMINATOR, James Glickenhaus' explosive story of Vietnam vet John Eastland (Ginty), a man who launches a bloody vendetta against the New York underworld when his best friend is brutally beaten by a vicious street gang. Eastland becomes a vigilante hero to the public, but to police The Exterminator is a psychopath capable of dangerously undermining an entire government administration.

Synapse Films is proud to present THE EXTERMINATOR in its more violent and gory Director’s Cut, lovingly restored in high-definition from original vault materials. One of the most cold-blooded and controversial revenge films ever made, this is “a sick example of the almost unbelievable descent into gruesome savagery in American movies.” (Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times)

Special Features:

• The Original Director’s Cut Featuring More Gore and Violence
• The Newly Discovered Original Stereo Soundtrack Mix
• Audio Commentary by Director James Glickenhaus
• Theatrical Trailer and Television Spots (HD)

Disc Info:

Director: James Glickenhaus
Starring: Christopher George, Robert Ginty, and Samantha Eggar
Run Time: 104 minutes
Release Date: Sept 13, 2011
Language: English
Aspect Ratio: Anamorphic widescreen (1.78:1)
Formats: Blu-ray and DVD
Region: Blu-ray and DVD: All Regions

Price: Blu-ray/DVD Combo: $29.95

For more info, CLICK HERE.

Trailer and Poster forFound Footage Horror EVIDENCE

2011-08-06T03:38:00.007-04:00

August 6, 2011 - 3:52AM EST

Synopsis: Ryan is making a documentary on his friend, Brett, about camping for the first time. However, once they begin camping, they discover that there is a mysterious figure that is hunting them.

Official Facebook

Female Action Filmmaker J.A. Steel’s BLOOD FARE Trailer Premieres At San Diego Comic-Con 2011

2011-08-04T21:41:00.005-04:00

August 4, 2011 - 9:48PM EST

On July 26, 2011 the trailer of the award winning female writer and director J.A. Steel’s fourth feature film “Blood Fare” hits the web after having its world premiere on the Big City Comics video wall at the San Diego Comic-Con 2011 on July 23. Steel, Gil Gerard, internationally recognized for his lead role as Captain William ‘Buck’ Rogers in the science fiction movie and television series “Buck Rogers in the 25th Century”, Savannah Ostler (“Vengeance”), Splattercontainer Scream Queen October 2010 and Jeff Kaufman, creator of the brand new graphic novel “Terminal Alice”, attended the world premiere.

“Blood Fare” is a Civil War ghost story with a modern twist, by J.A. Steel and Co-Producer Christian K. Koch. It is the tale of Corporal Henry Trout (S. Edward Meek - “Wild Stallion”), who in 1861 fought valiantly in a forgotten skirmish after the first battle of Bull Run. 150 years later, he will come face to face with his descendants as the battle for blood continues on a haunted battlefield. Tyler (Brandi Lynn Anderson from the upcoming Syfy original series “ZEROS”) and her brother Chad (Adrian West), Henry's fifth generation grandchildren, will challenge the very legend of Charon the Ferryman, as the lines between the living and the dead become blurred.

Gerard plays the character of Professor Meade, mentor to the protagonist Tyler, in “Blood Fare”. Gerard was recently seen in the Syfy original movie “Ghost Town”. International action star, Kim Sonderholm, most recently seen in the newly released “Little Big Boy,” appears alongside Gerard as Professor Malick.

In addition to Gerard and Sonderholm, several other amazingly talented actresses and actors have joined the “Blood Fare” cast, including Michelle Wolff (“NCIS”, “Chicago Hope”, “ER”, and “Providence”), Bridget McManus (“Wanted”), Scott Beringer (“Ocean’s Eleven” and “21”), Brenden Whitney, Alison Trouse, Thomas J. Post, Antonio Lexerot and April Knight. Marcus Intheam, Salt Lake City star radio DJ of “Marcus in the Morning” on Z-ROCK 94.9 and “The Real L Word Live Lounge” host Natalie M. Garcia add live broadcast talent.

Chris Hanson, one of the most recognized special makeup effects artists of Hollywood, joined the crew of “Blood Fare” as Special Makeup Effects Supervisor. He demonstrated his unique creativity in “Hellboy”, “Underworld”, “Men in Black”, “Men in Black 2”, “The Green Mile”, “The X-Files”, “The Faculty”, “Spawn” and many other productions.

Steel rounds out her crew with Director of Photography Michael B. Call (“127 Hours”), Co-Producer Christian M. Koch who has worked with Steel on her first 3 films and Executive Producer Jessica M. Bair.

“Blood Fare” is a green, sustainable film production, and Eco/Sustainable Production Executive Micheline Birkhead was on set to ensure the project meets green certification requirements.

Fans can become part of the crew “Blood Fare” getting their name in the credits for a simple donation of $25 US. Interested parties can contact Steel directly at ja@warriorentertainment.com. Additional levels to become involved in the project are listed at (http://www.indiegogo.com/BLOODFARE).

About J.A. Steel:  Steel is a director, producer, actor, videographer, editor, fight choreographer and stunt person, in addition to writer and composer ... and even a distributor ... a unique woman in Hollywood.  “Blood Fare” is Steel's fourth feature film. Her action horror shocker “Denizen”, her action supernatural thriller “Salvation”, and her action feature “The Third Society” reflect in many ways Steel's real life hobbies of Muay Thai kickboxing, cave diving, motorcycle riding, firearms and edged weapons. All three movies are available on Amazon.com.

Steel lives in Salt Lake City, Utah, preferring the peace of the mountains for her screen writing.

About Tunis Productions, Inc. A sister company of Warrior Entertainment, Inc., Tunis Productions is bringing A List action to independent film on a micro budget. http://www.warriorentertainment.com

Additional information on “Blood Fare”:
Official Website - http://bloodfare.warriorentertainment.com
Twitter (>125,000 followers) - https://twitter.com/BLOODFAREmovie
Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/pages/BLOODFAREmovie/159681397380430
IMDB - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1730189/

Background information on Steel’s career:
Director's Reel - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V3-BqNZxPrk
Wikipedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/JA_Steel
IMDB - http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0003888/

Media Coverage of “Blood Fare”:
http://www.warriorentertainment.com/?se=mov&con=blf_media

The Discovery Channel Teams Up with the Vatican on THE EXORCIST FILES

2011-01-05T17:10:00.006-05:00

January 5, 2011 - 5:16PM EST

The Discovery Channel is teaming with the Vatican for an unprecedented new series hunting the deadliest catch of all: Demons.

The Exorcist Files will recreate stories of real-life hauntings and demonic possession, based on cases investigated by the Catholic Church. The project includes access into the Vatican’s case files, as well as interviews with the organization’s top exorcists — religious experts who are rarely seen on television.

“The Vatican is an extraordinarily hard place to get access to, but we explained we’re not going to try to tell people what to think,” says Discovery president and GM Clark Bunting.

Bunting says the investigators believe a demon can inhabit an inanimate object (like a home) or a person. The network executive says he was initially skeptical when first meeting the team but was won over after more than three hours of talks.

“The work these folks do, and their conviction in their beliefs, make for fascinating stories,” Bunting says.

If the show’s first season is successful, the network hopes its partnership with the Church will pave the way for producers GoGo Luckey to take the series to the next level — joining Catholic investigators on live demon-purging ride-alongs. (Move over, Syfy’s Ghost Hunters.)

The Exorcist Files marks one of two new series coming to the network and first reported by EW. The other is the intriguing Disappeared (working title), produced by Pilgrim Films, which will test whether its possible to really “go off the grid,” as contestants ditch their identities and attempt to hide anywhere in the world from a team of trackers. More details on Disappeared here.

The Exorcist Files will debut this spring on The Discovery Channel; an exact date has not yet been set.

Source: EW

Spectra Records Releasing Soundtrack for Award Winning Film EMERGING PAST

2011-01-05T10:59:00.005-05:00

January 5, 2011 - 11:11AM EST

Spectra Records has inked a deal with Church Hill Productions and Chocolate Bunny Productions to release the soundtrack to their triple award winning film “Emerging Past.” The 17 song soundtrack, primarily an alternative rock album with a mixture of pop and instrumental movie themes, is available now for download via MP3 or to order as a CD through the film’s website. It will be available on iTunes in the upcoming weeks and in stores such as Best Buy, Borders and FYE in April. This partnership with Spectra marks quite an achievement for an independent film and puts “Emerging Past” into the ranks of major studio releases. "One of the best soundtracks I've heard all year! Great from start to finish." – Bobby Collins, Spectra Records.

The musical score and several songs were written for the film by Gerard McMann, better known as G Tom Mac, most famous for his cult favorite “Cry Little Sister” from the movie “The Lost Boys.” G Tom Mac has already had an internet hit with his single from the film “Soul I Bare” and its accompanying music video shot by “Emerging Past” filmmaker Thomas J. Churchill. G Tom Mac’s song with late actor Cory Haim, “Mend Me,” is also featured. Singer Katie DiCicco lends two songs to the CD: her award winning “Mud,” which took home Best Song from the New York City International Film Festival and “Beautiful Tragedy.” Churchill also directed the music video to “Mud” which can be seen on YouTube. Other Spectra artists such as Kizzy Star and gold selling artist Magni round out the playlist. Churchill is extremely proud of the finished product and feels it has “earned its position in stores next to soundtracks from the top grossing films.”

This soundtrack partnership is just the beginning for projects between Spectra Records and Church Hill Productions. Look for more music, film and events from this team in the near future.

Churchill has garnered much attention lately in the horror film world with “Emerging Past,” which he wrote, directed and produced. After creating a buzz at the New York City Independent Film Festival when a second screening had to be booked because of the overwhelming interest (a first in festival history), the film took home the award for Best Horror Feature and Best Song for “Mud.” This impressive accomplishment was followed by a Best Actor win at the Spooky Empire Freakshow Horror Film Festival in Orlando, FL in October. The Best Actor win made three wins in as many screenings, setting an enviable record for any feature film. Churchill premiered “Emerging Past” in Pennsylvania at the Mr. Hush Weekend of Fear, which also premiered “Mr. Hush” – a film in which he has a supporting role as Sheriff Churchill as well as being a producer. “Emerging Past” went on to the Salty Horror Film Festival in Salt Lake City and will continue to be shown to eager horror fans at festivals and conventions around the country in 2011.

“Emerging Past” is a horror twisted psycho-thriller rollercoaster ride of terror that follows a tormented woman on her journey to discover where her past is leading her. The film features an impressive cast of genre stars including: Brooke McCarter (“The Lost Boys”), Steve Dash (“Friday the 13th Part 2), Tony Moran (“Halloween 1 & 2”) and Stephen Geoffreys (“Fright Night”). Churchill says that his vision for the film came from a road trip to Washington DC, the setting for one of his favorite films, “The Exorcist” and says “somewhere between “The Exorcist” and “The Omen” “Emerging Past” shall sit.”

Features on a variety of internet radio programs - such as The Jimmy Star Show, Random Talk Radio and Mothpod - have helped to create anticipation and buzz on this film in the horror film community. It has also been mentioned on popular horror sites such as Dread Central, From Dusk Till Con, GeekTyrant and Encyclopedia Psychotica.

Churchill started out in the industry as an actor and moved on to creating films with his friends back home in New York City. Writing, directing and producing led to a Best Feature award at the age of 18 and his passion for filmmaking was sparked. His lifelong love of the horror genre has fueled his two most recent projects: the previously mentioned “Emerging Past” and “Mr. Hush.” With several projects in pre-production, you can look for his films to continue to be screened and distributed across the country in the coming years.

For more info on Emerging Past, check out www.emergingpast.com

Also, be sure to check out our article on Emerging Past HERE.

Horror DVD & Blu-Ray Releases for January 4, 2011

2011-01-03T09:20:00.003-05:00

January 3, 2011 - 9:44AM EST

4-Film Collection: Cabin Fever/Cabin Fever 2/The Descent/The Descent 2 (Lionsgate Home Entertainment)

4-Film Collection: Crazy Eights/Unrest/Wicked Little Things/Lake Dead (Lionsgate Home Entertainment)

4-Film Collection: Dark Ride/The Gravedancers/Borderland/Unearthed (Lionsgate Home Entertainment)

4-Film Collection: Dracula's Curse/Bled/Bram Stoker's Dracula's Guest/Fangs (Lionsgate Home Entertainment)

4-Film Collection: The Eye/Bug/Ju-On/Alone In The Dark (Lionsgate Home Entertainment)

4-Film Collection: Godsend/See No Evil/Stir Of Echoes/Stir Of Echoes 2: The Homecoming (Lionsgate Home Entertainment)

4-Film Collection: The Haunting In Connecticut/An American Haunting/Soul Survivors/Riding The Bullet (Lionsgate Home Entertainment)

4-Film Collection: Leprechaun/Leprechaun 2/Leprachaun 3/Leprechaun 4: In Space (Lionsgate Home Entertainment)

4-Film Collection: My Best Friend's A Vampire/Repossessed/Slaughter High/Silent Night/ Deadly Night 3 (Lionsgate Home Entertainment)

4-Film Collection: Pumpkinhead II/Leprechaun/Wishmaster/Wishmaster 2: Evil Never Dies (Lionsgate Home Entertainment)

8213: Gacy House (DVD/Blu-Ray; Echo Bridge Home Entertainment)

Bitter Feast (Dark Sky Films/MPI Home Video)

Case 39 (DVD/Blu-Ray;Paramount Home Entertainment)

Double Feature To Die For: The Graves/ZMD: Zombies Of Mass Destruction (Blu-Ray; Lionsgate Home Entetainment)

Double Feature To Die For: The Gravedancers/Wicked Little Things (Blu-Ray; Lionsgate Home Entertainment)

Double Feature To Die For: Borderland/Crazy Eights (Blu-Ray; Lionsgate Home Entertainment)

Double Feature To Die For: The Broken/The Butterfly Effect 3: Revelations (Blu-Ray; Lionsgate Home Entertainment)

The Last Exorcism (DVD/Blu-Ray; Lionsgate Home Entertainment)

The Shadows (Midnight Releasing)

WolvesBayne (Millenium Media Services)

Official Blu-Ray/DVD Cover Art and Specs for Hatchet II

2010-12-30T08:20:00.008-05:00

December 30, 2010 - 8:20AM EST

After all the bullshit the film went through regarding it's theatrical run, I was happy to hear that Hatchet II will be getting it's dual format (Blu-Ray and DVD) home video release on February 2.

Special Features:

Production Audio commentary track featuring writer/director Adam Green, Cinematographer Will Barratt, and Make-up Effects Supervisor Robert Pendergraf

Cast Audio commentary track featuring writer/director Adam Green and actors Kane Hodder and Tony Todd

Hatchet II: Behind the Screams featurette

Trailers, Teaser, TV Spot, Radio Spot

Synopsis: Hatchet II picks up right where the original Hatchet ends, as the quiet but hot-tempered Marybeth (Danielle Harris, Halloween) barely escapes from the clutches of the mysterious Victor Crowley (Kane Hodder, Friday The 13th Parts VII-X), who has already has murdered all of Marybeth's friends and other vacationers in the New Orleans' swamp country.

Marybeth recruits a team of hired guns and returns to the bayou to exact her revenge, but quickly discovers that even with an army of hunters at her side, the murderous fury of Crowley cannot be contained. Ultimately, it will be up to Marybeth alone to defeat the seemingly indestructible Crowley, but not before learning the truth about a twisted secret he shares with her own family!

For more info, check out www.hatchet2.com

The Exorcist Added to National Film Registry

2010-12-29T05:53:00.005-05:00

December 29, 2010 - 6:08AM EST

The Exorcist is one of the 25 films added today to the Nation Film Registry.

According to Variety, along with The Exorcist, The Pink Panther, All the President's Men, Saturday Night Fever, Airplane! and The Empire Strikes Back also made this year's cut.

The Registry was created in 1989 by the National Film Preservation Act to ensure the survival of works deemed "culturally, historically or aesthetically significant."

To see a complete list of the films added to the National Film Registry in 2010, go HERE.

For a complete list of all films in the Registry, go HERE.

Source: Variety, Dread Central

Official Poster for Black Death

2010-12-28T09:03:00.003-05:00

December 28, 2010 - 9:12AM EST

To download the poster image: https://rcpt.yousendit.com/1008897185/04f079c5d53f1f23c1c3d2ad27668088

Synopsis: Set during the time of the first outbreak of bubonic plague in England, a young monk is tasked with learning the truth about reports of people being brought back to life in a small village.

BLACK DEATH will be available via On-Demand, Xbox, Playstation, Vudu, Amazon.com and iTunes February 4 and in theaters starting March 11.

For more information please visit: http://blackdeathfilm.com
Become a fan on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/#!/blackdeathfilm

To see our original report on Black Death, including cast and crew info, go HERE.

Pleasures of the Damned: The European Cut On DVD February 22!

2010-12-28T08:50:00.006-05:00

December 28, 2010 - 8:57AM EST

Before there was Isle of the Damned, there was Antonello Giallo’s Pleasures of the Damned, soon to be available on DVD for the first time ever in a remastered and restored “European Cut,” just in time for the DVD format to die!

Synopsis: When a group of Satan worshipping bikers seek out a book holding the secrets of eternal life, they accidentally resurrect an anciet evil that manifests itself in the zombified forms of cult members that sacrificed themselves to Satan some 200 years ago. Private Investigator, Jack Steele, while on a mission to help rescue Evelyn Crane’s brother Tommy from the psychotic cult, may be the only one that can lay the curse to rest for good!

DVD Special Features: 20 Minutes of Deleted Scenes, Full MP3 Score, Carl Cephas Interview, Antonello Giallo Bio, Drinking Game, & Trailers

For more info, check out www.direwitfilms.com

Road House Audio Commentary

2010-12-24T10:07:00.009-05:00

by Patrick "ChoKo" Robertson & Napalm Dave

For Christmas 2010, we took a break from horror (briefly) to discuss something that's even more terrifying; Road House. Enjoy!

The Horror Enthusiast Hall of Fame Splinter in the Eye Zombi 2

2010-12-18T19:44:00.006-05:00

by FuckEm

Locked doors weren’t the answer to stopping the undead in Lucio Fulci’s 1979 classic, Zombi 2. One decided to break through and put poor Paola’s (Olga Karlatos) eye out on a piece of the splintered door.

Yikes! It hurts just to watch this scene. If simply being poked in the eye is a bitch, imagine this scenario. The scene takes its time in delivering the moment; making her (and us) think about what is about to happen. It could very well be one of the most painful acts of violence in a Horror film and a no-brainer for anyone’s Hall of Fame.

Fright Night Part II DVD Review

2010-12-10T01:09:00.010-05:00

by FuckEm

Three years after the dispatching of Jerry Dandridge, a rehabilitated Charley Brewster (William Ragsdale) no longer believes in vampires and has distanced himself from Peter Vincent (Roddy McDowall). But, a new vampiress named Regine (Julie Carmen) enters, with something special in mind to restore his faith.

This follow-up to 1985’s Fright Night is nothing on the original, but if watched on its own, is an okay vampire film. It tries to continue the themes set by the original, but executes them at a very basic level. A lot of that is to be blamed on the screenplay, but as much can be placed on the somewhat flat direction from Tommy Lee Wallace. Like most of his films, I found Fright Night Part II to have some style, but just not enough to stand out. I think the film does a pretty good job of re-introducing Charley and Peter quickly and getting back into the story; but it soon loses its way.

With Amanda Bearse now on Married With Children, Charley needed a new girlfriend. She comes in the form of Tracy Lin (d)’s Alex. I didn’t completely buy the romance between them, due to the film going out of its way to show that they seemingly have no common interests and spend a lot of time arguing as a result. How did these two ever get together? While it could be a case of opposites attracting, her major is Psychology, and it comes across more to me like she’s dating Charley initially as a curiosity; given his background.

That’s not very endearing and hard for me to invest in. But, it halfway works due to the performances. I thought Lind did a good job with the role, and seemed credible enough. Ragsdale turns in a passable performance, slightly hindered by the story calling for Charley to be a bit more hip and loose than he was in the original. It felt more like he was putting up a front, since Ragsdale has several naturally nerdy characteristics.

While Jerry had only a single familiar at his side, Regine has a trio of allies. Belle (Russell Clark), Louie (Jon Gries), and Bozworth (Brian Thompson). With the exception of Louie, I felt these characters were a bit thin and one note; though Belle has one pretty cool scene. I found myself enjoying Louie’s hapless pursuit of Alex, and was almost routing for him in a twisted way. He, for me, is no doubt the most entertaining new character in the film. He looks so sleazy and makes for some effective comic relief. I thought Julie Carmen did a good job with the seductress side of Regine, but didn’t find her very threatening. The means by which her character is tied to the Fright Night universe seemed sort of like a cheap trick that wasn't necessary.

My biggest problem with the film’s structure, lies in its second act. The amount of pointless role reversals that begin to take place around the 30-minute mark, such as people not believing in vampires, only to believe, then not believe again only minutes later, seemed like little more than stalling tactics. And the fact that Regine’s plan for Charley (which is the most interesting idea in the film, I think) is made to play second fiddle to all the meandering, makes the middle all the more frustrating.

Almost lost in all this, is the Peter Vincent character. McDowall again puts in a nice performance, but the addition of a stronger heroine made him feel a bit like a tag along here, to me. He doesn’t have the same kind of standout role that he did in the first film, which is unfortunate. Though, he does still have a few shining moments.

With more foes to combat, the last act attempts to up the ante on the finale of the original. It doesn’t, despite the amount of effects present, but it is a fun series of sequences to watch. But, I think there may actually be one improvement in this section; Deborah Holland’s cover of Brad Fiedel’s “Come To Me”, which plays during the end credits. As you can see, I’m very mixed on the film, overall. There are things that work, but just as many that do not.

While this one does have a DVD release, it went out of print pretty quickly and can run you from $70-$90 bucks at times. It’s not worth it; considering it’s a bare bones release, the presentation is in shitty full screen format, and like Artisan’s Bride of Re-Animator DVD, the picture quality is far from pristine. Perhaps with the remake upcoming, someone will release a new, hopefully better quality version of the film on DVD.

Directed by: Tommy Lee Wallace
Starring: William Ragsdale, Roddy McDowall, Tracy Lind, Julie Carmen
Released by: Artisan

This disc has no special features.

FuckEm's Rating:

The Horror Enthusiast Hall of Fame The Chestburster Alien

2010-11-30T19:51:00.008-05:00

by FuckEm

A celebratory meal turns into an explosive bloodbath, when it’s revealed that a crew member of the Nostromo has been playing unsuspecting host to an alien creature. John Hurt gives a terrifically sympathetic performance, as the doomed Kane, which thankfully overrides Veronica Cartwright’s bad line delivery during the scene.

The chestburster was not only one the standout moments of 1979’s Alien; it was the moment that sold the film to Hollywood, according to many. Even today, the early stages of the Alien's life cycle remain one of the more unsettling methods of murder at the hands of a cinematic monster. Not something you’d want to be on the receiving end of.

Horror DVD & Blu-Ray Releases for November 30, 2010

2010-11-28T10:51:00.002-05:00

November 28, 2010 - 11:02AM EST

All About Evil (Peaches Christ Productions)

Hell Girl: Three Vessels: Collection 2 (Section 23/Sentai Filmworks)

Shadowland (Pirate Pictures)

Voodoo Cowboys (Dark Roast Releasing)

Fright Night DVD Review

2010-11-23T14:13:00.006-05:00

by FuckEm

Charley Brewster (William Ragsdale) is convinced that his new neighbor, Jerry Dandrige (Chris Sarandon), is a vampire. So, he seeks help from his favorite horror film star, Peter Vincent (Roddy McDowall).

One of the things I love about this film is that, while it tried to look at it from a slightly satirical angle, it is very much a tribute to the vampire genre; rather than some aggressive attempt to prove it’s outdated. It stays mostly true to the classic vampire lore, and while Fright Night may not have re-invented the vampire film, it certainly provided it with some extra bite.

The first thing I took note of upon watching it again, was the restraint of using traditional film score early on. That includes most of the scenes that introduce our main characters. This, I felt, helped created an interesting mood for the film. The score by Brad Fiedel is great, though. It mostly relies on specific themes throughout, which are greatly effective. It also has a cool 80s soundtrack, which they used heavily later.

Some may consider Ragsdale a little bland in the lead role, but I thought he sold the sense of Charley being a slightly nerdy, regular kid very well. While he’s not nearly as broad as Evil Ed (Stephen Geoffreys), a lot of the frantic dialogue written for him by Tom Holland, is quite funny, and I think largely carries the comedic side of the film’s horror/comedy balance, early on. Ed is one of the most noted things about this film, and while I do like him, I’ve never found him quite as iconic as others. Upon meeting him, he seems like the usual annoying character, used as a means to be over the top and then push a little plot. He does have a strong turning point scene, and later in the film, his zaniness became much more appealing to me.

Amanda Bearse did a nice job as Charley’s girlfriend, Amy. They had a simple, but cute relationship that helped establish her character well. I haven’t really liked Bearse in many other things, possibly due to her playing more pushy characters, but the mousy thing worked for her, I thought. Then there is Billy Cole (Jonathan Stark); Jerry’s “live-in carpenter”. Though, people who know their vampires, identify Billy as a familiar; there is a strange vibe between these two, which has led to that relationship being the source of much conversation and many chuckles over the years. Stark took what could have been essentially a henchman role, and gave it a welcomed, off kilter touch.

While all the other elements cannot be overlooked, two things make this film achieve greatness, in my mind. One is Sarandon’s performance, and the other was the inclusion of the Peter Vincent character. Can’t have good heroes without a good villain, and Jerry was certainly that. Sarandon gives, in my mind, one of the best contemporary vampire performances. He’s very much a creation of the then-modern times, but still everything a vampire should be. His command is strong enough that, from the second he appears, you never question him. But, I also liked that he didn't look overtly creepy, until he’s called on to do so. His one-on-one scenes with the actors are incredibly strong.

Peter Vincent is the film’s ace in the hole, and while it might have been okay, it certainly wouldn’t have been the same without him. While Fright Night may not have been the first film to do something like this with one of its characters, the approach has been copied from here, on many occasions, since. The late Roddy McDowall is very good in the role and the character strongly channels the great Peter Cushing, in both mannerisms and appearance. He added so much to the self-referential side of the film, that made this such a fun premise.

Like I said before, it doesn’t re-invent and will end up in exactly the place you would imagine. But, if done well, that doesn’t have much bearing on a film, for me. Fortunately, it is done correctly. The last act facilitates a great deal of the film’s horror aspects and boasts some impressive special effects, that deliver everything you’d want to see in a showdown with a vampire. Good times, all around.

This disc is sadly bare bones, only sporting a trailer. However, some of the cast and crew have done web commentaries for the film, which help make up for it, in a sense. Track those down if you haven’t already. This is a really good film, but I don’t have to tell that to the majority who are reading this. It was followed up in 1988 with a comic book series, which ran 22 issues; a sequel, Fright Night Part II, that same year; and while there was never a third film, a remake is currently in the works. Which means, I now have to place (1985) beside the title. But, Fright Night continues to live on with a rather large following; and deservedly so.

Directed by: Tom Holland
Starring: Chris Sarandon, William Ragsdale, Roddy McDowall, Stephen Geoffreys, Amanda Bearse
Released by: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment

Special Features

Theatrical Trailer

FuckEm's Rating:

Teaser Trailer for J.A. Steel's BLOOD FARE

2010-11-22T18:41:00.004-05:00

November 22, 2010 - 6:55PM EST

Award winning writer and director, J.A. Steel, has released the first teaser trailer of her fourth feature film “Blood Fare”.

“Blood Fare” is a Civil War ghost story with a modern twist, by J.A. Steel and Co-Producer Christian K. Koch. It is the tale of Corporal Henry Trout (S. Edward Meek -“Wild Stallion”), who in 1861 fought valiantly in a forgotten skirmish after the first battle of Bull Run. 150 years later, he will come face to face with his descendants as the battle for blood continues on a haunted battlefield. Tyler (Brandi Lynn Anderson from the upcoming Syfy original series “ZEROS”) and her brother Chad (Adrian West), Henry's fifth generation grandchildren, will challenge the very legend of Charon the Ferryman, as the lines between the living and the dead become blurred. Gil Gerard, internationally recognized for his lead role as Captain William ‘Buck’ Rogers in the science fiction movie and television series “Buck Rogers in the 25th Century," plays the character of Professor Meade, mentor to the protagonist Tyler, in “Blood Fare”. Gerard was recently seen in the Syfy original movie “Ghost Town”, and will star with his cast mate Erin Gray, in the upcoming television movie “Buck Rogers Begins."

In addition to Gerard, several other amazingly talented actresses and actors have joined the “Blood Fare” cast, including Michelle Wolff (“NCIS”, “Chicago Hope”, “ER”, and “Providence”), international action star Kim Sønderholm (“Westbrick Murders”), Savannah Ostler (“Vengance”), Bridget McManus (“Wanted”), Scott Beringer (“Ocean’s Eleven” and “21”), Brenden Whitney, Alison Trouse, Thomas J. Post, Antonio Lexerot and April Knight. Marcus Intheam, Salt Lake City star radio DJ of “Marcus in the Morning” on Z-ROCK 94.9 and “The Real L Word Live Lounge” host Natalie M. Garcia add live broadcast talent

Chris Hanson, one of the most recognized special makeup effects artists of Hollywood, joined the crew of “Blood Fare” as Special Makeup Effects Supervisor. He demonstrated his unique creativity in “Hellboy”, “Underworld”, “Men in Black”, “Men in Black 2”, “The Green Mile”, “The X-Files”, “The Faculty”, “Spawn” and many other productions.

Steel began stock footage filming in mid-August with the dedicated members of the Utah Civil War Association, a re-enactment group including Meek. Utah Civil War Association member Amanda Bowman Jones will be composing the soundtrack, along with Rob Lambros of “The Street” band, who provided the soundtrack to Steel’s third feature “Denizen”, winner of the Park City Music Film Festival Bronze Medal for Excellence. Steel rounds out her crew with Director of Photography Michael B. Call (“127 Hours”) and Executive Producer Jessica M. Bair.

“Blood Fare” is a green, sustainable film production, and Eco/Sustainable Production Executive Micheline Birkhead was on set to ensure the project meets green certification requirements.

Fans can receive “Blood Fare” limited edition movie memorabilia through IndieGoGo

About J.A. Steel: Steel is a director, producer, actor, videographer, editor, fight choreographer and stunt person, in addition to writer and composer, and even a distributor... a unique woman
in Hollywood.

“Blood Fare” is Steel's fourth feature film. Her action horror shocker “Denizen”, her action supernatural thriller “Salvation”, and her action feature “The Third Society” reflect in many ways Steel's real life hobbies of Muay Thai kickboxing, cave diving, motorcycle riding, firearms and edged weapons. All three movies are available on Amazon.com

Additional information on “Blood Fare”:

Official Website - bloodfare.warriorentertainment.com

Twitter - twitter.com/BLOODFAREmovie

Facebook - www.facebook.com/pages/BLOODFAREmovie/159681397380430

IMDB - www.imdb.com/title/tt1730189/

Horror DVD & Blu-Ray Releases for November 23, 2010

2010-11-22T09:42:00.002-05:00

November 22, 2010 - 10:02AM EST

Diary Of A Sex Offender (Independent Entertainment)

The Fishmen And Their Queen (Mya Communication)

Dark Town, Godsend, Martin, Modern Vampires; Four Film Collection (Lionsgate Home Entertainment)

Grotesque (DVD/DVD & Blu-ray Combo; Media Blasters/Tokyo Shock)

Lorna The Exorcist (Mondo Macabro)

Vomit Gore Trilogy (Unearthed Films)

Official Trailer for Ace Jordan's Kill Devil Hill

2010-11-17T16:07:00.003-05:00

November 17, 2010 - 4:15PM EST

Ace Jordan's Kill Devil Hill is a short film based on an unsolved crime that triggered a bizarre series of murders throughout North Carolina.

Kill Devil Hill was written and directed by Ace Jordan and stars Melinda Bennett, Taylor Graham and Aiden Miranda.

For more information, check out www.facebook.com/pages/Kill-Devil-Hill/108601272457 and www.imdb.com/title/tt1727324/

Plaster Rock - Terror on the Tobique

2010-11-17T15:44:00.003-05:00

November 17, 2010 - 3:58PM EST

Plaster Rock is a fast-paced thriller-horror film which takes place in remote wilderness where you need more than luck to survive.

Synopsis: Four young men and women are boated into a hunting lodge in the wilds of northern New Brunswick, Canada to partake in a cross country ski race in which the winner will reap a cash prize of $250,000.

Each contestant is a former athlete or high-profile celebrity who has already received a deposit of $25,000 for their time just to travel and enter the race in the desolate area known as “Plaster Rock.” The only problem is, once left at the lodge by boat, there is no way out, and each contestant begins to realize they have more at stake than the cash prize.

Plaster Rock was directed by Jackie Giroux, written by Jackie Giroux and Benoit Martin, and stars Jessica Holt, Christine Johnson, Eric Leffler, Michael Masucci, Frank Molina, Jason Nicholson, Lalesha Railsback, Kelsey Wilson, and Peter Loughran.

Jackie Giroux, the film’s writer and director, commented,"The use of a professional magician as an integral part of a films' plot is very rare. What makes our film unique is, we utilized the world renown talents of Peter Loughran-Master of Illusions. Peter has created original Illusions for top magicians around the world including Criss Angel for the popular television program called "MindFreak"! Peter gives an amazing performance in Plaster Rock"

For more information, check out www.plasterrockmovie.com, www.facebook.com/pages/Plaster-Rock/101572636561417, www.globaluniversal.com/development.php, and pro.imdb.com/title/tt1434612/

The Horror Enthusiast Hall of FameOverrated Jump Scare The Exorcist III

2010-11-16T14:27:00.005-05:00

by FuckEm

We here, do not hold jump scares in high regard. To us, they’re like tit shots and the like; cheap tricks used to get a rise out of the audience. But, Hollywood loves them, and has been cramming them into Horror films for many, many years. So, it’s always surprised me that this one in particular, has received such praise from fans of the genre. If anyone points out a single moment from The Exorcist III, it will likely be this one. Followed by how scary it was, and in some cases, how scary it still is.

Personally, I don’t see it. It’s no better than thousands of other jump scares scattered throughout Horror history. Further, if a jump scare is going to get serious credit, it should at least be set up in a manner in which you don’t know something is about to happen. A nurse walks alone down a hallway and past several different rooms, in a wide shot? The fact that someone jumps out, is not surprising or jarring at all. The art of waiting for something to happen usually works for most things, but not when the payoff is a simple, delayed jump.

I think the film had better scare moments that get overlooked. Both the scene in the confessional and the old woman crawling on the ceiling are more effective. It’s all subjective, of course, but the fact that this moment has gotten so much attention, boggles my mind. For that reason, it’s been given a not-so-honorable induction into our Hall of Fame.

First Look at WITCHES PLAYGROUND

2010-11-15T17:18:00.004-05:00

November 15, 2010 - 5:29PM EST

Dead of Night & ACE Films Bring Old School Horror & Horror Icons Back to the Big Screen with WITCHES PLAYGROUND.

The highly anticipated “First Look” trailer for WITCHES PLAYGROUND aired Thursday exclusively on GeekTyrant. Dead of Night Films & ACE Films recently lensed a teaser trailer to give investors a look into the concept for the upcoming film to raise awareness, heighten interest and attract investors to the project. GeekTyrant has been teasing the premiere of this trailer for the past week by releasing film stills, giving horror fans their first glimpse into the world of “Witches Playground.”

“Witches Playground” is a chilling story about a group of teens who decide to have a party on Halloween at an abandoned haunted attraction which is rumored to be cursed by an old witch. Thirteen years ago, on Halloween night, a series of gruesome accidents took place there. Now these teens will have to face their fears as the evil forces haunting the attraction begin to repeat the bloody scene from years past. The feature film will star horror icons Leslie Easterbrook (The Devil's Rejects) and Eileen Dietz (The Exorcist) as well as Cody Matthew Blymire, Suki Peters, Rachel Chapman, Wes Blymire, Sam Valentine and Deneen Melody. “Witches Playground” is being Produced by Bobby Ray Akers Jr., Anthony E. Cabral, Cody Matthew Blymire and directed by Bart Elfrink.

The filmmakers are creating a movie they hope to become the next cult classic - a film people will want to see over and over again. With past classics being reinvented, they see great potential in creating a completely new witchcraft concept for the big screen. The tone for “Witches Playground” is to bring back the feel of the 70's and 80's old school horror that has been missing from recent releases. Their use of raw technical direction - consisting of very intense cinematography - will deliver an edgy grittiness to the project. Use of shadows and low lighting will add the creepy moody “old school” feeling.

“The ultimate goal is to always make it completely clear what the real fear is, while taking our audience on a crazy scary ride leaving them wanting more” – Producer Bobby Ray Akers Jr.

Dead of Night Films and ACE Films is also in development on an old school-style werewolf film entitled “Hallow Pointe” in conjunction with Church Hill Productions. It features an impressive list of genre favorites, including: Leslie Easterbrook (“The Devils Rejects,” “Police Academy”), Tony Todd (“Candyman,” “Final Destination”), Kane Hodder (“Friday the 13th Parts 7 -10”), Tiffany Shepis (“Abominable”), Betsy Rue (“My Bloody Valentine 3D” “True Blood”), Cody Matthew Blymire (“A Dream Within A Dream”), Scarlet Salem (“Terror Overload”), Belinda Balaski (“The Howling,” “Gremlins”), Eileen Dietz (“The Exorcist”), Joe Knetter (“Thirsty,” “Terror Overload”), Joe Bryant (“Frat House Massacre”), Steve Barton (“George A. Romero’s Survival of the Dead”), John Carl Buechler (“Hatchet”) and Lar Park Lincoln (“Friday the 13th Part 7”). Additional surprise casting announcements will be coming soon.

Contamination 2011: The Sequel Dates & Headliners Announced

2010-11-15T17:05:00.003-05:00

November 15, 2010 - 5:14PM EST

Eric Roberts & “The Boondock Saints” Sean Patrick Flanery, Norman Reedus and David Dela Rocco Headline Contamination 2011 – St. Louis’ Only Horror, Sci-Fi and Pop Culture Convention – June 24-26, 2011

Dyer Straits Productions announce the dates and current headliners for Contamination 2011 The Sequel, their highly anticipated follow-up to St. Louis’ first horror, sci-fi and pop-culture convention under one roof. The Sheraton Westport Chalet will host the event June 24th – 26th, 2011. Actor Eric Roberts and “The Boondock Saints” Sean Patrick Flanery, Norman Reedus and David Dela Rocco will headline.

Eric Roberts, one of Hollywood’s edgier, more intriguing characters, was most recently seen this summer in Sylvester Stallone’s action hit “The Expendables.” Among his numerous credits, too lengthy to mention, he had a memorable role in Christopher Nolan’s “The Dark Knight” as Salvatore Maroni and is probably best known as “Paulie” in “The Pope of Greenwich Village.” He has also been a recurring character on popular soap opera “The Young and the Restless” this year.

Cult favorites from “The Boondock Saints” and its sequel have been attracting long lines at conventions this year and will be a highly anticipated addition to the Contamination family for St. Louis fans. Sean Patrick Flanery, one half of the “McManus brothers,” can be seen as “Bobby” in the latest in the “Saw” series, “Saw 3D.” Appearing in numerous film and television series, Sean is probably best known for his roles in “Powder” and “The Young Indiana Jones” outside of his role as Conor McManus. Norman Reedus, the other half of the “McManus brothers,” has a featured role as “Daryl Dixon” in the much buzzed about AMC series “The Walking Dead.” “8MM,” “Blade II,” “The Notorious Bettie Page” and “American Gangster” are just a few of the many films and television projects he has on his resume. David Della Rocco made a name for himself as the unforgettable “Rocco” in “The Boondock Saints.” A childhood friend of “The Boondock Saints” writer/director Troy Duffy, he is also a classically trained actor.

The successful event that began this new tradition in St. Louis - Contamination 2010 - was held April 30 through May 2, 2010 at the Holiday Inn Viking and featured film legends from popular horror classics like “The Howling” and George A. Romero’s “Night of the Living Dead” and “Day of the Dead,” pop culture icon Larry Thomas, “The Soup Nazi” from “Seinfeld,” sports legend Ken Norton, the 70s Godfather of Soul Cinema, Fred “The Hammer” Williamson, “The Lost Boys” Brooke McCarter and Billy Wirth and showcased one of the most recognized cars in the world - The Batmobile.

Vendors can reserve space for the 2011 event now at the Dyer Straits Website: http://www.con-tamination.com. Filmmakers can send DVD screeners of their short or feature films to be considered to: Dyer Straits Productions, 1433 (B) Woodcrest Manor, Ballwin, MO 63021. More information can be found on the website or by contacting Dyer Straits Productions at contamination2010@gmail.com. Check the site for a complete list of celebrities, artists, filmmakers, authors and vendors added to the line-up as they are confirmed.

UPDATE Indie THE SKY HAS FALLEN Needs Your Help!

2010-11-14T22:51:00.004-05:00

November 14, 2010 - 10:56PM EST

Director Doug Roos' Award Winning post-apocalyptic The Sky Has Fallen is now available on DVD.

Synopsis: Within a couple of hours, a new disease wipes out almost all of mankind. Trying to avoid infection, people flee to remote locations, but they start seeing mysterious black figures, carrying away the dead and experimenting on them. Now, Lance and Rachel, two survivors determined to fight back, must kill the leader of these creatures before the rest of humanity disappears.

The Sky Has Fallen was written and directed by Doug Roos and stars Carey MacLaren and Laurel Kemper.

UPDATE - A Kickstarter campaign has been started to raise funds to author Deluxe Edition DVD's. In exchange, backers will be able to either get their name in the credits, win a signed Limited Edition DVD, a poster, t-shirt, or a mystery prop from the film. You can donate by going to www.kickstarter.com/projects/37572539/the-sky-has-fallen-award-winning-feature-film-horr-0

For more information, and to purchase a DVD, check out www.theskyhasfallen.net.

Also, be sure to check out the film's official Facebook page.

Horror DVD & Blu-Ray Releases for November 16, 2010

2010-11-14T22:32:00.004-05:00

November 14, 2010 - 10:42PM EST

Here are your Horror DVD and Blu-Ray Releases for Tuesday November 16, 2010

Children Of The Corn (Remake; Blu-ray; Anchor Bay Home Entertainment)

Crowley (Blu-ray; Anchor Bay Home Entertainment)

Don't Look Back (IFC Films/MPI Home Video)

Ghost Machine (Blu-ray; Anchor Bay Home Entertainment)

The Possession Of David O'Reilly (IFC Films/MPI Home Video)

Staunton Hill (Blu-ray; Anchor Bay Home Entertainment)

The Twilight Zone: Season 2 (Blu-ray; Image Entertainment)

Indie CHRIST COMPLEX Needs Your Help!

2010-11-11T17:34:00.002-05:00

November 11, 2010 - 5:41PM EST

Synopsis: Zoey, a student in her early 20s, saves troubled men in search of her own completion. She soon meets Quinn, a guy who believes he is the world's savior; he must fight a 'friend' to the death within 12 days to stop the oncoming Apocalypse. This is a story of Zoey taking her newfound charity case under her wing- compelled to help the damaged Quinn come to reality. And that's just the beginning. Christ Complex is your typical romantic comedy. Girl Meets Boy. Boy believes he is the world's savoir. Boy fights best friend to the death in order to stop the Apocalypse- akin to Ryuhei Kitamura's Versus meets When Harry Met Sally. OK, maybe not so typical after all.

The film is set to be shot starting in January 2011 along the Ohio River throughout WV. Once finished through post-production we plan to tour through festivals and college campuses, as well as online and DVD sales. Once this film is finished we anticipate having a one-day only free online screening for everyone who either participated or donated any amount to this film.

The filmmakers need YOUR help. They are looking to be able to purchase 2 cameras, as well as lenses, a boom mike, odds and ends to make a crane and handy-cams on a budget, a terabyte hard drive to edit, travel costs, food for the crew, and marketing/ advertising materials.

In honor of the director's daughter, 10% of all donations will go to the M.I.S.S. foundation, a nonprofit organization to assist grieving families of children in any cause. You can learn more about M.I.S.S at www.missfoundation.org/About_MISS/index.html

Jeff Richards is the writer/ director. He has written several screenplays and directed a handful of shorts including the exploitation cinema homage, Hilljack Samurai. Alison is going to be played by Emma Gardner from David Smith's Escribitionist. Carlos Aledo from Murcia Spain is set to be the director of photography. The executive producers currently are Travis Stephens, Jenny Alme, and Renee Richards.

To donate, go to www.indiegogo.com/Christ-Complex

Dino De Laurentiis (1919-2010)

2010-11-11T14:44:00.009-05:00

November 11th, 2010 - 1:51 PM

We here at The Horror Enthusiast, would like to send our thoughts and condolences to the family and friends of legendary Italian producer, Dino De Laurentiis, who has passed away at his home in Beverly Hills, California, at the age of 91.

His contributions to the Horror genre included the 1976 remake of King Kong, Halloween II, several Stephen King adaptations, Evil Dead 2, Army of Darkness, and Hannibal; to name a few. In addition, he was also a factor behind Death Wish, the Conan franchise, and an early supporter of Total Recall.

Source: CNN

Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation DVD Review

2010-11-07T23:47:00.006-05:00

by FuckEm

Four teenagers decide to skip out early on the Prom, and unfortunately for them, bump into Leatherface (Robert Jacks) and his new psychotic family.

This film is notorious for being bad, and it’s reputation is just. I’ve honestly been avoiding this one. But, with the recent news that Twisted Pictures is producing a new Sequel set in the old timeline; I felt a need to complete the run of Chainsaw reviews. Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation’s development was quite troubled. From what I’ve always heard, it was intended to be a remake of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre; and you can certainly see that several times during the final product.

Somehow, it morphed into a “sequel” along the way, and is similar to Leatherface: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre III, in that it pretty much ignores what came before it (with the exception of the first film), but for some reason, tosses in a reference to the second and third films during its opening narration. It was shot in 1994, but not released until 1997, due to the careers of Renée Zellweger and Matthew McConaughey, taking off after filming. Following a lawsuit on the part of the producers, it ultimately was given a very miniscule theatrical release.

The only good thing I can say for this one, is that of all the follow-ups, it looks the closest to the Original. It has more of a raw look, as opposed to a cheesy or stylistic one. The acting is generally really bad; including Zellweger's Jenny, whose frequent sour facial expressions and annoying whines, do not endear one to her. I didn’t for a second, buy her as a credible heroine. Heather (Lisa Newmyer) was a badly written character with awful dialogue. Sean (John Harrison) was faceless and far too meek for his own good. With Barry (Tyler Cone), they took things to the other extreme and wrote him as too much of an asshole, without a single redeeming quality.

Outside the teens, things get somewhat better. Darla (Tonie Perensky) was passable, I thought. W.E. (Joe Stevens) didn’t stand out, but his penchant for quoting famous figures was occasionally amusing. Vilmer (McConaughey) is quite hit and miss here. He reminded me slightly of the Tex character in the last film, only with the volume turned way up. He’s pretty effective as a lunatic when he plays it fairly straight, but often goes over the top, and comes across like a frat boy buffoon. His performance is further hindered by his bipolar relationship with another character, which leads to some of the more cringe worthy things in the film. Another is, the silly mechanical leg they gave his character, for God only knows what reason. Perhaps to try and “update” the material.

Besides some of the bad acting, the first 25 minutes or so, aren’t necessarily any better or worse than your typical rehash. But, when they got to the house and began to heavily remake sequence after sequence from the first film, I became frustrated. To me, there is no such thing as a remake/sequel; you can’t have both. It’s in this section, that we become acquainted with our new Leatherface. Personally, I feel Robert Jacks’s version is the weakest portrayal to date. I saw no menace in him, and his overuse of Leatherface's grunts and squeals didn’t help the character. It further didn’t help that all of his flesh masks were awful. While Bill Johnson’s Leatherface didn’t have much menace in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre Part 2, that was essentially a comedy, and more appropriate for the role. Jacks’s mannerisms come off as comical in the wrong sense.

Several nonsensical sequences follow, which lead into, what is in my view, one of the more asinine plot twists in a major Horror franchise. Perhaps this was some attempt to explain why Leatherface has now had three different families, but it’s just too stupid to take seriously. The film ends, seemingly trying to open itself up for a future installment, by leaving threads dangling that likely few, after seeing this, would care to see resolved.

Kim Henkel tried for years to get another Chainsaw film off the ground. When he finally got his chance, he badly fumbled the ball due to a combination of his writing and character directions, and probably should have left well enough alone. By now, this may come off as nothing more than an obligatory bashing of the film, but I do truly think it's the worst of the Chainsaw Sequels. We’ll see what happens when the new one comes out in glorious, trendy 3D. It would be great if they could make something better out of it, because this franchise has been buried up to its ears in the last 20 years; thanks to formal entries like this and the two from Platinum Dunes.

Directed by: Kim Henkel
Starring: Renée Zellweger, Matthew McConaughey, Robert Jacks, Lisa Newmyer, Tonie Perensky
Released by: Columbia TriStar

Special Features

Full Screen and Widescreen versions
Talent & Filmographies
Theatrical Trailer

FuckEm's Rating:

Caisson Films Wraps Production On Deep Seeded

2010-11-02T15:24:00.004-04:00

November 2, 2010 - 3:57PM EST

Written and directed by independent filmmaker Brian Troxell, the film deals with the psychotically shaken killer Brad (Kam Lee) with a 'Deep Seeded' past. He plans to avenge his horrible high school days when he hears of his schoolgirl crush unexpectedly passing away and comes in contact with her two daughters (Janine Anzalone, Little Italy). This stomach wrenching thriller takes vengeance to an elevated level by showing just how sinister Brad is and by how shocking brutality can be.

"I wanted to make a film where I was able to take the gloves off and stop sugar coating everything," says the director about the brutal scenes viewers can look forward to.

Backing up the crew of Caisson Films is special effects team CS Studios, who already have an extensive list of independent films under their belt. Some effects viewers can expect to see in the splash zone include grinding a leg in half with a saw and ripping nipple rings out with a knife - just a couple of Brad's very creative ways of inducing torture.

Also teaming up with Caisson is media production team 3:16 Productions. This team expands on the whole spectrum of media, including filming and editing some of Troxell's previous work.

Production has officially wrapped, but editing isn't expected to be completed until summer 2011, which will also be done by 3:16 Productions.

Official Synopsis: While trying to pick up the pieces of their shattered lives as a result of their mother's untimely and unexpected demise, Lauren (Janine Anzalone) and Ashley (Little Italy), find themselves face-to-face with their mother's hidden past and a current demon named Brad (Kam Lee) who has to wrestle demons of his own while furiously trying to drown out the hateful taunts of a father long dead but still haunting him. In this Revenge thriller, Deep Seeded takes vengeance to an elevated level by showing just how sinister Brad is and how shocking the brutality can be.

For more information, check out www.deepseededthemovie.com

UPDATED - Who Ya Gonna Call in May 2011?

2010-11-02T13:50:00.005-04:00

November 2, 2010 - 2:00PM EST

Production Weekly is reporting that Sony's Columbia Pictures is aiming at a May 2011 start date for Ghostbusters 3, which could conceivably make it a part of their 2012 line-up.

Lee Eisenberg and Gene Stupnitsky's latest script rewrite was approved with a little help from producer/star Dan Aykroyd. Ivan Reitman will direct with Aykroyd, Harold Ramis, Bill Murray, Ernie Hudson, Rick Moranis and Sigourney Weaver all returning. The plot is said to revolve around Dana and Peter's lovechild, Oscar (hello, retcon), and his new found job as a Ghostbuster.

Indomina Releasing Runs with The Pack

2010-11-02T12:11:00.002-04:00

November 2, 2010 - 12:20PM EST

Indomina Releasing has acquired North American rights to the French horror film The Pack, which premiered at this year's Cannes Film Festival.

The film stars Yolande Moreau (Micmacs) and Emilie Dequenne (The Girl on the Train).

It was written and directed by Franck Richard, produced by Verane Frediani, Christophe Louis and Frank Ribiere, and exec produced by Priscilla Bertin, Jeremy Burdek, Nadia Khamlichi and Adrian Plitowski.

The Pack follows a young woman who drives a beat-up station wagon in the countryside of northern France and picks up a mysterious hitchhiker, who strangely disappears. She then discovers that her blood is being used to feed a "pack" of flesh-eating ghouls.

The Pack was a selection at the 2010 Screamfest and received Best Editing and Best Special Effects honors.

Source: Variety

A Gritty, Realistic Look at the Vampire Genre in Midnight Son

2010-11-01T20:15:00.005-04:00

November 1, 2010 - 8:25PM EST

MIDNIGHT SON is the story of Jacob, a young man confined to a life of isolation, due to a rare skin disorder that prevents him from being exposed to sunlight. His world opens up when he meets Mary, a local bartender, and falls in love. Tragically, Jacob’s actions become increasingly bizarre as he struggles to cope with the effects of his worsening condition. Forced by the disease to drink human blood for sustenance, he must control his increasingly violent tendencies as local law enforcement narrow their focus on him as a suspect in a series of grisly murders.

Midnight Son was written and directed by Scott Leberecht, produced by Matt Compton, Reed Frerichs and Eduardo Sanchez, and stars Zak Kilberg, Maya Parish, Jo D. Jonz, and Larry Cedar.

For more information, check out www.midnightsonmovie.com

Hollywood Asylum 13 Online Film Festival A Godsend for Low Budget Filmmakers

2010-11-01T14:10:00.003-04:00

November 1, 2010 - 2:15PM EST

Film Festivals have become insiders clubs to some extent and that often means films developed on a shoe-string budget never get accepted or get their recognition. Cost is also prohibitive to many indie filmmakers and entry fees are now up over $100 in some cases. We'd rather see filmmakers spend that $100 on filmmaking!

The Hollywood Asylum 13 Film Festival was founded by Geraldine Winters (Clownstrophobia) and provides the low budget filmmaker with a place to be seen and gain awards for their work. NO ENTRY FEE!! The panel consists of outstanding judges who are in the entertainment community including Billy Garcia (Survivor), Jason Prager (Beauty and The Geek), Paul Grassi (The Mole), Joey Boots (celebrity videographer) and international cult movie star Kim Sønderholm (Craig, Horror Vault) as well as Geraldine Winters. Entries are open and the contest runs from November 1st 2010 to December 30th 2010. Submissions are accepted online or by mail listed below. BUDGETS FROM $0-$15,000 only!

Mail to: DGW Films Inc, P.O. Box 35, Green Village NJ 07935

For more info, check out www.hollywoodasylum13.com

Early Plot Details for Wolf Creek 2

2010-11-01T11:53:00.004-04:00

November 1, 2010 - 12:07PM EST

Back in September, ShockTillYouDrop reported that Greg McLean was back in the director's chair and is working with Matt Hearn on the script for Wolf Creek 2, the highly anticipated sequel to his 2005 film.

Now, some early plot details have come to light.

The plot will follow a backpacker seeking an authentic Australian adventure. Soon, he comes to learn the deepest, darkest secrets of the Outback's most infamous serial killer, Mick Taylor, who will once again be played by John Jarratt.

Source: ShockTillYouDrop

The Horror Enthusiast Hall of Fame "Jesus wept." Hellraiser

2010-11-01T10:03:00.006-04:00

by FuckEm

Dressed in his murdered brother's skin, Frank Cotton's body is pulled apart by hooks and chains as a punishment for escaping Pinhead and his minions. While Jesus may have wept, the actor Andrew Robinson smiled, and improvised this classic line, adding greatly to one of the most iconic moments of 1987's Hellraiser.

Horror DVD & Blu-Ray Releases for November 2, 2010

2010-11-01T09:59:00.003-04:00

November 1, 2010 - 10:15AM EST

Here are your DVD/Blu-Ray releases for this Tuesday, November 2.

Deadfall Trail (Midnight Releasing)

Demon Kiss (Brain Damage Films)

My Super Psycho Sweet 16: Part 2 (MTV)

Not Of This Earth (1988; Shout! Factory)

The Terror Within/Dead Space Double Feature (Shout! Factory)

The Visitor (Code Red)

Frankenstein 2011 Seeks Funding Through Social Networking

2010-10-31T14:35:00.005-04:00

October 31, 2010 - 2:42PM EST

Independent Filmmaker Ricardo Islas and his production team are taking advantage of the current social networking generation by funding their remake of the classic horror film Frankenstein. The team has already raised several thousand dollars by utilizing the indie fund-raising website IndieGoGo. It’s called crowd funding and it allows the audience to fund films with small donations. For a donation of only $10, you can get a DVD copy of the movie with a special introduction: a video taped message by one of our stars thanking contributors. It would be a unique edition that nobody else would have. For a donation of $500, or more you would have the opportunity to be killed on camera by the Lovely Elizabeth. The scene would be edited and then added to the DVD as a special bonus feature. So, for a very small amount of money you can be a part of filmmaking history. To make a donation go to: www.indiegogo.com/FRANKENSTEIN-The-Day-of-the-Beast

The production team is also taking advantage of social networks such as Facebook to help spread the word and ask for donations. Co producer Jeffrey A Swanson even built a complete flash website using the free social media platform called Wix. You can visit the new website at: www.frankensteinthemovie.net

The lead roles are played by Adam Stephenson as Victor Frankenstein, Michelle Shields as Elizabeth and Tim Krueger as The Monster.

Ricardo Islas has six horror movies out including Night Fangs, Lockout and The Day Of The Dead, many of which have been released through Warner Bros.

For more info on Frankenstein 2011 go to: www.facebook.com/Frankenstein2011

Norway's Inside the Whore Not for the Faint of Heart!

2010-10-31T14:25:00.005-04:00

October 31, 2010 - 2:33PM EST

Website, trailer, and stills now available for the next horror hit out of Norway!

Norwegian film director Reinert Kiil's follow up to his successful rape-revenge horror thriller "Hora" (English title "The Whore") is on the way. Filmed this summer in June/July in Norway, the official website which includes a brand new trailer and still pictures are now online. It is not for the faint of heart, as the films tagline describes it "A meta-film with meta-violence within a meta-production" and it is easily guaranteed to be a film like nothing you have ever witness before. The director is at the same time promising a film which beats his last film "Hora" by milestones when it comes to cruelty.

The title of the film is "Inside The Whore" and the director plays himself in the movie, supported by a strong cast of actors such as Viktoria Winge (Max Manus, Cold Prey 1+2), Kim Sønderholm (Westbrick Murders, Blood Fare), Jørgen Langhelle, Dagrun Anholt, Isabel Vibe who reprises her role from the original Hora movie and finally Norweigian reality TV star Anette Young.

The film is expected to hit the world hard in early 2011. For further info on the cast and crew and to enjoy the trailer and sneak peaks, check out www.insidethewhore.com - make sure the kids are out of the room!

Leatherface in 3D!?

2010-10-30T09:05:00.007-04:00

October 30, 2010 - 9:20AM EST

According to Bloody Disgusting, Adam Marcus (Jason Goes To Hell) and Debra Sullivan are writing Leatherface 3D for Twisted Pictures. Stephen Susco was the original writer for the project; it is unknown at this time if Marcus and Sullivan are rewriting his script or if it was scrapped altogether. The hunt for a director will begin soon.

Lionsgate and Twisted Pictures acquired the rights to Leatherface when Platinum Dunes and New Line Cinema passed on a second sequel to 2003's remake (thank God).

In an interview with ShockTillYouDrop last year, Twisted Pictures' Mark Burg gave away a bit of the story: "It's 35 years later, there's a relative going back. Why is he going back? I don't want to set it in a dusty town. How do we make it more urban but keep that feel. There will be some relatives, some new people. There's still the subtext of 'are they eating these people?' The whole idea of cannibalism, we're bringing it back."

My thoughts: A Texas Chainsaw Massacre film that directly follows the first in tone as well as story? Good. In 3D? No thanks.

Source: Bloody Disgusting, ShockTillYouDrop

Joe Dante and Xavier Gens Join Horror Omnibus Paris, I'll Kill You

2010-10-29T17:49:00.005-04:00

October 29, 2010 - 6:01PM EST

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Genre masters Joe Dante (Gremlins, The Howling), Paco Plaza ([REC]) Vincenzo Natali (Splice), Xavier Gens (Frontiers) and Ryuhei Kitamura (Versus, The Midnight Meat Train) have signed up to direct segments of new horror omnibus feature Paris, I'll Kill You, which Instinctive Film and Reverence are producing.

Brit director Christopher Smith (Creep), French duo Julien Maury and Alexandre Bustillo (Inside) and German music video director Joern Heitmann will also helm segments of Paris IKU, described as a look at the seedy underbelly of the city of love.

The title is a spoof on the romantic portmanteau feature Paris, je t'aime (2006), which featured directors Gus van Sant, Alexander Payne, Tom Tykwer, Walter Salles and the Coen brothers, among others.

Darryn Welch and Mathieu Robinet are producing. Chris Ouwinga will act as executive producer together with Oliver Simon, Daniel Baur and Carl Clifton of K5 Film. K5 has picked up international sales rights and will be shopping the project to buyers at the American Film Market next week.

The producers are pitching Paris IKU as the first of a possible "horror city" franchise, again aping Paris je t'aime producers, who spun off the romantic capitals format with New York, I Love You and planned versions for Shanghai and Jerusalem.

Source: The Hollywood Reporter

Deneen Melody Cast in Shakespeare-Inspired A Midsummer Nightmare

2010-10-28T14:57:00.005-04:00

October 28, 2010 - 3:15PM EST

Arcadian Entertainment is proud to announce that Deneen Melody will be playing a lead role in the horror film "A Midsummer Nightmare". Deneen Melody is widely considered to be a rising star in independent film, especially the horror genre. She says, "When I first heard about A Midsummer Nightmare, I knew right away it was the type of project I had to be involved in. It has that nice mixture of dark fantasy, horror, action, and comedy... definitely my type of movie."

"A Midsummer Nightmare" follows a group of young actors who go to a remote wilderness campground to rehearse their next play: Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night’s Dream". Their retreat soon becomes a nightmare as they are stalked by evil forest spirits, led by the murderous prankster Puck. Writer and director Joshua Siegel says that “A Midsummer Nightmare” will have the dark fantasy flavor of films like “Pan’s Labyrinth” while retaining the fun B-movie feel of horror series like “Leprechaun” or “Wishmaster”.

Producer L. Jeffrey Moore says, "When people ask me what's my next project I mention Midsummer Nightmare and tell them a little about it and they get excited. I can't wait to give them a scare that they'll never forget."

"A Midsummer Nightmare" is the second feature from Arcadian Entertainment and writer/director Joshua Siegel. Siegel's first horror film "Bloodwood Cannibals" was released on DVD by Eagle One Media on September 14, 2010.

For more information, check out www.midsummerfilm.com

Robert Englund to be Presented with Lifetime Achievement Award at NYC Horror Film Festival

2010-10-27T18:05:00.004-04:00

October 27, 2010 - 6:25PM EST

According to AITH, actor/director Robert Englund (aka the one TRUE Freddy Krueger) will be presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the upcoming New York City Horror Film Festival taking place November 9 thru 14 at the Tribeca Cinemas located at 54 Varick Street at Canal Street.

On top of that, nine features will be screened; Don't Go In The Woods, Yellowbrickroad, Bereavement, The Pack, Outcast, Ticked Off Trannies With Knives, Kiss the Abyss, Won Ton Baby, and A Nightmare On Elm Street (Followed by a Robert Englund appreciation ceremony.)

For more information, check out www.nychorrorfest.com

Source: AITH

Get Possessed (Literally!) by The Last Exorcism Blu-Ray/DVD on January 4th

2010-10-27T10:49:00.005-04:00

October 27, 2010 - 11:00AM EST

Everything you believe will be changed this January as Lionsgate releases The Last Exorcism to DVD, Blu-ray Disc, Digital Download and On Demand. This clever, bone-chilling film comes from a collaboration of minds – rising director Daniel Stamm (upcoming M. Night Shyamalan’s Reincarnate), as well as all-star horror producer Eli Roth (Cabin Fever, Hostel, Hostel 2) and the producers of Dawn of the Dead. Hailed as “scary, gripping and very intense!” (Access Hollywood), The Last Exorcism was a festival favorite chosen for the LA Film Festival, Toronto After Dark, Fright Fest and others throughout 2010. The film tells the story of a charismatic preacher expecting to perform a routine “exorcism” on a disturbed religious fanatic but instead he encounters a true evil far beyond his wildest imagination. Both the Blu-ray Disc and the DVD provide a deeper look into the film with two commentaries from the actors, director and producers; a “making of” the film; the 2009 Cannes Film Festival teaser trailer and a featurette that examines those involved in real life exorcisms. The Blu-ray Disc hosts exclusive bonus materials including an additional commentary containing stories from a spiritual warfare counselor, a “haunting” victim and a clinical psychologist; audition footage from Ashley Bell and Patrick Fabian and the theatrical trailer. “The scariest movie of the summer!” (WABC) heads home on January 4th for the suggested retail price of $29.95 on DVD and $39.99 on Blu-ray Disc.

Synopsis: After years of performing “exorcisms” and taking believers’ money, Reverend Cotton Marcus (Patrick Fabian) travels to rural Louisiana with a film crew to document what is to be his last so he can dispel what he believes is the myth of demonic possession. The dynamic reverend is certain that this will be another routine “exorcism” on a disturbed religious fanatic but instead comes upon the blood-soaked farm of the Sweetzer family and a true evil he would have never thought imaginable.

DVD Special Features:

Actor and Director commentary with Daniel Stamm, Ashley Bell, Patrick Fabian and Louis Herthum

Audio commentary with Producers Eli Roth, Eric Newman and Tom Bliss

“The Devil You Know: The Making of The Last Exorcism” Featurette

“Real Stories of Exorcism” Featurette

2009 Cannes Film Festival teaser trailer

Blu-Ray Special Features

Actor and Director commentary with Daniel Stamm, Ashley Bell, Patrick Fabian and Louis Herthum

Audio commentary with Producers Eli Roth, Eric Newman and Tom Bliss

“Witnesses to an Exorcism" - An Audio Commentary with a Haunting Victim, Deliverance Minister and Clinical Psychologist

“The Devil You Know: The Making of The Last Exorcism” Featurette

“Real Stories of Exorcism” Featurette

2009 Cannes Film Festival teaser trailer

Audition footage

Theatrical trailer

BD Touch and Metamenu Remote

Lionsgate Live™ enabled, featuring extra content for Internet-connected players

To add to the already disturbing subject matter, producer Eli Roth, via his Twitter page, claims that the DVD/Blu-Ray of the film itself may be possessed:

"There were no supernatural incidents making #LastExorcism, yet 3 people quit working on the DVD because demons attempted contact.

We have a real possession victim in our special features, the problem is people working on it will no longer touch the footage. I'm serious.

People will think it's a publicity stunt but we are actually having difficulty finding people who will finish the DVD. No one will risk it.

The DVD comes out Jan 4th in the U.S. so we have time to get it done. But once people learn why the others have quit they say no thanks.

I learned this last week when I did my commentary. I thought Lionsgate was kidding, but they weren't. You cant make this stuff up.

Lionsgate is including TWO protection prayers on the The Last Exorcism DVD at the recommendation of the exorcist on our commentary."

Source: Eli Roth on Twitter, Dread Central

(Minor) True Blood Season Four News

2010-10-26T16:30:00.003-04:00

October 26, 2010 - 4:50PM EST

Season Three of True Blood was really good, overall, I thought; not as good as Season Two, in my opinion, but it definitely had it's share of awesome moments. I'm definitely looking forward to what happens next.

With that being said, Michael Ausiello over at Entertainment Weekly recently got his mitts on some info about some new characters we can look forward to in True Blood: Season 4:

Marnie: A Z-list palm reader who’s painfully aware of what a joke she is — that is, until she comes to be possessed by the spirit of a real witch.

Portia: Andy's sister. Is as easy on the eyes as she is sharp in the courtroom.

Naomi: An Asian-American cage fighter who, outside of the ring is hot-’n'-heavy with one of her female competitors.

Queen Mab: An elegant beauty who presides over a fantasy land that sounds a lot like the fairy domain into which Sookie (Anna Paquin) keeps being pulled. But, as ethereal as her highness may be, she’s also got a temper.

Suzanne McKittrick: A Real Housewives type who throws a hootenanny to bond with “her kind.” That “kind” being shapeshifters.

Check out the full article over at EW

Child's Play Remake On Hold

2010-10-26T15:57:00.006-04:00

October 26, 2010 - 4:25PM EST

The Child's Play remake is at a stand-still. Along with MGM's financial troubles, there's also those pesky rights issues; MGM owns the original film while Universal owns the four sequels. Despite the aforementioned problems, writer/Director Don Mancini, the man behind the curtain of the franchise, is still holding out hope and his keeping his lips sealed as to what his plans are for the long delayed relaunch.

However, he did spill a few beans to Screen Junkies regarding the direction of the new film: "[Seed of Chucky] didn’t do very well so I think the feeling is that Chucky’s viability, his future is in the more straightforward horror vein. I was talking about the rights issues before, I don't think it’s necessarily what we’ll end up doing as a strict remake. I think we’ll reboot it in the sense that it will just be more conventionally scary and it will only be Chucky and we won’t have Tiffany and Glen, but it won’t necessarily be a strict remake."

Along with the comments above, Mancini goes even further to affirm that the reboot will definitely be more of a straight-up horror film as opposed to a comedy: "I'm definitely pushing to go in a very disturbing direction because I feel like if we’re going to go back to it being a horror movie, let's make it really disturbing."

As good as that sounds, I still hear these painful words in the back of my head: It's still a remake.

Source: Screen Junkies, Shock Till You Drop

Paranormal Activity 2 Rakes in the Moolah

2010-10-25T09:43:00.002-04:00

October 25, 2010 - 10:01AM EST

Paranormal Activity 2, the sequel to Oren Peli's hit from last year, raked in an estimated $41.5 million this weekend on 3,216 screens, which is one of the best openings of all time for a horror film, crushing 2009's Friday the 13th remake, which opened to $40.6 million.

I really enjoyed Paranormal Activity. Sadly, I can't say the same for the sequel. It's an obvious rushed cash-in that just didn't entertain me as much, and didn't live up to, it's predecessor. However, I'm glad it's making money. Why? Because it's not in 3D and it isn't a remake.

A little side note: The fact that Paranormal Activity 2 out-grossed that dreadful Friday the 13th remake is icing on the cake.

Source: Dread Central

Get Ready for The Host 2... in 3D

2010-10-25T09:23:00.004-04:00

October 25, 2010 - 9:42AM EST

The tiresome 3D trend continues; The Host 2, the highly anticipated sequel to Bong Joon-Ho's The Host, which is the highest grossing Korean film of all time, will be in 3D.

From The Hollywood Reporter:

"Host 2, is being prepped as a 3D project, according to the film's producer Chungeorahm Films. 'Given the nature of the film and the current trends in the global film market, we think that 3D is the medium to go,' said Su-yeon Kim at the company's international business division. 'But this will delay the film's release date and bring significant changes to the film's logistics.'"

This isn't really surprising since 3D is the latest trend in Hollywood. Look for The Host 2 sometime in 2012, that is, of course, if the Mayans are wrong...

Horror DVD & Blu-Ray Releases for October 26, 2010

2010-10-24T13:47:00.004-04:00

October 24, 2010 - 2:17PM EST

Alien Anthology (Blu-Ray; 20th Century Fox; Standard Edition and Limited to 5,000 Facehugger Egg Edition.)

Altitude (DVD/Blu-Ray; Anchor Bay Home Entertainment)

The Bisbee Cannibal Club (DVD; Chemical Burn Entertainment)

A Blood Pledge: Broken Promise (DVD/Blu-Ray Combo; Media Blasters/Tokyo Shock)

Cannibal Girls (DVD; Shout! Factory)

The Carrier (DVD; Code Red)

The Cursed (DVD/Blu-Ray; Otter Creek Motion Pictures)

The Dead Outside (DVD; Vanguard Cinema)

Demon Haunt (DVD; Alpha Video)

Eyes Of The Chameleon (DVD; Troma Entertainment)

House (DVD/Blu-Ray; Criterion)

Hush (DVD; IFC Films/MPI Home Video)

Lake Placid 3 (DVD; Sony Pictures Home Entertainment)

Lynch Mob (DVD; Virgil Films And Entertainment)

The Mafu Cage (DVD; Scorprion Releasing)

Maniac: 30th Aniversary Edition (DVD/Blu-Ray; Blue Underground)

Mutants (DVD; IFC Films/MPI Home Video)

Psychomania (DVD; Severin Films)

Rule Of Three (DVD; Big Screen Entertainment Group)

Zombie Nightmare (DVD; Scorpion Releasing)

The Psycho Legacy DVD Review

2010-10-23T19:30:00.003-04:00

by FuckEm

I wasn’t old enough to see Psycho when it was at its most shocking. I came to it later, but the quality was still very obvious. I very much respect that work for giving the genre such a respect. It’s one of those films that overshadows its Sequels to such a degree, that many do not even consider it a franchise. However, The Psycho Legacy takes a look back at most all of the Psycho films. Not included, are Bates Motel and the 1998 Psycho remake.

Psycho

Maybe it’s a case of it all having been said before, but this first section on the original classic, isn’t quite as in-depth as most first chapters on a documentary. It contains archival footage of Anthony Perkins from a Q & A (the full of that can be found on the supplements of Disc 2), and a brief archival statement Janet Leigh.

It’s mostly made up of directors and online/magazine Horror journalists talking up their memories of watching Psycho for the first time. I’m mixed on the journalists such as Ryan Rotten and Anthony Timpone, but I don’t think that guys like Adam Green, Joe Lynch, and a couple others should be on here. At least Stuart Gordon worked with Perkins during his career. I get that these guys are admirers of the genre, but I feel that when you get enough of them together, it can seem too much like a fan production; such as with His Name Was Jason. But fortunately, it’s not too bad here, because this one is a classier production and lacks the same frat boy mentality.

Bernard Herman’s music is given it’s due; even if briefly. David J. Schow touches upon Robert Bloch and his original novel, but not enough for me. There is more on the supplements where the differences between the Psycho novels and films are discussed. There are some nice Alfred Hitchcock stories from the set and discussion of how the character of Norman Bates typecast Perkins to the point of him almost exclusively playing killers, when he really wanted to be a leading man in films.

Psycho II

Everyone involved, talk up how daunting the proposal of Psycho II was and how they tried their best to be as true to the original as possible. New interviews from writer Tom Holland, editor Andrew London, Producer Hilton Green, and actors Robert Loggia, Kurt Paul, Chris Hendrie, and Lee Garlington. There is archival footage from an interview with director Richard Franklin and a very brief one with Vierra Miles, discussing her character’s motivations.

This one is a little more informative than the previous section, although many Psycho aficionados likely already know this stuff. Psycho II was originally planned as a TV movie, and the actress who was considered before Meg Tilly’s casting is discussed. According to everyone, except Hilton Green, there was tension between Perkins and Tilly during the shoot. Tom Holland offers up a rather bold explanation of his thoughts behind where it came from.

Dennis Franz didn’t record anything for the doc, but he was discussed. Jerry Goldsmith’s score is covered and brings with it an amusing behind the scenes story. In the end, Psycho II is given credit by several contributors for being an above average Sequel within the genre.

Psycho III

It’s stated at the end of the Psycho II portion, that Perkins would only do Psycho III if he could direct it. That he did, and it’s mostly all this segment covers. But, arguably, that is the only thing the film is noted for. New interviews include Diana Scarwid, Jeff Fahey, writer Charles Edward Pogue, Katt Shea, Donovan Scott, and Juliette Cummings. They chat up how Perkins was to work with and about their death scenes.

The opening line of the film gets the most discussion, while anything beyond that is discussed by Pogue. In the extended interviews, there is more from him, where he discusses an alternate pitch for Psycho III and his pitch for Psycho IV.

For some reason this felt like the most plodding chapter, to me. They leave you with the sense that Psycho III was a disappointment, with Perkins saying that they tried to rehash too much of the original.

Psycho IV

Psycho II was spared from cable, but Psycho IV: The Beginning, was indeed a TV movie. Director Mick Garris, Olivia Hussey, and Henry Thomas provide new interviews. Sharen Camille and Cynthia Garris recorded new interviews, but very little of them were used.

According to Garris, original Psycho screenwriter, Joseph Stefano, did not take Psycho II and III into account when he wrote this film. Seeing as Psyco III ended much like the first, I don’t really know how much of them it could actually ignore. Perhaps that was just his mind-set while writing it.

Thomas discusses his injury on the set, while everyone else gushes over how hot they thought Olivia Hussey was. According to Hussey, the incestuous overtones were the hardest part of shooting the film. When Garris isn’t discussing “thwarted orgasms”, he talks about the behind the scenes tension between he and Anthony Perkins; which he says derived from Perkins wanting to direct Psycho IV himself. The highlight of this, is Garris recounting the argument that resulted in the apple splitting scene in the film. Overall, this last section is a step up from the one on Psycho III.

In closing, everyone gives their parting words on Norman Bates and Perkins. Some are reflective on Perkins’ life, while others become rather emotional. Overall, The Psycho Legacy may not be the most spectacular documentary ever, but also isn't what I would call disappointing. If I had to compare it to another recent doc, as to how entertaining and informative it is, I’d say it’s along the lines of Halloween: 25 Years of Terror.

Directed by: Robert Victor Galluzzo
Starring: Tom Holland, Mick Garris, Robert Loggia, Diana Scarwid, Jeff Fahey, Olivia Hussey, Henry Thomas
Released by: Shout Factory

Special Features

Disc One

Psycho Legacy Deleted Scenes
Extended Interviews

Disc Two

Anthony Perkins Q & A
Psycho Reunion Panel
The Bates Motel Tour
Revisiting Psycho II w/ Tom Holland and Andrew London
Shooting Psycho II w/ Dean Cundey
A Visit With Psycho Memorabilia Collector Guy Thorpe
Norman Bates In Print: Robert Bloch Author of Psycho
Psycho On The Web
The Hyaena Gallery Presents Serial-Killer-Inspired Art

FuckEm's Rating:

Magnet Takes U.S. Rights to Black Death

2010-10-20T14:43:00.003-04:00

October 20, 2010 - 3:02PM EST

The Wagner/Cuban Company's Magnet Releasing, genre arm of Magnolia Pictures announced today that it has acquired U.S. rights from HanWay Film to Christopher Smith’s BLACK DEATH. Starring Sean Bean (The Lord of the Rings), BLACK DEATH is a creepy, pitch perfect medieval period film that expertly channels such U.K. classics as The Wicker Man and Witchfinder General. Christopher Smith’s cult hit Severence was distributed by Magnolia in 2007.

BLACK DEATH made its U.S. debut last week at LA’s Screamfest, where it took home several major awards: Best Director (Chris Smith), Best Actor (Sean Bean), Best Cinematography (Sebastian Edschmid) and Best Musical Score (Christian Henson).

Bean stars as Ulric, a grim emissary from the Church, who leads a young monk (Eddie Redmayne) and a band of violent vigilantes and war veterans through the English countryside. Armed with blood-chilling torture devices, their mission is to stamp out suspected paganism in a village that remains untouched by the black plague, even as the rest of Europe grimly succumbs to the pestilence.

“BLACK DEATH simmers with a kind of terror that’s all the more haunting cause it’s real,” said Magnet SVP Tom Quinn. “It’s another great example of why

Chris Smith is one of the most versatile directors working today.”

“BLACK DEATH is a film that I am immensely proud of, and I’m so pleased it has found such a great home for its U.S. release,” said director Smith. “On the one hand it is a violent historical drama and on the other, a terrifying horror movie, in which the more realistically I shot the past, the more it reflected the present. A time when in spite of the fact people were dying of the plague, they still found the time to torture and kill each other.”

The U.S. deal was negotiated by Magnet/Magnolia SVP Tom Quinn with Tim Haslam from Hanway. Magnet is planning a first quarter 2011 theatrical release.

Magnet Takes U.S. Rights to Vanishing On 7th Street

2010-10-20T04:08:00.006-04:00

October 20, 2010 - 4:17AM EST

The Wagner/Cuban Company's Magnet Releasing, genre arm of Magnolia Pictures announced today that it has acquired US rights to Brad Anderson’s Vanishing On 7th Street. Starring Hayden Christensen, John Leguizamo, Thandie Newton and young R&B sensation Jacob Latimore, Vanishing On 7th Street is a scary, character driven horror film that taps into one of humankind’s most basic and universal anxieties: fear of the dark. The film, which premiered at this year’s Toronto Film Festival, was produced by Norton Herrick, Tove Christensen and Mandalay Vision’s Celine Rattray, and is yet another smart and unconventional genre entry from Anderson (Session 9, The Machinist, Transsiberian), one of the most talented independent filmmakers working today.

Synopsis: When a massive power outage plunges the city of Detroit into total darkness, a disparate group of individuals (Christensen, Leguizamo, Newton) find themselves alone. The entire city’s population has vanished into thin air, leaving behind heaps of empty clothing, abandoned cars and lengthening shadows. Soon the daylight begins to disappear completely, and as the survivors gather in an abandoned tavern, they realize the darkness is out to get them, and only their rapidly diminishing light sources can keep them safe.

“Vanishing On 7th Steet is scary as hell, but it’s the richness of its characters and the stellar performances that really make it stand out,” said Magnet SVP Tom Quinn. “Brad Anderson has made an excellent, wholly original ghost film that is a perfect fit for the Magnet slate.”

"We were captivated after reading the script, and are even more electrified by the finished film,” said producer Norton Herrick. “Brad Anderson has done another masterful job. Vanishing is an intelligent thriller with terrifying overtones that will have people talking well after leaving the theater. Herrick Entertainment is pleased to be able to bring it to audiences through Magnolia's Magnet Releasing."

"Vanishing On 7th Street is an apocalyptic thriller about the end of the world and it could not be placed in better hands than with Magnet Releasing, whose expertise in distributing genre films is par none,” said director Brad Anderson. “I am excited to be working with them to bring the film to audiences across the country."

The U.S. deal was negotiated by Magnet SVP Tom Quinn with Cinetic. Magnet will release the film theatrically in February, 2011.

Raymond Did It Coming in February 2011

2010-10-18T21:06:00.005-04:00

October 18, 2010 - 9:40PM EST

Coming in February 2011 is Raymond Did It, a new horror film from director Travis Legge.

Synopsis: When Bryce Rourke is acidentally killed in a playground scuffle, his friends blame his developmentally delayed older brother, Raymond, for the murder. Six years later, Raymond escapes from the state mental hospital to exact bloody revenge.

Raymond Did It stars Lindsay Felton (VH1 Scream Queens, GRIND), Jessica Palette (Under the Raven's Wing, VH1 Scream Queens), Elissa Dowling (Nightstalker, Clive Barker's Dread), Steven Edwards, Jake Skiba, Ty Yaeger, and Kyle Hoskins as Raymond.

Written and Directed by Travis Legge.

Director of Photography Tim Stotz.

Edited by Robert J. Williams.

For more information, check out www.raymonddidit.com

Horror DVD & Blu-Ray Releases for October 19, 2010

2010-10-18T01:16:00.005-04:00

October 18, 2010 - 2:05AM EST

70's Drive-In Horror Double Feature: Ruby/Kiss of the Tarantula (DVD; VCI Entertainment)

Aaah! Zombies aka Wasting Away (DVD; Level 33 Entertainment)

Assault of the Sasquatch (DVD; Synthetic Cinema International)

Bikini Bloodbath Christmas (DVD; Blood Bath Pictures/Brightly Entertainment)

Colin (DVD; Walking Shadows)

Deadlands 2: Trapped (DVD; Splatter Rampage/Tempe)

The Demon (DVD; VCI Entertainment)

Dolla Morte (DVD; Wild Eye Releasing)

The Electric Chair (DVD; Wild Eye Releasing)

Giallo (DVD; Maya Home Entertainment)

Herman Cohen Classic Horror Double Feature: Horrors of the Black Museum/The Headless Ghost (DVD; VCI Entertainment)

Horno (DVD; SRS Cinema)

The Howling Trilogy (Blu-Ray; Timeless Media Group)

The Lost Tribe (DVD; Image Entertainment)

The Maze (DVD; Monarch Home Video)

Mirrors 2 (DVD/Blu-Ray; Fox Home Entertainment)

Monster A-Go Go (DVD; Synergy Entertainment/Film Chest)

Night Of The Demons (Remake;DVD/Blu-Ray; E1 Entertainment)

Predators (DVD/Blu-Ray; Fox Home Entertainment)

Psycho: 50th Anniversay Edition (Blu-ray; Universal Home Entertainment)

The Psycho Legacy (DVD; Shout! Factory)

The Redeemer: Son Of Satan (DVD; Code Red)

The Swamp Of The Ravens (DVD; VCI Entertainment)

Tales From The Darkside: The Final Season (DVD; Paramount Home Entertainment)

Thirteen Ghosts/House of Wax Double Feature (Blu-Ray; Warner Home Video)

Vampire Girl Vs. Frankenstein Girl (DVD/Blu-Ray; FUNimation Entertainment)

UPDATE! Bootleg Trailer for Scream 4!

2010-10-17T19:48:00.010-04:00

October 17, 2010 - 7:49PM EST

The trailer for Wes Craven's upcoming Scream 4 premiered at the Scream Awards this weekend. A sneaky audience member was able to capture it on camera for the rest of us. Be warned: It's taken from kind of a weird angle and the quality isn't that high, but what do you expect from bootleg footage?

Source: YouTube user screamnewbie.

For a better look at the trailer, go HERE.

An Exclusive Interview with Tony Randel!

2010-10-17T15:58:00.005-04:00

ChoKo recently sat down with writer/director Tony Randel (Hellbound: Hellraiser II, The Double Born) to discuss his career.

ChoKo: What inspired you to get into both screenwriting and filmmaking?

Tony Randel: I grew up a few blocks from the old MGM backlots in Culver City. They were surrounded by green, ivy-covered walls and occasionally you could see a movie set popping up higher than the wall. As a child, I didn't understand what they were doing behind those walls. I just knew I wanted to be a part of it.

Back sometime during the 60's, the local PBS station (NET at the time) showed student films from USC. One of the films was called Herbie. It was the story of a Volkswagen going through a car wash. I thought that was really cool; Making films in school. It think that is when I decided that's what I wanted to do. By the way, it turns out that Herbie was George Lucus' student film.

ChoKo: What are some of your favorite horror films?

Tony Randel: Eyes Without a Face is right up there. Zombie may be the greatest. Night of the Living Dead and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre are both works of cinematic art. The originals; all the remakes are terrible. NEVER remake a classic.

ChoKo: Since you brought it up, how do you feel that the remake trend is most negatively effecting the horror genre?

Tony Randel: Creatures made in computers are not scary. I love computers, but not to make creatures. Secondly, the films are not original, so they're going over material already covered. There's no new ground, so they're not really delving into what might create fear and anxiety today.

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre remake was an example of why they should never remake classics. It was slick, beautiful, the girls were sexy, and it was all wrong. It went against all the reasons the original worked; IT FELT REEL. Not like a slick MTV style movie.

ChoKo: How did you break into the business?

Tony Randel: I was hired to work in the mail room of Roger Corman's New World Pictures.

ChoKo: Around about what time did you become Vice President of Production at New World?

Tony Randel: That would be around 1985. Roger sold New World in '82. This was a very different company by then. Very corporate.

ChoKo: How did you go from the mail room to an executive position?

Tony Randel: It wasn't a direct path. After just a few weeks in the mailroom I was hired by the effects crew doing Battle Beyond the Stars to handle editorial. Basically, I was cataloging 35MM effects elements being shot of spaceships, planets, etc.

I worked on that film for nine months then moved over to do the same on Escape from New York and Galaxy of Terror. I started getting a real interest in editing and was put on a small film called Space Raiders to create effects sequence using effects from both Battle Beyond The Stars and Galaxy of Terror. When the film was shot I stayed on as one of the editors. After the film was complete, I moved to the trailer department and started editing trailers for Roger. Eventually, I was running his entire post production after he sold the company and formed a new one – New Horizons.

About six months later, I was asked to join the new New World as their Director of Post Production, supervising trailer and product reels and recuts. Eventually, I was given the Return of Godzilla to Americanize. it became Godzilla 1985 and made a ton of money, so I was promoted to Vice President of Production.

ChoKo: Of course, it was via New World that you got involved with Hellraiser. How involved were you?

Tony Randel: I wasn't involved in the deal making part or the beginning of production. About three weeks into the making of the film, Steve White became President of Production. He looked at the dailies and didn't like what he saw. He brought me in, we looked at the stuff together, then he sent me to England to fix what he didn't like and creatively supervise the production.

While in England, I had several scenes re-shot and created several new sequences to include in the film, including the rebirth of Frank. That was never a scripted scene. It was invented later.

ChoKo: So, Hellraiser could have been a very different film?

Tony Randel: Yes. Scenes I remember adding are the world beneath the floor before the rebirth, the rebirth itself, Kirsty walking under the cranes, Frank slicing the rat as Larry tries to make love to Julia; That's what I can remember, anyway. I also had them re-shoot the Cenobites and Kirsty in the hospital room. I added the bright light, wind and smoke. I got rid of the original composer and hired Christopher Young.

ChoKo: So, at this point, stepping into the director's chair for Hellbound: Hellraiser II seemed natural.

Tony Randel: Yes, but I wasn't the first director hired. Michael McDowell was the first. McDowell dropped out of the project when his partner contracted AIDS, I believe. McDowell died in '99.

ChoKo: What are some of your fondest and least fondest memories of Hellraiser II?

Tony Randel: Well, I was sick constantly during the production. That wasn't fun. Being a California boy, I wasn't quite use to the English winter. The crew was really nice and we had a lot of fun making the film. I especially enjoyed working with Kenneth Cranham, although I heard that he called me stupid in an interview.

ChoKo: Hellraiser II is now almost universally cited as a classic and the best of the Hellraiser sequels but, I imagine, at the beginning some fans weren't so kind.

Tony Randel: I was brutalized by the fans; that's the story. Pete Atkins, as well. We supposedly ruined Clive's masterpiece.

The fact is, I don't want to take away from Clive's genius, but films are a collaborative art; in Hellraiser's case, especially.

ChoKo: Now, your next film was Children of the Night, if I'm not mistaken. Memories of that one?

Tony Randel: Children of the Night was goofy fun, Not much to say about it.

ChoKo: Next was Amityville 1992: It's About Time, which is my personal favorite out of all the Amityville films. What was your approach?

Tony Randel: It was really a TV movie. Very soft script. I added the circular time stuff to make it fun for me, the gears in the house, etc. It was watchable and some of the acting is pretty good.

ChoKo: What was it like working with Stephen Macht? He seems a little eccentric in most of his roles, especially Amityville and Graveyard Shift.

Tony Randel: He was the most intense actor I ever worked with. It was a love/hate relationship at first, but ended up love.

ChoKo: Now comes Ticks (aka Infested), which I feel is one of the most underrated horror films of the last 20 years. How did that come to be?

Tony Randel: I was asked to direct it by the producer. Pretty simple. We ended up doing a few days of pick ups - added material. It really made the film sing.

That was where I met Jacques Haitkin. We worked together several times after that. It's also the first time I worked with Clint Howard, who I adore as an actor and person.

ChoKo: Ticks seems to be "lost" these days. Any idea why it hasn't got a proper DVD release?

Tony Randel: No idea.

ChoKo: New World Pictures went out of business in 1989, if I'm not mistaken. What happened there?

Tony Randel: We over spent, I think. Movies under performed. You've got to make money to stay in business and we had quite a few flops.

ChoKo: Did any one film in particular put the final nail in the coffin?

Tony Randel: No, they all bombed. Dead Heat comes to mind. The Philadelphia Experiment, Meet the Applegates, all big losers. Body Rock was horrible. The films I did were basically for video and they did okay. Reform School Girls, to name one. They were very lowbrow.

ChoKo: With Fist of the North Star, how hard was it to take something from two very different medias, in this case an animated series and manga, and translate it into a live action film?

Tony Randel: With Fist of the North Star, I decided I wanted complete control of the look. That's why it was shot entirely in a studio. I was going for the Grapes of Wrath look. I took heat for that, too. Fans of the anime hated the film. I'm really not sure why because many of the images were lifted right out of the graphic novels.

ChoKo: So, how did The Double Born begin?

Tony Randel: Well, my directing career had pretty much stalled, but I still have the chops and, in fact, think I'm better now than ever. So, I wrote a script and my wife said just buy a camera and make it. So, I did.

I ran into Sammi Davis at a social event. I told her about the script and she wanted to read it. Within a day, she was on the phone wanting to make the film. Without an actor of Sammi's caliber, I would have not done it. And I will say, no matter what others may think, this is by far my best film.

ChoKo: The Double Born is based on a Bram Stoker story, correct?

Tony Randel: Loosely. The Death Doom of The Double Born. In the short story, the kids are really little, so no sexual element. I really created 95% of the story.

ChoKo: The film has a very 1970's/16mm/high contrast sort of feel, which really works for it.

Tony Randel: That's what I was going for. I wanted it to look like an independent film of the 60's or 70's. Very out-of-step in today's world.

The problem is, independent means super low budget and everyone tries to make their film look like a produced Hollywood film. 99% really fail and fail hard. I wasn't going for that at all.

ChoKo: You told me a few weeks ago that you got hate mail over The Double Born. Why is that?

Tony Randel: Some people really hated it. I consider hate mail a standing ovation.

ChoKo: What's next for Tony Randel?

Tony Randel: I'm currently writing a small SyFy project. Perhaps, someday it will get made and make it to SyFy Channel. In today's world, who the fuck can tell?

To purchase Tony's latest film, The Double Born, on DVD and stay up to date on Tony's projects, go to www.paintedbird.us.

New Hope for Horror Genre Showcased at Carnival of Darkness 2

2010-10-16T00:31:00.005-04:00

October 16, 2010 - 12:45AM EST

Filmmaker Alex Bram presents the most promising new voices in horror at the second annual Carnival of Darkness Film Festival.

The most haunting and disturbing horror short films from across the world will be presented on a THX Authorized, state-of-the-art screen at LA Film School this October 28th.

A live panel event. spotlights current trailblazers making new horror cinema history: Director Paul Solet (Grace), Writer Producer Jeffrey Reddick (Final Destination), Director Alex Ferrari (Red Princess Blues), Director Richard Gale(Criticized) and Writer/Producer Trent Haaga (Deadgirl).

This is more than just a screening of a bunch of films. It is a surreal experience. Invocation a LIVE electric cello performance by Tina Guo will kick things off at 7:30 pm. Arriving fans will travel through a twisted art gallery and lobby filled with horror collectibles, DVD's, posters, music, t-shirts and comics relating to the genre. The horror shorts film screening will begin at 8pm, followed by the filmmakers panel and awards ceremony.

Most of the material is too intense for younger viewers and no one under 17 will be admitted.

Carnival of Darkness 2
LA Film School
6363 Sunset Blvd
Hollywood, CA 90028

$10.00 General Admission
$ 6.00 Facility Parking

Buy Tickets Now at www.carnivalofdarkness.net

Award Winning THE SKY HAS FALLEN Now Available On DVD

2010-10-15T15:45:00.004-04:00

October 15, 2010 - 4:00PM EST

Director Doug Roos' Award Winning post-apocalyptic The Sky Has Fallen is now available on DVD.

Synopsis: Within a couple of hours, a new disease wipes out almost all of mankind. Trying to avoid infection, people flee to remote locations, but they start seeing mysterious black figures, carrying away the dead and experimenting on them. Now, Lance and Rachel, two survivors determined to fight back, must kill the leader of these creatures before the rest of humanity disappears.

The Sky Has Fallen was written and directed by Doug Roos and stars Carey MacLaren and Laurel Kemper.

Soon, a Kickstarter campaign will be started to raise funds to author Deluxe Edition DVD's. In exchange, backers will be able to either get their name in the credits, win a signed Limited Edition DVD, a poster, t-shirt, or a mystery prop from the film.

For more information, and to purchase a DVD, check out www.theskyhasfallen.net.

Also, be sure to check out the film's official Facebook page.

Pearry Teo's Necromentia Now Available On DVD!

2010-10-15T15:26:00.006-04:00

October 15, 2010 - 3:35PM EST

Pearry Teo's Necromentia is now available on DVD from Image Entertainment via Amazon and Redbox.

Synopsis: An off-world look at the superstitious repercussions of tattooing a Ouija Board on your body. Hagen, who has a dead wife, believes that he can revive her from the dead. Travis, a man who lost his brother and wants to join him in the after life. Morbius, a bartender who is betrayed by those he loves comes back from the dead to take revenge. And a strange man only known as Mr. Skinny protects the secrets of the Ouija Board and how the stories weave and affect each other.

Necromentia was directed by Pearry Teo, written by Stephanie Joyce (based on Teo's story), and stars Layton Matthews, Chad Grimes, and Santiago Craig.

Buy it HERE.

Lost Boys: The Thirst DVD Review

2010-10-14T19:22:00.003-04:00

by FuckEm

Edgar Frog (Corey Feldman) is asked to stop a new vampire, DJ X (Seb Castang), who plans to turn unsuspecting party-goers into an army of the undead.

1987’s The Lost Boys is a cult classic with actual quality; while 2008’s Lost Boys: The Tribe is reason incarnate of why people fear long-awaited Sequels. I wasn’t expecting much better from Lost Boys: The Thirst, which may be why I wasn’t completely disappointed with it. The big thing this one has going for it, is that it doesn’t try to absolutely rehash the Original.

It’s the first film of the three in which Feldman’s character doesn’t have a supporting role; this is very much his vehicle. While that may be great news for many fans of this series, that also means that Feldman’s very one-dimensional performance is front and center. Due to the comedy elements, he’s passable in the action stuff, but during the early parts of the film, it isn’t pretty. Alan Frog (Jamison Newlander) is also back, but despite what the back of the packaging implies, his role is not as heavy as Feldman’s.

The film contains several visual call backs to the first. There are also a few flashback sequences to The Lost Boys that feature Corey Haim’s character Sam and now what’s become of him. I’m sure this was shot before Haim’s passing, but given that, they may end up with mixed opinions on these scenes. I felt the film started off kind of sluggish, for the first 25 minutes or so. But, when it picks up, it got better. The CG looks a little cheap at times, but most of the action scenes balance them out pretty well.

My reactions to the characters were varied. The most disappointing was Castang as our lead vampire. DJ X didn’t cut it in that role, for me. In the past, his predecessors like David and even Shane, had some mystique about them. X has none, is way too modern for his own good, and he comes across more like an underling than the leader of a pack. It’s really the female vampires that bring something to the table here, and make not only X, but others like the stereotypical and muscle-bound, Kirk O Dale (Hennie Bosman), come across as ill-conceived.

My favorite of the new human characters was Zoe (Casey B. Dolan). I felt Dolan was likable as Edgar’s geeky new pal, and gave the best performance in the film. Gwen Lieber (Tanit Phoenix), is the first of two attempts to make the film appeal more to modern audiences. Her character is a writer of vampire fiction and the one who approaches Edgar to take on the vampires who have her brother, Peter (Felix Mosse), held captive. Gwen came across as sort of phoney and it seemed that she only partially cared at times that her brother was in danger. Given where they went with that later, this sense I picked up from her early on, wasn’t a good thing. Looking at Mosse, I can’t help but think that one of the things he had going for him in getting the part, was he reminded someone a bit of Corey Haim, circa 1987.

One character I found unnecessary, was Lars Von Goetz (Stephen Van Niekerk), an all-talk reality show host who is also hired by Gwen to join the search. Lars was underdeveloped and off-putting at times. Like I alluded to before, I think the film would have benefited without him. Smaller roles such as Claus (Joe Vaz) and Blake (Matthew Dylan Roberts) were passable characters. Roberts a little more so than Vaz, but that’s just my personal preference; I really don’t have anything negative to say about either.

The Thirst is better than The Tribe, no doubt, but is still no better than your average, modern DTV vampire outing. The films ends on an interesting note, that could take a possible Lost Boys 4 in a different direction. But, I have a feeling that given the long-running trappings of the franchise, it won’t wander far from what we’ve saw to this point.

In line with the continuing trend by some studios to put pressure on you to switch from DVD to Blu-ray, the majority of the supplements do not appear on this release. The Blu-ray contains three exclusive featurettes: “How To Kill A Vampire”, “The Lost Boys: Return of The Frog Brothers”, and “What is the Thirst?”. The DVD only contains a featurette hosted by Charisma Carpenter. Neither contain a commentary or deleted scenes, however, so neither appeal much to me.

Directed by: Dario Piana
Starring: Corey Feldman, Jamison Newlander, Casey B. Dolan, Tanit Phoenix, Seb Castang
Released by: Warner Premiere

Special Features

Charisma Carpenter Hosts: “The Art of Seduction: A Look at Vampire Lore”

FuckEm's Rating:

Get A Taste of THE KULT

2010-10-14T18:35:00.004-04:00

October 14, 2010 - 6:50PM EST

One very promising looking film now in production is Gharial Productions' The Kult.

Synopsis: "The Kult" is based on the novel of the same name by UK author Shaun Jeffrey. The novel, already number one on many bestseller lists and was a finalist in ForeWord's Book of the Year Contest, leads you on a terrifying hunt for a serial killer. Acting out of misguided loyalty to his friends, Detective Prosper Snow is goaded into helping them perform a copycat killing, but when the real killer comes after him, it's not only his life on the line, but his family's too. Now if he goes to his colleagues for help, he risks being arrested for murder. If he doesn't, he risks being killed.

The Kult is being directed by Kip Shelton from a screenplay by Danielle Kaheaku and Robert Hunter and stars Joe Soro, Justin C. Little, Windy Marshall, J.G. Franklin, Curtis "Cy" Smith, Steven Michaels, and Karenssa LeGear.

For more information, check out the following websites:

Official website: http://thekultmovie.com
Official Facebook: http://facebook.com/thekultmovie
Twitter: http://twitter.com/thekultmovie
Gharial Productions: http://gharialproductions.com

Three New Features from Black Fawn Films!

2010-10-14T17:25:00.008-04:00

October 14, 2010 - 6:30PM EST

Here's a look at three new exciting horror features coming soon from Black Fawn Films.

Synopsis: Siblings, Brad and Lisa Carpenter, along with two lifelong family friends, Will and Vanessa, set out to cross Eastern Canada en route to an annual family reunion. Their road trip takes them through the scenic, isolated countryside of New Brunswick, on a blistering hot summer day. They eventually make the decision to find an appealing place to stop halfway, and camp for the night. The group thinks they have found the perfect haven, when they are awakened by strange noises in the forest. What ensues is a violent disturbance by six masked assailants, without motive, without reason. The group find themselves living in a night of psychological games and physical terror and, as morning dawns, the reality of what will come is more terrifying than anything the group could have ever imagined.

If A Tree Falls was directed by Philip Carrer, written by Ryan Barrett, and stars Breanne TeBoekhorst, Ryan Barrett, and Jennifer DeLucia.

Synopsis: After losing Kate, his high school sweetheart,in a horrific house fire, Josh Higgins' life tumbles into a depressing mix of insomnia and poor choices. After taking a seemingly harmless sleeping pill, Josh is thrust from his current banal existence into one he thought he lost years before. As the walls of his own psychosis slowly start to close in around him, Josh must race to save himself, Kate and the parallel life that he vows can never again become lost.

Neverlost was written and directed by Chad Archibald and stars Ryan Barrett and Emily Alatalo.

Synopsis: Seven months have passed since the dead took over. Many cities and states have been abandoned and left to die. Several self sufficient hunting groups have been established to take on the threat in a fight aptly referred to as the 'War on Dead'. Jillian Hurst, a former news writer and amateur documentarian, has set out to make a pro-war propaganda film to support the W.O.D. She joins up with a pack of renegade hunters known infamously in North America as 'The Deadheads'. The moral dynamics and hardships of fighting in a war against the undead are told from several different perspectives.

Dead Genesis was written and directed Reese Eveneshen and stars Emily Alatalo.

For more information on these films, including trailers, clips, and still galleries, check out www.blackfawnfilms.com

Misery Blu-Ray Review

2010-10-14T14:11:00.006-04:00

by Patrick "ChoKo" Robertson

In this adaption of the Stephen King novel, world renowned author Paul Sheldon (James Caan) crashes his car during a very nasty blizzard in the mountains of Colorado. Thankfully for him, nurse and self proclaimed number one fan Annie Wilkes comes to his rescue and takes him to her home to recover from the near fatal accident, promising to take him to a hospital when the icy roads have cleared. While there, Annie takes care of Paul; she patches up his severely injured body, feeds, bathes, and provides other day to day needs for him while telling him how much she adores his work, especially his Misery romance novels. Soon, through a series of bizarre encounters, Paul learns that no one knows where is and Annie may be a few bricks short of a full load. More importantly, his life may very well be in danger.

Kathy Bates won an Academy Award for her turn as Annie Wilkes, a rarity for a horror film. Those of you who have seen this film already know that she definitely deserved it. Not since Norman Bates has a psychotic character been so realistically portrayed. Annie Wilkes is the definition of bi-polar, capable of showing sincerity and love or pure guttural rage and evil. What makes Kathy Bates (no relation to the aforementioned Norman) so frightening in this role is that you don't know which of those emotions she's going to display next.

James Caan plays Paul Sheldon, a very successful author trying to break his romance-novelist image. Paul is very much the audience's character in that you definitely get the feeling that, if you were put in Paul's situation, you would react in the same ways that he does. Near the beginning, Caan portrays Sheldon in a no-nonsense, albeit cocky, sort of way. When the craziness starts, he tries to laugh it off at first. When the shit really hits the fan, all of his cockiness and ego subsides, replaced by fear and desperation. Throughout much the film, he has a "what the fuck?" look on his face, which really works for a character in his predicament.

Misery is very much driven by the two leads, but it does have a few outstanding supporting characters. Richard Farnsworth plays Buster, the Sheriff who is put in charge of the Paul Sheldon 'disappearance.' His deep sense of concern for Paul can be a bit overwhelming at times and some of his scenes tend to grind the film to a halt but, overall, I was impressed by Farnsworth's performance; you can't deny his charisma and wit.

Stephen King regular Francis Sternhagen (The Mist, The Golden Years) plays Buster's wife. For me, she made most of Buster's scenes feel more complete with her often humorous dialogue and quirky portrayal.

As with any Stephen King adaption, the film has no shortage of surreal moments. Director Rob Reiner, known for his comedies, does a wonderful job of mixing those moments of surreality with disturbingly realistic sequences showcasing Annie's sociopathic rage, as well as creating a sense of dread and claustrophobia. The film, like The Shining, is set in Colorado during the winter, so Reiner treats us to some beautiful scenery throughout, which works in the film's favor; The claustrophobic interior of Annie's house often juxtaposed with the stunningly beautiful, snowy, and scenic exterior.

Misery doesn't have that many special make up effects. In fact, most of the film is relatively blood free. But don't cry, gorehounds, because there are a couple of shockingly realistic effects that will make you squirm. For me, the most memorable being Paul's legs; The make-up job on his bruised and broken limbs is so realistic that it looks as if James Caan was in an actual auto accident. When I saw this film in theaters, I remember a collective gasp coming from the audience when his legs were revealed; a very short scene, yet very effective. This and the infamous 'hobbling' scene are really the only two big effects shots in the film. The overall lack of blood and violence actually works for the film, doubling the effect when it actually shows up.

What would a review of Misery be without elaborating on the infamous 'hobbling' scene? Before I saw Misery, I had never held my breath in anticipation of anything in a movie. Perhaps this is where I first learned that it's not the actual act of violence itself that gets you; it's the build up. The way Annie describes what she is going to do, as if it were an everyday thing, even going so far as to give a brief history of the act, is very unsettling. The way the scene is shot, as if you're laying there bound with Paul, also contributes to the horror. One is almost relieved when Annie's sledgehammer lands because you're allowed to breathe again but, no dice, because you're immediately gasping again when you see the damage it causes. Just when you're about to hyperventilate, Annie swings her hammer a second time.

Along with Cujo, Misery is one of the best adaptions of a Stephen King novel ever put on film. Like Cujo, it stays relatively true to the novel while, at the same time, having it's own unique flavor. Misery is a very engaging film and, if you let it overtake you, you may uncover the same startling revelation that I did; What we as human beings are capable of doing to each other is far more frightening than any supernatural threat.

Directed by: Rob Reiner
Starring: Kathy Bates, James Caan, Richard Farnsworth, Francis Sternhagen
Released by: MGM/Fox

Special Features:

Audio Commentary by Director Rob Reiner
Audio Commentary by Screenwriter William Goldman
Misery Loves Company - 30 minute documentary featuring interviews with the cast and crew.
Marc Shaiman's Musical Misery Tour - An interview with the composer who scored the film.
Diagnosing Annie Wilkes - A forensic pathologist discusses the psychological aspect of the character.
Advice for the Stalked - Interviews with a member of the Omega Threat Movement, a prosecutor, and the same pathologist from the previous interview on how to handle a stalker.
Profile of A Stalker - The three from the previous interview elaborate on what goes through the minds of stalkers.
Celebrity Stalkers - Discusses the psychology behind this particular brand of stalker.
Anti-Stalking Law - How harassment can be considered stalking.
Original Theatrical Trailer.
Original "Season's Greetings" Trailer.

ChoKo's Rating:

Even More Alien Prequel NewsNatalie Portman to Star?

2010-10-13T13:27:00.006-04:00

October 13, 2010 - 1:45PM EST

There sure has been a lot of news on Ridley Scott's upcoming Alien prequel in the last few weeks. Despite earlier reports of disagreements over the rating and budget, the film seems to be picking up steam.

From New York Magazine's Vulture:

Damon Lindelof turned in his new draft of the screenplay for Ridley Scott's Alien prequel on Saturday, and 20th Century Fox execs are very pleased with it indeed! We’re told all involved parties have been made to sign nondisclosure agreements about the plot, but our spies have been able to glean several interesting nuggets about the project, which is set roughly 35 years before Scott’s dystopic classic...

And, about the big lead role?

A parade of actresses have met with Scott to discuss the lead role — that of a female Colonial Marine general — but only two have engendered substantial enthusiasm from both Fox brass and Scott Free, the director’s Fox-based production company: Vulture can report exclusively that at the top of the list is Natalie Portman.

The article goes on to clear up a few misconceptions:

It’s not in any way a reboot of Alien or the Aliens franchise; it’s really meant to be viewed as Scott’s second Alien movie. What's more, no Predator creatures appear anywhere within the film. Despite Fox’s efforts to mate the two sci-fi icons, Scott’s camp sees the two franchises as hailing from distinct genres that will not co-mingle, synergy be damned. “The later Aliens movies were action movies, but the original Alien was a horror-suspense film," explains one spy, "This returns the franchise to its roots."

You can read the full article HERE.

Horror Short SIMONE Now Available On DVD

2010-10-12T21:54:00.006-04:00

October 12, 2010 - 10:05PM EST

Big budget concepts and imagery come to life on a micro-budget in the short horror film SIMONE.

Synopsis: The timid Simone (Jennifer Ward) awakens after a night of hard partying with Eve (Erin Nicole Cline), unsure of the events that took place. The mystery deepens as her focus becomes clear, leading to a chilling discovery. "Fear your instincts!"

SIMONE was directed by Joops Fragale, written by Frazer Lee, and stars Jennifer Ward and Erin Nicole Cline.

Buy the DVD HERE.

Upcoming Festival Screenings:

ShockerFest - October 26; Modesto, CA
Carnival of Darkness - October 28; Hollywood, CA

For information, check out the official website and Facebook Page.

Don't Feed TVA Short Horror Film by Stefan Fernandez

2010-10-12T18:27:00.003-04:00

October 12, 2010 - 6:30PM EST

For more information, check out Stefan's YouTube Channel.

DollhouseA Short Horror Film by Stefan Fernandez

2010-10-12T18:21:00.003-04:00

October 12. 2010 - 6:25PM EST

Check out Stefan's YouTube Channel for more information.

The Wrong House DVD & Streaming Rental Now Available

2010-10-12T15:39:00.008-04:00

October 12, 2010 - 3:55PM EST

Shawn French's The Wrong House is now available for streaming rental at Amazon. A DVD is also available via the film's official website. A Blu-Ray release from Wisdumb Productions and Elite Entertainment will be available this winter.

Synopsis: An isolated house in the woods looks like an easy mark to a group of friends camping in the Maine wilderness. The thieves haul away several ounces of marijuana and hallucinogenic mushrooms in the heist. But after returning home, each of the thieves is visited by the robbed homeowners, who deliver an ultimatum to return what was stolen. When the deadline passes, the thieves learn too late that there are some people you just shouldn't mess with—and that they picked The Wrong House.

This stunt-heavy self-financed slasher is an ambitious debut for writer/director Shawn French of Wisdumb Productions and features break-out performances by Stacy Ann Strang ("I'm Sorry," "Mud") as a reluctant thief and Sue Stevens as the soccer mom from Hell.

Artist Eric Anderson ("Adelle") of the Portland, Maine, FX group The Shoggoth Assembly handled the intricate horror FX in this cautionary tale.

You will believe in Karma.

The Wrong House was written and directed by Shawn French and stars Stacy Ann Strang, Brendan Potter, Sue Stevens, Daniel Galloway, Megan Mathieu, Julian Brand, and Shawn French.

Get the DVD HERE.

Streaming Rental Available HERE.

For more information, check out www.thewronghousemovie.com and the official Facebook page.

Zombie Comedy Eat Me! Gets Japanese DVD Release in November

2010-10-12T14:09:00.003-04:00

October 12, 2010 - 2:20PM EST

The horror comedy Eat Me! has been picked up for distribution and is being released on DVD by JVD Inc. in Japan on their "Deep Red" label on November 12.

Synopsis: Garage band General Malacarne are practicing their latest set in the basement when a mysterious blackout hits Brooklyn. While the band kicks back with some joints downstairs, everyone above-ground is transformed into ravenous zombies. Hilarious complications arise as the band realizes their predicament, and embark on a half-baked scheme to escape the city.

Eat Me! was directed by Katie Carman, written by Elizabeth Lee and stars Jun Naito, Chesley Calloway, and Ivy Hong.

For more information, check out www.eatmefilm.com and be sure to add them on Facebook.

Horror Screenplay Contest Announces Finalists

2010-10-12T14:02:00.003-04:00

October 12, 2010 - 2:06PM EST

The 2010 Horror Screenplay Contest has announced their finalists:

BECOMING THE ARCHWAY KILLER - Paolo Sedazzari - London, UK
BLACKOUT - Zeke Farrow - West Hollywood, CA
BROOD 19 - David A. Altman - Birmingham, MI
CORPSEMEN - Marc Bloom - Cape Town - SOUTH AFRICA
DEADLY PASSAGE - Charlie Robinson - Los Angeles, CA
GROUNDEAD - Donn Kennedy - Brookfield, WI
OUT OF THE BOX - Robert Dorian
RESURRECTION TREE - Jason Ermer - Austin, TX
RISEN - William D. Prystaulk - Easton, PA
SHADY VISTA - Jeffrey Ashkin - Studio City, CA
SISTER DRACULA - George L. Bauch - Oak Lawn, IL
THE BONEWALKER - Brian Lee Johnson - Springfield, OR
THE DRIFTWOOD MASSACRES - Sara Jackson - American Canyon, CA
THE MUTILATED - Jim Connell - Norton, MA
WITHIN THE DARKNESS - Cheryl Compton - Los Angeles, CA
YOU'RE HISTORY - Stephen Garvey - Huntington Station, NY

Source: MovieBytes