My Review Of “Theatre Of The Deranged II”

“Theatre Of The Deranged II” is the second in an anthology series from Psykik Junky Pictures. In the sophomore series we are greeted with a new host to lead us through these twisted tales. And twisted they are. Damien Shadows introduces us to some very original and interesting short films from some of the top indie forces in the horror community. A new host and five new short films manage to create a new level for this sequel anthology. As much as I liked the first “Theatre Of The Deranged” seems like an entirely new beast all together with some very unique stories that set above the original collection.

“Tag” is a Japanese horror short that is experimental, haunting and bizarre. The story focuses on a woman being tormented by the ghost of another. It is a dark melodrama that I didn’t totally understand why things were happening in it, but I was totally hypnotized by the fact that they were happening. I know it has something to doe with conscience being consumed with guilt. Either way it was a well directed, emotionally executed, twisted dramatization that I was utterly fascinated by.

“Panty Raid” is a blended short film that uses very dark satirical moments then presents them in very malevolent serial/slasher style.  The story follows a college kid inspired to do a panty raid on a sorority house. Sadly it is a shadow element that trails the path of a serial killer who is also inspired by women's under pants. It is a really entertaining short film that pokes fun at the notions that all college kids are just hanging out and  getting off. It plays on the fetish side of sexual explorations but never exaggerates things to the point it becomes hokey, always keeping the atmosphere of a truly sinister atmosphere. After all there is a brutal killer in the house.

“Unmimely Demise” is one of those strange short films that could only come from the mind of James Cullen Bressack. Every thing about this short film should be a train wreck and yet everything works-something he is very good at simply because he doesn’t shy from the uncomfortable or edgier interpretations of life. The short is about a mime returning to get revenge on the 10 yr anniversary of the day he killed his wife. The story when watching the short film sounds like a real soap opera plot line and should really seem lame. It isn’t though because it is about  mimes! Once famous mimes and what comes next is just something you have to watch the short to really appreciate. The dramatic kill sequences are straight from Looney Tunes absurdity and yet come off with complete bloody horror awesomeness!

“My Aunt is Coming to Town” is really just a really twisted and humorous period joke. Not in the funny, dirty joke comical style but in the crude, misogynistic manner. It features a female lead who meets her beaus on dating sites, and enjoys a fun sexual love affair until her Aunt comes to town. It was a pretty entertaining short film that manages to hide the true nature of the story. It is a fun little story but not really at the level the other films in this collection seem to be.

“Plate Face” is a brilliant piece of avant garde theatre and by far the best short film in this anthology. The story is a simple one of a man in the middle of a mother and daughter situation. In love with one and lust consumes him for the other. The brilliant part is that it is a completely silent film, with a comedy laugh track of oohs and ahs. Classic silent movie music blended with modern horror. Not sure but I guess it could be considered a crime of passion in some circles. The fact that the laugh track is set up with the positive reaction coming in on very dark cruel moments off the story forcing an almost uncomfortably for the viewer is awesome. It challenges you to think about what is happening on screen and in yourself.

“Theatre Of The Deranged II” is  a step up from the first collection and a truly great collection of very individual, creative and entertaining short films. The use of a host with skits in between the shorts that speak of demons, and hexes being released on the audience by each of the films is kind of cheesy but totally entertaining.  I kind of feel Shadow’s side kick may be getting sexually assaulted by the supernatural way more than he would like. The guy selling the ghost busting products added a nice “straight” balance against the over-the-top tongue in cheek humor of Damien Shadow. Over all I thoroughly enjoyed this anthology series.

Trailer Arrives For “47 Ronin”

The action-fantasy, samurai film “47 Ronin” has arrived. The film stars Keanu Reeves, Jin Akanishi, Hiroyuki Sanada, Kou Shibasaki and Tadanobu Asano. This in no way is my normal genre but based on the trailer I may just add it to my likes. There was a 1941 Japanese film version that may just have to check out as well – I do love old black & white cinema.

A band of samurai set out to avenge the death and dishonor of their master at the hands of a ruthless shogun.

New Poster Released For “Big Bad Wolves”

A new poster has surfaced for Israeli horror film “Big Bad Wolves”. The film directed by Aharon Keshales, Navot Papushado follows the father of the latest victim of a series of brutal murders, now out for revenge. He will collide with a vigilante police detective operating outside the boundaries of law, and the main suspect in the killings - a religious studies teacher arrested and released due to a police blunder. You all probably remember the directing duo’s last success “Rabies”. That film was a wonderfully brutal horror film.

Pagan Festival Shout Out: Festival Of Furrina

Furrina is an ancient Roman Goddess Who may have Etruscan origins. Her exact nature is debated; however Her worship is quite old, dating from very early times, though by the end of the Roman Republic Her cult was almost forgotten. She had a sacred grove located on the Janiculum, a long ridge or hill on the right bank of the Tiber in Rome; Her grove evidentally had a spring, and probably had a shrine there as well. In later times (the mid-1st century CE) a temple to the Syrian Triad of Jupiter Heliopolitanus (the Roman version of the Phoenician Storm God Ba'al-Hadad), Venus Heliopolitana (the Syrian Goddess Atargatis) and Mercury (considered Her son, possibly Simios) was built on the site, and perhaps because of this there have been few remains found there from Republican times.

Furrina's festival was the Furrinalia on July 25. On the Roman calendar, festivals separated by an interval of three days were interconnected and belonged to the same function. In the second half of July, the two Lucaria occur on the 19th and 17th, with the Neptunalia on the 23rd and the Furrinalia on the 25th. This grouping is devoted to woods and running waters, which are intended as a shelter and a relief from the heat of the season, the canicula.

Furrina's name has been used to connect Her to robbers or thieves, and to the Roman Goddess of Thieves Laverna. Her name is quite similar to certain Latin words relating to that idea, though if Her origins are Etruscan, it wouldn't seem likely that Her name is related, as the Etruscan language is in a family all its own and is not connected with Latin, nor is it an Indo-European language (though that would not prevent it from being a loan-word or translation, I suppose). At any rate, the similar Latin words are furina, "thief", or "robber"; furtum, "theft"; furtim, "stealthily"; and furax, "thievish" (these words are also at the root of the English furtive, meaning "stealthy" or "thief-like"). Accordingly, some authorities consider Her a Goddess of Thieves or Bandits, much like Laverna. These Latin words, oddly enough, are also related to terms pertaining to bees and bee-keeping; furina can also be used of "robber bees", or bees who steal honey from colonies not their own, usually if there is insufficient nectar to be found out in the fields at the time; and forina (an alternate spelling of Furrina) can refer to a cell of bees. What Furrina might have to do with bees, however, is not known.

Furrina's cult was not only known in Rome; She was said to have had a temple or shrine in the city of Satricum on the Liris River, not far from Arpinum in Latium, about 65 miles south east of Rome. Arpinum (the modern Arpino) is a very old city, dating from at least the 7th century BCE and said to have been founded by the Volscians; the Satricum on the Liris is not the same as the more famous Satricum destroyed by the Romans, which was, like Arpinium, a Volscian town. Perhaps these tenuous associations hint at a Volscian origin for Furrina. Regardless of her religious significance in ancient times or the reason she is so vaguely remembered is of no difference to me. What is important is that she seems to be very intriguing and once worthy to shout to the heavens. I think she needs a resurrection and adjuration of glory. Worthy of worship once more! (Information taken from Wiki and other sites on ancient dieties)

New NSFW Trailer Lands For “Thanatomorphose”

“Thanatomorphose” is a horror directed by Éric Falardeau and starring Kayden Rose, Davyd Tousignant, Émile Beaudry, Karine Picard, Roch-Denis Gagnon, Eryka Cantieri. The film just made its North American debut at this year’s Fantasia Film Festival. Twitch reported that “Thantatomorphose” has been picked up for distribution in Australia, New Zealand and the UK by Monster Pictures, and will debut in October and November. The trailer is a bit gruesome so enjoy! “Thanatomorphose” won the BEST MOVIE award in 2012 at the XXXI Festival de Cine de Terror de Molins de Rei in Spain and BEST SPECIAL EFFECTS at the A Night of Horror International Film Festival in Australia.

A Cronenbergian smorgasbord of rancid flesh and sexual gratification, THANATOMORPHOSE, by Canadian director Eric Falardeau,picks up where Nekromantic left off. Discovering several bruises on her body after a night of rough sex, a young woman is shocked as, rather than heal itself, her body begins rotting from the inside out. She faces a terrifying and gory descent into a living death, as her putrifying body begins to literally 'fall off the bone'.

A strange and claustrophobic tale of sexuality, horror and bodily fluids, THANATAMORPHOSE will not only make you wince, but is strangely uplifting in its take on mortality. The title means the physical signs of a body's decomposition, caused by death.

My Review Of “Under The Bed”

“Under The Bed” is Steven C. Miller’s continued vision of of modern horror that is heavily influenced by classic cult genres. Not technically a throwback film, “Under The Bed” does seem to bring back a lot of the nostalgia and romanticization that 80’s young adult, creature-feature films utilized to hold an audience to the film. The story focuses on two brothers dealing with that ultimate childhood evil-the thing under the bed! Starring Jonny Weston, Gattlin Griffith, Peter Holden, Musetta Vander and one hell of a creature from the otherworld, “Under The Bed” is a bit more grown up than those 80’s teen PG horror films that played it a bit safer or comical. This film is a somber, macabre tale that stays well in the shadows of the mythic fear allowing for a darker film.

The story plays on basic fears of growing up with uncertainty, tragedy and change that drive childhood imaginations and insecurities. The film ads the element of a supernatural evil that plagues the brothers thoughts, stalks them, and lives –according to the adults in the kids lives-totally within their own imagination. This theme flows in an almost mournful melancholic way throw the first half of the film, pushing forward mostly on the melodrama and strained emotional dynamics between the characters. Almost as if trying to play with the notion that maybe it is in the kids imagination and the true monster lies closer in more realistic fashion. The film plays out in a mostly surrealistic style which does seem to carry on a bit too long. I was begging for some real horror or action and instead received standard trickery and fake-out scares for no reason. Then the second half of this film kicks in and oh boy does it kick in hard.

“Under The Bed, mid-way through- gives us the goodies with actual scares coming from the monster and an intensity to the drama the brings you out of the daze of anticipation, right in to the chills of these boys nightmare. The acting is well enough with just enough dialog and emotion coming from the characters to make them relatable but not too much so that you tire of them. As far as the “teen” actors in the film-like most movies with kids- I never really connect or connected to them other than fearing for them in the film. I haven’t connected with kids in movies for a long time. Everything about them seems a mystery to me-I am just too old to relate. However these kids in this film were super actors and the story or screen never seemed to over power their abilities as actors.

This film for me personally, is one of the better creature features to come out recently and the film’s aesthetic quality is top notch.  It maintains a eerie – not quite right – air about it through the entire film. The special effects and the monster itself were pretty awesome, and the whole little mythic element to its existence was memorable. Much like the world of Wes Craven’s “They”. I would have loved to hear more about that otherworld and the creature under the bed. But hey – live is abound with mystery and not all things reward with explanation. Anyway back to “Under The Bed”. This film is a refreshing new modernized spin on an old childhood fear and worth watching at least once, for me personally a few more times. The gore and graphic violence, though pretty much nil until the last act, was gory  and I loved it. Steven C. Miller is a true talent, offering an almost romantic love of surreal horror that ends in an epic high intensity bloodshed. That quality to today's horror is greatly lacking-I think. Very few directors express the more Gothic love affair with horror that played through 80's horror.  I really enjoyed this film.

Trailer Released For “Dead Billy”

The first trailer has been released for indie film “Dead Billy”.  Directed by Scott Milder from a script co-penned with Lauren Myers, the story follows Calliope Girard, a grad student with a thriving career in academia and a brilliant fiancé who dotes on her, everything in her world seems to move toward success.  The film is a psychological thriller that stars John Hardy, Lauren Myers, Frank Taylor Green, Amelia Ampuero, Cindy Derby, Chad Brummett, Amy Baklini, Gordon Clapp and Marlo Marquise.

The Dead Billy Productions LLC’s film sees Calliope Girard’s perfect world come crashing down on her suddenly by a series of unexplained seizures which unlock memories of a much darker past. A past defined by violence, abuse, and manipulation, and occupied by a mysterious man she knew only as Billy. Check out the trailer below.

Teaser Trailer No. 2 For Indie Horror “The Anniversary”

Faith vs Fate Productions’ “The Anniversary” just had its first successful screening for Kickstarter cast and crew, while launching the second teaser trailer for the film directed by Collin Joseph Neal. The story follows five girls who head out to a cabin to help their friend move past her husband's death, on the anniversary weekend of that fateful event. As the party continues one of the girls dark gated secrets begins to unravel and a hideous past crawls out from the woods to seek wrongfully deserved revenge on the group. Or is it wrongfully deserved? The film stars Ivey Bronwen , Keiko Green, Alicia Mendez, Tabitha Bastien and Alison Monda.

New Trailer For Aussie Remake “Patrick”

Check out the newest international trailer for the Australian remake of cult classic “Patrick”. The film is directed by Mark Hartley and stars Rachel Griffiths, Charles Dance, Sharni Vinson, Peta Sergeant.

Patrick lays comatose in a small private hospital, his only action being his involuntary spitting. When a pretty young nurse, just separated from her husband, begins work at the hospital, she senses that Patrick is communicating with her, and he seems to be using his psychic powers to manipulate events in her life.

When Kathy, a nurse who has recently separated from her boyfriend, begins working at the clinic, she is instructed to care for Patrick. She is disturbed by Roget’s treatment of him and somehow feels that Patrick is trying to make a connection with her. When Kathy realizes that the lifeless murderer can communicate, she is shocked but compelled to prove her theory. Patrick has psychokinetic powers, which he uses to talk to Kathy by transferring his thoughts to her computer. As Patrick’s communication becomes stronger, strange and terrifying events begin to occur. Patrick has feelings for Kathy, and his affection is about to manifest itself as a deadly, bloody obsession.

My Review Of “Blood Slaughter Massacre”

Indie horror is strong and thriving today, thanks in part to the efforts and creativity of low budget Indie directors and the whole horror community, who embrace it. This is very evident in the indie slasher “Blood Slaughter Massacre” by Mass Grave Pictures. The film is a total tribute and celebration of all that was great about late 70’s and early 80’s slasher flicks that still dominate the horror fans psyche to this day. Directed by Manny Serrano, the film pays homage to those iconic moments within the classic horrors of “Halloween”, “Friday The 13th”, “Madman” and others, while creating a completely individual cabal of rising evil. In “Blood Slaughter Massacre”, Officers Fincher and Cobb are called out to investigate a noise complaint, and what they find is far worse; twenty-four people, murdered in cold blood. The murderer escapes, and the Havenwood Police Department cover it up, inventing a story about an out-of-control fire. Ten years later –now detectives- Fincher and Cobbs, while investigating a girls murder, it looks as though the killer has returned to Havenwood. And this time he has a new diatribe guiding is malicious nature.

“Blood Slaughter Massacre” is a bit of a dichotomy in that it does create an elaborate plot which is supported by heavily built characters, and yet a lot of the story unfortunately unravels as the story grows. The robust, affirmative character relations, to the over all plots intent, flows more like a really bad cardiogram than a healthy pulse-pounding saga. That is really the only thing that hinders the film from being the massive indie slasher that is should be. Sometimes when writing a story – less is more. Especially with dialog relationship to the characters. Some moments, when explaining the ‘whys and hows’ of the connection to the enveloping plot, the lines seem over-indulgent and begin to wear on the story lines continuity. Now, that is the bad.

The good things about “Blood Slaughter Massacre”- is the complete tributary nature of the film to classic horror movies. The little nods and moments that highlight a certain film’s influence on the writer and director’s love of this genre. The total ‘I love the 80’s’ vibe allows for a bit of fun in the films visual appeal. This film, unlike a lot of homage-throwback horrors takes a more serious approach to the slasher genre and I respect that. It gives similar atmosphere to the cult classic days of horror movie making. The soundtrack is thrilling and builds those same chillingly eerie, emotional connections between the story and the viewer. There is blood, blood, and more blood splattered all through this film, which eases the frustrations I had with the psychological aspect of the story that rested on the characters. The killer was a menacing, unstoppable killing machine with a plain. I loved that, that fact that he uses the dark arts as a justification for choosing his victims, hits a sweet spot for me in horror. I love films that utilize black magic in the plot-even slasher films.

Even though it sounds like I may not have enjoyed “Blood Slaughter Massacre” – I did. It is a cool low-budget flick, with a serious approach to the genre. It offers a creepy killer, and even though the plot seemed to be more than necessary it still offered a unique spin while still paying tribute to classic horror. The blood, gore and special effects where above standard for this level of Indie production. Most of the kill scenes allowed a face view graphic slaughter-and the pay off was a nice reward for the scene and the viewer. This film is a cool little indie flick that fans of the slasher genre will truly enjoy. As far as over all feeling of the film I am split. I loved everything about this movie except the actual character building story lines and their relationships to one another. Every thing else was top shelf-low budget- indie horror enjoyment.

My Review Of “Saturday Morning Mystery”

“Saturday Morning Mystery” (formerly known as Saturday Morning Massacre-and Massacre is still the film’s true form.) is a bizarre little indie flick directed by Spencer Parsons. The film stars  Ashley Rae Spillers, Johnny Mars, Josephine Decker, Adam Tate and Paul Gordon. The story follows a crack pot team of paranormal investigators, much like the Scooby gang, who get hired to dispel the rumors and fears of locals around the paranormal activity at an estate. The group soon learn that there are much more sinister things hidden behind the walls of the Kyser schoolhouse. The gang choose to stay and solve the creepy behind the going-ons at the property, which proves to be in grave error. The decision to solve this mystery becomes  a real massacre.

“Saturday Morning Mystery”, (or Massacre) as I prefer to consider the film, is truly one of those strange films that blows you away. I had expected some cheesy, retro-throttled, low-budget spectacle. At the start there is a real throwback feel to the film which clearly became inspired by the cartoon mystery gang- only with the characters and their back-story though. Beyond that the similarities become terrifyingly obsolete. This is a real fright-fest fanfare story, with a way more sinister series of events than any cartoon show could think of inspiring. It becomes a truly gripping and nail-biting grindhouse horror story. The kitschy beginning and groovy build-up in this film has a cleverly darker intent. That intent is to throw you off guard, and then drag you into the pits of hellish nightmares as your nails tear off, and blood stained cries shatter the dark chilling air! This film is one of those rides into horror land that you will be glad you took. Think –The Scooby gangs accidentally wonder into the path of Stag Night kinfolk in a rural setting.

The story in this film is pretty well written and flows beautifully. There are a couple of moments that go off between dialog and scene portrayal. Actually only two that I remember seeming off was the “tab of acid” line and the “I totally have a jimmy in this bag” (or something like that.) There was no tabs taken-the drug leeched into the water cooler, and the character that said the line about the jimmy didn’t have a bag on her in the scene. At least I didn’t see one. Anyway those two moments – that is all-those two were the only milliseconds that slowed my totally pleasurable horror ride into this window to Hell. Pretty much every aspect of the film from cinematography to directed to soundtrack and kill scenes rocked in “Saturday Morning Mystery” You don’t expect the intense vicious turn this film takes toward the last act but man it drags you in and sets you on the edge of the slaughtering blade of horror. This is truly one of the best indie horror films I have seen and a must for horror movie collectors.

“Killriculum Vitae” Releases A Teaser Trailer

Dead Good Films Like has released a teaser trailer for their next indie project, a horror/comedy titled“Killriculum Vitae”. The film is directed by directed by Nik Box (She’s Dead) & Stuart Fitzsimmons (Job Satisfaction). Check out the teaser below.

The film is about a girl, Alana (Jade Mason), who keeps loosing jobs and with the help of her room mate they make a fake CV and within minutes she gets a call for an interview at mysterious location.  Slowly the interview starts to spiral into insanity with lots of sinister twists and turns.

Four Character Posters Arrive For “47 Ronin”

“47 Ronin” is a Samurai grindhouse action film starring Keanu Reeves. (I feel a comeback throttling..) The film, which hopefully will be a bit more gory and kill-filled dramatic action-packed than other films of this ilk, is directed by Carl Rinsch. It is set to release on December 25, 2013-that should show how much is banked on this flick and Reeves performance. Aside from Keanu “47 Ronin” also stars Rinko Kikuchi, Hiroyuki Sanada, Kou Shibasaki, and Tadanobu Asano.

An 18th century set story centered on a band of samurai who set out to avenge the death of their master. Check out this set of character posters for the film below.

“New Blood Rising” This Winter

“New Blood Rising” is an indie horror coming December 27th, 2013 from Eye Open Pictures Entertainment. The film is being helmed by Chad Zuver and stars Vanessa Leonard, Chad Zuver, Dana Furlong, Kayla Elizabeth, Nathan Pelland, Thomas Sloan and Lisa Marie. According to Horror Society the film is slated to begin production August 23rd, 2013.

Jade and her siblings are the last three vampires in the world. They need to find blood of someone with pure, that will raise a new army of vampires. The only thing stopping them is a group of vampire hunters, that will do anything to stop Jade.

“The Bates Haunting” Gets Release Date

Uncorked Entertainment’s “The Bates Haunting” has been given a release date of August 6 for VOD with physical release to come later. The film is directed by Byron Turk and stars Jean Louise O'Sullivan, Zachary Fletcher, Dante Zucca, Ryan Dunn in a film that has be described as “Scooby Doo meets Scream”.  Presale is on right now over at iTunes.

Agnes Rickover (Jean Louise O’Sullivan, Valley Peaks, Bullrun) visited the Bates Motel and Haunted Hayride looking for some Halloween fear and fun. Instead, she witnessed a tragedy: the fiery death of her best friend Lily making her dramatic debut on the Hayride. After a year spent obsessing over the horrible accident, Agnes takes a job at The Haunted Hayride, hoping to face her trauma and to exorcise her demons. She thinks this could be an investigative opportunity as well, and when her new co-workers end up victims of mysterious accidents, she knows it is. With her new sidekick Clyde, Agnes must figure out whom – or what – is behind all of this mayhem before more people die.

The Bates Haunting is part haunt, part hunt, full of spirits and the spirited! Agnes and Clyde are facing certain death – their only escape route through a crowd of entertained customers who think it’s just a show, but for them it’s a scary, shocking showdown! Featuring a wild cast of characters ranging from ghouls and goblins to an overzealous chainsaw wielding theater actor.

Official Release Date Set For “The Crying Dead”

Busted Knuckles Production’s “The Crying Dead” has been issued an official release date. The film stars Chris Hayes, Jeff Stearns, Becka Adams, Angelina Lyubomirova, Callie Cameron and Andrew Olson. “The Crying Dead” will hit DVD, VOD and Redbox on September 17th 2013.  Pre-order is open on Amazon.com..

In 2008 a cast and crew set out to shoot a pilot for a paranormal reality show. During the first night vague apparitions became violent hauntings. One by one they lost their lives. “The Crying Dead” is a diary of the final tortured moments of real people in an unthinkable situation.

New “Halloween” 35th Anniversary Edition Blu-ray

PRESS RELEASE

For Immediate Release
July 23, 2013

Michael Myers is back…and he’s never looked better!
ANCHOR BAY ENTERTAINMENT
PROUDLY PRESENTS HALLOWEEN 35TH ANNIVERSARY
BLU-RAY™

Featuring all-new HD transfer supervised by Dean Cundey, New 7.1 Audio Mix, New Commentary Track by John Carpenter & Jamie Lee Curtis and Never-Before-Seen Bonus Features Coming Home Again September 24th Beverly Hills, CA – In 1978, Compass International Pictures released an indie horror film by an up and coming director and a largely unknown cast. Presented by the late Moustapha Akkad, the film cost $325,000 and ended up not only becoming one of the most successful independent motion pictures of its time, but single handedly created the genre of the modern horror film along with the first iconic (via a painted-over William Shatner mask) cinematic slasher!

Its global success spawned seven sequels, a reboot directed by Rob Zombie and a sequel-to-the-reboot, as well as created generations of grateful fans. The director’s name is John Carpenter and the film was Halloween. This year marks the 35th Anniversary of the timeless thriller and to celebrate, Anchor Bay Entertainment is bringing back the terrifying original as it’s never been seen or heard before!

Anchor Bay Entertainment and Trancas International proudly announce the September 24th release of the 35th Anniversary Blu-ray™ release of Halloween. For this very special release, Anchor Bay and Trancas went back to the vaults to present this legendary terror classic as never before, including creating an all-new HD transfer personally supervised by the film’s original cinematographer, Academy-Award® nominee Dean Cundey (Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Apollo 13, the Back to the Future trilogy), a new 7.1 audio mix (as well as the original mono audio), a brand-new feature length audio commentary by writer/director John Carpenter and star Jamie Lee Curtis, an all-new bonus feature with Ms. Curtis, as well as selected legacy bonus features from previous ABE releases. Available in a collectible limited-edition book-style package (available only for the first printing) with 20 pages featuring archival photos, an essay by Halloween historian Stef Hutchinson and specially commissioned cover art by Jay Shaw, SRP is $34.99 and pre-book is August 28.

“Anchor Bay Entertainment has been home to Halloween for almost 20 years,” noted Malek Akkad, President of Trancas International Films and son of Moustapha Akkad. “I’m so happy that we’re partnering with them to present the definitive edition of what is widely acknowledged as one of the seminal horror films of the 20th century.”

Halloween stars Jamie Lee Curtis (A Fish Called Wanda, True Lies) in her debut role. Anyone who’s ever watched a horror film in the last 35 years knows the story of Michael Myers, who as a child, butchered his sister with a kitchen knife. Committed to a mental institution and watched over by Dr. Loomis (Donald Pleasance, Halloween II, IV & V, Fantastic Voyage), he engineers his escape 15 years later, returning to his hometown of Haddonfield, Illinois on Halloween night to terrorize anyone who gets in his way, including babysitter Laurie Strode (Curtis).

Co-starring P.J. Soles (Carrie, Stripes, Rock ‘n Roll High School), Kyle Richards (The Watcher in the Woods, Eaten Alive), Nancy Loomis (Carpenter’s Assault On Precinct 13, The Fog), Charles Cyphers (Escape From New York, The Fog) and Brian Andrews (The Great Santini, Three O’Clock High), Halloween also cemented the careers of many behind the camera including Carpenter, Cundey, producer Debra Hill and film editor/production designer Tommy Lee Wallace (Halloween III: Season of the Witch, “It”).

Bonus features on Halloween 35th Anniversary Blu-ray™ include:
• All-new commentary track with writer/director John Carpenter and star Jamie Lee Curtis;
• “The Night She Came Home” new featurette with Jamie Lee Curtis (HD);
• On Location;
• Trailers;
• TV & Radio Spots;
• Additional Scenes from TV Version
About Anchor Bay Entertainment
Anchor Bay Entertainment is a leading home entertainment company. Anchor Bay acquires and distributes feature films, original television programming including STARZ Original series, children’s entertainment, anime (Manga Entertainment), fitness (Anchor Bay Fitness), sports, and other filmed entertainment on DVD and Blu-ray™ formats. The company has long term distribution agreements in place for select programming with AMC Networks, RADiUS, and The Weinstein Company. Headquartered in Beverly Hills, CA, Anchor Bay Entertainment has offices in Troy, MI, as well as Canada, the United Kingdom and Australia. Anchor Bay Entertainment (www.anchorbayentertainment.com) is a Starz (NASDAQ: STRZA, STRZB) business, www.starz.com.
*****************************************************************************************
John Carpenter’s Halloween 35th Anniversary Blu-ray™
Genre: Horror
Rating: R
Languages: English
Format: Anamorphic Widescreen (2.35:1)
Audio: Dolby TrueHD 7.1; Original Mono
Year: 1978
SRP: $34.99
Street Date: September 24, 2013
Pre-Book: August 28, 2013
Length: 92 minutes
Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish
UPC: 0 1313 26063-3 0
Cat#: ZBD60633

Promo Art For Horror Flick “Dead Bounty”

Check out the Facebook page for Indie flick “Dead Bounty”. The film comes from Lock it Down Productions, and is slated for 2014. Today on the movie’s fan page it was announced that the cast had been finalized. Here is the full cast members to star in this horror film- Tony Moran, Timothy Patrick Quill, Kati Salowsky, Chris O'Reilly, Alexandra Cipolla, Michaelah Noelle Nunes. This will be Jordan Pacheco’s second feature horror to his, soon to be released, supernatural thriller “Provoked”.  I first mentioned “Dead Bounty” as Tony Moran had signed on for the project. You can read that article here.

While on the search for a fleeing felon, a group of bounty hunters lead by "Bosk" (Tony Moran) and "Henry" (Timothy Patrick Quill) head into a vast New England forest in hopes to capture this dangerous man. Closing in on their quarry, the group encounters more than just a murderer on the run when they are confronted with a seemingly endless horde of the undead. With no shelter, no help and no end to the carnage, survival seems hopeless.

Release Date Set For “The Colony”

IMAGE ENTERTAINMENT SETS DOMESTIC RELEASE DATE FOR
THE COLONY

Available on VOD on Aug. 22, 2013 and In-Theaters on Sept. 20, 2013

LOS ANGELES - July 23, 2013 - Image Entertainment, an RLJ Entertainment (NASDAQ: RLJE) brand, has officially slated THE COLONY from Director Jeff Renfroe (One Point O). Laurence Fishburne (Matrix Trilogy), Bill Paxton (Aliens) and Kevin Zegers (Mortal Instruments: City of Bones) headline an all-star cast in this savage and unrelenting thriller about mankind's greatest enemy: himself.

Written by Patrick Tarr (American Psycho), Pascal Trottier (Blind Fear) and Svet Rouskov (Silent Cargo), THE COLONY will debut on Ultra-VOD on Aug. 22, 2013 and in-theaters on Sept. 20, 2013 in Los Angeles, New York and major U.S. markets. The announcement was made today by Image Entertainment’s Chief Acquisition Officer, Bill Bromiley.

“Laurence Fishburne, Bill Paxton and Kevin Zegers create a solid ensemble in this chilling thriller,” said Bromiley. “Laurence, Bill and Kevin have established loyal fans in the genre community throughout the years, which will propel the success of this film.”

THE COLONY opens as an endless winter engulfs Earth. Humans struggle to survive in remote underground outposts. When Colony seven receives a distress call from a nearby settlement, Sam (Zegers) and Briggs (Fishburne) race through the snow on a dangerous rescue mission. What they find at the desolate base could mean mankind’s salvation—or its total annihilation. Terrifying discoveries will unfold that will change the rules of survival forever.

THE COLONY was produced by Paul Barkin, Matthew Cervi, Pierre Even and Marie-Claude Poulin and executive produced by Peter Graham, Marc Schaberg, Noah Segal and Mark Slone.

Teaser Trailers For “She Kills”

Check out the teaser trailer for grindhouse inspired horror/comedy flick “She Kills”. The film comes from SRS Cinema and stars Trey Harrison as ‘Dirk MaSalle’. The first teaser came out yesterday and today a new one dropped. Check ‘em both out below.

When Sadie's husband is murdered by a vicious gang called "The Touchers", she finds she possesses a strange hidden power to aid her in her quest for revenge!

Teaser Trailer Released For #OurZombieMother Webseries

A teaser trailer has been released for the indie webseries “Our Zombie Mother”. Two kids wake up to find their Mother has suddenly become a Zombie and they are forced to quickly cope with the curious consequences. The series stars Maria Olsen, Tyler Griffin, Naomi Griffin, Grace Jeanette, Diego Josef, Nicole Wagner, Jeremy Kovach and Arielle Taylor. Check out ‘Shoes’ below.

New Motion Poster And Website Launched For “Vampire Academy”

Check out the blood dripping motion poster for “Vampire Academy” then head over to the movie’s website to check all the deets for this feature adaptation of cult phenom book series by Richelle Mead. The film stars Zoey Deutch, Danila Kozlovsky, Olga Kurylenko, Sarah Hyland,Lucy Fry, Cameron Monaghan, Gabriel Byrne, Joely Richardson, Claire Foy, Sami Gayle, Dominic Sherwood, Ashley Charles and is directed by Mark Waters.

Rose Hathaway is a dhampir, half-vampire and half-human, who is training to be a guardian at St Vladimir's Academy along with many others like her. There are good and bad vampires in their world: Moroi, who co-exist peacefully among the humans and only take blood from donors, and also possess the ability to control one of the four elements - water, earth, fire or air; and Strigoi, blood-sucking, evil vampires who drink to kill. Rose and other dhampir guardians are trained to protect Moroi and kill Strigoi throughout their education. Along with her best friend Princess Vasilisa Dragomir, a Moroi in possession of the almost unheard of element called spirit that forged a nigh unbreakable bond, Rose must run away from St Vladimir's, in order to protect Lissa from those who wish to harm the princess and use her for their own means

Two New Posters For “X-Men: Days Of The Future Past”

Two character posters for the next X-Men installment have been revealed showing a new look to two of the main characters of the film. “X-Men: Days Of The Future Past” is directed by Brian Singer offers a slight change in the younger Xavier and Magneto. The characters will be played by James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender. The story is of a bleak future world where powerful machines built in man’s image have wiped out most of their flesh-and-blood targets setting the stage for a time-travel tale where one war-weary soldier is sent to the past with a desperate mission. Due out May 23rd 2014.

Pagan Festival Shout Out: The Neptunalia

The Neptunalia was the festival of Neptune on July 23, at the height of summer. The date and the construction of tree-branch shelters suggest a primitive role for Neptune as god of water sources in the summer's drought and heat. The most ancient Roman calendar set the feriae of Neptunus on July 23, two days after the Lucaria of July 19 and 21 and two days before the Furrinalia of July 25. This holiday as an obscure archaic two-day festival in honour of Neptune as god of waters, celebrated at Rome in the heat and drought of the Roman summer. (Varro, De lingua Latina vi.19). It was one of the dies comitiales, when committees of citizens could vote on civil or criminal matters. In the ancient calendar this day is marked as Nept. ludi et feriae, or Nept. ludi, from which Leonhard Schmitz (in Smith, see link) concluded that the festival was celebrated with games (ludi). Respecting the ceremonies of this festival nothing is known, except that the people used to build huts of branches and foliage (umbrae, according to Festus, under " Umbrae"), in which they probably feasted, drank, and amused themselves (Horace Carmina iii.28.1, &c.; Tertullian De Spectaculis ("On Celebrations") 6). Compare to the "booths" under which Jews celebrate Sukkot. Festivals in honor of Neptune are still very much alive today. The Festival Of Neptune in Virginia Beach celebrates it’s 40th anniversary this year.

“If Evil Had A Face” Teaser Trailer Released

The first teaser trailer for Jabari Clarke-Pennegan’s “If Evil Had A Face” has been released. The psychological thriller starring Amanda Greer is currently in pre-production but this first look of sorts offers us a slice of the nightmare that the feature will unleash.  Check out the teaser below.

“If Evil Had A Face” is about a young off-Broadway dancer who is victimized by a traumatic attack, as she tries to fit back into her life and her routine she meets a guy who she has an attraction for but unbeknownst to her this new guy is connected to her trauma.

Teaser Trailer Arrives For “Psychotica”

“Psychotica” is a psychological thriller directed by Christopher Atkinson about addiction, but more importantly it is a story about the struggle for identity. They both must discover the truth about themselves for better or worse.  The film stars Ethan Nagle, Chris Estes, Erin Reinhard, Wendy Hartman, Courtney Smith, Giovanni Alabiso,Nate Haynes, Jake Gutwillig, Chris Goodwin, Paula Dellatte and Josh Nagle.  This will be Atkinson’s feature film debut.

Psychotica is a feature film about a college student named Carrick who is struggling with both an addiction to alcohol and a guilty conscience. Having been raised by his mother, who herself turned to alcohol to deal with the suicide of her husband, Carrick has come to see his college drug/alcohol councilor Abbott as something of a father figure. Abbott has himself fallen off the wagon and begun losing his grasp of reality. Abbott uses Carrick's addiction and guilt to manipulate him into going along on a homicidal road trip to hunt down his ex-wife.

While the plot of the story is fictional, the themes involved are very much drawn from real life. The first draft of the script was the first thing that writer/director Christopher Atkinson wrote after almost losing his life to his own struggle with alcohol. The story is a nightmarish blend of real life and fiction. We will leave it up to the audience to decide where one ends and the other begins.

Teaser Trailer No. 2 Released For Indie Film “Lazarus”

A second teaser trailer has been released for Thomas Churchill’s indie zombie film “Lazarus”. The noir styled zombie flick stars Natalie Victoria, Brooke Lewis, Josh Hammond, Stephen Geoffreys, Ray Capauna, Brian Andrews, and Taylor Morgan Lewis. The trailer for the film was actually uploaded back in May to Youtube where it is described as being a sort of unofficial prequel to “Night Of The Living Dead” even standing as the original piece that it is. A very interesting little indie flick indead.  I have been following the film somewhat but apparently missed the second teaser. You know I had no idea you had to go in your Facebook settings under the pages you liked to insure you get all updates! Now I know! So this film should maintain high on my radar. Cool promo poster too and I love the noir style-black&white cinema hits a happy spot with me.

“Before the Apocalypse... set in Hollywood, CA in 1957 witness the birth of what could of started the Zombie Apocalypse. With scares/blood/ and cameos in the way that writer/producer/director Thomas J. Churchill knows how to satisfy his audience... it will make you scream for more. LAZARUS”-Youtube channel

1957 Hollywood CA. A telegram arrives at the office of George Lazarus, an Insurance Investigator to investigate a suspicious claim that was just put in by Deadly Sin Cigarette Company. Lazarus begins to schedule routine interviews with the twelve employees that are named on this claim. He learns that they all had just gotten fired for being sick at the job. …He never makes it back to the office. What seemed to be a normal Fraud Investigation case … may have turned out to be the beginning of the end for the human race. His fiancée Bethany begins to worry as she realizes that he hasn’t been back at the office since early that morning when she last saw him. Not the behavior from a man who lives by daily routine. She decides to follow his path in hopes to locate him. Nothing can prepare her for what she is about to witness in this creepy horrific tale.

Trailer Released For “The Impaler”

An official trailer, along with a promo poster, has been released for horror thriller “The Impaler”.  The film about the 15 century Romanian legendary warrior-hero turned supernatural mythos is directed by Derek Hockenbrough. “The Impaler” stars Diana Busuioc, Teo Celigo, Christina Collard, Marcienne Dwyer, Christian Gehring, Rocco Nugent, Mark Jacobson, and Mindy Robinson. The film is not so much a semi-historical inspired telling of Vlad as much as it is a modern horror film that traps young travelers in a truly devilish tourist trap of sorts. Check out the trailer for this  nightmare thriller below.

Seven high-school friends begin their Euro-trip at the actual castle of Vlad the Impaler where he supposedly sold his soul to the Devil over 500 years earlier, but the decrepit castle’s past envelopes them in a bloody ritual.

Horror Film “The Deal” Is Complete

“The Deal” has completed production. The supernatural horror film also comes from House Of Film and is directed by Wes Ciesla. This one is in English. Read the plotline

The story for “The Deal” follows Julia and  Alexander. A summer job with a chance to work with charismatic teacher  Mr. Zenidro. Something else awaits them in the mysterious school building. As the past and present blur together so do sanity and madness, and Mr. Zenidro draws them into a lesson not found in books.

Supernatural Thriller “Psychophony” Completes Production

The Spanish supernatural thriller “Psychophony” from director Xabier Berraondo has completed production. The film is a production of House Of Film and follows the risky experiment that Dr. Helena Jara undertook with a group of patients suffering from schizophrenia in order to prove that their hallucinations had a paranormal origin.

The mystery hidden in the youngest patient, Ainara, will change the course of events. Based on the finding of the original video and audio tapes of the experiment in March 2006, the film shot in 2011 shows the unexpected occurrence of some chilling EVPs. A must see for the lovers of the paranormal, the mysterious and the suspenseful.  Check out the trailer below.

Comic-Con 2013 Trailer Music Video Trailer For ‘Dracula’ Series

A music video trailer has been released to promote NBC’s ‘Dracula’ which premieres this fall. The show has a stellar cast and the promotional material so far eludes to a pretty cool concept for the legendary creature of the night. ‘Dracula’ will star Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Oliver Jackson-Cohen, Ben Miles, Jessica De Gouw and others in fresh spin to the gothic tale that features Rhys as Count Dracula. Check out the trailer below. The pilot episode debuts on October 25th.

It’s the late 19th century, and the mysterious Dracula has arrived in London, posing as an American entrepreneur who wants to bring modern science to Victorian society. He’s especially interested in the new technology of electricity, which promises to brighten the night – useful for someone who avoids the sun. But he has another reason for his travels: He hopes to take revenge on those who cursed him with immortality centuries earlier. Everything seems to be going according to plan… until he becomes infatuated with a woman who appears to be a reincarnation of his dead wife.

“Harold’s Going Stiff” Gets Release Date

The U.K. fictional documentary  zombie film “Harold’s Going Stiff”  has been issued a release date. Below the news update, about the 2011 produced movie, you can see an HD trailer. “Harold’s Going Stiff” is directed by Keith Wright  and stars Stan Rowe, Sarah Spencer, Andy Pandini, Lee Thompson, Richard Harrison, Phil Gascoyne. The movie has won several awards and on August 20th the film can be seen via many On-Demand platforms and DVD, as well as a limited theatrical run. A few of the select theatres to host the film are the The FilmBar in Phoenix, AZ; Viva Cinema in Houston, TX; Jumpcut Café in Los Angeles, CA; and several other locations nationwide.

Lonely pensioner, Harold Gimble, has become the first man to suffer from a new neurological disease that is slowly turning him into a zombie-like state. Harold’s hermit-like existence is shaken up when a vivacious nurse, Penny Rudge, is sent along to alleviate his stiffness. Her massage techniques work a treat on Harold and they become close friends.

Harold agrees to trial a possible cure for the disease at a private institute, and the initial results are excellent. But the following day he’s in an even worse state than before, and after Penny accidentally overhears the doctor’s dire prognosis for Harold she decides to sneak him away the next morning.

Word soon gets out, and before long a small group of bloodthirsty thugs are pursuing Harold and Penny across dramatic moorlands in the hope of a kill.

Crowd Funding Started For “Something In The Dark”

“Something In The Dark” is something of a new paranormal spin on horror. The film will entice audiences to experience an almost soundless, chilling experience. devoid of dialog, “Something In The Dark” will express the sinister swells of emotional  reciprocity through visual stimuli and chilling soundtrack. The project comes from Writer/Director Steven Aguilera and will feature Sophie Turner as a POV host of sorts for the audience to travel through this supernatural horror story.

“Something In The Dark” is about a pair of mysterious goggles which allow a blind woman to see ghosts. But since they let her see real people as well, she is unable to distinguish between the living and the dead. She soon discovers a Grim Reaper-type character stalking her, along with a demented soul that looks just like herself. She deduces that her own death is imminent and must discover how this will come to be, and how to stop it. Right now there is a crowd funding campaign going on over at Indiegogo to help see this film manifest. Head over and check it out for all the cool rewards that comes from funding partnership. Also check out the project’s Facebook page to keep up-to-date with the film’s progress.

My Review Of “Grabbers” 2012

“Grabbers” is a modern creature-feature, horror-comedy from the Emerald shores of Ireland. The film is directed by Jon Wright, who directed the 2009 dark horror, social satire “Torment”, which dealt with class warfare and social injustice within society through the microcosm of the politics of life among the student body. That film was a serious address to the principles of an action-consequence scenario set in a traditional-styled horror. “Grabbers” is a lighter, more fun-loving satire about Irish stereotypes, inebriation, and a celebration of community and culture facing an identity in transition,set in total b-movie sci-fi, horrror-comedy fanfare. The movie stars Richard Coyle, Ruth Bradley, Russell Tovey and Lalor Roddy.

In “Grabbers” a small  hamlet on an Island just of the coast of Ireland's mainland, finds themselves in the middle of an alien invasion. These are not the little green meanies bent on planetary domination. In this story the aliens are huge ravenous Kraken-esque creatures that find our world just one big smorgasbord . It is up to the villagers to fight off these creatures and save the planet, but in order to do so they have to approach the situation through beer goggles. Once they learn that the only way they can stay alive, and not seem tasty, is to get really really drunk! The creatures love blood, need it to thrive and procreate. Alcohol is like poison to them, so it becomes a salvation to the community. Nothing but fun can come from this! It is a truly entertaining set-up, and a total Irish embrace of preconceived notions of the Irish people by the rest of the world. The film is pretty much a statement that says they are owning it!

For me personally, “Grabbers” is one of those rare films that celebrates everything about classic b-movie creature-features in a modern way without looking like it is making a big effort to do so. It gets it right! The film flows smoothly and effortlessly, which makes it an easy, fun viewing experience. There is no real odd moments were the acting seems coerced, or the lines fall flat. You don’t even have to be Irish, or from the UK, to get the humor to relate to the film. “Grabbers” maintains a level of story and dialog that is truly universal. Not since “Killer Klowns From Outer Space” and “Tremors” have I enjoyed a film like this so much. The creatures dominated every scene they were in, with care and quality taken to how best to represent the monsters on screen. They didn’t look cartoonish or ridiculous. The actors were funny and likable. The funny was actually funny. I have to say that “Grabbers” is a really great film, and one of the best horror-comedies that I have seen in a great while.

First Official Poster For “Voices From The Grave” Has Arrived

Directors Richard Stoudt And Laurence C. Holloway have released the first poster for their Indie horror anthology “Voices From The Grave”. Back in January I had the privilege of interviewing the two directors about the project which features an original story by horror legend Gary Brandner (The Howling). You can read that interview here! Also to see the trailer for “Voices From The Grave” go here!

“Voices From The Grave” stars David Nelson, Michael Hanelin, Chris Labadie, Scarlett O'Neil, Maryam Cne, Michelle Green, Bobby Shook, James Leatherman, Sean Ryan McBride, Brandon Thomas, Sarah Masters and  Corey Henderson. The film is a three part Supernatural story. Deadly spirits, deadly spirits, back from the grave with vengeance in mind give fuel to these tales of supernatural horror.

"Invitation" based on a short story by Gary Brandner, tells the creepy tale of Len Krager, a life loser who attends a party he'll never forget! "All Hallows' Eve" is an exercise in suspense and atmosphere set on an eventful Halloween night. Robert Mundy is bitter since the accidental death of his brother on Halloween night. This Halloween night will be different as a vengeful ghost will seek retribution. Ghostly road hazards endanger a young used car owner in the turbo-charged yarn "Re-Possessed", a spine tingling 'vehicle' for absolute fright. Jeff purchases a killer car for a killer deal......not knowing the car wants his body and soul!

Simian Flu: OPHA Public Service Announcement

“Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes” is the affirmation that one of the coolest and most loved sci-fi mythos is firmly rebooted. This is the sequel to “Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes” and hopefully (and personally I feel) it will lead to that iconic moment at the end of “Planet Of The Apes” where Mark Wahlberg  came back to an Earth where every thing seemed the same but with Apes as the ruling species.  But back to the latest “Dawn…” news.

A new viral campaign has kicked off on preventing and protecting from Simian flu. A virus that has a very low success rate when it comes to recovery- only 1 in 10 survive infection. As we all know Apes are immune. Below is some more information on Simian Flu.

Since 2011, the Simian Flu has affected 8.7 million people worldwide. Protect yourself, protect humanity. Learn more at SimianFlu.com.


 
Also a first look image has been released for the film. “Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes” continues Cesar’s journey as protector of the Simian race. The film doesn’t come out until next year but we can look forward to a lot of visual goodies to come out between now and then. “Dawn..” will star Andy Serkis, Jason Clarke, Gary Oldman, Keri Russell, Toby Kebbell, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Enrique Murciano, Kirk Acevedo, Karin Konoval, Judy Greer. It is directed by Matt Reeves. Check out the first look at the Apes below…


 
A growing nation of genetically evolved apes led by Caesar is threatened by a band of human survivors of the devastating virus unleashed a decade earlier. They reach a fragile peace, but it proves short-lived, as both sides are brought to the brink of a war that will determine who will emerge as Earth's dominant species.