“City Of Lust” DVD Release Details

David A. Holcombe’ “City Of Lust” is a modern giallo film that stars Margaret Grace, Jill Oliver, Derek Ryan, Shelley Nixon, and Kyle Greer. The film is set to release on DVD July 1st, 2014. "City Of Lust" will also have a VOD release on all major and minor platforms.

A modern Giallo horror film, CITY OF LUST tells the story of a lonely young woman who begins an unlikely relationship with dire consequences.

Arianna is a young woman who moves to the city to escape a traumatic family life in the suburbs. She works as a cosmetologist and is showing early signs of formaldehyde poisoning. New to the city and lonely, she reaches out to a female sex line operator. They agree to meet and soon begin a volatile relationship. An altercation at work results in Arianna losing her job. Then, people in her life begin to turn up dead. With Arianna's health, career, and new relationship all disintegrating before her eyes, how much longer can she, and those around her, survive?

Special Features:
-Theatrical and Teaser Trailers
-Fundraising Videos
-Deleted and Extended Scenes
-Behind-the-Scenes, Bloopers, and Bonus Footage
-Rehearsal clips and more

First Trailer For Norwegian Fantasy “Ragnarok”

The first trailer has been released for the Norwegian action-fantasy “Ragnarok”. The film is directed by Mikkel Brænne Sandemose and focuses on the Viking apocalypse myth of future events, including a great battle foretold to ultimately result in the death of a number of major figures (including the gods Odin, Thor, Týr, Freyr, Heimdallr, and Loki), the occurrence of various natural disasters, and the subsequent submersion of the world in water. Afterward, the world will resurface anew and fertile, the surviving and returning gods will meet, and the world will be repopulated by two human survivors. Ragnarök is an important event in the Norse canon, and has been the subject of scholarly discourse and theory. “Ragnarok” stars Pål Sverre Hagen, Nicolai Cleve Broch, Bjørn Sundquist, and Sofia Helin.

Archeologist Sigurd Svendsen (Pål Sverre Hagen) has for years been obsessed with the Oseberg Viking ship. The only inscription found on the ship is the enigmatic “man knows little” written in runes. Sigurd is sure that the Oseberg ship contains the answer to the mystery of Ragnarok, the end of days in Norse mythology.When his friend Allan finds similar runes on a stone from the north of Norway, Sigurd becomes convinced that the runes are in fact a treasure map. Together they mount an expedition group, and their adventure leads to the “No Man’s Land” between Norway and Russia, which has been deserted for decades. Here Sigurd learns the true meaning of the runes – a secret more terrifying than he could possibly imagine.

Release Date Set For “Oculus” Blu-ray/DVD

A release date has been announced for the Blu-ray and DVD of Mike Flanagan’s “Oculus” . The film stars Karen Gillan, Brenton Thwaites, Katee Sackhoff, Rory Cochrane and will hit shelves on August 5th, 2014. “Oculus” will have a Digital release on July 29th, 2014.

Seeing is deceiving in this disturbingly original horror flick that reflects heart-stopping terror as you’ve never imagined!

It’s been ten years since the lives of siblings Tim (Brenton Thwaites; Maleficent) and Kaylie Russell (Karen Gillan; “Doctor Who”) were shattered and Tim was convicted of murdering their parents. Now released from a mental institution, Tim wants to move on, but his sister has other plans. Kaylie blames their childhood nightmare on the Lasser Glass—an antique mirror with a grisly history—which she intends to destroy by any means possible, even as the mysterious entity continues to cast sinister spells on anyone who gazes into it.

Special Features:

• Deleted Scenes with Optional Commentary by Mike Flanagan and Trevor Macy
• Inside The Mirror: Creating Oculus
• Original Oculus 33-Minute Short Film with Optional Commentary by Mike Flanagan and Trevor Macy
• Commentary by Mike Flanagan and Trevor Macy
• Theatrical Trailer

My Review Of “Killervision”

Dale Trott’s “Killervision” follows the tragedy and disturbing recovery of a young man’s life after a car accident changes everything. Leaving him brainwashed, Jared’s injuries leave him somewhat disabled and deeply affected by survivor’s guilt. The outcome of this very modern nightmare has a brutal and fatal resolution for Jared and everyone connected to him. “Killervision” stars Damien E. Lipp, Susie Kazda, Katrina Gow, Joshua Dean Williams, Dean Kirkright, Peter Flaherty, Aston Elliot and James Mason.

“Killervison” is a strong, creative story that pulls you into the casual, yet effective, drama. The characters are well developed and relatable. The story arch flows smoothly with very little flaw. Trott creates a dark, mature situation that is both emotional and chilling. I found the dialog to be strong, often the intensity of the scenes are histrionic and captivating. The actors do a good job of bringing believable characters to the screen with a natural tactility.

The special effects used in “Killervision” stay with a limited practical concept. A lot of the brutality is off camera, giving quick flashes of the killing sequence. Most of the deaths are tastefully done without gore, some kill sequences give the blood and gore, but for the most part “Killervision” takes a stripped down, minimalist approach to the horror elements. The cool aspects of effect comes from the visual gimmicks used. The cinematography and vision is surreal, with a blend of experimental art-house style. There is a haunting, destitution that lingers in the atmospheric effect in “Killervision” that is brought to life with chilling instrumental effects. Classic sounds, and music carry an ominous tone that is hypnotic.

Overall “Killervision” manages to create a plausible, twisted story that embraces the classic elements of horror while maintaining an original, modern concept. The film is entertaining and heartfelt, thanks to committed actors who make these characters believable. Trott’s story is a strong, thought out nightmare that is disturbing and entertaining. There is some moments that fall a little flat and don’t create the thrilling effect that the scene shoots for, but the momentum that builds steadily through “Killervision” is constant. I found this film entertaining, smart, and mature. The story is original, creative and comes with a twist that you only recognize as a possibility during the last act. “Killervision” is a cool, indie thriller worth watching.

Uwe Boll's “Rampage : Capital Punishment” On DVD This August!

Phase 4 Films has announced the release of Rampage: Capital Punishment on DVD/VOD. The sequel to Uwe Boll’s best-reviewed film Rampage launches August 19 in the U.S. and October 21 in Canada. Brendan Fletcher (Rampage, The Pacific, Freddy vs. Jason), Lochlyn Munro (Assault on Wall Street, White Chicks) and Mike Dopud (Smallville, SGU Stargate Universe) star.

Violent anti-hero Bill Williamson has a plan to change the world by exacting vengeance on the rich and ripping Washington apart. He holds a number of people hostage and uses his captives as his political platform to spread his message and awaken humanity. It's time to destroy the system and change won't happen peacefully.

Carl Lindberg Talks About The Bunnyman And Horror

“Bunnyman Massacre” is the sequel to the modern cult film “The Bunnyman”. The film will be released on DVD/VOD August 2014. “Bunnyman Massacre” brings to life a homicidal duo of killers stalking a rural community. You can read my review of the film at the following link : My Review Of “Bunnyman Massacre”.  Read the exclusive interview with Director Carl Lindberg about the Bunnyman and his love of horror below.

How much did you know about the ‘true story’ of Bunnyman before rolling film?
Honestly, I still don't know the true story. I heard about the urban legend after the making of part 1. I've chosen not to read up on it, so as not to influence myself in any way with the urban legend.

Where did you find your ‘Bunnyman’? Open audition?
One of the crew members brought on was the right size, and since he could double as Bunnyman and had a actor background, he was a logical choice since we had to keep the cast and crew size to a minima number.
Where was the film shot?

We shot in riverside county, about a hour away from LA and about 20 minutes from my house. I find riverside county much more filmmaker friendly then the larger cities in LA, and the local could double for a rural Midwest setting.

Have you always been a fan of horror?
Yes, absolutely. I grew up on the horror films of the 80s.... A nightmare on elm street, friday the 13th, Texas chainsaw massacre, phantasm, return of thr living dead etc.

What filmmakers do you think have had the most influence on your career?
Robert Rodriguez in terms of shooting on low budgets, and Ridley Scott in terms of waning to create worlds to film in.

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre was also based on real events – and it spawned a whole heap o’sequels. Do you think Bunnyman Massacre will go the same way?
Well were shooting Bunnyman 3 right now, so there is a demand for the films :) I do think though that this will be the last Bunnyman film for me, as j want to explore other stories in the horror genre .

Pagan Festival Shout Out: Litha/Midsummer

Litha has often been a source of contention among modern Pagan and Wiccan groups, because there's always been a question about whether or not Midsummer was truly celebrated by the ancients. Litha is a time at which there is a battle between light and dark. The Oak King is seen as the ruler of the year between winter solstice and summer solstice, and the Holly King from summer to winter. At each solstice they battle for power, and while the Oak King may be in charge of things at the beginning of June, by the end of Midsummer he is defeated by the Holly King.

This is a time of year of brightness and warmth. Crops are growing in their fields with the heat of the sun, but may require water to keep them alive. The power of the sun at Midsummer is at its most potent, and the earth is fertile with the bounty of growing life. Litha is a great time to celebrate outdoors if you have children. Take them swimming or just turn on the sprinkler to run through, and then have a bonfire or barbeque at the end of the day. Let them stay up late to say goodnight to the sun, and celebrate nightfall with sparklers, storytelling, and music. This is also an ideal Sabbat to do some love magic or celebrate a handfasting, since June is the month of marriages and family.

For contemporary Pagans, this is a day of inner power and brightness. Find yourself a quiet spot and meditate on the darkness and the light both in the world and in your personal life. Celebrate the turning of the Wheel of the Year with fire and water, night and day, and other symbols of the opposition of light and dark. Litha is a time to find a balance between fire and water. Midsummer is celebrated with hilltop bonfires and that it was a time to honor the space between earth and the heavens.


The Romans, who had a festival for anything and everything, celebrated this time as sacred to Juno, the wife of Jupiter and goddess of women and childbirth. She is also called Juno Lunaand blesses women with the privilege of menstruation. The month of June was named for her, and because Juno was the patroness of marriage, her month remains an ever-popular time for weddings. This time of year was also sacred to Vesta, goddess of the hearth. The matrons of Rome entered her temple on Midsummer and made offerings of salted meal for eight days, in hopes that she would confer her blessings upon their homes.

When they arrived in the British Isles, the Saxon invaders brought with them the tradition of calling the month of June Aerra Litha. They marked Midsummer with huge bonfires that celebrated the power of the sun over darkness. For people in Scandinavian countries and in the farther reaches of the Northern hemisphere, Midsummer was very important. The nearly endless hours of light in June are a happy contrast to the constant darkness found six months later in the middle of winter.


Litha is a time of celebrating the sun, and spending as much time as you can outdoors. Try to set up your Midsummer altar outside if at all possible. If you can't, that's okay -- but try to find a spot near a window where the sun will shine in and brighten your altar setup with its rays.Set Up Your Litha Altar. Litha falls in the middle of summer, right before things start to get unbearably hot in most parts of the world, so it’s a perfect time to celebrate by having friends and family over for a cookout. Why not take advantage of this get-together and turn it into a fun celebration of the summer solstice? After all, if summer is about having fun with the people you love, a Litha backyard barbecue is the perfect way to mark the season! Hold a Backyard Barbecue Ritual.

Midsummer is the time of the summer solstice, the Litha sabbat, and it’s the longest day of the year. Falling around June 21 in the northern hemisphere, and around December 21 below the equator, this is a time to celebrate the warmth and power of the sun. It’s a great time of year to get outside, enjoy the extra hours of daylight, and celebrate the season with family and friends. You can do this ritual as a group or adapt it to perform as a solitary practitioner. Hold a Sun Ritual for Midsummer. Although this particular Midsummer ritual isn't ancient, it is inspired by the traditions and legends of the Celts of the British Isles. Take advantage of the long hours of daylight to celebrate Litha, or Alban Heruin, and honor the solstice outdoors under the skies. If you're interested in Celtic lore, or wish to honor the Triple Goddess, this might be the perfect ritual for you. Midsummer Night's Fire Ritual.

Pagan Festival Shout Out: Summanus

In ancient Roman religion, Summanus (Latin: Summānus) was the god of nocturnal thunder, as counterposed to Jupiter, the god of diurnal (daylight) thunder. His precise nature was unclear. Every June 20, the day before the summer solstice, round cakes called summanalia, made of flour, milk and honey and shaped as wheels, were offered to him as a token of propitiation: the wheel might be a solar symbol. Summanus also received a sacrifice of two black oxen or wethers. Dark victims were typically offered to chthonic deities.

Summanus’ domain and element is air, his symbols are the solar wheel, lightning bolt. Varro (De Ling. Lat. v. 74) describes the god as of Sabine origin; but the ancients themselves on this as on many other points connected with their earliest religion, were in great uncertainty both in regard to the nature and the origin of Summanus ; and some connecting the name with sub and manes regarded him as a deity of the lower world, an opinion which is totally at variance with the attributes given him by most writers, and there is ample reason for regarding him as the Jupiter of night.

According to Martianus Capella, Summanus is another name for Pluto as the "highest" (summus) of the Manes. This identification is taken up by later writers such as Camões ("If in Summanus' gloomy realm / Severest punishment you now endure …") and Milton, in a simile to describe Satan visiting Rome: "Just so Summanus, wrapped in a smoking whirlwind of blue flame, falls upon people and cities".

Watch The Villains Promo For Fox’s ‘Gotham’

Check out the new villains promo for Fox’s new Batman origin series ‘Gotham’. The show premieres this Fall, Mondays at 8/7c. The series will deliver all the good and bad, of the concrete jungle known as Gotham, as Bruce Wayne and all the adversaries we have loved to hate are explored.

Based upon characters published by DC Entertainment and produced by Warner Bros. Television, GOTHAM reveals an entirely new chapter that has never been told. Starring Ben McKenzie ("Southland," "The O.C."), Donal Logue ("Sons of Anarchy," "Terriers," "Vikings," "Copper") and Jada Pinkett Smith ("The Matrix" films, "HawthoRNe"), GOTHAM follows one cop's rise through a dangerously corrupt city teetering on the edge of evil and chronicles the birth of one of the most popular super heroes of our time.

Official Trailer For “Expressway To Your Skull”

Check out the official trailer for “Expressway To Your Skull”. The film is directed by Michael Okum and stars Paul S. Tracey, Lindsay Atwood, Mark Aaron, Katie Royer, Clint Riffo. “Expressway To Your Skull” is a blend of psychedelia, survival horror and occult thriller.

"Expressway To Your Skull" tells the story of Ed and Amy, a thrill seeking couple whose impulsive trip to the woods leads them to cross paths with a psychotic survivalist named Charlie who lives in a twisted world all his own.












Expressway To Your Skull Official Trailer 2014 from Michael Okum on Vimeo.

Trailer Released For Horror/Comedy “Crazy Bitches”

The official trailer has been released for Jane Clark’s horror/comedy “Crazy Bitches”. The film, about a girls weekend at a remote ranch that turns to terror as a killer takes them out one by one for their vanity, will premiere at this year’s Frameline Film Festival in San Francisco on June 26. “Crazy Bitches” stars Samantha Colburn, Naya Wallace, Andy Gala, Guinevere Turner, Cathy DeBuono, Liz McGeever, Mary Wells, Blake Berris, John W. McLaughlin, Eddie Daniels, Trey McCurley, David Fumero, and Riley Berris.

“Crazy Bitches” follows a group of ex Alpha Kappa Pi Sorority girls plan a getaway birthday weekend for their friend, Alice. Escaping to a remote ranch the girls settle in for several days of gossip, girltime and grub.
The bunch start off where they always do, old rivalries in place, extreme vanity covering great insecurities, but a true love for each other underneath the bickering, sniping and sassing.

A number of drinks into the first evening and a dark secret is revealed. The house they rented is the sight of a mass murder of teenage girls on a sleepover 15 years earlier. Blood still stains the floors under replacement carpets. The killer still runs free.

The girls take it for what it seems - a fun story for a rainy night in front of a roaring fire. But after one of them disappears and is discovered , dead - the story doesn't seem so fun anymore. One by one, they die, killed by their own particular vanity. The fun-filled week will turn into a race against death. Who will make it out alive?


Crazy Bitches Trailer from Jane Clark on Vimeo.

SRS Cinema Acquires “Massage Parlor of Death” For Worldwide Distribution

SRS Cinema LLC, a leading distributor of underground movies, is pleased to announce the acquisition of Richard Mogg's "Massage Parlor of Death" for worldwide distribution.

“Ruby, an unlicensed massage therapist, has a nasty habit of killing her clients in the most horrific ways. Using the blood of her victims, Ruby attempts to resurrect the deranged spirit of her long-dead lover. But will her newly-hired hooker “employee” throw a wrench (or more) into the mix? You’ll have to find out in “MASSAGE PARLOR OF DEATH”… where there are NO HAPPY ENDINGS!”

Director Mogg took an interesting approach to the movie... The film was shot in 2 days with an anemic budget on full HD video. The print was cropped to 4×3, then run through a VCR twice to now be presented in authentic 2nd generation analog. “We’ve worked hard to include all the great SOV attributes too” reports Richard, “such as overflowing gore, cheesy dialog, incredible zooms, repeated use of the same single takes, dollar store props, and a great ending to leave you wanting more.”

The DVD will be packed for this movie, including both the analog "look" version and the original HD cut. It will also include the trailer, a making of featurette, commentary track from the director and star, stills and possibly more. "MPOD" will be released in both a limited VHS edition and a DVD edition, and will also be offered up to various VOD and foreign platforms. Look for a release in early 2015.

                        

Filmmaker Hugh Gallagher Added to VHS Fest 2 Line Up!

Filmmaker Hugh Gallagher has been added to VHS Fest 2 Line Up, which is now part of the huge “Scare-A-Con” convention this Sept 12-14th in Verona, NY. SRS Cinema is proud to announce that cult gore filmmaker and owner of the popular “Draculina” magazine Hugh Gallagher has been added to the guest list for this year’s VHS Fest event!




Hugh is certainly well enough known for "Draculina" magazine, a long running erotic horror publication. Hugh's publishing empire has also produced many other popular magazines. But for those who look beyond the magazines, Hugh is as well known, if not more so, for his popular trilogy of extreme horror movies. Known as the "Gore Trilogy", Hugh made 3 shot on video movies in the 90's, "Gorgasm", "Gorotica" and "Gore Whore". Never released on DVD and highly sought - commanding prices in the hundred's of dollars - on VHS, these are among the most extreme movies ever made during the SOV boom of the 90's.


Hugh will be appear all 3 days, speaking on panels, selling various Draculina merchandise, and we will be screening one of his gore movies in the VHS Fest screening room... likely "Gorotica". Stay tuned for a full program schedule once we get closer to the event. He joins already announced VHS Fest guests and underground filmmakers Todd Sheets and Mark Polonia. More guests are to be announced.

Sub Rosa Studios "Kitty Killers" VHS Artwork Contest

Sub Rosa Studios is holding another "Design the Artwork" contest for their upcoming SRS Weekend release of Todd Reynold's "Kitty Killers" (late July, exact date TBA). We had held one previously for "Living a Zombie Dream" in which SRS superfan Joe Pesch won, earning him a free copy of the release and seeing his work featured on all copies. But for this contest, we are doing something different, and each entry has a chance to make the artist some money! Read on...

1) The winner will receive a free copy of the release featuring his art work.
2) The winner's art will be featured on the 11x17 poster.
3) All entrants will have the option of getting their art, whether they won or not, printed on their VHS if they decide to order this release.
4) Our top 5 art entries will be available for order for ALL CUSTOMERS, and each time it is ordered the artist will receive $2 from SRS (this includes any copies you buy for yourself). The movie will go up for sale on a Friday morning. There will be an unlimited # of copies available for the SRS Weekend, so whatever sells, sells, and the title will be cut off for the sales the following Monday morning.
5) All entries are due by end of day July 14th, 2014 to be considered for the contest.

All entries should be sized at 4 3/4" wide x 7 1/2" high, submitted as a 300 dpi .jpg. Please keep 1/4" around the borders for anything important as it could get cut off. PLEASE also keep in mind the Sub Rosa logo will cover the bottom right corner of your art. You can choose to include the title of the movie in your art or leave a spot for us to add the title when we lay out the cover. If you include the title, make sure it will not be cut off the by the SRS logo in bottom right corner.

Here are some stills from the film to help create design for “Kitty Killers”. All entries should be emailed through the SRS Facebook page.

Story Details Revealed For 20th Century’s “Victor Frankenstein”

20th Century Fox has released the details surrounding their adaptation of classic horror story “Frankenstein”. The film now titled “Victor Frankenstein” starring Daniel Radcliffe and James McAvoy will take a unique approach to telling the story made famous in Mary Shelley’s 19th century Gothic novel.

Told from Igor’s perspective, we see the troubled young assistant’s dark origins, his redemptive friendship with the young medical student Victor Von Frankenstein, and become eyewitnesses to the emergence of how Frankenstein became the man—and the legend—we know today.

Trailer Released For Creature Feature “Animal”

A while back Brett Simmons revealed the poster for his upcoming creature feature “Animal”. The poster conjured images of another creature horror film, “Feast”. Now, with the release of the first official trailer, we see the extend of Simmons’ vision for his own feature. “Animal” is a very different beast, but the intensity and terror seems just as formidable.  I am amped for this Chiller Films flick.

“Animal” stars Keke Palmer, Amaury Nolasco, Parker Young, Joey Lauren Adams, Elizabeth Gillies, Paul Iacono, Thorsten Kaye, and Jeremy Sumpter. The film was released on June 17th through VOD and a limited theatrical showing.

When plans for a weekend vacation hit a dead end, a group of close-knit friends find themselves stranded in unfamiliar territory, pursued by a menacing, blood thirsty predator. Holed up in an isolated cabin, tensions mount as long-buried secrets are revealed. As the body count rises, the group must put their differences aside and fight for survival.

My Review Of “The House”

Desiree Lim’s psychological thriller “The House” is a modern character study that follows an ex-Wall Street investment banker, in a life-changing transitional period, who decides to seclude herself in a friend’s family mansion over the holidays. The film stars Natalie Skye, Zak Santiago, Alex Zahara, Emilie Ullerup, Zahf Paroo, David Richmond-Peck, Olivia Chung, Kyle Cassie, and Patricia Mayen-Salazar.

The story told in “The House” is more melodrama than suspense. The film is very cerebral, dialog heavy and filled with philosophically controlled whimsy. By that I mean the subject matter and story arch form a surreal, and somber stream of experiences acting out as flashes of moments instead of complete, relatable quandaries. I found myself pushing back a lot of question mark reactions to while watching the character interactions against the plot’s principle set-up. Plausibility and natural flow of the story’s intent seems shaky .

Now the acting and actual writing for “The House” is really smart, intellectual material that bares a strong resemblance to Shakespearean comedies. The film is filled with emotion and strong character development that draws you into the story, but I keep waiting for the elements that qualified this film as thriller. The needed components to create thrills or suspense are non-existent in this film. “The House” is more of a social commentary, art film.  Heavy dialog and strong emotional interactions between the player create a quality film-for fans of drama films, philosophical cinema and explorations of human melancholia.

The special effects and soundtrack are simple, tasteful elements that are more secondary than instrumental in selling a scene.   Most of the effects used are basic tricks that could be considered conservative. At no point in the film does special effects really stand out as major aspects of “The House”. This film is more atmospherically driven, so the instrumental soundtrack and few songs used in the film work well to create the mournful, longing effect that pulls you in emotionally to the story. The biggest effect that stands out in this film is the house itself. It is a wonderful, piece of architecture that expresses an artistic, high concept design. It is both beautiful and cold simultaneously which acts as a companion to the characters in “The House”.

Overall “The House” is an emotional, character driven drama that has some strong moments. Mostly in the acting and cinematography. This is in no a thriller, though it has some scenes that pick up with action. However the action is a bit too soft for my taste. This is an intelligent story of personal conflict, transition and discovery that makes a heartfelt connection but it there is no horror, the paranormal is more Shakespeare than Stephen Twardokus. “The House” isn’t a film that I really enjoyed but I do respect the strong, philosophical concept.

Scream Factory To Release Classic Horror “Squirm” On Blu-ray

Scream Factory announced today, on their Facebook page, the release of 1976 classic horror “Squirm”. This will be the first time the film will see blu-ray issue release in U.S. and Canada. Scream Factory has proven over the years their quality taste of vintage, classic and modern horror with a stellar array of film blu-ray issues.  Read the full announcement below and check out the awesome poster art.

***SURPRISE TITLE ANNOUNCEMENT***
The worms crawl in and out this October when we release the 1976 nature-gone-berserk classic SQUIRM to Blu-ray for the first time in U.S. and Canada!

No details on extras yet but this will be in our “Collector’s Edition” series and new artwork will be revealed soon. Expect exact street date and pre-order links to go up sometime next month.

DVD/Blu-ray Release Date Set For “The Dead 2”

Press Release:
Two years ago filmmakers Howard J. Ford and Jon Ford took international audiences on an unforgettable journey through a zombie-infected African veldt with the critically acclaimed and audience favorite The Dead.

Setting a new standard for the zombie film, the Ford Brothers have now raised the survival stakes to new dramatic heights with the September 16th Blu-ray and DVD release of The Dead 2.

As demonstrated with screenings at numerous international film festivals, audiences around the world have once again thrilled to the Ford Brothers’ unique vision of the zombie apocalypse, taking it to yet another epic level. And just as with the first film, reviewers are bestowing glowing praise on the filmmakers’ ability to transform an exotic environment into a vital character within the character-driven narrative. The first international zombie film production to be shot in India, The Dead 2 utilizes the spectacular vistas of Rajasthan, Delhi, and Mumbai to create yet another unforgettable journey into the heart of darkness baked in sunlight. SRP for the Blu-ray is $29.99 and $24.98 for the DVD.

A ship docks fresh from Somalia, which contains one infected worker that passes unnoticed into the very heart of India’s overpopulated bustling streets, setting off an unstoppable chain of events. Meanwhile, American turbine engineer Nicholas Burton (Joseph Millson, Casino Royale) is working in the stark yet tranquil Indian countryside when he receives a call from his love, Ishani (Meenu), a local girl who lives on the outskirts of the slums of Mumbai and who has hidden their relationship from her tradition-minded father. She reveals she is now pregnant and scared for her life as chaos and terror have taken ahold of the cities as the dead return to life and attack the living. Nicholas has to battle his way across their 300-mile landscape filled with flesh-eating – and infectious – undead. With the help of young street kid Javed (Anand Goyal), he has to rely on his wits and sheer brute force to try and save them all, as the clock ticks off the minutes before the last flight out of a living hell…
Bonus features on The Dead 2 Blu-ray and DVD include “The Making of The Dead 2″ and deleted scenes.

Unfolding across an epic vista of breathtaking scope, thrilling action, death-defying stunts, and spine-chilling fright, yet always keeping the emotional resonance in focus, The Ford Brothers’ The Dead 2 once again melds the terror of the end of the world with the inspiration of the human drive to survive.

Neo-Giallo Thriller “City Of Lust” Coming To DVD & VOD July 1st

On July 1st, Brain Damage Films will release the indie horror-thriller City of Lust (previously titled "Yellow"), an imaginative and intense film styled in homage to Giallo horror films from the 1970's but set in the present. DVD availability is set to include many retailers and websites including Amazon, as well as rental chains including Family Video. VOD availability will include all major and minor cable/satellite operators and internet platforms.

City of Lust is a modern day Giallo film produced by Soft Cage Films, a not-for-profit art organization based out of Chicago. World traveler and Writer/Director David A. Holcombe draws heavily from his serious involvement in both the Chicago film community as well as experimental theater.

The film uses many unconventional techniques and offers a claustrophobic atmosphere, sharp compositions, and radiant colors. City of Lust has been described by critics as being "smart, risk taking and edgy".

Arianna is a young woman who moves to the city to escape a traumatic family life in the suburbs. She works as a cosmetologist and is showing early signs of formaldehyde poisoning. New to the city and lonely, she reaches out to a female sex line operator. They agree to meet and soon begin a volatile relationship. An altercation at work results in Arianna losing her job. Then, people in her life begin to turn up dead. With Arianna's health, career, and new relationship all disintegrating before her eyes, how much longer can she, and those around her, survive?

Creepy, Claustrophobic and Chilling: “Drifter” is Coming For You!

Director Joe Sherlock's creepy indie horror flick, DRIFTER, is newly available as a limited edition unrated director's cut DVD, following a successful World Premiere as the "Friday Night Midnight Movie" at Crypticon Seattle 2014, and leading up to a Portland, Oregon premiere near the end of August.

In DRIFTER, a mysterious drifter hides out in a vacant house much to the realtor's chagrin. The Drifter is losing his mind with bloody consequences for handymen, painters and others who show up at the house, but why?
Sherlock describes the movie as, "A fun b-horror ride filled with blood, guts and hot chicks!"

Sherlock wrote, directed, shot and edited the feature, which features an 80s synth core by Steve (Shriek of the Sasquatch, Zombie Pirates) Sessions that calls to mind PHANTASM and THE FOG.

The movie stars Bob Olin as the Drifter, alongside Richard Johnson, Stephanie Lunceford, Bryn Kristi and a number of featured players from NBC's GRIMM including Sonya Davis, Rollyn Stafford and Shawna Dedek. Special effects make-up work is done by Rob Merickel.

DRIFTER holds its Portland, Oregon premiere on August 23 at the Clinton Street Theater: http://cstpdx.com/show/drifter-portland-premiere

Smash or Trash Indie Filmmaking calls DRIFTER, "a movie that combines elements from home invasion, Steven King’s horror novels, and a dollop of Don Coscarelli‘s PHANTASM. Joe Sherlock is treading a balance of humor, mystery and scares and does a job of it with this production…it never feels like a low budget production. Sherlock makes the most of his cast and his production values. The lighting and camera work is top notch…Creepy, claustrophobic and chilling."

Boobs, Blood And Back Story: Michael Hall’s Vision For “Kids Get Dead 2: The Kids Get Deader”

“Kids Get Dead 2: The Kids Get Deader” is getting close to the premiere of this high energy, rock ‘n’ roll , slasher sequel. The premiere is set for 10:30, June 21st at 304 Bowery, New York, NY. “Kids Get Dead 2” is a return to the classic midnight movie slasher genre featuring horror hostess Peaches McNeil. You can check out my review of the film here. Below is Michael Hall’s Director statement discussing his vision of boobs, blood and the focus on back story for “Kids Get Dead 2: The Kids Get Deader”.



Where did the idea for this film come from? Why a sequel?

The 80’s had a great tradition of slasher film sequels and it seemed like a natural progression to extend Kids Get Dead. USA's Up All Night with Rhonda Shear was a very influential show for me growing up. It really was my introduction to horror and exploitation films. This, along with Tales From The Crypt and The Twilight Zone, really inspired me to include hostess segments in my films. All those cheesy puns and whacky characters still make me smile to this day. In addition to being a little love note paying homage to hosts of the past, I think it adds a great dynamic to a horror film genre often forgotten.


Tell us a bit about the script writing process?

In addition to the boobs, blood and rock ‘n’ roll I wanted to delve a bit further into the back story, the how and why these novels are able to predict the kids getting murdered. The specific motivation of the killer doesn’t really interest me. I don’t need to know how he tortured animals, wet the bed or had an abusive step father. That’s boring! To me the killer represents pure evil and those explanations only take away from his mystique. In Kids Get Dead 2: The Kids Get Dead Deader the real bad guy is the author, Charles Carver. Everyone in the movie is a character in his book and he has written himself into it in order to interact with his lead character. The idea of creator and creation sitting down for a one-on-one fascinates me. Breakfast of Champions by Kurt Vonnegut Jr., one of my favorite books, deals with similar themes. The “creator” writes a letter to the one free-willed human explaining to him his existence. It adds a great thought provoking subplot to round out all of the comedy, sex and violence.



I have been working and writing with Robert J. Huntley for nearly 12 years. When I have an idea we sit and brainstorm for awhile, tossing around things that make us laugh therefor setting up the basic story structure. From there I like to write out a full step sheet scene-for-scene and plan out the whole story. This is where I inevitably get stuck. Rob likes to say that I write Mad Libs and he fills in the blanks. As the script revisions go back and forth while we iron out the details we tend to latch on to specific characters. I think our conversational style then seeps into those character interactions. Much of the dialogue really becomes he and I playing off each other so it's very hard to decipher who wrote what.



What was the shooting process like?

Principle photography on Kids Get Dead 2: The Kids Get Deader lasted around 20 days. A typical day on set was about 12-14 hours and particularly grueling for our cinematographer John Gebhart. I wanted a very fluid look to the film with a lot of movement so he shot nearly the entire film with a hand held rig only using camera sliders to add little nuances and tripods for very specific special effects. Proper planning when shooting with a limited budget is key as is good food and a positive atmosphere to keep up the cast and crew moral. Many of the cast and crew were already friends or had previously worked together, some for many years. Working on a film set is a lot like being on a pirate ship and we fell into a family dynamic very quickly.




Can you tell us about some on set experiences?

Stunt Double:
Sam Albertsen, who plays Steve in the movie, donated a kidney to his father shortly before we began shooting. He was insistent we not delay the shoot on his account and powered through his scenes. When it came time to “rip his guts out” he was wrapped in plastic wrap to keep the fake blood out of his stitches. He was still in rough shape and some of the physicality of getting thrown around would not have been safe so we planned to use a stunt double. That stunt double ended up being me. Now Sam is a slim fit guy and I ‘m ... not. So, I do a few takes getting slammed on the table covered in blood and I felt pretty good about my “performance”. After the third take I notice everyone kind of stops and stares at me. I then hear the cinematographer John Gebhart say, “Okay great. This looks great. But do you think we could do one more? And could you maybe suck in your gut a little more?”. I laughed so hard and said, “Sorry John, this is all I got!”.




Fake Blood:
Rich Catino did a wonderful job with his custom fake blood recipe. I think we used something like 15 gallons of fake blood during the course of shooting. We had a separate minty store bought mixture that we used whenever anyone had to put it into their mouth. It actually tasted pretty good, like something you’d put on ice cream. The blood got everywhere! At first it wasn’t so bad but as it would dry the syrup would get incredibly sticky. Body hair also made the experience extra special. There was hours and hours of fake blood clean up but surprisingly nothing got stained and it all washed out.



Shower Scene:
You absolutely can’t do a shower stabbing scene without mentioning Alfred Hitchcock. We story boarded many of the shots as an homage to the classic Psycho sequence. That was a particularly intense day of shooting as well. The bathroom was very cramped, hot, steamy and difficult to shoot in. The window was blacked out and the door was shut so it was like a little hot box for 14 hours. By the end of the day John Gebhart(cinematographer) was running his camera in nothing but a bathing suit. Actress Megan Krache was a real trooper as well. She never complained even when she had to lay in the tub covered in blood for several hours while we did the toilet drowning sequence.




Practical Effects:
I love practical FX and we use them whenever possible. There is just a certain magic both for the actors and the audience when there is a real element in the picture to interact with. Most of the visual FX in Kids Get Dead 2: The Kids Get Deader started out as practicals with motorized tubing to pump blood, prosthetic body parts, etc. When I wanted some of the FX to be more over the top I really embellished them or added more blood to the shot. The Killer chopping off Monica’s head was done practically at first by using a black T-shirt to mask out her body then using creative lighting to compliment the fake head and her actual body dropping. From there Andrew Waffenschmidt, our visual FX supervisor, added just a little bit of extra blood splatter and a severed neck piece to complete the shot.



For budget and safety reasons blowing up the car was done completely on the computer. Instead of using computer generated images for the smoke, flames and debris, the explosion was pieced together using practical elements composite and animated onto the master shot. Another safety issue was the use of guns in the film. Even using squibs and blanks can be very hazardous so instead of taking that risk Andrew composites muzzle flashes, barrel animations, stray cartridges and impacts on the computer. Many of my favorite FX centered around the prosthetic torso we used in many of the kills. It was incredibly lifelike and although only slated for one effect we ended up re-using it, stabbing, gutting and slicing it over and over again. Having that physical element to the effect really makes it more tangible and gruesome in a way a computer generated image just can’t do.


Why release on VHS?

The outpouring of fan requests to release Kids Get Dead 2: The Kids Get Deader kind of surprised me at first. After talking to several of these fans and exploring their online tape-trading and collecting groups it became a no-brainer. There is a thriving niche of VHS enthusiasts and I think our film is the perfect fit for those who want to experience an authentic slice of slasher film nostalgia.