Friday, February 27, 2015

My Review Of "Voices From The Grave"

Indie Directors Richard Stoudt and Laurence C. Holloway have teamed together for a new collection of nightmares that can be witnessed in the anthology series "Voices From The Grave". The stories include haunting tales of supernatural retribution, vengeful spirits and possession, framed by a familiar tale of wickedness in the form of bad luck and trickery. " Voices From The Grave" stars David Nelson, Michael Hanelin, Chris Labadie, Michelle Green, Scarlett O'Oneil,, Maryam Cne' and Bobby Shock.

"Voices From The Grave" begins with a horror fan seeking out obscure literature in a bookstore known to care lesser known horror. He finds a volume of short stories that gains his interested so he chooses a secluded location, and begins reading from the book. It isn't a new or clever framing device, but the setup work comfortably in setting the pace and tone of the anthology. It is familiar and timeless, plus the fact that it is literature and not a tape or disc gives a nice nod to reading which is something of a dying trend in our digitized world.

The first tale is titled "All Hallows' Eve", a not so subtle moral that focuses on poor judgment resulting in tragedy with a chilling, final retribution on Halloween. The story is a recognizable situation, a Halloween party with drinking that leads to an unfortunate death. There is a slice of " thy brother's keeper" sewn in to the tale that gets answered in a macabre, and sobering way. "All Hallows' Eve" is well written, the attitude stays dark and mournful. The ending of this story is as you would expect-actually you pretty much know how it is going to end from the beginning.

The cinematography is carefully thought out and done nicely. Visually "All Hallows' Eve" keeps with classic surrealism. The special effects are effective enough and create the needed ghoulishness. The soundtrack is the expected mix a spooky sounds and haunting, depressed instrumentals. It is all well coordinated production wise, but there is issues with sound quality during a lot of the dialog which often is drowned out by the surrounding noise. It is the only technical flaw in this short film. There is the issue of no real suspense or heightened drama in the piece, it is implied but never applied.

Next up is the Gary Brandner adaptation, titled "Invitation". It is a story of a lone traveler lured to a secluded location where he is surrounded by the misdeeds of a vengeful spirit of legend. It is also plagued by a sense of total awareness of the situation for the viewer. It too is well written, and carefully delivered. Unfortunately it lacks an air of motivation that justices the why- bless I totally missed that point. The cautionary element with the traveler belong lured to the social event didn't fit smoothly with the haunting element that ruled the piece, and I kept wanting answers to little aspects of the story involving certain character interactions.

The special effects in " Invitation" were actually creepy, spooky practical make-up effects and props that come off really nicely on camera. The whole atmosphere stayed in that classic ghost story state of mind which helped to make this one a little more entertaining than the previous short film. The soundtrack once again was a well crafted mix of instrumentals and sounds classic to these kinds of tales. Sadly though the story never becomes intense or suspenseful enough to really scare, and that nagging point of "what was the pay off for all of this happening?" just ate at me.

The third and final story titled "Re-Possessed" in the anthology is my favorite, having the most complexity, creativity, wicked humor that comes at the end of ghost stories. Plus it deals with possession, a car and a devious plot. Again, well written, clever, thought out, and entertaining. The surreal nightmare like state that begins this anthology in the first story comes back into play. The macabre is heavier and more effective and the drama actually gets elevated as the events play out.

Special effects are simple make-up artistry and camera tricks that work favorably to create a sense of the supernatural. The cinematography is creative, and nicely done just as it is throughout the film. The soundtrack is just as you would expect, just as it is in all these short films. Yeah the instrumentals and spooky sounds may not be original but the create the right emotion and atmosphere to carry the story to the end. The scariness isn't here but the energy and emotionalism of "Re-Possessed" are present enough to make feel what the doomed character feels, and the end is cool one.

Overall, "Voices From The Grave" is a simple, well directed horror anthology inspired by the supernatural. The acting is a mix of above par and low budget depending on the piece and the actor. Even then the acting isn't consistently bad based on any one actor's performance. The characters are believable, some are more developed than others but for a lower budgeted film the level of talent from the parties involved is considerable. The only two things that really plague "Voices From The Grave" are the lack of real suspenseful/chills, and the quality control issues with sound during dialog scenes. I viewed a simple screener, the sound issues may not be present on the actual DVD so that can't really be seen as a reason not to check out this anthology.

First Teaser And Official Poster For “New Blood Awakening”


NBACheck out the first teaser and the official teaser artwork for upcoming vampire flick “New Blood Awakening”. The film is directed by Chad Zuver and is the sequel to “New Blood Rising”. You can read my review of the that film here: My Review Of “New Blood Rising”.Not sure on the specifics of the plot for “New Blood Awakening” at this time but I will post more details as they come out for this indie saga.
















Check Out The Teaser Trailer For “Save Yourself”


SYA teaser trailer has gone online for upcoming survival horror “Save Yourself”. The film is directed by Ryan M. Andrews and stars Horror’s new tour de force Jessica Cameron, as well as Sydney Kondruss, Bobbie Phillips, Tristan Risk. “Save Yourself” is a film catching a lot of attention, winning awards and on most fan’s radar as a must see horror.

“Save Yourself” tells the story of five female filmmakers en route to their big L.A. premiere. But when one of them goes missing at a rest stop, the women soon find themselves pitted against a deranged scientist hell-bent on using them for his mysterious research.










Official Trailer Released For Upcoming Horror “The Barn”


The-Barn-PosterThe official trailer has been released for slasher-esqu, supernatural showdown horror “The Barn”. The film is directed by Justin M. Seaman and stars Mitchell Musolino, Will Stout, Lexi Dripps, Cortland Woodard, Nikki Darling, Nickolaus Joshua, David Hampton, Richard Billock, James Weldon, Maggi Mizell, Robert Mizell, Hunter Amos, Ryan Nogy. “The Barn” is set to release at the beginning of the Holiday season on October 1st, 2015. Now that is a real Halloween treat!

It’s Halloween 1989, best friends Sam and Josh are trying to enjoy what’s left of their final Devil’s Night before graduating high school. But trouble arises when the two pals and a group of friends take a detour on their way to a rock concert, finding an old abandoned barn and awakening the evil inside. Now it’s up to Sam and Josh to find a way to protect their friends and defeat the creatures that lurk within "The Barn".









The Barn Official Trailer from Nevermore Production Films on Vimeo.

New Art Poster For “It Follows” Released

A new poster featuring detailed sketch style artistry has been released for upcoming horror ‘It Follows”. The film will be released on March 13th, 2015. “It Follows” stars Maika Monroe, Keir Gilchrist,Jake Weary, Daniel Zovatto, Lili Sepe, and is directed by David Robert Mitchell.

For 19-year-old Jay (Maika Monroe, AT ANY PRICE), the fall should be about school, boys, and weekends at the lake. Yet, after a seemingly innocent sexual encounter, she suddenly finds herself plagued by nightmarish visions; she can’t shake the sensation that someone, or something, is following her. As the threat closes in, Jay and her friends must somehow escape the horrors that are only a few steps behind.

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“Fason Nou/ Our Way” Out Now On DVD


The horror film  “Fason Nou/ Our Way” is out now on DVD.

The film is directed by  Romane Simon, with Sean E. McCarthy, and stars Isaac C. Singleton Jr., Vanessa Ross, Romane Simon, Liz Fuller, Tony Curtis Blondell, Mindy Robinson, Manos Krystalis. The film is out now and available at this link Createspace and at the Amazon store. “Fason Nou/Our Way” is also available for instant download at iTunes.

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Everyone is driven to madness as two families on a weekend retreat are haunted by ghosts who have their own terrifying agenda.

A weekend retreat between an interracial couple and their in-laws takes a dark turn when they discover that their house is haunted by the ghosts of an interracial couple from from the 1950's who has no patience for intolerance.

Fason Nou is a horror story with a twist. In this film the two spirits of an interracial couple, Marilyn and Wester Paul, haunt the house they once inhabited in the 1920s, a house now occupied by a soon to be wedded interracial couple, Zoe O'Brien and Antoine Louis. The two couples have more in common besides being interracial. Just as the couple now occupying the spiritual world had racist parents disrupting their lives, so does the couple presently occupying the house. Therein lies the reason for all the horrors the spirits unleash during the parents drawn out stay.

"SERPENT'S LULLABY" Wins Best Short Film Award At THE MAGNOLIA FILM FESTIVAL

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Acclaimed horror and fantasy short film Serpent’s Lullaby, directed and produced by L.A. based Canadian filmmaker Patricia Chica, won the Best Short Film Award at the Magnolia Independent Film Festival in Starkville, Mississippi.

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“I’m deeply honored to win this award and very proud for the team. It’s a collective victory! Moreover, the Magnolia Film Fest is in my top list of festivals not only for the quality of their programming but also because they have been very supportive of my work since the early days of my career. I feel like I’m part of the family!”, says director Patricia Chica.

Patricia Chica’s previous shorts The Promise, Day Before Yesterday, and Ceramic Tango have all won the Best Short Film award at the Magnolia Film Festival in 2000, 2010 and 2014 respectively. This is the fourth Magnolia trophy that Chica brings home.

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The filmmaker wishes to thank the cast, crew and sponsors for making this movie possible. Starring Jenimay Walker (Medusa), Annabella Hart (Mother), Richard Cardinal (Stone Man), and Samuel Nadeau (Baby), this short film’s key members include screenwriter Charles Hall, veteran producer Byron A. Martin, cinematographer Richard Duquette, VFX makeup artist Steph Miramontes, animal wrangler Kim Rock, executive producers David Angel and Lily Spencer, as well as American composer Sean O’ Bryan Smith. Post-production by RedLab Digital, Switch VFX and Premium Sound.

Patricia Chica (@PatriciaChica) is presently putting the final touches of her latest short A Tricky Treat at the RedLab Studios in Toronto. Chica is part of the Women in Horror Recognition Month’s Massive Blood Drive PSA. She directed the segment Ripe N’ Bloody that was qualified by Fangoria Magazine as “the most deliciously vile of the blood bath”!

According to Dread Central, Patricia Chica “is known for making bold, edgy, and visually striking independent films” and listed her as one of the “Rising Female Filmmakers” to watch, among other notable directors - the Soska Sisters (American Mary) and Jennifer Kent (The Babadook).

Serpent’s Lullaby continues to tour with screenings to come in Montreal, QC, Hamilton, ON, and Scotland, UK among others




2015'S Most Acclaimed Horror Movie "Avenged" To Premiere With Q&A Session Across Los Angeles


avengedpic4Uncork’d Entertainment will release the critically acclaimed Avenged at Arena Cinemas Hollywood on March 6, 2015. As part of the opening night celebrations, the 10:15 PM screening on Friday March 6 will be followed by a Q&A with cast and crew, including star Amanda Adrienne and director Michael S.Ojeda. A second Q+A sessions will be held after the Sunday March 8 6:30 PM screening. These two Q+A sessions are EXCLUSIVE to Los Angeles.

“Avenged” also stars Ronnie Gene Blevins, Rodney Rowland, Willow Hale, and Peter Sherayko. The film is the story of a deaf girl is brutalized by a murderous gang who are then hunted by her when the bloodthirsty spirit of an Apache warrior inhabits her lifeless body.












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Thursday, February 26, 2015

Book Worth Reading: Red To Black By Romane Simon


RedToBlack CoverCurrently out now is Filmmaker/Author Romane Simon’s vampire romance, thriller Red To Black. The novel has plenty of positive reviews since its December 2014 release, and tells the story of an old family of vampires, Xavier Gains, Daniella Gains and Barry Styles. The story revolves around these characters and the humans they are attracted to while living in Los Angeles. Xavier falls in love with Marisa Childs and kidnaps her away from her husband and brainwashing her to join the fold. Through out all of this, Marisa would not allow Xavier to kill her husband, Douglas Childs, as he is doing his best to bring his wife back from the clutches of this vampire fold. This story explores the depth of this magical world and how with the power of love, you will do anything for the one you love. Even shedding your own blood in the darkness.








RSRed To Black’s author, the Haitian born, award winning, Romane Simon is best known for his film and television work in Hollywood with such films as "FASOUN NOU/OUR WAY", "Vengeance", "Tragedy of a Mother and Son" and "The Night Seekers". Simon plans a feature film adaptation of Red To Black for this year. Growing up in Haiti, Romane was raised around seeing the dark side of the world such as voodoo and the paranormal. Romane witness many ceremonies and other ungodly dark magic rituals. These experiences is were Romane pulls his creative stories within his books and his films.













RS with DTJust some of what fans are saying about Red To Black:

“Very cool vampire story... Totally draws you in...”-Michael R. Trapp

“Very fast-paced and action packed story about love, sex, death and life. A different kind of vampire novel.”- Katharina Livia Harer

“…illuminates the dark side of obsessionand examines what it really means to love someone…”- Emlee Vassilos

Red To Black is available at Amazon.com both in paperback and kindle edition.






EXCLUSIVE! New NSFW Poster Revealed For “Don’t F*ck In The Woods”

Concept Media and Shawn Burkett have revealed a new NSFW, flesh-rich poster for upcoming slasher flick “Don’t Fuck In The Woods”. The film is currently in pre-production with filming slated to begin in July 2015. The poster was designed by Concept Media’s own Shawn Burkett, with model Nikki Seven working with the talented photography of Culprit Media.

“Don’t Fuck In The Woods” stars Chelsea Teasly, Michael Reeves, Roman Jossart, Hannah Herdt, and Joe Kidd. Helmed by Burkett who pinned this high octane slasher, “Don’t Fuck In The Woods” will follow a group of friends on a camping trip celebrate graduating college. But once they enter the woods, the proverbial shit starts to hit the fan! You can keep up with the latest on the project by liking the film’s Facebook page and Twitter account.

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Tuesday, February 24, 2015

Official One Sheet Released For “Headless”

Check out the artistic, visually compelling, one sheet released for upcoming horror “Headless” directed by Arthur Cullipher. The poster was poster was designed by Aeron Alfrey. His art has been published in numerous books and shown in galleries around the world. See more of Aeron's work at http://aeronalfrey.storenvy.com/  and aeronalfrey.com!


“Headless” is a direct result of the desire to see a film within a film become a real film. The “faux horror” was fictionalized as the favorite movie the lead character in the horror film “Found” 2012.  “Headless” stars Shane Beasley, Kelsey Carlisle, Ellie Church, Dave Parker, Kaden Miller, Jennifer Lee, Haley Madison, Brian Williams, Matt Keeley, Emily McGee, Jessica Schroeder, Olivia Arnold.

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New Character Images For ‘Salem’ Season 2

EW has given us our first official looks at the femme fatales for Season 2 of WGN America’s original series ‘Salem’. Check the formidable women of supernatural fortitude below. Season 2 opens with what is being referred to as the “witch war”, with new blood taking on the seats of power for dominance of Salem’s coven and side car to the devil himself. Gods I love this show and these witchy and wondrous characters!

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First Images From Fright Teck Pictures Holiday Slasher

As I was finishing up my earlier article (read it here) on Fright Teck Pictures’ holiday slasher I received some awesome-“first”-movie stills in my inbox. The film has a working title of “Slay Bells” but I am assured that that will not be the official title. Anyway this holiday slasher is the horror child of Writer/Director/Producer Eddie Lengyel and stars Kris Smith, KateLynn Newberry, Robbie Barnes, Tiffany Hilton, Roger Conners, Rachel Anderson, George Tutie.

Prepare for a gory holiday slasher full of sex, sass, and slaughter!

It's Christmas time in Cleveland, Ohio and four young ladies are on the verge of completing their mandatory thirty days of community service. With only one night to go, they are required to make a series of in-home visits to the older and less fortunate. Upon arriving at their final stop for the night, they become introduced to a pleasant older woman who graciously welcomes them into her home for the evening. However, as darkness falls and the cold settles in, they begin to realize that there is far more to their seemingly innocent host than meets the eye.

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Filming Underway For Fright Teck Pictures’ Holiday Slasher


Fright Teck PicturesWith distribution anchored for “Hellweek” and “Scarred”, Eddie Lengyel and Fright Teck Pictures are well underway with their yet to be titled holiday slasher. Filming has began on the project and some very potent and fabulous behind-the-scene stills have been released on the Facebook page. The stills give us our first look at one of the slasher’s more iconic characters, The Lady Athena. A “lady-boy” with a killer style played by the comparable talen, and indie scream queer-Roger Conners!

It's Christmas time in Cleveland, Ohio and four young ladies are on the verge of completing their mandatory thirty days of community service. With only one night to go, they are required to make a series of in-home visits to the older and less fortunate. Upon arriving at their final stop for the night, they become introduced to a pleasant older woman who graciously welcomes them into her home for the evening. However, as darkness falls and the cold settles in, they begin to realize that there is far more to their seemingly innocent host than meets the eye.

This feature film, holiday slasher, and progressive horror flick is currently filming in Cleveland, OH. The film also stars Kris Smith, KateLynn Newberry, Robbie Barnes, Tiffany Hilton, Roger Conners, Rachel Anderson, George Tutie, an equally intriguing cast of talented indie up-an-comers. It can be stated that the film is currently working under the title of “Slay Bells” . The powerfully moving eye’s view of this slasher horror will be provided by the signed on Director of Photography Noelle Bye, who’s roll in bringing this story to life,I am told, is pivotal to the project ( Dark Of Moon, Chill: The Killing Game, Kandi Land).

This is a film that I will be following closely since I am well acquainted with the work of Roger Conners, and Eddie Lengyel. And assuredly with worldwide distribution set for “Hellweek” and “Scarred”, the well of horror fans to become acquainted with Eddie Lengyel and Fright Teck Pictures is sure to deepen. Until more is released on this project, check out the behind-the-scene stills released, and stay tuned for an interview with Lady Athena, played by Conners, an interview that delve into the story of “Slay Bell”, the LGB&T strong presence on the film, and the soon-be-out films of Roger Conners. Wanna know more about him then read my past interview at this link : Scream Queer Scream! My Interview With Horror’s Own Roger Conners.

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Monday, February 23, 2015

DVD Release Details For “Teeth & Blood”


TABThe release date has been announced for Robert L. Johnson oppidan vampire flick “Teeth & Blood”. The film stars Glenn Plummer, Danielle Vega, King Kedar  and Michelle Van Der Water. “Teeth & Blood” will hit DVD and VOD on March 10th, 2015.

One of Hollywood's diva actresses, Elizabeth Thornrich, is murdered on the set of a famous film director Vincent Augustine's latest film, "Chapel Blood" and the body has disappeared. At the same time, the City's blood supply is mysteriously being depleted. Unbeknownst to all, the blood is being devoured by vampires so they won't have to bite humans and a storm is brewing between rival covens. Detective Mike Hung and Sasha Colfax must go undercover on the film's set to crack the toughest mysteries of their lives... in a vampire-infested studio.


Trailer Released For Supernatural Horror “Apparition”


apparition-poster-artOfficial trailer has been released for supernatural horror “Apparition”. The film is directed by Todd Rogers and stars Natalie Bolton, Josh Pack, Joe Moore, Eva Marcus, Sydney Fergerson, Andy Kantowski, Johnny Rodriguez, Phillip Martinez, Paul Damon. SGL Entertainment has acquired the distribution rights for the film, to be released on VOD worldwide.

Every town has one. The place you warn your kids about, the place where unexplained things happen, the place that’s haunted. This east Texas town is no different. Southbrook hospital sits empty and has been that way since the riot in 1986. With the sale of the property pending, the buyers want peace of mind. Enter Eradication, Inc. Damon (Josh Pack), Jared (Joe Moore), Rowan (Eva Marcus), Kristin (Survivor’s Natalie Bolton) and Ellie (Sydney Fergerson) are the most sought after Ghost Hunters in Texas and are about to enter Southbrook. Is Southbrook all legend or is there a darker evil lurking in the halls.










Head here to see the movie stills: SGL/Apparition


First Look At The New Aquaman

Zack Snyder gave us our first look at what the new Aquaman will be when he teased a promo card of Jason Momoa as the Comic book hero. Aquaman makes his first appearance in the new revamp of the D.C. Comic universe, on screen in “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice”, (our long awaited Justice League movie). 

“Dawn Of Justice” stars Henry Cavill, Jason Momoa, Ben Affleck, Gal Gadot, Jesse Eisenberg, Jeremy Irons, Holly Hunter, Callan Mulvey, Tao Okamoto, Amy Adams, Laurence Fishburne and Diane Lane. The film hits theatres on March 25, 2016.

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New International Poster For “Spring”


Check out the new international poster for Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead’s Lovecraftian  horror “Spring”, as suggested by this throwback to classic horror. “Spring” stars Lou Taylor Pucci, Nadia Hilker, Vanessa Bednar, Shane Brady and Francesco Carnelutti. The film has a theatrical release set for March, 20th, 2015 with a VOD set for the same time.

Spring-Int-PosterEvan (Lou Taylor Pucci; Evil Dead, Thumbsucker) is a young American fleeing to Europe to escape his past. While backpacking along the Italian coast, everything changes during a stop at an idyllic Italian village, where he meets and instantly connects with the enchanting and mysterious Louise. A flirtatious romance begins to bloom between the two - however, Evan soon realizes that Louise has been harboring a monstrous, primordial secret that puts both their relationship and their lives in jeopardy.

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