My Review Of "Agramon's Gate"

"Agramon's Gate" is a paranormal movie with heavy occult psychological themes. The film is directed by Harley Wallen. It stars  Laurene Landon, Kris Reilly, Kaiti Wallen and Yan Birch. 

A psychic reader and medium is invited to a party. Something goes very wrong and an entity comes over from the other side to haunt the people from the party. They must solve the mystery before it’s too late. Agramon will not be easy to stop…

The story is a standard premises with an occult practice leading to so pretty ghosty stuff which terrorizes the cast. It isn't too mundane but it really doesn't raise any stakes, or offer anything new. The dialog is heavy and somewhat long-winded moments of mostly low-pulse drama. Still, the writing is more mature than most of the material found in such films.

The cast give good performances. Some stand out more than others, and there are times that over-stating the moment becomes a thing. That being said, their is some cool scenes as far dramatic, dialog delivery. Unfortunately though this never really leads to any real suspense or thrilling crescendo. The movie misses any opportunity to heighten the excitement level.

The special effects are your standard spook elements. Noises, things moving, and eerie music. There is never really a true since of horror, and even the jump-scare components seem too tame. Overall "Agramon's Gate" never really reaches the horror movie status that the plot suggests. Still as far as movie value, it does well as a psychological melodrama. Check it out if you want but don't go in expecting a scary movie. (2.5/5)

Award-Winning "Dead Dicks" And "The Dead Ones" Are Acquired For US Distribution

Artsploitation Films has announced the acquisition of two new genre films: The Dead Ones, an American Indie horror directed by Jeremy Kasten and the award-winning sci/fi-horror Dead Dicks. Both will be released later this summer on DVD/Blu-ray and VOD/Streaming.

When Becca receives a series of panicked messages from her older brother Richie, she rushes over to check on him. Following a seemingly successful suicide attempt, Richie, who suffers from mental illness, has discovered what appears to be his own dead body. And soon, they find several more dead versions of Richie and together, try to figure out how he is being reborn each time he takes his own life and is it all caused by that pulsating wall orifice in his bedroom? Cronenberg meet Bunuel.

Directed by Chris Bavota and Lee Paula Springer, Dead Dicks received its World Premiere at the 2019 Fantasia Film Festival where it won the Audience Award for Best Canadian Feature. Critics have called Dead Dick, “A breath-snatching gore and horror..wildly entertaining” (Pajiba); “One of the most touching, powerful, emotional tales I’ve ever seen in horror cinema" (Nerdly); "An ingenious and imaginative slice of genre cinema" (Backseat Mafia); and "An uncommonly smart, engrossing and dramatically ambitious independent horror/drama" (Rue Morgue).

For four outcast teens, summer detention means being assigned to clean their high school after a horrific incident. But they are not alone; a macabre gang wearing guises of The Four Horsemen Of The Apocalypse - Famine, Pestilence, War and Death - has locked them inside and is hunting them through the school's ravaged hallways. As the four students battle to survive, each must confront the supernatural echoes of past traumas they have struggled to forget - and may be condemned to relive.

Title: The Dead Ones; Director: Jeremy Kasten; Producer: Dominic Dromgoole, Alexandra Breede, Louise Simpson; Starring: Sarah Rose Harper, Brandon Thane Wilson,  Katie Foster, Torey Garza; Country: USA; Year: 2020; Running Time: 75 minutes; Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1; Language: English

Poster And Trailer Released For Sci-fi Comedy "Same Boat"

A time-traveling assassin finds himself on a cruise ship, where he falls for the women he’s supposed to kill, in Same Boat – coming this April from Dark Star Pictures!
 
James is a time travelling assassin from the 28th century sent to 2018 to kill a woman, but when his intern gets sick and he loses his paperwork he has some time to kill, so to speak, while enjoying the cruise he accidentally falls in love with the woman he's supposed to kill. Same Boat is a film about duty, love, friendship, and how kindness is more powerful than destruction.

 
Chris Roberti, Tony Glanz and David Bly star in a Chris Roberti film.  Josh Itzkowitz, Chris Roberti and Mark Leidner wrote.
 
Shot secretly on a cruise ship, the wonderful sci-fi rom-com Same Boat hits April 7 On Demand from Dark Star Pictures.

"ON THE TRAIL OF UFOS" Contacts New Trailer Ahead Of Release

Small Town Monsters has announced the March 20th Blu-ray/DVD, Amazon and Vimeo release of their new miniseries "On the Trail of UFOs".  The final trailer for the series gives viewers a glimpse into the astonishing numbers of locations and mind-bending interviews documented.  The latest production from Small Town Media founder and director Seth Breedlove, "On the Trail of UFOs" takes an in-depth look at the current state of unidentified flying objects, and America's continuously-evolving relationship with the subject. With unidentified flying objects being written and talked about in major news outlets and behind closed doors in Washington D.C., Breedlove and series host Shannon Legro set out to document what is by far the most tumultuous point in the history of "flying saucers".  

"On the Trail of UFOs" takes viewers from the gates of Area 51 itself, to the snow-capped White Mountains of New Hampshire. Filming took place across the United States, including New York City, Phoenix, Sedona, Los Angeles, Orlando, and Las Vegas. The team interviewed numerous witnesses and investigators of unknown aerial phenomena, including those who claim to have been abducted and experimented upon by real aliens. No stone was left unturned in putting together what Breedlove believes to be the most comprehensive look at the subject ever filmed.

"THE GARDENER" First Images And Details For New Action Thriller

Filming just wrapped in England on new action thriller THE GARDENER, starring Robert Bronzi (DEATH KISS, ONCE UPON A TIME IN DEADWOOD) and martial arts legend Gary Daniels (THE EXPENDABLES, TEKKEN).  The first official stills have been released.

THE GARDENER concerns an immigrant working a quiet life as a gardener at an English manor house who must resort to old skills to save the family he works for from home invaders.  The team of Rebecca Matthews and Scott Jeffrey (the upcoming HELLKAT) direct from a screenplay by Ben Demaree, based on a story by Jeff Miller (THE TOYBOX).

Bronzi plays the gardener.  Daniels plays the leader of the villains.  The cast is rounded out with Nicola Wright, Sarah T. Cohen, Jake Watkins, Richard Kovacs, Jon Callaway, Arthur Boan, A.J. Blackwell, Corinne Holt, Kate Sandison, Peter Organ, and Pasquale Parisi.  Michael Hoad is the fight choreographer. Ben Collin is the director of photography. Francesca Jones is the production designer. Stephanie Harrison handles special make-up FX.

Matthews and Jeffrey are also producing.

Jeff Miller (THE RUSSIAN BRIDE, Bronzi's movies DEATH KISS, ONCE UPON A TIME IN DEADWOOD, and the upcoming ESCAPE FROM DEATH BLOCK 13) is executive producing along with Mark L. Lester (SHOWDOWN IN LITTLE TOKYO, CLASS OF 1984), through their companies Millman Productions and Titan Global Entertainment, respectively.    

“This is the fourth movie I've shot with Bronzi, and he's an exciting talent," says Miller.  "Audiences will see much of the same hard-hitting action they've come to expect, and we have a great addition to the cast with the legendary Gary Daniels.  Fists will fly between him and Bronzi."

THE GARDENER will be finished in spring 2020. 

VIRUS HORROR "INFECTION" GETS US RELEASE

Jinga Films and Dark Sky Films are pleased to announce the US release of Flavio Pedota's award winning virus horror INFECTION which will be released on DVD and VOD on April 14th 2020.

"A collision between Mad Max and 28 Days Later, INFECTION is a breakneck thriller where the survival of an entire species may depend on the survival of one man" - Andrew Mack, Screen Anarchy.

After an outbreak of a new strand of the rabies virus turns the population into bloodthirsty cannibals, a young doctor finds himself separated from his son. Navigating his way through the plague-infested streets and marauder-filled backwoods, he must use every resource to find his only child and hopefully unlock the secret to a cure for the deadly disease. 

INFECTION received its world premiere at Guadalajara and has since screened at Sitges (Spain), Fantasporto (Portugal), Utopiales (France), Popcorn Frights (US), Fantaspoa (Brasil),   Morbido (Mexico), Raindance (UK) and Festival Of Fear in Canada where it won Best Film.

Sonejuhi Sinha’s Debut Feature "Stray Dolls" Digital Release Set For This April

Stray Dolls is the creation of Sonejuhi Sinha. Expanding on Sinha’s cinematic world in “Love Comes Later,” Stray Dolls focuses on the character Riz and her relationship with Dallas. Together, both characters find a bond through their criminal actions. Stray Dolls has already debuted at the Tribeca Film Festival. Now, this title will show in more theatres and on Digital, this April - through Samuel Goldwyn Films.

Stray Dolls hosts a compelling cast. Geetanjali Thapa (Trapped) plays central characters Riz, with Olivia DeJonge (Better Watch Out) playing Dallas. Cynthia Nixon (“Sex and the City”) stars as  Una, an owner of the seedy Tides Plaza Motel. All of the characters struggle to survive in a transient world of drugs and robbery. Stray Dolls is a compelling crime thrillers from one of Indiewire’s “25 Rising Female Directors to Know.”

Samuel Goldwyn Films will debut Stray Dolls in April. This title will show at several theatres, while simultaneously debuting on most, major Digital platforms. The release date is scheduled for April 10th. Finally, truly a character driven drama: “you’re rooting for them but not necessarily rooting for something that they did wrong (Sinha),” Stray Dolls promises a complex story, with exciting scenarios this April!



Riz, a recent immigrant and ex-gang member, works at a motel in hopes of starting her life over in America. At the motel, Riz meets Una (Nixon), the formidable owner, and her drug-selling son Jimmy. Rooming with another motel maid Dallas, who is a bold, assertive runaway, blackmails Riz triggering a series of violent events that entwine Riz, Dallas, and Jimmy. In a last-ditch effort, a desperate Riz and Dallas create a plan to rob Una to escape from the motel and the web of crime they’ve created.

Slasher Feature "The Lurker" Takes A Bow With Scout Taylor-Compton This April

Indican Pictures will debut Eric Liberacki's The Lurker on DVD and Digital platforms this April. This feature is a slasher film, influenced by the Golden era of slasher films. Starring Scout Taylor-Compton (Halloween, 2007), Naomi Grossman ("American Horror Story"), Ari Lehman (Friday the 13th, 1980) and Adam Huss, this film follows several high-schoolers as they prepare a local play. A killer lurks in the shadows and the cast is in danger. With the play set to see its final curtain call, these schoolmates will need to band together, if they hope to survive this killer's knife. The Lurker is set for pre-orders this March and will debut on April 14th, 2020 - on both Digital platforms and DVD.

Director Liberacki has talked about the film's influences and what led him to direct The Lurker. He says of slashers: "my screenwriting always gravitated toward slasher films of that time period ('80s, '90s)." This was the pivotal time for slashers and their many sequels. The Lurker was also a team effort: "while I was shooting the feature film the Pale Man the director, John Lerchen, gave me a copy of the script for The Lurker. After years of trying to find the right script for my thesis, I had found it." From script-to-screeen, The Lurker debuts in just a few weeks.

The Lurker has already seen theatres. Now, Indican Pictures will show the film, throughout the United States, this April 14th. A film for horror fans and especially slasher film fans, this Restricted title will bring both mystery and murder to DVD and Digital platforms, including: Amazon Direct, Fandango Now, iTunes, FlixFling, Google Play, Redbox, VuDu and Youtube Movies. 

WALPURGIS NIGHT - New Practical FX Werewolf Horror Film

Press Release:

Being made with the support of Paul Naschy's son! This is a project every horror fan should want to get behind! Just check out their absolutely incredible short film The Legend Of El Hombre Lobo in the campaign page to see what I mean!

WALPURGIS NIGHT is A disturbing wolfman film set in 1972. A wealthy couple recently visiting Baliavasta Transylvania soon become involved with a man (Waldemar Daninsky) who desperately seeks a cure to his lycanthropy. The grandson of Dr. Jekyll just may have that remedy Waldemar has been searching for..

The film is an ode to Paul Naschy one of Spain's biggest horror icons. It's meant to take the character of Waldemar Daninsky and bring it into something new and disturbing. The film is going to be filled with horrifying surprises and 100% practical creature effects.

Eric Yoder will be the writer/director/special fx artist on the film. Also on board is DP Michael Nicle. Actors Shane Ronzio as Waldemar/The Werewolf. Matthew Stallings as Dr. Jekyll III and we also have composer Andrew Scott Bell doing the haunting soundtrack. We also have the support of Sergio Molina (Paul Naschy's son)

We want to make the best film possible, please check out the campaign, contribute, and share

https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/walpurgis-night-a-werewolf-horror-feature-film#/

Lane Tolan’s "Getaway" To Premiere On DVD And Digital This April

Getting away is just the beginning in director Lane Tolan’s Getaway, premiering on DVD and Digital this April.

Halloween’s Scout Taylor-Compton stars in an unnerving kidnapping thriller from Uncork’d Entertainment.

 Tamara Miller has planned a weekend lake getaway with her two best friends. When she gets kidnapped by a backwoods cult, eerie and unexplained occurrences arise. Will she make it out alive or become the treasure of these deranged lunatics?

Landry Allbright (“Star Trek : Picard”), Lane Tolan (“Hey Arnold”), Jamil Walker Smith (“Stargate Universe”), Jaclyn Betham (“The Haves and Have Nots”), Ben Deschaine (Super Shark), and Chrystopher Ryan Johnson (“The Riches”) star in a Lane Tolan film.

Betham and Toran wrote the script.

Getaway is available on DVD and Digital April 14 from Uncork’d Entertainment.

"Abominable" On DVD And Digital April 14th From Uncork’d Entertainment.

This April, comes face to face with stone-cold terror, Abominable on DVD and Digital April 14 from Uncork’d Entertainment.

From producer Justin Price, director of Alien : Reign of Man and The 13th Friday, and director Jamaal Burden (Elves), comes a new horror experience from Uncork’d Entertainment.

A research team embarks on a journey to obtain a plant that can advance medical research by centuries. While stumbling upon clues of the previous expedition, they discover that a Yeti creature lurks within the Himalayan mountains and will do anything to protect its terrain.

Official Poster And Trailer Released For "Dead By Dawn"

Horror icon Jamie Bernadette (I Spit On Your Grave : Déjà vu)  stars in Dead by Dawn, coming this April from Uncork’d Entertainment.

From director Sean Cain, and co-starring Drew Lindsey Mitchell, Kelcey Watson, Bo Burroughs, Timothy Muskatell, Bobby Slaski, Detra Hicks, and Skylar Dominique, Dead by Dawn will be available on DVD and Digital April 7, 2020

A suicidal man in a remote cabin is suddenly faced with protecting a kidnapped woman from three killers and their sadistic games. Unable to contact the outside world and with night falling, he falls backs on creating traps to prevent the criminals from gaining entry. It’s a fight to the death where only the strongest will survive until dawn.

ROOTWOOD Available On DVD And Digital April 7th

From acclaimed director Marcel Walz (Blood Feast), and featuring scream queens Elissa Dowling and Felissa Rowe, dare enter the forests of Rootwood this April.

ROOTWOOD follows two students who host 'The Spooky Hour', a podcast about paranormal phenomena and urban legends. When they are hired by a Hollywood film producer to shoot a horror documentary about the curse of The Wooden Devil, they smell their chance to become famous. Together, with their friend, they enter Rootwood Forest and investigate the area to find out the truth about The Wooden Devil and his victims.

Scripted by Mario von Czapiewski, ROOTWOOD stars Tyler Gallant (Alpha Wolf), Elissa Dowling (Death House), Sarah French (The Amityville Murders), Felissa Rose (Sleepaway Camp), Tiffani Fest (Circus of the Dead) and Brandon Rhea (Fearless).

ROOTWOOD Available On DVD And Digital April 7th

The Dead Walk Among Us A WAKEFIELD PROJECT - Out Now

A Wakefield Project, a unique new entry in the sci-fi horror genre, premiered in North America March 3 on DVD and VOD.

L.A. Lopes directs the film, the story of a group of townsfolk who suddenly start seeing dead people living among them!

Eric (Anthony Bewlz, Tooth Fairy) and Reese (Dennis Andres, Workin' Moms) invest in a property in the little town of Wakefield. Chloe (Lindsay Seim, Insidious: Chapter 2) a medium, who used to live in Wakefield returns to her roots to enlighten the new entrepreneurs on the history of the town. The property was originally owned by Nathan Cross (Rob Archer, Lost Girl), who's post mortem crimes stain the entire town. On a day when unprecedented solar flares target North America, Wakefield becomes the centre of a temporary shift in atmospheric energies. The living are seeing the dead walk among them. As they find themselves in the heart of this nightmare until dawn, they need to face history in the flesh, and survive.

Arrow Video Asks WHY DON'T YOU JUST DIE! In Select Theaters Nationwide April 10th

Arrow Video Asks WHY DON'T YOU JUST DIE! In Select Theaters Nationwide April 10th

Arrow Video is proud to announce the US theatrical release of

Why Don't You Just Die!, a blood-soaked black comedy in the vein of Quentin Tarantino and Edgar Wright.  Making his feature debut, writer/director Kirill Sokolov presents a rousing tale of family, modern relationships and the dark places they can take you to when things turn sour.  Why Don't You Just Die! will open in select theaters nationwide on April 10th, 2020.    

Why Don't You Just Die! has received critical acclaim from festivals around the globe, taking home the New Flesh Award for Best First Feature and Silver Audience Award at Fantasia, Best European Feature Film at MOTELx, Best Director at Fantaspoa, Best Feature, Best Director and Best VFX Awards at Grimmfest.  Following a screening at Fantastic Fest, Film School Rejects raved that "Russian cinema has a new filmmaker to champion".

Theatrical markets include Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, New Orleans, Pittsburgh, Columbus, Knoxville, Ithaca, Houston, Lubbock, El Paso and Phoenix.

Ahead of the release, Sokolov shared, "Despite our exaggerated use of genre tropes and all the flashy effects, Why Don't You Just Die! remains, for me, an incredibly personal and sincere story. The film's inherent violence is the result of reflection on the realities of life in Russia, modern relationships, and societal attitudes. The gallows humor which pervades the film is the only true reaction whatsoever to all of this. The film is intended as an emotional rollercoaster, making the audience laugh, cry, and laugh again - but then immediately feel a sense of unease for having laughed."

Matvey (Aleksandr Kuznetsov) has just one objective: to gain entry to his girlfriend's parents' apartment and kill her father Andrey (Vitaliy Khaev) with a hammer to restore her honour. But all is not as it initially seems, and Matvey's attempts to bludgeon the family patriarch to death don't quite go to plan as Andrey proves a more formidable - not to mention ruthless - opponent than he anticipated... and Matvey, for his part, proves stubbornly unwilling to die.

TERROR FILMS Released 1980’s Throwback Slasher THE TORMENT OF LAURIE ANN CULLOM March 2nd

TERROR FILMS has released the long gestating 80’s horror film The Torment of Laurie Ann Cullom. 

Inspired by actual events, director Mark Dossett’s critically acclaimed indie horror film debuted on digital platforms this March 2nd, 2020. The film, which first began its festival run in 2014, has been praised by horror critics. 

Morbidly Beautiful stated, “The Torment of Laurie Ann Cullom is an extremely satisfying watch. It’s a well-made horror film with a well-placed nod to Halloween, a villain who resembles Kane Hodder and a great soundtrack and musical score that effectively represent the era. There are creepy moments, scenes that are hard to watch and a well-paced build-up of events all surrounding a sympathetic lead character. That’s what makes this film such a great watch for horror fans.” 

This sentiment was shared by fellow genre critics including by Horror Fuel who called the film - “one of the best slasher movies of the year” - and Horror Society who proclaimed the film was “a triumph for old school horror". 

When asked why he waited so long to distribute his feature film debut, director Mark Dossett had this to say: “I had four previous distribution offers before signing with Terror Films. I had everything from one distributor telling me they didn't like the name of the film and they would figure it out once I signed. Another one quoted me on the phone their recoupable expense amount and then when the contract was sent, it was double that amount. So, at the end of the day, it all came down to trust. I didn't trust any of them. After talking with Joe, I realized he and his staff were also indie filmmakers and that we would work together on everything from the poster to the trailer. That gave me the trust that I didn't have with the others to go ahead and sign with Terror Films.”