"The film which you are about to see is an account of the tragedy which befell a group of five youths, in particular Sally Hardesty and her invalid brother, Franklin. It is all the more tragic in that they were young. But, had they lived very, very long lives, they could not have expected, nor would they have wished to see, as much of the mad and macabre as they were to see that day. For them an idyllic summer afternoon drive became a nightmare. The events of that day were to lead to the discovery of one of the most bizarre crimes in the annals of American history: The Texas Chain Saw Massacre."

Normally we don't lead with a quote quite that long, but that paragraph, read in the film by John Larroquette (who would go on to star in "Night Court" and several other television series), perfectly set the tone for one of the greatest horror films of all time. And it's about damn time someone associated with that film got a Doctor Gash Tip of the Scalpel. Thank you, Tobe Hooper.

With a resume spanning over 40 years, Hooper introduced himself to us with a verifiable nightmare and continues to stir the pot to this day, as can be evidenced with his upcoming film, Djinn.

Hooper made over 60 documentaries and shorts before creating his indelible masterpiece, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre. With a budget of somewhere between $70k and $120k, Hooper managed to create the perfect horror film. Containing unforgettable characters placed in stunning scenarios, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre tattooed itself onto the consciousness of American entertainment, which would never be the same again.

Hooper's success with Leatherface and the Sawyer clan directly led to his being hand-selected for another classic horror film. Richard Kobritz, producer of "Salem's Lot," the 1979 mini-series adaptation of the Stephen King novel, specifically sought out Hooper to take the reins of "Salem's Lot" after viewing The Texas Chain Saw Massace.

And of course we all know Hooper was at the helm of the granddaddy of all haunted house films, the Steven Spielberg produced Poltergeist. Again we were assaulted with images that were hard to forget while trying to go to sleep at night. The clown doll attack, Craig T. Nelson pulling his face off after eating a maggot-filled piece of chicken and of course, the iconic shot of Carol Anne in front of the television reciting the line that would become part of the American lexicon: "They're here..."

If we were to stop at just The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, "Salem's Lot" and Poltergeist, Hooper would already be able to claim a spot amongst the greatest horror directors. But he wasn't done yet. One of the most underrated shockers in the books was also a Tobe Hooper directed film. A year before the release of Poltergeist, Hooper directed a lesser-known film set in a creepy carnival. The Funhouse never grabbed the attention Poltergeist received, but it's an outstanding effort that deserves to be better known.

In 1986, 12 years after the release of his original film, Hooper returned to Texas for the sequel, and this time he brought Tom Savini with him. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre Part 2 went in a completely different direction than the original film, replacing suspension and tension with comedy and extreme gore, but it worked. And we were introduced to a young actor named Bill Moseley, who would go on to become a horror icon in his own right. Savini's handiwork would be the calling card for Texas Chainsaw 2 as his practical effects were absolutely unparalleled.

Hooper later contributed to several horror anthology shows like "Freddy's Nightmares," "Tales from the Crypt" and "Masters of Horror." He directed a few films that, although decent, didn't play as well as some of his earlier work. He had set the bar pretty high early on. In 2004 Hooper returned with his well received re-imagining of The Toolbox Murders with the great Angela Bettis in the lead role.

And although he's been mostly quiet for the past decade, Hooper suddenly found himself in the spotlight again with his upcoming film Djinn in the center of a controversy. As the film is based in the United Arab Emirates, a member of the country's royal family felt it showed the country in a bad light. Word is now that the problems have been solved, and Djinn is moving toward theaters according to plan.

With the release of Djinn, the upcoming Texas Chainsaw Massacre 3D, in which Hooper has a cameo, and a new Blu-ray release of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, we'll have plenty of the legendary director to go around in 2012. And thankfully so. Here's a big tip of the Doctor Gash Scalpel to the great Tobe Hooper.

Does anybody here remember Mick Garris' Psycho IV: The Beginning? It was a prequel of sorts to the original Psycho detailing just how Norman ... well ... became Norman. If you can't recall, don't worry! A&E is looking to remind you once again with a new prequel series.

This morning the cable network made the following announcement:

"Bates Motel" serves as a prequel to the most famous fright film of all time, Psycho. A&E is currently in script development. "Bates Motel" will give viewers an intimate understanding of how Norman Bates' psyche developed from his childhood through his teen years. Fans will have access to the dark, twisted back story and learn first-hand how his mother, Norma, and her lover damaged Norman, helping forge the most well-known serial killing motel owner in history.

Okay then. Way back in 1987 a previous attempt was made to turn Psycho into an anthology series, but it ultimately failed. How will this one fare? Time will tell. Stay tuned.

B-Sides is arriving a little early this weekend because there’s no way I’m letting Friday the 13th pass without having a musical interlude in honor of Mr. Voorhees. The theme song to Friday the 13th Part V: A New Beginning may not have been written specifically for the film, but if ever there was a man with no life in his eyes, it’s Jason.

The Australian New Wave band Pseudo Echo had a decent run in the 1980’s, though they never quite broke through in the United States. The pinnacle of their American music career may very well have been when their song “His Eyes” was used during the end credits of 1985’s fake Jason sequel Friday the 13th Part 5: A New Beginning. Kind of disappointingly ironic that what may have been the best song to ever adorn the soundtrack to a Friday the 13th movie got tacked onto the end of what may be the least popular installment in the series.

With today being Friday the 13th, what better time to look into Jason’s eyes while listening to the end credits song from his fifth outing? No imposter in this custom made music video using clips of the real Jason doing what he does best from various installments in the franchise. If the guy that made this Pseudo Echo “His Eyes” Friday the 13th video is reading this, nice work. Jason would be proud. Then he’d probably kill you anyway. Jason can be a real dick sometimes.

Happy Friday the 13th!

It isn't often that little indie films get week-long theatrical runs, especially in the Big Apple, but from January 20th-26th, 2012, you can catch Zack Parker's Scalene at the reRun Theater in Brooklyn. Best of all, stars Margo Martindale and Adam Scarimbolo, producer Carlos Jimenez Flores, and director/co-writer/co-producer Parker will be at the theater throughout the 20th and 21st for Q&As after the showings.

SHOWTIMES:
FRIDAY, January 20th (7pm, 10pm) * SPECIAL GUESTS IN PERSON *
SATURDAY, January 21st (7pm, 10pm) * SPECIAL GUESTS IN PERSON *
MONDAY, January 23rd (7pm)
TUESDAY, January 24th (7pm)
WEDNESDAY, January 25th (10pm)
THURSDAY, January 26th (7pm)

Click here for additional info on the reRun Theater and here for tickets.

Trickily told from three points of view, perceptual thriller Scalene (review here) revolves around a mother's (Martindale) revenge after her mentally challenged, twenty-something son (Scarimbolo) is accused of a sexual assault by his student caretaker (Hanna Hall). Bolstered by top-notch performances, a unique dramatic structure, and unforeseen twists, we feel Scalene has enough dark and twisted elements that the genre crowd should appreciate and embrace it.

For more visit the official Scalene Facebook page and follow Scalene on Twitter.

Some late casting news is coming out of the UK for Neil Jordan's Byzantium, the new fanged thriller from the filmmakers behind Interview with the Vampire. Read on to see who else is officially on the menu.

According to the Daily Mail, Jonny Lee Miller ("Dexter", Hackers, Dark Shadows) and Tom Hollander (Pirates of the Caribbean) will join Gemma Arterton, Saoirse Ronan, Caleb Landry Jones, Danny Mays, Bradley James, and Sam Riley in the vampire flick wherein Arterton stars as Clara, a vampire who has to protect herself and her daughter (Ronan) from those seeking to plunge a stake through their hearts.

More on this one as it comes.

Synopsis
On the run for murder, two young "sisters" arrive penniless at an English seaside town. Clara is a fiercely modern woman who has her eyes on the future and no time for the past. Teenager Eleanor is shy and innocent. Yet, they both hide the same secrets: They are really mother and daughter, and they are both ... vampires!

Eleanor is exhausted by 200 years on the run and desperate to settle down. But little does she know that her mother has been protecting her all of the years from their own kind, "The Brotherhood". To escape them, they must either blend in or continue running away. But just as they think they may have escaped, their past rapidly catches up with them.

While we kind of know where the next two entries in the famed [REC] franchise are headed, it's always nice to see something official to have us drooling about what's to come. That's right, kids! The full plot details for [REC] 3: Genesis and [REC] 4: Apocalypse are finally here!

Leticia Dolera (Spanish Movie, Semen, A Love Story, "White Glove") and Diego Martin (Three Meters Above the Sky, "There Is No One Alive") both star in [REC] 3: Genesis, which is scheduled to hit Spanish theatres on March 30th, 2012.

In [REC] 3: Genesis the action now takes place miles away from the original location and partly in broad daylight, giving the film an entirely fresh yet disturbing new reality. The infection has left the building. In a clever twist that draws together the plots of the first two movies, this third part of the saga also works as a decoder to uncover information hidden in the first two films and leaves the door open for the final installment, the future [REC] 4: Apocalypse.

Dig on the plot details of each below.

[REC] 3: Genesis Synopsis:
Koldo and Clara are about to celebrate the most important day of their lives: their wedding. Everything appears to be running smoothly, and the bride and groom and their families are enjoying a wonderful day--that is, until some of the guests start showing signs of a strange illness. Before they know what’s happening, the bride and groom find themselves in the middle of a hellish ordeal as an uncontrollable torrent of violence is unleashed on the wedding. Amidst the chaos Koldo and Clara become separated and begin a desperate search for one another. What started off as an idyllic day quickly descends into a nightmare of the worst kind...

[REC] 4: Apocalypse Synopsis:
Angela Vidal, the young television reporter who entered the building with the fireman, manages to make it out alive. But what the soldiers don’t know is that she carries the seed of the strange infection. She is to be taken to a provisional quarantine facility, a high-security installation where she will have to stay in isolation for several days. An old oil tanker, miles off shore and surrounded by water on all sides, has been especially equipped for the quarantine.

Non-believers and paraskevidekatriaphobics, beware! Today is indeed Friday the 13th, and in celebration of this creepy, horror-filled holiday, the team behind The Woman in Black have shared with us a new behind-the-scenes look at what goes into "Creating a Classic Ghost Story". In addition they've put together a Tumblr page giving you all the tell-tale clues that your place is, shall we say, "occupied" by spirits!

Featuring exclusive interviews with cast members and the filmmakers, "Creating a Classic Ghost Story" is a behind-the-scenes look at what makes a classic, atmospheric ghost tale and how writer Jane Goldman alongside production company Hammer Films drew inspiration from Susan Hill's acclaimed novel and previous versions to create the film.

Below that you'll find an image from the aforementioned Tumblr page. Click it to visit Signs Your House Is Haunted - and enjoy!

Joining star Daniel Radcliffe are Ciaran Hinds, Janet McTeer, Liz White, Alisa Khazanova, Tim McMullan, Roger Allam, Daniel Cerqueira, Shaun Dooley, Mary Stockley, Cathy Sara, David Burke, Victor McGuire, and Lucy May Barker. James Watkins (Eden Lake) is at the directorial helm with a screenplay by Jane Goldman.

The Woman in Black follows a young lawyer, Arthur Kipps (Radcliffe), who is ordered to travel to a remote corner of the UK and sort out a recently deceased client’s papers. As he works alone in an old and isolated house, Kipps begins to uncover its tragic secrets, and his unease grows when he discovers that the local village is held hostage by the ghost of a scorned woman set on vengeance.

Look for The Woman in Black in US theatres on February 3rd, 2012. The UK will be getting it on February 10th, 2012.

The road to bring Hack/Slash to the big screen has been an arduous one to traverse. It's been several years now, and finally it sounds as if there's some solid movement. Movement filled with lens flares and the color orange.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Marcus Nispel, who directed last summer's Conan the Barbarian as well as The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Friday the 13th, has come aboard to helm Hack/Slash, Relativity’s adaptation of a horror-action comic book.

Alexandra Milchan, Adrian Askarieh, and Daniel Alter are producing.

Hack/Slash, created by Tim Seeley and Stefano Caselli, centers on Cassie Hack, a woman who symbolizes the cliche of the lone girl who survives at the end of every horror movie. In this case the girl not only survived but has become a killer of killers. Along with a hulking protector named Vlad, Hack travels across the country hunting slashers in the vein of Halloween's Michael Myers, Friday the 13th's Jason Voorhees, and A Nightmare on Elm Street's Freddy Krueger.

The project has seen several writers and directors come and go since it first was set up at Universal’s now-deceased genre division Rogue Pictures, which later was acquired by Relativity. More soon!

Earlier today we got our first look at the upcoming Episode 3.12, "The Ties That Bind", of "The Vampire Diaries" via the ep's teaser trailer, and now The CW has released a clip along with a new video congratulating star Nina Dobrev on her recent People's Choice Award win. Not only is it well deserved, but the versatile Nina is the event's first write-in winner ever!

"The Vampire Diaries" Episode 3.12 "The Ties That Bind" (1/19/12 Air Date; 8:00-9:00 PM):
PERSIA WHITE GUEST STARS AS BONNIE’S MOTHER — Bonnie (Kat Graham) believes her recurring dreams about Klaus’ (Joseph Morgan) coffins will tell her how he can be killed. The dreams also lead Bonnie to a reunion with her mother, Abby (guest star Persia White, “Girlfriends”), whom Bonnie hasn’t seen for 15 years. At Abby’s remote farmhouse, Bonnie and Elena (Nina Dobrev) meet Jamie (guest star Robert Ri'chard, “One on One”), the young man Abby took in years earlier. Bonnie’s sudden appearance catches Abby off-guard, but she does her best to explain the past.

Tyler (Michael Trevino) turns to an unexpected ally in his quest to regain his free will. Damon (Ian Somerhalder) is intrigued by Alaric’s (Matt Davis) new friend, Dr. Fell (guest star Torrey Devitto), and Klaus continues his bitter negotiations with Stefan (Paul Wesley) over control of the coffins containing his family members. John Dahl directed the episode written by Brian Young.

For more visit "The Vampire Diaries" on The CW.

We have no idea just who was clamoring for this one, but regardless, Zaat is well on its way to Blu-ray high definition, and we've got the official word straight from the fish's ... demon's ... er ... monster's mouth!

From the Press Release
Is the monster man fish or devil? Everyone’s dying to know (literally) in ZAAT – restored and in HD for the first time ever – available in a special DVD/Blu-ray combo pack February 21st from Film Chest on the CULTRA and HD Cinema Classics labels.

Find out why ZAAT is an underground cult favorite, amassing an ever-growing legion of loyal followers over the past 40 years. See why scores of fans have refused to let this funky classic from the ’70s die in obscurity!

In ZAAT (also known as The Blood Waters of Dr. Z), an obsessed scientist, Dr. Kurt Leopold (Marshall Grauer) – who has been scorned by his peers – is convinced he can transform humans into fish. In his isolated backwoods laboratory, he proves his hypothesis by turning himself into a horrible, vengeful creature (played by Wade Popwell) that is part man, part walking catfish!

Armed with his mutagenic chemical compound, ZAAT, the monster is bent on revenge, determined to turn the tables on humanity by making his fishy friends the dominant species on Earth. All that stands in his way are a small town sheriff (Paul Galloway), a dedicated young biologist (Gerald Cruse) and a couple of swinging agents (Sanna Ringhaver, Dave Dickerson) from the Inter-Nations Phenomenon Investigations Team (INPIT). Also starring Archie Valliere and Nancy Lien.

It’s a Southern fried fight to the finish (Florida style!) with the ecological state of the entire planet at stake!

Available on video for the first time in its original glory, digitally restored in HD and transferred from original 35mm elements, this DVD/Blu-ray combo pack contains a whole tackle box full of extras, including feature-length audio commentary by cast and crew; original 35mm trailer; television spots; outtakes; radio interview; before-and-after restoration demo; and an original movie art postcard.

Produced and directed by Don Barton and written by Ron Kivett and Lee Larew, Zaat is presented in widescreen with an aspect ratio of 16x9 and Standard Dolby Audio. Includes Spanish subtitles.

About a week ago we told you of a huge Hollywood deal that was in the works that would see the purveyors of all things sparkly and vampyric getting acquired by the studio built upon the horror genre's back. Today it has been made official.

From the Press Release
Lionsgate (“the Company”) and Summit Entertainment today announced that Lionsgate has completed a transaction to acquire Summit for a combination of cash and stock valued at $412.5 million.

The transaction unites two leading studios with powerful brands and complementary assets, solidifying Lionsgate’s position as the world’s largest and most diversified independent entertainment company. By acquiring Summit, Lionsgate enhances its feature film and home entertainment offerings and further broadens its 13,000 title filmed entertainment library to include such titles as The Twilight Saga, The Hurt Locker and Red. The integration of both Summit’s domestic and international theatrical film operations will significantly enhance Lionsgate’s production and distribution capacity, while also extending the Company’s worldwide reach and creating a dominant international sales organization.

The transaction brings together Summit’s Twilight Saga feature film franchise, which has already grossed more than $2.5 billion at the worldwide box office, and Lionsgate’s highly anticipated Hunger Games franchise, which opens on March 23, 2012. Lionsgate will also continue to benefit from its premier television production and distribution business, its array of branded film and television properties, its suite of branded channels and its success as an innovator in creating and distributing content for digital platforms. Both the Lionsgate and Summit labels are expected to continue and be active in the production and distribution of films, although the combined company expects to realize significant synergies through the consolidation of administrative and other costs.

“This transaction continues Lionsgate’s long-term growth strategy of building a diversified worldwide media company through a combination of disciplined, accretive strategic acquisitions and organic growth while maintaining a solid balance sheet,” said Lionsgate Co-Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Jon
Feltheimer and Vice Chairman Michael Burns. “We are uniting two powerful entertainment brands, bringing together two world-class feature film franchises to establish a commanding position in the young adult market, strengthening our global distribution infrastructure and creating a scalable platform that will
result in significant and accretive financial benefits to Lionsgate shareholders. Rob Friedman and Patrick Wachsberger have built a remarkable organization, and we’re pleased to welcome Summit’s talented team to the Lionsgate family. Lionsgate’s growth has been built over the years in part by the successful acquisition and integration of companies like Trimark, Artisan, Redbus, Debmar-Mercury, Mandate and TV Guide Network and, in each case, Lionsgate has emerged stronger and the Company’s brand has become more resonant.”

“Jon Feltheimer, Michael Burns and the rest of the Lionsgate team have built an exciting and entrepreneurial content leader over the past 12 years, and we’re delighted to join together these two great companies,” said Summit Entertainment’s Co-Chairmen Rob Friedman and Patrick Wachsberger. “We believe that the combined entity will be even greater than the sum of its parts and our dramatically enlarged media platform will create tremendous opportunities for all of us within the Summit and Lionsgate families. We want to thank our employees, whose hard work and creativity have led to the successful evolution of Summit into a leading worldwide studio, and the combination of Lionsgate and Summit will be the next chapter in creating a true global media powerhouse.”

“As demonstrated by this acquisition, Lionsgate remains focused on preserving a strong balance sheet while pursuing its long-term growth strategy,” said Dr. Mark H. Rachesky, Co-Chairman of the Lionsgate Board of Directors. “We are big believers in the increasing value of content and this transaction strengthens Lionsgate’s asset base while providing significant financial benefits, including highly visible cash flow and revenue. We are looking forward to realizing the value of a Lionsgate-Summit combination for all Lionsgate shareholders.”

The majority of the purchase price was funded with cash on the balance sheet at Summit. The remainder was funded with $55 million of existing Lionsgate cash, $45 million of cash received from a newly issued series of Lionsgate convertible notes, $50 million of Lionsgate common stock and an additional $20 million of cash or stock to be issued at Lionsgate’s option within 60 days. At closing, Summit’s existing term loan was refinanced with a $500 million debt facility, secured by the collateral of the Summit assets. Although the term loan matures in 2016, the Company anticipates repaying the loan well before the maturity date, due to the significant cash flow the business is expected to generate. In addition, this expected cash flow will facilitate the Company’s financial objective of further deleveraging Lionsgate’s balance sheet. The transaction is expected to be significantly accretive in Lionsgate’s 2013 fiscal year beginning April 1, 2012.

AMC has unveiled the official poster for the second half of "The Walking Dead" Season 2 featuring Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) pointing his legendary revolver straight ahead. It's gotten us pretty amped up for the February 12th return of the series, and even better, we've learned that during the January 15th finale of "Hell on Wheels", the network will air a brand new sneak peek scene from "The Walking Dead"'s upcoming midseason premiere, "Nebraska".

Episode 2.08 - Nebraska:
Shane throws accusations at Hershel after finding Sophia in the barn.

To stay up-to-the-minute on all things walker related, follow @WalkingDead_AMC on Twitter and visit "The Walking Dead" on Facebook. For more be sure to hit up the official "The Walking Dead" page on AMC.com.

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Discuss "The Walking Dead" in the comments section below!

Zombie Joe's Underground Theatre Group in North Hollywood, California, has a new play on the horizon which promises lots of our favorite things: love, lust, blood, and betrayal. How can we resist Joe Musso's Blood Water, running Friday nights at 11:00 PM from January 27-February 24, 2012?

Blood Water, directed by Rod Sweitzer, is set in New Orleans during the rampant onslaught of the apocalyptic Hurricane Katrina. Greta, a Bourbon Street stripper, desires “The Prophet” to die for his damnation of her ways, and it’s only her street criminal husband, Rod, that stands in her way.

Where: ZJU Theatre Group, 4850 Lankershim Blvd., North Hollywood, California
Reservations: (818) 202-4120
Tickets: Just $15 each

For more info visit ZombieJoes.com.

"Smallville" alum Cassidy Freeman, who thought she had a nice recurring role on "The Playboy Club" until that show got axed, has now landed a part on The CW's "The Vampire Diaries", which has the potential to go multi-episode. Hef's loss is our gain!

Per TVLine, beginning in Episode 16 of the currently airing Season 3 of "TVD", Freeman will play Sage, someone who is described as “sexy and fearless, with a devilish smile.” Appearing in flashbacks circa 1912, Sage’s allure is felt by the Salvatore brothers as well as by the Original family.

Sounds good to us. For some reason "The Vampire Diaries" is better at integrating guest stars than just about any other show out there so you can be sure we'll be watching to see how Sage fits in with the rest of the residents of Mystic Falls.

For more visit "The Vampire Diaries" on The CW.

Back around Halloween 2011 Google announced it would be creating 100+ "channels" on YouTube for original programming, generating about 25 hours of new programming per day; and one such channel just announced during the 2012 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas is BlackBoxTV, which is striving to be the destination for the horror, thriller, and sci-fi crowd on YouTube. Considering its pedigree, it just might pull it off!

From the Press Release:
Teaming up with Tony E. Valenzuela, who created BlackBoxTV, will be "CSI" creator Anthony E. Zuiker, who will also be bringing a massive list of high quality writers and directors for his monthly "Anthony E. Zuiker Presents" anthology series through his Dare to Pass shingle.

Along with that series of programming, Valenzuela will be providing tons of other weekly content, such as the new BlackBoxTV anthology series, which has been quoted as being "'The Twilight Zone' if it took place in 'Twin Peaks'", as well as "Live Hauntings", in which Valenzuela and his crew spend a night in some of the most haunted and horrifying locations on the globe, and "Black Fridays", a magazine-style show that will bring you all of the best and most entertaining genre-based interviews, news, trailers, and exclusives on a weekly basis.

Below are a couple of promo videos for the endeavor, the first of which introduces you to some of the talented people who've joined the BlackBoxTV crew:

Anthony Zuiker -- Executive Producer (Creator of "CSI")
Carly Feingold -- Producer (Co-Producer of Scream 4)
Bree Essrig -- Host of "Black Fridays" (New Show!)
Joe Nation -- Director of Photography AND BadAssery!!!
Sebastian Lee -- Post Production Coordinator (Imported from Australia)

For more info visit the official BlackBoxTV website and subscribe to the BlackBoxTV YouTube Channel.

A live-action feature adaptation of the R.L. Stine book series Goosebumps has been kicking around Columbia Pictures for months (if not years), and the last we heard Carl Ellsworth (co-writer of Red Dawn and Disturbia) had come aboard to write the screenplay. But things have changed, and now Darren Lemke (Jack the Giant Killer) is starting over from Page One.

Per THR's Heat Vision Blog, Neal Moritz and his Sony-based Original Films shingle are producing, as is Scholastic Entertainment's Deborah Forte. Columbia picked up the rights to the more than 50 books written by R.L. Stine in May 2008. Along with Ellsworth, the project has seen several other writers, but the studio hasn't been satisfied, turning now to Lemke.

The Goosebumps series is known for paying homage to classic sci-fi/horror movies such as Night of the Living Dead and Invasion of the Body Snatchers as well as the twist endings of "The Twilight Zone". Being geared toward kids, they don't have much blood and/or sex but are full of laughs.

Look for more soon - hopefully before another year passes!

NBC has picked up two drama pilots from its sister studio, Peter Traugott’s new Universal TV production company, and while they both sound more "thriller" than horror, one seems to have a "Twin Peaks" vibe and the other sounds like yet another spin on Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde so we figured we'd mention them and then see how Dread-worthy they turn out to be.

Here's the breakdown per Deadline:

"Midnight Sun", based on the Israeli series "Timrot Ashan", aka "Pillars of Smoke", is a thriller following the mysterious disappearance of a group living on a commune in Alaska. The Alaska setting is appropriate given that the original series is being described as "Twin Peaks" meets "Northern Exposure" meets "Lost". "Midnight Sun" centers on a female FBI cult specialist who starts an investigation that uncovers a larger conspiracy. Lisa Zwerling ("The Event", "FlashForward") wrote the adaptation and is executive producing the pilot with Peter Traugott ("Ringer", "Samantha Who?"), Rachel Kaplan, and Alon Aranya.

"Do No Harm" is a medical drama about a brilliant neurosurgeon who wrestles with his dangerous alter-ego that threatens to wreak havoc on his personal and professional life. David Schulner ("The Event") wrote the script and is executive producing with Traugott and Kaplan.

Like we said above, should either or both of these potential series wind up on the horror side of the fence, we'll keep you posted on their progress. One thing's for sure - it looks like NBC is taking its success with "Grimm" to heart and focusing a lot more closely on genre(ish) projects.

Season 2 of Syfy's "Being Human" kicks off this coming Monday night, January 16th, and we've got two more new clips to share, one that takes a look ahead to the upcoming episodes and another that will catch you up on the main characters' relationships.

In "Being Human" leading normal lives is a lot harder than it looks for three roommates – vampire Aidan (Sam Witwer), ghost Sally (Meaghan Rath), and werewolf Josh (Sam Huntington) – who share their secrets and a Boston brownstone.

The Season 2 action picks up nearly a month after last season’s explosive finale as the three continue to struggle with their supernatural double lives and discover that temptation truly is a beast! Sally learns how to take over the body of others and slowly becomes addicted, Josh is still learning how to control his rage and still has Nora to account for, and Aidan doesn’t quite know how to deal with becoming the new leader of Boston.

Executive Producers are Michael Prupas, Adam Kane, Jeremy Carver and Anna Fricke (both of whom are also writers/showrunners), Rob Pursey, and Toby Whithouse. Irene Litinsky is Producer.

For more join the Syfy Google+ circle, "like" "Being Human" on Facebook, and follow "Being Human" on Twitter.

Earlier this week we featured an insane Legos rendering of the Winchester from Shaun of the Dead erected by a guy who goes by the handle of Yatkuu. The creation has been so well received that there is a possibility it could become an actual set produced by Lego...and you Dread Central readers can help put it over the top.

Yatkuu is actually a Belgian gentleman named Greg, and he's informed us that both Simon Pegg and Edgar Wright were so impressed by his work that they tweeted pics of the Lego Winchester and Wright even posted it on his blog.

Now here's the best part: Lego has set up a website entitled CUUSOO where fans can post their creations and the community can vote to support their favorite designs. If a design gets 10,000 supporters, it goes up for a Lego Review for consideration of it being made into an official set. How cool would that be?

Click here to cast your vote for the Winchester. Let's make it happen, people!

For more info visit Yatkuu's Flickr home page.

After just returning from its holiday break, "Supernatural" now goes on a two-week hiatus, returning on February 3rd with "The Slice Girls", featuring guest star Sara Canning from "The Vampire Diaries". We were already looking forward to seeing Aunt Jenna pair up with Dean Winchester, and now that we've seen the teaser trailer, we really can't wait for the ep!

"Supernatural" Episode 7.13 "The Slice Girls" (2/3/12 Air Date; 9:00-10:00 PM):
DEAN’S ONE NIGHT STAND HAS SERIOUS COMPLICATIONS; SARA CANNING (“THE VAMPIRE DIARIES”) GUEST STARS — Sam (Jared Padalecki) and Dean (Jensen Ackles) investigate a case where the victims’ hands and feet have been severed and each have been branded with a strange symbol.

While Sam does some research at a local university, Dean heads to one of his favorite places to investigate – the town bar. Dean strikes up a conversation with a local named Lydia (guest star Sara Canning, “The Vampire Diaries”), and the two go back to her place.

Sam discovers the symbol on the bodies is a sign of Amazon warriors.

Jerry Wanek directed the episode written by Eugenie Ross-Leming and Brad Buckner.

For more be sure to visit "Supernatural" on The CW.