With Anchor Bay Films’ psychological rape/revenge feature Girls Against Boys opening theatrically in New York and Los Angeles on February 1st, we conducted a lengthy interview with the flick’s acclaimed writer and director, Austin Chick.

Girls Against Boys (review here), which lands on Blu-ray and DVD on February 26th, stars Danielle Panabaker (2009’s Friday the 13th ), Nicole LaLiberte (“Dexter”), Liam Aiken (Road to Perdition), Michael Stahl-David (Cloverfield), and Andrew Howard (2010’s I Spit On Your Grave) in a film which revolves around the character of Shae (Panabaker), a naïve New York college student, who, after being tormented by several men in a matter of days, reaches her breaking point and is drawn into co-worker Lu’s (LaLiberte) twisted plan for revenge.

Filmmaker Chick chatted with us at length regarding the production. Dig in!

Dread Central: In ways the film seems the offspring of Baise-moi and Fight Club, although with a more languid, thoughtful approach. What was your inspiration, and how was the scripting process?

Austin Chick: I've always been interested in the dynamics between men and women, and Girls Against Boys might be Part Two in a ‘battle of the sexes’ trilogy that I started with XX/XY. In fact, those two titles, XX/XY and Girls Against Boys, have essentially the same meaning. Both films are about the ways people misunderstand and misinterpret each other’s actions and intentions, and how this can lead to people getting hurt. Nobody loses their feet in XX/XY, but by the end of the movie Mark Ruffalo's character sort of loses his balls.

Revenge movies tend to be populated by characters who are extremes - often even caricatures. In rape/revenge movies the women are often portrayed as innocence personified, and the men are evil incarnate. Painting the situation in this extremely black and white way gives the protagonist a moral righteousness which allows us, as viewers, to feel good about cheering them on. It's an exercise that taps into our innate desire to see the world as a more ‘just’ place, and it allows us to indulge our own violent fantasies.

But rarely are situations in life this simple. In Girls Against Boys I was interested in exploring the grey areas - the collateral damage, the moral ambiguity, and the way violence affects the perpetrator as well as the victim. The violent impulse is complex and imprecise, and it rarely provides the kind of pure catharsis we hope.

Dread Central: In narrative, it possesses a rather bleak outlook on the male gender. What informed this?

Austin Chick: It's structured in a way that opposes the sexes, but the movie actually takes a fairly bleak outlook on people in general. Not all the men in the film behave badly, and not all of the violence unleashed by the women is completely justified. You might say there's something fundamentally feminist about women empowering themselves and exacting revenge, but historically the rape/revenge genre is pure exploitation. The tension created by these contradicting forces is interesting to me, but I'm more concerned with the effects of violence - physical and psychological and real, as well as the violent act we merely fantasize about - as it relates to both men and women.

Dread Central: What was the genesis of the project from script to principal photography?

Austin Chick: I met producers Aimee Shieh and Clay Floren in New York in late 2010. They were looking for a project they could produce in this under-one-million-dollar budget range, and they were fans of my previous films. I gave them the script for Girls Against Boys and they loved it and said they wanted to try to raise financing to make it.

I was living in Vancouver at the time, and it was a few months until I heard from them again, but by spring of 2011 they'd raised enough money that we could start casting. It was a tricky movie to put together because it's not really a straightforward genre movie. It's got those elements, for sure, but my background and interests are in the character-driven, psychological side, and the movie I wanted to make was more of a hybrid. As I met with people - actors as well as crew members - there were some people who got it right away, but most reactions to the script seemed to break down into two camps. There were those who read it as a straight exploitation movie and who were psyched about the idea of chopping off feet and shooting someone up the butt. And then there were others who were intrigued by Shae's story but freaked out by the violence and worried that I was planning to make torture porn.

As you pointed out, the film exists somewhere between an ‘art house’ film and a genre film, so the question of, ‘What version of this script are we making?’ was a constant topic of discussion. Prior to that point I hadn't felt the need to distinguish - I mean, for myself. I had a strong sense of how I thought the genre elements would work, as well as a clear idea about the tone and visual style and the ideas underlying the story that I was interested in exploring, but I understood the concerns people had. It wasn't an easy thing for some people to get their head around. But there were a few, like my production designer, Jeanelle Marie, who got it immediately. Jeanelle showed up to our first meeting with dozens of images that she'd pulled after reading the script. She'd picked up on all the references and visual cues, and she was able to build off them in a way that allowed us to be perfectly in sync.

Dread Central: When was the film shot, how many days of principal, and what did you shoot on?

Austin Chick: We shot in the fall of 2011. It was about eighteen days of principal photography, and then a day or two of stealing stuff around the city with a tiny crew of about six.

We shot most of the movie on the Alexa, but the extreme slow-motion was the RED EPIC because that was shot at 300fps and the Alexa wasn't capable of shooting that. We also shot a bit on the Canon 5D, but there's only one 5D shot in the finished movie. I'll be curious to see if anyone can spot it.

Dread Central: In working with cinematographer Kathryn Westergaard, what was your intended visual approach? There’s a dream-like quality to much of it, with the camera lingering hauntingly on Panabaker.

Austin Chick: I always intended for the film to have a dream-like quality, and there were several films that I had Kat watch as we were prepping for the shoot - Lilya 4-Ever (director Lucas Moodysson), Criminal Lovers (director Francois Ozon), and The Dreamlife of Angels (director Erick Zonka) were a few. The intention - aesthetically speaking - was to start Girls Against Boys based in the everyday world, and then, as Shae's journey unfolds, we slowly moved it away from that sense of realism and into a more fantastical place. Not fantasy exactly but more like a fairy tale or dream world that looks like the world in which we live but is actually more subjective - more closely aligned with Shae's internal life and isn't confined by the concerns of a police procedural.

I was interested in exploring what's going on inside Shae's head, not questions about the 'CSI' stuff. It was a challenge because people are so familiar with forensic science, but the question of ‘how to kill people and get away with it’ wasn't what interested me. I wanted to look at how the character is affected. How she's changed, which is a very subtle thing, but by the end of the movie Shae has totally changed. She looks exactly the same, but she's transformed.

Dread Central: Much of its personality comes from the New York setting as well, something which factors into your previous directed film August, as well as your co-produced feature Before The Devil Knows You’re Dead. How important was setting to you?

Austin Chick: A big part of this movie is the sense of isolation and loneliness (in addition to betrayal) that Shae experiences after Terry breaks up with her and she discovers that he mislead her from the beginning. She's young and alone, and New York can be an incredibly lonely place. It can be exciting, too, but when you're living by yourself and everyone around you seems to be having fun, the sense of isolation can be really overwhelming.

This part of Shae is very familiar to me. I came to New York when I was a few years younger than she is, and I've known dozens of young women like her over the years - going to college during the day and working in clubs at night, where they're constantly being treated like a piece of meat.

I've shot all my movies in New York. An authentic sense of place is incredibly important to me, and it just seemed natural to make movies about places I know intimately. But I'm in L.A. these days, and I tend to look to my immediate surroundings for inspiration - the history, the architecture, the politics, etc. - and I find myself drawn to stories that are set in Southern California. Unfortunately productions are forced to go where the tax incentives are, and it drives me crazy when movies are cheated. When you shoot Vancouver to look like New York, you have to avoid everything great about Vancouver and only shoot in the most generic locations. In most instances I'll want to be able to use the setting like another character in the story, so at the moment I'm working on a project to shoot in Louisiana, and the movie is set in Louisiana.

Dread Central: How was the casting process, and how was your working relationship with Panabaker? She shines in the film.

Austin Chick: Danielle is an absolute pleasure to work with. She's also a trooper. We had some really tough days. We were shooting challenging material, we didn't have much time or money to work with, and some of our crew was very inexperienced. A lot of the time we were shooting without permits on the streets of New York, and things could get pretty chaotic at times, but Danielle was always prepared, always game for whatever I asked her to do, and she never complained. But most of all she was just so damn good.

The character of Lu was actually written as Asian-American, and I had cast a Chinese-American woman. But at the last minute she balked at the nudity, and I was forced to replace her. I was really upset about it at the time, but we were lucky enough to find Nicole, who did an absolutely amazing job with the role.

Dread Central: There are interesting visual cues within the film which tip the audience towards its true nature (Panabaker’s hair, for instance, which begins to resemble LaLiberte’s). Can you comment on that aspect?

Austin Chick: There are a lot of little clues, starting with the second shot in the movie, but I didn't want that to become the central focus. I didn't want that reading to become a gimmick that would eclipse the emotional impact of Shae's story. Too often a twist or a ‘big reveal’ ends up becoming what the movie is about. I wanted to create the possibility - or opportunity - for the story to be read in another way, but not at the expense of Shae's experience. I didn't want to undermine the legitimacy of Shae's journey.

Dread Central: What prompted your (in my opinion refreshing) decision to keep the rape off-screen?

Austin Chick: Throughout the process of making this movie, I was always acutely aware that I was a man depicting the experiences of a young woman. Obviously there are lots of things people do in movies and part of my job is to give them a sense of authenticity, whether I have first-hand experience or not, but too often the showing of a violent act merely sensationalizes it. I wanted to avoid that and preferred to let the viewer's imagination take over.

Dread Central: What was your experience shooting the more FX-laden scenes? The demise of Michael Stahl-David’s character and the finale ‘womb slash’ are particularly effective.

Austin Chick: Special FX makeup was one of the areas where our low budget really caused us pain. It's easy to do lots of squirting blood and gore, but to pull it back and keep it realistic or even understated is expensive if you want to do it well. We actually went through two or three different FX makeup guys over the course of the shoot. We started with a guy who was supposed to fabricate prosthetics for us, but his work was underwhelming, to put it mildly. In retrospect it's kind of funny - like something out of Spinal Tap - but at the time it was a complete nightmare. This guy was supposed to send us two pairs of prosthetic legs for Michael Stahl-David to use in that scene, enough that we could shoot a few takes, but the prosthetic legs didn't arrive until the night before we were supposed to shoot, and when we opened the box, there were no right legs. There were just two left legs, and one of them looked more like a large pink macaroni than a leg.

Luckily we were able to get another FX guy named Anthony Pepe to come in, and Anthony saved us. He showed up with ten pounds of lunch meat - I think it was a combination of prosciutto and bologna - and he packed it into the pink macaroni tube-leg-thing and improvised a solution that allowed us to get through the day.

Those scenes became a combination of practical and visual FX. They required more CGI than I had planned, but I worked with a guy named Ari Levinson, who also worked with me on August, and I'm really happy with how that stuff looks in the end.

Dread Central: Do you feel that marketing is a challenge for Girls Against Boys? The film exists somewhere between ‘art house’ and the horror genre, in my opinion, which is certainly not a bad thing, similar to Simon Rumley’s feature Red, White & Blue.

Austin Chick: The movie is much quieter than the log line suggests. As you said, it's more languid and thoughtful and not the kind of bloody thrill-ride that you might expect if you hear ‘two girls on a killing spree.’ It certainly has some blood and gore, but it's actually a very intimate and internal journey - almost like a fever-dream. It's a quiet and almost meditative sort of experience; that isn't necessarily the kind of thing that's easy to package and sell. It's easier to sell ‘two girls on a killing spree,’ but hopefully audiences will be able to adjust their expectations and they will be pleasantly surprised. I'm sure some people will be disappointed that there isn't more blood, but last year at SXSW a woman asked me why there couldn't be less.

Dread Central: How involved were you in the score and soundtrack? Nathan Larson’s composition is an integral component to the film’s mood, as is the soundtrack (Joy Division was employed wonderfully).

Austin Chick: I worked with both Nathan Larson and Howard Paar (music supervisor) on August. Nathan is a genius and also a joy to work with. When we did August, his studio was just around the corner from my apartment in Brooklyn, and I'd go in to work with him on the arrangements or stand over his shoulder and bug him as he worked. That gave us a strong foundation and the ability to talk about music in a kind of shorthand.

From its inception I always knew Girls Against Boys would be a score-heavy film, and Nathan and I had a lot of long conversations about how it should sound and feel. In the end he decided to go completely analogue and very synth-heavy, and I love the way it sounds. The music is a crucial element of this film. As far as the source cues go, Howard is great. I've always loved Joy Division, and when he said we'd be able to license that track, I was thrilled.

Music is always a challenge on these low-budget projects, but it's such an important part of a movie. I was really excited to be able to use my friend Aaron Diskin's band, Lycaon Pictus. He and John Morton and Simon Marcus all appear in the movie, playing themselves, performing at the Halloween party scene. I've know those guys for twenty years and always wanted to work with Aaron. We used three of his songs in the movie - two in that scene and one earlier - and they all work really well.

Dread Central: In subtext, what was your intent? Again refreshingly, Girls Against Boys I feel leaves it up to the audience to muse, but as a filmmaker, what was your intended commentary?

Austin Chick: I'm reluctant to dictate a particular interpretation or reading because I intentionally left it somewhat open, but as you already pointed out, there are lots of cues, and clues, in the film itself. I feel like the film should stand on its own.

Also, one of the things that I love about the medium is the fact that a film's meaning can change so much over time. There are a few movies I saw in college that I watched again recently, and it was like watching a completely different movie. Themes that resonated with me years ago seemed insignificant now, and new things came to light that I hadn't even noticed before. Watching a film isn't really a passive act, at least not when it's good. You bring your own experiences or, at the very least, expectations to the viewing experience, and that colors how you read or see the movie.

Two titans of the comics industry - writer Alan Grant and artist Shane Oakley - have a four-issue collaboration coming out in trade paperback in March, Channel Evil, inspired by Grant's real-life experience, that also includes a brand new strip titled An Evening with Ba'al.

From the Press Release:
Renegade Arts Entertainment is pleased to announce the March 13, 2013, release of CHANNEL EVIL TRADE PAPERBACK, collecting the four issues of Alan Grant’s (Judge Dredd, Batman) and Shane Oakley’s (Albion, Cthulhu Tales) horror miniseries. This deluxe paperback collection also includes a new, never-before-seen 16-page strip, An Evening with Ba’al, written by Grant and illustrated by D’Israeli (Neil Gaiman’s Sandman, Future Shocks).

Inspired by Alan’s encounter with something from the dark edges of consciousness, CHANNEL EVIL follows Jez Manson, a local TV chat show host ready to exploit everyone in a bid to make the big time. After watching a successful medium channel a benign spirit, Jez invites her on his show, ready to ridicule her for cheap laughs and a few headlines. But Jez is persuaded to try channeling himself. Full of scorn, Jez agrees, planning to fake it, but it turns out that Jez is a natural and finds himself channeling Ba’al, an ancient source of evil.

Trying to laugh the whole thing off, Jez is unaware that he has opened a door for Ba’al to exploit and return chaos and destruction to the world. Jez finds his dreams full of twisted nightmares that share too many details, matching the next day’s news reports.

However, the channeling show has made the national news, and Jez could be moving on to the big time. Persuaded to channel Ba’al again on live TV, Jez knows deep down he's on the edge of the abyss, but the lure of fame and fortune is too strong. What will he unleash this time?

Alan Grant on the genesis of Channel Evil:
The idea originally came to me while I was reading a book by a guy who had formed a "channeling" group to contact the spirits of the dead. I did some research and found that, although it's ignored by the mainstream media, channeling has a huge audience all over the world. I wondered what would happen if, instead of channeling one of the boring spirits who advocate peace and love, somebody managed to channel the spirit of some long-forgotten scion of evil.

I used to own a flotation tank; it was soundproof and totally dark. Once, when I was in the tank, I was thinking about a Batman story I was working on, which featured a villain known as Cornelius Stirk. Stirk suffered from severe mental illness, which he "treated" by cutting the still-beating hearts out of his victims and then consuming them. The thought suddenly flashed through my mind: "This is what I do for a living...and it's evil!" Immediately, and to my terror, a disembodied voice said clearly: "You think that is evil? I can show you what evil really is!" Chills ran up and down my spine. I broke out in a cold sweat. I was out of that tank faster than a ferret up a drainpipe! When I'd calmed down and thought about it, I realised that - whatever the reality of what had happened - it was a brilliant base on which to build a story. I hope it frightens readers as much as it terrified me.

Shane Oakley on Channel Evil:
Working with Alan is another "dream box" I’m ticking off. We’ve been trying to get together on a project for over ten years, and I’m still buzzing that we’ve finally got there. Alan’s scripts are great to work with, they’re lean and mean, he gets on with the story, doesn’t arse about or waste space. I love the idea it’s set at the English seaside, like a lot of kids (and grown ups) I had many day trips/weekends away in Blackpool, the place has a very seductive glamour, a glittering feast for the senses.

But it’s also a little grubby and seedy, which suits the personality of Jez and his show perfectly. And obviously, drawing nightmare scenes of horror and a big bad ass demonic storm god is a plus.

The book also features Shane's original covers as well as the variant covers created by Frank Quitely, Mark Buckingham, D'Israeli, and Wayne Nichols plus eight pages of Shane's sketches and designs for the story. You can pre-order Channel Evil from TFAW now.

The Television Critics Association's winter shindig is still under way, and today is CBS' turn to reveal what it has on its plate. Of interest to horror fans is the network's announcement of when we'll be able to see its adaptation of Stephen King's Under the Dome.

From the Press Release:
"UNDER THE DOME," a new 13-episode serialized drama based on Stephen King's best-selling novel and produced by Steven Spielberg's Amblin Entertainment, opens Monday, June 24 (10:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT). "HAWAII FIVE-0" will move to Friday (9:00-10:00 PM, ET/PT) during the summer.

UNDER THE DOME is the story of a small town that is suddenly and inexplicably sealed off from the rest of the world by an enormous transparent dome. The town’s inhabitants must deal with surviving the post-apocalyptic conditions while searching for answers to what this barrier is, where it came from, and if and when it will go away.

"UNDER THE DOME" is produced by CBS Television Studios in association Amblin Television. Neal Baer, Stephen King, Justin Falvey, Darryl Frank, Stacey Snider, and Brian K. Vaughan, who wrote the television adaptation, will serve as executive producers. Acclaimed director Niels Arden Oplev (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo) will direct the first episode.

BBC America has rolled out another "getting to know you" video for "Ripper Street" - spend some time with Adam Rothenberg, who portrays Captain Homer Jackson on the show. He's a "jack-of-all-trades on the darker side of the spectrum,"a "catch-all of old iconic American imagery."

Jackson is also an American, a one-time Pinkerton detective, and a U.S. army surgeon. He's an expert in the world of early forensics but also a free spirit, untrustworthy and brilliant by equal measure. But his thirst for women, booze, and gambling leaves him hated by some and distrusted by others in the police fraternity. And he has his secrets, too.

The series kicks off on Saturday, January 19th.

"Ripper Street" stars MATTHEW MACFADYEN (Anna Karenina, MI-5, Pride and Prejudice), JEROME FLYNN ("Game of Thrones"), ADAM ROTHENBERG ("Alcatraz"), MYANNA BURING (The Twilight Saga, White Heat) and DAVID DAWSON ("Luther,""Secret Diary of a Call Girl").

Synopsis:
History's most notorious serial killer, Jack the Ripper, tore through London. Now, the detectives who were on the case have to pick up the pieces. In the aftermath of the murders, can anyone keep order in the blood-stained London Streets?

Haunted by the failure to catch London's most evil killer, Inspector Edmund Reid (Macfadyen) now heads up the notorious H Division, the toughest district in London's East End. Charged with keeping order in the chaotic streets of Whitechapel, Inspector Reid is soon drawn deep into the seedy criminal underworld of Victorian London -- where fear always lurks that each new murder could mark the return of The Ripper.

The first teaser trailer for Joe Hendrick's shockfest Ditch has arrived along with a few new stills. The title is near completion, and a release date is expected to be announced shortly so stay tuned.

From the Press Release
Writer Daniel P. Coughlin’s sinister thriller Ditch continues to impress. Coughlin has created a horrifying feature from his script that incorporates an axeman, a ditch party and a score that needs to be settled. Coughlin is best known for his previous horror features, including After Dark’s Lake Dead (2007) and Farmhouse (2008) starring Steven Weber. Ditch will continue this writer’s terrifying film run, with a group of high schoolers targeted for revenge.

And Ditch now has a thrilling teaser trailer. The short clip shows actor Bill Oberst, Jr.. as Vick, with axe in-hand. Vick’s past is linked with Jenny’s (Katy Foley). Jenny has made a mistake somewhere in her past, one which she knows nothing about. Both characters will collide as Vick desires revenge for this past wrong: “People have to pay for what they do.”

Lynn Lowry and Morgan Benoit co-star in the film. Look for it sometime later in 2013.

Synopsis
Jenny Bilson, a high school senior, is the perfect student, a wonderful daughter to a veteran police detective and an all-American dream. But the one mistake she made, which she doesn't even know that she made, is about to haunt her in a very violent way. Throwing a high school 'ditch party' will end up being one HELL of a mistake! Her past returns to exact revenge on Jenny and anyone else who might get in the way.

During today's Television Critics Assoc preview event, Showtime announced "Dexter" is splitting off from its current partner, "Homeland," and premiering early - in the summer to be exact - but refused to confirm that "Dexter" will, in fact, end after its eight season.

The serial killer drama will return on Sunday, June 30th, at 9/8c, earlier than its intended fall premiere and now paired with new series "Ray Donovan."

Per TV Guide, Showtime Entertainment President David Nevins said, "I'm not making any announcements about when 'Dexter' will end. Before 'Dexter' goes on the air for their next season, there will be a clear end game in place, but I can't talk about it. The decision of when 'Dexter' will end is ultimately a creative decision and made on creative reasons."Nevins also added that the series didn't have to rush its production schedule to air by summer because of advance warning and "they've known where they are going."

For more be sure to visit the official "Dexter" page on Showtime, "like""Dexter" on Facebook, and follow "Dexter" on Twitter.

News on the TV project from John Logan and Sam Mendes, who worked together on Skyfall, came out of Showtime's TCA presentation: The show will be called "Penny Dreadful," and it will begin production in London in the second half of 2013.

From the Press Release:
Some of literature's most iconic figures will step into the light on SHOWTIME in PENNY DREADFUL, a psychosexual horror series created, written and executive produced by three-time Oscar nominee John Logan (Hugo, The Aviator, Gladiator) and executive produced by Oscar winner Sam Mendes (American Beauty, Revolutionary Road) and Neal Street's Pippa Harris (Revolutionary Road, Call The Midwife), it was announced by David Nevins, President of Entertainment, Showtime Networks.

In PENNY DREADFUL, some of literature's most famously terrifying characters - including Dr. Frankenstein and his creature, Dorian Gray and iconic figures from the novel Dracula - become embroiled in Victorian London. The series weaves together these classic horror origin stories as the characters grapple with their monstrous alienation. This project marks Logan and Mendes' second major collaboration, following Skyfall, their recent critically-acclaimed and box office record-breaking James Bond film, which Mendes directed and Logan co-wrote, and their first ever collaboration for television. The project will be produced by Mendes' production company, Neal Street Productions.

"John Logan and Sam Mendes are two of the great storytellers of our time," said Nevins. "The visual spectacle, combined with the psychological insight in their reimagining of these iconic literary characters, seems totally mesmerizing to me. This promises to be a wholly original television show."

Chairman Troy Escamilla and the Fright Meter Awards Committee have announced that The Cabin in the Woods was named the Best Horror Movie of 2012, and the film also won in four more categories.

For helming the project, Drew Goddard nabbed Best Director; Goddard and Joss Whedon were honored for Best Screenplay; the cast garnered Best Ensemble; and Cabin's final win came for Best Make Up/Special Effects. Read on for the rest of 2012's best.

For more visit the official Fright Meter Awards website, "like"Fright Meter Awards on Facebook and follow Fright Meter Awards on Twitter (@FrightMeter).

2012 Fright Meter Award Winners
Best Horror Movie:The Cabin in the Woods
Best Director: Drew Goddard for The Cabin in the Woods
Best Actor in a Leading Role: Vincent D'Onofrio-Chained
Best Actress in a Leading Role: Gretchen Lodge-Lovely Molly
Best Actor in a Supporting Role: Michael Fassbender-Prometheus
Best Actress in a Supporting Role: Traci Lords-Excision
Best Ensemble Cast:The Cabin in the Woods
Best Screenplay: Drew Goddard & Joss Whedon-The Cabin in the Woods
Best Make Up/Special Effects:The Cabin in the Woods
Best Score: Christopher Young-Sinister
Best Editing: Aaron Yanes-The Bay
Best Cinematography: Tim Maurice-Jones-The Woman in Black

This was supposed to be last weekend’s B-Sides, but I accidentally sent in the wrong file so you got another song from the Shocker soundtrack instead. Like that Wes Craven slasher, the soundtrack from which this weekend’s installment is taken is also a treasure trove of future B-Sides. So a belated New Year’s Evil rockin’ eve it is.

Cannon Films’ 1980 cult slasher favorite New Year’s Evil boasts a homicidal maniac who phones the lady rocker host of a New Year’s countdown show to let it be known he intends to murder someone each time the clock strikes midnight in a different time zone, and the last victim will almost certainly be her. Essentially, it’s the way you secretly deep down wish NBC’s New Year’s countdown show with Carson Daly would culminate. Well, it’s the way I wish it would end.

Since that killer's modus operandi kind of limits the film’s body count a bit, that means there’s extra time to kill; and seeing as how it’s a movie built around a New Year’s countdown show, that means there is plenty of time for song and dance. And since New Year’s Evil is a time capsule of the punk rock-new wave music scene of the era, you can pretty much guess that unlike so many “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve” shows of the same time period, the musical stylings of Barry Manilow do not comprise the soundtrack.

Much of the music comes from an actual band named Shadow. The odd thing about Shadow is that their music sounds far more like a Seventies metal band than the Eighties punk rock and new wave the film promotes. Ah, who cares? It’s 1980 and the top act on a New Year’s countdown show isn’t Manilow, The Gap Band, or The Oak Ridge Boys. “New Year’s Evil” by Shadow it is.

Happy 2013!

It was The CW's turn to shine at the Television Critics Association's winter 2013 session today, and president Mark Pedowitz touched on all the network's shows that are of interest to genre fans, including a possible ninth season of "Supernatural." Read on for the highlights.

We weren't able to attend Pedowitz's panel, but luckily for us - and you, The Futon Critic, HitFix, TV Guide, and ZAP2it all brought back the following info:

How did "Cult," which had been in development for a long time, finally make it to the air? Pedowitz said he walked into the development office, asked for the piece of material they wished they'd moved forward with, and was given "Cult." With its show-within-a-show concept, any concern it's too confusing? "We are aware we have a complex, multifaceted show going on and are trying to keep it as clear as possible," executive producer Rockne O'Bannon said . "I have a great deal of faith and trust in the audience to hook into what's going on."

How will they incorporate having a fictional show that uses social media and the idea of group viewings as a character of its own? "What's interesting to CW marketing is that it isn't just social media being used to promote a show but that the show is about social media and that connection," O'Bannon said. "The marketing will be the same within the show as the marketing the appears on the side of buses and such."

Where did the idea of "The Originals" come from? "We have a lot of characters on 'Vampire Diaries,' and they're all rich, rich characters. Klaus and the Original family gives us an opportunity to do something where we can get more bang for the buck, so to speak." He elaborates on the characters and setting: "We're basically going to go and focus on the Original family. The [main] character will be Klaus (Joseph Morgan), [and] at the moment Phoebe [Tonkin] will be coming on board the spin-off [as well]. Hopefully some of his siblings will join along. Klaus was one of the founding fathers of New Orleans, and the show will be set in that venue. Klaus is a great character, and the Original family has this great dysfunctional family dynamic. We thought that was a great way to go to take the show."

Speaking of Phoebe, Pedowitz said specifically that the network hasn't considered Tonkin for the "Wonder Woman" pilot, disappointing a lot of her fans.

What's the status of "The Selection"? "[The new] script just came in, very well done; we have not made our pilot choices, and yes, it's still in contention."

It looks like preliminary reports the network was considering a "Battle Royale" series were blown a bit out of proportion: "It's taken on a life of its own. There was one phone call last summer before the press tour to see if the books were available. They were not so we were not able to do anything. At this time we are not planning to do anything with 'Battle Royale'."

Now, finally, what's the status of "Supernatural"? Will we see seasons nine and ten, considering Warner Bros. has finalized deals with series stars Jensen Ackles and Jared Padalecki for the next two potential seasons? "Nothing's been announced yet, no determination's been made,"says Pedowitz of a possible ninth season specifically. "We are pleased with how Wednesday night has worked out, with 'Arrow' being a bona fide hit and 'Supernatural' actually gaining viewers... Creatively the show is in a good place... There's always a good shot that could happen."

With "The Vampire Diaries" prepping its "Originals" spinoff, any chance of "Supernatural" spawning a sister series of its own surrounding fan favorite Castiel? Pedowitz thinks "Supernatural" may not be the best launchpad for another series. "You look at [whether the] audience is engaged. You look at that universe -- can it actually launch something? [With] 'Supernatural,' if you decide to do a spin-off off of that, you [question] does it work? Does it incubate the show really well?"

And that should be a wrap of our winter 2013 TCA coverage, but if other odds and ends come in, you can be sure we'll pass them on!

If you're a fan of JJ Abrams'Super 8, starting this March, you can add your very own Limited Edition Alien Bust from the film to your horror collection. And to fill the time between now and then, you can play with the company's Argus Cube Prop Replica, which is available already.

Super 8 Alien Bust (click here to pre-order):
Created by artist Neville Page, world-renowned creature designer, this incredible Super 8 Alien Limited Edition Bust is taken directly from the 3D model used to make the creature effects in the Super 8 movie! Measuring 10-1/4inches x 4-3/4inches wide and weighing approximately 3 pounds, the Super 8 Alien Limited Edition Bust is the largest and most complex statue ever created by Quantum Mechanix. Both the master used to make the bust and the paint design were created by Mr. Page. As a result, it has an incredible amount of detail and complexity and is extremely accurate. Each bust in this limited edition comes with a numbered certificate of authenticity signed by Neville Page and includes an individually numbered plaque. It would be impossible to create a more meticulously accurate piece thanks to Mr. Page's collaboration. It'll make a terrific addition to your monster collection! Limited edition size still TBD.

This extraterrestrial creature crash-landed on Earth in 1958. Despite his superior intelligence and advanced technology, he was captured by the military and placed in a holding cell for observation and experimentation. That is, until he escaped and tore a path of destruction through a small town - his ultimate goal was to repair his ship and return to his home planet.

Super 8 Argus Cube Prop Replica (click here to order):
If Aliens made LEGO, this is what they'd look like. From JJ Abrams' sci-fi thriller Super 8, and using the 3D solid model files used to create the screen-used props, QMx has created an exact replica of the Argus Cube in passive mode. With a polystone core, the exterior of the cube is plated with a smooth pearlescent coating, perfectly replicating the semi-organic, semi-metallic finish of the hero prop. The cube itself measures 2 inches on each side and weighs about 8 ounces. The Argus Cube comes in a special crate box as seen in the movie!

The Argus Cube, so named by the scientist studying the only alien ever to be captured alive, is a biomechanical miracle. Each cube is an organic magnet, capable of reassembling itself on an atomic level to fit almost any purpose. The cubes, which appear in the movie Super 8, are the building blocks of the alien's spaceship. Essentially indestructible, thousands of cubes were recovered when the ship crashed on earth in the 1950s. Scientists studying the cubes couldn't determine their function until they applied an electrical charge that caused the cubes to momentarily form a part of the ship. Ages 14 and up.

Bestselling author Simon R. Green has taken his Ghost Finders book series and made the leap to the big screen. The first film to be adapted from the series is entitled Judas Ghost, and it is scheduled for release this year. Dig the new trailer and some stills.

Judas Ghost was written by Green and directed by Simon Pearce. The film stars Martin Delaney, Lucy Cudden, Simon Merrells, Alexander Perkins and Grahame Fox.

More on this as we get it, but for the most up-to-date info on the film, visit the official Judas Ghost website and follow Judas Ghost on Twitter (@JudasGhost).

Big thanks to Avery G for snooping out the info on Judas Ghost and giving us the heads-up!

Synopsis
The Carnacki Institute exists to do something about ghosts. When reports of the supernatural from an old village hall point to an apparently standard haunting, an elite team of ghost finders is dispatched to assess the situation. The team of four includes a cameraman and former ghost finder from the Carnacki Institute, who is there to document events as a training tool for new recruits.

But things go from bad to worse when it becomes clear that they are facing something far more sinister than they first anticipated. The hall harbors a dark secret, and the team must use every trick they know to try and get out of there alive. Three men and one woman who think they've seen it all. That is, until they encounter the chilling Judas Ghost. Who will survive, and what will be left of their souls?

Attendees of CBS’s executive session with Nina Tassler held during the winter Television Critics Association event saw a promo video for “Under the Dome” and heard from author Stephen King and screenwriter Brian K. Vaughan via a second video.

Here are some highlights; be sure to hit the link to Crave Online below for the full rundown:

Tassler said the 13-episode show, which will premiere June 24th, begins shooting in February in Wilmington, North Carolina. Look for the first promos during the Super Bowl.

The King/Vaughan presentation included a few clips and animatics illustrating how graphic the show might be. People and cows sliced in half by the dome landing, a plane crashing into the dome in mid-air, townspeople ransacking supermarkets and washing their bloody hammers from God knows what kinds of murder.

“At the time that it comes down, the wife of the town’s selectman is taking flying lessons and the plane hits this invisible dome,” described King. “The pilot just sees the nose of the plane crumble and parts of the plane hit the ground. The gradual realization of what this thing is should be powerful. I thought of it as a force field. TVs won’t work, electronics won’t work.”

Vaughan added another gory detail about the dome’s EMP quality. “If you get too close to it, pacemakers will explode out of your body.”

“Under the Dome” will deal with how long supplies last when the town of Chester’s Mill is cut off. “There’s only so much heat, only so much food. It was a chance to talk about the depletion of resources and how people behave in extraordinary circumstances... The novel only covers a short period of time. The idea of the TV series is not to extend it for a week, but months... It’s going to bring out the best in some people and the worst in other people.”

Synopsis:
UNDER THE DOME is the story of a small town that is suddenly and inexplicably sealed off from the rest of the world by an enormous transparent dome. The town’s inhabitants must deal with surviving the post-apocalyptic conditions while searching for answers to what this barrier is, where it came from, and if and when it will go away.

"UNDER THE DOME" is produced by CBS Television Studios in association with Amblin Television. Neal Baer, Stephen King, Justin Falvey, Darryl Frank, Stacey Snider, and Brian K. Vaughan, who wrote the television adaptation, will serve as executive producers. Acclaimed director Niels Arden Oplev (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo) will direct the first episode.

Need a break from watching football or waiting around to see the Golden Globes? Then check out the first four minutes of the Season 3 premiere of "Being Human" on Syfy. The network's #beinghumannow Twitter campaign paid off with over 20,000 retweets!

Season 3 Synopsis:
"Being Human" stars Sam Witwer, Meaghan Rath, and Sam Huntington with Kristen Hager joining this year as a series regular. Season 3 premieres on Monday, January 14th, and will consist of 13 episodes beginning with Episode 3.01, "It's a Shame About Ray."

Season 2 ended with Aidan (Witwer) buried alive as punishment from vampire leader Mother, Sally (Rath) lost in a state of limbo, and Josh’s (Huntington) plot to kill his maker, Ray, endangering Nora instead.

Related Story:Prep for "Being Human" Season 3 with this Video Blow-Out!

The new season also features a stellar lineup of new and returning guest stars including: Mark Pellegrino ("Lost,""Revolution") as Aidan’s vampire mentor Bishop; Amy Aquino ("Harry’s Law,""ER") as Donna, a witch whose supernatural spells are sought out to help find Sally; Xander Berkeley ("Nikita") as Liam, father of purebred werewolf twins who is intent on locating his missing children; Bobby Campo (Final Destination) as Max, a young mortician who develops a connection with Sally; and Kyle Schmid ("Copper," The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants) returning as Aidan’s vampire protégé/"son" Henry.

Being Human is a Muse Entertainment production in association with Zodiak USA and is based on the acclaimed series created by Toby Whithouse and produced by Touchpaper. Executive producers are Michael Prupas ("The Kennedys,""Pillars of the Earth"), Anna Fricke ("Men in Trees,""Everwood"), who is both writer and showrunner, Rob Pursey, and Toby Whithouse. Irene Litinsky (Human Trafficking, The Phantom) is series producer.

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

The box office weekend may have belonged to the hunt for Osama Bin Laden; but dick, fart, and pot jokes helped the Paranormal Activity spoof A Haunted House open big in second place.

Meanwhile, poor Texas Chainsaw 3D got so massacred it nearly dropped out of the top ten a week after topping it.

Last weekend a couple of readers gave me flack for being too cynical in regards to Texas Chainsaw 3D’s box office prospects. Now it looks like I may not have been cynical enough. A week ago TC3D was the #1 movie in the country, opening with over $23 million. A week later it’s all the way down to 9th place with only $5.15 million. Horror movies that open big tend to drop big in its second week, but a 72% drop is far worse than average.

According to Box Office Mojo, that week two death plunge is roughly equal to the one suffered last year by The Devil Inside, a movie you may recall with an ending that so infuriated moviegoers there were reports from around the country of audiences booing, throwing things at the screen, and even spitting on the ground in disgust. At least TC3D didn’t inspire people to spew bodily fluids on the theater floor in protest.

Texas Chainsaw 3D is now expected to peter out around $40 million, putting its box office totals right on par with Platinum Dunes’ prequel Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning, which is still only half of what the Platinum Dunes remake grossed.

The good news for Leatherface fans is that’s still good enough for Millennium Films and Lionsgate to go ahead and announce the saw is revving up for yet another sequel. That sequel may or may not already be in the planning stages depending on which producer is being asked. A little behind-the-scenes mess they’re going to have to sort out first.

Never underestimate the power of the lower common denominator. That’s the lesson to be glommed from A Haunted House’s $18.8 million second place opening. The Marlon Wayans horror spoof was no match for Oscar nominated Zero Dark Thirty’s $24+ million but more than enough to upset Gangster Sqaud’s $16 million bow. A “B-“ Cinemascore seems to indicate it won’t have much legs in the coming weeks. Regardless, this will still prove a moneymaker for Open Road Entertainment, and nobody should be surprised when a sequel gets announced.

A Haunted House’s opening probably has the makers of Scary Movie 5 feeling a little more confident today knowing this brand of spoof movie is still bankable, and you just know somewhere out there Friedberg & Seltzer are rubbing their hands, doing their best Mr. Burns "excellent" impression.

Next weekend sees Zero Dark Thirty Oscar nominee Jessica Chastain battling herself for the top slot when the Guillermo Del Toro-produced Mama she stars in opens. Given strong early word-of-mouth from those that have seen it, Mama could prove to be a real sleeper hit.

On February 17th loyal Mortal Kombat fans will be rewarded by the premiere of Season 2 of the popular web series Mortal Kombat: Legacy. Today via director Kevin Tancharoen on Instagram, we have the first look at the cast and more. Dig it!

From the Press Release
A second season of the hit live-action web series "Mortal Kombat: Legacy" is currently in production in Los Angeles and will debut worldwide in Q2 2013 exclusively on Machinima, the number one entertainment network on YouTube. Based on the best-selling “Mortal Kombat” videogame franchise, Kevin Tancharoen (“Mortal Kombat: Legacy”) returns to direct and co-write "Mortal Kombat: Legacy 2" alongside writers Josh Baizer and Marshall Johnson (“Dead Loss”).

The first season of "Mortal Kombat: Legacy" was one of the most-viewed web series of 2011 with more than 60 million views to date on Machinima. In the second season the saga continues as Liu Kang and Ermac join the ranks of fighters introduced in the first season of the web series including Kenshi, Kung Lao, Kuai Lang, Stryker, Kitana, Mileena, Johnny Cage, Scorpion and Sub Zero. This new season will uncover the rivalries and histories of these fierce warriors as Raiden and his recruits clash against the dark forces of Outworld. The epic battle for Earthrealm has finally begun!

"Fans are in for a real treat with the second season of Mortal Kombat: Legacy," said Tancharoen. "With added visual effects and storylines that dive deeper into our warriors as they make their way to the tournament, we’re taking this series to a whole new level. I'm really looking forward to showing fans the first clip during the Streamy Awards on February 17."

"Mortal Kombat: Legacy 2" features stars from television and film - many of whom have real-world martial arts experience. The cast includes Harry Shum, Jr. ("Glee") as the warlord adviser "Kuai Liang," Casper Van Dien ("Starship Troopers") as martial arts film actor "Johnny Cage," Brian Tee ("The Wolverine") as Shaolin Monk "Liu Kang," Mark Dacascos ("Cradle 2 the Grave ") as "Kung Lao" - a close friend of "Liu Kang," Ian Anthony Dale (“Hawaii Five-O”) returns as the resurrected ninja “Scorpion,” and reprising his role he made famous in the "Mortal Kombat" theatrical release - Cary Tagawa as the powerful, arrogant sorcerer "Shang Tsung."

“Machinima and our audience have been eagerly awaiting the next chapter in this series, and I’m thrilled to announce that Mortal Kombat: Legacy 2 will return to its original home on Machinima,” said Allen DeBevoise, Chairman, Co-Founder, and CEO of Machinima. “We have become a destination for episodic narrative series thanks in part to the first season of Mortal Kombat: Legacy, and we look forward to breaking new ground with this much anticipated new season.”

“Mortal Kombat: Legacy 2" comes from producer Lance Sloane ("H+: The Digital Series" / "Act of Valor") and Kevin Tancharoen (“Mortal Kombat: Legacy”) who also serves as the series’ director. Production services are provided by Bandito Brothers, and Hayden Roush and Marina Stabile serve as Line Producers. The series is written by Josh Baizer, Marshall Johnson and Kevin Tancharoen. “Mortal Kombat: Legacy 2" is produced by Warner Bros. Digital Distribution and distributed by Machinima, Inc.

Mortal Kombat was first released on October 8, 1992. Since then it has become known as one of the darkest fighting games on the market. Famed for its mortal competition, fatalities and dark sense of humor, the game has been released on all major consoles, as well as arcade machines. The original development team, now known as NetherRealm Studios, led by creative director Ed Boon, continues to develop the game and build upon the existing success and rich story it has created to date.

Dexter the Game 2 is now available from the App Store and Google Play, and Showtime has released a new trailer for it. Now go wherever your dark passenger takes you in the new game you're dying to play!

Synopsis
Developed internally at Ecko|Code in conjunction with SHOWTIME, Dexter the Game 2 puts players in the shoes of America’s favorite vigilante in an open-world Miami. Dexter navigates the city in his own signature style. Crime scenes will be investigated with the knowledge that the serial killers who have evaded Miami’s Police Department will be stalked and given their comeuppance by Dexter's Dark Passenger. Series star and executive producer Michael C. Hall provides the voice of Dexter Morgan and was a close collaborator in the game’s development.

“The fan’s main comment about the original game was that it was too short. With Dexter the Game 2’s procedurally created serial killers and cases, the player will never run out bad guys to stalk and crimes to solve,” said Marc Fernandez, Chief Creative Officer of Ecko|Code. “Exploring a richly detailed and vast Miami through Dexter’s eyes is thrilling.”

"Over the years we’ve worked closely with Ecko|Code to experiment with how fans enjoy experiencing Dexter’s world in the digital space," said Laura Palmer, Senior Vice President, Distributor Marketing, Showtime Networks. “Combining the freedom and the dark humor and suspense of the series, Dexter the Game 2 is unquestionably the most ambitious project yet.”

Pick your poison: Click the following links for the App Store or Google Play

Lots of "The Walking Dead" news today! After learning who the new showrunner will be, we found a third promo and synopsis for "The Suicide King" as well as titles of the remaining Season 3 episodes.

"The Walking Dead" Episode 3.09 - "The Suicide King" (airs 2/10/13)
The Governor (David Morrissey) plans an assault on the prison, but Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) and the other survivors might just attack first! Written by Evan Reilly; directed by Lesli Linka Glatter.

As for the rest of the Season 3 episodes, here are their titles and airdates:

Episode 10: "Home" - February 17, 2013
Episode 11: "I Ain't a Judas" - February 24, 2013
Episode 12: "Clear" - March 3, 2013
Episode 13: "Pale Horse" - March 10, 2013
Episode 14: "Killer Within, Part II" - March 17, 2013
Episode 15: "This Sorrowful Life" (directed by Greg Nicotero; written by Scott M. Gimple) - March 24, 2013
Episode 16: "Welcome to the Tombs" (directed by Ernest Dickerson) - March 31, 2013

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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Ready for another look at what "The Vampire Diaries" has in store for us this week when it returns with Episode 4.10, "After School Special"? Then check out this image gallery along with a new "Thirsty Wolf" promo from The CW.

"The Vampire Diaries" Episode 4.10 - "After School Special" (airs 1/17/13, 9-10 pm)
REBEKAH IS BACK WITH A VENGEANCE — Appearing unexpectedly at Mystic Falls High, Rebekah (Claire Holt) wastes no time trying to force Stefan (Paul Wesley), Elena (Nina Dobrev), and Caroline (Candice Accola) to answer her questions about the search for a cure, leading to a bombshell piece of information from Elena.

When Bonnie’s (Kat Graham) father, Rudy Owens (guest star Rick Worthy, “Supernatural”), accepts the role of Interim Mayor, he makes it a priority to protect his daughter, who isn’t at all comfortable with the role he suddenly wants to play in her life. Professor Shane (guest star David Alpay) continues to encourage Bonnie to believe in her powers, but he soon finds himself in danger when he reveals too much to the wrong person.

Later, Caroline does her best to comfort Tyler (Michael Trevino) after a violent confrontation. Meanwhile, at the lake house, Damon (Ian Somerhalder) and Matt (Zach Roerig) train Jeremy (Steven R. McQueen), trying to raise his game as a hunter, but Klaus (Joseph Morgan) is impatient with their progress and intervenes to speed up the process. David Von Ancken directed the episode written by Brett Matthews.

For more visit "The Vampire Diaries" on CWTV.com, "like""The Vampire Diaries" on Facebook, and follow "The Vampire Diaries" on Twitter.

Dead Weight Productions'Mimesis: Night of the Living Dead is getting set to make its Blu-ray and DVD debut courtesy of Anchor Bay Entertainment, and we have the very first clip for you locked and loaded.

From the Press Release
Why watch a horror film when you can live one? For over a century, fans have had their blood curdled and spines chilled by the vicarious thrills of horror films. Whether populated by ghouls, slashers, zombies or vampires, fans flocked to have their pulse quickened and exercise their scream-generating skills. But one thing remained constant: Eventually the story ended because it was only a movie. What if it didn’t have to end? What if the next level of horror was to experience a horror film from the inside?

Already the fan and critical favorite from over 15 notable film festivals, Anchor Bay Entertainment presents the next evolutionary turn in horror entertainment with the February 12th release of Mimesis on Blu-ray™ and DVD. Starring genre favorites Courtney Gains (Children of the Corn, Back to the Future) and Sid Haig (Rob Zombie’s Halloween, The Devil’s Rejects, House of 1000 Corpses), with a special cameo by original Night of the Living Dead star Bill Hinzman and featuring a song from the multi-platinum selling band Insane Clown Posse, Mimesis is already on its way to becoming the next great cult horror film! SRP is $24.99 for the Blu-ray™ and $22.98 for the DVD. Fans will also have the opportunity to experience Mimesis at special event screenings across the country.

*Mimesis, as defined by Merriam Webster Dictionary: “imitation, mimicry.”

Mimesis’ inventive concept has won over fans at festivals spanning the globe, including FesTerror in Barcelona; Fantastic Estepona in Spain, where it won awards for Best Director and Best Original Score; the Shock Stock Horror Convention in Ontario, Canada; CineQuest in San Jose; the Los Angeles Fear & Fantasy Film Festival, where it won Honorable Mention for Best Picture; awarded Best Screenplay at the La Samain du Cinema Fantastique in Nice, France and most recently winning Best Feature Film at the 2012 Living Dead Film Festival.

In the film a group of horror fans find themselves unwilling participants in a living nightmare that pays homage to a classic horror film. Seven complete strangers whose only common link is a love for classic era horror films are invited to attend an exclusive “horror fan” party at a remote farm. But as the sun sets, these strangers soon find themselves within a real life version of the 1968 George Romero cult horror classic Night of the Living Dead!

Mimesis is directed by Douglas Schulze, with screenplay by Joshua Wagner and Schulze. Kurt Eli Mayry, Schulze and Gavin Grazer produced, with original music composed by Diego Navarro.