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Joe Hill's NOS4A2: A Novel Ready to Tingle Spines on April 30th

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Many books are described as "spine-tingling," but we have a feeling Joe Hill's new novel, NOS4A2, is all that and lots more. Check out the book's synopsis and a trailer narrated by the author himself.

Synopsis:
Joe Hill, the acclaimed, award-winning author of the New York Times bestsellers Heart-Shaped Box and Horns, plunges you into the dark side of imagination with a thrilling novel of supernatural suspense that will have you flinching at shadows and checking the rearview mirror again and again...

NOS4A2

Don't slow down

Victoria McQueen has an uncanny knack for finding things: a misplaced bracelet, a missing photograph, answers to unanswerable questions. When she rides her bicycle over the rickety old covered bridge in the woods near her house, she always emerges in the places she needs to be. Vic doesn't tell anyone about her unusual ability because she knows no one will believe her. She has trouble understanding it herself.

Charles Talent Manx has a gift of his own. He likes to take children for rides in his 1938 Rolls-Royce Wraith with the vanity plate NOS4A2. In the Wraith, he and his innocent guests can slip out of the everyday world and onto hidden roads that lead to an astonishing playground of amusements he calls "Christmasland." Mile by mile, the journey across the highway of Charlie's twisted imagination transforms his precious passengers, leaving them as terrifying and unstoppable as their benefactor.

And then comes the day when Vic goes looking for trouble... and finds her way, inevitably, to Charlie.

That was a lifetime ago. Now, the only kid ever to escape Charlie's unmitigated evil is all grown up and desperate to forget.

But Charlie Manx hasn't stopped thinking about the exceptional Victoria McQueen. On the road again, he won't slow down until he's taken his revenge. He's after something very special—something Vic can never replace.

As a life-and-death battle of wills builds—her magic pitted against his—Vic McQueen prepares to destroy Charlie once and for all... or die trying...

The book arrives April 30th from William Morrow; pre-order your copy from the EvilShop below.

Joe Hill's NOS4A2: A Novel Ready to Tingle Spines on April 30th

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Carrie: The Musical to Paint L.A. Red

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The City of Angels will be getting itself one hell of a devil appearing on stage as Carrie: The Musical is prepping to make its Los Angeles premiere this fall. From its infamous roots in the pantheon of terror, you've never seen a musical quite like this..,

Look for it September of 2013. Click here for details.

Twenty-five years after its spellbinding premiere shocked critics and audiences from London to New York, CARRIE, the most legendary Broadway musical of all time, comes to Los Angeles for the very first time.

Based on the classic horror novel by Stephen King, and featuring a book by Lawrence D. Cohen (screenwriter of the classic film), music by Academy Award winner Michael Gore (Fame, Terms of Endearment), and lyrics by Academy Award winner Dean Pitchford (Fame, Footloose), CARRIE spins a classic tale of bloodsport and revenge.

A misfit at school, terrorized by her holier-than-thou mother at home, 17-year-old Carrie White, nonetheless, has a secret. And when a prank at the high school prom goes horribly wrong, they'll all find out how just how scary a secret can be...

Outrageous, controversial and completely thrilling, CARRIE comes to LA in a blazing new immersive production sure to be the theatrical event of the year.

So, make your date, come to the dance, and meet this year's prom queen. It's a night you'll never forget...

Carrie: The Musical to Paint L.A. Red

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Another Still From The Walking Dead Episode 3.14 - Prey

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Another still has come our way for next Sunday's episode of "The Walking Dead," entitled "Prey," and we have your undead fix right here. Check it out along with all of the details you need to get primed for the war.

"The Walking Dead" Episode 3.13 - "Prey" (airs 3/17/13)
The Governor chases a dissenter who fled Woodbury. While the Governor is gone, a traitor tries to sabotage his upcoming plans.

Written By: Glen Mazzara & Evan Reilly
Directed By: Stefan Schwartz

Even More Stills From The Walking Dead Episode 3.14 - Prey

Even More Stills From The Walking Dead Episode 3.14 - Prey

Even More Stills From The Walking Dead Episode 3.14 - Prey

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.

The Walking Dead

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MattFini Survived Resident Evil 6...And Why You Should Care

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Resident Evil was the watershed gaming event for horror fans. How many people, upon seeing that sucker, decided it was time to buy a PlayStation? Finally there was a video game that wonderfully captured the atmosphere and sentiment of our beloved genre. With a wonderfully simple premise (A SWAT-esque team on a rescue mission gone awry), oodles of spooky atmosphere and jaw-dropping blood and guts, it was everything we could’ve wanted in a console experience.

MattFini Survived Resident Evil 6...And Why You Should Care

Hard to believe that was nearly twenty years ago. In that time we’ve had numerous sequels, next-gen remakes, spin-offs, an enduring movie franchise and much more. As far as video games go, it’s hard to find a legacy as enduring as Resident Evil. Which brings us to Resident Evil 6 - the most recent entry in the series, released on both the Xbox 360 and the PlayStation 3 this past October. As a longtime fan of these games, I bought it the day it was released but never found the time to play it. Now that I’ve finally finished it, I thought I might weigh in on the most 'controversial' title in the long-running franchise.

At launch, it was surprising to see such a divisive reaction for an AAA title. Some critics praised the game’s scope and approach. Others derided it as a mess. Gamers couldn’t come together on much common ground, either. The fast-paced mixture of action and horror had its appeal, but others bemoaned the series’ continued departure from the survival horror subgenre. In fact, a depressing amount of Metacritic user reviews seem unable to take into account anything other than the fact that this game has moved away from its roots (something that has been happening steadily for the last decade of Resident Evil games). I don’t begrudge dissenting opinion but so much goes into crafting a large-scale game like Resident Evil 6 that it’s disappointing to find so many people unable to appreciate what is there, as opposed to what’s not.

Especially when these supposedly missing elements are present throughout Resident Evil 6. They’re done differently, sure, but here’s a game where our characters are constantly scraping by, barely surviving their adventures. This is a game where you’ve got to frantically hammer away at the left and right triggers to outclimb a massive monster nipping at your heels. A game where you’ll frequently find yourself without ammo and forced to either run for your life or battle the, ahem, resident evil with melee attacks. It’s a game that throws you up against seemingly invulnerable bosses, saying ”good luck!” as you search for a way to win. There are numerous moments throughout Resident Evil 6 where the characters are lucky to be alive. Moments that are tight, tense and occasionally scary. Moments that fit this series like a glove.

MattFini Survived Resident Evil 6...And Why You Should Care

That’s not to say it’s perfect. For starters, the control scheme feels a bit loose and unpolished. Surely the developers could’ve tightened them up a bit. Certain mechanics, like grabbing cover behind a wall, seem not to work every time, and some surfaces flat-out reject your cover attempts entirely. It’s a function that really needed its own button designation on the controller but Capcom’s insistence of an “always online” gaming experience derives it of that. Because players can potentially join your game anytime, you can no longer pause to sort through your inventory, mix herbs or switch weapons. Instead you do all of that on the move, meaning some of your buttons need to control these menus. The idea of keeping things moving at a steady clip is admirable but there are moments where this becomes incredibly frustrating. Sometimes you need to mix herbs on the fly, or take more than one second to choose a gun once your current firearm runs dry. I died more than once because of these circumstances and it can make for a slightly annoying experience.

Worst of all is the over-abundance of quick time events (QTEs). They come out of nowhere; so unless your hand-eye coordination is akin to that of a fighter pilot, expect to die. Often. The good news is that Capcom was smart enough to anticipate these instances of grim death, and the game always reloads just before said QTE. Regardless, the developers rely just a bit too much on this mechanic. It’s hardly a game-breaker but I suffered more “YOU ARE DEAD” screens here than in any other game in recent memory because of them.

Thankfully, the majority of the combat is fluid and fun. There’s a nice flow to the action so you can whittle an enemy down with a handgun, charge forward and switch to your knife while running and get in a few hacks before choosing to finish him off with a heavy melee. The variety is fun and the approach is entirely up to you: stand your ground and pump every last bullet into an enemy if that’s your thing. Slash the bastards to ribbons with your blade if you want to get up close and personal. Or run around the room and beat the damn things to actual pulp. It’s the first time a Resident Evil game has given us this much variety in combat and, because of that, it offers some pretty significant replay value.

Another plus is the way enemies react once they’re shot. Pop them in their shoulder and watch their bodies jerk with reaction to the gunshot. Marksmen can take the legs off fast-advancing enemies, blow the hands off armed zombies or go for coveted headshots that make heads pop like grapefruits. Shotgun blasts will take chunks of flesh right out of an enemy’s side and knives offer messy decapitations. The bodies react believably to whatever kind of punishment they take, making this the most satisfying Resident Evil to date where combat is concerned.

MattFini Survived Resident Evil 6...And Why You Should Care

On the story front, RE6 is a fairly well written experience, although the fact that it allows the player to progress through the campaigns in any order is a potential detriment. Choose the wrong place to start and the twists will be ruined. Offering four different campaigns is a cool idea and it’s executed well, minus one caveat: the game forces you to replay certain scenarios that shouldn’t have happened. For example, in one campaign, you and your partner are racing for an elevator and the characters from another campaign wind up getting there first, leaving you to take the stairs. But when you play the campaign from the other characters’ perspective, it’s you who misses the elevator this time. It feels like the developers just wanted to reuse level assets rather than create a few new areas to explore.

Leon’s story is essentially “ground zero” for everything, and we slowly glimpse the greater, global picture as his campaign progresses. A stolen submarine, a terrorist cell called Neo-Umbrella, and plenty of twists and turns. It all begins with the assassination of the President of the United States. Leon is framed for the crime and struggles to stay one step ahead of a zombie outbreak while teaming with a rogue secret service agent to clear his name. This is where fans will find the old school Resident Evil vibe: there’s a slow pace (to start), creepy atmosphere and an ever-worsening undead invasion. Along the way there are puzzles to solve and traps to avoid. Probably the best of the four stories.

Next up should be Chris’ campaign. This is where Resident Evil 6 becomes a full-blown war story as a Bioterrorism Security Assessment Alliance (B.S.A.A.) solider, Piers Nivans, tracks down a drunk and disillusioned Chris Redfield whose world has fallen into disarray after losing all his men in a bio-warfare attack months earlier. Piers convinces Chris to lead another team against a bio-outbreak in China that may or may not be connected to the last one. This one’s a redemption story with a fairly downbeat (but appropriate) finish.

From there, go with Jake Muller’s story. Jake is a jaded mercenary doing work in the same eastern European country where Chris lost his men. Here, Sherry Birkin (last seen as a little girl in Resident Evil 2) is tasked with ensuring Jake escapes the country because his blood holds the key to curing the C-virus. The Ustanak, a mutated creature determined to prevent their escape, pursues them. It’s a fun story, complete with some of the more interesting gaming mechanics along the way. Suspenseful stealth-based segments break up the traditional action where you’ve got to hide from the aforementioned monster.

MattFini Survived Resident Evil 6...And Why You Should Care

Lastly, Ada Wong’s campaign ties up most of the loose ends. Ada’s storyline is a blast to play through because she dovetails though the rest of the missions, giving players explanations for all the major occurrences (although a few open questions remain at the end). Beyond that, gameplay is varied: from sneaking around a stealthy submarine to providing sniper cover for some of our other characters, to blasting zombie hordes while piloting a helicopter through decimated city streets. Ada is a woman of all trades and her missions provide the game with a nice epilogue to the action.

While we’re on the subject of characters, it’s worth noting that Capcom has gone ahead and assembled a phenomenal cast to bring these people to life. The whole cast is strong, but there are standouts. Returning from Resident Evil 5, Roger Craig Smith plays Chris Redfield as the square-jawed Captain America of the series: A guy eternally fighting for a better world, who’s been burned by the cost of that fight. Smith does an amazing job of depicting Chris’ personal demons. As his partner, Christopher Emerson gives Piers Nivans the contrast that’s so badly needed. Piers is an altruistic soldier with nothing but belief in “the cause” and Emerson creates a genuinely likeable optimist with the material. Lastly, Courtenay Taylor steals the show as Ada Wong. It’s a dual role of sorts, and Taylor distinguishes beautifully between the two. She also graces Ada with the kind of seasoned professionalism that’s expected of Resident Evil’s most mysterious inhabitant. Ada’s demeanor remains cool, even once she figures out people are toying with her. She’s more amused that someone dare provoke her in this way, and so there’s a fun and playful quality to this femme fatale that Taylor captures perfectly.

The content of Resident Evil 6 is surprisingly robust in this age of eight hour solo campaigns. Traversing through all four storylines takes anywhere from 25-30 hours, and there’s a ton of extra content to boot. The enduring Mercenaries online game lets players make their stand against endless zombie hordes. And then there’s a Left 4 Dead-style mode that allows you to enter another gamer’s campaign as a monster and attempt to stop them from progressing. While I think it’s a shame that every single game feels the need to include an online component these days, the content here certainly helps extend the experience for those who don’t want it to end.

And while I think those who’ve complained about the series straying too far from its roots are melodramatic, I wouldn’t be opposed to Capcom taking a step back from the over-the-top action setpieces and globe-spanning scenarios next time. With the company hinting that a reboot is in Resident Evil’s future, one can only hope they’re not too hasty in this decision. The next game can be a low-key affair without flushing almost twenty years of lore down the toilet. Just focus on scares and atmosphere. Bring in some new heroes and villains. Do whatever it takes to give the series a fresh sheen, but respect what has come before. Expand the universe, don’t narrow it.

Maybe I’m getting ahead of myself. Resident Evil 6 is a solid game plagued by some frustrating moments. It’s fun spending time with these characters again, blasting across the globe against an array of disgusting monsters to dispatch. Characters are good, environments are sufficiently creepy and the voice acting is terrific. Controls are solid, if just a bit unrefined, and the graphics – while a bit soft – offer the kind of ambiance that’s needed to make for an effective creep out. No, this isn’t the survival experience of yesteryear. Instead, Resident Evil 6 succeeds where the last one did not – as a compromise between the old and the new. There’s definitely room to go quieter, scarier next time out. But here’s a perfectly good game truly undeserving of the flogging that it got. If you haven’t given it a chance yet, check it out. I think you might be pleasantly surprised.

I was.

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Filmmaker Haylar Garcia Talks An American Terror, Trailer and Exclusive Stills

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From Columbine to Sandy Hook, school shootings have truly become a modern American terror, and given horror cinema’s historic penchant for addressing the populace’s real-life anxieties in the wake of such tragedies, it was only a matter of time before a filmmaker reflected on this raw topic.

Just as the Saw series and Eli Roth’s Hostel (debatably reactionary films which perhaps unconsciously attempted to ease our psyches in the wake of the stream of beheading and torture videos which emanated from the Middle East commencing with the first Gulf War) drew audience attention, so did George Romero’s 1968 classic feature Night of the Living Dead, via its thinly-veiled commentary on race relations. The amount of sociological discourse inherent in horror is voluminous, and Colorado filmmaker Haylar Garcia is about to throw his hat into the ring, with his forthcoming feature An American Terror (the film’s trailer’s tag-line of ‘The Breakfast Club meets Saw Versus Columbine on Bath Salts’ is what initially drew our attention).

Written, directed and edited by Garcia and produced by Sam Sleiman and Tarik Heitmann and executive produced by Jim Brennan and Roland Salameh, the official synopsis for An American Terror reads as follows; ‘Three teen outcasts decide to trade their nameless and bullied existences for internet fame by exacting a sadistic template for the unthinkable, but in their search for the assault weapons to pull it off, they come upon something far darker than even their own gruesome plans.’

Filmmaker Haylar Garcia Talks An American Terror, Trailer and Exclusive Stills

Starring Graham Emmons, Louise MacDonald, Joe Abplanalp, Taylor Hulett, Nathan Green and Brian Johnson, An American Terror was filmed over the course of eighteen days last June on location in Denver, Colorado (merely a stone’s throw from the Columbine and James Holmes’ massacres), and we caught up with filmmaker Garcia to discuss the feature.

Dread Central: The tag-line and trailer for An American Terror seems intent on generating controversy. Is this is your intent?

Haylar Garcia: Well, trailers are a whole other science, especially where a film like this is concerned. The fact is, even though the film has a deep message, it also was intended to succeed in the commercial market, and with horror audiences. It’s easy to over-focus on the Columbine aspect, and so the trailer is meant to remind us that it’s a true horror film, with ‘fun’ elements for the die-hards. When making the trailer and this tag-line, we looked at the commercially tag-able references in the film, and thought (that) a mash-up reference campaign would be a simple and fast way to understand what the film has to offer in total.

Dread Central: How many drafts? What was the writing process and your head space given the subject matter?

Haylar Garcia: One draft. The pitch, finance and production phases were a bit of a whirlwind. We had a finite window, which meant many things needed to get done at once in order to make this film happen, so I had to work hard to nail down the script narrative the first time around. There were some slight rewrites during production, as per the normal need to bob and weave when making an indie film. As far as my headspace, it was hard to keep myself in that darkness. It can be consuming. In order to write a film like this I had to read a lot about mass shootings and the people who commit them. You find yourself going beyond the act itself and trying to figure out what triggered the act, (and) in doing so you go through a range of emotions and you never really have absolve. No matter how much you try to nail down the catalyst, you always find yourself left with the event. That can be a weird place to be for the entirety of a draft. I will say however, that ‘feeling’ had everything do to with how the film ends.

Dread Central: How was financing acquired?

Haylar Garcia: Financing was acquired and managed through our producers, Sam Sleiman and Tarik Heitmann. They knew a L.A. investor and executive producer, Roland Salameh, who wanted to do a horror film, but Sam and Tarik wanted something that went beyond the average and abundant slasher model. I pitched them this strange Columbine mash-up idea, and found that they too were interested in making a commercially viable film that actually mattered. Getting that kind of creative freedom from L.A. folks is like seeing Bigfoot, so we were blessed to have this new breed of modern, progressive producer aboard. And when you couple Tarik and Sam with our local executive producer Jim Brennan, and production manager Patrick Hackett, things just blossomed. As a director, I was blessed to have this team.

Dread Central: As a Colorado production, did you find garnering support difficult, given the state’s recent history of school violence?

Haylar Garcia: Because we knew people would begin to talk, we kept the initial production on the down-low. The subject matter was not talked about at all. We even had a fake film on Facebook called Red Harvest about Amish vampires, and an obvious nod to George Lucas, to help keep things quietly misdirected until we were done (filming). The James Holmes shooting actually happened after we had wrapped. We had just begun to pull all of the footage into post, and it was mid-July and suddenly the news broke. It brought a sobering light to our film, because we were no longer dealing with a decade-plus old scar. We would be addressing something fresh. Bizarre coincidence? The universe screaming at us? We didn’t know exactly, but suddenly the film felt even more important. That being said, the potential for heat felt far more likely as well. We were in complete disbelief when right after finishing our rough-cut, the Sandy Hook shooting took place. At that point we were sure the universe was screaming at us. Support has been mixed, because not everyone can seem to wrap their heads around the subject matter, especially in trailer form. Some view the film as having been made just for controversy and/or to exploit the national raw nerve of mass shootings. Some believe the violence is just for violence’s sake, or that the school shooting angle is some tasteless gimmick, but nothing could be further from the truth. We knew from the beginning we would be ripping off some Band-Aids, all good horror films do, but the unexpected Batman premiere and Sandy Hook shootings have intensified it one-hundred fold for us. This omelet is using up a hell of a lot of eggs.

Filmmaker Haylar Garcia Talks An American Terror, Trailer and Exclusive Stills

Dread Central: What is your personal stance on the renewed 2nd Amendment debate following the Sandy Hook shootings, and prior, as a filmmaker, what commentary did you aim to inject into An American Terror?

Haylar Garcia: First, I think it’s important to have a stance on what causes people (especially kids) to pick up guns. In actuality, An American Terror explores the preludes to these types of massacres, more than the instruments used in them.

But regarding the issue, as it does ultimately relate, I believe gun control needs to be handled in ways that better serve the populous at large, meaning, I think its common sense that certain weapons are designed for war and not for home protection or sport. And therefore, I don’t think they should be available to the public. NASCAR’s are not street legal. Why should an Uzi be? But before I get NRA-originated hate maiI, I do target shoot for sport.
Dread Central: What is the status of An American Terror?

Haylar Garcia: We are currently entering select film festivals in the 2013 circuit, and we are excited to get the word out and start letting people see the first glimpses of An American Terror. Our producers are preparing to take the film out into the market as we speak. Our fingers are crossed for a lot of reasons. As filmmakers we feel the film can break into the commercial market and have great success, and as Coloradoans we hope it will help some navigate the darkness from an entertainment perspective, and actually make a difference.

For more on An American Terror, check out the film on Facebook here.

Filmmaker Haylar Garcia Talks An American Terror, Trailer and Exclusive Stills

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Indie Horror Month Exclusive: Christian Ackerman Talks Hell's Belles and More

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Just a few weeks ago, Dread Central had the privilege of hosting the online premiere of Christian Ackerman's horror comedy short Hell's Belles which follows two badass chicks that are called upon to battle a demonic entity that has captured a young girl and is holding her as his prisoner.

Starring Ariel Teal Toombs, Mayra Rodriguez, Trista Robinson, Bonjah and James Cavlo, Hell's Belles was also written by Ackerman and produced by Drina Durazo. For Indie Horror Month 2013, we recently caught up with Ackerman to hear more about his latest short film as well as more on his plans to develop Hell's Belles into a feature film project and more. Check out all the highlights from our interview below!

Dread Central: So what inspired you to write this story about these two female badasses that deal with demonic forces?

Christian Ackerman:Well, a few years ago, I imagined a scene involving a gorgeous female mortician driving a hearse. That developed into compiling notes for a feature.  Before I started actually writing, I decided to make it into a short and then write the feature while I was waiting for the festival responses. In the short, she works at a small-town cemetery during the day and moonlights with her best friend as a paranormal investigator.  In the feature, the girls no nothing about magic or the supernatural, and eventually turn into badasses after being forced to fight a horde of demons. To make the short possible, I shaped the idea into a stand-alone piece that showcases the two lead characters, the supernatural elements, and the style of humor I was infusing into the feature.

Dread Central: You balance a lot of comedic elements in this story but you still have all those supernatural elements at play as well; was that difficult to balance them out since if you go too far one way, you become a farce and if you go too far the other way, you run the risk of losing the humor that really sells this crazy story?



Christian Ackerman:I had to make the situation serious in order to balance the fun. Then I could give the demon a sick sense of humor so he could get a few laughs. The best part about making this short before I wrote the feature was to offer myself a testing ground to see what could work. I was able to sit with audiences and see what they responded to. The interesting part is that each audience reacted to each humorous moment differently. I would see a joke not get a laugh at one screening and get a big laugh at the next. I learned that: one- you can't please everyone every time, two- you have to trust your instincts and have confidence in those decisions, and three- the better you set up an unexpected moment, the better the response you'll receive.  My writing partner, Chuck Foster and I used this knowledge to strengthen what we were writing in the feature version.
Dread Central: Talk about your casting process for Hell's Belles and how your actors came on board, particularly your two lovely leads that had some great chemistry together.

Christian Ackerman:I first saw Ariel Teal Toombs (Adria Blackmoor) in a short film while I was working on a few projects with her dad. I then ran into her at a Fangoria convention a few years back. After I wrote the short, I took her to lunch to see if she was right for the character. Her dark sense of humor meshed well with mine and I realized she was perfect to play Adria. Also, seeing that her dad is Roddy Piper, she has an inherent, take-no-bullshit-badass-motherfucker beneath the seemingly innocent visage.

When we held auditions for Helena, Ariel's sharp wit and quick improvisation skills had me laughing my ass off. With that kind of presence, whoever played Helena needed to be just as strong. After seeing about 30 girls for the part, Mayra Rodriguez walked in at the end of the last day. Helena is a tough, vulgar, act-first, think-later kind of girl. She read with our producer, Drina Durazo, and killed it. To top it off, she had the skills, the accent I wanted, and was hilarious. We were sold.

Indie Horror Month Exclusive: Christian Ackerman Talks Hell's Belles and More

Dread Central: Where did you guys shoot Hell's Belles?

Christian Ackerman:I spent a few days driving around the outskirts of Los Angeles, searching for the perfect barn. I knocked on a ton of doors, went to horse stables, got dirty looks on the back roads of secluded ranches, and saw some scary places. Some friends of mine shot a commercial at a great barn in Fillmore, but didn't have the address. After a long day of asking everyone in town, I found it. I knocked on the door of a nearby house belonging to an elderly couple who almost pulled out their shotgun on me. Luckily, they were nice and gave me the number of the owner, who allowed us to shoot there for a reduced fee. We shot the daytime hearse scenes on the nearby country roads.

Since we had 14 pages to shoot over two 30 degree nights with a skeletal crew, we had no time to mess around. I researched the Farmer's Almanac and found out it had rained an inch total over the past ten years. What happened? It rained on the night we scheduled our exteriors. When the rain finally stopped, we had to haul ass to make our night. Luckily, we bought propane heaters and had crew of friends, so the situation didn't turn to mutiny.
We also had problems with actors dropping out last minute, finding a good weekend to schedule all 25 people, and securing any available friends to crew for our cinematographer, Cameron Duncan (Longmire, Southland). 

Dread Central: I thought Hell's Belles has a great slick look to it, can you discuss the shooting style you guys went for, particularly with some of those car shots in the opening which I thought were fantastic?

Christian Ackerman:Thanks! Cameron and I realized it'd be tough to shoot that many pages without being as fast as possible, so we went with a two-camera, handheld approach for a majority of it. I dislike the intentionally shaky, documentary-style of shooting narrative films, so we shot as steady as possible.  Of course, having two cameras can be great, but it also causes complications, especially when you have a small crew. I've done many projects with Cameron since college, so I know he can produce a great image utilizing whatever I could afford to give him.

For the moving hearse scenes, we rented a suction cup mount and stuck the camera to the inside of the windshield and to the hood. We mounted a GoPro onto the fender for the other shots. The hearse was fun. I'll be buying one when I get that first big check someday.

Indie Horror Month Exclusive: Christian Ackerman Talks Hell's Belles and More

Dread Central: I thought the demon make-up was rather impressive especially considering when you're making a short you don't have the biggest budget at your disposal- can you tell us more about the artists behind the creature?

Christian Ackerman:Somehow, I'm lucky enough to have such talented friends willing to help me out. I befriended Dan Crawley and Chris Hampton on Dead and Gone in 2006. They've worked on huge projects like Watchmen, The Avengers, Thor, Star Trek, Benjamin Button, The Hobbit, and True Blood. I wanted the demon to look as badass as possible. If he looked scary, the humor would work. Dan and Chris kicked ass and eventually collected a few festival awards for it.

Also, we can't forget Bonjah, who blew us all away portraying the demon Beleth, and Hilda Marquez for designing his costume. What the hell do demons wear? I have no clue, but we gave it a good shot!

Dread Central: You mentioned that you're planning on developing Hell's Belles into a feature film- what aspects of the story in the short are you going to be bringing to the feature and how do you plan on expanding this world? Will we see more monsters and creatures and adventures for our leads?

Christian Ackerman:Adria, Helena, and Beleth are the characters returning for the feature. Adria is a mortician at her father's struggling cemetery, which is about to be overtaken by their ruthless rival. When a portal opens in the cemetery and unleashes a horde of demons, ghouls and goblins out to collect her soul, she has to regain her father's cemetery while fighting to survive the night.

Chuck and I have had a blast writing it. Our goal is to make it into a trilogy following Adria and Helena's adventures into Hell.

Dread Central: Anything else you've got coming up?

Christian Ackerman:In the spring, I plan on directing my next horror-comedy, a haunted house short Chuck and I wrote called Son of a Bitch. In the meantime, we're focusing on finding representation, getting Hell's Belles-the feature made and continuing the short's festival run.

Have a look at the NSFW short below. For more be sure to visit the official Hell's Belles website, follow the flick on Twitter, and "like" it on its Facebook page.

Hell's Belles-A Dread Central Exclusive! from Christian Ackerman on Vimeo.

Indie Horror Month Exclusive: Christian Ackerman Talks Hell's Belles and More

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Do You Have a Killer Horror Script? Enter it in the 2013 Scream Craft Horror Script Contest

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Everyone's got a story inside them. Do you have one that's capable of winning the 2013 Scream Craft Horror Script Contest? If you do, it could be the beginning of your horror writing career. Read on for the details of this contest.

Information has been removed as per request. Check back later for updates.

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First Look at Rutger Hauer in True Blood

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The first paparazzi images of Rutger Hauer as the character of "Macklyn" on the set of HBO's now filming sixth season of the vampire-driven hit "True Blood" have arrived! Check 'em out and be envious of his hair. Phil Spector wept.

The actor signed on to join the show last October, and the only thing we know about his character is that he's said to have close ties to both Sookie and Jason Stackhouse. Usually that would mean that he's destined to die horribly, but we'll see.

First Look at Rutger Hauer in True Blood

First Look at Rutger Hauer in True Blood

First Look at Rutger Hauer in True Blood

The show returns in June. For more info visit "True Blood" on HBO.com, "like""True Blood" on Facebook, and jump in on the Twitter conversations here using the hashtag #trueblood.

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Chinese Vampires Suffer from Rigor Mortis

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You know, now that we think about it, rigor mortis sounds like a perfectly reasonable malady to befall vampires. Leave it to the Chinese to figure this out. Then again... maybe they should be more worried about their chewable air.

Screen Daily reports that Fortissimo Films has picked up international rights outside Hong Kong and China to Juno Mak’s directorial debut, Rigor Mortis. Currently in post-production, the film is inspired by the popular Chinese vampire movies of the 1970s and 1980s but with a contemporary story and cutting-edge special effects.

Starring one of the original vampire hunters, Chin Siu-ho, the film was produced by J-horror maestro Takashi Shimizu (The Grudge) along with Mak and his Kudos Films. Chin plays himself as a former vampire movie actor who moves into a rundown public housing block, only to discover that the apartment is haunted and he is not alone.

Kind of sounds like some weird version of Fright Night. Here's hoping these vampires end up hopping incessantly just like their silver screen predecessors.

Chinese Vampires Suffer from Rigor Mortis

Chinese Vampires Suffer from Rigor Mortis

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Get Another Taste of Hannibal with this New Teaser

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With the early April premiere date of NBC's "Hannibal" drawing ever closer, we're sure you're all anxious to see every bit of info that's out there for it, and today we have a new teaser to share.

The "Hannibal" series premiere is Thursday, April 4th, at 10PM.

"Hannibal" Synopsis:
One of the most fascinating literary characters comes to life on television for the first time: psychiatrist-turned-serial killer Dr. Hannibal Lecter. In this new drama from Bryan Fuller ("Pushing Daisies,""Heroes") based on the characters from Thomas Harris' classic novels, we see where this incredible story began.

Will Graham is a gifted criminal profiler who is on the hunt for a serial killer with the FBI. Graham's unique way of thinking gives him the astonishing ability to empathize with anyone - even psychopaths. He seems to know what makes them tick. But when the mind of the twisted killer he's pursuing is too complicated for even Will to comprehend, he enlists the help of Dr. Lecter, one of the premier psychiatric minds in the country. Armed with the uncanny expertise of the brilliant doctor, Will and Hannibal (known as a serial killer only to the audience) form a brilliant partnership, and it seems there's no villain they can't catch. If Will only knew...

Starring Hugh Dancy as Will Graham and Mads Mikkelsen as Hannibal Lecter, "Hannibal" will breathe new life into a deadly classic. Laurence Fishburne and Caroline Dhavernas co-star along with Molly Shannon, Ellen Muth, Anna Chlumsky, Lance Henriksen, Gillian Anderson, Chelan Simons, Ellen Greene, Gina Torres, and Raul Esparza

"Hannibal" Episode 1.01 - "Aperitif" (airs 4/4/13)
Series premiere. Troubled FBI profiler Will Graham finds an unlikely ally: Dr. Hannibal Lecter.

For more info visit "Hannibal" on NBC.com, "like""Hannibal" on Facebook, and follow "Hannibal" on Twitter.

Hannibal on NBC

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Xfinity On Demand Comcast Subscribers Can Check In to Bates Motel Early

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The media landscape is changing in new and exciting ways. VOD releases are gaining in popularity, TV shows and movies are readily available online, and now, if you get Xfinity On Demand through Comcast, you can be among the first to see "Bates Motel" a week before anyone.

Yep, you can check out Episode 1 right now, a full week before the series' official premiere on March 18th. Lucky bastards.

A&E Network will premiere the new original scripted drama series “Bates Motel” from executive producers Carlton Cuse (“Lost”) and Kerry Ehrin (“Friday Night Lights”) on Monday, March 18th, at 10 PM ET/PT. “Bates Motel” is a contemporary prequel to the genre-defining film Psycho and promises to give viewers an intimate portrayal of how Norman Bates’ psyche unravels through his teenage years. Fans will have access to the dark, twisted backstory of Norman Bates and how deeply intricate his relationship with his mother, Norma, truly is.

The series stars Academy Award nominee Vera Farmiga (Up in the Air, The Departed), Freddie Highmore (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Finding Neverland), Max Thieriot (Disconnect), Olivia Cooke (Blackout), and Nicola Peltz (The Last Airbender). Season One also co-stars Nestor Carbonell (“Lost,” The Dark Knight Rises) and Mike Vogel (“Pan Am”). “Bates Motel” is produced by Universal Television for A&E Network. Cuse and Ehrin serve as executive producers for Carlton Cuse Productions.

Series Premiere Synopsis - "First You Dream, Then You Die" (3/18/13 air date):
Norma Bates buys a motel on the outskirts of an idyllic coastal town seeking a fresh start with her teenage son, the handsome and shy Norman.

For more info visit the official "Bates Motel" website.


Xfinity On Demand Comcast Subscribers Can Check-in to Bates Motel Early

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Drink In These New Alien Collectibles

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Speaking personally, I cannot have too many collectibles inspired by the Alien franchise. The Xenomorph is probably my third most favorite creature ever (right behind Frankenstein's monster and the Creature from the Black Lagoon). If you're like me, then get ready to drool.

First from NECA...

Based on the Dark Horse comic Aliens: Genocide, the set stars a black and red Alien Warrior. Each 9-inch tall figure features over 30 points of articulation, including extending inner mouths, bendable tails, double elbows and knees. The Aliens: Genocide 2-pack is due for release this June and will be followed in August with a Hicks vs. Warrior 2-pack (blue Alien w/exploding head), and a Hudson vs. Warrior 2-pack (brown alien w/body damage) in October. The Colonial Marines in the last two sets will feature new helmeted head sculpts and expressions as well as new accessories. The Genocide 2-pack will be the only place to get your hands on a black Warrior Alien this year. ALIENS Series 1, scheduled for release this April, will include an Alien Warrior (Brown), Hicks and Hudson.

  • APRIL Aliens Serres 1: Alien Warrior (Brown), Hicks (no helmet) and Hudson (no helmet)
  • JUNE Alien: Genocide 2-Pack: Alien Warrior (Black) and Alien Warrior (Red)
  • AUGUST Hicks (with helmet) vs. Alien Warrior (Blue, Exploding Head) 2-Pack
  • OCTOBER Hudson (with helmet) vs. Alien Warrior (Brown, Torso Damage) 2-Pack
  • FALL/WINTER Aliens Series 2 and Alien Queen

    NECA has at least 13 ALIENS figures planned for release this year. These include two assortments with 3 figures each, the three different 2-packs, and a massive Queen boxed set scheduled for the holidays.

    Drink In These New Alien Collectibles

    But wait! The coolness doesn't stop there....

    Inspired by vintage “Fast Food” glasses, these four glasses from Super7 present a memorable scene from Ridley Scott’s 1979 sci-fi horror movie Alien on the front side, featuring colorful artwork created exclusively for this gift set. The backs reveal the four-part lifecycle of the Xenomorph – the menacing Alien creature itself. This collectible set includes: The Space Jockey, “Big Chap” aka The Alien, Kane’s Chestburster, and Ripley & the Airlock. Each 16-ounce Pint Glass measures approximately 5 ¾” tall. $49.99 Boxed Set of Four.

    Drink In These New Alien Collectibles

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  • First Look at Zombieland TV Series is Gut-Ripping Good!

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    Are you worried about whether or not the upcoming "Zombieland" TV series for Amazon Studios will deliver the undead goods? Yeah, so were we. But this first set of paparazzi pics from the set courtesy of the Pacific Coast News and Screen Crush have eased our minds big time.

    In the series Kirk Ward will be playing the ass-kicking, Twinkie-seeking avenger Tallahassee alongside Maiara Walsh as Wichita, Izabela Vidovic as Little Rock, and Tyler Ross as Columbus.

    The project, produced by Sony TV, is a continuation of the adventures of Tallahassee (Ward), Columbus (Ross), Wichita (Walsh), and her younger sister, Little Rock (Vidovic) — four humans who band together to survive the zombie apocalypse.

    Original Zombieland writers Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick penned the script for Sony Pictures Television, which is producing the Amazon pilot.

    First Look at Zombieland TV Series is Gut-Ripping Good!

    First Look at Zombieland TV Series is Gut-Ripping Good!

    First Look at Zombieland TV Series is Gut-Ripping Good!

    First Look at Zombieland TV Series is Gut-Ripping Good!

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    Who Watched the Watchmen Kill the BioShock Movie?

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    Who Watched the Watchmen Kill the BioShock Movie?Here we are the week before the release of BioShock Infinite, and once again some slight chatter about the long proposed BioShock feature film has arisen. However, there's no good news here. In fact it's just an explanation of the bad.

    EuroGamer recently caught up with Irrational’s Ken Levine at BAFTA, where he was on hand to promote BioShock Infinite. He also went on to explain that it was he who killed the movie version.

    There was a deal in place, and it was in production at Universal – Gore Verbinski was directing it,” said Levine. “My theory is that Gore wanted to make a hard R film – which is like a 17/18 plus, where you can have blood and naked girls. Well, I don’t think he wanted naked girls. But he wanted a lot of blood.” He continues, “Then Watchmen came out, and it didn’t do well for whatever reason. The studio then got cold feet about making an R-rated $200 million film, and they said what if it was an $80 million film – and Gore didn’t want to make an $80 million film.

    This caused Universal to bring in a new director, which made Levine uncomfortable: “So they said if you want to kill it, kill it. And I killed it.

    Good for you, Ken! Way to stand your ground!

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    Hot New Details Arrive for Dead or Alive 5 Plus

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    Hot New Details Arrive For Dead or Alive 5 PlusDead or Alive 5 Plus will release on March 22nd for the PlayStation Vita with a demo arriving not long after the release. Players will step into the shoes of the kick-ass cast of DOA fighters to crack some skulls and spill a lot of blood!

    From the Press Release
    Team NINJA has unveiled new details about its upcoming DEAD OR ALIVE 5 PLUS for PlayStation Vita, including the exciting news that a comprehensive demo will be available shortly after the game launches on March 22nd. With its extensive range of features for up close and personal Touch Fights, training features, and stellar graphics, DEAD OR ALIVE 5 PLUS is looking to set the new benchmark for handheld combat.

    The DEAD OR ALIVE 5 PLUS demo is packed with features including Cross-Play battles with current DOA5 PlayStation 3 players, the ability to transfer progress from the demo to the full game, and a whopping eight stages of combat action. Players can experience new single-player modes such as Touch Fight while fighting as Kasumi, Hayabusa, Eliot, or Tina against any computer opponents to sample the rich variety of characters and fighting styles. Just as in the full game, costumes unlocked during the normal course of gameplay can also be unlocked in the demo. Additionally, save data from the demo can be transferred to the full game so players can continue fighting right where they left off. Available stages in the demo include Scramble, The Show, The Tiger Show, Coming Soon, Zack Island, Dead or Alive, Arrival, and Dojo. Each stage features its own unique blend of fun and challenging interactive elements for players to discover. Specific information regarding the timing of the demo will be made available soon.

    Other confirmed nuggets of information include the following:

  • The unprecedented amount of move detail available in DEAD OR ALIVE 5 PLUS will allow players to break down the results of each attack in real time. Move details show the damage output, effects, and other info to give an instant, detailed analysis of each move to allow players to increase their skills.
  • In DEAD OR ALIVE 5 PLUS players will for the first time be able to set background music for each character to set the proper tone for each fight. All characters, including new DOA5 characters Rig and Mila, have their own selectable theme music.
  • Players can replay scenes from Story mode at any time in the game’s movie theater to revisit their favorite moments or watch the story play out all at once after it is unlocked.
  • The first-person perspective Touch Fights can be played with downloadable costumes. The close-up view and variety of character reactions available in this mode make it the ideal way to check out favorite costumes.
  • New Tutorial and Combo Challenge modes provide the ideal opportunity to hone the combat skills necessary to come out on top in any situation. This makes DEAD OR ALIVE 5 PLUS not only the ideal game for serious fighters but for novice players as well.
  • Published by TECMO KOEI, DEAD OR ALIVE 5 PLUS brings the signature DOA fighting style to PS Vita with all-new system-specific features complementing the stunning graphics and new martial arts techniques of the recent console release. Players will take on the roles of the cast of DOA fighters in an action-packed brawler set in visually striking international locales, with each stage featuring interactive backdrops. With a sensual yet realistic style, characters are rendered in incredibly lifelike detail.

    Visit the official >Dead or Alive 5 website to learn more.

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    Produce Your Own Horrors in Painkiller: Hell & Damnation

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    Painkiller: Hell & Damnation (review here) is now available for PC, and Nordic Games is offering players a special opportunity to create their very own personal game. Fans are invited to use the Mod-Kit in April and craft their own world full of blood, guts and gore.

    From the Press Release
    Nordic Games will be providing Painkiller: Hell & Damnation players a unique opportunity to create their very own Painkiller experience with the tools used by developers from The Farm 51.

    Fans of the Painkiller series will be invited to get creative with the Mod-Kit of Painkiller: Hell & Damnation, which will enable them to produce their own personal game, using the tools available in the Steam Workshop. The beta of the Mod-Kit is expected to go online early April 2013, and Nordic Games is more than happy to enlist all able modders.

    Using the Mod-Kit, players will be able to delve the depths of their imaginations to craft a totally unique Painkiller world through the use of pioneering personalized items, maps, weapons and multiplayer skins, all within the Steam Workshop framework.

    In addition to this, the Linux and Mac gaming communities will also be in for a hellish treat this spring when Painkiller: Hell & Damnation launches on these platforms. Players using the Linux and Mac platforms will finally be able to join the Painkiller PC gaming community and fully immerse themselves in Daniel Garner’s purgatory.

    “As well as launching the Mod-Kit, we are working to provide regular updates and further improvements to the existing content and framework.” said Reinhard Pollice, Business & Product Development Director at Nordic Games. “We’re also working to port good old Daniel Garner to Linux and Mac this April/May.”

    “The Mod-Kit is a great tool that we want to make available for the Painkiller and its modding community. When you look at the history of video games, specifically at the mod-history in the FPS and RTS department, a serious proportion of big names originally come from exactly that community,” said Philipp Brock, PR and Marketing at Nordic Games. “Our best interest is to make all tools available for the collective creative potential of the Painkiller community.”

    Developed by Polish studio The Farm 51 and powered by Unreal Engine 3, Painkiller: Hell & Damnation recreates the sensations and hardcore gameplay of the original Painkiller. Released in 2004, Painkiller won high praise and many accolades and fans for its fast and unique gameplay. Keeping true to the old-school FPS ideology, lightning-fast movement enables skilful players to get into the heart of the fast-paced gameplay, topped off with stunning enormo-boss fights requiring sneaky tactics.

    If you have what it takes, visit the official Painkiller: Hell & Damnation hub on Steam.

    Painkiller: Hell & Damnation

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    AMC Looking to Change the Way You Watch Your Favorite Movies with YEAH! TV

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    AMC Looking to Change the Way You Watch Your Favorite Movies with YEAH! TVRemember just a couple of stories back when I mentioned that media is changing in some new and exciting ways? Well, get ready to read up on the most prime example of that ever. Check out all the details on YEAH! TV right here!

    From the Press Release
    AMC Networks, which owns and operates AMC, IFC, Sundance Channel, WE tv and IFC Films, announces the launch of YEAH!, the first streaming movie service that is an entirely new way to watch movies online. Each YEAH! film is enhanced with interactive features including 400-500 individual pieces of original content curated from in-depth research. The new bonus content is displayed on-screen seamlessly without obscuring the movie, offering fans a choice of unique extras to engage with such as:

    • Intimate, never-before-seen, exclusive interviews with filmmakers and stars – with just a click the movie pauses and the interview plays
    • Little-known facts about characters and scenes minute-by-minute throughout each film
    • Quizzes that test how well you really know your favorite movies

    YEAH! launches today during the South by Southwest Conference and Festival with films immediately available for rent online at YEAHTV.com. A YEAH! iPad app will be introduced this summer.

    YEAH! features iconic genre films -- including sci-fi, horror and action-adventure. By renting films on YEAH! you’ll:

    • Hear Richard Donner describe how Marlon Brando wanted his Superman character “Jor-El” to look like a bagel
    • Watch Juliette Lewis and Tom Sizemore disagree on how his nose was broken while filming Natural Born Killers
    • Learn from Michael Madsen how Quentin Tarantino and Lawrence Tierney nearly came to blows on the set of Reservoir Dogs
    • Find out real-life events that inspired Wes Craven to create A Nightmare on Elm Street
    • And discover so much more about the films you love to watch… and then watch again

    “YEAH! is the ultimate movie viewing experience,” said Lisa Judson, General Manager of YEAH! “The films on YEAH! are curated by a team of Emmy Award-winning producers who are true movie fans. Two months of in-depth research goes into every film curation to create an entirely new way for fans to enjoy their favorite movies.”

    Films that will be available for rent on YEAHTV.com in the coming months include:

    Scream, Reservoir Dogs, 300, The Terminator, Clerks, A Nightmare on Elm Street, The Crow, The Exorcist: Director’s Cut, Superman: The Movie, The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2, Kill Bill Volumes 1 & 2, Child’s Play, No Country for Old Men, Pulp Fiction, The Expendables, Blade Runner: The Final Cut, Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior, Dirty Dancing, The Shining, Watchmen, This Is Spinal Tap, The Blair Witch Project, Jackie Brown, Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure, Apocalypse Now Redux, From Dusk Till Dawn, Natural Born Killers, Hannibal

    YEAH! films cost $4.99 at YEAHTV.com and are currently available for 48 hours.

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    Joe Hill Teams with Longtime Collaborator Jason Ciaramella for New Comic Miniseries Thumbprint

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    More Joe Hill news has hit our inbox this week with word that he is re-teaming with his longtime collaborator Jason Ciaramella for a new comic miniseries entitled Thumbprint.

    From the Press Release:
    IDW Publishing is pleased to announce a new project from the Eisner-nominated writing team behind The Cape, Joe Hill and Jason Ciaramella. Based on Hill's original novella and featuring covers and art by superstar newcomer Vic Malhotra, THUMBPRINT is a twisted three-issue tale of fear, terror, and indelible remorse.

    When Private Mallory Grennan is dishonorably discharged from the US Army, she hopes to start a new life back home, far away from the things she'd seen and done in Abu Ghraib prison. Mal's crimes, committed beneath a harsh Arabian sun, throw a shadow long enough to reach all the way to the United States. What started there will end here - in blood. Over THUMBPRINT's three gripping issues, fans will truly feel what it's like to be haunted... and hunted.

    "Bringing THUMBPRINT to life was a challenge for me," said writer Jason Ciaramella. "Not because the prose was particularly difficult to adapt, but because the themes the story explores are haunting and deeply disturbing. I had to step out of myself in order to capture the true horror of it without letting my personal agendas seep in."

    Author Joe Hill adds, "I was blown away by Jason's work on The Cape and wanted more. THUMBPRINT is right in his wheelhouse: Jay has a feel for the psychological flaws that lead a basically good person down the wrong path. And no one writes action quite like Jay - he turns brutality into surreal comedy and back again faster than a magician turning a scarf into a dove. Add to that an opportunity to work with an artist like Vic Malhotra - who draws with a severe grace and brings to mind the work Mazzucchelli was doing in Batman: Year One - and I think we've got all the ingredients for something that can really explode off the page."

    The first issue will also feature a variant cover by Vincent Chong, the award-winning artist of the THUMBPRINT novella. When THUMBPRINT hits stands this June, fans of the Eisner-winning Locke & Key can expect another in the long line of haunting thrills concocted by Hill and Ciaramella.

    Look for Thumbprint Issue #1 (FC, 32 pages, $3.99) in stores on June 19th. In the meantime you can pick up a copy of the novella for your Kindle via the EvilShop below.

    Joe Hill Teams with Longtime Collaborator Jason Ciaramella for New Comic Miniseries Thumbprint

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    The Black Dahlia Haunting Gets Distro

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    We have some quick distribution news for The Black Dahlia Haunting as word has come that the ghostly new flick has been picked up by Origin Releasing for North American distribution. Hooray for spooky!

    The Black Dahlia Haunting grabbed 10 nominations at Shockfest with Brandon Slagle winning Best Director, Devanny Pinn taking Best Actress, and "Monster Man" Cleve Hall named Best Monster.

    The film stars Pinn (Hold Your Breath, Nude Nuns With Big Guns), Britt Griffith (SYFY's "Ghost Hunters"), Noah Dahl (Mr. and Mrs. Smith, Bad Teacher), Alexis Iacono (World of Warcraft: Cataclysm), Slagle (Argo, Patient Zero, also the film's director) , Jessica Cameron (TLC's "Bride of Beverly Hills,"Silent Night), Sarah Nicklin (Nun of That, The Disco Exorcist) and Hall (SYFY's "Monster Man").

    For more info "like"The Black Dahlia Haunting on Facebook, visit the official The Black Dahlia Haunting website, and follow The Black Dahlia Haunting on Twitter.

    Synopsis
    LOS ANGELES, 1947: An aspiring actress named Elizabeth Short is found brutally murdered in an empty lot in Los Angeles. The media dubs her "The Black Dahlia" due to her penchant for dark clothing. Her murder remains unsolved to this day. Although it's not without its suspects.

    LOS ANGELES, NOW: A young woman, Holly, is visiting Los Angeles from New York City after she is informed of the brutal murder of her father and stepmother by her younger brother, Tyler, who is blind. Upon meeting Tyler's psychiatrist, Dr. Owen, Holly soon becomes aware that she is not in full possession of the facts surrounding the murder. Plagued by violent dreams, Tyler has been drawing the face of a woman he could have never possibly met, a woman identical to Elizabeth Short.

    As Dr. Owen continues to evaluate Tyler's condition, he learns that Tyler "speaks" to Elizabeth, and she may have ordered him to murder his parents. In essence, "hurting the ones who hurt him." Holly soon begins seeing Elizabeth as well, culminating in Elizabeth's spirit paying her a visit, proclaiming to Holly that she can set her free from all of her burdens.

    Consumed by the spirit of the Dahlia, Holly engages in a war with not only herself, but also the dark figures revealing themselves around her, encouraged by Elizabeth to "hurt the ones who hurt her."

    The Black Dahlia Haunting Gets Distro

    The Black Dahlia Haunting Gets Distro

    The Black Dahlia Haunting Gets Distro

    The Black Dahlia Haunting

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    New Trailer for The Human Race Comes Highly Recommended

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    A new trailer for the intriguing horror/thriller The Human Race, which has been described as a cross between The Hunger Games and Run Lola Run, has hit the interwebs; and we have this bad boy for you right here! Dig it!

    The film was written and directed by Paul Hough and stars Paul McCarthy-Boyington, Eddie McGee, Trista Robinson, T. Arthur Cottam, Celine Tien, Fred Coury, Noel Britton, B. Anthony Cohen, J. Louis Reid, Richard Gale, Luke Y. Thompson, Tiana Smith-Jones, Shawn Coyne, Brianna Lauren Jackson and Domiziano Arcangeli. For more visit the official website for The Human Race and "like"The Human Race on Facebook.

    Synopsis
    In The Human Race a group of 80 people are ripped out of their daily lives and all reappear in an undisclosed location. These people are from all walks of life: young and old, athletic and disabled, white-collared and homeless. The rules to a race boom in their heads, in their own voice and language, laying out what will become a horrific race of survival: "If you are lapped twice, you will die. If you step off the path, you will die. Race...or die."

    Startling, violent and powerful, The Human Race is a cruelly inspired beast. Will anyone have mercy on the elderly, the children, the wounded, or the pregnant? Will anyone band together, or will the innocent all be forced to become brutal killers? There's only one way to find out who will survive... watch humanity unraveled and revealed in The Human Race.

    New Trailer for The Human Race Comes Highly Recommended

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