A quite poignant new clip has been released for Neil Jordan's Byzantium (review here), which is finally available in the US today, June 28th, in limited theatres. Let us know what you think of the film if it's playing in your town.

Byzantium, written by Moira Buffini and directed by Neil Jordan, stars Gemma Arterton, Saoirse Ronan, Caleb Landry Jones, Danny Mays, Jonny Lee Miller, Tom Hollander, Bradley James, and Sam Riley in the vampire flick wherein Arterton stars as Clara, a vampire who has to protect herself and her daughter (Ronan) from those seeking to plunge a stake through their hearts.

Related Story:You'll See Double in This Clip from Byzantium

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

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

As is normally the case when a writer's book is adapted in any fashion, there are always changes to be made to the plot, the characters, etc. This usually infuriates some of these fans, and such is the case with CBS'"Under the Dome."

Today Stephen King took to his site to speak to fans about changes to his tale.

"For those of you out there in Constant Reader Land who are feeling miffed because the TV version of Under the Dome varies considerably from the book version, here’s a little story.

Near the end of his life, and long after his greatest novels were written, James M. Cain agreed to be interviewed by a student reporter who covered culture and the arts for his college newspaper. This young man began his time with Cain by bemoaning how Hollywood had changed books such as The Postman Always Rings Twice and Double Indemnity. Before he could properly get into his rant, the old man interrupted him by pointing to a shelf of books behind his desk. “The movies didn’t change them a bit, son,” he said. “They’re all right up there. Every word is the same as when I wrote them.”

I feel the same way about Under the Dome. If you loved the book when you first read it, it’s still there for your perusal. But that doesn’t mean the TV series is bad, because it’s not. In fact, it’s very good. And, if you look closely, you’ll see that most of my characters are still there, although some have been combined and others have changed jobs. That’s also true of the big stuff, like the supermarket riot, the reason for all that propane storage, and the book’s thematic concerns with diminishing resources.

Many of the changes wrought by Brian K. Vaughan and his team of writers have been of necessity, and I approved of them wholeheartedly. Some have been occasioned by their plan to keep the Dome in place over Chester’s Mill for months instead of little more than a week, as is the case in the book. Other story modifications are slotting into place because the writers have completely re-imagined the source of the Dome.

That such a re-imagining had to take place was my only serious concern when the series was still in the planning stages, and that concern was purely practical. If the solution to the mystery were the same on TV as in the book, everyone would know it in short order, which would spoil a lot of the fun (besides, plenty of readers didn’t like my solution, anyway). By the same token, it would spoil things if you guys knew the arcs of the characters in advance. Some who die in the book—Angie, for instance—live in the TV version of Chester’s Mill…at least for a while. And some who live in the book may not be as lucky during the run of the show. Just sayin’.

Listen, I’ve always been a situational writer. My idea of what to do with a plot is to shoot it before it can breed. It’s true that when I start a story, I usually have a general idea of where it’s going to finish up, but in many cases I end up in a different place entirely (for instance, I fully expected Ben Mears to die at the end of ’Salem’s Lot, and Susannah Dean was supposed to pop off at the end of Song of Susannah). “The book is the boss,” Alfred Bester used to say, and what that means to me is the situation is the boss. If you play fair with the characters—and let them play their parts according to their strengths and weaknesses—you can never go wrong. It’s impossible.

There’s only one element of my novel that absolutely had to be the same in the novel and the show, and that’s the Dome itself. It’s best to think of that novel and what you’re seeing week-to-week on CBS as a case of fraternal twins. Both started in the same creative womb, but you will be able to tell them apart. Or, if you’re of a sci-fi bent, think of them as alternate versions of the same reality.

As for me, I’m enjoying the chance to watch that alternate reality play out; I still think there’s no place like Dome.

As for you, Constant Reader, feel free to take the original down from your bookshelf anytime you want. Nothing between the covers has changed a bit.

Stephen King
June 27th, 2013"

In other "Under the Dome" news, Amazon has leaked images of the genuinely inspired packaging for the upcoming Blu-ray release of the show. Dig on that below.

The 13-episode summer series on CBS stars Mike Vogel, Rachelle Lefevre, Dean Norris, Natalie Martinez, Britt Robertson, Alexander Koch, Colin Ford, Nicholas Strong, Jeff Fahey, Jolene Purdy, Ned Bellamy, Natalie Zea, and Aisha Hinds.

"Under the Dome" Episode 1.02 - "The Fire" (airs 7/1/13)
While the residents of Chester’s Mill face the uncertainty of life in the dome, panic is heightened when a house goes up in flames and their fire department is outside of the dome. Directed by Jack Bender and written by Rick Cleveland.

"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, serve as executive producers.

For more info visit "Under the Dome" on CBS.com, "like""Under the Dome" on Facebook, and follow "Under the Dome" on Twitter (@UnderTheDomeCBS).

We suppose it was just a matter of time before someone got around to remaking the 1990 film Jacob's Ladder, which starred Tim Robbins; and alas, it's happening. Dodge your demons and read on for the skinny.

According to THR, Mickey Liddell’s LD Entertainment is financing a remake that will be produced by Michael Gaeta and Alison Rosenzweig. Liddell also is producing with the company’s Jennifer Monroe.

Jeff Buhler, who wrote the Clive Barker adaptation The Midnight Meat Train, is penning a script building upon an earlier draft by Jake Wade Wall, the scribe behind the 2006 remake of When a Stranger Calls.

The original flick, written by Bruce Joel Rubin and directed by Adrian Lyne, ostensibly told of a Vietnam War vet who suffers increasingly bizarre hallucinations and attempts to discover the truth behind them. The movie, which has a twist ending, was made by Carolco and achieved cult hit status. With this remake the producers are looking to make something more akin to an homage and not mimic the original. The plan is to contemporize the story with new situations and characters but still maintain a story that examines issues and poses existential questions.

More soon!

Muse members Matt Bellamy and Dominic Howard sat down for a quick video chat about their musical contributions to the film World War Z, and we have it for you right here. Check it out, and as you head out for some weekend fun, remember... World War Z is in theatres now!

Read our World War Z review here! The film stars Brad Pitt, Mireille Enos, Eric West, David Morse, and James Badge Dale.

Related Story:Some Cool World War Z Zombie Concept Art

Synopsis:
The story revolves around United Nations employee Gerry Lane (Pitt), who traverses the world in a race against time to stop a pandemic that is toppling armies and governments and threatening to decimate humanity itself.

For more visit the official World War Z website, "like"World War Z on Facebook, and follow World War Z on Twitter.

With Europa Report available now on iTunes and On Demand and hitting theatres August 2nd, two new behind-the-scenes featurettes have been released focusing on Bear McCreary's music and some of the VFX work in the film.

Penned by Philip Gelatt and directed by Sebastian Cordero, Europa Report stars District 9's Sharlto Copley alongside Michael Nyqvist, Christian Camargo, Embeth Davidtz, Dan Fogler, Anamaria Marinca, Isiah Whitlock, Jr., Karolina Wydra, and Daniel Wu.

Related Story:Several Spacey New Stills from Europa Report

For more info visit the Magnet Releasing website and "like"Europa Report on Facebook.

Synopsis:
A unique blend of documentary, alternative history, and science fiction thriller, EUROPA REPORT follows a contemporary mission to Jupiter's moon Europa to investigate the possible existence of alien life within our solar system. When unmanned probes suggest that a hidden ocean could exist underneath Europa's icy surface and may contain single-celled life, Europa Ventures, a privately funded space exploration company, sends six of the best astronauts from around the world to confirm the data and explore the revolutionary discoveries that may lie in the Europan ocean.

After a near-catastrophic technical failure that leads to loss of communication with Earth and the tragic death of a crew member, the surviving astronauts must overcome the psychological and physical toll of deep space travel and survive a discovery on Europa more profound than they had ever imagined.

While we wait for details on what "The Walking Dead" will be bringing to this year's San Diego Comic-Con, AMC is giving zombie lovers a reason to stay indoors this 4th of July with a four-day marathon of Seasons 1-3 that will also include new footage from the upcoming Season 4.

Starting Thursday, July 4th, at 1PM/12c, AMC invites viewers to tune in to "The Walking Dead Season 4 Preview Weekend" and catch up on the series that has been hailed by USA Today as "one of the season's best series" and reigns as the number one show in delivery for adults 18-49. "The Walking Dead" marathon will be hosted by "Comic Book Men" executive producer Kevin Smith from the Atlanta-based set, where the cast are currently filming Season 4 of the hit series. Smith talks to the cast and crew and shares behind-the-scenes footage from the highly anticipated upcoming fourth season.

The first season of "The Walking Dead" airs twice on July 4th, featuring marathons of both the original and special black-and-white editions. These are followed by Season 2 on Friday, July 5th, and Season 3 on both Saturday and Sunday, July 6th and 7th. Each day of this four-day event begins at 1PM/12c. (Note: The black-and-white editions only apply to Season 1 on July 4th.)

Related Story:Official "The Walking Dead" News Archive

"The Walking Dead" returns this October with brand new episodes. Based on the comic book series written by Robert Kirkman and published by Image Comics, "The Walking Dead" tells the story of a group of survivors who travel in search of a safe and secure home in the months and years following a zombie apocalypse. The series stars Andrew Lincoln, David Morrissey, Steven Yeun, Norman Reedus, Danai Gurira, Chandler Riggs, Lauren Cohan, Scott Wilson, Melissa McBride, Chad Coleman, Sonequa Martin-Green, and Emily Kinney.

Click here for a full schedule of "The Walking Dead" on AMC.

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.

VISIT THE EVILSHOP @ AMAZON!
Got news? Click hereto submit it!
"Like" us on the Dread Central Facebook Fan Page!

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

The complete specs have been made available for Warner Bros. Entertainment's upcoming Friday the 13th: The Complete Collection Blu-ray box set, and it's a great day if you like your releases edited and slapped together.

You can scroll to the bottom for a complete list of specs for each movie, but I'm going to jump in and tell you exactly what's wrong with this release. This isn't an editorial lamenting the lack of uncut Friday the 13th movies that have never before been released. If we haven't seen excised footage by now, it's because, in all probability, it no longer exists. Yes, it would be nice to finally see Friday the 13th part 2 in all its uncut, Carl Fullerton glory, but it's probably never going to happen.

This isn't a gripe session predicated on unrealistic expectations. But what's inexcusable is that Warner Bros. is offering the R-rated versions of the original Friday the 13th and, in an even more egregious move, Jason Goes to Hell. This is inexcusable. Friday the 13th has already been released to Blu-ray in an uncut edition - is there any reason they couldn't have included both cuts? As for Jason Goes to Hell, there's no reason to watch the film in its R-rated form because all the fun stems from KNB's outrageous splatter FX.

Is there a chance that Warner Bros. doesn't have any idea what they're talking about and these two films will be the uncut versions after all? It's possible. The specs for the original Friday are otherwise identical to Paramount's 2009 Blu-ray release, so it's within reason to assume they might have incorrectly identified the unrated cut as the theatrical one.

The same can be said for Jason Goes to Hell, which will include the Adam Marcus and Dean Lorey commentary that was originally recorded for the unrated DVD release.

But let's talk about some other areas where this supposed "complete" collection falls flat. First off, we're getting a lazy anaglyph 3D presentation of Friday the 13th part 3. Polarized theatrical 3D films like Dial M for Murder and Amityville 3D have been and will be transferred into real 3D for Blu-ray and yet Friday fans remain stuck with the ugly, incorrectly transferred mess that plagued Friday the 13th part 3's previous HD iteration.

And then there's the extras. Nothing complete about them. I wasn't expecting any new supplements to be commissioned for this release. After all, there's a seven hour Crystal Lake Memories documentary en route later this year that promises to be the final word on Friday information.

But the extras list is such a mess that it's hard to keep track of everything. But let's try:

Friday The 13th

Original Trailers - Part I - VIII

What's here: This is the bonus disc from the 2004 release. In the wake of the incoming Crystal Lake Memories documentary, this is going to look like a shoddier effort than it already is.

Lastly, we have that hideous packaging. This should've been a slam dunk but, instead, we get a slapdash image from...Jason Goes to Hell? This is a collector's set and presentation is everything. The least Warner Bros. could've done was make this an eye-catcher. Something that celebrates and commemorates 33 years of Friday the 13th, instead of using a hideous piece of key art. But perhaps the awful image, the ugly font and the barely decorated tin (they couldn't be bothered to put artwork on the spine?) is an accurate representation of what a lazy cash grab this truly is.

Far be it from me to tell you how you spend your money. But the existing Paramount deluxe edition DVDs can be had for mere dollars on Amazon and, believe me, the transfers on those are quite impressive for standard definition presentations. This is a pricey set and Warner Bros. knows that some fans will plunk down for it (and they're right, there's currently a group of raving douchebags on Blu-ray.com berating anyone who expresses disappointment with this). But when companies like Scream Factory and Synapse are out there regularly crushing it with every release, why should we be expected to support such mediocrity?

But hey, it comes with a patch.

VISIT THE EVILSHOP @ AMAZON!
Got news? Click hereto submit it!
Weep gently in the comments section below!

Two more genre-themed panels have joined the already crowded TV lineup for the 2013 San Diego Comic-Con with lots more still to come. Look for the TV Guide Fan Favorites on Friday, July 19th, and "Under the Dome" on Sunday, July 21st.

TV Guide Magazine Fan Favorites (Friday, July 19)
TV Guide Magazine returns to San Diego for its annual all-star panel. Moderated by president/editor-in-chief Debra Birnbaum, Fan Favorites brings together stars from TV’s hottest shows for a lively discussion filled with behind-the-scenes scoop. Panelists (subject to change) include Candice Accola ("The Vampire Diaries"), Kristin Bauer ("True Blood"), Katie Cassidy ("Arrow"), Henry Ian Cusick ("The 100"), Giancarlo Esposito ("Revolution"), Danai Gurira ("The Walking Dead"), Tyler Hoechlin ("Teen Wolf"), Joseph Morgan ("The Originals"), Yvonne Strahovski ("Dexter"), and others to be announced.

"Under the Dome" (Sunday, July 21: 2:15–3:15 PM)
The dome has descended upon Chester’s Mill, and there is no way in or no way out! Get a sneak peek of what’s in store for the town and its residents as they become sealed off from the rest of the world in this summer’s critically acclaimed series based on the bestselling book by Stephen King from Amblin Television. Stars Dean Norris ("Breaking Bad"), Mike Vogel ("Bates Motel"), and Rachelle Lefevre (Twilight) will be joined by executive producers Brian K. Vaughan ("Lost") and Neal Baer ("Law & Order: SVU"). Norris, Vogel, and Lefevre will participate in an exclusive autograph signing following the panel at the CBS Interactive Booth at 3:30–4:15 PM on the convention floor.

Keep it here for more San Diego Comic-Con 2013 news as it comes.

Looking for more info on The Walking Dead: 400 Days, which was announced at this year's E3 by Telltale Games? Then check out this special episode of "Playing Dead" that reveals a bit of what's coming in this new DLC.

Game Description
The 2012 Game of the Year winning series The Walking Dead: Season One is set to receive an all-new installment as downloadable content. Available this summer, The Walking Dead: 400 Days will be available for purchase on the Xbox LIVE Marketplace for Xbox®360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PlayStation®Network, as an in-app purchase for compatible iOS devices, and on PC and Mac from the Telltale Online Store and other digital outlets.

The Walking Dead: 400 Days chronicles the horrific aftermath of the undead outbreak through the eyes of five new characters as they struggle to survive the first 400 days of the apocalypse. Playable in any order, the five connected short stories are centered in and around a Georgia truck stop, where players will be thrust into horrifying situations that will test their morals and control the flow of the story through their decisions and actions.

The Walking Dead: 400 Days will be available for US$4.99 or equivalent as downloadable content for The Walking Dead: Season One. The Walking Dead: 400 Days will require at least Episode One of Season One to be installed on a user's game system in order to play.

The Walking Dead is set in the world of Robert Kirkman's award-winning comic book series. Players experience life-changing events, meeting new characters and some familiar to fans of the comic book series, in events that foreshadow the story of Deputy Sheriff Rick Grimes. The Walking Dead offers an emotionally-charged, tailored game experience - a player's actions and choices affect how their story plays out across the entire series.

The Walking Dead is rated 'M' (Mature) for Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Sexual Themes and Strong Language by the ESRB.

To learn more, visit the official The Walking Dead website.

The former stars of “Mystery Science Theater 3000” turned stars of “RiffTrax” are prepared to go live in theaters all across the countries this August, and this time they’re riffing on their biggest movie yet: Starship Troopers! Would you like to know more?

It seems RiffTrax's plan to do a live riffing of Twilight didn’t work out, even after they raised over $264,000 on Kickstarter to try to make it happen. So, I guess, Starship Troopers is our consolation prize.

Event Details:
The stars of Mystery Science Theater 3000 are back in select cinemas nationwide on Thursday, August 15th, for only one night in a hilarious never-before-seen take on the king of modern campy sci-fi epics: Starship Troopers.

Join Michael J. Nelson, Kevin Murphy and Bill Corbett of RiffTrax.com on Thursday, August 15th, LIVE at 8:00pm ET / 7:00pm CT and taped-delayed to 7:00pm MT/ 8:00pm PT for a hilarious riff on this masterpiece of alien slaughter propaganda! This one-night event will be your only chance to see the guys fire their wisecracking commentary at Starship Troopers on the big screen.

There will be no replay of this one, and it's doubtful there will ever be a DVD or digital download available considering this is not the sort of old school schlock they’re accustomed to doing live riffs of. For more info and tickets, click the Fathom Events link at the bottom of the page.

I’m a little torn on this news to be honest. On the one hand, I’ve no doubt there’s plenty in Starship Troopers to riff on. On the other hand, the movie is already so overtly campy and over-the-top to begin with, it’s not like it really needs that much poking fun at. Seems like they could have gotten something a bit more earnest in its badness to tear asunder. The rights to riff Super Mario Brothers or The Room can’t possibly be that expensive. Hell, if they got the rights to do a live riffing of Showgirls, they’d probably make millions.

A second trailer has come from Warner Bros. for Prisoners that has very little new footage in it but still provides a chilling few minutes with a very intense Hugh Jackman. Less is more in our opinion so we applaud their approach thus far of not revealing too much.

The flick, directed by Denis Villeneuve and written by Aaron Guzikowski, stars Hugh Jackman, Jake Gyllenhaal, Paul Dano, Melissa Leo, and David Dastmalchian. Warner Bros. has set a September 20th, 2013, release date.

Synopsis
How far would you go to protect your child? Keller Dover (Jackman) is facing every parent’s worst nightmare. His six-year-old daughter, Anna, is missing, together with her young friend Joy; and as minutes turn to hours, panic sets in. The only lead is a dilapidated RV that had earlier been parked on their street. Heading the investigation, Detective Loki (Gyllenhaal) arrests its driver, Alex Jones (Paul Dano), but a lack of evidence forces the only suspect’s release. Knowing his child’s life is at stake, the frantic Dover decides he has no choice but to take matters into his own hands. The desperate father will do whatever it takes to find the girls, but in doing so, he may lose himself, begging the question: When do you cross the line between seeking justice and becoming a vigilante?

Related Story:Prisoners Character Posters Get Up Close and Personal

With Fourth of July week upon us, call me crazy, but the satirically militaristic theme song to Starship Trooopers 3 somehow seems an oddly appropriate B-Sides. Even if it is meant to be poking fun at fascism and jingoism, I’d have no problem humming this tune as I march into battle.

It’s a good day to die.
When you know the reasons why.
Citizens, we fight for what is right.
Courage. Duty. Honor.
A noble sacrifice,
When duty calls, you pay the price.
For the Federation I would give my life.

Inspiring lyrics to die by from Starship Troopers 3: Marauder... and easily the best part of that direct-to-video sequel. As Independence Day approaches, let’s take a moment to remember all those that have died to secure our freedom today and all those good-looking Caucasian teenagers with Hispanic names that will lay down their lives to save Earth from hordes of intergalactic insects in the future.

It's kind of bothersome that mostly non-genre related sites have been getting the Pacific Rim goodies while the horror sites are very much their target audience, but Warner Bros. is doing whatever it can to capture as much of the outside demographic as possible, so whatever. Either way... here are two new bits of goodness!

Look for Pacific Rim, directed by Guillermo del Toro, in theatres July 12th. Charlie Hunnam, Idris Elba, Charlie Day, Ron Perlman, Rinko Kikuchi, Max Martini, Rob Kazinsky, Clifton Collins, Jr., and Diego Klattenhoff star.

Related News: Visit our Pacific Rim archive

Synopsis
From acclaimed filmmaker Guillermo del Toro comes Warner Bros. Pictures’ and Legendary Pictures’ epic sci-fi action adventure Pacific Rim.

When legions of monstrous creatures, known as Kaiju, started rising from the sea, a war began that would take millions of lives and consume humanity’s resources for years on end. To combat the giant Kaiju, a special type of weapon was devised: massive robots, called Jaegers, which are controlled simultaneously by two pilots whose minds are locked in a neural bridge. But even the Jaegers are proving nearly defenseless in the face of the relentless Kaiju. On the verge of defeat, the forces defending mankind have no choice but to turn to two unlikely heroes--a washed up former pilot (Charlie Hunnam) and an untested trainee (Rinko Kikuchi)--who are teamed to drive a legendary but seemingly obsolete Jaeger from the past. Together, they stand as mankind’s last hope against the mounting apocalypse.

Lots of footage has come out that was unused from the premake of John Carpenter's The Thing, but what you may not know is that the original 1981 film could have ended up a lot different as well. Read on for details.

The folks over at Badass Digest have led us to a blog which details a lot of the changes that the film went through to become the classic that it is as a result of a scheduling issue which allowed Carpenter some time to see a rough cut of the completed film so he could fix a lot of the flick's problems by getting rid of the stuff that just didn't work, such as Bennings and Fuchs' original more slasher-film-like death scenes (images below).

In a nutshell, due to the aforementioned scheduling snafu, Carpenter found himself with 6 weeks of time on his hands between the film’s stage and location production. During this time he assembled a rough cut and, simply put, wasn't happy with what he saw. Carpenter felt that the flick was too easy on the tension, spent too much time between the golden monster moments that we all love, and didn't bring Mac as the hero to the forefront quickly enough. As a means to resolve these issues, he apparently cut a lot of footage (oh, how we'd love to see all of it) and then wrote a new script around his rough cut which added new character arcs and new kills.

Click here for a detailed breakdown of what was changed. Really fascinating stuff and a very good lesson for aspiring filmmakers.

The undead just keep shambling their way into the hearts of both filmmakers and fans alike, and word has come of a new flick on its way called 19, which is set to kick off another zombie-laden trilogy of terrors.

Deadline reports that QED International‘s Bill Block has made a pre-emptive acquisition of 19, a pitch that will be written by Jim Agnew and Sean Keller. The intention is to turn this into a trilogy. It involves zombies but takes that genre in a new direction, in that everybody over the age of 19 turns into a walking corpse. That leaves a civilized world to be run by kids.

The film will be produced by Film 360 and Wonderland Sound and Vision. The producers also are looking to reverse engineer the 19 idea into a series of books. Attached to direct is Jeff Chan, who got signed by Management 360, ICM Partners, and attorney Karl Austen after he made a Call of Duty short film. Check that out below.

Things heat up in Chester's Mill tomorrow night as the town is in danger of burning to the ground in Episode 1.02, "The Fire," but both Barbie (Mike Vogel) and Linda (Natalie Martinez) rise to the occasion and help the still freaked out residents who recently landed "Under the Dome."

The 13-episode summer series on CBS stars Mike Vogel, Rachelle Lefevre, Dean Norris, Natalie Martinez, Britt Robertson, Alexander Koch, Colin Ford, Nicholas Strong, Jeff Fahey, Jolene Purdy, Ned Bellamy, Natalie Zea, and Aisha Hinds.

"Under the Dome" Episode 1.02 - "The Fire" (airs 7/1/13)
While the residents of Chester’s Mill face the uncertainty of life in the dome, panic is heightened when a house goes up in flames and their fire department is outside of the dome. Directed by Jack Bender and written by Rick Cleveland.

"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, serve as executive producers.

For more info visit "Under the Dome" on CBS.com, "like""Under the Dome" on Facebook, and follow "Under the Dome" on Twitter (@UnderTheDomeCBS).

Either you’re a wolf or a vamp. Everybody knows that. From the PG-13 fare that is Twilight to the sexy "True Blood," everyone comes down to one or the other. Jamie Gray Hyder of "True Blood" is wolf. All wolf.

Hyder can currently be seen in "True Blood" as sexy wolfpack member Danielle. She recently sat down with Dread Central to talk about her background and give us a bit of insight into the upcoming season of "True Blood." Below her comments we have a pair of clips from tonight's Episode 6.03, "You're No Good."

Hyder opened by providing some background on her character: "I play Danielle. She was also in last season as a member of the wolfpack. She kind of starts off this season with a bang. She's really a home-wrecker and causing a lot of drama. In the first episode she actually had a threesome with Alcide (Joe Manganiello) and Rikki (Kelly Overton) in an attempt to try to break up what they've got going on between them." Yep. We're all pretty familiar with that scene! Muy caliente!

We asked Hyder about her acting background and how she arrived at her lycanthropic destiny. "I've been performing since I was a little girl on stage on the East Coast," Hyder said. "I went to college for acting at the University of Georgia, and I came out to LA once I graduated in order to work in film and television."

And in a city of a million actresses, Hyder managed to shine through the masses. "I'd been here for a few years and done a lot of auditions when I got an audition for 'True Blood'," Hyder recalled. "It was just one line, and I did my one line as best I could. The audition went well and I actually got a call two hours later saying that I booked it." And from that moment on, Ms. Hyder was all about the wolfpack.

Hyder mentioned that even though we've seen Danielle in the previous season, she comes into her own this year. "It's a much bigger role than last year," Hyder explained. "Danielle is much more involved in a lot of the action that's going on and has a bigger part in the wolfpack this season."

One thing fans of "True Blood" are certainly familiar with is the fact that each season carries its own stamp, its own personality, and Hyder states that Season 6 will be no different. "This season definitely has its own style to it, but they've really streamlined the plotline this season and sort of cut the fat. It's kind of simplified everything a little bit, but I think it's going to be really exciting for the fans."

And when asked about her favorite castmates, it was no surprise whom Hyder named. "I love working with everyone from the wolfpack. We all have a really good time when we're shooting," Hyder said. "But as for the other actors on the show, I love Nelsan Ellis (who plays Lafayette), and I love Pam as well; I think Kristin (Bauer van Straten) is great!" Don't we all?

Finally, we asked Hyder just what type of supernatural creature she most relates with. Is it the wolfpack that we associate her with, or is she more vamp? She answered very simply, "Wolves, for sure. Definitely." Ah, a woman after my own heart.

Our thanks to Jamie for her time. You can keep tabs on what she's up to by following @JGHyder on Twitter. Danielle has her own Twitter account, too; follow @WereDanielle.

Episode #6.03: “You’re No Good” (6/30/13; 9:00-10:00 p.m.)
Irate over Burrell’s (Arliss Howard) blatant aggression towards vampires, Eric (Alexander Skarsgard) takes matters into his own hands. After dangerously testing the limits of his powers, Bill (Stephen Moyer) enlists a TruBlood innovator to synthesize a new type of blood – but has difficulty finding the right donor.

Sookie (Anna Paquin) begins to learn why Warlow is after her. Sam (Sam Trammell) receives unexpected help from Nicole (Jurnee Smollett-Bell) and her Vampire Unity Society (V.U.S.) associates. Steve Newlin (Michael McMillian) finds his past ideals turning into a current nightmare. Written by Mark Hudis; directed by Howard Deutch.

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. And don't forget that Babyvamp Jessica's Blog is back, too!

We have some new stills from Adam Ahlbrandt The Cemetery to share that include two of our favorite summertime staples: bikinis and entrails! We also have details on the film's screening at the Days of the Dead horror convention along with Ahlbrandt's other new flick, Cross Bearer.

From the Press Release:
Horror movies Cross Bearer (2012) and The Cemetery (2013) will be screening Saturday, July 6th, and Sunday, July 7th, at Days of the Dead Indianapolis (Wyndham Hotel, 2544 Executive Drive, Indianapolis, IN 46241). Both will be highlighted at the convention’s “JABB 48-Hour Film Fest,” followed by Q&A panels with the trio behind the features - Adam Ahlbrandt (director/writer/cinematographer), Natalie Jean (lead actress), and Doug Sakmann (SPFX) - all of whom also acted as co-producers.

Cross Bearer, after developing a rabid fan base on the convention and festival circuit the past six months, will be headlining the Saturday night lineup of films. Its recently completed sister film, The Cemetery, will be playing Sunday afternoon, one of its first public screenings ever. They are sharp, self-aware homages to the movies of Ahlbrandt’s upbringing. With his praised cinematography and signature quirky dialogue, along with an insane amount of gory practical effects, the movies embody the old and new schools of horror effortlessly. Some of underground rock and metal’s biggest bands make up the soundtracks, including Today Is the Day, CKY, Fleshgod Apocalypse, and Gorod.

In The Cemetery (official site here) a team of paranormal investigators must fight for their lives after accidentally releasing a demon from a forgotten cemetery. Alternately gut-punching hilarious and brutally violent, The Cemetery takes the best elements of the old-school slasher film and pushes them to the edge.

In Cross Bearer (official site here) a group of strippers looking to score big with a drug deal soon find themselves hunted by a religious maniac hell-bent on purifying the Earth of its sins through murder and destruction. Armed with a carpenter's hammer, the Cross Bearer hunts the girls in a sadistic crusade to cleanse the world.

Both movies were a co-production of Backseat Conceptions and Adversary Films, written and directed by Ahlbrandt, and produced by Doug Sakmann, who also provided the special effects. Actress Natalie Jean (Men in Black 3, Black Swan) stars in both movies and also served as co-producer; executive producers were Brian Iglesias and Anton Sattler.

The Cemetery stars Natalie Jean, Adam Huss, J.D Brown, Tim Cronin, Tabetha Ray, Ruby LaRocca, Roberto Lombardi, and Billy Gram.

Synopsis:
Deep in the Pennsylvania hills a cemetery for those who died during exorcism remains a dark secret for the church. In 1671 hundreds of men, women, and children suffered in bloody, torturous rituals at the hands of priests unable to contain the evil of the possessed. Were these possessions real, or is the story a hoax to cover up the sins of the deranged priests thirsty for human blood? Bill and his team of cynical paranormal investigators plan to find out the truth. As the producer and host of the reality TV show "Ghost Seekers," Bill and his crew have seen it all: abandoned prisons, haunted houses, and decrepit mental hospitals. Night after night of boring trips to empty, rundown buildings has left them sure that the dead stay dead and ghosts are the furthest thing from being real. Their lack of faith will soon be repaid in blood. Armed with the church's historical record, they set out into the wilderness to uncover this series of forgotten atrocities. The demons of the past are invited to return, and the gory details of old sins are revealed as the possessed begin hunting the living.

Cross Bearer stars Natalie Jean, J.D Brown, Isaac Williams, Kacie Marie, Julia Campbell, Victoria DePaul, Kelsey Lehman, Shaun Paul Costello. and Dawn Vaughn.

Synopsis:
Heather is broke. She has a soul sucking job as a stripper. Her live-in girlfriend, Victoria, has a baby and a coke problem. Her boss, Harry, is an abusive maniac. Life cannot get much worse... or so she thought. Determined to get out of this living hell, Heather and her lover, Bunny, plan to rip off Harry, ditch Victoria, and leave town to live out their days on the Greek islands in peaceful bliss. One big score is all they need, and Harry gives them the opportunity when he asks them to take care of a drug deal with one of his clients at an old warehouse. As Heather and her friends arrive, everything seems to be going fine until they make a grisly discovery and are trapped inside by a rambling, religious maniac hell-bent on purifying the Earth of its sins through murder and destruction. Armed with a carpenter's hammer and a fanatic passion, the Cross Bearer hunts Heather and her friends down one-by-one in a sadistic crusade to burn clean the filth of the world. Heather's dreams are shattered, and if she survives, nothing will ever be the same. Unflinchingly raw, primal, and horrifying, Cross Bearer is a trip to the darkest, most vile side of humanity.

CBS seems to have a hit on its hands with the thriller "Under the Dome," and one of the stars of the show, Jolene Purdy, recently sat down with Dread Central to talk all about this exciting new series.

Genre fans will certainly remember Purdy from her work in the memorable film Donnie Darko, in which she played Cherita Chen. Purdy talked about her past, leading up to this great new role. "When I was younger, I started doing musical theater around second grade, and I just grew up loving musical theater," Purdy said.

"Then I had an audition for Donnie Darko, and it kind of opened my eyes to what it's like to not necessarily work in chronological order like a play on stage, focusing on story and character. And I've just chugged away at it ever since. Now I've gotten this great opportunity, and it's been amazing."

And of course the opportunity Purdy is referring to is her role on "Under the Dome". "I play Dodi, and she's this brilliant engineer that really is kind of like the MacGyver of 'Under the Dome'," Purdy said. "She takes little tech equipment, and she pieces it together to create something that's extremely useful. I think she doesn't realize that before the dome comes down, but really when it does, it's a skill that comes in handy."

Any fans of Stephen King, who wrote the original novel, who are wondering how much involvement the master of horror has in this project can rest assured that he's knee-deep in "Under the Dome". "Stephen King is really involved," Purdy said. "They send him copies of the script and changes that they're making from the book, and he's really on board and really excited about it. And it is going to stray from the book a little bit just to show real world issues and parallel living under the dome and what that is to life today through these characters' experiences, actions and changes."

Purdy also spoke on some of her experiences with King. "I kind of have a crazy imagination, and Stephen King's IT freaked me out so bad," Purdy said. "I don't necessarily dive into that world too much because it drives me bonkers, but it's really interesting being there for a little bit, and the fans are so into it. It's crazy!"

And King himself used a mention of Pennywise the Clown to help motivate Purdy. "When I met Stephen King at the first table reading we had, my fellow cast member Nicholas Strong was telling him how much he scared him as a kid," Purdy said. "I just said, 'Yeah, IT. I'm not over it.' And King looked down at me…he's so tall…and said, 'You'd better do a good table read, or the clown's gonna get you.' I just got chills." Yeah Jolene, we got chills for you just listening to that tale!

Taking into consideration that the show is based on a novel, we asked Purdy if the show would follow the same story arc and be complete at the end of the season. "We're not sure," Purdy said. "It depends on how the fans respond, really. It's planned out to be a series. The writers have gotten together and created this twisty little side, and they have an ending in mind, but none of us knows what it is, but I can't wait to find out."

Purdy talked a bit about the bonding between cast members as they were filming in North Carolina. "Nicholas Strong plays the DJ, and we are roomies and besties under the dome of Wilmington together, the two of us," Purdy said. "And Alex Koch, who plays Junior, he's kind of our third musketeer. We've been exploring Wilmington together and getting to know some of the locals, and it's been a good time. And [we're] hanging out with Natalie Martinez, who plays Deputy Linda. It's kind of cool because we're all transplants here in Wilmington so we've kind of made a family here, and we joke saying we're 'Under the Dome of Wilmington'."

Finally, Purdy talked about the thrill of the show finally hitting network television. "I'm really excited for everyone to get to see what we've been working so hard on," Purdy said. "I love that the show is focusing on the characters and their reactions to the dome. And being set in Maine, you're comfortable. It's home. It's safe. And then this dome comes down, and you really get to see every kind of reaction to this crisis, this terror that happens. So I'm excited to see how the audience and fans respond to it."

Our thanks to Jolene for her time. You can keep tabs on what she's up to by following @jojopurdy on Twitter.

The 13-episode summer series on CBS stars Mike Vogel, Rachelle Lefevre, Dean Norris, Natalie Martinez, Britt Robertson, Alexander Koch, Colin Ford, Nicholas Strong, Jeff Fahey, Jolene Purdy, Ned Bellamy, Natalie Zea, and Aisha Hinds. "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, serve as executive producers.

"Under the Dome" Episode 1.02 - "The Fire" (airs 7/1/13)
While the residents of Chester’s Mill face the uncertainty of life in the dome, panic is heightened when a house goes up in flames and their fire department is outside of the dome. Directed by Jack Bender and written by Rick Cleveland.

For more info visit "Under the Dome" on CBS.com, "like""Under the Dome" on Facebook, and follow "Under the Dome" on Twitter (@UnderTheDomeCBS).

So far "Primeval: New World" hasn't quite been able to match the quality (or chemistry) of its UK predecessor, but it's still good cheesy fun for a Saturday night. If you're sticking with the show as well, here's a sneak peek of next weekend's Episode 1.05, "Undone."

The 13-episode "Primeval: New World" stars Niall Matter ("Eureka"), Sara Canning ("The Vampire Diaries"), and Danny Rahim ("Eastenders") as a team of animal experts and scientists investigating paranormal events while battling both prehistoric and futuristic creatures.

For more info visit "Primeval: New World" on Syfy.com and "like""Primeval: New World" on Facebook.

"Primeval: New World" Episode 1.05 - "Undone" (airs 7/6/13):
Two dinosaurs travel through an anomaly and terrorize a college campus.