The practical effects laden horror film Muck is going to be nabbing itself a pretty awesome distinction upon release and we have all the gloriously filthy details of it right here for ya!

From the Press Release
The world’s biggest television manufacturers, including Samsung, LG, and Sony, used last week’s CES 2014 as a launching pad to declare that they will lead us into the 4K / Ultra HD revolution in 2014, content or not. Those who attended CES 2014 in Las Vegas were amazed by the visual experience of the latest in HD. The biggest Hollywood studios and TV programmers, Warner Bros., 20th Century Fox, Amazon, Netflix, and others, are already rushing to create content in 2014 for the breathtaking picture of new 4K / Ultra HD TVs. Ahead of the curve, however, is Steve Wolsh’s independent horror film, Muck; out in front, Muck will become one of the first titles anywhere to offer consumers the premium 4K / Ultra HD experience.

For Steve Wolsh, being independent with a limited budget would not stop him from literally seeing the bigger picture, and he knew that 4K / Ultra HD was the future. Muck is full of stunning slow motion fire, glass explosions, water combat, and rapid-paced fierce horror stunts that will jump off the screen in 2014 in both HD and Ultra HD. Muck pushes the limits of what can be done in both independent filmmaking and within the horror genre. Steve Wolsh aims to get Muck in as many languages and territories as possible, so he partnered up with Blacklist Productions in Hollywood to have the ability to screen Muck in 4K / Ultra HD for interested parties.

Steve Wolsh and company did not waste any time to begin pre-production for Muck Offed (the Muck prequel). With the release ofMuck later this year, casting for Muck Offed is already underway. For the prequel, Steve Wolsh has promised to push his practical effects and the phrase “No CGI” into even more dangerous places. The entire original Muck cast, including Horror Legend Kane Hodder and 2012 Playboy Playmate of the Year Jaclyn Swedberg, as well as Australian hunk Lachlan Buchanan (Newcastle, Pretty Little Liars, and NCIS: Red), YouTube sensation Lauren Francesca, Indian beauty Puja Mohindra, Bryce Draper, Grant Alan Ouzts, Stephanie Danielson, and Laura Jacobs (Almost Human), will all be alive and well in the prequel along with the 13 new characters being added to the Muck universe. It could get messy…

Casting for the prequel, Muck Offed, has already begun, and is set to start filming in late August of 2014.

To learn more, "like"Muck's Facebook page.

Never Sleep Again: The Elm Street Legacy is a four-hour documentary film that chronicles the entire Nightmare on Elm Street franchise, as well as chronicling the rise of New Line Cinema.

Co-directed by Daniel Farrands and Andrew Kasch, it presents the kinds of in-depth yet light-hearted gems fans care about, not the paint-by-numbers stuff your average studio-produced Blu-ray extra disc typically regurgitates. It was made by genre fans who approach it from a place of love, but more importantly by filmmakers who understand that nothing is precious and nothing is off-limits. Heather Langenkamp, who played the ultimate final girl Nancy Thompson in three of the Nightmare films, serves as executive producer and narrator.

In exploring the Elm Street saga, the film presents photographs, storyboards, conceptual art, publicity materials, archival documents, and behind-the-scenes footage that have never been previously shared. it expands on Wes Craven's motivations in creating the first Elm Street film and exhaustively explores behind-the-scenes of the original film and all of its sequels. Through interviews, the film shares how cast and crew brought their own worst nightmares to life on screen and examines the impact the series and its mythos have had on pop culture and the horror genre in general. The documentary also explores the rise and fall of Robert Shaye's New Line Cinema and its reputation as "The House That Freddy Built."

Q. The name of this doc became prophetic… can you guys talk a little bit about just how ambitious putting this project together actually was?

Dan Farrands: For us, "Never Sleep Again" quickly became "Never Gonna End" once we realized just how involved this show was turning out to be. Now it's become kind of our little film family's inside joke but back in 2010 when we were in the thick of production, it was a pretty painful ordeal -- kind of like being trapped in a nightmare that you couldn't wake up from ... with Freddy Krueger, no less! Starting out, we thought we would probably end up with a standard 90 minute or 2 hour documentary; little did we know it would turn into a 4 hour behemoth with an additional 4 hours of bonus features! Ultimately, we felt that the interviews and stories had to flow organically and that we didn't want to simply dictate a running time. We didn't want to skimp on the good stuff and we felt that (thanks to Andrew and Benni's seamless editing) that there were just a lot of great stories to tell and points of view to be heard. Documentary filmmaking is incredibly difficult -- in many ways I find it more difficult than features -- but through the process we figured out a format that worked (and works) best for our shows. It was just really gratifying when fans were so vocal about their appreciation of our no-holds-barred approach to the material. We interviewed well over 100 people spanning all of the ANOES films and it definitely was a challenge tracking down many of them -- particularly Mark Patton from "Part 2: Freddy's Revenge." The story of how we found him could have been its own bonus feature! That being said, everyone who sat in our "hot seat" was more than game to tell their stories -- the good, the bad and the ugly. That's one of the reasons I think "NSA" works. It doesn't shy away from the not-always-pleasant moments, meltdowns and mayhem that went into making these movies.

Andrew Kasch: We really wanted to do a Nightmare documentary, especially after the miserable experience of His Name Was Jason, and with the remake coming out, we knew it was now or never. No one in town wanted to make one, so we said "Fuck it" and ultimately did it ourselves. When we started, we only had Heather Langenkamp and that was it. So we were literally shooting whoever we could get in our tiny studio. And it was incredibly scary because at the time, we didn't even know if we could get Robert Englund or Wes Craven. Thanks to Dan & Thommy's resourcefulness and our crew attacking this thing tenaciously, it gradually got bigger and bigger. Over 100 interviews later, we sat back and said "What the hell have we just done??? Is anyone gonna watch this thing???" To top it all off, we only had two-to-three months to do post production on it. To put that in perspective, most 90 minute feature documentaries take YEARS to edit. So I spent the spring locked in my room where I edited nonstop and didn't sleep or see daylight for what felt like an eternity. By the time it was over, I was insane and practically dead. I probably looked worse than the sickest junkie at a rehab facility! We worked up against and beyond our deadline and couldn't even see straight, so when it went out for pressing, I was absolutely terrified. It was this big, furiously slapped together 4-hour behemoth of a thing. On top of it all, we were getting blasted online by everyone because they thought it was going to be like the Jason doc. So it was a major relief when it came out and the reaction was overwhelmingly positive.

Q. In having immersed yourselves in Freddy’s world unlike anyone else (I think you probably know more about the ANOES franchise than Wes Craven does!), what’s one of the most interesting or eye-opening things you discovered? I mean, for instance, were you able to pinpoint how and why a demonic child-molester character has become such a pop-culture icon?

DF: I'll give full credit to Andrew and our writer/producer [Thommy Hutson] for being the real Freddy fanatics of the group. Their knowledge of the franchise was invaluable throughout the process and I was always amazed at the insights and creativity that came to us not only from our team but from our fellow fans. I am still amazed and awestruck by the work of Michael Granberry, who designed and animated the opening title sequence and our chapter interstitials in stop motion. It was like inviting fans from around the world to participate in our "little" horror documentary and it was very rewarding when we received so much support from the fan community. Personally, I was always a huge fan of the series, especially the original, "Part 3" and Wes's New Nightmare. I think I was most fascinated by Robert's take on the origins of Freddy -- who he is, why this phantom was able to infiltrate the nightmares of the Elm Street kids, and why Heather Langenkamp's Nancy really was the perfect foil for him. The ANOES films are incredibly inventive, entertaining and intelligent on many levels. Not only do they work as horror films but they can also be examined on a much more psychological and societal level which I think is part of the reason the films have stood the test of time.

AK: Charting the super stardom of a character who is basically a pedophile serial killer was still the weirdest and most fun thing to do and to this day, I don't think anyone can fully comprehend how it happened. Beyond the box office bucks, I think it has a lot to do with Robert Englund's charisma. Pop culture is so bizarre. It takes on a life of its own and mutates into strange things. There's a part in our doc that dives full force into just how overboard it went - to the point where Robert saw his face on bottles of valium in Russia. And it's only gotten stranger since then. Today, they're talking about a Hunger Games theme park! This is a franchise about an evil dictatorship that oppresses the people and forces their children to kill each other - and they want to turn it into the next big family tourist destination! It's like opening a Salo themed restaurant. People do the weirdest shit when they capitalize on things and I find that endlessly fascinating.

Q. What’s one of the coolest artifacts you uncover in the doc and as fans, what’s your own personal favorite find?

AK: Every day was a geeky adventure and it felt like we were the temporary custodians of some Freddy museum. We found a treasure trove of cool shit, but my favorite find was getting to read the original Skipp & Spector draft of A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child. I loved their 80's splatterpunk novels and had been wondering for years what their version was like. And it's pretty damn fantastic stuff. It had real characters, themes and set-pieces that perfectly extended the Dream Warriors story into interesting, dark places. Even if New Line had stuck to that first draft, it would have been a hundred times better than what they ended up making. I still would love to see that script adapted into a graphic novel kinda like they did with Frank Miller's Robocop sequels.

DF: This is a very difficult one to answer as there were truly so many interesting discoveries that we made along the way. I think the most surprising one to me was the nearly shot-by-shot Bollywood remake of the original ANOES It literally and unapologetically ripped off Wes's movie, and I think it may have even liberally "borrowed" Charles Bernstein's score. I guess copyright doesn't mean much in India but it was also interesting and sort of amusing to see how they tried (horribly) to re-create scenes such as Tina appearing in the body bag at the high school. I also loved meeting with a fan who brought his huge collection of screen-used props, costumes and Freddy gloves out to California where David Miller examined and authenticated them -- he has one of the actual (and very rare) "hero" gloves used in the original film. It was also really fun looking through the scrapbooks containing hundreds of candid photos taken by cast and crew. These aren't the things you'd find in any of the studio vaults. These were the personal memories of the people who actually made the movies allowing us access to their private keepsakes. To me you can't get any better than that!

Q. Robert Englund, Heather Langenkamp and Wes Craven have all talked about ANOES so many times. What are some of the ways you got them to think outside the box for your definitive doc, and were they pretty cooperative? Was there anyone who was hard to get?

AK: We really made it a point to tell each person being interviewed "We're not a studio. Be honest and tell the truth." I was paranoid about this being a puff piece so we really pushed that angle hard. Sometimes a little too hard. I remember Dan and I bombarded our Elm Street 2 interviewees so hard about the gay subtext that some would say "You know, there's other stuff in the movie to talk about too." And we were like "NO! You have some serious explaining to do!" Some people were very forthcoming about the difficulties and others were very green about everything. But the passage of time always helps people open up more, which is why you can be more honest when you do a retrospective.

DF: Heather was part of the project from the get-go (as both narrator and executive producer). What I loved about her interview, though, was that she really shared some great insights into the character of Nancy Thompson. She articulated this much better than I can, but Nancy was a true warrior (even down to the pajamas she wore during her final confrontation with Freddy; Heather considered this costume her "battle armor" and she even kept the pajamas all these years and showed them on camera). Wes Craven is such an intelligent man and a consummate filmmaker that it was just sheer geek delight hearing him recount the origins of his script and the character of Freddy (who was named after a childhood bully). We really wanted to delve into the psychological aspects of the films, including the sequels which of course grew increasingly hit or miss as Freddy became less of an object of fear and more of a circus sideshow act.

Of course we would have loved to have had Johnny Depp and Patricia Arquette and a number of others, but in the end they are well-represented in the documentary and it's fascinating to hear what their co-stars remembered about them in the earliest days of their careers. As I said, everyone we interviewed really went for it in terms of being incredibly open and candid with the stories they told and we tried to inform our documentary with insightful behind the scenes moments and explanations of the memorable effects and set-pieces we really wanted to examine the films themselves and the reasons behind the ANOES series' enduring legacy.

Q. The DVD has been out, and it’s gotten some fantastic response from existing devotees as well as wowed casual fans and won over some new ones – so what can you say about the Blu-ray?

DF: Like Freddy himself, it seems like "NSA" is going to live on (and on). The show itself hasn't changed -- but really, who doesn't want to see outtakes of Johnny Depp swallowed up and spit out of a bed in glorious HD?

AK: Ask any filmmaker - not having your stuff available in HD is like hearing your band on a bootleg cassette tape. I personally can't stand to look at the DVD because of all the compression on the image. Now you can see every one of our no-budget imperfections in perfect clarity! But in all seriousness, it feels great to finally have it on Blu where it always belonged.

Don’t miss the Never Sleep Again (review) signing at Dark Delicacies Bookstore on Sunday, January 26, 2014.

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There’s a bit of under the radar stunt-casting in You’re Next: Indie horror directors abound – on the run from a small herd of cross-bow and ax-wielding killers clad in farm-animal masks are Larry Fessenden, Ti West, Amy Seimetz and Joe Swanberg.

It’s written, directed and acted with true vitality and while it’s a black comedy, humorous elements never take a backseat to the horror. Even when you know what’s about to happen, You’re Next continues to be suspenseful and scary throughout. It was definitely one of our favorite films of 2013, so it’s great it hits DVD and Blu-ray so early into the the new year (Tuesday, January 14).

Special features include a making-of featurette, an audio commentary with director Adam Wingard, writer Simon Barrett and actors Sharni Vinson and Barbara Crampton and a separate audio commentary with director Adam Wingard and writer Simon Barrett.

It was my pleasure to pick the brains (figuratively, of course) of three of the guys responsible for the frights.

Adam Wingard

Q: Everything looks so top notch, maybe surprisingly so... How'd you avoid getting that "low budget look"?

AW: From the get go I knew that I wanted to make a film that could appeal outside of the film festival world to mainstream audiences. For me this was a challenge because prior to this I was working in the what one might call the NO BUDGET realm of filmmaking so in order to even have a movie at the end of the day I implemented a very fragmented experimental shooting and editing style. For You’re Next I didn't want to lose the style that I had developed to that point but I did want to sort of disguise it behind more conventional cinematic language in order to make that transition to a wider audience. This means however that you have to be very efficient because part of what makes bigger budget Hollywood films is having the ability to cut to a number of angles and to occasionally do fancy stylistic little flourishes here and there. With all that said the main thing to making low budget stuff seem bigger is to make the audience feel that if you don't show something that it was a creative decision and not based on budget or time. In short it’s all about the illusion of scope.

Q: What do you hope will be the take away for viewers of You’re Next, and how will watching it at home on Blu-ray enhance the home invasion theme that much more?

AW: I just want people to enjoy the film. It was made to be a fun movie going experience and I think once people own the film at home I would encourage them to make it a communal experience. Invite some friends over and let the movie jerk you around. I honestly don't care if people like the film I just care that they have a good time watching it. I think its two different things.

Q: What's next up for you, Adam?

AW: Finished the sound mix for our latest film The Guest. It premieres Friday midnight at Park City.

AJ Bowen

Q: There are lots of movies about home invasions - why'd you chose You’re Next? I know you worked with Adam before... So do you chose projects more on roles, or on the filmmaker?

AJB: The only thing about my career that I have any semblance of control over is my choice, my sensibilities. So for the past few years I've been making fewer movies, for the most part ones I think have a good shot at a fair shake for either audience or for the creative team. To be fair to the gang on You’re Next, I'm not sure it's right to say I chose it. It's a bit of the reverse. What I mean to say is, of course I'd choose to work on a film that involved people I trust creatively. I'm not in any position to choose to work with Jess, Keith, Simon or Adam. Any time friends of that quality and talent offer to choose you, you try to not fuck that up and the answer has always been and always will be yes. If they're working on something, and think I am right to contribute on it, I'm always going to choose to do that. Beyond those guys, I'm always going to choose something based on 2 things-those being the script, and the creative team. It's not much value to jump on a good script if there's concern as to whether or not the team involved can fully realize it. I've done that in the past, to mixed results. So it starts with the script, and then it's about compatibility with the filmmakers making it. Every movie is an eternal public journal for the world to see of a very finite moment in time, so I like to know we're all speaking the same language and can trust each other going into creative battle.

Q: There're a lot of carefully choreographed scenes in You’re Next - talk about how much that affects the flow of acting and emotion when you have to be very aware of the logistics.

AJB: My brain, I suppose, is fairly atypical in the world of acting. I'm logic driven, am a person that thrives creatively in logistics, so I'm always staging some form or another of choreography. That's what I'm doing with the text as an actor, choreographing the accompanying dance to the music which in this instance means the script. Some people might find that creatively limiting but I find it freeing and an essential component of collaboration. When you're finding the rhythm of a scene with the steadicam operator, during the scene, it becomes a partnership, and that dynamic is one of my favorite parts of shooting a movie.

Q: I understand you and Barbara Crampton became friends from working on You’re Next - what's your favorite thing about her, something fans might not necessarily know…?

AJB: Well it's funny because she's not really old enough to be my mom and we don't share that kind of dynamic in our relationship. She's a dear friend to me, and provides a great source of comfort and wisdom, both in work and especially in life. She was one of the most present, and most supportive people in my life while I was going through the pain of getting sober. I think her nature is transcendent, so I'm sure people can already see, but her heart is my favorite thing. She's a spiritual, wise, and most importantly to me loving and loyal cherished soul. Every cell of that beautiful woman is filled with love and I'm grateful to call her my friend. I can't provide her the depth of counsel she provides me, but I try, and I'd do anything for her. Barbara is one of the best human beings I've ever known. Also, she's got a wicked, sly sense of humor. And she sings karaoke with me. Basically, Barbara is perfect, and anyone who knows her will tell you the same.

Simon Barrett

Q: Home invasion movies are not exactly few and far between, so what was the biggest challenge in regard to making this script different?

SB: Well, I started the script from a point of extreme awareness of home invasion thriller clichés. I would say that “trying to do something different” is one of the most basic aspects of Adam’s and my filmmaking process; we always start from that point at a bare minimum, I would hope. So I was already thinking about the more standard home invasion thriller model exemplified by great films like Ils, Straw Dogs and The Strangers, and also of movies that did something unusual with that, such as A L’INTERIEUR or Funny Games.

But all of that said, we’d never have even conceived of the notion of making You’re Next if we didn’t feel like we had something new and fun to add to the home invasion subgenre. So it wasn’t necessarily a challenge, because before I started writing, I already had some ideas that I knew weren’t like any home invasion movie I’d seen, at least not since Home Alone or whatever, which is why I wrote that script in the first place. So knowing those clichés existed wasn’t a negative challenge to be overcome, it was more like a positive challenge that inspired us to make this film.

Q: Did you know who the cast would be as you were writing it?

SB: The roles played by Joe Swanberg, AJ Bowen and Amy Seimetz were specifically written for them. Other roles in the film, I kind of had the actors in mind for, which can sometimes help clarify a character’s voice. But then, you know, it might not work out in the casting process, so I generally don’t do that except just as a writing tool. But Amy, AJ and Joe were the leads in the previous film we’d finished, A Horrible Way to Die, and we knew we wanted to work with all of them again immediately, and that the feeling was mutual enough that they’d prioritize us in their schedules. So I specifically wrote for them. Which can be a huge help.

For example, Joe and Amy are both masters at improvisational acting, so it was more about giving them characters that they could have fun with. AJ is likeable and engaging in a unique way, and we’d utilized that very precisely in A Horrible Way to Die, giving him this huge monologue at the end. It might be boring if another actor did it, but AJ made it totally entertaining. So when I realized I was doing something similar in You’re Next, I was just like, “Well, I’ll just write a speech for AJ, and he’ll find some way to pull it off.” And he did.

All that said, those were unique circumstances, where I knew in advance that the timing would work out. If I wrote roles specifically for Amy, Joe and AJ now, we’d be screwed, because Amy’s on two television shows, et cetera. So, it all just depends on the project and the circumstances. We like working with actors who we know are gifted and we already have a rapport with, and sometimes it’s ideal to therefore conceive a role for an actor, for manifest reasons. But in general, I just write the characters however they are in my head, and then casting defines the characters further.

Q: Is everything you wrote pretty much on screen or were the actors allowed to ad lib? Do you like actor ad libs or not?

SB: There’s quite a bit of ad-libbing in You’re Next, especially in the earlier scenes with Joe, Amy and Ti West, all of whom have also worked with improvisational acting from the other side of the camera too. The dinner scene, for example, is the kind of sequence that requires some improvisation, because you can’t write what every single character is doing at all times in a big scene like that; the scene would end up being thirty pages long and totally unreadable. I think all of the lines that were in the script are in the film, but we needed the actors to augment the dialogue and be natural and spontaneous in their interactions so that Adam could make a complete scene out of it.

I generally leave it up to the actors, it’s a matter of preference. Sharni Vinson, for example, liked to memorize her dialogue in advance. But she was great at ad-libbing, she just preferred to do a different kind of preparation, I think. It’s ultimately up to the performer. I’m very open to improvisation, as long as it’s good, and we try to work with actors who will make the roles and dialogue better than maybe we could have ever conceived them, or have an understanding of the character that can be completely different or deeper than mine.

If a bit of ad-libbing isn’t working, then, you know, I can discuss it with the actor, or with Adam. But I’m always respectful about that, and give them a chance to try something, especially if Adam’s working with them on the scene. I’ve directed stuff, so I get how that process goes.

Ultimately, it’s the performances that make a scene work. You can write a great scene with beautiful, poetic dialogue, and if the performances aren’t right, the scene will be garbage. On the other hand, great performances can save a poorly written scene. Adam and I are both aware of that, and that’s the priority during production, to get the best possible performances, whether that means ad-libbing or doing the lines I wrote verbatim. It could be either, it just depends on the actor and the moment, so I have to be open to both. I don’t think either technique is better, it’s just whatever works.

Now, obviously I do try to write the best dialogue I can; I don’t just write “[Swanberg will say something funny here]” and skip to the next scene in the script. But every actor has their own technique, and film is a collaborative art. Any writer who isn’t at least open to that is being deluded by their own ego.

I think we’re going to put the screenplay for You’re Next online, now that the movie’s coming out on video, so anyone with any interest in this sort of thing will be able to read it. I assume that’s no more than two or three people, but for those two or three people, it might be edifying.

Ah, the telephone! If used properly in a scary movie, it can bring on all manner of chills and sometimes hilarity. That's the case in this first clip from the horror-comedy slasher flick Sorority Party Massacre.

From the Press Release
Beautiful sorority babes. An isolated island with nowhere to hide. A crazed killer targeting them one-by-one. Ah, the joys of higher learning...

On February 11, 2014, Anchor Bay Entertainment unleashes Sorority Party Massacre, a master class in girls, gore, carnage, and comedy. Guaranteed to tutor you in terror, Sorority Party Massacre will be available on DVD for an MSRP of $22.98.

An isolated town full of sexy college girls has a dangerous secret: One girl has gone missing each year for the last 20 years. A big-city cop, in danger of losing his badge, agrees to aid the town’s sheriff in investigating these unsolved disappearances. Quickly they realize that they are dealing with a psychotic killer whose brilliance has been twisted into a taste for terror, torture, and sorority sister torment. But when this party gets started, who will graduate – and who will be held back?

Directed by Chris W. Freeman and Justin Jones, and featuring a headline cast including Tom Downey (Mirror Image), Kevin Sorbo (“Hercules: The Legendary Journeys”), Ed O'Ross (“Six Feet Under”), Leslie Easterbrook (The Devil’s Rejects), Richard Moll (“Cold Case”), adult film legend Ron Jeremy, and new Scream Queens Marissa Skell, Eve Mauro, and Yvette Yates, Sorority Party Massacre teaches old school terror exploitation. This party is comedy camp at its shocking, slashing, sexy best!

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Joe Begos'Almost Human (review) is finally on its way to a proper release from IFC Midnight, and to get you geared up for this stellar little indie flick, we now have the official trailer to drop on you cats. Dig it!

IFC Midnight will be releasing Almost Human in select theaters and on VOD February 21st, and they've also whipped up a nice little poster to go along with the release. Check it out below along with the plot crunch!

Written, directed, and produced by Joe Begos, the film stars Graham Skipper, Josh Ethier, and Vanessa Leigh.

Synopsis
Two years ago Mark disappeared from his home in a brilliant flash of light. His friend Seth was the last person to see him alive. Now, a string of murders leads Seth to believe that Mark is back.

Every 30 years, it returns to feast on attractive young people. 2014 is that year. While you wait for the limited theatrical and home video release of Dead Sea, feast your eyes on the full trailer, which teaches you all about the legend of the film's serpentine monster!

Synopsis:
Dead Sea follows a marine biologist who reluctantly returns to the town she grew up in, only to encounter the violent paranoia that has overtaken its locals as they prepare for the return of a serpentine creature said to appear every thirty years to feed.

The science fiction thriller is written and directed by Brandon Slagle (2012 Shockfest Award Winner - Best Director, The Black Dahlia Haunting) and stars Alexis Iacono (The Penny Dreadful Picture Show, Blue Caprice), Britt Griffith (Syfy's "Ghost Hunters"), Devanny Pinn (Nude Nuns with Big Guns), James Duval (Independence Day, Donnie Darko), Chanel Ryan (Bad Kids Go to Hell, BASEketball), Candace Kita (Barb Wire, "Nip/Tuck"), Jw Wiseman ("Deadliest Warrior"), Tawny Amber Young (The Guilt Trip, Bloodsucka Jones), and KJ McCormick (Syfy's "Ghost Hunters").

Creature effects are being provided by Phil Nichols of Facades FX Lab (Arlington Road, Boggy Creek, the upcoming Bigfoot Wars).

For more information, "like" the newly launched Dead Sea Facebook page.

It's Speed meets When a Stranger Calls, by way of Saw and The Purge, in the indie thriller Unknown Caller, which is ready to dial into limited theaters on March 1st. Everything you need to know to get you prepped for the release awaits, including poster art and an intense and action-packed trailer.

Dig in!

Directed by Amariah Olson and Obin Olson, the flick stars Louise Griffiths, David Chisum, Assaf Cohen, Henri Lubatti and Victor McCay.

Synopsis
A psychopath uses a family’s high tech security system with a ticking time bomb to terrorize them for 90 minutes demanding an answer to his question; ‘WHO AM I?’

We're just about a week and a half away from the release of I, Frankenstein, and though we don't have much to put in front of your eyeballs today, we hope that a fiery new still will hold you off until we have more. Ready... set... fight!

For more check out the official I, Frankenstein website.

Synopsis
I, Frankenstein, starring Aaron Eckhart, will be digitally re-mastered into the immersive IMAX® format and released into IMAX® theatres across the U.S. beginning January 24, 2014, as well as a number of international territories.

The IMAX release of I, Frankenstein will be digitally re-mastered into the image and sound quality of The IMAX Experience® with proprietary IMAX DMR® (Digital Re-mastering) technology. The crystal-clear images, coupled with IMAX’s customized theatre geometry and powerful digital audio, create a unique environment that will make audiences feel as if they are in the movie.

200 years after his shocking creation, Dr. Frankenstein's creature, Adam (Eckhart), still walks the earth. But when he finds himself in the middle of a war over the fate of humanity, Adam discovers he holds the key that could destroy humankind.

The action thriller I, Frankenstein is written for the screen and directed by Stuart Beattie from a screen story by Kevin Grevioux and Beattie. The film is brought to life by a cast that includes Eckhart, Bill Nighy, Yvonne Strahovski, Miranda Otto, Socratis Otto, Jai Courtney, Kevin Grevioux, Mahesh Jadu, Caitlin Stasey, and Aden Young as Victor Frankenstein.

Lionsgate / Lakeshore Entertainment / Sidney Kimmel Entertainment present a Hopscotch Features / Lakeshore Entertainment / Lionsgate / Sidney Kimmel Entertainment production

The hellish underworld gets a bold new look courtesy of The Jersey Devil, which begins shooting in New Jersey (where else?!) next month. Dig your claws into all the info, courtesy of Humanity Pride Productions, Green Light Films and Diamond Jesus Productions!

From the Press Release
The Jersey Devil stars veteran actors Chris Mulkey (“Captain Phillips”, “Boardwalk Empire”,”Cloverfield”), David Chokachi (“Baywatch”), Jack Mulcahy (“The Brothers McMullen”,”Porky’s”) as well as Award Winning Actor Keith Collins (“The Meat Puppet”,”Gravedigger”), Award Winning Actress Penelope Lagos (“Stuck in the Middle”) and Joe Sernio (“All My Children”).

When his term limit comes up, Lucifer, the original Devil, must turn the reigns of Hell over to James Burnett. But Burnett has new plans for Hell that includes changing its’ image and relocation. He enlists his Advocate, Richard Cooper and his beautiful sidekick Tori to find a new home for the damned. After an extensive search, they settle on New Jersey. As construction begins, James implements his plan to gather as many souls as possible so he can challenge the Kingdom. Meanwhile, Lucifer, with his wife Eve and Advocate Judas have arrived in Jersey to put an end to James’ plans. After several failed attempts to stop him, Lucifer turns to a higher power for help.

The Jersey Devil and Jersey City, NJ are a match made in….HELL!! With the support of the FilmJC and the Mayor’s Office, filming will take place in several well-known locations including the Landmark Loews’s Jersey Theater and City Hall. Jersey City will provide a perfect backdrop for the hipper, more contemporary Hell.

The Jersey Devil is directed by two-time New York Emmy winner Joseph Pepitone (“Stuck in the Middle”). Written By, Joseph Pepitone and Billy Pepitone. Produced by, Cory Green, Jeff Quinlan, Joseph Pepitone, Keith Collins. Executive Producers Michael Billy, Jarl Haugedal, Dorothy Fucito, Debbie Philips, Charles Anastasia, Larry Salvato, John Camera and Frank Sepe.

Even if this weekend's Devil's Due sucks, I'll consider it a win. Why? Because it birthed this absolutely hilarious viral video featuring an animatronic devil baby and some truly scared shitless people. Check it out! We've watched it about 6 times already.

And remember... you must Pray for Sam while you still can!

20th Century Fox's Devil’s Due, featuring Allison Miller ("Terra Nova") and Zach Gilford ("Friday Night Lights"), opens in theaters everywhere January 17, 2014. Penned by Lindsay Devlin, it's directed by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett (Radio Silence).

Synopsis:
After a mysterious, lost night on their honeymoon, a newlywed couple find themselves dealing with an earlier-than-planned pregnancy. While recording everything for posterity, the husband begins to notice odd behavior in his wife that they initially write off to nerves, but as the months pass, it becomes evident that the dark changes to her body and mind have a much more sinister origin.

Really, we want you to suck on it. Inhale it. Taste its sweetness. Bite into it until you cannot take it anymore! Your dentist will love you long time. Check out this neat piece of eye candy just in time for the Sundance premiere of Cooties!

Saw co-creator and star Leigh Whannell stars in the film alongside Elijah Wood, Rainn Wilson, Alison Pill, Jack McBrayer, and Nasim Pedrad. Jonathan Millott and Cary Murnion co-direct. Poster design by Kingdom of Nonsense.

Be sure to keep your eyes on the official 2014 Sundance Film Festival website for more info.

Sundance Screenings

Friday, January 24 – 11:45pm – Library Center Theatre (1225 Park Ave.)

Synopsis
A mysterious virus hits an isolated elementary school and transforms the students into a feral swarm of mass savages; then an unlikely hero must lead a motley band of teachers in the fight of their lives.

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Trailer number two has arrived for the sequel to A Haunted House, cleverly entitled A Haunted House 2, and it focuses mainly on nonsense. What? You were expecting something thought-provoking?

The sequel to A Haunted House catches back up with Malcolm (Wayans), who is trying to get a fresh start after having to exorcise demons out of his ex. However, moving into a beautiful home with his new girlfriend and her two children does nothing to stop the paranormal — or the humor.

Marlon Wayans, Jaime Pressly, Gabriel Iglesias, Ashley Rickards, Steele Stebbins, Essence Atkins, Affion Crocket, Dave Sheridan, Hayes MacArthur, Missi Pyle, and Cedric The Entertainer star.

Open Road Films is releasing the spoof, which is directed by Michael Tiddes and co-written by Wayans and Rick Alvarez, on March 28th, 2014.

Synopsis
Crossing new lines and breaking old barriers, A HAUNTED HOUSE 2 is the sequel to the hilarious box office hit starring Marlon Wayans as Malcolm who, after exorcising the demons of his ex, is starting fresh with his new girlfriend and her two children. After moving into their dream home, Malcolm is once again plagued by bizarre paranormal events. With spine-tingling tension and hilarious punch-lines, A HAUNTED HOUSE 2 is inspired by the latest supernatural horror movie franchises and shows that this time… it’s not just the house that’s haunted!

Zak, Nick, and Aaron have cooked up a new season of spooky for the "Ghost Adventures" crew, and we have the skinny on the whens and the wheres right here. Dig it!

From the Press Release
Saturday nights just got a whole lot scarier! This winter, lock down with the “Ghost Adventures” trio – Zak Bagans, Nick Groff and Aaron Goodwin – as they investigate intriguing new haunted locations.

Moving to a brand-new night of the week, season nine premieres Saturday, February 15, at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT and features thirteen hour-long episodes; new episodes continue Saturday nights thereafter. In each episode, the “Ghost Adventures” team travels to a different haunted destination where they meet with locals, eyewitnesses and experts in an attempt to piece together the haunted history of each site. They then begin a dusk-to-dawn “lockdown” investigation, using the latest scientific gadgets and technology in an effort to obtain physical evidence of the paranormal and uncover the truth behind each haunted mystery.

“Each season we push the barriers on paranormal investigating – physically, personally, emotionally, scientifically,” said Zak Bagans, lead investigator. “Our experiences affect us well beyond what viewers see in each episode – it doesn’t just end when we turn the equipment off. But each investigation puts Nick, Aaron and I one step closer to understanding the afterlife and the haunted mysteries of the locations we visit. It’s exciting and terrifying all at once.”

In the season nine premiere, Zak Bagans, Nick Groff and Aaron Goodwin explore the Oman House – a Los Angeles home ridden with paranormal activity believed to be directly related to the infamous Sharon Tate murder by Charles Manson’s cult of followers in 1969 – which took place just 200 feet from the property. The team discovers the home also sits atop a Native American burial ground and on a geomagnetic anomaly. Reports include objects moving on their own; sightings of a pregnant, bleeding female apparition walking around outside the home thought to be Sharon Tate herself; and those who enter the house have feelings of overwhelming physical pain and illness. As the lockdown begins, a powerful, negative energy shrouds the space – along with disembodied voices and objects falling over on their own. When Groff experiences burning sensations and severe stomach pains, he’s forced to leave the home. What the team documents leaves more questions than answers.

Upcoming episodes include a special investigation of Bannack, MT – a lawless, Old West mining-turned-ghost-town with a gruesome, violent past; New York City’s Morris-Jumel Mansion, a historic haunt rich with American history and soap opera drama; Katie’s Bar in Long Island, NY – a local pub with paranormal activity that is frightening employees; the Myrtles Plantation in St. Francisville, LA – a 215-year-old property that is one of America’s most famous haunted locations; a former cement factory with a dark past in Salt Lake City, UT, which now houses a Halloween fun house with real-life frights; and more.

“Ghost Adventures” is produced by My Tupelo Entertainment for Travel Channel. For My Tupelo, the executive producers are Michael Yudin, Joe Townley, Zak Bagans and Nick Groff. For Travel Channel, the executive producer is Daniel A. Schwartz.

For more info visit "Ghost Adventures" on Travel Channel, and "like""Ghost Adventures" on Facebook. In addition be sure to follow @GhostAdventures, @Zak_Bagans, @NickGroff_ and @AaronGoodwin on Twitter using the hashtag #GhostAdventures.

About every two hours today we've received a new e-mail from the powers-that-be in promotion of the new flick Vampire Academy, and rather than do several different stories, we've combined everything here for the curious!

First up, the official Regal Movies Instagram has a quick clip with Zoey Duetch touting an exclusive trailer coming soon to Regal Cinemas. Too lazy to click? Watch the video below.

From there, a Facebook page has been set up that's home to the Vampire Academy They Suck at Selfies contest, in which you can win some cash and more.

Finally, Just Jared is home to a new infographic and stills, and you can click on the image below to check out all the goodies.

Hot (literally) on the fiery new still from I, Frankenstein comes an equally as fiery new clip. Yep, there's lots of CGI hanging around. Hopefully the CG gargoyles will be enough to distract us. We hope. Sort of. Oh, just watch.

For more check out the official I, Frankenstein website.

Synopsis
I, Frankenstein, starring Aaron Eckhart, will be digitally re-mastered into the immersive IMAX® format and released into IMAX® theatres across the U.S. beginning January 24, 2014, as well as a number of international territories.

The IMAX release of I, Frankenstein will be digitally re-mastered into the image and sound quality of The IMAX Experience® with proprietary IMAX DMR® (Digital Re-mastering) technology. The crystal-clear images, coupled with IMAX’s customized theatre geometry and powerful digital audio, create a unique environment that will make audiences feel as if they are in the movie.

200 years after his shocking creation, Dr. Frankenstein's creature, Adam (Eckhart), still walks the earth. But when he finds himself in the middle of a war over the fate of humanity, Adam discovers he holds the key that could destroy humankind.

The action thriller I, Frankenstein is written for the screen and directed by Stuart Beattie from a screen story by Kevin Grevioux and Beattie. The film is brought to life by a cast that includes Eckhart, Bill Nighy, Yvonne Strahovski, Miranda Otto, Socratis Otto, Jai Courtney, Kevin Grevioux, Mahesh Jadu, Caitlin Stasey, and Aden Young as Victor Frankenstein.

Lionsgate / Lakeshore Entertainment / Sidney Kimmel Entertainment present a Hopscotch Features / Lakeshore Entertainment / Lionsgate / Sidney Kimmel Entertainment production

Here's a tidbit of news for you "American Horror Story" fans. TV Guide caught up with FX Network president John Landgraf, who told them he’s pretty sure the fourth season will be a period piece and that most of the cast will return. Not a lot to go on, but we take what we can get!

Below you'll find the original PR for the fourth season order.

From the Press Release:
FX has ordered a fourth installment of "American Horror Story," the Emmy and Golden Globe Award winning miniseries franchise from Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk, it was announced by John Landgraf, CEO, FX Networks and FX Productions. The network has ordered 13 episodes from Twentieth Century Fox Television.

“Put simply, Ryan Murphy is a master television producer,” said Landgraf. “Time and time again he reinvents the form. What he, co-creator Brad Falchuk, and their producers Dante Di Loreto, Tim Minear, Jennifer Salt, James Wong, Brad Buecker, Jessica Sharzer, Douglas Petrie, Alfonso Gomez-Rejon, Alexis Martin Woodall, and the entire production team and cast responsible for the 'American Horror Story' franchise have done is nothing short of extraordinary. Every year, they create a riveting and brilliant new miniseries. 'AHS: Coven' is the best yet, and I have no doubt that the next installment will be even better.”

Since its inception, the "American Horror Story" miniseries franchise has combined for a total of 34 Emmy Award nominations. "AHS: Murder House" tied for the most nominations of any program in 2011 with 17, and "AHS: Asylum" received the most nominations of any program in 2012, also with 17.

For more info visit the show's Facebook page and Twitter feed along with "American Horror Story" on FX.

Even though we're still waiting for Dawn of the Planet of the Apes to hit theatres this year, Fox has announced an initial release date for the third entry in this new franchise. Read on for the latest details.

Matt Reeves will deliver the as of yet untitled third film on July 29, 2016.

Reeves will write the script with Mark Bomback, who scripted the sequel to Rise of the Planet of the Apes, which grossed $482 million worldwide in 2011. The directing deal is done, and the writer deals are being worked out right now. Reeves will go right into the third film, as it's a priority for the studio.

Look for Dawn in theatres on July 11th, 2014. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes stars Andy Serkis, Jason Clarke, Gary Oldman, Keri Russell, Toby Kebbell, Kodi Smith-Mcphee, Enrique Muriciano, and Kirk Acevedo.

Synopsis
A growing nation of genetically evolved apes led by Caesar is threatened by a band of human survivors of the devastating virus unleashed a decade earlier. They reach a fragile peace, but it proves short-lived, as both sides are brought to the brink of a war that will determine who will emerge as Earth’s dominant species.

For more visit the official Dawn of the Planet of the Apes website, "like"Dawn of the Planet of the Apes on Facebook, and follow Dawn of the Planet of the Apes on Twitter (#DawnOfApes).

Vikingdom will be laying waste to your home video collection on January 21st and right now we have your chance to score a copy on us along with a poster without having to attack, besiege, or bludgeon anyone. Cool huh?

To enter for your chance to win, just send us an E-MAIL HERE including your FULL NAME AND MAILING ADDRESS. We’ll take care of the rest.

Directed by Yusry A. Halim, the flick stars Dominic Purcell of "Prison Break," Conan Stevens of The Hobbit trilogy, Craig Fairbrass, Jon Foo, and Natassia Malthe.

Synopsis
Based on Viking mythology, a forgotten King Eirick (Dominic Purcell) battles from hell and beyond to retrieve the mystical artifact, Odin’s Horn, before Thor and his army can unleash its powers to conquer the world.

This week "Grimm" puts its own spin on the legend of the Manticore, and you can see the Wesen version of the creature in these new stills from Episode 3.11, "The Good Solider," along with a bit of detective work.

If you're not familiar with the legend of the Manticore, per Monstrous.com, it typically has the body of a red lion, the face and ears of a human, and a tail ending in a stinger like that of a scorpion. The mouth contains three rows of teeth, and its poisoned spines along the tail can be shot like arrows in any direction. Sweet!

"Grimm" Episode 3.11 - "The Good Soldier" (airs 1/17/14)
NICK AND HANK INVESTIGATE A SERIES OF VETERAN MURDERS WHILE MONROE MEETS ROSALEE’S FAMILY FOR THE FIRST TIME -- KIRK ACEVEDO AND EMILY RIOS GUEST STAR -- Nick (David Giuntoli) and Hank (Russell Hornsby) are called to the gruesome murder of a veteran working in home security. During their investigation, they discover this might be one of several revenge killings regarding a horrifying cover-up involving members of the Army and military contractors.

On the domestic front, Monroe (Silas Weir Mitchell) accompanies Rosalee (Bree Turner) during her long overdue reunion with her mother and sister.

In Europe, Adalind (Claire Coffee) sees hints of what she thinks might be her powers returning. Bitsie Tulloch, Sasha Roiz, and Reggie Lee also star.

For more info visit "Grimm" on NBC.com, check out some InstaGRIMMS on Instagram, "like""Grimm" on Facebook, and follow "Grimm" on Twitter.

The highly acclaimed new film, Banshee Chapter (review here) is coming to DVD home video on February 4, 2014, and right now we have a quick look at the artwork for you. Check it out.

Synopsis
XLrator Media has acquired all U.S. rights to writer/director Blair Erickson’s 3D horror-thriller BANSHEE CHAPTER starring Ted Levine (The Silence of the Lambs), Katia Winter (“Dexter”), and Michael McMillian (“True Blood”). The film was produced by Sunchaser Entertainment’s Stephanie Riggs, Before the Door’s Corey Moosa and Sean Akers, and Christian Arnold-Beutel. Zachary Quinto and Neal Dodson of Before the Door executive produced with Ben Samuels, Marcus Schoefer, and Gudrun Giddings.

BANSHEE CHAPTER centers on a female journalist (Winter) who follows the mysterious trail of a missing friend (McMillian) who had been experimenting with mind-altering chemicals developed in secret government drug tests. A fast-paced blend of fact and fiction, the story is based on real documents, actual test subject testimony, and uncovered secrets about covert programs run by the CIA.