In this last article for our extensive coverage from my June, 2013 set visit to the Warner Bros. /Legendary production of Godzilla, executive producers Alex Garcia and Mary Parent weigh in on the Gareth Edwards-directed film, which is due in theaters May 16. Read on!

“It's steeped in realism,” Garcia (who previously produced the fan-favorite flick Trick r’ Treat) stated of their approach to Godzilla, “but yet there's a beauty in realism. You can look at footage of disasters and it's stunning, so it's ‘documentary’ in that everything comes from realism. You can watch those early Speilberg movies, like Close Encounters, and it feels like, ‘Wow this is a real family; this actually happened.’”

Emanating from director Ishiro Honda’s classic 1954 original of the same name, the 2014 Edwards-helmed Godzilla features actors Bryan Cranston (“Breaking Bad”), Aaron Taylor-Johnson (Kick-Ass), Juliette Binoche (The English Patient), David Strathairn (The Bourne Legacy), Elizabeth Olsen and Ken Watanabe, in a script by Max Borenstein, Dave Callaham and Frank Darabont, which pits the world’s most famous monster against malevolent creatures who, bolstered by humanity’s scientific arrogance, threaten our very existence.

Thomas Tull, Jon Jashni, Parent and Brian Rogers produce, alongside executive producers Garcia, Patricia Whitcher, Yoshimitsu Banno and Kenji Okuhira.

(Writer’s Note: Spoilers lurk ahead, so proceed at your own discretion.)

“(It has a) semi-documentary (feel) in that it's really 'real',” stated producer Parent.

“Close Encounters of the Third Kind is a good tonal and visual (comparison), if you had to pick a touchstone. It looks very different from when you go back and actually look at Close Encounters, but it does have a 70’s vibe. How Gareth is dropping you in, where the camera is being placed, so it feels like you're being dropped into this real event that is happening. But it's not ‘found footage’.”

“It's beautifully cinematic,” chimed in Garcia, “but (it) never betrays that realism. A big theme of the film (is) overhanging nature and hubris, and also a heavy thematic of family getting past difficult events.”

“(And) nature; man trying to control nature, which sadly is becoming incredibly relevant,” added Parent.

“There's a Black Hawk Down aspect to it,” she expounded, “like when you get dropped into this stuff, but it's all so incredibly visceral because it's all so real. There's nothing campy or heightened; it's as though this really happening. Gareth has done a really good job of making you believe that this could happen, and if it were to happen how people would react and behave and what those set pieces would look like.”

We saw this executed in person later in the day when we paid a visit to the second unit, shooting against a football field-length, four-story tall green screen erected a mile or so away. Constructed in the foreground was a scaled down version of a demolished Golden Gate Bridge, the flight deck and command tower of an aircraft carrier dubbed the USS Saratoga, and a considerable amount of rubble, in which military-garbed actors assisted civilians free themselves from the debris, ostensibly a result of Godzilla’s recent presence.

With 2013’s Pacific Rim having been the most recent American-produced kaiju film (and one on which Parent produced), we asked if there were any similarities to Godzilla.

“One is very much about world creation,” she said.

“Pac Rim is set slightly in the future (and) even though there's a reality to it, it's very much about world creation and twenty-five-story tall robots vs. monsters. What's different and great about this is we're now on the ground with it. That's why I was saying Black Hawk Down, (because) it's incredibly visceral in how Gareth drops you into the middle of this battle in our world (and) in our time period. (Pac Rim is) very different (tonally]; it's a more operatic piece, (in that) there's incredible wish-fulfillment in being connected to a device that melds man and machine, and so (in that) the fights are never from the ground, they're always one on one.”

Given the grim aspects of the ‘Hall H’ Godzilla trailer which had premiered at Comic-Con 2013, we queried the pair on the film’s narrative ties to nuclear proliferation.

“It quotes Oppenheimer as one of the fathers of the atomic bomb, and he very much ties into the DNA of where Godzilla came from thematically, and again for us that was a palette cleanser; resetting the expectations of what one would do with this IP and what one would fear we would do with this IP. It's very grounded,” stated Garcia.

As for the death toll, “It's real but it's not gratuitous,” stated Parent.

“It's not like there's any softening; you'll feel the reality of the situation, and you do see people that die, but I don't think we'll have any trouble with our rating. People do die but you don't see Godzilla step on a kid or anything. There's a lot of monster action too, and I think you've figured out there are other creatures.”

Concerning Frank Darabont’s contributions to the script, “He’s a great writer,” said Parent.

“Gareth worked very closely with Frank,” added Garcia.

“Gareth had such a specific vision,” continued Parent.

“He knew what he wanted so Frank was able to come in and help him realize that. Frank had a window, and frankly we had a window, and it worked.”

“He brought in some great ideas,” offered Garcia of what Darabont delivered, “that we really embraced, so it was just fleshing that out.”

“The good news is we're trying to make a good first film,” finished Parent, “and hope it works (so that we can) make more.”

Earlier this year we learned that the all-new graphic novel Godzilla: Awakening is heading our way on May 7th from Legendary Comics, and now today we have a look at the cover art by acclaimed Godzilla artist Arthur Adams.

From the Press Release:
In May 2014 audiences will witness the epic rebirth of the King of the Monsters as Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures unleash Godzilla upon the big screen.

To pave the way for the iconic creature’s return, Legendary Comics is proud to present the official graphic novel Godzilla: Awakening. This 80-page story, set decades before the film, is co-written by Max Borenstein (screenwriter of the new Godzilla) and Greg Borenstein.

Delve into an incredible mystery, generations in the making. At the dawn of the atomic age, humanity awakens life forms beyond imagination, unleashing monumental forces of nature. This explosive, larger-than-life adventure is the perfect way for fans to glimpse the new Godzilla before seeing the film in theaters.

Related Story:See all of our Godzilla coverage here.

Godzilla: Awakening is illustrated by Eric Battle (X-Men, Green Lantern, Wonder Woman), Yvel Guichet (Pacific Rim: Tales from Year Zero, Superboy Annual, End of Nations), Alan Quah (Rage, The Vampire Diaries, Anywhere), and Lee Loughridge (Batman Adventures, Arkham Asylum: Living Hell, Marvel Zombies Return) and features cover art by Arthur Adams (Godzilla, Fantastic Four, Hulk, Uncanny X-Men).

"Supernatural" is heading off on spring break until April 15th, and to tide you over until the show returns with its final six episodes of Season 9, here's a preview of Episode 9.18, "Meta Fiction."

No synopsis is available yet, but we should have that for you in the next week or so. What we do know so far is that the ep was written by Robbie Thompson and directed by Thomas J. Wright.

For more info in the meantime visit "Supernatural" on cwtv.com, "like""Supernatural" on Facebook, and follow @CW_spn on Twitter.

Honestly, we're a little confused by this latest news as we were under the impression "From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series" was going to be a one-season, self-contained story. But obviously we were mistaken as Season 2 has just been announced! Read on for the details.

From the Press Release:
El Rey Network, the general entertainment cable channel founded by filmmaker Robert Rodriguez, announced plans today to greenlight a sophomore season of the network's first scripted original, "From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series."

Based on the cult classic film of the same name, Season Two will be comprised of 13 hour-long episodes and will be shot in Austin, Texas, home to the filmmaker's Troublemaker Studios. Marking Rodriguez's first foray into television, the highly-anticipated program premiered in the U.S. on El Rey Network on Tuesday, March 11th, and premiered exclusively on Netflix through their run-of-series license in Canada, Ireland, Nordics, Netherlands, the UK, and Latin America. Season Two will also be available internationally on Netflix following the US premiere.

Rodriguez, who created the series and directed four of the first season's installments, said: "This is a truly unique property and one that has really resonated for viewers. It has been a joy to bring these characters back to life and have the opportunity to take our storytelling to a whole new place. We look forward to going back into production later this year and are excited about raising the bar even higher in Season Two."

Scott Sassa, El Rey Network's Vice Chair, said: "Our decision to launch this ambitious original in just our first few months on the air was certainly bold, but the payoff has been incredibly satisfying. As the television landscape becomes even more crowded, it's important for El Rey Network to have a recurring and memorable franchise that speaks to our audience and allows us to break away from the noise of all the competition. 'From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series' is most certainly that kind of property, and we are thrilled with the response from our affiliate partners, advertisers, viewers, and the international community."

The international cast includes D.J. Cotrona, Zane Holtz, Jesse Garcia, Eiza González, Wilmer Valderrama, Adrianne Palicki, Jake Busey, Don Johnson, Madison Davenport, Lane Garrison, Robert Patrick, and Brandon Soo Hoo.

"From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series" is centered around bank robber Seth Gecko (Cotrona) and his violent, unpredictable brother, Richard "Richie" Gecko (Holtz), who are wanted by the FBI and Texas Rangers Earl McGraw (Johnson) and Freddie Gonzalez (Garcia) after a bank heist leaves several people dead. While on the run to Mexico, Seth and Richie encounter former pastor Jacob Fuller (Patrick) and his family, whom they take hostage. Using the family RV to cross the Border, chaos ensues when the group detours to a strip club that is populated by vampires. They are forced to fight until dawn in order to get out alive. The series deepens the tone and expands the storyline of the film, adds new characters and backstories, and explores the Mesoamerican mythology behind the creatures inside the club.

Miramax, producing studio and distributor of the original film, is a producing partner and is distributing the series internationally in all territories. Entertainment One Television (eOne) exclusively represents DVD and EST rights in the US and Canada for the program.

"From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series" is an El Rey Network production in association with Rodriguez International Pictures, FactoryMade Ventures, and Miramax. Executive producers are Robert Rodriguez, Carlos Coto (who is also showrunner), and FactoryMade Ventures and El Rey Network co-founders John Fogelman and Cristina Patwa. Diego Gutierrez is writer and co-executive producer.

For more info keep your eyes on the show's Facebook page, the official El Rey Network website, El Rey Network on Facebook, and El Rey Network on Twitter.

The Internet has changed everything. Even just 20 years ago no one had access to the kind of technology and information that we do now. It's helped bring your favorite stars into your living room, and in terms of news there's no faster way to get it.

It's an interesting story to say the least, and to document it all comes a new documentary called Beard-Os and Badasses - the feature length debut from Geoff Todd and H. Perry Horton. Read on for details.

From the Press Release
This was a movement bigger than any one site, more significant than a name. BEARD-Os AND BADASSES: The Punks Who Took Film News Underground is a new documentary film project that has exploded onto Kickstarter. In 1995 when Patrick Sauriol flipped the switch on his film news website Corona Coming Attractions, it changed everything. No longer was film reporting and criticism in the exclusive hands of the few, privileged elite. For the first time fans and enthusiasts threw their keyboards in the ring, and a revolution was launched. 

BEARD-Os AND BADASSES, the feature length debut from Geoff Todd and H. Perry Horton, will be an in-depth look at The Punks who took control of an out of control and outdated mechanism. There were false starts, missteps, and plenty of controversy, but a revolution was launched that changed the entire landscape of American film journalism and criticism. It is the goal of this film to document each step, but we need your help.

So how can you help? You can visit the official Beard-Os and Badasses Kickstarter campaign for starters.

We here at Dread Central are honored to be included in this documentary as are many of your favorite sites. If you wanna know the story of how this all turned into what it has, then NOW is your chance.

For more info visit the official Beard-Os and Badasses website, "like"Beard-Os and Badasses on Facebook, and follow Beard-Os and Badasses on Twitter.

Hot on the heels of yesterday's images, we now have the first teaser trailer for the found footage flick Into the Storm directed by Steven Quale (Final Destination 5). Grab your umbrella, get yourself a slicker, and read on!

From the Press Release
From New Line Cinema, in association with Village Roadshow Pictures, comes the tornado disaster film Into the Storm. Steven Quale (Final Destination 5) directs the film, which is produced by Todd Garner (Zookeeper, Knight and Day).

In the span of a single day, the town of Silverton is ravaged by an unprecedented onslaught of tornadoes. The entire town is at the mercy of the erratic and deadly cyclones, even as storm trackers predict the worst is yet to come. Most people seek shelter, while others run towards the vortex, testing how far a storm chaser will go for that once-in-a-lifetime shot.

Told through the eyes and lenses of professional storm chasers, thrill-seeking amateurs, and courageous townspeople, Into the Storm throws you directly into the eye of the storm to experience Mother Nature at her most extreme.

Quale is directing the film from a screenplay by John Swetnam. The executive producers are Richard Brener, Walter Hamada, Dave Neustadter, Mark McNair, Jeremy Stein, and Bruce Berman.

The film stars Richard Armitage (The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug), Sarah Wayne Callies (TV’s “The Walking Dead”), Matt Walsh (Ted), Alycia Debnam-Carey (Where the Devil Hides), Arlen Escarpeta (Final Destination 5), Nathan Kress (TV’s “iCarly”), Jon Reep (Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay), and Jeremy Sumpter (Soul Surfer, TV’s “Friday Night Lights”).

Quale’s behind-the-scenes creative team consists of several members of his Final Destination 5 roster, including director of photography Brian Pearson, production designer David Sandefur, editor Eric Sears, and composer Brian Tyler, as well as costume designer Kimberly Adams (associate costume designer for the Chronicles of Narnia films).

New Line Cinema production, in association with Village Roadshow Pictures, a Broken Road production, Into the Storm. The film will be distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company, and in select territories by Village Roadshow Pictures.

You may have noticed a particularly gruesome snippet in the trailers for Oculus, due out April 11th, wherein a girl takes a big ole bite out of a light bulb, which she thinks is an apple. Today we've got the full clip for ya, which is guaranteed to ruin your lunch. Dig it!

Karen Gillan ("Doctor Who,"Not Another Happy Ending), Brenton Thwaites (Maleficent, The Giver), Rory Cochrane (Argo, Parkland), and Katee Sackhoff ("Battlestar Galactica,"Riddick) star.

Oculus is directed by Mike Flanagan from a script he co-wrote with Jeff Howard, based on a short film Flanagan and Jeff Seidman made in 2005. Trevor Macy (Safe House, The Strangers, The Raven) and Marc D. Evans (Safe House, The Strangers, The Raven) produced the film, and Jason Blum, Ryan Kavanaugh, Tucker Tooley, Anil Kurian, D. Scott Lumpkin, Peter Schlessel, Dale Johnson, Glenn Murray, Julie May, and Mike Ilitch, Jr., serve as executive producers.

Synopsis
Ten years ago, tragedy struck the Russell family, leaving the lives of teenage siblings Tim and Kaylie forever changed when Tim was convicted of the brutal murder of their parents. Now in his 20s, Tim is newly released from protective custody and only wants to move on with his life; but Kaylie, still haunted by that fateful night, is convinced her parents’ deaths were caused by something else altogether: a malevolent supernatural force­­ unleashed through the Lasser Glass, an antique mirror in their childhood home. Determined to prove Tim’s innocence, Kaylie tracks down the mirror, only to learn similar deaths have befallen previous owners over the past century. With the mysterious entity now back in their hands, Tim and Kaylie soon find their hold on reality shattered by terrifying hallucinations and realize, too late, that their childhood nightmare is beginning again…

For the latest news and updates, be sure to "like"Oculus on Facebook and follow @blumhouse on Twitter.

We recently learned that Terminator: Genesis will tie in to many characters and events from the previous films in the franchise, and today comes word that another familiar character will be making an appearance in the new installment. Read on for all the exciting details!

As reported by THR's Borys Kit over on Twitter, Attack the Block star John Boyega recently tested for the role of Danny Dyson in the film and is on the shortlist of actors being considered to play the son of Terminator 2's Dr. Miles Dyson.

As you may recall, Miles Dyson was the inventor of the microprocessor that led to the creation of Skynet, and he was killed off in Terminator 2. His young son, Danny, was briefly seen in the film, and it looks like that character will be expanded upon in this latest installment.

Terminator: Genesis will hit theaters on July 1, 2015.

Jai Courtney will play Kyle Reese alongside Emilia Clarke's Sarah Connor and Jason Clarke's John Connor. Arnold Schwarzenegger will also appear in the film

Skydance and Annapurna co-finance along with Paramount with David Ellison producing for Skydance and Megan Ellison producing for Annapurna. Laeta Kalogridis and Patrick Lussier penned the script, and Alan Taylor directs.

Deleted scenes are usually deleted for a reason, and that reason is that they're typically comprised of footage that's really not worth watching. But let's go ahead and toss that broad generalization out the window because as you're about to see, there are exceptions to the rule.

In this insanely gory deleted scene from The Raid 2: Berandal (review), rival gangs go to war, and we can promise that you'll be silently uttering the words "holy shit" at least a handful of times throughout the scene.

Enjoy the four-plus-minute clip below, which is guaranteed to be the most awesome thing you'll see all week!

Iko Uwais (The Raid), Julie Estelle (Macabre), Alex Abbad (Merantau), Marsha Timothy (The Forbidden Door), Mathias Muchus, Tio Pakusadewo, and Cecep Arif Rahman star.

Synopsis
He thought it was over. After fighting his way out of a building filled with gangsters and madmen – a fight that left the bodies of police and gangsters alike piled in the halls – rookie Jakarta cop Rama thought it was done and he could resume a normal life. He couldn’t have been more wrong.

Formidable though they may have been, Rama’s opponents in that fateful building were nothing more than small fish swimming in a pond much larger than he ever dreamed possible. And his triumph over the small fry has attracted the attention of the predators farther up the food chain. His family at risk, Rama has only one choice to protect his infant son and wife: He must go undercover to enter the criminal underworld himself and climb through the hierarchy of competing forces until it leads him to the corrupt politicians and police pulling the strings at the top of the heap.

And so Rama begins a new odyssey of violence, a journey that will force him to set aside his own life and history and take on a new identity as the violent offender “Yuda.” In prison he must gain the confidence of Uco – the son of a prominent gang kingpin – to join the gang himself, laying his own life on the line in a desperate all-or-nothing gambit to bring the whole rotten enterprise to an end.

After airing only two episodes, A&E announced a couple weeks back that they were pulling the new series "Those Who Kill" off the air in the wake of the show's poor ratings. Now it's finding new life at a brand new home. Read on!

Deadline reports that "Those Who Kill" is returning to television this coming Sunday, March 30th, and will from this point forward be airing on LMN TV, also known as the Lifetime Movie Network. New episodes will premiere at 10pm on Sunday nights, with this Sunday's third episode being preceded by re-airings of the first two episodes of the series.

So rejoice if you enjoyed the inaugural two episodes and wanted more!

"Those Who Kill" premiered March 4th to just 1.4 million viewers, almost half of the 3.07 million who tuned in for the debut of "Bates Motel's" second season an hour prior. As for that precious adults 18-49 demographic, "Those Who Kill" logged 0.5, nearly a third of the 1.6 million who tuned in for "Bates." It then lost almost half its premiere viewers this week in its second airing, drawing only 830,000 total viewers and a 0.3 in the demo.

For more info keep your eyes on the "Those Who Kill" Facebook page.

An all-out assault of nightmarish imagery is the best way I can describe the trailer for Irish director Ivan Kavanagh's new film The Canal, which premieres next month at Tribeca. Sound good? Then dig in, fiends!

This year's Tribeca Film Festival takes place from April 16th to April 27th, in New York City.

Antonia Campbell-Hughes, Rupert Evans, Steve Oram, and Hannah Hoekstra star.

Synopsis
Film archivist David and his wife are perfectly happy—or so he believes. When a looming secret shatters their marriage at the same time as a turn-of-the-century film reel he is studying reveals their house to be the site of a 1902 multiple-murder, David begins to unravel, and the house’s eerie history threatens to repeat itself. Dripping with tension and chilling to the core, this visceral Irish ghost story is a visually arresting and genuinely shocking journey into the darkness within.

As the end of Season 4 of "The Walking Dead" draws ever so near, a new one-sheet has been released that asks the same set of questions. One thing's for sure... no matter who arrives or survives, the shit is about to hit the fan!

Based on the comic book series written by Robert Kirkman and published by Image Comics, "The Walking Dead" stars Andrew Lincoln, Norman Reedus, Steven Yeun, Lauren Cohan, Chandler Riggs, Melissa McBride, Emily Kinney, Danai Gurira, Chad Coleman, and Sonequa Martin-Green.

The series is executive produced by Scott M. Gimple, Robert Kirkman, Gale Anne Hurd, David Alpert, Tom Luse, and Greg Nicotero.

"The Walking Dead" Episode 4.16 - "A" (airs 3/30/14)
Many paths collide; Rick (Lincoln) faces sheer brutality; the group struggles to survive. Directed by Michelle MacLaren; written by Scott M. Gimple and Angela Kang.

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

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At the end of last year we got the early details on a feature adaptation of one of Alterna Comics' first year titles, The Chair, and now we have an update that includes the film's first casting news.

From the Press Release:
Pre-production for the film of one of Alterna's first year titles, THE CHAIR, is well under way with major casting announcements!

Director Chad Ferrin is on board with a screenplay written by Erin Kohut, who edited the graphic novel, which was created and written by Peter Simeti with art by Kevin Christensen.

The first four parts to be filled are as follow:

Bill Oberst, Jr. (pictured above; CHILDREN OF SORROW, CIRCUS OF THE DEAD), has been cast to play the psychotic and sadistic WARDEN. An indie horror icon, Oberst Jr. will have no problem bringing the role to life.

Eric Roberts (THE DARK KNIGHT, THE EXPENDABLES) has been cast to play one of the lead guards, MURPHY. The veteran actor is more than up to task for this role as a sarcastic and brutal guard that takes pride in making RICHARD SULLIVAN's life a living hell.

Joining Eric Roberts in the prison guard crew, Derrick Damions (THE DAY WE DISAPPEAR, "ONE LIFE TO LIVE") will portray the crafty and sinister SIMMONS.

Jacob Banser (DIG A HOLE AND DIE) rounds at the cast at this time as he has been cast for the role of JIMMY/BONES, the only inmate in the prison that Sullivan calls a friend.

There are currently several notable actors in talks for other roles, including that of the lead, RICHARD SULLIVAN, the MOTHER, TUDLEY, MR. BATES, guards RILEY and ALVAREZ, and many more.

Below you'll find side-by-side comparison of the actors and their characters along with the comic's synopsis. Look for more soon!

Comic Synopsis:
Richard Sullivan has spent the past 10 years on death row, witnessing the torture and murder of each of his fellow inmates. As the sole remaining inmate in the prison, Sullivan must find a way to escape his fate or let the insane events of the prison finally consume him.

A new clip has arrived from Mr. Jones, and we urge you to blink a few times so that your eyes can adjust a bit to the darkness. Once they do, you'll see the air vibrating around it. Please note: We don't guarantee the whole vibrating thing, but it works for the folks in the clip.

From the Press Release
“Who is Mr. Jones?” To some, he is an enigmatic artist with a unique vision of humanity and our place in the spiritual universe. To others, his very name conjures unimaginable primal fears. But for two young people, he will become their worst nightmare...

From Preferred Film & TV’s Ross M. Dinerstein, the producer of the Sundance Film Festival smash hit The Pact and The Divide, comes Mr. Jones, bowing May 6th on Blu-ray, DVD, and On Demand from Anchor Bay Films. SRP is $26.99 for the Blu-ray and $24.98 for the DVD.

Having premiered at the prestigious Tribeca Film Festival in 2013, Mr. Jones will also have an exclusive Los Angeles limited theatrical engagement beginning May 2nd.

Scott (Jon Foster of Stay Alive) and Penny (Sarah Jones of “Sons of Anarchy”) just moved to a remote cabin to escape the pressures of the world and breathe new life into their art. But they’ll soon discover they are not alone: An infamously reclusive artist - known only as "Mr. Jones" - lives nearby. He doesn’t like to be disturbed and only comes out at night when he drags his strange, sinister sculptures deep into the woods. When Scott and Penny’s curiosity leads them too close for Mr. Jones’ comfort, he plunges the young couple into a nightmare world of mayhem, madness, and mind-bending terror.

Diane Neal (“Law & Order: SVU”), Mark Steger (I Am Legend), and David Clennon (John Carpenter’s The Thing) co-star in this startling tale from debut director Karl Mueller (screenwriter of Xavier Gens’ The Divide).

A new poster is here for The Signal, a sci-fi thriller about three college students who take a dark road-trip detour. The Signal will hit theaters on June 13 with Focus Features expanding the release on June 20 and again on June 27. Check it out!

William Eubank directs The Signal from a script he wrote with Carlyle Eubank and David Frigerio. "Bates Motel’s" Olivia Cooke and "Hannibal’s" Laurence Fishburne star in the flick about group of college students who are lured to the middle of the desert by a hacker.

Brenton Thwaites and Beau Knapp co-star.

Synopsis
Three college students disappear under mysterious circumstances while tracking a computer hacker through the Southwest.

After a successful first weekend, Cheap Thrills will open in New York, San Francisco, Dallas, and Tempe, AZ, this weekend before expanding to more cities on April 4. Cheap Thrills will also play at The Crest in LA this weekend.

In New York at Cinema Village, actor Michael Shannon will moderate a Q&A with Cheap Thrills star Pat Healy at the 9:15pm showtimes on Friday and Saturday.

And in case you haven't seen his offer on Twitter, Drafthouse Films CEO Tim League will let you slap him in the face if you don't like Cheap Thrills. Here's your video guarantee...

Cheap Thrills is also now available on all VOD platforms.

The directorial debut from E.L. Katz, Cheap Thrills was acquired by Drafthouse Films, in partnership with Snoot Entertainment, following its world premiere at the 2013 SXSW Film Festival, where it won the "Midnighters Audience Award."

Synopsis
Cheap Thrills follows Craig (Pat Healy), a struggling family man who loses his low-wage job and is threatened with eviction. In an effort to delay facing the music at home, he heads to a local bar and encounters an old friend (Ethan Embry). The two friends are roped into a round of drinks by a charismatic and obscenely wealthy stranger (David Koechner) along with his mysterious wife (Sara Paxton). The couple engages the two friends in a series of innocent dares in exchange for money over the course of the evening, with each challenge upping the ante in both reward and boundaries. It seems like easy and much needed money, but the couple’s twisted sense of humor pushes just how far Craig and his friend are willing to go for money and cheap thrills.

The amazing crew behind the Stanley Film Festival, which runs at the iconic and historic Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, CO, April 24-27, has selected Doc of the Dead as its opening night film. Read on for details and more!

From the Press Release
The Stanley Film Festival (SFF), produced by the Denver Film Society and presented by NBC Universal's Chiller, announced today its Opening Night film and several special event highlights and experiences taking place at the four-day event (April 24-27, 2014).

The Stanley Film Festival celebrates the best in independent horror cinema at the hotel that inspired The Shining. The Festival will host a full slate of films, panels, competitions, and special events - all at the beautiful and historically haunted Stanley Hotel.

The Stanley Film Festival will open Thursday, April 24, with a Gala Presentation of an original documentary from EPiX, Doc of the Dead. Directed by Colorado filmmaker Alexandre O. Philippe (The People Vs. George Lucas), the film explores the evolution of the zombie genre in film, television, and literature as well as its impact and influence on pop culture. The film features footage taken at the 35th Starz Denver Film Festival's "George Romero's Zombie Town Hall Meeting."

"We are thrilled to open this year's Festival with a locally-produced film. The Denver Film Society is excited by the strength of the work we are seeing come out of our home state, and we cannot think of a better way to celebrate the iconic status of the Stanley Hotel than with a film produced right here in Colorado," says Denver Film Society Festival Director, Britta Erickson.

In addition to the Opening Night film, SFF announced it will host a series of events sure to satisfy even the most dedicated horror fans. Throughout the Festival, "players" of the Horror Immersion Game will use multiple media platforms and game elements to delve deep into a mystery/horror narrative that uses the Stanley Hotel and the Festival as a vehicle to engage its participants in a story that seamlessly exists concurrently with everyday life. On Friday evening, Fangoria Entertainment and ShockTillYouDrop.com will bring their Dead Right Horror Trivia from Los Angeles to Estes Park. Saturday evening, Glass Eye Pix will present The Stanley Edition of TALES FROM BEYOND THE PALE with hosts Larry Fessenden and Glenn McQuaid, featuring two brand new tales performed at the Historic Park Theater in town by special guests with films at the Festival. Additional events include a Murder Mystery Dinner Friday evening, Zombie Crawl Saturday afternoon, and a Big Wheel Death Race on Sunday morning, all at the Stanley Hotel.

"While we are incredibly excited to announce our full film line-up next week, we are just as ecstatic to unveil some of the atmospheric and interactive special events that will immerse our guests completely in the horror experience" says Landon Zakheim, Stanley Film Festival Program Director. "The entire weekend is designed to work as one big dark carnival."

The Stanley Film Festival will celebrate their programming announcement this evening with an advance screening of the film Oculus at the Reel Mountain Theater in Estes Park. The film will be followed by a post-screening Q&A with director Mike Flanagan, producer and SFF alum Jason Blum, and producer Trevor Macy and an after-party at the Stanley Hotel.

FEATURE PRESENTATIONS:

● Doc of the Dead - USA (Director: Alexandre O. Phillipe, Featuring George Romero, Simon Pegg, Bruce Campbell, Max Brooks, Tom Savini, Greg Nicotero, Robert Kirkman) - Could there be a real zombie outbreak? If so, Doc of the Dead can help you prepare. This definitive guide to all things undead delves deep into the evolution of the zombie genre in film and literature, as well as its impact and influence on pop culture, to deliver a comprehensive, fast-paced, highly entertaining look at a contemporary social pandemic of global proportions.

SPECIAL EVENTS:

● HORROR IMMERSION GAME: Bleeding seamlessly into the atmosphere of fear and suspense, we are excited to announce the Stanley Film Festival's Inaugural Immersive Horror Game, a real horror/mystery narrative using the Festival itself as its medium. Those who follow the clues opt in to the game, becoming the protagonists of an engaging and creepy interactive thriller culminating in an irreproducible climax you can never unsee.

● Glass Eye Pix Presents TALES FROM BEYOND THE PALE - The Stanley Edition: An ongoing series of audio dramas penned by luminaries from the world of contemporary horror from JT Petty (HELLBENDERS) to Simon Barrett (YOU'RE NEXT) and Kim Newman (ANO DRACULA), featuring players from Ron Perlman (HELLBOY) to Angus Scrimm (PHANTASM) and Mark Margolis ("AMERICAN HORROR STORY: ASYLUM"). The Stanley edition will feature performers culled from the film lineup. Join horror impresarios Glenn McQuaid and Larry Fessenden as they invite you to close your eyes and... listen.

● DEAD RIGHT HORROR TRIVIA HOSTED BY FANGORIA ENTERTAINMENT AND SHOCKTILLYOUDROP.COM: Do you consume horror as voraciously as zombies eat flesh? The hit Los Angeles horror event comes to the Stanley Film Festival! Join Fangoria's Rebekah McKendry and ShockTillYouDrop.com's Ryan Turek and test your horror knowledge in eight rounds of terrifyingly titillating trivia. Scare yourself with how much you actually know about horror. Trivia will be held early Friday evening at the Wheel Bar in Estes Park. Come with a team or join one there. All are welcome.

● MURDER MYSTERY DINNER: Murder is afoot at the old Stanley Hotel. Guests of the festival are welcome to register for a night of intrigue and deception unraveling over a wonderful three-course meal as they become their very own detectives.

● BIG WHEEL DEATH RACE: Guests will race through the expansive grounds of the Stanley Hotel on their very own adult sized Big Wheel, just like Danny Torrance. Festival pass holders will have an opportunity to race using adult sized Big Wheels on a course that runs the grounds of the Stanley Hotel. Registration will take place at the guest relations table for teams of four for a relay style race between 32 teams to determine one winner who will walk away with a complimentary stay at the Stanley Hotel.

● EYE HEART BRAINS ZOMBIE CRAWL: When there's no more room in hell, the dead will walk the Earth. And now you can, too. Converge upon the Stanley Film Festival in style by participating in a good ol' fashioned Zombie Crawl hosted by Eye Heart Brains, purveyors of the world's largest zombie gatherings. The death march will move along the Stanley Hotel grounds and through the neighboring streets of Estes Park in search of brains. BRAAAAIIIIIIIIINNNNNS!!

We told you about the Chilean slasher flick Damned Love (Maldito Amor) back during the holiday season of last year. Now, months later, we are super stoked to unwrap this trailer for the romantic comedy meets 70's Italian Giallo flick with a dash of 80's American slasher!

Gonzalo Badilla directs a script co-written by him and Sebastián Badilla, who also appears in the film.

Synopsis
Prom night is ruined for a group of teenagers thanks to the assassination of their teacher Marion, who was brutally murdered just two days before the big event by a faceless maniac. This will ruin the plans of Arturo (Sebastián Badilla), who was waiting for that exact moment to declare himself to the girl of his dreams, María Elena (Trinidad de la Noi), who just suddenly started a relationship with a mysterious magician called Tatán (Nicolás Luisetti).

Arturo will start a friendship with Beatriz, the most popular girl in school, to get María Elena jealous. But what Arturo doesn’t know is that the faceless maniac isn't done killing. He and Beatriz will have to begin solving the mysteries for all the wrong reasons and, in the meantime, also try to survive the hands of the killer.

TV's 2014 Upfront presentations are currently under way, and while the horror news has been light so far, today it was AMC's turn, and they have several projects in development that caught our eye.

First, the thus far untitled "The Walking Dead" companion series has landed Dave Erickson ("Sons of Anarchy") as an executive producer and co-writer along with Robert Kirkman.

As Kirkman said previously, "After ten years of writing the comic book series... I couldn’t be more thrilled about getting the chance to create a new corner of 'The Walking Dead' universe. The opportunity to make a show that isn’t tethered by the events of the comic book, and is truly a blank page, has set my creativity racing."

Now, as for the rest, along with "The After," which is heading to Amazon, Chris Carter has "Area 51" in the works at AMC. Written by Carter and and executive produced by him and Gale Anne Hurd (“The Walking Dead,” The Terminator), the show is based on the NY Times best-seller Area 51: An Uncensored History of America’s Top Secret Military Base by Annie Jacobson. It's a contemporary conspiracy thriller revealing the true story behind the infamous Area 51, America’s most mysterious military installation. (If this sounds a bit familiar, we got the first word about this back in November of 2011 with a follow-up in July of 2012. Things do move slow in TV land!)

Next is "Strange Angel," executive produced by Ridley Scott and David Zucker of Scott Free. AMC has optioned the book Strange Angel: The Otherworldly Life of Rocket Scientist John Whiteside Parsons by George Pendle, based on the life of Jim Parsons, a brilliant rocket scientist and co-founder of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. While a pioneer in research that had only recently been dreamed up in science fiction, his bright future gave way to ruin as Parsons headed down another, darker path into the occult community of mid-century Los Angeles.

Then we have "The Sparrow," written and executive produced by Michael Perry (“The River,” Paranormal Activity 2). Based on Mary Doria Russell’s acclaimed science-fiction epic, “The Sparrow” tells the story of a Jesuit-led mission to make first contact with an alien race.

Now, about that exorcism project... It's called "Outer Darkness," written and co-executive produced by Jim McDermott. The other executive producers are Stacey Sher (Pulp Fiction) and Michael Shamberg (Django Unchained, Pulp Fiction) of Double Feature Films. It's said to be a "grounded" take on exorcism by exploring everyday evil in an idyllic Midwestern town.

The network has also optioned Somewhere East of Life by Brian Aldiss with an eye toward developing it as a scripted drama series. Set in the near future, it tells the story of a man as he tries to reclaim his identity after having the last 10 years of his memories stolen.

Lastly, for fans of Kevin Smith (we know you're out there!), AMC renewed his "Comic Book Men" for a fourth season and is expanding their relationship to include the development of a late-night project, "Hollywood Babble-On," starring Smith and his co-host of their popular podcast, Ralph Garman, to be produced by Wilshire Studios and executive produced by Smith, Garman, and Gary Auerbach. Additionally, AMC is also working with Smith on the development of a docu-series featuring super-collector and "Comic Book Men" regular Robert Bruce. Produced by Original Media and Smith’s Smodcast Pictures and exec produced by Dan Laikind, Charlie Corwin, Elyse Seiden, and Smith, Bruce and his fellow experts scour the country searching real estate sales, auction houses, and flea markets on a quest to find rare items that will feed the needs of his demanding clients and add to Bruce’s own colossal collection.

Look for more on these projects as it comes!

With The CW's affinity for triangles, this new clip from "The Vampire Diaries" Episode 5.17, entitled "Rescue Me," contains a threesome we sure wouldn't mind being a part of! Enjoy some bonding among Damon, Matt, and Tyler over alcohol and shared sorrows.

"The Vampire Diaries" Episode 5.17 - "Rescue Me" (airs 3/27/14, 8-9pm)
MARKOS ARRIVES IN MYSTIC FALLS — In order to keep Stefan (Paul Wesley) from being harmed by Sloan (guest star Caitlin McHugh) and the Travelers, Caroline (Candice Accola) and Enzo (guest star Michael Malarkey) agree to make a trip to Atlanta to find a newly discovered doppleganger. Caroline is surprised when Enzo opens up to her about his past.

Damon (Ian Somerhalder) and Elena (Nina Dobrev) spend an awkward afternoon at Jeremy’s (Steven R. McQueen) parent-teacher conference, where they hear bad news about his behavior at school. Afterwards, Damon reluctantly tells Elena upsetting news about Jeremy's personal life.

Bonnie (Kat Graham) has an unsettling encounter with Luke (guest star Chris Brochu) and learns more about his family history. Liv (guest star Penelope Mitchell) fills Jeremy in on the rumors about the Travelers’ next move and demonstrates her considerable power.

Jeremy makes an unexpected deal with Liv, then makes a decision that is devastating to Elena. Stefan and Caroline share a special moment of friendship. Finally, a terrifying turn of events at the Travelers’ camp leads to the appearance of their mysterious leader, Markos (guest star Raffi Barsoumian).

Related Story:Jeremy's the Topic of this Clip from "The Vampire Diaries" Episode 5.17 - "Rescue Me"

Leslie Libman directed the episode written by Brett Matthews and Neil Reynolds.

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