Since it's the 30th anniversary and all, the internet is currently in the midst of a Ghostbusters frenzy, and it's quite frankly a beautiful thing. On tap for you today are two little things that we feel will be of interest to super fans so read on if you ain't afraid of no ghosts!

First up, Film Dumpster caught up with star Ernie Hudson to talk about the long-gestating Ghostbusters 3, wherein he remarked that it's definitely happening, though he has no idea when the cameras will start rolling. Okay, so it's a bit of non-news, but it's still worthy of a mention.

You can check out the full interview below, which was filmed at the Niagara Falls Comic Con.

Also below you'll also find a fun 30th anniversary Ghostbusters infographic, courtesy of SDRS Creative. It's jam-packed with lots of information about the film that you probably never knew so definitely give it a look!

This Friday marks IFC Midnight's theatrical and VOD release of Alex de la Iglesia's Witching and Bitching (review), which promises to be one of the most batshit crazy experiences any of us have ever witnessed.

While we wait, we've got some goodies in store for you today, which should whet your appetite for the madness!

Check out a new poster and even a motion poster below, courtesy of Latino Review, as well as the first five minutes of the flick, per Crave Online!

The ensemble cast boasts some of Spain’s biggest film and TV stars, such as Mario Casas (I Want You), Hugo Silva (Sex, Parties and Lies), and Carmen Maura, who earned a Best Actress award at San Sebastian in 2000 for her role in Commonwealth. Further cast members are Terele Pavez, Carolina Bang, Secun de la Rosa, Pepon Nieto, and Jaime Ordonez.

Synopsis
When a bank heist in the city doesn't all go according to plan, José and Tony find themselves in possession of some hostages and speeding through the mountains of Spain, hoping to quietly slip over the border. Not wanting to give up his custody days to his ex-wife, José has also brought his son along, for both the robbery and the ride. Little do they know that this is only the beginning of their troubles. When they decide to make a stop in a small tavern in the Basque countryside, the group encounters a series of local wackos. Falling victim to a mysterious spell, they soon find themselves the honored guests of a fractured family of witches who are preparing for an ancient ritual. More colorful characters begin to enter the picture, including a pair of hapless cops hot on the trail, a defecting vixen witch and José's controlling ex-wife, and the situation spirals further out of control, heading towards a jaw-dropping climax.

From its opening moments involving a shootout between a series of street performers in costume (including Minnie Mouse, the Invisible Man and Jesus), it's clear that director Alex de la Iglesia is in top form here. Capturing all the wit of his previous films, but employing a much more streamlined energy, he serves up the laughs, action and thrills in spades. Creative effects and frenetic, tongue-in-cheek jokes make for a visual inventive comedy with plenty of scares and surprises along the way. So grab your iron dentures and sharpened utensils. Dinner is served.

Around this time last year we told you that Jennifer's Body director Karyn Kusama was working on an indie flick titled Invitation, with Luke Wilson attached to star. It seems as if those plans have changed, and we've got the latest casting news for ya today!

The Wrap reports that Prometheus star Logan Marshall-Green (pictured) and "Boston Public" actress Marieh Delfino have accepted the female director's Invitation, which will also co-star Tammy Blanchard, John Carroll Lynch and Michelle Krusiec.

Phil Hay and Matt Manfredi wrote the script, which stars Marshall-Green as a man faced with mounting evidence that something sinister has taken hold of his ex-wife, who is hosting a dinner party that harbors a terrifying agenda.

Delfino will play a UCLA professor in the movie, which Hay and Manfredi are expected to produce with Martha Griffin and XYZ Films.

Production is scheduled to start this month.

Okay, so we've lost count of how many TV spots there have been for Dawn of the Planet of the Apes thus far. All we know is this flick just keeps looking more and more badass by the second. Need more proof? Here ya go!

Look for the film in theatres on July 11th. 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. James Franco has a minor cameo.

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).

Did you snag a copy of Stephen King's latest, Mr. Mercedes, when it was released on June 3rd? If so, we'd love to hear your thoughts, especially now that we know it's Part 1 of a proposed trilogy with Part 2's title already announced!

King took to Twitter to reveal the news, including word that the second installment will be titled Finders Keepers.

We should be hearing more about that soon so stay tuned!

Mr. Mercedes Synopsis:
In a mega-stakes, high-suspense race against time, three of the most unlikely and winning heroes Stephen King has ever created try to stop a lone killer from blowing up thousands.

In the frigid pre-dawn hours, in a distressed Midwestern city, hundreds of desperate unemployed folks are lined up for a spot at a job fair. Without warning, a lone driver plows through the crowd in a stolen Mercedes, running over the innocent, backing up, and charging again. Eight people are killed; fifteen are wounded. The killer escapes.

In another part of town, months later, a retired cop named Bill Hodges is still haunted by the unsolved crime. When he gets a crazed letter from someone who self-identifies as the “perk” and threatens an even more diabolical attack, Hodges wakes up from his depressed and vacant retirement, hell-bent on preventing another tragedy.

Brady Hartfield lives with his alcoholic mother in the house where he was born. He loved the feel of death under the wheels of the Mercedes, and he wants that rush again. Only Bill Hodges, with a couple of highly unlikely allies, can apprehend the killer before he strikes again. And they have no time to lose because Brady’s next mission, if it succeeds, will kill or maim thousands.

Mr. Mercedes is a war between good and evil, from the master of suspense whose insight into the mind of this obsessed, insane killer is chilling and unforgettable.

We've been buzzing about Mortal Kombat X for a few days now, and with E3 in full swing, we've kept a close eye on things and have gathered some new goodies for you! Read on for new screenshots, video, fighter announcements, and more!

Including staples like Scorpion and Sub-Zero, there were four more characters on display at the event - Cassie Cage, Kotal Kahn, Ferra (who rides piggy-back on the hulking Torr), and D’vorah, who is part insect.

MKX takes place 25 years after the events of the last Mortal Kombat, and Cassie and Kotal are descendants of Johnny Cage and Shao Kahn, respectively. Characters can choose between 3 different fighting styles prior to entering a match; in total there were 24 fighter slots (mostly greyed out), but that number can change of course between now and release.

Check out some new screen shots below along with an on-camera chat with creator Ed Boon courtesy of the PlayStation Blog.

Mortal Kombat X is slated for a release sometime in 2015.

For more info visit the official Mortal Kombat website, "like"Mortal Kombat on Facebook, and follow creator Ed Boon on Twitter.

We haven't talked much about Lifetime's upcoming new series "The Lottery" since it falls more on the sci-fi side of the fence, but since the first teaser trailer just landed in our inbox, we thought we'd give you a peek.

Can you imagine a world where women have stopped giving birth? Lifetime brings viewers to the year 2025 with the premiere of the provocative new conspiracy thriller "The Lottery" on Sunday, July 20, at 10PM ET/PT.

Written by Timothy J. Sexton (Children of Men), the series stars Marley Shelton (Planet Terror, "Eleventh Hour"), Michael Graziadei ("American Horror Story"), David Alpay ("The Vampire Diaries"), Athena Karkanis ("Low Winter Sun"), Yul Vazquez ("Magic City"), Shelley Conn ("Terra Nova"), and Martin Donovan (The Haunting in Connecticut, "Homeland").

"The Lottery" is produced by Timothy J. Sexton alongside Rick Eid ("Hostages") and Dawn Olmstead ("Prison Break"). Danny Cannon ("CSI") directed and executive produced the pilot, which is from Grady Girl Productions in association with Warner Horizon Television.

Synopsis:
Set within a dystopian future driven by a global fertility crisis, "The Lottery" reveals a world staring down the barrel of impending extinction as women have mysteriously stopped bearing children. After years of research, Dr. Alison Lennon (Shelton) and her team remarkably create 100 viable embryos. To determine which women will carry the prized embryos to term, a national lottery is held, and a battle over the control of the 100 embryos begins.

Take a look into the future below, and if you like what you see, let us know and we'll bring you more on "The Lottery" as it comes.

Some late casting news has come in for Insidious: Chapter 3 as Deadline is reporting that Stefanie Scott is next to sign up for active duty in this latest spookfest, which is being directed by star and writer Leigh Whannell.

Plot and character details are being kept under wraps, but we do know principal photography is scheduled to start this summer on July 7th.

Focus Features, which acquired the rights to release Insidious: Chapter 3 from FilmDistrict, plans to bring the film to U.S. theaters on April 3, 2015. eOne will distribute the picture in Canada, the U.K., and Spain. Sony will distribute the picture in the rest of the world.

Jason Blum and his Blumhouse Productions are producing the next installment along with Oren Peli and James Wan. Steven Schneider, Brian Kavanaugh-Jones, Peter Schlessel, Lia Buman, and Xavier Marchand are executive producing.

The first Insidious told the story of Josh and Renai Lambert and their son Dalton confronting the demons that possess the young boy. Insidious: Chapter 2, the terrifying sequel, followed the haunted Lambert family as they sought to uncover the mysterious childhood secret that has left them dangerously connected to the spirit world. Patrick Wilson, Rose Byrne, Lin Shaye, Ty Simpkins, and Barbara Hershey reprised their roles in the film directed by James Wan, who also directed the first installment.

For more information visit the official Insidious website, "like" the Insidious Facebook page, and follow along on Twitter at @InsidiousMovie.

We've been talking about Zombie Killers: Elephant's Graveyard starring Billy Zane, Mischa Barton, Felissa Rose, and Dee Wallace for quite some time; and now we're happy to announce that the flick has found itself distribution!

Zombie Killers: Elephant's Graveyard was picked up for domestic, UK, and Australia release by Anchor Bay. Stay tuned for a release date!

Director Harrison Smith (Camp Dread) had crafted the first zombie film connected to the controversial fracking industry. With visual special effects by Lord of the Rings' Joe Lawson, makeup effects by Angie Johnson of Evolution, and creature effects by "The Walking Dead" artist Toby Sells, the film takes on an American Western flavor that focuses on heavy action and detailed characters.

Several sequels are already planned under the branding of "Zombie Killers," which is referenced in the film, as the story focuses on a team of young warriors under the leadership of military vet Zane who stand between the "figures" and their small rural town of Elwood.

Dee Wallace of E.T., The Howling, Critters, and Cujo fame plays Sharon Sommers, a terminally ill mother pushing her son to leave the dying town of Elwood, even if it means facing death beyond its gates. Wallace shares the screen with her real life daughter, Gabrielle Stone, who plays her son's love interest, Nikki.

Sleepaway Camp's Felissa Rose plays a religious zealot who works to convince the town's residents of a fixed fatalism that can't be fought.

For more info visit the official Zombie Killers: Elephant's Graveyard website, "like"Zombie Killers: Elephant's Graveyard on Facebook, and follow Zombie Killers: Elephant's Graveyard on Twitter.

A few weeks ago we saw the first batch of images from "Under the Dome" Episode 2.01, entitled "Heads Will Roll," and now today we're back with over a half dozen more plus a new preview.

The June 30th premiere episode was written by bestselling author and executive producer Stephen King, who also makes a cameo appearance, and was filmed on location in Wilmington, N.C.

"Under the Dome" stars Mike Vogel (Barbie), Colin Ford (Joe), Alexander Koch (Junior), Rachelle Lefevre (Julia), Natalie Martinez (Linda), Dean Norris (Big Jim), Mackenzie Lintz (Norrie), and Britt Robertson (Angie).

The Season 2 newcomers include Brett Cullen, Sherry Stringfield, Eddie Cahill, Grace Victoria Cox, Karla Crome, Dwayne Boyd, and Dwight Yoakam.

Related Story:First Images from "Under the Dome" Episode 2.01, "Heads Will Roll," Reveal New Characters and More

"Under the Dome" Episode 2.01 - "Heads Will Roll" (airs 6/30/14; 10-11 PM)
Barbie’s fate lies in Big Jim’s hands, and the Dome presents a new threat when it becomes magnetized. Meanwhile, Julia seeks out the help of a stranger to save the life of a mysterious girl who may hold clues to origin of the Dome.

Don't forget that CBS is airing "Under the Dome: Inside Chester's Mill" on Monday, June 23rd (10:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT). This exclusive one-hour special looks back at the premiere season of the hit summer series, featuring highlights from last season as well as new interviews with the cast and executive producers. In addition, the special will tease what lies ahead for the residents of Chester’s Mill who are still trapped under the mysterious dome with an advance sneak peek at the Season 2 premiere.

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

Paddington Bear first burst onto the scene in October of 1958. Over the decades this polite immigrant bear from Peru with his old hat, battered suitcase, duffle coat, and love of marmalade sandwiches has become a classic character from English children's literature. Now, however... he's not so cuddly.

You never know what will take off on the Internet, and this latest trending meme finds the adorable one in the most sinister of scenes thanks to some wondrous artists with a flair for the dark side!

Head on over to Twitter (of course), do a quick search for #CreepyPaddington, and you'll come up with hundreds of results, if not thousands. Also, you can visit the official #CreepyPaddington tumblr site for a collection of some of the best!

Congratulations, Paddy! Thanks to your upcoming live action flick Paddington, you have truly won the Interwebs!

Tomorrow is Friday, June 13th, and we're ready to add a little luck to one of the most unluckiest days of the year by giving you a chance to score a free download of Devil in My Ride from iTunes! Interested? Of course you are! Who doesn't like free stuff?

To enter for your chance to win, just send us an email at contests@dreadcentral.com including your FULL NAME AND MAILING ADDRESS. We’ll take care of the rest. Winners will be notified Friday morning!

Devil in My Ride is the first feature produced by Red Band Films, the specialty genre label of L.A.-based production and finance company Unified Pictures. Gary Schultz produced the film and also wrote the original screenplay with Mike Dozier.

Starring alongside Sid Haig are Frank Zieger (Conviction, Ocean of Pearls, Finding Preet), Erin Breen (Housekeeper, Rose White, Fate Accompli), Llou Johnson (Barbershop, Let’s Go to Prison, Normal), and Joey Bicicchi (Rudderless).

For more information check out the official Devil in My Ride website! Devil in My Ride is available NOW on all leading VOD platforms and iTunes!

Synopsis
After Doreen is possessed by the devil on her wedding night, her groom and her rebellious brother embark on a wild road trip in search of a mythical street preacher who is said to be the last exorcist in America.

Ombis is a film we've talked about quite a bit around these parts, and with its fall release approaching, DefTone Pictures Studios and Origin Releasing have given it the title of Not Human along with sending over updated artwork and two new trailers.

Directed by Adam R. Steigert, Not Human stars Richard Satterwhite, Jason John Beebe, and Sara Manzella along with co-stars Kathy Murphy, Alexander Sloan McBryde, Brenda Rickert, and Aryn Fitzgerald.

Origin Releasing will release the film on VOD this September along with pushing it out to retail markets in October.

For more info be sure to visit the official Not Human website.

Synopsis:
Not Human follows the story of peaceful, rustic Metzburgh: a quiet village which was a former industrial town whose glory days are long past after the collapse of Metzburgh Grain. A meteorite crash lands in the peaceful community. Glen, a homeless ex-employee of the grain silos, gets too close to the crash site and a chemical poison sprays out of the meteorite, enveloping him. The chemical agent known only as Ombis begins to turn his insides into a slimy substance. Glen is discovered by lovebirds Mark and Lucy as the Ombis begins to consume Glen’s body and spread the alien infection.

Shocked by their gruesome discovery, Mark and Lucy contact the local sheriff, Thomas Brackett, who aids the traumatized couple. The collateral damage begins adding up as the virus starts to overrun the unsuspecting village. Adding to the chaos, a mysterious government special containment team shows up and attempts to keep order while trying to contain the alien plague.

Mark, Lucy, and Sheriff Brackett are stuck in the middle of an alien invasion where they must unite with the surviving townsfolk to take on the ever-growing army of mutated Metzburgh residents. With time running short before the government decides to eradicate the virus off the face of the earth, the group must figure out away to get out of the town before it’s too late.

Written and directed by John Schneider (“The Dukes of Hazzard”), Smothered is a kooky horror comedy bursting with blood-soaked cameos from the genre’s greatest icons such as Kane Hodder, Bill Moseley, R. A. Mihailoff, Malcolm Danare, and Don Shanks.

When the bogeymen find themselves on the other side of the blade – wielded by a big-busted blonde, no less – they pull out all the stops.

We got a chance to chat with Schneider one to one, and here’s what he had to say about cinematically killing these guys off one by one. And be sure to check back tomorrow for my partner in crime, Doctor Gash's, follow-up interview.

Dread Central: You’ve assembled a really great cast for Smothered. Can you talk about how you approached them to play parodies of horror villains, and what some of the reactions were?

John Schneider: I've known Kane and Malcolm for years. First I went to Richard Brooker. Sadly, he passed away before I finished the first draft of the script. That's when I went to Kane. He read it and got right back to me. "Shit, John... It's like you've been following us around. The relationships are exactly right." That's when I knew I had something special.

DC: How’d you come up with the idea? And how did it evolve throughout writing, shooting, and finally editing?

JS: A friend of mine and I were drinking years ago... like 30 years ago... and he said, "Wouldn't it be cool to get Ted Bundy and Son of Sam and a bunch of serial killers together in a movie where they go camping and get killed one at a time by the sexy college co-ed?" I thought that was a cool idea but that there was no realistic catalyst/hook to cause a group of serial killers to go camping believably. 30 years later... in Dusseldorf, I'm sitting at the bar with several horror icons who had had a bad day selling. "If someone would give you a grand a piece to go haunt a trailer park right now, would you do it?" says me. They all said yes. That's when I knew I had the catalyst/hook. I finished my beer, went up to the room, and started writing.

By the time I got back to Louisiana, I had it about half done. Much of the heart in the movie happened on the set. I thought it was important for the audience to not only know the characters because of their body of work, but to also identify with their plight, life, and ultimately, their death. Each of the actors did something during the filming that made a light go off in my brain that said, "That's it! Malcolm wants to be liked. Trixie needs to be appreciated as a ballet dancer. Don needs to really be respected. Randy wants someone to know that he's a terrific Shakespearean actor, etc. The actors really came up with that layer and it's, honestly, my favorite part of the movie.

The only thing that changed in the editing process was the decision to show it out of order and use the little "bumpers" to keep people wondering where the pieces fit. That actually came as a result of people saying that they hated it that one of our most lovable icons dies so soon. Once I made one time jump, I had to make several more or it would seem more like a wart than a legitimate storytelling device.

DC: Most folks are going to talk about the male horror icons, but can you tell us about the ladies in the cast?

JS: Brea, Amy, and Shanna did an amazing job. It's hard to be pretty and evil. Brea does that perfectly. You can see that there is something a little "off" behind those pretty eyes. That's hard to do. Amy/Agness is actually a very pretty woman who is one year older than the girl playing her daughter. That shit is hard to do! Trixie is so multi-layered... confident, talented, needy, broken, den-motherish... Shanna moves from each emotion without a single seam or glitch. I was amazed at what she did every time she did it.

DC: Did Brea Grant have input on her character? What did she think about the prosthetics?

JS: Brea is what we old folks call a real "trooper." She had to come in a few days early to get a cast made of her torso so the boobs that were actually bigger than her head would fit properly. Never a complaint. Not even when she had to empty them of the accumulated sweat that had gathered behind them! I believe in a script being a fairly good road map to a character. In this case, Brea and I talked about what had damaged DD and how it affected her view of the icons, her family, and the world. Then I stepped back and watched her create this amazingly innocent, tragic, evil, beautiful girl.

DC: When it comes to the horror aspects of the film, I’m sure it was fun to come up with inventive ways to kill the “killers” – what’s your favorite death scene?

JS: R.A.'s death is my favorite. It's pure cinema. There are more than 50 cuts in that sequence, and we never actually had any of them on the same set at the same time. Think about it... we are below the ground with the cinder block and jack... at ground level with the bottom of the pole... inside Thelma with R.A. and Fritter and also up on the roof. None of that was shot in sequence. It's all an illusion of continuity created by sticking to a pretty good road map to begin with. I also don't think any film has quite done that sequence before. It all makes sense. It "could" happen!

DC: When I watched the movie, I didn’t really ‘get’ the structuring style… would you explain the reason behind the unusual editing choices?

JS: As an audience member, I like a puzzle. I like to feel as if I am involved with the story in some way. Telling this story out of sequence is an experiment for me. I believe that, since the structure is all actually there, that the story can be told in any order and actually make sense. Doing it this way also allows me to kill people when I want and be able to bring them back into the story. I find it very effective in films (take Old Yeller) to see a character alive and vibrant after I know that they have died in the story. It's a manipulation to be sure but one I think is effective. BTW... I did not like this manipulation in Pulp Fiction. Personally, I think it was used to spice up an otherwise weak story. But it worked great. It was a puzzle and we, the audience, felt smart for having put it together.

DC: Would you be into making a Smothered sequel?

JS: Smothered is actually the second film in a trilogy. There are questions asked in it (intentionally) that need to be answered like: 1-Why does DD think all the horror guys want everybody dead? 2-What the hell was it with Sid (her father) at the window? 3-Since Carl was her fiance, why did she kill him too? 4-Am I crazy... or does DD call Agness "Big Sister" in the very end? If so... what the hell is that all about? 5-Why does Agness say, "You know I hate this beach, girl" at the end? What happened there?

The prequel is called Suffered. It's the story of how DD got so screwed up in the first place. The sequel is called Striper. It's the story of how Kane took the worst experience of his life and turned it not only into a new horror icon without a mask... but also managed to get his "shit turd of a screenplay" produced and make the year’s biggest horror sensation!

To learn more, "like"Smothered over on Facebook!

Ever wondered exactly how big your favorite movie monster is in comparison to other beasties and maybe even yourself? Check out the graphic here to see just how everything sizes up.

Brought to us by the good people at TSG (Technology Services Group), the chart below documents everyone from the Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man to the Xenomorph alien queen and so many in between.

By all means, dig into this collection of horror research and have some fun with it!

We're still wondering where Ron Jeremy fits in, but that's a story for another time...

When RiffTrax hit their $100,000 goal trying to raise the funds needed to secure the rights to lampoon the disastrous 1998 Godzilla, they set a $250,000 stretch goal to nab the rights to Anaconda for their Halloween show...

RiffTrax fans clearly have a lot of disposable income.

We’re just a month out from hearing Michael J. Nelson, Kevin Murphy, and Bill Corbett unleash a Category 5 riffing on Sharknado at theaters around the country on July 10th.

Thanks to a very successful Kickstarter, Roland Emmerich’s Godzilla will get similar treatment on August 14th. How successful, you ask?

So successful was the Kickstarter that they even surpassed the $250,000 stretch goal to ensure Jennifer Lopez, Ice Cube, Jon Voight, and a very large Anaconda will get theirs at theaters around the country on October 30th.

The RiffTrax Kickstarter ended with 4,887 fans putting up $265,011.

I believe the final $11 will be used to finance their second stretch goal: the rights to Uwe Boll’s Alone in the Dark.

There have been a couple of clips floating about for the Drew Barrymore-produced horror flick Animal, but none of them featured the creature. Yep, that's where we come in! Behold! The flick is poised and ready to hit limited theatres and VOD on June 17th.

Keke Palmer, Amaury Nolasco, Parker Young, Joey Lauren Adams, Elizabeth Gillies, Paul Iacono, Thorsten Kaye, and Jeremy Sumpter star.

Barrymore is an executive producer alongside Flower Films’ Nancy Juvonen and producers Chris Miller, Ember Truesdell, Kelly Smith, and Thommy Hutson. Hutson and Catherine Trillo penned the script, which is directed by Brett Simmons. Gary J. Tunnicliffe created the creature effects.

Synopsis
When plans for a weekend vacation hit a dead end, a group of close-knit friends find themselves stranded in unfamiliar territory, pursued by a menacing predator. Holed up in an isolated cabin, tensions mount as long-buried secrets are revealed. As the body count rises, the group must put their differences aside and fight for survival.

Killer bug and insect invasion films are some of the most challenging to really nail in a memorable manner. I honestly believe that’s why so few directors and production companies will even entertain the idea of approaching the critters.

They’re typically goofy flicks, and most who would consider themselves “serious” filmmakers (whatever that is) probably wouldn’t waste a scoff at the thought of creating one. But every once in a while something special arrives and leaves its mark on our psyche.

Perhaps it’s an over-the-top exploitation piece that happens to piece the puzzle together properly. Maybe it’s a film so astonishingly complex and multi-layered that one cannot avoid the intrigue of a grand mind fuck. It doesn’t matter why bug flicks work or how bug flicks work. What matters is that when the truly innovative minds out there set out to make a film of this nature, they manage to make it work.

Here are five (with a few bonus recommendations for good measure) movies all about the creepy crawlies that make our flesh tingle and sprout goosebumps. Purchase a can of insecticide before you read this one if you’re squeamish or suffer from entomophobia. Just a heads up.

Arachnophobia:
Spiders scare the shit out of me. I mean petrified, cannot run, cannot move, cannot think straight in the presence of an eight-legged monstrosity. “Daddy Longlegs’” strike fear in my heart. Babies send me into hysterics. And if I spot an egg sack, oh good night... I’m done. Haul me away and beat the shit out of me with the pansy stick. That’s why I can’t watch Frank Marshall’s Arachnophobia. It’s also why I respect and love it so much. For someone like me it’s about as close to the perfect horror presentation as you can get. It genuinely terrifies me to the point I’m able to experience that special feeling that we become so desensitized to at a very early age. I honestly can’t watch the film. It’s a tremendously successful production, illustrating very real personalities, delivering jaw-dropping, truly jarring visuals (due in large part to pure realism), and combining humor and scares like few pics ever manage. But you’ll have to bribe me to sit through it... without shielding my eyes with my sweaty palms. If you’re not particularly frightened by spiders, this one won’t climb under your skin in quite the same fashion, but it’s still an entertaining and well shot pic. You can’t lose when John Goodman steps into the shoes of a mouthy and overtly cocky exterminator.

Mimic:
Mimic doesn’t seem to be recognized as a “bug flick” often. Perhaps that’s due to the overall intensity of the film, or even the technical mastery that Guillermo del Toro thrusts – quite unexpectedly – in our faces. Regardless of reasoning, Mimic is a big buggy bastard of a flick that defied the neglect it did and still does receive thanks to a functional drive to succeed on all fronts. Succeed it does. The story is mesmerizing, the onscreen performances can be considered nothing short of the product of elite thespians, and visually it’s absolutely genius; you cannot take your eyes off of this movie. While giant ants may not be a paralyzing idea by today’s standards, giant cockroaches capable of actually mimicking the physical appearance of man – whom they target and dispose of – most certainly is. Guillermo del Toro has gone on to make some amazing features. I don’t care what anyone says, Blade II was a fantastic example of horror and action combined to produce pure entertainment, the Hellboy flicks are a blast, and Pan’s Labyrinth has such an astounding ethereal quality that it’s hard for me to even express my feelings about the movie. Cronos came first, but Mimic was an amazing follow-up for del Toro.

Bug (2006):
Now here’s an interesting selection. Technically William Friedkin’s Bug is a psychological affair rather than a tangible insect-attacks-the-populace form of feature. But that doesn’t steal away from the fact that Bug is disgustingly unnerving. Stupid creepy. We’re talking pick at your skin for no good reason, disturbing. The degree of paranoia boiling over on the set feels so overwhelmingly organic that a brief mental hiatus from the insanity unraveling before our eyes feels utterly unmanageable. The fact that hordes of vicious insects never even need to really swarm the screen doesn’t change the fact that Bug is one of the most overlooked pictures to hit the market in the last decade. It also holds the rare distinction of being a film that sucks you in while you’re begging, but incapable of escaping. Bug is the equivalent of the proverbial car crash on the side of the road, and it’ll leave you feeling just about as distressed as the nastier collisions we inevitably stumble upon at least once in life. It’s just a... fucked up and savage film.

Eight Legged Freaks:
There’s a certain charm that comes in watching vintage ‘50s and ‘60s giant insect films. The vast majority of those old clunkers are just that, clunkers. They’re not typically well-assembled slices of cinema, but cheap hokey laugh-fests designed to produce brainless entertainment for roughly 70 minutes. And there’s something quite special about those films, as terrible as they may be. When they work their way into your heart, they stay there. Up until 2002, I wasn’t convinced I’d ever see a modern motion picture capable of replicating that goofy, must-have sensation that was alive and well on screens in 1960. Then along came Ellory Elkayem’s Eight Legged Freaks, and as is the norm in my life, my beliefs were proven wrong. Elkayem nails the golly gee do-gooder appeal of yesteryear’s cult favorites with a piece that functions as an obvious homage to grand camp and big bugs. David Arquette feels as though he was teleported here directly from Awshucksville, 1960, and it’s hard to refute the lighthearted appeal of it all. One of the few freaky bug flicks that actually totes serious replay value and comedy tame enough to appeal to the whole family without feeling entirely watered down.

Them!:
Speaking of throwback insect invasions, what kind of list would this be without the oddly addictive and massive cult fave Them!? A masterful performance from James Whitmore transforms another preposterous product into a vehicle of joyful entertainment. There isn’t anything about the idea of the tale itself that stands out as distinctive, but the dialogue is generally engaging and there’s a fluidity to the storyline that captivates. My daughter gets a kick out of poking fun at me whenever I watch this one, but what’s interesting is, she never seems too eager to get away from the flat screen while the flick unfolds. And that’s what a prodigious picture will do: win the hearts of all viewers, regardless of age or genre preference. In 2014 giant ants aren’t even remotely near frightening, and yes, I again fully acknowledge that. No one’s tuning in to a film like Them! and struggling with nightmares for weeks on end. But they are tuning in and walking away with a fuzzy little feeling inside that comes when art impacts life for one reason or another.

Bonus Recommendations

Starship Troopers:
Starship Troopers isn’t universally adored. I personally find it quite enjoyable. Massive alien bugs, loads of severed limbs and exploding heads and impaled torsos... it’s good fun, in a sadistic way. Paul Verhoeven creates an interesting visual experience that proves worthy of pursuing.

Infested (AKA Ticks):
Infested wasn’t a fantastic movie, but it was a picture that made an attempt at being memorable during a time in which the market had slumped into a virtual black hole and memorable genre works were thinning out at a staggering rate. Infested gave the chills a go, putting ticks at the forefront of danger. It’s worth a look.

Ice Spiders:
So. Bad. It’s. Good.

The first set of images from the set of Colin Trevorrow's Jurassic World have arrived to welcome you to the jungle, and we have the trio of them right here courtesy of the AV Club. They're dino-less, but hey, at least they're not paparazzi pics.

Vincent D'Onofrio, Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, Ty Simpkins, BD Wong, Andy Buckley, Idris Elba, Jake Johnson, Omar Sy, and Nick Robinson star.

Colin Trevorrow (Safety Not Guaranteed) penned the script with Derek Connolly and directs. Steven Spielberg, Frank Marshall, and Pat Crowley produce Jurassic World, which is set to hit theaters June 12, 2015.

Look for more as it comes.

Tomorrow is of course Friday the 13th, which means it's once again time for all of us horror fans to revisit our favorite installments in the slasher franchise. Personally, I tend to stick with the original film through The Final Chapter, as those are the movies that personify the franchise for me.

Evidently the folks over on the Skeleton Crew Horror Podcast feel the same way because they've just uploaded a video to their YouTube channel that recaps those first four Friday the 13th films in the form of a pretty hilarious rap song.

Yeah, I know. Horror and rap don't exactly go together like peanut butter and jelly, but we ask you to put those bad memories of Busta Rhymes in Halloween: Resurrection on hold and give this one a chance. We think you'll dig it.

Check out the song, which was written and performed by Alex Edwards, below!