Rodney Ascher (Room 237) has wrapped production on his latest film, The Nightmare, and we have the shadowy first still and details for you right here. Sleep tight... you may wanna turn on that nightlight, too!

From the Press Release
Production wrapped last week in Los Angeles on THE NIGHTMARE – the latest film from acclaimed director Rodney Ascher (ROOM 237) and Content.

THE NIGHTMARE follows the disturbing investigation into the demonic visions experienced by victims of sleep paralysis and provoked by Ascher's own unsettling experiences with the condition.

The horror documentary is produced by Ross M. Dinerstein (THE PACT, THE DIVIDE) and Glen Zipper - producer of the Academy Award® winning film UNDEFEATED. The film is executive produced by Content Film President Jamie Carmichael (THE PACT, BLACK BOOK) and co-produced by Tim Kirk (ROOM 237).

Content is handling worldwide sales on THE NIGHTMARE and working with Preferred Content on North American sales. A teaser is being shown in Toronto during TIFF. The film has already been pre-sold to the UK (Altitude) and France (The Jokers Films).

Director Rodney Ascher said: "This project was a once in a lifetime opportunity to cross-breed two genres I love, documentary and horror. After exploring people's real-life waking nightmares in long, free-flowing personal interviews, it was a bizarre trip through the looking glass to bring them to life and get lost inside of them on the set."

THE NIGHTMARE follows Ascher’s hit Kubrick analysis feature ROOM 237, which premiered at Sundance, screened in Cannes’ Director’s Fortnight, and won the Best Director (Documentary) prize at the Austin Fantastic Fest and IDA’s Creative Editing award. It was repeatedly listed as one of the must-see documentaries of the year.

After premiering at Sundance earlier this year, What We Do in the Shadows next heads to the Toronto International Film Festival, which kicked off yesterday. When will you be able to see it outside of the festival circuit, you ask?

Well, we're getting closer to being able to answer that one as the mockumentary has been acquired for US distribution. Read on, fang-bangers!

Today we've learned that The Orchard and Unison Films are partnering up on the release of the film, the former handling U.S. digital, DVD, and broadcast distribution while the latter is in charge of the U.S. theatrical release.

As previously announced, Funny or Die also has its hands in the cookie jar, using its social media reach to help market and promote the movie. Funny or Die also now has an ownership stake in the film, which was produced by Unison Films and Defender Films.

The movie hails from "Flight of the Conchords" co-creator Jemaine Clement and frequent collaborator Taika Waititi; it follows a group of centuries-old bloodsuckers trying to navigate today’s world.

Jemaine Clement, Taika Waititi, Jonathon Brugh, Cori Gonzalez-Macuer, and Stu Rutherford star.

Synopsis
Consider the living quarters of vampires, and stodgy old castles in Transylvania may come to mind. But these aren’t your typical bloodsuckers. Viago (379 years old), Deacon (183 years old), Vladislav (862 years old), and Peter (8,000 years old) have chosen to share a flat in Wellington, New Zealand. Unfortunately for them, it’s hard to make new friends due to their constant thirst for blood. Without any mortal chums left to invite them in to all of the hip establishments around town, they’ve lost touch with the current social scene. Can these creatures of the night put aside their differences as roommates and adapt to modern society?

I don't know what it is about young girls named Emily, but they seem to have a penchant for making horror films. First came 12-year-old Emily Hagins, who directed the zombie movie Pathogen, and then came 13-year-old Emily DiPrimio, who dreamed of making an 80s-style slasher called Carver.

If that project sounds familiar to you, it's probably because we covered it here on Dread last September, when the Kickstarter campaign was launched for the film. Almost exactly one year later, to the day, the trailer for the successfully funded slasher has arrived, and we invite you to check it out below!

Written and directed by both Emily and her father, Ron, Carver is about a group of teenagers who are haunted by a despicable act they committed on Halloween when they were younger. Their actions caused the deaths of three innocent people. Now, on the anniversary of those deaths, an ominous calling card in the form of a carved pumpkin has been placed at each of their homes. Someone is out for revenge. The question is... who?

Last year the Carver Kickstarter campaign far surpassed its $25,000 goal, over 500 backers raising $31,900 to help make Emily's dream a reality. So pat yourself on the back, those who donated, because this film would not exist without you!

No release date has been set, but you can keep tabs on the film over on the official Carver website!

The devilish folks over at IFC Midnight have granted a release date to the upcoming satanic spooker Asmodexia. Look for it on VOD September 26th. In the meantime check out this extremely possessive trailer.

Co-penned by Sitges International Fantastic Film Festival deputy director Mike Hostench, Asmodexia marks the feature debut of Marc Carrete (Mal cuerpo, Castidermia).

Synopsis:
Eloy de Palma is an exorcist pastor roaming the darkest corners of the country with his granddaughter, Alba. Their mission is to help those possessed by The Evil One, an infection of the soul that is spreading fast, especially among the most vulnerable members of society: children, mental patients, and drug addicts. There is also a mysterious cult following them, making it more difficult to help those in need. Each exorcism is tougher than the one before, and every battle with Evil reveals a piece of young Alba’s forgotten past – an enigma that if unconcealed could change the world as we know it.

Playing as part of this year's Grimmfest in the UK is Jason Mewes' next flick, Devil's Tower. The film is also heading to UK Blu-ray and DVD, and we have a new trailer for you! Check it out!

Owen Tooth directes. Jason Mewes, Roxanne Pallett, and Frances Ruffelle star.

Synopsis
Albion Court is the least ‘des res’ in the neighbourhood – a hangout for drug dealers, rife with squatters, and two residents recently died in an apparent bizarre suicide pact. Sarah (Pallett) has been thrown out by her abusive, alcoholic mother (Ruffelle) so she moves in to the notorious block.

Determined to make the best of things, Sarah tries to settle in; but she is disturbed by bizarre neighbours, strange sounds coming through the paper-thin walls, creepy images on the TV, and an overwhelming feeling that she is being watched. Things get a whole lot worse when a badly mutilated body is found hanging in the lift.

Sarah is now seriously petrified. More and more residents are disappearing so when the same thing happens to Sid’s (Jason Mewes) friend Paul (Jazz Lintott), he and Sarah decide to try to find out why they seem to have slipped in to a particularly gruesome episode of "The Twilight Zone."

It's that time of year again, kids. Can you smell it? Something wicked this way comes as Halloween season has officially begun! One of Los Angeles' finest horror film festivals, Shriekfest, has announced its full schedule; and we have everything you NEED to know!

From the Press Release
SHRIEKFEST INTERNATIONAL HORROR/SCI FI FILM FESTIVAL is thrilled to announce the full, expanded schedule for the FOURTEENTH annual horror film festival, returning to Raleigh Studios' Charlie Chaplin Theater October 2-5, 2014.

Festival Director Denise Gossett says, "We are so honored to once again be at the same location we've been at for all 14 years! That says a lot about a location's quality and a festival's continuity; filmmakers walk out of their screening saying their film has never looked so good"!

Festival goers will once again enjoy the finest in independent cinema from around the globe, selected from submissions that came in everywhere from the United Kingdom to New York, from Texas to Portugal. From our opening night screening of ALICE D, starring Kane Hodder, to the shorts from Australia, Germany, Canada, and the United Kingdom, and finally to the WORLD PREMIERE of HOUSE OF PURGATORY, featuring Brian Krause, the 14th Annual Shriekfest Horror/Sci-Fi Film Festival has worked hard to present a festival as diverse as the fans of the Los Angeles city itself.

American independent films are also well represented this year. On Friday, October 3rd, see NIGHTMARE CODE, followed by KILL GAME, which is screening on Saturday, October 4th. We can't leave out ZUGZWANG, starring Joanna Cassidy, BERKSHIRE COUNTY, TIME LAPSE, and CHRYSALIS.

Not to mention our fabulous selection of short films. Movies like SOBREVIVO, ONE PLEASE, starring Michael Berryman, CANNIBALS AND CARPET FITTERS, HONEY, starring Ed Gale, TICE, EDWARD THE DAMNED, and the clever EAT THE CAT challenge viewers with provocative, well crafted original stories.

Once again SHRIEKFEST Film Festival exceeds at challenging the idea of what a horror film festival should screen with eclectic selections (MACK BLASTER) to science fiction (THE DEVELOPER), comedy (SWALLOW), and even the disturbing (DRUDGE).

Entrance to SHRIEKFEST Film Festival 2014 is $10.00 per block; an All-Fest Pass, good for all four days of the festival, is now available on our website for just $140.00. This pass includes the opening night party and guaranteed entrance to all films/Q&A's.

All films are unrated, and unless specifically noted, no one under 17 will be admitted without a parent or guardian's accompaniment or permission. For more information on the 2014 SHRIEKFEST FILM FESTIVAL, as well as news about other related events including the Opening Night Party and networking events, please visit Shriekfest.com.

The second annual Beyond Fest is coming back to Los Angeles' Egyptian Theatre (6712 Hollywood Boulevard) and will be running from September 25 through October 4, 2014. Tickets are available through Fandango NOW.

From the Press Release
Dedicated to delivering the elite in horror, sci-fi, fantasy, and badass cinema, this year’s Beyond Fest programming reflects a globally diverse and eclectic mix of premieres, rare repertory screenings, and special events, all of which are anchored in bringing firsts to the community of genre fans in Los Angeles.

Beyond Fest has also partnered with Robert Rodriguez’s El Rey Network as its presenting sponsor, a partnership that will make much of the festival’s programming free to creative makers and film fans alike.

“The response was so great last year that we knew we had to bring Beyond Fest back, so much so that we immediately started planning this installment,” said Christian Parkes, co-founder of Beyond Fest. “We challenged ourselves to build on the foundation we laid and to create something that is a celebration for the audience as much as the films on the screen. Our partnership with El Rey Network is indicative of this as it allows us to share a brave, new generation of filmmakers with the film community of Los Angeles.”

L.A. premieres are integral to Beyond Fest as the festival opens with HORNS, Alexandre Aja’s (HAUTE TENSION, HILLS HAVE EYES) wonderfully dark take on Joe Hill’s explosive book, complete with a revelatory turn by Daniel Radcliffe.

Blumhouse Productions and Shock Till You Drop have joined forces to deliver a free screening of the terrifying meta-remake of THE TOWN THAT DREADED SUNDOWN directed by Alfonso Gomez-Rejon ("AMERICAN HORROR STORY") and produced by Jason Blum and Ryan Murphy, while anthology fans are rewarded with first looks at the shock-rides ABCs OF DEATH 2 and V/H/S VIRAL, complete with cast and crew and favorite V/H/S shorts.

Jeff Goldsmith brings his wildly popular Q&A / Backstory empire to Beyond Fest for two evenings of deep discussion, first with Dan Gilroy in support of his masterful directorial debut, NIGHTCRAWLER, and then it’s a night of mischief, mayhem, and soap as he talks to FIGHT CLUB author Chuck Palahniuk and screenwriter Jim Uhls exploring the transition of an apocalyptic masterpiece to pitch-perfect screenplay. Preceding the discussion is a screening of David Fincher’s brilliantly caustic adaptation.

Japanese cinema plays a prominent role with three of its finest exports taking center stage. Following last year’s fan-favorite, WHY DON’T YOU PLAY IN HELL?, auteur Sion Sono returns with his deliriously over-the-top adaptation of Santa Inoue’s seminal manga series TOKYO TRIBE. Hot on the heels of its highly controversial domestic release, Tetsuya Nakashima’s thoroughly groundbreaking THE WORLD OF KANAKO plays a special free screening, while Hitoshi Matsumoto’s quasi-sex-comedy R100 closes out the axis of anarchy with lead dominatrix Lindsay Kay Hayward onsite to whip the audience into shape.

This year’s L.A. Spotlight shines on directors Dennis Widmyer and Kevin Kolsch, who bring their black tale of fame-at-all-costs to the Egyptian’s apt Hollywood locale for STARRY EYES. Joined by the film’s cast and crew, Dennis and Kevin will follow this local bow with the film they cite as a heavy influence: Andrzaj Zulawski’s masterpiece of nuanced terror, POSSESSION.

Integral to Beyond Fest’s slate is the partnership with El Rey Network. As Presenting Sponsor, El Rey Network is making the 80-seat Spielberg Theatre accessible to all under the banner of “El Rey’s ‘The People’s Network’ Theatre” and screening eight films from the most original directors in the world of genre film including: HYENA (UK – LA premiere), THE EDITOR (Canada – LA premiere), NORWAY (Greece – LA premiere), FUTURE SHOCK! THE STORY OF 2000AD (UK – LA premiere), and THE CANAL (Ireland – LA premiere)

“These screenings are free of charge because we believe in the filmmakers behind them. These are brilliant films from all across the world, and we want to expose audiences to them,” said Grant Moninger, American Cinematheque programmer. “It’s important to share bold, unique talent on the big screen; it’s where a filmmaker's craft shines the most.”

Repertory titles play a prominent part of Beyond Fest, and this year is no exception with a handful of massive events:

Produced in partnership with the French Consulate, Meltdown Comics, and RADiUS, SNOWPIERCER creator Jean-Marc Rochette will discuss the process of translating creative vision from the comic book to the big screen before Bong Joon-ho’s stunning epic rolls overhead. Complementing SNOWPIERCER will be the world premiere of Jesus Castro-Ortega’s behind-the-scenes documentary.

ONLY GOD FORGIVES provides the inspiration for the LA premiere of MY LIFE DIRECTED BY NICOLAS WINDING REFN, an illuminating and intimate portrait of Danish auteur Nicolas Winding Refn, directed and shot by his wife, Liv Corfixen. Documenting Refn’s journey to bring ONLY GOD FORGIVES to the big screen, Corfixen is honest and unflinching with her lens, capturing Refn in a way previously unseen outside of his inner crew and, in many cases, outside of Corfixen herself. Liv Corfixen and Nicolas Winding Refn will sit in conversation between the two films.

Geoff Boucher’s Humans from Earth Nerdist podcast pairs together John Carpenter and Jamie Lee Curtis for the first time ever to discuss the making of the all-time classic HALLOWEEN. Complete with the brand-new, 4K re-master supervised by HALLOWEEN cinematographer Dean Cundy and a screening of El Rey’s "THE DIRECTOR’S CHAIR" with John Carpenter and Robert Rodriguez, this is one for the ages.

The stars of Comedy Central’s late night stand-up smash "THE MELTDOWN WITH JONAH AND KUMAIL" bring their film-loving humor to Beyond Fest for “A Night at the Movies with THE MELTDOWN WITH JONAH AND KUMAIL featuring THE MONSTER SQUAD.” Before screening THE MONSTER SQUAD, Jonah Ray and Kumail Nanjiani will grab the mics to share their deep and slightly twisted love of movies before being joined by THE MONSTER SQUAD director Fred Dekker, where they will discuss the size of The Wolfman’s nards amongst many other topics.

Seminal soundtrack label and Beyond Fest partner Death Waltz Recording Company returns with a double-bill event that was a year in the making. Opening the night is a screening and live re-score of THE TEXAS CHAIN SAW MASSACRE by musicians Umberto and Antoni Maiovvi, who have composed an 88-minute piece that plays alongside the film’s existing audio tracks. A limited double album will be made available exclusively at the screening. Not content with just one release, Death Waltz is also dropping the long-awaited score to Ti West’s breakout shocker THE HOUSE OF THE DEVIL, complete with screening and cast and crew Q&A.

BEYOND FEST 2014 PROGRAM

EGYPTIAN THEATRE

NIGHTCRAWLER presented by Backstory
2014
dir. Dan Gilroy
United States
117 minutes
Dan Gilroy in person

THE WORLD OF KANAKO / KAWAKI – LA Premiere – FREE SCREENING
2014
dir. Tetsuya Nakashima
Japan
118 minutes

THE TOWN THAT DREADED SUNDOWN presented by Shock Till You Drop and Blumhouse Productions – FREE SCREENING
2014
dir. Alfonso Gomez-Rejon
United States
85 minutes

FIGHT CLUB presented by Backstory
1999
dir. David Fincher
United States
139 minutes
FIGHT CLUB author Chuck Palahniuk and screenwriter Jim Uhls in person

STARRY EYES presented by Bloody Disgusting – LA Premiere
Dir. Kevin Kölsch, Dennis Widmyer
United States
98 minutes
Cast and crew in person

POSSESSION
1981
dir. Andrezj Zulawski
France / West Germany
124 minutes

V/H/S VIRAL + V/H/S Shorts presented by Bloody Disgusting – LA Premiere
dir. Todd Lincoln, Nacho Vigalondo, Marcel Sarmiento, Gregg Bishop, Justin Benson & Aaron Moorhead
Multiple Countries
98 minutes
Cast and crew in person

20,000 DAYS ON EARTH
2014
dir. Iain Forsyth and Jane Pollard
UK
97 minutes

TOKYO TRIBE – LA Premiere
2014
dir. Sion Sono
Japan
116 minutes

SNOWPIERCER – A Vis a Vis Event presented by the French Consulate, Meltdown Comics, and RADiUS
2013
dir. Bong Joon-ho
South Korea
126 minutes
Snowpiercer creator Jean-Marc Rochette

HORNS presented with Fantastic Fest – LA Premiere
2013
dir. Alexandre Aja
United States / Canada
123 minutes

A Night at the Movies with THE MELTDOWN WITH JONAH AND KUMAIL featuring THE MONSTER SQUAD
1987
dir. Fred Dekker
United States
82 minutes
Jonah Ray, Kumail Nanjiani, Fred Dekker and guests in person

THE TEXAS CHAIN SAW MASSACRE presented by Death Waltz Recording Company with live re-score by Antoni Maiovvi & Umberto
1974
dir. Tobe Hooper
United States
88 minutes

THE HOUSE OF THE DEVIL presented by Death Waltz Recording Company
2009
dir. Ti West
United States
95 minutes
Cast and crew in person

HALLOWEEN 4K REMASTER presented by Humans From Earth
1978
dir. John Carpenter
United States
90 minutes
John Carpenter and Jamie Lee Curtis in person

ONLY GOD FORGIVES
2013
dir. Nicolas Winding Refn
Denmark / France
90 minutes
Nicolas Winding Refn in person

MY LIFE DIRECTED BY NICOLAS WINDING REFN – LA Premiere
2014
dir. Liv Corfixen
United States
58 minutes
Liv Corfixen and Nicolas Winding Refn in person

EL REY’S ‘THE PEOPLE’S NETWORK’ THEATRE / SPIELBERG THEATRE

ABCs OF DEATH 2 – LA Premiere – Free screening
2014
dir. Larry Fessenden, Marvin Kren, Todd Rohal, Jim Hosking, Julien Maury & Alexandre Bustillo, Julien Gibney, Soichi Umezawa, Lancelot Imasuen, Jerome Sable, Robert Boocheck, Aharon Keshales & Navot Papushado, Bill Plympton, Rodney Ascher, Erik Matti, Juan Moreno, Steven Kostanski, Alejandro Brugues, E.L. Katz, Julian Barratt, Hajime Ohata, Vincenzo Natali, Chris Nash, Jen & Sylvia Soska, Dennisison Ramalho, Robert Morgan, Kristina Buozyte and Bruno Samper
Multiple Countries
125 minutes
Cast and crew in person

THE EDITOR – Free Screening – LA Premiere
2014
dir. Matthew Kennedy, Adam Brooks
Canada
102 minutes

HYENA – Free Screening – LA Premiere
2014
dir. Gerard Johnson
United Kingdom
112 min

FUTURE SHOCK! THE STORY OF 2000AD – Free Screening – LA Premiere
2014
dir. Paul Goodwin
United Kingdom
100 min

LOST SOUL – THE DOOMED JOURNEY OF RICHARD STANLEY’S ISLAND OF DR. MOREAU – Free Screening – LA Premiere
2014
dir. David Gregory
United Kingdom
97 min

R100 – Free Screening
2013
dir. Hitoshi Matsumoto
Japan
100 minutes
Lindsay Kay Hayward in person

NORWAY – Free Screening – LA Premiere
2014
dir. Yannis Veslemes
Greece
73 minutes

THE CANAL presented by Shock Till You Drop – Free Screening – LA Premiere -
2014
dir. Ivan Kavanagh
Ireland
92 minutes

When "The Originals" returns for its second season on Monday, October 6th, New Orleans has become a vicious place with new rules to be followed. Check out this just released trailer for a few clues of what's ahead.

The premiere is titled "Rebirth," and while most of the characters will be trying to start over, Klaus (Joseph Morgan) only wants one thing: violent, bloody, merciless revenge!

We'll have the official Episode 2.01 synopsis shortly.

For more info in the meantime visit "The Originals" on CWTV.com, "like""The Originals" on Facebook, and follow "The Originals" on Twitter.

Finally a one-sheet has arrived for LD Entertainment’s The Devil's Hand (formerly Where the Devil Hides), and as always you'll find it here on Dread Central. Why? Because we LOVE this stuff.

Roadside Attractions has earmarked an October 10th US release for The Devil’s Hand. Directed by Christian E. Christiansen, the flick stars Jennifer Carpenter, Alycia Debnam-Carey, Rufus Sewell, Thomas McDonell, Adelaide Kane, Leah Pipes, Colm Meaney, Stacey Edwards, and Ric Reitz.

Lionsgate will release The Devil’s Hand on VOD, DVD, and TV platforms.

Synopsis
When six girls are born on the sixth day of the sixth month to different mothers in the small, devout village of New Bethlehem, an ancient prophecy is set in motion -- on their 18th birthday one of the girls will become the Devil’s Hand. As the day approaches and one by one the young women begin to disappear, terror overtakes the quiet community, and the remaining girls band together to uncover who or what is behind these treacherous acts.

There's something to be said about a simple one-sheet that manages to send a bit of a shiver down the old spine. This first piece of artwork for The Taking of Deborah Logan manages to do that and then some!

Adam Robitel directs the film, which he wrote with Gavin Heffernan. Jill Larson, Anne Ramsay, Michelle Ang, and Ryan Cutrona star. Millennium Entertainment is releasing the flick on VOD and DVD this fall; stay tuned for an exact date.

Synopsis
Mia Medina (Michelle Ang; My Wedding and Other Secrets, Big Mommas: Like Father, Like Son) has finally found the perfect subject for her PhD thesis film on Alzheimer’s Disease. For the next several months, cameras will record the everyday life of mother Deborah Logan (Jill Larson; ABC’s “All My Children,” Shutter Island) and her daughter, Sarah (Anne Ramsay; Planet of the Apes, A League of Their Own, NBC’s “Mad About You,” ABC Family’s “The Secret Life of the American Teenager”). But as the days progress, strange things begin to happen around Deborah that are not consistent with any findings about Alzheimer’s. It becomes apparent that there’s something besides Alzheimer’s that has taken control of Deborah’s life. It’s an evil that is far worse than the debilitating disease with which she was first diagnosed.

This whole Slender Man thing is getting way out of hand. What started as a viral Internet-based horror story is quickly being twisted and acted upon by brainless teenagers who see fit to do something ridiculous and then blame it on the fictitious character.

The New York Daily News is reporting that a Florida teen obsessed with the fictional horror character Slender Man set fire to her own home as her mom and brother slept inside.

Police said Lily Marie Hartwell allegedly soaked a towel and bed sheet with bleach and rum before setting them alight in the family's Port Richey property early Thursday morning. The 14-year-old, who was reading an ebook about soul eaters after an earlier argument with her mother over household chores, then walked to a nearby park bathroom and went to sleep.

Her mom and 9-year-old sibling miraculously escaped the devastating blaze after being woken by a smoke alarm at 1:45 a.m. Realizing her daughter was not outside with them, her mom ran back inside - but was driven back by the heat. Firefighters then risked their lives to search for the Chasco Middle School student in the burning building but concluded she was not actually there. Some 17 laddermen then took several hours to knock down the flames. Later, Hartwell reportedly sent her mother an apologetic text message, which read: "Mom, I'm so sorry. I don't know why I did it. Did any of [YOU] get hurt?"

Investigators claim she was fixated with the fictional Slender Man character - who is the subject of numerous online stories involving murder and sinister acts. In her journal, which was marked "Keep Out," she reportedly wrote: "If this keeps up there will be no safety in this house."

Once found, the teen was arrested and charged with one count of arson and two counts of attempted murder.

So yeah, let's not blame these hideous actions on what the real problems are in this girl's life... instead let's blame Slender Man! Horror... society's scapegoat since inception.

The fifth annual Telluride Horror Show is getting set to kick off in Telluride, Colorado, next month, and right now we have the first batch of announced films for your perusal.

From the Press Release
The Telluride Horror Show is excited to announce the first batch of films for its 5th annual festival, scheduled for October 10-12, 2014, in beautiful Telluride, Colorado.

FEATURES

BACKWATER
USA | 2013 | 94 min | Director: Christopher Schrack
Followed by a Q&A with director Christopher Schrack.
A couple camping in the woods believe they are in tremendous danger even though they can't explain what is causing their terror.

BAG BOY LOVER BOY
USA | 2014 | 77 min | Director: Andres Torres
Bag Boy Lover Boy follows the lowly life of Albert, an oddball hotdog vendor who is shocked to find himself suddenly becoming the bizarre muse of enigmatic NYC photographer Ivan Worthington. But shocks come his way even more so when, amidst his role in Ivan's disturbing photographs for which he poses, Albert finds out just how difficult it is to succeed in the art world, leading him to take some disturbing photographs of his own that suit his very unique - and very limited - skill set.

CLOSER TO GOD
USA | 2014 | 81 min | Director: Billy Senese
In this dark indie thriller, a genetic scientist creates the first human clone. But an earlier experiment threatens to destroy everything he's built and puts his family in grave danger. This modern day Frankenstein story undertakes not only the complicated moral and social issues of human cloning but also the inevitability of evolutionary and technological change. From the director of THE SUICIDE TAPES (2011 Telluride Horror Show Official Selection) and INTRUDER (2012 Telluride Horror Show Official Selection).

EJECTA
Canada | 2014 | 83 min | Directors: Matt Wiele & Chad Archibald
U.S. PREMIERE
The story of William Cassidy, who has been possessed by a horrible alien presence for the past 40 years. Joe Sullivan, a documentary filmmaker, sets out to discover exactly what is haunting Cassidy. The two men witness a UFO crash on the eve of an historic solar storm and must survive a terrifying alien life form that's now hunting them both. An anonymous militia group will stop at nothing to unearth the truth behind what happened to the men that night and prove to the world that we were never alone in the universe. Starring Julian Richings (Man of Steel, "Supernatural"), Lisa Houle (PontyPool), and Adam Seybold (Exit Humanity) and written by Tony Burgess (PontyPool).

THE HOUSES OCTOBER BUILT
USA | 214 | 92 min | Director: Bobby Roe
Followed by a Q&A with cast & crew.
Beneath the fake blood and cheap masks of countless haunted house attractions across the country, there are whispers of truly terrifying alternatives. Looking to find an authentic, blood-curdling good fright for Halloween, five friends set off on a road trip in an RV to track down these underground Haunts. Just when their search seems to reach a dead end, strange and disturbing things start happening, and it becomes clear that the Haunt has come to them...

THE MIRROR
UK | 2014 | 84 min | Director: Ed Boase
U.S. PREMIERE
Three roommates buy a haunted mirror on eBay in the hope of filming spooky goings-on and claiming the One Million Dollar Paranormal Prize offered by the James Randi Foundation. Their desire to win the prize money blinds them to the evil forces they have brought into their world, which exact a terrible revenge.

SUBURBAN GOTHIC
USA | 2014 | 90 min | Director: Richard Bates, Jr.
Raymond has a prestigious MBA, but he can't find work. He can channel the paranormal, but chatting with a cute girl mystifies him. Kicked out of his big city apartment, Raymond returns home to his overbearing mother, ex-jock father, and beer-bellied classmates. But when a vengeful ghost terrorizes the small town, the city-boy recruits Becca, a badass local bartender, to solve the mystery of the spirit threatening everyone's lives. From the director of EXCISION (2012 Telluride Horror Show Official Selection).

WOLFCOP
Canada | 2014 | 79 min | Director: Lowell Dean
WOLFCOP follows Lou Garou (Leo Fafard), an alcoholic cop who tends to black out and wake up in unfamiliar surroundings. However, lately things have taken a strange turn. Crime scenes seem oddly familiar; Lou's senses are heightened; and when the full moon is out, he's a rage-fueled werewolf. WOLFCOP is one cop's quest to become a better man... one transformation at a time.

SHORTS

ALONE
France | 2013 | 10 min | Director: Didier Philippe
Claire lives alone in a large apartment. Her fear of the outside world stops her from going out and letting people in. One day she discovers evidence revealing that a man lives in her home. The presence of that man becomes more and more threatening...

BON APPETIT
USA | 2014 | 8 min | Director: Christopher Todd
WORLD PREMIERE
A distinguished chef stows himself away in the privacy of his own home to explore his dark culinary desires.

BREATHE
UK | 2013 | 5 min | Director: Toby Meakins
US PREMIERE
A young man falls in love with a ghost you can only see when you don't breathe...

CAM CLOSER
Sweden | 2013 | 2 min | Director: David F. Sandberg
A woman discovers that her camera phone can see the future. And the future does not look good for her.

DEAD HEARTS
Canada | 2014 | 17 min | Director: Stephen W. Martin
A young mortician will give his heart away to find true love. A whimsical, Gothic bedtime story filled with love, loss, taxidermy, kung fu, and biker werewolves.

DOG FOOD
USA | 2013 | 18 min | Director: Brian Crano
A butcher loses his dog.

DON'T BE AFRAID; IT'S ONLY DEATH
USA | 2013 | 6 min | Directors: Rutherford Belleview & Mortimer Leech
This new music video from Boulder, Colorado's The Widow's Bane follows a newly dispatched bride as she ventures beyond death and into the world between worlds.

GHOST TRAIN
Ireland/Finland | 2013 | 16 min | Director: Lee Cronin
Once a year estranged brothers Michael and Peter make a reluctant pilgrimage to the old fairground where their friend Sam went missing three decades ago. This time Michael has a secret to confess.

THE HITCHHIKER
USA | 2014 | 19 min | Director: Alexander Harrison Jacobs
A parody of the original "Twilight Zone" series, satirizing the tropes of 1960's science fiction from a modern day perspective. Nancy Adams, "twenty-something," drives cross-country to Hollywood, pursued by an unrelenting stranger whom no one else can see.

THE HYPNOTIST
USA | 2014 | 18 min | Director: Jon Braver
Dr. Elijah Lowell, the brilliant and now banished neuro-psychologist, sees no other option but to use the controversial device he created to enter his wife's unconscious mind and attempt to pull her out of her 5-year coma.

THE LAST MAN
UK | 2014 | 20 min | Director: Gavin Rothery
NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE
Sergeant Jacob Stanton, a Deep Reserve soldier, is awoken from stasis to find the world completely destroyed. Venturing into the wasteland, he is faced with the devastating loneliness of being the last man alive.

LIGHTS OUT
Sweden | 2013 | 3 min | Director: David F. Sandberg
A woman getting ready for bed discovers that she may not be alone in her apartment when she turns off the lights.

MINERAL
USA | 2013 | 5 min | Director: Michael J Marino
WORLD PREMIERE
After painfully passing a kidney stone, a man discovers that a new breed of monster has invaded his home with deadly intentions.

PRIMROSE LANE
USA | 2014 | 5 min | Director: Nick Phillips
Two teenage sisters in 1970's suburbia take an 8mm camera into the local abandoned house.

SALVAGE
Australia | 2014 | 8 min | Director: Daniel Flood
WORLD PREMIERE
Following a disastrous contamination, a rescue worker searches for survivors, salvaging what she can.

SLUT
USA | 2014 | 21 min | Director: Chloe Okuno
A dark coming of age thriller about a 16-year-old misfit named Maddy who lives alone with her grandmother in a small town in Texas. When Maddy crosses paths with an older, charismatic Stranger - a fellow misfit who's passing through town - her quiet, monotonous life takes a dangerous turn.

THE STOMACH
UK | 2014 | 15 min | Director: Ben Steiner
Frank's had enough. A spirit medium whose unique and grotesque method of channeling the dead is putting his own life at risk. He wants out. But others, in this world and the next, have plans of their own. Part body-horror, part ghost-story, The Stomach is a unique tale of supernatural noir.

TUCK ME IN
Spain | 2014 | 1 min | Director: Ignacio F. Rodó
Alex asks his father to tuck him in, but that's not the only thing he asks for...

WATERBORNE
Australia | 2014 | 10 min | Director: Ryan Coonan
When a local ranger in a small country town finds an unidentified algae overwhelming the water supply, he knows that something's not right. But it's not until the sun goes down that he discovers the true extent of the danger - it seems the town is about to experience the effects of a mysterious infection that turns not only humans - but animals too - into zombies. Australian wildlife has never been so terrifying...

ZOMINIC
UK | 2013 | 2 min | Director: Michelle Fox
A short dark comedy about a baby with a monstrous appetite.

For more info visit the official Telluride Horror Show website, "like"Telluride Horror Show on Facebook and follow the Telluride Horror Show on Twitter (@telluridehorror).

An international one-sheet for Dracula Untold from Universal Pictures and Legendary Pictures has arrived ahead of its newly granted Friday, October 10, 2014, release date; and you can take a gander at it here.

The film stars Luke Evans as the titular bloodsucker alongside Sarah Gadon, Samantha Barks, Thor Kristjansson, Art Parkinson, Zach McGowan, and Dominic Cooper. Michael De Luca is producing the project, and commercials helmer Gary Shore is making his directorial debut on the picture.

Universal’s dramatic horror movie tells the origin story of the most famous of vampires.

Synopsis
Luke Evans is starring as the most famous of vampires in an origin story that sees a Transylvanian prince risk eternal damnation in order to save his wife and son from a Turkish horde. Barks plays a figure in Eastern European folk tales known as a baba yaga, a beautiful young woman who turns into a savage witch. Kristjansson is Bright Eyes, an Eastern European taken as a slave as a young boy and now a vicious assassin in the Ottoman Army. Parkinson portrays Dracula’s son, named Ingeras.

Words alone cannot fully express how much we're buzzing about Mortal Kombat X here at DCHQ. Next gen fatalities? New characters? New possible crossovers? To say we've been stoked is an understatement, and the news keeps getting better.

From the Press Release
Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment today confirmed that Mortal Kombat X, in development by NetherRealm Studios, is scheduled for release worldwide beginning April 14, 2015.

The game will be available for the PlayStation®4 and PlayStation®3 computer entertainment systems, Xbox One, the all-in-one games and entertainment system from Microsoft, the Xbox 360 games and entertainment system from Microsoft, and Windows PC.

Legendary series character Goro has also been announced as a retail channel-wide pre-order exclusive. Making his first appearance in more than eight years, Goro, the feral, four-armed Shokan warrior, will be available day of launch as a playable combatant to those who pre-order Mortal Kombat X.

Mortal Kombat X is NetherRealm Studios' next highly anticipated installment in its legendary, critically acclaimed fighting game franchise that propels the iconic franchise into a new generation. The game combines cinematic presentation with all new gameplay to deliver the most brutal Kombat experience ever, offering a new fully-connected experience that launches players into a persistent online contest where every fight matters in a global battle for supremacy. For the first time Mortal Kombat X gives players the ability to choose from multiple variations of each character, impacting both strategy and fighting style. Players step into an original story showcasing some of the game's most prolific characters, including Scorpion and Sub-Zero, while introducing new challengers that represent the forces of good and evil and tie the tale together.

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

The opening six minutes of At the Devil's Door (review) have arrived online in anticipation of its September 12th theatrical release courtesy of IFC Midnight. Impatient? You can also order the movie on VOD right now!

Nicholas McCarthy (The Pact) directs, and Naya Rivera, Catalina Sandino Moreno, Ashley Rickards, Wyatt Russell, and Ava Acres star.

Synopsis
It's looking for a home…

When ambitious young real estate agent Leigh is asked to sell a house with a checkered past, she crosses paths with a disturbed girl whom she learns is the runaway daughter of the couple selling the property. When Leigh tries to intervene and help her, she becomes entangled with a supernatural force that soon pulls Leigh's artist sister, Vera, into its web — and has sinister plans for both of them.

A few days ago the filmmakers behind the flick Muckchallenged us to take the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge. We nutted up (and our nuts have been hiding since), did it, and offered a challenge of our own!

Like those who have come before us, we put a horror twist on the challenge by filling our buckets with ice, water, and of course 2 pints of stage blood as a means to do something good while frightening our neighbors at the same time.

Being that I had "blood" in my eyes and my body was still in shock, I didn't get my partner Jon Condit as good as he got me, but holy shit, let me tell you guys... that was rough. The liquid was indescribably cold... but hey... good cause, right? Adam, Joe, Brooke? You're up!

For more on ALS and what you can do to help (besides dousing yourselves with frigid liquid), visit the ALS Association website.

On tap for you Bollywood fans is another bit of new artwork along with the trailer for director Vikram Bhatt's 3D monster movie Creature 3D. If some ill-placed zany dance number breaks out during the flick, which is typical of Bollywood features, and everyone gets eaten, I'll be smiling for eternity!

Bipasha Basu and Imraan Abbas Naqvi star.

"[Our] creature has more screen time than the dinosaur had in Jurassic Park," said Bhatt.

He added, "I can proudly say that with Creature we have been, if not better, at least on par with any Hollywood studio. We have one hour of creature sequences for a two-hour film. The idea is to give the audience a lot more. The creature films in the West are made on the basis of scientific reasons like genetic mutation or change of chemical. But our creature is based on mythology... It is a character taken from our old stories."

Look for more on this one soon!

A few weeks ago we were promised the trailer for writer/director Jose Prendes'The Divine Tragedies, and with the film now complete and about to kick off its festival run, we have it for you right here just in time to celebrate the start of the weekend!

From the Press Release
Dual Visions and Jose Prendes (The Haunting of Whaley House) have completed work on the serial killer fever dream that is THE DIVINE TRAGEDIES. As proof, here is the official first look at the film!

The Divine Tragedies, produced by Prendes and Jon and James Kondelik, stars Graham Denman (The Haunting of Whaley House), Jon Kondelik (Airplane vs. Volcano), Lynn Lowry (The Crazies), Ken Foree (Dawn of the Dead), Sean Whalen (The People Under the Stairs), Barbara Crampton (You’re Next), and Hannah Levien (Children of Sorrow).

Synopsis:
The Divine Tragedies, based loosely on the famous Leopold and Loeb murder case, tells the tale of Charles Brubaker and his half-brother, Thomas Lo Bianco, who concoct a deadly game to test their superior intelligence against the dimwitted masses. This game will eventually lead to murder. And when Genevieve, a beautiful single mother, enters their lives, they finally find the perfect girl for their first kill. But problems arise when they quickly discover that Detective Homer Gaul (Ken Foree), a cop with a very special gift, is hot on their trail.

Ten months from now we'll know whether or not we think Terminator: Genisys merits a sequel, but Paramount is apparently feeling confident we will as they've already penciled in release dates for two of them in quick succession.

Shooting wrapped just a short while ago on Terminator: Genisys, but obviously the powers-that-be are liking what they're seeing as the film comes together since both Terminator 2 and Terminator 3 (titles sure to change) have popped up on Box Office Mojo with release dates of May 19, 2017, and June 29, 2018, respectively.

We'll keep you posted...

Meanwhile, Terminator: Genisys will hit theaters on July 1, 2015. Arnold Schwarzenegger, Douglas Smith, Matt Smith, Jason Clarke, Emilia Clarke, Jai Courtney, J.K. Simmons, Dayo Okeniyi, and Byung Hun Lee star.

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

In case you haven't noticed, it's film fest season; and if you live in or near Toronto, one of the best is kicking off October 16th: Toronto After Dark, now in its 9th year. Per usual, it's chock-full of many of the latest high profile titles so read on for all the details!

From the Press Release:
Toronto After Dark Film Festival is thrilled to officially unveil its first wave of exciting film announcements for 2014! Included in the lineup are some of the most critically acclaimed and eagerly anticipated new horror, sci-fi, action, and cult films from this year’s international film festival circuit.

These 10 new movies will all have their Toronto, Canadian, North American, or World Theatrical Premieres hosted exclusively at the festival’s 9th Annual Edition this October 16-24, 2014, at the Scotiabank Theatre, in the heart of downtown Toronto.

The remainder of Toronto After Dark's 2014 lineup, which will include nine additional feature films as well as around 30 cutting-edge short films, will be revealed at the end of September. At the same time the complete festival schedule will be announced.

HELLMOUTH (Canada) World Premiere
From the twisted mind of writer Tony Burgess (PONTYPOOL) comes a stunning, spectacular ode to classic horror and fantasy. HELLMOUTH tells the tale of gravekeeper Charlie Baker (WATCHMEN’s Stephen McHattie), assigned to tend to a mysterious cemetery. Charlie’s routine journey to his new place of employment turns out to be a dark and fantastic voyage through a Gothic landscape, filled with demonic forces and a life-altering encounter with a beautiful woman he must try to rescue from the bowels of hell.

THE BABADOOK (AUSTRALIA) Toronto Premiere
In the scary new horror hit from Australia, single mother Amelia must battle with her son, Samuel’s, fear of a monster lurking in their house. After a creepy pop-up book called Mister Babadook is found on the doorstep, Samuel begins to sense a sinister presence, and strange things begin to happen around the house. Amelia is at first dismissive but then begins to question whether THE BABADOOK is a figment of Samuel’s troubled imagination or whether there might be something genuinely evil lurking in their midst.

PREDESTINATION (AUSTRALIA) Toronto Premiere
Based on a story by acclaimed sci-fi author Robert A. Heinlein (STARSHIP TROOPERS), the Spierig Brothers (DAYBREAKERS, UNDEAD) direct Ethan Hawke (GATTACA, TRAINING DAY) in this riveting sci-fi thriller in the mold of LOOPER and MINORITY REPORT about a Temporal Agent, tasked with traveling through time to stop crimes before they’re committed. On his final assignment, the agent must pursue the one criminal that has eluded him throughout time, the elusive Fizzle Bomber, determined to unleash mass destruction upon New York City, and who somehow always seems to be one step ahead of the Temporal Agency.

DEAD SNOW 2: RED VS. DEAD (NORWAY) Toronto Premiere
The gruesome army of awakened Nazi Zombies from fan favourite DEAD SNOW once again return to terrorize the Norwegian countryside! In this crowd-pleasing zombie action comedy follow-up, Martin, the sole survivor of the first movie, must join forces with an American zombie hunter (cult favourite FREAKS AND GEEKS’ Martin Starr) and a reanimated squad of dead Russians if he is to try to defeat the undead Nazi horde and their evil commander!

WOLVES (USA/CANADA) North American Premiere
In this coming of age werewolf action movie from David Hayter (writer of X-MEN, X-MEN 2), Lucas Till (XMEN: DAYS OF FUTURE PAST) plays Cayden Richards, a high school senior who awakens one day to find his parents brutally murdered and his body transforming into a wild, savage wolf. In search of the truth behind his animalistic tendencies, Cayden heads to the small town of Lupine Ridge, only to find himself caught between an ongoing war between two opposing werewolf clans, led by Jason Momoa (GAME OF THRONES) and Stephen McHattie (WATCHMEN). As the past begins to reveal itself, so does Cayden’s power to put an end to the savage violence around him and within him.

OPEN WINDOWS (SPAIN/USA) Toronto Premiere
In the vein of Alfred Hitchcock’s REAR WINDOW comes this gripping cyber-thriller from acclaimed Spanish filmmaker Nacho Vigalondo (TIMECRIMES) that exposes a terrifying dark side to Internet voyeurism. When an unwitting celebrity fan-site operator (LORD OF THE RINGS’ Elijah Wood) is persuaded by a mysterious caller to hack into the personal webcam of a movie actress he idolizes (Sasha Grey), he finds himself not only uncovering a dark and sinister plot, but also trapped in a deadly game of cat and mouse with a psychopath.

ZOMBEAVERS (USA) Toronto Premiere
From the producers of CABIN FEVER, THE HANGOVER, and AMERICAN PIE comes ZOMBEAVERS, a crowd-pleasing zombie comedy co-starring Cortney Palm (SUSHI GIRL) that delivers exactly what you’d want from its title and more! A group of college kids’ weekend of sex and debauchery at a riverside cabin turns gruesome when they find themselves menaced by a swarm of deadly zombie beavers. Riding the line between scary, sexy, and funny, the kids are soon fighting for their lives in a desperate attempt to fend off the bloodthirsty undead beaver horde!

SUBURBAN GOTHIC (USA) Toronto Premiere
Richard Bates, Jr., follows up his acclaimed horror film EXCISION with a supernatural comedy about an unemployed graduate (CRIMINAL MINDS’ Matthew Gray Gubler) who returns to his small-town family home, only to encounter a vengeful ghost and a mystery that must be solved before everyone’s lives are lost. A spooktacular treat of a movie, SUBURBAN GOTHIC features an endearingly quirky script with numerous fan favourites in scene-stealing supporting roles, including Kat Dennings (THOR), Ray Wise (TWIN PEAKS), Jeffrey Combs (RE-ANIMATOR), and John Waters (PINK FLAMINGOS).

TIME LAPSE (USA) Toronto Premiere
In this award-winning new sci-fi thriller, three friends, including Danielle Panabaker (THE FLASH), discover a mysterious machine in an abandoned apartment that seems to print photos taken 24 hours into their future. The trio conspire to use the device for personal gain, but it’s not long before the images start to reveal a disturbing and dangerous chain of events they must somehow try to avert before it’s too late. Co-stars John Rhys-Davies (INDIANA JONES TRILOGY).

ABCS OF DEATH 2 (USA/New Zealand/Canada/Israel/Japan) Canadian Premiere
Get ready to gasp, laugh, shriek, and cheer at this latest anthology of 26 short tales, each punctuated by a different shocking, wickedly entertaining death. Completely one-upping its predecessor, ABCS OF DEATH 2 is packed with outstanding thrills, chills, and kills brought to you by some of the acclaimed film-making talents behind fan favourites CUBE (Vincenzo Natali), AMERICAN MARY (The Soska Twins), BIG BAD WOLVES (Aharon Keshales & Navot Papushado), MANBORG (Steven Kostanski), ROOM 237 (Rodney Ascher), INSIDE (Alexandre Bustillo), and JUAN OF THE DEAD (Alejandro Brugues), just to name but a few!

For more info visit the official Toronto After Dark Film Festival website, "like"Toronto After Dark Film Festival on Facebook, and follow Toronto After Dark Film Festival on Twitter (@TAD FilmFest).