Starring Macarena Gomez, Nadia de Santiago, Luis Tosar, Hugo Silva

Directed by Juanfer Andrés and Esteban Roel

Álex de la Iglesia (The Last Circus, Witching and Bitching) presents this neurotic tale about a shy dressmaker and the younger sister that loves to hate her, but first-time directors Juanfer Andrés and Esteban Roel steer away from the infectious mania seen in Iglesia’s work to offer up a much quieter, more gradual descent into the macabre. Buttressed by a great central performance and flourishes of dark humor, one of the latest offerings from Spain’s growing horror collective, Shrew’s Nest, is a clear standout at Fantastic Fest this year.

As the film opens, Montse (Macarena Gómez) – a demure amateur seamstress – seems quite harmless as she fits wealthy benefactress Doña Puri. Poor Montse suffers from fits of anxiety, but she assures Donã Puri that the “medicine” she’s been supplying has been helping to take the edge off. Seemingly cursed with a debilitating affliction and afraid to step out and start a clothing business of her own, Montse passes on that fear to her little sister (Nadia de Santiago), who, strangely, is only referred to as “la nina” throughout the story. (You’ll have to watch to learn if she ever reveals her true name).

Early on, it’s revealed that Montse suffers from an acute form of agoraphobia that prohibits her from stepping foot outside of their sheltered, 1950’s apartment until her disease (and her faith) are tested when an upstairs neighbor – a dashing Spaniard named Carlos (Hugo Silva) – takes a spill down the stairs, severely injuring his leg. He cries out, and Montse reluctantly unbolts the door and drags him into the spare bedroom where Carlos is about to endure an unexpectedly long stay. As the days go by, Montse turns into a kind of mad nurse, imprisoning Carlos (much like Annie Wilkes did to author Paul Sheldon), mixing water with her “medicine” to keep Carlos in a dazed combination of pain and appreciation. Alarmed at the events unfolding, Montse’s little sister sneaks in to warn Carlos that he’s actually being drugged with morphine and that their caretaker doesn’t intend to be rid of his company any time soon.

Haunted by the memory of her father (Luis Tosar from Sleep Tight), who chastises her character even in death, Macareno Gómez’s depiction of Montse carefully constructs a tragic emotional core, building on top of a cracked foundation destined to crumble and eventually collapse under the weight of her dark family past and her growing desperation in the present. Gómez’s performance nicely complements a well-paced story and honors a script that recognizes that its lead must be likable before the audience can both root for others to escape and secretly wish for Montse to prevail.

With a successful background in comedy, Gómez uses the decisive shift into a horror thriller during the climax of Shrew’s Nest to inject some amusement through quirks of personality that reflect Montse’s own disbelief at just how far events have escalated by final day’s end. It’s been “hectic,” Montse says, but effects veteran Pepe Quetglas (Pan’s Labyrinth) makes sure that the insanity bubbling up within Montse is equaled by his team’s twisted sensibility and his own gore-filled imagination. The explosiveness of the violence – in its setup, delivery, and reveal – transforms the uninspired interior of the lifeless flat into a funhouse of death that may prove too dangerous for anyone to ever escape.

The shrew, or shrew-rat as its described, has a tendency to burrow and, if cornered, prove venomous. The story that’s unveiled in Shrew’s Nest follows that kind of behavior in following a likable, delicate, frightened woman who is driven to commit acts of terror, only to wind up having to face her own personal horrors in the process. Driven by Goméz’s electric portrayal, Shrew’s Nest reveals how trauma turns to compulsion and how desperation can cause someone to resort to violence rather than hide in absolute darkness.

The post Shrew’s Nest (2014) appeared first on Dread Central.

The first issue of A Town Called Dragon from Legendary Comics is now available in stores and on comiXology, and we have a sneak peek of three of its pages right here.

Geoff Shaw drew the cover plus the interior art for Judd Winick’s story, described as an “action-packed modern day myth.”

Synopsis
On the surface it seems like your average all-American tourist trap, but this snow-covered town hides a burning secret.

After centuries of lying buried within the depths of an icy mountain, the world’s last dragon egg finally hatches – endangering modern life as we know it. Now an unlikely group of dangerously unqualified, ordinary citizens must band together, battling the elements – and each other – to slay this menacing creature.

Issue #2 (of 5) releases in October.

The post Get a Peek Inside Judd Winick’s A Town Called Dragon Issue #1 appeared first on Dread Central.

Some quick casting news has come in for the upcoming flick Patient Zero as Deadline is reporting that “Game of Thrones” star Natalie Dormer has been set to appear in the Screen Gems action thriller that Stefan Ruzowitzky will direct from a script written by Mike Le.

Patient Zero focuses on an unprecedented global pandemic that causes the evolution of a new species. An aggressive form of rabies turns the infected into predators, addicted to violence. An inexplicably gifted human survivor with the ability to speak the new mutant language leads a hunt for Patient Zero and hope for a cure.

More on this one soon!

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Known to horror fans for creating the graphic novel-turned-horror franchise 30 Days of Night, Steve Niles has also created a slew of other comic properties, one of which is the three-issue miniseries Breath of Bones. A while back Comic Book Resources nailed down a concept trailer for what a big screen adaptation would look like, and we figured it’d be cool to share now!

The story of a Jewish golem, the tale is soon making the jump to the big screen, and a director has just been announced. Read on!

Andrew Adamson (Shrek, The Chronicles of Narnia) is attached to helm the adaptation of the acclaimed Dark Horse Comics miniseries, written by Niles and Matt Santoro. Artist Dave Wachter received a 2012 Russ Manning Award nomination for his gorgeous work.

Breath of Bones is set during World War II and tells of a British plane that crashes into a Jewish village. The crash brings Nazi attention, forcing the villagers to defend themselves, with one rabbi and his grandson building a golem creature and bringing him to monstrous life.

Mike Richardson and Keith Goldberg of Dark Horse are producing the adaptation with Adamson and his producing partner at Strange Weather Aron Warner. Jeff Fierson from Strange Weather will executive produce.

The post See Steve Niles’ Golem Attack the Big Screen in Breath of Bones Concept Trailer appeared first on Dread Central.

Created explicitly for Film4 FrightFest the first of 4 variant posters for Adam Green’s latest directorial feature film, Digging Up the Marrow, was unveiled to a hungry audience which gobbled them up faster than Victor Crowley could nail you with a magic belt sander. At this past weekend’s MondoCon variant 2 was unveiled and we have a look right here for ya!

Like what you see? Of course you do. The mere fact that you’re reading this website proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that you have taste and moxie! Even better you can score this baby RIGHT NOW by heading over to the ArieScope website which also has a few of the original variant just waiting for you to dig into!

Tell ‘em Creepy sent ya and Green will personally make sure your poster is completely fucked up during shipping!

Green also stars in the documentary film, which he made with artist Alex Pardee along with Ray Wise, Tom Holland, Kane Hodder, Mick Garris, and a host of other familiar faces. In Digging Up the Marrow an exploration of genre-based monster art takes an odd turn when the filmmakers are contacted by a man who claims he can prove that monsters are indeed real.

The post Monstrous Look at New Digging Up the Marrow Variant Poster appeared first on Dread Central.

If you asked me what my favorite horror movie of 2014 would be way back at the beginning of the year there is no way I could have predicted it would turn out to be The Babadook (review). What an incredibly spooky surprise!

IFC Midnight just dropped a new trailer for the flick that they will be releasing on November 28th. Look for it in limited theatres and on VOD. You don’t wanna miss this one.

Written and directed by Jennifer Kent, the film stars Essie Davis, Noah Wiseman, Daniel Henshall, Hayley McElhinney, Barbara West, and Ben Winspear.

Synopsis
Six years after the violent death of her husband, Amelia (Essie Davis) is at a loss. She struggles to discipline her ‘out of control’ 6-year-old, Samuel (Noah Wiseman), a son she finds impossible to love. Samuel’s dreams are plagued by a monster he believes is coming to kill them both. When a disturbing storybook called ‘The Babadook’ turns up at their house, Samuel is convinced that the Babadook is the creature he’s been dreaming about. His hallucinations spiral out of control; he becomes more unpredictable and violent. Amelia, genuinely frightened by her son’s behavior, is forced to medicate him. But when Amelia begins to see glimpses of a sinister presence all around her, it slowly dawns on her that the thing Samuel has been warning her about may be real.

The post IFC Scares Up a New Babadook Trailer appeared first on Dread Central.

Universal has just doled out a new look at its upcoming October fear flick Dracula Untold, and it focuses on family! Can you relate?

The film stars Luke Evans as the titular bloodsucker alongside Sarah Gadon, Samantha Barks, Thor Kristjansson, Art Parkinson, Zach McGowan, and Dominic Cooper.

Universal’s dramatic horror movie tells the origin story of the most famous of vampires. Michael De Luca is producing the project, and commercials helmer Gary Shore is making his directorial debut on the picture.

Look for it in theaters October 17, 2014.

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.

The post Dracula Untold – The Fight for Family Is ON! appeared first on Dread Central.

MPI/Dark Sky Films are getting ready to celebrate a Summer of Blood despite the fact that it’s already fall! Gotta appreciate their willingness to go against the grain! In any event…

Dark Sky will release Summer of Blood theatrically and on VOD October 17, 2014.

Onur Tukel (Septien, Red Flag), Alex Karpovsky (Girls), Anna Margaret Hollyman (Gayby, White Reindeer), Dakota Goldhor (Thumbsucker), Dustin Guy Defa (Bad Fever), and Keith Poulson (Hellaware, Listen Up Phillip) star.

Synopsis:
Writer/director Onur Tukel turns in a hilarious performance as the monumentally lazy, socially oblivious, and commitment-shy Erik Sparrow, who is dumped by his career-woman girlfriend (Anna Margaret Hollyman, White Reindeer) when he rejects her rather charitable marriage proposal. Feeling lost, he turns to a disastrous string of online dates that successively eat away at his already deteriorating confidence until a lanky vampire turns him into an undead ladykiller. Soon, Eric is prowling the streets of Brooklyn in search of anything to satisfy both his maniacal sex drive and his hunger for blood. A collision of absurd, self-deprecating wit and existential curiosity, Summer of Blood is a hilarious horror-comedy with a clever bite all its own.

The post Enjoy a Summer of Blood This October appeared first on Dread Central.

Teaser No. 15(!) has arrived for “American Horror Story: Freak Show,” and it flies through the air with the greatest of ease. Check it out, and sit tight – there’s sure to be another either later today or tomorrow.

“American Horror Story: Freak Show” begins its tale in the quiet, sleepy hamlet of Jupiter, Florida. The year is 1952. A troupe of curiosities has just arrived to town, coinciding with the strange emergence of a dark entity that savagely threatens the lives of townsfolk and freaks alike.

This is the story of the performers and their desperate journey of survival amidst the dying world of the American carny experience.

“AHS” Season 4 debuts October 8th at 10:00 PM on FX.

Related Story: Enter the “American Horror Story: Freak Show” Costume Contest

Jessica Lange, Kathy Bates, Angela Bassett, Frances Conroy, Sarah Paulson, Emma Roberts, Gabourey Sidibe, Denis O’Hare, Jamie Brewer, and Evan Peters return from previous seasons. New cast members includes Michael Chiklis, Wes Bentley, John Carroll Lynch, Finn Wittrock, Matt Bomer, Patti LaBelle and the world’s smallest living woman, Jyoti Amge.

“American Horror Story: Freak Show” – Episode 4.01 – “Monsters Among Us” (airs 10/8/14)
One of the only surviving sideshows in the country struggles to stay in business during the dawning era of television. When police make a terrifying discovery at a local farmhouse, the eccentric purveyor of the freak show (Lange) sees an opportunity that will lead her troupe either to their salvation or ruin. Written by Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk; directed by Ryan Murphy.

For more info visit the “AHS: Freak Show” Facebook page, check out “AHS: Freak Show” on Tumblr, and follow @AHSFreakShow_ on Twitter along with “American Horror Story” on FX.

The post Sit Tight for Another New Teaser for American Horror Story: Freak Show appeared first on Dread Central.

Zombies. They’re everywhere, man. Commercials. The Senate. You name it! Now they’re ready to go from the page to the screen as Deadline is reporting that Eurythmics co-creator and record producer Dave Stewart is moving forward on Zombie Broadway, a feature adaptation of his 2008 Virgin Comics graphic novel about an undead uprising on the Great White Way.

Along with The Butler producers Pam Williams and David Jacobson, Stewart has tapped Cole Haddon (NBC’s “Dracula”) to script and Spun helmer Jonas Akerlund to direct the horror musical in which a group of Broadway performers battle zombies with the power of showtunes.

Stewart created the original Zombie Broadway graphic novel with David Harris and Christine Schenley. He’ll executive produce the musical, described as The Rocky Horror Picture Show meets Bullets Over Broadway, and has already written the music with Michael Bradford.

The post Eurythmics Co-Creator Bringing Zombie Broadway to the Big Screen appeared first on Dread Central.

The ScareHouse, an elaborate haunted attraction located in Pittsburgh, PA (aka the “Zombie Capital of the World”), is an independently owned and self-financed labor of love which has been lucky enough to attract the attention and support of Guillermo del Toro, Mike Dougherty, and Legendary Entertainment.

Best of all? Everything was created in Pittsburgh by local horror nerds.

ScareHouse Creative Director Scott Simmons and Art Director Macabre Noir have collaborated with Trick ‘r Treat writer/director Michael Dougherty to create a truly unforgettable Halloween experience. Prepare to come face-to-face with Sam!

Thomas Tull, founder and CEO of Legendary Entertainment, visited ScareHouse last season with Michael and Guillermo del Toro. Guillermo said of ScareHouse: “With the sound design and the atmospherics, it is beautiful. I could live here!”

ScareHouse is up and running NOW on weekends with expanded dates coming in October.  It’s located at 118 Locust Street, Etna, PA 15223. Parking is available at the Pittsburgh Zoo and PPG Aquarium, 7340 Butler Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15206.

Note that no parking is available at ScareHouse itself so you should plan to arrive at the Zoo parking lot 30 minutes before the time listed on your ticket. Both parking and the ScareHouse shuttle service are completely free. Buses loop continuously from open until after the last guest has left ScareHouse.

Everything else you need to know can be found on the official ScareHouse website.

The post The ScareHouse Halloween Haunt Now Open in Pittsburgh appeared first on Dread Central.

Starring Salma Hayek, Jennifer Blanc, Togo Igawa

Directed by Joe Lynch

In describing Everly, Joe Lynch’s ultra-violent revenge romp starring Salma Hayek, some have been quick to compare it to Die Hard, if only for its Christmas setting and, well, ‘cause it takes place in a tall building. If you’re Lynch, there is also an undercurrent of “Dogme 95″ throughout the film, with the director professing before the screening I attended that the film has a very Lars von Trier feel to it.

None of this is true and is little more than a desperate attempt at assigning to the film a point that goes beyond the gratuitous violence and boob jiggling that unfolds over ninety minutes.

Everly opens with the aftermath of what we can only presume is a vicious gang rape on the title character. As we quickly learn, Everly (Hayek) has turned into an informant against Taiko, the mob boss to whom she has been enslaved for the better part of the past four years, and he is none too happy. With a $50,000 bounty on her head, her attempts at leaving the large apartment to bring a bag of money to her mother and young daughter to start a new life are thwarted at every turn by a seemingly endless barrage of hookers, mobsters, and other miscellaneous assassins brandishing pistols, machine guns, shotguns, and in the case of one oddly well-prepared prostitute, a pair of sai.

Little time is spent on getting to know these characters before Everly is thrown headfirst into madness. After dispatching those that raped her with a handful of well-placed gunshots, she is quickly attacked by a quartet of hookers, one of which brandishes the aforementioned sais. And then a guy with a shotgun. And so on and so forth until the apartment is a mess of bloodied bodies. It’s never boring, and the action scenes are fast-paced and creative enough to keep things from becoming stale too quickly.

Much of this is due to Lynch’s fluid direction, the camera moving swiftly and with ease throughout the confined space of the apartment and its hallways. It gives a very unique and, dare I say, fun feel to the excessive violence, though his tendency to find every opportunity to highlight Hayek’s cleavage, however impressive it may be, bordered on the egregious. Even simple, quiet moments, such as lighting a cigarette for an injured mobster, are met with a clear view of her swaying chest. It’s hard to create a strong female lead when much of her screen time is spent being objectified, especially when the impetus for everything is a gang rape.

Everly is a serviceable film, providing enough crazy, over-the-top action to entertain you in spite of its ridiculous story. In a weird way it has a companion piece in the forthcoming Keanu Reeves film John Wick. Both feature insane amounts of gunplay and violence with blood spraying with purpose from the heads of multiple victims; however, whereas Wick dispenses story in favor of a tight and efficient action film, Everly tries to shoehorn one in, in what is a mostly misguided attempt at giving credence to the title character’s struggle. A solid revenge film would have sufficed, if only because Lynch all too often strays from the action in an attempt to tug at the heartstrings.

Though not a horror film, it’s got enough bloody violence, filled to the brim with severed heads, disembowelment via acid, and blood-spurting arteries, that those who like their action filled with gore will get a kick out it.

The post Everly (2014) appeared first on Dread Central.

Julie Plec, exec producer of “The Vampire Diaries” and “The Originals,” is always being asked about potential crossovers of the two shows, and usually she’s pretty coy about it, but today she surprised us all by confirming that one is happening in Episode 2.05 of the latter!

Most surprising of all is which actor and character is involved. It’s Nina Dobrev, who’ll be portraying yet another doppelganger… and it’s one we haven’t officially met yet.

As Plec told E! Online, “There’s a lot of people that could cross over, and when we plan our crossovers, we like to think of the most clever way to integrate ‘The Vampire Diaries’ mythology into ‘The Originals mythology. There was a character’s name introduced a long time ago in ['TVD'] Season Three in association with Klaus [Joseph Morgan] and Elijah [Daniel Gillies] and how they became vampires and a girl that they both loved a long time ago who was the original doppelganger, Tatia. So Nina Dobrev will be visiting ‘The Originals’ for a nice little storyline in our fifth episode, which airs November 3.”

Related Story:  Official Synopsis Revealed for “The Originals” Season 2 Premiere Episode 2.01 – “Rebirth”

She added, “What we remember from ‘The Vampire Diaries,’ for those who watch both shows, is that [Klaus and Elijah] both loved her… And then Esther [Alice Evans], their mother, killed her so that she could make Klaus not a hybrid. There’s lots of secrets and scandal and romance and terrible tragedy attached to her character. We’ll get to go back into the past to see how that all played out.”

“The Originals” returns to The CW on Monday, October 6th.  For more info visit “The Originals” on CWTV.com, “like” “The Originals” on Facebook, and follow “The Originals” on Twitter.

The post The Vampire Diaries’ Nina Dobrev Is Crossing Over to The Originals appeared first on Dread Central.

As readers of The Walking Dead comics, one of the biggest questions we had after learning it would be turned into a TV show was who would play Michonne, one of the most badass female characters ever created; and we’ve been more than pleased with how she has come to life thanks to equally badass actress Danai Gurira.

AMC has released a new video from the set of “The Walking Dead” Season 5 with Gurira in which she talks about what it’s like to have her own action figure and describes her strategies for releasing aggression.

Check out the video below, and then get ready for “The Walking Dead’s” return on Sunday, October 12th, at 9/8c.

Related Story: Visit our Image Gallery for “The Walking Dead” Episode 5.01 – “No Sanctuary”

The series stars Andrew Lincoln as Rick Grimes; Norman Reedus as Daryl Dixon; Steven Yeun as Glenn; Lauren Cohan as Maggie; Chandler Riggs as Carl; Danai Gurira as Michonne; Melissa McBride as Carol; Michael Cudlitz as Abraham; Emily Kinney as Beth; Chad L. Coleman as Tyreese; Sonequa-Martin Green as Sasha; and Lawrence Gilliard, Jr., as Bob Stookie.

“The Walking Dead” Episode 5.01 – “No Sanctuary” (airs 10/12/14)
We learn the true motives of the Terminans as Rick and the group find themselves in a vulnerable situation. Will they be able to work together? Written by Scott Gimple and directed by Greg Nicotero.

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 info be sure to hit up the official “The Walking Dead” page on AMC.com.

The post The Walking Dead’s Danai Gurira Talks Becoming an Action Figure and Releasing Aggression appeared first on Dread Central.

Word of another new series coming our way from BBC America has landed in our inbox, and with a premise that involves a supernatural tattoo, of course we had to share! Read on for the first details of “Tatau.”

From the Press Release
Joe Layton (“New Worlds,” “Father Brown”) and Theo Barklem-Biggs (“Silk,” The Inbetweeners Movie) have been cast as Kyle Connor and Paul ‘Budgie’ Griffiths – the lead roles in BBC America’s new drama “Tatau.”

Set in the Cook Islands, the (8×60) series, written by Richard Zajdlic, is co-produced by Touchpaper TV (“Being Human”) and New Zealand’s largest screen production company, South Pacific Pictures, for BBC Three and BBC America.

Tatau follows Kyle (Layton) and Budgie (Barklem-Biggs), two twenty-something friends from London that set off to travel the world. Ahead of the journey Kyle gets a Maori-style tattoo to celebrate their eventual destination: the Cook Islands.

When snorkeling in a lagoon, Kyle finds the dead body of a local girl, Aumea, tied up underwater. Returning to the lagoon with the police, Kyle finds her corpse has disappeared. But Kyle knows what he saw. Desperate to uncover what happened, Kyle and Budgie find themselves sucked deeper and deeper into a world of Maori myths, symbols, and hallucinatory visions… until finally the full meaning of Kyle’s tattoo is revealed.

Joe Layton commented: “I’m thrilled to be part of this original British drama. With such a talented production team behind it, I can’t wait to help bring Richard’s fantastic scripts to life.”

Theo Barklem-Biggs said: “I’m so excited to be a part of this unique project. The script is based on real Maori mythology; it has everything in it – romance, comedy, smuggling, mystery. I’m also really looking forward to working with such a great team – everyone from the producers to the directors, right down to the cast are spot on. Not to mention we’re filming in paradise!”

Joe and Theo are joined by Dutch actor Barry Atsma as well as various New Zealand actors includes actresses Shushila Takao, Cian Elyse White, and Tai Berdinner-Blades and actors Temuera Morrison, Alex Tarrant, Rawiri Jobe, Kirk Torrance, and Rangimoana Taylor.

Executive producer Rob Pursey said: “We are so excited to have a cast that combines some of the UK’s brightest new acting talent with the very best New Zealand actors including a large Polynesian contingent.”

Matthew Read, executive producer for the BBC, added: “It is wonderful to be working with such a talented team and with such new and promising cast to bring this fantastic original series to BBC Three and BBC America.”

Richard De Croce, SVP Programming, BBC America, said: “’Tatau’ is backed by a hugely talented group of partners and brings something totally new, vibrant, and provocative to the channel’s upcoming programming slate. Tatau is definitely going to spice things up on BBC America.”

Richard Zajdlic, creator and writer, and Rob Pursey are the executive producers for Touchpaper TV, John Barnett and Chris Bailey for South Pacific in New Zealand, and Matthew Read for the BBC. John Rushton is producer, and Wayne Yip is lead director.

Filming started in September 2014 with production taking place in the Cook Islands and New Zealand.

The post BBC America Announces Casting for New Series Tatau appeared first on Dread Central.

Bet you thought I was joking this morning when I said I’d probably be back later with yet another teaser for “American Horror Story: Freak Show,” but nope… I spoke the truth!  Get ready to meet an extremely tweaked clown, and look for more soon.

“American Horror Story: Freak Show” begins its tale in the quiet, sleepy hamlet of Jupiter, Florida. The year is 1952. A troupe of curiosities has just arrived to town, coinciding with the strange emergence of a dark entity that savagely threatens the lives of townsfolk and freaks alike.

This is the story of the performers and their desperate journey of survival amidst the dying world of the American carny experience.

“AHS” Season 4 debuts October 8th at 10:00 PM on FX.

Related Story: Sit Tight for Another New Teaser for “American Horror Story: Freak Show”

Jessica Lange, Kathy Bates, Angela Bassett, Frances Conroy, Sarah Paulson, Emma Roberts, Gabourey Sidibe, Denis O’Hare, Jamie Brewer, and Evan Peters return from previous seasons. New cast members includes Michael Chiklis, Wes Bentley, John Carroll Lynch, Finn Wittrock, Matt Bomer, Patti LaBelle and the world’s smallest living woman, Jyoti Amge.

“American Horror Story: Freak Show” – Episode 4.01 – “Monsters Among Us” (airs 10/8/14)
One of the only surviving sideshows in the country struggles to stay in business during the dawning era of television. When police make a terrifying discovery at a local farmhouse, the eccentric purveyor of the freak show (Lange) sees an opportunity that will lead her troupe either to their salvation or ruin. Written by Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk; directed by Ryan Murphy.

For more info visit the “AHS: Freak Show” Facebook page, check out “AHS: Freak Show” on Tumblr, and follow @AHSFreakShow_ on Twitter along with “American Horror Story” on FX.

The post Get Tweaked by the Latest American Horror Story: Freak Show Teaser appeared first on Dread Central.

Available in theatres and on VOD starting today, Marc Caretté’s Asmodexia (review) follows five days in the life of an exorcist (Lluís Marco) as he traverses the ancient streets of Barcelona with his granddaughter(Cláudia Pons).

The title might sound like the name of a Tromette in Lloyd Kaufman’s stable, but the film itself takes the serious route. Talking with Caretté, his passion for this project comes through even if he, himself, isn’t the most religious man when things are all said and done.

English is his second language so the interview was a bit of a struggle but probably nothing compared to the struggle of filming such an intense story about the push and pull of good and evil.

DC: Where did the term and title “Asmodexia” come from? For an unusual word, it’s easy to remember, which may help it stay on people’s radar. With your short film Castidermia as well, you seem to like to create new words.

MC: Yes, I really like to create new words, especially if we talk about horror movies. In this case, Asmodexia could be the scientific name given to demonic possession. It comes from merging the name Asmodeus, the king of the demons, with Anorexia, that terrible pathology which has horrible effects on the mind and soul of many teenagers.

DC: How difficult was the day-to-day shooting on set? This is a very physical movie and it demanded a lot from Lluís, Cláudia, Irene [Montalà], Marta [Belmonte] and Mireia [Ros]. Does this subject matter force everyone involved to increase their pain threshold?

MC: I sincerely think that I’ve been working with great actors, and our biggest challenge was that we should all understand and believe what we were talking about. We had to believe in our Lord, and then work for Him would be easier. Even I must confess that I was really impressed with the beast that Luís Marco has inside. It helped Cláudia to be stronger.

DC: Did you enjoy directing Catalonian filmmaker Mireia Ros? Having another director on set, was it easier to communicate what you wanted to her since she has been on both sides of the camera?

MC: Yes, I really enjoyed it because on set Mireia was just an actress. She never acted as a filmmaker; she just wanted to act and have fun with it, letting me work completely free with no pressure from her. In fact, I think that she adores being in front of the camera, and the camera loves her.

DC: Where else did you film besides Barcelona? Usually with this subgenre, most of the action takes place in one location, but Asmodexia is more of a road trip exorcism movie. Would you agree with that?

MC: Yes, and it’s really important for me that people understand what Asmodexia is. I used to describe it as a walk movie about possessions, a dark tale, halfway between melancholy and horror.

DC: I saw that the producer of Asmodexia, Ms Entertainment, did a market study of the horror genre to see how viable it was to continue to help more horror films reach a larger audience. Do you look at the genre from a financial standpoint where you can make films with smaller budgets that have more of a chance to become profitable because of the fan base, or have you always had a passion for horror?

MC: Well, first of all, I’m a fan of horror movies since I was a teenager. Then working as a producer and screenwriter in the Spanish audio/visual industry, specially involved in marketing affairs, I learned to produce nice videos with low budgets, [so] then why not apply it in cinema and open a door to my dreams of youth? And here we are. Yes, I’m a director that also looks [at] his screenplays of genre from a financial standpoint.

DC: Are you religious, and if so, how does working on a film about the balance between spiritual good and evil affect you and the crew while shooting? Is it therapeutic, or does it awaken personal demons?

MC: No, I’m not so religious, even though I know Catholicism so well because I live in a Catholic country. I’m also fascinated with the architecture, philosophy, and liturgy of religions in general. Catholicism tries to show us the way that we should be, and the devil accepts us just the way we are, creatures of God… Here’s where everything begins.

DC: Now that you’re finishing up press for Asmodexia, has your attention turned to your next project, Sheol, the Realm of the Dead? How similar is the premise of Sheol to Asmodexia, and how far along are you and Xavi Garriga on the project?

MC: Oh, thank you guys. Yes, Sheol is a TV series project of mystery and horror based on legends and true stories of the dark side of Barcelona. We’re still looking for a production company; why not HBO here in the USA? Perhaps we should try… But now I’m already working on the screenplay of my second feature film, a horror film of course, and I hope that we’ll be able to shoot it next year. I have a great story to tell…

Asmodexia is now available in select theatres and on Amazon, iTunes, and Google Play.

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.

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Despite what Disney may have led you to believe, mermaids are pretty damn creepy and, quite frankly, the perfect horror villains. And yet, despite their inherent creepiness, the mythical creatures have been the subject of very few horror movies over the years, leaving that particular market very much untapped.

Filling the killer mermaid gap is Nicholas Humphries’ upcoming film Charlotte’s Song, which puts a creature feature-style spin on the classic tale of The Little Mermaid. Check out the trailer below, which gives us our first taste of the mermaid madness!

Written by Bob Woolsey and Meagan Hotz from a story by Jessica Leigh Clark-Bojin and Lindsey Mann, the film stars Iwan Rheon, Katelyn Mager, Jessie Fraser, Natasha Quirke, Leala Selina, and Brendan Taylor.

Synopsis:
Think Pan’s Labyrinth meets “Carnivale” – gritty human drama with a supernatural twist, situated in the 1930s Oklahoma Dust Bowl. Inspired by Hans Christian Andersen’s The Little Mermaid, Charlotte’s Song tells the story of Charlotte, a young girl coming of age in the midst of one of the most desolate and desperate periods in American history.

The untimely death of her mother triggers a downward spiral for her father, five sisters, and their family-run song and dance act. Help comes from an unlikely source when a gangster named Randall offers to pay off their debt in exchange for making some unsavory changes to the family business. Matters are complicated when it is discovered that Charlotte, like her mother before her, is in fact a mermaid capable of controlling humans with her voice.

What follows is a sophisticated magical turf war in which antagonists from many camps seek to take advantage of Charlotte’s power. The best and worst of humanity are put on display, and Charlotte must choose her own path, knowing that the wrong decision will have deadly consequences for the people she loves.

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Hitting VOD outlets on October 17th and limited theaters on November 21st is Extraterrestrial, the latest from the duo known as The Vicious Brothers (Grave Encounters). In this particular take on an alien invasion, the dudes with the big round heads are most definitely looking to do more than phone home.

While we wait for the impending invasion, check out a brand new UK poster for the film, courtesy of Empire!

The film centers around a group of college friends who travel to a secluded cabin in the woods for a weekend of partying. As the night is winding down, they notice something strange in the sky: a ball of fire descending through the air, crash landing in the nearby forest…

Freddie Stroma and Brittany Allen star in the indie feature produced by Randy Manis, Kim Arnott, Shawn Angelski, and Martin Fisher.

Synopsis
From The Vicious Brothers, creators of Grave Encounters, comes a different kind of encounter, one of EXTRATERRESTRIAL origin. Still reeling from her parents’ divorce, April (Daytime Emmy winner Brittany Allen) is dragged back to the vacation cabin she spent fond summers at as a child accompanied by a group of friends. Her trip down memory lane takes a dramatic and terrifying turn when a fireball descends from the sky and explodes in the nearby woods.

Led by her boyfriend, played by Freddie Stroma (Harry Potter & The Half-Blood Prince, Pitch Perfect), the group members venture out toward the crash site and discover the remnants of a ship from another planet along with footprints that suggest its alien occupants are still alive. The college friends soon find themselves caught in the middle of something bigger and more terrifying than anything they could ever imagine.

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Fantastic Fest 2014 is coming to a close so here are some capsule reviews for three films that I really didn’t like this year.

The Hive:
Written and directed by David Yarovesky, The Hive is a teen-centric thriller that so very desperately wants to appear smarter than it really is. In the film a young man awakens in a dark room covered in boils and sores, lacking any memory of what happened. Through a series of flashbacks represented as returning memories – some his own, others not – our intrepid young hero, who quickly learns his name is Adam, must piece together the clues he finds over the course of one harrowing night before whatever has infected him claims his memories and his life.

This is the rough and dirty summary of the film’s plot, but the nature of the film is far more convoluted. The first half is comprised mostly of Adam’s memories of his time spent at camp leading up to his current predicament, spliced in with fleeting memories belonging to others. As it unfolds, it all begins to coalesce into something relatively coherent but entirely too convenient for the purposes of the film. Nothing feels organic with Adam’s role in recovering his lost memories and discovering what happened relegated to little more than shutting his eyes. The Hive is a mostly muddled film with poor acting that earns a few moments of respite thanks to a few sporadic moments of humor.

The Stranger:
Produced by Eli Roth and Nicolas Lopez, the team behind Aftershock and The Green Inferno, and directed by Guillermo Amoedo, The Stranger focuses on a mysterious man (Cristobal Tapia Montt) who returns to his hometown after being away for sixteen years, only to learn that his wife, Anna (Lorenza Izzo), who left his life for unknown reasons, has passed. After being rescued from the sadistic Caleb (Ariel Levy) and his police office father De Luca (Luis Gnecco) by the young Peter (Nicolás Durán), it becomes clear that The Stranger is not entirely human. His arrival sets off a chain of events, prompting Peter to slowly learn this history of this man, all while trying to avoid the dangerous father-son duo.

The level of “bad” that The Stranger operates on reaches levels reserved for made-for-TV movies. Poor acting made worse by bad ADR plunges the movie into The Room-like territory at times as the actors stumble their way through a weak script. Apparently shot using resources left over from Roth and Co.’s previous productions (dubbed “Chilewood”), the soap opera-like plot and performances do little to make one have any faith in their future productions.

Horsehead:
The opening scene of Romain Basset’s Horsehead seeks to suck you in to what initially gives off the impression of a dark, violent, and surreal plunge into the world of lucid dreaming and sleep paralysis. Echoing Henri Fuseli’s infamous painting “The Nightmare,” the opening is arguably the best part of the film, which follows a young woman’s quest to seize control of her nightmares and get to the bottom of a mystery that plagues her family.

An incomprehensible fever dream of a film, Horsehead boasts stunning visuals and (mostly) solid performances but is ultimately little more than a jumbled mess of style over substance. Nigh incomprehensible at times and wearing its influence on its sleeve – at one point the protagonist calls her deceased grandmother an “Old Hag,” which is one of the more familiar names for the phenomenon of sleep paralysis – Horsehead fails to live up to the potential of its subject matter.

The post Fantastic Fest Capsule Reviews: The Hive, The Stranger, Horsehead (2014) appeared first on Dread Central.