Like free stuff? Like horror movies? Of course you do! At least one of those reasons is why you’re here right now! On tap right now we have a chance for you to win something really cool from Michael G. Bartlett’s next haunting tale, Treehouse.

The film was released in the UK last week and went to number 1 iTunes. To say thanks to his fans Bartlett has created something really neat! A handmade disc sleeve!

Only 30 were ever made. Only one will ever be signed by Michael G. Bartlett, the director of Treehouse. This is a truly one of a kind item being offered as part of a competition to celebrate the UK release of Treehouse on 20th October 2014.

The winner can choose from just a signature or a personal dedication+signature. To win simply answer this question by liking the Treehouse Facebook page and then Private Messaging us the answer to this question:

TREEHOUSE was shot in the same town as which other famous Missouri-based movie?

Competition runs until Oct 30th. Winner will be announced on HALLOWEEN. Good luck!

The post Win a Signed Handmade Treehouse DVD Sleeve Along With the Movie! appeared first on Dread Central.

During last summer’s San Diego Comic-Con, we learned Sam Miserendino’s satirical graphic novel Prince of Pieces had been picked up for distribution with an October release date planned. Now that we’re in the thick of that most hallowed month, Miserendino dropped us a line with an update.

He excitedly told us, “The book is going to debut at Comikaze 2014 in L.A. over the Halloween weekend, and I’ll be there to sign copies. It’s also available from the publisher’s site, Creator’s Edge Press.”

The book is 73 pages long, and the cost is just $12.99 plus shipping.  Or you can download a copy by clicking here.

The horror comic about the return of Jesus has been in the works for several years now, and all of Miserendino’s hard work is finally paying off! Congrats to everyone involved!

Synopsis
For two thousand years you’ve been eating His flesh and drinking His blood… Now it’s His turn!

The Son of God is mad as hell, and He disposes of sinners with biblical panache. Those He encounters suffer gruesome fates: Some are inflicted with leprosy and stigmata; others are turned into pillars of salt.

The post Long Awaited Prince of Pieces Available NOW; Official Artwork Unveiled appeared first on Dread Central.

With the Screamfest World Premiere of directors Jen and Sylvia Soska’s feature See No Evil 2 (review) having taken place last Wednesday (October 15th) in Hollywood, CA, here’s a full video of the Q&A with the twin filmmakers that followed, as moderated by filmmaker Joe Lynch (Everly, Wrong Turn 2). Enjoy!

With the 14th Annual Screamfest Horror Film Festival currently under way at the TCL Chinese 6 Theatres in Hollywood, CA, the Lionsgate release See No Evil 2 (available NOW on Digital HD and Video On Demand and hitting Blu-ray and DVD TODAY, October 21st) bowed at the festival to a packed house.

Related Story:  See No Evil 2 Screamfest World Premiere Carpet Photos; The Soskas, Kane & Slash!

In attendance for the Q&A were the film’s directors, Jen and Sylvia Soska (American Mary), and stars, WWE Superstar Glenn “Kane” Jacobs and Danielle Harris (Halloween, Hatchet II), plus actors Lee Majdoub and Kaj-Erik Eriksen.

A direct sequel to the 2006 slasher flick See No Evil, See No Evil 2 was penned by Nathan Brookes and Bobby Lee Darby.

To purchase tickets to Screamfest (which runs through the 23rd), visit the Screamfest website, “like” Screamfest on Facebook, and follow Screamfest on Twitter.

Our thanks to filmmaker John Michael Elfers for the video.

Synopsis
A group of friends pay a late-night visit to the city morgue to surprise Amy (Harris) on her birthday. But the surprise is on them when the one-eyed corpse of brutal psychopath Jacob Goodnight (Glenn “Kane” Jacobs) unexpectedly rises from a cold sub-basement slab. Their wild party quickly turns into a terrifying slay-fest as the sadistic mass-murderer resumes his savage rampage complete with hooks, surgical knives, and power saws.

The post Video Footage from the See No Evil 2 Screamfest 2014 Q&A with the Soska Sisters, Kane & Danielle Harris Moderated by Joe Lynch appeared first on Dread Central.

Though not exactly horror, Stuart Gordon originally directed this 1989 rock ’em sock ’em robots flick for Charles Band’s Empire Pictures before they went bankrupt during the production. Two years later, the world was finally gifted with Robot Jox. Twenty-six years later, here comes a Scream Factory Blu-ray.

Set in a post-WW3 world in which war is outlawed, nations settle their disputes by way of giant robot combat piloted by hotshot pilots with appropriate nicknames. Gary Graham is Achilles, the American pilot set to duke it out with Alexander, the undefeated Russian robot jox pilot, in an all-out battle to decide which nation owns Alaska once and for all.

Another quirk of the film being delayed for two years was that by the time this slice of Eighties Cold War era sci-fi came out, the Cold War had pretty much ended, causing the film to already feel dated.

You can make a date with the Robot Jox Blu-ray next summer when Scream Factory gives the Re-Animator helmer’s old school (F/X wise) giant robot flick the hi-def makeover it so richly deserves. Seriously, this movie deserves better than the barebones DVD release it got a few years ago. A retrospective documentary could prove quite fascinating.

I’ve been saying for years if there’s a b-movie from the past that’s just screaming for a remake, it would be Blood Beach. But Robot Jox comes a close second. Though I suppose Pacific Rim already has that ground covered.

The post Two Men! Two Machines! Too Wild! Robot Jox Battling Again on a Scream Factory Blu-ray appeared first on Dread Central.

Could it be? Might it be? At long last! Yes! Yes! Yes! A new Dinner for Fiends! It’s only been – what? Seven years? Seven months? I’ve lost track. All that matters is we’re back, baby!

Dinner for Fiends has finally returned, but not all the original fiends could make it. Andrew and Buz aren’t back for this episode due to either work commitments or perhaps they’re still on their honeymoon or Buz might be in jail after he crashed the set of “The Walking Dead” naked with a samurai sword screaming about the hero’s journey until cops tasered him.

In lieu of the dynamic duo, making his DFF debut is the only and only Jinx (real name withheld for tax purposes). He joins the always high-strung Uncle Creepy, the always mellow Matt Fini, and the face that launched a thousand ships, the Foywonder.

There have been a ton of movies released since the last time we did a show, and only Uncle Creepy saw most of them. Fortunately, we also discuss stuff the rest of us have seen, such as “American Horror Story,” “Z Nation,” a bunch of VOD movies that are much better than their big screen counterparts, and so on. So many topics it’s stunning how we crammed them all into just two hours.

You can now finally stop asking, stop complaining, stop demanding a new Dinner for Fiends. It has arrived just in time to give you something to listen to as we’re all confined to our homes due to Ebolageddon 2014.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD AND LISTEN TO THE NEW EPISODE.

Once we have our podcast directory back in place, you’ll find it there too, but we figured that it’d be best to not make you wait any longer.

Eat up!

The post Dinner for Fiends – Forgot Password appeared first on Dread Central.

So far our favorite thing about this season of “The Vampire Diaries” has been Damon and Bonnie playing house in the 90’s (hence all the cool episode titles), and things appear to be heating up for them in the upcoming Episode 6.04, “Black Hole Sun,” which comes with flashbacks!

Unfortunately, the handful of photos The CW has released from the ep don’t shed much light on what our dynamic duo are up to, instead focusing on some sort of altercation that Elena and Stefan have found themselves embroiled in.

Expect a few clips soon!

“The Vampire Diaries” Episode 6.03 – “Welcome to Paradise” (10/16/14)
FLASHBACKS TO A TUMULTUOUS TIME IN DAMON’S LIFE — When Damon (Ian Somerhalder) and Bonnie (Kat Graham) realize that uncovering a time in Damon’s past may provide clues to finding their way home, Damon is forced to relive one of the worst days of his life. 

After an awkward run-in with Jo (guest star Jodi Lyn O’Keefe) at the hospital, Alaric (Matt Davis) steps in to help Jeremy (Steven R. McQueen) get his life together and cope with the loss of Bonnie.  Elsewhere, Stefan (Paul Wesley) attempts to show Elena (Nina Dobrev) what it’s like to start over and create a new identity, while an unsuspecting Matt (Zach Roerig) finds himself in a disturbing situation when Tripp (guest star Colin Ferguson) lets him in on a dark secret. 

Lastly, Stefan, who is desperate to regain some normalcy in his life, is stunned when an unexpected visitor shows up.  Michael Malarkey also stars.  Kellie Cyrus directed the episode written by Melinda Hsu Taylor and Neil Reynolds.

For more info visit “The Vampire Diaries” on CWTV.com, “like” “The Vampire Diaries” on Facebook, and follow “The Vampire Diaries” on Twitter.

The post Won’t You Come and See these Images and Preview of The Vampire Diaries Episode 6.04 – Black Hole Sun appeared first on Dread Central.

So far the character of Abraham has been kept mostly in the background on “The Walking Dead,” but we have a feeling things are about to get a lot more interesting for him in the upcoming episodes.

If you’re as big a fan of the character as we are, then you’ll want to check out this new video featuring actor Michael Cudlitz talking about his experiences discovering and playing Abraham on the show.

“The Walking Dead” Episode 5.03 – “Four Walls and a Roof” (airs 10/26/14)
Rick (Andrew Lincoln) and the group find themselves pitted against some very nasty people, but our group might just have a plan to gain the upper hand.

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 Discover The Walking Dead’s Abraham in this On-Set Visit with Michael Cudlitz appeared first on Dread Central.

Tidbits of info about Crackle’s live-action adaptation of the Capcom video game Dead Rising have been coming at us hot and heavy this week, and we’ve plucked out another juicy little morsel for you tonight. Read on!

In an interview with Crave Online, “Twisted Twins” Jen and Sylvia Soska (See No Evil 2, American Mary) let it spill that they’ll be popping up for a cameo in the Zach Lipovsky-directed adaptation, appearing in the film as zombies. They also commented a bit about the tone of the movie, and it all sounds like music to our ears.

“We just got out of Zach Lipovsky’s Dead Rising, and we’re covered in bruises from zombie-ing,” said Sylvia Soska. “If you played the game, you are going to go nuts over the movie. They are going so over-the-top in staying with the gore and camerawork and everything. It’s so much fun.”

The cast of Dead Rising: Watchtower includes Jesse Metcalfe (“Desperate Housewives,” “Dallas”), Meghan Ory (“Once Upon a Time”), Virginia Madsen (Candyman, Sideways), Dennis Haysbert (Men, Women & Children), comic actor Rob Riggle (22 Jump Street, Let’s Be Cops), Harley Morenstein (“Epic Meal Time”), Keegan Connor Tracey (“Bates Motel,” “Once Upon A Time”), and Aleks Paunovic (This Means War).

Sony’s Crackle will give the 90-minute feature, directed by Leprechaun: Origins’  Zach Lipovsky, an exclusive digital release in the U.S. before the film receives a multi-platform release on SVOD, VOD, DVD, and TV.

The script was written by Tim Carter, who also produces alongside Tomas Harlan under their Contradiction Films banner (the same company that produced Mortal Kombat: Legacy). Lorenzo di Bonaventura (Transformers, G.I. Joe) is the executive producer.

Synopsis
As in the video game, Dead Rising: Watchtower is set during a zombie apocalypse. When a mandatory government vaccine fails, a group of survivors must evade infection while hunting down the root of the epidemic, which leads back to a government conspiracy.

The post Soska Sisters Will Cameo in Dead Rising: Watchtower appeared first on Dread Central.

Well, not me. The characters in the movie itself. You see, that’s the title of our exclusive clip, and we were trying to be cute with our headline. Don’t like it? Tough! Watch the clip anyway, you lovably finicky fiend.

The Taking of Deborah Logan Release Details
Millennium Entertainment is proud to announce the home entertainment release of the genre-bending THE TAKING OF DEBORAH LOGAN. Just in time for Halloween, the found-footage thriller will be available on Early EST (electronic sell-through) October 21, 2014, before heading to VOD and DVD on November 4, 2014.

Directed by Adam Robitel, the spine-chiller stars Jill Larson (ABC’s “All My Children,” Shutter Island), 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”), Michelle Ang (My Wedding and Other Secrets, Big Mommas: Like Father, Like Son), and Ryan Cutrona (Fox’s “24,” AMC’s “Mad Men”).

Mia Medina (Ang) 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 (Larson) and her daughter, Sarah (Ramsay). 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.

THE TAKING OF DEBORAH LOGAN has a running time of 90 minutes and is rated R for disturbing violent content, language, and brief nudity. The film is co-executive produced by Adam Robitel, Gavin Heffernan, Kurt Fethke, and Scott Adler. Rene Besson, Christa Campbell, Alex Cutler, Luke Daniels, Lati Grubman, Dana Guerin, Jonathan Stein, and Jason Taylor serve as executive producers with Bryan Singer and Jeff Rice as producers.

Exclusive bonus features include “The Making of The Taking of Deborah Logan Soundbites” with Jill Larson, Michelle Ang, Anne Ramsay, Brett Gentile, Jeremy DeCarlos, and Adam Robitel.

The post Exclusive Taking of Deborah Logan Clip Is Scaring Me appeared first on Dread Central.

Not planning on leaving your house on Halloween night? Bored by whatever’s being offered on traditional cable! We so friggin’ hear ya! Good thing for you that Movies on Demand is pulling out all the spooky stops!

From the Press Release

Movies On Demand on cable (MOD) has scared up a frightful collection of new and classic thrillers to keep cable audiences across the country in goose-bumps this Halloween, including new releases, some of the most revered horror franchises and whimsical kids’ content.*
 
Once again MOD will set the mood for the holiday with its streaming Jack-O-Lantern, a free online treat available from now through Nov. 7. This glowing pumpkin face, set to appropriately creepy music is now online at: streaming MOD Jack-O-Lantern.
 
New Release Scary Titles* – The centerpiece of MOD’s 2014 Halloween major studio presentations is the television premiere of The Purge: Anarchy, the hit thriller starring Frank Grillo and Zach Gilford, premiering on October 21. Also premiering this month is director Scott Derrickson’s Deliver Us from Evil, premiering Oct. 28.  Halloween day (Oct. 31) is the last chance to see Devil’s Due with Allison Miller and Zach Gilford.  Other new releases currently playing are the nightmarish and well-reviewed Oculus and The Quiet Ones, a terrifying story inspired by real events.
 
On the new release indie front, now playing for Halloween is Only Lovers Left Alive starring Tilda Swinton and Tom Hiddleston. New this month are Horns with Daniel Radcliffe, Stephen King’s A Good Marriage with Joan Allen, an anthology film from 26 directors- The ABCs of Death 2, Dead Snow 2: Red vs. Dead and Life After Beth.  Premiering later this month are V/H/S: Viral (the third film in the anthology, premiering 10/23) and Stonehearst Asylum with Kate Beckinsale and Michael Caine (10/24).
 
Famed Horror Franchises** – Films from some of the most memorable classic horror franchises that ever haunted the screen return to cable this Halloween, including Halloween, Friday the 13th, A Nightmare on Elm Street, Alien, Hellraiser, The Addams Family, Evil Dead, Jason, Saw, Ghostbusters and Final Destination.
 
Classic and Recent Horror Movies** – Also playing are hundreds of classic and recent horror and thriller titles. Here’s just a sample: Poltergeist, Evil Dead 2, The Exorcist, The Omen, The Shining, The Hills Have Eyes (2006), Paranormal Activity, Warm Bodies, Resident Evil: Retribution, Children of the Corn, The Crow and many more.
 
Kids and Family Halloween** – Kids and families can get into the Halloween “spirit,” on MOD with spooky pumpkins, monsters and magic. They can check out titles from favorite franchises such as Harry Potter, DreamWorks Spooky Stories, It’s the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown, Monsters Inc, Coraline, Monster High, Scooby-Doo, The Addams Family, and many favorite films such as Hotel Transylvania.
 
These Halloween movies are On Demand on most cable systems in the U.S. Get info on most titles here: Halloween Movies On Demand
 
**Where to find Halloween titles within various Movies On Demand folders on these major systems (content availability varies by system).  Many of these titles can also be found in the A-Z folders within Movies On Demand on various cable systems.

The post Movies On Demand Gets Spooky for Halloween appeared first on Dread Central.

The fourth season of Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk’s “American Horror Story: Freak Show” debuted October 8th on FX, and in the premiere episode we got everything from a lonely clown (with a penchant for balloon animals and bludgeoning randy teens to death), a two-headed woman, an assortment of oddities, a Marlene Dietrich-channeling Jessica Lange, and a look at decline of the Carny Trade in 1950’s America.

We’ll have to wait and see how this year measures up to the previous incarnations (“Murder House,” “Asylum,” and “Coven”) – but so far, so batshit crazy.

So we thought we’d take a look back at some of the highlights from the show thus far. Writing up a “best of” (which is personal preference and not a definitive list) “American Horror Story” compilation is no easy feat. Below are 10 of the best (well, my favorite) scenes from the series’ first three chapters.

Murder House

Introducing Jessica Lange
The backbone of “AHS” has always been Jessica Lange. Even though her character in “Murder House” – the morally-bankrupt, Southern glamour-puss Constance – was only ever intended as a bit player in the first season, she literally stole the show (and scored her first Emmy win) with her fading glamour, homicidal tendencies and caustic wit.

“AHS’s” first instalment (and subsequent seasons) perhaps wouldn’t have been the hit it was, had it not been for Lange’s warped presence throughout the first season. Her performance anchored “AHS,” counteracting the showrunners’ creative schizophrenia and the occasionally off-putting weirdness on display.

Home Invasion – Home Invasion
Echoing Last House on the Left and Funny Games, a trio of incompetent would-be-killers/home invaders show up with plans to dispatch the current residents of “Murder House,” drawn by the house’s homicidal history. “AHS’s” inaugural year threw in everything but the kitchen sink (and then some), and not all of it stuck. But fans have grown to love how the show lifts elements from traditional horror film scenarios and inventively twists a tried and tested terror trope into something new and a little subversive.

Up until now, people tuning in weren’t exactly sure if the things lurking in the house were benign (not all of them were) so when the spectral residents lend a hand to the mother/daughter (Connie Britton and Taissa Farmiga) duo and band together to turn the tables on the murderous miscreants, it was one of the first legitimate surprises on the show.

Birth of the Antichrist – Birth
In addition to the home invasions, a cheating husband who makes really bad real estate related choices, a moody (and very dead) daughter and bitchy Baby Jane-like neighbors – the long-suffering Vivian Harmon was also the victim of an unexpected pregnancy – by a dead teenage serial killer!

And the birth of her demonic spawn ranks as one of the most insane pregnancy-themed horror sequences to ever unfold on mainstream television!

The post The Top 10 Best Moments from American Horror Story Seasons 1-3 appeared first on Dread Central.

Every now and then something comes across our desks that’s so friggin’ cool we wanna shout it from the rooftops. This is one of those cases as we’ve just fallen in love with the tiniest of terrors imaginable, Jason Bakutis’ MicroFear series!

Bakutis (Special FX makeup artist; Jason Goes to Hell, Critters 3 and 4) has launched a new series of tiny dioramas based on classic, iconic horror scenes called MicroFears. The MicroFear collection you see below was made using innovative 3D printing techniques as well as classic lost-wax bronze casting. They are really cool, really small, and incredibly detailed.

Bakutis just launched a campaign on Kickstarter, where all 6 of his dioramas are available fully hand-painted and assembled. You guys are gonna LOVE this!

From the Press Release
MicroFear, a collection of digitally­ sculpted, hand­crafted miniature dioramas, has just launched on Kickstarter. The tiny pieces each convey a classic horror scene from film and literature that fans of the genre know and love.

The post MicroFear Dioramas Prove Spooky Things Come in Small Packages! appeared first on Dread Central.

If you’re in the Los Angeles area, you will not have to spend your Halloween Myers-less as Tyler Mane (Rob Zombie’s Halloween and Halloween 2) will be back in action at the Los Angeles Comikaze Expo, taking place Halloween weekend!

From the Press Release
Darby Pop Publishing is pleased to announce that Tyler Mane – none other than “Michael Myers” himself from Rob Zombie’s Halloween – will be appearing at their booth (#806) during the Los Angeles Comikaze Expo on Friday, October 31st, and Saturday, November 1st.

Mane, also known for his role as “Sabretooth” in X-Men as well as featured parts in Troy and The Scorpion King, will be signing photos and other memorabilia throughout the weekend. Photo ops will also be available, as will DVDs of Compound Fracture, the inaugural film from Mane’s recently-formed shingle Mane Entertainment.

Darby Pop Publishing, an L.A.-based comic book company distributed worldwide by IDW, is about to celebrate its first anniversary. With five original series already in print, Darby Pop has been aggressive about creating both high-quality content and unique opportunities for reader interaction.

Renae Geerlings, who serves as both Mane Entertainment President and Darby Pop Publishing Managing Editor, explained: “Having both companies join forces seemed like a no-brainer and a fun way for us – and fans of all stripes – to celebrate the holiday together.”

Mane added: “Halloween is obviously my favorite time of year, and I love supporting local shows. Darby Pop has published some outstanding books, and I’m looking forward to hanging out with them for a couple of days and meeting fans of all genres!”

The post Spend Halloween with Tyler Mane at the L.A. Comikaze Expo appeared first on Dread Central.

Okay, we’re at the point now in which we really have to ask… What the hell is with the recent throng of “insects burrowing into the bodies of people” stories? Read on for another lunch-losing video.

From now on I’m going to bed with earmuffs, a set of noseplugs, and a wine cork in my friggin’ belly button! Enough already! It’s like some weird Syfy movie. Then again… they’re probably already all over this one.

Foy, you would know! What say you? Be warned: There’s lots of profanity in this one, and rightly so!

The post Moth Burrows in Man’s Ear! Insane Video! appeared first on Dread Central.

Starring Brad Dourif, Monique Candelaria, Ross Destiche, Jenna Enemy

Directed by Paul Hurd

Along the lines of those movies that you’ve set your eyes on for close to an hour and a half and end up wondering, “What the HELL did I just see?,” Peter Hurd’s latest release, The Control Group, fits right in under that classification. I’m still attempting to decipher what I subjected my peepers to, and there is a certain sense of unforgiving that my orbital scanners have relayed to me. In other words, this was pretty brutal to watch, and I could most certainly think of less painful ways to spend 81 minutes… say, punching myself in the junk repeatedly until I’m numb?

Now, whether or not anyone decides to read my vivisection of this particular photoplay is entirely up to them; however, for the small contingent that will waste their time wading through my review, first of all, THANK YOU, and secondly, save yourself from this film.

I’d also like to offer sincere congratulations to Paul Hurd for putting this movie out there – his adoration for the horror genre is a welcome breeze to an otherwise stagnant air flow in the biz today, and while the idea behind the film was pretty solid, it was the performances that murdered it. Brad Dourif takes the lead here as a focused (and slightly off-kilter) persona known as Dr. Broward – his techniques are solid, and his thesis is concrete. Yet, he has somewhat of an iron-fist complex: unwilling to relinquish his hold upon those who are under him. All in all, he’s the lone standout performance here. Taso Stavrakis, who has been a Romero staple in the past, serves his role admirably (although it’s a short performance) as Agent Torrez, an agency mercenary assisting in the doc’s experiments.

All right, enough of the particulars; let’s delve into this jumble of what could have been, shall we?

The movie begins with the lead protagonist, Jack (Ross Destiche), waking up from sedation in an abandoned insane asylum with no recollection of how he got there. Slowly after awakening, he meets up with four other acquaintances (I won’t call them friends, as it was somewhat of a sticking point that they all kept mentioning that they weren’t), and together they attempt to figure out just how they all ended up in this labyrinth of hallways. The quintet of melancholy is rounded out by a varied mix of personas (and levels of annoyance): Grant, a controlling boyfriend to tougher-than-nails Vanessa; Cory, who is Jack’s college roommate; and Jaime, the “spiritually-enlightened” dreamer… have a few more mushrooms, will ya? They are under watch by Dr. Broward and a team of “agency” workers that had a hand in getting the five youths to the designated experiment location. The current scenes are weaved with backstories about each specific character – while some provide a deeper look at each identity, some were useless to watch and didn’t necessarily serve a purpose other than to fill time.

Each of the five at different intervals undergoes instances of things that frighten them (in a hallucinatory fashion), and hooded “crows” patrol each hallway (hired soldiers), acting as an added measure of mind manipulation. When the first member of the group is led to death in a trance-like state, the demented doc and his team rush to collect all of the pertinent info (the apparent usage of the drug’s effect will be for overseas interrogation purposes), and after an unforeseen supernatural force possesses the cadavers, it takes all shapes and sizes to band together in order for anyone to evade the slaughter and escape freely.

This is where things get messy (and I’m not talking about the gore). While the situations get more intense, and the performances would need a boost, they seem to take a precipitous downslide right into atrociousness. To call some of these individual doings “hokey” would be a severe understatement. Does anyone have the phone number for Overactors Anonymous? Let me return to the gore for a second: While certain acting spots can be pushed to unrealistic limits, so can the believability of gore, and when a character’s guts are spilled onto the floor after the simple twist of a knife into their stomach… let’s just say that the word “pedantic” fits this position consummately.

Hurd sets up a nice premise, decent locale, and interesting government cover-up backstory, but it’s ultimately dragged to its demise by a collection of bad acting stances. I’ll be willing to throw up a star and a half here for the setup alone, but control should conclusively be used to skip this “group.”

The post Control Group, The (2014) appeared first on Dread Central.

Scare us. That’s what we’re begging proprietors of haunted attractions across America to do to us each year. Scare us, and we’ll pay you. A new documentary by Jon Schnitzer entitled Haunters looks into the surge of U.S. haunted attractions.

Featuring great footage pulled from some of the best haunted attractions in America, Haunters is sure to be the most complete documentary ever assembled on the subject of scaring eager haunt visitors and the artwork that goes into the projects. As mentioned in the trailer below, there is so much that goes into each attraction; from the artwork on the actors and props to the psychology of scaring, haunted attractions are living, breathing horrific adventures.

To make Haunters the best it can be, Schnitzer and crew have started a Haunters Kickstarter campaign to enhance the movie. Schnitzer explains his entire wishlist of additions to the film in a pitch film that can be seen on the Kickstarter page. Check it out!

From the Press Release
Haunters is a new feature film documentary by The Brain Factory about the visionary entertainers who create the most popular and notorious haunted houses in America. A life-long fan of Halloween and all things horror, Jon Schnitzer (Haunters director/producer and co-owner of The Brain Factory) was inspired to document the world of haunting as it becomes increasingly mainstream and spawns a whole new wave of extreme – and sometimes controversial – full-contact entertainment.

“Haunters have been redefining live entertainment in response to people’s desire to get away from sitting in front of their screens and go have real interactive experiences. I was curious to understand this trend and explore why we love to scare and be scared. Haunters is a documentary for all of us haunted house fans, who look forward to getting our ‘scare-apy’ every Halloween season,” says Schnitzer.

Over the last year, Schnitzer gained exclusive access to film some of the most popular, theatrical, and infamous haunts in America–like Universal Studios Halloween Horror Nights, Knott’s Scary Farm, Delusion, Blackout, and McKamey Manor to name just a few. And he shot hundreds of hours of behind-the-scenes and personal footage of an amazing cast of characters, including professional and home haunters, their families, the monsters, and the fans who love them.

Like every documentary, the sheer volume of footage makes the entire production process labor-intense. So The Brain Factory has turned to Kickstarter to help raise completion funds for Haunters. Schnitzer says, “My vision for Haunters is bigger than what we can accomplish with our own resources. Over 32 million Americans will visit a haunted attraction this year, and if we can get just a small percent of them to back us on Kickstarter, I have a chance to make Haunters so much better than I could have ever made it on my own. Also, Haunters is a passion project for me, and I’m energized by other who share my passion.”

As a testament to shared passion, Schnitzer has already secured an amazing dream team for the Haunters soundtrack. Jonathan Snipes (who composed the score for Room 237) will compose the Haunters soundtrack, and the indie doc has rights to two songs from the Halloween-inspired band Dead Man’s Bones, written and performed by Ryan Gosling and Zach Shields.

The post Indie Doc Haunters Digs Into the Halloween Haunted Attractions Craze appeared first on Dread Central.

Here at the Dread Central offices it’s Halloween all year long. It’s always nice to see the rest of the world catch up once a year, and when they do… man, do they start screaming. Speaking of screaming…

Check out this Halloween prop called “The Chair Screamer” that’s pretty much guaranteed to make any lucky person who owns it the hit of psychiatric wards worldwide! Seriously, this thing packs some serious punch, and it can be yours for just $2,240.00 plus $295.00 shipping.

If we had the extra scratch, we’d have a room full of ‘em! For more info visit Poison Props.

The post Halloween Prop Will Traumatize Your Friends appeared first on Dread Central.

Italian splatter mavens Necrostorm recently got in touch to reveal their brand new website, sporting promises of new movies; updates to their Mortal Kombat-inspired fighting game, Death Cargo; and a range of new merchandise including a rather badass blood-stained Adam Chaplin baseball cap. Check it all out here!

The folks at Necrostorm are the twisted minds behind gore-soaked treats Adam Chaplin, Taeter City, and Hotel Inferno. Most recently, they released their PC-only beat ‘em up Death Cargo – a 2D fighting game set in a dark sci-fi universe that sports real-life actors and gruesome finishing moves à la Mortal Kombat 1, 2, and 3.

Amongst the new movies teased on the site are an extended edition of fan favourite Adam Chaplin, featuring all-new sequences and bloody, anime-inspired action; sequels Hotel Inferno II and Taeter Scumsquad; gangland thriller Infidus – for which director Giulio De Santi worked with real Romani gang members; and the nightmarish Judy, in which a young woman and her pet dog are tormented by the members of a twisted gang of street performers.

More on the films, including trailers and full synopses, when we have it.

In the meantime be sure to “like” the Necrostorm Facebook page, and follow @NECROSTORMcom on Twitter for more updates.

The post Punch Your Brain Out With New Necrostorm Merchandise appeared first on Dread Central.

A while back we told you about the upcoming flick Blessid, and today amidst the hundreds of stories we’ve written since the end of September (yay, Halloween season), we have a new trailer to share.

Written and produced by Robert Heske and directed by Rob Fitz, Blessid stars David Fine, Rachel Kerbs, Gene Silvers, and Chris DiVecchio. Dig the teaser trailer and movie poster below, and be sure to look for Blessid updates as its release comes closer.

For more visit the official Blessid website, “like” Blessid on Facebook, and follow Blessid on Twitter (@BlessidTheMovie).

About Blessid
A violent, dark, funny, and − ultimately − inspirational story, Blessid is about a pregnant woman with a cursed past who forms a bond with a man who is immortal. Why does he appear at her most desperate hour? And what can she − a person who struggles to emotionally survive each day − learn from a man who has overcome life’s greatest obstacle… time itself?

To bring the film to life, writer/executive producer Robert Heske (author of The Night Projectionist graphic novel) brought on New England-based makeup artist and horror effects savant Rob Fitz, who also wrote, directed, and produced God of Vampires – an Asian vampire horror/action film. Fitz made the film on a shoestring budget over the course of six years. Maintaining continuity was critical, but Fitz pulled it off. The film had a limited theatrical release, got picked up for DVD distribution, and received strong critic reviews. Dread Central called it “a fun, bloody action/horror hybrid that actually presented us with a different kind of bloodsucker for once.”

Fitz is a veteran of the film industry, having worked on Boston-based features such as The Perfect Storm, The Fighter, The Grown Ups, and, most recently, R.I.P.D. “Features pay my rent; indies feed my passion. I like films that keep me turning the page, keep me guessing, and don’t disappoint at the end. When I read Blessid, I knew in my mind how I was going to make it and was thrilled to be given the opportunity to execute on my vision,” Fitz said.

The post A Blessid New Trailer appeared first on Dread Central.

Few collectibles lines are as bad-ass as Sideshow’s Premium Format Figures, and fans of the Hellraiser franchise will want to read on for their first look at the upcoming Pinhead Premium Format Figure from Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth.

Product Description
Complete the pattern, solve the puzzle, turn the key…

The leader of the Cenobites can now fully be revealed!  Sideshow’s Pinhead Premium Format Figure from the Hellraiser franchise will be easier to obtain on pre-order in the future than opening up a mysterious puzzle box.

The official specs, release date, and more will be revealed in the coming days so be sure to keep your eyes here and on the official Sideshow Collectibles website.

In addition, for five horror-ific days this October 27th-31st, Sideshow Collectibles’ website, Facebook page, and Twitter feed will dole out new product teases, pre-orders, contests, and discounts to make fans scream with delight! You can also keep up with the 2014 Spooktacular madness by clicking here.

The post Exclusive: Get an Early Look at Sideshow’s Pinhead Premium Format Figure; Spooktacular Kicking Off Soon appeared first on Dread Central.