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The Barber Styles You a Trailer

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Here’s another opportunity to see Scott Glenn do creepy, kids! On tap right now we have your first look at the trailer for his new film, The Barber. Dig it!

Chris Coy, Lydia Hearst, Stephen Tobolowsky, Jessica Lu, and Kristen Hager co-star. Basel Owies directs. Look for it on DVD March 27th.

Synopsis:
Eugene is a small town barber, beloved by the local community but hiding a deadly secret. John is hunting for a serial killer, not to expose him but to learn the business! They form a twisted bond and turn the town upside down as Eugene teaches John to kill.

The Barber

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New Dead Rising: Watchtower Clip Raises Hell

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From the grave rises another clip from Crackle’s Dead Rising: Watchtower, a feature film adaptation of the hit video game franchise that will be premiering on March 27th. Check it out, and keep that Zombrex handy!

The cast 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.

Check out the clip below courtesy of Fangoria.

Dead Rising Watchtower

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Dark Places – International One-Sheet Laid Down!

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An international one-sheet has arrived for the new Charlize Theron flick that’s based on another torrid tale from the author of Gone Girl, Gillian Flynn, entitled Dark Places. Check it out, and look for more on this one really soon.

Chloe Grace Moretz, Nicholas Hoult, Christina Hendricks, Tye Sheridan, and Corey Stoll also star. The film was directed by Gilles Paquet-Brenner from his adaptation.

Synopsis:
Dark Places tells the story of Libby Day (Theron), a woman who, at the age of 7, survives the massacre of her family and testifies against her brother as the murderer. Twenty-five years later, a group obsessed with solving notorious crimes confronts her with questions about the horrific event. Told in a series of flashbacks from the points of view of Libby’s mother, Patty, and her brother, Ben, Libby is forced to revisit that fateful day and begins to question what exactly she saw – or didn’t see – the night of the tragedy.

Dark Places
Dark Places

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SXSW 2015 – The Corpse of Anna Fritz Trailer Gets Pungent

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One of the flicks playing at this year’s South by Southwest film festival is Hèctor Hernández Vicens’ terror tale The Corpse of Anna Fritz, and right now we have the first trailer for you.

Albert Carbo, Alba Ribas, Bernat Saumell, and Cristian Valencia star.

Be sure to visit the official SWSW 2015 website for the full lineup revealed thus far. The SXSW Film Conference and Festival will take place March 13-21, 2015, in Austin, Texas.

Synopsis:
Anna Fritz is a very famous and beautiful actress, considered one of the most desired women in the world. Suddenly, she dies.

Pau works as an orderly at the hospital where Anna Fritz was taken to. Pau is a shy and introverted youth. Often, when the body of a young woman is brought to the morgue, he can’t resist watching her. When he enters the morgue with the corpse of Anna Fritz, he takes a picture of her naked body and sends it to his friend Ivan.

Ivan and Javi are Pau’s only friends and go visit him at the hospital. They are a little drunk, and Ivan wants to see the naked body of Anna Fritz. She is there… They can’t lose this opportunity.

The Corpse of Anna Fritz

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New iZombie Trailer Feeds Your Hunger

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Still curious about what’s ahead in The CW’s “iZombie” after watching the teasers and interviews released thus far? Then check out this latest trailer featuring our soon-to-be-favorite undead alabaster badass!

“iZombie” premieres on Tuesday, March 17th.

Related Story:  A Trio of iZombie Interviews: Rahul Kohli, Malcolm Goodwin, and More with Rose McIver

izombielove

“iZombie” Episode 1.01 – “Pilot” (airs 3/17/15)
A NEW SERIES FROM THE BRAINS BEHIND “VERONICA MARS” — Olivia “Liv” Moore (Rose McIver) was a disciplined, over-achieving medical resident who had her life path completely mapped out… until she is turned into a zombie.  Now stuck somewhere between half-alive and undead, Liv loses her drive and ambition. She breaks off her engagement with charming soulmate Major (Robert Buckley), fearful of infecting him with her condition. Liv transfers her medical residency to the city morgue in order to access the only form of sustenance left available to her – the only thing that allows her to maintain her humanity – brains. 

There are side effects to Liv’s new diet: With each brain Liv consumes, she experiences “visions” – flashes of the corpse’s memories – which often provide clues as to how they were killed.  Her boss, the brilliant but eccentric Dr. Ravi Chakrabarti (Rahul Kohli), encourages her to embrace this gift and to work with unproven homicide detective Clive Babineaux, (Malcolm Goodwin), to help solve these murders.  In doing so, Liv finds a measure of peace and a new sense of purpose in what her “life” has now become.  David Anders also stars.  Rob Thomas directed the episode written by Rob Thomas and Diane Ruggiero-Wright.

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

iZombie

izombie-keyart

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Fox Finds Their Frankenstein in True Blood Star Robert Kazinsky

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As we told you back in January, Fox ordered a pilot episode of the potential series “Frankenstein,” of course based on one of horror’s most iconic tales. This week the monster has been found, and he’s no stranger to genre TV. Read on for the latest!

Deadline reports that Robert Kazinsky has landed the lead role in the Fox pilot. The actor is most known to us horror fans for his role on HBO’s “True Blood,” as he played faerie-vampire Warlow on the show’s final season.

“Frankenstein” centers on Kazinsky’s character Ray Pritchard, a morally corrupt retired cop who is given a second chance at life when he is brought back from the dead. The ‘monster’ is athletic, strong and handsome — the reanimated version of a much older Pritchard, a former Marine who was recently murdered. Pritchard’s body may be new, but his mind is still that of a 75-year-old, badass curmudgeon.

Adhir Kalyan was cast last month as one of Ray’s creators, the quiet and brilliant Internet billionaire Otto Goodwin.

Michael Cuesta has been tapped to direct the pilot, written and executive produced by “Crisis” and “Life” creator Rand Ravich and executive produced by “Homeland” and “Tyrant” executive producer Howard Gordon.

warlow

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Dreadtime Story Stills Ready to Turn the Page

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A host of new images have arrived for the new indie anthology flick called Dreadtime Stories just in time for its festival run. Check ‘em out.

The flick is coming to us via STX Media, an independent film and PR company based out of Corpus Christi, TX, comprised of director Jacob Grim and executive producer Sal Hernandez. Dreadtime Stories is home to ten tales of terror that seem to run the gamut of everything we could be looking for in a horror anthology!

To keep up on screenings of the film, check out the official STX Media Facebook Page.

Dreadtime Stories Dreadtime Stories Dreadtime Stories Dreadtime Stories Dreadtime Stories Dreadtime Stories

Dreadtime Stories

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Rest in Peace: Daniel von Bargen

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Some sad news hit the wire today as Cincinnati’s WLWT 5 is reporting that Lord of Illusions star Daniel von Bargen has passed away at the all too young age of 64 after a long illness.

Von Bargen appeared in numerous projects from 1976 to 2009 and was best known to most for his TV roles on “Seinfeld” and “Malcolm in the Middle.” For horror fans, though? He’ll always be remembered as the ever-so-evil Nix in Clive Barker’s 1995 film. Von Bargen also appeared in “The X-Files,” Basic Instinct, RoboCop 3, Thinner, and The Faculty.

In 2012 Von Bargain survived a suicide attempt after he was diagnosed with diabetes. We hope that he’s finally found peace and at this time would like to extend our heartfelt condolences to his friends, family, and constituents.

Rest easy, sir, and thank you for all the wonderful memories.

Daniel von Bargen

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Scream Factory Unveils Sleepaway Camp 2 and Sleepaway Camp 3 Artwork

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The Boss’ sister, Pamela Springsteen, will soon be hunting her prey in high definition as Scream Factory has just unveiled its artwork for both Sleepaway Camp II: Unhappy Campers and Sleepaway Camp III: Teenage Wasteland!

From the Scream Factory on Facebook:

Pre-order links for our upcoming Collector’s Editions of SLEEPAWAY CAMP II & SLEEPAWAYCAMP III are now live!

Extras (new and existing) are still in progress and will be announced sometime in April.

Street date is 6/9 but if you order through us directly, we’ll ship it out two weeks early along with a free 18’ x 24” poster of the newly commissioned artwork by artist Nathan Thomas Milliner. (While supplies last as the posters are made at a limited number.)

Some fans have asked already if A) do we have any uncut footage for either sequel and B) if you do, what condition are they in and can they be reinstated into the films?

We don’t have an answer at this time and will address more clearly when we announce the extras. However, we do feel that it is necessary to manage expectations by saying upfront that we have sub-licensed the films but do not own them and may not be able to alter them or re-edit footage back in due to legal reasons. (We came across this recently with Ghoulies II.) Every deal and studio we work with is different. We will try our best. At the very least we do know that our cuts/runtimes of both films are the same that were on the prior Anchor Bay DVD releases so you are not losing anything. We’ll keep you posted in April.

Sleepaway Camp II

Sleepaway Camp III

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Bates Motel Season 3: Get a Sneak Peek Behind the Scenes!

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In case you haven’t figured it out by now, we’re pretty high on A&E’s “Bates Motel” and can’t wait for the third season to begin.  We only have a few more days to go, and if you’re as excited as we are, you’ll want to check out a new peek behind the scenes in which the show’s cast and creators discuss this season’s emergence of the Norman Bates we all know and love (and fear).

“Bates Motel” returns on March 9th for a gripping third season filled with family strife, murder, and mystery lead by Vera Farmiga (Norma) and Freddie Highmore (Norman). The series, from executive producers Carlton Cuse and Kerry Ehrin, serves as a contemporary prequel to the genre-defining film Psycho and provides viewers with an intimate portrayal of how Norman Bates unravels through his teenage years.

Related Story:  Bates Motel Guest Book Comes Loaded with Cool and Creepy Fan Art

“Bates Motel” Episode 3.01 – “A Death in the Family” (airs 3/9/15)
Norma sets boundaries with Norman in the Season 3 premiere.

For more info visit “Bates Motel” on AEtv.com, “like” “Bates Motel” on Facebook, and stop by “Bates Motel” on Instagram.

BatesMotelSeason3

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GEHENNA… Where Death Lives Raising Funds

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Here at Dread Central we’re inundated with movie crowdfunding news so we do our best to get behind only the ones which catch our eyes and have something special about them. GEHENNA… Where Death Lives is just such a film!

From the Press Release
Hiroshi Katagiri is a longtime special effects artist making a bold jump to producing and directing his first-ever feature film, an indie horror film called GEHENNA … Where Death Lives. Large parts of Hollywood’s practical effects community, impressed with the script and fans of his talent, have come aboard to support him. Katagiri promises “a film that fans of quality indie horror will love and respect.”

Katagiri was born in Japan and loved film as a child. He moved to the US at 18 and found success as a primary artist at Stan Winston Studios, mastering the art of sculpture and character creation on films by Steven Spielberg (Jurassic Park, A.I., and War of the Worlds), Rob Marshall, Guillermo del Toro, Sam Raimi, and others. Additional big-budget film credits include The Wolverine, Pirates of the Caribbean, Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem, Cabin in the Woods, and The Hunger Games; TV credits include “The X-Files,” where he was part of an Emmy Award-winning team. He most loves the horror genre and has written and directed several acclaimed horror shorts. For Karagiri, directing his own feature film is the next logical step.

GEHENNA … Where Death Lives tells a story of four people scouting resort locations in Saipan, a remote Pacific island. At one location, they find a hidden cave-like structure which they decide to explore. Soon they realize it’s a long-abandoned Japanese military installation dating back to WW2. They encounter dried up corpses – a dark omen, then shockingly – a living, deformed man. After an explosion, the corpses disappear, and they are sealed inside. Concern becomes fear, and fear becomes terror. Each of the group has strange visions borne of private secrets, and their realities blur. They try to use smarts, find clues, and reason it through. But as the secrets of the cave unfold, reality distorts still further. So too does the distinction between life and death, bringing the film to a shocking conclusion.

“Gehenna – Where Death Lives will not rely on gratuitous violence, gore, and torture,” says Katagiri. “We use elements which make any film great – excellent storyline, believable characters, talented cast, and amazing practical effects. Our characters are placed in a predicament, which grows and worsens. Worry and concern turn to dread, panic, and terror. But I think the test for my success will be if viewers care so much about the characters that they find themselves in the film and their heartbeat accelerates. This makes the viewers immersed, which causes true horror that will scare the heck out of you.”

“I absolutely loved the script and the reliance on practical effects,” adds Mike Elizalde, President of leading industry effects house Spectral Motion. “So I am firmly committed to the project both for my company and for myself as an artist.”

Legendary effects master Steve Wang – who already created a full-sized “creepy dummy” featured on Kickstarter, along with top concept artist Kouji Tajima, Katagiri’s longtime friend and fine artist Joey Orosco, plus the multi-talented Tim Gore and A-list artist/painter Neil Winn add to the powerhouse effects team, and … the lithe and legendary Doug Jones (who played “The Silver Surfer”) is aboard to play “The Creepy Old Man.”

“I spent years on this script and was very careful to think it through,” adds Katagiri. “Gehenna is a biblical term for a horribly evil place, and Saipan was the site of the heaviest fighting of WWII. To keep my independent vision for this film, I have come to Kickstarter.

Katagiri launched his Kickstarter campaign in late February. He is offering rewards ranging from a copy of the film to t-shirts and posters, sculptures and props from the film, even a chance to have Katagiri himself sculpt your face.

For more information check out the GEHENNA… Where Death Lives Kickstarter campaign and the GEHENNA… Where Death Lives Facebook page.

While you’re here check out Katagiri’s loving homage to Re-Animator! Too cool!

Gehenna

Gehenna

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2015 Saturn Awards Nominees Announced

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That’s right, kids! If you’re at all interested in The Saturn Awards, and you should be, then strap in because you’re gonna be here for a while combing through the following news.

From the Press Release:
It’s another Marvel-ous year for film as “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” and “Guardians of the Galaxy” racked up an impressive 11 and 9 nominations, respectively, and Christopher Nolan’s “Interstellar” reached new heights with 10 nominations as the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films today announced nominations for the 41st Annual Saturn Awards, which will be presented June 25th.

Other major contenders are “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes,” Tom Cruise’s “Edge of Tomorrow,” Peter Jackson’s finale to his Middle Earth Saga, “The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies,” Disney’s “Into the Woods,” and Bryan Singer’s time-bending “X-Men: Days of Future Past.” Also making a strong showing were “Birdman,” “The Grand Budapest Hotel,” “Maleficent,” “Dracula Untold,” and Australia’s horror entry “The Babadook.” Andy Serkis once again proved that you don’t need to be human to earn a Best Supporting Actor nomination with his emotionally-charged Motion Capture performance of Caesar in “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes.”

In TV categories, AMC’s groundbreaking show “The Walking Dead” scared up 7 nominations, followed closely by NBC’s shiver-inducing “Hannibal” and Syfy’s “Continuum.” Close behind with 3 noms apiece are Marvel’s “Agent Carter” (ABC), “American Horror Story: Freak Show” (FX), “Falling Skies” (TNT), “The Flash” (CW), “The Librarians” (TNT), “Game of Thrones” (HBO), “Outlander” (Starz), and Guillermo Del Toro’s bone-chilling “The Strain” (FX)… while genre hits “Bates Motel” (A&E), “Doctor Who” (BBC America), “Teen Wolf” (MTV), and Fox’s breakout hit “Gotham” vie for Saturn gold as well.

This year we are pleased to add the Best Superhero Adaptation Television Series category, celebrating the most super-charged shows on television and pitting Marvel vs. DC in an epic battle for superhero supremacy.

The Academy was founded in 1972 by noted film historian Dr. Donald A. Reed to honor and recognize films often overlooked by mainstream awards. Over the years, the Academy has expanded its reach to include recognizing excellence in television and home entertainment, as well as other genres, including adventure, thriller, and action.

Robert Holguin, President of the Academy, says, “It’s been quite a stellar year for genre entertainment. I’m thrilled to see the consistent quality of films and series produced which we affectionately refer to as enhanced or exaggerated reality. We devote our attention toward recognizing the genres of creativity and imagination.”

For the first time in the organization’s history, The Saturn Awards voting procedure will allow fans to vote in selected categories. This new program, Affiliate Membership, is available to everybody. Vote at the official Saturn Awards website.

This year’s Saturn Awards will be presented on Thursday, June 25th, in Burbank. A complete list of the nominations is listed below, and for more information about the Academy, please visit www.saturnawards.org.

Also for the first time, nominations were hosted by thestream.tv. Chase Masterson of “Star Trek: Deep Space 9” and currently guest starring on The CW’s “The Flash” was the celebrity host, and she was joined by Doug Jones of “Hellboy” and “Pan’s Labyrinth” fame and Naomi Grossman of “American Horror Story.”

Following the announcement of the nominations, Masterson led a discussion about the nominations with genre film professionals/film enthusiasts Robert Burnett, Jon Schnepp, Mark Hughes, and Max Schultz. They were joined in the chat by Stephanie Pressman.

Airing live on thestream.tv channels on YouTube and Daily Motion, the announcement was co-produced with the Academy by theStream.tv and producers Stanley Isaacs, Susan Wrenn, and Lorna Paul and can be viewed here.

You can find more information about the Academy at the official Saturn Awards website and keep up-to-date with Saturn Awards details by following The Saturn Awards on Facebook.

The Saturn Awards

BEST COMIC BOOK-TO-FILM RELEASE:

The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (Sony)
Captain America: The Winter Soldier (Walt Disney/Marvel)
Guardians of the Galaxy (Walt Disney/Marvel)
X-Men: Days of Future Past (20th Century Fox)

BEST SCIENCE FICTION FILM RELEASE:

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (20th Century Fox)
Edge of Tomorrow (Warner Bros.)
Godzilla (Warner Bros.)
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 (New Line Cinema)
Interstellar (Paramount)
The Zero Theorem (Amplify)

BEST FANTASY FILM RELEASE:

Birdman (Fox Searchlight)
The Grand Budapest Hotel (Fox Searchlight)
The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies (New Line/MGM/Warner Bros.)
Into the Woods (Walt Disney)
Maleficent (Walt Disney)
Paddington (The Weinstein Company)

BEST HORROR FILM RELEASE:

Annabelle (Warner Bros.)
The Babadook (IFC)
Dracula Untold (Universal Pictures)
Horns (RADiUS-TWC)
Only Lovers Left Alive (Sony Pictures Classics)
The Purge: Anarchy (Universal)

BEST THRILLER FILM RELEASE:

American Sniper (Warner Bros.)
The Equalizer (Sony)
Gone Girl (20th Century Fox)
The Guest (Picturehouse)
The Imitation Game (The Weinstein Company)
Nightcrawler (Open Road)

BEST ACTION/ADVENTURE FILM RELEASE:

Exodus: Gods and Kings (20th Century Fox)
Inherent Vice (Warner Bros.)
Lucy (Universal)
Noah (Paramount)
Snowpiercer (RADiUS-TWC)
Unbroken (Universal)

Best Actor in a Film:

Tom Cruise, Edge of Tomorrow (Warner Bros.)
Chris Evans, Captain America: The Winter Soldier (Walt Disney/Marvel)
Jake Gyllenhaal, Nightcrawler (Open Road)
Michael Keaton, Birdman (Fox Searchlight)
Matthew McConaughey, Interstellar (Paramount)
Chris Pratt, Guardians of the Galaxy (Walt Disney/Marvel)
Dan Stevens, The Guest (Picturehouse)

Best Actress in a Film:

Emily Blunt, Edge of Tomorrow (Warner Bros.)
Essie Davis, The Babadook (IFC)
Anne Hathaway ,Interstellar (Paramount)
Angelina Jolie, Maleficent (Walt Disney)
Jennifer Lawrence, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 (Lionsgate)
Rosemund Pike, Gone Girl (20th Century Fox)

Best Supporting Actor in a Film:

Richard Armitage, The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies (New Line/MGM/Warner Bros.)
Josh Brolin, Inherent Vice (Warner Bros.)
Samuel L. Jackson, Captain America: The Winter Soldier (Walt Disney/Marvel)
Anthony Mackie, Captain America: The Winter Soldier (Walt Disney/Marvel)
Andy Serkis, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (20th Century Fox)
J.K. Simmons, Whiplash (Sony Pictures Classics)

Best Supporting Actress in a Film:

Jessica Chastain, Interstellar (Paramount)
Scarlett Johansson, Captain America: The Winter Soldier (Walt Disney/Marvel)
Evangeline Lily, The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies (New Line/MGM/Warner Bros.)
Rene Russo, Nightcrawler (Open Road)
Emma Stone, Birdman (Fox Searchlight)
Meryl Streep, Into the Woods (Walt Disney)

Best Performance by a Younger Actor in a Film:

Elle Fanning, Maleficent (Walt Disney)
MacKenzie Foy, Interstellar (Paramount)
Chloe Grace Moretz, The Equalizer (Sony)
Tony Revolori, The Grand Budapest Hotel (Fox Searchlight)
Kodi Smit-McPhee, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (20th Century Fox)
Noah Wiseman, The Babadook (IFC)

Best Film Director:

Alejandro G. Innarritu, Birdman (Fox Searchlight)
James Gunn, Guardians of the Galaxy (Paramount)
Doug Liman, Edge of Tomorrow (Warner Bros.)
Christopher Nolan, Interstellar (Paramount)
Matt Reeves, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (20th Century Fox)
Joe Russo and Anthony Russo, Captain America: The Winter Soldier (Walt Disney/Marvel
Bryan Singer, X-Men: Days of Future Past (20th Century Fox)

Best Film Writing:

Wes Anderson, The Grand Budapest Hotel (Fox Searchlight)
Damien Chazelle, Whiplash (Sony Pictures Classics)
James Gunn and Nicole Perlman, Guardians of the Galaxy (Walt Disney/Marvel)
Stephen McFeely and Christopher Markus, Captain America: The Winter Soldier (Walt Disney/Marvel)
Christopher McQuarrie, Jez Butterworth, and John-Henry Butterworth, Edge of Tomorrow (Warner Bros.)
Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens, Peter Jackson, and Guillermo del Toro, The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies (New Line/MGM/Warner Bros.)

Best Film Editing:

Jeffrey Ford and Matthew Schmidt, Captain America: The Winter Soldier (Walt Disney/Marvel)
William Goldenberg and Tim Squyres, Unbroken (Universal)
James Herbert and Laura Jennings, Edge of Tomorrow (Warner Bros.)
John Ottman, X-Men: Days of Future Past (20th Century Fox)
Fred Raskin, Hughes Winborne, and Craig Wood, Guardians of the Galaxy (Walt Disney/Marvel)
Lee Smith, Interstellar (Paramount)

Best Film Production Design:

James Chinlund, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (20th Century Fox)
Nathan Crowley, Interstellar (Paramount)
Dennis Gassner, Into the Woods (Walt Disney)
Adam Stockhausen, The Grand Budapest Hotel (Fox Searchlight)
Peter Wenham, Captain America: The Winter Soldier (Walt Disney/Marvel)
Charles Wood, Guardians of the Galaxy (Walt Disney/Marvel)

Best Film Music:

Alexandre Desplat, Godzilla (Warner Bros.)
Michael Giacchino, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (20th Century Fox)
Henry Jackman, Captain America: The Winter Soldier (Walt Disney/Marvel)
John Powell, How to Train Your Dragon 2 (20th Century Fox)
Howard Shore, The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies (New Line/MGM/Warner Bros.)
Hans Zimmer, Interstellar (Paramount)

Best Film Costume:

Colleen Atwood, Into the Woods (Walt Disney)
Alexandra Byrne, Guardians of the Galaxy (Walt Disney/Marvel)
Ngila Dickson, Dracula Untold (Universal)
Louise Mingenbach, X-Men: Days of Future Past (20th Century Fox)
Anna B. Sheppard, Maleficent (Walt Disney)
Janty Yates, Exodus: Gods and Kings (20th Century Fox)

Best Film Make-Up:

Mark Coulier and Daniel Phillips, Dracula Untold (Universal)
Peter King and Matthew Smith, Into the Woods (Walt Disney)
Peter King, Rick Findlater, and Gino Acevedo, The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies (New Line/MGM/Warner Bros.)
Adrien Morot and Norma Hill-Patton, X-Men: Days of Future Past (20th Century Fox)
Bill Terezakis and Lisa Love, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (20th Century Fox)
David White and Elizabeth Yianni-Georgiou, Guardians of the Galaxy (Walt Disney/Marvel)

Best Film Special/Visual Effects:

Gary Brozenich, Nick Davis, Jonathan Fawkner, and Matthew Rouleau, Edge of Tomorrow (Warner Bros.)
Stephane Ceretti, Nicholas Aithadi, Jonathan Fawkner, and Paul Corbould, Guardians of the Galaxy (Walt Disney/Marvel)
Dan Deleeuw, Russell Earl, Bryan Grill, and Dan Sudick, Captain America: The Winter Soldier (Walt Disney/Marvel)
Paul Franklin, Andrew Lockley, Ian Hunter, and Scott Fisher, Interstellar (Paramount)
Joe Letteri, Dan Lemmon, Daniel Barrett, and Erik Winquist, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (20th Century Fox)
Joe Letteri, Eric Saindon, David Clayton, and R. Christopher White, The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies (New Line/MGM/Warner Bros.)

BEST INDEPENDENT FILM RELEASE:

Grand Piano (Magnolia)
I, Origins (Fox Searchlight)
A Most Violent Year (A24)
The One I Love (RADiUS-TWC)
The Two Faces of January (Magnolia)
Whiplash (Sony Pictures Classics)

BEST INTERNATIONAL FILM RELEASE:

Bird People (IFC)
Calvary (Fox Searchlight)
Force Majeur (Magnolia)
Mood Indigo (Drafthouse)
The Railway Man (The Weinstein Company)
The Theory of Everything (Focus Features)

BEST ANIMATED FILM RELEASE:

Big Hero Six (Walt Disney/Marvel)
The Boxtrolls (Focus Features)
How to Train Your Dragon 2 (20th Century Fox)
The Lego Movie (Warner Bros.)
The Wind Rises (Walt Disney Pictures)

TELEVISION NOMINATIONS:

Best Network Television Series:

The Blacklist (NBC)
The Following (Fox)
Grimm (NBC)
Hannibal (NBC)
Person of Interest (CBS)
Sleepy Hollow (Fox)

Best Syndicated/Cable Television Series:

12 Monkeys (Syfy)
American Horror Story: Freak Show (FX)
Continuum (Syfy)
Falling Skies (TNT)
Salem (WGN America)
The Strain (FX)
The Walking Dead (AMC)

Best Limited Run Television Series:

Bates Motel (A&E)
From Dusk Till Dawn (El Rey Network)
Game of Thrones (HBO)
The Last Ship (TNT)
The Librarians (TNT)
Outlander (Starz)

Best Superhero Adaptation Television Series:

Agent Carter (ABC)
Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (ABC)
Arrow (The CW)
Constantine (NBC)
The Flash (The CW)
Gotham (Fox)

Best Youth-Oriented Television Series:

The 100 (The CW)
Doctor Who (BBC America)
Pretty Little Liars (ABC Family)
Supernatural (The CW)
Teen Wolf (MTV)
The Vampire Diaries (The CW)

Best Actor in a Television Series:

Hugh Dancy, Hannibal (NBC)
Grant Gustin, The Flash (The CW)
Andrew Lincoln, The Walking Dead (AMC)
Tobias Menzies, Outlander (Starz)
Mads Mikkelsen, Hannibal (NBC)
Noah Wyle, Falling Skies (TNT)

Best Actress in a Television Series:

Haley Atwell, Agent Carter (ABC)
Caitrionia Balfe, Outlander (Starz)
Vera Farmiga, Bates Motel (A&E)
Jessica Lange, American Horror Story: Freak Show (FX)
Rachel Nichols, Continuum (SyFy)
Rebecca Romijn, The Librarians (TNT)

Best Supporting Actor in a Television Series:

David Bradley, The Strain (FX)
Laurence Fishburne, Hannibal (NBC)
Sam Heughan, Outlander (Starz)
Erik Knudsen, Continuum (SyFy)
Norman Reedus, The Walking Dead (AMC)
Richard Sammel, The Strain (FX)

Best Supporting Actress in a Television Series:

Emilia Clarke, Game of Thrones (HBO)
Jenna Coleman, Doctor Who (BBC America)
Caroline Dhavernas, Hannibal (NBC)
Lexa Doig, Continuum (Syfy)
Emily Kinney, The Walking Dead (AMC)
Melissa McBride, The Walking Dead (AMC)

Best Performance by a Younger Actor in a Television Series:

Camren Bicondova, Gotham (Fox)
Maxim Knight, Falling Skies (TNT)
Tyler Posey, Teen Wolf (MTV)
Chandler Riggs, The Walking Dead (AMC)
Holly Taylor, The Americans (FX)
Maisie Williams, Game of Thrones (HBO)

Best Guest Performance in a Television Series:

Dominic Cooper, Agent Carter (ABC)
Neil Patrick Harris, American Horror Story: Freak Show (FX)
John Larroquette, The Librarians (TNT)
Wentworth Miller, The Flash (Fox)
Michael Pitt, Hannibal (NBC)
Andrew J. West, The Walking Dead (AMC)

HOME ENTERTAINMENT NOMINATIONS

Best DVD/BD Release
:

Beneath (IFC Midnight)
Blue Ruin (Anchor Bay)
Odd Thomas (Image)
Ragnarok (Magnolia)
White Bird in a Blizzard (Magnolia)
Wolf Creek 2 (Image)

Best DVD/BD Special Edition Release:

Alexander: The Ultimate Cut (Warner)
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug Extended Edition (New Line/Warner)
Nightbreed: The Director’s Cut (Shout Factory)
Once Upon a Time in America: Extended Director’s Cut (Warner)
Sorcerer (Warner)
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre: 40th Anniversary Collector’s Edition (MPI/Dark Sky)

Best DVD/BD Classic Film Release:

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (Kino Lorber Classics)
The Horror at 37,000 Feet (Paramount)
The Ninth Configuration (Henstooth)
The Picture of Dorian Gray (Warner Archives)
The Quatermass Experiment (Kino International)
The Time Machine (Warner)

Best DVD/BD Television Release:

Batman: The Complete Television Series (Warner)
Hannibal, Season 2 (Lionsgate)
Merlin: The Complete Series (BBC Home Entertainment)
Spartacus: The Complete Series (Anchor Bay/Starz)
Star Trek: The Next Generation, Season 7 (CBS/Paramount)
Twin Peaks: The Entire Mystery (CBS/Paramount)
Wizards and Warriors: The Complete Series (Warner Archives)

Best DVD/BD Collection Release:

The Exorcist: The Complete Anthology (Warner)
Halloween: The Complete Collection (Anchor Bay)
Stanley Kubrick: The Masterpiece Collection (Warner)
Steven Spielberg Director’s Collection (Universal)
Toho Godzilla Collection (Sony)
Universal Classic Monsters: Complete 30 Film Collection (Universal)

LIVE STAGE PRODUCTION NOMINATIONS

Best Local Live Stage Production:

Damn Yankees (3-D Theatricals)
Ghost Brothers of Darkland County (Saban Theatre)
The Last Confession (Ahmanson Theatre)
Pippin (Segerstrom Center for the Arts)
Ragtime (3-D Theatricals)
Stoneface: The Rise and Fall and Rise of Buster Keaton (Pasadena Playhouse)
The Wizard of Oz (Segerstrom Center for the Arts)

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Backcountry Lays Down the Rules of the Wild

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Writer/director Adam MacDonald’s Backcountry (review) is finally seeing the light of day as IFC Midnight has scheduled its release via VOD and digital platforms on March 20th. Right now, though, we have a quick look at some survival rules that may help you make it until dawn!

Reminiscent of true-life survival stories like 127 Hours and gritty animal encounter thrillers like The Grey, Backcountry follows an urban couple who embark on a camping trip in the Canadian backcountry. When they enter a predatory bear’s territory, their trip turns into an horrific tale of tragedy, will, and survival.

Backcountry

Synopsis:
Based on a true story, BACKCOUNTRY follows an urban couple who go camping in the Canadian wilderness – where unimaginable beauty sits alongside our most primal fears. Alex (Jeff Roop) is a seasoned outdoorsman while Jenn (Missy Peregrym), a corporate lawyer, is not. After much convincing, and against her better judgment, she agrees to let him take her deep into a Provincial Park to one of his favorite spots – the secluded Blackfoot Trail.

On their first night, deep in the forest, they have an unsettling encounter with Brad (Eric Balfour), a strange alpha male with eyes for Jenn who may or may not be following them. Alex’s desire to quickly reach Blackfoot Trail only intensifies. They push farther and farther into the woods, Alex stubbornly insisting that he remembers the way. After three days their path disappears; they are hopelessly lost. Without food or water, they struggle to find their way back, the harsh conditions bringing out the best and worst in them, pushing their already fragile relationship to the breaking point.

When they realize they have entered a bear’s territory, being lost suddenly becomes the least of their problems. Terror, horror, will, and survival become paramount.

Backcountry Backcountry Backcountry Backcountry Backcountry Backcountry

Backcountry

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Independence Day Sequel Finds One of its Stars in Jessie Usher

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We all know that Will Smith is officially out of the picture for Roland Emmerich’s Independence Day sequel, ID Forever, but his legacy is alive and kicking! THR is reporting that “Survivor’s Remorse’s” Jessie Usher will play the son of Smith’s character.

Fox hired Carter Blanchard (Glimmer) to rewrite the script. James Vanderbilt wrote the first draft of the film, which Emmerich is producing with Dean Devlin and Harald Kloser.

Independence Day 2 is set for release on June 24, 2016 — almost exactly 20 years from when the first film hit theaters on July 3, 1996. Stay tuned for more as it comes.

Jesse Usher

The post Independence Day Sequel Finds One of its Stars in Jessie Usher appeared first on Dread Central.

Nightmare Presents: Please, Momma by Chesya Burke

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Did your March come in like a lion?  Our monthly selection of brand new fiction from Nightmare Magazine certainly did! Settle in to check out “Please, Momma” by Chesya Burke from Nightmare’s current issue, and be sure to let us know what you think of the tale!

Nightmare_30_March_2015_ban

PLEASE, MOMMA
by
Chesya Burke

1989

In the car. On the way to see Her.

She scares us. They say . . .

Why do you always do that? I hate when you do that.

Do what?

Narrate our story. Where we’re going. What we’re doing. You know I can hear you. I hate it so much.

But they’ll want to know one day. She said they’ll need to know.

No one cares about you, girl. No one cares about us.

They will.

Cars never bounce around the way they make them appear in the movies. No, instead they glide, more like the lull of a boat on stale waters. And they’re just as loud as the boat’s engine, even with the windows rolled up there are always loud swooshing noises assaulting the senses. The sounds should be calming, like the ocean, but they never are. They are annoying and invading. Or at least it’s what the girls always imagined what the beach and ocean should sound like. They had never been farther than Kentucky Lake, a few hours away from where they were now. The water there was so muddy that you couldn’t see your hands in front of your face and everything that moved within its depths looked like invading, misshapen piranha out to devour your flesh. But the girls loved it so. Except when the motion threatened to make them sick.

The car swerved around a sharp corner, another wave threatening to take over, and the girls swayed in the back, holding on to each other. Their tummies were not holding up well under the stress, though it probably had nothing to do with the car ride and everything to do with their destination. The girls looked at each other, their minds quiet for a moment. There was no need to speak, nothing to say.

In the driver’s seat, the girl’s aunt turned to stare at their mother. Auntie’s eyes, dark and weary, stared for so long that it was scary. As the car veered toward the middle of the street, the lines on the road before them slid by between the tires of the car. After what seemed like a long moment, the woman turned away and righted the car, putting them all back on track.

March 26th

6:30 p.m. on Sunday afternoon.

In the car with momma. She’s sad. Auntie’s driving us to see her, but if she’s not careful, she’s gonna kill us before we can even get there.

So, that’s what you’re worried about? Dying? The girl seemed insulted. Momma’s not sad, she fucking sick. She’s not getting better.

She’s not sick. Stop saying she’s sick.

She’s fucking sick. Stop pretending that you don’t see that.

You stop cussin’. I’m the oldest, so I said stop it! I mean it, Baby. Stop it.

Sissy reached out to nudge her little sister, reassuring her. They didn’t fight often, but when they did, she always pulled the “oldest” sister card to get her way. It had always worked in the past but it was beginning to get old — literally — and her sister, Baby, wasn’t going to be so easily controlled anymore. Baby avoided her touch, rolling her eyes. Why couldn’t she just get her sister to understand that she knew what was best for them, she just wanted to protect her? It was her job, to protect her sister.

Baby put her cold hand on her sister’s face. I do understand. But you can’t protect me. It’s not your job anymore. She smiled. Let me protect you sometimes.

“Sissy, Baby, stop it. Stop fooling around!” Momma turned toward the girls, her eyes fixed, moving between the two. “You’re so loud. You’re so goddamn loud. In my head. All the time. Talkin’, talkin’, talkin’. Just stop it!”

Their aunt put her hand on Momma’s leg. “That’s enough, Mae. Stop it. She wasn’t saying anything. It’s the roots. We’re gonna get it off ya. Just . . . calm down until we get there. Just . . . just stop it.” The woman looked at Sissy through the rear view mirror, tried to smile but failed, then looked away quickly.

In the silence, Momma burst out laughing. For a long time. “Roots. Roots. Roots,” she mocked. “You think someone put roots on me? You’re gonna wish that’s it, by the time I’m done with her.”

Auntie pulled the car into a parking spot in a tiny little shopping plaza. The neon lights blinking PSYCHIC were the only visible signs of life inside. White curtains covered the storefront windows. Auntie switched the car off, dropped the keys in her purse, then turned to her sister. “I’ve listened to the things you’ve said about your own children lately — the nasty, vile things you’ve said about them — and I’ve tried to understand, because I know you’re hurting, but if you think about putting a hand on her again, I will lay you flat. Do you understand me?”

Momma smiled. “Not her,” she placed a finger to her temple. “Her.”

• • • •

Momma is not sad. She’s sick. It’s something in her mind. Something really bad.

I can’t see it. I keep trying but I can’t see what’s wrong with her. I’m scared.

Me too. She don’t talk to me anymore. She seems scared to look at me. I think she hates me.

Baby shook her head. She don’t hate you. She just ain’t well. The Lady will help her, Iyaafin can help her, I’m sure of it.

I don’t like her and I don’t like it here.

She’s gonna help momma.

She’s not. I don’t think anyone can help momma anymore.

The sisters held each other standing in the dimly lit foyer of the PSYCHIC with the giant neon hand. They didn’t want to let go, didn’t want to move, didn’t want to have to be in that room, for that reason, with these women. Grownups are supposed to protect children, supposed to keep them safe, but they don’t. Not, the girls realize, because they don’t love their children, but because that is how things are. The world is a very big place, and very big things happen and grownups are never big enough to stop them. Instead, Iyaafin had constantly reminded them, mommas, aunties, and grands have little girls and they want everything to be perfect, and pink and happy and it never ever happens that way; and daddies, uncles and papas just want little boys and are never ever happy if they don’t get them.

But their daddy had not wanted little boys. He had been happy to have his baby girls from the day that they had entered the world, one right after the other, within minutes of each other. He had held them and cared for them and protected them. But his heart wasn’t big enough for all the love that he held for them, so it gave out one day. It just stopped beating in his chest and he died. He took his big heart with him, and left only its weakness. The girls had been four years old, and now they were eight and a half. Almost big girls, their auntie told them. Almost big enough to understand things, big, grownup things, almost big enough to put away childish things, let go, accept what had happened. The twins did not want to let go. They did not want to accept what had happened. They wanted to stay like this, holding on to each other for as long as they could, until they were forced apart.

“I see that for as much as things change, they forever stay the same between you two, ômôbìnrins, eh?” The girls, as she’d called them, looked up as the woman walked from the back of the building, through a sheer curtain. She was wearing a long, one piece dress with drawings of eyes of all shapes and sizes. Auntie said that the woman did enjoy her comedic side, playing into what everyone expected of her. The Lady thought it was funny, but she always looked the same, spoke the same, behaved the same way, always. They’d been coming to her since their father had died and the girls didn’t like the way she always wanted to separate them, wanted to force them to grow up too quickly, accept things that they weren’t ready to accept. Iyaafin had convinced their auntie so now she mimicked what the woman said. They all trusted her so. The whole town and the surrounding community trusted her.

The twins did not.

“Ẹ ku abọ, all!” she welcomed the group, ignoring the girl’s disdain for her. Suddenly the woman stopped for a moment, and slowly turned her neck to look at Momma. She squinted her eyes, cocked her head. Walking over to the woman, she placed her hand on her forehead for a long while. Nothing moved, no one spoke. They all knew to let the woman do whatever it was that she did. After what seemed like forever, she turned to look at Sissy. “Does it still hurt? Your eye. Your mother did that, right?”

Sissy shook her head. “No.”

“She did. Don’t lie for her, ômôbìnrin.”

“I’m not lying. I mean . . . no, it doesn’t still hurt.” Beside her their auntie began to cry. Their mother just stood, quietly. Unblinking, unfeeling, emotionless. She had been that way lately. She only ever showed emotion anymore when she was angry. At Sissy. Always at Sissy. As if she blamed her for everything.

The Lady looked back at their Momma. “They do it to please you, you know. Always have.”

“Iyaafin . . . Lady — ” their Auntie started to interrupt, but the woman put up a finger to silence her.

“That’s why they can’t let go. Because you can’t let go.” Momma acted as if she could not even hear the woman, as if she didn’t have a care in the world. As if she did not have children that depended on her.

“What the hell is wrong with her? What’s wrong with my sister? Did someone put roots on her? Can you fix it? Please!”

The woman did not speak for a long while, as was her way. She spoke slowly, when she was good and ready. The others waited. Still there was silence. “No. No one could do this to her. This one she invited onto herself.”

“What? We thought it was roots. Nothing else can explain why she’s so angry all the damn time.”

“No. This is no magick. No trick of roots. No one person hates her this much. This is . . . much deeper. It’s big and wide and solid. It’s the world, it’s hate, it’s like a big boulder of centralized hurt and anger and rage and internalized hate, all balled up into one big bad thing riding her back like a clown on a unicycle. And your sister ain’t the clown.”

“I don’t understand. What’s wrong with her? Can you fix her?”

For the first time Iyaafin could not meet the eyes of anyone in the room. She stared at the floor, seeming to think about what to say next, contemplating her words carefully. “Your sister is not in control of herself anymore. I suspect it has been like this for a long time. I . . . don’t know if I can help her.”

• • • •

Daddy used to lift the girls on his back, spin them around and pretend they were all helicopters, each a part of the machine that made it run safely. He was the engine and they were the propellers. Momma would stand and watch to make sure that everything was safe while they all played. Every now and again he would pitch one of the girls to her and she was always waiting to catch them, arms out, trusting daddy to have good aim, while he trusted her to be there to receive them. When the girls were too big to carry them both, he would swing them one at a time. It was never quite as much fun that way. Perhaps it was because they were getting too old for this to be fun any longer or perhaps because daddy’s heart was no longer strong enough to propel the engine of their four-person machine. Perhaps, though, being apart was not as important as being together.

The girls had never really learned to let go. This, Iyaafin insisted, was part of the problem.

Iyaafin stood in front of Momma, the woman’s hands on Momma’s head. Momma’s eyes were closed and neither of the girls thought she was with them anymore. If the Lady were telling the truth, perhaps she had not been with them for a long time. Maybe even since that day. Auntie stood nearby in case something went wrong. She looked nervous and no doubt had no idea what she could do to help, but she was there and it made the girls feel better since they no longer trusted that Momma could catch.

The girls watched as Iyaafin, her left hand still on Momma’s head, rubbed her right hand down the woman’s back. She stopped mid-way, her fingers tapping Momma’s spine like a drum. There was movement under Momma’s shirt. At first the girls thought that it had just been their imagination, but as they watched, it wiggled again, as if a hornet’s nest vibrated just under her shirt. Auntie gasped, jumped back, knocking a bottle off the table behind her. The glass clinked to the floor, bounced, then rolled toward the girls.

“Be still,” the woman warned.

Very carefully the woman reached out and laid her right hand on Momma’s back, right were the hornets lived. She closed her eyes and held it there, unmoving. When she opened her eyes the whites were red, as if she had been drinking too much Whiskey, like uncle used to before he found the lord. “Help me get her shirt off.” Their auntie hesitated for only a moment, then she ran over and pulled Momma’s shirt over her head. Momma didn’t care. There was no way that if Momma had been well she could have showed her chest to anyone. Although she was wearing a bra, she always said that respectable women only bared their flesh to the lord and then only to clean any dirt and filth away.

Momma’s back was naked except for her bra strap and it looked wrong. It was much lighter than her dark brown skin and had large boils on it, clusters and clusters of them filling her back from her neck to the top of her pants. The boils bubbled just beneath the skin, threatening to burst. Momma’s eyes were closed, and the girls thought for a moment that she had passed out.

The Lady grabbed Momma, holding her tight, sending a wave of power through her body. The woman’s body jumped, looking like all the people on TV who got shocked by electricity. Iyaafin shocked her again, and again and again. As the last bolt shot through her body, a small form appeared crouching on Momma’s shoulders, its claw-like nails digging into her flesh. The Lady stumbled backward, hands up as if she was afraid to touch the thing’s pale, moldy skin.

Simultaneously the girls jumped to their feet. Sissy began to gasp for air. She tried to calm down the only way she knew how.

1989. Iyaafin’s place. Momma is sick. She’s very — deep breath — very sick.

The girls did not take their eyes off the creature, who stared at them, smiling. It tilted its head, peculiar-like, seeing them, actually observing them.

What the #@&% is that?

Did you say #@&%? How’d you do that? In my head. I just see a bunch of gibberish clouding my mind.

You told me not to curse. I didn’t curse.

“What’s wrong? What’s wrong?” their Aunt asked. She moved closer but the Lady raised a hand to stay her.

After getting her composure, Iyaafin walked up to Momma, placed her hands on the woman’s face and sent a powerful jolt through the tips of her fingers into Momma’s mind. Momma jerked out of her seat and landed on the floor, sliding across the marble, her butt scraping the floorboards. She sat up, crawled back toward the Lady. She looked up and suddenly her eyes were clearer than they had been in a long time. She looked around the room, as if just realizing where they were.

“Oh, god, Mae! Are you okay? Jesus!” Auntie was breathing hard, like she’d run all the way here, with the girls strapped to her back. She turned to Iyaafin, “You did it, Lady.”

The thing on Momma’s back continued to grin as Auntie walked toward Momma.

“Don’t,” Iyaafin yelled. “It’s not over. Is it?” She seemed to be talking to the thing, but it did not answer her. But it was clear to the girls that it was aware of them all, watching, almost mocking them with its crooked smirk.

“What is it? What’s wrong?”

The Lady stared at the thing. “It’s an Onírárà, a rider, a parasite. It hitches on to people who are . . . hopeless. Suffering. It feeds from them. But that’s never enough, they always want more.”

“What? What did you say?” Momma was talking clearly. She could understand what was going on. She was Momma again. The girls wanted to go to her, but the thing was still there, taunting them, daring them to come closer to it.

“How you feel?” Iyaafin asked her.

“Strange. I’ve been so overwhelmed with . . . hopelessness and I had all these vile thoughts.” She looked over at the girls. “Oh, my god, Sissy, did I do that to you? Jesus. I remember wanting to hurt you so bad, and I just could not stop thinking it. I wanted to, I knew it didn’t make any sense, I just could not stop the terrible thoughts from popping into my head. I just cannot believe that I actually did it. I don’t remember any of it.”

“This Onírárà is really strong. It’s able to take completely over you. It feeds from you and the kids taking energy from your grief and fear and sadness. It’s a parasite, it feeds.”

“Feeds? Off what? What does it want?” Auntie had been quiet but she looked worried and scared.

“It wants her soul.”

“What? My soul?”

“No. Not you, Mae. It wants the little girl.”

Everyone turned to look at Sissy. She looked frightened, alone.

Momma stood completely still, her face filled will the emotion that she had been unable to express for the last few weeks. Sorrow, hurt, pain, anger. Her face screamed it all, at once. “It can’t have her. She’s all I got left.” Momma cried. Finally.

Iyaafin shook her head. “Not her.” She turned to the ghost of the girl who once existed but could no longer hold her mother’s hand and yet could never lose her heart. “Her.”

Then to the living daughter: “You see her, don’t you, girl. You know she’s still here, among you. When I came into the room, I could sense you two. Both of you. The way you had been just after your father died, when your mother first came to seek my advice. Is your sister afraid of what’s beyond?” the Lady asked.

No. “No.” Sissy repeated her sister’s words. I’m scared for you and momma. “She’s afraid to leave us. She said we need her. I’ve told her that’s not true. Lots of times, but she won’t listen.”

“Because it’s not you holding her here.” Iyaafin shook her head, angry. “I told you when you first came to me, Mae, that you would lose her. Her heart, like her father’s, just could not sustain her. You couldn’t accept it then, and you still refuse to let go now.”

The woman shook her head. “My baby girl. I miss her so much.”

“It’s your sorrow, your pain that’s keeping her here. She’s trapped because you love her so much that you can’t, you won’t let her go.”

“But you said that thing wants her.”

“Yes. It wants her soul.”

“How can you expect me to do that? What do you expect me to do, hand my baby over to that, that thing, whatever it is?”

“It’s attached to you because it senses her. If you’d let her go in the beginning, then she would have already passed over. But she’s been stuck here for so long that she’s victim to them, they smell her innocence like fresh food. If you don’t let her go, you’ll lose them both.”

“What? I don’t understand.” Auntie seemed to barely follow the conversation. She kept looking around the room as if she expected to see the boogey man jump from behind a curtain.

“This thing is powerful. It’s not leaving until it gets what it wants. It will stay in you, or anyone protecting Baby, holding on to her, keeping her on this plane. It’ll consume you with impure thoughts, making you do things to yourself, to your daughter until nothing else is holding her here. If Sissy dies, it’ll consume them both. Their strength is in the fact that they have one soul, but two bodies. They’re twins. But if it can get ahold of one, it’ll be satisfied because it can’t sense living souls. So it’ll hold on to you, Mae, take control of your memories, your thoughts, make you . . . hurt and kill her, because she is attached to Sissy, but you are what’s keeping her here. It’ll take them both. Do you understand? You have to let her go.”

“You keep saying that. Let her go. Let her go. I cannot do that!”

“She’s dead already. What do you want? A dead daughter whose soul you hold on to, or a live daughter whose soul you give away?”

“I want them both. Don’t make me choose.”

“Do it, Mae! Let her go.” Auntie walked over, putting her hand on Sissy’s shoulder, reassuring the girl.

“Then what will I have? A dead husband? A dead daughter?”

“You’ll have a living, breathing little girl.” The Lady was angry. She seemed so sure that this was the right thing.

“And sacrifice one for the other?”

Tell her to let me go, Sissy.

You’re not scared of that thing? I’m scared. I don’t want it to get you.

I just want you to be safe. And I don’t want to be tired anymore.

If . . . if I die, and let it have me, then I can protect you. I can do what I couldn’t do when you died. I’m the oldest, I’m supposed to protect you.

You’d leave momma alone? She’d have no one. Not daddy. Not me. Not you.

Tell her, Sissy. Tell her to let me go.

“She said to let her go, momma.”

The woman stared at Sissy’s scarred face, tears running down her cheeks. “I can’t.”

Please, momma. “She’s begging.” She was so strong for a little girl, her pain was on the inside, deep, deep down inside.

“Tell her that I would have died for her.” Tears streamed down Momma’s face.

Would you . . . “Kill me for her, she asked? Baby . . . she wants to die to save me.” Please, momma.

Momma mumbled her answer and only the Onírárà could hear.

[end]

Nightmare Magazine is edited by bestselling anthology editor John Joseph Adams (Wastelands, The Living Dead). This month’s issue also features original fiction by Caspian Gray (“An Army of Angels”), along with reprints by Robert Shearman (“Featherweight”) and Lynda E. Rucker (“The Burned House”). For nonfiction, author S. G. Browne talks about the new flavor of zombies in the latest installment of our column on horror, “The H Word.” We’ve also got author spotlights on this month’s authors, a showcase on our cover artist, and a feature interview with up-and-coming author Helen Marshall — conducted by acclaimed author Kelly Link! You can wait for the rest of this month’s contents to be serialized online, or you can buy the whole issue right now in convenient eBook format for just $2.99. You can also subscribe and get each issue delivered to you automatically every month for the discounted price of just $1.99 per issue. This month’s issue is a great one so be sure to check it out. And while you’re at it, tell a friend about Nightmare!

Nightmare_30_March_2015

The post Nightmare Presents: Please, Momma by Chesya Burke appeared first on Dread Central.


Cool New Trailer Signals the Coming of Survivors

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Although the full trailer is set to drop on March 15th, we’ve got a sneak peek teaser for Adam J. Spinks’ upcoming film Survivors. This infection-based horror film asks: In the face of the unthinkable, how far would you go to survive?

Co-written by Spinks (who previously directed and co-wrote the creature feature Extinction) and Laurence Timms, Survivors stars Joanne Gale, Simon Burbage, David Anderson, and Adrian Annis alongside Vanessa Mayfield, Lydia Kay, and Rich Keeble.

Survivors is a gritty and personal horror film about the spread of a deadly virus across the globe. The teaser below shows brand new footage, more of which will be seen when the full trailer drops on March 15th.

For more info visit the official Survivors website, “like” Survivors on Facebook and follow Survivors on Twitter (@survivorsmovie).

Synopsis:
From director Adam J. Spinks comes Survivors, a story about the depth of human courage in the face of an enemy unleashed by the authorities, who are meant to keep us safe. In a world without laws, without order, and with nobody watching, how far would you go to survive? The film is produced by award-winning filmmaker Michael Beddoes as well as Initiative Motion Pictures, in Association with Organised Chaos TV and Film.

Survivors

Survivors

The post Cool New Trailer Signals the Coming of Survivors appeared first on Dread Central.

Love in the Time of Monsters (2014)

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Love in the Time of MonstersDirected by Matt Jackson

Starring Gena Shaw, Marissa Skell, Danny Vasquez, Kane Hodder, Doug Jones


Love in the Time of Monsters came to me in a box. Yeah, the sleeve was crooked and clearly printed at home, but it did not come in a paper envelope. The disc also had the art for the movie on it and not the title written in Sharpie. Points all around for a movie I had never heard of and would not have watched if not required to.

I really hate Bigfoot movies since we already kind of know who the bad guy is. Bigfoot is like vampires; we know what they look and act like, and it takes a significant spin to make them interesting. The only Bigfoot movie I kind of liked was surprisingly a Syfy Original called Abominable, but that was mostly because it had this Rear Window paraplegic voyeur quality that gave the movie a lot more depth. Also, Bigfoot ate a dude’s face, which was sweet. In recent history I have also seen Bigfoot: the Lost Coast Tapes, which was shit, and Willow Creek, which was arguably marginally better than shit. None of these movies would I recommend to any but the most desperate and hardcore of horror fans (as I was when I watched them).

So, when I saw Bigfoot on the cover, my response was a very shruggy “meeeeeeh”. I have a lot of PC games to review though, and something has to be on my second monitor, so I turned off the Public Agent for long enough to watch the movie. Now, to give a bit of context, the new Total War game came out on the Tuesday of the week I watched this. By the next Monday, I had put 82 hours into it. I do not fuck around with my Total War, and not even meals or the ever pressing need for sunlight and showers could tear me away from it. For the entire 97-minute runtime, I stopped playing Total War and just watched.

Jackson has crafted an incredibly funny, rich, and ultimately entertaining movie with enough heart to keep you hooked till the end. This is a movie you can show at parties, watch with friends, or watch by yourself – all with equally enjoyable results. I am not a huge fan of most comedy/horror bastard children, with scant exceptions like John Dies at the End really tickling my fancy. Even so, the sheer amount of charm and fun that is crammed into this movie makes it almost impossible to hate. Even if you don’t love this movie, I don’t see anyone but killjoys and psychopaths having a bad time watching it.

The premise is that a girl visits her boyfriend at the tourist trap he works at with her cynical sister in tow. Blonde sister is in love and a romantic, while brunette sister is cynical and has given up on love. Cynical sister prefers to get drunk and screw the hottest guy in the room, who happens to be Armando, a suave smooth talker who is all about the game. Then the performers, who happen to all dress up as Bigfoot, contract a zombie virus. Super-strength zombie Bigfoots then begin slaughtering the tourists. Blonde sister bears the torch of saving her zombified lover, while brunette sister learns to love in a time of monsters. It’s a perfect combination of cheesy love story and campy monster movie. If you asked me if this movie would work before I went in, I would roll my eyes and scoff. After, I could not see how this movie could fail to please.

A lot of my enjoyment from the film comes from how over-the-top it goes, while still maintaining a human element with the love story goofiness. A movie that starts with standard love drama goes to zombies, goose zombies, moose zombies, hordes of squirrel zombies, Abraham Lincoln scientist, Russian immigrant Uncle Sam, and an actual Bigfoot showdown. While several segments can be described as stupid, it never loses the human element. It is, at its core, a love story from two perspectives: a hopeless romantic who won’t let zombification get in the way of true love, and a cynic whose heart is slowly won over by a man who is learning what he is capable of. The movie has heart, and it is great to see a director who knows he doesn’t have to sacrifice character narrative for cheap thrills.

The effects are all nicely practical and comical. Zombie geese that are clearly on strings bounce up and down comically, and gaudy CGI shows us which Bigfoot zombie has lightning powers. It isn’t the distracting kind of silly either. The movie never takes the action too seriously, so by the time a character runs out of the hotel to fight zombie geese with cleavers or rollerblade away with dynamite, it fits the level of effects perfectly. Even with all the variety in zombie action, the movie never stretches itself too thin. The monsters are all well placed and make sense, and the balance of the well thought out character drama makes it never just stupid.

If I were to have a complaint about the movie, it is that the intro seems to have been made about a different movie. At the start, the two young girls witness their parents be crushed by a statue Paul Bunyan’s axe. It isn’t brought up again, except the quote “we love family vacation!” which they shouted right before their parents were killed. I don’t really get why you would want to keep saying that quote, and it just feels really strange when they shout it with gusto at the end. That being said, it is an incredibly minor complaint.

I loved this movie. It isn’t perfect, but it was perfect for me. It proved that you can have a shlocky horror movie and goofy love story at the same time without any loss of tone. It uses two different genres to enhance one another and never feels dissonant. If this movie were a zombie, I would find the cure so that we could get married.

The post Love in the Time of Monsters (2014) appeared first on Dread Central.

Mitchell Altieri’s The Night Watchmen Gets a Cast

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James Remar, Tiffany Shepis, and more are set to topline one half of The Butcher Brothers, Mitchell Altieri’s, new film, The Night Watchmen; and we have your first details right here.

Twitch is reporting that the director of Holy Ghost People has started on his next film, written by Ken Arnold and Dan DeLuca, who both have parts in the film, and Jamie Nash.

The cast also includes Kevin Jiggetts (“Castle”), Max Gray Wilbur (“How to Get Away with Murder”), Kara Luiz (MTV’s “Jerks with Cameras”), Diona Reasonover (the upcoming “Buzzy’s”), Rain Pryor (“Head of the Class”) and Matt Servitto (“Banshee”).

We’re thrilled to have such an accomplished ensemble cast,” said executive producer Cheryl Staurulakis. “These professionals are delivering nuanced performances of their characters, which are compassionate, psychopathic, and comedic. They are a perfect fit for The Night Watchmen.

Synopsis:
Three inept night watchmen, aided by a young rookie and a beautiful, fearless tabloid journalist, fight an epic battle to save their lives. A mistaken warehouse delivery unleashes a horde of hungry vampires, and these unlikely heroes must not only save themselves but also stop the scourge that threatens to take over the city of Baltimore.

James Remar

The post Mitchell Altieri’s The Night Watchmen Gets a Cast appeared first on Dread Central.

Unboxing Day: Sideshow Collectibles’ Queen of the Dead

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Sideshow Collectibles recently sent over the latest in its Court of the Dead line, Gethsemoni, Queen of the Dead Premium Format Figure, to review and show you guys… and it redefines the term “dead sexy”!

About the Queen of the Dead:
She is the first-born creation of Death, his Eve; the embodiment of his dark creative spirit, limitless guile, and soaring ambition. From high atop her spired tower, Gethsemoni, Queen of the Dead, oversees the realm of the Underworld before her. As Death’s appointed Regent she rules the Court of the Dead, a contentious assembly of beings of the netherworld that are driven by Death’s quest to Rise, Conquer, Rule!

Standing at a whopping 21.5 inches high, and 8 inches wide the queen weighs in at a hefty 12 pounds. We posed her a bit differently than the glamor shots below to better show off some of her finer assets. Check it out!

The Queen of the Dead is AVAILABLE NOW for $379.99!

Artists:

  • Tom Gilliland (Design/Paint)
  • Ian MacDonald (Design)
  • Walter O’Neal (Design)
  • Mark Newman (Sculpt)
  • Kat Sapene (Paint)
  • Tim Hanson (Costume Fabrication)

Queen of the Dead

Queen of the Dead

Queen of the Dead

Queen of the Dead

The post Unboxing Day: Sideshow Collectibles’ Queen of the Dead appeared first on Dread Central.

Poltergeist Haunting Theatres Earlier Than Expected

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May 22, 2015. That’s the date we’ll be seeing the remake of Poltergeist in theatres. That’s over two months earlier than expected. Mark that down on your calendars, kids, or you’ll make those evil clowns angry!

In the film which is to be released in 3D, Jared Harris will play Carrigan, a larger than life TV personality who left the world of academia behind to become the star host of basic cable TV show “Haunted House Cleaners.”

Sam Rockwell, Rosemarie DeWitt, Saxon Sharbino, and Jane Adams also star. Gil Keenan directs.

For more info visit the official Poltergeist website, “like” Poltergeist on Facebook, and follow Poltergeist on Twitter.

Synopsis:
Legendary filmmaker Sam Raimi (producer) reimagines and contemporizes the classic tale about a family whose suburban home is invaded by angry spirits. When the terrifying apparitions escalate their attacks and take the youngest daughter, the family must come together to rescue her.

Poltergeist Poltergeist Poltergeist Poltergeist Poltergeist Poltergeist

Poltergeist

The post Poltergeist Haunting Theatres Earlier Than Expected appeared first on Dread Central.

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