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New Tremors 5: Bloodlines Imagery

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Feel that rumbling? No, it’s not the San Andreas fault line shaking. It’s the friggin’ graboids, man! On tap right now we have a pair of new images from the next entry in the Tremors franchise.

Tremors 5: Bloodlines will be coming out this October on Blu-ray Hi-Def, DVD, and Digital HD, marking the return of Michael Gross’ iconic character Burt Gummer.

Head over to the official Tremors Movies Facebook page for more info.

Tremors 5: Bloodlines

Tremors 5: Bloodlines

The theatrical release of the original Tremors in 1990 combined suspense-filled action, sci-fi imagination, and witty humor in the tale of a tiny Nevada town terrorized by giant man-eating worms known as Graboids. The Graboids eventually morphed into even more deadly creatures known as Ass Blasters.

In this all-new adventure that travels halfway around the world to South Africa, the Graboids and the Ass Blasters are not only bigger and badder, but Tremors 5 introduces an additional unexpected surprise that raises the stakes in the battle for survival.

Michael Gross (“Anger Management,” “Suits,” “How I Met Your Mother,” “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” “Family Ties,” Tremors franchise) returns as weapons enthusiast and expert subterranean creature hunter Burt Gummer with Jamie Kennedy (“The Cleveland Show,” “Ghost Whisperer,” Scream series) as his new right-hand man, tech-savvy Travis. The pair are joined by an international cast as they mount a battle against the deadly creatures that turns out to be far more than they bargained for.

The film is directed by Don Michael Paul (Jarhead 2: Field of Fire, Sniper: Legacy) from a script by John Whelpley (Tremors 3: Back to Perfection) and produced by Ogden Gavanski (The Scorpion King 4: Quest for Fire, Warm Bodies).

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60 Seconds! (Video Game)

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60 seconds!Developed by Robot Gentleman Studios

Available on PC through Steam

Not classified by ESRB (Appropriate for 12+)


Here’s a game that is nicely in line with my interests. I’m a writer, and therefore eternally captivated by daydreams, possibilities, and invisible worlds. That’s of course why indie videogames have always landed on that soft little patch of grass in my heart. All of the little gaming studios are looking to be the cinderella story of the year: no money and big dreams. There’s a little Polish gaming duo (Robot Gentleman) who are the creative energy behind “60 Seconds!. Their humble, yet well-constructed website proclaims proudly that they are invested in “creat[ing] captivating games with unconventional stories”. Honestly, I don’t doubt that for a second. Put aside for a moment the fact that they’re Polish and have decided to create a game that is based on 1950s post-apocalyptic America, I give them credit for working for a captivating story through a familiar caricature.

At its best, 60 Seconds! is no more than a gamer’s maybe 10 minute commitment while resolving a family’s hasty choices following a nuclear blast. I enjoy that the game is both casual and succinct. At the title screen, the cartoonish and relatable suburban American home appears. A side note: I have noticed that this screen will change time to time during login or after a runthrough of the game (at one point I saw a pizza on the roof of the home and appreciated the Breaking Bad reference).

There are two portions of the full game, which is labeled as “Apocalypse!”. The first of these modes is “Scavenge”, followed by “Survival”. If for some reason you’re not in the mood for committing to the full game (such, a commitment, amirite?), or if you were interested in practicing either of the skills of scavenging the home or surviving in the shelter, the game offers both of those modes isolated from each other. In addition to the game modes, the difficulty of each mode allows the player to decide whether they would be better off surviving Little Boy, Fat Man, or Tsar Bomba.

The introduction to gameplay and controls are aptly kept within the theme of nuclear survival: an atomic drill. This drill allows the player to understand both portions of the game before dropping the real bombs. Prior to being allowed to gather objects and people in your home, you have mere moments to survey the current condition of Ted’s house (you get used to the very cookie-cutter layout, since it never changes) for all of the different survival-necessary items that you’ll be taking with you on your “atomic adventure”.

These items are always consistent in type, but they are always differently dispersed throughout the home, creating the necessary element of randomness for the game. In the home are many cans of soup (the family really hates soup a couple weeks into survival) and water, as well other supplies like a medkit, a board game, playing cards, a rifle, ammunition, a gas mask, a radio, a Boy Scout handbook, a can of bug spray, a map of the area, a flashlight, and an axe. As well as necessary objects, you also have Ted’s family. His traditional nuclear family consists of his simple-minded son, Timmy, his large tuba-toting daughter, Mary Jane, and his saucy redheaded wife, Dolores.

There are 60 total seconds in which to grab objects necessary for survival. For each of the different difficulties of bombs being dropped you have a different buffer prior to your sixty seconds in order to plan based on randomized objects. In the case of the Little Boy difficulty, there are thirty seconds prior, with less on the harder difficulties.

During the collection phase, you have four slots indicated by Ted’s hands (he has… four?) in which you can carry certain objects. For instance, one can of soup takes up a single carrying slot, whereas Mary Jane takes up three separate ones (yes, she’s huge). This additional dimension in prioritization of your objects makes your decisions slightly more complex. While the space in your bunker is infinite, there are only so many hands and so much time with which to grab necessities. Therefore, while rushing about your house and crashing into stuff like a out-of-control bumper car (seriously, every object that gets knocked around by you makes a massively overdone racket), you choose which objects are grabbed in what order based on their size and distance apart. Once you have filled your four hands, you throw everything down into the bunker hatch and return to scavenging until time runs out (you have to make it to the bunker zone before detonation as well).

The game’s meat is undoubtedly within the survival story. In that perilous initial minute, Ted experiences what I would consider the necessary “dice roll”. All of the random elements of the game, the distribution of objects allows the player to experience the following chapter through their own luck and prioritization of essentials. During the survival phase there is no physical movement component remaining, rather the screen is fixed on the family members that are currently surviving within the bunker. Within each day, the player will review a written log and assess your family’s current status while evaluating remaining items and rationing your dwindling supplies. The setting of the room will only change as you work through the decisions of the day, each day altering both the room and its contents based on events that have transpired.

An example of a particular day might be that the screen returns from its blackened state to show you Ted’s family, an exploded rifle, and a bright green glowing cockroach. The story tells you what broke the rifle and summoned the Rad Roach, and you need to make decisions to adequately conserve what remains in order to prolong your chances of survival. The family will begin to deteriorate over time, regardless of your good (or awful) intentions. Whether they slowly start becoming crazed due to a lack of games within the bunker, or they lose the battle of life due to starvation or dehydration, there are a number of different inevitabilities for your family.

Within the scope of my playthroughs, I experienced both really brief stays in the bunker (forgot to grab any family members, just lots of soup and water) and found myself getting driven away by vagrants. I did, on the very easiest mode of survival, manage to get rescued by the military after a gruelling 53 days of survival. Strangely enough, I didn’t believe that I was going to win that round because I took my entire family and very few supplies. To my greatest surprise, the largest of Ted’s progeny decided to be an absolute champion and go on not one, but three successful expeditions into the outside wasteland. Not only did she return with a gas mask (she was wandering without one for who knows how long), but a map, a gun with ammo, a radio, a card game, soup, AND water. Note to self: The fat girl who carries a tuba is the best rescue choice.

The game sets in with a simple, yet cleverly articulated story that combines wonderful Choose Your Own Adventure elements with dark humor that the genre of choice is well suited for. After all, if you are left to your own devices, what abysmal ending will you meet? Luckily, the game keeps the content tame for the most part, and any imagery that is graphic is related to the deterioration of your family the longer their magical journey in the bunker goes on. I won’t go into details about specific plot lines in this review since the game is short enough. I wouldn’t want to spoil it other than to say, whether you make good choices or bad ones, you’ll be given compelling answers to your decisions.

Despite all the good there is to say about the game, there are still a few things that cause me to take a second to think about decisions made by the developers. Firstly, I’m curious as to why 60 Seconds! wasn’t developed as a mobile game. Understandably, certain resources need to be pulled in order to develop a mobile game, but in many ways I feel that the game is well suited to be developed on a mobile platform. Truly, I only felt this way after one playthrough or two, because I realized the game wouldn’t last me forever and I wouldn’t be committing hours on end to its mastery. However, if the game were to be on my phone, I’d be able to sit and play through my odds of surviving the apocalypse before my dentist’s appointment.

Other than the mobile possibilities, I became aware during the scavenging portion of the game of a strange story choice that I feel was not well explained. As you’re already aware, a good deal of the randomized survival objects are dispersed throughout the home. Fair point, homes have objects. However, how can it be that Ted and his family had the foresight to build a bomb shelter within their own house, in the CENTER of their own house, yet they are unwilling to pack it full of supplies such as the gas mask, bug spray, or maybe some food or water? So maybe Ted and his family aren’t great at thinking ahead, or maybe he was in the process of moving his scattered objects when the bomb happens to drop. I’ll let it slide but, how unlucky is Ted?

To sum up: 60 Seconds! is a brief, fun game that leaves me wanting more. I suppose the same could be said for other indie titles; little glimmers of magic that shine through the dark forest, leaving me ever-chasing down games that could and should exist. I’m an eternal optimist though, and if this game is any indication, I’ll be watching for more clever additions from Robot Gentleman in the future.

 

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It Came from the Desert Brings Cinemaware’s Classic 1989 Video Game to Life

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When I first received word of the It Came from the Desert proof of concept video, my thoughts immediately turned to the video game I played during my misspent youth. Never in my wildest dreams did I think that someone was actually adapting what I thought was a relatively obscure game into a motion picture. When I saw that all-too-familiar Cinemaware logo at the end of the clip, my mind almost imploded with excitement. Color me shocked and deeply impressed.

Sadly, there isn’t much information about the flick right now, which is spearheaded by the folks over at Roger! Pictures. However, here’s what the original video game was all about.

The player assumes the role of Dr. Greg Bradley who comes to remote Lizard Breath, Nevada on June 1st, 1951. As a geologist, he wants to study a recent site of a meteor crash somewhere in the desert south-west of the small town. Early in the game, he learns that the radiation of the meteor has enlarged a local ant population to an enormous size. However, few take his observations seriously. Worried, that the ants will soon mate and spread, he must work against a ticking clock and devise a plan to stop the ants from terrorizing the world. In order to succeed, the player must visit many locations ranging from mines, farms, a pub, an airfield, a local radio station and many more to find evidence of the ants, then convince townsfolk and authorities of impending doom. At the same time the player must contain the ant infestation.

At the moment, there’s no official release date for the It Came from the Desert adaptation. However, the idea that this 1989 Cinemaware title could possibly find its way into my living room at some point in the near future is enough for me at the moment. In fact, I’m headed to Archive.org to replay the original game right now. Check out the proof of concept video below.

It Came from the Desert

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Die Die Delta Pi (2015)

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Die Die Delta PiStarring Kristin Avery, Lexi Balestrieri, Christine Bell

Directed by Sean Donohue and Christopher Leto


When ANY filmmaker attempts a “throwback pic” to the decade of the 80’s, I’ll admit that I can get a wee bit apprehensive when the product finally reaches my grimy mitts. Whether it’s simply the unattainable atmosphere to be encapsulated within, or the fact that I’m such a goob when it comes to popping in a VHS tape and transporting myself back to the days of neon EVERYTHING, poofy hair, and synthesized music that somehow distinguished itself far ahead from the synthesized music I detest today. Anyway, co-directors Sean Donohue and Christopher Leto are in the batter’s box with their backwards heave to the campy-sorority slash-fests from the Reagan era with Die Die Delta Pi.

Lean back to the year 1986, and Spring Break festivities are on the immediate horizon. The Delta Pi sorority is clamoring to put together a monumental bash in order to commemorate the annual marathon of debauchery, and they are so intently focused on their fiesta, that even the nearby killings that have occurred close to their college could deter them from such a large celebration. While the party cements itself around a large bonfire, it just wouldn’t be a sorority soiree without a good natured prank on one of the lesser pledges (Olivia Blake), and when that prank goes horribly awry (think cocktail weenie in the flames), things only get worse when another sizeable set of murders occur while help is trying to be obtained for the toasted co-ed.

We transport ourselves some 28 years into the future, and the memory of that horrific night is still fresh in the mind of one woman (Andrea Alfonso), who is readying her own daughter, Diana, (Avery) for her collegiate career at Mom’s alma mater – see where I’m steering this one? All the chips are on the table, and we’ve got ourselves a recipe for a revenge-styled slay-a-thon, however some things simply just didn’t hit the mark. The dialogue throughout the film came off as people trying to sound 80’s, with lame attempts at period catchphrases and weak jokes, however with a low-budget, it’s not like you’re going to get Meryl Streep to run lines for you, so you take what you can get. Gore and nudity have their place in this nearly 80-minute jump into sinfulness, which definitely remind the 80’s connoisseurs of horror just how we liked our cheese and sleaze back in the day.

In the end, I’ll offer some praise to both Donohue and Leto for their valiant undertaking, and while this particular retro-presentation reeks of lower-level chills and thrills, it’s something that you’ll be able to pitch in your DVD player and disembark to the decade of leg-warmers and Cosby-sweaters for at least a one-time viewing…but please, don’t wear them at the same time, especially in public – now THAT would be horrific.

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Hannibal Props and Costumes Featured in Online Auction

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“Hannibal” Season 3 kicked off in grand style last night, and if you’re a fan of the show, you’ll want to pay special attention to this story as 130 original props and costumes from the award-winning NBC series are being offered in an online auction that kicks off June 18th.

From the Press Release:
Hannibal Lecter’s kitchen knife and iconic straitjacket go “under the hammer” in an exclusive Hannibal Prop and Costume Auction, presented by Prop Store in partnership with Gaumont International Television and Universal Partnerships & Licensing.

As the locale for Dr. Lecter’s story shifts from Baltimore to Europe in “Hannibal” Season 3, Gaumont International Television and Universal Partnerships & Licensing are excited to make a very select group of prop and costume lots from the first two seasons of the show available to fans. An exclusive 130 authentic pieces from the production of “Hannibal” will be available for bidding in the week-long online auction beginning Thursday, June 18th, on the Prop Store website.

Some of the highlight items collectors and fans can bid on at no reserve include:

• Hannibal Lecter’s (Mads Mikkelsen) “Mizumono” Formal Wear
• Hannibal Lecter’s (Mads Mikkelsen) “Tome-wan” Three Piece Suit
• Hannibal Lecter’s (Mads Mikkelsen) “Tome-wan” Straitjacket
• Will Graham’s (Hugh Dancy) Prison Jumpsuit
• Abigail Hobbs’ (Kacey Rohl) “Aperitif” Casual Wear
• Jack Crawford’s (Laurence Fishburne) Bloodied “Mizumono” Formal Wear
• Hannibal Lecter’s (Mads Mikkelsen) “Mizumono” Kitchen Knife
• Hannibal Lecter’s (Mads Mikkelsen) China Place Setting
• Hannibal Lecter’s (Mads Mikkelsen) “Wound Man” Sketch
• FBI Evidence Can Containing Dr. Sutcliffe’s Tainted Fishing Lure

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All items are available at no reserve, and a donation will be made to PetSmart Charities on behalf of the sale.

Brandon Alinger, Prop Store COO, said: “We’re delighted to offer this exclusive collection of props and costumes from the first two seasons of the show – Gaumont International Television and Universal Partnerships & Licensing are aware of how passionate the fans of ‘Hannibal’ are, and this is an exciting opportunity for them to own some wonderful pieces and become part of preserving the show’s legacy.”

The auction begins at 9:00 AM PT on Thursday, June 18th, with the first lots closing at 9:00 AM PT on Thursday, June 25th. Bids can be placed online via the Prop Store website.

hannibal-propauction

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Justified’s Nick Searcy Joins 11/22/63 on Hulu

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One of our favorite actors, Nick Searcy (“Justified,” “American Gothic”), has just signed on to join Hulu’s “11/22/63″ adaptation based on the book by Stephen King, and we have some preliminary info on his role so read on.

The “11/22/63″ mini-series follows James Franco’s Jake Epping, a high school English teacher who travels back in time to try to prevent the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. He finds his mission threatened by love, the infamous Lee Harvey Oswald (Daniel Webber), and the past itself, which does not want to be changed.

Per Lilja’s Library, Searcy will play Deke Simmons, the principal of a small-town high school in 1960s Texas who is Jake’s boss in his cover life.

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Other cast members include Chris Cooper, Cherry Jones, T.R. Knight, Sarah Gadon, George MacKay, Lucy Fry, Leon Rippy, and Brooklyn Sudano.

The nine-hour miniseries is a collaboration among J.J. Abrams’ Bad Robot Productions, author Stephen King, executive producer/writer Bridget Carpenter, and Warner Bros. Television.  Carpenter (“Friday Night Lights,” “Parenthood”) penned the script and will exec produce the drama alongside King and Bad Robot’s Bryan Burk. Bad Robot’s Kathy Lingg will co-exec produce, and Athena Wickham will produce. Kevin Macdonald (The Last King of Scotland) is directing the first two hours.  The drama hails from Warner Bros. Television, and Warner Bros. Worldwide Television Distribution will distribute the series globally.

A premiere date for “11/22/63″ has not yet been announced so stay tuned!

Hulu Gives Stephen King's 11/22/63 Direct-to-Series Order

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Original Final Destination Script to Be Turned into Novel

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On a recent episode of the horror podcast The Movie Crypt, Jeffrey Reddick told hosts Adam Green and Joe Lynch that he plans on creating a novelization of his original draft of Final Destination, and we have some additional details here.

Natasha Rhodes wrote a prior novelization of the Final Destination shooting script, which was published by Black Flame in 2006. Reddick’s draft, however, had a different approach to the story. The intricate death scenes regularly featured in the Final Destination franchise were not in his script; those were added by director James Wong and co-writer Glen Morgan to the final product.

Reddick’s original Final Destination script was based on an idea he had for an “X-Files” spec script with FBI Agent Scully’s brother having the deadly premonition. Death causes the victims to perish not by manipulating objects around them, but by driving them insane until they commit suicide.

The resulting draft is much more intense and psychologically thrilling than the movie called for. Although fans worldwide watch Final Destination movies for their crazy death scenes, they should also be excited for this different take on the popular franchise.

Reddick, in partnership with Justin Marchert of Dumper Entertainment, is currently working on the novel.

Last year Reddick wrote a novelization of his 2005 film Tamara with J.D. Matthews. That book can be purchased here.

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Go Inside the iZombie Season Finale Episode 1.13 – Blaine’s World; Fan Art Contest Kicks Off!

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As our own Matt Molgaard said when recapping the most recent episode of “iZombie,” if you’re not watching the show, you’re missing a gem of a series. The season finale, Episode 1.13, “Blaine’s World,” airs on Tuesday, and we have an inside look at the ep in which executive producers Rob Thomas and Diane Ruggiero-Wright preview the explosive events that await us.

In addition, for those of you who are artists and also fans of the series, we have some info on a fan art contest that kicked off today.

About the “iZombie” Fan Art Contest:
Are you on the edge of your seat waiting for the “iZombie” season finale on June 9th at 9/8c? Why not make the wait go quicker with a little creativity? Submit your best original “iZombie” fan art using the hashtag #iZombieArt for a chance to win a Season 1 poster autographed by the cast!  Click here for more details, including the official rules.

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“iZombie” Season Finale Episode 1.13 – “Blaine’s World” (airs 6/9/15)
LIV FACES A TOUGH DECISION — After discovering new evidence in the Max Rager case, Liv (Rose McIver) and Clive (Malcolm Goodwin) pay a visit to Vaughn Du Clark (guest star Steven Weber) at Max Rager HQ. Ravi (Rahul Kohli) continues his search for a cure.

Meanwhile, Blaine (David Anders) makes Liv an offer she can’t refuse. Lastly, Major (Robert Buckley) finds himself in an unbelievable situation. Michael Fields directed the episode written by Rob Thomas.

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

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Check Out This Mad Max and My Little Pony Mashup

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In a stroke of complete genius, artist Kelsey Wailes has created a My Little Pony and Mad Max: Fury Road mashup… with dolls. The dolls are created using polymer clay, acrylics, leather, and faux fur. It’s important to note that dolls Nux and Max also have moving heads.

The dolls can be bought at AwesomeCon in Washington, D.C., this weekend at Booth #1009.

Check out Kelsey’s work at Tumblr and DeviantArt.

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The Hunt Is On in this Preview of Hannibal Episode 3.02 – Primavera

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So, Fannibals, what did you think of last night’s debut of “Hannibal” Season 3?  It was a pretty shocking episode that laid the foundation for a lot of various threads that will be picked up over the course of the season, and next week’s Episode 3.02, “Primavera,” sees the return of some very familiar faces. Check out the promo below, and look for more soon!

As an added bonus, we’ve included the “Post Mortem” of Episode 3.01, “Antipasto,” in which series creator Bryan Fuller and co-star Gillian Anderson break down the premiere for host Scott Thompson.

“Hannibal” Episode 3.02 – “Primavera” (6/11/15; 10-11 PM)
WILL GRAHAM SETS OFF ON A SEARCH FOR HANNIBAL LECTER — With his wounds now healed, Will Graham (Hugh Dancy) heads to Europe eight months after the horrific event that almost took his life in search of closure with Hannibal Lecter (Mads Mikkelsen). Following a hunch, Will arrives in Palermo, Italy, to find a disturbing gift. Will’s arrival draws suspicion from Inspector Rinaldo Pazzi (guest star Fortunato Cerlino), who twenty years earlier pursued a Florentine killer known as “Il Mostro” and, after reading Will’s file, believes that Hannibal Lecter and “Il Mostro” are one and the same. Pazzi tries to enlist Will’s help in catching Hannibal, but Will warns that he is unsure of where his own allegiance lies.

For more info be sure to visit “Hannibal” on NBC.com, “like” “Hannibal” on Facebook, and follow “Hannibal” on Twitter.

HANNIBAL -- Pictured: "Hannibal" horizontal key art -- (Photo by: NBCUniversal)

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Poltergeist of Borley Forest, The (DVD)

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Poltergeist of Borley Forest, The (2013)Directed by Stephen McKendree

Starring Marina Petrano, Christopher Ingle, Nicholas Barrera, Rhea Rossiter


I’m never quite sure what kind of lens I’m supposed to look at microbudget films through. On the one hand, of course they can’t be expected to have decent film quality, CGI, lighting, sound quality, or actors. On the other hand, that’s about 90% of what makes a movie.

Microbudget productions are expected to be “clever,” making up for the obvious lack of money with an interesting premise or creative presentation. We all can point at Paranormal Activity as a good example of a well done microbudget film, but I much prefer Mike Flanagan’s Absentia. With just a $70k budget, Flanagan also struggled with inexperienced actors and lackluster film quality but managed to deliver a terrifying and compelling product.

The Poltergeist of Borley Forest is not such a product. It’s sad because at times I think the film was trying pretty hard and elicited something akin to entertainment. From a viewer’s perspective, it is almost impossible to tell if an actor is good and only able to show it when the script occasionally breaches the shit lake for air, or if the script is just fine and everyone decided to show up with not a fuck to rub against an ounce of talent. That was exactly how I felt the entire time watching this movie. Whether technical or talent limitations, something about the production was perpetually off.

Usually when there was something I liked, it came from clever writing or an uncharacteristically good shot. This isn’t the kind of writing I’d emulate out of adoration, but I did chuckle. There was a dinner table conversation close to the beginning that made me think I might actually like this movie. There was a center frame slow zoom shot of the protagonist on the bed to a 180 of some haunted flowers that was pretty good, too.

Here’s the rub: These snippets of good weren’t great, but just noticeably better than the surrounding content. The level of banter doesn’t hold up, and there was a particularly excruciating scene at a dinner where a man clearly in his mid-twenties hits on a girl in high school. Mind you, we are supposed to sympathize with him and think this scene is cute. Watching it made me feel like I had forgotten to bring candy and a pack of Mike’s Hard Lemonade and suspicious that the tall stern news anchor type walking into the room and asking me to take a seat might not just want to serve me tea and brownies.

Even though there were a couple shots I liked, the presentation was amateur. Poorly framed, characters were often way too far away. In a movie that is supposed to be causing tension, neutral framing at a safe distance does little to communicate fear. It was distracting. It seems that dinner scenes might be this movie’s Achilles’ heel, as there was a scene between the protagonist and her sister where the 180-degree swap between dialogue and isolated audio design made me think they were on Skype until I noticed they were in a similarly decorated room. I know that not everyone gets distracted by the nuances of film design like I do, but it actively detracted from my enjoyment of the film.

Plot-wise it’s about twin love ghosts. One tries to kill you, the other tries to stop the kill ghost. The ghosts sometimes vibrate and look like ghosts, but their final form is just a dude in a shirt with a sickle. Spoooookey. They learn about the history of the twins and enlist the help of a professional type before they have the final confrontation and, in a plot twist everyone saw coming, stop the wrong ghost. They figure this out too late, and the film ends on a reflection of murderghost in her brother’s phone. Shocker.

Now, here is my conundrum. Is this an amateur production with some moments of positive, or a cheap cash-in to try to take my money for as little production cost as possible. I’m tempted to say the first, but it is odd to look at the box and see Poltergeist in a font about 6 times the size of The and Borley Forest. The original title was You Will Love Me and was released in August of 2013. So obviously, it is just a coincidence that two years later it sees a DVD release with a new title right when the remake of Poltergeist hits theaters.

The extras we have are a cookie-cutter making of featurette, deleted scenes, and outtakes, also known as the “scraps you had just lying around” approach to “special features.” I generally do not care about special features, and the last time I enjoyed them was with the Deliver Us from Evil Blu-ray. I don’t even usually remember to check unless I have to for a review. The “scraps” approach is my reason for this distaste, as I often find that “special features” just means “shit that wasn’t good enough to make it into the movie.” It was cut for a reason, and now it just serves to check off a box on some production company list to make a cash-in less transparent.

If the producer of this film really loved it and just happened to unluckily change the name to something close to a major release and it just happened to come out around when that major release is, don’t think that I’m giving this a pass. The movie isn’t “can only watch in 10-minute chunks” bad, and I will be judging it more softly as an amateur production. But leniency does not equal blinding myself to basic facts.

My job as a critic is 20% dick jokes, 10% grandstanding, and 70% recommending a movie so that people know what to watch. I would not recommend you watch The Poltergeist of Borley Forest. I recommend Absentia to people frequently, with the caveat that the poor film stock and sometimes flat acting does take some looking past to appreciate the diamond inside all of that rough. That is proper consideration for a microbudget production, not excusing the terrible to pump up the mediocre.

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The Walking Dead – First Look at Corey Hawkins as Alexandria’s Heath

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With “The Walking Dead” shambling about, THR got the first look at Straight Outta Compton actor Corey Hawkins as Heath, a key member of the Alexandria Safe Zone. The character, an eventual Alexandria supply runner, friend to Glenn, and love interest to Denise, is first introduced in Issue 69 of Robert Kirkman’s comic series.

Look for more info on the upcoming Season 6, as well as the companion series “Fear the Walking Dead,” soon!

Related Story: Wrap Up The Walking Dead Season 5 With This New Video

The Walking Dead

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.

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Stephen King’s The Stand Miniseries Headed to Showtime?

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A new live action version of the masterful Stephen King tale The Stand is something we’ve been talking about here for a long while. Almost as long as The Dark Tower even. Today The Wrap is reporting that in addition to the proposed movie, Warner Bros., CBS Films, and writer-director Josh Boone are in talks to mount an eight-part TV series for Showtime.

Before it hits a movie theater near you, Stephen King‘s epic post-apocalyptic novel The Stand may take a revolutionary detour to the small screen as Warner Bros. and CBS Films are in talks with Showtime to mount an eight-part miniseries that will culminate in a big-budget feature film.

Josh Boone, the Fault in Our Stars director who boarded The Stand in February 2014, will write and direct the star-studded miniseries, which is expected to start shooting early next year as one cohesive production, according to insiders.

The Stand chronicles an epic battle between good and evil after the American population is all but wiped out by a deadly virus. The story follows a group of survivors who fight against an Antichrist-like figure named Randall Flagg.

A miniseries will allow Boone to cover more of King’s epic book than one, three-hour movie. The same thinking was once applied to King’s Dark Tower series, which never got off the ground, though The Stand offers an ensemble-driven story that may be better suited for a groundbreaking adaptation.

King is expected to be involved in some capacity along with producers Roy Lee and Jimmy Miller, and high-level meetings amongst the filmmaking team are taking place next week to finalize the ambitious multi-platform plan.

Originally published in 1978, The Stand achieved cult-like status by the time it was re-released in 1990 with additions and revisions by King. The influential novel was adapted as a TV miniseries in 1994 starring Gary Sinise, Molly Ringwald, and Rob Lowe.

The Stand

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Augmented Reality Game Night Terrors Gets A New Trailer

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About a month ago I covered the launch of the Indiegogo for Night Terrors, and augmented reality game that puts the scares into your house. The people over at Novum Analytics have been busy, and put together a new trailer for the game.

From the Official Press Release:

We are proud to announce the release of our gameplay trailer giving you a sneak preview into what our app Night Terrors is going to be like, please bare in mind this is not the final representation, only a visual teaser to show you what can be done with the apps technology. The video contains spacialized audio so please wear your headphones!

At Novum Analytics we’ve just redefined the survival horror gaming genre with Night Terrors. Night Terrors is an ultra immersive gaming experience that transforms your environment into a terrifying hellscape. Equipped with your smartphone, gameplay takes place at home, after dark, with the lights off and your headphones on. As you move through rooms Night Terrors builds a map of your space giving monsters and characters realistic movement. Unlike other augmented reality games that use gimmicky effects and 3D models, Night Terrors’ content is rendered with a cinematic approach based on our unique algorithms.

The result? An unprecedented, photorealistic experience with binaural audio that changes as you move within your space. It’s pretty simple … save the girl and survive if you can!

With just three days to go in their campaign, it is time to hop on board if you are interested. They have already announced they are extending their deadline, and so far have a tentative release date of January 31st, 2016. The tech they have behind the project is pretty cool looking, and I definitely look forward to fighting ghosts in my kitchen. So if you want to turn your house into a significantly more haunted version, check out their Indiegogo page here.

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See the First Episode of Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell in its Entirety!

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BBC America is debuting its new seven-part mini-series “Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell” on June 13th, but knowing how much people hate to wait nowadays, they’ve released the first episode, entitled “The Friends of English Magic,” in its entirety online.  Thanks to the magic of the embed code, you can watch it right here, right now!

“Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell” was adapted by Peter Harness from Susanna Clarke’s bestselling novel.  Toby Haynes directs, Bertie Carvel takes on the role of Jonathan Strange, and Eddie Marsan portrays Mr Norrell. Other cast members include Alice Englert, Marc Warren, Samuel West, and Charlotte Riley.

“Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell Episode 1.01, “The Friends of English Magic” (6/13/15):
Reclusive English magician Mr Norrell allies himself with the mysterious Gentleman with the Thistle-Down Hair in his pursuit to bring magic back to prominence. Meanwhile, charismatic young Jonathan Strange is told that he has the makings of a magician himself.

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Kidrobot Unveils Line of Adorable Gremlins Plushies

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There’s certainly no shortage of awesome Gremlins collectibles out there, whether we’re talking vintage relics or shiny new toys. Companies like NECA and Funko have ensured that we Gremlins fans are well taken care of, and now Kidrobot is set to launch a whole new batch of fun.

Per a press release sent out this week, Kidrobot proudly introduces Phunny, a line of sinisterly squeezable 8″ plush dolls. Full of creeps, monsters, and frights softened to huggable absurdity, Phunny plushes use Kidrobot’s legendary quality and warped worldview to shake up the plush category.

The first wave of Phunny will be introduced with an adorable array of Gremlins characters including Gizmo, Stripe, and Mohawk. Keep these out of the light, don’t give them any water, and be sure to never feed them after midnight!

Gremlins Phunny will be available in stores and online this August. They will retail for $16.99 each.

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Fight of the Living Dead Shambles Across DVD, Digital Platforms This July

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Zombies are still all the rage right now. Thanks to the success of The Walking Dead, those rotting scraps of undead flesh are shambling all over the pop culture landscape. Not surprisingly, someone decided to incorporate these flesh-eating ghouls into a reality game show featuring a plethora of easily startled competitors. I’m actually surprised this sort of thing hasn’t happened sooner.

Enter Fight of the Living Dead, a show that thrusts a handful of good-lucking YouTube stars into the middle of a zombie apocalypse. Their goal: Survive. Unfortunately for those who see red whenever someone uses the term “YouTube stars,” these individuals are never in grave danger.

However, if this scenario sounds intriguing despite the lack of danger, you can check out Fight of the Living Dead when it hits DVD and digital platforms this summer. The competition originally aired on CONtv and YouTube, but the forthcoming home video release is the only place where you can see the individual episodes spliced together into a feature-length film.

Fight of the Living Dead arrives on DVD and digital platforms on July 7.

Fight of the Living Dead

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Get Locke and Key For Cheap In The Humble IDW Books Bundle

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This weeks Humble Bundle features a slew of cool stuff from Top Shelf and IDW productions. Thematically focusing on the strange and fantastic, the centerpiece of the bundle is the critically acclaimed Locke & Key volumes. I took a moment with each part of the bundle, but found myself ravenously finishing Locke and Key.

The graphic novel tells the story of the Locke family, Ty, Kinsey, and Bode, as their life is uprooted to Lovecraft, Massachusetts by their fathers murder. At first it felt like a pure slasher comic with the story of the serial killer Sam and his journey to find and kill the Locke children, but it quickly evolved into so much more. Locke and Key quickly delves into the realm of fantasy and Lovecraftian magic by introducing the enchanting and sometimes horrifying magic keys.

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These keys, manifestations of the dark power of the mansion in which the lion’s share of the story takes place, possess unique and fantastic abilities that allow the characters to enter their own minds, transform, and travel. It’s a plot element that completely transformed the compelling mystery narrative into an entertaining fantasy experience. The fantastic nature of the magic mansion relieves tension from the sinister horror elements in the main plot line. The innocent and playful moments, especially surrounding the playful youngest son Bode (who channels a very entertaining Calvin and Hobbes vibe), add a welcome contrast to the abrupt and detached violence perpetrated by the antagonist(s).

It’ very encouraging to have what I would call lighthearted fun mixed in with a painful murder. It added a depth of mystery I wasn’t prepared for. What dark horrible creature that lay beneath the world of Key house. This is the true fun of a lovecraftian horror. It takes a human story and slowly over time incorporates evil, mystery, and insanity until you are dragged to the darkest realms of human imagination. There’s no telling what lies beyond the omega door unless you pick up the series and take the right for yourself. I could very well have an over active imagination. Leave it to a fanboy to always bet on the resurgence of an elder god.

Conceptually I wasn’t prepared for the fantasy-horror-mystery sub genre, but it took me surprise. Alone, Locke and Key makes the bundle worth the buy, but you also get some memorable fun with an issue of The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. The March series makes an appearance, and there’s even a little time travel thrown in to satisfy the more science fiction inclined fans. The question we should really ask ourselves is why should we bundle. We do it in the support of the new, to be shown what others have enjoyed, and of course because that quiet voice in the back of our minds that tells we want it all. With the basic price being just a penny and everything unlocking at $19.52, it is easy to indulge all of these desires for one low price. Check it out now, before it is too late!

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Take a Trip Through The Blumhouse Book of Nightmares: The Haunted City

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As if Jason Blum isn’t busy enough producing films in the Paranormal Activity, The Purge, Insidious, and Sinister franchises, he also has a book on its way in July entitled The Blumhouse Book of Nightmares: The Haunted City; and if you’ll be at the upcoming 2015 San Diego Comic-Con, you can learn more about it in person at publisher Knopf Doubleday’s Booth #1520.

For the rest of you, here’s the skinny:  The Blumhouse Book of Nightmares: The Haunted City is a stunning collection of original, terrifying fiction from a unique cast of master storytellers. Jason Blum invited an impressive group of authors, filmmakers, and screenwriters to envision a city of their choosing… and to let their demons run wild. Disturbing, suspenseful, devious, and entertaining, each tale showcases an innovative voice featured in a definitive collection that could only come from Jason Blum.

Look for it on July 7, 2015.

Synopsis:
The Blumhouse Book of Nightmares: The Haunted City brings together all-new, boundary-breaking stories from such artists as Ethan Hawke (Boyhood), Eli Roth (Hostel), Scott Derrickson (Sinister), C. Robert Cargill (Sinister), James DeMonaco (The Purge), and many others. The stories include:

  • “Geist” by Les Bohem
  • “Procedure” by James DeMonaco
  • “Hellhole” by Christopher Denham
  • “A Clean White Room” by Scott Derrickson and C. Robert Cargill
  • “Novel Fifteen” by Steve Faber
  • “Eyes” by George Gallo
  • “1987” by Ethan Hawke
  • “Donations” by William Joselyn
  • “The Old Jail” by Sarah Langan
  • “The Darkish Man” by Nissar Modi
  • “Meat Maker” by Mark Neveldine
  • “Dreamland” by Michael Olson
  • “Valdivia” by Eli Roth
  • “Golden Hour” by Jeremy Slater
  • “The Leap” by Dana Stevens
  • “The Words” by Scott Stewart
  • “Gentholme” by Simon Kurt Unsworth

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Lights Camera BLOOD! (2015)

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Lights Camera BloodStarring Alan MacKenzie, Dan Baker-Moor, Heather Russell

Directed by Kevin Doherty


I wonder if Spielberg ever had these issues? Imagine a director so hard up on ideas and backing for a new film, that he had to resort to live slaughter on camera. What if those bodies just continued to pile up, and the director’s fame grew to almost astronomical heights? Kevin Doherty’s Lights Camera BLOOD! is a shining example of the “what if?” scenario, even if it is intently goofy to sit through.

Alan MacKenzie plays Mandalor, a struggling horror movie filmmaker whose last project was a colossal turd (and that’s putting it kindly), and after a submission to the big cheese at the studio he works for falls flat, both he and his dimwitted assistant, Rodney (Baker-Moor) are forced to rethink their game plans for future releases if they ever want to crash the sets of the more notable names in the business. After brainstorming (a very small storm), the two devise a plan to start making snuff films, with an even MORE cerebrally-challenged man named Gustave (Kris Scoran) to perform the tortures and executions while the camera rolls – solid plan, fellas.

Not before long, the films become somewhat of a black-market tidal wave of success, and as the notoriety begins to swell for the almost deposed director, the body count continues to rise as well, and the clock begins to tick rather loudly when a criminal investigation is at hand when the films begin to look a little TOO lifelike – ah, those silly practical effects fool em’ all the time, don’t they…don’t they? As the movie rolls on, and the gore is dished out in copious amounts, the cast holds their tongues firmly in their cheeks as they stroll along with their performances – they had to have known this movie was a spoof, and they treat it as such – in other words, don’t look for stone-cold seriousness when eyeballing these performers.

Doherty presents this inane display in a grainy, washed-out visual style, with plenty of blood and guts to make the crimson zealots moderately entertained. For an 80 minute presentation unfortunately, the majority of the audio sounded as if the mics were being smothered, and then thrust at a high level for some other scenes, giving off a very unbalanced aural experience. Overall, the film was somewhat of a downer, but Doherty looks as if he’ll have a place among the multitudes of indie-lensmen who will crank out ideas to both shock, awe, disgust, and sometimes amuse the masses – worth a one-timer if you’re hard up for something to lay eyes upon.

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