You’d think at this point in the world’s cinematic history that filmmakers in China would have crafted an English-speaking sci-fi flick. However, you’d be very wrong in that assumption. In fact, Last Flight director Vincent Zhou’s upcoming endeavor Lost in the Pacific is the very first English-language science fiction movie from a Chinese production company. In other words, producers are hoping this thing sets the box office on fire. Figuratively, of course. Always figuratively.

Lost in the Pacific explores what happens in the year 2020 when “a group of international elite passengers embark on an inaugural luxury and transoceanic flight that later gets into a seemingly unexplainable catastrophe.” Brandon Routh (Superman Returns) and Zhang Yuqi (White Deer Plain) star.

Zhou says the finished product “will be an extraordinary visual and acoustical experience with a unique adventure story for the global audience without language barriers.” I’ll be honest — he lost me at acoustical, but it certainly sounds pretty cool.

Although the film is still in post-production, Zhou and sales agent Arclight Films hope to have the flick in theaters in the US by the end of 2015. While you’re waiting to see if the movie hits a big screen in your neck of the woods, have a look at some stills from Lost in the Pacific below.

The post English-Language Chinese Sci-Fi Flick Lost in the Pacific Plots Late 2015 Release appeared first on Dread Central.

Sci-fi/horror mindbender Infini (review) arrives on UK DVD and VOD from September 18, and in preparation of the release we have a brand new UK trailer for you to feast your eyes on. Jump on in, and witness the madness!

Infini is directed by Shane Abbess and stars Daniel MacPherson, Luke Hemsworth, Grace Huang, and Luke Ford.

Synopsis:
An elite Search and Rescue team embark on a mission to an off-world mining facility in order to prevent a global threat and rescue soldier Whit Carmichael, the lone survivor of a biological outbreak.

The post New Infini Trailer Heralds UK Release appeared first on Dread Central.

Move over, 9 and 3/4 at London Kings Cross Station. There’s about to be another British attraction based on a popular fantasy series. A huge one. Like, really, really huge. If they can raise £1,850,000,000 (about $2.8 billion). And get the necessary planning permission. And sort out about a million other things that would prevent it from ever happening.

They’re trying to raise the money on Indiegogo to build a life-size (yes, life-size) replica of Minas Tirith, the capital of Gondor in Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings. The city was beautifully realised in Peter Jackson’s Return of the King, but apparently just seeing it on the screen wasn’t enough.

Here at Dread Central we love crowdfunding as it truly gives a voice to independent creators, but this… I really don’t know if I should congratulate them on being as ambitious as possible or chastise them for doing the kind of nonsense that could bring about the end of crowdfunding.

The post There’s an Indiegogo Campaign to Build a Life-size Replica of LOTR City Minas Tirith appeared first on Dread Central.

Late horror legends Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee came together to face the supernatural power of the titular relic in Amicus Productions’ 1965 classic The Skull. Now, a mere 50 years later, Eureka! Entertainment have revealed that the film will hit UK shelves on October 26 in a Blu-ray/DVD combo pack sporting a brand new 1080p restoration.

Adapted from a short story by Robert Bloch (Psycho) and with a score by avant-garde composer Elisabeth Lutyens, The Skull stars Peter Cushing, Christopher Lee, and Patrick Wymark and is directed by Paranoiac‘s Freddie Francis.

Special Features on this new release include:

• Exclusively restored 1080p presentation of the film on Blu-ray
• Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
• New video interview with film scholar Jonathan Rigby
• New video interview with critic and author Kim Newman
• Reversible sleeve featuring original and new artwork
• Limited Edition collector’s booklet

Synopsis:
Peter Cushing stars as Dr. Christopher Maitland, a writer and collector of occult items (with a preference for those with a somewhat macabre history), who is offered the chance to purchase a highly expensive and unusual item – the skull of the Marquis de Sade.

Warned against obtaining the item by a fellow collector (Christopher Lee in a rare non-villainous
role), the skull’s influence draws Maitland in. Madness and death soon follow…

The post The Skull of Amicus Mesmerizes UK Blu-ray appeared first on Dread Central.

Some fantastic news has come out of the UK, as Nottingham’s Mayhem Film Festival announced that film historian Jonathan Rigby and a crew of actors will be performing a live stage reading of the unproduced Hammer screenplay The Unquenchable Thirst of Dracula as part of the fest!

Written by legendary Hammer writer and producer Anthony Hinds back in the late ’60s, and intended as another vehicle for Christopher Lee, The Unquenchable Thirst of Dracula unfortunately never made it in front of the camera.

At Mayhem, Rigby – author of English Gothic: Classic Horror Cinema 1897-2015 and Christopher Lee: The Authorised Screen History – will act as narrator for the reading, backed up by a troupe of actors as they bring the characters to life on the stage.

The Unquenchable Thirst of Dracula sees the titular Count flee to India, where he continues to spread his evil influence.

Mayhem co-director Chris Cooke says, “This is a completely unique event for Mayhem and a great pleasure to work with horror expert and film historian Jonathan Rigby. He’s also a talented actor and will be perfect as our narrator, taking a live audience by the hand and leading them into Gothic darkness. Hammer Films have never felt more important to the history of British cinema, so this is a great opportunity for an audience to imagine a piece of classic cinema that sees Count Dracula resurrected before their eyes.”

Mayhem Film Festival takes place from October 15-18 at the Broadway cinema, Nottingham, UK. Early Bird passes for the festival are now available at the discounted price of £55. You can get more information, and book your passes, at the Broadway Cinema website.

The post Amazing: Unproduced Hammer Script to Be Performed at Mayhem in the UK! appeared first on Dread Central.

Kane Hodder and Bill Moseley’s Old 37 is set to terrorize home video later this year. However, if you live in or around New York City and you prefer to see the flick on the big screen, you’re in luck. The aforementioned genre flick is set to invade several theaters in the Big Apple next month.

Here’s the extremely cool part: A portion of the proceeds from the September 11th screening of Old 37 will benefit the New York Police and Fire Widows’ and Children’s Benefit Fund. Yet another very good reason to catch the flick during its limited theatrical run next month.

The gracious folks at Glen Cove Theaters are hosting Old 37 throughout September. Screening times are listed below. As always, these dates and times are subject to change without notice.

Saturday September 12th
1:10pm
3:30pm
7:20pm (Q&A after screening)
9:50pm (Q&A after screening)

Sunday September 13th
2:00pm
4:20pm
6:45pm
9:15pm

Monday September 14th
2:00pm
4:20pm
6:45pm
9:15pm

Tuesday September 15th
2:00pm
4:20pm
6:45pm
9:15pm

Wednesday September 16th
2:00pm
4:20pm
6:45pm
9:15pm

Thursday September 17th
2:00pm
4:20pm
6:45pm
9:15pm

If you’re interested in scoring tickets to any of the Old 37 screenings, swing by this website. Otherwise, you can catch the flick when it hits DVD on October 6.

The post Old 37 Terrorizes New York City Screens This September appeared first on Dread Central.

When an ancient force is threatening humanity, I want Eric Roberts on my side. The guy can handle just about anything, from serial killers to dinosaurs. He also has plenty of experience battling otherworldly forces, so when the Cthulhu hits the fans, I need him in my corner.

Writer Jerry Janda and director Jeremiah Kipp will put Roberts, Nana Gouvea, Tom Sizemore, and a slew of other savvy actors up against otherworldly evil in the upcoming sci-fi/horror flick Black Wake. The story was reportedly inspired by the work of H.P. Lovecraft, which is why it immediately piqued my interest. Throw ancient gods into anything and I’ll take a look. No, seriously — anything.

Before we get to the trailer, let’s study the Black Wake synopsis.

Specialists gather in a top-secret facility to investigate a series of mysterious deaths on beaches along the Atlantic Ocean. When one scientist examines video evidence to uncover a possible parasitic explanation for the fatalities, she slowly learns that the actual threat may be more dangerous — and far older — than anyone ever imagined. Can she convince her colleagues of the true danger before an ancient force rises from the sea to bring madness and death to all of humanity?

Since the film is still in production, it’s unclear when the finished product will become available for mass consumption. To keep us busy until then, we have a teaser trailer to chew on.

The post Black Wake Pits Eric Roberts and Nana Gouvea Against Ancient Forces appeared first on Dread Central.

On August 25th Anchor Bay Entertainment is releasing The Walking Dead: The Complete Fifth Season on Blu-ray + Digital HD and DVD (the Limited Edition Blu-ray set designed by McFarlane Toys shambles in on December 1st), and after providing us with several sneak peeks of the bonus features, they’ve now unveiled a new trailer.  Check it out as you wrestle with the decision of which version to get.

“The Walking Dead” Season 6 returns to AMC on Sunday, October 11th, at 9/8c, but first the spin-off, “Fear the Walking Dead,” debuts on August 23rd.

The Walking Dead: The Complete Fifth Season Release Details:
In what has become a highly anticipated annual tradition for “Walking Dead” fans the world over, Anchor Bay Entertainment will be releasing THE WALKING DEAD: THE COMPLETE FIFTH SEASON Blu-ray + Digital HD Limited Edition set on December 1st. The other editions will be released on August 25th.

THE WALKING DEAD: THE COMPLETE FIFTH SEASON cast includes Andrew Lincoln, Norman Reedus, Steven Yeun, Lauren Cohan, Danai Gurira, Chandler Riggs, Melissa McBride, Chad L. Coleman, Sonequa Martin-Green, Lawrence Gilliard, Jr., Michael Cudlitz, Emily Kinney, Alanna Masterson, Christian Serratos, Josh McDermitt, Seth Gilliam, and Andrew J. West.

• Audio commentaries featuring Showrunner/Executive Producer/Writer Scott M. Gimple; Executive Producer Gale Anne Hurd; Executive Producer Tom Luse; Executive Producer/Special Effects Make-Up Supervisor/Director Greg Nicotero; Director Julius Ramsay; Actors Lauren Cohan, Chad L. Coleman, Michael Cudlitz, Sonequa Martin-Green, Danai Gurira, Alana Masterson, Melissa McBride, Josh McDermitt, Norman Reedus, Christian Serratos, and Steven Yuen
• Deleted Scenes
• Inside “The Walking Dead”
• The Making of “The Walking Dead”
• The Making of Alexandria
• Beth’s Journey
• Bob’s Journey
• Noah’s Journey
• Tyreese’s Journey
• A Day in the Life of Michael Cudlitz
• A Day in the Life of Josh McDermitt
• Rotters in the Flesh

Standard Edition:

Walmart:

Target:

Best Buy:

The post Anchor Bay Unveils a Trailer for The Walking Dead Season 5 DVD Set appeared first on Dread Central.

As a shameless Japanese cinema nerd, I’m deliriously excited about director Shinji Higuchi’s live-action epic Attack on Titan. Although to movie hit theaters in Japan not too long ago, those of us who reside in the States won’t have to wait forever to catch the flick on the big screen. The snazzy folks at FUNimation Entertainment are bringing both parts to the US beginning next month.

The first installment of Attack on Titan should hit a theater in your neck of the woods on September 30. And instead of making everyone wait an unnecessarily long time for the conclusion, part two will arrive on October 20. The boys and girls at FUNimation are just cool like that.

For those who are late to the party, here’s a synopsis.

The sudden arrival of the Titans–mysterious, gigantic humanoid creatures who devour human beings one after the other–brings mankind to the brink of extinction. Fast-forward more than 100 years later. What remains of the human population now live in relative peace behind massive walls that were erected to defend themselves against the Titans. Yet, once again, that peace is shattered when a Titan measuring over 50 meters tall smashes through the wall, allowing a horde of other Titans to enter. The protagonist, Eren, had been resigned to a life confined behind these walls. Nothing I do would make a difference, he thought. But when he joins the “Outer Wall Restoration Team” set up to fight against the Titans, he is reunited with Mikasa, a childhood friend and someone he had long rued not being able to save. The new recruits embark on a mission to obtain explosives, which had become rare and precious, before getting past the waves of Titans to plug the gaping hole in the wall, with humanity’s survival on the line. Will there be a future for Eren and Mikasa and for mankind itself?

To top everything off, FUNimation has released a nifty trailer for the US release of Attack on Titan parts one and two. You can find that mind-blowing clip positioned down below.

The post Attack on Titan Begins Its Trek Across the US This September appeared first on Dread Central.

The New Testament’s Book of Revelation speaks of a Beast bearing the number 666… but even God himself couldn’t have conceived of such a monster as “Hannibal.” And that’s why we’re going to miss him to death when his run on NBC wraps up in just a few more weeks.  Up next week we have Episode 3.12, “The Number of the Beast Is 666…,” and if you’re all caught up (or looking for a few spoilers), read on for a look at a baker’s dozen of new stills from the ep.

“Hannibal” Episode 3.12 – “The Number of the Beast Is 666…” (8/22/15; 10-11 PM)
A RISKY PLAN TO LURE THE RED DRAGON PUTS EVERYONE AT RISK – Will Graham (Hugh Dancy) and the FBI enlist the expertise of Dr. Fredrick Chilton (guest star Raul Esparza) in the hopes of luring Francis Dolarhyde (guest star Richard Armitage) into an ambush, using Freddie Lounds (guest star Lara Jean Chorostecki) as their mouthpiece.

As Will’s empathy for Dolarhyde begins to affect his fragile psyche, Bedelia Du Maurier (Gillian Anderson) warns that the killer Will should be most concerned about at the moment is himself.

Meanwhile, Dolarhyde senses that the FBI is closing in and launches a horrifying endgame. Rutina Wesley and Nina Arianda guest star; Mads Mikkelsen and Laurence Fishburne also star.

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

The post Be Lured by these Stills from Hannibal Episode 3.12 – The Number of the Beast Is 666… appeared first on Dread Central.

We’re just hours away from tonight’s Episode 2.06 of “The Strain,” entitled “Identity,” and if you’ve wondered about the identify of the man who plays Dr. Ephraim “Eph” Goodweather on the show, it’s Corey Stoll from “House of Cards” and Ant-Man, who finally looks like himself now that he’s ditched the distracting wig previously worn by the character.

But he had a lot more to talk about than that old news when he took part in a roundtable interview a few days ago. We have the highlights for you here, including Eph’s motivations and dark side, how he’s taking the fight to the next level, if he’ll continue hitting the bottle, and lots more so read on to prep for the mayhem to come.

Q: In the opener of this season, Eph told Fet [Kevin Durand] that he is not a very good vampire killer so he’s going to go back to what he knows. And now that he’s on to something, what’s driving him at this point? Is it really vengeance against the Master and all of the vampires, or is it just to try to redeem himself in the eyes of the CDC and Zach and the people that sort of put him out to pasture because they thought he wasn’t valid in what he was trying to tell them?

Corey Stoll:  I think it’s really both. I think obviously it’s personal now that Kelly has turned and is actively trying to turn Zach, but I think just his personality is such, too, that he’s won at everything pretty much in his life, up till now. Now he’s in a situation where he’s lost more in the last week than he has in his entire life… he’s always been a very Alpha guy and very Type A. He’s been knocked down numerous pegs and is admitting such, but he still can’t let go on either front so it’s personal, but it’s also professional.

Q:  Most of your roles in the past have been very much more reality-based than this scenario on “The Strain.” How has it been as an actor for you to operate in this world, especially one created by Guillermo del Toro where anything can happen? It must be very interesting.

Corey Stoll:  Yeah, it’s an interesting challenge… [exec producer] Carlton [Cuse] and I at the beginning of Season 2 felt the need to sort of adjust a little bit because so much of what the show is about is about the tone and the look and the style and the feel of it, which is unique. There are other vampire shows and other vampire movies out there, but Guillermo brings something unique, and so [we’re] trying to find that right balance… I think it’s a pretty good challenge with this show where the stakes are incredibly high but it’s not the same world that we live in, and there’s also a real, sort of a wicked sense of humor that runs throughout the whole thing. I think in this season there’s a lot of conversations between Carlton and myself about how to have me participate in that sense of humor because I think the danger is often to sort of fall into melodrama. It’s sort of about being in that same world where these stakes are incredibly high, but you have to sort of keep one part of your tongue in your cheek a little bit.

Q:  In last week’s episode, when you threw your former boss off a train…

Corey Stoll:  By accident…

Q:  So you’re saying Eph didn’t choose to kill him?

Corey Stoll:  No, he didn’t; he didn’t. It was really a move to not get hit, and before what he knew what was happening, he had killed him. Now it was in his best interest probably to kill him, but this is—it’s still obviously a very big deal; it’s his first human kill. No, he did not intend to kill him.

Q:  But now that he crossed that line, will this open up a door to a darker Eph, a guy that’s willing to do more and cross the line a little bit more easily?

Corey Stoll:  Yeah, I think you can say that. The first time he killed anybody intentionally, he was being attacked, and that was sort of purely defensive. As the first season went on, he became more inured to killing to the point where he doesn’t really sort of flinch killing people who are completely turned. Then he crossed the line, again, at the beginning of this season experimenting on freshly turned people, and then this is another one, and then sort of the ratchet that sort of keeps pushing him past these lines that he never thought he would cross. But yeah, definitely from that point on to the rest of the season, he is in a different place morally.

Q:  In the last episode we saw the vampire children going into full action now. Can you tell us how much of a factor they’ll be in the remaining episodes?

Corey Stoll:  Well, the Feelers are the formidable part of the Strigoi Army. They’re fast, they can crawl on walls, and they play an important part of the Master’s arsenal going forward the rest of the season.

Q:  And what about Eph’s alcoholism? We’ve seen it gradually increase. Can we expect to see that affecting how he handles the  situation?

Corey Stoll:  Yeah, definitely. He does not sober up the rest of the season. He was never the best fighter in the world; but, no, he’s a little easier and a little bit more handicapped.

Q:  There’s a lot of really great and gross makeup and special effects in the show. Can you talk about working with them?  Has anything ever really grossed you out?

Corey Stoll:  This season there were a few things; in the beginning, in the first season, there was like a bashed-in head… a couple bashed-in heads and the autopsy. In this season there seems to be a little bit of, at least from my feelings, this is my exposure to it, a little bit of a break from that. But in terms of my exposure to the makeup… it’s an amazing thing to see on a daily basis. You come in at 6:00 a.m. in the morning on a Monday, and the makeup people have been there for hours already churning out this army of vampires who all have their own unique… level of transformation and different degrees of turning into vampires. It’s really an incredible level of artistry and industry. It’s really a bit of a conveyor belt, but every vampire is sort of a bespoke job.

Q:  In the first season Eph was involved with the actual hand-to-hand fighting against the Strigoi; now he seems to be much more removed. Do you expect him to fight as the season progresses, and also do you miss doing the fight scenes at all?

Corey Stoll:  In terms of in total between the two seasons, it’s about the same. In the first bunch of episodes [this season] Eph is taking a much more… he’s using biochemistry to fight the Strigoi… I had [a fight scene] with Barnes… I think a lot of it was actually cut, but it was one of the more involved fights that I’ve had in either season. Definitely moving forward there’s more fighting.

Q:  When you’re working on something like this, something with that Guillermo del Toro creepiness, is there a horror film or story or a horror icon that really stuck with you in your youth that resurfaces when you’re on set with these things?

Corey Stoll:  I don’t know if there’s something that resurfaces; it’s hard to explain, but… there’s a moment when you first get on set where you see the lighting and the makeup and everything, and there is a moment of, ‘Wow, that’s really cool!’ And then by the fourth setup and the twentieth take, you know, it just becomes work. You’re playing make-believe so you’re getting yourself into a state of terror, [but] the stuff isn’t really scary on its own pretty much after your first time doing it.

“The Strain” Episode 2.06 – “Identity” (airs 8/16/15)
Eph (Corey Stoll) concocts a plan to make and distribute a bioweapon. Gus (Miguel Gomez) realizes Angel (Joaquín Cosio) can be an unlikely ally, and Kelly (Natalie Brown) comes after Nora (Mia Maestro) and Zach (Max Charles).

Check out “The Strain” on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram for more.

The post The Strain’s Corey Stoll Talks Eph’s Dark Drive, Avoiding Melodrama, the Feelers, and More! appeared first on Dread Central.

A bad movie is like pizza; it’s good, even when it’s bad. There’s something about a cheesy movie that makes me feel all warm and tingly inside. As every good horror fan knows, you’ve got to take the good with the bad and might as well embrace it.

Here are 5 of my personal favorite cheese-fests. Pass the marinara.

5. Frankenhooker, 1990
The VHS collecting set will most likely be familiar with this gem, due in part to the infamous talking cover box that asked, “Wanna date?” This aptly titled movie tells the story of a would-be medical student and his adorable fiancee. After a lawnmower-related tragedy, adorable fiancee is killed. The makeshift Doctor Frankenstein decides to revive his decapitated love via the body parts of crack-addict hookers. This one is truly a love story for the ages and my most recent Amazon purchase. You’ll “wanna date” with Frankenhooker.

4. Cannibal Women in the Avocado Jungle of Death, 1989
I was on a staycation a few weeks ago and treated myself to this beautiful cinematic disaster. Featured in an episode of “Elvira’s Movie Macabre,” this movie includes performances by Shannon Tweed, Bill Maher (before he hit the big time and the “Real Time”), and Adrienne Barbeau. Cannibal Women tells the story of a feminist professor hired by the U.S. Government to confront the jungle-dwelling evil Piranha Women, in order to persuade them to move their man-hating and eating empire to a Malibu estate. All of this to protect the nation’s avocado supply, which apparently comes from this jungle.

Now we know why guac is extra.

3. Spookies, 1986
This is one of those movies you’ve probably heard of but never had the pleasure of watching. An 80’s video store masterpiece, Spookies is another example of the “teenagers get lost and wander into a mysterious house” formula we’ve seen a thousand times. I discovered this movie by accident one day in college (when I should have been studying) while browsing the endless void that is YouTube. After doing a search for the film, I remembered seeing the poster in a collage at my local childhood cinema. I pressed “Play” and never looked back. This one is full of Jim Henson puppet shop rejects, special effects that look like Silly Putty that was left in a hot car, and totally worth a watch.

2. Blood Surf, 2000
The most recent entry on this list might be the worst. With a whopping 3.3 rating on IMDB, Blood Surf is sure to quench your appetite for cheese. I discovered this crocodile-filled atrocity in the early-2000s, while channel surfing past midnight, which is really where all good stories begin. The best thing about this movie, besides the title, is the plot (bet you didn’t think I’d say that). Said plot involves surfers chumming water in order to surf through the sharks. If there’s anything you should be doing, it’s chumming water to attract sharks. Instead of the intended guests arriving at the chum-party, a gigantic crocodile shows up. While this movie is borderline unwatchable, Blood Surf holds a special place in my heart. I recently revisited this movie a few months ago on what I call “Shitty Movie Friday.” 1/10 would not do again.

1. The Willies, 1990
This anthology gross-out fest is a campfire story filled with slime, bugs, and guts galore. I included this movie mainly for its obscurity and phenomenal cheese. Starring a post-Goonies Sean Astin, The Willies is the movie that includes the infamous scene where an old woman puts her dog in the microwave. I know you’ve heard of it. This movie also has the greatest tagline of all time: “You’ll Laugh, You’ll Cry, You’ll Puke, You’ll Die!” And that you will.

The post 5 of the Best Worst Horror Movies You’ve Never Seen appeared first on Dread Central.

A while back I aspired to cover the output of several Blu-ray labels in the form of an ongoing column. That project, which I called “On My Shelf” before realizing it sounded very similar to an existing podcast, got away from me pretty quickly as I realized most labels release Blu-rays with the kind of frequency one man can’t keep pace with.

So welcome to “The Arrow,” a slightly rejiggered column with a singular mission statement: I’ll be looking exclusively at whatever titles Arrow U.S. has on tap. Some of these titles will fit Dread Central like a glove, and others will undoubtedly be a bit of a stretch. I think it’s all good, though, because there are plenty of movie fans on this site who enjoy wandering outside genre lines as they search for crazy cinema from every corner of the world.

And that’s where Arrow comes in. We begin with Marco Ferreri’s 1973  bourgeoisie comedy La Grande Bouffe (aka The Big Feast). It’s a tough one to describe on paper, but let’s see. Four friends, each of them culled from society’s upper echelons, a television producer, a chef, a judge and a pilot, get together at an isolated estate in the French countryside for a weekend getaway foisted on the idea of nonstop feasting.

Good friends, good food, what’s the problem, right? The problem is that this is the beginning of the world’s strangest suicide pact. They’ve planned for this, and each of them intends to see it through. These guys are going to eat until they die.

La Grande Bouffe isn’t exactly subtle in its premise, but I don’t think Ferreri had any intention of masking his purpose. Here, society’s biggest takers gorge themselves to death on only the finest foods available. That’s the cornerstone of this satire, and it’s delivered in such a good-natured way that it hardly seems real. There’s so much camaraderie between these friends that it forces the audience to wonder, only we’re never told why these guys have decided to kill themselves. Their determination to do exactly that lends the film a creepiness that seeps slowly in from around the edges. There’s nothing scary about La Grande Bouffe, but the jovial way in which these guys court death becomes more unnerving as it wears along.

I was reminded of Pier Paolo Pasolini’s Salo: The 120 Days of Sodom more than once. That film, made two years after La Grande Bouffe and bearing an unquestionable resemblance to it, tackled bourgeois exploitation through its depiction of upper crust sociopaths literally shitting on and fucking the lower class to death. La Grande Bouffe courts laughter through audacity. This isn’t a graphic film, although it’s sickening to watch these people stuff their faces, almost endlessly, for 126 minutes. Ferreri uses the excessive consumption of food to assault consumer culture as it’s used far beyond any want or need. Our characters feast because they can, and their appreciation for these “finer things” dwindles to the point where they feel only disdain for that which they covet.

At one point the men, perhaps tired of each other’s company, hire three prostitutes to join them in their weekend of debauchery. These women are at first delighted, but quickly tire of the proceedings. Ferreri uses these characters as a metaphor for the long-held working class–trades that existed before the “modern” world (a time before rampant consumerism). They’re the only characters in the movie who have the good sense to tire of the excess. It’s only those who exist inside the “system” who consume with the kind of innate absentmindedness that leads to insular, unsatisfying lives.

Most disturbing is the inclusion of a fourth woman, not a prostitute but a school teacher whose appetites grow to rival the men. Ferreri doesn’t afford her profession any nobility. She doesn’t represent a brighter future, but rather the darkest day. Under her tutelage, impressionable children will grow to become nice little consumers just like the men currently embarked on their death binge. Like the men, her morals are vacant, and it’s only her ravenous craving for the finest things that compels her forward.

Maybe La Grande Bouffe is a tad overlong, and maybe we get everything it’s trying to say before the movie has concluded, but I’m not sure that’s a bad thing in this instance. Just as its characters become engorged and morose, La Grande Bouffe feels appropriately bloated. It’s undeniably gripping, unique in its story and singular in its purpose. It’s not nearly as graphic as it sounds, but with plenty of nausea all the same as Ferreri plays with each of our senses. You don’t just watch this movie; you experience it. You’ll smell and taste things you wish you hadn’t, and an indelible mark will be left whether you want it or not.

As usual, there’s VERY little to complain about when it comes to Arrow’s technical presentation. The movie opens with a somewhat lengthy text crawl explaining the amount of effort that went into this 2k restoration. When the film was digitally scanned, countless instances of dirt and scratches were removed while image stability was greatly improved. A painstaking process for sure, and one that pays off with aplomb. The film’s intended look skews drab, but Arrow’s transfer boasts strong, accurate colors and healthy contrast. Nothing to complain about here. Audio-wise, the 1.0 French language track sounds fine with clear dialogue and music throughout.

This being my first Marco Ferreri film, I was all too happy to dig into the supplementary package. As I’ve said countless times, the best extras enhance the feature presentation by offering crucial insight and context. Arrow has always understood this and continues to deliver some of the best extra content on the market. La Grande Bouffe includes a half-hour vintage documentary called The Farcial Movie, which lets the director explain his most important influences and how they shaped his work.

There’s also a brief behind-the-scenes featurette that has some additional insight from Ferrari, as well as some colorful commentary by actors Ugo Tognazzi, Philippe Noiret, Marcello Mastroianni, and Michel Piccoli. It looks like the movie was a lot of fun to make, despite the nearly apocalyptic intent of the subject matter. There are some scattered cast and crew interviews shot at the Cannes Film Festival, and those are capped by news footage also pulled from Cannes. This stuff shows the controversy behind the film, and it’s a terrific way to place La Grande Bouffe in the proper historical context.

Italian film critic Pasquale Lannone sits down for a scene-specific audio commentary. As first I was disappointed by this decision, but it actually ensures a focused conversation. Lannone is also present for a 20-minute visual essay that repeats some of his insights while offering others. Fans of Arrow’s special packaging will revere the reversible cover art and liner notes. You also get a DVD edition for your troubles, although it’s kind of amazing to consider any film enthusiast hasn’t yet upgraded to Blu-ray.

La Grande Bouffe is yet another assault on the bourgeoisie, and it’s fascinating to see just how sadistic and depraved filmmakers can get while breaching that topic. From the aforementioned Salo to Dr. Jekyll & Ms. Osbourne (review here), there’s plenty of vitriol to be leveled against those who take and keep taking. La Grande Bouffe is funnier than most, but it’s no less outraged.

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The Purge is returning to Halloween Horror Nights in both Hollywood, CA, and Orlando, FL; and we have all the into you need to get ready for the event right here, including details on the all-new “Terror Tram: Survive the Purge” experience at Universal Studios Hollywood.

From the Press Release:
Beginning Friday, September 18, the annual “Purge” will commence at “Halloween Horror Nights” at Universal Studios Hollywood and Universal Orlando Resort as both parks debut all-new, disturbingly real experiences inspired by Universal’s popular franchise film series created by writer and director James DeMonaco and produced by Blumhouse Productions and Platinum Dunes.

Guests will attempt to survive the night as they are immersed in the film’s depraved world, where all crime is declared legal as part of the government’s annually sanctioned 12-hour Purge.

The “Terror Tram: Survive the Purge” experience at Universal Studios Hollywood will pit guests against morally-compromised citizens, who take to the streets to cleanse the country of those deemed as less desirable without fear of retribution. Recognizing that not all citizens choose to hunt during The Purge, a newly endorsed “Purge Party” will welcome guests to honor this proud national tradition by watching the night’s dramatic events unfold on large video screens set up around the famed Universal backlot – until the experience quickly turns into an unforgettable living nightmare.

Once aboard the “Terror Tram,” guests will find themselves at the mercy of affected vigilantes looking to annihilate people by the thousands. Strolling about the famed studio backlot – the very place where the horror film genre first took root – guests will need to rely on cunning wit, luck, and speed to outsmart and outlive the anarchy unleashed by once average citizens now transformed into sadistic felons.

“This year’s ‘Terror Tram’ preys upon the vulnerability of our guests as they wander the darkness of our world-famous backlot surrounded by iconic horror sets and consider the theoretic possibility of a real Purge experience,’” said John Murdy, Creative Director at Universal Studios Hollywood and Executive Producer of “Halloween Horror Nights.” “We consistently strive to raise the bar in delivering ideal scares, and the backlot at night infested with reprehensible characters is one way of truly scaring the living daylights out of our guests.”

Universal Orlando’s horrifying “Purge” maze will expand upon the incredibly popular and terrifying films and place guests in the midst of a chaotic Purge night where the tradition has commenced. As they navigate the maze, they will quickly realize that they are the targets for this year’s Purge. Guests will be hunted by dozens of masked vigilantes who will stop at nothing to purge as they are entitled.

“Building on the success of last year’s scare zone, this time our guests will live their very own ‘Purge Night’ within the confines of an all-new house experience,” said Michael Aiello, Director of Entertainment Creative Development. “Just like in the film, guests will find themselves within arm’s reach of the most sadistic collection of killers imaginable. Their only want and need is to express their right to purge and purge they will.”

Universal’s “Halloween Horror Nights” is the ultimate in extreme Halloween events. For more than 20 years, guests from around the world have visited “Halloween Horror Nights” in Hollywood and Orlando to become victims in their own horror movie. Multiple movie-quality mazes are constructed throughout the event, inspired by iconic slasher films, hit horror movies and television series, or hauntingly real original stories. Numerous scare zones also infiltrate “Halloween Horror Nights,” designed to provoke an unrelenting sense of fear and terrorize guests as they navigate the darkness from one frightening maze to another.

For more information about “Halloween Horror Nights” at Universal Studios Hollywood, visit HalloweenHorrorNights.com. Join the “Halloween Horror Nights” conversation using #UniversalHHN on Facebook at Halloween Horror Nights – Hollywood and Instagram, Twitter, and Periscope @HorrorNights. Add username “HorrorNights” on Snapchat for nightly live content, and watch the terror come to life on the Halloween Horror Nights YouTube page.

Tickets and vacation packages for Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Orlando are on sale now at HalloweenHorrorNights.com\Orlando. Updates on Universal Orlando’s Halloween Horror Nights are available on Facebook at Halloween Horror Nights – Universal Orlando and on Instagram at @HorrorNightsORL. Plus, fans can get exclusive updates from Director of Entertainment Creative Development, Mike Aiello, on Twitter at @HorrorNightsORL. Join the conversation using #HHN25.

About The Purge:
A thought-provoking thriller, The Purge and its sequel, The Purge: Anarchy, explore a world in which all crime, including murder, is declared legal and no one is safe for one single, terrifying night. From director and writer James DeMonaco (Assault on Precinct 13) and Blumhouse Productions and Platinum Dunes, both movies are available on DVD from Universal Studios Home Entertainment.

The post Universal Studios Hollywood and Orlando Will Purge During Halloween Horror Nights appeared first on Dread Central.

Around these parts we love werewolf movies. Especially werewolf movies that feature practical effects. Wait until you guys get a gander at the werewolf in the new flick Blood Moon. It’s had us grinning all morning for a multitude of reasons!

Via Uncork’d Entertainment and Jinga Films, Blood Moon will arrive on DVD and VOD September 1, 2015. Check out the trailer below!

Directed by Jeremy Wooding, the film stars George Blagden, Ian Whyte, Anna Skellern, Corey Johnson, Shaun Dooley, and Jack Fox.

Synopsis:
A stagecoach full of passengers and an enigmatic gunslinger are held hostage by two outlaws on the run from the law, but events take an unexpected turn when the travelers are stalked by a mythical beast that only appears on the night of a blood red moon.

The post New Blood Moon Stills Show Off the Creature appeared first on Dread Central.

There was one point in time when Universal was adapting a feature film adaptation of graphic novel Tag, though the rights recently reverted back to BOOM! Studios. Now we’re learning that Fox scooped them up, and a director has been brought on board. Read on!

Per Deadline, John Leonetti (Annabelle) will direct the adaptation, being scripted by Ben Collins and Luke Piotrowski. BOOM! brought the project to Fox under their first-look deal with the studio. The Tag graphic novel first started out as a comic book that was created and written by Keith Giffen.

The story centers on an everyday man who is “tagged” by a random stranger and returns home to make a terrifying discovery– his body is decomposing before his very eyes. He must figure out the origin of the curse or make the morally challenging decision to pass it on to somebody else before it overtakes his body.

The plot of the film is being kept under wraps but will be designed as a psychological thriller with elements of supernatural horror and focus on a female protagonist.

BOOM! CEO Ross Richie will produce along with President of Development Stephen Christy. BOOM!’s SVP Film Adam Yoelin will co-produce. Ryan Jones and Mark Roybal will oversee for Fox.

The post Annabelle Director John Leonetti Playing Tag With Fox appeared first on Dread Central.

Our first part of this article (for the record, I have no idea why I didn’t shoot for a list of 20 right from the beginning) seemed to draw some fair attention from you loyal DCers, but what struck me was how informative the article quickly became. A good number of readers were quick to point out some gems omitted from the article, which led to debate and recommendation of a follow-up piece. And that’s where we’re at today, where I listen to you, return to a fair number of films I haven’t seen recently, as well as some newer releases, and come up with a respectable list of 10 more movies that make special effects feel special again.

Let’s keep the debate alive, my fellow genre freaks. If you’re noticing a kick-ass flick that deserves to land on lists of this nature, make it known. It’s always a treat to unearth something foreign to me, and I’m never closed to the idea of creating a 10 Modern Horror Films with Awesome Practical Effects Part 3 article.

Maniac (2012): Frank Khalfoun did an amazing job with the remake of William Lustig’s deeply unsettling Maniac. Visually it is an amazingly stimulating film. The filming perspective is clever and effective, and Elijah Wood rises to an occasion many figured he couldn’t possibly achieve. It’s one of those pictures that forces you to think about it well after viewing. And one of the finest elements of the flick just so happens to be the load of all-too-realistic practical effects work that one wildly talented group of effects practitioners make a reality. The murders are brutal, and the scalping scenes look horrendous enough to guarantee the movie earns mention in this list!

Frankenstein’s Army: Let’s just be completely honest here and admit the fact that Frankenstein’s Army isn’t exactly a great film. There’s a lot wrong with the flick (an immediate sign comes in the video and sound itself, which is supposedly captured with a military camera during the second World War, yet looks and sounds so damn crisp it is extremely evident the technology was still a few decades away from arriving, even to the military). But for all the problems, it’s really hard to deny the entertainment value of the pic. Once the insanity really kicks into gear – around the 40- to 45-minute mark – we get to see some of the craziest monster creations ever put to film. And most of it looks absolutely amazing.

Doom: Full disclosure: Doom is a huge guilty pleasure piece for me. It’s so damn goofy, and “The Rock” is so hammy that there are a number of unintentional laughs to be had that tickle my fancy for reasons that could easily be considered wrong. But this video game transfer gets two things very, very right. One, it’s extremely fun. It moves fast and holds our attention (whether we take it seriously or not) with a bunch of cool monsters, human termination, and crazy pacing. The second thing it does very well is nailing the special effects. There are plenty of scenes weighed down with visual effects, but there are a whole hell of a lot of scenes with cool monster makeup and gnarly prosthetics. These beasts are pretty damn awesome… even if the picture as a whole could be considered by some a total waste of time.

The post 10 Modern Horror Films with Awesome Practical Effects Part 2 appeared first on Dread Central.

More casting news is here for Thomas Dekker’s new film, Jack Goes Home, and we have every detail you need right here!

From the Press Release:
Rory Culkin (Gabriel, Scream 4) and Lin Shaye (Insidious franchise, There’s Something About Mary) will star in writer/director Thomas Dekker’s upcoming feature film, Jack Goes Home.  The announcement was made today by writer/director Thomas Dekker and producers Jordan Yale Levine and Scott Levenson. 

Jack Goes Home will commence production this week in Kingston, New York.  The film is produced by Jordan Yale Levine/Yale Productions, Scott Levenson, and Thomas Dekker. Co-producers are Nikki Reed and Jon Keeyes, and executive producers include Shaun S. Sanghani/SSS Entertainment, Jason Rose, and Jessica Chang. 

Previously confirmed cast members include Britt Robertson (Tomorrowland) and Nikki Reed (Twilight Saga). Rory Culkin will play the title character with Lin Shaye starring as his mother, Teresa.  Britt Robertson plays Jack’s pregnant fiancée, Cleo; Daveigh Chase plays Jack’s loyal best friend, Shanda; Nikki Reed play’s Shanda’s girlfriend, Crystal; and Louis Hunter plays Jack’s seductive neighbor, Duncan.

“Lin Shaye and Rory Culkin are both exceptionally talented actors who are perfectly suited to lead the cast of Jack Goes Home,” commented writer and director Thomas Dekker.  “We could not be more thrilled to watch them bring our script to life as the film’s key mother/son duo.”

Blending elements of family drama and horror films, Jack Goes Home follows Jack, an educated and well versed magazine editor living in Los Angeles. He is mid 20s, engaged, and expecting his first child.  Grappling with the natural release of his childhood and the promise of his forthcoming adulthood, he is hit hard by the news of his father’s death.  In a violent and horrific car crash, his father has perished while his mother has survived.  He returns to his hometown of Denver, Colorado, to nurse his mother through her physical and emotional injuries.  During his stay at home, he uncovers long buried secrets and lies within his family history, his parents, his friends, and his very identity.  Jack’s journey to the truth is fueled by madness, sexuality, hauntings, and violence.  For Jack there truly is NO PLACE LIKE HOME.

Dekker’s acting credits include TV series “Backstrom” and “The Secret Circle.” On the film side he appeared in 2009’s My Sister’s Keeper and 2010’s A Nightmare on Elm Street and directed the 2008 indie Whore. He’s repped by MGMT Entertainment and Sloane, Offer.

The post Jack Goes Home with Rory Culkin and Lin Shaye appeared first on Dread Central.

Rob Zombie’s crowdfunded Halloween horror film 31 is headed our way in the near future, and though we don’t yet have a date, the various teases have been enough to hold us over. On tap today is a brand new shot from the film, giving us our first look at Pancho Moler as Sick-Head.

As always, the image comes courtesy of Rob Zombie’s Facebook page. Check it out!

The cast includes Meg Foster as Venus Virgo; Judy Geeson as Sister Dragon; Jeff Daniel Phillips as Roscoe; Jane Carr as Sister Serpent; Richard Brake as Doom-Head; Ginger Lynn as Cherry Bomb, Doom-Head’s very special friend; Malcolm McDowell as Father Murder, the owner of Murder World; David Ury as Schizo-Head; Daniel Roebuck as Pastor Victor; Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs as Panda Thomas, the manager of a traveling roadshow known as “The Venus Lux Happy Time Fun Show”; Pancho Moler as Sick-Head; Tracy Walter as Lucky Leo; E.G. Daily as Sex-Head; and Torsten Voges as Death-Head as well as Sheri Moon Zombie, Lew Temple, Bari Suzuki, and Devin Sidell.

Synopsis:
31 follows five carnival workers who are kidnapped the night before Halloween and held hostage in a large secret compound known as Murder World. Once there, they have 12 hours to survive a terrifying game called 31 in which “The Heads” – murderous maniacs dressed as clowns – are released to hunt them down and kill them.

The post Rob Zombie’s 31 – First Look at Sick-Head appeared first on Dread Central.

Even though we’ve been telling you that the next Resident Evil film will be the last in Paul W.S. Anderson’s franchise for about two months now, star Ali Larter has reconfirmed it to IGN.

“I know it is,” said Larter regarding whether or not this is the end. “We are not allowed to say one thing. I am held to secrecy, but what I can tell you is that the script is amazing. They’re really wrapping up the whole series, so that just makes it a little more poignant. To be able to come back and reprise my role as Claire and my relationship with Alice, with Umbrella Corp. — you know, I’m excited to get back in it. I think the fans are just going to be beyond excited.”

Larter continues, “How many movies have this kind of fanbase and get to be made six times? I think that’s extraordinary. It’s a total testament to [series star] Milla [Jovovich] and Paul. I’m so grateful to them, that they chose me to be a part of it halfway through, and they’ve kept me along for the ride. I love that it’s not seven men and one woman. I mean, these are two women, and they’re not competing with each other. You know, there are such easy clichés these two could fall into, but this is definitely a female power movie.”

Written and directed by Paul W.S. Anderson, Resident Evil: The Final Chapter picks up after the events of Resident Evil: Retribution, as the Project Alice is forced to race against time before the villainous Red Queen attempts to destroy the final remnants of humanity.

Constantin Film’s Robert Kulzer, Impact Pictures’ Jeremy Bolt, Davis-Films’ Samuel Hadida, and Anderson are producing; and Martin Moszkowicz is serving as executive producer.

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