Picking up where the first Contracted left off, the sequel has Riley (Matt Mercer) searching for a cure to the virus that destroyed his girlfriend, Samantha (Najarra Townsend). It’s a race against the clock as he must stop the carnage before it consumes him and the entire world.

We had a chance to get the official word from Josh Forbes, the director of Contracted: Phase II, on not only the making of the film, casting choices, and zombie gore, but also the aftermath and his take on original director Eric England’s public denouncement of the sequel.

Dread Central: We love Mayera Abeita’s special effects makeup. She’s one of the best in the indie biz. Talk a bit about how she builds on her work from the first Contracted film, how closely the two of you collaborated, and what are some of the gooier, grosser looks in the film…

Josh Forbes: Mayera is a genius. She’s able to take a minuscule budget and turn it into a million bucks. Samantha’s look in the first film is so iconic. Specifically the asymmetrical eye. It’s so simple but so effective.

Mayera really had her work cut out for her with this one. There was a gore gag every day of shooting. It was insane! I don’t want to spoil it, but there’s a zombie at the very end of the movie that’s as good, if not better, than anything I’ve seen in any zombie flick.

We collaborated really closely. I kept sending her disgusting YouTube videos of people extracting botflies from their heads and zit-popping videos. NOT SAFE FOR LIFE!

I wanted those scenes to have the same icky appeal that those YouTube videos have. Those videos are mesmerizing. I can’t stop watching them. Maybe there’s something wrong with me.

I’ve since worked a couple times with Mayera on music videos. We worked together on a video for The Offspring called “Coming for You.”

DC: Your lead actor, Matt Mercer, was in talks to write and direct this sequel – at least briefly. So, can you talk about how that morphed into a different writer and you directing? Was Matt always going to be the main character in this continuation of the story?

JF: I’m assuming you’re referring to Eric England’s recent blog post. That was all news to me. I had no clue about that. I love Matt Mercer. I’m sure he would have made a great film.

I’ve tried to stay out of the politics of this whole thing. It’s no secret that Eric England, the writer and director of the first film, has had problems with our movie. It sounds like it’s primarily based on disagreements with the producers. He’s gone out of his way to trash our film, which is frustrating and unfortunate. It makes him come off like a bitter ex-boyfriend. It’s also hurting his wallet since he has points on the film. We’ve met for beers and he’s a really cool, creative hard working dude. I wish him all the best; I just wish he’d stop treating this like a competition.

When I got the call, the script was pretty locked down and approved by IFC Midnight. Most of the cast and crew were set and we were ready to rock and roll. I didn’t really have the luxury to futz too much with the script. Which is why I keep likening the experience to shoot a TV episode. It felt very punk rock and DIY in a lot of ways. Which was a lot of fun for me.

As far as Matt being the lead, I’ll be honest: I wasn’t a fan of the idea. I really wanted it to be Charley Koontz’s movie. Nothing against Matt, but Charley was my favorite characters in the first film. He’s so hilarious. Of course now Charley is on “CSI: Cyber”, so we were lucky to get him to come back for a day of shooting.

Matt’s character in the first film was really off-putting. He reminded me of Greg Sestero in The Room. Or Whitney Moore from Birdemic. You can tell he’s a great actor but he’s being underused. It felt like he was stuck in “The Twilight Zone.” I mean, c’mon… Najarra is hot, but you’ve gotta have a screw loose if you’re having sex with her while her lips are falling off.

After I met Matt Mercer in person, that all changed. He’s such a sweet, smart, sensitive guy. He has a real vulnerability to him and also a strength. We talked about the script and decided we were going to make this the story of a mama’s boy (or grandmama in this case) taking charge of his life. It’s about a passive character becoming active. He basically transforms from a wuss to an action star. There’s an amazing scene at the beginning where he accidentally kills a zombie by holding a knife out and closing his eyes. Contrast this with the ending where he’s in a badass knock-down drag-out fist fight. It’s quite a transformation.

DC: Before you were brought on the direct Contracted: Phase II, had you seen the first one? What did you think?

JF: I had seen the poster and the trailer, which are both amazing. When I saw the film, there’s a lot I liked and a lot that I thought I didn’t. The concept is brilliant. I really loved Mike Testin’s cinematography. Najarra is captivating. She’s totally a star. The choice to keep Simon Barrett out of focus was really interesting. Mayera’s gore work was outstanding.

It was much more of a slow burn than I’m into. I didn’t really buy all the interpersonal drama. I wasn’t sure why she had to be bisexual AND a former drug addict. It felt like two after-school specials smoothed together. And the whole flower competition thing was straight-up wacky. I understand what they were going for, but it was just weird. Also, the date rape aspect was really strange to me. Personally I would have liked it better if she volitionally had chosen to sleep with him and then reaped the consequences. The date rape complicates the morality of it. Which I’m sure some people find interesting.

That said, a lot of people really adore the first film. There was a lot of pressure to appeal to those folks while also bringing in people who weren’t fans of the first. I’m sure there are folks who wanted more of the same slow pace from the first film. I’m sure there’s an equal number of people who loved the last two minutes of Eric’s movie and are looking for more action this time around.

Phase II is such a different movie. It has all the gore and more that people loved in the first one, while expanding the scope of the story and building up the intrigue of our Big Bad: BJ. When I read Craig’s script, I got excited. It was full of really crazy, exciting scenes. Especially with the discussions of a Phase 3 around the corner, it read more like the pilot for a kickass TV show, complete with some really cool cliffhangers. It allowed us to not worry about tying up the loose ends and just go for it.

In my opinion it’s 1000 times more entertaining than the first one. The first film is essentially a kitchen sink drama with some gore thrown in. Ours is relentless.

DC: Your story picks up where the first one left off, but how far does it deviate from the spirit of the original?

JF: What makes the first film interesting is that it’s basically the moments before a typical zombie movie. Ours is essentially the moments before a massive outbreak film. Most zombie films are about the survivors; these films are about the infected and what they go through before they change. So, in that way they are similar. They both have that Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead feel of focusing on a minor character in a bigger narrative.

Like I said, ours moves at a much faster pace. It’s less about the personal drama and more about the mystery of the madman behind the disease. There are a lot of external forces in play, and Riley (Matt Mercer) is just trying to keep it together through all of it. Our film is also much more self-aware than the first film. It’s filled with fun cameos. Whitney Moore from Birdemic makes an appearance. Justin Benson and Aaron Moorehead, the directors of Spring and Resolution, play a pair of cops. Richard Riehle shows up out of nowhere. Matt delivers some lines that have a Bruce Campbell level of absurdity. Stuff like, “Take that, you bastard!” when he had to pull a maggot from his chest with his teeth. Everything is played very seriously, but the movie gets a lot of laughs.

DC: From Tod Browning’s Freaks to the Cronenberg era, and now the zombie virus craze… horror fans just can’t get enough. What, in your opinion, is the enduring appeal and fascination with body horror?

JF: Body horror is real. We’re all falling apart. We’re basically just rotting meat. I’m not afraid of ghosts because they’re not real. I don’t stay up at night worrying about vampires. But I do worry about my body falling apart. Typically zombies represent being overtaken by swarms of the “other,” but in this film I think it’s more about the fear of dying.

DC: What kind of horror movies do you enjoy, as a fan?

JF: I’m a big horror comedy fan. My friend Todd Strauss-Schullson made a movie called The Final Girls that is the best horror comedy I’ve seen since Shaun of the Dead. Another friend, Ryan Spindell, did a short film called The Babysitter Murders that I’m really inspired by. You should definitely seek those out. I’m a big Takashi Miike fan and have been going through his work. He’s so prolific it’s mind-boggling. If you haven’t seen Gozu or Happiness of the Katakuris, you’re missing out.

I’ve also been on a Neil Marshall binge. After seeing his work on “Game of Thrones,” I went back through his films, and they’re all so good! I love how he combined action and horror. He just did a segment of an anthology film called Tales of Halloween that is really amazing. It’s about a killer pumpkin. That whole film is really great. Mike Mendez, Lucky McKee, Axelle Carolyn, and a bunch of other great filmmakers did segments. It played with our film at the Bruce Campbell Horror Fest. Highly recommended.

On the TV side of things, I’ve been enjoying the heck out of “Attack on Titan.” It’s so great.

Speaking of Japanese films, this isn’t exactly horror, but there’s a movie I found on Crunchyroll (it’s also on Amazon) called Fine, Totally Fine. It’s about a guy who’s obsessed with building a haunted house. It’s more of an indie comedy, but it’s really hilarious.

IFC Midnight and BoulderLight Pictures released Contracted: Phase II on VOD, and it’s available NOW!

Contracted: Phase II co-stars Matt Mercer and Alice MacDonald are back, joined by Peter Cilella, Marianna Palka, Morgan Peter Brown, Laurel Vail, Anna Lore, and Suzanne Voss in a follow-up that ups the ante and expands on the first film’s modestly scaled origins. Craig Walendziak wrote the script.

Synopsis:
Contracted: Phase II follows the story of Samantha as she suffers from a mysterious and degenerative disease. The film centers on Riley, one of the last people to come in contact with Samantha, as he scrambles to track down those responsible for the outbreak before the highly contagious disease not only consumes his body, but the world as we know it.

The post Exclusive Interview with Director Josh Forbes on Contracted: Phase II appeared first on Dread Central.

Starring Rob Scattergood, Josef Urban, Amanda Moyer

Directed by Nicole Jones-Dion

After watching Debris, the short film from director Nicole Jones-Dion, I think it’s safe to surmise that as far as swashbuckling antiquities retrievers go, Indiana Jones should remain safely perched atop his golden throne… at least for the foreseeable future.

In the 16-minute presentation, we learn about discovery, obsession, and eventually bloodshed as a result of the reclamation of a cursed object. The object in question is an ages-old samurai sword, found on the beach one day by metal-detecting relic-hunter Royce (Scattergood). His initial thoughts on the item appear to simply cash in the blade for a nice payday, but when a little blood gets spilled before he shows it off to his less-than-enthused ex (Moyer), something takes over and the sword’s appetite for more of the red stuff becomes a reality, taking over Royce’s desires and actions. It’s a simple tale, really, and plays out with the looks and feels of a love triangle gone seriously askew.

With the film’s relative shortness of life as far as length is concerned, there’s no real way to gauge a shoddy performance from an adequate one; however, I didn’t see anyone wasting precious airtime with a lousy portrayal, and with some more tweaking and creative enhancement, Debris could certainly be stretched out into a full-length feature, delving more into the sword’s backstory and the eventual evisceration of those who either possess it or pose a threat to its existence.

Overall, this quickie was entertaining but just too damn short to hold in a seriously high regard – worth at least a watch if you get the chance.

The post Debris (Short, 2015) appeared first on Dread Central.

This isn’t a review of writer/director Sion Sono’s incredible hip-hop action musical Tokyo Tribe, but I must insist that you give it a whirl. It’s definitely not for everyone — it’s insanely over-to-top and packed with cheesiness — but it’s one of the most original Japanese movies I’ve seen in a long time. Sono is spot-on once again, but the guy can honestly do no wrong. In my opinion, of course.

Thankfully, the folks at XLrator see the genius of Tokyo Tribe and are planning to release the flick in select theaters and on VOD this October. I can’t wait to watch it again.

Check out XLrator’s synopsis for Tokyo Tribe below.

In a futuristic Japan, territorial street gangs form opposing factions collectively known as the Tokyo Tribes. When one of the gang leaders breaks the fragile peace, it triggers a brutal street war for supremacy. Based on a popular Manga series and told almost entirely in rap verse, TOKYO TRIBE is an ingenious mash-up of Yakuza gang violence, martial arts action, and hip-hop musical.

Sion Sono’s Tokyo Tribe is presently slated to arrive on October 23. If you want a taste of the film’s cinematic insanity, take a good look at the trailer below.

The post XLrator to Release Sion Sono’s Tokyo Tribe in Theaters and VOD Next Month appeared first on Dread Central.

Those who are attending this year’s Toronto After Dark film festival are probably wondering what flicks will screen at the event. Fortunately, the folks at TAD have revealed the festival’s first 10 films. Judging from the lineup, horror fans will have plenty of movies to keep them busy.

I must say I’m a little jealous of those attending Toronto After Dark this year. The sound amazing, and I can’t wait to check some of them out.

A handy list courtesy of TAD 2015 lies below.

TALES OF HALLOWEEN (USA) Toronto Premiere & Opening Gala Film
Acclaimed filmmakers Neil Marshall (THE DESCENT), Lucky McKee (MAY), Darren Lynn Bousman (REPO! THE GENETIC OPERA), Paul Solet (GRACE) and many more team up to deliver 10 wickedly entertaining tales of terror all set on the same hellish Halloween night. The huge cast of fan favourites joining into deliver thrills and chills galore include John Landis, Adrienne Barbeau, Joe Dante, Barbara Crampton, Lin Shaye and Barry Bostwick!

DEATHGASM (New Zealand) Toronto Premiere & Closing Gala Film
In the latest crowd-pleasing horror-comedy from New Zealand that’s taken the festival circuit by storm since its debut at SXSW, a group of metalhead outcasts unwittingly unleash a horde of vicious demons upon their sleepy suburban neighbourhood. Now they’ll have to engage in an epic duel of blood and metal with Satan’s hordes if they’re to win back their town.

LAZER TEAM (USA) Canadian Premiere
Web series gods Rooster Teeth hit it out of the park with their feature film debut, a crowd-pleasing sci-fi action comedy. When Earth is threatened by an advanced alien race, the planet’s only hope lies in four morons, the self-proclaimed “Lazer Team” and some high tech weaponry that’s never been tested before!

NINA FOREVER (U.K.) Toronto Premiere
Winning rave reviews on the fest circuit, this twisted, messed-up, dark horror comedy from Britain is about a young man trying to start a new relationship with a supermarket co-worker while all the time being stalked by his very jealous, very dead, ex-girlfriend.

A CHRISTMAS HORROR STORY (Canada) Toronto Premiere
A delightfully creepy, Yule-themed horror tale from the same talented team behind the GINGER SNAPS movies. Living icon William Shatner stars as local radio DJ Dan working the Christmas Eve graveyard shift, when all hell breaks loose around him in the snow-covered town of Bailey Downs. Santa’s having the most terrible night of them all, having to fight off an outbreak of zombie elves heralding the arrival of his evil nemesis, the monstrous Krampus!

TAG (Japan) Toronto Premiere
From the warped mind of acclaimed Japanese director Sion Sono (SUICIDE CLUB, LOVE EXPOSURE, WHY DON’T YOU PLAY IN HELL) comes a shocking, satirical, horror-action-thriller about three Japanese schoolgirls in the race of their lives as they try to outrun a mysterious malevolent force that’s brutally killing every girl around them.

LOVE & PEACE (Japan) Toronto Premiere
A wildly imaginative Japanese fantasy/monster movie mashup about a downtrodden office worker who aspires to be a rock star and his pet turtle who wants to grow up to be a giant city-destroying creature like Godzilla! Don’t miss this one-of-a-kind cinematic delight from the eccentric mind of director Sion Sono (SUICIDE CLUB, LOVE EXPOSURE, WHY DON’T YOU PLAY IN HELL) that’s rightfully winning Audience Awards!

THE DEMOLISHER (Canada) Toronto Premiere
A hypnotic, dark, award-winning thriller about a mentally unstable vigilante, The Demolisher, who deals with his personal frustrations by donning a suit of body armour and prowling the streets at night, delivering brutal justice to those he feels deserve it. The film’s atmospheric nocturnal city landscape is superbly enhanced by a fantastic synth score from Glen Nicholls aka Future Funk Squad!

SYNCHRONICITY (USA) Toronto Premiere
From Jacob Gentry (Sundance hit THE SIGNAL) comes another smart, dark, sci-fi thriller, this time heavily influenced by the noir ambiance of BLADE RUNNER. A brilliant young scientist tries to crack the secret of time travel whilst thwarting the advances of a sinister corporate leader (portrayed by fan fave villain Michael Ironside), while falling for a mysterious woman whose suddenly appeared in his life.

PATCHWORK (USA) International Premiere
A delightfully dark, Frankenstein-themed horror comedy about a re-animated corpse, made from the stitched together body parts of three murdered young women, that decides to go on a bloody quest to find their killer and avenge their deaths!

Toronto After Dark runs from October 15 to October 23. For more information, including several nifty posters and trailers, do yourself a favor and check out the official website.

The post Toronto After Dark 2015 Announces the Festival’s First 10 Films appeared first on Dread Central.

Do you have one of those fake rocks with a spare house key tucked inside? Have you ever wondered what would happen if someone discovered that rock and replaced your key with a flash drive containing lots of creepy stuff? If so, Kirk White’s horror flick Hide-A-Key should give you plenty of nightmares and make you second guess those odd noises you hear in the middle of the night.

To sweeten the deal, White’s project was reportedly written by the “sickest minds on the dark web.” That’s a pretty bold statement, and it’s certainly piqued my interest in the project. Here’s the thing: White needs a little help generating some much-needed cash for the movie, so he set up an official Indiegogo campaign with the hope of funding this production.

Here’s how White describes the plot:

A dude comes home from work. It’s late…raining. He’s in a terrible mood. He rushes to get the groceries out and locks his keys in the car. He’s f***ed. His wife and the kids are at her parents’. What to do? What to do? SALVATION…he remembers that he’d bought one of those little hide-a-key thingy that looks like a rock and you stick your key in it and put it in the garden or something for just such an emergency. So he looks for the faux rock—not an easy thing to do in the middle of the night with no flashlight. He finds it. Sighs of relief. He opens the rock to find…

No key.

In its place, a small flash drive.

He breaks a window. Gets in his house. Fires up the computer and inserts the drive.

There are a series of media files. As he plays each one, to his horror, he realizes that they are of him and his family, and they are shot inside his house (using the hide-a-key for access one would presume) by an unknown intruder. Some are during the day, some are at night, some while they are sleeping. As the video clips progress, he realizes that the intruder has begun to ACTIVELY participate in his life.

As a life-long horror fan, Kirk White seems to understand what terrifies people the most. If you’d like to know more about Hide-A-Key, check out the teaser trailer below.

The post Hide-A-Key Wants to Make You Afraid of Your Own House appeared first on Dread Central.

As we’ve previously mentioned, Charles Band, the ghoulish and prolific mind that brought you iconic horror and sci-fi films like Troll, Puppet Master, Subspecies, Trancers, Ghoulies, Re-Animator, From Beyond, Demonic Toys, and hundreds of other films, is producing Full Moon’s next two productions: EVIL BONG HIGH-5 and KILLJOY’S PSYCHO CIRCUS!

These films are fully financed and will go into production in fall 2015. With your help these films will feature more practical effects! More cameos! And more wild surprises!

Dig on the campaign video, and then check out the HUMONGOUS fan art gallery below!

Indiegogo: Full Moon’s Evil Bong and Killjoy film sequels from Full Moon Features on Vimeo.

The post Massive Full Moon Features Fan Art Gallery with Puppets Galore! appeared first on Dread Central.

The folks at WGN America are hitting it out of the park with “Salem,” and now they’re about to dip their toes into the more sci-fi side of things with an adaptation in the works of Roadside Picnic, the 1972 novel written by Russian brothers Arkady and Boris Strugatsky.

Per Deadline, the potential series is being written by Jack Paglen (Transcendence), directed by Alan Taylor (Terminator Genisys, “Game of Thrones”), and produced by Neal Moritz (Goosebumps, the Fast & Furious franchise). Sony Pictures TV, where the project was developed as a spec, is the studio, partnering with Tribune Studios. Paglen and Taylor executive produce with Original Film’s Moritz and Vivian Cannon.

Roadside Picnic is about an alien visitation to planet Earth, whose aftermath has led to the creation of “Zones” in the areas where the aliens had possibly landed. The Zones exhibit strange and dangerous phenomena not understood by humans and contain artifacts with inexplicable, seemingly supernatural properties. It was the basis for Andrei Tarkovsky’s filmic masterpiece Stalker and the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. video games that have proven immensely popular.

Book Synopsis:
Red Schuhart is a stalker, one of those young rebels who are compelled, in spite of the extreme danger, to venture illegally into the Zone to collect the mysterious artifacts that the alien visitors left scattered around. But when he and his friend Kirill go into the Zone together to pick up a “full empty,” something goes terribly wrong.

The post WGN America Developing a Series Based on Russian Novel Roadside Picnic appeared first on Dread Central.

Adam Cesare’s Mercy House was released earlier this summer to glowing reviews and reader praise. If you haven’t yet taken a trip to the world’s most upsetting retirement community, you can load Mercy House onto your e-reader for a mere $2 this week.

Mercy House comes from Random House’s Hydra imprint, and if you visit that page, you’ll find links to Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iBooks, Kobo, the Google Play store, and Books A Million, all of which are currently offering the book for $2. If you’re still craving geriatric horror after seeing The Visit this weekend, Cesare has you covered, and you won’t be disappointed.

Synopsis:
Welcome to Mercy House, a state-of-the-art retirement home that appears perfectly crisp, clean, and orderly… but nothing could be further from the truth. In Adam Cesare’s thrilling novel the residents will find little mercy—only a shocking eruption of unfathomable horror.

Harriet Laurel notices the odor at Mercy House as soon as she sets foot inside, brought there against her will by her son, Don, and his wife, Nikki. In the early stages of dementia, Harriet has grown resentful of Nikki, blaming her daughter-in-law for failing to supply grandchildren. Yet, even Harriet must admit that her mind becomes clearer as soon as she crosses the threshold. If it wasn’t for that annoying smell.

Arnold Piper is an 85-year-old ex-Marine, a proud man who has cared for himself his whole life. But no longer. Betrayed by his aging body, Arnold is learning that the trials he survived long ago in war-torn Korea pale beside the daily indignities of growing old. Little does he know that his greatest nightmares are still ahead of him.

Sarah Campbell is an idealistic nurse whose compassion has been stretched to the breaking point at the chronically understaffed facility that is Mercy House. But now Sarah’s list of unpleasant duties is about to take a terrifying turn. For something wicked is brewing in Mercy House. Something dark and rotten… and deadly.

The post Adam Cesare’s Mercy House Is $2 This Week appeared first on Dread Central.

It’s always exciting when someone announces a Lovecraft-inspired film or television series. Although some adaptations and homages are a bit lacking, I’m always hoping someone will come along and absolutely nail the atmosphere the iconic author created in his stories.

Director JR Lipartito hopes his Kwaidan/H.P. Lovecraft-inspired web series The Crawler in the Dark will appeal to horror fans who adore the late writer’s work. It certainly looks promising.

Check out the show’s synopsis:

The story is about two scholars who discover an ancient artifact with which they can psychically explore across space and time but leaves them unwittingly exposed to a malevolent psychic traveler.

The Crawler in the Dark, produced in association with Toei Company Ltd. and YouTube Space Tokyo, recently debuted its first episode. If you like what you see, Episodes Two and Three will arrive on September 17 and September 24, respectively. You can watch Episode One below.

The post Lovecraftian Web Series The Crawler in the Dark Is Now Available appeared first on Dread Central.

One of the last things we heard about director Nacho Vigalondo’s Colossal was that the film’s producers were facing a lawsuit from Toho regarding the use of Godzilla in their pitch. Despite this setback, it appears the project is still moving forward with award-winning star Anne Hathaway.

Despite these behind-the-scenes issues, it seems the movie is still in the works. When a curious fan asked Vigalondo about his upcoming projects, the filmmaker revealed he’s working on Colossal. Need proof that this exchange took place? Check out the confirmation below.

@JADSTERSDAD Colossal, with Anne Hathaway!!!

— Nacho Vigalondo (@vigalondo) August 6, 2015

Unfortunately, this is all the information we have at the moment. If you’re wondering what this flick is about, take a look at the synopsis below from the Voltage Pictures website. At one time “giant lizard” was replaced by “giant robot,” probably due to Toho filing the aforementioned lawsuit against Voltage.

Hathaway will be playing Gloria in the picture, an ordinary woman who, after losing her job and her fiancé, decides to leave her life in New York to move back to her home town. When news reports start surfacing that a giant monster is destroying the city of Tokyo, Gloria gradually comes to realize that she is connected to these far-off events. In order to prevent further destruction, Gloria needs to determine why her seemingly insignificant existence has such a colossal effect on the fate of the world.

Since any further details are currently few and far between at the moment, the fate of Nacho Vigalondo’s Colossal still hangs in the balance. We’ll keep you posted if we stumble across anything new.

The post Is Nacho Vigalondo’s Colossal Still Happening with Anne Hathaway? appeared first on Dread Central.

Ilya Naishuller’s Hardcore, the first ever first-person POV action film, is premiering TONIGHT (September 12th) as part of the Toronto International Film Festival’s Midnight Madness programme, and we have its new trailer to share.  It’s a good thing today’s Saturday because it is definitely NSFW!

Hardcore stars Sharlto Copley, Danila Kozlovsky, Haley Bennett, Andrey Dementiev, Dasha Charusa, and Sveta Ustinova. Timur Bekmambetov, writer/director Ilya Naishuller, Inga Vainshtein Smith, and Ekaterina Kononeko produce. Executive producers include Copley, Will Stewart, Karina Sinonenko, Alex A. Ginzburg, and Tony Lee with co-exec producer Mitch Grobman.

TIFF 2015 runs until September 20th.  Here’s Hardcore‘s screening schedule:

Saturday, September 12 – 11:59 pm – Ryerson Theatre
Monday, September 14 – 4:15 pm – Scotiabank Theatre
Friday, September 18 – 1:00 pm – Scotiabank Theatre

Synopsis:
Resurrected with no recollection of his past, a cyborg named Henry (the audience’s POV) and his ally, Jimmy (Sharlto Copley, District 9), must fight through the streets of Moscow in pursuit of Henry’s kidnapped wife in the world’s first action-adventure film to be entirely shot from the first-person perspective.

The post TIFF 2015: This NSFW Trailer Is Totally Hardcore appeared first on Dread Central.

Season 2 of Syfy’s “Z Nation” kicked off last night with a rousing premiere, and next week’s Episode 2.02, “White Light,” looks to continue amping things up for our survivors, one of whom might not live to see another day.  But before we get to that, we have some guest casting news to share that we honestly didn’t think was true when we first heard it.

Per EW, George R.R. Martin, author of the Game of Thrones novels, will have a cameo in “Z Nation” Episode 2.08, playing himself as a zombie. The storyline is that Martin has been imprisoned by a character called “The Collector,” who captures celebrity zombies, and he keeps George chained to a desk for his own nefarious purposes.

In the below photos Martin is shown signing his book A Promise of Spring, a play on A Dream of Spring — the expected title of the eventual seventh (and presumably last) novel in his epic A Song of Ice and Fire saga. Currently Martin is working on Book 6, The Winds of Winter.

Martin, who also appeared in Syfy’s Sharknado 3 and was featured in CBS’s 1980’s version of “Beauty and the Beast” (where he worked as a writer), explained his appearance as one of the undead:  “I just want to prove to my fans that even in the zombie apocalypse, the Song of Ice and Fire books will still come out!” 

“Z Nation” Episode 2.02 – “White Light” (9/18/15)
The heroes are reunited but soon find themselves navigating an unexpected tragedy as they engage in fierce fighting with both zombies and bounty hunters who are eager to capture Murphy… dead or alive. Meanwhile, Vasquez (Matt Cedeño) makes a strategic decision.

For more info keep your eyes on “Z Nation” on Syfy.com and follow @ZNation on Twitter.

The post Z Nation Lands George RR Martin for a Cameo; First Look at Episode 2.02 – White Light appeared first on Dread Central.

Following the UK premiere of The Diabolical at FrightFest 2015 in August, Content Media and High Fliers have announced that the film, directed by Alistair Legrand and starring Ali Larter, will be released in select UK cinemas and on VOD platforms on Friday, October 16th, and then onto DVD on Monday, October 19th.

Below you’ll find the trailer and some additional details.

The Diabolical (review) is the latest film from genre producer Ross Dinerstein, the man behind The Pact franchise and Xavier Gens’ cult favorite The Divide. The Diabolical is described as putting the “constant dread and startling twists found in The Others alongside the relentless terror of The Conjuring.”

Related Story:  A Diabolical New Image Gallery

This is Legrand’s feature film debut, and he co-wrote the script wrote with Luke Harvis. Executive producers are Jamie Carmichael of Content Media and Kevin Iwashina of Preferred Content. It also arrives Stateside in theatres, on iTunes, and on VOD on October 16th from XLrator Media.

Synopsis:
Madison (Ali Larter), a single mother of two, is awoken nightly by an increasingly strange and intense presence. She seeks help from her scientist boyfriend, Nikolai (Arjun Gupta), who begins a hunt to destroy the violent spirit that paranormal experts are too frightened to take on themselves.

The post UK Release Details for The Diabolical appeared first on Dread Central.

Welcome to the other side of cinema! The Arizona Underground Film Festival (AZUFF), celebrating its 8th year in 2015, has unveiled its full schedule, which includes world premieres, North American premieres, and some of the best genre cinema on the planet. It runs September 18th-26th at The Screening Room, 127 E. Congress, in the heart of downtown Tucson.

Below are the highlights; the full schedule of films can be found at AZUFF.org.

From the Press Release:
AZUFF will world premiere the jagged journey THIRTY-NINE, directed by Josh Evans and starring Natasha Gregson Wagner, Josh Evans, and Robert Wagner.

Horror actress-turned-director Jessica Cameron’s new film, MANIA, about a fucked up lesbian love story, will have its world premiere at the festival. It stars Tristan Risk and Ellie Church.

RWD, the debut feature of director Matt Stuertz, will also have its world premiere at the fest. Chris Lipscomb (Adam Hartley) and Ricky Nicolas (Stuertz) are the stars and cameramen of the “popular” paranormal reality series “Ghost Goofs.” In their final episode, they plan to journey deep into the legendary Brut Woods in search of a malevolent and murderous spirit that has haunted the grounds for the past century. But when they arrive, they find something much worse… themselves.

Another world premiere is the horror comedy DATE OF THE DEAD, a comedy horror anthology that showcases three different types of horror genres.

North American premieres include The Black Fables with a story by the eternal Coffin Joe (José Mojica Marins), the wild Toro Loco Sangriento, as well as the US premiere of the raunchy comedy Bunny the Killer Thing.

Also screening will be Deathgasm, Excess Flesh, Black Fly, Shooting the Musical, the kung fu documentary The Real Miyagi, and many more.

The post Arizona Underground Film Festival Lineup Includes Mania, RWD, Deathgasm, and Lots More! appeared first on Dread Central.

Jeremiah Kipp’s Black Wake features a number of wonderful actors, and the latest teaser puts the focus on Jonny Beaucham (Penny Dreadful) and the almighty Tom Sizemore. Since I’m a huge fan of both The Relic and Natural Born Killers, it’s always good to see Sizemore pop up in a new flick. Judging from the latest trailer for Black Wake, he plays a significant role in Kipp’s latest endeavor.

Unfamiliar with Black Wake? Let’s dive into this synopsis:

Specialists gather in a top-secret facility to investigate a series of strange deaths on beaches along the Atlantic Ocean. One of the team’s scientists (Nana Gouvea) examines video evidence to uncover a possible parasitic explanation for the fatalities. But when a determined detective (Tom Sizemore) sends her the crazed writings of a mysterious homeless man (Jonny Beauchamp), the scientist slowly learns that the actual threat may be more dangerous — and far older — than anyone ever imagined. Can she convince her colleagues (led by Eric Roberts) of the true danger before an ancient force rises from the sea to bring madness and death to all of humanity?

Black Wake also stars Eric Roberts and Nana Gouvea. The latest teaser awaits.

The post Second Black Wake Teaser Gives Us Plenty of Jonny Beaucham and Tom Sizemore appeared first on Dread Central.

Small Town Folk director Chris R. Wright’s upcoming short film The Water Boatman explores the drama surrounding the death of a relationship. However, instead of a rom-com, Wright is giving us something a bit more surreal. In fact, he describes the flick as “Don’t Look Now meets The Shining… via Mulholland Drive.” It’s a bold statement, but the guy certainly knows how to get our attention.

Here’s a short synopsis to help set the mood:

After his first day in a new job, Neil, a florist, returns home to find his girlfriend acting strange. They’ve not long moved in together and she hasn’t been well. But tonight things take an unexpected turn.

If this sounds interesting, then swing by the official Indiegogo campaign for The Water Boatman and give the filmmaker some money. On your way out, take a look at the pitch video and decide if this is something the world needs to see. You can find the clip embedded below.

The post Chris R. Wright’s Short Film The Water Boatman Launches Indiegogo Campaign appeared first on Dread Central.

Guillermo del Toro’s next film hits theatres on October 16th, and we have a brand new clip for you at the ready depicting a few of the horrors of Crimson Peak! Dig it!

Legendary Pictures’ Crimson Peak, a co-production with Universal Pictures, is a haunting Gothic horror story directed by the master of dark fairy tales, Guillermo del Toro (Pan’s Labyrinth, Hellboy series, Pacific Rim), written by del Toro and Matthew Robbins, and starring Mia Wasikowska, Jessica Chastain, Tom Hiddleston, Charlie Hunnam, and Jim Beaver.

Synopsis:
When her heart is stolen by a seductive stranger, a young woman is swept away to a house atop a mountain of blood-red clay: a place filled with secrets that will haunt her forever. Between desire and darkness, between mystery and madness, lies the truth behind Crimson Peak.

All Crimson Peak images and posters courtesy of Universal/Legendary.

The post Welcome to This New Crimson Peak Clip appeared first on Dread Central.

As first-person shooters are famed for their multiplayer modes, it’s only fitting that Doom, the reboot of the grandaddy of all FPS games, should have an awesome multiplayer.

As you can see from the developer commentary video below, the multiplayer will contain a lot of unique features, including big-ass space guns, wall-jumping, and best of all, the ability to transform into a demon. Now that’s something that will make Call of Duty’s multiplayer crap itself.

Modes will include Domination, Clan-Arena, and Freeze-Tag. Skills from single-player can be transferred to multiplayer, giving gamers who only buy games to play them against other people an incentive to experience the story mode.

Doom will be released next year.

The post Doom Reboot Multiplayer Video Takes Aim; Gibs the Competition appeared first on Dread Central.

The live-action Akira movie has been cancelled, bought back, then cancelled again more times than video games get censored in Germany, so this news needs to be taken with a grain of salt.

Den of Geek reports that since Leonardo Dicaprio’s Appian Way came on board to produce, Warner Bros., which has had the rights since 2002, is planning not just a single film, but a trilogy. And, of all people, Christopher Nolan is allegedly involved also in addition to an anonymous mystery filmmaker.

We don’t know if Nolan will produce or direct, or even if he’s definitely on board, but as his untitled next film is due out in 2017, could this be it? Could he be yearning for another trilogy after Batman, and could Akira be just the thing for him? Guess we’ll just have to wait and see.

A trilogy would actually make sense, as the 1988 film only covered half of Katsuhiro Otomo’s substantial manga, about a rebellious teenage biker, Tetsuo, trying to stop the psychic Akira from causing Armageddon.

The R-rated film is widely considered to be one of the greatest anime films to date, even surpassing the works of Studio Ghibli in some people’s eyes.

Nolan previously stated that he may one day return to the superhero genre, which may have been a very subtle hint at Akira, which, while not about superheroes, is still based on a comic book. Strangest of all, the English translations of the manga were originally published by Epic Comics, a subsidiary of Marvel. So although most people agree that the chances of Nolan ever directing a Marvel film are pretty much zero, it could, in a very loose way, be happening.

The post Christoper Nolan May Work on Live-Action Akira Trilogy appeared first on Dread Central.

Kevin Williamson really needs a change of pace, and it looks like that’s exactly what’s in store for him.  Following the misfires of “The Following” and “Stalker,” Williamson has turned his attention to “Time After Time,” an adaptation based on the 1979 novel of the same name by Karl Alexander. Per Deadline, ABC has bought the project from Warner Bros. TV, where Williamson is under a deal, with a script commitment.

Using the 1979 novel and its subsequent movie adaptation (which starred Malcolm McDowell, David Warner, and Mary Steenburgen) as a starting point, “Time After Time” will chronicle the epic adventures of young H.G. Wells and his Time Machine.

In the book and in the feature, Wells — the bestselling author of The Time Machine and War of the Worlds — has invented a time machine. He shows the contraption to his friends, oblivious to the fact that one of them, surgeon Leslie John Stephenson, is in fact the infamous Jack the Ripper. When Scotland Yard detectives get on Stevenson’s trail, the murderer uses the time machine to flee to the future, getting transported to 1979 San Francisco. He is quickly followed by Wells, who is trying to bring him to justice.

Williamson (“The Vampire Diaries,” Scream, I Know What You Did Last Summer) will write the script and will executive produce “Time After Time” through his Outerbanks Entertainment and WBTV.

We should have more info soon so stay tuned!

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