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Official 11.22.63 Trailer Time Travels to Your Desktop

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We’ve seen a few teasers already, but today, during Hulu’s presentation to the Television Critics Association in Pasadena, CA, the full official trailer for “11.22.63” was unveiled.  You can check it out below.

The eight-part event series, based on Stephen King’s 2011 novel of the same name, premieres on President’s Day, February 15th.

J.J. Abrams, Stephen King, Bridget Carpenter, and Bryan Burk serve as executive producers. Academy Award-winning director Kevin Macdonald (Last King of Scotland, State of Play, Black Sea) directs and executive produces the first two hours.

Hulu’s “11.22.63” is a thriller in which high school English teacher Jake Epping (James Franco) travels back in time to prevent the assassination of President John F. Kennedy — but his mission is threatened by Lee Harvey Oswald, falling in love, and the past itself, which doesn’t want to be changed. Co-starring are Chris Cooper, Josh Duhamel, T.R. Knight, Cherry Jones, Sarah Gadon, Lucy Fry, George MacKay, and Daniel Webber.

For more info “like” “11.22.63” on Facebook, and follow “11.22.63” on Twitter and Instagram.

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The post Official 11.22.63 Trailer Time Travels to Your Desktop appeared first on Dread Central.


X-Files, The: The Collectors Set (Blu-ray)

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thexfiles-thecollectorssetStarring Gillian Anderson, David Duchovny, Mitch Pileggi, Robert Patrick, William B. Davis, Nicholas Lea, Tom Braidwood, Bruce Harwood, Dean Haglund, Annabeth Gish

Directed by Kim Manners, Rob Bowman, David Nutter, Chris Carter, R.W. Goodwin, Tony Wharmby, Michael W. Watkins, Daniel Sackheim, and more

Distributed by Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment


When it was announced last year by Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment that The X-Files: The Collector’s Set was arriving on Blu-ray in December of 2015, fans of the show were rightly excited with comparisons being made to another rather impressive box set on Blu, “The Definitive Gold Box Edition” of Twin Peaks: The Complete Series. Was such an analogy accurate? Well, yes and no… so let’s dig in, shall we?

First of all, this review isn’t focused on covering the episodes of “The X-Files” individually – that would be a herculean task; and after all, if you’re looking to add The Collector’s Set to your collection, you’re likely already a fan and well aware of the highs and lows of the series. I’ll just say that for those of us of a certain age, after the show premiered back in the fall of ’93, many of us saw a definite dip in our social lives over the next several years due to the fact that we were glued to the TV on Friday nights to make sure we didn’t miss anything. (Thankfully, Fox moved it to Sundays during Season 4, the same night on which the upcoming miniseries is airing, so we were able to once again get out of the house at week’s end and party with our friends who weren’t similarly addicted.)

Sure, the quality dipped a bit (okay… a lot) in the later years, but “The X-Files” was ahead of its time in so many ways, and there’s no denying the incredible chemistry between leads Duchovny and Anderson that numerous other shows over the intervening years have tried (with mixed success) to replicate.

The mix of standalone “monster of the week” and alien abduction-themed episodes was just right to bring the horror and sci-fi crowds together.  And the list of guest stars was spectacular and diverse, including the likes of Bryan Cranston, Bruce Campbell, Tony Todd, Jane Lynch, Ryan Reynolds, Brad Dourif, James Franco, Lucy Lawless, Mark Pellegrino, Terry O’Quinn, Laurie Holden, Frances Fisher, Lance Henriksen, Aaron Paul, Katharine Isabelle, Alex Trebeck, Jack Black, Rob Van Dam, Jesse Ventura, and even Burt Reynolds! And that’s just the tip of the iceberg – it’d be easier to type up a list of who hasn’t appeared on the show.

Whether you stuck with it or bailed along with other disillusioned viewers as ratings steadily declined from Season 6 on, having access to every single episode and all the various extras that have been released over the years in one convenient high-def box set is quite appealing.

And speaking of those extras, below is the full list of what’s included, and to say it’s impressive would be a massive understatement. But – and it’s a big “BUT” – there’s not a single new thing to be found here. There is, however, an empty slot left in the box for you to insert your Blu-ray of the upcoming miniseries into once you inevitably add it to the collection.

Much ado has been made of the decision to release the set with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.78:1, which has resulted in some scenes from Seasons 1-4 (which aired in 4:3 originally) being slightly cut off at the top and bottom with the sides expanded. Honestly, while others may not be so forgiving, I didn’t mind the change as everything else looks so amazing overall that I was willing to accept the few minor inconsistencies that are present.

On the other hand, what I found more annoying than the reframed aspect ratio was the random and seemingly arbitrary changing of some of the iconic “X-Files” fonts, such as the original logo. After doing a little digging, I found a Q&A with Jim Hardy, CEO of Illuminate, the Los Angeles-based company that completed the digital restoration, who explained, “Unfortunately, the exact font[s were] not available to us… We did our best. Maybe we didn’t talk to the right people… Yes, it’s not exactly the same, but hopefully people can look aside from that and look at the integrity of the entire show and accept the fact that it’s not the same, but it looks great.” If you’re curious to see a side-by-side comparison of not only the logo font but also a ton of upscaled frames, you can check out Brandon Klassen’s website, where he painstakingly provides a terrific overview.

As for the audio, I have no complaints about the lossless DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1. Dialogue is crisp and clear, and the sound effects are immersive and a real treat considering so many TV shows (especially from that era) don’t offer truly impressive surround sound.

You may have heard already that the Season 8 Blu-ray has a rendering/authoring issue known as “black crush.” Fox is well aware of the problem and will begin shipping replacement discs on January 25th; just contact foxconnect@orderassistance.com if your disc is affected.

Now, going back to what’s included in the box set, for me the most glaring omission is the two companion feature films: The X-Files (aka The X-Files: Fight the Future), released in the summer 1998 as a bridge between Seasons 5 and 6, and The X-Files: I Want to Believe, which premiered in July of 2008 to mixed (putting it kindly) reviews. The completist in me is more than a little disappointed in their absence, particularly in light of the fact that the first film is part of the previously released DVD set. It just adds insult to injury when taking into account the lack of any new content offered for the avid “X-Files” collector the set is named for.

Beyond the remastering debate, logo changes, “black crush,” and missing features, the real elephant in the room with regard to The X-Files: The Collector’s Set is its price point. It’s currently selling for around $265 on Amazon, but you can get each season individually for at least $100 less. Sure, the box is pretty, but is it $100 pretty? That will be up to you to decide, but my recommendation is either wait for the cost of the set to drop substantially (some Amazon commenters mention buying the UK version instead) or just pick and choose your favorite episodes on high-def and hold out until the inevitable super-duper edition is released with all nine seasons, both films, the “Season 10” miniseries, and hopefully a few new tidbits.  Maybe even another continuation?

That said, I’ve broken my rating for the set down into three categories: the series as a whole, the special features overall, and the value when taking into account all the above factors. Just remember: The truth is out there so caveat emptor!

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Special Features

  • Season One
    Series Intro by Frank Spotnitz
    Chris Carter Talks About Season 1
    Deleted Scenes
    International Clips
    Deep Throat: Audio Commentary by Chris Carter
    Erlenmeyer Flask: Audio Commentary by R.W. Goodwin
    Special Effects Clip From Fallen Angel
    Documentary: “The Truth About Season 1”
  • Season Two
    Deleted Scenes
    Chris Carter Talks About Season 2
    Humbug
    Documentary: “The Truth About Season Two”
    Duane Barry: Audio Commentary by Chris Carter
    End Games: Audio Commentary by Frank Spotnitz
    Anasazi: Audio Commentary by R.W. Goodwin
  • Season Three
    Deleted Scenes (w/optional commentary by Chris Carter)
    Chris Carter Talks About Season 3
    International Clips
    Special Effects with Commentary by Mat Beck
    Documentary: “The Truth About Season Three”
    Threads of Mythology: Abduction
    Talitha Cuma: Audio Commentary by R.W. Goodwin
  • Season Four
    Deleted Scenes
    Extended Scenes
    Special Effects with Commentary by Paul Rabwin
    Deleted Scenes (w/optional commentary by Chris Carter)
    Tunguska – Interview With Chris Carter
    Paper Hearts – Interview with Vince Gilligan
    Memento Mori: Audio Commentary by Rob Bowman
    Introduction to Memento Mori by Chris Carter and Frank Spotnitz
    Max: Audio Commentary by Kim Manners
    Documentary: “The Truth About Season Four”
  • Season Five
    International Clips
    Deleted Scenes (w/optional commentary by Chris Carter)
    Special Effects with Commentary by Paul Rabwin
    Documentary: “The Truth About Season Five”
    Threads of Mythology: Black Oil
    FX Featurette
    Introduction to The Post-Modern Prometheus by Chris Carter and Frank Spotnitz
    Patient X: Audio Commentary by Kim Manners
    The Red and the Black: Audio Commentary by Chris Carter
    The Post Modern Prometheus: Audio Commentary by Chris Carter
    The Pine Bluff Variant: Audio Commentary by John Shiban
  • Season Six
    Special Effects with Commentary by Paul Rabwin
    Deleted Scenes (w/optional commentary by Frank Spotnitz)
    International Clips
    Two Fathers: Audio Commentary by Kim Manners
    One Son: Audio Commentary by Frank Spotnitz
    Triangle: Audio Commentary by Chris Carter
    Introduction to Milagro by Chris Carter and Frank Spotnitz
    X-Files Profiles: Cigarette-Smoking Man
    Featurette on Season Six
    Documentary: “The Truth About Season Six”
  • Season Seven
    Deleted scenes (w/optional commentary by Chris Carter)
    Special effects sequences with commentary by Paul Rabwin
    International Clips
    Documentary: “The Truth About Season Seven” Behind-the-Scenes featurette
    X-Files Profiles: A.D. Skinner and Samantha Mulder
    Closure: Audio Commentary by Kim Manners
    Documentary: “The Truth About Season Seven”
  • Season Eight
    Special Effects by Mat Beck with Commentary by Paul Rabwin
    International Clips
    Deleted scenes (w/optional commentary by Frank Spotnitz and John Shiban)
    Documentary: “The Truth About Season Eight”
    Deleted Scenes with Optional Commentary by Chris Carter
    Threads of Mythology: Colonization
    X-Files Profiles
    Within: Commentary by Kim Manners and Robert Patrick
    Deadalive: Commentary by Frank Spotnitz
    Vienen: Commentary by Rod Hardy
  • Season Nine
    Deleted scenes (w/optional commentary by Frank Spotnitz)
    Special Effects by Mat Beck with Commentary by Paul Rabwin
    International Clips
    Audio Commentary by Chris Carter, Vince Gilligan, John Shiban, Frank Spotnitz, Kim Manners
    Documentary: “The Truth About Season Nine”
    “The Making of ‘The Truth’”
    “Secrets of The X-Files”
    “Tribute to The X-Files”
    Threads of Mythology: Super Soldiers
    X-Files Profiles
    Reflections on the Truth Featurette
    WonderCon Panel

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Twin Peaks Cast Expands with Lynch Regular Laura Dern

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Showtime has thus far only officially confirmed the presence of Kyle MacLachlan in its upcoming continuation of “Twin Peaks,” but word has come that Laura Dern, who has previously worked with him on a few occasions and series co-creator David Lynch numerous times, is about to do so again… and the rumors surrounding her role have us giddy with anticipation!

Per TVLine, Dern could be playing Diane, the not-yet-seen secretary on whom MacLachlan’s special Agent Dale Cooper leaned so heavily during the series’ original run.  Even if that’s not the case, we can’t wait to see her re-team with Kyle and David as a follow-up to their collaboration on Blue Velvet in 1988. Dern also appeared in Lynch’s Wild at Heart in 1990 and, more recently, in 2006’s Inland Empire.

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Along with MacLachlan and Dern, the cast is said to include returnees Sheryl Lee and Sherilyn Fenn plus new additions Robert Knepper, Balthazar Getty, and Amanda Seyfried.

About “Twin Peaks” on Showtime:
The critically acclaimed, groundbreaking television phenomenon “Twin Peaks” returns as a limited series to Showtime in 2017. Currently in production, “Twin Peaks” is written and produced by series creators and executive producers David Lynch and Mark Frost and is directed entirely by Lynch. While the full mystery awaits, fans can expect many familiar faces, including Golden Globe winner and Emmy Award nominee Kyle MacLachlan, who reprises his role as FBI Agent Dale Cooper.

Widely considered one of the most influential broadcast series of all time, “Twin Peaks” followed the inhabitants of a quaint Northwestern town who were stunned after their homecoming queen Laura Palmer was shockingly murdered. The sheriff welcomed the help of FBI agent Dale Cooper, who came to town to investigate the case. As Cooper conducted his search for Laura’s killer, the town’s secrets were gradually exposed. The mystery that ensued set off an eerie chain of events that plunged the inhabitants of Twin Peaks into a darker examination of their very existence. Twenty-five years later, the story continues…

Twin Peaks

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Rest in Peace: Horror Icon Angus Scrimm Dies at 89

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Horror legend and Phantasm star Angus Scrimm has reportedly passed away at the age of 89. According to Entertainment Weekly, frequent collaborator and Phanstasm director Don Coscarelli broke the news of the iconic actor’s passing. Needless to say, our hearts are truly shattered.

Coscarelli said of Scrimm’s death:

Angus Scrimm passed away peacefully tonight surrounded by his friends and loved ones. He was 89 years old. His performance as the Tall Man is a towering achievement in horror film history. He was the last in a long line of classic horror movie stars. Angus was a terrific actor and an even better friend. He will be missed.

Scrimm (aka Lawrence Rory Guy) was born in Kansas City, Kansas, on August 19, 1926. After appearing in a handful of movies during the early 1970s, Scrimm worked his way into the hearts (and nightmares) of horror fans around the world when he landed the role of the Tall Man in Don Coscarelli’s 1979 classic Phantasm. He would return to this character several times over the decades, including the as-of-yet unreleased Phantasm V: Ravager.

Through the years, Scrimm has popped up in several other genre flicks, including John Dies at the End, Satanic, Mindwarp (aka Brain Slasher), Chopping Mall, and Subspecies, just to name a few. On the small screen, the actor appeared in a few episodes of the hit series “Alias.” In order to make ends meet, Scrimm wrote liner notes for such artists as The Beatles at Capitol Records.

Our thoughts are with Angus Scrimm’s family, friends, and fans at this time.

Angus Scrimm

The post Rest in Peace: Horror Icon Angus Scrimm Dies at 89 appeared first on Dread Central.

Groovy! Ash vs. Lobo and The DC Dead Arrives Online

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Writer/director Brian Rosenthal released his highly entertaining fan film Marvel Zombies vs. Army of Darkness back in 2013. Roughly three years later, Rosenthal and company have returned with Ash vs. Lobo and The DC Dead, which finds Ashley Williams waging war in a completely different superhero-saturated universe.

Thankfully, the follow-up is just as fun as the first installment. The boys and girls at WTFLOL/Dead Pixel LLC have a deep appreciation for the genre, and it’s evident throughout their 20-minute blood-soaked love letter to superheroes and The Evil Dead.

From the Press Release:
After narrowly escaping a zombie-infested NYC and a pack of bloodthirsty (Marvel) superheroes, Ash Williams finds himself suddenly transported to a whole new universe. Can he stop the supernatural apocalypse?

A couple of years back, my friends and I started a YouTube channel called WTFLOL with very little money and a whole lot of ambition. One of our first goals was to make a fan film loosely based on “Marvel Zombies vs. Army of Darkness”‐‐ an idea that tickled every geek bone in our body. We were still learning the ropes as amateur filmmakers, mostly focused on turning out quick skits‐‐ but eager as hell to do something bigger and crazier. So we did. And we had tons of fun. So much so that we decided on doing it again. We all agreed a sequel needed to happen.  Some simple parameters were laid out: We wanted it to be funnier, we wanted it to be a little meta, and most importantly, we wanted to put something on screen that nobody’s ever seen before. That’s how our fan film/mashup/parody/brundlefly/thing aka “Ash vs. Lobo and The DC Dead” was born.

Switching comic book universes from Marvel to DC gave us a chance to keep things fresh. It also meant we could play with some of our favorite DC characters, including ones that haven’t seen much in the way of a live‐action adaptation, like Lobo. Bringing the Main Man to life, uncensored, was a dream come true and a task that would have been impossible without behemoth actor/producer Derek Russo in front of the camera and special FX makeup artist Vanessa Rega behind it.

The thing I’d like to stress is how much of a team effort these kinds of fan productions are. The film would be pretty boring to listen to without my frequent collaborator Karl Anderson composing the amazingly intricate original score or Steven Vazquez working his magic on sound design. And while I handled some of the more rudimentary Visual FX shots, the heavy lifting was done by Jason Forge (of Forgehouse Films) and Tobias Steiner (of Two‐Reel FX). Mention must be made of the cast as well, who were all awesome and totally committed to going on this crazy adventure.

It takes a lot of talented people to come together and create a film, and while we may not have had anywhere near the money or resources that some of these other (recent) fan films have had, we always strive to do the absolute best we can with what we have and hope that the final product speaks for itself. We’re fans. We’re filmmakers. But mostly, we just geeks that wanna make cool stuff.

Got 20-plus minutes to spare? Check out Ash vs. Lobo and The DC Dead below!

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The post Groovy! Ash vs. Lobo and The DC Dead Arrives Online appeared first on Dread Central.

The Cure Songs Get the Horror Movie Treatment

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I’m not overly familiar with The Cure’s work, but maybe I need to start paying slightly more attention. As noted by Post-Punk.com, Brazilian graphic artist Butcher Billy is certainly well-versed in the musical stylings of Robert Smith and company. He also seems to know a thing or two about horror movies, info he uses to incorporate the band’s music into some impressive mock comic book covers.

Personally speaking, “The Caterpillar” is by far my favorite of the bunch.

If you like the guy’s work, swing by Butcher Billy’s official Facebook page or buy some prints from Redbubble. The talented artist has a ton of nifty artwork for fans to sort through.

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In Honor of David Bowie: Exclusive Clip from Fetish Factory

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It’s hard to imagine a blazing star as iconic and, for lack of a better word, superhuman is gone. It’s believed we are all made from stardust, but no one more so than Ziggy Stardust himself, David Bowie, who passed away last night at the age of 69.

When I was a kid, I knew his music but didn’t fully appreciate it until I matured. My first real induction to the cult of Bowie was the film The Hunger, in which he played a sexy vampire. And then there was Labyrinth, in which he played the sexy goblin king Jareth. Mustn’t forget The Man Who Fell to Earth, in which he played a sexy extraterrestrial being.

Yeah, you get the picture! I’m a fan.

So it’s only natural that, in my own small way, I wanted to give a tip of the boa to Bowie in my first feature film, Fetish Factory. As a writer, I always try to imbue a little bit of myself into the characters as a wink to the universe.

Fetish Factory, produced by Blanc-Biehn, is a zom-com, soon to be unleashed upon the world. (Stay tuned for announcements!)

In this exclusive, never-before-seen clip, listen for the Starman’s name in a bit of playful dialogue. (Horror viewer warning: no zom – only com – in this snippet.)

Cast in the clip: Carrie Keagan, Jennifer Blanc, Tristan Risk, and THE Richard.

The film stars Carrie Keagan (“Reno 9-1-1!”), Chase Williamson (John Dies at the End), Jennifer Blanc (Everly, Havenhurst, Hidden in the Woods), Daniel Quinn (Rubber), Stephen Wastell (“Criminal Minds”), Jenimay Walker, (Serpent’s Kiss), Tristan Risk (American Mary), Emma Julia Jacobs (Hitchcock), Ruben Pla (Big-Ass Spider), Diane Ayala Goldner (The Collector), Jesse Merlin (FDR: American Badass), Benjamin Easterday (Poseidon Rex), and Tom Ayers (“Bosch”). Montreal-based alternative model and fetish superstar THE Richard rounds out the cast.

Synopsis:
Imagine a wickedly saucy by invitation-only stage show and posh private peeps in which your every fantasy can come true, fulfilled by the likes of luscious ladies imitating the sex goddesses of yore: Bettie Page, Jayne Mansfield, and Suzie Wong. Along with classic burlesque strip-teases and curio acts – a ventriloquist, a magician, and a whip-dancer – you are in for the night of your life at the Fetish Factory. That is, until your life is at stake when the apocalypse strikes! Once mild-mannered men become bloodthirsty zombies, and it’s up to the girls to defend themselves by any means – even if that means turning their bullet bras, garter belts, and spike-heels into deadly weapons.

Fetish Factory

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Fetish Factory Poster by Aaron Kai

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Forrest Ackerman Fans Launch Campaign to Preserve Literary Agent’s Former Home

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You may not know literary agent Forrest J Ackerman by name, but chances are you’re familiar with some of his clients. Ackerman, known as “Uncle Forry” to his fans and friends, represented such iconic sci-fi writers as Isaac Asimov, L. Ron Hubbard, and Ray Bradbury. Alongside James Warren, Ackerman created Famous Monsters of Filmland, a horror-oriented magazine that is largely responsible for Fangoria, Cinefantastique, and websites not unlike the one you’re reading right now.

When Ackerman passed away in 2008 at the age of 92, he left behind a massive collection of movie memorabilia. Although he was forced to sell quite a few pieces due to financial difficulties in 2002, the bungalow still housed an impressive number of items and doubled as both Uncle Forry’s home and a private museum. Fans who wanted to check out his impressive collection were able to do so every Saturday. The price of admission: absolutely nothing. He was that kind of guy.

Unfortunately, Uncle Forry’s bungalow, dubbed “Acker-Mini-Mansion,” could soon disappear from the face of the planet. If developers have it their way, the late literary agent’s home and private museum will be torn down to make way for a parking lot. However, screenwriter Alexandra Kondracke and a group called Concerned Citizens of Los Feliz are hoping to turn the tide and transform the mini-mansion into a historic monument. Of course, they’ll need some help from Ackerman’s fans.

The petition on Change.org reads as follows:

Forrest J Ackerman is widely considered “a father of science fiction.” He was a magazine editor, science fiction writer and literary agent who represented Ray Bradbury, Isaac Asimov and L. Ron Hubbard, among many others. He corresponded with H.P. Lovecraft and met H.G. Wells! “Uncle Forry’s” movie magazine, Famous Monsters of Filmland, was an inspiration to writers and filmmakers like Steven Spielberg, Peter Jackson, Stephen King, J.J. Abrams and Guillermo del Toro. Ackerman housed his extensive collection of Sci-Fi, Fantasy, and Horror memorabilia in a private museum in his home at 4511 Russell Ave. in Los Angeles, dubbed the “Acker-Mini-Mansion.” The Smithsonian described Ackerman’s home as “one of the 10 best private museums in the country” open to visitors every Saturday, free of charge, since 1951 until Ackerman’s death in 2008. Please support designating Ackerman’s house a historic monument to prevent its demolition by developers who want to “put up a parking lot.”

Online petitions will only take you so far, which means those who want to help preserve a piece of history will need to take action. In an email addressed to those who would love to save Uncle Forry’s bungalow, Kondracke outlined what everyone can do to lend a helping hand:

Thank you to everyone who signed the petition. However, it’s very difficult to get a historic monument and the people who decide don’t give much weight to petitions. If we want this to happen, we need people to SHOW UP AT HEARINGS and WRITE LETTERS.

Here’s a list of relevant times, dates and locations.

1. January 13, 2016 at 7:30 PM — The Los Feliz Neighborhood Planning, Zoning and Historic Preservation Committee Hearing. We need their support for the Historic Monument so we need LOTS OF PEOPLE to show up and explain why Forrest deserves a monument. The location is Our Mother of Counsel Church, 2060 N. Vermont Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90027.

2. January 19, 2016 at 7:30 PM — The full Neighborhood Council Meeting. They need to hear why 4E deserves a monument. Not everyone on the council supports a monument so we need LOTS OF PEOPLE to show up to convince them. The location is Our Mother of Counsel Church, 2060 N. Vermont Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90027.

3. January 26, 2016 — This is the day all letters are due to the Historic Resources Committee. They need to be convinced that Forry deserves a monument. More on how to send a letter below.

4. February 4, 2016 at 10 AM — This is the final hearing of the city’s Historic Resources Committee where they decide whether to make the house a monument or not. We need LOTS OF PEOPLE to show up and speak or they’ll think there’s not enough interest for a monument. These are not easy to get. The location is Los Angeles City Hall, Room 1010, 200 N. Spring St., Los Angeles, CA 90012

If you don’t live in LA or can’t make the hearings, you can still help by SENDING A LETTER/EMAIL.

Again, it’s not easy to get a historic monument so we need all the letters we can get. Here’s how to email a letter.

1. Write an email about why 4511 Russell Avenue should be a historic monument. Include how Forrest influenced you personally or how he influenced our culture at large, and remember, this is the mini Ackermansion, the final home/museum Forry lived in.

2. Make sure to put CHC-2015-4249-HCM, ENV-2015-4250-CE / 4511 Russell Ave in the subject header of the email.

3. Email it to Shannon.Ryan@lacity.org

4. If you want to make it formal, here’s the physical address:

Shannon Ryan
Los Angeles Department of City Planning
Office of Historic Resources
200 N. Spring St., Room 559
Los Angeles, CA 90012

5. cc Kondracke@gmail.com so we can make sure all the letters get into the file.

6. Spread the word and encourage other Forry fans to write emails/letters.

If you’re interested in helping preserve Forrest Ackerman’s former home and private museum, the power is now in your hands. Be sure to write those letters soon, as time is quickly running out. To learn a bit more about Uncle Forry and his collection, check out the video embedded below.

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The Conjuring 2 – Original Enfield Investigator Calls B.S. on The Warrens’ Part

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Well, here’s something extremely interesting… The new film The Conjuring 2 is based upon The Enfield Poltergeist case that took place at a council house from August 1977 to 1979. The lead investigator on that particular piece of paranormal history, Guy Lyon Playfair, was recently interviewed on Dave Schrader’s Darkness Radio, and he had some interesting words regarding the involvement of investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren.

They did turn up once at Enfield, and all I could remember was Ed Warren telling me that he could make a lot of money for me out of it,” says Playfair. “So I thought, ‘Well, that’s all I need to know from you,’ and I got myself out of his way as soon as I could.” The inflammatory remarks don’t end there though.

Playfair continues, “I don’t think he went there more than once. I did read somewhere a transcript of a lengthy interview which he’s alleged to have had with one of the girls, which they couldn’t remember giving him. It was describing all sorts of marvelous wonders which I don’t think ever happened. I think he was a complete… well… fill in whatever word you want.”

Listen to the three-minute snippet from the interview below.

This isn’t the first time the Warrens have been the subject of controversy, and it will no doubt not be the last.

The Conjuring 2 opens June 10th and is based upon what the Warrens had in their case files, not the entire investigation of the occurrence, and of course some dramatic liberties had to be taken to make said happenings into a feature film. What you believe… as always… is up to you.

Ed and Lorraine Warren

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See the Opening Minute from The X-Files Episode 10.01 – My Struggle

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The first minute of the upcoming continuation of “The X-Files” on Fox has been revealed, and we have all the info you need on how and where to watch it (unfortunately the clip is so far not embeddable)!  Just visit doyoustillbelieve.com, where you can also “join the conversation” by uploading a photo and putting yourself on a poster with the tagline “I Still Want to Believe.”

“The X-Files” returns to Fox with a special two-night event beginning Sunday, January 24, 2016 (10:00-11:00 PM ET/7:00-8:00 PM PT), following the NFC Championship Game, and continuing with its time period premiere on Monday, January 25 (8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT).

David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson reprise their iconic roles as Agent Fox Mulder and Agent Dana Scully in a mixture of stand-alone investigative episodes and those that further the original show’s seminal mythology.

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“The X-Files” Episode 10.01 – “My Struggle” (airs 1/24/16; 10-11PM ET/7-8PM PT)
THE X-FILES HAVE BEEN RE-OPENED ON PART ONE OF THE TWO-NIGHT SEASON PREMIERE – Thirteen years after the original series run, the next mind-bending chapter of the thrilling series “THE X-FILES” is here.  FOX MULDER (David Duchovny) and DANA SCULLY (Gillian Anderson) have been approached by TAD O’MALLEY (guest star Joel McHale), a popular conspiracy theorist web-TV show host, who believes he has uncovered a significant government conspiracy. With the assistance of FBI Asst. Dir. WALTER SKINNER (Mitch Pileggi), O’Malley seeks to enlist the help of former X-Files agents Mulder and Scully, who have since severed ties with the FBI. Through O’Malley, they are introduced to SVETA (guest star Annett Mahendru), a possible alien abductee who shares shocking information with them that will challenge everything that Mulder has ever believed about the existence of aliens and the government’s role in covering them up.

“The X-Files” Episode 10.02 – “Founder’s Mutation” (airs 1/25/16; 8-9PM ET/PT)
MULDER AND SCULLY INVESTIGATE A DOCTOR WITH UNSCRUPULOUS PRACTICES ON PART TWO OF THE TWO-NIGHT SEASON PREMIERE WRITTEN AND DIRECTED BY JAMES WONG – When a scientist suddenly commits suicide, Mulder and Scully investigate what unseen force may have driven him to it. What they uncover is a laboratory where extreme genetic experimentation has been going on for decades, breeding subjects who possess unexpected and dangerous powers – and who harbor deep resentments.

 The X-Files

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Inoperable Pits Danielle Harris Against a Hurricane and a Time Loop

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Danielle Harris has appeared in quite a few horror movies over the years. Let me rephrase that — Danielle Harris has appeared in a freaking TON of horror movies during her career, including Stake Land, Urban Legend, Chromeskull: Laid to Rest 2, a pair of Hatchet films, and several installments of the Halloween franchise, to name a few. However, it’s doubtful that Harris has ever played a character that has to deal with a time loop and a hurricane at the same time.

Director Christopher Lawrence Chapman and co-writer Jeff Miller’s upcoming horror flick Inoperable boldly thrusts Harris into such a wacky scenario. A hurricane and a time loop? Insanity! Am I intrigued? Hell yeah, I am. If nothing else, Inoperable certainly has originality on its side.

From the Press Release:
INOPERABLE, a new hospital horror feature to star Danielle Harris of the HALLOWEEN and HATCHET franchises, will film in the Tampa Bay, FL, area in January. The first teaser artwork has been released.

INOPERABLE centers around a young woman in a seemingly evacuated hospital with a hurricane approaching that has awakened malevolent forces inside. The woman realizes she is trapped in a time loop and must escape the hospital before the storm passes, or she will be trapped there forever.

The writer and director is Christopher Lawrence Chapman, who directed the films Morgan Pickett’s Charge and The Accident and helped produce the new horror feature CLOWNTOWN. The producer and co-writer is Jeff Miller (CLOWNTOWN, THE BURNING DEAD).

INOPERABLE also stars CLOWNTOWN alums Jeff Denton (THE BEAST OF BRAY ROAD), Katie Keene (UNION FURNACE), and Chris Hahn (AXE GIANT: THE WRATH OF PAUL BUNYAN) in addition to Michelle Marin (THE GAINESVILLE RIPPER), Cher Hubsher (“My Super Sweet 16”), and others.

Chapman’s Zorya Films is producing, in association with Miller’s Millman Productions. Robert Kurtzman’s Creature Corps has been hired to do the film’s makeup effects, with David H. Greathouse (Syfy Channel’s “Face/Off”) supervising; he, Beki Ingram, and Barry Aslinger are handling the bulk of the effects. Giorgio Daveed is a producer and Director of Photography, Philip Jessen is Unit Production Manager, Ashley Eberbach is First Assistant Director, and Bobby Marinelli is Production Designer.

For more info about Inoperable, plan a family vacation to the official website or stalk the flick on Facebook. Otherwise, take a gander at the promotional artwork below.

INOPERABLE teaser artwork

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Sinister 2 (Blu-ray / DVD)

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Sinister 2Starring Shannyn Sossamon, Robert Sloan, Dartanian Sloan, Nick King, James Ransone

Directed by Ciaran Foy

Distributed by Universal Pictures Home Entertainment


The original Sinister burst onto the scene back in 2012, and here we are three years later with a sequel. Sequels have a tendency to take a successful film and beat it into the ground, but this one was in more than capable hands… Citadel‘s Ciaran Foy was at the helm, and he seemed like a perfect fit.

In the film James Ransone reprises his role as Deputy So & So (now Ex-Deputy So & So) as he comes across thoroughly spooked single mother Courtney Collins (Sossamon) and her 9-year-old identical sons (real-life twins Robert and Dartanian Sloan). The family is in a state of peril, but little do they know that their stay in an abandoned country home will becomes more deadly than what they were running from to begin with. It’s not long before series villain Bughuul is back with a new crop of snuff films and child specters.

All in all, Foy delivers a competent sequel that does its best to ramp up the scares of the first film, but a little too much CGI and a ridiculous amount of jump scares hamper it from feeling like anything more than a routine and completely by-the-numbers affair. Too bad, too. There was a lot of promise both on and off screen.

As for the special features, aside from Blu-ray-exclusive extended kill films which are undeniably disturbing, we get yet another standard affair including some deleted scenes, a commentary, and behind-the-scenes featurette. Like police telling straggling looky-loos at a crime scene, there’s nothing to see here.

Whether or not fans of the original film were clamoring for a sequel is debatable. Upon release it was pretty divisive. Still, it made money so one was inevitable. In that sense we’re lucky because this could have been A LOT worse. In the end Sinister 2 keeps Bughuul’s ball rolling but plays it too safe for its own good.

Special Features:

  • Extended Kill Films (Blu-ray Exclusive)
  • Deleted Scenes
  • Time to Watch Another: Making of Sinister 2 – In this behind-the-scenes featurette, the filmmakers discuss how they built the new story upon the first film and brought back “Deputy So & So” to continue the hunt for Bughuul.
  • Feature Commentary with Director Ciarán Foy

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Guillermo del Toro Says Pacific Rim 2 Not Cancelled

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A few days ago The Hollywood Reporter announced that Legendary Pictures had apparently taken Pacific Rim 2 off its release schedule, indicating that though it was initially done for the purpose of more development, the film was now off the table completely.

Someone ought to tell them that Guillermo del Toro has other plans…

Pacific Rim 2 cancelled? Don’t believe everything you read,” remarked Del Toro on Twitter. “It’s still going and I’ll remain with it in one way or another!

Del Toro has already turned in the script and the budget to Legendary. The sequel was originally slated for release on August 4, 2017. Stay tuned for more as it comes.

Pacific Rim Image

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Every The Boy TV Spot Needs Love

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Another in a long line of TV spots is here for William Brent Bell’s The Boy. Interested? Read on for the goodies. More on this one soon!

William Brent Bell (The Devil Inside) directed the Stacey Menear-penned project, which is being released January 22, 2016. Lauren Cohan (“The Walking Dead”), Jim Norton (Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets), Diana Hardcastle (The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel), Ben Robson (“Vikings”), Rupert Evans (Hellboy), and James Russell (“Blue Bloods”) star.

Producing are Lakeshore’s Gary Lucchesi and Tom Rosenberg, Vertigo’s Roy Lee and Adam Stone, along with Jim Wedaa.

Synopsis:
Greta (Cohan), a young American woman looking to escape a troubled past, takes a job in a small England village as a nanny for a wealthy couple’s 8-year-old son while they take a long vacation. She arrives at the remote manor to discover that things are not quite right. The surprisingly elderly Mr. and Mrs. Heelshire (Norton and Hardcastle) have a list of strict rules for her to follow in caring for their son, Brahms, and they mysteriously warn Greta that not following them precisely could result in something terrible. But the most disturbing realization of all is that Brahms is not an actual 8-year-old boy… he’s a life-sized porcelain doll, whom the doting parents care for and deeply love, just like a real boy.

“If you love him,” Greta is sternly instructed, “he will love you back.”

Isolated and alone, Greta notices that every time she breaks a rule, something strange happens in the house, and the doll reappears in different places and positions than where she put him. Compelled to uncover the mystery behind Brahms, Greta enlists the help of the local grocery delivery man, the only human being she sees for weeks, who shares horrifying details about the Heelshire family’s disturbing past, leading Greta to realize that she wasn’t just hired – she was chosen.

the boy

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Alexandra Park Trapped in The Deep End

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Jaws made audiences forever paranoid to go into the ocean so swimming pools have been the go-to choice as a means to become safely waterlogged. That, however, is about to change as Deadline is reporting that Alexandra Park, who stars in E! original series “The Royals,” has been tapped to star in the indie thriller The Deep End from writer-director Matt Eskandari.

Eskandari and Michael Hultquis co-wrote the film, which is about two sisters who become trapped under the fiberglass cover of a public pool. The movie shoots in Los Angeles beginning this month.

More as we get it!

Alexandra Park

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Rabid Dogs Remake Scores a New Poster

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IFC Midnight is preparing to release the French remake of Mario Bava’s 1974 crime drama Rabid Dogs later this month, so spreading some promotional material across the interwebs makes total sense. The folks over at Bloody Disgusting got their hands on an exclusive poster for director Éric Hannezo’s modernized take on the caper, which we’ve included below.

Synopsis:
After a bank job goes badly wrong, three desperate criminals take a young woman and a father and child hostage – it’s the beginning of a frantic and violent road trip that not all of them will survive.

If you’re in or around New York City on January 22, you can catch the Rabid Dogs remake on the big screen. Otherwise, you can score the flick on iTunes, Google Play, Amazon, Xbox, PlayStation, and On-Demand on the same day for a few of your hard-earned dollars. Interested parties in Los Angeles can see the movie in theaters on January 29. Check out the artwork and a trailer below.

Rabid Dogs Poster

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Tipsy Ryan Murphy Confirms Angela Bassett Back for Next American Horror Story

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During an interview with E! at the Golden Globes, “American Horror Story” creator Ryan Murphy let it slip that forever smoking-hot actress Angela Bassett would be back in the next season of the titular show.

“Well, tonight I started to tell all the actors who they were gonna play for next season because I had too much to drink,” says Murphy. “So I told Angela Bassett, and she was like, ‘WHAT!?!?’ So, I’m gonna regret it tomorrow; I think I said too much too soon!

Related Story: PaleyFest LA 2016: Scream Queens and American Horror Story: Hotel Bringing the Horror!

Murphy serves as showrunner, exec producer, writer, and director of “American Horror Story”; Brad Falchuk serves as exec producer and writer. Tim Minear, Brad Buecker, Jennifer Salt, James Wong, and Alexis Martin Woodall are also exec producers. 20th Century Fox is the studio.

The theme and/or title of the upcoming round of the anthology series have yet to be revealed so stay tuned!

For more info visit the “American Horror Story” Facebook page, and follow @AHSFX on Twitter along with “American Horror Story” on FX.

Angela Bassett

Angela Bassett as titular as ever in American Horror Story: Freak Show

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The Asylum Uncages Zoombies This March

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That headline is not a typo. Zoombies is the actual title of the movie. Can you guess where this zombie flick is set?

It seems the only sub-genre The Asylum enjoys more than sharks is zombies. While they still haven’t combined the two for the inevitable zombie shark flick we all know they’re bound to make eventually, until that momentous day comes we’ll have to settle for Zoombies.

Zombie movie titles don’t get much punnier than Zoombies. You guess correctly. It’s about an outbreak of zombie zoo animals. Am I alone in being surprised this doesn’t somehow star Brendan Fraser?

Synopsis:
When a strange virus quickly spreads through a safari park and turns all the zoo animals undead, those left in the park must stop the creatures before they escape and zombify the whole city.

Marcus Anderson (who already fought “Maximum Overdrive” K-9’s in The Asylum’s Night of the Wild), Kaiwi Lyman, and Kim Nielsen star in this supernatural nature gone amok flick from director Glenn R. Miller and screenwriter Scotty Mullen.

The Asylum is no stranger to zombie animals. They first went this route with a zombie tiger in 2011’s Zombie Apocalypse, and the Syfy series “Z Nation” has seen zombie animals make some appearances. Safe to say Zoombies will give us zombie lions and tigers and bears – oh my!

Expect a trailer shortly. Expect it to be glorious.

Zoombies

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Let’s Be Evil at Slamdance 2016

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Another film playing the upcoming Slamdance Film Festival (January 22nd through the 28th at Park City, Utah’s Treasure Mountain Inn) that’s hit our radar is director Martin Owen’s Let’s Be Evil. Check out the artwork right here.

The film will be playing at the fest January 23, 2016, at 3:15PM and January 25, 2016, at 7:30PM in the Ballroom.

Elizabeth Morris, Elliot James Langridge, Kara Tointon, and Isabelle Allen star.

Synopsis:
Contained within a secure, underground facility, three chaperones are tasked with supervising an advanced learning program for gifted children, pioneering Augmented Reality Glasses. Events quickly spiral out of control.

Lets Be Evil

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Death Parade (Anime Series)

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Directed by Yuzuru TachikawaDeath Parade

Animated by Madhouse

Suitable for 17+


Since time immemorial, humans have pondered the question, “What happens to us after we die?” If Death Parade is to be believed, our eternal souls are either sent into the void for summary deletion or reincarnated into a new body. The afterlife is not without a sense of excitement however, as a third option brings a randomly selected number of humans to a place in between. A bar called Quindecim is attended by the stoic white-haired Decim, and it is here that these humans—with no memories related to their deaths—play a game with their “lives” at stake. Decim uses their memories, and more importantly, their behavior during the game to decide whether they deserve reincarnation or the void.

The game played is decided by a random roulette, ranging from anything as basic as darts to an old school arcade game. The players are mostly strangers at the start of their game, and as they regain their memories they usually find a connection. There are also cases where the two players have known each other—or one has known the other—for a while. Dramatically speaking, the episodes where the two players don’t immediately know each other might seem more interesting, but Death Parade equally balances the two, keeping you at the edge of your seat no matter the case. These games most often include pain, with the intention of bringing out the “darkest parts” of the players’ souls. It is with this information that characters like Decim decide their verdict.

Decim is what the afterlife calls an arbiter: decider of fates, judge of morality, evaluator of lives. As the series progresses, it is revealed that he is not alone in this task. There are others like him in Death Parade, each with their own establishment and differing style of judgement. Ginti for example is usually much harsher and blasé with his “clients.” While these other arbiters do exist, they are given very little screen time compared to our fair haired main character.

Some other memorable supporting characters in this world are: Clavis, who operates the elevator that brings arbiters to different locations, Oculus who is the second in command under god, Quin, the previous proprietor of the bar Quindecim, and Castra, an “organization clerk” who looks at the dead and decides which arbiter they will be sent to. All of the side characters are interesting, and Death Parade could have easily integrated more episodes to give them their moment in the sun. However, very few of the side characters actually have the chance to share their stories. This is one of the series’ greatest pitfalls. It’s a terrible thing to construct a fascinating character and then do almost nothing with them.

On the flip side, one of the main characters opposite Decim is Onna, a mysterious purple haired young woman who is said to be Decim’s assistant. She shares equal screen time with Decim, bringing her ahead of the pack. Onna has no memories of who she is, not even her name, and only does what she is told for lack of a better option. Don’t let her calm demeanor fool you though, she is no stranger to speaking her mind. We eventually find out that not all is as it seems with Onna, but that’s treading too far into spoiler territory.

Nona is the third main character, an arbiter in charge of her own bar, and also a “manager” of this realm. She ranks below Oculus, but higher than the other arbiters. Her appearance makes her seem much younger and naive than she really is. However, Nona is cold and calculating, disciplining the arbiters without a second thought. Unlike the minor characters in Death Parade, by series’ conclusion, we feel that we understand Decim, Onna, and Nona very well.

Past the plot, Death Parade is animated by Madhouse, which is famous for Parasyte -The Maxim- (link). They also animated the lesser known Sunday Without God (link), which proves they can easily handle a bizarre concept. Strange story or no, with Death Parade, Madhouse proves once again that their animation skills are on point. The colors utilized in the series make each scene visually striking, and the action moves with a natural fluidity that anime doesn’t often achieve. The character designs range from the average with the different humans that pass through Quindecim, to the totally bizarre (Oculus’ lotus hair and goatee anyone?). Madhouse is definitely a studio to keep an eye on, as they’re sure to crank out winner after winner.

The voice acting in Death Parade is equally superb. There isn’t much background music to speak of in the series, which really allows the voices to shine. In addition, the dramatic story forces the actors to bring their A-game. A woman grieving over the realization that she’s died and left behind a gaggle of children would not be anywhere near as convincing without great voice acting. Death Parade really hits you where it hurts as far as voice acting goes, making it a must watch (or listen).

If you’re interested in a series that is extremely well acted, animated with precision, and features a story like no other, you really can’t go wrong with Death Parade. There are enough characters to cycle through so there’s no stagnation, and the plot includes a plethora of different stories. The side characters in the series could have been given more love, and their neglect is the one major mark against the series. However, the plot revolving around the main characters Decim, Onna, and Nona well makes up for this little blip of sadness. It can be tough to find a “sure thing” series in anime, but betting on Death Parade is a game you can’t lose.

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