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#Superbowl – See the 10 Cloverfield Lane Big Game Spot

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A new “big game” spot hit the Net today for the Bad Robot-produced 10 Cloverfield Lane, and we have it for you right here! Wipe the buffalo sauce off your fingers before watching, and then head back to your yummy plate of wings!

10 Cloverfield Lane stars John Goodman, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, and John Gallagher, Jr.

Look for it in theaters on March 11, 2016.

Written by Josh Campbell, Matt Stuecken, and Damien Chazelle, the film was directed by Dan Trachtenberg.

Synopsis:
Waking up from a car accident, a young woman finds herself in the basement of a man who says he’s saved her life from a chemical attack that has left the outside uninhabitable.

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The post #Superbowl – See the 10 Cloverfield Lane Big Game Spot appeared first on Dread Central.


Writer/Director Billy Lewis Explores the Terrible Two

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Writer/director Billy Lewis is tackling a seriously dark and depressing subject with his upcoming flick Terrible Two. The story explores how a couple deals with the passing of their two daughters. To make matters worse for these grieving parents, apparently there’s a secret dwelling in the attic of their home the previous owner didn’t tell them about. Gotta hate it when that happens.

Synopsis:
Albert and Rose Poe are approaching the one year anniversary of deaths of their two daughters. Rose continues to struggle to come to grips with the loss of her girls. Albert not so much. As the anniversary comes and goes things begin to get darker and darker in the Poe house……a house that once was filled with so much joy and hope. Rose discovers an old manuscript in the attic that reveals things about the previous owner of the house that wasn’t revealed to the Poe’s when they purchased the house. Addi and Jade never wanted to die that day so that begs to answer the question, ‘Where do little girls go when they die?’

A pair of pics and the first trailer for Terrible Two reside below.

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The post Writer/Director Billy Lewis Explores the Terrible Two appeared first on Dread Central.

#Superbowl – See the Independence Day: Resurgence Big Game Spot

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Carolina may be struggle during the first half of Super Bowl 50, but their troubles are nothing in comparison to those of the human race in the big game spot for Independence Day: Resurgence! Dig it!

Liam Hemsworth, Jeff Goldblum, Bill Pullman, Judd Hirsch, Vivica A. Fox, Brent Spiner, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Jessie Usher, Maika Monroe, Angelababy, William Fichtner, and Sela Ward all star in this epic next chapter. It’s directed by Roland Emmerich and produced by Dean Devlin, Roland Emmerich, and Harald Kloser.

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Warof1996.com is an interactive look back on the key developments and important moments since humanity’s greatest victory, from the rebuilding of our cities to the establishment of the Moon base.

Independence Day: Resurgence hits theaters everywhere June 24, 2016!

Synopsis:
We always knew they were coming back. After INDEPENDENCE DAY redefined the event movie genre, the next epic chapter delivers global spectacle on an unimaginable scale. Using recovered alien technology, the nations of Earth have collaborated on an immense defense program to protect the planet. But nothing can prepare us for the aliens’ advanced and unprecedented force. Only the ingenuity of a few brave men and women can bring our world back from the brink of extinction.

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Independece Day 2 poster (1)

The post #Superbowl – See the Independence Day: Resurgence Big Game Spot appeared first on Dread Central.

The Vampire Diaries’ Elizabeth Blackmore Heading to Supernatural

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Elizabeth Blackmore, who’s currently enjoying a run on “The Vampire Diaries” as Heretic Valerie, Stefan’s long-lost love, will appear in an episode of “Supernatural” as this season winds down, returning in a recurring role for Season 12.

Per E! News, Blackmore will portray Lady Toni Bevell, a mysterious visitor from across the pond. Lady Bevell is said to have a lot in common with Sam (Jared Padalecki) and Dean (Jensen Ackles).

Another hunter, perhaps? Time will tell.

In the meantime, here’s what’s ahead when the series returns on April 27th with the Eduardo Sanchez-directed Episode 11.19, “The Chitters.”

“Supernatural” Episode 11.19 – “The Chitters” (4/27/16; 9:00-10:00 pm)
SAM AND DEAN MEET A NEW PAIR OF HUNTERS – In a small town in Colorado, mysterious disappearances happen every 27 years. Sam (Jared Padalecki) and Dean (Jensen Ackles) head to the town to investigate and meet two hunters who have a personal vendetta against these once-in-a-generation monsters.

Eduardo Sanchez (The Blair Witch Project, “Intruders”) directed the episode written by Nancy Won.

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The post The Vampire Diaries’ Elizabeth Blackmore Heading to Supernatural appeared first on Dread Central.

The Horror Fan’s Bucket List: Things Every Fan Must Do Before They Die

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The sad truth about life is that none of us is immortal. We’re all going to die. And though many of our favorite horror movies have taught us otherwise, the chances of us emerging from our graves for one more night of fun are slim to none. We simply can’t outrun the Reaper, no matter how hard we try.

But that’s depressing. Let’s stop being so goddamn depressing.

BEFORE we die, we’ve got plenty of time to accomplish our goals, live our dreams, and get the most out of what precious little time we have on this Earth. And if you’re looking to make the most out of your own life, writing up a bucket list is a good place to start. I know this because Morgan Freeman and Jack Nicholson told me so.

In the event that you don’t have a bucket list of your own, we want to help get you started. So below you’ll find a handful of must-have experiences that are specifically geared towards horror fans like ourselves, and we strongly encourage you to work on crossing off the ones you haven’t yet. Because life is short, and death is near.

Sorry. That got depressing again. I take full responsibility.

Image Courtesy of Fantasm (2013)

1. GO TO A HORROR CONVENTION!

If there’s anything on this list that I would be incredibly saddened to hear that any horror fan went to the grave without experiencing, it’s this one. Different horror conventions take place all year round, all around the world, and there is simply no greater joy for the horror fan to experience than to be stuck in a hotel all weekend with other (sometimes stinky) fans – geeking out and bonding over all the things we love, spending our entire week’s paycheck on t-shirts and toys, and paying far too much money to get autographs from the filmmakers and actors we’ve spent so much of our time admiring. Quite simply, horror conventions are as close to Heaven as horror fans can come without actually dying, and I’d hate to see any fan go their whole life without experiencing the camaraderie and acceptance of the convention scene. Conventions are truly magical places.

Speaking of which…

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2. GET CHOKED BY KANE HODDER!

I’m not sure when or how it started, but Kane Hodder provides a special service for each fan who gets an autograph and their picture taken with him: he chokes you… really, really hard. If you’ve ever seen a picture of a fan being choked by Hodder, I can assure you that the choke is 100% real, and as you might imagine, it hurts like a son of a bitch. Getting choked by Kane Hodder has become a rite of passage for the horror fan, and the experience of being throttled half to death by Jason Voorhees himself is a thrill that no fan’s life should go without. I’m not saying it’s gonna feel good while it’s happening, because it’s not, but I can promise you it’ll feel real damn good when you think back on it. Ya know, once the bruising goes away.

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3. VISIT A FILMING LOCATION FROM YOUR FAVORITE MOVIE!

There’s just something about traveling to the place where one of your favorite movies was filmed that bonds you even more with that movie, and really makes you feel like you’re a part of it all. While that may not make sense to you right now, I can assure you that if you end up crossing this one off your bucket list, you will totally understand. Whether you want to take a swim in the actual Crystal Lake, eat a hamburger at the restaurant the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre house was turned into (shown above), trick or treat down the sidewalks that Michael Myers roamed, or go shopping in the iconic Dawn of the Dead mall, you absolutely must visit at least one iconic horror movie filming location before you die. It’s an exhilarating experience that will get you as close to actually being in the movie as you will ever get, and for that reason alone, it’s one you need to have.

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4. WATCH EVERY INSTALLMENT OF EVERY FRANCHISE!

If you’re anything like me, you feel an incredible insecurity in calling yourself a hardcore horror fan without having seen every single installment in all the big franchises, whether we’re talking Hellraiser or Saw. Though I’m not gonna say this is going to be the most fun goal on this list to experience and cross off, it’s just something you’ve gotta do, whether you like it or not. And yes, that means you are going to have to watch both Leprechaun in the Hood and Leprechaun: Back 2 Tha Hood – sorry, but no one ever claimed that being a horror fan was fun ALL the time!

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5. SEE YOUR FAVORITE FILM ON THE BIG SCREEN!

I don’t know about you, but most of my favorite horror movies were released either well before I was born, or well before I was old enough to go to the theater, which means I never got to experience a large majority of them with a crowd. No matter how many times you watch your favorite horror movie at home by yourself, you just haven’t fully experienced that movie until you’ve seen it in a movie theater, surrounded by hordes of fellow fans who know every line of dialogue and all the ins and outs of that movie. I’ve seen prints of films like The Shining and The Exorcist with a crowd, and those are experiences I am so glad I got to have. So if you ever hear that one of your favorite horror movies is playing on the big screen at a theater near you, don’t skip out on it because you’ve seen the movie a thousand times, or feel it’s a waste of money to pay to see it when you can watch it for free at home. Trust me, it’s a whole different experience.

6. TAKE PART IN A ZOMBIE WALK!

When you’re a horror fan, you haven’t lived… until you’ve died. The early 2000s saw the birth of the “Zombie Walk,” an event where horror fans gather together, slap on makeup and tattered clothes, and shamble around like zombies. Nowadays, in a time when zombies are more popular than ever, Zombie Walks have become incredibly common, and pretty much every state in the country plays host to at least one each year. So you’ve really got no excuse not to cross this one off your bucket list. Run a quick Google search and find out if the infection is soon spreading to your area!

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7. ATTEND HALLOWEEN HORROR NIGHTS!

Originally launched at Universal Studios Orlando way back in 1991, Halloween Horror Nights is now bigger and better than ever, running through every October in Orlando, Hollywood, and even Singapore. For that one month out of every year, Universal Studios becomes a mecca for horror fans, the park outfitted with all sorts of haunted attractions, live shows and frightening experiences. Coolest of all, the attractions at Halloween Horror Nights are almost always based on actual horror movies, with sets from the films meticulously recreated so that you feel like you’re actually inside of the movies. I attended the event back in 2014, when films like Halloween and The Purge were part of the festivities, and it’s truly an experience I’ll never forget.

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8. SPEND A NIGHT AT THE STANLEY HOTEL!

Often times incorrectly cited as the hotel where The Shining was filmed, Colorado’s Stanley Hotel is actually the hotel that inspired Stephen King to write the novel. Essentially, the supposedly haunted Stanley Hotel is the real-life version of the fictional Overlook Hotel, and if you were hoping that the owners of the Stanley celebrate and play up this fact, then you’ll be happy to know that they most certainly do. In fact, The Shining plays on a continuous loop on a certain channel of each room’s television! Spending a night in a haunted hotel is something every horror fan should do at least once in their lifetime, and if you’re gonna do it, you might as well do it at the Stanley. So book your room (their room 217 was the real life basis for the Overlook’s room 237), pick up some ghost-hunting gear, and watch out for those creepy twins that like to hang out in the hallway. Oh, and don’t forget to bring your typewriter. And a shiny new axe. Never know when you might need to hack your way through a door.

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9. CONTRIBUTE TO THE GENRE!

More than any other genre of film, the horror genre is a fan-driven one, and the community thrives on fan interaction and contribution. If you want to be more than a mere spectator, I encourage you to do everything you possibly can to take part in the genre and the community, and help to make it an even better place for both current and future fans. The possibilities for getting involved are literally endless, whether you want to start up a blog to spread the word on movies you like, donate money to help movies get made, or even make movies of your own. If you truly love the genre, give back every chance you can get, and become an active part of the community that you so cherish. Because without us fans and our involvement, the genre itself is only as mortal as we are. We urge you to never underestimate the power you hold in keeping horror alive and kicking.

How many of these have you already crossed off your list, and what other experiences do you think are essential for the horror fan? Comment below and let us know!

The post The Horror Fan’s Bucket List: Things Every Fan Must Do Before They Die appeared first on Dread Central.

Zak Bagans Talks Deadly Possessions, His Museum, and the Dangers of Haunted Objects

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Tomorrow night Travel Channel will be airing the second episode of Zak Bagans’ new show “Deadly Possessions,” and we have the scoop on the new series as a whole, when you’ll be able to visit the museum, and what happens when possessions turn deadly.

Fans of “Ghost Adventures” who tuned in were treated to a very different experience and a very different Zak. Instead of going over details of a haunted location meticulously, and sometimes provoking whatever may be there, “Deadly Possessions” finds Bagans in a much more subdued environment which feels far more personal than anything that he’s done before.

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There’s nothing planned on ‘Deadly Possessions.’ Everything happens in the moment,” Bagans tells us. “When doing an interview, I just go with the flow and come up with things literally on the spot. When someone walks through the doors for an interview, that’s the first time that I am meeting them… the first time I am seeing them and whatever they are bringing in. I never know what I’m going to do with them or their objects. I’ll come up with a plan that feels right… It’s all very instinctual. Ideas like, ‘Hey, lets put this in the basement and then let the subject go down there alone and interact with it.’ Let’s see what happens.

Bagans continues, “The Dybbuk Box really freaked me out, but not just because of the mystery surrounding the object. I have a tendency to pay more attention to how people interact around items like that. Sometimes the objects are just the beginning. It’s some of the people who bring them in, not all, or those who have been affected by them that seem more haunted to me. A lot of people who take possession of these things… they in and of themselves become an integral part of the item’s story. I think some of these people… some of them may have engaged in dark rituals… dark arts… they really dabble in the psychic sense in things like witchcraft, etc. Some of them are more or less conduits for the activity these things bring about. Coming up in Episode 3, there’s something called Peggy the Doll. This woman brings Peggy in from England. Peggy is said to have the ability to affect people who have done nothing more than look at its photograph on the Internet. When I was interviewing this woman, her demeanor, man, I just got this really bad vibe from her. The power of Peggy… I think that attachment this woman has with it… they just go hand-in-hand. People like that have this energy around them that focuses in on these possessions. Attachments and haunted items can feed off of the reactions that they get from their victims.

Deadly Possessions

“Take Bobby Mackey for instance. He’s the only guy that hasn’t been affected or attacked at his nightclub; yet, every person around him, his family, his wife… they’ve all suffered. People can be enablers. They enable the object. They enable the location to have its victims. When I do interviews with people, that is when the empathic side of me really gets going. I can feel their demeanors… I connect to them very strongly. That’s why you’ll see when I interview someone, sometimes my tone will change according to the energy that they’re resonating. With ‘Deadly Possessions’ it’s kind of like I’m interviewing the object, the person, and the spirits… all three of those at once. The energy is so very palpable.”

Palpable to the point of becoming disturbingly strong. One of the most intense moments that happened during Episode 1 was Zak’s employee Theodore reacting in a not so very flattering fashion to Robert the Doll. The results of that happening are proof positive that you should never disrespect what you do not understand.

So, I hired this guy… Theodore. He’s a seasoned gentleman in a suit who can really help me. When we’re filming an episode, he’ll greet the people who arrive, talk with them, and lead them to different rooms. When we’re filming, I’ll ask him to bring me things. This guy works hard. Theodore is never briefed on anything that’s going on. He just knows to open the door, and there’s going to be some people arriving. He’s a very funny guy, and he’s so likable. You could just sit around him when he starts talking, and it’s instant entertainment. That’s his nature.

Bagans continues, “During the Robert the Doll segment, he had some letters that he had to hand me. He brings me the letters, and I thought he was just going to walk away. But he doesn’t. His personality kicks in so he turns around to greet Robert’s handler; then he looks at Robert and does this whole funny little thing. At that moment the tension in the air… wow, you could just cut it with a knife. The woman who brought Robert in has this really unusual relationship with the object. She is so protective of Robert on a whole other level. When Theodore did that to the doll, she had this look on her face that was like, ‘Are you kidding me?’ I knew I had to do something about this whole situation so I went back to see Theodore and asked him to come apologize to Robert, which he did. A few weeks later Theodore suffered a massive stroke, and as a result he obviously couldn’t be in a couple of the last episodes. It’s weird, though, you know? I mean, I don’t know if it was the doll, but the stories around Robert are very serious. This doll truly has the reputation of harming people who are disrespectful. You just have to wonder. I mean, we can never prove a connection so let’s just leave it as oddly coincidental.

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So, the question beckoned… Why work on creating a haunted museum? We asked Zak about the reasoning behind his latest endeavor.

Ever since I was a little kid, my mom would take me to look for antiques. Even as a tiny little boy I was always drawn to the history and energy attached to these older things. There even used to be a house by my elementary school and I remember the folks there telling us all about these really old things that they had found in the attic. I remember looking at these objects and just developing a fascination with them. There was also a little trailer that would visit my school that used to have all these little puppets and things inside of it. These things just imprinted on me. I just started evolving my interest in these things into haunted objects. Ever since we started filming ‘Ghost Adventures,’ from day one on I would collect like a rock or something from each location… a piece of that location. I started storing them in my old house, and that’s when I built what became known as my ‘dungeon’ to house them all. But then I started having all these problems. Things were getting really bad there so I moved out and put all of these things in storage. I never realized how powerful these things could be. Especially collectively. That being said, I have always wanted to buy an old haunted building… an old historic building here in Las Vegas… so I did, and then I decided to use the building to house my collection of objects, open a museum of them, and do a show. Objects like The Dybbuk Box and Robert, obviously they don’t reside at the museum, but you may see them come back for a limited public display, and then yeah, there are other objects that I either buy or were given to me that will be at the museum year round. There’s a lot of amazing stuff coming.”

And when will this place be open to the public?

We’re working on that right now. It’s a lot of work, but I’m trying to get it open within the next couple of months. The building is truly historic in Vegas. It was originally built in 1938, and it’s had more than its fair share of documented deaths that have occurred there. Adding in my collection… let me tell you, there’s a lot of layers of energy on-site. The building is very haunted, and we have even had some construction workers quit because they had some personal experiences that scared the hell out of them.

Zak Bagans is fulfilling a lifelong dream of opening a museum in downtown Las Vegas, full of the haunted, cursed objects he has been collecting through the years. Each episode of “Deadly Possessions” features three haunted, iconic items and their owners. They share stories of how these objects have terrorized them and, in some cases, even killed people. Bagans interviews the owners and works with them to get to the root of their “attachment,” so they can free themselves… or at least escape harm from these “deadly possessions.

Tune in Saturdays at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT. For more be sure to follow @Zak_Bagans, @JayWasley, @AaronGoodwin, and @BillyTolley on Twitter using the hashtag #DeadlyPossessions.

Deadly Possessions

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Shudder Invites You to a Karyn Kusama-Curated Collection of Horror

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Karyn Kusama’s breakout film was 2000’s award-winning Girlfight, and since then she’s gone on to direct Aeon Flux, Jennifer’s Body, and, most recently, The Invitation (review), which opened this weekend.

If you’re curious what movies Kusama herself might watch in her down time, then check out her curated collection of her top five favorite horror films for streaming service Shudder.

From the Press Release:
Shudder, the popular horror streaming service backed by AMC Networks, continues to add to its offerings for die-hard horror fans. This month’s guest curator, director Karyn Kusama, is the third in Shudder’s program, which kicked off in February with collections by director/writer Robert Eggers (The Witch) and Alexandre Aja (The Hills Have Eyes). Each guest curator carefully selects their top five horror films based on personal taste and impact on the genre. Shudder plans to continue the program on a monthly basis with collections from more guest curators.

The full collection by Karyn Kusama, now available on Shudder, is detailed below (with comments from the filmmaker).

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Ganja & Hess
“This early ’70’s film about black identity, class politics, and vampirism plays across my memory like a beautiful hallucination. Bill Gunn made a stylish, kaleidoscopically ambitious film about lovers with a thirst for blood. It’s hard to find — so watch it pronto!”

Habit
“I remember seeing this film when it first came out in the mid-90’s and being struck by its twin narrative threads: the story of a man possibly entangled in a romance with a vampire and, more profoundly, the story of a man spiraling into catastrophic alcoholism. The film is an incredible thematic companion piece to Abel Ferrara’s The Addiction and is a grimy, vivid portrayal of a life getting very out of control.”

Let the Right One In
“One of the world’s rare perfect films, centering on a brilliantly realized main character, whose pre-teen loneliness and alienation help fuel a lifelong romance that’s doomed from the start. Utterly sublime filmmaking.”

Nosferatu, the Vampyre
“Four words: Herzog. Kinski. Adjani. Ganz. I don’t really think I need to say any more, but if you like vampire films (and judging from this list, I obviously do), this beautiful film is a must. In more traditional treatments of this story, The Count is a dashing seducer. I love that Herzog and Kinski allowed this Count to be monstrous from the start — there’s no Frank Langella suaveness in sight. AND THOSE RATS!”

The House of the Devil
“I love the simplicity and purity of this movie. Ti West’s film stuck with me in an unexpected way, probably because I spent so much time hanging out with the main character waiting for something momentous to happen. Once it does, you can’t really ‘erase the icky’ from your mind.”

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Shudder houses a variety of films that span all decades and sub-genres of horror in detailed collections created by lead curators Colin Geddes, a prominent film aficionado and historian, and Sam Zimmerman, writer and expert on anything horror.  Shudder’s growing library of curated horror is available ad-free and for unlimited viewing on Shudder’s website, mobile apps for iOS and Android, Chromecast, Apple TV, and the Roku platform with a free 14-day trial or $4.99 monthly/$49.99 yearly membership. To sign up or learn more, visit shudder.com.

About The Invitation:
In this taut psychological thriller by Karyn Kusama, the tension is palpable when Will (Logan Marshall-Green, Prometheus) and his girlfriend, Kira (Emayatzy Corinealdi, Miles Ahead), show up to a dinner party hosted by his ex-wife Eden, (Tammy Blanchard, Into the Woods), and her new husband, David (Michiel Huisman, “Game of Thrones”). The estranged divorcees’ tragic past haunts an equally eerie present; amid Eden’s suspicious behavior and her mysterious house guests, Will becomes convinced that his invitation was extended with a hidden agenda.

Unfolding over one dark evening in the Hollywood Hills, The Invitation blurs layers of mounting paranoia, mystery, and horror until both Will—and the audience—are unsure what threats are real or imagined.

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10 Horror Movies That Were Originally Short Films

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More often than not, short films stay short films, and the filmmakers either never get the chance to expand upon them or simply have no interest in doing so. But every once in a while, short films grow up to become big, beautiful features, and it’s those feature films with small beginnings that we’re here to talk about today.

You’ll notice that we’ve included each of the shorts down below, so feel free to watch ’em as you read!

THE EVIL DEAD

After making a handful of low-budget short films together, friends Sam Raimi and Bruce Campbell decided to go bigger in the late 1970s, and make their very first feature length horror film. Of course, they didn’t exactly have enough money to do that, so they headed out to a friend’s farmhouse and made a 30-minute short called Within the Woods, essentially to show potential investors what they were capable of. Made on a budget of less than $2,000, the short film generated the attention they hoped that it would. Just a few years later, the idea of an evil force overtaking a group of friends in a remote cabin was expanded upon in The Evil Dead – one of the most beloved horror movies of all time.

TRICK ‘R TREAT

It was in 1996, while at film school in New York, that Michael Dougherty (Krampus) made a four-minute animated short film called Season’s Greetings – a delightfully creepy and atmospheric tale about a young boy trick or treating on Halloween night. Dressed in orange footy pajamas and wearing a burlap sack on his head, the short was our very first introduction to the lovable protector of Halloween known as Sam, who came to life a decade later in Trick ‘r Treat and instantly became a fan-favorite icon of the holiday. We love you, Sam. So very much.

RARE EXPORTS

In 2003, a bizarre seven-minute film called Rare Exports Inc. made its way onto the internet, written and directed by Jalmari Helander. The short followed three men as they hunted down a naked Santa Claus, and it became such a hit online that Helander expanded upon the idea for another short a couple years later, called Rare Exports: The Official Safety Instructions. Seven years after the original short was made, Rare Exports became a feature film, with Helander himself turning the boldly original idea into a truly magical fantasy adventure.

SAW

It was in 2001 that Leigh Whannell wrote the screenplay for Saw, which he and James Wan shopped around in their home country of Australia. Having no luck, the two moved to Los Angeles and decided to pluck out a scene from the script and bring it to life, hopeful that a visual aid would help sell their idea. Running just under ten minutes, the original Saw short starred Whannell as a man who gets kidnapped and locked in the infamous reverse bear trap – the role that Shawnee Smith ended up playing in the film. With the interest of producers piqued by the short, Wan and Whannell were given $1 million and 18 days to turn it into a feature, which grossed over $100 million worldwide and spawned six sequels.

GRACE

In 2006, with a few shorts under his belt, Paul Solet came up with the idea for Grace, a twisted tale about a baby that needs a little bit more than formula and mother’s milk to stay alive. Realizing he didn’t have enough money to turn the idea into a feature, Solet instead adapted the opening scenes from the script into a five-minute short, taking it to the festival circuit in a bid to generate interest. Solet, who would walk around convention halls at the time carrying the dead baby prop from the short, caught the attention of Hatchet writer/director Adam Green, whose company Ariescope Pictures produced and released the feature-length expansion of Grace in 2009.


MORE Short Film Origins on the NEXT page!

The post 10 Horror Movies That Were Originally Short Films appeared first on Dread Central.


Boglins Toy Creator Reveals His Top 4 Favorites; Details About the New Boglins!

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Tim Clarke is the co-creator of Boglins – a toy that has undoubtedly become a cult favorite among toy collectors and nostalgia enthusiasts alike. Earlier this year Clarke announced the return of Boglins through several pictures posted on social media. The toy/horror/nostalgia world simultaneously rejoiced at the idea of a new line of monsters (including me — our household has four of them!)

So, in light of this simply spectacular news, Dread Central caught up with Clarke to find out which of the many Boglins created over the years hold a special place in his heart. This is what he told us:

1. Dwork! Because he so much resembles the original prototype that I sculpted.

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2. Sponk! He’s the glow-in-the-dark Boglin. You’ve got to love that beautiful, squishy face.

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3. Slobster! He is just so weird.

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4. Gulp, the Mini Boglin! He lives in a hamburger – where else would a Boglin live?

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5. The new Boglins! We are working on them now. They’re being produced by Clutter Toys and will be out this fall.

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*Boglins were created by Tim Clarke, Maureen Trotto, and Larry Mass. They are licensed by 7towns.*

To keep up with all things Boglins, follow Tim Clarke on Instagram

The post Boglins Toy Creator Reveals His Top 4 Favorites; Details About the New Boglins! appeared first on Dread Central.

Student Actors’ Throats Cut in Performance of Sweeney Todd

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A school performance of Sweeney Todd turned into a real-life horror show earlier this week when two of the student actors accidentally had their throats cut, the New Zealand Herald reports.

Two razors were bought from an antique shop to be used in the play, which was being performed in the secondary school St Kentigern College, Auckland, on April 6th. Duct tape was used to cover the sharp edges, but clearly it wasn’t enough, with one boy sustaining a severe neck injury. Another young man received a slightly less serious, though still pretty nasty, injury; and both needed hospital treatment.

The scene had been performed “many times” since January, including eight dress rehearsals where the prop was used, according to St Kentigern head Steve Cole. Cole said he hoped the rest of the show’s run would still ruin – “without those particular props.” He added, “It was an unfortunate isolated incident.” The prop was covered “in all sorts of duct tape and foam and silver paper. It was a razor that you would expect to see in a production of Sweeney Todd. But it didn’t have a sharp edge. I’m very confident that the health and safety situation was strong.

Thankfully, both boys have recovered and have likely been discharged. Don’t worry… they won’t be turned into meat pies.

I guess the main thing to take away from this is to be sensible when it comes to productions and to double-check all the health and safety elements. And not to be fucking stupid and try to cover a razor blade with duct tape.

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Capcom Announces Resident Evil: Bio Terror VR Game

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Capcom has announced a brand new Resident Evil virtual reality game. Unveiled at the Middle East Film & Comic Con, it’s called Resident Evil: Bio Terror, and not much is currently known about it, although people are speculating that it will be an on-rails light gun shooter similar to the Resident Evil: Chronicles games.

Unfortunately, it’s going to be exclusive to Hub Zero, a video game theme park in Dubai, which has also entered into deals to host games from several other publishers.

So whether or not Resident Evil: Bio Terror will ever see a home release remains to be seen, but it does seem unlikely that Capcom, which has a reputation for milking the cash cow so much that only the poor cow’s bones remain, would allow a game in one of its most popular franchises to be exclusive to one venue.

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Tarzan on the Planet of the Apes Comic Series Announced

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In addition to the news of the King Kong vs. Tarzan novel coming the summer, we’ve also learned that the boy who grows up to become the Lord of the Apes will be crossing over with another franchise about literal apes.

Tarzan on the Planet of the Apes sound like such a perfect crossover idea that I can’t believe nobody thought of it sooner. And with both franchises having new films being released in the near future, the timing is impeccable.

The five-issue miniseries is written by Tim Seeley and David F. Walker; Fernando Dagnino provides the artwork with covers by Duncan Fegredo. Here are the full details:

From the Press Release:
Announced at Emerald City Comicon, Dark Horse Comics will publish a new Tarzan tale with the help of BOOM! Studios, taking Edgar Rice Burroughs’s iconic hero to the Planet of the Apes in Tarzan on the Planet of the Apes.

Heavyweight writers Tim Seeley (Revival) and David Walker (Power Man and Iron Fist) will script a five-issue miniseries with Fernando Dagnino (Suicide Squad) on interior art and Duncan Fegredo illustrating stunning covers, making this a crossover event readers won’t want to miss!

“It’s a rare opportunity to get to work with two great properties, one great artist, and one hell of a co-writer, but Tarzan on the Planet of the Apes does just that for me,” said Tim Seeley.

In Tarzan on the Planet of the Apes, Tarzan and the ape Caesar, raised as brothers but separated by slave traders, reunite when the war between man and ape takes them from the jungles of Africa to the center of the Earth.

“Planet of the Apes was crucial in sparking my imagination as a child and remains my favorite film franchise of all time. The creative challenge of combining that world with Tarzan, and the opportunity to do so with a great co-writer, an amazing artist, and a supportive editorial team was an offer I couldn’t refuse,” added David Walker.

This stunning crossover hits stands following the summer’s blockbuster film The Legend of Tarzan. Discover Edgar Rice Burroughs’s original superstar hero of the last century all over again at your local comic shop this September!

Tarzan on the Planet of the Apes Issue #1 (of 5) is in stores September 28, 2016.

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80’s Inspired Slasher Field of Screams Hits a Trailer Outta the Park

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Major League Baseball’s 2016-17 season kicked off a few days ago, and if you’re a fan of both that sport and the bloodsport depicted in slasher films, then you’ll want to check out the new trailer for Field of Screams, which brings vengeful death to the diamond!

Written, directed, and produced by the terrifically talented duo of Chris Bahr and Joe La Scola of Spectrum Video, the teaser trailer made its debut yesterday on the Lunchmeat Blog. Abounding with VHS aesthetics, Field of Screams also provides evidence of embodying that true-to-era random horror video rental feel. One watch, and it’s bound to be your new favorite baseball-themed slasher of all time.

The below trailer was created as a proof of concept in order to help fund a full-length feature from Spectrum Video. Stay up-to-date on their progress on the Field of Screams Facebook Page.

Synopsis:
In Willow’s Grove, baseball is a way of life. After a bad call during a local championship game, a group of rabid parents corner Stumpy, the umpire. They get more than they bargained for when the encounter ends in murder. After almost a decade in a psychiatric hospital, Stumpy returns for revenge on the home team. Grab your peanuts and crackerjack because this bloodbath is going into extra innings!

Remember: Three Strikes… YOU’RE DEAD!

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Legacy of Kain Spinoff Nosgoth Cancelled

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It’s with a heavy heart that we report that Square Enix’s Legacy of Kain free-to-play multiplayer spin-off Nosgoth has been cancelled. It spent several months in open beta, but will now never see a full release. It was being developed by Psyonix, the makers of Rocket League, and all servers will close on 31st May 2016. Sigh.

The announcement was made via the game’s official forum, and the reasons for the cancellation are vague to say the least. They say that “ultimately its audience hasn’t grown enough to sustain ongoing operations”, which I guess is corporate talk for “we won’t make enough money from it.” There haven’t been any Legacy of Kain games for 13 years, and this does not bode well for the future of the series. We were really looking forward to Nosgoth, and we even interviewed the developers, so this is crushing news to us.

Since Square Enix purchased Eidos Interactive back in 2009, they’ve become increasingly greedy and confused about how to handle the franchises of the British publisher. This includes the fact that late into its development, they forced Danish developer IO Interactive to chop up the latest Hitman game into episodic installments as a way to make a profit before the full game could even be released. Clearly they felt that Nosgoth would not have been a bankable enough endeavour, and that’s a damn shame for the fans who had anticipated the game since its announcement more than two years ago.

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Fear the Walking Dead: Dead Run Mobile Game Now Available

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Tied in with last night’s season premiere of “Fear the Walking Dead,” AMC and video game publisher Versus Evil announced today that Fear the Walking Dead: Dead Run, the official mobile game based on AMC’s record-breaking TV series, is now available worldwide for free on the App Store for iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch.

Fear the Walking Dead: Dead Run puts players in the shoes of their favorite characters from the show as they try to escape a devastated Los Angeles and the infected hordes that have overrun the city. Gameplay takes place across familiar landscapes including an abandoned church, a high school, and the local sports arena. The game features over 40 weapons and special episode levels that deliver storylines paralleling the events of the TV series.

“We wanted to launch the game in a unique and exciting way that honored the incredible show on which it’s based. The game is both thrilling and visually-appealing as players try to survive the apocalyptic fall of Los Angeles,” said Mac McKean, SVP of Digital Media for AMC and SundanceTV.

“We’re all huge fans of ‘Fear the Walking Dead,’ and it’s been great working with AMC to bring this game to the fans,” said Steve Escalante, GM and founder of Versus Evil. “Our goal from the beginning was to create a fun, accessible experience that stayed true to the energy of the show. We hope fans enjoy playing as their favorite show characters and competing with their friends in a world falling apart.”

Fear the Walking Dead: Dead Run is initially available exclusively in the App Store for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch. You’ll find the trailer and a few screenshots below; for more information visit getdead.run.

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The Horde Trailer Tastes Blood; VOD Release Date Announced

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The Horde, starring Bill Moseley, Paul Logan, and Costas Mandylor, is a film we’ve been talking about for a while now; and finally today we have some artwork, a trailer, and release news to share!

The film arrives on VOD May 6th courtesy of Gravitas Ventures.  In the US and Canada it’ll be available on iTunes, Google Play, YouTube Movies, Vudu, Amazon Instant Video, Microsoft Video Store, PlayStation Network, and Hoopla; in the US only you’ll find it on AT&T U-Verse, DISH, DirectTV, Cox, Charter on Demand, Verizon FiOS, Suddenlink, Mediacom, Insight, WOW, and RCN.  If you’re in Canada, your choices also include Eastlink TV, Rogers on Demand, and Shaw.

Along with the trio mentioned above, The Horde co-stars Vernon Wells, Nestor Serrano, Matt Willig, Tiffany Brouwer, Sydney Sweeney, John Omuhundro, Thomas Ochoa, Frankie Ray, Jack David Frank, and Elisabeth Ferrara. The film was written by Logan and directed by Jared Cohn.

Synopsis:
John Crenshaw (Logan) has given up his life as leader of his Navy SEAL team to settle down and marry his girlfriend, Selina (Brouwer). He accompanies Selina and her students on a weekend nature photography expedition deep into the Oregon woods. What starts out as an educational and fun-filled weekend turns into horror as the group is besieged by an unspeakable evil – a horde of hideously disfigured, mutated humans with an insatiable taste for blood.

The horde savagely attacks the camp. John fights off some and is left for dead as the creatures led by the sadistic Atkinson take Selina and the group back to their camp. Battered and enraged, Crenshaw must once again embrace the life he left behind to track down and kill the horde. He uses all of his Special Gorces training to try to save the group. With unrelenting danger around every corner, he must deal with the savage mutants and human deceit. As things go from bad to worse, Crenshaw becomes their only hope if they are going to get out alive.

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Sell Out to this American Psycho: The Musical Performance

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For those of us out there who are huge American Psycho fans but haven’t been able to get to a performance of American Psycho: The Musical, “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” had your hook-up!

Below you’ll find a video featuring Benjamin Walker and the cast of American Psycho: The Musical performing the show’s opening number, “Selling Out.” American Psycho: The Musical is currently running on Broadway.

Synopsis:
Based on the best-selling novel by Bret Easton Ellis, and set in the epicenter of excess: 1980s Manhattan, this hit musical tells the story of Patrick Bateman, a young and handsome Wall Street banker with impeccable taste and unquenchable desires. Patrick and his elite group of friends spend their days in chic restaurants, exclusive clubs, and designer labels. But at night, Patrick takes part in a darker indulgence, and his mask of sanity is starting to slip…

BENJAMIN WALKER (Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson) stars alongside a first-class cast, including Tony Award® winner ALICE RIPLEY (Next to Normal), HELÉNE YORKE (Bullets over Broadway), Tony nominee JENNIFER DAMIANO (Next to Normal), and DREW MOERLEIN in his Broadway debut. Featuring a score by DUNCAN SHEIK, the Tony and Grammy Award®-winning composer of Spring Awakening, and reinvented for the stage by Olivier Award-winning director RUPERT GOOLD (King Charles III), writer ROBERTO AGUIRRE-SACASA (“Glee”), Tony-nominated choreographer LYNNE PAGE (La Cage Aux Folles) and three-time Olivier Award-winning scenic designer ES DEVLIN (tours for Adele, Beyonce, U2, Kanye West), this new musical is the sexiest show on Broadway.

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Exclusive Darling Poster Will Make a Killing

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Mickey Keating’s new film Darling (review) is available now on VOD, and we have an exclusive new Mondo poster for you cats to dig on!

The film stars Lauren Ashley Carter, Sean Young, Brian Morvant, Larry Fessenden, John Speredakos, and Helen Rogers.

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Synopsis:
Darling follows a lonely young woman who moves into an old, mysterious Manhattan mansion. Hired as caretaker, it’s not long before she discovers the estate’s haunted reputation and troubling past—stories that slowly transform into a backdrop for her twisted and violent descent into madness.

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Get a Sneak Peek of the iZombie Double-Episode Season Finale

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As we mentioned previously, The CW is sending Season 2 of “iZombie” off in style with a double-episode finale airing tomorrow night.  Here’s some cool new key art for the event along with a sneak peek.

“iZombie” Episode 2.18 – “Dead Beat” (4/12/16; 8:00-9:00 pm)
KEN MARINO (“VERONICA MARS”) GUEST STARS — Liv (Rose McIver) and Ravi (Rahul Kohli) are in need of help and find an unlikely ally in Blaine (David Anders). Detective Babineaux (Malcolm Goodwin) and Dale Bozzio (guest star Jessica Harmon) pursue a new lead on an old case. Meanwhile, when Major (Robert Buckley) finds himself in a world of trouble, sleazebag Brant Stone (guest star Ken Marino) comes to his rescue. Vaughn’s (guest star Steven Weber) evil side reaches a whole new level of mean. John Kretchmer directed the episode written by John Enbom.

“iZombie” Episode 2.19 – “Salivation Army” (4/12/16; 9:00-10:00 pm)
ROB THOMAS (MATCHBOX 20) GUEST STARS — Working together on a mission, Liv (Rose McIver), Detective Babineaux (Malcolm Goodwin), and Major (Robert Buckley) crash Vaughn’s (guest star Steven Weber) Super Max Rager party, where Rob Thomas (as himself) performs a song from his solo career. Meanwhile, Blaine (David Anders) reaches out to Peyton (guest star Aly Michalka) for help, which does not sit well with Ravi (Rahul Kohli). Michael Fields directed the episode written by Rob Thomas and Diane Ruggiero-Wright.

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Dark Souls 3 (Video Game)

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Dark Souls 3Developed by From Software

Available on PC, PS4, and Xbox One

Rated M for Mature


For a while now, Dark Souls has been the litmus test of “hardcore.” A bright line between the casual mongrels and the real gaming stewards of the universe, an image helped none by the “Prepare to Die” ad campaign that has lived well beyond its syndication and into the actual title of one of the games. And it’s not a dishonest statement. You will die in Dark Souls. It is hard. But it isn’t impossible. Or, in my opinion, terribly difficult.

It’s a seemingly paradoxical standpoint if you consider “challenging” and “difficult” to be the same word. While I find Souls games to be incredibly challenging, I don’t find them to be difficult. I find Call of Duty to be difficult. Somewhere along my gaming lifetime, my ability to line up twitch reflex headshots waned as my strategy gaming micromanagement waxed. I’m not going to be one of those self-righteous assholes that thinks there’s something inherently superior about more “intellectual” games like The Walking Dead, Civilization, and Fez. These are just games that I prefer.

Dark Souls has always met my sweet spot between the contemplative and the reactive. It requires a decent amount of spot reflexes to properly dodge/parry/block all of the attacks, but also requires you to learn the pattern. Not only must you master the wind-ups and follow-throughs of your foes furious flurries, but also your own. Run out of stamina, and you’re fucked. It’s certainly tough, but not the sisyphean torment that a lot of people pretend it is. I mean, I beat most of them drunk.

The reality of Dark Souls has never been the myth of “ultra-brutal” that many perpetuate. For those on the periphery, the circulated meme will always be a picture of a broken controller and “WELCOME TO DARK SOULS, GIT GUD LUL!” For fans, it’s all about praising the sun, uncovering all of the covenants, beating the Pursuer your first try, and finally backstabbing Havel enough times without getting your skull crushed in. It’s not a torture, but a rapturous journey, a series of joyous achievements whose peaks are unmatched in other titles.

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I’ve had whole relationships less satisfying than beating this stupid asshole’s shiny metal face in.

It might seem like I’m exaggerating a bit, and perhaps I am. There’s really just nothing quite like it. That is, unless you are talking about Dark Souls 3. In which case, it’s basically just the first Dark Souls. Even as an amalgamation of the various elements that made Dark Souls, Dark Souls 2, Demon’s Souls, and Bloodborne great, it’s still clearly more Dark Souls than anything else. In a game where continuity is mysterious and plot is more of a backdrop than a driving force, Dark Souls 3 is as direct a sequel to Dark Souls as you can get.

This isn’t me heaping major shit on Dark Souls 3. There are much worse things than being basically just Dark Souls. There’s an entire industry based on being basically just Dark Souls, and I’m fine with that. At its core, it’s still the high stakes, fast and fluid combat that I love. It’s still the same vague, mysterious world that just begs to be picked apart. The foes are still menacing, options vast, arsenal unique, and deaths punishing. I still love this game. Just not as much as the rest.

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Although, as you can tell from all my pictures, I love the shit out of the Fume Ultra Greatsword.

After an initial first area that surprisingly didn’t have a “must lose” battle, you warp into the walls of Lothric and immediately drink in a rich and heavy sight. Along with many a tidbit for lore-nerds to pour over their significance, an array of tortured and wailing undead flank you at either side. They aren’t all immediately aggressive, most simply cowering and praying in desperation to gods who have long since forgotten their prayers. You will slaughter them for their sweet, sweet souls.

After making your way through a handful of undead, you immediately face your first wyvern (think dragon). He’s not a boss, and functions as a living trap that must be figured out and avoided. This is not a daunting task. Even if you can’t figure out his simple, “spray fire, take a nap, repeat” pattern, he only does little piddles of damage that can easily be healed through. It’s clearly much of a less dick move than The Bridge Wyvern, but the parallel is clear. As a method for introducing the character to the concept of “expect anything at any time,” it’s more forgiving. It’s also way less memorable.

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I wonder if I can resist the urge to pick up all the items sitting in his blast radius. *SPOILER ALERT* I couldn’t.

The wyvern isn’t the only parallel to the first Dark Souls. There’s an undead town, a poison swamp, a skeleton catacomb, and you even return to Anor Londo. There’s a wooded area with an animal covenant, and even a couple secret zones. However, the actual design of said levels feels much more like a mix between Dark Souls and the more linear Dark Souls 2. Zones are sprawling and rife with interconnected paths and shortcuts, but the actual connection between the zones feels initially loose. It’s a lot of large elevators taking you to wildly different areas.

It’s a point that I feel will be contentious with fans. The environments are more varied, but it comes at the cost of world cohesion. When you take a step back and look at it as a whole, you can see the threads holding everything together. It wasn’t until my second playthrough that I realized the shattered bridge I had to teleport across earlier is actually a zone you travel to later. As a world, it is certainly tied together. It just pales in comparison to the interconnected world of the first Dark Souls. There are instances of hidden keys leading to spiral staircases that lead back to an unopened door in a previous level, but the entire map of Dark Souls was an interconnected system of veins and arteries crisscrossing through the world to make it a living, breathing organism. Dark Souls 3 is a series of large, open, and interesting hubs.

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The imagery depicts a massive scale without delivering. You’ll travel the walls of that castle in the distance, but only briefly.

Combat, on the other hand, is significantly improved. There might be some who will prefer the clunkier style of the older games, but Dark Souls 3 is faster, fluid, and more responsive. Hitboxes are refined, with a layering that expands your stagger impact beyond your range of damage. Staggering large enemies can now be followed up with a powerful riposte, which previously was reserved for smaller humanoid enemies. All weapons now have a “Weapon Skill,” which ranges from a simple damage upgrade to a devastating power attack. Magic has been revamped, with spells no longer having set charges and instead utilizing a new “Focus Point” bar. Similar to health, FP does not regenerate over time, and must be recharged with “Ashen Estus Flasks.” Weapon Skills also require FP, but not to the degree that spells do. You set your number of Ashen flasks and regular Estus from the same pool, meaning that your Soul Arrow spamming comes at the cost of overall longevity. It’s a novel way to balance the system, as it was previously a huge advantage at very little cost to have just enough stats for some minor spells. It’ll take a legion of fans playing for months to figure out how the balancing worked exactly, but I found it made the PVP much more variable.

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Which is perfect for me, who employs more of a “you’ll be in a world of hurt when I finally waddle over to get you!” tactic

It’s easy to see the patchwork frame that director Hidetaka Miyazaki assembled from his other games. The first Dark Souls is the foundation, the skeleton and north star guiding the rest of the game’s design. The ember system and central isolated hub is a callback to Demon’s Souls, and even has it’s own murdering traitor NPC. The more streamlined level design is a product of Dark Souls 2, and the more fluid combat is inspired by Miyazaki’s similar franchise Bloodborne.

That isn’t to say the world lacks its own identity. While Dark Souls had a lonely, dead world feel, Dark Souls 3 is rich with decay. It feels a bit more like Bloodborne, full of body horror, wailing tortured souls, and otherworldly creatures just beyond your reach. Powering yourself up with an “Ember” is the replacement to restoring your “Humanity,” and causes your skin to crack and flake revealing a flame within. It’s a momentary, fickle spark of light in a world extinguished. In this descent into ashes, the world is more alive in its undeath, just like a long dead corpse now bloated with maggots wriggles and breaks down.

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Yoel of Londor is a particularly pitiful character. Of all the NPCs struggling through, his gnarled hands and hunched back tell the greatest story of struggle.

I’ve been waffling back and forth between the good and the bad this whole review, which I can understand is a bit confusing. My feelings on the world are mixed, and the more time I spend analyzing the bits the more I grow to like them. It’s a game I like in a franchise I love, but it’s difficult to describe why exactly it let me down without pointing to something that another equally fervent fan might love. So I’m left with one, solid criticism. It never took me more than two tries to beat any boss in Dark Souls 3. For a game that I cherish for being a challenge, these landmark fights were alarmingly easy. Aside from the Nameless King and High Lord Wolnir, I struggle to remember a single fight. It’s the same formula of “kill four great lords to unlock the last boss,” but none of them are as menacing as the towering bundle of corpses that was Nito or the terrifying Four Kings. Nothing even comes close to the epic challenge of Ornstein and Smough. There’s actually a boss that is just a bunch of dudes. For a game that is otherwise fantastic, I was incredibly disappointed.

I have to remind you that I’m rating this on a scale of Dark Souls. As a game, it’s still great, and one I’d almost universally recommend. The polished combat and smoother difficulty curve will bring in plenty of new fans, and I seriously doubt it will ostracize any old ones. I liked all the changes, and it’s clear that the future of the series is somewhere along these lines. I just can’t ignore that for a series that has sucked hundreds of hours out of me, the twenty hours that it took me to beat Dark Souls 3 are almost all ephemeral. If I close my eyes, I can see the route through Undead Burg, into the Depths, down through Blighttown, and into the Quelaag fight on the inside of my eyelids. When I have to look up on the wiki to remember the bosses, Dark Souls 3 has done something wrong. It’s a game you will play and likely love. Hopefully, it will inspire you to play the rest of the series. We can always use more sunbros praising.

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