A day's not complete without Prometheus news so here's a batch of photos from EW to go along with their cover story on the film, which hits newsstands this week. They feature Michael Fassbender, Noomi Rapace, and Charlize Theron along with more images from the set and film.

Prometheus, starring Noomi Rapace, Michael Fassbender, Charlize Theron, Idris Elba, Patrick Wilson, Logan Marshall-Green, and Ben Foster, will be in theaters on June 8th, 2012. The film has been rated R for sci-fi violence including some intense images and brief language.

Synopsis
Ridley Scott, director of 'Alien' and 'Blade Runner,' returns to the genre he helped define. With 'Prometheus' he creates a groundbreaking mythology in which a team of explorers discover a clue to the origins of mankind on Earth, leading them on a thrilling journey to the darkest corners of the universe. There they must fight a terrifying battle to save the future of the human race.

MGM has snapped up screen rights to adapt Ray Bradbury's From the Dust Returned. Not a lot of details on this one yet, but it has the potential to be one heck of a unique genre experience.

According to Deadline, Bradbury optioned the rights to producers Denise Di Novi (Ed Wood) and Alison Greenspan (Catwoman). The book's narrative is a vignette approach, revolving around a young boy and the supernatural beings in his family: mummified mother, a daughter who lives vicariously through the creatures she visits in her dreams and a gargoyle-esque uncle. Imagine something of a monstrous family reunion and that's part of the gist here.

No word on a director yet, but I have a feeling this is going to attract some major talent. I'd love to see someone like Sam Raimi take a crack at the material, but that might be a case of wishful thinking. Stay tuned; this should be pretty interesting.

Mulder would have loved this one. Former Director of Investigations for the British UFO Research Association Philip Mantle recently released a book about the grainy black-and-white film footage that surfaced in 1995 claiming to be autopsy footage of the Roswell aliens taken in 1947.

All the details on Roswell Alien Autopsy: The Truth Behind the Film That Shocked the World are below. To purchase a copy, you can go right to Roswell Books.

From the Press Release
After the alleged recovery of a UFO and its occupants near Roswell, New Mexico in 1947, did the U.S. military conduct an autopsy on the fallen creatures while cameras documented the eerie event? A new book closely examines the autopsy film. Sixty-five years ago, a strange object crashed in the desert north of Roswell, New Mexico, and witnesses claimed that the bodies of "extraterrestrials" were recovered by the U.S. military and taken to be autopsied at the Roswell Army base. Forty-eight years later, in 1995, a grainy black-and-white film of the alleged autopsy was released worldwide to stunned audiences. The complete story of this controversial film is told in the newly-released book Roswell Alien Autopsy: The Truth Behind the Film that Shocked the World, written by British UFO researcher Philip Mantle, the first person given access to the film.

In 1993, while working as the public relations officer for the British UFO Research Association (BUFORA), Mantle received a call from fellow Briton Ray Santilli, an entrepreneur and filmmaker whom Mantle had never met. Santilli told Mantle that he had "some actual film of the UFO crash at Roswell in l947." Mantle asked to see it, but a viewing was not arranged until two years later.

In 1995, Mantle met Santilli at his London office and became among the first persons to ever view the alleged alien autopsy footage. Mantle remembers, "The first film Santilli showed us on a TV in his office was the so-called 'tent footage.' This poor quality black and white film was said to depict an on-site examination of one of the creatures. Again, to my further surprise, Santilli gave me a copy of this film and allowed me to take it home with me on the proviso that I did not show it in public."Santilli told Mantle that he acquired the film from a retired U.S. Army cameraman who claimed to have been present at the autopsy in 1947 of extraterrestrials recovered at the Roswell UFO crash. Mantle kept his word not to release any information about the film while Santilli figured out how best to market it, but a fellow UFO researcher accidentally let the film's existence leak out to the general public. Suddenly, Santilli, Mantle, and others who knew about the film were deluged by intense media interest from all over the world.

Eventually, the alien autopsy film was featured on a Fox TV documentary called "Alien Autopsy: Fact or Fiction?" aired in August 1995. The program earned some of the highest ratings ever for a FOX Network special, and two updated versions of the documentary were broadcast later, giving viewers more information and additional footage from Santilli. The alien autopsy footage became a worldwide sensation and a hot topic of discussion at virtually every UFO gathering. For many people, the autopsy film became definite proof of the existence of UFOs and extraterrestrials on our planet. And then the roof caved in. Dubious about the film from the beginning, Mantle continued working hard behind the scenes to discover more about Santilli's alien footage. Mantle spent years studying the film, talking to film experts, interviewing special effects wizards, and doing everything in his power to either authenticate or discredit the footage. It was not an easy path, and Mantle was often faced by seemingly insurmountable obstacles, clever mixtures of truth and lies, mysteries wrapped within other mysteries, and an ever lingering doubt about Santilli and his film. This 318-page book chronicles in full detail Mantle's all-consuming obsession with uncovering the truth about the film that he helped Santilli launch upon the world. It is the most engaging of mystery stories describing how Mantle painstakingly peeled away layer after layer of the deceit and misdirection that so often plagues the UFO research community. In the end, as most people now realize, Mantle was instrumental in uncovering the "dirty little secrets" behind the making of the alien autopsy film, which most UFO researchers now consider to be a hoax, based largely on the hard work and determination of Philip Mantle.

Praise for Mantle's work and for the U.K. edition of his book has been overwhelming. British UFO researcher Andy Roberts said, "The Alien Autopsy changed the world of ufology forever in 1995, causing it to shatter into even more polarized factions. Was it real or was it fake? The autopsy film transcended both categories to take on a reality of its own. In this book Philip Mantle has chronicled the passage of the autopsy from its birth, when Ray Santilli revealed it to the world to its current status as icon of the impossible. Whodunit? Hard to tell, although after reading this book you'll have a head full of suspicion ... As a hybrid between "Cluedo" and "The X-Files," it can't be beat and should be read by everyone with even a vague interest in the subject of aliens." Nick Pope, the former head of UFO research for the British government, adds, "The Alien Autopsy Film is either proof of an extraterrestrial presence on Earth and an associated government cover-up, or the greatest hoax of all time. Philip Mantle's book is a fascinating and comprehensive investigation into the greatest and most controversial mystery of our time." Whitley Strieber, bestselling author of "Communion" and "The Greys," calls Mantle's book "a searching, insightful and much needed examination of the truths and lies behind the famous 'alien autopsy' film. It shines light into the shadows surrounding this world-famous piece of film. Is it a fake or not? This engaging mystery story takes the reader in some very surprising directions. A most interesting and provocative book."

Author Philip Mantle is the former Director of Investigations for the British UFO Research Association, former Mutual UFO Network representative for England, and an honorary member of the Research Institute on Anomalous Phenomena in the Ukraine. He is an international lecturer on the subject of UFOs and has also worked for a variety of TV and radio companies around the world. He lives in Pontefract, West Yorkshire, England.

With filmmaker Tim Burke's found footage documentary The Lucifer Effect set to debut at Cannes, we’ve procured a trailer for the flick, word on the allegedly "cursed" feature, and its unique viral marketing campaign.

The Lucifer Effect made headlines last year when one of the participants was almost throttled by another cast member as police seized the footage and the film was put on hold. However, despite the film’s director also having gone missing, it has been completed by a new documentary film crew [Editor’s Note: captained by L.A. Slasher director Tim Burke] and is now set to premiere at Cannes.

From the Press Release:
The film studies the social condition known as "The Lucifer Effect," a psychological consequence that is said to occur when "good" people are given power over others in an evil place. The experiment was first conducted in the 1970’s during the infamous Stanford Prison experiment, and now the film's producers have recreated a modern-day equivalent in an abandoned mental asylum.

Reports of a curse originally surfaced due to the fact that the film features disturbing events that occurred when the participants in the film were taking part in a Ouija board session during their brief stay in the asylum. Unlike other films that it has been compared to, such as The Blair Witch Project or Paranormal Activity, the footage and events in The Lucifer Project are actually real, there was no script and the reactions of the participants are genuine, including the unfortunate assault. As a result the police in Lincolnshire, England, seized the footage and the film was put on hold, creating media attention with coverage in the British press.

Adding to the notion that the film may be heading into unsettling territory, it also uses subliminal imagery and has a secret secondary storyline interwoven in hidden frames beneath the main storyline, which has only fueled the rumors that something very odd is going on.

The film centers around eight people who volunteered for a role in a movie, only to be locked inside a reportedly haunted mental asylum for three days and nights, with no communication from the outside world and little food to eat.

Since these events, two members of the cast have reportedly been hospitalized, with others receiving counseling for any possible after-effects. All involved have signed release forms and given their consent for the footage to be used. Compounding the stories of a curse is the fact that the director who oversaw the filming of the original events is also now missing, with rumors that one of the actresses has been sectioned in South America.

In order to investigate whether the alleged "curse" can have any effects on the public at large, the film has added an innovative social media angle. When anyone activates the trailer on the film’s Facebook and social networking pages, their webcam activates, thereby involving the viewer in what is onscreen. Already there have been reports of doors seen mysteriously opening, shadows appearing and lampshades moving in the background.

The producers added the webcam feature after the curse reports surfaced to pick up on any paranormal activity once the film trailer had been watched. The producers say if anything interesting or unusual is recorded whilst watching the trailer, there is a chance that the recordings will be featured in the final cut of the film when it is released.

Interesting stuff, right? Have a look at some stills, screenshots and the trailer for The Lucifer Effect below if you dare; and for more information on the film, visit the official The Lucifer Effect website.

With the upcoming release of the creepy Hammer film The Woman in Black on DVD May 22nd, we thought it would be a good time to look back at some of our favorite frightening women from horror films of the past. Believe me; these aren't your average scream queens. These women bite back...hard!

To prime the proverbial pump, we have some honorable mentions for those who just missed the list. Who wasn't creeped out by Cécile De France in Haute Tension (High Tension) or Isabelle Fuhrman in Orphan. I remember looking through my fingers at the woman-thing at the end of [REC], and Rebecca De Mornay was simply cold-blooded in The Hand that Rocks the Cradle. Rie Ino'o gave us an iconic image in Ring, which Daveigh Chase duplicated in the American remake. And Lina Leandersson was eerie as Ellie in Lat den ratte komma in (Let the Right One In). Hell, if the films they were in were scarier, we'd love to have put Bellatrix Lestrange and The Wicked Witch of the West on here. They were some nasty ladies as well! And isn't that just the way we like 'em? Nasty! Read on, for we've got them all here, in no particular order - the Top Ten Most Frightening Women in Film.

Lola Stone (Robin McLeavy in The Loved Ones)
You've heard us talk about this film, rave about it even. And if you haven't gotten out to see The Loved Ones yet, you're doing yourself a disservice as a horror fan. This movie is the real deal and Robin McLeavy as Lola Stone is killer! Actually maybe torturer/killer is a more accurate description, but you get the idea. This is a true case of whatever Lola wants, Lola gets (why can't I write that without dreaming about Sofia Vergara in that Pepsi commercial?) because when Lola doesn't get what she wants, bad things happen...real bad. It's not easy to include a character so new that many of you guys haven't even heard of her yet, but trust us; when you finally meet Lola Stone, you'll see what we're talking about.

Zelda Goldman (Andrew Hubatsek in Pet Sematary)
Even though she was played by a fella, there is absolutely no way this list goes together without the nightmare that was the spinal meningitis-stricken Zelda from the brutal memories of Rachel Creed in Pet Sematary. She only had about a minute or so of screen time, but it was enough to find her a spot in the dark recesses of our minds for a lifetime. The writhing on the bed in her death throes was bad enough, but when she returned as Rachel's hallucination, rushed the camera and broke into a maniacal laugh while repeatedly screaming "Never get out of bed again!" at the top of her lungs, it was a little more than we could handle. Zelda broke us.

She (Charlotte Gainsbourg in Antichrist)
The unnamed She from Lars von Trier's arthouse film Antichrist crumbled into insanity following the death of her son when she failed to follow one simple rule of parenting…If you're going to be doing the horizontal mambo with Willem Dafoe constantly, make sure you lock all the second-story windows, or Junior might just take a tumble. Well, take a tumble he did, and so does her grip on sanity. As her psychologist husband attempts to repair her shattered psyche, She becomes increasingly deranged and performs some of the most twistedly violent acts on He, and herself, as the film rolls on to its memorable, gritty finale. She has to be one of the more sympathetic characters on this list because of how she was rendered insane, but it's hard to feel too bad for her when she's smashing He's balls with a big block of wood. Ouch.

Annie Wilkes (Kathy Bates in Misery)
Flipping your car over in a snowstorm…bad. Being rescued from certain death…good. Being rescued from certain death by someone who adores you for your writing…even better! Being rescued from certain death by Annie Wilkes…oh shit. As much of a psycho-lunatic as she was in Misery, Annie Wilkes will forever be remembered for one scene. And just the fact that we don't even have to come out and tell you what that scene is proves it. It's really a shame that Misery doesn't show in theaters anymore because there's nothing like waiting for that sledgehammer to come down and vaporize Jimmy Caan's ankle and watch the entire place suddenly erupt into one mass toe-curling cringe. Priceless. Annie Wilkes was the embodiment of obsession, and that burly, twisted woman was one of the most memorable and unique monsters we ever had the pleasure to peek in on.

La Femme (Béatrice Dalle A l'interieur (Inside))
And speaking of obsession, we've got an extreme example of a lovely French lady who went off the deep end in the ultra-violent film Inside. From the moment La Femme showed up in the film, you knew things were not going to go well. She was like a rabid, crazed dog. And what was her mission, you ask? All she wanted to do was cut a baby out of a pregnant woman and take it for her own. That's right. La Femme has to be best remembered for her limitless brutality and laser-like focus on her goal: getting the baby that she believes is rightfully hers. Moviegoers will be hard pressed to find another woman as violent and remorseless as this memorable character. From the initially attempted cesarean section with the dress shears, throughout the entire film, La Femme definitely earned her spot on this list.

The Woman (Pollyanna McIntosh in The Woman)
Sometimes you'd like to have faith in the intelligence of your fellow man. It's unfortunate that McDonald's has to print COFFEE IS HOT on their coffee cups because you would hope in a society as advanced as our own, even the slowest among us would realize the inherent dangers in that cup of coffee and behave accordingly. Just as you would hope that a successful country lawyer would be slick enough to know that if you do happen to find a feral woman living in the woods, it's probably not a good idea to capture her, bring her home and try to civilize her. In The Woman this is unfortunately not the case. However, if all those mistakes were made, one would pray that once said woman bites off and eats one of your fingers, then the realization of just how terrible this idea is should set in. Again, no. And when you miss that many telltale signs of idiotic behavior, you've got to pay the price, and The Woman is nothing if not good at collecting that debt. An absolutely raw, animalistic character, she is the beast within all of us when the trappings of modern society are removed.

The Grady Twins & Mrs. Massey (the tub woman) (Lisa and Louise Burns & Billie Gibson in The Shining)
If there was one place that cornered the market on frightening women, it was the Overlook Hotel. The nightmarish setting of the classic Stanley Kubrick film housed not one, but three frightening females. Of course the iconic Grady twins make the list as their presence alone was enough to get the skin of the average movie-goer crawling. The pint-sized ghosts managed to amp up the fear factor of The Shining to epic levels. Then add in Mrs. Massey (she of the Room 237 bathtub scenes…her character was not developed in the film, but a reading of the Stephen King novel clears everything up). The off-the-charts scary ghost of a suicide victim is equally off-putting. They make up a triple-threat of terror. Yipes!

May Dove Canady (Angela Bettis in May)
Oh May, how we love you so. Without a doubt, she is the most precious and magnetic character on this list. But even through the cute smile and simple need for companionship, May is just as twisted as anyone else on this list, perhaps taking her mother's advice of "If you can't find a friend, make one" a bit too far. Perfect hands, perfect neck, perfect legs - May finds them all; unfortunately they're on different people. "So many perfect parts but no perfect wholes." Only one way to bring them all together, and she does just that in creating Amy, a Frankenstein-like pile of dead flesh which becomes her friend…at least in May's own broken mind it does. She even adds a little bit of herself to make it perfect. An incredibly sympathetic character, May pulls the viewer into her trauma, then allows us to enjoy her personal triumph. Complicated and batshit crazy, May is a keeper.

Asami Yamazaki (Eihi Shiina in Audition)
Audition proves that you can't judge a book by its cover. Who would have thought that the cute little Asami would end up being a torturing maniac. Never saw that one coming. There's crazy and torturous, and then there's another level of crazy and torturous, and that's right where Asami lives, in the upper crust of psychos. Not only does she remove a foot in perhaps the most painful way possible, but she first drugs her victim to be sure he's paralyzed but wide awake and feeling every ounce of the pain. That's next level. That's Hall of Fame. All she wanted was to be fully loved. Of course, the totality of what she needed, absolutely all of someone, was insane to consider in the first place. Asami, her wire saw and needles, are certainly hard to forget.

Regan MacNeil (Linda Blair in The Exorcist)
Even after nearly 40 years, Regan MacNeil is still the scariest thing ever put to film. The Exorcist is a beautifully deranged film that seared the most horrific creature into our minds forever. The slow burn of the confrontations between Regan and Father Karras and then Karras and Father Merrin together as the film culminates are iconic. But it's not the finale that gets you; it's the build-up of the constant disturbing scenes that make the film so powerful. It's gentle at first - just Regan sitting on the chair with her arm in the air, inappropriately peeing on the floor in the middle of a posh dinner party. But as the film rolls on, the imagery (and incredible sound; the voice of the Pazuzu is by far the most chilling thing about this film) begins to take hold of you. Bringing us lines like the unforgettable, head-spinning "Do you know what she did, your cunting daughter?" or the almost majestically delivered "What an excellent day for an exorcism!" make Regan MacNeil one of, and arguably the most, frightening woman we've ever experienced in horror.

Recently there's been a lot of talk concerning the Oren Peli and Brian Witten produced flick Chernobyl Diaries, but you now have a chance to do more than talk about it. You can vote to have a screening brought right to your home town. We've got the info you need to help you Quarantine Your City.

The Chernobyl Diaries team wants to bring their film to the cities that want them the most, and they've developed a great way to figure out just where to go. By visiting QuarantineYourCity.com, fans can vote for their home towns to be among the locations that will receive a screening of the film with special guests and surprises included.

Chernobyl Diaries hits theaters on May 25. For more visit the official Chernobyl Diaries website, "like" Chernobyl Diaries on Facebook and follow Chernobyl Diaries on Twitter (@seechernobyl).

Synopsis
Chernobyl Diaries is an original story from Oren Peli, who first terrified audiences with his groundbreaking thriller, Paranormal Activity. It's written by Peli, Carey Van Dyke, and Shane Van Dyke and directed by Brad Parker. The film follows a group of six young tourists who, looking to go off the beaten path, hire an "extreme tour" guide. Ignoring warnings, he takes them into the city of Pripyat, the former home to the workers of the Chernobyl nuclear reactor, but a deserted town since the disaster more than 25 years ago. After a brief exploration of the abandoned city, however, the group soon finds themselves stranded, only to discover that they are not alone.

Alrighty, kids! Time to get more head from the following two new slivers of eye candy from Prometheus, and if you don't mind some spoilers, Amazon has released the official soundtrack listing complete with some very interesting track titles.

SOUNDTRACK SPOLERS! READ ON AT OWN RISK!
1. A Planet
2. Going In
3. Engineers
4. Life
5. Weyland
6. Discovery
7. Not Human
8. Too Close
9. Try Harder
10. David
11. Hammerpede
12. We Were Right
13. Earth
14. Infected
15. Hyper Sleep
16. Small Beginnings
17. Hello Mommy
18. Friend From The Past
19. Dazed
20. Space Jockey

Thanks to DC reader Jon for the heads-up via Prometheus the Movie Online.

Prometheus, starring Noomi Rapace, Michael Fassbender, Charlize Theron, Idris Elba, Patrick Wilson, Logan Marshall-Green, and Ben Foster, will be in theaters on June 8th, 2012. The film has been rated R for sci-fi violence including some intense images and brief language.

Synopsis
Ridley Scott, director of 'Alien' and 'Blade Runner,' returns to the genre he helped define. With 'Prometheus' he creates a groundbreaking mythology in which a team of explorers discover a clue to the origins of mankind on Earth, leading them on a thrilling journey to the darkest corners of the universe. There they must fight a terrifying battle to save the future of the human race.

Last year Warner Brothers proved that you don't need ghosts, killers, or monsters to make a truly frightening movie. Steven Soderbergh's Contagion did a fine job of adding an unhealthy dose of paranoia to our lives, and it's not stopping there.

According to It's on the Grid, Contagion 2 is officially in the works with an OWA (Open Writing Assignment) out from Warner Bros. Scott Z. Burns, who wrote the screenplay for the original film, will be producing this time around. Basically that means Warner is in the process of fielding pitches from new writers to either bring in something original or task them with going in a direction they already have in mind.

It is not yet known whether Steven Soderbergh will return to direct, but we honestly wouldn't count on it. Still, stranger things have happened.

More casting news has come for Hammer's latest project The Quiet Ones and we've got the details right here. Read on for the latest and revel in the fact that one of the horror genre's most prominent studios is back and kicking ass!

From the Press Release
Simon Oakes, Vice-Chairman of Exclusive Media and President & CEO of Hammer and Guy East and Nigel Sinclair, Co-Chairmen of Exclusive Media, Hammer’s parent company, announced today that Sam Claflin (SNOW WHITE AND THE HUNTSMAN, PIRATES OF THE CARRIBEAN: ON STRANGER TIDES) has signed on to star opposite Jared Harris in THE QUIET ONES.

Claflin will play BRYAN MCNEIL in THE QUIET ONES, a supernatural thriller/horror to be directed by John Pogue (QUARANTINE 2) which James Gay-Rees (SENNA, EXIT THROUGH THE GIFT SHOP) will produce in association with TPSC Films. With the story and original screenplay by Tom DeVille, revisions by Craig Rosenberg, Oren Moverman and most recently John Pogue, the film is currently in pre-production and will start shooting in June 2012 in the UK.

Inspired by true events, THE QUIET ONES tells the story of an unorthodox, but charismatic Professor (Harris) who uses controversial methods and leads his best students off the grid to take part in a dangerous experiment: to create a poltergeist from negative human energy.

Exclusive Media’s President of Worldwide Production & Acquisitions, Tobin Armbrust, is overseeing production alongside Director of Development, Shira Rockowitz. TPSC Film's President, Steven Chester Prince, is a producer on the project for the newly formed independent film division of The Traveling Picture Show Company.

Alex Walton, Exclusive Media’s President of International Sales and Distribution, will be selling international rights to the film at the upcoming Marché Du Film in Cannes.

THE QUIET ONES marks Hammer’s next production after the worldwide box office hit, THE WOMAN IN BLACK, starring Daniel Radcliffe, which has taken over $130 million at the box-office worldwide to date.

Simon Oakes, President & CEO of Hammer and Vice Chairman of Exclusive Media said: “Sam is an exciting young talent and a perfect addition to this thrilling project. We couldn’t be happier to have him on board THE QUIET ONES."

Claflin recently starred in Disney’s latest installment of the hit adventure fantasy franchise PIRATES OF THE CARRIBEAN: ON STRANGER TIDES, WHITE HEAT (six part drama for BBC) and Channel 4’s critically acclaimed TV series ANY HUMAN HEART. He will next be seen in Universal’s Summer blockbuster release SNOW WHITE AND THE HUNTSMAN, starring opposite Charlize Theron and Kristen Stewart, to be released in the UK and the US on June 1st.

Exclusive Media is a major force in the production and international distribution arena. Its current production slate, available to buyers at Cannes, include the recently announced Cameron Diaz and Benicio Del Toro action comedy AGENT: CENTURY 21 to be directed by Adam Hashemi, Ron Howard’s epic RUSH starring Chris Hemsworth and Daniel Brühl and produced with production partners Cross Creek Pictures, Imagine Entertainment, Working Title, Brian Grazer, and Revolution Films to be released in the US through Universal; END OF WATCH starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Michael Peña, Anna Kendrick and America Ferrera set for release through Open Road Films on September 28; SO UNDERCOVER starring Miley Cyrus; and SNITCH starring Dwayne Johnson and Susan Sarandon in post-production and to be released in the US through Summit Entertainment.

Exclusive Media will be offering a number of high profile third party productions at Cannes 2012 which currently include THÉRÈSE from producers Mickey Liddell and William Horberg, starring Jessica Lange, Elizabeth Olsen, Tom Felton and Oscar Isaac; HIT AND RUN (aka OUTRUN) from writer/director Dax Shepard who also stars with Kristen Bell, Bradley Cooper and Tom Arnold to be released in the US by Open Road Films on August 24; the ensemble DISCONNECT also produced by Horberg and Liddell with Jennifer Hilton; Sundance favorite ROBOT & FRANK starring Frank Langella to be released in the US through Sony Pictures and LOOK OF LOVE starring Annette Bening, Ed Harris and Robin Williams, from producers Julie Lynn and Bonnie Curtis of Mockingbird Pictures.

In Filipino filmmaker Yam Laranas' latest thriller The Road (review here), we see what happens when a twelve-year-old cold case is reopened after three teens go missing on an abandoned road.

During the course of the investigation, more gruesome stories of abduction and murders are discovered, allowing after more than two decades the secrets of the haunted road to be finally revealed.

Today, May 11th, The Road hits limited theaters here in the United States, making Laranas' spookfest the first Filipino project to ever get a Stateside theatrical release, which is quite an accomplishment. Recently Dread Central had the opportunity to chat with Laranas about his film as well as why horror is where he belongs and where he'll be heading for his next genre endeavor.

Dread also had the chance to catch up briefly with the director at the red carpet premiere of The Road earlier this week at the Arclight Cinemas in Hollywood, California; after the reading the below interview, make sure to check out the video to hear more from this impressive up-and-coming filmmaker.

Dread Central: I'd like to start off by hearing more on where the story for The Road came from.

Yam Laranas: Well, The Road started with an idea I had around 2005 where I was thinking about places that would be claustrophobic; we'd seen things like an apartment, a room, a haunted house done with claustrophobic elements before so what about something unexpected, like a road? With exploring claustrophobia in an open space, I thought I would be doing something different.

I then had an idea about three teens- you know, the usual thing where they steal a car to go on a road trip and they get lost. As I was developing it, I was really excited, but as I kept going, I hit a blank wall so I left it alone for a while.

Then I chanced upon a tragic story in the Philippines about two sisters being abducted and killed which was a complete random act of violence; I thought it was just terrible, especially the thought of just how randomly violence can happen in this world. So I started working on a story about two sisters traveling alone and I just got stuck again; I decided then to talk to my writing partner because I knew I had a couple of stories here so I thought we could just throw them all on the table and see what happened.

Dread Central: Well, it seems like you took some elements from all of those stories for this then…

Yam Laranas: Oh absolutely! We just ended up combining elements from all those stories to make up The Road, and something still just wasn't right so I thought about mixing up the story a bit and decided we should tell it in reverse; I knew that would keep audiences guessing because they think what they're seeing is a predictable story, but in reality it's anything but predictable.

Everything in The Road is circular, and so it becomes this really fun movie with a lot of creepy moments and good scares in it, too; I've really loved the reactions we've been getting during all the screenings too because it seems like everyone responds to all the little horror moments in the film so it's great to see that the movie seems to work universally.

Dread Central: Is the horror genre well received in the Philippines?

Yam Laranas: Definitely; horror movies always do really well there. We especially love our creature features- the sillier, the better. See, horror is universal; people love to be scared. It's human nature to want to have that kind of control over your emotions like you do when you watch a horror movie and I think that's what fans like. You can't control it if someone is really chasing you, but if you're watching someone getting chased in a tense situation, you can control what you see and experience while that's happening.

Dread Central: With The Road heading to theaters this weekend, what's coming up next for you? Are you planning on returning to the Philippines for your next project or are you staying in the US?

Yam Laranas: I'm trying to finish up one story right now, and I've got another project with GMA that we're going to be making in Manila- we're hoping to start production on that one later this year. It will definitely be a horror film; I really love the genre and I definitely think that’s where I'm going to stay for a while. It's just too much fun.

It's that time again! Get set for another horrific evening with Doctor Gash and friends as the Dread Central Online Film Series presents The Good Sisters on May 18 at 10pm EST. You won't believe who's going to be joining us this time!

Gash hosts via webcam and this month in the chat room, right there corresponding with the audience, will be the The Good Sisters director, JimmyO Burril and the two stars of the film, Chainsaw Sally herself April Burril and the indie film icon, the one and only, Ms. Debbie Rochon. Woot! Attendees to the online screening will have a chance to live chat with Gash, the Burrils and Ms. Rochon throughout the evening.

Constellation.tv offers a very unique movie viewing experience. The evening starts with an intro about 10 minutes before the film begins where Gash sets up the movie, tells some jokes and tries to be generally entertaining until the film begins. While the movie is rolling the audience can interact with each other and the host in the chatroom. At the conclusion of the film a Q&A session is held (although we may rename it the T&A session for this particular screening) where audience members can ask the host and guests anything they please. This is the part that tends to get a little racy.

If you're interested in spending an evening with Doctor Gash and The Good Sisters, head over to Constellation.tv and see what it's all about. All this entertainment is available for just $3.99…what the hell can you get for that anymore? Grab a drink and come and join the Dread Central Online Film Screening family. It's growing with each show. I think we're gonna need a bigger boat!

You can also visit the Facebook event page for Dread Central's Online Screening of The Good Sisters and join in the conversation early. Come on down!

Around these parts we have a lot of love and affection for the spectacle that was The Raid: Redemption. The flick kicked nine kinds of ass. In fact we cannot get enough! Seeing the flick redone by Lee Hardcastle with claymation cats? It's nirvana, damn it!

The original film, directed by Gareth Evans, The Raid (aka The Raid: Redemption) stars Iko Uwais, Doni Alamsyah, Yayan Ruhain, Ray Sahetapy, and Joe Taslim. Look for it in limited theatres from Sony Pictures Classics.

Synopsis
Rama, a member of a special forces team, arrives at a rundown apartment block with a mission to remove its owner, a notorious drug lord. The building has become a sanctuary to killers, gangs, rapists and thieves seeking accommodation in the one place they know they cannot be touched by the police. When a spotter blows their cover, Rama and his team must fight their way through every floor and every room not just to complete their mission but to survive their bloody ordeal.

Growing up, I was lucky enough to have a mother who encouraged me to be the friggin' lunatic I've grown up to be. She let me cut my teeth on Godzilla and the classics and then let me dive right into The Exorcist. Have a similar story? Then these cards are a must send!

In honor of Mother's Day, Ghouls on Film has amassed quite a collection of scary sentiments to bestow upon your mother this Sunday. They range from sickly sweet to laugh-out-loud funny, and we love each and every one of them. Dubbed Hellmark Cards, you cannot possibly live without these!

Check them all out below by clicking upon our VERY favorite ... Wow. Just wow. Here's to ya, Mom!

What's this? Two Chernobyl Diaries stories posted just hours apart? Yep, you know the release date is rapidly approaching. Check out the newly launched image gallery that's home to lots of places you just shouldn't go!

The Chernobyl Diaries team wants to bring their film to the cities that want them the most, and they've developed a great way to figure out just where to go. By visiting QuarantineYourCity.com, fans can vote for their home towns to be among the locations that will receive a screening of the film with special guests and surprises included.

Chernobyl Diaries hits theaters on May 25. For more visit the official Chernobyl Diaries website, "like" Chernobyl Diaries on Facebook and follow Chernobyl Diaries on Twitter (@seechernobyl).

Synopsis
Chernobyl Diaries is an original story from Oren Peli, who first terrified audiences with his groundbreaking thriller, Paranormal Activity. It's written by Peli, Carey Van Dyke, and Shane Van Dyke and directed by Brad Parker. The film follows a group of six young tourists who, looking to go off the beaten path, hire an "extreme tour" guide. Ignoring warnings, he takes them into the city of Pripyat, the former home to the workers of the Chernobyl nuclear reactor, but a deserted town since the disaster more than 25 years ago. After a brief exploration of the abandoned city, however, the group soon finds themselves stranded, only to discover that they are not alone.

The undeadly story of super sexy Juliet Starling of Lollipop Chainsaw will release into stores everywhere on June 12th. To get the party started now, we have several new images of all the sexy costumes that you will be able to try on in the game!

Juliet Starling cares about three things in the post-apocalyptic world: saving her bodiless boyfriend Nick, keeping her trusty chainsaw running and sporting a spicy wardrobe while she obliterates the zombie onslaught. In Lollipop Chainsaw, Juliet will, of course, be in her signature cheerleader get-up, but a girl can never have too many outfits in her closet. All of these threads are included in the full retail version of Lollipop Chainsaw for free and can be unlocked throughout the campaign.

Some of the sexy costumes Juliet will don in Lollipop Chainsaw include:

• Sexy American Casual – This sexy get-up leaves little to the imagination
• American Cheerleader Costume – Show ‘em how much you love freedom in this cheer outfit
• Purple Pride Uniform – Visiting team alternate uniform
• Date Night Outfit – Great for a date with your body less soul mate
• Bunny Costume – Juliet’s bunny doll is slightly worse for wear
• Crash Helmet – Approved by the Department of Transportation
• Cordelia’s Costume – Calm, cool, collected - Cordelia’s killer style
• Rosalind’s Costume – Rosalind’s slickest outfit on-lend to Juliet - Dry clean only
• Dad’s Costume – Expert zombie hunter lounge wear
• Mom’s Costume – Sexy MILF clothes straight from Mom’s closet
• Japanese Maid Costume – Cleaning up a zombie mess has never been more appropriate
• Sexy Rider Suit – Pink leather jumpsuit with a strategically placed zipper
• Busujima Saeko Costume – Busujima Saeko’s costume from High School of the Dead
• Haruna Costume – Haruna from Is This a Zombie?
• Shiro Costume – Shiro’s costume from Deadman Wonderland
• Manyu Chifusa Costume – Samurai costume from Manyu Scroll
• Miyamoto Rei Costume – Miyamoto Rei’s costume from High School of the Dead
• Striped Bikini – A beach staple, perfect for those hot summer days
• Sexy Seashell Bikini – Mermaids got nothing on Juliet

You can learn more by visiting the official Lollipop Chainsaw website at Lollipop Chainsaw online!

Zeroinside Films and Pinnovating Productions are proud to drop a new trailer and one-sheet for the upcoming pic Area 51 Confidential. This one combines the found footage filmmaking approach with sci-fi, shown mainly through military surveillance footage. An interesting combination.

Written and directed by Brandon Slagle (Argo, 2012: Ice Age), who stars alongside Adrian Quihis (1000 Ways to Die), Devanny Pinn (Nude Nuns With Big Guns), Wolfgang Meyer (Disciples, Cut), Angie Johnson (Fantasy Factory), Tawny Amber Young and Matthew Landon.

Dig the one sheet below with artwork by Dennis Willman and the full trailer is here as well. If you like what you see, you can stay current on this film by visiting the Area 51 Confidential Facebook page.

From the Press Release
The "found footage" subgenre of film has previously been thrust into the spotlight by such films as Paranormal Activity, Quarantine, Cloverfield, and perhaps most famously by The Blair Witch Project. Now, the genre is stepping into the realm of science fiction with the feature film Area 51 Confidential.

Presented under the guise of a "military training video for new hires at the facility known as Area 51", we follow the plight of a handful of individuals - a broadcast journalist, a documentarian, a teenage girl from Roswell, an army Colonel, and a man who had previously been thought "missing" for a number of years - as they awaken in the desert area surrounding Area 51. With no knowledge of how they arrived there, they must sort out their differences and find a way out - before strange lurking creatures find them first.

Area 51 Confidential hits you with twists and turns, and character development not normally seen in this subgenre. The official United States DVD and Video on Demand street dates will be announced in the coming weeks, as well as international release dates being handled by Phoenix Group Releasing.

With the goofy snooze-fest known as "The Secret Circle" being put out to pasture (along with our guilty pleasure "Ringer"), The CW network has picked up two new genre-themed television shows to get your ghost. Now if only they can move "Supernatural" back to Thursday.

Deadline reports that The CW has picked up "Cult" from Warner Bros. TV and "Beauty and the Beast" from CBS Television Studios.

"Cult" centers on Skye (Jessica Lucas), an inquisitive young production assistant on a wildly popular television show called Cult. After a rash of disappearances and a likely murder, she joins Jeff (Matt Davis), a journalist blogger whose brother was among those gone missing, in investigating the rabid fans of the series who might be re-creating crimes seen on the program in real life. In the show, star Andrew Leeds' character is named Kyle and is the network Creative VP recently assigned to Cult. Robert Knepper will play actor Roger Reeves, who portrays charismatic cult leader Billy Grimm on the show-within-a-show while Alona will play a cop, but there's a twist: Tal will be playing an actress named Kelly Collins, who in turn is portraying a young LAPD detective.

The new version of "Beauty and the Beast" will be loosely based on the 1980s CBS series starring Linda Hamilton and Ron Perlman and play as a modern day romantic love story with a procedural twist. Jennifer Levin ("Without a Trace") and Sherri Cooper ("Brothers and Sisters") wrote the script and are executive producing along with the creator of the original series, Ron Koslow; Paul Junger Witt and C. Anthony Thomas of Witt/Thomas Productions, which co-produced the 1980s series; and Bill Haber.

Look for more on both of these soon!

Here's the thing. If you have an estranged wife, it may not be a wise idea to head to her house for some dinner. These situations just never end well. Knives become involved, rabbits end up being boiled in pots, the sky's the limit when it comes to a woman scorned!

From the Press Release
XYZ Films has announced that the thriller THE INVITATION will begin principal photography in Los Angeles in the summer of 2012. Directed by Karyn Kusama (Jennifer's Body, Girlfight), the film was scripted by Phil Hay and Matt Manfredi (Clash of the Titans, R.I.P.D.) and will star Luke Wilson (Enlightened) and an ensemble that includes Zachary Quinto (Star Trek), Topher Grace (Traffic) and Johnny Galecki ("The Big Bang Theory"). XYZ Films (The Raid: Redemption) will produce alongside Martha Griffin (Girlfight) and Hay and Manfredi. Foreign sales will be handled at Cannes by Celluloid Nightmares, the partnership between XYZ Films and Celluloid Dreams. XYZ Films and ICM are representing domestic sales.

On a dark night Will (Luke Wilson) is invited to his estranged ex-wife's dinner party. Over the course of the evening, he is gripped by mounting evidence that something insidious has taken hold of his ex-wife and that she and her new friends have a mysterious and horrifying agenda. By the end of the night, the ramifications of what happens in this house will spread far beyond its doors.

Currently XYZ has the hit action film THE RAID: REDEMPTION in theaters via Sony Pictures Classics. The company has also completed production on FRANKENSTEIN’S ARMY, which just completed shooting in Prague.

There's more casting news coming in for the Dowdle brothers' (Quarantine) latest flick, The Coup, and as the actors file in, they just seem to become prettier and prettier. Read on for the latest.

According to Deadline, Michelle Monaghan will star with Owen Wilson and Pierce Brosnan in The Coup, a thriller centered on an American family who moves to Southeast Asia and finds themselves entangled in a violent coup with merciless rebels attacking the city. Devil’s John Erick Dowdle will direct a script he co-wrote with his brother, Drew Dowdle.

Monaghan will play Wilson’s wife in the action thriller, which is scheduled to begin production in October. Crime Scene Pictures’ Adam Ripp and Rob Paris are financing and have teamed up with Steve Alexander and Drew Dowdle to produce. Sierra/Affinity will be handling international sales beginning at Cannes while CAA is representing the U.S. rights.

More soon!

Danny DeVito has made no bones about it ... he loves horror movies. The gorier, the better! So it's only natural that the acclaimed funnyman would want to try his hand at directing one, a post-apocalyptic thriller. Read on!

From the Press Release
Shangri-La Entertainment announced today that Danny DeVito has wrapped shooting on his apocalyptic thriller and is now in post-production. Directed by DeVito, the currently untitled project stars William Fichtner (THE DARK KNIGHT, BLACK HAWK DOWN and THE PERFECT STORM) soon to be seen in THE LONE RANGER, playing the nemesis to Johnny Depp’s Tonto; Lance Reddick, the imposing Lieutenant Daniels on hit series "THE WIRE" and currently starring in JJ Abrams’ popular "FRINGE"; and Constance Zimmer, the offbeat sex symbol Dana Gordon on award-winning HBO series "ENTOURAGE".

Confirming the announcement, DeVito commented: “I was truly excited about getting behind the camera on this one. It is my first foray into the thriller genre, and I’ve enjoyed the challenge of making an 89-minute edge-of-your-seater…”

Locomotive’s Colleen Seldin will commence sales of the Jersey Films and Shangri-La Entertainment-produced project at the upcoming Cannes Film Festival.

The film revolves around a wounded cop, a wounded murderer, and a sultry nurse. The three are thrust together as war rages outside the only possible safe house, an abandoned City Hospital. With no doctors and only a few poor decrepit souls as witnesses, it becomes a rats’ maze as the antagonistic trio get separated and we find out the real reason they are there.

On acquiring the film for international sales, Seldin commented: “Danny is an extremely talented and experienced filmmaker with a unique gift for connecting with the audience, whether in front of or behind the camera. I am excited and honored to be bringing this new film to international buyers.”

Danny DeVito, who will make his West End stage debut in The Sunshine Boys, won both a Golden Globe® and an Emmy® award for his portrayal of Louie De Palma in the US hit comedy "TAXI", a role he played for five years. As a director, DeVito’s credits include MATILDA, THE WAR OF THE ROSES, THROW MOMMA FROM THE TRAIN and HOFFA. His extensive acting credits include Martini in ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO’S NEST, a role he also played on stage, TERMS OF ENDEARMENT, ROMANCING THE STONE, THE JEWEL OF THE NILE, JUNIOR, TWINS and RUTHLESS PEOPLE. He appeared as the Penguin opposite Michael Keaton’s Batman in Tim Burton’s BATMAN RETURNS and recently voiced the title character in Universal Pictures’ animated feature THE LORAX, based on the book of the same name by Dr. Seuss. This autumn DeVito returns as Frank Reynolds in the eighth season of the acclaimed American cult comedy "IT’S ALWAYS SUNNY IN PHILADELPHIA".