In horror, acting is like the fruit from your local supermarket – some performances are rotten while others are nourishing and tasty. Ranging from terrible to terribly great, performances in horror are often a complex conversation among blood buffs.

While for many reasons, including self-financed filmmaking and ’80s sequel excess, actors in horror are often producing on various levels.

So, let’s all go method, remember our lines, and nail it on the first take, as I count down the 5 greatest performances in horror history since 1960.

The post Top 5 Most Powerful Performances in Horror History Since 1960! appeared first on Dread Central.

With Halloween fast approaching, we are currently in the midst of the very best time of the year to be a fan of all things horrific. And rather than counting down to the big day, we’d like to remind you to make the most of this next month. Don’t be so eager to get to Halloween. Rather, we encourage you to enjoy every step on the road to it.

So how do you make the most of the 2016 Halloween season? Well, lucky for all of us, there is no shortage of awesomeness headed our way in the next month. So much of it, in fact, that writing up this top 10 list required us to give the axe to several things we cannot wait to see, experience, and get our hands on.

But enough yapping. Here are the 10 most exciting things headed our way in October 2016!

In no particular order…

1) THE RETURN OF “ASH VS. EVIL DEAD”

Easily the highlight of Halloween 2015 was the premiere of Starz’ “Ash vs. Evil Dead,” which saw Bruce Campbell reprise the role of Ash Williams for the first time since 1992. The show’s blood-soaked inaugural outing was one of the best first seasons we have ever experienced, and we cannot wait to see what Bruce and the gang have in store for us in Season 2. The new season premieres on Starz on the night of October 2nd, and the season kicks off with Ash returning to his hometown of Elk Grove, Michigan. We’re even set to meet Ash’s father, being played by the legendary Lee Majors!

2) PHANTASM: REMASTERED AND PHANTASM: RAVAGER

It’s a damn good time to be a fan of the Phantasm franchise, and oh boy is a whole lot of waiting going to pay off wonderfully this October. On October 4th, the hotly-anticipated 4K remaster of the original Phantasm arrives on VOD outlets alongside brand new series installment Phantasm: Ravager, both joined by HD remasters of Phantasm 3: Lord of the Dead and Phantasm 4: Oblivion. Phantasm: Remastered and Phantasm: Ravager will also hit limited theaters on October 7th. The new film promises to end the franchise on a satisfying note, with Reggie and Mike setting out to put an end to the Tall Man once and for all.

3) “THE WALKING DEAD” SHAMBLES BACK TO AMC

If it’s Halloween, it must be “The Walking Dead.” New seasons of the show have been an October staple for several years now, and the upcoming seventh season of AMC’s hit zombie series may be the most hotly-anticipated to date. Of course, Season 6 ended on a MASSIVE cliffhanger, with villain Negan beating a member of Rick’s group to death with his barbed wire-covered baseball bat… we just don’t yet know who suffered such a brutal fate. We’ve been promised that we’ll find out who Negan killed within the first episode of Season 7, and we’ve got a strong feeling that it won’t be long before other characters we love find themselves on the opposite end of Lucille. The new season is going to be BRUTAL, and we love when “The Walking Dead” is brutal.

4) THE BOARD IS BACK IN OUIJA: ORIGIN OF EVIL

We’re as surprised as anyone that we’re actually excited about a sequel to 2014 dud Ouija, but with Oculus and Hush director Mike Flanagan at the helm, there’s a damn good chance that this year’s Ouija: Origin of Evil will be the rare sequel that’s way better than its predecessor. Apparently unconnected to the first film, the new installment is set in 1965 and centers on a mother who unwittingly summons a demonic entity and grants it access to her young daughter. Origin of Evil begins its theatrical haunt on October 21st.

5) SHIN GODZILLA DESTROYS AMERICAN THEATERS

Toho’s Shin Godzilla (aka Godzilla Resurgence) made waves over in the Big G’s home country of Japan earlier this year, and the good news for those of us in North America is that we’re not being left out in the cold. Funimation secured the rights to the latest Godzilla flick and will be giving it a limited theatrical engagement in both the United States and Canada from October 11th through October 18th. That week will probably be your only chance to see this one on the big screen, so be sure to head over to funimationfilms.com/shingodzilla for theater listings and more information.

6) SCREAM FACTORY MADNESS: THE THING! CARRIE! CHILD’S PLAY!

A week rarely goes by where Scream Factory doesn’t put out a new Blu-ray that we absolutely need in our collection, and they’re damn sure taking care of us in October with a slew of releases that will encourage us to bust out our credit cards and plop our asses on our couches. The October fun kicks off on the 11th with Collector’s Edition Blu-ray releases of Brian De Palma’s Carrie and John Carpenter’s The Thing, and Child’s Play gets the same deluxe treatment on October 18th. And that’s not all. On October 25th, The Exorcist 3 hits Collector’s Edition Blu-ray. You can pay a visit to Scream Factory’s website for full information on all of those exciting releases.

7) SYFY’S 31 DAYS OF HALLOWEEN

One of the things we look forward to every October is Syfy’s 31 Days of Halloween marathon, and this year’s festivities will include the world premieres of five brand new original horror movies. The most exciting is sequel Stake Land 2, premiering on October 15th, and the whole marathon kicks off with a film based on the same nursery rhyme that inspired The Conjuring 2‘s nightmarish Crooked Man sequence. In addition to the original content, films like The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Zombieland, The Strangers, The Cabin in the Woods, and Drag Me to Hell will make sure that you’ve always got something to watch every day of the month. Check out an early look at the 31 Days of Halloween schedule.

8) AMC’S FEARFEST BRINGS MORE SCARES TO THE SMALL SCREEN

Not to be outdone, AMC also has an annual Halloween marathon of its own, and that kicks off on October 16th and runs straight through Halloween night. At the time of writing this post, the programming schedule for this year’s FearFest has not yet been revealed, but AMC promises that the two-week marathon will feature plenty of themed-programming and well over 60 different films. The more horror there is on TV in October, the happier we tend to be!

9) NETFLIX PREMIERES I AM THE PRETTY THING THAT LIVES IN THE HOUSE

Netflix isn’t adding all that much new horror content to their streaming service this October, which is kind of a bummer, but what you might’ve missed is that they’ll be premiering Osgood Perkins’ I Am the Pretty Thing That Lives in the House on October 28th. The Netflix Original, which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival earlier this year, stars Ruth Wilson as a live-in nurse who suspects her elderly employer’s house may be haunted. Osgood Perkins is the son of late Psycho star Anthony Perkins, and we can’t wait to see what he can do behind the camera.

10) FEARnyc BITES THE BIG APPLE

We tried to only list off events and happenings that everyone can take part in this October, but we simply couldn’t leave without mentioning the upcoming FEARnyc film festival that was just recently announced. Taking over NYC’s Cinema Village from October 21st through October 27th, the first-ever FEARnyc looks to be THE must-attend horror event of the 2016 Halloween season, and it will feature 65 films, oodles of cast appearances, and enough special events to make your head spin. The event, paying tribute to Wes Craven, includes screenings of classics like Night of the Living Dead, Psycho, and A Nightmare on Elm Street, as well as premieres of new films and even an Exorcist seance. Yea. It’s gonna be fun. Head over to the FEARnyc website for all the details.

What are YOU most looking forward to this October? Comment below and let us know!

The post The 10 Best Things Happening for Horror Fans in October 2016 appeared first on Dread Central.

The 2016 Toronto After Dark film fest kicks off in just a few more days, and if you’re planning to attend, here’s the rest of the lineup, which includes such highly anticipated entries as Stake Land 2 and Train to Busan.

For the full schedule, tickets, and more info on the festival in general, visit TorontoAfterDark.com.

From the Press Release:
Toronto After Dark: Horror, Sci-Fi, Action and Cult Film Festival is thrilled to officially unveil its final wave of exciting film announcements for 2016, including 9 more feature films and a fantastic collection of shorts.

These final films join a list of 10 exciting features previously announced in September. Most of the features will have their Toronto, Canadian, or North American Premieres hosted exclusively as part of the festival’s 11th Annual Edition, this October 13-21, 2016, at the Scotiabank Theatre in the heart of downtown Toronto.

THE FINAL 9 FEATURE FILMS ANNOUNCED!

STAKE LAND 2 (USA/Canada) Canadian Premiere
Post-apocalyptic vampire-slayers rejoice! The anticipated follow-up to fan favourite STAKE LAND is finally here. With much of the cast and crew returning, the thrilling sequel picks up the action just a few years after the original. When his home town New Eden is destroyed by a revitalized group of vamps, young Martin tracks down the original vamp-slaying legend Mister (Nick Damici) for help. With the vamp forces growing more powerful, it’s clear a brutal showdown between humans and blood suckers is just on the horizon! The film was just completed, so we don’t even have a official trailer or poster yet. But trust us: if you liked the original vamp-slaying hit, you’ll have a fangtastic time with this crowd-pleasing sequel!

BLOOD FATHER (USA/France) Toronto Premiere
Mel Gibson, the original MAD MAX, makes a fantastic comeback with the Cannes hit crime action thriller BLOOD FATHER! Gibson delivers one of his finest movie performances in years as John Link, a grizzled Tattoo parlour owner on a violent quest to recover his missing daughter Lydia from a local drug cartel. With the assistance of a trailer park buddy (a standout supporting William H Macy) they free Lydia, but in doing so initiate a war with the local gang’s kingpin, a fabulously deranged Diego Luna. Intense shoot-outs, car and motorcycle chases and explosions ensue, as father and daughter engage in a brutal, bloody fight for their survival!

THE MASTER CLEANSE (USA) Toronto Premiere
Mixing creepy cute critters with horror (think GREMLINS but much darker), THE MASTER CLEANSE was a hit with fans at this year’s SXSW. Feeling down in the dumps, Paul (BIG BANG THEORY’s Johnny Galecki) decides to take a break from the city by staying at a unique retreat where the eccentric owners (played by the marvelous Angelica Huston and Oliver Platt) promise a body cleanse unlike no other. There, Paul and a fellow retreater (PUSHING DAISIES’ Anna Friel) must confront their little demons both figuratively and literally if they are to survive! Unfortunately no trailer available, only a short clip that does’t do this film justice. Rest assured Bobby Miller’s debut feature is an outstanding dark and twisted horror comedy you won’t want to miss!

WAR ON EVERYONE (USA/UK) Canadian Premiere
A cop movie for Toronto After Dark fans, if LETHAL WEAPON got a Quentin Tarantino makeover, you might end up with SXSW hit WAR ON EVERYONE about a pair of antiheroes who violently abuse the law as much as they enforce it. Wise-cracking bad boy detectives Terry (TRUE BLOOD’s Alexander Skarsgard) and Bob (ANT-MAN’s Michael Pena) have become a law unto themselves in New Mexico. In between extorting local criminals, ignoring orders from their Police Chief (Paul Reiser), they also drink excessively, take drugs and party too hard. But things are about to change for our despicable duo: there’s a new Godfather in town, a mysterious Brit, who has diabolical plans for the town, and no two bad cops are going to stand in his way. Then again, maybe they will, ultra-violently!

I AM NOT A SERIAL KILLER (USA) Toronto Premiere
Based on Dan Well’s best selling horror-thriller I AM NOT A SERIAL KILLER was a big hit at SXSW. In-between the stresses of attending a small town high school and helping his mom at her dayjob preparing dead bodies for the local funeral home, young John Cleaver finds himself becoming obsessed with idea of killing people. Daily conversations with an elderly neighbour (BACK TO THE FUTURE’S Christopher Lloyd) seem to keep the teen’s mental state in check. But when a series of gruesome murders shakes the town, John’s obsession with tracking the mysterious serial killer threatens to take the youngster to a dark and disturbing place from which he may never return.

LET HER OUT (Canada) Toronto Premiere
Cody Calahan’s (ANTISOCIAL) latest horror chiller will have you creeped out about hearing your inner voice! After getting injured in a road accident, bike courier Helen is informed by hospital staff about a strange growth the’ve discovered in her brain. Soon after being discharged, a sinister female voice begins to fill the young woman’s head, summoning forth an evil side to Helen’s personality that threatens the lives of everyone she loves!

FROM A HOUSE ON WILLOW STREET (South Africa) North American Premiere
A big hit at its recent FrightFest London debut, FROM A HOUSE ON WILLOW STREET is a crowd-pleasing new supernatural horror thriller from South Africa. Starring fan favourite survivor girl Sharni Vinson (YOU’RE NEXT), three kidnappers get more than they bargained for when they abduct a wealthy businessman’s daughter for one night in order to extract a ransom. It’s not long before they realize that a demonic force has taken possession of her body and has sinister plans of its own for the kidnappers. Trust us… Willow Street is one chilling cinematic address you’ll want to visit!

TRAIN TO BUSAN (Korea) Special Presentation
Of course we have to screen the best zombie film of the year at Toronto After Dark’s Zombie Night! All aboard the TRAIN TO BUSAN as we embark on an incredible undead rollercoaster ride. Look forward to plenty of thrills, kills and dark humour on the journey as our band of passengers tries to survive an outbreak of the walking dead on a speeding train! Don’t miss this possibly final chance to see TRAIN TO BUSAN on the big screen, a zombie action film so brilliantly made, it received a standing ovation on its debut at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival!

BED OF THE DEAD (Canada) Toronto Premiere
Just when you thought it was safe to sleep, along comes acclaimed cinematographer Jeff Maher (ANTISOCIAL, BITE) to give you nightmares with his bloody directorial debut BED OF THE DEAD! With a nod to A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET, a cursed wooden bed unleashes a wave of nighttime terror on four unsuspecting young adults staying in the same seedy hotel. One by one, the bed’s victims are forced to confront their darkest sins or face being punished in a myriad of inventive bloody ways! Dripping with dread and a chilling score, expect to have sleepless nights after staying in BED OF THE DEAD!

29 SHORT FILMS ANNOUNCED!

Fans can also look forward to two fantastic showcases of cutting edge genre short films at this year’s festival!

CANADA AFTER DARK: 19 outstanding Canadian Short Films will screen at this year’s festival, one in front of each of our Feature Films. Listed alphabetically they are: APE SODOM, BOY TOYS, DENNIS IN THE BATHTUB, DIVORCED DAD: HOME IMPROVEMENTS, DO YOU SEE WHAT I SEE?, EMTY DRIVE, IMITATIONS, INDIGO, INK, IT’S ALL IN YOUR HEAD, JACOB’S WRATH, KOOKIE, OLGA, PARANORMAL RADIO, PEEPHOLE, PYOTR495, SHUTTER, WIZARDLY WICKEDLY WEEPING, WW2 BLUATSAUGER: CRYPT OF DOOM.

SHORTS AFTER DARK: 10 incredible International Short films will screen this year as part of our popular global short film showcase: CURVE, DAWN OF THE DEAF, LIMBO, BARK, THE CALL, STILL, WHEN SUSURRUS STIRS, VITAMINS FOR LIFE, GREENER GRASS, THE ITCHING.

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October is LGBT History Month, and tying in with both that and the Halloween season, the new web series “Queer Ghost Hunters” is kicking off a bit later today. It not only features the Stonewall Columbus Queer Ghost Hunters (the first known group of its kind) but also pokes a bit of fun at other shows of the same ilk.

Intrigued? You’ll find more info, the trailer, and a sneak peek below.

From the Press Release:
“Queer Ghost Hunters,” the first show about LGBTQ ghost hunters, debuts online Saturday, October 1st, at 7pm ET as we kick off LGBT History Month and the Halloween season. The docu­series follows real people discovering stories of the queer past in places as diverse as the Ohio State Reformatory, where Shawshank Redemption was filmed, and just one of many reportedly haunted places where LGBTQ people were often imprisoned, lived, or worked in greater numbers than the general population. “Queer Ghost Hunters” looks at very real history, no matter what you believe, while parodying other “ghost hunting” shows.

The web series follows the first known group of its kind, the Stonewall Columbus Queer Ghost Hunters in Columbus, Ohio, as they investigate haunted sites asking for the first time if there are queer ghosts that wish to come out to the team. Surprisingly, the series has documented a number of those contacts. “Sometimes it feels a little like group therapy,” says Katy Detrow. As a preschool teacher, mother, and self­-identified bisexual, Detrow is a good example of the team’s diverse make-up. She’s joined by Scott Priddy, Lori Gum, Liam Gallagher, Kai Stone, and Shane McClelland.

“Even though they really believe in what they are doing, they are totally aware of how some may be raising an eyebrow. So their ability to have fun at their own expense has been just as fun to document,” said Stu Maddux, director at Stu Maddux Films, who has created several LGBT history and aging documentaries including “Gen Silent” and “Reel in the Closet” with his spouse and co-producer, Joe Applebaum.

“We’ve been taken off-guard and pleasantly surprised by the number of people telling us that they have been waiting a long time for something that combines being queer with being a ghost hunter,” said Applebaum.

Before an investigation, the Queer Ghost Hunters research a site, looking for evidence of queer people who may have been there. For example, the team researcher found a batch of prison records from the early 1900s of more than 50 young men sent to the Ohio State Reformatory (as the prison in the film Shawshank Redemption was called) on convictions for sodomy. Some of the young men died while there. They also found surveillance film from a bust of gay men using a public bathroom for sex in the 1960s that led to some men being incarcerated at that same prison.

“The ghosts of some of these people seem to still be there and ready to talk,” says McClelland, “but they’ve been waiting for an understanding voice. Plus they seem to be a little randy after all those years. That helps.”

After tonight’s premiere, episodes post at 7pm ET each Friday in October on the “Queer Ghost Hunters” YouTube Channel. Additionally, a Kickstarter campaign has been launched to fund episodes past this month.  For more information visit queerghosthunters.com.

The post Web Series Queer Ghost Hunters Uncovers LGBT History While Parodying the Genre appeared first on Dread Central.

Starring Amy Adams, Jeremy Renner, Forest Whitaker

Directed by Denis Villeneuve

Screened at Fantastic Fest 2016

Following a string of critically lauded films as Prisoners, Enemy, and Sicario, Canadian filmmaker Denis Villeneuve returns with his sci-fi drama Arrival, arguably his most accessible and moving film to date. While Villeneuve flirted with mind-bending genre elements with his slow burn psychological thriller Enemy, he instead moves to embrace a more lucid genre approach with Arrival, all the while maintaining a rock solid emotional core of a story that will resonate long after the credits roll.

Arrival‘s story is a simple, but deeply engaging one, based on Ted Chiang’s short story “Story of Your Life”: 12 mysterious spacecrafts have suddenly materialized in various locations all around the globe. With no clear sign as to what the alien visitors want or why they have come to Earth, governments around the world begin making attempts to communicate with these visitors. Stateside, the United States military recruits linguist Dr. Louise Banks (Adam) to aid in their communication efforts, with the assistance of mathematician Dr. Ian Donnelly (Renner). As Louise further immerses herself in her work with the visitors, slowly learning their means of communication, she begins to find that there is much more to their visit than anyone else in the world might suspect.

With Arrival, Villeneuve’s masterful hand yet again delivers a film that is equally vulnerable, composed, and uplifting–a beautifully unfolding sci-fi/drama hybrid that feels undeniably timeless by its heartfelt finale. Many will liken the film to Christopher Nolan’s Interstellar, which is understandable; it balances its science fiction sensibilities with a touching dramatic thread and features strong performances from its leads. The difference with Arrival, however, lies in its subtlety, which, despite being a fan of Nolan’s film, I felt Interstellar somewhat lacked in its affective elements. While the script from Eric Heisserer is deeply emotional and will no doubt inspire philosophical musings, it is never overwrought or pretentious. That the screenwriter is known primarily for his straightforward horror work (Lights Out, Final Destination 5) makes his delicate hand here all that more impressive.

Additionally, while Villeneuve’s vision feels massive in scope, it is never overcooked, a dual credit to the director’s novel perspectives and to cinematographer Bradford Young’s balanced sense of grandeur and restraint. The shots of the spacecrafts against their various backdrops are particularly stunning, as are the interior scenes involving Louise and the aliens themselves.

There is not much I can say about the course of the film’s narrative without doing potential viewers a disservice, but I will say that Villeneuve masterfully takes a story that is very much about the impact of an alien life form visiting Earth and conveys it in a refreshingly organic and unique way. Amy Adams shines here as the initially cautious, but ultimately resolved Louise, conveying a rich tapestry of often subdued, but powerful–and empathy-inducing–emotion. Renner’s quick-witted Ian is a wonderful complement to Louise, and their natural chemistry makes for some of the film’s welcome moments of levity, particularly when they are taking on the powers-that-be who are seeking to neutralize the potential alien threat.

Arrival is the type of film I would advise most audiences to go into as blindly as possible, if only so that each of its increasingly engrossing narrative turns can unfold with maximum effect. Such an approach just makes Villeneuve and Heisserer’s dramatic journey all the more rewarding, although I can’t imagine that much could dampen the film’s significant emotional impact–and, boy, is it significant. In the hours following my viewing of the film, I was struck by the resonant, emotional imprint it left on me, the likes of which I have not felt since my first viewing of Michel Gondry’s Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. Arrival’s denouement is as poetic as it is heartrending, and it is hands down one of my favorite resolutions in a genre film in years.

Ultimately, Arrival shines as a smart and sophisticated cross-genre film that is also refreshing in its unassuming execution. Villeneuve has truly cemented his role as a masterful visionary with a keen sense for what moves film lovers, and for a genre enthusiast like myself, Arrival has all of the right components to be his best work to date. Some may ultimately find its muted approach to be trying at times, and I can understand if the film’s end game lacks the same punch for those going in expecting more traditional sci-fi fare; I particularly appreciated Villeneuve’s contained approach to such a grand story of this nature, however. He plays to audiences’ intellects and then to their hearts, maintaining respect for both. As a film lover, it is always a pleasure to experience a film that manages to substantially succeed in both regards.

The post Arrival (2016) appeared first on Dread Central.

We’ve been inundated by a number of compelling genre films this year. We’ve seen a few kick ass anthologies, a few highly successful blockbusters and some indie productions that aren’t likely to be forgotten anytime soon. But there are also a few treasures that have yet to be completely unearthed.

Blow you’ll find a list of five new films that are either fresh VOD/disc arrivals, or standing just on the brink of official arrival. Whether available today, or next month, you’ve got to keep your eyes open to these films. They may not look like much with a single glance, but they’re all far above subpar efforts. These are horror films that belong in your personal collections.

Nocturne:
Nocturne is an indie film with an unknown cast, very few filming locations and a budget as slim as a piece of floss. That sounds pretty dreadful, no? In truth, it’s not dreadful in the least. It’s a limited production, no doubt, but it does some things that a lot of genre fans are going to appreciate.

The first act of the film is going to leave you certain that you’re about to fall into the pit that houses low-budget, low-thrill slasher fare, but this is no slasher. Nocturne takes a wild supernatural turn, and by the midway point of the production it begins to set in that director Stephen Shimek is on a mission to deliver the unexpected.

Nocturne quickly develops into a morbid and unpredictable paranormal film that works damn hard to generate fresh scares. You’ll spot a few safe tactics being employed, but you’ll also be rather surprised by the 180 the film takes. Not only does that change in direction shock the viewer, it also helps to ensure that Nocturne is far more memorable than the standard slasher or supernatural movie.

The Mind’s Eye:
Joe Begos’ career is beginning to take off. But, given the fact that he’s still shooting low budget features, a lot of elitist fans are opting to steer clear of Begos’ work. That’s a grave mistake, as Joe is giving fans the kind of films we’ve been calling for, for years now. Likeable characters, crisp cinematography and loads of practical effects work. In theory, it’s a genre fans dream. In reality, today’s group of genre followers have become accustomed to super high speed pictures cluttered with computer generated imagery, which may leave them skirting a picture like this, even if it is receiving some solid promotion.

I’ve got to implore those who pass on smaller budget works to slow down and look into pictures like The Mind’s Eye. It’s a well-told tale that involves psychokinetic insanity, and once it gets to rolling, it won’t let go of your attention. There are some absolutely brilliant special effects and makeup work featured in the film, and it showcases enormous growth from Begos. If you thought Almost Human was awesome, you’re going to fall in love with The Mind’s Eye.

Edge of Winter:
Rob Connolly’s Edge of Winter is far more thriller than horror, but as the picture progresses, it takes an extremely dark turn that, in my humble opinion, certainly feels more like horror than thriller. Regardless of how you’d choose to categorize the flick, it’s a piece that genre fans are most certainly going to adore.

Without giving too much away I’ll say this: the story focuses on Elliot Baker, a father who begins a steady spiral into insanity when he learns that his estranged wife plans on moving his children across the map to England. The very idea of losing tangible contact with his kids drives him insane, and the intensity of that becomes profoundly amplified when he and his two boys find themselves stranded in treacherous territory, snow and ice surrounding them, no food and rickety shelter their only means of survival.

Joel Kinnaman tackles the lead role and he’s both heartbreaking and terrifying, in equal measure. If Kinnaman has failed to impress you in other films, prepare to wipe the judgmental slate clean, he’s going to completely blow your mind (this is an award worthy performance, no doubt two ways about it) in this harrowing piece of genius yet terribly melancholy film.

Flytrap:
Thus far Flytrap has failed to catch on with a good number of critics. That however, won’t likely last too long, especially as the film rolls out in a respectable release. This is another picture that I can only damage by delivering spoilers, but what I can tell you is that it’s a character driven production with a handful of eye-popping surprises in wait.

It’s low budget, and like Nocturne you probably won’t spot many familiar faces, but you will be sucked into a nightmarish reality (okay, the “Gilligan’s Island” angle of the story is mighty entertaining and elicits more than a single chuckle) that one poor bastard with a broken down car experiences.

Flytrap is, believe it or not, a fairly original picture. We do see a few impressive visuals as the story barrels along, but the true magic here actually rests in eerie subtlety and territory that we don’t see explored on a frequent basis. I’d recommend steering clear of detailed synopses and head into the film blind. You’re going to be a bit more surprised as well as impressed by Stephen David Brooks’ twisted picture that’s loaded with spirit and inspirational performances.

The Ones Below:
We’ve seen next to no acknowledgment or praise for this super creepy flick, and that just blows my mind. One look at the cast (which includes David Morrissey and Clémence Poésy, to name just a few) and you’d expect fans to be clamoring for a chance to check the movie out, but such is not the case.

A lot of genre fans are missing a stellar movie. This is about as close to a 2016 rendition of the great Pacific Heights as it gets, and much like Pacific Heights, it boasts some horrifying scenes. Scenes guaranteed to resonate with the parents of the world. But there’s more than just baby issues here, as relationships become strained and fear permeates a couple that, by all accounts, are completely innocent.

The Pacific Heights comparison should be enough to give you a rough idea of what to expect from the film, but it would be criminal to not place a little extra emphasis on David Morrissey’s performance. If you thought Morrissey was a menacing figure in “The Walking Dead” you’re about to have your mind blown, as he’s twice as intimidating in this slow burn shocker than he ever was during his stretch in “The Walking Dead.”

Just watch this movie, and prepare for the 90-minute wave of goosebumps that’re going to sprout out across your flesh.

The post 5 Recent Sleeper Horror Movies You Must Seek Out appeared first on Dread Central.

In horror, the best film genre on this beautifully bold planet of ours, the slew of frighting films we often get varies quite a bit. From the maniacal monster movies of the ’30s, the big bug/creature features of the late ’40 and ’50s, or the welcomed realism of the ’60s and ’70s, horror certainly has a storied past.

While some are simplistic yet highly executed, with John Carpenter’s timeless Halloween standing as the shining example, others are extremely entertaining in their quest for high concept. Some are great, others not so much, with our beloved genre often going through more changes than the tires at Big O.

So sit back, put those hands in a bag of spooky popcorn, and get ready for five of the most original films in the history of horror!

2004’s Saw (#5)

James Wan’s ‘Saw’-Courtesy of Lionsgate

“Do you want to play a game?” –  Jigsaw

Beginning our list of the five most original films in horror’s history, 2004’s Saw is cutting its way into our countdown with its intensively keen carnage.

Directed by James Wan,  Saw’s narrative conception is a sharp as bloody blade. Wan, later going on to be one of cinema’s best and brilliant filmmakers, co-wrote the script with frequent collaborator Leigh Whannell. What the two Australian-born creatives created, which became horror’s most profitable franchises, has yet to be duplicated.

Spawning six surreal sequels to date, with Saw: Legacy currently on the way in 2017, Saw’s sadistically sick, and highly unusual,  illain is a huge part of film’s luster. Nicknamed Jigsaw, whose real name is John Kramer, Billy’s puppeteer, and his motives, make Saw special.

While creating a villain whose motives were rooted in empathy, or whose ideologies were so, Wan and Whannell created one of the most complexly films in our genres history. Jigsaw, do we want to play a game? Yeah, I think we do. Only it better not be a trap!

The post 5 of the Most Insanely Original Films in Horror History appeared first on Dread Central.

Having a great title sequence for a TV show can really set the tone for an entire series, and immediately transport viewing audiences into a different world. In my previous installment, I covered some of the best horror intros from shows including “Monsters”, “The Addams Family”, and “Tales from the Crypt.”

I was really glad to see that so many of you agreed with my initial selections, and you also made some fantastic suggestions of your own. So, let’s do this. Let’s continue our TV exploration with another batch of some of the greatest horror show intros.

Tales from the Darkside!

Starting things off, we have one of most simple, yet effective horror show intros you’ll ever come across. “Tales from the Darkside” proves that even if all you have is nice, sunny nature shots for your montage footage, you can still give it an ultra-eerie atmosphere that will work perfectly for any horror show. For starters, the music really does the trick – three notes repeated over and over, while a synthesizer plays dread-inducing ambient tones. It doesn’t matter how nice the creeks and farmland bridges look… you still have this overwhelming sense of unease as the footage continues to play.

Of course, having the late, great Paul Sparer providing the chilling voice-over really pushes things even further. “Man lives in the sunlit world of what he believes to be reality. But… there is, unseen by most, an underworld, a place that is just as real, but not as brightly lit… a darkside.” Talking about setting the mood with a scary narrator! And just as he says “darkside”, the screen colors switch to an inverted black & white as the red show title slides in. See what I mean? Simple, but incredibly effective. Is it any surprise that this intro has stuck with fans of the series for so many years?

The Hitchhiker!

Much like “Monsters”, I’ve never understood why more people don’t talk about “The Hitchhiker” very often. It was a great horror series that started out on HBO and ended up moving to the USA Network back in the glory days when “USA Up All Night” was still on the air. The show had an intro that instantly grabbed your attention, because unlike some of the more schlocky horror-comedy shows like “Tales from the Crypt”, “The Hitchhiker” came off as dead serious.

A mysterious, wandering hitchhiker (played by Page Fletcher) walks down a desert highway, carrying a large backpack. What’s in it? Stories? Weapons? Body parts from unsuspecting motorists who were foolish enough to give him a ride? We’ll never know. What we do know is that this guy was no nonsense, walking with a completely cold, impassive expression on his face. Hey pal, if you want to get a ride, you might try smiling here ‘n there. Then again, as he introduced and concluded each episode with a hard lesson that some characters had to learn, the last thing you wanted him to do was blurt out a pun. He was the exact opposite of the Cryptkeeper.

I’ve also had the theme song from this intro in my Halloween music rotation for ages, as it’s an absolutely morbid sounding tune. A constant, pulsing beat that seems akin to a heartbeat, and the repeated sound of a shaking rattlesnake tail makes you fear for whatever is coming around the corner. I sure hope some of you remember “The Hitchhiker”, as it’s one horror series that definitely deserves to be revisited – both for the foreboding intro and for some truly memorable episodes.

The Twilight Zone!

While I’ll always love the original intro for “The Twilight Zone” series, it was the 1985 version that stuck with me the most. It starts off with what appears to be a stop-motion animation sequence as some windows to a cabin overlooking a nightfall scene slam shut. A spinning orb then appears on the center of the screen and we’re treated to a variety of trippy images moving inside of it. I was always excited to see that big, fat tarantula scurry across the orb, followed by the creepy doll with eyes slowly closing. It all concludes with an atomic explosion, and the ghostly visage of Rod Serling, followed by a skeletal illustration that morphs into “The Twilight Zone” logo.

Naturally, the classic theme song we all know and love is still in there too. And speaking of the theme, here’s a bit of trivia that some of you may not know – Jerry Garcia was the composer of it. Not exactly the first guy you think of when it comes to composing intros for sci-fi / horror shows, but he certainly made a memorable one for this series.

The Munsters!

You didn’t really think I’d forget about “The Munsters” after I already covered “The Addams Family” in my previous installment, did you? While I’ll give the Addams the advantage for the theme song, our Munster pals still had a great tune that works fine for any monster party, a visit to the beach, or both. And just like their Addams counterparts, the intro accomplishes exactly what it needs to do by familiarizing the audience with the main characters.

And man, you gotta admit… Herman Munster really knows how to make an introduction. He bursts through their giant front door, which leaves a hole shaped like his Frankenstein-like body that the rest of the cast emerges through. It’s a fun intro that showcases all these wacky characters, and it still puts a smile on my face to this day.

The show actually went through a number of different intro sequences, but this one was always my favorite. I should also note that it was originally in black & white, but the colorization in the above video was too nice to pass up.

Hannibal!

“Hannibal” just might be the most beautiful horror-drama series to ever appear on television. The intricate meals that were created for the show were equal parts gorgeous art and horrible nightmares. There’s simply no denying that we hadn’t seen anything like them before, especially on a major network like NBC.

I suppose it’d almost be easy for some to forget that “Hannibal” had an intro, as it was so brief, and was followed by some of the most intense episodes I’ve ever seen. But just as Hannibal’s recipes were works of art, the title sequence is fantastic as well. Those 20 seconds of blood flowing against a white backdrop, slowly forming the semi-translucent faces of Hannibal and the other main characters are absolutely hypnotic.

Eerie Indiana!

Lastly, this one was suggested to me by several readers, and I can’t believe I hadn’t thought of it in ages. “Eerie Indiana” was an NBC show that originally aired back in 1992, and was basically about a teenager living in a strange neighborhood who ends up encountering various urban legends and other odd scenarios. The intro really sets the vibe as kind of a halfway serious / halfway comedic show. I always likened it to “The Adventures of Pete & Pete”, which was also on the air around the same time.

It starts off with our protagonist, Marshall Teller, hanging out in an old attic that the kids from The Goonies would love to hang out in. He turns on a lamp and begins writing a narrated letter explaining, “if you’re reading this document, it means I’m either dead, or have disappeared under mysterious circumstances.” He then goes on to talk about just how squeaky clean the neighborhood of Eerie, Indiana is, and how its completely normal appearance is actually quite deceiving. Soon we see all kinds of strange visuals: a creepy mailman, a basketball team bouncing their balls in perfect unison as they walk along the street, a strait jacket hanging from a laundry line, and even a guy who looks like Elvis in hiding coming out on his front lawn to get his newspaper.

And then the classic visual that I’m sure any fan of this show remembers – a black crow sitting atop the “Eerie Indiana – Population 16,661” sign. But it’s not just your average black crow… it’s one with a human eyeball in its mouth. Gotta love it!

From there, we see the spooky “Eerie Indiana” title appear on the screen as we’re treated to a montage of oddball visuals including classic horror films, novelty X-ray glasses, and even the infamous wobbling Tacoma Narrows Bridge. All this while Marshall and his best friend Simon ride their bikes and run through all this chaos. It’s a truly great intro, and while the series only lasted for 19 episodes, I hope watching the intro convinces some of you to give the show a try.

That does it for this second piece in my “Greatest Horror TV Show Intros” series. In case you missed it, you can read part 1 here to see some of the other intros I already covered. Are there any others you’d like to see me discuss in the future? Be sure drop a comment below, on the Dread Central Facebook page, or tweet me at @imockery or with your suggestions for my installment!

The post The Greatest Horror TV Show Intros: Part 2 appeared first on Dread Central.

Bored with Bigfoot? Zombies giving you the ZZZ’s? It’s a shame that with an entire world full of monsters from cryptozoology and folklore that Hollywood keeps going to the same old well for their big bads. Don’t get me wrong I love a good Bigfoot movie as much as the next guy, but I also like variety. So I dug deep into the realms of folklore and monster sightings to find the monsters I think would benefit from a movie.

10. Octo-Squatch

One night back in the summer of 1961, two truckers were driving through the Basque mountains in Northern Spain when they saw something on the side of the road. In the truck’s headlights was a rust-colored hairy octopus with glowing eyes. After several minutes of the two staring at each other, another truck would pass and it was then that the truckers took off into the night.

“The Octo-Squatch,” as it has been named, has not been seen again.

9. Real life Gill-Men
It seems that The Creature from the Black Lagoon may have a few real-life counterparts. The most famous being the Loveland Frog-men. First seen in 1955 on the outskirts of Loveland, Ohio, a businessman driving home claimed to have seen three large frog-like creatures at the side of the road. That same year in Indiana, a woman was attacked by The Green Clawed Beast while swimming in the Ohio River. Over August of 1972 in Canada, several people were attacked by a Fin-headed Gillmen.

8. Devil Monkeys
Devil Monkeys are said to roam across North America. Standing at around five feet, and looking like a cross between a baboon and a dog with the jumping ability of a kangaroo, Devil Monkeys are extremely aggressive and are strong enough to tear through steel.

7. The Gorbals Vampire
In September of 1954, a Glasgow cemetery known as the Southern Necropolis was invaded by hundreds of children. A local police officer was called to the area by people who lived by the Victorian cemetery. Only expecting a few children partaking in minor vandalism, the officer was shocked by the hundreds of kids running around. Armed with sticks and knives, the children claimed they were hunting a vampire with iron teeth that killed two boys.

Despite the officer’s best efforts, the story spread like wildfire, the newspapers got wind of it and added fuel to a fire already burning strongly. Comic books were blamed for the hysteria and as a result, parliament passed a law banning comics. This law is still on the books but has never been enforced.

6. The Flatwoods Monster
The Flatwoods Monster is possibly the best-known monster on the list. The story goes that a group of kids and one of their mothers went into the woods looking for what they say was a UFO that landed as a fireball. They then ran screaming from the woods claiming to have seen a monster.

5. Goatmen
According to urban legend, satyrs are hiding out in the backwoods of the U.S. and they will attack and kill anyone who gets too close to their territory. The best known of these creatures is the Goat-man of Maryland, the first reported sightings happened in 1957 and then nothing until 1962 where it’s claimed that the Goat-man killed fourteen people with an axe. The Goat-man’s cousin in Louisville, Kentucky known as the Pop-lake Monster is said to live under an old railroad bridge. It is also said the Pop-lake Monster used hypnosis to lure people out onto the bridge to be hit by oncoming trains.

4. The Enfield Horror
In 1973, the Illinois town of Enfield was sent into a frenzy by the strange events that happened one night. It started when a child claimed to have been attacked by a “smiley gray three-legged beast with red eyes” while playing in his back garden. Half-an-hour later the being attacked a house. It was driven off by the home owner with a shotgun. Afterwards, the man whipped the town into a frenzy, with news reporters and monster hunters descending on the location in great numbers. The furor quickly died down and the Enfield Horror was never seen again.

3. Fearsome Critters
A collection of oddball beasties, the Fearsome Critters come from old lumberjack stories. Whilst on their own the critters aren’t really that impressive, however, in a group, they would be the weirdest petting zoo ever! In the ranks of the Fearsome Critters are the Fur- Bearing Trout, The Squonk, The Hugag and the Hodag. I smell a Syfy anthology film somewhere in here!

2. Popobawa
The Popobawa is nothing sort of a nightmare. Terrorizing Tanzania this is one of the most horrific monsters to stalk the night. The Popobawa is a shape-shifter resembling a one-eyed bat, but it is said that it can also take on human form. The beast breaks into people’s homes at night and sexually assaults anyone in there. After it’s done, the Popobawa will tale its victim that it will come back every night unless they tell others what happened to them.

1. The Nuckelavee
The Nuckelavee is a demon from Scottish folklore, believed to live in the sea around Stornaway in the Orkney Islands. It’s described as looking like a large horse with a man’s torso in the middle of its back. The creepiest thing about it is the legend that it has no skin. The Nuckelavee’s breath is a deadly poison that can kill humans and animals. The smell of burning kelp is believed to make the Nuckelavee go on rampages and the only thing that is known to harm it is freshwater. The Nuckelavee was defeated by the Mother of the Sea, the Scottish pagan Goddess of the sea.

The post 10 Monsters from Cryptozoology and Folklore That Need to Make it to the Big Screen appeared first on Dread Central.

This week you have read (on almost every genre website) about the petitions that have been created to close Knott’s Scary Farm attractions, ban Halloween props from Home Depot and boycott M. Night Shyamalan’s upcoming film Split. These petitions have been created because something has been considered to be insensitive to various communities. And these big corporations are listening and removing things that are deemed “offensive.”

So with all these petitions really affecting change within these large corporations, here are a few NEW possible petitions that someone in our horror community should create to get these big companies to pay attention to these serious issues facing our horror community…

Petition for Target and Walmart to Leave Halloween Displays up for a Minimum of 8 Weeks.

The horror community requests Target and Walmart to withhold the Christmas takeover until November 1st. We horror fans want to spend money on your Halloween props and trinkets, as well as costumes and candy, but it seems like every year the big stores give us with a few weeks of Halloween and then shift to Christmas before October even starts. We like Christmas too, but please, dedicate at least 4 aisles to proudly display your Halloween goodies from September 1st through October 31st.

Side Note: Maybe we can petition this in Congress since it is such a serious issue. Prop 666: No More Xmas Takeover Until November 1st.

Petition to Uber and Lyft to Play Halloween Music During the Month of October.

The horror community requests that each car deployed by Uber and Lyft during the month of October is prepared with a Halloween playlist that starts with Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” as soon as you open the door and enter the car. Just imagine how cool it would be to hear the opening notes of “Thriller” greeting you as you get inside the vehicle! Everybody loves “Thriller”; it’s just a true fact. Also, if the car comes equipped with an in-dash DVD player, the classic films Halloween, Halloween III or Trick r Treat should be playing for the duration of the ride.

Counter to the above petition: Petition to ban Michael Jackson’s “Thriller,” “Monster Mash” and “Bela Lugosi’s Dead” from all Halloween playlists for at last a couple of years. These songs are too easy to pick, and I am offended that every Halloween playlist isn’t being creative enough to find new or different songs.

Petition for the Syfy channel or Sci-fi Channel (or Whatever it’s Called Now) to Ban Shark Films for One Year.

The horror community requests a one-year ban on all shark crossover films. My wife is a scuba diver, and I am offended that Syfy makes light of the very real and very scary possibility of shark attacks. Films with robot sharks and sharks in tornadoes are fine because that is absurdist humor and clearly not offensive, but all others are 100% offensive and forbidden.

Banned sharks to include: ghost sharks, mega sharks, presidential sharks, atomic sharks, ice sharks, busty sharks, dino sharks, sand sharks, zombie sharks, smart sharks, devilish sharks, Jersey Shore sharks, 2-, 3- and 4-headed sharks, geriatric sharks, and any form of a sharktopi.

Petition Any of the Big 7 Media Conglomerates to Create 2 Exclusive Horror Divisions.

We are looking at you, Fox, Time Warner, Sony, Comcast, Viacom, Disney, and CBS.

The horror community requests that just one of the big 7 media conglomerates halt production of one huge budget remake and spend that money to instead create 2 dedicated horror divisions: one division for low budget horror (under $500k) and one for BIG budget horror ($1 million to $1.3 million). Each division will fund, create and distribute a minimum of 100 movies per year.

There are so many new and talented filmmakers that these companies can utilize to reinvigorate the genre. With 100 films, your studio is bound to have at least a few films hit really big, and that equals FRANCHISE! You hit the big time! As a studio executive, you may be thinking that remaking a popular 80’s film is a better financial investment than a bunch of low budget horror films, but actually, if you look at Netflix, Hulu or Amazon, they consistently buy low rent horror films. And the best part is that we horror fans are plentiful and we love variety. Load us up with R-, PG- and PG13- or even G-rated family horror films because we love all different kinds of horror films. We aren’t even that picky; you build it, and we will come. Just like in Field of Dreams. (Heck, do a horror baseball film; we have crossover sports fans too!)

Trust me, this makes sound financial sense too!

Here is a breakdown of the way the money can be spent. A (modest) average budget of a summer blockbuster with marketing is $120 million:

Starting backwards from the $120 million mark:

• 4 executives each making $250,000 per year (with bonuses) = 1 million
• 8 Jr. Executives each making $125,000 per year = 1 million
• 10 Development Executives making $100,000 per year = 1 million
• Writers (of course you should only pay them scale as a measure to save money) approx. $20,000 per film X’s 100 films = $2 million
• 50 films at $500,000 production budget = $25 million
• 50 films at $500k production budget each get $20,000 marketing budget ($20k is a 3000% increase over the amount of marketing that most $500k films receive, another cost saver!) = $1 million
• 50 films at $1,000,000 production budget = $50 million
• 50 films at $1 million production budget each get $500,000 marketing budget = $25 million

This is a grand total of $106,000,000.

This leaves you with approximately $14,000,000 of pure profit… so, no matter what each film grosses you are already in profit!!!

Again, I know it’s very tempting to try to relaunch the big budget remake of Top Gun, Flashdance or Crocodile Dundee, but resist the urge to remake these classics and kick-start your very own horror division and watch as you will literally OWN the horror genre and sleep on a bed made of $100 dollar bills! The choice is yours: Roll the dice on another comic book film, remake, or sequel; or create the next golden age of horror!

Side Note: To the super smart studio exec who agrees with me, my email is dan@spookydan.com. Let’s do lunch!

Petition to add Original content to Shudder, Screambox, Chiller and Frightpix.

We, the horror community, request that these four digital TV channels produce and create or pick up original horror films and shows. Yes, we all love the idea of having huge catalogs of horror film at our fingertips, but where is the original content? Each channel has a few exclusives, but none has embraced the idea of giving us something new to follow. We already pay for Netflix, Amazon and Hulu, so let’s skip the horror films they already carry, as well as the public domain stuff that we can easily find on YouTube. It is time for these amazing companies to access the endless number of indie horror films that are looking for distribution and/or gaining festival attention. Also, there are hundreds of great horror themed podcasts and vloggers ready to sell you content. Add exclusive things, gain more paid subscribers.

Side note #1: This month all four of these companies are actually working hard at this, and we hope that they continue to do this past the Halloween season.

Side note #2: If anyone at these companies is listening, I have a Christmas film called Slay Belles, ready to be exclusive holiday content!

Petition for Marvel to Start Production on Marvel Zombies.

We in the horror community request that Marvel include Marvel Zombies in their never-ending slate of superhero films in production over the next 5 years. We can all agree that Marvel makes great films, but Deadpool and Suicide Squad have proven that audiences want something a bit more edgy. Marvel needs to get pre-production in gear for Marvel Zombies. It doesn’t even have to compete with the big tentpoles; it can be direct to video; we horror fans will all watch it.

Petition for all North American Strip Clubs to Include Terror Tuesdays in the Month of October.

We in the horror community request that all North American strip clubs begin horror themed strip and burlesque shows every Tuesday from 9pm until midnight. Fake blood should be required for at least 3 of the performers during the Terror Tuesday shows.

Petition for “TED Talks” to do a Conference that Focuses on the Challenges that We in the Horror Community Face.

TEDHORRORX:  The horror community would like “TED Talks” to host a day-long conference at the Stanley Hotel to discuss the issues and challenges that we face as horror fans. TEDHORRORX topics will include:

How to Overcome Found Footage Fatigue. Learn the warning signs to identify and avoid these clichéd films. Also how to overcome motion sickness when watching the particularly bouncy films. By Michael Gingold / Horror Expert

Team-Up with Your Peers from Around the World. Leaders in the horror community need to unify and bring us the International Horror League. As the horror community grows by leaps and bounds, we need to create a non-profit organization to help each other decide which podcasts, conventions and films deserve our time and support. By SpookyDan Walker / Horror Culture Activist

Take My Money… Please! Crowdfunding is here to stay; this seminar will help you decide where to donate your hard-earned dollars to a film that fits you best. TBD / Crowdfunding Expert

The End of the Magazine Era, and the Where to go Now to Find Horror Insider Information in the Information Age. By Tony Timpone / Horror Icon and Fangoria Expert

Convention Sickness Abolished: How to Avoid Catching the “Nerdflu.” By Sean Clark / Convention Expert

Official Zombies Ban. With the exception of “The Walking Dead” TV show, all zombie films will be banned for 2 years from any true horror fans; let’s weed out the filmmakers that are just trying to cash in on popular horror tropes by banning together and all agreeing that we will not touch this tired genre. By George Romero / Zombie Expert

Is VR the Future of Horror? Virtual Reality is about to create an influx of new horror content, and new revenue streams for the horror community; learn how YOU can join in the VR revolution. By Jon Condit / Virtual Reality Expert

The Dead Communication. Future Ted tech talk about the advances in technology to actually speak with the dead using advances in the digital age to communicate with the deceased. By Uncle Creepy and Joe Knetter / Paranormal Experts

Scream or Shout. A debate with the heads of the companies behind the retro deluxe addition DVD and Blu-ray reissues of the genre’s favorite films. Who does it better? What films do we want to see reissued? And the challenges of getting the big stars of past horror films to do interviews for these retrospective little films. Moderated by Rob G., Rebekah McKendry and Elric Kane / Host of ScreamWaves Podcast and Blumhouse Experts

Petition for Blumhouse to do More Top Ten Lists.

We in the horror community love these, and I am personally offended that they don’t do more of them! So let’s make it law that every Tuesday and Thursday they must do a new horror themed Top 10 list.

Here is our Top 10 most wanted Top 10 Lists we want to see in the future:

• Top 10 moustaches in horror films.
• Top 10 ways to guarantee you get laid at a horror convention.
• Top 10 horror films that Blumhouse isn’t involved with.
• Top 10 cat videos that will give you nightmares.
• Top 10 “Face Off” contestants without “cool” hair or eyebrows.
• Top 10 ways to get the one of the Soska twins to go on a date with you.
• Top 10 ways to add color into your wardrobe (without looking like you’re trying too hard).
• Top 10 Disney cartoons we want to see remade as live action horror films.
• Top 10 Rob Zombie songs that should be used as our new National Anthem.
• Top 10 boobs in horror films (I could be wrong, but every horror website on the planet may have already done this one. Not sure).

Petition to All Horror Conventions to Streamline the Long Wait Entrance Lines.

This one is particularly personal to me, not the horror community at large, but a few people will agree that this is another worthy addition to these petitions.

Last month at an unnamed horror convention, I was forced to wait in a line for 45 minutes, just to get inside the convention. I know I didn’t pre-buy my tickets, that’s my bad, but I needed to get inside and purchase a Vincent Price exclusive action figure before they sold out, and guess what… they were sold out. Now I won’t look like a true horror fan when people come to my home to visit; they will look at my shelves of horror action figures and see that Vincent Price is missing and make fun of me for being a poseur. Which in turn has caused me extreme emotional grief.

I love Vincent Price, but how will anyone know this if I don’t have his likeness lovingly displayed in a prime viewing location in my home. Sure, I have Jack Skellington, Choptop and Frankenstein figures on my shelves, but I know that some people in our community are old school and I need to impress them too! What would Eli Roth say if he came into my home and noticed that Vincent Price is missing from the shelves?!? He would probably delete my info from his phone and not listen to me anymore when I argue that Frankenhooker is a top 10 all-time horror film.

Petition for Change to Knott’s Berry Farm to Knott’s Scary Farm 365 Nights a Year.

The horror community requests that Knott’s Scary Farm keeps its haunted attractions open all year long. This is clearly the right move considering the number of people that attend Knott’s during haunt season. Imagine how many people can stay employed at the haunt and how much money Knott’s can make by turning every night into Knott’s Scary Farm all year… you will have no completion 10 months out of each year, and you can keep the regular Knott’s open during daylight hours for the 23 people who still like Snoopy.

Possible taglines they could use:

• Fear All Year
• Nightmares Served Daily (or maybe Nightmares Served Nightly?)
• 365 Screams

Editors Note: Sensitivity Warning: Let’s get real for a quick moment. www.change.org and www.gofundme.org have done amazing things for a variety of people, who in a time of need were able to call attention to issues, and thus enabling their voices need to be heard. This article is not meant to make light of these organizations, but only to address the important and often overlooked issues that each horror fan has to deal with on a daily basis.

The post MUST READ: Save the Horror Fan! Petitions We Actually NEED! appeared first on Dread Central.

The seasons change. The life in the leaves dries up and vibrant green becomes dingy rust. It’s all a part of nature, and while horror, the film genre isn’t necessarily natural, it too changes. The found footage craze is beginning to wind down. The names and faces that once dominated genre news are beginning to change.

That’s the name of the game. But change, while sometimes frightening, is typically a refreshing thing to experience.
In 2016 we’re spending less time talking about women like Jamie Lee Curtis, or Heather Langenkamp. These days we’re discussing new names bestowed upon fresh faces. There aren’t a wealth of young women vying for the Scream Queen crown these days, but there are a few who are developing a serious following, in large part a direct result of the resilience they’ve displayed in compelling genre features.

Topping our list is the gorgeous and spunky Jane Levy. While Jane’s invested less time in the genre than most of the entrants on this list, what work she has put in over the last few years is nothing short of jaw-dropping.

Her greatest accomplishment is no doubt traveling an emotional gamut in one of the finest remakes ever crafted, Fede Alvarez’s high-speed and super creepy Evil Dead. In the opening moments of the film we see that Jane’s character, Mia is battling drug addiction, and she’s deep in the throes of physical and mental anguish. As the film progresses, the supernatural becomes a much more prominent aspect of the story, and we see Mia’s demeanor and behavior change radically. One minute she’s all but helpless, the next she’s determined to murder those closest to her. And, amazingly, she pulls a complete 180 by the time we’re into the final act, and all we want to see is her survive a one-on-one battle with evil personified. Evil Dead is a legitimate masterwork of horror.

Levy and Alvarez returned this year with another astonishingly brilliant horror film. I won’t speak too heavily on the details of Don’t Breathe as it’s still a recent enough release to be lingering in theaters. The pic hasn’t made its way home to Blu-ray and DVD, and that means a great deal of fans haven’t had the chance to see it. However, what Levy brings to the film is completely unique to what we witnessed in Evil Dead, and that’s a testament to the talent of Levy and the electricity between Jane and Fede. One more extraordinary genre film between these two and we’ll be comparing Levy and Alvarez to Carpenter and Curtis, or Craven and Langenkamp/Campbell. That’s an astronomical accomplishment, and it will no doubt find a place in the cinematic history books.

Did we mention Jane will be appearing in the resurrected “Twin Peaks?” There may be no stopping this shining starlet.

Bella Heathcote’s name doesn’t have the same ring to it that Levy’s does, but that’s no indicator of a lack of effort. This young woman is putting in serious work, and some of her finest performances have come in recently released horror films.

Heathcote actually bears a lot of physical similarities to Levy, which means she’s nothing short of drop dead gorgeous, but Bella isn’t riding the strength of her physical beauty, she’s set out to prove her Hollywood worth with hard work and convincing performances. And she’s already got a number of performances under her belt to be extremely proud of.

While Heathcote may not be topping the bill of each feature she’s been cast in, she’s gaining a lot of attention because she’s been slaying supporting roles. Her work in the recently released Neon Demon is impressive, her confident swagger in Pride, Prejudice and Zombies is stellar, even if she is technically backup to Lily James. You may also recognize Heathcote from her work in Tim Burton’s Dark Shadows and if you fancy lower budget horror fare, you’ll immediately recognize Heathcote as the life of Derick Martini’s flawed but inspired Curse of Downers Grove.

Heathcote is climbing the ladder, and looking impressive in doing so. She’s still got some work to put in, but she’s already established herself as one of the true Scream Queens in the making. Our eyes are firmly affixed.
We can’t assemble a list of this nature without including the young but surging Anya Taylor-Joy. Anya turned countless heads earlier this year with her complex and confident work in the highly touted folkloric film, The Witch. Pegged as an early candidate for year’s best film, The Witch was a powerful picture that allowed Anya to flex chops that, in theory, shouldn’t be anywhere close to as refined as this young ladies are. She’s a genuine talent, and she’s not shying away from powerful films.

Clearly not a fluff actress, Anya Taylor-Joy followed The Witch up with an appearance in the recently released Morgan, which focuses on the plight of an artificially created humanoid. Anya embraces the role of the titular character, and she holds nothing back, delivering a performance so far distanced from her work in The Witch that it’s already apparent we’re dealing with a chameleon-like performer. That’s a powerful statement to make about a 20-year old actress with fewer than 15 professional credits to her name.

Anya will return to the genre in M. Night Shyamalan’s latest, Split. I’ve yet to catch a look at this film, as it’s currently making festival rounds, but I’ve read plenty of positive word on Anya’s performance. The early consensus seems to point to the talented James McAvoy as the show-stealer, but if Anya holds her own against a performer as polished as McAvoy, she’ll take another step in solidifying herself as one of the top young female talents in the business.

Not bad for 20.

Lorenza Izzo may not be as technically polished as most of the other performers on this list, and some will argue she’s made the strides she’s thus far made as a direct result of her personal relationship with horror boss, Eli Roth. There may be some merit to that, but it’s hard to sell her work in Knock Knock, The Green Inferno and Aftershock short. She’s a spitfire performer with high energy, and she successfully turns her characters into memorable personalities.

She recently surfaced in the unorthodox but enjoyable Holidays, turning in solid work, and she also made recent appearances in the flawed but dark and bleak The Stranger and she proved more than capable in the Netflix Original series, “Hemlock Grove.”

Izzo’s future professional decisions could define her career. If she opts to continue investing a great deal of work in the horror genre, she’ll force respect from the audiences. However, if she looks into some other, varied works, she may very well tighten up her overall skill set, which could be a great thing, especially if she continues to dabble in the realm of the macabre.

Maika Monroe got her start in this business appearing in Conrad Janis’ low budget flicks, Bad Blood, and Bad Blood… the Hunger. While these films failed to draw major attention, they did help to lead Monroe to her current position in this field, which is a pretty comfy position.

Monroe has turned in a strong performance in Adam Wingard’s chiller/thriller, The Guest, and that opened the door for her – thus far – career defining performance in the wildly original pic, It Follows. Widely recognized as one of the best 2015 releases, It Follows gained a wealth of attention, and with that attention we’ve seen more doors open for Maika.

This year Monroe made a fine imprint on the genre, surfacing in two science fiction/horror pieces, both of which were given large scale releases, only furthering the young ladies presence in the business. The films in question were The 5th Wave and the long overdue Independence Day: Resurgence. While both films failed to excel at the box office, Monroe’s work cannot be overlooked.

She’s got the look, she’s gaining the experience, and she’s picking projects that, at least on paper, look extremely promising. One more major appearance in a high profile horror piece and the masses will be discussing Monroe as a shoe-in for modern day Scream Queen.

We’re going to close our list out with an extremely interesting pick. Abigail Breslin doesn’t bring the perfect model look to film, but she’s a cute young lady no doubt. That immediately feels reminiscent of Jamie Lee Curtis, who was a looker in her earliest days as an actress, though her beauty could be classified as unconventional. Breslin has that same look. She’s also working hard in the genre to leave a mark we’re going to remember in a few decades.

Breslin got her start in Shyamalan’s amazing alien film, Signs. But she didn’t stray from the genre for long. She would soon surface in the riveting undead tale, Zombieland, which has gone on to become a modern day classic. She also takes on a tremendous role in the thriller The Call, a film that demands a great deal, emotionally, from Breslin.

But the genre work doesn’t end there. Not by a long shot. Haunter was a dreadfully overlooked pic that turned out to be pretty damn good, and the same could be said for Maggie, most of the darkest yet most engaging zombie films released in years. Breslin lit the screen afire alongside Arnold Schwarzenegger, who proved he’s a far stronger actor than he’s led us to believe for years.

Although Final Girl was ambitious, there were a few too many plot holes to declare the film a true success. That said, it has some amazing moments, and the star shines bright on Breslin.
Currently starring in – of course – the small screen’s “Scream Queens”, and gearing up for an appearance in the soon to arrive Fear Inc., Breslin shows no signs of slowing down, and her attack is clearly still focused on the horror genre, right where she belongs!

The post Top 6 New Scream Queens appeared first on Dread Central.

October is upon us and to celebrate our favorite time of year October Madness is back with a vengeance to make sure your 31 nights are filled with dread and joy. Below are seven titles we recommend to get the Halloween spirit pumping through your veins and make sure to check back next week for more movie suggestions to drive you mad.

TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE PART 2

Tobe Hooper and screenwriter L.M. Kit Carson’s black comedy sequel to The Texas Chain Saw Massacre was very much at odds with what Cannon Films wanted them to deliver, but despite the studio’s best efforts of cutting the picture to deliver audience expectations, Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 is without question a horror comedy that doesn’t shy from the gore and is about as crazy as Leatherface himself. Like Motel Hell on speed, Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 is sheer anarchy from beginning to end and it absolutely works. Dennis Hopper’s Lefty is his most unhinged character portrayal next to Frank Booth, Chop Top cemented Bill Mosely as a genre icon, Jim Siedow’s return as The Cook is a blast and Tom Savini’s makeup fx is killer.

LADY IN WHITE

I some how missed out on Lady In White while it gained a cult following on television, but thanks to the new release from Scream Factory I recently had the opportunity to see what I missed out on. The first thing that struck me about Frank LaLoggia’s film is how it immediately feels like a movie I would have watched traditionally for Halloween. Everything about the atmosphere and tone stirred up feelings I used to have around this time of year, mostly thanks to Russell Carpenter’s vivid cinematography and I absolutely identified with young Frank’s admiration of classic monsters. A supernatural mystery inspired by an urban legend, Lady In White is a creepy, melancholy and sweet viewing pleasure that will have you humming “Did You Ever See a Dream Walking?” well after it’s over.

ANGUISH

This 1987 Spanish film from director Bigas Luna is a cerebral hallucination from start to finish. The Mommy is the film within this film that stars Zelda Rubinstein who manifests her blood-thirst by hypnotizing her optometrist son portrayed by Michael Lerner to do her bidding. Meanwhile the audience within this film watching The Mommy are themselves put under a trance while a homicidal maniac obsessed with the movie they’re watching mimics the terror portrayed on screen and it all unfolds as you the viewer become sucked into the surreal atmosphere and feel like a participant in this unnerving cinematic experiment. Anguish really gets inside your head as all the action taking place on the screen in the theater is a mirror image of what’s surrounding the audience and the director goes as far to put backward subliminal messages in the theater to pull the audience further into this hypnotic nightmare. Anguish is a disturbing assault on the senses and once you see it there’s no going back.

INSIDE

During the new wave of extreme French horror films, the filmmaking duo of Julien Maury and Alexandre Bustillo burst on to the scene with what I consider to be the best of the bunch. Flipping genre clichés, Maury and Bustillo created a terrifying antagonist who will stop at nothing on Christmas Eve to get what she wants be any means necessary. Inside is visually stylish, psychologically brutal and completely unrelenting.

THE WITCH

My favorite horror film of 2016 is this creepy period piece from director Robert Eggers which actually got the endorsement of The Satanic Temple. Set in 17th century New England, a family banished from a Puritan plantation has their faith and sanity tested as paranoia, black magic and ritualistic murder invade their sanctuary and tear them apart. Black Phillip is a horror icon you won’t forget and this brilliant debut from Robert Eggers shows how movies about witches are supposed to be made.

CANDYMAN

When looking back at horror films in the nineties’, I don’t recall any of them getting under my skin the way Candyman did. When I was twelve years old and nervous about standing in front of a mirror in the dark, this movie might have creeped me out a little. Based on the short story “The Forbidden” by Clive Barker, Bernard Rose’s film adaptation wisely moves the story’s setting from England to the Cabrini–Green public housing development on Chicago, giving this picture a blend of raw energy and gloomy atmosphere. Candyman holds up like a frightening piece of cinematic poetry underlined by a masterful score from Philip Glass. I dare you to watch this and stand in front of a mirror afterwards and say Candyman five times.

I AM NOT A SERIAL KILLER

A delightful surprise this year was director Billy O’Brien’s chilling adaptation of Dan Wells’ 2009 novel I Am Not a Serial Killer, the first in a series of books that includes five so far. John Wayne Cleaver is a teen sociopath who’s engrossed with mass murderers and crime scenes, he finds himself at odds with his own murderous urges and forces himself to conceal them by his own set of rules. Christopher Lloyd gives his best performance in years as John’s neighbor in this suspense thriller that takes a fun detour into the supernatural. I Am Not A Serial Killer is witty, spooky and filled with interesting characters. I hope more of you see this, so we can get some more cinematic adventures in this world.

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In addition to the scares, one thing I’ve always appreciated about ‘Are You Afraid of the Dark?’ are the plot twists. I can think of several episodes where–just when I thought I had it figured out–the storyline makes an abrupt (usually well executed) u-turn.

“The Tale of the Full Moon” is a great example of this: for much of the episode viewers are lead to believe that this is just another “kid sees monster, kid tells adults, adults don’t believe” monster story–a formula well established even by this point when the episode aired back in the summer of ’93. And while these elements are present in this particular episode, the end result may actually surprise you. I’ve long felt that this episode has more to offer viewers than just a monster and a refrigerator full of raw meat while also asking some subtle yet relevant questions of its viewers like, for example, does suffering from Clinical Lycanthropy have to be so scary after all? And does a traditional family unit have to look a certain way?

In the end, “The Tale of the Full Moon” is another fun, intriguing scary story from the “Are You Afraid of the Dark?” library, featuring another monster that has remained nestled in my memory banks since that memorable summer back in 1993. I recently caught up with two of the main actors from this episode (including the man behind the werewolf mask) to learn a bit more about what it was like shooting this episode and what they think of it now 23 years later.

Blood Brothers: Gordon the Werewolf and his brother/keeper

John Campopiano: Carl, how did Gordon the Werewolf come to life on set? Ellen, was it creepy working with him once costumes and full makeup were applied?

Carl Alacchi: The making of the mask was just as surprising as wearing it. Firstly they make a mold of your face with a straw in my mouth or nose or both, don’t remember, too much emotions getting my face totally covered in clay strips. Then, you get a fitting and then they glue it up on set with make up touches…I really loved letting the dog spirit take over. I had to keep that mask on during lunchtime–even while I ate. 

Ellen David: I was privy to the special effects makeup being created for the character, I got to see it from start to finish, as the actor who is a good friend of mine, put on the mask and developed the character. I went back and watched the episode online recently–I hadn’t seen it in so many years and I was pleasantly surprised to see that it holds up! There were many fun scenes: I loved the chemistry that I shared with Dominic Zamprogna (the young actor playing my son, “Jed”). It was a great time being his wacky, way-out mom. (I even remember the crew laughing at times during the filming of some scenes!)

Carl Alacchi & Ellen David on the set of ‘Are You Afraid of the Dark?’

JC: How did you find yourself on the set of ‘Are You Afraid of the Dark?’ in the first place?

ED: I had done a few auditions for the series, and the producers knew me, but it never seemed liked a good fit until this role came along and it was right up my alley! Carl and I had actually gone to theatre school together and became great friends, so it was wonderful that here we were on a professional gig together! We went on to work together on a few other projects as well over the years. I also really enjoyed working with Ron Oliver, our director who now lives and works in Hollywood. I really connected with the sense of style and comedy he wanted to bring to the episode and he was very open to collaboration and me bringing in added touches to flesh the character out!

JC: I love the 1950s-aesthetic your character embodies in this episode. What (if any) stylistic elements did you bring to your character?

ED: Well, aside from the convenient fact that we share the same first name, I think Ron Oliver was very open to my ideas. For instance, in the night scene when my character goes into her son’s bedroom (after she is awakened by his scream while spying on the mysterious neighbor next door…) I thought it would be fun to have a mask on my face in order to create another jump scare. The makeup artist came up with something for me to wear–and that wouldn’t irritate my skin during the prolonged shoot.

Gordon the Werewolf doing what he does best

JC: This episode has a fun twist in it, one which felt like the creators were championing the idea that families can come in all different shapes, sizes, colors, etc…

ED: It was a lovely twist and kind of unexpected for a show of that nature. I think it was a breath of fresh air that we all became one united, happy family despite our differences. I don’t know if you noticed but–in the very last scene when we’re having the barbecue–our clever costume designer highlighted the fact that we had “became one family.” She had a particular quirky patterned fabric that she used for all of our costumes: my apron, my husband’s shirt, the werewolf’s collar. It was a very bright, subtle way to unite all of us.

The episode was filmed in Montreal–and while part of it may have been done in a studio–we were on location in a house that was decorated perfectly to illustrate that 50’s style. It was a fun world to be a part of, and I am really happy that that is the episode of Are You Afraid of the Dark that I participated in! Thanks for bringing it back into my life!

Werewolves can play fetch, too

The post I’m Still Afraid of the Dark: The Werewolf from The Tale of the Full Moon appeared first on Dread Central.

Starring Anne Hathaway, Jason Sudeikis, Dan Stevens

Directed by Nacho Vigalondo

Screened at Fantastic Fest 2016

Since he burst onto the indie film scene with his critically revered 2007 thriller Timecrimes, Spanish filmmaker Nacho Vigalondo has long been a favorite on the film festival circuit. It’s no wonder then that his latest film, Colossal, which marks a great shift in cinematic scope for the director, received the closing night slot at this year’s Fantastic Fest. Despite snagging mainstream superstar talent Anne Hathaway as his lead in the film, Vigalondo’s latest offering does not find the director “going Hollywood,” however; Colossal is pure Vigalondo through and through, a quirky, unpredictable film that never pulls any punches as it proudly wears its peculiar, cross-genre sensibilities with pride.

Colossal tells the story of Gloria (Hathaway), an unemployed thirtysomething with a drinking problem whose life gets thrown a curveball after her fed up boyfriend, Tim (Stevens), kicks her out of his New York City apartment. With no money and nowhere to go, Gloria is forced to leave the big city and return to life in suburbia, schlepping a bag’s worth of belongings back to her sleepy hometown. Upon returning, Gloria is reunited with childhood friend Oscar (Sudeikis), a bar owner who decides to give Gloria a chance to get back on her feet by hiring her part time at his locale. As Gloria’s drinking remains problematic in her new line of work, her life is further–and inexplicably–complicated by the materialization of a destructive monster in the South Korean capital of Seoul. For reasons beyond her comprehension, Gloria discovers that there is, in fact, a strange connection between the monster and her downward spiral; and with Oscar’s help, she vows to find out what this is exactly before things get even more out of hand.

First and foremost, anyone going into Colossal expecting “Anne Hathaway does kaiju” will be sorely disappointed. Vigalondo’s film contains elements of science fiction and action and most definitely features a kick-ass monster to boot, but it is unmistakably a character study above all. There are extremely effective comedic elements notably woven throughout his taut script, but even those often serve to highlight the truly distressing state of the film’s troubled characters. Moments of laughter turn to moments of sadness and then to outright discomfort rather quickly in a few of Colossal‘s stronger scenes, a characteristic that exemplifies the rollercoaster of often confusing emotion Vigalondo seeks to present here.

Hathaway’s Gloria is a pitiable and, at times, frustrating mess of a protagonist; but despite the fact that she will grate on some, it is difficult not to root for her in all of her emotionally disjointed glory. Hathaway approaches Gloria with a mix of vulnerability and bullheaded recklessness, delivering one of her strongest and most nuanced performances to date. Jason Sudeikis is also a refreshing treat here and will likely surprise many in his turn as Oscar, a character who is equally layered and certainly holds a number of surprises of his own. Together, Hathaway and Sudeikis play off of each other organically, and then frenetically, their increasingly complicated interactions growing more amped as the monster’s threat grows greater. On that note, Colossal‘s massive creature is a joy to watch, eliciting the type of awe often inspired by cinema’s greatest kaiju monsters while also being imbued by Vigalondo with an offbeat sense of peculiar humanity.

While genre enthusiasts will no doubt love the more fantastical aspects of Colossal, the film’s greatest strengths ultimately lie in its script. It is a rich one with deeply emotional material, but it is also peppered with moments of surprising levity given the subject matter. Though Colossal expectedly examines components of addiction in a number of allegorical ways, it is also never insultingly obvious; this aspect of the story is just the tip of the iceberg actually, and the film most definitely does not head where you think it will. The more nuanced examinations of various other topics in Colossal–from morality to self-loathing to personality disorders–solidify Vigalondo’s latest as a truly complex journey through a number of emotions, many of which will definitely conflict at times in viewers.

For that particular reason, Vigalondo’s wholly unique story may not be easily digested by all. There are a few tonal shifts that are certainly jarring on a first viewing, and audiences expecting more traditional resolutions in Gloria’s story may no doubt be frustrated by the turns the film takes. Love it or loathe it, however, it is Colossal‘s ingenious diversion from standard “addiction drama” tropes that make for an undeniably singular moviegoing experience. The film is certainly not for everyone, but it finds Vigalondo making all of the right kinds of waves at this point in his career, and I for one hope they are large enough to prompt more widespread awareness of and praise for the visionary auteur’s work. After a monster of a film like this, he most certainly has earned it.

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At long last, the second, eye-gouging issue of FULCI COMICS is coming your way!

You will be able to pre-order your copy of Lucio Fulci’s Zombie #2 this coming FRIDAY OCT. 7th, exclusively  at the Eibon Press website!  Issue #2 features, of course, the next installment of our epic adaptation, and that means it’s SHARK VS. ZOMBIE time, kids!  Plus EYE VS. SPLINTER!  All the most iconic scenes are featured in this month’s issue… and that’s not all!

We’ve even thrown in the first chapter of our second FULCI COMICS series GATES OF HELL, based on Fulci’s City of the Living Dead, for free!  That’s right, you’ll get a wild extended preview of what’s coming in GATES, which is a super gory, totally insane adaptation of the film that will blow your mind beyond repair!  This is actually the first part of a trilogy of terrors based on the supernatural horror classics of Lucio Fulci!

And you’ll get to see it FIRST, in the pages of ZOMBIE #2!

And that’s STILL not all!  As always, our comics are super limited, premium collector’s editions, sleeved and sealed with special extras:

These WILL sell out fast, so be sure to get there at 7PM on FRIDAY OCT. 7 to place your order.  The first 1,000 copies are signed and numbered!  Remember, those aren’t available in ANY STORE.  You can only get them at EIBONPRESS.COM.

BE THERE!

ORDER yours at eibonpress.com

The post Lucio Fulci’s ZOMBIE #2 ON SALE IN FIVE DAYS! Oct. 7! appeared first on Dread Central.

A week from tomorrow Syfy is kicking off its new series “Channel Zero: Candle Cove,” and to say we’re looking forward to it would be an understatement… especially after watching this new sneak peek. Check it out, and let us know what you think!

The “Candle Cove” installment of the network’s “Channel Zero” anthology series stars Paul Schneider, Fiona Shaw, Shaun Benson, Natalie Brown, and Luisa D’Oliveira. It premieres on October 11th.

“Channel Zero: Candle Cove” will have six episodes. Craig William Macneill (The Boy) directs; Nick Antosca wrote the script for the pilot and serves as executive producer alongside Max Landis. Harley Peyton is a writer and co-executive producer, and Don Mancini also serves as a writer and supervising producer.

About “Channel Zero: Candle Cove”:
Based on Kris Straub’s popular “creepypasta” (user-generated horror stories that are published and passed around the Internet), “Candle Cove” centers on one man’s obsessive recollections of a mysterious children’s television program from the 1980s and his ever-growing suspicions about the role it might have played in a series of nightmarish and deadly events from his childhood. 

The post Get a Sneak Peek of the Nightmares to Come from Channel Zero: Candle Cove appeared first on Dread Central.

Good things are happening this month on TV, I tell ya! Not only is “Ash vs. The Evil Dead” the star of this month’s Box of Dread, it’s also kicking ass on the small screen; and right now we have a clip from Episode 2.02, “The Morgue,” for ya! Dig it!

“Ash vs Evil Dead: Episode 2.2 “The Morgue”
Pablo’s grasp on reality is tested when Ruby reveals the Necronomicon has gifted him with premonitions. Meanwhile, in the morgue, Ash and Kelly discover Brock’s date might not be the warm body he’s banking on.

“Ash vs. Evil Dead” Season Two Release Details:
Season Two of the STARZ Original Series “Ash vs. Evil Dead” premiered October 2nd. Since Season One, Ash has been living it up in Jacksonville, Florida, with his loyal sidekick Pablo and revenge-filled Kelly. Season Two kicks off with a double-deadite battle royale interrupting the party; Ash is forced to return back to his hometown of Elk Grove, Michigan… and as always, Evil follows him.

The cast is led by Bruce Campbell (Evil Dead, “Burn Notice”) in the role of Ash Williams; Lucy Lawless (“Salem,” “Spartacus”) as Ruby, who now possesses the powerful Necronomicon; Ray Santiago (“Touch,” Meet the Fockers) as Pablo Simon Bolivar, Ash’s loyal sidekick dealing with the trauma he suffered in the cabin; and Dana DeLorenzo (A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas) as Kelly Maxwell, who, grief-stricken after the death of her parents, plots revenge against The Evil Dead. Lee Majors (“The Six Million Dollar Man”), Ted Raimi (“Xena: Warrior Princess,” Spider-Man), and Michelle Hurd (“Law & Order: SVU”) join the cast this year as Brock Williams, Ash’s father; Chet Kaminski, Ash’s childhood best friend; and Linda, Ash’s high school love, respectively.

Sam Raimi serves as executive producer with Rob Tapert (Evil Dead, “Spartacus,” “Xena: Warrior Princess”), Bruce Campbell (Evil Dead, “Burn Notice”), and Ivan Raimi (Drag Me to Hell, Spider-Man 3) along with Craig DiGregorio (“Workaholics,” “Chuck”), who serves as executive producer/showrunner. Aaron Lam (“Spartacus”) and Moira Grant (“Spartacus”) serve as producers.

The post Ash vs. Evil Dead Heads to the Morgue for Episode 2.02 appeared first on Dread Central.

Debuting back in 2011 following an encore presentation of the Season 2 premiere of “The Walking Dead,” AMC’s “Talking Dead” has become must-see viewing for fans of both that show as well as “Fear the Walking Dead.” Now, with the seventh season of “TWD” about to premiere, the network has some pretty big plans in store for “Talking Dead’s” return.

Read on for the details, including how YOU can attend the live kick-off episode.

From the Press Release:
AMC announced today a live, 90-minute special edition of “Talking Dead,” featuring 12 cast members – everyone in the final gut-wrenching scene from the Season 6 finale – and executive producers Scott M. Gimple and Robert Kirkman, on Sunday, October 23. Over 2,000 “Dead” fans will have the opportunity to win free tickets to a screening of “The Walking Dead” Season 7 premiere episode at 6:00 p.m. PT (live with the East Coast airing) and “Talking Dead” taping, hosted by Chris Hardwick, at Los Angeles’ iconic Hollywood Forever Cemetery.

The “Talking Dead at Hollywood Forever” ticket sweepstakes opens on Tuesday, October 4, at 7:00 a.m. ET at TalkingDeadSweeps.com. In addition to Gimple and Kirkman, “Talking Dead” will feature guests Andrew Lincoln, Norman Reedus, Steven Yeun, Lauren Cohan, Danai Gurira, Michael Cudlitz, Sonequa Martin-Green, Chandler Riggs, Josh McDermitt, Christian Serratos, Ross Marquand, and Jeffrey Dean Morgan.

“As ‘The Walking Dead’ returns with one of the most powerful and highly anticipated episodes in series history, it feels fitting to literally share this night with the fans whose support have made this show what it is today,” said Charlie Collier, president of AMC, SundanceTV, and AMC Studios. “As a fan myself, even I crave a supersized ‘Talking Dead’ to do what it does best – serve as a focal point for fans – along with Chris, the producers, and the largest cast the show has ever assembled – to experience, discuss, and process together this emotional episode.”

Based on the comic book series written by Robert Kirkman and published by Image Comics, “The Walking Dead” reigns as television’s most watched drama for adults 18-49 for the last four years. “The Walking Dead” tells the story of the months and years that follow after a zombie apocalypse and follows a group of survivors, led by police officer Rick Grimes, who travel in search of a safe and secure home. The series, which has been heralded by critics as “an honest-to-God phenomenon” (Variety), is executive produced by Gimple, Kirkman, Gale Anne Hurd, David Alpert, Greg Nicotero, and Tom Luse.

AMC’s first live after-show, “Talking Dead,” launched in October 2011 as a way to immediately discuss and recap new episodes of “The Walking Dead.” Over the second half of the last season, “Talking Dead averaged 6.4 million viewers, including 3.8 million adults 18-49 and 4.1 million adults 25-54 in Nielson Live +3 ratings* [*Source: Nielsen L+3 (2/14/2016 – 04/03/2016) “Talking Dead” – excludes repeats, specials. (000)]. The series is executive produced by Michael Davies, Jen Patton, and Brandon Monk.

The post October 23rd Talking Dead to Be Live and Super-Sized; How You Can Attend! appeared first on Dread Central.

We told you a while back that the 8th chapter in the legendary Saw franchise, the tentatively titled Saw: Legacy, would be going into production this fall; and now two new images suggest that filming has already begun.

Twitter user OWSLAJosh posted the following two images, one of which is of particular interest as it features John “Jigsaw” Kramer’s grave dug up, complete with coffin sitting atop a pile of dirt.

Again, these images are unconfirmed so take that with a grain of salt.

Bloody Disgusting today confirms that production has indeed started on the film, though details are scant. Here’s what we do know…

Saw: Legacy is written by Josh Stolberg and Pete Goldfiner (Piranha 3D, Piranha 3DD, Sorority Row). Michael and Peter Spierig (Daybreakers, Predestination) will direct. Mark Burg and Oren Koules will produce, with Peter Block and Dan Heffner exec producing.

Stay tuned for more as it comes.

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Television is getting yet another horror series inspired by a feature film. This time it’s What We Do in the Shadows that’s getting the small screen treatment as Empire is reporting that Taika Waititi and long-time collaborator Jemaine Clement (who played vampires Viago and Vladislav in the horror spoof) have a new series cooking based upon on the original film’s easily-manipulable police officers, Mike and Karen.

Entitled “Paranormal Event Response Unit,” the series will follow the aforementioned Mike and Karen as they try to keep Wellington safe from spooky beasties. Six 30-minute episodes will be hitting New Zealand channel TVNZ 2 with no word yet on who will be airing it in other territories.

In sequel related news, the project We’re Wolves is still very much a reality. Stay tuned.

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