The first two Dawn of War games were praised for their epic scale and rich cinematic narratives, and as we learn in the latest trailer for the third installment, it’s gonna be upping the ante in both areas as much as possible.

The six minute video features interviews with developers from Relic Entertainment discussing how each of the playable factions will carry their own emotional weight, as the game will explore their histories and motivations for wanting to vanquish their foes and become the dominant force in the galaxy.

Sega will be publishing Dawn of War III on PC next year.

The post Latest Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War III Trailer Explores the Playable Factions appeared first on Dread Central.

Back in December of last year, Dread Central visited Prague in the Czech Republic while the upcoming Underworld: Blood Wars was filming; and over the next few days we’ll be rolling out our reports from the set.

We’re kicking things off with our stop by the werewolf effects shop, where we learned how to turn a couple into an army, cutting down on the high cost of creating werewolves, and the importance of lubricants when it comes to committing acts of cinematic lycanthropy.

In this fifth installment of the Underworld franchise, everyone’s favorite band of militant werewolves, the lycans, are suiting up once more to go tooth and claw (and machine gun and sword) against the lethally stylish forces of vampirism. Are they practical, CG, or a bit of both?

“It’s a combination of all,” when it comes to the approach to creature effects techniques, according to Blood Wars director Anna Foerster (pictured below), who has an extensive background in visual effects on films such as Independence Day, Godzilla, and Pitch Black.

This practical-digital hybrid approach is especially crucial for the film’s new werewolf baddie, Marius (Tobias Menzies): “For Marius, when he transforms, there’s a stage of… let’s say ‘warrior arousal’ when he just gets teeth and eyes — that’s the typical stuff we have seen before — just for him it’s a little bit different. He has those yellow eyes and a different look to him, but when general wolves are transformed all the way, they are the typical lycan you have seen in the movies, and we have suits which we are using for close-up work, like foreground stuff like people being wrestled out of frame and actual human contact with them. For wider shots or with more lycans or lycans on all fours running up a cliff or something, that would be CG lycans then. Specifically for Marius, when he transforms, I think there’s a little surprise because he’s not the lycan you have seen before. There’s a new design for him and a new idea on why he looks the way he does. When Marius transforms all the way, he is a CG creature.”

Serving on the practical front are two creature effects technicians new to the world of Underworld: Jack Firman (“Stranger Things,” Van Helsing) and Aina O’Kane (Iron Man 3, Pacific Rim). We visited them in the lycan effects lair and basked in the lupine grandeur. The obvious question was: Just how long does it take to transform a human into a lycan each day? According to O’Kane, it takes “maybe sixteen minutes – in the suits. With the heads on: twenty minutes.”

And about those heads, Firman explains: “The mechanical head just kind of has the snarl, upper and lower mouth, and the four-way jaw movement – up, down, side-to-side. That’s about it. And the hands have the finger-cup-like nail extensions… The design is actually pretty brilliant in the sense that it’s pretty easy for the guys to see and get around – for the most part. It works out pretty nice.”

While mobility might not be such an issue, what about the physical state of those poor professional skinwalkers? Firman grants, “They can get pretty warm.”

O’Kane further details the discomfort: “Imagine a wetsuit, a diving suit, and double or triple or quadruple the thickness of it. It doesn’t breathe…They sit in them all day, but we take the head off so they can entirely see and to breathe – and sometimes loosen up the back because they’re actually corseted in, so it gets, you know [sucks in stomach] hard to breathe a little bit; you’ve got to work on the breathing, so we loosen the back too.”

When it comes to Part 5 of a series involving monster suits, a certain amount of recycling is only sensible – especially when the work on the previous installments was created by creature FX legends.

O’Kane explains about the two werewolf suits: “These are pretty much the originals. Like the head is the [Patrick] Tatopoulos and Steve Wang head.  I think that maybe the body had some changes through time, but otherwise it’s pretty much the same molds, too, because it is the same series. Because the suits didn’t have to be sculpted from scratch and then have molds made from them, the time in fabricating them was cut down dramatically. Working from existing molds and existing suits allowed the lycan FX crew to create each beast in only about two and a half months’ time.”

Firman adds, “The suit was already done. We did sculpt the hands, and there were some other things. We redid the hands only because it was for different actors. We did some little odds-and-ends stuff, like the teeth had to kind of be reworked, and all the heads had to be made – the stunt heads and the mechanical heads – actually all the hair-work and that sort of thing.”

Part of the thrill of the Underworld series is seeing lots of monsters in all-out war with one another. But the army of on-set lycans is merely a couple — two performers with a suit each — and four heads to choose from. That pair of lycans will swell to a veritable horde by the time the film is done:

Aina O’Kane explains, “There’s green suits, so they’re going to be doing some CG when there’s a massive amount of them [lycans].”

Then why do practical lycans at all? One of the pitfalls of digital effects is when live-action actors and elements have to directly “touch” animated composited elements – in many cases, the trick is exposed because the touch-points and other live interactions and elements don’t look like they are actually connecting on the same plane. Thus, the need for good old-fashioned rubber and fur magic.

O’Kane clarifies, “These [suits] are for character interactions and some that will be in the foreground… We’ve done some really cool fighting scenes and stuff, and that is much easier to get. This is human hair, so it’s all natural, you know, so you get the nice flow of hair. To CG all that is a pain.”

Additional enhancements to the practical suit help sell the less human anatomy of the lycans, as well as subtleties that are unwieldy or, for the purposes of this production, impractical to do live on-set. “From the legs down,” O’Kane points out, “they have green stockings on from knees on down, because their legs are gonna be added… I’m sure they’ll [also] do eye-blinks and stuff.”

These practical suits may resurface in future installments – but only after being transmogrified into the digital ether: “We did a day where they were scanned, we got them scanned, with the head in all kinds of different positions and poses and facial expressions, so – yeah, they’ve been scanned. They’ll be used, whether it’s digital or not, they’re being used for reference for sure. We’ve even done a lot of that in the shop too – even though they’re heavy digital shots, they’ll usually have one of our guys walk through and just do lighting passes and stuff, that sort of thing.”

But here on the physical plane, there is still one challenge to be confronted: getting a werewolf wet. “One of the last shots [before wrap],” O’Kane says with some dread in her voice, “will feature a wolf where it goes underwater.” The suits are decidedly not waterproof. “It’s difficult because it is foam; it will soak up an immense amount of water, and it will take a week to dry it out. So that’s why we’re doing it at the end. It’s the last shot. We’ll still have one suit that is dry and usable, but the one suit that goes in the water is going to be out of commission.”

What would be the optimal treatment of a werewolf suit if it were specifically designed for water-sports? O’Kane explains, “You would seal it; you would make sure that the pores were really sealed much more. So, because this one is a more dense foam than the other, hopefully it will be this one that gets put in because it won’t soak up the water so fast.”

Will this wolf soaking be only a one-take wonder (or disaster)? O’Kane’s initial tone of dread becomes even more understandable, and it can still be heard in her laughter: “We don’t really know! It might be the kind of thing where it’s fine: He gets out and we squeeze some water out of him and dry him so he looks dry and he can do it again. I’m sure there will be some water dripping down here, but… The water is not higher than a meter, three feet, so it shouldn’t be dangerous.”

On the topic of wet stuff, what about the titular arterial juice that drives both werewolves and vampires alike into fits? “We haven’t really done the blood for these guys yet,” says O’Kane, surprisingly. Even more surprisingly: “We use a lot of lube.”

Once we realize she actually means it, O’Kane clarifies: “Jack and Allan [Holt, fellow creature effects technician] – had a funny thing because we needed to go out and get more lube. Because that’s what you use on the skin [of the lycans] because it gives a really nice shine and it lasts – and it’s water-soluble, so you can wash it out. They were going out, the two of them, going into a sex shop and they’re like, ‘Okay, we need a liter, half a gallon’. And they [the shop clerks] were like, ‘Really?!’ And they [the FX crew-members] were like, ‘Yeah! It’s for a film, it’s for a film! – We need it NOW!’ And [the shop-clerks] were like, [skeptical tone] ‘Of course! Of course!’”

Look for the film in theaters beginning January 6, 2017.

Alongside series star Kate Beckinsale, Theo James (the Divergent series) returns as Selene’s ally David, reprising the role he played in Underworld: Awakening. British actors Tobias Menzies (“Outlander,” “Rome”) and Lara Pulver (“Sherlock”) take on the respective roles of a formidable new Lycan leader and a fiercely ambitious Vampire, and Charles Dance (“Game of Thrones”) again plays Vampire elder Thomas.

Rounding out the film’s cast are James Faulkner (“Game of Thrones”), Peter Andersson (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo), newcomer Clementine Nicholson, Bradley James (A&E’s “Damien”), and Daisy Head (Fallen).

Anna Foerster directs. The screenplay for Underworld: Blood Wars was penned by Cory Goodman (The Last Witch Hunter, Priest) and based on characters originally created by Kevin Grevioux, Len Wiseman, and Danny McBride.

Synopsis:
Vampire death dealer Selene (Beckinsale) fends off brutal attacks from both the Lycan clan and the Vampire faction that betrayed her. With her only allies, David (James) and his father, Thomas (Dance), she must stop the eternal war between Lycans and Vampires, even if it means she has to make the ultimate sacrifice.

The post Underworld: Blood Wars Set Visit Part 1: The Werewolf Effects Shop appeared first on Dread Central.

It’s almost Jesus’ B-day, and we’ve got one more Christmas-themed short to celebrate.

Based on the short story The Siqquism Who Stole Christmas by two time Bram Stoker Award winner Brian Keene, it sees a less benevolent version of Santa Claus paying a visit to two thugs who happen to be on his naughty list. Let this serve as a warning to those of you who weren’t planning on spreading kindness and love in the new year.

The Naughty List stars Mac Elsey, Sebastian Knapp, Vincenzo Nicoli and is directed by Paul Campion.

The post New Short Puts You on The Naughty List appeared first on Dread Central.

Put some bite into your new year with the werewolf (or sasquatch, I’m not quite sure) flick Wolf House, which is prowling onto DVD on January 2017. Step into the Wolf House yourself by pre-ordering here.

Directed by Matt D. Lord, Wolf House stars Jessica Bell, Ken Cosentino, and Marcus Ganci-Rotella.

Synopsis:
Six friends on a camping trip think they have discovered, and killed, a sasquatch. But what they have actually unleashed is something more evil, more ancient and more deadly than they could ever imagine – an army of supernatural terrors that will hunt them until none of them remain.

The post Step into The Wolf House Next Month appeared first on Dread Central.

This? This we like A LOT! Check out the new artwork for the upcoming flick Pool Party Massacre, and bask in the glory of this wondrous 80s style homage!

Directed by Drew Marvick, Pool Party Massacre stars LeeAnna Vamp, Alexis Adams, Mark Justice, and John Molinaro. Dig on the artwork below from Marc Schoenbach.

Synopsis:
What started out as a relaxing summer day by the pool for a group of high maintenance young socialites quickly becomes a nightmare when an unknown killer begins stalking and murdering them one by one.

The post Pool Party Massacre Art Drinks in the 80s appeared first on Dread Central.

Starring Steve Rimpici, Haley Madison, Se Marie

Directed by Steve Rudzinski

2016 has saw several excellent releases in genre cinema; from the mainstream to the underground and everything in between, releases which have catered to a variety of moods and tastes have been strong this year.  However, underground releases have flown by under the radar because they just don’t receive much coverage.  The epitome of independent film in its purest form, underground horror is rife with creative DIY filmmakers bringing their art to life with style on shoestring budgets, and this year has saw impressive releases unlike anything else out there, due in no part to creators working with creative freedom.

Take Jimmy Screamerclauz’s Where Black Birds Fly for example, a disturbing and surreal exploration of authoritarian rule presented in the form of a mind warping religious allegory.  For more lighter fare, Dustin Mills and Dave Parker gave audiences the family-friendly Halloween Spookies, which further showcased their knack for diverse storytelling.  Across the pond in the UK, Scottish director unleashed the ambitious horror fantasy The Unkindness of Ravens to the acclaim of respected genre critics like Kim Newman, and it was one of the highlights of FrightFest London despite being among strong competition.  Underground horror is thriving, and it deserves your attention.

Despite their unsung status, underground film is home to many auteurs motivated solely by a love for the genre, their craft and a compulsive need to create.  These guys are often working full-time jobs just to finance movies on their own dime, and the few who do get to make movies as their main profession are dependent on our support.  And when you see the amount of heart, creativity and outlandish brilliant in something like Steve Rudzinski’s CarousHELL, it makes you want to support the underdog.

Rudzinski has made quite a name for himself among aficionados of the scene due to his diverse, highly original offerings. These range from horror like Everyone Must Die (2012) and Red Christmas (2014), to Tokusatsu homages like Super Task Force One (2013), to time-travelling pirate adventures like Captain Z and the Power of the Leviathan (2014) – and more.  This is the type of brain future genre fans will want to keep in a jar and milk for all its creativity long after we’re all dead, and CarousHELL is another reason why.

Co-written with Aleen Isley and starring indie queen Haley Madison, CarousHELL’s magic lies in its ability to provide pure entertainment at its most silly, fun and gloriously demented.  It tells the story of Duke (voiced by Steve Rimpici), a carousel horse who, after being disrespected by a bratty kid at the fairground for the last, decides to go on the murder rampage and track him down so he can teach the little punk a bloody lesson. But how does a fairground horse kill people, you might ask? Well with his horn, ninja throwing stars and other unpredictable ways – THAT’S HOW!

Until I saw Steve Rudzinski’s CarousHELL, the concept of sex between a woman and a carousel unicorn had never crossed my mind before.  Every so often you witness something so bizarre and out of the blue you can’t believe what you’re seeing, but at the same time you realize it’s everything you ever wanted.  Make no mistake about it – CarousHELL is a silly, self-aware movie, and laugh out loud funny for its entirety as it has jokes for days, strange characters (the best being Joe the Pizza Guy played by Rudzinski himself) and wonderfully pokes fun at slasher tropes.  It also provides some hilarious satire about our society’s current obsession with social media, and at its heart it boasts the age-adage more people should adhere to – don’t be a dick.  Because being a dick, like the little snot nose bastard who sets the unicorn on his bloody course for vengeance in this movie, isn’t good for you or anyone else.

CarousHELL is the funniest horror comedy of 2016, as well as most brilliantly bizarre – and it is further proof that underground horror is well worth scouring, for it is there you shall unearth many hidden gems, some of which might even have unicorn sex. You can pick it up HERE.

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

The winter season is in full swing and one of the best things that we  can do when we are snowed in is to curl up and watch a movie! The genre we love is known for taking everyday situations and turning them on their ear, but what about the seasons? I for one don’t want to be freezing out in the cold, and that got me thinking about some incredible winter horror films!

1) The Thing (1982)

Starring: Kurt Russell, Wilford Brimley, Keith David, Richard Masur, David Clennon, Donald Moffat, T.K. Carter, and Richard A. Dysart

Directed by: John Carpenter

When a group of researchers discover that a shapeshifting parasitic alien is residing amongst them, tensions are raised along with the body count! Featuring highly praised special effects that stand up to the best of what this day and age has to offer, director John Carpenter brings to life a phenomenal script written by Bill Lancaster. You have probably already seen this countless times, but if you haven’t fix that ASAP! I promise you will enjoy it!

2) Frozen (2010)

Starring: Emma Bell, Shawn Ashmore, and Kevin Zegers

Directed By: Adam Green

Writer and director Adam Green has brought us quite a few films already that can be and should be considered modern day classics and this one is up there with the best of them! Frozen follows three friends as they go to a ski resort for the afternoon. The trio decide that they want to take one last trip down the mountain but unfortunately the ski lift attendants forget about them when closing down the resort for the weekend. Trapped on their ski lift, our heroes must face extreme weather, hunger, and many other dangers that make Frozen a tense and thrilling ride from beginning to end!

3) The Shining

Starring: Jack Nicholson, Shelley Duvall, Scatman Crothers, and Danny Lloyd

Directed By: Stanley Kubrick

This Stanley Kubrick’s classic is definitely a film to watch during the winter! Based on the novel of the same name by legendary horror author Stephen King, The Shining is considered one of the genre’s best and thats not that far from the truth. The setting is very claustrophobic and takes you on a downward spiral that you may not want to slide down. In it we follow Jack Torrence – portrayed brilliantly by Nicholson – as he takes the only job that he can get as the weekend caretaker of the Overlook hotel. The job isn’t a difficult one, however the hotel is located high up in the mountains and shuts down during the winter. As the winter season continues the Torrence family is stuck at the hotel with no access to outside help as many things begin to go bump in the night, causing Jack to slowly lose his mind. The scares are as chilling as the weather itself!

4) Let the Right One In (2008)

Starring: Kare Hedebrant, Lina Leandersson, Per Ragnar, Ika Nord, and Peter Carlberg

Directed By: Tomas Alfredson

Let the Right One In gives us one of the best vampire stories that has ever been committed to film! In the suburb of Blackeberg, a bullied 12-year-old boy develops a relationship with a child vampire. With a winter backdrop that serves as a stark contrast to the gallons of red blood shed throughout this should be on anyone’s must see list! An american remake titled Let Me In was released back in 2010 and oth films are enjoyable in their own right but if you could only watch one – go with the original!

5) Cold Prey (2006)

Starring: Ingrid Bolso Berdal, Rolf Kristian Larsen, Viktoria Winge, Endre Martin Midstigen, and Tomas Alf Larsen

Directed By: Roar Uthaug

The Norwegian slasher film Cold Prey making this list shouldn’t be a surprise at all. The film follows a group of friends on a vacation in Jotunheimen to go snowboarding, after one of the group breaks their leg they are forced to find shelter in an old abandoned hotel where they discover that they may not be as alone as they originally thought. Hailed as one of the best Norwegian horror films ever made, this should scratch the wintery itchy of slasher fan’s universally!

The post 5 Chilling Films To Watch This Winter! appeared first on Dread Central.

To say that Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation is an odd entry into the franchise is a bit of an understatement. Me? I’ve seen the movie over a dozen times, and I’m still perplexed by what I’ve witnessed.

Here’s what I do know (or at least I think I know):

• Matthew McConaughey as Vilmer is one of my favorite Chainsaw villains.
• Renee Zellweger was actually tolerable in this film – maybe because she didn’t have that perpetually sucking on a lemon look on her face yet.
• Vilmer has a remote control leg. Why, I have no clue.
• The family are not cannibals, but instead prefer to dine on pizza.
• The family are contractors for a government agency hellbent on studying fear? I’m still not sure of this.
• Leatherface now has perfect white teeth. I guess not indulging in human flesh has its benefits.
• When a secretly pierced businessman knocks at your door and unsheathes his multi-nippled chest, it’s cause for alarm.

The film was original released in 1994 as The Return of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre and then later released again in 1997 as Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation.

If you have the same views and/or conclusions about the movie, then maybe this rare hour-long documentary directed by Brian Huberman can shed some light on shit for us all.

To date Huberman’s doc has never seen the light of day until now. Check it out!

The post Go Behind the Scenes of Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation appeared first on Dread Central.

What if an actor went so “method” that it drove him psycho? That seems to be the case in the directorial debut of Clerks star Jason Mewes, who recently sat down with THR to talk about The Madness in the Method.

“The film is set in an alternate universe where Kevin Smith gives me some advice to try taking on ‘method’ acting in order to help me to be taken seriously as an actor with real range in Hollywood,” Mewes tells the site. “Problem is that the process slowly begins to send me mad as I take to method acting a little too well!”

“I was working on a film in the U.K., and the producer of the film, Dominic Burns, and I hung out a lot,” Mewes continues, speaking about the genesis of the project. “He asked me if there was any role that I wanted to take on that I’d never done before, something that would really excite and challenge me, and I told him I’d love to play a serial killer. Dominic said he’d write something and pitch it to me, and sure enough, a few months later he sent over a script. I liked it, but I also had a lot of ideas and thoughts, so we began developing the script together along with another writer, Chris, and the idea built and built from there.”

The film co-stars Danny Trejo, Matt Willis, and Kevin Smith, who will have dialogue in the film!

“Kevin does speak; in fact, he really has delivered a breathtaking performance. There was one scene in particular between Kevin and I that really goes into our past, and it all gets very deep. It was genuinely emotional, and we even had crew members in tears. I wasn’t sure what directing Kevin would be like because of course it’s been the other way around for so many years. But Kevin was wonderful, extremely responsive, and as always, he brought his incredible sense of humor. He threw in some genius lines that I loved and will definitely make the movie.”

Hit up the above link for more.

The post Jason Mewes Talks Playing a Serial Killer in Directorial Debut The Madness in the Method appeared first on Dread Central.

We couldn’t be more giddy about Kong: Skull Island around these parts if we tried, and recently a couple of new tidbits surfaced over at Empire Online that have us grinning from ear-to-ear.

“The script I first read took place in 1917,” says director Jordan Vogt-Roberts. “But when I started talking to the Legendary guys, I was thinking, ‘What weird King Kong movie would I want to see?’ So I pitched them the Vietnam War connection, literally thinking they were gonna laugh me out of the room. And to Legendary’s credit, they said, ‘Cool. Let’s figure it out.’ The aesthetics of that time mixed with King Kong makes for an incredible genre mash-up.”

Neat. Even neater, though, is the below concept art that has us drooling!

Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures’ Kong: Skull Island reimagines the origin of the mythic Kong in a compelling, original adventure from director Jordan Vogt-Roberts. Kong: Skull Island stars Tom Hiddleston, Samuel L. Jackson, Oscar winner Brie Larson, John Goodman, and John C. Reilly. The international ensemble cast also includes Tian Jing, Corey Hawkins, Jason Mitchell, John Ortiz, Thomas Mann, Shea Whigham, Toby Kebbell, and Eugene Cordero.

Vogt-Roberts is directing the film from a screenplay by Max Borenstein, John Gatins, Dan Gilroy, and Derek Connolly. Kong: Skull Island is produced by Legendary’s Thomas Tull and Jon Jashni with Mary Parent. The executive producers are Eric McLeod and Alex Garcia.

To fully immerse audiences in the mysterious Skull Island, director Vogt-Roberts, his cast, and the filmmaking team filmed across three continents over six months, capturing its primordial landscapes on Oahu, Hawaii; on Australia’s Gold Coast; and finally in Vietnam, where filming took place across multiple locations, some of which have never before been seen on film.

Kong: Skull Island will be released worldwide in 2D, 3D in select theaters, and IMAX beginning March 10, 2017, from Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.

Synopsis:
A diverse team of explorers is brought together to venture deep into an uncharted island in the Pacific – as beautiful as it is treacherous – unaware that they’re crossing into the domain of the mythic Kong.

The post Kong: Skull Island Alternate Timeline; Concept Art appeared first on Dread Central.

Being huge fans of Chad Ferrin and his unflinching films which focus on the underbelly of our society, we’re excited for Parasites (review). The good news? We’ll all be able to see it in just a few weeks!

From the Press Release:
Chad Ferrin’s harrowing festival favorite Parasites will be available to rent or own in the US and Canada starting January 24th on iTunes, Amazon Instant, Google Play, Vudu, and Xbox from 108 Media. Veteran genre director Ferrin (Someone’s Knocking at the Door, Horse) presents one long night on Skid Row as a sadistic reimagining on the true story of John Colter and his flight from the Blackfoot Indians.

Since the world premiere at the Fantasia International Film Festival, Parasites has made audiences and critics scream, earning rave reviews for being both terrifying and thought-provoking. Dread Central hailed the film at Fantasia, praising the “white-knuckled tension and action that holds its ground.” Parasites has gone on to screen at a number of festivals, including HorrorHound, Shriekfest, STUFF MX, the New York City Horror Film Festival, Zinema Zombie Fest, and more.

Genre vet Robert Miano (Donnie Brasco) headlines as Wilco, the leader of a band of bloodthirsty vagrants who rule the underpasses and alleyways of downtown LA. When he and his men come across a trio of lost college boys (centered around newcomer Sean Samuels), all hell breaks loose.

The industrial barbarianism of downtown Los Angeles is equal parts player and punisher in this survive-at-all-costs tale of a group of friends who get lost in the seedy streets where they encounter a crazed gang of homeless derelicts that captures and maims them one-by-one. One lucky man escapes on foot, naked and unarmed, with a pack of depraved transients in pursuit, staying only seconds ahead. Clinging to sanity and reduced to helpless prey, with only instinct to guide him, can he survive this coliseum of horror?

The post Chad Ferrin’s Parasites Infecting VOD in January appeared first on Dread Central.

A new poster has arrived for M. Night Shyamalan’s latest film, titled Split, and as always we’re right here with it. Dig it!

Split Release Details:
Writer/director/producer M. Night Shyamalan returns to the captivating grip of The Sixth Sense, Unbreakable, and Signs with Split (review), an original thriller that delves into the mysterious recesses of one man’s fractured, gifted mind. Following last year’s breakout hit The Visit, Shyamalan reunites with producer Jason Blum (The Purge and Insidious series, The Gift) for the film, which Universal Pictures is releasing on January 20th.

While the mental divisions of those with dissociative identity disorder have long fascinated and eluded science, it is believed that some can also manifest unique physical attributes for each personality, a cognitive and physiological prism within a single being.

For Split, Shyamalan and Blum reassemble their core team from The Visit, the No. 1-grossing horror film of 2015. Their fellow collaborators include producer Marc Bienstock and executive producers Ashwin Rajan and Steven Schneider.

Synopsis:
Though Kevin (James McAvoy) has evidenced 23 personalities to his trusted psychiatrist, Dr. Fletcher (Betty Buckley), there remains one still submerged who is set to materialize and dominate all the others. Compelled to abduct three teenage girls led by the willful, observant Casey (Anya Taylor-Joy), Kevin reaches a war for survival among all of those contained within him—as well as everyone around him—as the walls between his compartments shatter apart.

The post New Split Poster Unleashes The Beast appeared first on Dread Central.

Filmmaker Jeanne Jo dropped us a line today to let us know that her horror-comedy short Tampoon is now available for online viewing, and you can check it out right here!

The short, which tells the tale of a killer tampon and the woman it loves, screened at Slamdance earlier this year and won the Audience Award at Scream Queens FilmFest in Tokyo.

Jo directed Tampoon and co-wrote it with Nicholas Musurca.  It stars J.J. Dunlap, Alexandra August, and Jo as the voice of the tampon.

The post See Horror-Comedy Short Tampoon Online Now! appeared first on Dread Central.

Camp Motion Pictures released director Gregory Lamberson’s Slime City and its sequel, Slime City Massacre, as a double-feature Blu-ray on December 13th; and now we have SCM‘s official green band trailer to share.

Get all the other details about the release below!

Slime City/Slime City Massacre Release Info:
Camp Motion Pictures released Gregory Lamberson’s 1989 splatter sensation Slime City and 2010 sequel Slime City Massacre in a limited edition collector’s Blu-ray double feature this winter, following a series of theatrical screenings and fan expo appearances. Loaded with extras, the December 13th release features new original artwork designed by Arick Szymecki and Chris Cosgrave.

Written and directed in 1998 by the then 21-year-old Lamberson, the independent horror film Slime City has become an international cult sensation, praised by fans and critics alike. Known for its over-the-top splatter effects and stop-motion animation, Slime City tells the story of a young couple who move to NYC, only to fall prey to the supernatural forces that haunt their building. Featuring a hypnotic synth score and a vibrant Day-Glo color palette, Slime City is “gruesome, gory, and fun” and a must-see for fans of splatter and NYC horror. Slime City stars Robert C. Sabin, Mary Huner, and T.J. Merrick.

In the bombed-out city of the sequel, Slime City Massacre (review), four fugitives stumble across the remains of a cult, accidentally consuming an elixir that transforms them into hideous, oozing slime creatures. When real estate tycoon Ronald Crump hires mercenaries to wipe out the homeless population, an all-out war breaks out between the slime heads, cannibal mutants, and hired killers – a bloody, merciless battle that will determine for once and for all who will control Slime City. Slime City Massacre stars Debbie Rochon, Roy Frumkes, Robert C. Sabin, Brooke Lewis, Mary Bogle, Jennifer Bihl, Kealan Patrick Burke, and Lee Perkins.

Blu-ray extras include Making Slime, Slime Heads, Slime City original trailer, Slime City Grindhouse Collection trailer, Slime City 2006 trailer, new Slime City director commentary, two additional director commentaries, Slime City Massacre trailer, Slime City Massacre behind-the-scenes, interview with Slime City Massacre composer Mars, Slime City Survivor, and Slime City Massacre deleted scenes.

The post Official Green Band Slime City Massacre Trailer Oozes In! appeared first on Dread Central.

Forget graveyards and haunted mansions, offices are the most truly terrifying places in existence. I mean the boredom of endless faxing and photocopying and the smell of cheap processed coffee is enough to drive anyone insane.

And before you ask, no, this isn’t a joke. We really are getting a horror game set in an office building, so you’d better load up your staplers. Yuppie Psycho, from indie developer Baroque Decay, sees you play as a miserable young office worker who soon discovers that the building in which he works in being plagued by a malevolent witch.

The game utilities a beautiful retro anime art style, with a soundtrack inspired by classic horror films including Halloween, Friday the 13th, Carrie, and Suspiria. The Silent Hill franchise was also listed as an influence for the overall gameplay experience.

Yuppie Psycho certainly looks like a huge departure from most other recent horror games, so I implore you to give it a vote on Steam Greenlight if you’d like to experience something truly different and unique. I know that it’s sure got my vote.

Synopsis:
“Yuppie Psycho” has a retro aesthetic from the golden age of the 90’s, featuring anime-inspired cutscenes to immerse the player in an atypical horror story. Containing an atmosphere of mystery and surrealism similar to those previously devised by infamous artists such as David Lynch, David Cronenberg, J.G. Ballard, and Shinya Tsukamoto or seen in cult films like “American Psycho” and “Brazil.” The sordid imagery of mangaka such as Shintaro Kago and Junji Ito was also a huge inspiration upon our artistic design.

Loosely following the same basic gameplay template from a variety of classic 16-bit RPGs, “Yuppie Psycho” unites a myriad of different genres, including Survival Horror, Graphic Adventure, and Puzzle-solving. The overall game design also takes notes from such titles as “Silent Hill,” “Deadly Premonition,” and the recent “Yomawari: Night Alone.”

Set in a dystopian 90’s with shades of cyberpunk, the player will have to break into and investigate the secrets hidden deep within the heart of Sintracorp. Avoiding traps, solving puzzles, exploring, and utilizing stealth to avoid the creatures swarming the company along the way.

SYNOPSIS:
Brian Pasternak, a young man with no future in a dystopian society, receives a mysterious letter inviting him to work at the headquarters of Sintracorp, the most important company in the world. Once inside, he discovers what his new job really entails: hunting a “witch” whose powers made the success of the corporation possible in the first place, but who now seems to have returned to torment its employees. Brian will meet all kinds of odd characters, escape from terrible creatures, and unravel the hidden secrets of Sintracorp’s dark past.

FEATURES:
Exploration: Use the elevator to discover what’s hiding on every floor and within the various departments of the powerful company Sintracorp.

Conversation: Investigate your co-workers and discover their secrets.

Stealth: The corridors of this company aren’t safe at all… creatures and bizarre employees will force you to hide and, if all else fails, run!

Decisions: Only you can decide how this story will end.

Lighting: Use different light sources to light your path and reveal what is breathing in the dark.

Puzzles: Find clues, solve riddles, discover new paths, and overcome challenges – all without letting the witch catch you!

SOUNDTRACK:
The original soundtrack will be made by Michael “Garoad” Kelly, composer of the amazing “VA-11 HALL-A” score where the purest cyberpunk and JRPG musical styles combine to create a special and unique work players will find infectious.

In “Yuppie Psycho,” our soundtrack carries inspirations from horror classics such as “Halloween,” “Friday the 13th,” “Carrie,” and “Suspiria” with 90’s western postmodernism in a blend that also compliments the anime aesthetic of the game. The intention is to create a mysterious, oppressive, and chilling soundtrack, but at the same time, one of delicate and unmistakable beauty that will stick with you even when you’re not playing.

The post Escape the Horrors of Office Life in Yuppie Psycho appeared first on Dread Central.

The vampires vs. werewolves mayhem continues in Underworld: Blood Wars, and so does our report from the film’s set in the Czech Republic. Today covers our in-person exploration of two of the environments in which the ancient war between the monster clans continues.

We were accompanied through the pair of impressive sets by Ondrej Nekvasil, the Czech production designer best known in the U.S. for his work on the movies Snowpiercer and The Illusionist and the television miniseries “Children of Dune.”

The first set belonged to the vampires, their training area complete with a cage. The architecture was both ornate Gothic (the archways) and modern with metal fixtures for weapons in a monochromatic palette. There were areas that contained cushioned tackle gear with chrome werewolf heads to help train vampires for hand-to-paw combat.

In a war between two species and cultures of monsters, contrast is a key tool in the art of visual world-building. Notes Nekvasil, “Vampires are more like noblemen… They are kind of posh in the way that they are dressing, how they are acting, and what they are doing, so it’s like everything that they do is kind of designed: They always have a proper dress. They always wear a proper uniform. They are formal in how they talk to each other. So for us, and we discussed this, vampires are the guys with the style, and let’s say that these guys are kind of noblemen.”

As for the lycans, Nekvasil says, “[They] are more like a gang… so these guys are like gangsters; they don’t care about clothing, about the space where they have storage, and they don’t care about the designs. They are using guns, which they use for everyday, and they care that they are shooting a lot – that’s all. They don’t care about the designs. These guys have a gun, proper holster, properly designed guns, and everything’s done for them…Vampires are more like people who are really thinking about the style of their life. Even the fighting has a style.”

Some of that vampiric style can be quite eclectic and cosmopolitan, as shown in the training facility we were taken through, in which a classical Asian-style martial arts dojo was combined with both European medievalism and the fantastical elements that are the series’ core (for example, the training cage was vertically-oriented to accommodate for the vampires’ ability to fly).

“Because vampires in the story are kind of spread out around the world, so they are working in different types of techniques – for example, take something like the training machines, which are very close to the kung fu training machines. So it’s that kind of mixture between that type of classical kickboxer training machine, which is actually a training figure with a lycan’s face, but it’s a classical kick-box machine in its shape. So this is like a traditional kung-fu training machine, which is also updated and has to do with the old characters using very simple blades almost like a samurai-type. So that kind of mixture is in the movie because we said, ‘Vampires are spread out around the world, and they can use whatever they like.’ But what I said, the whole concept is the vampires in this project are very stylish: Everything that they do, everything [about] how they act, everything [about] how they dress, is very stylish and also how they train – everything is designed for that. Lycans are more rough, like a gangster style. Like a smuggler’s…”

“Some of these locations… there’s no color in this set, so it’s out of that, that we tried to do some colorless sets for the vampires. And there’s more color and more different shapes for the lycans. In the story we don’t see too much of the lycans’ space, but we will see in general it’s a kind of old train station, with old boxcars, and old tracks and motorcycles. It’s really like a gangster’s [lair], smuggling guns and everything that is possible to smuggle – and that’s the way that we’re thinking about the lycans. So that’s complicated in how they are dressing and how they are acting and fighting as well.”

This contrast between the two creature cultures even informs the film’s lighting design: “For the lycans we are using a warmer temperature [of light]. The vampires are more white and more cold than the lycans. The lycans’ [set has] very simple tungsten lights, and this [the vampires’ dwelling set] is more fluorescent and LED, that type of lighting.”

This is Nekvasil’s first outing in visualizing within the Underworld universe, and he strove to make its look fit the series, while remaining distinctive from previous installments: “Actually, it’s Underworld Number 5, so we have to still work with the style of the previous [films], but on the other hand, we are showing new tunnels, new places, so in this way maybe we had a lot of freedom which we created with Anna Foerster, our director, but that actually we were keeping to the style of the costumes, the style of the sets, in a way of the general look of Underworld, but this one we created specific new sets… We decided how this episode was different – this episode is back in Europe, so we said that we would like to have a European feeling to it, so we – actually because some of these [earlier films] were shot in like Vancouver – every one has a different style, and it was slightly driven by the fact of where they’d shoot it and what they want to show, so something that is completely modern work and modern concrete buildings with very spare spaces. We said we’d like to go back to a little bit of the old European style and more ornate and more… the architecture has more details and the set has more details.”

The vampires’ abode in some ways harkens back to classic genre traditions, but with some more contemporary flourishes: “The whole castle is done in the New Gothic style and there is the basement of the space, which is like a training center for young vampires fighting with the lycans, so actually we used the architecture of the old and New Gothic style of the castle and we add new stuff in it, which is like this is the principle we are using all the time in this movie, so we are actually shooting in period locations, but we are always dressing slightly modern. So we have a contemporary story in old-fashioned locations.”

American audiences will their chance get to visit these fascinating environments when Underworld: Blood Wars debuts in U.S. theaters January 6, 2017.

Alongside series star Kate Beckinsale, Theo James (the Divergent series) returns as Selene’s ally David, reprising the role he played in Underworld: Awakening. British actors Tobias Menzies (“Outlander,” “Rome”) and Lara Pulver (“Sherlock”) take on the respective roles of a formidable new Lycan leader and a fiercely ambitious Vampire, and Charles Dance (“Game of Thrones”) again plays Vampire elder Thomas.

Rounding out the film’s cast are James Faulkner (“Game of Thrones”), Peter Andersson (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo), newcomer Clementine Nicholson, Bradley James (A&E’s “Damien”), and Daisy Head (Fallen).

Anna Foerster directs. The screenplay for Underworld: Blood Wars was penned by Cory Goodman (The Last Witch Hunter, Priest) and based on characters originally created by Kevin Grevioux, Len Wiseman, and Danny McBride.

Synopsis:
Vampire death dealer Selene (Beckinsale) fends off brutal attacks from both the Lycan clan and the Vampire faction that betrayed her. With her only allies, David (James) and his father, Thomas (Dance), she must stop the eternal war between Lycans and Vampires, even if it means she has to make the ultimate sacrifice.

The post Underworld: Blood Wars Set Visit Part 2: Production Designer Ondrej Nekvasil appeared first on Dread Central.

If you’ve been following Dark Horse’s recent Xenoverse titles, you’ll know that they’ve been releasing a series of interconnected stories which all carry the subtitle Life and Death. This month, things will really get interesting as we’ll finally see the Alien story arc crossover with the Predator one in the first issue of Alien vs. Predator: Life and Death, which goes on sale on December 28. Buy it here.

Acclaimed sci-fi novelist Dan Abnett will once again take the reigns, with Brian Thies providing the artwork for new miniseries which sees Ahab, the lone Predator who we met in the Fire and Stone story arc, having to choose between siding with his fellow Yautja or defending the humans from the Xenomorph threat and becoming a traitor to his race in the process.

Battle Lines Are Drawn!
The Predators arrive on LV-223! The question is: are they here to finish the fight with the Colonial Marines, or will they join the marines in the battle against the Aliens? And who will Ahab—the Predator from the Fire and Stone story cycle—side with?

The post Alien vs. Predator: Life and Death #1 Kicking Off a Huge Crossover Event appeared first on Dread Central.

Most of us can only dream of having a body like Arnold Schwarzenegger’s, which is why we should be eternally grateful to the medium of video games for allowing us to live out our wildest fantasies. Arnie’s probably too old to make the planned King Conan movie now anyway.

The help promote the upcoming MMORG Conan Exiles, developer Funcom have teamed up with Dark Horse for a digital comic tie in, which will be released when the game hits Early Access next month. You can get all the details straight from the horse’s mouth below. Be sure to also tale a moment on the Tree of Woe to contemplate if this will be the best Conan game yet.

From the Press Release:
Funcom and Dark Horse Comics, Inc. are thrilled to announce that creative teams in both companies are now working on a new Conan Exiles digital comic book that will be made available in January. Conan Exiles is an open world survival game set in the brutal lands of Conan the Barbarian. By reading the comic, fans will get a unique glimpse into the events that take place in the savage Exiled Lands. The creative team includes Michael Moreci (Writing), José Luis (Pencils), and Andy Owens (Inks), as well as Gavin Whelan (Art Director) and Anders Finér (Senior Concept Artist) on the Funcom team.

“We are incredibly excited to work with Dark Horse Comics again,” says Funcom CEO Rui Casais. “Conan the Barbarian and the comic book format goes hand-in-hand, and Dark Horse has brought the Conan stories to life for years. The Conan Exiles comic will give a unique context to what players themselves will be doing and the world they will explore in the game.”

Funcom and Dark Horse Comics, Inc. previously worked together on the exclusive digital comic book for Funcom’s 2008 massive multiplayer game, Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures. The comic book was distributed to gamers and Conan fans worldwide, and was a key piece in the company’s marketing campaign for the 2008 bestselling game.

Funcom is also excited to announce that the studio will do a live gameplay stream on Twitch.tv/Funcom this Friday December 16 at 7pm CET. Creative Director Joel Bylos and Community Manager Jens Erik Vaaler will show the unique thrall gameplay live for the first time. Players will be able to capture enemy bandits, drag them back to their camp, and crush their will in the Wheel of Pain. Players can then place out these thralls as guards, archers, and even special blacksmiths, tanners, and other crafters that unlocks unique new recipes.

Conan Exiles is an open-world survival game set in the brutal lands of Conan the Barbarian, the world’s greatest fantasy hero. The game can be played on private and public servers, either in multiplayer or local single-player. In the world of Conan Exiles, survival is more than tracking down food and water. Journey through a vast, seamless world filled with the ruins of ancient civilizations, uncovering its dark history and buried secrets as you seek to conquer and dominate the exiled lands. Start with nothing, but your bare hands and forge the legacy of your clan, from simple tools and weapons to gigantic fortresses and entire cities. Enslave the bandits of the exiled lands to do your bidding by breaking them on the grueling Wheel of Pain. Sacrifice the beating hearts of your enemies on the blood-soiled altars of your deity to seize true power and glory. Summon the colossal avatar of your god and see them lay waste to your enemies and their homes. Conan Exiles will be released into Early Access on the PC on 31 January 2017 and will hit the Xbox One Game Preview Program in Spring 2017.

The post Dark Horse Releasing Conan Exiles Digital Comic Next Month appeared first on Dread Central.

Hello friends and fellow art fans! Welcome to The Devil’s Muse.

This week’s spotlight is falling on what will be a familiar name to many, David Hartman.

While he’s most celebrated for his film and television credits; David is also a fantastic illustrator.

Take a gander at some of his pieces below and let us know what your favorite is in the comments!

Once you’ve done that, make sure you give the ol’ social medias a peruse/like/favorite/subscribe. David is reachable on Twitter, DeviantArt, YouTube, and his website!

We look forward to seeing you back here again for another Devil’s Muse!

Artist’s Bio:

A 19-year veteran of television animation, the multi-talented David Hartman has worked as an Emmy Award-nominated director, producer, illustrator, and character designer throughout his career. Hartman’s directorial credits include the live-action horror film Phantasm 5: Ravager, and the animated series Transformers Prime, My Friends Tigger & Pooh, Roughnecks: Starship Troopers Chronicles, Astro Boy, Jackie Chan Adventures, Godzilla, and many more. Additionally, Hartman directed two animated music videos for rock musician Rob Zombie. Hartman’s other credits include visual effects supervisor for the cult film Bubba Ho-Tep, animator and vfx artist for John Dies at the End, and production consultant for Showtime’s Masters of Horror series. In addition to his television animation work, Hartman is an award winning illustrator whose artwork graces numerous comic books, magazines, and music album covers.

The post DC’s The Devil’s Muse: Artist Spotlight – David Hartman appeared first on Dread Central.

Starring Justin Johnson, Chloe Farnworth, Brendon Garrett

Directed by James Burkhammer

Vampires and nightclubs – never a conducive mix for a healthy night, and thanks to James Burkhammer’s 80’s throwback short film, Into The Black, the warning is as bright as a beacon in the dark: steer clear of shady bars and overly beautiful, mysterious women…then how the HELL is somebody supposed to fall in love?

The short, which Burkhammer hopes to stretch out into a full-length feature with the assistance of a Kickstarter backing, tells the tale of a trio of pals (Johnson, Garrett & Kendall Chappell) that have just had an eventful night at the local dive bar. With two overly intoxicated fellas in tow (including one fresh off a beatdown from the bouncers), they all head to a diner to grab some post-booze grub. In walks the bodacious mystery gal named Angel (Farnworth) – seems appropriate. Her allure is as mesmerizing as her teeth are sharp…and when she hops in the sack with one of the guys, you can rest assured that some blood will be spilled. Overall, it works as a nice setup piece to what could be forthcoming if the project reels in enough greenbacks – it’s standard vampire fair with a muted, smoky, mid 1980’s nightclub feel to it. Think Vamp with all of the humor drained out of it, and if you can contend with that, you might dig this quickie – until then, do your drinking at home please, because you never know who (or what) could be waiting in the shadows to tail you home. Check the link out below to head to the film’s Kickstarter page for all the details.

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