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The Final Chapter: Horror Series Finales Through the Years

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Let’s face it, as horror fans we’re more than accustomed to sequels. Damn near every horror flick that makes so much as a penny of profit inevitably earns itself a continuation, be it a prequel, spin-off, remake, or reboot, somewhere down the road. No matter what form they take, the intent is always to continue a franchise, pushing ever further into mythic highs or embarrassing lows. There is a very special kind of sequel that only comes around once in a great while, a rare breed that seeks to end a series rather than grind it into the dirt.

Recently horror fans were blessed (or cursed, depending on one’s point of view) to view the newest final sequel in the form of Resident Evil: The Final Chapter. This proposed final entry in the series joins the ranks of other horror series send-offs, some of which are great, some of which are abysmal, but all of which are noteworthy. Let’s take a look back at some prime examples.

Friday 4

Friday the 13th The Final Chapter

Practically the first final chapter in horror history, and possibly the benchmark for how to send a series out with a bang, Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter was Paramount’s effort to get critics and watchdog groups off their backs by finishing the controversial series. What they made was an entry so outstanding, it stands today as one of, if not the best film in the franchise.

The trick to achieving such quality was doubling down on elements that worked without venturing into unnecessary complications. What’s on display here is the guide book for slasher flicks. Jason is on full display, having finally achieved his iconic look during the previous film. His stable of potential victims is a fine mix of likable and despicable characters, and best of all the story offered an unexpected hero in the form of Tommy Jarvis, a young boy with an obsession for monsters which makes him the person best equipped to deal with our favorite towering murder machine.

The Final Chapter is a fine example of ending a series by celebrating everything that made it popular in the first place. Blood, breasts, and humor fly freely while leaving a hint that the series could continue one day, which it did the following year.

Freddy's Dead Final Nightmare

Freddy’s Dead: The Final Nightmare

Everyone’s favorite nightmare, Freddy Kruger had a tougher time saying goodbye to the audience with Freddy’s Dead: The Final Nightmare thanks to the flick being an overcomplicated, tonal mess. The movie opens with cheap sci-fi style text informing viewers they’re witnessing events from the future of 1999 where Freddy has nearly eliminated the teenage population of Springwood. The last kid in town escapes only because Freddy means to use him as bait in order to spread his evil across the globe. What luck then that the kid ends up being cared for by Kruger’s formerly unknown daughter who takes on her murderous father in a 3-D showdown that revealed his powers were granted by a trio of demons. Christ almighty, is this movie for real?

For a film whose singular goal is to blow up the title character with a stick of dynamite à la Loony Tunes, why are there so many extra, unnecessary tidbits? Not to mention the completion of the tonal shift from horror movie to black comedy. By the point you witness Freddy controlling kids video game style with his power glove, it’s no longer sad to see him go.

Freddy would of course return, though not really in the same fashion, as the character was altered for the meta New Nightmare, paired with Jason for Freddy vs Jason, and recast for the 2009 remake. Which leaves Freddy’s Dead as the rough ending for the series proper.

H20

Halloween H20

Completing the slasher trinity, we’ve got Michael Myers’ planned exit from the scene. One could say that Halloween II already served as the first ending to this series, as the original plan was to move onto different stories like Season of the Witch. Money talks, however, and the slasher would find himself returning to the screen again and again.

Halloween H20 was a special event with a silly name to boot. It utilized the twentieth anniversary of the series to bring back Jamie Lee Curtis as Lori Strode, and ignored the larger mythology that had grown during installments 4-6. In an odd choice, the director’s chair went to Steve Minor, a man known more for Friday the 13th installments.

The end result of this anniversary celebration was mixed to, say the least. While there are many elements of the film that work well, it all feels a little empty. There just isn’t enough meat to the story, or for Michael to slash through, for that matter. The plot is basic, the body count low, and the setting a bit bland. That being said, it’s still a well made little film, just not something worthy of shipping off a horror icon. Which might explain the subsequent sequel and remakes that essentially buried the series.

Hellraiser

Hellraiser: Bloodline

Like all the greats, Pinhead took his shot at bowing out with Hellraiser: Bloodline, a film that’s something of a rarity in that, for all the installments that followed, this one still stands as the ending. That’s entirely thanks to its future-flung setting which set the stage for other horror icons like Leprechaun and Jason to have their own cosmic adventures.

Still, how does Bloodline work as a final chapter? Not so great, actually. Barely mentioning events of past films, the story sets out to tell the history of the puzzle box, along with modern events based within the office building from the end of the third film, and a final confrontation in the year 2127. As if that’s not enough heavy lifting for one movie, the filmmakers saw fit to introduce a demonic rival for Pinhead in the form of Angelique. With all that activity, you’d think the movie is a jumbled mess; and yes, it is.

Fact is, Bloodline was such a messy production it earned the label of being directed by Alan Smithee, a name used by directors to disown a project. That being said, I’ve known a few fans who still view this as a successful entry in the series, more so when compared to later sequels that merely use the franchise title and characters for a quick cash grab.

Godzilla Destroyah

Godzilla: Terror of Mechagodzilla, Godzilla vs Destroyah, Final Wars

No other horror franchise has wrapped up as many times as Godzilla. In a way, that’s rather fitting as the great green goliath has starred in over thirty movies with multiple continuities. The end of the original Showa era series, Terror of Mechagodzilla, wasn’t actually made with the intention of finishing the series. It simply continued a trend of declining ticket sales which prompted Toho to scrap production of the series for a number of years. As luck would have it, this wasn’t all that bad an entry to sign off with. A bit standard issue in its design and storytelling, but a decent overall showcase of what the series had offered moviegoers over the years.

After a decade’s rest, the big guy returned for the new Hesei series which lasted until 1995’s Godzilla vs Destroyah. This time there really was a plan in place to make this a proper ending, so the creators wisely reached back to the original film for inspiration with a monster spawned from the oxygen destroyer that killed Godzilla all those years ago.

More than anything, Godzilla vs Destroyah is a spectacle all the way through. Many of the sub-plots running through this second series had more or less been taken care of during previous installments, leaving plenty of room for monsters to terrorize and crush everything in sight. While a little lacking in depth or emotion, the final shot sends the franchise out on a high note.

After the travesty of Roland Emmerich’s 1998 remake, Toho brought Godzilla back for the Millennium series, which ran until 2004 with Godzilla Final Wars. This is a bit more of a controversial ending, as many viewers found it lacking in classic monster action. Instead there’s a rather hefty amount of super human vs alien action, interlaced alongside giant monster smack downs. It’s a fairly large shift in style for the series, but a welcome one after countless films featuring human strategy meetings.

Though the title monster takes his sweet time in finally joining the action, once he does we’re treated to some of his finest action ever. He even gets revenge on his ugly CG American counterpart, with satisfying ease. Spending the last act of the film cleaving through his enemies, Godzilla truly proved to be king of the monsters.

Saw 3d

Saw 3-D

There was a time when there was no bigger name in horror than Saw. The gory, endlessly complicated saga of a civic engineer with the philosophy of changing lives through torture, Saw III had already served as something of a soft ending for the series in case the producers chose not to continue. But continue, they did; to the point of ridiculousness.

In 2010, it was time to call it quits with one last round of Jigsaw’s game in the form of Saw 3-D aka Saw: The Final Chapter. With far too much plot built up, and nowhere near enough survivors from past films, the writers were left with something of an unbalanced load to work with. In an effort to link everything together, they did bring back a major character from the first film, finally resolving said character’s somewhat ambiguous fate.

More so than most of the films I’ve mentioned, the final few minutes of this were vital. After all, the entire series prided itself on twist endings, some of which were genuinely clever and unexpected. Sadly, this one can be figured out pretty easily, which meant the final reveal was something of a let-down for longtime fans.

Like many of the other films I’ve highlighted, there were still a few doors left open for further sequels. Lo and behold, that’s exactly what we’ll be seeing later this year.

Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension

While Saw may have been weighted down by its own mythology, its primary competition made the mistake of ignoring the past with Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension. Failing to utilize surviving characters and lingering plot threads, this one opted for a new cast and the gimmick of a ghost vision camera.

The Ghost Dimension feels more like an attempt at retooling the franchise rather than a proper conclusion. All of the tricks the series had created up to that point were in use, yet it didn’t come together as a cohesive whole. Series mainstay Katie is only seen as a child, and even the witches mostly stay to the shadows.

More than anything, this feels like a return to the earlier films, but not for the right reasons. Part 4, for all its detractors, injected a fun and youthful spirit to the franchise which, along with the scope, was expanded during The Marked Ones. In The Ghost Dimension, it’s right back to spoiled white people in a house.

In the end, there was an explanation for the events of the series, albeit one that inspires more shrugs than exclamations. Even the scares aren’t quite up to the quality of past installments. It just didn’t work as a grand finale. This writer is of the rare opinion that the original Paranormal Activity is the worst of the series, but The Ghost Dimension certainly tried to battle it out for that honor.

Alien 3

As far as controversial endings are concerned, few have quite the prominence of Alien 3. The product of a troubled production with many competing opinions constantly reshaping the product caused the final film to split audiences.

The Alien franchise had already established a model of shifting genre influences with each installment. Having already covered traditional horror and then action, this one veered towards drama. Right out of the gate, this new attitude was put on display with the much criticized opening that completely undid the relatively hopeful ending of the previous film.

Unlike many of the other films on this list, Alien 3 actually has a greatly expanded alternate cut that reinserts many important scenes while sadly hindering other elements of the film. While there may never be a completely ideal version of the film, each cut has plenty of good to offer. The score by Elliot Goldenthal is outstanding, Sigourney Weaver is great as always, and she’s backed up by an excellent supporting cast.

As with so many of the series mentioned so far, the Alien franchise, for better or worse, continues to this day. For a brief time, however, this was how it all ended, and honestly, it worked. It may not have been happy or glamorous, but it was a finale that stayed true to the spirit of the series and wrapped everything up with some dignity.

There’s even more final chapters out there with an even greater range of quality. What are your most loved and hated series endings? Are you the odd sort that cherishes Scream 3? More likely you’re one of the many who shook their heads in disdain during The Final Destination. Was the last Resident Evil a proper send-off? Let us know in the comments.

The post The Final Chapter: Horror Series Finales Through the Years appeared first on Dread Central.


Promo and a Few Teasers of What’s in Store for Teen Wolf’s Final 10 Episodes

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If you watched last night’s mid-season finale of “Teen Wolf,” you no doubt noticed that it felt a lot like a series finale might; and according to series creator/exec producer Jeff Davis, that was the plan all along…

In a conversation with TVLine, Davis explained, “We definitely wanted to close the book on the high school chapter of their lives.” The 10-episode Season 6B, which kicks off this summer, will jump ahead “a few months” and explore what it means to be an outsider.

“It’s something new, but also old,” he said. “Scott and his supernatural friends become pariahs once again. They’re feared and hunted. It’s very much a season of fear. Our inspiration was H.P. Lovecraft, so you’re going to be seeing a lot of dark horror in the next season. We have some really disgusting stuff coming up.”

As for our new favorite couple, Melissa and Argent, Davis teased, “Things are going to get ever more awkward [between them]. We love awkward romances, inspired by my own life.”

Below you’ll find the tiny Season 6B teaser MTV showed following last night’s ep.  Why was nothing else hinted at during the mid-season finale?  Davis explained, “I didn’t want to have a tag at the end… You get a little tired of cliffhangers. They start to seem a bit perfunctory, like too much salesmanship.” Amen!

However, that said, he did confirm, “We’re going to have some appearances in the final season of people you haven’t seen in a long time.” Included in that group will be Scott’s father, Agent McCall, who re-enters the picture out of “necessity. You’ll see the city of Beacon Hills thrown into a bit of a chaotic state, so he comes back as an FBI agent first and a dad second.”

In addition, the show will continue to explore Malia and Peter’s complicated relationship (i.e., “Can he ever truly redeem himself, or is he always going to go back to being a bad guy?”) as well as Mason’s new position in the pack. “Mason is the smartest kid in the group, probably on par with Lydia.” Davis promised, “You’ll see a lot more of him in 6B.”

As soon as MTV announces the series’ return date, we’ll let you know!

teenwolf-s6banner

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Celebrate George Romero’s Birthday This Weekend with a Night of the Living Dead Marathon

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Zombie movie lovers can pay tribute to the master of the genre, George A. Romero, this Saturday when Syfy’s official Facebook page plays host to a Facebook Live marathon of his 1968 seminal horror classic Night of the Living Dead.

Honoring Romero’s birthday, the film will play continuously for 12 hours at Facebook.com/Syfy starting at 11:30 AM ET on February 4th. In addition to the Facebook Live marathon, fans can watch a late-night viewing on air on Syfy beginning at 11:42 PM ET.

Fans can also join in on the undead social media conversation with the hashtag #LivingDeadMarathon.

In Night of the Living Dead, the recently deceased rise from the grave and seek the living to use as food. Several people barricade themselves inside a rural house in an attempt to survive the night and discover that these hordes of relentless, shambling zombies can only be killed by a blow to the head. Originally released as an independent horror film, Night of the Living Dead has become a cult classic, redefining the term “zombie” and spawning numerous sequels and imitators.

The post Celebrate George Romero’s Birthday This Weekend with a Night of the Living Dead Marathon appeared first on Dread Central.

TONIGHT! #Brainwaves Episode 31- Adam Green

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You want fun? You’re gonna get fun! For our 31st episode of Brainwaves Horror and Paranormal Talk Radio, we’ll be sitting down with Adam Green, director of Hatchet, Frozen, Digging Up the Marrow, “Holliston” and much more! Maybe we’ll even get Arwen to bark a few tidbits!

Tune in AT OUR NEW TIME TONIGHT8:00PM PT, 10:00CT, 11:00PM ET! That’s an hour earlier so more of you will be able to listen and we open ourselves up to a greater risk of a lawsuit! WIN! WIN!

It’s radio without a safety net, kids. It’s Brainwaves: Horror and Paranormal Talk Radio.

PLEASE SUPPORT BRAINWAVES: HORROR AND PARANORMAL TALK RADIO ON PATREON!

Adam Green Brainwaves

Listen to Stitcher

Brainwaves: Horror and Paranormal Talk Radio is available to subscribe to on iTunes. Not an iTunes user?  You can also listen right here on the site.

Spooky, funny, touching, honest, offensive, and at times completely random, Brainwaves airs live every Wednesday evening beginning at 8:00 PM Pacific Time (11:00 midnight Eastern Time) and runs about 3 hours per episode.

Knetter and Creepy will be taking your calls LIVE and unscreened via Skype, so let your freak flags fly! Feel free to add BrainWavesTalk to your Skype account so you can reach us, or call in from a landline or cellphone – 858 480 7789. The duo also take questions via Twitter; you can reach us at @BrainwavesRadio or @UncleCreepy and @JoeKnetter using the hashtag #BrainWaves.

Have a ghost story or a paranormal story but can’t call in? Feel free to email it to me directly at UncleCreepy@dreadcentral.com with “Brainwaves Story” in your subject line. You can now become a fan of the show via the official… BRAINWAVES FACEBOOK PAGE!

Brainwaves: Horror and Paranormal Talk Radio is hosted live (with shows to be archived as they progress) right here on Dread Central. You can tune in and listen via the FREE TuneIn Radio app or listen to TuneIn right through the website!

For more information and to listen live independent of TuneIn, visit the Deep Talk Radio Network website, “like” Deep Talk Radio on Facebook, and follow Deep Talk Radio on Twitter. And don’t forget to subscribe to Brainwaves on iTunes.

Brainwaves Contact!

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IMAX Kong: Skull Island Poster Promises an Apocalypse Now

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Apocalypse NowThere’s a fine line between imitation and homage, and this latest Kong: Skull Island IMAX poster rides it with laser-like precision. If you’re a fan of Apocalypse Now, this latest sliver of artwork should be more than just a little familiar.

All hail the true King… Kong!

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, 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 directs the film from a screenplay by Max Borenstein, John Gatins, Dan Gilroy, and Derek Connolly. To fully immerse audiences in the mysterious Skull Island, the director, cast, and 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 scientists, soldiers, and adventurers unite to explore a mythical, uncharted island in the Pacific, as dangerous as it is beautiful. Cut off from everything they know, the team ventures into the domain of the mighty Kong, igniting the ultimate battle between man and nature. As their mission of discovery becomes one of survival, they must fight to escape a primal Eden in which humanity does not belong.

Kong: Skull Island

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Robert Englund Has Nightmares in the Makeup Chair

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Remember a few years back when Robert Englund appeared in full Freddy makeup at Chicago’s Flashback Weekend? Well, now you can relive it with the new documentary Nightmares in the Makeup Chair!

Written and directed by Mike Kerz, Nightmares in the Makeup Chair stars Robert Englund, Robert Kurtzman, and Rich Koz. The doc is aiming for a Halloween 2017 release. Check out the trailer below.

From the Press Release:
Robert Englund is back in the Freddy Krueger makeup in the new documentary NIGHTMARES IN THE MAKEUP CHAIR. Fans will enter the makeup room and see the entire process as special makeup effects artist Robert Kurtzman transforms Robert Englund into Freddy Krueger once again!

Robert Englund takes fans on an exciting, funny, and emotional journey through his years as Freddy Krueger with stories and anecdotes, all while paying tribute to the legacy of Wes Craven. Join Robert Englund as he meets fans as Freddy, while he is interviewed in full Freddy makeup by horror host Svengoolie (Rich Koz), and as he shares his memories and insights on Freddy Krueger and the Nightmare on Elm Street series.

Robert Englund says, “NIGHTMARES IN THE MAKEUP CHAIR is my love letter to the Nightmare on Elm Street series and to practical makeup. I’ve always been in awe of the multi-talented makeup effects artists. From sketching to sculpting, they realize the design. Then to the fine precision of the molding and the manufacturing of the makeup appliances which are nearly paper thin. And then, the application process where I sit in the makeup chair and I become their living canvas as they glue me in and paint the appliances. This documentary not only captures their talent, but I think it might inspire a new generation of practical effects artists. I was happy to become Freddy once again to share the makeup process with the fans.”

Fans will join Robert Kurtzman in his studio as he shares his makeup secrets while creating the final version of Robert Englund’s Freddy Krueger makeup. Kurtzman says, “Robert Englund’s Freddy Krueger is one of the greatest horror characters of all time, and it was exciting for me to create my own version of Freddy.”  He continues, “I always look forward to working with Robert Englund. He’s a captivating storyteller who tells these entertaining stories in the makeup room. And during this film he tells these great stories about the Nightmare films and playing Freddy while I’m applying the Krueger makeup.”

NIGHTMARES IN THE MAKEUP CHAIR director Mike Kerz gives some background on the film, “I was inspired by the vintage photos of the legendary artist Jack Pierce applying the Frankenstein makeup to Boris Karloff. Sadly, those sessions were never documented on film. That is why we created our documentary – fans will see two modern horror legends at work. Robert Englund is fascinating as he shares insightful stories about the Elm Street films and Freddy with the audience. And it is amazing to watch Robert Kurtzman apply the various stages of makeup to transform Robert Englund into Freddy Krueger.”

For the very first time, the complete Freddy Krueger makeup process is documented using multiple high-definition cameras which capture every detail of the application process. Director of photography Nick Meriage says, “The makeup itself is a true work of art, and the detail of the makeup appliances is stunning in high-def.”

NIGHTMARES IN THE MAKEUP CHAIR will premiere at a TBD film festival in 2017. Distribution is pending. NIGHTMARES producer Mia Kerz promises that the release of the film will include theatrical roadshow engagements and a coffee table book detailing every step of the Robert Englund/Robert Kurtzman Freddy Krueger makeup process.

Nightmares in the Makeup Chair

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Huge Rings Image Gallery Arrives in Advance of Film’s Debut

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We’re just a few days away from the arrival of Rings, and to make sure you’re ready for the events to come, Paramount has sent over an unholy amount of images from the film.  Get comfortable, and dig in!

Matilda Lutz, Alex Roe, Johnny Galecki, Aimee Teegarden, Bonnie Morgan, and Vincent D’Onofrio star. The film is directed by F. Javier Gutierrez.

First you watch it. Then you die. Rings arrives on February 3rd.

Synopsis:
A new chapter in the beloved RING horror franchise. A young woman becomes worried about her boyfriend when he explores a dark subculture surrounding a mysterious videotape said to kill the watcher seven days after he has viewed it. She sacrifices herself to save her boyfriend and in doing so makes a horrifying discovery: There is a “movie within the movie” that no one has ever seen before…

The post Huge Rings Image Gallery Arrives in Advance of Film’s Debut appeared first on Dread Central.

Shudder and Project Greenlight Join Forces for Horror Filmmaking Contest

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If you’re an indie filmmaker, this is one story you don’t want to miss… Project Greenlight Digital Studios and AMC Networks’ Shudder are launching a horror filmmaking contest in which the winner will take home a $300K prize along with being mentored by the one and only Clive Barker!

The contest kicks off on February 13th, and the full details follow.

From the Press Release:
Project Greenlight Digital Studios (PGLDS), a digital content initiative from Adaptive Studios, and Shudder, the AMC Networks-backed horror and thriller streaming video service, announced today they are joining forces to launch a video contest to support indie horror films. The two companies have also partnered with filmmaker Clive Barker (Hellraiser, Nightbreed, Lord of Illusions), who is known for his directing, writing, and producing credits in the horror genre.

The contest will solicit pitches for original horror films, and the winner will receive $300,000 to make his or her feature film as well as mentorship from Barker throughout production.

From February 13th to March 17th, filmmakers can submit one- to three-minute pitches for original horror film concepts on projectgreenlight.com. Ten semi-finalists will be selected and voted on by the public. The audience winner automatically moves on to the next round, where five finalists will each receive funding to direct a short scene representative of their abilities. In June, those finalists will also be granted a spot in the second annual Shudder Labs, Shudder’s creative retreat for developing genre filmmakers, using the experience to enhance their submission.

Shorts will be judged on originality, story, character, editing, directing, and commercial value. The final stage of the contest will consist of an interview with Barker and representatives from PGLDS and Shudder, where the five finalists will answer questions regarding crew, casting, creative execution, and more.

One director or directing team will be selected to bring their film to life with a $300,000 budget. Barker will help shepherd the film through the development process as a mentor to the winning filmmaker.

Barker said of the partnership: “When I was looking for financing while making Hellraiser, I wish there was a company like Project Greenlight Digital Studios behind me. Teaming up with Adaptive Studios and Shudder is a wonderful opportunity to support emerging filmmakers in creating something truly iconic. This is a great chance to scare and entertain audiences at the same time.”

“Project Greenlight Digital Studios was created to be a story-driven creative community, and we believe our video contests continue to provide great opportunities for emerging filmmakers. We’re thrilled to expand this contest platform and focus on a specific genre in the film world,” said Brittany Turner, VP of Digital at Adaptive Studios.

Linda Pan, General Manager of Shudder, added: “At Shudder our mission is to showcase and support innovative forms of storytelling in horror and suspense. We are delighted to launch our second annual Shudder Labs program in collaboration with Project Greenlight Digital Studios and Clive Barker to support and foster a new generation of creative voices in the horror genre.”

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Official Season 5 Trailer Checks In for Bates Motel

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Yesterday we got our first look at Rihanna as Marion Crane in the upcoming fifth and final season of A&E’s “Bates Motel,” and now today we have the show’s new official trailer to share!

About “Bates Motel” Season 5:
The haunting fifth and final season of the critically acclaimed drama “Bates Motel,” from writers and executive producers Kerry Ehrin (“Friday Night Lights,” “Parenthood”) and Carlton Cuse (“Lost, “The Strain”), will premiere on Monday, February 20, at 10PM ET/PT on A&E. Fan favorite and Emmy-nominated actress Vera Farmiga returns for double duty as executive producer while also reprising her role as “Mother,” who is very much alive and well, but only in the twisted, complicated mind of “Norman Bates,” played by Freddie Highmore. In addition, eight-time Grammy Award winner and series super fan Rihanna checks in to play the role of “Marion Crane,” putting a newly reimagined and contemporary spin on the iconic character.

This contemporary prequel to the genre-defining film Psycho has provided fans with an intimate look into the unraveling of Norman Bates’ psyche throughout his teenage years. Fans watched as Norman’s dangerous transformation came full circle when he methodically murdered his beloved mother, Norma, in the final gut-wrenching episodes of Season Four.

Season Five of “Bates Motel” picks up almost two years later and finds Norman (Freddie Highmore), a grown man now, living a double life. Publicly he’s a happy and well-adjusted member of the White Pine Bay community, but at home Norman struggles; his violent blackouts continue to increase as Mother (Vera Farmiga) threatens to take over his mind completely. Meanwhile, Dylan Massett (Max Thierot) and Emma Decody (Olivia Cooke), since leaving White Pine Bay, have been living their lives blissfully unaware of Norma’s death and Norman’s full on descent into psychosis. Unfortunately for them, they will soon find themselves drawn back into Norman’s insanity, while a vengeful Alex Romero (Nestor Carbonell), who is currently incarcerated for perjury, hungers for a chance to destroy his stepson and avenge the murder of his one true love, Norma Bates.

New faces find their way to the Bates Motel this season to further complicate Norman’s life and threaten to unearth his dark secrets. Viewers will finally meet the iconic Marion Crane, played by Rihanna. In addition, a new couple in town, Madeleine Loomis, played by Isabelle McNally (“House of Cards”), and her husband, Sam Loomis, played by Austin Nichols (“The Walking Dead,” “Ray Donovan”), as well as Sheriff Dana Greene, played by Brooke Smith (“Grey’s Anatomy,” “Ray Donovan”), become entangled in Norman’s life, causing a chain of events that could blow the lid off his secret life. Lastly, fans will be greeted by familiar faces when Caleb Calhoun (Kenny Johnson) and Chick Hogan (Ryan Hurst) return with agendas of their own.

“Bates Motel” is produced by Universal Television for A&E Network. Kerry Ehrin and Carlton Cuse serve as executive producers for Cuse Productions and Kerry Ehrin Productions. Tucker Gates, Vera Farmiga, and Tom Szentgyorgyi also serve as executive producers on the series.

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New Colossal Slider Dances With Monsters

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A neat slider ad has arrived for Nacho Vigalondo’s monster movie Colossal (review) and it let’s you manipulate Anne Hathaway in the coolest of ways!

Look for it via Tom Quinn and Tim League’s distribution company Neon on April 7, 2017.

Anne Hathaway, Jason Sudeikis, Dan Stevens, Tim Blake Nelson, Nathan Ellison, and Austin Stowell star.

Synopsis:
Gloria (Hathaway) is an ordinary woman who, after losing her job and being kicked out of her apartment by her boyfriend, is forced to leave her life in New York and move back to her hometown. When news reports surface that a giant creature is destroying Seoul, South Korea, Gloria gradually comes to the realization that she is somehow connected to this far-off phenomenon. As events begin to spin out of control, Gloria must determine why her seemingly insignificant existence has such a colossal effect on the fate of the world.

 Colossal

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EFM 2017 – The Heretics Brings a Cult to Berlin

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The European Film Market is upon us, and right now we have your first look at the newest film from Chad Archibald and Cody Calahan of Black Fawn Films (Bite), entitled The Heretics. Dig it!

From the Press Release:
Award-winning horror film producers and directors Chad Archibald and Cody Calahan of Black Fawn Films have renewed their commitment with one of the leading Canadian production and distribution studios: Breakthrough Entertainment.

Cody Calahan and Chad Archibald

The deal comes after co-producing eight successful horror genre feature films that have garnered numerous accolades at film festivals internationally as well as theatrical releases in the U.S. The extension of the partnership will feature a commitment to increased budgets and a more aggressive casting strategy. These new films will build on the unique and elevated concepts with which Black Fawn has built its reputation.

“Chad and Cody have managed to stand out in a very competitive market. We believe that they will continue to see exponential growth in their audiences and that the quality of their stories will be attractive to notable cast. With these next two pictures, Breakthrough will further propel Black Fawn’s impact with fans and open up additional international distribution options,” said Nat Abraham, President of Distribution and Partner at Breakthrough Entertainment.

Coming on the heels of the eight-picture deal that was shaped in June of 2014, Canada’s horror darlings Chad and Cody, the creative duo behind Black Fawn Films, will continue to partner with Breakthrough, which has served as an incubator for the independent horror filmmakers. Titles that have been co-produced include Antisocial (1 & 2), The Drownsman, The Sublet, Bed of the Dead, Let Her Out, and Bite, which was theatrically released in the U.S. Since the inception of the multi-picture deal, Black Fawn Films has become an integral player in the horror genre on a global scale.

The Heretics

Chad Archibald, writer/director/producer at Black Fawn Films, says; “Black Fawn Films have been building something special with Breakthrough Entertainment over the past eight films. Their faith in us moving forward will strengthen the relationship between our two companies. We couldn’t be more excited about taking these new projects to the next level and create some truly unique films for genre fans.”

The Heretics, Black Fawn’s eighth film in the series of productions with Breakthrough, will have an early introduction to buyers with a market screening during the 2017 European Film Market (EFM) on February 14th in Berlin, prior to the film’s international festival run. Black Fawn’s next film, I’ll Take Your Dead, currently in casting phase, will mark the beginning of Black Fawn’s next steps with Breakthrough, following the market screening of The Heretics.

The Heretics features a young girl who is abducted by a man after he claims that a cult is hunting her. His goal is to protect her until sunrise, but while restrained the young girl falls deathly ill. While her friends and family search for her, the source of her illness becomes more and more apparent. She’s not sick… she’s changing.

The Heretics

The post EFM 2017 – The Heretics Brings a Cult to Berlin appeared first on Dread Central.

Prequel Comic Spectral: Ghosts of War Available Now!

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Back in December Netflix released the sci-fi/horror film Spectral, and if you haven’t watched it yet, you should remedy that immediately.  But first you might want to check out the new prequel comic, Spectral: Ghosts of War, which is available now as a Comixology digital exclusive from Legendary Comics.

Written by Seamus Kevin Fahey (Battlestar Galactica, Lethal Weapon) and Sean Fahey (Black Jack Press) with stunning painted artwork by Zid (Son of Merlin, Kong: Skull Island), Spectral: Ghosts of War is a poignant tale of courage in the face of the unknown set against a spectacular backdrop of paranormal military warfare.

Synopsis:
Delving deeper into the supernatural mysteries of the sci-fi action movie Spectral, this official prequel graphic novel tells a new story of survival in the face of a weaponized force of phantoms known as “spectrals.”

When a war-torn city is overrun by a terrifying army of ghosts, a group of school friends set out on a dangerous journey to uncover the truth behind their nightmares. Meanwhile, an advanced assault unit of near-future soldiers skirts the city’s shadows on a search and rescue mission, finding themselves thrown into explosive conflict with an impossible enemy that can only be seen with specialized goggles that enable the wearer to look death in the eye.

Are these attackers the ghosts the children seek? Or something much more sinister?

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Los Angeles Scream Queens Unite for a Good Cause in Patricia Chica’s Las Cholas

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It’s that special time of the year again… Women in Horror Month! Given that we love our scream queens so much we have a special look at one of the shorts being curated for the Soska Sisters’ Blood Drive. Check out your first look at Las Cholas.

From the Press Release:
Michelle Romano’s Roman Media Inc. join forces with award-winning director Patricia Chica in the production of a segment for the Annual Massive Blood Drive PSA, curated by the Soska Sisters.

Every year internationally renowned identical twin filmmakers, the Soska Sisters (American Mary, Hellevator), invite you to bleed for an incredibly good cause: Women in Horror’s PSA for a Massive Blood Drive. Donating blood is something that many people find off-putting and terrifying. By using humor, innovation, and provocative imagery, this PSA will encourage viewers to face their fears and help out those in need of blood. The PSA premieres this February 1st 2017 on YouTube in honor of Women in Horror Recognition Month (#WiHM8).

For the fourth year in a row, the Soska Sisters have invited award-winning Canadian filmmaker Patricia Chica to present her vampire driven segment Las Cholas to be included in this year’s music video. The final edit includes different parts directed by various innovative, unique, and irreverent horror directors across the globe.
The musical track entitled “BLOOD” was created by Kevvy (Kevin James Maher) of FAKE SHARK. The collective is edited again by the talented Paolo Kalalo.

The concept of Las Cholas is to showcase Los Angeles’ most unique Scream Queens: Tiffany Shepis, Tonya Kay, Devanny Pinn, and veteran actress Eileen Dietz (The Exorcist). Philip Friedman (Insidious), Michelle Romano (producer), Ivan Sharudo (actor) and Patricia Chica (director) also have a cameo in the short.

“I appear in the video as a Chola, not because I want to be on camera, but because I needed to be inside the convertible car with the actresses, so I could direct them and give instructions to the cinematographer Rachel Dunn. I also did camera B myself while the car was moving on the road. That’s why I dressed up like a Chola, to look like I belonged in there”, explains director Patricia Chica.

The full-length version of the story will be released later this year.

Las Cholas is an American-Canadian co-production that was written-directed by award-winning filmmaker Patricia Chica, produced by Michelle Romano of Roman Media and Patricia Chica, executive produced by Morris Umali. Associate producer: Kimberly Shawn Geir. Cinematography by Rachel Dunn. Assistant-Director: Jonathan Weichsel. Blood effects by Ivan Sharudo. Makeup by Amira Aranda, Oksana Voiko, Kimberly Shawn Geier, Cheyenne Garvert, and April Rudy. Hair by Princess Santiago and Kimberly Shawn Geier. Props by Miranda Austin. Blood Effects: Ivan Sharudo. Sound recording by Camille Fadl. Editing by Patricia Chica. Starring Tiffany Shepis, Tonya Kay, Eileen Dietz, Philip Friedman, Devanny Pinn, Ivan Sharudo, Michelle Romano, and a cameo by director Patricia Chica.

Synopsis:
A group of Cholas deliver a very special substance to a thirsty vegan vampire couple, in the depths of Los Angeles’ underground scene.

Las Cholas Las Cholas Las Cholas Las Cholas Las Cholas Las Cholas Las Cholas Las Cholas Las Cholas Las Cholas Las Cholas

Las Cholas

Women in Horror Month

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Women in Horror Month: The Soska Sisters Out for Blood!

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Around here we love the Soska sisters, Jen and Sylvia. Not just because they’re generally two of the most kick-ass folks you’re ever likely to meet, but because they always have their hearts in a great place for a good cause. This year is no different!

From the Press Release:
Women In Horror Recognition month is upon us once more and with it comes our WiH Massive Blood Drive. It’s a world wide, no limits event where our cause is simple. We want YOU to BLEED for us. All month long we encourage people to give back in the most selfless of ways that honor the fearless heroines and heroes from horror. By being brave and bleeding. Heck, it’s just a little prick and most likely not the biggest one we’ll even have to deal with in the day!

And we need blood donors! On a massive scale. Every two seconds someone needs blood. Just think about all the blood that people have needed JUST while you were reading this! Sadly very few people donate and we’re on a mission to change that by bringing attention to the cause.

Every year we do a little something different and pick unique themes while inviting a multitude of filmmakers from across the globe to participate. The only requirement to be invited is you must be a feminist. We’ve in the years expanded to invite male filmmakers along side the ladies. This year our PSA is a music video.

The song is called BLOOD by Kevvy (Kevin James Maher) of FAKE SHARK. The collective is edited again by the talented Paolo Kalalo.

This year our collective includes a killer combination of top talent including WiH Massive Blood Drive veterans and fresh bloods: Aleah Anseth (Being Little Miss Risk), Tamae Garateguy (All Night Long, She Wolf), Maude Michaud (60 Seconds 2 Die, Dys-), Jill Sixx Gevargizian (The Stylist), Damon Rickard (Dissociative, Rats), Patricia Chica (Ceramic Tango, Montreal Girls), Hannah Neurotica (WiH Month Founder and Creator), Russ Foxx, Brent Ray Fraser, and Aramis Sartorio (The Gruesome Death of Tommy Pistol).

You may recognize Russ Foxx from American Mary who was our body mod consultant. In this video, yes, that blood IS real.

You may also recognize that this video is awesome and you should donate blood.

Which is true. It IS awesome and you SHOULD donate.

I’d say viewer discretion is advised, but that’s just not me. Drink it up and enjoy! And get out there and bleed for a truly heroic cause. After all, it’s in you to give.

But don’t listen to me. Listen to a flashy music video with graphic imagery, sexual content, and Dean Cain.

Look for MORE coming your way on Valentine’s Day! MANY of our aforementioned directors have FULL versions of each of their videos. Look for them February 14th!

Women in Horror Month

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Area 23a Will Dig Two Graves

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Heading to VOD and theaters on March 24th is the latest supernatural thriller to come our way, entitled Dig Two Graves, and we have your first look and details.

From the Press Release:
Area 23a announced today they have acquired the Gothic thriller DIG TWO GRAVES and will release the film in theaters and on demand on March 24, 2017. Written and directed by Hunter Adams (The Hungry Bull), DIG TWO GRAVES stars Ted Levine (Shutter Island, Silence of the Lambs), Samantha Isler (Captain Fantastic, TV’s “Supernatural”), Danny Goldring (The Dark Knight, The Fugitive), Troy Ruptash (TV’s “General Hospital,” “Prison Break”), and Rachael Drummond (TV’s “Fresh off the Boat,” “2 Broke Girls”).

The deal was negotiated between Kirt Eftekhar of Area 23a and Patrick Alach of Longo & Alach, LLP, on behalf of the filmmakers.

“After a long, strange trip making Dig Two Graves, I am excited to be screening the film in theaters across the country and hoping this will convince the investors to reconsider their plans for a third grave with my name on it,” writer and director Hunter Adams shared following the news.

Kirt Eftekhar, co-founder of Area 23a, shared similar sentiments, stating “We are thrilled to be working with Hunter on this intense supernatural thriller and introducing his unique storytelling abilities to a mainstream audience. We look forward to continue our relationship with Hunter on future projects.”

A supernatural thriller about the generational violence that plagues a small, backwoods town set in the 1970s, DIG TWO GRAVES asks: “How far would you go to save those you love?”

After 13-year-old Jacqueline Mather (Samantha Isler) loses her brother in a mysterious drowning accident, she is soon visited by three moonshiners who offer to bring her brother back to life but at a grim cost. As the dark history of her grandfather, Sheriff Waterhouse (Ted Levine), is unearthed, the true intentions of the moonshiners come to light.

Dig Two graves

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Evil Gets Revenge in Journey to the West: The Demons Strike Back

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Opening this Friday, February 3rd, just under the radar is Journey to the West: The Demons Strike Back, the sequel to Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons; and we have a trailer and more for you who like your fantasy horror with a Far Eastern flair!

Tsui Hark directs the film, which stars Bei-Er Bao, Mengke Bateer, Sihan Cheng, and Kenny Lin.

Synopsis:
A monk and his disciples travel to the West to exorcise demonic possessions but first need to understand their own personal anxieties. Now tamed by Tang Sanzang, Monkey King has become one of Tang’s disciples. Tang, Monkey King, Sandy, and Pigsy band together to fight demons as they continue their journey.

Journey to the West: The Demons Strike Back

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Slayaway Camp (Video Game)

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Slayaway CampDeveloped and Published by Blue Wizard Digital

Available on PC through Steam

Rated M for Mature


It takes a lot to get a good homage right. Horror icons hold a special place in fans hearts, and cashing in on that is just so easy. For every great passion project like Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon are dozens (possibly even hundreds) of shitty clones and ripoffs. This has grown even worse with time, where the conflux of nostalgia and cash in has led to an endless supply of dollar-bin trash. There’s an entire industry of films like Atlantic Rim and Transmorphers that exist solely to try to confuse you with slightly altered titles. Next time you’re browsing for new movies to watch, just search the world “Paranormal” and marvel.

For video games, the problem is not generally one of cynical market exploitation, but of quality. For the most part, people who are making classic horror inspired video games are people that genuinely love classic horror. But love does not equal talent. I distinctly remember playing a number of room escape style games in the early 2000’s modeled after Nightmare on Elm Street, Friday the 13th, Halloween, etc. Even at the time, they were barely enough to entertain a pre-teen who thought jumpscares were super edgy. I’m still nostalgic for these copyright infringing wild days of unfettered Flash animation (thanks Newgrounds.com!), but even I wouldn’t venture to retread these grounds.

“Gosh Ted, real mature. Bashing on fans developing their little game alone with no money or experience. Why don’t you just shit on a toddler for not being able to ski while you’re at it?” I’d feel bad if budget was the issue. Usually, they just get the tone completely wrong. People tend to either go way too edgy or gratingly ironic. I’m not going to go into what too edgy looks like (we all know the corner of Tumblr that lurks in), but the ironic ones just usually aren’t funny.

Slayaway Camp

You’d have to try real hard to make death by blender not funny.

This big ramble is all just to establish a counterpoint to Slayaway Camp. For it is a game that does everything right. I don’t want to just say, “these types of games are generally bad,” without giving you a sense of the scale of that statement. There are so many games that do horror homage wrong, that the mere fact that Slayaway Camp gets it right is noteworthy.

So it shouldn’t surprise you that Slayaway Camp makes its horror homage in the most terrifying way possible: sliding puzzles. Be still, my beating heart! I know, puzzle game doesn’t exactly scream horror. Slayaway Camp isn’t trying to be scary. This is a comedy game, which would normally make it fall under the category of ironic game that struggles to be funny. But instead of punchlines, Slayaway Camp has a brutal murders. Adorably hilarious brutal murders.

Slayaway Camp

Simply delightful.

So if you don’t know what a sliding puzzle is, it’s that part in most classic RPGs that you quit on. Starting at a set position, you pick a cardinal direction and slide that way until you hit an obstacle. From there, you pick another direction and move that way until once again colliding with a thing. It’s simple to understand, but can become insidiously difficult. The four directions of movement limit the process enough that anyone can break it down, with the greatest mind bender being figuring out just where you went wrong. It’s a great type of puzzle for people who don’t crave obscure lateral thinking. No matter how many steps, you can always break it down piece by piece to work towards the solution. If you’re a genius gamelord like me, you’ll enjoy looking 30 moves in the future to beat the puzzle three levels from now.

Slayaway Camp

If all math problems looked like this, I’d have gone to MIT.

Your ultimate goal is to use your puzzle solving skills to slide around and murder teens before ending on a finishing teleport square. There are a number of ways to kill teens, including causing them to run into landmines and into water. For the most part, you’ll be doing the killings up close and personal. Slide into a victim, and you’ll be treated to a kill animation fit for the playbook of any classic slasher. You unlock more kills with coins, which are earned by playing a timing minigame during the kills. So you kill to unlock more kills. That’s my favorite way to earn things!

As to what’s driving you to murder helpless teens, Slayaway Camp doesn’t really a plot per se. You start off playing as “Skullface,” a masked killer and star of the fictional hit 80’s slasher film “Slayaway Camp.” What it lacks in subtlety it makes up for in gore. You’ll go through a series of levels representing the kills in the film, and then unlock the next film in the franchise. This unlocks a new killer as well, always a similarly obvious reference to a horror icon. This will all be lost on casual gamers, but horror fans will find all of the service delightful.

Slayaway Camp

Yes, they also have an “urban” and “space” version.

What makes Slayaway Camp truly memorable are the stylized kills. For a game with such a cutesy voxel art style, the kills are played entirely straight. There’s something inherently hilarious about a blocky Cyber-Skullface slice a shrieking teen’s head off with a shovel, but there’s enough blood to earn the M rating. Some are better than others, but there’s a big enough variety to tickle almost anyone’s murderbone. Top it off with a special showstopping kill at the end of every zone, and you have enough creative kills to fill an anthology worthy of Jason.

Slayaway Camp

They put little X’s over the eyes so that you know the decapitation killed him.

The only criticism I can think of is that the premise is limited. They do a good job mixing up the puzzles with some extra elements, like bookcases that topple over to murder/create new obstacles and phones that draw victims to them when collided with. There’s a lot they do to spice up the levels, but ultimately there’s only so much you can do with sliding puzzles. I also just sometimes don’t want to think this hard while watching sweet gory homicide. It amounts to some very minor criticism, but is worth mentioning. Bottom line, this might just not be your type of game.

At $9, Slayaway Camp is the perfect price for any horror fan looking for some nostalgic fun. It’s unfortunately only available for PC right now, but a mobile version is in the works. I’d love to see this on the PS4/Xbox One, as this is a great game to settle in with on your couch and puzzle through some wanton slaughter. If you’re down with puzzle games and want an easily consumable good time, check out Slayaway Camp. You can play for a few minutes and laugh, or get locked into the quality puzzles and spend hours conquering the challenge.

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New on Shudder – February 2017

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So, wondering what’s new on the best damned horror streaming service available right now? No worries! We’ve got you covered.

Behold what awaits you this month on Shudder.

February 1

The Blair Witch Project (1999) – ONLY ON SHUDDER
· Director: Daniel Myrick, Eduardo Sánchez
· Cast Includes: Heather Donahue, Michael C. Williams, Joshua Leonard

Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2 (2000) – ONLY ON SHUDDER
· Director: Joe Berlinger
· Cast Includes: Jeffrey Donovan, Stephen Barker Turner, Erica Leerhsen

Cabin Fever (2002) – ONLY ON SHUDDER
· Director: Eli Roth
· Cast Includes: Jordan Ladd, Rider Strong, James DeBello

Cabin Fever: Spring Fever (2009) – ONLY ON SHUDDER
· Director: Ti West
· Cast Includes: Rider Strong, Noah Segan, Alexi Wasser

Three…Extremes (2004)
· Director: Fruit Chan, Takashi Miike
· Cast Includes: Bai Ling, Byung-hun Lee, Kyoko Hasegawa

3 Extremes II (2002) – ONLY ON SHUDDER
· Director: Peter Ho-Sun Chan, Jee-woon Kim, Nonzee Nimibutr
· Cast Includes: Hye-su kim, Bo-seok Jeong, Leon Lai

Deadtime Stories (1986) – ONLY ON SHUDDER
· Director: Jeffrey Delman
· Cast Includes: Scott Valentine, Nicole Picard, Matt Mitler

February 6

The Erotic Rites of Frankenstein (1973) – ONLY ON SHUDDER
· Directors: Jesús Franco
· Cast Includes: Alberto Dalbés, Dennis Price, Howard Vernon

Exorcism (1975) – ONLY ON SHUDDER
· Director: Jesús Franco
· Cast Includes: Lina Romay, Catherine Lafferière, Jesús Franco

The Flesh and Blood Show (1972) – ONLY ON SHUDDER
· Director: Pete Walker
· Cast Includes: Ray Brooks, Jenny Hanley, Luan Peters

The Home (2016) – Short film
· Director: L. Gustavo Cooper
· Cast Includes: Alex Essoe, Audrey Hamilton, Kelly Love

The Room at the Top of the Stairs (2010) – Short film
· Director: Briony Kidd
· Cast Includes: Fiannah de Rue, Lucy Devine, Kate Elphinstone

February 8

Count Dracula (1970) – ONLY ON SHUDDER
· Director: Jesús Franco
· Cast Includes: Christopher Lee, Herbert Lom, Klaus Kinski

Cuadecuic Vampir (1971) – ONLY ON SHUDDER
· Director: Pere Portabella
· Cast Includes: Christopher Lee, Herbert Lom, Soledad Miranda

Fresh Meat (2012)
· Director: Danny Mulheron
· Cast Includes: Temuera Morrison, Nicola Kawana, Hanna Tevita

The Facility (2012)
· Director: Ian Clark
· Cast Includes: Aneurin Barnard, Alex Reid, Chris Larkin

The Interior (2015) – ONLY ON SHUDDER
· Director: Trevor Juras
· Cast Includes: Patrick McFadden, Jake Beczala, Andrew Hayes

February 9

Blind Sun (2015) – A SHUDDER EXCLUSIVE
· Director: Joyce A. Nashawati
· Cast Includes: Ziad Bakri, Mimi Denissi, Louis-Do de Lencquesaing

February 14

Phantasm: Ravager – A SHUDDER EXCLUSIVE
· Director: David Hartman
· Cast Includes: A. Michael Baldwin, Angus Scrimm, Reggie Bannister

The Ghost of Mae Nek (2005) — ONLY ON SHUDDER
· Director: Mark Duffield
· Cast Includes: Pataratida Pacharawirapong, Siwat Chotchaicharin, Porntip Papanai

Killer’s Moon (1978) – ONLY ON SHUDDER
· Director: Alan Birkinshaw
· Cast Includes: Anthony Forrest, Tom Marshall, Georgina Kean

House of Whipcord (1974) – ONLY ON SHUDDER
· Director: Pete Walker
· Cast Includes: Barbara Markham, Patrick Barr, Ray Brooks

She Killed In Ecstasy (1971) – ONLY ON SHUDDER
· Director: Jesús Franco
· Cast Includes: Soledad Miranda, Fred Williams, Paul Muller

Nightmare Castle (1965)
· Director: Mario Caiano
· Cast Includes: Barbara Steele, Paul Muller, Helga Liné

February 16

Matrimony (2007) – ONLY ON SHUDDER
· Director: Hua-Tao Teng
· Cast Includes: Leon Lai, Rene Liu, Bingbing Fan

Murder Obsession (1981) – ONLY ON SHUDDER
· Director: Riccardo Freda
· Cast Includes: Stefano Patrizi, Martine Brochard, Henri Garcin

Night of the Devils (1972) – ONLY ON SHUDDER
· Director: Giorgio Ferroni
· Cast Includes: Gianni Garko, Agostina Belli, Roberto Maldera

Ban the Sadist Videos! (2005) – ONLY ON SHUDDER
· Director: David Gregory
· Cast Includes: Chris Theobald, Norman Abbott, Barrie Gold

Video Nasties: Draconian Days (2014) – ONLY ON SHUDDER
· Director: Jake West
· Cast Includes: Sian Barber, Martin Barker, Graham Bright

Video Nasties: Moral Panic, Censorship & Videotape (2010) – ONLY ON SHUDDER
· Director: Jake West
· Cast Includes: Julian Petley, Marc Morris, Andy Nyman

February 21

Night of the Hunted (1980) – ONLY ON SHUDDER
· Director: Jean Rollin
· Cast Includes: Brigitte Lahaie, Vincent Gardère, Dominique Journet

Evil In the Time of Heroes (2009) – ONLY ON SHUDDER
· Director: Giorgos Nousias
· Cast Includes: Andreas Kontopoulos, Argiris Thanasoulas, Meletis Georgiadis

Nightmares Come at Night (1972) – ONLY ON SHUDDER
· Director: Jesús Franco
· Cast Includes: Diana Lorys, Paul Muller, Jack Taylor

The Nude Vampire (1970) – ONLY ON SHUDDER
· Director: Jean Rollin
· Cast Includes: Caroline Cartier, Olivier Rollin, Maurice Lemaître

388 Arletta Avenue (2011) – ONLY ON SHUDDER
· Director: Randall Cole
· Cast Includes: Nick Stahl, Mia Kirshner, Devon Sawa

Hansel & Gretel Get Baked (2013) – ONLY ON SHUDDER
· Director: Duane Journey
· Cast Includes: Molly C. Quinn, Michael Welch, Lara Flynn Boyle

February 23

We Go On (2016) – A SHUDDER EXCLUSIVE
· Director: Jesse Holland, Andy Mitton
· Cast Includes: Clark Freeman, Annette O’Toole, John Glover

February 24

Forget Everything You Have Ever Seen: The World of Santa Sangre (2011) – ONLY ON SHUDDER
· Director: David Gregory

The Burning Moon (1992) – ONLY ON SHUDDER
· Director: Olaf Ittenbach
· Cast Includes: Beate Neumeyer, Bernd Muggenthaler, Ellen Fischer

Plus One (2013)
· Director: Dennis Iliadis
· Cast Includes: Rhys Wakefield, Logan Miller, Ashley Grace

Dark Touch (2013) – ONLY ON SHUDDER
· Director: Marina de Van
· Cast Includes: Missy Keating, Marcella Plunkett, Pádraic Delaney

The Tortured (2010)
· Director: Robert Lieberman
· Cast Includes: Erika Christensen, Jesse Metcalfe, Bill Lippincott

February 28

The Penalty (1920)
· Director: Wallace Worsley
· Cast Includes: Lon Cheney, Sr., Charles Clary, Doris Pawn, Jim Mason

Play Motel (1979) – ONLY ON SHUDDER
· Director: Mario Gariazzo
· Cast Includes: Ray Lovelock, Anna Maria Rizzoli, Mario Cutini

Pray (2005) – ONLY ON SHUDDER
· Director: Yûichi Satô
· Cast Includes: Tetsuji Tamayama, Asami Mizukawa, Mitsuyoshi Shinoda

Death Bed: The Bed That Eats (1977) – ONLY ON SHUDDER
· Director: George Barry
· Cast Includes: Demene Hall, William Russ, Julie Ritter

For more info visit the official Shudder website, “like” Shudder on Facebook, and follow Shudder on Twitter and Shudder on Instagram.

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Driller Killer, The (Blu-ray/DVD)

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Driller KillerStarring Abel Ferrara, Carolyn Marz, Baybi Day

Directed by Abel Ferrara

Distributed by Arrow Video


There is something to be said about directors who have successfully established themselves within the industry while also managing to remain true auteurs. It takes a real visionary to make films with little regard for commercial viability or mass audience acceptance. Abel Ferrara is one of those directors, known for his raw, uncompromising style that has resulted in the creation of at least a few undeniable cult classics. Bad Lieutenant (1992) and King of New York (1990) are incredible movies. Despite some rough early days (when he shot a porno, for example) his style has been evident right from the get-go, with his first picture, The Driller Killer (1979), filled with flourishes that have become his trademarks – religious iconography, troubled personalities, extreme violence, urban decay. Ferrara cemented his legacy as a notorious force of cinema when The Driller Killer was added to Britain’s infamous “Video Nasties” list of films banned from cinemas and video stores countrywide. It hit that list in 1984 and didn’t receive a fully uncut premiere until 2002.

Arrow Video’s Blu-ray debut for The Driller Killer suggests audiences “forget Taxi Driver, The Warriors, and The New York Ripper”, proclaiming this film as “the definitive look at NYC’s underbelly”. I know, I know… marketing, but I would never even joke about suggesting viewers could – or should – forget those truly seminal films. Ferrara’s power tool massacre movie does an excellent job of capturing NYC’s pretentious art scene as well as a growing noise-rock punk movement, all within the confines of a squalid, claustrophobic urban environment; however, the picture meanders about for too long. What might have been a rote city slasher is more of an expressionistic arthouse movie; a series of bizarre clips strung together by a threadbare plot. It’s respectable that Ferrara tried to do something different but the elements and story just never quite gelled for me.

Reno (Abel Ferrara) is an aspiring artist living with a lesbian couple in a filthy corner of Union Square. The stress of living in squalor is getting to him, as his art makes little money. With a stack of due bills and rent coming up, Reno is forced to visit Dalton (Harry Schultz II), an art dealer who occasionally buys Reno’s work. Claiming to be working on something grand Reno tries to convince Dalton to give him a loan of $500 but is rebuffed, instead being told that he will be paid a price commensurate with his work – when it is finished. This does not help Reno’s situation. A local punk band, the Roosters, takes up residence in an apartment near Reno’s, waking him up at all hours of the night with their noisy, repetitive attempts at songwriting. Mentally deteriorating and stressed out by life’s tolls, Reno finally snaps and begins to “clean up the filth” he finds on the streets, targeting homeless persons in his neighborhood and brutally dispatching them with a big drill.

Reno’s story is not all that compelling and Ferrara is not that good of an actor. What interest The Driller Killer does hold lies in Ferrara’s unmistakable eye for aesthetics and in his ability to perfectly capture multiple facets of NYC life. The art world scene has been seen as an abstract, hoity-toity field full of elitists and bullshitters. Art is nothing if not wholly subjective. Reno’s “masterpiece” he’s working on is actually a cool dynamic piece of a buffalo with lightning and splashes of color, yet when Dalton lays eyes on it he dismisses it as a piece of crap. Likewise, NYC has been known as a breeding ground for rough and raw music, specifically the punk and noise scene of the late ‘70s/early ‘80s. The band featured here – far too heavily, in my opinion – is called the Roosters and their brand is decidedly abrasive and, well, annoying. Some scenes featuring their playing go on for so long it could be cut as a music video. Maybe this is Ferrara’s way of getting us inside Reno’s head, to be as disturbed and frazzled by the music as he is, but the point could have been made with a lot less of their “tunes”.

The film promises people will be killed by a drill, and in that respect it does not disappoint. I had only seen this picture once, nearly 20 years ago, and I forgot just how many hobos meet their demise at the pointy end of a drill bit. Although, wouldn’t Reno need a power supply for his drill? Cordless power tools were invented in 1961 but the model Reno uses looks like it would need a steady current to be able to drill so intensely. Am I thinking about this too much? Moving on… The kills here are done in that old-school, “buckets of blood” kind of way. Sure, you can usually see the latex when someone is getting drilled, and the blood is as candy colored as ever, but, well, I guess for me I just never tire of seeing old-school practical effects work. It’s fun.

Arrow Video’s release contains two cuts of the film – theatrical and a pre-release version containing around five extra minutes of footage. The booklet included with this release details all of the added scenes, complete with time code, but most of what was originally cut is superfluous. Ferrara’s preferred cut is the theatrical version, though he was happy to let Arrow release his initial cut when it was discovered last year. Although we’re only talking about five extra minutes the fact the film already feels overly-long should dissuade all but the most curious fans from giving that cut a spin. Ferrara’s slightly tighter cut seems to be the one to watch.

Although I was not exactly impressed by The Driller Killer in terms of plot, Ferrara does deserve credit for doing his best (however good that is) in a leading role and for accurately portraying the grit and scum of NYC’s nighttime underbelly. The story slowly becomes secondary until the movie devolves into little more than a series of uninteresting scenes as we wait for Reno to get his prowl on and drill a couple more heads. Still, fans of Ferrara’s work, especially his celebrated films of the ‘90s, will no doubt find some value in seeing how he began his craft back in these early days.

Ferrara shot The Driller Killer on 16mm, so don’t expect Arrow’s new 4K scan to blow anyone away with razor sharp detail or demo-worthy moments. The 1080p image is available in your choice of either 1.37:1 or 1.85:1 aspect ratios. The film was shot in the “Academy flat” ratio of 1.37:1 but was projected in theaters matted to 1.85:1, slightly cropping the picture. Honestly, the widescreen presentation is respectful enough in terms of headroom and framing that watching it likely won’t change the experience, but the 1.37:1 ratio does add to the lo-fi grindhouse feel. Expect to see a rough, gritty image with variable definition, overly consuming darkness, heavy film grain, and minor damage/dirt. Arrow has done the best they could for a movie shot as this one was, so their transfer is a triumph in that regard.

Audio comes in the form of an English LPCM 1.0 mono lossless track. The simple and effective synth score was provided by composer Joseph Delia, who has also worked on several other Ferrara films. The track sounds good considering the limitations of the source. Dialogue sounds muffled sometimes, usually depending on the room in which the scene was shot. The Rooter’s music will have you scrambling for the mute button. Subtitles are included in English SDH.

Abel Ferrara provides an audio commentary that is only available on the theatrical cut.

“Laine and Abel: An Interview with The Driller Killer” is a 2016 interview with Ferrara, who touches on a number of important moments throughout his life in just under twenty minutes.

“Willing and Abel: Ferraraology 101” is a visual essay covering all of Ferrara’s work.

“Mulberry St.” is a feature-length documentary shot by Ferrara, detailing the Manhattan neighborhood where he shoots all of his films.

A trailer is also included and there is a booklet filled with writings on the film and pictures.

Special Features:

  • Brand new restoration from original film elements
  • High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) and Standard Definition DVD presentations
  • Original Uncompressed Mono PCM audio
  • Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
  • Audio commentary by director and star Abel Ferrara, moderated by Brad Stevens (author of Abel Ferrara: The Moral Vision) and recorded exclusively for this release
  • Brand new interview with Ferrara
  • Willing and Abel: Ferraraology 101, a new visual essay guide to the films and career of Ferrara by Alexandra Heller-Nicholas, author of Cultographies: Ms. 45
  • Mulberry St. (2010), Ferrara’s feature-length documentary portrait of the New York location that has played a key role in his life and work
  • Trailer
  • Collector’s booklet featuring new writing by Michael Pattison and Brad Stevens

BUY IT NOW!

The post Driller Killer, The (Blu-ray/DVD) appeared first on Dread Central.

I Bleed Indie: A VOD Platform For Indie Horror Fans

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Listen up, indie horror fans! The Blood Shed has launched a VOD platform which focuses solely on the promotion of indie and international horror. Read on for details.

I Bleed Indie has already acquired over 100 feature films for the service, with more on the way. The VOD service is already featuring some DIY-produced gems and the latest releases from stellar labels like Artsploitation, Wild Eye, Brinkvision, and more.

The service is home to domestic and foreign features and shorts. Features will rent for $2.00, featurettes for $1.00, and shorts for $.50 with 90% of revenue going directly to the filmmakers. Considering most indie filmmakers don’t make a dime, that’s a pretty sweet deal.

As you well know, some of the finest horror flicks out there come from the underground, and serious horror aficionados owe it to themselves to check out what this service has to offer. We’re talking quality horror rentable for pocket change. What are you waiting for?

Keep up to date by following the platform’s Facebook page or visiting the website at ibleedindie.com.

I Bleed Indie

The post I Bleed Indie: A VOD Platform For Indie Horror Fans appeared first on Dread Central.

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