Starring Iris Truong, Holly Burr, Katherine Slingsby, Chris Walters

Directed by Ariel Hansen

Written by Joel H. Brewster

Short films have always been an important part of any cinema community, and the horror industry is no different. Most recently we’ve seen the Lights Out short given the feature film treatment, and many others came before it. The Man in the Rabbit Mask intends to be next in line.

Currently a five-minute short, The Man in the Rabbit Mask is essentially a proof of concept video for a full-length film script written by the author of the short, Joel H. Brewster. In the film, a pair of girls having a sleepover play a game of chicken with a much less feathered creature, Mr. Rabbity. A short poem lures him from the darkness:

“I dare you to laugh. I will get you to scream. I may show up to take you, or just in a dream. I trade sweets for souls, that is part of my game. Read this poem by candle, and three times speak my name.”

Needless to say, the chicken wins this round, as the girls (Lucy and Cara) realize they have made a grave mistake. Mr. Rabbity’s figure looms menacingly from the corner of the room, and he offers the children a sweet. While his face is obscured, it’s clear that the man behind the mask is one of many charms. He wears a Victorian-era suit, and his very mask is as grotesque as it is intriguing. The end of The Man Behind the Rabbit Mask is fairly certain, but I’d rather not give it away, as it’s interesting to see how the girls react.

In digesting The Man in the Rabbit Mask, I paid close attention to the actor performances. While child actors are not always my favorite, I was most impressed by Iris Truong (Lucy). She plays the sheepish and nervous one of the two girls, and it comes off as very natural. In one moment in particular, Lucy finishes reciting the Mr. Rabbity poem with her eyes closed. When she opens them, Cara is nowhere to be seen. The potential for mock concern is really high in a scene like this, but as Iris squeaked out Cara’s name, I was pleasantly surprised by the fear in her voice. Sounds rather offensive to take pleasure in a child’s fear, but the fact of the matter remains that realism is tantamount to successful horror.

Lighting was another very important part of The Man in the Rabbit Mask. Lucy and Cara are supposed to read their poem by candlelight, so a good portion of the short is lighted as such. The moment in particular when Lucy is speaking Mr. Rabbity’s name reminded me of a scene in Lights Out that was lit only by candlelight. The flickering single light source gives the scenes a very raw and real feel.

All said and done, The Man in the Rabbit Mask was a compelling five minute short. The acting was a little hit or miss, but I greatly enjoyed Iris Truong’s portrayal of Lucy, and Chris Walters as Mr. Rabbity. The lighting was superbly memorable, creating a very eerie and tense atmosphere when the villain was on screen. It would be interesting to see how The Man in the Rabbit Mask would translate to a feature film.

If you’re equally curious how that would work out, check out the film’s Storyhive page, where they’re competing for grant money to assist in making the full-length film a reality.

The post Man in the Rabbit Mask, The (Short, 2017) appeared first on Dread Central.

Horror movies and video games have been going hand in hand for ages, just like horror movies and music. Why? Because we like cool shit and we like it to sound good. Truth be told, no one has been able to find the right mixture of the two onscreen despite some failed attempts like Stay Alive, Brainscan, Gamer, etc.

Sony is looking to change all that as Deadline is reporting that the studio pre-empted the supernatural thriller spec, /reddoor over the weekend for producers Barry Josephson, Liz Bassin and Jim Wedaa, about a young journalist who discovers the new app game he is reviewing has the ability to kill the player once they’ve entered the game world. The project is said to be in the spirit of The Ring and Ready Player One as the journalist must stop the game before both he and his sister end up becoming its victims.

The spec was written by Teddy Tenenbaum and Minsun Park. Bassin brought it into Josephson’s company. Josephson, a former studio executive, has produced in both TV (“Bones”) and film and is readying Disenchanted with Amy Adams now. Wedaa, who reps the writers with Paradigm, last produced the horror thriller The Boy (which had a China bow) as well as Unstoppable.

More on this one as it comes in.

The post Sony Finds Horror Behind a /reddoor appeared first on Dread Central.

Really uncertain just how Dread-worthy this one is or will be, but for the sake of keeping you guys in the know, Deadline is reporting that Fortitude International has acquired worldwide rights to and will finance the psychological flick Angel Of Mine, which is based on the 2008 French film L’Empreinte De L’Ange. Oscar-nominated Lion scribe Luke Davies has written the script with David Regal, and Strangerland helmer Kim Farrant is set to direct.

Fortitude will discuss the Angel of Mine project with buyers this week at the European Film Market.

The story is centered on a woman struggling to cope with the tragedy of losing her daughter in a devastating fire. Years later, she becomes convinced that a stranger’s daughter is in fact her own. As her obsession grows, she grows more and more entwined in the young girl’s life, causing her to lose touch with reality. But as she’ll come to find, reality is not always what it seems.

Stay tuned for more if needed.

The post EFM 2017: Fortitude International Finds an Angel of Mine appeared first on Dread Central.

The big box office story this past weekend is that Split (review) tossed Rings (review) into second place, holding on to the top spot in the United States for the third week in a row!

M. Night Shyamalan’s film scored an estimated $14.6 million over the weekend, bringing it to a total of $98.7 million domestic. Combined with an estimated $44 million internationally, Split‘s worldwide total currently stands at $142.7 million. Most impressive.

Rings brought Samara back to the big screen for a third go-round, but it didn’t bring many fans back to theaters. This was the worst opener for the franchise, scoring an estimated $13 million from 2,931 theaters. Still, that was enough to put it in second place for the week. The flick also brought in an estimated $15.2 million internationally from 35 markets for a $28.2 million worldwide debut.

Meanwhile, Resident Evil: The Final Chapter (review) saw nearly a 67% drop at the box office, putting it in sixth place by taking in an estimated $4.5 million for the weekend.

On the specialty side (limited release) of the fence, only one title’s take was available at this time.

Janus Films’ The Lure took in an estimated $9,806 (including its Wednesday open) and will be expanding into major markets including Portland, San Francisco, Austin, Miami, and more in the coming weeks.

The post Horror Box Office and Specialty Film Results: February 6, 2017 appeared first on Dread Central.

Something is coming at night for Joel Edgerton and we’re not just talking about his significant other. On tap right now we have the first one-sheet for director Trey Edward Shults’ It Comes at Night and it’s friggin’ awesome in a minimalist way.

A24 will be releasing the film on August 25th. Riley Keough, Carmen Ejogo, Christopher Abbot, and Kelvin Harrison Jr. co-star.

Synopsis:
A man (Joel Edgerton) learns that the evil stalking his family home may be only a prelude to horrors that come from within.

Secure within a desolate home as an unnatural threat terrorizes the world, the tenuous domestic order he has established with his wife and son is put to the ultimate test with the arrival of a desperate young family seeking refuge.

Despite the best intentions of both families, paranoia and mistrust boil over as the horrors outside creep ever-closer, awakening something hidden and monstrous within him as he learns that the protection of his family comes at the cost of his soul.

The post It Comes at Night in August appeared first on Dread Central.

You would think that Sony would be screaming about the release of a new game from David Jaffe, the mad genius behind God of War and Twisted Metal, but they just haven’t. This is even more bewildering given that they’re exclusive game releases (not counting the myriad of J-games) have been pretty sparse thus far. So fuck that, we’re gonna do some screaming!

You can look for the badass shooter to hit PlayStation on April 4th, 2017. Having played an early build of it we can assure you this is like NOTHING you’ve ever seen, and delivers on the sick on the most glorious of ways!

About Drawn to Death:
Acclaimed video game developer David Jaffe, director of multiple franchises including God of War and Twisted Metal, is back with the PlayStation®4 system exclusive—Drawn to Death—a chaotic, third-person death match shooter played out on the lined pages of a teenager’s notebook.

Drawn to Death challenges the shooter genre with unconventional gameplay mechanics and unique character perks that were introduced in Twisted Metal and fine-tuned with the help of San Diego Studio and The Bartlet Jones Supernatural Detective Agency.

Key Features:

• Unconventional Combat – Combining each character’s unique arsenal of weapons with deep gameplay mechanics, Drawn to Death blurs the lines of a nuanced fighting game with the action of a competitive shooter.
• Show Your Skill – Players can level up characters by completing specific challenges.
• Solo and Team Play – Players will be able to face off in free-for-all and team based modes. Play with friends, or against the world.
• Extraordinary Visuals – The frenetic, pencil-sketch visuals add to the game’s in-your-face combat.

The post Drawn to Death Gets a Release Date! Get Ready to Get Bloody! appeared first on Dread Central.

The European Film Market is gearing up to be one for the ages, and another feature on display there brings with it the shadowy past of Germany… The Ghosts of War.

From the Press Release:
Brenton Thwaites (pictured; Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales) has signed on to star in the supernatural psychological thriller Ghosts of War which is based on the original script by Eric Bress (The Butterfly Effect, The Final Destination) who will also direct. Miscellaneous Entertainment’s D. Todd Shepherd, Joe Simpson, and Shelley Madison are producing and financing the project. Adrian Jayasinha will Executive Produce. Highland Film Group will handle international sales, and introduce to buyers next week in Berlin. CAA will represent the North America rights.

Ghosts of War follows five battle-hardened American soldiers assigned to hold a French Chateau near the end of World War II. Formerly occupied by the Nazi high command, this respite quickly descends into madness when they encounter a supernatural enemy far more terrifying than anything seen on the battlefield. Thwaites will play Chris Goodson, a natural leader and brilliant strategist who is plagued by battle fatigue. Additional casting is currently underway by Brandon Henry Rodriguez.

Thwaites is one of Hollywood’s most rapidly rising stars, who will next be seen in the fifth installment of Walt Disney Pictures’ Pirates of the Caribbean franchise: Dead Men Tell No Tales. He also recently shot “Interview with God” and “Office Uprising,” which he also executive produced. Both are expected to release in 2017.

Producer D. Todd Shepherd said: “We’re thrilled to bring Eric’s next intelligent and layered vision to life as he continues to push the definition of genre. Brenton is an incredibly talented actor at the crescendo of an already impressive career, and we feel fortunate to have him as our lead.”

Director Eric Bress said: “I’m excited for the chance to create an elevated thriller about WWII soldiers that’s more relevant today than ever. Brenton Thwaites is the perfect choice to play a hardened soldier fighting through the trauma of war just as he’s thrust into the most mind-shattering battle of his life.”

Bress has established himself as a writer and director, with films such as Blunt, Final Destination 2, The Butterfly Effect, and The Final Destination, and the creator of the standout TV series “Kyle XY.” Bress’ upcoming slate includes: American Drifter and the much-anticipated reboot of The Butterfly Effect, which is slated to shoot later this year.

Thwaites is represented by UTA, United Management and Industry Entertainment. Bress is represented by UTA and Management 360.

Miscellaneous Entertainment and Highland Film Group previously collaborated on the noir thriller Terminal starring Margot Robbie which is now in post-production.

The post EFM 2017: The Ghosts of War Descend on Berlin appeared first on Dread Central.

Going into its 17th year(!) the Shriekfest Film Festival is now accepting submissions for its next show! Read on for details!

From the Press Release:
Shriekfest, the Los Angeles Horror/SciFi Film Festival continues its tradition as Los Angeles’ Premier horror film event, presenting an exciting program of films each fall with beautiful Los Angeles as its backdrop. Now, in it’s 17th year, Shriekfest takes place at the legendary Raleigh Studios, which is the largest independent studio operator in the country. We offer filmmakers and film fans alike an ideal setting in a world-famous city. Both established and emerging filmmakers gain media exposure, connect with the region’s diverse audiences, and participate in an acclaimed event attended by industry professionals as well as horror and scifi fans. Over the past Sixteen years, Shriekfest has welcomed numerous indie icons into its family.

We are looking for original films and screenplays. We are accepting films/screenplays in five categories: narrative feature, narrative short, narrative super short, feature screenplay, and short screenplay.

We will be awarding prizes to the winning filmmaker in each category.

Festival Founder and Director Denise Gossett says “We are already planning some exciting things for our Sexy & 17th year!”

Last year’s festival was a great success. We had our biggest audience yet, with a 20% increase over the previous year and more than 35 filmmakers in attendance.

HOW TO ENTER Entry form and information here!

The post Shriekfest 2017 – Call for Entries! appeared first on Dread Central.

The best damned horror-themed show on the planet, Monsterpalooza, is getting ready for its next big dance and we have your details and this year’s always eye-popping poster art right here!

From the Press Release:
Since it’s inaugural event in 2009, MONSTERPALOOZA has become internationally known as the place to be for fans and professionals alike of film, creature makeup, special effects, two -dimensional and three-dimensional art.

With increased popularity Monsterpalooza recently moved the much larger Pasadena Convention Center this past April 2016, quadrupling its space with even more amazing talent under one roof!

Meet the stars, directors, and artists responsible for bringing your nightmares to life on the silver screen and beyond!

Over 250 exhibitors! Monster Museum! Makeup demos! Special Presentations! Screenings and much more!

Make sure to get your tickets in advance; you don’t want to miss it!

Tickets in advance HERE!
Friday – $30
Saturday – $30
*$35 at the door
Sunday – $30
$70 –three day

Hotel Reservations HERE!
The Pasadena Westin Hotel

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

The post Monsterpalooza 2017 Official Event Poster! appeared first on Dread Central.

Here’s the thing… the first person perspective works great on games, especially those in VR, but when it comes to filmmaking a lot can be left to be desired. Still, it’s hard to argue that coming face to mouthful of teeth with a shark is anything but absolutely terrifying and Lionsgate are looking to dole out that terror first-hand with Cage Dive.

THR reports that Cage Dive, the upcoming thriller from Gerald Rascionato, has been picked up by Grindstone Entertainment ahead of the European Film Market, where Australia’s Odin’s Eye Entertainment is screening it to buyers.

The film will be distributed by Lionsgate Home Entertainment, with a multiplatform release set for this summer. Elsewhere deals are being closed in Italy (Eagle Pictures), Turkey (Siyah Beyaz Film), Russia (Luxor), China (Bravos), Japan (New Select), Malaysia (Red Pictures), Middle East (Phoenicia), South Korea (Scene and Sound), Vietnam (Ram Indo), and Mexico, Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay and all Latin American (Gussi), Central America, Chile (Prolat), Peru, Ecuador and Bolivia (Delta).

“Cage Dive lends a whole new dimension to that which scares the living hell out of us,” said Grindstone’s head of acquisitions Stan Wertlieb. “To be stranded in shark- infested waters with no one around to hear your screams for help. Audiences are going to be left with heart palpitations and sweaty palms.”

Added Odin’s Eye founder Michael Favelle: “Buyers have been extremely receptive to the suspense and scares of Cage Dive with most distributors committing to theatrical releases. With a number of territories in discussions, we anticipate closing the remaining territories in Berlin.”

Cage Dive follows three American tourists making an audition tape of them shark cage diving to submit to an extreme reality show. But a catastrophic turn of events leaves them stranded in baited waters of South Australia, surrounded by hungry great white sharks. The film was produced by Rascionato’s Just One More Productions and Charles Barsamian’s Exit Strategy Productions.

The post EFM 2017: Lionsgate Taking Us on a First-Person Cage Dive appeared first on Dread Central.

The CW landed The Lost Boys property to turn into a series a while back, and over the weekend while everyone was struck with Puppy Bowl fever (that was the big game, right?) the network was doing some deep thinking!

THR reports that “The Lost Boys” has been rolled to the next development cycle. The series hails from Warner Bros. Television, where “iZombie” boss Rob Thomas is under an overall deal. The new take on the 1987 vampire movie reimagines the film over seven seasons (and 70 years) with each frame covering a decade. In success, the first run will be set in San Francisco during 1967’s so-called Summer of Love. Each season will see the humans, setting, antagonist and story all change. Only the vampires — aka the Lost Boys — will remain the same.

Thomas will remain on board to pen the script and exec-produce via his Spondoolie Productions banner alongside frequent collaborators Danielle Stokdyk and Dan Etheridge. Gulfstream’s Juliana Janes, Mike Karz and Bill Bindley also will exec produce after the production company came up with the idea to remake the feature film that starred Kiefer Sutherland, Jason Patric, Jami Gertz, Corey Haim and Corey Feldman.

Thomas will continue to hone “Lost Boys” with production on season three of “iZombie” having already wrapped.

The post Lost Boys Series Will Arrive Later appeared first on Dread Central.

As with the last story about this – IF YOU HAVEN’T SEEN SPLIT YET, AVOID THIS STORY LIKE YOU WOULD A DATE WITH SOMEONE WHO’S TENDING TO A RECURRING SCORCHING CASE OF HERPES.

Still with us? Okay, then! So, with Split still tearing up the U.S. box office, M. Night Shyamalan has taken to Twitter to let fans know the following tidbit of goodness …

“I have an 11 page outline for my next film in my bag. I can’t tell you what it is, but If you’ve seen #Split…”

That being said… will this be Split 2? Unbreakable 2? Unbreakable 3? Only Night knows for sure, but damnit, this sure is fun!

Thus far the players in the Super Shyamalan Cinematic Universe (SSCU) are Bruce Willis’ David Dunn, Samuel L. Jackson’s Elijah “Mr. Glass” Price, and James McAvoy’s Kevin Wendell Crumb, aka “The Horde.”

Will we see all three returning? Sit tight, and let the speculation begin!

The post M. Night Shyamalan Finishes Treatment for Next Film appeared first on Dread Central.

The film Poltergeist has long been associated with curses given some unfortunate events surrounding the cast and crew of the film.

Several primary members of the casts of each film in the series lost their lives in close proximity to the productions, most notably young star Heather O’Rourke – who died at just 12 years old.

Dominique Dunne, who played Dana Freeling in the original film, was murdered by an angry ex-boyfriend at the age of 22, the same year the movie was released. Other casualties of the supposed curse include Poltergeist 2 stars Will Sampson and Julian Beck. A Native American shaman, Sampson allegedly performed a ritual to rid the set of evil spirits.

On a less tragic note, JoBeth Williams claimed that each night she returned home from the set of the original Poltergeist, the pictures hanging on her walls were crooked. It became a regular ritual for her to straighten them out, which needless to say gave her a nightly spook.

Related Story: 8 Horror Films Plagued By Real-Life Curses

Speaking of Heather O’Rourke (Carol Anne Freeling in the film), Bloody Disgusting just dug up something that’s absolutely chilling. Above the onscreen bed in the room she shared with co-star Oliver Robins (Robby Freeling), can be seen a cartoonish poster for Super Bowl XXII. So what’s the significance of this?

The year of the film’s release, 1982, the Super Bowl was in its 16th year. Super Bowl 22 (as seen depicted in the movie by a poster for it over Robby’s bed) took place in 1988 on January 31st. That the same day in 1988, Heather O’Rourke fell ill before dying.

Via, Wikipedia – O’Rourke became ill in early 1987 and was misdiagnosed by doctors at Kaiser Permanente Hospital as having Crohn’s disease. She was prescribed prednisone to treat the disease, which caused her cheeks to appear puffy and large. On January 31, 1988, O’Rourke suddenly became ill again, vomiting and unable to keep anything in her stomach. The next morning she collapsed while preparing to leave for the hospital and her stepfather called paramedics. O’Rourke suffered a cardiac arrest en route to the hospital, and after resuscitation she was airlifted by helicopter to Rady Children’s Hospital in San Diego, where she died later that day.

The cause of death is officially listed as cardiac arrest caused by septic shock due to intestinal stenosis.

Of course this all can be dismissed as sad coincidence, but it does give you pause for thought.

The post The Poltergeist Curse Continues With Eerie On-Screen Prediction of Death appeared first on Dread Central.

Michael Gross is locked and loaded for the next film in the Tremors franchise, but before the Grabboids and ass blasters began their spree of carnage, Gross took to his official Facebook fan page to share a quick video of his cast at the table read.

That’s not all though… apparently Gross had a bit of an accident on set and ended up… well… see for yourself.

The post Tremors 6 – First Look at the Cast appeared first on Dread Central.

Tiffany, as played by Jennifer Tilly, has become a much beloved character in the Chucky franchise so it’s only right that she should come back for another tango with everyone’s favorite foul-mouthed plastic psycho!

Tilly recently took to Twitter to tease her arrival for Cult of Chucky and we have said teases right here for you! Dig it!

About Cult of Chucky:
Cult of Chucky, an all-new spellbinding chapter of the Child’s Play thriller franchise, began principal photography in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, on January 9, 2017. The seventh film in the blockbuster series will be released in a bone-chilling Unrated Version on Blu-ray, DVD, and Digital HD in fall 2017 — just in time for Halloween. Packed with the franchise’s signature blend of horror and demented humor, Cult of Chucky is the latest production from Universal 1440 Entertainment, a production entity of Universal Pictures Home Entertainment.

“It’s hard to believe that it’s been nearly 30 years since Chucky first terrified moviegoers in Child’s Play,” said Glenn Ross, General Manager and Executive Vice President, Universal 1440 Entertainment. “Since then the films have generated millions in worldwide box office revenue. Now Chucky’s back with more scores to settle in his trademark twisted style, and you can bet he won’t stop until he gets his revenge.”

Fiona Dourif (Curse of Chucky) returns as Nica, the wheelchair-bound heroine framed by Chucky for the bloody murders of her entire family. She’s joined by franchise veterans Alex Vincent (Child’s Play, Child’s Play 2) and Jennifer Tilly (Monsters, Inc., Bride of Chucky), with Brad Dourif (The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest) once again providing the eerie, unnerving voice of the demon doll possessed by the spirit of a maniacal serial killer.

Don Mancini, writer of the Child’s Play franchise, is the executive producer of the new film, which he also directs from his original script. Longtime franchise producer David Kirschner (The Pagemaster, Frailty) is joined this time by Ogden Gavanski (Warm Bodies, Immortals). The production team includes special-effects guru and associate producer Tony Gardner (Zombieland, Curse of Chucky), director of photography Michael Marshall (“Killjoys”), production designer Craig Sandells (Mother’s Day), and costume designer Patricia J. Henderson (ATM).

Synopsis:
Confined to an asylum for the criminally insane for the past four years, Nica Pierce (Fiona Dourif) is erroneously convinced that she, not Chucky, murdered her entire family. But when her psychiatrist introduces a new therapeutic “tool” to facilitate his patients’ group sessions — an all-too-familiar “Good Guy” doll with an innocently smiling face — a string of grisly deaths begins to plague the asylum, and Nica starts to wonder if maybe she isn’t crazy after all.

Andy Barclay (Alex Vincent), Chucky’s now grown-up nemesis from the original Child’s Play, races to Nica’s aid. But to save her, he’ll have to get past Tiffany (Oscar nominee Jennifer Tilly), Chucky’s long-ago bride, who will do anything, no matter how deadly or depraved, to help her beloved devil doll.

The post Jennifer Tilly Heads to the Cult of Chucky! appeared first on Dread Central.

Fede Alvarez has quickly managed to become a director to keep your eye on and rightly so. Up next for the man who brought us a new Evil Dead and Don’t Breathe? A new production company.

Screen Daily reports that Alvarez has joined with Good Universe to form Bad Hombre – a new venture that will produce films across the horror, thriller, and sci-fi genres.

Bad Hombre is a continuation of an already fruitful relationship. Good Universe co-founders Joe Drake and Nathan Kahane served as executive producers on Alvarez’s first two feature films, which grossed $97.5m and $156.4m worldwide, respectively.

Uruguayan filmmaker Alvarez, who will be the creative lead for Bad Hombre, has hired long-time collaborator Rodo Sayagues as an executive to build the company’s slate of genre films.

“These are great times for original ideas and quality storytelling in the genre arena,” Alvarez said. “That’s why I couldn’t be more excited about Bad Hombre and the prospect of supporting fresh and exciting voices in genre filmmaking.”

Kahane added: “We’ve had the good fortune of working with Fede on his first two films and can truly say he’s a one-of-a-kind talent, overflowing with original ideas and an innovative filmmaking approach. We’re thrilled to continue our collaboration and building a slate of films for this new venture together.”

Dan Freedman negotiated the deal on behalf of Good Universe. WME was integral in the formation of the joint venture.

The post Fede Alvarez Is a Bad Hombre appeared first on Dread Central.

Well… we almost got a new Friday the 13th this year. Hell, we almost got a sequel to World War Z even though no one was really clamoring for that one. With no explanations given, both films have been removed from Paramount’s 2017 schedule.

The news come from Deadline, who report that Darren Aronosfky’s mother! starring Jennifer Lawrence and Michelle Pfeiffer is now set for release on October 13 and will take the place of Friday the 13th.

They also go on to report that World War Z 2 is not happening on June 9th.

The only thing we know for sure behind Friday‘s latest delay is that maybe… just maybe… Crazy Ralph was right…

“It’s got a death curse.”

The post Paramount Pushes Friday the 13th and World War Z 2 From Schedule appeared first on Dread Central.

Eibon Press is gearing up for its next big series, THE SAGA OF THE SEVEN GATES, an “expanded universe” of comics based on the most celebrated films of Lucio Fulci. The saga begins with a mind-blowing adaptation of CITY OF THE LIVING DEAD, aka THE GATES OF HELL! Issue One drops THIS FRIDAY, February 10, at 7PM ET on the Eibon Press website. As always, THESE BOOKS ARE NOT AVAILABLE IN ANY STORE and come loaded with amazing extras that are unlike any comic book on the market today.

And GATES OF HELL #1 comes with an incredible cover by Kyle Hotz and Jason Moore of The Punisher and Doctor Strange, just to name a couple.

This is Eibon’s finest release yet, with stunning art and a wild take on the “Fulci-verse” that fans will love!

BE THERE NEXT FRIDAY!!!

The post Lucio Fulci’s CITY OF THE LIVING DEAD Comic Drops in 5 DAYS! appeared first on Dread Central.

If you haven’t grown weary off the countless zombie games being released these days, then it might please you to learn that last year’s How to Survive 2 (review) is now available on PS4.

Synopsis:
The sequel to the smash hit, How to Survive is set 15 years after the first game. Players find themselves trying to survive a massive Zombie infestation in Louisiana where they must team up in order to live. Players will have to scavenge for resources, craft tools and weapons, build base camps, and interact with the many colorful characters that populate the area. Fans will discover that series favorite, Kovac, the masked stranger & author of the ever present survival guide will also be onhand to help players outlive the zombie plague. Stay safe, survivors!

The post How To Survive 2 Now Available on PS4 appeared first on Dread Central.

Developed and Published by Civil Savages

Available on PC through Steam

Suitable for ages 15+

It says something about our society that we just assume the entertainment of the future is murder. I know films like The Running Man are supposed to fall under the category of satire, but in your heart of hearts you know that the apathetic blob people of the year 2170 are going to be so desensitized that only the most brutal of bloodsports will capture their attention. We can only go about 30 years without a war to keep us entertained, so might as well just cut out the song and dance and broadcast dismemberment straight to our TVs.

There is some debate over the format of this future dystopian deathsport. Will it be criminals fighting for their freedom like The Running Man? Or will it be a battle for fame and fortune like in Smash TV? Maybe some future version of “Survivor” will have a much more literal interpretation. If Watch This! is to be believed, it’s going to be like “MXC” mixed with “America’s Got Talent.” There’s probably a better comparison out there, but my exposure to shitty reality shows is limited to what my girlfriend watches while I’m too dead inside to move off the couch.

As the most recent competitor on the smash hit TV show “Watch This!,” you must traverse a deadly obstacle course for fame and prizes. Watch This! has sliding circular saws, spiked pneumatic pulverizers, directional jump boosters, acid water, and all sorts of other things you’d expect from a puzzle platformer. Populating the maze are a number of shortcuts, patrolling enemies, power-ups, and collectable coins. Coins can be used to garner favor from your family, whose approval you need to exit the maze. You’ll also need to please the general audiences, whose favor can only be curried by death defying stunts. Once everyone agrees that you’ve done significantly cool shit to live, you make your way to the end of the maze and win.

Bloody circular saws… spike pits… treadmills… yup, this sure is a murder maze

And that’s about it. There’s some variance here and there on what power-ups you get, but the actual maze itself never changes. There are only two mazes, both of which are pretty big. There isn’t a map, so most of your time will be spent memorizing paths and creating a mental layout of the course. The rooms are varied both aesthetically and danger-wise, providing an interesting and distinct mix to the challenges. One room you’ll be using your timing to dodge saws, and the next you’ll be trying to figure out the best path through multi-level platforms where the floor is acid goo.

The locations of the keys change, but a red key is always just going to be a red key, no matter how much its mother believes in it.

Sussing out the optimal paths and trap solutions is easily the most enjoyable part of the game. For the first couple of hours, I was thoroughly enjoying Watch This!. It’s unavoidably clunky and definitely shows its lack of budget, but for such a simple premise it comes together well. I was impressed with the variety, even if none of the rooms came close to matching even the mid-game puzzles of Portal. The process of just discovering what the game has to offer is loose, without any real hints beyond visual clues. If you like figuring shit out for yourself without a tutorial, you’ll enjoy these first few hours.

And then the game just gets old. You’ll learn pretty quick at least one path to the end, and from there you’ll get enough coins and favor to eventually make it out. It took me about five tries to beat the first maze, and about three for the second. The only thing left to do after that is to run around the unexplored rooms, but why? There’s no grander goal to accomplish. I appreciate level design as much as the next guy, but this isn’t The Louvre. I’m not going to tour the halls for my personal enrichment. Especially not when murloc ripoffs are screaming at me.

It’s great to see the rejected monsters from Videodrome finding work

The unfortunate truth about Watch This! is that the constrained objectives lead to only two possible outcomes. One, you get bored of the game because you already figured it out. Two, you can’t figure it out and get frustrated with the repetitive puzzles. It’s a game at odds with its own design. You restart the entire game every time you die, giving it the feel of a roguelike. But unlike a roguelike, the actual challenges never change. So what you’re left with is a game with a poor checkpoint system and repetitive puzzles.

Or, third option, you can accidentally warp outside of the map like I did and have to restart.

But hey, the reality is that all games get boring after a certain amount of time. A few hours might sound like a quick turn around, but the game only cost $4. So let’s recap with that in mind. It’s a decent premise with some pretty good challenges and a good amount to see, for $4. The visuals are clunky but distinct, with some spooky enemies to avoid for only $4. You’ll have some fun figuring out the layout and different puzzles, and only be $4 poorer for it. You might not remember it in a month, but then again you also won’t remember the Big Mac you ate for lunch, and Watch This! is 20% cheaper.

The post Watch This! (Video Game) appeared first on Dread Central.