Austin’s annual mega-festival South by Southwest (SXSW) is in full swing, and we’re in attendance to bring you reviews, news, interviews, and more! This past weekend, both myself and Drew Tinnin have been running around to get coverage, and we thought it would be helpful to compile it all into one giant post for your convenience.

So head on below to see what sorts of shenanigans we’ve been getting ourselves into!

SXSW continues this week and ends Saturday, March 18th. We’ve got more coverage coming, so make sure to stay up-to-date by following our SXSW tag!

SXSW 2017: Karen Skloss Talks Her Inspiration for and Influences on The Honor Farm
Highlight: “I wanted to explore certain themes, but I also wanted to make a movie that would be a fun journey and kind of ‘fried.’ I felt like co-opting elements of the horror genre, making it have some thrills and spills and be scary, would help those scenes be more accessible and make it more fun.”

SXSW 2017: Ridley Scott, Katherine Waterston, and Danny McBride Talk Alien: Covenant
Highlight: Ridley Scott tells us, “Well, I think [Alien: Covenant] is so, dare I say, clever and violent and everything you kind of want. I think it’s a cut above what’s happened before and therefore will leave all kinds of things open for the next one. I enjoy doing them so much that I would like it to go on forever.”

SXSW 2017: We Saw Footage From Stephen King’s It and Annabelle 2
Highlight: This teaser trailer was the perfect exercise in holding back and refusing to show too much. Instead, it gave us delightfully brief teases that made me desperate to see more.

SXSW 2017: Netflix Lands Global Streaming Rights to Madre; New Teaser Debuts
Highlight: Netflix has acquired the global streaming rights with Madre set to be available exclusively on the platform by the end of 2017.

SXSW 2017: Game of Death Trailer Splashes the Screen With Gore
Highlight: Just ahead of its world premiere at SXSW, an uncensored trailer for the movie has come out and it’s ready to make you thank the filmmakers for not only embracing practical FX but for bringing their A+ game and drenching everyone and nearly everything in viscera, blood, and gore!

SXSW 2017: AMC Reveals Preacher Season 2 Premiere Date and Unveils New Images
Highlight: The expanded second season, consisting of 13 episodes, is a genre-bending thrill ride that follows West Texas preacher Jesse Custer (Dominic Cooper), his badass ex-girlfriend Tulip (Academy Award nominee Ruth Negga), and an Irish vampire named Cassidy (Joseph Gilgun) as they embark on a road trip to find God and are thrust into a twisted battle spanning Heaven, Hell, and everywhere in between.

Hounds of Love (2017) Review
Highlight: Ben Young’s Hounds of Love separates itself from the pack by remaining grounded in reality, offering forth a story that is heartbreaking, incredibly difficult, emotionally exhausting, and unrelentingly tense.

The Honor Farm (2017) Review
Highlight: Instead of putting the cool kids of The Honor Farm on a path that should lead to their doom, it actually leads them into a psychedelic metamorphosis. It’s a document to remind us of the days when one night really could change your life.

Prevenge (2017) Review
Highlight: Prevenge is too funny to be disturbing and too disturbing to be dismissed.

The post SXSW 2017: First Weekend Recap appeared first on Dread Central.

Scream Factory loves us and they love you. So much so that they just sent over an exclusive clip from their Collector’s Edition of Firestarter!

From the Press Release:
Based on the unforgettable best-seller by esteemed horror author Stephen King, Firestarter chronicles the extraordinary life of Charlene “Charlie” McGee. Eight-year-old Drew Barrymore stars as the child who has the amazing ability to start fires with just a glance. Can her psychic power and the love of her father save her from “The Shop,” the threatening government agency which wants to control her…or destroy her? Available March 14th, 2017 from Scream Factory, the Collector’s Edition of Firestarter comes loaded with bonus features, including a new 2k scan of the inter-positive film element, new interviews with director Mark L. Lester, actors Freddie Jones and Drew Snyder, stuntman/actor Dick Warlock and Johannes Schmoelling of Tangerine Dream, a new exclusive performance of “Charlie’s Theme” by Johannes Schmoelling of Tangerine Dream, radio spots, and more! Fans of the film can pre-order their copy now from ShoutFactory.com

Filled with dazzling special effects and featuring an all-star cast including Martin Sheen, Heather Locklear, Art Carney, Louise Fletcher, David Keith and George C. Scott, Firestarter is directed by Mark L. Lester (Class of 1984, Commando) and is driven by a pulsating, thrilling score from Tangerine Dream (Legend, Sorcerer, Risky Business).

Special Features:

• NEW 2K scan of the inter-positive film element
• NEW Audio commentary with director Mark L. Lester
• NEW Playing with Fire: The Making of FIRESTARTER – featuring interviews with director Mark L. Lester, actors Freddie Jones and Drew Snyder, stuntman/actor Dick Warlock and Johannes Schmoelling of Tangerine Dream+
• NEW Tangerine Dream: Movie Music Memories – an interview with Johannes Schmoelling
• NEW exclusive performance of “Charlie’s Theme” by Johannes Schmoelling of Tangerine Dream
• Theatrical Trailers
• Radio Spot
• Still Gallery

BUY IT NOW!

The post Firstarter – Exclusive Behind-the-Scenes Clip appeared first on Dread Central.

Starring Michael Koltes, Paul Flannery, Steve Weston

Directed by David Ryan Keith

Leaky roof, creaky floors, substandard basement – some realtors will try some seriously shady stuff in order to move the sale of a property, even if it means covering up some deficiencies in the property itself…but what if the equity is indeed haunted to the core? From director David Ryan Keith comes Ghosts Of Darkness, one of those flicks that will make you want to read the extremely fine print when attempting to acquire a new abode for the family.

Richmond Manor is the place to be (or the place to die, for all you morbid types) – you see, the chateau itself seems to have somewhat of a pulse, and that pulse compels the people who choose to reside within its walls to either kill or be killed – now try typing that filter into Zillow and see if you get any worthwhile estates in which to invest! In the film, an unscrupulous owner of the property decides that a publicity stunt would be the best avenue to bring a bit of notoriety to the manor and to hopefully wipe the slate clean. So, at the request of a mysterious (and unknown) person, a paranormal investigators and renowned psychic are brought in to see if they can provide no evidence of any malevolent activity – the hook? They’ve got to reside in the manor for a scant 72 hours – uh, no thanks! There are both personal and business odds at hand here, and it creates some rather interesting dilemmas for the duo.

Sadly, the hopes and dreams for an eventful three-day ghost hunting expedition fall flatter than a pancake, as the normal occurrences begin to manifest over their stay – lights flickering, doors closing, shadows moving past dimly lit hallways – there unfortunately just isn’t much to champion here. Both the performances and cinematography however, are able to reel this film up from the nowhere depths of obscurity, but sadly there are WAY too many movies that employ all of the aforementioned tactics in order to scare the pants off of you and it’s already worked time and again. Not to toss Ghosts Of Darkness under the bus, as I can certainly respect David Ryan Keith’s ability to tell a story on film, but this particular go-round has seen its tires’ treads ground down to a bald surface – “been there, done that” once again.

The post Ghosts Of Darkness (2017) appeared first on Dread Central.

When it comes to the work of Joe Lynch, you can be assured of several things… It’s gonna be fun, it’s gonna be gory, and you’re gonna wanna watch it again. The poster for his latest film, Mayhem, promises a lot of the second item on that list.

“The Walking Dead’s” Steven Yeun, Samara Weaving (The Babysitter), Steven Brand, Caroline Chikezie, Kerry Fox, Irene Smythe, and Dallas Roberts star.

Look for more on this one soon!

Synopsis:
After being framed for corporate espionage on the same day that a mysterious virus is unleashed on his company, attorney Derek Cho is forced to savagely fight tooth and nail for not only his job but his life.

The post SXSW 2017: Joe Lynch’s Mayhem Gets a Bloody Poster appeared first on Dread Central.

We’ve been waiting years and years and years for a sequel to Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon, but it seems as if the video gods are just not smiling upon us just yet.

As a result, an Indiegogo campaign has just launched for the prequel-remake-sequel, Before the Mask: The Return of Leslie Vernon.

From the Site:
You’ve been dying to know what happened to Leslie Vernon after you saw him pop back up in the morgue during the end credits of Behind the Mask, and here’s your chance! The screenplay for our sequel, Before the Mask: the Return of Leslie Vernon, is being transposed into a comic series; and we are ready to unleash it on you, our fans!

Head on over to Indiegogo, and let’s get this bad boy made!

The post Before the Mask: The Return of Leslie Vernon to Arrive as a Comic appeared first on Dread Central.

More casting news has come for Victor Salva’s Jeepers Creepers 3, as Meg Foster (31, Masters of the Universe, The Lords of Salem) is the next to tango with the Creeper.

The news emerged today via Instagram when the following image was posted from the set.

Brandon Stacy, Gina Philips, and Jonathan Breck star in the film. which also includes: Chester Rushing (“Stranger Things“), Ryan Moore (Pitchfork), Patrick Thomas Cragin (“How to Be a Vampire”), Brandon Smith (“From Dusk Till Dawn”), Gabrielle Haugh (Mother, May I Sleep With Danger?), and Justin Hall (Django Unchained).

Stan Shaw, Michael Papajohn, Megan Elizabeth Wright, Jason Bayle, Cade Burk, Joyce Giraud, Jordan Salloum, Don Yesso, David Davis, Casey Hendershot, Thomas Francis Murphy, and Carrie Lazar also have roles in the production.

The third film sees Philips return as Trish, who now worries that years later, the Creeper (once again played by Jonathan Breck) will take her son, just as it did her brother. Her solution is to go after the Creeper herself.

EDITOR’S NOTE:
Dread Central both acknowledges and condemns the past crimes committed by Victor Salva. However, we are a news website dedicated to bringing you the headlines, and we cannot and will not let our personal beliefs influence how we bring you news. Instead, we leave it for you to decide whom or what you should or shouldn’t support. For those of you who want to further rally against Salva, there’s a petition here to boycott his upcoming film. Thank you.

The post Meg Foster Signs on for Jeepers Creepers 3 appeared first on Dread Central.

Speaking as someone who knows a thing or 10k about working on a documentary that reveres a film franchise, I can tell you first-hand it’s pretty hard work. But when it comes together… man, it can be magic.

This latest doc to focus on the Ghostbusters franchise, Cleanin’ Up the Town: Remembering Ghostbusters, shows a lot of promise.

Eight years in the making and with over seventy cast and crew interviews, Cleanin’ Up the Town: Remembering Ghostbusters is looking to be the definitive documentary that charts how Ghostbusters and Ghostbusters 2 came to fruition and how these films were made by the people that made them.

Interviews include actors in the film Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis, Ernie Hudson, Sigourney Weaver, Annie Potts, David Margulies, William Atherton, Kurt Fuller, and Jason Reitman; director Ivan Reitman; producer Michael C. Gross; visual effects crew including Richard Edlund, Terry Windell, Dennis Muren, and Steve Johnson; and musicians Ray Parker, Jr., and The Bus Boys. Anthony Bueno directs.

The post New Ghostbusters Doc Ready to Start Cleanin’ Up the Town appeared first on Dread Central.

Hey, fang fans! Missing your vampires? Well then, this should get your motors running!

Variety is reporting that U.S. sales and production house Voltage Pictures has picked up international sales rights to six-part horror series “Age of the Living Dead.”

Nicola Posenor (Mythica, “Life Bites”) stars alongside David Meadows (Captain Phillips, Imperium) and Estella Warren (Planet of the Apes, Beauty and Beast) in the saga of a country consumed by an apocalyptic plague of vampirism and war.

The company will launch the film at Hong Kong FilMart this week and take it next month to MIP-TV in Cannes. Voltage SVP of international sales Alexandra Cocean heads the sales effort.

The story involves humans providing vampires on the opposite coast with a compulsory, weekly blood donation. Eventually the humans manage to re-arm and plan a nuclear strike on the vampires as a final strategy to end the war.

The series is produced by showrunners Simon Phillips and Paul Tanter, who also directs (The Rise and Fall of a White Collar Hooligan) at Age of the Living Dead Productions. The pair are industry leaders in U.K. genre productions, having produced 40 films and TV shows between them for companies including Lionsgate, E1, Momentum, Studio Canal, and Universal.

The post Voltage Celebrates the Age of the Living Dead appeared first on Dread Central.

We’ve already seen the various covers for and a few pages of interior art from Titan Comics’ upcoming four-issue “sequel” to the Showtime series “Penny Dreadful,” and today we’re happy to share a peek at the first lettered pages from Issue 1 of Penny Dreadful: The Awaking by Jesús Hervás.

About Penny Dreadful: The Awaking:
Written by “Penny Dreadful” TV series co-executive producer Chris King, with interior art from Jesús Hervás (Sons of Anarchy) and colors by Jason Wordie, this new comic sees Ethan Chandler (portrayed by Josh Hartnett in the series) unable to move on. As he searches desperately for meaning in a world without Vanessa, ancient words echo across the centuries, and he is called on once again to take up arms against the creatures crawling out of the night.

The BAFTA Award-winning “Penny Dreadful” TV show — created, written, and executive produced by three-time Oscar nominee John Logan (Hugo, Gladiator, Skyfall, Spectre) — features classic characters from Victorian Gothic literature and a host of brand-new characters, including Vanessa Ives, Sir Malcolm Murray, Frankenstein’s Monster, Sembene, and Mina Harker.

Titan Comics’ Penny Dreadful #1: The Awaking comes with six fantastic covers to collect from artists including Stephen Mooney (Half Past Danger), Rob Davis (The Motherless Oven), Shane Pierce (Judge Dredd, Vikings), and Louie De Martinis (Penny Dreadful prequel mini-series) and also two incredible connecting photo variant covers.

Penny Dreadful #1: The Awaking hits comic stores and digital platforms on April 5, 2017. Pre-order it from TFAW now!

The post First Lettered Art Revealed from Penny Dreadful: The Awaking Issue #1 appeared first on Dread Central.

While running screaming through the halls of this year’s SXSW Film Festival, our own Jonathan Barkan caught up with Mayhem director Joe Lynch to get the skinny on his latest flick! Dig it!

“The Walking Dead’s” Steven Yeun, Samara Weaving (The Babysitter), Steven Brand, Caroline Chikezie, Kerry Fox, Irene Smythe, and Dallas Roberts star.

Look for more on this one soon!

Synopsis:
After being framed for corporate espionage on the same day that a mysterious virus is unleashed on his company, attorney Derek Cho is forced to savagely fight tooth and nail for not only his job but his life.

The post SXSW 2017: Joe Lynch Talks Mayhem! appeared first on Dread Central.

We’re pretty excited to check out this weekend’s upcoming horror release The Belko Experiment, especially given its pedigree of director Greg McLean and writer James Gunn.  If you’d like to learn a bit more about the film, then check out this new video, in which the pair take us behind the scenes.

Want even more? We also have a new TV spot to share!

Look for The Belko Experiment in theaters on March 17th courtesy of Orion Releasing and BH Tilt.

The film stars John Gallagher, Jr. (“The Newsroom,” 10 Cloverfield Lane), Adria Arjona (“True Detective”), Tony Goldwyn (“Scandal”), John C. McGinley (Stan Against Evil, “Scrubs”), Josh Brener (“Silicon Valley”), Michael Rooker (“The Walking Dead,” Guardians of the Galaxy), Sean Gunn (Guardians of the Galaxy), and Melonie Diaz (Fruitvale Station).

Synopsis:
The Belko Experiment explores a twisted social experiment, in which a group of 80 Americans are locked in their high-rise corporate office in Bogata, Colombia, and ordered by an unknown voice coming from the company’s intercom system to participate in a deadly game of kill or be killed.

The post Go Behind the Scenes of The Belko Experiment with Greg McLean and James Gunn appeared first on Dread Central.

Starring Christa B. Allen, Carly Schroeder, Mary O’Neil, Derek Smith

Directed by Blake Reigle

If you’re a slave to cult movies – I don’t mean cult-classics, but movies about cults – then you are in for a real treat in One of Us, directed by Blake Reigle, whose first feature, Beneath the Surface, was a film festival faves for years. It’s nice to see him following up with such a polished, eerie, nicely contained film.

When I say eerie, I mean that, but in my opinion it isn’t a horror film (as noted on some sites). It’s a psychological thriller, centered on one woman’s determination to get to the ugly truth behind a seemingly benign movement that shucks city ways and strives to get back to nature.

When investigative journalist Melanie Roberts (Christa B. Allen) takes it upon herself to find her mysteriously missing friend, Haley (Lisseth Chavez), she burrows herself deep undercover at the mountain retreat of the Ascension Family Commune. Under the pretense of joining, Melanie connects with Brent (Derek Smith), the persuasive leader of the all-girl group, and finagles her way in. Melanie, using the name Mary, tries to get in with the women living on the farm, but Brent’s acolytes stay silent about Haley’s disappearance… making Melanie wonder if her friend may actually have been murdered or sacrificed. Before long Melanie begins suffering from nightmarish visions; her journey down the rabbit hole has just begun. In fact: bunny-lovers beware, because part of her initiation into the commune is having to butcher the cutest baby rabbit you have ever seen!

The accomplished music and cinematography belie the fact that this is a lower-budget film. It really pops in the visuals and sound. The actors are all good, and they work well together as an ensemble. One of Us was shot on location in the Southern California mountain resort of Idyllwild, with is part of the San Bernardino National Forest. It really lends to the authenticity of the story, which never goes too far off the reservation. Brent isn’t overly magnetic or insanely handsome, and he doesn’t pontificate with the power of, say, a Jim Jones. The girls in the commune are all very pretty, but they aren’t robots and they are allowed out in society; they take turns working in the little curio shoppe and bakery Ascension owns and operates. So, while this may lessen the “horror” side of things, it’s actually quite different and refreshing to show how subtly insidious these cults can be. (If you are enjoying “The Path” series on Hulu, you’ll like One of Us.)

While it’s a slow burn, One of Us does come to a fiery close, and at a tight 86 minutes it never wears out its welcome. Well worth a look!

The post One of Us (2017) appeared first on Dread Central.

In probably the most unexpected news story of the day, THR is reporting that Leprechaun director Mark Jones nearly brought us another pint-sized iteration of evil incarnate in the form of Vamprechaun. Chew on that for a little while.

Even weirder, there’s a lawsuit pending… and what a twisted tale it is!

According to the site, Jones is suing Lance Thompson for allegedly lying about being an attorney and causing him to lose financing on his film, according to a complaint filed in California federal court.

Jones says he began developing the “vamprechaun” character — a leprechaun-vampire hybrid — in or before 2009. He put the project on hold because he was focused on finding funding for his 2013 film, Scorned, which was further along in the development process. Thompson secured funding for the film and also acted as production attorney for the project.

On the way to a breakfast meeting concerning Scorned, Jones mentioned the Vamprechaun idea to Thompson for the first time, according to the complaint.

“On that drive, Jones and Thompson did not discuss either the character or the story line, or the project, in any further detail. Jones simply explained that the idea involved a leprechaun who is bitten by a vampire and becomes one himself,” writes attorney Alan Dowling in the complaint.

Jones claims Thompson was enthusiastic about the idea and willing to seek financing but told him he’d need a script in order to approach potential financiers. Jones wrote a spec script in 2013 and registered it with both the Writers Guild and U.S. Copyright Office. None of Thompson’s financing efforts were successful, and Jones says the two “parted ways” as far as Vamprechaun was concerned.

Now here’s where it gets, shall we say… odd…

A few years later, George Saadi, who is also a plaintiff in the suit, introduced Jones to “American Gladiators” creator John Ferraro Sr. Ferraro and his son were interested in financing the project but were concerned about infringement claims from the Leprechaun copyright owners. So Jones says he turned to Thompson, who he believed was an attorney, for legal advice. Thompson sent a letter to Ferraro explaining that any infringement claim would be “spurious” and that Vamprechaun was an original blending of two public-domain characters.

Then, Jones claims, Thompson began acting as the production attorney on the project, even though he had not been hired as such. So Jones and Saadi informed Thompson he had no “further or ongoing involvement” in the project — which prompted Thompson to claim that he and Jones created the character together during that 2013 pre-breakfast chat.

Saadi’s brother, an attorney, sent Thompson a letter refuting his statements and indicating that any further communications to third parties about his purported claim to the idea would constitute tortuous interference. Despite the warning, Thompson emailed Ferraro’s son, claiming to be a partner in the project, but refused to show proof that supported his assertions, according to the complaint.

That’s when Jones and Saadi say they learned Thompson had never been licensed to practice law in California and that his license in Ohio had been lapsed for more than a decade.

“As a direct and proximate result of Defendant Thompson’s wrongful actions complained of herein, on December 9, 2016, the Ferraros/Mansky Productions gave notice to Jones, Saadi, and Vamprechaun Productions that due to Thompson’s unresolved claims they would not be going forward with the financing of the ‘Vamprechaun’ project, and they withdrew from it,” writes Dowling.

Jones is suing for copyright infringement, slander of title, and intentional and negligent interference with prospective economic advantage and is seeking at least $3 million in damages.

The post Vamprechaun Nearly Put the Bite on Fans; Lawsuit Gets Uglier Than Creature appeared first on Dread Central.

The glory that is Kong: Skull Island (review) is currently rampaging through a theater near you, but that’s not stopping the news – or the posters for that matter – from coming!

Recently director Jordan Vogt-Roberts sat down with Empire and scooped them on his original pitch for the film’s opening and closing.

“The alternate opening that I pitched to them, the studio said: ‘No. You’re crazy. You can’t do that.’ So it’s World War II. A full squad comes to this beach. They’re killing each other – and then suddenly, this giant monkey (that looks a lot like the monkey from the last King Kong movie) comes out of the jungle. And they just kill it. It’s dead. And you’re sitting there going, ‘Wait, did they just kill King Kong? Did they kill the hero of this film?’”

“And then you’d hear a roar and see a much bigger creature – the real King Kong. That was the crazy version of me wanting to send a message that this isn’t like other King Kong movies that you’ve seen. The studio were like: ‘You can’t do that.’”

As for the post-credits sequence which had fans (myself included) squealing with joy, that was also pitched a bit differently…

“We had a bunch of different variations for that. There was one version of that scene where [Tom Hiddleston’s character] Conrad and [Brie Larson’s character] Weaver were on a boat in the Arctic Ocean with [Corey Hawkins’ character] Brooks. Conrad and Vernon say, ‘What are we waiting for?’, and Brooks is like, ‘Hold on, hold on…’ – and then Godzilla surfaces and breaks through the ice.”

“But then we realized that doesn’t really jive with Godzilla because in Godzilla they say he hasn’t really surfaced since the atomic bomb tests. So it became this much more stripped down scene. The response to it has shocked me a little bit. It seems to be very evocative.”

As for those new posters…

Jordan 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 (review) is in theaters NOW from Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.

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.

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.

The post Kong: Skull Island – Alternate Pitch Sees Kong Die Early and Godzilla Make the Cut? More New Posters appeared first on Dread Central.

A new horror comedy is headed our way from Hong Kong, and we’re ready to greet it with open arms. THR has brought the news that first-time feature directors Yan Pak-wing and Chiu Sin-hang are getting set to unleash the Vampire Cleanup Department!

Susan Shaw, Chin Siu-Ho, BabyJohn Choi, and Richard Ng star.

Look for the film at Fantasia and more!

Synopsis:
One day nerdy geek Tim Cheung (BabyJohn Choi) is accidentally rescued by the VCD. The department advisor, Uncle Chung (Ng Yiu-Hon), discovers his immunity against the vampire toxin. Owing to his unlimited potential, Team Captain Chau (Chin Siu-Ho), Magic Maoshan-taoist Ginger (Yuen Cheung-Yan), technical support specialist M (Bondy Chiu), and weapon expert Kui (Law Mon) teach him all their knowledge and skills in order to turn him into the next Vampire Hunter! However, Tim comes to feel sympathy for a pretty lady vampire called Summer. Eventually, he violates VCD’s command and ends up living with her, triggering an attack from the Vampire King…

The post Vampire Cleanup Department Clears Out the Dirty Undead appeared first on Dread Central.

If you missed out on getting yourself a copy of one of the single most badass horror board games ever created, Mixtape Massacre, we’ve got some REALLY good news for you! If you already have it and want to expand the experience, hell, we’ve got some REALLY good news for you, too!

From the Press Release:
Mixtape Massacre is back! It’s the ultimate horror board game where up to 6 players compete as horror film archetypes in a fictional 1986 killing spree to be remembered. The original run of the project was successfully funded on Kickstarter, and the first run sold out shortly after.

Pre-orders for the second run begin on Wednesday, March 15, 2017, with an exclusive price of $49.99 (usual MSRP $59.99) plus shipping. The game is scheduled to begin shipping out to customers in May 2017.

As an awesome bonus, the first 100 pre-orders will receive a free vinyl sticker pack. If you’re late to the party, sticker packs will be available in the online store, along with other new items to be released very soon.

To pre-order the game, be sure to visit mixtapemassacre.com on March 15th.

If all that wasn’t enough, an expansion for the game, The Black Masque, will go live on Kickstarter on May 16th. The expansion will introduce additional Killer Scenes, Bonus Tracks, all-new Challenge Dice, Event Cards, and new gameplay mechanics!

To learn more about The Black Masque Expansion, click here! 

The post Mixtape Massacre Back for Second Run! New Expansion Announced! appeared first on Dread Central.

Nothing makes us happier to hear than the announcement of a new flick featuring all manner of monsters. Such is the case with Darkmouth, which has landed a director duo who have more than made their bones in kid-friendly fare.

According to Deadline, David Pimentel (Moana) and Douglas Sweetland (Storks) have been set to direct Darkmouth, an animated feature film from Alcon Entertainment based on Irish author Shane Hegarty’s children’s book series. The fantasy adventure will be adapted by Lloyd Taylor.

Like the books, the film will center on an overeager kid who bites off more than he can chew when he prematurely jumps into the family business: hunting monsters. Canyon Creek Films’ Simon Brooks and 8:38’s Kira Davis, who brought the project to Alcon, will produce with Craig Peck and Alcon’s Andrew Kosove and Broderick Johnson.

HarperCollins Children’s Books has published the first three installments of Hegarty’s series: Darkmouth: The Legends Begin, Worlds Explode, and Chaos Descends in the UK, Ireland, Australia, and the US.

The post A Darkmouth Opens for Storks Director and Moana Story Head appeared first on Dread Central.

The cast of the film adaptation of the hit video game Rampage continues to grow as Variety is reporting that both Jack Quaid (Tragedy Girls) and Matt Gerald (Bright) have signed on for monster busting duty.

They join the previously announced P.J. Byrne, Naomie Harris, Joe Manganiello, Marley Shelton, and Breanne Hill, who co-star alongside Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.

The movie reunites Johnson with his San Andreas team of director Brad Peyton and producer Beau Flynn. The writers include Ryan Engle, who penned the original draft, Adam Sztykiel, Carlton Cuse, and Ryan Condal.

Plot details are being kept under wraps, but like the game, Rampage will feature three creatures — a monstrously transformed gorilla, crocodile, and wolf — who wreak havoc on North American cities and landmarks.

Producers are Flynn of Flynn Picture Company, John Rickard of Wrigley Pictures, and Hiram Garcia of Johnson’s own Seven Bucks Productions. Peyton is also producing through his ASAP Entertainment banner. Johnson and Dany Garcia are executive producing, along with Marcus Viscidi and Jeff Fierson. Wendy Jacobson will co-produce on behalf of Flynn Picture.

New Line will release Rampage on April 20, 2018.

The post Two More Go on a Rampage With the Rock appeared first on Dread Central.

We’re incredibly excited to bring you a double-feature today from avant-garde industrial goth group Bestial Mouths and its frontwoman Lynette Cerezo! Not only has Cerezo put together a list of five stellar examples of feminist horror films but we’ve got a first listen of “Witch-Dance”, which comes from tomorrow’s (STILL) Heartless! If you’ve been looking for something that is haunting and unsettling, then look no further. You’ll hear inspirations from Diamanda Galas and Siouxsie Sioux in the track below, which I don’t recommend listening to with the lights off!

Cerezo tells us:
““Witch-Dance” was inspired by V. who is 7 years old, I received a video of her singing “Are we dead or are we doomed” on her toy synth. I could not erase her voice or words from my mind on our last European tour, I knew this meant it had to become a new song (we all would sing it out loud even in the van). My aim was to make it a very emotionally intense song, that would really captured peoples attention. It is almost an acappella song, highlighting my varying vocal deliver, meant to to capture all the different mind frames/moods a person can go through. The message is loud and clear, it is time for all of us to wake up (become undead) and participate in society and the worlds future, but lets just hope we are not too late to make a difference (“doomed” & “we are ruins”). Lets hope we all hear V’s message that it is a time of awakening, calling all of us to action, as she fears for her worlds future.”

(STILL) Heartless takes tracks from Bestial Mouths’ 2016 album Heartless and saw them remixed by artists such as Die Krupps, The Horrorist, Ludovico Technique, and more. You can pre-order it using the iTunes, Amazon, and Bandcamp links below.

1. A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night (2014)

A mysterious female vampire who stalks her Iranian town killing pimps and drug dealer, exposing a patriarchal society’s secrets. Finally, a strong female character (Who needs no one else) that is not overly sexualized, overly hysterical (She remains always so cool, calm and collected) and preying on those who oppress & hurt woman. It’s even more female empowering considering it’s a Persian-American film. Amazingly shot in black and white, the shadowy nature adds to this secretive and dark feature. To me, it’s the perfect modern day vampire horror film.

2. Let the Right One In (2008)

Another female vampire film, but this time Swedish and the girl is only 12. She befriends a lonely bullied boy and gives him the strength to fight back against his classmates and stand up for himself. It is beautifully romantic and touching as their friendship & love unfolds in the frozen nights, forming a true blood bond, but also full of intriguing disappearances and murders. Not only does a girl teach a boy courage, but it also deals with a woman forever trapped in a young, adolescent body.

3. Alien (1979)

Forever my role model, Ripley is the epitome of feminist power (Smart and resilient). Not only was she a female in a male dominated field, space travel and science, but she will fight to survive under all conditions, and is simply bad ass. Part sci-fi, part action but definitely horror as the alien will make you jump in fear.

4. [Rec] (2007)

Rec is a Spanish zombie horror movie whose title is short for “record” as it appears on a video camera. Filmed as a found footage movie, it is about a female television reporter who finds herself locked in a apartment building due to some sort of terrifying “outbreak”. From the moment the movie begins, you never get a breath or moment to relax – her hyper personality, the speed at which the virus spreads, and the “shaky camera” technique increase your heart rate.
At first she may seem the stereotype, but once pushed, and after realizing the government has abandoned them, she proves the strongest. She even survives to find the source: A young infected girl locked away to starve to death… So, even a female head zombie!

5. Only Lovers Left Alive (2013)

Directed by Jim Jarmusch, this Vampire film could easily be seen as superficial, maybe because it’s full of music, art, books, poetry and the wealthy privileged elite. However, unlike most horror films, the lead female vampire (Eve) is completely equal with her male vampire partner (Adam), even living in separate locations with their own lives. The movie is truly about the tender union between the two. Eve remains grounded in life, able to go with the flux of generations and times, as she helps Adam adapt and recover from his depression. It’s kind of like a grown-up vampire movie commenting on humans (Called “zombies”) ruining society.

Bestial Mouths online:
Facebook
Official Website
Soundcloud
Instagram
iTunes
Bandcamp
Amazon

Upcoming tour dates:
Fri. Mar. 17 – ONCE Lounge – Somerville, MA (Boston)
Sun. Mar. 19 – Bowery Electric – New York, NY
Mon. Mar. 20 – The Barbary – Philadelphia, PA
Tue. Mar. 21 – Fallout – Richmond, VA
Wed. Mar. 22 – The End – Nashville, TN
Fri. Mar. 24 – Howlers – Pittsburgh, PA
Sat. Mar. 25 – The Mockbee – Cincinnati, OH
Wed. Mar. 29 – Crack Fox – St. Louis, MO
Thur. Mar. 30 – Prohibition Hall – Kansas City, MO
Sat. Apr. 1 – Elysium – Austin, TX
Wed. Apr. 5 – Bar 407 – Albuquerque, NM
Thur. Apr. 6 – Valley Bar – Phoenix, AZ
Fri. Apr. 7 – Complex – Los Angeles, CA
Sun. Apr. 9 – Elbo Room – San Francisco, CA
Tue. Apr. 11 – The Eclypse – Boise, ID
Thur. Apr. 13 – Lovecraft Bar – Portland, OR
Fri. Apr. 14 – Mechanismus at Highline – Seattle, WA
Sat. Apr. 15 – Verboden 2017 Festival at Astoria Hastings – Vancouver, BC

The post Bestial Mouths’ Lynette Cerezo Picks 5 Fantastic Feminist Horror Films and We’ve Got a Song Premiere of “Witch-Dance” appeared first on Dread Central.

AMBI Media Group just announced that they will release the sci-fi thriller from Steven Shainberg, Rupture, exclusively on DirecTV March 30th, and in theaters, VOD and Digital HD on April 28th.

The film is based on a story by Shainberg and Brian Nelson. Nelson wrote the screenplay.

Noomi Rapace (Prometheus), Peter Stormare (Clown), Michael Chiklis (“American Horror Story: Freak Show”), Kerry Bishé (Argo, “Sex and the City”), Lesley Manville (Maleficent), and Ari Millen (“Orphan Black”) star.

Synopsis:
Renee Morgan (Rapace), a single mom who lives with her twelve-year-old son, Evan, in a quiet suburban home, is terrified of spiders. Unbeknownst to both, their every move is being observed. While running her daily errands, her car breaks down; and she is violently kidnapped by a group of strangers.

About 24 hours later, in an anonymous laboratory, she is tied up and questioned about her medical history, including her great fear of spiders. Soon her captors explain to her that her genetic abnormality can potentially allow her to “Rupture,” revealing her own true alien nature.

The post DirecTV Suffers a Rupture in April appeared first on Dread Central.