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Rebellion Joins the Strange Brigade

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From the makers of the Sniper: Elite franchise and the badass Zombie Army Trilogy comes a new 4-player experience that’s ready to bring gamers into the fray with the Strange Brigade!

Set during the 1930s, Strange Brigade takes place in the remotest corners of the British Empire where the supernatural lurks and shadows linger. Discover fantastic and long-forgotten civilizations steeped in mystery, and stumble upon ancient and dangerous tombs. Explore unbeaten paths as four dashing explorers each possessing unique weapons, tactics and even their own supernatural talents in this third-person action adventure.

Look more, including an official release date, on this one soon. Strange Brigade will be available on Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC later this year.

Strange Brigade

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Doug Liman Beats Off Aliens in Unearthed

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Them pesky extraterrestrials are back and this time we have a truly kickass director spinning their tale! Get your probes out, kids, because Variety is reporting that Columbia Pictures has picked up the rights to Unearthed, a sci-fi adventure that has Doug Liman attached to direct.

Jez and John-Henry Butterworth are penning the script, which is an adaptation of the upcoming YA book by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner. Cross Creek Pictures’ Tyler Thompson will produce.

The project was initially being developed by Cross Creek Pictures, which acquired the rights last year. Cross Creek will retain the right to co-finance under its deal with Columbia, which is eyeing the title as a potential franchise.

Set in a distant future where Earth has been undone by environmental disaster, Unearthed sees a scholar and a scavenger reluctantly team up to venture to the planet of a now-extinct alien race. With the promise of a salve for Earth, the two must work together to explore an ancient alien temple and finds its life-altering secrets. But the deeper they go, the more the two discover they may not be helping Earth, but rather hastening its destruction.

The book is due to be published in January 2018.

Generic Alien

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LAFF 2017: Midnighters Gets a Foggy New One-Sheet

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Another flick having its world premiere at this year’s LAFF is the upcoming Julius Ramsay-directed horror/thriller Midnighters. Get ready for a look at the poster courtesy of Coming Soon.

The 2017 Los Angeles Film Festival runs June 14th-22nd. Ticket information can be found right here.

Midnighters stars Alex Essoe (Starry Eyes), Perla Haney Jardine (Dark Water), Dylan McTee, Ward Horton (Annabelle), and Joseph Lee Anderson. It was written by Alston Ramsay.

New Year’s Eve, a married couple hits a stranger walking on a dark forest road. In a panic, they take the body home so as to sober up before turning themselves in. But they soon discover that the man wasn’t dead after all – that he was in fact armed and already on his way to their house. As the family is thrust into a deepening mystery, they discover that no one is who they seem – including each other.

Midnighters

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SURPRISE! Amityville: Awakening Bumped From the Summer Schedule AGAIN!

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I am so friggin’ shocked,” said absolutely no one. Deadline is reporting that the Weinstein’s are officially moving Blumhouse’s Amityville: The Awakening off its June 30 release to a date to be determined. Just for reference the flick was originally slated to come out September of 2014. Three year’s strong, baby! FTW!

Amityville: The Awakening was trimmed from an R rating down to a PG-13 for “disturbing horror violence and terror, suggestive images, brief language and thematic material.” The previous R rating was for “strong horror violence and language.”

The film stars Bella Thorne, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Cameron Monaghan, Thomas Mann, Taylor Spreitler, Mckenna Grace, and Kurtwood Smith. Daniel Farrands and Casey La Scala co-wrote the script and produce with Jason Blum of hit factory Blumhouse. Franck Khalfoun (Maniac) directs.

Synopsis:
Belle and her family move into a new house, but when strange phenomena begin to occur in the house, Belle begins to suspect her mother isn’t telling her everything and soon realizes they just moved into the infamous Amityville house.

Amityville The Awakening

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New Trailer Enters The Killing Ground

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IFC Midnight acquired North American rights to Sundance survival horror flick Killing Ground a while back, and finally a new trailer for this intense little film has landed online. IFC Midnight’s latest acquisition will be arriving on VOD platforms July 21, 2017.

About the Film:
Killing Ground is a tightly-wound thriller reminiscent of the 70’s survival thrillers such as Deliverance and Straw Dogs and more recent chillers The Vanishing and Funny Games. The film is a modern campfire story about fear, violence, heroism, and the limits of courage.

This exceptionally well-crafted film is written and directed by Damien Power, who is making his feature film debut. Considered one of Australian’s rising directors and praised for his “original voice and distinctive storytelling,” Power’s short films have been programmed in noteworthy festivals such as Busan and Venice.

The film tells the story of Ian and Samantha, who arrive at an isolated campsite to find an SUV and a tent – no sign of the occupants. As night falls and the campers fail to return, Ian and Sam grow increasingly uneasy. The discovery of a distressed child wandering in the woods unleashes a terrifying chain of events that will test them to the breaking point.

Ian Meadows, who plays Ian, and Harriet Dyer (Logie Award-nominated actress for Most Outstanding Newcomer and Most Popular New Talent), who plays Sam, deliver powerful performances that have audiences feeling every desperate moment.

Aaron Glenane, most recently seen in the film Truth alongside Cate Blanchett and Robert Redford, plays Chook, whose outward calm hides a frightening cruelty. His mentor in murder, German, is played with cold malice by Aaron Pedersen, an award-winning actor best known for the hit thriller Mystery Road. Together, Chook and German are an unforgettable criminal duo.

Killing Ground has a taut, non-linear structure, which contributes to an atmosphere of timeless menace and dread. Tension builds as the narrative threads wind together, danger escalates, and Sam and Ian’s options narrow drastically. The Australian bush setting plays a significant role in the film, and Killing Ground is part of a long tradition of Australian cinema – from Picnic at Hanging Rock to Wolf Creek – that finding a deep sense of unease in a hostile wilderness.

Killing ground

Killing ground

Killing Ground

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Central Park (2017)

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Starring Justiin A. Davis, Ruby Modine, Malika Samuel

Directed by Justin Reinsilber


Using the historic Central Park in New York City certainly added a nice touch to director Justin Reinsilber’s slasher flick,…you guessed it: Central Park, although far too much formulaic instances left this one buried deep in the woods, and not a cell signal to be found, because you know in this day and age, people can’t find their own front doors without one. Let’s fasten up our turd-guards, cause this one’s gonna get messy.

Let’s see…about that repetitious blueprint for a slasher-flick…what do we need? Brain-dead, drugged-out, oversexed teens with a need to rebel? Got em. A sprawling canvas in which to effectively spray some crimson around in reckless fashion? Got it. A seemingly thin backstory that hopefully can sustain the weight of an otherwise paltry display? BOOM. Okay, so all of the pieces are in place, so let’s dine, shall we? The film’s main focus is Harold (Davis), who’s in a bit of a dismal stretch in his uniformed high-school days – you see, his dear old daddy is a financial scumbag who bilked a number of suckers out of millions of greenbacks, and the authorities have closed in like buzzards on a fresh kill. So Howard’s doltish high-school buds decide it’s for the better to shake him out of this depressing state by having a little drug-and booze-fueled fiesta in his honor inside of, you guessed it, Central Park at night.

We get the whole “story about a killer in the park” and it’s as safe and sanitary as one of those bathroom napkins, but hey, you need an effective psycho with an axe to grind, don’t you? Anyhoo, it’s not too long into the scaled-down celebration that our moronic lab-rats begin to get picked off in the most unspectacular of ways – seriously, gorehounds – you’ll be severely disappointed with the lack of crimson go-go juice hitting the lens in this one. Reinsilber does throw a pretty decent twist into the latter stages of this one, but at that point I’d honestly checked out for a short time, and chances are that the majority of you will too. Performances…what can I say about the performances here? Well, the optimal look was to have a bunch of douchey teens, and I’d say the cast-listing hit it out of the park on this one. Their motives are shallow, their actions are inane at times, and they are absolutely the most correct form of fodder for a killer’s attitude. Let’s just chalk this one up as one of those films that I’ll silently applaud, simply due to the notion that it was inspired by some of the greats of the past, but when you pull the skin back, all you see is the same old blood and guts, although there wasn’t much here to speak of. My advice for those wanting to check out this Park? Skip it and find another New York City landmark to take in for entertainment and enrichment purposes.

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Win a Copy of the Camera Obscura Soundtrack on Vinyl!

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Hey you! You like soundtracks? You like horror movies? You dig spinning records? Then listen up as we’re giving away a copy of the soundtrack for Chiller’s Camera Obscura on vinyl to one lucky fan!

The soundtrack for Camera Obscura was composed by Steve Moore, who has composed for several horror films including Adam Wingard’s “Phase 1 Clinical Trials” vignette in V/H/S/ 2 as well as Wingard’s 2014 hit The Guest. Moore then went on to compose for the sci-fi horror film The Mind’s Eye and 2016’s Don’t Knock Twice.

Check out one of the songs on the soundtrack called “The End” below.

To enter for your chance to win, just send an email to contests@dreadcentral.com including your FULL NAME AND MAILING ADDRESS along with “Camera Obscura Vinyl Soundtrack” in your subject line. We’ll take care of the rest.

This contest will end at 12:01 AM PT on June 12. Note: By entering this contest, you are consenting to allow Dread Central and its subsidiaries use of your email address.

Chiller Films will be releasing the horror thriller Camera Obscura in limited theaters on June 9th, followed by VOD and Digital HD on June 13th.

Camera Obscura stars Christopher Denham (“Billions,” Argo), Nadja Bobyleva (Bridge of Spies), Catherine Curtin (“Stranger Things,” “Orange Is the New Black”), Chase Williamson (SIREN, Beyond the Gates), and Noah Segan (The Mind’s Eye, Tales of Halloween).

The film was written by Aaron B. Koontz, who is making his directorial debut, as well as Cameron Burns.

Synopsis:
A veteran war photographer with PTSD sees imminent deaths in his developed photos, questioning his already fragile sanity and putting the lives of those he loves in danger.

Camera Obscura

The post Win a Copy of the Camera Obscura Soundtrack on Vinyl! appeared first on Dread Central.

Horrible Imaginings Podcast #176: Etheria Film Night 2017!

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Hello, listeners! Sorry for the long break between episodes as we plan the next film festival, on top of me moving, my cat dying, a violent car accident, and a lot of other bullshit. This show is not about any of that, though, but about something fun instead!

That’s right… this past Saturday, June 3rd, was the fourth annual Etheria Film Night, an evening of short films that showcase women directors of genre cinema, be it horror, sci-fi, action, or fantasy.

My good friends Stacy Pippi and Heidi Honeycutt have been kicking ass putting this together for years now, but I have had a hard time being able to make the trip until this year. Of course, I have to put this episode together to highlight the awesome films we saw! Joining me is Horrible Imaginings Outreach Director Sterling Anno, as well as the effervescent Tara Price, director of Etheria Film Night selection Earworm!

Stacy Pippi, Tara Price, Miguel Rodriguez, and Sterling Anno are delirious after a crazy Etheria Film Night!

In this episode we discuss each film, get some feedback from a popular NPR show host about a particular figure of speech, and laugh a lot. Enjoy; and don’t forget to subscribe, share, and rate us on iTunes!

Subscribe to the Horrible Imaginings Podcast right here. You can also listen here on Dread Central or on the Horrible Imaginings website. You can help keep the podcast, the film festival, and our horror community going for only $1 per month! Become a patron at our Patreon for exclusive content and perks! Find out about San Diego horror events on our FacebookTwitterInstagram, and YouTube pages, and always stay scared!

The post Horrible Imaginings Podcast #176: Etheria Film Night 2017! appeared first on Dread Central.


#Brainwaves Episode 48: Alta and Chad Dillard – Authors and Alien Abductees – LISTEN NOW!

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Get your probes out, kids, as Brainwaves: Horror and Paranormal Talk Radio will be going where no man has gone before… well… not really. We just always wanted to say that.

Joining us for our 48th was Alta and Chad Dillard, authors of the book Orbducted in the French Quarter and former alien abductees – complete with implants!

Yep! It’s time to head out of this world! Get ready for one of the most bizarre stories we’ve ever heard.

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

Orbducted 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, @JoeKnetter, or @MrDarkDC and @JonathanBarkan 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!

The post #Brainwaves Episode 48: Alta and Chad Dillard – Authors and Alien Abductees – LISTEN NOW! appeared first on Dread Central.

Etheria Film Night 2017 – Exclusive Report

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Etheria Film Night is the world’s most respected (and most fun!) showcase of new horror, comedy, science fiction, fantasy, action, and thriller films made by emerging women directors. Previously it was known as Viscera, and the focus was more on horror. The festival is run by Heidi Honeycutt, Stacy Pippi Hammon, and Kayley Viteo.

This year’s guests of honor were legendary film producer Roger Corman and grindhouse/drive-in director Stephanie Rothman. Corman was the first to give Rothman her break in directing feature films – Blood Bath, The Velvet Vampire, The Student Nurses, etc., – and he presented her with the 2017 Inspiration Award.

Though the Film Night has traditionally shown a feature along with a slew of shorts, this year it was solely shorts – from all over the world and of different genres. The event took place at the historical Egyptian Theater in Hollywood, CA, on June 3, 2017.

Do No Harm
Directed by Roseanne Liang (12:00) (Action/Thriller) (New Zealand)
In an aging private hospital, a surgeon is forced to break her physician’s oath when violent gangsters storm in to stop a crucial operation.

Einstein-Rosen
Directed by Olga Osorio (13:00) (Science Fiction) (Spain)
Summer of 1982. Teo claims he has found a wormhole. His brother, Óscar, does not believe him…at least not for now.

Earworm
Directed by Tara Price (5:00) (Horror) (USA)
When a reclusive man is repeatedly woken up over the course of a night by severe headaches, accompanied by musical repetition from an unknown source, his sanity begins to swiftly unravel.

Swell
Directed by Bridget Savage Cole (10:00) (Science Fiction) (USA)
Swell is an app that allows users to change their mood or emotion through sound. When a young couple tries to control each other’s settings, their relationship is tested by a cacophony of emotions.

Jules D.
Directed by Norma Vila (14:00) (Horror/Fantasy) (Spain)
Dreams die, blood is eternal.

The Honeymoon
Directed by Ruth Pickett (12:30) (Dark Comedy) (UK)
A newlywed Christian couple go on their honeymoon to what they believe to be a quaint B&B in the Welsh countryside. But the cottage turns out to be a sex den, and events go horribly wrong.

Real Artists
Directed by Cameo Wood (12:00) (Science Fiction) (USA)
In the near future, a young animator is offered what should be her dream job, but when she discovers the truth of the modern “creative” process, she must make a hard choice about her passion for film.

Kumal
Directed by Thirati Kulyingwattanavit (6:45) (Horror) (USA)
An ancient Thai legend says that if an unborn child is sacrificed to the darkness, eternal life can be attained – at the risk of the restless mother’s spirit exacting her revenge.

We caught up with some guests on the red carpet and took lots of pics! [photos: Aaron Kai]

Bill Moseley, star of such iconic horror pics as Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 and The Devil’s Rejects, said he loves to attend Etheria every year. “It’s fun to hang out with like-minded people. I have seen some cool movies here, and it’s always fun to meet the directors. It’s exciting for me.” When we asked him how many female directors he’s worked with, Bill replied, “Not too many at all. I can’t name a figure, that’s how hard it is. Because there aren’t too many women horror film directors… or the ones who are working are not hiring me.” [laughs] “I’d love to work with Ana Lily Amirpour, the Soska twins, Jessica Cameron… I worked with Jessica as an actor, but not a director.” When it comes to Bill’s most awesome recent event, he said, “My most exciting news is marrying my girlfriend of twenty years. We just got married three months ago.”

Jeffrey Reddick, the writer of the original Final Destination movie, was also on hand to lend his support to the female filmmakers whose work was featured that night. Talk naturally turned to Wonder Woman, since it’s directed by Patty Jenkins and opened at #1. “People are complaining about the all-female screenings of Wonder Woman this weekend, and it’s like, ‘Why are you doing that?’ And I say, ‘It’s because you don’t usually need one.’ It’s like Gay Pride Month and why we don’t have Straight Pride Month because that’s every day.

“It’s always good to encourage and educate the next generation. So it’s good to show people [that women can direct] and African-American people can succeed in horror movies. Now we have Get Out, and thank you, Jordan Peele. It’s important to celebrate and also bring attention to it. I wouldn’t have known their work, if it weren’t for festivals like this,” he said.

Jeffrey has a lot going on in his own career these days. “We have Superstition at Lionsgate. It’s the first slasher movie I’ve ever written, and it’s a 90% African-American and Latino cast… so it’s racially diverse, which I’m very proud of. It’s something I’ve been fighting for, for years. We are also trying to get funding together for me to direct a feature version of Good Samaritan, which was my first short film. And I’m working on a TV series called “The Seed” that’s about a demon created by all the negativity online.”

Finally, it was time to talk to the Big Kahuna himself, Roger Corman. He walked the red carpet with Stephanie Rothman, and his wife, Julie. Then he sat down with us to give us a few words on Stephanie and her contribution to the film world. “Stephanie is an extremely talented woman, and she knows the technique of filmmaking very well. The combination of her intelligence and technical knowledge bring something extra to filmmaking that many directors do not have.”

When asked about being such a mentor to women directors, Roger said, “I wasn’t really trying to give women their first break. I was trying to find the best director, writer, or below the line individual, and if they happened to be a woman, I would hire them. Other guys would look only at men, while I would look at the talent irrespective of their gender.”

Once the theater was filled and introductions were made, it was time to present the well-deserved Inspiration Award to Stephanie. Roger took the stage, flanked by Heidi Honeycutt and Stacy Pippi Hammon, and addressed the crowd: “I would like to present this award to Stephanie Rothman, who has blazed trails for working woman directors. She directed a number of films for me, one of which I remember specifically: Student Nurses, presenting women as taking charge of their own lives. It was the first film made for my company, New World Pictures. It was major success at the time, and I think it still holds up today.”

Stephanie graciously thanked her mentors, including Corman. “He financed my first three films, and he was overwhelmingly supportive. He taught me a lot of what I know of the real world of filmmaking.” She went on to mention the negatives to several of her films, once lost, have now been recovered; and the plan is to restore and release them soon on DVD. “Finally, I would like to share a thought with those women whose films we will watch tonight: You are here because the work you have directed is of high quality. In other words, you are exceptional. By this I mean you are exceptions to the rule that most directors are men. When I was directing films, you could count the amount of female directors on less than one hand. Times have changed. Patty Jenkins is being praised for her direction of Wonder Woman. But [women directors] are still the exception, because their gender is always noted [within that praise]. My hope is that when you find success, you will not forget those women who are still struggling to make it and you will extend a helping hand to them.”

The Audience Award for Best Short went to the gory martial arts thriller Do No Harm, directed by Roseanne Liang.

Etheria

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The Summoner Conjures a Trailer and Poster

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Ahead of its submission to festivals worldwide, the upcoming short The Summoner has conjured up a trailer and a poster.

Background Info
With The Summoner, we set out to create something fresh and modern but with a nostalgic twist. The film is a love letter to action, horror and romance films of the Eighties without having a specific date or time. Last summer, we put the project up on Indiegogo and hit 101%. Filming took place over the course of four days. The original soundtrack was released on Lazerdiscs Records in November 2016 and has gone on to receive rave reviews from fans and critics alike. The film is currently being submitted to festivals worldwide.

Written and Directed by James Secker
Produced by Rob Yeomans
Starring Adam McNab, Mhairi Calvey, Alexandra Hansler, Kate Marie Davies, Mike Carr.

Synopsis:
In a world where spirits of the dead are the most pervasive and dangerous threat we face, the public must call upon the skills of an enigmatic ghost-hunter who gets more than he bargained for facing the most deadly threat of his career.

Original Soundtrack: https://lazerdiscs.bandcamp.com/album/the-summoner-original-soundtrack

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thesummonerfilm

Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheSummonerFilm

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Two New Clips Tease What’s Ahead in The Passing

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Back at the end of last year we learned that Terror Films had a film called The Passing on its release slate for 2017, and now we have the first two clips from the movie to share along with when you’ll be able to check it out.

From the Press Release:
Global Digital Releasing has set a distribution date for the award-winning Welsh drama THE PASSING. The release will go worldwide, across multiple digital and VOD platforms, this Tuesday, June 13th.

The film, which was acquired for North American distribution by XYZ Films, revolves around two young lovers (Annes Elwy and Dyfan Dwyfor). They crash their car into a ravine in the remote mountains of Wales. Dragged from the river by a mysterious figure known as Stanley (Mark Lewis Jones), they are taken to a ramshackle farm; it is a place untouched by time. As events unfold, we learn the explosive truth about the young couple’s past. More unsettling, viewers will discover the ghostly truth about Stanley and the tragedy of the valley he once called home.

The film was written by Ed Talfan and directed by Gareth Bryn.

In addition to winning three 2016 BAFTA Cymru awards (Best Actor: Mark Lewis Jones, Best Writer: Ed Talfan, and Best Production Design: Tim Dickel), the film also won the Univercine Jury Award in the Nantes British Film Festival. Also, it was nominated for Best Debut Screenplay in the British Independent Film Awards 2016.

THE PASSAGE will be available in North America and across the globe on all major platforms including iTunes, Amazon Instant, Seed & Spark, Google Play, Sony PSN, Xbox Live, Vudu, Vimeo on Demand, Steam, Roku, Crackle, Hoopla, and Tubi TV.  A cable VOD release date is coming soon, and the official poster and trailer will debut just prior to the release. 

The post Two New Clips Tease What’s Ahead in The Passing appeared first on Dread Central.

Dark Horse Unveils its American Gods Jack’s Crocodile Bar Glass Sets

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Last month FremantleMedia announced several new licensed products for Starz’s “American Gods” series, and among those mentioned were Dark Horse Deluxe’s upcoming collectibles, which include a sculpted coin replica as well as shot glass and pint glass sets commemorating the infamous watering hole of the Gods, Jack’s Crocodile Bar.

Today we have a look at both glass sets along with a few more details on Dark Horse’s entire line.

From the Press Release:
Dark Horse is excited to announce its first official “American Gods” products. In collaboration with FremantleMedia North America (FMNA), Dark Horse Deluxe, a division of Dark Horse Comics, will release a slate of collectible products including a sculpted coin replica pin, playing cards, barware, embroidered patches, coaster sets, lenticular cards, journals, and optical illusion products.

The Dark Horse Deluxe first product release with FMNA will include a 2-pack pint glass set and a 3-pack shot glass set commemorating the infamous watering hole of the Gods, Jack’s Crocodile Bar.

The American Gods: Shot Glass Set has one glass for each step of Shadow Moon and the mysterious Mr. Wednesday’s fateful deal: one shot glass is the compact, one is the seal, and one is the charm. The American Gods: Shot Glass Set goes on sale August 16, 2017, and retails for $14.99.

The American Gods: Jack’s Crocodile Bar Pint Glass Set features the bar’s logo on one side of the glass and “A Great Place for a Beer and a Bite” on the other. The American Gods: Jack’s Crocodile Bar Pint Glass Set also goes on sale August 16, 2017, and will retail for $19.99.

Dark Horse Comics also publishes the comics adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s award-winning novel. The first three issues of American Gods: Shadows are currently available at local comic shops. Visit DarkHorse.com for more information.

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Exclusive: Director J. Horton Talks The Campus; New Poster and Stills Unveiled!

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Zombies, ghosts, home invaders, and the Devil himself… what more could a horror fan ask for? Last month we hit the set of the then-shooting independent feature The Campus in Burbank, California, and found it rife with all of the previously mentioned horror tropes.

Read on for a first look at the poster, a few exclusive stills, and an interview with The Campus filmmaker J. Horton.

Written and directed by J. Horton and starring newcomer Rachel Amanda Bryant, The Campus is produced by James Bills, Sean Reid, and Kacper Skowron.  According to the synopsis: After dying following breaking his deal with the Devil, family patriarch Robert Wainwright passes his debt on to his long-estranged daughter, Morgan [Bryant]. She soon finds herself in a never-ending cycle of terror as she is brutally murdered and then resurrected over and over again, each time losing a piece of her soul. Now Morgan must discover why this is happening and break the deadly cycle in order to escape her chilling fate and find redemption.

Executive produced by Joe Bartone, John Mitchell, and Robert C. Pullman and co-produced by Robert Bravo with associate producer credits going to Holly Rockwell, the Gas Money Pictures/ANC Entertainment/Small Factory Films’ cast is rounded out by Pullman, Brit Sheridan, Scott Menville, Hakeemshady Mohamed, and Aaron Groben with Kevin Caliber portraying the film’s big bad.

Arriving to set on day twenty-one of the shoot, we were greeted by a nearly completed and entirely impressive cave set erected inside a rather inconspicuous office space; the always effusive FX artist Juli Hapney, who was in the midst of transforming actor Caliber into a horned and imposing Beezelbub (fans of 1985’s Legend will be impressed by their creation); and filmmaker Horton for the final evening of principal photography.

“[Producer] James [Bills] and I have been friends for fifteen years,” Horton told us of the lead up to the creation of The Campus. “We met in New Orleans prior to Katrina and worked on each other’s independent films out there for a few years; and then, after Katrina, we moved out here and he would come and shoot some movies for me and I would work in post on his. After about five years, we’d both amassed pretty good resumes, but we weren’t really getting where we wanted to [be], and we thought, “All right, let’s combine our resumes and start a new company, and the result was Gas Money Pictures.”

“The first film we shot together was a feature called Edges of Darkness,” continued the filmmaker, “a zombie film back in 2008 that Anchor Bay released in the US, and it actually did pretty well.  Right after that we moved into Trap, and I did about maybe ten other indie features for a company called AMG Film Partners. After working for them for several years, I got kind of burned out making low-budget films for other people, and I wanted to get back to doing my own stuff and to work in horror again. So we found this location and got our offices here, and I just kept looking around thinking, ‘This place would be great for a horror movie.’”

As for what inspired the narrative of The Campus, Horton told us, “I had several scripts done, but I really wanted to write something that would showcase and use the production value of this location. So I knew it had to be a single location thriller, and I’d just watched [1993’s] Groundhog Day again and thought that I’d like to see a horror movie version of that, except that when the lead comes back, it’s in kind of a different horror movie scenario.”

“So this one starts out like kind of a home invasion piece with guys stalking [our protagonist] in Aztec masks, sort of like The Strangers or You’re Next; but every time she dies, she comes back in the same building but in a different scenario, and there’s five in total,” he illuminated of the film, which was shot with Cinevision anamorphic lenses on an Alexa.

“I’d read this piece from Aztec culture, which stated that the human soul has five pieces, and that if the Devil was collecting your soul he’d have to collect all five,” Horton expouned. “So we did The Strangers thing, which then moves into a ‘body horror’ section, where her body just slowly eats itself, and I was kind of inspired by the Creepshow segment [King’s “The Lonesome Death of Jordy Verrill”] for that, and then from there it moves into a ghost story, then to zombies, and then into the Devil himself. The backstory is that our main character’s father had sold his soul for his first born when he was a young man, in the event he’d ever have a child, which he didn’t intend [to do]. But years later he does [have a daughter], so when she turns eighteen, he pushes her away so that he doesn’t have to sacrifice her. So she’s pissed off at him, and of course since he reneged on his deal, the Devil kills him, but the Devil still wants the soul promised him so he comes after the daughter, and she gets caught in that cycle.”

As for the special effects and character makeups, which Horton decided to deliver ninety percent practical, he stated of FX artist Hapney, “I’ve done a lot of horror movies, and while I won’t disparage anyone else I’ve ever worked with, her personality, talent, and execution on set… I’ve never worked with anyone as good. She’s awesome. When I’d started this project, Robert Bravo of BravoFX had done the design of the monster, and he’s just an awesome creative guy, but he really needed someone like Juli to come in and execute, and she’d been friends with Joe Bartone, who is executive producing, and he’d brought her on, and I just love her. [She’s got] boundless energy.”

With post-production expected to be completed by August of 2017, Horton concluded,“Horror’s always been in my heart.”

For more on The Campus, “like” the film on Facebook.

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Inheritance (2017)

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Starring Chase Joliet, Sara Montez, Dale Dickey

Directed by Tyler Savage


The opportunity to reel in a very big catch after the passing of an estranged loved one, bequest-speaking, is an intriguing one (oh come on, I’m not THAT evil). In Tyler Savage’s latest film, Inheritance, we see the after-effects of a particularly intriguing devise left behind to a man who has no idea what lies inside of it. So please, wipe your feet before entering because I’m quite sure that you don’t want to track any more bad juju into this domicile.

Starring Chase Joliet as Ryan, a man who has just learned that his birth father has recently passed due to an unfortunate accident, and at the risk of me transferring a bit of heartlessness on over to a fictional character, his acknowledgment of the news of his dad’s death…well, let’s just say that it wasn’t exactly a tear-shedding moment for him. Turns out that Ryan believed his father had died over 20 years ago, and his gift for this “sorrowful” news? A spacious coastal estate worth 2.5 million bucks…yep, I think I’d get over my disaffection pretty damned quick as well. So, Ryan packs up the truck with his beautiful fiancee (Montez) and they head off to check out the new digs, and aside from a slightly kooky realtor (Dickey) paying them a visit, all seems okey-dokey, but things will change in a hurry, that you can rest on.

As the initial sleepover is in its beginning stages, it’s clear to everyone that this gorgeous sea-cliff residence was once the home of some interesting activity, and Ryan begins to find himself dead in the middle of more than a few interesting characters who are all too happy to welcome him “home.” From distant relatives, to nosy neighbors, right down to the local grocery store cashier who seems to have an eye for Ryan’s lady upon first meeting her, it’s apparent that this environment isn’t exactly conducive to new homeowners. Nightmarish visions of the past play out when Ryan rises from bed at night, and they’re the most telling of a frightening tale – Savage uses the dark essences of an even more gloomy past to highlight this modern-day ghost story, and although I still found a few of my questions went unanswered, overall the film was a fun watch. Joliet’s performance as the quiet yet guarded son was spot on, and he was complimented by Montez’s portrayal of a woman who stands fast in the support of her husband, yet knows there’s something seriously wrong with this whole composition. Scares are few and far between, and they’re not really needed in order for this movie to succeed – it’s the implication of a very dreary history and how it still manages to linger over present time.

In the end of everything, I can definitely recommend this Inheritance to those looking to get their greedy mitts on someone else’s fortune, but the caveat is don’t look a gift house in the front door…or something like that.

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Swim Into the Death Pool Later This Month

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We’ll be swimming with death when director Jared Cohn’s Death Pool hit DVD and VOD on June 20th. Read on for the release details, new trailer, stills, artwork, and more!

Death Pool Release Info:
Director Jared Cohn (Little Dead Rotting Hood, The Horde) marinades the screen with suspense this June with Death Pool from MTI Home Video.

Randy Wayne (Hellraiser: Judgement) gives an electric performance in a sexy, spine-chilling fusion of American Psycho and Maniac, premiering on DVD and VOD June 20, 2017.  Sara Malakul Lane (Kickboxer: Vengeance), Demetrius Stear (Evil Nanny), Shawn C. Phillips (Ghostquake), and James Cullen Bressack (Bethany) co-star.

Synopsis:
After nearly drowning at the hands of his babysitter, a troubled young man grows up to become a serial killer with a compulsion to drown young, beautiful women. Based on true events, this conniving killer becomes a cultural phenomenon, known throughout the streets of Los Angeles.

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The Mummy – Exclusive Interview with Courtney B. Vance and Jake Johnson

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In Universal’s latest resurrection of The Mummy (review) (which is directed by Alex Kurtzman), Tom Cruise stars as devil-may-care graverobber, Nick Morton. Nick is in the military, but he’d rather be plundering the riches of long-dead Egyptian royalty. He rattles the wrong tomb, however, and comes face-to-face with Ahmanet – a tightly-wrapped mummy with an ankh to grind. Those in Morton’s orbit become unwillingly drawn in, and – spoiler alert! – play the ultimate price with their lives.

Courtney B. Vance plays Colonel Greenway, Nick Morton’s soon-to-be slabbed superior. “As I told Tom, ‘bring me back,’ it’s a Mummy movie and anything can happen.”

In fact, it does when Morton’s snaky sidekick Vail, played by Jake Johnson, comes back to life. Sort of. The actor had to undergo quite a bit of maquillage in order to become a sort of zombie-ghost hybrid. “I had about 2 to 3 hours of makeup to get the cheeks in and a bunch of different prosthetics, but they did do some CGI. I think they sunk in part of my face, and that’s all done in post. So, it’s a combination. But it was important to Alex that a lot of it be prosthetics, so the other actors could see it and react to it in real time.”

COURTNEY B. VANCE as Col. Greenway in a spectacular, all-new cinematic version of the legend that has fascinated cultures all over the world since the dawn of civilization: “The Mummy.” From the sweeping sands of the Middle East through hidden labyrinths under modern-day London, “The Mummy” brings a surprising intensity and balance of wonder and thrills in an imaginative new take that ushers in a new world of gods and monsters.

Yet, Vail is still “Vail.” The actor explains, “It was cool being in it, and Alex wanted [my personality to still come through]. This wasn’t the kind of movie where I do a lot of improvising or doing my own takes on things. Alex and Tom had very clear ideas. So, they wanted me to play Vail even though he’s decayed in certain ways. So for me, it was more trying to give those guys what they wanted.”

As for his character, Vance explains, “Greenway is a career man. I’m sure he doesn’t like to be associated with the character Nick and his sidekick Vail, because he knows they’re crazy. He knows what they’re doing out there. He doesn’t like that they don’t check in when they’re supposed to. When I see him and I say, ‘You’re supposed to be 100 clicks from here, what are you even doing here?’ and they try to give me a line and I say, ‘Please don’t try to give me a line. Please!’ That’s the journey. Every time I deal with this guy, he ruins my reputation. He makes my job hell. He’s a huge, huge headache for me.”

Though both characters had issues with Morton, the actors both loved working with Cruise and Kurtzman. “It was a lot of fun to work with Alex, since he is a super-collaborative person. And even more to see him and Tom collaborate together, it was just a joy because usually there’s a lot of ego involved on these big budget films,” says Vance. Johnson adds, “Tom Cruise really is that intense, he really does work that hard. He’s really nice and kind to everyone. And he really does do his own stunts. So, as we were jumping off buildings, I was thinking, ‘Whoa, so this is the real deal’.”

Vance, a longtime television veteran, has not done a horror movie like this before. “I don’t do many genre films because people don’t ask. So… ask me! Now that I’ve been introduced to the world, people will hopefully start to ask.” He watched the movie, and really enjoyed the setup. “I just love the whole opening coda of setting up the Egyptian world, and the fact that it’s a woman who was about to become pharaoh. Her father groomed her to rule, and then at the minute his wife had a baby boy… [and she’s out]. I would have loved to have seen a scene where he tells her, but with just these images you know what’s about to go down.”

Johnson did not watch the movie. Partially because he doesn’t like to see himself onscreen. But also because, “This is less about the final product, and more about making it. And I saw a lot while we were shooting it,” adding, “When I talked to Alex about the job, and when I accepted the job, I hadn’t read the script. What drew me to this was working opposite Tom Cruise in an action-adventure. Honestly, I wanted to experience that. I wanted to know what it be like.”

JAKE JOHNSON as Chris Vail in a spectacular, all-new cinematic version of the legend that has fascinated cultures all over the world since the dawn of civilization: “The Mummy.” From the sweeping sands of the Middle East through hidden labyrinths under modern-day London, “The Mummy” brings a surprising intensity and balance of wonder and thrills in an imaginative new take that ushers in a new world of gods and monsters.

“Tom is such a people-person, but he’s also so about the work,” says Vance. “So the suits, the people at the top, they leave him alone. They know he knows the art of filmmaking. He’s a student of business and the art of it. So, just leave him alone. And if something doesn’t work, well then, we’ll talk about it. We’ll shoot it over. You see the passion and the fun that he has – you don’t see the drama. So we are left with the fun and intensity. We did have an additional three weeks of reshoots – ‘we didn’t get this, or we didn’t get that,’ or ‘hm, that doesn’t work’ – so that’s the joy and the passion of working with someone like Tom because it’s a lot of work. Yeah, it’s fun and it’s silly, but at the end of the day, ‘this is my name out there and people expect a certain quality of work from me’ so that’s a joy to see.”

Both actors worked for weeks, in spite of the fact they are side-characters. “It was [my most demanding role]. I really loved making it, and it was really fun to do,” says Johnson. “Tom and Alex were so committed, and they had such a clear vision of what they wanted, and so it was just fun to be a part of the game. You know, we had such a great cast and it was just really a pleasure to work on.

“I spent a lot of time in England on the soundstage, which was cool, but I’d never been to Africa and that was amazing. I loved the opportunity to be down there and see that part of the world. It’s so gorgeous. None of the landscapes were CGI, so that’s all what it really is. It’s really great. It’s a crazy perk.”

Vance agrees: the scenes shot in Namibia were the best. “I had a great time!”

Next up, Vance will be doing some voice-acting in an animated feature called Isle of Dogs, and Johnson will be developing some films as a producer.

Tom Cruise headlines a spectacular, all-new cinematic version of the legend that has fascinated cultures all over the world since the dawn of civilization: The Mummy. The cast also includes Annabelle Wallis, Jake Johnson, Courtney B. Vance, Russell Crowe, and Sofia Boutella as the titular character.

The creative team on this action-adventure event is led by director/producer Alex Kurtzman and producer Chris Morgan. Sean Daniel, who produced the most recent Mummy trilogy, produces alongside Kurtzman and Morgan. The script is by Jon Spaihts and Christopher McQuarrie.

Look for The Mummy in theaters on June 9, 2017.  For more info in the meantime, keep your eyes on themummy.com.

Synopsis:
Thought safely entombed in a tomb deep beneath the unforgiving desert, an ancient princess (Boutella) whose destiny was unjustly taken from her is awakened in our current day, bringing with her malevolence grown over millennia and terrors that defy human comprehension.

From the sweeping sands of the Middle East through hidden labyrinths under modern-day London, The Mummy brings a surprising intensity and balance of wonder and thrills in an imaginative new take that ushers in a new world of gods and monsters.

The Mummy

The Mummy

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Beginner’s Guide to Snuff, A (2017)

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Starring Joey Kern, Luke Edwards, Bree Williamson

Directed by Mitchell Altieri


Upping the ante when laying down the blueprints for the creative suggestion of a horror film definitely has its upsides – you can go the zombie route, or perhaps a found-footage flick, but it’s the true gamblers who opt for a snuff movie! In Mitchell Altieri’s latest horror/comedy, A Beginner’s Guide To Snuff, the art of celluloid sadism take a sharp left turn, and all that is seen certainly isn’t to be believed.

The Butcher Brothers (Altieri and Phil Flores) are no strangers when it comes to the horror set, and their latest takes the urban-myth of snuff films center stage, as two brothers concoct the almost perfect plan to direct one of these gratuitous undertakings while the cameras roll. When down and out brothers Dresden (Kern) and Dominic (Edwards) get the late word about a horror filmmaking contest that will net the winners a cool quarter million bucks, the duo snap into action and immediately begin brainpanning (well, kind of) an idea to throw down. Their short-circuited neural processors lead them to the thought of directing a snuff film, and completely surprising whichever bombshell actress lands the part of “victim” – big mistake, fellas. The hunt for a female sacrifice comes in the form of Jennifer (Williamson), a gorgeous, lively and extremely eager candidate – that’s it! Search over – this lady’s got the part!

What happens next is the stuff of horror/comedy efficacy: subtle humor, mistaken identities and gore to redecorate the walls with – all adding up to an amusing watch for those looking for some laughs with their torturous appetites. The film has its share of ups and downs, as some of the humor is so dry that you’d be better off to keep a cold beverage nearby, and the gore could have been better utilized. However, the acting is fairly supportive from all three leads, as the trio regularly relies on each other to successfully transport the story to completion…plus it doesn’t hurt that Williamson is simply breathtaking to look at, but I digress! A Beginner’s Guide To Snuff won’t redefine the horror/comedy machine by any measure, but it will fit nicely into the large running cog that powers the sub-genre for a while – keep on truckin, ya deviants.

Opens on 6/23 – haven’t heard a word about an embargo, but if we can keep it close to release time, it’ll probably be the safer bet.

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Horror Box Office – OPENING THIS WEEK: June 9, 2017

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Now we’re talking! After a dismal couple of weeks for the genre, this weekend is jam-packed with lots of quality horror from big tentpoles to indies in need of your attention!

Click on the titles below for our full coverage on each. Check back every Thursday at 10:00 AM PT/1:00 PM ET for updates.

The Mummy
Thought safely entombed in a tomb deep beneath the unforgiving desert, an ancient princess (Boutella) whose destiny was unjustly taken from her is awakened in our current day, bringing with her malevolence grown over millennia and terrors that defy human comprehension.

From the sweeping sands of the Middle East through hidden labyrinths under modern-day London, The Mummy brings a surprising intensity and balance of wonder and thrills in an imaginative new take that ushers in a new world of gods and monsters.

It Comes at Night
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.

Camera Obscura
A veteran war photographer with PTSD sees imminent deaths in his developed photos, questioning his already fragile sanity and putting the lives of those he loves in danger.

200 Degrees
Stockbroker Ryan Hinds awakes inside a sealed industrial kiln. A mysterious voice sets out a seemingly impossible task: deliver one million dollars in two hours, or the temperature in the kiln will rise until Ryan is burned alive.

Aaron’s Blood
Aaron copes with his new life as a single father and the distant relationship he shares with his only child, Tate. A timid hemophiliac, Tate is roughed up at school by the chief bully causing a massive nosebleed that lands him in the hospital fighting for his life. He makes a miraculous recovery after a necessary blood transfusion, but Aaron begins to notice progressively strange behaviors in his son. Faced with the grim possibility that his son could be becoming a vampire, Aaron enlists the help of a local vampire hunter and embarks on a frantic search to find the source of the infection to stop the transformation before it’s too late.

AfterDeath
Five young people wake up dead. Washed up by the tide, they scramble to an abandoned beach house, soon realizing that the perpetual night and blasts of pain suggest this is some version of hell. Between in-fighting and attacks by a demonic shadow creature, they recall the collapse of the nightclub that brought them here – and begin seeing hope of a second chance in the cabin’s two mysterious paintings.

Besetment
Amanda Millard, struggling and desperate for a job, takes a position at a hotel in a small town in Oregon. It’s a creepy, back country kind of town; but owners Mildred Colvin and her son, Billy, seem nice enough at first. It’s not long before Amanda discovers their real intentions and her struggle to make a living becomes a nightmarish fight for her life.

Child of Satan
After a freak accident during her baby shower, Allison, a dedicated nurse, is rushed to the hospital. After the birth of her son, strange events emerge: illusions, vivid dreams, and unexplained killings.

Let Me Make You a Martyr
Let Me Make You a Martyr follows Drew Glass (Niko Nicotera), a young man recently returned to his hometown after years away, who crosses paths with his adoptive father, local crime boss Larry Glass (Mark Boone Junior), and reconnects with his adopted sister and love interest, June Glass (Sam Quartin). Determined to run away together and escape their complicated past, June and Drew concoct a plan to kill Larry. Unfortunately, Larry finds out about the scheme and hires a hit man of his own (Marilyn Manson) to resolve the problem.

Patchwork
After a night on the town, Jennifer, Ellie, and Madeleine awake to find themselves stitched together into the same body. Determined to find out what happened to them and who is responsible, they set out on a madcap quest for revenge.

Sacrilege
Carefree and desperate to avoid any responsibility, Jessica, a college student, visits a yard sale to buy a gift for her best friend. However, the music box she bring home is haunted by a vicious demonic entity eager to feed off the lives of all who hear the box’s melody.

After her best friend takes her life, Jessica seeks the aid of two ghost hunters, but they too find themselves out of their depth. Desperate to free herself of the cursed box, she searches for the box’s origin… only to find that true evil begins with best of intentions.

Weekend Box Office

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New Featurette for The Mist Takes Us Behind the Scenes of the Reimagining

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We’re edging closer to the premiere of “The Mist” on Spike TV, and today the network posted a new digital featurette, entitled “Reimagining The Mist,” which offers insight into Spike’s version of the classic Stephen King novella for television with showrunner Christian Torpe noting the similarities and differences of the series to both the story and the 2007 film version.

“The Mist” stars Morgan Spector, Alyssa Sutherland, Gus Birney, Danica Curcic, Okezie Morro, Dan Butler, Darren Pettie, Isiah Whitlock, Jr., Russell Posner, Luke Cosgrove, and Frances Conroy. It debuts on Thursday, June 22nd, at 10pm ET/PT.

When the residents of Bridgeville, Maine, find themselves engulfed by a foreboding mist containing a myriad of inexplicable and bizarre threats, their humanity is put to the test.  Based on a story by Stephen King, “The Mist” has been reimagined for television by executive producer/writer Christian Torpe and produced by TWC-Dimension Television.

Synopsis:
A small town family is torn apart by a brutal crime. As they deal with the fallout, an eerie mist rolls in, suddenly cutting them off from the rest of the world and, in some cases, each other. Family, friends, and adversaries become strange bedfellows, battling the mysterious mist and its threats, fighting to maintain morality and sanity as the rules of society break down.

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