Halloween Blues

Horror Films Coming to Tribeca 2013

2013-03-06T13:14:00.001-08:00

In it's 12th year the Tribeca Film Festival in New York is doing good things for horror. Along with several world premieres, the festival will also be highlighting a few highly anticipated films that have already debuted in other countries. Horror enthusiasts attending the festival have a lot to look forward too. Me? I'm not going to New York, so I don't have much to look forward too.

Journey past the break to get a breakdown of the horror films that'll be playing at this years Tribeca, which starts April 17th and lasts till the 28th

Dark Touch
(World Premiere)

On set of "Dark Touch" at Gothenburg Film Studios from Gothenburg Film Studios on Vimeo.

Synopsis: Niamh is the lone survivor of a bloody massacre after furniture and objects in her family's isolated house take on a monstrous life of their own. The police ignore h er wild stories and the family friends and social worker who take her in try to introduce a new life. But in this psychological thriller, Niamh is unable to leave her violent past behind her, endangering everyone who crosses her path.

Director: Marina de Van

Frankenstein's Army

(International Premiere)

Synopsis: In the waning days of World War II, a team of Russian soldiers finds itself on a mysterious mission to the lab of one Dr. Victor Frankenstein. They unearth a terrifying Nazi plan to resurrect fallen soldiers as an army of unstoppable freaks and are soon trapped in a veritable haunted house of cobbled-together monstrosities. Frankenstein's Army is the wild steam punk Nazi found-footage zombie mad scientist film you've always wanted.

Director: Richard Raaphorst

Fresh Meat

(New York Premiere)

Synopsis: After a poorly executed escape from the police, a gang of dysfunctional criminals flees to the suburbs and gets more than it bargained for when it crash lands in the garage of an upper-class Maori family whose refined palates have developed a taste for human flesh. This action-packed horror comedy tells a blood-spattered tale of basement butchery and shifting allegiances as these unlikely adversaries enter a deadly showdown.

Director: Danny Mullheron

The Machine

(World Premiere)

Synopsis: Caradog James adds another layer to the Frankenstein story in the latest gripping sci-fi adventure to come out of the U.K.. Already deep into a second Cold War, Britain's Ministry of Defense seeks a game-changing weapon. Programmer Vincent McCarthy unwittingly provides an answer in The Machine, a super strong human cyborg played by the impressive Caity Lotz. When a programming bug causes the prototype to decimate his lab, McCarthy takes his obsessive efforts underground, far away from inquisitive eyes.

Director: Caradog James

Mr. Jones

(World Premiere)

Synopsis: Scott (Jon Foster) is a filmmaker in need of inspiration. he and his girlfriend Penny move into a desolate house hoping to make a breakthrough. Then they discover their neighbor, the elusive Mr. Jones. Famous for his haunting sculptures, Mr. Jones has remained a mystery to the world. Scott and Penny, convinced that they have found the perfect film subject, sneak into his workshop and realize that their curiosity may have chilling consequences. Who is Mr. Jones?

Director: Karl Mueller

Raze

(World Premiere)

Synopsis: Stunt woman Zoe Bell headlines this sly subversion of the women-in-prison genre. After Sabrina (Bell) is abducted, she finds herself in a underground lair, forced to do battle with other innocent women for the amusement of unseen spectators. Each of these reluctant warriors has something to lose, but only one will remain when the game is done. Violent and relentless Raze takes its video game aesthetic to the deepest and darkest places, rarely surfacing for air.

Director: Josh Waller

S-V/H/S

(New York Premiere)

Synopsis: Investigators break into a house, find a vast collection of VHS tapes and play them one by one. The videos include visions of the paranormal, flesh-eating zombies, a shockingly genuine scene of hell on Earth and a slumber party gone horribly awry. This highly anticipated sequel to last year's horror break V/H/S features contributions from contemporary genre film-making's leading talents including the creators of Hobo With a Shotgun, The Raid, You're Next and The Blair Witch Project.

Directors: Simon Barrett, Adam Wingard, Eduardo Sanchez, Gregg Hale, Timo Tjahjanto, Gareth Evans, Jason Eisener.

Knights of Badassdom Getting the Shaft?

2013-03-04T12:55:00.000-08:00

When Knights of Badassdom made a huge splash at Comic-Con 2011, most thought a studio would quickly pick the film up and run with the major publicity it was receiving at the time. However, two years later and not a peep has been heard about the film.

Had Director Joe Lynch been working on Badassdom this whole time? Was IndieVest (the investment group that funded the film) just sitting on their hot new property? Nobody outside the project really knew what was going on. So imagine the surprise that came when it was discovered that IndieVest was holding a secret screening on Tuesday March 5th to try and sell the movie off to a potential buyer.

Now imagine the surprise and disappointment that came when this site appeared with accusations that IndieVest CEO Wade Bradley had stolen the film away from Director Joe Lynch and made drastic changes to Joe's cut, essentially altering the story and feel of the original movie and cutting it down to 70 minutes from it's initial 90 minutes.

Badassdom goes on to make some heavy claims about the way CEO Wade Bradley conducted business with Joe Lynch and the films original creators. Supposedly Wade Bradley was able to accuse Producer Mark Burton and writer Matt Wall of going over-budget and remove them from their positions, even though Bradley had approved the new budget.

What's more troubling is that the Knights of Badassdom is being used as a way to help support Wade Bradley's new venture, according to Badassdom. Once he's able to sell off the film to a buyer, he's supposedly going to close down IndieVest and move on to Media Society.

In 2012 Wade Bradley delivered a rebuttal to an anonymous accuser on the website Ripoff Report in which he had this to say about the state of Knights of Badassdom:

"Regarding IndieVest Picture's feature film Knights of Badassdom, this compelling feature film project did incur schedule delays, as it was deemed necessary to make significant changes to the post-production, producer and personnel to fully achieve the original vision of the movie. These changes were discussed throughout quarterly reports and other updates. Our investors agreed wholeheartedly that every change that occurred was in the best interest of the film, even though it did indeed consume additional time. nobody ever enjoys delays, though they are a factor at one point or another in everyone's personal or professional life, and certainly the entertainment industry is not immune to the occurrence The film is now readying for it's final mix and is on schedule to be released (by IndieVest Pictures) in the first half of 2013."

If this was indeed Wade Bradley than it seems to match up with some of the claims being made by Badassdom. Of course, Bradley has a different take on how things ultimately turned out.

At this point, it doesn't seem like much can be done to stop these proceedings. Ideally someone will buy Knights of Badassdom and allow Joe Lynch to put out the film he intended to make. However, it would be a tragic end to this story if the film was purchased and quickly rushed out to DVD in it's heavily edited state.

I reached out to both IndieVest and Joe Lynch, but have yet to hear back from either party at this point. I imagine that both have good reasons to remain quiet at this point.

Walking Dead on SNL

2013-03-03T12:26:00.000-08:00

Let's just be honest. Saturday Night Live just isn't what it used to be. I probably didn't even have to say that, it's just a given that if you're watching a SNL clip it'll probably range from mildly amusing to bad.

With that being said, here's a clip from last night's SNL in which Bill Hader as Daryl and several other SNL cast members come across a zombie bitten Kevin Hart. There's some groan inducing racial humor, but if you're jonesing for a little Walking Dead while you wait for tonight's episode...you should probably look elsewhere.

The Great Horror Campout

2013-03-02T15:36:00.002-08:00

I grew up loving the camping experience. My dad was an "outdoors man" so I naturally gravitated towards wanting to be a part of the things he enjoyed, as most young boys are want to do when it comes to their fathers. I joined the Boy Scouts, went on countless camping trips, and generally enjoyed my time in the wilderness.

Then I saw the Blair Witch Project and that fucked everything up for me. While Jaws scared people away from the water, Blair Witch took me out of the woods. Since then I have overcome my hesitation to return to the forest, but there was a good chunk of my life where I couldn't be bribed to go camping again.

I guess it's a good thing I got over all that, because now I can be attacked by real terrors in the Los Angeles State Historic Park this summer. Time to relive some childhood trauma!

"The Great Horror Campout," taking place June 7th and 8th, will be a twelve hour long experience that'll immerse you in a terrifying horror movie-esque camping excursion.

While mostly a haunted attraction, the event will still be a genuine camping trip lasting from 8pm to 8am the next day. You and four other people will share a tent together, enjoy fine camping food like sausages and beans and even sit around a campfire. Though instead of telling scary stories, you'll enjoy horror movies.

That's where the traditional camping experience ends and the real terror begins. While eating your food and enjoying the campfire you'll be in the "safe zones." However, once you leave those areas and return to the regular campsite you'll become a target of horrific creatures. Unfortunately, the camp is located at the site of a tragic train crash which unleashed a horde of mutated monsters into the surrounding wilderness.

Thinking about hiding in your tent? They can get you there. Want to wuss out and stay by the campfire? I hope you can hold your bladder for twelve hours, cause the bathrooms aren't in the safe zone. Like in any camping horror movie, sooner or later you'll have to come face to face with a gruesome monster. Just hope you see them before they see you.

More adventurous campers can even participate in the Hell Hunt. Think of a scavenger hunt at night, but with terrifying creatures around every corner waiting to get you. This level of interactivity puts the event a step above any normal haunted attraction. Even if you're not participating, it'll be great to see people desperately scrambling around in the dark.

The whole adventure will set you back $150, but when you take into account how long the event is and how much you get out of it it seems like a fair price. Still, I know that's a lot of money for most people and while this all sounds very exciting, I'm not even sure I could fully recommend buying a ticket just yet. However, the event is still four months away so I hope we'll see some more details and promotional stuff to get people excited. Until then, be sure to visit their official website to get a taste of what's to come.

Calabrese's "Ghostwolves"

2013-03-02T14:23:00.001-08:00

The newest music video from Calabrese tackles the difficult subject of Ghostwolves. Neither wolves or ghosts, Ghostwolves struggle to find their place in a world that is increasingly dependent upon labels. Because of this, many Ghostwolves leave the safety of their ghost dens and become vagrants, selling their precious ectoplasm just to get by.

Okay, none of that is true. However, there is in fact a new music video from Calabrese and in typical Calabrese fashion, it's pretty awesome. Check it out and enjoy.

New Haunted Mansion Merch

2013-03-02T13:22:00.000-08:00

I've often wondered just how much of a moneymaker the Haunted Mansion is for Disneyland. Obviously Pirates of the Caribbean is probably the most profitable Disney ride thanks to the movies and merchandise, but the Mansion has to be in a close second.

With all the iconic imagery surrounding the Mansion and it's ties to "The Nightmare Before Christmas," it has to be a pretty successful moneymaking machine. It certainly helps that they make some wonderfully detailed merchandise perfectly suited for reflecting the Gothic nature of the ride. It's hard to look at some of these items and not instantly crave them. I mean, coasters? I don't need that! But I want it so bad, I'd cut you for some.

Journey past the break to see some of the new Haunted Mansion merchandise coming out this year and when it's coming.

Walking Dead Season 4 Hints

2013-03-02T11:15:00.000-08:00

We may be struggling to survive till the end of season three, but the Walking Dead crew already has their collective eye set on season four which starts production on May 6th. What's in store for our favorite zombie killing crew? Producer and VFX maestro Greg Nicotero talked with Entertainment Weekly about the future of the Walking Dead:

“I think there may be a wee bit less of the run and gun. And [we'll] get a little more into some of our characters. The challenge with a show like this, when you have a big ensemble, is you don’t want any of the characters to get lost; it’s important that we know what Carol’s story is and that we know what Beth’s story is. And when you’re trying to service a lot of characters, it becomes challenging. Watching the first season of Walking Dead and seeing how grounded it was, that’s really important to all of us. Andy Lincoln and I spent a lot of time going through the scripts and making sure we feel that they’re grounded. Because that’s what keeps our audience coming back. The walkers and the gore and the action and stuff, that’s fun, that’s the popcorn part of it. But if you don’t have characters that people are invested in, you lose your audience.”

So it sounds like things are going to get a bit more intimate before they get explosive again. Which is fine, this show thrives on it's characters and while everyone loves zombie gore, I think most of care more about whether or not Andrea will kill the Governor or if Daryl will finally hook up with Carol. As in any good story, zombies serve as the canvas for which a greater image of the human condition is painted upon.

Oh and if you're curious as to how season three will end, Laurie Holden has a little teaser for you:

“I would say [the Season Three finale] is the opposite of last year. In every way,”

Ominous!

Lucky Bastard Coming to L.A.

2013-02-28T15:45:00.000-08:00

Want to jump on the chance to see a found footage horror film based around the porn industry? If you live in California you'll have that opportunity on April 5th when Lucky Bastard has a special screening in Los Angeles at the Vintage Cinemas' Los Feliz 3 Cinemas which is located at 1822 N. Vermont Avenue.

Just what is Lucky Bastard and is it in fact porn? Lucky Bastard is the product of a collaboration between Robert Nathan (writer on the Law and Order series) and Lukas Kendall (Founder and Publisher of Film Score Monthly). The film stars David McManus (The Shawshank Redemption) as Mike, a porno producer who comes up with the idea of giving one lucky fan the chance to have sex with Ashley Saint who is played by Betsy Rue (Halloween). Jay Paulson (Castle) plays Dave, who wins the contest and gets the chance to have sex with Ashley on camera for the world to see. However, things go horribly wrong and Dave turns out to be a bit of a psycho.

The film is rated NC-17, but don't think you're going in to see a softcore porno. The porn just serves as a basis for the story, while the drama between Dave and the porn crew takes center stage. Beyond that, I can't tell you much else about the film. There are a couple of reviews out there, but I'm avoiding them for now as I plan on seeing this one when it comes to Los Angeles. However, you can watch the trailer which is located below the break.

You can also visit the film's official site here and follow them on Facebook.

Make a Zombie You Can Drink

2013-02-28T15:06:00.000-08:00

It's almost that time of the year where it's socially acceptable for me to be drinking on my porch early in the morning cause it's so damn hot. However, I like to make my rampant alcoholism look classy, maybe have some fun with it. So this is the perfect opportunity to teach you all how to make a "Zombie."

This drink recipe requires that you shake it, so if you don't have one of these you can make do with two cups. Just don't blame me for the mess.

First pour in one ounce of Jamaica Rum then one tablespoon of finely granulated sugar. Cover that in two and a half ounces of White Rum. Next pour in one ounce of Apricot Brandy and one ounce of Orange Juice. Follow that up with one ounce of Vodka, then drop in a singular red cherry and a slice of lime. Be sure to squeeze the lime in the drink first. Finally put in an ounce of Unsweetened Pineapple Juice and an ounce of Passion Fruit Juice.

Shake that concoction with a bit of ice and then pour it into a glass. Next, pour a bit of De Merara Rum on top of that. You only need to pour enough to cover the top layer of the glass. Finally throw in a mint sprig and enjoy.

Oh and be at least 21 years old or whatever your local drinking law requires you to be.

Last Exorcism 2 Prank Promotion

2013-02-27T15:54:00.001-08:00

Remember the great fun we had when The Last Exorcism invaded Chatroulette for a bit of hilarious viral marketing? Weren't those good times? Those were days when being the last of a thing truly meant something. There wasn't a Last of the Mohicans Part 2 or a sequel to The Last Starfighter.

Yet, here we are. Trampling all over the meaning of the word "last" so that we can have a sequel to a film that did moderately well. At the very least, the good people behind the promotion of The Last Exorcism Part 2 went out of their way to do another viral prank, this time taking place in a beauty shop. It's clever, but not as fun as the first. Which could coincidentally be what I say about the upcoming sequel.

New Trailer for The Conjuring

2013-02-27T13:00:00.000-08:00

The Conjuring reunites director James Wan (Insidious, Saw, and the often left out Dead Silence) with Insidious star Patrick Wilson for a new ghost story "based on real events." The movie is being described by some as a biopic of Ed and Lorraine Warren, two of the most famous paranormal investigators you might have never heard of.

Ed and Lorraine are most notably known for their work in Amityville. When the shit hit the fan there and people were debating whether or not the Amityville haunting was a con, Ed and Lorraine came in to offer their expert opinion that the house was legitimately haunted. Of course this caused a great deal of controversy for them and catapulted them into the media spotlight.

The couple went on to investigate over 10,000 hauntings, they opened up the New England Society for Psychiatric Research, started an Occult Museum and wrote a couple of books. The Haunting in Connecticut, which came out in 2009, is also partially based off one of their investigations.

Hit the jump and check out the trailer. It seems James Wan has really grown as director, some of the camera work is an excellent indication that he has become adept at building tension and suspense through pacing and movement. I don't know if the rest of the movie will be as good, but it gives me high hopes.

Ship of Fear Sinks

2013-02-25T18:01:00.001-08:00

Before it even got a chance to set sail, the Ship of Fear was lost to us. Personally I wasn't too jazzed about it since it was out of my price range, but I'm sure there is some fan out there that's greatly disheartened to learn about the untimely demise of this horror themed cruise.

The Ship of Fear (presented by Chiller) was supposed to be a week long cruise during Halloween that would've featured concerts by frigging Alice Cooper and Dee Snider and had such celebrities as Kane Hodder, Tony Todd and ...Corey Feldman! Come on?! Who wouldn't want to spend a week at sea with Corey!

On the ship's official website, they posted a lack of interest as the reason for the cancellation of the cruise:

"After careful consideration, we have decided not to continue with The Ship of Fear Cruise and we will not be sailing in 2013. Those guests who already purchased cabins will be given a full refund. We feel that we had a strong combination of talent, programming and promotion; however, we did not receive the consumer demand required to continue."

All joking aside, the concept is a pretty damn cool one, but I guess the price and timing was just all wrong for those that would've been interested. Hopefully they could revisit the idea again...perhaps in California.

Vote for the Best Halloween Attraction

2013-02-25T16:02:00.000-08:00

Big fan of Halloween Horror Nights or Knotts Scary Farm? Want to let the world know how awesome your favorite Halloween attraction is? Well then exercise your right to vote my friend!

It may not be as important as deciding the future of your country or even as impactful as voting on where to eat, but people LOVE to gloat and what better way to do it than with cold hard facts? Every year About.com has their Reader's Choice Award which allows readers to vote on their favorite theme parks and rides. One of the sections allows you to vote on your favorite Halloween attraction.

This years list of nominees is a sort of eclectic bunch, stretching from one coast to the other. We have Knotts Scary Farm, Halloween Horror Nights Florida, Halloween Horror Nights California, Howl-O-Scream at Busch Gardens and HalloWeekends at Cedar Point.

I'm a bit biased, so you can guess where I put my vote. However, now it's your turn! Follow this link, cast your vote and good luck!

Also, if you're curious, Halloween Horror Nights Florida is winning. By a LOT.

Hints at Universal Studios Next Maze

2013-02-25T15:45:00.000-08:00

We're still seven months out from the next Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios Hollywood, however the process of creating a maze is long and arduous and usually starts as soon as the last one ends. Truly there is no rest for the wicked.

It has become a custom with the Universal Studios Hollywood brand of HHN to play a little guessing game to help tease the event and it looks as if this years round is about to kick off. True to fashion, Universal Studios' Creative Director John Murdy is being pretty cryptic, but he has let loose with a few details to whet the appetite of HHN's rabid fans.

Here's what we know so far:

One maze already has a code name and it's "Trickster." This one is being described as a "big surprise to HHN fans."
Trickster will feature four time periods. The early 20th century, the Victorian period, Medieval era and the 1950s.

Aaand...That's about as much as we know right now. Keep this in mind though. While we do have a code name and some ideas to go off of, it's still early enough for things to change drastically. So keep tuning in, it's a long road to Halloween Horror Nights.

Frankenweenie vs. ParaNorman

2013-02-24T17:58:00.000-08:00

There are other animated films nominated for an Oscar tonight, but forget those lame ducks. The two that really matter are Frankenweenie and ParaNorman. One was a heartwarming tearjerker and the other was a throwback to family films from the 80s. Both were great movies that equally deserve the recognition an Oscar brings, so who wins in a throw down battle between the two? Let's break it down!

Financial Gain

While a movie's box office gross doesn't determine it's quality, it's still fun to compare sizes.

Frankenweenie: $67 million

vs.

ParaNorman: $107 million

Winner: It's pretty clear that ParaNorman pocketed itself a nice little chunk of change, which is surprising since Frankenweeine has that Tim Burton name that brings in quite a bit of money. Uh...usually.

Critical Reception

It'd be too hard to analyze every review myself to determine some kind of average, so let's have Rotten Tomatoes do the work.

Frankenweenie: 88% Freshness

vs.

ParaNorman: 87% Freshness

Winner: By a 1% margin, Frankenweenie ekes out a victory in this category. This battle, more than any other, outlines why it's anybodies game tonight at the Oscars.

Total Awards Won

While the Oscars may make the biggest splash, it certainly isn't the only awards show in town. In fact, there are dozens of award shows out there that nobody cares about! Lets see how our contenders did.

Frankenweenie: 5 Awards Won

vs.

ParaNorman: 10 Awards Won

Winner: While the critical reception was nearly dead even, it seems that the award shows have had a clear favorite. This certainly pushes ParaNorman ahead as a strong contender for the Oscar. Does that mean it's a clear winner? Certainly not, in fact, I think Frankenweenie might take the win for being more of a sentimental piece with nostalgic qualities. However, don't be shocked if it doesn't win, both films have definitely proven they belong at the big show tonight.

The Future of Universal's Monsters

2013-02-24T17:03:00.000-08:00

What better time to talk about the future of Universal's Monsters than on the night Hollywood's best and brightest come out to celebrate the history of the industry and its glorious future.

A couple of interesting interviews took place this week. The first involved Universal's Executive of International Productions, David Kosse who talked at length about the success of Universal's recent horror hit: Mama. At the end of the interview he dropped this surprising tidbit:

"We think there’s potential for a Mama franchise. We’d like to do another one. But those conversations are in the early stages." (Screen Daily)

Given that the film had such a definitive ending, it's hard to imagine where they'd take a sequel. Though when taken into context with the next interview, it's not surprising to see Universal try and make a franchise out of Mama.

Universal Chairman Adam Fogelson sat down with The Hollywood Reporter and discussed the future of Universal Studios which included this part about the Universal Monster franchise:

"As a studio, because we have not had a Marvel library, a DC library, a Bond franchise, we've had to home-grow virtually all of it. Universal monsters are probably the thing people most equate with our library. But monsters are not superheroes. Virtually every monster story is by definition a tragic story. We are developing another Mummy. We are looking at rebooting Van Helsing because I think the idea for the Van Helsing story was a great way of solving the question of, 'How do you make a blockbuster out of monsters?'" (The Hollywood Reporter)

Makes you wonder what great things we might see from the House of Monsters this year. With the Mummy remake underway and the Van Helsing film waiting in the shadows, could we be in for a big push from Universal's horror department?

I certainly hope so. It seemed that we were on the verge of something similar a few years ago when the Wolfman was coming out, but then when that movie flopped all those classic monster revivals seemed to be put on hold. Horror can be a profitable franchise for Universal and if Mama is any indication, they may have learned a few lessons on how to capitalize on that fact.

Paranormal Activity 4 Infograph

2013-02-21T12:33:00.000-08:00

Someone is feeling a little high and mighty.

In order to promote the upcoming release of the Paranormal Activity 4 blu-ray in the UK, Paramount has put out this handy dandy "scare-ographic" to let people know just how much scare they are actually purchasing.

Paramount's crack team of scientists have managed to break the code and figure out how to quantify the amount of "paranormal activity" a film has. Shockingly, the two films named Paranormal Activity managed to top the list. Noticeably missing are 2 and 3, so clearly they aren't paranormal enough to register on this graph.

I just can't figure out how they came up with some of these percentages. In The Exorcist, Regan is possessed for the majority of the film, so shouldn't their percentage of paranormal activity be closer to like 80? And on the flipside, I'm calling bullshit on The Blair Witch Project having a 17% I love that film, but let's be honest, not a damn thing happens in it.

Also, is it really a pat on the back to say that you have a scare every 90 seconds? Clearly quality over quantity is not a factor with these guys.

San Diego Latino Film Fest Roster

2013-02-19T00:20:00.001-08:00

While the San Diego Latino Film Festival features a jam packed roster of excellent films, it's a little slim in the horror movie department. Latino community, what's up? Come on now, I know there are quite a few of us with some scary stories in them. I'm waiting for the one that can rival the "El Cucuy" stories my grandmother used to tell me.

However, if your definition of horror can stretch out to the thriller genre, than there are still a few interesting selections to see at this years festival. Journey past the break to see what's playing and when.

Cronos

Synopsis: Before his international breakthrough Pans Labyrinth, Mexican filmmaker Guillermo Del Toro directed this offbeat and utterly original sci-fi flick about an elderly antiques dealer who accidentally activates a device that grants eternal life.

Director: Guillermo Del Toro

Showtimes

K-11

Synopsis: K-11 follows Raymond Saxx Jr., a powerful record producer who wakes from a drug-induced blackout to find himself locked up and classified "K-11." Plunged into a nightmarish world ruled by a transsexual diva named Mousey, Raymond is truly a fish out of water. His struggle to contact the outside world and regain his freedom seems impossible; but he must learn to navigate this new power structure if he's ever going to survive and be in control of his life again.

Director: Jules Stewart

Showtimes

38. Expansiva

Synopsis: A radio disc jockey goes into an infernal, intense trip when he tries to uncover a cult of sadistic killers in the Mexican underground. One of the craziest films of legendary director Christian Gonzalez, known best as the King of Mexplototation Cinema who has a career of more than 90 films. 38. Expansiva is pure adrenaline madness. With the master surreal trademarks that includes shocking violence, strong and furious female characters, gore, vagina dentatas, revenge and plenty of bullets.

Director: Christian Gonzalez

Showtimes

The Body

Synopsis: In this twisty thriller from the producers of The Orphanage, a detective searches for the body of a femme fatale which has gone missing from a morgue. His investigation turns up some frightening skeletons.

Director: Oriol Paulo

Showtime

The Last Will and Testament of Rosalind Leigh

Synopsis: An antiques collector inherits a house from his estranged mother, only to discover that she had been living in a shrine devoted to a mysterious cult. Soon, he comes to suspect that his mother's oppressive spirit still lingers within her home and is using items in the house to contact him with an urgent message.

Director: Rodrigo Gudino

Showtimes

Haunted Mirror For Sale

2013-02-18T15:08:00.003-08:00

Want to own a quaint Victorian style mirror? Perhaps you have very particular needs and you want one with a silver edging that comes with it's own curse? If so, you're in luck!

A UK man has put this charming mirror up for sale on eBay with an asking price of 100 pounds (that's $155 in real money). The reason he's so quick to get rid of it is that the mirror is causing him and his roommate a great deal of grief.

Since the mirror came into their lives they've experienced the odd sensation of being constantly immersed in dread and despair while in their apartment. The only way to relieve themselves of this feeling is to leave the building altogether, but the moment they come back it starts all over. According to their eBay page, they've even woken up with scratches all along their backs and sides.

So here's my question. If the thing is so fucking evil, why are you selling it?! Throw that bastard out of a window and be done with it! Do you really want the $155 that badly that you're willing to put up with this shit night after night? If this is really such a horrible and traumatic experience, you'd pay someone to take it away, not sell it on eBay so that some other hapless individual buys it and winds up with the same "curse."

Nothing makes your haunting look more authentic than when you try and make a few bucks off of it.

Teaser Poster for The Hurting Man

2013-02-15T13:15:00.000-08:00

Shock Till You Drop originally broke the news that Drew Daywalt is going to be writing and directing a feature length horror movie project entitled "The Hurting Man." To keep the excitement going, we now have a look at the first teaser poster from the project. It has that heart warming classic Americana creepiness about it.

The plot of The Hurting Man follows a police officer who tragically finds his family murdered after a failed 911 call and now must work to save their souls from a demonic boogieman haunting his childhood home.

If you're the sort of poor soul who has never encountered Drew Daywalt's work, you should do yourself the favor of checking out his Youtube channel. You can thank me later. Drew does more with five minutes of film than some horror movie directors do in an entire lifetime of work. It's great to see his skill with monster creation and tension building finally being applied to a feature length project.

Be sure to like The Hurting Man's Facebook page to stay abreast of all the developments that are sure to come as this project rolls into production.

New Monsters University Trailer and Clue?

2013-02-11T12:58:00.005-08:00

Yay, we finally have a new Monster's University trailer and it's fantastic. We get a better look at the story and some of the new monsters that populate the world of Monster's U. Check it out, I'm sure you'll like it.

Now here's something that's kind of interesting. Before the trailers came out, the Monster's University website went live and featured a registration and log in page. Currently the site isn't accepting new registrations, but it is allowing "students" to log in to the site. Problem is, we didn't have an ID number to do so. However, check out this image from the above trailer:

That's right, Mike Wazowki's ID number. According to the log in page on the Universities' site, all we need is his ID and last name to log in. Unfortunately when I tried it, it didn't seem to be working yet. Maybe the feature hasn't gone live yet? Or maybe it's something that was never intended to be used. It certainly seems like something that would be perfect for a viral campaign.

Best Adventure Time Costume Ever?

2013-02-08T13:10:00.002-08:00

Reddit user 186394 posted this awesome album showcasing how a father put together an impressive Adventure Time costume for his kids. The outfit is actually pretty simple when you look at how it was constructed, but the results are amazing. In fact, one might say they are...

To see how Jake and Finn were brought to life, journey past the break to view the album. To see a more comprehensive step by step look at the creation of this amazing costume be sure to visit the father's original post on The RPF forums

The Vanishing of Ethan Carter

2013-02-07T15:34:00.000-08:00

People Can Fly studios is known for it's high octane action and violence. So when some ex-People Can Fly devs set up shop under the moniker of "The Astronauts," one would've thought their first game would play to those strengths. Turns out they decided to strike out and create a game that's vastly different than anything else on their resume.

Their new game is called "The Vanishing of Ethan Carter" and is described as being a "weird fiction horror." The game will have a heavy emphasis on immersion and exploration and they say it'll be the kind of game you'll want to play in the dark with headphones. Check out the teaser trailer below the break.

SXSW Adds More Horror

2013-02-07T14:53:00.000-08:00

Just when you thought you heard it all, SXSW comes out and announces even more films that'll be showing during it's festival. Among them include the US premiere of Rob Zombie's The Lords Of Salem. Hit the break to see the other world premieres and films that will be featured in March.

Big Ass Spider!

Synopsis: When a giant alien spider escapes from a military lab and rampages across the city of Los Angeles, it is up to one clever exterminator and his security guard sidekick to kill the creature before the city is destroyed.

Director: Mike Mendez

Cast: Greg Grunberg, Lombardo Boyar, Clare Kramer, Ray Wise, Lin Shaye, Patrick Bauchau

Cheap Thrills

Synopsis: Recently fired and facing eviction, the married father of a newborn has his life turned upside down when he meets a wealthy couple who offer a path to financial security...but at a price.

Director: E.L. Katz

Cast: Pat Healy, Ethan Embry, Sara Paxton, David Koechner, Amanda Fuller

Haunter

Synopsis: Lisa Johnson is one day shy of her 16th birthday and will be forever. She and her family are doomed to repeat the fateful day before they were all killed in 1985.

Director: Vincenzo Natali

Cast: Abigail Breslin, Stephen McHattie, Peter Outerbridge, Michelle Nolden, David Hewlett

Kiss of the Damned

Synopsis: Beautiful vampire Djuna tries to resist the advances of human screenwriter Paolo, but eventually gives in to their passion. When her sister Mimi comes to visit, Djuna’s love story is threatened, and the whole vampire community becomes endangered…

Director/Screenwriter: Xan Cassavetes

Cast: Joséphine de la Baume, Milo Ventimiglia, Roxane Mesquida, Anna Mouglalis, Michael Rapaport, Riley Keough, Ching Valdes-Aran

The Lords of Salem

Synopsis: From the singular mind of horror maestro Rob Zombie comes a chilling plunge into a nightmare world where evil runs in the blood.

Director/Screenwriter: Rob Zombie

Cast: Sheri Moon Zombie, Bruce Davison, Jeff Daniel Phillips, Ken Foree, Patricia Quinn

Plus One

Synopsis: When the party of the decade is disrupted by a supernatural phenomenon, the night soon descends in to chaos.

Director: Dennis Iliadis, Screenwriter: Bill Gullo

Cast: Rhys Wakefield, Logan Miller, Ashley Hinshaw, Natalie Hall (World Premiere)

The Rambler

Synopsis: After being released from prison, a man known as The Rambler stumbles upon a strange mystery as he attempts a dangerous journey through treacherous back roads and small towns en route to reconnecting with his long lost brother.

Director/Screenwriter: Calvin Lee Reeder

Cast: Dermot Mulroney, Lindsay Pulsipher, Natasha Lyonne, James Cady, Scott Sharot

You're Next

Synopsis: A fresh twist on home-invasion horror. A gang of masked murderers descend upon a family reunion, and the victims seem trapped...until an unlikely guest proves to be the most talented killer of all.

Director: Adam Wingard

Cast: Sharni Vinson, Nicholas Tucci, Wendy Glenn, AJ Bowen, Joe Swanberg

Warm Bodies Review

2013-02-05T16:55:00.000-08:00

It's the forbidden tale of undead love. Sure, when two beautiful white kids engage in necrophilia everyone goes "Oooh" and "Awww." But the moment I get caught in the cemetery with a shovel, everyone flips out! Jeez, double standards much?

Warm Bodies had the unfortunate stigma of looking like a poor man's Twilight clone. It doesn't help that the lead actors strike a weird resemblance to Edward and Bella. However, does this film follow in the footsteps of a terrible series or does it strike out on it's own and break new ground?

R (Nicholas Hoult) is not your average zombie. Sure he eats and terrifies the living, but there's a lot more than that going on in his head. He's aware that he used to be more than human and he knows that life used to have some sort of meaning, but after being undead for so long he's forgotten what it was. Then R meets Julie (Teresa Palmer), who sets off a spark within him that'll change the world of zombies forever.

Let's go ahead and get this out of the way. I've actually seen Twilight and this movie is not that. No, far from it. However, it isn't your traditional zombie movie either. Yes, some brains get eaten and there's a bit of violence, but it's no Walking Dead. You're not going to see horrific gore or limbs flying through the air. It straddles the line of horror and comedy, but mostly falls on the side of humor. In fact, the scariest aspect of Warm Bodies isn't the zombies, but a new breed of monsters known as "The Boneys." These are zombies who have completely given up and devolved into skeleton creatures. They're so nasty, even the other zombies try to avoid them.

Every good zombie movie uses zombies as a metaphor for something else. For example, in Dawn of the Dead you can use zombies as an example of people being slaves to consumerism. In Warm Bodies zombies play the role of being those of us who are detached from society and left lost and hopeless. Desperately searching for something to make them feel whole again, but failing to find it. Devouring others helps them to briefly feel something, even if momentarily. For example, eating a person's brain allows them to relieve their memories. It's a great twist on classic zombie motivations.

The romantic relationship between R and Julie doesn't feel contrived or cheesy, which is a pretty solid achievement for a movie about a zombie falling in love. Hoult and Palmer play off each other rather well, though I really wish they had done something to Palmer to make her look less like Kristen Stewart. I tried hard not to make the comparison in my mind, but she just looks so much like her in the movie. Thankfully Palmer is a far superior actress. Hoult also does a pretty excellent job of fleshing out R. He spends most of the movie shrugging and grunting, but as R evolves Hoult's charm really starts to bleed through.

And charming is really the best way to describe the overall tone of the film. It's not ultra violent and it doesn't feel oppressively depressing and yet it's not laugh out loud funny either. It's just...charming. You'll find yourself smiling and enjoying your time in the world of Warm Bodies. There are a few genuinely funny moments that had me rolling, but the strength in the movie lies in watching R break out of his zombie shell and learn what being a real human means.

Final Score: A Warm Bodies isn't your traditional zombie movie, but it does something original with a genre that has grown stale.