Friday 28 April 2017

The Amityville Horror first ever UK Blu-ray release in limited edition Steelbook

It’s one of the all-time horror greats, it spawned numerous sequels, spin-offs and inspired numerous haunted house copycats. It even became the subject of a top 20 hit single – Lovebug Starski’s Amityville (House on the Hill). And now, almost 40 years after it scared homeowners everywhere witless, The Amityville Horror is finally getting its first ever UK Bluray release in a limited edition Steelbook courtesy of Second Sight.

Stuart Rosenberg’s seminal shocker The Amityville Horror starring James Brolin (Westworld), Margot Kidder (Superman) and Rod Steiger (On the Waterfront), is a genuine horror classic based on terrifying true events, and makes its Blu-ray debut complete with brand new bonus features on 26 June 2017.

When George and Kathy Lutz and their children move to Amityville, Long Island they believe they have found the perfect family home. But the house has a shocking history and within its walls a demonic presence lies in wait that will turn the Lutz’s lives into a living nightmare. Their only hope is to get out before it’s too late.

Prepare to be scared when you visit the original haunted house in The Amityville Horror.

BONUS FEATURES INCLUDE:
• ‘Brolin Thunder’ – A new interview with actor James Brolin
• ‘Child's Play’ – A new interview with actor Meeno Peluce
• ‘Amityville Scribe’ – A new interview with screenwriter Sandor Stern
• ‘The Devil's Music’ – A new interview with soundtrack composer Lalo Schifrin
• ‘My Amityville Horror’ – feature-length documentary with Daniel Lutz
• ‘For God’s Sake, Get Out’ – featuring James Brolin and Margot Kidder
• Intro by Dr. Hans Holzer, PhD. in parapsychology (author of ‘Murder in Amityville’)
• Audio commentary by Dr. Hans Holzer
• Original trailer, TV spot, radio spots
• Four reproduction lobby card postcards (SteelBook Exclusive)
• New optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing

Pre-order the Limited Edition UK BD Steelbook from Amazon.co.uk

BBC's WISCONSIN DEATH TRIP screening at Regent Street Cinema May 4

Director James Marsh's WISCONSIN DEATH TRIP, originally shown as part of the BBC's 'Arena' series in 2000, is getting a special screening at the Regent Street Cinema London may 4th.


Inspired by a book of the same name, film-maker James Marsh tells the haunting tale of murder, madness and suicide that took place behind the thin veil of respectability in small-town America at the end of the 19th century. Drawing on reports in the weekly newspaper, plus archive photographs and re-enactments of events, this film chronicles the tragedies that befell residents and neighbours of Black River Falls, Wisconsin. The film won a Royal Television Society award and was also BAFTA nominated

The screening includes an introduction and Q&A from Director James Marsh who went on to win an Oscar for "Man On Wire" and more recently directed the Oscar nominated "Theory of Everything"

For more info and to get tickets visit the Regent Street Cinema Website.




SONY PICTURES to release "Rogue Warrior : Robot Fighter" to US cinemas June

Sony Distribution will release highly-anticipated science-fiction actioner Rogue Warrior : Robot Fighter, starring Tracey Birdsall and written and directed by Neil Johnson, in US theaters June 2.

A few decades from now… Sienna, a rebellious robot-fighting arms dealer, lives on a post-apocalyptic Earth. When the cities start to fall under the control of the A.I. Scourge, a hyper-weaponized robot army, Sienna decides to leave the Earth and journey to the centre of the galaxy, seeking a mythical weapon that can neutralize any form of A.I.

Pursued by giant machines, Sienna loses everything she cares about in an effort to save the last vestiges of humanity in an A.I. controlled galaxy.

The film also stars William Kircher (‘The Hobbit’’), Daz Crawford (‘’Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.’’), Stephen Manley (‘’Star Trek III’’), and Marilyn Ghiggliotti (‘’Clerks’’).

View the trailer below.



Thursday 27 April 2017

"Deep in the Wood" premieres on US VOD.

The unnerving Deep in the Wood premieres at US On Demand outelts, June 13 from Uncork’d Entertainment. 

Tommi, a 4 year-old child, disappears during an annual Krampus festival. Five years later, a child was found nameless and without documents. DNA matches -- He is Tommi. Manuel, the father, can finally embrace his son. The mother, Linda, however, can not adapt to the new situation. A suspicion digs inside her: What if that child is not really her son?

Filippo Nigro, Camilla Filippi, Giovanni Vettorazzo, Teo Achille Caprio, Stefano Pietro Detassis, Maria Vittoria Barrella, Roberto Gudese, and Luca Filippi star in “a terrifying horror movie to scare yourself senseless with,” (Recombu.com) from Stefano Lodovichi.

The DVD will be available in the US from Sep 27.

View the Trailer on Vimeo

Tuesday 25 April 2017

Award winning short film "The Night Circus" online to view for free!

The Danish produced festival heavy hitting and award winning short film "The Night Circus" is now available for free online viewing courtesy of the danish independent platform Ekko's shortlist. 

The film was directed by Eskild Krogh, written by Mads Zaar Riisberg, produced by Mikkel Jensen and stars Kim Sønderholm and Eske Skafsgaard Hjorth.

Plot outline: Two men go about their business, removing the departed from local mob hits, when business as usual suddenly becomes rather unusual.

Length is approx. 9 minutes, there is no dialogue within the film so anyone of any language will be able to enjoy this little gem.

View it online for free at the following link - http://www.ekkofilm.dk/shortlist/film/the-night-circus/






Monday 24 April 2017

International Horror movie "Islamic Exorcist" trailer debuts

American independent studio who recently gave Samurai Cop 2 and Holy Terror, Cinema Epoch has acquired the distribution rights of Indian international Horror film Islamic Exorcist

The film is written and directed by controversial Indian film maker Faisal Saif and is in English language. Islamic Exorcist is based on a True Story that happened in India and depicts the controversial understanding between Shia and Sunni Muslim community.

The studio which is backed by acclaimed film maker Gregory Hatanaka revealed the film's First Poster yesterday. Cinema Epoch has produced and distributed films such as John Woo's The Killer, Samurai Cop 1 & 2, Daryl Hannah's Blind Revenge to name a few. The Studio is distributing the film all across USA, Canada, UK, Germany and Japan.

"I was getting threats to not to make this movie and showcase it. It is my honor to be associated with a studio like Cinema Epoch which gave me a huge freedom on my creativity and my film." said Faisal Saif.

Islamic Exorcist which stars Kavita Radheshyam who is tagged as India's Kim Kardashian will be released by Cinema Epoch this year.


Visit the official Facebook Page.

 

SEED OF CHUCKY, THE DIVIDE & DAYBREAKERS amongst Horror Channel premieres for May


Horror Channel has eight prime-time weekend film premieres this May including the network premieres for Don Mancini’s killer-dolls spin-off SEED OF CHUCKY, starring Brad Dourif, Jennifer Tilly & Billy Boyd, Xavier Gen’s unsettling post-apocalyptic horror THE DIVIDE and the epic vampire-battling DAYBREAKERS, starring Eithan Hawke and Willem Dafoe.

There are also UK premieres of José Manuel Cravioto’s pulse-pounding thriller BOUND TO VENGEANCE and Mary Lambert’s evil-spirited gripper URBAN LEGENDS: BLOODY MARY.  Other highlights are first channel showings for Stephen Kay’s monster in the closet chiller BOOGEYMAN, Jamie Blanks’ teen slasher URBAN LEGEND and Ryuhei Kitamura’s mystery-man rampaging NO ONE LIVES.  

Full details of premieres in transmission order:

Fri 5 May @ 21:00 – BOOGEYMAN (2005) *Network Premiere


Tim (Barry Watson) is haunted by traumatic memories from his past, linked to the death of his father. Desperate to resolve his issues, he returns to the house where he grew up. But while Tim wants to convince himself the ghostly memories he carries are just a figment of his imagination, he is plagued by a crippling fear that can only be resolved by facing up to the ‘Boogeyman’.  Also features Lucy Lawless.

Sat 6 May @ 22:50 – DAYBREAKERS (2009) *Network Premiere


 In the year 2019, a plague has transformed almost every human into a vampire. Faced with a dwindling blood supply, the fractured dominant race plots their survival. Meanwhile, a researcher works with a covert band of the undead on a way to save humankind. This classy chiller is packed with many disparate genre influences, not to mention a fine performance from Ethan Hawke and a truly fun turn by Willem Defoe as a futuristic Van Helsing with a Big Secret.

Fri 12 May @ 21:00 – URBAN LEGEND (1998) *Network Premiere


Students at New England's Pendleton College have their own urban legend -- 30 years ago, a demented professor killed six students and then committed suicide in Stanley Hall. But when a real series of strange deaths begins occurring on campus, assertive student Natalie (Alicia Witt) suspects they're murders based on urban legends and soon realises she's the next number in the killer's body count. A starry cast includes Robert Englund, Jared Leto, Tara Reid, Joshua Jackson and Brad Dourif.

Sat 13 May @ 21:00 – BOUND TO VENGEANCE (2015) *UK TV Premiere



A young woman, Eve (Tina Ivlev), is held captive in the basement of a sexual predator (Richard Tyson). Against the odds, she fights back, and manages to escape her malicious abductor. However, after discovering she may not be the only victim, Eve unravels a darker truth and decides to turn the tables on her captor. A subversive revenge tale with an unusual twist.

Fri 19 May @ 21:00 – URBAN LEGENDS: BLOODY MARY (2005) *UK TV Premiere


 A homecoming-night dare turns into a runaway nightmare for a trio of high-school friends who unleash an evil spirit in this terrifying entry in the Urban Legends series from Pet Sematary director Mary Lambert. Abducted by a group of high-school jocks, the trio, although rescued, witness their tormentors falling prey to a deadly but unseen menace. Could it be their imagination or could the spirit of Bloody Mary truly have returned from the grave to seek vengeance? This is the third and final instalment in the Urban Legend series

Sat 20 May @ 22:55 – NO ONE LIVES (2012) *Network Premiere


Fourteen students are murdered and the crime scene offers no clues as to the whereabouts of the one person who could be the only survivor. Months later a gang of robbers screw up their latest heist and mug a couple in a car instead. What they realise too late is that the driver is the killer responsible for the student massacre. Then it’s Psycho vs. Psychos in a taut, tension-laden cat-and-mouse chiller that sees both sides trying to outdo the other.

Fri 26 May @ 21:00 – SEED OF CHUCKY (2004) *Network Premiere


Billy Boyd voices Glen, the orphan doll offspring of the irrepressible devilish-doll-come-to-life Chucky (again voiced by Brad Dourif) and his equally twisted bride Tiffany (voiced by Jennifer Tilly). Glen heads for Hollywood, where he brings his bloodthirsty parents back from the dead. Much to his horror they go on a spree of murderous mayhem. Cult film director John Waters makes an appearance, as does hip-hop artist Redman. This is the fifth in the popular series of Chucky (Child's Play) horror comedies and is directed by franchise creator and writer of all five films, Don Mancini.

Sat 27 May @ 22:45 – THE DIVIDE (2011) *Network Premiere


From Xavier Gens, director of Frontier(s), this post-apocalyptic shocker explores the nightmare unravelling of humanity under the most extreme circumstances imaginable when New York City is decimated in a nuclear holocaust. As the survivors sit in the makeshift fallout shelter the ‘divide’ begins. With no one knowing the evil each person in the group is capable of, trust issues arise, paranoia emerges, factions form and values are debased in a brutal and visceral vision of a broken future. Stars Rosanna Arquette, Milo Ventimiglia, Michael Biehn and Lauren German.

TV: Sky 319 / Virgin 149 / Freesat 138




Sunday 23 April 2017

The Void - UK DVD review

Out on UK DVD and Blu-Ray Monday 24th, a Sheriff’s deputy and the staff at a remote hospital find that there are worse places than hell, in Jeremy Gillespie and Steven Kostanski’s twisted horror THE VOID.

A Sheriff’s deputy (Aaron Poole – TVs Strange Empire) brings an injured teenager to a remote hospital, which is just in the process of relocating, owing to a recent fire. But whilst the few staff left on duty are trying to tend to him and the other patients, they suddenly find the building surrounded by strange hooded figures brandishing knives.

Joined by a couple of redneck vigilantes, who have a score to settle with the teenager that the deputy brought in. It seems that it’s not the people outside they really need to worry about, as some of the staff begin a hideous transformation and start attacking them.

Surrounded by cult members outside and having to fight off attacks from strange creatures inside, the group realise they need to put aside their differences if they are to survive the night, and a deadly secret in the hospital basement is about to be uncovered….

Also starring Kenneth Walsh (Exorcism of Emily Rose), Kathleen Munroe (TV’s Ressurection) Ellen Wong (Scott Pilgrim Vs the World) and Art Hindle (The Brood, Invasion of the Body snatchers), The Void is an edge of your seat horror, that fuses HP Lovecraftian elements with Assault on Precinct 13, The Beyond, Hellraiser, The Thing and even Rosemary’s Baby and is this years must-see indie horror.


 I was sent the DVD to review which contains the follow special features.

-Audio commentary track with directors Jeremy Gillespie and Steven Kostanski
-Making-of feature (24mins) – a behind the scenes look at the making of the film, featuring interviews with the cast and crew.

-Proof of concept trailer (2:57) – Essentially an extended teaser trailer, designed to promote the films crowd funding campaign.

The Blu-Ray release also contains these, along with the following…

-Art of the Void feature
-Making the creatures documentary. 

The Void has certainly gone down a storm on the festival circuit and was very well received at the Mayhem Festival in Nottingham, which is where I first saw it (check out the pic of me with the directors and producer below).


The film has already been released Digitally in the UK, but is out on UK BD and DVD Monday 24th from Signature entertainment.

View the trailer on YouTube

Pre-order the UK BD from Amazon.co.uk 

Pre-order the UK DVD from Amazon.co.uk

Visit the films official Facebook and Twitter pages.


 

Saturday 22 April 2017

American Exorcism premieres on US VOD this May

Uncork’d Entertainment yields the crosses and garlic this Spring, with the release of American Exorcism, premiering at US VOD outlets this May.


Damon Richter thought he left the world of possessions, exorcisms, and evil behind until an old friend arrives with frightening information about his estranged daughter knowing that only his otherworldly skills can save her.

Written and directed by Tripp Weathers, and starring Braxton Davis (The Butchers), Michael Filipowich (24), Sicily Fontaine, Jessica Morris (Lucifer), Kate Tumanova and William McKinney,  American Exorcism possesses on US VOD May 2 and US DVD August 1. 

View the trailer on YouTube.


Friday 21 April 2017

Arrow Video - July Releases!

The summer fun continues for film fans in July, as Arrow deliver a bulging picnic basket packed with splatter flicks, J-Horror, crime classics, superior sequels and unmissable documentaries

Nekromantik 2 - on Dual Format Blu-ray + DVD on 3 July

Monika isn’t like other young women. She shares her small flat with Rob, a recently disinterred corpse which serves as the object of her affections. But then she meets good-natured Mark, and soon finds herself torn between the prospect of a ‘normal’ life with a living, breathing partner and her overwhelming desire for her rotting bed-fellow.

Once prosecuted in its native Germany for “glorifying violence”, Jörg Buttgereit’s follow-up to his ground-breaking Nekromantik is just as shocking as its reputation would suggest. But it’s also a profoundly moving (if decidedly twisted) love story, and a thought provoking meditation on the nature of life and death.

DIRECTOR-APPROVED SPECIAL EDITION CONTENTS

High Definition transfer approved by director Jörg Buttgereit
High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) and Standard Definition DVD presentations
Original Stereo 2.0 audio (uncompressed PCM on the Blu-ray)
Optional English subtitles
Audio commentary with Buttgereit, co-writer Franz Rodenkirchen and actors Monika M. and Mark Reeder
Introduction to the film with Buttgereit, Reeder, Monika M. and producer Manfred Jelinski
Masters of Life and Death – a brand new documentary looking at the film’s production and release history, featuring interviews with Buttgereit, Reeder, Monika M. and Jelinski
City of the Loving Dead – a walking tour of some of the original Berlin locations with Reeder and Jelinski
Necropolis: Jörg Buttgereit’s Berlin – film scholar Dr. Marcus Stiglegger on the significance of the German capital as the backdrop for Nekromantik 2
The Making of Nekromantik 2 – vintage documentary viewable with two different audio tracks: an English track comprising audio interviews with Buttgereit, Rodenkirchen and Monika M., and a German track featuring radio interviews with Buttgereit and Rodenkirchen, with optional English subtitles
Nekro Waltz: The Music of Nekromantik 2 – Reeder discusses his work on the film’s score
Outtakes Reel
Nekromantik 2 Livekonzert – footage from the 20th anniversary Nekromantik 2 concert, with Monika M. and friends performing the live score
Nekromantik 2 Livekonzert – the complete 20-track audio recording of the concert [BD/DVD-ROM content]
Two Buttgereit short films: Bloody Excess in the Leader’s Bunker (Blutige Exzesse im Führerbunker, 1982) and A Moment of Silence at the Grave of Ed Gein (2012)
Two Buttgereit-directed music videos: ‘Rise Up’ by Die Krupps (1997), starring Monika M., and ‘Die Frau in der Musik’ by Stereo Total (2007)
Complete collection of Buttgereit feature film trailers
Extensive image gallery

 Pre-order from Amazon.co.uk


Pulse - on Dual Format Blu-ray + DVD on 10 July

Award-winning filmmaker Kiyoshi Kurosawa delivered one of the finest entries in the "J-Horror" cycle of films with this moody and spiritually terrifying film that delivers existential dread along with its frights. Setting his story in the burgeoning internet and social media scene in Japan, Kurosawa's dark and apocalyptic film foretells how technology will only serve to isolate us as it grows more important to our lives.

A group of young people in Tokyo begin to experience strange phenomena involving missing co-workers and friends, technological breakdown, and a mysterious website which asks the compelling question, "Do you want to meet a ghost?" After the unexpected suicides of several friends, three strangers set out to explore a city which is growing emptier by the day, and to solve the mystery of what lies within a forbidden room in an abandoned construction site, mysteriously sealed shut with red packing tape.

Featuring haunting cinematography by Junichiro Hayashi (Ring, Dark Water), a dark and unsettling tone which lingers long after the movie is over, and an ahead-of-its-time story which anticipates 21st century disconnection and social media malaise, Pulse is one of the greatest and most terrifying achievements in modern Japanese horror, and a dark mirror for our contemporary digital world.

SPECIAL EDITION CONTENTS:
High Definition digital transfer
High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) and Standard Definition DVD presentations
Original 5.1 audio (DTS-HD on the Blu-ray)
New optional English subtitle translation
New interview with writer/director Kiyoshi Kurosawa
New interview with cinematographer Junichiro Hayashi
The Horror of Isolation: a new video appreciation featuring Adam Wingard & Simon Barrett (Blair Witch, You’re Next)
Archive Making of documentary, plus four archive behind-the-scenes featurette
Premiere footage from the Cannes Film Festival
Cast and crew introductions from opening day screenings in Tokyo
Trailers and TV Spots
Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Tommy Pocket
FIRST PRESSING ONLY:
Illustrated collectors booklet featuring new writing on the film by critic Chuck Stephens.

Pre-order from Amazon.co.uk


Psycho II - on Blu-ray on 31 July 

Just when you thought it was safe to step back in the shower, Norman Bates returns in this expertly crafted sequel to Alfred Hitchcock’s acclaimed horror classic.

Deemed fit to return to society more than two decades years after his original crimes, Norman Bates has returned to his family mansion and adjacent motel. Joined by an unlikely house guest in the form of young Mary (Meg Tilly), things seem to be looking up for Norman – until the grisly murders start up afresh. Has Norman really put his terrible past behind him, or is he losing his grip on sanity all over again?

Aided by a fiendishly clever script from Fright Night director Tom Holland, Psycho II is regarded by many as one of the most successful horror sequels of all time, with a plot that will keep you guessing until the very end…
 
SPECIAL EDITION CONTENTS

Digital Transfer from Original Film Elements
High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) presentation
Original Stereo Audio
Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
Audio commentary with writer Tom Holland
Never-before-heard audio interview with director Richard Franklin
Archive Interview with star Anthony Perkins
Vintage EPK material featuring interviews with cast and crew
Trailers & TV Spots
Still Gallery
Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Adam Rabalais
PLUS MORE TO BE ANNOUNCED!

FIRST PRESSING ONLY: Collector’s Booklet with new writing on the film alongside a reprint of the Psycho II chapter from Richard Franklin’s unpublished autobiography

Pre-order from Amazon.co.uk


Future Shock: The Story Of 2000AD - on Blu-ray & DVD on 31 July 

First published in 1977 at the height of the punk era, UK Sci-Fi comic 2000AD was violent, anti-authoritarian, darkly funny and distinctly British. With such iconic characters as Strontium Dog, Nemesis and Judge Dredd, it became the anarchic underdog that forever changed the face of the international comics industry.

Offering a comprehensive overview of the comic’s history, Future Shock! takes a funny, moving and passionate look at the various highs and lows of how a band of talented eccentrics came together to create a visionary and extraordinary publication that still remains a game-changer more than 40 years later.

Featuring interviews with the likes of Pat Mills (ABC Warriors, Slaine), Dave Gibbons (Watchmen), Neil Gaiman (The Sandman), Karl Urban (Dredd) and Alex Garland (Ex Machina), Future Shock! is the definitive story of the most successful comic in the galaxy - now loaded with over six hours of previously unseen extras.

SPECIAL EDITION CONTENTS:

Exclusive brand new interview with Steve MacManus (25 mins)
Extended chapter featurette: Cheap Entertainment – The Appeal of comics (9 mins)
Extended chapter featurette: Judge Dredd (13 mins)
Extended chapter featurette: Dredd 2012 – True in Spirit (13 mins)
Extended chapter featurette: 2000AD Vs the USA (15 mins)
2000AD Strip featurette: Bad Company/Peter Milligan (5 mins)
2000AD Strip featurette: Tharg’s Future Shocks/Various (8 mins)
2000AD Strip featurette: Rogue Trooper/Dave Gibbons & Cam Kennedy (7 mins)
2000AD Strip featurette: Slaine/Pat Mills (11 mins)
2000AD Strip featurette: Strontium Dog/Carlos Ezquerra (5 mins)
Art Jam – How to draw Dredd & Nemesis by Jock & Henry Flint (4 mins)
Pat Mills visits Kings Reach Rower (6 mins)
In the Soundtrack Studio with Justin Greaves (4 mins)
Extended interview with Pat Mills (84 mins)
Extended interview with Grant Morrison (33 mins)
Extended interview with Neil Gaiman (17 mins)
Extended interview with Dave Gibbons (47 mins)
Extended interview with Karen Berger (33 mins)
Blooper Reel (2 mins)
Teaser Trailer
UK Launch Trailer
Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Jock.

FIRST PRESSING ONLY:
Illustrated collector’s booklet

Pre-order the UK BD from Amazon.co.uk

Pre-order the UK DVD from Amazon.co.uk



 

Luke Hemsworth to star in Sci-Fi thriller "Encounter"

Beyond Casual Media has cast internationally recognized actor Luke Hemsworth (Westworld) in Encounter, a new sci-fi drama shooting in Georgia under the direction of tyro filmmaker Paul J Salamoff.

Salamoff’s script for Encounter was inspired by The Twilight Zone. A group of friends make a remarkable discovery in a rural field – a crashed spacecraft - And there’s a survivor. But when they bring the otherworldly being home, they soon discover that it holds even greater secrets than they could imagine. But with the government on their tail, time is running out to ascertain the alien’s true intentions

The first-time feature filmmaker states: “We are all very excited to bring this unique and exciting modern day science fiction story to life. The world of Encounter is a nod back to classic Sci-Fi movies of the 70’s and 80’s. Its fresh approach offers a new twist on science fiction’s strengths of exploring very human themes of loss, grief in an unexpected and thought-provoking way.”

Hemsworth leads a cast that includes Anna Hutchison (Cabin in the Woods), Tom Atkins (My Bloody Valentine), Glenn Keogh (Transformers: Age of Extinction), Vincent M. Ward (The Walking Dead), Cheryl Texiera (It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia) and Christopher Showerman (Supergirl).

Writer-director Salamoff began his career as a Make-Up FX artist on over 40 films. His writing career now spans film, TV, short stories, books, comics and graphic novels. As a producer he has worked in film, video game marketing and DVD content and was Vice President of Production for BOLD Films and President of Production for Rat Bastard Productions.

Studio marketing and development veteran Robert Hollocks, declares: “The reaction to Encounter has been incredible. It's intelligent, smart and terrific on every level. As an Exec. Producer it’s the kind of material you always hope to find. I’m proud to be part of the team bringing it to fruition.”

The film also marks the debut feature for the Augusta-based Beyond Casual Media. Headed by local Producer & Entrepreneur Amy Bailey. Over the last few years, Bailey and Salamoff have been working with local crews to nurture and support the thriving and close-knit feature film community with a series of events and seminars designed to educate as well as train. The latest, last spring’s “Hollywood to Y’Allywood”, set the groundwork for ENCOUNTER.

Worldwide sales and distribution for “Encounter” is being handled by Lightning Entertainment.



Follow OCTOBER COAST online
FACEBOOK: http://www.facebook.com/octobercoast
TWITTER: https://twitter.com/octobergang
INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/octobercoastpr



THE REPLACEMENT - Available on UK DVD May 1

Acclaimed British actors Vicky McClure (“Line of Duty”, “This Is England”, “The Secret Agent”) and Morvern Christie (“The A Word”, “The Young Victoria”, “Lilting”) star in the gripping psychological thriller The Replacement, coming to UK DVD on May 1 from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment.

When Ellen, a successful architect in her mid-thirties, falls pregnant, she finds maternity cover in Paula who is brilliant, enthusiastic and raring to go. Paula is ready to return to full time work after taking ten years out to raise her daughter. Ellen champions her, but quickly begins to feel uneasy as Paula has been meeting the client without Ellen and tweaking her designs. And why is she so preoccupied with Ellen’s pregnancy? She seems to think that, as mothers, she and Ellen share some sort of special bond.

As Paula ingratiates herself further with Kay and David – the firm partners and Ellen’s mentors – Ellen’s attitude towards her starts to come across as paranoid and obsessive. Her husband Ian, a psychiatrist, wonders if she might be suffering from antenatal depression. The more Ellen tries to trip Paula up the more she alienates herself from her husband and colleagues…but Ellen is convinced something is not right about Paula. Can her suspicions be explained away as female rivalry and her own insecurity of opting out of work at the top of her game…or do they speak to something deeper? 

The Replacement also features Dougray Scott (Hitman, Mission Impossible 2, Taken 3), Richard Rankin (“Outlander”, “From Darkness”, “Thirteen”), Neve Mcintosh, (“The Hound of the Baskervilles”, “Psychos”, “Lip Service”) Navin Chowdhry (“Doctor Foster”, “Teachers”, “Dalziel and Pascoe”, “Waking the Dead”) and Siobhan Redmond (“Between The Lines”, “The High Life”, “Holby City”, “The Smoking Room” and “Doctor Who”).

Buy the UK DVD from Amazon.co.uk



"Lake Bodom", coming soon to Shudder

Coming to SHUDDER, AMC Networks’ horror streaming service on 18th May is the exclusive LAKE BODOM  


Every camper’s worst nightmare came true at Lake Bodom in 1960 when four teenagers were stabbed to death while sleeping in their tent. As the years passed and the case grew cold, the unsolved mystery turned into an urban legend, a creepy camp fire story passed from generation to generation. The killer is still at large. 

Now, a group of teenagers arrives at the same campsite, hoping to solve the murder by reconstructing it minute by minute. As night falls, turns out not all of them are there to play. Tonight it’s girls against boys. Let the killing games begin!

Shudder is a premium streaming video service, super-serving fans of thrillers, suspense, and horror. Backed by AMC Networks, Shudder has a growing and dynamic selection of thrilling premieres, originals, and exclusives, which complement its impressive library of international and independent films, gripping TV series, and Hollywood blockbuster favourites. Shudder streams ad-free in the US, Canada, UK, and Ireland on the web, iOS, Android, Chromecast, Apple TV, and Roku for £4.99/month or £49.99 with an annual membership. To try Shudder commitment-free for 7 days, visit www.shudder.com.

Thursday 20 April 2017

ENCLOSURE - starring Fiona Douriff - coming to UK digital outlets May

Adventurous married couple Dana (Fiona Dourif - Curse of Chucky) and Charles (Kevin Ryan, - TV's Copper, Guilt) plan a trip into the wilderness before settling down to family life. However on the first night they hear fellow campers being viciously attacked by a mysterious beast not far from their tent. 

Unable to escape, but desperate to help, they pull to safety an injured stranger who tells them about a creature that stalks and haunts the woods causing the disappearance of hikers and hunters. For an unknown reason the beast that lurks in the trees will not attack the couple's tent so they are trapped inside the claustrophobic prison until their escape.

Cabin fever though soon sets in and the couple and the stranger become desperate for freedom. The question however is; how much will they sacrifice to get it?

From Director Patrick Rea (Nailbiter), Enclosure will be available to watch on Digital Download from 8th May 2017.
 


 

Wednesday 19 April 2017

Sci-Fi thriller CAUGHT - premiering at Sci-Fi London Festival 27th April

Premiering at the Sci-Fi London film festival, Thursday 27th April. Director Jamie Patterson's CAUGHT, at the Rich Mix Cinema, 35-47 Bethnal Green Rd, London E1 6LA

A ‘work-from-home’ journalist couple who’ve become interested in a new base up on the moor are visited by a strange couple called Mr & Mrs Blair (yes, The Blairs!). They say they want to ask a few questions and the journalists invite the Blairs into their idyllic village home, but what begins with an informal interview descends into a nightmarish fight for survival. 

This is a film that returns us to the great days of brit SF. It’s Quatermass via Straw Dogs and delivers a tight, extremely tense and unnerving experience, the kind of sci-fi we used to be so good at making.

The following cast and crew members will be in attendance at the screening...

Director – Jamie Patterson (Fractured, Home for Christmas, City of Dreamers)
Writer / Producer – Alex Francis (Moon, Filth)
Producers – Jeremy Davis & Chris O’Shea-Daly (Delete, The Hollow)
Lead Actors
April Pearson (Skins, Tormented, Tank 432)
Ruben Crow (Austen Land, The Way We’re Wired)  
Dave Mountfield (Penalty King, Weekender)
 

For more info on this and other films and events at Sci-Fi London Film Festival visit the official website at http://www.sci-fi-london.com

 

Frightrags release ALIENS, DAWN OF THE DEAD and MADBALLS apparel.

As a kid in '80s, there was no shortage of toys aimed to gross out your friends and family. Chief among them were Madballs, the classic toy balls featuring disgusting fun characters. Gross out your loved ones once again with Fright-Rags' new Madballs shirts and socks.



The collection includes five designs by Scarecrowoven, Coki Greenway, Jeff Zornow, and Kyle Crawford. Each one is available on black shirts, with select designs also available on color shirts or baseball tees. Three pairs of custom-knit socks - featuring Hornhead, Slobulus, and Skullface, respectively - are up for grabs as well.

The Madballs collection is on sale now at Fright-Rags.com. Shirts are in stock, while socks will ship in early-May.


Fright-Rags has several other exciting releases planned for the remainder of the month: George A. Romero's Dawn of the Dead enamel pin collection on April 21; Aliens shirts, hoodies, and socks for Alien Day on April 26; and Masters of Horror: Lon Chaney & Vincent Price shirts and enamel pins on April 28.



 

Coming to SHUDDER this May...

ARRIVING IN MAY FROM AMC NETWORKS PREMIUM STREAMING SERVICE OF THRILLERS, SUSPENSE AND HORROR


THE FINAL GIRLS SHUDDER CURATION

The Final Girls is a London-based screening series focused on exploring feminist themes and celebrating women in horror cinema in-front and behind the camera. This month The Final Girls dissect SHUDDER, picking their favourite titles from the service - fresh from their acclaimed UK tour presenting Anna Biller's THE LOVE WITCH to willing eyeballs around the country and a host of other lively, full-bloodied screenings.

Look out for The Final Girls SHUDDER curation coming soon...


SWEET SWEET LONELY GIRL (Dir. A.D Calvo)
Exclusively on SHUDDER UK from 4th May

The hauntingly elegant SWEET SWEET LONELY GIRL comes to SHUDDER on the 4th May. This stylish gothic thriller features standout performances from its young female leads, rising stars Erin Wilhelmi (The Perks of Being a Wallflower, The Knick) and Quinn Shephard (Hostages)  and was praised after its premiere at Austin’s renowned genre festival, Fantastic Fest  as a breakout indie hit.

Directed by A.D. Calvo, SWEET SWEET LONELY GIRL explores the friendship between quiet Adele and seductive Beth, which blossoms as Adele takes care of her agoraphobic aunt. As Adele begins to discover that Beth may not be who she says she is, she is sent spiraling down a psychologically unhinged and phantasmagoric path, following in the footsteps of her unstable aunt.

SWEET SWEET LONELY GIRL evokes the atmospheric dread of 70s horror with distinctive nods to the work of Mario Bava and sitting alongside genre classics such as Let’s Scare Jessica to Death and more recently Ti West’s The House of the Devil.


HALFWORLDS SEASON 2 (Dir. Ekachai Uekrongtham)
Exclusively on SHUDDER UK from 4th May

HBO Asia’s wildly imaginative and visually stunning fantasy TV thriller continues on SHUDDER, blending the magic and horror of the films of Guillermo Del Toro, with the action and Eastern spiritualism of the greatest of Asian genre cinema.

In the second season of the acclaimed show, a tenacious researcher, Juliet, embarks on a quest to find an ancient artifact of great power. During her search, she uncovers and unwittingly draws the attention of a secret world of demons known as 'Peesaj' that live amongst mortals in the city of Bangkok...

HALFWORLDS is a high velocity, intense viewing experience created and conceptualised by rising genre filmmaking sensation Joko Anwar.


LAKE BODOM (Dir. Taneli Mustonen)
Exclusively on SHUDDER UK from 18th May

Based on terrifying real life events, LAKE BODOM is an intense, no-hold-barred post-modern slasher that takes everything you know about the genre and injects cutting wit, thrilling twists and 21st century ferocity into it.

Every camper's worst nightmare came true at Lake Bodom in 1960 when four teenagers were stabbed to death while sleeping in their tent. When four teens go on a pilgrimage to the site of the massacre, it appears that history may end up repeating itself.

For anyone who’s become jaded about cookie-cutter stalk n slash films, LAKE BODOM is a palette refresher shot though with deeply dark Nordic style.

ALSO NEW TO SHUDDER THIS MONTH


 THE TALL MAN

An atmospheric and thought-provoking mystery thriller starring Jessica Biel from director Pascal Laugier, the brilliantly warped mind behind genre classic Martyrs.


VAMPIRA

Unearthed from the crypt marked '1970s' and taking a bloodied satirical stake to the genres of sexploitation, blaxploitation and every 'ation' in between, VAMPIRA  sees Castle Dracula this time play host to a group of Playboy Playmates!  Starring David Niven and scripted by 'Allo 'Allo's Jeremy Lloyd!

BELA KISS - Coming this month on SHUDDER

A safe house for five bank robbers becomes anything but safe as the spirit of brutal WWI serial killer Bela Kiss is reawakened.

THE MACHINE

A cerebral sci-fi debut from Don't Knock Twice director Caradog W. James in which intelligent technology is appropriated by the British government and turned into a weapon for evil.
Not the first time, eh, voters...?!

MULBERRY STREET

The debut film from Stakeland and Cold in July director Jim Mickle, MULBERRY STREET is a hyper-active shot in the arm (and head) for the undead and infected film canon.

THE THAW

Val Kilmer and a team of ecology students do battle against an ancient and deadly arctic parasite! Welcome back (to the) ICE MAN!

THE WORLD OF KANAKO

Playful and nihilistic in equal measures, THE WORLD OF KANAKO follows a former detective searching for his missing daughter, who soon realizes how little he knows about her and his family.

VHS VIRAL

Fame-hungry teens to flock to the streets of LA aimed with video cameras and camera phones, hell-bent on capturing the next viral video. But there is something far more sinister going on in this chilling, lo-fi addition to the VHS anthology series.

About SHUDDER

Shudder is a premium streaming video service, super-serving fans of thrillers, suspense, and horror. Backed by AMC Networks, Shudder has a growing and dynamic selection of thrilling premieres, originals, and exclusives, which complement its impressive library of international and independent films, gripping TV series, and Hollywood blockbuster favourites. Shudder streams ad-free in the US, Canada, UK, and Ireland on the web, iOS, Android, Chromecast, Apple TV, and Roku for £4.99/month or £49.99 with an annual membership. To try Shudder commitment-free for 7 days, visit www.shudder.com.

The Belko Experiment - Behind the scenes feature

The Belko Experiment comes to UK cinemas Friday 21st April, check out this behind the scenes clip with actor John C McGinley!




Tuesday 18 April 2017

The Void - Blu-ray & DVD on Monday 24th April

Signature Entertainment presents fantastic new horror The Void on Blu-Ray & DVD featuring lots of quality extras this Monday 24th April...

Prepare for a fresh slice of terror from the warped imaginations of VFX and design masters Steven Kostanski and Jeremy Gillespie. The Void is a highly anticipated new horror following a series of successful and prestigious festival appearances. Encountering a blood-soaked man on a dark deserted road, a police officer rushes the victim to the local hospital. Soon the staff and patients are trapped by a terrifying, otherworldly threat and forced on a hellish voyage into the depths of the building to escape the nightmare.

Shocking, haunting and boasting mind-blowing practical special effects, The Void is a new must-see horror event, starring Ellen Wong (Scott Pilgrim vs the World), Kathleen Munroe (Alphas), Aaron Poole (Forsaken) Kenneth Welsh (The Aviator) and Daniel Fathers. Written and directed by Jeremy Gillespie and Steven Kostanski.

I actually saw this one at last years Mayhem Festival and can highly recommend it. An action packed mash-up of H.P. Lovecraft and John Carpenter, with Rosemary’s Baby and Lucio Fulci’s The Beyond.


 The Void is out now on Digital HD and on Blu-ray & DVD with lots of extras from 24th April

iTunes Extras
Director's Commentary
Proof of Concept Trailer
The Making of Proof of Concept trailer
Location Scout
Creating a Cult

DVD Extras
Director's Commentary
Proof of Concept Trailer
Behind the Scenes

Blu-Ray Extras
Director's Commentary
Proof of Concept Trailer
Behind the Scenes
Art of The Void
Making of Creature doc

Pre-order the UK BD from Amazon.co.uk

Pre-order the UK DVD from Amazon.co.uk

Visit the films official Facebook and Twitter pages



Horror Films Rediscovered on the BFI Player

In 2010 the BFI published their Most Wanted list, a tantalising countdown of 75 British films classified as ‘missing, believed lost’. Of all these forgotten gems (which ranged from silent Hitchcock to '60s pop), nothing excited horror fans more than the inclusion of José Ramón Larraz’s 1974 little-seen cult classic, Symptoms


Selected for the 1974 Cannes Film Festival before promptly falling into cinematic obscurity, this claustrophobic Repulsion-esque chiller, which tells the uncanny tale of a young woman’s descent into madness at a remote English country mansion, was long confined to the blurry terrains of VHS bootlegs and online rips. 

Now lovingly restored and looking better than ever, Larraz’s infamous curio is available for all to enjoy on BFI player. And so, to celebrate the long-awaited arrival of a neglected genre classic, here are 5 more horror gems waiting to be discovered on BFI’s online platform. Let the nightmares begin...

The Night Has Eyes (dir Leslie Arliss, 1942)

One of only a handful of British horror films produced during WWII, this delicious slice of gothic melodrama (think Jane Eyre meets The Old Dark House) stars James Mason as Stephen, a reclusive composer living in an isolated mansion on the perennially misty Yorkshire Moors. When two lost women stumble on his property, Stephen offers shelter and a place to stay. But as romance blossoms between the taciturn recluse and one of his new guests, so too does the macabre truth of Stephen’s dark past. Also released under the more salacious titles Terror House and Moonlight Madness, this atmospheric chiller was given the BBFC’s dreaded H-for-Horror rating when it was released in 1942, possibly thanks to its surprisingly nasty conclusion. As ever, Mason makes for a broodingly effective leading man, while special mention should also go to Tucker McGuire for her scene-stealing role as man-hungry schoolteacher Doris. But the real stars are the Moors themselves – evocatively captured by Gunther Krampf (famed cinematographer whose work included Pandora’s Box and The Hands of Orlac) – which reek of dread and dark foreboding.

Fiend Without a Face (dir Arthur Crabtree, 1958)

Something of a cause célèbre when it was first unleashed in 1958, Arthur Crabtree’s low-budget monster mash was deemed so outrageous, and so morally reprehensible, that it actually sparked debate in Parliament, where questions were raised as to how a work of such supposed depravity had passed through the censors in all its gory glory. Years later, and of course the shock value has diminished. But while the film may not still possess the power to appal with quite the same ferocity, it remains one of the most wonderfully twisted little sci-fi shockers of the period. The plot (typical of the atomic obsessed sci-fi pics of the time) concerns an army of nuclear-powered flying brains (complete with spinal cords) who attack a US military base. Naysayers might dismiss this off-kilter British production as little more than a mindless (!) special-effects showcase – but when the climactic scenes are so unhinged and the stop-motion effects so glorious – who cares? If it all sounds frankly preposterous, that’s because it is. And wonderfully so. 

The Night of the Hunted (dir Jean Rollin, 1980)

Of the 50-odd films directed by Euro-sleaze connoisseur Jean Rollin over the course of his illustrious career, The Night Of The Hunted might stand as his most idiosyncratic, and, in many ways, most beautiful effort. A far cry from the saucy vampire pics he is perhaps best known for, this anomalous head-scratcher blends erotic horror with austere science-fiction (not unlike the early works of David Cronenberg) to tell the story of a young amnesiac woman being held in a strange asylum seemingly against her will. As perversities and murders begin to mount around her, she must make sense of why she is there and how she can escape. As with most of Rollin’s films, the end result is by no means perfect - the leisurely pacing can be testing at times (the lengthy sex scenes in particular feeling unnecessarily drawn out) - but for those of a more patient disposition and an keen eye for the perverse, this clinical shocker is quite unlike anything else, replete with scenes of abject terror which will not be quickly forgotten.

Heartless (dir Philip Ridley, 2009)

The long-awaited third feature from Philip Ridley (following his extraordinary sun-drenched slice of American gothic The Reflecting Skin, and the lesser-known, but equally fascinating backwoods allegory The Passion Of Darkly Noon) saw the London-born filmmaker return to his home turf with a Faustian morality tale set in the East End. Jim Strurgess plays Jamie, a socially awkward teenage outcast born with a large heart-shaped birthmark on his face, who discovers a gang of demons are plaguing the streets of his hometown. As one would expect from one of horror cinema’s true visual poets, Heartless is a feast for the eyes, steeped in fertile symbolism and menacing atmospherics. But perhaps most memorably, it is a richly empathetic piece of work, which succeeds as much as an unconventional character study as it does an unnerving and eccentric horror film.

The Strange Colour of Your Body’s Tears (dir Hélène Cattet & Bruno Forzani, 2013)

An audacious exercise pure, unadulterated style, this modern day giallo from the gloriously twisted minds of directing duo Hélène Cattet & Bruno Forzani (Amer) is one of the most visually imaginative horror films of recent years. Following the unexplained disappearance of his wife, a man is thrown into a web of mystery and intrigue as he attempts to uncover her whereabouts. Traversing the labyrinthine halls of his ornamental apartment building, he encounters its various inhabitants, whose tales of sensuality and sadism play out before him. In this dreamlike (or should that be nightmarish?) world, traditional narrative gives way to a more sensory, instinctive approach to storytelling, resulting in an experience which can be as perplexing as it is hypnotic. For those with a taste for something different, this truly singular work delivers devious surprises with every blood-splattered frame. Watch it loud. On the biggest screen you can.

Symptoms is available on BFI Player, HERE