Hemlock Grove : Series One - comes to UK disc

Kaleidoscope Home Entertainment are proud to announce that "HEMLOCK GROVE : THE COMPLETE FIRST SERIES" will be released 21 April for Digital download, Digital rental and on DVD & Blu-ray.

 

The smash US show, a Netflix Original, produced by Gaumont International Television, is from Executive Producer Eli Roth, the brilliantly sinister mind behind modern horror classics; Hostel, The Last Exorcism and Cabin Fever. It is also based on the novel by Brian McGreevy and created by McGreevy and Lee Shipman.

 

Set in Hemlock Grove, Pennsylvania. The town is a mixture of extreme wealth and poverty, as the closing of the town's steel mill many years earlier caused many to lose their jobs. The town's main sources of employment are now the Hemlock Acres Hospital and Godfrey Institute for Biomedical Technologies.

 

Run by the powerful Godfrey family, the Institute is rumored to conduct sinister experiments. The town's rumour mill turns even more twisted when two teenage girls are brutally murdered. Peter Rumancek (Landon Liboiron), a 17-year-old gypsy, is suspected of the crimes by some of the townsfolk and is also rumored to be a werewolf. Along with the heir to the Godfrey estate, Roman, he sets out to solve the mystery and prove his innocence.

 

Extras on the discs are yet to be confirmed. Famke Janssen (X-Men, GoldenEye), Dougray Scott (Mission Impossible II), Lily Taylor (The Conjuring) and Aaron Douglas (Battlestar Galactica) also star.

 

Buy the UK DVD box set from Amazon.co.uk

 

Buy the UK BD box set from Amazon.co.uk

 

 

 

 

"Repentance" - in cinemas NOW!

Repentance opens in UK cinemas TODAY, from Lionsgate and Codeblack Films. Years after a drunken car crash that almost took his life, Tommy Carter (Anthony Mackie) has reinvented himself as a therapist/spiritual advisor who advocates a synthesis of world religions and positivity.

 

He's parlayed this vocation into a successful book release that one day draws the attention of Angel Sanchez (Forest Whitaker), a profoundly troubled man fixated on the "untimely" death of his mother. When Carter takes on Sanchez as a personal client in an effort to raise funds for his indebted brother Ben (Mike Epps), things quickly take a turn for the worse. Angel needs much more than a simple life coach.

 

What may be simple to grasp for some is the idea that single actions in the past comprise tidal waves of reactions in the present. Director Philippe Caland's REPENTANCE examines these issues against a backdrop of kidnapping and murder.

 

Described as the "first all-black psychological thriller", this film tells the universal tale of reaping what you sow. Directed by Philippe Caland and featuring stellar performaces by Forest Whitaker, Anthony Mackie, Mike Epps and Sanna Lathan - this dynamic thriller will leave you speechless.

Read more about this film on Official Website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest pages.

"Bloodsucking Freaks" comes to UK disc

Never before released in the UK, Joel M Reed's "BLOODSUCKING FREAKS" has earned a world-wide reputation as being a film unlike anything ever seen before in the history of the cinema, and it's finally set to be released onto UK disc, fully uncut.

 

"BLOODSUCKING FREAKS" takes you to a bizarre Off-Broadway theatre of the macabre, operated by a deranged impresario. Inside, sadistic entertainments are staged for his audience’s pleasure, including tortures, dismemberments, and other gruesome acts which appear to be faked.

 

When people begin disappearing off the streets of Manhattan, the twisted truth begins to chillingly sink in: these horrifying bloodcurdling acts are not theatrical at all. They are real! No one can remain unmoved by the intense scenes of carnage, from the human dartboard to the infamous brain sucking scene. "BLOODSUCKING FREAKS" is guaranteed to turn stomachs.

 

The film is released to UK BD and DVD on April 21st from 88 Films and contains the following special features.

 

• Audio Commentary by Hostel Director Eli Roth
• Introduction by Lloyd Kaufman
• Original Trailer
• Tour of Troma & Interviews with Cast and Crew
• Aroma du Troma feature
• Radiation March feature
• 2 Troma public service announcements
• Lloyd Kaufman’s Autobiography Promo Video
 

The Blu-Ray also comes with a limited edition slipcase, a reversible sleeve featuring new and original artwork and a booklet containing notes on the film by Callum Waddel.

 

Buy the UK BD from Amazon.co.uk

 

Buy the UK DVD from Amazon.co.uk

 

 

 

*EDIT* Seems this post is number 666 on the blog, something of a Milestone I think! :-)

 

 

Acclaimed Stage Horror 'Let The Right One In' Transfers to London's West End

The critically-acclaimed South Bank Sky Arts award-winning production of LET THE RIGHT ONE IN will transfer to London’s West End on 26 March for a strictly limited season.

 

Based on the Swedish novel and cult-hit film by John Ajvide Lindqvist, LET THE RIGHT ONE IN will be the first show to play the recently refurbished and re-opened Apollo Theatre, Shaftesbury Avenue.

 

The production marks the National Theatre of Scotland’s West End debut, and follows the show’s sell out success at the Royal Court Theatre.

 

Oskar is a lonely boy from a broken home. He’s bullied at school and is longing for friendship. Eli is a troubled girl who’s just moved in next door. She never goes to school and is compelled to fill an eternal emptiness.

 

When a series of brutal killings plagues the neighbourhood, these two young misfits make a deep connection, sensing in each other a kindred spirit. But the shocking truth about Eli tests Oskar’s loyalty - and love - beyond all imaginable limits, in this chilling tale of loneliness, love and legend.

 

Special prices and no booking fees

The wide appeal of the production has led the producers, in association with Nimax Theatres, to take a unique approach to pricing: a £21.00 allocation for under 21s, a £15.00 day seat allocation, a no per-ticket booking fee policy, and a special arrangement with the Royal Court Theatre whereby they will be selling tickets directly, are all part of a plan designed to make the production accessible.

 

Reduced price previews run from 26 March to 5 April. The preview performances are priced at £10.00 off standard prices. Press night is on 7 April at 7:00pm. LET THE RIGHT ONE IN is not recommended for children under the age of 13.

 

For more info and to book tickets visit the Apollo Theatre Website.

 

 

"Stalled" - Out now on UK disc!!!!

Christian James offbeat horror comedy "Stalled" has finally been released to UK disc. Set on Christmas Eve, whilst the office Christmas party is in full swing, hapless maintenance man WC (played by writer Dan Palmer) gets stuck in one of the cubicles in the ladies lavatory when a zombie outbreak occurs in the building.

 

Armed with the contents of his trusty toolbox, he has to fend off numerous assaults by the undead office workers, dressed in various festive attire, as he tries to find a way of escaping.

 

This one has been doing the rounds on the festival circuit for a while and has been going down a storm with both audiences and critics alike (think "Dawn of the Dead" crossed with "Phone Booth", but set in a toilet, and you get the idea). I actually had the pleasure of viewing this at the Leicester Zombie Film Festival last year and found it to be hilariously funny.

 

The film is available on both DVD and Blu-Ray and is said to contain the following extras...

 

-Trailer.
-45 Minute Behind The Scenes.
-Opening Sequence Storyboard Comparison.
-Ladder Sequence Storyboard Comparison.
-Audio Commentary 1: Christian James, Dan Palmer, Rick Edwards.
-Audio Commentary 2: Producer Richard J Kerrigan & Exec Producer Daniel Pickering.

 

Buy the UK DVD at Amazon.co.uk

 

Buy the UK BD at Amazon.co.uk

 

 

 

Alice Sweet Alice released uncut to UK DVD

Cult slasher movie "Alice Sweet Alice" (AKA "Communion" and "Holy Terror") , which stars a very young Brook Shield in one of her first screen roles, has just been released to UK DVD from 88 Films, having been (apparently) passed uncut by the film censors for the very first time in the UK.

 

When ten-year-old Karen (Brooke Shields) is killed in church on the occasion of her first communion, her seemingly innocent older sister Alice (Paula Sheppard) becomes the prime suspect. Matters become complicated as more of Alice s family members are attacked, along with residents of her apartment building. Can a twelve-year-old girl be capable of such mayhem, or is someone else with a vicious plan destroying her family?

 

All previous versions had been cut to varying degrees, removing shots of a cat being swung by neck. This version has apparently been passed uncut

 

Extras included on the disc include...

 

•Audio Commentary by Director Alfred Sole and Film Editor Edward Salier,
•Alternative Communion Title Sequence,
•Stills Gallery,
•Trailer,
•Booklet Notes by Calum Waddell,
•Reversible Sleeve incorporating original art

 

Buy the UK DVD at Amazon.co.uk

 

 

 

 

Camille Keaton re-unites with Meir Zarchi for upcoming documentary

36 years after the making of the controversial 1978 cult classic "I Spit On Your Grave", actress Camille Keaton will appear on screen with director Meir Zarchi in an upcoming documentary.

 

"Day of the Woman" a.k.a. "I Spit On Your Grave" was inspired by Meir Zarchi’s experience with a victim of rape. After stumbling upon a teenage girl in a park in the aftermath of a violent assault, Zarchi began to imagine how a woman in this situation might fantasize about revenge. Moreover, he wanted to depict to the audience the real horrors of rape.

 

The story follows Jennifer Hills, (played by Keaton), a magazine writer from New York City, as she retires to a secluded cabin in the woods to write her first novel. While there she is brutally assaulted, raped and left for dead. But Jennifer is alive. Emotionally destroyed, she no longer writes her novel; instead she finds herself choreographing a horrific revenge scheme to inflict punishment on her assailants.

 

Upon its theatrical release in 1980, the movie was described by the late prominent film critics Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert as “Easily the most offensive film” they had ever seen, yet hailed by others as a cinematic masterpiece. The debate continued as the movie was pulled from theaters in the United States, then branded a “video nasty” in the United Kingdom and placed on the Director of Public Prosecutions’ list of prosecutable films.

Still, 36 years later the film continues to attract both praise and negative criticism and has even spawned a remake in 2010 and sequel in 2013.

 

Now in production, the "I Spit On Your Grave Documentary" will reveal some insight into the madness and the man behind it all. Created by Terry Zarchi (son of Meir Zarchi, who also played a small role in the film), this project will deliver both a personal and informative view that only someone who grew up with this movie can provide.

 

“Growing up with "I Spit On Your Grave" has inspired me to tell the story behind the story.” said Zarchi. “This is perhaps the most misunderstood film of all time and Camille Keaton’s involvement will shed some light on the many questions still surrounding the film”.

 

For more info visit the Official Website.

 

 

"Video Nasty" - Comic Book Launch, at the Prince Charles Cinema London

Reaper Comics will release their new comic book 'VIDEO NASTY' on March 15th 2014 at The Prince Charles Cinema in Leicester Square. The launch party will feature a special screening of the best of the previously banned; Sam Raimi’s seminal classic THE EVIL DEAD. With an introduction from the comic’s author Mario Covone & a free copy of the first issue of the series for all that attend.

 

The comic explores the real world politics behind government censorship and media manipulation in 1980's Britain whilst still maintaining the the core of being a fictional horror story.

 

Set in England, 1983. Police Inspector David Gorely must solve a string of grisly murders in his usually quiet rural town whilst contending with pressure from his superiors to find a link between the killer and the recent influx of horror home videos. The race is on to solve the case before the death toll rises whilst still dealing with the burden of connecting these heinous crimes to video nasties.

 

Mario Covone, writer of award nominated web strip 'CIRCLES' makes his published début with Video Nasty. Mario is the former managing director of Apocalypse Comics and was an integral part of some innovative work with conventions and bringing more comic book variant covers to the UK than any comic shop before or since.

The books artist, Vasilis Logios, makes his début to comics outside of mainland Europe, but has worked tirelessly for years in his native Greece on many comic book and graphic design works. He is also a member of the Greek Hip Hop group Tri.p.a under the Imiz Biz label.

All six covers for the series are gloriously painted by horror industry legend Graham Humphreys. Graham is responsible for some of the most iconic images in horror, including the movie posters for Evil Dead 1&2, the first five Nightmare on Elm Street films, Return of the Living Dead, From Dusk Till Dawn and many more.

 

Pre-orders for the series are now available through MarioCovone.com as well as in stores though Diamond Comic Distribution and UK on Display. It is also currently under review with Comixology for digital distribution.

Tickets for the launch party are available through the Prince Charles Cinema website.

"Haunting in Connecticut 2" - out on UK disc Mar 3rd.

Just a reminder that "Haunting in Connecticut 2 : Ghosts of Georgia" will be released to UK BD and DVD March 3rd.

Checkout the trailer below...

Buy the UK DVD at Amazon.co.uk

Buy the UK BD at Amazon.co.uk

The Misfits team up with Fright-Rags

There's no such thing as too much horror business when it comes to horror punk legends the Misfits and horror apparel specialists Fright-Rags!

 

The match made in Hell has resulted in several limited edition products that will be released over the next few months.

 

The first of the collaborations is a special edition T-shirt dubbed "Fiend from Crystal Lake." The design crosses the band's iconic fiend skull logo with Jason Voorhee's signature hockey mask. It's available on super soft 100% cotton T-shirts, girl shirts and zip-up hoodies.

 

"Fiend from Crystal Lake" is available for pre-order now on Fright-Rags.com. It will remain for sale until 10am EST on Friday, February 28. Orders are expected to ship in early April.

Visit Fright-Rags.com for shirts from such classic films as Halloween, Escape from New York, Re-Animator and many more, and keep an eye on the site for more Misfits collaborations in the near future.

 

Pre-order these T-shirts and Hoodies at Fright Rags.

New "Paranormal Xperience" clip hits the web.

From the producers of The Orphanage and Julia’s Eyes, comes "Paranormal Experience", which is released to UK DVD and 3D Blu-ray 24th February. Checkout this exclusive new clip, which has just been released...

 

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

Pre-order the UK 3D BD from Amazon.co.uk

Cosplayers UK - The Movie

ISIS Entertainment are excited to announce that the world’s first feature documentary on the UK Cosplay Scene, COSPLAYERS UK – THE MOVIE, is now available to buy on DVD.

 

Directed by Ed Hartwell and Johnnie Oddball, the documentary follows a small selection of talented Cosplayers as they take part in the May 2011 MCM Expo. Cosplay, short for "costume play", is a type of performance art in which participants wear costumes and accessories to represent a specific character often from the fantasy, anime, Sci-Fi or comic genre.

 

Filmmaker Ed Hartwell is an animator and director who has won numerous awards for his films Bus Kong and The Day The Robots Woke Up and is the co-creator of the BAFTA nominated Strange Hill High. Cosplayers UK The Movie is the second live action feature film Hartwell has produced with Johnnie Oddball following their comedy mockumentary When London Sleeps It Came Alive.

 

Hartwell explains: “We made this film to inspire and promote the Cosplay scene in the UK. We followed a handful of attendees over 48 hours at the biggest Cosplay event in Europe asking questions and taking interviews with talented players who have found new friendships and fame in the world of Cosplay. It’s a positive look at the UK Cosplay scene and we hope it will inspire, or at least give people an insight into this fascinating world.”

 

Buy the UK DVD from Amazon.co.uk

 

 

 

 

 

HILLBILLY HORROR SHOW premiering March 1st!

 

"Creepshow" meets "Elvira" on "THE HILLBILLY HORROR SHOW". A new online series, promoting the best short films from the world of horror, which kicks off in March!

 

Each week, "THE HILLBILLY HORROR SHOW" will showcase some of the best shorts the genre has to offer - and provide plenty of laughs (and a few beer burps!) along the way. The fun, 1 hour comedy show is hosted by Bo, Cephus and their hot kissing cousin, Lulu (whose 'Smo-Kin' Tee is a star of it's own)!

 

Playing the hillbilly hosts are horror stars Bo Keiser (House of Good and Evil) and Scott Geiter, aka “Gruesome Hertzogg,” of Gruesome Hertzogg Radio, with  Internationally-renowned model and actress Rachel Faulkner (Burn Notice) as Lulu.  Blu de Goyler serves as head writer.

 

The first horror short to be showcased on the show is the award-winning Franky and the Ant, which you can preview HERE.

 

For the latest on Hillbilly Horror Show, bookmark  http://hillbillyhorrorshow.com.

The Purge 2 : Anarchy trailer

The new trailer for "The Purge 2 : Anarchy" hit the web earlier this week. The film is released to US cinemas June 20th with a UK release currently scheduled for July 4th. Check out the trailer below...

 

"Dead of Night - Special Edition" - UK DVD/BD review

Studio Canal are releasing the classic B&W horror anthology “Dead of Night” to a specially restored UK DVD and Blu-ray this February, which I was fortunate enough to get an advance look at.

 

The film starts off with the films central character, Walter Craig (Mervyn Johns), who arrives at his friend’s country house, to see about drawing up some plans for an extension to the building.

 

He’s been suffering from strange nightmares and hopes that a weekend in the country will help him get over his bizarre dreams. But when he arrives, he discovers his friend is having a party of sorts, and what is peculiar is that all the guests are people he’s seen in his dreams.

 

One of the people, Dr Straaten (Frederick Valk), a practising psychiatrist, is extremely dismissive. But the other guests seem more open to Walter’s feeling of Deja-Vu, and proceed to narrate their own tales of ghostly happenings to see if they can convince him.

 

The first story, “The Hearse Driver”, is an interesting tale about a racing driver who experiences a near fatal collision, only to find that when he is released from hospital, he gets premonitions of when something bad is about to happen.

 

The next 2 stories, are a couple of classic ghostly tales, with the “Christmas party” about a girl who stumbles across a remote bedroom at the back of a mansion during a festive game of hide and seek, and finds a young boy in there, who isn’t who he appears to be. Then a chap gets a chilling glimpse into the future when his fiancé buys him a new dresser in “The Haunted Mirror”.

 

“The Golfing Story” provides the film with one of it’s lighter hearted tales as a cheating golfer gets his comeuppance when his former golfing partner comes back from the grave to haunt him, before moving on to the last story “The Ventriloquist’s Dummy”, which is arguably the most chilling. In which we are left to wonder whether a ventriloquist and his argumentative dummy are really putting on an act, or whether there is something much more sinister about his puppet than meets the eye…

 

Could all these stories be true, or are they all the products of overactive imaginations, or could the whole story be just another one of Walter’s bizarre dreams? Well I’m not going to tell you, so if you want to find out what really happens, you’ll just have to see this for yourself.

 

Produced by Ealing Studios back in 1945, the film is extremely unusual as it is one of only a handful of horror type films produced by the studios and was made at a time when British horror films were very few and far between.

 

In many ways, watching this was almost like watching an early version of those “Tales from the Crypt” shows, and was arguably the forerunner to those anthology films produced by Amicus studios, like “Terror from Beyond the Grave” or “Night Train to Terror”.

 

A couple of the stories actually reminded me of a couple of films from more recent years, The Hearse Driver being rather reminiscent to those “Final Destination” films and The Ventriloquists Dummy being eerily similar to the 1978 Anthony Hopkins film “Magic”, so I can’t help but wonder if this movie had an influence on the people who made those.

 

The discs come with a small selection of special features, including…

 

Remembering Dead of Night, which is a 70min retrospective documentary about the film, in which Kim Newman and various other horror critics look back and analyse the film, along with the likes of director John Landis.

 

A Restoration Comparison feature, showing how the film looked before and after being digitally restored

 

And lastly a Stills gallery, showing a selection of behind the scenes photos.

 

Whilst the film, obviously, is very old and somewhat dated by todays standards, if you like these older B&W horror movies, or if you’re a fan of those old Amicus films, then you will undoubtedly enjoy this. The film has been extensively digitally restored for this new release and is the best it has ever looked. So if you're thinking of picking this one up, I would highly recommend this release to you.

 

The film is released onto UK DVD and Blu-Ray February 24.

 

Buy the UK BD from Amazon.co.uk

 

Buy the UK DVD from Amazon.co.uk

 

 

 

 

 

 

New Image of Stephen Moyer in "Devil in the Woods".

Kaleidoscope Entertainment have released a new image of "True Blood's" Stephen Moyer looking pretty scared of something in new horror film DEVIL IN THE WOODS, which comes to UK DVD this March.

 

 

 

DEVIL IN THE WOODS is the nightmarish new horror film from director Darren Lynn Bousman (Saw II, III & IV) starring True Blood’s Stephen Moyer.

 

Richard (Moyer) is eager for his son, step-daughter and new wife to get along, so plans a family vacation to the reclusive Pine Barrens.

 

Desperate for real solitude, Richard leads them deeper into the woods where it quickly becomes clear that all is not peaceful, as animals are found mutilated and horrifically killed.

 

Struck down by illness, Richard and his family are stranded as the local legend of the ‘Jersey Devil’ that stalks the darkened woods, starts to haunt their thoughts. And what started out as a peaceful family trip ends up being a deadly nightmare...

 

Also starring Shawn Ashmore (X-Men trilogy), DEVIL IN THE WOODS is a visceral and bloody mix of horror and the supernatural and is released on DVD by Kaleidoscope Home Entertainment on 3rd March 2014.

 

Buy the UK DVD from Amazon.co.uk

 

 

 

The Stuff comes to UK BD and DVD.

Arrow Video is excited to announce the UK Dual Format Blu-ray + DVD release of the 1985 cult horror classic THE STUFF which will be available to own in the UK from 10th March.

 

The Stuff is the new dessert taking supermarket shelves by storm. It’s delicious, low in calories and – better still – doesn’t stain the family carpet… What’s not to like?! Well, for a start it has a life of its own, and we’re not talking friendly live bacteria…

 

Young Jason seems to be the only one who doesn’t love The Stuff – in fact he won’t go anywhere near it, after having seen the pudding crawling around the fridge one night. What’s more, everyone who eats The Stuff has started acting really weird… Now, teaming up with wise-cracking industrial saboteur “Moe”, Jason must put a stop to The Stuff and the organisation behind it or face a gooey, gloopy demise.

 

Coming courtesy of horror auteur Larry Cohen (director of the It’s Alive series and scribe behind the Maniac Cop trilogy), The Stuff is a titillating treat for the taste-buds which blends elements of films such as Street Trash with the straight-up B-movie flavour of The Blob. So grab a spoon and dig on into The Stuff – the taste that delivers… much more than you bargained for!

 

This deluxe edition, which represents the first time the film will be released on Blu-ray in the UK, features packaging that showcases a fantastically gloopy, newly commissioned artwork by Gary Pullin. But retro purists need fear not - as they will find that the reversible sleeve is adorned with the original UK VHS art by poster art legend Graham Humphreys

 
Special Features on the discs include...
 
- New High Definition restoration of the film from a brand new 2K scan of the original camera negative
- High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) and Standard Definition DVD presentation of the film
- Original stereo 2.0 audio
- Optional English SDH subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
- Can’t Get Enough of The Stuff: Making Larry Cohen’s Classic Creature Feature – Documentary featuring Larry Cohen, producer Paul Kurta, actress Andrea Marcovicci, Steve Neill (mechanical makeup effects) and Kim Newman
- Introduction and trailer commentary by director and The Stuff fan Darren Bousman (Saw II, Saw III)
- Original Trailer
- Reversible sleeve with original and newly commissioned artwork by Gary Pullin
- Collector’s booklet featuring new writing on the film by Joel Harley, illustrated with original stills and promotional materials
 
Buy the UK BD/DVD combo pack from Amazon.co.uk

"Demons 1 & 2" with Bobby Rhodes at the Custard Factory Birmingham Sat 22nd Feb!!!

Following the success of last year’s Back to the Theatre’s event, a screening with Brian Cox, Cult Film Screenings is proudly bringing Horror Cult Legend Bobby Rhodes to Birmingham.

 

The iconic Bobby Rhodes, probably best known as Tony The Pimp and Hank The Gym Instructor in Demons and Demons 2 (directed by Lamberto Bava), will be at The Custard Factory in Birmingham for Cult Film Screenings on Saturday 22nd February.

 

As always the event includes the screening of both films, an in-depth Q&A, followed by an autograph signing and a chance to grab photos with the man himself.

 

Tickets are limited to a small number of just 100, making this an unheard of intimate venue, which offers a real chance to meet and chat with the stars of classic films.

 

If you’d like to come along and see what all the fuss is about then you can get your tickets at http://www.cultscreenings.co.uk but don’t delay.

 

 

Attention US Filmmakers, IFP Independent Filmmaker Labs Open for Submissions!

 

Deadines to Apply: March 7 (Documentary) / April 4 (Narrative)

 

IFP's unique yearlong mentorship program supports first-time feature directors when they need it most:  through the completion, marketing and distribution of their films.  Focusing exclusively on low-budget features (<$1million), this highly immersive program provides filmmakers with the technical, creative and strategic tools necessary to launch their films - and their careers. Through the Labs, IFP works to ensure that talented emerging voices receive the support, resources, and industry exposure necessary to reach audiences. Open to all first time feature documentary and narrative directors with films in post-production. Twenty projects (10 documentaries and 10 narratives) are selected for the annual program which has three components: the Time Warner Completion Lab in the spring, the Marketing Lab in September, and the Distribution Lab in December. All Lab projects also automatically participate in the Project Forum of IFP’s Independent Film Week.

 

Lab alumni projects include Stacie Passon's Concussion (RADiUS-TWC), Alexandre Moors' Blue Caprice (Sundance Selects), Penny Lane's Our Nixon (CNN Films and Cinedigm), Daniel Patrick Carbone's Hide Your Smiling Faces (Tribeca Film), Lotfy Nathan's 12 O'Clock Boys (Oscilloscope), Lucy Mulloy's Una Noche (Sundance Selects), Omar Mullick & Bassam Tariq's These Birds Walk (Oscilloscope),Dee Rees' Pariah (Focus Features), and Terence Nance's An Oversimplification of Her Beauty (Variance Films).

 

Upcoming deadlines for the 2014 Labs are March 7 (Documentary) and April 4 (Narrative). For more info and to apply, click HERE!

Under the Skin - UK Poster and Trailer revealed

 

STUDIOCANAL are pleased to launch the full trailer for Jonathan Glazer’s UNDER THE SKIN, following the poster unveiling yesterday (see below).

 

 

 

UNDER THE SKIN, starring Scarlett Johansson and directed by Jonathan Glazer, will open across the UK on 14 March 2014 through STUDIOCANAL, following its Scottish premiere as the Closing Gala at the Glasgow Film Festival on 2 March.

Glazer’s third film following Sexy Beast and Birth, UNDER THE SKIN is the story of an alien in human form. Part road movie, part science fiction, part real, it’s a film about seeing our world through alien eyes.

Critically acclaimed at the Venice, Toronto and London film festivals, with special praise going to Mica Levi’s score, UNDER THE SKIN was shot in London and extensively on location in Scotland.

Glazer and Walter Campbell wrote the screenplay. Producers are James Wilson (JW Films) and Nick Wechsler (Nick Wechsler Productions). The film is based on a novel by Michel Faber. UNDER THE SKIN is a Film4 and BFI presentation, in association with Silver Reel, Creative Scotland and FilmNation Entertainment.

Visit the official website at http://undertheskinmovie.com/ 

 

Controversial horror "Abducted" coming to UK DVD this March

Hitting front page news outlets, including The Express for its SHOCKING subject matter – crime thriller; ABDUCTED is horrifying the media and festival circuit alike prior to its DVD and Blu Ray release this March 17th...

 

ABDUCTED and its highly controversial subject matter follows one man on a bloody path of revenge to unmask the gritty underworld of sex trafficking and abduction. Based on REAL events ABDUCTED is a hard-hitting, and often terrifying look at the reality of these atrocious crimes, and how far one parent will go for justice.

 

SO WHY THE CONTROVESY?? - ABDUCTED has cultivated the ‘marmite effect’ on the festival scene both in the UK and US.  While critics have awarded the film a slew of Best film noms,film execs and those of a sensitive disposition have fled screenings due to gut wrenching scenes, which sadly are a true reflection of crimes still taking place today.

 

View the trailer at YouTube.

 

Buy the UK DVD at Amazon.co.uk


 

"Founders Day" trailer

Checkout the trailer for Erik Bloomquist's "Founders Day", which has just finished filming in Connecticut.

 

For more information, visit the official Website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube pages.

Studio Canal to release "In Fear" this March...

Studio Canal is proud to announce the DVD and Blu-ray release of IN FEAR – a tense psychological horror, that is home invasion – but in a car. In real-time.

 

The film stars Iain De Caestecker (Filth) and Alice Englert (Beautiful Creatures) as a young couple fighting to make it through the night when they find themselves trapped in a maze of country roads.

 

With only their vehicle for protection, Tom (De Caestecker) and Lucy (Englert) become terrorised by an unseen tormentor hell-bent on exploiting their worst fears. Driving, lost and tormented in the night, primal fears of the dark and the unknown give way to fear that you have let the evil in, or that it is already there.

 

Also starring Allen Leach (Downton Abbey), IN FEAR is directed and written by Jeremy Lovering (Sherlock) and produced by Nira Park (Shaun of the Dead, World’s End, Sightseers) and James Biddle (Hot Fuzz, World’s End).

 

The film is out on UK disc on 10 MARCH 2014 and contains the following special features...

 

-Audio commentary with Director Jeremy Lovering & Actors Alice Englert, Iain De Caestecker & Allen Leech
-Behind The Scenes Documentary
-Stills Gallery
-Music from and inspired by In Fear by Roly Porter
-Trailer

Buy the BD from Amazon.co.uk

Buy the DVD from Amazon.co.uk


 

"Hellgate" - UK BD/DVD review

William Levey’s camp 80s classic “Hellgate” is being released to a special edition Blu-Ray and DVD this month, courtesy of Arrow Films.

 

Set in rural Texas, some guy called Matt (Ron Palillo, who horror buffs will recognise as the guy who got killed at the start of “Friday the 13^th pt 6 : Jason Lives”) is trying to find the remote holiday cabin his friends are staying at, when he is stopped by a ghostly looking girl standing in the middle of the road.

 

He agrees to take her back to her father’s house, who runs the nearby “Hellgate” ghost town, tourist attraction. But is exceptionally creeped out by the people who appear to be hanging round the place, and with good reason.

 

It seems that many years ago, back in the 1950s, a group of bikers kidnapped and brutally killed the owners daughter and since then, local legends have it that he found a way of bringing her back to exact a brutal revenge on the bikers. Rumours persist she stills prowls the back roads at night looking for unwary travellers to prey on.

 

Fortunately he manages to drop her off at her fathers place without incident and find his friends holiday cabin. But after hearing rumours about the place, in which he discovers even the local sheriff won’t go near it unless he has to, decides to take his friends there to find out what’s really going on.

 

Of course, ignoring local legends is never a wise move in a horror film, and the group find themselves being picked off by various undead carnival attendants as they run around the place, trying to find the way back out.

 

Filmed in South Africa, using a combination of local and American actors, the movie is basically a twist on the old ghostly hitch-hiker tale. I wasn’t sure whether the film was meant to be funny, or if the cheesy humour was unintentional, but it was good fun either way.

 

Extras on the disc include..

 

"Road to Perdition – B movie style". Interview In which director William Levey explains how he got involved with the project, shooting in South Africa as well as discussing some of his other films and even provides an interesting insight into what it was like living in South Africa, after moving there during the Apartheid era.

 

"Alien Invasion and Blaxploiation". A 12 minute feature in which film critic Howard S Berger looks back at the film and gives his opinion on the movies of William Levey.

 

"Video Nasty". Film maker Kenneth  J Hall, reflects on how the demise of the Drive-in theatres and the video boom of the early 80s changed how horror B-movies like Hellgate were made and marketed.

 

A nice set of extras, but I would really have liked for them to have included the original theatrical trailer on here too, which is sadly absent from this release.

 

The case also contains a collector’s booklet featuring writing on the film by Lee Gambin, illustrated with original artwork and stills and the sleeve contains reversible artwork, giving you a choice of the original VHS box art, or newly commissioned artwork by Graham Humphreys.

 

"Hellgate" might be no cinematic masterpiece, being from the same guy who gave us “Blackenstein” (so you know what you’re in for). But if you love campy horror B-movies, you can’t go wrong. The film is released in a Blu-Ray and DVD combo pack and is strictly limited to 1000 copies only, so if this sounds like your idea of fun, get in there quick!

 

Buy the UK BD/DVD combo pack at Amazon.co.uk

 

 

'HOUSE OF GOOD AND EVIL' OPENS IT'S DOORS APRIL 1

In the tradition of The Amityville Horror. Neck-hairs will stand on end with the arrival of award-winning fright-flick "House of Good and Evil", premiering onto DVD in the US this April from Phase4 Films. 

 

After losing their unborn child, Chris and Maggie escape the pressures of the city to live in a secluded country home.  But soon Maggie begins to experience strange events in this mind-bending countryside horror about dedication, grief, and insanity.

 

Starring Marietta Marich (The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2003), "House of Good and Evil" played various high-profile festivals where it's won over critics and horror fans alike, taking Best Picture at the 2013 at the Twin Rivers Media Festival.

 

View the trailer on YouTube.

 

Buy the DVD from Amazon.com.

 

 

"Hell Comes to Frogtown" - UK BD/DVD review

Campy, post apocalyptic, cult classic “Hell Comes to Frogtown” makes it’s UK Blu-Ray debut this month, courtesy of Arrow films, in an extras laden, special edition BD/DVD combo pack.

 

Set in the near future, several years after a nuclear war has laid waste to large portions of America. The provisional govt rules what’s left of civilisation, like a brutal police state. Except that it’s the women who wear the trousers in this dysotopian future.

 

With the radiation having rendered most people infertile, the US Govts medical corp are busy rounding up anyone who’s capable of reproducing for use in their forced reproduction program, to help repopulate mankind’s dwindling numbers.

 

Unfortunately for hard man Sam Hell (played by WWF wrestler ‘Rowdy’ Roddy Piper), when they find he’s got a “live cannon” (so to speak) he finds himself being “pressed into service” (as it were). Accompanied by a feisty female army Doctor, (Sandahl Bergman) and a female soldier (Cec Verrell), who spend most of the film lounging around in their underwear, they head out into the wastelands looking for fertile women for Sam to impregnate (it’s a dirty job, but someone’s got to do it).

 

But, this task is going to be no Sunday picnic. As the desert wastelands are ruled by giant mutated frogs (I kid you not), who treat humans as second class citizens, and the group have also got try and rescue a bunch of fertile women from the clutches of the Toad King, who has captured them for his harem. Meaning the group have to formulate a plan to try and free them, which will involve a lot of guns and even less clothes…

 

Released back in 1988, the film isn’t “Mad Max” to be sure, being extremely tongue-in-cheek, but is hugely entertaining.

 

Extras on the disc include...

 

Grappling the Green Gargantuans feature. Which is a 20min interview with lead actor Roddy Piper (who sounds slightly drunk), discussing his time on the set, how he got the job and his many run-ins with the production team. As well as how he came to be involved with John Carpenter’s “They Live” and discusses his wrestling career.

 

Amphibian Armageddon (amusingly miss-spelled Aemageddon on the menu page), in which actor Brian Franks talks about his time wearing the frog costumes in his role as Commander Troy.

 

Creature Feature Creator, special effects guru Steve Wang discusses how he created the frog costumes and sheds some interesting light on the conflict going on behind the scenes between the producers and director.

 

Also included on the disc is an extended scene, between Roddy Piper and William Smith’s characters in the detention cell from the start of the film. Plus you also get the original theatrical trailer.

 

You also get a collectors booklet, illustrated with stills and artwork, featuring new writings about the film from journalist Callum Waddel and the sleeve also contains reversible artwork.

 

The case contains both Blu-Ray and DVD versions of the film, both of which contain the exact same special features.

 

If you love campy B’movies, this one is a must. This special edition release by Arrow is strictly limited to 1000 copies, so if you want to snap this one up, you’d better be quick (I just hope Arrow release the sequel Frogtown 2)

 

Buy the UK BD/DVD combo pack from Amazon.co.uk

 

 

 

Anchor Bay to release "The Machine".

Anchor Bay Entertainment will be releasing the award-winning Science-Fiction film THE MACHINE onto DVD & Blu-ray this March.

 

Directed by Caradog James, Produced by John Giwa-Amu  and starring Toby Stephens (Die Another Day), Caity Lotz (Arrow), Denis Lawson (Star Wars trilogy), Sam Hazeldine and Pooneh Hajimohammadi, THE MACHINE is a sci-fi thriller set in the near future with a global war looming. As top MOD scientist Vincent (Stephens) is briefed with developing the ultimate killing machine, he creates the first fully conscious robot, but against orders he makes it in the image of his lost love, plunging him into a battle for his survival.

 

The Machine had its World Premiere earlier this year at Tribeca Film Festival and has since won the Raindance Award at the recent BIFAs, Best UK Feature at Raindance Film Festival, Best Sci-Fi film atToronto After Dark Film Festival and three BAFTA Cymru Awards for Special Achievement in Film, Best Costume Design for Chrissie Pegg and Best Original Music for Tom Raybould.

 

THE MACHINE will be released to UK DVD & Blu-ray from 31st March 2014. For further information visit the official Website, Twitter and Facebook pages.

 

Buy the UK DVD from Amazon.co.uk

 

Buy the UK BD from Amazon.co.uk