Saturday 31 October 2020

THE CURSE OF AUDREY EARNSHAW - Out Now Digitally

Set against the autumnal palette of harvest season in 1973, THE CURSE OF AUDREY EARNSHAW explores the disturbed bond between Audrey, an enigmatic young woman, and Agatha, her domineering ‘mother’, who live secretly as occultists on the outskirts of a remote Protestant village.

As the community is besieged by a pestilence of unknown origin: children, fields, and livestock begin to die — yet the Earnshaw farm remains strangely unaffected. 

As mass hysteria sets in the village, the townsfolk commence accusations against Audrey and Agatha of witchcraft.

Capturing a perfect mixture of religious paranoia and folklore horror, Thomas Robert Lee’s THE CURSE OF AUDREY EARNSHAW is a haunting and unflinching tale of vengeance.

The film celebrated its world premiere at Fantasia Fest 2020, coming out with raving reviews. The film is available now on all major VOD/Digital platforms .

CREEPSHOW animated special - Exclusive to SHUDDER

Streaming now, exclusive to SHUDDER, the world's Premium streaming horror channel. CREEPSHOW Animated Special

In SURVIVOR TYPE, a scrappy surgeon crash-lands on a desert island. His life hadn’t been easy up to this point, but the new challenges he faces will test his limits… how strong is his will to survive?

In TWITTERING FROM THE CIRCUS OF THE DEAD, Blake’s mother is making a family trip feel more like torture than vacation, but when they pull off the road to see a sinister circus, things become even worse than Blake could have imagined. 

Starring Kiefer Sutherland & Joey King and based on short stories by Stephen King & Joe Hill, this CREEPSHOW Animated Special is a Halloween treat.

For more info and to sign up, head on over to Shudder.com

Also SHUDDER is bringing you a 24-hour virtual event starting Saturday, Oct. 31, 2020 at 12pm ET. Featuring legendary genre icons, fan-favorite musicians, acclaimed filmmakers, top writers and producers, the event is free to all and available anywhere in the world. 

 
Head over to ShudderFest.com now to get started! 

 

 

Fright-Rags' HALLOWEEN Apparel Spans 40 Years of Michael Myers

Fright-Rags welcomes Halloween with merchandise spanning four decades of the Halloween franchise, from John Carpenter's 1978 classic to 2018's eponymous sequel.

The original Halloween is celebrated with a variety of shirt designs, plus a restock of the popular Haddonfield heritage hat. Michael Myers is also represented on Halloween lounge pants, socks, a dad hat, and a motion enamel pin. 

 

Fright-Rags also has new shirts from Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers, Halloween H20, Halloween: Resurrection, and Halloween (2018), plus an H20 hat. Previously released apparel from Halloween II, Halloween III: Season of the Witch, Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers, and Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers is available as well.

Fright-Rags.com is your one-stop shop for Halloween franchise apparel for October and beyond. Halloween Kills merchandise will join the collection in conjunction with the film's release next year.

New & Restocked Designs on Sale now at Fright-Rags.com

 

 

Sunday 25 October 2020

New titles coming January 2021 from Arrow

Arrow Video starts the new year with a bang, with a truly terrifying Spanish horror, a pair of films from a visionary auteur including a bona-fide contemporary masterpiece, Gamera box sets packed to the gills with extras, and a timely and darkly comic epic.

[REC] - On Blu-ray, 4 January

28 Days Later meets The Blair Witch Project as a mysterious virus turns the inhabitants of an apartment building into a horde of frenzied, bloodthirsty ghouls in [REC] - the original 2007 “found footage” phenomenon that spawned a hit franchise and US remake.

A television film crew, documenting the night shift of a Barcelona fire brigade, get much more than they bargained for when they attend an apparently routine call-out. Upon arrival at an inner city apartment, the firefighters are viciously attacked by the elderly female occupant, who appears to be in the throes of some sort of viral infection. 

Before long, the virus has taken hold of the entire building, which is cordoned off by the authorities. Trapped inside, the television crew - using their cameras to capture the events as they unfold - and the other remaining survivors find themselves pitched into a nightmare of unimaginable proportions.

SPECIAL EDITION CONTENTS

• High Definition Blu-ray presentation with two viewing options: the “theatrical version” (24fps, 1080p, 78 mins) as shown in cinemas, and the “production version” (25fps, 1080i, 75 mins) as originally filmed
• Original Spanish DTS-HD MA 5.1 and 2.0 audio options on both versions
• Optional English subtitles
• New audio commentary by film critic and historian Alexandra Heller-Nicholas, author of Found Footage Horror: Fear and the Appearance of Reality
• Archive commentary by directors Jaume Balaguero & Paco Plaza
• The Making of [REC], an archive featurette examining the process of production featuring interviews with cast & crew
• How to Shoot a Horror Movie, a French-language featurette presented by directors Jaume Balaguero & Paco Plaza
• Archive interview with Jaume Balaguero & Paco Plaza looking back on the film
• The Fantastic Four, an archive panel discussion with [REC] directors Jaume Balaguero, Paco Plaza and new wave Spanish horror contemporaries Gonzalo Lopez Callego and Juan Antonio Bayona
• On set footage of the cast & crew at work on key scenes including “the attack on Mrs. Izquierdo” and the “climb to hell”
• Archive interview with director of photography Pablo Rosso
• Archive interview with sound supervisor Xavi Mas
• Archive interview with sound designer Oriol Tarragó
• Confidences, a video diary by star Manuela Velasco
• Deleted and extended scenes, including “Fire Station Redux”, “The Secret Archive” and “Corridors of Nails”
• Casting, original video footage from the audition process
• Trailers and TV spots
• Image gallery
• Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Adam Rabalais

FIRST PRESSING ONLY: Illustrated collectors' booklet with new writing on the film by Xavier Aldana Reyes 

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

JSA : JOINT SECURITY AREA - On Blu-ray, 18 January

Before Oldboy, before The Handmaiden, visionary filmmaker Park Chan-wook helmed this gripping tale of deceit, misunderstanding and the senselessness of war. 

 Gunfire breaks out in the demilitarised zone between North and South Korea, leaving two North Korean soldiers dead while a wounded South Korean soldier (Lee Byung-hun, The Good, the Bad, the Weird) flees to safety. 

With the tenuous peace between the two warring nations on a knife-edge, a neutral team of investigators, headed by Swiss Army Major Sophie Jean (Lee Young-ae, Lady Vengeance), is dispatched to question both sides to determine what really happened under cover of darkness out in no-man’s land.


SPECIAL EDITION CONTENTS

• High Definition Blu-ray™ (1080p) presentation
• Original lossless Korean DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and PCM 2.0 stereo soundtracks
• Optional English subtitles
• New audio commentary by writer and critic Simon Ward
• Isolated music and effects track
• Newly recorded video interview with Asian cinema expert Jasper Sharp
• The JSA Story and Making the Film, two archival featurettes on the film’s production
• About JSA, a series of archival introductions to the film by members of the cast
• Behind the scenes montage
• Opening ceremony footage
• Two music videos: Letter from a Private and Take the Power Back
• Theatrical trailer
• TV spot
• Image gallery
• Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Colin Murdoch

FIRST PRESSING ONLY: Illustrated collector’s booklet featuring new writing by Kieran Fisher 

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

GAMERA : The Showa Era - On Blu-ray, 25 January

As giant monsters rampaged the Japanese cinematic landscape during the “kaiju boom” of the mid-1960s, Daiei Studios introduced a new character to the screen that would be embraced for generations: Gamera, the giant, flying, fire-breathing turtle, and friend of all children!

Buried under the Arctic ice for several millenia, the colossal chelonian is unleashed upon Japan, leaving havoc in his wake. 

After becoming an unexpected box office sensation, Gamera returned several more times, leaping to the world’s defence against a motley assortment of evil creatures, from the death-ray-shooting flying terror Gyaos, to the knife-headed alien menace Guiron, to the underwater invader Zigra!

SPECIAL EDITION CONTENTS

• High Definition (1080p) transfers of all eight Showa-era Gamera films on Blu-ray
• Lossless original Japanese and dubbed English mono audio for all films
• Optional English subtitles for all films
• Reversible sleeves featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Matt Frank

DISC ONE – GAMERA THE GIANT MONSTER

• Commentary and newly filmed introduction by August Ragone
• High Definition (1080p) transfer of Gammera the Invincible, the American theatrical version of the film, with lossless mono audio and optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard-of hearing
• Remembering the Gamera Series, an archive featurette from 1991, including interviews with director Noriaki Yuasa, writer Nisan Takahashi and others
• Interview with Noriaki Yuasa, filmed by Jörg Buttgereit in 2002
• Gamera Special, an hour-long best-of compilation supervised by Noriaki Yuasa in 1991
• Alternate English credits
• Trailer and image galleries

DISC TWO – GAMERA VS. BARUGON / GAMERA VS. GYAOS

• Commentary on Gamera vs. Barugon by August Ragone & Jason Varney
• Commentary on Gamera vs. Gyaos by Stuart Galbraith IV
• Newly filmed introductions to both films by August Ragone
• High Definition (1080p) transfer of War of the Monsters, the shorter American edit of Gamera vs. Barugon, with lossless English audio
• Alternate English credits for both films
• Trailer and image galleries

DISC THREE – GAMERA VS. VIRAS / GAMERA VS. GUIRON

• Choice of three different versions of Gamera vs. Viras via seamless branching
• Commentary on Gamera vs. Viras by Carl Craig and Jim Cirronella
• Commentary on Gamera vs. Guiron by David Kalat
• Newly filmed introductions to both films by August Ragone
• New featurette with actor Carl Craig showing his souvenirs and props from Gamera vs. Viras
• Highlights from the G-FEST X convention in 2003, featuring Noriaki Yuasa and Carl Craig
• The 4th Nippon Jamboree, a promotional film for the Boy Scouts of Japan directed by Yuasa in 1966
• Alternate English credits for both films
• Trailer and image galleries

DISC FOUR – GAMERA VS. JIGER / GAMERA VS. ZIGRA / GAMERA SUPER MONSTER 

• Commentary on Gamera vs. Jiger by Edward L. Holland
• Commentary by Gamera vs. Zigra by Sean Rhoads & Brooke McCorkle
• Commentary on Gamera Super Monster by Richard Pusateri
• Newly filmed introductions to all three films by August Ragone
• Alternate English credits for all three films
• Trailer and image galleries 

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

GAMERA : The Heisei Era - On Blu-ray, 25 January

After laying dormant for fifteen years, Gamera was rebooted for the big screen in a smash hit trilogy masterminded by director Shusuke Kaneko (Necronomicon), writer Kazunori Ito (Ghost in the Shell) and SFX director Shinji Higuchi (who went on to co-direct Shin Godzilla).  

Trading the campy kid-friendly surrealism of the earlier films for a darker, more realistic tone and jaw-droppingly innovative special effects, the Heisei Trilogy are still regarded today as among the best – and by some, the very best – kaiju films ever made.  

This unmissable trio is complimented by a bonus disc featuring Gamera the Brave, a heartwarming mix of family-friendly adventure and cutting-edge kaiju action that is the most recent Gamera film to date.

SPECIAL EDITION CONTENTS

• High Definition (1080p) transfers of all four films on Blu-ray, including 4K restorations of the Heisei Trilogy by Kadokawa Pictures
• Original Japanese and dubbed English DTS-HD MA 5.1 and 2.0 audio for all films
• Optional English subtitles for all films
• Reversible sleeves featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Matt Frank

DISC ONE – GAMERA THE GUARDIAN OF THE UNIVERSE

• Commentary by Matt Frank
• Newly filmed introduction by August Ragone
• A Testimony of 15 Years: Part 1, the first in an epic three-part documentary interviewing cast and crew of the Heisei Trilogy
• Interviews with director Shusuke Kaneko and SFX director Shinji Higuchi, filmed by Jörg Buttgereit in 2002
• Extended interview with Shinji Higuchi, focusing on the trilogy’s special effects
• Behind the scenes featurettes tracing the film’s production from announcement to release
• Alternate English credits
• Trailer and image galleries

DISC TWO – GAMERA 2: ATTACK OF LEGION

• Commentary by Kyle Yount
• Newly filmed introduction by August Ragone
• A Testimony of 15 Years: Part 2, the next part of the documentary interviewing cast and crew of the Heisei Trilogy
• On-set footage from the shooting of the film’s main unit and special effects filming
• Behind the scenes featurettes tracing the film’s production from announcement to release
• Alternate English credits
• “Lake Texarkana” comedic dub track
• Trailer and image galleries

DISC THREE – GAMERA 3: REVENGE OF IRIS

• Commentary by Steve Ryfle & Ed Godziszewski
• Newly filmed introduction by August Ragone
• A Testimony of 15 Years: Part 3, the final part of the documentary interviewing cast and crew of the Heisei Trilogy
• Behind the scenes featurettes tracing the film’s production from announcement to release
• Deleted Scenes
• The Awakening of Irys (Remix), a montage of behind-the-scenes footage and work-in-progress special effects footage
• Alternate English credits
• Trailer and image galleries

DISC FOUR – GAMERA THE BRAVE

• Commentary by Keith Aiken & Bob Johnson • How to Make a Gamera Movie, a featurette hosted by director Ryuta Tasaki
• Behind The Scenes of Gamera the Brave, an all-access on-set documentary
• The Men That Made Gamera, a documentary looking back at the series from start to finish, featuring interviews with cast and crew
• Opening Day Premiere, a featurette showing the cast and crew presenting the film at its first showing
• Kaho’s Summer, an interview with the film’s young star
• Special Effects Supercut, a montage of effects shots overseen by FX supervisor Hajime Matsumoto
• Trailer and image galleries 

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

 

 

Friday 23 October 2020

THE EVIL DEAD - On 4K UHD this November

Sam Raimi’s horror classic THE EVIL DEAD is available on 4k Ultra HD for the first time on November 16 courtesy of Sony Pictures Home Entertainment.

Writer/Director Raimi’s (Spider-Man, Drag Me to Hell) relentless, gore-spattered debut is a landmark in horror cinema, a no-holds-barred onslaught of gruesome terror and nightmarish effects which has earned its rightful status as a legendary cult classic. Starring Bruce Campbell (TV’s Ash vs Evil Dead) and Ellen Sandweiss (TV’s Ash vs Evil Dead)

THE EVIL DEAD follows five college students who travel to a remote cabin in the woods and unwittingly unleash a monstrous evil hellbent on their total destruction. THE EVIL DEAD is truly the ultimate experience in grueling horror.

THE EVIL DEAD 4K Ultra HD is beautifully presented in 4K resolution with High Dynamic Range in its original aspect ratio of 1.33:1. It has a host of special bonus features including interviews, rare behind the scene footage and commentary by Sam Raimi.

BLU-RAY BONUS FEATURES:

One By One We Will Take You: The Untold Saga of The Evil Dead
Treasures from the Cutting Room Floor documentary
At the Drive-In
Discovering Evil Dead
Make-Up Test
Ellen and Drama Teacher
On-Stage Interview
Commentary with Sam Raimi, Rob Tapert and Bruce Campbell
Featurettes:
-The Ladies of the Evil Dead meet Bruce Campbell
-The Other Pages
-One by One We will Take you: The Untold Saga of The Evil Dead
-Unconventional: The Ultimate Discussion of Grueling Horror
Picture-in-Picture: Join us! The Undying Legacy of The Evil Dead 

Pre-order the UK 4K UHD release from Amazon.co.uk

A 4K Ultra HD Exclusive Edition will also be available at HMV as part of their Cine Edition range

Tuesday 20 October 2020

Brandon Cronenberg's POSSESSOR - in UK Cinemas November

From the visionary mind of writer director Brandon Cronenberg (Antiviral), POSSESSOR is a game-changing sci-fi thriller about an elite, corporate assassin Tasya Vos (Andrea Riseborough - Mandy).


Using brain-implant technology, Vos takes control of other people’s bodies to execute high profile targets. As she sinks deeper into her latest assignment Vos becomes trapped inside a mind that threatens to obliterate her.

Possessor features a stellar cast including Christopher Abbott (It Comes at Night, The Sinner), Rossif Sutherland (Guest of Honour), Tuppence Middleton (Downton Abbey), Sean Bean (Game of Thrones) and Jennifer Jason Leigh (The Hateful Eight)

View the trailer on YouTube

POSSESSOR is released to UK cinemas November 27 from Signature Entertainment.

 

10 questions with Najarra Townsend - Star of FrightFest's THE STYLIST

Ahead of the UK premiere of Jill Gevarguzian’s THE STYLIST, at the Arrow Video FrightFest October Digital event, lead actress Najarra Townsend talks about being drawn to dark characters, loving film festivals and swapping LA for the English countryside.

Q) In THE STYLIST, you play Claire, a murderous hairstylist who doesn’t just cut hair! It’s a very restrained yet chillingly emotive performance. What research did you do in order to understand the mind of someone who is, essentially, a serial killer?

The majority of my research for Claire was actually building her backstory. I started with our Writer/Director Jill Gervargizian’s backstory notes on the character and then filled in all the blanks. I always approach a role by creating a life history for them. Memories are vital for me to have for every character. Jill also suggested I read “House of Psychotic Women” by Kier-La Janisse, which is about the exploration of female neurosis in horror and exploitation films.

I actually did only a small bit of research on real female serial killers. I looked a few up, read about them and their lives, including the psychology behind why people think they did what they did, but in the end I felt the most valuable research for me was creating a full life for Claire and understanding why she does what she does.

Q) The film is based on director Jill Gevaragizian’s short feature, which played at FrightFest in 2016. How different was your approach to playing Claire then?

Originally I had given Claire a few select memories from her life as well as fleshing out her closest relationships (like with her mom). When it came to making the feature I was able to look back on my notes and take things I thought still applied whilst elaborating on the rest of her life, which really made her a much fuller character. It’s a dream come true as an actor to be able to take this person that I found so fascinating from the short and be able to really sink my teeth into her for the feature.

Q) You became first known to horror fans, and the FrightFest audience, for playing Samantha in the compelling zombie body horror CONTRACTED. The film garnered some notoriety for its sexual slant on the victimology of rape. What was it like playing such a demanding role?

Contracted was an extremely fun experience. It was my first time working with such intense practical effects. I would be in the makeup chair for hours before our shoot day started, having veins painted on my whole body, prosthetics applied and contacts lenses put in. It was demanding emotionally but also physically and really helped me grow as an actor. I trusted myself and my choices a lot more after that role. 

Q) Another challenging character you took on was the title role in the dark road movie WOLF MOTHER (2016), which has been described as the ‘bloodied non-horror film ever made’. Would you say you’re drawn to playing complex and dark characters?

Absolutely, I’ve always been attracted to characters that have a lot of emotional baggage and have gone through life events unlike my own. It’s always enjoyable researching things about a character’s life that makes you view things in new ways. The main goal with any character I play is to not judge their actions but try to understand and justify them - which can be tricky when playing a character that has done things that you would never do and think are wrong.

Q) You first came to public attention playing sassy teenager Rebecca in the award-winning ME AND YOU AND EVERYONE YOU KNOW. The LA Weekly named your portrayal of Rebecca as one of the ‘Top 10 Great Small Performances’. Looking back, how do you think that film shaped your career?

I will always be so grateful I got to be a part of that film as I really loved the movie. It opened up the indie world to me. I was really too young to understand the success the film had and what that could have meant for my career - I was just happy to be working! - but it definitely did open some doors for me. I also think it may have put me down more of an indie film road. “Me and You…” gave me my first taste of film festivals because I went to Sundance with the film. The electricity in the air and all the movie lovers in one place discussing films was fantastic to me. I was hooked.

Q) You made your first appearance in a horror movie at 10 years old, co-starring in Amir Mann’s MENACE. Did this spark an interest in the genre?

It definitely did. Seeing special effects brought to life really changed how I viewed horror movies. I was a bit scared of them before that but after seeing behind the curtain and experiencing the intensity that comes with shooting a horror film, I had a new appreciation and fascination for them. 

Q) Can we look forward to seeing you in any genre movies in the future?

Definitely! I have three feature films currently in post-production, all of which are in the horror genre. It’s usually the characters I’m drawn to which makes me choose the films I want to do. I find that good genre films so often have the most intense complicated characters that are the most fun to take on. Plus the horror community is so much fun to be a part of. I will always try to find roles in the genre.

Q) You were born and raised in California but now reside in the UK. What drew you away from your roots?

Yes, I’ve lived in Los Angeles most of my life but have always loved traveling. I shot a TV show in Qatar for five months in 2017 and met my now husband on the show! He’s British and after I fell in love with him I visited England and fell in love with the country as well. So it was an easy decision for me when we decided to get married and move to the UK. I now live in the English countryside and it feels like a fairytale all the time. I adore it here. 

Q) How have you been dealing with life under COVID?

I have to say for me personally the first few months of lockdown I found very enjoyable and I know that makes me extremely lucky. I adore where I live and getting the chance to just enjoy my home every day and spend extra time with my husband was a dream. It also felt like a very creative time because I used a lot of my time to read and create music and relax. Of course, the longer it’s gone on the more antsy I am about getting back to work but overall I’ve been very thankful for my experience this year.

Q) Finally, what’s next?

Times are still so uncertain. I’m attached to various projects but am not sure when or if they’ll still be happening. Plus due to the current travel restrictions I’ve been focusing more on things I can do from home, mainly dedicating my time to my band, ARCHWAY, and developing a few projects to produce. I’m enjoying this slower paced year but really looking forward to what next year brings.

THE STYLIST is showing online on Sunday 25 October, 11.45am in the Horror Channel screen, as part of the Arrow Video FrightFest October Digital event. 

For more info visit https://www.frightfest.co.uk/


 

 

 

ATTACK OF THE UNKNOWN - Coming soon to US BD and DVD.

Checkout the trailer for sci-fi action flick ATTACK OF THE UNKNOWN, which is currently out on Digital in the US and is being released to Disc shortly...

Synopsis - A SWAT team, transporting a vicious crime syndicate boss, must fight their way out of a county detention center during a catastrophic alien invasion. Robert LaSardo (The Mule, Human Centipede 3), Richard Grieco (21 Jump Street, Minutes to Midnight), Tara Reid (American Pie, Sharknado) and Tania Fox (Puppet Master : Axis Termination) star in this wildly entertaining, sci-fi romp.

The film is already out in the US on streaming services and comes to BD and DVD there October 27th. A UK release should be forthcoming in the near future.

Pre-order the US BD from Amazon.com 

Pre-order the US DVD from Amazon.com


 

 

Saturday 17 October 2020

KIM NEWMAN'S NIGHTMARE NIGHT IN - Classic British Horror Streaming From 23 Oct

Following the success of the ‘ABC TV Nights In’ via https://watch.networkonair.com, Network are terrifically delighted to present something very special for Halloween: KIM NEWMAN’S NIGHTMARE NIGHT IN.

Hosted and curated by horror aficionado Kim Newman, Network have prised open the mausoleums to bring you a themed evening of scary (and not-so-scary) gems with the streaming premiere of the 1989 original screen version of Susan Hill’s chilling classic THE WOMAN IN BLACK as the centrepiece.

Kim is joined by Pauline Moran, Adrian Rawlins and Andy Nyman for a Q&A following the film and either side of it you’ll be scared and horrified by choice cuts from series TALES OF THE UNEXPECTED, HAMMER HOUSE OF HORROR and a rare episode of THE FRIGHTENERS written, directed and introduced by the legendary Mike Hodges. 

Plus, rarely seen trailers, commercials and more have been resurrected and scattered throughout.

The package concludes with a sparkling restoration of the 1972 horror classic DEATH LINE, directed by Gary Sherman, who joins for an interview before the film, hosted by Sean Hogan. And so, To bed. If you dare…

Running time: 5 hours 15 minutes

‘Early Bat’ pre-order window (15-18 October)
Rent: £10
Buy: £13

Standard price from 19 October
Rent: £12
Buy: £15

Pre-order at: https://bit.ly/3dvrWaA

Includes:
- Tales of the Unexpected: Royal Jelly
- The Frighteners: The Manipulators
- The Woman in Black (in HD)
- Hammer House of Horror: Two Faces of Evil (in HD)
- Death Line (in HD)

 

Demons, devils and the occult… Horror Channel gets possessed in November

Saturday nights in November belong to the vice-like grip of POSSESSED SEASON on Horror Channel, with Channel premieres for EXORCIST: THE BEGINNING, the prequel to The Exorcist, starring Stellan Skarsgård as Father Merrin, the demon-beleaguered priest, and THE EXORCIST III, written and directed by William Peter Blatty. There is also a UK TV premiere for Chad Archibald’s chilling occult fantasy THE HERETICS, and Scott Derrickson’s supernatural chiller DELIVER US FROM EVIL completes the devilish line-up. 

Full film details in transmission order:

Saturday 7 November @ 21:00 – EXORCIST: THE BEGINNING (2004) *Channel Premiere

 

Having abandoned his faith, Father Merrin joins an archaeological excavation in Kenya, where an ancient church has been unearthed - and beneath it, something much older waits to be awoken. As madness descends upon the villagers, he watches helplessly as the blood of innocents flows. But, the horror has only just begun and in the place where Evil was born, Merrin will finally see its true face. 

 

Saturday 14 November @ 21:00 – EXORCIST III (1990) *Channel Premiere 


Police Lt. Kinderman (George C. Scott) notices similarities between his current murder investigation and the methods used by the "Gemini" killer (Brad Dourif) - who was executed 15 years before. He soon discovers a hospitalized mental patient (Jason Miller) claiming to be the dead serial killer, but who looks uncannily like a priest Kinderman knew who died during an exorcism. As more bodies are found, Kinderman looks for connections between the two supposedly dead men. 

 

Saturday 21 November @ 21:00 – THE HERETICS (2017) *UK TV Premiere 

Five years ago Gloria survived a terrifying ritual at the hands of a demonic cult. Tied to an altar she awoke in the morning caked in blood, surrounded by corpses but seemingly unharmed. Putting the traumatic events behind her she tried to move on with her life. But what happened that night was just the beginning. There is one who has been waiting for the right time to return and complete what was started. Gloria will be taken again… 

 

Saturday 28 November @ 21:00 – DELIVER US FROM EVIL (2014) 


New York police officer Ralph Sarchie (Eric Bana), who is struggling with personal issues, begins investigating a series of disturbing and inexplicable crimes. He joins forces with an unconventional priest (Edgar Ramírez), schooled in the rituals of exorcism, to combat the frightening and demonic possessions that are terrorising their city.

Website: http://www.horrorchannel.co.uk
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/horrorchannel
Twitter: https://twitter.com/horror_channel

Friday 16 October 2020

MONSTER HUNTER - New trailer and poster released.

Sony Pictures UK have released the brand new Poster (left) and Trailer (below) for MONSTER HUNTER starring Milla Jovovich

Behind our world, there is another: a world of dangerous and powerful monsters that rule their domain with deadly ferocity. When an unexpected sandstorm transports Captain Artemis (Milla Jovovich) and her unit (TI Harris, Meagan Good, Diego Boneta) to a new world, the soldiers are shocked to discover that this hostile and unknown environment is home to enormous and terrifying monsters immune to their firepower.

In their desperate battle for survival, the unit encounters the mysterious Hunter (Tony Jaa), whose unique skills allow him to stay one step ahead of the powerful creatures. As Artemis and Hunter slowly build trust, she discovers that he is part of a team led by the Admiral (Ron Perlman).

Facing a danger so great it could threaten to destroy their world, the brave warriors combine their unique abilities to band together for the ultimate showdown. 

 MONSTER HUNTER is coming soon at UK cinemas, checkout the trailer below...


Thursday 15 October 2020

SLEEPLESS BEAUTY - on UK Digital and Disc November

SLEEPLESS BEAUTY tells a twisted story about a young woman, Mila, who is kidnapped by a mysterious organization known as Recreation. 
 
Her unknown abductors talk to her through a loudspeaker and set strict rules: she cannot sleep and has to fulfill bizarre and violent tasks if she hopes to stay alive.

At first, it looks like someone’s sick idea of entertainment but as the demands become more intense, Mila begins to realize that she is losing control of her own mind and instead, may be a pawn in a twisted and deadly psychological experiment.

SLEEPLESS BEAUTY made its world premiere at the 2020 Imagine Film Festival and was an official selection for the 2020 Sitges Film Festival, 2020 Dead Of Night Film Festival, and 2020 Obscura Berlin Film Festival.

SLEEPLESS BEAUTY is directed by Pavel Khvaleev. Written by Aleksandra Khvaleeva. Produced by Frank Ellrich, Georgiy Smirnov and Elena Talyanksaya. Cinematography and edited by Khvaleev. A Monomania Films Production.

The film will be available on VOD + Digital platforms beginning Tuesday, November 1 and will be available on Blu-ray beginning Tuesday, November 17, 2020.

 

 

Saturday 10 October 2020

GHOULIES, TROLL, TERRORVISION - Soundtracks on Limited Edition Coloured Vinyl

WRWTFWW are proud to announce the official release of the soundtracks to 80s cult classics GHOULIES (1985), TROLL (1986) and TERRORVISION (1986), available in lovingly crafted packages and on limited edition coloured vinyl for the very first time!

Established by producer and director Charles Band in 1983, Empire Pictures quickly became notorious for the horror-comedy classics made during its brief but legendary lifespan. With wild special effects, outrageous humour and over-the-top horror action GHOULIES, TROLL and TERRORVISION were three of Empire Pictures finest works, and each movie featured an unforgettable score by Charles’ award-winning composer brother Richard Band. 

Now, these scores have been carefully remastered and are presented for the very first time on half-speed mastered, Limited Edition 180g coloured vinyl in stunning packaging with liner notes from composer and master of the horror and science-fiction soundtrack Richard Brand.

GHOULIES features the full uncut original soundtrack, available for the first time ever, pressed on Limited edition 180g pink coloured vinyl, and including a bonus 7inch featuring Fela Johnson’s "Dancing with a Monster" and "Surrender" as heard in the movie. 

TROLL features the complete soundtrack pressed on Limited edition 180g yellow coloured vinyl.

TERRORVISION features the special director’s cut soundtrack pressed on Limited edition 180g blue coloured vinyl. 

Each release is housed in a gatefold sleeve with full movie gallery, OBI belt, and random video store stickers, plus full liner notes by Richard Band.

In addition, high-quality and limited edition WRWTFWW x Empire Pictures collab merchandise is available, including Empire Pictures, GHOULIES and TERRORVISION sweatshirts and t-shirts featuring unique, original designs.

WRWTFWW Records presents GHOULIES, TROLL and TERRORVISION limited edition soundtracks on coloured vinyl available in stores worldwide 20 November 

 

 

THE SILENCING - Available Digitally from Oct 19

Starring Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (Game of Thrones), THE SILENCING is a gripping thriller set in the barren American wilderness, which sees a tense cat-and-mouse chase between a grieving father and his daughter’s captor.

Rayburn Swanson (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) understands loss. His only teenage daughter was kidnapped five years ago and since then, he has slipped into a downward spiral of alcoholism and self-destruction. After his daughter went missing, Rayburn swore off hunting and trapping and decided to help the very animals he used to kill by establishing a self-sufficient wildlife sanctuary that borders the inhospitable Boundary Waters Wildnerness.

Now he spends his days drinking and monitoring the animals’ activity with a series of closed-circuit cameras that surround his secluded property. His life becomes in jeopardy when Rayburn spots something horrifying on one of the security monitors; a killer dressed in a ghillie suit, hunting a girl on Rayburn’s sanctuary who resembles his missing daughter. 

Determined to save her, Rayburn teams up with local sheriff Alice Gustafson (Annabelle Wallis - Peaky Blinders, The Mummy) and sets off into the wilderness in a race to find her before the killer does.

Featuring captivating performances from Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Annabelle Wallis and Hero Fiennes Tiffin (After) and edge of your seat suspense, THE SILENCING comes to digital download on 19th October 2020.

View the trailer on YouTube

 

 

Friday 2 October 2020

Classic British horror DOG SOLDIERS is back in UK cinemas!

Due to popular demand, Vertigo Releasing have announced the re-release of the classic British troops-versus-werewolves horror DOG SOLDIERS, with a superb 4K restoration, arriving in select cinemas this October. Things are getting hairy close to Halloween...!

One of the great British horror films, and certainly one of the best werewolf films ever, Neil Marshall’s (The Descent, Game of Thrones) debut grossed £5 million at the box office when it was first released in 2002, and quickly became a bona fide fan favourite. 

It’s The Howling meets Ultimate Force, with an irresistible mix of foul-mouthed squaddies taking on vicious werewolves, combined with plenty of blood and gore, and brilliantly effective action set pieces. With a cracking cast, including Sean Pertwee (Event Horizon) and Kevin McKidd (Trainspotting), special effects to make your hair stand on end, and endless quotable lines (“Sausages...”), DOG SOLDIERS is as funny, ferocious and full-on today as it was 18 years ago.

A group of soldiers, in the Scottish Highlands on a special training expedition, encounters a seriously injured Captain Richard Ryan – the only survivor of a Special Ops squad that was torn to pieces. Ryan refuses to disclose his mission, even though it is apparent that whatever attacked his men was incredibly vicious and extremely dangerous. A local girl, Megan, shelters the men in an isolated farmhouse deep in the woods. The soldiers soon realize that they are surrounded by a pack of blood-lusting werewolves, and that they are about to face the fight of their lives. 

 The superb 4K restoration will be released in select cinemas and on digital 23rd October.

Horror cinema festival FilmFear returns for 2020

FilmFear, HOME Manchester’s annual celebration of big-screen scares, returns for Halloween with a provocative programme that mixes thrills and chills with plenty to think about. 

 
This year, FilmFear runs from Wednesday, 28 October to Thursday, 5 November, with Film4 and HOME co-curating a line-up of modern genre classics that sink their teeth into politics, race, sexuality, social issues and more. So, prepare yourself for the ‘Night of the Living Subtext’ - the real world can be unsettling at the best of times and, as FilmFear proves, horror cinema faces it all without flinching.

FilmFear is curated by Film4’s David Cox and HOME’s Creative Director for Film and Culture, Jason Wood. Tickets go on sale to the general public on Tuesday, 6 October.

David said: “Even though what many of us are experiencing day-to-day may feel unprecedented, the horror genre has already seen it, done it and no doubt re-imagined it as either a city-devouring monster or an undead infestation. And somehow, these extreme representations of our worst fears and most unimaginable realities have the power to make us feel better – or at least distract us from the terror outside for 90 minutes.” Among the terrifying treats on show will be Wes Craven’s THE PEOPLE UNDER THE STAIRS, a savage slice of Reagan-era urban Gothic, and Philip Kaufman’s 1978 sci-fi thriller INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS starring Donald Sutherland, Brooke Adams and Jeff Goldblum.

From Parasite Oscar-winner Bong Joon-ho comes THE HOST, an aquatic creature-feature that says as much about Korean society as it does about beasts from the deep. Staying under the earth, a murder on the London Underground alerts authorities to the possibility of some sort of creature living in the long dark tunnels in DEATH LINE which brings a whole new meaning to the phrase ‘mind the doors!’

In lieu of the remake, which should have been in cinemas this month, HOME will present a restored version of early 1990s horror classic CANDYMAN, in which the vengeful, hook-handed title character proves that some urban legends are actually true. Karyn Kusama and Diablo Cody’s JENNIFER'S BODY makes a well-deserved return to the big screen. Starring Megan Fox and Amanda Seyfried, and critically disregarded on release, the film has been reappraised as a feminist cult classic in the wake of the Me Too movement. And in THE STUFF, a tasty, healthy and fun new dessert might seem irresistible but the truth behind what it is and what it does to you is the starting-point for a fiendishly original and darkly comic monster movie like no other.

And this year, FilmFear extends to Thursday, 5 November – Guy Fawkes Night – for a special screening of ATTACK THE BLOCK, writer/director Joe Cornish’s social-themed sci-fi/monster movie that’s set on this very night. As a special Bonfire Night bonus, Cornish will take part in a live video Q&A.

Crossing over with the ¡Viva! Spanish & Latin American Festival for only the second time, FilmFear also celebrates Chicho, Spain’s horror maestro.

Narciso Ibáñez Serrador is one of the most well-known, and best loved, names in Spanish film and television history. Forever linked to the horror genre, ‘Chicho’, as he was known to all, was responsible for the legendary TV series Historias para no dormir which ran intermittently from 1966. Chicho passed away in 2019, and ¡Viva! and Film Fear have linked with the Instituto Cervantes to bring to HOME a celebration of one of Spanish film and television’s most distinctive voices.

In the double bill of EL ASFALTO and LA RESIDENCIA a young woman is sent to a gothic boarding school, where she finds a headmistress intent on keeping everyone in line with firm, physical discipline. With La residencia, one of the most atmospheric European horror films of the late 1960s, Ibáñez Serrador scored a major hit at the Spanish box-office, significantly contributing to the cycle of horror film production in Spain in the 1970s. The film is accompanied by ELASFALTO, one of the best-remembered episodes of Ibáñez Serrador’s legendary TV series, Historias para no dormir. And in 1972’s WHO CAN KILL A CHILD?, an English couple on holiday in Spain find more than they bargained for when they visit a beautiful island that seems to have no adults, only children.

FilmFear runs from Wednesday, 28 October to Thursday, 5 November. For more information, visit...  https://homemcr.org/event/filmfear-2020/

Thursday 1 October 2020

FrightFest announces bumper line-up for its October 2020 Digital edition

Arrow Video FrightFest will go virtual for the second time in 2020, having taken the decision to cancel its planned physical event at the Cineworld, Leicester Square, due to continuing COVID restrictions. The forty-five feature film line-up will merge the in-cinema selection with brand new titles to provide an online festival experience from Oct 21-Oct 25.
 

As with the August Digital event, the programme will be split between The Arrow and Horror Channel Screens, with the addition of a third, the Zavvi Discovery Screen. Pass holders will be able to choose what to watch across all three screens with the additional bonus of the Wednesday night features. All films, including the two Short Film Showcases, will be streamed as live, and only once. All films are geo-locked and can only be viewed in the UK.

Passes and Tickets go on sale today at 6pm. For detailed information on the line-up, ticketing details & event guidelines: https://frightfest.co.uk

The monstrous menu kicks off on Wednesday night with the World Premiere of HELD, described as “Parasite and Get Out meets The Stepford Wives”, from The Gallows franchise directors Chris Lofing and Travis Cluff. It’s followed by the UK Premiere of Courtney Paige’s THE SINNERS, a gripping occult take on the Seven Deadly Sins, 

  

On Thursday be prepared for vengeful spirits, evil awakenings, ghost cops and disappearing synchronised swimmers as four UK Premieres are presented, including Chris Smith’s pre-World War II horror THE BANISHING, Hayden J. Weal’s hilariously ghoulish murder mystery DEAD, the terrifying cosmic chiller SACRIFICE, starring Barbara Crampton, the trippy and the Lynchian fantasy thriller STRANGER. There is also a European Premiere for THE BRAIN THAT WOULDN’T DIE, a pitch-perfect recreation of the 1962 cult classic and a World Premiere for DANGEROUS TO KNOW, David Simpson’s mesmerising three-hour journey into a dark psychological labyrinth of murder, madness and revenge. 


 Crazy cultists, wicked witch hunters and brutal home invaders are on show in Friday’s action-packed line-up, headed by the UK premieres of Neil Marshall’s plague-driven tour-de-force THE RECKONING and Julius Berg’s THE OWNERS, in which the seventh ‘Doctor Who’ Sylvester McCoy and Swinging Sixties icon Rita Tushingham take on Maisie Williams and her invading gang. Also taking on some nasty home invaders is feisty babysitter in the World Premiere of Kohl Glass’ nerve-shattering BABYSITTER MUST DIE.

Then there are UK premieres for Andrew Thomas Hurt’s crazy action body horror SPARE PARTS, Aaron B Koontz’s bloodthirsty hybrid Western horror THE PALE DOOR, Takeshi Kushida’s captivating and visually mesmerizing WOMAN OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS, Lodewijk Crijins’ TAILGATE, a Dutch Duel with a ferocious bite, Adrian Langley’s brutally served dish BUTCHERS, Jens Dahl’s sinister biohacking thriller BREEDER and the Argentina powerhouse writer/director Laura Casabé is back with THE RETURNED, her most shocking film to date. There is also a European Premiere for Jeffrey Reddick’s DON’T LOOK BACK, a new take on supernatural karma and its horrific consequences, and a World Premiere for Will Jewell’s CONCRETE PLANS, in which class war tips five builders into bloody warfare.

 


Saturday’s programme brings fourteen more deadly choices, highlighted by the banner FrightFest Presents title RELIC, first time writer/director Natalie Erika’s unforgettable new spin on the haunted-house movie – a theme that, laced with isolation and murderous desperation, runs through LET’S SCARE JULIE, which is cleverly filmed in one uninterrupted continuous take. Home invasion is taken to new gory heights in Canadian entry FOR THE SAKE OF VICIOUS, and family secrets trigger explosively violent consequences in BROIL, from the producer of It Follows, and BLOOD HARVEST - Thomas Robert Lee’s dark, coming-of-age shocker (US Title: The Curse of Audrey Earnshaw), 

  

Home-grown talent rises to the fore. Marc Price is back with the World Premiere of his space survival thriller DUNE DRIFTER and a home-grown survival thriller with a more pernicious intent is Adam Leader and Richard Oakes’ possession pandemic debut feature HOSTS, which also enjoys a World Premiere. Two more Brit entries with powerful punchlines are HECKLE, which stars Steve Guttenberg, Toyah Wilcox, Nicholas Vince and Dani Dyer, and THE WORLD WE KNEW, where gangsters battle demons in a Neo Film Noir with a dark, existentialist twist. Then we have Patricio Valladares’ EMBRYO, a deliriously twisted tale of alien insemination, cannibalism and true love, and the World Premiere of Tyler Russell’s CYST, where a giant cyst monster goes on the rampage.

Plus we have three Horror Channel sponsored ‘First Blood’ entries: the World Premieres of Danielle Kummer and Lucy Harvey’s wonderfully infectious ALIEN ON STAGE, David Ryan’s blood-soaked REDWOOD MASSACRE: ANNIHILATION, starring Danielle Harris. And the UK Premiere of Karl Holt’s BENNY LOVES YOU, where Chucky meets Fatal Attraction. Horror Channel’s Manager, Stewart Bridle, will declare the winner of the inaugural FrightFest First Blood: Horror Channel Best Film Award 2020, via a filmed presentation. Also in the frame for the award are THEY’RE OUTSIDE and PLAYHOUSE, which played at the August Digital event. 

 
On Sunday, FrightFest’s global celebration of the genre comes to an action-packed conclusion with entries from three continents. From South America there are three gems: Luciana Garraza’s SCAVENGER, a slice of cruel Argentinian sci-fi action horror, FUNERAL HOME, a harsh and heart-breaking Argentinian haunted house horror and ORIGIN UNKNOWN, an innovative dark action fantasy from Mexico’s Rigoberto Castañeda. 

 

From the USA and closing the festival, is the World Premiere of SKYLIN3S, the thrilling third entry in the epic sci-fi Skyline franchise. Once again written and directed by co-creator Liam O’Donnell, we see Captain Rose Corley on a nerve-shedding 72-hour mission to save humanity.

Continuing Stateside, we have UK Premieres for HONEYDEW, where a young couple seek refuge in a house belonging to an unforgettable new geriatric horror villain, and murder has a new cutting edge in Jill Gevargizian’s stunning debut feature THE STYLIST, starring Brea Grant and Najarra Townsend, Another American female director continuing to make her mark is Imitation Girl helmer Natasha Kermani, back with LUCKY, a clever slasher satire; a disturbing potent metaphor for our troubling times. The ever prolific Brea Grant not only stars but also wrote the script.   

Canada has come up with the on-trend couture horror comedy of the year, so get ready for the UK Premiere of Elza Kephart’s SLAXX, the tightest fitting bloodbath in history as a pair of vengeful jeans goes on the rampage. Another Canadian selection is THE NIGHTS BEFORE CHRISTMAS, where an FBI agent is tasked to track down a psychotic couple posing as Santa and Mrs. Claus. There is also a great British debut from director Damian McCarthy with CAVEAT, a tereres of Dan Auty’s detection thrillerrifying journey through madness and memory loss. 


The Short Film Showcases are back as part of the programme, and the UK is represented by twelve chilling choices, including the world premieres of Dan Auty’s detection thriller WATCH, William Allum’s lock-down horror NIGHT FEED, Crystal Yu’s waking nightmare ARE YOU SLEEPING, James Charalambides’ journey into musical madness with MELOMANIAC and Daniel Rands’ PEEKING, where sounds take on an ominous meaning. There are also entries from USA, Cuba, South Korea, The Netherlands, Canada and Spain.

Programmer Shelagh Rowan said today: “We were thrilled with the reception of the shorts showcases in August, and we’re delighted to bring you even more amazing shorts for October. With films from home and abroad, there’s horror, sci-fi, animation, comedies and dramas with monsters and ghouls, all to frighten and amaze you.”

Four extra shorts have been added to the programme: Italian director Federico Zampaglione’s BIANCA: PHASE 1 and BIANCA: PHASE 2 – a double-bill of creepy family stories set in Rome under lockdown, which Zampaglione shot single-handedly on his iPhone, LITTLE WILLY, Andrew Bowser’s dark comedy about a failed actor’s distorted relationship with the puppet he found fame with and WHY WAKE A SLEEPING CHINCHILLA?, a supernatural horror oozing classic 70s vibes, with a pinch of J-horror.

Of course, FrightFest wouldn’t be the same without some sneak previews and tantalising trailers. Plus they’ll be plenty of guests popping up to introduce their films and the FrightFest directors will be there to preside over proceedings.

FrightFest co-director Alan Jones said: “The latest safety regulations and social distancing measures brought in to contain the spread of Covid-19 meant we had no other choice but to cancel our much-anticipated physical edition of FrightFest in October. So the only option open to Team FrightFest, despite all the hard work everyone has put in over the past months, was to take the new normal by its devil horns and reconfigure FrightFest 2020 once more to give everyone an important horror fantasy lifeline. Our virtual event in August was so well received that we knew we had to do it again - with even more picks of want-to-see new releases, hot previews, unusual options and first-rate titles. Enjoy”.

For detailed information on the line-up, ticketing details & event guidelines
https://frightfest.co.uk

We’d like to thank our main sponsors: Arrow Video, Horror Channel, Zavvi & Den of Geek.

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