Sunday 28 February 2021

New Fright-Rags TWIN PEAKS Merch, Plus SILENCE OF THE LAMBS & GARBAGE PAIL KIDS

Fright-Rags is celebrating Twin Peaks Day - in honor of the date that Agent Dale Cooper entered the titular town in Twin Peaks - with fresh apparel from the cult series, plus new threads from The Silence of the Lambs and Garbage Pail Kids.


Fright-Rags visits David Lynch's Twin Peaks with shirts from three of the show's iconic locations - The Black Lodge, Double R Diner, and the town of Twin Peaks - plus Black Lodge and Bookhouse Boys hats.


Commemorate The Silence of the Lambs’ 30th anniversary with Fright-Rags’ shirts from the classic film starring Anthony Hopkins as Hannibal Lecter. Two new designs and two reprints are available.
 

Fright-Rags has teamed up with Garbage Pail Kids for tees inspired by Jason Voorhees, Pennywise, and They Live. The GPK collection also includes lounge pants featuring the classic trading cards and Adam Bomb socks.

Twin Peaks, The Silence of the Lambs, and Garbage Pail Kids collections are on sale now at Fright-Rags.com.


Blumhouse's THE CRAFT LEGACY - coming to Disc March 8th

The bewitching Blumhouse continuation of cult hit The Craft, THE CRAFT LEGACY, is available on DVD and Blu-Ray from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment March 8th.
 
THE CRAFT LEGACY, a progressive update of the 90s classic, stars Cailee Spaeny (TV’s “Devs”), Gideon Adlon (Blockers), Lovie Simone (TV’s “Greenleaf”), Zoey Luna (TV’s “Raising Zoey”), Michelle Monaghan (Mission Impossible) and David Duchovny (TV’s “The X Files”) and is directed by Zoe Lister-Jones.
 
An eclectic foursome of aspiring teenage witches gets more than they bargained for as they lean into their newfound powers.  When her mother Helen (Michelle Monaghan) decides to move in with her self-help guru boyfriend (David Duchovny), loner teenager Lily (Cailee Spaeny) has her life uprooted. When she finds a new group of friends in a coven of witches, they have fun together flexing their powers. That is, until dark events occur.
 
BLUMHOUSE’S THE CRAFT LEGACY: DVD & BLU-RAY BONUS MATERIAL 

Featurettes:
- Franchise Legacy
- Powerful Story, Magical Director
- 4 Alternate Scenes with an Introduction from the Director.

THE CRAFT LEGACY is also available in a 2-Movie Collection boxset, alongside the 90s classic THE CRAFT, which celebrates its 25th Anniversary this year.   

The boxset is available to buy on Blu-ray and DVD on March 8th.

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

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

 Pre-order the UK BD Box-Set (2 films) from Amazon.co.uk

Pre-order the UK DVD Box-Set (2 films) from Amazon.co.uk

 

 

 

 

New May releases from ARROW VIDEO

Arrow Video’s May films include a superbly quirky comedy horror debut, the worldwide Blu-ray debut of a provocative Seventies masterwork, and a lavish edition of an offbeat, A-list sci-fi favourite.

A GHOST WAITS (Blu-ray) - 3rd May 2021 

An ingeniously unique and unpredictable combo of horror, humour and heart, A Ghost Waits is a DIY labour of love years in the making from first-time writer/director Adam Stovall and producer/star MacLeod Andrews.

Tasked with renovating a neglected rental home, handyman Jack (MacLeod Andrews, They Look Like People, Doctor Sleep) quickly finds out why the tenants keep leaving in droves - this house is haunted. The ghost in question is Muriel (Natalie Walker), herself employed from beyond the veil to keep the home vacant. 

Against the odds, Jack and Muriel find they have a lot in common... pulse notwithstanding. Having found a kindred spirit in an otherwise lonely existence, they must fight for their newfound affection as pressure mounts for them each to fulfil their ‘cross-purposes’.

From its opening spectral assault to its achingly poignant conclusion - as well as a witty depiction of afterlife bureaucracy in the vein of Beetlejuice and A Matter of Life and Death - A Ghost Waits has shocked and surprised audiences around the world, and now makes its home video debut stacked with insightful bonus features that take you inside the process of creating this phantasmagorical monochrome marvel.

SPECIAL EDITION CONTENTS

• High Definition (1080p) Blu-ray presentation
• Original uncompressed stereo audio
• Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard-of-hearing
• Audio commentary by writer/director Adam Stovall
• Audio commentary by Adam Stovall and MacLeod Andrews
• Audio commentary by the cast and crew
• Humanity and the Afterlife in ‘A Ghost Waits’, a new video essay by Isabel Custodio exploring the film’s themes and cinematic forebears
• Eight interviews with cast and crew moderated by critic and programmer tt stern-enzi
• Interview and post-film Q&A with Adam Stovall moderated by Alan Jones at Frightfest Glasgow 2020
• Outtakes
• Easter eggs
• Theatrical trailer
• Image gallery
• Reversible sleeve featuring newly commissioned artwork by Sister Hyde and original artwork by Julie Hill

FIRST PRESSING ONLY: Illustrated collectors’ booklet featuring new writing by Craig Ian Mann

 

12 MONKEYS (Limited Edition SteelBook Blu-ray) - 24th May 2021

Following the commercial and critical success of The Fisher King, Terry Gilliam’s next feature would turn to science fiction and a screenplay by Janet and David Peoples (Blade Runner, Unforgiven) inspired by Chris Marker’s classic short film La Jetée.
 
In 1996, a deadly virus is unleashed by a group calling themselves the Army of the Twelve Monkeys, destroying much of the world’s population and forcing survivors underground. In 2035, prisoner James Cole (Bruce Willis, Die Hard) is chosen to go back in time and help scientists in their search for a cure.

Featuring an Oscar-nominated turn by Brad Pitt (Fight Club) as mental patient Jeffrey Goines, Twelve Monkeys would become Gilliam’s most successful film and is now widely regarded as a sci-fi classic.

LIMITED EDITION STEELBOOK CONTENTS

• High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) presentation
• Optional DTS 5.1 Master Audio and 2.0 stereo soundtracks
• Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
• Audio commentary by Terry Gilliam and producer Charles Roven
• The Hamster Factor and Other Tales of Twelve Monkeys, feature-length making-of documentary by Keith Fulton and Louis Pepe (Lost in La Mancha)
• The Film Exchange with Terry Gilliam, a 1996 interview with Gilliam and film critic Jonathan Romney, recorded at the London Film Festival
• Appreciation by Ian Christie, author of Gilliam on Gilliam
• The Twelve Monkeys Archives
• Theatrical trailer
• Limited edition SteelBook featuring newly commissioned artwork by Matt Griffin
• Limited edition booklet featuring writing on the film by Rabin, and an excerpt of Gilliam on Gilliam by Ian Christie 


 

OVER THE EDGE (Blu-Ray) - 31 May 2021

Inspired by real-life incidents, Over The Edge is an incendiary ode to teen rebellion that quickly became a Gen X/punk-rock touchstone, and a key influence on filmmakers such as Richard Linklater and musicians like Kurt Cobain (who often cited it as his favourite film).

New Granada is a brand new ‘planned community’, miles from the noise and crime of the big city and a perfect place to raise a family. The only problem is they forgot to build anything for the kids to do. 

Bored out of their minds and stuck in the middle of nowhere, the teens in the town, led by Carl (Michael Kramer) and Richie (an effortlessly charismatic Matt Dillon in his first film role), do pretty much anything to fill the time, quickly escalating from drugs and sex to petty crime. 

A rash action by an overzealous local police officer (Harry Northup - Taxi Driver) sets in motion a face-off between the frustrated kids and their clueless parents that will lead to explosive, destructive consequences...

Armed with a classic ‘70s rock soundtrack (including Cheap Trick, Ramones and Van Halen), energetic direction by Jonathan Kaplan (White Line Fever) and an intelligent script by Tim Hunter (River’s Edge) and Charlie Haas (Matinee), Over The Edge still packs a righteously powerful punch today, and makes its worldwide Blu-Ray debut with brand new bonus features interviewing the cast and crew.

SPECIAL EDITION CONTENTS

• High Definition (1080p) Blu-ray transfer
• Original uncompressed mono audio
• Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard-of-hearing
• Archive commentary by director Jonathan Kaplan, producer George Litto and writers Tim Hunter & Charlie Haas
• New commentary by star Michael Kramer and journalist Mike Sacks
• Isolated music and effects track
• Wide Streets + Narrow Minds, an exclusive retrospective documentary featuring newly recorded interviews with cast and crew, including Jonathan Kaplan, Tim Hunter, Charlie Haas, talent scouts Jane Bernstein and Linda Feferman, production designer Jim Newport, stars Michael Kramer, Harry Northup, Vincent Spano, Pamela Ludwig, Julia Pomeroy, Kim Kliner, Diane Reilly, Eric Lalich and others
• Full post-film QA from a 2010 screening at the Walter Reade Theater in New York, featuring Litto, Hunter, Haas, Bernstein, Northup, Kramer, Ludwig, Pomeroy and Tom Fergus
• Excerpts from the Projection Booth podcast episode on the film, including discussion by Mike White, Leon Chase and Heather Drain, plus interviews with Haas, Hunter, Spano, Northup and Andy Romano
• Destruction: Fun or Dumb?, the full educational short excerpted within the film, in high definition
• US theatrical trailer and TV spots
• UK VHS promo
• Image galleries
• Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Sister Hyde

FIRST PRESSING ONLY: Illustrated collectors’ booklet featuring new writing by Kim Morgan and Henry Blyth, and the original San Francisco Examiner article that inspired the film.

 



Novelization of the Cult Hit “MONSTURD”

4321 Films, a San Francisco-based independent motion picture production company, have announced the release of MONSTURD, the terrifying novelization based on the major international motion picture sensation. The new book, available now as a paperback or electronic download from Amazon, was penned by the 2003 movie’s original creators Dan West and Rick Popko.

“Strangely, as a movie, Monsturd’s success exceeded our wildest expectations,” said Dan West, co-founder of 4321 Films. “It’s been distributed and reviewed in countries Rick and I have never been to yet, including Russia and Portugal. Over the years, we’ve received quite a few fan inquiries asking if we ever intended to do a sequel. But, I’m afraid that unless Hollywood ponies up a significant amount of cash up front, it’s probably never going to happen. That’s one of the reasons why we wrote this book. While it faithfully retells the events from the movie, it also features a number of new scenes and character expansions that weren’t in the original movie.”

Out of the Toilet… and into Your Nightmares!

Sci-fi and horror movie influencer Scott Foy received an advanced copy of Monsturd and described it as, “Just when FBI Agent Susan Hannigan thought she had flushed away escaped serial killer Jack Schmitt once and for all in the sewers of Butte County, California, a demented doctor at the Dutech Genetic Research Laboratories dumping evidence of his dubious dysentery experiment gone awry unwittingly resurrects Schmitt’s tainted soul as a grotesque golem of fecal fury. Using the bowels beneath Butte County as his lair, the mutated maniac sets about on a path of excremental vengeance and only Agent Hannigan and the ill-prepared local cops can wipe Schmitt’s stain from the face of the earth forever. Deadpan and toilet humor spew from every orifice of the page in this hilariously horrific novel that is now a major motion picture sensation.”

Founder of Scaredstiffreviews.com Geno McGahee, who also received an advanced copy of the book said, “Now, Monsturd has returned in book form and tells more of the story without the restrictions that producing a film brings. I wish they did this with more low-budget horror films. West and Popko deserve a lot of credit for going in this direction and for also writing a funny and zany book that kept me entertained from start to finish.”

“Monsturd is the perfect gift for that strange friend who has everything but likes collecting weird things. We had a lot of fun writing it over the last few years and believe that enthusiasm has translated well onto these pages,” West concluded.

Paperback and electronic download versions of Monsturd are available today from Amazon.

Buy the Paperback from Amazon.com

Buy the Kindle Edition from Amazon.com

 



10 Questions with Candis Nergaard - Star of forthcoming THE HEIRESS

Ahead of the UK Digital release of THE HEIRESS on March 15, 2021, actress Candis Nergaard talks about the harrowing research for her lead role, causing a stir on Newsnight, her Romany roots and coping with lockdown.
 

Q) You star in a new British supernatural horror film, THE HEIRESS. Tell us how you got the part and what is was about the script that appealed to you.

I was contacted early on the process by the director Chris Bell who’d had me in mind as an option for Claire. I read an early draft of the script and absolutely loved the part, it’s rare for me to be scared by horror but the script alone conjured such vivid imagery that I was haunted by it, I knew it would work. When The Heiress was ready to go, I was offered the role of Claire, I couldn’t wait to get my teeth into it. I’ve played the lead role in TV, Radio and Theatre but this was my first for feature film. 

Q) What did you find most demanding about playing Clare?

It was the research I did for the role, it was harrowing. Claire is epileptic. That element, was the single most important thing to me to try to get right about her, especially the ‘grand mal seizure, and so I researched a lot. The director Chris’s dad is severely epileptic, and so Chris was able to guide me through. There are videos available made by people with epilepsy, who wish to bring more awareness to the public about how the fits can affect them. I would gear up to watch one of the videos and then have to put a lot of distance between watching it, as it affected me so much.


Q)
You're known to genre fans for playing Anya in WHITE CHAMBER which premiered at FrightFest. Does the horror genre appeal you to?

I love the horror genre, it’s just so fun from an acting point of view. White Chamber was a dream in that regard, and so was working with amazing cult scream queen legend Shauna Macdonald. Beforehand, I’d never really given much thought to acting in horror films, I’d done a lot of kitchen sink realism, and my idols were directors like Ken Loach, Andrea Arnold and Gary Oldman. The unique thing about The Heiress is that it seems to fuse a very realistic Loach-esq landscape with some really artful proper scares.

Horror expanded my mind with potential possibilities; I love to escape into the shadowlands exploring the supernatural or a parallel universe. 

 
Q)
You’ve said you were introduced to horror films at a small child by your dad. What was the first film you remember watching?

I think it was Alien..... it was so long ago. I remember sitting on my dad’s lap, and vague memories of eating tinned ravioli... probably not ideal food considering...

Q) Although you don’t have a family background in the arts, you decided to do an acting course at The Miskin Theatre College, where you were taught by actors such as Neil Maskell and Dominic Power.  That must have been a great experience…

It changed the trajectory of my life. I feel incredibly lucky to have being taught by two exceptionally talented actors. Neil and Dom were very passionate about teaching, and because they had such conviction we really listened. It helped me develop an iron discipline for the craft.

It was super intense method acting training though. It was all a bit of a shock at age 16 and coming from my background. I went from being naughty in class to paying attention, reading the news, listening to radio drama. It expanded my world view.

Q) You first came to prominence playing opposite Tom Hardy in the gritty drama STUART, A LIFE BACKWARDS. Your role involved controversial scenes of nudity and violence, which ended being discussed on Newsnight. Was it a difficult choice to accept the role?

Well, the script was incredible and based on a true story, so I was so pleased to audition. When I was offered the role, it dawned on me shortly afterwards that I’d have to be naked. I was so body conscious that I’d never even wear a bikini at the time.... However, I’d been working with a great acting coach, Giles Foremen, and the integrity of the work had become way more important than my fears, so I went for it. Tom was also lovely, and allayed my fears a bit by telling me about his nude scenes. I won’t forget Germaine Greer’s face on Newsnight.


Q) You starred in the BBC radio drama series ATCHIN TAN and went on to write several episodes of the series. What was it about the show that appealed to you and Is writing something you want to continue doing?

It was great to have authentic Gypsy voices and the Romany language on BBC radio. A lot of the Travellers had never acted before so it was exciting. I remember, one day we got stopped on location by police... We were recording in a caravan in a remote field in Cambridgeshire, and a squad car turned up, so we got our BBC passes out and showed them to the guy. He said “Oh that’s fine then, I thought you were Gypsies!” We laughed our asses off afterwards.

I’m writing a lot at the moment. I wrote and performed a one woman play for the Gorki Theatre in Berlin a couple of years ago, I’ve just finished writing my first feature film, and I’m co-writing another film with an award winning Irish director called Keith Farrell. It keeps my mind busy between acting jobs, and in lockdown!

Q) You’ve also worked on PEAKY BLINDERS as their Romani language and cultural advisor since series 3. That must be an interesting role. Tell us more!

Tommy Shelby has got to be one of the coolest characters ever, constantly outwitting everyone. So, translating and recording lines in the Romany language for Cillian Murphy was so much fun. It’s amazing to hear him nail it. Script security is super tight so I’m normally dealing with isolated lines or sometimes scenes that are selected. 

Q) How have you coped with lockdown?

It’s been a mixed bag. I’m well aware of what I’m grateful for and it brings everything into focus. Being estranged from my family is really hard, especially in times of grief and bereavement, and continues to be so. I like a lot of alone time, pre-covid I’d normally flit between being really sociable and then really quiet, so lockdown has given me a lot of time to regroup.

I also badly miss the gym and my Krav Maga training, it keeps my mind sane especially under stress, but I’ve created a routine which helps. I keep up my strength training five times a week, walks in nature, cold water immersion, reading/ films, and meditation.

Q) Finally, what’s next for you?

I have just finished filming a female led grit flick with a unique take on the criminal underworld called Gone to Ground, so I’m really looking forward to seeing that. I’m also hoping to get my own film made, and continue with the other writing projects that I’ve got on the go.

Acting-wise, I’m slightly superstitious about talking about things that haven’t happened yet. One thing that the pandemic has done is take the pressure off myself to keep achieving, if I feel strong and healthy, I’m onto a winner.

THE HEIRESS will be available to download from all major platforms including iTunes, Amazon & SKY Box Office, from Monday 15th March, 2021.


Tuesday 23 February 2021

CREEPSHOW - Series 2 debuts on SHUDDER April

AMC Networks’ premium streaming service for horror, thriller and the supernatural, released a trailer and new photography ahead of the 1 April second series debut of star-studded monster hit CREEPSHOW. 
 

The acclaimed anthology series has just been renewed for a third series of six episodes to premiere later this year. Based on George A. Romero’s iconic 1982 movie,
CREEPSHOW is executive produced by showrunner Greg Nicotero (​The Walking Dead).

Actors Ethan Embry (Grace and Frankie, Sneaky Pete) and Andrew Bachelor, aka King Bach (King Bachelor’s Pad, To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before) will join as guest stars in season three, with more guest stars to be announced.

“Two years ago, Greg Nicotero and his team revived the beloved Creepshow franchise with a spectacular first series, followed by two ambitious specials, raising the bar for what a horror anthology series can be,” said Craig Engler, Shudder’s General Manager.  “We’re thrilled to bring Shudder members two more series this year, with new episodes that are even bigger, better, more shocking, and hilarious, and that truly live up to the show’s tag line, ‘The most fun you’ll ever have being scared.’”

The upcoming second series of Creepshow will feature a star-studded cast that includes Keith David (The Thing), Ashley Laurence (​Hellraiser), Ali Larter (​The Rookie), Ryan Kwanten (​True Blood), Barbara Crampton (​Re-Animator), C. Thomas Howell (Criminal Minds), Denise Crosby (​Star Trek: The Next Generation), Breckin Meyer (​Robot Chicken), Ted Raimi (​The Evil Dead), Iman Benson (​BlackAF), Kevin Dillon (Entourage), Eric Edelstein (​We Bare Bears), Justin Long (Die Hard 4.0), D’Arcy Carden (The Good Place) and Molly Ringwald (The Breakfast Club).

In its first series, CREEPSHOW smashed records for Shudder in number of viewers, new subscriber sign-ups and total minutes streamed to become the most watched program in Shudder history.  The show was a hit with critics as well as fans as one of 2019’s best-reviewed new genre series, with a 97% Fresh rating on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes.

View the trailer below...

For more info and to sign up, visit... https://www.shudder.com/

 





 


CINE-EXCESS launches Digital Film Channel on Amazon Prime UK

Cine-Excess is set to launch a new Digital Film Channel dedicated to promoting diverse new talent in cult cinema. The first three features will be released on Amazon Prime UK on March 15th 2021.


Films from three exciting new female filmmakers from around the world kick off Cine-Excess’s latest venture: BLACK LAKE (2020), from British Asian director K / XI, FORNACIS (2018), from French director Aurelia Mengin and LEAKAGE (2018), from Iranian director Suzan Iravanian.

FORNACIS.


A sensory, hypnotic road movie that evokes the experimental imagery of Jean Rollin’s 1970s vampire cinema tells of the dramatic romance between two women, Anya and Frida. Obsessed by the death of her betrothed, Anya is thrown into a world of confusion, in which Frida's memories mix dangerously with reality, causing an oscillation between the solitude of reality and the surrealism of thwarted desires.

View the Trailer on YouTube.

 
BLACK LAKE


The haunting BLACK LAKE fuses regional myth with horror movie traditions to tell the story  of Aarya, a young female artist who is gifted a red scarf, sent by her aunt from her recent travels to Pakistan. As a result, she is haunted by a Churail: a demonic and malevolent South-Asian Witch and is forced to face the devastating cycles of violence the Churail brings with her.

View the Trailer on Vimeo


LEAKAGE


Described by Variety as a “high concept arthouse genre film”, LEAKAGE follows Jale, a middle-aged woman who discovers that crude oil is leaking out of her body. This unusual yet empowering phenomenon awakens the hope of a better future in her. On the other hand, it triggers uncertainty and paranoia in the male figures that surround her.

View the Trailer on YouTube.

Founded in 2007, Cine-Excess is a unique event that brings film fans and academics together for a celebration of cult cinema. The Cine-Excess annual film festival and conference has developed a strong international reputation with cinema professionals, academics, and afficionados alike. The Digital Film Channel builds on this success, combining industry expertise with academic practice, and supporting diverse voices in cult cinema.

All three films also feature as part of an online Cine-Excess Distinctive Visions festival from 12th-14th March to promote new visions in cult cinema

For further information on Cine-Excess Digital Film Channel visit: www.cine-excess.co.uk  


THE RECKONING - in Cinemas and on Digital April

Neil Marshall returns to the genre that made his name, reuniting with Dog Soldiers star Sean Pertwee, and featuring a striking lead performance from Charlotte Kirk (who also co-wrote the script) as a widow accused of being a witch.

Set against the backdrop of the Great Plague and subsequent witch-hunts against women, Grace Haverstock (Charlotte Kirk) must grapple with the tragic untimely death of her husband Joseph (Joe Anderson) in a society completely consumed by fear and death. 

Because she rejects her landlord Squire Pendleton’s (Steven Waddington) advances, she is falsely accused of being a witch and thrown in jail for a crime she didn’t commit. Grace must endure physical persecution at the hands of England’s most ruthless witch-hunter Judge Moorcroft (Sean Pertwee) and face her own inner demons as the Devil himself starts to work his way into her mind.

It’s Witchfinder General for the Covid era, featuring a star-making turn from Kirk (Ocean’s Eight), who turns from tortured victim to fierce avenger; and a fantastic performance from Pertwee as a superbly sinister judge. Marshall, who directed episodes of Game of Thrones and Black Sails, knows how to mount a thrilling action set-piece, and piles on lashings of blood and thunder - and even a skin-crawling appearance from the devil - to tell this tale of a woman wronged seeking vengeance. 

With touches of Hammer horror and recent cult hits The Witch and The Nightingale, THE RECKONING is, as BritFlicks says, “a proper rip-roaring yarn”.

 THE RECKONING comes to Digital and to select cinemas (Covid restrictions permitting) April 16th.

View the trailer on YouTube.

 





Horror Exclusives Streaming on SHUDDER - February & March

SHUDDER, AMC Networks’ premium streaming service for horror, thriller and the supernatural, has an unbeatable lineup of new Shudder Original and Exclusive films premiering on the UK service over the next two months: A Nightmare Wakes, Shook, The Dark & the Wicked, Lucky, Stay Out of the F**king Attic, Slaxx, and Violation; films which take in numerous countries around the world and range from dark comedy to survival horror to period psychological thrillers. These films represent the vibrant, creative passion that drives independent and international genre cinema today, with titles that have been official selections at top film festivals including Sundance, Toronto, SXSW and Tribeca. See below for details and dates.

A NIGHTMARE WAKES — premieres 4 February


A gothic period piece inspired by the torrid love affair of Mary and Percy Shelley and the creation of her famous novel, Frankenstein. As she creates her masterpiece, she gives birth to a monster. Directed by Nora Unkel. Starring Alix Wilton Regan (The Wife), Giullian Yao Gioiello (Scream: The TV Series, Marvel’s Iron Fist), Philippe Bowgen (The Mick), Lee Garrett, Claire Glassford, and Shannon Spangler. A Shudder Original film.

SHOOK — premieres 18 February


When Mia, a social media star, becomes the target of an online terror campaign, she has to solve a series of games to prevent people she cares about from getting murdered. But is it real? Or is it just a game at her expense? Starring Daisye Tutor (Guest House), Emily Goss (Snapshots), Nicola Posener (The Bold and the Beautiful), Octavius J. Johnson (Sleepless), Stephanie Simbari (Here and Now) and Grant Rosenmeyer (Crazy Ex-Girlfriend). Directed by Jennifer Harrington (Housekeeping). A Shudder Original film.

THE DARK AND THE WICKED — premieres 25 February

 Official Selection Tribeca Film Festival

On a secluded farm, a man is bedridden and fighting through his final breaths while his wife (Julie Oliver-Touchstone, Preacher) slowly succumbs to overwhelming grief. Siblings Louise (Marin Ireland, Hell or High Water) and Michael (Michael Abbot Jr, The Death of Dick Long) return home to help, but it doesn’t take long for them to see that something’s wrong with mom—something more than her heavy sorrow. Gradually, they begin to suffer a darkness similar to their mother’s, marked by waking nightmares and a growing sense that an evil entity is taking over their family. Directed by Bryan Bertino (The Strangers). A Shudder Exclusive.


LUCKY — premieres 4 March

 Official Selection SXSW Film Festival

Putting a fresh spin on the home invasion subgenre, this surreal feminist thriller follows a self-help book author (Brea Grant, who also scripted) who suddenly finds herself stalked by an elusive and dangerous man and becomes caught in a struggle to regain control over her life. Directed by Natasha Kermani (Imitation Girl). A Shudder Original film.

STAY OUT OF THE F**KING ATTIC — premieres 11 March


A diverse group of ex-cons-turned-movers—played by Morgan Alexandria (Forever My Girl), Ryan Francis (Sisters) and Bryce Fernelius (Ruling of the Heart)—are convinced by their creepy client, Vern Muller (Michael Flynn, The Outpost), to pull an all-nighter for a generous pay bump. As the night progresses and rooms are cleared, they slowly uncover the horrors that exist inside his old Victorian mansion, which include boobytraps, human experimentation, Nazi monsters and more. Will they survive the night? Directed by Jerren Lauder. A Shudder Original film.

SLAXX — premieres 18 March


A possessed pair of jeans is brought to life to punish the unscrupulous practices of a trendy clothing company. Shipped to the company’s flagship store, Slaxx proceeds to wreak carnage on staff locked in overnight to set up the new collection. Starring Romane Denis (Slut in a Good Way), Brett Donahue (Private Eyes), Sehar Bhojani (The Handmaid’s Tale) and Stephen Bogaert (The Umbrella Academy). Directed by Elza Kephart (Go in the Wilderness).  A Shudder Original film.

VIOLATION — premieres 25 March

Official Selection Sundance Film Festival 2021, Toronto International Film Festival
2020 TIFF Rising Star – Madeleine Sims-Fewer, SXSW Film Festival 2021

With her marriage about to implode, Miriam returns to her hometown to seek solace in the comfort of her younger sister and brother-in-law. But one evening a tiny slip in judgement leads to a catastrophic betrayal, leaving Miriam shocked, reeling, and furious. Believing her only recourse is to exact revenge Miriam takes extreme action, but the price of retribution is high, and she is not prepared for the toll it takes as she begins to emotionally and psychologically unravel.  Directed by Madeleine Sims-Fewer and Dusty Mancinelli.  A Shudder Original film.

For more info and to sign up, visit... https://www.shudder.com/

Thursday 18 February 2021

Modern gothic thriller REUNION - comes to UK Digital

Julia Ormond (Legends Of The Fall, Sabrina, The Walking Dead: World Beyond) gives a powerhouse performance in haunting psychological thriller REUNION from award-winning Director Jake Mahaffy (Free In Deed, Wellness).  

When a heavily pregnant woman returns home to give birth in the bosom of her family, after years away, she discovers that families can be a nightmare, as she uncovers dark secrets from her troubled childhood. 

Ormand plays matriarch Ivy, who enjoys a strange, detached relationship with adult daughter and mum-to-be Ellie (Emma Draper –­ This Town). After a long time apart, the pair are thrown together when Ellie arrives at her recently deceased grandparents’ family home, ahead of the birth, to help Ivy with the clearance. 

Ellie’s wheelchair-bound dad Jack (John Bach – The Lord Of The Rings The Two Towers and The Return Of The King) is also rattling the walls in the creepy old house.

Once home, the relationship between mother and daughter becomes further strained and Ellie starts to experience strange occurrences and disturbing dreams about her long-dead sister Cara. 

As her life becomes increasingly fraught, Ellie must face her demons and the horrific truth about her past.

A family reunion can be hell…

After wowing horror festival audiences and drawing comparisons to family-based horrors such as Hereditary, Relic and The Babadook, the film is set for its UK premiere on Digital from 101 Films this March.

View the trailer on YouTube.

 

Psychological thriller THE NIGHT - coming to Digital April

You’ll be praying for check out time this April, as Vertigo Releasing announces the arrival of the acclaimed hotel-set chiller THE NIGHT.


After a night out with friends, an exhausted married couple, Babak (Shahab Hosseini), Neda (Niousha Noor) and their baby take shelter in the grand, but eerie Hotel Normandie. Throughout a seemingly endless night, mysterious disturbances ruin their night’s rest as Babak and Neda soon realize they’re locked-in with a malevolent force that hungers for the dark secrets they’ve kept from one another.

Described by ROGEREBERT.COM as a “remarkable evocation of Kubrickian horror”, THE NIGHT is an outstanding debut feature from Iranian American writer/director Kourosh Ahari, featuring fantastic lead performances from Shahab Hosseini (Cannes and Berlin Film Festival winner for The Salesman and A Separation), and Niousha Noor (Here and Now), as a beleaguered couple haunted by the past. 

Set over a long dark night of the soul, the film is superbly mounted, with a nerve-jangling soundtrack and a slow-building sense of dread - managing to combine a sensitive look at the immigrant experience in the US with some genuinely shattering horror moments.

THE NIGHT will be released on Digital Platforms on the 2ND APRIL




Dystopian thriller NEW ORDER - coming to UK cinemas June

From Writer/Director Michel Franco (After Lucia, Chronic) comes an incendiary and ambitious indictment on class divide and abuse of power which speaks to the Latin American experience whilst resonating beyond its Mexico City setting and interrogating disturbing current global trends.

In NEW ORDER, a lavish upper-class wedding goes awry when an unexpected uprising gives way to a violent coup. As seen through the eyes of the sympathetic young bride (Naian Gonzalez Norvind) and the servants who work for, and against, her wealthy family, the film breathlessly traces the collapse of one political system as it is replaced by another.

Following its Premiere and Grand Jury Prize win at the Venice Film Festival, the film went on to screen at Toronto Film Festival and the BFI London Film Festival 2020, shaking audiences with its riveting and suspenseful dystopian vision which occupies the same visually striking and thought-provoking social ground as Bong Joon-Ho’s Parasite. The film has recently been long-listed for a BAFTA in the Best Film Not in English Language category.

Intense, fast-paced and wildly unsettling, NEW ORDER is an edge-of-your-seat new work from a master filmmaker.

 View a clip from the film on YouTube.


 

Horror Channel bares its teeth in March with VAMPIRE WEEK.

Time to get the garlic out as Horror Channel presents VAMPIRE WEEK, a bitefest of vampire movies from 13 – 19 of March, led by the channel premiere of 30 DAYS OF NIGHT, David Slade’s savage riff on the vampire myth, starring Josh Hartnet and Melissa George.
 

There are also classics and cult favourites to sink your teeth in to, including Matt Reeves’ critically-acclaimed vampire fantasy LET ME IN, and Tom Holland’s voracious teen vampire hit FRIGHT NIGHT, JOHN CARPENTER’S VAMPIRES, a horror Western starring James Woods, as a vengeful, stake-wielding bloodsucker hunter, and Francis Ford Cappola’s powerful BRAM STOKER’S DRACULA, starring Gary Oldman as the immortal Count. Also, Paul Bettany is in fine vampire-killing form in PRIEST, and a vampire-diseased Milla Jovovich fights for her life in martial-arts futurist thriller ULTRAVIOLE.

Plus, the Brits sharpen their stakes with Tom Paton’s nerve-shredding REDWOOD, a fresh spin on the creature-in-the-woods mythology, and EAT LOCALS in which actor Jason Flemying makes his directorial debut with a bloodsucking comedy chiller featuring Mackenzie Crook, Dexter Fletcher and Annette Crosbie.

Full film details in transmission order:

Saturday 13 March @ 21:00 – ULTRAVIOLET (2006)

 


In the late 21st century, a subculture of humans has been infected with a genetic mutation causing enhanced speed, incredible stamina and acute intelligence. As more people are infected, the government sets out to destroy them, but one woman stands in the way: ultra-beautiful, ultra-lethal Violet (Milla Jovovich). With eye-popping martial arts skills and chameleon-like abilities, Violet becomes a rogue warrior bent on protecting her new race and seeking revenge on those who created it.

Saturday 13 March @ 22:45 – 30 DAYS OF NIGHT (2007) *Channel Premiere

 
A remote, isolated town in Alaska is plunged into a state of complete darkness for 30 days every winter. It is here that a group of marauding and bloodthirsty vampires, led by Marlow (Danny Huston), are coming to feast on its helpless residents. It is up to Sheriff Eben (Josh Hartnett),his estranged wife, Stella (Melissa George), and an ever-shrinking group of survivors to do anything and everything they can to last until daylight.

Sunday 14 March @ 21:00 – LET ME IN (2010)


When a strange young girl, Abby, moves in to the apartment next door, 12 year old Owen is pleased to have found a friend. But as a series of grisly murders take place in their small town, he starts to realise she is not what she seems...

Sunday 15 March @ 23:15 – REDWOOD (2017)


After some bad news back at home, musician Josh and his girlfriend Beth head out to a secluded national park in search of some clarity on the situation they’ll face when they return. But the couple get more than they bargained for when they ignore the advice of Park Rangers and venture off the trail, coming face to face with The Redwood’s legendary wildlife. Starring Nicholas Brendon, Tatjana Nardone, Mike Beckingham, Muzz Khan, Jessica Jane Stafford.

Monday 15 March @ 21:00 – FRIGHT NIGHT (1985)


Everything is normal about Charley except for one thing: he's pretty sure a vampire has moved into the house next door. But Charley is having a hard time getting anyone to believe him. Even Peter Vincent (Roddy McDowall), the former horror-film star to whom Charley turns for help, sees his assignment as a way to make easy money. Only his suave and sinister neighbour, Jerry Dandrige (Chris Sarandon), takes Charley seriously. And Jerry's out to make sure Charley stops telling stories. Permanently

Tuesday 16 March @ 21:00 – JOHN CARPENTER’S VAMPIRES (1998)


James Woods is Jack Crow, leader of a team of vampire hunters hired by the Vatican. After wiping out a vampire nest in rural New Mexico, "Team Crow" is savagely ambushed by the unholy Valek (Thomas Ian Griffith), a vicious 600-year-old vampire. Valek is nearing the end of a long search for the elusive Berziers Cross, the ritual implement that can give him and all vampires’ omnipotent power to walk in the daylight. Crow pursues Valek through the high deserts, culminating in a fateful and final confrontation.

Wednesday 17 March @ 21:00 – PRIEST (2011)

Based on a popular comic book series, Paul Bettany stars as a warrior priest who disobeys church law by teaming with a young sheriff (Cam Gigandet) and a priestess (Maggie Q) to track down a band of renegade vampires who have kidnapped his niece.

Thursday 18 March @ 21:00 – EAT LOCALS (2017)

In a quiet countryside farmhouse, Britain's vampires gather together for their once-every-fifty-years meeting. Others will be joining them too, including a detachment of Special Forces vampire killers who have bitten off more than they can chew. This is certainly going to be a night to remember... and for some of them it will be their last. With Anette Crosbie, Freema Agyeman, Charlie Cox, Mackenzie Crook, Eve Myles, and Vincent Regan

Friday 19 March @ 21:00 – BRAM STOKER’S DRACULA (1992)

Count Dracula (Gary Oldman) is condemned to live off the blood of the living for eternity. Young lawyer Jonathan Harker (Keanu Reeves) is sent to Dracula's castle to finalise a land deal, but when the Count sees a photo of Harker's fiancée, Mina (Wynona Ryder), the spitting image of his dead wife, he imprisons him and sets off for London to track her down.

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THE BANISHING - coming to UK Cinemas and Digital

The Shining meets Downton Abbey in the chilling new ghost story THE BANISHING, starring Jessica Brown Findlay (Brave New World, Harlots) and directed by genre master Christopher Smith (Black Death, Severance, Triangle)

1930s, England. Linus, his wife Marianne and their daughter Adelaide move into town, where Linus has been posted as the new reverend. He’s been tasked by the Church to renew the villagers’ faith, which has been lost after the disappearance of the previous reverend’s family, who lived in the very same mysterious manor where Linus and his family have settled into. 

Soon after their arrival, strange events start to occur: ghostly voices, dark figures dressed as monks, mysterious totems, and Adelaide’s behavior becoming stranger by the day. It soon becomes clear that a malicious entity seeks to possess Adelaide and that the Church is hiding a terrible secret… 

Also starring Brown Findlay (Downton Abbey), Sean Harris (Red Riding, Mission: Impossible) and John Lynch (Isolation) THE BANISHING is a story of isolation and a family strained to breaking point and is the perfect lockdown-era chiller for fans of spine-tinglers like The Others and Rebecca.

THE BANISHING will be released in cinemas and on Digital platforms March 26th 2021, courtesy of AMC Networks’ Shudder, in partnership with Vertigo Releasing.

View the trailer on YouTube.

 






GORGON: A HORROR STORY - released as a digital audio play

Award winning comedian Elf Lyons is delighted to announce the release her critically acclaimed play “Gorgon: A Horror Story” as a digital audio play.

GORGON: A HORROR STORY - which entirely sold out its first weeklong run at VAULT Festival in February 2020 - was originally conceived as a live immersive horror, designed to prey on the senses, using live sound with expert foley and horror tricks inspired by the gruesome Le Théâtre du Grand-Guignol’s famed Parisian naturalistic horror shows of the early 20th Century.

Focusing on the still taboo subject of female anger, the show explores what happens when we are just pushed too far. A mild-mannered taxidermist encounters one too many mean-spirited people, loses her temper and decides to experiment with the human form...

GORGON has been deliberately constructed to combine the everyday with the gruesome and the humdrum with the horrifying. In this the new audio version, the team have stepped up the foley to truly set the grisly scene – resulting in a horror show delighted to delight and scare in equal measure.

The audio play will be available to download from the 15th of March at
https://elflyons.bandcamp.com


 


Sunday 14 February 2021

RIGHTEOUS VILLAINS - British Supernatural thriller coming to Disc and Digital

British independent distributor Saints & Savages have confirmed that their latest title, RIGHTEOUS VILLAINS.

A young conman with nothing left to lose, and desperate for his next money-making scheme, receives a mysterious invite to join the New World Order, a secret society of powerful individuals that supposedly control every aspect of the world. 

The further he becomes entangled, he realizes the sinister motivations of the society are born from sorcery and black magic, but when you're in so deep, it's not always easy to find a way out.

The film is the second title from Saints & Savages to be directed by Savvas D. Michael, following the news that the crime thriller Original Gangster will be released on 5th April.  

RIGHTEOUS VILLAINS stars Gary Dourdan (CSI), Lois Brabin-Platt (Original Gangster), Adam Deacon (Anuvahood) and the iconic British actor, Steven Berkoff (Octopussy).

View the trailer on YouTube.

RIGHTEOUS VILLAINS, will be available in the UK on DVD and Digital Download from 12th April. 


Psychological thriller GATECRASH coming to Digital Download

Bird Box Distribution is thrilled to announce the release of its latest film, twisted psychological thriller, GATECRASH, which will be coming to all major Digital Download platforms from 22nd February.
 
Adapted from Terry Hughes’ award-winning stage play 'Life’s A Gatecrash', GATECRASH drives the audience to a breaking point in this modern-day revenge tragedy, starring Game of Thrones' & The Crown's Anton Lesser.
 

The film follows Steve (Ben Cura) and Nicola (Olivia Bonamy) arriving home in the middle of the night, shortly after being involved in a hit and run accident. 

However, as the night unfolds a series of disturbing events force the couple to battle against an unseen, menacing presence culminating in a sickening discovery. 

View the trailer on Vimeo.

GATECRASH will be available on Digital Download from 22nd February