The FrightFest Guide to Japanese Horror Movies - On Sale exclusively at FrightFest

FrightFest and FAB Press once again join forces to launch THE FRIGHTFEST GUIDE TO JAPANESE HORROR MOVIES, which goes exclusively on sale during Tubi FrightFest 2026, August 27 – August 31. The author, world-renowned Japanese cinema expert Tom Mes, will be present during the festival to introduce select Japanese horror movie screenings and to sign copies of his book.

 

From the sumptuous scares of Kwaidan to the cold chills of Dark Water, Japanese horror movies have been inducing shivers in viewers across the globe for decades. Iconic long-haired female ghosts and impish yokai monsters, king of the monsters Godzilla and other city-stomping fellow kaiju – the fantastical bestiary of Japanese horror is firmly ingrained in our collective imagination.

 

Renowned Japanese film expert Tom Mes takes you on a journey through a century of horror, during which you will encounter cat demons, mushroom people, snake girls and snow maidens, along with Japan’s unique takes on zombies, vampires, werewolves and haunted houses. Take descents into hell, wade through the crimson rivers of 1980s splatter, and wallow in the wild excesses of modern masters like Takashi Miike and Shinya Tsukamoto.

 

Thanks to Ring and its iconic cursed videotape, the turn of the millennium saw a worldwide boom in Japanese ghost films, and a host of Hollywood remakes, but The FrightFest Guide to Japanese Horror Movies takes you back to this distinctive movement’s roots.

 

Master filmmaker Kiyoshi Kurosawa, globally acclaimed director of great Japanese horror films including Cure and Pulse, provides the insightful foreword.

 

The FrightFest Guide to Japanese Horror Movies shines a spotlight on more than 200 films and fright franchises, including horrific hidden gems and monstrous missing links that have never been seen outside Japan or written about in the English language before.

 

Following the success of the previous seven editions: The FrightFest Guides to Exploitation Movies, Monster Movies, Ghost Movies, Werewolf Movies, Grindhouse Movies, Vampire Movies and Mad Doctor Movies, this is the latest in a series of wide appeal books for both the curious spectator and the cult connoisseur.

 

The exclusive launch of the book is at Tubi FrightFest 2026, with official author book signings taking place at Odeon LUXE Leicester Square from Friday 28 to Monday 31 August.

 

The exclusive hardcover will be on sale for just £25, and people not attending in person won’t miss out as they have the option to pre-order the book from www.fabpress.com – pre-ordered books will ship the first week of September. The Paperback publication date is 27 October 2026.

 

 

 

Dario Argento's THE CARD PLAYER - on UHD, BD and Digital, August

Dario Argento deals a different kind of giallo. A sadistic, faceless killer snatches women off the streets of Rome and forces the police into a sickening game: play him at poker. If they win, the victim survives. If they lose, then the victim dies and it's over, live on screen.

 

 
Stefania Rocca (The Talented Mr Ripley) and Liam Cunningham (Game of Thrones) chase a ghost in the machine in a film that feels more relevant now than ever - a story about watching, being watched, and who's really in control of the screen.

 

Presented in a stunning new 4K restoration with Dolby Vision HDR, this Limited Edition is loaded with extras: exclusive interviews with Argento himself, cast and crew, a feature-length commentary from film historians Troy Howarth and Nathaniel Thompson, a new booklet from Argento authority Alan Jones, plus poster and art card.

Special Features
- ‘Watch Me When I Kill’ – interview with Dario Argento
- ‘On the Set of The Card Player’ - behind the scenes footage of Dario Argento on set
- ‘Playing the Game’ – interview with Stefania Rocca
- ‘Game Over’ – interview with Fiore Argento
- ‘Sharp Cuts’ – interview with Walter Fasano
- ‘Taking Risks’ – interview with Franco Ferrini
- ‘A Chip and a Chair’ – interview with Antonello Geleng
- ‘The Killer’s Choice’’ – interview with Elisabetta Rocchetti
- Commentary by film historians Troy Howarth and Nathaniel Thompson
- Booklet by Argento authority Alan Jones
- Two-sided art card
- Original poster
- Limited edition, numbered O-card collectors edition

 

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

 

THE CARD PLAYER is available on 4K UHD, Blu-ray and digital platforms 10 August 2026 from Shameless Films

 

 

Found-footage horror TINSMAN ROAD - Coming to Digital Outlets, August

From the filmmaker behind The Outwaters, comes a chilling found footage tale - independent to the bone and shot fully on gritty 4:3 Mini-DV in the backwoods of New Jersey.

Centering on a young man as he navigates the serpentine mystery surrounding his long-missing sister and their family home, Tinsman Road takes the audience on an emotionally winding voyage into the wilderness of death and sorrow.

Written, directed by Robbie Banfitch (The Outwaters). Starring Robbie Banfitch, Leslie Ann Banfitch, Salem Belladonna, Noelle Faccone and Heather Middleton.

TINSMAN ROAD premiered at the Unnamed Footage Festival in San Francisco before playing festivals aroundthe world including Calgary Underground Film Festival, Brooklyn Horror Festival and Stockholm International Film Festival. The film arrives on digital platforms following an independent theatrical release in the USA in autumn 2025.

View the Trailer on YouTube.

TINSMAN ROAD is on UK, Ireland, US, Australia and New Zealand Digital platforms 3 August 2026 from Blue Finch Film Releasing 

 

 

Contemporary Horror DOROTHY: THE HAUNTING OF OZ - Unleashes the Wicked Witch in Film

Follow the yellow brick road to Hell in the first teaser for DOROTHY: THE HAUNTING OF OZ, a contemporary horror take on L. Frank Baum's The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.

On Halloween night, a viral internet challenge unleashes Dorothy, the Wicked Witch, and more nightmarish characters on an unsuspecting California town. As the curse spreads, the line between myth and memory begins to disappear for a group of struggling college athletes. One student must confront her trauma before it consumes everyone around her.

Adrienne Tabag, Caia Bonner, Jordan Sklansky, Aziah King, Andrew Wang, and Thomas Shan star in DOROTHY: THE HAUNTING OF OZ, which marks the feature debut of 22-year-old writer-director Elijah J. Alvarez.

"Horror is a powerful way to explore not just defeating the monster, but learning how to live with it," notes Alvarez. "DOROTHY: THE HAUNTING OF OZ is about grief-shaped identity, the ways evil enters through the fractures in our lives, and what happens when the thing haunting us is also the part of ourselves we refuse to face."

Blending elements of psychological thriller, supernatural slasher, coming-of-age drama, and sci-fi worldbuilding, the indie film ambitiously explores self-identity and the power of myth through a Gen Z lens.

"My generation is fractured by the internet and still trying to find ourselves while life keeps stripping pieces away," Alvarez explains. "We document everything, we chase feeling, and still we can’t stop the darkness from encroaching."

Currently in post-production, DOROTHY: THE HAUNTING OF OZ is aiming for a fall 2026 premiere

 

View the Trailer on YouTube.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sega and FrightFest join forces for exclusive ALIEN experience

SEGA Europe and Creative Assembly are thrilled to announce a terrifying new collaboration with the UK’s premier horror fantasy film festival, FrightFest.

Over five days from Thursday 27th August to Monday 31st August at the Odeon LUXE Leicester Square, FrightFest fans will have the first opportunity in the UK to play the prologue of the upcoming survival horror title, ALIEN: ISOLATION 2, plus there is a special presentation of the original 1979 ALIEN film in the main Dolby Cinema auditorium screen on Sunday at 3.30pm.

The next chapter in the Alien: Isolation series, ALIEN: ISOLATION 2 will bring players face-to-face once more with cinema’s deadliest killer: Alien’s Xenomorph. With a brand-new setting, story and protagonist, players will experience the same deadly tension which established the original game as the ultimate survival horror experience.

"Horror is a medium that thrives on atmosphere and tension, whether you are watching it in a cinema or gripping a controller," said Al Hope, Creative Director at Creative Assembly. "Partnering with FrightFest is a perfect match. Their audience appreciates the craft of fear, and we can’t wait to let them experience the relentless dread of ALIEN: ISOLATION 2 firsthand."

“We are incredibly excited to welcome SEGA to the FrightFest family," said Ian Rattray, Co-Director of FrightFest. "Our festival has always been about pushing the boundaries of the horror genre. Alien: Isolation™ was a masterclass in interactive suspense, and bringing the sequel to our audience allows us to offer a unique, spine-chilling experience that aligns perfectly with our cinematic roots."

The upcoming edition of FrightFest will take place over the August Bank Holiday weekend (August 27 - August 31, 2026) at their flagship London venues: Odeon LUXE Leicester Sq. and Odeon LUXE West End.

For more information, visit the official FrightFest WEBSITE

To purchase TICKETS

 

Possession Horror EVIL FOLLOWS - on BloodStream, August 4th

The Horror Collective and BloodStream will release Brendan Rudnicki's supernatural horror EVIL FOLLOWS on Tuesday, August 4, with an exclusive premiere on BloodStream alongside its TVOD debut.

Written and directed by Brendan Rudnicki, EVIL FOLLOWS is a chilling demonic-possession horror film steeped in folklore. A forgotten relic unleashes an ancient evil when Sarah opens a mysterious dybbuk box, inviting a relentless spirit into her life. 

As the possession grows more violent and reality begins to unravel, her husband races to uncover the box's cursed origins with the help of a renowned spiritualist. But defeating the entity will demand impossible sacrifices - and every moment brings Sarah closer to becoming its permanent vessel. 

The Horror Collective is a leading independent genre label dedicated to championing bold horror from emerging and established filmmakers around the world. BloodStream, the company's dedicated streaming platform, showcases a curated library of horror, cult cinema, thrillers, and exclusive premieres, connecting genre fans with the best in independent and mainstream horror.

View the Official Trailer on YouTube.

Tense survival horror HELLCAT - Released to Digital platforms, August

Lena wakes up in a moving camper trailer with a horrifying wound. She’s warned by the driver that they have one hour to get to a doctor, or she’ll succumb to an unimaginably awful fate. As the pain sets in and reality begins to fray, who should really be afraid?

Dakota Gorman delivers a blistering performance in this tense, mind-bending horror where survival cuts both ways.

Hellcat is directed by Brock Brodell and stars Dakota Gorman (Natural Disasters), Todd Terry (Breaking Bad), Liz Atwater (The Other People), Jordan Mullins (The Bikeriders), James Austin Johnson (Saturday Night Live).

Hellcat has played genre festivals across the world including Fantasia International Festival, FrightFest and Beyond Fest.

View the Trailer on YouTube. 

Hellcat is on UK, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand Digital platforms 14 August 2026 from Blue Finch Film Releasing