We’ve had quite a big morning when it comes to horror news, so we’ve jammed all the small bits into this one article. Below you can find out how to get a free Saw VI iPhone app where you can talk like Jigsaw, then you can read all about the new Twilight wannabe movie adaptation entitled Shiver, Sid Haig toplines a new horror anthology, Jesse Metcalfe gets Tortured and you’ll see who won the Halloween Horror Nights shorts content. More as it comes in.
URBAN PURCHASES OWN TWILIGHT-ESQUE BOOK SERIES

Because apparently nobody has learned that you can’t copy success, Unique Features has acquired screen rights to Shiver, a bestselling supernatural romance novel by Maggie Stiefvater that is the first of a three-book series in attempt to have their own Twilight franchise. It will flop.

The book covers a bittersweet paranormal romance between a teen who becomes a wolf each winter and his girlfriend, who helps him find the secret to staying human. The first installment was published by Scholastic Press in August and has been on the bestseller lists for six weeks. The sequel novel, “Linger,” will be published next August. Unique acquired all three books in the series. Lame.

“I’m not the biggest werewolf or vampire fan, but the author has a strong take on a young adult sensibility,” producer Bob Shaye said. “It’s also a sexy love story that isn’t too over the top.”

SAW VI iPHONE APP

If it’s Halloween, it must be SAW… and now, for the first time ever, SAW fans can SOUND like Jigsaw as well! Lionsgate wanted us to let you know that they’ve just released the Jigsaw Your Voice iPhone app into the iTunes store for FREE!

Features include — Long recording time (up to 60 seconds)… Jigsaw soundboard to hear classic lines from the film and practice… 4 Jigsaw presets to match your voice to Jigsaw’s… Advanced settings for pitch, speed and tempo… Email your voice to friends…

Lionsgate also wants to let everyone know that in the upcoming upgrade of the iPhone app, there’ll be Queue management (store multiple voice recordings), an expanded gallery, and more!

METCALFE GETS TORTURED

While we wait and wait and wait for Twisted Pictures to do something with Tortured, the new issue of Gorezone caught up with star Jesse Metcalfe who talked a bit about the project. AITH transcribes.

He says the film is about “an upper-middle-class couple’s life is destroyed when their only child is kidnapped and killed. Obsessed with revenge, the couple seizes an opportunity to kidnap the killer,” while also chatting a bit about co-star Bill Moseley. “He’s (Bill Moseley) creepy [laughs] He’s kind of a creepy guy. He’s extremely creepy in the film, but he’s one of those people that has a peculiar, sort of eclectic, set of interests and I think that’s possibly from doing so many films within the genre.”

No release date has been set yet.

HALLOWEEN HORROR NIGHTS SHORT WINNER

Chiller and Universal Studios Hollywood announce the winner of the 2009 “Halloween Horror Nights-Chiller Scary Good Film Competition,” which offered filmmakers an opportunity to have their scariest short film rewarded with a broadcast on Chiller, a $1,000 cash prize and a trip for two (2) to the October 2 opening night of Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios Hollywood.

“Bedfellows,” submitted by Drew Daywalt of Oak Park, California, was selected as this year’s winner by Internet voters who visited www.HalloweenHorrorNights.com/Chiller to pick their favorite among a field of ten finalist films.

Prospective filmmakers were invited to submit short films of 90 seconds to three minutes in length. A panel of horror industry professionals, including “Saw VI” Director Kevin Greutert, Syfy’s Executive Vice President of Programming and Original Movies, Thomas P. Vitale and Universal Studios Hollywood Halloween Horror Nights Creative Director John Murdy, first judged the pool of entries, narrowing the field to ten. Criteria included storytelling skill, originality and the degree of the “good scare.”

Writer/director Drew Daywalt says he knew he was destined for a life in horror cinema ever since he was a child in Ohio, staying up late to watch old horror films. Since moving to Los Angeles, Mr. Daywalt has written and directed features for Quentin Tarantino’s A Band Apart, Tony Scott and Jerry Bruckheimer. He spent the last year writing and directing 30 terror-filled short films for the critically acclaimed Horror Troupe FEWDIO.

This year’s all-new “Halloween Horror Nights” at Universal Studios Hollywood will feature four new maze experiences including “Saw: Game Over,” “Halloween: The Life and Crimes of Michael Myers,” “My Bloody Valentine: Be Mine 4 Ever,” and “Chucky’s Funhouse,” six new “scare zones,” a new live stage performance of “The Rocky Horror Picture Show: A Tribute,” as well as a fully re-imagined “Terror Tram” backlot studio experience. The all-new “Halloween Horror Nights” for 2009 will be the most intense and terrifying “live” horror event ever to be presented in a theme park environment.

“Halloween Horror Nights” will continue on consecutive weekends and selected weekday nights beginning on Friday, October 2 through Halloween, Saturday, October 31. Event dates are: October 2-3, 9-11, 15-18, 23-25, 28-31. The event will begin nightly at 7:00 p.m.; closing hours vary by night throughout the event. Tickets are now on sale at www.universalstudioshollywood.com/hhn including limited-time advance purchase discounts.

SIG HAIG TOPLINES GO STRAIGHT TO HELL

With a title that’s so original (Drag Me to Hell anyone?), the boys over at Dread Central learned that Sig Haig (Spider Baby, Devil’s Rejects, House of 1,000 Corpses) will star in Pristine Pictures’ upcoming Go Straight to Hell.

“The film, written by Scott C. Sanford and Ron R. Anand and directed by Edward G. Norris, is an anthology of four tales involving four souls trapped in Purgatory. Newly deceased, they have been gathered there to relive their greatest sins – shown to them by an unearthly guide – which they have failed to repent, hoping to be cleansed of this sin so that they may enter Heaven.

Currently in pre-production and slated to shoot in late fall, Go Straight to Hell also stars Traci Lords, Amanda Plummer, Courtney Gains, Karen Black, and James DeBello.”

DEATH BELL TRAILER

Below you’ll find the trailer for the Korean horror film Death Bel, which premieres on IFC Festival Direct October 14.

Directed by Chang and starring Lee Beom-soo, Kim Beom and Nam Gyu-ri, Death Bell was a huge hit when released in South Korea last August, racking up 1.28 million admissions.

For every wrong answer, one student dies. As the countdown for college entrance exams begin, Chang Ahn High School organizes a special exam cram class for the top 20 students including girl-next-door Lee Na (Nam Gyu Ri) and classroom big shot Hyun Kang (Kim Bum). Taught by Hwang Chang Wook (Lee Bum Soo) and three other teachers, the class is festering with high-strung overachieving teens, some of whom are struggling with serious mental illnesses. In the middle of class, the television suddenly turns on. The students are shocked to see their classmate Hye Young drowning in a water tank onscreen. A voice asks them a sample exam question. Answer correctly, and the classmate lives. Answer incorrectly and…

TWILIGHT SPOOF

Kevin Pereira and Olivia Munn present their short spoof on Twilight for the Fantastic Fest in Austin, TX.