Exclusives
‘Witching & Bitching’ Poster Has Eyes For You! (Exclusive)
On VOD and in theaters June 13 via IFC Midnight is Alex de la Iglesia’s absolutely bonkers horror comedy Witching & Bitching (watch the trailer). Bloody Disgusting will have an extremely positive review forthcoming, but until then, check out the film’s official theatrical poster, as well as a creepy animated gif that will follow you no matter where you walk in the room (it’s like “The Haunted Mansion”!).
The pic, which closed the TIFF’s Midnight Madness last September, co-stars teen heart-throbs Mario Casas and Hugo Silva as two ne’er-do-wells who pull a Madrid heist, then flee towards France, only to fall into the maws of local witches at Navarre’s Zugarramurdi, its millennium-old coven center of occult activities.
“When a bank heist in the city doesn’t all go according to plan, José and Tony find themselves in possession of some hostages and speeding through the mountains of Spain, hoping to quietly slip over the border. Not wanting to give up his custody days to his ex-wife, José has also brought his son along, for both the robbery and the ride. Little do they know that this is only the beginning of their troubles. When they decide to make a stop in a small tavern in the Basque countryside, the group encounters a series of local wackos. Falling victim to a mysterious spell, they soon find themselves the honored guests of a fractured family of witches who are preparing for an ancient ritual. More colorful characters begin to enter the picture, including a pair of hapless cops hot on the trail, a defecting vixen witch and José’s controlling ex-wife, and the situation spirals further out of control, heading towards a jaw-dropping climax.”
Exclusives
‘The Haunting of Pennhurst’ Exclusive Clip Trains Scare Actors For Historic Haunt in Tribeca Doc
The past and present collide in haunting, poignant ways in the genre documentary The Haunting of Pennhurst, which sees a Halloween haunt serve as a reclamation of true historic horrors.
Ahead of its world premiere at the 25th Tribeca Film Festival, we have an exclusive clip that sees scare actors in training for the Halloween season. The catch? This haunt is opening at the historic Pennhurst State School & Hospital site, a facility that caused immense harm to its disabled patients over decades of its operation.
In the documentary, “For over seventy years, Pennhurst State School & Hospital was called a place of care. What happened inside killed over half its population. It closed in 1987, leaving behind unmarked graves and an unresolved history. Today, on those same grounds, disabled performers – many living with the same conditions that once sent people to Pennhurst – put on their makeup, pull on their costumes, and prepare to scare people for a living.
“Through grit, compassion, and buckets of blood, the eclectic performers of the Pennhurst Asylum haunted attraction are wrestling with a space that is at once a lucrative business and a gravesite.”
The upcoming documentary hails from directing trio Nathan Stenberg, Mike Attie, and Katarina Poljak, who explore their socially-relevant subject through archival footage, first-hand accounts, and an immersive verité.
“Pennhurst has haunted us since we first passed through its dragon-tooth gates; the horrors of the institution echo through the site today. We are so grateful to bring this film to the Tribeca Festival, particularly the Escape from Tribeca section, which feels right for a story where past and present bleed together. We hope audiences leave unnerved and asking the same uncomfortable questions we did,” Attie, Stenberg, and Poljak said in a statement.
Watch the clip below that sees disabled and neurodivergent scare actors learning the ropes of a Halloween haunt, reclaiming the site’s grim history in the process.
Tribeca Screenings:
- Public 1 (Premiere) Screening – Friday, June 5 at 9:15PM at Village East by Angelika
- Public 2 Screening – Sunday, June 7 at 3:15PM at Village East by Angelika
- Public 3 Screening – Tuesday, June 9 at 6:15PM at Village East by Angelika
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