You can now rate films with a half star rating, and you can also preview your score before submitting. All previous ratings have been converted to the new scale but feel free to go back and update ratings for films where you might want to move your original score up or down a half star.

Another important update is that we’re going to be saying goodbye to Disqus for commenting on articles and switching to a new system that uses Bloody Disgusting accounts. All of these new features and updates are built with the intention of bringing the community aspect back to Bloody Disgusting and the only way we do it right is by pulling everything together under one account.

Accounts are completely free and give you a lot more than just commenting. You can rate movies, create lists, customize your profile, connect with other horror fans, and there’s so much more on the way **cough** forums **cough**.

Stay tuned for an official date, but claim your profile now if you haven’t already so you’ll be ready. If you’ve been part of the conversation here, let us know when you sign up so we can thank you for being part of our new growing community.

Who’s seeing Buddy this weekend? Let us know what you thought!

The post Bloody Disgusting Community Update – Half Star Ratings Are Here! appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Horror’s on-and-off relationship with urban legends dates back to the ‘70s, give or take. That particular decade was an age of substantial cultural changes, and one method of acknowledging the world was different was telling these friend-of-a-friend stories. It was only understandable that the more dreadful myths would then make their way to the screen; “The Babysitter and the Man Upstairs”, for example, was the starter material for Black Christmas and When a Stranger Calls.

Fast forward to the ‘90s, and we had another discernible uptick in urban legend movies. Horror remained the favorite destination, if you wanted to get these stories made and seen; the proof being Campfire Tales, I Know What You Did Last Summer, The Last Broadcast, and of course, Urban Legend. However, there was the occasional switch to other genres.

Twin films are not an uncommon occurrence in the industry, and they happen for a number of reasons. Even still, having two movies about the same campus legend was as freaky as it was refreshing. While their peers were more keen on turning the grislier myths into slashers, The Curve and Dead Man on Campus acted on their shared influence with humor.

The “Pass by Catastrophe” (or “The Suicide Rule”) legend first began to pop up in—where else?—the ‘70s. Although there have been plenty of variations since then, the original outcome endures; because of an obscure college policy, students are granted an automatic passing grade after enduring some kind of hardship. The version used for both The Curve and Dead Man on Campus, and the one I grew up hearing, has a roommate’s suicide being the deciding factor in that instant 4.0. These two movies, however, take the myth even further by having the students take the initiative, rather than waiting for fate to get involved.

The Curve and Dead Man on Campus were each shot in ‘97, but the former was the first to premiere. Before its title was changed from Dead Man’s Curve, Dan Rosen’s directorial debut was screened at Sundance. Initial reviews were more lukewarm than expected, but that wasn’t because of the cast. Coming hot off of Scream, Matthew Lillard was a certified scene-stealer here. That one-half of the original Ghostface duo proved he could work alone, even though he technically was partnered up in this wicked college thriller. Nonetheless, upstaging everyone came easy to him, and he did it with a deranged gleam in his eye.

Michael Vartan and Keri Russell, prior to their own breakout roles in the then-near future, were also mixed up in this messy murder plot to score passing grades. Vartan is Lillard’s more subdued accomplice who is still willing to kill for a spot at Harvard Business School, and Russell is his not-so-innocent girlfriend. As for the victim, who’s played by Randall Batinkoff, he was no slouch when it came to demanding your attention; that increasing misogyny is enough to make you side with his killers. 

If The Curve lacks anything, it’s a stronger saboteur for the young criminals (other than themselves). The two detectives (Anthony Griffith, Bo Dietl) on the case do have some clue as to what’s really going on among these dangerous collegiates, yet this duo is so unremarkable, they may as well have been left on the cutting room floor. Or at the very least, their parts should have been transformed into more screentime for Dana Delany’s underused character.

Accusations of mean-spiritedness have been thrown around in regard to The Curve, but surely, isn’t that the whole point? Entitled, desperate, and unfeeling college kids off one of their own just to get ahead—that concept alone is worthy of an “A”. The twisted conclusion is also the stuff of classic YA suspense; my own rewatch ended with the same sort of amusement I got from reading the works of R. L. Stine and Christopher Pike. It’s so overworked that it’s almost brilliant.

Had it not been for Halloween H20: 20 Years Later, Disturbing Behavior and Blade, the summer of ‘98 would have been a dry season for horror. And even though the plot of Alan Cohn’s Dead Man on Campus comes across as horror, I assure you, it is most definitely a college comedy. Granted, it’s darker than most—college freshmen are typically looking for fun, not at-risk students.

The Curve saw its cast committing murder, whereas Tom Everett Scott and Mark-Paul Gosselaar’s characters in Dead Man on Campus never draw blood. Hoping to score a suicidal roomie, so as to secure perfect grades that semester, is bleak stuff. Even so, the scenario here is one more akin to instant wish fulfillment. The two main characters ask for what seems like the impossible, then they eventually receive it.

Enter Dead Man on Campus with certain expectations, and it just might satisfy your craving for black comedy. Mind you, it’s neither pitch black, nor does it go as far as its setup suggests. For a more grim college comedy, I point you toward Douglas Curtis’ The Hazing (a.k.a. The Curious Case of the Campus Corpse) and Doug Liman’s Getting In. Those two movies, which aren’t without their own tone issues, are even bigger oddballs than this one.

These movies are of that “you had to be there” category of ‘90s cinema. It’s hard to think that either of them would be produced today, at least not without advisory warnings. Of the two, though, The Curve is the least likely to shock, on account of it being a thriller. Death comes with the territory. With Dead Man on Campus, its era-specific approach to mental health is perhaps too indelicate for modern, more enlightened audiences. Proceed with caution if you think the pitches sound iffy.

I can’t speak for everyone, but laughing about my own dark times is how I cope with them. It’s likely why I enjoy the urban legends that give shape to our innermost fears, and make life feel more manageable (logic be damned). Absurd as they are, they can also be weirdly comforting. It only makes sense that the movies they inspire have a similar effect.

The post ‘The Curve’ and ‘Dead Man on Campus’: The Twisted Urban Legend That Inspired Two Very Different Movies appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Most of them are live action: 1990’s superior remake, 2006’s Night Of The Living Dead 3D, or a new 2026 remake co-starring wrestler Rob Van Dam. Filmmakers can’t help but try to exploit Romero’s legacy for their own gain, challenging the Godfather of Zombies like fools.

But in 2021, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment tried something different: an animated remake. Night of the Animated Dead, how clever. A shot-for-shot, made-to-look hand-drawn version of Romero’s undeniably influential film. What you’ve seen before in a whole new (visual) package. They brought in Jason Axinn to direct, hot off his animated action-horror feature, To Your Last Death. If there was any way to milk a few bucks from Night of the Living Dead in the 2020s, Warner Bros. hoped a switch in media helmed by an experienced animation director would do the trick.

They were wrong. They were so f@$king wrong.

The Approach

Axinn directs using the original Night of the Living Dead script, so credit Romero and co-writer John A. Russo again. Or, maybe out of respect to their reputations, don’t. Night of the Animated Dead hackily plods through Romero and Russo’s story beat by beat, making bare-minimum tweaks without adding an iota of freshness. Yet the running time clocks in at an insignificant 71 minutes, compared to Romero’s gripping 96 minutes.

The draw, I guess, is a voice cast including Josh Duhamel, Katharine Isabelle, Dulé Hill, and other notable actors. Isabelle voices Barbara, who’s introduced on her Pennsylvania cemetery visit with brother Johnny (Jimmi Simpson). From here it’s to the isolated farmhouse, complete with a gas pump. Enter Ben (Hill), another hopeful survivor, and ornery Harry Cooper (Duhamel), who’s protecting his family in the basement. Tom (James Roday Rodriguez) and Judy (Katee Sackhoff) round out the group, as we all remember—no surprises, no twist, just a lazy reanimation of iconic source material.

It takes more than the rambling of genre icons and the Psych boys to justify watching a new Night of the Living Dead instead of the million-times better original. Even worse, the animation comes off as Archer with no effort meets early-internet Flash videos (Newgrounds would never). Worse still, the vocal performances are emotionless and flat, giving the impression that the actors recorded separately while on handfuls of Valium. It’s the fan film equivalent of a pre-teen’s passion project, except backed by a major studio and with B-List names, which makes the whole package impossibly embarrassing.

Does It Work?

Night of the Animated Dead has the same problem as Cabin Fever (2016): why do you exist? The “Animated” angle, yes. But then why half-ass said animation? Or, frankly, quarter-ass? Two-tenths-ass? Even Cabin Fever throws in a gender swap of the deputy for a different flavor. Axinn does nothing of the sort, shaving down an efficient and meaty storytelling blueprint. There’s no added value, no dare to update decades-old details. No creative integrity; literal copy-and-paste slop.

When I ask what “justifies” a remake, Night of the Animated Dead is the reason why. Michael Haneke remade Funny Games nearly one-for-one in America because of those evil subtitles. That makes sense (by studio thinking)! Cabin Fever? A lady deputy ain’t enough; you’re just poorly regurgitating what already exists. Night of the Animated Dead is even worse because there’s nothing to point at and say, “Hey, at least the remake tried [x] or gave us [y].” Nada. Zilch. In fact, what’s removed is detrimental, since Axinn’s iteration feels more cumbersome and meaningless … yet magically twenty hours longer.

So no, Night of the Animated Dead does not justify why Warner Bros. Home Entertainment commissioned such a phoned-in, scribble-doodled, absolute waste of company vault space. There are, like, thirty other Night of the Living Dead remakes one should gamble on first, including two that aren’t live action. Night of the Living Dead: Reanimated is a collaborative art project—an anthology of sorts—featuring segments that use claymation, puppetry, and even tattoo ink. Night of the Living Dead: Darkest Dawn is a computer-animated feature that reimagines Romero’s flick inside a New York City apartment. How novel—remakes that sing their own tune! Axinn should take notes.

The Result

I know this sounds hyperbolic, but I mean it: Night of the Animated Dead is currently, and will probably forever stand as, the worst title I watch for these remake articles I write for Bloody Disgusting. I’m still at a loss, hours separated from my viewing. Every time I try to scrape off a crumb of compassion, I’m reminded of Sackhoff’s whisper-drowsy line reads, or backgrounds that feature still-drawn “ghouls” that can’t even blink, let alone lunge at Ben as he choppily scampers from the one moving zombie they can animate on screen. Sure, there’s a bit more gore added, but why get excited when the visual quality is lifeless, one-dimensional, and resembles a rough draft?

Demente Animation Studio, what happened? A brisk scroll through their demos for collaborations with Cartoon Network, Bento Box, and DreamWorks Studios spotlights impressive results … that are nowhere to be found in Night of the Animated Dead. Don’t be fooled by the film’s promotional poster, hyper-characteristically designed like a comic book cover. The artistic merit of Demente’s 2D frame-by-frame animation barely notches higher than rushed storyboard drawings. Landscapes are inorganically static, details are glossed over (a wall’s color spills over a door, barely seen), character faces sport zero distinguishable depth … the list goes on. It’s wild because Warner Bros. Home Entertainment recently put out a few Mortal Kombat animated features that rip and tear with illustrated beauty, with more attention to detail in a single sequence than the absolute garbage Axinn oversees, which an intro to graphic design professor might barely pass.

What’s added is moronic. Ben’s flashback to Beekman’s Diner where he finds a truck is really that important? Did we need to see Ben’s corpse be dragged by meat hooks to the body pile and then be lit ablaze, bringing the photography under Romero’s credits to life? Tom and Judy get a more gruesome death—head trauma and exposed brains when the car explodes—but it’s all junk additives. Perhaps with better animation, the graphic violence would be a highlight, but that’s not the case. These glimpses bring further attention to the bafflingly abysmal technical flaws. It’s no wonder that on Demente’s website, when you look up Night of the Animated Dead, they put “Low Budget” in parentheses when describing their animation style for the project.

The Lesson

I don’t know. Stop writing these entries? I’ve said a few times now, “It can’t get worse.” Reader, it did. Night of the Animated Dead is a putrid animated remake that does everything wrong. It’s barely over an hour, and yet the experience plays like a Guantanamo-level torture method. Excuse the hyperbole, but at this point, the venom of every keystroke is cathartic, cleansing my soul so I can tackle the next remake/original pairing with naivety and vigor.

So what did we learn?

• Warner Bros. apparently has no quality standards for animated remake cash grabs (how shocking).
• Using an original script for your remake is basically a death sentence, especially so when you have no artistic value to boast.
• People who think Bob’s Burgers is “bad” artwork might have their lives changed if they watched Night of the Animated Dead.
• Even a film critic who’s seen what he considers the worst of the worst has his breaking points, and this is one of them.

You know the adage, “If you can’t say something nice, don’t say nothing at all?” I disagree, at least for my profession. Champion the good; be a cheerleader for what deserves an audience. But the basis for thoughtful criticism is putting both positives and negatives under an analytical microscope. My glowing reviews and effusive praise mean nothing if I’m not willing to suffer through titles like Night of the Animated Dead and warn the masses. You have my promise that I’ll always give you my authentic feelings on any movie: the good, the bad, and the ugly. Today’s just one of those uglies—the ugliest of the ugly, in fact.

The post ‘Night of the Animated Dead’ Proves That Faithful Remakes Aren’t Always Better appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Here are the new horror movies that released August 24 – August 30, 2026!

Part of the cinematic universe known as the “Poohniverse,” Pinocchio Unstrung puts a horror movie spin on the classic tale, and the film is now available on Digital at home.

The chilling reimagining of the familiar fable unfolds inside an elite London prep school. Created by Geppetto and influenced by a sinister Cricket, Pinocchio launches a violent crusade to carve himself into a real boy like his brother, one piece at a time…

Richard Brake (Barbarian) stars in Pinocchio Unstrung as the obsessive Geppetto, with horror icon Robert Englund (Nightmare on Elm Street) as the voice of Cricket.

Pinocchio is voiced by Jude Evan Lloyd and brought to life via a practical animatronic created by Todd Masters (“Tales from the Crypt,” Slither). Cameron Bell, Jessica Balmer, Jack Art Gray, and Peter De Souza-Feighoney round out the horror movie’s cast.

Rhys Frake-Waterfield (Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey) writes and directs the British slasher, in addition to producing alongside Scott Jeffrey via their Jagged Edge Productions.

This is fifth entry in the Twisted Childhood Universe, following Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey and its sequel, Peter Pan’s Neverland Nightmare, and Bambi: The Reckoning.

Nicolas Winding Refn’s Her Private Hell is now available on Digital.

In the film, when a mysterious mist engulfs a futuristic metropolis, unleashing a deadly and elusive entity, a troubled young woman searches for her father. Her quest collides with an American GI on a harrowing odyssey to rescue his daughter from Hell.

Sophie Thatcher (“Yellowjackets”), Charles Melton (“Riverdale”), Kristine Froseth (How to Blow Up a Pipeline), Havana Rose Liu (No Exit), and Diego Calva (Babylon) star.

The ensemble also includes Dougray Scott (Hitman), Aoi Yamada (Perfect Days), Shioli Kutsuna (Deadpool & Wolverine), and Hidetoshi Nishijima (Shin Ultraman).

Nicolas Winding Refn directs Her Private Hell from a script he co-wrote with Esti Giordani (“Vida”). Pino Donaggio (Carrie, Don’t Look Now) composed the score.

Refn produces under his byNWR Originals banner. Executive producers include Takuma Takasaki, Kimberly Willming, Christina Erritzøe, and Lene Børglum.

Her Private Hell is rated ‘R’ for “some strong/bloody violence, sexual content, and language.”

Aura Entertainment brought director Jesse V. Johnson’s Above & Below to select theaters last month, and the shark attack film is now available on Digital outlets at home.

30 feet below. 10 minutes of oxygen. 1 apex predator.

In shark attack horror movie Above & Below, “Friends embark on a dream vacation of parties and diving, but their trip takes a terrifying turn when criminals attack them at sea.”

This one looks like every other shark movie that’s been released in the last several years, but it’s armed with something that puts it a fin above the competition. Oscar nominated actor Antonio Banderas stars in Above & Below, with the cast also including Christina Ochoa, Laura Marano, Timothy V. Murphy, Louis Mandylor, Jess Liaudin, Ryan Bertroche, Ramiro Alonso, Diego Llinás, Rodrigo Poisón, Mario Tardón, and Donncha Tynan.

Anthony Steven Giordano wrote the screenplay.

German indie horror movie The Behemoth hit Digital this past Tuesday.

In the film from director Kai E. Bogatzki, “What begins as a quiet holiday in a snow-covered mountain village quickly descends into terror when a young couple crosses paths with a blood thirsty religious cult.

“As disappearances mount and the atmosphere grows increasingly oppressive, the couple realizes they are no longer observers–but targets–caught at the center of a horrific ritual that will unleash something far worse than death.”

Beatrice Fletcher and Johnny Vivash star in The Behemoth.

Director Shawn C. Phillips is back with sequel Desert Fiends 2, now available on Digital.

Bounty hunters pursue cannibal mutants while an influencer’s live event draws fans into danger, turning the desert into a gory slasher battleground of monsters, mayhem, and twisted laughs.

The horror-comedy sequel stars Eric Roberts, Vanessa Angel, Robert Carradine, Martin Klebba, Ginger Lynn Allen, Robert Lasardo, James Debello, Douglas Tait, Kansas Bowling, Brett Wagner, Kato Kaelin, Mark Torgl, Carl Solomon, Jack Berner, and Michael B Moynahan.

The first Desert Fiends, also directed by Shawn C. Phillips, was released in 2024.

Director Casper Kelly (Too Many Cooks, V/H/S/Halloween) is back with fresh nightmare fuel, with his latest feature film Buddy now playing in theaters nationwide from Saban Films.

Buddy centers on the titular unicorn mascot — a beloved children’s TV host with a squeaky-clean persona that belies his true nature as a dark and violent force of nature.

Here’s the official synopsis: “Inside the colorful world of It’s Buddy!, a group of children spend their days singing, dancing, and helping Buddy spread happiness. But when one child refuses to play along, Buddy is not pleased and cracks begin to appear in this seemingly perfect world.”

Cristin Milioti stars as Grace, a suburban mother inadvertently drawn into Buddy’s nightmare world, with Delaney Quinn as Freddy, a brave girl who begins to fight back against Buddy when he shows his true self. Keegan-Michael Key voices Buddy. The horror movie’s cast also includes Topher Grace, Michael Shannon, and Patton Oswalt.

Casper Kelly co-wrote the movie with Jamie King (“Jessica Jones”).

Meagan Navarro wrote in her review, “Casper Kelly drops viewers straight into the world of a kids’ show with a high-concept horror comedy that dials up the absurdities of kids’ television programming to a lethal degree. Those on board with an experimental structure and Kelly’s darkly playful sense of humor will find this raucous midnighter highly entertaining.”

South Korean filmmaker Yeon Sang-ho (Train to Busan) is back with new outbreak nightmare Colony, and the film is now playing in U.S. theaters from Well Go USA Entertainment.

The South Korean horror movie follows Professor Se-jeong as she is thrust into a terrifying hellscape when a mutating virus is unleashed during a biotech conference, forcing authorities to seal the facility to contain the outbreak. Se-jeong and a group of survivors must fight to stay alive as the infected undergo horrific transformations and threaten to spread the virus.

Colony marks Gianna Jun’s (Blood: The Last Vampire) first feature film since 2015’s Assassination. She stars alongside Koo Kyo-hwan (Peninsula, Escape from Mogadishu). 

Ji Chang-wook (“Healer”) and Shin Hyun-been (“Hospital Playlist”) also star.

The viral outbreak horror movie is rated ‘R’ for “bloody violent content and some language.”

Colony is presented by Showbox and produced by Wowpoint and Smilegate. 

Serial killer thriller The Whisper Man is now streaming only on Netflix.

Adam Scott, Michelle Monaghan, and Robert De Niro star in The Whisper Man. The Netflix Original feature film is based on Alex North‘s 2019 novel of the same name.

In the film, “When his eight-year-old son is abducted, a widowed crime writer looks to his estranged father, a retired former police detective, for help, only to discover a connection with the decades-old case of a convicted serial killer known as The Whisper Man.”

The stacked cast also includes Michael Keaton, John Carroll Lynch, Hamish Linklater, Owen Teague, Will Brill, and Acston Luca Porto.

James Ashcroft (The Rule of Jenny Pen) directs Netflix’s new horror movie The Whisper Man from a script by Ben Jacoby (The First Omen) and Chase Palmer (IT).

Anthony Russo, Joe Russo, Angela Russo-Otstot, Michael Disco, and Kassee Whiting produce the thriller for AGBO (Everything Everywhere All at Once, Extraction).

NEON ends the Summer with their existential road trip horror movie It Ends, which opened in NY & LA theaters last weekend. The film’s theatrical release has now expanded nationwide.

Check your local listings to find the nearest location.

It Ends marks the feature debut by writer-director Alexander Ullom.

“Four recent college grads on a night time drive find themselves stuck on a road that sprawls on forever, with seemingly no end in sight. They are occasionally attacked by stragglers and have to find a routine to plan their rest stops, but after a few thousand miles it all feels the same. Still, they keep on driving, only in the belief something better will come eventually.“

Akira Jackson, Phinehas Yoon, Mitchell Cole, and Noah Toth star.

In the Ozploitation tradition, the Australian movie Penny Lane Is Dead is a blood-soaked, ’80s-set horror thriller, and it’s now streaming exclusively on Shudder beginning today.

Set on a hot summer’s night in 1986 Australia, 17-year old Penny Lane is celebrating getting into college with her longtime girlfriends. After Penny’s jealous and troubled cousin decides a cruel prank is in order, what begins as a thoughtless spiked cupcake game spirals into a night of bloodshed and revenge.

Sophia Wright-Mendelsohn, Tahlee Fereday, Alexandra Jensen (Talk to Me), Bailey Spalding, Steve Le Marquand (Vertical Limit), Fletcher Humphrys (“Wolf Creek”), and Ben O’Toole (Hacksaw Ridge) star in Penny Lane Is Dead.

Writer-director Mia’Kate Russell makes her feature debut on the project.

The film is the first outing from Sanctuary Pictures, the production arm of Umbrella Entertainment, who produces alongside Buffalo Media and in association with Cyan Films.

The post These 10 New Horror Movies Released This Week – Friday, August 28 appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Cutout tells the story of Lena, the forsaken child of a dying forest. Longing for an acceptance she never received from the people of her village, she embarks on a quest to recover a powerful scepter that grants its wielder total dominion over the land and its people.

Sporting what’s referred to as a Cut & Paste Combat system, Lena can become more powerful with every enemy she takes apart. If you sever an enemy’s limb, you can attach it to Lena, enhancing her with new attacks or abilities. Players can customize Lena to lean towards a favored playstyle, or experiment to discover new possibilities throughout the adventure.

However, the enemies Lena faces will play by the same rules. A lucky blow can remove one of Lena’s limbs, which enemies can claim and attach to themselves. Every fight, and every part, can change what Lena becomes.

“Most action games reward combat with a new sword,” said Giulio Perez, co-founder and art director of 906 Games. “Cutout rewards you with the arm that was holding it.”

Another unique aspect of Cutout is its papercraft visuals, which were carefully achieved under the guidance of Giulio, who spent more than a decade in the world of fashion.  Cutout’s spooky and gloomy environments are laid out to resemble a handcrafted diorama assembled from real-world materials, including those that one would find “stashed away in the attic.”

Similarly, the game’s soundtrack is crafted in that spirit by co-founder and classically trained composer Sergio Missaglia. Cutout is scored using a variety of unconventional instruments and recording techniques to create a unique soundscape that’s both equal parts disconcerting and enthralling, built to match the game’s world.

“My goal for the music is for it to convey the emotion and struggle of Lena’s journey,” said Missaglia. “To achieve the sort of raw sound you typically only hear in outsider music, I intentionally recorded compositions on instruments I’ve never played before—including some broken instruments I found in secondhand shops—to capture her childlike wonder and to explore the expressive possibilities of the instruments without the filters of traditional culture and musical knowledge.”

Currently, Cutout is slated for a 2027 release on Steam,

The post Papercraft Action Horror Title ‘Cutout’ Unveiled at Gamescom [Trailer] appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

The movie is being released by Bleecker Street in theaters October 23, 2026.

In A Talent for Murder, “a callow young literary agent from New York is sent to Switzerland to persuade Patricia Highsmith to write one final installment of the Ripley anthology.”

Alden Ehrenreich (Weapons) and Olivia Cooke (“House of the Dragon”) also star.

Anton Corbijn (The American) directs from a script by Joanna Murray-Smith.

“We are thrilled to be reuniting once again with LD, as well as the great Helen Mirren, to release Corbijn’s captivating ode to not only Highsmith’s lively spirit, but her riveting work itself,” Bleecker Street CEO Kent Sanderson said in a recent statement about the movie.

A Talent for Murder will play at the Toronto International Film Festival next month.

The Toronto International Film Festival previews, “This smouldering chamber thriller from director Anton Corbijn imagines a strange confrontation between a literary agent and legendary author Patricia Highsmith, whose acclaimed, icily intelligent crime novels were the source material for such classic films as Hitchcock’s Strangers on a Train and The Talented Mr. Ripley.”

The post ‘A Talent for Murder’ Trailer – Helen Mirren Plays Patricia Highsmith in Psychological Thriller appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

The film unleashes a rabid chimpanzee on a group of young adults partying in Hawaii, and it delivers genuine tension and thrills alongside some wonderfully gruesome carnage and kills. The chimp is a practical creation – a guy in a suit – and the combination of performance, direction, editing, etc. makes it easy to suspend disbelief and simply go along with the frightening ride.

Roberts is no stranger to the subgenre, having also directed both 47 Meters Down and its superior sequel, 47 Meters Down: Uncaged. (He also made the excellent The Strangers: Prey at Night, which makes Renny Harlin’s laughably bad sequel trilogy even more embarrassing for everyone involved.)

Now keep reading to see what I heard on the commentary for…

Primate (2025)

Commentator: Johannes Roberts (co-writer/director), Walter Hamada (producer)

1. The opening cage assault was filmed three times – with three different actors – before they finally felt like they got it right with Rob Delaney and the faceless dummy.

2. The film originally opened with the introduction of the characters en route to the house, but early audiences were apparently unsure about the film’s tone. Insane. The fix was to move the cage scene to the very start so audiences would know it’s a scary horror flick from the start. “It completely changed the audience’s enjoyment of the movie,” says Hamada. Happy for them, but I’m no fan of test audiences or in medias res openings that we immediately jump backwards from – just start your damn movie and trust the audience to keep up and stay interested!

3. The opening face rip was the toughest thing to film, and they had to do it numerous times. Ten people operated the whole thing, and early attempts saw either too little or too much skin tear off from the face. “Technically, it was just a fucking nightmare.” They eventually got the percentage of carnage just right.

4. Roberts is a huge fan of David Cronenberg’s The Dead Zone, and he thinks the title credits here bear a resemblance which makes him very happy.

5. Ben the chimp is played by Miguel Torres Umba, and he has a cameo out of the suit at 4:58 as the man seated across the aisle on the airplane. “He was really annoyed that I didn’t use him eating a banana.”

6. Interestingly (to no one but me), they shot the airplane scene a couple times because early takes felt too “dour.” They wanted to lighten the mood, but that only seems necessary because audiences just saw a guy’s face get ripped off, no? Filmmakers control the film’s tone!

7. The film is set in Hawaii, but most of the filming was done just outside London with some second-unit work done in coastal Portugal. The airport scene was filmed in a British high school, and “if you look carefully you can see a basketball hoop.” The house exterior is an actual home just outside London.

8. Roberts asks Hamada why he chose Primate as the first film from his new production company, 18Hz Productions, and he says both the premise (“Cujo with a chimp”) and the chance to work with the director of 47 Meters Down made it a no-brainer.

9. The film was originally being set up with Netflix – it was about two rabid dogs, and it was called The Pool – but the streamer told them audiences don’t want to see dogs in jeopardy. They changed it to a chimp and called it Chimpanzee, and Netflix immediately lost their phone number. Roberts credits the break in communication to the tepid audience response to his film, Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City.

10. Hamada asked Roberts how he wanted to create the chimp, and the director mentioned that he had just seen some behind-the-scenes footage from 2023’s He Went That Way featuring Jacob Elordi and a practical chimpanzee costume. (Not Jacob Elordi *in* a practical chimpanzee costume, sadly.)

11. The father character wasn’t written as a deaf man, but Hamada likes to peruse lists of Academy Award nominees/winners when casting his films. They came across Troy Kotsur’s name, sent him the script, and were thrilled that he accepted.

12. Roberts fought to get Corey Hart’s “Sunglasses at Night” to play over the pool montage, but he lost that fight and had to settle for a Charlie XCX track instead.

13. By contrast, he also fought to get the wide pull-back shot of the house on the cliff at 20:43, and he won. It was still a compromise, though, as they wanted it done via a scale model miniature, but the money folks ran the numbers and said it had to be visual effects instead.

14. Umba is five feet tall, so filming him as the chimp required some creative thought when it came to angles and scale. There were different prosthetic heads used for different angles and shots – ones with more motors inside were best filmed from head-on as they looked incredibly bulky from the side.

15. The pool was actually only five feet deep, so the actors had to pretend it was deeper by treading water in every shot where they’re not hanging onto the side. Dialogue was written and filmed to explain why the pool has no shallow end, but they ultimately decided that audiences neither needed it nor cared.

16. Nick (Benjamin Cheng) was originally meant to live to the end, but they realized that surely someone would try to push Ben off the edge of the pool and cliff – and Nick was nominated. They didn’t have the budget to film his actual impact and demise, but Roberts inserted storyboards during post-production with sound effects and screened it for test audiences. The reactions were positive every time, so the suits gave them the extra cash to shoot it right.

17. Adam (Kotsur) was written as someone who heads up construction projects, but they ran into issues when prepping to shoot a scene showing him on the job. The scale and necessary visuals showing a hotel under construction eluded them, so Roberts said, what if he’s just a writer? They made him the author of a successful series of mystery thrillers about a deaf detective, and Roberts adds that they would love to make one into a movie. “So Troy, if you’re listening, you can be the detective!”

18. The studio didn’t think the film could be done on a reasonable budget given the cost of a CG chimp, so Roberts and Hamada borrowed the chimp suit from He Went That Way, hired a young girl to wear it, and shot the closet sequence. They then showed it to the execs who were rightfully impressed and greenlit the film. The sequence wasn’t even part of the original script, but it played so well that they added it.

19. The studio was concerned that Ben, being a household pet, would be too empathetic and audiences would feel sad for him. Hamada recalled telling them, “We’re gonna make sure that you hate Ben, that he’s a complete asshole,” and they succeeded brilliantly as he’s a real prick.

20. All of the young actors, regardless of which character they were auditioning for, had to audition with Hannah’s (Jessica Alexander) 911 call scene. The filmmakers wanted to see who could convey fear while still maintaining a character, sharing information, etc. Hamada actually used the scene for auditions on a different film of his, too.

21. There were concerns that the two sisters, Lucy (Johnny Sequoyah) and Erin (Gia Hunter), were escaping mostly unscathed while everybody else was being mauled to death, so they went back and found areas where reshoots could really mess them up without worrying about continuity issues. The beat where Erin’s pummeled and has her back clawed was a reshoot, and it works because her back is covered for the following scenes, which were all filmed before then.

22. Hamada says he tried to get Sequoyah to say “Welcome to whore mansion!” before she slams Ben with the shovel, but she didn’t quite buy that he was serious. Would have been a fun but silly callback!

23. The shot of Ben standing back up after they think they’ve killed him was filmed in reverse, “Carrie style.”

24. Some test audiences thought the shot of Ben’s blood spilling into the pool somehow meant the whole Hawaiian island’s water supply was going to get infected with rabies? I would make another jab at test audiences, but also, if I’m being honest, I would also watch the hell out of that movie.

Quotes Without Context

“I’ve been told I can’t sing, but I’m allowed to swear.”

“I wrote this fucking thing in Hawaii.”

“Simon Bowles, the production designer, did an absolutely incredible job, unlike some of the extras.”

“We live in an algorithm world.”

“After Resident Evil, I never thought I’d get a film again.”

“When he screams at them, and they look scared, they’re scared.”

Keep up with more horror commentary breakdowns here.

The post 24 Things We Learned from the ‘Primate’ Commentary appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Paramount Primal has acquired the rights to the 2014 novel, with Chris Basler writing the script.

The Troop follows a troop of boys who, while on their annual scout camping trip, encounter an intruder who unleashes something far more terrifying than any campfire ghost story.

As fear spreads, a brutal struggle for survival begins, turning the boys against the infected… and each other.

Lyrical Media (Onslaught) will produce the upcoming film adaptation.

Nick Cutter had told Bloody Disgusting back in May, “It is in the hands right now of a company called Lyrical, who is excellent, and they’ve got a script that they like.”

“That has been through so many iterations over the past decade or so,” he explained. “Different people have taken stabs at it. I remain hopeful that at some point it will see the light of day.”

Just three months later, here we are! Stay tuned for more.

In the meantime, Nick Cutter’s latest novel, The Dorians, is available now.

The post ‘The Troop’ – Nick Cutter’s Horror Novel Getting Film Adaptation from Paramount Primal appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Effigy is set in 1989 England and follows the Marsh family as they endure a violent haunting sparked by the unearthing of a mysterious effigy doll.

An entity behind the disturbance grows increasingly fixated on the family’s daughter, prompting two paranormal investigators to dig into what becomes a traumatic case.

Variety notes, “The film carries a psychosexual undertone and touches on depression, identity and faith.”

Chris Gun stars alongside Lauren Koopowitz, David Daradan, and Saya Kraetzer.

Myles McEwen said in a statement, “We poured our hearts and souls into this one. We followed a standard storytelling model and chose to explore a depression that many of us can relate to. Through this, there’s a genuine heartbeat and soul that emerged from the film. We shot and designed the film to feel straight out of 1989, capturing the magic of cinema from that era.”

Effigy is coming soon from Black Mandala Films. Stay tuned for more.

The post ‘Effigy’ First Look Images – Australian Supernatural Horror Movie Is Set in 1989 appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Of course, if you’re attending Gamescom, you can get a hands-on preview of the game at the Indie Arena Booth, Hall 10.2, Booth F010 E019, which features never-before-seen content.

NAME OF THE WILL casts players as Neighbor 3279, a member of HOPE, which is a group led by someone known as the Benevolent Father. Modern society offers an archaic approach to emotional trauma, but with the Benevolent Father and his teachings, you can shirk distress. Negative thoughts no longer hold you down. Physical pain becomes a blessing, and death becomes the highest honor one can achieve.

Embed within HOPE’s 34-story Reformation facility, and hide every emotion behind an ever-smiling mask. Mind each word and deed to survive thrive in seven days of indoctrination introduction alongside fellow followers.

Falling out of line could prove fatal, but don’t worry! Fellow followers keep each other accountable along the path to enlightenment. During the day, follow every rule and adhere to HOPE’s transformative behavioral codes: attend education courses, cooperate during “questionnaires”, and vote on Star of the Day – a lucky individual handpicked to “receive special blessings.”

At night, you’ll sneak into hidden Backstage areas throughout HOPE’s haunted halls. There you’ll uncover sordid secrets about the cult’s origins, all while avoiding the Benevolent Father who roams the halls. Befriend fellow skeptics, collect diary entries revealing the mystery behind Neighbor 3279’s arrival, and discover the truth behind HOPE’s existence.

The post Delve Into the Secrets of HOPE Hope in New Cinematic Trailer for Cult Horror Game ‘NAME OF THE WILL’ [Watch] appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

The nightmare-driven new publishing line launches with Midnight Spider-Man #1 by Phillip Kennedy Johnson and ScieTronc, Midnight Fantastic Four #1 by Benjamin Percy and Kev Walker, and Midnight X-Men #1 by Jonathan Hickman and Matteo Della Fonte.

All three debut issues will be released in time for Halloween on October 7, 2026.

Watch the brand new Midnight Universe reveal trailer below for a first taste.

The Midnight Universe draws in longtime fans and newcomers alike to enter a terrifying new world with shocking twists and chilling transformations. The X-Men no longer fight for acceptance, they hunger for blood. The Fantastic Four venture into the unknown not to save the world—but to unleash terror upon it. And Spider-Man discovers that with great power… comes something monstrous.

In Midnight X-Men…

“The shadows of New York City are stalked by vampires and the mutant empyres. The sword of Damocles hangs over the peace between these two species and the factions within them. An outright war is brewing and the unturned will be caught in the crossfire.”

And then in Midnight Fantastic Four…

“An obsessive scientist delves into the secrets of the universe perhaps best left unknown to mankind, leaving himself and three others warped in strange and horrifying ways. What horrible secrets lie in the new dimensions they have discovered? And can humanity survive the discovery?”

And finally in Midnight Spider-Man…

“A young Peter Parker is transformed into a hideous spider hybrid by the ruthless Oscorp Corporation in their pursuit for eternal life. When Oscorp begins to use the secrets unlocked by his mutation to create more human-animal hybrids, Peter embraces his grotesque new form to stop them.”

Editor in Chief C.B. Cebulski previews, “We’ve given some of our most outstanding creators the opportunity to delve into the darkest corners of their imaginations and birth some of the creepiest, most terrifying takes on the Marvel Universe you’ve ever seen.”

Learn more on Marvel’s website now.

You’ll also find cover reveals for this December’s third issues of each comic below.

The post Marvel Comics Previews This October’s Terrifying ‘Midnight Universe’ With an Official Reveal Trailer appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

From Dark Sky Selects, for starters, the 3-Disc Blu-ray set Dark Shadows: Volume 1 will bring 40 restored episodes of the legendary series to Blu-ray for the first time ever.

Dark Shadows: Volume 1 takes a bite out of Blu-ray on September 15, 2026.

Dark Sky previews that the upcoming Blu-ray “contains 40 restored episodes in high definition for the first time plus special introductory featurette and exclusive interviews with cast members.”

With its alluring tales of Gothic mystery and supernatural intrigue, Dark Shadows became one of the most popular daytime series of all time, first airing on ABC-TV. The character of Barnabas Collins, a guilt-ridden, 175 year-old vampire brought the show tremendous success.

Released from his chained coffin after nearly two centuries, Barnabas arrives at the Collinwood estate claiming to be a cousin from England. Although noticing Barnabas’ resemblance to his “ancestor” in the foyer portrait, the Collins family does not realize he is the same Barnabas who lived at Collinwood in the late 1700s. As Barnabas settles into the Old House on the property, those around him are unaware of the horrors that will soon follow.

Additionally, exclusive collectables and 60th Anniversary merch will include a t-shirt, a music box, and a tote bag. You can order all of these items over on Dark Sky Selects now.

Created by Dan Curtis, “Dark Shadows” aired between 1966 and 1971, starring Jonathan Frid as Barnabas Collins. Tim Burton turned the show into a movie back in 2012.

On a related note, a brand new “Dark Shadows” animated series is in the works!

The post ‘Dark Shadows’ 60th Anniversary Celebration Brings Restored Episodes to Blu-ray for First Time Ever! appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Set during the early 1990s in an isolated and festering Polish town possessed by an unknown and unseen horror, Holstin combines the feel of classic survival horror games with a setting and art direction that is not seen in other games.

The game follows Tomasz Wolanski on a mission to the rural, lakeside town of Jeziorne-Kolonia in search of his missing friend, an investigative journalist who was last seen in the town. Surviving the monstrosities that roam the cursed town will require scavenging for weapons, supplies, and anything else that might help keep Tomasz alive. They’ll also need to play along with the delusions of the few remaining townsfolk as their sanity continues to fade. Should players gain their trust, they may provide clues and answers to puzzles, but uncovering their secrets will require cunning and tact.

Holstin painstakingly captures the look and feel of 1990s post-Soviet Eastern Europe, with a particular focus on Poland. Every detail of Jeziorne-Kolonia, from the furniture and household objects to the brands, signage, architecture, and interior design, has been crafted to evoke the era. Faded wallpaper, battered appliances, old advertisements, and everyday objects make the world feel authentic down to the smallest detail. A fully voiced cast in both Polish and English lets players experience this strange and unsettling world in whichever language they prefer.

And in case you haven’t checked it out already, there’s the demo on Steam for Holstin that allows players to experience the opening two hours of the game.

The post ‘Holstin’ Targets 2027 Release for PC and Consoles [Trailer] appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

In DREAMFEAR, dreams exist as a parallel layer of reality outside our universe, unstable and prone to glitches. Realizing that you are asleep can leave you trapped there, with death only waking you back inside the same dream. The only way out is to reach the center.

The enemies and locations in DREAMFEAR are inspired by fears and phobias, with each run taking place inside a dream that changes after failure. The nightmare reflects the protagonist’s fractured psyche, with the game’s breakcore soundtrack driving the pace of each run. The pixel-based visuals are accompanied by rotoscoped cutscenes that take a cue from FAITH: The Unholy Trinity, and reflect the game’s surreal horror aesthetics.

The current demo includes two full locations with procedural room generation, with a boss at the end of each level. You’ll have two playable characters to choose from, along with 20+ upgrades that can create synergies such as bullet splitting, energy shields, and support entities.

The post Surreal Action Roguelite ‘DREAMFEAR’ Unleashes First Demo Alongside New Gameplay Trailer [Watch] appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Deadline first reported the casting news this afternoon.

Jack Reynor (Midsommar) and Lily James (Swiped) also star in Drew Hancock’s Seasons, with Ron Perlman (“Cape Fear”) joining the cast just last week.

This project was originally announced under the title My Wife and I Bought a Ranch in 2020, based on the viral horror story by Matt & Harrison Query that first appeared on Reddit.

The story for Seasons follows Harry and Sasha, who think they’ve found their dream house in a ranch in Idaho. He’s a Marine getting back to life, so they bid what they can. Their lowball offer wins them the ranch, but they find they are not alone.

The land is alive with ancient spirits. For the couple, survival will mean submitting to increasingly disturbing rituals with each turn of the season.

21 Laps and Blumhouse Atomic Monster are producing with 12:01 Films.

The post Elizabeth McGovern Joins Horror Movie ‘Seasons’ from ‘Companion’ Director appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Pendulum will release in theaters from Vertical Entertainment on January 1, 2027.

Watch the teaser trailer below. Pendulum was recently rated “R” by the MPA for “some strong/bloody violent content, sexuality, drug use, nudity, and language.”

The post ‘Pendulum’ Teaser Trailer – A New Horror Movie from Producer Darren Aronofsky and the Writer of ‘Black Swan’ appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

The film will mark Andrew Bachelor’s feature directorial debut.

In supernatural horror movie Tap Twice, “a grieving couple retreats to an isolated estate where the walls record every word — and a presence learns to speak in their voices.”

Alongside Bachelor himself, the cast will also include Chelsea Tavares (All American), Joel McKinnon Miller (Brooklyn Nine-Nine), Carson Fagerbakke (Shifting Gears), Augusta Liv (The Beauty), Gillian Nation (“Euphoria”) and Joe Massingill (Spider-Noir).

Deadline notes that production has already wrapped on Tap Twice.

Stay tuned for more as we learn it.

The post ‘Tap Twice’ – Andrew Bachelor Directing and Starring in Supernatural Horror Movie appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

The Story Demo introduces you to the world of Terrible Lizards and Dalton’s Dinos, with a focus on exploring the attraction, its setting, and the mystery unfolding around you. Meanwhile, the Gameplay Demo drops you closer to the action, with a bigger focus on the first-person platforming and fast-paced movement at the heart of the full game.

Both demos feature plenty of gameplay and culminate in their own climactic encounters with dinosaurs. Attendees in Hall 7 at the XBOX booth (A-0.61) will be able to choose one per turn, and if you want to try the other, you’re welcome to hop back in line.

Something’s stirring on the forgotten sidelines of Route 66. Broken down, you stumble into Dalton’s Dinos, a roadside dinosaur attraction that’s strangely quiet for the time of day. With no one around and something seemingly moving among the exhibits, a desperate call for help sends you searching…

But the colorful mascots and uncanny animatronics are only the beginning. Your search leads into sprawling underground caverns, where the dinosaurs are no longer part of the show and you’re the next meal. Run, jump, slide, climb and wall run through the darkness, using fast-paced movement and your surroundings to stay alive and uncover just how deep the mystery of Dalton’s Dinos goes. Can you find the attraction’s missing owner and his son?

Stay quiet, or risk the wrath of the park’s not quite shut down inhabitants…

The post Dino Survival Horror Game ‘Terrible Lizards’ Launching October 29 for Xbox Series, Steam [Trailer] appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

The Fortnite x Terrifier – Fortnitemares Art the Clown 7” Scale Action Figure will be available for pre-order on August 28, NECA has announced this afternoon.

The figure is based on Art’s appearance in the Fortnite video game.

NECA previews, “Inspired by the smash-hit video game Fortnite and Damien Leone’s Terrifier franchise, NECA presents one of modern horror’s most iconic villains. Take control of Art the Clown as he appears in Fortnite with this 7-inch scale, fully articulated action figure!

“Wearing his classic black-and-white suit, Art comes with interchangeable faceplates and hands and iconic in-game accessories: “Art’s Bag of Tricks” Back Bling, hacksaw, clown horn, and Cutlery Club. For extra fun, the Back Bling magnetically attaches to his back.

“This Fortnitemares figure is the perfect crossover collectible, bringing creepy vibes and battle-ready style to your shelf. Plus, it even includes a special code to unlock the Clown Attack Wrap in Fortnite. Comes in collector-friendly window box packaging.”

Check out NECA’s Fortnitemares Art the Clown figure below and pre-order yours on August 28!

The post NECA’s ‘Fortnite’ Art the Clown Action Figure Goes Up for Pre-Order This Week! appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Halloween: The Game uses a role-based matchmaking system, which allows players to queue as either killer (aka Michael) or civilian. Ahead of matchmaking, players will choose their desired role, and enter a dedicated queues. If your role doesn’t matter, to you,  you can also choose “no preference” when entering the queue.

The game will also make use of an in-game currency referred to as Killer Tokens that allows players to advance in the queues to play as Myers. These can be earned by playing and completing matches. The tokens can then be spent to enter a priority matchmaking pool that reduces your wait time.

For those who prefer to match up with friends, you can also host private matches, where the roles can be specified or randomized amongst friends.

In addition, remember the “surprises” that the team were teasing if you ordered the Digital Deluxe Edition or the Limited Collector’s Edition of Halloween: The Game? Well, one of them is the ability to unlock Advance Access to the ‘Final Girl’ Laurie Strode cosmetic!

Halloween: The Game will launch digitally on September 8 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, and PC via Steam and Epic Games Store. Physical releases will launch on October 6.

The post New Video Delves Into ‘Halloween: The Game’ Matchmaking [Watch] appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Alien Deathstorm puts you in the heat of the action as an isolated Engineer faced with insurmountable odds. You have been dispatched to a remote, off-world colony that has suffered a complete loss of communications. It turns out that the colony has been decimated, leaving it at the mercy of both a planetary scale storm and a seemingly endless swarm of predatory aliens. The storm is an ever-present and escalating danger. It has already wreaked unprecedented damage on the planet and proves a constant, ongoing threat to the Engineer.

At Gamescom, players will get to experience the game for the first time as they sample Alien Deathstorm’s Reactor mission. The Engineer must survive the horrific conditions and a relentless alien onslaught as they fight their way inside the malfunctioning fission reactor in an effort to retrieve the Fission Initiator.

The post First-Person Action Horror Title ‘Alien Deathstorm’ Coming Spring 2027; New Gameplay Trailer Released [Watch] appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

It’s a franchise that’s become permanently entrenched in pop culture and is largely analogous to modern ghost stories. They’re films that make a lot of sense in an age of rapidly evolving technology and means of surveillance. It’s a bold and brave experiment to adapt this sprawling supernatural found footage franchise into a stageplay. Horror, in theater, is a challenging feat to pull off in general, let alone with a title like Paranormal Activity that carries such expectations. 

Broadway’s Paranormal Activity doesn’t just come with the film franchise’s legacy, but its stage adaptation is being handled by an incredible creative team. Paranormal Activity is written by Levi Holloway (The Grey House) and directed by Felix Barrett, the artistic director of Punchdrunk, who was behind New York City’s acclaimed immersive theater experience, Sleep No More. They’re both storytellers who know how to play with perception and highlight the slow dissolution of reality, which are both key components of Paranormal Activity’s sinister structure.

With Paranormal Activity’s Broadway run now officially in motion, Barrett opens up about translating the stylized horror franchise to the stage, the importance of challenging set and sound design, and how to create visceral terror that feeds off the audience. 

BLOODY DISGUSTING: To start things off, what was the biggest challenge of not just adapting a horror franchise into a stage play, but one that’s so steeped in the stylistic device of found footage?

FELIX BARRETT: Great question. I jumped on this because I loved the film. I immediately said yes to adapting it before actually really thinking it through. Then, as soon as Levi [Holloway] was on board, it was a discussion about the presentation style. Found footage works very well for the medium of film, but if we’re doing something live for the stage, then we need to adapt the medium for the stage. There was actually an earlier version of the script where we started inside the theater, and we were being quite literal about everything.

Very quickly we decided that we can’t have cameras everywhere because it will remove the audience from the experience and create some distance from the thrills, tragedy, and shock of it all. So we instead went back to the element from the films that this is a real couple. They weren’t famous actors. It was shot as completely truthfully as possible. So we took that plausibility and tried to apply it to the stage. We really wanted the audience to feel like they’re the camera and voyeuristically looking into this house. Nothing is played out to the front of the stage. It needs to feel quite intimate because you, as an audience member, are essentially in the same role. 

The multi-room cross-section set design I thought was the perfect way to kind of emulate the movies’ visual design. It slowly conditions the audience to watch multiple rooms at the same time. 

FB: Exactly! I got some of that from Sleep No More, where there were like a hundred rooms in the show. There’s a lot of empty space going on in this show. I love the threat that can come from negative space. You can’t quite see everything, which is the reason why the show is so dark. If you could see inside the rooms clearly, then there’d be no mystery there. If you can’t quite make everything out, then your eyes start playing tricks on you, and you don’t know what you can trust. It felt like an exciting way to approach all this.

There was actually a really early version where we did have much more camera stuff. We thought that Jimmy would be filming things, but as soon as we put it on the screen it undermined the whole truth of it. It starts to feel stylized. 

Interesting. So there were videos that were being shot that would then be shown on screen?

FB: Yeah, and we knew we didn’t want to do some sort of abstract stylized screen-heavy piece of theater because that’s having a bit of a moment right now on Broadway. I didn’t feel like jumping in on a fad. I also think that it would break everything if it becomes this Brechtian out-of-body experience. We wanted to be in the story with that couple and worry about them, what’s going to happen next, and how they’re going to cope. Screens have an amazing way of dislocating the audience. 

There’s a Zoom call at the top of a scene where Lou is just chatting to her colleagues. We shot a lot thinking that you’d see it, and if you could turn the screen around, then you would see it. But it’s better to just see the cast. It puts you inside their heads, and it really makes it feel like you’re actually spying on them. It’s this sort of Peeping Tom thing. There was another bit where we had Jimmy filming the nursery once all the writing is up on the wall, but it just starts to feel weird. It’s derivative and a bit clichéd.

What I think makes the Paranormal Activity films so special – and something that you capture so well in this production – is that they’re these gutting human dramas that also feature supernatural elements. Travis and Cher really do incredible work in these roles that’s just as powerful as any of the horror.

FB: Oh my gosh, their dynamic was so critical to the production from moment one. We talked about how this is essentially a love story. You’re seeing a portrait of a marriage and a couple who are pretty tight and solid, in the amazing throes of love. All that gets forced apart by an entity. In rehearsal, we talked about how we want the audience to look at this relationship and view it as this amazing display of love that hopefully everyone gets to experience at some point in their lives. We wanted their dynamic to be really infectious, in the same way that screams are infectious when they ricochet through a crowd. It’s the same when you watch a happy couple in love. 

We really wanted to be as truthful as possible to all that. It’s haunting when you reveal that this isn’t a beautiful safe space and all that happiness gets ripped open. Travis and Cher are so incredible because they are such genuine performances. It’s very much themselves up there. There’s no artifice. The characters are woven through the fabric of their own being, rather than implanted on top. It makes it really resonate for the audience. 

I was curious how their performances would come across because there can be a real theatricality to stage performances that’s antithetical to how the Paranormal Activity films work.

FB: I appreciate that because we really tried. There’s such an amazing history to scary things on stage, particularly in this country. The Woman in Black played for 23 years here. When I saw it, it was so hokey. It’s exaggerated, theatrical, and operatic, but I didn’t find it scary at all. What’s scary is that sort of mundane part of life where something could be behind me. That’s the advantage of when something invades that safe, domestic space and gets under your skin. So I’m delighted that that worked for you. 

One of the most entertaining aspects of the Paranormal Activity films is how the sense of dread and danger progressively builds over time. Was it challenging to translate that to stage and build increasing tension with each scene?

FB: I think that’s my safe space as a director. When it comes to horror films, I’m drawn to the ones that have creeping dread. I don’t like gore. I don’t really like violence. But I love that sense of gentle unease when you feel the tendrils of doubt wrap around your body and leave you chilled. So it was actually a joy to do that in this show. We always knew it was going to have a false sense of security and then descend into the abyss. I just love all the tools as a director that you have, from light to sound, to actually thicken the atmosphere and tighten it. 

I was really blown away by the practical effects and use of visual tricks that are done here to bring the show’s scares to life. That trapdoor fall early on is so, so effective. Can you talk a little bit about workshopping these scares and figuring out the best way to bring these horror moments to life?

FB: Well, it’s interesting. We had a really early version of the draft at one point that was just Levi and I working on it. We were talking about the things that we would find the most frightening, like when someone just stops. Things that are uncanny and weird, but not schlocky. So that moment ended up in the script. We were speaking to various creative teams and trying to find the right alchemy of people. I remember a few who had said, “How the hell are you going to do that?” Well, if you’re asking that question, then you’re probably not the right person to do it.

We’re lucky to have the genius of Chris Fisher, who is the Illusions Designer, who also worked on Harry Potter & the Cursed Child and Stranger Things: The First Shadow. In Sleep No More, we had a couple of magic tricks, but the illusionist only came in like the last week before we opened. It was just like an extra cherry on the cake. For this process, we did the opposite. Before we’d even fully designed a set or had all our team members, we spent a week in London figuring out how to play with these tricks and how you can manifest a haunting. I told Chris that I don’t want to know how these things are done. We talked about all the things that we’re trying to do, but I came in as an audience member who was just blown away. Now, frustratingly, I know how some of them are done. But I knew that it could scare ourselves in the cold light of day, playing around with cardboard; then we were on to something. Chris is just a genius.

The reactions in the audience were bigger than the reactions I’ve experienced in the movie theater for the Paranormal Activity movies. It must have been so satisfying to just hear that stuff connect and know that it’s working.

FB: It’s an absolute privilege. With Sleep No More, everyone is in masks, so you don’t actually know how stuff has connected until you’re at the bar afterwards. So I’ve never experienced this where you get everyone responding as one. There are points in the show where we can gauge how raucous the crowd will be, and it’s very satisfying for the cast to experience. What I love is you get a scream, but then you also get a beat, and then you get laughter. And that’s so cathartic. We, oddly enough, talk about the show being quite joyous because of that. There are as many smiles and laughs as there are screams, which feels really important.

I was also really taken by the use of lighting and shadow in order to create even greater tension. The use of natural lighting from the flashlight and the cell phone in specific scenes is really effective. How did you approach lighting and figure out the right aesthetic there?

FB: Anna Watson, our Lighting Designer, is just the best. We’re blessed with the most incredible team where everyone is a master of their field. When we first spoke with Anna, we were talking about how we didn’t want it to feel like a play. We wanted it to feel real. We were quite restrained and doing less. Typically, in a play, you’d have someone pretending to use a flashlight, and you’d have a little bit of throw light. We wanted to embrace the things and make light and shadow our best friend. 

With darkness, you want the audience to have to color in details themselves. They have to fill that space in, and therefore they become more invested in it. That’s where the real fear lies in the audience’s minds. So we knew that we wanted things to be shrouded in darkness. It’s why the top room — the nursery — doesn’t have any natural light. It’s all deliberate choices so that the house is never fully lit. It makes you paranoid that something is going to come out from somewhere.

Sound design is also such an important element in selling scares, in both theater and cinema. You do such great work with the audio in this show. How did you figure out and refine things there?

FB: Oh my gosh, you should see the amount of time that’s been spent on the tech. It’s so meticulous. Gareth Fry, our Sound Designer, is also one of the most experienced people. He’s won Tonys and everything. He’s an absolute master. If you switch the sound off and there was no sound, I don’t think that the show would work. I think it would be interesting, but it wouldn’t have any impact. The thickness, the dread, and the trouble all come from the sound. I hope it feels quite effortless, but you should see the smorgasbord of sound cues and the level of detail that’s going on there. There’s so much layering and even moments where the inflections of single words have something audio-based to support them. 

The Paranormal Activity films always do such a good job of ending on these abrupt, unsettling, chaotic notes, and this show is no exception. Was it difficult to figure out the right energy for the show’s finish and how to go out?

FB: Yes, absolutely. That was the other thing that we took from the films. We wanted to honor their restraint, the plausibility of the couple, and I knew that we had to match the ending because that’s the bit that I loved when I saw the film. Those last few seconds where everything escalates like it’s an exponential crescendo. On day one, we were like, “How the hell do you do that on stage?” It’s been hard. I’ve got to say, we’ve actually changed that ending. We’ve changed it for this version from when we first did it in the UK. It had a different ending then, but it wasn’t brutal enough. So we’ve scaled it up and made it more abrupt. It makes it feel like there’s maybe some hope, but then it’s a sucker punch to the audience. It’s our way of paying respect to Oren [Peli] and the original film. 

This show had previous runs on the West End, Chicago, and Boston. You mentioned the ending being revised, but was there anything learned from those runs that led to any changes in the Broadway production?

FB: Yeah, there are multiple things. You learn so much of that by going back to the audience and their screams. We’ve been honing and perfecting everything for this Broadway version. There’s a bunch here that wasn’t in the past versions. There’s a bit at the end of Act One which is completely new. I don’t want to say what it is to spoil it for the audience, but it’s a whole new illusion. It’s a whole new bit of stagecraft that’s baked into it. And then there are also little changes, inflections, and tweaks throughout the show. 

So much of this stuff, in both film and on stage, comes down to timing. It’s been really interesting to speak with film producers. When you’re making a horror film, you do your first cut, and then you screen test it and work out the bits that don’t land how they should, and then you go back and reshoot it or re-cut it. It’s a very similar process for us as we explore different things in different territories. If the bits don’t land like we want them to, then we amend them. Sometimes you need that beat before something lands. You attack people when they feel like they’re in a safe space. It’s been so much fun to make the screams louder or the gasps more acute on Broadway. This is the definitive version of it.

After successfully tackling a stage version of Paranormal Activity, would you be interested in adapting any other horror classics?

FB: Absolutely. This just whetted our appetite for what’s possible. As a team, we’re definitely knocking on the door of some titles because there are some things that we would love to do. We’d also love to do a thriller, too. I hope it’s just the beginning.

I think of The Blair Witch Project as this formative found footage predecessor to Paranormal Activity, which had me thinking if it’s possible to do a version of that on stage.

FB: I’d love to do Blair Witch in like a Sleep No More fashion. The scale of Sleep No More and with that much autonomy. That would be absolutely terrifying and amazing to do in a forest. But for now, on stage, there are things that we really want to do.

The post Haunting Broadway & Beyond: Director Felix Barrett On Adapting ‘Paranormal Activity’ To The Stage appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Eli Roth’s Ice Cream Man later hits DVD & Blu-ray on October 20, with a 4K Ultra HD SteelBook release featuring art cards and scratch & sniff stickers listed for November 17 on Amazon.

Bonus Features for the Digital and Physical releases include…

• Ice Cream Man: The Backstory: How do you turn a twisted Pied Piper tale into a killer-kid nightmare? Discover the unlikely road to getting the film made and the classic horror inspirations behind the madness.
• The Ice Cream Truck: Bug-flavored treats, a suspiciously cheerful mascot and a jingle that hits differently after dark. Take a closer look at the film’s nightmare on wheels.
• Kidpocalypse: Who needs toys when you have prosthetic limbs? Go behind the scenes of the gloriously gruesome Kidpocalypse.
• Audio Commentary by Director/Co-Writer Eli Roth and Co-Writer Noah Belson

A mysterious ice cream man rolls into an idyllic town serving kids sweet treats that trigger a strange and deadly madness. Soon, the kids embark on an increasingly unhinged kill spree, sending the town spiraling into chaos and revealing something far darker beneath the surface.

Ari Millen, Charlie Zeltzer, Shiloh O’Reilly, Kiori Mirza Waldman, Sarah Abbott, Benjamin Byron Davis, Eli Roth, Karen Cliche, Dylan Hawco, and Charlie Storey star.

The post Eli Roth’s ‘Ice Cream Man’ Comes Home to Digital in September appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Rebuilt and refined for a new generation, this edition introduces players to the world of Fabletown, while welcoming longtime fans back to where it all began: Bigby’s first case, where a grisly murder reveals that something far darker is lurking beneath the surface of the city. Across five episodes—“Episode 1: Faith,” “Episode 2: Smoke and Mirrors,” “Episode 3: A Crooked Mile,” “Episode 4: In Sheep’s Clothing,” and “Episode 5: Cry Wolf”—players investigate crimes, question suspects, and make difficult choices that shape the course of the story in a mature noir thriller where every decision matters.

To honor the original story experience, Telltale has brought Fabletown to life again through enhanced visuals, refined character and environment presentation, an updated user interface, improved accessibility features, and technical enhancements including upgraded animation, audio, resolution and framerate improvements. In addition, players will have access to more than an hour of bonus content featuring behind-the-scenes videos, cast interviews, image galleries, and deleted scenes exploring the creation of the noir classic.

Meanwhile, the next entry in the series, The Wolf Among Us 2, is currently in development for release next year.

The post ‘The Wolf Among Us Remastered’ Launches October 29 [Trailer] appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

The Lovecraftian tale was also featured in King’s Nightmares & Dreamscapes.

“Crouch End” will be a six-part limited series at Prime Video.

“London never sleeps deeply, and its dreams are uneasy. When global movie star Doris Freeman bursts into a London police station claiming that strange phenomena are behind the disappearance of her husband, police inspector Ted Vetter must investigate whether she’s telling the truth, whether she could be a murderer, or whether there’s something even more chilling at play.”

Variety notes in today’s report that Prime Video’s “Crouch End” is being adapted by Paul Tomalin (“Bodies”) and directed by Tom Shankland (“Berlin Noir,” “The Serpent”).

“Stephen King is one of the defining storytellers of our time, and we’re thrilled to bring his Lovecraftian tale to life in London with Crouch End,” said Nicole Clemens, VP of International Originals at Prime Video and Amazon MGM Studios. “Paul Tomalin brings a singular, character-driven vision to the series and, paired with Tom Shankland at the helm, plus the first-class production teams at Mammoth Screen and Fifth Season, this show will grip audiences worldwide with its visceral crime thriller and supernatural mystery.”

Paul Tomalin said, “After reading Crouch End some years back, Stephen King’s vivid prose has haunted my nightmares ever since. Having the honour to adapt it with the incredible team at Mammoth, Fifth Season and Amazon alongside director Tom Shankland is a dream come true. I couldn’t be more excited to bring this thrilling tale to the screen.”

Director Tom Shankland adds, “I’ve been a Stephen King super-fan forever. The chance to work with this great team and bring his utterly brilliant London mystery to life is beyond exciting — Crouch End will be cinematic, original and thought-provoking in equal measure.”

This won’t be the first time Stephen King’s “Crouch End” has been adapted for the screen. Back in 2006, it was adapted for the small screen for the series Nightmares & Dreamscapes.

The late Tim Curry narrated the audio book version of King’s terror tale.

Bloody Disgusting’s Jenn Adams recently selected “Crouch End” as one of the 13 Stephen King short stories every fan should read. She wrote, “King ventures into Lovecraftian Lore with Crouch End, a deeply unsettling story of an American couple on a doomed trip to London. Having lost their way, they wander down the wrong street and possibly into another dimension filled with hideous monsters and sinister approximations of city life. Set in a real district of London, the story was inspired by King’s trip to the UK to visit collaborator and friend Peter Straub. King resists the urge to fully reveal Crouch End’s mysteries, creating another haunting example of less-is-more horror.”

The post ‘Crouch End’ – Stephen King’s Cthulhu Mythos Short Story Getting Prime Video Series Adaptation appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Bloody Tennis makes its debut on Shudder on September 25.

Watch the full trailer below that sees students engaging in Raw-like initiation rituals that grow increasingly more deranged. There are far more leeches than expected at a sports academy.

The film follows “Sophie (Guldberg Kampp), an American tennis player who earns a spot at an elite academy hidden away in Southern Europe. Beneath the pristine courts and promise of athletic excellence lies an isolated, cult-like environment where ruthless competition and extreme discipline come at a dangerous cost. The film uses the contrast between tennis’s elegance and brutality to explore the darker side of achievement culture and what happens when the pressure to succeed pushes young athletes beyond their limits.“

The cast also includes Helena Zengel (The Legend of Ochi), Lucie Zhang (Paris, 13th District), Lily Taieb (The French Dispatch), Tracy Gotoas, Elina Löwensohn (Schindler’s List), and Zlatko Burić (Triangle of Sadness), with an original score from Jim Williams (Titane, Raw, Possessor).

Bloody Tennis marks the English-language debut of Greek-German filmmaker Nikias Chryssos (Der Bunker).

Adam Koehler, director, acquisitions and productions at IFC Entertainment Group, said, “Bloody Tennis serves up an unexpectedly wild ride that will keep viewers exhilarated from start to finish. Distinctive, elegant, and gleefully offbeat, it’s exactly the kind of bold, boundary-pushing horror we strive to champion at Shudder. We’re thrilled to give this unforgettable film a home on our platform.”

Bloody Tennis is also slated to premiere at Fantastic Fest ahead of its release on Shudder next month.

The post ‘Bloody Tennis’ Trailer Serves Up Brutal Sports Horror Ahead of Shudder Premiere Next Month [Exclusive] appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Johnny Pemberton (Fallout) will also star in the indie horror movie.

The upcoming horror movie is set in the early 1980s.

Scissor Mouth follows a teenage girl who escapes years of captivity at the hands of her beauty-obsessed mother, leaving a bloody trail of “makeovers” across rural West Texas.

Deborah Richards writes and directs Scissor Mouth, “a contemporary Southern Gothic inspired by an ancient Japanese folktale, using horror to explore society’s obsession with beauty.”

“Scissor Mouth is my response to the impossible standards of beauty and the scars they leave behind,” Richards previews. “I wrote Johnny Pemberton’s role with him in mind from the very beginning because I knew his unique blend of humor and heart was exactly what the character needed, while Tara Reid embodies the perfect mix of charm, unpredictability, and humanity for this world. I can’t wait to watch them make these characters their own.”

Producer Patrick Wirtz adds, “We have a provocative, fearless script that speaks directly to the world we’re living in today. It’s the kind of horror that gets under your skin and stays with you. I believe it has all the ingredients to become a cult classic that audiences will want to watch, and rewatch, again and again.”

The post ‘Scissor Mouth’ – Tara Reid Starring in Horror Movie Inspired by Japanese Folklore appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

The man himself, Koji Igarashi, dropped the news in an update video, stating that while the game has entered its “final stages” of development, the teams agreed to push the release to next year. “We understand that this is disappointing news for our fans, but everyone on the development team is working hard to make the game the best it can be. We truly appreciate your continued support.”

Igarashi also stated that the devteam aims to release gameplay footage for The Scarlet Engagement in the near future.

Set in the 16th century, the Ethereal Castle and its demonic inhabitants led by the Demon Lord Elias have been terrorizing the land, laying waste to all who defy their dark power. All attempts to destroy the castle and fight the demons have failed, leaving many noble warriors defeated and lost. The last hope of humanity is an unlikely duo: Leonard, a young Black Wolves apprentice, and Alexander, a knight and the last survivor of White Stags. Together they must work as one to infiltrate the castle, fight for survival, acquire powerful artifacts and defeat the Demon Lord Elias.

Bloodstained: The Scarlet Engagement is currently in development for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series and PC via Steam.

The post ‘Bloodstained: The Scarlet Engagement’ Pushed to 2027 [Video] appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

The upcoming Godzilla Minus Zero is the first Japanese production filmed for IMAX, and the official behind the scenes video gives us a taste of the size and scale of this Kaiju spectacle.

Director Takashi Yamazaki says to his team in the video, “I believe this team can create something greater than [Godzilla Minus One].” A very high bar to clear, to say the very least.

Watch the Godzilla Minus Zero behind the scenes video from Toho and IMAX below.

Godzilla Minus Zero hits theaters in North America on November 6, 2026 via GKIDS.

Godzilla Minus One stars Ryunosuke Kamiki and Minami Hamabe will both be reprising their roles in Godzilla Minus Zero, with Takashi Yamazaki back in the director’s chair.

The film is set in 1949 — two years after the events of its predecessor.

Here’s the new official synopsis: “War reduced Japan to zero, and Godzilla plunged it into minus. Two years have passed since then, and the country has faced agonizing struggles to achieve recovery and finally reclaim its daily life. Just as humanity managed to cling to a hard-won peace, a new threat strikes, crushing hope in an instant.

“There is no third time. Everything ends here.”

The post ‘Godzilla Minus Zero’ – Behind the Scenes Video Previews First Japanese Movie Filmed for IMAX appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

“If we stay laser-focused on the same American setting, that would exhaust [narrative] possibilities, and also potentially cause fatigue for the playerbase,” says Okamoto, who wants the devteam working on a Silent Hill game to mold the IP to their ideas. The result would allow the developers to “work within the types of environments and the types of storytelling that works best for them.”

And yes, in keeping with the idea of yearly titles, Okamoto states that Konami already has a couple Silent Hill titles in the works, and not just Bloober Team’s upcoming remake of the one that started it all. “There are still many projects that are still under the works and very unannounced titles,” he said. “So obviously, we can’t go into specifics. But there are still many projects that we are currently exploring and working on as we speak.”

“We would like to let players know,” Okamoto continues, “that we have more experiences coming up, and many types of games that, we believe, will be able to provide positive kinds of surprises for players waiting for this for the series.”

The next entry in the series, Silent Hill: Townfall, is right around the corner, launching September 25 for PlayStation 5, and PC via Steam and the Epic Games Store.

The post Konami Aims to Make “Annual Release” of New ‘Silent Hill’ Games appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

In the trailer, players encounter a rather disturbing experiment, in which a human mind has been uploaded onto a server made up of live rats. Yes, that is a thing.

In ONTOS, players will become Aditi Amani, a resourceful engineer, as she explores the repurposed moon hotel Samsara in search of the truth around her estranged father. Samsara is a vast labyrinth built atop the ruins of a failed mining colony, and players will explore this open, interconnected environment in their quest for the truth. Every corner of Samsara tells a story, and every story has something hiding beneath the surface, waiting to be found…

Players will scavenge for helpful items, manipulate intricate machinery and face intense tests of morality as they encounter horrific Experiments throughout Samsara. There is no ‘one solution’ to the obstacles players will encounter in ONTOS. Players will need to use their wits and ingenuity to reach the narrative’s mysterious conclusions and face the consequences of their choices.

ONTOS is currently being developed for release on PC via Steam and GOG, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series.

The post Disturbing New Gameplay Trailer Released for ‘ONTOS’ [Watch] appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

For the next 666 minutes (seriously), you can grab Brütal Legend for free from itch.io. You simply need to create an account (for free), click this link, and claim the game. You have until 6am ET on August 27 to grab the game.

For those unaware, Tim Curry voiced Doviculus, Emperor of the Tainted Coil in the game. Curry was joined by the likes of Lita Ford, Rob Halford, Ozzy Osbourne, Lemmy and more for the various heavy metal cameos.

Released for PC, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in 2009, Brütal Legend is a third person action-adventure game incorporating real time strategy elements. The game centres around roadie Eddie Riggs (voiced by Jack Black). After being crushed by falling scenery while trying to save a member of heavy metal band Kabbage Boy, Eddie’s blood lands on his belt buckle, which is in reality an amulet for Ormagöden. The stage is transformed into Ormagöden, who kills the band and takes the unconscious Eddie to the heavy metal world. It’s up to Eddie to free the enslaved humans of this world from Doviculus.

The post Grab ‘Brütal Legend’ for Free on itch.io Now, but Be Quick! appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

For the first time, the public will also be able to play Control Resonant at Gamescom, with a playable demo available at the Level Infinite booth in Hall 6.

In addition, Remedy Entertainment has teamed up with ZA/UM Atelier to create a five-piece, made-to-order collection of apparel inspired by Control Resonant. The full collection will be on display at Gamescom from August 26–30, with pre-orders available now via ZA/UM Atelier.

In Control Resonant, players take on the role of Dylan Faden (voiced by Sean Durrie), who will explore multiple areas of Manhattan in an expansive, unfamiliar world as an invading cosmic force reshapes the environment, defiles natural law and distorts gravity, reordering reality into a geophysical nightmare. Players will traverse perception-bending locations and journey beyond the material world into a mysterious metaphysical space reflecting Faden’s troubled psyche.

You must tap into power that Dylan must learn to master and make choices to shape abilities that manifest and grow while exploring a deep progression system. Face ever-changing threats head-on, utilizing the environment, unleashing elemental abilities and wielding the raw force Dylan’s shapeshifting melee weapon, the Aberrant.

Control Resonant arrives September 24 digitally for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, PC via Steam and Epic Games Store, while physical editions for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series will be available from October 15. Pre-orders are now open, with players getting the Pickpocket’s Tool Artifact and Hiss Corruption Outfit for Dylan as part of pre-ordering before launch. Also available for pre-order is the Deluxe Edition.

The post Remedy Unleashes “Altered State” Trailer for ‘Control Resonant’ Coinciding With First Public Hands-on [Watch] appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Players explore the facility as the Smiling Critters, the dead-eyed toy line with gaping smiles introduced in Poppy Playtime: Chapter 3. From classrooms and warehouses to testing labs and the dark corridors
connecting them all, every space in the factory becomes more dangerous when seen from a Critter’s-eye view. In groups of 1-4 players, each run sends teams into a dynamically changing section of the
facility with one clear objective: search for, locate, and transport the resources and building materials demanded by a mysterious Voice. Those materials are needed to help construct A Better Place, a promised home for toys who “prove their loyalty and usefulness.”

The job is simple on paper, but there are monsters — fellow rejected Playtime Co. creations — stalking the halls, hunting for prey. Players must search efficiently, decide when to split up or stay together, and know when to push for one more item or retreat before the factory’s denizens close in.

Players can solve puzzles, uncover clues, scavenge for tools, use hiding spots and alternate routes, and turn the factory layout itself into a coordinated advantage. Proximity voice chat adds another layer of tension: communication is essential, but even a panicked whisper at the wrong time can bring the mission to a brutal end. Speak carefully, move quickly, and remember that someone, or something, is always listening.

As players complete runs, Escape From Playtime reveals a deeper connection to the larger Poppy Playtime story. The Voice promises freedom and a home, but its true motives remain unclear. Every resource gathered seems to feed a larger plan for the future of the factory. You are helping build something. But what, and why?

While no release date has been set for the Early Access release, the plan for the initial release is to include the full eight-character Smiling Critter roster, one starter zone, and a core enemy lineup. Future updates are expected to expand the game with new zones, Critters, features, and refinements informed by player feedback.

The post ‘Poppy Playtime’ Devs Announces Co-Op Survival Horror Experience ‘Escape From Playtime’ [Trailer] appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

However, there have recently been some inventive anthology experiments that have earned The Simpsons the benefit of the doubt, like the Ray Bradbury-inspired “Treehouse of Horror Presents: Simpsons Wicked This Way Comes.” 

The Simpsons developing their own sci-fi equivalent to Black Mirror is a no-brainer, and so it’s encouraging to see the concept receive its own Disney+ special, rather than simply being a segment in a “Treehouse of Horror” episode. That being said, with only two stories in the episode, it feels like “Yellow Mirror“ doesn’t fully commit to the bit. Past Disney+ specials have been double-episodes so that their concepts can cover more ground, like in “Extreme Makeover: Homer Edition.“

“Yellow Mirror” would be able to really thrive if there was a third story present. That being said, the two stories that are told – particularly the first segment – are solid enough to warrant “Yellow Mirror” becoming a regular tradition for The Simpsons that allows it to flex its sci-fi muscles more. It’s a successful proof of concept that leaves the audience wanting more.

The episode’s first story, “The Way We Wasn’t,” is an incredibly strong Simpsons story that returns to one of the series’ most celebrated episodes, “The Way We Was.” It’s a reality-shattering premise that deconstructs Homer’s relationship with the rest of his family and how they’re an essential emotional anchor.

Carolyn Omine is especially skilled at compassionate and bittersweet Simpsons episodes, whether it’s “A Mid-Childhood Night’s Dream,” “Ice Cream of Margie (with the Light Blue Hair),” and even “Halloween of Horror.” Omine doesn’t hold back in “The Way We Wasn’t,” and it reaches surprising emotional heights in only 12 minutes. 

It’s a painful meditation on regret where Homer mourns and is haunted by a life that he never had. It’s absolutely gutting and a reminder of how much pathos and empathy The Simpsons can have when it wants to dig deeper into its characters. “The Way We Wasn’t” gradually evolves into a meta commentary on The Simpsons as a whole. Homer transforms into a Matt Groening analogue who takes great lengths to recreate his “lost family” and their hundreds of adventures together.

Homer’s abject sadness is the story’s focus, but this is also an angry, cathartic analysis of The Simpsons’ legacy. “The Way We Wasn’t” is meant to be tongue-in-cheek, but it’s actually quite acid-tongued in its execution. It’s a compelling look at an alternate timeline that also feels like The Simpsons working through its own identity crisis and fleeting apathy. 

“Yellow Mirror’s” second story, “I Have No Tablet But I Must Stream,” is a much more conventional take on what one would expect from a Black Mirror parody. Maggie’s growing reliance on an AI-fueled tablet triggers a toxic codependency that spreads throughout Springfield’s infants. “I Have No Tablet But I Must Stream” is a decent commentary on tech addiction, targeted ads, and artificial intelligence that’s willing to go to some dark places. It’s a relevant story, but one that feels half-baked and predictable in its execution. 

The message in this story, while strong, has a lot of generic padding between its multiple musical segments that function as alluring siren songs. “I Have No Tablet But I Must Stream” makes its point. However, there’s room for an extra layer of techno-paranoia that could have been explored or, alternatively, a condensed take on this story so that a third segment could be included. This story works in a vacuum, but it doesn’t help that The Simpsons has already tackled this topic in a more substantial manner in Season 31’s “Screenless.“ Sure, “Screenless” didn’t build to a potential AI apocalypse, but it had more to say and goes deeper on the subject. 

The most frustrating thing about “I Have No Tablet But I Must Stream” is that it drags down the genuine greatness of “The Way We Wasn’t.” It’s unfortunate that an equally compelling concept couldn’t be cracked for the second installment, which would make “Yellow Mirror” a real triumph. It makes sense that The Simpsons would turn to a sillier and more frivolous story to balance out “The Way We Wasn’t” gutting emotional depths. It still needs to bring more to the table.

“Yellow Mirror” is ultimately a successful episode that pulls at the audience’s heartstrings and is just as interested in leaving them emotionally wrecked as it is in pushing tech-based terror. It’s fun, if not fairly disposable, which is often the case with anthology episodes. In this sense, the episode is the perfect type of experiment for a special on a separate streaming service. It doesn’t necessarily justify its existence or why these couldn’t have just been “Treehouse of Horror” segments.

At the same time, I’d like to see what The Simpsons does with future “Yellow Mirror” installments. There’s lots of potential here, especially during a time in which sci-fi anthologies seem to have greater value than horror detours.

The exclusive episode of “The Simpsons: Yellow Mirror” is available to stream as of today, August 26, only on Disney+.

The post ‘The Simpsons: Yellow Mirror’ Review: A Bleak & Brutal ‘Black Mirror’ Parody appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

In the real world, however, each of these five novels was deeply influenced by the time during which they were written, with Pargin bringing up the edgy cynicism of the ’90s Clinton era which informed John Dies at the End and the post-9/11 paranoia from the first sequel.

This willingness to engage with the current zeitgeist may result in some interesting continuity issues when you consider that these characters have remained more or less static for nearly three decades at this point, but it also means that each novel in the series has something unique to say about the state of the world despite a consistent core of dick jokes and Lovecraftian terror. I bring this up because I honestly thought that, after five completely unique books (featuring situations ranging from apocalyptic zombie outbreaks to perception-altering parasites), there couldn’t possibly be any more interesting ideas left for Pargin to explore in the strange town of Undisclosed.

That’s why I was so surprised when There Are No Giant Crabs in This Novel: A Novel of Giant Crabs turned out to be such a fresh genre-bending romp even if it can’t help but revisit some familiar concepts from the series’ past.

In Pargin’s latest cheekily titled story, we once again follow Dave, his girlfriend Amy and their best friend John as they become embroiled in an interdimensional mystery. This time, a “log” of compressed human body parts inexplicably materializes on the snowy front lawn of an Undisclosed resident during a particularly bad winter, leading the cops to call in the local paranormal “experts” for help. It doesn’t take long for things to escalate as opposing forces in an interdimensional war attempt to fight over our main characters’ attention in a gnarly conflict involving mind control, genetic predestination and, unsurprisingly, gigantic crabs.

As is usually the case with Pargin’s books, the supernatural part of the story is merely an over-the-top setup meant to ease you into a discussion about real-world issues and the occasional instance of potty humor. While I won’t spoil the deeper themes behind the interdimensional shenanigans here, suffice to say that the series once again hits the nail on the head when it comes to getting to the bottom of current societal issues while still feeling like a legitimately interesting cosmic horror yarn.

The narrative never gets bogged down with ham-fisted messaging or soap-box monologue moments (something that Pargin has struggled with in some of his other book series), as our main characters are well-developed enough to feel more like real people instead of avatars meant to parrot a certain point of view. Not only that, but the story itself is still genuinely entertaining even if you remove the social commentary motivating it, especially since it’s only during the latter half of the book that the mechanical assassins and dystopian alternate universes start to make sense.

The jokes also remain delightfully crude as they’ve always been, though I appreciate how many of the gags tie back to established character traits and how our characters see the world. For instance, the entire subplot about how a mutant lizard creature may or may not be one of our main characters in disguise manages to explore Dave’s codependency issues without ever feeling like a downer therapy session. In fact, the jumping between different points of view is one of the novel’s most consistent sources of humor, especially when John’s sections feel like they came from a completely different style of book – though the excerpts from Dr. Marconi’s publications remain the most fascinating segments of the story.

One strange aspect of the reading experience comes from how Pargin deals with callbacks to the rest of the series. For instance, while I’m aware that each of these books is meant to be a standalone adventure that can be read without knowing anything about the other novels, it feels a little strange that the characters don’t seem to notice how the mechanism through which one of the main villains is purifying his reality seems eerily similar to a plot point from the original John Dies at the End.

That being said, most of these inconsistencies can be excused due to the fact that the characters themselves admit to playing fast and loose with continuity in order to avoid legal trouble. I also appreciate existing references to the other books like how the group occasionally alludes to Dave’s hilarious double life as the local BATMANTIS??? cryptid, an idea that was introduced nearly a decade ago in What the Hell Did I Just Read?.

As I mentioned earlier in this review, I had already reached a point where I was unsure about where Pargin could take this story next if he chooses to continue the John, Dave and Amy series. And while I thoroughly enjoyed this new entry in the long-running franchise, it was only when I reached the final pages of the latest release that it dawned on me how the standalone nature of each novel, combined with the excellent character work that has been there from the very beginning, make each new book feel less like an additional chapter in an over-arching story and more like simply catching up with good friends that you haven’t seen in a while.

There Are No Giant Crabs in This Novel occasionally stumbles, with the narrative recycling some of the interdimensional and interpersonal drama from previous books and having less to say about the nature of American poverty due to the crew’s newfound stable employment, but there’s more than enough heart behind this eldritch horror-comedy to keep you coming back for more absurdist humor and over-the-top gore page after page.

That’s why I’m of the opinion that Pargin can keep this series going for as long as he wants. Or at least for as long as he can before the human race inevitably evolves into monstrous crustaceans.

There Are No Giant Crabs in This Novel is available now for pre-order and will be hitting store shelves on November 3, 2026.

The post ‘There Are No Giant Crabs in This Novel’ Review: Another Excellent Cosmic Horror-Comedy by Jason Pargin appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Amazon MGM Studios has boarded Hivemind, with plans to stream the film internationally on Prime Video.

Hivemind is directed by Irish filmmaker Ciarán Foy (Eli, Sinister 2, Citadel), from the spec script by writer Peter Gaffney (Yeti) that was snatched up last year by Badlands.

It’s described as an “environmental thriller” and “centers on the evolution of a new breed of killer wasps and the small-town authorities who team up to prevent a deadly global outbreak.“

Basil Iwanyk, Erica Lee and Diarmaid McGrath are producing for Thunder Road alongside Scott Strauss for Badlands, Macdara Kelleher and John Keville for Wild Atlantic Pictures, Adam Rodin and Gaffney.

Badlands is the same label behind the upcoming spider horror movie Crawlers starring Matilda Lutz. The launch of the genre label Badlands marks a partnership between Thunder Road (John Wick) and Screen Gems executive Scott Strauss, with a “fresh slate of horror IP” in the works.

With production underway in Dublin, expect to hear additional casting news in the coming weeks.

The post Samara Weaving & Nicholas Braun To Star In Killer Wasp Thriller ‘Hivemind’ From ‘Eli’ Director appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Players can experience the entire epic adventure with upgraded visuals, enhanced combat, improved traversal and movement, new witcher signs effects, revamped mount handling, enhanced monster behaviors, a skill tree revamp, transmogrification, expanded photo mode, new finishers, and much more.

In addition, the devs also released a teaser trailer for the previously-announced DLC for The Witcher 3 in “Songs of the Past”. The teaser reveals the brand new region of Letten, an idyllic land rich in rural tradition and folklore, and its people enjoy a fulfilling life of bountiful harvests and lavish festivals. But a dark secret lurks just beneath the surface, and Geralt must overcome never-before-seen foes as he fights to overcome its long-dormant evil.

Songs of the Past will launch later this year as a paid expansion on PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, and Nintendo Switch 2. It is available to wishlist now across select platforms.

The post ‘The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – Remastered’ Announced For September 29 [Trailer] appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Penny Lane Is Dead premieres August 28 on Shudder.

Set on a hot summer’s night in 1986 Australia, 17-year-old Penny Lane is celebrating getting into college with her longtime girlfriends. After Penny’s jealous and troubled cousin decides a cruel prank is in order, what begins as a thoughtless spiked cupcake game spirals into a night of bloodshed and revenge.

Sophia Wright-Mendelsohn, Tahlee Fereday, Alexandra Jensen (Talk to Me), Bailey Spalding, Steve Le Marquand (Vertical Limit), Fletcher Humphrys (“Wolf Creek”), and Ben O’Toole (Hacksaw Ridge) star in Penny Lane Is Dead.

The blood-soaked posters below introduce key players involved in this violent throwback.

Writer-director Mia’Kate Russell makes her feature debut on the project.

Russell said in a statement, “It’s exhilarating that my feature directorial debut is being released by Shudder, one of the most fearless and bold distributors out there. The Shudder team has such a keen understanding of genre films, and are the perfect partners to unleash this powerful film with audiences.”

I wrote in my Fantasia review, “As a lean, mean horror siege, Penny Lane is Dead holds your attention and effectively pulls you into Toni’s bid to meet dawn with her lives and friendships intact. It’s visceral, propulsive, and a strong debut in terms of style and energy.“

The post Ozploitation Horror ‘Penny Lane is Dead’ Gets Bloody Character Posters Ahead Of Friday Release appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Beginning Friday, August 28, audiences at participating theaters nationwide can listen to Ullom with producers Carrie Carusone and Evan Barber’s commentary track synchronized to the film as it plays, using only the TheaterEars app on their own phone and a pair of headphones.

In It Ends, a group of recent grads heads out on a late-night drive for grub, hoping to enjoy one final hangout before their paths diverge. Instead, they accidentally turn onto a never-ending, two-lane hellscape surrounded by untold horrors and cosmic forces beyond their understanding. Cramped together inside a Jeep Cherokee and with the miles stretching infinitely ahead, they face a choice: embrace their new existence or fight to escape it.

Akira Jackson, Phinehas Yoon, Mitchell Cole, and Noah Toth star.

As for how the Director’s Commentary experience works, moviegoers download the free TheaterEars app, select It Ends and their showtime to get the track on their phone, then press play when the movie starts. The app synchronizes the filmmakers’ commentary to the projected film and works across all formats including RealD and 4DX.

The app is free to download from the App Store and Google Play and is free to use (ad-supported) for the Director’s Experience during any standard showtime at participating locations, providing the moviegoer with premium audio experience without an additional ticket upcharge.

“I made a movie that takes place almost entirely inside a car, so I spent a year thinking about what four people say to each other and what they don’t. Getting to sit next to an audience while they watch it and tell them what we were actually doing — in a theater, while it’s still in theaters — is not something I thought was possible when we were shooting this in twenty days,” Ullom said in a statement.

“Commentary tracks have always arrived after the fact, months later, on a disc or a stream, to an audience that has already moved on. It Ends is a film built out of conversation, and Alex is a filmmaker whose audience found him online and then showed up in theaters. Putting his voice in that room, while the film is still on screens, is exactly the thing we built this for,” Dan Mangru, Founder & CEO, TheaterEars adds.

Alexander Ullom is already a filmmaker to watch; the newcomer was recently tapped to helm 4 X 4: The Event, which is being described as Battle Royale meets Saw meets Climax.

The post ‘It Ends’ Gets Director’s Commentary Experience For Select Showings This Weekend appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Based on the manga written and illustrated by Masamune Shirow from 1989 to 1991, Ghost in the Shell takes place in 2029. A female cybernetic government agent, Major Motoko Kusanagi (voiced by Atsuko Tanaka), and the Internal Bureau of Investigations are hot on the trail of “The Puppet Master,” a mysterious and threatening computer virus capable of infiltrating human hosts. Together with her fellow agents from Section 9, Kusanagi embarks on a high-tech race against time to capture the omnipresent entity.

No word on if this 4K release of the film has seen the same music substitution over the end credits as the 2020 4K UHD release.

As fans know, the film has gone on to influence several filmmakers, spawn a sequel in 2004 (also directed by Oshii), a television series, the 2017 live-action adaptation by Rupert Sanders, and now the recent Netflix series that debuted this past July, which is produced by Science Saru and directed by Moko-chan.

The post Mamoru Oshii’s ‘Ghost in the Shell’ Returns to Theatres for 30th Anniversary Next Month [Trailer] appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

“All of us here at Rebel Wolves are counting down the days to launch of our first game,” says Konrad Tomaszkiewicz, Game Director and Co-Founder of Rebel Wolves. “We can’t wait for the moment when players step into Vale Sangora and come face-to-face with Brencis and his vampire clique. We also hope that today’s trailer will encourage even more players to visit our booth at Gamescom in Hall 6.1 and try our game.”

Players will step into the dark world of The Blood of Dawnwalker to write the story of Coen, a young man who was turned into the titular Dawnwalker – human by day, and a vampire by night. In the world created by Rebel Wolves, every decision has consequences that directly shape both the gameplay and the story. In a world ravaged by wars, plagues, and rebellions under the rule of ruthless vampires, nothing is ever truly black and white.

The Blood of Dawnwalker is An open-world action RPG set in the atmospheric setting of the Carpathian Mountains. This land is filled not only with beautiful landscapes, but also with myths, beliefs, and mysteries hidden within its forests, roadside shrines, and ancient ruins. From the very beginning, the game will give players the freedom to explore the world at their own pace, discover quests, uncover points of interest, and seek out secrets, mysteries, and treasures waiting to be discovered.

And this is just the beginning. Rebel Wolves has already revealed that future installments of the Dawnwalker saga will take players to new eras and cultures, each offering its own setting and experience.

Look for The Blood of Dawnwalker when it launches on Steam, Xbox Series and PlayStation 5.

The post Get One Final Look at ‘The Blood of Dawnwalker’ With The Launch Trailer [Watch] appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Bloody Disgusting has been provided with exclusive images from the new restoration, teasing one of the genre’s most shocking and underseen films.

In the film, “Teen runaway Simone loves the Neue Deutsche Welle pop singer known only as “R” (Bodo Staiger)… loves him so much, in fact, that she could just about eat him alive. And when she finally meets her idol—only to be callously treated by him as a disposable sex object—well, Simone gets the chance to really become one with her beloved forever. ”

The Metrograph describes the film as, “A hard, cool-to-the-touch, and utterly riveting slow-burn psychological thriller that, newly restored for its first ever US theatrical release, speaks to our age of parasocial obsession, featuring a sinister synth-pop soundtrack by Staiger’s own band, Rheingold, and a last act that’s finger-lickin’ good.“

Der Fan, written and directed by Eckhart Schmidt, stars Désirée Nosbusch as Simone and Bodo Staiger as “R”, the object of Simone’s desire.

Staiger, as frontman for new wave group Rheingold, also provided the film’s score.

Fun City Editions has restored Der Fan in 4K from its original 35mm camera negative. The film is presented with its original stereo soundtrack for the first time since its initial German theatrical release in 1982.

Without giving anything away, it’s the shocking third act that sets Der Fan apart and earned its cult status. Much like Takashi Miike’s Audition, it’s an unassuming feature that hides its visceral horror side until a jaw-dropping finale.

The film is also not without controversy, due to Nosbusch’s age at the time of filming, further catapulting Der Fan into cult shocker territory.

The post ‘Der Fan’ 4K Restoration Brings the Cult Horror Shocker to U.S. Theaters for the First Time This Friday [Exclusive Images] appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Caving, or spelunking, is not a universal hobby. So for those who do have the urge to crawl around inside of caves, they go about it seriously. Hence, that team of experts found in director Bruce Hunt’s movie. As opposed to those who mistakenly wandered into their subterranean nightmare, these characters chose to explore the vast cave system beneath an old abbey that dates back to the thirteenth century. Up until some Cold War-era looters stepped foot inside—and then never left—it stood mostly intact.

There is a long history of churches building themselves inside of natural caves and other rock formations. Security was one reason for this practice, but as The Cave brings up, sometimes these places were built “as a display of God’s protective power”. Caves were seen as hellmouths in desperate need of plugging up. Putting down a place of worship was then the best way to stave off any potential scourges from the underworld.

That unique method for keeping evil at bay turns out to be true in The Cave, seeing as how the movie’s spelunkers encounter a colony of monsters down there in the dark. These are anything but mere creatures that exist only to feed; on top of devouring the intruders, they use them to increase their numbers. Before anyone cringes at the prospect of interspecies breeding, the expansion I speak of here is more along the lines of zombism. One scratch from these cave-dwelling abominations (who were portrayed by Brian Steele), and you’re bound to become a lifetime member of their club.

It would be remiss of me not to bring up The Descent. It and The Cave are a glowing example of “twin films”; their plots are eerily similar, and Neil Marshall’s movie premiered in the U.S. two weeks before The Cave did. So although their on-paper parallels were enough to make audiences feel some déjà vu back then, their executions are quite different. And just because The Descent is the standard by which all below-ground horror is now measured, that doesn’t mean there isn’t room for others. Especially one as well made as The Cave.

The Descent pulled the rug out beneath audiences by having its monsters (a.k.a. the Crawlers) come out of nowhere. Whereas in this movie, the creatures are known from the start. Those aforementioned looters gave us a preview of these nocturnal demons before the present-day cast got up close and personal with them. What happened to the plunderers after their falling into the cavern, and before they mutated, would have made for a viable prequel. Nonetheless, the one movie we did get is a treat for those of us who don’t always want their monsters to be mysterious.

The Cave is largely driven by its plot, as opposed to the characters. That’s not to say there isn’t a little something brimming beneath the surface; the main character of this group, Eddie Cibrian’s Tyler, has a thorny relationship with his brother Jack (Cole Hauser). A certain level of distrust fuels that rift between siblings and business partners. Meanwhile, their peers, namely the other athletic members of this expedition, can’t ever seem to ditch their competitive streaks, even as danger approaches. 

What happens when you put a bunch of stubborn thrill-seekers in a bad situation? According to The Cave, nothing good. Save for Tyler, as well as scientists Kathryn and Alex (Lena Heady and Daniel Dae Kim), erring on the side of caution is really no one’s strong suit. Luckily, that recklessness keeps the action high and the boredom low. The movie being PG-13 does prevent any major blood loss on screen, but that rating also doesn’t rule out violence. The monster-on-human carnage is plentiful, if not noticeably inhibited. You just have to use your imagination a bit more whenever a creature claims its victim.

It’s only fitting that there would be an emphasis on setting; the titular location is easily the real star of this movie. Out of all the things that get criticized, that mazelike cavern shouldn’t be one of them. The Dante’s Inferno-esque environment, which was designed by Pier Luigi Basile, gives the movie some teeth, as well as a sense of wonder. Yes, all its studio-built constructions are enhanced by digital effects, but the care and work are also undeniable. Your admiration for the production values and visuals during key scenes, such as Piper Perabo’s rock-climbing clash with a suddenly triphibian monster, is understandable.

Even if The Descent had never existed, critics very likely would have still hated The Cave. The low innovation, in terms of story and characters, was more offensive than its resemblance to a then-recent release. In my own biased defense of the movie, though, it’s overly, not to mention bitterly, hated. 

Admittedly, the quality of the script doesn’t match the movie’s craftsmanship. Not in the slightest. Yet if all you crave is a well-produced, stylized creature-feature that boasts an easy-on-the-eyes cast and some underrated monsters, then you’re in luck. Once you realize what you’re in for, The Cave is a hell of a lot more enjoyable. 

The post ‘The Cave’ Hides One of the 2000s’ Most Underrated Movie Monsters appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Curry passed away Tuesday night at his home in Los Angeles, TMZ reports.

The actor broke out for his lead role in Rocky Horror, having been part of the original stage production at a tiny upstairs venue at London’s Royal Court Theatre before it was adapted to screen and became a global cult hit.

Curry went on to a successful, prolific career; not even a massive stroke in 2012 slowed him down.

Beyond his role as Dr. Frank-N-Furter, horror fans know him best as the original Pennywise, in a two-part ABC adaptation of It, with more than 37 million households tuning in. Needless to say, his terrifying turn traumatized a generation of TV watchers.

His distinct voice ensured he was recognizable under all the makeup and prosthetics, most notably in Ridley Scott’s Legend, for which he turned in a mesmeric performance as the fantasy film’s villain, Darkness. That voice also led to a robust voice acting career as well, from Scooby-Doo to Batman Beyond.

Other notable roles in the genre space include a smaller part in Michael Crichton’s Congo (1995), Scary Movie 2 (2001), and Stream (2024). Our own Paul Lê recently celebrated Curry’s triple-role in an episode of the enduring horror anthology Tales from the Crypt, “Death of Some Salesmen.“

Curry also had a turn as a recording artist, releasing three rock albums in the late 1970s and early ’80s and even going on tour. 

Needless to say, the multi-hyphenate talent leaves behind an incredible legacy that’ll continue to be celebrated.

Thank you for all of the wonderful and sometimes nightmarish movie and television memories, Tim Curry. You will be greatly missed.

The post ‘Rocky Horror Picture Show’ and ‘It’ Actor Tim Curry Has Passed Away At 80 Years Old appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

At the same time, power fantasies are a huge part of what makes gaming such an addictive medium, and you can only keep players cowering in fear for so long before they start to get frustrated and want to fight back. That’s why I was so interested in Asobo Studios’ Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy, an action-heavy prequel/spin-off to the studio’s previous medieval stealth horror duology.

Starring Sophia, a young smuggler who was first introduced in A Plague Tale: Requiem, Resonance tells a (more-or-less) standalone yarn about the secrets contained in a mysterious island connected to Greek mythology. Of course, the biggest difference here is the fact that Sophia is an accomplished duelist, with her swashbuckling skills turning this into a much more aggressive experience than the previous Plague Tale games.

In Resonance, we accompany Sophia (voiced and motion-captured by Anna Demetriou) from her days as a young child being experimented on in a convent all the way to her young adulthood as a fledgling member of a clan of treasure-hunting plunderers. Haunted by visions of a mysterious island in the Mediterranean containing untold riches and indescribable horrors, Sophia’s abilities inspire costly expeditions to the place that seems to have inspired the legend of Theseus and the Minotaur. When an unexpected betrayal leads to Sophia and her partner Leni being forced to explore the island for themselves, the duo discovers that whatever eldritch horror lurks beneath the ruined kingdom of Minos is much scarier than a mere bull-headed creature.

The narrative experience here is just as in-depth as it is in the previous Plague Tale games, with the main difference being that Sophia is a much more badass protagonist than Amicia. Her backstory as a roguish treasure hunter with a fondness for blades turns Resonance into more of a historical thriller in line with Tomb Raider or even the Brendan Fraser Mummy movies rather than the medieval Survival Horror of previous games.

The Mediterranean setting and dual timelines introduced by Sophia’s connection to Theseus (not to mention the excellent soundtrack) also provide the title with a completely different atmosphere despite also taking place in the Middle Ages.

In practice, these changes mean that you’ll spend the majority of your time traversing huge, and often beautifully rendered, Mediterranean environments through over-the-top climbing and jumping while occasionally solving Indiana Jones-style puzzles. Of course, the meat of the experience is the completely revamped combat system that plays out like a simplified yet more fluid version of the recent Assassin’s Creed games.

It’s only much later in the experience that the game introduces its surprisingly robust horror elements in the form of the Minotaur stealth and chase sequences. Re-imagined as a serpentine growth lurking deep in the tunnels beneath the island, this seemingly unkillable entity only retreats when confronted with sunlight and is responsible for some of the most harrowing moments in the game – even if Sophia’s medieval parkour and surprising resistance to scripted fall damage make her a little too badass for these scenes to feel scary.

In fact, there are plenty of exaggerated elements here that distance the title from the more somber world presented to us in the previous Plague Tale games. From the larger-than-life architecture of the island to the trope-heavy side characters that feel more in line with Dungeons & Dragons than a historical recreation, Resonance could very easily have wound up as a juvenile mess were it not for the story’s solid emotional foundation.

Sophia’s loss of her father and subsequent abandonment issues are genuinely touching, and the tragic relationship between this incarnation of Theseus and the so-called Bull of Minos is an unexpected highlight of the experience. I won’t get into details in order to avoid spoilers, but suffice to say that the thematic connections to previous Plague Tale titles are really appreciated even if they’ll be lost on newcomers.

Unfortunately, those same narrative connections also hinder Resonance’s main draw as a standalone spin-off. There’s some vital information missing here that you need in order to fully appreciate the game’s story, but you’ll only know everything if you’re already familiar with the rest of the franchise. In the days of easily accessible wikis and walkthroughs, this isn’t exactly a deal breaker, but I would have appreciated it if the story could have fulfilled its promise of standing completely on its own.

In terms of gameplay, my only real gripe with the experience is the fact that the title overstays its welcome by a solid couple of hours or so. The final sections of the game may still be thrilling, but they’re also needlessly repetitive when you consider that the campaign is aiming towards the brief yet memorable set-pieces of the last few Tomb Raider games rather than the drawn-out exploration of something like The Witcher.

At the end of the day, Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy is a thrilling journey through another time and place that replaces its predecessors’ reliance on pure horror with a more cinematic sense of adventure. This approach doesn’t always feel like an improvement, though the Lovecraftian reimagining of the Minotaur ended up being my favorite part of the experience. But when the stars align and Resonance combines gorgeous visuals with smooth gameplay, it’s hard to imagine that this high-octane period piece was produced by the same folks who used to helm the Microsoft Flight Simulator games.

That being said, I highly recommend studying up on previous entries in the Plague Tale series before heading in, as, like Sophia herself, there’s a lot more to Resonance than initially meets the eye.

Review code provided by publisher. Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy launches on the Xbox Series, Day One with Xbox Game Pass, as well as PlayStation 5 and Steam on August 27.

The post ‘Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy’ Review: A Thrilling Action Spin-Off That Trades Horror For Adventure appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Breeder has been rated ‘R’ for “disturbing material, violence/bloody images, sexual content, graphic nudity, and language.” 

The feature debut of director Alex Goyette releases in theaters on October 16 via Independent Film Company and Shudder.

In Breeder, “An eccentric poodle breeder lures a broke college student to her remote ranch with a promise of research funding. But, as he soon learns, there’s a catch.”

Daniel Doheny, Dot Marie Jones, Maddie Phillips, and Tanaya Beatty star.

The horror movie made its debut earlier this year at Tribeca. Our review from the festival calls the film one of the year’s biggest surprises and singles out the villainous turn by Dot Marie Jones: “She’s played with such chilling, calculating intensity, even when she’s completely normal. Patti is like Misery’s Annie Wilkes mixed with No Country for Old Men’s Anton Chigurh, and it’s absolutely unforgettable.”

And the trailer has also arrived this morning.

“Breeder is the kind of movie that makes you lean forward and ask, ‘How did they get away with this?’” said Mark Ward of IFC Entertainment Group. “It’s provocative and constantly surprises you just when you think you’ve figured it out. We knew the moment we saw it that audiences will be talking about it long after they leave the theater, and we can’t wait to shock audiences on the big screen later this year.”

With the October release date around the corner, expect to hear more on this one soon.

The post Deranged Poodle ‘Breeder’ Horror Movie Gets Trailer and R Rating For “Disturbing Material” and “Violence” appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

In addition to the gameplay trailer, Deep Silver also dropped details on the METRO 2039 Collector’s Edition, which will be available to pre-order later this year. For the first time in the series’ history, the Collector’s Edition will allow you to become a tangible part of the world with an authentic, beautifully crafted replica of the mysterious Stranger’s battle-scared Spartan helmet.

The Metro has been transformed by a powerful new regime and its leader, the fanatical Spartan leader known as Hunter.  METRO 2039’s protagonist, The Stranger, is consumed with anger and hatred, chastising the Fuhrer for his lies and hypocrisy.  As part of the Spartan Order, Hunter was a legend, a high-ranking, experienced Ranger, who swore to protect the Metro.  What’s left of the Spartan Order as he knew it lies in ruins, and where the Spartans were once considered selfless protectors, The Stranger believes Hunter has become the very enemy the Spartans used to fight.

METRO 2039 aims for a February 2027 launch on the Xbox Series, PlayStation 5, Steam and the Epic Games Store.

The post New ‘METRO 2039’ Trailer Delves Into The Title’s New Protagonist [Watch] appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

It seems that follow-up is finally happening!

In a chat with LA Times, Scott revealed that the long-awaited follow-up is in development, and it’ll continue the exploits of Michael Fassbender‘s David, the android that’s taken a liking to playing god.

Scott tells the outlet that the Covenant sequel will pick up with the curious android creating a “brave new world for himself.” He describes David as a ticking time bomb: “AIs can go off. And if they do, it’s like a bomb.”

Scott’s sequel to Prometheus and Alien: Covenant should answer some big questions raised in the first two parts of his intended trilogy, with Covenant showing us the birth of the very first Xenomorph and revealing their creator and the purpose of their creation, but not yet working its way directly into the back-end of Alien. 

Of course, a lot of time has passed since Covenant released in 2017, so Scott’s initial vision for his trilogy closer might have shifted. 

Covenant ended with the horrifying revelation that David had covertly destroyed and replaced fellow synthetic Walter, also played by Fassbender, aboard the colony ship Covenant. David also revealed to Daniels (Katherine Waterston), as she entered hypersleep, that he smuggled facehuggers aboard.

The Xenomorphs and the Engineers, we can assume, are headed towards a date on LV-426.

Scott is also producing a sequel to Alien: Romulus.

The post Ridley Scott Confirms ‘Alien: Convenant’ Follow-Up Is In Development With Michael Fassbender appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

The rarely-screened gothic horror classic will get a full theatrical release in 2027, followed by a home media release, per their socials. 

Of course, details beyond that remain scarce at this point, but it is expected to be an HD master of the 2000 film. 

In Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust, “In a dark and distant future, when the undead have arisen from apocalyptic ashes, an original story unfolds. Ten thousand years in the future, vampires rule the night. They once ruled outright but their numbers are in decline. Vampire hunters now threaten the vampires with extinction.”

It’s based on the “Demon Deathcase” run of the manga created by writer Hideyuki Kikuchi and artist Yoshitaka Amano in 1983.

It’s described as “An out-and-out surreal dreamscape. The world that we are thrown into is one of wonder. With every new character introduced, we are given the pleasure of discovering a fascinating new supernatural creature to be enamored by,” in Bloody Disgusting’s retrospective. “The mixture of gonzo supernatural elements with blade ballet and immortal acrobatics will entrance you and plant a smile firmly on your face.”

Select Japanese language screenings head to theaters this fall, but expect to hear more about GKIDS’ re-release of Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust in the coming months.

The post Gothic Horror Anime ‘Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust’ To Get 2027 Theatrical and Home Video Release appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.