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Fantasia ’11: Creepy First Images From ‘The Theater Bizarre’

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When the Fantasia International Film Festival returns to set Montreal ablaze this summer, the fantastic film festival – one of the largest and most influential of its kind in the world – will be celebrating its 15th anniversary with an astonishing three weeks showcase of international genre cinema, from July 14th to August 7th, 2011.

The full line-up of over 120 feature films from across the world will be announced in another few weeks. But for now, Fantasia is proud to reveal several juicy teases, one of which stands out: A Gala World Premiere for The Theater Bizarre!

Inside you’ll find the first ever images, along with more information on Severin’s insane new anthology.

Theater Bizarre

On the subject of Canada’s esteemed horror film culture, Fantasia will be the site of the world premiere of the partially-made-in-Quebec (as well as the USA, the UK, Germany and France) anthology film, THE THEATRE BIZARRE (read our set visit). One of the most hotly anticipated genre films of 2011, THEATRE showcases the combined talents of some of the world’s most exciting and iconoclastic fantastic film figures: Richard Stanley (HARDWARE, DUST DEVIL, THE SECRET GLORY), Karim Hussain (SUBCONSCIOUS CRUELTY, LA BELLE BETE, cinematographer of HOBO WITH A SHOTGUN), Douglas Buck (SISTERS, CUTTING MOMENTS), Buddy Giovinazzo (COMBAT SHOCK, LIFE IS HOT IN CRACKTOWN), David Gregory (PLAGUE TOWN, founder of the Severin video label) and Tom Savini (legendary FX artist – CREEPSHOW, DAWN OF THE DEAD, FRIDAY THE 13TH and countless others, director of the 1990 NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD remake and actor in such films as FROM DUSK TILL DAWN, KNIGHTRIDERS and MACHETE).

The Fantasia launch of this film will be a special kind of homecoming. The work of each filmmaker has been showcased at Fantasia over the past 15 years, and the project itself came together in large part at the festival. Further, two of the segments were shot in Montreal (Hussain and Buck are both Montrealers, the former also having been a Fantasia programmer from 1997 to 2001) and much of the post-production was done here as well.

The 15th edition of the Fantasia International Film Festival will take place in Montreal July 14th to August 7th, 2011. For more information about the event, please visit www.fantasiafestival.com.

Theater Bizarre

Theater Bizarre

Horror movie fanatic who co-founded Bloody Disgusting in 2001. Producer on Southbound, V/H/S/2/3/94, SiREN, Under the Bed, and A Horrible Way to Die. Chicago-based. Horror, pizza and basketball connoisseur. Taco Bell daily. Franchise favs: Hellraiser, Child's Play, A Nightmare on Elm Street, Halloween, Scream and Friday the 13th. Horror 365 days a year.

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‘The Exorcism’ Trailer – Russell Crowe Gets Possessed in Meta Horror Movie from Producer Kevin Williamson

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Russell Crowe (The Pope’s Exorcist) is starring in a brand new meta possession horror movie titled The Exorcism, and Vertical has unleashed the official trailer this afternoon.

Vertical has picked up the North American rights to The Exorcism, which they’ll be bringing to theaters on June 7. Shudder is also on board to bring the film home later this year.

Joshua John Miller, who wrote 2015’s The Final Girls and also starred in films including Near Dark and And You Thought Your Parents Were Weird, directed The Exorcism.

Joshua John Miller also wrote the script with M.A. Fortin (The Final Girls). This one is personal for Miller, as his late father was the star of the best possession movie ever made.

Miller said in a statement this week, “The origins of the film stem from my childhood spent watching my father, Jason Miller, playing the doomed Father Karras flinging himself out a window at the climax of The Exorcist. If that wasn’t haunting enough on its own, my dad never shied away from telling me stories of just how “cursed” the movie was: the mysterious fires that plagued the production, the strange deaths, the lifelong injuries— the list went on and on. The lore of any “cursed film” has captivated me ever since.”

“With The Exorcism, we wanted to update the possession movie formula (“Heroic man rescues woman from forces she’s too weak and simple to battle herself!”) for a world where no one group owns goodness and decency over another,” he adds. “We were gifted with an extraordinary cast and creative team to tell a story about how we’re all vulnerable to darkness, to perpetuating it, if we fail to face our demons. The devil may retaliate, but what other choice do we have?”

The film had previously been announced under the title The Georgetown Project.

The Exorcism follows Anthony Miller (Crowe), a troubled actor who begins to unravel while shooting a supernatural horror film. His estranged daughter (Ryan Simpkins) wonders if he’s slipping back into his past addictions or if there’s something more sinister at play.”

Sam Worthington (Avatar: The Way of Water), Chloe Bailey (Praise This), Adam Goldberg (The Equalizer) and David Hyde Pierce (Frasier) also star.

Of particular note, Kevin Williamson (Scream, Sick) produced The Exorcism.

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