There are horror anthologies, and then there are horror anthologies assembled by a murderers’ row of genre veterans. Nightmare Cinema unequivocally falls in the latter. In it, five strangers converge at a strange theater where The Projectionist (Mickey Rourke) shows them their darkest, deepest fears over five tales of terror. Each of those tales are directed by a master of horror, new class and old alike, including curator Mick Garris.

Garris’ intent was to showcase genre talent across the globe, and he nailed it- Nightmare Cinema features segments from directors whose previous work hailed from Japan, Cuba, the U.K., and the U.S. After making its world premiere nearly a year ago at the Fantasia International Film Festival, Nightmare Cinema is releasing in limited theaters and VOD today, June 21, 2019.

In celebration, we pay tribute to the five masters of horror responsible for this anthology!

Alejandro Brugués

This Argentinian born director made waves in 2011 with Spanish-Cuban produced zombie comedy Juan of the Dead. Hailed for its political relevancy, harkening back to the zombie roots planted by George A. Romero, as well as its unique atypical heroes and sense of humor, Juan of the Dead was a strong debut in horror for the director. It also happened to be Cuba’s first ever zombie film. Next came Brugués’ segment “E for Equilibrium” in horror anthology ABCs of Death 2, which continued his blend of social commentary and horror-comedy. This was followed by a directorial stint on Robert Rodriguez’s From Dusk till Dawn: The Series.

Brugués work in horror leans toward the humorous, playful side but it also tends to have an underlying social metaphor or message. If you’re still unfamiliar with his work, his latest credit will change that- his segment kickstarts Nightmare Cinema with high-octane energy and a playful spin on slasher tropes. It’s a blast.

Joe Dante

There are no shortage of horror memories thanks to this veteran. He began his film career working for Roger Corman, under whom he directed his first horror feature- the Jaws inspired Piranha. It was well received, and led to his next mark on horror; The Howling. The special effects-laden spectacle set the bar high for lycanthropic horror, still drawing debate today on whether or not it’s the definitive showcase of werewolf horror. Next came a segment Dante directed for Twilight Zone: The Movie, all-time Christmas horror Gremlins, Explorers, The ‘Burbs, Gremlins 2: The New Batch. In recent years he directed The Hole and Burying the Ex.

He was just as busy in television, too, with work in The Twilight Zone ‘80s reboot, Amazing Stories, Eerie, Indiana, and more. Like his segment in Nightmare Cinema, and as evidenced by his body of work in genre, Dante’s style is playful and full of heart. His sense of humor perpetually on display, Dante’s brand of horror tends to be accessible to all.

Ryuhei Kitamura

This Japanese born director first made waves stateside with the gory, action horror film Versus that pit Yakuzas, prisoners, and a kidnapped girl against a horde of zombies. Kitamura infused the lower budget gore fest with homages to his inspirations; The Evil Dead and Highlander. After, he helmed Japanese genre films like Alive, Azumi, Sky High, and Godzilla: Final Wars before making his American feature debut with The Midnight Meat Train, based on Clive Barker’s short story of the same name. Action horror film No One Lives and intense sniper standoff Downrange continued his signature use of no holds barred gore.

With this horror master’s work, you can count on intensity and copious bloodshed. He has a knack for blocking, action, and unrelenting violence that’s addictive. He’s fearless when it comes to breaking taboos. Look for his segment in Nightmare Cinema to do just that; unapologetic, taboo-breaking gore.

David Slade

Of all the horror masters involved with Nightmare Cinema, British director David Slade is the most enigmatic. Coming from a background in music videos, his body of work is the most diverse in terms of style, making him a wildcard in the best possible way. His debut feature was the chilling American thriller Hard Candy, which pit a 14-year-old vigilante against a grown man she suspects of being a sexual predator of minors. As tense as it is unsettling, this bold debut marked him as one to watch. He followed this up with 30 Days of Night, a comic book adaptation that returned vampires to their primal, monstrous roots. Slade wasn’t quite done with vampires, though, as next came The Twilight Saga: Eclipse, showing off the romantic side of the bloodsuckers in this sequel of the mega-popular YA series.

Slade is also responsible for delivering some of the most compelling hours in television, having directed many episodes of Hannibal, American Gods, and Black Mirror. In the genre space, Slade has a strong vision and adaptable style. In Nightmare Cinema, this means Slade’s segment stands out as the most unique and hallucinogenic.

Mick Garris 

Very few directors can match the sheer passion and dedication to horror as Mick Garris. The filmmaker behind beloved gems like Critters 2: The Main Course, Psycho IV: The Beginning, Sleepwalkers, and The Stand, Garris is also a resident Stephen King expert, having closely worked with the prolific author on multiple adaptations of his work. He’s also one of the writers behind Halloween favorite Hocus Pocus.

But more than a genre filmmaker, Garris is a curator of horror talent. After bringing together horror’s best for dinner gatherings, he parlayed that into anthology series Masters of Horror and Fear Itself. On a smaller scale, his ongoing podcast series “Post Mortem with Mick Garris” rotates out many genre filmmakers and stars for intimate one-on-one interviews to detail their horror careers. And it’s continued in Nightmare Cinema, where he’s united five great directors (himself included) to bring another Masters of Horror style anthology.

The entire trajectory of Garris’ career demonstrates his consuming adoration of horror, and a selflessness in boosting other voices- both emerging and long-standing- in the genre. That he approaches it with intelligence, reverence, and sense of fun makes him an all-time horror legend.

Nightmare Cinema arrives on VOD and in limited theaters on June 21, 2019. Opening weekend also brings special screenings with Q&A opportunities:

This Friday night (tonight!) for the 8PM show at the Arena Cinemalounge with Q&A immediately following with Mick Garris, Joe Dante, Alejandro Brugués, and Ryuhei Kitamura.

This Saturday night at The Frida for the 7:30PM show with Q&A immediately following with Mick Garris, Alejandro Brugués, and Ryuhei Kitamura.

Details can be found here.