Directed by Girl on the Third Floor’s Travis Stevens, Jakob’s Wife also stars Larry Fessenden as Pastor Jakob Fedder, Bonnie Aarons, Robert Rusler, Nyesha Bell, and C.M. Punk. The horror-comedy follows Anne Fedder (Crampton), a doting, supportive wife that does everything her minister husband expects of her. Decades of routine have dampened both Anne’s marriage and her passion for life. That changes when an old flame comes back in town, leading to an encounter with “The Master” that instills a newfound hunger in Anne for life as well as blood. That empowerment comes with a body count.

Jakob’s Wife releases in theaters and on VOD platforms April 16, 2021, and it will arrive on Shudder later this year. In anticipation, we celebrate Crampton’s horror legacy through some of her most well-regarded roles.

Re-Animator – Megan Halsey

Crampton’s first major horror role also marks the first of many collaborations with horror master Stuart Gordon. She played Megan Halsey, daughter of the Miskatonic University dean and significant love interest to protagonist Dan (Bruce Abbott). Everyday life gets upended thanks to the arrival of Dan’s new roommate, Herbert West (Jeffrey Combs), who drags everyone into his experiments that revive the dead. Megan is strong-willed and level-headed. She’s the first to voice suspicions over West. Poor Megan also fairs the worst by West’s presence, losing her father and falling prey to the lecherous Dr. Carl Hill (David Gale). Crampton instantly engenders sympathy for her character and demonstrates fearlessness in her approach to the role.

Chopping Mall – Suzie Lynn

Suzie Lynn is the co-worker and close friend to final girl Alison Parks (Kelli Maroney). The pair decide to stay overnight in a mall furniture store with a group of friends, only to run afoul of some security bots on the fritz. Crampton imbues Suzie with a party-going spirit befitting of the teen character. Suzie just wants to have fun, but when it’s clear that these killer bots aren’t letting anyone off the hook, Suzie doesn’t cope very well. Just like your average teen. It’s clear Crampton is having a ball in this role along with her castmates.

From Beyond – Dr. Katherine McMichaels

Crampton reunites with Stuart and Combs for another gooey take on a Lovecraft tale. This time she plays the obsessed doctor willing to risk all for science’s sake. Dr. Katherine takes Dr. Crawford (Combs) in custody back to the home that saw the murder of Dr. Pretorius (Ted Sorel) and has him assist in rebuilding the machine that allows them to see an alternate dimension. The more the gateway opens, the more dangerous it gets as creatures get released into their reality. Crampton once again delivers a spirited performance that allows her to explore the femme fatale, damsel, and final girl archetypes all rolled into one. Dr. Katherine is an assertive type that suffers no fools. She’s also prone to significant mistakes that get people killed.

Castle Freak – Susan Reilly

Reuniting Gordon, Combs, Lovecraft, and Crampton once more, Castle Freak offers a more intimate domestic nightmare. After inheriting a castle, John Reilly (Combs) moves his wife and blind daughter (Jessica Dollarhide) overseas to visit. The plan is to stay until they can sell it, but their stay turns into a fight for their lives thanks to a mysterious castle dweller. Crampton goes full protective mama bear as Susan. Susan holds apparent resentment toward her husband for his past alcoholism that led to their son’s death and cost their daughter her sight. The actress ensures that while her character remains icy toward John throughout, you still empathize.

You’re Next – Aubrey Davison

After a lengthy hiatus from acting, Crampton’s appearance in You’re Next marked the beginning of a significant Crampton renaissance. She’d stepped away from acting and raised her children, but director Adam Wingard lured her back for his darkly comedic home invasion movie. In it, Crampton plays the Davison matriarch. A warm yet fragile mother to four grown children that bicker and fight at every turn. Aubrey descends into near-catatonic hysterics upon losing one of her children and falls prey to the masked assailants soon after. Her brief, notable performance left a lingering impression.

We Are Still Here – Anne Sacchetti

Ted Geoghegan’s ’70s set haunted house chiller stars Crampton as a mother still deep in the grip of grief. After losing their son in a car accident, Paul Sacchetti (Andrew Sensenig) and his wife Anne moved to a rural New England home for a fresh start. Paul hopes it will alleviate Anne’s deep depression. Instead, Anna starts to insist their son’s spirit inhabits their home. She even reaches out to friends, one of which is played by Larry Fessenden, to contact his ghost. Of course, this house hosts multiple spirits, and they’re hungry for blood. Anne’s enduring love propels the narrative forward, and Crampton capably provides the emotional center.

Beyond the Gates – Evelyn

Crampton channels the incredible intensity of Barbara Steele as the host of the mysterious VCR board game “Beyond the Gates.” As Evelyn commands and guides the lead characters through a deadly game that bleeds over into reality, there’s an almost inhuman quality to her mannerisms. Evelyn’s pure authority, casting an unblinking gaze upon the players. Evelyn presents an alluring host to the board game on a surface level, but Crampton infuses a subtle menace simmering just beneath the surface. Something is very off about Evelyn, and the entire game, for that matter.

Jakob’s Wife – Anne Fedder

Crampton commands the entire movie with her turn as Anne. She begins as a bored housewife but slowly transforms thanks to a vampire affliction. Anne’s exploration of vampirism and all of its side effects gives fantastic comedic material for Crampton to chew, and it’s clear she’s having a blast doing it. It’s a meaty, gender-swapped role that any actor would covet, offering drama, comedy, and a whole lot of carnage. Crampton sinks her teeth in fully, pun intended. Jakob’s Wife is a passion project for Crampton, who saw this project to completion from the ground up as a producer. Anne makes for an exciting benchmark in Crampton’s steady path as a trailblazer in horror.

See Crampton bite into Jakob’s Wife on April 16, in theaters and VOD.

The post Barbara Crampton’s Horror Legacy From ‘Re-Animator’ to ‘Jakob’s Wife’ appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

These eight movies raise the stakes of game night, transforming a night of fun into a night of deadly terror. The object of most games is to win, but the games in these horror movies are rigged to slaughter. Odds for survival are minimal…

Mindhunters

Experienced profiler and instructor Jake Harris (Val Kilmer) likes to use simulation to train his FBI students. He takes them to a small island, where he’s created an elaborate town rigged with dummies, mechanized crime scenes, elaborate sets, props, and more, all so his students can test their profiling skills by playing out a serial killer simulator. They’re isolated and trapped on the island for the duration of the test. The only hitch, though, is that someone has tampered with Harris’s simulation, placing an actual murderer into the mix. Paranoia breaks out as the erstwhile profilers start dying. Also starring L.L. Cool J, Christian Slater, Johnny Lee Miller, Kathryn Morris, and Clifton Collins Jr., Mindhunters makes for an overlooked surprise.

Escape Room

The rise of escape rooms meant that it was likely inevitable that horror would eventually set its sights on the popular group puzzle solving activity. Director Adam Robitel and production designer Edward Thomas did just that, crafting an intricately themed escape room for six strangers that have unwittingly entered into a deadly game. From burning hot lobby rooms to inverted pool halls to snowy cabins with icy lakes – and despite the very high stakes involved for the players – the set pieces are so extravagant that you can’t help but wish you could play an escape room like this. Though the characters dying in these rooms would likely disagree.

Beyond the Gates

From the mid-80s to the early nineties, the height of VHS’s dominance in home media spilled over into gaming. It became a common trend to see VCR editions of popular board games or all-new games created around a themed tape. For horror aficionados, Atmosfear (aka The Nightmare) reigned supreme. Jackson Stewart’s Beyond the Gates crafts an endearing horror movie about estranged siblings, using the VCR board game as the gory vehicle by which these brothers work through their inner demons and familial strife. Gordon (Graham Skipper) and John Hardesty (Chase Williamson) discover “Beyond the Gates” while cleaning out their missing father’s video store. Once they hit play, the game’s master Evelyn (Barbara Crampton) guides them through a nightmarish quest for survival. While the body count is relatively low, the deaths can be gruesome. Moreover, Beyond the Gates embraces its ’80s VCR board game so thoroughly that it plays out like a stylized nostalgic hug.

Brainscan

Lonely horror fan Michael (Edward Furlong) immediately sends away for the hot new CD-Rom game “Brainscan” the moment he hears about it. He ignores initial gameplay warnings and submerses himself in the game, allowing the game’s Trickster (T. Ryder Smith) to guide him through acting like a serial killer and slaughtering victims in gruesome ways. The only problem is that these murders seem to occur in the real world, as well. The technology involved is long past dated, and the Smith’s performance as the Trickster takes scene-chewing to another level. Then again, this is a horror-comedy, and there’s still plenty of fun to be had in this mind-bending ’90s cult fave. 

Stay Alive

Anyone who dares to play the console game “Stay Alive” winds up dead. After the death of their friend, Loomis (Milo Ventimiglia), a group goes through his belongings, discovers the game, and decides to play together in his memory. They don’t realize that they’ve just invited the game’s villain, the Countess Elizabeth Bathory, to cross over into their world to murder them. The key to stopping her is within the game’s mythology, meaning they have to keep playing. It’s a video game-styled slasher movie, essentially. The rules of Bathory and the game change and evolve, and the kill count isn’t always in the order expected. Stay Alive seems tailor-made for horror video game fans.

As the Gods Will

Move over Battle Royale; Takashi Miike’s manga adaptation doesn’t just center around one high school class forced to play a deadly game, but an entire high school. Teen Shun Takahata is a huge fan of violent video games and wishes his real-life matched the same level of thrills the games give him. It seems some omnipotent being heard his wish and grants it by subjecting his school to a series of deadly games. Each one is as increasingly bizarre as they are violent. This is a video game played out in movie form, by way of Miike’s warped mind. It’s gory, bonkers, and, above all, it’s highly entertaining. Don’t expect a whole lot of explanation behind the zany madness, though.

eXistenZ

In the near future, virtual reality game consoles have evolved past traditional electronic systems. Gamers plug into alternate realities that blur the line between fiction and fact through bio-ports surgically inserted into their spines. Game developers are worshiped as celebrities. While demonstrating her latest game, Allegra (Jennifer Jason Leigh) is nearly killed by assassins, and her only copy of the game possibly damaged in the process. Allegra and her ally Ted Pikul (Jude Law) test the extent of the damage by entering into the game’s world, leaving them vulnerable and exposed to dangers both inside and outside. Leave it to David Cronenberg to offer a dizzying, layered examination of our relationship with video games, with his trademark body horror, too. It’s twisty, complex, and thrilling. 

Ready or Not

Grace (Samara Weaving) thinks her new in-laws are a bit eccentric when they reveal their family tradition; any new addition to the family by marriage must participate in a family game night. A card pulled from a box selects the game. For many, it’s a harmless game like “Old Maid,” but Grace draws the only game that incites violence- “Hide and Seek.” Grace must hide within the mansion while the entire Le Domas clan seeks her out to sacrifice before dawn. Directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett hearken back to the simpler days of game night and give it a riotous horror twist. Weaving, as always, steals the film. Family game night, or “hide and seek” for that matter, has never been as cut throat as it is here.

The post When Game Night Gets Bloody: 8 of the Deadliest Games in Horror appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Stewart told the podcast Scream Addicts back in February…

“I am writing a sequel to Beyond the Gates, which will definitely take some cues from A Nightmare on Elm Street 4. It’s a little bit of a different story and kind of changes up some things. It’s definitely bigger scale, and a little bit more in the vein of the ’80s paranoia horror movies like The Stuff and Society, and even the ’70s Invasion of the Body Snatchers.”

It’s interesting that Stewart compared his Beyond the Gates sequel to Society, because we’ve just learned that the film’s director, Brian Yuzna, is on board to produce!

“I’ve been working with Brian [Yuzna] pretty closely on the story for that, and it’s just been absolutely delightful,” Stewart told the Pure Cinema podcast. “Basically I would be back directing it and Barbara [Crampton] and Jesse [Merlin] would be in it, but it would be like a period piece so there probably wouldn’t be any other carry-over from the other cast [except for] maybe like an end credits tag or something.”

Brian Yuzna’s other directorial efforts include Bride of Re-Animator, Return of the Living Dead III, The Dentist and Beyond Re-Animator.

Thanks to Modern Horrors for the heads up!

The post Brian Yuzna is Producing ‘Beyond the Gates’ Sequel appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Earlier this month, Scream Factory released director Jackson Stewart’s throwback horror flick Beyond The Gates (read our review) on DVD and Blu-ray. The film, which stars a brilliantly cast Barbara Crampton as the host of a VHS board game from the ’80s, would probably best be enjoyed on, well, VHS, and we’re happy to report that you can now experience that pleasure.

The folks over at Lo-Fi Video have just offered up a limited batch of a mere 50 VHS copies of Beyond the Gates, which come on a purple tape. You can grab one for $30 while they last!

Thanks to Lunchmeat for the heads up!

Featuring horror legend Barbara Crampton (Re-Animator, From Beyond), Beyond the Gates is a retro-cool tale of hex, dies, and videotape from director Jackson Stewart.

After their father’s unexplained disappearance, two estranged brothers – responsible Gordon (Graham Skipper) and reckless John (Chase Williamson) – reunite to sift through the contents of his stubbornly anachronistic VHS rental store. Among the inventory, they find an old interactive VCR board game. Intrigued, the brothers pop in the tape… and soon discover that this video is no ordinary game, but a portal to a nightmarish alternate reality, one with deadly consequences for anyone who dares to press ‘play.’

Matt Mercer (Contracted), Justin Welborn (FX’s “Justified”, The Signal, V/H/S/ Viral), Henry LeBlanc (“The Tonight Show with Jay Leno”), Jesse Merlin (FDR: American Badass), David Bruckner (co-director of V/H/S, The Signal), Sara Malakul Lane (Kickboxer: Vengeance, Sunchoke) and Pierson Ryan (“Red Team Go”) round out the cast.

The post You Can Now Buy ‘Beyond the Gates’ on VHS! appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

The first week of May releases have arrived! Not a ton of new stuff,  but some good stuff. Garagehouse Pictures gives us another long lost film with their release of The Dismembered, Mille Creek brings Spacehunter to Blu and Streets of Fire gets some Shout Select love, and that’s just stateside! The UK and Australia have some quality new releases as well, including 4 new region B releases from 88 Films. Not bad for the first week of the month!

US Releases

Galaxy of Horrors (IndiaCan Entertainment, Region A)

Synopsis:
Trapped in a damaged cryogenic pod, a man is forced to watch a series of horrific science-fiction tales while his life support systems run out. Featuring eight intense stories of the unknown and other-worldly, equally wonderful and terrifying. Visit the GALAXY OF HORRORS, if you dare! Curated from Rue Morgue & Unstable Ground’s Little Terrors Festival.

The Dismembered (Garagehouse Pictures, Region A)

Synopsis:
After a daring jewelry heist, a trio of thieves hold up in an old dark house inhabited by a motley bunch of restless ghosts that only want to dispatch their new guests in the most horrible manner possible – that is if they can get to them before the spirits of an unruly group of dismembered corpses from the nearby cemetery!

Spacehunter: Adventures in the Forbidden Zone (Mill Creek, Region A)

Synopsis:
Three women makes an emergency landing on a planet plagued with a fatal disease, but are captured by dictator Overdog. Adventurer Wolff goes there to rescue them and meets Niki, the only Earthling left from a medical expedition. Combining their talents, they try to rescue the women.

Rings (Paramount, Region A)

Synopsis:
Julia becomes worried about her boyfriend, Holt, when he explores the dark urban legend of a mysterious video said to kill the watcher seven days after viewing. She sacrifices herself to save her boyfriend and in doing so makes a horrifying discovery: there is a “movie within the movie” that no one has ever seen before.

Virus (Scream Factory, Region A)

Synopsis:
When a typhoon cripples their boat, the crew sails into the eye of the storm, where they discover a high-tech Russian communications and research vessel adrift. Only one Russian crew member is still alive, raving about “intelligent lightning.” They soon discover that an alien life form has taken over the ship’s computers and is churning out mechanical warriors. With their own boat destroyed, the crew must battle the creature as the ship reenters the storm.

Beyond the Gates (Scream Factory, Region A)

Synopsis:
Two estranged brothers reunite at their missing father’s video store to liquidate the property and sell off his assets. As they dig through the store, they find a VCR board game dubbed ‘Beyond The Gates’ that holds a connection to their father’s disappearance and deadly consequences for anyone who plays it.

The Autopsy of Jane Doe (Scream Factory, Wal-Mart Exclusive, Region A)

Synopsis:
Tommy and Austin Tilden run a morgue and a crematorium in Virginia. One day, the local sheriff brings them a body that they’ve nicknamed Jane Doe and that was found in a basement. Father and won will soon discover that the new job isn’t purely routine and that, even though the body itself is intact, Jane Doe’s insides have been violently messed with, quite possibly a victim of a terrible ritualistic force.

Streets of Fire (Shout Select, Region A)

Synopsis:
Rock and Roll singer is taken captive by a motorcycle gang in a strange world that seems to be a cross of the 1950’s and the present or future. Her ex-boyfriend returns to town and to find her missing and goes to her rescue.

The Dismembered (Garagehouse Pictures, Region A)

Synopsis:
After a daring jewelry heist, a trio of thieves hold up in an old dark house inhabited by a motley bunch of restless ghosts that only want to dispatch their new guests in the most horrible manner possible – that is if they can get to them before the spirits of an unruly group of dismembered corpses from the nearby cemetery!

UK Releases

The Package (88 Films, Region B)

Synopsis:
Ranger Sergeant Boyette (Tommy Lee Jones) is a prisoner entrusted to Green Beret Sergeant Gallagher (Gene Hackman) for transportation back to the United States. Boyette escapes and Gallagher must find him. In doing so, Gallagher and his ex-wife become involved in a political assignation plot that he must stop to put their lives back in order.

Navajo Joe (88 Films, Region B)

Synopsis:
A sole survivor of a bloody massacre vows revenge on his attackers.

Eliminators (88 Films, Region B)

Synopsis:
As part of their experiments in time travel, Drs. Reeves and Takada construct a cyborg “Mandroid” with the body of a downed pilot. After the success of the initial experiments, Reeves decides to have the Mandroid scrapped. Not wishing to be taken apart, Mandroid flees with the help of Dr. Takeda, who is killed for his disobedience. Distraught by the death of his one friend, the Mandroid goes north to America in search of someone who can help him in getting revenge and stopping Dr. Reeves in whatever evil plan he intends to use his time machine for.

The Mercenary (88 Films, Region B)

Synopsis:
A greedy Polish mercenary aids a mine worker and a peasent girl as they lead a revolution against the opressive Mexican Government and Army, while being pursued by an American rival.

Australia Releases

Shivers (Via Vision Entertainment, Region B)

Synopsis:
The residents of a suburban high-rise apartment building are being infected by a strain of parasites that turn them into mindless, sex-crazed fiends out to infect others by the slightest sexual contact.

Idle Hands (Umbrella Entertainment, Region B)

Synopsis:
The devil will find work for idle hands to do…but what happens when he chooses the laziest teen slacker in the world to do his dirty work? Anton Tobias (Devon Sawa, Wild America) is a channel-surfing, junk-food munching, couch potato burn-out who can’t control the murderous impulses of his recently possessed hand. With the help of his zombiefied buddies, Mick (Seth Green, Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me) and Pnub (Elden Henson, The Mighty), Anton’s got to stop the rampaging devil appendage before it takes total control of his life and ruins any chance he has with class hottie Molly (Jessica Alba, Never Been Kissed). Vivica A. Fox (Independence Day) and Jack Noseworthy (The Brady Bunch Movie) co-star in this wickedly funny horror comedy.

Torture Garden (Via Vision Entertainment, Region B)

Synopsis:
Anthology film from Amicus adapted from four short stories by Robert Bloch strung together about a fairground sideshow run by the sinister Dr. Diabolo and the shears of the female deity Atropos. Stories include “Terror Over Hollywood”, “Mr. Steinway”, “Enoch” and “The Man Who Collected Poe”…

The post New to Blu – Week of 5/2/2017 appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Filled with gory fun, this love letter to the VHS Golden Age of home video contains a number of bonus features, including audio commentaries with director Jackson Stewart, actress Barbara Crampton and the cast and crew, a behind-the-scenes featurette, deleted scenes, the theatrical trailer, and a retro-style Beyond The Gates commercial (see below).

After their father’s unexplained disappearance, two estranged brothers – responsible Gordon (Graham Skipper) and reckless John (Chase Williamson) – reunite to sift through the contents of his stubbornly anachronistic VHS rental store. Among the inventory, they find an old interactive VCR board game. Intrigued, the brothers pop in the tape… and soon discover that this video is no ordinary game, but a portal to a nightmarish alternate reality, one with deadly consequences for anyone who dares to press ‘play.’

Featuring horror legend Barbara Crampton (Re-Animator, From Beyond), Beyond the Gates is a retro-cool tale of hex, dies, and videotape from director Jackson Stewart.

Matt Mercer (Contracted), Justin Welborn (FX’s “Justified”, The Signal, V/H/S/ Viral), Henry LeBlanc (“The Tonight Show with Jay Leno”), Jesse Merlin (FDR: American Badass), David Bruckner (co-director of V/H/S, The Signal), Sara Malakul Lane (Kickboxer: Vengeance, Sunchoke) and Pierson Ryan (“Red Team Go”) round out the cast.

Beyond The Gates Bonus Features
· Audio commentaries with director Jackson Stewart, actress Barbara Crampton and the cast and crew
· Behind the scenes featurette
· Deleted Scenes
· Theatrical Trailer
· Retro-style Beyond The Gates commercial

The post ‘Beyond the Gates’ Converted to DVD and Blu-ray appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

There are so many horror movies released every year that it’s simply impossible to watch every single one of them in a timely fashion. One of the ones released last year that I’ve been excited to see but haven’t yet had the chance to check out is writer/director Jackson Stewart’s Beyond the Gates, which stars Barbara Crampton and draws upon heaps of glorious ’80s nostalgia.

Our own Kalyn Corrigan loved the film, calling it a “wickedly fun little trip down memory lane, back to the good ‘ol days of ’80s cult classics like The Gate, The Beyond, and Re-Animator.”

Did you see it? Did you have a blast with it? Are you ready for a sequel? Speaking with the podcast Scream Addicts, Stewart just revealed that he’s currently working on the script!

I am writing a sequel to Beyond the Gates, which will definitely take some cues from A Nightmare on Elm Street 4. It’s a little bit of a different story and kind of changes up some things. It’s definitely bigger scale, and a little bit more in the vein of the ’80s paranoia horror movies like The Stuff and Society, and even the ’70s Invasion of the Body Snatchers. It would be focusing on John from the previous movie. He has a new girlfriend in the mix; probably going to be [played by] Alex Essoe or Jocelin Donahue, someone cool like that.

In the first film, “two estranged brothers reunite seven months after their father’s disappearance to liquidate his anemic video store. While there, they unearth an old VCR board game that acts as an inter-dimensional hub to a nightmare world where their Father’s soul is trapped and can only be saved by playing the game. The film is an adventure horror that pays loving tribute to the VHS format, video stores, and board games of the era.”

The post Director Says He’s Working On ‘Beyond the Gates’ Sequel; Plot Details appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

This is going to be a rad evening, I can guarantee you that. FilmBar is one of my favorite theaters in the entire world. It’s a cool little joint with nice vibes that is always playing the most interesting films from cult classics to newer indie darlings. No matter what you end up seeing at FilmBar you’re sure to have a one-of-a-kind experience. And if you’re not looking to see a movie FilmBar is just a really cool place to hang out and grab a drink. If you live in Phoenix you should be going here on a regular basis. If you’re ever visiting Phoenix you should make it a point to stop by.

And then you have the movie, which we all know is awesome. Seriously if you haven’t seen Beyond the Gates yet what are you waiting for? What are you waiting for?! It’s so much fun and such a loving nod to VHS board games. That Stewart guy, he’s going places!

Then there’s the VHS Tape Swap which is just a really cool added bonus and totally fits with the film. VHS Tape Swaps are always exciting because you never know what you’re going to find. Even if you’re not into collected VHS you’re likely to find something really cool. Go geek out and have a good time!

Seven months after their alcoholic father’s disappearance, estranged brothers Gordon and John Hardesty reunite to liquidate their Dad’s anemic video store. Soon after, they unearth an old VCR board game that acts as an inter-dimensional hub to a nightmare world where their Father’s soul is trapped and can only be saved by playing the game. The film is a horror adventure that pays loving tribute to the VHS format, 1980’s horror movies and board games of the era.

FilmBar is located at 815 N. 2nd St, Phoenix, AZ 85004 on Roosevelt Row in downtown Phoenix. Tickets can be purchased here.

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A poster is the best marketing tool for a film outside of its trailer. When I was a kid (before the days when posters were plastered all over the internet), I used to get to the movie theater 45 minutes early so I would have time to walk the halls and look at all of the posters for the coming attractions. There’s just something so fun about looking at posters and horror films arguably have the best ones. This year saw some particularly creative posters get released, so I’ve put together a list of some of my favorites. With that being said, here are 10 of the best posters for horror films released this year!*

*Keep in mind that this is a judgment on the poster only. The quality of the movie has nothing to do with the posters included on this list.

10. 10 Cloverfield Lane

The marketing team being Dan Trachtenberg’s 10 Cloverfield Lane deserves an award for their efforts. After keeping the film’s true identity a secret for so long (its working title was Valencia) the surprise trailer was released a mere two months before the film was. The poster take the minimalist approach, using the slight imagery of a house on top of black space to allude to the isolation Michelle (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) feels in the film.

9. The Shallows

Simplicity is the name of the game in the poster for The Shallows, which highlights a fear-inducing point-of-view shot from a shark. It makes no qualms about ripping off a similar shot from Steven Spielberg’s Jaws. The tagline is pretty clever (and very literal) as well, considering that the film was initially titled In the Deep.

8. The Neon Demon

The poster for Nicolas Winding Refn’s The Neon Demon is a lot like the film itself: not a lot of substance but it’s very pretty to look at. Look how it sparkles!

7. Nina Forever

It’s easy to appreciate when a poster is upfront and honest with you about the movie it is advertising. This risqué poster for the British horror comedy Nina Forever does just that. It is most definitely a “fucked up fairy tale.” You’ve got to admire its candor.

6. Lights Out

Do you detect a trend in the types of posters that I like? The poster for David F. Sandberg’s Lights Out features the simple image of a light switch secured to the on position with duct tape. Do you need to know anything else about the film? Nope.

Up Next: The 5 Best Horror Movie Posters of 2016!

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“In Beyond the Gates, two estranged brothers reunite seven months after their father’s disappearance to liquidate his anemic video store. While there, they unearth an old VCR board game that acts as an inter-dimensional hub to a nightmare world where their Father’s soul is trapped and can only be saved by playing the game.”

Described as throwback paranormal movie in the spirit of horror classics such as Phantasm, The Beyond, and Poltergeist, the film stars horror icon Barbara Crampton (Re-Animator, From Beyond, Sun Choke, You’re Next), as well as Graham Skipper (Almost Human, The Mind’s Eye), Chase Williamson (Siren, The Guest), and Brea Grant (Halloween 2, “Heroes”).

Before we dive into our chat with Jackson, here’s an exclusive clip in which Graham and Chase turn a key and blow a dude’s brains all over themselves…

JACKSON STEWART INTERVIEW

BLOODY DISGUSTING: Where did the concept of a haunted board game come from?

JACKSON STEWART (JS): My co-writer Stephen Scarlata (Jodorowsky’s Dune), had this idea about a VCR board game that leads to another dimension and I thought it was pretty brilliant. A lot of what we used in the movie was riffing on ‘Nightmare’ and ‘Clue’.

BLOODY DISGUSTING: How did Barbara Crampton come aboard?

JS: I met Barbara back at a performance of Re-Animator the Musical in 2011. We became fast friends and was interested in producing. She read it, loved it and came on pretty quickly after that. Needless to say, for someone who grew up watching Re-Animator, it was a dream come true. I wanted to stay in the constraints of how movies were made in the 1980s as best we could, so if something could be done on set, we’d have to do it that way rather than worry about it in post. It presented a lot of technical issues operating off a huge console TV and timing out her lines with the other actors. As far as fun stories, I can’t think of too many other than she’s a huge morale boost on set. Everyone was always really happy and excited to have her around when she was available.

BLOODY DISGUSTING: Who designed the board game? Is it playable?

JS: Brendan Wiuff who works for Neversoft (the people who made the Tony Hawk games) and he also did a huge chunk of the work on the poster. He’s insanely talented. As far as the game goes, we didn’t record enough footage with Barbara to make it playable but I have some ideas how to do that if we can get back together soon.

BLOODY DISGUSTING: Is the film an homage or throwback to any films in particular?

JS: The three biggest ones are The Gate, Phantasm and The Beyond. There’s traces of Poltergeist, Gates Of Hell, House by the Cemetery, and From Beyond as well. I wanted to take the things I liked about those movies while trying to tell a new, somewhat more modern story without directly lifting setpieces from those movies. Hopefully that comes through.

BLOODY DISGUSTING: What films inspired you as a first time filmmaker?

JS: The Gate was a big one. There’s a few more oddball influences in there like Buffalo 66, The Ipcress File, Straw Dogs, Black Narcissus, Black Sunday and The Onion Field. Those are pretty subtle.

BLOODY DISGUSTING: Can you talk about the cinematography, especially the cool lighting in the third act?

JS: Basically, we wanted to start things off in a more naturalistic style and introduce the backlight, blue night time lighting you see in movies like Poltergeist and Renny Harlin’s Prison before finally reaching this blue/purple amalgam that should feel like stepping directly into the neon 1980s. All of our camera moves were done on a dolly and we had a steadfast rule of no steadicam or modern camerawork. The whole lighting scheme is tied together in the opening titles.

BLOODY DISGUSTING: You have a couple of sweet gore gags in there too (see above video), who did them for you and how did that go?

JS: Josh and Sierra Russell — they’re a husband and wife team and I’m such a huge fan of their work. They did Dave Bruckner’s segment in Southbound and Padraig Reynolds Devils Dolls which has some rad gore too. Our big one was the exploding head which we started talking about six months before shooting the movie and they did an amazing job on that. I am so proud of how their work came out in the movie. Everyone should work with them.

BLOODY DISGUSTING: What’s next?

JS: I have a project called The Day After Halloween that I am working on with Zach Hagen of He Never Died and Mia Chang from It Follows that we are close to getting financed. There’s also some interest in a sequel to Beyond The Gates where John, Chase Williamson’s character, would come to the forefront along with his new girlfriend — that’s a little more in the vein of paranoia movies from the 1980s like The Stuff and Society. Barbara Crampton and Jesse Merlin will definitely be in that.

The post [Interview] Jackson Stewart Delivers Retro Gore in ‘Beyond the Gates’ appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Described as throwback paranormal movie in the spirit of horror classics such as Phantasm, The Beyond, and Poltergeist, the film also stars Graham Skipper (Almost Human, The Mind’s Eye), Chase Williamson (SiREN, The Guest), and Brea Grant (Halloween 2, “Heroes”).

“In Beyond the Gates, two estranged brothers reunite seven months after their father’s disappearance to liquidate his anemic video store. While there, they unearth an old VCR board game that acts as an inter-dimensional hub to a nightmare world where their Father’s soul is trapped and can only be saved by playing the game. The film is an adventure horror that pays loving tribute to the VHS format, video stores, and board games of the era.”

IFC Midnight acquired the film ahead of the fest after its premiere at the Los Angeles Film Festival earlier this summer. Kalyn Corrigan was at the premiere and offered her thoughts in this review:

‘Beyond the Gates’ is a wickedly fun little trip down memory lane, back into the good ‘ol days of 1980s cult classics, like ‘The Gate’, ‘The Beyond’, and ‘Re-Animator’. Its light and playful atmosphere makes it not only one of the most enjoyable films to play at the Los Angeles Film Festival thus far, but also a film that clearly can be watched over and over again, specifically at home, on the couch with friends, a bowl of popcorn, and the lights dimmed.

Matt Mercer (Contracted), Justin Welborn (FX’s “Justified”, The Signal, V/H/S/ Viral), Henry LeBlanc (“The Tonight Show with Jay Leno”), Jesse Merlin (FDR: American Badass), David Bruckner (co-director of V/H/S, The Signal), Sara Malakul Lane (Kickboxer: Vengeance, Sunchoke) and Pierson Ryan (“Red Team Go”) round out the cast.

Stewart co-wrote the screenplay with Stephen Scarlata (Jodorowsky’s Dune). Destroy All Entertainment’s Amanda Mortimer produced alongside Barbara Crampton.

The post ‘Beyond the Gates’ Gets an Electric Must-see Retro Trailer! appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

IFC Midnight acquired the film ahead of the fest after its premiere at the Los Angeles Film Festival earlier this summer. Kalyn Corrigan was at the premiere and offered her thoughts in this review:

‘Beyond the Gates’ is a wickedly fun little trip down memory lane, back into the good ‘ol days of 1980s cult classics, like ‘The Gate’, ‘The Beyond’, and ‘Re-Animator’. Its light and playful atmosphere makes it not only one of the most enjoyable films to play at the Los Angeles Film Festival thus far, but also a film that clearly can be watched over and over again, specifically at home, on the couch with friends, a bowl of popcorn, and the lights dimmed.

“In Beyond the Gates, two estranged brothers reunite seven months after their father’s disappearance to liquidate his anemic video store. While there, they unearth an old VCR board game that acts as an inter-dimensional hub to a nightmare world where their Father’s soul is trapped and can only be saved by playing the game. The film is an adventure horror that pays loving tribute to the VHS format, video stores, and board games of the era.”

Described as throwback paranormal movie in the spirit of horror classics such as Phantasm, The Beyond, and Poltergeist, the film stars horror icon Barbara Crampton (Re-Animator, From Beyond, Sun Choke, You’re Next), as well as Graham Skipper (Almost Human, The Mind’s Eye), Chase Williamson (Siren, The Guest), and Brea Grant (Halloween 2, “Heroes”).

Matt Mercer (Contracted), Justin Welborn (FX’s “Justified”, The Signal, V/H/S/ Viral), Henry LeBlanc (“The Tonight Show with Jay Leno”), Jesse Merlin (FDR: American Badass), David Bruckner (co-director of V/H/S, The Signal), Sara Malakul Lane (Kickboxer: Vengeance, Sunchoke) and Pierson Ryan (“Red Team Go”) round out the cast.

Stewart co-wrote the screenplay with Stephen Scarlata (Jodorowsky’s Dune). Destroy All Entertainment’s Amanda Mortimer produced alongside Barbara Crampton.

The post ‘Beyond the Gates’ Images Load Up a Classic Board Game appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Two estranged brothers reunite seven months after their father’s disappearance to liquidate his anemic video store. While there, they unearth an old VCR board game that acts as an inter-dimensional hub to a nightmare world where their Father’s soul is trapped and can only be saved by playing the game. The film is an adventure horror that pays loving tribute to the VHS format, video stores, and board games of the era.

Directed by Jackson Stewart, Beyond the Gates stars Graham Skipper (Almost Human, The Mind’s Eye), Chase Williamson (John Dies at the End, Sire, The Guest), Brea Grant (Halloween II, “Heroes”), and Barbara Crampton (You’re Next, Re-animator).

Matt Mercer (Contracted), Justin Welborn (FX’s “Justified”, The Signal, V/H/S/ Viral), Henry LeBlanc (“The Tonight Show with Jay Leno”), Jesse Merlin (FDR: American Badass), David Bruckner (co-director of V/H/S, The Signal), Sara Malakul Lane (Kickboxer: Vengeance, Sunchoke) and Pierson Ryan (“Red Team Go”) round out the cast.

Stewart co-wrote the screenplay with Stephen Scarlata (Jodorowsky’s Dune). Destroy All Entertainment’s Amanda Mortimer produced alongside Barbara Crampton.

The post ‘Beyond the Gates’ Trailer Ushers in a Board Game From Hell appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

The Brooklyn Horror Film Festival splashed onto the scene this past week with a lot of admirable efforts coming out of the festival. The three-day long programming schedule seemed to take a priority towards highlighting horror from other countries and facilitating the premieres of lesser known endeavors rather than filling a schedule with wide releases that will be coming to your local theater soon enough anyway. The Brooklyn Horror Film Festival worked hard to cater towards creating a chameleon of a line-up that indulges in all the different facets of horror that make the genre so rich and satisfying in the first place. In addition to the strong features that BHFF had on display, just as much of an impression was made with their impressive line-up of horror shorts. Some of the content in these shorts arguably affected me more than anything else in the festival, with selections from across the globe as well as within Brooklyn featuring a wealth of talent on display. There was a lot to get excited about at BHFF, but here are five of the most powerful films (and three shorts) from the festival that you need to put on your radar and keep an eye out for.

Child Eater
Directed by: Erlingur Óttar Thoroddsen

Thoroddsen hits the scene with a very moving picture that’s just as much a haunted fairy tale as it is a horror film. Child Eater beautifully taps into the all-too-real fears that we all experience involving the shadows in our rooms or what’s hiding in the unknown darkness of our closets or basement. Our protagonist, Lucas, is constantly seen leaning into empty frames, feeling small, and this open space emphasizing his powerlessness. With only a few strokes the film taps into that feeling of what it feels like to be a scared child all over again. Then, on the whole other side of things, there is a very legitimate threat going on in the form of Robert Bowery, the titular “Child Eater,” who basically looks like a scarier version of Christopher Lloyd’s character in Who Framed Roger Rabbit? There’s something primal and simple about an old serial killer who eats children’s eyes, thinking it’ll heal the eye disease that he’s suffering from. Throw in a creepy death mask and a disturbing parable about a reverse stork with black feathers who doesn’t bring babies but takes them, and you’ve got a winner on your hands. It also goes a long way that you actually care about Lucas through all of this and don’t want to see him become the latest victim of Bowery. Child Eater takes a lot of classic horror staples and injects them with life while applying a disturbing degree of commitment to make all of this connect. Child Eater is the perfect sort of movie monster that could stand a future installment. 

Beyond the Gates
Directed by: Jackson Stewart

Beyond the Gates is far from a perfect horror film, but the more I kept thinking back on it, the more its charm, chemistry, and devastatingly apparent love for its medium would push it over the edge and have me only thinking of its triumphs. Beyond the Gates is basically a “Horror Jumanji” and really, do you have to be told anything other than that? The film pulls its premise from the old time-y VHS horror board games like “Nightmare” and “Gatekeeper,” and Beyond the Gates wears its love for this bygone era very clearly on its sleeve. Coursing through all of the rich board game material, this film tells the story of two estranged brothers who are pushed into reconnecting over the loss of their father. The chemistry between the two of them is glowing stuff and it really helps sell their struggle. You not only want to see them win this twisted board game, you want to see them repair their relationship, too. Oh, and staying consistent with the ‘80s horror motif (there’s also lots of gorgeous pink and blue lights on high alert here, a la Poltergeist), there’s plenty of practical gore on display here, from exploding heads to intestines getting torn out of someone’s stomach. Beyond the Gates uses its energy and the fun that everyone is having to distract from its ultra-low budget, while Stewart also hints at a universe here that is ripe for returning to as well.

Without Name
Directed by: Lorcan Finnegan

Without Name is the very best sort of horror in my opinion, where rather than there being some clear, external antagonist, the horror is instead built from the protagonist’s journey inward. Irish filmmaker Lorcan Finnegan builds a wonderfully defined world that is ready to fly off the rails at any moment. Without Name is scarce in plot, with the story really just being that Eric (Alan McKenna) goes out to a cabin in the woods in Dublin to study the plant life and fauna of the surroundings, with its focus being on Eric’s stability through all of this. Charting Eric’s position on his path to insanity is essentially the plot here. Lost in the woods horror has become increasingly popular lately but thankfully Without Name has the skills to fall back on. Finnegan borrows a page from Ben Wheatley’s A Field in England or even Twin Peaks’ Black Lodge by presenting psychotropic images and distorting the edit and sound design as a means of conveying Eric’s decline. McKenna’s performance is incredible stuff here and you truly believe the turmoil he’s going through, with all of this being much more of a case of style over substance, but goddamn that style. Without Name was the big winner of the bulk of the awards at the Brooklyn Horror Film Festival, but every one is rightfully deserved.

Fury of the Demon
Directed by: Fabien Delage

The premise behind Fabien Delage’s documentary, Fury of the Demon, is so damn compelling I think it might be impossible to not want to hear more. The documentary digs into famous early French filmmaker, George Melies, whose film, La Rage du Demon, would apparently cause anyone who viewed it to go insane and erupt in bursts of violence (which is also blissfully similar to The Ring’s plot). The film has since been regarded as “cursed” accordingly with the film in its entirety getting lost to history. Delage attempts to unpack Melies’ fascinating, seemingly impossible film with the help of other acclaimed voices in horror like Alexandre Aja (Haute Tension), Christophe Gans (Silent Hill), and more. It’s not only interesting to see how many contemporary names in horror are familiar with this urban legend of a film, but also in the pieces of history (and footage) that Delage is able to find to go along with things. Fury of the Demon explores a truly incredible subject where the worst thing about the documentary is that it’s only 60 minutes long. I need more on all of this immediately. I want to go insane here!

The Master Cleanse
Directed by: Bobby Miller

The Master Cleanse is the sort of off kilter horror-comedy hybrid that you’re either going to be crazy about or it’s just going to rub you the wrong way. There’s a lot of creativity being pushed forth here though, with Miller’s film doing a masterful job at taking that concept of “conquering your inner demons” and externalizing that to the extreme. It also doesn’t hurt that the humor actually connects here with Miller wielding a commendable wit. Johnny Galecki of Big Bang Theory fame plays Paul, who’s a desperately lonely individual who’s just lose his fiancée, job, and eager to find any sort of connection. I’ve never particularly been a big fan of Galecki but he really delivers an impressive performance here. His degree of being nonplussed is perfect and his reactions as the cleanse goes further along are continually satisfying. While all of this subtext and literal metaphor work is fun, the real focal point of The Master Cleanse are the bonkers monsters that end up coming out of these people and appearing as the result of this purging. These creatures look legitimately gross and have a definite Ghoulies vibe to them, and thinking of this as some modern update on the series wouldn’t be the worst idea either. The Master Cleanse has the humor and the effects to pull off the boldness that it goes for.

And now for the shorts:

Tilly
Directed by: Robert Kotecki

Truth be told, Robert Kotecki’s Tilly is likely the piece that stuck with me most from out of the entire festival. Kotecki’s short wisely plays with childhood staples of fear as a father and daughter hunt an imaginary monster, while a major upheaval is afoot. Tilly is all about the too-common story of a man getting beaten down, losing at life, and snapping accordingly. Maybe this father murdered his family, maybe he’s about to, but all of that can be interpreted from this beautifully minimalistic story. The monster here is life itself. Kotecki’s short does a lot of smart tactics like staying on a stationary shot for most of the film that’s also mostly cast in shadow with a glimmer of light and escape still visible. The father’s voice (Brian Kimmet) is also an incredible performance where you even initially wonder if maybe he’s the monster. There’s a real sense of unnerving tension that just grows as the short goes on and it completely sticks the landing with immaculate editing that uses the short’s haunted nursery rhyme to perfect degree. On top of that there’s a brilliant twist that happens early on and it doesn’t dick around with you. Instead it lets you stew in it all, with all of this being incredibly economical in its seven and a half minutes. Oh, and the work done on “Tilly” itself is outstanding, bizarre stuff that just works, when making something like this look laughable could be a real danger.

The Puppet Man
Directed by: Jacqueline Castel

Tilly might have been the standout piece from out of BHFF for me, but Jacqueline Castel’s The Puppet Man came pretty damn close to hitting the same highs. Castel’s short is a glowing love letter to ‘80s horror cinema, specifically leaning heavily into some competent John Carpenter homages. Castel goes about all of this properly with not only a booming ‘80s synth soundtrack (which is composed by Carpenter himself, who also cameos as the cab driver), but also actually shooting the piece on film in order to give it a more appropriate look for a period piece. Castel also puts some excellent camerawork and aesthetics in general into play that help to sell this illusion. Not to mention there’s some pretty inspired used of diegetic music too, such as a scene set to the “Puppet Man” track. The Puppet Man is a classic urban legend sort of story that ends up being more fact than fiction. Castel manages to make the Puppet Man look as frightening as Freddy Krueger or Jason Voorhees, which seems crazy, but is the truth. In the end, The Puppet Man is just such a well-polished, passionate, effective horror short that has me wanting to see more content from out of Castel immediately.

Gwilliam
Directed by: Brian Lonano

Gwilliam is one of the few horror installments from the festival that goes for laughs rather than genuine scares, but Gwilliam is so off putting and ballsy (literally), the humor ends up working because you truly can’t believe what you’re seeing. Gwilliam is a basic love story in the end, as well as a story to suit the idea of how everyone gets lonely, but it goes about all of this by pushing such radical, unbelievable images in your face. Like you really just need to see this thing.

Funnily enough, Gwilliam was a lot lower on my list of content from the festival, but the more time went on and I thought about it, Gwilliam kept coming to the surface rather than films I had higher on my list that actually scared me. Gwilliam was the film that I was telling people about though, and the piece of work that sticks with you in this manner is clearly more the sign of which film connected more as a whole in the end. Or maybe I just don’t have a choice in the matter because as you know, You’ll never forget about your Gwilliam…

Don’t let any of these soon-to-be horror hits pass you by when they end up seeing release!

The post 5 Indies From the Brooklyn Horror Film Fest That You Need to See! appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

New York saw the emergence of a new film festival catered specifically to horror needs this past weekend, with the results being rather encouraging. The Brooklyn Horror Film Festival ran from October 14-16, showcasing over a dozen features and a wealth of shorts from filmmakers from across the globe (as well as a healthy featuring of Brooklyn’s own) . The programming and events clearly display a passion for horror with a few more eclectic selections on the docket rather than indulging in mainstream horror. On top of that, other events like scary story competitions told around a campfire, intense horror trivia, and other occasions to reward the audience were embraced in the sort of way that’s only possible at a smaller festival of this nature. With the dedication and response that BHFF saw in their inaugural year, hopefully this festival will become a tradition that only comes back stronger and more aggressive, like some killer zombie. Until then, here are 20 cool things that were seen at this year’s film fest, as well as a primer for what to get excited about next year.

• Dani Mari and Johnny Butler’s live performance of their music videos inspired by Dario Argento’s “Three Mothers Trilogy,” “Sighs,” “Darkness,” and “Tears.” At one point during this performance someone decked out in ghoulish make-up and attired discreetly handed me a key, adding further layers to this intense performance
• Grady Hendrix’s 100% true one-man show, Summerland Lost, which involves drunken Victorian teens teaming up with Ben Franklin’s ghost to answer the questions of the afterlife. Hendrix is a masterful storyteller that bounds around in the genre with an invigorated delight
• The deranged mindfuckery, masterful subtle storytelling, and “monster” work in Robert Kotecki’s short, Tilly
• Jacqueline Castel’s beautiful ode to John Carpenter (who happens to score this short, as well as make a cameo) in the ‘80s slasher throwback, The Puppet Man
• Jackson Stewart’s Beyond the Gates’ and the film’s love for “VCR board game” horror, with this almost feeling like a “Horror Jumanji” or an adult version of Are You Afraid of the Dark?. Not to mention, the film’s copious amounts of practical gore and head explosions.
• The “Ghosts We’ve Known Storytelling Competition,” which led to some genuinely unnerving scary stories told around a campfire in the back of an occult book store, all while being judged by a practicing witch
• The WTF madness that is the monster/sexually explicit love story in Brian Lonano’s Gwilliam
• The mere premise of Erlingur Thoroddsen’s Child Eater, where a killer eats its victims’ eyes with the hopes that it will repair its own vision
• The psychological horror of Shaun Robert Smith’s Broken, the sheer gauntlet that Evie (Morjana Alaoui of Martyrs fame) goes through, and its absolute bonkers ending
• The Ghoulies-esque monsters that populate Bobby Miller’s creative, humorous, The Master Cleanse
• The intense head trip that is Lorcan Finnegan’s lost-in-the-woods, Without Name, and its bookending segments that are without dialogue and instead invest in tone
• The sheer concept of Fabien Delage’s documentary, Fury of the Demon, which investigates one of the most controversial early pieces of film of all time. A deeply interesting doc topic on how a film can spontaneously incite rage
• The twist and ending note that Kaitlin Tinker’s short, The Man Who Caught A Mermaid, goes out on, not to mention the general look they use for mermaids, transforming them into something scary
• The strong, disturbing coda in Nathan Ambrosioni’s (who’s only seventeen!) Therapy, which presents a horde of broken women who are just shells, crawling and staring aimlessly
• Helen ripping open her infected stitches in Cody Calahan’s Let Her Out, only to find a finger within her arm. Not to mention the ridiculous final transformation Helen goes through where she essentially turns herself inside out.
• David Otte and Vance Tucker’s ability to turn an electric toothbrush into a terrifying, foreboding object, in their short, The Toothbrush
• Joshua Erkman’s The Sound of the Blue, Green, and Red short that uses visuals and sensory assaults (that practically give you a seizure) to get its message across, rather than dialogue
• The final, perfect beat of Heather Taylor’s short, Stitched, and Deborah Green’s glowing performance that sells the whole thing
• The premiere of Mattie Do’s Dearest Sister, the 13^th feature to ever come out of Laos, and Do as the country’s only voice in horror
• Adrien Grenier having a seizure in the middle of having sex, causing his partner to reach orgasm, in Richard Bates, Jr.’s bold Trash Fire

Hopefully next year’s Brooklyn Horror Film Festival will have even more impressive highlights to offer!

The post [Brooklyn Horror Film Fest] 20 Cool Things Seen at the 1st Annual Brooklyn Horror Film Festival appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Also starring in the promo is Barbara Crampton, who stars in Jackson Stewart’s Beyond the Gates, which is making its way through festival circuits right now. It should be noted that Crampton is NOT in the TV series, although how cool would that be?

The second season roars back into action with an extended episode where Ash is forced to leave his cushy retirement in Jacksonville, return to his hometown of Elk Grove, Michigan, and mount up once again to face The Evil Dead. This time, he’ll have to form an uneasy alliance with his former enemy Ruby as Elk Grove becomes the nucleus to the most dangerous horror Ash has faced to date.

The upcoming season of “Ash vs Evil Dead” will include ten half-hour episodes.

“Ash vs Evil Dead” returns to STARZ on October 2nd.

The post Barbara Crampton Joins Bruce Campbell in a Very Bloody “Ash vs Evil Dead” Promo appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

He explains, “’End of Transmission’ is about minimal approach and maximum effect of clean sound travelling through space. It’s made entirely with only Minimoog and VSTi Emulator software. I tried not to overcomplicate things although it somehow feels cinematic not unlike my film scores.”

Golczewski is the composer of such horror films as Late Phases, Beyond the Gates, City State, and We Are Still Here.

End of Transmission comes out digitally tomorrow via Lakeshore Records and on cassette and vinyl via Data Airlines later this Fall.

Wojciech Golczewski online:
Official Website
Soundcloud
Facebook
YouTube
Twitter
Spotify

The post Wojciech Golczewski Sends “Transmission 1” (Premiere) appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Golczewski tells BD:

Reality Check is a concept album compiled of material composed and inspired by my various work for the motion pictures over the last few years. Stuff that didn’t make it/got rejected or just didn’t fit. It can be described as a horror sci-fi soundtrack with influences from my previous demoscene and chiptune heritage together with more recent synthwave and electronica.

To celebrate the upcoming release, we’ve got our hands on the exclusive video premiere for the track “The Puppet’s Dream”, which is a beautifully crafted video that uses sci-fi and spacecraft footage to create a journey through space.

Director Matt Stuertz explains, “For “The Puppet’s Dream” video I wanted to create a theme of loneliness that unexpectedly builds into a sort of chase sequence with an unknown alien entity. Wojciech always wanted a bit of an old-school grainy feel so luckily we were able to find some footage that matched that aesthetic and also looks great in HD.”

Head one below to enter the beautiful synthy world of Wojciech Golczewski!

Wojciech Golczewski online:
Official Website
Soundcloud
Facebook
YouTube
Twitter
Spotify

The post Wojciech Golczewski (‘Beyond the Gates’, ‘We Are Still Here’) Shines in “The Puppet’s Dream” (Premiere) appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

As they clear out isle after isle of nostalgia-fueled memories, it comes down to one final section of the store: the back room. When they were kids, their father had always kept it locked, but now, as if it were meant to be, Gordon suddenly discovers the key he had been searching for all of his young life. With a deep breath and a strong strive forward, the boys unlock the door and walk in. At first, it doesn’t seem like there’s anything quite worth hiding from children in here, just piles and piles of dust coating every inch of what turns out to be even more ancient and most likely unplayable tapes. But then, just as their fixation upon the secret room seems to be totally squandered upon discovering what’s inside, an old box catches their eye. It’s a VCR game titled “Beyond the Gates”, and it seems to be pulsating with power. They pop the tape in and a ghoulishly good looking woman with bright round eyes appears on the screen, urging them to play. The boys agree to engage, but once they start to play, they realize that not only does this strange game seem to have something to do with their father’s disappearance, but now that they have placed their pawns on the table, they may never be able to escape back into the real world again.

Beyond the Gates plays like a hilarious nod to 1980s cult films, told through the medium of a bloody, grown up version of Jumanji. The practical effects look great, the actors are wonderful, and the music provides a sense of creeping dread and fueled with Phantasm vibes. To put it simply, if you’re a fan of Stuart Gordon or Don Coscarelli, chances are you’ll enjoy this film.

Without a doubt, the best part of this movie is spooky cool dark goddess Barbara Crampton. Crampton has become a household name in the horror genre, making waves back in the ‘80s with her portrayal of Megan Halsey in Re-Animator, one of the very films that Beyond the Gates is paying homage to, before stepping back onto the scene with more recent gems like You’re Next and We Are Still Here. Crampton has played a normal girl caught up in a bad situation countless times, so it’s really nice director Jackson Stewart use his talented actress in a way that differentiates her from nearly anything she’s done before. Her depiction of the dangerous and sinisterly sultry video game host is both enticing and terrifying, and actually provides some of the funniest moments in the entire film, as she stares out impatiently at the players each time they pause for a single moment to take in the latest atrocity the game has committed. No matter how hard they try to defeat her, it’s clear that Crampton’s the one in charge here, and it’s only a matter of time before she claims the souls of all who dare play her game.

The rest of the cast is pretty spectacular as well. Graham Skipper still remains one of the greatest actors working in genre film today, and one of the best components of Beyond the Gates, but after his time spent displaying his skills in Almost Human and The Mind’s Eye, it’s less of a surprise and more of an expectation. At this point, it would be more shocking if he gave a terrible performance. Skipper and Chase Williamson are very convincing as brothers, because they seem to not only have great chemistry, but also get across the feeling that the two have known each other for a long time now, and there is some bad history between them. Not to be outdone, Jesse Merlin soaks up every single moment he’s onscreen, crafting an ultra creepy shop owner who seems to have some sort of unexplained intel about the game. Merlin is both unsettling and hilarious, proving that we should be seeing him in a lot more projects than he’s been a part of so far.

As wonderful and laugh-out-loud funny as the cast is, there is one big issue with Beyond the Gates: all of the characters come across as strangely apathetic. When the game this group of friends (John, Gordon, and Gordon’s girlfriend Margot) are playing actually starts killing people that they know in real life, there always seems to be a slight moment of hesitation before Gordon instructs his crew to keep playing, and they simply agree. There’s no argument, no reasoning or explanations as to why that might be a bad idea, just quiet and complacent nods as the players continue on with their board game. It just feels really odd that not a single person would throw up their hands and refuse to play any longer. Not only do they seem pretty at ease with the death and destruction their little game is causing, but each time a real opportunity presents itself for the brothers to jump into the game and save their father, they seem to just shrug it off and go to bed. It’s definitely an amusing movie, but for a film whose premise revolves around saving their dad who went missing years ago, it doesn’t seem very convincing that they would give up on a chance to help him so easily.

Despite its slight setbacks, overall, Beyond the Gates is a wickedly fun little trip down memory lane, back into the good ‘ol days of 1980s cult classics, like The Gate, The Beyond, and Re-Animator. Its light and playful atmosphere makes it not only one of the most enjoyable films to play at the Los Angeles Film Festival thus far, but also a film that clearly can be watched over and over again, specifically at home, on the couch with friends, a bowl of popcorn, and the lights dimmed. Director Jackson Stewart has burst onto the scene with a very exciting debut feature film, and it will be thrilling to see what he brings fans of ‘80s nostalgia next, especially if he sticks with the same core group of actors and extremely talented special effects people on his next endeavor.

Review originally appeared in our coverage out of the Los Angeles Film Festival. Beyond the Gates screened this past weekend at the Bruce Campbell Horror Film Festival in Chicago.

The post [BCHFF Review] ‘Beyond the Gates’ is a Wickedly Fun ’80s Homage Worth Playing appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Bloody Disgusting has learned that IFC Midnight has acquired the film ahead of the fest after its premiere at the Los Angeles Film Festival earlier this summer. Kalyn Corrigan was at the premiere and offered her thoughts in this review:

‘Beyond the Gates’ is a wickedly fun little trip down memory lane, back into the good ‘ol days of 1980s cult classics, like ‘The Gate’, ‘The Beyond’, and ‘Re-Animator’. Its light and playful atmosphere makes it not only one of the most enjoyable films to play at the Los Angeles Film Festival thus far, but also a film that clearly can be watched over and over again, specifically at home, on the couch with friends, a bowl of popcorn, and the lights dimmed.

“In Beyond the Gates, two estranged brothers reunite seven months after their father’s disappearance to liquidate his anemic video store. While there, they unearth an old VCR board game that acts as an inter-dimensional hub to a nightmare world where their Father’s soul is trapped and can only be saved by playing the game. The film is an adventure horror that pays loving tribute to the VHS format, video stores, and board games of the era.”

Described as throwback paranormal movie in the spirit of horror classics such as Phantasm, The Beyond, and Poltergeist, the film stars horror icon Barbara Crampton (Re-Animator, From Beyond, Sun Choke, You’re Next), as well as Graham Skipper (Almost Human, The Mind’s Eye), Chase Williamson (Siren, The Guest), and Brea Grant (Halloween 2, “Heroes”).

Matt Mercer (Contracted), Justin Welborn (FX’s “Justified”, The Signal, V/H/S/ Viral), Henry LeBlanc (“The Tonight Show with Jay Leno”), Jesse Merlin (FDR: American Badass), David Bruckner (co-director of V/H/S, The Signal), Sara Malakul Lane (Kickboxer: Vengeance, Sunchoke) and Pierson Ryan (“Red Team Go”) round out the cast.

Stewart co-wrote the screenplay with Stephen Scarlata (Jodorowsky’s Dune). Destroy All Entertainment’s Amanda Mortimer produced alongside Barbara Crampton.

ICM Partners negotiated the deal on behalf of the filmmakers.

The post IFC Inserts Jackson Stewart’s ‘Beyond the Gates’ (Exclusive) appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

While our top secret surprise screening is to be announced (it’s going to blow you away), today they’ve announced the main line-up that opens with Evil Dead director Fede Alvarez‘s Don’t Breathe (read our review); a salute to genre hero Fred Dekker; an epic event featuring comedian Doug Benson; and my personal favorite, a 25th anniversary celebration of the most excellent sequel, Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey with director Peter Hewitt in attendance! (Additional guests for this screening will be announced at a later date.)

The festivities will kick off on Thursday, August 18, with the opening night film Don’t Breathe, the highly anticipated shocker from director-producer-writer Fede Alvarez (Evil Dead) and produced by Sam Raimi & Rob Tapert. Alvarez will be in attendance. This will reunite Campbell with Alvarez, who directed the successful 2013 remake of Evil Dead. Sony Pictures is set to release Don’t Breathe on August 26.

The inaugural “Groovy as Hell” award will be presented to writer/director Fred Dekker (Fox’s upcoming The Predator). The awards ceremony will consist of a 30th anniversary screening of the cult classic Night of The Creeps and a very special screening of The Monster Squad with actors Andre Gower (Sean) & Ryan Lambert (Rudy) also in attendance.

Festival favorite Doug Benson (Doug Loves Movies, Chromic-Con, Super High Me) will be in town for a very special ‘Doug Benson Movie Interruption’ of Army of Darkness, with guest interrupter Bruce Campbell! The two will sit in the front row together with a selection of mystery comedy guests, and say whatever hilarious stuff that pops into their head. A limited amount of single tickets for this event are on sale now!

BCHFF is thrilled to present a 25th anniversary celebration of everyone’s favorite time-traveling metalhead slackers, a screening of Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey with director Peter Hewitt in attendance!

The festival will also mark the World Premieres of Found Footage 3D, the long-awaited satirical horror film produced by Kim Henkel (The Texas Chainsaw Massacre) and directed by Steven DeGennaro, and Show Yourself, a haunting & remarkable genre-bending feature debut from Billy Ray Brewton (subject of the wonderful award-winning 2014 documentary Skanks, and programmer for Slamdance Film Festival).

Fans in the region will also experience the Chicago premieres of:

●      The Greasy Strangler (read our review) – The most hilariously disturbing film of the year. From Elijah Wood’s Spectrevision, Drafthouse Films, & Ant Timpson.

●      Here Alone (watch the trailer) – Winner of the 2016 Tribeca Audience Award.

●      Abattoir (read our review) – From Darren Bousman, the director of Saw 2, 3, 4, Repo: The Genetic Opera, Mother’s Day, and The Devil’s Carnival. Darren will be in attendance to present the film.

●      Pet (read our review) – The SXSW hit starring Dominic Monaghan (Lord of The Rings Trilogy).

●      I am Not a Serial Killer (read our review)- Starring Christopher Lloyd in yet another career defining performance.

●      Beyond The Gates (read our review) – Winner of the midnight Jury Prize at Los Angeles Film Festival.

The Bruce Campbell Horror Film Festival jury this year includes a few dignitaries well-known to horror fans: Tom Holland (writer/director, Fright Night, Child’s Play); Barry Bostwick (Rocky Horror Picture Show); Cerina Vincent (Cabin Fever); and Zach Hagen (producer, He Never Died).

“It’s been another astonishing year for horror cinema,” said festival director, Josh Goldbloom. “I’m overwhelmed by the amount of talent & creativity working in this field. Their contributions are innovative, visionary, beautifully unnerving, defiantly weird, and of course, bloody as all hell. This year’s festival is a showcase of all the many reasons why genre film & its fans are the best in the world.”

Many additional titles, surprises and guest announcements will be announced over the coming month, along with a very special closing night feature, presented by Bloody Disgusting.

Festival badges are $100, and are on sale now at www.bchff.com! Limited single tickets sales for screenings will go on sale Wednesday, July 6th.

The festival and all screenings will be held at the Carmike Muvico Rosemont 18.

Opening Night:

DON’T BREATHE

A trio of friends break into the house of a wealthy blind man, thinking they’ll get away with the perfect heist. They’re wrong

Cast: Jane Levy, Dylan Minnette, Daniel Zovato, Stephen Lang

Dir: Fede Alvarez

Distributor: Sony Pictures

U.S. Release Date: August 26

ABATTOIR

How do you build a haunted house? Ask the enigmatic Jebediah Crone, the main suspect in a case of stolen rooms where horrific tragedies have occurred.

Cast: Jessica Lowndes, Joe Anderson, Lin Shaye, Dayton Callie, Bryan Batt,, J. Larose

Dir: Darren Lynn Bousman

BEYOND THE GATES

Seven months after their father’s disappearance, two brothers reunite to liquidate the family video store. Unfortunately, things go from bad to worse when they find an old VHS boardgame with evil powers, and all hell breaks loose.

Cast: Chase Williamson, Graham Skipper, Brea Grant, Barbara Crampton, Matt Mercer, Jesse Merlin

Dir: Jackson Stewart

FOUND FOOTAGE 3D

A group of low-budget filmmakers sets out to make “the first 3D found footage horror film,” but find themselves *in* the first 3D found footage horror film when the evil entity from their movie escapes into their behind-the-scenes footage.

Cast: Carter Roy, Alena von Stroheim, Chris O’Brien, Tom Saporito, Scott Allen Perry, Jessica Perrin, Scott Weinberg

Dir: Steven DeGennaro

THE GREASY STRANGLER

Pure. Fucking. Chaos.

Cast: Michael St. Michaels, Sky Elobar, Elizabeth De Razzo

Dir: Jim Hosking

HERE ALONE

A young woman struggles to survive on her own in the wake of a mysterious epidemic that has decimated society and forced her deep into the unforgiving wilderness.

Cast: Lucy Walters, Adam David Thompson, Gina Piersanti, Shane West

Dir: Rod Blackhurst

I AM NOT A SERIAL KILLER

In a small Midwestern town, a troubled teen with homicidal tendencies must hunt down and destroy a supernatural killer whilst keeping his own inner demons at bay.

Cast: Christopher Lloyd, Laura Fraser, Max Records

Dir: Billy O’Brien

PET

Seth works at an animal shelter, and for years has been secretly in love with a waitress named Holly . When he repeatedly fails in his attempts to woo her, he naturally decides to lock her in a cage at the shelter where he works. And that’s just the beginning…

Cast: Dominic Monaghan, Ksenia Solo, Jenette McCurdy, Nathan Parsons

Dir: Carles Torrens

SHOW YOURSELF

When his friend dies unexpectedly, Travis heads into the woods with his ashes to say goodbye. But as he deals with his grief, and the way it has affected the relationships in his life, he starts to realize that he actually might not be alone.

Cast: Ben Hethcoat, Corsica Wilson, Barak Hardley, Stephen Cone, David McElwee, Robert Longsteet.

Dir: Billy Ray Brewton

Fans can visit www.BCHFF.com for full details and additions to the slate as they happen and dates and times for each screening. Follow the festival on Twitter: @groovyfest

The post ‘Don’t Breathe’ Opens Bruce Campbell Horror Film Festival; Anniversary Screening of ‘Bogus Journey’! appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

As they clear out isle after isle of nostalgia-fueled memories, it comes down to one final section of the store: the back room. When they were kids, their father had always kept it locked, but now, as if it were meant to be, Gordon suddenly discovers the key he had been searching for all of his young life. With a deep breath and a strong strive forward, the boys unlock the door and walk in. At first, it doesn’t seem like there’s anything quite worth hiding from children in here, just piles and piles of dust coating every inch of what turns out to be even more ancient and most likely unplayable tapes. But then, just as their fixation upon the secret room seems to be totally squandered upon discovering what’s inside, an old box catches their eye. It’s a VCR game titled “Beyond the Gates”, and it seems to be pulsating with power. They pop the tape in and a ghoulishly good looking woman with bright round eyes appears on the screen, urging them to play. The boys agree to engage, but once they start to play, they realize that not only does this strange game seem to have something to do with their father’s disappearance, but now that they have placed their pawns on the table, they may never be able to escape back into the real world again.

Beyond the Gates plays like a hilarious nod to 1980s cult films, told through the medium of a bloody, grown up version of Jumanji. The practical effects look great, the actors are wonderful, and the music provides a sense of creeping dread and fueled with Phantasm vibes. To put it simply, if you’re a fan of Stuart Gordon or Don Coscarelli, chances are you’ll enjoy this film.

Without a doubt, the best part of this movie is spooky cool dark goddess Barbara Crampton. Crampton has become a household name in the horror genre, making waves back in the ‘80s with her portrayal of Megan Halsey in Re-Animator, one of the very films that Beyond the Gates is paying homage to, before stepping back onto the scene with more recent gems like You’re Next and We Are Still Here. Crampton has played a normal girl caught up in a bad situation countless times, so it’s really nice director Jackson Stewart use his talented actress in a way that differentiates her from nearly anything she’s done before. Her depiction of the dangerous and sinisterly sultry video game host is both enticing and terrifying, and actually provides some of the funniest moments in the entire film, as she stares out impatiently at the players each time they pause for a single moment to take in the latest atrocity the game has committed. No matter how hard they try to defeat her, it’s clear that Crampton’s the one in charge here, and it’s only a matter of time before she claims the souls of all who dare play her game.

The rest of the cast is pretty spectacular as well. Graham Skipper still remains one of the greatest actors working in genre film today, and one of the best components of Beyond the Gates, but after his time spent displaying his skills in Almost Human and The Mind’s Eye, it’s less of a surprise and more of an expectation. At this point, it would be more shocking if he gave a terrible performance. Skipper and Chase Williamson are very convincing as brothers, because they seem to not only have great chemistry, but also get across the feeling that the two have known each other for a long time now, and there is some bad history between them. Not to be outdone, Jesse Merlin soaks up every single moment he’s onscreen, crafting an ultra creepy shop owner who seems to have some sort of unexplained intel about the game. Merlin is both unsettling and hilarious, proving that we should be seeing him in a lot more projects than he’s been a part of so far.

As wonderful and laugh-out-loud funny as the cast is, there is one big issue with Beyond the Gates: all of the characters come across as strangely apathetic. When the game this group of friends (John, Gordon, and Gordon’s girlfriend Margot) are playing actually starts killing people that they know in real life, there always seems to be a slight moment of hesitation before Gordon instructs his crew to keep playing, and they simply agree. There’s no argument, no reasoning or explanations as to why that might be a bad idea, just quiet and complacent nods as the players continue on with their board game. It just feels really odd that not a single person would throw up their hands and refuse to play any longer. Not only do they seem pretty at ease with the death and destruction their little game is causing, but each time a real opportunity presents itself for the brothers to jump into the game and save their father, they seem to just shrug it off and go to bed. It’s definitely an amusing movie, but for a film whose premise revolves around saving their dad who went missing years ago, it doesn’t seem very convincing that they would give up on a chance to help him so easily.

Despite its slight setbacks, overall, Beyond the Gates is a wickedly fun little trip down memory lane, back into the good ‘ol days of 1980s cult classics, like The Gate, The Beyond, and Re-Animator. Its light and playful atmosphere makes it not only one of the most enjoyable films to play at the Los Angeles Film Festival thus far, but also a film that clearly can be watched over and over again, specifically at home, on the couch with friends, a bowl of popcorn, and the lights dimmed. Director Jackson Stewart has burst onto the scene with a very exciting debut feature film, and it will be thrilling to see what he brings fans of ‘80s nostalgia next, especially if he sticks with the same core group of actors and extremely talented special effects people on his next endeavor.

The post [LAFF Review] ‘Beyond the Gates’ is a Wickedly Fun ’80s Homage Worth Playing appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Described as throwback paranormal movie in the spirit of horror classics such as Phantasm, The Beyond, and Poltergeist, Bloody Disgusting has your exclusive look at the film’s festival one-sheet that boasts the villainess presence of horror legend Barbara Crampton (Re-Animator, The Beyond, Sun Choke, You’re Next), as well as Graham Skipper (Almost Human, The Mind’s Eye), Chase Williamson (Siren, The Guest), and Brea Grant (Halloween 2, “Heroes”).

“In Beyond the Gates, two estranged brothers reunite seven months after their father’s disappearance to liquidate his anemic video store. While there, they unearth an old VCR board game that acts as an inter-dimensional hub to a nightmare world where their Father’s soul is trapped and can only be saved by playing the game. The film is an adventure horror that pays loving tribute to the VHS format, video stores, and board games of the era.”

Matt Mercer (Contracted), Justin Welborn (FX’s “Justified”, The Signal, V/H/S/ Viral), Henry LeBlanc (“The Tonight Show with Jay Leno”), Jesse Merlin (FDR: American Badass), David Bruckner (co-director of V/H/S, The Signal), Sara Malakul Lane (Kickboxer: Vengeance, Sunchoke) and Pierson Ryan (“Red Team Go”) round out the cast.

Stewart co-wrote the screenplay with Stephen Scarlata (Jodorowsky’s Dune). Destroy All Entertainment’s Amanda Mortimer will produce alongside Barbara Crampton. Gabriela Revilla Lugo will executive produce.

The post You Won’t Want to Eject This Retro ‘Beyond the Gates’ Poster! (Exclusive) appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

It’s set to World Premiere at the LA Film Festival, and thus we now have a teaser that comes straight from the VCR!

Barbara Crampton (You’re Next), Graham Skipper (Almost Human), Chase Williamson (The Guest), and Brea Grant (Halloween 2) star in the film that also features Matt Mercer (Contracted), Justin Welborn (FX’s “Justified”, The Signal, V/H/S/ Viral), Henry LeBlanc (“The Tonight Show with Jay Leno”), Jesse Merlin (FDR: American Badass), David Bruckner (co-director of V/H/S, The Signal), and Pierson Ryan (“Red Team Go”) round out the cast.

“In Beyond the Gates, two estranged brothers reunite seven months after their father’s disappearance to liquidate his anemic video store. While there, they unearth an old VCR board game that acts as an inter-dimensional hub to a nightmare world where their Father’s soul is trapped and can only be saved by playing the game. The film is an adventure horror that pays loving tribute to the VHS format, video stores, and board games of the era.”

Stewart co-wrote the screenplay with Stephen Scarlata (Jodorowsky’s Dune). Destroy All Entertainment’s Amanda Mortimer will produce alongside Barbara Crampton and Lodger Films partners Georg Kallert and Rob Schroeder. Gabriela Revilla Lugo will executive produce.

The post Roll the Dice With the ‘Beyond the Gates’ Trailer appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

It’s set to World Premiere at the LA Film Festival, while it’s also on the market at Cannes where the following sales art was on display.

Barbara Crampton (You’re Next), Graham Skipper (Almost Human), Chase Williamson (The Guest), and Brea Grant (Halloween 2) star in the film that also features Matt Mercer (Contracted), Justin Welborn (FX’s “Justified”, The Signal, V/H/S/ Viral), Henry LeBlanc (“The Tonight Show with Jay Leno”), Jesse Merlin (FDR: American Badass), David Bruckner (co-director of V/H/S, The Signal), and Pierson Ryan (“Red Team Go”) round out the cast.

“In Beyond the Gates, two estranged brothers reunite seven months after their father’s disappearance to liquidate his anemic video store. While there, they unearth an old VCR board game that acts as an inter-dimensional hub to a nightmare world where their Father’s soul is trapped and can only be saved by playing the game. The film is an adventure horror that pays loving tribute to the VHS format, video stores, and board games of the era.”

Stewart co-wrote the screenplay with Stephen Scarlata (Jodorowsky’s Dune). Destroy All Entertainment’s Amanda Mortimer will produce alongside Barbara Crampton and Lodger Films partners Georg Kallert and Rob Schroeder. Gabriela Revilla Lugo will executive produce.

The post Play the Game of ‘Beyond the Gates’ appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

The 2016 LA Film Festival will screen a diverse slate of feature films, shorts and web series, along with programs such as the Filmmaker Retreat, Coffee Talks and Master Classes. The Festival runs June 1-9, 2016 at the ArcLight Cinemas.

The 2016 LA Film Festival, which will have its headquarters at the ArcLight Culver City, announces a diverse slate of 56 feature films, 58 short films and 13 short episodic works representing 28 countries.

Lights Out, dir. James Wan, USA, World Premiere

David F. Sandberg directed from a screenplay by Eric A. Heisserer’s (The Thing, A Nightmare On Elm Street, Final Destination 5), which was based on Sandberg’s 2013 short film.

Warm Bodies beauty Teresa Palmer, Alexander DiPersia and Gabriel Bateman topline Lights Out, which is produced by James Wan, best known for Saw, Insidious and The Conjuring.

“When Rebecca left home, she thought she left her childhood fears behind. Growing up, she was never really sure of what was and wasn’t real when the lights went out…and now her little brother, Martin, is experiencing the same unexplained and terrifying events that had once tested her sanity and threatened her safety. A frightening entity with a mysterious attachment to their mother, Sophie, has reemerged. But this time, as Rebecca gets closer to unlocking the truth, there is no denying that all their lives are in danger…once the lights go out.”

Wan, who is now in post-production on The Conjuring 2 for Warner Bros., has another franchise on his hands. Lights Out is said to be the next big thing in horror, and the studio is so confident that they’re slating it for release on July 22, 2016.

NIGHTFALL

From the bizarre to the horrifying, these are films to watch after dark.

Abattoir, dir. Darren Lynn Bousman, USA, World Premiere

“Abattoir centers on a real estate reporter who unearths an urban legend about a house being built from rooms where horrific tragedies have occurred. The investigation ultimately leads to the enigmatic Jebediah Crone and the answer to the terrifying question, ‘How do you build a haunted house?’ ”

Dayton Callie, Joe Anderson (Hercules), Jessica Lowndes (Altitude, Autopsy) and Lin Shaye (Insidious) star.

Bousman also reteamed with his Saw III and star J. LaRose, with Bryan Batt of “Mad Men” fame also taking on a role.

Bousman shot Abattoir in New Orleans from a script by Christopher Monfette.

Beyond the Gates, dir. Jackson Stewart, USA, World Premiere

Jackson Stewart, who we consider a great friend of the site, is making his feature directorial debut with Beyond the Gates, a throwback paranormal movie in the spirit of horror classics such as Phantasm, The Beyond, and Poltergeist.

Barbara Crampton (You’re Next), Graham Skipper (Almost Human), Chase Williamson (The Guest), and Brea Grant (Halloween 2) star in the film that also features Matt Mercer (Contracted), Justin Welborn (FX’s “Justified”, The Signal, V/H/S/ Viral), Henry LeBlanc (“The Tonight Show with Jay Leno”), Jesse Merlin (FDR: American Badass), David Bruckner (co-director of V/H/S, The Signal), and Pierson Ryan (“Red Team Go”) round out the cast.

“In Beyond the Gates, two estranged brothers reunite seven months after their father’s disappearance to liquidate his anemic video store. While there, they unearth an old VCR board game that acts as an inter-dimensional hub to a nightmare world where their Father’s soul is trapped and can only be saved by playing the game. The film is an adventure horror that pays loving tribute to the VHS format, video stores, and board games of the era.”

Stewart co-wrote the screenplay with Stephen Scarlata (Jodorowsky’s Dune). Destroy All Entertainment’s Amanda Mortimer will produce alongside Barbara Crampton and Lodger Films partners Georg Kallert and Rob Schroeder. Gabriela Revilla Lugo will executive produce.

Don’t Hang Up, dir. Alexis Wajsbrot, Damien Macé, UK, World Premiere

An evening of drunken prank calls becomes a nightmare for a pair of teenagers when a mysterious stranger turns their own game against them…with deadly consequences.

Mercy, dir. Chris Sparling, USA, World Premiere

Netflix nabbed Mercy late last year, which Chris Sparling — who wrote the 2010 Ryan Reynolds thriller Buried and Gus Van Sant’s The Sea of Trees — wrote and directed.

“Mad Men’s” James Wolk and “Master of Sex’s” Caitlin FitzGerald will star in the home invasion thriller, which recently completed filming.

“The story centers on four estranged brothers who return to their childhood home to be with their dying mother, and find their bond tested after old family secrets begin to surface.”

Tom Lipinski (“The Knick”), Michael Godere (“The Affair”) and Dan Ziskie (“House of Cards”) also star in the film, which is produced by XYZ Films’ Kyle Franke and Nick Spicer and Uncorked Productions’ Andrew D. Corkin along with Robyn Bennett. Netflix is planning on using its new model where it releases the film in theaters first and soon after makes it exclusively available on Netflix.

Officer Downe, dir. M. Shawn Crahan, USA, World Premiere

Based on the graphic novel, a police officer who can’t be stopped by death returns to the streets time and time again to fight crime.

Villisca, dir.Tony Valenzuela, USA, World Premiere

Villisca is a ghost story set in the actual house of the notorious and still unsolved 1912 ax murders. Three outcast teenagers break into the house in search of answers, but discover something far beyond their worst fears.

The post LA Film Festival to Premiere Darren Bousman’s ‘Abattoir’ and Jackson Stewart’s ‘Beyond the Gates’! appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Graham Skipper (Almost Human), Chase Williamson (The Guest), and Brea Grant (Halloween 2) star in the film that also features Matt Mercer (Contracted), Justin Welborn (FX’s “Justified”, The Signal, V/H/S/ Viral), Henry LeBlanc (“The Tonight Show with Jay Leno”), Jesse Merlin (FDR: American Badass), David Bruckner (co-director of V/H/S, The Signal), and Pierson Ryan (“Red Team Go”) round out the cast.

“In Beyond the Gates, two estranged brothers reunite seven months after their father’s disappearance to liquidate his anemic video store. While there, they unearth an old VCR board game that acts as an inter-dimensional hub to a nightmare world where their Father’s soul is trapped and can only be saved by playing the game. The film is an adventure horror that pays loving tribute to the VHS format, video stores, and board games of the era.”

Stewart co-wrote the screenplay with Stephen Scarlata (Jodorowsky’s Dune). Destroy All Entertainment’s Amanda Mortimer will produce alongside Barbara Crampton and Lodger Films partners Georg Kallert and Rob Schroeder. Gabriela Revilla Lugo will executive produce.

The post Jackson Stewart Goes ‘Beyond the Gates’ With Brea Grant, Graham Skipper and More! appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.