Particularly in the 1960s and ‘70s, horror became a vehicle for sexual freedom and expression, and pushed against societal norms and herteronormative standards. Films like The Devils (1971), Ganja & Hess (1973), and Shivers (1975) put forth the very real truth that human beings are naturally carnal creatures. From there, filmmakers began exploring sex in all its forms through various genres and styles and pushed the conversation ever-forward.

Today, sex continues to be an integral component of many horror movies, including Ti West’s X trilogy, Titane, and Infinity Pool. It’s an endless supply for horrifying (and pleasurable) storytelling.

In gazing through history, we’ve put together ten incredibly erotic horror movies inspired by Bone Lake.

Suitable Flesh (2023)

Based on H.P. Lovecraft’s The Thing on the Doorstep, the film relies heavily on sex to drive the narrative forward. Screenwriter Dennis Paoli (Re-Animator, From Beyond) adapted the short story with the understanding that carnal lust is essential to the human experience. Director Joe Lynch (Mayhem, Wrong Turn 2: Dead End) takes the material and molds a super horny story that’ll leave you breathless. Heather Graham, Judah Lewis, and Barbara Crampton star in this sex-crazed epoch about an ancestral, body-hopping entity hellbent on destruction.

Cat People (1982)

A remake of the 1942 Jacques Tournier original, the 1982 film, free from the constraints of the Hays Code, leans heartily into blood-soaked sensuality. Nastassja Kinski plays Irena, opposite Malcolm McDowell as her long-lost brother Paul. When the two connect, their infatuation with one another turns intensely sexual, veering into strange, incestual territory. Director Paul Schrader (American Gigolo, Affliction) embraces the electric magnetism between Irena and Paul, as well as between Irena and Oliver (John Heard). As being aroused sets off Irena’s physical transformation into a panther, there’s no telling what’ll happen next.

Daughters of Darkness (1971)

In 1971’s Daughters of Darkness, a newlywed couple meets Countess Elizabeth Báthory (Delphine Seyrig), a seductress who doesn’t seem to age. The hotel clerk swears he saw her 40 years prior, raising suspicions among the other guests. Director Harry Kümel (The Legend of Doom House) supplies elegant, tasteful nudity that pairs nicely with all the bloodsucking, a common sexual link in most vampire stories. An unexplainable thrill comes from sex, and Daughters of Darkness captures the beauty of carnal lust.

The Hunger (1983)

Any film starring David Bowie is guaranteed to turn the eroticism up to 100. In his theatrical film debut, director Tony Scott (Top Gun, Crimson Tide) knew exactly how to lavish you with bodies caressing, quick and hot embraces, and stolen kisses. Immortal vampire Miriam (Catherine Deneuve) convinces her boyfriend John (Bowie) that he’ll live forever, but when his health declines, Miriam seeks another lover in Susan Sarandon’s young scientist Sarah. Peppered with betrayal and alluring pleasure, The Hunger follows vampire tradition in using bloodsucking and sex as one and the same.

The Untamed (2016)

An otherworldly creature brings unimaginable pleasure to a lonely, sexually frustrated woman. After a meteorite crashes into Earth, she becomes infatuated with the unknown being and has sex with it for years. If you’ve ever wondered what it could be like having sex with an alien, Amat Escalante’s (Narcos: Mexico) The Untamed taps into the seductive fantasy that features just as much uncontrollable destruction.

Knife+Heart (2018)

Writer/director Yann Gonzalez nosedives into the slimy underbelly of the gay porn industry. Knife+Heart follows a porn director in the aftermath of her breakup with a film editor. A masked assailant begins stalking and slaughtering those on the set of the director’s most ambitious film to date. Playfully erotic, the absolute blood bath takes sensuous engagements to a whole new level. 

The Vampire Lovers (1970)

Roy Ward Baker’s (Dr. Jekyll & Sister Hyde) The Vampire Lovers packs a quiet temptation into its sultry nature. Set in late 18th-century Germany, the film focuses on a vampire named Carmilla Karnstein (Ingrid Pitt), who’s been known under several different aliases, when she enthralls Laura (Pippa Steel) into her hypnotic orbit. Their chemistry is electric, making the touching caresses and embraces that much more magnetizing.

Your Vice is a Locked Room and Only I Have the Key (1972)

Among Sergio Martino’s (Torso, All the Colors of the Dark) best, Your Vice is a Locked Room and Only I Have the Key uses sex and other erotic imagery as bargaining tools. Oliviero (Luigi Pistilli), a washed-up writer, alcoholic, and abuser, hosts parties full of drink and debauchery. In true Giallo fashion, an unknown killer appears to be someone very close to the den of sin. As the film switches between bewitching pleasure and blood-soaked mystery, the viewer is left feeling sullied and ensnared within Martino’s clutches. Oh, and it also stars the marvelous Edwige Fenech, sure to bring sweat to anyone’s brow.

Bliss (2019)

Dora Madison plays Dezzy, a young painter struggling to create her next masterpiece. Writer/director Joe Begos (VFW, Jimmy and Stiggs) conjures a story about the creative process through the lens of a vampire tale. After a drug-induced night out, Dezzy begins craving blood, which subsequently opens the floodgates of inspiration. Bloody and arousing, Bliss doesn’t get talked enough about as a glorious erotic piece of horror filmmaking.

Stranger by the Lake (2013)

Stranger by the Lake sees writer/director Alain Guiraudie exploring gay cruising around a secluded lake. When Franck (Pierre Deladonchamps) falls for the dashing but dangerous Michel (Christophe Paou), he tumbles into the dark web of a serial killer. Equal parts chilling and erotic, the 2013 French film tickles the pleasure receptors and offers a tantalizing escape. Also laced with themes of loneliness and desperation, Stranger by the Lake remains an underrated cult classic.

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In addition to the controversial The Woman hitting the streaming service last week, SCREAMBOX has now added four highly regarded horror films, all courtesy of MPI/Dark Sky Films.

The lineup includes…

Late Phases: A practical effects heavy werewolf movie from Adrián García Bogliano. When deadly beasts attack from the forest, it is up to a grizzled veteran to uncover what the residents of a secluded retirement community are hiding.

Bliss: From director Joe Begos (Mind’s Eye, Christmas Bloody Christmas), Bliss follows a brilliant painter (Dora Madison) who turns to anything she can to complete her masterpiece, spiraling into a hallucinatory hellscape of drugs, sex, and murder.

Deadgirl: “Deadgirl is an odyssey into the soul of our alienated youth that takes the conventions of the horror and coming-of-age movies and turns them on their heads.” The film was directed by Marcel Sarmiento, who also helmed the wrap of V/H/S Viral and Blumhouse’s Totem.

Frankenstein’s Army: “In the dying days of WWII, a battalion of Russian soldiers is lured into the secret lab of a deranged scientist and forced to face off against an army of horrific flesh-and-metal war machines.”

Start screaming now with SCREAMBOX on iOS, Android, Apple TV, Prime Video, Roku, YouTube TV, Samsung, Comcast, Cox, Philo, and Screambox.com.

If you’re a new subscriber, don’t forget to check out previous SCREAMBOX Original and Exclusives We Might Hurt Each Other, Project Wolf Hunting, Terrifier 2, The Barn Part II, New Religion, Hollywood Dreams & Nightmares: The Robert Englund Story, Shifted, Living With Chucky, Pennywise: The Story of IT, Family Dinner, Holy Shit!, The Outwaters, CreepyPasta, Cube, Jethica, Welcome to Hell, and much, much more! Subscribe now!

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Joe Begos (Bliss, VFW) is back with the holiday horror slasher Christmas Bloody Christmas, which will release day-and-date in theaters from RLJE Films and streaming on Shudder on December 9, 2022.

“It’s Christmas Eve, and fiery record store owner Tori Tooms (Riley Dandy) just wants to get drunk and party until the robotic Santa Claus at a nearby toy store goes haywire and makes her night more than a little complicated.

“Santa Claus begins a rampant killing spree through the neon-drenched snowscape against a backdrop of drugs, sex, metal, and violence, ultimately forcing Tori into a blood-splattered battle for survival against the ruthless heavy metal Saint Nick himself.”

Sam Delich, Jonah Ray Rodrigues, Dora Madison, and Jeremy Gardner also star in Christmas Bloody Christmas along with Jeff Daniel Phillips and Abraham Benrubi.

In our review, Daniel Kurland called it “deliriously bloody with a striking color palette and kaleidoscopic visuals.” Of the filmmaker, he wrote, “It’s exciting to see Begos’ growing ambitious accomplishments as a horror filmmaker and what he has in store for audiences next.” 

In celebration of Christmas Bloody Christmas and Begos’ latest blood-drenched horror offering, we look back at the filmmaker’s films and his commitment to the genre. 

Almost Human (2013)

Begos’ feature debut establishes his style and affinity for gore and practical effects straightaway. Playing like a cross between a John Carpenter film and Xtro, Almost Human sees a missing man (Josh Ethier) mysteriously return a few years after aliens had abducted him. His best friend (Graham Skipper) and girlfriend (Vanessa Leigh) are relieved to see him at first but soon realize there’s something deeply wrong with him as bodies pile up; he’s not quite human anymore. Almost Human introduces Begos’ ability to maneuver around and stretch budgetary limitations and an emphasis on style. The debut also introduces the long-running collaboration between writer/director Begos and editor/producer/actor/sound designer Ethier.

The Mind’s Eye (2015)

Zack Connors (Graham Skipper) and his girlfriend Rachel Meadows (Lauren Ashley Carter) were born with powerful telekinetic abilities that put them in the crosshairs of the nefarious Dr. Michael Slovak (John Speredakos). Slovak’s years of experimenting with Rachel’s DNA to give himself her abilities means he’s willing to retrieve the lovers at any cost when they escape his facilities. Begos channels his ’80s influences again here, infusing them with his commitment to gore and practical effects. It results in a feature that feels like a grittier, gorier Scanners sequel packed with an affable cast of horror mainstays.

Bliss (2019)

Bliss stars Dora Madison as Dezzy, a talented Los Angeles-based artist with a reputation for her dark artwork. Struggling for months to move past a severe creative block, Dezzy’s facing financial trouble and serious pressure from the art gallery to which her latest erstwhile masterpiece has been promised. When her agent drops her, Dezzy finds herself seeking solace from old friends and vices she once left behind in the city’s seedy underbelly. After a hallucinogenic drug binge on Bliss, Dezzy’s night of debauchery sends her on a downward spiral fueled by Bliss and an unquenchable thirst for blood. The gleeful approach to violence and gore is still there in spades, as are the overt cinematic influences that shaped this story. But now Begos is asking thought-provoking questions through his art, in his gratuitous no-holds-barred way, that indicates a director growing much more comfortable and confident.

VFW (2019)

A highly addictive drug called Hype has turned America into a war zone. The addicted are mutant-like and willing to kill or be killed for another dose. Local drug lord Boz (Travis Hammer) has taken up residence in a movie theater across the street from a VFW post, a bar, and a gathering place for friends who served in Vietnam together. Since the vets’ preferred vice is alcohol, Boz and his gang give them a wide berth. That is until a young woman named Lizard (Sierra McCormick) steals Boz’s stash and seeks shelter in the VFW. Boz and his horde lay siege to the VFW, and it’s a bloody fight to the death. Penned by Max Brallier and Matthew McArdle, VFW marks the first film for Begos that he didn’t write himself. While that means a less personal film for the director, it’s clear he was having a ball making it. Retaining much of the same crew as Bliss, including cinematographer Mike Testin and makeup effects artists John and Sierra Russell, VFW has that same stunning shot-on-film neon grit with all the glorious gore.  

See Santa paint the snow red in Christmas Bloody Christmas, available in theaters from RLJE Films and on Shudder on December 9, 2022.

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While more of a dramatic sci-fi thriller than anything actually horror related, Bliss looks to have notes of Total Recall with the modern comparison more in line with “Black Mirror”.

In the film, “An unfulfilled man (Owen Wilson) and a mysterious woman (Salma Hayek) believe they are living in a simulated reality, but when their newfound ‘Bliss’ world begins to bleed into the ‘ugly’ world they must decide what’s real and where they truly belong.”

There’s a whole lot to love about this trailer that looks like a good ol’ mind fuck.

The post Amazon’s “Bliss” Looks Like a Good Old Sci-Fi Mind F*ck [Trailer] appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Bliss is straight-up punk rock, the kind of do-it-yourself indie horror goodness that horror fans are continually begging for – and you can watch it now on Shudder, in addition to owning it on Blu-ray and VOD.

Begos is celebrating with a string of incredibly cool behind-the-scenes shots and videos from the completely independent production backed by his Channel 83 Films crew. There’s even a slo-mo capture of the head explosion sequence!

Click here to scroll through the entire chain of goodies with a sampling below…

https://twitter.com/joebegos/status/1224850624698667008

https://twitter.com/joebegos/status/1224858422572568576

https://twitter.com/joebegos/status/1224851538587185152

https://twitter.com/joebegos/status/1224876556054458368

https://twitter.com/joebegos/status/1224886189414445057

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The first day of January brings the new horror film Ghost Stories to Netflix, an Indian anthology from the makers of Bombay Talkies and Lust Stories. Netflix also bites into “Dracula” on January 4. Meanwhile, in theaters, January 3 brings with it the latest film in the long-running The Grudge series, which transports the viral haunting to the United States, where a series of strangers encounter the angry spirits and take them home with them. The Grudge (2020) is directed by Nicolas Pesce (The Eyes of My Mother) and stars John Cho, Betty Gilpin, Andrea Riseborough, Demian Bichir, Jackie Weaver and Lin Shaye, and takes place in the same continuity as the other American remakes of The Grudge.

January 9 brings with it a new horror film on Shudder, The Marshes, in which a group of biologists in – you guessed it! – a marshland are stalked by a homicidal maniac. Then on January 10 get ready for Underwater, where Kristen Stewart finds herself and a group of scientists – you guessed it! – underwater, when an undersea earthquake unleashes mortal peril. Vincent Cassel and John Gallagher Jr. co-star in a new film by William Eubanks (The Signal).

And on January 12, the Stephen King mini-series The Outsider debuts on HBO, starring Ben Mendelsohn, Cynthia Erivo, and Jason Bateman (who also directed the first two episodes). The series centers around an investigation into a brutal child murder. Additional directors include Karyn Kusama (The Invitation) and Andrew Bernstein (Fear the Walking Dead).

You’ll have to wait a few weeks to get more new horror kicks in January, but the last week is chock full of scares. January 23 brings with it the new Netflix series October Faction, about a family of monster hunters. The series is based on a comic book by Steve Niles and Damien Worm, and is executive produced by Damian Kindler (Sleepy Hollow). Also on January 23, Shudder releases the new TV series The Dead Lands, based on the award-winning New Zealand thriller about warring Maori tribes.

And if you have any interest in VR, January 23 is the day you can finally play The Walking Dead: Saints and Sinners. The virtual reality game reportedly features zombie-killing action sequences and some of the narrative branching that gamers have come to expect from the hit franchise.

You might want to mark down January 24 as a big one, with three new horror and horror-adjacent films heading to theaters. Run is Aneesh Chaganty’s follow-up to his critically acclaimed mystery-thrilling Searching, and stars Sarah Paulson and Pat Healy in a story about home schooling gone wrong. The Turning stars Mackenzie Davis, Brooklynn Prince and Finn Wolfhard in a modern retelling of Henry James’s classic ghost story The Turn of the Screw, which previously was adapted into the horror classic The Innocents.

Also opening January 24 is the long-awaited adaptation of H.P. Lovecraft’s iconic short story Color Out of Space, about a mysterious alien presence that overtakes a farm. Nicolas Cage and Joely Richardson co-star in the latest film from director Richard Stanley (Hardware). And if that’s not enough for you then there’s also Zombi Child, a new film from Bertrand Bonello about a man who may have been zombified in Haiti.

Or, if you’d prefer to stay home and chill, Netflix debuts the third part of its hit series The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina on January 24 as well!

But wait! There’s more! January 29 brings to Netflix a new and mysterious reality TV horror series called Omniscient, as well as last year’s horror film Bliss on Shudder. Bliss is the new film from Joe Begos (The Mind’s Eye), about a painter who will do just about anything to get rid of her creative block.

Hitting theaters January 31 is Gretel and Hansel, the latest adaptation of the classic fairy tale. In this new rendition, Sophia Lillis (It: Chapter One) plays the older sister who has to save herself and her brothers from a wicked witch in the woods, played by Alice Krige (Carnival Row). The horror fantasy is the latest film from director Oz Perkins (I Am the Pretty Thing That Lives in the House).

And if you’re looking for something more real, Amazon starts streaming the new mini-series Ted Bundy: Falling for a Killer on January 31.

What are YOU most looking forward to in January…?

The post New Year, New Fear! 18 New Horror Movies, Shows and Games to Experience in January 2020 appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Other Year’s Lists: 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020

I had to pinch myself to prove I was awake. I feel slightly repetitive in saying this but, god damn, what another amazing year for horror!

It wasn’t always like this, and the constant suffering of us horror fans used to be very real. It used to be a struggle to put together a top ten list, and a trip to the theater would typically yield less than pleasing results. In fact, most of the gems would find their way onto video store shelves thanks to companies like Lionsgate or Dimension Films. However, the last few years have been good to us – really, really good to us. It’s been so fruitful that there’s been heavy discourse as to the different kind of horror that exists. Which subgenre are you supporting? It’s become slightly contentious between the fan that enjoys arthouse horror and ones that want to see ultraviolence and blood splattered across the screen. Truth is, no other genre casts a net as wide as horror and even films like Joker – like it or not – are “horror adjacent”. This shouldn’t be causing a divide, and instead should bring us closer together.

There is so much fucking content out there that we should be celebrating the fact that there’s a little something for everyone. Shit, I counted 30+ movies that I wanted to write about on this list. While they weren’t all “top ten worthy”, I found something in each that I enjoyed. That’s a lot of films in a single year.

And with that, it was incredibly difficult to narrow this list down. While I could shuffle the following in various ways, and could have even made vastly different selections, these are the ten that spoke to me the most.

Honorable Mentions:

Independent filmmakers delivered in spades this year and it killed me to leave these off my top ten. Adam Egypt Mortimer announced himself with the hallucinogenic Jacob’s Ladder-esque Daniel Isn’t Real; producer Ant Timpson’s directorial debut Come to Daddy was a surefire crowd-pleaser that’s as shocking as it is funny; Josh Lobo made his mark on the horror scene with his micro I Trapped the Devil, a moody, dark and colorful modern spin on the “Twilight Zone” episode “The Howling Man”; Babadook director Jennifer Kent returned with The Nightingale, a brutal, shocking and heartbreaking revenge tale that I wasn’t and will never be prepared for; and then there was Jordan Downey’s impressive micro-indie The Head Hunter, a gorgeous do-it-yourself period horror covered in grit and grime that features impressive practical monster effects and nonstop tension perpetuated by minimal dialogue and an outstanding performance by Christopher Rygh.

And then there was Bong Joon-ho’s Parasite, finally a movie about a man living in an attic done right. A family wanting a taste of the good life get themselves twisted in a web of lies that boil into a shocking and violent finale. While this is easily one of the best films of the year, it felt too horror *adjacent* for inclusion on the following list.

10. Escape Room (d. Adam Robitel; Columbia Pictures)

Adam Robitel directed the first surprise of the year, a thoroughly entertaining thriller that can only be described as Saw meets Final Destination. Cashing in on the popularity of escape rooms, the film boasts stunning set design that offers up both eye candy and scares.

The only major issue I had is the paradoxical conundrum of exposition, though it’s a necessary evil in a film like this.

Escape Room set the stage for the beginning of a franchise and I welcome that with open arms. There are more stories to tell thanks to this new horror film that’s rich in ideas and mythology. I can’t wait to see what comes next.

9. The Perfection (d. Richard Shepard; Miramax/Netflix)

The aptly-titled The Perfection quietly screened under the radar at last year’s Fantastic Fest to a handful of rave reviews. Netflix quickly snatched it up and dropped it on unsuspecting horror fans this past May. Those unaware of its existence were slapped awake by a string of shocking and unexpected sequences that will be talked about for years to come.

The Perfection actually nears horror perfection as it does everything in its power to surprise even the most seasoned viewer – just when you think you’ve got a grasp on the narrative, director Richard Shepard throws another curveball.

Shepard is unrelenting and delivers more than a handful of unapologetic haymakers that all lead up to one final shot that will be burned into your brain for the rest of your life.

8. Bliss (d. Joe Begos; Dark Sky Films)

I saw Bliss a long time ago but it has truly resonated with me. Easily my favorite work of Joe Begos and his motley crew, the film is a fucking gnarly, gross, and extremely ultraviolent trip – it’s maybe even one of the bloodiest vampire movies ever made?

The film is equally gorgeous, carrying a colorful homage to Abel Ferrara’s The Driller Killer and Bill Lustig’s Maniac. And all eyes on Dora Madison‘s captivating performance as a struggling artist, which carries heavy subtext about the pressures of working in today’s Hollywood.

Bliss is straight-up punk rock, the kind of do-it-yourself indie horror goodness that horror fans are continually begging for. I suspect it’s going to become a cult classic. Don’t sleep on this hallucinogenic trip and take some Bliss with all your friends.

7. Lords of Chaos (d. Jonas Åkerlund; Gunpowder & Sky)

Lords of Chaos is the most insane metal story you’ve probably never heard. Jonas Åkerlund’s film tells the true story of a teenager’s quest to launch Norwegian Black Metal in Oslo in the early 1990s that results in a very violent outcome.

Ignoring the lack of authentic accents, Rory Culkin and Emory Cohen put on stellar performances as two remarkably unlikable teenagers who push each other to nasty extremes from church burnings to murder.

There isn’t an ounce of fun in Lords of Chaos, which is nothing short of a bleak and mortifying movie that’s impossibly hard to watch. Ironically, it’s a must-see and one of the most chaotic and disturbing stories I’ve ever watched unfold. While it’s easily one of the best genre movies of the year, it’s also one I hope to never see again.

6. Climax (d. Gaspar Noé; A24)

Gaspar Noe’s Climax plays out like an experimental film that’s essentially a transgressive hallucinatory nightmare.

In the film, a dance troupe is drugged with LSD and have the worst night of their lives. Infused with nonstop energy, Climax digresses from high octane fun to insanity and unadulterated madness. It’s the equivalent to getting the “spins” and trying to keep one foot on the floor, while also talking yourself down from uncontrollable madness.

Climax is anything but a slog with Noe’s single-shot camerawork injecting enormous energy into an already chaotic turn of events, highlighted by stunning cinematography and an energized score by Daft Punk and Aphex Twin. This is one helluva “good” trip.

Up Next: My Top 5 Horror Films of the Year

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Both Joe Begos’ vampire film Bliss and Tilman Singer’s possession film Luz will be hitting Shudder in the first month of 2020, along with the original series “The Dead Lands.”

Here’s the full lineup for January 2020:

NEW ORIGINAL SERIES

THE DEAD LANDS — two-episode series premiere Thursday, January 23 

A supernatural adventure set in a mythic Māori past, with an aesthetic that’s part Ash vs Evil Dead and part Xena: Warrior Princess. The Dead Lands features a murdered Māori warrior, Waka Nuku Rau (Te Kohe Tuhaka), who’s sent back to the world of the living to redeem his sins. But the world Waka returns to is ravaged by a breach between Life and the Afterlife as the spirits of the newly dead now stalk the land and hunt the living.

Waka encounters a determined young woman, Mehe (Darneen Christian), who becomes both his protégé and moral compass. Together, they navigate tribal politics, the unsettled ghosts of Ancestors and other forces both natural and supernatural, on a quest to discover who “broke the world” and how to repair it—if it’s not too late. An AMC Networks’ Shudder and TVNZ production. Also available on Shudder Canada and Shudder UK.

TRAILER: https://youtu.be/NhkxVN4uQX4

New The Dead Lands episodes will premiere Thursdays through March 5.

SHUDDER ORIGINAL/EXCLUSIVE MOVIES

THE MARSHES (premieres Thursday, 1/9)

In the middle of nowhere is a labyrinthine marshland teetering on the verge of extinction. Dr. Pria Anan is committed to saving it, using diligence and reason to fight the forces that threaten its existence. With the help of rival Ben and assistant Will, Pria is certain she is in control. But soon fear manifests in the form of a horrifying evil, forcing the team to abandon their efforts to save the marsh and focus on saving themselves. Starring Dafna Kronental, Sam Delich and Mathew Cooper, directed by Roger Scott. A SHUDDER ORIGINAL (Also available on Shudder Canada and Shudder UK) Trailer: https://youtu.be/Metttw13T24

BLISS (premieres Thursday, 1/30)

A brilliant painter facing the worst creative block of her life turns to anything she can to complete her masterpiece, spiraling into a hallucinatory hellscape of drugs, sex, and murder in the sleazy underbelly of Los Angeles. A SHUDDER EXCLUSIVE. Starring Dora Madison, Tru Collins, Jeremy Gardner and Rhys Wakefield, directed by Joe Begos. (Also available on Shudder Canada and Shudder UK) Trailer: https://youtu.be/OI8fjr4Va7Q

NEW MOVIES FOR JANUARY

January 1

The House of the Devil (Director: Ti West)

A stranger lures a babysitter to a house with an unusually large sum of money. But when she arrives, Samantha doesn’t find any kids. Just a large and very creepy house, that may not be as empty as it seems. Indie horror director Ti West (THE INNKEEPERS) made his mark with this terrifying ‘80s throwback, featuring cult horror legends like Dee Wallace (THE HOWLING), Mary Woronov (NIGHT OF THE COMET), plus Greta Gerwig before she hit it big. You’ll never bop around listening to headphones in an empty house again after watching what happens to Samantha. Starring: Jocelin Donahue, Tom Noonan, Mary Woronov, Greta Gerwig, AJ Bowen

Luz (Director: Tilman Singer)

A rainy night. A dazed and numb young cabdriver, Luz, drags herself into the brightly lit entrance of a rundown police station. Across town in a nightspot, Nora seductively engages police psychiatrist Dr. Rossini in a conversation. Nora is possessed by a demonic entity, longing for the woman it loves: Luz. She tells the doctor about Luz’s rebellious past at a Chilean school for girls. Increasingly drunk on her story, the doctor is easy prey for the entity. Once possessed, he’s called to the police station to examine Luz, where he puts her in a state of hypnosis that initiates a series of flashbacks, revealing the events that led to her arrival. But the entity that has taken control of the doctor wants something more. Starring: Luana Velis, Jan Bluthardt, Nadja Stübiger Johannes Benecke, Julia Riedler, Lilli Lorenz (Also available on Shudder Canada)

The Monster Squad (Director: Fred Dekker)

In this cult favorite horror comedy from the ‘80s, young boys’ monster club takes on a three-dimensional reality when the actual monsters—- Frankenstein, Dracula, the Mummy, the Wolf Man and Gill Man — come to town in search of a magic amulet that will enable Dracula to rule the world. Starring: Andre Gower, Robby Kiger, Duncan Regehr, Stephen Macht, Tom Noonan, Jack Gwyllim

January 6

Demon (Director: Marcin Wrona)

A young man travels to the hometown of his future wife where he knows no one. As a wedding gift from the bride’s grandfather, he receives a piece of land where the two can build a house and raise a happy family. While preparing to build, he finds human bones buried beneath the new property. Strange things begin to happen to change this happy couple’s life forever. Demon is a modern take on one of the most famous figures of Jewish folklore, the dybbuk, a spirit of a person not properly laid to rest that seeks to inhabit the body of a living person.  Starring: Itay Tiran, Agnieszka Zulewska, Andrzej Grabowski (Also available on Shudder Canada)

Patchwork (Director: Tyler MacIntyre)

Jennifer, Ellie, and Madeleine go out for a night on the town and wake up to find themselves trapped in the same body after being murdered, dissected and stitched together. Determined to find out what happened to them and who is responsible, they set out on a madcap quest for revenge.  Starring: Tory Stolper, Tracey Fairaway, Maria Blasucci (Also available on Shudder Canada)

January 13

STREAMING PREMIERE Tammy and the T-Rex, uncut R-rated version (Director: Stewart Raffill)

Tammy is a popular high school cheerleader whose new boyfriend, Michael, might be the love of her life. But Tammy’s jealous ex, Billy, won’t stand for anyone coming between him and ‘his’ girl, so he and his friends kidnap Michael, leaving him to be mauled by a lion in a local wildlife reserve. Comatose and at death’s door, Michael’s body is stolen from the hospital by mad scientist Dr. Wachenstein, who extracts his brain and implants it into a giant robotic T-Rex. Originally released as a heavily censored PG-13 movie, now restored to its uncut version with all of the gross-out gags, gratuitous decapitations, gut-ripping and head-smashing, courtesy of special effects wizard John Carl Buechler (Mausoleum). Starring: Denise Richards, Paul Walker, Terry Kiser and George “Buck” Flower (Also available on Shudder Canada)

January 20

Four Hands (Director: Oliver Kienle)

Sophie and Jessica witnessed a brutal crime as children. Jessica pledged to her younger sister Sophie, but after all these years, the promise has become an obsession. Jessica suffers from paranoid delusions, living in fear, sharing a house with her sister. But Sophie yearns to be free—free to pursue her career as a pianist, even free to fall in love. When it’s revealed that, after 20 years, the criminals are being released, an accident changes everything and transforms Jessica’s childhood promise to her sister into an existential nightmare. Starring: Frida-Lovisa Hamann, Friederike Becht, Christoph Letkowski (Also available on Shudder Canada)

The post Shudder Kicking Off 2020 With ‘Bliss,’ ‘Luz,’ ‘The Monster Squad’ and More New Arrivals appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

We’ve learned this week that Dark Sky Films will be bringing Bliss to DVD and Blu-ray on November 12. In the meantime, you can rent the film through all major VOD outlets.

In Bliss, “Known for her dark and macabre artwork, painter Dezzy Donahue (Dora Madison) is in a professional rut. Unable to finish her newest commissioned work, Dezzy looks to reignite her creative juices by letting loose-as in, taking every drug in sight and tearing through raucous house parties and heavy metal bars. After a few nights spent with her debauchery-loving friends Courtney (Tru Collins) and Ronnie (Rhys Wakefield), though, Dezzy notices changes within herself. On the positive side, she’s finally painting again, but she’s also developing a strange desire for blood. As someone who has never been able to control her vices in the first place, Dezzy is quickly and violently consumed by this bloodlust.”

The post Joe Begos’ Bloody Vampire Film ‘Bliss’ Will Take a Bite Out of Blu-ray in November appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

This year, the excellent annual event Celluloid Screams returns once again like a well timed jump scare.

Running from Thursday 24th through to Sunday 27th October here’s the lowdown of the titles in selection playing at the Showroom Cinema in Sheffield, England.

You can follow the festival on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

THURSDAY 24th OCTOBER

OPENING GALA: TONE-DEAF

Director: Richard Bates Jr. | USA | 2019 | 83 mins
After losing her job and ending her latest dysfunctional
relationship, a young woman rents a country house for a weekend
getaway but soon falls foul of the house’s owner, an embittered
widower (Robert Patrick) whose psychotic tendencies are veering
dangerously out of control.

GIRL ON THE THIRD FLOOR

Director: Travis Stevens | USA | 2019 | 93 mins
Don (played by former professional wrestler Phil “CM Punk”
Brooks) attempts to renovate a rundown mansion with a sordid
history for his growing family, only to learn that the house has
other plans in this highly unconventional take on the haunted
house film.

FRIDAY 25th OCTOBER

THE GOLDEN GLOVE has (UK PREMIERE)

THE GOLDEN GLOVE tells the story of Fritz Honka, a notorious serial killer living in Hamburg in the early 1970s. This gruesome tale and the novel which it is based on is named after that Honka frequents, finding his victims among the clientele.

ANTRUM: THE DEADLIEST FILM EVER MADE (UK PREMIERE)

Director: David Amito, Michael Laicini | Canada | 2018 | 95
mins

ANTRUM is a feature-length film shot in the late 1970s. A string of
bizarre incidents surrounding the film, including a blaze at a
cinema screening in Budapest in 1988 resulting in the deaths of 56
people in attendance, have contributed to the belief that the film
itself is cursed. After a riot at a screening in San Francisco, the film
vanished without a trace. Else Films has successfully located the
only known copy of the film in existence. This is that film.

EXTRA ORDINARY

Director: Mike Ahern, Enda Loughman | Ireland/Belgium | 2019
| 94 mins

Rose, a sweet and lonely small town driving instructor who must
use her supernatural ‘talent’ to save the daughter of a local man
from a washed up rock-star looking to use her in a satanic ritual
that will reignite his fame.

CELLULOID SCREAMS SECRET FILM 1

Director: TBC | TBC | TBC | TBC mins

The festival’s annual tradition of secret screenings continues in
2019. This year we present two mystery movies that are revealed
to the audience mere moments before they begin.

CORPORATE ANIMALS

Director: Patrick Brice | USA | 2019 | 86 mins
A teambuilding exercise in a cave system in New Mexico goes
horribly wrong for a group of employees in this hilarious horror
comedy from the director of Creep.

SATURDAY 26th OCTOBER

OUTBACK (International Premiere)
Director: Mike Green | Australia | 2019 | 86 mins
A young couple on holiday in Australia make the mistake of
deviating from their itinerary and an unplanned excursion to Ayers
Rock leaves them stranded at the mercy of the Australian outback.

MAKING MONSTERS (UK Premiere)

Director: Justin Harding, Rob Brunner | Canada | 2019 | 90
mins

When a celebrity couple famed for their YouTube scare-prank
channel are invited to a friend’s converted church in the
countryside for a weekend getaway, a series of startling events
unfold that spiral them into an inexplicable nightmare.

THE NIGHTINGALE

Director: Jennifer Kent | Australia, USA, Canada | 2018 | 136
mins

Set in 1825 in the British penal colony of Van Diemen’s Land (now
the Australian state of Tasmania), ‘The Nightingale’ follows a
young convict woman seeking revenge for a terrible act of violence
committed against her family.

COME TO DADDY

Director: Ant Timpson | Canada/New Zealand/Ireland/USA |
2019 | 93 mins

Thirty-something hipster Norval Greenwood (Elijah Wood) travels
to the coastal home of his estranged father to reconcile their past,
but soon discovers the real reason for his father’s impromptu
invitation.

BLISS

Director: Joe Begos | USA | 2019 | 80 mins

A brilliant painter facing the worst creative block of her life turns to
anything she can to complete her masterpiece, spiraling into a
hallucinatory hellscape of drugs, sex, and murder in the sleazy
underbelly of Los Angeles.

SUNDAY 23 OCTOBER

WHY DON’T YOU JUST DIE!
Director: Kirill Sokolov | Russia | 2018 | 95 mins

Andrei, a detective and the world’s most horrible father, brings
together a terrible group of people in his apartment: his resentful
actress daughter, an angry thug, and a cheated cop. Each one of
them has a reason to want revenge in this frenetic, hyper-violent
horror thriller.

DANIEL ISN’T REAL

Director: Adam Egypt Mortimer | USA | 2019 | 96 mins
A troubled college freshman, Luke, suffers a violent family trauma
and resurrects his childhood imaginary friend Daniel to help him
cope.

AFTER MIDNIGHT

Director: Jeremy Gardner, Christian Stella | USA | 2019 | 83
mins

For small-town bar owner Hank (Jeremy Gardner), his 10-year
relationship with Abby (Brea Grant) has been storybook-quality.
Abby, however, wants more: marriage, to be exact, which Hank
doesn’t seem ready to initiate anytime soon. As a result, she
leaves him without so much as a note or any subsequent
communication. Hank is crushed. Even worse, Abby’s departure
seemingly triggers the arrival of an unseen monster that claws at
Hank’s front door at night. As the nocturnal threat intensifies, Hank
must figure out how to not only save his relationship, but also
himself.

CELLULOID SCREAMS SECRET FILM 2

Director: TBC | TBC | TBC | TBC mins

The second of two mystery films for Celluloid Screams 2019.
Previous years have seen sneak peeks and premieres of
Paranormal Activity, The Autopsy of Jane Doe and Almost Human
– the only way to find out what’s in store is to buy a ticket.

CLOSING GALA: LITTLE MONSTERS

Director: Abe Forsythe | Australia/United Kingdom/USA | 2019
| 94 mins

A washed-up musician teams up with a kindergarten teacher and a
kids TV personality to protect a group of young children from a
sudden outbreak of zombies.

Weekend passes covering entry to all films and events at the festival are on sale on now via http://www.showroomworkstation.org.uk/ Individual tickets for all films go on sale on Saturday 28 th September at 12 noon. For full details of the film programme (including our 2019 short film selections) and schedule please visit: www.celluloidscreams.co.uk

The post Feel the Fear with England’s ‘Celluloid Screams’ Horror Film Festival Lineup appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

One of my favorite horror movies of the year, Meagan Navarro declared the film “a hallucinogenic trip into blood-drenched madness!” Also, check out the must-see first blood-soaked trailer.

In the film, “Known for her dark and macabre artwork, painter Dezzy Donahue (Madison) is in a professional rut. Unable to finish her newest commissioned work, Dezzy looks to reignite her creative juices by letting loose-as in, taking every drug in sight and tearing through raucous house parties and heavy metal bars. After a few nights spent with her debauchery-loving friends Courtney (Tru Collins) and Ronnie (Rhys Wakefield), though, Dezzy notices changes within herself. On the positive side, she’s finally painting again, but she’s also developing a strange desire for blood. As someone who has never been able to control her vices in the first place, Dezzy is quickly and violently consumed by this bloodlust.”

The initial press release says Begos has upped the ante with Bliss, which “roars with searing visuals, kinetic energy, an endearing nastiness, and a ferociously all-in lead performance from Madison. Although it’s set in modern-day Los Angeles, Bliss harkens back to the grimy days of New York City grindhouse cinema, when films like Abel Ferrara’s The Driller Killer and Bill Lustig’s Maniac were the norm.”

Look for this in limited theaters and on VOD platforms September 27, 2019.

The post Gory ‘Bliss’ Clip Can’t Resist the Taste of Blood! [Exclusive] appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

It’s actually astounding how many significant horror projects are coming out in September, which again, was typically the industry’s fallow period after expensive summer marketing seasons. Between movies, television and video games there’s enough terrifying media to keep even the most zealous horror fans busy for 30 whole days, so let’s crack this month open and see what juiciness lies inside!

The elephant in the room, or rather the giant creepy demon clown, is Andy Muschietti’s It: Chapter Two, the eagerly-awaited follow-up to 2017’s gigantic blockbuster It. The sequel covers the second half of Stephen King’s iconic story, in which the grown up survivors of the first evil clown attack return to their home town to vanquish their demons once and for all. James McAvoy, Jessica Chastain, Bill Hader, James Ransone, Andy Bean, Jay Ryan and Isaiah Mustafa star as the grown up Loser’s Club, and Bill Skarsgård returns as the all-powerful Pennywise.

Fair warning: It: Chapter Two is nearly THREE HOURS LONG, so get ready for the horror epic of the season, and maybe think twice before you upsize that drink at the concession stand.

The latest Stephen King adaptation is probably going to be a box office juggernaut, but that didn’t stop Satanic Panic from opening against it. Chelsea Stardust’s new horror comedy, brought to you by Fangoria and Aperture, is about a teenaged pizza delivery girl who runs afoul of a satanic cult who want her to be their virgin sacrifice. Meagan Navarro reviewed Satanic Panic for us, and called the film “very chaotic and tonally strange.”

If two horror films a weekend isn’t enough, why not three? September 13 brings three new scary movies, including Freaks, about a little girl locked in a house by her disturbed father (Emile Hirsch), and the mysterious “Mr. Snowcone” who helps her escape. Rafael Motomayor reviewed Freaks for us last year, and called it “a timely social commentary, and a thrilling film about parenting.”

Freaks opens opposite Candy Corn, a film about – what a coincidence! – circus freaks, who raise the dead to seek vengeance on bullies in a small town. The film co-stars horror luminaries P.J. Soles (Halloween), Tony Todd (Candyman) and Courtney Gains (Children of the Corn). Rounding out the weekend’s horrifying festivities is the new film Haunt, written and directed by Scott Beck and Bryan Woods, the co-writers of A Quiet Place. The film is about a local Halloween attraction that turns deadly. Meagan Navarro reviewed the film for us and called it a “forgettable slasher and a wasted opportunity to really let loose with its concept or its Halloween setting.”

The third weekend in September is full of movies we thought we’d never see, starting with Rob Zombie’s long-long-long-awaited follow-up to The Devil’s Rejects. The Firefly Family returns in 3 From Hell, and will screen for three nights in a row in 900 theaters across the country, with special bonuses every night. Also that weekend, audiences can finally see Polaroid, the supernatural horror thriller from Lars Klevberg, the director of the Child’s Play remake. The film, about a haunted camera, was shelved after The Weinstein Company declared bankruptcy, and is only just now getting released after being shuttered for several years.

On September 20 there are even more ghoulish delights in store, for Villains is hitting theaters and it’s about to make things weird. Bill Skarsgård and Maika Monroe star as criminals who break into a fancy house, only to find the homeowners – Jeffrey Donavan and Kyra Sedgwick – are more twisted than they are. Trace Thurman reviewed Villains for us and called the film “a welcome serving of pure batshit insanity.” Opening against it is Corporate Animals, the latest from the director of Creep and Creep 2, which stars Demi Moore and Ed Helms in a comedy thriller about a corporate retreat gone cannibalistically wrong.

Rounding out the month in movies (we haven’t even gotten to TV yet!), September 27 brings with it Bliss, about a painter who will do anything to rekindle her creative drive. Meagan Navarro reviewed Bliss for us, and called the film “a collision course of gutter trash and artistic creativity.”

Can’t get to the theater? There’s plenty of terrifying TV awaiting you. September 6 sees the release of the latest installment of Hulu’s Into the Dark. The season finale, Pure, focuses on “Daughter’s Day,” and tells a story of girls on a Purity Retreat who take part in a ritual that unleashes a demon.

Stephen King fans will find even more to sate their appetite on September 10, when the third season of Mr. Mercedes premieres on the AT&T Audience Network. And on September 12 the new series I-Land premieres on Netflix. The show stars Kate Bosworth and Alex Pettyfer, and is about a group of people who mysteriously wake up on an island, with amnesia.

And if you’re looking for something else that’s completely new, head on over to CBS on September 26 for the premiere of Evil, about a psychologist, rookie priest and contractor who team up to investigate miracles, demons and other inexplicable phenomena. Mike Colter (Luke Cage) co-stars.

But if you’re looking for something with nostalgia value, you can’t miss American Horror Story: 1984, the latest season in the FX anthology series, which takes on the persona of a 1980s slasher this season. And what horror fan could resist the allure of an all-new series based on the Stephen King/George Romero classic Creepshow? The new horror anthology – with segments directed by Greg Nicotero, Tom Savini, Roxanne Benjamin, David Bruckner and more – debuts on Shudder on September 26!

It’s hard to imagine anyone having any time for anything else after watching all those movies and TV shows, but there’s still video games in store for horror fans in September, so you might want to start taking sick days from work just to get to them all.

First up there’s Blasphemous, the new side-scrolling horror adventure starring goth guy in a pointy hat, which debuts on Xbox One, PlayStation 4, PC, and Switch on September 10. You’ll have to wait a few weeks for your next horror video game hit, when the Lovecraftian RPG Stygian: Reign of the Old Ones drops on Steam, followed immediately by Code Vein, a post-apocalyptic vampire RPG from Bandai Namco. Code Vein is said to be influenced by Dark Souls, and will premiere on Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PC on September 27.

The post September Horror Preview: ‘It: Chapter Two,’ ‘Three from Hell,’ “Creepshow” and So Much More! appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Cannes Palme d’Or winner Parasite (review) will also play this year’s Fantastic Fest with director Bong Joon-ho in attendance. Reaping near-universal acclaim around the world, Parasite is a darkly comic tale of two very different families who find their lives inexplicably intertwined.

The festival will also host a celebration of Mexican genre film and include LGBTQ+ programming. 

FULL SECOND WAVE FILM LINEUP BELOW: 

ABOU LEILA
Algeria, France, Qatar, 2019
North American Premiere, 139 min
Director – Amin Sidi-Boumédiène
In the midst of the Algerian Civil War, Lotfi ventures into the desert with his lifelong friend S., who hopes to find and kill the elusive, dangerous terrorist Abou Leila.

THE ANTENNA
Turkey, 2019
US Premiere, 115 min
Director – Orçun Behram
Somewhere within an unnamed city in Turkey, the residents of an apartment block await the installation of their new antenna as ordered by the central government. No one can prepare them for the evil that will be unleashed.

THE BLACK PIT OF DR. M
Mexico, 1959
Repertory Screening, 82 min
Director – Fernando Méndez
Two doctors make a pact on behalf of science: Whichever one dies first will return to share the secrets of the afterlife. This pact will not end well.

BLISS (review)
USA, 2019
Texas Premiere, 80 min
Director – Joe Begos
While trying to complete her latest painting, a starving artist facing a lack of inspiration spirals out of control in a blaze of blood-soaked, drug-fueled glory.

BLOOD MACHINES
France, USA, 2019
North American Premiere, 50 min
Director – Seth Ickerman
The wild sequel to the Carpenter Brut music video, “Turbo Killer,” shoots you into a turbulent psychedelic adventure of galactic hunters tracking down the soul of a spaceship set to a killer synthwave soundtrack.

BUTT BOY
USA, 2019
World Premiere, 100 min
Director – Tyler Cornack
Writer/director/comedian Tyler Cornack’s BUTT BOY introduces us to Chip, a middle-aged man whose first prostate exam stirs feelings deep inside leading to an addiction that can only be shown to Fantastic Fest audiences.

CLIMATE OF THE HUNTER
USA, 2019
World Premiere, 90 min
Director – Mickey Reece
The “Soderbergh of the Sticks,” Mickey Reece, returns to Fantastic Fest with his 27th feature. Two beautiful sisters vie for the affections of a man who may or may not be a vampire.

COLOR OUT OF SPACE
USA, 2019
US Premiere, 111 min
Director – Richard Stanley
Unimaginable terrors befall the Gardner family after a meteorite lands on their front lawn in Richard Stanley’s entrancing, horrific adaptation of H.P. Lovecraft’s short story.

IRON FISTS AND KUNG FU KICKS
Australia, 2019
North American Premiere, 107 min
Director – Serge Ou
From the Shaw Brothers to THE MATRIX, this wild documentary tells the story of how kung fu films conquered the world from the 1960s to now.

KNIVES OUT
USA, 2019
Special Presentation, 130 min
Director – Rian Johnson
In attendance – Director Rian Johnson
From acclaimed writer, director Rian Johnson comes KNIVES OUT, a fresh and modern take on the classic “whodunnit” mystery genre.

THE LODGE (review)
USA, 2019
Texas Premiere, 108 min
Directors – Veronika Franz & Severin Fiala
Five years after GOODNIGHT MOMMY stunned Fantastic Fest audiences, Veronika Franz and Severin Fiala are back with another disturbing psychological twister about a brother and sister spending Christmas with their shadowy soon-to-be stepmother.

THE LONG WALK
Laos, Spain, Singapore, 2019
US Premiere, 115 min
Director – Mattie Do
In attendance – Director Mattie Do
An old Laotian hermit discovers that the ghost of a road accident victim can transport him back in time fifty years to the moment of his mother’s painful death..

LYLE
2014, USA
Repertory Screening, 65 min
Director – Stewart Thorndike
In attendance – Director Stewart Thorndike
After the loss of her child, a young woman begins to suspect that her neighbors might be part of a satanic cult and that she might be their next target.

A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET 2: FREDDY’S REVENGE
USA, 1985
Repertory Screening, 87 min
Director – Jack Sholder
In attendance – Actors Mark Patton and Kim Myers
Jesse (Mark Patton) is the new kid on Elm Street and Freddy Krueger might not be the only monster in the closet in this much discussed but under-appreciated queer horror classic.

NOBADI
Austria, 2019
US Premiere, 90 min
Director – Karl Markovics
In a retirement allotment in Vienna, a crabby 91-year-old finds both himself and his humanity when he hires an Afghani refugee to help him in Karl Markovics’ remarkable and poignant third feature.

PARASITE
South Korea, 2019
Texas Premiere, 131 min
Director – Bong Joon-ho
Bong Joon-ho’s seventh feature — about an unemployed Korean family conning their way out of their basement apartment — is a roller coaster ride of laughs, gasps, horror, tears, and perfection.

PATRICK
Belgium, 2019
North American Premiere, 97 min
Director – Tim Mielants
Patrick is not having an easy time. First his domineering father passed away and now his favorite hammer is missing. Before the day is out, Patrick’s search will lead him to discover answers to the questions he didn’t even know existed.

PHIL TIPPETT – MAD DREAMS AND MONSTERS
France, 2019
International Premiere, 80 min
Directors – Gilles Penso & Alexandre Poncet
After their documentary CREATURE DESIGNERS – THE FRANKENSTEIN COMPLEX, French journalist Alexandre Poncet and filmmaker Gilles Penso deliver an in-depth, sad, and beautiful documentary about the stop motion and VFX artist Phil Tippett, a man who changed the landscape of visual effects in film.

THE PLATFORM
Spain, 2019
US Premiere, 90 min
Director – Galder Gaztelu-Urrutia
In attendance – Director Galder Gaztelu-Urrutia
Somewhere in the future exists THE PLATFORM, a vertically tiered prison where the upper levels have access to exquisite food and the lower levels fight for survival. Level assignments are random, but how long can a prisoner’s luck hold? One man is about to find out.

PREY
1977, United Kingdom
Repertory Screening, 78 min
Director – Norman J. Warren
Jessica and Josephine find more than their relationship at stake when they’re chosen by a shape-shifting alien as his target for an observational study.

SCREAM, QUEEN! MY NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET
USA, 2019
US Premiere, 100 min
Directors – Roman Chimienti & Tyler Jensen
In attendance – Directors Roman Chimienti and Tyler Jensen
More than thirty years after its release and his departure from Hollywood, Mark Patton (star of A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET 2: FREDDY’S REVENGE), sets the record straight on the famously queer horror sequel in this fabulous, surprising, and eye-opening documentary.

THE SHIP OF MONSTERS
Mexico, 1960
Repertory Screening, 81 min
Director – Rogelio A. González
Two Venusian women and their robot servant are on a mission to find suitable candidates to repopulate their planet. Soon their ship is filled with bizarre specimens from across the universe, leading to an adventure like no other!

SYNCHRONIC
USA, 2019
US Premiere, 96 min
Directors – Justin Benson & Aaron Moorhead
In attendance – Directors Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead
Two paramedics find their world ripped apart when they start encountering deaths linked to the otherworldly effects of a new designer drug called Synchronic.

TRAMPA INFERNAL
Mexico, 1989
Repertory Screening, 77 min
Director – Pedro Galindo III
In Mexico’s most notorious unseen video-era masterblast, a crew of toxically masculine bear murderers runs afoul of a forest-dwelling war veteran wearing a mannequin mask and Freddy Krueger glove. Entertainment ensues!!

THE TRUE ADVENTURES OF WOLFBOY
USA, 2019
North American Premiere, 88 min
Director – Martin Krejčí
Suffering from hypertrichosis — which covers him with animal-like fur — Paul knows he’s not like other kids. But a seemingly random package from his estranged mother will send him on a journey of self-discovery alongside extraordinary characters.

THE VAST OF NIGHT
USA, 2019
Texas Premiere, 90 min
Director – Andrew Patterson
A rural 1950s radio DJ and a telephone operator uncover a strange signal that could change everything in this stunning science fiction debut feature.

VFW
USA, 2019
World Premiere, 92 min
Director – Joe Begos
In attendance – Director Joe Begos
In the near future, a new drug called Hype has turned America into a war zone. The addicted are more mutant than human, and they’ve set their sights on assaulting a VFW post in Joe Begos’ star-studded latest.

VHYES
USA, 2019
World Premiere, 71 min
Director – Jack Henry Robbins
In attendance – Director Jack Henry Robbins
This bizarre retro comedy, shot entirely on VHS and Beta, takes us back to when 12-year-old Ralph, over one formative week, mistakenly records home videos and his favorite late night shows over his parents’ wedding tape.

VIVARIUM
Ireland, Belgium, Denmark, 2019
US Premiere, 98 min
Director – Lorcan Finnegan
When young couple Gemma (Imogen Poots) and Tom (Jesse Eisenberg) drive out to a maze of temptingly affordable houses in the suburbs, they find themselves unable to leave.

The post Fantastic Fest’s Second Wave Includes ‘Knives Out’, ‘Color Out of Space’, ‘VFW’, ‘Parasite’ and More! appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Meagan Navarro declared the film “a hallucinogenic trip into blood-drenched madness!” Also, check out the must-see first blood-soaked trailer.

In the film, “Known for her dark and macabre artwork, painter Dezzy Donahue (Madison) is in a professional rut. Unable to finish her newest commissioned work, Dezzy looks to reignite her creative juices by letting loose-as in, taking every drug in sight and tearing through raucous house parties and heavy metal bars. After a few nights spent with her debauchery-loving friends Courtney (Tru Collins) and Ronnie (Rhys Wakefield), though, Dezzy notices changes within herself. On the positive side, she’s finally painting again, but she’s also developing a strange desire for blood. As someone who has never been able to control her vices in the first place, Dezzy is quickly and violently consumed by this bloodlust.”

The initial press release says Begos has upped the ante with Bliss, which “roars with searing visuals, kinetic energy, an endearing nastiness, and a ferociously all-in lead performance from Madison. Although it’s set in modern-day Los Angeles, Bliss harkens back to the grimy days of New York City grindhouse cinema, when films like Abel Ferrara’s The Driller Killer and Bill Lustig’s Maniac were the norm.”

Look for this in limited theaters and on VOD platforms September 27, 2019!

The post ‘Bliss’ Poster Art Paints a Grotesquely Bloody Picture [Exclusive] appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

In the film, “Known for her dark and macabre artwork, painter Dezzy Donahue (Dora Madison) is in a professional rut. Unable to finish her newest commissioned work, Dezzy looks to reignite her creative juices by letting loose-as in, taking every drug in sight and tearing through raucous house parties and heavy metal bars. After a few nights spent with her debauchery-loving friends Courtney (Tru Collins) and Ronnie (Rhys Wakefield), though, Dezzy notices changes within herself. On the positive side, she’s finally painting again, but she’s also developing a strange desire for blood. As someone who has never been able to control her vices in the first place, Dezzy is quickly and violently consumed by this bloodlust.”

The initial press release says Begos has upped the ante with Bliss, which “roars with searing visuals, kinetic energy, an endearing nastiness, and a ferociously all-in lead performance from Madison. Although it’s set in modern-day Los Angeles, Bliss harkens back to the grimy days of New York City grindhouse cinema, when films like Abel Ferrara’s The Driller Killer and Bill Lustig’s Maniac were the norm.”

Look for this in limited theaters and on VOD platforms September 27, 2019!

The post ‘Bliss’ Trailer Paints a Picture of a Trippy Vampire Horror Story [Video] appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

In the film, “Known for her dark and macabre artwork, painter Dezzy Donahue (Dora Madison) is in a professional rut. Unable to finish her newest commissioned work, Dezzy looks to reignite her creative juices by letting loose-as in, taking every drug in sight and tearing through raucous house parties and heavy metal bars. After a few nights spent with her debauchery-loving friends Courtney (Tru Collins) and Ronnie (Rhys Wakefield), though, Dezzy notices changes within herself. On the positive side, she’s finally painting again, but she’s also developing a strange desire for blood. As someone who has never been able to control her vices in the first place, Dezzy is quickly and violently consumed by this bloodlust.”

The press release says Begos has upped the ante with Bliss, which “roars with searing visuals, kinetic energy, an endearing nastiness, and a ferociously all-in lead performance from Madison. Although it’s set in modern-day Los Angeles, Bliss harkens back to the grimy days of New York City grindhouse cinema, when films like Abel Ferrara’s The Driller Killer and Bill Lustig’s Maniac were the norm.”

If you haven’t check out the film’s blood-soaked trailer!

The post Dora Madison Gets Bloody Creative in Fresh ‘Bliss’ Imagery appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

The opening night attraction is the World Premiere of Haunt, the new horror-thriller by Scott Beck & Bryan Woods, the duo who wrote the box office sensation A Quiet Place. Their latest scarefest takes place on Halloween and follows a group of friends as they encounter an extreme haunted house that promises to feed on their darkest fears. Beck & Woods will be attending the festival.

Closing the Festival is Brad Michael Elmore’s Bit, a brilliant and fresh take on bloodthirsty ladies of the night. The film stars Nicole Maines (Supergirl) as a transgender teen who becomes entrenched with a mysterious group of punk feminist vampires hellbent on ridding the streets of predatory men.

The Festival is also deeply proud to host the World Premiere of The Dare, a gruesome nail-biter that cuts to the bone; and the North American Premiere of The Sonata, a fantastically feverish chamber piece starring Rutger Hauer.

A trio of new female-directed genre films will be playing as well, including Jennifer Reeder’s neon-drenched gothic teen noir Knives and Skin, Chelsea Stardust’s dark comedy Satanic Panic, and Alice Waddington’s dazzling dystopic tale Paradise Hills starring Emma Roberts, Awkwafina, Milla Jovovich, Eiza González, and Danielle Macdonald.

Other Festival highlights include Joe Begos’ daring psychedelic thriller Bliss; Adam Egypt Mortimer’s stylish psycho-horror Daniel Isn’t Real; heralded genre-bender Larry Fessenden’s reimagining of the Frankenstein myth in Depraved; the viciously twisted and deliriously fun Villains starring Bill Skarsgård, Maika Monroe, Jeffrey Donovan, and Kyra Sedgwick; and the haunting phantasmagoria of Peter Strickland’s beguiling ghost story In Fabric.

This year’s Popcorn Frights poster is designed by Miami-based artist Jason Sheppard in collaboration with Matt Durston.

The second wave of Popcorn Frights 2019 programming will be announced in the coming weeks.

FESTIVAL LINEUP (FIRST WAVE)

BIT (U.S.)
Director: Brad Michael Elmore
A transgender teenage girl on summer vacation in Los Angeles fights to survive after she falls in with four queer feminist vampires, who try to rid the city’s streets of predatory men. Cast: Nicole Maines, M.C. Gainey, Diana Hopper, James Paxton (East Coast Premiere)

BLISS (U.S.)
Director: Joe Begos
A brilliant painter facing the worst creative block of her life turns to anything she can to complete her masterpiece, spiraling into a hallucinatory hellscape of drugs, sex, and murder in the sleazy underbelly of Los Angeles. Cast: Dora Madison, Tru Collins, Rhys Wakefield, Graham Skipper (Southeast US Premiere)

DANIEL ISN’T REAL (U.S.)
Director: Adam Egypt Mortimer
When a distraught college freshman faces an unimaginable family trauma, he turns to his sadistic imaginary friend from childhood for help, hoping to unleash some long-forgotten strength. What he finds instead will change his life forever. Cast: Patrick Schwarzenegger, Miles Robbins, Sasha Lane, Mary Stuart Masterson (East Coast Premiere)

THE DARE (U.K., U.S., Bulgaria)
Director: Giles Alderson
Four abducted strangers are forced to piece together clues created by their deranged captor who has brought them together to engage in a twisted battle to solve a puzzle to their past…or die a gruesome death. Cast: Richard Brake, Joivan Wade, Richard Short (World Premiere)

DEPRAVED (U.S.)
Director: Larry Fessenden
Larry Fessenden’s reimagining of the Frankenstein myth (shot on the 200th anniversary of the novel’s publication) centers on a PTSD-riddled field surgeon deep in the heart of Brooklyn who decides to reconstruct an unsuspecting man out of spare body parts. Cast: David Call, Joshua Leonard, Alex Breaux (Southeast US Premiere)

HAUNT (U.S.)
Directors: Scott Beck & Bryan Woods
On Halloween, a group of friends encounter an “extreme” haunted house that promises to feed on their darkest fears. But the night turns deadly as they come to the horrifying realization that some nightmares are real. Cast: Katie Stevens, Will Brittain, Lauryn Alisa McClain (World Premiere)

IN FABRIC (U.K.)
Director: Peter Strickland
Obliquely split between two distinct stories, this exquisitely warped tale follows the life of a cursed scarlet dress as it passes from person to person, fatally afflicting anyone who comes into contact with it at an eerie department store. Cast: Marianne Jean-Baptiste, Gwendoline Christie, Julian Barratt, Sidse Babett Knudsen (South Florida Premiere)

KNIVES AND SKIN (U.S.)
Director: Jennifer Reeder
A mystical teen noir that follows a young girl’s disappearance in the rural Midwest and its effect on teens and parents. Cast: Kate Arrington, Marika Engelhardt, Tim Hopper (Southeast US Premiere)

PARADISE HILLS (Spain)
Director: Alice Waddington
A mysterious boarding school perfectly reforms wayward girls to fit their surroundings’ exact desires. Cast: Emma Roberts, Awkwafina, Milla Jovovich, Eiza González, Danielle Macdonald (East Coast Premiere)

SATANIC PANIC (U.S.)
Director: Chelsea Stardust
A pizza delivery girl at the end of her financial rope has to fight for her life – and her tips – when her last order of the night turns out to be high society Satanists in need of a virgin sacrifice. Cast: Rebecca Romijn, Jerry O’Connell, Ruby Modine (Southeast US Premiere)

THE SONATA (France, U.K., Latvia)
Director: Andrew Desmond
A young violinist unravels her long-lost father’s past, triggering dark forces that reach beyond her imagination. Cast: Rutger Hauer, Freya Tingley, James Faulkner, James Kermack (North American Premiere)

VILLAINS (U.S)
Directors: Dan Berk & Robert Olsen
After a pair of amateur criminals break into a suburban home, they stumble upon a dark secret that two sadistic homeowners will do anything to keep from getting out. Cast: Bill Skarsgård, Maika Monroe, Jeffrey Donovan, Kyra Sedgwick (Florida Premiere)

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While I’m planning to see pretty much every movie programmed, here are the ten films I’m most looking forward to as part of this year’s festival.

1. Verotika – The world premiere of the directorial debut of Misfits frontman Glenn Danzig! Very little is known about this film except that it’s an anthology based on a series of comics he wrote and “a realization of his lifelong love of comic books and the dark arts.” I have no idea what a horror anthology directed by Glenn Danzig is going to look like, but given how many Misfits songs are about horror movies, I can’t wait to find out. (Screens Thursday, June 13 at 7 p.m.)

2. Total Recall – Ok, sure, I’ve seen Total Recall at least 25 times. But I haven’t seen it on the big screen since its release in 1990 and have never seen it in 70mm. That’s the kind of clarity you need to watch Arnold pull a giant tracking device out of his nose. As an added bonus, co-star Michael Ironside will be appearing in person to accept a Lifetime Achievement award. See you at the party, Richter! (Screens Saturday, June 15 at 6:45 p.m.)

3. The Lodge – Early word is good on this slow-burn film from directors Veronika Franz and Severin Fiala. Riley Keough plays a woman who is snowed in with her future stepchildren at a remote cabin, where strange things begin to happen. This kind of deliberately-paced creep fest isn’t always my bag, but the buzz has been too strong for me to ignore. (Screens Saturday, June 15 at 9:45 p.m.)

4. Bliss – The latest effort from writer/director Joe Begos, whose Almost Human and The Mind’s Eye were both cool low-budget throwbacks to the kinds of horror movies we grew up loving in the 1980s. He’s a filmmaker who has earned my curiosity for anything he makes, and this one sounds to be his wildest, most hallucinatory movie to date. (Screens Saturday, June 15^th at midnight)

5. Kindred Spirits – Between May and The Woman and The Woods, Lucky McKee is one of my favorite contemporary horror directors. His latest film is reason to celebrate. This one stars Thora Birch as a woman whose life is upturned when her younger sister comes to live with her. That plot synopsis doesn’t do much to grab me, but McKee’s movies are never about their plots; they’re about their characters and their tones. I can’t wait to see what he has in store. (Screens Sunday, June 16 at 1:45 p.m.)

6. Darlin’ – Speaking of Lucky McKee, Darlin’ is the sequel to his 2012 film The Woman, this time directed by star (and titular Woman) Polyanna McIntosh. She’s reprising her role here in a film she also wrote, and I can’t wait to see her step back into the shoes of such a brutal, feral, iconic character, as well as to see what she brings to this story as a director. The Woman remains one of my favorite horror films of this decade, so naturally I’m an easy mark for a follow-up. (Screens Sunday, June 16 at 7 p.m.)

7. Satanic Panic – The second film from director Chelsea Stardust to be released in a matter of months (the first being her excellent entry for Hulu’s Into the Dark series, titled All That We Destroy). This one’s a Fangoria production, a horror comedy about a pizza girl who makes a delivery to a house full of Satan worshippers. The supporting cast includes Rebecca Romijn, Jerry O’Connell, Jeff Daniel Phillips, AJ Bowen, Clarke Wolfe, and Happy Death Day’s Ruby Modine, with a script by Ted Geoghegan and Grady Hendrix, who previously collaborated on Mohawk. It all sounds like a bloody blast. (Screens Sunday, June 16 at 9:15 p.m.)

8. Tammy and the T-Rex – This oddity from 1994 from the director of Mac & Me has to be one of the craziest, most inexplicable movies ever made just on its face: high schooler Paul Walker is beaten into a coma and has his brain placed in the body of a Tyrannosaurus Rex, which proceeds to romance Denise Richards. Making this “comedy” all the more baffling is that it was apparently originally shot with a bunch of bloody gore and dino mutilations, which have been restored for this premiere of the movie’s “Gore Cut” at Cinepocalypse. There may be no better audience event this year. (Screens Monday, June 17 at 7 p.m.)

9. The Lurker – A group of high school theater students start getting killed off after a production of Romeo and Juliet. love a good slasher film, particularly one that’s shot and set in my hometown of Chicago. We tend to get the shaft when it comes to slashers. I blame the weather. (Screens Monday, June 17 at 9:15 p.m.)

10. Achoura – One of my favorite novels of all time is Stephen King’s IT, so it makes sense that I would be excited about this Moroccan horror film that sounds very similar, about a group of North African adults who reunite after 25 years to take on a monster after one of their friends resurfaces. I’ve never seen a Moroccan horror film, which is reason enough alone to put this on my list of most anticipated titles at the fest. That it might be anything like my favorite Stephen King book is just a bonus. (Screens Saturday, June 15 at 11:45 p.m. and Wednesday, June 19 at 5 p.m.)

Stay tuned for reviews of many of these titles and more throughout the festival, which runs June 13-20 at the Music Box Theatre in Chicago.

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Bliss stars Dora Madison as Dezzy, a talented Los Angeles based artist with a reputation for her dark artwork. Struggling for months to move past a serious creative block, Dezzy’s facing financial trouble and serious pressure from the art gallery to which her latest erstwhile masterpiece has been promised. When her agent drops her, Dezzy finds herself seeking solace from old friends and vices she once left behind in the seedy underbelly of the city. After a hallucinogenic drug binge on Bliss, Dezzy’s night of debauchery sends her on a downward spiral fueled by Bliss and an unquenchable hunger for blood.

Our intro to both this world and lead character Dezzy is a jarring one. “Fuck” is uttered just about every other word to ensure you know how tough as nails chain-smoking Dezzy can be, and how desperate. Her relationship with her boyfriend Clive (Jeremy Gardner) seems volatile, but she’s downright loving in the way she treats him compared to anyone else in her path – her landlord, her agent, etc. Her icy demeanor thaws completely, though, once she reconnects with her former drug dealer Hadrian, played by frequent Begos collaborator Graham Skipper (sporting epic mutton chops here). It marks a turning point, not just for her character, but in terms of finding a foothold for the audience to grab hold of while being whisked along Dezzy’s increasingly precarious journey.

Under the hazy glow of neon, Bliss becomes a collision course of gutter trash and artistic creativity. Begos has two effective weapons in his filmmaking arsenal that can be counted on in his work, which definitely applies here; his vision for practical effect driven gore and Josh Ethier’s talent for film editing. Dezzy’s vampiric transformation begins as a drug-addled psychotronic miasma that builds into one blood-soaked third act, giving ample room for both the viscera and editing to soar. Emphasis on viscera.

You’d be hard pressed to come up with a bloodier vampire film, and the deaths are brutal.

Madison’s performance is also a major strength. This is a one-character narrative; we’re with Dezzy from beginning to end while supporting characters come and go, so much of Bliss hinges on its lead’s portrayal. Luckily, Madison is the strongest performer yet in Begos’ roster of actors, and is able to carry the weight of the film on her shoulders. Though her abrasive entrance gives pause, with no assist by the oft cringy dialogue, Madison imbues Dezzy with the complexity of a struggling artist so thoroughly consumed by her work that everything else is kept at arm’s reach. There’s a thematic weight in that struggle, and the questions in poses, that show a maturity and growth in Begos as a filmmaker, as well.

Writer/director Joe Begos has left behind the New England setting of his previous films in favor of a gritty urban cityscape with its unsavory underside put front and center. The gleeful approach to violence and gore are still there in spades, as are the overt cinematic influences that shaped this story. But now Begos is asking thought-provoking questions through his art, in his no-holds-barred gratuitous way, that indicates a director growing much more comfortable and confident.

Bliss was first reviewed out of the 2019 Tribeca Film Festival.

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MPI/Dark Sky Films shares the festival trailer for the film that starts out like a Gaspar Noé-themed vampire party and eventually devolves into a collage of nightmarish imagery and sheer brutality. Blood sprays nonstop as people are bitten and heads are ripped off. This shit looks right up Bloody Disgusting’s alley!

In the film, “Known for her dark and macabre artwork, painter Dezzy Donahue (Dora Madison) is in a professional rut. Unable to finish her newest commissioned work, Dezzy looks to reignite her creative juices by letting loose-as in, taking every drug in sight and tearing through raucous house parties and heavy metal bars. After a few nights spent with her debauchery-loving friends Courtney (Tru Collins) and Ronnie (Rhys Wakefield), though, Dezzy notices changes within herself. On the positive side, she’s finally painting again, but she’s also developing a strange desire for blood. As someone who has never been able to control her vices in the first place, Dezzy is quickly and violently consumed by this bloodlust.”

The press release says Begos has upped the ante with Bliss, which “roars with searing visuals, kinetic energy, an endearing nastiness, and a ferociously all-in lead performance from Madison. Although it’s set in modern-day Los Angeles, Bliss harkens back to the grimy days of New York City grindhouse cinema, when films like Abel Ferrara’s The Driller Killer and Bill Lustig’s Maniac were the norm.”

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MIDNIGHT: Tribeca’s Midnight section provides a space for fans to discover new projects in genre filmmaking. Past films include Joshua Zeman and Barbara Brancaccio’s Cropsey (2008), Ti West’s The House of the Devil (2009), Panos Cosmatos’ Beyond the Black Rainbow (2010), and Mickey Keating Psychopaths (2017).

Bliss, directed and written by Joe Begos. Produced by Joe Begos, Josh Ethier, Graham Skipper, Caroline Metz, Lyle Kanouse, Audrey Wasilewski. (USA) – World Premiere, Feature Narrative. In need of creative inspiration, a professionally stagnant and hard-partying Los Angeles artist recklessly indulges in a series of drug binges. As the narcotics fly out of control, so does her newfound and inexplicable, yet unquenchable, craving for blood. With Dora Madison, Tru Collins, Rhys Wakefield, Jeremy Gardner, Graham Skipper, George Wendt.

Come to Daddy, directed by Ant Timpson, written by Toby Harvard. Produced by Mette-Marie Kongsved, Laura Tunstall, Daniel Bekerman, Katie Holly, Emma Slade. (USA, New Zealand, Canada, Ireland) – World Premiere, Feature Narrative. After receiving a cryptic letter from his estranged father, Norval travels to his dad’s oceanfront home for what he hopes will be a positive experience. If only he’d known the dark truth about his old man beforehand. With Elijah Wood, Stephen McHattie, Martin Donovan, Michael Smiley, Madeleine Sami, Simon Chin.

Knives and Skin, directed and written by Jennifer Reeder. Produced by Brian Hieggelke, Jan Hieggelke. (USA) – North American Premiere, Feature Narrative. In the rural midwestern town of Big River, the sudden disappearance of a teen girl drives the town’s small population into a surreal nightmare of fear, suspicion, and guilt. With Kate Arrington, Marika Engelhardt, Audrey Francis, Kayla Carter, Ireon Roach, and Grace Smith

Something Else, directed by Jeremy Gardner and Christian Stella, written by Jeremy Gardner. Produced by David Lawson Jr., Justin Benson, Aaron Moorhead, Arvind Harinath. (USA) – World Premiere, Feature Narrative. Dealing with a girlfriend suddenly leaving is tough enough. But for Hank, heartbreak couldn’t have come at a worse time. There’s also a monster trying to break through his front door every night. With Jeremy Gardner. Brea Grant, Henry Zebrowski, Justin Benson, Ashley Song, Nicola Masciotra.

You Don’t Nomi, directed and written by Jeffrey McHale. Produced by Jeffrey McHale, Ariana Garfinkel, Suzanne Zionts. (USA) – World Premiere, Feature Documentary. Released in 1995, Paul Verhoeven’s Showgirls was met by critics and audiences with near universal derision. You Don’t Nomi traces the film’s redemptive journey from notorious flop to cult classic, and maybe even masterpiece. With Peaches Christ, Jeffery Conway, April Kidwell, Haley Mlotek, Adam Nayman, David Schmader.

INTERNATIONAL NARRATIVE COMPETITION: The New-York based Festival breaks its geographical boundaries with the International Narrative Competition, welcoming filmmakers from abroad to join a global platform for contemporary world cinema.

The Gasoline Thieves (Huachicolero), directed by Edgar Nito, written by Alfredo Mendoza, Edgar Nito. Produced by Victor Leycegui, Annick Mahnert, Joshua Sobel. (Mexico, Spain, UK, USA) – World Premiere. Propelled by a need for cash to impress a crush, 14-year-old Mexican farmhand Lalo finds himself dangerously in over his head after entering into the country’s underworld of illegal gasoline extraction. With Eduardo Banda, Pedro Joaquin, Regina Reynoso, Fernando Becerril, Pascacio López, Leonardo Alonso.

SPOTLIGHT NARRATIVE

Charlie Says, directed by Mary Harron, written by Guinevere Turner. Produced by Cindi Rice, Jeremy M. Rosen, John Frank Rosenblum. (USA) – North American Premiere. Charlie Says, directed by masterful filmmaker Mary Harron, tells the Charles Manson story through the fresh eyes of his most devoted followers: Leslie van Houten, Patricia Krenwinkel, and Susan Atkins. With Suki Waterhouse, Hannah Murray, Matt Smith, Annabeth Gish, Merritt Wever, Chace Crawford. An IFC Films release.

Only, directed and written by Takashi Doscher. Produced by Eyal Rimmon, Gabrielle Pickle. (USA) – World Premiere. After the onset of a mysterious plague that affects only females, Eva may be the only woman left on Earth. Longing for freedom after months of secret quarantine, she and her partner Will venture out into the unknown. With Freida Pinto, Leslie Odom Jr., Chandler Riggs, Jayson Warner Smith, Tia Hendricks.

MOVIES PLUS: A Tribeca tradition, Movies Plus offers audiences the unique opportunity to continue the experience of a film through buzzworthy conversations or performances after each special screening.

I Am Human, directed, written, and produced by Taryn Southern, Elena Gaby. (USA) – World Premiere, Feature Documentary. Advancements in neurotechnology are revolutionizing what it means to be human. Following three subjects who undergo brain interface treatment, I AM HUMAN examines the ethical quandaries in brain exploration and simulated cognitive evolution.

● After the Premiere Screening: a conversation with co-directors and producers Taryn Southern and Elena Gaby, neurotech entrepreneur Bryan Johnson, neurosurgeon at Toronto Western Hospital Dr. Andres Lozano. Moderated by the CEO of Futurism Alex Klokus.

TRIBECA CRITICS’ WEEK

In Fabric, directed and written by Peter Strickland. Produced by Andy Starke. (UK) – New York Premiere, Feature Narrative. British auteur Peter Strickland follows The Duke of Burgundy with a dazzling sensory overload of genre film pastiche in a fresh package: the dreamlike saga of a cursed scarlet dress that passes through the lives of several characters. Once again, Strickland unites disorienting cinematic trickery with deadpan comedy to astonishing results. With Marianne Jean-Baptiste, Hayley Squires, Leo Bill, Julian Barratt, Steve Oram, Gwendoline Christie. An A24 release.

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