The rare neurodegenerative disorder claimed the actor’s life on Thursday.

Eric Dane’s family said in a statement to the press, “With heavy hearts, we share that Eric Dane passed on Thursday afternoon following a courageous battle with ALS. He spent his final days surrounded by dear friends, his devoted wife, and his two beautiful daughters, Billie and Georgia, who were the center of his world.”

“Throughout his journey with ALS, Eric became a passionate advocate for awareness and research, determined to make a difference for others facing the same fight,” the statement continues. “He will be deeply missed, and lovingly remembered always. Eric adored his fans and is forever grateful for the outpouring of love and support he’s received.”

Here in the horror world, Eric Dane starred in John Gulager’s 2005 monster movie Feast, and he played Charles ‘Tex’ Watson in TV movie Helter Skelter one year prior. Around the same time, Dane starred in shark attack sequel Open Water 2: Adrift, and recently returned to the genre in American Carnage starring Jenna Ortega and Borderline starring Samara Weaving.

Eric Dane is of course also known for his beloved role as Dr. Mark Sloan (aka “McSteamy”) in the television series “Grey’s Anatomy,” and for playing Cal Jacobs in “Euphoria.”

Dane’s credits also include “Saved by the Bell,” “The Wonder Years,” “Roseanne,” “Charmed,” Painkiller Jane, X-Men: The Last Stand, Marley & Me, Valentine’s Day, “The Last Ship,” Little Dixie, Americana, Dangerous Waters, Bad Boys: Ride or Die, and “Countdown.”

Eric Dane is survived by wife Rebecca Gayheart and their two children, Billie and Georgia.

Eric Dane in ‘Borderline’ (2025)

The post ‘Feast’ and ‘Borderline’ Actor Eric Dane Has Passed Away at 53 appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

This week brings the arrival of a new splatter-comedy, Destroy All Neighbors, presenting the perfect excuse to laugh your way through the excess entrails and arterial spray the niche subgenre has to offer. These five splatter comedies vary in style and tone, but all seek to tickle your funny bone through humor, fun, and a whole lot of guts.

Here’s where you can stream them this week.

For more Stay Home, Watch Horror picks, click here.

Blood Diner – The Roku Channel

Before becoming a standalone film, Blood Diner was initially intended to act as a sequel to Herschell Gordon Lewis’s Blood Feast. That change resulted in a zany ’80s horror-comedy that remakes the splatter classic; the premise is essentially the same at its core. Directed by Jackie Kong, Blood Diner follows two brothers tasked by their dead serial killer uncle to continue his attempts to resurrect the goddess Sheetar. They do this by using their diner to host ritualistic feasts and lure women from which they harvest body parts, but the brothers’ vapid nature winds up making this feel like Bill & Ted were unwittingly dropped into a horror-comedy. Their murder spree is made all the funnier when detectives are stumped by the crime scenes. The original played it straight, while Kong dials up the ’80s excess here for maximum gonzo laughs.

Feast – Plex, The Roku Channel, Tubi

Feast presents an “anything goes,” crass and raunchy attitude that doesn’t take itself too seriously right out of the gate. Except when it comes to the gore. Directed by John Gulager and written by Patrick Melton & Marcus Dunstan, Feast assembles an eclectic bunch at a roadside bar then traps them there as deadly monsters descend. Characters get introduced via humorous archetype cards before quickly being dispatched in goopy, bloody ways. Gulager delivers a gruesomely over-the-top creature feature with its tongue firmly in cheek but with a breakneck speed and emphasis on practical effects and action.

Re-Animator – AMC+, Arrow, Fandor, Kanopy, Midnight Pulp, Plex, SCREAMBOX, Shudder, Tubi

This loose retelling of H.P. Lovecraft’s Herbert West-Reanimator goes for the jugular in terms of gore and laughs thanks to director Stuart Gordon, producer Brian Yuzna, and actor Jeffrey Combs as Herbert West. West’s creation of a reanimating agent brings dead tissue back to life, which proves disastrous for roommate Dan (Bruce Abbott), his girlfriend Megan (Barbara Crampton), and the higher-ranking administration of Miskatonic University. It’s Combs and his quirky character that provides most of the laughs in this blood-drenched feature, but so too does the film’s villain- the horny severed head of Dr. Carl Hill. If you’ve seen this a dozen times already, consider revisiting as a double feature with Suitable Flesh when it arrives on Shudder later this month.

Street Trash – AMC+, Night Flight, Tubi

Set in a Brooklyn junkyard with a cast of characters comprised mostly of homeless people, the film follows their wacky adventures made even wackier when a local liquor store owner starts selling them Tenafly Viper, 60-year-old hooch that’s gone bad and melts any drinkers from the inside out. Street Trash takes the gory practical effects of the decade further by making the blood dayglo colors, a vibrant signal not to take this splatter movie seriously, even when testing the boundaries of humor and taste. If you need an extra incentive to hit play on this one, a reboot is on the way!

Zombie Ass: Toilet of the Dead – Fandor, Midnight Pulp, SCREAMBOX

The title says it all. Expect more splatstick mayhem from Noboru Iguchi (Dead Sushi, Machine Girl, RoboGeisha) here. A group trip goes awry when teen Maki devours a fish with a parasitic worm; it sparks an undead invasion like no other. Poop-covered undead, potent farts, and more are promised in this over-the-top gross-out horror comedy. Splatter comedies often test your gag reflex through unrelenting gore gags, played up to comedic perfection. Noboru Iguchi escalates the carnage with the repulsive inclusion of, well, Zombie Ass.

The post Stay Home, Watch Horror: Five Splatter Comedies to Stream This Week appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Follow them on Twitter to discover more #FreeLikeTubi viewing inspiration. Or, you can take a look below at ten horror titles we think you should stream this month. Whether you’re in the mood for food-based horror, horror-comedies to work off the calories, or movies to kick off your Thanksgiving weekend, we’ve got you covered — and, again, it’s almost all exclusively streaming for free on Tubi.

Rogue (2007)

Rogue stars Michael Vartan as travel journalist Pete McKell, on assignment in Northern Territory. He joins a group of tourists on a river cruise led by wildlife researcher Kate Ryan (Radha Mitchell). The tour goes swimmingly, but the group discovers a shipwrecked boat just as it’s winding down. It puts them directly in the path of a 25-foot man-eating crocodile closing in for dinner. Writer/Director Greg McLean (Wolf Creek) crafts a lean, mean survival horror movie that uses simplicity to heighten the nail-biting tension.

Feast

From the outset, Feast presents an “anything goes” crass and raunchy attitude that doesn’t take itself too seriously. Except when it comes to the gore. Directed by John Gulager and written by Patrick Melton & Marcus Dunstan, Feast assembles an eclectic bunch at a roadside bar then traps them there as deadly monsters descend. Characters get introduced via humorous archetype cards before quickly dispatching them in goopy, bloody ways. Gulager delivers a gruesomely over-the-top creature feature with its tongue firmly in cheek but with a breakneck speed and emphasis on practical effects and action.

Dead Sushi

Dead Sushi is a ridiculous, gory horror-comedy that could only be helmed by Noboru Iguchi, the mastermind behind splatstick movies The Machine Girl and Zombie Ass: Toilet of the Dead. That means you should know before you even hit play whether this type of wackiness will be for you. It’s zombie insanity set around a sushi restaurant. Expect flying sushi, rice vomiting, rice zombies, a fish-man, and more chaos to wreak havoc as sushi comes to life. It’s as silly and as wild as it sounds, promising a divisive time.

Linnea Quigley’s Horror Workout

Maybe all the holiday feasting and snacking has you in the mood to exercise. If so, this campy blend of horror and fitness might offer inspiration or at least amusement. Horror stalwart Linnea Quigley connects horror-inspired workouts with clips from her horror movies. If you’re a huge Quigley fan or love the idea of zombies doing aerobics, this is for you.

The Eyes of My Mother

Nicolas Pesce’s feature debut blends the beautiful with disturbing with a serial killer origin story. Francisca (Kika Magalhaes) lives in isolation with her parents, but unspeakable tragedy leaves her irrevocably altered, at once shattering her and instilling unnatural curiosities. Pesce evokes sympathy for his killer, even as she commits gruesome acts of violence. Shot on black and white, The Eyes of My Mother makes for one stunning, audacious debut that sticks with you.

Even the Wind is Afraid (Hasta el viento tiene miedo)

This supernatural gothic chiller is directed by Carlos Enrique Taboada, one of Mexico’s most influential horror filmmakers of all time and a national treasure. An all-girl boarding school is haunted by a former student seeking revenge from the grave, and the paranormal activity reaches a fever pitch during spring break. It’s an eerie ghost story that’s well crafted and heavy on atmosphere, making for a great entryway into Taboada’s work. 

Silent Night Deadly Night 5: The Toy Maker

Tubi offers every sequel entry in this yuletide horror franchise, giving you the option for a marathon. But if you only have time for one, then opt for part five, The Toy Maker. Mickey Rooney stars as the titular character, creating toys that come to life and murder their new owners. It’s as wacky as it sounds, with an unhinged Rooney and a variety of homicidal playthings. If you want to get a head start on your holiday horror viewing, well, bring the popcorn with this one.

Alison’s Birthday

Written and directed by Ian Coughlan, this 1981 Australian folk horror movie centers around the 19th birthday of Alison (Joanne Samuel). Despite warnings from beyond the grave, the teen returns home to attend the party her family throws for her, but the days leading up to it prove nightmarish. It’s a Pagan conspiracy afoot, and an unwitting Alison is the target. It’s up to her boyfriend, Pete, to uncover the truth and save her before it’s too late. This folk horror is of the slow burn variety, but its mythology and Druid conspiracy engage as it builds to an unforgettable finale.

I, Madman

The plot follows an L.A.-based bookseller with a significant affinity for pulp horror novels. When Virginia (played by Near Dark’s Jenny Wright) starts reading the work of mysterious author Malcolm Brand, the lines between fiction and reality grow increasingly blurred. And deadly. Randall William Cook plays antagonist Malcolm Brand/Dr. Alan Kessler, as well as handling the special effects and stop motion animation. A supernatural slasher with a pulp twist, I, Madman remains one of the more underappreciated ’80s horror movies.

Scream 4

A book tour brings Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell) home to Woodsboro, where she reconnects with old friends and family but finds the Ghostface Killer returning once more to resume his slaughter. Craven once again proved himself well ahead of the curve with his musings on social media and being internet famous. For fans of the series, it checked off all the major boxes, too. Suspense, humor, meta dissections of the subgenre, and a genuinely likable group of characters. Justice for Kirby! It’s always a great time to revisit this franchise, but a new movie on the way makes a great excuse to catch up this holiday season.

Download the Tubi app (iOS, Android, Roku, Amazon Fire) and watch these titles and more for free right now!

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That’s why I’ve come up with this list of 6 of the most unique movie monsters, as I think it’s time we shine a spotlight on some of the most original antagonists that the genre has to offer. In order to be eligible for the list, the monster must have been created exclusively for the movies and can’t be based on any pre-existing property. That means no remakes, adaptations or re-imaginings of popular beasts like Bigfoot or Mothman.

With only 6 entries, this is more of a brief compilation of the creatures that I find the most interesting rather than a comprehensive list of all the best cinematic beasts, so don’t forget to comment below with your own favorites.

Now, onto the list…

6. The Fungi – Splinter (2008)

The best creature features are the ones that leave you wondering about whether or not you’d survive an encounter with their monstrous antagonists, and Toby Wilkins’ Splinter excels at making you think “how the hell would I beat this thing?”. Mostly taking place in an abandoned gas station, the film follows the unlucky victims of a carjacking that join forces with their kidnappers when they’re attacked by re-animated corpses controlled by a predatory fungus.

While the monster here is technically just a painful-looking infection (reminiscent of a punk-rock version of Marvel’s Venom Symbiote), what makes this beast stand out is the horrific way that it takes over victims while they’re still alive, puppeteering individual body-parts with jerky, bone-shattering movements as it searches for fresh hosts. I’d say that’s pretty terrifying for a villain with no central nervous system.

5. Clover – Cloverfield (2008)

A Found-Footage Kaiju movie backed by a massive budget and enigmatic viral marketing, I think it’s a miracle that Cloverfield exists in the first place. The movie itself was a couple of drafts away from greatness, but there’s no denying the impact that its creature design would have on future monster movies, especially after the posters and trailers did such a good job of keeping it a secret.

While classic Kaiju flicks were usually limited to humanoid designs that could be adapted to fit an actor in a rubber suit, Clover’s otherworldly proportions make it a far more interesting beast (even if it’s only possible due to expensive-looking CGI). In fact, the design might be a little too good, with everything from the aliens from A Quiet Place to Godzilla‘s MUTOs attempting to imitate Clover’s now-iconic gait.

4. Feast Beasts – Feast (2005)

An action/horror/comedy hybrid with a perverse sense of humor and disposable archetypes instead of traditional protagonists, John Gulager’s Feast is a strange little monster movie with a mean streak. Taking place inside a Nevada bar under siege by a group of man-eating abominations, the flick’s antagonists stand out as a bonkers addition to an already unique film.

With intimidating reptilian jaws and an insatiable appetite, the Feast Beasts may be scary to look at, but it’s their indiscriminate mating habits that make them one of the most disturbing entries on this list. These creatures aren’t just hungry, they’re horny as hell, making the most out of their unnatural ability to reproduce with any other species.

With a libido like that, it’s no wonder that Feast would later spawn a pair of equally bizarre sequels.

3. The Aliens – Attack the Block (2011)

It may have taken a decade, but I was ecstatic when I heard that Joe Cornish and John Boyega are finally partnering up again to make a proper sequel to one of the most unique alien invasion films ever made. Focusing on unconventional main characters from a UK council estate as they attempt to fend off intergalactic creatures, Attack the Block also features one of my favorite extraterrestrial monster designs.

Lumbering around like intergalactic apes with a neon-blue maw that can easily consume a drug-dealer’s head in a single bite, these aliens are a force to be reckoned with as they lay waste to urban Brixton. While there are some obvious CGI enhancements, I’ll give the filmmakers bonus points for making the creatures mostly practical, giving the characters a very real threat to interact with.

2. Graboids – Tremors (1990)

Written by Brent Maddock and S. S. Wilson, “Land Sharks” is the original title of the screenplay that would eventually become Tremors. While it’s an appropriate description of this classic monster movie, the desert dwelling Graboids (and their variations in the sequels) are much more than simple Jaws substitutes.

Boasting an iconic design influenced by director Ron Underwood’s real experience working on National Geographic nature documentaries, the Graboids are a marvel of the practical effects industry. With full-sized puppets and clever miniature-work bringing the subterranean predators to life, this is one monster movie that still works just as well today as it did over three decades ago.

1. Xenomorph – Alien (1979)

With an enormous franchise spanning 6 movies, a couple of crossovers and loads of supplemental books, comics and videogames, it’s easy to forget just how revolutionary the original Alien was when it first came out. While Ridley Scott directed the hell out of this “haunted house movie in space”, it’s H.R. Giger’s grotesque Xenomorph design that propelled the film to infamy.

Influencing everything from Pumpkinhead to Jurassic Park‘s Raptors, the Xenomorph’s disturbing biology and Lovecraftian backstory (or lack thereof, depending on what movie you’re watching) make it the stuff of nightmares. Even after all these years, this is one ever-adapting monster that we shouldn’t take for granted. After all, in space, no one can hear you scream.

The post Land Sharks, Horny Beasts and Glow-in-the-Dark Aliens: 6 of the Most Unique Movie Monsters! appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

It’s with the latter in mind that we curate a whole new viewing selection for St. Patrick’s Day. There’s no need to leave your couch for this pub crawl through some of horror’s best pub and bar scenes. Seventeen memorable genre stops for the 17th of March, to visit at your leisure!

Demon Knight

The Collector, like many cinematic demons, is perceptive at discovering the vulnerability in humans. For Uncle Willy, The Collector targets his addiction to alcohol, presenting him with a fantasy bar explicitly tailored to his tastes featuring a lot of nude women and liquor. The Collector plays the role of a plucky bartender to perfection, and Uncle Willy becomes a converted lesser demon to wreak havoc on his fellow survivors.

V/H/S: “Amateur Night”

“I like you.” These three small words marked one unforgettable anthology segment that inspired a spinoff feature film. For three pals that embark on a bar-hopping spree in the hopes of luring women back to their hotel room to secretly film amateur porn via hidden camera, well, karma is monstrous. Clint encounters the timid and awkward Lily at a bar, and she only ever utters those three little words. Clint and his friends won’t find out the reason why until it’s far too late.

The Bar

In Alex de la Iglesia’s dark horror comedy, an unseen sniper traps a group of strangers in a downtown Madrid bar. It becomes clear that they’re being quarantined due to a diseased patron, prompting paranoia to surge through the group. When they find a drainpipe in the basement that leads to the sewers, well, things get pretty gross. This movie has a nasty mean streak and takes a very non-traditional approach to the bar setting.

Jennifer’s Body

For poor BFFs Jennifer and Needy, a trip to their local dive bar to see their fave band Low Shoulder perform comes with permanent consequences. Unbeknownst to them, Low Shoulder chose the tiny town of Devil’s Kettle to sacrifice a virgin in trade for fame. They think Jennifer to be that virgin. The bar going up in flames offers up enough chaos and confusion to begin their plan, which goes catastrophically awry.

The Wicker Man

Police Sergeant Howie Neil travels to a remote island in search of a missing girl. He quickly discovers his Christianity doesn’t fit in with the free-spirited residents, and this bar scene is one of the earliest indicators. The moment he walks in, the jovial crowd goes silent, though they burst into song and dance just as quickly. The crassness of their lyrics and dance is in direct opposition to his stuffy demeanor; it’s only the beginning of Howie’s nightmare.

My Bloody Valentine

Thanks to the potential resurgence of Harry Warden, and a string of murders in his wake, Valentine Bluffs’s town mayor Hanniger and police chief Newby decide to cancel the Valentine’s Day dance. The youthful protagonists gather at the local bar to lament the cancellation and plot a party of their own. The bartender, Happy, overhears and delivers a strong warning. The tale of Harry Warden isn’t enough to stop them, though, so he plots a prank meant to shake the group to their core. Naturally, he’s murdered before he can enact his scare, but both Happy and his bar remain memorable nonetheless.

Grabbers

When tentacled and man-eating aliens invade a remote island in this Irish creature feature, it eventually becomes apparent that the aliens have an aversion to alcohol when the town drunk miraculously survives his attack. Enter this critical third act scene, in which our heroes round up the villagers and get them completely drunk at the local pub to keep them safe. Hilarious drunken battles with aliens ensue.

Death Proof

Quentin Tarantino’s half of Grindhouse kicks off with a bar scene that seems lighthearted and straightforward at first glance. A group of women gathering to celebrate a birthday, and lurking in the background is Stuntman Mike holding conversations of his own. But this dialogue-heavy scene holds far more depth than meets the eye; it’s here that we meet our charismatic villain and learn all that we need to know about his modus operandi.

Frenzy

Alfred Hitchcock’s penultimate film doesn’t get enough attention. The plot involves a serial killer brutally raping and murdering women, and the police suspect the wrong guy. In typical Hitchcock fashion, it’s incredibly suspenseful; the audience is forced to watch in terror as the killer preys upon unsuspecting victims. Truthfully, much of the plot centers around the pub, but it’s this bone-chilling scene that features the protagonist’s girlfriend Babs that packs the biggest punch. An employee of the pub, Babs arrives intending to collect her and her lover’s things, but she’s intercepted there by the killer. What plays out is wrought with tension and heartbreak.

Feast

When the entire film is set within a dive bar, the inclusion of the ultra-fun creature feature Feast might feel like a cheat. While you could take your pick of memorable moments from this gross, gory, and gnarly movie, we’re going with the fantastic opening that presents each character intro with a card that shows their survival odds, then quickly shatters them. It’s a hell of a way to get things started.

The Shining

Jack Torrance, a recovering alcoholic, accepts a job as the Overlook Hotel caretaker during the off-season in an attempt to get his writing and family life back on track. After being accused of abusing his son Danny, who’d earned nasty bruises after wandering into room 237, Jack winds up in the Gold Room bar. He relays his marital woes to the bartender Lloyd, who offers up a sympathetic ear as well as a glass of Jack Daniels. Never mind the fact that the hotel is technically empty of both staff and booze. It’s the point of no return for Jack and the haunted Torrance family.

An American Werewolf in London

At nightfall, backpackers Jack and David pop into a local pub, the Slaughtered Lamb. The locals are a strange bunch, but things are going okay until Jack asks about the pentagram on the wall. The crowd turns hostile. Jack and David opt to leave, and the locals send them off with a warning, “Keep to the road, stay clear of the moors and beware of the full moon.” Do the Americans listen? No, they veer off the road and onto the moors. A werewolf attacks. Moral of the story? Pub locals might be weird, but it’s best to heed their drunken warnings.

Gremlins

This iconic scene perfectly encapsulates the mischievous spirit of the pint-sized green terrors that take over the small town of Kingston Falls. From taking a spin on the ceiling fan, playing poker, and indulging in every possible lousy vice and behavior, these menacing monsters give poor Kate the worst shift a bartender could ever have. Much to our delight, of course.

Shaun of the Dead

Edgar Wright delivered one of cinema’s most iconic pub scenes of all time with this beloved ZomCom. For Shaun, his best friend Ed, love interest Liz, and their friends and family, they seek refuge in the Winchester bar during a zombie outbreak. The jukebox kicks on, playing Queen’s “Don’t Stop Me Now.” Cue the synchronized battle for survival.

From Dusk Till Dawn

Granted, the entire second half takes place within the Titty Twister bar. Still, it’s the iconic scene that introduces the seductive Santanico Pandemonium and her subsequent lust for Richie Gecko’s bleeding hand that sparks a vampiric feeding frenzy. Santanico’s arrival marks a pivotal scene that transitions the narrative from action film into full-blown horror.

The Fly

Seth Brundle and Ronnie Quaife’s budding romance dies quickly when his experimentation with teleportation pods leave him permanently altered. When she refuses to enter his teleportation pods, he leaves her and heads to a nearby bar to find a new companion willing to undergo the experiment. He sets his sights on a bar patron to bring home, but not before giving another one gruesomely painful bone fracture in the process. Even more horrific, this is only the early stages of Seth’s transformation into the grotesque Brundlefly. As Ronnie puts it best, “Be afraid. Be very afraid.”

Near Dark

Caleb Colton thinks he’s wooing a pretty lady, Mae. Instead, she turns him into a vampire. The leader of her vampiric clan gives him a week to prove himself, and this fantastic bar scene marks the beginning of his initiation. Moreover, it demonstrates just how ruthless these vicious vamps tend to be with their prey. Severen sadistically taunts his food while encouraging Colton to explore his heightened strength. Bill Paxton proves to be the ultimate scene-stealer here. “It’s finger-lickin’ good!”

The post Horror Pub Crawl: The Best Horror Movie Bar Scenes to Revisit for St. Patrick’s Day appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

“Listen to me. A storm of hell’s coming down on this place any second. I don’t know what they are, I don’t know where they came from. All I do know is that these fuckers are fast, nasty, and hungry, and there’s four of ’em. They got claws like Ginsu knives and more teeth than a chainsaw.”

This is how Hero (Eric Dane) introduces both himself and the deadly creatures that descend upon the bar in Feast. Promptly before one of them decapitates him, his blood gushing forth and covering Honey Pie (Jenny Wade) head to toe. The bloodletting, carnage, and revolting body fluid spillage never lets up from there in this gory creature feature.

Feast is the result of season three of Project Greenlight, Matt Damon and Ben Affleck‘s movie-making reality series that aired on HBO. Its third season opened with Damon and the Greenlight team seeking out and hiring Wes Craven to produce a horror film. Of the scripts and teams they had to choose from, they selected director John Gulager and the script by Patrick Melton & Marcus Dunstan, Feast. The nine-episode season chronicled the film’s production, from pre-production to its first test screenings. When it came time to the actual release, though, Feast deserved much better than the extremely limited release it received.

Granted, this particular horror movie isn’t the type that typically appeals to the masses or mainstream critics; it’s lean, mean, and saturated in viscera. The script cleverly bypasses lengthy character introductions by using humorous character cards to let the viewer know each player’s name, role, and survival odds. Then it wastes no time subverting those odds. The Hero? Dispatched first. The Vet, trained for combat and survival? Gone second. An adorable and innocent child? Feast smashes that taboo to smithereens posthaste. At the other end of the spectrum exists the characters that tend to die first in horror, characters like Bartender (the director’s father and notable horror vet Clu Gulager). They outlast.

From the outset, Feast presents an “anything goes” crass and raunchy attitude that doesn’t take itself too seriously. Except when it comes to the gore. For both the excess gore and creature effects, producers immediately sought out special makeup and creature effects designer Gary J. Tunnicliffe. His credits include Piranha 3DD, Scream 4, The Collector, Hellraiser: Bloodline, Halloween: Resurrection, Ginger Snaps, and many, many more. Meaning, you don’t have to look far to notice his expertise in creature design and bloodbaths.

Tunnicliffe’s creature designs were twofold; the skulls and hides that gave a slight insight into the monsters’ age and habitation, and their real faces underneath. Makeup effects artist Michael J. Regan played Papa Beast, while Tunnicliffe portrayed Mama Beast. Puppetry rounded out the rest of the creature effects, namely the baby monster.

The most significant component of the makeup effects for the film was the fake blood. Gallons upon gallons of it. Slime, maggots, and more. Judah Friedlander’s Beer Guy gets vomited on, coated in viscous green goo, pus and worms, and bloodied to a mushy pulp. No character, human or otherwise, has a gentle demise in this creature feature.

Feast delivers a campy creature feature with its tongue firmly in cheek, but with a breakneck speed and emphasis on practical effects and action. It’s a simple and straightforward story that doesn’t reinvent the wheel or do anything new, but it does offer up plenty of goofy fun and a few stomach-churning moments.

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Children of the Corn: Runaway stars Marci Miller and Jake Ryan Scott as Ruth and Aaron, a mother and son who’ve been on the run for years after escaping the original film’s murderous cult. After becoming stranded in a small town, Ruth attempts to start a new life with her son, though the influence of He Who Walks Behind the Rows doesn’t seem to be far behind.

Despite being yet another direct-to-video sequel, I’ve got to hand it to Gulager for making the most of a relatively limited budget. Were it not for a few awkward shots and death sequences, the cinematography is entirely theater-worthy. Sadly, the same can’t be said for the film’s muddled script and lack of scares.

Runaway actually starts out with a genuinely compelling narrative, as the prospect of a single mother trying to protect her son from the horrors that raised her sounds like one hell of a premise. While the film does at least try to acknowledge the deeper emotional aspects of the story, the end result feels rather boring. The characters and their motivations aren’t quite engaging enough for the film to work dramatically, and the horror elements are painfully misused.

In all honesty, the movie wouldn’t be that different if someone were to edit out all the Children of the Corn connections, leaving us with a lackluster drama about a troubled single mom trying to get by in an unforgiving rural-American town. The supposedly scary elements from the previous films seem incidental here, as random deaths pepper the script with little to no consequences until the very end.

There are still some worthwhile aspects to Runaway, however, as Miller and Scott are an extremely convincing mother-son duo, and their chemistry helps to remedy the script’s flaws. Performances aside, a few of the deaths are also quite entertaining, if lacking in the creativity department. The film also managed to build up some decent atmosphere, as the dusty Oklahoma town the protagonists are stranded in occasionally feels almost tangible.

Ultimately, Children of the Corn: Runaway could have been a legitimately interesting character piece featuring some familiar bite-sized antagonists, but regrettably squanders its potential on a shallow script, despite some of Gulager’s trademarked flare. Remarkably, this isn’t the worst sequel in the series, but it won’t be revitalizing the franchise anytime soon. Unless you’re a diehard worshipper of He Who Walks Behind the Rows, I’d give this one a pass.

Children of the Corn: Runaway is available now on Blu-Ray and VOD!

The post [Review] ‘Children of the Corn: Runaway’ Squanders Its Potential appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Alice Johnson – A Nightmare on Elm Street series

When it comes to this beloved series, most fans fondly recall Heather Langenkamp’s Nancy Thompson as their favorite final girl.  While she deserves every bit of the praise and adoration, there’s another final girl in the franchise that’s often overlooked; Alice Johnson. Alice is introduced in A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master as the best friend of Kristen Parker, the final girl from Dream Warriors. Alice begins the movie as a timid girl from a dysfunctional family, using her lucid dreaming as a means of escape.  When Kristen pulled Alice into her nightmare, she transfers her powers to Alice upon her death. As the movie progresses, Alice amasses the power of every one of her friends killed by Freddy Krueger, making her one fierce adversary. No longer the shy girl, Alice becomes a force to be reckoned with.  Her character growth makes her transition into final girl even more fun, but that she survives not one but two rounds with Freddy makes her deserving of far more attention than she’s received so far.

Jannicke – Cold Prey & Cold Prey 2

Cold Prey and its sequel aren’t exactly original; they borrow heavily from American slashers, namely Halloween and Friday the 13th. Fans of slashers will pick up immediately who will and won’t survive. Yet, they’re extremely stylish and brutal. The icy setting of the old, abandoned ski lodge makes for a thrilling location. Then there’s Jannicke, a strong-willed woman that seems a lot like Ginny Field from Friday the 13th Part 2. She’s half the size of the giant killer, but her athleticism and strong desire to live compensates for the massive size difference, resulting in a thrilling head-to-head battle.  The killer isn’t fond of losing, though, and round two commences in the hospital set sequel (sound familiar?). When the staff and police fall violently at the hands of the revived mountain man, Jannicke once again faces off against him.

Barbara – Night of the Living Dead (1990)

The 1990 remake of Romero’s classic is an underrated gem in its own right; George Romero re-wrote the screenplay and persuaded Tom Savini to take on directorial duties after initially being hired to handle special effects. The most revelatory update to the zombie classic, however, was the reimagining of lead heroine Barbara. Unlike her 1968 counterpart, this Barbara doesn’t fall into a state of shock and hysterics upon losing her brother to a zombie in the film’s opening sequence. Instead, she becomes a vital asset to the group of survivors holed up in a farmhouse. Played by Patricia Tallman, this more modern take on Barbara eschews her shrinking violet nature in favor of intelligence and toughness.  This version of Barbara not only outlasts on her wits alone but ruthlessly delivers a satisfying conclusion to the power battle between hero Ben (Tony Todd) and obnoxious jerk Harry Cooper (Tom Towles).

Meg Penny – The Blob (1988)

The amorphous monster at the center of this creature feature proved to be a terrifying match for even the military.  Crash landing from space as a small entity, the Blob quickly amasses into a size that threatens to engulf the entire town. Enter Meg Penny (Shawnee Smith), an unwitting cheerleader that suffers perhaps the worst first date in history, when nice guy Paul becomes one of the first victims to be dissolved and devoured by the Blob. Yet, Meg doesn’t let it keep her down for long. She not only discovers the creature’s origins but also figures out the way to stop it. She also uses her charm to woo the town’s black sheep, Brian Flagg (Kevin Dillon), to assist in saving the day. When an entire town quarantined by the military are helpless, leave it to one pissed off cheerleader to take care of business.

Yasmine – Frontier(s)

Granted, this 2007 entry in the New French Extremity movement feels like countless horror films before it, borrowing memorable plotlines and moments from films like The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, The Hills Have Eyes or Hostel. Yet the balls to the wall level of violence and gore was so over the top that it didn’t matter.  The NC-17 rating slapped on by the MPAA is a giant clue that final girl Yasmine worked harder than perhaps anyone else on this list to earn her final girl status. The Neo-Nazi family that dispatches Yasmine’s friends are brutal, yet Yasmine matches their viciousness by ripping out the throats of her attackers, impaling them on a table saw, and using any means necessary to survive. This blood-soaked final girl takes no prisoners.

Taylor Gentry – Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon

A clever mockumentary that lovingly pokes fun at the slasher genre also takes the relationship between final girl and killer in a whole different direction. Unlike most, where the killer stalks the final girl over the course of the film until the explosive showdown, this movie sees its final girl, Taylor Gentry, developing feelings for Leslie Vernon, as he shares his meticulous plan to slaughter teens over the course of one night. Once Taylor and her crew discover that Leslie’s plans for murder weren’t a farce, the film shifts to traditional horror, and the realization that Taylor was always the intended final girl makes for one of the most fun showdowns in slasher history.  The foreplay between these would-be lovers is killer.

Megan Garris – Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives

When it comes to this franchise, it’s usually the first two final girls of the series that hog the spotlight; Alice Hardy and Ginny Field. Yet it’s Jennifer Cooke’s sassy portrayal of Megan Garris that makes her my favorite final girl of the Friday the 13th series. Her zeal for breaking rules and rebelling against her father, Sheriff Mike Garris, makes for a lively counterpart to Tommy Jarvis’ (Thom Matthews) serious man on a mission. While Tommy, responsible for reviving Jason Voorhees in the first place, does all that he can to correct his mistake, it’s ultimately Megan that saves the day, both in rescuing a drowning Tommy and taking a boat motor to Voorhees’ neck. Final girls are known for their killer survival instincts, but Megan’s fearless passion for life sets her apart from the pack.

Tuffy – Feast

Tuffy doesn’t have a lot going for her when Feast begins. She’s a down on her luck waitress at a bar who moonlights as a prostitute, and her sole source of happiness is her young son. That happiness is ripped away from her violently, thanks to the gross creatures that descend upon the bar. When the bar patrons and purported heroes can’t seem to get their act together to ward off the creatures, Tuffy gets fed up and takes matters into her own hands. When both life and weird horny man-eating monsters keep Tuffy down, she fights back. Hard.  Her revenge against the creatures earns her the title of “Heroine 2.”

Amy Harper – The Funhouse

Elizabeth Berridge’s Amy Harper begins as just another one of many horror teens that wished they’d obeyed their parents by the time the end credits begin to roll. Despite her father’s wishes, Amy sneaks out of the house to meet her new boyfriend, her best friend, and her best friend’s boyfriend to visit a traveling carnival. Sneaking around where they shouldn’t, the group ends up locked in the carnival’s funhouse for the night with a deformed Gunther in pursuit.  It’s good girl Amy who winds up confronting the terrifying Gunther alone, resulting in one of the tensest final battles in slasher history. Of course, the unique setting helps.  She may have been a simple good girl with a small rebellious streak, but her brutal slaying of her attacker earns her worthy final girl status.

Angela Vidal – [REC] series

What should have been a dull night covering the night shift at a local fire station became reporter Angela Vidal’s worst nightmare. A call results in Angela, her cameraman Pablo, and two firefighters investigating an aggressive woman locked in her apartment. You know the drill. The woman bites an officer, and before you know it this zombie-like rage virus spreads throughout the apartment building just as it’s quarantined.  Just as lone survivor makes it all the way to the top, she seems to fall prey to the virus’ source, a very creepy Tristana Medeiros, and the camera cuts to black. For a final girl, it’s a pretty weak ending, right? Except, halfway through the sequel, REC 2, Angela is revealed to not only still be alive, but she’s kicking butt and determined to finally make it out of the building. Considering the sequel’s final reveal, a case could still be made against the plucky reporter for being a worthy final girl. Except, her return in the final entry in the series, REC 4: Apocalypse, has her squaring off against Medeiros infection once and for all. What should have been an easy reporting job turned into a hell that spanned three films, a possession by way of parasitic worm, an exorcism, and a whole lot of carnage in between.  Perhaps she, more than anyone on this list, endured the longest to earn her spot.

Who is your favorite underappreciated final girl?

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Their gig was announced as part of one of the largest literary deals in recent memory, where DMG Entertainment grabbed film and licensing rights to Sanderson’s “Cosmere,” which includes the massively popular “Stormlight Archive” series of books of which “Kings” is the first.

Variety reports that DMG are fast tracking production on the fantasy series, committing $270 million – half of what’s needed to complete the first three movies adapted from Sanderson’s work.

More as it comes, folks!

The post ‘Feast’, ‘Saw’ Writers Handed Massive Fantasy Series appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Sometimes there’s nothing better than when horror films keep it simple. I’m a huge fan of boiled down, structurally interesting stuff, like when horror restricts their movie to a sole location. In a weird way it’s almost like watching theater, which seems like a ridiculous thing for the genre of horror to achieve. But by doing this it forces the films to use different storytelling tools, which can sometimes pay off in huge ways. Films like this also tend to be about the characters, giving you deep, fully realized personalities, rather than the clichéd throwaway types which horror can have a tendency to thrive on. It’s always nice to appreciate the sort of ambition going on in something like this, so here are some more examples of when horror took a chance with a single location and stumbled onto something great.

P2 (2007)
Directed by Frank Khalfoun

Coming from the same creative team behind 2012’s Maniac (which includes Alexandre Aja as a co-writer), it’s easy to see that Khalfoun is someone that has a lot of love for mixing things up with style and structure. P2 is set entirely in an underground parking garage on Christmas Eve. Angela tries to leave work one night when she is kidnapped by the deranged security guard who has secretly been obsessing over her for months on end. P2 isn’t perfect, and it feels like this team’s version of an independent film, but it hits a lot of the right marks and does a lot with its confined structure contributing to the fear. Rachel Nichols and Wes Bentley also deliver some encouraging performances with characters that we get to learn a lot about which certainly helps the film out, too. It’s also nice that they actually shot the film within a parking garage, so that authenticity is definitely felt throughout the film. Since we’ve all certainly no doubt been in a parking garage at night before, that extra layer of realism to the picture also cuts through to you.

A L’Interieur (Inside) (2007)
Directed by Julien Maury and Alexandre Bustillo

Inside is one of my favorite horror films of all time and it’s absolutely strengthened by the fact that the story takes place in such a concentrated area. A very pregnant Sarah is home one night, when her quiet evening is quickly turned into a horrendous home invasion film. There’s something inherently terrifying about watching a pregnant woman run for her life, but Beatrice Dalle’s performance is one for the ages as she turns out a characterization that’s on the Anton Chigurh level of intimidating (also, don’t let your cats watch this film). Granted, a few scenes at the start of the film are outside of Sarah’s house, but once the attack begins it never leaves. And boy is it a bloody, relentless affair. A real meal is made out of the geography, as Sarah gets locked to various rooms in the house at different times. It’s just fun to think about as this as some sort of twisted stage play, with two strong female performances driving it forward.

Bug (2006)
Directed by William Friedkin

And speaking of “bottle episode” horror that feels like it could be a piece of theater, Bug especially fits the mold since it was a play beforehand. William Friedkin (who directed a little film called The Exorcist, maybe ya heard of it?) turns Bug into the very best kind of psychological horror that feels reminiscent of things like Repulsion. The film sees Agnes and Peter getting holed up in a simple Oklaholma motel room, as Peter’s obsessive conspiracy theories about insects and the government begin to take over them both. One of the great joys of this film is watching how this hotel room transforms into such an unnerving, unstable environment (it’s eventually completed covered in tinfoil). It also doesn’t hurt that it’s Ashley Judd and Michael Shannon that are the ones trading psychotic barbs here. Having legitimate actors in horror films always helps and this is a great example of the case. This one really washes over you and seeing yourself get trapped in this space of paranoia with these people, not sure what is real or not, with no escape to act as a release valve makes for some very effective horror. Friedkin and Letts would also work together on the tonally similar, Killer Joe, which is also more than worth your time.

Terror Train (1980)
Directed by Roger Spottiswoode

It’s a travesty that not enough people know about Terror Train, not only because a horror film set on a train is just a good idea, but that this vehicle is starring Jamie Lee Curtis, no less! The film is your classical bully revenge story, with a large body count that’s able to accumulate in the cramped space. This is also that beautiful classic sort of ‘80s horror with red, red blood and the killers have garish costumes. This takes that stereotype to new extreme with the killer adopting each of his victims’ attire (a New Years Eve costume party’s going on—interestingly a lot of these films are set on holidays) to the point where he’s wearing 10 costumes by the end of things—a different one in each scene he’s in, at that. Terror Train is actually shot on a real Canadian Pacific Railway locomotive, which is pretty wonderful. It also involved all sorts of creative ways of lighting the cramped space, like completely rewiring the train, and using penlights and other handheld methods to make things work.

ATM (2012)
Directed by David Brooks

So ATM might not be the best film on this list, but it certainly gets points for trying and has its murderous heart in the right place. The concept of three people being trapped in an ATM booth while a psychotic killer preys upon them has a lot of potential. If done right it could be some sort of horror equivalent to Phone Booth that really makes you feel trapped in a glorious way. ATM’s execution might be all sorts of sloppy, but it surprisingly gets a lot of mileage out of its tiny location, with touches like the killer turning off the heat going a long ways. The film manages to do some smart things, and even has some decent kills, but it’s just endlessly bleak, with a real downer of an ending on top of it all. It’s still worth getting drunk and watching with your friends as you bicker about what you’d do in such a situation.

Exam (2009)
Directed by Stuart Hazeldine

If ATM is dumb fun, then Exam is the most cerebral, with this film being a constant puzzle that you’re trying to solve with the characters within. Exam’s story is the simple sort of mind game that I love so much. Eight strangers (who we don’t even get the names of) are stuck in a room for 80 minutes—effectively making the film pass in real-time, too—as they try to pass an entrance exam for a prestigious job. More interestingly, the exam only has one question, but three crucial rules: they can’t talk to their invigilator, spoil their exam paper, or leave the room. Honestly, the less you know about the film, the better. It’s a movie that’s full of twists and surprises, and trying to figure it out as the film keeps pulling the rug out from under you is part of why it’s so much fun.

Pontypool (2008)
Directed by Bruce McDonald

Pontypool is a blessed mish-mash of love story and “zombie” outbreak in a truly different sort of way. The movie sees a shock jock and members of a radio station getting holed up in such a place because of the pandemonium that is going on outside their doors. While Pontypool might follow the beats of a lot of zombie films where the characters are trapped inside of somewhere, the film is really about language in the end. Rather than this being some typical outbreak virus, it’s actually one that infects the English language, which is a terribly interesting idea to play around with. McDonald and Tony Burgess have stated that the original War of the Worlds broadcast is a major influence here, and it’s certainly felt. Pontypool is an unnerving delight all around, and whenever you think you know where it’s going, it manages to surprise you.

Housebound (2014)
Directed by Gerard Johnstone

Coming out of New Zealand, Housebound eerily feels reminiscent of What We Do In the Shadows, which also happens to hail from the region. The film sees a woman, Kylie, being sentenced to house arrest in what’s believed to be a haunted house, which is a very solid premise, but the picture tows a dangerous line with its tone through it all. Housebound nails most of its horror, with the idea of the ghost of some dead boy plaguing these people, but there’s a weird vein of comedy that runs through the film too, which might not work for all people. Johnstone’s influences were The Changeling, The Legend of Hell House, but also Ghosthunters, giving you an idea of the wide spectrum that’s hit here. Housebound might be trying to say too much, but it shows a lot of promise and certainly has a memorable ending, whether you’re into it or not.

Feast (2005)
Directed by John Gulager

Believe it or not, Feast is actually the result of the reality show, Project Greenlight’s third season, with the film’s limited locations being another example of how minimalism can be key for an independent feature. Feast sees a bunch of off-color bar patrons getting stuck in their watering hole as terrifying creatures begin an attack from the outside. It’s a classic “survive with strangers” scenario, and the film pulls it off well. Feast clearly doesn’t take itself too seriously either, and tries to be evocative of that smarmy vibe that makes things like Tremors work so well. For instance, the protagonist is straight up known as “Heroine”, with other characters having similarly clichéd monikers like Honey Pie, Hot Wheels, and Beer Guy. Oh, and Jason Mewes is also there, as himself. Surprisingly the film’s sense of humor is one of its greatest assets, with the weird sensibility punctuating the carnage even further. Somehow all of this insanity coalesces in the right way, and the film creates a fun world where it’s not surprising to see that the film spawned two sequels.

1408 (2007)
Directed by Mikael Hafstrom

Stephen King has written countless stories that have seen adaptation, but 1408 actually manages to be one of the more competent ones out there. The to-the-point story sees John Cusack’s, Mike, a horror author who investigates allegedly haunted houses, spending a night in one that’s supposedly just dripping in ghosts. This one might be a bit of a cheat, since there are some scenes before Mike gets into the titular room, but since the film is all about having to stay inside and survive said room, I think it’s excusable. Once Mike is inside, the film doesn’t disappoint with a lot of genuinely terrifying things messing with him as the room tries to push him over the edge. The film does a great job with getting inside Mike’s head and also illustrating the loneliness and isolation that Mike’s experiencing through this. The fact that Cusack and Samuel L. Jackson are also highly capable performers doesn’t hurt this creepy material either.

With more and more chances being taken within the horror genre, I’m sure we’ll only see more creative takes on this minimalistic approach. As more auteurs continue to prove that mixing things up can pay off, directors are going to want to keep rolling the dice. Directors realizing that these smaller scale projects are safe could lead to some interesting things in the right hands.

Note: After writing this piece, I’ve seen Mike Flanagan’s Hush, and it certainly deserves a place on here, too.

The post 10 More Great Single Location Horror Films! appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

*Just kidding. I’m not sure there was ever any doubt what Dimension Films’ Piranha 3DD would be rated. I suppose there was slight a chance there’d be an ‘unrated’ version, but I just imagined that was what the eventual DVD/Blu cut would be. Dimension, like any other distributor, needs to get paid. And the only way to do that is with an “R” (a “PG13” would be the antithesis of this franchise).

Piranha 3DD has been rated R for “Sequences of strong bloody horror violence and gore, graphic nudity, sexual content, language and some drug use.”

The John Gulagar-directed sequel was penned by Patrick Melton and Marcus Dunstan. Danielle Panabaker, Matt Bush, Chris Zylka, David Koechner, Meagan Tandy, Paul James Jordan, Jean-Luc Bilodeau, Hector Jimenez, Adrian Martinez, Clu Gulager, Gary Busey, Katrina Bowden, Christopher Lloyd, Ving Rhames, Paul Scheer and David Hasselhoff all star.

Hit the jump to take a look at the VERY R-Rated trailer.

The post I’ll Pay You A Billion Dollars If You Guess The Rating Of ‘Piranha 3DD’* appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

We knew it would be a simultaneous theatrical and VOD release, but we didn’t know when. Now we do. Dimension Films’ Piranha 3DD will be released on June 1st. Just in time for summer water park fun.

“There’s something in the water… again. And this time no one is safe from the flesh eating fish as they sink their razor sharp teeth into the visitors of the best summer attraction, The Big Wet Water Park.”

Piranha 3DD reteams Feast director John Gulagar with writers Patrick Melton and Marcus Dunstan. Danielle Panabaker, Matt Bush, Chris Zylka, David Koechner, Meagan Tandy, Paul James Jordan, Jean-Luc Bilodeau, Hector Jimenez, Adrian Martinez, Clu Gulager, Gary Busey, Katrina Bowden, Christopher Lloyd, Ving Rhames, Paul Scheer and David Hasselhoff all star.

You’ve already seen the trailer, but that won’t stop me from including it after the jump.

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